PyrusAngel: Welcome to the Last Chapter. Sorry it took so long, due to everyone's questions I did a last minute rewrite. Enjoy :D
Disclaimer: For this final chapter. I like to thank everyone who had reviewed and favorited and followed this story. In honor of them I say for one last time: I own nothing but my silly idea that took nearly a three years to write.
Review...
"Remy..." Rogue whispered, her voice horse.
"Oui, don' talk tah much chere." Remy stated, leaning forward to put his hand on her forehead.
"Ah'm Cinderella." Rogue muttered once more before falling back to sleep.
"Yah always have been." Remy replied as he leaned forward to kiss her forehead.
Chapter 22: A New Life
Recovering was a bitch, Rogue concluded. She had been stuck in her bed for nearly a four full days, since Alice wasn't taking any chances. Rogue wasn't alone, however, Remy was always nearby bringing her food, snacks, movies on his laptop, medicine, and on this occasion he had brought an old looking photo album.
"What's dat?" She asked, her voice finally back to normal.
"Remy thought yah might wanna see some of dah old photos from New Orl'ans." Remy stated, as he sat on the bed, beside Rogue.
Rogue moved over to give him a little more room, but Remy pulled her right back as he set the album on both their laps and wrapped his arm around her. The album was clearly old from its dusty cover and slightly yellowed pages, but the photos looked pristine. Rogue began flipping slowly through the book, while Remy gave her a play by play of what was happening in each photo.
"Dat beh yah, Kurt, Theo, and Remy at Henri's birthday party. We decided a mud war was better then the bouncy castle." Remy explained, pointing to a photo of the four of them standing there laughing in a huge mud pit.
Rogue laughed along with Remy as they continued. Her favorites had to be the wild things they had done from the mud pit to alligator hunting to Kurt and Theo getting stuck in the swamp. Rogue paused on a photo of her with a wrapped up arm. She touched her arm confused.
"What happened here?" Rogue questioned, Remy looked at the photo.
"Yah mistook a bobcat kit fer a kitten. Yah wanted tah keep dah petite thing, but the mama cut yah when yah went tah pick up dah kit." Remy explained his voice distant.
"Oh..." Rogue said softly, just as Remy put his head on her shoulder.
"It was mah fault really. Theo and Ah told yah it was a kitten, Ah also found yah first aft'ah yah screamed. It was such a stupid prank..." Remy confessed but Rogue just put her hand on his head.
"Rems. Yah didn't know Ah'd go aft'ah it. An' yah saved meh right?" Remy nodded, "Den yah've saved meh twice now. Cheer up, sugar."
Remy looked at her in shock, while Rogue turned to the med bay doors just as Logan walked in. Logan had a cigar in his mouth and a happy, or as happy as Logan could get, look about him, though it quickly sank, upon seeing Rogue and Remy so close together.
"Cajun." He murmured with a nod.
"Chief." Remy replied in a similar clipped tone.
"What's up Logan?" Rogue asked trying to distract the two.
"Just got off the phone with the airport, Raven was caught today." Logan stated finally turning to look at Rogue who shot him a confused look, "She got caught trying to leave the country with 45 lbs of coke, 53 lbs weed, 12 lbs of ecstasy, and 24 lbs of heroine."
"What!" Rogue yelled from shock.
"It appears she's going to be going away for a long time." Logan finished before growing very serious, "Unfortunately that leaves you and Kurt without a legal guardian. Seein' as how Kurt still has another year before he's eighteen, doesn't matter in the mind of the law."
"Remy know's just who to ask." Remy announced surprising the pair as he stood from the bed, "Wanna come chere?" He asked.
"Ah've gotta see dis." Rogue teased him as she gingerly got up from the bed, though she paused looking at the last page of the book.
"Something wrong kid?" Logan asked as he and Remy stood at the door waiting for Rogue.
"No...but Remy can Ah take this photo?" Rogue asks not looking at the pair.
"Bien sûr. Tante always has extras in her other books anyway." Remy explained, watching as Rouge pulled the photo out and slipped it into a pocket before turning and smiling at him and Logan.
"Shall we go den?" She asked.
Remy held out his arm for her, which she took with a smirk as they lead the way back up to the main floors of the mansion. Remy lead the pair into the main room, where Alice was busy explaining her wedding in detail with Kitty and Dani who were awing over everything. Rogue smiled and waved at the trio before seeing her brother and Piotr glaring down a sly look Pietro.
"Pie? When did you get here?" Rogue asked curiously, as she let go of Remy to greet her best friend's brother.
"I flew in sometime last night." Pietro stated giving her a hug, though he secretly watched Kurt's pissed off face.
"Let go of mah schwester."
"Kurt." Rogue rolled her eyes moving over to her brother, "Look what Tante has."
Rogue pulled out the photo from her back pocket and hands it to Kurt. Kurt looks down at the photo to see a younger Rogue staring back up at him along with their parents and a younger version of himself. The man in the photo had Kurt's dark hair and a gold hoop in his right ear, while the woman beside him had Rogue's emerald green eyes and her charming smile. Kurt looked up at Rogue who smiled just like mom back at him.
"Rogue..." He stated with a grin handing it back to her, "Keep it," she nodded before storing it back into her pocket. She then turned to Pietro still grinning.
"So what'cha yah do dis time?" she asked him curiously.
"...But Sir I honestly think you should consider returning as soon as you can." Came a female voice from the hall way, while Pietro grinned across at Rogue.
Rogue looked up in time to see Ms. Munroe walk in followed by Lexa, Professor Xavier, and the man that Rogue only knew as Remy's adopted father. She quirked an eyebrow when Lexa made a bee line to sit beside Pietro, rolling her eyes at him in secretive conversation that made Pietro grin. Rogue turned her attention back to the adults only to see Remy and his dad in deep conversation.
"Then its decided." Remy's dad suddenly announced before turning toward Kurt and Rogue.
"What is?" Rogue asked confused.
"Due tah unforeseen events Ah shall beh accompanyin' Ms. Boudreaux back tah New O'leans, and Ah shall beh stayin' der fer some time." Remy's dad announced, "Still Ah wish tah welcome yah two in'tah dis here family just lah'ke yah were always ment'tah beh. Ah can have dah pap'ar work finished by Monday."
"Dat's offly kind of yah Mr. LeBeau, but..." Rogue began but Remy's dad cut her off.
"Child, ain't no family member ever call' meh "Mr. LeBeau" so yah best don' go startin' now. Ah beh Jean-Luc tah yah both." Rogue grinned, as the sound of his name rang a distant bell in her head.
"Yah got yah self a deal Jean-Luc, but where weh gonna beh stayin'?" Rogue asked her hand now holding her brother's hand.
"Here, chere." Remy stated with a grin, "With Alice, Warren, Stormy, Tante, the Prof, and Remy."
Rogue's jaw dropped at the idea in living in the beautiful mansion. She glanced around at the mentioned people who smiled and nodded encouragingly at her. Finally Rogue's eyes landed on Kurt who was in a similar state of shock, though a grin was slowly crossing his face. Rogue was saved from finding the words to describe her joy when Lexa piped up.
"Dad and I got you the Waking Raven deed. Legally its your's now since Raven has no use for it." Lexa stated passing the documents over to Kurt.
"Ah know just the person these should go to." Kurt grinned, though he shot Pietro a cautionary look before turning to Rogue, "Mind if I go give these to our future boss?"
"Not at all. I can't wait to work for Clara. Maybe we can get Fred to come work at the cafe now."
"You guys are like gonna rename it though right?" Came Jubilee's voice as she and Sam walked into the room from the direction of the kitchens.
"Hmmm, dat'd beh up tah Clara Ah would assume." Rogue stated, "But most lah'kely."
Kurt thanked Jean-Luc once more, before heading off to find Clara. Rogue took Lexa and Jubilee out into the gardens while the guys and adults prepped for Belladonna's arrival. Rogue wasn't interested in accidentally running into the blonde bitch as the staff and family watched the girl move out of the mansion.
The three made their way with Lexa at the head of the pack through the maze like gardens before finally settling down in the greenhouse. Jubilee laid out on one of the lounge chairs under the glass roof, while Lexa and Rogue sat on a near by swing bench.
"So Lex, why were Piotr and mah brother givin' Pie the third degree?" Rogue asked curiously making Lexa blush and Jubilee giggle.
"Don' go thinkin' yah off dah hook either, Ah saw Sam, too." Rogue added to Jubilee which cut off her giggling right away, while Lexa cleared her throat.
"Well last night Pietro drove in just in time for dinner and he wound up sitting beside me. I asked him about the dance and he didn't even deny that it had been him. In fact he kissed me right there at the table so I knew it had indeed been him." Lexa explained taking a deep breath before continuing, "Of course dad, Kurt, and Piotr are all afraid Pie will use me and leave me, John would be too if he and Wanda had actually shown up to dinner last night."
"What do yah think Pie's intentions are?" Rogue asked leaning back into the swing's cushions.
"I think he's honestly interested. He said something about it having been predicted by Tod at the fair, or more exactly Forge's prediction device."
"And you believe that?" Jubilee asked indignantly.
"Well everything else came true. Just look at Belladonna, the truth came out about her and Duncan, she lost Remy because she was a selfish witch." Lexa added.
"I guess when you put it that way, it makes a little more sense, but I would still be careful.
"Trust me. Dad and Kurt are careful enough for me, and if they fail I can take care of myself." Lexa stated with a smirk that made Rogue laugh, "And what about you, Jubs? I didn't know Sam stayed the night." Lexa added, causing Jubilee to blush.
"Well we didn't plan that part either. He was here for Rogue and we got to talking that first night when everyone stayed over, and he just kinda never left. He showed up last night, while I was in the lounge and we got to talking about the past, our mistakes, the dance, and so one and it got really late...and...and..."
"AND!" Rogue probed trying to get Jubs to finish her thought.
"And we wound up cuddling and falling asleep on the couch." Jubilee stated, a blush staining her cheeks.
"Awww." Lexa cooed, doing her best Kitty reaction, making Jubilee stick her tongue out at Lexa who laughed.
"Nah, dat's cute Jubs. Was Sam the one you like?"
"Yeah. He's just so sweet." Jubilee stated dreamily lying back on her chair.
-Inside-
Remy frowned as he and Kurt watched Belladonna moving her things out, with help from the minimal staff, to the moving truck. Remy could feel his mixed feelings about seeing the girl he use to like in middle school leaving, never to return, while out in the garden somewhere sat his childhood crush that he thought he had lost forever.
"Remy?" Kurt asked pulling Remy back into reality.
"Oui?" he asked though his eyes didn't leave the parade outside in the main hall.
"How much do yah remember of Rogue and Ah?"
"All of it."
"How come Rogue don' den?" Kurt asked, absentmindedly.
"Because she's been under the spell of Raven." Charles stated walking up to the pair, "Raven zapped the life out of Rogue. She fed of the energy killing Rogue's wolf."
"Why didn't it affect me though?"
"Yah betta off askin' dah Professer dat one, but if Remy had tah guess it was cause she beh younger den us."
"Actually it was more likely the shock of it all." Came a studious voice from the opposite side of the room.
Kurt and Remy turn to see Professor Xavier cursing over the smooth tile toward them a friendly smile on his face.
"Shock?" Kurt questioned, "Den why wasn't Ah dah same way?"
"Shock effects people differently Mr. Wagner. You were already in the process of training at the LeBeau Manner, you knew the dangers that surrounded your family, and Rogue didn't have that knowledge. So the sudden loss of your parents hit her in a different way then it hit you."
Kurt nodded and turned back to the main hall in deep thought, Remy however turned to Professor Xavier.
"Prof, is it normal for her to have relieved those suppressed memories, while she had been under?"
"It is not unheard of." Remy nodded and left the room, his hand digging into his breast pocket as he walked.
-Greenhouse-
Rogue was now wandering the inside hibiscus gardens, while Lexa and Jubilee were enjoying the tea, sandwiches, and cakes that Tante Mattie had brought out for them to eat. Rogue had politely declined saying that the tea would be enough and it had been the truth, ever since she had woken up she was never very hungry. Rogue turned the corner into the rose garden only to see Remy already in the middle of the path grinning at her.
"Remy knew he'd find yah here." He stated moving closer and hugging her.
Rogue blushed a little, but accepted the hug stiffly. She still wasn't use to being touched so gently yet, but Remy seemed bound and determined to make her comfortable with it before she returned to school. Remy pulled back and grinned down at Rogue who smiled back up at him. Remy then pulled her down the path way to the swing bench that was tucked off to the side roses surrounding it.
"What bring'z yah here, Remy?" Rogue asked him curiously.
"Wanted tah find mah chere," Remy stated with a grin, as he sat on the swing and then pulled Rogue so she was tucked against him.
The pair sat in silence staring at the roses all around them, and taking in the peaceful scenery. As time went by however the comfortable silence became dead silence that made Rogue start to feel uncomfortable. So much so that she cleared her throat and curled closer to Remy, gathering her courage before speaking the thoughts that had been badgering her since she'd woken up.
"Rems," Rogue began.
"Oui?" Remy replied now looking down at the top of Rogue's head.
"Did yah really...Why were you Bella's boyfriend?" Rogue started but changed her question halfway through in fear of Remy's answer.
"Remy had too." Remy stated simply, "When yah 'nd Kurt disap'eared things...dey got really bad b'tween dah guilds. So bad dat Henri ra'n 'way with Mercy fer a who'e month. By dah time dey came home, dey were married at da âge of 19 'nd 18. So Remy was forced tah make n'ahce with Bella fer dah good of the truce. Our mariage was planned fer when we were thirteen, 'nd it would of uni'ted both dah guilds, 'nd with yah gone, chere, Remy no longer had a reason tah say non."
"But why stay with dah witch af'tah yah came here?" Rogue asked still not looking up at Remy in fear of losing her courage.
"Fer Dah Truce." Remy stated in a hollow voice, but he shook it off , "But now Remy's got his chere back."
"Ah still don' get it Swamp Rat." Rogue grumbled.
"Maybe yah don' have tah get it chere."
"But Ah want tah understand it all Rems. Ah've gone so long not understanding dat Ah'm done with dat."
"Rogue," Remy started lifting her chin so she was looking up at him, "When yah disappeared, yah took part of my cœur with yah, non, my entire cœur. Ah searched fer years, harder den anyone else. It took Jean Luc years befer he got Meh tah stop searchin' long enough to agree tah the truce. Every day Ah would go tah yah old rooms, tah yah old house, or look at yah face in dah albums. Ah would take harder 'nd harder missions to escape dah guild's expectations.
"When Ah finally escaped it was dah best thing dat ever happened since yah disappeared. Ah ran away 'nd blamed it on Julian. Dat year here was the first time Ah lived without constant harassment 'nd heart ache. When Bella returned Jean Luc still hovered over meh makin' sure Ah was playin' with dah nice. Not one decision Ah've made since dear old dad arrived has been my own. Until dat is Ah found yah. My love. My chere." Remy shifted in his seat and pulled something out of his pocket.
"Wanted tah give dis tah yah." Remy announced, pulling out a small gold box.
Rogue watched, curiously as Remy opened the box and pulled out a small gold necklace with a flower pendent hanging in the center. Rogue gasped and reached out to touch the necklace gently.
"You remember?" Remy asked, his voice dripping with anticipation.
"But how? Belladonna stole it from me years ago?" Rogue stated wonderingly as she looked up into Remy's eyes.
"Remy got it back 'nd never forgot dat little girl he danced with."
Remy brushed Rogue's hair aside until he could clip the necklace around her neck. Rogue hesitated a moment before she reaching up to touch the little flower smiling softly.
"Ah never did get'tah show mama an' papa dis," Rogue reminisced, as Remy holds her in his arms.
"Can we go tah New Orleans someday?" Rogue asks, gratefully leaning into his hug.
"Of course, chere." Remy stated as he stood up from the swing, "Ready to go now?"
"Yeah..." Rogue grabbed Remy's hand and together they made their way back to the mansion.
-The Next Day At School-
Rogue climbed off Kurt's motorcycle and stared up at the school appreciatively. She smiled and took Kurt's hand, before together walking into the school. Rogue held her head up as she walked, she noticed all sort of people looking back at her. Most didn't meet her eye, but others smiled and waved or even said hello to her.
Rogue and Kurt finally made it to the ally but stopped short when they saw everyone already waiting for them in the quad outside the ally. The group at large was present with a few new additions mixed among the old and trusted. Wanda jumped up from the bench to hug Rogue, while Kitty and Jubilee laughed from the bench they were sharing with Piotr and Sam.
"It's great to have you back." Wanda cheered happily.
"It feels good tah get away from dah mansion fer awhile." Rogue confided.
"Oh like Rogue a Mansion can't be like that bad!" Kitty joked, rolling her eyes at Rogue.
"What mansion?" Jamie asked, as he came up and stood behind Jubilee and Sam, a confused expression on his face.
"The mansion the dance was held at Jamie." Jubilee explained sweetly to the young boy, who smiled back at her in return.
"Oh right, I forgot." Jamie replied with a blush, making the others laugh.
"So what do we all do now? Now that we're all buddy, buddy, and all," asked Pietro who was currently lounging across a bench, his head on Lexa's lap.
"Well seems tah Remy like dah perfect chance tah just enjoy bein' seniors." Remy announced appearing behind Rogue his arms wrapping around her waist easily.
"Ah'll concur with dat one, Swampy." Rogue laughed while leaning back into his embrace.
"Remy knew you would, Sha." Remy whispered to her just as the bell rang for first class.
PyrusAngel: And that's all she wrote. Well until the Christmas Special ;) Keep an eye out for it my wonderful, wonderful readers. You all have made this one of my favorite stories to write and that I have posted in a very, very long time.
