Author's Notes: This chapter's long, but it's mostly dialogue and smut.

Chapter Four

USS Enterprise

Fontanelle was nowhere to be seen. Good. I couldn't handle a single word from her wrinkled, painted mouth.

I walked straight to the holodeck.

Inside, Rogue was sitting in the teacher's lounge at the Jean Grey School. She was bent over a small stack of papers and smiled when she saw me.

"Good timing. Ah'm ready to sell my soul for a cup of coffee," she said.

"This devil ain't after your soul." I opened the cabinet holding coffee ingredients and started a fresh pot. "What else you got?"

She came up behind me and grabbed my ass. I reached for her, but she'd slithered back to her seat. Fine. I brewed a pot, fixed her cup, and carried it to her. With a smile, she accepted with both hands and brought it to her mouth.

I grabbed her breasts.

"Remy!"

Her hands were still holding the coffee cup, so she couldn't slap me away. Short of throwing the coffee in my face – which we both knew she'd never do – she was defenseless. My mouth nibbled her neck and found its way to her ear lobe.

"Remy…" She dropped her mug. As it rolled away, coffee spilled on her papers. "Stop. Anyone could walk in here."

"Then we'd better hurry." I ripped her pants open and pushed her head down on the table. The table scraped loudly as we came together. Her coffee mug shattered on the floor. Mon Dieu, making her mine again was heaven, and the added thrill of our vulnerable position made me finish almost instantly.

Kitty phased through the locked door. "What's-? Oh god!"

She quickly exited, cursing us all the way down the hall. Idiot.

Rogue slapped me. "Now everyone's gonna think we're back together!"

My heart dropped as she wiggled back into her uniform.

"End program," I said and the lounge faded.

Back in my quarters, I got drunk. In fact, I was so drunk for so long that Fontanelle grew concerned.

"It's not Mardi Gras yet, sweet cheeks. Get up. You've got work to do."

"Leavme 'lone."

"You've gotta wake up if you want to lose me." She put her hands on her hips.

"But that means…"

"Yes?"

I sighed. "That means facing my father."

"Come on, who doesn't hate their parents? Just because your old man boned his sister, kidnapped you, staged your death, which drove her to suicide, and then sold you to a complete stranger with no security for your safety… He's no worse than anyone else!"

"You have really low standards for 'not that bad'."

She picked up a bottle of vodka, checked for back wash, and then took a drink. "The bitch who birthed me sold me to Sinister, knowing full well what that monster does. I guess you could say it's skewed me vision… At least Jean-Luc came back for you."

"Did he?"

"Don't stop in the dark woods when the wicked witch has you corned. You know this tale as a happy ending… Why don't you finish it before you lay blame?" She paused, "Besides, Belle needs help."

I perked up. "She does?"

"She's about to be burned at the stake for witchcraft-"

…

1915 New Orleans

"Are you hurt?" I asked Belle. It was dark, but she seemed alright.

"Why wouldn't I be?" she replied.

I sighed, "Damn Fontanelle…"

Outside, a storm was raging. The wind was constant and deafening. Lightning struck, thunder close behind, and briefly illuminated the place. We were back in the Velvet Ministry. The building moaned and popped. A church bell clang out, warning of impending flood. The rain was coming down in sheets and I wondered if my city had built levees by 1915 or if this was the reason we started…

Luc entered, soaking wet, and called out for Antiquary.

A dozen disciples appeared like ghosts.

"What is it, Jean-Luc?" The ancient man asked.

"I want him back!"

"If you've been scorned, perhaps a voodoo priest can assist."

Luc tackled him to the ground and locked his hands around his pruned neck. "Where is he?!"

"Where no Thief will ever find him," he wheezed. "Go on… Think Jacques needs you more than me? He has two sons… but one Minister."

"I can live with that." Luc gripped him tighter.

"Mercy… Mercy! Let's bargain."

Luc tossed him a bag. "That's ten times what you paid for him."

"I know." Antiquary rubbed his throat. "You're an idiot. What use have I for money? Judas also sold his burdens for profit. You should've paid more attention in Sunday school. Then you'd know your real problems start after you've thrown them all away."

"What do you want?"

"Your life. Dedicate seventy years to my service and then I'll return your precious bastard."

My father shook his head. "I won't let him be your pawn for life, too."

"He's already there. In the future. And when we arrive, I can tell you where he is or I cannot tell you. You make the choice now, Jean-Luc. Refuse me now and I warn you, the price will increase."

They agreed and signed a contract in blood. It was an oath I knew my father would break. When he became Guildmaster, some thirty years in the future, one of his first acts was to banish Antiquary.

"Convenient," Belle bitterly said.

I nodded. "Luc knew when I was, he just had to find out where. Stupid man shot himself in the foot with that one."

"That's not – never mind."

"What?"

She pursed her lips. "In seventy years, everyone who knew Luc and Lena would be dead. He could have you and his honor."

"He came back for me."

"I suppose that's something."

…

1917 New Mexico

Luc was sleeping in a hotel room. He slept through a disturbance down the hall, but Belle and I slipped through the door. A man was dragging a naked woman down the hall while another half-naked woman chased after them. She pulled a revolver and, although she was disguised, I instantly recognized Mystique. She fired twice, nailing him in the back.

He groaned in agony, drawing tenants from their rooms – including Luc.

"Raven! What did you do?!" Her partner cried.

A spectator bellied up to the women. "You're them German dames, ain't ya?"

Luc barked at him to fetch a doctor while applying pressure to the wound. Fat man hobbled away.

The shot man groaned, "I caught them fornicatin'. Heard it through the walls."

"You were watching us through the walls! Pervert! I saw you!"

Luc looked up and said, "I believe you ladies better leave town before the police arrive."

"My things!" Raven cried, suddenly all-girl. She ran back into their room and they hastily dressed while throwing everything else into a suitcase.

"God damn your things, woman!" Luc growled. "You'll be lucky to leave with your life!"

The other woman embraced him from behind and said: "St. Francis Hospital. New Orleans. Third of April 1986 at midnight. That's where he is."

Slack-jawed, he watched them sprint away.

…

2019 New Orleans

We were back in Belle's room, but this time she had company. She straddled a fit young man with sun-kissed skin. Their pelvises thrust together, working towards mutual climax.

"Oh god!" said the Belle beside me. Mortified, she covered her face and fled.

I couldn't move. Couldn't describe what I felt, either. This was the first time I'd been in a room while another couple made love, knowing they couldn't see or hear me. A thrill ran through me but it was laced with rage. I wanted to rip off his limbs and take her for myself. I had no right to these feelings.

She orgasmed – weakly – and then lay down beside him. They both struggled to catch their breath. Still panting, she got up, picked up her clothes and pulled them back on. At her dresser, she opened a water bottle.

"Got one for me?" her loved asked.

She looked cross. "Clearly, you don't know who you're speaking to."

He smiled weakly. "How was it?"

"The sex? Or the mission?"

His smile fell. "Look, I know you don't like the fact that I killed the guards-"

"It's sloppy. They weren't the target."

"But they were a threat."

"No, they weren't! Glorified security guards are not a threat!"

"I'm sorry. Next time-"

She laughed sharply. "Don't flatter yourself. There will be no 'next time'!"

Suddenly pale, he stood and tried to run. His legs stiffened and he collapsed. Using his arms, he tried to crawl away.

"What a waste of my fucking time," she spat. When he stopped moving, she shook her head. "Stupid son of a bitch. This is who they give me to work with."

Pale and weak, I stepped into the hallway, where Belle was still covering her face.

"Remy, I'm so sorry… If I'd known you'd ever see that… I would've shaved."

"You killed a man," I was surprised by my broken voice. "You took him to bed… Knowing you'd kill him."

She dropped her hands. "Get off your soap box! How many women did you seduce, knowin' you'd rob them?"

Being compared to an Assassin was revolting. Stealing someone's possessions wasn't the same as stealing their life.

"Why'd you spare me?" I asked. "Could've killed me countless times."

"Because I thought we loved each other! You never fucked anyone unless they were marked! You didn't make off with my things but you took my heart and soul and the best years of my life. I was practice for you but you were the love of my life."

"Don't re-write us that way. You know I loved you."

"Did you Ginny? Or Candra? Or Lily?

I wanted to reply no, I never loved those flings and she knew it. To compare us to them was an insult. She was hell-bent on offending me and I was determined not to let her. Frustrated (and if I'm being perfectly honest, the memory of her naked body was fresh in my thoughts), I expressed it with a kiss. And Christ, what a kiss!

She fished out my erection and encouraged its length with hard, quick strokes.

"Hope you shaved," I joked.

I twisted her hair and yanked her head back before nibbling on her breasts. I lingered there – no need to hurry. Finally, her hand moved between her legs and rubbed. The smell of her sex was intoxicating. Her other hand coached me forward, but I was determined to make this last. She was special to me and if she'd forgotten what I'd given in lieu of what I got, I was happy to remind her.

"I'm gonna come," she panted.

"Not until I fuck you."

She moaned with delight. When I spread her knees and settled between her legs, I still didn't rush. Patience isn't usually a virtue, but it is when making love to a woman. The first thrust was shallow and gentle. She begged incoherently. I steadily increased my pace, filling more and more of her each time. When all of me was buried in all of her, she climaxed. Not a weak one, either, like the dead man had given her, but an orgasm that made her back arch and toes curl and eyes roll back.

She wrapped her arms around me and made me forget all the fucked up shit I'd seen. So what if we were both monsters? At least we weren't alone.

"Can I come inside you?"

She grinned. "Not until I come again."

This time, she screamed so loud my ears rang. I spent myself in her womb, and as the adrenalin wore away, I realized what we'd done. I waited for regret to hit but I never felt it.

Younger-Belle exited her bedroom.

"We'd better go," she said, pulling her pants on. "She's about to dismantle the body."

…

2024 Tokyo

Have you ever been woken up by sirens? I don't mean like an alarm clock or fire engine. I mean the type of siren that warns you of impending nuclear holocaust. That's how I awoke. Don't mind saying – I nearly shit myself.

Laura kicked open my door.

"Let's do this!" She threw my uniform and dashed away.

What happened to being a spectator? This had been going down 'Christmas Carol' style and I'd grown complacent thinking it'd remain so.

The city was the unfortunate backdrop to an alien invasion, and we were being hit from all sides. Armed robots rose from the sea, ships fired from the sky, and lines of foot soldiers mowed down the defending army. No one was interested in my excuses for sitting this one out.

I remember Rachel telling me she'd once sent her parents to the far future to raise baby Nathan. They'd lived there for ten years in the bodies of their distant descendants, she said, because their minds required a genetic match to mesh. I guessed that's what had happened to me. My current mind must've taken over my future body. Too bad I didn't have future-me's memories. This situation was deadly enough without being totally in the dark.

And where the hell was Belle?

Safe in New Orleans probably. Fuck, I hoped she was safe.

"They've penetrated the atmosphere, so you know what that means," Laura said as our jet neared the battle.

"No!" I quickly answered. "What does it mean?"

A young Warren Worthington III sneered, "This isn't the time for jokes, Gambit."

Sabretooth cracked his knuckles. "This team's a joke. Whole world's going to shit. You think we're gonna save it?"

"Damn straight," Laura stood proudly. "That's what we do."

Jubilee pulled her goggles down over her eyes. "I came to kick ass and chew bubble gum. And I'm fresh out of bubble gum."

If I was about to die, at least I'd die in good company.

Our jet took a hit and we had to bail before it smashed into the ground. In the chaos of battle, I lost track of everyone except Jubilee, who seemed to be sticking to my three o'clock. Another jet shot overheard and she cheered.

"Get'm, boys!" She saw my confusion and shouted, "Avengers!"

A sonic boom shook my chest and overhead, I watched an ant-sized person smash into a skyscraper. Debris rained over us and then Rogue slammed into the pavement. I expected her to leap up, brush it off, and fly back into the fight. But she didn't move.

I shouted for Sabretooth – she could use his healing factor – but he was long gone.

"Anna," I gently touched her arm, "What..?"

She grunted. "They stole my… powers… Victor can't help… No one can…"

I shook my head. "Stay with me, chere. Medic's on the way."

"Kiss me."

"No."

"Come on, Cajun... You've kissed worse… One more kiss… and I'll be happy."

Hot tears poured down my face. I leaned over and kissed her but she was already gone. The wrongness of it threatened to rip me apart. I was supposed to go first – not her. If there was any kind of justice in the world, my life would end before hers. This was my fault. I'd caused this by interrupting the time line, by focusing on Belle and the Guild instead of my team. I should've done more. Ready to die, I took out droves of attackers. How had these limp noodles taken out my incredible Rogue?

The sky went dark and I heard Jubilee cry my name.

…

2032 New Orleans

"Look like you need a drink," my father said, handing me a glass.

I felt like I'd never seen him before. He wasn't the man he'd been in 1917 or 2017, and yet he was. He'd always been. My father was the father of lies; my mother, the mother of cowards. If they'd been braver, more honest people, I wouldn't have been chased into the distant future. I would never have met Belle or Rogue; would never have joined the Guild or the X-Men. I owed my life and everything in it to this man and his secrets.

"You lied to me," I said. "I know about Lena."

He dropped the glass. It spilled but didn't shatter, and he busied himself cleaning the carpet. He was going to ignore what I'd said, but I wasn't about to let it go.

"I know you regret it. And that you'd do it differently if you could go back… We don't have to talk about it. You've been lying so long, maybe you forgot what really happened. But I want you to know I don't hate you."

He put the empty glass in the sink and hung the wet towel over the faucet. "The Cardinals are waitin'."

I tried to tell myself he needed time; that we'd discuss it later. But I was livid. Everything had always been about Luc and his needs, his wants, his desires. He would never acknowledge the pain he'd caused Lena or the suffering he'd inflicted on me. No one forced him to hurt her or abandon me. But he'd been so damned focused on himself. Whatever price we paid for his comfort was a sacrifice he gladly extracted. Belle had been right to criticize his sudden turn of heart.

Jesus, where was she?

We donned our dusters and headed down the street. You may be stunned to learn that a world without Rogue wasn't much different from a world with her. I know I was. The sky was still blue; the streets were still crowded. Mutants weren't being hunted and policed by Sentinels. I was disappointed. I wanted everyone to feel the hopeless, unending grief I felt. I needed her existence to mean life or death for everyone – she'd meant that much to me.

Never mind.

Another skip and I'd be back on the Enterprise. Then I could teleport home and prevent her death. I'd know better than to mention Lena to Jean-Luc. And I could watch with pride as Laura and Jubilee grew into ass-kickers.

One more skip. The cats would never even miss me…

We gathered in the Thieves Guild Hall. The Cardinals slowly joined. When I saw Belle, I leapt across the room and pulled her close. They laughed. Someone muttered: 'We should all greet our wives that way', but I didn't give a fuck about playing emo. All those cold-hearted, half-dead, fish-eyed Council members were too afraid to show their emotions or even allow themselves to feel. I loved, goddamnit. And that mattered. I would never sacrifice love for power like they had done. Like my father had done.

As we pulled apart, I saw myself in a mirror. My hair was thinner and salted. My face was lined with creases and scars I couldn't recall. Belle was still young and beautiful. Was she? I looked again with more critical eyes and decided yes, she was still a 28-year-old beauty. How?

"Gambit, you're making a scene," she said quietly. "We've been here for years. Remember?"

When I thought back, I only remembered my memories. I couldn't reach middle-aged-me's memories.

"No," I said. "I don't remember anything after Tokyo."

"Tokyo? You mean-" She stopped suddenly. "Leave the talking to me."

Everyone took their places and a man was brought to the center. A Cardinal said: "By decree of the Unified Guild, the Velvet Ministry is hereby abolished. All possessions and knowledge therein are the property of the Unified Guild. All persons and property therein are the property of the Unified Guild. In accordance with the Guild's tenants, which state one's body is subject to one's will alone, all former slaves of the Velvet Ministry are henceforth freed.

"Antiquary, you acted as proprietor, violating the laws of state, Guild, and mankind. Despite repeated warnings to cease or evict, you continued to operate unjustly. The punishment for such a crime is death. What say you?"

"You have no claim to my life," he sneered. "Hypocrites. Kill me and you violate your own tenant!"

"I can live with that." Belle said and drew her weapon.

"NO!" I shouted.

Everyone froze and turned my way.

"No one has more right to want him dead," I said, "But we can't do this. Belle… I can't let you kill anyone else."

I remembered her handsome lover crawling away as her poison rushed through his veins. I didn't know that man. But I knew from experience that every murder killed a little more of her, and I wasn't prepared to lose her, too.

"Then let me," said a man. He stepped forward and I recognized him as Damien, the boy with the bowl-haircut, fully grown. "This abomination has stolen countless lives. Used his magic to inflict infinite suffering. He should forfeit not one life but hundreds! If it pleases the Cardinals, I will imprison this creature for hundreds of lifetimes until he dies a forgotten old man. I give my word, Guild Masters, that I will not kill him nor allow another to kill him."

Antiquary then begged for death, but we agreed to Damien's terms.

Luc slipped out unseen and Belle took me home. There, I told her about Rogue's death and my argument with my father. I felt guilty but she advised me to drop it. She was right. Luc would continue to ignore what I'd said until it suited him to do otherwise. Sadly, there was no easy solution to Rogue's death.

She was still dead.

"After the fight in Tokyo," said Belle, "you were a mess. Laura asked me to stay with you… And you said you'd never gotten over me." She showed me pictures of Rogue's memorial and our wedding. The second affair had been very low-key compared to the first, but I'd worn a tie and carried her bridal-style. "You don't remember any of this?"

"No… How is it you remember? How have you never aged?"

She laughed. "Oh, trust me, I've aged."

"No you haven't… You're the same age you were twenty years ago. You're a witch, aren't you?"

"Can't argue that, but I haven't been here all along. This Belle let me access her memories. He remembers you. My husband – or – hers... You know what I mean."

Morning Star, our orange tabby, crawled between us. I absently scratched his ears.

"Are you happy here?" I asked. "Is she?"

"Oh yes," she said sadly. "Here, we made a map… Sleep and death are the gateways. You drop in on Luc every two years. You see me in increments of five years. Rogue was seven years. And this is only the second time you've dropped in on Antiquary, so it's… Nineteen years. And with every round, another person gets added. We never could deduce why someone was chosen, except they played important roles in your life."

"I can't imagine who's left… Unless it's someone I haven't met."

"You probably wouldn't expect me or Antiquary to show up, either."

"That's not true."

"It's okay. You loved me once and you'll love me again. But you never love me when we're here."

"I'm sorry, Belle. I can't change how I feel."

She braced her lips against her teeth. "I want my husband back."

I reached deep down and felt myself float away. One more skip. One more and I'd be home again.

…

To Be Concluded…

…