DISCLAIMER: I own none of this, Marvel does.
(Thanks to: rogue-scholar07, good to know you continue to like this; TitansRule, that is some compliment!; Laceylou76, babycakes, if you thought it was beautiful then all I can say is 'my song can but borrow your grace' *V^; Bloodypassion, your words made me feel like I'd accomplished something and I am deeply touched and flattered that you enjoyed this, thank you; CatLady172, thank you *V*; tfobmv18, thank you and here's an update^^; LadyMageLuna, indeed not, as promised ^V^; dragonfly422, thank you so very much and I hope you continue to enjoy my writing; Valnar, here's hopin' you can scrape up the cash for those boots, huh? ^^ ; my very dear friend Irual, honeypie you are so good to me I almost feel unworthy XD I hope this meets with approval; anon g, my little princess, you ever need me to tell you stories, all you have to do is ask and I'll be right there... I don't own a tower but I can put you on a pedestal and worship at your feet just fine. You make it worth being here and I mean every word; AshmandaLC, my dear darkling, I cannot begin to describe all the things I'd like the guys to do to you for how happy you make me but give me a few PM's and I'll try my damnedest to be as bad as you want XD Hope this doesn't disappoint despite lack of drect action, this is a link in the chain before the next jewel, unfortunately, that is how we non-dwarven inferiors must craft our work...)
~ Scarlet Letter ~
Family Time
~*************************************************************~
"Why aren't they back yet?" Logan just raised his eyebrow and tipped back his beer, letting the younger mutant rant.
"It's half past one, they should be back by now! How do we know he didn't suddenly decide to take her to another state again? Or another country! They could be anywhere – doing anything!" Scott paced the kitchen restlessly, his arm movements exaggerated and his tone angry.
"Kitty's not answering her mobile but she's with that damn 'hood of hers so no surprise there – what does she see in that creep anyway? He's a criminal just like the rest of them, an arrogant, violent criminal! And all this 'going to see Wanda' nonsense, who the heck is buying that? I for one am not even convinced she's safe to be around, maybe Magneto had the right idea – I mean what, she has a tantrum and hundreds of people the world over have to die because Wanda's not happy? Puh-leeze! She just needs to learn a little self-control!" Logan made a low growling sound in the back of his throat and closed his eyes as Scott paced past him again for the thousandth time, but the irate Cyclops didn't seem to notice and continued his tirade.
"Ha, and it's not like any of the others are any better – and now they even have Pyro living with them to make it one big happy family of criminal freaks! I wouldn't be surprised if he murders them all in their beds because the voices told him to! And I'm not sleeping a wink in this house until Gambit clears out – he'll steal everything we own and I'm not letting any of the girls out of my sight with him! I cannot believe the Professor agreed to him staying with us! It isn't bad enough he stalked and kidnapped Rogue and now he has her wrapped around his little finger because he's sold her some bull about being into her, now he has to live here too? He's even got Jean believing he's a good guy and when I tried to talk some sense into her she cancelled the wedding!" Logan grunted softly as Scott passed him yet again.
"I mean, who cancels a wedding for some french-talking womanising creep she barely even knows?! What is that?! It's like he's brainwashed everyone, the girls, the Professor, everyone! The only ones on my side are the guys but who knows how long that'll last? Storm and Dr McCoy won't admit he's bad news either and they're usually so sensible – it's like everyone's gone totally insane!" Scott passed Logan again and there was a distinct twitch around Logan's left eye.
"And who is Rogue kidding? She's eating out of his hand just because he's pretending to give a shit and she's gonna get hurt when she realises that the only thing he wants from her is a ticket in here and whatever else he can get – and it's not like she has much else to offer a guy like that – " With a snarl Logan rose, turned, and slammed Scott to the wall with his claws through the shoulder of his Tshirt, effectively rendering the youth about as dangerous as a butterfly pinned to a felt board. His eyes narrowed and the shocked and frightened expression on Scott's face did nothing to quell the rage in them.
"Now you listen to me, kid, if there is one thing I will not listen to it's you talking that way about Stripes, do you understand me?" Scott swallowed and nodded quickly.
"I don't care if your ego's sore because Gumbo's got one up on you a coupl'a times, that doesn't mean anything to me and that's your score, but I will not stand back and let you poison the kids against him when Chuck's told me he trusts the guy and he deserves a chance here – they need to make their own decisions about people and if you go filling their heads with any more of this propaganda I will personally see to it that you'll be so busy scrubbing and mopping you won't have the energy to even think the word 'marriage' for the next decade!" Scott's mouth fell open.
"And if you'd listened to Jean, you'd know that Red was just trying to stop you from turning this into some kinda war between you and Gumbo for your own good – 'cause let's face it, the smart money would be on him – so unless I see you marching your ass up to her room to apologise for bein' a jerk real damn soon you, me and the Danger Room will be gettin' ta spend some real quality time together until you get the message!" Scott opened and closed his mouth a couple of times before he swallowed again and said in a dejected, obedient voice,
"Yes sir." Logan's claws retracted, releasing the youth who stood with his head bowed, waiting to be dismissed.
"I hear any trouble or any of what you said tonight coming back to me from someone else's mouth – especially one of the kids! – then you've had it. And if you can't be a responsible leader and be mature enough to let the past go, then maybe you need to start thinking about whether you belong here. If you've got a closed mind, bub, your mouth better stay that way too because I don't wanna hear it. Anything happens with Gumbo or he breaks Stripes' heart, then I'll deal with it. You concentrate on getting back in Red's good books because Lord knows she's the only one of you two with any sense. Now beat it, bub." Scott nodded, backing away, before turning tail and all but running out, and Logan could hear the retreating footsteps up the stairs. Grunting, he turned around and picked up his beer again, taking a swig and mulling over the way Cyclops had acted. Honestly, he understood some of the kid's issues with this new addition to the X-family, but Scott's problem was based on his petty dislike of Gambit who'd bested him in battle more than once and who had the uncanny ability to turn any woman within a ten-mile radius to a pile of consenting mush. The excuses that he was dangerous or that he'd be trouble were just smokescreens for the real issue – Scott felt threatened by Gambit and was trying his hand at classic male posturing to pump up his ego. Logan had to admit he was getting tired of it. He'd been thrilled when Jean and Scott announced their engagement since Red was able to generally point Scott in any direction she wanted and avert the crisis' that would otherwise come about, but this seemed to be more than Jean could handle.
Scott had a thing for Alvers too, Logan knew, a mixture of resentment that Alvers – who in no way matched up to Scott's ideal of what a responsible young man should be – was the object of Kitty's unwavering affection and admiration, and that the kid was in his own right a gifted leader. But the hatred Scott had been poisoning the mansion with for Gambit was deeper. Logan knew that Scott admired Rogue immensely, and part of Scott's resentment of Gambit was rooted in the fact that here was a man who had stolen Rogue from them in a time when they had needed to be there for her, her time of trouble and confusion, and taken her away, used her for his own ends, and been forgiven by her. They still didn't know exactly what had passed between the two of them to make their parting on such relative good terms, but Scott had been obscenely jealous of the fact that Gambit had gotten away with treating Rogue like that when she'd likely have murdered anyone else who tried the same. Hell, sometimes you couldn't even talk to the girl without needing to count your fingers afterwards!
Logan also knew that Scott had long known that Rogue held a deep regard for him, and that he had been flattered by this although he had never intended to act on it, and Logan couldn't help but suspect that at least some of the dislike Scott bore for Gambit was also due to the fact that here was a guy who could not only get behind Rogue's difficult, often cold exterior and alleviate her anxieties about trusting human nature, but who didn't seem to mind the fact that he couldn't touch her for any extended period of time and who managed to make it work anyway. To Logan, Stripes might as well have been his own daughter. He honestly loved the kid more than he had ever thought he could love another person, and he understood full well that having a girl like her, proud and independent and beautiful liking you was a definite ego boost for Summers, but he was severely disappointed in the boy for not being able to be happy for her that she'd found someone who made her happy and didn't tiptoe around her powers or her issues the way he tended to. Obviously, Gumbo was an unconventional Prince Charming, and Logan would be on his guard to ensure he treated Stripes with all possible respect, but as far as he had witnessed and heard – mostly from Half-Pint, who'd been kind enough to agree to give him full reports on all things pertaining to the matter - Gumbo seemed almost slavishly devoted to Rogue, and he actually managed to make her smile and keep her that way.
While Scott Summers had been flattered by Rogue's admiration and had been one of those most dedicated to bringing her round to their cause in the beginning, he wasn't right for Stripes and he had no hope of ever understanding her. While Gambit had committed a cardinal sin by abducting Rogue and attempting to use her to save the man who as far as Logan understood had basically ruined Remy's entire life up to the point where Gambit had renounced his life with him and set out alone, he understood Stripes, and she in turn seemed to blossom in his presence in such a way that Logan couldn't stay angry at the boy for long in the face of the marvellous effect he had on the girl Logan saw as his own child.
Ororo and he had discussed the matter at length, whether or not it was safe to trust the boy with Rogue, fragile as she was, and they had reached the conclusion that as long as they had both known the girl, she had been afraid of her abilities and of the world and had locked herself away, giving as little to it as she could get away with and often coming to a bad end when she did more than simply exist in the company of others. Gambit's influence was akin to the door being opened to the Rogue she could be, and that could only be a good thing. Charles had assured them that as far as he could tell Remy's intentions were honourable in the extreme, and Logan was forced to bow to the fact that his Stripes was happy and well and that the boy seemed to go out of his way to care for her. Of course, he'd still be the first in line to hunt him down and kill him should he ever decide to hurt Rogue, but for now he was content to let them be and merely observe and guide their interactions. He had promised Charles he would be an example of self-restraint in so far as beating on the kid was concerned, and he fully intended to limit himself to his role of father-figure. After all, he doubted Stripes would forgive him if he drove away the one person apart from himself who knew what she was going through.
He heard scrapings outside and flattened himself against the wall next to the kitchen door, ears alert to any sound, and the one that reached him was a delightful one. It was Rogue, laughing softly.
"Tink y' Wolverine's gon' kill me f' keepin' y' out dis long?" he heard the Cajun charmer whisper, and Rogue's muted reply of,
"No, he'll understand... We had ta make sure Wanda was doin' alraght after all she's been through lately..." The Cajun made a noise of assent and Logan smiled. Good to know he still inspired a certain element of fear in the kids no matter how old they got.
"Chere... Let's get y' inside," Remy said, and the kitchen door opened, Remy holding it open for Rogue gallantly and closing it after her. She was wearing his trench coat and a huge smile. Logan struck up his 'disappointed Daddy' pose, beer in hand.
"It's late, bub," he growled, and Rogue threw her arms around his neck with a beaming smile that completely diffused his intention to be a little scary. Instead, he hugged her back.
"Wanda was kinda freakin' out that she couldn' fahnd Pyro an' her room didn' look lahke she remembered it – took a while ta calm her down but she's okay now – I said she could call here if she needed anythang, is that alraght?" Stripes pulled back, her eyes full of concern and worry, and Logan sighed and smiled a little.
"Okay, Stripes, you can turn off the charm. You know I care about that little witch as much as you do. An' Gumbo?" Remy looked at him steadily as though awaiting punishment.
"Nex' time the girls decide ta yak on f' hours, gimme a call so I don' think somethin' bad's happened to 'em – I don' expect you ta be able t' get 'em home, but call an' let me know. I know what they're like once they get to doin' the yakkin' routine..." Remy smiled, and nodded.
"Oui, I will." Logan let go of Rogue and ruffled her bangs a little.
"Alright, now scoot you two, it's too late to be up – an' y' better not let me catch you sneakin' around up there or I'll have you both on kitchen duty!" Remy grinned and nodded again, stepping back to allow Logan his 'father-daughter good night time', and Logan sent the kid an appreciative look. Clearly he was no idiot.
"Hey, Stripes, what did Wanda want with that firebug anyhow?" he asked Rogue in an undertone, and Rogue smiled and shrugged.
"She was jus' freakin' out 'cause she didn' think he was in his room an' he said he wasn' gonna be out all naght – turns out he was catchin' Z's an' that's why he didn' hear her knockin'. Think she jus' needed ta have everyone home so it felt normal again, ya know?" He nodded and patted her arm affectionately.
"Yeah, sure. Good night Rogue," he said quietly, and she smiled even wider.
"'Naght Logan!" Turning, she ran the two steps to Remy and caught his hand under cover of the coat and Remy turned his head slightly as she pulled him away, checking Logan's reaction. The Canadian nodded imperceptibly and Remy's eyes glowed red before the young couple vanished from sight. Shaking his head with a scratchy chuckle, Logan tossed his bottle into the recycling bin and left the kitchen, turning off the light as he did so.
"Mus' be gettin' soft," he muttered.
~**************************************************************~
"... c'mon Remy, please..?" he groaned while she giggled, the sound muffled in his hair, and he kissed her again, letting her push him against her door, praying no one else could hear them.
"Chere... I gotta..." He'd donned his trench coat again and she was slipping her arms around him under it, he felt her edge up his shirt and the soft, thin leather of her gloves against his skin. He could feel her nails through them, scraping a little...
"Aw, just a little..?" her tone was wheedling, but in the breathy, sultry way only she could manage with him, and he tried to pull his hands away from her but he might as well have been attempting to lift the Eiffel Tower. She was pressed against him, standing between his legs, and he suddenly forgot that he was supposed to be trying to be quiet because she'd found that place just below his jaw that was guaranteed to make him agree to absolutely anything she wanted. Moon on a chain? Sure – soon as the galaxy was looking the other way he'd get it for her. His heart on a platter? Certainly, rare or medium-well? Sleep in her room with her when he had express orders to not do so from more violent places? Fuck...
"Don't ya wanna..?" Her leather-clad hand crept to his hip and he heard her voice in his ear, knew she was manipulating him, knew what he should say but also what that would lead to, and what the consequences of that would be... He caught her hand and raised it to his lips, reading the victory in her eyes.
"Chere, I'd do anytin' f' y', but d' y' wan' me t' get caught in here in de mornin' an' get kicked out on m' ass? Y' know I sleep too damn well when I'm wit' y', I'd never get out before dey came lookin'..." there was a certain desperation to his logicising that he knew she recognised, and she sighed dramatically and stepped back a little to allow him to clear his head. It didn't really help with her stood there looking all disappointed and – rumpled – for lack of a better term...
"Ah guess... Urgh, alraght, Ah don' want them kickin' you out when y' only jus' got here..." The look he gave her was one of utter dejection and she giggled a little.
"Ah know ya wanna stay here jus' as much as Ah wan' ya to, sugah," she said softly, knowing he understood the double entendre in her words. He made a noise of discontent and ran two fingers along her jaw, leaning in to kiss her briefly before saying,
"Good night, mon ami de cœur..." and turning to leave. She went as far as the door with him and watched him while he strode down the hallway, for all he looked imposing and ws wearing boots he made not a sound on the polished hardwood flooring. He went to the end of the corridor before he heard the faint click he knew was her closing her door and the two next clicks he knew were her locks. She wasn't paranoid, she claimed, just careful. He smiled at the memory, how defensive she'd looked when he asked about them. She's just thrown it back at him and said it wasn't as if they would stop him, and he had to agree. He doubted there was much in the world that would stop him from getting to his Rogue if he wanted to be near her. Well... maybe Wolverine was one of the few things that could still get in the way. But he was like any other father, Remy reasoned. He'd be angry for a while but he'd get used to the idea once he realised that Remy was every bit as committed to Rogue's happiness as he was. Every bit.
~*********************************************************~
She stood in front of her mirror assessing herself. She was wearing one of her tight vinyl miniskirts and thin, opaque black tights, her arms were encased in a simple long-sleeved black Tshirt and her gloves were snugly fitted around her wrists to prevent accidents. She'd brushed her hair and applied her eyeliner, winging it out to follow the swoop of her long black lashes at the edges of her eyes, lightly shadowing the very corners with a silvery, iridescent powder and graduating the darkness of the eyeshadow so that winged out as well to follow the line she'd painted. Her lips were a deep, almost rosy purple that reminded her of unripe blackberries and the look was dramatic but not as introspective as her usual ensemble. She didn't feel as trapped in her own treacherous skin like this. Deciding it was fine the way it was she stepped into her heavy, battle-scarred, steel-capped combats and tied them, leaving her room with a spring in her step that didn't exactly give onlookers cause to suspect that together, her boots weighed in at an extra four kilos. She fairly danced downstairs to the kitchen, passing her brother on the way, who reached out to catch her arm.
"Rogue, don't – " She shook him off, not understanding the concern on his face, and backed in the door to the kitchen, Kurt following her. She felt her back touch someone and turned around, Kurt catching on to her shoulders for some reason. As she got a good look at what was going down in the kitchen, she understood all too well why her brother was ready to restrain her. Remy was backed up by the sink with what appeared to be the mansion's entire group of young single females practically devouring him on the spot, and he looked most of all to be a tad aggravated. Not a morning person, then. Well neither was Rogue. Kurt's hands on her shoulders tightened, and she took a deep breath.
"Like, why did you decide to come here, Remy?" Amara asked, her voice dripping barely concealed attraction, and Jubilee shot her a dirty look.
"Yeah, I mean, you used to work for Magneto, right?" she chipped in, and Remy closed his eyes for a moment. This gave Rahne an in.
"Did you come here because he did, Remy?" Remy opened his eyes again and saw Rogue standing by the doorway, her face betraying her annoyance at the way they'd ganged up on him. There was no mistaking the way they were standing, the hair-flicking, the wheedling tones they were using, the way they were surreptitiously eyeing him – they were on the pull each and every one of them and it pissed Rogue off.
"Non, petites, Remy came here t' be wit' ma chere Rogue. If it weren' f' her he'd be back home righ' now," Remy said firmly, reaching out a hand that the girls all stared at as though wondering who'd get to touch it first if they all leapt for it at the same time like a ball thrown up at game time. Kur gave Rogue a subtle push and released her, and she took a step forward the led to another one and pushed through the girls, deciding to do something she'd never thought she'd be able to do. Gloat. Taking his hand, she leaned in and kissed him quickly, looking round at the girls with a magnanimous smile.
"Mornin' sugah, mornin' y'all!" she said cheerily, enjoying the shocked looks she was being treated to. Amara recovered first.
"Morning Rogue, we were just asking Remy why he decided to come here," she said perkily, and Rogue looked at Remy who was wearing his all-knowing, almighty smirk, and he tipped her a wink.
"Oh, really?" Rogue asked, sarcasm lacing her tone, and Jubilee sprang forward with the air of someone who knows she's done a fellow woman a potential wrong and wishes to make amends before she reserves herself a place in hell for it.
"Yeah, I mean, Magneto's not here anymore so we were wondering if maybe that was why Remy was here now," she said, too quickly, and Rahne jumped in, nodding.
"Professor X said Mr. Lehnsherr was goin' ta be away fer a long time," she added, and Rogue shrugged, turning to pour herself a cup of coffee.
"Ah wouldn' know. Ah don' think this is the bes' place f' him now that Wanda's got her memories back," she said calmly, and the girls fell to gossiping about the situation in te far corner of the kitchen. Remy leant in and whispered over Rogue's shoulder.
"Chere, y' damn near killed 'em all," he said, evidently pleased at her reaction, and she shrugged again.
"Y'all jus' be grateful Ah didn' get the wrong idea, okay sugah? Ah am not a mornin' person either an' Ah don' lahke havin' ta see mah man gettin' drooled over by a bunch o' kids," she said sharply, but quietly enough that the younger girls couldn't hear her words, and he sighed, his face as sincere as his voice was contrite.
"Chere, y' know I love y' – y' can' blame dem f' bein' no match f' my charm," he said, and she smiled.
"Don't ya know anythin' about women, Swamp Rat? Ah can blame you for bein' charmin'. Problem solved." She turned to join the girls and Remy groaned to himself and decided to strike up an initmate relationship with his own coffee. This was prevented by the fuzzy blue creature who was suddenly perched on the kitchen counter chortling away to himself.
"Oh, my sister has you beat," he chuckled, and Remy pieced things together. Yes, the blue one, adopted brother, Kurt. Mornings sucked.
"Oui, mon ami. She does," he snapped, and Kurt sighed and clapped him on the shoulder in a friendly sort of way. Remy noticed the odd way his hands were designed and Kurt jerked his hand back, the expression on his face turning from amused and sympathetic to borderline upset. Remy shook his head and fixed the other mutant with a pointed stare, understanding in an instant.
"Y' don' gotta feel bad f' nothin', mon ami. Y' jus' as normal as de res' of us," he said quietly, and Kurt smiled at him.
"Back at you," he said, his exuberance restored, and Remy took a fortifying swig of coffee as he watched Rogue laughing with the girls who seemed to be questioning her thoroughly.
"You really like her, don't you?" Kurt asked, his tail curled around his coffee cup as he nodded towards his sister, and Remy looked at him as though he were mad.
"Like her? Like? Dat's de understatement of de millenium," he said derisively and Kurt just grinned at him, exposing fangs.
"Your petite sœur be de le plus importants ting in dis 'ere Cajun's life, elle est fantastique, une merveille de beauté, tout à fait charmant, une ange. Je t'aime ta sœur more dan anytin' in dis worl'," Remy said hotly, and Kurt gave him an appraising look.
"Y' understand dat?" Remy asked, and Kurt winked at him.
"I understand de important bits," he said lightly, and Remy smiled.
"Bon. So, mon ami velu, what's t' do roun' dis place?" Kurt transferred his coffee to his hand and adjusted his hair with his tail. Remy eyed the dextrous appendage with appreciation.
"Damn homme, dat ting be tres habile," he remarked, and Kurt looked puzzled for a minute before he waved his tail.
"This thing? Yeah, it comes in handy every now and then," he shot back with another wink, and Remy chuckled and raised his mug in a casual salute.
"I can tell y' be one homme dis Cajun will be drinkin' wit' in de future," he laughed, and Kurt joined in, none of them noticing the glowing look Rogue sent them.
~************************************************************~
"So you're like, a thief? Seriously? You steal stuff?" Ray's eyes were as wide as dinner plates and Remy rolled his own eyes subtly.
"Oui, mon ami, dat is de definition of a t'ief, non?" he smiled at the younger youth and Berzerker snickered, looking more than a little sheepish.
"Okay, so like, what have you ever stolen?" Sam asked, and Gambit shrugged. The gesture was ghosted by a distinct sigh from the direction of the girls.
"Ev'rytin', anytin', don' matter. Y' got it, Gambit can take it from y'. F' de righ' price, o' course," he said, and Bobby, who had relaxed his attitude towards him a little, seemed to consider the possibilities.
"But – that means you can get in anywhere too," he said as it dawned on him that there was more to thieving than he had originally realised, and Gambit nodded.
"Oui. Anywhere. Don' matter what de security is," he said, and Sam piped up,
"Could you steal someone's wallet too then?" Gambit looked at him incredulously and actually burst out laughing.
"What? What's so funny?!" Gambit wiped his eyes and took a deep breath.
"Homme, i's better y' don' know," he said, still fighting the chuckles, and one of the girls – the little redhead with the accent – asked,
"Could you take somethin' someone was wearin'?" Gambit nodded.
"Sure. If y' know how, it ain' hard," he said with a shrug, and then glanced upward at the balcony where Rogue was watching him. She gave him a 'don't move on my account' wave and he smiled at her. Damn but she was gorgeous. She'd left after breakfast with her brother to do something or other and he'd been stuck regaling the X-kids with his life story, greatly edited. He had to admit, he liked her brother quite a bit. The guy was fun, genuine, and loved Rogue about as much as he did, albeit in a very different way.
"Gotta be goin'," he excused himself to the kids and they set up a chorus of protests that made him glad he didn't plan to spend that much time in their company.
"Awww, c'mon, show us how you do it!" Ray pleaded.
"Yeah, unless you can't really," Bobby added snidely, earning him a joint-effort glare from the girls.
"He doesn't have to if he doesn't want to, Bobby," Jubilee said haughtily, and Roberto nodded.
"I believe him, he doesn't have to prove it," he said calmly, and Remy turned around, pulled out four wallets, a pair of earrings and a heart pendant on a chain and said,
"Any of y' know who dese belong t'?" Bobby stared in shock, Roberto hid a smile behind his hand, and Ray exclaimed,
"Dude, that is so awesome!" The girls squealed in chorus, Rahne darting to the fore to retrieve her pink spotted wallet, her eyes shining with hero-worship.
"And that's my necklace!" Jubilee cried, nearly swooning when Remy handed it over, the guys content to have their respective wallets thrown to them as Remy bowed shallowly and retreated up the stairs to where his Rogue was waiting with cocked hips and folded arms, her lips twisted into a wry smile. He caught her hand and twirled her as though they were dancing, pulling her in to his chest and kissing her softly.
"Always so dramatic sugah?" she asked with a grin, and he smiled at her, his eyes drinking her in as he said,
"Well chere, when dere's a payin' audience y' gotta give dem sometin' ta look at... An' I don' know anytin' wort' lookin' at more 'n y'..."
~***********************************************************~
"Jean..? Can I come in?" He waited for a reply with bated breath, hoping she would accept his apology and that they could just go back to the way things were. Scott Summers did not deal well with emotional upheaval in his life.
"Come in..." the reply was muffled and he opened the door to see Jean Grey sitting by her dressing table scrubbing at her face with a tissue. He entered and closed the door behind him, approaching her hesitantly.
"What do you want?" she demanded, hicupping slightly, and he looked down at his shoes. They had no answers for him.
"I – I wanted to apologise... I was a jerk, and I should have listened to you... Can you forgive me?" Jean bit her lip and ceased wiping at her eyes with the ragged tissue.
"Scott, you walked away from me," she said, almost petulantly, and he sighed and came to kneel in front of her, taking her hands in his.
"I know, I shouldn't have done that... I'm so sorry sweetie, the only thing I want is to marry you and start our family, nothing else matters to me. You're my whole world, Jean... Please forgive me."
"You promise you won't let anything come between us again?"
"I promise," he said sincerely, and she narrowed her now-puffy green eyes.
"Even Gambit?" He nodded.
"Even him. Nothing gets in the way, I promise you. And if you can still stand being engaged to this jerk, will you come to dinner with me like we were supposed to last night? Make it up to you?" She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him, and he thanked God silently for inspiring Logan to knock some priorities straight for him. This was all he wanted. Nothing could stand in their way.
~****************************************************************~
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