X-Men is Marvel's.  This is based after a dream I just had, so its short... 
Its due to thinking of Gambit/Rogue too much.  BTW, foi means faith.  I 
think that's the right spelling, anyway.  Oh, and this is some time after 
the Antarctica incident.

Always A Second Chance
by Autumn

	"Ah'm waitin'," Rogue impatiently stood outside the entrance to the Danger 
Room, a hand on her hip and a fierce glare in her eyes.  It was her birthday 
and she wanted desperately to be alone with a couple simulations of Raven 
and her birth parents.  Revenge for all her bitterness.
	"Aw, chere, cant ya even spare Gambit a few moments?" The Cajun thief known 
as Remy LeBeau blocked her path, a brilliant smile on his face.  "Please, 
chere?"
	"Fine," Rogue scowled.  "Ya got ten minutes."
	"Can' I have your undivided attention tonight?  I have de reservations 
made, an' I can' disappoint de waiter, can moi?"
	Rogue sighed, glancing at him with little disdain, "Fine.  Ah suppose since 
ya went ta the trouble to get up this early to talk ta me..."
	"Merci, chere," Remy flashed her another brilliant smile.  "Remy thanks you 
beaucoup."
	"Yah, yah," Rogue shrugged his smile off as she pushed past him into the 
room.  It was now time to take her frustrations out... And maybe she'd add 
an image of Gambit to it too.

	***

	Rogue sat on the couch in the rec. room, waiting for Remy to take her out.  
Bobby Drake sat next to her, watching her with a frown.
	Her best friend was staring at her bluntly when he spoke, "You actually 
think he's going to be NICE to you?  You did leave him to die just a while 
back..."
	Rogue shrugged, "Ah don' know what the Swamp Rat plans ta do.  If he yells 
at me, its nothing Ah *don'* deserve."
	"I guess," Bobby agreed doubtfully.  "For what its worth, you do look 
beautiful."
	"Thanks, sugah." Rogue smiled and brushed her white streaked strand of hair 
from her eyes.
	"And I got you a present," he added, "But I'll give it to you tomorrow... I 
don't know whether it'll be appropriate after whatever happens tonight."
	Rogue shook her head, and rolled her eyes, "Bobby... What am Ah gonna do 
without ya?"
	"Be bored, that's for sure," he joked.
	"Can I steal de belle femme away now?" Remy walked into the room, dressed 
in a black tux.
	Rogue couldn't help but stare at him.  The tuxedo complimented him very 
well.  The black seemed to make his glowing red eyes stand out even more.
	"Sure, sugah," Rogue stood, pressing the creases out of her dress.
	"Good luck," Bobby whispered as she walked past him.
	"Thanks," she whispered back.  Her smile was confident, "Ah'll be fine."
	"I hope so," Bobby sighed as he watched them leave.  "I really hope you 
will be."

	***

	"Can we take de car?" Remy asked as they walked outside.  "I don' want ta 
risk messin' up de tux on de bike.  It's rented..."
	Rogue raised an eyebrow but nodded, "Do ya want ta drive?"
	"S'il vous plaît," Remy nodded his approval as she fished a key out of her 
purse and presented it to him.  Taking her by the elbow, he led her to the 
car door and opened it.  She gave him an odd smile as she stepped inside and 
he shut it after her.
	"So, where we goin', sugah?"
	"Chere, if Remy tell ya dat, it wouldn' be a surprise no more, would it?"
	"Ah guess not," Rogue nodded.  They fell into a silence as they pulled out 
of the driveway.  Finally, curiosity got the better of her, plus the ringing 
of Bobby's words in her ears, so she tentatively broke it.  "...Remy?"
	"Oui, chere?"
	"Why don' ya hate me?  Ah left ya ta die, and ya should hate me now for 
what Ah did..."
	He was quiet for several moments and she almost didn't think he'd answer.  
"I love you," he said simply.
	"After all Ah did?"
	"We all make erreurs, chere." Remy sighed and glanced at her, "I have... 
foi, dat maybe, in t'me, you give me my second chance."
	Rogue nodded, then turned her eyes to the window so he couldn't read her 
confusion.
	He smiled to himself as turned the car towards a parking lot.  "We're 
dere," he announced.
	Rogue frowned, taking in their surroundings.  "Ah park?"
	"Oui," There was a mischievous glint in his eyes as he led her out of the 
car.
	"What's the deal, Swamp Rat?" Rogue demanded, placing a hand onto her hip.  
"Ah thought ya said ya had reservations..."
	"I lied," he shrugged.  He smiled as her frown deepened, "Be honest, chere. 
  Would ya have come if I had said where I be takin' ya?"
	"Probably not," she relented.  She followed him silently as he led her past 
a thicket of trees.  A picnic table sat beneath the full moon.  She gazed 
from the table to Remy, who stood watching her reaction.
	"Surprise," he murmured lightly.  He gently took her gloved hand in his own 
and sat her down on the bench.
	"It's beautiful." She admitted glancing at the food laid out on the table.  
A single red rose sat in a vase in between the two spots.
	"Dis be de same meal ya made for dat picnic, once 'pon a time," his smile 
was devilish as he pointed to the different selections.  "Non pie dis time, 
though."
	Rogue laughed, remembering the picnic she had cooked for when they first 
began to "date."  Of course, the pie had ended up on her.  Looking back, it 
was highly amusing.  "Too bad," she drawled and he grinned and nodded in 
agreement.
	"Bon appetite," he murmured as they began the meal.

	***

	It was rapidly approaching the end of the evening when Rogue finally pushed 
her plate away.
	"Bon, non?" Remy raised an eyebrow watching her.  She nodded and he laughed 
at her expression.  "Remy glad ya like it, chere."
	"Some of ya best creations.  Ah'm impressed."
	"I have somet'ing for ya," he told her quietly.
	Rogue's expression softened.  "Ya didn' have ta get me anyt'ing," she told 
him.  "This is enough."
	"Mais oui," he retorted.  He almost seemed to glower at her, "How could ya 
not 'pect anyt'ing from me, chere?  It's your birthday," he reminded her.
	"How could Ah forget?" she drawled.  "Mah birthdays are nothin' special."
	He shook his head, disagreeing as he pulled a small box from his pocket.  
He chuckled at her expression.  "Non ring, so don' get *too* excited," he 
chided.
	Rogue rolled her eyes, "Ah didn' expect a ring anyway, sugah."
	He handed the box to her and tried to act nonchalant as she fingered the 
blue velvet.  His expression turned almost anxious as he waited for her 
reaction as she lifted the lid.  She masked her eyes and he was unable to 
decipher what she thought.
	"It's..." she trailed off as she took out the small gold bracelet.  Four 
charms dangled on it.  "..beautiful.  Thank you."
	"Each charm has significance," he took the bracelet from her hands and 
pointed to each charm.  "De clasped hands are for friendship," he looked 
almost sheepish, "I couldn' find any other t'ing to represent it... De rose 
is for your beauty," he continued.  He hesitated as he came to the two 
shards of a heart.
	Rogue looked at him expectantly, waiting for him to continue.  Remy gazed 
into her shining emerald eyes and continued on, before he could stop 
himself.
	"De deux pieces of heart is to...represent us," his voice seemed to gain 
courage as he finished the explanation.  "I was never complete until I met 
you, chere.  Despite our problems and I know dat our future will have its 
rocky points, I..." Words began to fail him and he shrugged helplessly.  "I 
love you," he finally finished.  He looked up at her, doubt shining in his 
eyes.  'She's being silent,' he thought with a small frown.  He almost 
grimaced as he looked away from her unreadable eyes.  'She hates it,' he 
sighed.
	Rogue smiled as she watched him.  She understood exactly what he was trying 
to say.  Yes, they had their problems.  Yes, she wasn't sure what to think 
of his past.  Yes, she knew he had yet to *all* the way forgive her for what 
she had done to him.  But she also knew, he was being sincere.  He was 
giving his all to her, and she accepted it.
	Maybe it was time to just forget the past.  Despite knowing she was kidding 
herself with that theory, she could at least stop dwelling on it.  Since she 
had known him, he'd been honest about everything else.  Maybe it was time to 
start trusting her heart.
	He had opened himself up completely to her this night.  So maybe it was 
time she did the same.
	She pressed a gloved hand to his cheek.  He almost jumped from her touch 
and his confused eyes met hers.  "Ah love it, thank you," she murmured.
	"I'm glad ya like it," he managed to whisper.
	Her next action took them both by surprise as she leaned closer, pressing 
her lips to him in a soft kiss.  It deepened as Rogue placed everything her 
heart wanted heard at him.  Finally they broke apart, and he was staring at 
her in shock.
	"How... is dat...possible?" his voice shook with disbelief as he continued 
to stare at her, his face flushed.
	Rogue paused in thought.  She understood what had happened.  She had opened 
herself completely up to him.  Trusting him with everything she had, and in 
that result she could touch him in every possible way.  "Ah love you," she 
said simply.  Her eyes drifted to the bracelet that he still held in his 
hand and whispered, "Two hearts become one."
	His shock expression began to fade as they kissed again, lost in their own 
world that finally had been aligned.

-Fin