Guardian Angels
and the Keys of Music
by Raven Adams

Part Five: Angel

Rogue moved away from the bed where Remy lay sound asleep to where the other X-Men had gathered to hear what his outcome was. Marrow, for once deciding to join the rest of the team, glared at her. The girl couldn't find enough hate in her heart to bare out at Warren, so she focused it on Rogue instead.

Betsy on the other hand, was furious at Warren, and hadn't even come to see if Gambit would live or die. He could rot in Hell for all she cared, and Rogue realized that maybe Hell wasn't flame and fire pits after all. Maybe it was glaciers and ice instead.

Scott and Jean, who couldn't come on account of their being in Alaska, were on the speaker phone, waiting to hear what Hank had to say. Maggot and Cecilia had decided to join them even though they had never know Gambit.

Wolverine was there, leaning against the wall, his arms crossed over his chest, Jubes was beside him, trying her best to keep herself from crying. Bobby stood off from the rest, fuming silently. Storm was just walking into the lab, late due to her own heavy crying. Even as she walked into the room, a crash of of thunder sounded outside. Joe was absent, had been for quite some time. But Rogue didn't care.

Henry, noting everyone was there, sighed in great discomfort. "It is my belief that even had we the Shi'ar equipment in out position, we still wouldn't be able to save his life. I am sorry." He said the words softly, his normal flamboyance gone as he mourned a friend not yet quite dead.

Rogue closed her eyes against her tears. It wasn't supposed to happen this way! He was supposed to recover and the two of them were supposed to live happily ever after... At least they would were this a story in a book.

But this wasn't a story, this wasn't a movie, or a TV show, or even some sort of a comic dreamed up by a man with too much time on his hands. This was real life, cold, hard, and true.

Opening her eyes she found that Marrow had gone. Warren looked shakenly after her, then followed. Jubes was on the floor, her arms wrapped around her knees and her head buried. Wolvie was holding Storm, letting her cry her fill. Bobby even looked close to tears, and on the speaker phone? Soft words from Scott and the muffled tears of Jean.

Rogue was the only one without tears it seemed. She just stood there, no expression on her face, then she turned and walked back to where Remy's bed was. His eyes were open and sad, making her realize that he hadn't been sleeping after all, and that he had heard every word.

She knelt by his bed, smiling although it wasn't necessary. He tried to smile back, but he couldn't quite manage it. "Rogue, I c'n' feel my legs." He whispered, his voice had long since given out on him. His eyes which had once shown bright and fiery, making you wonder it you were staring straight into the pits of Hell, were dull and seemed almost pink. His hair had turned white, and the fine muscles of his body were gone, sagged into nothingness from his lack of exercise the past month since she and Warren and brought him home.

"An' it cold. Turn up de heat?" She did as he asked, knowing he wouldn't be asking for much anymore.

"Remy, ah-" She started. But he knew what was coming and weakly he shook his head.

"Non. Don' say it," he said pleadingly. "I love you, cherie."

"Ah love you too." She whispered just as low as he. A tear finally fell down her face. "Ah've always loved ya, an' Ah always will." She moved closer, so their faces were only inches apart. She saw the confusion in his eyes, then it turned into realization.

"Cherie, non-"

But it was too late. She kissed him goodbye. Long and hard, feeling his powers slip into her, his mind, his life from his years on the street, to his time in the Arctic, flashing before her eyes. What she saw, the pain he had to live with, made her cry harder as she felt his life slipping away. In one last flash of strength, Remy's hand came up, and pressed her head forward. As they kissed, the other X-men knowing nothing, music filled the air, a soft song that filled the moment.

I'm alone yeah I don't know if I can face the night
I'm in tears and the cryin' that I do is for you
I want your love let's break the wall between us
Don't make it tough, I'll put away my pride
Enough's enough, I've suffered and I've seen the light

Baby, you're my angel come and save me tonight
You're my angel come and make it alright

Don't know what I'm gonna do about this feeling inside
Yes, it's true loneliness took me for a ride, yeah, yeah yeah
Without your love, I'm nothin but a beggar
Without your love, a dog without a bone
What can I do, I'm sleepin in this bed alone

Baby, you're my angel come and save me tonight
You're my angel come and make it alright
Come and save me tonight

You're the reason I live
You're the reason I die
You're the reason I give when I break down and cry
Don't need no reason why

Baby, baby, baby you're my angel come and save me tonight
You're my angel come and make it alright
You're my angel come and save me tonight
You're my angel come and take me for a ride
Come and save me tonight

Rogue moved away from the dead body, and wrapped her arms around herself, seeing from two sets of eyes, and thinking with two sets of minds.

I love you Cherie.

Ah love ya too, ya old Cajun.

She smiled with two sets of lips. And inside both minds, they pictured themselves together, holding hands, without gloves, in a place where it never grew cold.

Concluded in the Epilogue.

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