I think you guys will like this. It's pretty dramatic and there is also some Lance/Kitty goodness for you fans. Still haven't decided who to pair her up with overall, but keep voting for more scenes!
This chapter is very long. It's pushing 17 pages, so I hope you're happy! There is lots of ROMY-ness in this one too, but it's kind of one-sided. You'll see…
So anyhow, thanks again to Roguechere, Psylocke and Sassy for the great reviews. I hit 13 reviews in less than 24 hours, so I started writing immediately – lucky for you or you probably wouldn't get this til Friday! I started last Thursday, so yeah…
And just for all you readers in doubt – of COURSE I'm not going to kill Rogue!
… Yet …
I just like the dramatic effect of somebody dying. She does actually die in the technical sense, but … oh just read it already and find out!!!
WARNING: THIS STORY COMES IN TWO VERSIONS – ONE FOR "M" THE OTHER FOR "T" – YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.
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"Pro-Professor?" Jean asked, her voice cracking, "I – I think I felt it too. Is – is it Ro-Rogue?" She was openly crying now as the tears spilled down her cheeks.
"Chuck, for the love of God, tell us already!" Wolverine growled as he clenched his fists.
"Rogue, she –" Xavier started and brought a hand to his mouth. More tears filled his eyes and he stared down at the floor, unable to meet their gazes.
"She is – dead."
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"Oh SH—" the rest of Gambit's curse faded in the roar of the water as he and the unconscious Rogue tumbled over the edge and were swallowed up by the plunging falls.
The water was white with foam as it crashed over the pair and Remy tried to open his eyes to gauge their path but was blinded by the tumultuous bubbles. Holding tight to Rogue, he clenched his eyes shut and held his breath as he waited to slam into the jagged rocks at the bottom. 20 feet and a few seconds later, however, they splashed into a shallow, open pool of water and were submerged in the icy waters once more.
Unfortunately, Remy never got a chance to praise his luck as they were instantly sucked up sideways over another rocky ledge. Turning his head to appraise the situation and get a clearer picture of the path to come, Remy cursed inwardly as he took in the half-mile stretch of various cascading and plunging falls. Plunging falls are frightening in that they plummet straight off into the unknown, but cascades are altogether different. Remy knew that most cascades don't have large drops, but are typically littered with sharp, pointy rocks, small drops that pound into more rocks or a little of both.
It just so happened that this particular waterfall had a lot of both types.
His geography review was cut short though as they fell another three feet and Remy's shoulder rammed into the next slab of rock. He felt it pop out of the socket and winced as pain shot through his shoulder and back, but he still managed to keep a good grip on Rogue as they careened down the moss-slicked rock.
Remy pivoted his hips and used their combined body weight to face them forward just before they went over the next ledge.
The two-foot drop seemed manageable enough, but the current instantly whisked his feet out from under him and he was left sprawling on his backside as Rogue landed on top of him.
Miraculously, he managed to cradle Rogue's head carefully in the crook of his dislocated right arm with his left wrapped protectively around her waist.
They slithered through a series of small boulders that lay haphazardly in every direction and as his body slammed into one and ricocheted off into the next, Remy got the distinct impression that he was being used as a human pinball for some greater being's twisted amusement.
He could already feel the bruises forming throughout his arms, thighs and ribs, but didn't dwell on it long as they plunged over the next ten-foot drop and landed in another shallow pool.
Remy sighed with relief at their fortune and he was able to direct their course as they were flung into another series of cascades. He was ready this time, though, and calculated the way he needed to fall to minimize the amount of damage.
They glided over the next rock slab and when they dropped over the edge Remy let his heels catch the next rock face, four feet down, just enough to slow them and cushion the blow to his behind.
It was precarious work but, master thief that he was, he quickly got the hang of it. With the weight of Rogue's unconscious form and his dislocated shoulder, he had to balance himself perfectly to keep them from slamming into the next rock slab as they fell from the last. The smaller cliffs were much easier to maneuver than the larger ones, but regardless, as they neared the remaining few yards of the waterfalls Gambit was practically doing flips as he navigated through the treacherous terrain.
They went over another short drop onto a stone slab and Gambit instantly adjusted Rogue's weight in his arms as he landed on his rear with his legs spread wide in front of him. He cradled her as if she were a baby as they approached the last set of boulders and sprung to his knees. He couldn't stand on his feet and try to surf through the water, but at certain times like this, he could at least jump over the rocks that would otherwise create more pinballing and bruises.
Kneeling, he pulled his right foot up so he was practically skating through the water on his left knee while using the right for direction and balance. Both his hands were full with Rogue, but he smirked nonetheless as they barreled toward the next boulder. When he got within of a foot of the pointy menace, he suddenly brought his left foot up and pushed off the stone slab below, effectively leaping over the last boulder as he landed back in the deeper river water again.
"Piece a cake," he thought with a smirk as he turned his head to say farewell to the harrowing falls as they approached the last two major cliffs.
The first was small, perhaps 15 feet and the second was larger, nearly 40 feet, but from what he could see, it had a deep blue pool of water at the bottom and no rocks to speak of. The real trick, he thought, would be getting out of the small lake with Rogue in tow before getting sucked down the river again.
He shrugged nonchalantly. In one day he had come up against Apocalypse twice and gotten away with his hide intact, survived a ten story drop into an icy river, avoided drowning, saved Rogue from drowning, and, with an unconscious girl in his arms, he had also battled a nasty run of waterfalls intent on pureeing the two of them.
He smirked and drew his left hand away from Rogue's waist to place it behind his head. He knew he was good, but this little adventure was definitely one for the record books.
It was with this cockiness that he let himself be carried over the first of the last two plunging falls with one arm around Rogue and the other splayed languidly on the back of his neck as if it was merely a water park ride.
Halfway down though, his foot caught on a rock jutting out from the middle of the waterfall and the impact wrenched Rogue's body from his loosened grasp and sent Remy lurching headfirst into the shallow pool.
Adrenaline and instinct kicked in as he drew himself into a ball and tried to manipulate his center of gravity away from his head. Although he managed to protect his head and neck, his back hit the bottom of the pool with enough force to momentarily stun him as the air escaped from his lungs in a rush. He came up seconds later gasping and wheezing as he searched frantically for Rogue.
The water in the pool was only about five feet deep and he waded through it as his eyes darted around for some sign of the girl.
He caught a flash of black on white and turned his head just in time to see Rogue being dragged sideways over the edge of the 40-foot waterfall.
"ROGUE!" he screamed, cursing himself for his arrogance as he waded through the water and jumped down the waterfall after her.
His soggy trench coat flapped up around him as he plummeted downward on the edge of the falls. It almost felt like he was riding the bubbles as his arms – dislocated shoulder and all – flailed uselessly in the air during the decent.
Gambit scanned the water below for Rogue but found no trace of her before he splashed into the deep, clear lagoon.
The force of the waterfall churned the lake below like a giant mixer and Remy was tossed around underwater for a moment before being spat out unceremoniously.
He emerged coughing and choking and was just barely able to swim the few feet to a shallow end of the small lake.
Stumbling and limping, he tried to make his way to the shore before he collapsed entirely. He was completely spent – mentally, psychologically, spiritually and physically.
He fell and his hands landed on the dry, rocky shore as the water continued to lap at his legs and knees. He coughed up more water and hung his head.
He had lost her.
One moment of self indulgence and he had lost her.
He had failed again. Another ghost to haunt his dreams and linger in the shadows with the other demons he tried to forget.
He struggled to his feet and turned toward the lake. He stared out at the falls with his mouth set in a grim line. He had to find her. Even if it took whatever life he had left in him, he would find her. He would make damn sure she at least got a proper burial. The girl had been through enough in her life and didn't need to be haunted in death too.
Gripping his shoulder and wincing, Remy viciously popped it back in place as he trudged out on the shoreline and scanned the water for Rogue's body. He only hoped that she hadn't gotten to the mouth of the river yet.
The sun was bright on the water of the lake and Remy squinted against the reflection. Thankfully, a small clump of clouds meandered past and temporarily blocked the sun's rays, providing a brief reprieve.
The lagoon was thrown in shadow as Remy looked around. They were at the bottom of a wide ravine through which the river had cut a path as it snaked its way down into a wide, low valley. Above were immense, snow-capped mountains that formed a bowl shape around the lagoon and the valley below.
Trees surrounded the lagoon and river on all sides and only a few bare patches of rock wall could be seen. There was a good 30 feet of sand, old moss and rock surrounding the edge of the water and Remy assumed the lagoon must have been a much larger lake at some point.
His eyes followed the shoreline on both sides as he searched for some sign of Rogue.
The sun peeked out again and cast a sliver of light on the falls and the bed of rocks lining the shore along the cliffs. The rays caught a faint, unnatural reflection of light, and Remy squinted again as he tried to make out the source.
A glint of gold flashed again and as tired and injured as he was Remy began trotting up the beach toward the light.
"Rogue!" he yelled, gaining speed as he got closer.
Soon he was hurtling down the beach at an almost unnatural rate while trying not to stumble.
"Rogue! Rogue!!" he cried as he saw the pale skin of her exposed calf peeking out from behind one of the black boulders.
"Rogue!" He halted as he finally came into full view of her body lying on the beach. Her arm and half of her chest was draped over a small rock, but the rest of her body was rocking in time with the water as the waves sloshed against her small frame.
"Oh, Rogue," Remy cried as he knelt down next to her and carefully lifted her out of the water and into his arms. Her dress was muddy and torn in a few places, especially at the bottom, and her arms and legs were riddled with bruises and scratches from the bumpy ride.
He carried her gently up the beach and laid her down on the smooth white stones. They were warm against the backs of his bare hands, but he barely noticed the heat as he examined her.
He studied her face – her complexion had gone from soft white to ashen blue-gray and the dark circles under her eyes were less pronounced because of it. Her lips were faintly blue from the lack of oxygen and the cold and she lie still and unmoving as he leaned over her.
Remy dropped his head again as shame and guilt filled his eyes and gripped his chest.
"Ya happy now, LeBeau? Y'Got what y'wanted, hein?" He scoffed at himself and rubbed a hand over his face.
"Mon dieu," (my god) he wondered aloud as he looked forlornly down at her young face, "she just a kid. She don' deserve dis."
He swallowed the emotion building in his throat and placed a hand on her cool cheek. He brushed the waterlogged hair away from her forehead and caressed her face. He marveled at the smooth, soft skin as his hand traveled along her cheek and down her jaw to her chin.
Hanging his head once again, he peeled off his duster to place around her body.
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"What – what do you mean she's d-dead? She – she can't be d-dead," Kitty cried as she began to sob. Lance pushed his way through the crowd in the room and pulled her to him, wrapping his arms around her as she sobbed into his chest.
Kurt looked horror stricken, furious and stunned all at once, but remained unnervingly silent.
"Professor," Scott asked quietly, "are – are you sure?" He knelt down next to Jean and took the weeping girl in his arms.
The Professor swallowed and nodded solemnly, "Yes, Scott. I – I am sure."
"How?" Kurt asked brusquely, a hint of rage behind his unnaturally cold voice, "How are you sure?"
Xavier sighed and bent his head. "Humans and mutants alike both give off a unique signature of energy, just as they do a scent. It's what you might call an aura of sorts. With mutants, their signatures will flair when they use their powers and with Cerebro's help, I can find that mutant without much difficulty. When a mutant's powers are not in use, I can still sense a shadow of that signature, but I cannot pinpoint a location."
"So?" Kurt challenged, his tail whipping around him, "zat doesn't mean she's dead."
"No, that doesn't. But, when a mutant dies – specifically a mutant I am trying to find or monitor – the signature, the energy, simply implodes and vanishes. It works almost the same way as when a mutant's powers manifest; it creates a significant spike of energy, which I can then trace." Xavier explained despite some hopeful, confused looks from some of the younger students.
He sighed again. He should have gotten the new recruits out of the room before explaining this, but they would hear it eventually and it was better to include them with everyone else – as part of the team.
"I have a limited connection with each of my X-Men," he continued, hoping to bring some finality to the situation. "It allows us to communicate from a distance without Cerebro and with that connection, I can also open myself up to your emotions and physical conditions, but I try not to do so unless the situation warrants it. When Rogue – died, I could physically feel the implosion of her energy. In a sense, I could see and feel her death."
He closed his eyes and swallowed the bile rising in his throat as a few students cried out and began to sob.
"And," Scott asked, "and Jean felt it too?"
The red head nodded mutely and buried her head in Scott's shoulder.
"I guess it's the connection I share with the Professor, when he felt her die, a bit of that leaked through to me – I guess it leaked through to all of us. We all felt that something was … wrong. We all just sort of … knew."
The palpable tension in the room suddenly exploded as various wails and muffled cries echoed through the hallways. The girls sobbed openly and the boys, also needing consolation without admitting it, turned to them and tried to soothe them.
Jubilee sobbed into Bobby's arms as Amara clung to Roberto. Sam and Ray both dropped to the floor and sat with their heads on their knees. Rahne and Jaime ran to Storm who kneeled and enveloped them in a soothing hug while tears streaked down her face.
Kitty collapsed in Lance's arms a few feet from Jean and he lowered her gently to the floor and rocked her with one hand in her hair and the other rubbing her back.
Kurt's expression was cold and angry as he ported out of the room and Logan, wiping his eyes discreetly, went to find him.
Even the Brotherhood boys were getting teary eyed as the reality sunk in. Todd kicked at an invisible scuff on the floor as he tried to hide the water filling his eyes, Freddy's half-eaten sandwich fell to the floor forgotten and Pietro put an awkward arm around Wanda as she too tried to hold back tears.
Piotr hung his head in silent prayer as he too acknowledged the loss of life.
Pyro and Sabertooth were the only ones who dared to look remotely unaffected, but at least they managed to stay quiet out of respect.
"Charles," Eric started with a hand on his friend's shoulder, "I am sorry for your loss. I know how much your stu – your CHILDREN mean to you," he corrected.
Xavier released a shaky breath, "Yes, they do. They all do."
He raised his head and set his jaw firmly as he addressed the room. "That is why I will not be continuing the search for Apocalypse. I will not allow any more of my children to come to harm."
"What?" Scott demanded as he stood, hauling Jean up with him"What do you mean we're not going after him? He murdered Rogue! If he's got her powers, think of what he might do to others! We won't need to go after him he'll just come to us and drain us dry! We HAVE to stop him Professor!" the team leader shouted.
"I understand how you must feel Scott, how you ALL must feel, but I will not allow any more of you to suffer. I will not put you in danger."
"But Professor!" Jean started and was cut off by the older man's upraised hand.
"Jean, please; all of you, please try to understand," Xavier begged as the tear-streaked faces became hard and angry.
"I will continue working with Eric and the Acolytes to find a way to stop Apocalypse. I will use Cerebro to try and locate Gambit and monitor Apocalypse's position, but I will not allow you – any of you – to go chasing after that madman for vengeance. When the time comes, we – the teachers and I – will deal with him."
"No way!" Kitty shouted as she stood with Lance's help. Her chin still quivered and her face was red and puffy, but her eyes were fierce and determined.
"There is no WAY we're going to let him get away with this! Scott's right, it's only a matter of time before he comes after us here! What are we going to do, act like everything's fine and dandy while he kills our families and destroys the world?!"
Kitty's face darkened significantly as her temper rose, "Are we going to go to school, train in the Danger Room once a day, go … on VACATION … while this psycho is on the loose?!"
"Kitty, please, try to calm down," the Professor urged.
"No! I will NOT calm down! Rogue DIED, Professor, and however it happened, I know – I KNOW – that she wouldn't have given up! She wouldn't just lie down and let it happen; she would have fought!! She would have done everything she could to stop him and we can't just forget that and go on with our merry lives!"
"Kitty…" Xavier tried again.
"NO!!"
The valley girl was positively livid now and even Sabertooth looked surprised. The other students exchanged cautious glances as they took a small step toward the door.
"You cannot tell us to forget about this! You can't just expect us to leave it be and ignore the fact that Rogue is dead! You can't tell us to forget about Rogue and you can't tell us not to FIGHT for her God da-!"
"KATHERINE!!" The Professor bellowed, and this time even Magneto took a step back.
Xavier took a calming breath as the girl clenched her jaw shut and stared at him murderously while trying desperately not to break down again.
"Kitty, please," he begged and wheeled toward her.
Kitty swallowed nervously and hung her head as he approached. He lifted her trembling chin gently and took her hands in his, coaxing her to meet his eyes.
Tears pooled in her eyes and fell in thick, heavy drops through her lashes as they landed on Xavier's outstretched hands.
"Kitty, I am NOT asking you to forget this. I'm not asking you to forget ROGUE. I'm simply concerned for your safety. I will not put you in harm's way and let the same thing happen to any of you as happened to Rogue." His own eyes were watering as he pleaded with the girl.
Kitty finally looked up at him as she sniffled and more tears streaked down her face.
"We all care for Rogue and we all want justice – myself included. And I promise you that we will find a way to stop him and then we will have that justice. You can help with research; you can train as much as you want; you can even battle him in the Danger Room if you'd like, but, when the day comes when we must confront him – fight him for real – none of you will have any part in that."
Kitty started to protest, but bit her lip and simply nodded instead.
"Thank you," he whispered, and pulled the girl into his arms. She clung to his neck like a life-line as she sobbed into his shoulder and the other students began to cry again as well.
Xavier held her until Storm had ushered all the other students back upstairs and the only ones left were the Professor, Jean, Scott and Lance.
When he felt Kitty's breathing even out he motioned silently to Lance.
Under the watchful gaze of Cyclops, the boy gently hooked his arms under Kitty's knees and shoulders and lifted her carefully out of the Professor's lap.
"I trust you can see Kitty to her room, Mr. Alvers?" Xavier asked quietly.
Lance nodded mutely and swallowed hard. Before he turned to go, the Professor called him back.
"Oh, and Lance, this will not be an easy time for Kitty. She and Rogue were very close and I'm sure it would be good for her if you were able to stay a few days and help her through this troubling time."
With a sad smile, Lance nodded again and carried the sleeping girl up to her bed.
When he was out of earshot, Scott finally spoke up.
"Professor, are you sure it's a good idea to invite them to stay? It didn't work out so well last time, you know," he said as he ran a flustered hand through his hair.
"Scott, I understand your concerns, but this is a time for grieving and healing and those boys need it just as much as any of the students here."
He smiled kindly at the pair before he turned down to leave the War Room.
"Please inform the students that I or any of the other teachers are available if they would like to talk about … recent events. In the meantime, I will be in my study. I have an old friend who works as a grief counselor. I feel her presence here may be of great help to us all."
With that, he wheeled slowly down the hall leaving Scott and Jean to worry after him.
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Gambit carefully removed his soggy trench coat from his injured shoulder and placed it on the ground next to Rogue as he marveled at the amount of damage that could be done in five minutes. Just four minutes ago he had let his ego swell and had thus resigned the girl to her death.
He sighed again as he brushed his thumb across her cheek one last time and cursed himself for not being more careful.
'Stupid, stupid, stupid Lebeau. Didn't y'r pere (father) teach ya better den dat?'
He realized too late that he should have treated the girl like a prized jewel – solid looking, but oh so precious – fragile even.
He shook himself from the reverie and carefully placed his arm under her knees. His other hand hooked under her neck near the base of the skull and his thumb brushed against her throat.
As he began to lift her onto the trench, his heart nearly stopped and he immediately laid her back down. Her neck was still warm despite the chill of the water.
With quick fingers, he gently peeled her eyelid back to reveal glassy, dilated pupils, but there was no sign of the broken red blood vessels that indicated complete asphyxiation and his heart thrummed back to life as he smacked himself in the head. He remembered from his guild training that cold water drowning often meant a victim could survive up to 10 minutes without oxygen – meaning he still had a chance to bring Rogue back.
He had been so devastated at loosing her and seeing her lifeless body rocking against the shore that he had completely forgotten the most basic training of all.
Remy rested his head gently against her breast and listened for any signs of a heartbeat. He checked her pulse and found none, but didn't let that discourage him.
He'd bring her back to life if he had to personally charge her very heart to do it!
Tilting her head back with two fingers, Gambit pressed his mouth against Rogue's cold blue lips and tried to breathe life back into her.
One breath. Two breath.
He turned his head to the side and listened before he sat up and, tracing her rib cage up to her sternum, placed the heel of his left hand on the bony process. Placing his right hand over his left, he linked the two together and locked his elbows as he loomed over her and began chest compressions.
"One and two and three and four and five," he repeated aloud as he pushed down on her chest forcefully.
At five, he leaned back over her mouth and felt the forced breath escape her lungs.
He placed his index and middle finger along the edge of her jaw to tilt her head back again and exhaled forcefully into her mouth two more times before starting the entire process over again.
Two breaths, check for breathing, five chest compressions, check for breathing, two breaths…
Over and over and over again.
On the third set of compressions he checked for a pulse and found none, but he was heartened to see the blue tint fading from her lips.
Two breaths, check for breathing, five chest compressions, check for breathing, two breaths…
Again.
Again.
Again.
He counted and breathed and pushed until he started to get light headed.
"Nine and two and three and four and five," he muttered as he went.
"Ten and two and three and four and five..."
"Dammit Rogue BREATHE!" he screamed aloud as he finished up another round of breaths and checked for a pulse.
Nothing.
He gritted his teeth and moved back to the chest compressions. "Eleven and two and three and four and five…"
Two breaths, check for breathing, five chest compressions, check for breathing, two breaths…
He was almost ready to give up and try to jump start her heart with his powers. Or, at least attempt to do so – it might actually explode instead, so it was sort of a last resort.
His shoulder was throbbing, his frozen limbs were tingling painfully and waves of fire shot through his body as it thawed, but still he continued on.
"Thirteen and two and three and four and five…"
He shut his eyes in silent prayer as his fingers found her neck again and they flew open as his heart leapt into his throat.
Stunned, he pressed his ear against her chest and nearly shouted with joy and relief as he heard a faint but steady 'lub dub, lub dub' beating away.
His cheek hovered over her mouth and nose for a moment, but the lack of a warm steady breath against it nearly killed the moment.
Remy didn't let himself despair though and began breathing into Rogue's mouth again.
One breath - pause. Two breaths - pause. Three breaths - pause. Four breaths - pause. Five breaths - pause.
He stopped a moment to recheck her pulse and heart, then resumed.
Six breaths - pause. Seven breaths - pause. Eight breaths - pause. Nine breaths …
Remy jolted back as he heard a gurgling noise from Rogue's throat and he rolled her onto her side as she began coughing up water.
It went on endlessly as she continued to choke and spit up water as she gasped for air.
"Tha's it Rogue, breathe. Jus' breathe," Remy coaxed as he rubbed her back rigorously. His own heart was pounding in his ears as he felt hers thrumming through the thin black dress.
Finally she gave one last feeble cough and lie still, breathing heavily.
"Rogue, y'all right chere?" (dear) he asked as he tried to view her face through her hair.
He rolled her back over as panic surged through him. What if she'd stopped breathing again? What if there was brain damage?
He brushed the hair out off her face and she blinked at him through glassy, unfocused eyes. Her lips were trembling slightly as she fought to keep her lids open and Remy had to lean in to hear her as she whispered something nondescript.
"What was dat petite?" he asked with his ear right over her lips.
"C – cold…" she managed as her eyes began to close again.
"Merde!" (sh-t) he shouted as he grabbed her hands and rubbed them down with his own. Her fingers were starting to go blue from the cold and he had forgotten about the repercussions of shock. He looked around again for some way to warm her quickly, but wasn't struck by any bright ideas.
He couldn't start a fire for fear that Apocalypse would find them and it wasn't like there would be a warm bed just lying around in the woods.
Briefly, he considered reenacting that grotesquely disgusting tundra scene from Star Wars, but there weren't exactly any large wild beasts lining up for the slaughter either.
The stones around them were warm, but wouldn't be enough. Plus, he couldn't just sit out on the beach like this where Apocalypse could easily spot them.
He searched frantically as he rubbed his hands up and down Rogue's arms and calves.
As his eyes roamed through the trees and open patches of wall, he spotted a wide-mouthed, but shallow cave that was partially bathed in sunlight.
Perfect!
They could lie in sun at the mouth of the cave, and if there were any signs of trouble, they could easily retreat back into the shadows without being seen.
"Hold on Rogue. Gambit'll take care of ya," he soothed as he threw his coat over his shoulder and then picked her up gently.
Limping, he ran the fifty yards to the cave's entrance and with a quick look around he set Rogue down just inside it where the sunlight warmed the stones around them.
He carefully laid her head against the pebbles then turned her onto her side as she moaned incoherently.
"Shh petite, Gambit gonna get you warmed up right quick, d'accord?" (okay) he whispered as he took off her shoes, then gently tugged the zipper of the dress down so he could remove the sodden garment.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXWHEW!!! That was the longest chapter EVER! I hope you all liked it, because it will probably be a loooooooonnnnnnngggggg time before I write another one that long or exciting.
With the "M" rating chapter, I ended at about 17 pages. Without, 14 pages. Who knew descriptions could be so lengthy (or hot???!)
Anyhow, it's off to bed for me now. Please write LOTS of reviews as I love them so and they inspire me to write excellent chapters like this one!
Is that incentive enough? If not, let's hit 21 more (even though there were like 25 from the last one!)
Love and light,
Wiccamage