A/N: Due to the nasty weather, my internet connection was lousy...again! So I couldn't get this done last night/this morning. Thanks goes to T.S.A.M. for adding this to Story Alert! :) Here y'all go, a chapter jam-packed with lotsa Romyness and kissin'. BTW, in this story, Logan might not come around, concerning our southern couple. I haven't decided yet.

Chellerbelle: Yep, they are alike in so many ways. It's fun to pair them.

Shiro-Kitsune8: He's the quintessential gentle-giant, especially with Kitty.

Fostersb: That will be such a fun moment! :D I am a Kiotr fan, but I usually don't play up anything with Lance, too much. This is the first story that I've done that with.

roguelover321: :) Will this do?

xdreamernumbuhfour: Hahahahaha.......I do believe this is the first time I've had a review written in song lyrics, but how very true...lol!

Madame Star: Aaahhh....the violence: Take a deep breath and savor it...lol. And to think, Pete didn't really have to exert himself! Makes it all the better.

Chica De Los Ojos Cafe: Oh yes she did! Pete's just sweet that way. *wicked laughter* I'm working on that, as I'm writing this. : )

acupofchamomile: Pete got his chance to shine in the last chap. He did very well.

Rogue's birthday arrives a few days later. She awakens and stretches languorously, spying a blue envelope sitting on her night stand. Rolling her eyes and chuckling to herself, she guesses that Remy managed to sneak into her room and leave it for her. He was the only one brave and quiet enough to enter her room in the wee hours of the morning, without her knowing.

Kurt 'ported in one time, to see if she was still awake so he could talk to her about his relationship with Amanda. The sharp smell of the sulfurous smoke that lingered in his entrances and exits woke her up. Needless to say, he avoided her like the plague for the next several days, fearful of getting too close to her, because of what she was capable of doing. The only thing worse than a Rogue with no coffee, was one woken up before she was ready to be.

She reaches over to grab the envelope and opens it, breaking out into laughter at the picture on the card. On the front, it has a picture of a small devil and it's asking: "Are you in on something?" When she opens it up, she lets out another laugh and says: "Yep, that's Remy, all right!" On the inside it reads: "I want in on it. Happy Birthday." Rogue then notices a note scrawled on the bottom.

Roguey,

I promised you a night on the town.

Tonight, I deliver on that promise.

Wear that gorgeous dress you wore on our first date

And be ready by 7.

Be prepared to be out most of, if not all night.

Remy

Rogue sets it on her stand, then thinks better of it and grabs a wooden box from under her bed. It is one that she brought with her, when she moved from Mississippi. There are items in there that no one knows about. This is where she hides her most treasured, secret items. She unlocks it and opens the lid. Right on top, is the Queen of Hearts.

Funny how since Remy gave it to her, things have improved for her. She finished high school with high marks and stood up to their greatest enemy, to date and triumphed. The best thing was that Remy came back. She smiles and takes out the card, turning it in her fingers for a few seconds before returning it to its place of honor, on the top. She grabs the card and places it directly below the playing card.

After securing the box and returning it to its hiding place, she walks over to her closet and removes the requested dress and sandals. Hanging the dress up to help remove a few minor creases, she then moves to her door.

Just as she opens it, she startles at the sight of Remy, with a cup of coffee and a fist upraised to knock on the door.

"Remy, ya scared me!" She exclaims.

"Is dat any way t' talk t' an homme bearin a 'ot cup o' coffee f'r 'is chere?" He asks in mock outrage.

"It's jus' that I didn' even hear ya come ta my door." Rogue explains as he hands her the coffee.

"Dese 'alls are carp'ted, but it's prob'ly m' t'ieves trainin'. We 'ad t' learn t' walk, wit'out makin' a sound." Remy informs her as she sips the fragrant brew.

"Mmm...this tastes differen', Rems. Betta than usual." Rogue looks up at him with a grin, her eyes sparkling.

"Bett'r be, 'cuz I made it. Tante sends it t' me. T'oug't I would share, wit' it bein' y'r birt'day an' all." Remy says, his expression turning decidedly impish. "Hmm....I don' s'ppose y'd let me give y' y'r birt'day spankin, would y'?"

"Nuh-uh. Betta think a somethin' else sugah, 'cause that ain' happenin'. Not if ya intent on livin', that is." Rogue threatens mildly.

"Somet'in' else, eh?" Remy murmurs as he steps closer to her, mischievousness gleaming in his eyes. Just as he reaches out for her, she steps back with a wicked grin.

"Oh no ya don'! Definitely not."

"Y' jus' ruinin' m' fun, chere." Remy complains, then heaves a long-suffering sigh. "Fine. Will y' at leas' lemme give y' a birt'day kiss?" The pleading, puppy-dog look makes her giggle.

"Okay, I'll allow that, but behave yaself." Rogue wags a finger at him, but he grabs it and smooches it, taking the cup and setting it down.

"Why do I get tha feelin' ya ain' gonna listen ta me?" Rogue questions as he gently pulls her to him, his head lowering as her heart-rate doubles. When they part, Rogue is having trouble getting her brain and her mouth to cooperate with each other. After a couple of moments, she takes a steadying breath.

"Now that was a birthday kiss. Wow." She is still temporarily at a loss for words.

Remy chuckles in amusement. "We bett'r get downstairs an' get some breakfas', Roguey." He tells her as he holds his hand out to her.

"What time is it?" She queries as she consults his watch and groans. "It's too late, now, Rems. All tha food is probably gone."

"Den I'll take y' out. If dere's anyt'in' lef', it's prob'ly cold, anyway." He pulls a distasteful face at the thought.

Just as they reach the front door, Logan emerges from the kitchen. "Where do ya think yer goin'?" He growls as Rogue rolls her eyes. Kurt is finally beginning to come around, with Logan being the solitary hold-out.

"It's ma cherie's birt'day. 'M takin' 'er out t' breakfas', t' start wit'." Remy gazes at him directly, daring the older mutant to challenge him. Logan does not disappoint.

"I know what day it is." He snarls at the Cajun. "There's still food. If yer wantin' breakfast, come eat that. Ya don't need ta be goin' out."

"It's my birthday, so tha choice is mine, right Rems?" Rogue inquires of her boyfriend. At his nod, she continues: "Don' tell me where I can an' can' go. We don' wan' cold left-overs, Logan. We wan' fresh, hot food." Rogue's eyes narrow and spark dangerously as she places her hands on her hips.

"We have a microwave, a convection oven and a toaster. Heat it up there." Logan argues, unwilling to yield.

"I tol' ya ta stay outta my life if ya can' deal with who I choose ta see. I don' know what ya big problem really is, but if ya don' back off, one a these days, I might not be here!" Rogue shouts angrily, beginning to draw a crowd.

"Chere, let's go." Remy quietly commands as he guides her out the door, closing it on Logan's protests.

Everyone in the room turns to glare at Logan accusingly.

"Like, why are you so against Remy?" Kitty questions hotly.

"Yeah, he's one awesome muchacho." Roberto chimes in.

"He is very much in love with Rogue and adores her." Piotr informs Logan.

Logan snarls and departs, the sound of a motorcycle is heard leaving a moment later.

"I think that's it." Jean concludes. "He can't deal with the fact that Rogue's in love, let alone with a former enemy. What makes it worse for him, is that Remy returns her feelings."

"Wouldn't it be great if they did end up getting married?" Amara asks with an enthusiastic expression.

At the restaurant, the two finish their meals as Rogue vents.

"I jus' don' understan' it, Rems! Doesn' he get that he hurts me when he acts like this? I mean, yeah, I was glad when he was there ta help me when I needed it, but I don' need his protection anymore. I'm ready ta start livin' my life tha way I wanna live it."

"I know w'at y'r sayin', hon. Woulda t'oug't I've proven m'self, by now." Remy mutters.

"Ya have, sugah! Ta me an' everyone else. Jus' cause he can' accept that ya've changed, doesn' mean tha rest a us hold ya past against ya. I know I don'." Rogue gazes at him sincerely.

"T'anks, Rogue. Are y' ev'r goin' t' tell me y'r real name?" Remy teases her.

"Maybe." Rogue answers evasively, enjoying the moment.

"W'at do I 'ave t' do t' get y' t' tell me?" Remy asks slyly.

"I'll haveta think on that." Rogue smirks at him.

"Evil femme." Remy growls as Rogue chuckles.

When they return home, Rogue walks into the door to a chorus of "Surprise!"

"Ya knew about this." Rogue turns to Remy in amused accusation, who shrugs. It is his expression, however, that gives him away.

Rogue receives many gifts that she's wanted, including some new books by her favorite authors, some iTunes gift cards and Kitty bought her another new dress. There is one gift left, from Jubilee. Rogue opens the box and blushes a deep scarlet. She hastily closes the box again, which piques Remy's interest greatly. He makes several attempts to grab the box, only to be thwarted by Rogue every time. When the party dies down, Rogue sends Remy into the kitchen to fetch her something to drink. At least, that's what she tells him. After he disappears behind the door, she quickly rises and takes the box upstairs, along with her other gifts.

As she enters her room, she spies Remy leaning back on her bed with his arms laced behind his head. He gazes at her lazily, the smirk never leaving his face.

"T'oug't y' could trick me, hmm?" He questions her idly.

"Remy! What're ya doin' in my room?" Rogue demands to know.

"I t'ink y' know, cherie."

"Yeah, I do an' no, I ain' showin' ya." Rogue gives him a cheeky grin.

"Y' know y' wan' t'." Remy argues lightly as he moves off her bed.

Rogue backs away from him, a playful gleam in her eyes as she puts the infamous box behind her back.

"Nope. Now ain' tha time for ya ta see it." Rogue answers as she moves over to her dresser. She quickly stuffs it into her drawer, burying it beneath her clothes.

If anything, the smirk deepens. "Oh, so it's une o' dose kin' o' gifts, eh?" He asks slyly as he stands in front of Rogue, fingering a white strand of hair. He leans closer to her, his voice husky. "Y' know dat only makes me wan' t' know w'at it is evn' mo', cherie." He says close to her ear, causing her to shiver as she gazes up at him.

She takes a moment to regain her composure. "Well, sometimes we don' always get what we wan', sugah." Rogue retorts lightly.

Remy replies enigmatically with a grin: "Don' know 'bout dat, Roguey. Sometimes we do." He leans in and brushes his lips against hers lightly, then pulls away. "I s'ppose I'd bett'r let y' get ready f'r our nigh' out. I'll be back at 7." He smiles as he leaves her, her fingers touching her lips.

A while later, Rogue checks herself over in the mirror. She's decided to forgo the goth look. In fact, she hasn't been using her make-up as much as before, instead, opting for a more natural look. Tonight, however, she decides to attempt a more dramatic look. She pulls out her eye make-up that she bought not too long ago, meant to enhance her eye color. Her hair is long enough now to pull back in an elegant twist, with the stripes curled in the front.

She grabs her small clutch purse just as Remy knocks on her door. Opening the door, they both openly admire the other person before them. He is in a dark blue silk shirt with black pants (What can I say, I like the look.), with his hair slicked back into a ponytail.

"Y' look tres belle, mon precieux." Remy is the first to recover, as Rogue stares at him.

"Oh! Yeah, ya look great, Rems." Rogue manages to get out, as she can't seem to tear her gaze away from him.

"Y' ready t' go, o' do y' wan' t' stay 'ere starin' at me de entire nigh'?" Remy teases as Rogue blushes with the realization of what she was doing.

"Uh...yeah, let's go." Rogue murmurs, taking his arm.

Just as they are about to open the door, Jean and Scott emerge from the media room. Scott stops in his tracks, his eyes fastened on Rogue.

"Have fun, tonight." Jean smiles and calls out. She glances over at Scott, wondering why he's suddenly silent. She does a double-take, then jabs him in the ribs, glaring at him.

"Ow! Jean!" Scott yelps and looks back at the couple, Rogue giving him an odd look and Remy giving him an upraised brow. His face takes on a sheepish look when he catches on to what he did.

"Uhhh...yeah, have fun, but be careful." He says, shamefaced as Jean grabs his arm, giving him an earful as they leave.

Rogue and Remy share a chuckle as they watch Jean. "'M guessin' dat Jean's a bit jealous 'cuz o' de look Scotty-boy was jus' givin' y'. Got t' admit dat I was 'bout ready t' call 'im out, m'self." Remy looks her over again. "Dat dress looks bett'r an' bett'r ev'ry time y' wear it. Y' jus' look amazin', ma cherie." Remy sincerely compliments her, causing her cheeks to flush slightly, which makes her eyes stand out all the more.

"Thank ya, Rems." Rogue says softly, as she stands on her tip-toes to kiss him lightly.

"We bett'r go, since we 'ave res'rvations." He informs her as he smiles down at her.

After they eat at one of Manhattan's better restaurants, he takes her a club, where they enjoy a few hours of dancing. Several men/women try to cut-in on the pair, but they turn down the offers, opting to remain together. Remy ends the night by taking her to the beach, where they walk along the shore.

"Did y' 'ave fun t'nigh'?" He asks her as he takes her hand.

"Yeah, but then I always have fun with ya, Remy." Rogue grins up at him.

"'M jus' a fun kin' o' guy." Remy jokes.

Rogue giggles. "Ya are. I love tha ideas ya have for takin' me places."

"I love bein' able t' s'rprise y'. Dat's why I do it, chere." Remy looks away awkwardly for a moment. When his gaze meets hers, she notices something she has never seen in his eyes before.

"Rogue.....y'r de firs' femme I've ev'r said dis t'. I've nev'r felt dis way befo', but w'en I met y', I knew y' were diff'ren'. Y' challenged me an' made me wan' t' know y' bett'r. I...love y', Rogue."

Rogue smiles sweetly at him. "I love ya too." She informs him quietly.

Her admission actually catches him off-guard for a moment. "Y-Y' do?" He looks at her in astonishment.

"Yes, I do. Although at firs' I wanted nothin' ta do with ya. I thought ya were a crazy snake-charmer, but when we wen' ta Louisiana, somethin' changed. Ya started showin' me tha real ya, Remy. I was hopin' ya'd come back ta me." She wraps her arms around him, laying her head against his chest.

Remy savors the feel of Rogue against him as he deftly removes the clip from her hair and strokes the soft auburn waves.

"Y' make me 'appy I did." Remy tells her honestly as he gently tilts her chin upward and his lips meet hers in a tender kiss. "I 'ave une mo' presen' f'r y'." His expression is reminiscent of an impish little boy.

Rogue chuckles, but Remy can see the excited interest in her beautiful eyes. He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a box. Handing it to Rogue, he awaits her reaction.

Rogue opens the box and gasps, her eyes widening in shock. "Remy......I-I.."

"We can wait as long as y' need t', amour. I jus' wanted y' t' know 'ow serious I am 'bout y'."

"Rogue gazes at him with tears in her eyes, her love for him shining through. "It's beautiful, Remy. Yes....yes, I will marry you!" She shouts jubilantly as she throws herself into his arms.

"Y' sure 'bout dat, sweet'eart?" He teases with a smirk.

Her enthusiastic response is to crush him to her and smother him in kisses.

Hehehehe.....lots of kissin' in this chap.