Disclaimer: I own no small country. I tried to buy Lichtenstein, but I miscalculated the costs...

Star-of-Chaos Thank you. Please like this chapter, cos it's the last one for now in this thread. Did I say thread? Yea, there will be more, some day. :)

Serpentine013x I'm assuming this is not a threat or a subtle hint that the previous chapters sucked. In that case, I got a sequel planned, because I got more adventures to come and I thought it would be stupid to paste it in this story, so it has become a new story. So, don't hate me and wait for more...:)

Epona Nah, I didn't want to be too corny. But it had to be fun. So I invented a very silly oops-I-got-the-wrong-wire plot. Glad you liked it.

Enchantedlight I didn't even know what the riddle meant when I wrote it. But it turned out pretty okay.

Leann He's okay, sort of. Well, maybe not okay but just fine. Well maybe not just fine but...

Dark Elf3 Evolving? Indeed it would be cool to explore that further. And to tell you the truth I only wrote it to be able to write a sequel. Did I say sequel? I did. Oh dear. Of course I won't be stopping after this. I got a sequel for this and another idea for a fic in the army. Army? Yea, You'll see...Glad to see you didn't think it was too long.

Peace215 Scott has to be alive for the stick-up-ass factor in this story. Sequel? Hmmmmmmmmmm *author chokes nearly out of breath*. Yeah, most likely. :)

AGST Did it? I wonder why? Could it be that I inserted a dramatic event in the penultimate chapter? In other words, yeah, there'll be a sequel, most likely.

Ishandahalf Clever. I like that. I didn't know what the riddle was about when I wrote it and when I did, at first I wanted it to be something Jean (Grey) had said but I couldn't think of anything so I molded the story to get...well, this.

Streetwise Girl Yeah, silly don't you think. Yea, this fic is almost over but you can have a sort-of sequel if you want. Oops. Well, there goes that surprise.:)

Natural Yah, I will, because a lot of people have asked me to. And because it's partially written already... ;)

Rena Lupin Hank doesn't get time or strengh to put Gambit in a lab. Just read. :)

Emma (review from chapter 19) Well, you know it was now, hope you like the ending...

A/N I hate happy endings...

***********************************************************

All things move towards their end, of that you can be sure.

Fissie

Remy was not at all happy with the so called 'power surge' that had occurred. He didn't dare thinking. ~Could it be back?~  He took his green duffel bag and started packing. Now he had two reasons to leave.

Bishop stepped in to their room.

Remy looked up. ''Bishop.'' A short acknowledgement

''LeBeau.'' Bishop sat down on his bed with his inseparable gun in hands.

Remy decided to add a little light conversation to the uncomfortable silence. ''So y'can go back home now, den, mon ami.'' He smiled.

''No.'' Bishop was not helping in making this a nice conversation.

''What'd y' mean?''

''I'm afraid I took a one way ticket to this place. The 'time machine' was not working properly anymore, but there was no other way. I had to come here. Besides, I came here expecting to die.''

Remy remembered that conversation. ''So, dey're stuck wid y'?'' It was only a small 'they', but Remy made it very clear he wasn't going to be followed around by no one anymore.

''I shall protect the X-men with everything I've got.'' He sat straight up, like a soldier, presenting his gun.

Gambit grinned. ''Bad temper, mad determination an' a huge gun?''

''Oh yes.'' Bishop's attempts at humor were getting better and better.

Remy threw his bo in the duffel and closed the bag.

''You are leaving?'' It wasn't so much of a question.

''Very perceptive.''

''Why?''

Remy looked at the man with hard unreadable glaring eyes and an almost grin. ''Let's jus' say I could do wid a vaction.''

Bishop nodded and left the room. He knew any phrase that started with 'Let's just say' was both a lie and not up for discussion. The Witness spoke those words very often. Let's just say I was lucky. Let's just say I borrowed that painting. Let's just say it was a friend's favor. Let's just say he took a nice long trip to Spain. Best was to let it be. LeBeau would not change his mind.

Rogue nearly bumped into him in the hallway.

She stepped through the door to Remy's room. ''Hi, Remy.''

''Chere, how y' doin'?'' He asked cheerfully.

''Fine.'' She wanted to say more, she wanted to beat around the bush, but she couldn't. ''Look, Ah wanted to ask...I needed to know...'' ~About the kiss.~ But she couldn't speak the words. She was afraid he had just kissed her out of pity or simply because the opportunity had presented itself. Because he was a charmer and a womanizer, not because he liked her. Because he...

Then her mind started registering the situation. 'Why are you packing your bag?''

He smiled but he didn't seem happy. ''Have t' leave.''

''What?'' She was a bit shocked. ''Where to?''

''Europe maybe Japan. Take care o' a few loose ends.''

''Now? I mean...Now?'' Silently adding ~Now that you kissed me? Now that Ah finally got it in mah thick skull that Ah really like you? Now that you just suffered from a power surge that Hank said could be dangerous for your health? Now that...~

''Oui. But don' worry, after dis, I be back.''

''...'' Rogue didn't have words left. All she had was a big lump in her throat.

''It be fine, chere. I be back, trust m'.'' He approached her.

She looked up at him. ''You'll come back?''

He nodded and embraced her. ''Course chere.''

''Really?'' She put her hands around him as well. It felt really good.

''Really. Thieves honor.'' He let her go and put a hand across his heart.

Rogue arched an eyebrow. ''Isn't that a contradiction in terms?''

''Mostly not, but wid me, y' can never tell.''

She snorted. ''How very comforting.''

''I promise, chere.'' Remy cringed inwardly. Why couldn't those words sound credulously? He needed to add something to make him believe his own words. ''I'll miss y'.'' Not the words he was looking for, but it worked.

''Really?'' She didn't believe him. So maybe those words didn't work. Maybe a joke would.

''Sure, chere. Like when I was imprisoned in dat hole in de ground.'' He looked up as if to remember that time. ''Bein' down dere wid a power suppression collar 'round m' neck...really missed y', chere. Wished y' were dere too...wid a collar, o' course.'' He added with a grin.

She slapped him playfully. ''Dirty mind.''

''Always chere.''

''Ah'll miss you too.'' She embraced him smiled weakly and left the room.

Remy found a certain urge to find a brick wall and smash his head on to it. Hard.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

And so Remy left, before dinner, before Rogue had told anyone, before the professor could ask him about his powers, before anyone could say goodbye, before Hank could drag him to the medlab. He just took his Harley and left. No good-byes, no speeches, no lectures. He just left. Like a thief.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

At night when Rogue went to bed, she instinctively searched for her necklace. Just to see it, maybe wear it. She was glad Remy had given her something. At least now she had something to remember him by. Maybe, just maybe, she was seriously developing a crush for that swamp boy. She opened her drawer, but she found no necklace. Instead she found a note.

Chere Rogue,

Some things you cannot plan.

Some things you cannot change.

Some things are out of your hands.

And in to mine.

Sorry.

Remy

P.S. If you overheard anything when you heard me speaking on the phone the other day, try to forget it.

All the softness and mushy happiness disappeared from her mind in seconds. She crushed the piece of paper and threw it against the wall. Her necklace. He stole her necklace. He didn't ask her for it. He just stole it and gave her a lousy note. Anger and fury blazed in her eyes. Her blood was boiling. The phone-call, she remembered. ''Y'r timin' sucks, homme''. ''I don' have it''. He had been talking about her necklace. And now he had stolen it to, what? Give it to someone else? Sell it?

That slimy, crappy, stupid, lying, sweet-talking, thieving, arrogant, lower-than-dirt, smirking, idiotic...

''ARGH!'' She shouted on top of her longs. That Cajun was dead.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Across the ocean

The Netherlands, portal to Europe. Gateway to the Old World. Well, in terms of transport anyway. Ship transport to be more precise. Rotterdam, proud owner of one of the largest harbors in the world. Millions of goods pass that harbor every day. Thousands of ships load, unload and pass by. Smuggler's Paradise.

The Netherlands, a small but key country for any criminal organization, including the Thieves Guild. Paintings and antiques to large to carry in a suitcase aboard planes are smuggled out of Europe through the harbor of Rotterdam.

The Netherlands, with its capital Amsterdam, its red-light district, its museums, its boats, its markets, its attitude, its houses and its water and it's coffeeshops.

The Netherlands, home of Sebastiaan van den Broek, twenty-five year old small time thief, drinker, smuggler, sweet talker, son of a good friend of Jean-Luc LeBeau, blackmailer, spy, ~idiot~...cursed with a huge amount of bad luck. ~In oder words; an idiot.~

Sebastiaan, Sebas for anyone who knew him well, was currently working undercover as a thief in one of Holland's biggest crime syndicates. Who his employers were was a well-kept secret. No one outside of whatever organization it was knew about it. But that's hardly the point here. Well at least it was not the reason that Remy was here for.

Sebas' first assignment in this syndicate was to steal a necklace from Japan. It wasn't an expensive or very valuable necklace, although the rubies used were some of the finest rubies in the world. But the syndicate didn't want it stolen for it's value, no, Sebas was given this assignment as an estimation of his skills and loyalty to the syndicate. The necklace had been the property of a very rich man with a very thick vault in a very inaccessible mansion. The vault had a reputation of being impenetrable and the man kept the necklace there together with the most valuable paintings in the world. No way Sebas was ever going to be able to get to it.

So Sebas asked his dearest friend, Remy LeBeau to steal it for him. Well, dearest friend; let's say they had a love-hate relation that relied solely on the hate part. But, hate or no hate, the idea of an impenetrable vault appealed to the Master Thief and the deal was quickly sealed. The crime syndicate got its necklace and stored it in an even more impenetrable vault, Sebas got all the honors, Remy got all the money, everyone was happy.

Sort of.

Soon the rumor of the theft spread around the criminal world. the necklace had suddenly become a hot item. It became the embodiment of power. Having the necklace meant the power to be able to penetrate impassable vaults, meaning superiority. And criminals and criminal organizations love superiority. They need it like a drug. And so it came to be that many more syndicates wanted to get their dirty hands on that necklace.

Remy's necklace. Oh yes, Remy's necklace.

Remy usually didn't care for honors and such, but the idea that that necklace that he had stolen had suddenly become such an important and valuable item, appealed to him. So, to make a long story short, he stole the necklace back. This happened shortly before he joined the x-men.

So far so good.

But Sebas was ~an idiot~...an unfortunate soul. The necklace theft from that Dutch crime syndicate was blamed on him and they suspected him to be a spy. Their suspicions were based not only on the theft, but also on certain files that had not yet been examined properly and that Sebas really didn't care for them to be examined at all. His life was in danger.

So he called for Remy LeBeau, risking his life, every phone call could be tapped. He asked Remy to return the necklace to him and while he was in Holland destroy any evidence the syndicate had on him. For a second Sebas had feared Remy to refuse, but arrogant as he may be, Remy LeBeau helped a friend in need. Always.

------------

So there he was. Sitting on a bench on the Leidseplein, in Amsterdam at eleven o'clock in the evening. In front of him a juggler was entertaining a growing crowd and telling everyone they should 'not try this at home'. He was sitting on a monocycle and juggling three burning torches.  Do not try this at home indeed applied. A few people in the audience laughed at the cliche joke, the rest had probably heard it all before.

A beggar was trying to sleep on the bench next to him. Looking back from that man to himself, he couldn't help but thinking about how he looked. He hadn't had much sleep in days and black circles darkened his eyes. He wore his ever-present coat and baggy pants and a black shirt. His nose had just stopped bleeding again. He was certain the beggar looked better than he did.

One hand rested in his pocket, fingering the necklace he had given and stolen back again. He hated himself for that. He really wanted Rogue to have it; it did look good on her. Besides, he got the sneaking suspicion that he truly was beginning to fall for her. He snorted to himself. ~Good start, LeBeau.~.

His other hand brought a French-fry to his mouth. He had just arrived that day and he didn't even have time to get showered or eat properly. He had destroyed the files that very afternoon and Sebas would be here any second for the necklace. So he hadn't had time to dine and he was too hungry to wait until after the one-way exchange. Frankly, Remy didn't mind not eating in a nice restaurant. He was fine eating those French-fries with mayonnaise and ketchup out of plastic, on a bench on the street. Sometimes, you have to put class beside you and just enjoy the simple junk foods of life.

A figure appeared from the crowd and sat down next to Remy.

''Remy.'' He gave a polite nod.

''Sebas.'' Remy gave him a curt handshake.

''You haf it?'' Remy sighed. Sebas was never one for casual chat, he always went straight to the core issue. Were Thieves the only ones who knew about style and flair?

''Oui, I got it.'' Remy handed the necklace over. ''When can I get it back?''

''Back?''

''It be mine. I'd like it back.'' Remy said almost undignified. 

Sebas wanted to argue, to tell him it was impossible, but the sparkle behind those sunglasses made him remember the persuasive powers of Remy LeBeau, Prince of of the New Orleans Guild of Thieves and most definitely mutant. He weighed his options and answered cautiously. ''I'll call you when you can get it. But you'll haf to wait at least six to twelf monts. Det's when I'm out o dere. After det, you steal back anything you want.''

''Not stealin'.'' Remy clarified. ''Returnin' t' de proper owner.''

Sebas shrugged ''Watever.''

''See you around.''

''Yeah, bye.'' They shook hands again and Sebas left and disappeared in the crowd of people.

Remy sat back on his bench. Well, that's it. Rogue would certainly kill him now. Especially if she knew what he had done. He remembered telling her he hadn't stolen it. ~Well, I didn' really. Was merely a shift in owner.~ He almost believed it. ~Face it, LeBeau, y'r a thief  an' a liar.~  Yeah, Remy LeBeau was not happy with himself right now. He took another French-fry. A familiar pinkish glow spread across it. ''Merde.''

-THE END-

*********************************************************

A/N Well, will you look at that; I finished. Don't cry, we all knew it had to come some day, right?

Okay, this chapter and the previous one had some weird new developments and I recall mentioning Sabertooth in some of the earlier chapters as well as Remy having a wife. And of course he has a family and a reputation to be one of the best thieves in the world. Aren't you curious about these things? I am. So maybe I'll start a sort-of sequel. And it might feature some nice relatives...

Review and tell me a sequel is a good idea ;)

Thanks everyone for reading, enjoying and reviewing it. 

Fissie