Thank you for your patience. This is just a small slice of what is to come.

Thank you to those who have been following, reviewing, and offering insight. Your commitment as readers is invaluable.

I'll just dive right in, thank you all again.

xXx

Please don't say we're done
When I'm not finished
I could give so much more
Make you feel, like never before
Welcome, they said welcome to the floor

xXx

5 years earlier

Remy climbed up to her small balcony, he heard the music first, rising from the evening air, a constant lull that filled him with comfort.

Once he reached the rail of the balcony, he pulled himself up effortlessly and his gaze immediately went to her. His girl would be seated on the ground, the door that led from her room out to the balcony propped open. She was lit up from behind like an idol on a stage.

His girl. His Rogue.

Well, she wasn't exactly his girl. Not yet at least. But Remy had a pretty good track record with getting what he wanted. What threw him off was that she was more stubborn than he thought was humanly possible.

In the two years he had been at the mansion, they had become close confidants, and though she would snap and roll her eyes, he could tell she was developing a soft spot for him. In turn, Remy could feel this girl carve a special place deep inside him as well.

He knew she had expected him to make an appearance that night, she had a six pack of beer waiting. Newly 21, she could now "legally" provide the adult beverage for their get togethers. When he made his way over to her, she extended one to him. Remy graciously accepted and took a seat right next to her.

"Hey, Rem."

"Bonsoir, ma chère"

Every few minutes the tracks would switch, with only a slither of silence in between each track.

Her music collection was gigantic. She loved any kind, really. From soft and sweet tunes to hard-core melodies, she could not function without her fix.

She had told him that the obsession had started when she was thirteen and living with Irene, she had given Rogue some old CDs and slowly it kept snowballing. She devoured one song after another and kept the momentum.

If Rogue was happy she would play upbeat tunes from the 80s, especially Pat Benatar's Greatest Hits, Volume One. If she wasn't happy, she would play Simon and Garfunkel Bridge over Troubled Water, which Remy hated and called lame-ass stoner music.

He remembered when he first came to the mansion they would argue and bicker about the different music choices.

"Don't play that Elton John crap, Ah can't take a sap fest tonight," Rogue had said one night to Remy, as he stubbed out his cigarette.

Remy, leaned up against the rail of the balcony, had smirked knowing full well she could only handle Elton on rare nights, "It's my pick, deal with it." He wasn't even in to Elton all that much, but man, did he love getting her hot and bothered.

"Fine," Rogue grumbled. "Then Ah'm doing Pink Floyd for my next five picks."

"If that's how this is going down then I will have to do the Beatles, and I know y' don't want that."

"Well, then," Rogue challenged and leaned forward, "Ah would play one of those Rush songs with, like, a fifteen-minute drum solo. Now, Ah wouldn't want to, but Ah would have to."

"Okay, Okay. Y' win. I'll just throw on some Tom Petty" Remy said, his smirk relaxing into a genuine smile. He loved this. He loved being with her, talking to her.

Tonight was different, though. She looked withdrawn, tired. Remy took a sip of his drink them placed it down.

They didn't say anything for a while. Rogue swayed and swished her foot across the ground as Remy tapped his hands to the smooth beat.

When the song faded and transitioned to the next track, Remy shifted his weight so that he was facing Rogue.

"How did y' session go?"

She looked at him, knowing full well he was going to check on her eventually.

"It hurt. It hurt a lot." She admitted.

"Any progress?"

"Ah really don't know…Ah do know that it works at times, it can be sporadic, from a couple seconds to a couple minutes where there are no effects and no absorption taking place. But we had to stop mid-session, It was too much. Professor didn't want to risk over-exertion, you know?"

"Is it normal, for y' to be feelin' this much pain?" He asked sincerely, his eyes searching hers.

"Ah wish Ah could say Ah knew, but Ah really don't this is all just…Ah don't know."

Rogue had been working almost a year on gaining more understanding and control of her abilities. Her powers had also evolved to great heights. She had many sessions with both the Professor and Jean in order to learn more of mental control and stability along with mental blocks and walls.

Remy picked up on the effects it all had on her. Some sessions were more difficult than others…some were more emotional than others. The newest matter of focus had been on Rogue's skin and absorption abilities. It was a long and draining process and took many sessions and long hard nights, but she finally succeeded in channeling certain energy throughout her body to suppress her abilities of absorption through skin on skin contact.

But it still came with its flaws.

"What happened today, exactly?" Remy inquired in an effort to help her talk through whatever was eating away at her mind.

Rogue ran her free hand through her long hair and took a steady breath in and then let it out before responding.

"Xavier just was explaining that no certain kind of control is perfect, and that Ah need to recognize certain limitations as well as dangers. We are both realizing that just to hold back the act of absorptions is a physical and emotional endeavor within itself. Professor compared it to a channel built to hold back a tremendous amount of water…and the water need to exert itself and flow. If it is held back too long the water builds, if the water is not tended to and continues to build up, it will inevitably burst causing, well, you know."

Yes, he did know. He had heard of the time that she went off the rails when she was seventeen. Moreover, he had seen her do some real damage back when Mesmero had taken over her mind leading up to the Apocalypse incident.

She was a ticking powerhouse and it was no secret.

"Chere?"

"Huh?" she acknowledged, tilting her head in his direction.

"Are y' okay?"

She nodded, however did not look very alert.

He watched as she stood up and she then walked towards the balcony rail.

"It's just…A-Ah need to talk to you about something…but Ah haven't really been able to find the right time," She was struggling and each word was laced with its own layer of nerves. She couldn't stand still and began to pace a bit.

"Hey, C'mere." Remy stood up, reached out and gently took her hand in his own and pulled her towards him. He wanted to calm whatever anxiety had crept up on Rogue.

She hadn't expected the gesture and tensed up slightly. While she and Remy had become friendlier and more at ease around each other over his two years at Xavier's, she had still kept him at arm's length.

Rogue kept her gaze downward, but Remy tilted her chin upwards to face him. "What's going on?" He asked softly, knowing that something was on her mind.

"Ah…" She began, watching as his red on black orbs searched her emerald ones.

The closeness was killing her.

"What is it, Rogue?"

'Just talk to him'

'Speak'

'Don't be a wimp'

"You know what, nevermind. It's nothing. Ah'm just not feeling very well." She responded with a shrug. And backed away from his grasp.

'Wimp.'

Remy furrowed his brow, not buying it for even a second.

"Hold on there, Rogue. Come on, what is it?" He reached back out to her again and this slowly moved his hands to her shoulders, making it so she couldn't look anywhere but straight at him.

"It's really nothing, it's dumb and it doesn't matter"

"Tell me."

"Rem, Ah said forget it."

"You can talk to me, chere,"

"Please let it go— "

"Rogue, I mean it, y' can talk to me about anything, about whatever it is on your mind, we're friends— "

"That's just it!" she interjected, flustered.

Remy, taken aback by her sudden snap, looked at her quizzically.

"What're you talkin' about?" Remy implored, noticing as she shifted around anxiously.

She took in a deep breath and continued.

"Remy, Ah care about you," she started, watching him carefully. "Ah care about you a lot. And Ah am not used to doing what Ah'm about to do…and you're right, we are friends," She stopped before daring to continue. There was no way out, it was all or nothing at this point. She took a breath and continued to confide.

"Ah can't stop thinking of you. Ah mean…Ah really like you, and it's hard being with you and near you when my mind won't shut up and my nerves won't settle. Ah just…Ah like you, okay?"

Good God…it was like being sixteen again, but worse.

But she was on a roll, no stopping the flood gate that was open now. She had no idea as to what was going through his mind, all she knew was that he was watching her intently as she spoke.

"And Ah know Ah can't give what you want, Ah know Ah am a mess, especially with figuring out this entire control situation, and Ah know you can't be with me the way you could be with other girls, at least not right now. Ah know that Ah can hardly control my powers, it's been about a year and still Ah struggle when Ah touch people, it all hurts so much still, Ah don't have any of this in check yet. But Ah think about you, Ah wonder if you are okay, Ah feel lighter when you are around, like the world doesn't weigh as heavy on meh. Ah breathe easier when you are around, you keep me guessing every day and that excites me. Ah want you and Ah just feel like…" She took both her hands and raked her fingers through her hair, a nervous habit she could never shake.

An idiot. She felt like an idoit.

'I like you' Who the hell says that anymore?

This was a mistake.

"You know what, this is a mistake, Ah shouldn't have said anything," She shook her head, was there any way to reverse all that had just happened?

She was getting ready to pull away and leave the situation behind, but was taken by surprise when Remy's grasp tightened.

He moved his hands to the sides of her face, and before she could catch a second wind or process his movements, Remy pulled her in closely and smashed his lips against hers.

Rogue, completely stunned by the action, could not move.

Once the shock settled, she expected a familiar pull of energy, the stinging from the absorption.

But it never came.

Remy was not dropping to the ground, he was not shaking or left in shock from the skin on skin contact. If anything, he was greedy with the time he had with his lips against hers, both unsure of how long this would last.

Deciding not to think twice any longer, Rogue pushed herself up against Remy and let her arms lace around his body, reciprocating with equal, if not heavier passion.

Remy let out a soft moan and let his hands travel from the side of her face down her waist and then brush against her hips until his arms locked around her tiny form.

Two years. Freaking two years, and the damn Cajun got to her. But by the way he had responded to her unbelievably embarrassing reveal, it was clear that the feelings she had for Remy were mutual.

The kiss got deeper, her breaths shorter, his movements faster.

But then there was a sharp sting.

Rogue began to feel a familiar pull and bite.

But Remy was still in fine form. He did not back down or let go.

Her lips continued to sting and her head began to burn, as if it had been tossed at an electrical wired fence. She shouted out in pain and immediately yanked herself away from Remy, causing him to lose balance. She brought her hands to her head, in an attempt to soothe the cutting sensation.

"Rogue!"

His words were coming out in slow motion to her ears. It was as if her world was trying to snap back in to focus. But he was on two feet, alert and not sucked dry.

Instead, she could feel an added heaviness in her head as she tried to regain her composure. His word finally became audible to her ears and she could make out his words of concern.

"Rogue, c'mon, say something!"

She was rubbing the side of her head, unable to respond. She slowly sunk back to the ground, unable to keep standing at the moment.

He watched as she tried to compose herself and was worried that he had hurt her. He didn't expect for the contact to last as long as it did, and moreover he hadn't expected to be the one still standing. He half expected to be passed out cold on the ground by now. But all that was left on his end was a tingling sensation and slight fatigue.

What made him grow concerned was seeing that Rogue was on the receiving end of pain and disorientation as a result of their skin on skin contact.

But I've been waiting too long to give this up
The more I see, I understand
But sometimes, I still need you

Sometimes, I still need you
Sometimes, I still need you

He kneeled down next to her and placed his hand on her back which he then began to rub and made soothing circles in an attempt to help her calm down.

"Rogue?"

"Ah'm sorry," She started, and then looked at him "Ah didn't mean to push you off of me—"

"Non, don't y' dare apologize. I didn't mean to catch y' off guard,"

"Catch me off guard is putting it lightly, Rem." Rogue admitted, then gently touched her lips.

He had given this girl grief for two years. And good God did he want her. He had wanted her so bad. She was the toughest most stubborn person her had ever met in his life and here she was, having been vulnerable about how she felt, admitting that she had developed the exact same feelings for him that he had cultivated for her.

Truth be told, he had not been prepared for his affections to come this far, but with each passing day, he found himself more and more enamored with this girl to the point where he knew he did not want to be anywhere else but beside her.

"Chere?"

She looked at him, still feeling more stripped than she had ever felt with him. Her confession still rested in the air.

"Yes?"

"I like y' too." Remy said with a smirk, instantly lightening the mood once again.

He pushed a few loose strands of hair behind her ear before continuing.

"I care about y', I think about y' all the time, being with y' is the highlight of my day, and I want y' too. Y' have no idea how much I have wanted you. Trust me, I don't do this very well either. But I want t' be yours. I want y' to be mine, I want y' to be my girl."

He waited for her response. Her eyes were wide at first, but her features relaxed and her lips tugged up to a gentle and honest smile.

"Okay." She breathed.

"Okay? No sarcastic remark, no name calling this time?" He asked again with a smile of his own.

She nodded, "Yeah, just, Okay" she said once again.

He wrapped her in an embrace. Remy held her there securely in his arms, wanting nothing more than to keep this moment going as long as it could.

'You're all in now, Lebeau. No turning back.' he thought as the music track continued to beat onward. He brushed his lips against the top of her head and let the music continue to lull them and offer comfort as it settled in the evening air.

xXx

Logan sat on a stool by the kitchen counter, one hand propped his head while the other rested beside a cup of black coffee.

The mansion was still quiet, with only the occasional fumbles of residents being heard above, some rising from their slumber to begin their day.

The early morning had been a blur of events. From the first moments of waking up, to finding Rogue out on the mansion grounds, to the revelation of Remy's return, and to Rogue's reluctant unveiling of what had truly happened that infamous night over a year ago.

He wanted it to be an Irish coffee.

While it was all still fresh and raw, Logan allowed his mind to wander back to the impactful event that took place only an hour earlier…

Logan had held her, let her exist and breathe through the pain. Where was he to go with her from here, now knowing what he did? There was so much more that needed to be addressed. And yet Logan realized their time in this moment of candor and raw honesty had an expiration time—this was Rogue he was dealing with after all, and try as she might, she couldn't change her entire way of existence and habits all in one fell swoop.

Time was up.

Rogue had pushed away from his grasp. She would now do all that she could to take it all back, to try and reverse her actions.

He helped her back on her feet and watched carefully to make sure she would not sway or fall back to her knees.

He then guided her back to the mansion and in to the kitchen, knowing full well they would still be the only residents up in the early hour.

And now here they were.

They had sat there, staring at each other, the distinct tick of the clock making the silence deep.

She hadn't said a single word.

Logan opened his mouth to address everything she had just disclosed to him, to offer insight, but with pleading eyes, she shook her head.

"Please. Don't." She breathed with sincerity.

Like a brick being slammed into place, he felt that familiar barrier reconstruct itself.

"Rogue—"

"Logan," She pleaded, voice slightly cracking "Ah can't talk about this anymore, please, don't make me talk about this anymore…please." She let her gaze fall downward, not wanting to see the concern features etched in Logan's face.

Logan watched this kid, his kid, grapple with the too tumultuous thought of "what's next" and knew not even he could give her what she wanted or needed.

"You should have told someone. We could have helped, we could have been there. I could have been there," He took a moment and then sighed, "And as much as you don't want to hear it, Remy would have been there too. You know he would have."

She looked up, squared her shoulders and answered in a hard, yet truthful tone.

"Ah didn't want anyone to be there." She admitted.

The honesty stung, but her bold candor offered an equally sweet and satisfying ring to Logan's ears, if only he could extract more from her stubborn heart.

He capitalized on this moment, shooting it straight back at her, "Rogue, you had a miscarriage…that's not just regular shit or baggage. You should have come to someone—"

"Ah told you, Ah didn't want to." She answered again, strained.

And it was the truth. Back in that moment, she didn't want anyone.

After a few more moments of silence Logan addressed what Rogue was asking herself over and over in her head, like a song skipping back to that same broken line on an album.

"What now, Rogue? You going to keep freezing me and the others out? Are you going to keep freezing Remy out? You really think that's helping you at this point"

"God, Logan. Ah can hardly tell you how Ah am going to get through today, so back off a little,"

"Rogue, I mean it, what are you going to do?"

She shrugged her shoulders, unable to muster strength for any other gesture.

"The best Ah can do right now it let him do his thing while Ah do mine," she stated, wanting so badly for this response to be the final words on the subject.

"Kid, this isn't going to go away. Not just with Remy, but with whatever turmoil your facing internally."

"Nothing else's wrong, Logan, it happened, and now it's over." She was trying. Trying so very hard to hit the reverse button.

"Okay...Okay, you know what?" Logan wiped his hand across his face and then leaned in to address the situation further, "I think more than anything that this is all worth bringing up to Xavier or even Hank—"

She instantly shook her head.

"Ah sure as hell don't."

"Rogue—"

"No, forget it—Ah'm done," She put her hands up and made to shift her way out of her seat.

"Alright, hold on," he looped around the island that separated the two and then sat on the stool directly next to her.

"I know you don't want to hear this, but it may not have just been physical or a typical accident, and I know you know that too, because you are not an idiot. Something could have been happenin' on a deeper level. I don't even know how you have been lately with the psyches or how you have been fairing with having control, because you don't talk to us anymore. Maybe it's reachin' a point where everything has taken a toll on you. Somethin' could be seriously wrong—"

"You don't know that," she interjected.

"Yeah well neither do you." His words ricocheted back at her sharply.

Shots fired.

She took a moment before firing back. Rogue looked at Logan straight in the face, features tight and drained before replying with finality, however, he beat her to the chase.

"Rogue you know I can't let this go. Not after all this, not after seeing you break the way you did this morning."

"It won't happen again, okay? Not like earlier, it was a lot all at once. Remy ambushing me to not getting sleep and from tearing open stitched up wounds from a year ago, yeah you sure as hell bet I was going to break in that moment, it was too much at once," She watched as Logan's featured remained hard and serious, but she took the moment to continue to plead her case.

"But Ah can do this, you just have to give me a little time, Ah can handle this."

Logan leaned back, still keeping eye contact with Rogue. He then crossed his arms and exhaled deeply before responding.

"Maybe this is the first time in a year where you actually let yourself process what happened to you." He stared her down.

Rogue's wide eyes, more honest and true than he had seen in a year, pleaded him to leave it alone. One more tip of the boat, and he could see this heaviness swallow her down whole.

Logan, arms still crossed, continued in a light and even tone, "Kid…I said it before and I'll say it again, there is a place for you here. If all this…if all this is too much and if it is getting to you, we're here. They just renovated the room in the west wing and I think you should take it."

"Ah can handle this…Ah can handle where Ah'm at…" She let her words become lost, knowing that it was bullshit, but more so knowing that after the beautiful breakdown witnessed by Logan, he would not buy it. Not right now at least.

She would just need to keep it composed and handle it as best as she could now that Logan was watching her. And Kitty…and Remy.

The list was becoming extensive. She didn't want to snowball it any more than it had. It was hard enough breaking in front of Logan the way she did...and the horrifying part, that breaking moment had hardly scratched the surface of the inner pain she felt churning inside. It wasn't even the whole story, is was a sliver that pushed its way out from her well-built walls. The show Logan witnessed that very morning would pale in comparison to when she would face Remy. And she knew it.

Before Logan could corner her any further, Jean walked in the kitchen with a groggy baby Rachael in her arms. She stopped, startled to see the two of them there.

"Oh! Oh hi!"

Her eyes went to Logan, who was looking at Rogue.

Rogue pushed her shoulders back, looked at Jean and gave a tired smile.

"Hey, Jean" Rogue greeted very smoothly.

Zero to normal in about two seconds.

"When did you get here? Wow, you look like you didn't sleep at all!" Jean acknowledged her disheveled and sleepy appearance and raised her brow at the sight before her.

"Yeah, well, maybe Ah am just still a little off from that night out with Kitty and Wanda" Rogue responded with a wave of her hand.

"God, I am so jealous I missed that." Jean said with a smile. She then walked further in the kitchen so that she was on the other side of the island across from Logan and Rogue.

"Don't be." Rogue mumbled just low enough for Logan to catch. For a telepath, Jean hadn't been her usual sharp self, much of that was attributed to the newborn that kept her on her toes. At this moment, Rogue was grateful for her attention to be placed elsewhere.

"Are you going to stay for a bit? You should have breakfast and hang out this morning! We never see you on Sunday's anymore," Jean reached for a mug and then poured herself coffee while situating Rachel in her free arm securely.

Rogue glanced at Logan, who hadn't said a single. Instead, he watched Rogue, listening intently for the response she was about to give Jean.

"Oh, A-Ah don't think…Ah mean, Ah just stopped by to pick up some things," She replied, the lie leaving her lips with ease. "So Ah was going to head out, Ah didn't bring a change of clothes or anything for the day anyway—"

"You should stay!" Jean exclaimed, it was clear she was excited to see another person her age as opposed to the students and her little one. "It's been forever since you have been here for breakfast on a Sunday! Kitty and Piotr should be here too later on, and I have clothes and makeup and all that for you to borrow for the day so you don't have to go home just yet. Stay for a bit,"

"Jean," Rogue tried again, but Jean wouldn't have it. The red head really must have had too much time with Rachael lately.

"Come on," Jean walked around the island and handed Rachael to Logan.

"Logan, you can watch her for a bit right? Rogue, you and I can go upstairs and I'll grab you some clothes," Rachael began to tug and grab at Logan's chest. This certainly was not the first hand-off that Logan was subjected to.

"Yeah, I've got the kid." Logan replied gruffly. He was secretly pleased that Rogue would be around for a bit longer.

Jean took Rogue's hand and then grabbed her coffee. She began to lead the southern belle towards the door.

"I'll be back in a few!" Jean shouted out, back turned away from Logan.

"Hey, Rogue," Logan called out before she had fully exited the kitchen. Rogue glanced back at Logan, brows knitting together.

"Take it easy, okay?" His tone indicated that the subject was not dropped.

Before she could respond or process the concern any further, Jean had fully led her out of the kitchen and towards the stairwell.

Jean's words trailed off as Rogue's head continued to twist and churn around Logan's raw words again and again, the echoes sharp and unnerving.

'You should have told someone,'

Thump, thump, thump.

'We could have helped,'

Thump, thump.

'Remy would have been there—'

Thump.

' You know he would have.'

Each step up the stairwell was heavier than the last.

Rogue could feel a familiar pull and slice tug at her mind. It echoed and thrummed, and only offered validation that she was indeed not aright.

Heart skipped a beat
And when I caught it you were out of reach
But I'm sure, I'm sure
You've heard it before

xXx

Song credit goes to The XX, Heart Skipped a Beat.

A big thanks to all you followers. Please offer up your reviews.

This is simply a small slice of what is to come. We have a moment from 5 years ago and also have a bit of aftermath from the breaking point, or more so, an attempt at recovery after a small piece of the breaking point.

We have oh so much more to see. Get ready for round 2 with the southerners.

Seems like everything will continue to "snowball" at this point.

Til' next time,

-Lebs

xXx