Author's Note- This is an experiment. Until now I haven't written a story without Rogue but do to the pairing in this one I sort of had to. Tell me if you like it. Also, thanks to the author of "Last Star" and the author of "It All Started With a Rose..." both of which inspired this story, and more recently "If I Should Fall From Grace" and "Kat Fight." And the wonderful stories by somekindafreaky.

Second Note- I decided on a more mundane death just because it's very rarely done.

Third note- If you think the Magneto I portray here is too fluffy, remember that in the comic books he did save Kitty's life. He was always very kind to her, other than the battles of course.

~*~

Tragedy and the Acolytes

~*~

I can still feel the breeze that rustles through the trees

And misty memories of days gone by

We could never see tomorrow

No one said a word about the sorrow

-The Bee Gees

~*~

"I'm afraid that we have lost her," Mr. McCoy said hanging his head. "I did all that I could but I couldn't save her." The group who had been sitting in the waiting room reacted in complete shock. As the group cried Kitty Pryde simply walked away. She went to the Rogue's favorite place, right on the roof and buried her head in her hands crying.

"Petite?" a soft voice asked behind her. Kitty leapt up and dropped into a fighting stance.

"Gambit," she said recognizing him from Rogue's description. He looked at her in concern.

"What be wrong with you?" he asked.

"Nothing," the usually perky Valley-Girl snapped. Remy stepped close and reached out gently wiping away her tears.

"Dat is obviously not true."

"What do you want?"

"Right now Gambit would settle for a smile."

"That won't be happening," Kitty said sounding more like Rogue than herself and phasing back into her room. She was surprised when the Cajun climbed in through the window after her. "That was locked."

"Oui," he smiled. "Your point? Remy be a t'ief, dat was easy." Sighing Kitty sat down on her bed.

"Listen, if you, like, want to fight, go find Logan. I'm sure he'd really like a fight right now."

"Gambit don' want ta fight, petite."

Kitty closed her eyes briefly. "Then go away. I just want to be alone." Kitty curled up on her side feeling more tears fill her eyes. She was surprised when Remy came to kneel before her. He extended a card, which a bemused Kitty took. "This won't explode will it?"

Remy grinned. "Non, petite. Just an address. Gambit's employer wanted Remy ta give dis to you."

"Why me?" Kitty asked raising her head to look at him confused. He looked back at her evenly.

"Because, petite, Mags knows what happened."

"How? It just happened!"

"Oui, mais, Destiny tol' Mystique who told Mags."

"Why didn't Irene, like, tell Rogue?"

"She foun' out too late, petite."

"You can take this back," Kitty said of the card, extending her hand to him. "I don't need it."

"Ya might. Keep it, petite chat. And if you need us," the Cajun gave his most seductive smile, "or jus' Gambit, come ta de address."

"Fine," Kitty said. She looked at him wearily. "Now could you please leave? I'd really like to be alone."

"Oui," Remy said standing. Impulsively, he reached out and touched her cheek, again wiping away her tears. Kitty looked at him surprised. "Ce sera bien, petite." Kitty watched him as he climbed out of the window. She looked at the card with an address for a long time.

A week later

Kitty tossed in her bed. She just kept seeing it. The car, Duncan and his cronies pushing Rogue out into the road... her friend's scream as Kitty rushed towards the scene. She sat up and stood shakily. The other side of the room was still bare.

Kitty had packed all of her old roommate's things up, unable to see them anymore. The only thing still out were Rogue's CD's. Kitty couldn't listen to her own happy pop music anymore. She walked out of her room and downstairs into the kitchen. Logan was already there. "Hey, half-pint," he said. Kitty sat next to him. "What's the matter? Can't sleep?"

"I've barely slept at all in the last few weeks," Kitty sighed.

He stood and grabbed a glass pouring her some whiskey. "Here, this'll help." Kitty took the glass clearly surprised.

"Thanks," Kitty took a drink making a face at the taste. "Ick." Logan had to chuckle at that.

"Ick? That's my best whiskey, kid. Yer lucky I'm sharing. You're going to have another roommate soon."

"I am?" Kitty asked surprised.

"New girl named Elizabeth Braddock. She and her brother are moving in next week."

The girl sighed thinking about sharing the room again. "Mr. Logan, I totally can't stay in the room with someone else. It wouldn't feel right. And how can they just replace her after two weeks?! It's not right!"

Logan raised a hand at her words. "Half-Pint, they ain't tryin' to replace her. You should know better than that."

"I know," Kitty whispered. "That's just how it feels. She was my best friend, Logan." Logan moved a little closer to put an arm around the sobbing girl. "And everyday just seeing all of them... the only one who even acts like we've really lost someone is Kurt. I can't believe he's going back home. You're the only other one here that I'm close to."

"I'm not gonna be stickin' around either, kid," Logan confessed. "I'll be back but Chuck has a lead he wants me to check out. I'll be gone for a few weeks, maybe a month or so. Why don't you go home for a while?"

"I can't," Kitty sighed. "Everyone knows who I am, mom told me that they said I'm not welcome there."

"Damn," Logan muttered.

"My reaction exactly," Kitty said with a wry smile. "I can't go home but I don't want to stay here. When are you leaving?"

"Tomorrow, after I drop the elf off." Kitty sighed taking a deep drink from the glass. She laid her head on the table as the two talked then simply drank in comfortable silence. Soon Kitty fell asleep. With a soft chuckle Logan picked up the petite girl and carried her into her room. He put her in her bed and covered her up pausing when he saw the emptiness of other side of the room. He sighed touching the other bed. "We miss ya, stripes."

The morning around four

Kitty fought down tears as she walked with Kurt to the bottom of the stairs and to the foyer. "I'm going to miss you, fuzzy," she whispered.

"Ja," Kurt said. "I'm going to miss you too, Katzchen." He hugged her tightly and gently kissed her on the cheek. "But I'll write."

"You better," Kitty said. "Or else I'm going to go to Germany and kick your fuzzy little ass."

"Language," Logan scolded absentmindedly.

"Sorry, Mr. Logan," Kitty said. She crossed over to him and hugged him much to his surprise. "Be careful."

"Always am," he said wrapping his arms around her before stepping away. "Look out for yourself, half-pint."

"I will," Kitty promised. She hugged Kurt one more time before watching the only two people she still loved as they drove away.

Another week later

"Katherine," Xavier said after he finished debriefing the twins. "Would you show Elizabeth to her room?"

"Okay," Kitty said. She faced the older girl. "Follow me." Kitty led her to her room.

"Nice room," the girl said. "I'm Betsy Braddock."

"Kitty Pryde."

Jean came in smiling. "Betsy, I was wondering if you'd like me to show you around?"

"Okay," Betsy said looking slightly worried as she looked at the Valley Girl. The two left and Kitty sat down on her bed.

/I can't take it anymore,/ Kitty thought wildly. She grabbed a duffle bag. She couldn't be in this house without her two best friends, and Logan was gone so often he didn't really count. Kitty sat down on the bed to write a quick note before she threw as much of her clothes and all her pictures into the bag and backpack and grabbed the bag that held her laptop before climbing out of the window and phasing through the roof landing on her feet on the ground below. Holding the keys to Rogue's black T-bird Kitty phased into the garage. After carefully looking around Kitty got into the car and sped out.

An hour later

Kitty shouldered her bags looking up at the mansion. She took a deep breath before knocking. The door swung open to reveal Pietro. "What-do- you-want-Kitty-Cat?" he asked coldly. He was pushed aside and Remy walked over.

"Bonjour, chat," he smiled. "Please, come in."

"What-are-you-doing?!" Pietro yelled.

"Yo' pére invited her here," Remy said taking Kitty's bags. "Didn't tink she'd take him up on his offer." He led Kitty to a room. "Mags' office is in dere. Gambit will take your tings to a room." Taking a deep calming breath Kitty reached out and knocked on the door.

The door opened and a calm voice called out to her. "Please, come inside, Katherine."

Surprised Kitty obeyed. She looked around the office and quickly spotted the imposing figure of Sabretooth standing beside the desk. The chair turned and Magneto, sans helmet, faced her. "Hello," she said going for polite.

"I'm really quite pleased that you have decided to take me up on my offer," he said.

"I couldn't stay there," Kitty said.

"Before we all agree I want you to know that you are not a full member of the team," Magneto said. He raised a hand when Kitty started to protest. "All that means is that you will not be fighting, at least for a while."

"Okay," Kitty said belying how relieved she was.

"For the most part you will be working with Gambit."

"Why?" Kitty asked.

"Stealing things, young Katherine," Magneto said. "With your powers and his skills you two would be an unstoppable team."

/Okay,/ Kitty decided. /Stealing, wrong but not that wrong./ "Anything else I should know?"

"Yes, you will also be training with Sabretooth," Magneto said.

"What?" Kitty asked her eyes widening. Sabretooth himself smirked seeing and smelling the girl's fear.

Magneto could see her fear too so he continued. "I know that you have trained with Wolverine, this will simply be an extension upon what he has taught you. You have a choice, Sabretooth or Gambit. Both are excellent fighters but Sabretooth is more ruthless."

"Gambit," Kitty said automatically and very quickly. Magneto's lip curled up in something that almost resembled a smile. "Um, what about school?"

"We have a tutor who comes in every morning. Anything else?"

"No."

"Very well, I'm sure Gambit is back by now." The door swung back open. "You may go. And tell him that he will be training you."

"Um, Mr. Magneto," Kitty said softly.

"Yes?"

"Thank you," she told him before walking out. Remy was leaning against the wall talking to Pyro as the firebug played with his lighter absentmindedly. The two men looked up and both smiled.

"Salut, chat," Remy said.

"Hey, Sheila," John said. "So you're gonna be stayin' with us?" Kitty nodded. "My prayers have been answered!"

Remy smiled at Kitty. "Ignore him, petite, John has never been de sane one in de group."

"Neither have you, Cajun," Pietro said speeding over to them.

"Non," Remy admitted. "Dat goes to Piotr." The huge Russian also approached holding a book in his hand.

"Did I hear my name?" he asked.

"Oui," Remy said. "We were just discussing de sanity of de hommes here fo' de chat." Piotr turned and raised his eyebrows seeing Kitty standing pretty much surrounded by the three men.

He held out his hand. "Piotr Rasputin."

"Hi," Kitty said putting her hand in his. "Kitty Pryde."

"I never introduced myself," John said. "St. John Allerdyce." He took her hand and shook it.

"Je suis Remy LeBeau," Remy said realizing that he had never told her his real name. He bowed over her hand laying a kiss on the soft flesh there. He smirked seeing her flush a little.

"Okay, I'm, like, started to get claustrophobic here," Kitty said and stepped away from the four men surrounding her. "So, anyone want to, like, show me to my room?"

"Ooh, I will!" John offered.

Remy rolled his eyes. "Remy be de only one who knows where de chat's room is. Come on, petite, Remy will take you." Pietro snorted at the double entendre in those words. Kitty followed Remy up the stairs.

"I was, like, supposed to tell you that you're going to be training me."

"Pardon?" Remy asked.

"Magneto wants you to train me. Well, it was either you or Sabretooth, I'd rather have you."

Remy smirked. "Would you now?"

"Think about the choices before you get full of yourself."

Now he chuckled. "So de chat has gotten claws. Accordin' ta Monsieur Maximoff you were de sweet one."

"I was. Emphasis on was." Kitty sighed.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she lied.

"Liar," Remy said. Kitty glared up at him as he opened a door. "If you don' want ta talk about it fine, Remy understands but don' insult Remy." Kitty sighed. "Care ta tell Remy why you came?" He sat down on her bed and watched her as she started to unpack.

"I just couldn't take it anymore. Rogue's gone, Kurt's gone, and Logan never sticks around." She finished unpacking and faced him. "Now what?"

"Mags said Remy has to train you so let's go." He led her out of the room and downstairs.