Author's Note:

Like 90% of this chapter was written like forever ago, even before I last updated regularly, and waaaay before Mr. & Mrs. X or even Rogue & Gambit or X-Men Gold #30. Any similarities between comic panels and flashbacks is purely coincidental.

Chapter 36

The contemporary villa situated on Lake Geneva was breathtaking. Nearly every wall was floor to ceiling windows, giving the occupants an unadulterated view of the glistening blue waters and the Jet D'Eau to the southwest. With the late hour, the villa was lit with only the barest of landscape lights. All the same, Rogue took no chances as she led Remy onto the compound.

They paused for a moment, surveying the property. The grounds were eerily quiet, though nothing seemed amiss. Everything was exactly as they'd been briefed, but her instincts told her something wasn't right, especially considering the intel came directly from Marius and not the usual Assassin resources. Without an obvious reason to distrust the information, she dismissed the feeling as her own paranoia where her adoptive father was concerned.

Turning to Remy, she asked, "Ya ready?"

To say she was surprised when she saw him chew the inside of his cheek would have been an understatement. In all the time she'd known Remy LeBeau, she'd never seen him worry over a contract before.

And then the truth of it was out, "I'm not a killer, chère," though he refused to look anywhere but at the villa.

That's not to say he hadn't been forced to defend himself while on a heist, sometimes with deadly consequences. Or that his temper hadn't flared from time to time where he'd wanted to make that final act, not that he'd actually ever done it. The fact of the matter was that the few times he'd taken a life, it hadn't been out of pure, calculated cold-blood like Assassin contracts. And while he strongly felt that Saunders needed to be punished, he wasn't sure that acting as judge, jury, and executioner was right.

Rogue's brow softened as she gently cupped the side of his face. They'd been over this a dozen times on the plane, explaining a damnatio memoriae and how to succeed in the modern age. It really couldn't be done by an assassin alone anymore, so it made the perfect joint contract for the new guildmasters. All Remy had to worry about was taking out the security system and digitally erasing any trace of the man. She would take care of the rest.

A gentle tug drew his gaze to hers as she stroked her thumb over his cheek. "Focus on what ya do best. Take care of the thievin' part."

Remy stared at her for a moment longer before leaning in and gently, chastely pressing his lips to hers. Then without a second hesitation, he swiftly darted across the manicured grounds and over to the small box that would be their ticket inside. Unconsciously, Rogue held her breath as she watched him finagle the wires. Saunders wasn't stupid. The brains of his security system would be buried deep in the compound in a protected server room, but all Remy needed was a fault in one entryway to slip inside and that's precisely what he was working to disable. After several long minutes, she saw his shoulders relax as he eased over to the sliding glass door. On his signal, she moved like a shadow to his side.

No sooner were they in the door than it automatically closed behind them. The plan had been for Remy to disable the security system and work on the identity theft while Rogue found Saunders and executed the kill. Instead, they heard the clinking of ice in a highball tumbler as the fine crystal was placed on one of the many glass tables. Soft accent lights suddenly winked to life and painted the previously dark room in a faint royal blue. Saunders sat in a club chair facing them. It was clear he'd been waiting for them to strike.

"If it isn't my two favorite criminals, stumbling in as gracelessly as ever." His diction was still as perfectly accentless as before. The corrupt businessman rose out of the chair, addressing them where they stood frozen. "I'm sure the Federal Criminal Police will be more than pleased to have the two leaders of a major American crime syndicate in custody."

Rogue swore under her breath. She should have known not to trust the intel they'd received as soon as they noticed none of Saunders usual bodyguards were present. He'd been heavily protected at his office and yet they hadn't encountered another soul since arriving on the villa's property.

Next to her, Remy seethed at the insults. He and Rogue were the best either guild had to offer. They were neither bumbling nor graceless and he sure as hell wasn't going to let this worm of a man turn them over to the Swiss government's international law enforcement.

"I don' see anyone here who's gon' stop us." Remy antagonized, baiting Saunders into revealing himself. He'd learned while sitting in the other man's office months ago that the businessman got sloppy when his buttons were pushed.

Saunders raised his arms to indicate the room as he said, "That's because I have something better than my bodyguards here."

"Yer stupid mutation dampener?" Rogue questioned, remembering he'd said the only other device like it in the world was in his personal residence. Without waiting for his response, she added, "Ah already told ya Ah don't need a weapon or a mutation ta kill ya a million ways over."

Unexpectedly, Saunders threw his head back and laughed. The barking sound was pernicious, setting both Remy and Rogue on edge. As the man calmed down from his neurotic fit, he slipped out of his expensive suit jacket and rolled up his sleeves.

"Oh my dear. You should have taken me up on my earlier offer to be my whore," He shrugged, sauntering closer to them. "But since you insist on doing things the hard way, I'll let you take the first swing."

Rogue hesitated for only a fraction of a second before she launched herself at Saunders. The two tumbled onto the floor as she wrapped her powerful legs around his middle, effectively pinning his arms to his side. She raised her fist as far back as she could, intent on smashing his face in until the delicate facial bones broke and pierced his brain. However as she drew back to deliver the first blow, she felt as if an invisible force held her arm at bay.

Stand up. Leave Saunders.

Almost painfully, the force continued to push on her arm. Rogue felt like it would dislocate her shoulder if she didn't stop fighting it.

Stand. Up.

The suggestion in her mind was too powerful. Somehow she knew if she followed it, the pain would ease. Slowly rising, she stood over Saunders who remained prone on the floor. A wicked grin split his face.

"Chère? What's goin' on? Why'd y' stop?" Remy asked from behind her.

Rogue refused to answer. A strange compulsion overtook her as she simply stared down at Saunders.

Kill LeBeau.

Rogue continued to stare. She shook her head once, squeezing her eyes shut to block out the demand.

"Having second thoughts?" Saunders taunted, his smiling growing wider as he gracefully rose from the floor.

"Rogue?" Remy questioned again, confused as to why she was just standing there.

Kill LeBeau. NOW.

Slowly, Rogue rounded on Remy. She caught the bewildered look on his face but suddenly didn't care. Instead, she stalked toward him, intent on one thing and one thing only.

Kill LeBeau.

As she approached his personal space, he took a step back. Desperation started to gnaw at him as he breathed, "Anna…" as a means to break through to her. Remy raised his hands placatingly, trying to soothe her as he would a startled animal, but she continued forward and forced him to take another step back. The eerily calm movements continued until he was pressed up against the wall.

With a cold calculation he had never seen from her, Rogue lifted her hands up as if she was going to grasp his coat collar. Rather than latching onto the trench's lapels, her strong grip wrapped around his neck.

Kill LeBeau.

And so Rogue squeezed.

"Chère!" Remy choked out, clawing at her hands to break the choke hold.

He didn't want to hurt her, but she was obviously possessed. Was it some remnant of the curse or something else?

"Rogue…Stop!" He tried again to no avail.

From the center of the room, Saunders laughed. "Oh she won't stop. At least, not until you're dead."

Resigning himself to the situation, Remy spread his feet and lifted his right arm up and over hers, trapping her wrists in his armpit.

"I don' know what's gotten int' y', chérie, mais don' make me keep this up." He pleaded.

Instead of words, he could feel her bring her knee up behind him for a short jab to his kidneys. Before she could finish the move, he swiftly shot his left elbow backward and hit her in the face. The countermove had the desired effect and she immediately stumbled back as blood poured from her broken nose. Remy hated that he'd hurt her and silently prayed they'd be able to set it in time to prevent any permanent damage to her beautiful face. However, the guilt only lasted a minute as he watched her shake off the pain and start after him again.

Kill LeBeau.

This time, Rogue was faster, more focused. Her hands moved at a blinding pace as she lunged, punched, and jabbed at Remy. He'd never seen her move so quickly, even while excelling in the master thief's training room. It was all he could do to keep up the counterattacks. There was no time to go on the offense.

Trying to put some distance and objects between them, he hopped over the club chairs as he landed a solid kick to her solar plexus. The move normally put an opponent down for the count, but it barely seemed to faze Rogue. Somewhere behind him, Remy could hear Saunders cackling as he clearly enjoyed the show.

"I'm going to have so much fun with her after you're gone, LeBeau. Then I'm going to show her everything she did." Pausing for dramatic effect, he added, "Tell me, do you think the guilt will kill her before I do?"

Straightening up, Remy never let his attention stray from Rogue. Holding his hands out in a peaceful gesture again, he tried to talk some sense into her. "Rogue, chère, this ain't you. I don't know what's goin' on, mais y' have t' snap out of it!"

KILL LEBEAU!

Instead, Rogue bared her teeth and launched herself over the chair toward him. Crashing hard into his body, they fell backward into one of the glass coffee tables. Remy's fist flailed, hitting Saunders square in the mouth and knocking him off his feet. Shards splintered through the air as the table shattered and electric blue sparks flared. Rogue grabbed the sides of Remy's head and lifted it up, bashing it into the remnants of the metal frame. Stars dazzled before his eyes as he fought not to lose consciousness. He needed his wits about him to buck Rogue off his body, but she was lifting his head to bash it back down again. Glass embedded in his skull, oozing blood from a multitude of tiny wounds. A second round of stars was accompanied by an intense wave of nausea. This time, darkness encroached his peripheral vision.

"Anna…" He barely choked out, lifting his hands to ineffectually grasp her neck. Weakness already stole the power from his limbs.

He felt his head being lifted once more and knew he couldn't take another blow. If it didn't outright kill him, it would render him unconscious and unable to stop her murderous efforts. With the last of his strength, he propelled his hips off the floor to lift them midair. Flipping their positions, he smacked her down into the broken table before snatching her wrists in his half-gloved hands and holding them over her head. The nausea returned, threatening to make him retch the Réveillon meal they'd eaten what seemed like a lifetime ago.

Fighting down the urge, he held her steady as he again tried to reason with her. Before he could get out more than, "Come back t' me, chère," the sickening feel of her mutation tore at his insides.

Thick, black spidery veins popped out on his face, snaking down his neck and across the rest of his body. The little bit of stored energy he had in reserve quickly drained away. He fought the blackness edging across his sight, but it was a losing battle. Within a few seconds, his eyes rolled up into his head and he collapsed down on her.

Memories poured into Rogue's mind, playing backward from a few hazy moments ago when she'd attacked Remy to their Christmas Eve activities and earlier.

Bitter, utter betrayal. Questioning how she could attack him if she really loved him. Had she ever loved him?

Trepidation as they went over the damnatio memoriae again and again. His distraction that he'd mess up for the first time ever on a contract because he couldn't stop focusing on the assassination.

Anger at his perfect night being interrupted. A secret box held precious in his suit jacket during their Réveillon dinner. The first inklings of family as he kissed her temple during Mass and held her close. The passion he'd felt for her on the yacht as he seriously debated abandoning the rest of their plans to make love to her. The trip to Adler's earlier in the week to obtain that little box.

His desperate need to feel connected to every piece of her after she awoke from the curse: mind, body, and soul. Jean-Luc coming in to tell him they were going to institutionalize her. The way he abandoned everything but her after only a few days at her side. The fear that he'd never hold her, gaze into her eyes, love her again. Him watching Mattie's rushed efforts to counteract the curse.

His rage and distrust as he tried to sort out her actions at the Invalidation. The shock and terror coursing like ice through his veins as he watched her unsheathe her karambit and bury it into the table. Theoren calling him to his father's side only to find out Jean-Luc hadn't wanted anything after all.

'Oh gawd!' Rogue thought, snapping out of the onslaught of his viewpoint of their relationship.

Her suppressed memories came flooding back to her. Immediately snapping to attention, she broke contact with Remy and pushed his deadweight off her body. Tears stung her eyes as she remembered the Invalidation ceremony. Feeling it, seeing it through his eyes, her heart ached at the pain she'd caused Remy by deceiving her father. And yet, something had compelled her just now to attack the only man she'd ever loved and the one who, until her assault, so devotedly loved her in return.

"Finish the job." Saunders stood, wiping blood from the corner of his mouth.

His power dampener had been cleverly hidden as one of the tables. The same table was nothing more than bits of glass and twisted metal. With Remy's mutation buzzing at her fingertips and his natural mental shield protecting her mind, Rogue no longer felt the intrusion that had overtaken her free will.

"No." She mentally boxed away Remy's final thought of betrayal as she stalked toward Saunders. "Ah don't know how ya did it, but Ah'm 'bout ta find out."

With lightning speed, she wrapped her hands around Saunders' throat. When she didn't squeeze like he'd expected, he realized it wasn't to strangle the life from his body. No, she simply used the move to hold him in place as she let her mutation slowly incapacitate him. In a matter of seconds, his veins swelled into dark tendrils as he dropped to his knees. Never breaking contact, Rogue let the arrogant prick's thoughts flood her mind.

Diving past the surface reflections that focused on the pain, Rogue saw his overconfidence. An Assassin accomplice was on the edges of the compound and would come rescue him. He didn't know the details, but he knew it was another mutant since he'd had to give instructions on the power dampener's boundaries. The technology was only useful to stop mutants within the field. Anyone on the outskirts could still affect those within, but that's why Saunders' bodyguards usually patrolled the perimeter.

As the minutes ticked by, he realized his contract with Marius was one-way. While the former Assassin patriarch was relying on him to draw out LeBeau, the true target of the damnatio memoriae, Saunders in turn couldn't rely on Marius to protect him if things went south. And south they had gone. As his dying gasps filled the air, Rogue searched for the last bit of information she needed. With his son's location and the security measures guarding the boy safely tucked away in her mind, Rogue finally let go of the husk that had once been Ridge Saunders.

Sinking down heavily on the fine white leather sofa, she dropped her head in her hands. An anonymous call to the authorities would secure the boy's custody back to the mother who loved him, but it wasn't near enough to make up for what she'd done to Remy. How could she ever hope to explain or earn back his trust? Saunders nearly overpowering psyche answered the question for her 'You can't.' Rogue quickly shut him up and locked him away in the darkest recesses of her mind.

Her eyes pricked and burned with the need to shed tears, but the moisture wouldn't come. The sensation was like a child throwing a temper tantrum and trying to cry. How could she when it was her fault Remy was hurt? She had no right to let tears fall. A sudden need to vomit rose up her throat, doubling her over and grabbing her stomach. With her head between her knees, she slowly rocked back and forth trying to ease the sickness and pain. The soft groan near her feet was left unchecked in her anguish.

Slowly sitting up, Remy pressed his palm into his temple. What the hell happened that he couldn't remember how he got this terrible hangover? He never got drunk thanks to his mutation's high metabolism. Running his hand through his hair, he felt bits of glass knock loose and bounce off his shoulder. The soft blue glow of pre-dawn filtered through the floor to ceiling windows. How long had he been down? A quick look at his surrounding brought back the last few minutes of consciousness before he'd blacked out.

Remembering that Rogue had attacked him, he gingerly rose to his feet in a defensive posture as his keen eyes scanned the room for his wife. Remy nearly had to turn full circle before he found her hunched over on the sofa behind him, curled into a fetal position and rocking herself back and forth. When she made no move to further the attack, much less even acknowledge him, he inched closer.

"Rogue." His voice came out as a croak. Clearing his throat, he tried again, "Rogue!"

Still she continued to rock, her lips soundlessly mumbling as her eyes squeezed more tightly shut.

Moving forward on little half steps, he kicked her booted foot and raised his voice, "ROGUE!"

Forcefully jerked out of her self-pity, she looked up at her husband standing over her. 'Gawd! He's alive and okay!'

The thought had no more entered her mind than Rogue was jumping up and reaching out for him, "Remy!"

But before her outstretched hands could graze across his face, he swiftly stepped out of her reach.

"Remy?" Rogue's hands remained suspended in air for a moment, not falling until she watched him barely shake his head no. The resolute gesture was like a bucket of ice water dumped on her head and she let her arms drop to her sides as she hung her head.

"Ah'm sorry, Ah don't know what happened-" She whispered, but he sharply cut her off.

"Save it." Remy's voice was cold, contentious. "All I want now is an explanation. And I don't mean 'bout this." He waved his hand around the destroyed room.

Rogue bit her lip. She could play dumb and ask what he meant, but that would only delay the inevitable and make him angrier. This was a long time coming and one she'd owed him months ago.

Her legs buckled as she collapsed back on the sofa, her elbows rested on her knees and her head was cradled in her hands again. "Marius only adopted me fer one reason: ta raise me ta kill you."

Rogue paused, letting her words sink in. Though she didn't look up at him, she could sense Remy fidgeting as he quietly swore and ran his fingers through his hair. Little pieces of glass dislodged and fell to the floor with a tinkling clink.

"Pourquoi?" He quietly demanded, but she flinched as if he'd yelled.

"Because of the stupid Le Diable Blanc prophecy." Rogue defeatedly tried to explain. "Marius didn't want-"

"I know what Marius didn't want." Remy interrupted. "I already figured out he wasn't ever gon' let Bella Donna marry me."

His admission surprised her. "Since when?" She questioned.

Rogue hadn't expected him to piece together any of her adoptive father's motivation. She hadn't even known the full extent until the wedding reception. For the first time since they started talking, she looked up at Remy. As soon as their eyes met, he turned his gaze out the window.

"Since de Keys." His response was factual, without sentiment.

There was no warmth regarding the yacht trip that had brought them closer together. The one where they'd made love and she'd admitted he was her first and only. The one where she'd told him she loved him, even though he didn't return the sentiment. And why should he? Even with all they'd been through, he didn't love her. Couldn't love her. How could he when his heart still belonged to Bella Donna? Maybe she'd only been deluding herself that things had changed, grown between them. More than likely, he'd just come to accept the fact that they were married and that wasn't going to change. He'd resigned himself to making the best of a bad situation.

Snapping her attention back to him, Remy's eyes bored into hers as he asked, "What I really want t' know is why I found my wife," he spat the word, "wit' bruises on her neck de mornin' after de Cotillion. Or why her père had her cornered in a bone breakin' hold at de Invalidation and drove her to bury a knife int' de Council table. Or what she did t' deserve a coundja? What plot did mon cher beau-père cook up that ma femme didn't fulfill t' his exactin' measures?"

Rogue held his gaze for a moment, memorizing his face as she realized this would be the last time he saw her with any compassion. It was a reminder that the sweet, gentle man she'd come to love was gone because of the words about to slip from her lips.

"Yer death." She plainly answered.

Remy's teeth clamped shut and his jaw flexed, as if he'd been expecting the response. He continued his burning gaze, staring into her soul looking for the truth, before nodding once and turning away from her. As he crossed the room, clearly intent on leaving the way they'd broken in, Rogue jumped from the sofa and chased after him.

"Remy, wait! Where are ya goin'?" She begged, expecting the chance to explain more of the situation.

He simply answered, "Home," without turning around or stopping for her.

"Please, there's more Ah need ta tell ya." Rogue managed to catch up with him and grabbed his hand in both of hers before he violently shook her off.

"Non! I don't want t' hear it." He turned on his heel, ending up right in her face. "I trusted y'. Against my instincts, I trusted y'. And de whole time, y' were plannin' on betrayin' me."

Rogue's eyes widened in disbelief. "No! That's not it at all. Please, just let me-"

"Non. I'm not gon' "let y'" do anythin'." He cut her off. "Y' had yo' chances. Several. And y' wasted 'em. There's nothin' y' can say now t' undo what's happened. Too little, too late. What a couillon I was t' fall in love wit' y'."

Remy spun around and headed toward the door again. His initial words had rooted her in place with fear of losing him, but his parting ones had her running after him.

"Ya love me?" She shouted from behind him, unable to match his pace this time.

"Loved. As in past tense." He threw over his shoulder as he walked through the glass door. "As in never gon' happen again."

Rogue stopped, shocked by his admission. "Ya never told me," she faintly answered.

Her confession had Remy marching back to her in a rage. "I most certainly did. Every fuckin' day since de Keys."

Gaining a little of her feisty anger back, she argued, "No, ya didn't. A gal remembers when her man tells her he loves her."

"What do y' think I meant when I called y' mamour?" Remy coldly countered, his eyes burning into hers. "Or when I told y' that y' were ma vie, mon âme?"

"That's not the same thing as sayin' 'Ah love ya'!" Rogue quickly retorted, her arms crossed over her chest.

"Well I guess it don't really matter no more, now does it?" He seethed before turning his back on her.

Anger raged through her blood as she realized desperate times called for desperate measures. If telling him about the danger to his life wasn't going to make an impact, it was time to take a different approach. Running at full speed across the lawn, Rogue passed him to block the winding path leading back down to the main road. Her stance was formidable, fists planted on her hips, feet shoulder width apart.

Fire blazed in her eyes as she sassed, "What 'bout our vows? The ones that prevent our guilds from killin' each other in the streets. If ya walk away now, you're goin' ta be the one breakin' 'em."

Never mind if Rogue returned, she would be found in violation since she was contracted to kill Remy from the start. His answer laid to rest any vestiges of hope though.

"What vows?" Remy caustically remarked, "De ones I thought I was pledgin' t' Bella Donna? De ones that don't apply t' you because I didn't even know y' existed before I lifted that veil?"

Rogue flinched as if his words had physically slapped her face. She hadn't expected her plan to backfire so spectacularly. She also hadn't expected Remy to hate her so much already. What Remy said next gave all the explanation she would ever need.

Striding right up to her, he continued, "Y' ruined that too, just like y' ruined everythin' else. So yeah, I'm gon' break those vows that were never meant fo' y' anyway. And ain't no force in heaven or on earth is gon' hold me t' 'em."

After saying his peace, Remy stared at her a moment longer. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she realized there was nothing she could do or say to fix things between them. Satisfied that she finally seemed to get his point, Remy nodded before pushing passed her. His shoulder forcefully slammed into hers, causing her to wince at the impact. A heartbeat skipped, then two before Rogue turned to watch his retreating form.

"Remy, please!" She weakly begged, but he gave her a simple two finger salute as he kept walking.

This time, she let him go.

(X)-(X)-(X)

Rogue slowly made the trek down Saunders' private drive before winding up on the Route de Thonon in Cologny. As expected, the vehicle she and Remy had arrived in was long gone. Since it was after sunrise, she headed to the closest bus stop in the hopes of catching a ride into Geneva. A passing car quickly had her rethinking that decision when she glimpsed her reflection. Her clothes were a mess, her hair mussed every which way, dried tear tracks streaked her dirty face, and a combination of her and Remy's blood stained her face and hands. If she didn't clean herself up first, she would draw too much attention on the bus.

Spotting a local supermarket, she nonchalantly walked in. Rogue kept her head down and hands in the pockets of her leather bomber jacket as she darted into the women's toilet. The woman reflected back in the small mirror was a near stranger. It wasn't so much her disheveled appearance more than the lost look in her eyes. What was she supposed to do now?

By the time she caught a flight back to the States, Remy would have already arrived and filled everyone in on what happened. None of the family would doubt his version of events. The one person who had trusted her from the start was dead and buried in the family caveau. Even Mattie, who had looked her square in the eyes on the day she married Remy and gave her blessing, would favor her boy over the Assassin traitor. Rogue could even imagine the look of pity as Mattie clucked her tongue and shook her head if she were to show up on the doorstep.

Then there was the whole situation with her adoptive family. She had failed to fulfill Marius' revenge, putting her at the top of the guild's hit list. Her 'sister' would only be too willing to knock off the competition before rushing to Remy's side to comfort him. And lest she forget Julien, who was probably already chomping at the bit to get his sadistic hooks in her.

So that was that. No home with the LeBeau's and a gruesome death waiting at the Boudreaux's.

The door swinging open brought Rogue back to her present state. Quickly, she looked down in the sink and started scrubbing her hands and face as the female shopper gave her a hesitant once-over. Rogue started a mental timer to be cleaned up and out of the toilet long before the woman exited the lavatory stall. It took a little longer than expected since her nose was already swollen and tender, but she still beat the woman out. Swinging by the sundries aisle, she picked up a men's black undershirt to cover the small rips and stains in her tactical gear.

Fifteen minutes later, she was stepping off the bus in Geneva. Rather than heading straight to the airport, where she knew the guild plane would not be waiting for her, she wandered the quaint, old world streets.

As she mindlessly made her way around the city trying to decide her next move, Rogue's attention was captivated by a mother chattering away in French with her little boy. The sweet scene reminded her of at least one difference she could make. Scanning her surroundings, she spotted a police station about a block away. Jogging the short distance, she made a slight detour at a nearby café and swiped a pen and scrap paper off the waiter's station.

Rogue scribbled her note and, with the deftness acquired in her time with the thieves, slipped in and out of the police station unnoticed. The small piece of paper would do the job and she'd be long gone before anyone thought to check the CCTV.

Ridge Saunders is dead. He kidnapped his own son and is holding him hostage at Rue de Varembé 322. The security system is disarmed with Saunders' palm print, retinal scan, and code 6137840273193476.

At least she could give someone else a happy ending even if one wasn't in the cards for her.

(X)