Author's Note: I can't believe it has been four year since I last updated this story. It only took countless messages from readers asking me to finish over the years plus a pandemic for me to find enough time to complete this story. Thank you to all the readers who have enjoyed this story over the years. I sincerely hope that you find a bit of enjoyment out of this final chapter, and I wish you all good health during these challenging times. Lots of love to you all. xoxo, Angy

It was 6 am and the sun was peaking through the blinds. The two former lovers were sitting on opposite ends of the couch. Rogue was curled up and wrapped in a cozy blanket. Her hair was swept back in a loose ponytail as several white strands framed her face in such a way that Remy could only describe as "angelic". Remy leaned back in his corner of the couch but his ruby eyes kept their focus on Rogue, blinking only when necessary, but even then he tried to control it because he felt as if he was on borrowed time. This could be the last time that he would be able to stare into those mesmerizing green eyes. In between them was a sleeping Pekingese, whose snoring was appreciated during those silences where the two former lovers stopped themselves before revealing something that might disrupt the delicate balance.

Yet, they hardly stopped talking all night.

The connection that they had tried so hard to forget in the last several months was reignited, but neither were sure when that wick would burn out. They felt the urgency, the transiency of the moment. So, they kept sharing all the things that they had wanted to say to each other before they lost the chance.

Rogue spoke about her mother, Priscilla, and her memories of running in the fields towards her mother's outstretched arms on some hippie commune in the middle of nowhere Mississippi. She recalled that her mother was terrible at pretty much all things a mother should be good at – her mother couldn't cook, never cleaned, and barely worked. Priscilla encouraged learning through experience rather than books; and Rogue explained, with a bit of embarrassment, that her mother's beliefs were the reason why she wasn't enrolled in school until the age of seven. However, Remy didn't show any judgment and made a joke that even with a late start, she clearly learned more than he did as his best subject was skipping school, which made Rogue laugh.

She talked about how the only thing her mother was ever good at was loving Rogue. There were very few people who made Rogue feel truly safe in their arms, her mother and – but she stopped before she said something that could change the course of the future. Although he had hoped she would say his name, Remy didn't press her on it either. Silence fell over them. They watched Cookie wake momentarily to stretch out before falling asleep again, which cut through the tension that hung in the air.

Remy then shared that his favourite colour was fuchsia pink, which made Rogue laugh. He feigned offense but the way the corner of his eyes crinkled betrayed him. Rogue then teased him for loving fuchsia pink, and how it suddenly made sense why he had three pairs of heart-print boxer shorts. Again, Remy feigned indignation, but he was secretly pleased that she mentioned an inside joke of theirs regarding his penchant for heart-print underwear and even more pleased by the memory of her tendency of wearing them. Remy then explained that fuchsia pink was his favourite colour because it was the only memory he had of his biological mother. He recalled that he was in a stroller at an outdoor market with his mother. He couldn't remember her face, but he did remember that she had worn a long fuchsia pink summer dress. Then she vanished from his view, and that was it. Technically, he became a ward of great state of Louisiana, but not for very long. He was eventually adopted by Jean-Luc and Elise LeBeau, who had experienced a miscarriage a year prior to his adoption. He was given a new name and a silver spoon. Yet, he admitted that every time he returned to that outdoor market, he would find himself inadvertently scanning the crowd for a glimpse of that vivid pink. Rogue asked if he ever found out what happened to his mother, and Remy simply shook his head. Rogue left it at that.

They sat in silence again. Rogue's eyes were downcast, but Remy kept his focus on her, as he had done for most of the night. Rogue then started crying, but she put up her hand to signal to him that she was okay, and Remy had to fight against his instinct of reaching out to her.

Remy asked, "Are y' okay, Rogue?"

While wiping away tears, she replied, "Ah'm fine. Ah don't even know why Ah'm crying. It's been a long day. And it just hit me again that Ah saw Erik. That's his name by the way. Not that it's important. Nothing about him is important."

Rogue looked away from Remy as she tried to process what a strange day it has been for her – two men who shattered her heart both reappeared just when she thought she was getting her life back together. It had to be a test from the universe because there was no rational explanation on how the cosmic forces decided that today was the day that her past would get pummelled by what she had once thought would be her future.

Finally, Remy asked softly, "Who is Erik?"

Rogue bit her lower lip as she fought the tears that were welling in her eyes again. She let out a deep breath and said, "Erik is the first man who Ah loved with that type of fervor and passion that only a naïve 21-year-old would have. He came into my life at a time where Ah felt quite lost. He became a compass for me to follow. Ah was just too stupid at the time to realize Ah was heading in the wrong direction. But Ah suppose that's why people say, 'love is blind' because Ah didn't even care where the destination was just as long as Ah got there. If only Ah had known it was a one-way ticket to the emergency room…"

Remy's hand curled into a tight fist, as he fought the primordial instinct of hunting this man down for hurting someone as precious as Rogue. He could not think of anyone less deserving of such treatment. In the short time that he got to be in her life, he saw how big her heart is and how she exudes love. Anyone blessed to be in the presence of her light knew that there was no better place to be; so, how could someone try to extinguish that flame with such brutality? Yet, his hand softened as he realized that he had done the same thing to her. He was never violent with her, but hadn't he been callous all the same? In the way he entered her life, fell in love with her, made promises of a future that he had no control over, and then break her heart when that future shattered for both of them? Inadvertent or not, his actions had the same effect.

A few tears rolled down her cheek as she brushed them away. Rogue looked away from Remy, partly because she was embarrassed and partly because she didn't want him to see that the tears were because of him. Though the trauma that she was left with from Erik was overwhelming, she could now make sense of it. She understood how her 21-year-old self was entirely too trusting of a future with a man that she never questioned. She can forgive her 21-year-old self for loving blindly because that felt better and more certain than being alone and scared. Yet, with Remy, it was different. She was smarter or at least she thought she was. She made different choices when it came to Remy. She was not following in his footsteps but they were side-by-side, running so confidently towards something that was felt so hopeful.

"Rogue?"

"Mmhmm."

"Can you look at me?"

Slowly, Rogue raised her head and looked into his ruby eyes.

"I know I've said it before, but I want you to really understand dat I am sorry for everyt'ing. Dere is no woman dat deserves being hurt in dat way, especially not you. You don't deserve t'be hurt in any way. All you should get in life is unconditional love, that makes you feel safe and happy. I'm sorry dat he didn't give dat to you, and I'm even more sorry dat I didn't eit'er. I've been reckless my whole life, and even though I didn't mean to, I was reckless with my love for you. When I met y', it was de first time dat everyt'ing in my life suddenly made sense. So, I was greedy and wanted to hold onto it and not let it go. Den Belle showed up and everyt'ing was my fault. It was my fault dat your heart broke. It was my fault dat we lost de bebe."

His throat tightened as he remembered how painful it was having to come to terms with not only losing the love of his life but also a child that, despite who the mother was, he knew he wanted with every fibre of his being.

"Remy, Ah'm sorry dat you lost de baby. Ah can't imagine what that's like, but Ah would've never wanted you to go through that kind of pain." Rogue said gently, as she inched closer to Remy.

"I appreciate dat, chere. But I should have told y' about Belle earlier. I was taking a gamble dat she would just disappear. I realized though dat I was gambling wit' your heart, and dat was wrong. I was wrong. Not dat I deserve it, but I do hope one day y'can forgive me." He moved closer to her, closing the gap between them. Their movements woke Cookie up as he stretched out and hopped off the couch to find an undisturbed spot on the rug, leaving an opening between them. Remy placed his open hand within reach of Rogue, and after a few moments, Rogue placed her hand in his. And they sat there in silence as the rising sun filled the room with light.

-xoxo-

It was a Friday night and Hank's Hideaway was the place to be in this sleepy corner of Mississippi. Orders were coming in quickly, and Rogue barked at the bartender, "Wolvie, where are my drinks at for table 7?"

Logan was busy filling pitcher after pitcher of beer, and he growled at Rogue impatiently, "Tell 'em it's coming, and if they have a problem, they can come talk to me about it."

Rogue replied, "If Ah lose tips over this, I'm taking it out of your share for the night."

"Like any man has ever tipped you less than 25 percent." Logan retorted.

Jean, who had just handed another order to Logan, said, "Logan has a point, Rogue. You've consistently made the most tips out of any of us here."

"Hey! Whose team are you on anyway? Plus, there's a first for everything, especially with the lack of cooperation I'm getting from your favourite bartender." Rogue said.

Jean responded, "I'm not taking sides. I'm just remembering that time when you accidentally spilled a bloody Mary on a guy's white shirt, and he still tipped 30 percent because he couldn't get over how charming your Southern accent was even though he was from South Carolina himself."

"And remember the time when she actually slapped a customer because he was getting handsy with her, and he still gave her a $100 tip?" Lucas piped up as he joined the gang.

"Why are y'all ganging up on me? Plus that guy deserved it." Rogue said defensively.

"He totally did. I'm just saying that I'd pay $100 to see you slap the shit out of that guy again." Lucas said, while he reached for the beer that Logan had placed in front of him.

"Rogue… is that?" Jean said suddenly, as she pointed to the flat screen television hanging above the bar. Rogue looked up and saw Erik, with black and blue bruises on his face, being arrested by the police. The headline read, "Breaking News: Republican Senate Candidate Charged With 12 Counts of Sexual Assault and Battery Against 4 Women." As the police led Erik to the police car, journalists surrounded him as they all tried to get their questions in, but Erik remained stoic and said nothing. Logan then turned off the television, and Jean instinctively put her arms around Rogue, who was stunned by the revelation.

"Are you okay, Rogue?" Jean asked as she pulled back from the hug, and searched Rogue's face for any signs of tears.

Surprising even herself, Rogue simply replied, "Yeah. Ah am."

"Are you sure, Rogue?" Lucas asked.

Rogue turned to look at him and with a sigh of a relief, she said, "Yeah, Ah'm sure."

"Well, he fucking deserves it. And I'm buying a drink for the guy who did that to his face. Only wished it could've been me." Lucas said.

"Me too, bub. What I'd give to smack the smirk off that asshole's face." Logan chimed in.

Rogue then said, "Remy."

"What are you talking about, Rogue?" Jean asked.

"Remy was the one who beat up Erik." Rogue explained, though it merely confused her friends even more.

"You saw the Cajun, Rogue? Is that what he told you?" Logan asked.

"He didn't tell me. Ah saw it." Rogue explained further, and again, it merely created more confusion for her friends.

"Let's back up here for a second, Rogue. What do you mean you saw it?" Lucas asked.

"Ah was jogging the other day with Cookie and Erik came out of nowhere." Rogue started to clarify.

"That fucking asshole." Logan said angrily, but Jean gave him a disapproving look.

"Continue, Rogue." Jean said.

"Erik told me that he was running for office and he wanted me to keep quiet about our history in case it impacted his campaign. Ah told him 'no' and he got angry with me. Then the next thing Ah know, Remy came out of nowhere and was beating the life out of Erik. Ah stopped him but Ah guess the damage was already done." Rogue explained.

"Oh my god. Rogue, why didn't you tell us sooner?" Jean exclaimed.

"And why did you stop that Cajun?" Lucas asked, but Jean also gave him a disapproving glare.

"Ah don't know. It was just the other day and - Ah need to take a break. Cover for me, 'k?" She asked Jean.

"Yes, of course. But are you sure you're okay?" Jean asked with concern.

"Ah really am. Ah just need to get some fresh air. Ah'll be back in 15 minutes." Rogue said with a reassuring smile. And she was telling the truth. A strange calm had overtaken her despite the fact that nothing had made sense to her since the day Remy returned. Yet, instead of feeling the need to put her guards up to protect herself from the chaos, she let it envelop her. It didn't feel so painful anymore.

Rogue headed out the door, leaving her concerned friends in disbelief. After a few minutes, and being the protective friend that she was, Jean went after Rogue. Logan on the other hand grabbed a beer and extended it towards Lucas who picked up his beer and clinked it with Logan's. Despite not saying a word to each other, they both knew who they had toasted to in that moment.

-xoxo-

The nerves hit him hard. He had been standing outside of Hank's Hideaway for half an hour, and the clock was ticking. He didn't know why she asked him to meet her here out of all places especially when there were at least two people in there who were probably waiting to beat the crap out of him as soon as he stepped foot into the bar. It wasn't like he wouldn't deserve it. Perhaps it might even gain some brownie points for him if he just succumbed to the beatdown. It would bring out another level of pitifulness out of him, and maybe he could work that to his advantage. As potentially painful as the situation was, it was the first time in a long time that he felt hopeful.

After that night at Rogue's, something changed in their dynamic. He didn't quite understand it but when he left in the morning, she didn't tell him to leave town or that she never wanted to see him again. Instead, she gave him a hug that lingered longer than she had probably intended, which he didn't mind at all. He didn't ask if he could see her again nor did she say she would. Yet, there was something in that goodbye that left him feeling that they weren't quite finished. So, he stuck around town for a few days, hoping that she would contact him, and she finally did by the third day through text messaging. She had texted him a smiley face emoji and nothing else.

Remy was never great at communicating via messaging apps, but he also knew that a smiley face emoji was not exactly an invitation to go over. Unsure of how to respond, Remy ended up sending her three smiley face emoji's followed by a "hello" and "how are you?". His phone indicated that Rogue had read the messages, but she didn't respond for 1 hour and 47 minutes.

He thought he must have completely blown it, but suddenly, his phone dinged. He grabbed it and saw that Rogue had responded with "Good. Ya still in town?"

He replied immediately with "Yes". However, as soon as he sent the message, he realized that she might be upset with him for sticking around when she didn't tell him to do so. He then sent a follow-up message of "is that ok?" Then he waited for her response and saw the ellipsis, indicating that she was typing. But then it disappeared, and slight panic set in as he thought about calling her. Self-doubt hit him as he wondered whether women only found him charming because of his Cajun accent, which one wouldn't be able to hear over text messaging. He pulled up the keypad on his phone and started dialing Rogue's number. It was ringing when Rogue's text message came through, but it was too late as she had already picked up his call. Instead of talking to her on the phone like a normal person, Remy hung up the phone out of panic. He read Rogue's message which said, "Wanna meet up tonight?" Then another message came through and it said, "Did you just call me?"

"Remy's such an idiot." He said to himself. He then texted back, "Yes" followed with "to both questions". He sent another message, "Sorry, didn't mean to butt dial you. Where do you want to meet?"

Rogue's replied with "Ok" and "Hank's at 10?"

Despite his misgivings about going to Hank's Hideaway, Remy couldn't let this opportunity slide. He responded, "Ok. See you then". Rogue simply replied with a winking emoji, and Remy couldn't help but think that perhaps she was flirting with him. At least he hoped that was the case but again, online communication was never his strong suit. Neither was being on time, which was why he arrived at the bar at 9:30 pm. He couldn't afford to screw up tonight.

He stayed out of sight for the most part. He parked his Harley at the far end of the parking lot and watched people go in and out of the bar. When he spotted Logan, he ducked behind the car parked next to his Harley. He did it again when he saw Lucas enter the bar.

He checked his watch and noticed that he had one minute left. It's now or never. "You've taken many punches before – don't be a wimp, Remy." He mumbled to himself before taking one last deep breath. He opened the door to Hank's Hideaway and found that the place was as lively as the first time he stepped foot in the establishment.

He scanned the room for Rogue but couldn't find her among the crowds. Inadvertently, he made eye contact with Logan at the bar and he immediately looked away, but it was too late. He turned around and walked right into the chest of a big brawny man.

"You're back." Lucas said in an intimidating manner.

Remy gulped and stepped back. "Hey Bishop. How's it going?" Remy said nervously.

"It's going. C'mon." Lucas said as he headed towards the bar.

Dis is it. Just take a like a man. You can always get fixed up if dey go for the money-maker. So what if de face never looks de same again? Apparently, your charm rests in the accent and it's not like dey can punch de accent of ya. Remy thought to himself as he reluctantly followed Lucas to the bar.

"Guess who I found?" Lucas said to Logan.

"I saw him come in." Logan said.

"Hey Logan. It's been awhile, huh?" Remy said, as he scanned the room for Rogue.

"Not long enough. And she's on a break." Logan said.

"Oh. Remy'll just wait for her outside den." He said, but Logan quickly pointed at the bar stool in front of him.

"Sit." Logan growled and Remy automatically did as he was told. Lucas took a seat next to Remy and placed an intimidating hand on his shoulder.

"So, you've got some real balls for coming back here." Lucas said.

"Seems like you've also got a hearing problem. Wasn't it just last week that I told you that you weren't welcome here?" Logan asked rhetorically.

"We may have to clean his ears out." Lucas said, but in a way that Remy was not sure if he was joking or being serious.

"No need for dat, fellas. Didn' mean t' kill de mood here. I'd be okay wit' waitin' out back for Rogue." Remy said as he tried to exit but Lucas tighten his grip ever so slightly.

"Not before you have a drink with us." Lucas demanded. Immediately, Logan placed a giant beer stein which was filled to the rim in front of Remy.

"Drink." Logan barked.

Again, Remy did as he was told and started drinking. He stopped after a couple of gulps, but Lucas and Logan both gave him a look that indicated he was supposed to continue. Remy ended up chugging the entire stein of beer before slamming the empty stein on the counter. He let out a loud burp, and Lucas and Logan laughed. Lucas slapped Remy's back and said, "Not bad, man."

"You can drink." Logan said in a way that almost suggested that he was impressed.

Remy was about to say something but another burp escaped his mouth instead, which merely caused Logan and Lucas to chuckle some more. Logan refilled Remy's beer stein despite his protestations.

"Fellas, I can't. Remy need t' be sober t' talk to her." He tried to explain, but Logan placed the beer stein in front of him nonetheless. Feeling the pressure, Remy picked up the stein and started chugging again. He was interrupted about halfway through by Rogue, who exclaimed, "What are ya doing?"

Remy immediately put the stein down and turned around to see a rather amused Rogue.

"Ah didn't invite ya hear so ya can get drunk." She said in a teasing manner.

"I know but de fellas here wanted t' have a drink and Remy thought dat a couple of beers would at least numb de pain from their punches later." He explained.

"Rogue, we just wanted to have a drink with the man of the hour. We weren't going to punch him." Lucas said, which confused Remy who had no idea what Lucas was referring to.

"Speak for yourself. The night's still young." Logan replied.

Rogue flashed Logan an angry glare while she said, "Ah leave ya two for a minute and this is what happens. Ah've had my fair share of watching men beat each other senselessly of late. So, don't even think about it."

She turned back to Remy, "C'mon, let's go over there."

Remy exchanged nods with the other two men before following Rogue towards an empty table across the room.

"Sorry, chere. Remy didn' mean for dat to happen. But I'm glad I could see y' again. Wasn't sure where things left off last time." He said.

"Same." Rogue agreed.

Awkward silence fell over them as they waited for the other to say something. Being the impatient one and having very little to lose at this point, Remy asked, "So, where did we leave things?"

Rogue paused as if contemplating that question. Then, she took a deep breath while Remy waited with anticipation. Finally, Rogue said, "Ah don't know."

Disappointed but not one to quit, Remy asked, "Well, are y' okay wit' me being here?"

"Ya are easy on the eyes." Rogue replied flirtatiously, surprising him and even herself.

Sensing his opening, Remy said, "I can say de same 'bout you, chere."

"C'mon Cajun, ya lost your charm on me now? Be a lil' more original." Rogue said with an eye roll.

"Just hold on, chere. Remy'll get his groove back." Remy said. Rogue laughed at the sight of Remy, who was wracking his brain for a pick-up line, and her laughter pulled Remy's focus back.

"Hearing you laugh is like music to my ears, chere. I've missed it." He commented.

"That's the best ya got, Cajun?" Rogue teased.

Feeling bold, Remy took Rogue's hand and said, "It's not a line. I mean it. I've missed you."

"Me too." Rogue said and locked her hands with his.

"So, tell me how we can go back t' what we had." Remy asked calmly.

"Ah don't know if we can go back. We can't pretend the last few months didn't happen." Rogue responded.

"Then where do we go from here?" Remy asked.

"Forward." Rogue said softly. Then she gripped his hand, and said, "together."

Remy's eyes lit up and he said, "Do y' mean it?"

"Ah think so, but we've got some stuff t' work on like building trust again. Ah can't have another baby mama drama, y'hear me? 'Cause next time, Ah'll just kill ya, swamp rat. It'll be easier that way" Rogue said.

"Dere won't be a next time, unless the baby mama is you, chere." Remy said with a wink.

"We'll see about that. Let's take it one day at a time for now." Rogue said.

"Of course. But can Remy just say one more thing before he has to reel it back in?" Remy asked.

"Fine." Rogue agreed.

"Je t'aime, mon coeur." Remy said while gazing into Rogue's big green eyes. He was hoping she would say the same but instead, she said, "Ah suppose that was original enough" before leaning in to give him a kiss.

-xoxo-

Six months has passed since Remy returned, and just over a year since they first locked eyes at Hank's Hideaway. Remy had stayed in Mississippi to be with Rogue for another three months in spite of Bobby's chagrin. They lived a rather ordinary life together – going on dates, working out together, walking Cookie together, and simply enjoying each other's company. Rogue welcomed Remy's presence in her life again, and it seemed like her friends had come around as well. They hosted movie nights on Wednesdays, and Cody, Lucas, Kurt, Wanda, and Jean were regular attendees. Not surprisingly, Remy's movie choices were always voted down in favour of Rogue's usual choice of romantic comedies. Remy normally lost by a slim margin and the deciding vote tended to be Lucas', who claimed he was only voting for Rogue because he was Team Rogue, though everyone knew Lucas was always the first to cry during any sappy movie.

Remy eventually returned to New Orleans because responsibilities called. Plus, Bobby decided that he deserved a two-month long vacation given how much time Remy had taken off during the past year. Although they discussed the idea of Rogue joining Remy in New Orleans, Rogue decided against it for the time being. She had started singing again and had committed to a number of gigs at the Starlight Lounge for three months. Despite the distance, they were able to maintain a relationship that flourished into something that neither had ever experienced.

The foundation strengthened, and their trust grew. Even though they led busy lives, they always remembered to send a "Good morning" text message every day, and end the evening with a phone call so that the last thing they heard before they closed their eyes was each other's voice. Remy visited Rogue as often as he could, but this time it was Rogue who had to make the trip down south.

It was her first trip to New Orleans and she was nervous about meeting Remy's family and friends. But she was also excited to finally see all the things he wanted to show her.

On her first day in New Orleans, Remy picked her up at the airport and took her straight to his Tante Mattie's because Remy would be remiss if Rogue didn't get to try the best jambalaya in town. Tante Mattie was the definition of southern hospitality, as she greeted Rogue with a big warm hug at the door.

"Hi. It's so nice to meet you, Tante Mattie." Rogue said warmly.

"Same to you, my dear. Now, let me take a look at you. Just as I suspected, you're too pretty for this child of mine." Tante Mattie said.

"Hey! Remy resents that." Remy protested.

"Resent all you want, but that don't make me wrong, does it?" Tante Mattie asked. Remy opened his mouth but immediately closed it.

"Didn't think so. Now come in. You must be hungry after the flight." Tante Mattie said, and Remy and Rogue followed her straight to the kitchen.

During lunch, Tante Mattie delighted Rogue with stories about Remy when he was young. Tante Mattie recalled the time she tried to teach an 8-year-old Remy how to make her famous jambalaya but after Remy learned that she used real live crawfish, he couldn't bring himself to kill them.

"Awe… didn't realize you had such a soft side to you, sugah." Rogue teased.

"Well dey just seem so small and innocent…" Remy said, while feigning puppy dog eyes.

"And that still didn't stop you from eating three bowls of the finished product. You know what I think? You were just trying to sneak out of working." Tante Mattie pointed out, and Rogue laughed.

"That sounds more like the Remy Ah know." Rogue said

"No, Tante Mattie. Remy just didn' wanna ruin your jambalaya. If dat had happened, you'd be telling a different story right now." Remy said, then glanced over at Rogue to flash her a mischievous smile.

"I wasn't born yesterday, child. But speaking of another story…" Tante Mattie continued with another story but without much of an audience as Rogue and Remy were focused on each other, clearly happy to be enjoying this moment together.

After a couple of hours had passed, Rogue and Remy were on their way out. At the door, Tante Mattie said to Rogue, "Now, if this boy ever does anything to disrespect you, come tell me and I'll set him straight."

"Oh Ah'll let you know and the whole neighbourhood." Rogue replied.

"Hey! Whose side are you on anyway?" Remy asked Tante Mattie.

"I'm on the side of love, child. So you love this girl right." Tante Mattie said half-teasingly, half-seriously.

"Of course Tante Mattie." Remy agreed.

"Now both of you come here and give me a proper goodbye." Tante Mattie demanded, and both Rogue and Remy gave Tante Mattie a hug. They bid her farewell with promises that they would visit again soon.

The next stop was the Emerald Casino.

As soon as they arrived, Rogue marveled at the way Remy's eyes lit up as if he was seeing the love of his life. If it wasn't for the fact that it was a building that was making Remy react that way, Rogue might have been jealous. Remy showed her around the casino and explain everything to her from the biggest payouts the casino made to how the games worked, and even down to the small design details like the emerald stones for elevator buttons. Once they made it to the top floor where his office was situated, Remy poured two glasses of bourbon and handed one to Rogue.

"Here's to us, chere." Remy said as he toasted her. They simultaneously took a sip before settling on the black leather couch in his office. Remy put an arm around Rogue and said, "I am so happy y' are finally here."

"Ditto, sugah." Rogue said, as she put his glass down. She wrapped her arms around Remy's neck and leaned in for a deep kiss. While still in a middle of a kiss, Remy managed to put his glass on the table, which freed up his left arm. He then wrapped both his arms around her waist, and pulled her closer. His hand went up her shirt as Rogue let out a little moan. Rogue started to undo Remy's belt as he kissed her neck, which sent shivers down her spine. Just as ethings were really starting to get heated, Remy's office door slammed open.

"Yo, I heard you're back from the – oh shit! Fuck." Bobby exclaimed as he realized what he had walked into.

"Drake! What de fuck? Y' ever heard of knocking?" Remy said as Rogue quickly got up. She looked for her tank top and quickly put it back on.

"Sorry! But dude, this is a workplace… By the way, you must be Rogue. It's so nice to meet you." Bobby said and extended his hand to Rogue, who gave him a quizzical look before shaking his hand quickly.

"Ya must be Bobby. It's nice to meet you too." Rogue said politely.

"Now dat de introductions are done, get out." Remy demanded though he didn't even bother to do up his pants as he figured that Bobby was just a very brief intermission before the real action resumed.

"Yeah, okay. But how long do you need? Like five mins is probably enough, right?" Bobby asked.

"Are you fucking kidding me? Who only needs five minutes?" Remy asked indignantly.

"Hey – it's not about how long it takes, it's about how good it feels, am I right? Plus, we're all waiting down at the bar for you two." Bobby said.

"Who are 'we'?" Remy asked.

"Oh y'know – Kitty, Betsy, Warren, Warren Jr., and Ororo might drop by too." Bobby said casually as if it was always part of the plan.

"Why?" Remy asked in disbelief.

"To meet Rogue. It's definitely not to see you. Hope you don't mind, Rogue, but we're all just a little curious about you. Everyone just wants to know why Remy kept on ditching us for Mississippi and now that I've met you, I get it." Bobby explained and tried to smile genuinely which came off slightly smarmy.

"Thanks. Ah'm excited to meet everyone too." Rogue said.

"Great! So, five minutes, dude?" Bobby asked again.

"Get out! We'll see you down there when we do." Remy said while pushing Bobby out the door. Just before Remy slammed the door shut, Bobby shouted, "see ya later, Rogue!"

Remy turned around and headed back towards Rogue. He pulled her close to him and proceeded to kiss her. His hands slid down her lower back but she squirmed out of his grasp. "C'mon, sugah. We've got people waiting for us."

"Oh but we have five minutes. Remy can do a lot in five minutes." Remy cooed, but Rogue started to do up Remy's belt, eventually moving up to the buttons on his shirt.

"Not the kind of first impression Ah wanna make, Remy. Plus, Bobby's a really good cockblocker 'cause Ah've kind of lost interest." Rogue teased while Remy pouted.

"Remy'll help you find it again." He said as he bend down for a kiss, but instead, Rogue turned her head and he ended up kissing a mouthful of her raven hair. Rogue giggled as Remy lamented, "I'm gonna kill Drake later."

"Ah'm sure you'll show him just like ya did with those crawfish." Rogue teased.

She buttoned the last button of Remy's shirt and then took a quick glance in the mirror at her own reflection. Satisfied with how she looked, Rogue said, "Let's go, sugah." She took Remy's hand but he held her back.

"Chere, before we go down dere, Remy has somet'ing he wants to discuss first." Remy said.

Rogue was surprised by Remy's suddenly serious demeanour but noticed that he had a slight nervousness in his tone. "Okay, what is it?" She asked.

"Have you given any more thought t' what we talked about before y' came here?" He asked her.

"Oh, that." Rogue said, realizing where the conversation was headed.

"Just so you know, I'm okay wit' doing dis long distance thing for as long as you want." He reassured.

"Ah know. Well, Ah've thought about it and my last gig at the Starlight was on Monday. So, the timing is good…" She said, as Remy started to get excited.

"Does dis mean you're going to try living here wit' me, mon coeur?" Remy asked.

"Yeah. Ah wanna be where you are." Rogue confirmed and Remy immediately pulled her in for a kiss. Her knees started to get weak again, so Rogue pulled back and said, "Remy, we've gotta go. Your friends are waiting for us."

"Just five more minutes, chere." Remy whispered into her ear before nibbling on it. This move always worked on Rogue, and unsurprisingly, Rogue succumbed to Remy's persuasions.

Needless to say, the lovers needed a lot longer than five minutes.

xo - The End - xo