X-Men Fan Fiction ❯ Ordinary World ❯ Chapter 1

Disclaimer:  So, all the characters in this fic belong to people that are not me.  The motel probably belongs to Best Western or Holiday Inn.  The song Ordinary World belongs to Duran Duran.  X-men belongs to Marvel & Stan Lee.  I usually think poorly of my own writing, so I'll never make money off of this or any others like it that I write.

Last, but not least - there are thousands upon thousands of X-men fics on the internet.  So if this one resembles another you've read, it's purely coincidental.  But, let me know who & what so I can go check it out for myself to see.  If I see it's real similar, I'll write that author and offer him/her condolences for having a mind like mine.

A/N:  Background for those who have not read X-treme X-men - Remy and Rogue are wounded in a fight with Vargas.  As a result, they have temporarily lost their powers and both react differently to the fact.  Rogue purchased a house on a beach in California where Remy lives with her.  For the most part, they have been happy…

Words in italics are thoughts

Words between ~ ~ are lyrics to the song

Sections beginning with * * are flashbacks (but they're labeled that way)

Ordinary World

~ Came in from a rainy Thursday on the avenue ~

The door opened to the motel room and he stepped across the threshold with little fanfare.  Quickly, he scanned the sparse surroundings as water dripped to the carpet from his rain soaked trench coat.  Moving a hand to wipe back the wet hair plastered to his face, Remy sighed and turned to close the door behind him, shifting the deadbolt into place.  Flipping the light switch and wincing slightly at the immediate intrusion of brightness into his eyes, he removed his coat and hung it in the little closet.  He was mentally exhausted, which in turn drained away his physical energy.  Despite the downpour, Remy had been walking the pavements, just thinking and thinking, replaying events over and over.  Ignoring the protest of his skin to wash away the chill and the grime, he moved over to the bed to lie down for a moment.  With is back to the bed, Remy spread his arms out to the side and fell backwards, almost in slow motion, as if mocking a bad mattress commercial.  He hit the bed with a thump, and groaned at the impact. 

"Mon Dieu, dis bed be as hard as a rock" he complained to no one in particular.  Suddenly a memory came forth, as if jarred from the recesses of his mind by the force of the collision with the bed.  The memory was sweet - another time, in another motel room, two occupants falling into bed, one atop the other.  He could hear her words as the memory replayed in his mind's eye.

~ Thought I heard you talking softly. ~

*flashback*

"Whatsa matter, sugah?  Give yaself a concussion?" Rogue laughed at him as his brows furrowed in mock pain at the stiffness of the mattress beneath.  She moved to straddle him, crawling her way up his body until her hands rested on either side of his head.  Hair falling down to caress his face, her bright green eyes stared intently into red on black orbs with a glint of lust and desire.  Moving one hand to trace a finger slowly along his jaw line, Rogue cocked her head slightly and parted her sensuous lips.  She lowered herself until her mouth hovered centimeters from his ear, her breath tickling the sweet, soft patch of skin beneath. 

"Want me to kiss it and make it better?" she whispered lustily before capturing his lobe gently between her lips and suckling. 

*end flashback*

He was staring up to the ceiling, but not seeing the white tiles above, instead watching the scene of his memory play before his eyes.  He smiled as he recalled that night.  All too quickly, though, he brought himself back to the here and now. 

"Rogue, chere, don' y' know what y' do t' me?"  With the rain continuing its assault on the concrete jungle outside his window, he sighed heavily and closed his eyes. 

~ I turned on the lights, the tv and the radio ~

Hauling his carcass upwards, Remy made his way to the bathroom and turned on the shower.  He peeled the clinging fabric from his body and let the wet garments fall to the floor, deciding he would hang them up to dry later.  Remy placed a towel on the toilet seat and, pushing the curtain to one side, maneuvered himself into the tub.  With both hands against the wall and head hung down between arms, he closed his eyes and let the heat of the water remove the chill from his bones and massage the aches of his muscles. 

Again, he replayed the last couple of days in his mind.  They had fought the same argument that had been building over the past few weeks.  And, it had finally hit the breaking point, causing him to leave just to get away for a few days before things were said that couldn't be taken back.  He checked into the quaint little motel in town two nights ago to give them both time.  Their relationship had always been a roller coaster of passion and stubbornness.  It had become a joke among many of their old teammates as to whether Rogue and Gambit were on this week or off again.  Somehow, through all the trials and tribulations, all the pain and suffering, they managed to retain that pure underlying love that had formed almost from the first meeting.  But, this disagreement seemed more painful than many they had faced before.  The loss of their powers in Madripoor had changed their lives dramatically, and it was still unclear to him if it was for better or worse.  Raising his head up, he let the spray pelt his face in a pitiful attempt to drive away tears that were forming as he considered the altercation.  Merde he mentally groaned, shutting off the shower and reaching for the towel.

~ Still I can't escape the ghost of you ~

Quickly drying himself, Remy threw on some boxers and climbed into bed, propping the pillows behind him such that he leaned his upper body back against the headboard.  Flipping through the different stations, he found it hard to focus on whatever mundane program he landed on with each click of the remote.  Instead, his mind raced with the debate of the conflict, point and counterpoint.  Remy reflected thoughtfully on the conversation that started it all so many weeks ago.  Touch, such a simple thing for a flat scan human, denied to a beautiful creature with poison for skin.  But, then everything changed.  Suddenly, powers were gone and for the first time both had the one thing they had always desired - the ability to physically express their love for each other with no boundaries or limits.  Together, they decided to redefine themselves in a world that had always shunned them.  Both began a new life for themselves in the little beachfront home Rogue purchased. 

           &nbs p;            & nbsp;           ~ What has happened to it all? ~

It had always been her dream to have a mortgage with a white picket fence, a husband, and two and a half kids.  He knew that.  He really did.  And, he wanted nothing more than to make her happy.  But, he just didn't think he could be that guy.  The house, well yes Remy had no problem with that.  The husband part was something he too planned, sometime soon.  After all, two people living together tend to lead to that next logical step. 

But then Rogue started seriously talking children.  At first, he indulged her fantasy.  Non, dat's not de way t'say it he mused.  Rather, he let her plan her dream, their life together.  But, then her idle chit chat of future plans became more….insistent.  It began to dominate every conversation.  Somehow, no matter what the topic, it would undoubtedly turn to children.  This eventually turned into nagging annoyance, and finally into bitter arguments.   

~ Crazy, some'd say ~

He wasn't ready.  It was moving too fast.  After all, he had not really adjusted to his new life without powers.  What was he going to do now that he was utterly useless?  All he had ever known was the superhero gig and being a thief.  Now, he could no longer do the former, and she was not happy with the latter.

~ Where is the life that I recognize? ~

~ Gone away... ~

"I'm a t'ief  when all else fails, an' all else failed."  (Uncanny X-Men #361)

Yeh right.  His words came back to slap him in the face.  Combing his fingers through his auburn locks, and then rubbing his eyes with two fingers, Remy chuckled to himself.  It's not that they would suffer monetarily.  No, Remy was quite well off.  After all, being a former master thief did have its rewards.  But, he wasn't the stay at home type of fellow either.  He needed adventure and action to feel alive.  So, he knew that adjusting to this new phase of his existence would be difficult.

Now, however, Rogue wanted children sooner rather than later.  And it scared him to death.  He had never really, truly considered having kids.  Remy always assumed he would die young, in a blaze of glory like a true hero.  There had been many times when possible future timelines reared up to show him as an old man.  But he never really thought he would live to see old age.  And children?  Well, that was another story.  She wanted them to be normal, and saw the loss of their powers as that opportunity.  But, couldn't she see?  They were not normal.  Oh sure, she could pass as that, even with the white stripe in her hair and the intertwining tattoo on her arm.  But he could never get away with calling himself normal.  His strangely exotic eyes told a different tale to anyone with the gift of sight. 

* flashback *

"De world, she is not safe, chere" Remy stated.  "Why y' want to bring a chile into it?"

"Oh sugah, the world is what we make of it.  There has never been a time in history that the world's truly been safe.  But, yet, children have still come into the world and lived happily" she replied desperately.

"Rogue, I won't be a good pere" he sighed.  A smirk graced Remy's face as he added, "I still a chile myself.  Any bebe we have gonna be wild.  Dey probably gonna develop powers just like we did."

"Remy, ya'd be a good poppa, I just know it.  And with all those years spent at the school with the Professor, we can help them with their powers.  Wouldn't it be great to have a little Remy junior running around?" she purred in a dreamy state.

He cocked a graceful brow her direction.  "A little Remy junior?  Y' makin' my case for me, chere.  T'ink 'bout evert'ing we be losing, all our freedom.  Our lives be changed forever, and I ain't had de chance t' adjust t' de way my life is now."

"Think about everything we'd gain, sugah, all the family gatherings, the special moments that we can look back on in later years with a smile.  Think of the feelings of completeness and pure joy that comes with the love of children." She pleaded.

"But, I have dat now wit' just y', mon amour" he shrugged in resignation.

* end flashback *

~ But I won't cry for yesterday, there's an ordinary world, ~

~ Somehow I have to find. ~

Remy turned to look at the telephone, debating whether to call her.  Part of him felt guilty for feeling the way he did.  He knew it was his own fears of the unknown, of bringing a change in his life that would so completely expose his heart to possible pain for the rest of his life. 

"Remy, y' a damn fool.  Ain't dat what y' already done by being wit' de woman y' love?" he scolded himself.

Rolling his eyes towards the ceiling, he sighed once more and made his decision.  It was too late to call this evening and he was way too tired.  Turning out the lights, he lowered himself into the bed and drifted off to a fitful sleep as the raindrops continued to beat against the window pane.

~ And as I try to make my way, to the ordinary world... ~

~ I will learn to survive. ~

************************