PART 10

Hearing footsteps enter the kitchen, Rogue scurries under the table. She has a vague memory of being in another room, upstairs, then tiptoeing down here when hunger pains suddenly overwhelmed her. The strength of that hunger, mixed with a growing sense of anxiety, leaves her more than a little confused.

Something inside, instinct perhaps, tells her it's very important that she be very quiet and not move. Without quite understanding why, her hand moves to her hip, expecting to find a slingshot she has not worn in years. And not having even that small bit of protection against this stranger, moves her to tears.

She watches as Remy moves from refrigerator to cabinet to counter, fixing a sandwich from the day's leftovers. Roast beef. Rogue's stomach growls. She mutters a silent prayer that he hasn't heard her. When he turns his back to her, reaching into the fridge for a beer, she makes her move. In a blur, she races for the counter to grab the sandwich.

Remy turns. In his eyes, he sees Rogue dart for the counter and the serrated knife on the edge. His hand snaps out, yanking her wrist away harder than he intended. Rogue cries out in frustration. An orange drops from her hand and rolls on the floor to Remy's foot. He looks down in surprise. Rogue squirms, twisting her other hand in a desperate attempt to reach the food. Her fingers graze the crust of the bread. She bites her lip in concentration.

Remy lets her go, fascinated by a side of her he's never seen before. He's known about her ability to absorb another person's psyche ever since he joined the X-men. Heard the stories. Figured out some of the rest. But he's never experience firsthand the complete transformation when someone else is in control until this afternoon. With Belladonna. He studies her, trying to figure out the current situation.

Rogue, devouring the sandwich, eyes him warily. She finishes and glances longingly towards the orange in his hand. Unintentionally, she licks her lips. Remy runs the orange under the water, cleaning it for her. He peels it, then offers the slices to her. Rogue hesitates. Remy speaks to her, keeping his voice soft, his movements slow. Carefully, he sets the orange on the counter and moves back.

She approaches the sink. The water's still running. With one eye on Remy, she grabs a handful of water and brings it to her lips. He moves. Rogue stops. Opening a cabinet, Remy takes a glass down and sets it before her. Rogue watches, waits.

"S'okay, chere, take what y'need."

She blinks in confusion.

"Remy--?"

A sudden noise from the foyer as Warren and Betsy return. The glass falls to the floor. When Remy looks up, Rogue's gone. His keen eyes are quick to notice that the knife, also, has disappeard. From the kitchen window, he glimpses Rogue's shadow, making her way to the eastern ridge.

Continued in Chapter 11

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