Disclaimer: I still do not own anything Marvel.

Chapter 5

Don't get mad. Get even.

"What the hell is she doing here?" Rogue pointed her finger at the blonde woman in the room.

The professor looked at her, surprised by her reaction upon seeing the new recruit. He wasn't the only one. There were quite a few concerned stares being shared throughout the room.

Emma looked like she was bored. "You heard the man. I am joining the team. He needed someone with knowledge on the running of a school. I was the obvious choice, especially since you and I worked so well together." She then looked up, and smiled sweetly.

Rogue wanted to punch her teeth out.

She continued to stand defensively. She looked about the room, anxious that the bitch had lured them in there to launch some sort of attack.

The professor addressed her. "Rogue, is there something the matter? I would think that you would welcome her, based on your past encounters with each other."

She knew that she shouldn't have been mad at him. He didn't know what had happened. But there was no way that she could hide her anger.

"You should have talked to me! She is conniving and deceitful! She always has something up her sleeve, that is when she actually has sleeves and isn't dressed up like a cheap whore!"

"Rogue, that is quite enough! Do you care to explain what is going on?" The professor apparently had lost his patience with her outburst.

She didn't know what to say. If she did, she would have to reveal her little secret.

"She…she just…I…"

Emma looked at her with an arched eyebrow raised. "Oh my, you haven't told them, have you?" She laughed and crossed her arms, knowing that the power had just shifted in her favor.

Rogue wanted to pull forth a power, any power, and blast the whore away.

She knew that she was backed into a corner. She didn't have a choice now. She had to tell them.

She turned to address the confused faces. She intentionally looked at Remy. "The reason I can't stand that thing over there—", She pointed an accusing finger at the other woman to emphasize her point, "—is because…is because she—"

Emma cut her off. "—is because I slept with her boyfriend. It meant nothing, and honestly it wasn't very good, but the poor man couldn't help himself. Most men can't control themselves around me."

Rogue looked at her. What was she up to? Why was she helping her hide the truth?

Rogue hated to lie about the situation. It seemed like it would make it worse, but she wasn't ready to expose her secret just yet.

She returned her gaze to her friends. "Yes… and we haven't been civil ever since."

There was an uncomfortable silence. Gambit was the first to speak.

"You had a boyfriend while you were gone?"

Did she detect a hint of jealousy in his voice? This was bad. She wasn't about to tell him that all she did was think of him everyday. She had to lie.

"Yes."

He turned his stare elsewhere. She thought she saw a flash of red in his eyes.

Kara scooted closer to him, as if Emma would crawl across the table and start undressing Remy and have her way with him.

Emma hadn't realized that Rogue hadn't told anyone. She wondered why the professor was so willing to have her join them. This was even better then she expected. Now she didn't have to explain herself, and grovel at their feet. This was good, because that wasn't exactly her style.

Everyone seemed to accept the story, everyone that is except for Wolverine.

"Interesting. What was this guys name?"

Rogue looked at him, anger flashing in her eyes. "It's no one's business. Besides, it doesn't matter, we are over."

Bobby stood up. "You want me to kick his ass?"

Rogue could only roll her eyes. "No. Like I said, it's over."

Wolverine stared at her. He knew she was lying, but why? He could hear her pulse quicken. She had always been reclusive, but she never intentionally lied to withhold information. He was going to figure it out.

Emma chose this time to speak again. "So now you all know. No wonder she didn't tell you, it is quite humiliating."

Rogue turned to her, fist balled. She would love to break her nose right about now.

The professor decided to take control of the situation. "Ladies, that is enough. Let us get back to the point of why Ms. Frost has joined us. I will be leaving soon. I will be representing our cause, which will take me away from the school. Ms. Frost, along with Logan and Scott, will be sharing the responsibility of running the school while I am away. The school year has almost come to an end, so it shouldn't be stressful. Are there any questions?"

No one responded.

"Well then, you are all dismissed.

Everyone got up to leave. Remy seemed to walk a little quicker then the others.

XXXXXXXX

Rogue paced her room. What was Emma planning? She knew something was up. The last time she was with her, she had absorbed her. She left her unconscious at her school.

There was a knock at her door.

She went to answer it, and was disgusted to find Emma standing there.

The bitch had some nerve. She should have slammed the door in her face. "What the fuck do you want?"

Emma allowed herself in, passing the enraged southerner. She avoided her question. "Nice room. I couldn't help but notice that lover boy was right across the hall. I bet you were thrilled. I do like your taste. He is even cuter than I thought he would be."

Rogue didn't have time for games. "Get to the point, or get out."

Emma continued to mosey through her room. She then looked at Rogue, the look in her face changing.

"You didn't kill him. I told you to kill him."

Rogue looked surprised. "How do you know I didn't?"

"Don't play dumb with me. You do not realize the severity of your actions. I went by the Hellfire mansion. There were no scorch marks, no destruction. There was no sign of anyone there. Did you allow him to live?"

Rogue didn't owe her any answers. "He will not be bothering anyone again, if that is what you are worried about."

Emma turned quickly to face her. "You are foolish if you think that is true."

"Why the hell do you care? I would think that you would be thrilled to learn that the leader of your little club is ok."

Emma had a look on her face. Rogue couldn't quite name it, but it almost resembled fear.

"No. I am going to tell you something, even though every fiber in my body tells me otherwise."

Rogue couldn't take much more of this. "Than don't. I don't want to hear any excuses on why you did what you did to me."

Emma ignored her. "I didn't exactly join the Hellfire Club willingly. I didn't have a choice in the matter."

This caught Rogue's attention. She continued to listen.

Emma continued. "I have a brother that is very dear to me. His name is Christian-", at the mention of his name Emma smiled, which quickly faltered. "- his name was Christian. We were very close growing up. He was there for me when no one else was. He didn't feel uncomfortable around me like the other's did when they found out I was a telepath."

Rogue could see that Emma was reminiscing in her own mind.

"When he became a man, he informed us that his sexual preference had changed. He was gay. My father shunned him, leaving me the family fortune. Christian couldn't cope with it, and he became suicidal. My father had him committed because of it. When my father passed away, I had my brother released, and I vowed that he would never be harmed again. How wrong I was."

Emma walked out to the balcony, and looked at the beautiful grounds.

Rogue unwillingly followed.

"I was young, powerful, and rich. I was the perfect candidate for the Hellfire Club. Sebastian sought me out. When I refused his offer, he made me another offer I couldn't refuse."

Anger flashed in her eyes.

"It was either join them, or lose my brother. I made the mistake of refusing him again. I thought it was just an empty threat to persuade me. The next day my brother disappeared, and I have been doing Shaw's biddings ever since. He promised me Christian was alive and healthy, and I believed him. After 2 years I became impatient. I demanded to see my brother. He declared that the only way that would happen was if I found an extremely powerful mutant to take my place."

She looked at Rogue. "That's when I found you. I knew I could better you. I knew Shaw would look at you like a shiny new plaything. I also knew that he would do something extreme to make you hate him, like he did to me. I thought that you would kill him after you gained control of your power and we all would be free."

Rogue spoke up. "That wasn't your bet to place."

Emma looked at her sincerely. "I know. But you have to understand, I had no other choice."

"What happened to your brother?"

Emma looked on, with no trace of emotion on her face. "Do you recall leaving me in my room unconscious at the school?"

How could she forget? "Yes."

"Well I awoke to the sounds of alarms and to the smell of smoke. Someone had started fire to the school. At first I thought it was you, until I made it to the stairs. There hanging from the chandelier was my brother. He was naked, stripped of all his dignity, and his throat was slashed."

Emma turned her attention back towards Rogue. "I had no choice. I had to come here; there was nowhere else for me to go. Everything I have worked to protect is gone. It was coincidental that Professor Xavier needed help."

Rogue stood across the room, taking in all of the information she had just received.

"Why should I believe you? You are the ultimate con artist. You convinced me that you cared, that we were friends. This could be just another lie."

Emma was expecting her response. "If you don't believe me, look into my mind. Absorb me, and pull forth my fresh thoughts. You have absorbed me in the past, just use my telepathic powers and look into my mind."

Normally Rogue wouldn't dream of doing that, but she had to make sure that Emma wasn't here to cause harm to anyone in the mansion. She decided that she would use Jeans telepathy since she had a little more control over it. That and she didn't want Emma to lose consciousness.

She concentrated, and pushed herself into Emma's mind. She saw a steel door, and she entered it. She could see fire all around her. She couldn't breath; there was so much smoke. What happened? How did she get here? She had to get out of the building before it collapsed. She ran down the stairs, which would be the safest way. Then she saw him. A blonde man that resembled Emma was hanging. He appeared at one time to be handsome, but his face was now thin and had a grey hue to it. His throat was opened, and blood still trickled down his naked form. She looked at his face. This would be the last time she would ever see his face…

Rogue withdrew herself from Emma's mind. She quickly ran to the bathroom, and started to vomit. The view was horrible, but she couldn't even begin to explain the feeling. It was the strongest feeling of despair that she had ever felt. No one could act that out, not even Emma.

She continued to heave until there was nothing left but bile. She wanted to cry at the feelings she had just experienced. She went to the sink and washed her hands. She then brushed her teeth, needing to become clean to free herself from what she had just encountered.

Emma leaned with her back against the doorframe, looking bored. "That was a bit dramatic, don't you think?"

Rogue walked past her. "How do you do it?"

Emma raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about?"

"How do you cope with the rush of feelings, the memories, when you go into someone's mind?"

Emma turned. "With a lot of practice. Lots and lots of practice."

Rogue sat on her bed. "I didn't kill him. I couldn't. I never killed anyone before. After I absorbed you, I flew you back to the school, leaving you unconscious in your room. When I returned to the Hellfire mansion, I floated into his room. I entered his mind while he slept, and I began to erase memories. I cleaned up. I don't know what they were, but I wanted him to be a shell. Just an empty shell, with no clue of who he was. I then absorbed him to make sure he would stay unconscious. I flew him out to the city, and left him on the streets to wander. It wasn't him who did that to your brother Emma, it would be impossible."

Emma pondered this. "Where did you leave him at?"

"In a dumpster, by an old warehouse. I wanted him to think that he was scum."

Emma took in the information. "You realize that we have to find him, to finish the job? There are too many others out there that are far worse. If they find him, the consequences would be horrifying."

Rogue looked at Emma, confused. "I won't. If you want him dead, you do it alone. I can't do it, no matter how much he deserves it."

Emma turned to leave.

While her hand was on the door handle, she turned back to look at the southerner. "I trust you to keep this information to yourself. I would hate for your secret to be revealed." She turned the handle and exited the room.

Rogue sighed. This was all too much. She still hated the woman for betraying her, but unfortunately she could understand why she did it. She still felt sick. It was almost one o'clock. She had danger room this morning, and now this? She needed to take a rest.

XXXXXXXXX

When she awoke, it was 3:00 pm. She had been asleep for two hours. She got up and proceeded to the bathroom. She striped herself of her clothes, and stepped in the shower. She washed her body thoroughly, trying to wash away the memories.

She stepped out, and wrapped the towel around her naked body. When she went out into her room, she walked over to the balcony to shut the door.

"Hello Chère."

She was so startled by the voice that she almost dropped her towel. Almost.

"Remy, what the hell! Get out!"

He smirked at her. "I always used to come into your room through the balcony window. Thought I would try it out again."

She made sure her towel was secure. "Ok, well you tried it out. Good for you. Now get out!"

He made no attempt to leave. Instead, he layed on her bed, and casually put his hands behind his head. "So, you had a little relationship while you were gone?"

She couldn't believe it. This is what he wanted to talk about? She walked over to her closet to find some clothes. The last thing she wanted to be in front of him was naked. When she made her selection, she turned around to find that he was standing right behind her. She hated when he would sneak up on her like that. She looked up into his face. He was so handsome.

"Did you love him?"

Ok. She didn't have time for this. Like he had any room to be asking questions. "Honestly, its none of your business."

She started to make her way to the bathroom so she could get dressed, but he quickly grabbed her hand, and turned her around to face him.

"It is my business. We need to talk about some unfinished 'business' between you and I."

"What are you talking about?" She didn't see where this was going.

"About that letter that you left me. Did you mean it?"

This conversation took a turn that she wasn't expecting to take. She was stuck.

"I….what letter?" She decided to play dumb. Maybe if he thought she forgot about it, he wouldn't question her anymore.

He looked into her deep emerald eyes. She was so beautiful. He gently placed his hands on her chin, and tilted her face up to his. He leaned in closer to her full lips, and whispered, "Did you mean it, Chère?"

Just the way that he spoke brought forth a yearning inside of her. She couldn't deny her feelings for him any longer. "Yes. Every single word."

He smiled slightly. He was all too familiar with the look in her eyes. He didn't need any encouragement. He leaned in to kiss her.

There was a sudden knock at the door.

Rogue jumped back, startled. She made her way to the door, and looked back to see where Remy was. She wasn't shocked to find that he was gone.

However, she was a little shocked to see Kara behind the door.

"Hey Rogue. Have you seen Remy?"

Ok, this was awkward. She wrapped her towel tighter around herself. "Ah…umm….no. I just got out of the shower. Sorry."

"Just thought I would check. Thanks though." Kara took off in a different direction.

Rogue shut her door, and took a deep breathe. She couldn't handle any more surprises today.

XXXXXXXX

She had been searching for him for nearly an hour. Something wasn't right. She could feel it. She decided to try his room one last time.

She knocked, a little harder then she meant to. "Remy? Are you in there?"

"Yeah. Come in."

She walked in, not bothering to close the door. "Where the hell have you been? I have looked everywhere!"

He raised an eyebrow at her. She had never questioned him before. "I was in here."

She crossed her arms in front of her chest. "No you weren't. I came by already."

He continued to watch his T.V. "I must not of heard you knock."

She couldn't control herself anymore. "You were with her, weren't you!"?

That got his attention. He still pretended to have interest in what was on the T.V.

"Remy don't know what you're talkin' about."

Kara huffed at his response. "Don't give me that shit! Ever since she walked in the mansion I could tell you wanted her! I know you already fucked that home wrecking whore!"

Remy had enough of her temper tantrum. He quickly stood up, towering over the woman. Nobody could talk about Rogue like that, especially in front of him. "Just what exactly are you referring to?"

"That Emma bitch. All the guys were practically drooling over her. I could sense that you wanted her! You didn't pay attention to me at all!"

Was the woman serious right now? It was so ridiculous he wanted to laugh, and he did.

This enraged her even more. "You're laughing about it?"

"Trust me, it's funny. She has only been here a few hours! You never have to worry about me and the ice queen." But she did have to worry about him and a certain southern belle.

Kara lowered her arms from her chest. "Are you sure?"

"I'm positive."

"OK. Now I feel stupid."

"Don't. I have put you through a lot in the past." He had cheated on her before, and she had been an emotional wreck because of it.

The sad thing was this was all an act. He sought her out, he recruited her to be apart of the team, but his intentions weren't pure. Not by a long shot. His father Jean-Luc, had demanded that he charm the woman into his bed, and develop a relationship with her. Kara was the daughter of a very powerful man, and Jean-Luc needed an alliance to join him against the assassins. The assassins were becoming a little too powerful for his taste. The deal was almost finalized. Personally, Remy doubted that Kara's father gave two shits about them dating. He doubted it had any influence over the man at all.

After Rogue left, he had been angry. Angry with her and angry with his father. The only reason he joined the team was for her. He needed a release, and that person was Kara, along with other nameless woman. But no matter how hard he tried; he never fully could quite get over Rogue. He honestly didn't think that she was coming back. The only reason he stayed was because it was either Xavier's, or home. Home was out of the question due to a certain assassin. When she did show up, he was thrilled. The old feelings rushed back to him. The worst part was making her believe that he had moved on, when that was far from the truth.

Kara looked up at him lovingly. Every time she did, he felt guilty. She would hate him when he broke it off. He did care for her as a friend, but he didn't love her. When it came to being intimate, she was just another nameless face.

She smiled at him. "You promise there is nobody else?"

Time to put on a show. He grabbed her chin, like he had grabbed Rogue's moments before. "You are the most beautiful woman I know, I would be crazy to leave you."

He then placed a tender kiss on her lips.

She looked to the side, and leaned into his chest. "It seems that we have an audience. That's a little…weird."

Kara didn't shut the door. Merde! Remy looked up and felt his heart drop when he saw the look on Rogues face. He could see the hurt in her face. She quickly walked off.

XXXXXXXXXX

She had just gotten dressed, and was on her way to find out where Remy had gone. His actions earlier showed that he did still care for her. She smiled to herself and opened her door. Her smile quickly disappeared when she saw the scene in the room across from hers. She didn't mean to stare, but she couldn't help it.

There was Remy, grabbing Kara's chin and bringing her mouth towards his, just like he did to her a few minutes ago. She then heard him say that he would be crazy to leave her.

He was a womanizing whore. She believed that he cared for her; when all he was trying to do was get into her pants. She was so stupid. She could feel the tears start to form in her eyes.

She wanted him to know that she saw everything. When he turned to her, she wanted him to feel like a moron because he was caught.

It worked. The look on his face was worth it. She stormed off to find Kitty.

It didn't take her long. Kitty was outside, going over some papers.

Rogue plopped down on the bench besides her.

Kitty didn't look up. "It blows my mind that some kids don't know the basic stuff about computers. Its like they don't hear a word I say."

"We all can't be computer whizzes."

Kitty shrugged her shoulders.

"So Kitty, I need to talk to you about something personal."

Kitty looked up at her. "Um. Ok. What's up?"

"Remy tried to kiss me."

Kitty let out a squeak.

Rogue held up her hand. "Don't get too excited, right after he tried, I caught him using the exact same move on Kara."

Kitty was silent for a moment. "Well you know Rogue, she is his girlfriend. Technically you would be in the wrong if you had let him kiss you. Good thing you turned him down."

Rogue turned to her friend. Kitty thought that she had stopped him from kissing her, when that was the far from the truth. "Yeah…good thing."

Kitty went back to grading papers. "Well you should go after someone who is available."

The last thing she wanted was to be with another man.

Kitty continued. "Warren has a major crush on you, ya know."

A light bulb went off in her head. "You know where he is at?"

Kitty looked at her and smiled. "Why, are you going to see if it's true?"

Rogue unexpectedly hugged her friend and rushed off, leaving Kitty very confused.

XXXXXXXXXX

She found Warren in the kitchen. He was sitting at the table, flipping through the pages of a newspaper. His eyebrows were scrunched together at the news he was reading. She walked over to him. "Hey, can I join you?"

He smiled at her. "Of course."

She sat down next to him. "So, I know that you have been trying to talk to me about something lately."

She scooted slightly closer to him.

Warren cleared his throat nervously. "Yes. I was wanting to see if you would—"

At that moment, Remy came through the doors out of breath. "There you are Chère, I need to talk to you about—"

Warren interrupted the Cajun. He wasn't going to let anyone ruin this for him again. In one breath he said, "Rogue, you are funny, intelligent, beautiful, and perfect. The man who cheated on you was such an idiot. I have wanted to take you out ever since I met you."

Rogue looked at him, a little surprised. "Oh. Wow."

She could feel Remy staring at her, waiting for her response.

"I would love to go out with you Warren. Just let me know the time and the place."

Warren had a huge grin on his face. "Well, on Friday I can take you to this great restaurant in town. They have great food and dancing. We can go there, if that's ok."

Remy had never had a problem with Warren. He was born with a silver spoon in his mouth, but he didn't act like a rich snob. But tonight, Remy's opinion of him changed drastically. He wanted to blow the man up.

He had an idea. "What a coincidence, I am taking Kara there on Friday. You are talking about Gionnino's, correct? We should go one a double date!"

Rogue eyed him angrily.

Warren didn't seem too fond of the idea, but he didn't want to be rude. "We wouldn't want to intrude on your plans—"

Remy slapped him on his back. "Nonsense, Mon Ami. It will be a blast." If she was going to play dirty, he could too.

Warren reluctantly accepted. "Ok. Sure, that is if Rogue's ok with it."

Rogue couldn't believe what just happened. She thought about it. This might actually work out in her favor. She turned to Gambit. "That sounds fun! I can't wait. Me and Kara have SOOO much to talk about!"

She detected a flinch in Remy's face. He smirked at her. "She won't be there long. When ever she drinks she can't wait to get me naked."

OK that was a little much. Rogue turned to Warren. "I can't wait. I'm glad you asked me." She stood on her toes and kissed him on the cheek. He watched her leave the room.

Remy said his goodbyes to Warren and quickly followed her.

She walked at a quick pace, knowing that he was following her. "Leave me alone."

She made it to her door and faced him

He ignored her request. "So, you and wings huh? You don't waste any time, do you? He seems a little too up tight for you. You need a guy that can relax you, help you lose control…"

He put his hand on her door, leaning in towards her face.

She wasn't falling for it this time. She opened her door, which caused him to stumble forward.

"He's a nice guy, unlike yourself."

He straightened up and smirked at her retort. "Yes, but how does that old saying go? Ah yes, nice guys finish last."

She had enough of his bullshit. She turned and smiled sweetly at him. "Not every man is a dirt ball like you. We will see who is last when he's fucking my brains out in his bed." She slammed her door in his face.

She leaned against her door. Ok that was a little much, but she was sick of his cockiness. She could play the part of a vixen if she had to. She never would sleep with Warren; she had respect for herself. That and the little fact that she was still a virgin would keep her from going through with anything.

Remy stood outside her door still. She had thrown him off his game with that last comment. He was aggravated. He needed to release some of his anger, among other things. He went to Kara's room.

XXXXXXXXXX

Emma called the number that was written on a small piece of paper.

A voice answered on the other line.

"Well?"

Emma replied. "I found her. She's here."

To be continued…

Thanks for reading! Please review!

A/N: Christian is really Emma's brother in the comics. He did become suicidal and was committed, but not because Emma inherited money.

Also, Gionnino's is a real local Italian restaurant in my area. They really do have awesome food.