Chapter 7
"C'mon, baby, just a few
more quick bites. Just finish your lunch. Momma got a class to teach in a few
minutes." Rogue pleaded to the little green-eyed boy sitting in the high
chair next to her. Jeremy still refused to open his mouth.
"C'mon, baby boy. Be good
for Momma. Ah know yah don' like the carrots, but it's only a lil' bit. And
carrots will make you into a good strong healthy boy. You want to be big and
strong one day, don' yah?" Rogue desperately proposed to him.
Jeremy pursed his lips together
as thought about his mother's reasoning. Finally he asked, "Strong 'n big
like unca Wolvie?"
"Yah, Jeremy. Like your
big strong Uncle Wolvie. If you eat enough of these carrots here, you might
even be bigger than him one day. Wouldn' tat be a sight?" Rogue answered,
as she tried to push the carrots towards Jeremy. Feeling that his mother might
resort to begging soon, Jeremy opened his mouth as he accepted the spoonful of
carrots.
As Jeremy was chewing his last
spoonful of carrots, Logan walks in to the kitchen of the Xavier Mansion with
his face buried in the newspaper.
"UNCA WOLVIE!" Jeremy
screamed with delight as bits of carrots went flying out of his mouth.
Logan looked up, and saw the
smiling little boy and his fuming mother covered in half chewed carrots. By the
look of Rogue's face, he felt almost responsible for what the little boy just
did. "Hey Kid. Made quite a mess, eh? Why don't you and I clean up while
your mom cleans herself up and go teach that class of hers?" Logan
suggested, as Rogue's face softened.
"Thanks, Logan for
babysitting and all while Ah teach. Have fun, Jeremy." Rogue said as she
kissed her little boy's head and sprinted out of the kitchen before Logan can
change his mind.
"Well, kid, let's clean
you up." Logan said as he picked up the child, and smelled a rather
unpleasant stench coming from the kid.
"Unca Wolvie, let go beat
bad guys wit claws?" Jeremy requested to his godfather eagerly.
"Trust me, Jeremy. I'd
face Magneto, Apocalypse, and Sinister over changing your diaper anyday."
Logan muttered to himself, as he carried the kid, grabbed his diaper bag, and
went in search for the nearest bathroom.
* * *
Rogue walked tiredly out of the
danger room. Her class was just dismissed and she was feeling exhausted. She
had just run the very first Magneto danger room course with her senior mutant
students. Although they had been very excited, keeping up with those teenagers
sure tired her out. It was a little strange that a level 3 Magneto session
would tired her out, but perhaps it's due to her absence from being an active
X-Man. Her last mission with the X-Men was six months after Jeremy's birth. She
and the X- Men had traveled to Los Angeles because of rumours that Juggernaut
was causing havoc there. Although, Rogue was almost completely invulnerable,
she realized that she had come close to meeting her end. It was then and there
that she decided to stop going on missions. Her son did not have his father,
and he was definitely not going to lose his mother.
She walked up the stairs to the main entrance of the Xavier mansion. The memory
of the day that she moved out came back to her. It was about a year ago.
Professor Xavier had suggested that if she wasn't going to be an active X-Man,
she could be a teacher at the Xavier Institute instead. Many new mutant
students were coming to the Xavier Institute to learn how to control their
powers. Still wanting to be a part of the team, Rogue gladly accepted.
Her decision to move out, however, was based on the fact that she wanted to
give Jeremy everything she never had. She bought the little three bedroom house
in the suburbs close to the mansion, because she wanted Jeremy to have a stable
home. Moreover, Rogue did not want to put Jeremy in a place where anything
could happen. She knew how hectic it can be living at the mansion, and she did
not want her son to live in a place where threats from human and mutants a
like, came constantly. Although the mansion was probably one of the safest
places to be for a mutant, she knew that a sentinel, or apocolypse, or any
other dangers could easily come to the mansion anytime and unleash their
wraths. Simply, she refused to put her son at risk.
Rogue turned into the rec room, and sat down on the couch. She knew she should
go find Logan and fetch her son, but a very much needed alone time was
necessary for her tiresome body and mind. She closed her eyes, and just
recollected about her life. She knew she was happy. Her son was healthy and
boisterous, and she loved him so much. He was her everything. She had a stable
job, a great group of supportive friends and teammates, and a cozy home for her
little family. Yet, she knew something was missing. Or more specifically, he
was missing. Remy.
It wasn't as if she was waiting for him to come back to her. She knew that it
was over, but the dream she had last night still gave her a chills. She was so
worried about him. She hadn't had contact with him since that night in New
Orleans, and for all she really knows, he's fine. The dream though, it had felt
so real. What stung the most was that in her dream, Remy was all tied up and
beaten pretty bad, but he had looked up straight into her eyes, and said
"Please don't leave me again. I need you." That was the last bit of
her dream before she woke up. Her eyes filled with tears as she remembered
those words.
"Momma?" Rogue heard her little boy say behind her. She wiped her
eyes quickly and tried to put on a happy face for her son. She turned around,
and saw the little boy in Logan's arms.
"Hiya sugah. Did you have fun with Unca Wolvie today?" Rogue asked as
she got up and walked to Logan to take her boy into her arm.
"Yeah, Rogue, about as much fun as anyone can have with a two year old.
Man, that kid sure needs to go a lot. I changed his diaper about three times
within the two hours you were gone." Logan commented.
"You think changing three diapers within a two hour period is bad, wanna
switch and see how bad it can really get in a day?" Rogue challenged.
"Umm, I think I'll pass, Rogue." A very smart Logan replied.
"Momma!" Jeremy exclaimed as he clearly wanted the attention to be
back on him. Rogue looked down at her little boy with full attentiveness.
"Unca Wolvie show J'remy claws. Big claws. Strong and healthy. Unca must
eat lotsa carrots like J'remy." Jeremy proudly said to his mother as if
that was some sort of accomplishment that he achieved.
"Ah'm sure he does, baby boy. Now, thank Unca Wolvie for playing wit you
today." Rogue told him, as she brought Jeremy up to Logan's face.
"Thank yah, Unca Wolvie. J'remy had great time." The little boy said
as he gave his godfather a kiss on the cheek.
"Anytime, kid, anytime." Logan responded genuinely and gave the kid a
pat on the head.
Logan handed over the diaper bag, as Rogue fumbled for the keys in her purse.
Logan walked the two to the door.
"Now, if you two need anything, just call okay?" Logan told them as
he watched them get into Rogue's car.
"No worries, Wolvie. Ah will. Thanks! We'll see ya tomorrow! Bye"
Rogue said, as she started up her car and drove away.
* * *
~Half an Hour Later~
A motorcycle pulls up to the
Xavier Mansion. The driver got off the bike and just stood and stared up at the
big house that had been his home for the better part of his life. Here was
where he learned that he had meaning in life. He learned it through being a
part of the X-Men, and on a more personal level, through loving Rogue. Thinking
about it, made him realize how much he missed it all. Before he had everything.
Now, he had nothing. He never allowed himself to think about it much, but he
was so sick and tired of being alone. Sure, he would often surround himself
with a bunch of drunks down at the bar, or with ladies he picked up for one
night stands, but those people meant absolutely nothing to him. He wanted to
feel alive again. It was then and there that he knew he wanted to be an X-Man
again.
Get real, Remy. They don't want
you. For what you did, you'd be lucky if they even open the door to see you.
They'll never want a murderer like you on the team. Just knock on the door, see
if Rogue's fine, and leave. Simple as that. His head reminded him again. Gambit
shook his head, and was about to succumb to the self-hating side of his mind.
No, he thought, not this time.
I am sick of being by myself. I
am sick of not knowing why I even allow myself to live. I am sorry, and no
matter how hard I try I know I will never be able to go back and change what
happened to the Morlocks. For the rest of my life, I know I will live with the
fact that I'm hugely responsible for what happened to them, but me living the
way I do is not helping anyone. I'm going to go in there, and see what happens.
If by some small chance they will take me back, I know I will not screw it up
this time. It's time for me to be someone, and do some good instead of doing
nothing at all. Gambit thought, and for what seems like the first time, he was
thinking clearly.
He straightened himself up, and
walked up to the door, and knocked.
The door opened, and standing
there was a very grumpy looking Wolverine. "What do you want, bub?"
Logan said before he even looked at who was standing there.
"Nice t' see you too,
Logan." Remy simply said.
Logan looked up and finally
realized who was standing there. He observed Remy, and took a whiff of his
scent to be sure that it was the Cajun.
"What are you doing here,
Gumbo?" Logan asked cautiously.
"I'm doing good too.
Thanks for asking. How are you?" Remy answered with a friendly tone.
"That ain't what I asked,
Cajun." Wolverine stated coldly.
Knowing that Wolverine probably
won't let up, Gambit decided to just give him a straight up answer. "Well,
I just wanted to know if Rogue was fine."
"What's it to you?"
Wolverine snapped, as he thought about how the Cajun had left Rogue to raise
the child alone.
"Look, mon ami, I just
want to know she's okay. Can I see her?" Remy asked hopefully.
"Let's get one thing
straight, we ain't friends. Rogue ain't here either. She left." Logan
answered bluntly.
"Left? Where did she go?
How long has she been gone? Is she okay?" Remy questioned anxiously.
Logan sighed as he finally came
to the understanding that the Cajun still loved Rogue. "She's fine. Look,
she moved out and moved on with her life. I'll tell you where you can find her,
since you're going to find out somehow anyway. I warn you though, think before
you re-enter her life. She's already been through enough, and she's finally
happy. Don't mess it up, or you'll answer to me." Wolverine threatened as his
claws on his right hand shot out.
"Thanks, Wolverine."
Remy replied gratefully.
"I ain't doing it for
you." Logan simply stated.