Marvel owns the X-men, no profit is to be made by this work.
Rolling over in bed, he looked to the time and thought of how he had to be up for six in the morning as the banging against his door relentlessly carried on. Sighing, he reluctantly slipped from bed and walked to his dresser snatching up a pack of cigarettes and tapping one out, pressing it to his lips and looking for his lighter. Three sparks later a flame danced before him, puffing away until a smoldering ember burned.
"Remy open the fucking door!" The frantic voice called, the pounding carrying on.
Already he could hear people threatening to call the cops, others just yelling for whoever it was to shut the hell up. He knew who it was and figured they wouldn't be calling on him this late in the evening unless they were in trouble, unchaining the door and throwing open the lock. He looked down on her and the form she had wrapped up in a blanket. She didn't wait for an invitation, just rushing in and off to the bath. Locking the door again, he headed off to the kitchen to raid his fridge.
He could hear the shower running, Jubilee trying to hush whoever she'd brought over. Making some sandwiches he just left her to it, throwing on a pot of coffee figuring sleep was out of the cards tonight. Going back to the fridge he grabbed some bottles of spring water, San Pellegrino his favourite, setting them down with the sandwiches. Walking off to his bath, he rapped his knuckles against the door and waited.
"You decent in there Petit?" Remy asked, rolling his back against the wall and looking off about his apartment.
"Shit, fuck! I don't know what's wrong with her Remy!" Jubilee swore.
Shaking his head, he opened the door and looked in, some cute brunette with a blonde highlights running through her hair huddled under the spray. She didn't look like any of the usual friends Jubilee brought over, her skin far too pale to be another beach bum or skater girl. Whoever she was she was half out of her mind in fear, keeping the blanket drawn tight about her and trying to press herself right through the wall.
"She high? She tripping?" Remy asked, fearing the worst.
"Fuck no. Some fucking crazy ass smurf and a god damn werewolf tried to snatch her from the beach. I ain't shitting you, I knocked that god damn bitch smurfette clear into the surf but fuck if that werewolf just didn't keep..." Jubilee started rambling without end until Remy took her face into his hands.
"Petit, Jubilee. Look at me, you not shitting Remy?" Remy asked staring into her eyes, his friend just shaking her head and he could tell she was telling the truth.
"Why the blanket?" Remy asked, stroking her face trying to calm her down.
"Dude you can't touch her, I mean I did and it was...ya know what forget it. Just, just don't touch her. I think she killed the werewolf dude, he was fucking all over her but she just had him by the throat after he tried to fuck her up." Jubilee explained, taking deep breaths trying to find her calm that wouldn't come.
"Anyone see you?" Remy asked, the last thing he'd need were the police coming by his place.
"No, I went straight up the beach. Anyone asked I just said she was drunk. I didn't know where to go, I'm sorry. I was just so..." Jubilee whimpered.
"No need Petit, we friends. You hungry?" Remy asked, seeing her tiny timid nod.
Helping her to her feet he left whoever the poor girl was in the shower to find some space, walking Jubilee off to the kitchen. He tried to guide her to a chair but she ended up just slumping down with her back to his cabinets, keeping in one corner with her eyes on all the exits. Smiling wistfully at the habit, he plated a couple sandwiches for her and set a bottle of water down beside her. She didn't wait on ceremony, wolfing one down as he fixed himself a cup of his freshly brewed coffee.
Taking a bottle of water and another pair of sandwiches off to the bath, he sat down on the toilet and looked to the poor girl there. Putting the plate down on his bathroom counter, he reached in to cut the shower and handed her a bottle of water he was relieved to see her readily take. She was pretty he noticed, likely a few years older than Jubilee, amazing eyes of green that were sadly gripped by panic and fear just then. He longed to clear them of that and let her find peace before he'd dare ask her anything as simple as her name.
"Forgive my state of undress Chere, you hungry?" Remy apologized, then holding the plate out to her.
Just like his friend she didn't stand on ceremony, hungrily taking one and wolfing it down before the other. She looked apologetic but he just waved her off, realizing he still had a smoke clutched in the corner of his lip. Throwing it down sinks drain, he thought it was a bad habit to smoke around those without asking their permission first.
"Plenty more where that came from, don't you worry. You my guest, Petit's friends always welcome at Chateau Laurence. That just be the name on the lease though." Remy said with a wink, holding the plate the whole while as she finished the sandwiches.
"Thank you." The girl fretfully said, huddling further into the blanket.
"De rien, you're welcome. Let me get you a robe, you can get out of all that wet stuff. Then when you're ready you can come get another bite if you still be hungry, or even just a cup of coffee." Remy said, taking the plate and heading back off to the kitchen.
Jubilee was still in her corner as he put his plate in the sink, looking in his cabinets for some cookies he kept for those times he liked to indulge himself. Throwing the box down to her, he gave a wink before heading off to his room. Finding that one terrycloth robe he kept always freshly laundered for whenever he had company of the most agreeable kind, he headed off to the bath and gave a knock at the door.
"You still decent Chere?" Remy asked.
"Yes..." Her meek reply came, opening the door to look in on her.
"Here, nice and big too, you don't need to go worrying. I leave you be now, just come when you be ready." Remy said with an earnest smile, hanging it on the hook and leaving her to it.
Settling down at the table with a sandwich of his own and his coffee now perfectly cooled, he savoured a sip with an eye to his little friend munching mechanically on cookies, his Petit Ange. She was his go to girl, always keeping an eye on his place and the neighbourhood, always with fresh dirt and news when he needed it. It didn't hurt that more often than not when she came calling she had tres belle femme in her company, something about her always seemed to attract the fresh faces looking to make it big.
"Smurfette bitch and a werewolf?" Remy asked, a nod her reply with her nibbling bird like at a cookie she had no appetite for now.
"So they like us then." Remy said, a statement not a question.
"I'm sorry Remy." Jubilee whispered, setting the box down and throwing the moistened cookie to the sink.
"You only need be sorry when you take the last of anything without asking Petit, you never need be sorry when you in trouble and need somewhere to go. Bien?" Remy assured, thankful to see even a gloomy smile fighting her stubborn lips.
The door to the bathroom opened, light feet treading over his floor and catching a glimpse of her in the reflection cast by his microwave. He didn't move, figuring she'd need to feel safe and in control as she darkened the hall. There was still one sandwich left on the counter tempting her, luring her on in. Jubilee followed his lead staying curled up with her knees drawn to her chest to give space that was easy for her to offer. Catching a chair with his toe, he offered it to her, smiling kindly as she sat at the counter with plenty of space between them.
"Thank you." The girl said softly, looking to enjoy her sandwich this time rather than trying to fill whatever hole had found its way to her stomach.
"To keep things honest with us, let me introduce myself Chere. Remy LeBeau, though around here I be Rembrandt Laurence, Remy still works you see. Your little guardian ange this evening is Jubilee." Remy said in greeting.
"Rogue." Her answer came.
"Another free spirit? Bon, you'll fit in fine here. You can have my room when you feel like sleeping, and don't you worry. I need be up soon enough, the Agency hates it if we be tardy for a shoot and I have bills to pay. Petit?" Remy explained, turning to his little friend.
"I'm not going anywhere, don't got nowhere to be anyway." Jubilee said, separating a cookie to eat the icing.
"Then it's settled, you be my guest then Rogue, stay as long as you like and don't you worry. You tell us anything you need to in your own time, Petit doesn't look like much but she's a genuine Firecracker. Anyone come around that shouldn't, well they either be running or enough noise be going around that get the Police here to be sending them off." Remy assured, wishing he could banish the fear and worry from her emerald eyes.
"I'll go get some fresh bedding for you when you feel like retiring for this evening, well...it be morning now. You just let the surf lull you to sleep, the gentle Pacific." Remy said, leaving to tend to his promise.
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Sleep had come far easier than she had thought, though it wasn't a restful one as her mind was prowled by nightmares that felt all too real and visions that haunted her on waking. Remy was gone just like he had said, creeping from his room to head to the bath. Out in the livingroom the girl she now knew to be Jubilee lay fast asleep on the sofa, curled up under blankets twisted about her. Through the slatted blinds she could see the beach with the waves rolling in, hearing the cry of gulls and people enjoying their day. Damp with sweat, she closed the door behind her and slipped out of the robe.
Thinking it a dream she looked at herself in the mirror and saw the truth of it, her once plain brown hair was now streaked blonde, toying with a lock and seeing it went right to the root. The nightmare came back to her then, holding her hand in front and thinking of the horrors she'd seen. With a hiss of pain claws sprung forth from the very tips of her fingers, her stomach turning knots as she felt sick. Through some small miracle they vanished but she couldn't stop thinking of how they lay just beneath the surface with her fingers now tipped red in her own blood.
"Oh god it's real..." Rogue whispered, turning the taps on and washing her hands until the red had vanished.
Thoughts not her own filled her, the nightmares returning unbidden though flashes that had her huddling in the shower stall. She knew his name, the man who had done this to her, forced her to protect herself in that most awful way. Some dark part of her mind laughed at her when she thought of how she had killed him, a sweet sadistic voice promising her it took more than that to kill him. She knew without knowing why she was safe for now, that another would take her place for what they had wanted her for.
Pushing back the self pity, she steeled herself to do what she could, to try and save that girl from what she had suffered. Wiping her eyes with the hem of her borrowed robe, Rogue rose and crept through the apartment looking for a phone. She didn't know how she knew the number, but she called collect and waited as it rang just hoping they'd accept. She felt a bit of relief when someone picked up, a woman with a kind voice.
"Hello, this is the Xavier's School for Gifted children but you must know that. Jean Grey speaking." Jean said soothingly.
"Please believe me, I can't tell you how I know this. But someone is going to try and kidnap Lorna Dane, someone named...Magneto if that makes any sense." Rogue whispered, trying to keep her voice even and failing.
"Are you alright?" Jean asked, no disbelief in her voice.
"I, I don't know. They tried to kidnap me, but I just know they're going to try her next. You have to save her. He, Magneto wants to hurt people, change them someway." Rogue croaked with her voice breaking.
"I promise we'll help her, we can help you too, can you tell me where you are?" Jean swore, trying to sooth her over the phone.
"I just want it to stop, I just want it to be over, to be left alone so I can go back to a normal life." Rogue whimpered on the line, curling up in the chair.
From the livingroom she could hear the creak of the sofa and a yawn, fearing the whole time she might have woken her. Hanging up the phone, the last thing she heard was Jean's voice swearing she could help but she just couldn't believe anyone could help her. Trying to get a hold of herself and her frayed emotions, she saw a concerned head poke in with the wall hiding everything from her nose down. It looked like a childish gesture and she had to laugh, Jubilee backing into the kitchen to settle down in the far corner without a word.
"You okay?" Jubilee asked, trailing her fingers down her own cheeks in pantomime of Rogue's tear stained ones.
"I don't know." Rogue whispered.
"You know them?" Jubilee pressed.
"No, at least I didn't. I just..." Rogue said, heaving a sigh as she struggled to find the words to express her confusion.
"Hey, my bad, you don't gotta say nothing. Last question I swear, did it just happen for you?" Jubilee asked, wiggling her fingers.
"It?" Rogue asked.
"Yeah, the moment ya found out you're different and I'm not talkin' Miss Alabama in So Cal." Jubilee said, conjuring a sparkling spurt of fireworks from her finger.
"Yeah." Rogue nodded, biting her lip as she forced down that memory.
"Well, if ya need someone to talk to me and Remy are here for ya. Though I guess ya kinda got a short straw or something, I figured that out fast why you were bundled up on a beach." Jubilee said softly.
"Did I...hurt you?" Rogue asked, some relief coming when Jubilee just shook her head.
"Eh, just felt like that time I had my thumb on a cord prong plugging it in. Okay, enough of this downer stuff. You can have first dibs on the shower and I'll go raid Remy's closet to see what he's got that you can rock." Jubilee insisted, climbing to her feet and heading off.
Thinking a shower might breath a bit of life back into her, she didn't argue as she headed off. Hanging the robe and twisting the knobs to toy with them finding just the perfect temperature, she climbed in under the spray and let the soothing heat creep into her shoulders and wash clean her tear stained cheeks.
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Waiting until she heard the shower running, Jubilee turned on the television and threw it to the local news, watching for any sign of what had happened last night. Leaving a body behind and some crazy Smurf was bound to make things around the scene sketchy, even worse if anyone had seen enough of them to go calling the cops. She'd managed to stay ahead of all that this whole time and she wasn't about to go getting nabbed now, living by her wits and petty theft until she ran into Remy.
He'd saved her from that life, always keeping some bank in her back pocket for just keeping an eye on his pad and an ear out for anyone asking questions about him. She didn't know just what he had to worry about, you just didn't go asking those kinda questions on the street. He even scored her some modelling gigs, Mister Hot Stuff himself one of his Agencies golden boys. Seeing nothing on the tube, she turned the volume up and headed to his room looking for something for Rogue to wear.
Cotton slacks and some sexy green silk shirt were thrown on the bed, remembering a time he'd worn them. Just because she was thirteen didn't mean she didn't have a libido, she'd crushed hard on him when first meeting him but she knew there was no way it could ever be. Her older friends though, they were the lucky ones. Finding some lambskin gloves she added it to the pile, figuring that would have to do for now. Girl didn't have much, so she swore to take her out for a much needed shopping trip to get her some genuine So Cal wear that would let her keep her skin under wraps but still flaunt it.
Setting it outside the door and yelling in to Rogue, she hopped back on the sofa and kept watching the news still having heard jack squat so far. Dead bodies on the beach usually were big news, shutting the place down for police investigations and all the usual speculation from hosts. Inner city violence spilling out onto their slice of paradise, harshing their mellow and ruining their good vibes. It wasn't to say they didn't have problems, far be it, but even still she never worried about drive-bys. The moment the top story turned out to be a Hollywood who's cheating on who she figured they'd somehow lucked out.
Peeking her nose into Remy's fridge feeling her appetite return, breakfast became some leftover Thai takeout and a can of coke. Kicking her feet at the table munching away, she peeked out into the hall when the shower stopped, another plate already set with a bottle of his Itallian spring water waiting. By the time Rogue showed up dressed Jubilee already had her breakfast finished, washing her dishes in the sink.
"My turn, if ya don't like that just go snooping. He totally doesn't mind. Might be some goodies hiding too behind his health kick stuff, I know he hides stuff he doesn't want me snooping outta my reach. Peace." Jubilee said, bouncing past for her turn at the shower.
A peek in a drawer found some of that incense he used for his sexy time, freshening up the small bath with the scent of smoky lilac. Stripping and jumping in, the one thing she loved about apartment living was near endless hot water. Crashing on friends couches who rented houses always meant dealing with a finite limit of hot water, meaning first come first served. Waking close to noon had her always on the short end of that stick but beggars couldn't be choosers.
Rinsing the last of the conditioner outta her hair, she cranked the heat for a scalding blast before finishing her shower. Looking through his assorted array of styling products, she threw some random gel in her hair and went with whatever would come of her post shower wet look. Towelling off, she dressed and danced out of the humid air to rush off to the balcony to greet the new day. Sure enough Rogue was sitting in a nearby chair, sipping a glass of water and staring out at the ocean.
"Okay that so doesn't work for you. I was totally gonna take you shopping before but now it's a mission, find you a style that works for your quirk. C'mon, my treat." Jubilee said, brazenly reaching down to take her hands.
"What?" Rogue asked warily.
"Shop Ping. Ya know, commerce. I give them money so you walk out with clothes. Don't even think about giving me lip, I saw your ratty knapsack already. You're fresh off the bus. It's no big, I'll just deal with Remy's Art Teest photographer for a shoot to get back my bank." Jubilee assured, leading her off to the door.
Pushing the reluctant girl out the door, she found the key Remy had given her at some ungodly hour of the morning for just such an occasion. She had her favourite 'New to You' shops to hit up, as well as those knock off joints that let ya dress the part without droppin' the bucks. The sun was high, the breeze was cool, and it was California baby. What else did a girl need Jubilee mused.
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