Part Three

"I think it looks great," he purred getting up from his spot and kissing her. Breaking away he continued, "But you know we can't afford it." He sighed, he wanted to give her things, but there wasn't enough money... they had to buy the cheap stuff... this was like a treat to her nowadays to be able to try the clothes on. It hurts him to know that she once had things like new clothes and money, but she had to give them up for her safety and life. The idea of being beat by someone that was supposed to love you, your father or anyone that you love, could do that was just heart wrenching. It hurt him to even think that someone had done that to someone he loved and cared about so much.

"But we can!" She smiled, kissing him on the cheek.

"Huh?"

"Remy gave us a card."

"What?!" Jesse was upset very upset. Where did Remy get off giving his girl money? Why would he want to?" Why did he give it to us?" The anger was apparent in his tone.

"Jesse, quite it already will ya?" He isn't that bad of a guy and he isn't trying to hurt us. He gave me the card to that I could pick up some clothes for the others and myself, it's a surprise." Jesse frowned angrily, setting Michelle off again.

"Stop being a macho idiot for a minute and see how stupid you are acting. I love you, but you are pushing it. Besides you promised that you'd keep the peace for Mel."

He looked at her angrily for a minute until his gaze softened against hers. "I'm sorry, Michelle. It's just not that easy to trust him." And I ain't going to either, I'll play nicely but that's it. Jesse thought to himself. Then smiled to Michelle, "Well let's go get you those clothes."

<><><><><><><><><><>

"Why did they have to pick me?" Logan grumbled to himself.

"Cuz, sugar, how else are we going ta torture?" A sweet southern drawl emerged from behind him.

"Maggot, Bobby, Hank, War..."

"Come now, Logan, you can not tell me that you hate this. You get to send the day with two beautiful women while they model for you." Ororo Monroe smiled magnificently.

Logan smiles at his second companion, "No wonder the Cajun always came home with a smile on his face." He laughed. "Only time the boy actually enjoyed getting up."

"Yeah," Rogue whispered in reply, her eyes suddenly had lost their spiracle and magic, filling with a sadness that ripped at her inner self. She had been trying to forget what she did. Hide it from herself and the others as well. Hide the fact that she left the one man she truly loved in Antarctica to die.

"Do not worry, Rogue. Remy loves us, he will return in time, as soon as he realizes that we forgive him." Storm's gentle words only upset Rogue more but she hides it. Storm's words wouldn't be so kind if she knew what really happened.

"Yeah I'm sure you're right." A false smile came to her face.

She caught a glance of Logan as she turned. His face was both concerned and knowingly suspicious. He didn't know the whole story heck he didn't know half of it but he did know that Gambit didn't leave on his own and that there was definitely something wrong with Rogue. She'd been lucky so far too; Logan hadn't confronted her about what she did to him. As in sucking a tad of his mind from him. Another regret, another person who would never be able to trust her again.

"Ya'll hungry?"

"Starving, darlin`." Logan retook his normal mood.

<><><><><><><><><><><>

"Michelle don't you think that is enough," Jesse smiles.

"Never!" She declares smiling brightly back jokingly. "Actually Remy asked me to pick up a few things."

"Like what?"

"Something for Mel and Tim."

"Really? Why Tim?"

"He grumbled something about accomplishment. I think it's kinda funny. He thinks he can hide that he cares. He's really not that good at it, Remy that is."

"I guess."

She shakes her head at him but ignores the comment otherwise. "He wants me to pick up a snow globe that he saw once and a necklace for Mel and some blades for Timothy. Plus an extra pair of expensive shoes for Damion, everyone gets a pair and clothes. He said you could get what you want. I got my gift already."

"Where is he getting all this money, it's not stolen is it?"

"Nope," she reads off the called, "Remy LeBeau no 58209."

"Okay, okay. Let's go get them and then a bite to eat."

<><><><><><><><><><>

"Okay we got the shoes, the necklace, and the blades, all we need now is the globe thingie."

"Oh yeah the globe thingy." She smiled sarcastically.

"Yeah."

"What about you, ain't you going to get something?"

"No, I'll save mine, `sides he already got me clothes and a pair of shoes."

"Okay suit you're self." They walked into Couch House arm and arm and walk to the back of the store slowly looking for the snow globes.

"So exactly what kind of snow globe was he looking for? What is inside?" In the left far back corner the two young lovers crouch down onto their knees to look at the bottom shelves where some of the globes sit.

"A penguin. I guess it's Mel's favorite animal, I think there is something behind it too." She picks up a globe of an eagle. "Pretty, huh?"

"Yeah." Then he went back to searching a little more. "Got it!" He said triumphantly.

"Great, let me take a look." He hands it to her. "It's beautiful, she'll love it." In the globe lay an Antarctic sense where two gray and white baby penguins play with each other. Their small glass forms were so life like that as the snow fell you where almost pulled into the globe.

"Come on, I'm hungry lets buy the thing and get going, there's a food place next to here."

"All you think about is food." They moved into the waiting line.

"Aww... I'm hurt." He retaliates mockingly, the person in front of them moves away.

"Oh really, I would have thought this would hurt," She said as she punched him lightly.

"Now you're going to get it." He laughs poking her just below her ribs where she was most ticklish. Michelle placed her hands up in mock surrender to stop him,

"I can not be defeated." Jesse bragged but he stopped laughing as Michelle grabbed fistful of his hair.

"Oh, I bet I could." She said and then proceeded to kiss him fully on the lips, her hat falling off as she did. Her beautiful blue hair flowing down her back and revealing her true identity.

Someone nearby screamed and they broke their kiss. "What?" Jesse looked around then spotted the hat on the floor. "Shit, come on lets go."

"Mutie!"

"Someone get security."

"Ahh..."

"Get outta my store ya animals!"

"I'm not an animal!" Michelle stared the man in the eyes hovering, hers lighting up with a blue glow.

"Come on, Chelle, let's get." Grabbing the hat and his girlfriend's arm he tugged her out of the man's gaze and his fist. "Move it."

"Let me fly you." She grabs hold of his other arm and takes a right as she leaves the store. Three people finally get up from their sets and watch them go. The small man looking baffled and the two women running in front of the mop.

"Mutie! Stop them!" By now everyone on the level and the ones above and below had her the ruckus and a new mob had formed on the other end. The short man moved toward them and the crowd. He leaped past the teens as his claws extended. The people moved back screaming louder even the attackers back away from the feral mutant.

"Logan did you have to do that?" Storm reprimanded as she took off into the air.

"Umm... probably not, but it worked. Now let's get these kids outta here already. Storm take crowd control Rogue you get the kids."

"Got it, Wolvie." Rogue headed for Michelle and Jesse but as she got in reaching distance they young man there opened some kind of portal and the two slipped though.

"Rats. Where'd they go?" Rogue searched the crowd.

"There, on the ground floor, Rogue. Get me down there, now. Storm knock `em on there asses and get moving, there is something on those kids, just can't place what."

"On it." Rogue sweeps down and after the teens, following them all the way across town unseen by them.

<><><><><><><><><><>

Michelle came bursting though the door tailing her was Jesse. Both were panting, both where tiered, both still had the bags in their hands, both dropped them as they came in.

"Hey Michelle and Jesse are back!" Timothy yelled from above.

"Are you guys okay?" Damion yelled out running to the stairs and down them to the other two.

"What's the matter?" Remy and Melinda stick their heads out of one of the back rooms. Remy ran over to them.

"Yeah, but we where attacked in the mall. Some people tried to help us." Michelle puffed.

"Merde, dey didn't follow ya did dey?" He walked over to their entryway and peeked his head out. Then he quickly brought it back in. "Mel go get the suits, hon." Mel did as she was told and brought the suits out as Remy got details from the oldest two teens.

"Thanks." He handed two suits to Jesse and Michelle, then to Damion and Timothy. "Put them on and quick like, don` wan` none of ya hurt." He looked at the kids. "Be right back."

"Remy, don't!"

"Don't be worrying, Tim. Remy be fine. Now you get in de suits and hide."

<><><><><><><><><><>

"Sniff, sniff." Logan's nose flared, then shook his head as if to clear it.

"Logan?" Storm questioned.

Logan lifted his hand for silence.

Storm whispered. "What is it that you sense my friend?"

"It smells like..." Cajun Logan quickly looked around. No one, but he heard something, felt something. Even with his hunter's eyes he couldn't see a thing. Suddenly he was on his back someone straddled over his torso, a cold blade over his neck.

"Speak, and speak fast." The man on top of him was angry he wasn't seeing the person in front of him, just an enemy. Remy's eyes let him see better in the dark not perfectly but he should see the man in front of him, but he didn't see what he should. Remy didn't see his friend; he saw the mob or the assassin that had tried to hurt the kids, his kids.

"Get off me, Cajun." Logan said on an annoyed growl.

"Logan." He looked confused for a second but the confusion soon went away. Remy did not loosen his grip. "What do you want and what ya be doin` here?"

"I said get off." Logan said and this time a more fierce growl was accompanied by the demand.

"Not `til ya tell me why ya be here." A sparkle of laughter came to Remy's eyes. Logan had caught it and he started to become more agitated by having Remy joking with him.

"Remy?" Storm asked from behind. "Please get off of Logan."

"Sure thing, Stormy." He turned smiling at her, getting off of Logan and quickly pulling Storm into his tight embrace.

"Missed ya, chere." He whispered huskily into her ear.

"As I have you." Ororo replied

Pulling away he smiled, "Guess we ain't in trouble after all."

"We?" Storm raised an eyebrow.

"The Cajun, the two punks from the mall, and three other teens." Wolverine stated as he sniffed the air and pulled out a small cigar.

Remy sighed. "Come on." He moved along side the building and into the doorway.

<><><><><><><><><><><>

"Hello? Ya two in here? Ah ain't here ta hurt ya, just wanna make sure ya’ll are okay." Rogue paused in mid air and turned slowly turned around looking for the teens they'd seen at the mall, until she had turned 360 degrees.

"What's your names?" She asked gently, not shouting out anymore, she really didn't have to the church carried very well.

She hovered for a bit then floated to her feet. She walked past Timothy, who was busy hiding under a pew as she headed towards the back part of the church moving slowly. She landed on the ground and then walked into the room where Remy normally slept. She saw a black coat and she bent down and picked it up.

"Mah name is Rogue," She called out again. Something in her hands, Rogue looks down and at the coat as a card falls from its place, an inside pocket near the heart. She gasped quickly as she sees the card.

"Remy." Her lips spoke his name but it only came out as a whisper.

'Rogue? Rogue? Rogue!' Mel thought quickly. 'That bitch. She... she... ugh!' She screamed in frustration. As Melinda saw the card drop to the floor and Rogue picking it up Jesse walked out of the shadows of the night.

"Excuse me but what do you think you are doing?" Jesse's voice was full of the need to protect his territory and friends. Melinda got up, as did Timothy and Damion, the other two teleported in front of them.

"Ah... who are you?" She shouldn't be this shaken, it's just a jacket -- not even the right color- and a card. So what, a card doesn't mean anything, nothing. But the brunt edges and the face do, even the brand. Not to mention the distant smell of her love's sent.

"You're on our turf you tell us." Jesse glared at her.

"How can you come here after what you've done to him?" Mel asked out of no where her eyes raging with hatred and a cold spine chilling look.

"What? How do ya... what do ya mean?"

"Come on out!" Remy shouted from the entryway as he stepped inside and held open the door for the people behind him.

"It be safe." His words faded as his eyes moved from the bunch of teens that were supposed to be hiding and a beautiful woman with reddish-brown hair with a white strip in the middle of the mane.

"Rogue." He was surprised, but he wasn't sure if it was a good or bad surprise, he still hadn't deiced what to fell even after a year he was still unsure.

"Remy!" She flew over to him and rapped her arms around him, hugging him tightly.

"Ugh."

"Remy, you're alive! Thank god, you're alive!" Rogue cried.

"No thanks to you." Mel muttered, gaining her looks from everyone. Some of confusion, one of intense dislike, and one of disapproving but knowing that she was right.

"Hello, Rogue. How have ya been?" He stopped hugging her and walked past her heading toward the X-Ternals.

His voice became neutral as if seeing her didn't effect him -- you were taught that you never displayed emotions in the guild-, but his eyes said differently. They always betrayed him when he needed it most. Luckily, he had his glasses on. Rogue stood there with a blank expression on her face speechless, one in which Remy would have ignored if he'd seen it in the first place.

"Behave, Mel." Remy whispered smiling to Melinda as he positioned himself behind her, his arm resting protectively on her shoulder.

"So what is this, Gumbo? What ya pullin` now?" Logan stared hard at Remy and the kids that flanked him.

"What makes you t’ink I be pullin’ anythin?" Remy asked.

"Looks to me as if you're gearing up for something." He looks down to the armored suits.

"Ain't none of your business now is it. What ya come here for?"

"To make sure the children are all right." Ororo stopped her blank scanning, but she didn’t turn away from them. Storm glanced around and felt the familiar tingle at the base of her neck... telling her that something was not right with the group of kids.

"Thanks, Stormy, appreciate it." He looked to Storm then back to Mel, who was staring at Storm. He knew that Ororo would eventually pick up on something so he quickly tried to interrupt her thoughts. "Stormy, ya be okay?"

"Yes, I am fine." She looked into his eyes. "Why have you not come back to us, my friend?" As Remy looked into her eyes his heart wrenched. Her eyes where so sad and hurt and he had caused it, and he hated himself for it.

"Chere, I..."

"He figured that he wasn't welcome back." Mel spat out, glaring at Rogue.

"Melinda." Remy said in a fatherly tone, demanding that she behave. Logan had snorted; Rogue looked withdrawn.

"Why don't you get ta bed, we got working out to do tomorrow." A groan came from Timothy, but the others, save Mel, seemed relieved. "No arguing tonight, I've got things ta talk about." Mel stayed where she was. Bending done he kissed her on the head.

"Night, Mel." She stayed put. He glared at her she smiled back at him. "Damn it." She wasn't going to move, so he continued. Then he turned back to the others.

"I'd offer you ta stay for the night but well..." He spread his arms. "I doubt you really want to."

"We've seen worse, Cajun."

"I know you have." Remy smiled knowingly, then dropped his head and questioned them.

"So how are the others? Scott and Jean? Bobby, Hank,..." The next two names were so hard for him. " Professor, and Bishop?" He admired Xavier, and Bishop, well they had been becoming friends and close ones too. Bishop because of his being his father from the future and Xavier because he was the only one he trusted with his dark secret.

Bishop he worried about him every day, wondering if he ever got back and if... if he was still alive. He never meant to do what he did, he was sorry, he had to live with it every day, but his self hatred was enough he didn't need anyone else's.

"They are fine, Remy. Save Bishop we have not heard from him." Storm sighed.

"Ya don't be thinkin` he's dead?" Remy's words faded as his guard dropped.

"I pray to the heavens that he is not."

"Oui."

Damion slowly walked up behind Gambit waiting his turn to speak.

"Go ahead, D."

"Timothy is hungry." Damion's stomach then chose to rumbles and Damion placed his hands over his stomach to hide his embarrassment. "So are the rest of us."

"Oui, sorry. Give me a second, I got plenty upstairs for ya."

"Okay, thanks."

"If you'll excuse me for a minute, I've gotta do something. Make yourself at home." Remy looked at the three X-Men, then headed for the stairs that led to the loft. Rogue watched him as he walked away.

"Forget it." Mel walked over to Rogue. "You're not getting the chance to hurt him again."

"Where do ya come off saying stuff like that, missy! You don't know me." Rogue said.

"I know what you did to him."

Rogue's face turned red with anger, "What he tell ya?"

"Nothing, he's to hurt to talk about it. He doesn't think he is good enough because of you. You've changed him. You made him miserable."

"If he didn't tell ya, how do you know?"

"My secret." Mel responded with a sweet loving smile.

"Do you know how much Ah loved him before he betrayed us?" Rogue said.

"You don't deserve him."

End of Part 3