Episode 8
X-23, Wanda, Toad, Amanda and Kurt all looked up as Gambit entered the dining room the next morning for breakfast.
"Good morning, Sleeping Beauty," Kurt said as soon as he saw him.
Gambit gave Kurt a two-fingered salute and sat down. "Morning."
"How's the head?" Wanda asked.
"Fine actually," Gambit replied with a shrug.
"Why would you do that?" Toad asked while munching on a croissant. "You had to know it was going to end badly."
"Depends on your definition of 'badly', mon ami," Gambit replied with a half shrug as he reached for the last croissant. "Roguey thinks that being absorbed will scare me off wanting to date her. See, now we've gotten that part of out of the way, so when we meet again, she'll know I don't think that her mutation is much of a deterrent, and we can actually have a relationship without her being paranoid that I'm going to leave her if there's an accident."
He just wished that there was something he'd be able to do about his jealous streak. He would sure like to have a relationship with Rogue without getting anxious any time he saw her with another man.
"You sneaky devil," Amanda said with a smirk.
"Wouldn't it have been better to wait?" Wanda asked.
"Right," Gambit said scornfully. "And give her time away from me to think things over and talk herself out of dating me? I don't think so."
"You never know," Wanda teased him, "she might be doing that right now. She might have decided that you're too reckless and she'd be doing you a favour by not dating you."
"That's mean, Wanda," Kurt said all the while grinning at the look of horror on Gambit's face. "And even if Rogue is second-guessing your relationship, I'm sure you'll have no problems getting her to reconsider, umm, again.
Later, X-23 tracked Gambit down in their bedroom. He was standing at the window.
"We never discussed the last challenges," X-23 informed him.
"You're right, we didn't," Gambit said, turning to face her. "What did you want to talk about?"
X-23 sat down on her bed. "Emma Frost said I had no soul."
"No,' Gambit corrected, sitting down beside her. "She said your photographs have no soul. And there are two things to bear in mind here: One, professional photography is considered an artwork, so there's always going to be a certain amount of criticism involving the emotional impact of the piece. The second thing is that Emma Frost is clearly a bitch who doesn't like to compliment people and probably enjoys making people like you feel bad. Do not take her opinions of you or your work to heart. It's not like she's important to you, or someone you care about."
X-23 was silent as she considered this.
"Do you think I have no soul?" she asked finally.
"Of course you have a soul, chère," Gambit insisted, taking her hand and trying to make eye contact with her. "You care and love and feel, don't you? I know you feel. You might hurt yourself when you don't understand what you're feeling, but you still feel."
There was another silence, and then: "I have killed."
"You've been in the military," Gambit replied gently. "I assumed that was the case."
"Someone once called me a 'soulless killing machine'," X-23 said plaintively.
"Worried they might be right?"
X-23 didn't reply. Gambit took that as a yes.
"I don't think they are. Look, I don't know how things got this way with you. I don't know much about your life before now," Gambit said seriously. "I do know this much; you have a soul. You have a soul, and maybe others have tried to deny you that soul, but they can't. Only you have that authority and not even the greatest thief in the world can take it from you."
X-23 remained silent and Gambit wrapped his arm around her.
"And you want to know something else, chère? Soul searching is a normal thing to do. I don't believe that there's a single person in the world who doesn't look a themselves at least once in their life and questions who they really are," he said. "You keep on looking, Laura. You keep on looking."
Wanda and Kurt sat in the hot tub.
"I can't believe this is almost over," said Kurt. "I know it's been awhile, but it feels like we only got here."
"Yeah, I know what you mean," Wanda replied. "Do you supposed we'll see each other again, after all this? For real, I mean, not lip service."
Kurt shrugged. "I don't know. I know I'd like to, but we're all so spread out."
"Yeah."
The following day, the housemates gathered in the study. There were no clues waiting for them on the desk, so no one had any idea what was coming when Spyke entered.
"Good morning," he said. "Congratulations on being the final three."
"Thanks."
"Well, I hope you guys are ready, because today is your final challenge," Spyke told them. "Outside are three hummers, one for each team. Inside each hummer is a book of clues, and a laptop with internet access. You will have to use the book of clues to locate..."
Everyone looked at Spyke as he deliberately drew out the silence.
"Your former housemates."
"Omigod!"
"Wow, really?"
"Yes!"
"You will have to locate four of your former housemates," Spyke continued, grinning at their reactions, "and return to the mansion. The first two teams to return will be our final two. The third team back will, unfortunately, be eliminated."
The housemates looked apprehensively at each other.
"Are you ready?" Spyke asked.
The housemates got to their feet quickly.
"Get set... Go!"
While Gambit, X-23, Wanda and Toad bolted for the nearest outside door, Kurt grabbed Amanda's hand and teleported them both outside. They took a moment to spot the hummers, and ran for the one closest to the gates. Amanda threw open the door, they clambered inside quickly, and Kurt shut the door. Amanda grabbed up the laptop and sat it on her lap while Kurt picked up the book of clues and look at it quickly.
"Okay," he said as the hummer started to move down the driveway, "they have little verses, and some of the words are in capitals. I think we should try looking up those words in capitals."
"Right," Amanda said, "what's the first one?"
Kurt read it out, and Amanda opened up the web browser (the laptop was already on when she got in), and plugged in the words into Google. A listing for a ballet school came up, and Amanda checked the address.
"That'll be Kitty," Amanda said, and read out the address to the driver.
x-x-x
Wanda and Toad pulled up near the museum of art. They hurried out of the the hummer and into the museum. To their delight, Piotr was standing by the front desk.
"Pete!" Toad yelled.
Piotr grinned as the two raced up to them. Wanda touched his arm, officially tagging him, and Toad put the 'Beauty and the Geek' marker down on the desk for the benefit of any of the other teams, should they come after them.
"And now to run all the way back," said Wanda.
x-x-x
"Okay," Gambit said after piling back into the hummer with Rahne after picking her up outside the veterinary hospital, "I think I've figured out which clue is Rogue."
X-23 sat the laptop on her lap and put her hands on the keyboard. "Proceed."
x-x-x
"Okay," Amanda said, looking out at the beach. "Somewhere, between one of these sets of flags, is one of our friends."
"Yep," Kurt said. "Pity I can't go by myself and teleport the whole way. Be faster."
"We'll just have to run really fast," Amanda said.
x-x-x
Pyro was in the bookstore when he heard a familiar voice call his name.
"Hey Wanda, Toad," he said and Wanda kissed his cheek.
"I knew it," she said. "I knew you'd be here. Come on."
Toad dropped the marker, and Wanda dragged Pyro back out to their hummer.
x-x-x
"You're not Rogue," Gambit said when they arrived at the airport.
"No, that's true," Scott replied. "I'm not."
"Rats, I forgot you were a pilot too," Gambit muttered. "Oh well."
X-23 put down the marker, and then looked up at the men. "We must go."
x-x-x
"Jean!" Kurt yelled, almost pouncing on her as soon as he spotted her.
Jean laughed. "Hey guys."
"Phew!" Amanda said as she caught up. "Come on, we have a long run back."
Kurt put down the marker, and they took off.
x-x-x
Jubilee climbed into the hummer and grinned when she spotted Piotr and Pyro.
"Hey guys," she said, sitting down next to them as Wanda and Toad followed her.
"Hey," Pyro replied. "Long time, no see."
"Yeah, really long time no see," Jubilee replied with a laugh. "Wow, you two look great."
"We both got makeovers," Piotr said.
"Cool."
x-x-x
Gambit was so sure that when the next clue lead them to a clothes shop in one of the many shopping centres of the city that they were going to be picking up Tabitha. Imagine his delight when he found Rogue instead.
"Roguey!" Gambit exclaimed when they arrived at the airport.
Rogue grinned at him as he swept her up in his arms and hugged her tight.
"Hug later," X-23 said.
x-x-x
Kurt and Amanda raced into the game shop and found Fred idly looking through the PC games.
"Fred!" Kurt called.
"Hey guys," Fred replied.
Amanda raced over and tagged him while Kurt put the marker down.
x-x-x
Wanda frowned as she looked around the clothes shop.
"Dammit," said Toad, gesturing to the counter. "Wanda, we're too late."
"What? Oh crap," Wanda said, glaring at the Beauty and the Geek marker.
Without another word, the pair raced back out of the store, and back to their hummer.
x-x-x
When Gambit and X-23 arrived at the comic book shop, they could see Amanda and Kurt not far away. That was all the motivation they needed to run to the doors and get inside.
"Bobby, hey," Gambit said, running over to Bobby where he was leaning against the counter and touching his arm. "Let's go."
X-23 placed the marker on the counter, and they hurried out of the store, almost colliding with Kurt and Amanda.
"Okay, well," said Kurt. "I guess we'll just go elsewhere."
"You snooze you lose, mon ami," Gambit replied with a wave as he walked backwards to the hummer.
"Well, you'd know all about snoozing!"
x-x-x
"I can't believe that for once in my life, I'm actually happy to see you," Wanda said disgustedly as her eyes fell in Pietro outside of the ice skating rink.
"Miracles do happen, sis," Pietro replied.
"Sis?" Toad repeated.
"Nevermind that," Wanda said, touching Pietro's arm. "You're our fourth. We need to get back to the mansion now."
Toad dropped the marker and they took off.
x-x-x
Kurt and Amanda found Lance at one of the local bars. Lance skulled down the rest of his drink, Amanda left the marker on the bar, and they hurried back to the hummer.
The pair were quite relieved once they were on their way back to the mansion. Now, if only they could beat the other teams back.
x-x-x
"Oooh," Wanda said, looking out the window. "There's another hummer ahead of us."
"Damn. Can you see the other one?" Toad said, checking the other windows.
"Nope."
x-x-x
"There's another hummer behind us," X-23 reported.
"That's nice for them," Gambit replied, far too interested in playing with Rogue's arm to care.
"So," Rahne said, eyeing them off. "I'm guessing something happened between you after I left?"
"You might say that," Rogue replied dryly. "You know, Remy, I am going to need that arm later."
x-x-x
"We're almost there!" Kurt said happily. "I can see the mansion."
Amanda cross her fingers. "Please, please, please."
x-x-x
The first hummer pulled into the driveway. It stopped out the front, the doors opened, and the six passengers inside stepped out. They stood before Spyke, who was waiting patiently on the doorstep. The driver drove the hummer out of view.
"Congratulations," said Spyke. "You're the first to return and are now part of the final two."
"Yes!" Gambit cheered.
He hugged X-23, and then turned and hugged Rogue tightly. Rahne, Scott and Bobby all congratulated them.
x-x-x
Wanda and Toad stepped onto the driveway from the hummer and stood before Spyke. Piotr, Pyro, Jubilee and Pietro stood in a line behind them.
"Wanda and Toad," said Spyke. "Congratulations, you're the second to return to the mansion, and now part of the final two."
Wanda and Toad cheered, and their friend celebrated with them.
x-x-x
Finally, Kurt and Amanda arrived at the mansion. They couldn't see any of the other hummers and were hopeful as they piled out with their friends.
"Kurt and Amanda," Spyke said, feeling a little bad about what he had to say next to their hopeful faces. "You are the third to return to the mansion."
Kurt and Amanda's faces fell.
"I'm sorry, but your team is now eliminated."
Kitty, Jean, Fred and Lance gathered around and consoled their disappointed friends.
The last two former housemates, Amara and Tabitha, arrived not long after, and everyone gathered outside for a pool party reunion. Those who had left before the Geek makeover were certain to tell Piotr, X-23, Kurt, Pyro, Rogue and especially Toad, how good they looked now.
Rahne sniffed at Toad.
"What?" he asked.
"Is that Remy's deodorant you're wearing?" she asked.
"Uhh, yeah... he gave me some," Toad replied.
Rahne nodded. "That was nice of him. It's an improvement, by the way."
"Good to know that your olfactory senses are no longer offended by my presence," Toad said dryly.
"My olfactory senses are very sensitive," Rahne said.
"What's 'olfactory'?" asked Jubilee.
"Smell."
"Oh. Why don't you just say that?"
"Because 'olfactory' is fun to say."
"Okay then."
Tabitha approached Gambit and Rogue, who were holding drinks in one hand, and holding the other's hand with the second.
"So, it's true then?" she asked, slinging one arm over Gambit's shoulders. "You two are a couple?"
"Umm, I guess so," Rogue replied, feeling awkward.
"You guess so," Amanda said, hearing this and turning around to give Rogue a disgusted look. "You serenaded him and he kissed you!"
"He kissed her?" Tabitha asked.
"On the lips," Amanda said with a nod. "She absorbed him."
Tabitha gasped. "No!"
Rogue chewed her bottom lip as the exchanged started to get way more attention that she was comfortable with. Gambit chuckled lightly at the expression on her face.
"And her eyes changed colour," Lance piped up. "She got his eyes."
"Wow really?" Tabitha asked, darting a look at Rogue.
"It part of his mutation," Rogue replied awkwardly. "That's what I do."
"I still say it was worth it," Gambit said lifting his glass.
"That's because you're crazy," Rogue informed him.
"Crazy for you, ma chère. Crazy for you."
"Awww," Tabitha said, clasping her hands.
"Is so sweet, huh?" Kitty said, grinning.
"Absolutely. I want one."
Pietro sat down next to X-23 in the hot tub.
"So, Laura," he said. "How's things?"
"Things are good," she replied.
"I see that Remy and Rogue got close," Pietor said, eyeing off the other group before giving X-23 a nudge. "No accounting for tastes."
"Remy didn't neglect you while he was off romancing the untouchable woman, was he?" Scott asked X-23 curiously.
"Didn't look like it to me," Jean put in.
"Remy was a good team mate," X-23 replied with a firm nod.
"Cool, cool," said Pietro, and he moved in all so closer to her. "So, any romances for you?"
X-23 looked at him, seemed to think about it for a moment, and finally said: "There is a boy back home that I...like."
"What about—" Pietro began.
"Quiet Pietro," Jean cut in. "You never had a chance."
Scott chuckled.
"Hmph," Pietro said with a pout. "How would you know?"
"Telepath, remember?" Jean said smugly. "I can't get disqualified any more so I can read any thoughts I want."
"Without breaching privacy laws, you mean," Scott said.
"Yeah, yeah," Jean replied with a wave of her hand. "Not that it matters. The heads I really want to look at have shields."
"Oh yeah?" Scott asked curiously.
"Mmmhmm," Jean said with a nod, "Remy's got some sort of static, and Rogue's got that many different thought patterns coming from her mind, I'm afraid to go anywhere near it. I have no idea how that girl can think."
"Why would Rogue have multiple thought patterns?" Scott asked.
"Obviously she absorbs minds as well as powers," Jean said as if this was blatantly obvious.
Near the buffet table Jubilee stared at Piotr as if he had grown a second head. He caught the look and immediately felt uncomfortable.
"Is something wrong?" he asked tentatively.
"I'm just shocked that you're talking to me," Jubilee replied. "The day we met, you couldn't even look at any of us Beauties."
Piotr scratched the back of his head, looking embarrassed.
"Well," he said. "Kitty helped me deal with that."
"That's good. I'm happy for you," Jubilee said with a warm smile.
Wanda laughed as Pyro created a flock of flame birds and made them swoop over the pool. Kurt, Lance and Amara, who were in the pool, were not impressed.
"And that," said Pyro, "is the closest you're getting to get me in the water."
Fred looked forlornly towards Jean flirting with Scott. Bobby noticed his gaze and patted his back.
"It could be worse," he said.
"How?" Fred asked.
"Uhh..."
Although the party went for quite a few hours and everyone had a chance to talk to everyone else, it seem too soon that Wanda, Toad, Gambit and X-23 were told to get ready for the elimination. They said their farewells, and received 'good luck's, and departed. They changed into formal wear and finally made their way down into the elimination room.
"The final two," Spyke said when all was ready. "Congratulations on making it this far."
A chorus of 'thank you' answered him.
"I'm sure you're all eager to find out how this final elimination is going to work," Spyke said. "Well, this season, it won't be ending in here. This show is about change, about becoming greater than the labels of 'Beauty' and 'Geek', and who better to judge which team has changed the most, than the very people you were changing alongside."
The final teams regarded each other and Spyke curiously, and not without some anxiety.
"Wanda and Toad, Remy and Laura," Spyke said, and gestured to the TV. "Meet your judges."
The Beauty and the Geek logo on the TV changed and revealed all their former housemates, including Kurt and Amanda, sitting in the lounge room. As their housemates waved, Gambit, Wanda and Toad laughed and cried out in shock. X-23 just stood there, apparently not especially concerned one way or another.
"Each of your former housemates will have a single vote," Spyke went on. "In one hour they will cast those votes, and pick the team they think has changed the most."
Wanda had a sinking feeling. She knew she had alienated a couple of people; Amara in particular came to mind, to say nothing of her twin brother Pietro, with whom she had long been estranged. She was not looking forward to this.
"Good luck."
An hour of anxious waiting later, Gambit, X-23, Wanda and Toad were directed to stand on the bottom stair. Gambit and X-23 stood to the left, and Wanda and Toad stood to the right, leaving an aisle between them. Spyke took a minute to reiterate what was happening, and add that the first team with nine votes would win the $250,000 dollar prize money. Finally, Spyke called in the first team to cast their votes:
"Amanda and Kurt."
Amanda and Kurt walked in from the lounge room. They stood beside Spyke in front of the two remaining teams.
"It has been a pleasure getting to know both of you," said Kurt. "This has been another hard decision to make, and there's been very little time to make it in. I think that the only people who can truly gauge how much you've changed from this experience is yourself, and God, so I have been spending much of the last hour praying for His guidance. Toad, there is no denying how much you've changed since you've been here; your appearance is just the obvious part. I can tell you've become more confident too. Wanda, I'll be honest, for awhile there I wasn't sure I was going to like you very much. You've actually turned out to be a pretty great person, and I've enjoyed getting to know you. Remy, you've been nice to everyone from the very beginning, with few exceptions, but I've had a hard time trying to figure out how much you've changed, if at all. Laura, you are a very quiet person, and I feel like I never got to know you as well as I would have liked. Ironically, you're a lot more outspoken than you were the day we met. I suspect that the changes you've gone through while you were here are far greater than any of us will ever know."
Kurt cleared his throat and took a deep breath.
"As I said, it was a hard decision, but I am casting my vote with Wanda and Toad."
And on those words, Kurt stepped forward and stood behind Wanda and Toad on the stairs.
"Amanda," Spyke prompted.
Amanda chose to vote for Wanda and Toad as well, then Spyke called in Lance and Rogue. Lance also cast his vote with Wanda and Toad, then attention turned to Rogue. Wanda was certain that she would vote for Gambit and X-23.
"Toad," Rogue said, with a smile for him. "I'm sticking with my Prince Toad comment from earlier."
Toad chuckled.
"And Wanda, I'm really glad that you've discovered just how smart you really are," Rogue went on, then looked at Gambit and X-23. "Laura, there is no doubt in my mind that you've changed while you were here. For you, I think this was another step—a large one—in a long journey for you. I think that Remy was significant in that change. I know he helped me a lot too."
Gambit smiled at her.
"But the question we've been asked to vote on is 'which team has changed the most'," Rogue went on. "And Remy, as much as I like you, I suspect you've hardly changed at all."
Gambit froze. Of course, she was a mind reader. She would know that he had just been playing everyone this whole time.
"And that's why I'm casting my vote with Wanda and Toad."
Gambit gave a slight nod and looked down as Rogue walked past him up the stairs to stand with the others behind Wanda and Toad.
"Amara and Pyro."
After giving their own little speeches like the other before them, Amara voted for Gambit and X-23, and Pyro voted for Wanda and Toad.
"The score is now five to one," Spyke announced. "Kitty and Piotr."
"This was like, such a hard decision to make," Kitty said. "You're all such wonderful people and I think all of you have changed, some more noticeably than others. But in the end, the one who decided this for me, was Remy."
Gambit stifled a sigh, expecting the worse. Nevertheless, he kept his eyes trained on Kitty as she continued to speak:
"I wasn't entirely sure about you to begin with," she said. "You seemed arrogant and tactless, and there were times when I thought you were only being nice because you thought there was something in it for you. I don't know, maybe you were. But I saw you with Laura, and I know a lot of the changes we see in her, subtle though they might be, are thanks to you. In fact there was one night, umm, the night of the speed-dating actually. I had woken up in the middle of the night and I happened to go past your door and, umm, hear something of what you guys were talking about. I haven't mentioned it before now, because that wasn't a conversation I should had listened to, and it's certainly not my place to blab what was being said. I don't know, maybe in light of this voting I should have said something, but...I didn't feel right about it."
Kitty took a breath.
"Anyway! So I know you helped Laura heaps," she said. "The other thing is a change that I don't think anyone here was expecting; you fell in love."
Gambit cleared his throat uncomfortably and Kitty grinned at him.
"Kurt told us all about the 'extreme like' story," she said with a little giggle. "Love always changes people. Always. I'm certain that what you're feeling for Rogue is the real thing, and playboy that you are, I'm sure that 'extreme liking' someone is a huge deal for you. So yeah, my vote goes to Remy and Laura."
Kitty grinned at Gambit as she walked up the stairs to stand behind them.
"Piotr," Spyke prompted.
"As Kitty said, this was a hard decision to make. I believe that all things change us, some more obviously than others. Some change is for good, some for ill, and some is neither," Piotr said. "Since I could not choose between you, I thought about what had helped me the most in changing for the better, and that was my partner, Kitty."
Kitty smiled back at Piotr as he looked at her fondly.
"I never would have gotten as far as I did without her support, patience, and encouragement," Piotr said, giving Kitty a quick nod. "Therefore, my vote goes to the team I felt was the most supportive of the other with the feeling that this is also the team that changed the most in a positive way. Remy and Laura."
"The score is now five to three, in favour of Wanda and Toad," said Spyke as Piotr joined Kitty on the stairs. "Jean and Fred."
Jean and Fred entered the room. Without much of a speech, Fred cast his vote with Wanda and Toad.
"There are certain advantages in being a telepath," Jean said, "advantages that don't involve the intentional breach of privacy, but they do allow me to see just that little bit more of the changes that have occurred within you. Well, except for Remy. I can't read you at all."
Gambit grinned at her.
"I want to tell you that the general overlay of thoughts from Toad and Laura in particular," Jean went on, "are definitely different. Wanda, yours is too, but not as much. I decided to pick the team which had the biggest turnaround as far as I could tell. Remy and Laura."
Jean walked up the said and joined the line behind Gambit and X-23.
"Tabitha and Scott."
"Okay so I was having a really hard time deciding, so I decided to pick the team who physically changed the most," Tabitha said. "And yes, I know that's a totally shallow reason to base my decision on, but I clearly didn't change as much as you guys, otherwise Scott and I would be up there." She laughed to herself. "Anyway, my vote goes to...Wanda and Toad. Sorry Remy. I know you're totally hot, but you've always been hot."
Gambit chuckled lightly as Tabitha joined the line behind Wanda and Toad.
"I don't feel like I spent enough time with you at the party to make a complete assessment," said Scott. "But one of the things that striked me was talking to Laura. I don't recall even having a conversation with Laura before. I remember being in the same room with her, but that is about it. What's more, she even admitted there was a boy back home that she liked. Don't be offended, Laura, but the few times I heard you speak in the past, it was all very, matter-of-fact and impersonal. So my vote goes to Laura and Remy."
"The vote is now seven to five," Spyke said as Scott made his way up the stairs. "Wanda and Toad need two more votes to win. Remy and Laura need four more. Next, Pietro and Rahne."
Pietro and Rahne entered, and Wanda wrote both of them off straight away. There was only animosity between them. In her mind, the vote would come down to Jubilee and Bobby, and she had no idea which way they would slide.
"There is no doubt in my mind which team has changed the most," said Rahne. "Wanda and Toad."
Wanda stared at Rahne in surprise as the young woman joined the line of friends standing behind herself and Toad on the stairs. Spyke turned to Pietro expectantly, and Pietro took a deep breath.
"I think it's hard to figure out who changed the most if you didn't know them well enough to begin with," Pietro said. "Which is why I'm voting for...Wanda and Toad."
Toad cheered beside Wanda while she gaped at her twin brother in complete shock. He actually sided with her? Really? Pietro grinned at her.
"That's nine votes for Wanda and Toad," Spyke announced, and grinned at the pair. "Congratulations, you've just won $250,000!"
Pietro gave Wanda two thumbs up as Toad gave her a hug and everyone behind them cheered.
"You are now more than just a Beauty or a Geek," Spyke said.
As soon as they were free to do so, Gambit turned to face Wanda and Toad, and held out his hand.
"Congratulations," he said. "You deserve it."
Wanda ignored his hand and gave him a hug instead.
"Thanks, Remy," she said, and then gave X-23 a hug as well.
Gambit glanced over at Rogue. She didn't seem to notice him and that was the thing that was bothering him. He didn't care about not winning The Game, he had only ever been interested in winning His Game, only now he wasn't sure what that was supposed to be anymore.
Rogue caught his eyes and she came down the stairs to properly congratulate Wanda and Toad. He looked so lost and forlorn that she couldn't help but feel a little sympathy for him. She reached out and squeezed his hand.
"We'll talk later," she promised him.
Gambit gave her a weak smile. "I'll hold you to it."
"I'm sure of that," Rogue replied, and turned her attention back to Wanda and Toad.
AN: Two more chapters to go.