Authors Note: haha, yes I did it-I wrote the epilogue! Its not very good, I kinda threw it together so sorry for that. Thank you to absolutely everyone who reviewed the last chapter, you made me feel all warm and fuzzy! As this is only an epilogue, I'm not going to do proper review responses (even though that's my favourite bit!), but I am going to answer a couple of points and do a little thank you run down...so thank you tooooo.....

Ishandahalf, Silky Black, Abaiisiia, Freak87, Moonlight152, TotallyObsessed47, sd, Foxy-Glove, DemonicGambit, Marin M, Star-of-Chaos, Chuckles123, Spunkypippy, Sweety8587, Flyby Stardancer, Les723, PomegranateQueen, Southern Gal 8, Neva, Anamaniax-you're all awesome ;-)

Foxy-glove: I'm sorry you felt disappointed at the last chapter, that wasn't my intention at all. The problem is, this is a very Rogue/Remy centred fic, and although I really should have put more viewpoints from other characters in, I didn't think about it at the time. I have many shortcomings as an author and that is just one of them. Maybe this will make up for it a little?

Footprints in the Sand

(Epilogue)

Not in her wildest of dreams could Rogue have wished for a more perfect end to that most perfect of summers. In her car, driving along the highway she had been preparing herself for weeks of loneliness and misery at what she had just let slip away from her life. He was the best thing that had ever happened to her, nobody could dispute that.

Now, three weeks on, he was still at the mansion. Remy hadn't been all that sure at first what he was suppose to do, he had responsibilities down in New Orleans that he couldn't just ignore, but at the same time, he felt a pull taking him to New York and to Rogue, he could not willingly let her go.

They had discussed it though, Remy doubted he would be able to stay in Bayville forever; sooner or later he would have to go back down south. But until whenever that was, they were planning to make the most of it and then make it work once Remy had to leave. Whatever happened, they were not letting each other go now.

For roughly two whole days she had been missing from his life whilst she travelled home and those two days had been the most painful ever. Just the uncertainty of whether or not she would want him when he reached the Xavier Institute nearly tore him to bits. But now he was hers and she was his. Everything was perfect.

Rogue was back at school and Remy had been training and doing odd jobs for the guild up in New York for the guild to kill the time whilst she was away. He hated being separated from his chére, though he would never admit it. He just couldn't keep his hands off her.

They had broken the news that Rogue could control her powers to the rest of the X-men and they had all been so proud of her, there had been a big celebration that night...However, whilst they were impressed with what Rogue had managed to achieve, some of the more...overprotective members of the institute had been wary of the Cajun's advances, especially now that Rogue could touch. It still made Remy wince to remember the time, shortly after he had arrived, that Wolverine burst in on them kissing. Remy had feared for his life.

Things were calmer now though, they could spend time with each other, enjoy each other's company-that was all he wanted, just to be with her.

Right now, and not for the first time since Remy had come to the mansion, or indeed that week, Rogue found herself sneaking down the quiet dark corridor in the early hours of the morning towards the guest rooms. Both of them had been expressly forbidden to visit each other's bedrooms after certain hours of the night but seemingly they had decided not to listen to that particular rule. That's selective hearing for you.

Twisting the knob very gently so as not to make too much noise, Rogue opened the door and discreetly put her head into the room to find a sleeping Remy inside just as she had hoped. Ever since she had come back from California, she was finding it harder and harder to sleep by herself; she needed her personal Cajun security blanket with his arms wrapped around her. Smiling at the thought, she clambered into his bed.

She hadn't meant to wake him, honestly she hadn't.

"Hmm?" He murmured very sleepily indeed. It was very, very early and Remy was not a morning person, neither was Rogue normally...

"Hey, don' worry, go back ta sleep," she soothed, lightly kissing his forehead.

Within a few minutes, a comfortable silence had settled between the couple but Remy, now disturbed, had not been able to get back to sleep. They just lay there together on his bed though and it gave him some time to think.

After an hour or so, Remy thought that Rogue was probably asleep herself and missing the feeling of her smaller body scooped up against his, he wrapped his muscular arms around her and pulled her closer to him, burying his face in her hair and gently kissing the back of her neck through it. Suddenly he felt the soothing sensation of Rogue's soft hands caressing his arm, which wound around her stomach. He brushed the white strands that framed her face away so he could see her properly, her beautiful green eyes shining back up at him, all the love he felt for her reflected back at him in them.

Rogue yawned and stretched out, making her top ride up a little, exposing her stomach, still brown and tanned from her holiday. Remy grinned devilishly at the sight and in a flash, made his move. His hands grabbed her sides and sensation made her laugh and cry out.

"What are ya doin?!"

Wordlessly, he pulled himself on top of her, the majority his weight supported on one of his arms, braced next to her. The other made its way sensually up her body, sneaking under her t-shirt as it went, fingertips grazing her breasts, running over her warm skin and leaving a trail of goosebumps in their wake. Rogue simply smiled and wound her fingers into his hair before tilting his chin to kiss him properly. She didn't think she would ever grow tired of waking up like this.

They didn't know how long they had been lying there entwined together on Remy's bed; they were too wrapped up in each other's kisses to care. But of course, it had to end; nothing that good ever lasted forever.

The interruption came this time in the form of Jean, mindlessly walking into the room to check if Remy was awake and wanted breakfast. On seeing what was happening, she clapped her hands over her eyes like the image was burning them.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, I just..." she began, stumbling over the words in an embarrassed kind of way.

"Ever heard o' knockin' Jean?" Rogue bit back, annoyed that they had been interrupted, and by Jean of all people! Surely a telepath would have known better...

"I only came to find out if you were coming down for breakfast" Jean finally said, peaking through her fingers at the couple, who were now sat up in bed, for the sake of Jean's modesty if nothing else.

"Yeah Ah'll be down in a second," Rogue conceded. Now other students knew she was awake, and in Remy's room no less, they were going to have kids with their ears to the door trying to get good gossip material anyway...

"I'm going to take a shower den I'll come join y'," Remy told his chére, giving her a last kiss before heading to the bathroom, but looking somewhat disappointed that they wouldn't be finishing what they started.

Rogue leaned against the kitchen counter idly reading that days paper, a piece of hot buttered toast hanging languidly from her hand. She had just missed the whirlwind of younger students who moved through the kitchen like a plague of locust in the morning, leaving a trail of destruction and breakfast cereal where they had been. Now, everything was quiet.

Suddenly, she felt a hot kiss being dropped onto her shoulder through the thin fabric of her green t-shirt and an arm wrap around her waist.

"Bonjour mon amour," Remy greeted her, taking a bite of the toast that was in her hand.

"Hey!" she exclaimed, moving the toast out of his reach, just to make him pout.

"Unfair chérie"

"Leave mah toast alone and Ah'll make ya some coffee." She bargained instead.

"Deal."

Rogue went over to the coffee pot and started to make a fresh brew whilst Remy leaned against the counter where she had been before him, still eying up her toast.

"Y' got plans fo' today Roguey?" he asked her.

"Nothin' concrete, why?"

"I got t'ings I need t' do dis mornin', but will y' meet me up at de lake dis evenin'?"

"O' course Ah will, and what tahme should Ah meet ya there?"

Remy thought about it for a second. "Hmm, about seven chére?"

She smiled up at him as she finished pouring coffee into two cups. "Is a date," she said as she handed him one and kissed him.

After Remy disappeared for the day, Rogue ended up going to the mall with Kitty just to pass the time, she really couldn't wait until that evening. It wasn't like they never went out together, but Rogue always looked forward to an evening with him on her own, well who wouldn't?

She hadn't got too dressed up or anything, after all she was only going to sit by a lake, but she had still wanted to look nice. Though now autumn was creeping in the evenings were getting colder and darker by the day so she wrapped up.

Carefully she made her way down the little grassy path that lead to the small lake that her and Remy had found themselves whenever they wanted a little peace and quiet together away from the mansion. It was a beautiful evening, cool and clear with thousands of tiny stars shining in the sky, it was perfect.

As she got closer to the water however, Rogue saw something other than the stars reflected in the reservoir (1). Around the edges of the pool were hundreds of flickering tea-lights; the small flames burning bright against the dark background. She smiled and was about to call out for Remy when a pair of hands was placed over her eyes.

"Guess who."

She laughed, not bothering to guess but instead pulling the hands down and gently kissing both the palms before turning in his arms to face him. He was grinning like the cat that'd got the cream, obviously pleased with the work he'd done here.

"Tha candles are beautiful, thank ya," she said softly.

"Anything fo' y' mon amour."

"Why though Rem? Its a lot of fuss ta go too foah no occasion."

"Well I had some news and I wanted t' make it special..."

News...Rogue figured that if he had gone to all this effort he must be trying to soften the blow, the news just had to be bad! He probably had to go home tomorrow or he had fallen in love with someone else, someone who deserved him more than her. She thought she was going to cry.

Without asking questions as to why she was now staring at her feet, he pulled her closer to him, looping his arms around her waist making an effort to try and comfort her some. Finally he lifted her chin up until her eyes met his, he didn't expect to see them filled with tears.

"Shh chére, how bout y' listen t' Remy before y' go gettin all teary eyed, ok?" She nodded wordlessly, letting him wipe away the tears that had been welling up with his thumb. "I went and spoke t' Professor Xavier today, he's offered me a permanent place on de team, and I said I'd take it."

It took a second or so for the words to completely register in Rogue's brain, but when she did, any unhappy thoughts she had been having previously vanished like magic, now all she could do was smile.

"So ya can stay? Ya don't have ta leave?"

"Oui chére, I'll stick around just as long as you'll have me."

"Ah'd have ya forever Remy." He pulled her in closer and held her tight, swaying their bodies slightly underneath the stars, illuminated by the soft glow of the candles all around them.

"Den dats how long I'm gonna stay wit' y' fo'.

She reached up to kiss him, a kiss that was filled with all the love and desire and passion they shared together, something that nobody else would ever be able to match. Rogue could feel the tears falling again, but not tears of sadness this time, just pure, unadulterated joy.

(1) Ishy, that was for you, have a great time at the Morrissy gig hon :-)

Ahh, so it's properly over now, finito! Well I hope you liked it (even if the ending was kinda bad :-p), the whole thing was a lot of fun to write so I hope it was fun to read too! Thank you if you've read and/or reviewed, you fuel my dreams!

If you have a second, please press the little bluey-purple button and review!

SweetRevenge