A/N: Decided to post two chapters just to get into the story more. Enjoy! And feel free to review!
2
He stood outside her door, letting out a deep breath before giving it a few quick knocks.
"C'mon in." The muffled voice came from the other side of the door. He turned the knob and pushed it open.
"Hey kid."
Her back was to him, but he could tell she was frowning. "Hey y'self." She kept her back to him, rummaging through her suitcase that was sitting on her bed.
"Welcome home."
"Sure."
He crossed his arms with a frown.
"Look. Ah know y'all are mad at me for runnin'." She turned to face him. "An' ah don't expect y'all to understand. But ah had mah reasons. Alright?"
The frown fell from his expression when she looked at him. How could he stay angry at her? He'd always had somewhat of a soft spot for her... nothing - not even six years, would ever change that.
He nodded silently, causing a smile to play on her expression. "Good. Now... did y'miss me?"
He smiled. "You bet."
"You're such a liar." She laughed, shaking her head and turning back to her suitcase on the bed.
"Am I... interrupting anything?" Sarah came to a stop next to Logan, her eyebrow pricking upwards with a small smirk.
"Nah, just gettin' reacquainted with the ol'grouch." Rogue shook her head before looking over her shoulder at the willowy blond in the doorway.
Sarah's smirk intensified from the look Logan was sending her way. Looks like she was a trouble maker. "Right. Well Anna, when you're ready... everyone downstairs is itching to meet the 'new' girl."
Rogue uttered a throaty laugh, giving her head a quick shake as she spun around. "Y'all coulda told 'em. Ah'm not inta sappy reunions."
The three of them made their way down to one of the mansions rec. rooms. Kitty was the first one Rogue saw.
"Alright everyone..." Kitty announced "Here's our house guest!" She giggled.
Jean's jaw dropped as she stood up. "Oh… my gosh!"
Scott smiled, watching his fiancée rush over and give Rogue a hug. "Where have you been?!"
"Ah went out for a pack a'smokes." Rogue smirked, giving Bobby a wave.
"Welcome back." Hank smiled. "I knew you'd find your way."
"You have no idea..." She laughed. "Ah'm..." She hesitated, tucking a stray hair behind her ear "It's good t'be here."
Seven Jamie's ran through the doorway, straight past Rogue before every one of them did a double take causing her to laugh out loud. "Mah lord... y'all have grown!"
"You too..." Bobby cocked his head and raised an eyebrow, getting a smack in the gut from a now 23 year old Jubilee.
"An' Jubes!" Rogue shook her head "Sugah! You look great!"
"You too." Jubilee moved over to her, flinging her arms around her neck carefully. "We missed you around here."
"So," Sarah smiled, moving over to the couch. "How come I've never heard any stories about this one? I'm sure she made some... she seems like a little fire cracker."
Kitty smiled uneasily, looking at Bobby.
Bobby laughed, ignoring Sarah's question all together. "So what brings you back?"
Rogue shrugged. "'Couple different things... you know the way life is." She tossed a hand in the air, leaving her answer at that.
"You joinin' the X-Men again?!" Jamie asked, giving her a big smile.
"Oh ah don't know..." She shoved her hands into her pockets, smiling at Joseph as he stopped behind Jubilee. "Lot's a'things have changed."
"Don't know?" Jubilee frowned. "You mean you're not-" She stopped mid sentence looking past Rogue. Her eyebrows suddenly perked up a smile tugging the corners of her mouth. And Joseph frowned.
"Well well well... look what d'river rat done gone an' dragged in."
She froze. It felt like the air had been sucked out of the room with that one simple sentence.
Rogue spun around, her heart thudding so hard against her chest, she would have sworn everyone in the room could hear it if she didn't know better. He'd draped his arm around Sarah's shoulders, giving her that lopsided grin that dripped of charm.
The look on her face caused the other side of his mouth to tug upwards, giving her a full grin. "Y'don' look happy t'see Remy."
She crossed her arms instinctively, looking at Sarah who looked up at Gambit with a smile. "Did you know Anna before you left Rem?"
The shocked expression fell from Rogue's face and she snapped back to reality.
"Yeah... he knew me alright." She nodded, her mouth forming a thin line. "Hope y'keepin' him in line."
Sarah laughed. "Like anyone can do that."
"You know it, belle." He winked at Sarah before turning his attention back to Rogue. He took the sight of her in. Her hair was longer now, hanging a little beyond her shoulders. Her makeup was softer, along with her choice of clothing. Long gone were the days of the Gothic loner. She looked older. More mature. She was a woman. "You... you look good fleur."
"Ah know." Rogue looked away with a smirk, keeping up the appearance of arrogance. But Remy couldn't help but notice her fidgeting with the fingers of her long green gloves. "What are you doin' here Gambit?"
"I'm thinkin' Remy should be askin' you d'same question."
Rogue slowly turned to look at him again "How's Belladonna?" her eyebrow perked up.
"She sends her love." He smiled.
"Ah'm sure."
"So you stickin' 'round dis time?"
"Are you?"
He couldn't figure out what she was doing, acting as if nothing had happened. Was it sarcasm, or hostility, or some other angry emotion she'd been so known for harboring in her younger years? He blinked at her, still half expecting her to throw something at his head.
"You've changed."
"Ah should hope so sugah." She chuckled, looking over her shoulder at the others that sat behind her, clearly feeling the tension between the two. They all visibly relaxed with the sight of her smile. "That's what six years does to yah."
"Oh this is so exciting!" Jean slapped her hands together with a wide grin. "You're just in time for the wedding!"
"Ah know..." Rogue fidgeted with the fingers of her glove again as she spoke "It's why ah came earlier than Ah expected. Didn't wanna miss the event of the year... been a long time comin' too if ah might add..." She pointed at Scott with a smirk.
"Really?" Jean furrowed her brow. "You... came early for me?"
"Yeah. Ah... hope that's alright. Don't wanna... be a burden or anything..."
Jean laughed. "No! Not at all! I'm... I'm so touched!"
Kitty gasped "Are you single Rogue?! I have the perfect date for you for the wedding..."
"Well actually..." Rogue smiled, tucking a white hair behind her ear as she looked down. Was she blushing?
"Ah already have a date... but... it's kind of complicated."
"Right." Kitty nodded. "I guess it would be..."
"Why?" Sarah furrowed her brow. "You got a man, dig those claws in!"
Rogue shook her head, about to further explain herself when Kitty cut in. "Well see... like, Rogue can't touch without stealing people's like, life or whatever."
"Gee, thanks for the power summary Kit." Rogue rolled her eyes. Kitty started rattling off something about plans... or something. He couldn't be bothered to listen to half the things that girl said, let alone when she was all hopped up on caffeine. His eyes were lingering, perhaps a little too long, on Rogue. The way she listened so intently, hanging on to every word that fell from Kitty's lips, her laugh that seemingly came straight from her gut, completely uninhibited. The way she rested her gloved hand on her curvy hip as she spoke... he tore his eyes away reluctantly, looking at the blond hugging herself next to him.
"Rogue?" She furrowed her brow. "You never mentioned her before."
Remy shrugged "Never came up." He looked back at the girls as the chatted to one another as if no time had passed between them.
Women are so weird.
---
Rogue sat on her bed rubbing her feet together after kicking her shoes off. That hadn't been as bad as it had played out in her head. Everyone was happy to see her, minimal questions were asked and even after the bombshell of seeing the one man on the face of the earth she never anticipated seeing ever again, she still managed to save face. No, better make that two men. It wouldn't have been so bad she supposed, if it had been one or the other. But not both at once. Too much pressure.
She shook her head, raking a bare hand through her hair as she lay back, letting her head hit the pillow. These weren't the scenarios she was concerned about anyways. Meeting Gambit and Joseph after six years was nothing compared to what lie ahead… even with the added fact that it had taken everything in her to not lunge across the room and gouge his glowing eyes out of their sockets.
Her head ached at the mere thought of it all.
She needed some sleep.