Sorry guys, I deleted the previous chapters after I posted them but they didn't, er, delete. I'm sorry, and Remy should punish me. laughs evilly Anyway, sorry it's been a couple of days, I couldn't tear myself away from myspace. Please forgive me. Thanks so much for the reviews, you guys rock.

Marvel's characters, not mine.

Chapter 4

Marius' new wife arrived in New Orleans with her daughter and mother in tow nearly two weeks later; and the three charming females promptly turned Guild life upside-down. Emille decided that as the LeBeaus would soon be family, they should come over for Sunday dinner. While the rest of the Assassins guild protested and screamed bloody murder, Marius was so enamored with his charming wife, he ignored them all and opened his home to his former, lifelong enemies. Jean Luc LeBeau was suspicious and a little amused but agreed and so his family would be over for Sunday dinner. The only other members of the Assassins Guild that would be living in Marius' large house would be Bella Donna and her older brother Julien, so the animosity would be limited to a much smaller group.

Much to Raven's annoyance, Marius and Jean Luc had both insisted that Tante Mattie, a close friend and confidant to them both, also be at the dinner. She was family to them all but Mystique didn't like the sound of this woman. She sounded wise, was all the explanation Rogue got; wise people could be dangerous. With reservations about this Tante Mattie, Raven kept her sights on her ultimate goal: her daughter's seduction of a very powerful mutant. Nothing would be allowed to ruin her plans; not Bella Donna's venomous and petulant stares, not her new stepson's odd demeanor, nor ridiculous and ancient rivalries. So on the afternoon of the event, Emille ignored Bella Donna's bedroom door slamming, her new husband's coddling and had Julien show his new stepsister around her new hometown. Julien gave Mystique an odd feeling, he was a predator but he lacked finesse and she decided that he was no real threat. If he got fresh, Rogue's power would stop him and he wouldn't remember how he came to be unconscious later. He would not prove to be any real harm.

Remy loved walking through the bayous; most of the land was still untouched and he could be completely alone with his thoughts. He had a lot to think about lately. His upcoming wedding, the fact that he was uniting two guilds that had been feuding for generations, and the fact that this burden was getting a little heavy for his young shoulders. He was only eighteen, he was supposed to have his whole life ahead of him to live the way he wanted but when he looked into his future, all he saw was a life placating both guilds. He knew that he loved Bella Donna but he was startled to realize that he really wasn't ready to spend the rest of his life with her. It felt as though his life were ending instead of beginning. He sighed as he sat down beside the riverbank to watch the Mississippi rush away from him and wished desperately that he could ride its current far away from everything in that city.

"Julien," Remy heard an unfamiliar voice with the sweetest southern lilt come from within a cluster of nearby trees. "Ah really think we should head back now."

"I still have so much ta show ya, Anna," Julien's voice came from the same direction.

"Ah think Ah've seen enough for today," Remy knew from the girl's voice that she was not from Naw'leans but from across the river. A south-western river rat. "Ah want ta go back now."

"We'll head back soon," Julien's voice took on a gruffer edge. "Just as soon as we through here."

"Through with what?" the girl sounded angry yet a little afraid.

"Through gettin' ta know each o'ter better."

"Julien, let me go." Remy sighed and was on his feet, heading toward the voices. He knew the only way his future brother-in-law ever got laid was through deceit and he wasn't going to put rape past the man. "Julien, Ah said let go of me!"

"Aw, c'mon, Anna," Julien pulled her roughly into his arms as she struggled to get away.

"Let go of me NOW!" Rogue was starting to panic but tried to keep calm and remember the self defense training Mystique had drummed into her. "Ah'm warning ya, if ya don't let me go right this minute, ya'll be sorry."

"Is dat so?" Julien chuckled and grabbed her bottom, pulling her up against him, so she could feel how hard he was.

Thoroughly disgusted by the young man, Rogue thrust out her free left hand upwards to his nose and heard the sickening, yet pleasant sound of it breaking. Julien roared in pain and released Rogue to grasp his face, allowing her a chance to flee. She did not get far, however, she ran headlong into the most gorgeous man she had ever seen. For a moment, she could only stare at him; his shaggy, auburn hair that she wanted to run her fingers through, the chiseled features of a Greek god, the incredibly, toned and muscular body and those eyes. . . It had to be him. He had to be a mutant. Those red on black eyes could never belong to anyone other than a mutant. She felt herself sink deeper into his eyes, pleasantly drowning in their depths. And then he smiled; making her knees turn to jelly so she could barely stand and she hoped he thought it was because of the ordeal she had just been through.

"Bonjour, petite," Remy couldn't help but stare at her. She had the greenest eyes he had ever seen; they were more like a pair of dazzling emeralds set in the most beautiful face he had ever seen. He had known a lot of women in his young life but he had never seen anything that could match the beauty of the girl he was now holding. "I t'ought I had happened upon a damsel in distress but you seem ta be doin' jus' fine."

"Who-?" Rogue knew the answer but all she could think was that his voice was like whiskey and molasses. She had nearly forgotten how to speak.

"Je suis Remy LeBeau," Mon Dieu, even that skunk stripe down the middle of her silky auburn curls was beautiful. It was all he could do to keep from burying his face in her hair. "An' you ain' from aroun' here. Ot'erwise you woulda known betta than ta go off alone wit' dis faux-cul pejoratif." 1

"Ah. . . that is, Ah mean," Rogue stammered as she tried to get her bearings.

"You get away from my stepsister, you two-bit t'ief!" Julien started toward them, blood running down from his nose.

"First of all, Julien," Remy's face hardened as he looked over at the other man. "Dat wasn' no brotherly concern ya were feelin' toward de lovely young lady a minute ago and second," Remy looked back at Rogue and offered her a sexy grin. "I'm at least a ten-bit t'ief."

"You ain' not'in but fumier, LeBeau!" Julien raged. "Mutant trash dat don' deserve ta be 'round decent people."

"Ah seriously hope," Rogue turned angry, emerald daggers on Julien. "That you aren't includin' yourself in that statement about decent people! Because from what Ah've seen, ya'll ain't even fit ta lick his boots, ya simple-minded bigot!"

"You don' know what yer sayin', Anna," Julien spoke slowly as though she were an idiot. "He done charmed ya ta his side. He's a mutant!"

"So am Ah!" the moment the words were out of her mouth, she regretted it. They had not planned to let Remy know about her until after he started to trust her but there was no turning back now. "Ah'm a mutant, Julien. Ya still want ta get ta know me better?"

Julien was stunned. He was speechless for a moment and then tried to form words but no sound came out. After a moment, he began to sputter out half finished outrages and threats before he came to the terrible and menacing: "My father will hear of dis!"

Remy looked at the girl who stood before him, she could only be around seventeen, the top of her head barely came up to his chin and she not only saved herself from a vile attack, but she turned on her attacker a second time to defend him. Not to mention, outing herself as a mutant. He looked over her again and noticed something else; she was almost completely covered from head to toe. She wore long jeans that hugged her curves, not shorts like most did in the hot, muggy, New Orleans weather and boots, and while she wore a black tank top, it was covered by a sheer black top with long sleeves. Her hands were even covered by gloves. The fact that she was covered up had to have something to do with her powers. He didn't have time to ponder further on this as she turned to face him again and he was lost in those emerald orbs.