Chapter 10

Rogue was having trouble sleeping, but not because of any of her psyches for once.

Gambit had proposed to her.

Proposed.

She had never been so terrified in her life.

It wasn't that she didn't want to get married or that she hadn't thought about marrying Gambit, Jubilee's suggestions aside. Rogue hadn't expected him to propose any time soon, and she supposed a part of her had been banking on that, because she wasn't sure if she was ready.

And how could she be certain that Gambit was even ready? He'd proposed on a whim, on the spur of the moment. Maybe even now he was regretting the words came out of his mouth. Maybe he was relieved she'd turned him down.

Or maybe he was angry and embarrassed and wouldn't want to talk to her and this would end their relationship.

The door opened and Rogue's head shot up, her eyes landing on Gambit as he walked through the door after his night out with his brother.

"Ah didn't mean Ah wouldn't marry you," she blurted out quickly, "It's just that it's such a huge decision and we've never really talked about it and –"

"Chére, chére," Gambit interrupted her, putting his finger on her lips. "It's okay, really."

Rogue took a deep breath as Gambit stepped back and started getting ready for bed.

"Really?" she asked nervously.

Gambit sighed as he tossed his trench coat over the chair.

"Really," he insisted, knowing he sounded a little testy, but not meaning to.

Silence followed. Rogue scrubbed her hands together where she sat on the bed. Gambit finished undressing and got into bed. He was somewhat torn about the whole thing. A part of him was feeling a little humiliated by effectively being turned down in front of everyone, another part relieved. What scared and surprised him the most though, was that there was a very big part of him which desperately wanted her to say yes, and was rather worried that she might never say that at all.

He hesitated and finally spoke, not wanting to go to sleep with this still hanging over their heads:

"Rogue," he said gently. "I love yo', yo' know dat."

"Uh huh," Rogue replied, sounding a little choked up. "Ah love you too."

"And you're right," he said. "It is a big decision, and we haven't really talked about it outside o' telling off Jubilee and whoever else fo' bringing it up all the time."

"Exactly! And ya just got some exciting news – and Ah'm really very happy for ya, by the way – and lots of people do stuff when they're on an emotional high that they wouldn't normally do, and Ah didn't know if it was you talking or the excitement -"

"Whoa, wait a second," Gambit said, half sitting up and leaning on his arm, "yo' don't t'ink I was serious?"

"Well, Ah... it just... umm..."

"Yo' t'ink I was joking? About dat?"

"No! Not joking!" Rogue said quickly. "Ah mean, it was just so... spur of the moment, and Ah know that some people think that's kind of romantic - and don't get me wrong, sugah, Ah love it when you're spontaneous - but not... not things like... like marriage which is a major life-changing decision. Ah just... Ah need ta know you've thought it through and that it's what you really want."

Gambit laid back down again and close his eyes.

"So," he said slowly, "when yo' say yo' want a 'proper' proposal..."

"Ah don't mean that ya have ta have a ring and get on one knee or anything, unless of course, ya want to. It just needs to be... planned in advance," Rogue said quietly, then sighed and laid down as well.

There was a long silence while Gambit mentally debated whether he should ask her if she would have accepted or not. In the end he decided to let it go; either answer would probably just lead to a fight and he didn't want to deal with that right now.

"Remy?" Rogue said softly.

"Yeah?" he asked after a moment's pause.

"Ah'm sorry if Ah embarrassed ya or anything."

Gambit let out a long, slow breath, rolled over to face her and took her hand.

"Yeah, yo' did," he said. "But it wasn't an outright no, so..."

There was another silence.

"It wasn't just... just the timin'," Rogue said meekly. "It was also... well, Ah guess Ah was kind of scared."

"Yo' were scared?" Gambit said. "How do yo' t'ink I felt when the words came out o' my mouth and met wit' silence?"

Rogue winced. "Ah'm sorry. Ah know Ah want ta get married... some day... Ah didn't think that you and Ah were, y'know, at that point in our relationship yet and Ah wasn't prepared and... and..."

"So let's start talking about it, chére. Okay, I'll concede dat I hadn't given marriage a whole lot o' serious thought before, but those words came from somewhere. I'm not exactly given t' spontaneous proposals every time I get good news."

Rogue started giggling. "If ya were, you'd be married long before now?"

"Somet'ing like."

Rogue rolled over and snuggled into him.

"Ah need and want ya in muh life, Remy," she said firmly. "Maybe Ah don't know if Ah'm ready ta get married just now, but Ah don't know that Ah'm not ready either. Ah do know that Ah love you so very, very much and even the idea of not being with you breaks muh heart."

Gambit kissed her forehead and then lifted her chin so he could kiss her lips.

"I love yo' too, Roguey," he said softly. "I love yo' too."

"What, are you nuts?" Jubilee demanded. "He proposed and you turned him down?"

"Ah didn't turn him down," Rogue replied irritably. "Ah told him Ah wanted him ta put some thought inta in. For us both ta put some thought inta it."

"Argh, no! When a guy proposes, you're supposed to say yes," Jubilee insisted.

"Right so, if say... Anole randomly came up to ya one day and -"

"That's not what I mean."

"Well, that's what ya said."

"Why are you so caught up in this, love?" Psylocke asked Jubilee.

"I don't know. I just am," Jubilee replied with a shrug, considered and then added: "They belong together."

"Yeah, well, it's hard work ta make a marriage work," Rogue said, "and unless both parties are prepared ta put in the effort, then it's not going ta work. You'll excuse me if Ah don't want ta rush inta a decision that Ah might regret later."

"Regret?" Jubilee exploded. "How can you possibly regret marrying Remy? Hello? He's only your soulmate. Kitty, tell her."

"Rogue," Kitty said.

"Yes, Kitty?" Rogue asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I think it's a good thing that you're taking this so seriously."

"Thank you."

"Oh what?" Jubilee objected.

"Jubes," Kitty said patiently, "there's a reason why fifty percent of marriages these days end up in divorce, and why so many new marriages don't get past the first year. For something that's supposed to be 'until death do you part', that's pretty bad."

"Exactly," said Rogue.

"But... but... but I... He got the news that he gets to return home," Jubilee said irritably, "and the first thing he does is ask you to marry him. Hello? Doesn't that tell you something?"

"That's the part I don't understand," Psylocke said. "Why couldn't he go home before?"

"It's a long story," said Rogue. "The short version is that Remy was arranged ta be married, but his future brother-in-law challenged him to a duel to the death. Remy won. The father got upset and well, Remy was kinda exiled from New Orleans in an effort ta keep the peace between their families. He died recently, and Bella Donna – the woman he had been arranged ta marry – she doesn't bear him any ill-will, so she's letting him come home."

Psylocke blinked. "Well, that sounds a little archaic."

"Yeah, that would be where the complicated part comes in," Rogue replied with a grin.

"If I were you," said Jubilee, "I'd marry Remy before you go to New Orleans and Bella Donna can force him into marrying him after all these years."

"That's not going ta happen, Jubes," Rogue said patiently.

"Oh yeah? How can you be so sure?"

"Well, for one thing, she's already married."

"That doesn't mean anything, People have affairs all the..." Jubilee trailed off and slapped her forehead. "Dammit!"

"I win," Rogue said.

"Hmph. It's not like Remy would ever cheat though," Jubilee said, determined to salvage the situation. "I mean, hello, the guy nearly got raped by that telekinetic –"

"That's what happened?" Psylocke exclaimed with wide eyes the same time Marrow said: "Someone actually tried to rape Remy?"

"Umm..." Jubilee said awkwardly. "I'm guessing you didn't know."

"This is not your day for talking, Jubes," Kitty teased her. "You should just shove your foot in your mouth now and get it over with."

"Seriously," Marrow pressed. "Someone actually tried to rape Remy? Didn't she know that all you have to do to get him into bed is say 'hey, wanna fuck?' and he replies 'right here or somewhere more comfortable?'"

"Actually we were datin' at the time," Rogue replied coolly. "He'd already turned down her advances and she didn't like it. So she held him telekinetically and fed him Overdrive so she could take advantage of its aphrodisiac properties. Rape, attempted or otherwise, is not a laughing matter, and Ah'll thank ya not ta make light of the situation."

"I wasn't making light, I just meant that..." Jubilee began and then sighed. "I'm going to go talk to the guys."

Marrow shook her head as Jubilee departed.

"Well," said Psylocke. "That certainly puts things into perspective. No wonder he's so anxious around me."

"Yeah, you got a bit of a raw deal there," said Kitty. "But Remy's a decent guy. I'm sure he'll come around, right Rogue?"

"Absolutely," Rogue said firmly.

Gambit looked up at Jubilee's grinning face. He let out a long breath, knowing exactly what was coming.

"Go on," he said. "Say it. Yo' know yo' want t'."

"Eeeee! You proposed!" Jubilee practically squealed. "Okay now all we have to do is –"

"We?" Gambit repeated with a raise of his eyebrows.

"Oh good, you agree," Jubilee said slyly, not at all beneath using his habit of speaking in two languages against him. "As I was saying all we need to do is come up with a really, really good proposal so that Rogue'll accept you."

"It's not the proposal, it's the thought behind it," Gambit said firmly. "And it's also none o' your business."

"You should propose while sky diving," Bobby advised, overhearing the whole thing.

"Well, dat's a stupid idea," Gambit replied. "Yo' can't have any kind o' conversation while sky diving on account o' the wind. You've been watching too many movies, Icecube."

"Besides, my idea is way better," said Jubilee. "You should take her out for a nice romantic dinner, and hire a band to serenade her and put the ring into a champagne glass and –"

"Well, why do people decide on sky diving proposals?" Bobby interrupted.

"The proposal happens after yo' land," Gambit told him.

"Oh. That makes sense. Hey, what about hiring a skywriter? I've always wanted an excuse to hire one."

"Excuse me, I was talking," Jubilee said.

"You're always talking," Gambit said. "I don't need your 'help', Firecracker, or yours either, Iceboy. You've had your fun, now –"

"You know what I think you should do, Gumbo?" Logan asked.

Gambit lifted his head and made eye contact with Logan, whose expression gave away nothing.

"What?" Gambit asked warily.

"You should get a fortune cookie and change the message to 'will you marry me'."

"I'm going now."

Logan chuckled as Gambit left.

"Long day?" asked Henri.

"T' put it mildly," Gambit replied. "Everyone keeps giving me proposal ideas."

Henri laughed.

"Oh really?" asked Mercy, a smirk appearing on her face. "Has anyone suggested –"

"Don't yo' start."

"- giving her a heart-shaped box of chocolates, but replacing the middle chocolate with the ring?"

Gigi gigged as Gambit banged his head against the wall.

"Heh," said Henri, clapping him on the back. "We should get going. See yo' in a couple o' days, no?"

"Right," said Gambit. "Have a good trip. Oh, and please don't tell Père about the proposal."

"Oh? Why not, Remy?"

"Because dat's been his favourite question lately, and I want t' give him the answer."

Henri laughed.

Gambit saw his family off at their airport and then headed back to the mansion to pack his things for his first trip back to New Orleans in almost nineteen years.

Early the next morning, Rogue and Gambit departed for New Orleans.

"One t'ing is certain," Gambit said as they set off, "dis trip should be a lot shorter dan it was coming up."

"Ya don't foresee us getting delayed by people trying to abduct and/or kill us?" Rogue asked.

"Nope," Gambit replied.

Rogue chuckled.

For much of the first part of the trip, there was no conversation between them. The radio played and they were both happy just being in the other's company. They stopped briefly to pick up lunch a little after midday and continued on their way.

"Roguey?"

"Mmm?"

"Umm... nevermind."

"Oookay."

Rogue half expected Gambit to speak up again, but he didn't say another word until he noticed the fuel gauge was getting low.

They stopped some hours later for dinner and then to check into a hotel for the night. They bummed around for a bit in the hotel room before deciding to call it a night and go to bed.

"Rogue?"

"Yeah?"

"I thought mebbe I should have mentioned dis earlier..."

"What's that?"

"Well, see, ever since our first anniversary, mon père's been asking me when I'm going t' propose."

"Oh... Ah see."

"Dat had not'ing t' do wit' why I proposed, chére," Gambit said determinedly, "but I thought as we were going t' be seeing him t'morrow, he'd probably end up asking me dat in front o' yo' sooner or later... probably sooner. So, consider yourself warned."

Rogue sighed.

"He's only doing it t' annoy me," Gambit added. "Dat's how he's been Guild leader fo' so long wit'out going nuts; he looks fo' ways t' annoy the crap out o' his family."

Rogue giggled despite herself.

Before too long, they fell asleep. They were woken the next morning with the arrival of their breakfast via room service. They ate, checked out and continued the rest of the way to New Orleans.

"Well," said Gambit as they approached the Lake. "Here we go."

Rogue watched with a slight smile on her face as Gambit drove into New Orleans, full of nervous excitement he couldn't hide – at least, not from her. Very quickly, Rogue began to wonder if she should have been the one driving; Gambit was like a little boy, his face practically plastered to the window. It felt like every few seconds he was pointing out something new to Rogue, places he remembered and places they had to visit before they left.

They made a few wrong turns along the way, although whether this was due to Gambit being distracted, his memory being faulty after so long away, or just the city changing in the meantime was debatable. Still, they eventually pulled up at the LeBeau estate. For a time, Gambit just sat in the car and stared out the window.

"Can't believe you're really here?" Rogue asked, trying not to sound amused.

"Somet'ing like," he replied.

Silence stretched out for another minute or so, and just when Rogue was wondering if she should ask him if he needed help getting out of the car, the ornate front door opened and Henri came out.

"Remy! Yo' planning on coming in or what?" his brother demanded when Gambit rolled down the window

"Non, I came all dis way just t' stare," Gambit replied. "I was planning on turning around in a minute and driving all the way back."

"Oh, well, whatever suits your fancy den."

Rogue giggled and the two finally got out of the car. Rogue pulled their bags out of the back while Gambit and Henri hugged.

"Welcome back t' N'Awlins, mon frère," Henri said.

"Merci," Gambit replied.

Henri led them both to the door. Gambit took a deep breath and took his first step inside his old home. He stopped again in the middle of the foyer.

"Not'ing has changed," he said.

They left their bags there, and Henri led them into the living room where Mercy, Gigi and Jean-Luc were waiting. Gambit hadn't seen his father since he'd been banished, so it came a a bit of a shock to see him with grey hair - what was left of it. He also had a lot more wrinkles than he remembered.

"Remy! About time yo' got here, mon fils," Jean-Luc greeted, standing up to give him a hug.

"We took the scenic route," Gambit replied, hugging him firmly. "It's been far too long."

"Indeed," he agreed, and then Jean-Luc's eyes fell on Rogue. "And yo' must be Rogue."

"Nice ta finally meet ya in person," Rogue replied with a smile as Jean-Luc took her hand and kissed it.

"Dieu, yo' look," Jean-Luc began, stopped as if he had changed his mind about what he was going to say and went on; "belle. I can see why Remy fell fo' yo', no?"

"Thank you," Rogue replied with a nervous laugh.

"So, Remy," Jean-Luc said with a nudge. "Have yo' proposed yet?"

"Oui, actually I did," Gambit replied, not bothering to hide his smirk.

"Really? About time," Jean-Luc replied, rubbing his hands together gleefully. "Now here's what I think we should do for the wedding..."

Gambit leaned back on his heels and grinned while Jean-Luc started rattling off outlandish wedding ideas that he obviously knew his son would not go for. Rogue turned her head and starting admiring the decor, feeling very uncomfortable. Mercy covered her mouth with her hands to hide her smile. Gigi shook with silent laughter. Henri alone managed to keep a straight face. Eventually Jean-Luc realised he wasn't getting the reaction he had been expecting.

"So, what do yo' t'ink?" Jean-Luc asked Gambit. "It's your wedding after all."

"Oh, I never said that there was going to be a wedding," Gambit said.

"Ahh, well," Jean-Luc said uncertainly. "Dat's true..."

"In fact, I don't even recall saying dat Rogue even accepted my proposal."

Jean-Luc's head slowly turned to Rogue, who avoided his gaze. Abruptly Jean-Luc started laughing.

"Hoisted by my own petard," he declared. "I suppose it had t' happen sometime, no?"

AN: One more chapter left.