Disclaimer: Rogue, Gambit, Julien, Bella Donna, Lapin, Candra, Jean-Luc, Cody and Mystique are the property of Marvel comics, no profit is made in the production of this fan-fiction. We fan-fic authors are only paid in feedbacks.
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Remembrance - Part Six

Remy slumped at his chair, taking deep sighs and forcing himself to take a rest. He heard his door open, he looked behind his chair and saw Bel.

Bel made a smile of sympathy at him, Remy grimaced at her, he felt her soft hands on his shoulders, carefully massaging them.

"Y'must be tired mon amour" Bel assumed. "What happened in t'mission? An' why ... that disappointed look?"

"Nothin' got wrong, Bel," Remy sighed. "We get t'scepter, an' all t'guards by now would be gettin' amnesia or be paralyzed forever"

Bel raised an eyebrow. "That sounds 'different' like other missions you had"

"Oh yes indeed, t'new fille pretty made a 'good' job" Remy leaned his head on his right hand which is rested on the chair's arms.

Bel read his feelings. He was quite disappointed with Rogue's action in the mission, whatever had happened.

"Oh, she's just new, an' just eighteen, but I know she would learn the thief's basis very soon" Bel reasoned.

"Which is what I am thinkin'" Remy told Bel.

Bel faced the ceiling, her mind in a blank state, she then turned to her wrist watch. "Oh, I'm going to be late in an appointment with Anna, I hav' to go"

Remy looked at her suspiciously. "Y'never told me about a appointment, an' who's Anna?"

Bel placed her hands on her waist. "Anna is one of my friends, I introduced her to you, she is the brunette and skinny faced one, remember?"

Remy dug his memory to remember. "Oh, her, t'one who eats noisily"

Bel giggled. "Okay Remy, I hav' to go now, our appointment is so sudden, she just tol' me today, au revoir, see you later" Bel planted a kiss on his cheek and left the room.

After spending a while just staring at the fireplace and thinking about what to do with Rogue, he stretched his numb legs to stand up and pick up the intercom on his desk which will connect him to the gate where Philippe is.

Remy dialed some numbers until he heard a voice.

Remy started "Philippe, it's Remy"

"Oui, sir," Philippe answered.

"I want you to train your mate, Rogue, about thievin', de instincts and motives, everythin' about it dat y'can teach her" Remy ordered.

"Oui, but I would need more extra time" Philippe raised.

Remy tapped his fingers on his desk. "I will take care o'dat, Antoine would replace you guardin' de gates by tomorrow, just do your job"

"Yes, but I believe sir that almost all t'trainin' materials we hav like the daggers, dynamites an' all, would be of no use to Rogue, since she has de invulnerability, so I t'ink it would be better if I teach her de techniques and immediate movements in situations"

Remy nodded. "Tres bien, just do your job"

"Oui"

"Ah was bad, Ah was bad" Rogue chanted to herself while sitting cross-legged at her bed.

Nice job Rogue, your mother tol' you you should hav' patience an' should lack bein' clumsy! Rogue scolded herself.

What am Ah goin' ta do, t'was a hard time adjustin'

"Bonjour m'petit'" Philippe opened the cottage door and greeted her warmly.

"Wow, day off's early?" Rogue grinned at him.

Philippe shook his head and closed the door. "No, Sir Remy ordered me t'train you"

Rogue dropped her shoulders and looked down. "Ah knew it, Ah knew it"

"Oh come on, mon ange, every first timers does that, only for you ... he expected 'something' different" Philippe sat at her bed.

"Ah wonder what is that somethin', hey, you know thievin' Ah thought ya're just t'registered 'Gate-keeper'" Rogue asked confusingly at Philippe.

Philippe took a deep breath and explained. "Well Rogue, before y'get ta be in t'club y'really had ta be a thief, that's why it's 'Thieves Guild' I am originally a thief, but temporarily called as de gate-keeper cause the leader said I hav' a good an' sharp eye sight"

"Ohhhhh" Rogue nodded. "Y' still fight wit' t'thieves, sugah?"

"Well, I did ... they say I was one of the best, but recently, t' leader advised me to excuse myself not to join in missions for a mean time, cause of what happened t' Lapin" Philippe looked down, his expression dropped in an instant.

Before Rogue could ask about Lapin. "Don't even ask me about it, it was terrible, Dieu, it gave me those nightmares"

"Oh, Ah'm sorry" Rogue twitched her lips and automatically touched Philippe's hand and squeezed it. Philippe looked up to her and returned to his smiling condition.

"So, we could start tomorrow" Philippe suggested.

"No, tell me about thievin', now" Rogue decided.

"Okay"

"Before that, what does mon ange mean anyway???"

"A sudden museum robbery had occurred in New Orleans International Museum, a scepter is found missing and the robbery is found clean and until now, no suspects had been notified, the museum guards last night are now in a critical state, both having no memories of what had happened last night" Before the news reporter could announce where the guards are placed and where they had been attacked, Julien closed the television with an unpleasant smile.

"T'fille is good isn't she Julien? But I know she is not that trained" Candra declared. Candra stood up from the sofa she is sitting on and crossed Julien's chair. "So we better destroy her as early as possible, the more vulnerable she is, the weaker she is"

Julien nodded and made an evil smile. "I know that Candra, 'sides, mon genius mind has a plan"

Caldecott County, Mississippi 5:00 a.m.

Cody Robbins whistled as he climbed off his bicycle stacked with newspapers, doing his daily job as a newspaper boy.

He crossed the old Victorian mansion where Rogue used to live. Cody froze on the ground, just staring at it. He thought he saw Rogue smiling and waving at him in the second floor window but he realized it was his mind playing games.

The gate was opened, he felt a possessing force to see Raven Darkholme, Mystique, Rogue's foster mother, and see how she is.

Cody inhaled deep and entered the estate, a rolled newspaper in his clenched hands.

His steps were slow but quiet. To his shock, he found Mystique went out the mansion. His face in a startled state.

He was amazed when Raven smiled at him. She looked like someone who hadn't slept or bathed in a week; she looked like a wreck. She had been gloriously beautiful when Rogue was still living there. She took care of her body, mostly physical look very well.

"Good morning, Cody. Do you want a cup of coffee?" Raven offered.

"Oh, no, Ms. Darkholme," Cody shook his head and smiled gently. "Ah was jis goin' ta give this paper to you, and ... check things out"

"That is sweet of you." Raven gave him a kind smile. "I have brownies here ... I know how much you love Rogue's brownies"

"Ah would love to, Ms. Darkholme, but Ah still hav' a handful o'newspapers ta deliver, but maybe if mah work's done an' Ah hav' extra time, Ah would pay a visit heah," Cody replied politely.

"Yes." Raven nodded. "Have you heard anything of Rogue?"

"Unfortunately, no" Cody's smile faded. "But if Ah have, y'all be t'first to know"

"You are a nice boy, Cody." Raven sighed deep. "I had wished so much that Rogue will take you as her husband ... but now ... wherever she is..." Raven's eyes watered.

Cody looked at the ground, to cover tears being produced at his eyes.

"I'm sorry Cody, you must be on your way, thank you for visiting me," Raven wiped her tears. "Do visit soon"

"Sure, y'take care Ms. Darkholme ... Ah'm sure ... Rogue misses an' loves ya, an' would want ya not ta worry much ... an' take care of yoah health" Cody said between breaths.

"Thank you Cody" Raven continued wiping her tears.

"Ah'll be on mah way, good bye" Cody waved and left the estate.

When he was far away the estate he thought of himself that Life without Rogue is meaningless and tough.

5:00 p.m.

"Hiya!" The dagger aimed right at the target spot of the mannequin, but so strong it fell to the ground.

"Carabine! Carabine!" Philippe applauded.

"Whew!" Rogue wiped her forehead. "Took me body an' soul ta target t'heart! After twenty tries! Why should I target to t' heart? Should Ah always do that in missions?"

"Non Rogue, it is best important you hit de enemy, but now, dis training is important for you to focus on the enemy and concentrate on him"

"'kay, can Ah hav' mah rest?" Rogue asked.

"Sure"

"An' water?"

Philippe refused. "Nope, dat's part of t'trainin'"

Rogue mumbled something. "Ah'm goin' ta die in thirst, how does water help in this trainin'?"

"Discipline mon cherie" Philippe made a sheepish grin at her.

"Okay, now Ah hav' seen everythin'" Rogue panted and sat on a nearby bench.

"Next, I will throw you this punch bags" Philippe pointed to an area where hanging punch bags are hanged everywhere. "And you'll have to beat them as fast as you could, you must know where they are hitting you and to see if some one will, then we are going to have this water balloon trainin' in where ya hav' ta avoid every balloon I throw, this should develop your speed and being alert since Assassins do a pretty damn good job in throwing bombs at wars"

All Rogue did was nod. "Okay, then maybe I can get a water balloon and drink t'water mahself"

"And get poisoned? I don't think you'll like that" Philippe smirked.

"Whatevah! let's get this over with!" Rogue stood up to take the punching bags training.

"Sure, I bet Sir Remy would be pleased to see you in action" Philippe winked at Rogue and set-up the punch bags.

Rogue gulped and looked behind her, to see Remy waving.

Rogue was getting annoyed and tired of the punch bags hitting her, it don't hurt her a bit but her muscles are beginning to be 'over-used'.

Just then a water balloon fell to her head.  "Hey!" Rogue looked up to see Philippe with a batch of balloons.

"Sorry, Sir Remy's orders!" Philippe told her.

"Ut oh!" Rogue began avoiding water balloons falling to her head and at the same time hitting punch bags.

She is very good Remy agreed to himself.

After thirty minutes of the training Remy asked Philippe to stop the training.

"You hav' improved Rogue, I hope y'will apply those t'ings y'hav' learned in real missions" Remy told her.

"Yes suh" Rogue nodded.

"Get your rest now"

Rogue usually take her rest by flying up to the sky, no one was looking at her, she wanted to be ... free for a while.

When she reached up to the skies, she marveled the beauty of New Orleans, she found a creek just near the thieves guild place. Rogue would want to go there but then she found a better place, a stiff cliff just near outside the 'The Lost Creek'

She reached the cliff with no one seeing her, she steeped at it and sat comfortably. She looked up the vast sky to see stars which are beginning to appear.

Rogue decided to go there, remembering a memory that is one of her few pleasurable ones. She was just nine years old then ...

"An' that's Orion, see!" Cody traced his fingers in a pentagon shape.

"Ah don't see anythin'!" Rogue complained annoyingly.

The two kids are sitting on a cliff just near Rogue's home, in where the two always meet. It was early evening then, Cody went to Rogue's house to show her his new book about stars.

"Look closer at where Ah am pointin'" Cody told Rogue impatiently.

"Ah give up" Rogue looked at Cody stubbornly. "Ah see no man or pattern, Ah see nothin' ,it's just a bunch o' plain silly an' stupid stars!" Rogue crossed her arms.

Cody's expression changed. "Stars are wonderful, Rogue, daddy said ta me that when y'see a falling star, wish upon it, an' it will come true, an' it do"

Rogue looked at him with interest. "Really?"

"Sure, scout's honor" Cody made a sign.

"Okay" Rogue returned to the skies to find a falling star.

"There's one!" Cody sat up and pointed to the sky.

"Where?!" Rogue squealed in excitement, she hadn't seen one before. Since she was always locked up in her house. She found it traveled downwards and disappeared.

"Close your eyes and make a wish, Rogue" Cody told her.

"Okay' Rogue closed up her eyes with a smile. She didn't hear Cody approaching near her and kissed her on her smiling lips.

"Whu--" Rogue's eyes flew open and found Cody's grinning face.

"Ya kissed me!" Rogue touched her lips.

"Yes Ah did, Ah just did your wish" Cody sat at the cliff again.

"How didja" Rogue turned beet red in extreme embarrassment and scared at the moment. Rogue suddenly started to ran away from the cliff.

"Rogue?" Cody stood up in surprise, then felt guilty of what he had done. "Rogue! Ah'm sorry, Gawd, Ah'm sorry!"

But Rogue didn't listen, she just ran, ran and ran.

Rogue reached the mansion, she entered the gates and after closing it, jogging to the mansion's door, hoping Cody isn't behind.

Rogue opened the door and gasped in shock to see Mystique with a plate on her hands.

"Rogue, where have you been , I have been searching for you? What happened?" Mystique asked.

"Nothin' momma" Rogue bit her lips. "Nothin' ... "

And when she knew she had those blasted powers, she felt glad Cody kissed her, and made her experience how was it like, she was never kissed by a boy again ...

Rogue felt tears coming, but she hid them, it was beautiful there, she hope to stay longer, but something or someone had warned her, "Oh mah, it's gettin' late, they would be searchin' for me" Rogue told herself after looking at the perfect night sky.

Rogue flew back to her place but pledged to return.

The next day, Rogue just accompanied Denise to school.  Suddenly, the car made some noises and stopped.

"Merde," Maurice, the driver murmured.

"What happened?" Rogue asked standing partially at her car seat.

"I don' know. I'll be checkin'" Maurice exited the car and checked the car's engines.

Rogue left the car to check with him also, water was oozing out.

"We're overheated" Maurice grumbled and cursed something Rogue didn't catch.

"What should we do?" Rogue questioned. She was never good at mechanics.

"Get some water, buckets of 'em, I bet you can carry some" Maurice told Rogue.

"Ah'm on mah way" Rogue flew she found the place pretty deserted. She scanned the place from the sky, she found a town nearby, but it's too far from their place.

She sped up reaching the place. It was pretty cool, she don't find any good places that she may get water from. She found a large church on the town. Rogue awed at the look of the church, it was beautiful, very different from her place.

She entered the church, Ah guess Ah can look for a while, Ah hardly see New Orleans, Ah'll be quick , There were some people there, she found a vacant bench, she knelt and decided to pray.

Just across her is a hooded woman dressed in bright red clothes, she was red all over. She found a man approaching the woman's place.

"I'm sorry I was late great External" Rogue overheard the man saying this. External? she repeated in her mind.

Rogue can't help coming and moving close to listen.

"Never mind, let's talk business" The 'External' said.

"This is your mission, you are to abduct a girl at St. Mary's Little Angels Private School at their dismissal time which is at 3:00 in the afternoon"

That's Denise's school! Rogue gasped in her mind. This can't be ...

"You are to abduct this girl." The woman showed a picture of the girl.

Oh mah Gawd... Denise!

1:30 p.m.

Rogue raced in the LeBeau mansion, she was glad to find Bel in the living room with Jean-Luc and Remy. Rogue knocked at the mansion's door so loud and strong it would fall.

Jean-Luc opened the door and was surprised to see a panicked Rogue. "Rogue, what a ..."

"Denise ... Denise is in trouble!" Rogue blurted out, panting.

Jean-Luc was confused in disbelief. "What?"

Rogue wiped sweat from her forehead, "It's a long story, but for now, Denise is in trouble, someone plans to abduct her"

"This is preposterous! Come in" Jean-Luc quickly walked at the living room and explained the matter. Rogue followed him, her heart still beating fast, it could not be calmed down. She was damped with sweat despite the cool weather.

Remy was the one who is most affected. "What happened? Who?"

Rogue told them about her and Maurice's incident in the car, and how she got to the church and found the mysterious red hooded woman.

"I knew it ... It's Candra"

Continued in Chapter 7

References:
Carabine - Perfect
Tres bien - very well
Ange - Angel

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