The Cold Hearted Truth
Chapter Fifteen
Kaleidopy 

Rogue lends over the balcony railing waiting patiently. She glances at her watch again for the third time in less than ten minutes. Sighing she watches the night sky.

Remy comes up behind and joins her on the balcony.

" Ya look tired, Sugah," Rogue reaches up and touches the side of his face with her glove hand. " We could wait and talk later if ya want."

" Non, we need t' clear de air," He stares out towards the mansion grounds, not looking at her. Remy was about to say something when two of Rogue's fingers touch his lips.

" Remy, Ah know it was you that was inside mah head making me leave ya, Ah didn't know it at th' time," Rogue begins without giving Remy a chance to say anything. " But Ah know Ah shoulda told th' others what happened and Ah didn't, for that ah'm truly sorry,"

Remy continues to stare out into the darkness. He takes a deep breath and turns back to Rogue. " Y' wan' t' know what really happened Rogue?" He watches as she bites her lower lip, before she shakes her head. " Essex used mind control on all de X-men at dat trail not just y'. Essex told me downstairs dat he planned de whole t'ing." Remy turns away unable to look her in the face as he continues after hearing her gasp. " Rogue, y' don' know what it's like t' t'ink your friends left y' t' die an' den learn dat it was all a lie. I feel like a fool."

" Remy, Ah left ya ta die with no way ta get out of there," Rogue argues back at him. She doesn't know if she is angry at Gambit for excusing her or if she is angry that he is blaming himself again for something that was not his fault." Don't ya dare try ta take th' guilt when Ah'm th' guilty one. Ah nevah told anybody where ya were, even after Sinister was outta mah mind." She sees that he was about to protest, " Well looks like we gonna do this th' hard way." She suddenly grabs him and takes off in the air.

" Rogue, dis not de way t' settle dis," Remy for once in his life was not about to continue an argument with Rogue, not while she was carrying him in her arms several hundred feet in the air. " Where we goin'?"

" A little place Ah know," Rogue flies over New York City looking for a certain landmark. " Ya warm enough Remy, cause we gonna be out here for awhile." She hovers over the top of the Empire State Building making sure that nobody was around before she soars downward, and both her and Remy are on their feet again. " Ah wanna get this matter settle between us here and now, Remy. And we ain't leaving until we do." She tells him. " Ah'm tired of me running from mah problems and Ah'm tired of you thinking ya th' reason there's evil in th' world." Rogue places her hands on her hips and eyes him. " Are we gonna talk about this or do we just gonna stand up here and wait for th' professor ta grow hair?"

" Y' win, cher." Gambit makes the motion like he is surrendering. " Mebbe it's time we talk for a change instead of yellin' at each ot'er like we normally do."

The two talk for almost thirty minutes totally forgetting that neither had told the X-men where they were, not that they cared anyway. Rogue manages to wrap her arm around Remy's waist before the communicator on her wrist begins to beep. Rogue gives a angry sigh before speaking into it. " Rogue, here what ya want, Ah'm kinda busy."

" Rogue, I want you and Remy to get back at the mansion, NOW!" Scott's voice angrily comes through the communicator. " We just fought off an attack from Sinister and you two are out doing God knows what."

" What's th' matter, Sugah, jealous?" Rogue glares into the communicator, while Remy burst out laughing.

" Five minutes Rogue or I will send Storm and Wolverine after you, Scott out."

" Remind me to pop in on him and Jean late one night, will ya." Rogue starts laughing as she picks up Gambit and heads back to the mansion. " Ah know Ah should try ta control mah temper but Ah swear Scott knows how ta push mah buttons."

" Y' hungry?" Remy asks her with one of his famous devious smiles. " Since we already here in de big city, let's y' an' me get us somethin' t' eat on de way home."

" Ah wanna hot dog, Remy." Rogue starts laughing as the two float downward and land on the side walk. In the darkness, nobody pays much attention to the two young mutants walking among them.

They walk towards the vendor. " Ah want two, how many ya want?" Rogue suddenly stops. " Uh, Remy Ah don't have any money on me."

" Who needs money?" Remy pulls her close and starts whispering in her ear.

" Oh no, Ah'm not gonna do it, Remy!" Rogue protests loud enough that several people stop and look at the two. Angry at her own outburst, she yells. " Well, what are ya'll lookin' at?"

People quickly carry on their business, Rogue watches as several give her a dirty look in which she returns the favor. Remy dodges into the shadows of the building, " Rogue, go on, y' can do dis."

" If Scott finds out about this, he is gonna kill ya and that's not counting what Ah'm gonna do ta ya if Ah get caught doing it" Rogue glares at him. " Y' sure about this, Remy."

" Chere, trust Remy on dis," Gambit whispers to her trying to convince Rogue of his plan. " Y' do as I say an' de man will be eatin' out of yer hand."

" Ya must think he's a low life. Ah don't like those types." Rogue stares at the hot dog vendor, who was making wolf whistles and cat calls at every female walking by him. She feels her temper rising. " Th' pig, Ah think Ah'm gonna go over there and put that jerk in his place." Rogue starts brushing her fingers through her hair and walks up to the vendor. " Hiya doin' tonight, Sugah?"

"Hello beautiful." The man begins to grope the female X-men with his eyes. His tongue is almost hanging out of his mouth while Rogue continues to sweet talk him. Unknown to the man, Remy swipes three hot dogs and a bag of doughnuts behind his back. He catches Rogue's attention, nods his head and backs away into the shadows. The man smiles slightly as he fixes a hot dog and gives it to Rogue. " No charge doll, just say ya owe me, say sometime later tonight you and me go some place dark and cosy."

" And what do ya have in mind, huh?" Rogue continues to tease him as she takes the hot dog out of his hand. She flashes her green eyes at him. It was then that Rogue notices the ring on the man's finger. " Hey, what's th' matter with ya, yer married, ya creep!"

" What the little woman doesn't know will not hurt her."The man starts laughing as he gets closer to her. Rogue tries to back away slowly but he tries to pin her between him and the cart. He is totally occupied with the beautiful southern woman that he doesn't notice his wallet being lifted.

" Ya're a dirty dawg, Ah can't believe ya do this sorta thing when ya married." Rogue taps his face with the palm of her gloved hand before she gives him a harsh shove. " Ya best keep ya hands ta yourself, sugah or Ah'll yank them off myself and slap yer face with them."

" Yeah, you do that babe. I love it when they get rough." He laughs as he watches her walk towards Gambit, he notices the hot dogs in Remy's hand. " Hey kid, what you think you're doing?"

" What's it look like, mon ami?" Remy looks at the man as if he is an idiot. Rogue suddenly grabs him and both take off into the night sky.

" Damn muties!" The man screams after them.

" Shoulda known th' slob was a bigot. Almost wished Ah'd slapped his face instead of tappin' it." Rogue suddenly glares at Gambit. " And if ya ever try ta involved me in on another one of ya stupid schemes Remy, Ah'm gonna drop kick ya over th' mansion, ya got that?"

" Come on Rogue, it wasn' that bad, Gambit woulda been dere t' help, but y' handled it just fine." Remy holds a hot dog up to Rogue's mouth as a peace offering.

" Next time Sugah, Ah'll stand in th' shadows and watch as th' next man hits on ya." Rogue starts laughing as she watches the horrified look on Gambit's face. " Awh come on Remy, it won't be that bad, Ah'll be there ta help ya if th' man gets outta line. Ah won't let him take advantage of your virture."

" Y' play dirty, Rogue." Remy fumes as he continues to hold the food up to Rogue.

" Turnabout is fair play." Rogue takes a bite out of the hot dog. " This is good, wished Ah had brought some money, we could get some more."

" Mebbe dat man give us his money, huh?" Remy pulls out a wallet and opens it. " Gambit knew dat he was right 'bout dat man, he no street corner vendor." Gambit pulls out several hundred dollar bills and shows Rogue. " He sellin' somethin' more dan hot dogs, non."

" Whatcha gonna do with that money?" Rogue asks even though she knows what the answer is going to be. She only shakes her head as she watches Remy count the money. " How much ya got?"

" Almost a t'ousand dollars." Gambit announces proudly.

" T..T.. thousand dollars, Remy we can't keep that kinda money."

" We can', but Gambit can." Remy puts the money in his pocket and tosses the wallet over his shoulder, but not before he takes out several of the credit cards. Reading the names off on all the different cards, he laughs. " John Smith, Jim Smith, J. Smith, still t'ink he on de up an' up, Rogue?"

Taking a deep sigh, Rogue stops in mid air to figure what direction to go next. " Well Ah just hope nobody finds out about this or you and Ah both will be gettin' th' longest lecture in X-men history, not ta mention some other stuff that Ah dare not even think about."

" De famous, X-men don' steal Gambit, don' force me t' put y' on probation, Gambit."Remy starts laughing. " Tell y' what Rogue, let's go tell my father dat his son is a t'ief, Gambit don' t'ink he would care, do y'?"

Rogue starts laughing herself as the mansion comes into view. " Ah don' know why Ah put up with ya, Remy."