~X~X~X~X~X~
A Different Kind of Christmas
Chapter 16: A Friend in Need…
~X~X~X~X~X~
A few minutes after Rogue had bolted… again… Mandy trudged through the snow with her friend's coat over her arm as she approached the gazebo where the mutant was currently hiding.
"Hey," the blonde called cautiously, not wanting to startle the young woman. Rogue looked so lost in thought, Mandy wasn't certain if the crunching snow had given her presence away.
"Hey," Rogue called back, though she never turned around as she continued to look out over the ocean. Her gloves were off and tucked into the back pocket of her jeans.
"I'm gonna change your code name to 'Runs-A-Lot' if you keep taking off like this." The blonde joked, draping the coat over Rogue's shoulders.
"Yeah, sorry about that. Ah needed some air." The southerner turned toward Mandy with a wry smile.
The younger girl's eyebrows shot up as met Rogue's gaze. "Wow, you DO have his eyes. Crazy!"
Rogue gave a wry smile. "Side effect of stealing powers. Sometimes Ah get the physical features t' boot." An icy wind whipped chestnut and white locks over fading red on black eyes as she turned back to stare out across the ocean again.
Mandy shifted uncomfortably as Rogue finally slid her arms into the coat. "Look, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have pushed you into that situation. I just thought…"
"Ah know what you were thinkin' gal, and Ah ain't mad at ya. Ain't even that mad at Gambit if Ah'm being honest." The X-Man rubbed her hands up and down her arms carefully, trying to make sure she didn't accidentally activate Remy's kinetic powers.
"Then why…?" Mandy began before Rogue cut her off.
"Mostly so I didn't blow anything up. Gambit's got more energy than Kitty on caffeine. It's no wonder he's so fidgety all the time." To accentuate her point, Rogue leaned down and picked up a pebble, holding it between her fingers for a few seconds before lobbing it out toward the ocean. The stone detonated in the air a few yards away, making a small explosion similar to that of a firecracker. "Ah also wanted to get his psyche and mem'ries under control. For all his bravado, there's a lot there he doesn't actually want me t' see."
Mandy pursed her lips. "How does that work, exactly?" the blonde questioned quietly. "Do you see, like, his entire life flash before your eyes, or just pieces, or what?"
"Lot of it depends on the situation," she shrugged. "If a person doesn't want to be absorbed and fights me, it causes a heckuva migraine and gets hard to sort out information. If they're angry and full of hate and rage, it can make things real dicey up here for me." Rogue tapped her temple as she turned around to lean back against the rail.
"It's mostly like channel surfin' though. I usually only catch glimpses of things - especially things that happened recently, but sometimes I can flip through the channels, so t' speak, until I find the one Ah wanna watch. Mostly I try not t' look at other people's thoughts and memories though. Ain't right t' go peekin' through another person's life." The glum southerner kicked at a few more stones on the ground as she sighed pensively.
Mandy was quiet as she considered the implications of Rogue's powers. "What about when they touch you willingly? Like Gambit did? Do you just see everything?"
The X-Man chuckled mirthlessly. "No, not usually. Most of the time if someone willingly lets me touch them, they start thinking about something specific right before and that's what I see most. Like one time Kitty let me touch her to learn some of her dance moves for a school play."
"Wow! Really?! You were in a play? Which one?" Mandy squealed excitedly as her train of thought unexpectedly derailed.
Rogue rolled her eyes and blushed. "Dracula. It was totally dumb though. Ah only auditioned 'cause Ah was new to the team and trying t' compete with Kitty."
"Still, that's so cool!" Mandy sighed wistfully. "I'd LOVE to be in a play, but I get terrible stage fright, which is super weird for me, right?" The blonde paused to take a breath, but continued before Rogue could say anything. "I've always really, really, really wanted to see a Broadway show - especially like Wicked or Newsies. Anything would be cool though - except the sad ones. I HATE the sad ones. But Wicked…" Mandy brought the tips of her fingers to her mouth and did a symbolic 'chef's kiss'. "Mwah! I've watched all the songs on YouTube. The Wizard of Oz was my favorite as a little kid. The idea that you could wish away all your problems…"
She stopped suddenly, blushing. "Oops, sorry. Got carried away." The blonde cleared her throat as she steered back to the previous topic. "So did you get to see any of Remy's older memories? Or just, like, him almost burning the kitchen down last night?"
Rogue chuckled again and shook her head. "No, he uh…" She blushed again and ducked her head, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear. "He was thinking about when he watched that surveillance video - the one he was talkin' about in the car? So it was kinda like I got to watch it too, but from his eyes."
Mandy's eyes widened again. "Whoa, that's crazy! Do you, like, only see what he saw? Or do you get the emotions and stuff too?"
"It's kind of a package deal. Ah don't just see the memories; it's like Ah'm livin' them. The emotions, the motivations, all of it." Rogue was quiet as she watched her friend's reaction.
"Pain, too?" Mandy asked quietly, not breaking eye contact.
"Sometimes," Rogue answered honestly, shrugging. "Mah mind tends to block out a lot of the physical pain though. Don't know if it's a reflex, or something Ah've learned t' do over time, but the emotional pain is usually the worst. That, and the nightmares."
"Nightmares?" Mandy asked, a look of horror crossing her features briefly.
Sighing heavily, Rogue nodded as she stared at her own feet. "Ah try to keep all the memories locked away so Ah can't see them - for the owner's privacy and mah own sanity - but they tend to leak through mah dreams a lot. Unfortunately, never seems t' be the happy ones that do, either."
"Holy crap," Mandy breathed as she, too, stared at the ground. After a moment, Mandy looked up at Rogue again, who was fidgeting nervously with the hem of her coat. "Do your friends know? What you go through with your powers, I mean? I didn't realize before - when you first told me how they work - that it was so hard for YOU. You always seem so much more concerned about what you're doing to the person you touch. I'd think if they knew how hard it was for you, they'd be more… I don't know, compassionate?"
Rogue shook her head with a small smile, "You're the first person who's ever asked." She shrugged one shoulder again. "Besides, it ain't like Ah want everyone to feel sorry for me. They've all got their own problems, too. Trust me, Ah know." Rogue winked at Mandy conspiratorially and the blonde laughed loudly.
"Well, at least God picked the right person to have those powers," Mandy decided finally and stood up from the rail. "Because if *I* had your powers, I would probably turn into the WORST gossip. I mean, who WOULDN'T want to know if Gambit is a boxers or briefs kinda guy? I mean, I know you've got the secret admirer and all, but that guy is YUMMY."
Rogue blushed and covered her face with her hands, shaking her head as if she were trying to keep those specific images and thoughts from taking root in her mind.
"Come on," Mandy suddenly proclaimed, grabbing Rogue's covered wrist and pulling her toward a nearby bench that also overlooked the ocean. "We don't have to go inside, but I've gotta sit down. All the tryptophan in the turkey is making me tired!"
Rogue moved to sit first, but as she did so, the wood started to glow briefly. Mandy paused a moment before moving closer. "You're not going to blow up the bench if I sit down, right?" The blonde giggled lightly, earning a small chuckle from Rogue, who shook her head.
"Nah," the southerner turned around to look at Mandy. "Ah think Ah've got it under control. It's fadin' fast now, any road." She sat on the bench, but smoothed her hands over the wood a few more times before nodding to the blonde.
"You know he was just trying to make it up to you, right?" Mandy nudged Rogue with her elbow as she sat next to her, trying to get her friend to lighten up a little.
"How?" Rogue asked, meeting Mandy's eyes as her own gradually changed back to green. "By tryin' t' kill himself? Or embarass me t' death?"
Mandy snorted as she enjoyed the quiet whisper of the winds over the snow. "But the look on your face," she tilted her head up at the sun and smiled widely. "It was a Mastercard moment."
"Huh?" Rogue questioned, unfamiliar with the phrase.
"Priceless." Mandy supplied, giggling.
Rogue rolled her eyes, vaguely remembering something on the internet with the same taglines.
"Ah just don't get it," the X-Man continued. "He felt bad about stealin' the first 'kiss,' so he does it again? Where's the logic?"
"Hey, guys are rarely logical. They tend to let OTHER parts do the thinking, but it seems to me that his heart was doing the heavy lifting this time."
"Are you.. Are you sayin' GAMBIT is mah secret admirer?" Rogue narrowed her eyes at the girl, who shook her head with a smirk.
"Not at all," Mandy shook her head. "I'm just saying, MAYBE he wants you to know that he's serious about putting his 'pony in the race'."
Rogue's panicked, disbelieving expression made Mandy laugh loudly.
"I get it," the blonde patted Rogue's jean-covered knee. "Love's scary, isn't it?"
"And how are YOU such an expert?" Rogue snorted, bumping the younger girl with her hip. She pulled her gloves out of her back pocket and tugged them on now that she knew they weren't going to explode on her hands.
"Duh," Mandy rolled her eyes, but winked conspiratorially. "Cause I've been there."
Pulling her coat tighter as Remy's kinetic energy drained out of her, Rogue snorted at the girl's answer. "Yeah? Who's the guy?"
"Adam. Adam Osirian." Mandy replied so quickly and surely that Rogue did a double take. "We're soul mates," the blonde continued. "He and Me 4-Ever." She pulled out a necklace from under the collar of her shirt and fingered it carefully.
The X-Man raised a skeptical eyebrow at the young woman. "Oh yeah?" There was an amused, unbelieving tone to Rogue's voice, as if she would burst out in laughter at any moment.
"God's truth," Mandy replied, crossing an 'X' over her heart. "We already said our vows and everything."
This time Rogue did laugh out loud. "What, like a grade school wedding?"
"Sort of." Mandy smiled and laughed lightly with Rogue, understanding how it must sound to her friend. But for the first time, her eyes held a bit of melancholy, and the X-Man bit her lip.
"Mandy," the X-Man shook her head at her friend. "You're what, barely 18? How can you possibly know this is the guy you want to spend your life with?"
"I told you, silly. We're soulmates." The girl suddenly turned serious, however, as she stared at the mini tornados of swirling snow and wind across the frozen fields. A wistful, sad, yet hopeful expression twisted over her delicate features. "When I think of him, nothing else matters. All of my fears and worries just feel lighter and I can forget about my problems - at least for a little while. He gives me strength when I'm scared or lonely, and he makes me want to be a better person."
Rogue was silent as she listened to the young woman, who suddenly seemed wiser and more weary than the southerner had ever imagined.
"So uh," Rogue shifted uncomfortably on the cold bench as her friend became distant, lost in thought. "So why haven't I met this guy yet? Where's he been?"
Mandy shrugged, her mind not fully focused on her present location. "I guess no one really knows."
"Huh?" Rogue shook her head in disbelief. "You mean you don't know where he is at the moment, or you haven't seen him lately?"
"Well, when you put it like that, both, I guess." Mandy gave her friend a tilted half-smile.
"So when's the last time you saw him?" Rogue asked again, getting more and more frustrated with her friend's ambiguous answers.
"Six months ago, tomorrow. We actually celebrated our Christmas during the summer."
Exasperated, Rogue sighed. "So for the last six months you don't know where he's been, or what he's doin', or who he's with, but you're STILL soulmates?"
"Yep." Mandy replied matter of factly as she toyed with the necklace at her throat.
"Am Ah missin' somethin' here, or do Ah need to get the Professor t' fix somethin' in your head?" Rogue half joked as she stared at the blonde in disbelief.
Mandy laughed loudly, but tears misted her eyes and she blinked against the bright sun as it bounced off the brilliant white of the snow.
"Adam and I met when we were little kids. We took care of each other, you know? We've been best friends since we were, like, three. We even had a little 'wedding' when we were in first grade. We promised that we would always stay together - forever - as soul mates. And we have been for the last 14 years.
"Last year…" Mandy's voice cracked slightly and Rogue watched tears sparkling against her friend's rosy cheeks. "Last year he got really sick. Terminal Leukemia. So we said our vows for real. Both our parents signed off on the marriage license since it wasn't going to last long anyhow." The blonde laughed, but it was equal parts amused and mirthless. "It's really NOT hard to get whatever you want when you're dying, you know? We were legally married for ten days before he died."
Mandy paused, taking a moment to wipe away her frozen tears and rub her cold hands together as Rogue listened intently. Unshed tears stung her own eyes as she imagined her chipper young friend marrying, then burying, her best friend and soulmate.
"But I know he's still with me," Mandy continued quietly. "And he'll always be my soulmate. It's hard sometimes, not to have him around. Especially when I'm having a bad day and I just want to curl up next to him again. But I always remind myself that we'll be together again soon enough."
Wiping away her own tears, Rogue reached over and squeezed Mandy's hand, then slowly put her arm around the girl's shoulders to pull her into a side hug.
"Mandy, Ah'm…" Rogue struggled to find the words as her friend leaned on her covered shoulder. "Ah'm so sorry."
"Why?" Mandy sat up and gave her a funny look, her tears drying as a smile ghosted her cherry red lips. "There's nothing YOU could have done."
"Except be a better friend," Rogue replied guilty as she toyed with her gloves. "All this time you've been doin' this secret admirer thing for me, and Ah've never even taken the time t' really get t' know you. Never considered that you might have your own burdens t' bear."
"Burdens are only heavy if you let them be, silly," Mandy grinned as she nudged Rogue's hip with her own, mirroring the XMan's earlier gesture.
The Southerner shook her head. "Ah don't know how you do it."
"Do what?" Mandy asked, another tilted grin brightening her face.
"Go on actin' like everything's sunshine and daisies when you've lost the one person who made you so happy." Rogue could feel the sting of emotion squeeze her throat and her voice nearly cracked.
"Making other people happy makes ME happy, too," the blonde chirped. "Besides, Adam made me promise that I wouldn't let his leaving change who I am. He always told me that his favorite thing was to see my bright, bubbly face." The blonde rolled her eyes, but smiled. "He said that what he wanted more than anything was to be able to look down on me anytime, anywhere, and always see my smile. And you know, dying wishes. Hard to argue with those."
Even with tears glistening in her eyes, Mandy smiled brightly again and turned her happy face skyward again. "Besides, I've realized that sulking and letting everything make me depressed doesn't solve anything, so I may as well push the sorrows away, deal with them once a week or so, and then move on and try to enjoy the good stuff in life while I have it. After all, life's a miracle in itself, right? And I figure that as long as I'm here, I can make the world a little better. For one person, or for lots of them."
"Well, then mission accomplished, sugah," Rogue gave her a tiny, watery grin. "'Cause you've certainly made mine better. Since the day we met, in fact. Secret Admirer or not, Ah'm glad t' call you mah friend."
"Same, girl," Mandy reached across for another hug, which the X-Man eagerly reciprocated. "Besides, you've made my life SO much more exciting!" the blonde giggled after they'd pulled back.
Rogue laughed, tilting her head back and letting all the joy of the holiday, her new friend, and everything good in her life fill her very soul. Mandy beamed, then closed her eyes and turned her face skyward once more, her smile brightening the sun-filled sky.
"Well," Rogue stood, grinning broadly after a few minutes of comfortable silence. "What d'ya say we enjoy this day a bit more then? We've got a GREAT sledding hill over on the west side of the house. Ah'll bet the boys still have their dohickey machine hooked up that pulls you back UP the hill, too."
"Ooh! Double the rides without the exhaustion of walking!? Let's go!" Mandy jumped up from the bench and grabbed Rogue's coat sleeve, dragging her along.
The southern girl giggled. "We might even be able to use the sleds Mr. McCoy was usin' for some crazy aerodynamic speed experiment."
Mandy smiled mischievously. "Oh, oh, let ME ask! After all, I'm …"
"Very persuasive," Rogue finished for her. "Yeah, ah know. And hey, if that don't work out, we can always use Gambit's coat!" Her mischievous grin split her face as she winked at the blonde.
The two girls cackled loudly as they crunched through the pristine white snow, arm in arm, forging a new path together.
~X~X~X~X~X~
Later, as the girls were pulling Mr. McCoy's fancy sleds around to the back of the hill, they were stopped by Logan. Both Mandy and Rogue wore thick snow pants - black for Rogue and pink for Mandy. Rogue had raided Kitty's closet for some extra snow gear for the blonde since the two girls were roughly the same size. Their warm woolen hats came from a matching set Kurt had given his sister and Kitty for Christmas.
"Stripes?" He furrowed his brow as he looked from the sleds to Rogue and back again. "What are you doin?"
"We're going SLEDDING, duh!" Mandy piped up, bouncing on the balls of her heavy snow boots.
"You wanna join us, Logan?" Rogue teased.
With another dubious look at the young women, he grunted. "Uh, no. Thanks. You girls have fun."
Mandy waved cheerfully and sprinted away toward the large hill Rogue had pointed out earlier. "Come on Rogue, let's go!"
"Ah'll be right there," Rogue replied with a small smile. The southerner stepped closer to Logan to talk to him privately while Mandy paused and waited a few yards away. After a few moments, Rogue trudged up to Mandy as Logan headed back to the house.
"Ah guess Gambit's out cold, but Logan thinks he's fakin' it t' avoid the Danger Room." Rogue smiled, but her eyes were full of concern as she glanced back at the house.
"Well, he was FINE when I left," Mandy chirped. "He's probably just taking a nap. I know he stayed up really late last night helping decorate and stuff."
Rogue chuckled lightly. "Yeah? Gambit did say Logan had him running simulations from dawn til nearly noon. Poor boy's probably exhausted."
"Man, you've GOT to show me this Danger Room thing some time. It sounds awesome!"
The girls hunched against the cold wind as they trudged up the paved path to the top of the sledding hill. "Ah don't know," Rogue bit her lip, considering the possibilities. "Ah'd like to, but we're supposed to be a SECRET operation, you know? You ain't even supposed to know we're mutants."
"You mean there's stuff you do that WASN'T broadcast on national television?" Mandy gasped dramatically and gave her friend a lighthearted shove. "The whole WORLD knows you're mutants, remember? Your school and the 'secret' base were all over the news. I Googled you. There's a whole Youtube library on you guys." Mandy smiled smugly.
The X-Man blushed. "Oh yeah. Ah guess you've got a point. Can't hurt t' ask, Ah suppose. Gimme a second and Ah'll ask Professor Xavier."
Rogue paused and closed her eyes. She wasn't sure if Xavier would even hear her with that telepathic lockdown, but a few seconds later she her eyes and gave Mandy a light smile. "He said he'll think about it."
"Oh goody!" Mandy squealed and clapped her hands. "In my house that usually means 'convince me.'"
Rogue giggled lightly as she positioned her sled at the top of the long hill. "Why do Ah get the feeling you usually get a 'yes' out of it?"
"Cause I'm VERY convincing, that's why!" Mandy smiled broadly as she mounted her sled and pushed off. "Come on slowpoke!" She shouted back at the smiling X-Man. "Last one down's a rotten egg!"
~X~
From an upstairs window, Xavier watched Rogue and Mandy squealing and giggling as they shot down the sledding hill at the back of the mansion. He smiled while Hank sauntered up next to him, holding a cup of tea.
"And you're SURE Ms. Favarshi isn't Mystique - or some other nefarious person - in disguise?" The blue furred mutant asked, chuckling as Rogue wiped out on the sled and sat laughing in the snow.
Xavier nodded, his smile growing at seeing his unhappiest charge truly enjoying herself for the first time in years. "Yes, I'm certain. Mandy may not be completely open to me, but she certainly is human and most definitely NOT Mystique. She is, however, a very UNIQUE individual."
The Professor stifled a laugh as he watched the blonde pelt Rogue in the face with a snowball before dropping into the powder to make snow angels. With only a slight hesitation, Rogue followed suit, windmilling her arms and legs briefly before standing and extending a hand to help Mandy up. The two mentors watched the girls admire their handiwork before grabbing the sleds and heading back up the hill for another round.
"Since you're heading downstairs to prep the Danger Room, Hank, would you mind letting Mr. LeBeau know that since Logan is otherwise engaged in the garage, he should be safe to 'wake up' now? I'd like to discuss a few things with him."
Beast chuckled, shaking his head. "Of course, Charles."
~X~X~X~
An hour or so later, the smell of hot chocolate and chocolate chip cookies drew the two shivering girls back into the house where Remy was waiting for them in the kitchen. He wore one of Mr. McCoy's oversized aprons that said "Kiss the Cook" and was leaning against the counter sipping his hot cocoa.
Mandy smiled widely as she eyed the heaping plate of fresh baked cookies. "I KNEW I smelled sugar!"
Rogue chuckled again as she shed her soggy winter garb and took Mandy's as well, hanging everything up in the mudroom. She smiled at Remy as she reentered the kitchen and grabbed her leather gloves from the drawer.
"And here Ah thought you were gonna sleep all day t' avoid Logan and the Danger Room," the southern girl teased as she took a cookie off the plate and sat down next to Mandy at the table.
Remy put his alligator mug* down and poured the girls two steaming cups of hot chocolate from a large teapot. "McCoy said de Wolverine was busy elsewhere. Remy ain't much f'r de snow, but figured you girls might like somethin' warm an' sweet while you thaw out."
"So what are you guys doing for the rest of Christmas break?" Mandy asked blithely as she took another sip of hot chocolate. "Any plans?" She crossed her eyes and made a blissfully happy face. "Oh, this is goooood…"
"Nah," Rogue commented as she smiled and carefully took a second cookie. Her gloves were still on the table beside her as she didn't want to soil them with the gooey chocolate. "Ah'll probably just laze about in bed. That, or Logan'll have me running Danger Room simulations all day. Might do some kind of meditation or therapy session with the Professor t' try and sort a certain slimy Cajun outta mah head."
"Lazin' about in bed sounds like fun," Gambit grinned, reaching for his fourth cookie. "'Specially if it's with you, chère."
"Oh gag," Mandy stuck a finger in her mouth in feigned disgust. "Although, I would LOVE to lay about in bed instead of working. Tomorrow's, like, the second busiest day of the year. The returns are insane." She took a long sip from her mug of cocoa. "What are you doing this week, Remy?" she asked, pushing her cup toward the young man so he could refill it for her.
Remy shrugged nonchalantly as he poured the blonde more cocoa. "Got some business in de big city wit' a client dis week."
Rogue raised an eyebrow at the Cajun. "Client?" she asked, dubious. "Only thing anyone'd hire you for, Gambit, is to blow things up or steal somethin'."
Remy chuckled as Mandy gobbled her sixth cookie. "Where do you put all d'ose, p'tite? You got a hollow leg or somethin'?"
"Better a hollow leg than your hollow head!" Mandy winked playfully and downed her third cup of hot chocolate. "Jealous you can't keep up with me?"
"Sorry mignon," Remy quipped as he took his cookie plate and mug to the sink. "Gotta watch m' girlish figure."
"What you better watch, Swamp Rat, is your back." Rogue chastised as she stood as well and brought her own dishes to the sink. Remy took them from her and quickly hand washed the plates and cups. "If you're out t' cause trouble this week, Ah'd hate for Logan and me t' have t' send y'all t' jail after did so much bakin'. Those prison boys 'd eat you alive." She smirked and shot him a wink as Remy handed her the cleaned dishes to dry.
Mandy giggled as she finally stood from the table, shoving a seventh cookie in her mouth before clearing her own dishes.
"Maybe you could pay me a CONJUGAL visit, eh chèrie?" Gambit lowered his voice, purring in Rogue's ear as she dried a plate, and she fumbled it.
Instantly, Remy was pressed against her, his arm around her waist as he held the errant dish just below the girl's navel. Rogue gasped, not daring to move as she felt his warm, strong body envelop hers from behind. Part of her wanted to elbow him in the nose and kick him into next week. The other part of her however, couldn't help but revel in the sensations his closeness ignited in her.
"Ahem," a low male voice cleared his throat loudly from the doorway and Remy carefully bent around Rogue to place the small plate in the drying rack. As if he'd done nothing more than bow, he stood back up and leaned against the sink nonchalantly, his hip nearly touching hers.
Rogue, however, blushed furiously, hanging the towel over the rack before crossing her arms and taking a step away from Gambit. Mandy was on the other side of the counter, her eyes pointed at the ceiling as she whistled and pretended to ignore what had just happened.
Xavier sat in the doorway, watching the teens with a raised eyebrow. "Since it appears Mr. LeBeau has 'recovered', perhaps he would be willing to help you with a Danger Room demonstration for your friend, Rogue?."
"Yay!" The blonde squealed, setting her dishes on the counter before bouncing up and down excitedly.
Rogue groaned, grabbing her friend's plate and mug. "Wish Ah hadn't let you talk me into sledding, then. Ah ain't gonna be able t' move tomorrow."
"Don't worry, chère, Gambit'll take it easy on ya." He smirked, carefully taking the dishes from Rogue to wash and load them.
"Ha!" The X-Man folded her arms again, giving him a death glare. "Ah may not remember it, but according to YOU we've already played that game, Gambit. And Ah won."
Remy grinned like the cat that ate the canary. "Well, if'n y'r plannin' t' surprise me wit' another KISS, den I guess I'll concede t' defeat now, ma colombe." (my dove)
Rogue's cheeks flamed, and she grabbed the wet towel to smack him with it while Mandy tried to stifle her giggles.
"Actually," Xavier cut in, secretly overjoyed with his student's lively behavior. "In this simulation you'll need to work together rather than against each other."
"Oh man," Rogue complained loudly, but Remy smiled widely, giving Mandy a wink.
The southern girl narrowed her eyes at him, but then gave the Cajun a mischievous grin. "And here Ah was hopin' Logan'd wipe the floor with you for that stunt you pulled earlier."
Standing auspiciously in the opposite doorway, Logan chuckled as he wiped black oil from his hands. "Oh don't worry about that, Stripes. Chuck's promised me a crack at the Swamp Rat after you're done."
This time Remy groaned loudly while Rogue giggled.
"Merde."
~X~X~X~
Cards flashed in the darkness, exploding against two of the round blades hurtling toward Rogue and Gambit. Rogue rolled under a third, the ends of her hair getting sliced off in the process.
"Ah was plannin' on gettin' a haircut, but not like that!" she panted, rolling to her feet as she and Gambit continued running through the maze.
"Just a trim, right, p'tite? The longer hair is trés belle." The Cajun used his staff to smack a few flying orbs while Rogue stayed close behind him. She ignored his comment, too preoccupied with the simulation to let his banter get to her, but she was secretly pleased he had noticed that she was growing out her hair a little.
When a giant arm came out of the ground and snaked toward Gambit's leg, the southern girl launched herself at him, knocking Gambit out of the way just in time. "Ah told y'all t' watch your back, Cajun!" she chastised as they rolled, ending with her laying partially on top of him. Her eyes widened as he wrapped her in a hug and rolled them a second time. Another huge mechanical arm struck the ground where they'd been lying, and Gambit tucked Rogue underneath his body, twisting and turning as it came at them in rapid succession.
"Best watch yours, chère!" His staff was wedged beneath Rogue's back as she lay under Gambit, and the former Acolyte didn't have time to pull it free before another mechanical arm snaked around him, trapping his arms at his sides and pulling him off Rogue.
"Whoa!" he shouted as the device dangled him upside down. His hands were immoble, making it impossible to use his powers, but he was only a few feet off the ground. Rogue vaulted into a stand and quickly retrieved Remy's staff, hitting the arm with all her might. The machine didn't budge, but another arm shot out from the wall, grabbing for Rogue.
"Watch it!" Remy called just in time for Rogue to dive sideways and avoid capture. "You need m' powers, Rogue!" He shouted as she barely avoided being caught a second time. He could tell she was getting tired. After all, they had already run an obstacle course race AND another moving maze full of hazards.
The X-Man had a pouch full of ninja star type weapons, but her absorption abilities were her best asset in normal circumstances. Unfortunately, her powers didn't work well for robotic simulations.
"Ah can't! Ah'll lay you out and we'll lose for sure!" She shouted angrily as she used his bow staff to knock back another arm.
"You DON'T do it, den you'll get captured and we'll still lose." Gambit argued as he tried to maneuver his hands to a point where he could touch something. Every time he moved, however, the machine squeezed harder.
"Agh!" He shouted as the mechanical arm tightened again.
"Gambit!" Real concern washed over Rogue's face, and she rolled over the top of another mechanical grabber. Using his bow staff, she tried to wedge open the device holding the Cajun.
"Duck!" Remy wheezed as the thing tightened again, and Rogue dropped down just in time for an electrified orb to fly over her head.
She looked back to see five different arms reaching for her at once, and without another moment of hesitation, she whipped back around to Remy and kissed him hard.
She only had a second before two mechanical arms grabbed her by the ankles and dragged her away, but the brief kiss had been more than enough for her powers to take effect. She reached for the throwing stars in her belt. On their own, they were practically useless against these thick metal arms, but she smirked as she charged two in each hand and let them fly. Her red on black eyes watched the first round blow up the two devices which had captured her, then she turned and lobbed the other ninja stars at the thicker arm holding Gambit upside down.
The Cajun dropped unceremoniously onto the floor, his grace and skill momentarily incapacitated by Rogue's absorption of him. He shook his head, trying to clear the grogginess away, and the girl was at his side in a moment, helping him stand. Before he could come up with a witty retort, she reached into his breast pocket for the pack of cards she knew would be there. Pulling out a handful and charging them, she lobbed half a dozen at the encroaching mechanical arms.
More electrified orbs shot out at them from the walls, and Rogue twirled the staff with one hand, knocking them away quickly. "Come on, Cajun, we gotta move!" She barked as she helped him run toward the exit.
"I've had girls leave me breathless before, chère, but d'ose kisses o' yours really knock me off m' feet!" Gambit grinned flirtatiously.
Even as she glared at him, huffing with exhaustion, Rogue couldn't stop the blush from rising in her cheeks. She only hoped that anyone who could see it from the observation booth would consider it as a side effect of adrenaline and the intense workout.
"Can it Cajun, 'fore Ah really knock you out." She muttered, charging and throwing several more cards at the mechanical arms and dangerous projectiles.
"Long as you let Remy choose how and where," he purred in her ear as she helped him run.
The distraction was minor, but it threw off Rogue's concentration just enough for her to pause and miss an electrical orb coming at them from behind.
It struck her in the back at full velocity, knocking both youths off their feet and sending Rogue sprawling several feet with a screech of pain and surprise.
"Rogue!" Gambit shouted, jumping to his feet and tossing cards in a wide arc so he could check on her.
The girl groaned as she tried to push herself up into a sitting position. "Ow," she complained, rubbing the back of her neck gingerly.
"You okay mignon?" Remy asked, kneeling at her side and offering his hand.
She groaned in response and swayed on her feet as Gambit helped her stand. He pulled her arm around his neck, and tossed a few more cards at the newest orbs. Half running, half dragging Rogue down the corridor, the two turned a corner and nearly ran into a large steel door with no apparent handle. Taking a card and charging it, Remy slid the small explosive into the crack between the door and the wall. Although the explosion left a dent and a large black stain on the steel, it did nothing to budge the door.
"Huh," Remy muttered, looking around as he threw a few more cards at the electrified orbs coming around the corner. Rogue pulled her arm off Remy's shoulders as she, too, examined the newest obstacle.
Small pipes ran along the 10 foot tall ceiling, and just above the door was a ventilation shaft of some kind.
"You thinkin' what Ah'm thinkin' Cajun?" Rogue grinned, meeting his red irises with her own green.
Gambit returned her smile mischievously. "'Bout how unfair it is dat Gambit - an invited guest - has t' run d'ese simulations while Mandy gets t' watch an' laugh at us?"
Rogue narrowed her eyes, giving him a look as she put her fists on her cocked hip. She pointed up at the pipes "Just gimme a boost, will ya?"
The Cajun grinned widely. "Bien sȗr, ma chère (of course my dear), why didn't y' say so?" Rogue took a deep breath, fighting back her ire, as she turned around to stand in front of Gambit to face the door. With his hands firmly planted around her waist, he hoisted her up so she could stand on his shoulders. Before the next round of flying robots could catch them, Rogue jumped up the last two feet and grabbed a pipe, swinging her legs to gain enough momentum so she could kick in the vent.
Heavy black boots connected with flimsy aluminum, and the vent cover clattered to the ground noisily. As it did so, however, the pipe she was holding broke mid-swing and a strangled cry escaped her lips as she felt herself fall.
Strong arms caught her easily as Remy snatched Rogue away from what would have been a nasty fall. The X-Man gasped, breathing heavily from the adrenaline, as Gambit smoothly set her back on her feet. "Thanks," she whispered, trying to calm her racing heart.
"Avec plaisir, chèrie (with pleasure). Any time." He looked up at the open vent and handed Rogue his staff. "Now f'r Remy's turn."
The Cajun pulled Rogue to the side, handed her his bo staff, and took a few steps back before running forward towards the corner where the two walls met next to the door. With a flying leap, his feet pushed off each corner as he essentially ran UP the walls before launching himself to grasp the edge where the cover had been. With hardly any show of effort, Gambit pulled himself up and slid into the dark hole, completely disappearing in what amounted to less than 10 seconds.
Rogue's eyes were wide as she blinked stupidly at the vent and marveled at his feat of acrobatics. Then she crossed her arms, Gambit's staff still in one hand, and muttered under her breath.
"Show off…"
"I HEARD dat!" Gambit called back, laughing, as Rogue blushed slightly.
She was almost grateful for the buzzing sound behind her that heralded the arrival of more flying robots.
Almost.
There were at least six of them, fanned out around the hall as if waiting. In unison, they all struck at once, and Rogue managed to hit two of them before she had to flip backward to avoid being shocked. A third and fourth fell again to the versatile staff, but the fifth and sixth bots would have electrocuted her if a couple of charged cards hadn't shot through the now open door at just that moment.
Gambit's casual silhouette was outlined by the smoke as he lounged against the door frame. "Aprèz-vous, ma chère (after you, my dear)."
As the gray-black haze from the multiple explosions and sparking bots slowly dissipated, Rogue paused to catch her breath. She gave him a skeptical look. "Cuttin' it a little close there, don't ya think, Gambit?"
"Nonsense, p'tite," he grinned. "Gambit's always right on time." Without warning, he tossed another charged card, letting it whiz just past her ear to hit a bot that had snuck up behind her.
With a raised eyebrow, she barely looked back, choosing instead to shake her head incredulously as she sauntered past him and into the new hallway, shoving his staff back at him. There were several smoldering robots littering the floor, evidence he had been busy with his own obstacles, yet still saved her butt in the nick of time.
Another locked door awaited them at the end of the hall, and although it didn't budge under Gambit's explosive cards, there WAS a series of complex locks that made the Cajun grin.
"Take off y'r glove, chère."
"What? Why?" Her hair was mussed, curling at the ends as sweat dampened her scalp and forehead. The wideness of her eyes perfectly matched her wild locks, and Gambit chuckled at her surprised reaction.
"I can pick dese locks, but I can't protect us from de machines at de same time. I need you t' take anot'er shot of my powers and watch my back while I work." He held out his hand, bare index, pinky, and thumb wiggling slightly as he held her gaze with earnest intensity. In his other hand he held a pack of playing cards and his staff.
"Ah don't know. What if Ah can't control it?" Rogue nibbled her lip, staring down at his offered hand.
"Rogue," he smiled encouragingly, "de only thing gettin' in y'r way is y'r own head. You already used m' powers perfectly. When you ain't thinkin' and analyzing everyt'ing, ya do fine. It's only when ya get in y'r own head dat you have trouble mignon. Just relax an' let y'r instincts do the thinkin', eh?" He wanted nothing more than to tuck the strand of white hair that obscured her face behind her ear, but remained motionless.
Green eyes widened further. Could it really be that simple? Of all the times she'd borrowed powers, the only time she'd really struggled with control was when she hadn't expected the contact, or when she'd been overwhelmed by the psyches in her head. But now was not the time to dwell on such things, and she shook her head to clear her mind.
With a deep breath, Rogue took off her gloves and pocketed them. "Alright, fine. Just… focus on what you want me t' take. And DON'T pass out on me, got it, Swamp Rat?"
With a triumphant, suggestive smirk, Gambit stood closer, palm up. "You gonna hold me in y'r arms if'n I do, chère?"
She couldn't help it. His playful arrogance and stupid cocky smile was contagious. "Nope," she grinned back, "Ah'm just gonna let Wolvie come carry you like a baby." With a flirtatious wink of her own, she slid her hand into his, letting his bare digits caress her palm before their fingers tightened around each other.
The rush of his powers was intoxicating, filling her entire body with a bubbly, almost anxious energy that NEEDED to be released. His thoughts were focused on his skills - memories of his training as a thief, and later as an Acolyte; memories of hours spent lobbing cards over and over until he could slice the wing off a fly as it buzzed around a crowded room. His feelings, however, were jumbled. On one hand, he trusted her - was intrigued by her - but on the other, there was an intense anxiety, a fear of her touch and what she would see in his head. She tried hard to stamp down on that, refusing to let his worries or psyche muddle up her brain or overtake her.
The contact was longer than any of the two kisses they'd shared, but when she pulled her hand away, Gambit was breathless yet not woozy.
"See," he whispered, his mouth scant inches from hers as his molten gaze held her matching one. "Not so bad, was it?" Heaps of satisfied amusement, a bit of fatigue, a hint of unease, and a spoonful of desire bled from him into her, creating a loop of intense emotions that seemed to have no beginning and no end.
Breathing just as heavily as Remy, Rogue said nothing as her own fiery eyes reflected back at him. The urge to kiss him, to push him up against the wall and shove her tongue down his throat, was so intense that she blushed as bright as his glowing eyes and finally stepped back, swiping his staff and the cards from his other hand before turning her back to him.
Gambit cleared his throat and pulled out a small cloth bundle with a pack of lock picks and got to work on the door. The familiar whine of his kinetic charge echoed from Rogue's hands and she blew up a handful of more electrified orbs and metal arms as she defended him against the attacking bots.
All in all, it only took Remy two or three minutes to unlock all the mechanisms securing the door. He knew he could have done it faster, but couldn't help turning around every few seconds to check on Rogue. He trusted her to watch his back, of course, but seeing her dance and twirl and leap throughout the small hallway, her eyes flaring right along with the cards she tossed, was too enticing to ignore, and he had to start over a few times.
Finally, the last lock clicked open and he pulled open the door, revealing a sprawling desert landscape. "Rogue, come on, chère! Think dis is it!"
With another round of explosions, the X-Man darted through a cloud of black smoke to the blinding sunlight outside, tossing him the staff as she ran. As soon as the two mutants were through the door, however, they were greeted by screaming winds that flung sand in their eyes and ears. Within seconds, Rogue and Remy were forced apart by the dust storm. Gambit pulled a pair of his sunglasses from one of his trench coat pockets and tugged his cowl up over his nose and mouth, but Rogue had no such protection and had to cover her face with her arms just so she could breathe.
"Gambit!" she yelled into the quickly darkening skies, but the only reply was the whooshing of sand in her ears. She took a few staggering steps toward where she THOUGHT he was, but his powers were fading, burned out by the extravagant use of his abilities. The sudden isolation and loss of her senses was overwhelming, almost terrifying even. Forcing herself to move forward, she staggered against the worsening winds, turning toward what she thought was his voice.
The sand stung her cheeks, leaving thousands of tiny cuts against her soft skin. Hearing a blast through the roar of the windstorm, Rogue dared to peek through the crack between her arms. In the distance, she could barely make out two darkened silhouettes as they exchanged blows, and she raced toward them as fast as she was able. The whipping sand made it hard to breathe, even harder to see, but she pressed on until the silhouettes grew larger, occasionally flashing with magenta explosions from Gambit's powers.
Rogue recognized the Cajun from his incredible acrobatics as he flipped and twirled with his staff, but the man he was fighting was still too far away and bathed in shadow for her to make out. As she came closer, however, fighting against the inability to breathe or see, her heart nearly stopped.
Apocalypse.
Tall, bald, and wide chested, his darkened figure lumbered in the sand, throwing punches and swinging some kind of weapon at Gambit as the two men danced within the sand storm. Her arms fell to her sides, completely forgetting to protect her face from the fierce winds. His deep, booming cackle echoed across the landscape, making her ears ring and her brain rattle.
Suddenly he was completely in focus, turning toward her with evil, violet eyes full of malice, rage, and a hint of yearning. Her flushed face turned ashen white as he advanced on her. The rest of the world fell away as the swirling sand and her own fear stole the breath from her lungs. Vaguely, she could hear someone yelling her name, but her green eyes were bright with terror and her feet stuck to the spot as if she were encapsulated in concrete.
The megalomaniac raised his arm, palm glowing with menacing red light, and she knew she had to run, had to move, dive, ANYTHING, but a familiar, malicious, hissing voice in her head prevented her from doing so.
"Yyyyyooooouuuuuurrrrrr fffffffaaaaauuuuullllltttt…." it moaned, and though her legs refused to move, Rogue covered her head with her hands, face buried in her elbows as she turned away from the impending blast.
All she heard was the echo of her own scream before the blast hit her. Instead of intense, searing pain, however, the last ounce of oxygen was forced from her burning lungs as a solid mass collided against her side, pulling her down and away just before she was hit. The simulation ended abruptly and the tempest of blustering sands dropped mid-flight, coating the floor with a fine layer of dust.
With a wheeze and a cough, Rogue found herself lying on the metal floor of the Danger Room with Remy partially on top of her. She pushed him off slightly, eyes searching frantically for Apocalypse, but the room was empty aside from the sand that was falling through tiny holes in the floor as it was reabsorbed into the system for future use.
"Y' okay, chère?" Gambit asked as he pulled his cowl back down and removed his sunglasses to study her startled, sand-whipped face. "Now DAT was a bit too close, n'était-ce pas?" (wasn't it)
Shock morphed to fury as she pushed the Cajun by the shoulder. He stood and held his hand out to her, but she stopped just before her bare hand touched his outstretched fingers. Instead she pushed herself upright and glared at him.
A crackled, gruff voice echoed over the loudspeaker. "What happened, Stripes? You froze up." Wolverine spoke into the microphone as he, Mandy, and Xavier watched from the observation booth.
"Yeah, well," Rogue put her hands on her hips and turned her fury toward her mentor as she viciously ripped her gloves from her pocket and replaced them on her hands. "Ah didn't exactly expect ya t' put APOCALYPSE in the middle of simulation without a little warning. Ah know y'all like havin' 'the element of surprise,' but Ah didn't figure him showin' up in a robot training sim, especially with a guest here."
"What are you talkin' about kid?" Wolverine retorted. "I didn't program Apocalypse into this."
"Ah SAW him, Logan! At the end? Gambit was fightin' him in the sandstorm, then he tried to blast me!"
The room was quiet as the other four individuals stared at her dubiously.
"Rogue," Gambit stepped closer, putting his hand on her shoulder and speaking under his breath. "Dere was no Apocalypse in dis trainin' sim. Dat was a Sentinel I was fightin'."
"Wha-?" Her breath caught, pulse throbbing in her head painfully. "What d'ya mean? Ah saw…"
"That big robot thing Gambit was fighting was a Sentinel?" Mandy's voice filtered through the microphone. "I thought they were bigger?" The blonde shop girl's tone was confused, but chipper as always.
"Depending on the simulation and the students, we try to vary the size and capabilities of the Sentinels," Professor Xavier explained from the booth, his voice distant until he spoke directly into the microphone. "Rogue, did you truly see Apocalypse?"
"Uh," the Southerner shifted her weight, crossing her arms over her chest as she shrugged her shoulders. "Ah don't … Ah don't know. Ah guess Ah just got confused. Like Mandy said, the size was different. Musta thrown me off." Rogue swallowed hard, hoping Xavier would let it lie for now.
"Are you sure?" the Professor needled, eyes squinting at her from the control booth.
"Ah'm…" Her throat felt dry and her head was swimming with thoughts and images from everything that had transpired with Apocalypse just a few short months ago. She wasn't ready for this. Wasn't ready to talk about what she had seen during the simulation, or how the mere mention of that madman still affected her.
"Hey, Remy, where'd you learn all those cool moves like what you did with the flippy cartwheel thing?" Mandy's voice interrupted Rogue's runaway thoughts, and she felt her mind and body shift back to the present. That girl was an honest to goodness Godsend. Mutant or no, Mandy always seemed to sense when Rogue - or anyone, really - was in need of a well-timed distraction.
Gambit chuckled as his eyes left Rogue's tensed form to gaze up at the blonde in the booth. "Lots 'a places, p'tite. But if'n I told ya, I'd have t' kill ya, non?" His mischievous smile earned him a snort from Rogue and an eye roll from Mandy.
"So very original," the blonde sighed. "When do we get back to the good stuff?" She looked from Logan to Professor Xavier. "'Cause I can always go find more mistletoe…" Her sing-song tone and exuberant grin made Wolverine growl lightly.
"You can forget it, Cricket," he warned. "No more mistletoe. I already burned it all." His cocky half-smile immediately melted Mandy's impish delight, and she folded her arms, pouting.
"Party pooper," she grumped, sticking her tongue out at him. The tiny smile that pinched her lips, and the accompanying wink, belied her grievance, however, and Logan chuckled.
"How's about Gumbo and I give you a REAL demonstration?" Wolverine smirked into the microphone, looking down at the former Acolyte rather than the petite blonde in the booth.
"Why Wolverine," Gambit spoke to the Canadian, "I'm honored dat you hold me in such high esteem, mais (but) I think it would be more… educational if we all watched YOU take on a Sentinel or one of dese here simulations, eh?"
The X-Man's devious chuckle and resolute shake of his head elicited a barely audible "Merde," from Remy.
"Now Logan, play nice," Rogue warned, trying to hide her own amused smile.
"Why thank you, chère!" Remy's grin was wide as he took up Rogue's now gloved hand. "I knew you cared for dis here Cajun's well-being!" He bent and kissed the back of her hand, and Rogue turned to look up at Wolverine and Xavier in the booth.
"Nothin' fatal or debilitatin', got it?" the southerner continued, ignoring Gambit's flirtatious gesture. "All limbs and appendages stay intact." Catching the Cajun's offended expression out of the corner of her eye, she tried not to giggle. "It IS Christmas, after all."
"Take all the fun out of it, why don't 'cha?" Wolverine grumped, but his smile was insidious.
While Gambit studied the two X-Men with narrowed, calculating eyes, Mandy held both hands over her mouth as she tried to contain her desperate guffaws of laughter.
"Ah never said anything' about maiming," Rogue winked at her mentor before turning a sly smirk to the Cajun. "Have fun, Swamp Rat."
With that, she sauntered away from Remy, leaving him to gape after her slightly sashaying hips as she entered the elevator and Logan came down. Once she was in the control booth, with Wolverine standing nearby Gambit and grinning widely as he stretched his muscles, Rogue pressed a few buttons on the control panel as Xavier grinned and nodded.
"Y'all shouldn't need anything TOO fancy for a sparrin' match, but we probably SHOULD give Gambit a little break."
Recovering some of his partially feigned indignation, Remy smiled gratefully at the young woman in the booth. "Much obliged, chèrie."
A simulation of a deserted city street shifted across the once metal floor, and the former Acolyte narrowed his eyes up at where the control room had been just moments ago. "Ain't sure exactly how dis helps Remy…"
"Ah said a little BREAK, not a little HELP, Cajun," Rogue teased as her voice flitted through the room. "Now you have cars to hide behind and things to blow up. Be grateful Ah didn't turn it into a snowy forest or you'd really be in for it."
Although he couldn't see her face, Remy could tell by her tone that she was highly amused by her own cleverness.
For the next ten minutes, Rogue, Mandy, and Professor Xavier watched the two men spar. Overall, they were surprisingly evenly matched. Gambit was fast and agile, the perfect opposite to Wolverine's stamina and power. The Cajun's pinpoint accuracy with his exploding cards gave the X-Man a run for his money, even with a healing factor. About five minutes into their battle, Mr. McCoy joined the three in the control booth to watch the match with growing fascination.
All the while Mandy was as exuberant as ever, jumping, squealing, gasping, and covering her eyes and face with every close cut and decimating explosion. While it was clear that neither man was out for blood, they were certainly showing off for the young women.
Then, out of nowhere, there was blood pooling on the floor, with gasps and shouts of confusion and surprise, and the simulation ended abruptly. The two men in the Danger Room stared up at the control booth. Despite being sweaty, dirty, and a bit charred, neither of them had drawn blood.
Without waiting for an explanation, Wolverine raced to the elevator with Gambit right behind him, and moments later the two combatants emerged into the booth to see Rogue kneeling on the floor, Mandy sitting on a chair, and Mr. McCoy holding a large, blood-soaked towel to the blonde's face.
"What happened?" Wolverine growled as Rogue looked up from where she was trying to clean some of the blood off the floor.
"Thowwy," Mandy mumbled from behind the towel as she held the stained towel with her blood-soaked hands. "I get nothbleeth thometimeth when I get too ethited."
Logan gave her a funny look, but as he sniffed the air, his brown eyes nearly turned black, and he turned abruptly and left without another word.
"Doth he not like blooth? Dith I make him math?" Mandy asked, her eyes flicking to Remy, who stepped forward and gave the blonde's hand a reassuring squeeze.
Professor Xavier shook his head. "No, child. I'm afraid Logan's powers make him rather susceptible to smells. Certain things create rather unpleasant triggers for him - particularly blood."
"And he clearly has horrible bedside manner," Remy added with a smirk and a wink as he grabbed a few of the cleaning towels and bent to help Rogue wipe up the mess on the floor.
A few minutes later, Mandy's nosebleed had finally subsided, and although Hank tried to convince her to let him do some routine 'tests' for free, she refused and insisted that she really just needed to go home and rest.
Logan met the group of five in the hall. "Here you go, Cricket." He was holding a pair of clean scrubs, a wet towel, and a plastic bag. "Figured you'd wanna change before you go home and your folks think we put YOU in the Danger Room."
Mandy barked with laughter and took the items graciously, giving the generally stoic Canadian an energetic hug. "Thank you! I don't care how horrible Gambit says you are, I think you're the BEST!"
"PARDONNEZ MOI?" Remy scoffed with mock outrage and real trepidation as he held his hands aloft at the X-Man's dangerously narrowed eyes. "Gambit said nothing of de sort!" His red irises flicked to the blonde, who was giggling maniacally. "You are a fiendish little troll, p'tite! Gonna get dis one maimed f'r sure!"
Rogue joined her friend's laughter as the two girls headed to the bathroom to wash up and change before Mandy said her goodbyes and thank you's to Mr. McCoy, Logan, and Professor Xavier.
Remy, Logan, and Rogue walked the girl to her truck, which was now parked in the warmed garage next to Rogue's new car instead of outside the front doors. With a hug to her new friends - all three of them - Mandy climbed in her truck and turned the key, startling when the engine roared to life instead of sputtering.
"What the heck!?" the blonde cried over the thrumming of the engine. "It took me 10 minutes to get this thing started this morning! What…?"
Rogue shrugged her shoulders and smiled knowingly. "Ah asked Logan t' take a look at it while we were sledding. Guess he must've fixed it."
Suddenly Mandy was out of the truck and had flung herself first into Logan's arms, then Rogue's, then Logan's again. "Thank you! Thank you, thank you, thank you! You don't know how much this means to me - to my family! We took it to a shop and they - they said it would cost thousands to fix! And we… Oh my gosh! I can't believe you fixed it! Thank you!"
The blonde was practically sobbing with tears of gratitude, and although he was smiling, Logan looked more uncomfortable than he had when there was blood everywhere. In fact, he looked like he'd rather be covered in blood than being embraced so vehemently.
"Don't mention it kid," Wolverine grimaced as he pulled the tiny blonde's arms off his shoulders and pointed her at Rogue and Remy.
Rogue chuckled as Mandy hugged her a second time, then embraced Remy too, just for good measure.
"Seriously," the Abercrombie and Fitch employee gushed, "THANK YOU!"
"Seriously," Logan growled back, turning to walk back in the house. "DON'T mention it."
Wiping her wet cheeks, the blonde climbed back into her vehicle and rolled down the window to wave happily at Rogue and Remy as she backed out of the garage. "Bye you guys! Merry Christmas! See you soon, Rogue!" She gave the X-Man a knowing wink and stuck out her tongue mischievously.
The pair of mutants waved goodbye to the perky blonde, then stood together awkwardly for a few minutes as they watched the moon shining off the sparkling snow.
"Well, chèrie, it's gettin' late, and dis one has had a LONG day," Remy smirked at Rogue as she rubbed her arms. She had changed back into her green sweater and denim half jacket with her black ripped pants, but had left her coat in the house.
The Southern girl chuckled. "You ain't gonna fall asleep drivin' are you, Cajun? After all, Wolverine gave you quite the workout today."
His grin grew as he leaned against the passenger side of Rogue's car. "Think mebbe you ARE worried about me, n'est-ce pas?" (aren't you) His mouth was twisted up into a teasing smirk, but the warmth behind his fiery eyes conveyed his pleasure. The fact that she had any regard for him whatsoever was very satisfying.
Rogue snorted. "Hardly. Just don't want a dead Swamp Rat on mah conscience." Her biting tone was subverted by the soft upturning of her reddish-purple tinted lips. "What are you up to this week, anyhow, Gambit?" Still rubbing her arms vigorously, she nibbled the corner of her bottom lip. "Ah'm sure the Prof wouldn't mind you hangin' around here." She caught herself in a girlish giggle and tried to suppress her sudden levity. "Logan too. Ah've never seen him so happy t' spar with someone. Ah'm certain he'd write ya into the daily schedule, no problem."
Gambit chuckled and shook his head. Heavens knew she was right. Wolverine had greatly enjoyed running him ragged in that training room for the better part of the day. When he'd 'collapsed' after kissing Rogue under the mistletoe, it was really more from exhaustion than the ill-effects of her powers.
"Dat's a kind offer, ma chère, truly. Mais, Gambit has appointments in de city dis week. Big client waitin' on moi, with a big payout if'n I deliver what dey're wantin'. Gonna be très busy."
"Oh." Rogue tried not to look crestfallen. Although she'd never admit it - to anyone - she'd actually enjoyed having him around so often. As much as he seemed to infuriate her with his constant flirting and eye-rolling self-assured arrogance, he also had a knack for making her laugh. She was more comfortable around him than anyone else at Xavier's, aside from maybe Logan. "Well then what are you doin' for New Year's Eve? You don't strike me as the kind of guy who watches the ball drop ALONE, if you know what I mean."
That ever-present grin of his grew three sizes as his eyes positively SMOLDERED. "Why Rogue," he practically purred her name as he looked her up and down. "Is dat an invitation? You wanna share a New Year's kiss wit' dis one?"
The bitterly cold air was suddenly a welcome relief as her face flamed. "N-No! Course not," she stammered and tried to figure out a way to save face. "Mandy mentioned going to some big New Year's Eve party, and since the two of you seemed t' have so much fun together, Ah figure she'd surely keep y'all company."
Still leaning against Rogue's car, Remy chuckled and shook his head. "Sorry, chèrie, dis one already has a date on New Year's Eve - wit' de client's secretary, en fait. (in fact). Wouldn't want t' disappoint une belle femme (a beautiful woman) for une petite fille (a little girl) who can't seem t' decide if she likes me or not."
Even though the X-Man's chest suddenly felt tight with disappointment, she shook her head and forced a smile. "Ah don't know. She seemed t' like you just fine after that mistletoe incident." After a moment's consideration, she added. "In fact, she seemed t' like you a whole lot better after that. Makes me wonder why…"
Rogue raised an eyebrow, examining him closely. Mandy had certainly made it sound like Gambit had nothing to do with the secret admirer business, but could that have been a red herring? Was the girl that good of an actress?
Gambit pushed off the vehicle and stepped closer, drawing the X-Man from her thoughts. "Mebbe dat's because she realized I ain't just whistlin' dixie when it comes t' you, chère." His right hand reached across to tuck one curling piece of white hair behind Rogue's ear, while the left lifted her hand to his lips.
The young woman's breath caught, her legs shaky, stomach clenched and swirling with sudden butterflies. But her thoughts were twisting almost as much as her stomach, and she pulled her hand back with a deep blush. "R-Remy, Ah can't."
He stared at the young woman for a minute, considering. "Dat wouldn't have anyt'ing t' do wit' dat 'you know who' she mentioned, would it?"
Rogue pursed her lips and dropped her eyes. "Maybe." With a sudden thought, she met his gaze once more. "What if it did? What then?"
"You got someone else courtin' ya, p'tite?" he asked, brows furrowed in concern.
Rogue watched his expression, but his face was otherwise unreadable, and she shrugged one shoulder without breaking eye contact. Perhaps he would give something away; indicate that he was, in fact, the secret admirer. "Could be…"
"Who?" he asked, his eyes flashing. "You need me t' set him straight? Tell 'im y'r interested in someone else?"
Her bark of laughter interrupted his spark of jealousy. "Ah sincerely doubt it," she sassed, somewhat disappointed, yet slightly amused by his answer.
"So d'en who IS dis guy sending ya presents?" Remy backed off slightly, folding his arms even as he pulled out a single playing card and fiddled with it.
Another shrug as she watched the card dance between his fingers. "Don't know yet. Could be YOU." Her eyebrow was raised, daring him to confirm her suspicions.
He smiled wickedly. "Dat what you want, chère? For dis one t' buy ya fancy presents and take ya out on a real date? Just say de word an' I'll ditch dis secretary t' go dancin' wit' you, instead."
A huff - not of derision, but of forlorn desolation - escaped her lips, Rogue's amusement melting into melancholy. With a shake of her head, her shining green eyes stared into his glowing red irises.
"You know what I want, Remy?" she asked, her tone laced with grief as she hugged herself. "Ah wanna be able t' touch somebody - ANYBODY - without hurtin' 'em. Ah wanna say 'yes' when you ask me t' dance and not have t' worry about someone brushin' against me. Ah wanna have a REAL kiss without suckin' out memories. Ah want t' be NORMAL, just for one night…"
Rogue's voice was soft, but the anguish and despair in her eyes and her tone hurt more than any of her biting comments or scathing insults. She opened her mouth as if to say more, but there were tears glimmering in her eyes and she turned away instead. "G'night, Gambit." Another scoffing laugh as she walked into the house and left him in the garage to see himself out. "Merry Christmas."
Gambit swallowed the lump in his throat, but didn't follow her, even though he wanted nothing more than to hold her in his arms and kiss away her despair. He had nothing to offer her - nothing that she WANTED anyhow.
Not yet.
~X~X~X~X~X~
Notes:Two things: A) I'm considering changing this story a bit, but I'd love some feedback. I can end this on a happy note and just make the rest of it (the last half) more of a sequel (and kill off the initial epilogue with the chase scene), or I can keep it all together with the knowledge that this is going to end on a darker, more angsty note.
B) I HAD planned for this story to end a little differently, but Gambit and Rogue decided to be difficult. So here's a little tidbit I had pre-written on paper that had to get tossed out the window because of their stubborness.
~X~X~X~
"Well, chere, I best be on m' way too. Got New Year's plans t' attend to."
"Oh yeah? You got a hot date or somethin', Cajun?" Rogue rolled her eyes as she leaned against the front tire of her new car.
"Bien sur (of course). Mos' gorgeous fille in de state a New York - surprised ya didn't see her in m' head when you absorbed me. Swear she's all I think about dese days."
"Like Ah'd wanna see inside your dirty thoughts." She scowled, crossing her arms over her chest and shoulders hunched. "What kinda plans are you makin' for this gal anyhow? You gonna order a train car and some chloroform?" Her raised eyebrow and haughty expression elicited a bark of laughter from Remy.
"Nah. Was thinkin' I'd go with nitrous oxide and a cargo plane dis time. Mebbe she'll be a little less grouchy when she wakes up."
Rogue snorted in spite of herself. "If you want a girl to be less grouchy about a 'date', Ah'd say you go for dinner and dancin' or whatnot. Least, that's how Ah'd IMAGINE a date should go."
Gambit winked at her, smiling broadly. "S a fine idea, cherie. Best find de right place though. A femme like dis...? Don't wanna cut no corners." He flipped a few cards between his fingers and checked his watch. "Who knows? Mebbe if Gambit's lucky, he'll get a goodnight kiss after all..." He waggled his eyebrows suggestively at Rogue, who rolled her emerald irises.
"Or a black eye," she grumbled, huffing derisively.
"What 'bout you, chere?" he asked casually, tapping his foot impatiently as he looked out to the gates. "You got plans for New Year's Eve?"
"Ah don't DO New Year's," she sulked against her car, secretly wishing Logan or someone would come outside and bring her coat.
With a forward, one handed flip along a stray tire, Gambit glanced back at her. "Pourquoi pas?"
"Why not?" Rogue repeated, stripping off a glove to waggle her fingers at him. "THIS is why not, Swamp Rat. Last thing Ah need is for some drunken fool t' wander up and try t' get friendly." She tugged her glvoe back on and folded her arms against the cold. "Usually Ah just hole up in mah room and try t' sleep through all the noise."
"You ain't really the holiday type, are ya chere?" Gambit cocked his head at her, brows furrowed with something between amusement and pity.
Rogue didn't notice his expression, however, as she stared wistfully down the road, a vision of holidays long ago flitting across her memories. A fresh pine tree, lights and laughter, hugs and kisses and snickerdoodle cookies. Banging pots and pans on the front porch and yelling like a banshee as her father tossed her high in the air. It was a memory of her very own, the best and only Christmas she could recall with her biological parents. And, despite only being 4 years old at the time, it was a memory she still clung to - a reminder of what could have been.
"Not anymore," she whispered somberly.
"Damn shame if'n you ask me," Gambit's voice was even as he watched her forlorn expression. "Think you'd be a sight t' see on New Year's Eve in a New York club." He whistled, eyes raking over her shivering form. "Quite a sight indeed." His fiery irises analyzed her as if imagining her in a rather provocative situation, and Rogue turned away to hide her blush.
Across the yard, behind the gate, a horn honked, and Rogue was grateful for the distraction.
"Well p'tite," he remarked, bending to take her hand and kissing the back of it. "It's been a pleasure spendin' de holiday wit' you all." He turned and waved as the gate opened and the black sedan entered. "Be seein' ya soon, Rogue! Merry Christmas!"
~X~X~X~
There you have it. A little bonus "almost" moment. If only Rogue and Gambit hadn't been so stubborn!