Updated 9/27/23

I added 21 new pages on 9/27/23. Apologies for taking so long, its been a busy few weeks here, and I had written around 20ish pages already, then realized it didn't FIT with where Rogue and Gambit currently are in the story. So that will come later instead.

In this chapter:

1) Rogue and Remy dance *song change*

2) Wanda says goodbye to Magneto

3) Colossus is 'busted'

ADDED 9/27

4) Rogue and Remy bathroom break - Rogue makes a 'friend'

5) Wanda meets with Dr. Braddock

6) Rogue has a mini-meltdown

You can do a search for "Part Two" to jump right to the new content.

Love and light,

Wiccamage

~X~X~X~X~X~

Remy had long ago removed his socks and shoes, hanging his shirt and all his and Rogue's wet garments in the trees to dry. Their little water fight had cost them some time, but they were both in dire need of rest anyhow. Now came the hard part - getting the girl comfortable with physical contact. She was wearing his long coat as her dress dried on a nearby tree branch and the sleeves were rolled up several times. It wasn't the best for working on skin contact, but it DID make her feel more comfortable than when she was wearing the skimpy dress.

They had played Pat-A-Cake for a few minutes before moving on to "Hot Hands" - the classic hand slapping game. Remy figured it was a good way to have Rogue let off some frustration - he even purposefully allowed her a few harder hits just so she could work out any lingering aggression towards him. Plus, he changed the rules a little - every time he got a hit, they added a minute of time that she had to touch him. For every hit she got, she got to remove a minute. Sure, he had let her win a few times to even things out, but really there was no contest. He'd racked up nearly 20 minutes overall. Of course, there was no REAL way for them to tell how much time they were spending, so it was all just estimates.

As Remy took Rogue's hands after the hand game, a light breeze kicked up the borrowed duster and it flitted playfully against her bare calves. Rogue's wavy, disheveled hair swished against the nape of her neck, and its rhythmic swaying distracted him for a moment.

For the first time since their initial altercation at the cave, Remy paused to really study the girl. Her eyes were closed again - part of the "training" - and Remy could see how sunken and dark they were against her pale skin. Her nose and cheeks had a tinge of pink from the sun, even though they had mostly kept to the cover of the trees. He knew with her complexion, she would redden and blister soon and he wondered if she would consider using mud for sunscreen. There was already so much in her hair, he doubted an extra layer would even be noticeable.

Despite the messiness of its current state though, her hair WAS stunning. He hated that she tried to hide its true beauty behind a straight iron, and with a silent chuckle, he realized her hair was a perfect metaphor for Rogue herself.

Under normal circumstances, and within a reasonably controlled environment, her hair, her clothes, and even her interactions with others were all perfectly manipulated to fit the persona she had constructed - one of a harsh, unfriendly, occasionally even vapid, loner. And, like everything else about her, Rogue ironed down and constrained her hair until it was no longer a reflection - a reminder - of who she really was.

Remy guessed that she kept her locks plain and uninteresting to deter people from getting close to her. If the others were to see how vibrant, free, and amazing her tresses really were, they might be tempted to give Rogue herself another look.

And she certainly couldn't have that.

Except, that no matter how hard she tried to make herself as unremarkable as possible, the southern girl never tried to hide the one aspect that made her obviously unique.

Gambit's eyebrows twitched as he looked over the girl's hair with more consternation. Amidst a mass of wavy auburn locks, Rogue's white streak stood out stubbornly, as if saying, 'Hey, this is me. I AM different. Deal with it.'

The white strands would never be tampered with or altered because, like other parts of herself, they were too distinctive and prominent to be changed. Rogue would never really be able to hide those unique qualities, such as her white streak and sharp tongue, because they made her just that. Interesting. Vibrant. Unique.

The Cajun smiled, recalling some of his favorite moments from the last few days as she had slowly opened up to him - revealing parts of herself she had worked so hard to hide from the world.

And, try as she might to conceal these fragments of her true self - who was flirtatious and shy, affectionate but withdrawn, strong yet vulnerable - she could never really hide it all. Rogue was known for her sharp Southern temper, surely, but occasionally she could shock even Wolverine with a bit of playful banter or a witty comment. But, Remy knew, to openly display such uncharacteristic behaviorisms was simply unacceptable to the persona she'd created for herself.

So, Remy realized, Rogue hid her wild, tantalizing curls behind a straight iron and hairspray just as she hid her gorgeous face, figure, and personality behind dark makeup, dark clothes, and a dark mood. But take away all those material things - the blowdryer and the lipstick, the stockings and the eyeliner - and you were left with this stunning, bold, yet bashful young woman who could easily win the heart of any man.

Except his. He may be a flirt, but he was not the kind of guy to fall for a pretty face and a quick wit.

Right?

Remy shook his head and smiled coyly. Although Rogue couldn't actually see the gesture, it soothed him nonetheless. It was his way of detaching himself from uncomfortable, self-reflecting questions, and allowed him to focus on tormenting - er, TRAINING - Rogue.

She may have fooled everyone else with this "stay away" charade, but he knew better now. Remy was finally starting to understand that behind the smarmy remarks and intimidating death glares was a girl who was crying out for human contact.

And, like it or not, he was going to give it to her.

The Cajun smiled again, this time from his own cleverness, and lifted Rogue's hands toward his bare chest. Well, like his pere (father) always said, 'de best way t' learn, is t' jump in feet first.'

He just hoped Rogue agreed with his father's logic…

"How 'bout a dance, chere?" Remy asked, sliding Rogue's fingers up to his bare shoulders.

Rogue pulled back slightly and opened her eyes, fixing him with an incredulous look. Despite the butterflies in her stomach over touching him, however, she did not remove her hands.

"Ah think ya traditionally need MUSIC t' dance, Gam- Remy. 'Sides, ah don't dance."

Remy smirked as he noted that she wasn't pulling away for once and had specifically called him by his real name. "Now's as good a time t' learn as any, n'est pas?"

"Now?" She glanced around the forest nervously. "Are ya sure that's a good idea?"

He nodded, still smiling, "Certainement. 'Sides Remy'll provide d' music."

Much to her credit, Rogue kept herself from laughing at him. Although, she could not resist an eyeroll.

Encouraged, Remy took her left hand in his right, and slipped the other gently around Rogue's waist. Rogue kept her right hand on his shoulder and ducked her head bashfully. Her pulse was hammering away in her throat as she fought to control her emotions. She only hoped he couldn't tell how much he was affecting her.

"You ever danced with un homme, Rogue?" He asked casually, making a few small adjustments to their stance and hand placements.

She watched him as he worked, allowing him to manipulate her hands and adjust her footing. She licked her lips and took a calming breath before answering. He likely had no clue what he was getting into with that question.

"Once. Sort of," she started, and Remy began to sway slightly from side to side without moving his feet. She moved with him fluidly, letting him guide her slowly and carefully as she worked on controlling her breathing and trying to relax.

"Ah knew a boy in Caldecott - Cody. Ah think ah got one dance in before there was a slow song, and he touched me. That's when ah first got mah powers."

Remy nodded as he began to slowly move his feet a little at a time. "What about other dances? Y' know, at Bayville?"

Rogue shook her head, grimacing. She hated talking about things like this - memories that were tainted with heartbreak - yet she was glad for the distraction. As long as she could focus on something besides their proximity, she could get her nerves under control.

"Ah kinda avoided those for the most part. Risty got me t' go t' one or two" Rogue's fingers tightened on his shoulder involuntarily, "before ah found out she was actually Mystique."

Remy's eyebrows shot into his hairline and he stopped mid-step. "Come again?"

Rogue snorted derisively and forced her voice not to quake as she dove into her memory of one of the worst moments in her life. "Mystique turned herself into a teenager - put up with classes and everything - for almost a year. She got me to trust her, befriend her, so she could use me to spy on the X-Men."

Swallowing his anger toward Mystique yet again, Remy pulled Rogue a little closer as he began to find a rhythm once more. He moved flawlessly into a slow waltz and the Southern girl easily fell into step with him, even if she was a little stiff and unsure at first.

He could see by her expression and hitched breathing that she was ruminating heavily on Mystique's betrayal again, and he wanted nothing more than to clear the hurt from her face. He began to hum a tune from what he hoped was a familiar song. He liked the band, but hadn't ever given much thought to the song until he'd met her. Now, he hoped, he could just remember the words…

"When I see your smile, tears run down m' face, I can't replace."

Singing softly, he smiled down at her as she looked up at him, her lips quirking up into the tiniest of smiles. With his right hand on her lower back, he could feel her chuckle lightly through his duster, and he continued the song, happy that he was affecting her mood in a positive way for once.

"Now that 'm strong I have figured ou', how dis world turns cold, and i' breaks t'rough m' soul and I know, I'll find deep inside me I can be d' one."

Remy picked up the tempo a bit, moving Rogue along with him as he continued the basic four steps in a square. He was sure to take it small and slow, however, to avoid jostling Rogue's injured ribs and causing her more discomfort.

As he continued to sing softly, Rogue smiled shyly at him and turned her gaze away momentarily. The way he was looking at her - with his intense, playful, almost affectionate smile - stirred the butterflies in her stomach in unexpected ways.

She could feel herself blushing again and looked down, accidentally stepping on Remy's toes.

"Oops, sorry!" she exclaimed, blushing anew.

"S' alright, chere." Remy smiled serenely down at her and restrained himself from pulling her closer. "Don't look at y'r feet. It throws off the rhythm in y'r head. Just close y'r eyes and listen to the melody. Feel d' way I move through y'r hands and arms, and jus' follow m' lead."

The southern girl chewed her bottom lip a moment, but nodded. Almost subconsciously, she stepped closer to him, sliding her hands father up his shoulder and arm. The fingers of her right hand were almost touching his hair now, and goosebumps raced up his spine and neck unexpectedly.

Remy cleared his throat and started to move again as he continued singing softly.

"Seasons are changin' and waves are crashin' and stars are fallin' all for us. Days grow longer 'n nights grow shorter. I can show you I'll be d' one…"

The soft melody, coupled with Remy's surprisingly nice singing voice and the steady swaying of their bodies, was both comforting and relaxing to Rogue. She felt safe, and warm, and as if maybe Remy actually cared about her - maybe even cared FOR her - and that this moment maybe wasn't JUST about saving the world.

Unbeknownst to either of them, they were slowly moving closer and closer to each other - Remy continuing to hum whatever songs came to mind, and Rogue just swaying along with him, feeling momentarily … content.

She listened as he switched songs, wondering if he was picking them on purpose, or just going with whatever popped into his head.

"The dawn is breakin'

A light shinin' through

You're barely wakin'

An' I'm tangled up in you"

Remy smiled at his choice of songs. There were so many good ones that fit her just perfectly, and he wondered if she realized that he was choosing them deliberately. Either way, she seemed to be enjoying both his singing, and the dancing, as he felt her relax more and more.

"I'm open, you're closed
Where I follow, you'll go
I worry I won't see your face
Light up again."

For a moment - just one brief, heartstopping moment - she let her guard down. Let herself truly FEEL.

She relished the sensation of Remy's bare skin under her hands - felt the way his body guided hers in their dance; marveled at the strength and tension of the muscles in his arms and shoulders. She was lulled by the rise and fall of his chest as he breathed deep and even, and she smiled at the way his chest vibrated as he sang.

"Even de best fall down sometimes
Even de wrong words seem to rhyme
Out of de doubt dat fills my mind
I somehow find, You and I collide."

Rogue could feel Remy's heart beating, drumming along at a quickened but steady pace under her ear, and she let herself be soothed by the sound. She couldn't remember a time she had ever felt so at peace, and she soaked it all in.

The quiet of the forest.

The warmth of the sun.

The shade of the trees.

The cool breeze.

Remy's warm, strong arms around her.

Her fingers in his hair.

The sweetness of his voice.

The comforting sound of his heart beat.

The heat of his bare, chiseled chest under her cheek.

…

Under her…

Oh God.

Clearing her throat, Rogue suddenly disengaged her arms from around Remy md-song and stood bolt upright. Her face was aflame with embarrassment as she turned her back to him and looked around their momentary camp site.

"Well we, uh, we better get going," she exclaimed, rubbing the back of her neck self-consciously.

Unable to see her face, Remy nodded and swallowed hard. He, too, turned to gather up their things and found that most of their clothes were already dry.

Just how long had they been dancing…?

When he practically FELT Rogue's proverbial walls drop, and she'd laid her head on his chest, his heart had nearly stopped. But, as he'd continued to hum and sway with Rogue, he'd lost track of time.

They'd both gotten lost in the moment - in the comfort of one another's embrace. For a moment, nothing else had mattered, or even existed.

He'd felt… home.

And, as he tugged on his still damp boots, it hit him.

He was falling for her.

X~X~X

Wanda Maximoff left the kitchen at Xavier's Institute with a quick shake of her head. She'd enjoyed the gossip and small talk more than she thought she would, but once the Xavier girls had started talking about makeovers, she'd bailed.

Now, she was restless. What she really wanted was to have a go in the X-Men's Danger Room, but had been dominated by Wolverine and Sabertooth nearly all day. She rolled her eyes and wondered whose idea of a healthy outlet THAT was. It wasn't like either of them would ever be able to kill each other. All they could do was thrash the other one into temporary submission.

Although, it seemed Xavier and Magneto had warned their respective colleagues not to completely let loose on his adversary - both for the sake of the tender peace between the two mutant groups, and so they would both remain in decent condition should Apocalypse suddenly emerge from hiding.

So it was that the Scarlet Witch found herself wandering the halls of the Xavier Institute aimlessly. Neither wanting company, nor wanting to be alone. She was startled from her reverie when she bumped into Magneto himself.

"Father?" Wanda questioned, noting his air of both melancholy and irritation. She also noticed that for the first time since arriving at Xavier's, he was wearing his full battle uniform. "Are you leaving?"

Magneto tried to remain neutral, not wanting to show weakness or emotion, but he could not keep the flicker of disappointment from his eyes.

"Yes, Wanda," he replied almost coldly. "I am taking my Acolytes to Egypt to further examine the Sphinx and interrogate a few of Apocalypse's followers who have been sighted in the area. I hope to find something of use there - I can no longer sit idly by waiting upon the actions of others."

The Scarlet Witch nodded and squared her shoulders. "Of course. When do we leave?"

A shadow passed across Magneto's face, the only indication of any emotion.

"No, Wanda. You and your brother will stay here with the Brotherhood."

A mask of anger washed over the girl's features as her fists balled up with blue pulsing light. "But father! I can help, I can…"

"You will remain HERE! That is an ORDER!" Magneto replied with more intensity than intended. He softened immediately, however, and placed a hand on his daughter's shoulder.

"Wanda, I - I do not know what we will find in Egypt. Perhaps it will prove fruitless. Nonetheless, I feel you and Pietro are safer here in Bayville than you will be with me. I -" He faltered a moment and hung his head as his voice dropped to a mere whisper.

"I could not bear the thought of you sharing Rogue's fate."

Wanda's anger swelled, then fizzled, and she suddenly threw herself forward into her father's arms. The master of magnetism was momentarily taken aback, but he slowly placed one arm around the girl's shoulders and briefly returned the sentiment.

Pulling back again, Magento straightened and looked around, suddenly annoyed. "I sent Pietro to gather Pyro and Colossus, but for a boy who moves faster than sound, he is taking far too long."

Wanda nodded and motioned to the upstairs corridors. "Last I saw Colossus, he was with Kitty -" she hesitated, not wanting the gentle giant to lose favor with her father. "- helping her with research."

It wasn't EXACTLY a lie. The large young man had walked past the group of girls with a large tray of soup as they had been gossiping at the table. When Tabitha had questioned him, he'd blushed profusely with incoherent mumblings about Kitty, lunch, and research.

Magneto began to head upstairs, when the Scarlet Witch placed a hand on his arm. "Perhaps you should let me go look for him, father, in case Pietro returns with him in the meantime."

Her father said nothing, but nodded. As he watched her walk up the stairs, however, he called out to her. "Wanda - I…" he started, wanting to say so many things to her, but in the end he lost his nerve.

"Goodbye, Wanda."

"Goodbye, Father," she replied, her eyes sad, yet understanding.

X~X~X

"What, pray tell, may I inquire is going on here?" Dr. Henry McCoy stood in the doorway of Kitty's room, slightly alarmed. He had half expected to see Lance Alvers sitting at the young girl's bedside - perhaps even cuddled up with her. What he had NOT expected to see was the large Acolyte known as Colossus sitting on her bed, with Kitty herself spooned around him - asleep.

The young man's imposing stature was overshadowed by the bright red blush in his cheeks as he stammered quietly in response.

"I - I am… I am - Researching. I am researching for Katya. I am sorry. I did not wish to wake her. I believe she was up all night with zhe Google. I - I brought her zhe soup, and she permitted me to assist while she ate. Zhen she fell asleep."

Beast raised a furry eyebrow in question, but had to fight to control a chuckle. It took the blue furred mutant a moment to register Colossus's stiff posture and almost bashful countenance, but the larger man's nervousness was almost comical.

After a moment, the blue doctor nodded with a half smile as he entered the room, leaving the door open slightly. "Well then," he whispered, "I was hoping to check on her vitals and wounds, but I will wait until she wakes. How is she doing?"

The Russian tilted his head slowly to glance at the girl, "I fear she has exhausted herself vith her research. I do not zink she slept last night. When I came at noon, she had not yet eaten."

"I see," Beast narrowed his eyes at the sleeping girl and shook his head. He silently retrieved an extra blanket from Kitty's closet and draped it carefully over her as Colossus closed the laptop and stood.

"I - I shall go. It is not… proper," the larger mutant tried to explain as he blushed more profusely.

At that moment, Wanda knocked on the semi-open door. "Colossus," she started, but a quick look at the Russian's deep blush, Beast's folded arms, and the sleeping Shadowcat derailed her train of thought.

"Uh…" The Scarlet Witch faltered for a moment then shook her head before continuing. "My father wants to see you, Colossus. The Acolytes are leaving for Egypt."

"Now?" Colossus murmured desperately, sneaking a peek back at Kitty, who remained sleeping despite the voices in her room.

"NOW Tin Man," Quicksilver had popped up next to his sister in a blink, his arms folded and his expression dark. "I've been looking all over for you. Magneto's gonna be pissed you've been in here making moves on an X-Man."

Wanda narrowed her eyes at her brother as her hands started to glow. "Colossus has been HELPING Kitty with research, Pietro," she warned him quietly. "Father already knows that. What have YOU been doing?"

Quicksilver glared at his sister but rolled his eyes as he looked at Colossus again. "Get a move on, will ya? My father doesn't like to be kept waiting." With that the speed demon took off down the hall again.

The large man looked from Beast to Wanda to Kitty's sleeping form. "I do not wish to wake her, but…"

"I'll tell her you said goodbye," Wanda smiled understandingly and Beast nodded in agreement.

The blue furred mutant took the laptop from the large Russian. "And I will be confiscating Ms. Pryde's technology to ensure she gets proper rest."

"I 'ave saved some pages of interest," Colossus said, motioning to the device Beast had tucked under his arm. "I hope zhey are of help."

With one last longing look at Kitty's peaceful face, the Russian smiled lightly and whispered, "Do Svidaniya Katya - I hope we meet again." Silently, he took a piece of paper from the breast pocket of his uniform and placed it on her desk before he carefully left the room, following Wanda down the hall.

Beast trailed behind despite his intense curiosity to know what was on the folded paper the Russian had left for Kitty. The acting physician closed the door behind him to allow the girl as much peace and quiet as possible in a house full of mutants.

~X~X~X~X~X~

PART TWO:

With the heat of the late afternoon sun, Remy had opted to leave his uniform off after their impromptu dance, tying everything around his waist instead. He was carrying Rogue on his back again, not just because they needed to keep Apocalypse in the dark about their location, but also to give her mangled feet a break from walking. He knew they must be badly blistered by now, and he had noticed that every step she took seemed tentative.

His choice not to don his clothes seemed to be a serendipitous one, as the need for a bathroom break crept up on him quickly after their quick 'lunch' of bugs and huckleberries. He held off for at least 30 minutes, wanting to put some distance between them and their last location, but knew he couldn't hold it for much longer without having an embarrassing accident.

"Gambit's gotta use d' little boy's room, chere," he admitted sheepishly, finding a falling tree for her to step down off his back. He gently unhooked her right knee from his hip and guided it to the log, assisting her descent. "D'ose worms and grubs we ate still have some fight left in 'em, apparently."

Climbing off his back, Rogue took the hand he offered her, and gingerly stepped down from the log, her face twisting into a green-tinted grimace. "Ugh, don't remind me," she groaned.

He smirked lightly and pointed to a thick patch of trees a few feet away. "Gambit'll be right over dere, hopefully downwind for ya," he suggested, waving a hand in front of his face with an apologetic smile. He folded his uniform and coat and placed it on the fallen tree next to her.

Rogue nodded. "Guess ah may as well get it over with, too," she sighed. Looking around, she pulled a handful of triangular-shaped leaves off one of the nearby bushes, handing some to Remy and keeping a few for herself.

Looking down at the four or five smallish leaves, Gambit pulled his pocket knife from the inside pocket of his coat and deftly sliced off an entire branch.

"Dis be a 'two-ply' situation, if y' know what Remy means, chere." Without another word, he turned on his heel and headed for the clump of trees about 100 feet away.

Rogue bit her bottom lip to keep from laughing as he scurried away. She shrugged, pulled off a few more leaves for herself, then disappeared from sight as well.

~X~

"My heavens, Remy, what on earth is takin' you so long?!" Rogue called out as she sat on the log next to his uniform. It had been at least 10 minutes since they'd headed to their separate 'restrooms,' and Gambit still hadn't returned.

"Merde!" he cursed from somewhere in the trees. As he finally emerged, he was swatting at both his face and his bottom. "Remy ain't made for dis 'outdoors' life, t' be true," he admitted as he dejectedly made his way back to the young woman.

Rogue stared at him quizzically. She couldn't imagine what could have happened while using 'the facilities' in a forest that would make him so flustered.

When he got closer, she had to cover her mouth with her hand to stifle a laugh. There were bits of spider webs in his hair and his black underwear was covered in white fuzz.

"You get in a fight with a forest elf or something, Cajun?" Rogue asked, smiling widely. Her voice cracked as she fought not to laugh at him.

"Walked right into a damn spider web," he groused. "Was so busy checkin' for giant robots and bears Gambit didn't watch where he was goin'. Den got accosted by some dandelions on steroids, on top a MORE spider webs." He squirmed, arching his back as he tried not to shudder. "Gambit HATES spiders. Swear I can still fell 'em crawling on me." The Acolyte rubbed his brown hair, bending over to wipe the offending webbing away.

"Here," Rogue smirked, still trying not to laugh at his misfortune, "let me help ya Cajun." She reached up and pulled a few stubborn, sticky strands of web out of his hair. "Hold - hold still," she warned, noting a dime sized, red and black hitchhiker just above his ear. Carefully, she pulled his head down closer so she could get a better look.

"Dieu, Rogue, don't just stand dere gawkin' at it. Get it OFF!" the Acolyte pleaded, not even noticing how close his face was to her cleavage.

The X-Man's mouth twitched in a smile as she secretly enjoyed watching the Cajun squirm. "Quit whinin' Cajun," she admonished lightly, caressing his hair back from his face and dancing her fingers across his hair.

When she removed her hands from his head, Remy pulled back to see a strange looking spider skittering across her fingers. It was small, with tiny black legs and a large red abdomen that had miniature black spikes sticking out of it.

"What in de HELL is dat?!" Gambit choked out, again resisting the urge to shudder.

Rogue smiled again, but it was warm, genuine, and affectionate - and directed entirely at the spider. "It's a spiny orb weaver. They're harmless." The girl tilted her head as the small, strange looking spider continued climbing up and over her fingers. Her voice took on a sweet, almost babyish tone as she spoke directly to the creature. "Y'all are just the cutest little arachnid ah ever did see. Ain't 'cha sugah?"

"I can't believe y'r playin' with a SPIDER," Remy gawked, still brushing the webs off of his hair and boxers.

"Jealous?" Rogue teased, an impish, almost flirtatious look on her face as she turned her eyes up to her traveling companion.

For a moment, he was too shocked by her quick banter to provide a proper retort. "Maybe." he recovered quickly. His tone turned sultry as he leaned close to her ear. "Maybe Gambit's thinkin' you'll give him a turn, next."

A devilish grin spread on Rogue's face as she batted her eyes almost seductively at him. "Well of course, sugah, why didn't 'cha say so?"

She turned, holding the spider out to Remy, who couldn't stop himself from jumping back slightly. "Come on, Cajun," she taunted. "Ah thought you wanted a turn."

"Ha ha, very funny chere," he grinned back almost nervously.

"Oh come on, Remy," Rogue scoffed, letting the small arachnid climb over her fingers continuously. "You ain't really scared of this little fella, are you?"

Remy snorted derisively and brushed his boxers again. "Course not," he retorted, "Gambit ain't afraid of nothin' petite."

"Prove it," Rogue cocked her hip, tilting her head to gaze at him knowingly.

He narrowed his eyes at her, trying to keep his poker face intact despite the way she was thrusting the creepy, crawling creature in his face.

"Fine," he bit out, not to be undone. He held his hand out, palm up, and Rogue carefully laid her hand over his, letting the spider crawl onto him. Before she could remove her hand, however, his fingers grabbed her wrist, preventing her retreat. He turned their hands over again as the spider crawled onto the back of his hand, then continued back onto Rogue's. Once the spider had returned to Rogue's hand, Remy released her wrist and pulled his hand back slowly.

He shrugged nonchalantly. "Looks like he likes you better, chere. Oh well, we tried."

Rogue gave him a look and rolled her eyes. "Okay Remy, have it your way," she allowed, shaking her head. As she did so, however, she narrowed her eyes and stared at Remy's hip for a moment. Slowly, a smile spread across her face and her eyes lit up.

"Oh look, another one!" she declared happily. "You've got a friend, too."

Remy blanched, rapidly swiping at his clothes as he tried to crane his neck to see it. "Where!?

Rogue erupted in laughter at her own joke and gently placed her little red and black arachnid 'friend' on the same bush they'd taken leaves from earlier. "Bye little Rems!" The X-Man waved cheerfully with two fingers as the creature skittered away.

"First," Remy addressed her darkly, "you are EVIL."

Rogue giggled and turned back toward the Acolyte as the spider disappeared into the leaves.

"Second," he continued, "you named it after MOI?!" Remy's eyebrow was raised incredulously as he put his hands on his hips.

Rogue shrugged casually. "That pretty red and black coloring? How could I NOT name it after you?"

Snorting, Gambit was both amused and slightly disturbed. It WAS kind of cute that she named it after him, but on the other hand, who in their right mind played with and NAMED spiders of all things?!

Still, the way she had spoken and attended to the weird looking arachnid was pretty endearing. Under all the sass and snark, Remy knew the girl had a heart of gold. After all, anyone who could find an ugly, creepy SPIDER 'cute' either had a few screws loose, or was truly a 'salt of the earth' type of person.

Another chuckle from Rogue pulled Remy from his thoughts.

"You've still got fuzz all over your butt, Cajun," she teased. "Did'ja ROLL in it or something?"

Remy could tell by her scrunched up nose and pursed lips that she was trying VERY hard not to laugh at him.

"Fell into, actually. T'ank GOD it was de dandelions and not my…" he stopped himself, noting how the girl's amusement quickly turned to disgust. "Nevermind."

"T'ink I got some in m' mouth, too." As he finished the statement, his face took on that charming, devilishly playful look. "You wanna help me get it out?" he winked.

Rolling her eyes again, Rogue folded her arms as she chastized him. "Ugh, Cajun, you are the most…"

She gasped suddenly, smacking herself in the forehead. "Oh mah God, Ah'm so stupid. We can EAT those?"

"Quoi?" (What?) Remy's face scrunched up in disgusted confusion. "Clearly you never had an older brother blow dat fuzz into y'r open mouth, chere, 'cause Gambit can ASSURE you, dat AIN'T edible."

Rogue chuckled again, imagining a young Remy with a mouth full of dandelion fuzz. "Not the SEEDS, Swamp Rat. The leaves and the flowers are edible. Just not the stem. Ah can't believe Ah forgot. All that dang wilderness survival training with Wolverine and ah forget THAT."

"Don't sound too tasty," Remy pondered, looking around. "But it does sound a touch better than those BUGS we been eatin'."

Rogue paled, looking like she may vomit again. "Uh, yeah. Ah'll try the dandelions, thanks." She started looking around for the small yellow weeds. "Didn't you find a bunch over there?" She pointed to the clump of trees from which Remy had just returned.

He nodded slowly. "Oui, but, uh, Gambit DON'T recommend we use that particular patch, if y' know what dis one means."

The X-Man pursed her lips again, trying not to laugh as Remy held his nose and waved his hand in front of his face.

~X~X~X~

Deep in thought, Wanda looked up and read a "Please Come In" sign hanging from one of the many doors in Xavier's mansion. It was the fourth time she'd read it in an hour as she'd aimlessly paced the halls and corridors of the Institute.

Sighing, and simultaneously glaring at the sign, Wanda reached for the door handle, hesitated a moment, then let it swing open to Betsy Braddock's makeshift "office."

The purple haired "grief counselor" smiled at the young woman. "Hello, dear." she welcomed in her clipped British accent, stood, and offered a hand to shake. "And who might you be?"

"Oh," Wanda's face darkened momentarily as she suddenly felt embarrassed with herself. "I'm sorry, I didn't have an appointment or anything. I didn't mean…"

"No, no," Dr. Braddock sat quickly and motioned to the other chair, trying to make the girl feel more at ease, "Please, take a seat; there's no need for appointments or formalities."

Wanda shuffled closer to the chair and laid her hands on the high back, subconsciously using it as a shield.

The telepathic psychologist smiled again. "Professor Xavier gave me a breakdown of all his students, but I'm afraid he did not bring me up to speed on members of the Brotherhood."

"I'm -" the Scarlet Witch hesitated - "I'm Wanda Maximoff. Magneto is my father."

"I see," Betsy murmured, an eyebrow quirked with interest. "And did he tell you to come see me, or are you just not sure whether you want to or not."

Wanda cast her eyes down as she fidgeted with a loose piece of thread on the chair.

"Actually," the Scarlet Witch cast her eyes to the door and quickly hexed it closed. "My father would probably not approve of my being here."

Betsy tipped her head. "Ah yes, the 'suffer in silence' type, mmh?"

Wanda nodded, her dark eyes narrowed slightly as she appraised the purple haired young woman. "How old are you? You don't LOOK like any counselor I've ever seen."

Lavender tresses tossed elegantly over smooth, creamy shoulders as Ms Braddock tipped her head back and laughed. "Not much older than you, I gather. I just happened to know what I wanted to do early on in life and went about achieving it despite my youth. It's astounding how easily some people can be fooled by a pair of high heels and a business suit." She leaned forward, letting her chin fall into her palm as she rested the same elbow on her knee.

Wanda blinked a few times, realizing just how youthful Ms Braddock truly was.

"And you have a degree already? Doesn't that take years to finish through college?"

Betsy smiled conspiratorially again. "I graduated high school early. My professors thought I was brilliant when in reality I was simply reading their minds during lectures. Tests were trickier, but the key is to always sit next to the smartest student in class - or the NEXT smartest," she winked. "Thank heavens Catholic finishing schools aren't huge proponents of computerized tests."

Wanda's mouth quirked into an amused side smile. The 'grief counselor' was certainly no goody-goody. The purple-haired telepath was starting to grow on her, in fact. From the sounds of it, Betsy Braddock might fit in just fine with the Acolytes.

"So how did you go from cheating in high school to becoming some pro-bono grief counselor?" The Scarlet Witch moved around to the side of the overstuffed chair, propping one leg up on the armrest in a sort of half-standing, half-sitting position. Her curiosity about Betsy was quickly mounting.

"Met the right sort of people, I suppose. My brother became head of the family business, so to speak, and I wanted to travel the world." Betsy looked down at her nails, examining them with a haughty sort of nonchalance. "I also wanted to help people, mind you, but I can't say it started with complete altruism. I'm sure there's some daddy issues and wanting to prove myself to my parents in there somewhere as well, but regardless of the reasons, this was the outcome."

Ms Braddock tipped her head to the side, giving Wanda a small smirk as she cocked one eyebrow. "I'm sure that's something you know NOTHING about, hmm?"

A deep scowl etched through the Scarlet Witch's face. The younger girl folded her arms defensively, narrowing her eyes. "Maybe I do, and maybe I don't."

The purple haired woman smiled, her face lighting up with genuine mirth. "Perhaps when I'm no longer needed here, you can show me around Bayville. I need someone other than one of these stuffed shirts to show me the real excitement around here."

Wanda snorted. "Yeah, unless you want to see the inside of the library, or volunteer at a hospital, the X-Men aren't the best ones to show you a good time. Well, except maybe Tabitha. Or Wolverine."

A deep, throaty chuckle escaped Betsy's lips, and she shifted in her chair, uncrossing and recrossing her legs. "Oh you have NO idea…" The purple haired telepath winked at the younger girl's curious expression, then tapped the side of her head before placing a finger to her lips.

The Brotherhood initiate pursed her lips to keep from grinning, but shook her head. "Rogue would have loved you." Her words were light, barely suppressing a giggle, but Wanda's face fell immediately, and she turned to look out the window.

"Were you two close?" Betsy asked, sitting back in her chair again, her hands resting softly in her lap.

"Not really," Wanda shrugged, toying with the short red buzz cut at the back of her neck. "Neither of us are really 'peopley' types. Just loners who had common interests, really. She lived with the Brotherhood for a while, too, so she knew how annoying it could be. She'd let me borrow her Anne Rice books, sometimes before she even got a chance to read them." The young woman shifted, moving off the arm of the chair to sit in the seat instead. She pulled her knees up, sitting cross-legged on the cushion with the bottoms of her heavy combat boots hanging off.

The Scarlet Witch sighed as she looked out the window again. Outside, some of the boys had gathered in the field with a football as they presumably picked teams. Tabitha and a handful of other girls were standing around near the pool, sneaking peeks at the young men and whispering.

"Rogue wasn't like most of these goody-two-shoes X-Men. She never looked at us like 'the bad guys'. She didn't avoid me or sneer when we ran into each other. Sure, she didn't hesitate to fight The Brotherhood in a battle, but it was never … personal. Like she understood WHY we did things, but didn't agree with them. It was like she didn't judge us because she knew what it was like to be in our shoes." Wanda shook her head, blushing slightly. "I don't know if that makes any sense."

Betsy's lips tipped up in a small smile. "It does to me. Sounds an awful lot like a friendship, though. Are you sure you aren't missing her as one?"

Wanda swallowed hard, but didn't respond as she turned her attention to the window again.

After a few moments of silence, the younger woman sighed. "I just… I can't believe she's really gone. I guess… I guess I feel kind of guilty, you know? Because I didn't go along and help."

"Did Xavier, or your father, ask you to go and you declined?"

Wanda shook her head. "No, I didn't even know what happened until after everyone got back," she added darkly.

"So, you feel GUILTY because you weren't given the opportunity to help save her? Not angry?" Ms Braddock asked, one eyebrow twitching upward.

The Scarlet Witch narrowed her eyes as she continued to stare out the window at the giggling X-Men playing outside in the warm summer sun. "Angry? I guess, yeah. I mean, the first time I fought against the X-Men I wiped the floor with them. Not The Brotherhood, just me. If Xavier and my father had just thought to bring me along… If he would have just TRUSTED me to …"

Her hex powers glowed blue in her clenched fists for a moment before she took a deep breath and sighed. "Maybe I could have changed something." The blue faded from her hands while Wanda stared down at her lap.

Betsy shrugged one shoulder. "Perhaps. Perhaps not. Magneto and Xavier are two of the most powerful mutants on the planet, and Apocalypse brushed them aside like gnats. Perhaps your father's failure to 'invite' you into battle had less to do with lack of trust and more to do with his concern for your safety."

Wanda looked up, holding the counselor's gaze in confusion and shock. "What? No, that doesn't make sense. He took my brother, Pietro. Why not me?"

"Maybe he feels he has less to atone for with your brother? Parents always say they love their children equally, but the way they SHOW that love to each child tends to vary greatly. And that's IF the parents are to be believed. In my experience, they tend to secretly have favorites." Betsy smirked knowingly at Wanda, who blanched.

The dark haired girl gaped at Ms Braddock for a moment before her cheeks turned nearly as red as her hair. "Do - do you really think that's why…"

Ms. Braddock shrugged again. "It's hard to say, really. There's always a chance that things simply snowballed and they hadn't anticipated such an encounter, or there were other extenuating circumstances. But no matter WHY you weren't there, it doesn't change the fact that you WISH you had been. You can't feel guilty about something that was out of your control, can you? Just like you can't be angry at others for events that were out of theirs."

Betsy smiled as she stood up from her own armchair and watched out the window, chuckling. "Well, you CAN be angry, but it certainly doesn't help anything. Not when everyone ELSE is so busy feeling guilty, or angry, too. It's a vicious cycle, you see. There's nothing anyone truly could have changed or done differently, yet everyone FEELS as if they could have somehow manipulated fate to twist the outcome. I've spoken to Charles - they had no idea Apocalypse intended to use Rogue for anything other than to release him - yet he still thinks he could have changed what happened."

The purple haired telepath sighed heavily as she leaned against the wall, almost scowling as she watched the younger students playing outside. "It's the same story everywhere. Be it a child who succumbs to disease, a tsunami, a hurricane, or any number of human caused disasters - what's done is done. You can't change the past or mold the future, and no matter how guilt-stricken a person is, it won't bring back the ones who have been lost."

Wanda narrowed her eyes, her heavy boots thumping to the floor as her posture - and mood - shifted. "So what, we just 'get over it'? Is that what you're saying?"

"Not at all. You feel your feelings, grieve for the one you've lost, but let go of the 'might have beens' and those things of which no one had control. You focus on what is still in front of you, and what you CAN change." Ms. Braddock smiled lightly as she motioned for Wanda to join her at the window. She tilted her head, pointing out in the distance to the tree line where Todd Tolanski and Fred Dukes were busy at work with hammers and chisels as they clumsily attempted to sculpt a seven foot tall slab of marble.

"And," Betsy continued, "it never hurts to have a little harmless fun along the way. Especially if the one you've lost would have enjoyed it, too." She tilted her head toward Tabitha and a few of the girls who were standing next to the pool, watching the boys as they lined up their football formations.

"Those poor girls DESPERATELY want to go swimming, but none of them are brave enough to say so. They're too afraid they'll seem heartless by enjoying themselves in this time of grieving."

A wicked smile grew on the telepath's face. "I KNOW you've been thinking about it," she whispered to the dark haired witch. "I AM a telepath after all."

Wanda's lips twisted into a puckered smile as she considered what Betsy was suggesting. "Well, I guess, if it's for Rogue and the grieving process and all…"

With a point of her finger, a blue hex bolt snaked down toward the group of girls, unseen. Simultaneously, Tabitha shifted her weight, trying to crane her neck to better check out the boys. The mischievous magic connected with the blonde, causing her to misstep and lose her balance. As she started to tumble back toward the pool, she grabbed Amara to stabilize herself, who had ALSO been unwittingly hexed. Amara in turn grabbed onto Jubilee, who reached for Rahne and against nearly impossible odds, they somehow all fell into the pool together.

The splashing and screams of surprise could be heard through the glass and Wanda chuckled as the boys came running over, laughing at the girls' 'clumsiness'. Betsy grinned widely, but quickly pushed Wanda out of view as Tabitha and the other girls searched wildly for some sort of culprit. The telepath only waved as one of the girls eyed her suspiciously, then she walked away from the window nonchalantly.

"That should probably be our little secret," Betsy suggested, putting an elegant finger to her lips.

Wanda nodded, grinning. "I was right. Rogue would have LOVED you."

~X~X~X~

"OW!" Rogue screeched suddenly, standing up from a patch of dandelions and shaking her hand. She moved away, swatting at the air almost frantically.

Remy was instantly at her side, dragging her away from the quickly swarming bees as he threw his duster over her head and shoulders. Once they were a few yards away, the tiny buzzing insects retreated back to their treasure trove of dandelions.

"Where you stung?" the Cajun asked, pulling the coat off her head and looking her over. He was wearing his full uniform again, having had the foresight to wear a layer of protection as they gathered dandelions amongst the bees. Plus, he hadn't wanted any more skin contact with 8-legged creatures or their webs, either.

Rogue had her mouth over the back of her hand near her thumb, and her fingers were shaking lightly.

"You okay, chere?" he asked, his eyes full of worry. "You allergic or som'pin?"

The girl shook her head no, but it didn't stop her hands from quivering. "Ah'm, Ah'm okay."

"Lemme see," Remy coaxed gently, pulling her hand into his. "Stinger's gone deep," he observed, pulling out his playing cards and pocket knife. As he held her hand, he noticed how her whole body seemed to tremble and his concern grew. "C'mere," he instructed, finding another dead tree to sit on. Although they made for obnoxious obstacles, he was grateful the forest had plenty of fallen logs and dying trees to use for impromptu seats when they needed them.

He kicked a smallish one a few times and inspected it for unwanted 'friends' before he motioned for Rogue to sit.

"Ah - ah think one got mah back, too," she whispered, her voice cracking slightly. Her body language and voice were so uncharacteristically small and frightened that he knew something was amiss. He quickly removed the coat from her shoulders and stood behind her to inspect her skin.

"Yep," Remy confirmed, "dis one's still got de venom sac attached. Long as we don't pester it, it shouldn't hurt as bad." Pulling out his Queen of Hearts card, he quickly scraped the small round bulb and stinger out together without disturbing the venomous pouch.

Coming back around to sit on the log, Remy held Rogue's hand again, flipping open his pocket knife and scraping the blade gently along the skin. When the blade yielded no results, he used the Queen again, bending the card slightly and pushing the corner of the card into the skin below the end of the stinger. With a slow, upward motion, he wheedled the tiny barb back out of her hand just far enough to grab it with the tweezers on his pocket knife.

As soon as it was out, Rogue put her hand back in her mouth, sucking on the reddening skin.

Gambit bent down, pulling a small amount of rich, dark soil out from under the log, before he grabbed a handful of the dandelions he had in his uniform's pockets.

The Cajun squeezed the milk from the dandelion stems onto the dirt, squishing it into a type of paste as Rogue watched him and sucked on the painful wound.

"Here," he offered, taking her hand once more. He dripped a little of the dandelion milk onto her hand, then mashed the impromptu poultice onto the slightly swollen area as well. Repeating the process with the sting on her back, he turned to her with a smile.

"Dere. Dat helpin' at all?"

Rogue nodded wordlessly, her hands in her lap and her eyes cast down.

"What's goin' on, Rogue? I know som'pin's wrong, s' don't even try denyin' it." Remy put a hand on her knee, his thumb rubbing small, soothing circles on her bare skin. "You afraid of bees? 'Cause dere's no shame in dat, you know."

"I -" her voice cracked again and she took a deep, shaky breath. "I ain't afraid of 'em," she began, "least, ah don't THINK ah am." The young woman scrubbed her uninjured hand against her face. "When that first one stung me, Ah - ah got this FLASH. Like a memory or somethin' that I was a little kid, maybe 3 or 4 years old, and ah was bein' swarmed by 'em. Stung over and over and screamin' for mah mom."

"So you had a bad experience as an enfant (child) and repressed the memory?" Remy clarified, never taking his hand from her leg.

Rogue shook her head. "That's just it. Ah don't think it was MAH memory." Her chin quivered lightly as she fussed with the mush on her hand. "Ever -" she took a deep breath, her voice barely above a whisper, "Ever since ah lost mah powers, ah- ah've been havin' these… FLASHES. Memories and thoughts and such that ain't MINE. I KNOW ah've never played pee-wee football, ya know?" she laughed mirthlessly. "But they keep comin' through like it WAS me, and…"

She took another shaky breath, suddenly trying not to cry.

"And it's getting hard t' tell which me is really ME, y'know?" Her chest suddenly heaved, the weight of the secret she'd been carrying for the last few days lifting somewhat. "All those questions? Sometimes ah have t' sort through the other thoughts in mah head t' figure out which answer is really mine."

Remy resisted the urge to hug her as he swallowed a lump in his throat. "Is it always like dat, or just right now?"

"It ain't so bad right now. It's actually a bit quieter in mah head than it usually is, but … ah don't know. Ah feel like ah usually have a … a stop gap or somethin' in mah head t' keep 'em out, and now it's kinda like it's missin' or something." She sighed, scrubbing her face again. "So when ah got stung, ah saw this flash of bein' swarmed as a toddler and ah panicked. Now it's like ah'm tryin' t' remind mahself that ah ain't even afraid of 'em, but that part of me can't be convinced."

Unsure of what to say, Remy remained silent, but he snaked his other arm around her back and scooted close enough that his hip touched hers. So lost in the turmoil of her own mind, Rogue practically melted into his closeness, resting her head on his shoulder as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

~X~X~X~X~X~