Chapter Twelve: Rocky Foundation

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Ack! I keep trying to post the illustrations, but for some reason the url keeps disappearing. So if you're interested in seeing some, there's a link on my author's profile at the bottom. Ishandahalf- I must agree with you. Remy sucks at picking pizza. Pineapple on pizza is my favorite, but you know how boys are. Stoooopid. -- Also, I left out chapter five! Oh man, I didn't even catch that one! Chapter Five is up now- so I suggest you read that if you had any questions between chapters four and six. Yeah the updates might be quite fast because I seriously am so manic about this story. It's going be freaking intense, kids, because Ooooh if you only knew what I have in store for you… Let me just say this. You will be so surprised you'll wet yourself. Yep, it's that good. Now, please be good little readers and click that review button when you're done!

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"How much do ya trust me?"

He was lying on Rogue's bed as she flipped through various songs on her laptop. She turned to him and wrinkled her nose. "Ah don't trust ya at all, Cajun snake!" she exclaimed, smiling.

"Be serious."

She frowned. "Ah trust ya fine," she replied, rising and joining him on the twin bed. "Why do ya ask?"

He sighed, trying to figure out the right way to ask. "What are ya really doin' here, Rogue?"

She bristled at the question and rolled away from him. "Are ya accusing me of lyin'?" she snarled.

"See," he said, throwing up his hands in the air. "I try t' ask ya a question an ya snap at me! Remy knew ya were gonna be like dis."

"Ah'm sorry," she relented. She traced patterns on her comforter guiltily, not meeting his gaze. "Ah ain't got any other reason t' be here. Ah just needed someone t' help me control mah powers and shelter me f'r a lil' bit."

"Well ya got de collar. Why ya stick around?"

"Are ya tellin' me you want me to leave?" Rogue asked, a little panicked.

"No!"

"Well, y'r here, ain't ya?" She kissed the tip of his nose playfully. "Ah at least got that as a reason t' stick around."

Gambit turned away. "I saw the e-mails in yoh inbox. Ya still been in touch wit yoh mother."

"You what!" she shouted, shoving him off the bed. He fell to the floor with a soft thud. "Why the hell were ya snoopin' in mah stuff?"

"Cause somet'in' ain't right." He pushed himself up. "Why, if she kicked ya out, is Mystique still sendin' ya e-mails?"

She jumped up and turned off her laptop, then angrily turned to him. "Ah attempted suicide. She's not a complete bitch- she was worried 'bout me. Ah am, after all, her daughter, betrayal or no betrayal. An what gave ya any right to snoop through mah stuff! Ah thought ya believed in me!"

"Y'r the one double-teamin' us," he shot back evenly. "Don't ask me not'ing 'bout loyality."

"You ask me if Ah trust ya- when y'r the one who doesn't trust me!"

"How can I when ya lie t' me?"

Her green eyes narrowed. "Ah did not lie t' ya! Mystique kicked me out. This is mah home now."

"Dis is yoh home 'cause Mystique's tryin' t' weasel somet'ing outta ya."

She pointed to the door. "Get the hell out!"

"Rogue…" he implored, gingerly touching her cheek. "Don' lie t' me. Tell me de truth."

She pulled away, disgusted. "Get out."

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"Ah can't believe he did that to me," Rogue said, spilling her woes over an ice cream sundae. She picked at the treat morosely. "Ah mean, Ah know he's a sneaky thief, but has he ever heard of privacy?"

Wanda thought it over between spoonfuls of her health blizzard. "You know, I thought the same about you. You are Mystique's daughter, after all. I didn't think you were on our side the first time you showed up. But I think you are now, and I'm sure given time Remy will come around too."

"We're supposed to be in a relationship. How can we have a relationship without trust?"

Why should he trust you? Carol asked smugly. You were lying to him after all. You're going to kill Magneto and he knows it.

Shut up!

"Can I get you girls anything else?" a tall, blonde waitress asked. Rogue couldn't help but notice there was something peculiar about the woman. She shook her head slowly, still eyeing her. "All right, I'll leave you girls to it!"

"Just relax, Rogue," Wanda encouraged. "I'm sure Remy was just overreacting. He's crazy about you. I'm sure he'll be begging you for forgiveness in no time."

"Ya really think so?" Rogue asked, trying desperately to cover up the insecurities deep inside that were screaming he was going to leave her, that she was no prize, that he didn't need her after all. Carol, of course, echoed those concerns perfectly, leaving her no choice but to listen.

"Positive."

The ice cream melted immediately after Rogue spooned it into her mouth. She swallowed in, enjoying something she hadn't tasted in quite sometime. She and Wanda decided that the girls needed a break. It was funny how days ago Wanda would have scoffed at the idea, but something had changed in the girl. She eyed the Scarlet Witch nervously. "Why are ya bein' so nice t' me all o' the sudden?"

She smiled. "Well, I'm not angry all the time." After receiving a look from her teammate she corrected herself. "At least, not anymore. Rogue, after your accident I decided we weren't as different as I thought we were."

"Ya mean ya pitied me?" she asked, disgusted.

"I felt a little sorry for all I said, yes, but… Rogue, I've done what you've done." She reached out and grabbed Rogue's wrist, displaying it right next to her own. "See the scars?"

"That doesn't mean we're the same," she snapped, pulling away and covering up the marks with her bracelets. "Everyone does it anymore. Everyone who's ever listened to an Evanescence album."

Wanda sighed and watched the ice cream drip from her spoon and back into the cup. "I don't even know why I did the things I did. I mean, I remember being so hurt and so angry… but, I mean, it was complete unnecessary. I didn't have one thing to be mad about."

"Ah-" Rogue bit her tongue, holding the explanation back. Magneto must've brainwashed her, and considering her current benefactor, she didn't want to do anything to upset him. "Ah don't know why Ah did it either. Maybe we're just… messed up from having megalomaniacs f'r parents."

"You've got a point there."

She had to admit that Wanda had spoken the truth when she said they were like each other. They both read vampire novels, listened to the same music, had crazed villains for parents who regularly lied to them and used them for their own twisted powers. What Magneto did to Wanda wasn't right, and it took all her tact not to blurt out the whole story. She didn't want to cause any more trouble.

"Do you miss your mom?"

Rogue nodded. "She's not such a bad person once ya get t' know her. She's just… a lil' crazy at times."

"I wouldn't know," she replied. "After all, Mystique just broke me out to use my power to tip the scales in her favor."

"Yeah, she does that." She wondered what Mystique was doing at that same exact moment.

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"Stupid child," Mystique growled, shifting back into herself outside of the ice cream shop. Rogue had definitely lagged in her secrecy to let her little boyfriend stumble upon one of her e-mails. She was just lucky that it had been general. Still, any contact should have been guarded. They didn't have room for mistakes like that.

"Remy, was it? He must be that boy she's so crazy about." She shook her head. "I can't allow some stupid kid to come compromise our plan." She prayed that there was still some sense left in the girl. Hopefully, she did not choose heart over head. Rogue was always doing that, and it only led to trouble. Please, for both our sakes, let this boy be just a boy to her.

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Sorry so short, but there's more coming! REVIEW please?.