Characters are Marvels, no profit was made from this.
Keri
An X-mas Story
"A very Merry Christmas,
And a Happy New Year,
Let's hope it a good one,
Without any fears" (1)
The skaters glided or stumbled around Rockefeller Center's
ice rink to the music. Others watched from the sides. Two
of those observers were the X-men Gambit and Rogue.
"Whew Remy, yah gonna buy out all o' Macy's next?" Rogue
nodded her head toward the substantial pile of purchases
beside him.
"Oui, and I'll give it all to you." Remy grinned flirtatously.
"Yah never change." She smirked.
"An dat why you love me, neh?"
Rogue playfully stuck out her tongue at him.
"Could t'ink of a few t'ings I like dat tongue t'
be doing..."
"Shame on yah Remy, there are children nearby..."
Rogue mock scolded him, but blushed as well.
"I'm sorry chere, Remy just a bad boy." The tone was light,
but Rogue saw a touch of sadness in his eyes.
"Remy...ah'm not judging yah. Yoah the most
kindhearted, generous-"
"No I'm not."
"Yes, yah are Remy LeBeau! Yah just too hardheaded tah
see it! Yah have the lowest self-esteem-
oh god Remy, ah'm sorry. Ah'll go get us some coffee
tah warm us up."
Rogue got up fast and almost ran away. When she got far
enough away that Remy couldn't see her she slapped
herself on the forehead. Girl, yah an expert at openin'
yoah mouth and insertin' yoah foot!
First yah insult him foh somethin' that's not his fault,
then yah have tah say somethin' about warmin' up from the
cold, remindin' him of Antartica! Sometimes yah'd be better
off keeping yoah mouth shut.
Rogue continued to berate herself while she waited in line
for the coffee. She blamed herself in part, because she hadn't
been able to overcome Remy's momentary sucidial urge when she absorbed
his thoughts.
She had later and searched for him numerous times, but
by that time that horrid green mist woman had sunk her claws
into poor Remy. Remy had ridden himself of the parasitic
creature only recently. She knew he still had nightmares about Antartica
and that monster.
She and Hank had helped Remy fight the "bebette"(2)
out of him and into a containment system. She had a few
nightmares herself about that experience.
First watching Remy scream with pain as he tried to force
it out of himself. Then feeling that stabbing ice cold agony
herself as she used her power to pull it out of Remy. Then as
it became tangible Hank slammed a containment field around it.
If they hadn't suceeded? That was what happened in her
nightmares. Rogue shuddered.
Stop thinkin' about that girl, it's over and we did suceed.
Think about Christmas. Wonder what surprise dish Remy will
make this year? If it was like last year...
Rogue grinned, remembering how the members who hadn't sampled
Remy's Cajun food had got a surprise as all the spices hit
their tongues. Experienced members had wisely taken small
bites of the wonderful, but highly spiced food.
**************************************************
As she weaved her way back through the crowds she caught
glimpses of Remy just staring at the ice skaters, not looking
at anything else. As she got closer she realized he wasn't really
looking at the skaters. His eyes had a far away look to them and
he was singing something very softly. He was singing the song
playing for the skaters. And she swore she saw some tears there
in his eyes.
"Little baby
Pa rum pum pum pum,
I am a poor boy too
Pa rum pum pum pum.
I have no gift to bring,
Pa rum pum pum pum,
That's fit to give our king-"(3)
Remy abruptly cut off his singing when he saw Rogue and quickly
blinked his eyes several times and grinned.
"Merci, chere. Both de lady an de coffee are welcome sights to
dis Cajun."
Rogue snuggled up to Remy, and said, "Ah heard yah singing. Yah
have a nice singin' voice."
"So do you, chere. A pretty alto."
"Yah have any music trainin' when yah were a kid?"
"A little. Was a choir boy for a year, before my voice changed."
"Cain't-" Rogue stopped herself, she wouldn't say it, wouldn't
insult him.
"See me as a choirboy." Remy completed the sentence and smirked
at her. "Sound like something more like Scott do, neh?"
Rogue laughed, "But have yah heard him sing?"
Remy winced, "Poor Jean, neh?"
"Well yah cain't be great at everything."
"Dat's true..."
Remy was about to drift back into self hate mode, Rogue
recognized the tone of voice.
"Remy, ah'm gonna convince yah that yah are a good person,
even if it takes me fifty years!"
Silence from Remy. Then, "You t'ink so chere, you t'ink dis
Cajun boy isn't so bad?"
"Ah know so!"
"I...merci, chere."
Rogue looked Remy in the eyes, did she see a little spark of
hope there? Maybe there was something else she could say to
make sure that spark was there and stayed alive.
"Ah love yah Remy. Ah know what and who yah are and
ah love yah."
"An I do you, mon amour, jus' as you are."
They gazed into each others eyes, knowing at this moment
they had both overcome one their inner obsticles. The road
ahead wouldn't be easy for them, but maybe now it wouldn't
be quite so difficult.
Snow began to fall.
"Bleech. Snow, let's go home Remy."
"Whatever ma cherie wishes is dis Cajun command."
Rogue smiled, "Don't yah ever stop doing that." She said
mock sternly and then giggled.
"Okay, chere." He said as he winked at her.
***************************************************************
(1) "Happy X-mas/War Is Over"- John Lennon and Yoko Ono
(2)Bebette- what Remy called the green mist woman, it
means parasite in French.
(3) "Little Drummer Boy" -Harry Simeone and Harry Onorati
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X-mas story, part 2, Christmas Day
The gifts had all been given and the Christmas dinner eaten.
The X-men were drifting off with whomever they wished to
spend the rest of the evening.
"Chere, got somet'ing I wanted to give to you now."
Out of his black suit jacket, Gambit pulled out a small red box
and handed it to Rogue.
Rogue gasped as she opened the box, it was a heart shaped
ruby with small diamonds around it on a delicate gold necklace.
A card was attached. "Mon coeur `a toi" (1) it said.
She put the necklace on and hugged him tight. "Mah heart is yours too."
Remy touched his lips to her hair, breathing in the light cinnamon scent of her cologne brushed into her hair. (2)
Then she said, "Ah got somethin' special for yah as well." She gently slipped out of their embrace and quickly flew up to Ororo's room.
Remy thought, "Dat femme is de best t'ing ever to come into dis Cajun's heart." He smiled, his heart full of love.
Jean and Scott passed Remy on their way back out the front door. Jean thought, "any woman seeing Remy's face right now would believe he was the most handsome man that ever walked this earth."
Scott, only slightly jealous, said through their psychic link, "Jean I think that merchandise is already spoken
for."
Jean laughed, winking at him, "Just looking Scott."
Scott wasn't really jealous about Jean looking at Remy, he knew it was only that. He was surprised that this little twinge of negative feeling made him happy to be back with the X-men. It was his real home.
*************************************************************
"Hi `Ro came for Remy's gift."
Ororo noticed the necklace and smiled. " A beautiful gift."
"Oh it is! Ah hope this is just as special tah him as his gift is tah me."
"I am sure it will be, child."
Rogue picked up the big, gold vase full of multicolored roses
she had hidden in Ororo's room. Ororo had obligingly made
sure the scent of the roses stayed out of the rest of the house,
both when Rogue brought them in, while Remy was out shopping
for yet more Christmas gifts, and afterwards.
Ororo was still slightly amazed at how Remy always seemed to get whatever the person for whom he was getting the gift for wanted most, but never what anyone else had given them. It was a special talent he had.
**************************************************************
Remy's eyes widened in surprise when Rogue handed him the vase.
"Yah aways givin' me roses, so ah thought ah give yah some.
Ah want yah tah know what all these colors mean. The white is foh the sweet little boy who wanted someone tah love him
and be a family tah him. The yellow is for the joy yah gave me when yah came intah my life. The blue is foh yah loyalty and respect foh me, even when ah didn't deserve it. The pink is for your courtin' being so sweet, and the the red is foh yah beautiful eyes and your passion that stirs mah heart. And the gold vase is for how yah are more precious than gold
tah me, and all together it says ah believe in yah, Remy LeBeau."(3)
This time it was Remy's turn to hug Rogue tightly.
**************************************************************
(1) French - my heart to you (initimate or informal form)
(2) Cinnamon has a known mild aphrodisiac effect
(3) this was a response to the stupidly written reaction
Rogue had to Remy giving her the one white rose.
Rogue should know the meaning of flowers, and I
rightly wrote her this way here.