"Ah'm goin out," Rogue told Proffessor Xavier as she walked towards the door. "Ah might not be back fer awhile, so don't worry. Unless ah'm gone fer more than a week, then you can assume the worst. But most likely, I will've just been kidnapped by the swamp rat again"

Proffessor Xavier nodded and smiled. "Was that supposed to reassure me, Rogue"

"Not really," the southern girl replied. She walked out the door then stuck her head back in. "By the way, Wolvie, ah'm borrowin yer bike! See ya'all lata!" She quickly made her exit before her words registered in Wolverine's mind. When they did, he quickly looked up from his newspaper.

"WHAT!?" But, by then, Rogue was halfway down the road, listening to the Walkman that her roomate, Kitty Pryde, had lent her. She'd put in Garth Brooks and turned up the volume when her favorite song had started.

I spent last night in the arms of a girl in Louisianna.
Now I'm out on the highway, but my thoughts are still with her.
Such a strange combination of a woman and a child.
Such a strange situation, stopping every hundred miles,
Callin' Baton Rouge.

As Rogue listened to the song, she was forcefully reminded of a certain, card-throwing cajun, whom she would've rather forgotten. Her mind flew back to the fiasco in New Orleans, after he'd kidnapped her and tricked her into helping him find his dad. She tried to shake this out of her thoughts, but couldn't. The song wasn't helping much.

A replay of last nights events roll through my mind.
Except a scene or two, erased by sweet red wine.
And I see a truck stop sign ahead, so I change lanes.
I need a cup of coffee, and a couple dollars change,
Callin' Baton Rouge.

Another thought entered Rogue's mind at these last lyrics, and she felt herself blush. 'Ah was being mind-controlled by Mesmero then!' She told herself. 'Yah, but ah don't think Mesmero made ya kiss him!' Another little voice reminded. She blushed again as she realized that the little voice was right. Mesmero hadn't told her to kiss Gambit, just steal his powers.

'Then why'd ah do it?'

Operator won’t you put me on through?

I gotta’ send my love down to Baton Rouge.

Hurry up won’t you put her on the line?

I gotta’ talk to the girl just one more time.

As Rogue continued to listen, she began to wonder why this song was her favorite. She had really just heard it recently, even though it was an old song, but the first time she heard it, she instantly went out and bought the cd(Garth Brooks: ). Now that she thought about it, she hadn't heard the song until the cross-country trip she'd taken with that nut-case swamp rat. She smiled as she remebered him singing it while driving down the road(1). Rogue blushed as she realized what she'd just been thinking about.

Hello, Samantha, dear, I hope you're feelin' fine.
And it won't be long until I'm with you all the time.
But until then I'll spend my money, Up right down to my last dime.
Callin' Baton Rouge.

Her mind must've been betraying her, though, cause she couldn't quit thinking about that danged swamp rat! She once again thought about him singing and remebered how he'd kept glancing at her throughout the song.
'And why'd he kidnap meh in the first place?' She wondered. 'He coulda just as easily gone and kidnapped a mind-reader or somethin!' She smirked as she imagined Jean Grey ego-blasting Gambit into next week. 'And he said he'd been watchin' meh for weeks.' For the first time in months, she gave this some thought, then pulled of to the side of the road and braked.

Operator won’t you put me on through?

I gotta’ send my love down to Baton Rouge.

Hurry up won’t you put her on the line?

I gotta’ talk to the girl just one more time.

As the last bit of the song played she sat in shock. 'He's been watchin meh? Like some kinda stalker!?' She uneasily looked over her shoulder, then realized with a start that he probably wasn't following her anymore. 'Last time I saw him, he was in Louisianna anyways.'

Callin’ baton rouge.

Sweet baton rouge.

My Baton Rouge!

With this in mind, she pulled back onto the road, performing a perfect U-turn, and hoping no cops had seen her. As she sped back towards Bayville, she smiled to herself. 'Maybe ah should pay the swamp rat a visit. Pay him back for watchin over meh.' Her smile softened as she thought about how shocked the cajun would probably be to see her.

Then she hit the repeat button on the Walkman.