Ace of Hearts

Chapter One - Special Delivery

Rogue's breath caught in her throat as she looked around the mansion's foyer suspiciously. No, there was still no one there. Just checking. Looking at the small pile of mail that had been customarily placed on the small table by the front door, she reached out, excited and nervous at the same time. Gingerly she ran one gloved finger along the side of the small envelope.

Snapping out of her trance, Rogue held the envelope to her chest, almost tenderly, before she took a deep breath. Looking around to, once again, reaffirm that no one was around, she abruptly turned on her heel and ran as fast as she could towards her room.

Throwing her door open with haste, Rogue was silently celebrating the fact that Kitty wasn't home. Sure, she was her best friend, but sometimes, a girl needed time to herself. Like now, for instance. Rogue took a deep breath, closing her door, and slowing down to head towards her bed. Yes, times like these were meant to be private, she nodded in affirmation, this was meant to be alone. It was her time, just hers, to live, to dream, and most of all, to hope.

Sitting cross-legged on the bed, Rogue set the envelope in front of her. She breathed in again, this time in anticipation. Summoning courage within her excitement, she grabbed the envelope. Screw it. She was trying to make the moment last, but it didn't matter anymore. She couldn't contain herself any longer. She tore open the side, to watch something fall out.

Rogue could only see the back of the playing card, which, inevitably, looked like all the others. That's not what she was so anxious about, though. Gingerly, she reached out and flipped the card over, lying on the bed in front of her.

Rogue's breath caught in her throat again and her fingers trembled slightly. She closed her eyes and blinked a few times, refusing to trust her sense of sight. Her stomach flip-flopped.

But there it was. Right in front of her.

The Ace of Hearts.

"Oh gawd," She was excited, terrified, nervous, and thrilled at the same time. Yes, thrilled would probably be the most appropriate word. The Ace of Hearts could only mean one thing.

Her voice was a whisper, small, scared, but full of awe and excitement, "Remy's coming back."

Holding the card up to her cheek, inhaling, and wishing for that familiar smell of spices and tobacco, she thought back to the first card he had given her. . . . . .

"You will be fine, chérie. You got people watchin' over you."

Rogue watched him walk away, unfamiliar with the feelings in her stomach, the feelings in her mind. Her mouth was slightly agape as he walked, vaguely listening to Scott's calls for her to head the opposite direction. Her mouth was dry, her heart was beating too fast, she was angry, she was confused, exhilarated, and she was, definitely, most definitely, unrepentant. Not sorry in the slightest. Remy may have kidnapped her and had the wrong motives, but she could honestly say that it wasn't awful. It wasn't awful at all.

She looked down at the card in her hand, the Queen of Hearts. His lucky lady.

Rogue initially turned back to Scott with one more fleeting glance at Gambit's retreating figure. She headed towards her family. She had to go back to Bayville. It was her home. It was her family.

Rogue spent the next week in a daze. She didn't know how to feel or what to think. Those few moments with Gambit had changed everything she thought she knew. He did the wrong thing for the right reasons, but he did more than that. She was thinking about leaving, she was going to leave, but she had people watching over her. She knew that then. Remy let her know that, and that was invaluable. Despite the kidnapping, she owed him everything. He had put everything in perspective for her, and despite such strong feelings of confusion, she knew Gambit was good.

The mansion residents still didn't know if Rogue was kidnapped or if she went willingly, there were votes for both ways. It was visible to everyone that the week after the 'incident' Rogue was different. She just seemed numb and unaware, like she was lost and confused. The other X-men were starting to get worried, but then she changed again.

It was a week to the day that the X-Men had come to take her home from New Orleans. It was way past lights out, and Kitty was sleeping, but Rogue couldn't. She was tossing and turning, still lost and still confused. She reached under her pillow and retrieved the Queen of Hearts. Holding it to her chest, she closed her eyes, not sure how she was feeling. Hearing a tapping, she looked up startled from her reverie.

She gasped the minute she looked at the doors of her balcony. She could see him outside, waiting for her, his red eyes burning in the darkness of night. She could feel her stomach drop and she stared at him, unsure.

He tapped quietly on the window again, his eyes never leaving her.

She didn't need him to ask again. Throwing back her covers and pulling on her gloves, she rushed to the doors, not sure why she felt the need to hurry. With one hand, she unlocked the doors and then stepped outside, shutting the door behind her.

She shivered. She wanted to say it was from the chill of the night, but she was covered with long pants and a long sleeve tee shirt. She didn't know what to say.

Gambit was staring down at her, looking as devastatingly handsome as always.

"Gambit -" She started in a low breathless voice and he cut her off.

"Remy." He corrected simply with a voice as smooth as melted chocolate.

"Remy," She stated it simply as well, not feeling the need to say anything else. His name felt good on her lips. It felt right. For the first time, something felt right.

Without saying another word, Remy quickly reached out. He grabbed Rogue and pulled her forcefully towards himself. He bent his head down and buried his face in his hair. He inhaled, she smelled like vanilla and gardenias.

Rogue let out a muffled noise of surprise, her face pressed into his chest. He was hard, built, and complete muscle. Rogue once again felt feelings that she didn't recognize.

Remy pulled back a little, "Rogue, chere?"

She looked up at him, green eyes shining brightly with uncertainty and something else. . . hope? "Yeah, Remy?"

Distracted momentarily, Remy unwrapped one arm from her and grabbed her wrist, bringing it upwards. "You kept it," he sounded pleased.

Rogue smiled at him, "Ah could nevah forget yer luck lady."

"An' Remy?" He sounded breathless as well. It was a loaded question, she knew, but she didn't understand why.

"What do yah mean, Remy?" Her voice was small and innocent.

"An' moi, chere? Could y' forget dis Cajun?"

She laid her face again his chest for a moment before pulling back to meet his burning eyes again, "Nevah."

"Promise?" Both of his arms were around her.

"Ah promise." She affirmed and wrapped her arms around him in return.

"Je t'aime."

Rogue didn't speak French, but she knew what it meant. She wanted to stiffen, to scream, to pull away, but she couldn't. It was like her trip to the Bayou; something felt right. "Ah love yah, too."

The grin on Remy's face could light up the dark sky. He pulled her in tightly again, tighter than before.

She had never been this close to someone before, and it was terrifying, but it was something else as well. Rogue stood there for a minute, lost in his embrace, wishing for that one moment to stretch on forever.

But it didn't because nothing lasts forever.

"Remy's gotta go, chere." He was frowning, he sounded sad.

She looked back up at him, and couldn't decide if it was a good decision or not.

As soon as he saw those green eyes again, he couldn't help himself. He bent his head down slowly, tenderly and brushed his lips against hers.

Rogue gasped against his lips, but Remy didn't seem to mind. Rogue knew she shouldn't have been surprised, but she was still shocked nonetheless. The feeling was so foreign, so new, so absolutely perfect.

Remy began to feel to slow pull of her powers and he pulled away slowly, shaking a little. Her lips here softer than her ever imagined, like brushing his lips against crushed velvet. He was dizzy. It was worth it.

Rogue knew she should be mad, but she wasn't.

Remy broke her trace, "Remy's got some tings he gotta take care 'f."

Rogue had started to absorb him; she knew. "The guild?"

"Oui." He held her closer, if possible.

"Belladonna?"

"Oui." He wasn't going to deny it; it was just the way things were.

"The Acolytes?"

"Oui," He agreed again, burying his face back in her hair and reveling in her scent.

Rogue, once again, knew she should be mad, but she wasn't. She knew he was being honest, something he normally wasn't. She knew he was sincere.

For the first time in his life, the Gambit made a gamble with showing all his cards first. He didn't regret it in the slightest.

"Chere?" He questioned, meeting her eyes once again and worrying his heart would stop because of it. "Y'll wait f' Remy?" Gambit's poker face was gone and his cards were on the table; he was worried about what her answer would be. He was nervous.

Uncharacteristically, Rogue smiled. "Ah'll wait forevah."

It was exactly what he wanted to hear. "Remy'll come back, chere. He promises."

"Ah know." She believed him. She knew you should never trust a thief, but Remy was different. Remy was. . . hers.

Reluctantly releasing her, Gambit knew that was it. He was out of time, he had to go. As he started to turn his back, Rogue caught his wrist and turned him back towards her. "Chere?" He questioned, she knew he had to go.

"Wait." She smiled, but it wasn't a sad smile like he would have thought. She brought the Queen of Hearts up to her lips and pressed hard. Not having wiped off her lipstick earlier, a perfect purple stain rested over the queen. "Fer good luck." She held it out to him.

For the hundredth time that night, Gambit felt like his heart would stop. She had no idea how much the gesture meant to him. He gingerly took the card and held it to his cheek, eyes closed.

Rogue watched him, now understanding the significance of her actions. She felt a swell of pride and happiness within her as the card touched his cheek.

Placing the card in his pocket, a new one quickly appeared in his hand. His kissed it, not leaving a mark but feeling the need to reciprocate her actions, and held it out to her. "So y' can keep dis Cajun wit y'."

Rogue looked at the card in front of her. The King of Hearts. Of course. What else would it be? Taking it from his hands, she held it with both of hers, over her heart. She didn't want to ask, but she couldn't help it; "Yah don't worry bout splitting them up?" She, honestly, wasn't sure if the question was about the king and queen or herself and Remy.

Remy looked at her, hope burning in his eyes. "Dey be back t'g'her. Jus take some time."

She understood exactly what he meant, and felt the need to repeat what she said earlier. "Forevah. Ah'll wait forevah."

"Oui." He nodded and brought her gloved hand to his lips. "Love y', Rogue."

With that, he was gone.

That was when the X-Men stopped worrying about Rogue. No one understood it, but after a week of complete aloofness, she had changed again. Everyone was shocked, but no one knew what to say, except Kitty of course who pulled Rogue aside to say she loved her regardless.

Hank looked at Storm and whispered quietly, "Dare I say, she looks happy? Optimistic, even?"

Storm watched Kitty and Rogue run out the door, on the way to the mall. Storm smiled knowingly at Beast.

She would have never said a word, but she felt bad for the goth girl. Ororo couldn't even begin to comprehend the feelings Rogue was going through. She didn't know what Rogue went through, but saw her wandering lost that week after New Orleans. Trying to be subtly helpful, as not offend the teenager, Storm had looked at the chore chart and took it upon herself to take some of Rogue's upon herself. She thought giving the girl some extra time with her thoughts would do her good. While changing the sheets in Kitty's and Rouge's room, she noticed something under Rogue's pillow, a Queen of Hearts playing card. Storm kept her mouth shut, and didn't plan on telling anyone, but she thought she had some ideas about Rogue's sudden mood changes.

Rogue had gone to the mall with Kitty, had accepted a makeover, stopped wearing her dark makeup and clothes, and even smiled more.

Almost no one knew why, but no one argued with the 'new' Rogue.

Rogue carried on like that, in her new state of reverie for a month before she heard Scott calling her name. Heading to the foyer, she looked at him slightly confused.

Scott smiled, "You got something in the mail. No return address, though. I'm not sure who it's from, but if you want me to check it out first for you . . ."

Rogue fought the urge to roll her eyes, something she hadn't done a lot of in the last month. "It's okay, Scott. Ah don't mind who it's from, Ah'll just open it later."

Without waiting for an answer, Rogue took the envelope from Scott, and as soon as she was out of his line of sight, she bolted towards her room. She knew exactly who it was from. Who else could it be from?

Tearing the envelope with a frenzy, her heart soared when she saw the playing card, confirming the sender.

She flipped it over; Two of Spades. It was a small card; insignificant. She knew what it meant; it meant it would be a while.

Rogue didn't mind though, surprisingly. She told Remy she was willing to wait, and she meant it . . . . . . .

Looking down at the Ace in her hand, Rogue shook her head, effectively stopping her reminiscing. Remy had told her he loved her two years ago, and a month later had sent her the 2 of Spades. Two and a half months after that she received a 4 of Clubs, and another two months later she received the Joker which led her to believe that things were going well. A month later she got the 6 of Spades and then it took an agonizing three months to receive a 4 of Clubs. She knew it'd be a while; she said she'd wait.

It often seemed like her cards cam few and far between because they did, but it gave her hope, it continued her hope.

It had been two years. . . two years! Rogue tried to steady herself as she realized she finally had her Ace.

So that's part one! And I can say that I'm super super super excited about where it's going!

Where do you think it's going? Probably the same place I do! Romyness! I am so excited about this story (but have no fear, I'm still working on You Want It as well)!

It's a different type of story for me so feedback would be greatly greatly greatly appreciated!

Thanks for reading!