Just when like at the mansion seems to be going normal, or as normal as it can be, dangerous is lurking in the shadows for Rogue and her little brother Kurt. Read on to lean more.

A week past and The Xavier Institute was business as usual. Even though summer vacation had started some of the kids continued with their training. Rogue was one of them. She had just finished her first year of college, but she decided to take two extra classes over the summer. She was majoring in child psychology and had a professor that recommended she join the summer program.

Remy was a little disappointed thinking they would have the summer free to do as they pleased, but Rogue found that she liked school, especially since two of her professors were also mutants. Even with the extra classes she was taking she assured him that they would have plenty of time to be together.

It was getting on lunch time and her classes for the day had just ended when her cell phone chimed The Yellow Rose of Texas. Rogue picked up the phone and saw the photo of Kitty Pride, her best friend and roommate. She picked up the call immediately.

"Hey, Kit, what's goin' on?" Rogue asked as she walked through the campus parking lot to get to her car.

"Nothing much, I was just wondering if you would meet me at Molly's café for lunch?"

"Sure," Rogue said, a smile coming to her face. It wasn't often that the two could just kick back with a casual impromptu lunch date. "I'll be there in ten minutes."

"Great," Kitty said excitedly. "Maybe after lunch we might go shopping. I really need to get a new wardrobe before the summer's over. Bayville University awaits."

"Shopping?" Rogue groaned as she opened her car door.

"Sure, and we'll stop by the Victoria's Secret store for you," Kitty said and giggled.

"Very funny, Kitty," Rogue said and started the car. "Well, I'm drivin' so ah gotta get off."

"See you in a few," Kitty said and Rogue ended the call.

Ever since Kitty found out that her and Remy's relationship became more physical, she had been pushing her to buy more sexy underwear, claiming that it would keep him interested. It wasn't an altogether bad idea, and they were both adults. Driving to the café, she thought about it and with each second it sounded more like a good idea. Shopping didn't sound like such a bad way to spend an afternoon.

She parked her car across the street and she walked to the corner to the crosswalk. She felt a chill enter her body, even though it was eighty degrees outside. For a moment she thought someone was following her, but she looked around and didn't see anything out of the ordinary. She shrugged it off and walked into the café. She looked around the quaint eating establishment until she spotted Kitty at the corner booth. The petite brunette waved to Rogue, which prompted her to walk over and sit down in the booth opposite her friend.

"It's about time you got here," Kitty said and Rogue gave her a dirty look.

"Ah got here as soon as ah could," Rogue said and picked up a menu. She was starving, not having eaten since early that morning.

"So, the night of the party you and Remy disappeared," Kitty said with a devilish smile. "Where did you two take off to?"

"None a your business, Kitty," Rogue said and hoped she would drop the subject.

"It's just that I got back to my room at 4 am, and you still weren't there so I figured you and Remy stayed at the boathouse..."

"How do you know about the boathouse?" she asked shocked that Kitty would know about their secret place.

"Promise you won't be mad," Kitty said, putting up her arms in defense.

"Kitty, what do you know...?" Kitty looked guilty as hell and Rogue wanted to know why.

"Just promise," Kitty said.

"Fine," Rogue said crossing her arms.

"Okay, well, a few weeks ago, Lance and I were looking for a place to be... well... alone... so we went to the boathouse and I kind of saw you and Remy... well..."

"You saw us?!" She wanted to scream, but she didn't want to draw any attention so it came out a raspy whisper.

"Just a few seconds, I swear," she said but Rogue's face turned blood red. "Rogue, don't be embarrassed. With a guy like Remy it was bound to happen."

"What do ya mean by that?" Rogue asked.

"Think about it, Rogue. He is the sexiest guy in Bayville...well...next to Lance, and now that you got a handle on you powers it's only natural that you and Remy would want to, and you should feel lucky that it was me and not someone else...like... like Tabby."

Rogue had an incredible look of fright on her face. "Oh god, if she had seen us it would have been not just all over the Bayville, but that sneaky little blonde probably would have made a video and posted it on the internet, X-girls gone wild or somethin'."

"That sounds like something Boom Boom would do."

"Well, then it was a good thing it was you and not someone else," Rogue said and looked relieved.

They both ordered lunch and had a cup of coffee while they were waiting. The conversation took a lighter tone as Kitty asked about the ins an outs of the college campus since she was going to be starting there in a few months.

Just then the waitress came back with their food, Rogue heard her phone ring. She picked up her purse and fished through it and found her phone. The caller ID said unknown which was a little odd. She picked it up and answered it hoping that it was someone important.

"Hello," she said as Kitty dove into her food. There was an odd silence on the phone. She heard some background noise, but no voice human or otherwise.

Then suddenly, she heard a deep raspy tone. "The time is coming for all sinners to pay for their deeds."

"Who is this?" she asked. The cryptic message sent chills up and down her body. She waited for an answer but none came. "Hello...? Hello...?"

Whoever it was, hung up leaving Rogue to wonder.

"Who was that?" Kitty asked before shoving another ketchup-drenched French fry into her mouth.

"Wrong number," Rogue said, but she didn't completely believe that. She didn't want to tell Kitty about the weird phone call. She just hoped it was a random thing and she would never hear from the strange caller again.

After lunch, Rogue and Kitty went shopping, and it reminded her of why she hated shopping with Kitty. The girl liked to spend money and on dumb things. It was one thing buying a frilly girly outfit but then she had to have all those gaudy and unnecessary accessories.

She did get a new pair of shoes and two new pieces of lingerie. She also bought some practical things like some new school clothes and a new workout outfit.

They both arrived home close to dinnertime and come through the front door loaded with bags. As they came in Kitty's phone rang. She dropped her bags and pulled out her phone to see it was Lance.

"Oh, Rogue, can you take my stuff up to our room? I need to get this."

"Fine," she said and tried to pick up her four bags and Kitty's five. "Well, I guess I'll have to make two trips."

"Need some help?" She turned around to see Remy standing by the landing of the staircase.

"Well, if you're offering," she said and pointed to Kitty's things. He picked them up with ease and followed her up the stairs.

Once they made it back to her room, she directed him to put the bags on Kitty's bed. "You girls did lots of shoppin'."

"I guess so," Rogue said and began going through her bags. "Ah got some things ah needed."

"So, all dese yours?" Remy asked and Rogue rolled her eyes.

"No, those are Kitty's," she said pointing to the bags that Remy placed on Kitty's bed. "These are mine."

She emptied the bag from the sporting goods store. She took out and refolded the sweatpants and tank tops she bought.

"I hope you bought some nice things," he said, coming closer to her.

"Ah did," she said coyly and grabbed the bag from the lingerie store.

"You gonna let Remy see?" he asked.

"Maybe," she said and dumped the contents in her top drawer and closed it fast so he couldn't see.

"When?" he asked and came up behind her and put his arms around her.

"How about tonight?" she asked and suddenly she felt his lips on her neck.

"Right now, would be better," he said but at that moment Kitty phased through the room. Rogue gasped seeing her friend. Her roommate had caught them once, and she didn't want it to happen again.

"Oops, sorry," Kitty said. "I'll be out if your hair in a second. She grabbed the bag on her bed with her new dress in it and a pair of high heels and phased through the door once again.

"She's always walking in on us," Rogue said without realizing it. Remy didn't seem one bit surprised. Suddenly something dawned on her. "You knew, didn't you?"

"'Bout Kitty catchin' us in de boathouse, yeah," Remy said like it was no big deal.

"Why didn't you tell me? I was so embarrassed then Kitty told me," she said rambling on.

"Come on, chere, you shouldn't be embarrassed. If anyone should be it's Kitty. Don't be embarrassed 'cause you love Remy. You do, don't ya?"

"Of course, I do, but it doesn't mean ah want people lookin' in on us when we're..."

"Still shy 'bout sayin' it?"

"Remy, it's still all very new for me and..."

"I understand," he said and kissed her on the forehead. At that moment, her phone rang.

"Ah should get that," she said but Remy groaned. She searched through her purse for her phone and found it buried at the bottom. She looked at the caller ID and saw that it was an Unknown call, just like the call she got earlier. She reluctantly answered it. "Hello."

"You will be the first of many, mutant scum," he heard a ruff voice coming through the phone. Rogue was so frazzled that she dropped the phone. She was shaking a bit and her behavior didn't go unnoticed by Remy.

"Chere, what's wrong?" he asked as gripped he shoulders. She didn't respond at first until she heard him shout out her name. "Anna!"

She breathed deep and looked into his worried eyes. "Ah'm okay. It was just a wrong number."

"Are you sure?" he asked, taking her hands. She didn't answer because the phone rang again and she jumped. She sat on the bed while he answered the phone. "Hello," he said forcefully but no one answered. He heard a click and whoever was on the other end hung up.

"Wrong number?" she asked and sat down on the bed.

"Hang up," he said and sat down next to her. "Dis happen before?' he asked.

"Earlier today," she said, breathing deep. "Ah think someone might be after me."

"Well, dere not getting anywhere near you," he said and stood up. He took hold of her hand. "We're gonna talk to de professor." She stood up and followed him out of the room. She hoped that this was just an isolated incidence but something told her that this was just the beginning.

They quickly made their way to the Professor's office and knocked on the door. Please come in, Rogue and Remy heard the Professor's voice inside their minds. Rogue should have been used to that by now, but it always seemed to freak her out a bit. Remy opened the door, and they saw Logan and Kurt standing next to the Professor's desk. That told Rogue right away that something was going on.

"So, Professor, you know why we wanna talk to ya," Rogue said and looked over at her brother. No one needed to tell her that the same thing that was happening to her was also happening to him.

"Yes, Rogue, I know about the phone calls. Your brother Kurt has received a few as well."

"And a text message," Kurt said and he looked nervous and worried. "Zhe caller threatened to kill me." Rogue could see the fear in his eyes. Kurt was used to getting death threats on a regular basis. Because of the way he looked he had to deal with hateful people his whole life, but for some reason Rogue could tell that this time he believed it would really happen.

Kurt can over and showed her what it said. It's time for all Mutants to pay the price and you will be the first. She stared at the text for what felt like a long while. "That is something along the lines of the message ah got when Kitty and ah was out to lunch." She looked over at the Professor. "Has anyone else gotten any threatenin' messages?"

"Not to my knowledge," the Professor said.

"Yeah, and that means that someone is targeting Stripes and the Elf," Logan said and Rogue was even more scared. "Don't worry, Rogue, we're gonna protect ya."

"Ah know, but it's creepy thinkin' someone might be watchin' and why? If it's just because we're mutants than why hasn't anyone else been targeted, instead of just me and Kurt?"

"I don't know," the Professor said as he approached Rogue. "Until we expose the origins of these messages, I don't want anyone, staff or students, going anywhere alone."

"I agree," Logan said. "As far as Kurt and Rogue go they need extra protection, so no leaving the institute." Rogue was about to say something, but Logan beat her to it. "I don't want to hear it, kid." He pointed a figure at her to emphasize his point.

"Ah was goin' to agree with you, Logan," Rogue said, her voice forceful. Logan looked stunned that she didn't protest. "When ah was out today ah thought that maybe someone was followin' me."

"Why didn't you tell me dat before?" Remy asked.

"Ah didn't think anythin' of it until now," she said, "but now that this has happened, and they're tormentin' Kurt with all this..."

"We will find out who is doing this, Rogue," the Professor said. There was a fear in his eye that Rogue rarely saw.

"Ah hope so, Professor," Rogue said and gripped Remy's hand. "All this is very stressful, and ah'm kind of worn out."

"I understand, my dear," the Professor said. "Why don't you go to your room and rest." She nodded as Remy led her out of the office.

As they walked back to her room Remy opened the door for her. "Somet'ing I want you to do, Chere?"

"What?" she asked looking intrigued.

"Gather everyt'ing you need for de night," he said and she looked suspicious.

"Why?" she asked.

"'Cause you're stayin' wid me tonight," he said and came close to her. He put his arms around her and held her tight. "Best way for Remy to protect you is for him to not let you out of his sight."

"Oh, really," she said, a coy smile coming to her face. "So, what are we going to do alone in your room all night."

"I'll t'ink of a few t'ings," he said and kissed her. "We can start with a nice romantic dinner and some soft music, dancing and..."

"And this is all just a sacrifice to protect me," she said not buying into his obvious seduction plan.

"Chere, an evening wid you is no sacrifice," he said. "Now you pack up a few t'ings and meet me in my room in an hour and bring one dose lacy t'ings you refused to let me see."

"Did you peek?" she asked putting her hands on her hips.

"Non, I jus' know ma cherie," he said and he walked over to check the balcony. He locked the door and moved the curtain closed for privacy. "Now, I'll get our dinner ready an' you come on over when you're ready."

"Okay, Cajun," she said and pulled him close to her and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Don't take too long."

He left her room and she gathered up the things she would need for their special night. The phone calls still chilled her, but she wasn't going to let this destroy her life. Things were going so well for her right now, and she wasn't going to let anyone or anything come in and destroy her happiness.

That's all for this chapter. Be here next time for Horrible Gifts. It's the day after the phone call and a package comes for both Rogue and Kurt. What's in the box? Be here next time to find out.