Someone Else’s Song - Chapter 4

 

 

 

     Gambit and Rogue sat on a large blue blanket next to a large oak tree with the remains of their meal spread all around them.

    "Hank really did it dis time," Remy said looking at the left-over burgers, hot dogs and steaks, " Dat stuff was amazin'."

    Rogue popped a chip in her mouth and nodded in agreement. Taking a sip of her soda she looked over at the nearby lake and watched the fireflies flicker in the coming darkness. Gambit watched her profile in the fading light. She had worn her hair up for their date, but never one for any kind of restrictions, she had taken it down soon after they left the cabin. The loose, wavy tendril blew slightly in the fresh gentle breeze. Gambit resisted the urge to run his fingers through them and smooth them away from her face.

    Rogue sighed deeply.

    "You okay, Cherie?" Remy asked, " Don' sound like you in de best of moods..."

    "No, Ah'm fine. This was great, Remy. Ah had a good time."

    "Me too," he whispered, moving closer to her.

    He placed an arm around her shoulders as she rested her weight against him. They sat in silence for a few moments before Remy spoke.

    " Penny f'r your thoughts, belle." He felt her smile.

    "Ah was jus' thinkin' 'bout how lucky Ah am," she turned to look at him, "Lucky, to have you Remy. You make me happier than Ah ever remember being."

    "Non. I'm de lucky one here, chere. You make me feel like I have a second chance. Dat all de t'ings I've done...maybe day not so bad if I have you."

    Rogue blushed and looked away from his eyes, "Ah ain't that great of a prize Remy, unless you haven't noticed."

    " De only prize I need, Chere."

    "Ah love you, Remy." Rogue looked him square in the eyes, "More'n anything."

    Gambit felt a stinging behind his eyes, "I love you, too mon amour."

    Rogue ran her gloved fingers over his lips, yearning more than anything to kiss him. Gambit would like nothing better than for her to do just that, but for both their sakes, he broke the spell.

    "We forgot de wine."

    "What?"

    " De wine...we left it back at de cabin."

    " Oh."

    "I'll be right back."

    " Okay," Rogue pulled away in disappointment. She wasn't going to kiss him. Lord knows how she wanted to, but she'd never hurt him like that on purpose.

    Gambit noticed her mood change. Squatting down, he took one of her hands, " Don' you go runnin' off wit' any wild woodsmen while I'm gone. I'd hate to get blood dis suit..."

    Rogue smiled as he kissed her hand and began walking toward the cabin.

 

 

 

    Remy had returned a few moments later with a bottle of wine and two glasses.

 

    "Well, Chere...what should we toast?"

 

    Rogue thought for a moment, "To downtime...may we one day have a little."

 

    "Amen," Remy laughed and clanked their glasses together.

 

    Again they sat in silence, knowing that tomorrow they would be back home and wouldn't get this luxury of simply enjoying one another's company.

 

    Suddenly, Remy moved to sit directly in front of Rogue.

 

    "Chere, I got somet'in' for you," he reached into his pocket and produced the small box.

 

    "What is it?"

 

    "Open it," he handed her the box. Looking at him uncertainly, she did.

 

    She gasped as her eyes came to rest on a pair of sparkling diamond earrings. She looked up at him with a smile.

 

    "Put dem on."

 

    Taking them out of the box, she put them on.

 

    "Beautiful. You like dem?"

 

    "You know Ah do. Thank you," she threw her arms around his neck.

 

    He hugged her to him and stroked her hair softly. He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. She smelled like honeysuckle. She squeezed him one last time and pulled away to look him in the face.

 

    "Mind if Ah ask the occasion?"

 

    Gambit opened his mouth to answer when something beyond her caught his eye.

 

    "Get down!" He threw her to the ground and shielded her with his body as the shot rang out.

 

    "What de hell?!?!"

 

    "Come on!" Taking him in her arms, Rogue launched them into the sky.

 

    "What's happenin'? Who would attack us here?"

 

    Rogue opened her mouth to answer, but instead of words, a chilling scream emerged from her throat as a bullet tore through her side. Then , suddenly, the coulpe began free falling.

 

    "Chere?!? What's wrong?"

 

    "Ah--Ah'm hit. Oh mah god. It hurts...I cain't--cain't concentrate on flyin'...you gotta get clear Remy." Unwilling to let him take the fall with her, Rogue tossed him toward a tree as gently as she could with her remaining strength.

 

    Landing safely on a branch, Remy could do nothing but watch as the woman he loved plunged into the ground.

 

    "T'ank de Lord dat girl is invulnerable," he said as he began making his way down the tree, "But how de hell did a bullet hurt her?"

 

    Slowly Rogue looked around her at the small crater she created when she hit the ground. "Hope Remy landed better than Ah did."

 

    She placed her hands on the ground to push herself up and cried out as the wound in her side hindered her movement.

 

    "Guess Ah won't be movin' anytime soon..." she wiped the tears from her eyes, "What the hell kinda weapon was that?"

 

    "You okay, Chere?" Remy landed on the ground beside her, his voice thick with concern.

 

    "Ah'm bleedin'...and Ah don't think Ah can walk...it hurts really bad," new tears ran down her cheeks and she brushed them away with her dirty hand, "Opal's gonna kill me. Her dress is ruined."

 

    "If Opal's got a problem den she can deal wit' me," He knelt beside her and examined her wound, "Dis looks really bad, Rogue. We gotta get you to Beast now."

 

    "I don't think so, mutant."

 

    In a split second Gambit whirled towards the voice, charged cards in both of his hands.

 

    "Alright now, none of that," Another voice, this time from behind him. He looked over his shoulder. Two more men with guns surrounded them.

 

    "What is dis?" Gambit growled.

 

    "We ain't got no beef with you pretty boy. We just want the girl."

 

    "Well den, I guess you do have beef wit' me den. 'Cause ain't none o' you touchin' de girl."

 

    Several guns were cocked all around them. Remy estimated that he and Rogue were surrounded by no less than seven men.

 

    "Remy..."

 

    "Quiet petite. What's your business with her?"

 

    "Our business is none of yours. Now are you gonna move outta the way or are we gonna have to move you with one of these Adamantium bullets."

 

        Realization dawned on Rogue. Adamantium. The indestructible man-made steel. Logan's skeleton was laced with the stuff. But the chemical composition is a government classified secret. How did these punks get it? At least now she knew how the bullets were able to hurt her. Frantically she looked around at their attackers. She counted at least seven men out in the open, maybe more hidden in the woods. She turned her attention back to Remy and the man who appeared to be their leader.

 

    "We have to bring her in. We are not authorized to take any other prisoners. If you don't move, we will shoot."

 

    "No! Please---"

 

    "Shut up, Rogue. Dey ain't gonna shoot me an' dey ain't takin' you no where."

 

    Suddenly Remy fell to his knees as another shout rang out.

 

    "Gambit!"

 

    She heard his moans and heavy labored breathing. That was all the motivation she needed. Ignoring her own bullet wound, Rogue hurled herself toward the man who shot Gambit. She knocked him into a tree and heard a satisfying breaking noise as his body hit it. She cried out and fell to her knees when another bullet ripped through her left thigh.

 

    She felt weak and defeated, but seeing Remy sprawled on the ground, a puddle of blood surrounding him enraged her to the point where she felt no pain. With an almost savage cry, Rogue threw herself into battle again.

 

    One of the soldiers raised his gun, ready to fire on her again.

 

    "No," his leader stopped him.

 

    "Sir?" he watched as the mutant woman pounded his friends.

 

    "Another shot might kill her. I have a better way."

 

    Rogue tossed the men away from her left and right, not giving any of them a chance to raise a hand against her.

 

    "Mutant!"

 

    She turned to look at the leader and was prepared to charge him, but the sight before her shook her to the bone. Every ounce of fight she had left drizzled away as she saw the man hold Remy up by his hair and press a foot long knife against his exposed throat.

 

    "Surrender. Now."

 

    She didn't have a choice. She fell to her knees in agony and defeat. The leader smiled and nodded to the other man, "Give it to her."

 

The soldier nodded and stepped toward Rogue. He took something out of his bag and held it out to her. Her blood ran cold. With eyes as big as saucers she looked to the leader.

 

    "Take it."

 

    Slowly, she held her hand out and took the Genoshan salve collar from the young man's hand.

 

    "Put it on."

    She didn't move. The man dug the knife into Gambit's throat. A small trickle of blood ran down the knife. Adamantium bullets. Genoshan slave collars. A knife to Remy's throat. This was her worst nightmare come true.

 

    "Now. Or I will kill him."

 

    "C-chere...don'...don' do it..."

 

    "Ah don't have a choice," she fastened the collar.

 

    "Glad you see it that way," He released Gambit who fell face first into the ground with a groan. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a remote control. He pressed a button to activate the collar. Rogue felt instantly light-headed.

 

    "She's harmless now. Let's go."

 

    As two of the men took her by the arms, Rogue's eyes never left Gambit's.

 

    "Chere..."

 

    The two men lifted her to her feet. She cried out as she was forced to put weight on her wounded leg.

 

    "Damnit," Remy muttered, unable to stand the thought of her hurt and at the mercy of these men, "She's hurt. You can' expect her to walk on dat leg."

 

    The leader of the soldiers walked toward Gambit.

 

    "You bastard," he spat.

 

    The last thing Gambit remembered was the man's boot kicking him in the face, and then everything went dark.

 

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