Disclaimer: I don't own the X-men or any characters except for Ani and Lucy. I'm broke in any case.

Ok, guys. This is my first story, so if you could critique me, that would be awesome! I know I probably went overboard with the accent, but I think that when Remy is alone and sad, his accent takes on a life of its own.

Gambit walked from the Institute to the cemetery. It had been months, but he still had a hard time coping. Nearly everyone did. The younger students had gotten over the shock and went on with their lives, but they hadn't known her. Not well, not really. But had anyone known her well?

The older students and the teachers were still learning to cope. And they were all a wreck.

He finally made it, and found the gravestone.

Rogue

She may have been untouchable, but she still touched us all.

August 10, 1989-August 3, 2011

"Hey, Cher." Remy started. He had no idea why he was talking aloud, but it seemed to help. "Yo' kno' yo' left us all a wreck? Yo' t'ought yo' never touched anybody. Well, yo' sure touched all the X-men. Kitty's just emerged f'om her room. She was lookin' forward t' yo' birthday party. She had a surprise party planned and everyt'in'. Kurt has barely enough energy t' get anyt'in' done. Scott made da garden look like Swiss cheese. He keeps on blastin' somet'in' whenever he can't stand it no mo'. Wolvie has t' force him into da danger room t' keep da mansion standin'.

"Speakin' o' Wolvie, he's makin' everyone else miser'ble. De only person he talks t' now withou' tryin' t' chew dem out is Ani." Anastasia - or Ani – was a newer student. She had powers similar to Logan, except she was a tiger. Her black with orange hair made that apparent. "She just sits dere, Cher. She don't say anyt'in'. Den he starts talkin', and she lis'ns. Seems yo' also changed her t'. Dat feral monst'r dat she has stuck in her mind… da une dat kept on possesin' her? She was a loner like yo', yet yo' both made a friend in each other. Seemed to understand somet'in' about someone else in yo' mind. Yo' saved her life, seems like it. Now, she's helpin' us cope. Wolvie 'specially. Sometimes dey just sit dere. Sometimes dey talk… mainly 'bout yo'. Dey learnin' t' cope.

"Now, Jeanie… She's a right mess. She t'inks dat it's her fault. Dat yo' died because she was t' weak. Dat if she had tried harder, she could have done somet'in' t' prevent yo' from absorbin' her.

"I… I'm dealin' Cher. Don't need t' worry 'bout dis ol' Cajun." His voice was starting to break. "I have yo' favorite flow'r, Cher. Roses, right? Only une today, but mo' later." He laid the flower down. "My empathy is doin' not'in' good fo' me. My own grief, and everyone else's is jus' t' much. So I came here t' talk fo' a little bit." Then he heard the music.

Hey Lucy, I remember your name

It was a real person singing. He was sure of it. There was the slight shake, like someone was trying not to cry. Strange to hear that song, here of all places.

I left a dozen roses, on your grave today

The flower he had was indeed a rose, not a dozen, but that rose was nothing shabby neither.

I'm in the grass on my knees, wipe the leaves away

There were no stupid leaves. There weren't any stupid trees nearby. It was winter.

I just came to talk for awhile

He had indeed come to talk. He had just mentioned that. Needed to get away, or something.

Got some things I need to say

He had said what he needed to say to Roguey, but he just wanted to stay a little longer. Just to be near her.

Now that it's over, I just wanna hold her

He wished he had made his move before, but now he never could. And he always wanted to make her feel loved. He had never even said those simple words to her. I love you.

I'd give up all the world to see

He would do anything to see Rogue again.

That little piece of Heaven looking back at me

Rogue, a little piece of heaven? No. She was no devil, but she wasn't any angel either. That's what Remy liked about her. She could be a nice person, but she also had a temper to keep things interesting.

Now that it's over, I just wanna hold her

I gotta live with the choices I made

He had made mistakes with Rogue. The biggest was not telling her how he felt.

And I can't live with myself today

He wasn't sure he would be able to deal with the pain right now, but he knew that one day it would be easier, and maybe even not hurt as much.

Then he saw the figure.

It was quietly sneaking out, but then he saw the black hair with orange stripes.

"Ani?" he called. No one else in Bayville had that kind of hair, so he thought it was a safe bet.

"Remy?" She seemed a little surprised. "What are you doing here?"

"Just visiting." He shrugged. "Yo'?" He dropped most of his Cajun accent when he was around others, so that they could understand him better.

"Same." She glanced at him. "I was just going. I'll just leave you…" She turned.

"No. I was just about to head back anyway." He thought she could use the comfort. Poor girl had been trying to help everyone else, and no one had thought to ask her how she was feeling.

She smiled a sad smile to him. They had gotten no farther than five steps, when he asked, "So were yo' here to visit Rogue? I never saw yo' until yo' nearly made it out da door."

"Ummm." She stopped and sighed. "Here." She took Remy's hand and led him to a gravestone that read:

Lucy Olga Nickoli

April 27, 1996- December 10, 2010

Beloved daughter, sister, and niece

Be strong. No one fights the battle better than you.

"Nickoli… Nickoli…" Oh. "Your sister?"

She nodded. "My twin. She died in the car crash that my powers manifested in. That's why I help them, you know."

"What?"

"I help them cope, because I had no one when Lucy died. My parents started fighting, and generally ignored me. I barely made it through. When Rogue helped me, I realized I needed to help others. When she died, it felt like losing Lucy again. I lost another friend. Then I realized that others were hurting too, some worse than me. So I tried to help them. And you know what? It helped me too."

Remy stared at Ani. Everyone thought they knew her, but no one knew what she was hiding. He had a new respect for her. She hid her pain so well, and yet managed to overcome it in spite of everything that had happened to her. A lesser person wouldn't have been able to do what she did.

"So today's the anniversary?" He asked.

"Ja. It's still hard, but it isn't as painful as before."

"C'mon, Cherie. We'd best be returning to the Institute. It's late." And with his arm around her – he was a lot taller than her – they left the cemetery. He was reminded of a conversation that occurred not two weeks before the accident.

They had been teasing each other. "So Rogue… What do yo' t'ink would make yo' life worthwhile?"

"Ah dunno. Ah guess Ah'd wanna help people."

"We do dat as X-men."

"Ah don't mean that kinda helpin'. Lahk… Ah dunno. Somethin' personal. Somethin' real. More'n just savin' their life from Magneto."

She had helped someone. She helped mend Ani's heart. And Ani now helped other's deal with their loss. Because Rogue had helped her first. Ani had even managed to crack the Cajun's exterior. Though she would never know that she had been the one to help start the healing, he had felt a little better after talking to her. From the emotions coming from Ani, it was the same for her. She had come broken and depressed, and though she was still fragile, she was not as upset as she was at first. He knew that it was going to take time –Ani knew that all too well – but together, perhaps, they could move forward.

As the snow started to fall, they made their way down Mainstreet. A car passed them by and they heard faintly.

Hey Lucy, I remember your name

And they both knew it would someday be all right.