Disclaimer: Marvel 'tis not mine. X-men aren't hence forth and soforth... Beth is. So is Genie and Ky. I am pretty generous, I'll lend them to you if you ask.
A.N: Real sorry about this chapter..um, it's probably not that good, but I'm writing more, so hang in there, y'all. Oh, and any comments or suggestions that you have, please send them in. The other thing, I don't know what color Beth's hair is, so could you all please say what YOU think her hair color is, just by having read about her..it would be a big help. Thanks! And a big hug for all who have reviewed, much appreciated! xxx
"It hasn't changed much," Remy said as he looked around the familiar halls of the polished X-Mansion. "How is de professor?"
"He's been fine," Rogue answered. "Last time I checked he was his usual self."
"Actually, he has not been that well lately," said Jean Grey's voice.
"He has shut himself in his study, and hardly eats. I think he made a discovery about Beth, but he doesn't want to speak about it."
Remy turned to look at the telepathic redhead.
"What d' y' know about her?"
"As I said, he doesn't speak about it."
"Jean, if he knows anything about Beth—"
"I know Gambit. But we must give him time. He has made a discovery that is painful to him, but if not telling it endangers Beth, then of course he will tell, eventually. For now we must leave him alone."
"'Fraid I can't do dat, Jean," Gambit said simply, advancing towards the stairs.
Something grabbed him from behind, and he whirled around.
It was a bruised-looking Angel.
"I suggest you leave the Professor alone."
"Yeah, I will for now, I got a score t' settle."
Remy's eyes went cold, and, in a replica of what Beth had done several days before, he socked the angel man in the nose.
"Dat was for Beth."
Storm and Jubilee rushed forward to catch Warren, aghast as the blood started to gush out.
"Remy, what was that for!" exclaimed Jubilee as she hurriedly applied a tissue.
"Da' betta be clean," Warren muttered in a nasal voice.
"Stop whining," Storm ordered. "We must get you to Hank, that's the second time…" she glared at Gambit.
"This is childish. Why can't you all just stop it. Our main priority here is to find Beth. If we want to do that, we must work as a team." Her eyes glazed over slightly for a second, as an electrical crack sounded through the air. "I am going to speak to the Professor and ask him to use Celebro. The rest of you should form groups and get some supplies."
Angel shook his arms free and stood up carefully. Pinching the bridge of his nose, he removed the tissue. More blood poured out.
Someone screamed.
The X-men whirled around to find a girl dressed in jeans and a light blue turtleneck standing in shock at the door. She had obviously seen the blood.
Jean hurried towards her.
"Genie, it's all right," she said to the girl, leading her to a seat. "It's all okay, it's just a nose bleed. It's almost stopped now." The girls face had gone white and her fingers clutched the arm-rest.
"I'll get her some water," Jubilee said, hurrying off.
"What's wrong with 'er?" Gambit asked, bewildered.
"She can't stand blood, Jean answered. "She's been with us for about six months, her and her brother Ky. She had a bad experience once, and well…" A shadow of sadness passed over Jean's face. "I guess she'll never be the same again."
Jubilee had returned with the water and they watched as Genie took small sips, her color gradually returning.
"Oh, yes, she's in pain," Warren scoffed as he went to clean up his face.
The Cajun turned to the group. His eyes looked grave as he conceded.
"Fine, I'll leave de professor until tomorrow. But den he better say where she is, and what he knows about 'er."
OoOoOoOoOoOoO
"I can't believe you did that," Rogue said.
A light breeze from the surrounding garden played with her hair, the white streaks lifting up towards the sky. Her emerald eyes sparkled with hidden amusement.
"I can't say Warren didn't deserve it. The last years he's been…oh, well, himself, I guess. Sort of stuck-up, a royal pain when he doesn't get his way."
She turned towards Remy.
"In fact, two good punches in the nose probably did him good."
They laughed together, the sound ringing into the air like merry wings on a spring breeze.
"Why did we let this go?" Rogue said, more to herself than to him."
"I don' know chere," he said, gently lifting her chin up with a gloved hand. "But if Remy ever find out, he be sure to tell you."
"That's what I like to hear," she said, wrapping her arms around him. She leaned into his frame, standing on tip-toe to hold him as close as she could. One of her hands reached up and she caressed the auburn hair at the base of his neck.
The familiar scent of cologne and cigarettes filled her nostrils and she breathed in deeply, feeling safe for the first time in perhaps five years.
There was a rustle behind them, and Remy and Rogue turned around to find a young boy of about seventeen with gingery blond hair and bright eyes looked at them, embarrassed.
"Geez, didn't mean to interrupt. Um, I'll come back later."
"No…no, what is it, Ky," Rogue said, letting Remy go.
"A letter, for you. It just arrived in the post. I'll leave it on the kitchen table if you want."
"That's okay," Rogue walked forward and took it, smiling slightly to make the boy feel less uneasy about having intruded on a private moment.
"Yeah, yeah, sorry about that. If I'd have known I would've stayed away. Sorry."
"Dat okay," Remy winked. "Not as though we can do any'ting."
The boy gave him a frown and a funny luck, before moving away.
After he had gone Remy turned back to Rogue.
"What, it's true," he said with a shrug.
Suddenly he realized how serious Rogue looked.
"It's bad news?" he asked softly.
She didn't answer, but kept reading, her eyes large and starting to fill with a few stubborn tears.
Remy reached for a letter, but she snatched it away.
"No. You can't read this." She turned her head away, letting her hair fall into her face. "This is something that you should never have to read."
"Why do you hide dis from me? What can be so terrible, chere?" he looked hurt when she faced him again. She touched his face with a gloved hand.
"I hide this from you, because I promised myself that I would never hurt you again."
"But when 'y hide from me, y' hurt me even more."
A tear slid down her cheek. "So be it," she said eventually, and held out the letter. A small, bittersweet smile crossed her face, and then she turned away again.
"After you read this, if you still want to know more, look in the second drawer of the chest in my room. I'll be in the library." Without facing him again, she walked away, and he was left alone in the garden, with nothing but the sky, the plants, a solitary songbird and a love-letter for company. And the more he read the letter, the lonelier he got.