After the incident at the bar, Rogue had some cleaning up to do. Her boss did not fire her, though his words for her were far from encouraging. She still had a job at the Maple leaf if she wanted, but with other things to consider now she wasn't sure she did. That night she'd gotten Remy's number and promised to call or text, then stayed behind with Ororo to wait for Harry to come back and survey the damage. To say he was not thrilled would have been putting it kindly.
She eventually took Ororo back to the small house she rented. It wasn't anything grand, but it was her home, decorated to her tastes. She even had a guest room so that anyone who stayed overnight would have a place of their own. It had been nice to wake up and have morning coffee with her old friend. They had the opportunity to talk about what had been going on in the past seven years. She never asked about anyone familiar, nor did she broach the subject on the cure wearing off. She just wanted to enjoy the time they had together.
Ororo could not stay forever, though. She left for New York only after Rogue promised to call her if anything should happen. It was a promise Rogue made easily. She was already terrified of what could happen, even if it was not something she would willingly admit to herself. She found her home empty then, and loneliness began creeping in around the edges. It was what prompted her to text Remy on Christmas Eve of all days. She half hoped he was busy when she suggested the meeting, and half prayed he was not.
She dressed warmly, the weather turning colder than was usual. Snow was something she missed and she could picture Westchester and the mansion as if they were a snow globe, all covered in white flurries. The cemetery she walked toward was far from snow covered, but a cold breeze threw leaves into whirling funnels and sent small branches skittering across the paved paths. Remy could be seen up ahead, and Rogue hesitated to watch him offer to take a picture for a group of strangers. She smiled politely at them as they passed her moments later, then sidled up beside Remy to read the plaque as well.
It was strange to suddenly find herself unable to think of anything to say. She hadn't been sleeping much since Ororo left, so she was sure she didn't look all that great. Self-consciously, she ran a hand over her ponytail before speaking. "Thanks for comin' I know it's Christmas Eve an' all, so I won't keep you long."