[for Rogue]

[howmanylives]

Nearly five years and countless disappearances later, and one thing still held true for Jamie Madrox: Rogue was the best and closest friend he’d made on the Island.

(Layla, of course, was in a league all on her own.)

So when he needed someone to talk to who wasn’t a voice in his head, Rogue was at the top of Jamie’s list. Weeks later and he was still wrestling with his and Layla’s decision to start trying for kids — or, at least, to stop actively avoiding having kids. He needed an outsider’s perspective, someone without any stake in the matter to give him some reassurance that they weren’t being extraordinarily stupid.

He knocked on the door of her hut, and called out, “Anybody home?”

Comments

[howmanylives]

Jamie smiled wanly, letting his head roll to side so he could catch a glimpse of Rogue.

"Yeah, but she's braver."

[un_gloved]

"Then knock her up, chicken shit," she said, grinning fondly at him and extending a leg to poke his hip with her toes.

"Choose love, Jamie," Rogue added, fitting her fingers to the frets and starting to gently pick out a tune with the expertise and ease of a seasoned pro. She'd spent a lot of time on the island, had found a lot of hours that needed filling, and somewhere over the span of six years she'd managed to fill enough of them with practice to become something of a virtuoso.

She was thinking of taking up the ukelele next.

"I know it's terrifying, but so is most of what we've had to face, 'n choose, in our lives. So maybe let yourself choose love."

[howmanylives]

"You'd be an aunt, you know," he pointed out, smiling a little at the thought. Most of his loved ones from home had vanished over the years, but it was a comforting thought to know he still had a little family left over.

"Bet you'd be good at it."

She was the reason he'd lasted longer than twenty-four hours on the Island. The lady had a knack for calming him down.

[un_gloved]

"You kiddin', I'd be the best. Spoil 'em rotten, teach them how to fight and spit and swear and not give 'em one whoppin' with a frying pan. The exact opposite of my aunt," she said, grinning back at him and letting her fingers drag across the strings for a few deep, resonant strums.

[howmanylives]

Jamie laughed, giving her a dubious look.

"You're talking yourself out of a job."

[un_gloved]

"Not a chance," she said, and set the guitar aside carefully before lying down and shimmying over so she was stretched out alongside Jamie.

The ceiling had been bumped up a few times, and now it was wood and beamed and vaulted, and the giant windows that made up her walls kept it reflected the color of the sand and the sky all day. The ceiling fan turned lazily around.

It had taken a while for it to feel like hers, but she loved the place.

"Are you gonna do the trying thing, or are you just going to... see if it happens?"

[howmanylives]

"The second one, for now," he said, reaching behind his head to use his arms as a pillow. He bent one leg, keeping his foot flat against the floor, and crossed one leg over to rest on his knee.

"I've been on that birth control for years. Gotta get it out of my system first."

[un_gloved]

"Mmn," she hummed quietly in understanding and was quiet for a minute.

"I think it's the right choice, Jamie," Rogue said eventually, and turned her head to look over at him.

"I really do."

[howmanylives]

Jamie fell quiet, momentarily entranced by the spin of the ceiling fan. He frowned a little, then met Rogue's gaze.

"I hope you're right."

[un_gloved]

"Me too, but at the end of the day, no one's word matters on this but yours and hers. You know?" She turned her gaze upward again.

"It's what feels right for the two of you. So."

[howmanylives]

"She's happy here. We both are, in spite of..." He let out a kind of a sigh, rolling his eyes at some of the absurdity they'd put up with over the years.

"...everything. It's the next step."

[un_gloved]

"Hmmn. So you take it together." Rogue smiled a little. It was a nice thought, and she was happy for him. He'd been the lowest she'd just bout seen anyone when he'd shown up, and he and Layla hadn't fallen into wedded bliss without their share of rough spots. Their share and a few other people's share too, come to that. It was nice to think that with everything they'd gone through, and would have gone through still, back home, on the island their lives were going to be each other and their family.

For as good at his schtick as Madrox was, Rogue thought retirement might suit him.

[howmanylives]

Jamie arched an eyebrow. "Ideally."

But who knew what the Island had in store for the future? That was the problem, wasn't it? Though as Rogue had just pointed out, the very same could've been said for home.

[un_gloved]

"Real few things in life are ideal, Jamie," she murmured.

"You know it 'n so does she. The question is, could the happiness you get from having a family with Layla outweigh the fear of taking the risk. And that's a call you have to make."

[howmanylives]

"If it happens, it happens," he said, sitting up and curling over himself, elbows digging into his knees as he leaned forward. It was a big decision, but ultimately, they didn't have a lot of stay in the outcome.

"Anyway-" He flashed her a small little smile. "Thanks."

[un_gloved]

"If it happens, you're gonna come over here again pullin' your hair out for nine damn months until you actually get the baby, then y'ain't gonna shut up about how perfect it is and how happy your are," Rogue pointed out.

"So you're welcome, but you better not wear out my nerves with your worrying before she even gets pregnant."

[howmanylives]

Jamie scoffed, rolling his eyes.

So much for the moment.

"Thanks," he said again, sarcastically, fighting back a grin.

[un_gloved]

"Don't mention it, buddy," she replied, grinning wore widely and gently kicking the side of his leg.

[howmanylives]

"You got dinner plans?" he asked. "If you don't, you could come over. I'm sure Layla wouldn't mind. We're testing pizza recipes."

[un_gloved]

"I most certainly do not have dinner plans," Rogue told him, "and I would be pleased to. Have to get England out for a run first, unless you wouldn't mind him tagging along and tethering up outside."

It had been a slow, steady trickle of people leaving for years, at that point, and Rogue knew better than to turn down an evening with friends.

"How's the shop going? Gettin' set up? Need help building yet?"

[howmanylives]

"I don't mind being the cowgirl on the back if you wanna just ride over," said Jamie, grinning a little. Casa Madrox was well off the beaten path.

"But yeah, we've got a place picked out. I've been teaching myself about glassworks in my spare time, for the windows, but we should be ready for construction within the next month or so. You volunteering?"

[un_gloved]

"Always," Rogue said, rolling onto her stomach and pushing herself up to her feet.

"Thirsty? Don't got much- beer, water, coconut water."

[howmanylives]

"Water's fine," he said, slower to stand.

"So what have you been up to lately, anyhow?" he added, eying the guitar for a moment. "Other than making inroads towards your induction into the Tabula Rasa Country Hall of Fame?"

[un_gloved]

She considered how to answer as she poured Jamie a glass of cold water, and then herself one. There were a lot of easy answers, noncommittal answers. She pursed her lips as she mulled them over.

"Gambit's back," she said instead of any of them, and put the carafe of water down as casually as possible.

[howmanylives]

Given that Rogue didn't look particularly happy about this development, Jamie gauged his reaction accordingly.

"...yeah?"