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Hate Is An Understatement
by Diana Othman

Chapter 6

Rogue continued to run; she just had to get away from Cody's cries of sorrow. She could not stop, not even when she heard Remy's heavy footsteps trailing her behind. She ran blindly, only halting once she was outside. She started breathing harshly, hyperventilating. Alarmed, Remy pulled her into his arms and stroked her back soothingly. She tried to pull away a bit, but he held her firmly.

"'S'okay, chere, it's okay...Calm down." Rogue rested her cheek on his warm chest as hers heaved for sometime before coming to a stable rhythm. Remy did not stop stroking her back. She collected her thoughts and pulled herself out of his embrace. "Y' wan' t'talk about it?"

"Ah did that ta him, Remy," Rogue choked back a sob.

Gambit welcomed the bittersweet emotions rushing through his veins. It was the first time Rogue called him by his first name. It was sad that she chose such a moment to do it.

"It wasn't y'fault. Y'couldn't possibly know that y'powers would manifest the time he kissed you."

Rogue shook her head, not accepting his justification. "See what happens when Ah let a boy near."

"But dat's de past chere...You worked hard and y'can control y'powers now."

"Oh yeah..Woohoo..Good f'r me, but what's in it f'r him? How can that help him out of this misery I confined him to?"

"Y' don't owe him nothin' chere."

"You're wrong...Ah owe him....Ah owe him everything."

A few hours later, they arrived home at the mansion. Rogue dragged her feet along as she entered her home of a few years. Jean opened the door for them.

"Rogue hon...," she began.

"Cain't talk, Jean..Gotta go," Rogue whispered as she entered. Jean shot a worried glance at Remy who returned a helpless look. She disappeared into the next room. Gambit sighed and went upstairs for a hot shower.

He and Rogue ought to have a long talk.

Gambit ruffled his wet hair with the towel as he casually climbed down the stairs. He looked around for his southern team mate, but found no trace of her. He asked around, even Wolverine had not seen her. He passed by the Danger Room and was mildly surprised to see it in operation, considering that while in his search for Rogue, he had bumped into every X-Man living in the mansion except...

"Dieu!" he exclaimed, and hastily punched the keys on the security system.

Recognizing his codes, it allowed him permission to enter. He stood in the doorway watching Rogue take blows from a holographic Miss Marvel. Rogue doubled up in pain, her arms and legs bruised.

"But dat's impossible..she invul--" Gambit stopped mid-sentence when his red eyes came to rest on her neck.

A Genoshan collar.

"What de fuck?" he breathed. "Must 'ave stolen it from Hank's lab. What de hell she thinks she doin'?" Quickly, Gambit rushed into the control room and typed another code to terminate the program.

"What the hell are ya doin'?" Rogue screamed from the arena down below.

"What d'ya mean what am I doin'? What de hell are YOU doin'?"

"Cain't a girl blow some steam in peace?"

"Look like you were about t'be blown away y'self...Lookin' for an early deathwish, chere?"

"Well it sure as hell beats all this...This..." she shouted, kicking the lifeless machine that stood before her, pained and unable to cry. Gambit's heart reached out to her. "It ain't fair!"

Gambit made his way down to the arena and placed his hands on both her shoulders, careful not to shake her any further, "Oh for dieu's sake, Rogue...Could ya please just cry an' let it out!"

"A..Ah cain't."

"Why d' ya always put up a brave front....With dat pup at Harry's, with Cody and God knows what other shit dat's happened in your life? What are ya trying to prove?"

Her emerald eyes turned cold. A melancholy mask shrouding her face. "That no matter what happens in life...we all have the strength ta go on. That's what ah've been brought up t'believe in."

"And just how strong ya planning t'be chere?"

She made her way out, turning around for just a moment, "The strongest..."

Continued in Chapter 7.

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