Author's Note: You guys are the best, couldn't ask for better readers! :-) Rogue and Gambit have been on a whirlwind journey, let's see where it's led them. :-D
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Xavier's School for the Gifted
Rogue floated towards consciousness very slowly, making sure that the voices stayed behind, content to wander in the abyss. She became faintly aware of her surroundings, her body feeling naked under a hospital gown and light gauzy blanket. There was pressure in odd places, adamantium needles stuck in her skin, electrodes attached to her head, and other things she didn't want to think about.
How long had she been out?
Her eyes were heavy, she tried to open them but it felt as if that would take too much effort. There was pressure again, this time in her hand and she vaguely returned the gesture.
It was all too much, she was awake now, and all she wanted to do was sleep, proper sleep. She drifted away, a spicy tingle assaulting her nose bringing up dreams of hot bayou nights…
…
Hours later, Rogue awoke again, this time she felt much stronger, physically and mentally, having found many of those annoying pressures removed from her body.
"Gentle now," a voice said as she tried to sit up, blinking her eyes to rid herself of the blurriness, "take a moment."
Two very large hands carefully helped her to sit up and she turned her head to make out the big blue blur that was the Beast, Hank McCoy. "How long?"
"About three weeks," he answered politely, placing another pillow behind her back. "Your vitals remained healthy and I kept you stocked on fluids," her vision cleared enough to see a thoughtful look on his face, "I don't believe you'll have any physical repercussions though I'd like to observe you for a couple of days, just to make sure."
"Right," the word was raspy, covering her skepticism and fear. She was in the belly of the enemy camp, she could think of plenty of reasons they'd want to keep her right where they wanted her.
"Oh dear, of course," Beast daintily picked up a pitcher off the table and poured a cup of water. He handed it over to her and that's when she noticed the pair of cotton gloves on her hands. Her body was so used to the feeling of them on she didn't realize they were there.
It was nice of them to think of that detail, but she couldn't help if it was meant as some kind of false sense of security. Danvers admonished her for being so paranoid.
Through the open door Professor Xavier wheeled in, "Good to see you awake, Rogue, how are you feeling?"
"How ya think?" she sipped eagerly at the water. "Like I hit tha snooze button one too many times."
"Understandable," he smiled at her, then his brow became thoughtful. "We've located Mystique, she's still using her Colonel Loft cover story. She's actually moved very high up in the Pentagon's command structure."
Familiar feelings of protectiveness overcame her and she tried to push them down, "What yah gonna do about her?"
He smiled softly at her, "We were waiting on you actually, to see what you wanted to do."
"Me?" she was confused, was she still dreaming?
"There are two options, one, we can go in and attempt to detain her," the telepath grimaced, "though you know as well as I do that Raven is not one to go quietly."
"Didn't know yah were tha master of understatements, Professor," she said sarcastically.
"Yes," he said wryly. "The second option is that we use this to our advantage, use her to feed false information and to keep track of Magneto and other former Brotherhood agents."
Suddenly it became clear and if she wasn't so weak she'd storm out of the room, "I see, you want my help because you think I'd know how to stop her, and if not, how best to manipulate her. Yah want ta use me like all tha others," she muttered under her breath, "Figures."
"On the contrary," the man wasn't too surprised at her outburst, or fazed by it, "it was Mr LeBeau's suggestion that we speak with you first before acting."
That threw Rogue, "Gambit's suggestion?"
"Yes," Xavier nodded, "he convinced us that regardless of what she did, Mystique is still your mother, you should have some say in what happens next. The team agreed provided you woke up in a reasonable amount of time."
Rogue didn't know what to say and simply stared at the man's bald head, watching the light reflex off of the surface. Had Gambit really said that? Of course he did, he knew more of her story than any of them. He knew the basic of all facts: Rogue loved Mystique. She was her mother, she taught Rogue how to accept who she was, to be strong and resilient.
Nothing would change that.
Of course, that didn't mean she had to simply sit back and take the abuse… especially if it had all been part of a lie…
"Take some time to think about it," the man broke into her thoughts, "you've only just woken up. I imagine you'd like some real food and perhaps a hot shower. We've arranged a room for you upstairs, provided Hank okays you to leave."
"I don't see why not," the Beast was looking at a clipboard, one of the pages turned up. "Due to her invulnerability, Miss Rogue did not suffer any adverse effects from being in a prolonged coma. I still want to do a checkup in a few days and do let me know if you start to feel ill."
Her own room? "Yah don't need ta feel like yah need ta keep me here. I'm not stupid enough ta go against Mystique alone regardless of what I decide and I'm gonna help Danvers, I won't skip out on her."
"Ah, yes, Carol," he gave her a hopeful smile, "I've been looking into that matter and I'm much more convinced that we can wake her up. But I do think we should wait a couple of days, let your own mental landscape settle before we attempt anything."
"And Cody?" Rogue immediately asked.
"As I do not know where he is located I haven't been able to observe his level of brain activity," he admitted, "but if it is anything like Carol's then I foresee no issues."
"Right, of course," she frowned, hoping that there wouldn't be any complications with Cody.
"We'll take care of the details after you've had a chance to clean up," Xavier rolled over to a table and pulled a cotton robe off it. "Your clothes have been laundered and are in your room," he brought the robe over to her. "Once you're ready, I'll give you the grand tour, it ends in the mess hall, I believe it's Turkey Sandwich day."
"I don't understand," she frowned, twisting the robe in her hands, "why ya'll being so nice ta me? I already said I'd help."
He returned her frown, "I didn't know we needed ulterior motives to be nice."
"I don't exactly have tha best history with ya'll," she attempted to ignore all the voices that told her she was being ridiculous.
"The thing about history, Rogue, is that it's in the past. You may have fought against us but you never once fought unfairly or with disrespect," he let out a small sigh. "Erik and I may differ when it comes to many things, but we both believe in a better future. What kind of future would that be if we learned the wrong lessons from the mistakes of our past? Forgiveness must be earned, yes, but it must also be offered."
Rogue didn't know what to say, even her usual defensive remarks fell dead on her lips. Was she now being given the choice to see the other side of that coin? What if she didn't like what she saw, or worse, it was everything she hoped it could be? Could she stand to have her world turned upside down again?
"I can't pretend to understand how you must feel right now," he continued softly, "but just know that you are permitted to leave at any time, Rogue," he reached over and patted her hand gently, "but you are welcome to stay."
…
The sun was warm but the air chilly, spring was almost here but winter refused to give up its hold. That's one thing Rogue liked about her mutation, being forced to always wear full covering meant she never had to be cold and being from the South, she preferred the heat anyway. Granted, it was annoying when she had to go to the tropics, or Florida, or anyplace like Florida, or just Florida in general, but she took the positive aspects of her mutation where she could.
Sitting on a brick wall which ran the length of the main part of the mansion's property, Rogue looked out onto the serene countryside. The trees swayed softly and a flock of birds couldn't seem to agree where to take roost for the night. With the sun beginning its decent, the sky took on a pinkish hue of the softest… magenta? Funny how she never thought of that as a color until now.
"Beautiful," the word was whispered into her ear and Rogue nearly jumped out of her skin.
"Damn it, Gumbo," she growled, looking over her shoulder, "that's a good way ta get yahself hurt."
The Cajun chuckled to himself and leaned back against the barrier, glancing at her from the side, "Just making an observation, petite."
"Right," she said in a southern drawl.
Silence fell except for the soft shuffling of a deck of cards until Gambit said, "So, you decided to leave Mystique be, take da whole 'cloak and dagger' routine."
She wanted to snicker at his description, but ultimately, "Mystique won't go quietly, people'll get hurt, most likely innocents, that I can promise. Best we keep this information ta ourselves for tha time being, use it against her, then strike at tha most opportune moment."
"You keep saying 'we', cheri," cards flew between his hands, "does dis mean you'll be taking da Professor up on his offer?"
"Been considering it," she shrugged, still staring out at the trees swaying in the wind. "Tomorrow we're gonna try ta wake up Carol, and if that goes well, then Cody."
"And after that?" he questioned, turning on his side to look at her.
"Dunno," she shrugged, not wanting to talk about it.
There was a soft pause before he asked, "Still looking for your peace, Rogue?"
"I reckon I am," she sighed, slipping off the wall to stand, "Yah let me know if yah find it laying about somewheres."
He chuckled again, "That I'll do, petite."
Turning around to lean forward on the rock wall, she took a moment to take in Gambit's appearance: tall, dark and annoying as always, but there was something different about him now. Maybe it was due to the events in New Orleans, or maybe she was simply seeing him in a different light, but he had changed, they both had.
"What about you," she ended up asking.
"What about me?" he shrugged easily, slipping his cards into a pocket.
"I hear yah got your bike back from Wolverine over a week ago," because apparently the man couldn't resist a high-stakes bike race, "yah waiting for tha best moment ta ride off inta tha sunset?"
He gave a bashful chuckle if there ever was one, "Dat's for heroes, cheri. I'm more of da sneaking out da window type."
"Of course yah are," she couldn't help but laugh.
Gambit leaned forward with a conspiratorial grin on his face, "Wanna sneak out of it with me?"
She narrowed her eyes at him questionly, "Just what you offering, Gambit?"
"Dat once you're done with your business," he referred to Carol and Cody, "well, you and me, we make a pretty good team."
"You don't do teams, remember?" she smirked.
His grin got that much wider, "I never turn down a good thing when I see it, cheri."
Rolling her eyes, "I'm not an improvision."
"No, you definitely are not," he leaned forward, their lower bodies blocked by the wall but his face merely inches away from hers. She could see his red eyes glowing, smoldering even, like embers in a fire, and again she wondered if they had always looked that way or if she seeing him in a new light… or as a new man.
"Remy LeBeau," she rolled the name around on her tongue and it melted like hard candy, slow and sweet. "I do believe you've gotten into my head."
That perpetual grin spread farther and she tried not to focus on his mouth as he brushed a strand of white hair from her eyes, "Wouldn't want to be anywhere else, ma cheri."
Rogue resisted the urge to close her eyes and lean into the man who was making her world exciting and complicated, "You make a tempting offer."
"I never make anything less," his words were low and seductive.
Managing to pull back from him before she did something she regretted, or liked too much, she used her flight to quickly jump over the rock wall. He stayed close to her, closer than most dared considering her mutation. "Two sides of tha same coin, that's what you told me, right?"
His brow furrowed at her sudden change in the conversation but he easily said, "Oui."
"Well, I think I've been on tha wrong side all this time," she said sadly as she finally spoke the truth.
"Do you really need to pick a side, petite?" the disappointment was there but he covered it well, he wasn't one to push when a woman said 'no' under any circumstance.
"I guess I'll find out," she shrugged with a soft sigh, "I need ta find out."
Taking a gloved hand, he brushed his lips against her knuckles and wished her good luck, "Je vous souhaite le meilleur dans votre enterprise."
"You say that as if we'll never see each other again," she frowned.
"Always a possibility, cheri," he lowered her hand and was hesitant in releasing it.
"Nah," she smiled knowingly, "you'll be back, Cajun."
"Really?" he looked at her curiously. "You think so?"
"Oh, yes," she laughed, leaning into him to whisper, "because I know your secret."
He raised one eyebrow, not looking to terribly worried, "And which secret would that be?"
With a chuckle she stole from him, she brushed past to head towards the mansion, "I've gotten into your head, Remy LeBeau, under your skin, same as you're under mine."
"I wouldn't be so sure about dat, petite," he called after her.
"Course I can, cher," she stopped and glanced over her shoulder, "still here aren't ya?"
Even at that distance she could see his eyes twinkle mischievously, "Remember, Rogue, only take what you can steal."
With a self satisfied grin on her face she walked away from the thief, her gait slow and inviting, "I'll improvise."
/the end
And that's the end, or is it? Stay for the epilogue and find out. ;-)