Chapter Text
Fortune and Diamond reappeared in the kitchen of the New Orleans Thieves Guildhall. The two girls looked around at their surroundings to ensure they were truly back in their world. Diamond let out a sigh of relief. “We’re back.”
Fortune’s eyes glowed for a moment. She opened the card holster on her left hip. “It certainly is nice ta be back. But what do you say we raise a li’l hell now?” She pulled a card from her deck and held it up for her sister to see.
Diamond looked in her sister’s direction. “Don’ ya wanna get some-” She dropped her box. Diamond’s eyes locked on the Devil arcana. Black veins spread out from the girl’s eyes. Her eyes became completely red like Deathbit. Blood spilled from her eyes, staining her cheeks. Her teeth grew sharp like a shark. The girl continued to transform, just as Fortune suspected.
Fortune smiled. It was time she started doing what she wanted.
*
In New York City, Ace reappeared in the apartment he had been renting. He stood in the middle of the living room/kitchen. He didn’t even bother to look around. He headed straight for his bedroom. Every part of his body ached from the battles he was forced to fight.
The only relief he felt was holding the Palm of Forgetfulness. Tombstone never said the thing had to be from their Earth, which meant he had completed his job. Ace opened the door to his room, dropping the box at the entrance. Blood trickled down his wounded arm.
He should probably go to the hospital, but he was too damn tired. He dragged himself over to the bed, collapsing into it. “Rico.” He should call the boy when he wakes up to let him know he has made it back. His eyes glowed for a moment.
When he wakes up, he should raise a little hell. The thought put a smile on his face before he fell to sleep.
*
In Paris, (Divorce?) Gambit and Rogue reappeared on top of the roof they had been on before their imprisonment. Rogue fell over. Gambit reached out and caught her as they both fell to their knees.
Neither was in the best shape. Gambit was frostbitten and still feeling beaten from having his body tossed around like a rag doll. His wife had been badly burnt, frozen, and blown up less than an hour ago.
But what hurt most was their hearts. Remy had felt heartache before, but never like this. His children, his hearts; they had left him. They betrayed them and sided with their kidnappers.
Rogue’s head fell into his chest, brushing against the wedding ring on his necklace. She cried into his chest. “Re-ah-my.”
All Remy could do was hold her and stroked her hair. He wished he could say something to comfort her. He had no idea how to heal this pain. His tears spilled down his face. He felt utterly shattered and was surprised he was still alive. Why was he even alive? What was even the point of being alive without his children?
*
(97) Rogue and Gambit landed, dropping on top of the ruins of a building. The two fell on all fours. Neither was in the best shape after going three rounds in that other world. Blood spilled from their wounds as they caught their breath the best they could.
Both of them lifted their heads to see the ruins of a destroyed city. “Where the heck are we?” Gambit asked.
“Ah thought we were supposed ta be sent back home,” Rogue said. “Where did we end up instead?”
Gambit’s eyes widen. He pointed ahead of them. “Isn’t dat the Professor’s statue?” The thing had been knocked down. Gambit’s hand dropped as the truth sunk in. “Chere, the others told us Genosha always ended up destroyed, didn’t they?”
Tears fell from Rogue’s eyes. He knew her dream had died, and they were unable to do anything to prevent it.
*
“Well, that was awkward,” (Comic) Rogue said. She and her husband were wandering the streets of Mexico.
“Oui, at least the guests who took our room were good sports about. We should be happy the hotel didn’t throw out our stuff.”
“Good point.” Rogue then heard her phone ringing. It turned out that during the teleportation, their phones had been returned to them. She pulled the phone out to see who was calling. “It’s Logan.”
“What could he want?”
*
Prince Remy had been feeling down that night. Ro had informed him that she was heading up North early that day to help fight for Mutant Rights. He had wished her well, but it hurt not knowing the next time he would get to see his beloved desert flower. He had finally reached the door to his room.
He let out a sigh. The young prince might as well go to bed and try to sleep off his depression. Remy opened the door. His eyes widened and glowed in the candlelight. His jaw nearly fell. “Mon belle.”
Candles were lit up throughout his room. Ro stood up from his bed, dressed in nothing at all. Her hair was dropped around her in braids. A confident and seductive smile rested on her lushes lips. She approached him like she had come directly out of his dreams.
“I…”
Ro stared up at him with love, and he knew there was no need for words that night. Their arms found one another to embrace. Their lips locked. A burning heat rushed through the Cajun. His lips lightly kissed the nape of her neck.
She removed his coat.
Before long, he was naked, too, and the two were in his bed. A shared union. It was not one where one overpowered or dominated the other. They were equals. The two gave as much as was given. A pleasure like no other was shared between them.
Prince Remy could still remember that night, now from both of their perspectives. But there was more than that now. Something or someone had truly separated them before he had woken up.
When he heard Ro land, all that fell out the window; she was on his balcony, coming to meet him in the usual way. It seemed that habit had not changed. “Remy,” she called, but he had not answered.
Ro opened the glass doors that he never bothered to lock. He wanted Ro to be able to come and go as she pleased. No, that wasn’t always true. There was a time that he could barely remember where he had kept Ro from his room. Another woman had entered his heart.
Ro began to look around, and that was when he made his move. He had popped out from the shadows and wrapped his arms around her from behind. A risky maneuver he knew. Ro was a skilled fighter, and the weather bent to her will. His body only began moving a few hours ago, and he knew he wasn’t at his best. “Good ta see, Ro.”
“Remy, what are you doing?”
“Didn’ mean ta scare you. I jus’ didn’ get why you ran off as soon as I proposed.”
“I had to take care of a few things. Much has happened while you were asleep.”
“I heard. Belladonna an’ someone called Emma went an’ murdered each other an’ den there’s Rogue.” Ro’s body stiffened at the mention of the last name. So it was as he suspected. “Jean-Luc said she tried ta kill me, but I loved her anyway. An’ deep within my head, I hear a voice. One that calls me sugah. One dat calls me selfish.”
“Remy-”
“Who was she, Ro?”
“A monster.”
“Was she?”
“She took you away from us,” Ororo’s voice cracked. The sound of it made Remy’s heartache. He had known Ro for a long time. The woman had endured many hardships, and despite it all, he could only think of two occasions where she actually broke down and cried. “She stole you from me. The man I knew vanished before my eyes. No more than an obedient dog.”
Remy’s eyes shimmered. “I have two more questions for you, Ro. Please answer them honestly. Do you love me?”
“With all my heart.” Ro placed both of her trembling hands over his.
“An’ will you still marry me?”
“I will.”
Remy’s eyes softened. “Den nothin’ else matters. I told you once when we were kids you should be a li’l more selfish every now an’ den. You deserve ta be happy.” He hugged his beloved Ro, resting his chin on her shoulder. Ro never did anything without reason; if she resorted to whatever she had done to reach this point, it was for good reason. She had saved him and stayed by his side like she always had in his time of need. The honey-silk southern voice faded from his mind, and his heart was born anew.
*
(Teen) Gambit dug through the brushes the night he had returned to his world. It was hard to explain to his father and Nathan Essex, who he now knew was Mr. Sinister, where he had been for the past month. He was a talented lair, but he found it hard to find a good lie for that one. He couldn’t believe he had been gone for that long. Then again, he had been unconscious while the others were being experimented on. Poor Oli. He felt sorry for the boy who had become his friend and hoped he was doing well back in his world.
Gambit pulled out the box he had gotten from Queen Ororo and smiled. While he may have had to betray his older selves, he got a payment that would make the whole experience worth it. He opened it. Inside were several models of cell phones, blueprints, and instructions on what was needed to make the device functional in his world. It was time for the 90s to get a major upgrade and not be so basic.
*
(Dad) Remy pulled out a box of cigarettes from his shirt pocket. Before he could even think of opening it, his wife’s hand came over his. “Remy, I thought we agreed smokin’ wasn’t gonna help anything.”
The two stood on the back porch of their mansion back in New Orleans. It had been three days since they had returned from the other world with their children. “Jus’ ta take the edge off, Rogue,” he said.
Rogue took the box from his hand. “No edges are goin’ ta be off if you go and get cancer, Dark eyes. I…the kids need both of us more than ever, Remy. You know what you smokin' does ta the girls.” She looked into his eyes to show the pain she was dealing with.
Remy shut his eyes. “You’re right.” It was hard to know what his children had been through. All three of their children were still in the hospital from the injuries they had sustained in that maze. When they would visit them, they would get bits and pieces of what the kids saw and experienced.
Ray was a trooper, as always, with no filter. She told them all about how they were rescued by the other Gambits and met their older counterparts. The adventures of fighting in the Danger Room, Belladonna, the museum, and most embarrassing of all the orgies she had to break up. Oli had permanently absorbed empathy, which caused him to feel the various Rogues and Gambits’ emotions throughout. His older counterpart convinced him to betray the others to get their sisters out.
Knowing Oli and Ace did what they did for their respective sisters over the rewards they were given made Remy feel better. Still, he couldn’t help shaking the feeling that wasn’t true for Fortune. Something had gone wrong with her and her father, and this was payback. He would need to learn more, but Irene wasn’t in a talking mood right now. She felt too guilty for what she had done.
“I hope I am not interrupting.”
Remy and Rogue turned toward the door to see Ororo. “No need ta act so formal, Stormy. We’re family.”
Ororo’s eyes squeezed shut. “I know, and it was because of an alternate version of myself that this very family that I love was put into great danger.”
Rogue approached her. “Ororo, you can’t blame yourself. None of us have control over other versions of ourselves. You think Ah like knowin’ there’s some mistress version of me out there?”
Remy walked up to the two women. “True. I'm not a fan of Evil Remy myself. What matters is dat you came to help us in our kids' time of need.” Remy and Rogue hugged Ororo, and Ororo hugged them back. This family had a long road ahead, but they would manage somehow.
*
(W&X-Men) Rogue sat on the side of her bed. It had been about a week since she had come back home. The X-Men naturally had a lot of questions about where she had been for the last month. Ultimately, it was easier to let Professor X read her mind and explain it to the rest of them. Beast began to work on a way to return her powers to normal, but hadn’t found anything as of yet.
Rogue could feel him. Without even looking back to her open window she could feel him like she could when they were in the maze together. “Took you long enough ta get here.”
“Sadly, chere. I wasn’t teleported anywhere close ta here when we got back.”
“We need ta talk.”
She felt his eyes on her back. “We do.” His feet touched the floor.
*
(Teen) Rogue lay in her bed that night. It had been a week since she had returned to her world, and Mystique and Destiny found her as soon as she arrived. She shouldn’t have been surprised since Destiny can see the future. But it had put her plans to run away on hold.
Should she run away? Or should she stay? She wanted to be a better Rogue than her counterparts, but she didn’t know how. She wanted to be someone her children could be proud of. They had told her the last night they were in the maze, they believed that she could be. She could learn from all the mistakes her older selves made.
Her eyes gazed at the box Queen Ororo had given her. She remembered what she asked for in exchange for her help. She hoped it would be enough to make her a better person.
*
“Are you sure you want ta come along, Mon Ange? Dis isn’ goin’ ta be an easy trip an’ you deserve some rest.” (Thief) Remy leaned against the car he managed to get back after returning to their world. He was bandaged up because he couldn’t fully heal his wounds yet. Too much power had been drained and used up while he was in the maze. He had never felt so weak in his life, and he hoped that it wouldn’t be as permanent as it had been for (Comic) Gambit.
Rogue stood right in front of him. A small breeze blew, carrying her hair sideways. Even with the bandage on her cheek, she looked as priceless as a painting worth stealing. “Ah’m goin’ wit’ ya, Remy. You’re mah man. Ah’ll never run from ya.”
Remy hummed in his throat. He was a lucky man, and he wanted to be a better man after what he had experienced in that other world. Though it had stung to have the children side with Queen Ororo, upon reflection, he couldn’t blame them. He had made them promises that he hadn’t kept. He demanded their loyalty without earning it. He had been so focused on himself, on being better than all the other Gambits, that he neglected their needs.
He barked orders instead of trying to understand the others. “You’re the reason I’m like dis!” Oli had yelled when he lost control. “You promised ta find em an’ not a single one of you haven’ even tried,” Ray shouted. “I’m done wit’ calmin’ down. I want out an’ if you adults can’ handle it we’ll do it,” Ace warned them. He should have taken their words to heart and tried harder to help them. They were only kids, after all, stressed and confused. Queen Ororo could turn the kids against them because she gave them what none of them could: reassurance. She gave them answers to their troubles. It wasn’t only the kids he had gone wrong with.
“Shame. Chere is a hell of a kisser.” He had taunted the other Gambits when he learned they weren’t immune to Rogue’s touch.
“Are you done rubbin’ y’all happiness in front of the rest of us? We all ain’t as lucky as the rest of you!” (97) Gambit said.
“Why? Haven’t found a way ta make it sound like you’re King of the Gambits?” (97) Rogue asked. Many of the other Rogues had thought he would kill (Divorce?) Rogue when they met her. The fact they thought so little of him should have been a clue he was being too aggressive, but he hadn’t learned a thing.
“You’re wrong!” (Evolution) Gambit said. “Rogue made me a better person.”
Why didn’t he say the same thing before they were sent back? Was he too tired from all the fighting, or was it because that place had brought out a worse side of him? Either way, he didn’t like it. He wanted to be better. At the very least, he wanted to try.
That would start with confronting Belladonna and the guilds. He needed to get a proper divorce, see his son, and marry Rogue. She wasn’t his other woman; she was his only woman. He didn’t want her seen as some hussy like Ray kept calling her. Ace couldn’t respect him because he abandoned his family. Irene and Oli’s regret was also fresh in his mind. He promised Rogue their son would love and respect her, and he would make sure of it or die trying.
“Den we should get goin’,” Remy finally said. “We have a long drive back to Belladonna’s place.”
Rogue stepped closer. She hugged him, resting her head on his chest. “Sure thing, sugah. But can I ask one favor first?”
“Anything, mon chere.”
“Can you give me a cuter pet name than Pietro’s. I can’t lose out ta him.”
Remy hugged her back. It was a bit childish, but he understood. “I’ll see what I can come up wit’. How about mon chaton? My kitten.”
“Are kittens cuter than rabbits, though?”
“They are ta me. Always wanted one.”
*
(Evolution) Rogue and Gambit were running drills in the Danger Room.
Storm, Wolverine, Cyclops, and Jean entered the observation room where Professor X was watching the two. “There still at it,” Cyclops said.
“Gambit wishes to gain full control of the new powers he’s aquired,” Professor X explained. “Rogue wants to get stronger. She feels she wasn’t useful enough in the battles of their ordeal.”
The four X-Men had gathered around their mentor, watching the battle unfold below them. “It’s still hard to believe the cause of their disappearance,” Storm said.
“I know,” Jean agreed. Her arms were wrapped around Scott’s arm. “I can’t blame them for trying to make sense of it all.”
Logan crossed his arms. “They’re both tough kids. They made it back to us and almost all their injuries are healed up.”
Professor X interlocked his hands. “I would say this experience has made them both stronger, not weaker. Of course, only time will tell.”
*
A year and a half later, Prince Remy paced in front of his door. He couldn’t help feeling anxious. He had heard the screaming inside and wished to run inside, but he couldn’t. It was a tradition that men weren’t allowed inside during the birth. Damn rules, since when did he let himself follow them. He was about to be king since his father had stepped down. His father had said he had finally become responsible enough to handle the job.
The door opened.
His head shot in its direction so he could see the nurse-maid. She smiled at him and bowed. “The queen and your child are ready to see you, your highness.”
Remy stepped inside as soon as the woman moved out of his way. There, in the beauty of the sunlight, Ro lay in their bed, holding their newborn in her arms. His heart hammered in anticipation. His legs felt weak, maybe because his dream for years had finally come true—he was a father.
Ro gazed fell on him. “Remy, come and meet our son.”
“Son?” Remy slowly approached the bed, looking closer at the scene before him as the other women stepped away. He saw the light brown skin of the boy Ro cradled. “Looks like you win our bet, Ro.”
A small smile graced those beautiful lips of hers. “I told you it was a boy.” The two had a bit of a bet when they learned of Ro’s pregnancy. He was sure they would have a girl as beautiful and strong as her. Ro always insisted it would be a boy; she could feel it. A mother’s instinct, he supposed.
Remy kissed Ro on the forehead. He took their son into his arms. The boy was a bit fuzzy, but that was alright. He was new to the world and didn’t know anything yet. This precious boy would be loved. He was the product of two who had lived on the streets and rose to the ranks of royalty. He was the child of prophecy who would save the world. “So what should we name the little guy? All I came up wit’ were girl’s names.”
“Olivier.”
Remy looked down at his wife. “Olivier? Like the stray cat, I tried ta adopt when we were kids?”
“You always had a fondness for the name,” Ro said. “And before you awakened, I met a very nice boy wit' the same name. He helped me a great deal.”
A toothy grin flashed on Remy’s face. “Is dat so? Den it’s the perfect name for our boy. Welcome to the world, Oliver.”
-THE END-