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Getting Warmer
By Wiccamage
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Chapter 27: Kodak Moments
- Kodak Moments - Day Four/Day Five
- A Fate Worse Than Death
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trigger warning* - The last half of this chapter deals with non-consensual touching/physical contact, but does NOT include details. There are insinuations/intent that are hinted at, but nothing that will be spelled out or described. This is the "T" version, so a lot of the harder elements have been removed, but may also come with a few gaps in the storyline.
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The rest of the evening passed in relative silence for the two wayward travelers, the harrowing events of the day far heavier than any physical weight they carried. Once Rogue had cried herself out, they'd repacked the rest of the hiking bag with barely a word. The urge to confront her, to yell and scream over what she'd almost done simmered just behind Remy's tongue, barely contained by the fear that losing his temper would just push her further away.
With every move she made, every shift of her feet, every sniffle or sigh, Remy's stomach churned like the foam on a stormy sea. He was terrified she'd change her mind and take off toward the cliffs in a secondary fit of desperation, and he'd taken to stalking her from the corner of his eye.
As it was, she'd barely uttered a few sentences since her proverbial dance on the literal ledge of death. Only her unwavering grip on Remy's hand convinced him that she hadn't slipped back behind her figurative walls and completely closed herself off.
There had been a brief, shining moment of excitement and hope when he'd picked up the baggie with the map and compass. He'd been sure their potential salvation would tempt the girl from her melancholy, but Rogue had just shaken her head miserably. "He'll just use it to find us faster," was her only reply.
Understanding and sympathy swelled in Remy's chest, catching his already aching heart in a vice. Realizing her earlier revelation had likely contributed to her despair, he gave her knuckles a quick squeeze and a kiss. Even without meeting her eyes, he could practically taste her sorrow. He'd felt the same way when he'd first infiltrated the hiker's camp and located a satellite phone sitting out in the open, clear as day. A scorched body lay within spitting distance of the communication device, right in the middle of the clearing. Gambit had been sorely tempted to take the bait and go after the phone, but thankfully all his years of training as a thief had stayed his hand.
The guards had been focused almost entirely on the dead body and the device, and he'd barely managed to sneak into the ruined tent without detection. He'd intended to grab whatever he could carry in his hands, but the hiking bag nestled inside the safety of the yellow canvas tent had been far too tempting - especially with the dead man's boots and socks within easy, imperceptible reach. But, he'd gotten greedy with the partially burnt sleeping bag and had jostled the charred corpse in the tent, garnering the attention of the guards.
He'd been stuck under the flapping, burnt shelter for the better part of an hour, hoping the robots would be called away or lose interest. He'd nearly jumped out of his skin when a herd of deer ran through the clearing, scattering the mechanical guards in every direction. When Rogue's voice had called his name, her words woeful and frantic, he'd presumed it had been a trick set up by Apocalypse. He'd nearly died of shock when he'd discovered Rogue had orchestrated a rescue effort all on her own, with a strange, yet effective disguise to boot.
In the midst of their hasty getaway, and the tense trek through the woods afterwards, he hadn't had the heart to tell her about the phone, nor did he dare go back for it. It was probably unusable anyhow. Apocalypse wouldn't take any chances with his 'queen' calling for help, or getting away. Still, he didn't dare tell Rogue about its existence. Not after everything she'd been through today. Hell, knowing her, she'd probably try to sneak off in the middle of the night to retrieve it.
Remy shook his head as he led Rogue through a denser part of the forest. The girl had outright refused to let him carry her, even though her feet dragged with every gingerly step. Thankfully, Gambit had convinced her to eat half an onion and take a few painkillers before they'd left the little ring of trees. A charming smile and an imploring, "S'il-vous plaît? Pour moi?" was all it took for her to agree, a testament to her spiraling mental state.
Even with the anti-inflammatories, though, she was still limping heavily and wincing whenever she stepped wrong on her left foot. The hiking boots Remy had procured were a few sizes too large for her, but with the wool socks, it was definitely an improvement over those sandals. Although, with the large red plaid reaching up to her knees and the floppy, oversized brown boots, she painted an adorably ridiculous image.
They'd been walking almost nonstop for several hours now, and Gambit was more grateful than ever that he'd taken the chance on raiding the camp and procuring those boots for her. With Apocalypse targeting both of their dreams, they'd decided to take turns leading and following one another as they hiked through the woods. For the first two hours, Remy had blindly navigated them AWAY from the cliffs, holding tight to Rogue's hand while she kept her eyes on the ground. Then Rogue had led the way, keeping a slightly slower pace as Gambit trailed behind her, their fingers still entwined.
Despite the silence, neither one had released their hold on the other for the last few hours. It was as if Rogue needed a lifeline - a tether to reality - that Remy's touch provided. And for Remy, well, the fear which had nearly devoured his heart as he'd watched her teeter on the edge of that cliff could only be assuaged by the continuous, reassuring warmth of her fingers locked with his. Since then, they'd only willingly disentangled their grip a few times; once to fashion a sling for Remy out of a few pieces of the dress scraps, and another so they could both 'freshen up' in a stream while the filtered bottles slowly filled.
They'd found the small stream right before the sun kissed the horizon, and had each taken turns 'washing up' and filling the water bottles. Both of them had taken a brief chance to 'bathe' using the soap and a scrap from Rogue's dress to wash their 'essentials.' The P.T.A. bath as Remy called it. They'd each averted their gaze, focusing instead on the painstaking collection of water as the other bathed downstream.
The filtration systems were unbearably slow, yet effective - an absolute godsend on their journey. It had taken almost half an hour, but they'd filled both collapsible filtration bottles, plus the 12 liter bladder. Altogether it was about 5 gallons worth- enough to last the pair at least two days. Fresh water, coupled with their quick 'baths' had definitely put them both in better spirits.
Although Remy had tried to carry everything himself - he WAS a gentleman after all - Rogue wouldn't hear of it. She took the backpack with the two smaller bottles, and Remy had shouldered the nearly 30 pound water bladder, which weighed just a bit more than the hiking bag. Regardless of the extra weight, the two had continued on without complaint, still holding hands.
Without any real way of knowing the direction the other had taken, there was a significant possibility that they'd be going in circles. But at least that way, it would be harder for the nearly omnipotent mutant to piece together where they had been, or where they were going. Because if neither Rogue nor Remy knew, hopefully Apocalypse would have a hell of a time figuring it out as well.
Once the last vestiges of daylight painted the sky in dazzling pinks and purples, Remy took the lead again just long enough to find them a wide, low hanging spruce to camp beneath for the night. The branches extended from the massive pine in such a way that there was plenty of space to sit up near the trunk, yet the tips of the soft needles brushed the dirt, providing a perfect shelter.
Crawling under the tree, Rogue laid out the long duster like a makeshift tarp and pulled the sleeping bag, extra pair of wool socks, and the first aid kit out of the backpack. In the meantime, Remy hung the water bladder in the tree and prepared a food pouch and half an onion for each of them. They ate quietly, each taking another painkiller to ease their respective maladies and aid with sleep, although neither truly wanted to succumb to slumber. The gnawing anxiety of Apocalypse's quest to find them, along with the agonizing visions they'd previously experienced, battled for dominion over their mental and physical exhaustion.
It took a little convincing, but after their meal Remy finally managed to persuade Rogue to let him doctor the blisters and sores on her feet and calves. He'd managed to keep a poker face while examining her wounds, but there was no denying she was in bad shape. It was clear she knew it, too, as she avoided eye contact and tried to dissuade him from wasting the supplies.
"Don't use up all that ointment, Cajun. You need it worse than Ah do," she chastised quietly. Her voice was tight and raspy, and he glanced up to see her head turned away, eyes glistening in the low light. There was no moon, being the last evening before it shifted into a waxing state tomorrow night. Within 24 hours, their ordeal might be over, yet the darkness felt heavier and more foreboding than ever.
"Cheer up, chère," Remy grinned, the deep blues from the last slivers of daylight casting shadows over his seemingly optimistic face. "By dis time tomorrow, could be we get rescued. Dis be de last night of the new moon, n'est-ce pas?"
Rogue snorted derisively, gasping with a deep wince as Remy simultaneously prodded at one of the nearly gangrenous wounds on her right ankle. Despite her warnings to use the antibiotic cream sparingly, he slathered on a fingertip's worth, then sealed it with gauze and tape. "Merde, chèrie, Gambit shoulda done a better job takin' care of your feet. Je suis désolé." (I'm sorry)
The X-Man shrugged indifferently. "You did the best ya could, Swamp Rat. Sides, ain't a big deal. Ah'm sure Wolverine'll be able to heal me just as soon as we get rescued. Can't imagine whatever Apocalypse did ta my powers will last beyond tomorrow night." The shadows of twilight highlighted the stiff set of her jaw, and he barely caught the quiver of her bottom lip before she trapped it between her teeth. As if she knew he'd caught her slip of disparity, she shivered and rubbed her hands over her bare arms, trying to redirect his attention.
Sighing, Remy snagged the slightly crispy sleeping bag and draped it around her shoulders. "Better keep dis on for now. Don't wanna add hypothermia to our tales of woe, vraiment?" (right)
Rogue nodded, pulling the unzipped bag tighter around her shoulders and over her exposed thighs. After ripping more scraps off her dress for Remy's shoulder, the girl's black garment was now shorter than some of the outfits he'd seen the working girls on Bourbon Street wear.
Not that he was stupid enough to say so.
Another swell of pride and adoration ignited in his ruby irises as he finished up with the wounds on her feet. Damn, but this girl was something else. Sass and sweetness, barb and beauty, animosity and compassion, all combined in one gorgeous female form. For five days she'd outright refused to use any more of her dress for any reason, yet when push came to shove, she hadn't hesitated to sacrifice her decency for his welfare.
Covering her feet first with the red wool socks, then his black ones, Remy gathered up the medical trash, the remnants of their dinner, and their remaining food. With a quick squeeze of Rogue's hand, he ducked out from under the tree limbs to go bury the garbage and store the food off the ground and away from their makeshift campsite to keep wild animals away. His heart fluttered nervously, however, as he left Rogue behind to tidy up the space under the tree. No matter how he tried, he couldn't shake his uneasiness about leaving her alone. He'd even grabbed both his pocket knife and the multi-tool from the hiking bag when she wasn't looking, just to make sure she didn't have any way of harming herself while he handled things.
He was gone a grand total of five minutes - two to move far enough away from camp for potential animals, one minute to bury the trash and hide the onions in a tree, and another to get back. He'd spent the last minute relieving himself, since they'd guzzled more water using the filtered bottles than they'd probably consumed during the other five days combined.
Five minutes was hardly any time at all, yet when he returned to their tree, Rogue was gone. Immediately, his stomach threatened to expel the freeze dried stroganoff and partial onion he'd just eaten. His hands shook as he searched the darkness for her footprints, for any sign of which way she'd gone. He'd led her away from the cliffs for nearly two hours, so she certainly wasn't going to be able to fling herself off that nauseatingly tall drop, and he had their only 'weapons,' aside from his broken bo staff. Could she somehow use the broken metal to …?
The Cajun pulled at his hair, his chest heaving in panic. It was so dark now he could barely see, even with his 'night vision.' His glowing red eyes were a dead giveaway in the darkness, and he had no doubts Apocalypse's robotic minions were still searching for the southern girl. If he went looking for her, they would see his glowing red eyes in the pitch of the night and all would be lost.
With a shaky breath, Remy tried to calm himself so he could think clearly. Where would she go? He certainly would have heard it if she'd been grabbed by the guards, so Rogue had to have walked away by choice. But why? Why leave now? To finish what she'd tried to do on the cliffs? Why wait until after she'd eaten and he'd used the ointment and bandages? Why had she been so damn complacent and seemed almost ashamed of what she'd tried to do earlier if she was just going to run off and …
The snap of a twig behind him startled Gambit from his panicked thoughts, and he whirled, instinctively reaching for the cards he had tucked into the breast pocket of his gray uniform.
"Whoa," Rogue held up both hands - one of which held half of his broken bo staff - in mock surrender. "Sorry Swamp Rat, Ah didn't mean ta startle ya."
With a rush of relief, Remy took three long, quick strides forward and wrapped the girl in a bear hug, the pain in his left arm and shoulder momentarily forgotten. "Mon Dieu, tu m'as fait peur à moitié, ma chère! Ne t'enfuis plus jamais comme ça!"
(My god, you scared me half to death, girl! Don't ever run off like that again!)
"Ah'm - Ah'm sorry," Rogue breathed, somewhat shocked by his intense reaction to her momentary absence. "Ah had ta use the bathroom before we settled down for the night. Think Ah drank mah weight in water at that stream. There might be another river or somethin' over yonder, too, but Ah didn't dare go check it out." She tipped her head in the direction she'd come from, and a nervous giggle rumbled in her chest. Her initial surprise turned to concern as her traveling companion refused to release her, though. Relaxing in his arms, she slowly reciprocated the hug, running her free hand up and down his lower back. "Gambit? What's wrong?"
"I…" His voice cracked, the tension and anxiety he'd kept bottled up for the last several hours threatening to slice through his heart. "I thought you'd left. That you were gonna try to..."
He heard her suck in a breath between her teeth, and she squeezed him harder as she slowly exhaled. "Oh mah God. Ah'm so sorry, Remy. I just had ta pee, Ah swear." She tried to laugh it off, but he simply held her tighter, his arms trembling. Finally, she dropped the mangled piece of his staff on the ground and wrapped her arms completely around his waist, hugging him just as tight as he was clinging to her, broken ribs be damned.
"Hey now," she soothed, swallowing hard as he buried his face in her hair. She could feel the hot tears soaking into her auburn locks. "It's okay, suga'. Ah'm okay, promise. I'm not gonna … It's okay."
"Promise me." His voice was rough and almost harsh as he suddenly pulled back, grabbing her by both shoulders. "Promise me you'll never do dat again, Rogue," he commanded, red eyes searing her very soul. "Dat you'll never try to take your own life like dat, or any other way, again. Not as long as I'm around." He pulled her against his chest abruptly, dropping a kiss on her forehead. "Hell," he reconsidered, nuzzling against her hair. "Not even if I'm NOT around, chère. Never ever. Tu me le jures (you swear to me)."
"Oh Remy," she breathed into his chest, holding tight to his waist. "Ah'm so sorry Ah put you through that. Ah just… Ah feel like this whole mess is mah fault, and Ah can't bear to see you hurt 'cause of me."
"Rogue," he whispered into her tangled locks, inhaling her natural scent mixed with pine, soap, and a hint of onion. "You'd hurt me a million times worse than dis if you took your own life and left me alone. These wounds'll heal. M' heart wouldn't."
Muffled though she was by his uniform, her choked gasp echoed across his soul like a mournful ballad. "Oh gawd, Remy, Ah'm so, so sorry. Ah never imagined Ah'd cause ya more pain by tryin' ta save you from it." Her closeness alone was a balm on his cracked heart, and he exalted in the way her hands comforted his body and mind. "Ah swear it. You have mah word Ah'll never try somethin' so foolish again." She nuzzled her cheek into his chest, and the simple action, coupled with her promise, was as soothing to his anxiety as summer rain on a dry field.
"But," she pulled back, placing one long pale finger on his protesting lips. "If he DOES catch me, all bets are off, ya hear?"
With his right hand, he reached for hers, pulling the silencing finger from his lips before kissing the tip of it. "Mais, we already made dat deal, an' you didn't honor your end of it, ma chère," he teased even as his gut clenched rebelliously at her ultimatum. "How's Gambit supposed to agree ta new terms knowin' you's just a lyin, thievin,' scoundrel."
Rogue snorted, a smile pulling at her lips in response to his own grin. "First of all, Ah ain't never stole nothin' that Ah can recall. Second, Ah'm sorry you feel that way, suga'," she sassed. "But this ain't a negotiation, Gambit." Her brow knitted together and she bit her lip. "Ah'm serious. You said it yourself, remember? If we're 'lookin' 'em in the eye'... " She trailed off, and the Cajun sighed in resignation.
"Fine," he acquiesced, dropping yet another kiss on that worried brow. "But ONLY if we're lookin' 'em in de eye, and dere ain't any other way out. Deal?" He wanted to argue with her first point, to tell her that she was, in fact, a thief. But how was he to express that she had stolen his heart without potentially frightening her?
"Deal," she agreed in turn, shooting him a placating smile as she started to pull away.
He tugged her back into his arms, however, wrapping them around her shoulders to keep her from escaping. "And Gambit better be dead first, d'accord?"
"Remy," she snort-growled, and he knew he was toying a fine line with her patience. Not that he cared. Her spitfire southern temper was one of the things he loved about her, and he'd take her ire over her silent melancholy any time.
"Nope. Dat's de deal," he asserted. "Ya gotta agree, or else I ain't lettin' you carry de backpack, de water, m' coat, and certainly not de knives." His wide smile and entrancing red eyes danced with impish charm, and this time Rogue giggled outright.
"Alright, alright," she confessed. "Not unless Ah'm in their clutches, and mah knight in shinin' armor ain't around to rescue me, okay?" She shook her head, barely able to contain her amusement at his boyish charm.
He pretended to mull it over, but part of his consciousness skipped with joy over being declared her 'knight in shining armor,' while the other half of his brain balked at the implication of him being unable to rescue her. "Suppose dat'll have to do," he nodded at last. "Mais, Gambit t'inks we should seal de deal wit' a kiss, non?" He waggled his brows at her flirtatiously, and she rolled her eyes.
"Don't push your luck, Cajun," she snarked, finally pushing out of his arms as she made her way back under the tree's low hanging branches. He couldn't hide his chuckle, or the quick jolt to his extremities, when she bent low, revealing just how short her 'dress' really was.
Perhaps he could make her some underpants out of the remaining gauze…
~X~
Unzipped, the laid out sleeping bag was more than enough to cover both Rogue and Gambit. The heat of their cuddled bodies reflected under the insulated fabric and provided an intoxicatingly comfortable heat for the pair. Despite the warm, ALMOST soft 'bed', however, neither of the two mutants could sleep.
Using the backpack as a makeshift pillow, Gambit lay on his right side facing her, with his injured arm draped protectively over her waist as she turned into him for extra warmth. A wistful smile tweaked the corner of Rogue's lips as she realized he hadn't let go of her since the incident at the cliffs. It was as if he needed the constant reassurance of her touch to remind him that she was safe and whole and still alive. She quickly sobered as a pang of guilt reverberated through her soul like the tolling of a funeral bell. Even while trying to 'save' him, she'd hurt him. Again. Perhaps worse than his physical injuries this time.
After he'd literally talked her down from the ledge, she'd been too ashamed to even speak, barely uttering a few monosyllabic words here and there as he practically force fed her onions and pain pills. Other than stubbornly refusing to let him carry her, however, she hadn't uttered a single sentence for hours. Then, as they walked, the silence had stretched on like a ghost, terrorizing them both with fear, doubt, and depression. Words alone hadn't felt adequate enough to breach their tenuous armistice.
Now that they were cuddled up under the tree after their 'little talk,' however, a different sort of unease clenched at Rogue's heart. "Hey, Remy?" Her whisper carried through the inky blackness like the sigh of a dream - sad, whimsical, and distant despite their proximity.
"Oui?" he replied, his voice heavy and low with lethargy. Poor man must be utterly drained, she realized. She could hardly believe that it had been just over 24 hours since he'd gotten sick from those berries. They'd nearly frozen to death just last night. Then, he'd been attacked by the bear early this morning, gotten trapped by the guards in that burnt-out tent, and had to deal with her almost suicidal breakdown. Not to mention the hours upon hours of walking; plus he'd carried her, the backpack, and their tree branch 'disguise' until he'd nearly dropped from exhaustion. And all within the space of the sun's singular dance through the sky.
"Ah'm… Ah'm sorry for puttin' you through all that ugliness t'day," Rogue breathed, swallowing hard. "Ah really do appreciate everything ya've done for me, ya know. Can't imagine bein' out here with anyone else." She snorted a little, but the rapid thrumming of her pulse continued a staccato beat in her throat.
Remy hummed in agreement. "Ain't yoh fault, Rogue. Just th' hand we're dealt, non? Mais, I feel de same way 'bout YOU, chère." Gambit murmured, his accent drawling thick and sluggish. Still, he snaked his right arm under her neck, pulling her flush against him. "Dat de only t'ing on y'r mind, petite? Seems ya got som'pin else botherin' ya, too." His right hand rubbed across the limited stretch of her shoulder blade his awkward position allowed.
Sighing, Rogue gnawed on her cracked lips. "Ah don't know. Ah guess Ah've been thinkin' 'bout what we're gonna do tomorrow night, if whatever mumbo jumbo Apocalypse did ta me ends." She wondered if he could feel the hitch in her chest, the tightness in her throat as she considered the possibility. Not only because it would make their journey infinitely harder, but also because she'd come to ENJOY all the little touches from Remy. The thought that something so simple as skin contact could be denied to her during this trial threatened to cleave her heart in two. The bridge of her nose stung, tears threatening to leak from her eyes.
"What if… what if mah powers come back, and we can't… we can't even…" She swallowed hard, taking a deep breath to force her emotions back under control. "Gonna be a lot harder to stay warm at night if we can't share body heat." She forced a laugh, but it sounded desperate and hollow, even to her own ears.
Nonetheless, Gambit gave a chuckle, and squeezed her shoulders a bit, wrapping his arms more fully around her in a hug. Slowly, she returned the gesture, her own hands timidly snaking around his waist as she buried her nose in his chest. His body armor was by no means comfortable, but at least he wouldn't be able to feel her chin quivering or see the tears escaping from her eyes.
"Gambit's pretty well covered, ma chère," he assured her. "And you can always wear m' coat." His left hand moved slightly to soothe her hair, toying with the tangled locks. "Those sleeves are so big on y'r tiny hands dat dey'll work just as good as gloves, yeah?"
She couldn't see the wide grin on his face as he teased her, but the ploy worked all the same, and she snorted, her chest rumbling with a giggle rather than a sob. "Better watch y'rself Cajun," she shot back. "These 'tiny hands' are deadly weapons under normal circumstances."
"Ain't no more deadly than mine," he sighed, his nose nuzzling her hair. "If'n you get y'r powers back, Rogue, d'en we deal wit' it as it comes, non? Don't gotta let y'r powers dictate y'r life so much, chère. You put too much of y'r happiness in what they don't letcha have. Yeah, ya can't touch skin t' skin, but dat ain't all dere is to love and relationships, or bein' happy."
Remy kissed the top of her head gently, his left hand pulling her hair over her cheek so he could cup her face with a natural barrier. "Dere's ways t' be intimate wit' someone, even with y'r powers. I …" he paused, almost slipping. "I know de RIGHT guy'll help you figure it out." His gut clenched even as he reassured her. Not because he was lying, but because he desperately wanted to be that 'right guy', even though he knew it was impossible. "You just gotta stop runnin' scared from everyone, ma chère. Don't think it's y'r powers keepin' ya from gettin' close t' people, Rogue. It's y'r fear dat someone's gonna hurt ya again."
This time he could hear the hitch in her breath, FEEL the shudder of her chest. He slid his hand across her cheek to wipe away the tears he knew would be gathered in her eyes. "Ya know, might be hard t' believe, but Gambit wasn't always so touchy-feely either."
Rogue couldn't quell her immediate, rather loud bark of laughter at the thought. "You? Yeah right."
"S' true," he reassured her. "Told ya I grew up on de streets in N'awlins. Figured out fast dat de more charmin' I was, de more money I could beg. So dat ain't changed much, true, but when m' powers manifested…"
Rogue felt his chest heave with the weight of his burdens, and she rubbed her hands over his lower back, reciprocating the comfort he'd given her.
"Gambit'd been wit' Jean Luc and de Guild three, mebbe four years when m' powers kicked in. I'd always had de eyes, mind, so everyone knew I was different from de get-go, but no one had even heard de term 'mutant' at dat point." He sighed and shifted slightly so he was laying more on his back despite his injured left shoulder.
Rogue readjusted so her head lay on his right shoulder, her arm draped across his stomach. Butterflies stirred in her stomach when his left hand entwined with hers, resting over his heart. Biting her lip, she fought the urge to pull her hand away. The fear that she would hurt him with her powers was still instinctive despite being without them for the last few days. Instead, she reveled in the feel of his calloused fingers caressing hers, enjoying the weight, and warmth, of his hand. She tried to commit the sensation to memory, wanting to sear it into her brain. She wanted to be able to look back on this moment again in the future and remember how it felt to be so close to someone.
After a long pause, Remy continued. "At first it was just little things. Tiny pop here, melted doorknob there. Started goin' through lockpicks like dey were made of paper," he chuckled. "Scared m' family som'pin fierce after de first big explosion. Took out a trainin' dummy wit' my bo-staff. After dat, had a real hard time findin' a sparin' partner." He snorted again, but there was no humor in it. "Den I got mad and blew up a whole damn garage when I was 16. Nearly killed someone. Thought for sure dey'd throw me out on mon cul, but m' brother Henri, and Tante Mattie, and Jean-Luc all stood by me." Rogue could hear the softening in his voice, the admiration in his words, and wondered if he was feeling as homesick as she was.
"Anyway, m' point is dat I was scared t' touch anyone for a long time. Was terrified I'd blow up my family like dat practice dummy. But dey had faith in me." He swallowed hard. There was more to the story he couldn't tell her, of course. Years of controlled calm before his powers had grown to an almost uncontrollable level. Before he'd sought assistance from a madman that had kept Gambit under his thumb until the day Magneto had 'borrowed' him from Essex. His stomach clenched to think of that debt, and he wondered if the Master of Magnetism was still honoring that contract, or if he'd presumed Remy dead.
Clearing his throat, the Cajun continued. "The X-Men are y'r family, chère. Family ain't perfect, but I'd bet my last dollar dat dey'll stick by you - with or without yer powers. Can't see Logan as de type dat'll run scared if'n you need a hug, huh?"
Rogue chuckled under her breath. "He ain't exactly the huggin' type, either though."
"You really think he'd deny you anythin' mignon?" Remy smiled sleepily even though his ruminations on Essex had roused him slightly. "Swear de man thinks o' you like his own daughter. You shoulda heard de way he was goin' on about maimin' Mesmero and Mystique while we were travelin' to Tibet to find you. Drove me nuts."
Rogue tried to muffle something between a giggle and a sob against his armored chest plate. "Gawd Ah miss him. Ah keep wonderin' what they're doin', ya know? If they're out lookin' for us. If they think we're dead. Do you…" She paused, biting her lip. "Do you think they haven't found us yet because they… because they've stopped lookin'? Maybe they - DO - think we're dead." Her chest heaved and chin quivered as she spoke her fears aloud for the first time.
"Peut-etre," (maybe) Remy shrugged his good shoulder, trapped though it was under her. "But I can promise you they ain't stopped tryin' ta find you, whether they think we're dead or not. Dey love you, chere. Kurt and Logan? Dey wouldn't rest til you're home, one way or another. Dey'll always be dere for you, powers or no."
Her chest shuddered, breath hitching as she tried to reign in her emotions while Gambit continued.
"And if'n you get your powers back tomorrow, we'll deal wit' it then, yeah? I'd say we give it at least one, maybe two more days just to make sure de planets ain't aligned or whatnot, then we try and test my powers or contact the Professor. Hopefully by then, Apocalypse will have moved on and won't be so obsessed with findin' you."
Rogue nodded against him, humming in agreement as the warmth and comfort of his words and body played host to her exhaustion, welcoming and enveloping it like a lover. Her eyes refused to open, her limbs almost too weary to move as her voice shuddered.
"Hey Remy," she whispered, almost too tired to even speak.
"Oui, ma columbe?" he murmured back, barely conscious himself.
"Jus - just in case Ah get mah powers back…" She craned her neck until her nose bumped his cheek and she kissed him softly. "Thank you." She heard him huff a little in amusement, and her eyes fluttered open when she felt his left hand caress her cheek.
"Just in case you get your powers back …" He leaned in, tugging her face up to his until their lips met, sweet, soft, and supple. It wasn't hurried or passionate, and once more she felt it: Cherished. Adored. Loved.
When they finally pulled away, neither of them opened their eyes, and they simply settled back into one another's embrace, quiet and content.
"Goodnight, Remy," Rogue whispered, a small smile gracing her lips.
"Bonne nuit, mon ange." The softness of his words were lost in the rustle of the trees and the song of the crickets, as the symphony of the forest lulled them both to sleep.
~X~X~X~
It was a Kodak kind of moment. The type that inspires people to pull out their camera with gushy murmurs, say 'aww', and snap a picture. The kind of moment that makes some girls swoon and others want to vomit. A week ago, Rogue would have fallen into the second category, but for now she was blissfully unaware and peaceful as she slept.
The birds were chirping, the sun was shining, and beneath the soft bristles of a low-hanging pine tree, a pair of mutants slept quietly, wrapped in each other's arms. Nestled against Remy's chest with her head resting just beneath his chin, the southerner slept more soundly than she had in nearly a week. The slightly charred sleeping bag was tucked tightly around the pair, providing additional warmth and security, while they laid atop Remy's duster as a protective layer from the dirt and detritus under the large evergreen tree.
Despite his injuries, Gambit lay on his back, using the hiking backpack as a sort of pillow while Rogue cuddled against him. His bandaged left arm was draped protectively over the girl's waist and their fingers were entwined – a subconscious gesture that was occurring more and more naturally with every day.
The sun was already bright in the sky that morning, yet the two still slept peacefully under a wide, low hanging evergreen tree. A slight movement above them rustled the branches and the soft, thick leaves tickled Rogue's cheek. The girl mumbled something incoherent and, with her free hand, brushed the offending foliage away as she snuggled closer to Remy.
Within seconds however, the damn thing was at it again. Rogue pawed at it half-heartedly and though she hit nothing, it stopped. Sleep had just begun to overtake her once more when it occurred a third time. She swatted at it angrily, but this time her open palm connected with something.
And stayed there…
Her eyes flew open, fully awake now, and she found herself staring directly into the hateful, dangerous eyes of Apocalypse.
"Aaaahhhhh!"
She screamed, but Remy didn't wake as Apocalypse held fast to her wrist. She was pinned with no powers, no aide, and nowhere left to run.
"Let me go!" Rogue shouted as she tried to jerk her hand out of his grasp. It tightened painfully around her wrist instead, and she barely held back a whimper. Kicking out in retaliation, she connected with his shin, but Apocalypse remained woefully unfazed. She struggled desperately against his grip, but, still lying on the ground wedged beneath Remy's arm, she was unable to escape.
Suddenly, with a swift, powerful yank, Rogue was dragged out from under the tree and found herself dangling a foot above the ground as Apocalypse leered at her. With one hand, he held her wrist above his head so he could gaze upon her sun-soaked face.
Gasping in pain, Rogue quickly gripped Apocalypse's forearm with her free hand and pushed against his chest with her sock-clad feet as she tried to pry herself out of his hold.
"Gambit, wake up! Remy!" She screamed, trying to glance back at the tree where the Cajun lay sleeping. "What did you do t' him?!" she yelled at Apocalypse as she finally stopped struggling and let herself hang from the madman's grip. With her feet swinging uselessly above the ground and her shortened dress blowing softly in the cool breeze, she rather resembled a marionette. Still, she maintained her hold on Apocalypse to keep her captive arm from being ripped from its socket.
Apocalypse's blue lips curled into a wicked smile. "Do not fear. Although I contemplated destroying that meddlesome boy, he is not dead. I have simply rendered him unconscious. He will make a fine horseman." He gave her a salacious look as he took in her short, tattered dress.
"Consider it a wedding present."
Rogue's eyes went wide with fear and she struggled again with increased fervor, kicking and clawing until her foot finally connected with his crotch. She aimed again, but Apocalypse threw her roughly to the ground. Frantically, she tried to turn away and run before he recovered, but was grabbed around the waist by his powerful hands before being hauled back into the air.
Rogue tried to kick, claw, bite, punch - anything - to get away, but it was useless. He held her far enough from his body so her feet couldn't reach him, and her fists might as well have been made of feathers for all the good they did. Not even her nails fazed him as she tried to rip at the flesh of his hands.
Apocalypse cackled maniacally as he grasped Rogue's upper arms and brought her close to his face. "You WILL be my Queen," he commanded, "but for now, you will sleep."
Rogue felt the tickle of his mind brushing against her own before a painful jolt - something akin to an electric shock - reverberated through her skull.
She didn't even have time to scream before she was plunged into darkness.
~X~X~X~
Kurt Wagner awoke with a lurch, his blue fur wet and sticky from sweat as he fought against the terror of a dream he could barely remember. The moment his eyes opened, yellow orbs searching the darkness for an unseen threat, the nightmare began fading. He knew it was about Rogue, his sister, and the mortal danger he knew she was in, yet he could scarcely remember the details now.
With a few deep, shaky breaths, the teleporter pulled the sheets off his legs and swung his feet onto the floor. He could go to the Professor. Probably should. But the images were no longer fresh, and all he could feel was this overwhelming terror. He considered going to Jean, but he knew she was with Scott, and there was no way he was going to interrupt whatever they were doing. He didn't want to wake Kitty, and truth be told, he wasn't on the best of terms with the brunette right now anyhow. Kitty was adamant that Rogue was dead, while Kurt had managed to convince nearly half the student body that she was still alive. Despite being the best of friends, the two were rather at odds at the moment.
Blue fingers scrubbed at his face, and he frowned at the moisture he found there. Had he been crying? His chest hurt like he'd been sobbing for hours, so it was a good possibility. Thankfully, he no longer had a roommate since Evan had left last year, so there was no one to disturb with his late night terrors. His gut clenched with the loneliness he felt, however.
Reaching for his phone, he thought about calling Amanda, his girlfriend, but didn't want to wake her. She and her family had left on vacation right before the graduation ceremony when everything went down, and he'd only gotten to explain everything that happened yesterday. Now it was nearly 4 a.m. He knew she kept her phone on do-not-disturb between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m., but he quickly shot off a text anyhow, desperate for some kind of human interaction.
He was surprised when she responded almost immediately.
My Girl: Bad dreams?
Fuzzy Elf: Yeah.
My Girl: Wanna talk about it?
Fuzzy Elf: Not really. I don't remember much of it, just can't shake the feelings.
My Girl: Can you pop over here? Quietly?
Fuzzy Elf: To your ROOM?
My Girl: No, my parents room. Of COURSE my room, silly! Come on.
Fuzzy Elf: I don't know. I don't want you to get in trouble.
My Girl: I'm not in trouble unless we get caught. So come over already. Or don't you at least want a hug?
Fuzzy Elf: …
He didn't even fire off another text, just teleported immediately to her bedroom in a puff of smoke. She had already climbed out of bed and opened a window in anticipation of his arrival. Although his powers didn't create enough smoke to set off any alarms, it did create a strong enough smell that she didn't want her parents to be awoken.
The second he was standing in her room, Amanda wrapped her bare, dark arms around his waist, allowing her boyfriend to melt into her embrace. Her hands rubbed up and down his spine as he buried his tear-streaked face in her shoulder.
After a few minutes of comfort, Kurt sighed and straightened, kissing her forehead. "I swear," he whispered, "your hugs are like magic."
Her spaghetti strap nightgown clung to her rich umber skin as she grinned up at him. "Magic, huh? Then how would you describe my kisses, I wonder?" She stood on her tiptoes, hands on his shoulders for stability, and pressed her lips to his. Immediately his hands found her hips as he kissed her back, then he pulled away to hug her once more.
He sighed, momentarily content as he found comfort in her embrace. "Perfect."
"You sure you don't want to talk about it?" Amanda whispered softly, running her fingers through his hair as he leaned against her, unwilling to pull away.
"I don't even really remember it," Kurt shrugged as he sighed and finally stepped back.
Amanda tugged on his hand, gently pulling him to sit down next to her on the edge of her bed. Usually Kurt was shy about even being in her room, let alone with her in her nightgown, so when he sank onto the mattress next to her, she knew how upset he must be feeling. "Was it about your sister again?" she asked, snuggling against his side and playing with his hair soothingly.
Kurt merely nodded as he stared at Amanda's plush gray carpet. "I feel it in my heart, you know? Zhat she's in terrible trouble. But it feels like no one believes me."
Dark brows furrowed and she kept her voice low. "I thought Jean and some of the others were taking your side now? That they think she's still alive, too?"
"Ja," the blue furred mutant confirmed quietly. "But it feels like I am zhe only one who understands the urgency. The only one who knows how badly things truly are."
"What do you mean, Kurt? What kind of trouble do you think she's in?" She took her boyfriend's three-fingered hand in hers as his shoulders shook.
"Amanda, I can't…" He tried to restrain the sobs that desperately wanted to be released.
"Come on, Blue," she coaxed, using her special pet name to try and get him to smile. "You can tell me anything. You know that." Stretching up, she kissed his cheek and petted his hair again.
"If you'd seen what I saw - the way he looked at her." Putting his elbows on his knees, he covered his face with his hands. "God, what if he's…? How is she ever going to come back from that?"
Rubbing up and down Kurt's back, Amanda bit her lip, putting two and two together. "With help. Like you said, Rogue's tough. And she has you, and Kitty, and everyone else that are going to be there to help her work through anything she might have to deal with. And Professor Xavier's like a glorified therapist, right?" She smiled a little, hoping to lighten his mood. "If worse comes to worse, maybe he can just wipe her memories or something?"
Kurt took a deep breath and sat up, discreetly wiping his eyes before he reached over to give her another hug. "I hadn't thought about that, but yeah, I guess you're right. If things are really that bad, he can help her forget if she wants to." He smiled a little and kissed her temple. You're amazing, you know. Thank you; for being here. For being you."
"You're pretty amazing yourself, Blue," Amanda winked, bumping his hip with her own. "And don't worry, you're going to save Rogue."
The blue teleporter snorted quietly. "What makes you so sure? Do you suddenly have the power to see the future or something?"
"Must be," Amanda giggled with him. "Call me…" she pursed her lips, closing one eye as she considered. "Daytripper!" 1 She had to cover her mouth to contain her snort of amusement. "I'll be Nightcrawler's better half."
This time even the furry mutant had to suppress his laughter. He quickly gave her another hug. "Mein Gott I love you," he blurted out, then pulled back abruptly, his blue cheeks turning violet.
Without hesitation, the girl leaned forward to kiss him on the lips. "I love you, too, Kurt Wagner." Cradling his face in both her hands, the African-Romani-American pulled back and smiled. "And I don't know how, but I know you're going to save your sister. I promise."
Nightcrawler covered the umber-skinned girl's hands with his own. "How? How can you possibly promise something like that?" he asked, his brows knitted in consternation even as a small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.
She winked. "I'm magick, remember?" And she kissed him again.
~X~X~X~
Rogue was groggy and disoriented as she dragged herself from sweet, dreamless slumber. She felt the soft blankets enveloping her and sighed as she snuggled deeper within them. Back in her room at the mansion with the silk sheets … Wait, silk? She didn't own silk!
The southerner bolted upright and threw the blankets off as she sprang from the bed. Her head throbbed from the after effects of the shock Apocalypse had delivered earlier, and she clung to the smooth marble bed post as the room spun. She had to fight back a wave of dizziness and nausea as she tried to regain her faculties.
As the world slowly came back into focus, she tried to gauge her surroundings. Wild-eyed and trembling, she tried to regain her bearings and find yet another avenue of escape. The rough hewn granite was icy cold under her bare, torn up feet, and she shivered violently. Rubbing up and down her bare arms, she didn't know whether she was grateful to be wearing a new, crisp white gown, or not. It was silk, had thin, halter style straps that encircled her neck, no sleeves, and fell to her calves. Her stomach twisted with the thought that she'd been disrobed - again - by Apocalypse or his minions, but on the other hand, at least her butt wasn't hanging out any more.
Smoothing down the sheer, soft silk distractedly, she tried to calm herself and think. This could just be another dream, right? She'd been asleep with Remy under the tree and suddenly she was here? No, wait. She'd awoken UNDER the tree, snuggled against Gambit in the same position as they'd gone to bed. There was no sudden, unexplained rescue, no strange, comfortable settings. Her feet and ribs still ached horribly, and weren't magically 'cured' like most of her maladies were when she was in one of Apocalypse's visions.
No, she was stuck in the temple for the second time, with no way out. Oh God. Her body trembled uncontrollably and she vigorously rubbed her face with her shaking hands, trying to decide on a way out of this mess. When she pulled her hands away, however, she noticed a ring glowing menacingly on her finger.
A very large ring…
A very large diamond ring…
On her left ring finger.
Oh God.
Rogue's other hand flew to her mouth as she held in a scream and continued to stare at the rock.
Her whole body was shaking now and she knew she had to find a way out, but first she had to get that thing off. She recalled briefly what Remy had said about the "wedding" and panicked.
She tugged at the offending object, but it refused to budge. Undeterred, she quickly wetted the band and her finger with saliva and tried again.
Violently, and with more anger than she had ever experienced in her life, Rogue tried to rip the ring off, but only succeeded in dislocating her finger. Tears of pain and desperation stung her eyes as she felt her finger pop out of place while the ring failed to move.
This wasn't happening. This absolutely wasn't happening. It couldn't be. But as long as that RING was on her finger there was no denying it. The only thing she could focus on was the fact that she was the prisoner of a madman who wanted her as his queen – who wanted to control her and use her powers to destroy the world.
Panic welled up in Rogue's chest as she thought about her desperate situation. She could scarcely breathe as she thought about and … and … Oh God.
And that ring... The ring represented everything that was going on – everything that was going WRONG - in her life right now. As long as she wore that ring, she would become Apocalypse's bride, his slave, his weapon.
She had to get that darn thing OFF!
As a few tears trailed down her cheek, she looked around the room for something to aid her - all hope of escape forgotten. Her mind was focused on only one objective: removing that ring!
Finally, she saw her salvation.
A knife…
A beautifully decorated, incredibly ancient, yet perfectly sharp and smooth knife…
It was small, but it would do. She only had one thing to lose – well two actually. Maybe more if she didn't aim just right…
She ran to the table where the knife lay and picked it up. Her hands were shaking so badly she could barely hold the weapon, but she placed her fist against the edge of a table with her dislocated ring finger sticking out. She placed the blade gently between the first knuckle and the ring and carefully pulled it upward, taking care to keep the knife as still as possible despite her trembling.
Taking a deep breath, Rogue bit her lip and began to plunge the knife downward – intent on cutting off her own finger – heck, she'd cut off her whole hand if necessary – just to get rid of the offending object.
As the knife descended, however, a gentle, strong hand caught her wrist.
"Wouldn't do dat if I were you, petite."
Rogue whipped around, the knife forgotten as it clattered to the floor.
"Remy!" she cried, "Oh thank gawd you're here!"
She threw herself into his arms and he wrapped them protectively around her, caressing her hair and back soothingly.
"'S alright now cherie, I've got you," he whispered in her ear as he kissed the lobe gently.
Still, she continued to cry in his arms as his hands went over her hair, down her spine and finally came to a rest on her backside.
Rogue seemed not to notice, or at least care, until he gave the two mounds a sharp squeeze.
"Ow! Dangit Remy, what the heck is wrong with you?" she half-shouted as she smacked his hands away with her good one and wiped the tears from her eyes with her other arm.
"Sorry amour, jus' can' resist such a belle femme," he stated, but his eyes still contained a glint that made her somewhat uneasy.
"Well keep it t' yerself for a while, huh? We gotta get outta here!" she hissed as she turned to the window.
She was hindered, however, when Gambit's hand shot out and grabbed her tightly by the wrist.
"Wait chère; 's alright now, dey be away for a while. Gambit saw dem leave," he assured her with a half-cocked grin and that same adoring, unnerving look.
"That's great Cajun, more time to make our getaway," she responded and tried to turn again.
Still he held her there and his grip tightened almost painfully.
"Ow, Gambit let go!" she chastised as she tried to pull away.
"Mais," he countered, jerking her back into his arms and enveloping her in a bear hug. "'M not done holdin' you. Mon Dieu, you had me worried! Thought I'd never see you again!" he muttered into her hair, nuzzling his nose into her white bangs and inhaling deeply.
At his touching words, Rogue's heart melted, her anger and fear nearly forgotten. But for some reason her heart was still uneasy. The look in his eyes was almost calculating, with undertones of desire flashing in his red irises. His dark eyes reflected an intensity she was having trouble reconciling.
As Gambit nuzzled her hair gently, she pushed away the nagging doubt and let herself relax in his embrace. He'd been concerned about her, and she was still trembling slightly. It was only natural to need a moment of reassurance, right?
Sighing softly, she breathed in his scent and tried to calm her quaking nerves, but something was still off. Her brain felt fuzzy and unfocused, and it took every ounce of willpower to stay in her right mind. She could only imagine what Apocalypse had already done to her with as unsteady and shaky as she felt.
She knew they needed to get out of here, but it felt so good to be in his arms. Her pulse fluttered rapidly, and her knees quaked. Although it was for a completely different reason now.
Her body was already responding to him, to those gentle, deliberate caresses up and down her spine and over her hips. She swallowed hard as his firm touch ghosted up her sides, one hand trailing up to toy with her hair. A jolt of electricity coursed through her, sending a shock from the nape of her neck, where his fingers tightened in her tangled auburn tresses, all the way down to her toes.
Still, thoughts of escape screamed in her mind, swirling with the uneasiness in her stomach and the niggling doubt she couldn't seem to shake. They had to get out of here, which meant she had to extricate herself from their mutually needy embrace.
The reality of the situation - that she was trapped in Apocalypse's temple once more, with that madman hell-bent on making her his queen - slowly won out over desire. Fear and anxiety gradually overshadowed the pleasurable sensations of Remy's hands, and she refocused her mind on escape. They still had to navigate the maze of corridors, sneak past Apocalypse and his guards, and figure out where in the devil's butcrack of Northwestern Canada they were. Not to mention starting yet ANOTHER trek through the wilderness - and without the supplies they'd just procured from those poor backpackers.
It was an almost Herculean task, and her stomach twisted anew under the overwhelming details, yet she was slightly less terrified about it with Remy here.
Intent on escaping, Rogue tried to pull out of the Cajun's arms, but she froze and swallowed hard as his hands slid from her waist, traveling upward, then back down again, mimicking his motions from when he'd joined her in the hot springs.
He continued caressing her body as she stood perfectly still, not daring to breathe from the riot he was inflicting upon her body and emotions. On the one hand, she desperately wanted to get out of this place, but on the other…
Oh man, that felt good. Succumbing to the fog of desire, Rogue moaned softly, her eyes falling closed as Gambit's strong fingers gently kneaded her hips and spine. He kissed the top of her head as his hands roamed back down again. He kissed her ear. He kissed her cheek. He kissed the other cheek. All the while his hands roamed her body, making her senses sing.
Finally, he kissed her lips and hastily yanked her upward to rest on his hips. Her legs instinctively wrapped around his waist as she ran her uninjured fingers through his hair. She moaned again and he deepened the kiss, thrusting his tongue between her lips without permission. The tension and desire that had been building between them over the last few days had finally reached a crescendo, and now it seemed not even the end of the world could stop the subsequent tsunami.
Their mouths and tongues warred as they lost themselves in the moment. One of Gambit's hands cradled her head while the other held her against him. Rogue's arms snaked around his neck – swollen finger forgotten – and her hands tangled in his hair.
They were a mass of arms, legs, and tongues, each more desperate than the other to finally express their pent up emotions. Remy guided Rogue along, tempting and teasing her entire body into submission. Then, without warning, he abruptly squeezed her behind roughly and bit down hard on her tongue, nearly drawing blood.
With a surprised yelp of pain, Rogue tried to push off him, but one of his hands held her head and neck in place as his grip on her tightened. The fog in her mind began to lift, the intense desire and relief she'd felt slowly bleeding away.
"Mmmph!" she tried to yell at him, but he didn't relent. Finally, she bit down, HARD, on his invading tongue. He dropped her to the floor and Rogue collapsed in a heap, wiping the blood from her mouth as she glared up at him.
Betrayal and disgust flashed in her bright eyes, clouding the still-present desire there. Gambit chuckled lightly as he grinned down at her, leering at her exposed flesh. There was blood running from his mouth, down his chin and into his goatee, yet he was practically giddy.
Her tremors returned with a vengeance, fear filling her eyes as she stared up at him. His small chuckle mutated into a hearty laugh, which turned maniacal as Gambit's red on black eyes slowly transformed to brown, red, and finally to purple as he returned to his true form.
Horror-stricken, Rogue stood and backed away from Apocalypse as she frantically searched for the previously discarded knife and darted towards it. As she made the dash, however, she didn't anticipate Apocalypse's speed or proximity until he had caught her by the hair.
"AH!" She yelled in terror and pain as the super mutant yanked harshly on her scalp and motioned to the knife, which levitated into his outstretched hand. While Rogue stood, clutching helplessly at her hair and trying to pull herself loose, Apocalypse held the small blade in his free hand, admiring the handiwork.
"It is a shame you had to ruin my charade. It may have been more pleasant for you," he mentioned casually, but the wicked glint in his eye betrayed his disdainful tone. "Oh well. At least this will be more fun for me."
Lighting fast, he held the knife to her throat and she paused in her struggle for a mere moment. "Now behave or I will be forced to harm you. Not that I mind much, I rather enjoy inflicting pain."
"Ah'd rather die than let you touch me!" she shrieked and lunged for the knife despite its proximity to her throat. Apocalypse laughed mightily as he yanked her back again, causing another small yelp of pain.
"Your spirit enthralls me. You have a passion and fire that I find very… amusing."
He ran the blade down her side and over her belly button. She didn't dare to move as he dragged the blade over her taut stomach, but as it descended she finally jerked away.
"Don't touch me!" she growled. He still had an unshakable grip on her hair, but she tried again to free herself by kicking out at him.
Apocalypse merely laughed and tossed the knife across the room. "Oh my dear," he corrected as he gripped her left hand in his own and displayed the ring and her swollen finger. "You are mine now and I shall do with you what I like." He tweaked the injured digit slightly with his free hand and Rogue yelped as she continuously tried to free herself to no avail.
"You see, I can cause you great pain," he stated as he grasped her finger more firmly and shoved it back in place.
Rogue whimpered in agony, but bit back her tears.
"Or," he whispered in her ear, "I can make you invincible." He brought her finger to his lips and within seconds the swelling had disappeared and the pain vanished.
"I can make you feel pleasure like you have never experienced before."
Rogue's breath caught in her throat as a warm, tingling tension ripped through her body and left her weak in the knees. She gasped as a rush of warmth spread through her body. Then, just as the proverbial coil was about to snap, Apocalypse released his hold on her hair and she slid to the floor, no longer able to stand.
She couldn't believe this was really happening. The X-Men hadn't rescued her, Remy was too far away to help her, and she couldn't even help herself – nor could she simply take a knife to her throat and stop Apocalypse. She didn't know what to do anymore.
She didn't even feel like herself anymore. She'd felt less and less like the badass Rogue with every passing day and was feeling very much like the young frightened girl she once was. It was all too much, almost surreal even – as if her subconscious was taking over and pushing Rogue's hardened mind into the backseat.
The sudden onslaught of warring emotions and the havoc Apocalypse had just wreaked on her body left her feeling used and empty, and Rogue began crying openly. Tears streamed down her face as she shook her head from side to side. "Please," she begged, "just leave me be!"
"I can make all the pain, all the confusion and agony go away," Apocalypse continued. "I can give you riches beyond your dreams, and I can give you all the power in the world if you will only stand beside me," he finished as he extended his hand to the girl, sensing her vulnerability and fear.
Rogue's chin trembled violently as she stared anxiously at his open palm. It would be so easy to simply reach out and take it. No one would ever betray her again; she wouldn't get her heart stomped on over and over; she would be able to touch… Rogue's hand twitched slightly as she considered his proposal.
Apocalypse knew that she was close to accepting and tried to give her a final nudge. "I can give you anything you've ever wanted. Power. Control. I can BE anything you want – ANYONE you want," he whispered as he crouched down beside her.
"How does that sound, chèrie?" Rogue looked up into the entrancing eyes of Remy LeBeau and her chin quivered again as he brushed her hair back from her face. "Take my hand Rogue, an' we can be t'gether forever," he ushered gently in his sultry Cajun accent.
Rogue's hand twitched again and this time she raised it up to his. As Apocalypse reached to take it, however, she paused. Her eyes suddenly grew dark and she sprang forward, slugging him hard across the jaw.
"Ah don't care what form you take. Ah'll never be your queen!" she shouted and hit Apocalypse in the gut.
Transforming back into his true self once more, Apocalypse fell to the floor stunned. No one had ever resisted him quite so fiercely before… and he liked it! The girl's cooperation would bind the ritual more completely and make her much easier to control, but he rather preferred her adamant refusal. It made everything much more interesting.
Rogue sprang forward and brought her heel up to kick him in the groin, but he grabbed her ankle and yanked her to the floor again. Grinning, he stood with her left ankle still in his right hand. She twisted slightly and, using her right leg, kicked out at his knee and forced him to all fours as the joint buckled. She twisted again, and her now freed left leg came around, her heel smashing into his temple, knocking him flat on his back.
Rogue sprang up and attempted to kick him in the face again, but Apocalypse turned and swept her feet out from under her. She landed on her back with a loud "thump" as the air rushed from her lungs. She caught movement from the corner of her eye and rolled to her side, narrowly missing Apocalypse's hand as it came crashing down where her neck had been. Vaulting to her feet, she rose just as Apocalypse did, and they stared at each other for a moment, waiting for the other person to make the first move. Apocalypse tired of the stalemate, however, and summoned Quicksilver's and Colossus's powers as he rushed forward and shoved Rogue, knocking her across the room.
Thankfully she landed safely on the bed, but before she could recover Apocalypse was upon her. He pinned her wrists above her head, towering over her. She tried to bring a knee up between his legs, but he caught it with his own leg and trapped her limbs beneath his weight.
"You are MINE now," he sneered as she struggled against him. She wanted to scream, but the air caught in her throat as Apocalypse crushed her under his weight.
~X~X~X~X~X~
1 Daytripper is Amanda Sefton's code name in the comics that she specifically chose to compliment Kurt's codename. In the comics, Amanda's real name is Jimaine Szardos. Her mother, Margali Szardos raised Kurt as part of a gypsy circus. Also, Amanda eventually becomes "Magick" for a time.
Thanks again to RedStrandofFate and AJ for their help in reviewing and beta-reading for this chapter!