11

She sat on her bed in the dark as she had so many times before.

BeforeJoseph. And now he was gone, and it was all her own stupid fault.

Her body tensed up when she heard the knock.

"Go away." She turned her back to the door. She wasn't in the mood to entertain. She had to think.

"Now, y'know a locked door ain' gunna keep Remy out."

She looked at him over her shoulder. He leaned against the door jamb with a lopsided grin. She let out a short breath.

"You here t'gloat? Cause ah don't think ah can listen right now."

"Fleur, jus' checkin' up. Y'got Kitty worried t'death. Been locked up in yo' room all week."

"Ah'm fine." She looked at him again and he could tell she was lying. He furrowed his brow.

"What happened?"

She ran her tongue along her lower lip "With Joseph?"

He nodded and to his surprise she laughed.

"It's really quite amusin'." She shook her head and pulled her knees up to her chest "Ah guess… maybe you were right all along. Ah really did love him though..."

A frown tugged the corners of his mouth "Belle, don' listen t'what Remy said about him. I was…" He sat down next to her on the bed and shook his head. "Protective."

She looked at him again. "He wanted me to choose. Between you an' him."

Remy raised his eyebrows, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Ah couldn't do it Remy." She shook her head. "What does that even mean?"

He sat up a little straighter "He shouldn' have done that chère. If Remy'd have known that… I would've just… left you two be."

"No, it wasn't you. It wasn' him either…" She looked away slowly.

"He was d'one that tried t'make you choose Anna."

"Everything was fine. Goin'…" She smiled slightly "Well… it was goin' somewhere if y'catch mah drift."

He squared his jaw and nodded with a grunt.

She looked away bashfully and hesitated.

"Ah said…" She ran a hand through her hair. "Ah said someone else's name."

He raised an eyebrow and let out a low whistle.

"Dat's pretty serious chère. Trust me. Happened before."

She furrowed her brow. "To you?"

He nodded, draping his arm around her shoulders. "Y'd never seen anyone pull his pants up an' run at d'same time so damn fast…"

She rolled her eyes and elbowed him in the gut. Of course it would have happened to him.

"Now here's d'real question. Who's name? If y'said Kitty… more embarassin' den anythin' for him. Means y'weren't payin' attention." He gave her a mock look of embarassment iliciting a small giggle from her "But

Peter…" He butted his head against hers gently. "With all dem big muscles…"

She shook her head with a smile. "Sounds like you said Peter."

He frowned "Dat ain' even funny."

"Ah thought it was." She chuckled.

"Y'won' be laughin' when she figures out who Anna is…"

She pressed her lips together. "Remy…"

"It's true." He smiled, continuing to tease her. "Would've been worse if ah'd said Rogue though…" He stroked his scruffy chin thoughtfully.

"Stop."

"Y'know, seein' as most people 'round here know you as Rogue."

"Ah said stop it." She pushed his arm off of her. "It ain't funny Remy. You… you're the reason. Shit like that…"

He furrowed his brow at her peculiar response. "Fleur, Remy's jus' pullin' yo'leg."

He watched as she pulled away from him and hugged herself.

"Rogue?" He tried to move to her again. She turned away.

"Who's name did y'say?"

She let out a sharp breath, digging her elbows into her knees as she raked her fingers through her hair. Her silence was answer enough.

"Oh."

"So what does that mean then? Since you seem t'be the expert?"

He pressed his lips together, at a loss for words.

For a while they sat in silence before he took a breath. "Ah'm sure it was on d'Kitty side…"

She looked at him quietly before giving her head a shake. "This is really embarassin'…"

"Aw chère." He took her chin, gently turning it so she faced him. "It was a slip. Dat's all. Right?"

"Right." Rogue said with a small nod.

His gentle touch moved over her jaw. "Dat's good. We don' need t'mess up a perfectly good friendship over somethin' so silly." He said softly.

"Absolutely." She whispered.

"An' what with me bein' practically married an' all…" He added with a smirk. She nodded again.

"Who knows how long Remy be 'round fo'…"

She moved close to him, brushing her lips against his lightly.

"It jus' ain' smart…" He breathed against her mouth. "We both know dat."

She hummed in agreement, twisting her fingers in his hair as she pulled him in.

…

The two sat in silence before Kitty finally blinked. "Never in a thousand years… would I have ever imagined you two… like that…"

"Well ah certainly hope you don't imagine anyone… 'like that'." Rogue smiled.

Kitty's shoulders slumped "I can't believe it. One time… and this…" She looked at Cole. "You guys are like, the poster kids for skeptical people out there… thinkin' they can't get pregnant their first time."

Rogue was silent, stroking Cole's hair.

"Right?" Kitty said, throwing a hand in the air. "I mean, what are the odds. They're pretty low. Right?"

Rogue refused to make eye contact.

"Oh my gosh Rogue, tell me it was just once."

Rogue's face twisted up slightly, like a little kid with her hand caught in the cookie jar.

Kitty's eyes widened. "I thought it was like, just a mistake! It's not a mistake if you keep doing it."

Rogue shrugged defensively "It's like gettin' this awesome new toy, playin' with it once, an' then just puttin' on the shelf forever."

"Great analogy." Kitty grimaced.

"Well it's true. Our friendship was effectively murdered after one time anyways, might as well have some fun with it."

Kitty sat back and let out a breath. She started talking about something else, something about how she and Peter met, but Rogue was only half listening.

She closed her eyes and brought the memories back. All the secret rendevouz, midnight meetings, sneaking around everyone as if everything about what they were doing wasn't totally and completely wrong. All
the while still acting like they were nothing more than pals. Rogue had to admit, they were very good actors. Best friends with benifits. Nothing more. What a perfect arrangment.

She squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head silently.

That couldn't have been further from the truth.

…

"Hey Sugah." She'd poked her head in through the bathroom doorway. "Everything alright?"

He looked at her through her reflection in the mirror before splashing some warm water on his face.

"Perfect chère. Hope ah didn' wake you up."

She smiled through her tired eyes. "No. Ah was thinkin' of headin' back to mah room anyways." She rested her head against the door jamb "No point in gettin' too comfy here."

He smirked, taking in the sight of her wearing nothing but his t-shirt. "What are y'tryin' t'do t'Remy?"

She laughed "Ah'm not doin' anything!"

He looked at her over his shoulder and narrowed his eyes. "Yo' a tease." He moved towards her, circling his arms around her waist. It was in that moment as she wound her arms around his neck, looking deep into his crimson eyes that she began to wonder what the twinkle in his eye really was.

It wasn't lust or passion as she'd thought originally. It was different. More tender.

She furrowed her brow as she inspected his gaze.

He closed the gap between them, his lips meeting hers in a deep, hungry kiss, erasing her train of thought completly. His hands wandered up the back of her shirt with the kind of urgency she was more used to from him. Not tender. This was lust. He manuvered them around, pressing her up against the wall behind her.

"One more time." He whispered breathlessly in her ear, causing the hair on the back of her neck to stand up. "Before you go."

How could she argue with that? She'd groaned and pulled him back towards her, hooking a leg up on his hip to wrap around him in an attempt to pull him even closer.

And that was it. That had been their last night together. The next morning, he was gone.

…

"Rogue?" Kitty raised an eyebrow "Are you listening?"

"Hmm?" Rogue looked up at her innocently.

Kitty rolled her eyes "I asked if you wanted anything to eat."

"No, ah'm fine Kit." She gave Kitty a half hearted smile. "Thanks."

The door opened, prompting both women to turn their attention to the visitor.

He pressed his lips together, locking eyes with Rogue.

"How is he?"

Rogue hesitated, her eyes flicking to Kitty quickly, before returning to Remy's. "Hank says he'll be fine. Just… waiting."

"Um, I'll be right back. You're sure you don't want anything?" Kitty stood, her eyebrows perked upwards with the question.

Rogue shook her head and Kitty slipped past Gambit in the doorway, closing the door behind her.

He sat in the chair previously occupied by Kitty, resting his elbows on his knees and wringing his hands silently. As hard as he tried, he couldn't hide the worry that pinched his eyebrows together.

"Dis happen often?"

"Often enough."

He leaned back, keeping his eyes on the sleeping boy. "Dat's why y'came back. Fo'Cole?"

She nodded slowly. "He's different. His powers started manifesting about a year ago, but there were signs when he was just a baby."

He looked up at her, letting his gaze fall back to the boy. She'd obviously already recognized the similarity between the two, it wasn't anything new to her: Remy's powers had been with him since birth.

After a moment, Rogue let out a breath. "Remy, ah'm so sorry. Ah wanted to tell you…"

"No y'didn't." He shook his head.

She pursed her lips as she stared at him. She couldn't be sure if he was trying to call her bluff or just trying to be difficult. Either way, both possibilities were accurate; she was bluffing, and he was being difficult.

"Alright." Rogue sucked in a slow breath and shook her head. "I didn't want t'tell you, but ah was going to."

"Waitin' fo' a writtin' invitation?"being pressed her lips together and squeezed her eyes shut in an attempt to calm her raising temper. She'd expected him to be upset, and in all fairness... maybe she deserved this.

Definitely

She let out a slow, calming breath. "Ah never thought ah'd see you again Remy." She spoke slowly "Ah didn't plan for this."

Remy leaned forward again, running his hands through his hair as he visibly processed all the information being thrown at him.

"Ah didn't know how t'go about even attempting to tell you. Let alone figureing out how t'tell you without havin' you... pull a Remy."

"What d'hell does dat mean?"

"It means as soon as you get emotionally compromised, you run." She struggled to keep her voice down. "Just like y'did back then."

"What are you talkin' about... 'emotionally compromised back then'?" He knit his brow and inched forward in his chair, his voice raising a notch.

They exchanged a hard stare in silence. Both of their tempers were clearly close to the edge, and Rogue sucked in another calming breath before she was able to find enough self control to use her inside voice.

"Don't act like you don't know." She narrowed her eyes and hissed. "The moment you realized things were gettin' too serious, was the moment you decided t'leave."

"I left 'cause it was my time." He clenched his jaw "Had nothin' t'do with-"

"You didn't have t'go. Y'coulda stayed Remy. You been disobeyin' Jean Luc your whole life, ah'm sure he wouldn't have been shocked." She snorted. "Y'didn't even have the guts t'say goodbye. Ah had to find out
with everyone else."

"You give yo'self too much credit Anna." He leaned back in his chair with his signature cocky grin fixed on his lips, throwing his hands behind his head nonchalantly. "We both know what Remy does when he's
done with a woman. Shouldn'a been so surprisin'.'Specially not t'you."

Rogue lifted her chin slightly, pressing her lips into a thin line. Despite his arrogant front, Remy looked away; knowing that his words had hit their target.

"My point is… it was my time t'go. We both knew that day was comin'." He added coolly.

Remy looked up at her again, watching her work the muscles in her jaw. Something she did often in her darker years. He'd learned to read it as her repressing her feelings. She kept her eyes fixed on Cole's
sleeping face, settling her boiling blood slightly.

"You're right." She said finally. "Guess ah just thought maybe there was somethin' in you that still cared about me as a friend."

"Guess you thought wrong." He snipped.

He watched as she stroked her thumb across the back of Cole's pale hand, noticing a glint of moisture in her eye. She looked away quickly and clenched her jaw.

"Ah don't expect anything from you Remy." She muttered. "Just please, don't tell Joseph."

This time, he tightened his jaw. Of course Joseph would come out looking like a saint in all of this, and he was stuck looking like an ass. What else was new? Who would be shocked by that?! He shoved the bitter
thoughts from his head and frowned as she continued to speak.

"Things are goin' really well between us, ah'll tell him when the timin's right."

"Things goin' so well between you dat yo' kissin' other men, chère? I assume y'don't want Remy tellin' him about dat either, hein?" He smiled distainfully "Y'still a tease."

Rogue glared at him and Remy chuckled, giving his head a thoughtful shake.

"Don' know why y'keep fallin' back into the same ol' rut. Remy keep tellin' you d' same thing. You ain't right for eachother. But y'never seem t'wanna listen t'me. I guess Joseph is d' safe bet-"

"No. Joseph is my only bet." she snapped. "An' now that we don't have you in the way, things will be fine."

"Y'don' have me in the way..." He let out a sarcastic laugh letting his eyes move back to Cole. "Seems t'me I'm in de way more den he knows."

"We both know what Remy does when he's done with a woman." She smiled disdainfully, repeating his words back to him. "Joseph has nothing t'worry about."

A/N- Dum dum dummmmm... I'm too tired to think of anything pithy to say.

Thanks for your reviews guys! Love 'em! Keep 'em coming!!! And in true Olympic Canadian spirit I have to say WOOOO! for getting our first Gold Medal! WOOOO!!! Go Team Canada!