Well I got a request on my last X-men story to write some Romy and here it is, It's more of an adventure one so far, but I'll make it better as it goes along. This first chapter is sort of set up to get things started but it'll pick up in the next couple. Hope everyone likes. The OC's wont be very central in this one mainly cause the actual story and they sort of just exist to move the plot along. Please forgive me f the writing for Gambit and other's accents is poor it's very difficult and he didn't do a lot of talking in my previous story so this is my first time really writing in an accent. Anyway, please enjoy and tell me what you think! :)
Remy looked down and watched Rogue sleep. He had the feeling that if she woke up and found him in her room watching her, she would be quite mad. He bit back a smile at the idea. He loved how gentle she looked in her sleep, so peaceful and calm. He loved the was her hair was thrown back away from her neck in such a way as to fend off the heat. He loved absolutely everything about her. She turned slightly and he paused, afraid he had awakened her. But no, she only moved to dig her shoulder in deeper into the pillow, making a small noise of comfort as she did so.
He smiled and turned away, his pajama bottoms making a small sound on the thin carpet, It wasn't enough to wake her though. He was almost to the door when his foot hit a loose floor board and it squeaked. He paused, irritated that he could have been so careless, maybe he was only quiet when he was steeling. He looked back in time to see her sit up groggily.
"What's goin' on?" She asked, rubbing her eyes. "Remy? Is that you?"
He hesitated. "Hush now, chere, go on back to sleep."
"Remy, what are you doin' in mah room?"
How he loved those brilliant green eyes. "I ain't doin' nothing." Truth be told, he was doing something. He was headed out on a trip and he had wanted to see her one more time before he left. "It's okay."
She sat up straighter. "Remy, why do you got your bag with you?"
He smiled in the dark. "I goin' somewhere but I'll be back soon."
She threw her legs out of bed. "Where you goin'?"
"Home" He said. "I got a call a few days ago from a friend, says I need to get back there."
Her eyes widened. "It ain't guild business, is it?" She asked.
He shook his head. "Non, none of that. Friend of mine sick, she on her last leg and she wants me to go back and see her."
"Remy. . .I'm sorry."
He smiled. "It's okay, I'll be back soon."
"Do you want someone to go with you?"
He looked thoughtful. "I don't see why not, she won't mind one more."
She was genuinely surprised that he agreed. She climbed out of bed and pulled her bag out. "I'll be ready soon." There was a fierceness in her voice he loved.
He nodded. "I go get dressed too, chere." fifteen minutes later they stood together in the chilly early morning dark. Gambit climbed on his bike and felt her swing on behind him. He welcomed the warm arms she put around his middle and he started the engine. They sped off into the night, a little while later he noticed she had fallen asleep against him and he worried for a moment that she might fall but he put it from mind, she could take care of herself and if she couldn't, he would do the rest.
It took two days to reach New Orleans but only because of a couple of misadventures along the way involving a pair of giant robots and a hold up in the cafe they'd stopped in. It was late afternoon when they pulled in across the causeway. Remy didn't stop to speak to anyone, he continued on through the city until it got dark and he made it to the other side. Rogue stayed silent, trusting he knew where he was going. They stopped at a dock. A boy sat on river boat waiting. He was the only person there.
"Monsieur Lebeau?" The boy asked, hugging his knees. He was a lovely child, with big dark eyes and close cropped hair. Rogue waited to see how the boy knew Gambit. "She waitin'" The boy said. His eyes fell on Rogue. "She say it's okay if da lady come too."
"Rogue, this is Emmanuel." Remy said. She tried to smile kindly at the boy but he didn't smile back.
"In da boat, Mr. Lebeau. You too missus." The boy climbed into the seat by the engine and began steering them into the heart of swamp land.
"Remy, who are we goin' ta see?" Rogue asked.
"She's an old Voodoo queen, chere, her name's Grand-mere Tilly. She been good to me since I was little. I got a lot of respect for her and she for me, cause she called me up to her death bed."
"How'd she know I was with you?"
Remy smiled eerily in the dark. "Didn't I just say she was a voodoo queen?"
The wind held still around them, letting the steamy air hang and the Spanish moss stayed in place. At the back of the boat, Emmanuel stayed silent, Rogue noticed he was barefoot but didn't comment. "Remy, who's the boy?" She asked.
"He live with her." He whispered. "He run errands for her and her granddaughter Emmeline. Emmeline gonna take over after her."
Emmanuel stayed silent the entire ride. His dark little hands steered the boat with perfection but he never felt the need to say a word.
They stopped in front of a house resting on wooden beams. "She in dere." Emmanuel said. He tied the boat up to a dock and lead them up to the door. "Grand-mere Tilly, I bring him and the girl come too, just like you said."
He opened the door to a small room, dark except for the candle light shrine in the corner. A young woman, partially hidden in shadow, was praying to it, she didn't even look up as the walked past her to the bed.
Under a mass of quilts lay an ancient woman. Her once kinky black hair was in loose white crules now but her tired face smiled when she saw them. "Remy!" She cried happily. "Oh, ma boy did come back. I knew you would, I seen it!" She threw her skinny arms around him. "You come say goodbye to Grand-mere Tilly like a good boy. I been watching you, Remy. I know what you been up to."
He smiled ruefully. "Oh no."
"Oh no is right, Remy. You ain't been too good of a boy, but I forgive you. Come take a seat. You too, child." She motioned to Rogue. "I seen you coming too. Spirits say Remy bring a friend and I ask them what kind of friend and they say a special friend." She shook her head. "Spirits never talk strait. You gotta trick 'em." She wagged her finger knowingly and winked. "Ah, but I got lots to tell ya and not much time to do it in. I be goin' soon." She cast a beady eye at the girl praying and yelled, suddenly sharp: "Don't you be sayin' prayers to keep me here, now! You be sayin' prayers to send me up to Heaven. You pray to keep me here, I might not be able to make t all the way up and then I be coming after you!"
The girl made an noise but continued praying.
"Ah, she's a good girl. I taught her well. Now, Remy on to business. Give me your hand." He did so. "Take dem silly gloves off. You know I can't do any work with dem on!" Once again she held his bare hand. "Hmm." She said, running it over with her thumb. "Oh, Remy you been bad but this girl, it looks like she gonna keep you in line." She nodded approvingly. "Oh, you got so much life. You better not waist it. I'll be in Heaven watching. I see you wasting, I'm gonna send some bad spirits after you." She patted his hand and let him with draw it. "You girl, gimmie yours."
Rogue shook her head. "I can't. I cain't touch people."
The old woman laughed. "Non, that don't matter." She wrapped her hand in one of her quilts. "Give t here now."
Rogue extended her hand. The old woman's cold seeped through the blanket. "Oh, child I see so much pain here." She sounded mournful. "But so much future too, you like Remy though: gotta know where to look for it. You a strong one, pain made you strong." She let go and sank back. "Remy, I not got much time left and I got a message for you from de spirits. Lately de been commin' to me in ma dreams screamin' and howlin' tellin' me I gotta contact you Dey got a job for you."
Remy leaned close, her voice was thin and shaking. "What do they say?"
"Dey say: Remy gotta go and get five t'ings. Five magic t'ings and bring 'em back here for Emmeline to work her magic wit. You gotta get five magic t'ings from all over the world."
Rem's eyebrows came together. "Why?" He asked.
"No time for questions. The spirits say you gotta do it and so you gotta do it." She reached up her shaking arms and held his face. "I gon' give you de pictures they showed me. Dey told me everyt'ing and I gon' tell you."
As she spoke a myriad of images flooded his mind. Brilliant visions of temples and pyramds shot before his eyes and knowledge pored forth, knowledge of where these places were and what they were, how to get there and who was there now. The stream of images broke and he slid off his chair, panting.
Rogue slid down next to him. "Remy!" She cried.
Old Grand-mere Tilly sank back in bed again and said weakly. "De spirits. . . They tell me de girl has to go wit you." She was breathing hard. "You take her Remy, one man can't do this alone." Her voice grew fainter. "I tell Emmeline everyt'ing else already. She know what's got to be done. Oh! Don't you stop prayin' girl, I'm almost done wit this world. I gon' go on now. I 'tink I'm ready. Yes, I 'tink I'm ready."
And with that she closed her eyes and died. Remy sat back in his chair. In her corner, at her shrine, Emmeline wailed aloud and then there came the sound of the door opening and people entering. He grabbed Rogue's arm. "We gotta go." He whispered, we can come back soon but we gotta leave for now."
She followed him past groups of people. She hadn't realized that they had been standing outside the whole time. "Remy, what are they all doing here?"
"Dey gon' take care of her. We'll come back in the morning. Emmanuel, can we borrow the boat?" The boy nodded.
The long trip back down the river Remy explained to Rogue all about Tilly.
"She's from Haiti," He said. She came over here as a little girl, at the turn o' the last century." He watched the dark river as he steered. "She came over and had all these visions, her pere bring her here, her mother was a great queen herself, workin' magic over in Haiti like it was nothin', least that's how she tells it. Anyway, little Tilly got famous, black people and white people respected her, they all come askin' for help. She don' help everybody. She only help people she t'ink need it. Anyway, if she says the spirits got a job form me then I believe her. She never been wrong before."
Rogue nodded and shivered a little. Not from cold, there was none of that but from a little bit of fear. "Remy, what do you think she wants us to get those things for?"
"I dunno but if she needs me den it must be important." He told her all about the visions Tilly had given him. "So, we gotts to get five t'ings for Emmeline to work her magic. Emmeline is gonna tell us more in the morning, as for us, we gonna check into a hotel and get some sleep." Seeing her worried face he added, playfully: "Maybe we get a honeymoon suit, no?"
She sighed and shook her head. "Good Lord, you never stop."
"Nothin' ever gets done by giving up, chere."
The docked the boat and climbed out. It was already getting a little light. "We best hurry. We gon' be needing some sleep cause whatever Emmeline tells us, it's gonna be big."
Well, thanks for reading and I hope you liked it, if not, well thanks anyway for giving it a shot. I'll update soon!