Disclaimer: Gambit and the X-Men are copyright and property of Marvel Comics. I am making no money from this. Besides getting money out of me would be like getting blood out of turnip, it isn't gonna happen so don't even try to sue me. Stevie and any other characters you don't recognize and the plot in this story are owned by Tammy Zuleger. Anyone wishing to use them must get permission from me first.

Here's Stevie
Part Five
Tammy

“Umm, like Stevie, ya gotta get up,” Jubilee softly said to the sleeping mutant. “Scott’s lookin’ for ya.”

There was a knock at the door.

“Oh crud, he found ya,” she groaned. “Come on, wake up.”

“Stevie are you in there?” Scott called from the other room.

“Umm, like can you keep it down? She’s still sleepin’,” Jubilee answered for her.

“It’s almost noon,” Scott said and opened the door.

“Jeez, like can’t ya knock first. She might not have been decent,” the teen frowned.

“Why is she still asleep?” he frowned.

“Um gee, let me think. Let’s see, her two friends were here three nights ago. They went out and stayed up waaaay past my bedtime. And I didn’t hear their motorcycles leave till about 4:30 this morning. And she's been takin' the graveyard shift watchin' Gumbo and then her friends call and talk all night. Does that answer your question?” Jubilee explained. “Besides, I, um checked the schedule for today and you ain’t got her on anything.”

“We need someone to watch Gambit,” he said.

“I’ll do it,” she volunteered.

“Hank said he wanted someone with medical experience, besides you’re not going to be here,” he said.

“Did I fall asleep in the rec room again?” Stevie asked opening her eyes.

“Good, you’re awake. We’re going to be gone for the day, leaving only you and Hank here,” Scott said.

“And this affects me how?” Stevie asked.

“Hank would like you to keep an eye on Gambit,” Scott finished.

“What about his family?” she asked.

“They’ve gone into town for lunch,” he answered.

“Oh, okay I’ll watch him,” she said sitting up.

“Did you’re friends call and talk all night again?” he asked.

“Yeah, now if you don’t mind I’ll take a shower,” she told him.

“Like yeah Cyke, besides I don’t think Jean, your wife, would like it if you like, watched Stevie take a shower,” Jubilee said.

Scott colored and said, “Come by my office when you’re ready.”

“Yeah, sure Scott,” she yawned in reply as he left. “So what’s up?”

“I don’t know, but I get to come along. Probably won’t be any fun either,” she sighed. “So what’d you guys do the other night?”

“Well, we went out for supper at Harry’s. Then we came back here and played cards for a few hours. After that we watched a couple movies. By then it was time for Archie and Barrin to go back to their hotel,” Stevie explained as she got out of bed.

“It’s gonna be awful boring watching Gumbo all day,” she said.

“Oh, I’ll have stuff to do. Archie left me a book to read last night, maybe I’ll start reading it. I also have to work on my web page, I learned some new tricks and want to try them out,” she said getting out clean clothes.

“I s’pose I should like, let you take a shower,” the teen said going to the door.

“See ya later Jubie, have fun today,” Stevie smiled going into her bathroom.


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Stevie sat in the chair and opened up her borrowed notebook computer. “Fang, my man, you are a life saver,” she smiled as she booted it up. “I’m glad you’re not here to hear that,” she smiled connecting the zip drive. “A comment like that would make you so smug, you’d be unbearable.”

An hour later, she got up and went to get a snack. As she was leaving, she didn’t notice the fingers on Remy’s right hand twitch.

After she returned she decided to shut down the computer and read for a while. She pulled a chair over to the foot of the bed and sat down to read.

Slowly, ever so slowly, Remy LeBeau came back into awareness. He listened intently for the sound of machines and heard none. As sensation returned to his body, he concluded that he wasn’t in the lab because he could feel the familiar dip in his own bed at the mansion. He opened his eyes and looked around. Rogue was nowhere to be seen, the only other person he saw was a young woman sitting in a chair reading a book. “Rogue,” he croaked, his voice barely a whisper.

Stevie stopped reading in mid-sentance. She could’ve sworn she heard a noise from the bed. Her eyes moved up to glance at her patient. Confused red-on-black eyes gazed back at her. Automatically her hand pressed the com-badge on her shirt. “Hank, can you come here right now?” she asked still watching the Cajun.

“Stephen, I am in the final stages of preparing Jean’s birth control pills. Is this important?” the blue-furred scientist asked.

“He’s awake,” she said simply.

“Who?”

“Gambit is awake,” she repeated.

“Now why would I . . . Oh my stars and garters, I’ll be right up as quickly as my graceful blue self can go. And Stephen . . .”

“Yes Hank.”

“Try not to upset him,” he cautioned.

“Sure.”

“Who?” Remy questioned, his eyes locked with hers.

“My name is Stephen Ruppe, I’ve only been here a little over a week. Just relax, Hank will be here in a minute,” she said getting up from her chair.

“Rogue,” he rasped and tried to sit up.

“She’s not here, not just lie down until Hank gets here,” Stevie said sitting on the bed and gently pushing him back down.

“No,” he frowned and tried to sit up again.

“Now listen to me,” she said sternly, “Rogue isn’t here. She’s not in the mansion anywhere and you’re going to stay in bed until Hank gets here.”

The door opened and in bounded Dr. Hank McCoy. “Ah, greetings and salutations to the worst patient I’ve ever had,” he smiled and set his bag down on the bed.

“Hank, he wants to get up and find Rogue,” she said.

“Remy, I’m afraid that’s out of the question. You just woke up from a coma caused by a kiss from the same southern belle you seek. In the opinion of this physician, you are in no condition to go galavanting around the country, let alone leave your bedroom,” Hank said getting out his stethoscope. “Anyway, I believe your father would be very upset if I let you go just because you wanted to go.”

That stopped him. Remy’s eyes widened in surprise when Hank mentioned his father. He relaxed back in bed and let Hank examine him.


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Jean Luc saw Dr. McCoy waiting outside his son’s room and immeadiately assumed the worst had happened. “Ah, Mr. LeBeau, I trust you had an ejoyable afternoon. I have some good news for you. While you were away, your son has regained consciousness,” Hank smiled.

The older LeBeau pushed past him, followed closely by his other son and nephew. He went in and saw Remy sitting up in bed eating toast and drinking a glass of orange juice. Next to him was Stevie, ready if he needed help. Remy looked up from the first food he’d had in over three weeks and saw his father. “Papa,” he smiled.

Jean Luc went over to his adopted son and embraced him tightly. "Remy, you dis ol' man very happy," he sobbed holding him as Henri and Lapin sat down.

Stevie knew when her presence wasn’t required and went outside by Hank.

“Well?” he asked after she’d closed the door.

“That, Hank, is a deep subject,” she grinned.

“Stephen, please do not take everything I saw so literally, I am not Scott,” he said. “Having you here is almost like having a female version of Iceman following me around. I meant, how is Remy holding the food down?”

“Well, you see there’s this . . .,” she began.

Hank gave her a stern look.

“He seems fine except for the fact that he wasn’t happy with the menu choices,” she replied.

“What did he want?” Hank asked.

“You should ask what didn't he want. You’d get a shorter list,” she smiled.