In the last episode of X-Men Evolution, when Xavier reveals what he saw about the future in Apocalypse's thoughts, we see a glimpse of a new X-Men team featuring many new mutants, including Gambit. This is my take on how, when and why Gambit joined up. Takes place later in the same school year that the last 'Evolution' episode happened. I haven't seen every single episode of the series, so any continuity boo-boos are completely accidental. My bad in advance. :)

APOLOGIZE

"Something smells bad," Logan said as he squinted into the distance.

"Probably Kitty's potato salad," Bobby stage-whispered to Sam.

"I heard that!" Kitty scowled, her eyes narrowing at Bobby as she passed a paper plate filled with food to Rogue.

Logan stood up on the picnic blanket, shielding his eyes from the midday sun. "Not that," he growled. "Something else." He looked down at the group of younger X-Men. "Stay put, I'm going to check it out."

Rogue took a spoonful of potato salad and moved it around her plate warily. "What do you suppose THAT was all about?"

"I don't know, but one thing I DO know is that summer is almost here!" Kurt grinned, plopping back into the grass with a satisfied thud. "Only two more weeks of school and then va-CA-tion!"

Kitty took some pickles from the jar at the center of the blanket and piled them on top of her potato salad, causing Bobby to make a gagging motion to Sam. "If only we didn't have all those finals before then," she sighed.

Rogue's eyes widened as Kitty speared a mushy pile of potato salad and a pickle on her fork and raised it to her mouth. "You're not actually going to eat those TOGETHER, are you?"

Kitty took a big bite and smiled. "Why not? Anyway it's part of my new veggies-only diet."

Rogue rolled her eyes. "Kitty, you SO do not need to go on a diet."

"If I want to fit into that super-cute dress I saw at the mall for the prom, I gotta," Kitty mumbled between mouthfuls of food.

"Hm," Rogue responded in what she hoped was an absent-minded tone, her hamburger bite suddenly feeling like concrete as it hit her stomach. Like anyone would be able to forget about prom, Rogue thought bitterly. Signs had been plastered all over school for what seemed like months now, urging the students to buy tickets early, spend an evening with that special someone, blah blah blah times infinity. Rogue tried to be happy for Kitty, since she was obviously so excited about the whole thing, but for Rogue, all it was going to be was another Saturday night alone. No one was going to ask her, as usual, so what was the point? It was just another annoying reminder of what other girls could have, but she couldn't.

Sam noticed Rogue's sudden change in demeanor and tried to cheer her up. "Kurt and I heard some of the other guys talking about an anti-prom the other day," he blurted out to her. He had to struggle to keep his cheeks from turning red. Bobby turned to look at him, one eyebrow raised in curiosity.

"Really?" Rogue chuckled to herself. "Now THAT sounds like a party." She stood up. "Anyone ready for dessert?"

"I'll have what you're having, cherie."

Rogue whirled around to see Gambit smiling at her sheepishly as Logan held him off the ground by the back of his jacket.

"Well, look what the cat dragged in," Rogue drawled as she put her hands on her hips, trying not to smile back.

"Listen Cajun," Logan scowled as he dropped Gambit on the ground. "I don't know what trouble you're lookin' for here, but..."

Gambit held up his hands in a conciliatory gesture. "I just want to talk to the Professor, mon ami. That's all."

"Gimme one good reason why I should let you," Logan scowled at Gambit menacingly as the younger man stood back up and brushed himself off.

"I thought he might want to see this," Gambit said casually as he tossed a small object to Rogue.

Rogue flipped the smooth coin through her fingers. It looked ancient, with undecipherable writing that had almost rubbed completely off of one side with the passing of time and many hands.

"What IS this?" she asked.

Gambit stepped closer to her, so close she could feel his breath on her shoulder. "Take a good look at the picture is on the front."

Rogue held up the coin closer to her face, then gasped in recognition. "What's HE doin' on some old coin?"

Logan's patience, never one of his strongest assets to begin with, was running very thin. "Who?"

Rogue turned the coin face towards Logan and looked at him gravely. "Apocalypse."

"They've been in there a long time," Logan grumbled as he shifted impatiently in the overstuffed chair outside the Professor's office.

"What do you think it means Logan?" Kitty asked.

"I don't know what to think," Logan said. "I do know one thing – I don't trust Gambit. Why is he so keen on helping us out all of a sudden?"

Kitty stole a glance at Rogue. "I have an idea why," she grinned in a sing-songy voice. Rogue elbowed her in protest, but she had to admit to herself that she had secretly been hoping the same thing. After what had happened between them in New Orleans, Rogue had dreamt more than once about the mysterious Cajun, but she wasn't about to tell Kitty that. Ever.

Bobby, Kurt and Sam sat on the opposite side of the room, watching the events unfold with uneasiness.

"What do you think will happen?" Kurt asked Bobby.

"I don't know, but I DO know one thing," Bobby grinned. "Sam has a crush on Rogue."

Sam turned bright red. "I do not!"

"Oooh, will you come with me to the anti-prom Rogue? Pretty pretty please?" Bobby twittered at Sam, batting his eyelashes.

Sam turned away from Bobby, crossing his arms in frustration as he got up and stormed away.

"Nice going Bobby," Kurt said as he got up and walked towards Sam. He caught up with the taller boy and put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "Don't pay any attention to Bobby, Sam, you know how he can get. Sometimes he's like the annoyingest little brother that we all wish we never had."

Sam stopped, turned to look at Kurt, and sighed.

Kurt looked at Sam sympathetically. "He's right though, isn't he?"

Sam looked sideways, his hands in his pockets.

"Why haven't you said anything to her?" Kurt asked.

"Why would I?" Sam said quietly, his gaze never leaving the tops of his shoes.

"X-Vehicle joyriding notwithstanding, you're a good guy Sam," Kurt said encouragingly. "You ought to let the world know you better." He turned to nod towards Rogue, who was still deep in conversation with Kitty and Logan. "You should give her the chance to do that too."

Something in Kurt's tone resonated with Sam, who finally pried his eyes away from his footwear and looked up at his friend. "Don't you think she would just say no if I asked her on a, on a...well, you know, something like a date?"

"If there is one thing I know about Rogue," Kurt says, "it's that as much as she says she doesn't, she really DOES like all the other things girls like Kitty do."

"You mean like prom?" Sam asked, horrified at the suggestion he was making.

"What a great idea!" Kurt replied enthusiastically. "I'm going with Amanda, and Kitty and Lance are going. You could come with us. It would be fun."

"What if she says no?" Sam asked quietly.

"Would it be worse than not trying at all?" Kurt asked. "Besides, I think you're the only guy in the house who might look almost as good as me in a tuxedo."

Sam chuckled in spite of himself. "Ok, I'll...I'll do it."

If only he felt as sure as he sounded!

The door to the study finally opened, and Gambit stepped through the open doorway with the Professor close behind him. "Good, you are all here already," the Professor said. "I need you to gather the rest of the team together and meet me in the War Room. I have an announcement to make."

Logan quickly got out of the chair. "What's this all about Professor?"

"In due time, Logan," the Professor said. "If you'll follow me Gambit, we will meet the rest of the team there."

Kitty looked at Logan and Rogue. "I have a bad feeling about this."

"That makes two of us," Logan growled. He looked over Kitty's shoulder at Bobby, Kurt and Sam. "You heard the Professor. Let's get going."

A few minutes later, the entire team was assembled in the War Room, eager to hear the Professor's announcement.

"As some of you are aware, Gambit has brought me a most intriguing artifact," Charles Xavier said as he glided over to the computer station. With a few keystrokes, a hologram of the coin appeared in the middle of the War Room's table. "It appears to be a coin from around the year 900 AD from Britain. A coin," he paused dramatically, "with a likeness of Apocalypse carved on the front."

Ororo leaned forward to get a better look at the hologram. "What does this mean, Professor?"

"I'm not sure," the Professor responded. "It is yet another intriguing piece of the puzzle. I have yet to determine if this is history that has already happened, or it is something he has tried to alter recently."

"Why would he be changing the past in England?" Jean asked.

"I don't know, and I do not yet know what this will mean for all of us," he answered. "I have sent the hologram of the coin and all the information I have on it to Moira. She has many contacts in the British historical community that may be able to help us." The Professor glided back to the computer station and clicked on the screen, making the hologram disappear.

"Now," he continued, "I must speak with you all concerning an addition to our team."

The X-Men looked around the table at each other, puzzled. Who was joining them? And why was Gambit – someone who could still be one of Magneto's Acolytes – being allowed to be privy to this kind of information?

"I have had a long talk with Gambit," the Professor said evenly. "He wishes to stay with us and learn more about how to control his powers and use them for the greater good."

Logan jumped up and slammed his fist on the table. "You gotta be kidding me Charles."

Scott also stood up in protest. "I agree. Gambit's made his loyalties well known in the past, and they are most definitely not with us."

The Professor held up a hand in a peacemaking gesture. "I understand that many of you have doubts, but..."

"Doubts? Doubts?" Logan repeated loudly. "There's been a lot of times I haven't agreed with you Professor, but I've given you the benefit of the doubt. With THIS one though," he pointed a finger at Gambit, "I think you might just have lost your mind." Logan dropped back into his chair, his arms crossed in irritation.

"He'll say anything to get what he wants," Scott demanded. "He's proven his untrustworthiness time and time again. What makes you think he's changed now?"

Rogue suddenly flew out of her chair, not able to sit by silently any longer. "Hey y'all, if anyone here would have a reason to not accept Gambit, it would be me. He kidnapped me and brought me to New Orleans and lied to me about helping to rescue his father, remember?" She looked at Gambit steadily. "But if there's one thing I know about him, it's that underneath all that Cajun swagger and his not-so-great past, he has a really good heart. We should give him a chance. Remember, you all took a big one on me." With that, she sat down and looked around at her friends imploringly.

"Rogue speaks wisely, and it would do you all well to listen to her," the Professor said as he rolled his chair back to the table. "Gambit will remain here at the mansion on a probationary basis. Gambit has also agreed, albeit begrudgingly, to enroll in your school for the summer session in order to finish his high school equivalency." He looked around the table at his team. "I will expect all of you to assist him in any way that you can."

"We trust you and your decision, Professor," Jean said. "You have always done your very best when it comes to looking out for all of us."

Scott shot Jean a questionable look, which she pointedly ignored.

"Good," the Professor nodded. "Now if you'll excuse me, I need to show Gambit to the room where he'll be staying."

Gambit nodded at the Professor and walked over to Rogue's chair. "Thanks for putting in a good word for me cherie, "he whispered. "I promise you will not regret it." Winking, he turned and followed the Professor out the door.

"And the drama at the X-House continues!" Bobby cackled as he jumped up out of his chair.

"Bobby, aren't you the only one who doesn't have a roommate?" Jean asked teasingly.

"That means..." Kurt continued.

"I have to be Gambit's ROOMMATE?!" Bobby pouted.

"Think of it as penance from the Ghost of Annoyances Past," Kitty said as she patted Bobby on the shoulder.

"Seriously though," Scott continued, "I still really have a problem with this."

"You would," Rogue said bitterly.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Scott countered.

"I wonder if this is the way you all acted when the Professor first told you about me," Rogue said defiantly. "If so I'm darn happy I wasn't here to see it." Tears in her eyes, Rogue spun on her heel and strode down the hallway in the opposite direction.

"Rogue, wait!" Kurt called. He was about to go after her until a sudden burst of inspiration hit him, and he elbowed Sam. "Ow, what was that for?"

"You should go talk to her," Kurt said.

Sam snorted. "She looks more like she wants to kick someone's backside more than she wants to talk."

"She needs someone to listen," Kurt said. "Be her friend. That's the most important thing."

Sam shrugged. "All right. I'll do my best." He felt even less confident than he sounded and hoped Kurt's plan didn't end up putting him in the emergency room with broken bones.

Rogue swung her legs off the side of the back balcony, looking up at the horizon. This was her favorite time of day. The Westchester sky was darkening into almost-hypnotic shades of purple and red. Usually it made her feel at peace, but after what had happened in the War Room, she felt anything but peaceful. Between Gambit's arrival and all the unresolved feelings she had that went along with it, her impassioned defense of Gambit, and the subsequent argument Scott and Logan had with the Professor about it, she didn't know what to feel.

The patio door squeaked behind her, and Rogue turned to see Sam walking through it. "Hey Sam," she said as good naturedly as she could manage, considering her mood. "You like the sunsets here too huh?"

Sam stood rooted to the spot. Breathe, he reminded himself. Pretend you're at home having a conversation with Mom or Dad or Paige, and not one of the most amazing girls you have ever met.

Sam walked slowly towards her and plopped down next to her at the balcony's edge. "They're nice here and all," he said, "but nothing beats the ones we have in Kentucky."

"I feel the same way about the ones back home too," she smiled at him. "Do you miss it? I know I do."

"Sure do. Especially the food. The food here's ok and all but no one makes chicken the way my momma does," Sam admitted.

"I don't think I'd ever be able to eat jambalaya that didn't come from New Orleans, either," Rogue laughed. "Hopefully when Mardi Gras rolls around no one here will get any ideas."

They sat in a companionable silence for a few minutes until the sun went down.

"Scott and Logan shouldn't have argued with the Professor like that," Sam said quietly as the crickets began to chirp beneath them. "I don't think they even heard what you said, they were so mad."

Rogue looked up at the sky above her and sighed. "They wouldn't be Scott and Logan if they did. When it comes to those two, first impressions are pretty much everything."

"Well, I think they're wrong not to listen."

Rogue turned towards Sam and smiled. "Thanks Sam." She slowly stood up. "Well I think we had better head in to see what's on the menu for tonight."

"Hopefully not chicken or jambalaya?" Sam offered hopefully as he got up.

Rogue laughed. "Hopefully not." She studied him with curiosity. She'd never really gotten to talk to Sam before – he was usually pretty quiet and usually only hung out with either Bobby or Kurt – but she was very happy he had decided to join her on the patio. She hated to admit it, but she had really needed the company. Impulsively, Rogue gave Sam a quick hug.

"Catch you same time tomorrow?" she asked as she turned to walk back into the mansion. "The moon's supposed to be its biggest yet. Just like home."

Sam was so flustered by her sudden display of affection that he could barely speak. "Uhm, sure," he managed to stammer and wave as she walked through the door back inside.

Wow. Surely that would surpass even overly-optimistic Kurt's expectations of how it would go.

Sam started to follow her through the door, elated with how things had transpired, until he realized that he still had to ask her to the prom. And soon. It was only a week away.

Fighting Sabretooth isn't nearly as scary as this, he thought to himself.

"Knock knock," a soft voice called.

Gambit pushed a battered trunk next to the foot of his bed and looked up at the door. There's only one person it could be, he smirked knowingly as he strode to the door handle.

"Uhm, hi," Rogue said. "Can I come in?"

"Of course cherie," Gambit said, waving his free arm theatrically at the middle of the room. "My space is your space."

Rogue gave the room a quick once-over and was horrified when her gaze fell on Bobby's side of the room. Piles of clothes, crumpled sheets of homework and decomposing pizza boxes made a frightening mosaic all around his bed.

"Wow, this IS pretty scary," Rogue said as she gingerly removed a banana peel off of the one chair in the room.

"I'd ask him to clean it up," Gambit said, "but I haven't seen him since the meeting with the Professor." Gambit plopped down on the edge of his bed. "I'm thinking he might not be so excited about having me as a roommate."

"I think it's more like he's upset about losing the rest of his potential disaster area," Rogue tried to lighten the mood, but it clearly wasn't working. Rogue looked at the battered trunk beneath Gambit's feet. "Is that all you brought with you?"

Gambit nodded. "Didn't have much to start with," he shrugged. "This is the most important stuff I have." He patted the lid gingerly. "It was my mother's."

Rogue had never heard Gambit talk about his mother before. "Your real mom?"

Gambit nodded. "I barely remember her. She died when I was real young. After that was when I went to live with Jean-Luc and the thieves. She wouldn't have liked that, but he was the only family I had left who'd bother to take care of a kid on his own."

Gambit looked up at her. "She'd like that I was here though. Part of the reason I'm here, actually."

Rogue felt a little uncomfortable under Gambit's heavy gaze. "What's the other part of the reason?"

Gambit laughed. "Ah cherie, that is for me to know and for you to find out."

Suddenly unable to find anything else to say, Rogue stood up to leave. "Well, I just wanted to check in on ya and make sure you were okay after, well, you know." She fidgeted nervously.

"That's alright," Gambit said, hopping off the bed and meeting her in the middle of the room with one long, graceful stride. "I've actually had a couple other visitors before you came. Jeannie and Kitty came by to see if I needed anything, and Kurt actually teleported my trunk up for me. I know that I don't have lots of fans here, cherie, but the rest of them will come around. You'll see."

Rogue thought back to Logan and Scott's angry outbursts. "I sure hope so. I don't know why they can't believe someone would want to do somethin' to better themselves. I don't know if I would have lasted here very long if they had acted that way towards me."

"You're a survivor like me, cherie" he said softly, very closely. Too closely. "And we survivors got to stick together."

Startled by his physical closeness, Rogue stepped back towards the door. "Thanks. Okay! See you later then," she stammered as she half-tripped out the door.

Gambit leaned in the open doorway and watched her walk away, a lazy smile on his face.

"I dinnae know what it means, Charles," Moira McTaggert's voice announced through the speaker in the War Room. "None of my contacts seem to have seen anything like it, or have heard of anything having to do with Apocalypse in that time period."

"Curiouser still," Charles Xavier said. "Thank you Moira. Please keep me posted if you receive any other news."

"Will do Charles. Moira out."

As the connection clicked off, the Professor flipped the coin over in his hand again. If Moira and her contacts hadn't heard anything about it, perhaps it was a fake? Years of experience in dealing with human emotions and behavior had left the Professor fairly certain that Gambit had been truthful in his desire to help and in bringing it to the X-Men. If that was true, it left him with only one course of action.

Find out who Gambit had gotten it from.