Hello again! I hope all of you loved chapter one. I should be working on my NaNoWriMo novel, but I'm doing this instead. Hey, the point is, I'm having fun! Right? Ah, well, here's more ROMY goodness!

Oh, also, for anyone curious, this was inspired by Azalea Rose Black's story Choices because I kept screaming at the computer, "Just take her and RUN, dammit!" It's a very good story. So you should go read it. But not until you finish this chapter.

Enjoy!

-Forbala-

CHAPTER TWO: ON THE RUN

Gambit led Rogue over the wall of the X-Mansion and to an antique car and tossed her bag in the trunk. Rogue took a minute to examine the car. It was a Morgan 4/4 Sport, two-seater convertible. It was a British car with a long hood and looked like something out of the forties or maybe a James Bond movie. The hood was ventilated, the wheels were spoked, the frame swept over the wheels, down under the small low doors, and over the back wheels. The whole interior was old-fashioned brown leather. God, it was hot.

Rogue ran her hand over the polished gray-green metal, then jumped at the start of the engine. The sound sent shivers down her spine, the good kind, and it made her a little nervous.

"I know de car is nice, chere, but it's time t' go." Gambit said, leaning over and opening her door. She slid in and buckled her seat belt and they were off.

"Where are we going?" Rogue asked, some ten minutes into their drive as they lost sight of the X-Mansion.

"Unfortunately, Louisiana and Mississippi are too obvious. They would expect us t' go dere. We gonn' have t' move 'round a lot. We'll start in Virginia. I reckon we can stay dere for a while b'fore Mysty finds us."

Rogue nodded and looked at the road disappearing before them as she left her home for some great unknown. Again.

They were in Pennsylvania a few hours before dawn, when Gambit pulled off the highway and checked them into a tiny motel room. Rogue took her pack and saw that Gambit brought in a backpack, presumably with clothes in it, but also a small duffel.

There was only one bed in the room.

"Gambit," Rogue said, turning on him, her accent getting thicker in her anger. "What d'you think you're doing?"

"Chere, dey only had singles left. Remy'll sleep on de floor if it makes y' feel better." He went to the closet and pulled out the extra blankets, spreading them on the floor as proof of his sincerity. Rogue felt bad about accusing him of attempting to seduce her, especially when he was there trying to save her (supposedly. She still wasn't totally sure).

She went to the bathroom, locked the door, and changed into her long-sleeved pajamas and brushed her teeth. When she emerged, she saw Gambit playing Solitaire on the floor. He had turned the bed back and taken one of the two pillows. Rogue sat on the bed, her backpack on the floor beside her.

"Gambit?" she asked uncertainly.

"Mm?"

He didn't look up from his card game. Rogue looked at him, trying to decide what exactly she thought of him. His face was strong and angular, his body lean, athletic, almost leonine. His brown hair fell in his face and he brushed it away, only to have it fall in his red eyes again. She remembered the last time she'd run off with (aka, been kidnapped by) him. He had used her, yes, but he had also been very kind to her. He had made her feel worthwhile and pretty. And he had given her his favourite playing card, the Queen of Hearts. In fact, she reached into her pack and pulled it out, caressing it. It was worn from all the time it had spent in her pockets, but she didn't care. It looked bright and shiny and new to her.

"Chere?" he asked, looking up at her after she hadn't spoken for a while. He looked at her hands and smirked. "Y' still got Remy's card, hm?"

"What of it, Swamp Rat?" she retorted, hiding it in her lap and trying to hide her embarrassment.

He went to sit beside her on the bed, his card game swept up and hid in his pants pocket. He picked up her hand and turned it over to look at the card she held. "She's been t'rough a lot, huh?"

"I guess." She still didn't look at him.

He went to pull her chin up, but she darted back against the headboard. "Are you insane! You could die, idgit!"

"Don' care, chere. A touch from such a belle fille is worth it."

Rogue blushed and dodged him again, saying, "You really are stupid, Swamp Rat."

"That may be true, chere." He stopped reaching for her and settled with laying across the bed. "What was it y' wanted t' ask Remy?"

She sat back against the wall. "I dunno. I was thinking…I guess I was just thinking about all this. I'm not so sure running away is the best tactic. Mystique is just gonna follow us. Who knows how long it'll be before it's safe enough to go back? Don't you think it's better to just fight her?"

Gambit put his hand on her knee through her pajama pants. "I understand, chere, and Remy wants to fight madame bleu too, but I just t'ink we need to shake her off first. I promise I'll take y' back t' de X-Men soon."

Rogue nodded and lay down under the blankets. Gambit moved to the floor and they both got what sleep they could.

X

Only two hours after Rogue was spirited away, and half an hour after Logan had found her note and her room stinking of Gambit, Mystique arrived. She sneaked into the girl's room to find Logan, Scott, Jean, and Kitty, but not sign of Rogue. She leapt off the windowsill and landed running on the grass below. Logan jumped out the window and went racing after her.

X

When morning came in full, Gambit and Rogue got ready quickly and went straight to the car after checking out. They went through the McDonald's breakfast drive-through and got on the road quickly. Rogue was loath to eat in his gorgeous, obviously expensive car, but he assured her it was fine, so long as she was careful. After all, they could always clean it.

"How did y' sleep, chere?" Gambit asked as they got going on the highway.

"Pretty good. It's hard not to think about what kinda germs and nasty God-knows-what is all over that room, though," she said with a shudder.

"Mm, oui. Merci Deu for dat shower, right?" he said, looking at Rogue with a pervy smirk.

She smacked his arm and berated him. "Stop bein' such a perv!"

"Non, it's not possible, chere. You look to cute when y' embarrassed." She crossed her arms over her chest in annoyance, having no retort for that.

X

"Why are you after Rogue?" Logan growled in Mystique's face. He had managed to catch her, if only barely and with some help, and he was now locked in an obscure room of the secret basement, interrogating her.

She struggled against her bonds, but it was useless. She was in thick steel restraints holding her in a star position in the middle of the room. It would be damn near impossible for her to escape.

Logan cracked his knuckles and smirked. "Listen, bitch, you're gonna tell me what Magneto wants with Rogue, or I'm gonna have to get creative."

Mystique couldn't quite hide her reaction: fear. She was smart to fear the Wolverine. He was one badass motherfucker who was terrifying under normal circumstances. Now his surrogate daughter had gone missing, possibly because Mystique was after her. He wanted answers and goddammit he wanted them now.

"Listen, I don't know what he wants with her. I'm just the servant," she spat out, obviously pissed off about her position in Magneto's gang. Logan thought he could use her dissatisfaction to his advantage.

"Tell me everything you know," Wolverine ordered.