Author’s Notes: This story has been kicking around my head since the whole Remy-Rogue- Joseph triangle began. For all his (pardon the pun) rogue’s ways, I’ve always considered Remy as a man who would fight for a lady’s favor, but give in gracefully when she made her choice. So is Rogue the real reason he hates Joseph so much? All feedback (to ra_1013@yahoo.com) will be replied to, but flames are cheerfully ignored. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Remy LeBeau and Joseph/Magneto both belong to Marvel. I’m not making any profit off of this, and I’m just a poor college student anyway, so don’t bother suing.

Remy stared out into the starry night from the roof of the Xavier Institute in Westchester, New York. He snorted in disgust at finding himself here yet again. He felt like he’d spent half his life with the X-Men on this damn roof. Even more lately. Ever since Seattle and Rogue had showed up with that--He pushed that thought aside. He’d come up here for peace. This was the one place on the grounds where he could be alone, where no one would disturb him.

"Gambit?"

Or at least it had been. Yet another way this Magneto-boy was disrupting his life. He ground his teeth as the white-haired young man made his way over the roof to Remy’s position. "What d’ you want, Mags?"

Anger flared in Joseph’s eyes. "Why do you insist on calling me that? The others have accepted that I am no longer the person you knew as Magneto. Why can you not do the same?"

"Fine. What d’ you want, ‘Joseph’?" he spat out, making an insult out of the name.

"I don’t know why I even bother trying to hold a conversation with you, LeBeau," Joseph replied angrily. "I only came up here at Rogue’s request." He stopped, noting the flash of emotion on the Cajun’s face. "I know that is why you hate me, Gambit. Why can’t you be a man and accept that she has made her choice and you are not it!"

Remy was on his feet in seconds, his face only inches from Joseph’s, red-on-black eyes flashing dangerously. "Y’ t’ink you know me so well, mon ami? Y’ know how Gambit’s mind work, eh? You know not’ing, ‘Joseph’. If Rogue make her choice den dat’s fine. I got plenty other reasons t’ hate you."

"Oh really?" Joseph taunted, arms folded over his chest. "Pray tell, LeBeau. I would dearly love to hear the inner workings of your soul."

"Careful what you ask for," Remy warned, turning away. "Y’ might get it." He stood with his back to Joseph for a long time, then slowly turned back to face him. "You t’ink I hate you because o’ Rogue, but dat’s not really it. Or de others, dey not trust you f’r a while because dey t’ink you still Magneto. But dat’s not it either."

"Then what is it, LeBeau?" Joseph asked flippantly, not really expecting a serious answer.

"I guess Rogue is part o’ it, but not de way you t’ink. I done a lot o’ bad t’ings in my life, ev’rybody know dat. But dey don’ know it all. I hurt people, kill people, ruin a lot o’ lives. Den one day I realize dat what I done wasn’ worth de price I paid. So I try t’ make a new life, like you. But dat’s where you made de mistake. Y’ can’ jus’ start all over after de kind o’ t’ings we both done. It weighs on de soul. Y’ got t’ make up f’r what you done, not jus’ pretend it never happened.

"Dat’s what I been doin’ ev’ry day o’ my life since dat day. An’ it’s what I be doin’ ev’ry day until I can make up f’r all dose I hurt. Mebbe de rest o’ my life. If dat’s de price, I pay it. Dat’s why I take care o’ Stormy back wit’ de Shadow King. Dat’s why I stay wit’ de X-Men even wit’ Cyclops never trustin’ me an’ Rogue goin’ off wit’ you. I part o’ somet’ing better now, and I not t’rowing dis away. But mebbe someday I not have a choice. If Rogue or de others ever find out de truth about all I done, dey never f’rgive me. Rogue already run off before after gettin’ jus’ a glimpse o’ my mem’ries. Not’ing I done since would matter anymore.

"But you--you de enemy o’ de X-Men f’r as long as dey been around. We fight you more times den I can count. You hurt an’ kill more people dan I ever did. But you get a fresh start on ev’ryt’ing. Suddenly you get t’ be a new man. All de others take you in; Rogue, she go right to you! You never once try t’ make amends an’ get redemption, but I spend my life at it an’ Rogue turn away at de first hint o’ my past. Dat’s why I hate you, Joseph. B’cause you get ev’ryting I work my whole life f’r wit’out even tryin’!"

Remy realized he was shouting and trembling with emotion. Forcing himself to take deep, calming breaths, he backed away and sat down again. He couldn’t believe he’d just poured his soul out to Magneto of all people! He waited for some flippant remark, some choice comment about getting what he deserved. To his surprise, he instead felt a hand on his shoulder.

"I think we two are far more alike that we would ever admit," Joseph told him softly. "Perhaps the reason you cannot find forgiveness in others is because you cannot find it in yourself."

And then he was gone, leaving Remy alone to stare out at the stars.

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