Disclaimer: The X-Men universe is the property of Marvel comics. I don’t make any money from efforts such as this one. This story contains suggestive material which is suitable for mature audiences only. Author’s note: This is part one of a two-parter. This is only a little naughty, but it all pays off in the end. Hope you get into it! Feedback makes my day interesting: bombshell_chic@hotmail.com :) Sin City Part One: Loosed in Las Vegas. By Bombshell Rogue sat on her bed, watching Jean unpack. “We aren’t gonna stay in the room all night are we?” Rogue asked her. Jean shrugged her shoulders. “We may as well enjoy this while we can. We don’t get many days off, after all” “Sugah, ah know you miss Scott, but try to have a little fun. We’ll be back home soon enough.” Jean gave her a wry, guilty smile. “It just doesn’t seem fair that we get some time off, while he’s stuck on assignment half way across the world” Rogue gave her a sympathetic smile. “I’m not even gonna remind you that very little in life, especially our lives, is fair. We have to take what we can get” Jean tossed the rest of her clothes on the bed, then sat her empty bag in the closet. “Well, I guess we do deserve a little break. Especially after the past few days….” “Ah couldn’t agree more. Now, C’mon. Let’s go see what those boys are up to….” Gambit answered the door. “Time to hit the strip, Cajun” Rogue told him. He frowned slightly. “Gambit not really in the mood for crowds tonight, chere” “You’re not going to sit in your room all night, are you?” Rogue grumbled at him. He nodded. “Actually, I t’ink I’m gonna grab a few beers an’ sit in the bathtub for awhile, jus watch some TV.” Rogue looked annoyed. “Well, here we are in Las Vegas, the first night off we’ve all had in ages, and you just wanna sulk in your room all night. Fine. We’ll take Logan with us, and you can keep your own self company” “Logan’s already gone, chere” Gambit told her. “Where did he go?” Jean asked. Gambit shrugged. “For a walk. He just wanted to get out for a while. But don’ worry, he didn’t go lookin’ for trouble” Jean and Rogue looked at each other. “Well, I guess it’s just us girls, then” Jean commented. Rogue looked back at Gambit. “Last chance” she told him. Gambit managed a small smile. “Not tonight, chere, but you go have fun” Rogue snorted, turning away from the door. “C’mon, Jean, before he completely spoils my night” Rogue stalked towards the elevators. Jean turned to Gambit. “You okay?” she asked Gambit nodded. “Jus’ all dat time out in de desert, cooped up in dat hidden base. Not findin’ what we needed. Gambit got frustrated, y’know. Maybe I need a lil’ time to myself. And I don’ t’ink I’m ever gonna’ get all de sand outta’ my boots.” He smiled slightly. Jean nodded. “I’ll leave you be, then.” Gambit patted her shoulder. “Make sure she has some fun, okay” Jean smiled. “We’re in Vegas, I’m sure we’ll find something entertaining to do” They ended up in the gaming room of their hotel. Jean knew should could make a small fortune on the card tables, if she used her telepathy, but that kind of blatant cheating wasn’t her thing. So she and Rogue got change and pulled up a pair of slot machines. They passed some time feeding quarters into the machines, pulling the arms, watching the cylinders spin. Jean was bored within two minutes. She glanced over at Rogue. She seemed to be having more luck, the screen of the device listing a high number of credits she had won. Of course, Jean had no idea how many quarters Rogue had initially pumped into the machine. Jean decided to try another machine. She found one near the main aisle and slid into the seat in front of it. She began feeding it her money. Again, she began to grow restless. And broke. Then something happened. The machine began to ping enthusiastically, and Jean was surprised to see her credits growing. She nodded at the machine, and continued playing. Within a few seconds, the machine chimed again, and Jean’s credits upped again. She smiled. * * * * * Logan was alternately disgusted and delighted by the city. Sin City- never was a nickname so appropriate. He walked with his hands in his pockets, watching the throngs of people around him. Vegas didn’t have anything to offer that he wanted. At least at the moment. Gambling held no real appeal- either too easy or a total rip-off. It was near impossible to get a drink that wasn’t watered down. Of course, there were the girls. But he wasn’t going to pay for what they were trying to sell. Except maybe in really small doses. He stood outside a strip club. The music inside was loud enough to pulse through the door. He was trying to decide if he wanted to pay the ten-dollar cover to get in. It seemed like an interesting way to pass some time. The bouncer at the door stared at him. “Any decent girls to look at?” He asked the guy. The bouncer forced a smile. “Best in town” Logan gave him a knowing look. “They’re okay. Some are well stacked” Logan chuckled and nodded. He was tempted. It was too long since he’d experienced female skin up close and personal. He grinned. “Maybe later” He told the bouncer, then moved on. He knew someone else who could do with some exotic therapy…. * * * * * “Gambit usually doesn’t pay to look at girls.” The skeptical Cajun said. “They’re strippers. This is Vegas. What else are we gonna do around here that ain’t gonna get us into trouble?” Gambit chuckled. “Point taken. I’ll go get dressed.” Thirty minutes later they were sitting at the long bar that stretched below the stripper’s catwalk. They were both leaning back in their seats, feet propped up, watching the pretty girl who was performing. “Dis de best idea you ever had” Gambit told Logan. The bar wasn’t as sleazy or rowdy as either man would have thought. Scantly clad cocktail waitresses brought drinks to the patrons, most of who sat discreetly towards the back of the establishment at tables. Gambit and Logan were the only two who were brazen enough to get close to the action. The dancer was stripped down to her g-string, and seemed to be making friends with the pole on the side of the stage. Gambit and Logan had rewarded her with several notes when she had writhed up to them earlier in her routine. They watched her appreciatively, sipping beers, and applauded heartily as the music ended and she finished up her performance. She threw them a wink as she sauntered off the stage. “Definitely a good way to waste some time” Logan murmured. * * * * * Rogue slumped down next to Jean. “C’mon, this has lost its appeal. And I’ve lost all my quarters.” Jean didn’t glance away from the machine for even a second. “I’m doing really well” she mumbled. Rogue rolled her eyes. “Shouldn’t we go find Logan, see if he wants to have dinner with us?” “How on earth are we going to find him?” Jean asked absently. Rogue burst out laughing. “Aren’t you quite the gambling addict!” she joked. “If you’d tear yourself away from the machine for just a few seconds, maybe you’d start to remember that you’re a telepath….” Jean paused for a moment. “Oh yeah” she muttered. She turned to Rogue. “I guess I just really got into it.” She cashed out, and was disappointed to find she’d just about broken even. “Well, sugah, this is Vegas. They ain’t exactly gonna give it away….” Rogue chided her. Jean and Rogue made their way to the entrance of the casino. Jean stopped, narrowing her eyes as she let her telepathic sense float outwards. She was still and silent for a moment, then her eyes refocused and she looked at Rogue. “This is a crazy city. It’s almost impossible to cut through the chaos and get a clear sense of Logan. I think he’s this way, though” She turned, and Rogue followed, letting the telepath lead. * * * * * The club emcee gave a garbled intro to the next dancer, who slipped onstage when her song started. The men turned back to watch her, and Logan noticed the Cajun sit up straighter in his seat. Logan studied the woman, a leggy blonde in a short tight skirt, halter top and cropped jacket. She was already peeling the jacket off, making a slow circle with her hips, her chest pushed out. She smiled knowingly down at Gambit, and Logan glanced at the man; the Cajun watched the dancer with rapt attention. She strutted around the stage a little more, her moves sensual. She reached for the bottom hem of her skirt, and Logan noticed the skirt had a zipper then ran all the way up to the waist. She unzipped the skirt halfway, then did some legwork against the pole. She unzipped the skirt, let it fall to the ground, then kicked it offstage. Logan admired the way her legs looked in the garter stockings, and her firm ass, clad only in a g-string. She dropped to the floor and made her way over to them. She stretched her neck back, thrusting her breasts forward as she crouched on all fours in front of them. She ground her hips in time to the music, teasing them. She stood, flicking her long hair over her shoulder, then reached back to undo the halter. She pulled her top down, and her breasts spilled out. Their full roundness and red nipples impressed Logan, though size usually didn’t matter that much to him. “Tink dos tings are real?” Gambit wondered to him. Logan nodded. “They don’t look like molded plastic. Fake tits never look quite right” “Oh, Gambit likes de way dey look” Logan grinned and nodded. The dancer was writhing against the pole. She unhooked her top and removed it completely. She wriggled down the pole, and crawled lustfully towards the two men. She cavorted before them, holding Gambits eyes as she moved. She rolled her head back and swayed her hips in rhythm, her supple breasts jiggling slightly. Gambit reached into his pocket and pulled out a note. He held it between his fingers, and the dancer sat up, moving her g-string clad hips closer to him. Gambit smiled and reached back, slipping the note into the back waistband of her skimpy panties. “Dat’s for de show so far, you’ll have to earn the rest” he murmured. “Oh, I love you sexy accent” She murmured, rolling her shoulders forward, her breasts just inches from Gambit’s face. She dropped onto all fours again, then rolled onto her back. She stretched her legs straight up in the air, and looked back over her shoulder at the men. She smiled at Logan. He pulled a note from his pocket, and reached forward to tuck it into her garter. “Thanks, babe” she murmured to him. “Oh, trust me, pleasure’s all mine” Logan told her. She turned her attentions back to Gambit. She rolled back up onto her knees, and knelt in front of him. Her breasts jiggled in his face, and the Cajun seemed to be mesmerized by them. He unconsciously reached into his pocket and pulled out another bill. The dancer moaned with delight as he slipped it into her garter belt. She leaned in close to whisper to him. Gambit sat forward to hear over the blare of the music “What do you think my nipples taste like?” she asked him. Gambits jaw dropped slightly. His face flushed. Logan didn’t even look down, he knew the man had to be hard- he himself was hard just thinking about tasting her. Like the tease she was, the dancer moved away from them then, back to the pole. Logan sighed loudly. “I wonder what Jean and Rogue would say if they knew what we were up to” He wondered aloud. “We’d tell you what a pair of sleazy voyeurs you are!” Rogue growled at him. Logan and Gambit sat up so quickly they both almost fell from their seats. Logan looked around at the women who were standing behind him. He had been so rapt in the stripper; he hadn’t sensed their arrival. Jean was trying not to crack a grin at their expressions, but Rogue was not amused. She glared at the Cajun, who was trying to look defiant. “That’s one way to get rid of a hard-on” Logan muttered. Jean pretended not to hear him. “Ya brushed us off so ya could come ogle at strippers!” Rogue accused. “Non, non, chere! It’s not like that. I-” “Save it!” Rogue hissed. “Sorry if I’m not woman enough for you.” She turned and stalked off. Jean looked at them. “Well, it could’ve been worse. At least you weren’t getting lap dances….” She went after Rogue. Gambit sighed, putting his head in his hands “What were you saying about not getting into trouble?” “Sorry, bub.” * * * * * The men caught up with Jean and Rogue several blocks from the strip club. They didn’t even try talking to Rogue. She walked slightly ahead of them, lost in thought. Gambit pulled Jean back slightly. “What should I do? She’s plenty mad at me. Even more so den usual” Jean shook her head. “Let her cool off. Don’t even think of trying to charm her. She’s probably as mad at your chauvinism as she at your insensitivity.” “What!” Gambit exclaimed. “We were just looking. What’s so wrong wid dat?” “Well, to a woman, a strip club seems… sleazy. And… Gambit, you know there are always going to issues between the two of you, sexual tension that can never be satisfactorily resolved.” “All the more reason to look” “Look at it from Rogue’s point of view. You can never be with her, no matter how you care for each other. What’s to stop you from straying….” “If she knew me- if she had any faith an’ trust, she’d know, Gambit never do dat.” “We all have insecurities. And the biggest ones are born out of love” Jean gave him a sympathetic smile. “Give her time. She’ll let you make it up to her” Gambit nodded, thrusting his hands into the pockets of his duster. “Gambit hopes you’re right, petit” They ate dinner together in silence. After they settled the cheque, they sat, trying to decide what to do next. “Let’s just hit the slots” Jean suggested. They headed to the gambling rooms of the resort. Jean found a machine that looked promising. Logan pulled up a seat next to her to watch. Rogue wandered the floor for a while. She was tempted to try roulette, but the crowds gathered around the tables put her off. The gaming area began to feel oppressive. The noise was giving her a headache, and her back ached from constantly tensing to avoid touching anyone, even though all her skin below her neck was safely covered. Suddenly, the idea that had been growing in her head began to bloom. She smiled. It was perfect. It would mean getting away from the crowds. And it would also mean teaching Gambit a lesson…. * * * * * “Ah’ve got a headache” Rogue explained. “Ah just wanna take a shower and lie down. It’s been a long day” Jean nodded sympathetically. “I already know you’re going to tell me you don’t want companionship….” Rogue nodded. She leaned towards Jean and whispered “Gimmie a couple hours, okay?” Jean looked at her, trying to hide her surprise. Then she tried to hide her smile. “Okay….” Rogue nodded, then turned to leave. “Chere, at least let me walk you back to de hotel” Gambit offered. Rogue looked at him “Ah don’t need an escort” She turned and walked away. Gambit looked sadly at Jean. Jean stared at him. “Remy, why are you standing there?” “She said-“ “Go after her!” Jean exclaimed, exasperated. “Maybe you screwed up before, but you can be a gentleman now” Gambit looked at her for a moment, then ran off after Rogue. Jean smiled and shook her head. “I don’t know who’s worse. Men or women” Logan grumbled. * * * * * Rogue moved in the opposite direction to her hotel. She hid among a throng of people on the sidewalk, and watched as Gambit emerged from the resort. He headed in the direction of the hotel, and she could tell by the way he moved that he was looking to find her. Before she could put her plan in motion, she needed some things. It was late, and she didn’t really know where to start. She moved in the opposite direction from Gambit, occasionally glancing over her shoulder to check he hadn’t doubled back. After walking a few blocks, she came upon the bustling entrance to one of the fancier Vegas resort hotels. They might have what she needed…. She made her way into the lobby and looked around. She couldn’t see an information booth of any sort, but she noticed the concierge’s desk. She smiled as she approached him. “Sugah, Ah need to do a little shoppin’ maybe you could point me in the right direction…. * * * * * Logan laughed quietly to himself as he watched Jean play the one-armed bandit. The woman was transfixed by the machine, easily on her way to becoming addicted. But at least she was ahead. He wondered how long he should let her play before dragging her off for her own good. His attention strayed away from her to the other gambling patrons. He turned to his left, and found himself looking into the eyes of a pretty blonde woman. She smiled at him. “This is pretty boring.” She told him. “Then let’s go get a drink.” Logan suggested. “Okay.” She agreed. He turned briefly to Jean. “I’ll be right back” The redhead nodded absently, staring at the machine. Logan grinned and moved after the blonde. * * * * * Jean’s eyes and throat were stinging from the cigarette smoke around her. She shook herself out of her gambling-induced stupor and turned to Logan. He wasn’t there. She vaguely remembered him wandering off, but had no idea how long ago that had been. She cashed out and stood to stretch. She moved towards the bar and took a seat. She sat her coin bucket ton her lap and looked around as she sipped her drink, studying all the different people around her. She let her telepathic guard down just slightly, and sifted through the subconscious noise of the casino patrons. Her attention moved to a woman at the end of the bar. Jean could feel her irritation and disappointment; and their was something slightly familiar about her. Jean looked at the woman. It took her a moment to realize she was the stripper Logan and Remy had been watching at the club earlier that night. The woman felt Jean’s eyes on her, and looked up, holding the telepath’s gaze. Curiosity and mild annoyance passed over the woman. She turned back to her drink. Jean busied herself with her casino chips as she sipped at her drink. She felt the woman’s eyes on her several times, and a growing sense of curiosity. She glanced up at the woman who held her eyes. “Somehow I’ve seen you before.” The woman told her. Jean nodded. “I was with some guys who were watching you tonight….” Recognition washed over the woman. “That’s right; that sexy French guy and the hairy tough guy. Yeah, you and your girlfriend scared off my only good tippers for the night.” The woman told her sourly. Jean cringed inwardly. “Sorry. My friend and the French guys are in a relationship, but they have a lot of issues.” “Don’t we all.” The woman muttered. She turned back to her drink. Jean let the conversation drop. She had the strong sensation that the woman was waiting for someone who wasn’t going to show up. “All men are bastards, anyway. Tell your friend not to loose any sleep over him.” The woman said. She had a wry smile on her face, but her voice was bitter. “Actually, I think they’re off making up as we speak” Jean told her with a chuckle. The woman nodded. She polished off her drink, and waited for the bartender to refill it. “Somebody stand you up?” Jean asked; not sure she should be prying. The woman nodded. “You meet a guy, he’s really nice, and you get along just fine. But the minute you tell him you strip, he immediately thinks you’re easy, or just plain freaks out. And stands you up.” “I’m sorry.” Jean murmured. The woman chuckled then appraised Jean with a harsh eye. “I bet you’ve never been stood up. In fact, I bet you’ve never had anything especially bad ever happen to you at all.” Jean stared at her, annoyance washing over her. “Don’t be so quick to judge. I’ve had some horrifying things happen to me in my life. But I try to just get on with it. What else can you do?” Jean retorted. “What do you do for a living?” the woman asked, genuinely curious. “I’m a psychologist. In law enforcement.” It wasn’t totally a lie, just the closest sane explanation Jean could give for being a telepath in a group of super-heroes. The woman nodded. “Well, I bet you have seen some strange things, then” she admitted. She smiled at Jean. “I always want to pick on chicks. So many people think they’re better that me, that I’m sleazy or degrading myself just because I’m a stripper. I have to hunt people like that down and put them in their place. Sorry.” Jean shrugged. “You don’t seem to have a problem with it.” “There are far, far worse things I could be doing. Stripping isn’t so bad. It’s decent money, the bouncers look after us, and the boss isn’t a total sleazebag. But people always like to assume the worst.” “I know.” Jean murmured. The women were quiet for a moment, just sipping their drinks. Jean’s curiosity was slowly getting the better of her. “What’s it like?” she finally asked. “What? Stripping?” the woman asked. Jean nodded. She shrugged. “On a good night, it can be fun. You know, everyone in a good mood, cheering you on. But sometimes it’s really boring, or there will be someone really nasty and sleazy, who’ll sit right up close and give you the creeps.” “Do you ever… feel sexy. Taking your clothes off in front of people?” Jean asked rather hesitantly. “I guess so. Honestly, it’s just a job for me, I don’t really think about it like that. But I know some of the chicks I work with really seem to get into it. I think they probably like it.” Jean nodded, and the woman stared at her. “Really curious, aren’t you?” she taunted. “You should try it….” Jean flushed. “Oh no, I couldn’t….” “Why not? Who’s gonna’ know? You’re not from Vegas, right?” “No, but… well, I’ve never done anything like that before. I don’t think I could just get up there and do it.” “There’s nothing to it. You get up there and loose your clothes. You’ve got a great body, that’s all you need, sweetheart. You don’t need to be a dancer or a gymnast. Guy just want to see tits.” Jean felt strangely turned on. It was daring and naughty- two things she hadn’t felt in quite a while. She wondered what Scott would say if he were there. Somehow she suspected he’d outwardly frown upon it, but secretly find the idea sexy. She was starting to feel giddy with arousal. “Oh, what the hell!” she sighed. “But if I’m going to do it, I need to do it now, before I lose my nerve.” “That can be arranged. Good girl, everyone needs to do something wild every now and then.” She grabbed Jean’s arm, and began to lead her out of the bar. “Oh, my name’s Maryanne, by the way.” “I’m Jean” she told Maryanne. “Jiggly Jeannie. Let’s make that your stage name….” Maryanne teased. Continued....