Disclairmer: I do not own the X-men

I made some major changes in the story, added 2 more chapters as well. Please, read it from the beginning (the changes start on chapter 2). I hope you all enjoy it :D

A very special thanks to ElvenMuggle! You are amazing!

Remy kept driving, his mind still somewhere else. He was just vaguely aware he was heading to the place indicated in the map he had picked at the Brotherhood. The chilly wind on his face was making him feel better, and the movement of the city, its lights and sound was nearly a relief. For a moment, he just felt like driving for days, escaping like he had done so many times before, and going back to his beloved New Orleans. There all his worries would be cheating at poker or flirting with a married woman. The warm, jazzy and sensual city would welcome him, and he wouldn't have to worry about anything else. Or maybe he would. Remy frowned when the sensation of being lost hit him. He knew even New Orleans wasn't the place for him anymore…he couldn't go back.

His Harley stopped in front of a dark alley between two abandoned buildings. Remy parked it and looked around to see if anyone was paying attention to him. Then he went into the alley, removed the sewer's lid, and went inside. The smell wasn't pleasant at all, but there was something even more disgusting in there waiting for him.

"I thought you wouldn't come, Gambit." The cold voice welcomed him.

"Sinister! What are y' … oh." Suddenly, everything made perfect sense. The Brotherhood would never be able to dribble the X-Men alone. "Y' helped them." Remy nearly groaned at how stupid he had been. This should've been clear to him since the beginning.

"Yes. Did you really think they were that smart?" Sinister's laugh echoed on the dirty walls. "Erik wanted something discreet and clean but…what would be the fun in that? So I convinced the little boys that they needed to put some fire in their mission." His eyes scrutinized Remy's expression, a mix of rage and nausea. "How does it feel?"

"Why would y' do dat?" Remy approached him, gritting his teeth. "For fun?! Y' killed because y' thought it woul' be fun?" His breath was unsteady.

"Oh, no. No, no, my dear Gambit. Not just for the fun. You see… I did it for you." Sinister's voice was calm and soft. Remy stopped on his tracks and his jaw dropped.

"W-what?" For some reason, Remy had a very bad feeling about what the cold scientist in front of him had just said. It was shocking that someone could grow even creepier as you got to know them.

"How can I put this in a simple way? Well, I wanted you to feel the sweet taste of death. I wanted you to know how it feels. Isn't it good?" He smiled sickly.

For a few seconds, it really seemed Remy was about to vomit. His face was pale, slightly greenish. He lost his balance and leaned on the dirty wall of the tunnel.

"Y' are sick." He whispered, feeling the energy pulsing inside him. All he wanted to do was to explode the monster grinning at him. "Y' are a sick murderer."

"I know! And what are you, Gambit?" That soft voice seemed to sting Remy. "Do you know what you are? Because right now, you also have blood on your hands. Indirectly, but you do." Since the trembling Cajun didn't answer, Sinister went on. "Don't be so dramatic about it. You had blood on your hands before, hadn't you? My suggestion is: enjoy. Enjoy… Death."

Remy's eyes focused on him. "What are y' saying?!"

"A big event is coming, Gambit. And, if I were you, I wouldn't want to be on the wrong side. And since I will be the only one with the resource to control it, I'll be the winning side."

"Cut it! Go straight t' the point. Tell me what it is."

"It's none of your business… for now. But you are valuable to me. So I'm preparing you." Sinister took a few steps towards Remy, who backed away. "When this world comes crashing down, you'll have all the riches you desire…if you stay by my side, of course." His voice sounded completely insane. "Stay by my side and the world will be ours."

There was a moment of deep silence, only broken by the sound of running water, until Remy found his voice. "Sinister…" he whispered, and the creature smiled. "Y' can go t' hell." Remy spat on the floor and walked to the exit.

"Where do you think you're going?" Sinister's voice hissed behind him.

"Away! I've had enough!" Remy screamed back.

The laugher that followed his statement froze him right in his tracks. He knew there was no escaping, ever.

"Away? You can't go away." Sinister said, as if he was talking to a child who had said something absurd and hilarious at the same time. "You belong to me." He pressed a device on his coat and the tunnels were suddenly filled with Remy's screams.

The wave of pain started on the back of his head and then spread to the rest of his body. Every single cell seemed to have electricity passing through them, burning his nerves. Remy fell to his knees, holding his head as if it was going to explode and screaming in complete agony. He tried to crawl away, but it was useless.

"Stop it…" He managed to say, collapsing completely on the floor.

"Beg." Sinister looked slightly amused with all that.

Remy tried to resist, hold back the tears and the screams, but the pain was too much. "I beg. Please… stop." He tried to breath, but it was getting harder. 'Kill me' he thought and suddenly the pain was gone.

"You are mine." Sinister whispered, looking more serious than ever at the aching man at his feet.

"I know." Remy sobbed in defeat, covering his face with his hands. The frustration, the pain, the anger, it all took over him. "Just… promise y' won't hurt them. Promise y'…" Another wave of pain washed over him and the screams echoed on the walls once more.

"Why are you so eager to protect them?" An intrigued Sinister asked, absently stroking his chin.

"Promise!" Remy groaned, defiantly glaring at him. 'Y' woul' never understand, y' monster.'

"You should know better than anyone that you only need to steal that diamond when the time comes. Nothing else. If everything goes as planned, there's no reason for anyone to get hurt. But if you insist, I promise not to touch or harm the X-Men. Will you do as planned, Gambit?"

"Oui." Even though the answer came out weak and shaky, it was filled with confidence. Remy sighed in relief when the torture stopped, all his body trembling, sweat and tears streaming down his face. It took a while for him to find enough strength to regain his composure and when he did, Sinister was nowhere to be seen.

The sack of money lay on the end of a tunnel, on a dry place. Remy checked to see if there were any tricks but it was clear. He put it on his back and found his way out of the place. Every note of dollar seemed to weigh like a rock, making Remy glad to drop the bag at the alley as soon as he reached the surface. He definitely didn't want that money or anything that came from it either so he just left the sack next to a garbage can. It looked harmless and innocent, but Remy could feel all the bad things related to that money. All the mess it caused.

Getting onto his Harley, he drove to the closest store and bought a mobile phone. After calling the police and indicating the location of the missing money, he disposed that mobile and bought a new one. It would be amazing if every problem could be that easy to get rid of. With a last look around and a sigh, he drove off, knowing exactly where he wanted to be.

Rogue turned on her bed for the tenth time and grunted. She had woken up from a nightmare about the bank robbery earlier and since then she couldn't get back to sleep. She turned again, trying to focus on Jubilee's snoring when something awakened her senses again and her body tensed. Steps. Footsteps right above her head. 'Ah'm not dreaming.' Rogue furrowed her brows in the dark, and turned to the balcony this time, lying quietly on her bed, waiting for a movement outside. She didn't have to wait for long: in a matter of seconds, someone landed softly on the balcony. The figure stopped for a second and peeked inside from behind the glass. Rogue was stiff on her bed, eyes nearly closed, but paying attention to every movement of the person outside. The door clicked open and the tall person got inside as silently as a shadow, then turned to close the door once more. It was her chance. Rogue jumped out of bed so fast she took a mental note to thank Logan for his training, and tried to tackle the person down.

"Gotcha!" she whispered energetically. But, as soon as she touched his covered arm, he turned around much faster than her, swept her out of her feet and landed on top of her, immobilizing her and covering her mouth with a gloved hand. Rogue was about to scream when she recognized the person over her. His hair fell over her face like curtains and all she could see was his handsome face. His red on black eyes were wide and he had one finger over his lips, asking her not to make any sound.

"Rogue?" Jubilee's muffled sleepy voice came from the other side of the room. Remy removed his hand from over Rogue's mouth, still pleading with his eyes she wouldn't scream or say anything to Jubilee.

"It was just a nightmare, Jubs. Go back to sleep." The Asian girl didn't need to be told twice, and in a matter of seconds she started snoring again.

The two southerners stayed like that for a little longer, staring at each other, until Rogue finally remembered what had just happened. Remy could clearly feel the change in her mood as she fought to get out from under him. He stood and offered his hand but she slapped it, standing up by herself, then grabbing him by his trench coat collar and dragging him to the balcony as silently as she could. The last thing she needed was Jubilee waking up and finding Remy in their room.

"Are ya trying to give meh a freaking heart attack, swamp rat?! What is wrong with ya?" It took a huge effort on her part not to scream at him and talk quietly instead. "Why were ya sneaking into mah room?"

"Pardon chérie, I thought y' woul' be sleepin'." He answered, a hint of embarrassment on his voice and face, catching Rogue off guard though not making her any less annoyed at him.

"Are ya telling meh ya were going ta sneak into mah room while Ah was sleeping?" She put her hands on her hips, glaring at him dangerously. Her urge to scream at him was now nearly unbearable, making her accent thicker. 'Damn.' Remy mentally slapped himself on the forehead. He thought she couldn't get any angrier until her face started getting purple in the dark. Her eyes narrowed and her mouth started to gape and Remy was scared, very scared of what was about to come. "Remy LeBeau…" he could barely hear what she was saying, and it was far more threatening than if she had been screaming. "Please tell me the damn nightmares Ah've been having of footsteps on mah roof, moving shadows and whispers in mah room are just nightmares and have nothing ta do with ya." Remy looked just like a kid that had been caught with his hand on the cookie jar and, as cute as it may have looked, it didn't make Rogue any less willing to strangle him.

'Merde. Merde, merde, merde.' For a moment, he seriously considered jumping from that balcony and running to the woods, but he knew he couldn't move fast enough to escape Rogue's rage. Right now, he didn't dare to move, or take his eyes off her. Even when he had gotten face to face with an alligator years ago he had felt more optimistic about it. "Chérie…"

"Don't ya chérie me, swamp rat! What were ya doing in mah room?"

He knew making up an excuse was out of question, and he didn't want to do that anyways. He was sick and tired of lying and making up stories. But telling the truth was a bit ('very') embarrassing, he had to admit. Remy ran a hand through his hair and looked into her eyes for a while until enough courage built up inside for him to answer honestly.

"I was havin' nightmares tonight as well, chérie. Couldn't sleep so I decided t' drop by." It didn't sound as good as he wanted, but it was honest… 'Ok, half honest.' However, Rogue looked confused for a moment then furrowed her brows. He had nearly forgotten how beautiful she looked when she did that.

"Remy, Ah know everyone is kind of shocked about what happened, including mahself. But this ain't the first time Ah hear these steps and all those weird things happen in mah dreams. So ya better find a better excuse or Ah'll drop ya off this balcony and ya can drop by the Medical wing to visit Hank." As she spoke, she crossed her arms over her chest and Remy surprisingly felt a smirk trying to break through his lips, just in time to hold it back and put on his guilty face again. 'What's going on with you, Remy LeBeau?!' he thought.

Unfortunately, Rogue saw the brief change in his expression and took it the wrong way. "Swamp rat, Ah'm serious! Ya can't sneak into people's room lahke this, scare the hell outta them and think it's funny!" Her voice raised as her anger boiled inside. 'That stupid smirk just makes meh want to strangle him. Can't he take anything seriously?!'

Remy realized how close she was of losing her temper and rushed to put a hand on her mouth again. "Shhh… Rogue. Rogue!" he held her firmly against the balcony, using his own body to restrain her moves so she would stop struggling. "Desolé, chérie. I didn't mean t' sneak…" as he saw the look on her face, he sighed. "Ok, I meant t' sneak. BUT…" he added when she tried to push him, and pressed her harder against the balcony. "I wasn't lyin' when I told y' 'bout the nightmares." He felt her trying to move her lips in protest under his hand so he lowered his head to the same level as hers, looking straight into her eyes. She flinched to the sudden closeness of their faces but Remy ignored, or tried to ignore it. "Jus' listen. Y' were right, ok? I did come here every night… an' I did come because o' my nightmares. I'm sorry if I ended up givin' y' nightmares as well. I just couldn't stay in my room all night so…" He stopped abruptly, thinking that giving her more information would be way beyond embarrassing for a man like him. It would be humiliating. Anyways, it wasn't needed to go on. Rogue had stopped struggling and looked intensely into his eyes, but it wasn't anger flickering inside her own eyes. It was compassion. Her hand softly removed his from over her mouth, but she didn't let it go.

"Remy… are ya telling me ya have these nightmares every night?" Her voice made him wonder how such sweetness and such toughness could coexist in the same person. There was the sphinx in front of him again. "Remy?"

"Oui… whenever I close my eyes, t' be more precise." He whispered, looking away.

"Sugah, Ah swore Ah wouldn't do this and make ya feel Ah'm pushing ya but... do ya wanna talk about it? Ah mean, if it's ok with ya. Ah'm not trying to force ya or anything, and Ah'm sorry if it did sound lahke that. It's just that if ya are feeling bad about something… not that it's any of mah business, but…"

"Jubilee, breath." Remy mocked without looking at her. Rogue chuckled and he closed his eyes to that sound. It was refreshing. He turned his face to her and smiled. "I'd be glad t' talk t' y', Rogue." It was just then that he took in the fact he was still pressing his body against hers. Not that it felt bad… 'Not at all.' he thought. Rogue, on the other side, seemed to be getting uncomfortable, so he pulled back, giving her some space. His empathy caught a wave of relief coming from her, and he turned so she wouldn't see him frowning.

"Just give meh a second. Ah'll get mah coat and mah gloves." She went inside as silently as she could, dressed her gloves and then her coat, put her shoes on then went back outside. Remy had lit a cigarette and was leaning on the balcony, waiting for her. Rogue couldn't help but sigh inside at how handsome he was looking. She always liked when he had that messy look, his rebel hair falling over his face, yet not covering his smoldering eyes, the way he leaned on the balcony, apparently weightless, the cigarette dangling from his lips, a thin smoke escaping from them. The only thing getting on her nerves was the smell of the cigarette, which always made her feel like sneezing. She tried to snatch it from him but he just dodged her move, chuckling. "Ya know Ah hate that smell. Throw it away!"

Still chuckling, Remy threw it away then bowed to her, playfully. "Y' knew y' just had t' ask nicely. Shall we?" He asked, nodding to the roof.

"Yep."

He climbed first, with the elegance and agility of a cat, not making any sound, then offered his hand to her. Rogue just ignored it and climbed by herself, not as gracefully or silently, but she dared him to say anything with a glare. They walked to the higher part of the roof, and sat next to Ororo's greenhouse glass window on the attic. Rogue had never been on the roof before, and gasped when she saw how beautiful the gardens looked from there, under the moonlight, with the woods on the back. It looked like a painting. Everything was quiet, except from the rumors of the tree branches shaking to the chilly wind.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Remy whispered, looking at the moon over them.

"Very. Now Ah understand why ya didn't stay in yer room."

"But I didn't leave my room t' come here, chérie." He turned to her, a significant look in his eyes. Rogue blushed but thankfully her hair was covering her face.

"Why did ya go to mah room? Ah mean, why didn't ya just wake meh up so we could talk?"

Remy wasn't sure of what to answer, but again, it was him who had opened that breach. "Y' looked so peaceful sleepin'… I'd feel guilty if I disturbed dat. And also, watching y' sleep made me feel peaceful as well." There was a slight hint of embarrassment in his voice again when he said that.

The blush was back on her face and she played with a lock of her hair, trying to control her heartbeat, looking more embarrassed than him.

"But y' weren't always dat peaceful, ma belle. And most o' the times, it wasn't because o' my presence." His tone was suddenly concerned and she looked away. She knew exactly what he was talking about. Many times, she would have strange dreams about Bobby. They were still together, but then he would start complaining about their lack of physical contact. So she would kiss him, just to find out she couldn't let go. His now red on black eyes would get wide with despair, trying to break the contact. Rogue wasn't sure who she was kissing anymore. She tried pushing him away but couldn't… it was like they were glued to each other. Then he would turn into Cody, and slap her face, making her fall. He screamed at her for ruining his life with her poison skin. Rogue would try to run away but he would come after her and grab her uncovered arm. This time it was him who kept holding on to her, saying it was her turn to know how it felt to be drained, and she realized he was the one draining her life force. A voice started to fill her head, demanding she would open her eyes and then she would wake up with tears streaming down her face, struggling with her sheets.

"The voice… it was you?" She turned to look at him, finally connecting the pieces.

He nodded. "When y' started moanin' names and cryin', I would tell y' it was just a nightmare and ask y' t' wake up. The problem is dat sometimes y' would get even worse when I talked t' y'."

"Maybe Ah thought it was their voices in mah head… ya know, like the other psyches." She pulled her knees to her chest and rested her chin on them. "Thanks for waking meh up, sugah."

"No need t' thank me. But feel free t' talk 'bout it, if y' want." He knew the psyches were a real issue for her, but perhaps she needed to face her demons to be able to overcome them. Would she be ready?

"We came here to talk about you, Rem." Maybe she wasn't. "So, what are yer nightmares about? It must be something serious, if ya have them every night, right?"

"Oui. It's 'bout some parts o' my life I'd rather forget 'bout. The problem is dat I can't." He shifted uncomfortably where he was sitting.

"That's not very unusual around here."

"Guess not. The problem is dat my nightmares are directly proportional t' the mistakes I've made in my life." His face was half covered in shadows, his gaze lost somewhere in the woods.

"Is it that bad, Remy?"

"Worse. Much worse, ma belle. I thought doin' the wrong things for the right reasons wasn't a big deal. Turns out it was." For him, it ended up being a deal with the devil. "But it's just…" he sighed hard, shaking his head. "Y' just can't imagine, Rogue." He then stared at his opened hands on his lap and reflected about what he was going to say. "Actually, y' can."

Rogue moved a little closer to him, encouraging him to go on with her eyes.

"Remember once I told y' I had issues with touching too? Well, my powers kicked in when I was still a kid. But they only developed for real when I became a teenager. Dat's when the trouble started. I couldn't control it at all. Everythin' I touched blew up, and it got t' the point where I couldn't even stare at somethin' for long without making it explode. I had t' keep my eyes closed all the time, and my hands away from anythin'. I nearly went crazy at dat time, Rogue."

"And Ah thought mah mutation was bad! How did ya control it?"

"I got…help. Or what I considered t' be help, at the time. Believe me, chérie… if I could go back in time and undo dat, I would."

"Why?"

"Let's say not everyone is as good intentioned as Professor Xavier. You are really lucky ya have met the right people. I wish I'd had the same chance y' are havin' here. Ya' got friends, people y' can trust, who support y'. Even if y' don't control it yet, dis is a good way to start learning how to. The world out dere ain't no playground, chérie. I had t' learn it the tough way."

"Did they abuse ya?" Remy had to hold back laughter at her question.

"That's a cute way to put it." He hesitated for a second, running a hand through his hair. "I was experimented on, Rogue." He heard her gasp for air next to him.

"Sugah… Ah don't know what to say." Rogue sat there staring at him, wondering how someone who had gone through so much could be as nonchalant, funny, and easygoing as he usually was. She could feel a growing respect for the man sitting in front of her. She also started feeling bad about all the times she complained about her powers and her life in front of him. It now seemed so…whiny of her.

"Don't! Just because things were hard for me, doesn't mean they are easy for y'." He raised her chin with a finger, a severe expression on his face.

"How do ya know what Ah was thinking? Are ya a telepath too?!" She asked, with wide eyes.

"I don't know what y' were thinking, just what you're feelin'." Rogue looked more confused than before so he explained. "I'm an empath. Means I'm like an anthem to other people's emotions. Most o' the time I try t' disconnect, though. But if the emotions are too strong, it's hard t' block it. And right now, y' were feelin' really guilty and ashamed 'bout somethin'. And from y'r reaction, I got it right."

"Do ya always keep everything bottled up inside?"

"Don't we all?" He grinned and took a deck of cards of his pocket, then started shuffling it. Rogue lay down on the roof, her hands behind her head, contemplating the moon.

"Ah'm glad ya found us. At least now ya can have some peace, right?" He didn't answer but she took that as a positive sign. "Not that the Institute is the most peaceful place on Earth but… people here are nice. We are all looking for the same things. Control, redemption, comprehension, friends. Ya can start all over, sugah."

Remy lay next to her, putting the cards back in his pocket. "Do y' think so?"

"Ah'm sure. No matter how bad things were for ya before, Remy, they won't cause ya any more harm. Ya got friends now. People ya can trust and who support ya." She turned to lay on her side, facing him, and smiled. Remy smiled too, secretly hoping everything she said was true. 'But they can't trust me, dat's the fact.' He thought. His face must have trespassed some of his apprehension because she poked him on the chest and completed, in a serious-funny tone. "If anything comes back to haunt ya, Ah'll protect ya."

Remy just stared at her fondly in reply, taking in every detail of her face, and promised himself he would protect her as well if anything tried to harm her. He then did something neither of them expected, making Rogue freeze. He pulled her close, holding her next to his chest.

"Remy…" She half-heartedly protested but he shushed her. Remy wasn't sure of what he was doing or even why he did that in the first place. It was completely spontaneous and it made him realize how often being around her made him do spontaneous stuff, even if later they seemed a bit senseless and stupid.

"Does it make y' uncomfortable?" He whispered.

"Yes." She answered immediately.

"Rogue, I'm an empath, remember?" He said with a grin, caressing her head, tangling his fingers on her hair.

"And I thought ya kept it shut down." Her voice came out a little shaky, a consequence of the butterflies filling her stomach.

"I do, but…" he paused and she completed the sentence mentally, blushing furiously. "Chérie, please. I just need somethin' t' hold on t' right now. A friend."

"Rem, ya know close contact…" she started but he cut her off.

"Rogue, I'm all covered. And I'm not afraid of y', y' know dat. I'm not worried, y' shouldn't be either."

Rogue resigned and sighed, surprised to feel a smile building on her face. She always wished people wouldn't hesitate in getting close to her, and here she was complaining about a hug. 'Rogue, ya need a psychiatrist.' She thought, closing her eyes. "Thanks, sugah."

"Y' keep thankin' me for not being afraid of y' and I'll get really mad at ya'." She chuckled and he rolled his eyes. "I'm serious, Rogue."

"Remy LeBeau is talking serious? That's amazing. Should Ah record it?" She looked up, trying to get a look at his face. He sighed and gave her a glare. "See how good it feels when ya try to talk serious and someone makes fun of it?"

"Lesson learnt, mission accomplished." He stared at the stars above him, wondering what in the world made the girl in his arms so convinced people were scared of her. He just couldn't imagine how someone could not want to get closer to her.

"Remy?"

"Hmm?" He responded without moving his eyes from a shiny star right above his head.

"Ah got an idea to lift that mood of yours. Ya see, there are a couple of coupons in mah room that Ah won at a party. Wonder if ya would like to have the other one so we could check that restaurant out."

Remy stopped for a moment, in shock at what she had just said. "Chérie, are y' askin' me out on a date?!" He lifted his head slightly and looked down at her, meeting her green eyes staring back at him.

"Maybe." 'What?! No!' She thought desperately. How did that maybe come out of her mouth? "A friend's date…meeting!" She tried to fix, only getting a quirked eyebrow in return.

"Ok… This makes no sense, chérie." He teased her, knowing how embarrassed she was getting.

"Do ya want to go or not?!" She asked defensively.

"Alright, alright." He lifted his hands. "When do y' want t' go?"

"Friday night. It's not as full as on Saturday."

"Sounds great t' me. Will y' wear y'r costume?"

"Shut up." She groaned. After that, they stayed in silence for a while, looking at the stars, even though not completely focused on that. Remy was the first one to break the silence with a sonorous yawn.

"That's contagious." Rogue tried to say, yawning as well.

"Mind if I close my eyes for a few minutes?" He asked, feeling his eyelids heavy.

"If it's just a few minutes, then go on."

"Just ten minutes. If I don't wake up, feel free to tickle me awake." He yawned again and closed his eyes, one hand still on her head and the other around her.

"Sounds fair." She replied, struggling to keep her own eyes open but failing miserably after the first three minutes. The slow rise and fall of his chest, his heartbeat, the warmth of his body, the soft chilly breeze caressing her face, and her own sleepiness, were all conspiring against her. She drifted to sleep without even noticing it, and her dreams mixed with reality in the best dreams she'd had lately. Remy, on the other side, didn't dream at all, but it was the best sleep he had in years.

Meanwhile, someone moved behind the greenhouse glass, a smile on the face. The person stayed there for a few minutes, covered by the flowers and plants, then turned and left silently.

The sound of birds and the sun in the horizon indicated it was still early in the morning when Rogue opened her eyes. Her face felt cold but she was well covered with her coat and a trenchcoat. She closed her eyes again and breathed in the sweet smell coming from the trench coat, that mix of scents that always blurred her senses. 'Remy…' And then everything came back to her mind.

"Remy!" she sat and looked around, but he was nowhere to be seen, which was good because right now she was having a very hard time fighting the butterflies flying around her stomach. 'Did I sleep…in his arms? Oh my…' Just thinking about it was…Ok, she would bother about it later, or maybe she would try to never think of it again. 'But ya liked it and ya know it.' Her conscience whispered at the same time she shook her head. 'It's ok, that's what friends do. Talk, hang out… sleep in each other's arms?!' Rogue slapped her forehead and groaned.

"Ok, never mind. Act normal when ya see him, like it was no big deal. And it wasn't a big deal!" She stood, grabbed Remy's trench coat and carefully walked to the roof's edge right above her room.

Rogue sat and threw her legs over the edge, suddenly kicking a basket that was put there in the exact same second. She heard someone curse then gasp, and she looked down to see Remy, perched on her balcony border, one hand firmly grasping a roof tile and the other holding onto the basket she had just kicked.

"Whoa! Careful, chérie. It took me some skill to bring this up here without gettin' caught." He regained his balance, left the basket on the roof, and then climbed after it.

"What's that?" Rogue asked, trying to avoid direct eye contact and peep into the basket, but he took it from her hands and walked to the place they had sat the night before.

"Come." It was all he said until they sat down. She kept her eyes lowered, not really sure of how she should act when she faced him.

"What's this about, swamp rat?"

"This…" he took a towel from the basket, put it on the roof, and started putting plates over it. "…Is a picnic on the roof." He winked at her and continued to distribute the food on the plates.

"Ah got that, Remy. What Ah meant is why." At least, he wasn't making any embarrassing comments. She finally looked into his eyes but there wasn't that perverted brightness behind them. She sighed mentally. 'So everything is normal.'

"Hmm, let's say I know how hungry a night on the roof can get ya'. And also…" He gave her that million dollar smile. "To thank y' for not throwing me off the balcony last night, ma belle." He then got unusually focused on pouring juice into her glass, staying silent for a few seconds. Rogue knew he always did that when trying to find the right words to say something important, without making it seem that important. "I just wanted to thank y' for listenin' t' me, Rogue. Dat's a feat, believe me." He chuckled but it didn't sound very natural to her. She had to admit that for someone who was said to be so good at poker, he was getting a little weak at pretending. She wasn't telling him that, though.

Rogue just smiled then shrugged. "If people get to know ya make them a picnic whenever they pay attention to what you say, they'll start to actually bother listening to ya, swamp rat." She laughed when she saw the expression on his face.

"Very funny. So y' are a mornin' person, eh?"

"Not really. But waking up to a picnic makes anyone's mood brighter, dontcha think?" Little by little, her confidence returned. She thought that lowering her defenses to him would either make him back away frightened or make her feel threatened. That clearly wasn't happening and it was really surprising.

"Mais pardon then chérie, next time I'll have t' bring Wolvie here instead o' y'."

"Ah think you would need dozens of picnics to brighten his mood on a Monday morning. Though Ah think a pack of beers would do."

"Nice to know. Dat always makes my mornings happy too." Rogue rolled her eyes and he snorted. "I'm just kiddin' chérie… or maybe not." He rested his back against the greenhouse glass and took a bite from his sandwich.

Well, I've written half of the new chapter already and it's been flowing pretty well, so far. It will be posted here soon.

Reviews, please :D