Behind Door Number One

[Gambit]

The walk to the dorms had been pretty uneventful. Useless chit chat between long periods of silence as the Cajun thought on just how much more complicated his life had just become. His heart was a mess, his head even more so, and for a fleeting moment he had to wonder just how much more he could take before the fragile thread his remaining sanity hung by decided to snap.

“An’ here we have de girl’s dorms, one o’ de best places on de base,” he said, smirking. If all else failed, he was still an incredible actor. “Now, if I’m not mistaken, dis room should be empty.”<br>
Stopping in front of a door identical to all the others, Remy reached forward and turned the doorknob, swinging it open to reveal an uninhabited room. Flipping on the lights, he stood aside.

“Ladies first,” he stated, gesturing grandly.

[Rogue]

"Such a gentlemen!” Anna laughed softly, a small smile playing across her features. “Oh! Before Ah forget t’ ask… That girl that Ah met--- Lydia met--- last tahme Ah was here, is she doin’ bettah? Ah think her name was Jubilation?” She paused for a minute to revisit the memory. “She didn’t look so good a couple weeks ago.”<br>
She could still remember distinctly the tears tracing their way down the young girl’s face and she shook her head sadly to herself. “Poor kid… Somethin’ really had her torn t’ pieces. She didn’t say what it was though, and Ah don’t lahke t’ come off pushy.”<br>
Stepping quietly into the room, she peered to either side of her taking in the furniture. Smiling at herself in the mirror, she blinked back a couple tears of disappointment and sorrow. This is what Ah’ve become… The lovely Ms. Lydia Joan Taylor… In a t-shirt and ripped jeans… working for some kick ass mutant group… But the thing that stung most, was how similar her own and her mother’s features seemed to be. She could still see the blood covered room and her parents’ faces twisted in horror and pain.

Slowly stepping up to the bed, much like she had walked to her parents’ coffins to say her last farewells, she turned to the side and flopped down, her elbows on her knees and her face in her hands. Unable to keep up with the flirty persona, Anna just settled for fighting back the flood of rage-consumed tears that wanted to swallow her up.

“Ah’m sorry…” she muttered under her breath, knowing how much her fluxuations in animation always seemed to bother people. It was as if she had two sides; one, heartbroken and stepped on, that she was trying to hide with the other, a mask of seduction and smiles. And it was because her happiness would always shatter at the most odd times, and usually her most stressful, that people often tended to get the wrong impression.

[Gambit]

At the mention of Jubilee, Remy hung his head, a look of guilt on his features. The only day Rogue had been here was the one that Jubilee had found out that he wasn’t who she thought he was. And although they had been slowly working through it, hearing the description of just how broken up the his best friend had been caused a new wave of guilt and sadness to wash over him.

“She’s... she’s alright,” he replied unsurely. Was she? He had no idea. He had been steadily trying to fill the boots of this other Gambit in her eyes, but he had this feeling that no matter how hard he tried, he never would. He hadn’t been the one to save her or listen to all her secrets, and that wasn’t easily forgotten. And then there were times when he pushed too hard, and interesting things happened...

“She’s actually got de room right next door t’ dis one,” he continued, though it appeared Rogue was no longer listening. As she dropped down on the bed, burying her face in her hands, a look of concern replaced the guilt on the Cajun’s face. Barely catching her apology, he frowned.

“Y’ got not’in’ t’ be sorry fo’, chere. Y’ got every right t’ be sad, angry, everyt’in’!” Remy said, walking over to sit next to her on the bed, but leaving some space between them. “Losin’ de people y’ care ‘bout de most in de world ain’ somet’in’ y’ get over very quickly.”<br>

[Rogue]

With a small nod, Anna muttered, "Yeah. Thanks..."

Ah’ll check up on Jubilee later… She’s right next door now… not much of a walk. Sighing deeply she forced the images to the back of her mind, knowing they’d re-visit her in her dreams anyway, as they always did.

Quietly, she listened to his reasoning, closing her eyes against the rising storm. Picking her face up out of her hands, she looked cautiously over at the Cajun, catching a sad look in his red-on-black eyes. “You understand… Not many people do. But how? What happened? If you don’t mahnd me askin’…”<br>
Tilting her head, she used a finger to wipe away a single tear that had managed to escape.

[Gambit]

It was true. He did understand. He had lost many people he cared about in many different ways. But staring into her green eyes, glistening with tears, eyes that were so like hers, yet so different, he found one face standing out among the others. Unable to hold her gaze any longer, he looked away.

Should I tell her?

But no sooner did that thought cross his mind than did he make his decision.

“I lost a lot o’ people I cared ‘bout, but it’s in de past now. Not somet’in’ I really like t’ talk about,” he answered, running a hand back through his hair and staring down at the toes of his boots. “But oui, I understand. Not de same situation, but I get it.”<br>
An’ anyone dat says it gets better’s lyin’. Sure, I spose it does get better, but it never goes away...

[Rogue]

Thank God... she thought. Maybe this guys isn't so bad after all... Maybe Ah really can talk to him whenever Ah need anything. He seems genuine... And no one's ever really understood this about me before. At least not wihtout me explaining.

Smiling, she nodded, "Ah gotcha. Don't worry about it. Lahke Ah said, if it's a topic that someone wants t' drop, then there won't be another word."

Exhaling deeply, she leaned back on her arms, arching her back a little to stretch it out before rolling her shoulders. Rolling her head to either side, she tilted her face so she caught another glimpse of herself in the mirror... She looked pathetic... She needed to get her mind off of everything. She needed a stress reliever of some kind, but she wasn't quite sure what would help with how she felt at the moment.

Standing up from the bed, she walked over to the closet and set the tips of her fingers against the cool metal. Closing her eyes, she turned her back to the door and leaned on it, before re-opening them and getting a whole new view of the room. Her sight lingering on the bed's headboard, she took a sharp intake of breath as a memory of the caved in wall and ceiling causing it to crash down on her and another popped into her mind. He looked oddly familliar... Her gaze shifted to Remy momentarily.

Feeling restless, she stepped up to the headboard, her thin frame accidentally brushing against Gambit's, and reached out a gloved hand to traced it's outline, puzzling over the memory. "Ah remember... Nah, that's crazy..." she whispered under her breath.

[Gambit]

Risking a glance at her out of the corner of his eyes, Remy returned her smile, glad that she wouldn’t push him to talk about his past. As she leaned back on the bed, arching her back in a stretch, he quickly averted his gaze again, groaning inwardly. If possible, he thought this version of Rogue was even sexier than the last, and she wasn’t even trying.

I could really go fo’ a smoke or a drink right ‘bout now. Or even a good ol’ fashioned bar fight. Somet’in’ t’ take m’ mind off... everyt’in’.

Feeling the bed move beneath him as her weight was removed from it, Remy glanced up and watched curiously as she inspected the room. Noticing the change in expression as her eyes fell on a point just past him, he turned to see just the wall and the top of the bed. Confused, he was just turning back around when it became quite clear that she intended to inspect what had caught her attention. His breath caught in his throat as she brushed against him, her hand running over the headboard of the bed. At the barely audible words ‘Ah remember’, his eyes grew considerably wide.

Now don’ jump t’ conclusions. Y’ barely heard what she said, maybe y’ didn’t hear right at all. Y’ jus’ t’ink y’ heard her.

“Are y’... are y’ okay?” he choked out past the lump in his throat. Why did she have to stand so damn close and smell so damn good?

[Rogue]

Letting her hand fall back down to hang at her side, she shook her head, white streaks of hair falling into her line of vision, "Ah'm not so sure..."

Biting her lip, she debated whether to tell him what she remembered or not. Quickly she settled on just skimming the topic, knowing that he'd prolly be curious until she explained what she had meant. "Ya see... recently, Ah've been meetin' people that have acted lahke Ah was supposed t' recognize them..."

She thought about the man named Logan in the car-shop, "There was this big burly guy who walked inta mah motorcycle shop downtown and hugged me, callin' me "Kiddo" an' all Ah could do was just stand there, puzzling over where Ah had seen him before... It's weird. Ah get pictures of the past, kinda lahke what mah power's do when Ah absorb other's memories... Only, they're not from the person's point of view... They're from someone elses. As if Ah'm looking at the person before me through another's eyes in a memory from some foreign time...."

She let out a strangled chuckle, lowering her eyes to look at the man sitting at her knees, her eyes connecting with his, though they were technically at her waist level, "Ah sound crazy don't Ah? Ah shouldn't have said anythin'..."

Beginning to blush, she turned around so both he and the headboard where behind her, but she could still feel his eyes searching for something. Shutting her own, she silently wondered if she should have kept quiet... But it was something that had been bothering her, and letting it out to someone, even if he was almost a complete stranger, made the load on her mind lighten considerably.

[Jubilee]

Jubilee heard voices in the room next to hers, and tilted her head slightly in puzzlement. She got up, putting the pliers she'd been holding down and went next door.

When she saw Lydia, she grinned broadly, relieved to see she wasn't dead after all.

"DIA!"

The hyperactive Asian teen flew at the older woman and hugged her carefully, but hard.

"I thought you were dead! I'm very glad to see that you're not, because I need someone else to talk to who likes shopping. And y'know, cos I kinda like having you around and stuff."

[Gambit]

As she began to describe the experience, Gambit felt his breath catch in his throat. She may not remember everything that happened, but she remembered some things. He knew exactly what she meant, only his came more as odd feelings than memories.

It would be so easy jus’ t’ tell her what happened... but den what? She still don’t really r’member it. It’d jus’ make t’ings weird. She’d know how y’ felt, what y’d had wit’ dis ot’er her... it’d be jus’ like puttin’ anot’er wall up. But... I don’ wanna lie t’ her...

Luckily, he didn’t have to. She had just turned away when an excited voice broke through the silence and Jubilee announced her presence in a huge way by launching herself on the unsuspecting Rogue. Laughing to himself, Remy shook his head and silently thanked Jubilee for her perfect timing.

“One o’ de first t’ings y’ gonna learn aroun’ here is dat we all be crazy,” he replied finally.

[Rogue]

Knocking the wind out of her, Anna stumbled back a little but quickly regained her balence, managing to refrain from tumbling to the floor. Wrapping her arm's about the girl's shoulders, she returned the embrace. "At least Ah know Ah'll fit in..." she muttered to the Cajun, sending him a discrete wink and prying the girl off of her.

Blinking at the girl's nickname for Lydia, she smirked, "Uh... Jub's... It's Anna now. Ah gottah 'play-dead' so people don't try t' pull the same stunt again." She explained it in a round-about way she knew the Asian would understand. Rogue didn't really want to get too detailed about her change, she so left it at that. "So, you're gonna have t' come up with a new name... shouldn't be that hard for ya."

Wrinkling her nose a bit, she returned the grin from Jubilee. "But don't worry, Ah still lahke shoppin'... Though Ah've been dressin' down a bit lately. Can't remember last tahme Ah owned casual clothes..." she thought back to herself for a moment, her puzzling expression comical.

"An' Ah'll be aroun' any tahme ya need t' talk," her voice as reassuring as she could get it to be for the moment.

Once again! An impressive switch! If they had Olympics for the "bi-polar", you'd win it. Inwardly shaking her head, she couldn't help but marvel at her instinctive, but annoying defences. Ah bet it has somethin' t' do with absorbing personalities... And that's how Ah keep them locked up and outtah mah mahnd...

[Jubilee]

"Anna, alright," Jubilee said, nodding slightly.

"Might just end up calling you after your codename; there isn't that much you can do with Anna. Do you have one now? Is it cool? Of course it's cool, who am I kidding?"

She grinned and patted Rogue on a cloth covered part of her arm.

"Don't worry, you'll rebuild an immunity to the babble sooner or later."

[Gambit]

Catching Rogue’s wink, Remy grinned back. Leaning back on his elbows on the bed, he watched her try to pry the over-enthusiastic Jubilee off her, managing eventually to at least get the girl to stop hugging her. It was strange to him to hear her call herself anything other than Rogue, but figured this would be something else he’d have to get used to.

Not only is she more open wit’ her powers, but ‘bout herself as well...

But he was suddenly struck with her words to Jubilee, about her being around if the younger girl needed to talk. And to be completely honest, that thought made him more than a little uncomfortable.

Why do I get de feelin’ dis ain’ gonna bode well fo’ me?

Closing his eyes, he let Jubilee’s babbling wash over him, but stayed silent, hoping that maybe they had forgotten he was even in the room.

[Rogue]

"It's Rogue."

She stated her name simply, tilting her head in a matter-of-fact way before shifting her eyes to the Cajun on the bed and watching him wonderingly. His expression-filled eyes changed every so often and she began to pick up the fact that maybe she wasn't the only one with masks. Turning her attention back to Jubilee, she smiled gently at the girl.

"Actually, Ah do a lot of babbling mahself..." she paused, peering at Remy out of the corner of her eyes, "Too much sometimes."

She had begun to wonder if spilling her nausiating memory flashes and feelings to the man had been a little less than smart. He hadn't said anything reassuring to her on the topic since; not to mention the way he watched her as she had roamed about the room previously had been a little disconcerning. Frusterated with herself, she decided she had better hold her tongue from now on. Just because she was in a crowd of unusual people like herself doesn't mean that they'd be more understanding towards her in other areas of life, like mental stability.

[Jubilee]

"Rogue, sweet," Jubilee said happily.

"Roguey. I doubt you could do as much babbling as me. Especially if I've been eating lots of sugar during the day, and oooh, we got a kitten!"

She beamed at Rogue.

"He is small, black and fluffy, and he has eyes like Rems. Cool, no? I called him Diable."