Chellerbelle: I agree, it is a lot of fun! I'm still figuring out the money question.

sofimac16: Yeah, I know. Dont'cha just hate that? Ya gotta wonder about those super senses, sometimes.

Grace-Peace-and-Cat-Fights: I just love your pen name. And thanks bunches! Yay, an Author Alert!!!!

Madame Star: The name 'Logan' is synonymous with 'uhh-oh'. Don't you agree?

Lucida Lownes: I figure that with Remy being a thief, or ex-thief, perhaps, he would have easy access to that kind of stuff. I'm glad you liked that part. And yes, Logan really does...hahahaha! On the bid, I remain mum.

3Blue3Moon3: Coolness! Thanks so much for adding me to your favorite authors and this story to your favorites and Story Alert. Bella Donna may, or may not appear. It depends on whether I can figure something out, considering we are on Friday now. We'll see.

ChicaDeLosOjosCafe: All I will say on that is....mayyybeee. And yes, Rogue is. We all know she is...hehehehe.

roguelover321: Thanks and here's the update!

Team-JEdward2010: Is he, now? I'm pleading the 5th on that one. As for her being in denial...absolutely! Ha!

xdreamernumbuhfour: That line was one of my 'last-minute flashes of inspiration'. I get those a lot, as I think out the chapter as I write. The only reason Toad was going to bid was just to get a date with someone and maybe to try to make Wanda jealous. As if that would happen.

ColorCoated: Yes, Remy wants his Rogue. Wanda sounded the alert, just as any good friend would do and it just wouldn't be a good Romy without any bantering. Somebody had to outsmart the girls and who else but R&R, with the help of Wanda could actually pull it off. Ohh yes, I loved writing Remy threatening Logan. One of the few who can and get away with it.

courtneykutie: Hehehe....that was fun. You know Wanda would say that.

xXWingedWerefoxXx: I quite agree on that and thanks muchly!

Rogue meets Wanda outside the mansion gates on Friday morning. After enduring breakfast with the four chatty girls, she's ready to get away from the insanity, even if it is shopping. "Well, at least it isn't with Kitty. That girl can go all day!" Rogue muses to herself as she gets into Wanda's car.

"How was breakfast with the gossip gang?" Wanda asks facetiously.

"Ugh...all they kept talkin' about was how great tamorra night was gonna be an' how much fun we were gonna have." Rogue replies, affecting a high-pitched tone.

Wanda laughs wickedly. "Well, we are going to have fun, but they have no idea just how much and that it will be at their expense.

Rogue smiles devilishly. "That'll be fun. I can' wait ta see tha looks on their faces when they see ya out there waitin' for me." Rogue rubs her hands in a 'Mr. Burns' fashion and murmurs: "Eeexcellent.", causing Wanda to laugh out loud.

"I see John isn't the only Simpsons devotee." She observes humorously.

"Ya got that right! I found out that Remy likes 'em, too. He tol' me that he an' John used ta watch it all tha time jus' ta torque Magneto off. They even had Pete join them a few times, but he jus' didn' get tha show."

"Sounds like you and Remy are really getting to know each other." Wanda states playfully.

"If ya tell anybody this, I will fake amnesia. I promise that!" Rogue threatens. "I think I'm really startin' ta like Remy."

"Girl, I think you're past the 'starting to' stage. I've seen the way you look at him." Wanda passes her a telling look.

"Jus' whaddya mean when ya say ya've seen tha way I look at him?" Rogue questions indignantly.

"Oh, nothing much. Only that you look at him like you've been starving for a year and he's a sirloin steak with all the trimmings." Wanda says idly, even though there is a huge grin on her face.

Rogue flushes beet red and hotly objects. "I do not!"

A dark chuckle escapes Wanda as she retorts. "Yes you do. I must say that I don't blame you, though. The guy is ripped and incredibly hot! I wonder if I can get him to notice me." Wanda asks thoughtfully.

"Hey! Remy's mine!" Rogue yells in outrage, then stares at Wanda, open-mouthed as realization dawns on her of the trap Wanda just neatly placed her in.

"Ha! I knew it!" Wanda gloats triumphantly as Rogue crosses her arms and glares out the window. "Oh, don't worry about it. I like the Aussie firebug. Don't ask me why, though. I mean, at first, he was just to keep Toad at bay, but somehow he's really grown on me. Maybe it's his craziness. He's so unorthodox, so...completely mad, I just want to...never mind." Now it's Wanda's turn to go scarlet and Rogue to chuckle.

"So ya like Pyro, huh?" Rogue asks tauntingly, giving Wanda a taste of her own medicine.

"I just said so, didn't I?" Wanda growls, then chortles. "Listen to us. Afraid to admit that we're interested in a couple of guys. I'm all for 'what's said in the car, stays in the car.' How about you?"

"Agreed. We don' need those two findin' out before we're ready ta tell them. Then we'd never get a moment's peace."

"I didn't know you did, since Remy's been back and all."

"He'd be even worse if he knew." Rogue replies assuredly.

"So, what happened when the two of you were doing your little 'spy mission'?"

"Obviously, we got the hidden mic hooked up or I wouldn've been able ta tell ya what they were talkin' about las' night. Anyway, I pulled Remy inta my room so he could leave, only ya know how he is. He started flirtin' with me as he jus' loves ta do an' then Logan busted in on us." Rogue explains succinctly, leaving out one glaring detail.

Wanda groans loudly. "What is his deal? Does he not want you to have a life of your own? I know you think of him as like a father figure, but c'mon! At least most fathers give their daughters some freedom in their choices. Okay, so what happened next?"

Rogue glances at her, then remembers that Magneto had Mastermind replace her memories of him, so she really doesn't recall how controlling he was.

"Well, he started by threatenin' Remy, then started yammerin' about how there are rules an' how Gambit shoulda come ta tha front door. That's when I pointed out ta him that he wouldna let him in if he came that way an' then I tol' him that I could choose whoeva I wanted as my friends 'cause I am an adult now an' that he couldn' stop me."

"Ooh...I'll bet that went over really well with him." Wanda smirks then motions for her to continue.

"Ya got that right, but tha best part was when Remy threatened him about what kinetic energy could do to metal."

Wanda gazes at her incredulously. "Does Gambit have a death wish or something? And he lived to flirt with you another day?"

"Yep! Then I asked Logan whetha he trusted me."
"Wow! The ten million dollar question. So, what did he say?"

"He said that I got 'im with that one an' that he would agree with Professa's decision."

"Which was...?"

"He sided with me. Logan didn' like that too much, but he's jus' gonna haveta let me live my own life."

"Your Prof's not a bad guy. If I didn't have to babysit that bunch I live with, I might consider joining you. Pietro's enough of a handful for two babysitters, but I digress." Wanda rolls her eyes with a small grin.

"Ya should consida it. It'd get ya away from Toad." Rogue points out.

"Good point, but what about John? I'm not too sure he'd want to live the life of an X-Man."

Rogue snickers. "Can ya see Logan's face if John actually did join?"

"About the same as it would be if Gambit decided to." Wanda grins.

The girls share a good laugh as they get out of the car.

They try a couple of different stores, only to find nothing Rogue deemed suitable. At the third shop, she finds the perfect deep purple dress. It fits perfectly and is duly purchased and carried to the next one, where they find a pretty pair of sexy sandals.

"We're going to downplay the goth look just a tad." Wanda explains. "Now let's go pick out your make-up. You're going be so foxy, the other girls will be jealous." Wanda assures her smartly as they head to the cosmetics counter.

After the shopping is finished, Wanda drops Rogue off at home and says slyly: "See you tomorrow, Rogue. Or should I say, date?" Rogue chuckles and takes her purchases inside, where she runs right into Kitty.

"Like, why didn't you ask me to go shopping with you? I would've totally been happy to help." Kitty gazes at her with hurt written on her features.

"Kit, ya had DR when I lef'. I jus' wanted ta get it done an' ova with. Besides, ya tastes aren' tha same as mine. We would've argued tha entire time an' ya know it." Rogue observes, while trying to placate Kitty.

"I suppose so, but I still would've, like come with."

"I'll make it up ta ya, Kit. We'll go nex' Saturday, jus' tha two a us." Rogue offers with a friendly grin.

"Like, okay!" Kitty exclaims, immediately brightening at the prospect of spending all of next Saturday with her friend.

That evening, there is a knock on her balcony door. Rogue can't help it, she smiles to herself as she opens the doors.

"At least ya knocked, Swamp Rat." Rogue teases as she grabs her purse. He effortlessly makes his way down and waits as she descends from the tree limb outside her window.

"Why didn' y' wan' me comin' t' de fron' door?" Remy asks, slightly confused.

"'Cause I don' wan' anyone knowin' we're goin' out tanight. Although I tol' Professa." Rogue informs him with a grin.

"Y' jus' wan' t' keep me all t' y'rself." Remy passes her a naughty look.

"Remy, do ya evastop flirtin'?" Rogue queries, but with no ire in her voice.

"Only w'en 'm serious an' sometimes not ev'n den." Remy replies cheekily.

"What am I gettin' myself inta?" Rogue asks herself as Remy chuckles.

"De time o' y'r life!" Remy states grandly.

"Don' ya wish!" Rogue jests as she jogs ahead of him just a bit, giving him a great view.

"Ooh, w'at dat femme does t' me. Makes me glad I came back 'ere." Remy thinks to himself as he quickens his pace to catch up to her.

"Y' ready f'r t'morrow nigh', cherie?"

"As ready as I'll eva be. Did ya win tha auction?"

"O' course I did! Y' t'ink I would let jus' any homme bid on y', Roguey?" Remy asks in disbelief.

"So what was tha final bid?" She questions curiously.

"$500." Remy states proudly.

Rogue gazes at him, wide-eyed with shock. "Ya paid $500 for a date ya not even goin' on?" She queries in amazement.

"Oui. It be wort' it t' put de filles ov'r de edge wit' shock, non?" Remy answers amusingly.

" I wish I could see their faces right now, which brings up an interestin' question. What are they gonna do with all that money? It doesn' seem right that I'm tha one goin' out on tha date, but I don' get any a tha money."

"Y' bring up a bon point, Roguey. Makes me wond'r t'." Remy muses as he puts an arm around Rogue's shoulders and they walk in companionable silence, each lost in their own musings.

Back at the mansion, the four 'perpetrators' of this insane scheme are gathered for the last time around Kitty's computer, taken completely by surprise at the amount on the screen.

"$500 dollars!" Amara stares at the screen, unable to move.

"So who's the winner?" Jubes asks as she tries to catch a glimpse.

"Oh wow, it's pokerface78!" Kitty practically screeches, then promptly quiets, so as not to draw any undue attention.

"Ooh...I wonder what he looks like." Jubilee responds with a dreamy expression on her face. "I wonder if he's hot."

"We will find out tomorrow night, ladies. Now we have to figure out how we're going to get her to stand outside by herself, so he will know she is the one." Jean tells them. The four put their heads together and work out details.

Remy waits while Rogue makes her way back inside, then gazes at her for a moment before taking his leave. He wanted to come in and attempt that kiss again, but decided against that, knowing that she needs time to prepare for tomorrow night. With those four filles accompanying her, she was going to need it! Besides, there will be other times. He will personally see to that.

Sorry y'all, no kissy tonight. Don't worry, her goth look will not go completely out the door. She's just going to soften it a bit.