In The Hands of a Stranger

On Her Own: Part 4

"Sure, why not?" She smiled back at him. She finished the last few bites of her breakfast. "That was good."

"Remy glad yah liked it, chere."

"Well, since ya made breakfast. Ah'll do the dishes. Don't want ya tah say ah don't earn mah keep." She got up from her seat ready to collect the dirty dishes. Remy stopped her.

"Non. You Remy guest. My job to wait on you."

She thought about arguing but decided it would be pointless. Suddenly her cell phone started to ring. Who could that be? she thought to herself. She looked at the caller ID. It was Bobby.

"Ah gotta take this," she said. He nodded and she walked into the living room while Remy cleaned up the kitchen. "Hello," she said.

"Rogue, where are you?" Bobby asked with urgency.

"None a your business," she fired. She kept her voice low. "Why ya callin' me anyway?"

"Because I'm worried about you, everyone is. Logan's practically going nuts trying to find you."

"Hey, Logan's back?"

"Yea, he called wanting to talk to you, but Jubilee let spill that you took off."

"Ohh," was all she could say.

"You know, he tracked you all the way to the airport. Then the trail went cold. He was so mad he could have ripped the place apart. He would have if Storm hadn't stopped him. He blames me for you leaving, you know. He almost beat the crap out of me."

"You'd deserve it."

"Hey, I feel guilty enough. Please, just tell us where you are, and we'll come pick you up."

"No, Bobby, ah ain't comin' back. Ah don't belong there anymore."

"Yes, you do, Rogue. I love you, and I miss you."

"Don't lie, Bobby. If ya loved me so much why were ya kissin' Kitty. That hurt...so much ah can't even be around ya. It made me wonder what else ya been doin'.

"Rogue, I swear. I never..."

"Just tell the others ah'm fine and ah'm sorry, but ah just can't come back."

"Rogue, please, can't you just forgive, and we can start over again."

"No, Bobby, it's too late for that. I gave up mah powers just so we could be t'gether and ya go an do this...again."

"Again? What...? Oh, you knew about that."

"Yeah, Bobby, ah knew, and I forgave you. This time I can't. It's obvious Kitty is the one you want, so go chasin' after her and leave me alone." With that she ended the call. She stared at her cell phone for a while. She wanted to forgive him, but she just couldn't.

"Everything alright, chere?" Remy asked.

"Yeah, it's nothin'...not anymore anyway."

"Wanna talk about it? Remy a pretty good listener."

"No," she said quietly shaking her head.

Remy didn't push her any further. He lightened the mood by saying. "How 'bout we go out an' have some fun?"

"Okay," she said, a little excitement in her voice.

She grabbed her jacket and quickly put it on. Remy did the same with his trench coat. Ah wonder why he wears that ratty ole thing, she thought. It was just one other mystery about this man she would have to figure out, that and the fact that she couldn't understand why she liked him. Remy led her out the door and down the long hallway. The steps were rickety and steep. She remembered that from last night.

"Come on, chere, we go out the back way."

She looked skeptical but followed him anyway. "Somethin' wrong?"

"Non. Jus' like t'lay low."

"Does this have anythin' t'do with that motorcycle last night?"

"Maybe...maybe not. Ya comin'?"

She nodded. What the hell. This was exciting. Bobby never would have thought to do something like that. When they reached the shed where Remy stashed the bike, Rogue heard some voices that made her uneasy.

"Did ya hear that?"

"Yeah, stay quiet." She nodded. She leaned up against a tree near the old broken down shed. The voices were coming from the other side. Remy sneaked other the other side, in hopes of catching whoever it was off guard. Then he heard Rogue scream. He turned around.

"Hey, Remy, dis here you latest whore?"

"Let her go, Julien. She got not'ing t'do wit dis."

Rogue kicked the guy in the kneecap catching him off guard, but two other man grabbed Rogue from behind.

"Let her go!" Remy shouted.

"Not a chance, Swamp Rat. Not until you return what yah stole from us," Julien said. "Oh, that's right, ya can't give back my sister honor, not when ya don't have none yourself."

"Shut up, Julien. What happened between Bell an' me ain't none a'your business. She call it off not me, which is just fine. Now, I ain't gonna tell you again. Let de lady go."

Rogue took the opportunity to bite one of her assailants. As he howled in pain, the other threw her to the ground. Remy took the opportunity to get the jump on them. Out from his pocket came several playing cards. He removed his glasses. Julien could see his red glowing eyes.

"That don' scare me," Julien snickered.

"It should," Remy said and threw the cards at him. Julien tried to run but the explosion knocked him several feet. Rogue who had fallen on the ground looked stunned. Remy came up to her.

"Come on," Remy said. "Got t'get outta here."

She hesitated at first then took his hand. They ran towards the shed door. "You're a mutant, aren't ya?" she said.

"Hey, dat a problem?" he asked.

"No," she said as he inched the bike out. He got on and started the engine. "Comin'?"

"Yeah," she said excitedly. He took her hand and helped onto the bike next to him. "Where we goin'?" She asked as they took off.

"Outta town. Got a problem with dat?"

"No," she said holding onto him tight. Their destination, parts unknown, and that's seem to be just fine with the both of them.