Disclaimer:
Hi all my faithful readers! (And newbies too, I'm not biased) Welcome to my first Evo one-shot! This isn't a regular thing, I'm working on Just Haven't Met You Yet as we speak, but the holiday spirit seized me, and I wanted to get this out there before Christmas Day so, here you go! Don't worry Chapter Nine will be up before New Years, I guarantee. Sooner, holiday traffic permitting. I hope you guys like this, it's my first completed story (like duh, let us read already, right?) and I hope it captures the romantic/Christmas spirit I was going for. It's an AU obviously but, well, you'll see...Without further ado: I do not own X-Men: Evolution, the Christmas Carol, It's a Wonderful Life, or Oreos. Sadly I don't even have any Oreos. I'm gonna go fix that. Later!
Thieves and Christmas Angels
The date itself should have left her with some forewarning, though she had expected something more along the lines of a deceased business partner, shackled by misdeeds of his past. Or some over enthusiastic carolers jacked up on a marshmallow-and-candy cane-high.
But never had she expected it to come with the sound of shattering glass.
That was, though, the noise that greeted her ears when her green eyes snapped open in anxious alarm. With one glance, and the groan that quickly escaped as she caught sight of the neon lights of the alarm clock, she shoved the blankets off her side of the lofty king-sized bed in the master bedroom. It was way too early to wake up, even by Santa's standards, at three-in-the-freakin'-morning on Christmas Day. But the ominous feeling of dread was just creeping up on her and definitely wasn't going to let up if she stayed sitting there wide-eyed in the dark, like some helpless little girl.
So that's was the reason for her clamoring out of her warm, safe bed, and instead donning her worn out robe and tying it securely around her before reaching for the familiar old bat standing ready at the doorway to her room. She was ready for anything.
Except the piece of her past waiting for her downstairs.
The glass shards that quietly crunched under his feet were only making him cuss more vehemently than when he initially broke the window. It really ticked him off when people just insisted on placing small decorative tables right against windows. It made his job a living hell. He wasn't sure, but he had the sinking dread that his entrance had set off some sort of silent alarm. All he needed now was for the cops to show up, leaving him to make some sort of escape, and have to come back for the mark on another day when his deadline was fast approaching.
His glare was focused on the window, trying to place any kind of tripwire. So that's probably the only reason why he caught the shadowy figure's reflection in the darkly tinted glass, weapon raised and quickly approaching his head. He had time to catch his own widening eyes before he swept down into a roll, barely avoiding the assault before coming up swinging on the opposite side of the hallway. He was ready to square off against his opponent, fisted hands already raised and waiting with his fierce scowl in place. This just wasn't his night, and frankly, if some punk with a bat was going to start swinging at him, then he'd just as soon take out his frustrations on him.
The willowy figure of his assailant had moved to press into wall across from him, one arm still extended with the bat in between them, the other frantically sweeping for any purchase for a light switch. Well he couldn't have that now could he?
So the thief sprung forward, quickly eating up the distance between them, one hand closing in on the wooden head of the bat, the other poised and charging.
Until his startled opponent finally found the light switch and light flooded the small and cramped hallway.
Both figures were frozen to the spot as if the North-Eastern wind had suddenly swept up into the penthouse apartment and had them doused in nitroglycerin. Shocked faces were mirrored down to gaping mouths and the raised eyebrows as they stood there. But there could be no mistaking the recognition in those eyes as emeralds beheld dark brown flecked with red.
"Remy?"
"Anna?"
Even though saying eachother's names should have bore some evidence that the situation was indeed, for real, both seemed hesitant to actually let their respective guards down.
It was after a surreal moment of time had lapsed with them just standing there, that she finally lowered the bat, eyes wary with emotions, and he finally summoned enough courage to speak.
"What de hell are y' doin' here?"
"I should be the one askin' ya that, don't ya think Swamp Rat?" Her old familiar scowl popped into place without any hesitation, as she crossed her arms and glared up at him. He took the time to take in her bed-raggled appearance, the hastily thrown on robe, and the mussed up hair as realization dawned on him.
"Y' live here?"
She rolled her vibrant green eyes towards the heavens as she took in his own figure, underneath the ever-present trench coat. Seriously, was he born with that thing? It was like an extra limb for heaven's sakes!
"Nope, I just randomly showed up here for a late-night game of baseball on Christmas Eve. Of course I live here, ya idiot."
"Desole, Chere, but y' kinda gave dis Cajun a shock, I'm not sure what to think right now."
She passed by him quickly, not sparing him a glance as she started making her way down the hallway, "Don't think, leave. If my memory recalls right, you're pretty good about that."
He reached out to her before she was two steps away from him, hand closing in on the small of her arm as he shot her a half-hearted glare, "That's not fair, Anna. You don't know the whole story."
She turned back to him instantly, her glare full with its intensity under a half raised brow, "Oh? Well guess what LeBeau, I really couldn't give a care right now. You left. You never tried to find me again. End of story."
And though she might have tried to hide it, he could hear the pain seeping off her words and it pierced him through and through. "I never meant to hurt you Anna."
Her baleful glare didn't waver for an instant, "Let me go."
He searched those green pools for at least a full minute before he sighed and dropped her arm to let his hand fall listlessly to his side. She quickly turned back to the still darkened half of the corridor. Some force compelled him to follow behind her despite his common sense ordering him to let her be, let her escape what he was. But when had he started listening to sense when it concerned his Southern Bell?
She had reached the foyer outside the main entrance, standing in the glow from the security control panel as she quickly began typing on the state-of-the-art equipment. He noted the abandoned bat leaning against the umbrella stand with some marginal hope. Maybe it meant she didn't see him as a threat.
"Or at least a threat she couldn't handle," he thought with the ghost of a smirk just whispering across his features. But all that hope and good humor came crashing down around him after she turned back around. Her face was kept completely expressionless as she leaned back against the wall, one of her hands reaching up to wipe away the haggardness from her eyes as the other wrapped around her waist.
"I shut off the alarm, but that isn't gonna stop the cops from comin' and checkin' it out. You have about fifteen minutes to get out of here before they show up, so I suggest you start." She didn't even look up towards him as she finally removed her hand, head turning to watch the snow flurries drift outside the window in the night life of New York. He felt almost desperate to get her to look at him again.
"I'm not leavin' til we talk." He watched her for any sign of letting up. He could be just as stubborn as she was. But her figure only tensed and her glare hardened as she continued to focus on the wintry landscape.
"I've got nothin' to say-"
"Then you'll listen." He tried to take a step towards her, and her head snapped instantly, her glare holding him in place.
"-and you've got nothin' to say that I wanna hear." She finished as she pushed off against the wall, arms becoming firmly crossed once more.
His jaw clenched at her words, mind furiously working in overdrive for something, anything that would convince her to listen to him.
"Why are y' here?" He could note the line of desperation in his own voice, the pleading quality that seemed to ring out into the night.
Her glare didn't soften in the slightest. "I already told you. I live here."
"Oh really?" He dared now to get just a bit closer to her, even now just standing before her, "I heard that the only person who lived here was the widowed Mrs. Worthington."
And as soon as his words left his mouth he instantly regretted them. Her eyes filled with more sadness than he could bear, unshed tears filling the emerald depths before she turned away, eyes now resolutely fixed on the cool marble floor. He barely caught her whispered words.
"Yeah, this whole big penthouse suite belongs to the recently widowed Mrs. Warren Worthington the Third. Didn't even think about Warren when you heard the Missus with his name did ya?"
"Anna-" He tried to reach out to her, regret and sympathy filling his tone. He had completely forgotten about his old classmate's last name. Hadn't even thought about him in years. And definitely never placed his wife and his Anna being the same person.
But she quickly drew away from his out stretched hand, her own arms sweeping up and down to her shoulders. Her quiet words were harsher this time, and he could hear the tears just slipping out. "Don't touch me."
It was almost pleading, and it made his hand stay in place at his side. But it didn't stop his heart from lurching out in his chest, and his eyes frantically sought out hers from behind the veil of her hair.
She for her part avoided his gaze, desperately praying that he would just leave. But one thing was bugging her, keeping her rooted in place against her better judgment. "Why are you here anyway?"
The words came out quieter, no bitterness but not really seeping with curiosity either. But it was enough for him to go on. "What can I say? It's not easy times for anyone Chere."
She scoffed at his words, shifting her weight from one foot to the other. She should have known it would be some lame excuse like that. And just when she was about to tell him that, she made the mistake of turning around to look at him, and caught her breath when she caught the intensity of his stare looking right back at her.
"Not having you in my life?" He took another step forward now right up against her, and made a daring move as he ran his hand along from her brow until it rested, cupping her cheek. It made her heart beat in her chest frantically as his eyes never left hers. "Dat was hard."
Her eyes fluttered shut as his thumb began to run smooth circles along her cheek, the beating in her chest encompassing her thoughts. God he was making it difficult to hate him. Every single thought in her head was telling her just to shove him away, laugh in his face, and watch him leave in handcuffs. But her heart? That traitorous part of her just wanted to let her break down at the seams, fall into his arms and let him make her forget.
But she couldn't forget. And she became even more aware of that when the knocking at her door drew her thoughts back into reality as she heard the muffled voices of the police officers just outside the oak doors. She pulled herself away from him, her eyes looking like that of a cornered prey as she shook her head no. He could feel his chance slipping right through his fingers and he clutched at it like a drowning man.
"Chere-"
"No." It was still whispered and pain filled, but she didn't turn around to the door, her eyes still deadlocked with his. The pounding of the door seemed to increase and the dull voices could just barely be heard calling out her name. "Anna? Mrs. Worthington?"
"Please Chere," his eyes constantly flashed between her and the doorway as he crept back into the darker recesses of the open hallway, "Just give me an hour. I'll tell you everything."
She closed her eyes as her back finally hit the doorway and she visibly swallowed as she turned around, opening the door just enough to only expose herself. The two officers waiting there were on full alert. It didn't help that they were familiar faces.
"Anna are you okay? The alarm went off down at the station and we tried to get here as soon as we could-"
"I'm fine Scott. Really," she cut him off as she saw him just about to protest. "I've been, ah, having some problems with a draft in one of my hallways. Completely forgot about it when I was setting up decorations, and when the wind picked up tonight some of them knocked over and broke one of my windows. I'm sorry it had to interrupt your Christmas." She plastered on a sugary sweet smile on at the end hoping it would be reassuring.
And though Police Chief Summers didn't look completely at ease, his partner clapped him on the back as he laughed good-naturedly. "That's okay Anna. Told this ole' worry-wort to not stress over it too much. You need to learn how to relax Bro."
The man with the ridiculous mirrored sunglasses turned back to his partner, brow furrowing. "I do not Alex. And don't call me Bro while we're on the clock!"
Alex Masters rolled his eyes as he grinned back at Anna. "Besides our Rogue here can take care of herself, right girl?"
Her answering smile lacked some of his luster but it went unnoticed as the younger man went on, "Still takin' those defense classes right? Soon enough she's gonna be able take the whole force on by herself." He shot her a wink as his brother let out an exasperated sigh.
"Alright Alex, you've made your point. Nonetheless, are you sure you're alright Anna? I don't like you being up here all by yourself. You're completely secluded up here, and on Christmas." The two brothers might have missed her wince at the mention of it, but the thief lurking in the shadows didn't.
"Jean did invite you over for dinner, didn't she? You know you're always welcome." Scott continued to prod. Anna belatedly began to nod before nervously tucking a stray hair behind her ear and smiling back at him.
"She did, but you guys don't have to worry. I told her I had plans, and your house is always crowded at Christmas anyway. I'll be fine, believe me." The words were practiced to perfection, hollow little lies that no one could see past. All most no one at least.
But even though Scott still looked a little worried, Alex looked completely reassured. He shot her his million dollar smile as his hand clamped on his older sibling's shoulder. "Well the invite is always open. We really don't get to see you a lot. But it is getting pretty late, I should probably get this old codger back to precinct so we can some sleep before tonight. Merry Christmas Anna."
"Yeah, Merry Christmas Anna." They both smiled as she pleasantly returned the sentiment. But before they had completely turned around, she briefly thought about throwing the door open, allowing the hallway light to flood the foyer and exposing her 'guest'. But even as her hands tightened on the door's grain, she felt her resolve slip back into place and she quietly pushed the door back into place. The tumblers sliding back was the only sound to be heard echoing in the hall, slowly being overwhelmed by her heart picking up its pace and flooding her senses until she finally turned around. She wasn't really surprised to find him right behind her, watching her thoughtfully. He had never had any problems sneaking up on her.
"You have one hour. That's it." Her voice ended it on a note of finality that couldn't be argued with. He didn't try to, simply nodding in reply before he finally spoke.
"You used to be a better liar." It had half-hearted humor tumbling through its tone, like a long-forgotten inside joke. The wistfulness in his voice wasn't wasted on her either as she looked back down at the floor.
"Wonder what could have happened," she mumbled. There was a tense moment that hung over them for just a brief moment before he finally cleared his throat.
"Do y' want to sit down?" He made an awkward gesture back down towards one of the halls before shooting her a crooked grin, " 's the kinda conversation y' probably wanna sit down for."
She silently nodded in reply before leading the way down one of the hallways. She didn't bother to turn on the lights, already being familiar with the run of the house and didn't question how he could move just as easily as her down the hallways. She didn't want to think about why he had been here. She knew, she just wanted to avoid it for as long as she could.
But once they had made their way into the lofty living room she did take the courtesy to warn him. "Watch your step."
"Merci." He said quietly as he descended into the sunken floor of the sitting area. He watched her robed figure move gracefully amongst the shadowy lumps and various sized objects that were soon flooded with light as she finally reached a side table. He blinked rapidly at the sudden change letting his eyes adjust to his new surroundings slowly. His first thought was that it looked like her. The living room was set to look modern that was certain. The floor plan was set up so that the actual sitting area was sunken in about a half step in the plush dark grey carpet, with one entire side of the room encompassed in large tinted windows that now threw their reflections back at them. In one of the walls sat a great stone fireplace that looked frequently used. As for the furniture itself, at first it looked like it was pulled directly out of the pages of a catalog. Until you noted the frayed pillows that accented the couch, slightly tattered from use, the worn quilt tossed over the back of one of the easy chairs, and the rug that didn't look like it had matched anything since the seventies. But it looked comfortable, and that's what made it Anna's. It valued comfort over style; it wasn't there for appearances, it was there because it was home.
She moved over to the overstuffed off-white couch and directed her gaze to the armchair that sat right across from it. He thought about being bold and sitting next to her instead, but decided against pushing against whatever chance she was offering him. He looked at her thoughtfully, taking in the green eyes that he thought about so often. After a while he finally broke the silence.
"What do you want to know?" Her eyes didn't waver from his as she replied.
"Why did-" she stopped herself, biting her lip before starting again, "What happened in New Orleans?"
"Nothin'," he scoffed at himself as he finally broke eye contact, running a gloved hand through his hair, "Maybe dat's the problem. Nothin' ever changes down there."
"Remy." Her voice drew him to look back at her, tone reprimanding. He was fully aware that it was only the second time she had used his real name that night. "No more games. No more of your riddles. I want the truth." Her accent came out a little thicker at the end. He remembered a time when he knew that meant she was upset, usually with him. But he simply nodded.
"Etienne was dead. But that didn't really change things between us and the Boudreauxs. We didn't seem to hate each other more than usual, at least. So Jean-Luc," Rogue noted the bitterness in his voice as he pronounced the name she had always heard referred to as Pere or Papa even. The change didn't set well with her. "decided to go along with throwin' me and Bella together. Worked about as well as the first time before I went to school up Nort'."
"It doesn't take someone ten years to tell their father no." He winced at her honest reply. His gaze focused out the window again. "And I knew why you left Swamp Rat. I was standin' there with you when your aunt called to say Eti had been killed. I was the person who caught ya when you started to fall," her own bitterness seeped into the last words and he can remember how intertwined their lives had been. She had known everything there had been to know about him, and he her. Scars that no one else knew about had been common knowledge between them.
"Oui, y' did." He said quietly, his gaze still focused on the falling flakes. "But you weren't there to see me go after de fils de putain who killed him." He finally shifted his gaze back to her, accepting any of the horror that might reside in her eyes. It didn't stop him from going on, "And I'll always be thankful for that." His voice cracked on the last part. And he was. If she had seen the things he'd done, the lows he went through, he would be ashamed to be in her presence. Heck, he was even now telling her about it.
Her eyes had touches of caution in them, but it couldn't mask the growing concern. "What did you do Remy?"
He closed his eyes for the next part, "I found 'im." He let the silence draw out with that, a conviction in its own right. But he did go on. "But I couldn't kill 'im."
"Why-" She started, but he cut her off.
"It was Julian." That didn't answer it all though. He stood up now, pacing in front of the windows, " 'Parently, the reason my dear father had been pushin' de wedding for so long was because the Boudreauxs have seized control over his business. He was hopein' that if I married into it Marius would relinquish the holds over to moi, and he could get control again. But that also meant that no harm could fall on any of the Boudreaux clan's heads." He finally stopped, staring listlessly out at the landscape before him.
She didn't move from her spot though she was fighting the temptation to see just what his face was revealing. "That didn't stop you, did it?" He finally turned back to her, the questioning glimmer unmistakable in his eyes. "You loved Eti. You would have done anythin' for him while he was alive, and nothin' was gonna stop you from avenging his death. I could see it in your eyes the day you left."
He closed his eyes, shutting out her knowing face, and the compassion that was brewing there. He didn't deserve it. Not after what he did in New Orleans, and certainly not after what he did to her. "No. And when Marius found his son in the hospital, he let hell reign down. My family's shipping business plummeted into the black so fast we were out of the house by the end of the week. Even Mercy and Henri lost everythin' and they haven't had anythin' to do wit' the business in at least three, four years maybe. Wasn't easy on Merce, not with de baby comin'. Marius must have had ties in wit' de cops because the next thin' we know, Emil and Theo were bein' brought up on false charges. But he made sure not to touch me; he wanted me to see everythin' fall apart, powerless to stop it." He finally looked back up at her. "It took me five years to drag up enough low lives to get anyone to tell me de truth about what happened to Etienne. It only took one day for me to destroy my own famille."
She looked ready to come to his side but he stopped her there with a raised hand, leaving her poised on the edge of her seat. "It didn't stop dere, Chere. After dat, marryin' Belladonna was out of de question. I would have been a fou to even consider it. But desperate times called for desperate measures. The bebe finally came, but Mercy was gettin' sick. Henri was workin' three jobs. Jean-Luc was useless. Mattie…" He hesitated here, "Mattie went wit' some in-laws. I didn't trust 'em. I think they're plannin' on puttin' her in a home. But what could I do? There wasn't any work in La Ville. Marius had tabs on everythin'. And I didn't have de money to come back up here and try to work it off." He snorted at this, scoffing at himself, "The money or de guts. I couldn't face Xavier after all his preachin' on non-violence and peaceful resolution. I shamed the man by walkin' out his front door the way I did."
"That's not true!" She finally got in front of him, grabbing his hands and holding on to them fiercely. Her eyes were pleading with him, but he shook his head sadly.
"Y' don't know what I did, Chere. I'm a thief. I started stealin' the very day-" his voice cracked, and he had to start again, "the very day the doctors said Mercy wasn't gonna make it without treatment. Henri had a kid to feed, and even then it was a fifty-fifty chance she'd make it. But it was the only shot she had." He shook his head. "But since then I've done things that no one should see. Figures I'd be a natural." The sneer on his face was so cruel, it didn't have any of his normal cockiness, "What was it that Logan always used to say? De only thing I'd be good for was stirrin' gumbo and cheatin' people at cards?"
" 's not true." She said raising one of his hands to her cheek. He closed his eyes as his bare fingers lightly brushed her features. After all he had suffered this would be what did him in though. Being close to her, and then moving away again. She had to know though. He couldn't bare it if she thought he'd just up and abandoned her. He opened his eyes gazing back into the emeralds he still loved. Not like so many others.
"They still ask about ya." She continued quietly as she searched his face. "All the ones from high school. Professor Xavier and Logan, even, searched after ya, tried to find some news about you."
He swallowed past the dryness in his throat, licking his lips as he went, "And y'?"
It was her turn to close her eyes, and regret instantly sprung up in him. "It felt like I searched forever. But it still wasn't enough."
He wanted to kiss her then. She always made him feel clean again. Even when they were younger and the world was crashing down around them, just being there, in her arms, made every breathe he took easier. She made him relax, made him let go at the anger he had had already brewing inside him at his father's persistence. It was like being baptized, you remember what you did, but it felt better, like you were given a fresh start, like someone was giving you another option in life. That the past didn't control you.
But his past couldn't be so easily forgotten this time and he shoved against the desire with everything he had in him. And he had long ago given up a future with her. "I couldn't come back to you, the way I was."
"It wouldn't have mattered-"
"Yes, it would have." He pulled away from her then determined to make her see it. "I meant it when I said I wanted to marry you Anna. We might have been in high school at the time but there was nothing else in the world I wanted more. But I couldn't come back to you full of hate. I couldn't come back to you without havin' enough money to claim the dirt under my nails. And I definitely couldn't come back to you as a criminal. What kind of life could I have offered you? Definitely not one you deserved."
"Don't I get a say in my life?" she didn't sound angry, just frustrated.
"Not when I know that it wasn't good for you. Isn't that what relationships are about? Protecting the one you love from the things that might hurt them?"
She turned her back to him, staring at the fireplace. "Yes."
With that admission he thought he'd won. It hurt him a little to hear her admit defeat. Although you think he'd know better. She rounded back on him, her eyes flashing as she grabbed his arm again.
"But that's the thing; they do it together!"
He groaned as he raked his hands through his hair. "You're not seein' de point, Chere."
"No, I don't," she said quietly as she raised his face to eye level. "When two people say that they love each other it's not supposed to always be happy. But that's just it, you're together through the good and the bad."
"You deserve to be happy. If someone else could give you that where I couldn't, so be it." He replied solemnly.
She stared deeply into his eyes before shaking her head with a sad little smile. "How could you think for one minute that anyone could make me as happy as you did?"
His brow furrowed as he stared down at her, "You got married Chere. You started a new life."
"Oh Remy," she sighed. Taking his hand, she guided back over to the couch before sitting down herself. When he hesitated beside her she smiled up at him again before patting the seat beside her which he sank into gratefully. She once again took his hand, this time threading their fingers together and kept her eyes on them as she said her next statement.
"I did love Warren. He was one of my best friends in high school, and I know he loved me back," here she looked up at him and his breath caught on the tender emotion in her eyes, "But he was never the one I was in love with. He took care of me, made sure I was okay, and sure, I had my smiles." her voice broke and she choked back a sob, "But you of all people should know how well I lie."
"Anna-" She shook her head before he could interrupt.
"Remy do you honestly think this is all me? That I could be happy living this life? Warren's family is one of the leading pharmaceutical companies in America, maybe the world, but I made it perfectly clear when I married him that I didn't want any of that. That's why his folks didn't spend much time out in the open with us, we were always dodging the paparazzi, and they were encouraging it. Well his mother at least," she grumbled off at the end and he felt the corner of his lips twitch off at her frustrated pout. She shook her despondently after that and sighed as she continued, "They blame me for not being close to Warren before he died. They were thrilled when we announced our engagement."
The sarcasm dripped off her words as he reached up to brush a stray stand of hair out of her face. "Why did y' get married then?"
She sighed as she turned her head away, back towards the windows. "I thought it would be easier. I thought that Warren and I could get through the days like we did back in high school. It was just like acting for a while. Warren knew that I had… problems, adjusting to this lifestyle. It didn't help when my family was thrown in the mix."
"Your family?" This was startling news. She nodded as she turned back to him.
"You remember Kurt?" After he nodded she pressed on, "His mother was apparently into foster care. She was the foster mom that abandoned me in the mall." Her voice got quieter as she explained. "She was Principal Darkholme."
"De lady that the Parent-Teacher's Association got kicked out after the whole mess with de kids on the field trip? The one where she went nuts after the bus got stranded?" He asked with shock.
"The same one," she shot him a rueful grin before it was replaced with a frown. "Kurt was more forgiving than I was. Sure neither one of us really remember much about living with her, but I still remembered being abandoned. It was still fresh with me. And when she came out of the woodworks and announced who she was, just weeks after I got married, it was only because she was in trouble. She didn't even go ask for help from Kurt until after I'd turned her down, and he's her biological son! That's when she started nagging Kurt, asking him to talk to me. Really he just begged me to give in, but after I kept refusing he got frustrated with it. We're not really on speaking terms right now. He came to the funeral, but that's the last I've seen of him."
"Dat's a shame. You two were close, like you really were siblings." He studied her face as she nodded sadly.
"The old and new residents of the mansion have all kind of thrown hissy fits over it. I've got people backing me, like Scott and Logan, while Kurt still has the professor and, shockingly enough, Kitty. I always figured she'd side with me if push come to shove, but, hey, what can you do?" She sighed as she shrugged her shoulders.
"Ah, Xavier's Institute for Gifted Children, a.k.a. place where runaway kids find an education. The ol' place still standing?" Her lopsided grin adorned her face.
"Barely." He chuckled at her statement. "And the only thing we really learned there was how to try to sneak around Logan's night shifts and you know it."
"Some tried, others succeed." He replied smugly, familiar cocky grin alighting his features.
She elbowed him as she rolled her eyes, "Show off."
He instantly sobered with his next statement though, "Xavier still takin' in kids?"
"Anyone who wants the chance, gets to come. The man is a living saint, I swear."
"Logan still lives there doesn't he? It takes a touch o' divinity to put up with dat homme on a daily basis undoubtedly." After she didn't instantly respond he started to grow worried.
"Desole, Chere, I didn't mean anythin' by it-"
"Yeah, yeah, I know, it's just that- When Warren died… he was the only one I trusted around me. It was hard-" She cut herself off to wipe some stray tears away. He quickly drew her into an embrace, not knowing what else he could do. The tears didn't last long, maybe a few brief seconds before she pulled away again, smiling almost shyly at him. "Sorry."
"Y' don't have any reason to be. You're sad. You're allowed to cry."
"It's just been… harder than I thought it would be. Not just losin' Warren, but everythin'." She shook her head again.
He leaned back against the couch, draping an arm across her shoulder before taking one of her hands. "Tell me."
She took one silent moment to study his eyes again, preparing herself and, maybe even him for what she was about to say. "After you left, and, after I realized you weren't coming back, I guess I fell apart. Everyone was rather nice about it, tried to keep my spirits up. I had to suffer enumerable hours of torturous 'shopping-therapy' by Kit. But, after a while I pulled through. I wasn't really dating ready, but I still went out with them. Then Warren made some off-handed joke about how much it would piss off his mom if we started dating. I think we both jumped at the chance."
She had that decidedly mischievous smirk on her face that made him smile in return. "It never felt serious. We hung out. We ate pizza. We watched Bobby and Jamie rot their minds out on television." This made him laugh. "But after we graduated, I don't know, I guess Warren felt like it was time we 'matured'." She rolled her eyes.
"Don't know the meanin' of de word, do you Chere?" He teased, and she rewarded him with another smirk.
"Hush you, I'm tellin' a story. Anyway our dates got classier. We went to galas, and fancy restaurants. Before I knew it, he proposed." She looked away again back towards the falling snow. "Personally I prefer laser-tag over ballet. I never told him that though."
"What else?" He asked squeezing her hand.
"I was still looking for you. Whether I was aware of it or not, I was holdin' my breath every time the front door opened. I still had your lucky card tacked up on my wall. I still froze if I thought I caught you walkin' down the street. And I knew it wasn't fair to him." She finally looked back at him, "I knew he loved me. And I already told you I loved him. So I had to let you go. It was the hardest thing I ever had to do."
He looked down at their hands but he couldn't meet her gaze.
Until he heard her next words, that is.
"But I don't think I ever really succeeded in doing it completely."
"Quoi?" His head snapped back up suddenly. Her green eyes shone with honesty.
"I still have your card. It's my book marker and it stays beside me every night. I still cook the recipes ya taught me, when I miss the South. And most of all," here she got closer to him, their faces just inches away from each other, "I couldn't have thrown you out of here tonight if my life depended on it."
He swallowed past the swell of emotions that threatened to engulf him. She was way too close, but just when he was going to say that, and probably start another argument in the process, she pulled away.
She looked away from him, possible embarrassment flaming in her cheeks. But she couldn't take it back.
Even if she wanted to. So they let the silence linger over them for a while until finally he broke it, his voice hesitant.
"What happened to 'im?" there was no doubt who he was talking about. Her eyes fluttered shut and she shifted a bit in her seat before she swallowed to clear her throat.
"He was in a car accident. It was," she paused and took a steadying breath, "it was two days before Christmas last year. He was coming back home, late from work as usual. I tried to call him, to tell him just stay overnight at the office, the weather was too bad, but he was already on his way. He was just comin' across the bridge, he told me, and," she could feel the tears that were running down her face, "and, he said, 'Don't worry. I'll make it back before Santa at the very latest.' And then I remember, him suddenly cussing. He must have dropped the phone to the floor board because all I can hear after that is squealing from the brakes. I started calling out his name, tellin' him to pick up the phone, tell me what's wrong, until there's this sudden crunching-"
She stopped, her hand flying up to cover her mouth as she choked back the sobs. He instantly grabbed her, wrapping his arms around her and holding on to her for dear life. He started rocking them back to forth, muttering soothing words into her hair, as he silently cursed himself. For God's sake, why did he make her relive that? She just continued to sob into his chest this time, the grief rolling off of her as she clutched at him arms like it was a lifeline. She tried to pull her words through the sobs racking her chest.
"Later, they told me-" she gasped, "that the other driver was drunk, had hit a frozen patch on the bridge. H-he, was hospitalized for about three weeks, but-but War-ren," she shook her head, "I spent so much time askin', what if, what if I hadn't called 'im, what if I distracted him?"
He pulled away from her then, pulling her face up to look at him with one hand, the other arm still secured around her waist. "Y' listen to me right now Anna," his eyes deadlocked with hers, "there is no possible way you are responsible for that accident. It happens, as painful as it is, we lose our loved ones. There was not any way in the world for you to know what would have happened. So don't you ever, ever blame yourself again, do y' understand me?" He ran his thumb down her cheek, brushing away at her tears. She drew in closer to his touch, eyes shutting once more. He just continued to hold her like that for a while, dropping the hand from her cheek and wrapping both arms around her once more.
Both of them sat there surrounded by the scars of their pasts being reunited with one person who had made their worlds bearable at one point in their lives. Each found solace within each other's arms.
That was until Remy realized that she was shivering.
"Y' cold, Chere?" He whispered in her ear. He didn't wait for her reply as he gently pulled away from her. He shrugged his arms out of the worn trench coat and wrapped it around her shoulders. A ghost of a smile whispered across her features as she sunk into the too big material. But she was quickly drawn back into his arms as he pulled her closer again. She laid her head on his chest with a content sigh as he leaned back onto the armrest of the couch. She was exhausted and she wasn't sure if it was just emotionally or physically. Probably both. They laid there for a while until this time she noticed that he was the one shivering.
"Dis isn't gonna work," he sighed as he shifted them. She let out a watery laugh as he pulled them back up and stood facing the fireplace. She decided to take pity on him as she saw his furrowed brow as he looked for the obviously misplaced firewood.
"C'mon Sugar," She pushed her arms through the long sleeves, silently breathing in the familiar and delicious scent of spices and leather that seeped from the coat. She grabbed his hands and led him to just outside the hall where the stacked wood waited.
"Oh," he mumbled as he bent down to pick up a few logs. She felt the edge of humor creep back up on her as he turned back to her and rolled his eyes. Finally she helped him light the fire, rearranging the grate across it, before they sunk back onto the couch cushions, resuming their previous positions. But this time something pulled at the back of his mind as he looked around the now warm and bright room. He just noticed the absence of a very key detail that made him worry a bit.
"Anna?" She shifted her head on his chest to look back up at him.
"Hmm?" His hand reached up to brush one the bangs away from her eyes. His voice was once again hesitant, worried about her reaction.
"Is the reason you don't have any decorations up because of Warren?" Her eyes instantly fell back to gaze at the ground, creases in her brow, "Desole, Chere, don't want to upset you-"
"No, I know," she looked back at him, reassuring him with her eyes.
"It's just dat, what you told Scott an' his petite frère…"
"Yeah, I should have known you'd catch that," her lips quirked up but it lacked her usual amusement. She sighed as she sat up, running a hand down her features. "Christmas just hasn't ever been a good time for me."
"Tell me." His eyes sought out her own and he ran a hand through her hair. She shot him a rueful grin.
"You never give up… do you?"
It was his turn to smirk at her, "What kind of thief would I be if I did, Chere? An' look where it's landed me." She rolled her eyes.
"Which reminds me, you've got some 'splainin' to do." She emphasized this with a poke to his chest. He quickly grabbed at her retreating hand, and placed a lingering kiss on her palm. His eyes were teasing as he replied, eyebrows playfully raised.
"Trade?"
She rolled her eyes. "You first, Swampy." He sighed as he let his head flop back to rest on the back of the couch. "Gambit was commissioned to acquire one ancient jade artifact, a Ming dynasty urn if I'm not mistaken, from this residence, due to be in his employer's hands by the twenty-sixth."
"Gambit?" Her eyebrow rose with amusement as he rolled his eyes.
"S'not funny Chere. Needed an alias if Henri and Mercy weren't gonna be drug into dis mess."
"Ah, so your family doesn't know your goin' through hell for them." She said with new seriousness.
"Jean-Luc knows. He actually helps with the commissions. But of course, won't do any of the work himself. Can't be bothered to dirty his hands." It concerned her how much bitterness was in his tone when he referred to the man who had raised him. But something about this job did make her pause in thought.
"Would this employer's name happen to Pietro Maximoff?" His eyes widened in shock as she smirked at him.
"I can't tell you dat, Chere. It isn't safe for you to get mixed up in my business…" He trailed off as she rolled her eyes.
"He's been naggin' me to sell him the piece for months now. I've never thought he was seriously concerned with it though, at least not enough to try to steal it."
She stood up, motioning for him to follow her as she led the way back to the entrance of the room. He followed her curiosity filling him. She flicked on the lights as she went, leading him down a twisting corridor, "How much is he payin' you anyway?"
"Three thousand as an initial fee, and a thousand dollar bonus if I can get it to him before Christmas." They came to a room off the hallway from their first encounter and he saw her snort and roll her eyes again as she opened the door.
"His last offer was six thousand. Maybe you should hold off before you give it to him to see if he ups the price."She shouldered her away into the stuck door, which shuddered open. He stood back a half step behind her as she entered a room, obviously a vacated office, that had cardboard boxes stacked up and collecting dust everywhere. But he was still reeling in shock as she moved over to one pile.
"Anna, Chere, you can't just give me that vase." She paused from reaching into one of the boxes, cocking an eyebrow up at him.
"And why not?"
His brow furrowed. Shouldn't that be obvious? "Chere, it's a valuable vase. People just don't go around giving thieves their valuables."
She smirked back at him, playfulness entering her eyes, "Course they do Sugar. It's Christmas." And with that final word she lifted out a good sized urn, turning it in her hands as she looked at it. "This the right one?"
He moved to stand beside her taking in the detailed lines scrawled across its surface. He let out a sigh as he nodded, "Oui."
She handed it over to him, and lifted her hands to hold his face this time, smiling at him gently, "Don't worry so much. I'm a wealthy widow who lives alone, doesn't have many expenses. One measly vase isn't going to make much of a difference."
He snorted but shifted his hold on the vase, so that one of his hands covered one of hers. "Makes a difference to me Chere. This measly vase, as you put it, is worth enough to cover mon famile's expenses. This was goin' to be my last job for a while."
Her eyes stared back at him tenderly. "Make it your last job."
His eyes gaped at her in shock, but before he could protest she pressed one finger to his lips, "Don't leave me again Remy. Please. I don't care how much money it takes, we'll find a way. Just don't do this to me again."
His eyes closed as pain filled his chest. He couldn't ask for her forgiveness and he sure couldn't ask her to do this. To erase his past, to be with her…God that was all he wanted. But he couldn't-
"And before you even think about tellin' me no, because you aren't good enough for me, you better realize one crucial thing: I don't care. I have never cared about what you did, Remy. You were the happiness in my life. We keep each other sane. And we need each other." He opened his eyes to look at her and his breath caught on the emotion he had longed to see in those eyes for ten years now. "I need you."
He felt his heart bend his very soul, straining in his chest at her words. It felt like his stomach had completely dropped away, and his breath came out in a pent up sigh as his eyes shut in defeat. He leaned his forehead against hers before opening them again, staring into the emeralds he'd missed. "Thank you." He didn't think words could ever be enough to convey the emotions swirling in him, but he needed to express them in some way.
She just tenderly smiled, moving her arms to encircle his neck as his free arm looped around her waist to pull her closer. They just stood like that for a while in the silence, both their eyes fluttering shut at some point as the world felt just too big for words at the moment.
He broke their embrace after awhile and he smiled a bit as his eyes fell on what remained in the box she had been rummaging in.
"Alright Chere, your turn."
When she creased her brow in confusion, he reached down into the box and pulled out a figurine Santa, pack thrown over his shoulder. He smirked at her as he raised it to eyelevel. "What's wit' the Scrooge act?"
She rolled her eyes at his teasing, but bit her bottom lip as she thought through her reply. He cut off her thinking process as he shook a reprimanding finger at her.
"Uh uh, none of dat now. If anyone's gonna be bitin' that lip it's gonna be me."
She felt her cheeks flush again before she replied, "Christmas has always been the time when something bad happened to me. My parents dyin' in the fire. My foster mother abandoned me at the Santa display at the mall. Warren's accident," he set the Santa back in the box carefully as she went on. "You left.." she trailed off almost in a hush before she shrugged her shoulders, "I just think I might jinx the holiday if I try to celebrate it. So I just don't decorate."
He contemplated his words as he stared at her thoughtfully. She was already doing so much for him, and he was just starting to get an inkling of what he could do for her. So she was startled when he suddenly grabbed her hand, so much so that her gaze instantly snapped onto his broad grin. His words shocked her even more though.
"Guess we're just going to have to fix that, hein?" With that he lowered the vase in his arms back into the opened cardboard box, and picking up the entire thing instead before she could stop him.
"Remy, what do you think you're doing?" she asked as she followed him back down the hallway. When he got to the living room he set the box down before turning back to her gaping figure in the doorway. From where she stood watching the firelight flicker upon his features she could just see his eyes blazing crimson with the amusement burning in their depths.
"Gettin' y' in de Christmas spirit. Now where's your tree, Chere?"
She was dumbfounded enough that she found herself mumbling, "Back in the storage room..."
He quickly darted around her form, heading back down the way they'd come before she started after him.
"Remy, you can't be serious!"
"Course I am," he replied casually over his shoulder as he started to hunt for the right box. She spared a glance at the clock hanging on a wall before she groaned.
"Sugar, it's four in the mornin'." He had obviously just found his quarry as he let out a quick 'Aha!' before he started tugging on the box.
"Then I suppose dis will go a whole lot faster if you helped moi, huh?"
She let out an exasperated sigh as she threw her hands up in the air. He looked back up at her, all traces of teasing gone as he smiled almost sadly at her. "Anna I've missed ten years wit you. I wanna start makin' up for lost time."
She let out another sigh, but this time it was joined with a compassionate smile. She qickly rolled up the sleeves of the trench coat she was still wearing, and silently began picking up another box full of decorations. But they both had smiles on their faces as they began hauling the materials back into the living room.
They soon set to work, shaking the dust from the branches of the artificial tree, and Remy had to save Anna once from a spider that had nested itself in the tree's box. He had laughed at her after she was done shivering and shrieking at which point she began glaring at him instead. She began to smirk, then laugh outloud as he began testing the strands of lights, only to find everyone of them to be blown out in his growing frustration. She cheekily replied that it tends to happen when you try to use lights that haven't been touched in five years. He had rolled his eyes before he drug her into the kitchen, claiming to have perfect solution.
So that was why she was perched on her kitchen counter as the Cajun poured out one bag of popcorn while another was popping in her microwave.
"Do you have a sewing kit somewhere Chere?" She didn't hesitate to reach into the drawer underneath her to pull out the right ziploc bag. When she sat up however, she was met with him barely containing his laughter. She instantly narrowed her eyes, pointing a finger in his chest.
"Don't you laugh at my ziploc bag sewing kit. It's portable."
"Desole Chere, desole." he replied, hands raised and tone placating. She begrudgingly let that one slide until she noticed just how much popcorn he was popping.
"Think you've got enough popcorn, Swamp Rat?" He rolled his eyes as his cocky smirk crossed his face.
"Non. Think we won't have enough actually," he replied as he popped a few kernals in his mouth.
"Hey!-" she started out indignantly, before he rolled his eyes and popped few into her protesting mouth.
"Hush Chere, we've got a tree to decorate." She shot him a mini-glare before hopped off the counter. But she surprised him when instead of following him into the living room, she headed for a door off to the side. He cautiously trailed after her peering into the dark recesses. "Y' get lost in there Chere?"
She startled him when she popped out right in front of him, smirk in place as she lifted up a blue package. "Nope."
"Whatcha got dere, Chere?" She sauntered past him back towards the kitchen where she began rummaging around in one of the pristine white cabinets. He took a quick peak over is shoulder and realized she had been in a pantry, but his attention was once again focused on her as she pulled down a plate and two glasses.
"Well Santa's gotta get his cookies some way, now doesn't he?" she smirked at him as she began setting the Oreos on the plate and pulling a jug of milk out of the refrigerator.
"An' I suppose we gotta be the ones to test taste them?" He motioned to the two glasses as she lifted them up, along with the plate of cookies. She started heading back to the living room as she called over her shoulder, cheeky smile in place, "Well of course Sugar. What, did you expect Rudolph to do it? Besides, it might keep you from eating all the decorations."
Half an hour later found them slumped together, Anna sprawled out on the couch and Remy stretched out on the floor with his back against it, and both with tears running down their faces as they tried to catch their breaths.
"An'- and then what?" he gasped as he brushed at the tears still collecting at the corners of his eyes.
She stifled back giggles with a hand pressed to her lips briefly, "Then she looks at him, dead in the eyes, and says, 'Look I don't care about you usin' the apron, but you are gonna clean this mess up, I don't care if all the kids stand there gawkin' at ya!'."
They both broke down in a new chorus of laughter, the popcorn bowl in his lap sloshing out its content all over the floor, and she buried her head in the pillow of the couch, desperately trying to get air back in her lungs.
"I still-" he paused as he pulled in some air, "I still can't believe Ororo caught Logan wearing her bright-neon pink cooking apron, or that he was actually trying to make somethin' for their anniversary. I can't believe they got married!"
She rolled on her stomach to face him better; the trench coat had been tossed aside once the fire took care of the necessary heat. That, and the fact that she really couldn't feel any chill when she was too busy laughing trying to catch him up on old times.
"Well believe it Swampy, because I have photographs of Scott, Evan, and Bobby's shocked faces of when he popped the question at Professor Xavier's summer party. It. Was. Priceless!"
He let a few more chuckles escape his lips, "I've gotta see those. So Scotty-boy's the Police Chief now, hein?"
"Yep," she lowered her voice conspiratorially, "We all suspect the reason he became an officer is so he could still where shades and get away with it. I think Jeany may be the only person to ever see him without them."
"Oh no," he wagged a reprimanding finger at her, teasing glint in his eye, "You're not allowed to make fun of him any. As I recall, you, Miss Rogue, had a severe crush on one Mister Summers when we were first in high school."
She covered her face with a groan as she fell back on couch, successfully making him erupt with new laughter. "I was young. I was foolish! Let it go Cajun!"
He laughed as he sat up on his knees and looked at her, to which she peeked at him through the gaps on her fingers. He could barely see the edge of a smirk twitching at the corners of her mouth. "Heard Alex call you your old nickname. Are you really takin' defense classes?"
"Yeah," she finally drew her hands back down, and stared at him with a moderately sedated look, "some idiots thought they'd try to jump in an alley one day. Unfortunately for them, they weren't aware that I had an ex-military special ops agent for a mentor. But after that even Logan said that if I was going to live by myself I was going to have to get back into practice. I joined up where Alex and some of his friends like to duke it out for fun occasionally. He decided I needed a tough nickname if I was going to hang out with 'the boys from the precinct' so he started using my old nickname again."
"Dare I ask what happened to the thugs that dared to cross your path?" he teased again, but concern flitted through his eyes. Was his girl jinxed or something?
Her reply was a dark little chuckle that made the edges of his lips turn up in amusement and relief. "That's mon Chere."
"Well of course! Did you expect anythin' less?" she self-confidently proclaimed as she finally sat up. He reached down to the neglected popcorn bowl, still waiting to be strung and popped some of last remaining kernels back into his mouth.
"Told you we were gonna need more popcorn Chere." She eyed the pieces that littered her carpet before staring at the semi-done tree, with garlands of popcorn chains and expensive ornaments mixed together.
"And here I thought the cookies were going to be enough to keep you busy," she rolled her eyes as he began scooping up the mess and replacing it in the bowl. After he was done, he set the bowl on the table with the empty plate and glasses, before sitting down next to her.
"Aw, but Chere, I'm still a growing boy!" he wined in a false falsetto. She rolled her eyes as he wrapped an arm around her shoulder. She did lean into his hold though as he snatched up the remote lying near the lamp. "We're still missing one t'ing though…" he mused as he pressed the power button to the wide screen sitting above the fireplace.
"An' what's that?" she asked as a sigh edged past her lips.
"The cheesy Christmas classic that completes the commercialization of the holidays."
"Talk about tradition, huh? And how are you gonna find a movie at, ugh," she glanced briefly at the clock hanging on her wall before her head plopped back down on his chest with a groan, "five A.M.?"
But the t.v. instantly flickered on and a black and white scene opened up before them, familiar characters scurrying across the set. He smirked down at her before he cockily laughed, "Ha! What did I tell you? It's a Wonderful Life."
"S'not so bad," she quipped back with a grin as they settled down to the movie that had already begun. They just caught the part where George Bailey was coming to Mary's house. As the conversation between Mary and her mother unfolded, both felt their grins build up.
" 'He's making violent love to me, mother!'" That did them in.
They were both set off laughing again, until Remy finally sighed and said, "Knew I liked that fille. Why didn't we ever think to say that around Logan?"
"Cause I didn't think you had a death wish that badly," she smiled back up at him, firelight making her eyes glint and he felt his breath catch. Slowly, like he was giving her enough time to pull away, he leaned his head down. She didn't pull away though. Her eyelids lowered until they were nearly closed as she tilted her head up until their lips met gently together, lingering in just momentary bliss. He marveled at the fact that even after ten years her lips were just as soft and smooth as her remembered. Slowly they broke away eyes searching each other.
They didn't stay apart long.
The next instant she had her hands wound into his hair, brining his head closer to her greedy lips fervently and he had his arms wrapped around her waist pulling her until she was practically in his lap. The movie went on completely forgotten as the two finally expressed just how badly the other was missed in their lives.
Remy didn't feel any of his previous hesitance around her, the need to push her away. He was consumed with the need to know that she felt an ounce of what he had felt for her, carried with him all these years. He could feel his past melting away from him, fading into oblivion every time his lips met hers. He didn't care what he had to do anymore, she was his. She always had been, and now that he'd found her again, he'd be damned if he was going to let some foolish pride keep him away from her any longer.
Anna couldn't tell you which way was up or down at the moment. She had wanted to feel his arms around her again for so long that it almost hurt to realize that she finally had it. She briefly wondered if her heart could even handle it in its throbbing state. She was telling the truth when she said she didn't care about his past. Hers wasn't perfect either, but that's what made them good together. He helped her get over her pain, but never did he just let her ignore it. That's what being apart from him had done to her over the years and she could feel it wearing away at her. With him she knew she might find pain, sure, she might find a lot of it, but if he was still there caring for her, making her laugh through the tears, and overall just understanding her…well, it was worth it. But only if he was still here.
Their make-out session had moved them till they were now lying side-by-side on the couch, legs tangled and one of his arms firmly tucked around her shoulders as the other cupped her face. Her hands were pressed against his chest, caught in between them as the progression of their lips started to slow. He pulled away from her; pressing gentle kisses to both her cheeks and moving up to kiss her forehead once. She could feel the tiny pinpricks of tears start at the corners of her eyes that his thumb quickly brushed away as he soothed her.
"Shh, Chere. S'alright now," his voice dipped low almost to a whisper.
Her reply came out quietly as well, tone pleading, "Promise you won't leave?"
His arm around her shoulder broke away briefly to snatch at the long-forgotten remote long enough to turn off the power and flicking off the lamp, leaving the glow of the fire to fill the room. Then it resumed its previous position, this time his hand running through her soft hair as his other hand reached out to stroke her cheek.
"I'm not going anywhere Anna." This was enough to satisfy her and she wrapped her arms around him, tucking her head underneath his chin as his hand continued to stroke through her hair. "Sleep Chere, I'll be here when you wake up."
She sighed as she felt her eyelids fluttering shut again and her drowsiness sweeping up to consume her. Just before she drifted off completely she thought she heard him say one more thing, though.
Je t'aime.
The next thing Anna was aware of was light filtering in through her windows. She blinked hazily in the morning glow, noting the chill on her face with some mild discomfort. Why was she in the living room again?
And then she felt the arm wrapped around her waist tighten reflexively and she froze as she noted the warmth emanating from behind her while a distinctive male voice muttered something behind her. Oh yeah…
She shifted as carefully as she could to twist back around to face her sleeping Cajun, noting the trench coat that had been thrown over both of them as a make-shift blanket at some point in the night. She figured he must have gotten up when the fire had finally died out. She briefly registered the cooling embers before returning her attention back to him. One of her hands reached out until she could just trace his features, one finger brushing across his closed lids, the messy dark auburn hair that hung low. Lingering on his smooth lips. Even then he didn't wake up, but he stirred some, mumbling again just loud enough to where she could hear it this time.
"Chere.." She would even swear she saw the corners of his lips flicker up before he hummed and stilled again. She pulled her hand away, albeit reluctantly, as she shook her head fondly.
"I love you…" she whispered, smiling warmly.
The man was charming even unconscious.
And he was staying.
This thought had her head buzzing and her pulse picking up as she became more aware of the fact. She decided that it was way too early to think about life-altering decisions. At least without coffee.
She sighed as she carefully maneuvered her way out of his hold, desperately trying to make sure he stayed asleep. She had a feeling he had gotten even less than her. Once she finally succeeded, she scooped up the remains of the dishes they had left out the night before, quietly padding her way into the kitchen where even more sunlight filled her eastern facing windows, light glancing off the frozen balconies on the wintry day. She carefully placed the dishes into the sink, abandoning them until later as she made her way to the coffee maker, dumping a healthy amount into the pot while she reached towards the cabinets.
"Anna, don't you think you need to stay away from the caffeine?" The voice was teasing and familiar.
But she felt her heart pick up the pace as her hands froze on the cabinet doors, her eyes widening as she noted one important fact.
That wasn't Remy's voice.
She heard the thudding in her chest swallow her up as she slowly turned back to the windows, gasping at the figure shrouded in golden sunlight.
"Warren?" she breathed, all volume, heck, all air leaving her lungs as her eyes probably widened to impossible levels.
The blonde haired man chuckled kindly at her shocked expression, lips quirking up underneath familiar twinkling eyes. "Hey Annie."
"What, I mean, you- my gosh, what the heck was in those Oreos?" He laughed louder this time as he shook his head.
"It's really me Anna." He smiled back at her as she cautiously took a few steps towards him. As she got closer she finally noticed how the sunlight seemed to shine through him, mixing into his skin and his white clothes to give him an ethereal glow.
"Warren, I'm so, so sorry. If I had known I-" she felt the tears catch on the back of her throat, and she tried to swallow but her shushed her, raising a hand to stop her.
"Shh, Anna. It's not your fault. It was my time, there's nothing we could have done to stop it. Besides I'm at peace now. It's okay." He smiled at her again and she felt her heart lift just a little bit.
"Why are you here Warren?" She still didn't dare move any closer to him, worried that reaching out to him might shatter whatever made up this illusion.
"I'm here to help you move on. Aw, Annie, you've got so much going on for you, you just never see it. Over the years, you just started focusing on the bad that you lost sight of the good. I'm here to make sure you don't let it go this time."
"You mean Remy?" His smile turned kind of bittersweet this time.
"Knew you'd never gotten over him. But that's okay, he makes you happy. That's all I could ever have wished for." Her eyes shyly fluttered down, not knowing how to exactly discuss this. But he had no problem going on, "He's had it rough too though. That's what makes you good for each other. You both take care of each other. So this time, don't let him go." He finished with a 'stern' look that was ruined by his teasing eyes.
She gave a little watery laugh in the back of her throat. He reached out to her now, glittering hand coming closer and closer to her cheek. When he finally reached her, she shut her eyes, marveling at the touch of his hand. It was like a beam of summer sunlight focused on her face alone, no real skin or texture to define it.
"He better take care of you though, if he knows what's good for him. You've always got your Guardian Angel looking out for you Anna. So now, live to be happy, okay? Promise me."
"I promise," she mumbled still keeping her eyes firmly shut. She could bare feel the warmth drifting away from her skin.
"I better go now, your man's waking up."
That made her eyes flash open and she twisted her head around to see a shadow moving down the hallway.
"Warren, I-" But when she turned around he was gone. Her eyes searched for any sign of him, tracing the lines of the lacey curtains that framed the wide windows. But all that remained was glistening snow and sunlight.
"Chere?" she snapped her head back around just in time for him to wrap his arms around her waist from behind, concern flitting in his eyes, "Y' okay?"
"Yeah. Yeah, I'm gonna be fine." She smiled back at him reassuringly. He still wore a rather confused expression, but his smile turned to amusement as she wrapped an arm around his waist and started tugging him back towards the doorway.
Just when they started crossing into the hallway, he stopped them as something brushed against the top of his head. Looking up both of their brows furrowed in confusion as he reached up to touch one of the green sprigs.
"I thought you didn't put up decorations Chere."
"I didn't. This is the first time I've seen it," she mused as she gazed at the greenery that hung low over the open doorway, tied together with a large red bow. As he retracted his hand, his hand brushed against a set of silver bells intermixed in the green folds that let out a crystal clear sound ringing through the air.
And as the sound registered in her mind, Anna briefly felt her thoughts run back to the movie they'd watched the night before... towards the end.
...every time a bell rings, an angel gets its wings...
Warren.
But her thoughts were pushed to the side as she caught him gazing tenderly at her.
"It is tradition..." he trailed off, smirk flitting across his features.
"Hmm, an' we can't forget tradition, can we?" she replied coyly, his smile reflected on her features.
Soon their lips met again, arms wrapping around each other under the mistletoe. When they finally, note: finally, pulled away, they leaned their foreheads against eachother, eyes deadlocked together.
"Merry Christmas, Chere." He leaned back down for a quick, tender peck.
"Merry Christmas, Sugar." She smiled back at him as she pulled him back down the hallway, laughter drifting in her wake. "Let's go see what Santa brought us!" she teased.
He laughed as he let himself be dragged, "Best Christmas present ever. An' I'm not talkin' 'bout the vase either." he teased her in return, waggling his eyebrows mischievously.
Later:
*Beep*
"Hey Jean, it's Anna. Listen, my plans kinda fell through for tonight, so I was wonderin' if that offer for dinner was still standin'. And I hope you guys don't mind, but I've kina got a guest. Before Kitty starts leavin' me a million messages, yes it is a guy-"
The message suddenly sounded muffled, like she had covered the reciever.
"... not tellin' 'em you're a hot guy, now stop kissin' my neck! I'm on the phone!.."
The message suddenly became clear again as a slightly agitated Anna continued.
"Sorry… it is a guy, all of you know him, and you'll just have to wait for the rest when we get there."
A distinct male voice could be heard briefly, "Tell 'em we'll be runnin' late."
Anna apparently forgot to cover the mouthpiece this time as she practically shrieked, "I will not Swamp Rat, and we aren't. Now hush. Oh and Jean, if Kurt's there…can you tell him I'm sorry? I really need to talk with my little brother. I guess that's it until we get there, so, Merry Christmas!"
AN: Okay I'll say it for you: Awwww! No, but serioulsy, I was watching some of those cheesy holiday classics with my family (Traditions, ya know?) when suddenly I thought about what would happen if a thief broke into the home of someone he knew during Christmas... and I don't know why but for some unthinkable reason I always relate thieves back to Remy... weird, isn't it? And then this just wrote itself (I wish, it took an entire week) and now I'm here explainin' it to you guys. Weird.
Alright so it doesn't follow the typical Christmas Carol or It's a Wonderful Life format, but it does follow a pattern. First they talk about their past, then their present, and the ending hints at a future. Obviously it's an AU, but I included little mutant-like details. So I hope you guys liked it, please review and let me know. I'm working on some chapter stories for Evo, but my main focus is my movie-verse story. Overall though I guess I hope you all have a Merry Christmas and well, here's my sig:
-Peace on Earth, Goodwill to Men! -Blackberry ;)
Also: See if you can spot the comic book quotes... which, I also don't own the rights to. *Pout* But that would be an awesome Christmas present! Any takers? C'mon!