Chapter 2
Homecoming
"Hi 'Ro," Anna spoke into her Blackberry.
"Rogue!" Ororo sighed. "I thought you would never call. There is something I need to tell you."
"Yea," Anna replied. "Ah got your text this morning. Sorry it took so long. It's been that kinda day." Anna walked over to her chocolate brown suede couch and lay down in surrender to her exhaustion.
"I'm sorry to hear that my friend. Perhaps I can wait until you are feeling better. Is there anything new with you?" If Anna had been slightly less exhausted, she would have called Ororo on the fact that she did not really want to tell her this news about Remy. But, Anna let it go. She didn't have the energy to deal with ANYTHING Remy at this point. But, this was the opportune time to bring up the news to her friend.
"Well," Anna perked up a bit, about to deliver the news. "Ah was actually planning a visit to the mansion. Ah've got some free time coming, and there's someone Ah'd like ya ta meet."
"My friend," Ororo spoke with an undeniable sound of joy in her voice, "that would be wonderful! When will you be coming? I can't wait to tell everyone."
"Actually, 'Ro," Anna interjected, "Ah'd like to keep it a secret until we get there. Maybe you could just clear it with the professor, so we have a place to sleep. You can tell Logan if ya want."
"Ahem," Ororo joked, "We?"
"Yes. We. His name is Damon Price. We were thinking of coming down in this weekend. If the professor will have us, we'd like to spend the week." Anna waited for her friend to respond.
"I cannot see why he would have a problem. Please do not mind if the house is a bit busy. I'm not sure if you heard about the recent attack on a mutant right here in Westchester." Ororo paused for her response.
"Attack? No, Ah haven't," Anna lied. She hated lying to friends. Next week would definitely be pushing her limits.
"Well, it's a bit worrisome. It was such a violent crime. I cannot imagine what kind of vile person would do such a thing," Ororo's voice began to trail off. "Anyway, the professor has had the X-Men keep an eye on things. Everyone has been a bit on edge."
Damn. Anna had not planned on the X-Men conducting their own investigation. Of course they would. It was their backyard. It was a careless oversight on her part when she agreed to go undercover.
"Ahem." Anna turned around to see Damon leaning on her marble kitchen counter. He smiled as he held two glasses of wine.
"Was that the friend?" Ororo giggled.
"Ah've gotta go, 'Ro. Let me know if the professor's okay with my visit, 'kay?" Anna rushed off, hoping to avoid any questions regarding Damon.
"Of course. I will speak with him first thing tomorrow."
"Thanks, sugah." Anna disconnected the call, making her way over to Damon.
"So, what's the verdict? Are we packing our bags for a 'getaway'?" Damon joked as he handed Anna her glass of white wine.
"Ororo said that she'd talk t' Professor Xavier tomorrow. Ah'm sure we'll find out by lunch," Anna replied. But, there was no doubt in her mind that she and Damon would spend the following week at the mansion.
Sure enough, by lunch the next day, Anna received a text from Ororo.
The professor would be delighted to have you and your friend as his guests next week. Text me the details of your arrival. I cannot wait to see you!
Anna spent the next week familiarizing Damon with the inhabitants of the mansion.
"So as long as I stick to everything you told me, I shouldn't find myself in any trouble," Damon stated as he drove them to Westchester.
"Now," Anna chuckled, "Ah didn't say that. Ah said that you'll avoid most of the trouble. That house is a minefield. You'll never know when you've stepped on one until it's too late."
"That's comforting," Damon sighed, raising his eyebrows. "I don't get any bonus points for being your boyfriend, do I?"
"Sugah," Anna laughed even more, "that'll probably get ya into even more trouble."
They both laughed nervously at what they had gotten themselves into. As they approached the outskirts of Westchester, the tone of their conversation took on a more serious tone.
"Let's go over this one more time. You and I are a couple," Damon started, giving Anna a mischievous grin. "We met at an apple orchard in Connecticut, and hit it off instantaneously."
"Sounds right so far," Anna replied.
"Since we both lived in Manhattan, we decided to meet up again. We went on another date and have been together for the last year," Damon continued.
"I work for…" Anna quizzed.
"a law firm. Where I also work as a junior partner." Damon answered quickly. "The Bureau has already set up our covers, just in case your friends decide to check up on me. Does it bother you that you have to lie to them?"
"No," Anna sighed. "Every closet in that house is filled with someone's skeletons." Anna knew that Damon didn't believe her.
"Okay. All the minor stuff is out of the way," Damon said as he pulled up to the mansion's front gate. "Now the most important question. Are there any old boyfriends I need to worry about?"
Anna smiled, though Damon could see the sorrow in her eyes. "No." She turned her head to the gate as it swung open. "None that matter."
Ororo was putting the finishing touches to the room she had prepared for Rogue and her friend. Just as she placed some roses into a vase, Remy walked passed the opened doorway. He entered the room silently, trying to surprise his long time friend.
"Don't even think about it, Gambit," Ororo said with a smile.
"Stormy, been lookin' all over for y'," Remy answered. "I wanted t' ask you 'bout Lanie. Y' know how we've been gettin' serious."
Remy's heartfelt chat was interrupted by the sound of the mansion's doorbell. The deep earthy sound echoed throughout the upper sections of Xavier's school.
"Our guests are here," Ororo smiled. "Come my friend. We shall continue our conversation." She took Remy by the hand and led him out of the room toward the mansion's main entrance.
It was Logan who greeted Anna and Damon at the door.
"Logan!" Anna exclaimed, giving her old friend an overdue hug and kiss on the cheek.
Logan responded by giving Anna a hug in return. It was still a new sensation to him to have her kiss touching his, without any ill effects of her powers coming into play. "Welcome back kid." Their heartfelt reunion was cut short when Logan noticed Anna's companion. "Who's the Abercrombie model?"
Damon responded by raising an eyebrow and giving a sly smile. He extended a friendly hand to Logan. "I'm Damon Price. Nice to meet you Logan."
Anna waited for Logan's reaction to Damon. "Can't stay away from the pretty boys, can you kid?" Anna could only blush in reaction to Logan's observation. "Come on in."
Damon grabbed Anna's and his bags and brought them into the foyer.
"So where is everyone?" Anna asked, expecting the mansion to be bustling with mutants.
Logan gave Damon a weary look, being careful not to divulge too much information. "Don't worry Logan, Ah've told Damon about us." Only then did Logan seem to relax, even if it was a bit.
"Most of the team's doing recon. Trying to find anything about the attack," he answered. "The younger students are on a trip to some museum in the city. But don't worry kid, 'Ro's told them all that they needed to be here tonight for some special dinner. No one knows that you're here. It'll be a nice surprise."
"For most people anyway," Anna regretted the words as soon as they left her mouth. It was as if she had jinxed herself.
"Now, chere, who wouldn't want t' see y' again." That voice. A chill traveled up her spine as soon as she heard that smooth voice. Anna turned slowly, her eyes traveling up the stairwell. There he stood next to Ororo, looking even more handsome that she remembered.
A lump formed in her throat as she tried to force the words out of her mouth. "Hello, Remy," she managed to whisper.
A/N: Okay... so what do you guys think? Please review.. Thanks!
