A/N: I'm SORRY it took so long, y'all. I can only tell you that I tried. I wrote this baby out a couple times (Fritz more) and scrapped it 'cause it just wasn't working. Finally, I went and grabbed my shell from All's Fair and started finding the holes and what happened around the scenes. Let me know if it works, if there's anything from All's Fair you want to see about over here, or any character's opinion you particularly want.

And thanks for the reviews, guys! Responses below.

All's Fair is your all time favorite, coup fatal? How sweet! I'm tickled. I'm awed. (Even if I know you now like Son o' de Guild even better.) Thanks for giving me a kick in the butt on this fic. I couldn't give up on it since I knew you would be waiting...

I am SO going to use this idea of Rogue sleeping, RogueOnFire. Coming soon to an All's Fair chapter near you... You have the BEST ideas. I think Sunday is going to be a delightful adventure, but first :grumble, grumble, growl: I have to catch this baby up to the other. It'll be eons easier if I write them side by side.

Know what you mean about not being a chess person, Green Peridot. I'm not either, so this is hard stuff. (Glad it did work, ChamberlinofMusic.) But Emma is a chess person and it just sort of...happened. But I lucked out. I totally forgot that the boys are lousy chess players, so this won't be quite as hard on the research end as I thought. (I think.) :looks very worried: And don't worry, Chamberlin. There will be plenty more "depth and deception" in "a hilarious situation." :grins:

Laceylou76, you are music to my ears. When I write a pairing someone doesn't like and they like it, I'd call that success! As for updating...

Update all fics? Yeah, well, um... Did I ever tell you that it takes just a little bit to hop between the genres and actually pull out another 10,000 words to cover new chapters for ALL the fics. I'll hurry, but I'm trying not to sacrifice quality.

starlight2twilight
"OMG. OMG. OMG! What a unique concept for a story. This is living proof that all the best ideas are not gone. "

And y'all, that was the crowning review this time. I'm humbly grateful for such kind words. (Actually, I think it goes more like squealing like Kitty or Jubilee and dancing on the table top, but you get the idea...) :grins:

Dans Court du Roi - In the King's Court

Chaton - Kitten

Important information about Chess:

Chess is played on ranks and files. Ranks are numbered 1 - 8 from the White's back to the Black's back. Files are numbered a - h from the White's left to the White's right.

The Queens occupy the file of d and the Kings the file of e. Queenside pieces are on files a - d; Kingside pieces are on files e - h.

NOTATION:

b = black, w = white

Q = queenside (from player's perspective at start), K = kingside (from player's perspective at start)

Q = queen, K = king, R = rook, N = knight, B = bishop, no notation = pawn

[a]# = board position (file and rank) the piece moves to

[a]x# = means board file a pawn moves from while capturing and its final board position

x# = means board position a piece moves to while capturing

Keep this in mind for reference, please!

Spectator Sport

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All's fair in love and war.

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Chapter Two:

Albin Countergambit Main Line

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The goal of a good chess opening is to create a good pawn skeleton
and to introduce some major pieces to the opposition

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The Albin Countergambit has various continuations in the opening
The main line allows the introduction of the knights into play

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Black 3rd Play: bd4

The remaining black pawn in the center moves forward one space, closer to the White Queen. Final board position is beside the second white pawn and two spaces in front of the White Queen.

Day One, 4th Hour, 1st Minute

Emma Frost paced back and forth in her study, glancing every so often at the clock on the corner of her desk. They had precisely one half hour to do this, and Rogue was late.

Emma sighed, rubbing her temples, and sat down behind the desk. Working with Rogue on the psychic end of her powers was perhaps the most difficult, dangerous thing Emma ever had to do. Whoever thought that the girl would be practically homicidal if you dared to mess with her biggest problems, namely the psyches? Emma frowned thoughtfully. Actually Rogue could turn violent any time she was feeling scared or vulnerable and someone tried to help her.

That had to be some kind of a complex.

The minute hand hit the 02.

The frown deepened. Rogue was late.

Finally, the study door opened and a smiling, humming brunette with white locks tracing the front of her hair stepped into the lair of the White Queen.

"About time you showed up," Emma rebuked regally. She indicated the chair in front of her desk. "Sit."

Rogue sat, looking rather regal herself. And happy.

"Having fun with Gambit?" Emma aksed, raising a brow.

Rogue grinned. "Not yet, but I will."

"I'm sure." With a sigh, Emma got down to business. "Back into the strange land of your mind."

"It's not strange."

"Yes, dear. It is." Rogue had no idea just how unique of an experience this had been for Emma.

Emma had, in fact, been hired by Storm specifically to help the young mutant in front of her. It was through these sessions that the two had become friends, in spite of the drastic age difference, seeing as Rogue was barely into her twenties and Emma was from the same graduating class as Ororo and Jean. And Scott.

And these sessions were technically the reason that Emma had allowed herself to start this whole plan with get-the-girl-a-boyfriend. Her conditioning needed to be undone as quickly as Emma could find a way through it and she had the distinct feeling that Remy would be just the thing.

Prescription: One Remy to be taken daily for thirty-one days.

If only he knew.

Emma raised her hands to her head, shut her eyes, and reached out to Rogue's mind. "I hope you've redecorated to something more organized," she said at the last moment.

Rogue's mindscape expressed differently on every visit. So far, small, cozy, and poorly decorated seemed to be Rogue's forte. A combination Emma hated.

Emma instantly found herself in a lush, overgrown, jumbly garden, the air rich and humid, not a psyche in sight.

She groaned. This was definitely worse.

White 4th Play: wKNf3

The white Kingside knight moves forward three spaces and left one. Final board position is in front of the pawns and in a position to capture Black's pawn on d4 and guards the white pawn on e5.

Day One, 5th Hour, 29th Minute

Jubilee and Rahne were both curled up asleep in their warm covers. It was very early in the morning. They didn't have to be up. Ever since Logan took over training sessions in the Danger Room, instead of Scott, they weren't dragged from their beds at unholy hours to go fight.

Kitty snuggled deep into her pillow in the adjoining room. Rogue was invisible beneath the covers. Next door on the other side, Siryn and Dazzler (did those girls ever use their actual names?) were dreaming of ice cream and boys and...well, on Dazzler's part at least, some strange things regarding said ice cream and boys. Across the hall, Laura aka X-23 slept sprawled across her own bed in the room she didn't share, blissfully unaware of the danger lurking and getting ready to spring.

The clock turned its hands to 5:30. One second passed. Two seconds passed.

Kitty's phone rang.

A blaring, jarring, thoroughly waking rendition of "Rehab" sang outward through the walls of Rogue and Kitty's room, waking Jubilee and Rahne (Rahne fell out of the bed), slashing through Dazzler's decidedly strange (if interesting) dream and through Siryn's decidedly less strange dream, and rousing a growling, snarling Laura from her bed. X-23 raised her arms and released her claws, fully intent on wreaking real damage on the offensive, disgusting, blaring ringtone.

Rogue threw a book at Kitty's head.

"Ow!" The phaser woke, grabbed the phone from Rogue's threatening clasp, and answered breathily. "Hello?" She managed to infuse an incredible amount of irritation into her sleepy voice.

In the hallway, a growling Rahne had joined a prowling Laura. Jubilee had acquired a hefty textbook in lieu of better missiles. Dazzler came out swinging a pillow.

"We on?"

"Yes," Siryn behind her hissed out high-pitch between her teeth. She looked ready to scream at their resident bubbly Kitten, and probably, that's exactly what she intended to do.

The girls converged upon the door.

An ear-splitting shriek came from Rogue and sailed out through the closed door. They all stopped, looking around in confusion. Rogue? Had she really just...shrieked?

Laura recovered first, narrowing her eyes at invisible Kitty. She raised her claws again and started toward the door.

The door flung open, knocking Dazzler clear into Siryn and sent them tumbling in a heap, almost hitting Laura, who quickly retracted her claws.

Rogue stood in the doorway, drawn up like a queen, her green eyes flashing fire, and her leather outfit lending a dangerous air to her person. Her hair had flown about briefly with the force of her exit and it only added to the angry effect.

She looked around at the girls, stepped haughtily forward with vengeance gleaming in her eye, then tossed back over her shoulder, "She's all yours."

Siryn rubbed her arm. "Ow."

Laura returned her gaze to the nervous-looking Kitty on her bed.

"Uh." Kitty glanced uncertainly between all the threatening, dangerous glares coming her way. "Hi, guys."

SNICK.

Black 4th Play: bQNc6

Black's Queenside knight moves forward three spaces and one towards the center. Final position is in front of the black pawns and in a position to capture the white pawn on e5 and guards the black pawn on d4. It is a mirror response to the previous White play.

Day One, 5th Hour, 40th Minute

Kitty fell through the floor, through the room below her and its obviously sleeping occupant, through their floor, and into the kitchen on top of Remy LeBeau.

"Rien, Chaton!"

She tumbled off of him and endured his blazing glare, red eyes afire with a luminous glow. "Uh...sorry." She heard something and looked up to see the firing squad coming down the stairs. She squeaked and jumped behind Remy, grabbing hold of his shirt. "Save me!"

His stare turned incredulous and he muttered something darkly in what was probably shocking French.

Laura stalked forward, leading the pack, with her claws raised.

Remy shook his head and held up a hand for the girls to stop. Miraculously, they did.

"You are now in dans court du roi," he stated calmly. "Why do you want to slaughter the chaton?"

"Her ringtone," Siryn replied with narrow eyes.

"Waking us up, dude." Jubilee swung her pillow menacingly. "Totally uncool."

Dazzler crossed her arms. "Ignoring our previous warnings."

Laura didn't bother to reply, choosing instead to glare at the target in question.

Remy's hand snaked back, wrapped around Kitty's elbow, and to her surprise, yanked her out from behind him. His crimson eyes were calmer now, but still glowed dangerously. "How do you plead? Innocent or guilty?"

"Uh..." She stared at him. "All those charges?"

"Oui."

She lifted her chin a little. He didn't have to be so...Remy about this. Hmph! "It was your fault. You called me."

Laura narrowed her eyes at Remy.

He smirked at Kitty. "Change your ringtone."

"But I like—" The glares returned to her, and Kitty bit off the rest of her words. "Yeah, sure, no problem."

Remy shook his head at her. "Case dismissed," he said with a wave of his hand and gently shoved Kitty out of the kitchen. "I've work to do."

Kitty huffed and headed for the stairs. The nerve!

Her reluctantly not-firing squad trooped behind her.

White 5th Play: wg3

The white pawn formerly in front of White's Kingside knight moves forward one space in preparation for a Kingside bishop fianchetto. Final position is next to the active white knight.

Day One, 5th Hour, 40th Minute

Rogue enjoyed taking Logan down way too much and this kind of Danger Room session, the kind where she was supposed to practice skin-on-skin contact made it just too much fun.

While they engaged in a bare-handed wrestling match, for all intents and purposes, him stopping on occasion to gasp for air, Rogue sent a thought loudly in the direction of the female staff dorms.

Emma?

An extremely grumpy, sleepy voice finally entered her head on the third try. You rang?

I'd like to schedule a shopping trip with the girls. No lingerie. Rogue dodged Logan's attack. It's supposed to be torture for Remy.

What did he do this time, the little rat? Emma sounded delightedly appreciative and much more awake.

Rogue giggled, swinging out with a left upper cut, then landing a punch in Logan's gut. Yeah, he is a swamp rat, isn't he? she thought wickedly. He asked what I wasn't wearing while I was getting dressed.

A moment of silence. Hold, please.

Hold? Rogue giggled again and Logan glared at her.

"You think this is funny?"

"Hilarious," she agreed, leaping out with a series of kicks, then rolling under his block to land a touch on his arm again.

He staggered back and yanked his arm away. But he was beginning to weaken.

Okay, I'm back. Emma sounded slightly ruffled. They know. I've lined up Jubilee who has a new credit card.

Rogue snickered at that to Logan's incredulous gaze.

He landed a blow on her. She returned the favor.

Kitty says she needs a new wardrobe and her parents are paying. Of course, I'm coming to supervise.

We don't need a chaperone, Ems, Rogue replied with mental chagrin.

Logan successfully tackled her to the ground. They grappled for a moment.

Of course, you do, Emma answered dismissively. It's a guy.

They rolled apart and Logan launched at her. Rogue swung out of the way.

Besides I told all the girls to go anywhere they wanted in the mall, to buy a minimum of five bags each, and if they ran out, I'll cover the cost. And we have Kitty's surprise birthday party to shop for, don't we?

Rogue could feel Emma's wicked grin. She launched into a furious counterattack.

At the momentary silence, the White Queen slipped into her mind, no doubt to check out what was going on. Emma sniffed in disdain. Oh, and please tell that knuckledheaded, badly in need of fashion assistance mentor of yours that we'll meet after ten to go over your training notes.

I don't know, Ems. He's got that bad boy thing going for him. I kind of like the look.

He had regained his distance and an almost equal footing. He'd hold out longer if she'd stop touching him, or at least, start trying not to drain him like she was supposed to be trying.

A mental growl. No doubt, came out with all the clipped iciness of the original real voice of the White Queen.

Rogue snickered at oblivious Logan's expense.

I think... She launched into a final flip and tuck and grab him around the wrist as he was reaching for her. I win.

Of course, you do, Emma replied. We women always do.

Rogue stared at Logan passed out beneath her.

Perhaps. But what do I do with the body?

Fianchetto means to move the bishop into play beside the file a knight resides on.
This allows the bishop a long diagonal to cover and usually in a protected position.