As soon as the lab doors came closed, Gambit let the smile on his face disappear.  It took him a few moments to gather his wits.  Twins? ...... Two of everyt'ing, he thought as he slowly turned toward the back hallway.  Remy made himself  walk to the elevator doors that were located in the middle of the house.

Several things  came forward in his mind, but  foremost and more important than anything was the fact that Rogue was carrying, not just his 'child', but his children.  "My fam'ly."  Two of dem and didn't Hank say somet'in 'bout dem being identical?  Never had he ever allowed himself to even hope that anything like this would happen.  But now all that had changed thanks to Henry's bracelet.  "Dat lit'le t'ing change all de rules."  He said to himself as he nervously raked his fingers through his bangs.

He had to admit that he was indeed happy with the prospect of being a father.  There was one factor that kept him from being down right overjoyed.  Wha' gonna be de cost?  "Even dough dis is wha' Gambit wan', not'in more important den Rogue com'in t'rough dis unharmed ... Not'in!"

He was overcome with guilt and anger for yet another set back life had dealt him.  "She gonna have ta stop wit' de bracelet.  I can' be near her until after de babies are born."  Dear Saints!  Why my happiness and love always seem ta gotta come wit' a price?  "Elevator!"  He grated.

Instantly the voice command system brought the compartment down to where he was standing.  The doors automatically opened to let him inside.  "Destination?"  The voice controls asked.

"Danger Room!  Now!"

"Sit down Rogue."

Rogue stared down at the wheel chair that Hank McCoy held in front of him.  "Ah'm not a baby Hank.  Ah can walk ta mah room."  She insisted.

Hank penned her with his stare.  "Do I really need to go over with you again the severity of your condition?  Do you not know what the term 'complete bed rest' encompasses?  Or would you rather I tell Remy how disagreeable you have been?"

Lord, Ah don't wanna hear all that again and Ah certainly don't want a lecture from Remy.  She put a hand up to stay him from any further explanations or threats.  Turning her back to him, she flopped down into the wheel chair.  "All raht.  All raht!  Ah get the message."  She frowned, folding her arms in front of her in a huff.

"That's better,"  Hank smiled covertly behind her as he turned her toward the door.  He bend down slightly to the right to push the 'open' button.  The doors pulled back in front of her.  "Here we go," he said as he pushed her out into the hallway.

Rogue had never sat in a wheel chair.  She found the ride was strangely comfortable.  She looked all around her as they passed one room after the other.  Ah 'jis hope no one sees me in this thing.  She pulled her bottom lip to the right as she let out a long breath of air in its opening.  Ah'm sah'pose tah be the strongest X-Men.  It feels strange for me tah be sickly.

Hank pushed her down the corridor to the elevator behind the main stairwell.  "Elevator."  Immediately the directional arrow lit up.  They both waited patiently as it arrived to received them.

The doors opened.  Hank turned Rogue around as he backed up inside the compartment.  As soon as they were inside the controls said, "Destination?"

"Second Floor Dormitory."

The doors closed then swiftly carried them up.  Once there, the doors opened for them to leave.

Hank turned her around toward the back as he pulled her out into the hall.  So far, so good, she thought.

"Hank!"

Rogue sunk down in the chair at hearing Bobby's voice.  Ah Shoot!  Not him!

"Excellent timing Bobby.  Can you see Rogue to hers and Gambit's room for me?  I would do it, but it is imperative that I get back downstairs to finish my diagnosis."

"Sure,"  he stepped up next to Hank.  "Where's Remy?"  He looked around.

"He's down in the Danger Room with Scott."

"Oh yeah, that's right."  He bend down then to the side, "Hello Rogue."

"Eve'nin Iceman."  She said as she turned her head away from he questioning stare.

Bobby straightened then gave Hank a puzzled look.  "You lucky you caught me, I was just on my way out."

"Well, I can see her the rest of the way if it's going to put you out?"

"Nonsense.  I was just going to go down to the pool for a while with the others.  That can wait."

"So, everyone's taking a dip?"

"Most everyone, except for Joseph and Logan.  They went into town.  Wolverine kept talking about teaching Joe how to 'hang'.

"Oh Dear."  Henry had been with Logan on one of his 'hang' escapades, so he knew what Joseph was in for.  "My, I hope he fairs much better than I did."

Bobby started to chuckle.  "That's right.  I remember you were so sick the next morning, that you could not get up out of the bed."  Hank joined in laughing with him.  "Did you ever figure out where the lipstick and that bikini top came from?"  They both laughed.

Hank was about to answer Bobby when Rogue interrupted.  *Ahem*, *ahem*   "Can yah'll not catch up on the comin's and goin's of the assorted X-Men, not tah mention adolescent high-jenks some other time?   Ah'd like tah go tah mah room."

Hank wiped the water from his eyes as he patted Rogue on her shoulder.  "Now Rogue, you be a good girl and I'll be back to see you and Remy around nine tonight."  He started to walk away from the two.  "Oh, I almost forgot ..."  He came back to where Rogue was sitting.  "... the bracelet please."  He held out one hand.

Rogue rolled back her uniform's sleeve.  She unhooked the double locking clamps then carefully handed it to Beast.  She felt as if she was losing a friend.  That bracelet had given her so much.  It was almost disheartening that it could also be the very thing to take it all away.

"Now Rogue, all of this is necessary.  I'll make the adjustment you asked about before I bring it back up to you."

She let out a short whimpering sigh, "All raht Hank."

He smiled as he started to move away from her again.  "Now Bobby.  Make sure she stays off her feet!  He called out.

"O.K. Hank!"  He waved back at the lumbering blue figure that was now further down the hall.  He came down on his haunches beside Rogue.  "Well?"

She squinted at him, "Well What?"  She snapped back.

Whew!  She's mean.  The rumors must be true.  "Never mind ..."  He stood up from the floor, coming around to the back of the chair.  "... I already know."

"Is that a fact?"

Bobby waited until he'd opened the door and was pushing her inside before he answered her back.  "Yes.  You've always have been cranky, but you are down right nasty now.  Must be all those changing hormones."  He joked as he pushed the chair up beside the bed.

Rogue balled her mouth up at him. So now Ah'm the latest gossip around the mansion?  The thought infuriated her.   Ah'm gonna wipe that smirk off his face.   "Since yah'll know so blame much, did yah know Ah'm expecting twins and could miscarry them at any time?"

The smile quickly left his face when he notice that she was serious.  Bobby's mouth fell open in total  surprise.  "Oh ... No ... I'm so sorry Rogue."

"Danger Room!! Access Gambit Zero Gamma!!"  He bit out.

"Access Confirmed.  Gambit, Enter when ready."  The computer voice told him.

Gambit stepped in front of the door.  "Open!"

The doors opened up to allow him entry.  He stood motionless as the doors behind him closed and the inside lights began to shift and change color.  He narrowed his eyes as the holographic prism camouflaged the room to look like the French Quarter of New Orleans after dark.  Almost immediately the program he'd designed took shape around him.

His first opponent was in site.  Gambit flexed his wrist slightly, triggering the release mechanism that held one of the deck of cards he always carried.  Three cards fell down into the palm of his left hand.  He turned his head slightly as the opposing figure darted in and out of each alley, coming toward him steadily.  He let his upper lip curl on one corner of his mouth.  His eyes glowed red with anticipation.  "I figure it all out by de time I t'rough."  He groused to himself.

Gambit threw the cards in a singular succession.  All three screamed as they sailed toward the drone.  The first took the robot's head off.  Another one cut off an arm and the last embedded itself into the chest cavity, exploding the drone into a million pieces.  "Bang!! Ya dead!"

Scott watched from the viewing window above as Gambit ran through each level of his customized program. He noticed that each time Gambit called out the levels, he'd increase the danger level too.

By the time he'd reached level four, the 'Omega' level, Gambit stood bend over in the middle of the Danger Room's floor.  He was surrounded by several blown apart and decapitated drones.  Sweat poured from underneath his cowl down into his uniform.  His hands were braced on his knees as he tried to catch his breath.

"Remy, maybe you should stop for now.  You have already surpassed your best score!"  Scott called from above.

He cocked his head up slightly, then stood all the way up.  "Non!!"  He grated.  "Danger Room!! Access Gambit Zero Omega!!"

Scott frowned as he watched the room shift around Remy.  "What's he trying to do?"  He asked himself.  "He acts as if he's trying to work off something."

On every corner, on every balcony, and from every ally, Gambit was attacked by holographic thugs that resemble the members of the Assassin's Guild.  He flipped, dove and somersaulted his way through them all.  He tossed kinetically charged cards, exploding them to pieces.  Others he'd tap with his finger, causing them to explode as he moved on.

Remy knew his adrenaline was pumping.  It always did whenever he was angry enough  and the situation with Rogue made him madder than Hell.

Why hadn't we t'ought 'bout de possibility?  He flipped through the air, knees tucked, touching a drone on the way.  He landed far enough away from the exploding shrapnel.  I wan' lose her or my babies! ... I can't!  He thought as he let a dozen or more cards fly in front of him, clearing his path.  They screamed and sailed with the kinetic fire he had given them.  Each one found their target, then exploded on impact.

"Danger Room!! Access Gambit Zero Omega Tango!!"  Gambit called out.

Scott let his eyes fall down to look at the controls, What?  That last command has disengaged the fail-safes.  He had seen enough.  Slamming his fist down on the manual over ride, he shut the program off.  "Would you mind telling me what do you think you are doing?"  He yelled down to Gambit.

The room realigned and changed around Remy with Scott's cancellation of the program.  "I not through!!  Cut it back on!!"  He yelled back.

Scott shook his head, No.  "Not until you come up here and tell me why you are trying to kill yourself!

Scott saw that he was still trying to catch his breath, so he waited.  Something is bothering him and its bothering him bad.  "Remy, would you mind telling me what is going on?"

Gambit let his elbow come to rest on the arm of his chair.  His supported his head by the index finger he pushed against his temple.  He kept his gaze down at the floor.

"Remy, how's Rogue?"

Gambit leaned to the other side of his chair.  A frown creased his brow as he thought of what to say.  "Ya might as well hear it from me Cyclops.  Rogie pregnant ... Chere pregnant wit' twins."

Scott's mouth fell open.  He's got to be kidding.  "Did you say ...... twins?"

"Oui."

"Well Remy, that is great.  Congratulations."  He nodded to the other man.  I wonder what will this mean to the team?  He thought absently.

Remy took one look at his face and instantly knew what he was thinking.  "Yeah, she off de team."

Scott blushed.  "How did you know ... never mind that was a dumb."  He pressed his mouth in a thin line of embarrassment.  "How is she doing?"

"Honestly, Cyclops, I don' know.  Dis not de best t'ing could happ'en wit' her wearing dat bracelet and all."

"You mean she is sick with the pregnancy?"

"Oui."  Gambit nodded his head up and down slowly.

"I'm sorry to hear it.  Is there anything I can do?  Is there anything the team can do?  Do you need to go see about her?"

Gambit shook his head, No.  "Non, not raht now.  Hank's wit' her.  Ya got de team and all de missions ta see 'bout.  Dis up ta me.  So I'd appreciate it if ya would let me be wit' her as much as possible over de next five or six months?"

"Sure Remy, anything."  He studied the weary man.  "Remy, you can't do this all on your own ... let us help?"

Gambit thought about what Scott was saying.  Ya know he might be raht 'bout dat.  "T'anks Homme.  I'm much o'bliged.  Might hav'ta take ya up on dat.  Hank said it might would take a team effort.  So, if ya could inform de rest, I'd appreciate it."

Scott sat back in his seat, "Remy ... is it that bad?"

Gambit let out a long breath, "Yeah ...... it dat bad." 

She waved her dismissing hand at him to stay where he was.  "Ah can make it tah mah bed by mah'self!"

"But Hank said that you are to stay off your feet?"

She braced her hands on the arms of the chair as she stood, then took the couple of paces that brought her to the bed.  Bobby pulled the chair out of her way as she sat down on the corner of the bed.  "See, Ah'm off."  She held the palms of her hands out next to her shoulders in a 'tah dah' gesture.

Bobby frowned as he came around the wheel chair in front of her.  Might as well keep her company.  He sort of laughed to himself.  I better because knowing her, she'll be cleaning the room or doing something else she's got no business, if I left.  "Rogue, what happened?"

She thought that, that was a broad question.  "What are yah talking 'bout?"

"You know, between me and you.  We use to be such good friends."

"Correction, yah wanted me tah be your girlfriend."

Bobby lowered his head as he remembered her thwarting his attempts to get closer to her.  He shook his head slowly up and down.  "Yeah ... I did.  True enough, but when Lebeau came on the picture ..."

"... I forgot all 'bout yah.  At least that's what yah think."

"Well isn't that is what happen?"

Rogue smiled slightly.  "Nah Sugah.  Ah've ne'vah forgotten yah.  It's 'jis that Remy was a little dangerous raht when Ah needed some danger in mah life."  She cocked her head to one side to study him.  "We're still friends."

"Good."  He stated.  "Then there is no harm in one friend helping another ... is there?"

She shyly dropped her head.  "No, there isn't and thank yah."  She smiled back.

Part Sixteen
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