LABOR OF LOVE
The shattering of glass was Remy Lebeau's wake-up call. Head throbbing from the preceding night's unsavory activities, he stumbled from bed and warily scanned the immediate area. Shaking off remnants of fatigue, he moved toward the window that had been broken and peered outside. He waited several moments in motionless silence. All was quiet. No obvious danger was to be found.

Bare feet cautiously avoided tapered shards upon his pinpointing and trekking to the object that had been flung into his motel room. It was identified as a rock enveloped in paper. Retrieving the rock, he pulled the wrapping free and noted the message scratched on it by an obscure hand.

He read aloud, "Be at de Morlock tunnels in an hour. I have somethin' of yours."

Remy gave a derisive snort. Whomever was playing this perverse game could keep whatever they had. There was nothing he owned worth returning to the Morlock tunnels for. Not a damn thing.

{Not even Rogue?}

Jean Grey's voice, even in all its gentleness, sliced through his mind like a knife. "Explain yourself," he commanded the psychic. Trepidation underlay the instruction.

{I think you know what I mean, Remy. Don't be obtuse. She's been abducted from the mansion.}

"Who?! How?!" Anger tinged the questions. He had been certain Rogue would be safe at Xavier's, surrounded by her fellow X-men. How could they have let this happen? How could he have let this happen?

{Marrow...} Gambit quickly donned his gear and listened as Jean regaled him with the sorrowful tale of how Marrow, a former Morlock, had betrayed their team by drugging and absconding with Rogue. A similarly scrawled message, such as the one Gambit had discovered, and discarded adamantium-tipped syringe at Rogue's bedside had been the condemning evidence. Basically, Marrow wanted revenge for the Morlock massacre and was using Rogue to lure him into the open.

He plied himself with self-recrimination. Once again, Rogue was being punished for his past. Not only Rogue, their child too.

He recalled a recent promise: "Dat's it, chere, relax. You're safe now. Nothin' bad's gonna happen to you. Gambit swears. Not again. Never again." He had failed her. Again.

Having been Marrow's teammate also, he remembered her quite well. He started strategizing. Of course he felt a wave of pity for her plight and his involvement in her unhappy upbringing but, be that as it may, if a single hair was out of place on Rogue, he would show no mercy. The who, what, when, where, why, and how of it would not matter.

To the Morlock tunnels he went.

Jean's counsel to await backup was ignored. He cared little that Wolverine was tracking the scent and other X-men would not be far behind. He was pretty sure of where to go, if memory served correct, and time was of the essence. How could his memory not be correct? His association with the Morlock tunnels had been recollected every day since the horrific event that had unfolded years earlier. It seemed like only yesterday.

Rats scurried at his approach. Gambit thought them to be extremely intelligent creatures. Far more intelligent than the fool who was forcing his hand. She had tangled with the wrong man's family.

Fingers clutching his bo staff, he tried to concentrate on the present and not be overwhelmed by ghosts and guilt of the past.

"I knew you would come running," a person spoke from the darkness. "She's too lovely not to have someone come running."

Turning in the speaker's direction, he blanched. How could ghosts rest when one was in front of him? There was no doubt of who it was, her deformity was too unique for her not to be recognized. Sarah, the Morlock he had rescued during the massacre. No, not Sarah. Marrow.

She was not even looking at him. Following her line of vision, he saw a frighteningly immobile Rogue upon a makeshift bed.

"Yes," Marrow absently repeated, eyes dreamy as she stared at the pregnant woman, "far too lovely not to have someone come running."

Remy remained stationary, not wanting to put Rogue at greater risk. His concern was evident. "Is she goin' to be alright?"

"Perhaps," was the cavalier answer. "I didn't give her an overdose. Then again, I don't have a fancy university degree. I'm just a humble Morlock. Anything's possible."

Gambit's fear on Rogue's behalf cost him. Rapt at the sight of her, he did not see Marrow's swift change of moods, pivot and throw of a large, lance-like bone. Awareness set in at the last second and he twisted. He was not fast enough to keep the weapon from slashing its way across his shoulder.

With false bravado, he gritted, "Girl, be careful. You could put an eye out with those things."

Enraged at his blas� attitude, Marrow released a warrior's cry and rushed him. The battle was on.

Not having let go of his bo staff, Gambit deflected her pistoning bones. When she neared, he kicked forward and landed a blow to her stomach. She gasped, "You will die for your treachery."

"Gambit's been told dat before." He proceeded to punch her. She wavered at the hit. "He's still here."

"Not for long!"

That earned a mocking laugh. "Gambit's fought de best and not lost yet. What makes you special?"

"I have right on my side," she howled.

"Do you now? And Gambit supposes dis so-called 'right' supplied you with dat adamantium used on Rogue too, eh?"

"Merely a deal with one devil to eliminate another."

Further interrogation was interrupted by an anxious yell, "Rogue!" The Wolverine had arrived. He bypassed Marrow and Gambit's standoff, speeding to her.

When he was not instantly informed of Rogue's condition, the New Orleaner impatiently inquired, "Well?" Unable to remove his gaze from the opposition, he wanted some verbal response regarding her status.

Checking Rogue's pulse, Wolverine advised, "She appears fine. I should to get her out of here though. Beast'll know better than me."

"Take her," Marrow dismissed. "I have who I want."

Ensconcing Rogue with the blanket used to steal her away, Wolverine hefted her into his arms. Unfortunately, she chose then to awaken. "Shhh," he consoled. "We're goin' home, darlin'."

She drowsily mumbled, "Remy?"

"Yeah, yeah," was the reply. "He's here."

"Love you, Remy."

Gambit hesitated at the declaration. It took everything in him to maintain control. His hastening to Rogue like a lovesick swain, and probably getting gutted in the process, would not be of benefit to anyone. Anyone except Marrow.

Speaking of Marrow...

"No more talk," she snapped. "To the death. The strongest survives. Tonight, you will perish for your crimes."

Three new bones, consecutively produced from the forearm, were hurled. Gambit's natural agility spared him from the first two while the third slammed into his leg. He bellowed.

Rogue, being toted by Wolverine, heard. Senses coming back, she struggled against the hold. She could not be calmed. Remy was hurt. He needed her.

Gambit jerked the bone from his leg and met Marrow's attack.

The sounds of fighting persisted as Rogue tried to orient herself. She had to clear her head. Strength sapped, she was not up to par when it came to wrestling with Wolverine and knew he would not let her aid Gambit. That left one alternative. Without remorse, she reached up and tenderly caressed his cheek.

Wolverine staggered at the duplicity, toppled to his knees and lost consciousness. Rogue tumbled loose.

She would not lose Gambit. Struggling to stand, the expectant mother witnessed his blocking Marrow and occasionally getting in a shot or two of his own. She swore to herself. He was making a half-assed effort. Why wasn't that idiot Cajun using his cards? Did he want to be defeated?

That is when the truth set in. He did want to be defeated. Gambit was waiting for her to be transported from harm's way and, once she was gone, fully intended to sacrifice himself for Marrow's vengeance.

Stepping up her pace, she screamed a "no" when Gambit was brought low by a fortuitous strike.

Hearing her, Gambit halted the downward arc of razor-sharp bone. He knocked Marrow off her feet. She roughly fell and struck concrete, causing her to be stunned. The anticipated execution was temporarily stayed.

He took the reprieve and directed Rogue to leave. She refused.

"No," she sobbed and exhaustively collapsed mid-way to him. She began to crawl, not willing to give up. "Never. I'll never leave you, Remy. Never."

The injury to his leg hampered his movements and he had to crawl as well. At her side, he touched wherever feasible to ascertain her well-being. She wept and faint signs of moisture developed in his own eyes. "It's gonna be okay, chere. Remy'll never leave you either. He'll always be here. Remember dat. Now, get home, y'hear? For de baby's sake."

Rogue buried her face in his chest. "There's no home without you! Don't you see that?"

The words were in contrast to those of Antarctica:

"Home? You ain't got no home, sugah. Not with me... not with the X-Men. Fend for yourself. You seem to have done a good job of that in the past."
"But... I love you."
"You're honest with the people you love, Gambit. Otherwise... it's a gamble."

"Please," he beseeched, aware that the request was for naught. She was too obstinate.

"I'm not sufferin' from your guilt and self-hate this time. No one gets left behind, understand? No one. I know you. I know you better than anyone ever has or ever will. Inside and out. I love you. My sins? Your sins? It's the past. We have to worry about the present in hopes of having a future. Us and our child. Don't quit on us, Remy. Please, don't quit. I can't live without you. I can't."

He had never been able to deny her before and was not capable of doing so now. He simply said, "Oui, petite. Remy'll end dis."

Rogue gave a watery smile. "Go kick that bitch's ass then, will you? I want to get outta here, it's freezin'."

"You're de boss," he teased his assent.

When he withdrew, she exclaimed, "Darn tootin'!"

She watched as he shrugged off the pain, stood erect and towered over Marrow. "Get up. It's de finale."

Beaten and battered, he was still an impressive sight to behold. Renewed energy flowed through him. He had something to live for. He lived for love while his enemy lived for hate. He was invincible.

Marrow was blind to the change. She was clueless to the fact that she was the one at a disadvantage. It did not dawn on her that Gambit's willpower surpassed her own. Bloodlust urged her on. "Yes, let's finish this."

"I think not. There has been enough violence this night." Cyclops and Storm joined them.

Cyclops checked on Wolverine and Storm continued, "Your vengeance is done. These tunnels will not witness more death. The Morlock memory will not be tainted with such conduct."

Marrow scoffed, "You dare dictate to me? Former leader, and an absentee one at that, of the Morlocks. You have no say, wind-rider."

Storm's eyes turned white with ire. Giving a lift of the arm, she contracted the tunnel draft as a foundation for her power and elevated Marrow. The younger female was kept off balance and not given the chance to injure anyone else with her mutation.

"Vengeance is no one's right. If you will not listen to my wisdom, listen to my might. I am the stronger. It will always be the case. Do you challenge this?"

Marrow was officially diverted from Gambit. He took the opportunity to return to Rogue.

Storm plodded ahead, "Callisto would not want this, Sarah. She would not want your life to be dedicated to hate. She loved you. Respect her. Pay tribute to the life she lived by carrying on in a manner she would have wanted. A manner befitting a Morlock. A manner befitting an X-man."

Marrow was mutinously silent.

"The lives lost here cannot be replaced. However, instead of associating these tunnels with vengeance and death, why can we not associate them with forgiveness and life? Consider this."

It was futile.

Discussion was halted when a small tin dropped between Marrow and Storm. Smoke shot from it, screening the entrance of new bodies. The clatter of additional tins could be discerned; they were used to intensify the smoke-screen. Storm's was distracted and it led Marrow to be freed.

Cyclops' visor enabled him to see what was occurring. A coughing fit withheld him from firing, apprehensive about missing his target. "Marrow's being taken. Storm, clean this mess up. Hurry!"

Marrow and her liberators, or possibly captors, had escaped by the time order was restored.

"We should track them."

"No," Cyclops disagreed. "Without Wolverine at one hundred percent, tracking will be close to impossible. We'll scour the tunnels when we have adequate reinforcement."

"We cannot let them kidnap her," Storm argued.

A slow-reviving Wolverine cracked one lid and rasped, "She picked this. Whomever took her likely has to do with the syringe. They're collecting payment."

"You mean, she bartered herself for adamantium?"

"She bartered herself for revenge," Gambit intervened. "By de way, hate to intrude, but it looks as though we have another problem-"

Rogue completed his sentence, "My water just broke!"

THE END
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