The air was crisp and clean-smelling as Rogue stepped outside. She took a deep breath and smiled to herself. She had just spoken to a newly-emerged mutant child and her family about the Xavier institute, and could already feel the relief the family felt, just knowing that there were other families in the same unique situation as they were.

The early evening sky was clear, and a pleasant breeze blew through her hair, cooling the back of her neck. It was getting a little late, but the evening weather looked promising, so she decided to walk back to her hotel.

She pulled the apartment building's security door shut behind her and headed down the sidewalk. She let her mind wander as she walked. Things had been strange since she'd gone to Worthington labs and gotten "The Cure." It was almost like it was before her powers first appeared. Before Cody…She shook her head mentally skipped over that painful memory.

The other students at Xavier's had been a lot more understanding than she had expected them to be though none had chosen "The Cure" like she had. She had been welcomed back with open arms, and no one begrudged her that decision.

Her reclaimed freedom to have physical contact had changed her in some ways. She had been so reserved before. Not necessarily out of shyness, but more in an attempt to protect people from her power. Now that that burden had been lifted from her shoulders, she felt free as a bird. She had missed being able to touch people, to feel the texture of their hands, or their face, and now she found herself constantly reaching out to take someone's hand or touch their faces, just for the pure joy of it. She'd even had Pete take on his metal skin just so she could see what it felt like.

Bobby, unfortunately, wasn't as understanding of her decision. He had taken her decision to get "The Cure" personally, as if she distained being a mutant, and as an extension, him. He thought she had turned against him, just as his parents had. Add in her desire to touch everyone and it all seemed to cement in his mind her dismissal of him.

She had tried to reassure him, but it was no use. He had broken up with her and turned his back on her within a few months. She had been broken hearted about it for a long time, and had finally agreed to help scout new students for the school, as a way to distract her from her problems with Bobby.

A twinge in her left foot brought her back to the present. She winced, realizing that the hotel was a little farther away than she'd thought, and she wasn't exactly wearing the shoes for a long walk. She rummaged around in her pocket for the street map she'd bought the day before, and moved up against a building to get her bearings.

As she studied the map, she realized that she had a way to go yet. In order to get to where she wanted to go, she'd have to follow the street a fair distance, make a left, follow a long block, and make another left, followed by a lot more walking.

She groaned as she considered trying to hail a cab. She hadn't even seen one on this street. She wasn't really far away from the hotel, she was just on the wrong side of the buildings fronting it. She glanced ahead and saw an opening to an alley. Maybe she could cut through the alleys between buildings and save the cab fare.

With a glance at the darkening sky, she shrugged her shoulders and hurried through.

Though the sky was still light, the cramped alley was very dark and cold. The clicking of her heels echoed abnormally loudly off the surrounding walls. It wasn't long before she realized that she wasn't going to make it straight through. The alley ended and split off to the left and right. She stood for a moment, and could hear street sounds from the right.

She followed that alley around until it let out into a cramped street between the buildings. To either side rose blank walls, broken only by windows a couple stories up with old fire escapes, and an occasional loading bay door. To the left, the street was blocked by a fence, to the right it led off onto a busy street.

With a sigh of relief and a bit of a limp, Rogue stepped up the pace. As she approached the main road, she noticed several rough-looking men on either side of the street. Too late to turn around, she cringed when they called out to one another. She took a deep breath and pressed on, knowing that they probably wouldn't do anything more than talk a little dirty to her. Maybe try to scare her. She could feel her heart speed up, and she hoped that they couldn't see that she really was scared.

"Hello, hello."

"You lost honey?"

"Maybe she's out looking for a good time."

They all laughed. Several of them stepped away from the walls and moved closer to her. She looked them all straight in the eyes and smiled faintly without slowing her pace.

"You lookin' for a good time, baby? Cuz you just found it."

'Well, we did anyway!"

They all roared with laughter. One of them stepped directly into her path. She stepped around him and came face-to-face with the guy behind him.

"Just passin' through, guys." She managed to say without sounding nervous.

The man behind her fondled her hair and she jerked her head away angrily. They all jeered at her act of defiance. Her heart was thudding so hard, she was sure they all could hear it.

"I don't think she likes you, Tone."

"Thassalright," the man behind her jeered, reaching for her hair again. "She don't have to."

Rogue tried to move around them again, and realized too late that she was almost backed up against the wall. She searched desperately for an escape route. Her eyes fell upon a small side ally just as someone stepped out of it. Her heart faltered as her only avenue for escape was cut off.

He was taller than she, and he wore a long trench coat. His face was shadowed beneath his long, dark red hair, and he carried a staff of some sort. He looked out of place among the rabble surrounding her, which frightened her all the more.

"You know Tone, this city is never going to recover if you and your boys don't stop picking on the tourists."

The men around her stopped and stared at the newcomer. He walked slowly toward them, moving unobtrusively closer to Rogue.

"We just had a little discussion about that what, a week ago?"

The man who'd been fondling Rogue's hair spat on the ground. "Screw you, Gambit." He snapped sarcastically. "I ain't afraid of you or your little band of freaks."

Gambit just shook his head and made a rueful face. He turned to Rogue and kissed her hand floridly. "Please excuse their rude behavior, Cher. Perhaps I may have the pleasure of escorting you to your hotel?"

Tone swore and grabbed Gambit's shoulder. As he was spun about, his hand flicked out and sent something glowing red and purple flying into the faces of her attackers. Then he suddenly threw and arm around Rogue, shielding her with his coat, and whisked her around the corner of the building. Half a heartbeat later several explosions rocked the alley they had just been in. Frightened, she buried her face in his chest and clung to him until everything was still.

She lifted her face cautiously, only to have him lay a silencing finger across her lips. His arm tightened around her shoulders, and he led her quietly away. He pulled her along dark alleys and dimly lighted streets, dodging into and through several buildings and finally back out onto the main street not far from the hotel she was staying in.

"You should not go wandering around in the dark, Cher," He chided her with a mocking smile. "N'Ollins isn't a safe place to visit anymore."

Rogue realized that she was still in the circle of his arm. She cleared her throat and smiled up at him. "Thank you for savin' me," She said, stepping away from him. I guess it was kind of dumb to go out walkin' alone."

Gambit took her hand and pulled her close again. "Only if you weren't trying to get rescued by ol' Remy LeBeau." He lifted her hand to his lips, locking his eyes with hers.

Rogue felt the blush rising in her cheeks. He was so charming and handsome. Bobby had never been so forward and flirtatious with her, and well, she liked it. "I guess it's my lucky night then."

"Now that the lady has been rescued, perhaps the brave hero is deserving of a kiss, no?" He smiled invitingly at her, making he heart race.

They were so close, and the intensity of his eyes made her dizzy. Why not? She thought to herself. Sure it was a little out of character, but wasn't that why she was out here on her own, doing the work she'd been doing, despite not having any powers any more? What could it hurt? One little kiss?

"Alright," She breathed with a nervous smile. She tipped her face up and he leaned in toward her. Her eyes slid closed as his lips gently touched hers. Her heart pounded in her chest as she slowly slid her hands up between them, to rest on his chest. His hand slid up into her hair, pulling her in for a deeper kiss. Her mind reeling, she let go, and gave in to him.

There was something dangerous and exciting about kissing this total stranger. He was gorgeous and mysterious and interested in her, which made kissing him feel…electric! She let go and sighed against his lips. His arms tightened around her, and his hands clutched at her. Her heart pounded even harder.

Suddenly, he grunted and broke away, stumbling backwards and falling onto his backside on the curb. He stared up at her in surprise. Rogue blinked, nonplussed. Then she felt a tiny trickle of something both familiar and foreign in her mind, and a peculiar tingle in her fingertips. She stared at him in horror.

"No," she breathed in a panic. "It can't be. It's not possible." She looked at him, desperately denying what she knew to be true; her power was returning.

"That was one hell of a kiss!" Gambit was still staring up at her, his eyes a little dazed and full of surprise.

"I am so sorry, I…" She backed away, needing to flee. Wanting to be alone. She looked at him again, tears welling up in her eyes. "I'm sorry!"

Without another word, she spun on her heel and disappeared into the crowd.

Remy sat on the damp curb, staring after her. He could hear the tread of familiar feminine footsteps approaching from behind. He leaned back and craned his neck so that he could greet her.

"Good evening, Miss Bella. What brings you out into this sultry night?" He asked saucily.

Bella Dona Boudreaux stepped delicately out of the shadowed doorway of a closed store and stood over him, her arms crossed. Her pale blonde hair was pulled up into a French twist, and she wore a pale colored halter top with tight white slacks and high heeled shoes. She was a beautiful young woman, and Remy's oldest and dearest friend.

"You're going to ruin the seat of your pants, Remy" She gazed down at him, amusement quirking the corner of her lips.

"Ah, that is a risk a brave hero must take," he said grandly as he rose smoothly to his feet and brushed ineffectually at his wet posterior.

"That will teach you to go around kissing strange women," She sniffed. She took his arm and they strolled on down the street.

"But this one is special, I think." He leaned closer and spoke in a melodramatic whisper. "This one has talent."

Bella looked sharply at him, her smooth brow furrowing. "How do you know that?"

"I could feel something…happening." He said, his eyes softening at the memory. "When we kissed…" He was quiet for a long moment before seeming to come to himself again. "Whatever it was," he laughed "It knocked me off my feet!"

Bella was frowning. "Then maybe it's better that she ran off, no? A stranger with that kind of ability…sounds like trouble to me." She was quiet for a moment and then a sly smile crossed her lips. "So why did she run off, Remy?" She purred with mock sincerity. "Are you that bad a kisser?"

He elbowed her gently in the ribs. "Believe you me, she was enjoying it just as much as I was." His eyes grew momentarily distant again. "No, I think it had something to do with what she was doing to me. She seemed surprised that it happened."

Bella stopped in her tracks, and pulled him around to look at her. "That sounds like bad news, Remy! What if her power's unstable? She might have killed you!"

Remy laughed and threw his arm around Bella's shoulders. He kissed her forehead. "You worry too much. Ol' Remy LeBeau can take care of himself." He started them walking again. "I don't think she's dangerous. It feels like something else." He went quiet again, his brow furrowed as he considered the situation.

Bella sighed and laid her head against his shoulder. He gave her an affectionate squeeze and they disappeared gradually into the evening crowd.

Rogue slipped into her hotel, ducking her head so that she wouldn't make eye contact with anyone. She twiddled her fingers, flicking her tingling fingertips. Her pulse pounded in her ears as she skipped the elevators and ran up the stairs. She could still feel the faint whisper of him in the back of her mind. She shook her head in denial.

It's not possible. I took the cure!

Her eyes began to burn, and her vision wavered and blurred. She stopped on the stairs and gasped under the crushing weight of despair and disappointment. Tears streamed down her face and she sat down with her back against the wall.

She wept silently, so that no one would hear. Her entire body shook with despair, and she struggled to breathe through the tightness in her chest. For several minutes she sat there, wrapped in a cocoon of sorrow.

The sound of voices a few floors down intruded rudely on her sorrow. She tensed up; she really didn't want an audience. The raucous laughter and chatter faded slowly as the group descended to the lower floors. She waited for them to leave, fiddling absently with a pebble on the next step.

With a clang, the echoing voices were instantly silenced, and she let out a breath. She gripped the pebble and willed herself to relax. The tingling in her fingers became stronger, annoying her. She was all wound up and needed to release the tension somehow. The rough edges of the pebble scraped and poked at her fingers, and for a brief moment, relieved the tingling a little.

She closed her eyes and focused on the tiny thing in her hand. The tingling in her fingertips grew stronger, becoming sharp and hot. She pinched the stone and with a rush, all of her tension, along with the tingle, shot right out of her fingertips and into the stone.

Her eyes flew open and she stared at the pebble, which now glowed with a peculiar, purplish light. It shuddered in her palm and started to smoke. With a startled yelp, she threw it away from her.

CRACKKK!

The stone hit the concrete of the stairs and exploded with the sound of a firecracker. Startled, she jumped to her feet and stared at the scorch-mark the pebble left on the floor. Her heart thumping, she backed up the stairs and fled.