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Chapters
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
 
 
 

Stargazing - REVIEW THIS STORY

Written by Cat Smith
Last updated: 01/02/2007 02:01:11 AM

Chapter 1

Dark eyes surveyed the mess before him. Chairs and tables were overturned, and dust and cobwebs covered all in their silky-grey-ness. No-one had lived here in years, despite its still-stately appearence from the outside.

Remy had expected this. The X-Men were on the verge of breaking up when he'd... _left_, what with their leader, Professor Xavier going insane and turning into one of the worst enemies the X-Men had ever faced, and he'd recognised the fact fully due to their staunch unforgivings of his own past sins. Not that he could truly blame them...

Looking over at his partner, he saw the shock and surprise in his brown eyes. Remy doubted he had seen this coming. Despite him sharing the same un-optimism that Remy had, the two had remarkably different outlooks on life -- Remy accepted change as it came, while Bishop held onto his past with a strength that Remy couldn't help but admire. He wondered if he'd have been like that if things in his own life had been different.

For a moment, his eyes glazed over as he tried to remember. All he could remember of his parents was the sillouhette of his mother, all consuming fear, and an ache in his heart that hurt terribly.

Bishop looked up at his friend. Though he himself was in shock, he managed to ask shakily;

"Remy? Are you alright?"

Smiling wanly, Remy nodded weakly. "Oui, oui... I'm fine." *Always am,* he thought bitterly. He looked down at is friend. "Bish?" He asked.

Bishop stood on unsteady legs to face Gambit. "Yes, my friend?" Remy couldn't help but grin at that -- he remembered all to well the first time he had seen Bishop -- the two men had very nearly killed each other. They might well have done, pondered Remy, if Belladonna hadn't come along. That was when he had still been glad to see her... "Remy?" Asked Bishop again. Looking up with startled eyes, Remy shook his head to clear all the quicksilver thoughts from his head -- there for only a second and gone as quickly!

"Remy, you seem very distracted... are you _sure_ you're alright?" Bishop asked. He was beginning to get worried about Remy - he had never seen him this distracted. Perhaps he, like Bishop, was amazed and almost... terrified, by the prospect that the X-men where gone.

Remy shook his head, he wasn't alright. "Y' know Bish, I t'ink I'm jus' gon' go t' de city f' a while -- I need de fresh air."

Bishop nodded his acceptance. Remy headed for the door before Bishop decided that a 'superior officer' needed protection!

"Remy?"

*Doh!* Too slow.

"Are you going to be alright?" Remy started nodding at first, then decided to be truthful and shrugged.

"Y' know, I don't t'ink I am..." Remy paused as Bishop's face became worried and protective. "I ain't been f' a while, Bish -- don' worry 'bout it." He added with a smile, before scarpering out the door. Walking to the main road, he looked at the vegatation, which was in remarkable condition for a deserted house. Gambit knew who it was, of course, who was looking after the trees. It would be his Stormy -- his best friend; _ex_-best friend, he corrected with a wince, weather goddess and gardener. he wondered if he'd see her? He hoped so. He missed her, and wanted to see her, even if all she would do was condemn him. He scowled as he caught himself being so 'lap-dog'gy and pathetic. But it had been a long time, and he missed his friends dearly. Though he loved Lilandra and Carol dearly, he missed these even more so -- how his heart ached!

With a sigh, he reached the main road. Just his luck -- the place was completely deserted, with no-one to hitch-hike off, no taxi to hail. He scowled,and started the long walk into town. Thankfully for him, a taxi came along when he'd walked just over a mile. Winding the window down, the driver yelled "Hey, buddy! need a lift?"

Remy looked behind him, a big relieved grin on his face. "F' free?"

The driver snorted his amusement. "In New York?" Remy grinned. Nothing had changed!!

Getting into the back, he sank back into the soft, worn seat.

"Where to?" Asked the driver, looking back at the Cajun with an amused grin on his face.

"Manhatten.." Remy opened one eye. "What so funny?

The driver belly laughed. "Where are you from?! I mean, thinkin' ya can get a free ride in New York, and worse! Liking New York cabs?! I don't care where you're from, you need a psychiatrist!"

Remy shook his head with a faint grin. "Drive, mon ami! Dat be what y' paid t' do, oui?"

The driver did what he was told, but carried on the conversation. "French, huh? My granny's from there... sailed over on the Titanic!!"

Remy raised an eyebrow. "Last I checked, de Titantic didn't sail from France."

"I know -- she was still French, though. Or should that be, shee vas steel French, zough?" He asked with a laugh. Remy shook his head, with a grin.

"No, it should be *Elle etait francais*, act'ly. 'Sides, I'm not French. I'm Cajun."

The driver looked at him thru the rear-veiw mirror. "You're a what!? Is that one of those cults?" he asked jokingly. At least, Remy hoped it was jokingly!

"I'm from N'awlins," he explained. The driver looked blank. "New Or-leans!" Remy carefully pronounced every word. "Home o' de Mardi Gras?"

"Oh, that New Orleans!!" The driver covered his tracks with precision. Remy shook his head and laughed. Maybe this 'shore-leave' wasn't going to be so bad after all!!

Remy looked around the sky-scrapers of Manhatten with the joy of a child going back to his home town. Then again, thought Remy, this had been the last place to feel like home to him before he'd gone to Chandilar. And that never had, really. It had just been a sort of semi-built motel to him. He winced at the similarity, but there it was!

He paused for a minute. If he turned right, and walked up the street, he'd find himself at the Roccerfeller Plaza... almost the last place he'd been in New York. Also, it was mid December -- the Christmas tree would be up. He paused, wanting to see it and yet not... Clenching his teeth, he forced himself to move towards the plaza.

When he arrived there, he looked at the tree slowly. It was beautiful -- strong, natural, attractive. He closed his eyes for a minute, and remembered. It had been, himself, Bishop, Hank, Trish, Jospeh, and-- say it Remy! Rogue, he thought with a sigh. *Rogue, Rogue, Rogue... Oh, chere, I miss you! I have no idea why...* His expression hardened. *You betrayed me! You left me to die in Antarctica! But I do love you?!* He tutted to himself. *I must be crazy!* He thought. Pulling himself away from the tree and ice-rink, he walked blindly away, thinking. When he finally woke up from his thoughts and memories, he found himself outside FAC Shwartz. He smiled as he looked at the disply in the window. A little train was winding it's way merrily around a party of lunching dolls and teddy bears, with confetti-snow falling, and twinkling electric stars on the velvet blue sky.

He watched entranced for a while, watching the repetitive motions with all the eagerness and attentivemness of a little child. He might well have stayed there, if he hadn't been half-heartedly listened to a conversation between a mother and child as they left the shop.

"Mommy, can I have the Malibu Stacy TV studio for Christmas? Please?" Asked the litle girl.

"No, honey, ah'm sory -- ah haven't got th' money this year." That woke Remy up. *Dat accent...?* He was sure he recognised it. He turned and nearly fainted. It was Rogue. She was stood there, signiture skunk streak, firey green eyes, body to die for and all. And the little girl she was with was possibly the most gorgeous thing he had ever seen. Her soft hair was a beautiful, strong shade of auburn, her big eyes were bright, impossibly blue, and she had a cute little button nose and little pouting mouth. Remy fell in love with her instantly!!

Rogue stopped, and knelt down to explain why she couldn't buy the TV Studio. She looked like she might be there a while, so Remy pushed his way into the shop.

Blinking as he stepped in, the shop was a mess of toys, tiny children, and desperate parents. Sneaking between the crowds, almost unnoticed, he got to the dolls section. Frowning as he gazed up at it, he understood why all the parents looked so desperate. This section alone was enormous - there was a Malibu Stacy in probably every outfit ever designed, in every possible style of home and transport, and then a whole host of even more outfits and unidentifiable accessories. With a sigh of releif, Remy noticed that the toy he was looking for was on special display. He grabbed a box, and took it to the counter, behind a queue of far too many people. For a second, he considered just stealing it, then shook his head. Rogue would never forgive him for it. At that thought, a thousand other doubts clamoured, but he ignored them. Getting close to the counter, he took his platinum Amex card out and stared at it for a moment. They wouldn't have shut his account, would they? He shrugged. He doubted it. There were millions in it.

Gazing around, he found Rogue again. She was still knelt down in front of the girl, looking guilty and upset. He felt his heart swell, and knew that he loved her still, that he had forgiven her for anything and everything she'd done to hurt him. Looking at her right now, he couldn't even remember anything. He walkd over, almost panicking, but let his insticts guide him, and told his fear to shut up. Swallowing thickily and feeling dizzy, he crouched down and held the box out to the little girl. She turned to him and stared with those beautiful blue eyes, and opened her mouth to say something, looking confused.

"Remy?" Rogue's voice was a hoarse whisper. He turned to look at her, and saw her eyes wide, hand covering her mouth, a tear spilling down her cheek. She stood slowly, and he followed her, keeping eye contact. With a sob, she wrapped her arms around his neck. Feeling a tear run down his own cheek, he held her tightly. She pulled back, and wiped her cheek. "Ah thought you were dead." Her voice sounded somewhere between accusing and terribly guilty. "Where have you been?"

Remy loooked at the sky, and found the star whose system had been his home for the past few years. "I been on Chandilar, chere."

 

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