WE MADE IT!!! THE LAST CHAPTER! Don't be sad though, it's only the end of the beginning. ;D This story was really just the set up for the next two, which I'm working on as we speak. It's going to take a while to get it up because it's significantly longer than Part 1 (Yay!)...but it's worth it, through and through. I'm so excited I could pee in my pants! ...but I wont, don't worry!
Now my shout out to my loyal reviewers. InTHEgrid, I hope I wrapped everything up to your liking. I wanted to get rid of Joseph, but I needed to show that Rogue still feels connected to him in a non-sexual way. I didn't want people to hate him by the end, but I didn't want them missing him either. Of course, we'll never know why Rogue caved into losing her virginity to him...something like she thought him to be a friend, and he might have been her last chance to have what she thought she never could. And yes, this is definately like one giant car crash that you can't look away from. Keep predicting, you may surprise even yourself! Sorry though, no sneak peak for this chapter...it would give way too much away. I love when ppl write a lot in reviews! I want to hear how people feel, and what they look for in an entertaining story. I don't know what I'd do without your reviews!!! You get a platinum plus! So ramble away, ramble away!...And enjoy your gifts! Roguechere, let's hope that the rest of the X-Men deal with the situation appropriately. I was so nervous to write this part because I was afraid I would treat the subject too lightly, or make a big deal out of a smaller detail. Luckily I've never been in Rogue's position, but I hope I made it realistic enough. Now, this should prove Remy's love for Rogue...I tried to stay away from sappy, but it's hard! Oh how it's hard! Thanx so much for staying with the story, it means a lot! Blah, blah blah, blah. Hawaiichick, VERY serious drama! lol You've hit it right on the money. Like I said to inTHEgrid, I hope you don't hate good ol' Joe...well, maybe just a little. :P RogueishLeia, I am actually honoured that my story scares you into reviewing! HAHHA! No, there was no spell...it's just that deep down inside you are a wonderful reviewer after all! Now who would have thought!?...I did! And I totally believe you...you've got a smart head on your shoulders. Hmm, so I guess I'm gonna have to make things a little more tricky now, huh? And if you wrote that story, I would SO read it! lol Your stories always lift my spirits! Everyone, go read "Truely, madly, deeply" and "Of Fairytales and Happy Endings." I was SO sad when they were complete. Just for that, you have to write me a new one!!! And I wish I could say the same about the alerts, but for some reason I'm not recieving them anymore...and I checked to make sure that 'recieve alerts' was enabled. I don't get it. Whatever, I still end up coming back to your stories to check if anything was updated...talk about a spell! Hope this chap makes you uber happy! Remy'sRose, Aye Aye!!! I want you to know how much I appreciate your stories after doing my own. They're fabulous!!! I want more! MORE! It's so hard to write a story and make it poetic and original at the same time, yet you manage to do both so easily. I'm so hooked, it's not even funny. Your writing is my inspiration, again and again. So when you told me that 'stunned you speechless', I couldn't believe it, and I still can't, really. After spending so much time reading your stories and having the exact same reaction, it was like I won a medal! Thanx soo much!!! So...have I convinced you to update yet? HAHAH ...I mean it though, every word. RogueFreak, lots of ass kicking to follow, so stay tuned! You're such a character! hahah what what:oD --it's supposed to be a clown with a funny hat. Grin Reaper, Joseph won't be the bad guy, I promise you. He'll earn back his honour! So this chapter shouldn't ruin your impression of him, and he's gonna be back...in a good way. Tking, Thanx! Keep reviewing, I'd love to hear more of what you'd have to say.
Was that long enough for everyone? Ok, I know I know, I digress too much. So here it is, what you've all been waiting for...
This chapter has a little bit of everything: humour, drama, intrigue, suspense, all the works! Enjoy!
Onward and Out
Prof. Horatio Hufnagel
DISCLAIMER: You know the drill, it all pretty much belongs to Marvel ...I'm just the pupeteer (dance puppets, dance!)
When both Rogue and Gambit sauntered down the stairs to the war room, most of the X-Men were already present. There were two vacant seats between Wolverine and Storm, and so Rogue automatically sat next to Wolverine, leaving the other seat for Gambit. She scanned all of the faces sitting before her at the round table; most offered supportive smiles in her direction, while others stared intensely at Joseph with unreadable expressions. No one dared to speak. None, that is, until Wolverine sniffed the air curiously and turned his head to Rogue.
"Well, I'm glad someone had a good night last night." He chided in a half-serious, half-teasing manner.
Rogue was so embarrassed that she slumped lower into her chair. What she would give to be invisible… Suddenly Logan's knee banged against the underside of the table. He whimpered and turned his head to his left, facing Jean. "Ow! What th'hell was that for?!" Rogue watched as Logan reached his arms down to rub his offended left foot.
Jean just smiled sweetly and raised her eyebrows in mach confusion. "What?"
Rogue stared straight ahead, and concentrated her mind on her thoughts. "Thanks, sugah."
"Any time." Jean reciprocated. "You can thank me by explaining every detail to myself and the other women later."
Just then, the last remaining seat at the table was host to a subtle 'Bamf', and Nightrcawler magically materialized in the chair. It was the cue the professor had been patiently waiting for, and he began to address the crowd.
"Good morning, my X-Men. Now that we are all here, it seems that we have some issues to discuss." The Professor swiveled round to face Rogue and spoke gently, even in her mind. "I understand that this is a sensitive issue, Rogue, and we do not usually make…personal matters…public knowledge, but there appears to be some discrepancy on how to deal with the problem."
Rogue lowered her head, feeling her cheeks burning bright red from embarrassment. "Yes, Professah. Ah still don't know if Ah'd call it rape, though…"
"I understand." He broke the mental connection they had established so that he could open the room to discussion. "We are a family. It has been my dream, a dream that you all share, to see mutants and humans respect one another in their daily lives. I daresay we can expect to accomplish such a feat if we still cannot respect our fellow mutants…"
"What the Professor's tryin' to say here, bub, is that you obviously don't know how to treat a lady." Wolverine snarled viciously at Joseph. "We aint pleased."
"I don't blame you." Joseph began. "I wouldn't expect you to understand, nor to even forgive me, but I want you to know that none of my actions were intentional. I had gotten carried away, and was insensitive…" his voice dropped a few decibels "…and I just didn't know when to stop."
"Ve are capable of forgiveness, Joseph, but I tink zat vat ve all need to hear is an apology to mein schwester." Kurt spoke out.
"He already did." It was the first words Rogue had outwardly spoken since the meeting had started. "He's apologized and we've dealt with it in private." She stated matter-of-factly, hoping to put an end to this humiliating conversation.
"But it is going to be hard for the rest of us to simply push it from our minds." Storm presented her case to Joseph. "Regrettably, we have lost some respect for you, and it will be hard for you to build up our trust again."
"I understand completely. And that is why I feel I have overstayed my welcome." Joseph spoke to the entire room. "I thank you for your hospitality, and I will always support Xavier's cause. I just think I should no longer fight by your side."
"Oh stop this! Joseph, yoah not goin' anywhere. This is stupid. If we could learn tah talk through this as adults," Rogue looked at all of her friends "then y'all can too! He jus' forgot Ah wasn' half as strong as mah usual self when Ah use the bracelet. So he held meh down a lil' too taght. He's admitted tah doin' wrong, he's apologized, an' he's honestly sorry. What else d'yall want from him?"
"Non." This time Gambit spoke. "No, he didn' see how much it affected y'." He then turned an incriminating eye on Joseph. "She couldn' touch -was afraid t'touch- moi. Y' made her tink dat she gotta 'xpect bein' hurt. Can't never forgive yeh f'dat, homme."
The two locked eyes. "I already said I'm not asking for your forgiveness, 'homme'." Joseph mocked his accent indignantly.
Now, Rogue may not have had a mutation that granted her telepathic or empathetic ability, but she was more than capable of feeling the tension mount in the war room. Heck, anyone sitting in a five mile radius would have received the same vibe. Her hand clapped down on the Cajun's upper thigh as his fingers twitched for his playing cards.
Although thoroughly enraged, Gambit abandoned the thought of giving Joseph a past-due beating. Sadly, he knew fully well that he was there to support Rogue, and not start a fight. Of course, he had to relieve his aggravation through a more refined outlet, and so he decided he could still put his twitchy fingers to good use. He flipped Joseph off, inviting the man to step just one toe out of bounds…
"That is far enough!" Bishop ordered. "We're losing track of the conversation."
Jean tried to ground everyone once again. "Joseph, you don't have to leave. In time, I'm sure we can all learn to –"
"No, it's alright. There are too many unresolved feelings that could jeopardize the team's performance on a mission." In truth, he couldn't stand Gambit; the man that had taken everything away from him, the man that ruined his chances with Rogue, and the man that he loathed more than anything in the world. But there was merit to what he was saying about the missions. If he and Gambit were ever left in the same room together, Joseph wasn't sure that he could be held accountable for his actions.
"I think it be best if I leave." He stood up hesitantly, trying to reassure himself that he was making the right choice. There was nothing left for him to stay for…right? He turned to look at Rogue, searching her face for the answer. She was frowning and her mouth was parted slightly. He could tell she was struggling with many so many emotions and thoughts, but he didn't know what to make of it. He also noticed the Cajun clench his jaw and stiffen in his chair. Could that rat tell what he was thinking? Joseph chose to ignore this, and decided to react on his gut instinct. He couldn't leave if there was still hope. He wasn't about to just walk out if she still had feelings for him.
"I'm going to leave. Unless…" Rogue looked at him questioningly "…unless you can give me a reason to stay."
Gambit's chair scraped the floor as he sprang from his seat to a defensive stance, pulling out his cards and charging the whole deck. Rogue seized the front of Remy's coat and pulled him back to his seat. She didn't dare remove her hands in fear that Joseph would goad him on. But before she could turn to scold Joseph, a high-pitched shriek filled her ears. Everyone waited while Jubilee tried to collect herself through her squeals.
"Oh my gosh, Gambit you did it! I knew it! Rogue, you two are engaged?!" Jubilee pointed to Rogue's left hand that still clutched Remy's leather coat. Rogue looked down to her hand and realized she was sporting the new diamond ring that the other X-Men had not yet seen.
"Oh." Joseph spoke so softly that his voice was almost lost amongst the uproar from the other X-Men around the table, but Rogue had heard him.
It was almost as if she subconsciously expected to hear it, was waiting for it… just waiting to disappoint him. She couldn't help but feel for the man. He had loved her in his own way, and fought to be with her. Sure, he was arrogant and rude, but could you blame him, what with inheriting the personality traits of Magneto? And it wasn't as if she couldn't love someone with such 'charming' character traits… Grinning at her own sarcasm, Rogue looked to her right, straight into the burning eyes of a certain Swamprat. Being a man of impeccable timing, Gambit chose this moment to break her thought with a gesture that fit his nature all too well. He also had ignored the barrage of questions from their friends, but instead had taken the time to carefully study her changing facial expressions. It was helpful that his southern belle wore her heart on her sleeve.
"Go. Remy be waitin'…parce que, he know exactly how much his femme love breakin' de men's hearts." If his words weren't direct enough, then his playful smirk said it all. Yes, 'arrogant' was a definite understatement.
Rogue stood slowly and motioned for Joseph to follow her into the hall. A few paces outside of the war room, Rogue turned and placed a gentle hand on Joseph's shoulder. "Sugah, you know Ah care for yah. An' Ah don't want you leavin' just cause yah think things'll be too awkward. But…Ah don't love yah the way y'love me. Ah'm Sorry." She tried to sound as sincerely sympathetic as she possibly could.
"No, no. I get it." The corner of Joseph's lips curved up feebly, and he released a deep sigh of defeat. "I am going to get my personal belongings from upstairs."
Picking up on Rogue's intention to object, he added hurriedly, "I still believe it's the most appropriate thing to do."
She closed her mouth and bit the inside of her cheek in deliberation. What could she possibly say to him? There wasn't anything left to discuss. She resigned to the fact that this was just how everything was supposed to play out. "Alright." She sighed and shook her head as she watched him disappear down the hall.
Poking only her head into the war room, Rogue couldn't help but chortle at what she saw. There, amidst the crowd of nattering X-Men, sat a harassed looking Gambit. She probably shouldn't have left him alone…their engagement classified as hard-hitting news to a gossiping bunch of friends that were all too easy to get a rise out of, and he was probably being grilled senseless. Calling upon the most sweet and innocent face that she could muster, she quietly mouthed him a 'Sorry'. With his eyebrows raised, he shot her a look of sheer desperation. "Oh how cute he looks when he's pleadin'." She mused to herself. "Hmm, Ah gotta remembah that." Deciding that he had enough, she cleared her throat to draw everyone's attention back to her presence. "Y'all gonna come say goodbye to Joseph?"
"G'bye, Joe." Rogue breathed, almost winded from her onslaught of emotions. He was a friend, and there was no doubt she would miss him. She also couldn't help feeling partially responsible for his abrupt departure. Why did he think he had to leave to make things right? People deserve forgiveness for their past mistakes, and it would be rather hypocritical of herself to think otherwise, given her own regretful and shameful history. Her hug was nothing more than a quick, tight hold, but the squeeze she received back in return spoke more than words. He didn't blame her at all, not in the least. "Thah's the funny thang about love an' friendship; once yah have it, y'all never wannah let it go."
They finally pulled away and Rogue slid her hands down Joseph's shoulders and arms, and let them close around his open palms. "Now yah heard what the Proffessah said: You should come tah visit us. We don' wantcha gone for good, y'hear?"
"That is quite right." The Professor interjected. "You have done much to help our cause, and are considered a friend of the X-Men."
"Thank you, I will." Joseph reluctantly severed the physical contact between himself and Rogue, and bent down to pick his bags off of the floor. He skillfully shook hands and nodded heads to all of the team members while adjusting the shoulder strap for his luggage. When nothing was left to be said, he turned to face the large entrance doors with a mixture of anguish and self-satisfaction; yes, it saddened him to realize he no longer could call the mansion 'home', but at the end of the day he could hold his head up high knowing, as small as his contribution may have been, that he had made a difference.
Storm held the door for him as he walked outside into the bright sun and the brisk winds, thus starting a new chapter in his life, one which he could make just as honourable as his last (if not more). But although his heart swelled with pride, he couldn't help but notice how empty it felt in its core. She was staying here, with them…with him. A scour is a contagious thing, and he knew that he was falling victim to one, fast. Upon hearing the institute doors close behind him, he couldn't help but think that the day was too sardonically cheerful…it was mocking him. "Fucking sun."
Just before the doors closed, Rogue felt a cool breeze blow into the large hall and engulfed her bare skin. She shivered as it began to prickle and the cold spread itself through her veins. Almost immediately, two muscular arms wrapped themselves around her upper body, and Gambit pressed up against her back. He warmed her from head to toe in an instant. Even his breath on the nape of her neck felt as warm as a gentle kiss. She couldn't think about ever being cold again.
"So you two going to ever tell us about your engagement?" Jubilee asked impatiently.
"Jubilee," Jean warned in a melodious voice "Joseph's only just left a moment ago."
"Yeah, well, you just know it's what's on everybody's minds." Confirmed by a few chuckles that floated about the gathering of mutants, Jubilee pressed on. "So? Tell!"
"Well, aftah Remy took meh out tah dinner last naght, he proposed on a carriage ride through the park." Rogue smiled brightly at her friends as she reminisced.
The X-Women pried Rogue away from her fiancé to indulge in idle gossip, while the men huddled around Gambit to pat him on the back and offer their congratulations. "Oh my gosh, it's huge!" Jean declared after grabbing Rogue's left hand from Jubilee. She turned around to the men with a fascination. "Gambit, I'm almost afraid to ask. How did you…um, 'acquire' this gorgeous ring?"
"Yeah, Swamprat, how'dja get it?" Rogue perked up with eager curiosity.
Realizing he was now center of attention, Gambit drew out the long silence to build suspense. After a pregnant pause, he replied in the most non-challant manner possible. "Oh, Jus' mon père."
"When you had previously returned to New Orleans." Bishop concluded.
Gambit dismissed the notion with a wave of his hand. "Nah, way b'fore den."
Rogue furrowed her brow as she thought aloud. "But… we weren't togethah then."
"Was right b'fore we split up a while back. Went to visit mon père, an' den Jean-Luc gave me de ring. Tol' me t'hold onto it for 'safe keepin'."
"He's a smart man." Rogue blushed and exchanged a sweet smile with her fiancé.
"We should celebrate!" Bobby offered hopefully.
"Yes, I think a little champagne is in order." The Professor promptly left the room, returning shortly after with a bottle and a tray of glasses. Cyclops uncorked the bottle and filled each glass, while Storm took it upon herself to distribute them throughout the room. Everyone took a glass willingly, save for Jean.
"No thank you Storm." She smiled politely and held up her hand to stop the drink from tempting her. Cyclops looked up from his pouring to his wife.
"Do you want something else instead, Sweetheart? Juice? Water?"
"No, it's alright Scott. I'm fine." She discretely shook her head no, blushing incessantly as everyone tried to make sense of the situation.
Ororo raised a quizzical eyebrow at her girlfriend, wishing for her to explain herself. "Jean?"
"It seems" the Professor began excitedly "that we have two reasons to celebrate today."
"NO WAY!"
"I'm so proud!"
"Zat is vonderful!"
"Have you considered baby-proofing the boathouse yet?"
"Happy for ya Jeanie"
"Way t'go Scooter."
"Sugah, that's amazing! Scott, yah old dawg!"
"I call Uncle!"
"How far along are you?"
It was the only comment or question that Jean could ever fathom a response to. "About two months. We have tons of time."
"Remy, Ah don't understand something." Rogue stopped short of her bedroom. After celebrating the all-around great news, everyone disbursed from the front hall to carry on with their own daily plans. The southern couple decided to take an 'official' step towards an idealistic life together by moving into one room. Therefore, they planned the rest of their day around moving Gambit out of his bedroom, right into Rogues (this would no doubt become a huge affair after sorting through all of his personal belongings…the man had too much for his own good, you'd swear he was a girl).
"Wha', chère?"
"Why didn'tcha try tah win me back? Yah know…when Ah was with Joe?"
Gambit paused for a minute to reflect, and then turned to face Rogue. "Din' ever really tink 'bout dat before." He looked down to hold both her hands in his, and looked back up into her eyes. "Guess dere wuz noting to 'win' if it not a gamble no more. An' Remy knows, he's a gamblin' man. Like I said chère, 'been waiting t'give you dat ring a long time now."
"An' yah just knew Ah'd be your gal?"
"Always."
Rogue stared into his burning eyes. They held so much expression, so much truth. After all of the crap they had been through, everything that tried and tested their relationship, she couldn't believe that they had managed to make it this far. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled her face close to his, so that they were mere inches away. "So, Cajun, this is it. Jus' you an' me! 'Till the ends of tahm."
"Oui."
"An' no more games?"
Gambit's eyes were suddenly hooded with desire, and devilish grin played across his face. He spoke in the most suave and sensual voice he known to man. "Oh Remy don't know bout dat." He then ran his right hand down her back and pinched her butt playfully.
With a short gasp, Rogue wedged her hands between her own body and his broad chest, pushing him away. "Oooh, Ya gettin' all cocky on me now, mistuh?" She giggled, watching him sulk at the distance that she had created between them.
"No, chère, I leave dat for de bedroom, non?" He winked.
"Oh." She moved back in as close as she could, bringing her lips to his ears and whispered "You be careful, sugah. Y'all gonna have tah start livin' up to that big mouth of yoahs." She kissed his neck just under his jaw, lingering a few moments in his arms. When she finally broke away, she seductively sashayed past him into their room, stopping only briefly to look back over her should at him to blow a kiss.
Gambit stood speechless, slack-jawed and completely aroused. Quickly coming to his senses, he closed his mouth and swallowed hard. He chased Rogue into the room, making sure to lock the door behind him.
Everything was covered in a light haze, making it hard to distinguish most details. It was a field…no, a gigantic clearing within a wooded area. Trees were rooted on either side of them, blocking anything else from view. She saw the faces of many that she recognized, alert and ready to fight. Many people gathered in the open region, conspicuously divided into two parties. Both sides were fortified with numbers, and the two groups swelled as the members fanned out across the ground. Their facial features swam and danced in a murky cloud until they settled as a more lucid image. Oh, the faces; they held such anger, such hatred.
The left side had some recognizable members, many who filtered forwards to the front of the group. When all stood high, one man remained close to the ground. His figure appeared somewhat feeble in comparison to others, but he projected a sense of pride, as if he had nothing but conviction for his army. They would not fail, could not fail, because they had his heart. It was easy to place a name to him, as well as most that stood directly by his side. The claws, the visor, the goddess, the radiant bird, the tamed monster, and even her son… yes, yes they have always been there before. But two…two in particular caught her attention. The woman, with her beautiful pallor skin and loose curls, stood confidently with her hands on her hips. And the man; he leaned forwards, shouting with such malice and disgust to the large group on the right.
The opposing side banded together through a righteous demeanor. She didn't know their names, and was skeptical if she had even seen them before, but she could easily make out the leader. Standing foreground, the tall and attractive blond woman sneered at the mutants, especially at the man reprimanding her. His insults appeared to roll easily off her back, and she seemed to find the whole situation rather amusing.
Up until that point none of the conversation had been audible, but the sounds of scraping, shuffling and wails had filled the air. A commotion of bangs and crashes ensued, but no one blinked an eye. It was only when the blond opened her mouth to speak, all went silent and the light disappeared completely. Two burning eyes emerged from the darkness, accompanied by a hair-splitting scream.
Destiny sat up in bed, shaking. Her sudden movements shook the mattress, and the body next to her stirred.
"Irene?" The voice asked groggily. "What's wrong?"
"My diary… Raven, get me my diary!"
Mystique noted the urgency in Irene Adler's trembling voice, and so she shot out of bed to fetch the book for her lover. She returned to Destiny's side with the diary and a pen, handing both to her and waiting patiently. Although Irene was blind, she began to scribble down sentences with skill, racing through the words as if she had done it a million times before. Raven Darkholme watched with curiosity, peering over the precog's shoulder at the vision she was recording. Soon, after skimming through the lengthy recordings, Mystique's face fell somber and her eyes opened wide.
"This is about Rogue! What's-"
"Shh!" Destiny held up her hand to quiet the impatient woman. She returned to her scribed vision, jotting a few more notes down in silence. Her hand began to slow, and she placed the pen down in the spine of the book. She massaged her sore fingers and let out a sigh.
"Are you done? Can I see it?" Mystique asked.
Destiny handed the book to her partner, and then let her hand fall to the bed. She intertwined her fingers in the bed sheets as she waited. At a very young age, Destiny learned to deal with her blindness, and the obstacle was no longer much of a problem for her. Yet, feeling her lover stiffen beside her as she read the book, she wished she could see her face just this one time. This vision was unnerving, not just to Mystique, but to the experienced precog herself. Finally she spoke into the uncomfortable silence. "The ending scares me most."
Mystique's grip on the diary tightened. Her yellow eyes stayed transfixed to the diary even as she spoke. "Damn that lowlife Cajun; him and his wretched eyes! I'll murder him if he betrays her…I knew this wedding was a bad idea! Right when she called I –"
"Calm yourself, Raven. We don't know that that is the case. In fact, we know very little…" Destiny's voice trailed off.
"You have never had visions quite like this before." Mystique stated flatly.
"Yes, it is very cryptic. The faces…and the noise. It was almost as if the two visions were fighting for prominence in my mind, like…like they were happening simultaneously."
"I'm calling her back." Mystique made to get out of bed and walk towards the phone.
"No." Destiny's hand clamped down on Mystique's blue shoulder. "No, we should let things be… for now. Remember, if we act too rashly, we may change the course of history for the worse. And no good will come from disturbing her sleep tonight. Let it be, Raven. We will talk to her in good time."
Mystique stared into her lover's filmy white eyes with apprehension, but settled back down into the bed. Again, like always, Irene was right. She would just have to hunt down that horrid low-life in the morning…
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&DONE!!! WOOHOO!!! So now you have to add me to author alert to see when "An Illusive Truth: Part 2" makes its debut. It's been a while since I've been able to buckle down and write. Between new years, the holidays, and my birthday two days ago I've been trying to push out some writing...this last chapter wasn't necessarily up to my standards, but I'm thrilled that it's done and out of the way. I'm ready for a brand new, exciting start!!! Hope you all are too! Can't wait to show you what I've had planned out for ages!
READ AND REVIEW!!!
Professor Horatio Hufnagel