Chapter II

Ain't no man who can save me,
Ain't no man who can enslave me.
Ain't no man or men that can change the shape my soul is in.
There ain't nobody here who can cause me pain or raise my fears
'Cause I got only love to share.
If you're looking for truth, I'm proof. You'll find it there.
~Ain't no man by Avett Brothers

Remy felt like a cretin. Bailing on Raven when she'd suffered a breakdown and Rogue when they'd finally had a break-through wasn't his heart's desire. But he had no choice. The evidence surrounding the girl he'd rescued would vanish if he delayed, and she'd been through too much to suffer another miscarriage of justice.

The Guild members immediately at hand – Fence, Darce, Alias, Seven, and himself – gathered at his safe house for final instructions.

"Cops are callin' her 'Jane Doe'," Fence said. "Between ten and twelve years old. No sexual assault but evidence of physical abuse and malnutrition. They combed the building where she was held. Surprise, surprise! Didn't find a thing."

Alias added: "Building was condemned and scheduled to be demolished, but the demolition was continually postponed at the request of an LLC that doesn't exist. I checked everything, it's all phony. But I did question a couple of local amateur artists who said a big purple Cadillac came around sometimes. They ran off, never looked to see who was driving."

"Purple Cadillac?" Gambit looked to Fence, who was already scanning security cameras in the area.

"I checked missing persons," said Seven. "And Darce verified the picture. Her name's Marie Bennett of Ottawa. State removed her from her parents six months ago, and last week, she ran away from her foster home."

Darce nodded. "Yeah, I spent all night at the hospital. The girl's a walking Petri dish. Scarlet fever, TB, hepatitis… It'll be two weeks before she's safe to be questioned, but… her mind's broken. I don't know if she'll ever recover."

The room fell quiet as Fence worked, combing through image after image. Finally, he shouted: "Bingo!"

"Can you see the tag?" asked Seven.

"Hm… Negative."

Everyone tried their eyes. In one blurry shot, it was partially visible, but angled beyond legibility. Finally, Darce said: "It's an Ontario plate! I know those patterns!"

"Customs will have this son of a bitch," said Fence. "Just gotta find it."

Gambit assigned Seven and Darce to the tedious task of scanning customs records while he and Alias journeyed north to question Bennett's estranged family.

…

In Remy's absence, Rogue could confidently say her relationship with Raven had moved from 'strained' to 'dysfunctional'. It started as soon as he left. Raven wanted to stay at his place – alone – and Rogue had to dance around the phrase "suicide watch". When at last she agreed to stay with Rogue (no 'thank you' or anything), she walked through her enviable penthouse without one word and proceeded to sulk in her room all day.

She showered, ate, and exercised, but when they met at the end of the day, she had nothing to say. Rogue found it difficult at first, sacrificing her evening tranquility to converse with a guest who never left, but now she anticipated these conversations. Having company was a pleasant change. If only her company could discuss something other than mediation, Bible verses, and traffic on the way to feed Remy's cats.

Was this normal?

Enough was enough. Eventually, some baddie would crash onto the scene and she would have to leave, too. Raven needed to get a life.

Luckily, Rogue had the solution. Following a series of adventures and tragedies, the Jean Grey High School suffered a skeletal staff. Storm, as new Headmistress, was feeling the pressure and Rogue was determined that Raven could help.

"Will there be reporters?" Raven asked.

"Ah don't think that'd be helpful."

They flew to Salem Center and immediately landed to evidence of disorder. The bamfs had activated the sprinklers, and the students rushed in panicked stampedes. Bobby and Angelica tried to gain some control, but they were overwhelmed. Where was Rachel? Ororo? Anybody?

Raven punched the ground hard enough to crack the earth's crust. The deafening boom caused the students to pause, and at last, they heard Angelica's horse cry directing them to the field.

"A little help?" Bobby called.

Raven dashed after him, but before Rogue could follow, her personal buzzed with an incoming call from Steve Rogers, the original and now ancient Captain America.

"I need you to come in," he said. "Nothing urgent but sooner rather than later. I can send a car if you need it."

"Ah'm in Salem Center. Give me fifteen." Raven was already gone, so she sent a text and headed back to Manhattan.

Inside the main hall, Raven helped Bobby Drake, the X-Man known as 'Iceman', shut off the water. It was too late to avoid an insurance claim. They – and everything else – were soaked.

"Thanks for your help," he smiled. "Usually when people drop by, it's to destroy things."

"Is it always like this?" She wrung out her hair.

"This is a good day." He surveyed the ankle-deep standing water. "How are we gonna clean this? I could freeze it I guess, but-"

She ran a few feet, belly-flopped, and slid down the hall.

"These floors are disgusting!" But he sounded impressed.

She skidded towards the intersection and collided with a man's legs. Water carried in her wake crashed around them and washed over her head.

"Are you alright?" He helped her stand.

Bobby rushed behind her. "Where the hell've you been? We could've used your help!"

"Those rabid beasts locked me in the basement."

Raven stood and came face-to-face with Nate Grey. Her smile melted.

Still holding her arm, he said, "My name is Nate but you already know that. You know a lot about me. Or some version of me." He examined her. "He hurt you."

"I wasn't expecting this," she said breathlessly.

"Nor I. Please don't go. I know it's painful for you and I apologize but it's been so long since anyone looked at me as if… as if they knew me. You know that feeling, too. Stay. Please."

She gathered her courage. "I'll help ease your loneliness if you'll ease my pain."

"You carry your pain like a constant companion. Parting you would be cruel."

"Yeah," she smiled. "You were a real jerk in my world, too."

…

Schaefer Theater
Manhattan

Rogue had been expecting a private meeting with her boss. Instead, she entered his office to face the notorious Black Widow, SHEILD deputy director Maria Hill, and an unknown man in a dark green suit.

Rogers spoke. "Rogue, thank you for coming so quickly. How's our favorite clone holding up?"

"Ah assume you mean Raven. Don't call her that, clones don't have souls. And she's great."

"Sorry, I meant no offense."

"Allow me to introduce Mr. Takahashi, our ambassador to Ontario," said Hill, "Agent Romanov will be sitting in as well."

"Ah don't appreciate bein' ambushed."

"Please take a seat." He waited and then continued: "Do you know where Gambit is?"

She looked at Takahashi and back again. "Is he in Ontario?"

"Any idea why?"

"Pissin' off the wrong people by the looks of it."

Natasha smirked. "You must know that what he did looks pretty bad. If you know something, spill."

"What'd he do?"

Hill hesitated for a moment. "Stole a teleporter to get to Ontario. Stole a couple of cars – returned them – and stole some government documents. Still waiting to see if those are returned with the teleporter… He and a young lady were last seen in Ottawa talking to Mr. Joseph Green. The next morning, Mr. Green was deceased."

She shrugged. "Sounds circumstantial."

"That law degree's paying off."

Natasha leaned towards her. "Green's been trafficking girls for two years. He keeps crossing borders, changing identities. I've been on him for six months. If a bullet could solve this problem, it would've been done long ago, but we need to know who's working with him and where those girls are being sent."

"Ah… Ah'm confused… Why am Ah here?"

Hill sighed. "Look, SHEILD and the Thieves Guild have a long-standing truce. He might've listened to Fury, but he doesn't want me telling him how to do his job. The next time he wants to play cowboy, he needs to check with me. I'm covering his ass, it's the least he could do. And if he stumbled across anything that might help Black Widow with her case, he should pass it along."

She was still reeling. "You want me to spy for you?"

"Spy?" Her eyes widened in disbelief. "Forget it! Gambit will read you like a book."

"Why do you think the team always invites you to poker night?" Natasha smiled.

"There goes the Quinjet again! How'd he get the keys?"

They laughed and Rogue lost her temper.

"Then why the hell am Ah here?"

"She wants you to keep Gambit in line," replied the Black Widow. "Word of advice, just between us girls – don't force him. Don't manipulate him. Tell him you need his help. He won't like it, but he won't be able to stop himself."

Disgusted, she left without another word.

…

Remy thought he'd gotten away with it.

The Bennett family had connections to Joe Green, who drove the purple Cadillac. Gambit and Alias got to him before the cops and scared him. Then they waited. As expected, he contacted his associates to warn them. After they'd been flushed out, Remy followed up for a more thorough inquiry. Green panicked and the words poured out.

"Honest ta God, man, I dunno what he does with those kids! I just pick 'm up and Nib-"

Suddenly, Green's head exploded like a watermelon. The Thieves ran for cover and waited but no further shots were fired and no one came to look for them. They covered their tracks and waited for the autopsy. A Guild contact in the morgue acquired a rough draft of the findings and put it in their hands before they returned home. Turns out, Green wasn't shot. It was – as it had appeared – an explosion from within his cranium. Some unknown device, too damaged to identify, had been responsible.

Remy left it in Fence's capable hands and dropped in to see Rogue. He usually called to check in around dinner time and thought if he surprised her at home, maybe he'd score more than a conversation.

But she was furious. "So how was Ottawa?"

Shocked, the first thing that came out of his mouth was: "Where's Raven?"

"At the school. With Nate Grey. Who she's apparently in love with. Oh! And Storm wants to give her a job!"

"Why's that upset you?"

"It doesn't! Ah'm upset with you for changin' the subject 'cause it means you're gonna lie!"

"It's been a long day," he sighed. "Can I sit?"

"Sure! Wanna drink, too?"

"…Not if you're gonna poison it."

"Keep jokin'." She dared.

"Chere, I'm sure you've heard the worst, but I didn't kill Green. Autopsy will prove it. Come absorb me if you want. Then you'll know exactly what I was doin' and why."

She visibly deflated. "Swear you didn't?"

"On my brother's grave."

She dropped on the couch beside him and held her weary head. "Remy… You sabotage us. All. The. Time."

"Lie by omission's nothin'. Remember that time I tried to kill you?"

"That wasn't you."

"But it happened."

"Ah know you've got secrets. Ah understand. But Ah love bein' an Avenger and Ah can't have any more days like today. If we're gonna make this work, Ah need you to be honest with me. Even if you can't be open."

"Love." He chuckled bitterly. "There's a word you don't throw around."

"Neither do you."

"I love you. I love Raven. I love Stormy. But you? Do you love me?" He waited for an answer that never came. "If you're still ambiguous… or if the answer's no… then you really won't love me after the truth comes out."

"You said you'd come clean!" She roared.

"Temporary insanity."

"Liar! Ass!"

"If you're tryin' t' hurt my feelin's, you'll have to do better than that."

"What feelings? You say it so sweetly but it doesn't mean anything to you! As soon as there's any real risk of your heart being broken, you throw up your walls. Ah knew you'd never come out but Ah thought you'd let me in."

"Already know I'm a liar and a thief. You really need the specifics?"

"Ah need you to keep your promises!"

"And I need you to believe I'm protectin' you, not me. Merde, I can't be honest without breakin' your heart! What made you think I'm secretly a great man? I'm bad news. Never lied about that. I wanna be the man you think I am, but you're right not to trust me. Hate me, even. But I never spoke truer words in my whole damn life than when I said I loved you. Don't throw it back in my face!" His felt his face sneer and forced his expression to smooth. "Lost my temper… Sorry."

She hugged her arms and said quietly: "Please go."

He went home, peaked into Raven's abandoned room, and collapsed in bed. Three purring fur balls curled around him. The kittens had missed him, at least.

…

To Be Continued…

…

Author's Notes: Yep, Rogue was pursuing a law degree at one point. Gambit tried to kill her (twice) under the influence of Apocalypse's Death.

Since Oli and Remy never got along, I think it's only fair that Raven and Rogue also struggle. It's kind of heartbreaking… If all four of them were ever together, there'd be a harmony that's otherwise lacking. The family just isn't complete. On another note, I tried a different approach to Remy and Anna's relationship. Instead of the passion and frantic drama typical of a NEW relationship, I tried to instill some of the familiarity and irritation of a more mature one. They've been together for forever…

Finally, I apologize if the Marie Bennett story line slows things down. It will play more predominately in later chapters. I prefer character interaction infinitely more to story progression, but since Gambit and Rogue are currently so invested in their careers, they'd been too out of character without work. That, too, will feature more in the near future. Please let me know what's working and what's not. Thanks!