Disclaimer: I do not own the X-Men, never have, more than likely never will (sigh)

Chapter 7

"Is there a name you prefer to be called?" Troy Edwards asked.

"Marie is fine, sir."

"Very well…Marie. You may not know this, but your father was in debt. Actually, that is a bit of an understatement considering the sheer amount of money he borrowed, spent, and otherwise lost in the past several years. It really is something of a miracle that he managed to keep the house while he was increasing the amount of money he was spending."

Rogue couldn't help but watch every move Mr. Edwards made as he talked. She didn't know what to make of him, thanks to the conversation she had overheard between him and Shaw. She was on edge around this man, but knew she couldn't show any of her discomfort, especially if she wanted to find out exactly what was going on in town and how this man was involved.

"And what exactly was he spending so much money on?"

"Well, from what I know, your father was a very intense gambler and, I believe, that most of the money he had went to a lot of the gambling rings around town, both legal and illegal."

"So what does this mean, in terms of everything that my father has left?"

"Well, there isn't much left, besides the house. Most everything else has been sold or auctioned off in order to pay off your father's debt. However, the debt was very large, so several of the other town residents have made offers on the house your father owned after assuming that it would be auctioned off to help cover the debt. Your father had quite a…reputation around town."

"Yes, I can only imagine exactly what kind of a 'reputation' he had." Rogue quietly replied as she digested the information that Mr. Edwards was giving her. However, she knew that there had to be more going on than just her father's debt, particularly when considering the fact that Mr. Edwards and his 'colleagues' had 'hoped' she would make an appearance in town. Rogue had the feeling that, somehow, her father's death and subsequent financial problems due to his debt were more than just coincidence. There had to be a connection between the two and Mr. Edwards. She just had to figure out what it was, and fast, considering Scott had given them one week here with no interference from the rest of the x-men team.

"So, basically what you're saying is that the house is up for grabs, to the highest bidder of course, because my father left nothing behind to take care of his bills."

"That is correct. I'm afraid that there is little you can do to change the situation."

Rogue agreed with him, just to make sure he felt secure in his knowledge about her situation. After all, the Professor would be happy to help out in any way he could, so Rogue was sure she wouldn't lose her childhood home. She didn't want to lose the memories she had that were attached to that house. She made have had a falling out with her father, but that house should still be hers to do with as she wanted and the house was the last connection she had to her mother. She didn't want to lose that.

"I suppose the mayor and his son are two of the bidders for the house?"

"Why, yes, they are. What makes you say that?" Mr. Edwards replied with a dash of suspicion.

Rogue knew he was suspicious because of his relationship to the mayor's son (a.k.a. Shaw) that she had seen earlier. So, she answered him as nonchalantly as possible, "It's just that they had previously tried to take our house from us before, so I just made the assumption that they were at their same old tricks."

"Oh, of course! I was unaware of that. I only came to your town a few months ago and your father hired me when his old lawyer moved away unexpectedly."

Obviously, her reply had alleviated his worries about her having some information on his connection to Shaw. In any case, Rogue knew it wouldn't be beneficial for Mr. Edwards if he was connected to someone who had previously caused trouble for her. His reputation as a 'prestigious lawyer' for her father would be tarnished if she associated him with prior predicaments her family had had.

"Do you know why my father's previous lawyer moved away?"

"Not really. As I understand it he had the opportunity to…have his skills better employed elsewhere."

Noticing the pause, Rogue wondered exactly what he meant by that comment. Shouldn't he have said 'had the opportunity to use his skills elsewhere?' From what he said it sounded as if someone was forcing the old lawyer to use his skills somewhere else. Then again, what if his skills as a lawyer weren't what Mr. Edwards was talking about? There was something going on here, and Rogue had to figure it out soon, before something happened to her or one of the three men with her.

"I see. What made you decide to work in this town? After all, it isn't that big of a town and if you were looking for a way to further your prestige and become a well-known and sought after lawyer, this town certainly isn't likely to help you out."

"I am not concerned with furthering my career as a lawyer. I prefer to remain…behind the scenes. Gaining a reputation would just lead to…complications. After all, if I gained a reputation as a very good lawyer, than I would have to work harder to keep my reputation. Not to mention that many people would begin to seek me out in order to solicit my services. No, I am perfectly placed at the moment. I have no need to change my status."

"Of course. May I ask if you have any other investments in town currently?"

"Or course you may ask. Ask as many things as you would like. Currently, I have no investments in town but I have been looking into a few things."

"What sort of things?"

"Oh, this and that. Nothing to concern you, young lady. Now, I'm terribly sorry but I have an appointment soon, a scheduled appointment, and I need to get my material for the case prepared, so I am afraid you are going to have to leave."

"Of course, Mr. Edwards. I wouldn't want to impose. I'll see what to do about the financial situation my father left behind."

"Please, call me Troy. And make sure you get that situation under control, Marie. Off the record, my advice would be to take whatever offer the Shaw's give you. If you didn't I imagine life could become pretty rough around here for anyone close to you."

Pausing for half a second, Rouge filed away his familiarity, both to Shaw and to herself. While plastering a very bright (but fake) smile on her face, she then replied, "Will do…Troy. You have a nice day." She calmly walked away while silently deliberating over his hesitations in the conversation, his obvious familiarity to the town and its citizens, and his not so subtle hints about his connection to Shaw and the possible threat to her loved ones. Overall, her day couldn't get any worse.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

It is never a good thing when the first thing you hear upon entering your home is a gigantic boom followed by a very loud crash. However, if said crash is followed by swearing that is only slightly louder than normal speech, then the crash was not as bad as it could have been. Screaming or dead silence is what you have to watch out for immediately after a loud crash. Screaming meant that someone was either seriously hurt or was currently being tied up. Silence meant either the person was dead or was currently hiding from whatever (or whoever) had caused the crash. Swearing, on the other hand, only meant that the accident had not been that bad, but more importantly, it meant there was no attack on the house. These were the first few thoughts that Rogue had as she walked into her childhood home.

Fortunately, Rogue heard Logan swearing while Maddie was repeatedly asking if he was all right. Rogue could only sigh in relief at hearing him swearing. It certainly meant that the house was not being attacked at the moment and it also meant that no one was hurt at the moment. She began to walk up the stairs to see what was going on. When she arrived at the scene, she had to laugh at the mess. From what she could tell, Gambit had more than likely sent some kind of charge through a wire that led directly to the light that Logan was currently sprawled under. Maddie was bending over Logan, asking if he was all right, while Logan was looking at her as if he wished she would move so he could get to Gambit and kill him. Rogue knew that Maddie was probably leaning over Logan just so she could prevent him from harming Gambit. Maddie had already figured out that the two men were not on friendly terms and this prank was just going to spark another fight, and there was no way she was going to able to diffuse another tense situation like that one.

Rogue inwardly laughed at the scene; out loud she said "You two will never learn, will you?"

Every eye in the room immediately went to her and the tension in the room immediately decreased.

"Ma chère, you have returned." Gambit immediately responded with a smile on his face. He began to walk over to her to 'properly' greet her. Unfortunately for him, his path took him near Logan, who had enough room to 'accidentally' place his foot in Gambit's way, causing Gambit to fall unceremoniously onto the floor. This was too much for Rogue. She impulsively laughed out loud at the scene Gambit, Logan and Maddie made in that tiny room. The two men on the floor could only look at her in quiet distress at her having witnessed their rather clumsy 'accidents.'

"I have to say that this has been the highlight of an otherwise abysmal day." Rogue said.

Logan and Gambit glanced at each other and then back at Rogue. "What do you mean, Rogue?" Wolverine asked, as both Gambit and he got up from the floor.

Rogue gave a small sigh, closed her eyes for a second, and then replied, "We might as well get everyone together and get some food before I tell you. I have a feeling you're not going to like what I have to tell you."

To hear Rogue actually admit that, Wolverine and Gambit knew that something more than familial troubles was bothering Rogue. Though, what exactly it was, remained to be seen.

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So that's it for chapter 7. Thank you all so much for reading. I would like to thank Danibat for reviewing the last chapter. Thank you for the ideas! Keep them coming.

Until next time,

Blazin-ember