Hanging By A Moment

Hanging By A Moment
Chapter 23: A New Day

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After that one fateful night where Scott Summers and Jean Grey finally found love after denying and rejecting it for so long, the sun rose to a brighter day. It was a marvelous feeling…Waking up in the arms of a loved one after having found something so profound and meaningful. The rest of the weekend was theirs and theirs alone. It would be a time of reflection and discovery for the both of them as they decided to simply spend the next few days together, enjoying this wondrous new feeling of having true love in their lives.

For the next two days, they didn’t leave Jean’s apartment. This was their time…This was their moment together. Being in love in such a profound manner was an alien feeling to the both of them, but it was one they relished and embraced as they took this one amazing weekend to allow their minds and hearts to take in the full meaning of this amazing and wondrous new development.

In many ways, it was like a vacation without leaving home. They slept late into the morning, talking and reminiscing about how they had gotten to this momentous point and how things would change now. Scott cooked Jean special lunches and dinners in celebration for this new beginning, pulling out all the stops to make it special and meaningful…With the help from many of the skills his foster mother taught him that is.

It was a happy, joyous time in both their lives. The sun seemed to shine brighter, world seemed to run better, and an aura of great happiness surrounded the both of them as they took this special time together to establish that which they should have much sooner. They talked, laughed, enjoyed simple activities like movies and books together to melt the hours away as if they were nothing. It was their way of settling into this new facet of their relationship, taking to slow in order to allow themselves to process this profound new sense of closeness.

In addition to simply settling into this new world of love and euphoria, Scott and Jean also took this time together to make love many more times. Quickly, they found that what they had done last night could permeate into so many other aspects of sex. Whether it was for passion, stress, pleasure, desire, or just a good fuck…This new feeling of love and closeness seemed to work it’s way into all areas of it, making it feel deeper, more meaningful, and most certainly better than before. They had attained a level of intimacy together that could not be experienced with anybody else and they had come to feel the power of that special bond between them through all areas of sex, love, and communication.

During this time, Scott and Jean also worked to establish a new sense of communication with each other now that they were in this powerful, profound state together. At first, much of it was meant to help close the gaps that had formed during the time after Thanksgiving when they were both still trying to make sense out of their feelings for one another, but after they got through the initial parts, it quickly melded into an easier flow of words and understanding that seemed to closely resemble friendship as well as love…But then again, that’s kind of how their relationship had always been…Best friends, but now they just happened to be deeply in love.

The weekend passed by quickly for the both of them much to their dismay. Time lost all meaning to them as it all seemed to mesh into a single profound moment. But as quickly as it went by, it did not take away from its power. They both knew they would always remember this no matter what happened from this point onward. Starting that on that one fateful night when they first made love…It signified the beginning of something so much more meaningful and now that it was established, both Scott Summers and Jean Grey knew it was now a part of their heart and soul.

It was late Sunday night when Scott was set to leave, but it wasn’t as sad as either of them had thought, for they knew this time would come. And it wasn’t like either of them was going far, but it still held a deep significance to the both of them because it would signify the end of such a profound moment and the true beginning of this new life of love and closeness.

They made love one last time after dinner before Scott got dressed and prepared to leave. It was a nice, tender gesture of assurance to the both of them, knowing that this was just the beginning of something so much more profound and meaningful for the both of them. Jean was only in a pair of sleeping shorts and a tank top as they stood by the door in one last loving embrace before Scott returned to his apartment.

“This was truly a wonderful weekend Scott…” said Jean as she smiled warmly at her lover, “I can’t tell you how amazing it’s been.”

“I know…” said Scott as he smiled back, gently stroking her red, fiery hair, “This was a weekend to remember…And I don’t think I’ll forget it anytime soon.”

“Yeah…Me neither,” said Jean as the gap between their faces began to close.

Then, Scott Summers and Jean Grey met in one last tender, passionate kiss that seemed to cap off this wonderful moment in all it’s splendor. There was no doubt in Scott’s mind that this girl was the one…She was the woman he was destined to be with now and forever. This whole weekend had proved to him that what his foster parents had told him was right…It really does only take a single moment for one’s world to change so profoundly and so deeply.

Jean still found it hard to believe that she had found him…She had found her true love. It was not like something out of a fairy tale…It was not like something out of fantasy…It was real…Real honest love. This was her friend…Her lover…Her true love. And now that she had come to realize it…All she wanted to do is cherish it and all it’s wonder.

“I love you…My big, sexy soldier boy,” said Jean as they finally parted.

“I love you too…My angel,” said Scott as he left the apartment with a joyous feeling all throughout his being, eager to tell his family about everything that had happened.

That night, the bed was somewhat colder without Scott there to keep her warm, but for Jean Grey…A smile never left her face as she drifted off into a peaceful sleep, looking forward to this new part of her relationship with Scott and relishing in the new feeling of warmth and contentment of having found her soul mate.

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“I’m sorry…Could you say that again, Jean?” said a bewildered and shocked Betsy Braddock as she, Wanda, Kitty, and Rogue sat with Jean at one of their popular hangouts in one of the school buildings where they all had classes of some kind or another.

“I said…I’m in love…” reiterated Jean with a smile, taking in the flabbergasted looks she was getting from her four closest girlfriends, “Over the weekend…Scott and I finally worked some things out that had been building for a long time. And through this…We both found love.”

“Wait…Found love?” said Rogue, neither getting nor believing in what she was hearing after having spoken to Jean when she was in such a stupor a mere three days ago.

“Yes…It was always there, but we never admitted it,” said Jean, a smile never leaving her face, “It was…Scary, to say the least. I mean…I didn’t think he felt the same way and he didn’t think I felt the same way. But we finally stopped kidding ourselves. I told Scott that I loved him…And he said he loved me back. So now, we’re in love…It’s that simple.”

For the four girls that knew Jean Grey so well, this was something they’d never thought they’d hear her say in a million years. This was Jean…The kind, independent, fun loving, free spirited girl that would flirt her way into the pants of strangers and never let anything or anybody hold her back. Now she was actually saying she was in love with somebody…She was going back on all her old philosophies in life about men, relationships, and love. It was just too much for either of them to handle.

“Simple?!” exclaimed Betsy, sounding somewhat crazed by what she was hearing, “You call that simple?!”

“Like, calm down Betsy,” said Kitty, thinking she was just overreacting, “I think it’s, like, so sweet! You and Scott are just so perfect together!”

“Yeah, I have to say Jean…Although I never thought I would…You and Scott seem pretty much made for each other,” said Wanda in agreement, glad to see that her friend was finally going to stop kidding herself since even she had seen it all too clearly from day one.

“Yeah…I only wish I had seen it sooner. It could have saved me a whole lot of stress,” mused Jean, “But I don’t want to worry about that now…All that matters is that I have found the one…I found the man for me…I found my soul mate.”

This seemed to send Betsy over the edge, who looked as though she was about to have an seizure with whatever it was that was going through her mind as she struggled to process what she was hearing from her long-time friend.

“Soul mate?!” she exclaimed, “Now he’s your bloody soul mate?! Jean, are you listening to yourself?! Do you honestly have a fucking clue what it is you’re saying?!”

“Yes Betsy…I know,” said Jean with an affirmative grin, “Scott Summers is my soul mate…He is the man I love.”

“But you don’t believe in love!” she retorted, unable to process that Jean was saying such things, “I’ve heard you say it more times than I care to keep track of!”

“I know…I know,” conceded Jean, “But…Whether I believe it or not doesn’t make it any less real or unreal. I guess…Love just came to me when I expected it the least in the form a sweet, kind, truly wonderful man that I’m proud to say is my friend, lover, and soul mate.”

Elizabeth Braddock was at a loss for words. She had known Jean the longest out of anybody. She knew her way back when she was 15 before she even came to grasp the concept of love, less alone believe in it. Now, she was telling her something that just seemed completely contradictory to the woman she had known for so long. Jean Grey was not a woman who fell in love…She was not a woman to use the words ‘soul mate’ and ‘the one.’ It sent the purple haired woman’s mind reeling from shock and disbelief while the rest of Jean’s long time friends seemed to process it with far greater ease.

“Jean…Are you, like, sure of this?” asked Kitty, sounding very serious, knowing this was not something to take lightly…Especially when it concerned something this major.

“Yes Kitty…I’m sure,” affirmed Jean with a smile, “I’ve never been surer of anything in my life.”

“Oh bloody hell!” scoffed Betsy as she got up from her seat and looked Jean in the eye, trying to see past the glowing sparkle that seemed to radiate from her in her current mood, “Jean, I can honestly say you’ve gone fucking crazy…Really honest to God crazy.”

“Oh come on Betsy,” said Jean with a laugh, not knowing just how serious Betsy was being, “I thought you of all people would be happy for me. I mean, I found the one…I found the man I want to be with. You’re the one who’s always been so critical of what it is I have with Scott because neither of us has ever been clear about it. And now…I finally know.”

This only seemed to frustrate Betsy more, but her behavior was getting to the point where it was almost humorous for the three other girls, some of whom were trying very hard not to laugh. But Betsy Braddock wasn’t done yet.

“Jean…What in the bloody hell is wrong with you? Did you get high and fuck up parts of your brain? Namely the logic part?” she spat, feeling beyond frustrated at this point, “Four months ago you would have laughed your ass off at anything even remotely related to what you’re saying now!”

“Well four months is quite a while last time I checked Betsy,” quipped Jean, “I know it’s somewhat of a radical shift…But it’s one that I can safely say that I’m sure of. Things happen…Views change…People change. And after all the time I’ve spent with Scott, my world has changed…And I have changed.”

A mixture of anger and frustration fell upon Betsy’s face as she ran out of words to criticize with. Whatever it was that had happened to Jean…It left quite a mark and no amount of criticism from her or anybody else was going to change that. It left the purple haired woman with a sense of aggravation the likes of which she never had before and the more she saw that amorous, lovesick look on Jean’s face, the more frustrated she felt.

“Oh to hell with you!” she finally said as she stormed off out of the building and into the cold December air, for she had just about had enough.

This abrupt action of hers shocked even those who were nearly laughing at her reaction, but it was most concerning to Jean since she had no idea Betsy would react like that. She had known her for so long and never once did she get this angry over something like this. Sure she was a cynical woman and overly critical at certain things, but in this instance Jean thought she would honestly feel happy for her. It was somewhat of a disappointment and a very disconcerting for her since Betsy was still her one of her closest friends.

For the others, however, they simply chalked that up to Betsy’s ever so complicated nature. They knew full well that when something annoyed her, even the brightest minds on the face of the planet would have trouble trying to understand it.

“Yeesh, what’s her problem?” said Wanda, shaking her head at Betsy’s actions.

“I don’t know…Must be that time of month for her,” said Kitty, earning her somewhat of a snicker from the others.

“She really seemed messed up about it…” said Jean, taking it a bit more seriously than her friends, “Why would she get so worked up about something like this?”

“Ah who knows…But try not to worry too much about it,” assured Rogue, “Keep in mind, this is Betsy we’re talkin’ about here, sugah.”

“Yeah…I know,” said Jean, letting out a deep sigh, “Maybe I should call her later on and talk to her.”

“For Betsy? Naw, just give her a little time,” said Rogue, “I’m sure she’ll come around.”

“Yeah…I hope so,” said Jean, although she had a feeling it may be a while given Betsy’s innate stubbornness.

Jean didn’t want Betsy to feel this flustered about her and Scott. She was still her friend and she wanted her to be happy with this new stage in her life. She now had the man of her dreams and the solid, strong, loving relationship that she once doubted could even exist and she didn’t want that to come into conflict with her friend.

“Hey, don’t worry about it Jean, you know Betsy’s a complicated woman,” said Wanda, not wanting Betsy’s actions to bring down the mood of this momentous moment for Jean, “We’re all happy for you and you should be happy too, so don’t let her shitty mood bring you down.”

“Yeah…You’re right,” said Jean, her smile returning to her face, “I’ll get in touch with her later once she has some time to digest this. Hell, it took a while for me to really process it myself.”

“But now you have!” chirped Kitty, once again feeling the gravity of the moment, “And all that matters now is that you and Scott are happy together.”

“Yeah…Thanks Kitty,” said Jean as she smiled at her friend.

While the mood seemed to permeate well for both Kitty and Wanda, this revelation had been somewhat more complicated for Rogue, who was still dealing with her own tumultuous love life. Things between her and Remy hadn’t changed, even after the incident with him last week after she had actually talked about it with Jean. While Jean had accepted and embraced her man as he came to her with his true feelings, she had pushed aside Remy when he had come running after her, begging her to talk to him. Now, upon hearing how happy things were now with Scott and Jean, Rogue was beginning to question whether or not she had made the right decision. And if it was indeed as wrong as she thought it was…She only wondered now if it was possible to unmake it.

“Well ladies, I guess we all better get rolling if we’re to stay on top for finals next week,” said Jean as she and the others got up, “So I guess this means I’ll catch you gals later?”

“Yeah, sure thing Jean!” said Kitty as she began walking off in the direction of the stairwell, “Maybe you, Scott, Peter, and I could double date for a movie or something?”

“Yeah, that sounds great!” said Jean as she waved goodbye, “What about you, Wanda? You and Kurt want to make it a triple date?”

“Maybe some other time,” said Wanda with a smile, thinking something like that might be fun, “Kurt and I already have plans to go to that new concert hall tonight.”

“Okay, that’s cool,” said Jean, knowing Wanda and Kurt tended to go on less traditional dates simply as a result of their own unique tastes, “I guess I’ll see you later then.”

“Yeah, take it easy, Jean. And congrats again on you and Scott!” said Wanda as she waved goodbye and headed off to her math class.

As Jean waved back and turned to exit the building to make her way to her biology class, Rogue stuck with her and decided to catch up.

“Jean wait! Ya got one more second, sugah?” she said, running back up to her friend’s side before she could exit the building.

“Yeah, sure,” said Jean as she checked her watch, “What is it?”

“Well…” began Rogue, sounding a bit more down as she remembered that fateful choice she made with Remy last Friday when she pushed him away, “Ya know how we were both so…Out of it on Friday?”

“Oh…Yeah, I remember,” said Jean, now feeling that the situation was more serious as she saw the look of distress in her friend’s eye, “Why? Did something happen?”

“Well…Kinda,” she answered cryptically, still not wanting to tell anybody the whole story, “I just…I think I made the exact opposite decision that you made with Scott.”

Jean wasn’t sure what Rogue was implying and part of her really wanted to pry and find out what it was that had been pestering her for so long now. If it was anything near as bad as what she was dealing with up until last Friday, she could only imagine how much it was eating her up inside. Coming to grips with her feelings for Scott had been nothing short of nerve racking, but she had survived it and now things were better than ever with this new stage in her relationship and her life. But for Rogue, whom Jean knew all too well was a woman of great mystery and ambiguity, it seemed equally, if not more so, heart wrenching than before.

“You took on your issues, sugah…” said Rogue, feeling somewhat envious of Jean for what she had now, “Me…I pushed them away. And now…It may be too late.”

“Hey, come on Rogue…” said Jean in a comforting tone, “It’s NEVER too late, you hear?”

“It may be for me…” said Rogue, not sounding at all confident, “I had so many chances…There were just so many times I could have…”

“Rogue…” said Jean upon hearing the heavy strain in her tone that she knew all too well, “I…Can’t tell how to handle your situation because you won’t even tell me what it is. But…If it’s anything like what I was facing, then I’m sure you can overcome it just like I did.”

“No…I can’t,” she said, swallowing the lump in her throat, “I can’t do what you did…I can never…”

“Rogue, stop it!” said Jean, as she grabbed both her shoulders and tried to shake her out of this state she was putting herself in, “Don’t do this to yourself…I know you way better. This is not you…You’re not this weak…”

Rogue began taking a few deep breaths, trying to keep herself in control of her emotions without breaking down like she so often did when she was alone.

“But…How do you do it? How do you…” she began, but was unable to finish.

“Rogue…I can’t tell because I’m not you,” said Jean, speaking all the more seriously as she looked at her friend’s dazed expression, “But…If you’re situation is anything like mine was…Just remember, it’s never too late. And I don’t know what else to tell you other than…Don’t hold back. Take whatever it is you’re dealing with…And don’t hold back anymore.”

Rogue thought about those words for a moment and the deep look of confusion and sorrow somewhat lifted as she considered what she meant by this. Don’t hold back…Was it really that simple? Was that mere aspect of her actions the key cause of all this turmoil between her and Remy? Was it just because she was holding back? Suddenly, Rogue felt she finally had something…She finally had a piece of whatever it was she was seeking and turned away from Jean and ran out the door, knowing she needed time to think on this.

“Don’t hold back…Jean, I got to go. I got to do some thinkin’. I’ll see ya later!” she said as she quickly ran out of sight, leaving a dazed and bewildered Jean Grey behind as she watched her friend disappear and head off on her own to handle something she should have long ago.

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Scott Summers bore a smile on his for pretty much the whole day after the fateful weekend he had spent with Jean. Immediately after he got home, he called his foster parents and sister to let them know that he finally told Jean…And they finally found love. Even though he called them late Sunday night, they were all ecstatic that it had gone every bit as well as they had hoped…Not that it surprised them given what they saw from those two during their visit on Thanksgiving. Now, all that remained to be seen was just how much their newfound love would evolve. There was so much room for possibility now that it was both scary and exciting. But as long as he and Jean kept up with what they had learned both present and past, he was confident that their future together was very bright.

As classed got back in session, Scott took the time to tell some of his friends about what happened. At first, Pietro somewhat laughed, but such a reaction from him wasn’t much of a surprise given his nature, but for Kurt and Piotr they were generally very happy for him and relieved that they had finally admitted it, for even they could see it from the way they acted around each other.

“Man I can’t believe you, Scott,” said Pietro as he sat outside one of the English building of the Xavier Academy along with Scott, Kurt, and Piotr where he had just heard the whole story from Scott about what happened over the weekend, “This academy has got to have some of the hottest collection of babes in the country and you’re settling on one woman.”

“Sorry Pietro,” said Scott, shaking his head with no remorse, “But Jean’s the only one I want now.”

“But dude! There are so many more hot chicks here to blow your mind!” exclaimed Pietro, still not believing it, “And you’re an ex-marine for crying out loud! Do you have any idea how many chicks would find that sexy? Now don’t get me wrong, Jean is fucking hot. She’s got awesome legs and one of the best racks on campus, but do you really want to just settle on one girl when there are so many other hot chicks out there who would do you in a second?”

“Trust me man…I’m sure,” affirmed Scott without hesitation, “I’ve never been surer of anything. I’ve been down that road before and I’ve had plenty of women to go around, but Jean’s the one…She’s the one I’m in love with now.”

“Hey, ve’re happy for you man,” said Kurt with enthusiasm, glad to see his friend so happy despite some of Pietro’s words, “You and Jean really go vell together and I always had a sneaking feeling you two vere going to be in it for the long haul.”

“Yes, I think you’d be hard pressed to find anybody who didn’t see that, comrade,” said Piotr with a grin, who was sketching a few things on his sketchpad at the now winter landscape of the Xavier Academy campus.

“Really? Were we that obvious?” asked Scott curiously, feeling somewhat strange now if so many people could see the connection between him and Jean when they were both still oblivious to it.

“Trust me Scott…You both vere,” said Kurt with a lighthearted laugh, “Anybody with eyes and a brain could see you two vere crazy for each other. Frankly, it vas getting a little annoying seeing you two all lovey dovey and never admitting it.”

“Damn…” said Scott, now wondering how he ever could have let himself be so ignorant about something that seemed so clear now, “I can’t believe I didn’t see it sooner.”

“Well as the saying goes my friend…Better late than never,” said Piotr as he finished up his sketch.

“I still think you’re nuts man,” scoffed Pietro, “You’d never catch a guy like me tied down to one woman in a million…”

Then suddenly, Pietro’s cell phone went off and he stopped in mid sentence as he pulled it out and answered.

“Hello…Crystal! Baby, talk to me!” he exclaimed with enthusiasm as he abruptly walked off down the street, waving goodbye to his friends as he once again found himself consumed in yet another conversation with the same girl that had been rocking his world for weeks now.

Scott, Kurt, and Piotr suppressed a laugh as they saw Pietro walk off with his attention now completely focused on Crystal. For all his ladies man philosophies, he sure wasn’t practicing what he preached when it came to women.

“Damn, I don’t know who that Crystal girl is…But she must really be something if she can keep a guy like Pietro that vhipped,” said Kurt, shaking his head in amusement.

“I wouldn’t doubt that, Kurt,” said Scott, finding it just as funny given how Pietro had been preaching to him against settling on one woman.

“How long do you think she’ll keep him on a leash?” wondered Kurt, knowing this was probably the longest Pietro had been with the same woman.

“Beats me…” shrugged Scott, “Who knows…He may end up staying with her indefinitely.”

“Pietro? With one woman indefinitely?” said Kurt skeptically.

“Hey…I once thought the same way my friend,” said Scott, “Believe me…Anything can happen in the span of a single moment.”

“Well you and Jean seem to be a testament to that, Scott,” said Piotr as he put his sketch pad back in his backpack.

“Amen to that!” proclaimed Scott proudly as he and Kurt picked up their backpacks and walked across the snow laden campus.

“So vhat do you guys vant to do for lunch?” asked Kurt.

“I don’t know,” said Piotr, “I’m kind of in the mood for a little pasta.”

“Well I don’t know if I’ll be able to sit down and eat with you guys this time,” said Scott, “I’ve got to get to my engineering class early and finish my final project. I’m really cutting it close with the due date.”

“Hey, it’s okay man,” assured Kurt, “I understand. In fact, maybe I should try and get going on my computer science project early so that I don’t…”

Just then, Kurt stopped in mid sentence and in stride as something caught his eye across the street. Curious, both Scott and Piotr stopped as they saw Kurt’s eyes locked on a certain figure tending to a motorcycle. The look on his face quickly fell to one of both distain and suspicion, for the figure at the motorcycle was none other than Remy Lebeau…The man he had suspected was closely involved with his sister and the way she had been behaving lately.

“Kurt…Hey Kurt, you alright?” said Scott, waving his hand in front of his face to get his attention.

“It’s him again…” he said in a distasteful tone of voice, “Remy…”

“Remy? You mean Remy Lebeau?” said Scott.

“Why? Do you know him?” asked Piotr as Kurt continued with his death gaze from a distance.

“Yeah, he’s in my engineering class,” said Scott, “He and I have worked together on a bunch of stuff over the year. He’s a pretty nice guy. I’ve had lunch with him a few times.”

“Vhat?! You mean to say you’re friends vith this guy and you didn’t tell me?!” exclaimed Kurt.

“Well…Yeah, but I don’t get a chance to hang out with him all that much because he’s got a tough schedule,” explained Scott, not seeing why he was getting so worked up about it since he always considered Remy to be a pretty cool guy, “Why? What’s so bad about Remy?”

“Dude!” exclaimed Kurt, getting all the more mortified by this revelation, “This is the guy who’s been looming around my sister like a fucking bug near a bug zapper! I’ve seen him hovering around her for months now and I’m beginning to think he may have something to do vith how she’s been acting lately.”

“Wait…He’s ‘looming’ around your sister?” asked Piotr as he watched the young Cajun wipe some of the snow and debris off his motorcycle from afar, “Are they dating or something?”

“Vhat? No!” said Kurt in response, “Of course they aren’t dating…Otherwise, I vould have known by now. Rogue hasn’t been on a date since last spring and she’s practically sworn off it since.”

“What makes you say that?” asked Scott, not knowing Rogue as well as he knew some of the other girls that he had met and befriended through Jean.

“Because I vas forced to listen to her yell and scream at how all she’s never going on a date ever again and if any guy asks her she’ll rip his balls off and shove them up his ass,” said Kurt, still feeling somewhat sore at the memory over how angry she got from that one unfortunate date with that guy who turned out to be a total stoner.

“Yikes…That sounds kind of…Extreme,” commented Piotr.

“It’s Rogue…Believe me, she’s capable of doing it,” said Kurt with a sigh, knowing his sister well enough to know that she was willing to carry out, “But that’s not vhat vorrries me…Vhat vorries me is vhatever it is this guy is doing to her.”

“Wow…Hold on man,” said Scott, thinking Kurt was going a little overboard when it came to his suspicions, “What do you think he could be doing to her?”

“That’s just it…I don’t know,” said Kurt with a frustrated grunt, “I’ve talked to Vanda, Jean, Betsy, and Kitty and they all seem to believe that she’s been involved vith him somehow.”

“Involved as in…Romantically?” asked Piotr.

“No…That I highly doubt,” said Kurt, knowing his sister wasn’t much a believer in romance, “I mean involved sexually.”

“Well…What’s wrong with that? I thought you told me Rogue has always had a way with guys,” said Scott.

“She has…” admitted Kurt, “But it’s not the sex part that bothers me…It’s vhatever it is he’s doing to her to make her act so vithdrawn and depressed. It’s been getting vorse and vorse ever since October and even our mother is starting to get worried.”

“Hey, whatever it is, I’m sure there’s a reason for it,” assured Scott as he tried to placate Kurt’s fowl mood towards the young Cajun still locked in his sights, “I know Remy pretty well and I can safely say that I don’t think he’s capable of hurting any woman…Have sex with them, yes…Hurt them, never.”

“I don’t know man…” said Kurt, still full of suspicion as he saw Remy finish up whatever adjustments he had been making on his motorcycle, started the engine, and rode off, “I still think he’s the one causing my sister so much grief…”

“Have you tried talking to him, Kurt?” asked Piotr, not knowing Remy well enough to make any kind of judgment of his own.

“Nein…If I do that, it may get ugly…Plus, if he is involved, Rogue vould never speak to me again,” he said in a defeated tone, “I know how protective she gets of her personal life and if anybody ever butted in, she’d go ballistic.”

“But you’re her brother man…” said Scott, seeing that Kurt was making a big deal out of this, “If something’s wrong with her, you should really talk to her.”

“You don’t know Rogue like I do mien friend…” said Kurt, shaking his head, “Vhenever she has a problem…You’d be hard pressed to find anybody more determined to solve it on their own than my sister. And vhatever her problem may be now…I have no doubts that she’ll just try to fix it on her own no matter what…”

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As Remy Lebeau rode his prized motorcycle down the streets of Bayville towards his apartment further downtown through the cold December wind, he let out an exhausted sigh. This had been a hell of a week for him and he was beyond tired at this point. Ever since that incident with Rogue last Friday where he desperately tried to pursue her and at least talk about what was happening with them only to be pushed away, he had found himself in quite a rut the likes of which he never felt before.

As a womanizer and a ladies man, Remy was no stranger to women…But in this instance, he wasn’t dealing with an ordinary woman…Not by a long shot. Rogue was in a class all her own in terms of personality, sensuality, and overall character. She was smart, sassy, and had a unique allure to her that no other woman had. She was the only one to ever match his wits, charisma, and sexual desires to the point where it was like a drug to him…One that offered a high nothing else could match.

For months since their first encounter early last summer, they had flirted and played with one another, making somewhat of a game of their escapades whether it was sexual or interpersonal. It was like a game with no end and so many unspoken rules that it was an experience in of itself just to be a part of it. But now, as things inexplicably began to devolve between them, it was beginning to take a toll on his heart and mind as Rogue pushed him away for reasons she would not talk to him about no matter how much he begged or how much he tried to be there for her.

As he pulled into the underground parking garage of his building, he felt like just going up to his apartment and collapsing onto his bed. However, he still had plenty of classes left, most of them work/study programs to help pay his college expenses since he didn’t have a lot of money.

As the son of a former thief and pickpocket from New Orleans, he didn’t have much inheritance or parental support to go on. He was trained to follow in his father’s footsteps, becoming a thief that would help the ever powerful crime rings of his hometown grow stronger…But he never truly wanted to walk that path. He knew where it led…Prison or a graveyard. And for that reason, he was determined to get an education and find a more honorable career. This was by no means easy, but he was determined to make it happen, so he pooled together all his earnings into one bank account, studied hard, and managed to just barely make into the Academy. But with the expensive life of a college student ever burdening him with excess fees, he was forced to do work/study programs to help pay the ever mounting costs.

Upon killing the motor of his bike and pulling off his helmet, sauntered through the garage towards the elevator. His apartment building was one of the less affluent places to live for the students who resided off campus at the Academy, but it was all he could afford. He made his way around the corner towards an area that had a few flimsy elevators…But as he made the final turn, he was met with a most unexpected face…Rogue.

“Cherè?” said Remy as he froze at the sight of her as she stood near the elevators, apparently waiting for him since she knew his schedule quite well now.

“Hey Remy…” she said in a low, monotone voice, “I was hopin’ I’d catch you.”

Not knowing what to say or do, Remy Lebeau’s mind quickly went blank as he remembered how they had so abruptly parted after their little ‘rendezvous’ last Friday. He had wanted to tell her so much…He had wanted to mend whatever it was that was causing her to act so distant and distraught…But she just kept pushing him away. So why was she doing this now? Was she just going to keep pushing him away time and time again no matter what?

“So…What do you want cherè? Are ya here for a quicky in between classes?” he asked, thinking that could probably be the only case given how she had been acting these past few weeks.

“That’s nice of ya, but…No, not this time,” she said as she took a step closer, causing Remy’s heart to skip a beat as he got a whiff of her sweet, southern scent, “I came here to talk…”

“Oh so now you wanna talk?” said Remy feeling a sensation in the pit of his stomach as he remembered how she had left him hanging time and time again, “After all de pleading, begging, and urging from Remy, ya want to talk now?”

Rogue was somewhat hurt by his tone, but after being reminded of what she had done to this man and how she had hurt him with her actions, she could hardly blame him. She swallowed hard, hoping not to choke on her own words as she looked back into his dark, Cajun eyes.

“Yes…I want to talk,” she said somewhat weakly as the strain in her voice grew, “Look, I know…That I haven’t been very fair to ya over these past few months.”

“Fair?” said Remy, stopping her train of thought as he felt an immediate sense of distaste upon hearing those words, “Is dat really de word ya wanna use?”

“Well, I’m sorry, but I…” however, Remy didn’t stop as he pressed harder.

“Sorry?! Rogue…I’ve been callin’ ya, talkin’ to ya, beggin’ ya…Tryin’ to keep things from falling apart…But all you do is push Remy away! No matter how much I try, dat’s all you do…You keep pushin’ me away as if you don’t even want what it is we have.”

“That’s not true!” she shot in response as tears formed in her eyes, “I don’t want things to fall apart! I don’t wanna push ya away Remy…Believe me, I don’t…”

“Well I hate to break it to ya Rogue…” he said in a low, distant tone, “But dat’s exactly what you’ve been doin’…”

Rogue swallowed the growing lump in her throat, feeling as though she couldn’t keep doing this as her legs began to feel weaker and her emotions threatened to explode from within her. She had come to make things better…Not worse. But it seemed as though the damage had been done…And no matter what she did, all she managed to do was make it worse.

“Remy…I’m sorry…I’m so sorry,” she said on the brink of tears.

Remy Lebeau didn’t give an immediate response, for it was too hard to look into her tear filled eyes and say what he wanted to say without causing more hurt for the both of them. Yet he still wanted to save this…He wanted to save what they had. But at this point, it seemed as though it was beyond repair.

“Cherè…” he said as he took a step closer, nearly losing his balance in the process as he reached up to touch her clammy cheek, “Just…Tell Remy what it is ya came to tell him…”

The beautiful southern born woman looked back into his eyes and nearly broke down right then and there. She had come to speak her peace with him…But she had no idea it would be this hard. Now all she was doing now was hurting him…She was hurting this man who had given such wonder, excitement, and joy to her life. He didn’t deserve this…She didn’t deserve his affection.

“I just…I came to tell ya that…I don’t wanna hurt you anymore Remy,” she said, her words thick with emotion, “And I swear…I swear that from this day forward…I’m never gonna hurt you again.”

Her words deeply touched the young Cajun as the look on his face suddenly shifted, but before he could even begin to formulate a response, Rogue took the initiative and captured his lips with hers, bringing them into a sweet, passionate kiss which they soon lost themselves in. It made much of the pain and worry fade briefly as they relished in the sweet taste and intoxicating scent of each others’ bodies. Rogue felt a hot warmth surge through her body, feeling a new desperate need to feel his skin against hers…Feeling a new desperate need for him to take her right then and there…But it was not to be.

Through sheer force of will, Rogue managed to end the kiss…Parting her lips from his as she slipped out of his warm embrace and walked away, leaving the young Cajun frozen in place at a loss for words, left with nothing more to hold onto than the sweet taste of her lips that still lingered.

“I’m sorry Remy…Goodbye.”

And with that…She was gone. But for Remy Lebeau, he refused to let her go. One kiss was all it took to remind him just why this woman left him in such great awe…But with that one fateful goodbye, he wondered if he had already lost her.

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AN: To be continued for now. Things may have blossomed for Scott and Jean, but now it’s Rogue and Remy stuck in conflict! Stay tuned for the next chapter, for all the Rogue/Remy turmoil is about to come to ahead! There’s still plenty more to come with this fic. I know it’s long, but there’s just so much to tell and I will keep going until I have reached the end! So what do you all think so far? Have you enjoyed this story and all the twists and turns within it? Please tell me! Send me your reviews via email at slickboy444@aol.com or post them on the fanfiction website! Either way is fine, just as long as you REVIEW! Thanks for reading and I wish you all the best!