Prologue

Xavier's mansion has always made Rogue feel an overwhelming amount of emotions. It was homey to be sure, and of course full of people. Not just any people either, these people were mutants just like her. But there was one feeling she could never get rid of, Rouge always felt lonely. No matter how many people she was around, or the fact that they were also mutants, made her feel any better. They may have powers, but at least they could touch other people. If she touched anyone she risked killing them.

Rogue was always afraid of that. She knew that her fellow X-men loved her, but she also knew they were wary of her power. At least she thought so anyway. There was one person who never seemed afraid or intimidated by her powers. His name was Remy, also known as Gambit.

Remy held such a vast, deep love in his heart for Rogue that he never feared a single touch from her. Truth be told, Rogue loved him too, but how could she ever be with anyone. After all, the last boy she kissed nearly died. However, despite her constant warnings, Gambit continued to flirt with her shamelessly.

"Don't get your hopes up Swamp boy," she would respond to his constant advances.

"Ah, Chere, Gambit knows you t'ink about givin' 'im a kiss," he'd reply coyly.

It always annoyed her, but he was right. She'd thought about it often. What she didn't know was soon she would finally get that chance.

Chapter 1

The Attack

The night was still and mostly quiet. Gambit could hear Logan in the Danger Room.

"Mind if I join in the fun Mon ami?"

"Take your best shot, Cajun," Logan replied.

Suddenly the room shook violently and a loud boom rumbled through the entire house.

"Playing awful rough tonight? Eh, Mon ami?" Gambit said slyly.

"Wasn't anything I did," Logan replied crassly."I haven't left the room since you walked in."

The usual sly, playboy-ish smirk that Gambit had disappeared, and a look of pure concern and worry crept across his face. Just as Gambit opened his mouth to speak, Cyclops burst through the doors.

"The mansion is under attack." he yelled, panic in his voice.

"Attack from who?" Gambit asked worriedly.

"We don't know," Scott replied, the confusion and concern in his voice now reaching its pinnacle level.

"Why are we just standing here then?" boomed Wolverine as he stormed out the door to join the battle.

Gambit ran out the Danger Room headed for the main entrance, when he remembered Rogue was in the doubled back down the hall, he had to make sure she wasn't in danger. Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Rogue had heard the explosion of the attack and began running to the dorm rooms to get the kids who lived there to safety. As she rounded the corner with the last of the children, Rogue heard what sounded like Logan in trouble. She ran to help him not knowing the real Wolverine was downstairs fighting off Sabretooth. In reality Rogue ran head on into a trap.

When Rogue came to, she didn't recognize where she was, remember how she got there, nor how long she had been in captivity. She didn't see anyone or even hear anything in the darkness around her, save the buzzing of the dim light over her head.

"What is this place?" she said to the darkness, not expecting an answer.

"The only thing that should concern you,my dear, is why… are you here?" a voice leered from the darkness.

"Who are you? What do you want with me?" Rogue demanded of the voice.

"All will be revealed soon enough, my dear." the voice replied as it sank back into the darkness and vanished.

Rogue wondered if anyone knew what had happened to her. Even if they did, would they be able to find her? She could only hope that the professor would find her. If he did she hoped he'd send someone after her, and she hoped most of all it would be Remy.

Meanwhile back at the mansion, Remy had reached the kitchen too late to prevent Rogue from being captured. He was beside himself for having just missed saving her. As everyone was trying to clean the wreckage, he couldn't help but blame himself.

"I should've been there for her," he grumbled.

"It is not your fault, Gambit," Professor answered, speaking very matter-of-factly. "We will find her and find out who was behind the ambush."

"But Professor, how do we find her now?" Jubilee chimed in. She was still fairly new to the team and asked questions frequently. " The cerebro room was destroyed in the attack."

"There is another cerebro in the war room," Charles replied. "I will use it to locate Rogue and hopefully identify her captors as well."

"Don't worry,Petite. Gambit will rescue Rogue," Gambit said with his usual arrogance. "After all, the cards are always in my favor."

Professor X was accompanied by Cyclops, Jean, and Gambit as he used cerebro to pinpoint Rogue's location. Charles Xavier had the powers of psionics, and cerebro amplified those powers greatly. So much in fact, that the Professor could locate anyone, anywhere on the planet, and even communicate with someone clear across earth. As Xavier focused his mind to locate and communicate with Rogue, Gambit apprehensively shuffled his trusty card deck back and forth between his hands. Patience was never something Remy was good at practicing.

"How much longer 'dis gon' take?" he asked, his voice almost breaking from the anxiety of waiting. "How far could she be?"

"Patience Remy, the professor will find her…. soon." answered Jean. Jean Gray always was understanding and sweet, and Gambit appreciated that.

"If there's one t'ang I ain't, chere, it's patient." Gambit retorted with his usual wittiness. "Gambit don' like to wait for a battle to find him."

"We don't even know who we're battling against yet, Gambit." Scott Summers replied in his ever cautious and most leaderly voice. Just as he said that Professor Xavier chimed in, no one even realized he had taken off cerebro.

"We do now, Scott," the professor's proclamation had everyone on edge. "I have found Rogue and know where she's being held, and what's more I believe I know who's holding her."

"Great so now we just go get her…" said Gambit hastily.

"Wait just a moment, Gambit," Xavier interjected before he could finish the sentence. "If I'm correct about who we're dealing with, it won't be as simple as just rescuing Rogue. We are likely going to be walking straight into a trap."