Hey, so sorry for the wait! Good hing is, this is a longish chapter so have fun! Thanks to everyone who reviewed/followed/faved and whatever else!
The next morning she awoke before he did. She watched him sleep for a moment, light from a window fell over his face, making his hair a shade lighter. He must have been very tired to sleep so late and she didn't want to be the one to take his rest from him. She ordered up breakfast and set the coffee table in front of the couch and was just buttering her toast when he stumbled in. She couldn't help but smile a little. There was something wholly wonderful about him being alive. He gave her a dazed look and fell into the seat next to her.
"You sure slept in." She said.
He ran a hand through his hair and helped himself to toast. "Sorry about dat. You could have woken me up if you wanted to."
She shrugged. "It didn't bother me." She helped him scrape together a plate of eggs. "Eat up. There's plenty."
He dug in hungrily. "You don't need to tell me."
They turned on the news and listened to the weather report. No more rain, at least not until the end of the week. Remy seemed to think that that was good news. He went back in the bedroom and dressed. She was glad he'd gotten rid of the Hawaiian shirt from the night before. He came back more awake and busied himself with her phone without asking.
He must have called his father because he spent a good twenty minutes arguing in French with the man on the other end, finally hanging up and then pacing around the room for a while before hastily calling back.
Rogue grew impatient not knowing what was going on, she crossed her legs back and forth on the couch and shifted, she walked to the windows and stepped outside, she walked back into the bedroom and made the bed. Finally she caught him after the second phone call. "What did he say?"
Remy sighed and sprawled out on the couch. "Mon pere says dat someone busted open de tomb to see if I was dead. De whole Thieves Guild is in an uproar. They're screaming desecration. Worst part is, now everyone knows I ain't dead. Tante Mattie and Mercy are having a hell of a time holding off the folk wanting to kill me now. As if I don't got enough to worry about." He ran a hand through his hair and groaned. "I'm gonna have to get out of New Orleans. Pere says I best get going today."
She smoothed out her slacks and crossed her arms. "Where are we gonna go?"
"North. 'Need to get back to Philadelphia and pay Monsieur Johnston a visit. Pere's looking for him now."
She sat down in an armchair and rested her elbows on her knees. "You think he set you up?"
"Can't t'ink of anyone else dat'd have known I was in Blackburn's house."
She nodded. "In that case I'll help you pack."
He waved a and towards the bedroom. "Didn't unpack last night. If you're gonna come though, I recommend you get your stuff together soon cause I'm heading out at noon. Pere got my bike in from Philadelphia last night, he's gonna have someone run it over. You mind meeting them wen they get here? I don't wanna be seen outside much."
She nodded. "Of course." She rose from her seat and looked at him, he had his eyes closed and his brow furrowed. She wanted to say something to tell him it would be alright but couldn't think of a single word to say.
About half an hour later she met a man in front of the hotel who had brought over Remy's bike. He looked at her curiously. "Is he really alive?" He asked. He was young and excited looking. She guessed he didn't get a lot of important jobs.
Rogue nodded. "Yeah. but don't go telling everyone."
The young man nodded enthusiastically and ran a hand through his hair. "I sure won't, ma'am."
She met Remy in the hallway, he had his bag and was waiting for her. "You ready?" He asked.
She nodded. "I'll get my bag."
"Mon pere will handle checking you out and I'll tell him to send the rest of your stuff to Westchester."
It only took a minute and before she knew it she was swinging leg over the back of Remy's bike. He had made the final arrangements with his father over a cell phone and revved the engine as he felt her fall into place behind him.
He looked around cautiously before taking off. They headed out through the city, making small talk over the engine. He asked her how New Orleans had been and if she'd gotten the chance to see anything. It always warmed her to see how proud he was of his city.
They sped on and crossed lake Pontchartrain in a hurry. Remy seemed to think they they were less vulnerable out on the highway, despite having been almost run over just a few days before. The 'accident' had not been without damage, through his shirt, Rogue could feel bandages around his ribs. She wondered how much they were hurting him and she tried not to hold on to him too tightly. She even considered just flying long side him but worried that it would bring too much attention.
New Orleans grew further and further behind as they made their way north, through little towns and greenery. As they crossed state line into Mississippi Remy made a comment about the state sign reading 'It's like coming home'. She stayed quiet, it was her home but she didn't have much there to go home to. He seemed to sense her thoughts and didn't say anything else about it. Before long they passed into Alabama and continued east. They ate lunch in Birmingham. He made her order at the McDonald's, said he didn't want to draw any attention to himself.
They finally stopped outside Atlanta. Rogue was grateful and she could tell Remy needed the rest. He promptly fell asleep in the motel and left her to her thoughts.
She showered and went for a walk around the building, stretching her legs. He had insisted they stay outside city limits and there wasn't much around except for a pizza hut. She ordered a pizza and took it back to the room. It was a pay by the hour motel but Remy had just left a hundred and asked not to be bothered. She sat outside in the gravel lot eating dinner and stared up at the stars. They were just beginning to creep out.
The entire day, Remy had seemed just a little paranoid and she couldn't blame him. How many attempts on his life had been made? It worried her but she was glad he was sleeping. And she was glad she had time to herself. That was the thing about traveling like this, you were hardly ever alone.
They hit the road again the next day and hard. They were up at the crack of dawn, eating a quick breakfast at a Denny's in Atlanta before starting the day's trip. They drove for hours. Stopping only occasionally at rest stops and gas stations.
Remy grew nervous when he noticed a green sedan following them, it was an older model and just the right amount of ordinary to escape notice. It wasn't until they were almost in North Carolina that he noticed. He mentioned it to rogue and asked her to keep an eye out on it. She did and was concerned.
The Sedan followed them from Atlanta all the way to Charlotte where they stopped for gas and sandwiches. They didn't see the car stop but it was there again when they were out of the city.
"You know dis means dey been following us since we left New Orleans." He said over the wind as he drove.
It was a disturbing thought and she didn't like it. "Try pulling over." She said. "See if they pass us.
The car did indeed pass them but within an hour it was right along behind them again. Suspicions confirmed, she geared herself for a confrontation. "Hold tight, sugar. I'll take care of this." She let herself lift off the bike and into the air. She dropped along above the car and then lowered until she was at window level. She knocked on the passenger side window. "afternoon, boys." She said, smiling brightly. Form there she got a good look at the two men in the car. They were hired muscle. Think and stupid looking but she could see they were packing. She didn't like that. One of them reached in the back of the car for a sawed off and she clicked her tongue at them.
"How'd you boys like me to give your car a make over?" She flew up above them and was surprised when she had to narrowly avoid a shotgun blast, fired through the roof. She clicked her tongue again and grabbed the roof of the car by the whole and tore it open. "Gimmie that!" She grabbed the shot gun from the man who yelped.
"What the hell?!" He cried.
"Freakin' mutie!" The other man yelled as he swerved the car violently.
"Listen up, you're gonna get off at the next turn off and you ain't gonna come after us again. You hear? Cause if you do, I ain't gonna stop at just ripping up your car. I'll do a lot more damage to you."
She flew along side them until they reached a turn off. "I better not see you again." She said darkly.
She rejoined Remy who was laughing. It was good to hear him laugh again. "Oh Chere, I knew there was a reason I asked you to come along!" He chuckled, slowing down.
She touched down behind him in the seat and put her arms around him. "They won't be back."
"If they are, I leave them in your capable hands."
They crossed the line into Virginia and camped out the night on the side of the road. There was no more sign of the two men and the night passed without incident. In the morning Remy said they could make Philadelphia if they really pushed it. He estimated it would take close to seven hours if not more. He said they could stop in Maryland if they got too tired, it wouldn't be a problem. She said she thought they could make it.
They drove through the beauty that was Virginia and the intense greenery hills, stopping for lunch in Richmond before heading on again. They reached Baltimore soon after and it was there that they took a short break to eat again. Remy asked if she wanted to stop but she said no, she could go further. Finally they reached Philadelphia at sunset.
The town houses reared up on either side of them and the city scape dis away with the marvelous greens they'd seen before.
Remy checked them into a decent hotel and hid his bike in a parking garage before settling in. "Tomorrow I'll call mon pere." He said, stretching out on the bed.
Rogue walked to the window and looked out. The hotel wasn't as nice her her one in New Orleans had been but she didn't complain. "Get some rest. If he's found Johnston then we'll go see him tomorrow."
Remy nodded and put his arm behind his head. "Come lie with me." He said.
She frowned and was about to object when he promised to behave. "Just lie next to me. We've had a long trip. 'sides I'm to tired for anything else."
She did as he asked and lay in the crook of his arm, skin safely protected and in a blurry moment before she herself drifted to sleep she thought about the trip and wondered what in the world could have made Johnston want to kill Remy.
Thanks for reading, sorry it was just a road trip chapter the next one will be more exciting!