Talking

[Christine MacTaggart]

Christine wandered into the room the Cajun was hiding in, and coughed as she caught a strong whiff of smoke. She lifted the carton off his bedside and gently tugged the cancer stick out of his mouth. "Killing yourself won't bring Logan back," she said quietly. She sat down on the floor and looked up at him. "I don't hate you."

[Gambit]

Gambit had just lit his last cigarette using the tip of his finger, when his door opened and Christine walked in. She then proceeded to take said cigarette and put it out. As she sat on the floor beside the bed, he glared down at her with glowing eyes, before her random confession caused him some confusion.

Well, dat jus’ came outta nowhere! I wonder who she be tryin’ ta convince… me or herself?

“Well, dat’s good ta know. Dat makes one o’ us, den,” he replied, his tone emotionless. Removing a card from his pocket, the Ace of Spades, he flipped it nimbly between his fingers, refusing to meet her eyes.

[Christine MacTaggart]

"You don't understand. I can't afford to hate," she said quietly. "There's a darkness to Phoenix... And I'm afraid." She paused and looked up at him. "I'm afraid of it and her. If I were to lose control... Can you imagine what kind of carnage an angry Phoenix could cause? One that's driven by hate..." She shook her head. "I don't want to find out..."

[Gambit]

Remy felt a pang of sympathy for the young girl, but he no longer knew what to do with it. He knew how close she had been to Logan, and had expected a reaction like Storm’s, not this. What could he do, offer comfort? It wasn’t him she wanted, but the one she considered her father, the one she would never see again. He suddenly had the urge to provoke her, to see what this Phoenix could do, but pushed it away.

So dis Phoenix t’ing be driven by hate? Good t’ing I ain’t its host…

No longer able to sit still, Gambit rose from the bed, and began pacing the room.

“Why are you here? What d’you wan’ from me?” he asked, running a hand through his dishevelled hair. “You jus’ come ta tell me dat you don’ hate me, ‘cause you can’t?”<br>

[Christine MacTaggart]

She nodded. "Just thought you might like to know not everyone hates you here." She caught his thought. "No, she's not driven by hate. She's never experienced it before. And... I don't want her to."

Her gaze grew distant before she looked up at him again. "I'll be leaving soon. As soon as we finish fighting the Sentenials... I'm going to fight D'Ken. Remy... would you promise me something?"

[Gambit]

Struck speechless by her kindness, Remy stopped pacing and just looked at her. Her expression was genuine.

Promise? Dis be de last homme she should be askin’ ta promise her somet’in’.

“Well, petite, dat depends on what it be,” he replied, stuffing his hands in the pockets of his jeans.

[Christine MacTaggart]

"If..." she paused, trying to find her wording. "If I don't come back from my battle... watch over the X-Men for me?" She closed her eyes and a tear streaked down her face. "I just have a feeling... something bad will happen after my battle..."

[Gambit]

“Watch over de X Men?” Remy asked, unable to stop the laugh that burst forth at that question. “Me? I t’ink you got de wrong homme, petite.”<br>
Seeing the tear run down her cheek, his face softened a little. Crouching down before her, he rested his arms on his knees.

“Look, don’ t’ink like dat. You’ll be able ta look after dem y’self,” he said, trying to be comforting, even though the fact she picked him bothered him.

Besides, if I make it t'rough dis Sentinal t’ing, I ain’t stickin’ aroun’…

[Christine MacTaggart]

"Remy.." she shook her head sadly. "I won't be able to," she whispered softly. "I'll be joining the M'Kraan Crystal when I hide it. It's the only way I can make sure no-one will take it and use it."

She sniffled softly. "Please, Remy..."

[Gambit]

Standing up again, Remy’s eyes flashed red.

“I can’t! What you wan’ me ta say? Dat seein’ Logan die a noble death savin’ his team mate, gave me de warm fuzzies, an’ made me wanna become an X Man, like him?” he exclaimed sarcastically, his voice raising.

“Well, désolé petite, but I don’ work like dat. If anyt’in’, dis made me realize dat Magneto’s been right all along. Xavier’s dream ain’t never gonna happen! De humans made dose Sentinals ta hunt us down, an’ destroy us!” he continued. He watched the emotions play across Christine’s face, but couldn’t stop the words from pouring out. “If we don’ start fightin’ back, not jus’ against de tin cans, but de humans too, den dey’re gonna succeed!”<br>
Taking a deep breath, Gambit stared harshly down at the young girl, awaiting her reaction.

[Christine MacTaggart]

"Not all humans want us dead!" Christine cried. "My mother's one of the tops in her field and she's friends with Xavier *and* she's human!" Tears streaked down her face. "Remy, I'm risking my life to save everyone, human and mutant alike when I battle D'Ken to protect the M'Kraan Crystal!"

[Gambit]

Remy clenched his jaw, the glow in his eyes dimming. Anger he could deal with. Violence? Even better. But tears? Running a hand over his face, he sighed.

“We all got family dat be human, an’ true, dey ain’t all bad. But we can’t expect dem ta be all good eit’er!” he replied, his voice having gone back to a normal level. “If dis is somet’in’ you gotta do, I’ll help you if I can, but I can’t make de promise you asked. Dere be a lot of ot’ers much more qualified fo’ dat.”<br>
Forcing a smile, he sat back on the edge of the bed.

“But dat life or death battle stuff be right up my alley!” he joked half heartedly.

[Christine MacTaggart]

"Yeah, but you're also the only one who hasn't tried to talk me out of doing this," she said, a faint smile on her pale features. "If you can't watch over all of them... at least watch over Mom or Kurt... doesn't matter which.."

[Gambit]

“Why would I try ta talk you outta dis? If dis be what you spose ta do, who’m I ta try an’ stop you?” he said, grateful that she had stopped crying.

Jus’ make de promise. It’ll make her feel better. It’s not like you ain’t use ta breakin’ promises…

“If dat’s what it’ll take ta get you ta smile,” he replied, keeping his intentions guarded. “Wait, ain’t your mere in Scotland?”

[Christine MacTaggart]

"Mum is in Scotland. Mom is here," she said. "You've met Mom. Ororo..." she said quietly. "Logan and Ororo were like the parents I never had. Don't get me wrong, I love Mum... but... sometimes I think she loved her research more then me."