I've have the story festering in my mind for a few months, and I'll finally in a place where I can write it. It was take place right after the season Finale of X-Men 97 season 1. I have 17 chapters outlined but it will be around 20-25 chapters. I hope you enjoy.

Prologue: Dreams and Confrontations

Rogue laid down on her cot in her tent of the war camp she and rest of the X-Men were staying at. Beast had assessed that they had landed in the distance past in the middle of the desert, being strangers in a strange land. It was late at night and the silence that engulfed the night was defending. The only solace she got was in her sleep where she didn't have to contend with the reality that had now become her life.

After the day they had all she wanted was to fall into sleep hoping that when she woke up all of the things that happened over the past year would be all a bad dream. It was an empty wish, because in all her years she knew life didn't work that way. In the past when she was feeling bad, all she had to do was think of Gambit and a smile would come to her face. It was different now. Thinking of him now only sent her into tears, knowing he died thinking she didn't want him. If only she had a chance to tell him how she truly felt, but he was gone now. Even after all that had happened, something told her she would see him again. She didn't know how, but she just had the strong feeling that she would.

The silence would have driven her mad if her exhaustion had not overwhelmed her, and she fell into sleep just as her head hit the pillow.

The darkness brought with it a coldness, and Rogue tried to look around to see if she could make out anything. The area in which she was in was pitched black, and she wouldn't have been able to see her hand in front of her face even if she could feel her limbs. In fact she felt nothing but cold with her body floating. She tried getting hold of her senses but she had no control of anything. She tried speaking but no sound came out of her mouth, if she truly had one.

Suddenly she felt a rustling, like tress in a windstorm, but again she could see nothing. She tried to cry for help but she still could make no noise. Then she felt herself falling, and she couldn't even scream. Faster and faster she felt herself being plummeted until she landed somewhere hard with a hard thud. She looked around and saw the darkness starting to fade away.

She looked up to see that she was in a room, one she recognized: the terrace door, the fireplace, and even the furniture. I looked out the glass doors and realized this was Genosha. How could she be here? It was in shambles last she knew.

She stumbled to her feet with the help of a nearby chair. "How?" It was the only word she could get out. "Where am ah? This can't be."

"Chere?"

She turned around to see a man coming towards her. First in shadow and then as he approached her she felt her body go weak. "Remy?" she asked her voice cracking. "How can you…?"

"Be here?" he asked but she couldn't stop staring at him. "Always here wid you, my Cherie." He came closer and touched her hand, but she gasped and pulled away. She waited for the memories to flood her mind, but nothing happened. "Don't be afraid, chere."

"Why are ya here?: She asked confused. "Why am ah here?"

"Cause you wanted it," he said and took both her hands this time. "You need me. I'll always be here."

She looked down and realized she was wearing the same dress she wore that night, the night he died. "We can touch."

"We could always touch," he said and took her in his arms. "Don' need a skin t'touch and or lips to kiss."

"Ah didn't know that until it was too late," she said with tears in her eyes. "You're dead."

"Not'ing's permanent," he said and looked into her eyes. His lips came close to hers. She was shivering, but it didn't stop him. She could feel his breath on her skin and didn't even realize when their lips touched. She never wanted this to stop and closed her eyes and felt her head spinning along with the rest of her body. She felt as if she would faint until he moved away to look at her.

"Is this real?" she asked but he only smiled at her.

"As real as you want it to be," he said and she heard soft music playing. It was slow and sensual and she felt like she never wanted this to end. They moved to the music with their bodies perfectly moving together in time with what was playing. She didn't want this to stop whether it was real or not.

When the music stopped she looked up at the man she loved and noticed that he was fading away. "No!" she yelled as he was slowly vanishing before her very eyes. "Come back!"

"Have to go now," he said as they reached for each other's hand.

Suddenly she woke up sweating and breathing heavy. She felt a shadowy figure looming over her and looked up to see a familiar face, but not the one she wanted to see.

"Erik, what are you doing in here?" she asked and clung to the sheet to cover her body.

"I heard you screaming and thought you might need help," he said as she slid off the side of the bed.

"Ah don't." she said still seeing that imagine in her head of Remy disappearing. "Ah just had a bad dream is all."

"I just want to help you, Rogue," he said and tried to come closer to her., but she kept him at a distance. "I still…"

"Don't say it," she said turning back to him. "No matter how you feel about me, ah just can't."

"Why? Because of Gambit." She turned quickly towards him giving him a vicious stare. "He's dead, Rogue. You need to accept that, and move on with your life."

"Ah know that," she said and walked towards the entrance of the tent. She had discarded the sheet and grabbed her cloak and wrapped it around her head and body. "Ah was there. He died in my arms without ever knowin'… but I can't…"

"Accept it," he said finishing her sentence. "What do you think? Because we're in the past that we can somehow change what happened. Stop living in a dream and see what is right in front of you."

"And what's that?" she asked but Erik said nothing. "Ah told you that night of the attack that ah couldn't be with you."

"I know, and it was because of Remy, but he's gone and I'm still here," he said and grabbed her arm. "I can give you the one thing he never could." She just stared and the hand he took seeing that he was touching gently.

Then looking up to see the satisfied look on his face, she fired back. "He gave me more than you ever did," she said and snatched her hand back. "The truth is ah don't love you, Erik, and ah don't think I ever did, not the way I loved Remy. Until ah find that again ah can't be with anyone." With her last words she walked out into the night leaving Erik standing there to contemplate her words.

Well, that wrapped up the prologue, a little teaser for everyone. Please comments if you like and I will be writing more. See you then.