"Hello Rouge my name is Jean, Scott and I were wondering when you'd like to begin training, Scott has told me your power was hindering your life, and I thought perhaps the professor and I could help you find the trigger so you could learn how to control it." Jean said with a friendly tone, I kind of didn't want some one in my head, but Gambit was right, I couldn't ignore my powers forever, they were part of me now.
"Sure, I guess we could start now if you wanted, it's not like I got anything better to do." I told her, she smiled happy to hear that I was ready to learn. They lead me to the professor's office and sat me down on a big leather couch.
"We're very glad you chose to allow us to help you like this. Now, I'm going to enter your mind and help you find where your powers are rooted, and with any luck this will speed up your training immensely. Now relax." Xavier told her putting his hands to his temple in deep concentration.
Thought's started swimming through my head, thoughts of my first kiss and Cody laying there looking almost dead, hooked up to machines in a coma for three days. Memories of mamma and Daddy looking at me like I was a monster, memories of Remy stumbling back after only barely touching me, and of Scott, and there memories flooded over me too, things that weren't me, but they felt like me, I couldn't tell who I was if I thought too hard about it. The worst, the strongest of it all was Clair, reaching out to her mind lashing out at Xavier.
"Rouge, settle down, you're okay now." Xavier said pulling me out of something I didn't even know was going on. I shook my head looking around, at a room full of shocked mutants.
"What, what happened?" I asked in confusion, Jean sat down next to me with a friendly smile.
"We were exploring your mental triggers, but we seem to have hit some kind of mental block, it would seem the traumatic nature your awakening in to your powers and the trauma you've experianced since has had some effect on your ability to learn to use them. Your powers should have peaked when they triggered, and then reassessed allowing you to learn to control them, and grow with them. But you can't learn to control them until you learn to appreciate them for what they are, a gift, not a curse." Xavier told me, I looked at my hands only a thin layer of fabric between me and the death of anyone I touched.
"How could this be a gift, I can't even shake peoples hands." I told him, Jean shook her head.
"It doesn't have to be that way Rouge, you could learn to control it, to turn it off, then you could be free to touch with out your gloves." She told me, it sounded nice, but I had a hard time believing her, how could I ever learn to control this, I'd have to hurt others to even try.
"But how could I even try, I can't even practice without putting someone in the hospital?" I reasoned, Scott laughed.
"Trust me, we've got the man for you." Scott told me, I looked at him in confusion, but the rest of them knew what he was talking about.
"I'll speak to Logan first thing in the morning if you'd like I think the sooner you start using your powers without fear, the sooner you can learn to shut them off." Jean said giving me a sad look.
"Sure, what ever y'all think will help, but I don't really think it'll work." I told them getting up to leave.
"You can't think that way, Rouge or you'll never learn anything." Xavier told me, I nodded starting to walk out.
"One moment Rouge, if you're going to learn, first you must forget." He told me touching my head, a moment later, I felt like there was something on the tip of my tongue that I couldn't quite remember.
I left feeling exhausted, I went back to my room taking some time to unpack I hung up my clothes, and took the card and note from Gambit out of my bag, setting them on my night stand, it was one of the only nice things I'd ever gotten from anyone, so it meant more to me then it probably would have to most people.
The next day I started some classes which were pretty normal, for mutant school any way, and then she met Jean, Xavier, and Logan in the court yard. I looked unsure as I walked up to them, waiting for me to come and attack some guy who didn't even know me. They had me trying to put my hand on his shoulder, and after two weeks the only thing I'd gotten better at was knowing when to let go.
Logan was drained too, I felt like such an awful person, watching Logan stretch and yawn, I had decided to take the day off, I was starting to think that it was all hopeless. I left the school grounds with my bag, Gambits card tucked in the front pocket, even here kids looked at me like a freak, because of what my powers did to Logan.
"Bonjour ma cherie, you miss me?" I turned seeing Gambit leaning on a light post right outside the school gates.
"Gambit, you swamp rat where'd you come from?" I asked him with a very careful hug, they'd talked a few times since she'd gotten here, but she never would have guessed he'd show up.
"I thought I'd come check out dis school of yours, maybe Gambit wants to spend some time wid oder mutants, or maybe I just missed you cher." Gambit told me, I laughed, he was such a dope, but then I remembered why I was out here.
"Bad timing sugar, I was just on my way out for good." I told him, he looked at me in confusion.
"Now why you wanna do a ting like that Cher, this place looks like a sweet deal?" He asked, I looked back remembering the look Bobby gave me, and the whispers from the other kids, 'don't get too close or she'll suck your powers away' and other less pleasant things. I mean, I had a couple friends here, but even they were wary of her.
"Even here people still think I'm a freak." I told him, he shook his head.
"Cher, aint a place in the world where everyone will accept you, you gotta learn to be at home wid the people who do. People like me Cher, come on Cher give ol Gambit a tour of dis place." He told me, maybe he was right, and he didn't look at me like a freak, I mean Xavier and a couple others didn't either but it meant more from him, I wasn't just some poor child to him, I was a friend, maybe even someone he found attractive.
"Fine, but I'm only staying because you are sugar." I told him turning back towards the gate he laughed as he followed me in.
"Who's the cutey Rouge?" Kitty asked when we walked in I sighed waiting for Remy to introduce himself.
"You can call me Gambit, Petie." He told her with a leer, I don't know why, but it made me jealous, if he liked Kitty, then what could she do, she couldn't even touch him.
"I like him, is he a mutant like us, is he staying?" She asked looking to me for an answer, but I didn't know how much he wanted me to share.
"I think I might stick around petite, catch." he said tossing her a card, she looked down at it and it exploded, nothing dangerous, mostly light and smoke, but she fell back in shock, and they both laughed.
"That wasn't very nice, you should introduce him to the professor if he's going to stay, he probably already knows he's here." Kitty told us I nodded, it was true Xavier would probably know he was here.
"Come on Gambit, I'll introduce you to some of the other folks here." I told him leading him towards the professor's office. They ran into him half way there looking for her.
"Hello Rouge, who's your friend?" He asked stopping to talk to them, I smiled, he was pretty cool and he wasn't scared of me.
"Professor, this is Gambit, he helped me out before I came here with y'all, he wanted to know if he could stay for a while." I told him, he gave us his fatherly smile.
"Certainly, he can stay in the room across the hall from yours. Will you be staying long?" He asked looking to Gambit.
"Oh I'm sure I could tink of a reason to stay." He said shooting me a glance, Xavier nodded knowingly, I'm sure he already knew more about Gambit then I did.
"I'm sure you can show him to his room. It was a pleasure meeting you Gambit." Xavier told me, I nodded as he rolled off.
"Only a knock away petite amie, perhaps we'll find someding to keep us occupied." He joked, but I couldn't help but take it to a dark self pitting place.
"What is it Cher?" He asked when he saw the look I had now.
"Sorry sugar, it's just, you know what happens when I touch you, do you wanna end up in the hospital?" I asked him he smiled putting his arm around my waist with a leer.
"Maybe it's worth it Cher." He told me, I'd like to believe that, but it wasn't worth it if I hurt him, I turned away and opened the door to his new room.
"This is your room, you should get settled in I'll come get you for lunch in a few hours." I told him, he looked around the room.
"Sure thing Cher, it's bigger then my whole apartment, maybe when you come back you can show me how much better you got wid your powers, maybe wid a kiss." He told me, what was with this guy, didn't he get that I couldn't touch him. Not to mention he was such a horn dog.
"I've learned a lot about timing, but I still can't turn it off." I told him, he smiled in that cocky Cajun way he did.
"Have faith Cherie noding worth doing is ever easy." He told me, it was so irritating when he was right.
"Ya, ya I'll come back and get you for lunch." I told him, going over to my room to put my stuff back in my room, I pulled the card with Gambits number on it and the note putting them on my nightstand like before and flopped down on my bed.
I didn't know why, but I felt so hopeless like I would never learn to control my powers, like everything I touched would always be ruined forever. He didn't understand how dangerous it would be for me to be with anyone again. I went and got him for lunch like I said I would.
"So Cher, they make you lunch here?" He asked, I shook my head leading him down the hall to the stairs, and downstairs to the kitchen.
"No, it's sort of a serve your self sort of deal sugar." I told him, he held the door open for me so I could go first.
"No problem Gambit will cook." He told me, I looked at him in disbelief.
"You cook?" I asked thinking back on the large amounts of take out he'd had stuffed in his refrigerator.
"Noding ol Gambit can't do Cher." Gambit told her digging through the fridge, to her surprise the food he made was delicious, rather spicy, but defiantly good.
"Wow, now that's some good old down home cooking sugar." I told him when she finished they'd sat through dinner in comfortable silence.
"Ya, how 'bout a kiss for de cook?" He asked leaning closer to me, I stood up picking up the dishes blushing deeply.
"Not a chance swamp rat." I told him going to the sink and washing them clean in an attempt to keep him from seeing her blush. He came up behind her setting his glass on the counter only a few inches from her.
"Are you sure ma cherie, promise I don't bite, not unless you ask nice." He whispered only a few inches from her neck, she wanted to lean back into him, but she knew she couldn't.
"God, keep it in your pants swamp rat." I snarled pushing him back and leaving the dishes for someone else. I went back to my room feeling more frustration then ever, why couldn't he see how hard it was for me to know he cared about me and not be able to even touch him.
I liked him, I really did but I couldn't do anything about it, and it was nice to know someone cared, but it hurt so bad knowing I could never be with him. I needed to figure this out, I couldn't stand being like this anymore.
"Gettin all sweaty Cher?" He asked when he came out to see what I was up to, I rolled my eyes at him.
"Who's the Cajun?" Logan asked with his usual sneer when he saw Remy coming up to them, I laughed.
"This is Gambit, he has requested to stay with us for a while, Gambit, this is Logan." Xavier told him, Wolverine scowled, which was a pretty common for him.
"Let's test your grits Cajun, I could use a good work out, the kids got me all tired and stiff." Logan said unsheathing his claws anxiously he was always itching for a fight.
"You want to go a round, Gambit'll be happy to oblige." Gambit replied pulling a hand of cards out of his duster.
"I wanted to fight ya Cajun, not play you in a hand of poker." Wolverine told him dryly, I tried not to laugh as he whipped the now glowing cards at Wolverine's feet, they exploded blowing him back violently. Wolverine landed on his feet and they launched into an incredible fight, Wolverine was strong and instinctual, and Gambit was fast and cunning.
"That's enough, you two, we don't need you two wrecking the court yard. Perhaps you could relocate this to the danger room." Xavier told them halting the fight with his mind. They both stopped a little ragged now.
"Not bad Cajun, you might come in handy in the X-men." Wolverine commented, but Xavier knew he was right, if Gambit and I stuck around, we might make excellent additions to the team.
"Not bad swamp rat, maybe I could learn a thing or two from you." I told him, he leered at me with his red and black eyes.
"Gambit could teach you more then just a thing or two." He told me cocking an eyebrow at me, I rolled my eyes at him.
"Not what I meant and you know it, the only fighting I know how to do is with good ol boys on country back roads." I told him, he smiled taking one of my gloved hands.
"It'd be a pleasure Cher." He told me with a wink. "When you wanna start Petite Amie?" He asked, I looked over my shoulder at Xavier, he nodded.
"We could start now, I get all riled up when I train with Logan, he's got so much fury." I told him heading for the danger room, antsy for a fight, I'd never been in the danger room before but it would be a blast.
"Der are lots of ways to let off steam Cher." Gambit told me as he followed me to the danger room, since he'd never seen it before.
"Stow it Swamp rat, I'm itching for a fight." I told him, hurrying to the danger room, Scott was there to let us in. Gambit pulled his collapsed bo staff out of his duster with a cocky grin.
"How do you want me Cher, you like it rough, or should Gambit be gentle since it's your first time?" Gambit asked, cocking an eyebrow at me, I didn't even bother answering, I just launched myself at him much the way Wolverine had, I'd picked up a lot from him while I was training with him.
Gambit leaped out of the way tapping his staff down on my shoulder, not hard, just enough to knock me off balance. I moved to flip back on my hands, but Gambit swept low sweeping me off my hands and spun around pinning me to the ground.
"Not bad Cher, but I got you beat." He told me leaning down with a cocky grin, but I still had a trick left up my sleeve, when he leaned in close enough I sat up and kissed him. I felt his power, his essence surge through me just long enough to knock him off balance.
I threw him over my head leaping to my feet picking up what looked like a rock in the simulated environment of the danger room and tossed it at him. He was already on his feet and he batted it away with his bow staff, it exploded less then two feet from him blowing him off balance, and he flipped to his feet with some effort, he was drained.
"If I'd known dis was all it would take to steal a kiss, I'd have been here weeks ago Cher." he told me, I tossed another rock at him.
"I think that smooch has you running a little ragged sugar." I told him, I was just proud I hadn't knocked him out. Even Wolverine could usually only take two or three jolts before he passed out.
"Wasn't nearly the jolt you gave me last time Cher, a kiss from a belle fille like you would knock any man off his feet." He told me, I was rusty on my french, but I was pretty sure that was a compliment.
The fight went on for a few more minutes before they were both panting on the floor, neither one of them was hurt, just exhausted. They were leaning up against each other, laughing, this was the most fun she'd had since she'd gotten her powers.
"Not exactly the late night sweating I thought we'd be doing Cher, but I wouldn't mind dis being a regular ding." Gambit told me leaning his head back against mine, I sighed completely content in this moment.
"It's good to get the kinks out sugar, what do yall say to a nightly routine?" I asked, he turned letting me fall into his lap, I didn't care enough to muster the energy to stop him. I laid there letting him stroke my hair with his gloved hand.
"Anything you want Cher." He told me, I was half asleep laying there, I didn't know how he could be so comfortable.
"Why do you like me, you can't even touch me, not really, but your still so, so bullheaded?" I asked, he looked down at me with a smile I'd never seen before on anyone.
"Maybe Gambit like de challenge, or, maybe your just worth it Cher." He told me in his standard non answer, I laid there content, while he leaned against the wall, I was nearly asleep when I felt him pick me up.
"Mm, where we headed sugar?" I asked wrapping my arms around him careful not to touch him with any exposed skin.
"Just taken you to bed Cherie." He told me in a whisper, carrying me to my room carefully, I fell asleep before we even got half way there. I half woke up when he had to shift me slightly to open the door to my room. He laid me down gently on my bed, he kissed me gently on the top of my head careful not to touch mt skin.
"Sweet dreams ma Cherie." Gambit whispered, he turned to leave without trying anything, that alone was impressive. I woke up a while later to a knock on my door, I got up groggily still dressed, but a little wrankled.
"What?" I asked opening the door, Kitty, Bobby, Kurt, and someone I didn't recognize were standing outside my room.
"We're gonna sneak out and hit the beach, you and Gambit should come, it'll be fun." Kitty said quietly, with a wicked grin.
"Ya, okay." I said going across the hall and knocking on Gambit's door, he opened the door after a moment in just his tight black pants, leaving little to the imagination, and certainly not disappointing. He had a chiseled wiry physique, running his hands through his ruffled hair, his black and red eyes were half closed.
"What is it Cher?" he asked looking around at the group standing in the hall, I smiled weakly.
"We're going to the beach, you wanna come sugar?" I asked, he smiled sleepily ruffling his own hair. He turned and snatched up a shirt and duster.
"Sure thing Cher, can't pass up de chance to see you in a bathing suit belle fille." He told me pulling on his deep purple shirt. And came out into the hall closing the door behind him, they followed the others still waking up yet.
"Okay, Gambit, can you get the van started, we don't wanna have to walk on Lorna's first night?" Bobby asked, Gambit raised an eyebrow at him, I looked at the new girl, I guess Bobby had a thing for her.
"Sure, Gambit can do it, but if we get caught I aint taking de blame for dis." He said getting into the van, I went around and got into the passenger side while the rest of them piled into the back. Gambit touched the ignition, it glowed for a moment and the car started up.
"So where's dis beach?" Gambit asked looking to me, I pointed with a yawn, and he drove off. They gabbed in the back while I directed Gambit, apparently Lorna had some magnetic powers. They got out at the beach, Kurt collected fire wood for the bomb fire.