Just to state it, X-Men is Marvel's, not mine.  This is ONLY fluff, so it's 
not like it's story line important (plus its MUSH).  Enough talking, and 
enjoy fan fic! -KM 10/'00

C'est La Vie
by Autumn

	The X-Mansion was silent that night as a lone figure tossed and turned in 
her sleep.  The X-Men had returned home the week before in a small victory, 
glad to put the recent events in the past.  One particular Southern Belle 
desperately wanted to.  She couldn't though, as her thoughts would 
constantly drift back.
	She had *killed* someone.  Evil or not, it was still against what she 
believed in in the present.  Yes, she had murdered when she lived with 
Mystique, but she was past that.   It no longer had given her night after 
night of nightmares.  She had *begun* to make peace with herself.  She knew 
she was far from really putting her past in the past, but she had tried.  
And now... it came flooding back to her as a constant reminder of what she 
was.  Evil.  She might wear the X-Men uniform, and lead the team, but that 
didn't stop the truth.
	She sat up in the bed, yawning sleepily as she finally gave up the hope for 
a decent night's sleep.  It wasn't meant to be, so no reason to dwell on 
something she'd only be able to grasp.  She gently curled her blanket around 
her, snuggling into the warm flannel material.  Leaning her head back, she 
gazed through glazed emerald eyes at the ceiling.  Why had she suddenly got 
the urge to clean?  The ceiling was dirty, black specks of dirt sprinkled 
across it.  Maybe that was why...
	She felt her eyes drift close in a light sleep, but was instantly jolted 
wide awake from the image of the Goth glowing with Gambit's borrowed powers 
and then disintegrating before their eyes.
	"This is stupid," she sighed, "Ah can' sleep.  Ah can' eat.  Ah'm useless 
in this state!"
	'What are ya gonna do about it?' A taunting voice cackled inside her.
	She couldn't answer herself.  She'd tried to answer that question before.  
She'd eventually sleep.  Sometime.
	Sighing, she turned her face to her window, where the curtains were drawn 
and she could see the full moon.  It shone brightly in the star-lit sky.  
She stood, wrapping the blanket around her tightly, and approached her 
window, just staring at the expansion of stars.
	She glanced up at a light thumping sound above her.  It sounded like 
someone was awake... and on the roof?  Deciding to investigate, already 
suspecting who it would be, she dropped the blanket to the floor and quietly 
eased her window open.  Shivering in the cool blast of air, she silently 
rose into the air and out the window.
	"'Ello chere," The light drawl confirmed her suspicions as she settled her 
feet onto the slippery roof thatch.
"Hi yourself, sugah," Rogue smiled lop-sidedly at him as she sat herself 
next to him.  "Nice night, huh?"
	"Oui," Gambit, known to his friends as Remy LeBeau, nodded once.  "Why ya 
awake at dis hour?"
	"Couldn' sleep," she admitted, "kept having nightmares."
	"'Bout last week?" Remy's glowing eyes stared straight ahead, not bothering 
to turn to her as he spoke.  He reached into his pocket, removing a 
cigarette and lighting it.  He brought it to his lips, and puffed, inhaling 
the scent.  Exhaling, his eyes watched the smoke as it dissolved into the 
air.
	"Yah," Rogue nodded then grimaced at his action.  "That'll kill ya, ya 
know."
	"Not if other t'ing don' first," he shrugged.  He turned a raised eyebrow 
at her, "Why do ya care what Gambit do, anyway?"
	"Despite..." she trailed off, not sure how to begin, "...past comments, Ah 
do care 'bout ya."
	Remy smiled softly, "Bon pour vous connaître soin, chere(1)."
	"Ah've always cared, sugah, even if Ah didn' seem ta."
	"I'm glad," he said simply.  He looked away from her, his glowing eyes 
staring up at the star-y sky.  "Wanna talk 'bout de dream?"
	Rogue shrugged, "It was th' same as all the others.  Ah killed him, Ah was 
blamed, Ah was thrown outta the X-Men."
	Remy nodded thoughtfully, "I can unders'and dat.  I used ta go through 
phases of dat too."
	"What'd ya do to forget them?"
	Remy looked embarrassed as he mumbled something beneath his breath in 
French, "J'habituellement ai dormi autour, puis."
	"What was that, sugah?"
	"I said.." he glanced at her, blushing slightly, "I usually...slept aroun' 
den."
	Rogue cocked an eyebrow at him, "Wha'... Random bar girls?"
	"Oui."
	Rogue laughed lightly, "Ah wish it was that simple for me.  But it's 
not..."
	"I'm sorry, chere.  I...know how hard it must be on ya at times."
	Rogue smiled bitterly, "No ya don'.  No one can understand.
	The two fell into a silence, one that wasn't bitter nor strained, one they 
both could contemplate in.
	"Hey, chere?" Remy broke the silence, glancing sideways at the petite 
Southern woman.
	"Wha', sugah?"
	"Wanna go swimmin'?" Rogue's eyes rose again, staring dubiously at him.
	"You're kiddin', righ'?"
	"Non, chere, Gambit be serious." His eyes glowed in the darkness as they 
searched her own mystified eyes.  He smiled to himself, knowing that glow 
hadn't been in her eyes...in...well, ever.  Standing, he grinned as he took 
both of her hands as he tugged her to her feet.
	"Well..." Rogue grinned almost shyly at him.  "Ah'd love to."  They shared 
a short smile before she wrapped her arms around his lean form and brought 
them to the ground.
	"Hey...um, sugah?"
	"Wha', chere?"
	"Aren' we... Missin' ah suits?" Rogue gestured at their clothes.  "Or are 
we gonna swim in our clothes?"
	"Gambit has other ideas," Remy told her, eyes twinkling with mischief.  
"Who needs suits or clothes?"
	Rogue blinked, staring at him.  "Are...ya...serious?"
	"Never been more serious." Rogue shook her head, grinning as he stripped 
from his clothes and went into the pool, before she got another word in.  
Shrugging, she did the same and shivered as entered the luke warm water.
	"This is crazy, ya know, swamp rat."
	"Crazy is de best way ta be, chere."  Rogue nodded as she watched him from 
across the pool.  "...Chere?"
	"Hmm?"
	"Would Gambit be horribally forward if I asked if I could kiss ya?"
	"Yes," she nodded, but smiled, "Ah want ya ta anyway, though."
	Gambit smirked and moved across the water, slowly, staring at her form, 
which was bathed in the moonlight.  He reached a hand to trail it along her 
cheek, and his fingers traced her lips.  Carefully, he leaned down, kissing 
her softly, and effectivly.
	"That's nice," Rogue murmured as they broke apart.  "But Ah think we need 
ta do it again, ta make sure we can remember how ta do it righ'."
	"Ya think so, eh?" Rogue nodded solemnly, then smirked as she kissed him 
back, softly, then deeply.  "Not that Gambit's complaining," he murmured 
against her lips.
	"Good," Rogue pulled away and lowered a hand to the water, splashing it 
against him.
	They played in the water for several moments, drenching each other with the 
luke warm water.  They finally fell against a deck chair, in each other's 
arms, and fell asleep.
	Maybe it wasn't perfect, especially for these two, but stolen moments of 
happiness can always be a blessing.