Author's Notes:

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Not even a sense of decorum and honor when it comes to finishing stories apparently. I'm just going to also throw out there right now that I started this story when I was 20. I am now just over 30. Just saying. Also, I am apparently a big nerd for still writing fanfiction at 30, but I'm OBSESSED with the Rogue/Gambit dynamic.

For those of you who desperately want to read this story but aren't sure if you want to take on something that could, reasonably, have another year to ten years to finish, I don't blame you. Maybe click the little "follow story" button and wait and see if I finish it before undertaking this awesome tale of romance and adventure. Mostly romance, with a side of humor.

If it helps, I'm really wanting to finish this story and have spent days and days trying to find time to write the latest chapter. It also helps that I have the next two or three already written on paper and just need to type it up. I've written everything up to at least Christmas day, and from there only a few more chapters, including the climax, remain.

Cross your fingers and leave lots of reviews please - reviews are a HUGE motivator for me to get back to writing as quickly as possible.

I hope you enjoy it.

Love and light,

Wiccamage

P.S. My new avatar is a picture of Rogue's outfit during the "reveal" scene. I have other versions of it with and without different accessories that I'm working on uploading to FFN, but otherwise, I'm not sure where I can put them so everyone can see. Also, I've made a few minor adjustments to the story itself, but nothing major.

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Rogue gasped for breath, her lungs, and legs and blood all burning from the sheer effort to keep moving.

Screaming would do nothing except incense the proverbial bloodhounds that were already fast on her trail.

'How the hell did this happen?' Rogue cried in her head as she looked back over her shoulder to gauge her chances.

Not good. Not good at all. They were getting closer… and angrier.

Closing her eyes as she swallowed another gulp of cold, brittle winter air, the mutant Goth steeled herself to move. Move faster, run harder, be stronger… just keep going.

She scrunched her eyes for a mere second and she screamed in her head. It was long and loud and with as much concentration as she could muster given her current predicament.

She was, after all, running for her very life.

A quick glance down at the freely bleeding stab wound in her side was evidence enough.

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Weeks Earlier…

"Ah hate Christmas." Rogue thought to herself as she wandered through the Bayville Mall in search of gifts for her housemates.

She glanced around once again and cringed at the overly decked halls brimming with garland, lights, holly and mistletoe at every railing, doorway, and overhang imaginable. Scarcely a square foot of ceiling was without a hideous hanging decoration of some variety – mostly reindeer, Santas and creepy little elves.

Christmas trees were visible in every corner and, to some surprise, there was a tiny little alcove near the restrooms that sported a "Holidays 'Round the World" display. Some yahoo somewhere had played the "pity my religion" card and now every public place was required to observe the customs of every religion, culture, and race.

Rogue rolled her eyes and muttered, "Ya know, if everyone would stop worrying so much about their petty little differences, we wouldn't HAVE any dang oppression, racism, or discrimination."

It never ceased to amaze her how everyone preached peace and love and equality during the holidays, but when it came right down to it, most forgot it the second a hot new toy hit the market.

Rogue's train of thought lapsed, however, when she heard a shrill scream coming from down the hall.

Immediately assuming the worst, Rogue thundered toward the disturbance as her thick combat boots slapped against the tile floor.

As she came upon the disturbance though, she slowly jogged to a stop as she discovered the screams were coming from a blond-haired, red faced woman yelling at the top of her lungs.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU DON'T HAVE ANY STAR TREK DRONES LEFT?!" The woman let out another feral cry followed by more insults and explicatives and Rogue was immediately reminded of Logan.

"Looky here," she thought as she stared at the woman, "case in point."

Rogue rolled her eyes for at least the fifth time that day and continued her trek through the mall.

"Mutie Freak!" Rogue whirled toward the anonymous shout, but the voice was lost in the crowd as people turned to point and stare at her.

Ducking her head and sighing, Rogue lengthened her stride and practically dove into the nearest store. When she dared to look up, though, the Goth immediately wished she would have stayed outside with the bigots.

"Why me?" She grumbled aloud as she glared at the Abercrombie and Fitch sign above the cash register.

She turned on her heel to make a quick exit, but stopped dead when she found Duncan Matthews and his band of anti-mutant thugs standing in the doorway.

Whirling around yet again, she ducked behind the nearest clothes rack in an attempt to conceal herself. "This just ain't mah day." She muttered quietly.

"I know I saw that little freak run in here!" Duncan's voice cut through the barrier of clothes, "Split up. We've still got to thank her for graduation." Rogue could practically see the sinister grin on Duncan's face and knew exactly what would happen if she was discovered.

After Magneto had shown up during Scott and Jean's graduation ceremony last year, Rogue had been hassled constantly about ruining the event – something she, quite frankly, could hardly remember.

So as she hid behind the atrociously preppy sweaters and polo shirts, Rogue was faced with the ultimate choice. "Do I: a) hide inside the pits of inner hell to avoid Duncan and his buddies or b) stand my ground, start a fight, cause hundreds of dollars of damage and get us all permanently banned from the mall.

Her head was screaming for option B – every second in this store was making her skin crawl. But, when she thought of all the Professor's efforts to create a positive image for mutants and how livid Kitty would be...

"God D-!" Rogue nearly shouted as she disregarded her basic instincts to flee the ungodly store.

Just as she let her explicative fly, Rogue was tapped on the shoulder and nearly fell through the clothes rack/hiding place.

"Whoops! Sorry about that miss. I didn't mean to … scare … you." As Rogue whirled around to face her attacker, the store clerk – a young blonde girl who couldn't possibly be driving yet, but could very well be Kitty's doppelganger – trailed off slightly as she took in Rogue's Gothic clothes and makeup.

"Are you doing some Christmas shopping miss?" The young clerk smiled, but Rogue could tell she was trying a bit too hard.

"Uh, yah, yah ah am." Rogue stumbled, trying to locate Duncan and his friends without being noticed.

"Great!" The clerk practically bounced, "What are you looking for? I can show you around!"

"No!" Rogue yelped and ducked as one of the former football players passed the rack next to her.

The clerk was staring at Rogue and looking back towards her manager, as if silently pleading for help.

After Duncan's crony had passed, Rogue grabbed the nearest sweater off the shelf and held it in front of her. The clerk continued to stare.

"This!" Rogue offered, receiving no response from the now frightened girl. "Ah mean, ah want to try this on."

The young clerk's confused, anxious stare quickly disappeared and was replaced by a beaming, relieved grin.

"OH! Why didn't you like, say so silly!" Doppelganger might not have been a strong enough comparison…

"Uh, well, ah, um." Rogue stuttered.

The girl covered her hands with her mouth and leaned in to Rogue, causing the Goth to immediately draw back in alarm.

The clerk whispered, "Oh, I get it, you're embarrassed. You must secretly WANT to dress normal and not be an outsider and look like … that. But, you don't want people to get too close to you either, so you feel like you have to dress like … that … to keep everyone away!"

Dumbstruck, Rogue couldn't master words, and in her head, "What the HELL?" was the only thing she could muster.

The young clerk, Mandy, Rogue read, instantly bounced back to the preppy valley girl persona.

"Awesome! I can like, totally help you out!" Suddenly Rogue was no longer afraid of running into Duncan and, as she located him at the front of the store, she briefly contemplated calling out to the mutant-hating gang for help.

As she recalled their run in with Spike and the new plasma guns though, she thought better of it and decided to take her chances with Mandy instead.