Lori McDonald
April 1997
"All right, Remy, this is just a simple battle sequence, to give us a feel for your abilities."
He nodded, barely listening, looking over towards the edge of the grassy swatch he stood on. There were boulders there, just as there were across the expanse of Muir Island, which Excalibur sat upon.
Brian Braddock watched him appraisingly, his arm around the shoulders of the blonde Meggan. Behind them sat Douglock and Colossus while in front Kitty was with Pete Wisdom, Lockheed sprawled on his back in her lap. Rahne lay on the ground before them, in her wolfen form.
"Remy, are you listening to me?"
He let his gaze wander over to the two non-Excalibur spectators. Dressed in a lab coat, Moira McTaggert sat with her arms crossed and an annoyed expression on her face.
"Remy!"
He looked at the woman beside her and she smiled at him lovingly. She was beautiful, her green eyes round and large, her long, russet hair streaked with a single white stripe.
Suddenly, a hand firmly grasped his chin and turned his head to look into the furry face of Kurt Wagner.
"You're drifting again, Herr LeBeau," he told him. "Stop looking at the lovely ladies and focus on me. Agreed?" He didn't let go until he nodded.
"E's got all th' attention span o' a bloody gnat," Pete grumbled.
"Watch ye mouth, ye Sassenach," Moira snapped automatically.
"Not bleedin' likely, ye-"
"PETE!" Kitty cautioned.
His head turned towards them again and immediately, Kurt pulled it back. "On me, Remy. Not them. Let's begin."
The blue furred mutant stepped back and aimed a slow slap at his face. Instinctively, he raised an arm to block it.
"Good!" Kirt said encouragingly. "Now, let's try a few more."
He tried to slap his other cheek, just as slowly, and again he blocked it. Kurt started a gentle kick, and he intercepted. Looking pleased, Kurt sped up his attacks.
As he blocked and dodged, though, he could hear the murmurs of Excalibur as they talked about him.
"A dinae ken why he cannae pay attention tae anything," Rahne, now back in her human form said. "A've tried tae interest him in things, but he dinnae always ken their importance."
"He's getting better," Kitty protested. "I've had a couple of long talks with him and he was interested."
Pete snorted. "And then BAM, E's starin' at th' bleedin' wall again."
"Query," Douglock put in. "Why would designate Remy LeBeau wish to stare at a wall?"
"You try spending two years in a cage with no social interaction. He's forgotten how to deal with the real world. Right, Moira?"
"Yuir pretty close, Kitty, lass."
"He's not much good to Excalibur this way," Brian said with disapproval in his voice.
"It's nae fur our sake, Brian. It's for his. Bein' a recognized member o' th' team gives him a sense o' identity unattached tae his past, an' what Sinister did wi' him. It's important, especially wi' how he dinnae want much tae do wi' his former life, or his own name."
"Why dinnae we get him tae pick a new name- a codename- if he cannae handle th' old one?" Rahne asked. "So he c'n make his own identity?"
There was silence.
"Yer know something, gal," Pete chuckled. "Sometimes yer so bloody brilliant I could kiss yer."
"Dinnae ye dare!" Rahne gasped.
"That's a wonderful idea," Moira laughed. "A dinnae ken why A dinnae ken it meself. What d' ye think, Rogue? Ye've nae said a word."
"Look at him," Rogue breathed.
"What are ye- Oh me God!"
While Excalibur talked, Kurt had increased the speed of his attacks, trying to break through his defenses, using more and more elaborate tricks.
Kurt spun, kicking high and across. He ducked under the leg, then dove over the same limb as Kurt crouched and followed through, spinning on one foot with furry limb outstetched. Curling over, he turned his dive into a somersault and came back to his feet. Immediately, he backflipped, taking himself out of the way as Kurt teleported in front of him and punched where his face had been. He didn't see what the big deal was. It was just a matter of not getting hit. It was simple.
"My God," Kitty gasped. "I had no idea he was this fast."
"Yer didn't see him tearin' th' shit out o' those hills, sweetheart."
Brian seemed impressed. "He MUST have some way of anticipating Kurt's moves before he makes them."
"Da," Colossus agreed. "That would be useful in a fight."
"Don't make too many plans," Wisdom said coolly. "Look at him."
"What do you mean?"
"Just look at 'im, an' tell me what's wrong."
He backpeddled, wondering what Pete was getting at, wondering what he was doing wrong now, then bent his knees and leaped, arcing over the lunging Kurt and twisting in midair until he could land on the ground behind the blue mutant. It was very easy. His powers were working at a fever pitch and he could sense the other man's every move. He suspected Kurt wasn't moving at his top speed yet, but both men were already like liquid quicksilver.
"He's nae fightin' back," Rahne said at last.
"Right," Pete agreed.
"Damn," Moira muttered.
He looked up as Rogue pushed aside the curtain which covered the doorway to his room and came in. He'd been lying on his stomach on the bed, reading a book Moira gave him. She was encouraging him to do things in his free time, and had lately been foisting books off on him. He had no personal interest in reading, but she always asked him about them during his therapy sessions.
He rolled over to face Rogue, and in surprise, he saw from the clock that he'd been absorbed in his reading for three hours.
Rogue smiled as she sat on the edge of the bed and leaned forward to kiss him, his powers protecting him from hers.
Her lips were soft against his, her tongue gently sliding against his in their mouths. He closed his eyes, leaning back on his elbows as he relaxed. Rogue had spent half her life not being able to touch anyone, and now that she could make contact with him, she took every opportunity she could get to do so. Since she'd arrived on Muir Island for her own therapy, she'd become quite a good kisser, and he found himself half wishing he had the nerve to take it further. He loved her dearly, but he kept telling himself the feeling couldn't be mutual and if he touched her as he ached to, she'd slap him silly. Rogue hadn't made any move beyond the kissing either, or at least not overtly enough to convince him to try.
Rogue was leaning across him, the tip of one breast brushing against his chest. He was aware of that breast, oh yes, aware of nothing save her lips and her tongue and the fire she burned through his clothes with her touch. He hoped she wasn't as aware of his erection.
"Oh, Remy," she whispered. "Ah-"
He never found out what she was going to say, because at that moment someone walked by outside and she jumped back as though she'd been scalded. He fell back against the bed in disappointment.
"Mah goodness!" Rogue gasped. "Ya really need ta get yaself a real door, Remy." She looked flushed.
He shrugged. "Moira doesn' wan' me lockin' m'self 'way from people." He looked at her carefully, wondering if that pink was from emerassment or arousal. He was seriously tempted to ask her, but he didn't have the nerve.
Rogue was looking back at him with sympathy now. "Ah'm sorry, sugah."
He shrugged again. She must mean for being so obvious in her hesitation. It didn't matter. He couldn't expect her to really want someone like him.
"How did y' therapy go?" He asked to change the subject before he depressed himself again.
In answer, Rogue groaned and flopped down to sit on the bed, her hands clasped between her knees. "Rough," she admitted. "Moira's been askin' me questions about mah childhood. When ah went ta Xavier foh help with mah powers, he nevah did that."
She sounded resentful, yet relieved to be talking about it at the same time, though she'd never had trouble talking to him. No one did, it seemed, since he just kept quiet and listened. It was certainly better than trying to talk about himself. If Rogue knew who he really was, she'd leave him in a heartbeat.
He wasn't sure his sanity could withstand that.
"Why is y' childhood important?" He asked softly.
She looked down. "When ah was thirteen... mah powers kicked in foh th' first time when ah was kissed by a boy ah knew. He nevah woke up."
So, she'd had a reason other than good taste to not want to kiss him at first. He'd thought Moira would only talk to her about Sinister. It was saddening to realize there was so much about her he didn't know.
Without a word, he sat on his knees on the bed behind her and put his arms around her body, pulling her back against his chest. She sighed happily, her head tucked under his chin.
"How is it ya always make me feel so good?" She whispered.
"Jus' lucky, I guess," he stammered, his heart speeding up. It felt so ODD to be touching a woman again. To be touching anyone. To hold her, to- He started blushing furiously, and froze in place.
Rogue kept moving though, minutely adjusting her position and nudging his hands away from her collarbone, where they were clasped. He wondered if she was just making herself more comfortable, or if she was also experiencing his natural tendency to bolt. A very large part of him wanted to run for the hills and he had to take a deep, steadying breath to calm himself.
Then she took his hands and deliberately moved them down to cup her breasts, and all the air inside him choked off.
Her breasts were soft under his hands, a remarkable fact given her natural invulnerability.
His eyes began to bug out of his head.
Rogue leaned back against him, her hands braced on the bed as she hummed happily, a tiny smile on her lips.
His adam's apple and his tonsils seemed to waging a war in his throat to see which one could strangle him first.
"Oh, Remy," Rogue whispered. "Ah've wanted this foh so long. Haven't ya?"
He nodded rapidly, swallowing about six times before he could speak.
"Uh huh," he squeaked.
How could he be having a panic attack NOW? Even when he'd been living in the tunnels under the mansion and Rogue was burning his dinner and smuggling him cookies, he'd dreamed of being with her. Each time, he'd been confident and skilled, the perfect lover. Now, however, he wondered how to get her shirt off before he hyperventilated himself into unconsciousness.
Rogue, however, seemed to have worked out her half ahead of time.
"Ah'm feelin' mighty warm, sugah," she whispered and pulled off her shirt, presenting him with a view of her white back. She pulled her long hair forward over one shoulder. "Could ya help me with th' rest, sugah?"
He looked down at the clasp of her bra. Oh, shit.
Gingerly, he took both ends of the bra and tried to unhook them in one move. They stuck.
Rogue bowed her head, one hand to her pale shoulder as he yanked frantically on the strap, her breathing slow and seductive. He started cursing under his breath and wondered how rude it would be to blow it off her.
Finally, it came free and he tossed the bra into a corner, then looked back and almost swallowed his tongue.
Rogue had turned around to face him, her chest bared and beautiful. Somehow, he managed to drag his gaze up to hers and saw her eyes soften.
"Ah love ya, Remy," she said.
"I love you too," he whispered.
Then she was in his arms and he didn't care how terrified he was, or how rusty. She was with him now and he never wanted to let go.
End of Part One**********