Chapter 2

"Xaviers School for Gifted Youngsters," Jubilee said professionally as she answered the phone in the main hall.

"Hi Jubes," said Rogue cheerfully. "How's things?"

"Rogue! Hey! Things have been fine. Well, a little chaotic 'cause the summer's finishing up and we're trying to get ready for the new school year but yeah."

"Oh, right I forgot school would be starting again soon..."

"I wish I could forget," Jubilee joked. "So, how are you? How's Remy?"

"Remy's good, I'm good. Actually, umm... that's what I was calling about. We've decided to get married."

Rogue then pulled the phone away from her ear while Jubilee freaked out.

"And," Rogue went on when she could get a word in, "I was hoping you might agree to be one of my bridesmaids."

"Really? Me? You mean it?" Jubilee asked excitedly.

"Yes, I mean it," Rogue said. "Is Storm there at all?"

"Oh sure. So how did he propose? What does the ring look like? Can –"

"Can you put Storm on please? I promise I'll answer all your questions later, okay?"

"Meh. Fine," Jubilee grumbled. "Hey, Storm! Rogue's on the phone!"

Rogue waited patiently while she was put through to Storm's office. Jubilee waited around excitedly, until Storm became weary of seeing her pace and set her to go get Logan and Pete. Storm and Rogue hung up not long thereafter and Storm waited until the three arrived.

"Well," Storm said slowly, uncertain how to go about this. "I just got a call from Rogue and Remy –"

"Yeah," said Logan. "Jubilee said something about them getting married and being a bridesmaid."

"I'm excited," said Jubilee, bouncing in her seat.

"We can tell," Pete said, smiling.

"As I was saying," Storm said. "They've invited us to the wedding. Just the four of us."

"Just us?" Jubilee asked in surprise. "Oh, I suppose she probably wouldn't be inclined to invite Bobby and Kitty huh?"

"I believe they did come to an understanding after the trouble with the Sentinels," said Pete. "I don't believe it involved the resurrection of their friendship, however."

"Great, just great," said Logan. "I was just getting used to the idea of them dating."

"The wedding is going to be the Saturday before school starts up again," Storm went on. "This means that you'll have to be there a week beforehand if you're going to be a bridesmaid, Jubilee."

"Oh absolutely. Wow, they're sure not wasting any time, huh?"

Logan growled lightly. "She's not... is she?"

"Sorry Logan," said Storm. "Rogue's pregnant."

Jubilee started squealing.

"Well," said Pete slowly. "I'm happy for them."

"Why didn't she tell me when we were on the phone?" Jubilee asked.

"Possibly because of the noise you made when she told you she was getting married in the first place," Storm suggested. "The timing could be better, but at least you'll only be away during the break and not the first week of school."

"Darn, so close," Jubilee joked.

"Obviously I'll need to stay here until the last minute," Storm went on. "If either of you would like to join Jubilee in New Orleans earlier, by all means, otherwise I'll be taking the jet down on the Saturday. Although, judging from the look on your face, Logan, I suspect it might be worth Remy's safety if you and I go together."

"Okay well, that means you have to come with me Pete," Jubilee insisted, grabbing Pete's arm. "I'm gonna need me some company while Rogue's busy doing bride stuff."

Rogue stepped out of the dressing room and Mercy smiled as she stood back and appraised the burgundy gown. It was strapless with a full, gathered skirt and a loose waistline.

"Now that's lovely," said Mercy while Rogue looked at herself in the mirror.

"Yeah," Rogue said softly. "You were right. It definitely looks a lot better on me than on the hanger."

Mercy chuckled.

"I don't even think it would need adjusting if I started showing either," Rogue said thoughtfully with her hands over her stomach.

"Oui, it's a good cut for that," Mercy agreed. "But I wouldn't worry too much about that, chére. Most women don't start showing until the fourth month."

Rogue blew a lock of white hair out of her face.

"I am so unprepared for this," she said. "I mean... what would I know about being a mother? My birth mother died. My adopted mother abandoned me – and then tried to kill me – and my foster mother turned her back on me. I'm not sure I can even do this, I –"

"Rogue," Mercy said gently, but firmly. "You'll be fine. For one thing, you're not alone. You have Remy, and of course, you have myself and Tante Mattie. Jean-Luc and Henri too, although between you and me, as grandpère and oncle, they are more likely to be bad influences."

Rogue giggled despite herself.

"And if it makes you feel any better," Mercy went on, "I felt the exact same way when I was pregnant with Claude."

"You did?"

"Oui. And there are times with Claude and Lucian that I still think I don't know what I'm doing."

"But they're teenagers now."

"I'm not sure which is harder; when they're young and completely dependant on you, or when they're older and learning to be independent. So," Mercy said. "Is this it, or would you like to keep looking?"

"No," Rogue said, looking back at her reflection. "I think this is it."

"Huh," Henri said as he walked into the living room of Gambit's house outside of New Orleans. "And here I was thinking the reason why you didn't open the door was because you were absorbed in Warcraft again."

"Nope," Gambit replied from where he was intently studying some papers spread over the table. "I didn't answer the door because you were the only one I was expecting and I knew you'd just let yourself in."

"What's this then? I thought you needed help moving house."

"I got distracted by my latest diabolical evil scheme."

"Oh yeah?" Henri asked, peering at the papers. "What diabolical evil scheme is that?"

Without looking away, Gambit picked up a folder and handed it to him. Henri glanced at the cover page.

"Interesting," Henri said. "Who's helping you?"

"No one," Gambit replied.

Henri blinked, looked at Gambit and then looked back at the folder.

"Oui, I was right," said Henri. "This is a four man job."

"Yep."

"You're not seriously going to try and attempt a four man job solo, are you, Remy?"

"Of course I am," Gambit replied seriously. "I've been toying with the idea for years. It's brilliant! I will set a new record for only Thief ever to solo a four-man job, with any luck I'll probably blow Père's score for most points scored on a single job, and I'll guarantee my thirteenth year in the number one Thief spot."

"What is it with you and setting records?" Henri asked in exasperation.

"One word: Exile."

"Your exile is over, Remy."

"I know, and next year I'm going to be stuck behind a desk," Gambit said. "May as well go out with a bang, no?"

Henri let out a long, slow breath.

"Look, Remy," he said patiently. "I see where you're coming from, but there's a reason why this is marked as a four man job."

"I know."

"And that reason is not to provide you with a challenge," Henri said firmly, frowning at him.

"Could have fooled me," Gambit replied blithely, his eyes still on the papers on the table.

"You know, you're setting a bad example for all the –"

"You're not seriously trying that line on me?" Gambit interrupted, his contempt plain.

"Hey," Henri said, mindful of his own two boys, "the younger Thieves look up to you –"

"That's 'cause they're short," Gambit said cheerfully, but uncomfortable about being reminded that he was some kind of 'role model'.

"Very funny. You're also the heir apparent, Remy. You need to set an example. If you pull this off –"

"When I pull this off."

"- they're all going to start thinking they can pull off the four-man jobs solo too. I'm having a hard enough time convincing Claude he shouldn't go straight for the two-man jobs right after getting his Mastery," Henri said in exasperation.

"So tell him the truth," Gambit said. "Tell him their oncle waited until he'd spent twelve years as the Guild's number one thief first."

Henri cracked a smile despite himself. "What makes you think you even have a chance, Remy? Not even you can be in four places at once."

"I know. That's why I'm going to get the mark to do half the work for me."

"How on earth are you going to manage that?"

Gambit grinned at him and his eyes glowed with mischief.

"Well first," Gambit said gleefully, "I'm going to hit the security guards where it hurts the most."

"Oh yeah? Where's that?"

"Their pay."

Henri looked at Gambit thoughtfully. "Oh this is going to be good. Pray, continue."

"I'm just fiddling with the Payroll Manager's accounts. According to his records, the security guards are going to be paid on time, but paid too much. However, the money is going to go to my accounts, not the guards. They're going to get angry because they're not getting paid, Payroll and other management are going to fuss because the records say they've been overpaid, and both sides are going to get angry. The guards may decide not to feel obligated to show up to work when they're not being paid and in the midst of all the chaos, I'll just waltz in, take the prize and waltz back out again. Not only do I get the prize, but I also get a lovely bonus of a couple of months worth of overpaid security guard wages for about a dozen different guards."

"I can't believe I'm saying this," Henri said with a pained expression on his face, "but I can't wait to see you pull this off."

Gambit laughed.

"I can see how a lot of things can go wrong in this though, Remy," Henri went on. "What if management – or security – don't react the way you expect them to?"

"That's what makes it fun," Gambit said, straightening up. "Anyway, I suppose we should get started."

"Right," Henri agreed. "What's going?"

"Not too much. Most of what I've got here's going to stay here. As much as I'd love to take the pool table with me, there's already one at the mansion so..."

"Heh, yeah."

"Anyway, Roguey packed up a lot of her stuff, which would be those boxes over there."

"By 'stuff', do you mean that teddy bear collection of hers?" Henri asked mischievously.

"That may account for some of the boxes," Gambit replied with dignity.

Henri snickered.

"I'm still packing my things, but I'm sticking to the basics," Gambit went on. "As for furniture, that display cabinet is going, my gaming chair is going and the pinball machine is going."

"Yes!" Henri cheered, throwing his arms up in their air.

"Hey, just 'cause the pinball machine is going to be at the mansion now, does not automatically mean you can play it whenever you want."

Henri chuckled wickedly.

"All right," Theoren said to the class. "Congratulations everyone, you've officially finished this course."

Rogue chuckled as her fellow classmates cheered. Most of them were teenagers, but there were a few her age.

"As per usual," Theoren went on, "course credits will only count after you've successfully completed a con artistry job. You know where the job listings are. If you decide to do your own con, make sure you register it with the LD or it won't count. All right now, get out of here."

Everyone packed up with much enthusiasm. As Rogue headed towards the door, Theoren signalled her over. He waited until everyone had left.

"Just so you know," he said. "Your course credits have automatically been counted, on account of the job you did for Bella Donna."

"Oh... they have?" Rogue asked.

"Oui. We consider it a con job, and because you did it while you were doing a con artistry course..." Theoren said and shrugged. "We don't normally do that, but we considered it 'con of the century' kind of material."

"That's not going to follow me around, is it? Not that I regret doing it by any means, but –"

"No, no. This is a once off. You're going to have to earn your rank just like everyone else."

"Good to know."

"Etienne's coming," said Jean-Luc, meeting in his office at the Guild Hall with his sons. "He'll arrive tomorrow with Philippe Dubois. Most of the other global branches can't make it; too short notice."

Jean-Luc sat behind his desk while Henri and Gambit sat in two chair in front. Jean-Luc pretended not to notice Gambit's legs up on the desk.

"And we all know whose fault that is," Henri put in with a grin at Gambit.

"Roguey's of course," Gambit said with a slight smile. "Female vanity at work."

"Nah, it's never the femmes fault. You will soon learn this, mon frère," Henri said sagely.

"Ahem," Jean-Luc cut in. "Giuseppe Moretti can't make it, but Viviana can."

All colour drained from Gambit's face.

"Viviana?" he repeated. "Didn't we make a rule about not inviting ex's to the wedding?"

"Ha! If we did that, half the femmes in the Guild would have to stay home," Henri declared, grinning broadly, "to say nothing of Bella Donna."

"Remy, Viviana is the heir apparent to the Italy Thieves Guild –" Jean-Luc said.

"Don't remind me," Gambit muttered.

"Sooner or later you're both going to be the heads of your respective Guilds."

"I said 'don't remind me'."

"You're just going to have to learn to get along."

"Tell that to Viviana," Gambit replied. "I swear, if she gives Rogue a hard time, I'm –"

"Going to respond in a polite, civilised manner," Jean-Luc said firmly.

"Do I have to?"

"This is great," said Henri gleefully. "I can see I'm going to love watching you play Patriarch, Remy."

"Hmph. This is all your fault anyway."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah, if you had just applied yourself, you would have been the better thief, and I could have stayed in the field where I belong," Gambit said with a wink.

Henri laughed. Jean-Luc shook his head and sighed.

"There are two Master Thieves from the Sydney Thieves Guild who are currently vacationing in Florida – their words, not mine," Jean-Luc said with a slight smirk. "They'll be here a couple of days in advance of the wedding to represent their Guild."

"Do we know them?" asked Henri.

Jean-Luc glanced at his notes. "Meg and Toby Brown."

"Doesn't ring a bell..."

"Oh I know them," said Gambit. "We were introduced last time I went to Australia."

"Well at least they're not going to be complete strangers." said Henri.

"And the Thieves Guild of Tokyo have requested that Zoe Ishihara act as their representative," Jean-Luc said.

"Oh really?" asked Henri. "I thought she got excommunicated after she stopped them from exploiting her brother."

"Oui, that's what I thought too," Jean-Luc said with a smirk. "And Zoe as well for that matter. Seems they found a reason to reinitialise contact, no?"

"Yeah, too lazy to send someone all the way from Japan," Gambit said with a snort.

"Actually," said Henri, "I think it's more likely that they found out that Zoe was to be one of Rogue's bridesmaids."

"So?"

"That would imply that they're close friends."

"Maybe that's because they are friends."

"Right, their formally excommunicated member is friends with the bride of the future Patriarch of the N'Orleans Thieves Guild," Henri said. "They probably think it's in their best interests to patch up that particular bridge."

Gambit was silent for a good long moment.

"I hate politics," he said finally.

"Well, well, well," said Etienne the next day as he walked through the door and his eyes fell on Gambit. "Never would have believed it possible: You getting married."

"Har har," Gambit said with a smirk. "It's good to see you too. Glad you could make it."

"Make it?" Etienne repeated. "Remy, until I see this through with my own two eyes..."

Gambit laughed and Etienne grinned at him.

"You remember Philippe, of course," Etienne said, gesturing to the young man next to him.

"Oui," Gambit replied and held out his hand to him. "A pleasure to meet you again."

"And you," Philippe replied. "Congratulations."

"Merci."

"Oh right," said Etienne. "Congratulations. Hey is Rogue here?"

"Oui," Gambit replied and gestured towards the living room. "She's just discussing plans with Tante Mattie and Mercy."

"Excellent," said Etienne and took it upon himself to lead the way inside the living room. "All hail Rogue!"

Rogue blinked in surprise and jerked away from the conversation at hand when Etienne got down on the floor in front of her and bowed on hands and knees.

"Oookay..." she said.

"Oh blessed supreme goddess of all things impossible," said Etienne. "This thief, poor wretch that I am, humbly offers you this gift of worship."

Rogue laughed. "I like him."

"Your humble servant thanks you for this wonderful blessing you have laid upon him."

"You were planning this the whole flight over, weren't you?" Gambit asked, shaking his head in amusement.

"Non," said Philippe. "He was planning this from the moment he got the news."

"It's true," Etienne said with a grin as he picked himself up off the floor.

"Although I really think you must have me mixed up with someone else," said Rogue. "I think that if anyone qualifies as the 'supreme goddess of all things impossible' it's Tante Mattie."

"I'm no goddess, child," said Tante Mattie. "Well? Isn't anyone going to introduce Philippe?"

"Oh right," said Gambit. "Philippe, this is my fiancée Rogue. Rogue, this is Philippe Dubois of the Paris Thieves Guild."

"Enchanté mademoiselle," Philippe said, taking her hand and kissing it.

"A pleasure to meet you," Rogue replied.

"Philippe is the heir apparent of said Guild," Gambit went on with a wink. "Which means we have to pretend to be friends."

Philippe laughed.

"Pretend?" Rogue inquired jokingly. "You mean we can't be friends for real?"

"What? Actually have a genuine friendship with our contemporaries?" Gambit asked. "What a shocking concept."