xXxXx
That was not the first time he woke up scared in the middle of the night. It had been like that for as far as he could remember, even when he was just a child on his own.
Only now, the nightmares were different.
That night, just like many others of the last few months, he seemed to be transported back to Paris, to the fateful night in Notre Dame. The scene always the same: he watched her fall without being able to save her, not matter how hard he tried.
In some of his dreams she would return to place the blame on him; he did not need that, though, for he knew that he was responsible for what had happened, that he deserved to be reminded of what he had done. The sight of the girl falling down would torment him for the rest of his life, he was sure of it. Still, it did not seem to be punishment enough.
With some effort, he sat up in bed.
"What is it?" came the voice of the sleepy blonde girl next to him.
"A nightmare" he replied trembling as he tried to collect himself.
She sat up as well and laid a hand on his sweaty shoulder, caressing it in an attempt to cool him down. "Again?" she asked, however, her tone of voice did not sound as concern to his ears.
Gambit nodded his head in the affirmative, avoiding to look at her directly. "Don't need to worry, Bell. It was just a bad dream."
Noticing the indifference in his voice, she tried to turn the dark mood around. "Wouldn't it be because you're anxious?" she asked, smiling as her fingers softly went down his arm.
"Quoi?" he asked despite himself and at last turned to Bella Donna. He knew that look well. "Oui, sure. Must be it" he said carelessly.
If Bella Donna did not notice, then she pretended to. Her tone, on the other hand, was completely unlike his. "Can you believe it's in two weeks?" and laughed out of excitement.
Gambit forced a smile. "Hard to believe."
"Dere's still a lot to do. I mean, my dress ain't done yet. I told dad to teach dat sorry-ass dress-maker a lesson–"
"Bell..." he cut her off delicately, not wanting to be rude "I better go" he was in no mood for her prattling on about dresses and shoes and other futilities to which she gave too much importance too often.
"Why?" she questioned, genuinely disappointed "It's early."
"Your dad or brother find me here, we'll be in trouble."
She smiled slyly. "Dey've never caught you here, silly. You've always been faster and smarter dan Julien. Besides, you aren't de cautions type" then flashed him a mischievous smirk. "You like to play wit' fire."
"Not tonight" he replied distractedly as he struggled to see in the semidark room, trying to remember where he had left his clothes.
"What do I have to do to make you stay?" she seductively ran her fingers up his thigh under the covers. Gambit gripped her hand before it got to a place that could make him change his mind.
He turned to her. "I'm tired, Bell" he stated gravely, trying to convince her that it was true. He then got to his feet in order not to give her time for more objections. Grabbed his pants, shirt and all pieces of clothing carelessly tossed away on the floor hours earlier.
Bella Donna sighed in defeat and quietly watched Gambit get dressed, ready to grab any opportunity that presented itself. It came up when he sat down on the bed to put on his boots. Slowly, Bella Donna put her arms around his torso.
Still, it was not enough. "I really gotta go, Bell" he said with little patience he had left. Sluggishly she let him go. Gambit stood up and gazed around the room one last time in order to make sure he hadn't left anything behind.
"And my farewell kiss?" she asked like a spoiled girl.
She could be so childish at times, he thought.
Gambit kissed her on the lips lightly to please her. Swiftly, Bella Donna grabbed his shirt and gave him a long and assertive kiss at the same time trying to lure him into bed again. She fell on her back with him on her.
Her lips and tongue desperately trying to persuade him to stay and play a little longer. Gambit reciprocated her kisses fervently at first, but before her fingers could unzip his jeans, Gambit parted their throbbing lips.
"Damnit!" she snapped, panting. Her body wanted more. "I can't believe you're gonna leave me like dis."
"I'll be back tomorrow" he assured unresponsively, straightening his shirt as she had crumpled it again.
Bella Donna sat up on the bed, seemingly resigned at last. "It because dat nightmare, right?"
Gambit flashed her a glance for not longer than an instant. "I have a headache."
That much was true. He wouldn't tell her that the pain increased because of her, though.
"All right" she admitted her defeat. "À demain, cher" and offered him a sincere smile.
With a seductive blink of his eye, Gambit went out through the window.
Seeing no other alternative, Bella Donna went back to bed alone. Although, before she could fall asleep, she heard knockings on her door.
There were no doubts as to who would be so late at night. Bella Donna remained silent and tried to just ignore it, pretending to be asleep. It was not enough, though. Next time, the knockings were even stronger.
Exasperated, Bella Donna got to her feet and opened the door – which she would always remember to lock every time Remy was in with her. Her brother, Julien, stepped inside unceremoniously.
"I heard voices" he said, getting worked up as he looked into the bedroom, as if in hopes of finding someone.
She impatiently crossed her arms over her chest. "What are you talking about? I was sleeping before you almost knocked my door down."
Julien paced the room fretfully, not buying his sister's words. He then halted before the open window, suspicious.
Bella Donna thought it was a smarter move to get that all over with quickly before he bombarded her with more accusations. "All right" she said, drawing his attention away from the open window. If he questioned her in that regard, Bella Donna would simply say it was open due to the hot weather.
Julien anxiously stared down at her. "I'm waiting."
"De TV was on. Happy now?"
Julien sneered. "Don't underestimate my intelligence, sis. He was here, wasn't he?"
"Who?"
"Who else? Dat filt'y t'ief."
The disgust in his voice was the most she could take. "Dat filt'y t'ief is my fiancé. It's time you sucked it up."
"Never!" he yelled.
Bella Donna shut up, taken aback by her brother's aggressiveness. She could not remember seeing him that furious ever before. Julien had always kept his impulses under control and, suddenly, he was raging for no apparent reason right in front of her eyes. At that moment, she did not recognize her brother, and feared for him.
Realizing it was fright in Bella Donna's violet eyes, Julien struggled to collect himself; however, when he tried to approach her, she stepped back.
The furious expression on his face shifted completely, now his look was of hopelessness. He was desperate to make his sister believe that she was about to make a huge mistake. "He's not good enough for you, Bella" he came closer to her a little more but Bella Donna remained on defensive mode. "I'm your brot'er, it's me you have to love."
"I do love you, mon frère."
"Den stay wit' me."
She paused and picked her next words carefully. "It's not abou' choosing sides, Julien. You my brot'er, I'll always love you, but... you have to understand dat I love Remy, too, in a completely different way" calmer, she made an attempt to touch his face but now it was Julien who backed off.
"You love dat thief more than your own brother... your own blood" he yelled; his arms made incoherent gestures. "I won't allow it, you hear me? I won't let them take you away from me" after that he stormed out of the room.
Bella Donna attempted to follow him but stopped at the door as he had already disappeared through the long corridor.
Bella Donna went back to bed confused about what had just happened. Julien seemed to be slowly losing his mind. She didn't even want to imagine her father's reaction if he saw Julien's behavior.
Luckily, the Boudreaux Guild's patriarch, Marius, slept one story up, far enough from the children's bedrooms. In the following morning, Bella Donna would talk to her brother, as soon as he had collected himself.
In a matter of minutes, Gambit was back home. Silently as required of a thief, he climbed up his bedroom's window and lay down in his own bed, relieved. Unfortunately, it was not enough for him to go back to sleeping. Barely slumbered.
He remembered Bella Donna's excitement for the wedding, and felt something that resembled guilt for being incapable of sharing the sentiment.
He loved her, no doubt about that. He had loved her since they were children, in a simpler time, when their love was pure. That didn't mean that Remy was eager to tie the knots so young. That decision wasn't his.
Truth was, once again, he had no control over his own life.
He hated that part: waking up in a stranger's room, with a stranger by his side, and many times, like that one, with a hangover.
It did not matter how good the night had been, waking up not knowing where he was and sneaking out was not a pleasant experience. It was the price Gambit had to pay for not wanting to take any girl into his own room.
One day closer to his wedding, he remembered as he got up and out of the room without giving a second glance to the girl in the bed. Now, less than a week to go until the ceremony.
Walking down the hall, he recognized where he was: a small hotel next to the club where, the previous night, he had his stag party with everything it demanded.
Nonetheless, before he needed to think about how he would return home, he saw his brother waiting for him at the café across the street.
"I hope you had fun" said Henri ironically, as soon as his brother took a seat at the chair next to him.
"You have no idea" replied Remy, ironically as well, and with a smirk.
"Great, 'cause dis is de last night you woke up wit' a stranger in your bed."
"You really good at putting your little brother down, Henri."
"I hope you understand de magnitude of de situation" he said, staring at his brother with severity. "You know very well what I think abou' all dis. It's not too late t' turn back. You know you'll have my support."
"It's de deal" Remy said as if he had it memorized. "I can't turn back."
Henri took a deep breath and laid his hand on his baby brother's shoulder. "You just a boy. You can't decide de rest of your life based on one single decision. Look... we'll talk to father, he'll figure out a way around it."
"If dere was another way, dis deal wouldn't've been made in de first place" replied Remy, incisive in every word. "It's de least I can do after all you done fo' me."
"You're not less my brother because you don't have my blood, Remy. Can't believe you doing dis out of gratitude. Your happiness is at stake here."
The decision, however, had never belonged to him. "I know very well what's at stake. An' it's much more than dat. You, of all people, should know what I'm saying."
Henri did. He was favorable to the wedding from the start. Months later, he wasn't so sure anymore. He clearly understood what the union of the two kids would implicate to both Guilds. But now, seeing his brother in the state he was in, it was hard not to feel selfish. The peace between the Thieves and the Assassins Guilds had always seemed unattainable; it was not a mere wedding ceremony that would put an end to a secular feud.
"I like her, Henri" said Gambit, contemplative. "You told me a thousand times dat you wanna spend the rest of your life wit' Mercy"
"Liking is not de same as loving, Remy. I love Mercy while you... you can't even be faithful to dat assassin. You aren't in love wit' dat snake" added vehemently.
"Don't call her dat, Henri. Bella Donna isn't like you think, she… she's a good person. You just don't know her."
"Don't be a fool. Ya don't really believe your own words. She's a Boudreaux. Worthless, jus' like de rest o' her family."
"Ya not judging Bella Donna fo' what she is, but for what her family is" stated Gambit. His tone, though, was not of reprimand, there was certain melancholy in every word he said.
Henri paused in order to choose his next words more carefully. Pulled up his chair closer to his brother. "Not'ing like dat. De t'ing is she's showed her true colors many times before."
"Dis wedding is our only hope to end de fight between de Guilds once and for all" Remy replied, condescending as to the fate he believed to be inevitable.
"Don't be so naïve, Remy" said Henri, raising his voice almost imperceptively. "Don't fool yourself t'inking dis wedding will cease all fighting."
Remy diverted his eyes from his brother, trying to conceal whatever it was he was feeling at that moment. "Non... but it's de first step."
After a brief pause, Henri continued, for now, fed up with his own insistence. "Well..." he exclaimed, defeated as he stood up. "No use arguing. Come on. Tante Mattie must be worried sick about you."
"Only about me?"
"You her favorite."
Once they got home, Henri went up the stairs silently; Remy, on the other hand, went straight to the kitchen. He was famished and the inviting scent coming from the kitchen made his hunger stronger than his headache. After a long good morning kiss on Tante Mattie's chick, he sat down at the table.
Tante Mattie stopped and flashed him a suspicious look. She knew the kid well enough to see there was something bothering him. "What's wrong, boy?"
Gambit made a naïve face. "Not'ing, tante."
She wasn't convinced. Squinted her dark eyes, and guessed: "Bad night?"
He smirked. "Not at all."
All of a sudden, Tante Mattie grabbed the dish towel on her shoulder and used it to hit the insolent boy. "Show me some respect, boy" and turned her back, grumbling.
"Dat one hurt!" he complained, rubbing his arm.
"Dat's what I was goin' for. What in de world? Ain't you ashamed fo' what you doin' to your fienceé?"
Gambit snorted. "Not in de mood for another lecture, tante. 'sides, it be my last week."
"And dat give you de right t' do whatever you want?"
Gambit didn't answer, preferred to leave instead. He knew better than to get into an argument with Tante Mattie.
"What abou' breakfast?" she yelled to no avail. Remy was already going up the stairs.
Through the ajar door of his office, Jean-Luc saw his son run to his room. He stopped his work and went look for Tante Mattie.
"What's de matter?" he asked her in the kitchen.
She sighed, discouraged. "Dat boy been insufferable."
"What's new in dat?"
Tante Mattie smiled subtly, knowing it was true. "Seem to be getting worse."
Remy seemed to be drifting away, Jean-Luc knew it and found only one reason for the increasing usualness in his younger son's behavior, and he was the cause. Although, being a proud and determined man, Jean-Luc wouldn't admit to being wrong. He strongly believed to be doing the right thing.
"He must be anxious about de wedding being so close as it is."
"I dunno" replied Tante Mattie. "You have to talk to him, Jean-Luc" she added in her usual authoritative tone.
"Why's everyone nagging on me today?" complained Gambit when he got to his room and found Henri waiting for him, comfortably sitting in his armchair.
Gambit dropped on his back on the bed and lit up a cigarette that he had picked up in the bottom of a drawer.
"You know what tante will do if she sees you smoking here, don't you?"
"She won't" he snapped back, presumptuously. "Being her favorite comes wit' advantages."
Henri stared at his brother silently.
Gambit tried to ignore but was no use. "Father won't be happy t' know you're trying to talk me out of de wedding."
"All I'm doing is trying to help you see all de angles."
Remy shot him a leery glance from the corner of his eyes. "What do you know?"
Henri got to his feet and slowly walked up to the window before answering. "It's no secret dat Julien Boudreaux isn't at all pleased wit' giving his sister's hand in marriage to a 'filt'y t'ief', in his own words. He's been acting strange – more den usual, anyway. I suspect he's up to something."
Gambit barely listened. "He's jealous of his sister. He hates our guts."
"Sometimes it seems to be more dan a feud between Guilds" continued Henri, watching the garden outside. "Julien est unniais. I'm afraid of what he can do."
"He wouldn't. He's a coward scared of his daddy."
"I hope you're right, mon frère" said Henri as he turned to his brother. "We'll keep an eye on him – we can't be too careful."
"We?"
"Lapin."
"O' course!"
"If dat assassin imbécile do anyt'ing suspicious, we'll be prepared."
Remy thanked with his eyes. Henri was by the door when he turned around to his brother one last time. "Remember what happened last time you refused to listen to me?" Henri knew he was touching a deep wound, but that would be his last resort to try to make Remy change his mind. "Someone innocent died."
Henri watched brokenhearted as Remy's face darkened. "You don't have to remind me" he said gravely. "I know Genevieve's death was my fault. Wasn't for me, she wouldn't've fallen."
"It wasn't your fault. Dat monster would've found her an' killed her anyway. But, hadn't you been so selfish and listened to me, as you always did since you were a petit garçon, mabbe... just mabbe you could've saved her."
Remy opened his mouth to speak when someone knocked on the door.
"My two sons together" said Jean-Luc as he stepped inside the room "a sight dat always brings me happiness."
"Excusez moi" said Henri, flashing his brother a last grave look.
"What got into your brother?" questioned Jean-Luc.
Remy shrugged. "Je n'ai aucune idée."
"You know what tante Mattie will do—"
"—if she sees me smoking inside de house. Yeah, I know."
Jean-Luc smiled and sat down at the foot of the bed. "I'm very proud of you, fils."
"Dat's something you don't hear every day."
Jean-Luc disregarded the impertinent comment. "I want you to know dat if I had any doubts of your feelings for Marius Boudreaux's daughter, I would never have talked you into dis."
"You didn't talk me into anyt'ing, papa" the young man asserted with conviction, and looked away, even though there was sincerity in his words. "I'm doing dis 'cause I know it de right thing to do."
Jean-Luc called his son's name so that the boy would look into his eyes before he spoke again. "Take de care… de affection you have for dat young woman... dis innocent love you've felt for each other since childhood, and turn into somet'ing real; a husband and wife kinda love and not just a Romeo and Juliette game."
Remy assented. "Merci, papa."
Without further ado, Jean Luc saw himself out, leaving his son alone with his thoughts.
That was it, Remy thought as he stared at the colors of the church's windowpane, on the day that would change his life forever – however, not the way he expected.
That was how Mercy found him: hands inside the tuxedo's pockets, faraway look on his face.
"How's your heart?" she asked as she came closer to him.
Remy turned to his sister-in-law and smiled. "Racing."
"I know how you feeling. Even t'ough my wedding was so many years ago."
"I remember dat day clearly" said Remy with a smile and soft voice. "Henri tried so hard to hide, but you could tell he was scared to death."
Mercy laughed. "Dat's how Henri is. You were just a little boy back den. Dis size" she pointed to her shoulder. "Now look at you! A man about to get married. You look so handsome."
Remy remembered his brother broke out in a cold sweat on his wedding day and he, as a good thirteen-year-old younger brother, made fun of Henri as much as he could.
Now, looking down at his own hands, they weren't sweaty.
Mercy noticed his thoughts were far away. "You afraid you're making de wrong decision?" she asked with all affection she had for her brother-in-law.
"Non" he replied, absent-mindedly. "It's not dat."
"What is it den?"
"And if I say I don't really know?"
"I understand. It's okay to have doubts, it's okay to... be afraid of what's next. Only time can make t'ings right."
And so he hoped.
Émile Lapin stood next to Henri at the altar as discretely as possible.
"Anyt'ing outta de ordinary, Émile?"
"Non. Not'ing, cousin" he replied with an expression as apprehensive as Henri's. "Everyt'ig's how it's supposed t' be."
"Keep your eyes open."
"Certainement. You talk to him?" questioned Émil after a brief pause.
"Oui. It didn't take. He's as stubborn as a legitimate LeBeau" Henri paused; observed the church, the guests arriving. "Look at them. T'ieves on one side, Assassins on de other."
"Armed to de teeth" Émile pointed out. "Look! Mercy's coming. How is he?"
"He's calm" she replied as she stood between the two men, "but also confused."
Henri snorted. "I wish dere was another way."
"You de best man, right, Henri?" asked Émile.
"Yeah" Henri replied, although he didn't understand the question.
"So you have de rings."
"Yes."
"No rings, no wedding" Émile concluded triumphantly.
Mercy laughed and elbowed him.
"What? De mood's too dark right now. Dis feels more like a funeral dan a wedding."
Moments later, Remy joined them. "Talkin' about me?"
"If you actually listened to me" said Henri, scowling.
"Come, Remy" said Mercy, tugging at his arm. Although she shared her husband's point of view as to the wedding, at that moment, all she wanted was to see her beloved brother-in-law's happiness. "Stand here; de bride should be here at any moment."
As Mercy calculated, within few minutes the music announced the pride's coming. Bella Donna walked down the aisle arm in arm with her father, wearing a traditional, white dress.
Seeing how radiant she looked comforted Remy's heart. And when she smiled at him as she held his hand at the altar, he knew there was no looking back. There was nowhere else he wanted to be.
When the priest questioned if anyone had reason to object to the wedding, Mercy squeezed Henri's hand and flashed him a warning look. "Don't try anything stupid" she murmured.
"I'm not de one you need t' worry about, Mercy."
During the ceremony, both Henri and Émile kept their eyes fixed on Julien. He was clearly anxious and impatient. Nonetheless, not once did he show any intention of interfering.
Everything was going according to the plan. The young bride and groom made their vows, exchanged rings and a passionate kiss. They were pronounced husband and wife before God.
Arm in arm and grinning, they walked out of the church, knowing that from that moment on there was a new life ahead.
xXxXx
Glossary:
Quoi - What?
À demain – See you tomorrow
Mon frère – My brother
Tante – Aunt
Julien est unniais – Julien is a fool.
Assassin imbécile – Foolish assassin
Petit garçon – Boy
Je n'ai aucune idée – I have no idea.
Fils – Son
Certainement – Certainly
xXxXx
