A/N: First of all, a big Thank You for the wonderful reviews! Both signed and anonymous :-) Second of all as usual, sorry for such a late update. Real life, writer's block, faulty PC and my other fic are responsible. It's kind of hard to write two stories which involve babies at the same time. Especially one in which Rogue wants a baby and this one in which she doesn't. I confused myself so many times o.0

Anyways, I really hope everyone is still interested in this fic…..and this nice long update :-)

Hope you enjoy!

A good night's sleep.

Something which was certainly achievable in a world where super-powered beings didn't walk the earth, nor one had a chance of possessing the X-gene and being branded as a mutant—creatures to be feared, hated….exterminated.

For someone like Rogue, it meant no anguished screams and accusatory voices in her head, neither the constant danger of the world's end looming over her mind, nor the fear of someone controlling her to release some all-powerful ancient mutant.

An added bonus was no risk of accidentally putting people in a coma. Not a worry in the world, especially with a massive amount of wealth at her disposal. Sleep should be a wink away.

But it wasn't.

Absence of psyches were replaced by thoughts and feelings; thoughts of how Jean had out rightly refused performing an abortion since it was too late and could certainly pose a danger to her life, other than lecturing her on how wrong it would be.

When she had inquired about someone else qualified for the job, she received a less than satisfactory reply:

"There is Dr. Allecdyre."

"Allecdyre?" Rogue repeated blankly. "John…..Allecdyre?"

"Yes," Jean said, mildly surprised. "Dr. John Allecdyre."

Pyro?

Pyromaniac?

Performing an abortion? On her?

The mere thought of him probing and protruding inside anyone or anything with a maniacal grin on his face sent violent chills down her spine.

"I-Isn't there anyone else?"

"No." Jean glared at her, appalled. "And there won't be when they learn you're in no physical condition for it."

"Yeah right." Rogue flared, losing her temper. "Ah'm sure Ah can find someone besides you two who could get the job done at half the price!"

"Are you saying you're deliberately planning on harming yourself?"

"What? No!" she quickly hedged, shaken by Jean's tone of voice—the one doctors used when they believed a patient was….mentally unwell. "No. A-Ah'm sorry," she apologized quickly. "A-Ah don't know what…….Ah was thinkin'. Ah didn't mean ta yell at you. Just….Please…just don't tell anyone about this."

And although Jean had grudgingly informed her about the doctor-patient confidentiality rule, Rogue wasn't a least bit assured. So she purchased it—assurance that is.

It turned out when you donate very generously to a hospital, even its CEO, Nathaniel Essex, would be willing to bend backwards to make your stay as comfortable as possible…..such as by giving Dr. Jean Grey a week's vacation.

The man had even gone as far as to suggest that he'd be honored to discreetly provide the specific medical services she required.

"For de last time Risty, I'm not goin' t' leave Anna just so I can be an overrated mutant's sidekick!"

"What do you mean you can't reschedule? You just need to whip up a nursery for a baby! Not a fancy mausoleum for a dead guy!"

Rogue directed her blurry vision towards the door, on the silhouettes of people moving agitatedly in the corridor.

"Eye-candy? Isn't de guy who plays Wolverine eye-candy enough? He can sing, dance an' be a gentleman an' a wild beast—Forget it! I would rather be Batman's boy blunder. I signed up for three X-men movies, not—Quoi? Are y' serious!"

"Hey pal! Anna has always paid you in advance! A lot of green in advance—so what if the Worthingtons are royalty and Anna isn't? FYI, she almost could've been, but declined Prince Warren's proposal. Nope. That wasn't a rumor. Princey won't be happy with you ditching his could-be fiancée."

"Dinner is getting cold," Laura's bored voice interrupted the speakers.

"Later," Remy and Tabitha replied in unison, still on their respective cellphones, pacing back and forth as if their lives depended on it.

"It is later," she indicated dryly.

Her words fell on deaf ears.

"Solo-movie? What kind? Hmm…..Mars…..spaceship? Alien princess? Save de universe kind of deal?"

Rogue smothered the twinge of worry that arose at Remy's hundredth refusal of lunch and dinner. Wiping away her tears, she eavesdropped on his tenth conversation with his agent—a pastime she had adopted over the last few hours.

"Dat all sounds so great Risty, but de point is dat I can't leave Anna right now. She needs me—t' hell wit' de contract!"

That wasn't true. Contract could cost a career or so she heard. Which meant Remy just had to go play Gambit in Wolverine's movie, whether he liked it or not.

Kurt and Amanda would soon need to depart to their respective lives too. Tabitha had expressed her desire of a vacation quite a few times. Her bodyguards' services were restricted to making sure no harm came to her from another human being. Not herself.

To put everything simply, she would finally be alone.

She could finally do whatever she wanted…..and whenever and wherever she wanted, as Dr. Essex had quoted. As for the excuse, she could term it as an accident—the classic fell down the stairs—to cover it up. No one would dare interrogate her.

And she would be free from this unnatural burden.

It was a perfect plan. Almost flawless.

"Hey Remy!" Tabitha called him. "Need to know which color scheme you want for the nursery."

"Not now Tabby," he answered distractedly, absorbed in a heated discussion about his role as Gambit. "When de hell did an X-men movie become a Wolverine movie?"

"Since the first X-men film!" Tabitha interjected. "Remy, you said not to bother Anna, so I'm bothering you!" she hissed. "Now which color scheme?"

"Can't it wait till mornin'?" He took a brief glance at his wristwatch. "It's…..midnight."

"Where you and Anna's new house is, it's midday!" she snapped.

"Den…..den….atleast wait till Anna wakes up. She won't like it if we—"

"I clearly recall she said to go ask mah husband about baby stuff. Let him take care of everythin'," Tabitha mimicked Rogue's Southern accent. "It's enough she's always cranky, you just had to get her pregnant and make her super-cranky, didn't you?"

"She'll want t' be a part of dis once she gets her mem—better," Remy argued.

"If you want the best Remy, you can't delay. Forge is booked for the next eight months. And he's not rescheduling for reasons such as Anna's health."

"Fire him," Remy ordered, miffed. "We'll do it ourselves," he decided stubbornly.

"We? As in Anna and you? Setting up a nursery? Which includes going out…..nursery shopping?" Tabitha laughed. "Seriously Remy. You two get mobbed when you want to buy something as simple as groceries. You won't survive it."

Remy sighed exasperated. "Can't I t'ink it over?—Wait? What are y' sayin' Risty? Purple?"

"Purple it is Forge!" Tabitha sang into her phone.

"Non! Not purple! Red or….green…..I'm sure Anna would love green."

"Want me to wake her up and ask?"

"NO!" Everyone present protested in unison.

"Okay! Okay! Jeez. So, was the green for the girl's or guy's nursery?"

"What? Is Anna havin' twins?" Logan's voice bellowed.

"Thank God, no! We don't know the gender yet, so one for each."

"Hmm……Did you take care of security?" he asked. "For the baby?"

"Just the usual smoke detector and security system. House has been baby-proofed too."

"Just the smoke detector?" Logan snorted. "I say place an electric fence around the crib. Motion detectors everywhere. Phaser pain and shock field blaster outside the door and windows. A sonic nausea device also, just incase. Make sure the stuffed toys have hidden cameras and triple check if there aren't any defective ones. Laura almost choked on a teddy's bear eye once." He grumbled. "Don't know why babies have to put everything in their mouths! On second thought, how about waiting till the kid grows up for toys?"

"Should we place a homing device in the diapers too? Better yet, why don't we just put the baby in solitary confinement?" Tabitha suggested sarcastically. "And what about the theme for the nursery? Prison? Dungeon? Trapped?"

Logan growled, not at all amused. "I'm serious. Babies need more protection."

Rogue swallowed the lump in her throat and squeezed her eyes shut.

All of them had been busy like that the whole day…..planning things like baby names, baby clothes and even a nanny who could double as a bodyguard. And although it looked more like a business affair, it wasn't. They were all genuinely concerned and excited for the baby.

How it would crush them all….deeply crush them, especially Remy when they found out about her accident down the stairs. And she knew they would forgive her, of course. Remy would forgive her. He loved her

It was selfish.

It was evil.

But it was just a wish.

That was how she justified it.

Her wish.

She was free to do whatever she wanted. And it wouldn't matter since eventually she would leave the wish reality. End of wish, end of everyone's sorrow and pain, though maybe not the end of her feelings of guilt.

That was why her fifth wish would be to forget all this. Forget what she did. Wipe clean every trace of the fourth wish from her memory.

Rogue bit her lip apprehensively.

But what if she accidentally wished for this again?

She buried her face into the pillow, stifling a sob.

If only the psyches were still with her. They could drown out these emotions. And she could blame them responsible for her actions.

"Hey LeBeau……" a voice greeted mockingly.

"You again?" Logan barked, ready to draw blood.

For others, it meant trouble to get rid of. For Rogue, it meant an opportunity to grab hold of.

Snatching the cellphone Remy had given her for purposes other than making calls, she speed-dialed the number she had acquired from Tabitha. It had proved futile so far, but she still hoped for a miracle.

As usual, the answering machine received her call: "This is Scott Summers. I'm unavailable at the moment, please leave a message."

"Hey. It's meh again. Anna." Her calm and cool speaking voice surprised her every time. "You probably don't want to see or hear meh again….and hate meh for not mentionin' things like…..mah marriage and pregnancy. But please, Ah really really need ta see you," she pleaded. "It's important. So when you get this…..twentieth message, please call back." She was suddenly reminded of what Tabitha had said earlier, if she would be single again, he might return or……some life and death situation. "Scott, Ah really don't have much time left. I really need ta see you. So if you're there….pick up."

Nothing.

Blinking away fresh tears, she pressed the call-end button. She then returned the cell to the table and…waited for it to ring or rather vibrate.

Scott would call back soon. He wasn't the type to hold onto grudges forever….not against women anyway, especially the one he loved. Yet still there was nothing from his end. No get-well flowers or cards.

Or a call.

Rogue hugged her knees to her chest, staring at the cellphone. The unmoving, silent cellphone.

The ache in her heart grew as seconds ticked on. Realization—an inevitable one, finally sunk in. The tiny shred of hope she clung onto dearly, that Scott might call back, forgive her and bring the planner and she wouldn't have to go through with the abortion was now completely lost.

Scott was really gone…….

"I just want to talk to Remy."

"He's busy." Logan's words were laced with threat of every kind of bodily harm imaginable.

"I can wait. Or talk to his brother-in-law. He's here too isn't he?"

"Talk t' y' later Risty." Remy bid farewell to his agent. "Need t' take care of some trash."

…….just like Remy would leave if he ever found out what she did.

"Oh no….no…..You touch me again LeBeau, and you'll be missing your baby's birthday!" The new person threatened. "Oh and that goes for you bodyguards too."

"An' y' are……?"

"Lance!" he squeaked offended. "Lance Alvers!"

"Ah! Sorry homme. Couldn't recognize y' wit'out my fist in your face. Y're de guy who hangs around wit' dat reporter—what's her name? Kelly? Kimmy?"

"Kitty!"

"Right…..Kitty Pryde. How is she? She here wit' y'?"

"No. It's just me and my camera."

"An' how can I help y'….an' your camera?"

"By giving me what every photographer and paparazzi outside wants…….a snapshot of your hot wife. And if it's true, then the baby too."

"Uh-huh, den y' wasted your time sneakin' in here again."

"C'mon," Lance coaxed. "We're all just very concerned. She looked half-dead when she was checked-in. We haven't heard anything from her since. And that's really making her fanboys pretty upset and angry at you….. especially with you kidnapping her brother and forcing her to marry you. And now suddenly a baby?" He tsked-tsked. "It doesn't paint a very good picture of you Remy….."

"And it's strangely narrowin' your chances of gettin' out of this hospital with your camera….alive."

"We appreciate your concern," Remy spoke up before Logan could do anything drastic. "But Anna's restin' right now. She an' baby LeBeau are doin' just fine. Pass dat message t' all your friends outside. D' accord?"

Lance didn't comply. "Think rationally," he continued. "You're tired. The bodyguards are tired. Sooner or later someone will get to her. Better a photographer of the Daily Bugle than a paparazzi or some psychotic fan."

Remy didn't respond.

"So……which room?"

"Not in a room."

"Oh. Where is she then?"

"Right behind y'."

"Wha—" There was a sound of a crash. "MY CAMERA!" Lance suddenly screeched hysterically. "You broke my camera!"

"Whoops…..dat was just Laura. Sometimes dey look so alike. Hmm….no camera. Dere's no reason for y' t' be here, now is dere?"

"I always carry a back-up and it—where is it! Where's my…..She has it! She has my hidden camera! I know she does!"

"If it's hidden, how do y' know y' had it in de first place?"

"Grrr…..You'll pay for that LeBeau!"

"Hey!" Logan snarled and there were noises of a scuffle followed by the sound of someone's body being slammed against the wall.

"You're all going to jail! I'll make sure of it!"

"Set a date wit' de judge an' we'll be dere. Oh an' bring Kitty wit' y'. I owe her for dat interestin' piece of false article she wrote 'bout me." Remy then addressed the bodyguards. "Logan? Piotr? Would y' do de honor of showin' Mr. Alvers out?"

"Gladly…." Logan growled dangerously.

"Someone will get to Anna! Just wait!" Lance's incensed shouts grew dimmer as if he was being dragged away. "There's only three of you bodyguards and hundreds of us!"

"Uh-huh. Au Revoir now."

Silence reigned for a few seconds before Tabitha broke it. "You know, if you let me, I can get you two ready in less than five minutes," she offered. "Take a snapshot with my cell and e-mail it to every reputable magazin—"

"Still not going to stop them from coming," Laura articulated.

"But atleast it'll minimize the number of lunatics who visit Anna. They won't believe anyone's word until they see her happy, smiling face with you. Or a video—a video interview of you guys! Yes!"

"Non," Remy refused Tabitha's suggestion. "She's just not ready for it."

"She will be if you just give—"

"She ain't ready!" Remy snapped suddenly, silencing everyone.

Even Rogue's falling tears froze and she jarred out of the state of depression and hopelessness she had plummeted into over Scott's disappearance.

"M' sorry…..just…s'cuse me."

At the sound of his approaching footsteps, Rogue quickly lay back on the mattress and shut her eyes.

Pretending to sleep was better than facing anyone right now. It had been so hard to plaster on a smile and act normal with Kurt and Amanda as they fussed over their unborn niece or nephew. With Remy, it would be just…..impossible.

The chair next to her bed creaked.

She cracked an eye open.

Her husband's exhausted form sat beside her. Mumbling something incoherent, he ran a hand through his disheveled hair before letting his head fall back and closed his eyes.

She should've done the same thing—made another attempt at sleep…….anything, but look at him and be constantly reminded of the pain and suffering she would inflict. Yet she found herself unable to look away. He was just so….devastatingly beautiful….so perfect.

Even the ugly florescent lighting from the corridor, which touched one side of his chiseled features, didn't ruin her perception of beautiful. Neither did someone's donated T-shirt and pair of shorts he adorned.

Rage suddenly accosted her.

Beautiful.

Rich.

Powerful.

Remy LeBeau reeked of money and power. Women worshipped the ground he walked on.

And what was he doing?

He was seated on an uncomfortable chair next to her instead of flaunting his wealth by going to some exclusive club, or taking advantage of his looks by giving in to the advances of the nurses and lady doctors—what normal rich, famous celebrities and politicians do!

The man even had the audacity to check up on her more often than necessary. So often that she had imprinted him in her mind without her mutation: the beat of his footsteps when he would approach her; the scent of his cologne as he hovered beside her; his warmth as he leaned down; his soft touch when he would caress her wound and check her breathing and his husky voice as he conversed with the baby.

Rogue clenched her fists angrily.

She suddenly wished he would do something wrong. Anything! Just so she could nullify the affect of guilt and feel like he deserved it.

'Do somethin'. Anythin'. Hurt meh. Tell meh you're cheatin'….killed someone…workin' for the mafia…tell meh anythin' ta break mah heart!' She mentally screamed at him.

"So," Remy suddenly spoke, startling her beyond anything. His eyes were still closed. "Enjoyin' de view?"

"A-Ah wasn't—" Rogue stopped mid-sentence before her quivering voice gave away her chaotic emotions. Being the good actress she was now, she succeeded in concealing everything was not alright. "This is a hospital." She rubbed her eyes, making it seem like she was wiping away sleep instead of tears. "There's nothin' here ta enjoy."

And how in the world did he even know she was awake—with the lights switched off—and staring at him?

Remy's lips curved into a mischievous smile. "A girl broke int' my apartment an' watched me all night long while I slept," he recounted as if reading her mind. "So trust me when I say dis, I can tell when someone's starin' at me."

"Did she…..hurt you?" she asked weakly. Just like she would hurt him?

"Nah. I looked t' beautiful t' harm. Ginny said so herself. She was my first stalker." He looked proud. "Y're never quite famous until y' have your very own stalker."

Rogue recoiled in remorse.

His stalker sounded less dangerous than his own wife.

"An' dat's when I finally considered havin' a bodyguard. Well actually…..y' forced me t' hire one an' get a restrainin' order against my stalker." He opened his eyes to bestow an appreciated look towards her. "So overprotective sometimes….."

Rogue's stomach lurched.

No amount of bodyguards would protect him from the pain she would cause.

"But…..y' don' remember dat either, do y'?" he asked, unsure yet still hopeful.

"Ah don't." She lowered her eyes to rest them on the bed-sheets.

With a disappointed sigh, Remy picked up his cellphone from the bedside table—the one he had given her. "Did y' go t'rough de pics? T' help y' jog your memory?"

"Ah forgot."

He smirked. "Y' forgot?"

She ignored his question….and him.

"It's cool. Wasn't here t' help y'."

A flash of lighting followed by the sound of thunder made him turn to the window.

"Scary weather, huh?" he commented after a while. "But atleast it scared away most of your fans."

"Great." Rogue tucked a wisp of hair behind her ear as she examined the floral design of the sheets.

"It really is." After another pause, he continued, "Y' know, new X-men 4 trailer came out t'day. It had a long Gambit-in-action footage," he informed enthusiastically. "It's awesomeness blew away all de previous trailers an' TV spots. Gambit stole de spotlight from other characters," he boasted smugly. "Dere were even reports of femme underwear flyin' in de theatres where de trailer was shown. Few even fainted an' needed t' be taken t' de hospital."

Rogue neither shared his joy nor was irritated by the disclosure. "That's nice."

"Fangirls as usual, loved him. As for de fanboys….well y' know dem. Nitpickin' everythin'. Eyes, hair, accent, clothes. Just 'bout everythin'." Annoyance and frustration reflected in his spoken words. "Does my accent sound like I'm from Texas?"

Rogue shrugged unconcernedly.

"But wit' de positive reaction Gambit's receivin', an' him bein' so popular…..he now needs t' be in Wolverine's movie. It's obvious de claw man's movie would fail wit'out Gambit." His voice tried to lighten the mood, but his somber expression failed to maintain it. "But den dat means…."

He had to go.

"Ah know. Tabitha told meh." Her assistant had been updating her quite regularly in the guise of cheering her up.

"Hmm….She did?"

Rogue fluffed her pillows, turned her back to him and closed her eyes.

"Alright." He finally caught on the vibe she had been broadcasting him, "Sorry, if we woke y' up. Goodnight."

His tired and despondent voice tugged at her already broken heart. She thought being colder than the chilly winds of Arctic to him would be best. But this was hurting him too. Her accident would also produce inconceivable agony.

Wouldn't it be better to be……nice to him before the inevitable accident? A calm before the storm? It might help lessen the heavy burden of guilt.

And not let on anything is wrong.

"Remy?"

He stirred sleepily. "Oui?"

Rogue briefly glanced at the rain-splattered window. "Ah'd like ta see those pictures. Ah can't sleep."

The table lamp came to life and she found Remy beaming at her. "I t'ought y' would never ask." He worked his nimble fingers over the touchscreen phone. "Let me just find de right pics for y'….."

"Okay." She idly tapped her foot against the footboard of the bed as she waited.

Such a small gesture from her part brought him so much joy. How many more gestures would she need to diminish the mental anguish he would endure?

Squashing her deafening conscious, Rogue craned her neck to get a better look at what Remy was doing. Her brows knitted into a frown. "What's that folder? Girlfriends?"

"Just lady friends," he dismissed casually. "Movin' on….."

Rogue caught glimpses of glamorous faces and names. From Elisabeth Braddock, Alison Blaire, Lorna Dane to Karima Shapandar, Genevieve Darceneaux, to twins named Claudette and Nicole St. Croix—the list just went on. It was almost like he had been with every woman in the world.

"You have an awful lot of lady friends," she mentioned dryly, and was amazed to find herself affected by other women in Remy's life. Even under the most stressful circumstances.

Remy remained unfazed by her comment. "Would've been suspicious if someone got dis cell an' I kept pictures of only Anna Marie."

That made sense. And he had trusted her enough to relinquish his cellphone earlier without erasing the girlfriends' folder. Trusted her too much.

"Did you….know them well?" she probed, feigning an air of nonchalance.

"Y' mean if I slept wit' dem or had a relationship?" He deflected effectively, striking her speechless. He smiled at her. "Yup. Short-term."

She tried not to sound too curious. "H-How short?"

"Three….four hours de most. Twenty minutes de least."

"Do you….keep in touch with them now?" She had no idea what possessed her to leap from curious to outright meddlesome.

"Would be rude t' ignore." He briskly ended the conversation by handing over his cellphone. "Dere y' go. Y' get any flashbacks or déjà vu feelin'." He leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. "Let me know."

"Uh….Okay." Her famous face smiled happily at her along with Remy's playful smirk. They appeared to be on some beach house together, surprisingly smartly-dressed and having coffee, along with Logan and Piotr.

She flipped through the rest of the saved memories like pages of a history book. There was no point in leisurely scrolling through them. They all conveyed the same message: a perfectly happy celebrity couple.

Other than Scott, she couldn't imagine another man making her close to happy; even if she saw a million pictures of herself laughing, giggling, smiling—looking completely satisfied with a man who wasn't Scott Summers.

Rogue suppressed a yawn.

And she could've learned a lot more through absorbing Remy than from this…..primitive gadget.

"Never thought Ah'd miss mah powers," she muttered under her breath.

"Y' say somethin'?"

She almost dropped the prehistoric device. "Oh….uh….yeah…." She covered her slip-up with a question. "Just wonderin'……are there over a thousand pictures of us?"

"If we did meet often, den dere wouldn't be."

"And….how often are—were we together?"

"One day t'gether. Three t' six months apart," Remy revealed glumly. "It was just luck dat dey decided t' put Gambit along wit' Rogue in X4." A devious smile tugged the corners of his lips. "Got lots of time t' spend den….."

Her cheeks grew warm. "Why did….?" The question was left hanging on her lips, however. An odd realization had hit her.

Remy.

She slowly reached out to touch her cheek.

Remy made her blush……..made her go red in the face. Not with shame or guilt, but with embarrassment.

From a thrilled Kurt to a raucous Tabitha to even a silent Piotr—all of them made her want to shut all her senses, curl into a ball and….hopefully die.

But Remy, the person she had been dreading all day, believing he too would constantly invoke similar feelings, was astoundingly making her blush!

How was that possible?

"Had t' make it realistic dat we meant nothin' t' each other," Remy's voice treaded through her contemplation. "But de problem wit' keepin' secrets is, dey never stay hidden." With half-lidded eyes, he lovingly gazed at her stomach. "But I don' mind how dis one got out."

Rogue's hands instinctively tightened their grip on the blanket. The guilt returned tenth fold and it took sheer willpower not to burst into tears, scream at him for impregnating her and plead for forgiveness at the same time.

'Don't cry. Don't cry. You cry infront of him and it's over!'

Sensing her discomfort, Remy finally looked away. He then squirmed in his seat, trying to find the most comfortable sleeping position.

Already deeply struck by the guilt attack, the sight reminded Rogue of her obligation to be extra nice to him. "The chair doesn't look so comfortable," she blurted unthinkingly.

"M' sorry?"

"If you want…..y-you can rest here…..on this…bed cause it's comfortable a-and Ah'll just be lookin' at your pictures anyway—o-our pictures…so you know. Y-You can sleep on the bed, cause A-Ah'm not—A-Ah mean, Ah'll be awake."

Was this really happening? She blabbing like a total idiot?

Remy sat still, observing her with an inquisitive expression. "Hmm….." He uttered after awhile, stroking his chin thoughtfully. "In bed? Wit' de world's most beautiful woman pressed up against me all night long?" He chuckled. "Dat'll definitely help me sleep more comfortably."

Before Rogue died of embarrassment, he reconsidered her offer.

"Den again, it's been awhile so….." He bent down to remove his shoes.

Rogue quickly made space for him, or whatever space which was humanely possible. Which wasn't much since their bodies were practically touching. But it was alright.

"Ahhh…….." Remy made a relaxing sound as he lay on his stomach, his face mashed against the pillow. "So dis is what a bed feels like after three days….."

She dragged in a deep breath.

As long as her attention stayed on Remy….their relationship….his scrupulous body… and not the baby, she would be alright. Everything would be okay.

Remy yawned, rolled onto his back and stretched luxuriously.

Her eyes traced the hard muscles that peeked from underneath his shirt as he performed this action, trying to detect any differences between his real body and the photoshopped ones on posters. The exposed muscular legs prolonged her….examination.

"Ahem." The clearing of Remy's throat interrupted her. He shot her a look, which clearly said: I know when I'm bein' watched. So don' try t' deny it.

Heat suffused her cheeks and she tore away her scrutinizing gaze.

Perhaps her emotionally disturbed mind would fare better if it actually focused on the pictures rather than the perfect male specimen of a husband with her, in her bed.

Nervously, Rogue started browsing the phone's photo gallery again. 'Let's see….'

She and Remy at the Academy Awards.

"Y' sure y're ok wit' dis?"

She and Remy at the Golden Globe Awards.

"Yeah."

Grammy Awards.

"Y' sure?"

Heart foundation…..charities……Remy in swimming trunks……

'Dammit!'

"Anna?"

"Yup."

"I wouldn't mind movin' back t' de chair."

"No n-no. Ah'm fine with it," she assured him. "Really." She mentally reprimanded herself. She had to stop behaving like a little schoolgirl and more like an adult to succeed in her commitment to be nice to him.

With that in mind, Rogue regained her composure.

And what could possibly happen if she allowed Remy to actually sleep with her? A pair of twins?

The wayward thought made her blush enough to warrant a fever.

An amused smirk drew her attention to the gentleman lying beside her. Propped up on his elbow, her handsome life-companion was studying her with a highly fascinated expression.

"What?" she snapped.

"I've just…..never seen a woman blush dis much before. Teenage girls maybe, but never a femme. Well…..unless she's 'bout t' have an—" he abruptly stopped, chuckled and shook his head. "Nevermind." He returned his head to the pillow. "Just look at de pics an' feel free t' ask any questions."

More than happy to oblige, Rogue delved into the seemingly endless digitalized memories. 'Huh…..'

Remy hadn't just been with every woman on earth, he had visited every place too: exotic islands, ridiculously expensive hotels, picturesque landscapes, alligator-infested swamps, wonders of the world—he had been everywhere. And so had she apparently….or rather a stranger with her face.

An unexplainable sense of loss overpowered Rogue.

"What is it?" Remy sat up instantly and peered at the cause of her misery.

Unable to decipher the feeling, Rogue shook her head and faked a cheerful smile. "Ah'm just…it's…kind of hard ta remember."

"No one can suddenly remember everythin'," he reasoned as he slid an arm around her protectively and pulled her close. "Dat only happens in movies."

"Yeah….." she murmured and closed her eyes, savoring the warm embrace. More than anything, she needed the contact right now; needed someone to put their arms around her and tell her everything would be alright; someone she could confide in; someone she could get close to.

She had always wished that. If only it weren't for her powers…….

Startled by the strangely familiar thoughts, Rogue hurriedly untangled herself from Remy's arms. She then quickly started a conversation, to avoid an explanation for her behavior. "Uh….We…..visited so many places together."

"Well…not together." Jadedly, Remy scratched his unshaven face. "Y' were on a promotional tour an' I just happen t' be dere, at de right place an' time," he told her, acting airily. "Complete coincidence we ran int' each other."

She rolled her eyes. "Ah'm sure."

"Mmm…Yup." He stifled a yawn. "Just two famous people runnin' int' each other."

Rogue frowned when a strange picture pattern caught her notice. "Is it just meh or is Logan in almost each one of these pictures?"

"He's in every one of dem," Remy answered wryly. "He would've been wit' us on our weddin' night if y' didn't say non."

He wasn't kidding. Logan was even in the picture of a snowy wasteland. Remy looked extremely unhappy and cold, while she appeared quite comfortable with the penguins.

"Antarctica……for save de penguins campaign," Remy stated with a small, wistful smile.

"You seem like you didn't want ta be there," she noted.

"Y're right," he confirmed, nodding his head.

"Then why go?"

He shrugged and rested his head against the headboard. "Turns out love makes y' do t'ings like follow your girlfriend t' a place where human life isn't meant t' exist." He grimaced, as if recalling something unpleasant. "Or take one of Logan's tests. Twice."

"Tests?" she questioned, perplexed.

"Oui. Like de boyfriend test," he said sarcastically. "Like if y' an' Anna are out on a date an' y' hear a gunshot, what do y' do? A: Run away leavin' Anna an' de check. B: Act as a human-shield for Anna. C: Hide Anna in a safe place an' investigate. D: Hide under de table."

Rogue chuckled inwardly. That sounded like Logan alright.

"After your two hundredth date, if Anna invites y' t' her place, what will y' do? A: Politely reject an' leave. B: Go in, talk a few minutes, den leave. C: Stay an' have Anna's bodyguards make y' leave."

"W-What option did you choose?" she stuttered, suddenly overwhelmed by his closeness.

"I choose de first option." Remy summoned an innocent face. "But y' chose a completely new option, so de circumstances were……beyond my control." He grinned wickedly, reminiscing the moment. "Still remember Logan's face when he broke int' de apartment, t'inkin' y' were bein'…..impaled. Repeatedly."

If there was something beyond embarrassment, then that was what Rogue experienced.

"Heh….De homme might cross de threshold of overprotective most of de time, but it's good he does dose t'ings. An' it's an honor t' have him as my wife's bodyguard," he concluded with utmost sincerity and honesty. "But don't ever mention dat I said dat. K'?"

"Yeah…alright…." Having exceeded her limit of humiliation, Rogue quickly pointed at some random picture. "What's this?"

"Premiere of de second X-men movie. Which reminds me of another premiere I had t' attend t'night." He sighed forlornly, as if some tragedy had befallen him. "An' de annual lingerie fashion show……." His face contorted into a scowl. "Which of course sounds so dull, doesn't it?"

"Dull indeed….." she repeated uncertainly.

"Oui. What's more better? Sittin' here, talkin' t' my perfect wife…..or hundreds of visually appealin' women…..catwalkin' in lingerie of all shapes, sizes, an' see-t'rough material? Bah!" His scowl deepened. "What a waste of time. Especially after de show……goin' back stage an' gettin' cozy wit' de models." He feigned a yawn. "Very uninterestin'."

"Yeah right." Rogue snorted, impressed by his acting ability.

Remy peered at her with hope-filled eyes. "Is dat a yes for me t' go?"

"NO!" The sudden outburst stunned her. "A-Ah meant…..yes…" She regained the normal pitch of her vocal cords. "Of course you can go. If you want," she spoke in a formal manner. "Ah don't want you ta miss any important events because of meh."

A grin, which could be described as absolutely evil, spread across his gorgeous face. "Heh…..Still remember how t' be jealous."

"Wha—Jealous? T-That's just…….j-just…." Words suddenly failed her. "It's….just…ridiculous!"

"Ridiculous?" Remy gasped, mortified. "Anna…..y' have de most handsome, sexiest man as your husband." He gave his hair a dramatic flip before running his hand through them leisurely—like a shampoo commercial model. "It's perfectly natural t' feel threatened."

Rogue bristled and glared at him. "Threatened?"

"Which y' don't need t' be," he added quickly. "I've seen two futures. An' I've chosen de one wit' y' in it."

"What's the other future?" she asked sarcastically.

His eyes narrowed into slits. "A very dark one Anna…..very dark," he began ominously. "I would marry in my eighties. By dat time, dis utterly attractive body should've disappeared. But non! T'anks t' de miracle known as plastic surgery, it will remain young…..forever."

Rogue listened, completely enthralled by its ridiculousness.

"Sadly……my young, sweet….twenty somethin' wife still won't be satisfied. Non. Health didn't come wit' de deal of youthful looks." He shook his head, woefully. "De constant heart attacks, trips t' de hospital an' my declinin' performance in de bedroom would finally make her snap an' run." He waited a beat. "Run int' de strong, healthy, waitin' arms of my assistant." He exhaled a mournful sigh. "Finally, on my eighty-fourth birthday, my young bride would gift me wit' a one-way ticket……t' de senior citizen's home. An' she'll live off my life's wealth…..wit' my handsome assistant, happily ever after. De end."

Rogue should've been disturbed by Remy's cheating twenty something wife or be reminded of the real age difference between herself and Remy right now. Instead, she found herself laughing. Quite hysterically.

"Anna, I can't believe y'." Remy shook his head in mock disappointment. "Y' want me t' choose de dark an' bleak future, don't y'?"

She gradually quieted down. "Maybe Ah do."

"Do y' now?" His eyes gleamed with mischief. "Den I should probably tell y' 'bout an alternate future, where I inherit de Playboy mansion. Bunnies an' all."

She snorted in disgust and started to climb out of bed for a glass of water, but Remy stopped her.

"Non. Don't. For six months, y're a Queen an' we're your humble servants." He poured her a glass and handed it to her in a graceful manner. "Now y're majesty, is dere anythin' else I can do for y'?"

She huffed annoyed, though secretly amused by his chivalry. "You're spoilin' meh."

"Oh I spoil all my wives. Y' can ask my third an' fifth wife."

"Uh-huh." Rogue took a delicate sip. "What ahm Ah? Your seventh wife?"

"On-screen eighth. Off-screen, first."

"That's impossible….." The words escaped before she could stop herself.

Remy gave her a confused look. "Dat I have eight wives?"

Rogue rolled her eyes. "No. That Ah'm your first." Or that he didn't marry before.

"Why?"

"Well….you're….." she grasped for words to explain, but ended up with, "you're Remy."

"Hmm……" Remy murmured in deep reflection, studying her intently. "So bein' Remy means I'm supposed t' either live up t' de reputation of bein' de notorious playboy an' sleep wit' random strangers every night or be married t' a gorgeous blue-eyed blonde who'll be spendin' my hard-earned money on liposuction an' breast enlargement?"

"A-Ah didn't mean it…like that…A-Ah—" Rogue broke off, blushing. "Ah just assumed—"

"It's ok. Don't need t' explain." Remy took the half-empty glass from her hands and placed it back on the bedside table. "I know what y' meant. An' it's my fault for buildin' dat reputation of mine. Wit' de partyin' all night an' women….an' almost gettin' married……….."

She was expecting something like that. Famous men had a track record of flings, marriages, divorces……illegitimate children.

"…….t' a gorgeous drop-dead blonde—" he paused, finding the walls more fascinating than her, "—adult film star."

If Remy hadn't been within arm's reach, Rogue surely would have toppled off the bed and banged her head—most certainly resulting in a second coma.

Remy winced as slowly he released her. "An' by de look y're givin' me…..y' don't remember dat either."

"A porn star?" Were the only words she could form.

He chuckled sheepishly. "Yeah….dat was…..one of de reasons Logan never liked me. An' Papa an' I….don't get along." Uneasiness flickered across his features. "Uh, y' know, maybe we should postpone de trip down memory lane for another time, huh?" he suggested quickly. "Stress isn't good for your health."

She didn't know whom to kill right now; Jean or Remy or the person who invented the word, stress. "No. Ah'm…..Ah'm over the shock. What happened?"

"It's really late." Remy again tried to dodge the subject. "Can't keep my eyes open….."

"Remy….." Rogue practically growled.

"Okay……fine." He surrendered with a defeated sigh. "Better t' find out from me den from Logan. Or worst, Tabitha."

"So…..What happened?" It was too late to hide her curiosity.

"Besides Papa threatenin' t' disown me? I was just goin' t' marry her for her silicon body parts instead of anythin' meaningful."

Rogue's eyes widened.

"I was young an' new t' fame!" he justified defensively. "It felt like de teen years all over again. Y' know? New t'ings t' explore……places t' go……famous people t' see an'…..do." He hung his head low, looking genuinely ashamed. "Y' remember dose wonderful an' painful years, don't y'?"

She didn't. "Umm yeah." Since she was still young. "Thank Gawd their over." Very young. For fame, wealth, a husband……a baby.

Rogue quickly halted her mind's wandering and forced it to listen to Remy.

"She suggested marriage would look good on my résumé. An' it seemed like every celebrity was marryin' dose days….so I t'ought, why not? It'd be an interestin' experience."

Marriage? An interesting experience? Why did it sound so familiar? Almost like….her first wish?

"An' dose silicon brea—body parts of her were…..well……" Remy exhaled sharply. "Let's say huge would be an understatement. So it was hard t' decline a marriage proposal from such a…..woman." He frowned at her. "Y' sure y' don't remember any of dat? Press an' paprazzi had a field day."

"A dumb blonde you almost married?" She huffed indignantly before casually giving her own body a once over. "Ah don't think so." Why was she suddenly so angry at him? And why in the world did she feel so conscious about herself right now?

"Oh no. Not dumb," Remy said carefully, as if his ex-fiancée was to be feared or kept away from. "If Emma Frost was one t'ing, she was de exact opposite of dumb." His jaw visibly tightened, as if he was straining to keep his emotions in check. "Now she's de president of Hellfire Club, de adult entertainment company she founded…….usin' my money." He chuckled bitterly, playing with the lamp's switch. "Well actually, first she used me t' earn money den she stole it over de years. Press an' everyone made it look like de break-up was my fault. Revenge against Remy LeBeau was de inspiration for Hellfire Club."

"Ah'm…..Ah'm sorry," she whispered, unable to say more. Tentatively, she placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

She understood better than anyone what it was like to be used by someone close. To be used for one's….talents.

Guilt pierced her heart and she slowly withdrew her hand.

And apparently, now she also knew what it was like to use someone. Act like the world's greatest best friend…..or wife with malicious intentions behind the façade.

"Ah'm….really sorry," she repeated in a barely audible voice, but doubted he would ever know the true meaning of her apology.

"Non. Don't be." Remy's next words surprised her. "Good t'ings also came out of it."

Rogue cringed. "Good….things?" Of having a porn star as a girlfriend?

"Y' can actually learn a lot when y're wit' someone like Emma," he mused, playfulness slowly returning to his voice.

"Oh?"

"Gain a vast amount of…..experience……"

She tensed up and shifted awkwardly. "Experience, huh?" She had a pretty good guess in which department he had gained it. And it didn't help to be sitting right on top of his area of expertise.

"…..from such a cunnin' mind like hers."

Mind?

Rogue blinked amazed. "Mind?"

"Oui." He chuckled lightly, well aware of the direction of her thoughts. "Where do y' t'ink I inherited my charm from? Takes a lot of quick an' clever t'inkin' t' charm people wit' your performance. Not just good looks."

Rogue couldn't help, but suspect if she was being charmed right now.

"But charm power won't work when someone knows 'bout it," he added as an afterthought

She blushed as if he had just read her most private inner thoughts.

"An' definitely not when……I look like…." He assessed his messy appearance. "One of your creepy stalkers."

"Huh…..right…." Would it wrong to find a creepy stalker so…..ruggedly handsome?

"Emma's unique……tactics of gettin' t'ings done also sharpened my mind. Don't t'ink I would've ever come up wit' a plan t' kidnap Kurt an' Amanda t' surprise y' if I hadn't been hangin' around her." He smiled, but it was devoid of humor. "An' if I was still wit' her……den fame an' power would've gotten t' my head also."

This Emma woman sounded more than just a girlfriend. A mentor. And as Remy narrated the good times, Rogue sensed a sort of…longing in his voice….if things had been different….if only Emma had been different, then they would've still been together, married.

And it irked Rogue more than it should have.

"……after dat, I finally grew up an' woke up from de glamour an' glitter around me. An' den I met y', Anna."

After avoiding eye-contact all through retelling his tale, Remy's eyes finally met hers. There was no doubt, no regret as she stared back into the pools of ruby-black windows to his soul. Only a powerful certainty; certain he made the right decision…….

"Not sorry everythin' happened……" He drew a finger slowly down the curve of her face. His lips drifted inches away from brushing against hers.

……..certain he loved her without any doubts. And believed with all his heart she would too.

Rogue titled her face and his lips grazed her forehead. "A-Ah guess Ah never thought it that way before."

The blame fell on her for raising his hopes so much. She had unconsciously displayed such keen curiosity and interest in his past life…ex-girlfriends….him.

She had to stop.

Remy's sigh of disappointment tickled her skin. He scooted back and maintained a respectable distance after that. "So…...dat's it? No more questions?"

Or…..she could stop after one last question; one which had been a constant itch ever since he exposed his porn starlet ex-fiancée. "N-No….Ah do have questions." But she felt too shy to ask. "Umm….Have you also…..uh….you know."

"What?" Remy asked softly, as if encouraging a small child to express her thoughts. "Go on."

"Have you….." She finally gathered the courage. "Did you act in…..those kind of movies? Umm….porn?"

Remy blinked many times, completely caught off-guard. "Dieu….." he uttered, as if in deep shock, "now y're makin' me blush."

She winced. "Err…that's a no?"

His eyes grew so huge, it was almost comical. "Course it's a no!" he sputtered, horrified. "Or else, Logan would've already killed me. Non. I t'ink Papa most probably would've gotten t' me first. It was awkward tellin' him what Emma's job was. How do y' t'ink de conversation would've gone if I did de same t'ing for a livin'?"

Not as awkward as the answer Remy would've received if he had asked Emma: Hey honey. How was your day?

"'Besides……" He reverted back to his cocky-self, "workin' nine t' almost twelve hours a day in so many positions….on different kind of furniture…..wit' so many different people…..it's really exhaustin'. An' if y' make a mistake and have t' redo—Oh an' de injuries…..muscle pain…..leg cramps………"

Rogue groaned in embarrassment and covered her face. How did he always manage to throw everything back at her?

"I don't t'ink I could've survived dat." Remy laughed softly, thoroughly enjoying her reaction. "Besides…." He grinned cheekily at her. "De legal rights t' view an' use dis sexy body in whatever position required are owned by Mrs. Anna LeBeau."

Damn him!

Rogue yanked the pillow from behind her back and pressed it against her rosy-colored face.

"What are y' doin'?"

"Killin' myself." From humiliation.

"Uh-huh…..well let's not do dat," he said rather seriously. "Y' have a tiny passenger dat needs de oxygen."

She stiffened immediately, but managed to recover quickly. She blurted out the first thing that came to her mind to steer him clear of the baby topic. "What were you thinkin'?" She lifted the pillow. "Seriously?" she admonished him. "A porn star?"

"Emma stopped workin' wit' men after she got involved wit' moi. If dat's what y're t'inkin'." He didn't bother hiding the smugness in his voice. "An' den she quit completely t' be my talent agent…..an' I guess focus full-time on embezzlin' whatever I earned."

Rogue threw him a cynical glare.

"Oh." He realized he had misunderstood. "Y' mean what was I thinkin' generally?" He shrugged casually. "Nothin' honestly. It was like all coherent t'oughts left my head."

Rogue shook her head in disbelief.

"Really!" he insisted. "If de woman from de nude centerfold of a magazine shows up at your doorstep one day, y' just can't say no t' anythin' she wants t' do wit' an' t' y'."

"You're crazy."

"Crazy?" he echoed incredulously. "Who could say no t' a porn star?"

She fumed. "Ah would say no!"

"Uh-huh…." Remy cocked an eyebrow. "Why don't we see t'ings from de women's perspective? Let's suppose one day, Prince Charmin' comes ridin' on his pearly white horse an' asks y' t' be his princess, would y' say no? Considerin' I don't kick his royal behind?"

"Yes," Rogue answered adamantly. "Ah would say no."

"But he just saved y' from de fire breathin' dragon, slay de beast for y', crossed de highest mountains and de deepest oceans…..he also has a large castle made of gold."

"Ah'll say thanks, but no."

"Flyin' castle an' a flyin' horse?"

"No!"

Remy grumbled something about modern women being hard to impress. "Ok den." He then impressively mimicked a teenaged girl's voice. "What if it was some guy y' really liked……known him for years……an' he suddenly wants t' be wit' y'? Hmm?"

His words struck a nerve.

"Now dat is de same expression I had when Emma Frost offered t' make me rich an' famous beyond my wildest dreams." He locked his arms behind his head and let out a satisfied sigh. "Glad y' see t'ings from my point of view."

Rogue gawked at him, dumbfounded.

He was wrong. She didn't understand his perspective at all! He almost married a porn star for God sakes! And for what? It'd be an awesome experience! She on the other hand……

Queasiness slowly gripped her.

…..she had sold her soul to the Devil for seven wishes; to get her chance to be with Scott; to have him love her.

Who could resist a never-in-a-lifetime opportunity like that?

She didn't. And neither did Remy.

So maybe she did understand his point of view. But why did comparing her situation with Remy's suddenly feel like she did something….wrong? Like something was amiss?

"Y' alright? Y' look like y' seen de dead walkin'."

Comprehension dawned on her.

Remy.

It was Remy.

He was confusing her with his life's story; making her question her decision; making her think she somehow made a mistake, just like he did with Emma.

But she didn't.

Everything went….okay for her. With Scott. Even if he cheated on her with Taryn in the first wish, practically vanished from the face of the earth in this wish, but the second wish went just fine, after taking out Titanic from the equation.

And she had three more wishes. Three more chances to be with Scott.

And most importantly, she loved Scott. Just like….Remy loved her. Not like Remy's infatuation with Emma. And just to convince herself right, she turned to Remy.

"Remy?"

"Oui?"

"Can Ah ask you somethin'?"

He graced her with his undivided attention. "Anythin' y' want……" he drawled out, huskily…..seductively.

For an instant, Rogue forgot why she called him.

"So…..ask away…..anytime now."

"Oh." Snapping herself out of the trance his voice had put her into, she spoke: "Ah was just wonderin'….." She fiddled with her thumbs nervously. "When you were with meh…..How….H-How did you know it was….."

"Love?" Remy finished, half-amused and half-intrigued. "How did I know I was in love wit' y'?"

Rogue nodded silently.

"Hmm….let's see….." He lapsed into silence.

"You don't know?" she asked, surprised.

"I'm tryin' t' t'ink of a simple way t' explain de most complicated t'ing—Wait. I got it!" He suddenly enveloped his arms around her, pulling her into a warm hug.

Stunned and mystified, Rogue hesitantly returned the embrace. "Ah….don't get it."

"Right now I just feel like holdin' y' close."

"So?"

"So…." He smirked. "I don't want t' grope your perfect behind or unhook your bra."

Rogue felt glad he couldn't see her face. She never even entertained the thought of unhooking or fondling Scott's…..anything.

"………every time I saw y', I didn't want t' ravish y'……"

Things had heated up between them in her Titanic wish, but she preferred cuddling or talking to him than—what was Remy saying to her anyway?

"……Ok most of de time, but not everytime." Remy pulled back and gazed deeply into her eyes. "Me in bed wit' a woman, fully clothed an' not naked, sweaty an' tangled up in de sheets, was unimaginable…until now." He slanted his mouth into a wistful smile. "So was bein' ready t' do every silly thin' for y'. Like findin' de digital planner. Which I will."

Ah…yes. Crazy things.

She also did crazy things for Scott. From rescuing Jean from her disaster date with Blob to saving her from her uncontrollable telekinetic and telepathic powers.

"I started fantasizin' 'bout t'ings other dan y' in a lingerie." He made a face. "Silly t'ings like……gettin' married an' livin' in a cottage…….somewhere faraway from civilization. Havin' kids. I can visualize dat as clear as……a naked femme."

That one didn't count. She had had silly fantasies like that since she was four.

"An'….I always got scared whenever dere was news 'bout someone stalkin' y'. Or a break-in at one of your homes." He then added quietly: "T'ink my heart went int' a coma when y' did."

She had been terrified when Scott had gone up against Juggernaut alone. Her heart literally stopped when the unstoppable mutant managed to block Scott's optic blasts by grabbing his head.

"An' I get….a little bit jealous." Remy admitted guiltily. "Especially when every time your co-stars try t' pick y' up."

"Aren't you…..also mah co-star?" Rogue pointed out dryly. "Who tried that?" And apparently succeeded.

"Non non. I was your potential co-star," he emphasized. "I auditioned for Gambit for X3 an' did get de part. But sadly, Gambit had t' be dropped cause his personality was similar t' Wolverine's an' powers same as Cyclops," he stated sourly. "So I was your potential co-star when I tried that."

"Whatever you say….." Rogue said flatly.

"Anyway, whenever I would see or read 'bout y' on a date, I would wonder….what de hell is Anna doin' wit' dat jerk anyway?"

"Hey!" Rogue cried offended.

"Hey what? Y' were doin' de same t'ing wit' my lady friends." Grinning lecherously, he saucily added, "Besides checkin' me out an' t'inkin' I never notice."

Fire literally engulfed her whole body. And she was certain Remy could feel the heat. But atleast it was somewhat a consolation to know she also suffered from the envy symptom of love with Scott.

"But y' know when I was a hundred an' ten percent certain it was love an' not crazy fan boy obsession wit' y'?"

She sighed, physically and mentally exhausted from Remy's successful attempts to embarrass her. "When?" When he couldn't stop thinking about her? Couldn't sleep or eat? Felt butterflies in his tummy? Felt the day brighten considerably just by a simple smile from her?

Remy glanced around the room, acting like a magician about to reveal the secret to his most beloved trick. Smiling mysteriously, he leaned intimately close to her ear and whispered: "When y' loved me back."

The impact of those five simple words was akin to a punch from Juggernaut.

"Whoa!" Remy's arms shot up to brace her when she swooned. "I t'ink dat's enough bedtime stories for one night." He gently eased her to lie down. "Let's just keep dis away…." With the same gentleness, he pried his cellphone from her hand. "Don' want radiation causin' more dizziness an' confusion."

On the contrary, it was as if a veil had been lifted from her eyes. She suddenly saw things from a whole new perspective. Saw things…..clearly. The conscious of the thirty year old body she possessed appeared to have been aroused by Remy's words.

Scott—the real Scott Summers—never loved her. And never would. He would always view her as a friend and Jean Grey as the most amazing woman on earth.

She—Rogue, the silly little schoolgirl—had been smitten enough to sell her soul to gain seven wishes, so she could have him love her back.

"Shh…Just close your eyes an' go t' sleep….."

The soothing voice and feathered caresses against her forehead made her eyes flutter and finally close. Her body relaxed. Her mind however, was a different story.

"Remy? Are you awake?" a hushed voice called before Tabitha's head poked into the room. "Oh good you are! Listen, I've got good and great news for you—"

"Sssh!" He shushed, tenderly brushing away strands of hair from Rogue's face. "I'll be right dere."

Rogue barely registered him exit the room, let alone when he covered her with the blanket, tucking her and switched off the lamp. However, even in her shocked state, she managed to acknowledge one important thing.

Remy LeBeau was an accident; a mistake; an unwanted accessory of her wishes: a thief who stole her planner; her maid and babysitter; her husband. He was the husband she never wanted since she discovered she had one.

But if she had loved him, he'd be the first and perhaps the only person who would've loved her back, without her wishing for his undying affection from the Devil or God.

If she loved him…..

A gentle hand brushed her shoulder, breaking her already train wrecked thoughts. It helped somewhat in coping with such frenzied emotions. The only thing wrong was………..

"So what's de big news?"

"You get ten minutes of screentime in Wolvie's movie."

"Fine wit' me. What's de good news?"

"That was the good news. Now for the great news….You know Wade Wilson?"

"My co-star who can't keep his mouth shut an' t'inks mutants really exist in another dimension? An' dat dis whole world is some lovesick teenager's fantasy? Oui. I know him."

………..the person wasn't Remy.

"And you also remember he got his own movie? A Deadpool movie?"

"I vaguely remember him mentionin' somethin' 'bout a movie inbetween tryin' t' convince everyone t' recast Gambit wit' a 50 year old actor. Right after he called me Anna's sugar Daddy."

"Heh….Well…Deadpool isn't happening. Wade went to play some space cop named Green Light or Torch……something."

"An' what does dat have t' do wit' me?"

That clearly sounded like Remy outside the room, while his hand lightly stroked her shoulder.

'Don't be ridiculous Rogue'. Rogue stopped herself from panicking. It might be Kurt.

"What do you think? Who's the mutant who should've gotten his own movie in the first place?"

"Quoi? Y' mean a Gambit movie? B-But it doesn't make sense."

"So is a green lighting a whole movie about a mutant who gets his head slic—"

"Tabitha! Keep it down! De movie still not released yet!"

"Oh relax. It's not like we're leaking the whole movie on the internet or something."

But if it was really Kurt, why didn't she hear him come in? Or Remy and Tabitha say anything to him? Granted, she had been in shock after what Remy had said. But still…..she would've known if it was Kurt without any second thoughts.

"Vhat's going on?"

"Ah! My favorite brother-in-law. Y' sleep well?"

"Remy's getting his own movie and he's not being thankful for it."

Rogue's pulse began to beat faster.

Who the hell was in the room with her? And how did he get past without anyone noticing?

Was it a paparazzi? Why didn't he just quickly shoot a picture or two and leave?

A crazy fan?

Rogue forced her breathing to remain normal and not hyperventilate.

What did he want? A lock of her hair? Her?

No.

It was too risky. The bodyguards were just outside, a scream away from rushing in and killing him on the spot.

Was he was after her family? Kurt and Remy were outside. They were safe too. So what was he after?

"I'm grateful for it. It's just dat….Wolverine movie, den my own movie? An' what's next? X-men 5? X-men 6? When do I spend time wit' baby LeBeau?"

Baby LeBeau.

The baby!

Like a knee-jerk reaction—purely reflexive, Rogue elbowed the intruder in the face, and used the same hand to grab the back of his neck and slam his face against the bedside table.

She had been fully prepared to inflict more damage, if it weren't for the grunt of pain that emitted from his mouth. She had heard it a million times before……in the Danger Room when he dodged mechanical enemies or got hit by one of them……or when he had gotten seriously hurt on a field trip to the caves because of Mystique……

"Scott?" Rogue whispered in a broken voice as he staggered to his feet. "Is that you?"

She never received an answer however.

"I'm pretty sure baby LeBeau will want his or her Dada to go and do—LOGAN!" Tabitha's scream was loud enough to wake the recently deceased.

"Gott in Himmel!"

"Mon Dieu! My ears are bleedin'…..Tabitha why did y'—"

"There's someone in the room! And he is not Anna!"

Scott, or whoever he was, fled out the window a millisecond before everyone else rushed into the room.

A/N: This has to be the lengthiest chapter of this fic…..and the longest Remy and Rogue conversation I had in any fic o.0

Just to clear things up, there is still no confirmation about the status of Deadpool's movie. I made up the news about the movie being dead. And also Gambit's movie :-( Would've been nice if there was one.

Anyways, please review! I updated after such a long time and need to know if everyone is still interested......or even visits the Evo section anymore. So REVIEW! Even if it's to say you're alive :-)