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Nobody else remembered. When reality was restored their memories were erased. Sent away, evaporated. It was like the world had never ended, for them. This left Remy in a prison of his own memories. One of his own making that he could not escape no matter how much thought he devoted to it.

Wanda cast a worldwide, reality warping spell in a fit of insanity and rage. Mutants had been hunted to near extinction after Jean's powers manifested in a deadly way. Magneto was a father figure to him, like Charles. A leader. He actually fought for mutant kind. And, Rogue was by his side. She laid her life on the line for the cause, using her powers to be a living will and testament to all the fallen mutants.

He loved her. Remy had never loved anything in his life, but he knew that he loved her. She made him believe in a future, a peaceful place and time for them. That the fighting would someday will all be worth it. Like her mentor used to believe, in a time before all of this.

Then, he woke up. Things Were Back The Way They Used To Be. This made sense, too. Bayville. Apocalypse. New Orleans. But, his memories of that alternate timeline were so real. They were as real and tangible in his head as his knowledge of this world. He didn't have to stalk the school very long to see none of them remembered. Most of them hadn't existed, and Rogue was the same. Life carried on. Only he lived with the shadows of another life.

And, he couldn't keep himself away from her, a girl barely out of high school. He remembered every touch, every battle, every moment by her side... And she remembered nothing.

She was content with her mansion life, her eyes not prying the horizon searching for him. Wondering where he was. Laying awake and yearning to touch him, again. Fever dreams of his face haunting her at night. He had experienced a lot, but this fake connection to the girl who was not fond of him on his best day; this was a new cruelness. He forced himself far away, lest he make a fool of himself and that poor girl uncomfortable. They would see him gaze at her with a lifetime of love. Like she was the air he breathed. They wouldn't like that.

He had been sneaking in her room, rearranging her things, smelling her perfume. He couldn't sweat her out of his system no matter how hard he tried (and he tried). He tried with alcohol and other girls, but nothing seemed to help. Her alabaster skin, dark makeup, haunting grey eyes. They were all he could think of. His obsession drove him back into the arms of Nathaniel Essex.

But, when team led by the girl found him in Mr. Sinister's lab, things all became a lot more complicated.

She appeared to him in the outfit from his memories. From his dreams. She stared at him as she slowly pulled back a black hood, her face unimpressed. Sage green eyes stared back from beneath wavy, shoulder length hair. He couldn't read her expression, though. Silver bangs were like a halo framing her face. Her X-Men uniform had changed, he noticed. It seemed to cling to her tighter, more of a variation of green and black with gunmetal boots. Shrouded in a dark cape.

The girl had to be out of high school, now? She's certainly filled out some, he felt his earlobes burning as he looked her up and down. He feels a little less bad about his infatuation gone obsession. He loves her and she can barely tolerate him. It was a pain, a pain he was beginning to like out of necessity. She stared at him as though she were bored, like she already knew how this would go. He can see her short friend behind her, her dark hair cropped into a stylish bob.

He sees her adopted sibling standing nearby, tail swishing as he examined him. He looked mostly the same as Remy remembered him, scowling on the bank of the bayou. The joker, the ice mutant, Bobby Drake. And a blonde he does not recognize. But, he cannot keep his eyes off of her. Her skin is luminous in Sinister's cramped lab. After a few seconds, they all seem to notice. But, she's as cool as ever.

"Gambit," She begins, and he can't help but scramble to his feet.

She reached up and tied the sun bleached cloth to keep Remy's shaggy, unkempt hair out of his eyes. He smiled at her ginger, delicate touch."There ya go." She says, rifling gloved hands through the strands. He caught her hand and gazed at her, red and black eyes shining with longing. He loved her so much. They had no hope, humans were going to destroy them. Every last mutant.

And still, with her, he could smile. Have hope. He pulled her close to him, frowning over her shoulder as they looked around. It was getting harder to keep them safe. Her safe. Every day was another war. "Smile, Gambit." He looked down at her in surprise. She could always tell his mood. Smile in a world where the Phoenix ate New York city? A world that was essentially over? For her, he would try.

"Sure, petite. Sure."

Rogue was chewing on gum as Gambit continued to stand and gawk at her. It would be unnerving if she wasn't privy to knowledge of how weird of a person he was. Eccentric was an understatement. Some time in her head had shown her that. She just folded her arms and waited for him to be somewhat normal. "Hello?" The blonde jock he wasn't familiar with began to speak.

"What is the matter with him?" He asked, unimpressed. They were all acting nonchalant after finding him in the mutant equivalent of Dr. Menegle's lab.

"That was pretty much you the first time you saw Rogue," Bobby started to the elbowing of Kurt. His sister's hotness was not up for discussion. Rogue didn't pay them any mind.

"Lune de ma vie..." He whispered, making Kitty scratch her head. He started towards her, arms outstretched.

"M-Moon... What? I wasn't good at french..." She cocked an eyebrow between and looked between them as he tried to hug her. 'Did I miss something?' Rogue huffed in exasperation.

"Moon of my, hey!" She jerked back as he reached out for her hand. "Wha'ddya think ya doin'!" She cried shrilly, her face becoming red. This was weird behavior, even for him. "Gambit-"

"Hey, buddy." The jock was getting red faced now. Who was this corny cajun, and where did he get off acting like that with Rogue, of all people? Augustus was an easy going guy, but not right now. "Relax a little bit." The cajun didn't pay him any mind. He was busy looking for any sign of memory in Rogue's eyes. Recognition. Anything. All he saw was quickly growing annoyance.

"Gambit, ya need to put a few feet between us." She sent the blonde a warning look of her own before facing the others. Nobody dared challenged her authority, it hadn't ended well for Bobby.

"Desolé." He relented, dropping his stare in embarrassment. She didn't remember. She'd never remember. She would never trust him or take him seriously if he tried to explain.

"Gambit?" She sounded more concerned than anything, now. He had to stop day dreaming, reminiscing. He was back to reality, now.

"Sorry, Remy got a lot on his mind." Kurt chuckled.

"Somehow, I find that hard to believe." He whispered to Kitty.

"What are you doin' here, Gambit? We are trackin' Nathaniel Essex." His stomach churns when he notices the disappointed and worried look in her eye. Deep down, somewhere she did care for him. She still paints her face dark, but she's only grown into it. Her face a little more angled. Her eyes are more purple than grey, and so are her lips. "Please, don't tell me..." She doesn't finish the sentence.

"Long story, chére." Remy murmured, fighting the urge to reach out and touch silver strands of hair. He avoided grey eyes that were taking him in for all he was.

"Seriously? He always talks like this..." The broad shouldered blonde shook his head, already annoyed. "Jesus christ..."

Rogue eyed him for a second before looking back at her team. "Well. The professor has been wantin' me to ask this for a while." She cocked her hip to the side. "He wants you to join the institute. He, like, greatly insists that you consider that offer." Remy chewed one slightly chapped lip. He couldn't keep tagging along behind Sinister. He had already done some unthinkable things.

Plus, maybe he can fix this obsession he was getting. Over a life he never lived. Memories that weren't real. A girl who didn't want him. "What do ya say?" Her sharp voice shook him from a day dream. "Don't make him send me out here again for ya." He chuckled lightly.

"Sure. Why not?" He could think of several reasons why not he was ignoring.

"Seriously?" Rogue smirked, glad her feminine wiles had finally paid off for something. Remy held his breath when she reached up and rifled her gloved hand through his growing hair. Hadn't found time to cut it obsessing about her. "Need a headband, or a haircut." She told him mockingly, her fingertips grazing his forehead. With that, she turned and walked out. The broad blonde fell beside her and everyone else followed. "Let's go."

Remy smiled to himself before going. "Uniform look good on ya, petite." Rogue only smiled.

"Ah know."

A/N: Lune de ma vie: Moon of my life