Unstoppable - Chapter 5
Disclaimer: I don't own X-Men: Evolution or anything else related to X-Men.
~*-Chapter Five-*~
“Kurt, really. Ah can do this on my own. He’s not gonna hurt me!”
Rogue sighed in exasperation as Kurt Wagner shook his head once again, adamant on keeping his decision final. Sometimes her brother just made her want to scream.
“Kurt, come on! What’s he gonna do? Stare at me to death? Play poker ‘til Ah can’t see straight?”
Kurt shot a glare to Rogue, not finding her sense of humor very funny at all.
“He kidnapped you, Rogue! I can’t, in good conscious, let you leave alone to go see that…that-“
“-That what, Elf?”
Rogue’s heart hammered in her chest and her eyes widened in what most would assume to be shock, and others would know it to be fear. Kurt nearly jumped out of his fur at the sudden interruption. They both turned to the side, looking at their visitor.
“Logan! Thank God you’re here! Rogue has gone crazy! She’s-“
“-Goin’ on a vacation!” Rogue intervened, pressing her gloved hand firmly to Kurt’s mouth, silencing him as best she could.
Logan raised an eyebrow incredulously.
“I ain’t buyin’ it, Stripes. You’ve always been a bad liar.”
Rogue’s eyes frantically searched the hallway, finding it empty. Damn. She had needed a scapegoat…
She finally let her fearful gaze settle on the Wolverine. She swallowed the lump in her throat as she tried to find the words to explain herself.
She began precariously.
“Now, Logan…Ah…”
“Ahh geez, kid. I’m already dreadin’ it! Just spit it out!”
“Ah…Ah wanna go find someone. Alone.”
Logan’s brows drew together in a frown. Rogue? Alone? This never boded well.
“And who is it that’s so important that you gotta go alone?”
She began to fumble nervously, finally taking her hand from Kurt’s mouth. Her fingers fidgeted and her throat ran dry. She was looking at anything but the hulking man in front of her. Logan sighed, placing a hand on his hip and rubbing his eyes tiredly with the other.
“Just…just say it, Stripes. I’m not gonna kill ya. Just tell me who it is.”
Rogue let out a shaking breath, letting her hands drop to her sides as she gathered her strength. This wasn’t going to go well. She needed every bit of strength she could muster.
“Ah wanna find Remy.”
It was a simple sentence; four terms used that usually weren’t a big deal, but to put them together was just asking for trouble and Logan was a man who loved dealing with trouble.
Except when Stripes was involved.
Then things got personal.
Logan growled as the words sunk in.
Stripes wanted to find Gambit?!
“Ah hell no! The Elf had it right, Rogue! You are bein’ crazy! Have you forgotten that he kidnapped you?! Took you away from your home by puttin’ you to sleep? Hell, kid! I had to frickin’ ride with a hysterical Elf and a pissed-off One-Eye just to get you back! You’re not goin’ back there at all! And that’s final!”
Rogue took a deep breath, letting her gaze drop to the floor. Kurt made the mistake of looking up to his sister. He sighed as he took in her appearance; her downtrodden eyes to the small pout in her lips. Her hands were clutched in front of her, holding each other securely. Her bangs had dipped down on one side to hide her gaze from passers by in the hall. A small crowd was walking through, just getting back from a day out in town. The occasional student would glance at the scene, taking in Rogue’s saddened demeanor, Kurt’s confused gaze that drifted between Logan and his sister, and Logan’s slow-coming fearful expression.
Rogue had managed to throw the Wolverine for a loop once again.
All the other students who passed by could only stare slack-jawed and in awe. The same thought was running through all their minds.
Holy cow! Rogue pulled one over on Logan!
Logan sighed again, seeing this conversation wasn’t going to go any further with an audience. He looked around, seeing all the familiar faces gawking at him as though he’d lost his mind. He took a step back, ushering Rogue and Kurt inside Kurt’s room to finish their talk. He slammed the door, obviously warning everyone to steer clear of the room for a while.
He turned to see Rogue sitting on Kurt’s bed, awkwardly looking around, clearly trying to avoid Logan’s and Kurt’s gazes. He sighed again, placing his hands on his hips as he tried to find the words to say that would appease all parties involved. He thought on everyone’s perspectives on the matter.
Rogue obviously wanted to go hunting for that crazy Cajun. Alone.
Kurt wanted his sister to be safe. Not alone.
Logan just wanted that damned pout to go away.
“Alright, you two. Here’s how we tackle this one. Elf, you’re gonna go with her-“
“No way! He’ll just yell at Remy the whole time!”
Logan growled, glaring at Rogue for interrupting.
“Hush it, Stripes. Lemme finish. Elf is gonna go with ya, but he’s gonna keep his mouth shut. I’m goin’ too. There’s no tellin’ what hell’ll be raised with you two there. Someone’s gotta keep things in line.”
Rogue seemed to be pulling off a scheming look, no doubt wondering what other offers she could squeeze out of the feral Canadian. Kurt was looking somewhat pleased with the resulting judgment, though he didn’t like having to keep quiet. He had been hoping to one day give that Thieving Cajun a piece of his mind. He couldn’t complain though, so he kept his mouth shut, just giving Rogue a self-gratifying smile, so cheesy and so full of himself that she gave him something in return: her middle finger. He lost his smile immediately. Logan sighed in front of them, massaging his temples with his forefingers. These kids never made anything easy.
“Alright, Stripes. When did you have this little…trip…planned?”
Rogue looked at him curiously. Her brows drew together in that cute little way that he’d never tell her was one of the best looks she had in her arsenal. He instantly felt the full-part of ‘Protective Father Extraordinaire’. He’d never get used to it after so many years of being alone and not seeing someone in a light special enough to stick around. He inwardly shook that feeling to save it for later as he glared at her.
“You mean ya didn’t even have it planned out? Geez Stripes! I thought I taught ya better than this!”
She sighed ruefully, her hands clenching in her hair.
“Ah figured someone would try ta stop me anyway! Ah was right, so Ah was plannin’ ahead! Don’t start fussin’ at me! Ah know what Ah’m doin’!”
“Then when were ya plannin’ on goin’?!” Logan snapped back.
“Ah don’t know! Ah thought since our summer break was comin’ up soon, Ah’d just go then. Ah got two weeks to plan it all out. If Ah’m gonna have’ta work around studyin’ and finals then Ah’ll have’ta start plannin’ soon. Ah got ‘ta at least get the small stuff outta tha way.”
“And just how do ya plan on gettin’ there?”
Rogue looked up to Logan, frowning.
“Do ya think Ah’m stupid, or somethin’? Ah been savin’ for this trip since it crossed my mind. And that’s been about a month ago or so now. The allowance the Professor gives us was more then enough to save for the trip. Ah’ve been savin’ that to get down there, and Ah’ll use what’s left to get back up here.”
Logan looked at her incredulously.
“And just how much money have ya saved? I know he doesn’t give out that much. He’s generous, not stupid.”
“Ah figured that train tickets are pretty cheap. And the nearest train has a pretty straight route to Tennessee, then from there to Louisiana. Besides, Ah’m not gonna rush to go see’im,” she tacked on in an effort to get the conversation moving. She really didn’t want Logan asking how she had saved that much money in such a short amount of time. She prayed he didn’t know the cost of a train ticket to Tennessee. She really didn’t want to have to tell him that she technically wouldn’t be buying a ticket; instead she planned to hop in to a train car as it was stopped along the tracks. Preferably one of the back ones so no one would see her sneak in. Rogue would ride out the whole trip smelling oils and other fuels or straw as the car she was most likely to pick would be the worst one. It was just her rotten luck.
“Why do you need to see him so bad anyways?” Logan asked, truthfully curious as to why the girl just had to leave to see that damn thief. He hoped she wasn’t stupid enough to actually like the guy. He was bad news.
“That’s none of your business.” She replied in a snarky manner, turning her nose up and looking away.
Logan and Kurt were floored. They both seemed to understand what this meant.
“Oh, no!” They both exclaimed.
She glared back sharply, cutting through them with her dagger-gaze. Her brows lowered as she sneered.
“What?”
“You…you like him…don’t you?” Logan asked precariously. His eyes had widened in wonder and, once again, something akin to fear. He didn’t want to hear the words coming out of her mouth, but something in him just had to know how deep this was for her.
Rogue’s face flushed lightly and she turned to hide it from their view. A light cough escaped her mouth as her throat ran dry. Her blood pounded in her ears as she gave the question some serious thought. Remy was attractive and there was no denying that. The problem was he knew he was. Besides, she didn’t really know him, so she couldn’t honestly say that she liked him. He had just been crossing her mind a lot recently and she just had to know he was okay. If he decided to come back to New York with her, well then, that was just a bonus for the trip. She looked back to Logan.
“No. Ah don’t like him per se. He’s just…he helped me out a lot back then. He made me see that what Ah had here wasn’t so bad. Ah mean, compared to him, Ah have it kinda easy. His dad still tries to tell him what to do. And his dad’s also a backstabbing scoundrel. He used him from the start, ever since he was a little kid and Jean-Luc had brought him home from the streets. He’s been under that man’s thumb since and he hates it.”
Kurt scoffed and sneered at the story.
“Then why doesn’t he just leave? He was up here working for Magneto, wasn’t he?”
Rogue turned to Kurt, frowning at his doubt.
“He loves the rest of his family too much. He has cousins, a brother, a sister-in-law and the best aunt the world has ever seen. He doesn’t want to leave them. As for his workin’ for Mags, he left to get away from the life he had been forced in to. Think about it this way, Kurt. Your parents in Germany loved you, right? They’d do anything for you, right?”
Kurt nodded, confused as to where the conversation was heading. He listened as Rogue continued.
“He’s never known that. His parents abandoned him when he was younger because he had the Devil’s eyes. He had no friends growing up because they were all scared of him and hated him because of it. He would get beat up day after day for something he couldn’t understand. The caretakers at the orphanage just looked the other way because they felt the same way. They would have sooner beat him than they would defend him.”
Logan looked at Rogue suspiciously, one eyebrow quirked up as he turned his head away, warily keeping his gaze on her from the side.
“And jus’ how do ya know all’o this ‘bout the Cajun?”
The girl just shrugged her shoulders. She seemed just as confused as the men in the room.
“Ah dunno. Ah’ve just known it a while now. Ah don’t remember touchin’ him except that once in New Orleans, but all Ah found from that was that he was usin’ my powers to save his Dad.”
Logan and Kurt looked at each other, knowing where she knew it from. It was when she had been controlled, walking around taking everyone’s powers. It must have been when she broke in to Magneto’s base and fought off his Acolytes. Both Logan and Kurt shared the same thought.
I thought Xavier locked those memories away…
Rogue looked between them, clearly confused.
“What is it, fellas? What’s those looks for? Hey! Don’t turn away from me!”
“Kid, we don’t know how you got’em either. I’m almost scared to think if he snuck on the grounds and touched your skin while you were sleepin’.”
Rogue choked and sputtered as her eyes widened. She started shaking her head furiously and her hands came up to emphasize her point.
“He would…he would never! Ah know he can be a little…creepy…but he’s a gentleman. The whole time Ah was down there with him, he didn’t lay his hands on me, not once. Ah…Ah know it’s weird, but…Ah know him. Ah know he wouldn’t do that!”
Kurt glared, still not too happy with seeing the thief again, and with a star-struck Rogue no less. He didn’t believe a word of it, and voiced his objections.
“No Rogue. He’s not a gentleman. Gentlemen don’t kidnap young women from back alleyways. Gentlemen don’t use young mutant women for their powers. Gentlemen keep their hands to themselves when a lady is present. Let’s face it: majority rules. Gambit is not a gentleman.” Kurt argued to the best of his ability, but to no avail: Rogue was adamant on going no matter what.
“Kurt. Tell me something: Are you perfect?”
Kurt’s eyebrows lowered and frowned at her accusatory tone. He shook his head.
“Then what, pray tell, gives you the right to judge someone else? He’s made mistakes in his life, yeah. But he’s had more than his fair share of torment, too. He was raised to be a thief. It’s all he knows other than the fact that most people can’t stomach the thought of looking him dead in the eye.”
“But that still doesn’t explain why you wanna see him so bad, Stripes.” Logan spoke up, bringing the problem-at-hand to light.
She simply looked at him and spoke in a clear tone so he would know she was serious.
“Ah think he would love it here. He sucks at bein’ a bad guy, anyway. Piotr was actually the one who brought the idea to me. He said that there were numerous times that he’d caught Remy doin’ somethin’ that was…well…good. Like…’Helping Old Ladies Cross The Street’ good. Ah think he even told me one time, he saw Remy walk out of a grocery store, helping a single-mother carry her groceries while the mother carried her twin boys on each hip. He just…belongs here.”
Logan and Kurt both were taking this news in slowly. The idea that the Cajun might not be quite that bad had never crossed their minds. All they knew was that he had taken their Rogue away from them and they had to take her back from him. That was all they had to know. They didn’t care that he might possibly actually have a heart; that he might possibly be a not-so-bad guy after all. All they had needed to know was that Rogue had been his “hostage” at one point.
Rogue sighed as she watched the two guys in front of her. Were they seriously debating over this? Did they really have to think hard about Remy and his apparent conscience? She didn’t see what the big deal was.
When they had first met, they had just simply stood and stared at each other at the docks. He had absent-mindedly handed her a glowing card that had been a half-assed attempt at blowing her hand off. He seemed to know that she would toss it in time. She was still sore at him for the thought to even pass through his mind.
Like one’o his damn cards would be what killed me…but…Ah suppose Ah should be glad he wasn’ really tryin’. Ah got a feelin’ he kept holdin’ back in fights back then.
Somewhere between her seeing him for the first time and him kidnapping her, she had gained a lot of his memories and thoughts. She knew his full name. She knew what some of his childhood had been like. She knew that his sister-in-law Mercy was like a true sibling to him. They bickered and fussed as true siblings would, but they also had a great connection. Henri was his brother, and he trusted the man with his life, but if he was in a true pinch, he was certain Mercy would be one of the few to step in for him and help. Only Henri, Mercy and Mattie cared that much.
Rogue also knew what he thought of his position as a thief. He knew for certain that he was one of the best the world had seen. He also knew that he was above the life of a thief. Remy LeBeau was meant for greater things in his life than to take, take, take and never give.
Rogue knew that he was secretly self-conscious of what people thought of him. He was sensitive in a way that was hard to see. That was only because he’d never live it down if anyone did see that side. He hid his eyes from view every time he went out in public, the exception being Mardi Gras, where you could be anyone or anything and no one said a word to you. His eyes had, of course, been the main instigator of grief in his life.
Waking up by blowing up your alarm clock hadn’t been too good either.
Rogue knew by his memories that when he found out he was a mutant, he had been devastated. Not only did he have the Devil’s eyes, now he had the Devil’s touch too? Many nights, Rogue had had depressing dreams of Remy coming to a conclusion while still in his mid-teen years, just after his powers had started. He had been giving serious thought to the idea of just living alone in the mountains. He couldn’t hurt anyone if there was no one around, right? He could keep the world safe by not being a functioning part of society. He wouldn’t blow up forks and knives at the dinner table. He wouldn’t cause lights to burst simply by turning them on, the extra energy flowing from his fingers to the wires that powered them.
He could keep his family safe if he stayed away from them, right?
Rogue could still hear his confused voice running through her head as she heard his thoughts from that time.
Mattie…she’ll be okay…she’ll know she tried her best to raise me, but even she can’t stop someone’s genes.
Henri will be fine. He’s a man. He can handle it. He’ll know his little brother is safe and can handle himself just fine. I lived on my own before, and he knows I can do it again.
Jean-Luc…he’ll hate his prize pony isn’t here at his disposal. What a pity for him…not…
Mercy…oh, no. Mercy’ll be heartbroken. She…she calls me petit frère. I’m her petit frère! What if she hates me for leavin’ her?
Why the hell do I have to be such a freak? First my eyes, now my skin? What next? My mind? My soul?!
Rogue shook her head, trying to dispel the thoughts that were not entirely her own. It was when these thoughts were running rampant in her mind that she remembered what he had said to her during their adventure in New Orleans: “You and I, we could write a book about it.” They had a lot more in common than most people realized. She supposed that was why she felt every moment was just…wrong…without him here. She was still not fully understood by any of her peers. She just wanted someone who understood why she was the way she was.
Who better than someone who had suffered like she had?
Who better than someone who was most definitely on her side?
Who better than the only man (because let’s face it; Scott was no man. Not by a long shot,) who had captured her undivided attention? Who still held on to her with ghost touches that were never real? Who…
Rogue drew in a shaky breath as she diverted her thoughts from that line. She’d best not finish, lest she wanted to wind up as one of the many women that man left in a line, waiting to have their chance with him. If she confessed to herself how she truly felt, then it was finalized and it would be all she could think about. When it got that bad, she got stupid and opened her mouth. That stupid, treacherous mouth would then blurt out everything she tried to keep secret, and that man was the last who needed to know that secret.
Rogue sighed, dread filling the parts of her that weren’t filled with anticipation at leaving to retrieve him.
Being a teenager sucked.
~*-Chapter Five-*~
“Kurt, really. Ah can do this on my own. He’s not gonna hurt me!”
Rogue sighed in exasperation as Kurt Wagner shook his head once again, adamant on keeping his decision final. Sometimes her brother just made her want to scream.
“Kurt, come on! What’s he gonna do? Stare at me to death? Play poker ‘til Ah can’t see straight?”
Kurt shot a glare to Rogue, not finding her sense of humor very funny at all.
“He kidnapped you, Rogue! I can’t, in good conscious, let you leave alone to go see that…that-“
“-That what, Elf?”
Rogue’s heart hammered in her chest and her eyes widened in what most would assume to be shock, and others would know it to be fear. Kurt nearly jumped out of his fur at the sudden interruption. They both turned to the side, looking at their visitor.
“Logan! Thank God you’re here! Rogue has gone crazy! She’s-“
“-Goin’ on a vacation!” Rogue intervened, pressing her gloved hand firmly to Kurt’s mouth, silencing him as best she could.
Logan raised an eyebrow incredulously.
“I ain’t buyin’ it, Stripes. You’ve always been a bad liar.”
Rogue’s eyes frantically searched the hallway, finding it empty. Damn. She had needed a scapegoat…
She finally let her fearful gaze settle on the Wolverine. She swallowed the lump in her throat as she tried to find the words to explain herself.
She began precariously.
“Now, Logan…Ah…”
“Ahh geez, kid. I’m already dreadin’ it! Just spit it out!”
“Ah…Ah wanna go find someone. Alone.”
Logan’s brows drew together in a frown. Rogue? Alone? This never boded well.
“And who is it that’s so important that you gotta go alone?”
She began to fumble nervously, finally taking her hand from Kurt’s mouth. Her fingers fidgeted and her throat ran dry. She was looking at anything but the hulking man in front of her. Logan sighed, placing a hand on his hip and rubbing his eyes tiredly with the other.
“Just…just say it, Stripes. I’m not gonna kill ya. Just tell me who it is.”
Rogue let out a shaking breath, letting her hands drop to her sides as she gathered her strength. This wasn’t going to go well. She needed every bit of strength she could muster.
“Ah wanna find Remy.”
It was a simple sentence; four terms used that usually weren’t a big deal, but to put them together was just asking for trouble and Logan was a man who loved dealing with trouble.
Except when Stripes was involved.
Then things got personal.
Logan growled as the words sunk in.
Stripes wanted to find Gambit?!
“Ah hell no! The Elf had it right, Rogue! You are bein’ crazy! Have you forgotten that he kidnapped you?! Took you away from your home by puttin’ you to sleep? Hell, kid! I had to frickin’ ride with a hysterical Elf and a pissed-off One-Eye just to get you back! You’re not goin’ back there at all! And that’s final!”
Rogue took a deep breath, letting her gaze drop to the floor. Kurt made the mistake of looking up to his sister. He sighed as he took in her appearance; her downtrodden eyes to the small pout in her lips. Her hands were clutched in front of her, holding each other securely. Her bangs had dipped down on one side to hide her gaze from passers by in the hall. A small crowd was walking through, just getting back from a day out in town. The occasional student would glance at the scene, taking in Rogue’s saddened demeanor, Kurt’s confused gaze that drifted between Logan and his sister, and Logan’s slow-coming fearful expression.
Rogue had managed to throw the Wolverine for a loop once again.
All the other students who passed by could only stare slack-jawed and in awe. The same thought was running through all their minds.
Holy cow! Rogue pulled one over on Logan!
Logan sighed again, seeing this conversation wasn’t going to go any further with an audience. He looked around, seeing all the familiar faces gawking at him as though he’d lost his mind. He took a step back, ushering Rogue and Kurt inside Kurt’s room to finish their talk. He slammed the door, obviously warning everyone to steer clear of the room for a while.
He turned to see Rogue sitting on Kurt’s bed, awkwardly looking around, clearly trying to avoid Logan’s and Kurt’s gazes. He sighed again, placing his hands on his hips as he tried to find the words to say that would appease all parties involved. He thought on everyone’s perspectives on the matter.
Rogue obviously wanted to go hunting for that crazy Cajun. Alone.
Kurt wanted his sister to be safe. Not alone.
Logan just wanted that damned pout to go away.
“Alright, you two. Here’s how we tackle this one. Elf, you’re gonna go with her-“
“No way! He’ll just yell at Remy the whole time!”
Logan growled, glaring at Rogue for interrupting.
“Hush it, Stripes. Lemme finish. Elf is gonna go with ya, but he’s gonna keep his mouth shut. I’m goin’ too. There’s no tellin’ what hell’ll be raised with you two there. Someone’s gotta keep things in line.”
Rogue seemed to be pulling off a scheming look, no doubt wondering what other offers she could squeeze out of the feral Canadian. Kurt was looking somewhat pleased with the resulting judgment, though he didn’t like having to keep quiet. He had been hoping to one day give that Thieving Cajun a piece of his mind. He couldn’t complain though, so he kept his mouth shut, just giving Rogue a self-gratifying smile, so cheesy and so full of himself that she gave him something in return: her middle finger. He lost his smile immediately. Logan sighed in front of them, massaging his temples with his forefingers. These kids never made anything easy.
“Alright, Stripes. When did you have this little…trip…planned?”
Rogue looked at him curiously. Her brows drew together in that cute little way that he’d never tell her was one of the best looks she had in her arsenal. He instantly felt the full-part of ‘Protective Father Extraordinaire’. He’d never get used to it after so many years of being alone and not seeing someone in a light special enough to stick around. He inwardly shook that feeling to save it for later as he glared at her.
“You mean ya didn’t even have it planned out? Geez Stripes! I thought I taught ya better than this!”
She sighed ruefully, her hands clenching in her hair.
“Ah figured someone would try ta stop me anyway! Ah was right, so Ah was plannin’ ahead! Don’t start fussin’ at me! Ah know what Ah’m doin’!”
“Then when were ya plannin’ on goin’?!” Logan snapped back.
“Ah don’t know! Ah thought since our summer break was comin’ up soon, Ah’d just go then. Ah got two weeks to plan it all out. If Ah’m gonna have’ta work around studyin’ and finals then Ah’ll have’ta start plannin’ soon. Ah got ‘ta at least get the small stuff outta tha way.”
“And just how do ya plan on gettin’ there?”
Rogue looked up to Logan, frowning.
“Do ya think Ah’m stupid, or somethin’? Ah been savin’ for this trip since it crossed my mind. And that’s been about a month ago or so now. The allowance the Professor gives us was more then enough to save for the trip. Ah’ve been savin’ that to get down there, and Ah’ll use what’s left to get back up here.”
Logan looked at her incredulously.
“And just how much money have ya saved? I know he doesn’t give out that much. He’s generous, not stupid.”
“Ah figured that train tickets are pretty cheap. And the nearest train has a pretty straight route to Tennessee, then from there to Louisiana. Besides, Ah’m not gonna rush to go see’im,” she tacked on in an effort to get the conversation moving. She really didn’t want Logan asking how she had saved that much money in such a short amount of time. She prayed he didn’t know the cost of a train ticket to Tennessee. She really didn’t want to have to tell him that she technically wouldn’t be buying a ticket; instead she planned to hop in to a train car as it was stopped along the tracks. Preferably one of the back ones so no one would see her sneak in. Rogue would ride out the whole trip smelling oils and other fuels or straw as the car she was most likely to pick would be the worst one. It was just her rotten luck.
“Why do you need to see him so bad anyways?” Logan asked, truthfully curious as to why the girl just had to leave to see that damn thief. He hoped she wasn’t stupid enough to actually like the guy. He was bad news.
“That’s none of your business.” She replied in a snarky manner, turning her nose up and looking away.
Logan and Kurt were floored. They both seemed to understand what this meant.
“Oh, no!” They both exclaimed.
She glared back sharply, cutting through them with her dagger-gaze. Her brows lowered as she sneered.
“What?”
“You…you like him…don’t you?” Logan asked precariously. His eyes had widened in wonder and, once again, something akin to fear. He didn’t want to hear the words coming out of her mouth, but something in him just had to know how deep this was for her.
Rogue’s face flushed lightly and she turned to hide it from their view. A light cough escaped her mouth as her throat ran dry. Her blood pounded in her ears as she gave the question some serious thought. Remy was attractive and there was no denying that. The problem was he knew he was. Besides, she didn’t really know him, so she couldn’t honestly say that she liked him. He had just been crossing her mind a lot recently and she just had to know he was okay. If he decided to come back to New York with her, well then, that was just a bonus for the trip. She looked back to Logan.
“No. Ah don’t like him per se. He’s just…he helped me out a lot back then. He made me see that what Ah had here wasn’t so bad. Ah mean, compared to him, Ah have it kinda easy. His dad still tries to tell him what to do. And his dad’s also a backstabbing scoundrel. He used him from the start, ever since he was a little kid and Jean-Luc had brought him home from the streets. He’s been under that man’s thumb since and he hates it.”
Kurt scoffed and sneered at the story.
“Then why doesn’t he just leave? He was up here working for Magneto, wasn’t he?”
Rogue turned to Kurt, frowning at his doubt.
“He loves the rest of his family too much. He has cousins, a brother, a sister-in-law and the best aunt the world has ever seen. He doesn’t want to leave them. As for his workin’ for Mags, he left to get away from the life he had been forced in to. Think about it this way, Kurt. Your parents in Germany loved you, right? They’d do anything for you, right?”
Kurt nodded, confused as to where the conversation was heading. He listened as Rogue continued.
“He’s never known that. His parents abandoned him when he was younger because he had the Devil’s eyes. He had no friends growing up because they were all scared of him and hated him because of it. He would get beat up day after day for something he couldn’t understand. The caretakers at the orphanage just looked the other way because they felt the same way. They would have sooner beat him than they would defend him.”
Logan looked at Rogue suspiciously, one eyebrow quirked up as he turned his head away, warily keeping his gaze on her from the side.
“And jus’ how do ya know all’o this ‘bout the Cajun?”
The girl just shrugged her shoulders. She seemed just as confused as the men in the room.
“Ah dunno. Ah’ve just known it a while now. Ah don’t remember touchin’ him except that once in New Orleans, but all Ah found from that was that he was usin’ my powers to save his Dad.”
Logan and Kurt looked at each other, knowing where she knew it from. It was when she had been controlled, walking around taking everyone’s powers. It must have been when she broke in to Magneto’s base and fought off his Acolytes. Both Logan and Kurt shared the same thought.
I thought Xavier locked those memories away…
Rogue looked between them, clearly confused.
“What is it, fellas? What’s those looks for? Hey! Don’t turn away from me!”
“Kid, we don’t know how you got’em either. I’m almost scared to think if he snuck on the grounds and touched your skin while you were sleepin’.”
Rogue choked and sputtered as her eyes widened. She started shaking her head furiously and her hands came up to emphasize her point.
“He would…he would never! Ah know he can be a little…creepy…but he’s a gentleman. The whole time Ah was down there with him, he didn’t lay his hands on me, not once. Ah…Ah know it’s weird, but…Ah know him. Ah know he wouldn’t do that!”
Kurt glared, still not too happy with seeing the thief again, and with a star-struck Rogue no less. He didn’t believe a word of it, and voiced his objections.
“No Rogue. He’s not a gentleman. Gentlemen don’t kidnap young women from back alleyways. Gentlemen don’t use young mutant women for their powers. Gentlemen keep their hands to themselves when a lady is present. Let’s face it: majority rules. Gambit is not a gentleman.” Kurt argued to the best of his ability, but to no avail: Rogue was adamant on going no matter what.
“Kurt. Tell me something: Are you perfect?”
Kurt’s eyebrows lowered and frowned at her accusatory tone. He shook his head.
“Then what, pray tell, gives you the right to judge someone else? He’s made mistakes in his life, yeah. But he’s had more than his fair share of torment, too. He was raised to be a thief. It’s all he knows other than the fact that most people can’t stomach the thought of looking him dead in the eye.”
“But that still doesn’t explain why you wanna see him so bad, Stripes.” Logan spoke up, bringing the problem-at-hand to light.
She simply looked at him and spoke in a clear tone so he would know she was serious.
“Ah think he would love it here. He sucks at bein’ a bad guy, anyway. Piotr was actually the one who brought the idea to me. He said that there were numerous times that he’d caught Remy doin’ somethin’ that was…well…good. Like…’Helping Old Ladies Cross The Street’ good. Ah think he even told me one time, he saw Remy walk out of a grocery store, helping a single-mother carry her groceries while the mother carried her twin boys on each hip. He just…belongs here.”
Logan and Kurt both were taking this news in slowly. The idea that the Cajun might not be quite that bad had never crossed their minds. All they knew was that he had taken their Rogue away from them and they had to take her back from him. That was all they had to know. They didn’t care that he might possibly actually have a heart; that he might possibly be a not-so-bad guy after all. All they had needed to know was that Rogue had been his “hostage” at one point.
Rogue sighed as she watched the two guys in front of her. Were they seriously debating over this? Did they really have to think hard about Remy and his apparent conscience? She didn’t see what the big deal was.
When they had first met, they had just simply stood and stared at each other at the docks. He had absent-mindedly handed her a glowing card that had been a half-assed attempt at blowing her hand off. He seemed to know that she would toss it in time. She was still sore at him for the thought to even pass through his mind.
Like one’o his damn cards would be what killed me…but…Ah suppose Ah should be glad he wasn’ really tryin’. Ah got a feelin’ he kept holdin’ back in fights back then.
Somewhere between her seeing him for the first time and him kidnapping her, she had gained a lot of his memories and thoughts. She knew his full name. She knew what some of his childhood had been like. She knew that his sister-in-law Mercy was like a true sibling to him. They bickered and fussed as true siblings would, but they also had a great connection. Henri was his brother, and he trusted the man with his life, but if he was in a true pinch, he was certain Mercy would be one of the few to step in for him and help. Only Henri, Mercy and Mattie cared that much.
Rogue also knew what he thought of his position as a thief. He knew for certain that he was one of the best the world had seen. He also knew that he was above the life of a thief. Remy LeBeau was meant for greater things in his life than to take, take, take and never give.
Rogue knew that he was secretly self-conscious of what people thought of him. He was sensitive in a way that was hard to see. That was only because he’d never live it down if anyone did see that side. He hid his eyes from view every time he went out in public, the exception being Mardi Gras, where you could be anyone or anything and no one said a word to you. His eyes had, of course, been the main instigator of grief in his life.
Waking up by blowing up your alarm clock hadn’t been too good either.
Rogue knew by his memories that when he found out he was a mutant, he had been devastated. Not only did he have the Devil’s eyes, now he had the Devil’s touch too? Many nights, Rogue had had depressing dreams of Remy coming to a conclusion while still in his mid-teen years, just after his powers had started. He had been giving serious thought to the idea of just living alone in the mountains. He couldn’t hurt anyone if there was no one around, right? He could keep the world safe by not being a functioning part of society. He wouldn’t blow up forks and knives at the dinner table. He wouldn’t cause lights to burst simply by turning them on, the extra energy flowing from his fingers to the wires that powered them.
He could keep his family safe if he stayed away from them, right?
Rogue could still hear his confused voice running through her head as she heard his thoughts from that time.
Mattie…she’ll be okay…she’ll know she tried her best to raise me, but even she can’t stop someone’s genes.
Henri will be fine. He’s a man. He can handle it. He’ll know his little brother is safe and can handle himself just fine. I lived on my own before, and he knows I can do it again.
Jean-Luc…he’ll hate his prize pony isn’t here at his disposal. What a pity for him…not…
Mercy…oh, no. Mercy’ll be heartbroken. She…she calls me petit frère. I’m her petit frère! What if she hates me for leavin’ her?
Why the hell do I have to be such a freak? First my eyes, now my skin? What next? My mind? My soul?!
Rogue shook her head, trying to dispel the thoughts that were not entirely her own. It was when these thoughts were running rampant in her mind that she remembered what he had said to her during their adventure in New Orleans: “You and I, we could write a book about it.” They had a lot more in common than most people realized. She supposed that was why she felt every moment was just…wrong…without him here. She was still not fully understood by any of her peers. She just wanted someone who understood why she was the way she was.
Who better than someone who had suffered like she had?
Who better than someone who was most definitely on her side?
Who better than the only man (because let’s face it; Scott was no man. Not by a long shot,) who had captured her undivided attention? Who still held on to her with ghost touches that were never real? Who…
Rogue drew in a shaky breath as she diverted her thoughts from that line. She’d best not finish, lest she wanted to wind up as one of the many women that man left in a line, waiting to have their chance with him. If she confessed to herself how she truly felt, then it was finalized and it would be all she could think about. When it got that bad, she got stupid and opened her mouth. That stupid, treacherous mouth would then blurt out everything she tried to keep secret, and that man was the last who needed to know that secret.
Rogue sighed, dread filling the parts of her that weren’t filled with anticipation at leaving to retrieve him.
Being a teenager sucked.