Disclaimer: Okay I do not own the X-Men. I didn't own them last year, and it has yet to be changed this year. That being said, this is just a stand alone one-shot unless someone urges me to do something with it, and the next chapter of Just Haven't Met You Yet will be coming up shortly. This is just something to ring in the New Year with, I hope you all have a great one!

Wedding Jitters

"Ya already asked me once Swamp Rat, and the answer is no!"

"Aw, mais Chere, y' can't be that cruel to dis Cajun!" His voice came out more petulant and whiney than normal, only proving how desperately he was trying to worm his way around the situation.

"Watch me." She bit back in reply, cocky smirk adorning her features as she continued folding the clothes in her hands. She had more important things to deal with.

"Though I'd love to watch you Chere, all the time-" The suggestiveness was just pouring off his words before she abruptly cut him off.

"Don't even go there right now LeBeau, ya're the one askin' me for help." Rogue furiously threw down the shirt she had in her hands back onto the bed. Moving over to the phone, blaring out his voice on speaker phone, she planted her hands on her hips, though she knew he couldn't possibly see her anyway, and proceeded to chew him out. "Ya're the one who calls me at three in the mornin' to ask for help with your upcoming nuptials. Don't ya start spewin' out those perverted thoughts now. I will hang up!"

"Desole Chere, y' know Remy'd never do anythin' to make y' uncomfortable. Don't hang up, si vous plait?" His tone had instantly dropped all sense of cockiness and the apologetic overtones seemed to draw his pouting face to her mind's eye.

She humfped as she crossed her arms over her chest, letting the frustration roll off her in waves. Stupid Cajun got himself into this mess. I don't see why I suddenly have to be repayin' him any favors; he's the one that owes me!

But in all honesty, she knew why when the caller i.d. had instantly flashed Swamp Rat, she had instantly snatched up the phone despite the neon light of her alarm clock displaying the early hour. Despite how things had started off in the alley behind school, then the preceding train ride with her being tied up, and then being attacked by assassins (for crying out loud, when the guy made enemies, he made enemies!), she had still managed to come away from it with grudging respect for one Remy LeBeau. Sure she was attracted to him, any female being with a pair of eyes, ears, heck even his scent was seductive so nose even, would have been attracted to the smooth-talking, good-looking Cajun Thief. But that didn't necessarily mean just any floozy he could have picked up on one of his many escapades would have been anywhere near willing to head into a practically suicide mission. So why her? Well the Rogue and the Gambit seemed to come under some sort of mutual respect during their time together, and noticed some distinct similarities between their colorful lives. Namely, their screwed up childhoods.

And though Rogue's past was firmly behind her at the moment (Honestly, throwing the mother who practically used you since you were old enough to call her 'Mama', off a cliff was therapeutic. Seriously.), Remy had the unfortunate circumstance to have said screwed up childhood rear its ugly head and proceed to bite him in the butt. So that's why she was putting up with this on-going conversation, with an extremely vexing Cajun. Or so she told herself.

"Chere, si vous plait, I need y' help. I can't marry Belladonna!" His voice brought her jolting back to the present, as she shook her thoughts away. She let out an audible sigh and rolled her eyes as she flopped down to one side of her messy bed.

"An' jus' what am I supposed to do Remy? Come down to Louisiana, knock you out, drag your sorry butt back to a Northern bound train, tie you up, and effectively kidnap you? I don't think we can solve all of life's problems with a little kidnappin', Sugar." She rubbed a hand over her eyes warily as her mind and body protested the late hour. Thank God she and Kitty weren't sharing a room anymore! The mini-gossip girl would never let her forget this.

"Well, dat jus' depends on what y' plan to do to me while y' have me tied up…" He purred again as she groaned in reply before almost shouting back.

"Swamp Rat! I will leave ya standin' at that alter!" Even as he rapidly began spurting out apologies, she pushed herself off her bed and back onto her feet, quickly moving back around the bed and picking up her previous activities where she left off. He was lucky she had freshly graduated and didn't have school in the morning, or else no amount of apologies would have made it up to her.

"Desole Chere, desole. But y' an X-Man, aren't y' supposed to be helpin' people in need?" He sounded rather whiney again. And though she would firmly blame it on sleep exhaustion later, the corners of her lips were turning up at his attitude about the whole thing.

"People in need being the key term, Swampy. We don't jus' spring out the jet for all the desperate and whiney people."

"What about desperate, handsome, and rich?"

"If you really think you're gonna bribe me, or anyone else up here, or even proposition me with ya'r dirty mind, and one of us is gonna actually come down and help ya, ya've got another thing comin'. Logan'd probably be on his way down there right now for the way ya've been talkin' to me tonight, jus' to make sure you tux is dual appropriate."

"Dual appropriate, Chere?" She noted the confusion in his tone was marked with actual concern now.

"For ya'r weddin' and the funeral after he was done with ya. And besides, ya're not goin' to be such a pretty, rich boy when ya'r Daddy cuts ya off from the trust fund after he catches that ya're runnin' away."

"Money ain' a problem Chere. I always know how to get more." The cockiness returning to his tone had her slapping her scowl back in place faster than Pietro could blink an eye.

"Oh no ya don't. No talkin' bout illegal activities when ya're on the phone with me, especially not when ya're considerin' joinin' the X-Men. That's against our rules, an' ya know it."

"D'accord Chere, but this still isn't fixin' mon problems." She sighed heartily in agreement as she tossed the last folded garment away from her. She crossed back over to the dresser where her phone lay, the worn playing card tucked underneath it. She picked it up carefully as she took her phone in her other hand, silently examining the picture and checkered print on its surface as she turned the 'speaker' off of her phone's setting. She nestled it into the crook of her neck, still talking as she scooped up the card and crossed back over to her bed.

She slipped the last item into the neatly packed duffle bag before pulling the zipper closed, quickly lowering her voice as she snatched up her leather jacket and motorcycle keys (both graduation presents from Logan).

"Why do I put up with ya Cajun?" She sighed in defeat as she began creeping down the silent hallway. Hopefully Kitty would notice the note lying on her bedside table.

"Mus' be love Chere, only reason you'd handle this Cajun." She could just hear a hint of victory in his voice now as she gave off a shaky laugh in dismissal. But the wildly thumping pace of her heart was telling her he might have hit the spot.

"Ya're too insane for anyone to handle Remy. I'm on my way, gettin' on the bike now," She said as she finally made her way into the garage, easily pulling her baby out of the line-up of motorcycles set off to the side.

The pause on the other end worried her briefly. Remy was rarely for a loss of words on their many phone conversations, ever since he slipped her the little playing card in Blood Moon Bayou, innocently saying she should check in with him after she got back home safely. The phone number was a safe link to his private phone, the numbers slipped into the margins of the familiar Queen of Hearts.

"Be safe Anna. I'd hate for anythin' to happen to y', Chere." And the unspoken concern rolled across her in waves, stating what was always left unsaid. But she replied casually, keeping her tone light-hearted.

"Yeah, ya know I can take care of myself, Rems. Ya jus' better not go run off and elope with the Swamp Witch in the two days it takes me to get there, okay? Ya make me go all the way down to Louisiana on a wild goose chase, and I'm goin' to make Wolvie look tame."

"Course not Chere. 'M savin' the elopin' for the way back." She could almost see him wink. Even if it'd been six months since actually seeing his overly confident facial expressions, they were still vivid in her mind. "Then we can try out all my plans for de honeymoon…"

"Hush you. I can still change my mind." She finished stowing the duffle bag, slowly walking her bike out onto the gravel drive.

But even as they exchanged goodbyes, and she hung up the phone, darting her eyes around before climbing on the bike and letting it roar to life underneath her, they both knew she wouldn't change her mind.

Just like they both knew she'd stop at every rest stop she could along the way, just so she could check in with him again. Because even though she was perfectly capable of taking care of herself, it would make him worry less. And just like they knew an entire team in an X-jet would have been faster for a 'rescue' mission, this was for them alone.

Just like how she knew that no matter what kind of skirt the flirty Cajun had picked up before, she was the only one who would care enough to be coming after him when he called. Just like she was the only one he would want to come after him. The reason why he wanted rescued in the first place.

So neither would be really willing to just dismiss this as an extreme case of 'Wedding Jitters' in the first place.

AN: Okay so this just randomly popped into my head when I could just hear Rogue say "I will leave you at that alter" and it blew up from there. Remy is trying to avoid his marriage, so he calls on a friend (who they both wish was something more) and Rogue finally (yeah right, she was going as soon as he called) decides to show mercy and come save his butt. They plan to head back to New York together where Remy can finally accomplish his destiny of becoming an X-Man! So say I! ... Yeah, anywho, hope you guys enjoy and I hope you have a great New Years! -Peace, Blackberry ;)