Chapter 1

The world outside lay in slumber, wrapped in the comforting embrace of dreams. Inside it wasn't much different, the mansion was eerily quiet, as it usually was that late into the night. Within her bedroom walls, her place of refuge, her own little world, Rogue lay in bed awake in a relentless vigil. The quiet hum of the night was a symphony of solitude, leaves rustling outside, a gentle wind blowing against her window, sounds that would usually soothe her to sleep had no effect that night. As time passed her by, heartbeat after heartbeat, guilt and dread filled her soul. The more she thought about it, the more that horrid feeling would grow insider her chest. How much more could she take? It was like the drip drop of a tap that was not properly closed, her heart was like a glass placed right underneath it, about to overflow and spill all over. She took a deep breath, trying to ground herself back to the present moment, but that task was proving too hard to be accomplished.

The dim light from her lamp was casting long shadows across the room. Her gaze was fixed on the worn photo in her hands, the corners soft from years of handling. It was a snapshot of simpler times, times when laughter came easy, when she first realized that deep connection they shared. It was comforting to look at herself in what now seemed to be another life, when the weight of the world didn't press so heavily on her shoulders.

Remy's smile in the photo was infectious, as it always was. His eyes twinkling with that mischievous charm that had first drawn her to him. That man could light up a room. She traced the outline of his face with her finger, feeling the familiar pang of regret gnawing at her heart. She wanted to tell him, she wanted it so bad, but Erik was very clear when he set the rules to their experiments.

"You cannot tell Gambit about this. The moment you tell him is the moment we stop trying. If he knows, you will feel anxious, you'll get distracted. Whether he does it deliberately or not, even if he were to be patient, him knowing about it would put a huge pressure on you. And that is not what we want, that would be counterproductive," he told her on that fateful night when he came to the mansion claiming to have inherited everything Charles owned.

Away from the prying eyes of the rest of the team, she sought him out. Curiosity drew her to her old friend; she wanted to know what his true intentions were. Not only that, but perhaps she could also offer him some advice on how to ease his way into the hearts of her fellow teammates. She certainly knew a thing or two about joining the X-Men as a former villain. Most importantly, she had mastered the art of gradually earning her place until she became a full-fledged member of the team.

To her utmost surprise, he was for once open and candid about what they had once shared when she was barely out of her teenage years. That was very much unexpected because he had seen her numerous times after that time in their lives and he had never mentioned it. It was as if she was a stranger to him. She, in return, would rather forget that it had ever happened. She was so naïve, so easy to impress and to shape. Thinking about how stupid she had been made her cringe so hard. It made her wanted to kick herself for falling prey to that age old trap: older man impresses inexperienced girl and gets her to fall in love with him because she doesn't have much to compare him to.

"Why now, Erik? What do you want from me? I have no interest in this, in us… I love someone else…"

He chuckled at her words, but the amusement didn't touch his eyes.

"Oh, I know. I've seen you and Gambit and how you behaved in missions. I saw how worried you two get whenever the other is in danger, hurt or missing. I'm no fool, he loves you dearly, and you… you love him, don't you?"

She looked away for a moment and hugged herself. She didn't like where the conversation was heading, but decided to give him an answer anyway.

"I… I do. But what does it matter to you?"

"Well, you see, Charles knew about it too. And when you joined the X-Men, you came to him because you wanted his help. You desperately wanted someone to help you with your powers, so you could gain full control over them," he spoke calmly, his eyes scanning hers for her reactions. He came closer and ran his hand over her cheeks. She stepped back, and recoiled at the feel of his touch at first, but ultimately, allowed it.

"In his will, Charles also mentioned the things he wanted me to do. The X-Men were not the only project that he wanted me to carry on. He knew about us, about me being able to touch you, so he wanted to me fulfil his promise to you. Help you in your quest to achieve control."

She sighed, leaning back against the headboard as her mind replayed the conversation. His words echoed in her ears, each syllable a reminder of the deal they made that night.

"You will not, under any circumstances, tell Gambit about this."

"But he will see me and you hanging out together. It will hurt his feelings, I'm sure. I'd hate to see him parading around with another woman without telling me anything about it. Before anything else, we are friends. Remy, he's… he's my best friend. I don't want him to think I'm keeping him in the dark about something, something as important as this," she trailed off and looked up at Magneto with glittering eyes.

"Well, that is not any of my concern. The choice is yours, take it or leave it," he declared solemnly.

Being able to touch other people was all she ever wanted ever since her powers emerged. The decision was an easy one to make, she had to go through with it, even if that meant spending time away from her loved one. Maybe one day, Remy and she could be more than just friends if her training sessions with Magneto were successful.

Once she conquered her powers, she would have the possibility of a normal, loving relationship with Remy LeBeau, that handsome devil of hers. The constant struggle and the emotional burden of isolation made her quest for control all the more poignant, as she yearned for a future where she would be able to be with him, hold him, and love him without fear, sharing that deep connection that transcends the physical boundaries her powers have enforced.

Emotionally drained after reliving that night in her head, she kissed his image on the picture and held their photo together against her chest. She finally closed her eyes and drifted into sleep.

-o-O-O-o-

Little did Rogue know that Remy knew more than she cared to share with him. He had been there on that fateful night she kept replaying in her sleepless hours. Lurking in the shadows, he hadn't heard it all, but he saw enough to draw his own conclusions. A pang of jealousy hit him like a truck, that much was true. It was painful to witness their skins touching- At the moment, it was so very easy to assume he was the lesser man, that she had found herself someone better, worthier than him. But still, all those unwelcome notions hadn't been enough to deter him from loving her the way he did.

Who was he to judge her for wanting to be near someone she could touch? Besides, she had stumbled upon his own past before. She learned he had been married, met his childhood sweetheart, and nothing had changed between them then. There was absolutely no reason for anything to change after Magneto showed up either. The reason he kept his cool most times when he saw the two of them arriving together after the countless training sessions they had was because, deep in his heart, he knew nobody could love her better than he did. Erik Lehnsherr might have been able to touch her body, but Remy knew he was the one, the only one, who had truly touched her soul. Morph and Wolverine could make jokes all they wanted; he didn't care. He was Remy LeBeau, Le Diable Blanc, Prince of the Thieves, and keeper of Rogue's heart.

She was his lucky talisman, his queen of hearts, keeper of his heart and soul. He knew it, she knew it, and everyone who had ever been around the two of them for more than ten minutes knew it. No matter what happened to either of them, he was confident that they would always find each other. Whether that would be as friends, as lovers, or as soulmates, it didn't matter to him. The love he held for her was so pure and true that it allowed him to set her free and be completely cool with it.

Even so, it saddened him to see the turmoil that had overtaken her life. He felt for her whenever she seemed upset about being away from him. Guilt and shame were etched on her face, Remy could read her like an open book. It was clear that she took no pleasure in being away from him and missing moments she should have been there for, like when Madelyne Pryor discovered she was nothing but a clone of Jean and caused havoc in the mansion.

"Remy," she cried out as soon as she entered and saw that many of the X-Men that had been injured. "Sorry, I should have been there, sugar," she said, rushing to his side. Her heart skipped a beat at the sight of him. As she sat next to him, she could feel his presence, smell his unique scent that always hypnotized her. It brought her such comfort that she couldn't explain it. That man felt like home. Why was it so hard to tell him about all the feelings he invoked in her, though? She swallowed hard and tried to show it instead of voicing, yet again.

As cool as ever, he tried to shake it off, saying it was nothing, that he was as good as new. It didn't ease her guilt, though. Ever since Magneto arrived at the mansion, she hadn't been there for him as she had before, and for that, she had no excuse. She wanted things to be different. She wanted to confide in him, to share her small victories from her training sessions. But it was forbidden; she couldn't.

That same night, she sneaked away to the rooftop, as was her habit—their habit—whenever something troubled their souls. She wasn't the least bit surprised to find that he had beaten her to it. He was already there, alone, eyes focused on the distance as he took a drag on his cigarette. As he inhaled, the tip of the cigarette flared, a defiant ember in the gloom. Smoke curled upward, delicate and ethereal, forming shapes that dissolved into the night air. She sighed at the sight; he had stopped smoking, as far as she knew.

'Maybe something troubled him so much that he fell back to his old habits. Yeah, Rogue, you know damn well it was you.' Her very own Jimmy Cricket said inside her head. So many voices inside, it was difficult to tell if it was her own conscience yelling at her, or someone else…

"Shut up," she whispered to herself. And that's when he saw her, he watched her for a moment, enjoying the sight of her auburn hair flying about beautiful, carried away by the night breeze that enveloped them.

"Hello, chére," he greeted her lightly, his eyes went back to focusing on the cigarette in his fingers. "It's late, with all that training, I thought you'd be well asleep at this time. Something troubling you?"

"Can I sit here with you?" She asked him, making a sloppy attempt to avoid his question. He got the message; she didn't want to share but wanted his presence to soothe her. No judgement there, he had been there and done that too.

"Of course, mon amour," he replied with a little smile on his lips, patting the space next to him.

To his surprise, she sat as close to him as she possibly could, shoulders touching, her gloved hands sought his and she interlaced her fingers in his.

"Is everything okay, chére?" He pressed the question, his eyes finally finding hers and holding their gaze.

"Now, it is," she responded simply. "I'm here with you."

And with that, she gently lowered herself, lying across his lap. His fingers glided delicately through her hair, each touch carried meaning, an ocean of emotions in both their hearts. They remained like that in silence for hours, hearts beating in unison, a rhythm of unspoken longing. As always, they were so close, yet so achingly far apart.

-oOo-

Bastion moved through the corridors of his hidden base with the precision and purpose of a machine, his footsteps echoing off the metallic walls. The dim lighting cast long, eerie shadows, adding to the creepy atmosphere of the place. He reached a secure door and pressed his hand against the biometric scanner. The door slid open with a hiss, revealing a high-tech lab filled with advanced equipment and vials containing various biological samples.

In the center of the lab stood Mr. Sinister, his red eyes glinting with a mixture of curiosity and suspicion. Bastion approached him, his expression as unreadable as ever.

"Mr. Sinister," Bastion began, his voice cold and mechanical, "It seems that your little Jean Grey project has failed miserably."

Sinister raised an eyebrow, folding his arms across his chest.

"Well, I wouldn't say miserably. It did cause irreparable damage to the X-Men. Scott Summers is distressed; he lost his child, he doesn't even know who he married, Jean or Madelyne. Moreover, even though the real Jean Grey is back, I'm sure the couple must be shaken. All that drama, it still served as a very welcome distraction. Distraction that will help you and your plans. Besides, I do have another card up my sleeves."

Bastion reached into a secure container and retrieved a small vial. He held it up, the liquid inside glowing faintly.

"Do you? Let's hear it, then. Do tell me."

"This," he said, pointing at the vial Bastion had been toying with, "is a sample of Remy LeBeau's DNA."

Bastion's eyes widened slightly, the only indication of his interest. "Gambit," he murmured. "And what do you plan to do with it? Oh, don't tell me. Another clone? This is getting old, Sinister."

Even after manifesting his disdain, he still placed the vial carefully back into the container.

"I intend to create a clone of Remy LeBeau. A perfect replica, with all his abilities and I can have his memories intact too," he gloated.

Bastion's interest was piqued. "And how would you do that? It's not like you have him captive here."

"That mutant was no more than a boy when he came to me, fresh out of the disaster of a forced wedding, so shaken he was, unable to control his powers. I made it manageable. He was an omega, he could have charged and exploded Earth, given time. I wouldn't want to let such talent go to waste. The DNA I have holds Remy LeBeau in all his past glory. As I fiddled with his brain, with his permission, I inserted a little something, let's say, for your easy comprehension that I could sort of have a clone that came in touch with him download his memories by simple proximity."

"Why would you want to go through all this trouble?"

"Let's just say that I have a soft spot for his family tree. But you could also use him to…" 1

"To break the X-Men," Bastion finished the scientist's sentence for him. "Yes, I can see that. Gambit is a crucial member of their team. His abilities, his charisma, and his connections make him invaluable. A clone, under my control, could infiltrate their ranks, sow discord, and ultimately lead to their downfall."

Sinister chuckled, a dark and mirthless sound while Bastion's eyes gleamed with delight at his own evil plans.

"Because I need your expertise in genetic manipulation," Bastion admitted. "Your knowledge of cloning and DNA splicing is unparalleled. Together, we can ensure the clone is perfect and fully under my control."

Sinister smiled, a cruel, calculating smile. "Very well, Bastion. I will help you. But I want something in return."

Bastion's gaze didn't waver. "Name your price."

"I want access to your technology," Sinister said. "The advancements you've made in cybernetics and control mechanisms could be... beneficial to my own projects."

Bastion considered this for a moment before nodding. "Agreed. You will have access to my technology, and in return, you will help me create the perfect clone of Remy LeBeau."

Sinister extended his hand, and Bastion shook it, sealing their dark pact. As they began to discuss the specifics of their plan, the shadows in the lab seemed to grow deeper, and the air grew colder, filled with the promise of betrayal and destruction.

1 If you read my story 'Remy's Got a Secret' you know what I mean. I brought that storyline here.