Review Replies:

Shandy – Wow! Thanks for the long review! I'm so glad you enjoyed the chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. I'm also glad you're a fan of the Logan/Rogue friendship. I gotta say I'm a sucker for it too (if you couldn't tell by his constant cameos). As far as the romance sequence, I'm glad it made sense to you. I worried about that a little, so its nice to have the reassurance. But I think there is a definite time in most romantic relationships where you want the physical proximity and affection but you're not quite ready for the whole deal. (Sorry I couldn't think of a non-nerdy way to put it..lol) Also thank you for the petit/petite comment. I have a little bit a French background, but I was unsure because sometimes in the comic Remy will refer to a girl as petit, and I thought maybe it was the Cajun variance rather than the proper French. But maybe it's a child/adult differentiation. Foreign languages…tricky. But thank you and I'll try to get it right in the future.

Rck. – Holy moly with the praises! Lol! I blushed so bad when I read your review! I'm glad I could write a story that you loved so much, what a compliment! I gotta say I think one of the things I love most about Romy is the way they seem to love each other because of the flaws, rather than in spite of. Like Scott and Jean tend to split up when there's a problem, where as Rogue takes all of Remy's mouth in stride and he puts up with her temper like a champ. Good times! I'm looking forward to more of them!

Queenofspades19 – Thanks so much for your review! It's always really wonderful to get feedback from readers. I hope you enjoy this latest installment!

Red Skippy – I'm sorry it has taken me so long to come up with the next chapter, but I hope that this one will meet with your standards! I'm also really glad you got a laugh out of the last chapter. It's always hard to tell whether something is really funny or just seems that way in your head. Lol! I'm also glad you're digging the dialogue. It can be really hard to make it sound natural, so I appreciate the feedback!

Tfobmv18 – Remy always gets out of trouble. I don't know who I get more frustrated with, him always getting away with things, or Rogue for overreacting all the time. But at the same time, that frustrating dynamic makes them such an entertaining and intriguing couple. I have to keep reminding myself that it's the first time either of them has something real, and they have to take the time to grow into it. But I'm thrilled that you're enjoying the story and I hope you enjoy this latest installment!

Crack4sure – I'm so glad you liked the romance scene! They're both such passionate people, I guess sometimes it's hard for them to make up their minds. Or do things in order. Usually a couple makes up first and then can't keep their hands off each other, but hey, convention is overrated. Lol. As to Logan and Rogue, I definitely appreciate the father/daughter thing, but I have something a little different in mind for Logan. Also, I grew up with the comics and 90's cartoons, where Rogue was more of an adult than a teenager, so I first knew them as a more brother/sister thing. I guess I've just always been attached to that idea. But I also know that the movies and Evolution had her being younger and it did seem more father/daughter. I hope that it won't take away too much from the story for you, and thank you for the comment!

Suis.. Your review cracked me up. "own." What a fabulous opening. I'm glad you enjoyed it! And I don't know why real men can't be like that. Probably because they don't read enough dang fanfiction. Lol. Thanks for the review!

Moonfan2012 – hi! I'm glad you enjoyed the story! Thanks so much for leaving a review and I'm sorry it's taken me forever to post a new chapter. College is apparently just a device created for ruining my life. Lol. I hope you'll enjoy the update!

Makbee – Thank you so much for your review and the compliment! I'm glad you're enjoying the story and I hope the new chapter will live up to your expectations! I promise I will try to be more punctual in the future, and thanks so much for reading!

SabucS951 – Thank you thank you for the review and compliment, and also for pointing out the Kitty/Rogue room thing. I didn't realize I had been confusing on that point til your comment. So, anyhow, Kitty is no longer sharing a room with Rogue. She only moved in with Rogue while she was recovering from her bout with Sinister. I should have been more specific, and thank you for pointing it out to me! And as to the sentinels, all in good time, all in good time. I'm trying to get us there as we speak. Hope you enjoy the new chapter!oly

Part 21: Back and Forth

After all dis time…an' I still manage to impress myself. De femme came chargin' in after blood, and left all a-twitter. Dat couldn' have gone better if I'd planned it.

Except fo' de question bit. Part o' me knew dat my worries were wasted. What could de girl possibly ask dat would lead to my secrets? She'd have to be pretty specific, and even den I had every intention o' dodgin'. I could very easily slake her curiosity wit' a lifetime o' Remy trivia, not'ing o' substance.

And yet ol' Gambit lay awake wit' uneasy t'oughts. I had been fightin' an' fightin' to get dis girl to trust me, so wasn' it ironic dat I should be t'inking o' ways to lie? To keep secrets? De last t'ing dat girl needed was annudah disappointment.

But what choice did I have? Ultimately I'm a selfish creature. I couldn' consider leavin' Rogue, or worse: havin' her leave me. It would hurt, and I wouldn' know where to go or what to do. Dis was de first time in a long time dat I felt like I really had a shot at happiness. I wasn' gon' give dat up on some archaic idea of nobility.

I wouldn' tell her. She would jus' have to accept dat dere are some t'ings about me dat are in de past where dey belong. C'est finit.

Still, if dere was a deep side to Remy Lebeau, it would have one last jab at my flawless justifications: if I didn' tell her, I would never know if she could accept me, really accept me fo' everyt'ing I truly am, have been, and will be. I would never really know if she was de one. I would always have a dark shadow in my mind, whisperin, "She'd leave if she knew, Remy ol' boy. You know she'd leave if she knew." And dat shadow would be right. If I couldn' forgive me, how could she?

De deep side o' Remy knows dat he's no good. If he were he'd admit dat de girl is too good fo' him and leave her alone.

But again, dat's only if dere was a deep side to Remy Lebeau, which dere's not. At dat moment her scent was still driftin' across my sheets, and de remembered feel o' her left my hands burning. It was as close as we had ever been, and no dark t'ought was gon' steal dis moment and ruin my reveling. Damn, we didn' even do anyt'ing and dis was already better dan mardi gras! My heart was pounding in my chest, blood was rushing in my ears: dere was a smile on my face and a song in my heart.

It was exhilarating.

De next mornin' however was not so exhilarating. At five thirty in de morning, I was dreaming o' water. I was in a lake, swimming wit' smooth, strong strokes, and I felt light and happy, letting my t'oughts drift to' and fro' like waves on de surface. Suddenly I realized I didn' know where de shore was. I floated on my back to sort out de confusion when I noticed de sky was dark, wit' a storm approaching any second. I started to get a little apprehensive and decided to retrace my steps. Den I remembered: I swam out o' de sewers…I'd had to escape. I didn' know where I was but I couldn' turn back. I heard a little girl's voice callin' to me.

Suddenly everyt'ing was familiar. I'd had dis dream before. Seems like a million times. I knew who it would be when I turned toward de voice, and I knew dat I would fight wit' everyt'ing I had to try and reach her. I also knew dat I would fail. De lightning would strike at de last second, and Sarah would scream once befo' she was lost to me. Still, it was a fuzzy, useless kind o' knowing, like watchin' a train wreck. Dere was not'ing I could do to change de course.

But when I turned, it wasn' de girl I expected: It was my Rogue, swimming nearby. As soon as her eyes caught mine her face broke into a relieved smile. Suddenly I felt like everyt'ing was gon' be ok. She would swim over and take us away to safety, and we could be alone together. All de tension left me as I grinned and started to move toward her.

But den de Blackbird was hovering above us in de air. Scott's voice rang out, "All X-men to the War Room immediately."

Rogue's eyes looked up to de jet, and den back at me regretfully, de corner o' her mouth turned down into a little frown. Den she turned away to go follow orders, leavin' me dere.

"Rogue, wait!" She didn't turn. "Rogue!" She hesitated, but den Scott's voice called again: "All X-men to the War Room. IMMEDIATELY." She lifted up out o' de water wit'out a backward glance and started flyin' to her commander.

I shot up out of my bed wit' a start, callin' fo' her. "ROGUE!"

Dreams are stupid t'ings. Scott's voice again on de intercom. "All X-men, every single one: report to the War Room immediately on pain of kitchen duty."

I groaned. I'd only just gotten to sleep three hours ago. And dat one-eyed jerk had just ruined a dream dat fo' once was goin' well. I went to trudge groggily toward de stupid War Room when I realized I was still wearing my clothes from last night. So I quickly did somet'ing comical: I changed into my pajamas to go out. Life's little jokes.

Usually I'm a stairs kind o' guy, but dis time I made an exception an' took de elevator. I was surprised when de doors opened to find Logan standin' inside. He looked me up and down a few times, and I kept my face blank: not a hard feat at 5:30am.

"You seem to still be in one piece."

I shrugged and smiled, not sure what he meant, as I stepped inside and hit de button for de sub-basement. De elevator had just started to move when Logan hit de emergency stop. I crossed my arms across my chest and raised an eyebrow, waitin' to hear what he had on his mind.

"I'm glad we got this chance to talk, Gumbo. There's something I've been meaning to say fer a while now. You mind?"

"I always got an ear fo' a man wit' claws."

"Good."

Suddenly his face was an inch from mine. Why are de little guys always so fast? Now I'm a head taller dan Logan, but it doesn' take away from de impact. Logan's all right most o' de time, but when he looks at you too hard, you can see dat monster swimmin' underneath dat unforgiving blue. He's intense.

"Did you really think you could just slip around with my girl without me sniffin' it out?"

I didn' flinch. I know better dan dat. You handle Logan just de same as any uddah wild animal: don't show fear. "I'm sure I don' know what you mean. After all, I was under de impression dat you were still on de market."

"Don't lie to me, bub."

"You wan' me to say 'I knew you had a girlfriend all along?'"

He moved forward, and much to my chagrin I have to admit I leaned back a little. Don' tell anybody. He inhaled deeply. "You smell like Rogue. That, and you reek of cheap cologne, but mostly this discussion is about the Rogue part.

I made a show o' smellin' my shirt. "Huh. Well I'll be. Must've gotten our laundry mixed up."

Claws came up to my throat, brushin' uncomfortably across my skin. "You may get around most people with that mouth of yers, Cajun, but I'm not in a playful mood this mornin'."

"Apparently not a perceptive mood either, mon ami, so let me lay it out plain fo' you: if I had a lady, I wouldn' kiss an' tell. It'd be up to her how much she wants people to know about her private affairs, and Gambit isn't gonna go around impunin' her honor. If dat certain lady chose not to talk to you about it, den yo' gon' have sore luck forcin' me to. So if I were you, homme, I'd put dose away and talk to her if yo' so curious, hahn?"

I put one finger petulantly against one o' his claws, and it turned pink. We glowered at one annudah fo' a few seconds, and den he pulled his claws away. I drew de charge back, and we stood at a kind o' awkward stalemate fo' a few seconds.

Fin'ly, he spoke. "I'd really like to hate you, Gambit."

"I know."

We waited some more. I decided it was my turn to break de ice. "So why don' you?"

"Beats the hell outta me. I shoulda turned you into a shish kabob the first time I saw you slinkin' around her."

"Well why didn' you den? An' I don' slink."

"Cause it's her choice. I'm not her stinkin' dad, I'm her friend."

"So dat's what dis is? You t'ink I don' know dat you'll beat me black and blue if I do wrong by her?"

"No that's not it. Yer not stupid enough to miss that. It's not about what I'll do to you, it's what you'll do to her."

"What is it you t'ink I'm planning?"

"I need to know you really understand that she's different. You may think you know women but you don't know anything about this one."

"Well rest at ease, I've noticed."

"I don't mean the game. Yer all about games Remy. You love a challenge." His voice became more heated as he spoke, and he started to pace de small space back and forth, a look o' consternation on his gruff face. He was beginning to lose my understanding, so I waited fo' him to say what he needed to say.

"You love to win. And winning a girl like Rogue must beat the hell outta poker. The odds are impossible, and the stakes are high: that's just the situation that gets yer blood boilin', isn't it? But what about after that? You've broken a heart or two in yer day, no secret there. And what became of those girls? They shed a few tears, maybe shredded a picture, and then they moved on."

Normally dis kind o' talk launches me into my "mind yo' own business" speech, but dere was no judgment in Logan's voice, no shame-on-you-Remy undertone, not even de usual sympathy toward de poor damsels. In fact his tone was pleading: o' course if you don' know Logan you wouldn' have known, but fo' Logan dis was a big step. I didn' know what to make o' his words paired wit' his manner, so I continued to hold my tongue.

His hands began clenching and unclenching as he spoke, as though his words took great effort and concentration. "This is the difference in Rogue that's important: this is the one I need you to understand so I can sleep at night. Rogue is a strong girl, stronger than most. She's good at keeping people out, and it's kept her alive and in one piece. But once you win, Lebeau…once she lets you in, lets you close…she's completely defenseless. She's been chewed up and spat out so many times that she's weak inside. I don't think she can take it again. Every single person she's ever been close to has left her, betrayed her, thrown her away, treated her like garbage. In response each time she's put up a new and stronger wall. So if you win yer little game and get past those walls, you better be sure of what you want, because if you do to her what you've done to all the other girls it won't be as simple as a box of tissues and a tub of ice cream: it will destroy her."

De words were so simple. So very simple. But from dis man, dey were so powerful dat it seemed dey took physical form. It felt like his voice reached out and grabbed my stomach in an ice cold grip, twisting till it was painful.

He stopped pacing and stood up a little straighter, his eyes boring into mine with crushing weight. "And yes, I will beat you till you can't remember your own name, but it won't help. I don't care about many people. I care about her, and I wouldn't be able to stand seeing her that way. That would kill me. So please, think long and hard before you throw your next card on the table. She may be all starry eyed fer you, but she is, has been, and will always be my girl."

He gave me a long look, and den fin'ly released de elevator. We rode in silence fo' a few moments. I didn' know what to say to de man. I sat, pouring over his words, wondering what I could give dat would satisfy him, when slowly pictures began drifting over my mind's eye.

I saw Rogue standing on de rooftop in New Orleans, her fists clenching and her jaw set. Yes, I saw her anger, but what I didn't pay attention to was her restraint. I began to speculate about the storm dat must have been raging underneath her shaking surface when she believed I had left because o' her touch. I wondered how and why I had never given it much t'ought before.

De image changed, and I saw her in her bedroom; watched her face as she tried to send me away, how her defeated body slid between her sheets. I heard her words echo. "You want me. Ah want you. Too dang bad. There is no point wantin' and wishin' and hopin'. It is what it is. Now you have the satisfaction o' knowin' that Ah can't resist you any more than any other girl. Move on and find someone else to want, cause that's as far as it goes here. And because, while we're bein' honest, yoah killin' me."

And finally, what at de time had seemed so adorable and trivial found a new weight. Our moment last night: her body, one moment wrapped around mine, moving wit' me, de next rigid as stone as she hid behind her hands in shame at her…anxiety?....naiveté?...no…fear. Befo' dis moment I had given no real consideration to how much courage it took her to even let me try to be close to her. Of course it had occurred to me dat she had been hurt in de past and had to overcome dat, but in my mind so had everyone. It was like Logan said, I didn' realize dat she was different. She'd been hurt differently dan most people, in a way most people couldn' fully understand. All de time I had been t'inkin' o' her, I hadn' t'ought o' her dis way.

I destroy everyt'ing I touch. Its one unlikely trait we seem to share. If it wasn' my powers causin' explosions, it was my choices, my actions, my circumstances. I even used to wonder if I was cursed somehow.

All o' de sudden we started to seem hopelessly incompatible. Each new t'ought became a stone, and dose stones were slowly stacking up to form a wall between us dat I couldn' hope to breach, and Logan's words were de mortar. Where nightmares and conscience had failed, Logan managed to pull de rug from under me.

How could I not have t'ought o' dese t'ings? Or if I did not recognize deir significance? Was I dat stupid? Or jus' dat selfish?

And den it occurred to me: I didn' t'ink o' dese t'ings because I had never learned how. I knew how to appreciate a person, enjoy dem (particularly de lady variety), even know dem well, but it had never occurred to me to try and really understand annudah person. No one had ever quite been important enough fo' me to wan' to.

First time fo' everyt'ing.

When I was at last able to speak, even I was surprised at de sound o' my voice. It was…small. Dat's de only word I can t'ink of to describe it. Like I couldn' get enough air to support de sound.

"Logan…" He looked at me out of the corner of his eye. "I…I can' be…wit'out her."

It occurred to me dat dis t'ought needed more explanation dan what I managed to say, but I couldn' t'ink o' a follow up. Logan just kept his eyes on me skeptically, which only made me more flustered wit' each passing second.

At long last, Logan responded. "Did you just friggen stutter?" he snorted and den turned his eyes away dismissively. Translated, dis meant he was relatively ok wit' me fo' now, pending further observation. Probation, if you will. (A subject I know a little too much about.)

I, on de uddah hand, was still unsettled: actually dat's an understatement. It felt like dere was a tight coil twisting from de back o' my throat all de way down to de pit o' my stomach. My t'oughts went back and forth from worry to shame to guilt to joy to hope and back again. May I also remind de audience dat it was 5:53am.

De elevator lurched to a halt, and we exited silently and headed fo' de War Room. When I stepped inside, de room was abuzz wit' activity. Hank was busily clackin' away on de computer wit' Scott over his shoulder tryin' to make sense o' his increasingly exasperated speech. Jean was trying to bring up de presentation software wit' de Professor's help, while Bobby and Jubilee sat lackluster at de conference table, bickerin' back and forth about somet'ing or uddah. As soon as she spotted Logan, Jubilee was off her chair wit' an enthusiastic smile.

"Wolvie! Can you believe this wake up call? What crap!" Ever since Logan exploded, he and Jubes had been attached at de hip or somet'ing. Some girls are won wit' flowers and candy, uddah girls need a viscous mass befo' dey soften up. To each deir own.

Psylocke and Warren were off at deir day jobs, while Bishop was on de West Coast "investigating" somet'ing. He does dat. Colossus was on a reconnaissance trip back home to Moscow, to assess the attacks dere. Dese people always stay so busy.

And dere she was. Rogue sat on de uddah side o' de table, her hair swept up messily and her face washed and glowing, quietly sipping a cup o' coffee. Her eyes caught mine and she smiled warmly wit' a hint o' heat in her cheeks. Somet'ing about dat girl's beautiful blush makes me wan' to sigh. I don' know what it is.

Simple as dat, all my inner turmoil quieted. It startled me how quickly de change came. I almost began speculation on what and why and all dat, but den I remembered who I am. I am not de type to over-analyze or look a gift horse in de mouth. T'ings felt right wit' Rogue…I felt right wit' Rogue, and dat's all I needed to know. Frankly, it was nice enough jus' knowing dat.

I returned her smile wit' a discreet wink befo' takin' de seat next to her. Logan cut his eyes at me, but I pretended not to notice. I'm good at dat.

Scott switched on de intercom once more. "All X-men, meaning YOU Storm, to the-,"

"You needn't shout over that abhorrent machine, Scott. I am present." Ororo was fully dressed and in full makeup as she walked through the doorway.

"Maybe next time you'll make it downstairs in less than half an hour." Scott retorted.

"And perhaps you will give more than 30 seconds' notice." Ororo replied curtly, unruffled as she gracefully took a seat and crossed her legs.

Scott may have rolled his eyes, but really who knows? De professor spoke den, and as always he gets de trump card.

"X-men, Henry has been working diligently on decoding the processor unit we managed to collect from the 'Sentinels', and may have uncovered some important information. Henry, please take the floor."

Hank nodded, pleased as always to have the professor's confidence, and began to speak. "The systems on this unit are unlike anything I have ever seen. While I am continuing my study in hopes of decoding more information, I have to say that even when I worked as a consultant to the Pentagon I was less challenged. You see, software and coding is essentially designed according to the computer program. Within just one programming lineage there can be thousands of-,"

"No offense, furball, but I didn't come here fer a lesson in computer science. What'd you find out?"

"Indeed, Logan. Forgive me for getting carried away, but in the words of the great Aristotle, 'pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work'. What I mean to say is that the programming code…or language, if you prefer, of the computer is becoming more clear, but I am not entirely fluent at this time. However, I think I have been able to identify some basic coding akin to what you all would know more simply as a GPS system."

"Seriously? That's it? You found out it has GPS? Geez so does Scott's Camaro!" Bobby spat out grumpily. He's jus' not a morning person, per se.

"If you all will indulge me for just a few moments I will explain myself in full. If you insist on these continual interruptions I'm afraid this will take the rest of the day."

"It probably will anyway, knowing Hank." Jubilee whispered to Logan. He seemed to ignore her, but de corner o' his mouth twitched.

Hank sighed, used to de abuse, befo' he continued. "Naturally we had expected these machines to have some kind of guiding systems. In fact it was among my primary objectives to locate them, and I am pleased with my progress. The reason for which was not simply idle curiosity, but rather the hope of deciphering their terminal location: where they took the hostages." He shot a look at Bobby dat seemed to say 'duh'. Bobby sulked.

"Are you sayin' you know where they took everybody?" Rogue's voice was excited and hopeful.

"Not entirely, my dear. Like I said, I am not fully fluent in the language. I have located one destination, but whether it is the point of origin, final destination, or merely a red herring put into the system as a joke or to mislead, I cannot say with any measure of certainty."

"You really think these people would make jokes? About stealing mutants with their scary-ass robots? That's just sick!" Jubilee was getting over-excited already. Where she finds the energy I jus' don' know.

"As I said, I don't know, but it's the only useful information I've been able to access."

"Well what's the destination?" Jean chimed in, helpfully trying to get the meeting back on track.

"That's what's so baffling. The coordinates correspond to the land mass in Antarctica."

Silence descended on de room like a wool blanket. We all sat dere, looking at one annuddah stupidly, hoping dat we had somehow misheard and sense would be made any moment.

Finally, as a last ditch effort, Storm simply repeated, "Antarctica?"

"Like I said, I have no idea what the purpose of such a destination could entail. It seems that solving the puzzle has only provided me with a mystery. However, just because it might seem implausible does not mean that the information has no merit. As Nietzsche once said, 'the irrationality of a thing is no argument against its existence, rather a condition of it.'" Apparently, Hank gets all quote-y when he's stressed.

"Professor, what can we possibly do with this information?" Scott's military logic kicked in, had trouble wrapping itself around de situation, and thus deferred to de powers-dat-be.

"That is precisely why this meeting has been called, Scott: to answer that question."

"Well we can't jus' skip on down to de icelands," I threw in. Shoulda kept my mouth shut.

"Not immediately, Remy. Such a journey would require major preparations," the professor threw out non-chalantly.

"Professor, you can't really be suggesting-,"

"Ororo, I'm afraid we have precious few options. Each day that passes without action decreases the likelihood that we will ever discover the origin of these attacks, or recover the victims. We have a lead, and I cannot in good conscience disregard it until we have exhausted the possibility."

"Um, this might be a stupid question, but how exactly would we even get there? It's not like there's a lot of buses headed that way." Bobby seemed incredulous.

"Obviously we would need to make some modifications to the Blackbird, develop some necessary equipment, and run through some pertinent training."

"Professor shouldn't we give this some more thought? I mean, we're talking about some serious resources that we could be throwing on a wild goose chase: resources that we may actually need later. I agree that we can't afford to waste a whole lot of time, but I'm afraid that all these preparations may amount to just that."

"It has long been a probability in my mind, Jean, that this caliber of terrorism is beyond our capability to address. That is why you, Hank, and I will be departing this afternoon to present our findings to our correspondents at UN headquarters in the city. If I can persuade the governments to take action, then we won't have to. But we have to be ready for the possibility of making the effort ourselves."

We all wanted to jump on the ol' X-men bandwagon, but it's a tricky t'ing to get fired up about a trip to…Antarctica. Everyone just sat around lookin' kinda confused, or like somet'ing smelled funny.

"What are the orders then?" Scott finally asked, but his voice told sounded less sure dan normal.

"Scott, you will begin drafting modifications for the Blackbird. If you need help, Forge is on Muir Island: you can contact him there. As soon as we return, Henry, you will resume your efforts to decipher the processor. Everyone else will begin training in the danger room under new series 31.5.6, with the exceptions of Ororo and Bobby. You two will be working closely, as you both have a natural advantage to this particular climate. I would rather you developed those advantages rather than rehearsed your combat skills."

Bobby beamed…Ororo scowled.

De Professor paused. Scott jumped in eagerly. "All right people, let's get to work."

"Wait, Scott. There is one more topic I'd like to discuss before we conclude." Xavier scanned de table befo' letting his eyes rest heavily on me. Everyone else followed his gaze, seeming as bewildered as I was.

Why is it dat whenever you t'ink yo' in trouble you become twelve all over again? What did I do wrong lately? How could he know? Was dis about smoking in my room? Or leaving de toilet seat up? I'd been on my best behavior! Honest!

Den it hit me…Rogue. Logan must have talked to him about me an' Rogue. What was de big deal? Can't dese X-men have a private life too? Unless de Professor had got inside my head…mon dieu what was he getting ready to do?

I glared at Logan, but he only raised an eyebrow. De impudence!

"It has become glaringly apparent to me that Gambit doesn't appear to be blending with our little group." His face remained utterly stern. I resisted de urge to fidget. Rogue's eyes stayed on de Professor, waiting to see what he would say, but she shifted closer to me, almost protectively.

"I also have extreme doubts about the capacity of that much abused jacket to withstand an arctic freeze." His eyes started to twinkle. Now I was nervous and confused.

De Professor rolled away and unlocked a compartment in de wall, where he extracted a black mass dat I didn' recognize. Den he rolled back to de table and unfurled it.

It was an X-men uniform. It was an X-men uniform made fo' me.

I reached out gingerly, too surprised to know what to t'ink. My fingers caressed de black leather, and found holders on de hips and thighs jus' perfect fo' playing cards. De fingers on de gloves were cut off, allowing me free use o' my hands.

I stood and picked it up, still dazed. I noticed a clasp on de back between de shoulder: fo' my staff. It smelled new and expensive, and de silver "X" on de chest made it look like somet'ing dat belonged to a superhero.

As I continued to stare dumbfounded, de Professor spoke again. "Remy, your help was invaluable in our rescue of Kurt Wagner, essential to the safe escape of the team from Mr. Sinister, and instrumental in our success against the Sentinels in New York. Your skill set has proven priceless to the team dynamic, but more importantly you have proven yourself trustworthy as a team member. The coming days I'm afraid may prove increasingly difficult as our challenges threaten to exceed our abilities, and as our ideas seem less and less realistic to a hostile public. Bluntly, we will need all the help we can get. You have proven yourself to us time and again; you have satisfied every request we could make of you. Because of your service, I am officially offering you a permanent place on the X-men team."

I froze. De praise from de Professor alone had me flabbergasted, but dis….dis was….commitment. I had idly suspected dat it might some day come to dis: join de team or leave. It made sense. You don' let someone hang around yo' secret lair wit'out asking somet'ing in return.

Dis would mean I wouldn' be jus' staying here, I'd be living here. I'd have to be accountable. I'd have to play by de rules. He might even make me teach. I hadn' lived anywhere fo' years, and now I was gon' pick New York State?

But t'ings were different here. Fo' de first time in my life I was helping a group o' people do somet'ing dat was right. I was playing on de side o' de angels. Maybe, jus' maybe, dis could be de chance I'd always dreamed of to redeem myself; to prove dat I could be good, like everyone else.

All dese eyes on me…put on de spot. Maybe he'd give me time to t'ink it over befo' he'd make me leave. It couldn' hurt to ask.

"How long do I have to t'ink? Befo' I need to…leave?"

De Professor smiled a patient little smile. "Remy this is hardly an ultimatum. This building remains a safe haven for any mutant who needs one. Logan has consistently refused to join the team, and yet he is welcome to come, go, and aid us as he sees fit. Whether or not you decide to join the team, I hope that you would consider us your friends. You may have all the time you need to make a decision. I understand that there is much to consider."

"You mean…you trust me enough…to let me stay anyway?" My tongue jus' couldn' keep up wit' my t'oughts dis morning.

"You've given us no reason not to trust you. However, since we are cooperating with official organizations at the moment, I must require you to wear the uniform in the field regardless. I think you are a man who can appreciate a degree of professionalism."

Dat professor…

I looked around de table. Scott had his business face on, revealing not'ing. Jean's eyes were darting between me, Scott, and de Professor. Hank was gently drumming his fingers on the table, seeming almost excited. Bobby was spinning his chair back and forth. Jubilee put her open palms out in front o' her, a brazen display o' her impatience fo' my answer. Logan had his arms crossed and was looking at de floor disinterestedly. He didn' fool me. De Professor's face was cool and accepting. No pressure from him. Ororo had her hands clasped to her chest and a smile on her face.

Finally, Rogue. Would she want me to be here permanently? Would dis complicate t'ings? She was chewing her bottom lip and twisting her fingers, which could be a sign o' excitement or nervousness. But underneath she was smiling a special smile dat I hadn't seen befo'.

She was proud o' me!

"I'll do it." I said, wit' my eyes still on her.

"What's that, Remy?" I met de professor's gaze wit' a smile.

"I'll do it. I'll join de team. But I have no idea how to get dis t'ing on. I may need a little help from my new teammates." I winked at de ladies. Gotta start t'ings off on de right foot.

Deir half-hearted indignation only lasted half a second befo' I was surrounded by claps on de back and handshakes and welcome. Even though Scott's alpha syndrome leaked a little, I was surprised dat no one seemed too hesitant. It was a nice feeling, to be welcomed rather dan jus' accepted.

Den Hank came barreling over, shaking my hand vigorously wit' both his furry paws. His words came out a mile a minute. "Remy my boy I just couldn't be more elated that you've decided to join us at last! I knew you'd come around! And now that you're an official team member, I can ask you to join me in deciphering this processor! I've already cleared the idea with Charles, and he thinks your background in hacking security systems and general knowledge of coding would be of great use to the effort! I can't tell you how excited I am to have someone who shares my enthusiasm for technology! As Benjamin Franklin said, 'Hide not your talents, for use they were made. What's a sun-dial in the shade?' And as soon as-,"

"Whoa dere, Beast! I will help wit' de processor, Scout's honor, if only I can have a shower and a smoke first. Besides, I don' know what yo' so excited about. I'm de one who gets to work wit' de master." I gave him a grandiose bow, and he laughed heartily.

"Of course, of course my friend! I get ahead of myself from time to time! But welcome to the team!"

After a few more congratulations from my FELLOW X-MEN (ha!), we all started filtering out; some back to bed, some to showers, some to breakfast, some to work. When I finally managed to make it to the hallway, Rogue was dere waiting. I was in such a good mood, I beamed at her.

She smiled back coyly. "Welcome aboard, swamp rat."

"Merci, ma chere."

"Ah hope you'll find some time away from Hank to join me in the danger room today."

"Yo' wish is my command."

She took a few slow steps toward me. "Well ya know now dat yoah a team player, Ah have to stop goin' easy on ya."

I leaned against de wall non-chalantly. "Dat so?"

"Mmhmm. Ah shoah hope you like to play hard."

"Au contraire, fille, Gambit likes to play slow…" I looked her over meaningfully.

She grinned. "Ah suppose that'll have to do. And besides, somebody's gotta help you get into that uniform." She turned and sauntered away.

Mon dieu, who'd have t'ought dis would turn out to be such a magnificent day?

15