When we last left our favorite Southern couple, they had woken up in Remy's apartment. Rogue had insisted upon joining Remy on his journey south to save his father and had begun to angst about Mystique's betrayal right before the chapter's end. Oh, and Remy was wearing only a towel… hmmm…

Standing On the Edge of Summer

How Long Is the Night

Rogue was sullenly quiet throughout the beginning of their late breakfast. Remy didn't push for conversation as they sat across from each other in the two-person booth of the small bustling diner a few miles from his apartment. When the waitress came to take their orders, Rogue muttered what she wanted without even looking up from the surface of the table. Remy smiled charmingly at the thirty-something waitress as he handed her their menus to lighten the atmosphere, but Rogue only snorted as the woman sauntered away.

"Anna?"

"What?" Her voice was soft, but held a slight twinge of annoyance. She didn't look up from her hands, which she'd covered once again in her gloves from the night before, despite their dirtiness.

Remy sighed, running his finger along his rolled silverware. "Not'ing."

Her shoulders shrugged slightly. "'Kay." She kept her gaze on her hands as if she could see the pale skin underneath the dark leather.

They sat in silence until their food was ready. Remy thanked the waitress with a wink as she laid their dishes before them.

"It that necessary?" Rogue scowled after the blushing waitress left them to eat.

Remy shrugged, sticking his fork into his omelet. "No offense, but sittin' here an' waitin' f' you t' speak t' me ain' workin' anymore."

"Sorry Ah'm borin' ya," she muttered as her fork pushed at her home fries with disinterest.

"It's not dat, chére. Jus' talk t' me," he pleaded exasperatedly.

"'Bout what?" she asked nonchalantly, finally looking up. Her eyes betrayed her simple tone; the gray-green irises swirled with hurt and anger.

He sighed again, for what felt like the fiftieth time in twenty minutes, his gaze falling from hers. "Never mind," he mumbled before shoveling his food into his mouth. He chewed his food thoughtfully while Rogue continued to poke at her breakfast. The scrambled eggs wobbled with her soft prods. The diner's food wasn't terrible by any means, but Rogue looked at the eggs with muted disgust. She glanced over to the condiment rack on the inside end of the booth, momentarily wondering if she should even bother to add salt and pepper to the eggs and potatoes. Instead, she sighed, propping her chin on her hand while she continued to push the eggs around her plate.

"Y' should eat," Remy suggested after he watched her nudge her eggs around her plate for a full minute.

"Ah'm not hungry," she replied shortly.

"I t'ought y' said y' were."

"Lost mah appetite."

"S'long ride, chére…" he insisted.

"Ah'll be fine."

He dropped his fork with a low annoyed scoff. A loud clang sounded as it fell against the ceramic plate. "Listen, Anna, I won' take y' wit' me unless I know y' up f' de trip."

Her nose wrinkled as her eyes settled on his fallen fork. "Ya didn't want me ta come with ya anyway."

"Would y' stop it?" he hissed. "Dis self pity merde is gettin' old real quick."

She looked up from the fork, her eyes shining despite her best efforts to remain cold and emotionless. "Remy…"

"Jus' eat, okay?" he ordered softly as he picked up his fork again. He dove into his omelet once more as Rogue watched him.

She silently examined the way his hair fell across his forehead, the strong line of his jaw, even the way his deft fingers grasped his fork. A forlorn smile slowly appeared in her gray-green eyes, causing them to squint slightly. "Hey, Remy?"

Surprised she'd addressed him, he glanced up from his food with wide eyes. "Oui?"

"What did ya think of when ya saw me that day? The day with Magneto and the sentinel?"

He paused mid bite and glanced up from his plate. "Why do y' ask?"

A faint wry smile crossed her lips before she began to speak. "Ah'm just wonderin'."

He finished chewing his food thoughtfully and swallowed. "Will y' eat if I tell you?"

"Maybe."

He sighed, placing his fork down onto his plate. "T' be honest?"

"Yeah?"

"After I realized it was really you? I t'ought – 'Dieu.'"

"Oh?"

He smirked. "Oui, 'Dieu.' M' second t'ought was 'Anna se faire à ravir.'"

A blush inevitably settled on her cheeks. "You're lyin'."

"Please – y' tol' me t' be honest. An' like y' didn' t'ink de same of me," he countered with wiggling eyebrows.

The blush deepened. "Ah did not."

"'Course not," he smirked. "An' y' weren' jus' checkin' me out a second ago," he added as he nodded towards her plate. "Eat."

She gasped, though a small smile of her own crossed her lips. She stuck her fork in her eggs again, this time for the purpose of eating. "One more thing," she said with the silverware suspended in the air by her face.

"Go 'head, Anna."

She crooked her head to the side slightly, regarding her eggs on her fork with a wistful gaze. "This is gonna sound so silly… but do ya ever wish things could go back ta the way they were? Ah mean, befoh everythin' got so insane? Befoh yoah powers manifested, befoh the engagement an' everythin'?"

"De trajet, but life… she's not all de happily ever afters she cracked up t' be, eh?"

Rogue scoffed, her gaze shifting from her fork to Remy. "Good thing Ah didn't like fairy tales as a kid or else Ah'd be really disappointed raht 'bout now," she groused before she took the bite off her fork.

"Cheers t' dat," Remy replied, taking a sip of his coffee. "But t'ings happen f' a reason, Anna. T'ink 'bout it… we never would've seen each ot'er again if it hadn' been f'all de t'ings dat happened between den an' now."

"Ah know… but…"

"Yeah, I could've done wit'out de last month of merde too."

She snickered darkly as she took another bite. "Ah guess we'll just have to see where this all takes us, Ah guess," she replied thoughtfully after she swallowed her eggs.

Remy lifted his fork again, a small smirk playing at his lips. "Guess so."

-----

Anna and Remy had been sitting on the veranda sipping Mattie's sweet tea for a half hour before Henri arrived with Mercy on his arm. Anna took an immediate liking to the vivacious blonde – she drank in Mercy's enthusiasm and sincerity as she hugged Remy to greet him hello.

"I feel like I haven' seen y' in f'ever!" she squealed as she held him tight.

"It's been a week," he squeaked under her embrace as he dramatically gasped for air.

"Dat's too long between visits t' m'favorite soon t' be brot'er-in-law," she beamed as she let go of him.

"I'm y' only soon t' be brot'er-in-law," he smirked.

She waved her hand, dismissing his joke. "Technicalities, Remy." She turned her head and saw Anna. "An' dis is Anna?" she grinned.

"Oui. Anna, dis is Mercy," he said as he motioned between the two girls. Mercy stood at a half inch shorter than Remy's five-foot-six frame, which still made her tower over Anna.

Anna stood still, deciding not to foolishly stick her hand out like she had before with Tante Mattie. Instead, she settled for a shy wave and waited for Mercy to hug her. "Hi," she greeted with a small smile.

Mercy grinned, her blue eyes bright. "Oh you are jus' belle, fille!" She gathered Anna into a quick, tender hug. She pulled back, but held on to Anna's shoulders gently, taking a good look at her. "I love y' hair. S'natural, hein?" She ran her index finger through one of the white locks framing Anna's face.

"Yeah, it is." Anna's smile widened as a blush reddened her cheeks. She glanced at Remy, who was smirking casually. She could tell he was thinking tol' y' you'd like her.

"Jus' wait till y' older, p'tite. Y' are gon' be très magnifique," Mercy praised, looking back at Henri, who had been staring at his brother and his friend silently with a friendly smile.

The younger girl in turn brightened her smile ten fold as she extended her hand proudly to Henri. "You must be Henri," she grinned. "It's nice ta finally meet ya. Ah've heard so much about ya!" she exclaimed, accentuating her accent.

He took her hand warily, put off by her sudden enthusiasm as she'd been timid only moments before, and shook it slightly. "What," he asked casually, his tone contradicting his nervous behavior. "Has mon plus jeune frère been boastin' 'bout me?" He managed a wry smirk, but gained an awkward glance from Mercy, who could read his discomfort easily.

"Actually, Ah heard 'bout ya from Adeline."

Henri blanched. "… Adeline?"

"Yeah! She's mah third cousin. When Ah found out Remy an' y'all were related, Ah was so excited! At the last family party a few months ago, Addie couldn't stop talkin' 'bout ya!"

Mercy batted her big blue eyes at Henri. "Oh, y' know dat Adeline, Anna?" Her eyes shifted to Remy, who had his regular smirk plastered on his face. Upon further scrutiny though, Mercy caught a pleased mischievousness dancing in his red on black eyes. He was enjoying his brother's discomfort, the little devil!

Her eyes turned back to Anna, who was beaming with delight. "She kept sayin' how much she loved this Henri LeBeau guy from her sophomore year of high school. She was completely smitten with ya!"

Remy watched as Henri swallowed the lump in his throat. Anna toyed with her hair idly, fighting the giggles that tickled at the base of her stomach. "She always got real silent whenever someone asked what happened ta the two of ya though…"

-----

During the rest of breakfast, Rogue began to relax more and more. She didn't eat all of her meal, but she ate enough that Remy was satisfied and teased that she would be able to ride along with him.

Afterwards, Remy drove them to a small boutique. Against Rogue's wishes, he insisted upon buying her new clothes suitable for the drive down, seeing as how her own clothes were dirty and the outfit he'd supplied for her at his apartment would be inappropriate for a long bike ride.

While she reluctantly tried on the clothes, Remy waited and attempted to call Belladonna again.

"Bon jour! –"

He snapped the phone shut as her chipper, sultry but recorded voice filled his ear. He groaned and muttered under his breath, rubbing his hand across his face roughly.

"Remy?"

He looked up, his lips set in a scowl until his eyes settled on Rogue. Um, wow. He blinked a few times, his eyes tracing up her body as subtly as he could. "What's up, Anna?" he asked, keeping his voice miraculously steady.

She glanced down to the clothing on her body, a look of uncertainty crossing her face. Low rise black jeans hugged her legs and hips like second skin, while a loose, long sleeved blouse dipped below her waist line and around her backside. The soft, dark green fabric hung off her shoulders, revealing the thin black straps of her bra and additional straps of a matching green tank top underneath.

She turned to face the mirror, unknowingly giving Remy a good view of how well the jeans actually fit her. "This stuff is way too expensive," she told him.

"Don' worry about it," he reassured her as he fought the urge to wet his lips.

She narrowed her eyes at him through the mirror, blowing a stray piece of white hair away from her face. "Ah'm serious, Cajun. You've done enough foh me already."

"It's y' own fault f' not bringin' extra clothes wit' y'," he teased. Before she could retort, he insisted, "I'm not lettin' y' wear de same clothes day after day, Anna. What kind of host would I be?" he smirked.

"But now Ah feel really indebted ta ya… Ah'm not the type who looks foh charity hand outs."

"Dis ain' charity - y' know it ain'. An' y' actin' like I haven't given y' new clothes b'fore."

She smiled despite herself. "It still feels like it though, especially when you're payin' foh these," she said softly, her eyes falling away from him and down to the clothes.

"Hey, I jus' want y' t' be comfortable."

She smiled meekly, glancing up to him again. "These are really nice…"

"Den c'mon," he drawled with a smirk. "Let's get y' set."

She nodded and stepped towards the dressing room. "Hey, Rem?" she called before she disappeared around the corner.

"Oui, chére?"

"Thank you," she said softly with a light smile. She tucked a piece of white hair behind her ear so she could see him from her sideways glance.

He smiled warmly in return, his red eyes flashing with sincerity. "Y' welcome. I'll meet y' up front."

He turned away, opening his phone again. The time glowed ten minutes until one. He mentally calculated the time they'd be on the road, the possibility of rush hour around the heavy populated cities, etc. With him driving, they'd be in Louisiana in fifteen hours. And while driving nonstop was an option, Remy wasn't entirely eager to get home.

He knew he had to be home as soon as possible, and he also knew that Rogue wouldn't have minded driving nonstop and arriving in the Big Easy early in the morning, but something in him wanted to delay as much as he could. Of course, he wanted to rescue his father and possibly fight a few Assassins in the process – especially Julien – but going back home meant that finality of the contract. His freedom would be gone.

With his free hand, he rubbed his face roughly. He muttered coarsely under his breath, knowing that he already knew it wouldn't have lasted forever. He looked down to his phone again, trying to tell himself to do the right thing. With a sigh, he pushed the digit for Henri's speed dial and he pressed the phone up to his ear.

It rang twice before a sweet voice slid through his ears. It definitely wasn't Henri, not that he minded one bit. "Remy?"

"Hey, Mercy," he grinned.

"How's m'favorite brother in law who doesn' call anymore?" she asked with a strained airiness.

He continued walking towards the registers, his hand reaching out and sliding a fashionable but simple black sling bag off one of the racks as he strolled by. "M' sorry, Merce. Did Henri tell y' where I was?"

"He mentioned somet'ing 'bout Egypt…"

"Oui, add London an' Tibet t' dat, chére – an' every place in between."

"Well, aren' y' jus' de well traveled man. Dat boss of y' kept y' goin', eh?"

"While he was still kickin'; oui, a bit." He glanced over his shoulder and saw Rogue on her way towards the front. Her arms were overloaded with not just the outfit she'd previously been trying on, but also with an additional loose knit sweater along with another pair of the same cut jeans in dark blue, plus a new leather jacket. While she was vehemently against his even taking it off the rack, she agreed that she needed it for the ride. He told her to simply ignore the price tag when she tried it on, which had obviously been impossible for her curiosity. He had insisted on buying her a new pair of boots but she drew the line and said she'd wear her sneakers instead. He didn't, however, have to ask her twice if she wanted a new pair of gloves. They had been the only thing she'd been okay with him buying since her current pair had been so disgusting, plus they were the least expensive thing in her collection of items.

"Listen, tell Henri I should be dere by de mornin'. Late mornin'."

"Alright, Remy. Y' sure y' don' want me t' grab him? He's only talkin' t' Theoren outside…"

"Neh, chére. We're 'bout t' hit de road."

"I see… How's she doin'?"

"Better," he replied shortly, figuring that Henri had no doubt told Mercy about Rogue's sudden appearance in his life again. He didn't elaborate further though, not wanting to go into too much detail.

He could almost sense his sister-in-law nodding on the other end in understanding. "I'm lookin' f'ward t' seein' her 'gain," Mercy giggled. "She was such a delight all dose years ago."

Remy smirked. "Dat's because y' figured out our li'l game."

"Well, oui, as if I could let y' two have all de fun tormentin' y' poor brother!" she exclaimed with a laugh. "All kiddin' aside dough, chér, y' know how much I liked her. She was good f' you dat summer."

Rogue was close enough to hear his end of the conversation and see him smiling at her. She crooked her eyebrow when she heard "Oui, she was."

"I'll let y' go, Remy. Be careful."

"Vous, aussi." He clasped the phone closed as Rogue joined him by the front of the store, curiosity stirring in her eyes.

"Who was that?" Rogue asked when he slid the phone back into his coat pocket.

"Mercy. Tol' her t' expect us t'morrow mornin'."

"Ya mean we won't be there tonight?"

"Not unless y' wan' drive till t'ree in de mornin'," he responded with a smirk.

"Oh… all raht."

"Get y'self rung up an' changed. We got a ways t' go b'fore we stop," he said, handing her the bag he'd randomly picked out.

"Ya know, at least Ah didn't ask ya if ya had enough ta buy all this," she joked.

He laughed. "Neh, y' had enough sense not t' ask where I got de money."

"Is that why this feels so bad, buyin' all of this?" she groaned histrionically, motioning to the pile of clothes she'd just laid on the counter.

"Jus' t'ink, de family is payin' f'dis."

"How reassurin'," she said, rolling her eyes. She pointed to a rack a distance away from the counter. "Ah think Ah'm gonna check out those sunglasses."

"Don' want t' see de total?" He wiggled his eyebrows at her before she turned away.

"Nope!" she threw over her shoulder as she walked away, her shoulders shaking slightly with laughter.

-----

"Oh, fille, it's too devastatin' t' talk about," Remy interjected forlornly, placing his hand on Anna's shoulder.

She looked up at him, batting her gray-green eyes woefully. "Ah guess you're raht…"

"We should see how much longer t' dinner. M'starvin'!" Remy exclaimed with a quick change of subject, rubbing his stomach enthusiastically. He guided Anna past his dumbstruck brother and his wary fiancée and into the house.

Mercy's narrowed eyes followed the younger duo as they slipped past the storm door without a care in the world. Dey're up t' somet'ing…

"Chér," she said, standing up on her tiptoes to plant a kiss on Henri's cheek. "M'gon' see if Mattie needs a hand in de kitchen. Why don't y' relax an' have a smoke?"

"Sure," he replied through gritted teeth, glancing down to her only for a moment before pushing away, rubbing a hand roughly over his shaved head.

Mercy glared at him, tossing her blonde hair off her shoulders. She was unsure if she was upset at the fact that he hadn't taken the opportunity to joke about her cooking skills, or lack thereof – that would have been typical Henri LeBeau behavior, after all! Any mentioning of that girl Adeline had always thrown him off. Why would Remy do it now to him?

She whirled around and stomped into the house, finding Remy and Anna immediately. "Remy Etienne LeBeau, c'mere dis instant."

Remy looked up from the pitcher of sweet tea from which he'd been pouring another glass for himself and Anna. Feigned innocence masked the mischief tugging at his lips. Anna was doing her best not to giggle and kept her glass pressed to her mouth to hide her smile.

"Moi?"

"Oui, vous! What are y' doin' t' your brother?" she demanded, treading up to him. She sized him up despite their slight height difference, glaring into his red on black eyes.

"Don' know what y' talkin' 'bout, Merce."

"De hell y' don'! Y' know what happened 'tween y' brother an' Adeline. An' I know f' a fact dat she –" she pointed to Anna who sipped the tea quietly. "- is not related t' dat slut."

"How do ya know Ah'm not?" Anna asked, faking insult. She remained hidden behind her glass, knowing her façade would drop at any given chance.

"Chére, it's a small world, but not dat small, no offense. An' I know Remy, who would take any opportunity t' see his frére squirm like dat." She turned to glare at Remy again, who had finally allowed his resolve to crumble. His smirk shown through full force.

Anna looked up, noting that Remy had stopped their game, and grinned charmingly at the two of them. Mercy could tell that the younger girl had adopted the look from her partner in crime. The two traded conspiratorial glances, and Anna giggled, lowering her glass from her mouth to allow Mercy to see her smile.

"Mercy," Remy said, the smile falling slightly from his face. "Dis was too good not t' try out. S'not m'fault he's so gullible."

"Y' know how much Adeline hurt him, Rem," she sighed, running a hand through her loose blonde curls.

"Oui – but it was ancient history! Dat was what, t'ree, four years 'go? He's been wit' y' f'r how long? He needs t' let go of her an' worry 'bout you – so t'ink of dis as a weddin' present," he joked.

"Plus he needs ta learn that all river rats aren't the same!" Anna quipped from beside Remy.

Mercy regarded Anna with a thoughtful look before flicking her eyes back to Remy. "Y' have a point…"

"'Course we have a point!" Remy exclaimed. Anna nodded in total agreement.

Tante Mattie, who had been listening to the conversation mutely the entire time, glanced over her shoulder finally with a roll of her eyes and a dramatic sigh. "Y' kids are jus' askin' f'it."

Remy joined her by the stove, where she had been putting the final touches on her Guild-famous jambalaya. "Y' live f' dis an' y' know it, Tante," he smirked, planting a kiss on her cheek.

"Y' lucky Anna's adorable. Henri'll only want t' hurt you when he finds out de truth," Mattie smiled.

"Only if he can catch me," Remy countered with a daring smirk.

"Sure, pup. Go get y' pére, hein? I need t' serve dis an' leave f' Marius' shortly after." She turned from the stove, wiping her hands on her apron.

Remy's nose wrinkled in disgust. "Why y' goin' over dere?"

"Don' even gimme dat look, Remy. Y' know I ain' y' personal nanny," she scoffed.

"Yeah but y' don' have t' go over dere."

"Y' know I work wit' both Guilds…" she sighed, frustrated as if they'd had the conversation a thousand times before. "Listen, I ain' explainin' dis t' y' now. Go get y' fat'er while Mercy, you get de china out. An' Anna, y' just seat y' pretty li'l self anywhere y' want," she smiled warmly at Anna, trying to remind Remy of his manners and that he had a guest in the room.

Anna glanced warily between her friend and Tante Mattie, unsure of what to do. Remy scoffed and left the room with heavy feet in order to find his father. Unwilling to just sit there awkwardly, she asked, "Is there anythin' Ah can do ta help?"

Tante Mattie smiled gratefully. "Y' can help Mercy set up de table. Show her where everyt'ing is, eh chil'?"

Mercy nodded gently, motioning to Anna. "C'mon, it's in de other room."

Anna followed the other girl wordlessly, swallowing her questions about what exactly Remy and Mattie had been talking about.

-----

Rogue changed out of her makeshift pajamas into the new clothes in the boutique's bathroom after Remy had paid for everything. They exited the store, Rogue appearing more at ease in clothes that fit her properly as opposed to the track pants that had hung precariously off her hips and pooled at her feet.

She tugged at her new gloves, ironically enjoying the comfort of being covered head to toe again. Remy watched as she slid the new jacket over her arms and onto her shoulders.

"Y' okay?" he asked she positioned the bag Remy had chosen around her back.

She smiled simply. "Yeah. It's a little warm foh the jacket but it'll help when we get movin'."

He smirked. "True, but it ain' like y' not used t' severe heat, Anna."

She glanced at him with a wry smile, catching the double meaning of his statement. "Ah've been livin' up here foh' two years now, Remy. The summers here are nothin'. Ah jus' said that because it was always harder to distinguish the seasons befoh – it's just a lil easier around here, ya know?"

"Y' don' have t' tell me twice; I've only been up here since winter – an' I didn't like dat one bit, lemme tell y'."

Rogue laughed lightly as they strolled back to the motorcycle. "Yeah… mah first winter here… wasn't a good one." Her smile slipped from her face suddenly and she dropped her gaze to the ground.

"Chére? I lost y', didn' I?" He craned his neck so he could see around her veil of white forelocks.

"Ah'm fine… Ah just reminded mahself of somethin', that's all."

"Quoi?" he asked gently.

A gentle breeze blew through the air, sweeping Rogue's hair from her face. It revealed her knit eyebrows to Remy as she recalled what had been on her mind. "There was this class trip to the caverns up in the mountains near here. Ah went there with Scott…" She paused for a moment, trying to gather the right words to explain the incident. "Let's just say that it was the first time Mystique tried ta kill me."

"Oh," he replied shortly, unsure of how to appropriate respond to such words. Luckily, they reached the motorcycle, so Remy could easily change the subject. "I figure we'll drive as far as Birmingham an' den get a place f'r de night, an' leave early in de mornin' from dere t' get t' Nawlins by noon at de latest."

Rogue nodded, grateful for the topic change. "How late do ya think it'll be?"

"We can easily avoid rush hour traffic 'round DC… so it'll be 'bout eleven t'night when we stop." He retrieved his bag of sparse clothing and belongings from the side bag on his bike. He opened it momentarily and Rogue saw a few of the picture frames stowed in the bag along with a few decks of cards among his clothing. She hadn't seen him take the frames off the mantle in the living room when they'd left earlier, but it touched her to see that he didn't want to be without them. He dug around for a second and found his dark sunglasses.

"You stopped wearin' yoah glasses all the time," Rogue said, noting that he hadn't worn them in the boutique, or the diner, or any other public place for that matter.

He slipped them on his nose, pushing them back. "S'funny t'ing 'bout dat. Kinda stopped bein' afraid of people's reactions after I worked wit' Magneto. He taught us t' not be afraid of who we are wit' de rest of de world, plus it doesn' help dat everyone knows 'bout mutants now," he said with a noncommittal shrug as he lifted her helmet off its resting place on the bike and handed it to her. He retrieved his own helmet and flipped it onto his head. After securing it, he turned to ready his motorcycle, signaling that he didn't want to continue the conversation.

Rogue tugged her helmet on and stepped beside him, inquisitively watching him as he checked his gas gages. She bit her lip, her curiosity getting the best of her. "What did Belle think? About yoah eyes, Ah mean." she asked as she fingered the bag's strap across her torso.

Remy glanced over his shoulder to Rogue, his lips in a thin, forced smirk. "She liked dem. It took her a li'l bit t' get used t' after we initially met, but in de end she defended me t' her guild an' against her brother, because of course he had t' be against everyt'ing dealin' wit' me." He rolled his eyes for a moment and turned back to the bike once more.

Rogue nodded even though he couldn't see her do so. She opened her mouth momentarily and closed it, a question dancing on her tongue that she'd been dying to ask him since the moment she'd seen the picture on the mantle. Before she could catch herself once more, she opened her mouth again and blurted out, "Do ya love her?"

This time, Remy turned around completely so he could see Rogue and look her in the eyes. Her cheeks had flushed slightly pink with the question and his attention, and she quickly busied herself with the buttons on her jacket so he couldn't look at her with shaded red eyes. "What kind of question is dat, Anna?" he asked with a small laugh.

"A reasonable one, Ah guess," she said, looking up to him once again. "Ah mean, you are marryin' the girl, are ya not?"

"Yeah, but in an arranged marriage," he reminded her with a scoff.

"So ya don't?"

"I wouldn' say dat completely… de t'ing wit' Belle…" His lips pursed as he tried to find the appropriate words that would define his feelings for his fiancée. "Oui, y' could say dat I love her, but not in de way a guy marryin' a girl should feel about her, comprende?"

Rogue smiled slightly, in almost a smug sense. "Ya used ta say such mean things about her… befoh ya were engaged, Ah mean."

He smirked. "She was a spoiled brat – still is t' an extent, but she knows what's good f' her guild an' is loyal, an' I can admire dat in anyone regardless of where de allegiance lies."

"Does she love you?"

Remy regarded Rogue with a thoughtful glance before turning away so he could start his bike. "I t'ink she feels de same way 'bout me as I feel f' her." The bike roared to life and hummed as Remy threw his leg over it and settled into the seat. Rogue tentatively stepped up next to him and rested her hand on his shoulder before she slid into the spot behind him on the bike. "She likes t' pretend we're in dat sort of love dough t' make it easier on both of us, I suppose," he added as she adjusted the strap of her bag more comfortably across her chest.

"Makes sense," Rogue commented idly as her hands trailed down to his hips. Her gloved fingers grasped at the soft leather of Remy's jacket. He was happy to see that she'd become increasingly more relaxed around him as the morning progressed.

He was about to shift gears and slip out of their parking spot when she spoke again. "You don't want ta go back, do ya?" she asked gently under the purr of the Harley's engine, her chin replacing where her hand had been on his shoulder.

As his foot pumped the gas to jump the engine, Rogue knew she wouldn't hear an answer. Whether or not he'd heard her or not, she couldn't be sure, but judging by the sudden stiffness that stretched across his back, she had a strong feeling that he had indeed heard her ask the question. Her gut also had a strong feeling about his answer as well.

-----

"Ah can't get over how good that was," Anna exclaimed as she leaned back in the chair on the veranda. Her feet were propped on the long chair, crossed appropriately at the ankles.

Remy sat in the chair adjacent to hers, his head lazily lolled against the back of the chair. "I told y' Tante cooks a mean jambalaya."

"You weren't kiddin'," she sighed contently. Her hand drifted languidly to the polished table on the opposite side of her where two glasses of sweet tea rested. Her hand clasped one of them and brought it to her lips, taking a long sip. "Ah could get used ta livin' like this. You're so lucky!"

Remy's eyes gazed at setting sun just above the horizon, the oranges and pinks bleeding into the purples and blacks of the impending night. "Yeah, real lucky," he murmured idly, not shifting his somber gaze at all.

Anna blinked at him curiously and followed his stare out to the horizon. "Sunset are always so much prettier in the summer," she commented, placing her glass back on the table. Remy only nodded in response. "What's wrong? You were happy earlier!" she complained.

"Y' wouldn' understand, fille."

"Why not?"

He sighed, running his hand through his hair. "It's family business stuff," he replied shortly.

"That stuff with Tante Mattie?"

"It goes beyond dat," he muttered.

"Oh." She dropped her gaze to her toes, wiggling in her sandals. "Well, cheer up!" she insisted, snapping her view up to him once more. "We were havin' an awesome time befoh ya got all sour on me!"

His line of sight finally shifted from the sunset to Anna, who had pouted her bottom lip in annoyance. "I'm sorry, Anna," he relented. He rubbed his face harshly, drawing one of his legs into his chest and resting his arm on his knee. "T'ings are jus' annoyin' de hell outta me recently wit' mon pére an' de guild…"

"The what?"

"The business," she said, correcting himself as he cursed himself internally. "I told y' he's been gettin' on m'case more an' more…"

"Why? There's no point in you workin' this young. We're both just kids!"

"Tell me 'bout it," he sighed. "I can' even begin t' explain it dough."

Anna giggled and abruptly stood up. "Then don't. C'mon," she extended her hands towards him.

"What're y' doin'?"

"Ah wanna see New Orleans at night," she told him as he tentatively slipped his hand into hers.

He stood up and she led him down the veranda stairs to the main lawn. "Haven' y' seen it wit' Irene an' Val?"

She smirked and Remy noted with a touch of internal pride at how much it mirrored his own. He'd taught her well. "Ah haven' seen it with you."

He glanced back to his house as they walked down the main path that led off the estate to the road. A vindictive grin splashed across his face as he kept pace with Anna. His grasp on her hand tightened warmly, producing a joyous laugh from her. She reached down to her dress, collecting the long skirt in her hand so she could have more mobility in her legs. His strides began to lengthen and soon he and Anna were racing down the road to the nearest trolley stop.

As they neared the stop, there was a trolley there, ready to pull away. Anna, out of breath from running and giggling mischievously the entire way, managed to yelp "wait!"

"Dat won' help," Remy panted as they reached the stop. Anna began to slow down, but much to her surprise, Remy kept the fast pace. He tugged insistently on her hand, urging her to keep up. Anna's eyes widened when she realized what he intended to do. Her grin broadened to an impossible size. She grasped the cotton of her dress more firmly in her fist, ready to lift it up when she'd reach the trolley so she could jump easier.

Remy strides away from the trolley, his free hand reaching the back door pole. The vehicle began to slow and the doors swung open, allowing him to grasp the pole tightly with his free hand. He hoisted himself up, taking Anna with him once he quickly gained his footing. He let go of her hand, only to collapse in the first available seat near him. He barely noted the mixed looks from the other riders as he scooted over to the window so Anna could sit next to him. She fell beside him, panting and gasping.

"That was so great!" She laughed between breaths as she leaned back against the vinyl seat. She straightened her dress down her legs and crossed them at the ankles like she had back on the veranda. She smoothed down her free white forelocks, making sure she didn't appear like she'd just run a quarter of a mile down the road in her Sunday best.

Remy smirked and tugged on her long ponytail, gaining a venom-filled glare from her. "Relax," he told her as he pulled his sunglasses out of his pocket. "Y' look fine, fille."

"But-"

"Non, don' worry 'bout a t'ing," he said reassuringly as he perched the sunglasses on his nose. He slung an arm around her shoulder warmly. "We're gon' t' have a blast."

Anna glanced sideways at his hand hanging off her shoulder and smiled briefly. "Yeah," she said as her face turned to his once more. "We are."

-----

Rogue had nodded off as the night progressed and they traveled further and further south. The night air had warmed and thickened as they drove, and it ripped around the Hurley, warming and chilling the couple all the same. She'd lightly drifted off, clinging to Remy as their conversation began to dwindle down. He'd felt her lean heavier on him and when he called back to her with no response, he rested his hand on one of hers around his waist. He knew they'd have to stop soon, so as scheduled, when they passed Birmingham, Alabama, he turned off on the first exit and drove until he came across a small bed and breakfast.

As she felt them slow down, Rogue opened her eyes and lifted her head from his back. She glanced around blearily through the visor of her helmet. "How long was Ah out?" she asked with a yawn. She scrutinized her surroundings as best as she could in the dark and was surprised to see the quaint little inn that Remy had selected.

"Only 'bout an' hour," he replied over his shoulder as he pulled up to the driveway of the main building. "T' be honest, I'm surprised y' made it dat far," he admitted with a chuckle. He brought the Harley to a complete stop and turned off the engine.

"Well, the purpose of me comin' with ya was ta keep ya company, remember?" she reminded him. "It's only fair that Ah stayed up most of the trip." She climbed off the back of the bike and stretched her legs.

They had spent a good portion of the ride south talking about everything they could – that is, save for the grim events of the last month and previous six years. The topics ranged from what music they enjoyed, what movies they'd seen and to hobbies they'd had explored as they grew up. Anything said that may have swayed to their bleak times of their pasts and presents was vague and quickly skipped over without any real notion from the other. Rogue spoke of the X-Men as if they were her family, often referring to Kitty as the annoying little sister that she couldn't stand most of the time, but couldn't help but care for nonetheless. When the conversation stumbled onto Kurt, Remy noted that Rogue usually breezed over the topic and quickly talked about something else without losing a beat.

He'd done the same, telling Rogue of the places he'd visited over the last few years, despite being on business or not. Jean-Luc LeBeau wasn't mentioned once in any of Remy's stories, something Rogue noticed right away but of course said nothing about. Remy effortlessly weaved in and out of conversations as easily as he drove his motorcycle through traffic and told her other things with ease. He mentioned Belladonna vaguely as well, and Rogue couldn't tell if it was for her benefit that he left his fiancée out of the discussions or for his own.

Remy swung his leg over the motorcycle and stretched his legs briefly as well, the long ride taking a toll on his inner thighs. He slipped his helmet off his head and shook his hair out of the matted mess it'd no doubt become in the previous hours. Rogue did the same and tried her best to shake out the odd shape her hair had become with no success. "Not one word," she hissed with a smirk as he gathered his bag from the side of the bike.

He grinned brilliantly as he threw the strap over his shoulder. "As if I'm one t' talk. Let's go." He escorted her to the entrance.

The main clerk immediately perked up at the sight of the couple, smiling graciously as they walked up to her desk. "Good evenin'," she greeted warmly. "Welcome ta the Hummingbird Inn," she chirped in a voice that Rogue thought to be entirely too enthusiastic for the time of night.

"Evenin', chére," Remy returned smoothly, earning a look from Rogue in the process. "We'll jus' be needin' a room for de night," he explained.

"Just foh tonight?" she repeated warily, shifting her eyes between Rogue and Remy.

"We've been travelin' all day an' need a place ta rest," Rogue replied caustically, catching the clerk's wandering eye. Does this woman honestly think that we're some random, adventurous couple lookin' foh a sweet escape at a hotel in the middle of nowhere? The nerve!

The clerk's lip twitched slightly, but otherwise her cheerful smile wasn't marred. "Of course! Let me get you two set up an' I'll have someone take ya to your room."

-----

Rogue and Remy followed the plainly dressed bellhop across a small yard to an adjoined house with several doors with separate living arrangements dotted along the one wall. "If ya need anythin', just press one on the phone," the bellhop explained as he unlocked the door to their room. He pushed open the door after retrieving the key from the lock and handing it to Remy. He escorted them inside and then excused himself.

Rogue peered around the decently sized suite curiously with wide eyes. "This is actually really nice, Remy," she said in awe as she traced her hand along the cherry wood TV stand in the sitting room.

"Well, I figured I owed y' somet'ing a little better since I already had y' wake up in a shady motel," he joked as he put his bag down on one of the armchairs. "Plus, de was de first place I saw in miles."

She smiled, lifting her bag over her head and setting it on the couch. "It is really nice – oh," she suddenly commented downheartedly as she glanced past the sitting room to the bedroom.

"Quoi? What is it?" Remy followed her gaze from the view of the couch into the bedroom where there was only one bed; a king sized bed, but singular nonetheless. "No problem, Anna," he remarked. "I'll take de couch."

"You've been drivin' all day," Rogue interjected. "Ah'll take the couch."

"Like hell y' are," he scoffed. "What kind of gentleman would I be if I let a lady sleep on de couch?"

"Don't make me answer that," she replied with a snicker as she unbuttoned her jacket.

"It was rhetorical, t'anks. But Tante didn' raise me t' be une scabreux personne, so I'm sleepin' on de couch an' dat's final." He crossed his arms sternly, though his grin betrayed his firm voice and posture.

Rogue smirked as she slipped her jacket off her shoulders and arms. As she hung it over her arm and picked up her bag once more, she replied. "Who am Ah ta go against the teachin's of Tante Mattie?" Then she sauntered into the bedroom with a laugh and left him to get ready for bed.

-----

When they had returned to their neighborhood, it was well past 9:30. The sun had set and the night sound had come alive as they walked down the street to Anna's house.

"Do y' t'ink Irene'll be mad dat y' comin' back dis late?"

Anna tucked the insistent stray white forelock behind her ear timidly. "Hard ta say. Ah mean, if anythin', Val'll be more angry with me… she's pro'bly freakin out raht now."

"We can jus' say we were at m'house de entire time."

"Ah can't do that… Irene's blind, but she can read me like a book. Ah can lie about little things, but runnin' off to the French Quarter without anyone watchin' me is somethin' else," she insisted.

Remy sighed, running his free hand through his hair. "We don' have t' mention dat we stole all dis stuff, right?" he smirked as he lifted up the shopping bag in his other hand.

Anna giggled. "Well really, those weren't stolen… just the money we both them with was."

"Exactly. An' it's only illegal if y' get caught, fille," he reminded her for the twentieth time that evening as they walked up the front steps to Val's rented house. Anna pushed open the door, peering past the foyer to see if her foster mother was anywhere to be seen.

"Reenie?" she called cautiously.

"Anna?" That wasn't quite the voice she wanted to hear in response. She glanced back to Remy worriedly as Val came marching up to them from the kitchen. "Do you have any idea what time it is?" she asked in a raised voice. "We've been –"

"Désolé, mademoiselle," Remy jumped in, laying on the charm as thick as he could. "Mon frere, Henri, took us downtown wit' his fiancée. We didn' mean t' get back so late, but when y' take Mercy shoppin', dere's no stoppin' her!" He plastered a cool, but sincere smile on his face, knowing he looked confident in his little white lie. Anna tried to mimic the visage, but felt she came off appearing guiltier, so instead she kept her head down shamefully, hoping Remy's story would keep Val at bay and her apparent remorse would be enough to get Val to back off.

"B'fore we realized it, de sun was set an' Anna figured y'd be upset since she didn' call an' I'm real sorry f' keepin' her out dis late."

Val's blue eyes narrowed, piercing through Remy's dark sunglasses. Without shifting her gaze from him, Val asked Anna if what he said was true. Anna nodded gently, her gray-green eyes blinking at her sadly. "Ah'm sorry, Val. Ah got caught up in bein' excited 'bout goin' downtown," she added, knowing that part wasn't a lie.

Val's glare switched to Anna, scrutinizing her face for honesty. "I think it's time for Remy to go home."

Anna looked over to Remy, who had the same cool smile on his face. He nodded as he handed the bags to her. "Don' f'get t' show dem what y' bought f' dem," he whispered just loud enough for Val to hear. "See y' t'morrow."

"That's to be decided," Val muttered under her breath as Anna walked Remy to the door. She waved goodbye to him and closed the door. She turned to face Val alone, who still had the same disapproving glare on her face.

"Ah'll go up ta mah room now," Anna whispered as she brushed past the tall blonde.

"Go say good night to Irene first," Val said sternly, stepping out of the way.

Anna glanced up to her before crossing the living room, her sandaled feet shuffling along the hardwood floor. She glanced up to Val apologetically as she shambled past her. She knew Val would lobby to Irene for Anna to not see Remy again, but Anna also knew that Irene cared for her happiness the most.

She reached her foster mother's bedroom and tapped lightly on the door. "Reenie? You awake?"

"Come in," she heard through the door.

Anna grasped the doorknob and twisted it, the door creaking quietly as she pushed it open. Irene had her nightstand light on, even though she obviously didn't need it. She'd been expecting her, Anna could tell. "Irene… Ah'm sorry about gettin' home late. We-"

"I know, dear." She sat up in her bed and patted the comforter. "Come, sit."

Anna crossed the room, placing her bag next to her legs before she sat down on the bed gently. "About tonight… Val is more upset than I am – but it's no excuse for what you did though. You know it's unacceptable."

"Ah know, Irene. Ah won't do it again, Ah promise."

Irene smiled and shook her head. "I'm sure you will, but just be more responsible in the future."

"Ah will," she insisted.

Irene reached forward and found Anna's hand resting in her lap. She gave it a gentle pat before saying, "Head up to bed now, Val has plans for us in the morning."

"But Ah told Remy –"

"Anna, you can see him in the afternoon," Irene interrupted.

Anna pouted and sighed, but knew it was no use when it came to arguing with the blind woman. "Fine," she relented, sliding off the bed. Her foot brushed against the shopping bag, the plastic crinkling against her dress.

"What's that?" Irene asked as Anna passed the bag on the floor.

"Oh, Ah found this book for ya." She reached down into the bag and retrieved what would've been a plain white manuscript to anyone else, but was in actuality a book written in Braille. She placed it in Irene's extended hands. "It's about voodoo," Anna explained. "Remy said it was a good read – his Tante Mattie has the whole collection an' said it was pretty interestin'."

Irene ran her hand along the cover, a warm smile spreading across her lips. "This was very thoughtful of you, Anna."

The younger girl shrugged. "Ah don't get to buy you stuff most of the time… Ah figured that Ah could just this once."

Irene placed the book in her lap and extended her arm to Anna. "Thank you, child."

Anna smiled and stepped closer to Irene, giving her a hug. She pulled away slightly and planted a kiss on Irene's cheek. "Good night, Irene."

"Sleep well, child."

-----

He lay, staring at the ceiling with blinking red eyes. By all accounts, he should've been fast asleep. He'd driven practically nonstop from one in the afternoon till ten at night. They paused only once around five for gas and a bathroom stop. Rogue had grabbed a few quick slices of pizza from the rest area and made him eat one, but otherwise, they had been on the road for nine hours.

So why the hell couldn't he sleep?

He tossed around his game plan in his head over and over again. Rogue had said she would call the X-Men when they got to his place and he could either stay with her until they came to retrieve her, or leave her with Tante or Mercy and then leave with his brother and cousins to find his father. First things first, he would find out what happened to Belle, because she had to be somewhere in the city, and then he would search for Jean-Luc.

It sounded so much easier in his head than he knew it would actually be when he arrived home.

He sighed roughly, rubbing his hand across his face. He contemplated counting sheep until a soft voice came from the bedroom.

"Remy? Are ya awake?"

He blinked once more, then sat up and twisted so he could see the bed from where he was sitting. There was Rogue, sitting up and looking much like him. She looked like she'd slept maybe twenty minutes since the time they'd gone to sleep hours before.

"What're y' doin' up, chére?" he asked, ruffling his hair with his hand idly.

"Can't sleep," she replied shortly. "You?"

"Not a wink," he responded, standing up. He stretched his arms over his head for a moment before grabbing his t-shirt off the back of the couch. He began trekking back to the bedroom, slinging his head through the shirt.

He slumped into the chair next to the nightstand by the bed, sighing. "Worried 'bout tomorrow?" Rogue asked, shifting on the bed away from him. She turned to fluff up the pillows behind her and rested against them.

Remy watched her shift over and wondered if she was uncomfortable with how close he was to her considering their states of dress. "Maybe a li'l," he told her as he pushed his arms through the sleeves of the shirt. "But it's not what y' t'ink."

"You're worried 'bout Belle, aren't ya?" She rested her hand on the bed next to her and Remy could see the pale glow of her hand in the faint moonlight poking out from the thermal shirt he'd given her the night before. Her fingers tapped on the comforter lightly and he couldn't tell if she was inviting him to sit on the bed with her. Instead, he stayed put in the chair, leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees.

"It's not like her t' not answer her phone nor call me back, dat's all," he replied thoughtfully.

"Do ya think she's in trouble?" Her fingers drummed against the comforter again, more insistently.

He glanced at her hand on the bed and then to her face. It wasn't visible in the dark, but he could sense a slight blush on her cheeks. Taking that as a clue, he slowly slid onto the bed, staying as close to the edge as he could without falling off, despite the large size of the bed and how much she'd scooted over in the first place.

Rogue smiled softly and raised her hand from the blanket, using it to tuck her forelocks behind her ear. "Ah hope she's okay," she commented idly after a silent minute.

"Me too, Anna. De whole t'ing is jus' a damn mess… I really don' know how it's all gon' go down."

"Do ya think someone will get hurt?" she asked softly, uncertainty thickly lacing her voice.

Remy shrugged. "De Assassins are involved. Anyt'ing could happen."

"Oh," she breathed, and Remy knew it wasn't the answer she wanted to her. She sunk into her pillows, chewing on her lip thoughtfully. She snuck a worried glance in his direction. "What if-"

"Not'ing's gon' happen t' me, chére," he said confidently. "Dat was one of de t'ings Julien couldn' stand 'bout me when it came t' his sister. I wasn' gon' kill easy."

"Don't say that," she whispered coldly.

"What?" He looked at her. "Kill?"

She nodded, her bottom lip pouting with her naivety. "Ah don't want ta think about anythin' happenin' ta you."

"Dey are Assassins, Anna. Maybe I'm a li'l desensitized t' de word since I grew up wit' it, but dat's m'reality."

"Ah know, but-"

"I'll be fine," he insisted.

"How do ya know foh sure?" she asked, keeping her eyes on her folded hands in front of her on the comforter.

He sighed, running a hand through his hair roughly. "I don', but y' don' go dere t'inking like dat. But dat's also why I don' want y' involved, because if somet'ing happened t' you, I don't know what I'd do."

"Ah could help ya though!" She turned in the bed so she could face him, with a renewed energy. "Ah mean, we've all been trained-"

"Not 'gainst dem dough, chére. Dis ain' de Brotherhood."

"Ya think that's all we can handle, Remy? All that Ah can handle?" she asked, insult dripping from her accent.

"I didn't mean it like dat-"

"Then how did ya mean it? Because last Ah checked, you've seen me in action once. You have no idea what Ah'm capable of," she hissed, drawing her legs up to her body as she crossed her arms across her chest.

Remy fell silent, because he knew exactly what she was capable of. She'd taken down every last one of the X-Men, the Brotherhood and the Acolytes. Single handedly. Not to mention, there was video footage of her wiping the floor clean with him and his teammates. "I know y' can, Anna. It ain' y' fight dough, an' I couldn' bear t' see y' get hurt on account of me," he explained gently.

"That's sweet of ya an' all, Remy, but-" she began, her tone apathetic.

"Don't y' get it?" he interrupted her, swiveling on the bed and grabbing her covered arms right below the shoulders. "If I get hurt, dat's not'ing; just a casualty of a war dat's been goin' on for over a century now. But I couldn' ever f'give m'self if somet'ing happened t' you."

"Ah'm a big girl, Remy. Ah don't need ya ta babysit me," she retorted stuffily, glancing coldly to his hands on her arms.

"Merde, chére!" He let go her and slid off the bed. "Dis ain' a matter of responsibility. Y' do realize dat de world ain' out t' use you or needs t' use you an' dat people do care 'bout y' well bein'."

She stared at him, her gray-green eyes icy and piercing. "Ah really hate when you psychoanalyze me, Swamp Rat."

"Why? Y' need de slap in de face sometimes it seems," he retorted as he paced at the foot of the bed with his arms crossed.

"Because the reason Ah'm here is ta get away from all of that," she muttered just loud enough for him to hear.

"An' redeem y'self f' what happened?" he guessed snidely. He hated that his voice was coming out so harsh, but Dieu, she was driving him nuts.

She blinked slowly, her eyes softening upon opening once more. "Maybe Ah just need ta do that," she admitted gently, her gaze drifting down to her hands again. Her pale fingers glared at her, reminding her what she'd done with those hands two nights before. "You're doin' more than Ah ever did an' yoah father manipulated you too."

He stopped pacing and walked back to his side of the bed, sliding on much like he had before. "I'm doin' it because of m'guild," he told her, his tone much softer than before. "He didn' raise me – Tante did. He didn' train me – Henri did. M' doin' dis t' be dere f' dem – not him. De only t'ing he did was take me in – an' we both know dat amounts t' not'ing in de scheme of t'ings."

"Yeah… Ah know…"

"An' I wasn' kiddin' 'bout carin' about y', Anna. Y' know I do."

She nodded, sighing and falling back against the bed once more. She blew her hair out of her face with a quick puff. She glanced at Remy through her veil of white hair, sighing again in relent. "It's hard ta believe that anyone gives a shit about me without some ulterior motive anymore," she murmured after a long moment.

"Betrayal does dat t' a person," Remy responded, sliding onto the bed further so he was more comfortable. He swung his legs onto the bed and leaned back into the pillows, much like Rogue had been laying. "Like I said dis mornin', y' can' run from it, but den y' can' let it eat y' from de inside out either, Anna, an dat's what y' lettin' it do t' you."

She looked at him for a moment before averting her gaze away, her lip quivering slightly before her teeth clamped down on it to keep it from shaking. "Ah… Ah feel like a huge chunk of mah life was ripped away from me," she described in a small voice, her fingers stretching at the hems of her sleeves. "Like nothin' matters from anythin' befoh two years ago when Ah joined the X-Men. An' even then, all that wasted time with Risty… Ah'll never get it back."

He nodded, understanding entirely. "Y' know," he said with a wry smirk. "I was dere in dose first years. Am I a lie too?"

She shot a dubious look at him. "Do Ah even need ta answer that?"

"Oui – I'm not bein' rhetorical dis time, Anna," he replied sincerely.

Her lips twitched into a thin smile. "Of course you're not a lie. Why do ya think Ah went ta yoah apartment in the first place?" She slid down in the bed, resting her head on her pillows and twisting onto her side so she could look at him. "You were the one person Ah could turn to…" she murmured as her hands slipped under her pillow so she could cradle it against her head. "You were the one person who has seen the real me in who knows how long… The one person Ah allowed mahself ta be completely honest with."

Remy regarded her thoughtfully for a moment, his eyes boring into hers. He wanted to ask her why she couldn't be honest with the X-Men, the very people she'd referred to as her family only hours before. He knew why though – she still felt like an outcast among the group of outsiders. He understood the feeling all too well, even with the close bonds he had with some of his family members. For the most part, he was considered the adopted mutant with the power to unite and lead the guilds… Save for Henri and the cousins he grew up with, he was just a rook in the guild war.

He sidled down on the bed so his face was level with Rogue's. She smiled slightly, curling the blanket around her more. "I'm happy y' have me, Anna."

"Even foh this little bit of time," she sighed sadly. "It sucks that everythin' turned out this way…"

"All dis happens f' a reason, y' know. Us meetin' again, like dis – dere's gotta be a reason why everyt'ing has happened in de last two months. It's all too coincidental f' it all t' have gone t' hell wit'out meanin' somet'ing."

Rogue bit her lip, pondering. "Hey, Remy?" she asked in a small voice, her eyes drifting from his and down the bed to his toes.

"What's up?" he asked as he caught her gaze. He wiggled his toes and produced a slight laugh from her.

The small smile from her laugh fell from her face. "Do ya believe in fate? An' destiny?" His words had provoked a thought in her mind. While she hadn't spoken to Irene in years now, she had absorbed Mystique a few times in the last month. Through those absorptions, she'd gathered bits and pieces of a destiny in store for herself that she knew she didn't want to go through with.

"Fate's a tricky t'ing t' believe in, chére," he responded softly as she snuggled against her pillow and brought her somber gaze up to his once more. "Y' want t' t'ink dat y' in control of y' life, but den merde jus' happens anyway dat proves ot'erwise."

"Ah guess it's hard ta distinguish the difference between choice an' fate when so much of our lives have been paved out foh us," she scoffed, blowing her forelocks from her face, only for them to fall stubbornly back into place.

Remy's eyebrows perked as a thought occurred to him. "Y' have a choice now, Anna. Y' realize dat right?"

"Maybe…"

"I mean, t'ink about it. De one person orchestratin' y' life is gone."

Rogue wrinkled her nose. "Yeah, because Ah killed her," she reminded him harshly.

"Dat's t' still be decided," he interjected, sitting up once more. "She was pro'bly gone de moment she turned t' stone."

"You don't know that," she muttered stuffily.

"An' y' don' know if she was still dere either, so dere's no sense in considerin' it," he replied, his tone lighthearted and matter-of-factly. "I t'ink y' tryin' t' get y'self out of bein' de victim," he commented as he stood up in a simple fluid motion.

Rogue blinked as he stood up, confused. She propped herself up on her arm. "Where are ya goin'?"

"Gettin' some water. Y' want some?" He crossed the room to the bathroom and flicked on the light.

"Are ya gonna drug me again?" she asked with a snicker as she rested back down amongst her pillows.

"Hadn't decided yet," came the wry reply as the faucet turned on.

"In that case, Ah'm fine," she called, cuddling her fluffy pillow to herself once more.

He exited the bathroom, glass of water in his hand. "Y' sure y' don't want any?" he teased as he sat down on the bed.

"Yeah… positive. The last thing Ah need is you slippin' me another one of the concoctions you've come across."

Remy pouted adorably, his eyes blazing. "An' here I t'ought y' trusted me, Anna."

"Oh stop it!" she laughed. "One, you absolutely cannot pull off lookin' innocent. Y barely managed when we were kids. Two, Ah trust ya; just not ta keep me conscious."

The pout disappeared and was immediately replaced with his usual lopsided smirk. He raised the glass to his lips and took a sip of water, the smile still in place. "Fine, fine, y' got me."

Rogue watched in silence as he drank from the glass once more before placing it on the table beside the bed. He sighed and slid down in the bed so he was level with her once again. "Y' tired yet?"

"A li'l," she responded, fighting a yawn. "What time are we gettin' up tomorrow?"

"Early… I want t' get dere by noon an' we have another couple of hours ahead of us. We should pro'bly try t' get some sleep," he suggested as he glanced over Rogue and saw the glare of red digital numbers, reminding him how late it really was and how much sleep they'd already missed in the previous hours of laying awake.

She twisted, following his gaze and saw the soft glow of numbers change to 2:39 AM. She laughed lightly as she settled facing him again, "Yeah… maybe we should." She squirmed in her spot for a moment, getting comfortable enough for some hopeful slumber. Remy smiled and began to stand up. He was about to say good night when Rogue suddenly whispered, "Wait."

He stopped, half off the bed. "What's wrong?"

"There's…" she squeaked out in a small voice. Remy couldn't see it, but simply knew she was blushing furiously. She swallowed the lump in her throat and continued. "There's no reason foh you ta have ta sleep on the couch. The bed's huge."

He glanced to where he'd been sitting and where she'd been laying over the course of their conversation. True, there would be plenty of room between them. "Y' sure?" he asked nonchalantly.

She nodded against the pillow. "Ah said earlier that ya needed some sleep an' you're obviously not gettin' it on the couch," she claimed.

He leaned onto the bed again, his eyes blazing with the smirk he couldn't contain. "De bed obviously ain' workin' f' you eit'er, chére."

"Remy, stop actin' like a hot shot an' just get in ta bed. It's not like Ah'm askin' ya ta sleep with me," she murmured hotly.

He stood up for a moment to turn over the blankets on his side of the bed so he could slide in under them. Rogue unconsciously shifted over a centimeter more, not quite sure why she invited him to stay in the bed with her anymore. She watched as he settled into his spot close to the edge of the bed, fluffing the pillows just right under his head. "Y'll let me know if I toss an' turn, hein?"

"Ah guess we'll find out in the mornin' if ya don't wake up," she joked lightly, knowing it wasn't all that funny.

He smiled, lacing his fingers behind his head as he rested on his back. His head lolled to the side so he could look at her. "Get some sleep, chére."

She sighed, closing her eyes. "G'night, Remy," she whispered softly as she snuggled into her pillow.

"Bonne nuit, Anna." He surveyed her for a moment, maybe hoping to catch that moment that she fell into sleep. She'd managed to tuck her white forelocks behind her ear again before she'd said good night, so Remy could catch the slight glow of her pale skin in the faint moonlight. The blush had faded, and he saw her long, dark eyelashes whisper against her alabaster cheeks.

The more time he spent with her, he witnessed her shields as the Rogue diminish. He knew that she felt comfort in the persona she'd created for herself in the last few years. The X-Men only knew her as Rogue and therefore, she'd been able to live in that security of being anonymous and mysterious along with being aloof without too much hassle from them. To say he was flattered that she'd opened up to him as much as she had wouldn't be the correct feeling – sure, he was thrilled that she hadn't felt the need to keep herself locked away considering all that had happened, but he could see right through it. She was more than aware of how he saw her and appreciated it more than she thought he realized. He smiled, letting himself recognize how much he'd enjoyed their time together, even under the odd and dismal circumstances. The thought of it all ending tomorrow snuck into his mind as he watched her for one more second, remembering what it was like the first time that he'd dreaded their imminent separation.

Sighing, his stare shifted to the ceiling, much like it had been before Rogue had called him over to the bed in the first place. He blinked wearily, feeling the long day finally weigh him down. The comfort of the bed surrounded him, silently cuddling him into slumber.

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Translations:

Anna se faire à ravir – Anna grew up nicely.

De trajet – Of course

très magnifique – very gorgeous/beautiful

mon plus jeune frère – my younger brother

Vous, aussi. – You, too.

une scabreux personne – an improper person/someone without manners

Once again, these are mainly from a translator and rough at best… that's what I get for taking German in school instead of French.

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So here we are… six months after my last update. (facepalm) I'm terrible, I know. Instead of sprouting excuses (which I have none, save for extreme laziness), we'll just go on the hope that the next chapter will come out quicker.

I hope you enjoyed this one. It's a lot of filler before the actual beef of Rogue and Gambit being in New Orleans and doing what needs to be done to save Jean Luc… but hopefully their continued interactions and slowly bourgeoning relations were enough for the chapter. Review and let me know!

As always, much love!

-- Courtney