Gambit and X-23: True Hellions?

I was extremely leery of this pairing at first.

Still somewhat am.  I love them as best friends.  Gambit brings out elements of Laura that others can't, and the same proves true for him.  In fact, she's probably the only person he's been around that his "Death" persona won't come out.  Something about her tames it and keeps it in check entirely.

I don't know if this is deliberate by Marjorie M. Liu or not, but it's interesting to note nonetheless.  As wild as Laura is, Remy sticks by her and remembers her well.  He's definitely more of a mentor, but we finally start seeing the kind of people that Laura needs in her life.  People who support her, people who need her, but also people that don't judge her for her past.  Gambit let her grow in ways no one else could.  I'll admit I'm behind on comics, and from what I've heard, Marvel plans on killing Gambit off(or did, no clue, can't find confirmation of the rumor or the source), but for a brief time the way the cards were dealt did help them both.  He let Laura grow, and in turn, she taught him everything he lost sight of.

I don't know if these two should ever be romantically tied.  I know for fact Hellion isn't the way Laura should go.  His negativity and disrespect will only bring her down farther and farther until she does completely lose herself.  We've seen Laura recognize that though and move beyond it finally.  Julian isn't a character she can fix.  He's of a nature that needs to mature on his own otherwise he'll only get worse.  A person has to be able to accept what they've done as wrong and be sincere to their core about it before a change can happen.  Julian's nature denies that, and in turn would only have surface changes to please another instead of actually fixing himself.  He will continually make excuses for himself and blaming others instead of trying to fix it himself.

I don't see Laura really needing a man to define herself though either.  She is who she is, and in the long run I hope we discover what that is on the written page.  It is true that she needs a companion though.  Someone to remind her who she is when she starts to forget.  Someone to remind her there are better ways.  That it will be okay.  That she's stronger than anyone could ever know.

Even Laura doesn't deserve to be alone, just to be left alone.  That's not to say that I think she needs a man to complete herself.  No, I think she needs someone in her life where the sacrifices go both ways to keep each other honest with the other and themselves.  Someone that can understand what those sacrifices are.  That's why Gambit worked so well.  He was trying to help her, but instead she helped him.  Together they helped each other reach amazing heights of personal growth and were some of the best comics to read of hers.