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X4: The Queen Of Hearts	By : BlackWodin Category: X-Men: (All Movies) > Het - Male/Female Views: 2625 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: X-Men is owned by Marvel Comics and 20th Century Fox. I do not own X-Men, nor am I making a profit from this work of fan-fiction.

Chapter List
- 3
- 4
Disclaimer: X-men is owned by Marvel Comics and 20th Century Fox. I do not own X-men, nor am I making a profit from this work of fan-fiction. So don't sue me! Not that you'd get a whole lot from me anyway ;)
A/N:Wow, can’t believe it’s been so long. What, two years now (plus 4 months)? I apologize for leaving this untouched, without even a word to you guys.
Shortly after I posted Chapter 3 I was at the doctor’s for my yearly checkup, and they found cancer. It was pretty far progressed, and I had to have surgery right away, and have been fighting it since then. Chemo and radiation took its toll, and all my energy was spent just staying alive. I thought a few times about picking this up on better days but really, a funeral isn’t exactly something you want to write about when your doctor tells you you’ve got a 40% chance of fighting off your cancer. I should have let you guys know with a note or something, so I’m sorry for dropping the ball.
Now, I’ve been cancer-free for a full six months, and am starting to feel like myself again, and starting to feel like writing again. Meanwhile I’ve been catching up on everything I’ve missed – apparently Rogue broke up with Remy (grrrrr), flirted with the idea of being with Magneto (gag me, that relationship that should never have happened should be deaddeaddeadintheground) and the X-Men fought the Avengers and the Phoenix went even loonier than usual? I’ve missed a heck of a lot and am slowly working my way through comic-land. I’ll probably be taking it slow coming back, but I am determined to finish this story if I can (and God willing, I stay cancer-free for the rest of my life).
Hopefully some of the readers who read X3 The Ace Of Spades, and then this, are still around and still interested.
I hope you guys enjoy the chapter, and still want to read this sequel.

Chapter 4: Mississippi

“Cody’s dead,” Rogue replied with a choked whisper, staring at Remy with a lost, helpless look in her eyes.

“Oh, Chére,” Remy said softly, moving forward to grab her shoulders. “What happened?”

“H-he’s been getting’ a lot of bed sores an’ infections the last few months, an’ Ah guess this time it turned inta sepsis or somethin’. All… all his organs shut down, an’ they had ta take him off of life support.” Rogue said shakily, her eyes dropping down to her gloved hands. “If Ah hadn’t…. he was only there in that coma because of me.”

Her face crumpled, and she let Remy pull her forward, face flush against his chest as he wrapped his arms tightly around her. “I’m sorry, Chére. I’m so sorry,” Remy whispered into her ear.

“It’s mah fault,” she muttered darkly into his chest. “He never even woke up!”
/
Remy ran his hand up and down her back, slowly maneuvering them closer to a couch. “I know, ma Chére. It hurts – I know.” He said soothingly, as he managed to get them sitting on the couch as she curled up into his side, her arms wrapped tightly around him.

          Rogue nearly jumped when she felt another, much smaller pair of arms suddenly encircle her waist. She turned her head to the side against Remy’s chest, and realized Sarah had ended her conversation with Rahne and come over to her.

          “I’m sorry about your friend, Rogue,” Sarah said softly, looking up at her. She’d heard Rogue mention ‘Cody’ once or twice in the past, but it had always while talking to Remy, and it had always been cryptic to her – she had gathered Cody was a friend of Rogue’s, but hadn’t known anything more than that, until now.

          Rogue tried falteringly to smile. “Thanks, sweetie,” she whispered, moving one arm from around Remy’s waist to place it around the younger girl’s shoulders.

          Remy looked down at Rogue seriously. “You’ll get through dis, Chére. Y’got both of us.”

          Rogue closed her eyes, and rested her forehead against his chest, and he could tell she was trying to hold in her pain. “Ah know.” She said softly.

          There were several, quiet minutes where none of them said a word, as they let Rogue fully absorb what she’d been told, and she finally began speaking to them, her voice low, almost emotionless.

          “That was Cody’s father. His mom has been keepin’ in touch with me. Even when Ah left, an’ went on the road, she made sure ah had her number. Ta….. ta jus’ call, see if he was doin’ better, or if Ah jus’ needed to talk t’someone. She….” Rogue shook her head, closing her eyes again. “She didn’ blame me for what happened. Neither of his parents did. They’re the nicest folks yah could meet, even when Ah put their son in the hospital, they…. still cared about me, an’ what it was doin’ to me.”

          Rogue took a shuddering breath. “His dad…. He tol’ me the funeral’s in two days, on Friday. They want me t’come, to…. be there for it.” She opened her eyes, and looked up at Remy pleadingly. “Ah – will yah go with me? Ah should go, even if it’s jus’ to lay him t’rest in mah own mind, see him one last time, say Ah’m sorry. An’…. Ah don’ think Ah can handle it on mah own.”

          Remy nodded, looking at her with concern. “If you’re sure, Chére, I’ll be right dere wit’ you. Y’don’ have to face dis alone.”

          Rogue looked down for a moment, and then met his eyes. “Ah’m sure. Ah’ve gotta do this.”

          “I’ll talk to Charles – get him to lend us one of de jets. An’ if he doesn’, we can always take off in de middle of de night, hein?” Remy said.

          Rogue managed to laugh softly at the reminder of their night flight to pick up Sarah so many months ago, but he could still see the pain in her eyes.

          “Chére,” he said softly, reaching a hand up to cup her cheek.

          She grabbed his wrist with her gloved hand, and he followed her gaze to the bare skin of his fingers. “Please, Sugah, not now – Ah, don’t think Ah can handle that right now.”

          He nodded, and instead turned his arm and pulled her hand into his, and pressed a kiss into the palm against the brown glove she was wearing. “Oui.”

          Rogue squeezed his hand, and pulled back slightly from Remy and Sarah. “Ah…. Ah’m gonna go out walkin’ for awhile, around the lake. Ah need tah be on mah own.”

          “Okay Chére. I’ll get t’ings planned, don’ worry about it.” Remy said, and she forced out a grateful smile at Remy and Sarah before she turned, and walked slowly out of the room, toward the back door.

          Sarah looked up at Remy, with worried eyes. “Will she be okay?”

          Remy nodded, and snaked an arm around her shoulder, pulling her around to sit next to him. “Oui. She jus’ needs some time. I know I would, hearin’ somethin’ like dat.”

          “Wh-who was he?” Sarah asked tentatively. “I heard her mention him a few times, before.”

          “Cody was her boyfriend, back in Miss’ippi. An’, her first kiss….” Remy said softly.

          Sarah’s eyes widened as she connected the dots in her mind. “He… that’s when her powers came out, wasn’t it?”

          Remy nodded. “He’s been in a coma since den.” He passed a hand over his face and sighed.

          “That’s awful,” Sarah said sadly, looking down at the bones protruding from her knuckles. “I never really hurt anyone when mine came, an’ that was bad enough.”

          Remy absently kissed her forehead. “I know how she’s feelin’. But ‘least it wasn’ someone I knew, like dat.” He shook his head.

          Sarah leaned in closer, and hugged him tightly. “You’re leavin’ me here with Storm, aren’t ya?” Sarah asked softly.

          Remy chuckled and glanced down at her. “Oui, my smart little fille. I think it’ll be best for her if it’s jus’ de two of us, an’ dere’ll be a lot less explainin’ things if she’s got jus’ one stranger wit’ her while she’s dere.”

          Sarah frowned, but nodded. “Okay.” She leaned up and kissed Remy’s cheek. “Take care of Rogue.”

          “Dat’s a promise, Sarah.”

+-*-*-**-*-*-+ +-*-*-**-*-*-+ +-*-*-**-*-*-+ +-*-*-**-*-*-+ +-*-*-**-*-*-+

          Lorna sighed in relief as she sat down on the blanket that Warren had brought outside, and then laid back and joined him in lying out on the lawn of the mansion in the warm summer sun. She rested her head on the arm he’d outstretched for her, and glanced over at him, smiling wearily.

          “Well, I think the worst of it is over.” She reached up and rubbed at her jaw. “I was beginning to think my mouth was going to go numb from all that talking,” she said, referring to the last two days since the announcement of Mutants Without Borders.

She’d stayed at the office with him and the other employees – now supplemented by an intern, Grace Tveit, hired the day after the announcement – who was a student at the local community college that Rogue, Kitty, and the others were attending, and that Lorna would soon be taking classes at. The days had been filled with answering phone-calls from various people, and while there were some rather hateful calls phoned in, the greater amount were positive, even many asking how to send in financial support for their organization.

“Hey, do you remember that one group, Gene Equality or something? They were on the news a few times at the beginning of the summer when they did those silent protests at mutant funerals when the Church Of Humanity came to harass the families?”

Warren nodded as she ran a finger along his chest. “Right, I remember seeing a few interviews with them, they were one of the groups that made me realize I was doing the right thing starting this.”

“Wellllll,” Lorna said dragging the word out teasingly. “They called, while you were on the phone with the Red Cross, and they asked us to send them information on how to start a branch of Mutants Without Borders over in the Midwest.”

“Really?” Warren asked, his eyes widening.

“Yup. I got their address and told them we’d send them all of the information. I guess they’ve had that success with the funerals, but haven’t been able to get much traction, and they think your ideas would give them that, as well as the attention you’ve already brought to this. Their members held an emergency session yesterday and voted unanimously to turn Gene Equality into Mutants Without Borders, if we’ll let them and help them along.”

“Wow,” he said, rubbing the back of his head. “I didn’t expect that, that’s great! How many are there in the group?”

“I guess they’ve got around four hundred who regularly attend meetings, but with part-timers they’ve got closer to eight. They said they even have some who live up in the New York area that have traveled out to join them in protests, and gave me an e-mail address of one of the leaders of them, so we might have more helpers here.”

Warren grinned, and pulled her close for a kiss, meshing his fingers in her green hair. “You know, that means we can have that branch up and running by the time we have the UK one ready.”

Lorna squirmed as he moved to kiss along a ticklish spot on the skin of her neck. “I-ah know, this is more than we were even thinking of – stop that, you brat, you know I’m ticklish there,” she said, poking him in the ribs.

Warren laughed and let her settle back on his arm, only for her to raise her head again the next moment. He glanced down and saw she was staring over at the mansion, and as he followed her gaze, he watched as well as a visibly upset Rogue walked down the path toward the stables and the lake.

“Wonder what happened,” Warren said softly. “Do you think I should-“

Lorna put a slender finger to his lips. “Shush, I think she’d feel better with a bit of girl-talk, not angel-boy talk. You stay here and save those kisses for when I get back.” She pushed herself up to a standing position as he nodded, and then started after Rogue.

+-*-*-**-*-*-+

          “Hey,” Lorna said quietly, having let Rogue stand and stare out over the surface of the lake for several minutes.

          Rogue jumped slightly, and when she turned, Lorna could see anguish painted across her face. “Hey. Yah need somethin’?”

          Lorna shook her head. “Just checking on you, you looked upset. Did Remy do something? Should I be going in and kicking his ass for you?”

          One corner of Rogue’s lips twitched slightly upward in a sad smile. “Naw, wasn’t Remy. Ah could kick his ass into orbit anyway, if Ah wanted to.”

          Lorna moved closer, until she was standing next to her friend. When she put an arm around her shoulder, Rogue tensed – much more than she’d ever seen her do at such a contact. “Wanna talk about it?”

          Rogue turned her troubled gaze back out to the lake, and just stood there with her muscles tensed as if she were ready to bolt at any second. The wind and the sound of waves lapping against the shore of the pond were the only sounds for several long minutes, before she finally saw Rogue swallow heavily several times, and open her mouth.

          “Ah just got a phone call. A friend of mine died.”

          Lorna slowly squeezed Rogue’s shoulder. “I’m sorry. A close friend I’m guessing?”

          “Mah first boyfriend. Mah powers emerged when we kissed, and he’s been in a coma ever since.”

          Lorna let her grip on Rogue’s shoulders tighten further. “Damn, I’m really sorry, that’s got to be horrible. You’re….. you blame yourself, don’t you?”

          Rogue looked over at her, her lips quivering. “Who else? Ah’m the one that did it. Mah lips. Mah powers.”

          Lorna grimaced mentally. “You didn’t know, though. That’s what sucks about us, usually our powers tend to find the worst, most stressful or emotionally charged time possible to emerge. Warren says his started while his dad was talking crap about mutants, and when he went to the bathroom to see what was happening, he was terrified. He…” she glanced over in the direction of Warren. “I think he’d be fine with me telling you this, as long as you don’t tell anyone else… he used a razor every time his wings started sprouting out of his back, and cut them away until the next time. Finally his father caught him.”

          Lorna breathed out a sigh. “My story’s not nearly as… grim as yours or Warren’s, but the timing still sucked. I’d just bought my first car, using money I’d saved up over the summer. It was a rickety old thing, but it had an engine and wheels and was going to get me around. Of course, on my way home - being California - I ran into a traffic jam. Some jerk started tailgating me, and between that, the heat, and the traffic, I lost it. Mutant road rage sucks,” she said grinning wryly. “My powers came out and suddenly I found myself sitting in my seat on the road with the pieces of my disassembled car lying around me, and just like that all my work over the summer was a complete waste. And trying to explain to a cop why your car suddenly ripped itself apart in the middle of the highway isn’t very fun.”

          She was glad Rogue was unable to hold back a smile, and a short laugh at that. “Anyway Rogue, my point is, we can’t control these powers without help, and we certainly can’t control when they decide to screw us over by popping up out of nowhere. So don’t blame yourself.”

          Rogue sighed and her shoulders slumped. “Ah’m tryin’ – Ah have been since it happened. Ah’ve even come close to convincin’ myself of that, but this… just brought it all pourin’ back in on me.”

          “Have you told Remy yet?” Lorna asked, watching Rogue’s face flicker through a wide range of expressions.

          Rogue glanced back in the direction of the mansion. “Yeah. He’s comin’ to the funeral with me. Ah’d never be able ta handle goin’ without him.”

          Lorna smiled. “Good, lean on him as much as you can, he can handle whatever you throw at him. Don’t try shouldering all this on your own.” She squeezed Rogue’s shoulders again. “You want to go riding or anything? Get your mind off of all this?”

          Rogue shook her head after a moment’s hesitation. “Naw, yah go on back ta Warren. Ah’ll be fine here – Ah just need some time ta think.”

          Lorna reluctantly removed her arm from Rogue’s shoulders, and reached down to give her gloved hand a quick squeeze. “Alright, but if you need anything just ask.”

          Rogue half-turned. “Actually… we’re probably gonna have Ororo keep an eye on Sarah, but she could probably use some help…?”

          “Say no more,” Lorna grinned. “I’ll be happy to help keep the munchkin occupied.”

          Rogue nodded gratefully, and as Lorna walked back toward Warren, she sat down on a long flat rock at the shore of the pond, and ran her gloved fingers through the warm grass, lost in thoughts of the past, before she’d discovered she was a mutant. Before Cody had been confined to a hospital bed.

+-*-*-**-*-*-+ +-*-*-**-*-*-+ +-*-*-**-*-*-+ +-*-*-**-*-*-+ +-*-*-**-*-*-+

          The long flight down to Mississippi on Friday was quiet. Nothing at all like their flight to Louisiana to pick up Sarah had been, but then the occasion behind the flight was much different. It wasn’t that Rogue wasn’t talking with him, though, he simply let her sleep the entire way.

          Remy knew she hadn’t slept at all since she’d gotten the phone call – he had heard it in her voice, the way she held herself. Even if her body wasn’t tired, her mind had been exhausted from everything that was happening and the lack of sleep.

          He’d simply shifted the jet into autopilot and watched as she slept fitfully, curled up on the reclined co-pilot’s seat. It wasn’t he lowered the jet down into a country field and switched on the stealth systems that she began to stir from her sleep.

          “Hey,” she said softly as she opened her eyes and spotted him watching her.

          “Have a good sleep?” Remy asked, reaching out to grab her gloved hand and bring it up to his lips.

          She yawned, and nodded, sitting up. “Yeah. Where are we?”

          “Just landed. Now we just gotta walk a mile to de rental car agency.”

          Her eyes widened slightly, and she glanced at her watch. “Really? Damn, Ah’m sorry, Sugah, Ah was gonna keep yah company,” she stopped when he shook his head.

          “Non, don’ be sorry, Chére, you needed de rest. B’sides, I kept m’self occupied. Made up my own sport. It’s called Rogue watchin’ – last I heard I was voted de MVP,” he said with a wink.

          Rogue smiled slightly – but it was the first fully genuine smile he’d seen from her since the phone call. “You’re such a dork,” she said, rolling her eyes.

          “Mm-hmmm. But you’re stuck wit’ me, ma Chére.”

          She watched him stand up and then reach out a hand to her. “Ah guess yah can be a useful dork.” She said, letting him pull her to her feet.

          He leaned forward and carefully kissed her hair. She felt a guilt stab straight through her heart at that, so she pulled back and tilted her head. She placed a hand on the back of his head and pulled him forward so his lips met her cheek. “It’s alright t’touch now, Remy,” she said softly. “Ah’m sorry, Ah – it was just findin’ out about that, it woulda just made me break down, Ah couldn’t handle it. Ah’m okay now.”

          Remy nodded, and traced her jaw with his fingertips. “I know, ma Chére.”

          She sighed shakily at the comfort she felt from his skin against hers. “Let’s…. let’s go get our car.”

          Remy slid his hand into hers and they left the jet, closing up the door behind them to leave the unkempt field looking just as it had before they had landed, and walked through the field to the nearby road that led into Meridian.

          It was silent and still as they walked, the afternoon sun beating down on them hotly. It was a Thursday, so most people in the town were at work, and they saw very few cars speed past them on the roadway.

          Remy wiped at a bead of sweat that started to run down his face. “Damn, Chére, I almost forgot how hot an’ humid it can get down here in August. Spent so long up north, even b’fore I came to de mansion… sometimes I’m surprised at what I miss down here.”

          Rogue looked at him, a hint of concern on her face. “Yah… yah won’t be in trouble comin’ this far south, will yah? With the Guilds, Ah mean.”

          Remy shook his head. “Non, jus’ Jefferson Parish is off-limits.”   He squeezed her hand. “Still woulda gone for you if dat’s where dis had been, though.”

          She smiled, and walked closer, leaning her head on his shoulder. “Thanks, Remy,” she whispered into his ear.

          Coming off the jet, Rogue seemed much more relaxed than she had been the previous day, but that seemed to change before his eyes with each step they took, especially when they passed the ‘Welcome to Meridian’ sign.

          “What’s wrong, Chére?” He asked finally as her grip on his hand became rather tight. “Besides de obvious. I know we’re meetin’ his parents once we get de car, but y’said dey don’ blame you.”

          She sighed. “They don’t…. Ah just….. Remy, it’s not just gonna be them there. Ah’m not worried ‘bout them, other’n the guilt Ah’ll feel when Ah see them. But ev’ryone else? Ah…. Everyone looked at me like Ah was a monster the week b’fore Ah ran away. Ah jus’ don’ know what to expect. An’ Ah’m pretty sure mah parents are gonna be at the funeral. Things weren’ real pretty when Ah talked to them last.” She said, her voice trembling slightly at the end.

          Remy frowned, and turned his head to kiss her behind the ear. “You don’ worry ‘bout dem, Chére. You helped Carol deal wit’ her father, I’ll be right here t’help you deal with your parents.”

          She was silent, walking next to him, so he continued. “You know you need to do dis. Even if things don’t get any better. You need to confront them, put de past to rest so it doesn’ eat at you for de rest of your life. If dey’re not willin’ to accept you for who y’are, you jus’ say what you need to, an’ make ‘em realize you got a real family back at de mansion dat doesn’t treat you like dey have.”

          Rogue slowly looked up at him, a hesitant smile on her face. “Thanks…. you’re right. Ah need get rid of all mah demons while Ah’m here.”

          “Oui. Now, let’s get dat car an’ start takin’ care of y’first one, hein?” Remy asked, nodding toward the rental car lot across the street from where they were now walking.

+-*-*-**-*-*-+

          Thirty minutes later, they had driven out of the lot with a rented luxury sedan, and into the city of Meridian. Remy let her guide him down the roads, enjoying the little stories she told as they passed landmarks familiar to her.

          “Turn right here,” Rogue said softly as they came up on an intersection.

          He slowed slightly and turned onto the smaller side road, looking with interest at the large school buildings to their left.

          “This was mah High School. Went here almost all four years b’fore Ah ran away,” she said.

“Looks like the football team’s got some summer practice,” she nodded toward the fence along the side of the road that kept any stray footballs from flying out of the large area of the football field. A large group of uniformed teenagers in full gear was running through a variety of drills across the large field, and Remy watched with interest as they slowly drove past.

          “Hm, brings back memories. Did you know I was on de football team back in high school?” Remy asked, glancing over the top of his sunglasses at her.

          Rogue’s eyebrows rose. “Really?”

          “Oh, oui, I was. I was a runnin’ back, ‘least before my powers popped up. We took de team to state finals an’ won de championship one of de years I played.”

          Rogue smiled slightly, running her gaze over him. “Never woulda pegged yah as one of th’jocks at high school. Yah musta been one of the skinny jackrabbit runnin’ backs.”

          Remy grinned and nodded. “Slippery as an eel. Guild trainin’ made dat easy.”

          Rogue’s eyes warmed slightly and he felt a slight lift in her emotions but he couldn’t make out exactly what she was feeling.

          “Turn again up here,” she said, breaking her gaze to gesture to the right on another road. She was glad he was trying his best to keep her mind off things, and she couldn’t help the bit of delight she felt every time he revealed more of his past to her.

          Remy turned down the road, which led down a long stretch of residential area, both sides lined with homes of various sizes, nearly all with large shade trees in the front and along the street.

          Rogue pointed ahead. “That’s their house,” she said quietly. “The one with the fire truck mailbox. Paul, uh, that’s Cody’s dad, used t’be a firefighter, had t’quit when he got hurt, back when we were in our first year of high school.”

          Remy slowed the car, and pulled up to the curb in front of the small brick-fronted house. A beat-up Ford pickup rested in the driveway near the house, and several smaller cars took up the remaining drive-way space, so he set the car in park along the road, and shut off the engine.

          Remy sat quietly, watching Rogue who was gazing out the passenger window at the house, her emotions jumbled enough that he forced himself to pull back with his empathy to avoid a headache.

          Rogue finally turned back to look at him, and gave him a weak smile when he reached out and squeezed her hand. “Let’s go,” she said softly before she turned and pulled the door handle.

          Remy hopped out his side and locked the doors before rounding the front bumper, and grabbing her hand as she neared the front of the car, and they started up the driveway together.

          She ran a gloved finger over the hood of the pickup as they passed it, and her gaze hung wistfully on it. “It was gonna be Cody’s. When he graduated. We were gonna go ‘cross the country in it, jus’ the two of us. That was the last thing we talked about, before….” she sighed, and broke her gaze, settling her eyes on Remy’s face. “Ah ended up makin’ the trip mahself. Never woulda met Logan otherwise. Weird how good things can come from such bad stuff.”

          Remy nodded, thinking of how he’d never have met her – or Sarah – if it hadn’t been for the tunnel massacre he’d played a role in. “Oui, I know.” He said softly.

          Rogue’s grip on his hand tightened as they continued up the sidewalk, and as they got up on the front porch, she knocked softly on the front door.

          It was a long minute before they heard footsteps inside, and then the door swung open to reveal a tall, muscular man with a receding hairline. His features were haggard, clearly he’d had little sleep, but a small smile crept over his face. “Marie? Is that you? Damn, you’ve really grown up. I’m glad you were able to make it down here in time.”

          Rogue blushed slightly. “Thanks, Paul. This’s Remy, Remy, this is Paul – Cody’s dad.”

          Paul nodded in greeting, and then stepped back, gesturing them to come in. “Come on in, most of the family is here.” He turned his head. “Abbie, Marie’s here,” he called into the house.

          Rogue and Remy entered the house, Paul closing the door behind them, and they kicked off their shoes next to a large pile of other shoes near the doorway.

          Footsteps came down the hall, and a short, middle-aged woman came around the corner. She had a head full of bright curly red hair held back in a bushy ponytail, and warm blue eyes that were marred with obvious tear-tracks and redness.

          “Marie,” she said softly, rushing forward to envelop Rogue into a firm hug. “I’m so glad y’ came. He’d’ve wanted y’ here, darlin’.”

          “Thanks Abigail, Ah… Ah’m sorry.”

          Abigail pulled back and shook her head. “Nonsense, girl, I thought I talked y’ out of this. Y’aren’t to blame for it.”

          Rogue nodded, and tightened her hug on the shorter woman, hanging onto her like a lifeline. “Y-yah doin’ alright y’self?” Rogue asked, her voice muffled.

          “We’re gettin’ by. One day at a time. We had an idea he was passin’ for the last few weeks, so we’ve had plenty of time t’say our goodbyes. That’s part of why I wanted y’ to come so you can say y’r own. It still hurts, but not as much even now, an’ I don’t want a girl like y’ beatin’ y’self up over this the rest of y’r life. Y’ need closure as much as we do, Marie,” Abigail said quietly.

          Abigail pulled back, and a smile came to her face when she saw Remy standing back behind Rogue, next to Paul. “Don’t be shy, now. My, you’re a handsome one. I’m Abigail. What’s your name?

          “Remy LeBeau. It’s a pleasure meetin’ you, ma’am,” he said, taking her hand gently.

          Abigail smiled. “Well I’m glad to see Marie has an eye for boys with manners,” she said.

          Rogue blushed. “Well, he has ‘em sometimes, when they’re needed.”

          Abigail nodded, and grabbed Remy into a hug, surprising him. “Thank y’ for takin’ care of Marie, darlin’, an’ comin’ down here to support her.”

          Remy grinned, the energetic woman reminding him much of his Tante Mattie. “Course. Woulda never thought of doin’ anythin’ else. I’m very sorry ‘bout your son.”

          “Thank you,” she said, wiping away a tear. “My Cody was such a smart, bright boy. Sometimes I wonder why the Lord chose to take him at his prime like that.” She shook her head. “Enough dark thoughts, though, we’ll have enough time t’cry tomorrow. Remy, why don’t y’ go with my husband, meet the rest of the family, get y’self a beer. Dinner’s almost ready, an’ I’d like Marie to help me, so we can catch up.”

          Remy stepped forward, and squeezed Rogue’s shoulder. When she nodded, a slight smile on her face assuring him she’d be okay, he followed Paul toward the family room where he could hear a somewhat boisterous conversation going on.

          Rogue followed Abigail toward the kitchen, where the smells of potatoes, gravy, and a chicken in the oven overwhelmed her senses. It had been so long since she’d been back here, she’d forgotten what it was like.

          “He seems like a very nice boy. Handsome lil’ devil too.” Abigail said as she grabbed a wooden spoon and started stirring the mashed potatoes.

          “He is.” Rogue said softly. “Ah… love him.”

          Abigail smiled sadly, and looked over to her, resting a hand on her arm. “I could see it, darlin’. I wish y’ coulda had it with Cody, but… some things aren’t meant to be. I think he’d be happy for y’. He loved y’, y’know? He’d want y’ to move on.”

          Rogue gave a trembling smile. “Ah know. But… Ah… Ah can’t cry!” She finally blurted out, her throat tightening. “Ah’ve tried, an’ tried, an’ tried since Paul tol’ me, but Ah- ah just can’t. I’m a horrible-”

          “Oh, Marie,” Abigail sighed, cutting her off and taking the trembling girl into her arms again. “It’s okay. You’ll cry when y’r good and ready. I was the same way. An’ when it hits ya, it’ll hit hard, but then after it’ll get a little easier. ‘Specially if you have your Remy there to help you through it.”

          Rogue gripped the woman tightly, having become almost unconsciously aware over the past few months of how much strength she should use. “Ah hope so.” She said, her voice sounding choked.

          Abigail patted her back lightly, letting her hold on as long as she could. She finally straightened up to make sure the food didn’t burn. “So, darlin’, I wasn’t lyin’ when I said I wanted to catch up. It’s been, what, a month since we talked? How’ve things been goin’? With your powers and all that, that your Professor has you workin’ on?”

          Rogue sighed slightly. “Ah’ve been doing okay. Ah’ve gotten it to about a minute of not absorbin’ at all, an’ with Remy Ah’ve been able to slow it down a lot. We c’n usually touch several minutes straight before it really starts hittin’ him.”

          “That’s great, Marie. You’ll get there ‘ventually, I know it. Now what’s all this I hear about D.C.? I ain’t seen it myself, but Paul swore he saw y’ on the news, helpin’ those people.”

          Rogue smiled, realizing the woman was trying to get both their minds off of the coming funeral. “He probably did see me. A few of us from the school, along with Remy an’ me, we were vacationin’ down there when the hurricane hit. We got away from the worst of it, an’ one of the girls, Lorna, is the girlfriend of Warren Worthington III.”

          Abigail’s eyes widened. “Ah, that fella that is startin’ that Mutants Without Borders thing.”

          Rogue nodded. “Yep. Lorna thought it’d be good to help out, and we all agreed, an’ we searched ‘till we found a place that’d let us help. We did all we could there, an’ jus’ got back the other day.”

          “Wonderful,” Abigail said. “It’s great to see your generation is so willin’ to help out like that. Sometimes…. I swear, there’s a lotta bad seeds in my generation, all this mutant-hatin’ nonsense they have goin’ on.”

          Abigail shook her head, and then handed Rogue a pile of dishes. “Be a dear an’ set those out for me, an’ then let everyone know dinner’s ready.”

+-*-*-**-*-*-+ +-*-*-**-*-*-+ +-*-*-**-*-*-+ +-*-*-**-*-*-+ +-*-*-**-*-*-+

          Remy sat back, his arm across the back of Rogue’s chair, chuckling at Robert’s – Cody’s older brother – animated re-telling of one of Cody’s first football games, the first time he’d been tossed in as quarterback the first and second string quarterbacks had both been injured.

          He glanced over at Rogue – her eyes were warm, and her attention was on Robert and Paul as they started arguing good-naturedly over just how long Cody’s first pass had been. The Robbins family was large, and seemed very close, the two dozen siblings, cousins, aunts and uncles there that evening all seeming to fit together perfectly as one big family.

          It had been a bit overwhelming at first, when Paul had handed him a beer, and brought him into the crowded family room and started introducing everyone, but they’d all been welcoming. Especially when they heard he had come with Rogue – he was glad they’d seemed to have taken her into their family after her own had basically told her not to come back, even when they of all people had every reason not to.

          The dinner had been similar to what he was used to at family get-togethers back down in Louisiana – nice and slow, more talking than eating, even if it stretched dinner out over two hours. And the food was good and there was a lot of it. He’d made sure to eat his fill, as did everyone else, and there were clearly still leftovers sitting around.

          But finally, as Robert’s story ended, things seemed to start dying down, and he spotted several get up and say a quiet goodbye to Abigail and Paul, before gathering their youngsters to head to wherever they were staying.

          Rogue looked up at him, and he squeezed her shoulder. “We should get goin’ too, Chére. Check into our hotel.”

          She nodded, and stood up slowly with him.

          “Y’ headin’ out, Marie?” Abigail called.

          Rogue nodded. “Yeah, we should get goin’. Remy didn’ sleep on the flight down, we’re gonna go find the hotel.”

          Abigail smiled. “Alright y’ two, see y’ tomorrow. Remember the viewin’ an’ the wake starts at nine, an’ dependin’ how many show up it could go ‘till ten-thirty. When we’re done we’ll ride down to th’cemetery. That one’ll be more private, jus’ family an’ close friends, so I want y’all to come to that too, okay?”

          “We’ll be there, ma’am,” Remy said quietly, his arm curling around Rogue’s waist as he saw tears start appearing in Abigail’s eyes at talking about tomorrow’s events. “Thank you for dinner. Y’got a nice family.”

          Abigail sniffled slightly. “Y’welcome Remy. Get some rest.” She shot him a stern look afterwards, before her eyes tracked meaningfully to Rogue, a clear message of ‘and take care of Rogue tonight’ in that look.

          He nodded, and they turned to leave, only to stop as Robert called out. “Hey, Legs,” he said, using the nickname he’d given to Remy –who was nearly a foot taller than him – within minutes of their first conversation, “Marie! We’re doin’ a little family football game out on the school field tomorrow, ‘round four, in honor of Cody – I think he’d like it. Y’both welcome to join us.”

          Rogue flashed a bright smile at the inclusion. “Sure. We can stay for a while an’ play.”

          Robert nodded, and then turned back to the conversation he’d been having with one of his cousins, and they left the Robbins house shortly after, being stopped a few times on the way out with goodnights from the others.

+-*-*-**-*-*-+ +-*-*-**-*-*-+ +-*-*-**-*-*-+ +-*-*-**-*-*-+ +-*-*-**-*-*-+

          Remy sat up in the bed he and Rogue were sharing at the motel, and squinted at the clock, which read two in the morning. “What’s up, Chére,” he said, blinking sleepily at her where she was sitting up toward the end of the bed, arms around her knees.

          She turned around, startled, and even in the dim light from the lights outside their window, he could see she looked lost, helpless, eyes pleading for help. “R-Remy, I–“ she started, her voice cracking.

          In the next moment, she was across the bed and in his arms, gripping onto him tightly as her body wracked with sobs and her tears soaked his shirt through.

          Remy smiled softly as he stroked her hair, whispering soft words in her ear as she broke down. He’d been expecting it, waiting for it. He knew she’d been keeping it all welled up inside, and didn’t think she’d cried until now, but all he had been able to do was wait until the dam broke, and hope he was there to hold her.

          “W-why?” She sobbed, fists clenching his shirt to the point that he was sure it would have rips in it in the morning. “Why did it hafta happen to him? Why don’ you an’ Lorna an’ Abby jus’ let me blame mahself, when it was me – mah skin – that did it? Wh-why?”

          Remy sighed, and moved his hand to rub her back. “Because, Chére, sometimes bad things jus’ happen. An’ dere ain’t nothin’ you can do about it. An’ we won’ let you blame y’self, because it ain’t your fault - it wasn’ anyone’s fault. You’re a sweet girl that loves ev’ryone. You an’ Cody didn’t deserve dis, but it happened. It jus’ ain’t your fault, ma Chére. We ain’ gonna let you blame y’self because then this thing would ruin both y’lives, an none of us want that for ya. Cody wouldn’ either.”

          Her shoulders shook under his hands, face still buried in his shirt. “H-hurts, so much.”

          “I know, Chére. B’lieve me, I know. An’ it’ll hurt tomorrow, an’ de next day. But we’re gonna be here for you. I’m gonna be here for you, so’s Sarah, an’ Logan, an’ Abigail, an’ Stormy, an’ everyone else dat loves ya. We’ll get y’through dis.”

          “Thanks, Remy,” she said, her voice still hitched, but her sobs slowing perceptibly. “Love ya.”

          “I love you too, Chére. I’m glad you finally let all dat out. I could tell you were buildin’ it up de whole time, an’ I was getting’ worried ‘bout…” He broke off as he felt her soft breath even out against his chest – she exhausted herself crying and fallen asleep.

          He bent his head down and kissed her temple lightly. “Bonne nuit, ma Chére,” he whispered, closing his eyes himself as he felt her weight settle in on his chest. He had a feeling tomorrow with her parents wasn’t going to be pretty, but he hoped his gut was wrong. This definitely wasn’t the time she should have to deal with them on top of everything else.

+-*-*-**-*-*-+ +-*-*-**-*-*-+ +-*-*-**-*-*-+ +-*-*-**-*-*-+ +-*-*-**-*-*-+

          Logan stripped off the leather jacket he’d worn both for his trip out to Kentucky with Madrox, and for his ride to and from the private airfield that held the ride to the Helicarrier. He tossed his jacket over a workbench in the garage of the mansion, before entering through the door. He shook his head at the silence – after spending so much time through the busy school year, during the summer it was almost eerily quiet due to the lack of kids and teens. And with the large influx of students coming in just a week or so, who hadn’t been part of the student body before, next summer promised to be even eerier.

          Logan took in the scents of the mansion, as he had long ago developed the habit of when entering a building, and could smell someone cooking chicken in the oven. He could faintly hear Ororo’s voice drifting down the hall, so he decided to stop by before heading up to take a much-needed shower after the last few days of being in a cramped car, and smoky bars, looking around for more intelligence on the Purifiers or their related Church of Humanity.

          He stopped, framed in the doorway to the kitchen, and saw Sarah sitting on a stool next to the countertop, helping Ororo chop up potatoes into oblong shapes, likely for oven-cooked fries. Logan stepped into the kitchen and moved up alongside Ororo.

          “Hey, ‘Ro,” he said, reaching out to grab her knife hand so she didn’t accidentally cut herself when he startled her.

          Ororo spun around. “Logan! I didn’t think you’d be back already,” she greeted him, kissing his stubble-covered cheek.

          “Hi Logan,” Sarah said from down the counter. “Didja catch any bad guys?”

          Logan grinned, and shook his head, looking between Sarah and Ororo. “Not this time, kid. We did get some good information, so in a week or so we might be able to catch them in a big gathering.”

          He glanced around the empty kitchen. “Hey, is Rogue around? Or are she an’ the Cajun out messin’ around?”

          Ororo’s smile disappeared, and he felt a sinking in the pit of his stomach.

          “Rogue’s down in Mississippi, Logan. She got a call the other day, her friend Cody died so she’s down there for the funeral.”

          “Damn.” He’d been the first person she’d ever told about her first emergence of her powers. “How was she?”

          “Not very well. She looked quite a mess, I don’t think she’s slept since she heard.” Ororo said sadly.

          “Remy’s worried about her,” Sarah added.

          “Did he go down there with her?”

          Ororo nodded. “They took one of the smaller jets down – the funeral is today, and they weren’t sure if they’d be back tonight or tomorrow, I guess it depends on how she’s feeling by the time it’s over.”

          “Good, at least he’ll be able ta keep her from beating herself up too much over this.” Logan sighed. Of all the times for him to have been called away, he thought to himself. ‘Shoulda been here.’

          Ororo placed a hand on his shoulder and rubbed it along, up to his neck. “She’ll be okay, Logan. She’s a tough one, she can handle it. And like you said, with Remy supporting her, she’ll get through it.”

          Logan grunted, and leaned forward, pressing his lips against Ororo’s until they started to see fake gagging noises. He pulled away and looked over at Sarah, who stopped, and then looked at him with innocent eyes.

          “People eat in here – get a room!”

          Logan grinned. “Brat. I bet if it was Remy and Rogue in here doing that, you wouldn’t say a word.”

          Sara nodded firmly. “Yup!”

          Logan chuckled along with Ororo, and then released his hold on her waist, and let her turn back to the cutting board she’d been using.

          “Sarah, Logan hasn’t heard what Remy did, yet, has he?” Ororo said, winking over at her.

          “Oh!” Sarah sat up straight, and looked over at Logan, excitement dancing across her face. “Remy adopted me!”

          Logan’s eyebrows rose. “Really now? Cajun finally made it official? Congratulations, squirt,” he said, reaching over to muss up her hair.

          “Thanks,” Sarah giggled. “It feels good having a real dad.”

          “I bet.” He said. “Glad to see him settling down officially. Y’know he was adopted too – guess he’s deciding to make it a family tradition.”

          Ororo smiled. “It’s quite a thing to see. Remy’s changed quite a bit since I first met him, and it’s been for the better.” She glanced down at her cutting board. “We were going to make enough for leftovers, but since you’re here there’s enough if you want some.”

          “Sure. Anything I can do to help”

          Ororo rolled her eyes and reached back to give him a shove toward the door. “We all know that you and cooking don’t mix, and I’d prefer my chicken not charred. Besides, you need to take a shower – it smells like you slept in a pile of cigarette butts.”

          Logan raised his hands in surrender. “Alright, alright, I know when I’m not needed. Be down in a few,” he said, and made his way to the stairs, taking them two at a time up to his room, the only thought in his mind was his hope that Rogue was doing alright.

+-*-*-**-*-*-+ +-*-*-**-*-*-+ +-*-*-**-*-*-+ +-*-*-**-*-*-+ +-*-*-**-*-*-+

          “Ready?” Remy asked quietly, placing a hand over Rogue’s on the armrest of the car in between them. They’d just parked in the lot near the church, and Rogue could see dozens of people making their way toward Northcrest Baptist Church.

          She took a breath, and then nodded. “Ah’m ready.”

          Remy opened his car door, and by the time she was getting out of her side he was already at the door, and took her hand to help her climb out. As he closed the door, she reached down and straightened her dress – a long black one with a slight ruffle to the skirt, which reached down to mid-calf. Remy had taken her out to a store before they’d come so they’d have something appropriate to wear for the funeral.

She glanced over to Remy, who was looking rather handsome in her opinion in his white dress shirt, dark suit and matching tie. He wasn’t wearing his usual black-framed, dark-lensed sunglasses, but rather a brown pair with thin rims, the lenses much less opaque but enough that they still disguised his red-on-black eyes. Rogue reached out and grabbed his hand firmly in her own which were clad in long black gloves that matched her dress. Her other hand automatically went up to pat at her hair, which had been pulled back into a bun piled up on the back of her head.

“You look fine, Chére,” Remy murmured, letting her slide her hand from his and then up into the crook of his elbow as she balanced precariously on her high-heels – something she’d almost never worn and was having trouble getting used to. “Just watch y’step.”

          “Thanks,” she said glancing down in time to see the curb surrounding the parking lot and step up onto the sidewalk that led to the entryway of the church. “Yah ever been to a Baptist service?”

          Remy shook his head. “Jus’ Catholic, Chére.”

          “Well, if it wasn’ a funeral Ah’d say it’d probably be a lot livelier, otherwise it’s pretty similar. Y’should be fine, Ah don’t think there’ll be a Communion, but they ask only Baptists ta participate.”

          He nodded, and glanced over to her, knowing that keeping herself talking was helping her deal with her anxiety. “Figured as much.”

          They rounded the side of the church and came up to the large archways, which had tall glass doors set within them, several people holding the doors open for people entering. Within, groups of people were scattered about, talking quietly amongst themselves. Near the entrance to the nave where the congregants sat, a short man who looked in his fifties stood. He was balding, with his remaining hair shaved close to his head, his face round and red-cheeked.

          They waited in a short line as he greeted those entering, until it was their turn to be greeted. He smiled brightly, and took Rogue’s hand. “Marie, I’m glad you could make it. It’s been so long, you’ve grown up beautifully.”

          Rogue flushed slightly. “Thank yah, it’s good t’see yah too.” She gestured to Remy, who moved forward to shake the man’s hand as well. “This’s Remy – Remy, this is Pastor Dan Lanier, he’s been pastor here since b’fore Ah was born.”

          The pastor chuckled. “Now you’re making me feel old,” he said. “So, is this just a visit, for the funeral?”

          Rogue smiled sadly. “Yeah.”

          Lanier nodded, shooting her a knowing look. “Well, it’s good to see you again, Marie – you’re always welcome here.”

          “Have… have yah seen mah parents?” Rogue asked hesitantly.

          Lanier shook his head. “Not yet, I know they were invited – most of the town was. I actually haven’t seen them outside of on the street every so often, ever since they left the church.”

          Rogue’s eyes widened. “They left?” At Lanier’s curious look, she clarified. “Ah… we had a fallin’ out when Ah left, and it’s gotten worse every time Ah call them. Ah haven’t heard from them in almost half a year now.”

          “That explains a lot,” Lanier said, shaking his head. “I’m sorry, they left the church about a year ago to join up with that new church that started up in town, up north by the North Hills shopping center, it’s one of those Church Of Humanity groups.”

          Remy reached up with his free hand and laid it over where hers rested on his arm, watching the pain of that news cross her face – not only was she estranged from them, but they’d actually gone and joined a rather rabidly anti-mutant church.

          “Thanks, Ah didn’ know,” she said, smiling weakly, before letting Remy lead her in through the doors of the nave, while Lanier turned to greet the people who had been standing behind him.

          Remy was about to speak quietly to her when they were met by Cody’s brother Robert, who was one of the ushers. He passed them each a bulletin of the service, and nodded toward the front of the church. “Ma wants you two up in the front two rows with the rest of the family.” He gestured over to a short line of people disappearing into another room. “The viewing’s in there, if y’want t’see him - jus' head up by Ma and the rest when you’re done.”

          “Alrigh’,” Rogue said quietly, and glanced at Remy before pulling on his arm in the direction of the viewing room. “Ah’d rather see him now,” she whispered to Remy.

          He nodded, and walked with her up to the line, and within a few minutes they were at the entrance to the room where the casket lay open.

          Rogue sucked in a deep breath, shifted her hand down his arm and to his own hand, and gripped it tightly as she took her first step into the room.

          Tears filled her eyes as she neared the coffin and she could see him, lying there so peacefully as if he were just asleep, waiting for someone to wake him up. He’d naturally aged a bit, even in the hospital in his coma, but he still had the same familiar boyish features she’d fallen for.

          “Cody,” she said in a shaking whisper, as she stared down at his closed eyes. “Ah’m sorry, for everythin’. Especially for bein’ too afraid to come back ‘til now.” Rogue swallowed heavily, and tightened her grip almost painfully on Remy’s hand.

          “Ah went on our trip – the one we planned together. Ended up in Canada an’ met some great friends – Ah think you’d like them. Ah know yah would tell me tah stop blamin’ mahself, an’ Ah’m trying. Ah’m glad yah finally have some peace – thank yah for everythin’.” She said waveringly, tears dripping down her cheeks. “Goodbye, Sugah, Ah’ll always remember yah.”

          She turned away slightly, her hold becoming even tighter on Remy’s hand. He hid a grimace, and handed her a handkerchief from his pocket. She used it to wipe at her eyes and nose, glad she’d thought beforehand to not wear any makeup that could run with her tears.

          Remy ran a thumb over the back of her hand, and then glanced down at Cody. “Wish I coulda known you,” he said quietly, “sounds like we woulda hit it off. Rest easy, I’ll watch over Marie for you, long as she’ll let me.”

          Rogue crumpled the handkerchief in her gloved hand, and smiled gratefully at Remy before they left the room together, and walked up to the second row of pews in the front. Cody’s uncle Jonathan had saved spaces for them behind Abigail and Paul, and they quietly took their places, Remy taking off his sunglasses and sliding them into his pocket, knowing only Cody’s family and the pastor would be able to see his eyes – he’d not wanted to cause any sort of stir on the way in.

          Abigail turned, and shot them a tremulous smile. She leaned in close over the back of the pew, and grabbed Rogue’s free hand. “Did y’ go to the viewin’ room?” She asked, looking knowingly at Rogue’s tear-reddened eyes.

          “Yeah. Said what Ah needed to... Thank yah again for invitin’ me – us” she said.

          Abigail nodded and patted her hand. “Y’welcome,” she said, as Robert came up the aisle and leaned down next to his father. Paul got up, as did several other male relatives including Jonathan next to Rogue and Remy, and they walked back toward the viewing room as Pastor Lanier went up to the front of the church and stood behind the pulpit.

          Several minutes later a slow, mournful tune began to play on the organ, as Robert, Paul, and the others carried Cody’s casket up the center aisle, and laid it to rest in front of the altar area before returning to their seats.

          The song ended, and then at a gesture from Lanier, they all stood up, opening their hymnals as instructed by the bulletin, and the music to the hymn ‘How Great Thou Art’ began to play to open the service.

+-*-*-**-*-*-+

As the music finished, Lanier stepped out to the middle of the altar area, directly above where Cody’s casket lay, and looked out at everyone in the pews.

          “On behalf of the Robbins family,” he began, a hint of a southern drawl more clear in his voice than had been when they’d spoken to him outside the nave. “I would like to thank you for being here today. We have come here today – some people call it a funeral service, others a memorial service – but for Cody we have come for celebration. To celebrate his life, both the one cut short here on this earth, and his eternal life with his Father in heaven. He was born David Cody Robbins, but I think all of us here just knew him as Cody, and most of us know he would want us not to mourn his passing, but remember instead the love, humor, and delight he brought into our lives.”

          “I’ve known Cody since he was only a few weeks old, and he’s always been a bright light in this church. I taught him for many years, and when he turned fourteen, he expressed his faith, and I baptized him. Afterwards he shared with me his favorite verse from the bible, and I think that it is one that is a comfort to all of us just as it was to him, and one that couldn’t be any more suitable for a gathering such as this.”

          “It’s from John, at the beginning of Chapter 14: ‘Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. And where I go you know, and the way you know.’”

          “Now, we know that Christ prepared a place for each of us to go when we die – he prepared heaven for our arrival, for when we are to be washed in his blood, and our sins forgiven, to live with him for eternity. Cody has already gone on before us, and his place is sure, as Christ promised to us,” Lanier said, gesturing out to them.

          “Cody doesn’t want us to weep for him, he wants us to rejoice for him, and for each other, even now that he is gone from our lives. There’s another verse that always comes to my mind when I hear those verses from John, and this one is from First Thessalonians, and is another beautiful and poignant passage: ‘For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. ’”
          “We don’t need to worry, or fear, as the Lord has promised that at the appointed time, we will join those who died before us, and shall always be with the Lord.” Lanier said, moving across the altar as he spoke.
          “Cody… he wanted to go to college, play football, and even dreamed of someday getting into the NFL. He dreamed of a family, and a home. He didn’t get to live out those dreams, and at the Lord’s choosing, instead left to his eternal home. But we’re still here. We can still live out our lives as Cody would have wanted us to, doing everything for the glory of God, and trying our best in all that we do: in memory of him and in faith to our Lord.”
          Rogue dabbed at her face with the now rather-wet handkerchief as Remy slid an arm around her shoulder.
          Lanier continued with several more verses and a number of more light-hearted stories about some of the things young Cody had gotten up to at the church, before turning them back to a hymn, ‘Abide With Me’, as the service continued.
+-*-*-**-*-*-+
          As the final notes of Amazing Grace faded in the air, the ushers came along and dismissed them, row by row, to wait outside as the casket was loaded into a hearse for the funeral procession down to the cemetery. Remy and Rogue stuck close to the Robbins family, and joined them at the graveside where the casket was to be interred. Pastor Lanier said a few more words and gave a reading of Psalm 23, and then each of them came up, one-by-one, to place a rose on the casket.
          When all of the family and close friends had said their final goodbyes, they traveled back to the church, where members of the church had set up a large reception outside, complete with long folding tables covered with food for everyone.
          As everyone milled around outside the church, Rogue and Remy found themselves toward the outer area of the gathering while people surrounded Abigail and Paul and the rest of their family, expressing their condolences. They were standing near a tall maple tree, speaking to an energetic woman in her sixties, named Linda Roske, who had apparently known Rogue since she was a little child, and Remy let them catch up.
          “So are you sure we can’t tempt you into moving back, Marie?” Linda asked her, a hopeful look on her face. “The town just hasn’t been the same since you left.”
          Rogue smiled. “Ah’m sorry Linda, but as much as Ah love it here, Ah’ve found mah home, a place Ah can really belong, even more than here.”
          Linda nodded. “I understand, it was like that for me when I moved down here to be with Bob. I was a Midwest girl, but something about this place really clicked with me. Well… at least try to visit a bit more often, alright honey? It’s amazing to see how much you’ve grown, and how mature you’ve become.” Linda moved forward and pulled her into a hug. “You take care now, okay Marie?”
          “Ah will,” Rogue said warmly as the shorter woman pulled back from the hug. “Y’take care too. An’ tell Bob Ah said hi, an’ to start listenin’ when y’tell him he shouldn’ eat his oysters raw.”
          Linda guffawed, “I’ll tell him that, maybe next time he’ll be well and able to come around and see you.”
          Rogue leaned her head on Remy’s shoulder as Linda walked away, and found another friend to talk to.
          “You holdin’ up?” Remy murmured into her hair as he pressed a kiss to the top of her head.
          “Yeah,” she said, nodding her head against his chin. “Ah’m doin’ alri- oh, damn,” she broke off her sentence, and he glanced down and saw her scrunch her eyes shut.
          Across the yard, a man and a woman were walking almost purposefully toward them. The man was slim, his brown hair receding with white hairs peppering a well-trimmed moustache. The woman was short and somewhat dumpy looking, with her curly brown hair flowing messily down to her mid-back. Her face had a somewhat pinched expression, as if she had recently swallowed something incredibly bitter.
          “Your parents?” Remy murmured, and Rogue opened her eyes again and sighed heavily.
          “Yeah. John an’ Donna D’Ancanto. Any chance of makin’ a run for it?”
          Remy chuckled softly. “Non. You got to face them. I’m here wit’ you, I’ll be right here de whole time.”
          “Traitor,” she muttered weakly as her parents neared the two of them.
          “Hi, mama, pa,” Rogue said quietly to them.
          “How dare you?” Donna hissed. “How dare you show your face here, of all places, at the funeral of the boy you killed. And to have the gall to sit up front by his family after you murdered their boy.”
          Rogue’s eyes narrowed. “’Well hello to you too, Marie, how have you been doing up in New York?’” she said mockingly of the ‘greeting’ she’d received. “Mama, Ah ‘dare’ to come here because Abigail an’ Paul invited me here. They treat me like a human bein’, not some lowlife piece of trash like yah seem to think of me as. They love me more than mah own parents seem to.”
          Donna shook her head. “You’re a disgraceful liar. Sometimes I wonder why we didn’t see you for what you were when you let Anna die in that river. For all we know, y’drowned her yourself!”
          Rogue’s head rocked back as if slapped, and Remy saw a tear slip down her cheek at those words about her dead sister.
          “Listen here,” Remy said, breaking in, his tone dangerous. “You two created a beautiful, intelligent daughter, an’ now that you found out she’s a mutant, you tossed her aside like a piece of trash. Y’don’ even appreciate what a wonderful person she is. You make me sick.”
          Donna laughed cruelly. “Daughter? She was never our daughter.” Her husband John shot her a firm look, but she seemed to ignore him. “Anna was our daughter, our real daughter. Marie was nothing but a freak that we got tricked into taking.”
          “W-what do you mean?” Rogue asked, her face paling slightly.
          Donna shook her head. “You’re not our child. The doctor told us we’d never have kids, that I was essentially infertile. So we decided to adopt. And the adoption agency gave us you. You seemed like a normal little girl, but you turned out to be nothing more than a cuckoo’s egg that we got tricked inta hatchin’. Just a few months after we brought you home, I got pregnant with Anna. She was our little miracle child. And because of you, she’s dead – you let her die when you were supposed to be watchin’ her. We should have seen the signs then, that there was somethin’ wrong with you, but we didn’t, and now a boy is dead as well, because of what you are.”
          Rogue was sure her legs would have given out underneath her if she hadn’t had such a firm grip on Remy’s hand and arm with both of her hands. This hadn’t been how she’d envisioned this confrontation at all, and it felt like her entire world was coming down around her head. ‘Adopted?’ She knew she hadn’t looked much like either of them, but she’d always looked like Anna. Was that just a fluke? Did she really have some parents out there she never knew about?
          She knew the reason her mother was telling her this here, and now of all places, was out of spite, but did that mean she could be making it up as well?
          “Ah…. Ah don’ believe you,” Rogue said, her voice now icy. “You’re lyin’.”
          The last hopes of it being something hurtful her mother had come up with went out the window when she saw her father, who was the more level-headed one, the less argumentative one, shake his head.
          “I’m sorry, Marie.” He shot a glare at his wife. “We shouldn’t have told you like this, but it’s true. We got you in a closed adoption. Anna was our only biological child. We… I’m sorry, we didn’t sign up for this, for raising a mutant. They told us you were perfectly healthy, and there was nothing wrong with you. If we’d known, we’d have made sure you went to stay with your kind, before anything happened,” he said, looking over toward the Robbins family.
          Rogue shook her head, tears running town and dripping from her chin. “Ah don’t even know yah. Y-you two aren’ the people who raised me. Those people were nice, an’ kind. You’re bigots, her more than you,” Rogue said, jabbing a finger at Donna , “but bigots all th’same. Ah’m glad you’re not mah blood, if yah were Ah’d be ashamed of it. Anna woulda been ashamed of yah too. Ah don’ ever wanna see either of yah again. Yah have fun at your little anti-mutant KKK church, an’ leave these decent folk alone.” She said, before she turned, ignoring the growing number of people around them beginning to watch the confrontation, and marched off toward the church.
          Remy’s fists were clenched, and he stared at the two for a moment, before slowly removing his sunglasses. He heard a few gasps amongst those of the reception who had been watching, but no reaction was more extreme than John and Donna’s. the both paled and took a step back, and then another as he stepped closer to them, his voice dangerously low.
          “You’re pathetic, calling yourself parents and rejecting a girl when she needed you de most, and bringin’ dis up, of all times. De Robbins’ are more a family to her than you ever were. She’s got family and friends, here an’ in her new home, an’ I agree wit’ her – never show your faces to her again. Y’won’ like my response if you do. Now get de hell outta here, and leave Marie – an’ the people here tryin’ t’show their support for a family that lost a young man – in peace.”
          Remy had been so focused on them, and the direction Rogue had gone in, he didn’t even notice Abigail had come up behind him.
          She moved up next to him, and placed a hand on his shoulder, looking at the D’Ancantos. “That girl is one of th’ sweetest, most carin’ y’could ever meet - an' I think deep down you know that too, beneath your hatred for mutants. Not one person in my family blame her for what happened, an’ neither should anyone else here. It was an accident. There ain’t any controllin’ somethin’ like that.”
She glared at them. “I invited y’here as a courtesy, because y’knew Cody. I didn’ invite you here to treat your daughter – adopted or not – like that, because she don’ deserve none of that. Please leave. Now.”
Abigail’s eyes swept over those gathered nearby, catching a few guilty looks from those who clearly had been thinking the same lines as John and Donna, toward Rogue, but most had a similar look of distaste directed toward the two interlopers. Donna and John seemed to sense the same general sentiment, and quickly turned and left without a word.
Abigail patted Remy’s shoulder. “Go on, honey, go after her.”
He smiled, and leaned down to kiss her cheek, leaving her blushing. “Yes ma’am.”
“Oh, off with you, ‘fore Paul starts thinking of gettin' out his shotgun t’protect me from Cajun charmers.” She said, pushing him in the direction of the church.
+-*-*-**-*-*-+
          Remy found her inside the church, on one of the front pews, her arms wrapped around herself, the handkerchief he’d given her now sodden. She was muttering quietly, either talking to herself or more likely to Carol. He quietly sat down next to her, and slid an arm around her shoulders, which were jerking in silent sobs, and he let her turn her head, leaning her face into his shoulder.
          “They’re gone now. Me an’ Abigail chased ‘em off.” Remy whispered, as he ran a hand up and down her back.
          “Thanks.” Rogue mumbled into his chest, beginning to calm herself against him.
          She pulled back slightly several minutes later, and used the now rather sad-looking handkerchief to wipe at her nose. “How could they do this to me? How could they have never told me?”
          “I don’ know, Chére. But I know she did it now, to hurt you. Y’can’t let her. You got your own family –Me, Sarah, Logan, Everyone else at de Institute, an’ y’got yourself some real great ones right here with Abigail an’ her family. You don’ need dem.”
          “Ah know,” she said, her voice pained, ragged. “If this is how they really are, Ah’m glad Ah’m not really theirs. But… Anna, Ah always thought she was mah sister-“
          Remy placed a finger to her lips. “Non, Chére. You were her sister, an’ she was yours. Blood don’ change dat fact. Even if my pére were de worst person in de world, it wouldn’ make Henri suddenly not my frère.” He ran a hand along her jaw. “They can’t take dat from you.”
          Rogue nodded slowly, her eyes locking with his. “You’re right, Sugah.” She closed her eyes, a wry grin appearing on her lips. “Yeah, yah were right too, Carol.”
          Remy leaned forward and brushed a kiss over her forehead. “Y’can’t argue wit’ both of us.”
          “Remy?” Rogue asked hesitantly, clutching his suit. “Can we look for them? Mah… birth parents? Ah’d just like to know, y’know?”
          “Yeah, I know what y’mean.” He sighed, looking away, toward the cross that hung on the wall above the altar. “We’ll try, Chére. I never found mine, but if dey used an adoption agency, we should be able to find yours. Might be a little outside of legal, but if anyone could it’d be Dan.”
          Rogue’s smile lit up her face, and she leaned in and kissed him lightly on the lips, before pulling him into a tight hug. “Guess yah got a way of drawin’ a certain type of girl t’you,” she said. “Sarah, jus’ adopted, glad she has nothin’ to do with her birth father; me, adopted an’ wishin’ Ah knew mah birth parents an’ not wantin’ anythin’ to do with mah adoptive parents.”
          Remy chuckled. “Don’ forget Stormy, she grew up alone in Africa, never knew her parents. Guess I jus’ attract fellow orphans t’me for some reason.”
          She moved slightly, resting her chin on his chest so she was looking up toward him. “Y’think we can maybe stay till tomorrow? Ah’d like to spend more time here, with Abbie.”
          He nodded. “We’ll stay as long as y’want. You get your closure, I’ll be right here wit’ you while y’do it.”
+-*-*-**-*-*-+ +-*-*-**-*-*-+ +-*-*-**-*-*-+ +-*-*-**-*-*-+ +-*-*-**-*-*-+

A/N: Hope you enjoyed this, I know it’s been ages but hopefully some of my readers are still around and willing to give it a go, as well as new folks willing to pick it up. Lots of emotional turmoil for our poor little Rogue, but she’ll be the better for it in the future.

I got inspired to pick this up again when a friend of mine gave me a bunch of the Marvel/DC movies that came out the last few years that I’ve missed. X-Men First Class was excellent (as was Avengers – best movie ever! – and the related films like Captain America). Watching First Class made me wish Matthew Vaughn (who directed it) had stayed on with X-Men The Last Stand (he was brought in as the director after Singer left, and left because things were too crazy production-wise).

Now I hear they are doing a X-Men 4 directed by Brian Singer (who did the first two and sadly left during the third – his plans sounded excellent and would have been my first choice followed by Vaughn), and it’s going to be a Days Of Future Past one, and somehow meld the folks from the original 3 movies (woohoo, we get the same actress for Kitty in two movies in a row!), with the First Class movie – Days of Future Past is one of my fave storylines and with Singer back, I think it’s gonna be a great film. Oh, and Peter Dinklage is going to be the villain = win!

Also, it seems they’re rebooting Fantastic Four, and it will share a continuity with the X-men movies which is interesting.

Next chapter will be rather less Remy/Rogue centric and focus on a number of the other characters, including what’s going on with Genosha, and with Sooraya and Alex.

Thanks for reading!
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X4: The Queen Of Hearts