I keep feeling bad because your updating seems to coincide nicely with my lunch hour at work, which is good for me but means that I'm not logged on to review right after reading it. :-( Anyway, this was great. Seriously great. I'm starting to see how everything connects, and even though I'm pulling for Rogan to the bitter end, I feel sympathy toward Gambit, too, and that's rare because his character almost always is just too annoying for words to me. And yours is, it's true, but it's more like the endearing kind of annoying you put up with 'cause he's just too damn cute!

Author's Response: Haha, please, any comment at all is much cherished by me. I understand what you mean about Gambit's annoying-ness; it really is a crucial part of his character. But there's something about that, in itself, that compells me--I like the things that someone so external, so jokey can bring to the table. Somehow, tortured people who pretend to be cheerful and blasé are often more moving to me than tortured people who just live their torturedness (ahem, everyone else in my work). And since my Logan and Rogue characterizations are so internal they're practically mute, without Gambit there'd be no dialogue in this damn thing at all! Just people crying in their gloves. Haha.

Hands down, this chapter is the hardest chapter ever for me to read because I'm scared. I am truly truly scared for Rogue and Logan and Gambit especially Rogue.

And I don't know how Remy knows about Rogue's feelings towards Logan but what he said about "It's not your fight." strikes her to the core because even if she did say that she wants to exorcise the memories that don't make sense to her, Gambit is right, it's not her fight. She can choose to ignore them just like she ignores all feelings related stuff. But why couldn't see let this one go?

And Remy, saying that he loves her all the way now? /sigh

It's hard okay to read that part because I don't know. It's like real life. You love someone a long time ago and then you buried that feeling and then that someone is in love with you but then there's someone else and you just don't want to deal with any of them. And I'm scared that Rogue is not gonna end with Logan. There. I said it. I'm a sucker for that endgame even if the ride is a total bump.

"And now there is a look on his face that she has never seen; that reminds her of no other look."

And that part? Is where I start crying.

I'm sorry if I don't make any sense. But I think things will get harder for them in the next chapters yes?

More soon.

-alia

Author's Response: I always feel equally overjoyed and guilty reading your lovely detailed responses, with all the fear I appear to be causing you! Yes... I am definitely interested in all the messiness that comes with caring about people, knowing people. And thank you, thank you for your tears; they are much cherished by me--though I apologize for them, as well!

Oh damn you – the big old pendulum is swinging back again (which is strange cause I never thought it would swing away to start with!) – My Remy phase is over and I can’t help feeling sorry for Logan. It’s strange that although he has an inkling *something’s* going on at the moment he’s pretty clueless and that’s something we’re not used to. His general nature along with his senses usually keep him clued up to everything going on around him and he’s not usually depicted as someone you can hide anything from. Instead we’ve got Remy knowing everything as well as being the one Rogue has sort of opened up to and discounting the occasional sex session, Logan is getting pushed aside and being ignored. Is he really in the dark? Does he already know? Who’s protecting who? Is there reasons that they’re all ok with settling for less than they want? Is it ever that simple? (not in your fics!)

My brain is overloaded, it ok for you, you know where you’re going with it!

I know, I know, they’ll be more in the next chappy so stop reading rambling reviews and off with you....to the pen & paper/lap top/whatever.....Get writing and post.....(rinse and repeat as necessary)

Author's Response: Rambling reviews are much cherished around here! It's true, Logan is typically characterized as more or less all-knowing, because of his senses; but I've always found that interpretation to be a little incomplete, particularly for the movieverse rendition of him. He has impeccable instincts, but instincts are distinct from facts, knowledge; knowing something's wrong isn't enough to tell you what it is, particularly if it's a bit more complex than "intruder nearby." His scenes with Stryker or Xavier are exemplary here, where you see him grasping for facts in his past he just cannot access, despite his obvious intelligence and perceptiveness. Haha: believe me, knowing where it's going does NOT keep my brain from being overloaded. I need to change the summary description, soon. Anyone who comes in here looking for a light series is going to be very, very confused.