Thanks for all the reviews, guys! Yes, I imagine it will be a while before Rogue and Evan get over their grudge against Mystique. You'll just have to wait and see what happens with her, though. This one is a little shorter than usual, but there will be another post up later tonight.

                                                ~BQ

Chapter Eleven:


After watching some television with Evan and Fred for a couple of hours, Rogue decided that she wanted some time alone. Fred had decided to go take a nap, and Evan had assured them both he was fine by himself. There were some good cartoons on, and he had a bag of chips. He was all set for a while.

Rogue imagined he wanted some time to himself, as well. After all, not long after Magneto had left them in the kitchen, Fred had come back down, so they hadn't talked about the mansion or Mystique after that. Not that Rogue really wanted to. Every time she thought about it, her chest tightened painfully.

Still, after Magneto's revelation, it didn't seem like a bad idea to just be alone for a while, to think things over. After all, it wasn't every day that you learned your former guardian, a woman you once trusted and cared for, blew up your home with your friends still trapped inside.

Rogue couldn't help feeling somewhat responsible, even though she knew that was ridiculous. Mystique was a crazy, ruthless killer. There wasn't anything Rogue could do anything about that. She'd left the Brotherhood, and Mystique, once she saw the shape-shifter for what she really was.

And yet still she felt as if, somehow, she should have been able to prevent it. That, for some inexplicable reason, she could have done something.

Stop that, girl, she scolded herself. No way ya could have known. No way ya could have stopped her. Ya weren't even there. Blaming y'self only absolves Mystique o' her crime. An' no way am Ah gonna let that happen.

Sighing, she opened the door to her room and then shut it behind her as she stepped inside. She leaned against the door for a minute, then started for her bed, intent on getting some sleep.

It was then that she noticed the book sitting on her bed, a single orange flower resting lightly on top of it. Remy, she thought, a warm feeling washing over her.

She shook it off, mentally smacking herself for letting him have that kind of affect on her. What was she thinking, developing a crush on the enemy? If Scott were here he would have flipped.

Only Scott wasn't there. He never would be.

Because Scott was dead.

Mystique had killed him.

Rogue closed her eyes for a moment, and didn't open them again until she was certain she had regained her composure enough to keep from crying. It was hard, though. Scott had been her first crush. Her first real crush. She'd felt a flutter of something for Warren Worthington in the time that they had spent together in New York City, but Scott had been the object of her affections for a long time.

And then, one morning, she'd looked at him and realized that what she felt for him wasn't anything romantic. It was love, certainly, but nothing physical. More like the love of a sister for a brother. Nothing like that spark that had passed between her and Remy in the heat of that first battle.

Groaning, Rogue shook her head. What was wrong with her? Remy was her enemy. Wasn't he? He certainly didn't feel like her enemy. Not even when they'd been ambushed by the Acolytes, not even when the card he'd given her had exploded in her hand. He'd felt like...someone she wasn't afraid of. Someone she felt connected to. During her captivity, she'd dreamed of his face, and it had given her strength. Odd that it would, being the face of an enemy who had been involved with the scheme that got her captured in the first place, but it had.

God, this is too confusin', she thought, shaking her head in frustration. Doesn't that boy know what he's doin' t' me?! He's drivin' me crazy!

Crazy about him, Carol snickered. Admit it, Rogue, you're falling for the guy!

Ah am not, Rogue protested, lifting the flower gently between her fingers and smelling it with a small smile. Ah don't even know him.

Like that matters? Carol demanded, rolling her eyes. You hardly knew Scott when you developed a crush on him!

Stay outta mah memories! Rogue snapped.

It's your fault we're in this situation anyway, remember? Carol scoffed indignantly. At least you haven't been as obvious about it with Gambit as you were with Scott.

Rogue blinked, horrified. Ah was obvious?

Carol laughed. Not a cruel laugh, just a laugh of amusement. Rogue decided she actually had a nice laugh. Rogue, it was so totally obvious! To everyone but Scott, that is. He's so blind, doesn't even know that Jean feels the same way about him that he does about her.

He is pretty oblivious, Rogue agreed with a grunt. She winced. Or was...

Carol was quiet for a moment, and Rogue could sense that the other girl felt bad about the deaths of her friends, not that she was likely to admit that. Still, Carol hadn't used them against her, and for that Rogue was grateful. She didn't think she would have been able to handle it if she did.

Just thinking about Scott or Bobby or little Jamie was enough to make the fragile control she had over her grief waver. If Carol were to talk about them...

Rogue shook her head softly. They wouldn't want her to be this way. She knew that, knew it with all her heart. Scott would tell her to be strong, because she was an X-man, and X-men were brave and good and never backed down, no matter the odds. Bobby would make jokes, as he always did, just to try and cheer her up.

God, how she missed them both. Missed all of them, really.

I haven't figured it out, Carol said, a thoughtfulness to her tone that Rogue had never heard before. This Gambit guy knows you can't touch anyone. He's known it since before he laid eyes on you. And yet, here he is, chasing after you.

Rogue blushed. He's not chasin' after me, she insisted. He's jus' bein' friendly. No guy would chase after me. Not with mah powahs.

Exactly, Carol said. And yet, here's Gambit, pursuing you as if he doesn't even care about your mutation. What's wrong with him?!

Honey, Ah don't think anyone'll ever figure that one out, Rogue drawled.

Carol snickered.

Besides, Rogue said. He ain't tryin' t' court me or nothin'. He's jus' bein' a flirt.

Rogue, you can be so stupid sometimes, Carol said in exasperation. Look at the book he gave you.

Rogue picked it up. Anne Rice's Interview with a Vampire.

Yeah? she asked. So? He figured Ah'd like it.

Which she did.

And what city does it take place in? Carol asked.

New Orleans, Rogue answered.

And what city is Remy from?

New Orleans.

And what city did you tell him at breakfast that you'd like to visit someday?

New...oh. Rogue's eyes widened as she came to understand what Carol was implying.

Carol burst out laughing. I have no idea why, but that boy is taken with you, Rogue, even if he can't touch you.

Rogue blushed, staring down at the book in her hands. She had no idea why he was, either. Why would any guy want a girl they couldn't touch?

Who knows, Carol replied. He's a strange guy.

That he most certainly is, Rogue agreed, her fingers trailing over the cover of the book. But Ah think Ah rather like him.

Carol groaned, rolling her eyes. Oh brother. If you're going to be getting all sappy and starry-eyed from now on, warn me ahead of time, okay?

Okay, Rogue replied distractedly.

Carol shook her head in disbelief, but didn't say anything else.

Rogue, meanwhile, was fixated with the cover of the book. She wasn't looking at it, not really, she was just running her fingers over it, marveling that Remy had cared enough to get this for her.

Ah've always known he cared, she thought with a faint smile. Ah knew he cared that day when Ah first met him. The same way Ah knew he cared that day he got me out of Trask's base. It was in his eyes.

Wordlessly, she opened her window and slipped outside onto the roof, the ocean breeze tousling her hair as she settled down on the slope and propped herself up on her elbows. She hadn't flown in a while, and the urge to take to the sky was almost overpowering. She wondered how Carol had dealt with it. Still, she didn't know if it was safe to fly around here yet, and she wasn't going to take that chance. She'd ask Magneto about it later, but for now she wasn't going to risk it.

Leaning back, she opened the book and began reading, trying to keep her thoughts off of Remy.

All that effort went down the drain, though, hours later, the moment she saw the Acolytes appear at the edge of the trees, Remy trailing just behind. She watched from her perch as they passed under her, not even noticing her.

Except for Remy. Somehow, he knew when she was watching him.

He glanced up briefly and winked at her before disappearing into the house.

Rogue groaned. Not good, girl, she told herself. Not good at all. The last thing ya need t' be doin' is fallin' fo' a boy ya can't ever touch. A boy who ya know ya ain't supposed t' be havin' feelins' fo' anyway. A boy who's workin' fo' the enemy.

She didn't know what to do. She didn't know why she felt this way about him. She just knew one thing clearly.

Kitty would love this, she decided with a groan. She would absolutely love this.