Disclaimer: Marvel owns them. I'm just trying to give them some respect.
Summary: After Onslaught things change drastically as Rogue leaves to make a new life.

Minuet
by Avatar for Another

Chapter One

NOW

The penthouse suite was like any other. Large, airy, beautiful, expensive. Remy Lebeau could care less about the decor. All that he could focus on was the woman sitting on the lounge waiting for him. The woman he had not seen in a year and a half. The woman whose valuable time he had paid for.

Rogue.

A YEAR AND A HALF AGO

"Chere, You can't mean it!" Gambit said, as stunned as the rest of the team.

"Remy is right, Rogue." Scott said. "With the defeat of Onslaught at the cost of the Fantastic Four and the Avengers, the world needs as many heroes as it can get."

"You don't understand, I'm finally free. For the first time in my life I am going to take control of my life. First Mystique tried to mold me into a terrorist and then Xavior tried to mold me into a hero. Well, enough is enough sugar. I quit."

With those words Rogue walked out on the X-Men.

NOW

"Hello, Rogue." She looked wonderful. A carefully tailored blue business suit accentuated her exquisite figure instead of hiding it. As Remy looked into her eyes he could not remember ever seeing what he found there. Peace. Rogue had finally found her niche in life. As a high-priced prostitute.

"Mary. My real name is Mary DeGiles. I just picked Rogue because Mary sounded so boring." A simple explanation for a topic that had been debated on and off for years by the other X-Men.

She didn't blush or look away as she said this. The deception was something she had come to terms with.

"Hello Mary." Such a nice name Remy thought. And its virginal connotations suited her perfectly.

"Well, Mr. Lebeau, shall it be business or pleasure?" Mary asked as she stood up and walked over to him.

Remy remembered the first time he caught a whiff of her whereabouts.

A MONTH AGO

"I'm telling ya this broad was unfuckingbelievable. I mean I've had broads from all over the world but this one was incredible, ya know?" Not waiting for a response, 'Larry the Louse' went on describing his perfect score the night before.

"I mean exotic shit ain't nothin new. There ain't nothin that hasn't been done before, ya know? But there was just something about this dame."

Remy didn't really want to hear about Larry's sex life. However, Larry had important contacts to people in the mutant underground, and it was Remy's job as Jean's lieutenant to keep those lines of communication open, no matter how distasteful the job became.

"So what was so great about this fem, eh?" Remy tried to seem interested.

"The whole time she never touched me and I never laid a finger on her."

This was not what he had been expecting. However, having met Larry in a strip joint, he had a fairly good idea what would come next.

"So she did the dance of the seven veils for you?"

"Nah, nothing cheap like that. See, she works for Mandy's, and you know she only has the best."

That was true. Mandy's was one of the premier services on the East Coast. Every woman who worked there was a specialist in some way. When you paid for Mandy's Ladies you got the best, money back guaranteed.

"So what did this heavenly vision do?" Almost against his will he was starting to get interested.

"She went to bed." Now Larry was smiling. It wasn't often he got to catch Remy Lebeau flat footed.

Remy had read the Kama Sutra and was a man of the world, so he had thought he had heard it all. Apparently he hadn't.

"Well, Larry, don't keep me in suspense, what happened?" Remy was more than just playing around now. He really wanted to know.

"Well, like, I went to Mandy's and asked for something unusual. I don't mean that kinky whips and chains shit. You know me, I'm a pacifist. Something weird but that wouldn't offend your grandmother, ya know?"

No, as a matter of fact he didn't. Something sexual that wouldn't offend his grandmother. It was inconceivable. Obviously he would have to expand his horizons. Larry the Louse teaching him about the ways of the world. These were strange days indeed.

NOW

"With you, chere, it's always a pleasure." Remy at his smoothest could charm the angels into a bit of naughtiness.

Mary just smiled and sat back down. "So, how are things at the mansion? The X-Men have been out of the news lately."

"We're not at the mansion anymore. When Bastion and his Operation Zero Tolerance goons struck they destroyed the mansion and with the Prof. still locked up we didn't have the heart to rebuild."

"Then Scott had a nervous breakdown."

Mary was clearly stunned at the terrible news. "Good Lawd, sugah -- Is he all right?" For a moment her accent slipped and that Southern drawl crept out.

"Oui, but he abdicated control of the X-Men to Jean. He a lot happier now. He actually smiles once in a while. I guess with the Professor in prison, the mansion in shambles, and OZT planting a bomb in his stomach he just had enough. After the bomb was defused we all started to clean up the mansion and he found a pair of Jubilee's roller blades. He just started crying and wouldn't stop. Hank had to sedate him and when he woke up he was a changed man. He abdicated and then became totally unresponsive.

"You know Jean, nothing keeps her down for long. She started snapping out orders like a drill sergeant. She temporarily put Wolverine in charge of the teams and made me responsible for supplies, including finding new headquarters. Then she up and left with Scott and we didn't hear from her for three months. Seems she got him into a hospital and patched up again. The job wasn't quite done, but when they returned, as long as he wasn't in command he was in control and fairly happy.

"Jean changed things a lot. Bobby and Warren are now in charge of the finances. Jean talks to the politicians and oversees the X-Men. I help with the underworld connections. The Professor used to do all of that himself. That is partially what drove him over the edge. Jean isn't about to let herself get burned out like that. She's even roped Ororo into playing politics."

Mary had to laugh at that image. "I've been wondering why DC has been having such lousy weather lately."

They shared a chuckle knowing that Storm's idea of politics was to ask nicely after she had thrown thunderbolts at you.

"Scott is back to leading the Blue team while Storm still leads the Gold. Wolverine is overall team leader and disciplinarian but he still defers to Jean to smooth over all our egos, something Scott never could get a handle on."

"Yeah, I remember she used to do that anyway. I'm glad she is finally coming into her own."

Mary truly was happy for Jean. Although Jean would never admit, it she had a lot in common with Mystique. Both were strong women who know how to lead through adversities. Managing a coalition of touchy egos required a great deal of ruthlessness and conversely a gentile touch. Where she was different than Mary's stepmother was how she handled downtime. Mystique never could figure out how to reign in her team.

"Have you come into your own, Mary?"

A MONTH AGO

"Well, Larry, do you know the ground rules?" Mary asked.

"Yeah, they told me. I wasn't supposed to try and touch you no matter what.

"That's right, you can just watch for now."

"So what are you going to do?" Larry the Louse was short, fat, and balding. Nothing grotesque, but nothing to sigh over either. He didn't always have to pay for the attentions of a woman, but sometimes he liked to treat himself to a taste of the good life. Or what he thought the good life is supposed to be.

"Well, Larry, I've had a busy day. I'm going to go to bed, and you get to watch."

"Huh? What's so great about that?"

"Well sugar, you're just going to have to trust me. Money back guarantee, remember?"

So Larry just shrugs his shoulders and went with the flow, not knowing what to expect.

What he glimpsed was a world few men get to see, even married ones. A woman preparing for bed. Let's face it, how many men follow a woman around and watched all of the steps she goes through to get ready for bed? How many women are prepared to be stared at as they do this? Not many.

It came to Larry, as she prepared the bedroom humming to herself, that what he was witnessing was her vulnerability. She was inviting him to watch as she transformed herself from an object of beauty to a women, or more importantly, a person.

Totally unselfconsciously she went about her tasks. Mary went to her dresser and took off her pearl earrings. She put those and her watch into a small jewelry box.

The box may have looked like an ordinary jewelry box but it wasn't. It was wood laminated over quarter-inch thick titanium walls. It was strong enough to be used as a blunt object in case of emergencies. That was what the clerk told her as he tried to sell it to her anyway. With her invulnerability and strength she didn't need it as a weapon, but it appealed to her none the less.

Next, she took off her shoes and stockings as she sat on her bed. When she finished taking off as much as she was going to out in the bedroom, she turned down the covers of her four poster bed, put a black negligee on the bed and picked up a big white fluffy bath robe.

Larry then followed her into the bathroom and watched as she took off her make up. Then she spoke to him. She acknowledged his presence and didn't begrudge him his intrusion into her privacy.

This was nothing like a peep show. There was nothing dirty going on, yet it was a type of voyeurism. A consensual one.

She asked him general small talk type questions and seemed to be interested in his answers. He almost didn't notice when she turned on the shower and started to undress.

When he sort of trailed off Mary looked him in the eye as she spoke. "Keep talking, I'm listening."

Larry looked a little nervous, not quite knowing if he should watch or not.

"You can look, Larry. It doesn't bother me. God gave me this beautiful body so that men could admire it. It took me a while to understand that there is nothing wrong with being very attractive to the opposite sex."

As she said that she stepped into the now steaming shower. A wet and naked Mary casually soaping herself down was truly an AWEsome sight.

The glass for the shower was clear so that Larry could see her distinctly. Mary could also see him. She could see that she was causing him a great deal of distress because he didn't know what to do with his arousal.

Mary opened the shower door a little and poked her head out and spoke.

"Larry? Its okay. You can relieve the hydraulic pressure."

Larry just blinked not knowing if he heard her correctly.

"Whip out that bad boy and introduce him to 'mother thumb and her four daughters'." Mary said to Larry with a knowing grin.

Now Larry was getting a bit embarrassed.

Mary stepped out of the shower and walked dripping wet up to him. Putting he hands on her hips she said.

"Larry, you don't want to disappoint me, do you?"

Larry just shook his head violently.

"Then believe me when I say that I don't mind if you masturbate in front of me. It's why we're here and it is a compliment."

She reached into the counter under the sink and handed him a red silk handkerchief and turned back to enter the shower.

That view of her perfect ass bobbing and swaying as it receded from him was just to much for Larry. He barely got himself out of his pants and sheathed in the silk before his orgasm overtook him.

Spent, Larry just slid to the floor with his dick in his hand totally stunned by what happened.

She wasn't revolted. She didn't hold him in contempt for acting on his bodily urges. She was...flattered? Who was this woman? No, this Goddess?

After she was done washing her body and hair she began stroking herself. Not for his benefit but for her own. It was the most deeply erotic moment in Larry's life.

Caressing and squeezing and teasing herself as the water ran across her flushed skin.

She opened her eyes and looked Larry right in the eye as she inserted two fingers in her feminine folds.

Larry was suddenly diamond hard again. As she moved her hand so did he in an unconscious synchronicity.

"Thank you, Larry" was all that she said. It was enough to send him over the edge again.

As he lay there gasping for air he saw her work towards her own release.

When it came it was without theatrics. No thrashing around, no screaming or moaning. Just a body quietly shuddering and the most beautiful smile Larry knew he would ever see.

After a minute or two more under a cool spray Mary stepped out of the shower and put a towel around her wet hair.

"Larry, you can get up now," Mary said gently as she got another towel and started to dry herself.

Larry rearranged himself before getting back up. He wasn't sure what to do with the 'used' handkerchief, but as he looked her in the eye she smiled and pointed to the wastebasket. He nodded and threw it away without disturbing her.

Nothing was said as she blowdried her hair, but when she opened the door so that she could paint her toenails she asked him to talk about himself.

So Larry felt very comfortable and safe telling this strange woman his hopes and dreams.

She laughed as he blew on her toes.

Soon she was done and putting in a lacy black teddy before getting in bed.

"Goodnight, Larry," she said before turning out the bedside lamp.

Larry was momentarily at a loss but finally took the hint that the show was over and quietly left the room and then the apartment. As he left the building he knew two things. The first was that she was absolutely worth the money he paid. The second was that he was privileged to behold a thing of true beauty for once and probably the only time in his life.

A MONTH AGO

"Dat be quite a story, Larry." Remy said slowly. What Larry described and what he didn't created an intriguing tale. One that just might be told to his grandmother.

"Yeah, she sure was beautiful. Weird hair though."

Remy just raised his eyebrow in invitation.

"Yeah, she had this big white stripe down her auburn hair."

A YEAR AND A HALF AGO

Rogue walked back to her room and started packing when Remy walked in.

"Rogue, what is going on in your mind?" Remy was very confused. On the one hand he knew that the X-Men needed her now more than ever. On the other though he could tell that something very drastic recently happened to shake the foundations of what they believed. Something malignant.

"Why can't I touch, Remy? How come I bitched and moaned and angsted and cried myself to sleep, but I never tried to do anything to save myself? Why didn't I experiment on some of Hank's lab mice? They would have worked just fine and I wouldn't have had to absorb anyone's mind. Why didn't Hank think of this? It's what he does."

Remy's mind was spinning.

"I'll tell you why. Because Professor Charles Xavior wanted to keep me here, helpless, needy and dependent on him to give me validity.

"Remy, the Professor was messing with all of our minds. Why did it take Frost being in Bobby's mind before he really stretched his powers to the limit? Why hasn't Beast linked with Jean to use her TK to perform the surgery needed to fix Scott? With Domino or Franklin Richards on hand their success is guaranteed. Whether it was intentional or not doesn't matter. I can't stay here. I have to find myself."

"But he's gone Rogue. He can't hurt you." Remy walked up behind her and put his hand on her shoulder. "What about us?"

"There is no us, Remy. I love you, but the trust just isn't there."

It always came back to that. She didn't trust him. After all they had been through. Remy was at his breaking point so he lashed out. Intending to hurt her as she was hurting him.

"You want to talk about trust, Rogue? You want to know my deepest secrets? You want me to confess my past to the rest of the X-Men? You want me to tell them my most secret shame? The thing that wakes me up in a cold sweat in the middle of the night? Fine Rogue. I'll play your game. I'll tell all just as soon as you tell me your name. Your name Rogue, it's no big thing but you cling to it tighter than I do my shame. What do you know about trust? Without trust there can be no real chance for love. Like the song says. 'What kind of love are you on?'"

As Rogue turned around to face Remy there was nothing but sadness in her eyes.

"Oh, Remy, I've always trusted you. I know all those deep dark secrets and I still trust you. You are not the same person that did those horrible things. I could never fall in love with that man. All I wanted was for you to learn to trust yourself.

"The lack of trust I was talking about was my own. I never trusted in myself enough to give you my name. I would gladly give you my life or my body but my name was just too personal. I'm sorry, Remy, but I have to leave. I have to learn to love myself."

There was of course nothing Remy could say to that. Wasn't he doing the same thing after he left the Thieves Guild?

"Bonne chance, mon sumblime Coquin (Godspeed, my beautiful Rogue)," Remy said as he turned away, unable to watch her fly out of the window and out of his life.

Continued in Chapter 2.

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