Hi! Sorry, yet again, for the long delay between updates. It wasn't my fault this time, really. See, this crazy man who said his name was George Lucas strapped me to a chair and made me watch his movie until I was so utterly consumed by thoughts of it that I could do nothing else but obsess over the journey of his characters. Well, it didn't happen exactly that way, but I was caught up in the whole Star Wars thing. But you knew this about me before we ever got involved! You knew I was a crazy sci-fi geek!

A note: I loved how mostly everyone thought of Sinister in relation to the Man In Black (not to be confused with the MIB, who are very cool indeed but not a major part of this story). Want to know why? Because I too thought of Sinister! I envisioned the Man, at first, as more of an actual representation of the devil, but considered changing it to Sinister to more soundly ground this story in the X-verse. In the end I settled on… well, guess correctly and get a cookie.

Read on!


Chapter One: The Beginning


"Chere."

"Shut up."

"Petite!"

"Leave me alone!"

"It wasn't m' fault!"

"It was so your fault!"

"I can't help it if we run into an ex every now an' then."

"Everyone and their grandma is your ex, Remy."

"Dat only happened once."

"Agh! I hate you."

Remy LeBeau glared at the door in front of him. He liked the opposite sex. He loved the opposite sex. But sometimes, he wanted to strangle it with its own silk scarf. He narrowed his eyes on the door and briefly indulged violent thoughts. When the knob started to glow a faint pink, however, Remy yanked his gaze away and sulked down the hall.

Two and a half months he'd been dating Katherine Pryde, and they were still having the same fight; she hated that they ran into girls from his part; she wanted him to have been a charming saint during his time as a professional thief and then, as an Acolyte. She wanted impossible things. He mumbled to himself as he made his way down the long X-mansion, the words 'weird', 'naïve', 'fickle', and 'crazy as the sun is bright' repeating.

He'd been an official member of the X-Men team for the better part of a year. Eight months of Scott's orders, Jean's sighs, Kitty's insane outbursts, Kurt's teases, and Rogue's…

His thoughts calmed a bit as he remembered he'd seen Rogue sitting up in one of the recreation rooms. He changed his course and continued on…

Eight month's he'd been an X-Men. He didn't know what he had expected to find among the teenaged do-gooders. Maybe he hadn't wanted anything but a place to call home after too many years of drifting. There was something warm and satisfying about returning back to the same house every night. Something sweetly appealing about large dinners with bread rolls and open laughs and jam jars passing between slippery hands. Remy had never had that before, unless he counted his many years with the nuns –and Remy and his sore hands were not willing to go that far. The LeBeau's were never even in the same city, let alone the same room. When the X-Men extended their offer, there wasn't any way for him to refuse it.

What he hadn't counted on was going soft.

The X-Men played by the rules, and the rules said stealing was a crime. He still ran through countless danger room scenarios, but they weren't enough. He needed to know that it was real, to feel the thrill of the hunt deep down in his chest like a fluttering of wings. That was a part of his identity: Gambit, master thief. Without that, he'd be lost. He wondered if, unconsciously, he'd been taking Kitty to places where he knew he'd run into one of his girls. Just for the sake of fighting, just for the challenge of stealing her back from her own doubts. Had he grown so desperate?

He saw the corner light lit in the recreation room and smiled, faintly. Of course, she would be awake. She always seemed to be exactly where he needed her. Remy shook his head.

Then, he remembered it was his turn to bring the popcorn. He spun around and headed for the kitchen.


"What happened?" Rogue Darkholme asked when Remy dropped beside her with a bucket of popcorn and a carbonated beverage. She was slumped on a couch, a plush pillow in her lap, eyes trained on the television screen and the latest action hero to grace it. Her legs, clad in black flannel pants, were crossed and supported by the cherry wood coffee table centering the room.

Remy tossed a handful of popcorn in his mouth and sighed. "She's mad."

"Again?" Rogue laughed and reached for a handful herself. "Ah thought you had some magic touch with girls, Remy LeBeau."

"So did I," he mumbled. "But dat girl is never satisfied."

"She's too easily satisfied," Rogue corrected. "It makes ya lazy."

"Shut up."

"Jerk," Rogue said, and tossed a kernel at his face, never looking away from her movie. "Wait. Hush for a second, this is the best part. He's going ta jump from that helicopter ta that train, an' then ta that big open field where he can engage the bad guy in hand-t'-hand combat. It's a great cinematic sequence, deserves an Oscar."

"An' he so happens t' lose his shirt along the way?"

She smirked. "Ah didn't notice."

"I can't believe I'm havin' a relationship crisis an' yo' ooglin' guys on TV."

"Ah can't believe ya used the phrase 'relationship crisis'. What a girl. Do Ah look like Dr. Phil? Just… remind her it's your birthday week an' that should guarantee you some measure o' lenience. She loves parties. Ah'm surprised she hasn't already passed out the invitations. It's not everyday her boyfriend turns eighteen." Remy shifted on the couch and Rogue finally turned to examine him with curious green eyes. "Ya haven't told her yet."

"I thought about it. But I don't want a big deal. I don't need presents, o' balloons, o' people cheerin' me on as I get another day older an' a little softer at da core."

Rogue poked at him, playfully. "Ya told me."

"But yo' different." And that was apparently all he had to say about it, because he stuffed his face with too much popcorn and looked at the screen with a forced interest that warded off all further comments on the subject.

"Fine," Rogue sighed. She dropped her chin to the pillow and continued with the movie.


Remy was running from someone. At first, he thought his pursuers were the police, and that thought made him giddy. His feet moved faster in response, while his eyes scanned the foggy backdrop for any place to hide. But all the walls were solid, not a window or small corner in sight. Never mind. Remy chewed on the corner of his lip and indulged himself with a sharp grin. He could outrun them. He was bursting with energy and adrenaline; this was the sensation he'd been missing.

But then, he passed them, and nearly tripped over their bodies. He had to jump to avoid the boys in blue, who lay scattered and far from consciousness. The giddy feeling left him and, a newfound sense of dread crept in to fill the empty space. If the police weren't after him, who was?

He dared a peek over his shoulder and saw only a deed lying on the floor. He fell out of his run and went to pick up the deed. The scribbling was small, red, and he didn't bother reading it because it seemed insignificant to property being signed away: himself. The signature at the bottom was unfamiliar to him, but he memorized it anyway. John Black, it read. Whoever that was.

"Remy?" He turned, and saw-


"Hey, wake up." The voice was a hand, reaching into the deeper part of her dreams, dragging her back to awareness by the collar. "Come on, it's me. Wake up." Rogue swallowed a complaint and peeked an eye open to obverse the situation. As expected, the voice wasn't directed at her, but at Remy. They'd fallen asleep on the couch again. He was curled up at the other end, his head resting against the pillow. Kitty Pryde was bent over him, threading her hand through his auburn hair. Guilt was evident across her face.

"You guys got ta stop this," Rogue whispered to her brunette friend. Kitty looked over and sighed.

"Sorry I woke you up. I was just trying to apologize to Remy. I think I was a little harsh on him last night." Kitty scrunched up her nose. "It's just… we were having dinner at this totally random restaurant, and here comes this waitress with legs longer than I am tall, tons of really good hair, and like, this huge smile. Turns out, they enjoyed this weekend together last year and she just wants to check in on him. Am I totally crazy to want a night out that isn't interrupted by a girl who's gotten lucky with my boyfriend? It's so annoying."

"Kitty, he's with you, right?" Rogue wiped the sleep from her eyes and sat up. A yawn stretched her mouth wide. "So who cares what happened before? Ya can't let that stuff bother you. Consider this, okay? Before Ah was an X-Man, Ah was a member o' Mystique's Brotherhood. Ah knew back then we did bad stuff. Ya don't hold that against me; ya shouldn't hold Remy's dating record against him. Just be happy with what ya got. He's a good guy."

A good guy who was feigning sleep, her instincts told her, but she carefully held that bit of information from Kitty, as the younger girl looked at the Cajun with thoughtful eyes. Rogue looked too, and had to admit that he was pretty. If she wasn't so sure that they were better as friends than they could ever be at romance, she might've been jealous. After a moment, Kitty seemed to acquiesce. She ran her fingers across the side of his face. "I'm going to go grab some breakfast. If he wakes up soon, send after me, okay?"

"Yeah," Rogue said. "Sure." She waited until the brunette was gone before kicking the Cajun hard in his side.

"Ow," he complained, opening his eyes. There wasn't a trace of sleep in them. She wondered if he'd been awake before Kitty had even come around, and why he hadn't gotten up himself. "Y' didn't have t' hit me so hard, Chere." He pouted.

"Boohoo. Cry me a river."

"Why? Lookin' for a new home, river rat?"

She glared. "Ah hate you."

"Liar, liar, pants on fire."

"An' Ah still ain't gonna drop 'em for you."

He rolled his eyes and moved his legs off the end of the couch. He was still wearing the previous night's outfit: a pair of black jeans, and a long sleeve dress shirt that moved along his chest as he stretched his arms over the top of his head. "I better go off an' be cordial about acceptin' my apology, non?" A satisfied smirk curled his lips.

"If ya aren't, next time Ah'll suggest that she dump you. She could find a better match, Mr. Shady Past."

"Love ya too, Roguey."

"Gag me."

"Didn't know you were into dat kinky masochistic stuff."

"Ah'm this close…" She warned.

Remy leaned forward and patted her arm comfortingly. "I know I turn y' onan awful lot, Chere, but I got a girlfriend an' dat talk really isn't appropriate. Sorry."

She narrowed her eyes. "You are an idiot."

"But a charmin' one, oui?" He stood up and waved goodbye.

She scoffed at his retreating figure. "Whatever."

After he left, Rogue lay stretched out on the couch, her hands folded over her stomach. Without Kitty or Remy or at least the television on, the room felt empty. Taming the voices in her head had been empowering, certainly, but now she was often uncomfortable on her own. Silence was lonely. She wrinkled her nose and rolled over, landing neatly on the floor. There had to be a practice session going on somewhere; there was no way Scott was surviving the morning on just oatmeal and Jean's conversational skills. She stood up, brushed the wrinkles from her pants, and-

A knock sounded through the room. Rogue frowned. Carefully, she tiptoed towards of the windows and stuck her nose between the blinds to get a better view of the visitor. There was no way she was opening it without warning; last time, she'd been stuck outside for twenty minutes while a ruddy salesman tried to persuade her she needed anti-wrinkle cream. But she saw no cream. A slender young man dressed all in black had his hands linked behind his back, his head bowed slightly as he waited patiently for someone to open the door. There was something about him…

Rogue pulled back and moved to the door. Almost unconsciously, she straightened her shoulders and shook her matted hair back to life before answering. "Hello?"

"Hello, Miss," the very pale man said with a small smile. "I'm looking for Remy LeBeau. I understand he lives here now. I'm an old friend." His face was perfect and smooth, accented by a pair of wide, startlingly blue eyes. Beautiful, really. He extended a hand to Rogue, and for a moment, she just stared at it. Then he laughed, an amused, playful sound that woke her from her sudden trance.

"Ah'm Rogue. Uh, Remy's in the other room, Ah can go-"

"Rogue," he repeated softly, interrupting her offer. "What a fascinating name." His eyes took a long survey of her and slowly wandered their way back up to her face. He grinned again and stretched out a pale arm for shaking once more. "Well, it's an absolute pleasure to meet you, Rogue. I suddenly understand completely why Remy decided to make this place his permanent residence. I'm Luc."

"Luc," Rogue said. This time, she accepted his handshake, but instead, he brought her hand to his lips and placed a soft kiss on her hand. "Won't ya come inside?" She breathed.

"I'd love that," Luc said. His hand fell to the small of her back as they moved inside, as if he meant to claim her. If this small act startled Rogue, so unaccustomed to intimacy as she was, she didn't mention it to the guest.


Kurt had spent the night at a friend's house. He stepped up to the mansion, his longtime home, with a duffle bag on one shoulder and a long coat that the weather didn't permit him to wear tossed over the other. He squinted in the sunlight as he made his way up the steps. When he reached the door, he paused, as a feeling took him. He couldn't quite place it, but it made his pulse jump; either Angelina Jolie was waiting for him on the other side, or there was something seriously wrong happening. But what?

With a frown, he slid his key into the door and walked inside. His duffle bag fell to the side as he called out for one or any of his housemates. No answer came, which was strange enough in a house of so many, but more than that, he spotted him. Leaning in the hallway, there was an unfamiliar man talking warmly to Rogue. She was smiling more than he'd ever seen her smile in recent times, or ever. That should've been enough for anyone to gain his good opinion; it certainly had helped Remy when the Cajun was first entering their lives on a permanent basis. But immediately, Kurt knew that the man in question was the reason for the bad feeling.

At the moment Kurt realized this, the man turned and grinned widely in his direction. As if he'd heard, Kurt thought, a wave of fear passing over him. His eyes settled on the unusual whiteness of the man's teeth to avoid the dark sparkle in his eyes. Something very bad was happening, he thought again, and he wasn't sure how to stop it.


TBC
This, like the chapter before it, serves the purpose of setting the scene before the actual plot can take hold; I hope that's okay. To start off this fic, I wanted to put Rogue and Remy, my two frequent stars, into a situation where none of my previous fics had seen them: in a platonic friendship. Whether it stays that way is entirely dependent on whether or not people review! I'd like to note that I cannot claim credit for the creation of Luc, nor would I want to. Any questions, comments, or coconuts should be sent to Eileenblzr at Yahoo. Come talk. It's summer and I am bored to pieces.

On A Personal Note:

Lady MR1, Lelann, Asheni, Texasgrrl, Kyo-Kitty, Kristen: Thank you for your kind words, your encouragement, and your coconuts… at this point, I would just like to say, ahem, free pina coladas for everyone!

Betrayed Daughters: Where are you! I don't see you anymore.

Wildcardrose: Remy does indeed have a soul, but it's whether or not he'll have one at the end of this story that really matters. Thanks for the review; I'm glad you liked it so far.

TheSinisterBra: Your name always cracks me up. Thanks!

Ishandaquarter: I know, I know, I haven't reviewed your chapter. Gah! See, I was going to use it to garner enough interest in X-men to update something and then I just avoided for a while, so. Will review it before the night is through! Anywho, glad you liked the set up and introduction to Remy's parents. See ya soon, on the other side of this reviewer/writer thingy…

Elle457: I, Eileen Blazer, so solemnly swear there will be no Joe here. Thanks for reviewing! It means a lot.

Kitsu: Thanks much! Hope this part was good, too.

Keirin-Sama: Is your name pronounced like Karen? Just curious. Thanks for the review!

Silverbells: I absolutely accept your offer for cookies in exchange for not letting the bad man have Remy. One problem: those cookies will only last for this chapter. See? No soul-surrendering yet. But next chapter, it's all up for grabs. Thanks!

Tinuvieltelcontar: I looked up the name of the Saint online to verify that indeed, he did exist. Thanks for the interest. I prefer Remy LeBeau, too.

Rogue4787: What if that 'romance' title applies to him and Kit-Kat:ducks away from the mad reviewer: Hey, long time no see! Glad to have you review again.

Heartsyhawk: Thank you much! Review way soonish!

Shira's Song: the question of why Gambit should have to honor the deal made by his father is a very important one for this fic, thus I cannot give you a satisfying answer at this time. Suffice it to say, I think you make some very good points. Also, you were the first to think that the folks were trying to save him by giving him to the nuns. Aww.

Nettlez: It would be strange if Xavier were the one who stole his soul. I like that possibility. Really, it intrigues me, and I almost wish I could twist everything around just to make it happen that way. Thanks for the review!

Speck: Other stories? I have other stories? Oh… yeah. I will update. I swear it. The Lucas-fog is beginning to lift. I can almost get through an hour without thinking of Pretty Obi. :is thinking of Obi even as she types: There really is a St. Remaclus. Thanks!

Howlerdrode: Hi there! It does stink when one's parents sell one's soul to the devil. Kind of makes me feel better about my own familia, you know? Thanks for reviewing!

Neurotic Temptress: I am insanely pleased with anything you write, be it a review or an update…speaking of updates, when's yours?… Darn real life! But I know how that can be; I'm between schools at the moment and it is such sweet relief to have nothing to do! Thank you so much for your review!