Disclaimer: The author is sick and doesn't feel like writing that she doesn't own the X-Men. But she enjoys not being sued more.

Written place shortly after "Growing Pains."

Dear Remy,

"Teletubbie fetish." LOL. That's just low, Remy. I suppose that's what I get for conversing with a construction worker who left off his hardhat and got clonked on the head with a metal beam which jarred loose the part of his brain connected to poker and cheesy innuendos, making him unable to stop doing either of them. :-)

Well, it's September, the beginning of a new school year and all that la la stuff. Oh the hustle, the bustle, the back-to-school-shopping, the smell of freshly sharpened pencils… I really hope you can sense my enthusiasm.

You ever see "Good Will Hunting?" Remember that scene when Matt Damon is confronting the annoying preppy guy in the bar and he tells him that he's wasting all his time and money on an education that he could have gotten with a library card? Yeah, that's how I feel about school. No, I'm not claiming to be anything near Will Hunting's genuis or anything like that, it's just that I know that there are some things in life that you actually need to be taught and most of the stuff in school you could pick up yourself if you decided to study it out on your own. And they're constantly throwing pointless busy work at you--attempting to regulate every facet of your life, get you to conform to their expectations, their grading policies, whatever… I just don't see the frickin' point.

And since I'm such a people person, you can imagine my delight when a whole troop of "new recruits" showed up at our doorstep for the new year! They were at the dorms for less than two minutes before a bunch of them started a game of tag that nearly trashed the place. Have I mentioned how much I hate being the responsible one? But with all these goofballs around, it looks like I'll be forced in that position just to maintain my sanity. Or…I could settle for terrorizing them into not acting stupid around me…yeah…that could work…

Ah, but there is a bright side in all this scholastically-induced darkness. I think I made a friend today. Or at least, a potential friend. One that doesn't live with me. One that might actually be able to relate to me.

Not that the kids in the place where I'm staying aren't great. It's just that they're pink to my scarlet, bubble gum to my hard core, they are all so…so…I can't really describe it. I don't want to knock them. But I always feel like they want to change me. They can't understand that I don't want to be just like them. And even if I had everything that they had, I still wouldn't want to be just like them. There are more colors in this world than black and white, and I want to paint with all of them.

Woah, look at me getting all philosophical. Well, while I'm on this kick, I may as well get serious for a minute. Remy, if you need to leave home--do it. It's worked out all right for me so far. I'm not sure why you need a contract to get out in order to stay in relationship with your family. You don't have to tell me. But I do know that no one should force you to do something that you feel is wrong. Not your dad, not your boss, not anybody. There's always the choice to walk away, there's always the choice to fight. And I don't know…'cause I've never had this…but I think…that is, I choose to believe that if somebody loves you, really loves you, it doesn't matter if you won't do what they want you to do. They'll love you anyway because they love you. If not…well, you can't lose what you never had.

So if you're asking for my advice, which you're not, but I'm giving it to you anyway--just get out of there. You don't need to tie yourself down to something else that you don't feel comfortable with in order to escape something you don't want to do.

But if…for some reason you think you do…well, it's not like I know all the information anyway. Do what you need to do. Just be careful, all right?

On a lighter and more exasperating note: one of the boys that I used to hang out before moving here has a huge crush on Kitty. I honestly think that he sees the room light up in roses and pretty birdies magically appear and fly around her singing melodious hymns of praise to her whenever the girl walks into the room.

But he has no idea how to handle it. He's worse than the frickin' proverbial numbskull who dips the girl's pigtails in ink and kicks the underside of her chair all through class just so she'll look at him. He and his friends just acted like the biggest frickin' idiots I have ever seen, and I'm convinced that it was all a ploy to get Kit's attention.

I've got half a mind to walk up to him and explain how that's simply not how it's done. But Kitty asked me not too--I think she's working through the fact that she likes him too. But he's such a total 'thinks-he's-bad' nitwit that she's trying not to admit it to herself. Actually, he's not that bad a guy. He just hasn't had that many chances to be anything other than what he is. Don't get me wrong, I'm still pissed that he acted like a clueless punk, and I know that he doesn't have any real excuse for acting the way that he did. But I also know that things are always more complicated than they seem.

Sometimes you "prefer naughty," huh? Oh dear Lord. If those are your pickup lines, I don't know how you get the girls. Let me guess--they're weak from hysterical laughter?

And I'm not playing strip poker with you. Wouldn't want to spoil you for anyone else, sugar. ;)

Later,

Anna

XxXxXxXxX

Dear Anna,

I notice that you didn't mention Thursday's game. Too embarrassed to admit that I cleaned your clock, chere? Wouldn't have thought it of you. Aww, don't be mad, petite, Ain't my fault that you're some preppy teenage fad-follower who only got into online poker because of watching Celebrity Poker Showdown. :)

An' my innuendo is not cheesy. :-P

Sorry to hear that your home has been invaded with rugrats. But I am more than confident in your ability to handle the petites. So you plan on terrorizing them in order maintain your sanity? "Don't mess with Anna," eh? If you must, you must, mais you win more flies with honey than with vinegar, chere, and you never know when you might need some extra flies, non?

So, what's this friend's name? I can relate with the need to hang out with someone outside your immediate and necessary group. But that means you have to be all the more careful, chere. Needs can make you desperate, make you overlook things. You keep dodging my question--how's your practicing coming?

And I appreciate your advice, chere, but it's more complicated than that. I'm doing one more job for mon pere, and if at the end of this I can't convince him to be reasonable, then I'm getting out any way I can. At this point, I won't care too much if I have to leave him--I owe him everything, but I always thought that he had given it to me freely. Apparently, that's not the case. So like I said, if it was just a matter of leaving him then it wouldn't be a problem. But it would mean leaving mon frère, mes cousins, ma tante... ma demeure… I'm not willing to give that up.

The results of this last job will determine whether or not I contract myself out. And the reason why I have to contract myself out is--well, I'm involved in the family business, chere. It's what I do, it's who I am, but my family is very exclusive--selective--about what jobs we can take and when. This one that I'm being offered is very profitable, and requires my more unique skills, so it would be enough of a stall for me to get out and for them to be able to accept that I'd be gone indefinitely. Mais, it ain't great, but it's better than nothing. It'd buy me some more time to figure a way out of this crazy situation anyway.

So you've got sympathy for the 'bad boys,' chere? You were hanging out with him once, and now you're hoping he gets to be with your friend? Well, it figures. You are a Harley girl after all. Scotty-boy look up past his engine at you yet?

Why Anna! Were you actually flirting back with me? You naughty little fille you. I had to sweep my jaw up from the table. So I'd be spoiled, huh? (grins) That a challenge, chere? Now you know I'm never gonna leave that strip poker idea alone. And most of the time, I don't even need to say anything. I've told you before, chere, I'm just that good. ;)

See you at the table Tuesday, mais if you ain't too chicken after that last game.

Remy

Translation: My brother, my cousins, my aunt…my home

AN: I am feeling crappy, and so this chapter may reflect that. Oh well, it's up now. In that episode, The New Recruits came and Lance flirted with Kitty and Jean passed Scott over for Duncan and Rogue glowered and met Risty (grr) and Lance practically brought the scoreboard down on Kelly's head (too bad he missed) and Kitty got miffed and Lance got huffy and then he decided to reveal to the whole world that he and the X-men were mutants, so Prof X had to erase practically all of Bayville's minds. So, I don't have much else to say here, except to ask you to please let me know what you thought. (Heh, and if you enjoyed 'Don't mess with Anna' and her little flirtation as much as I did.)

Review Responses: Thanks to everyone who reviewed!

MidniteAngelGoth: Hey, thanks for your kind complement! I'm really glad that you're enjoying it. No, they have no idea that the other is a mutant, and if they suspect that the other's life is anything other than normal, they're not paying any attention to it.
simba317: Yowsa, what a great review! 'K, well first of all, Rogue definitely prefers the bike to the car, but she's crushing on Scott and she's never seen Remy so of course she's going to defend the car. Besides, it's a nice enough car, I suppose… You're right about Remy always being the normalcy in her life. Glad you enjoyed her rant. You're right about Remy's response being about his dad. My theory for Remy playing online poker is that the people back home were getting tired of losing, so he couldn't get anyone to play with him, so he took playing online. And then he met Anna... I agree with you about Scott--esp his stupid Alvers-is-lowlife-scum-and-can-never-change thing. That will tick Rogue off when it happens. As for their meeting…yeah…that's gonna be interesting…
I was really going to try to get SWD up today for you, but I'm in such a crummy mood that I was afraid I'd cause a meteor to come crashing down onto the roof of the Starbucks, or something equally horrific, so I wrote this instead. I'm not as attached to it so if I wreck it with this chapter, it's not as bad. Thanks for the great review!
Dannonspring: This chapter was a lil' longer, but I'm not making any promises. :0)
addtothenoise: I did want to, but it was just harder than normal. Hope you enjoyed it anyway! Thanks for reviewing!
Rogue238: LOL, your review made me grin. Yeah, it's gonna be very…interesting…when they realize who they've been talking to this whole time. Why oh why did the Evo writers make us wait so long for them to meet? Oh well, soon Remy will be with John and Piotr, and that will make his letters less angst and more fun!
Eileen: Apologies for breaking the routine! It had nothing to do with your review, I swear. I'm just not feeling that well. Heh, glad you enjoyed those quotes. I love quotable movies. (I met this kid a few months ago who had the entire Princess Bride memorized--she even did the voices and the sound effects. I was in awe.) Yeah, those numbers are good--and Scott had so much fun telling them to her. Aww-ish and whatnot. I went to school in upstate NY. There's lots of snow. Well, she sort of encouraged him to take the job--but she has no idea what she's doing, so I forgive her. Man, is she gonna kick herself later. I can just see it now: "Always say 'no' to the evil psychotic maniac! It's like one of the cardinal rules of life if you don't want your spit to fly back in your face!" Is your time with Remy why I haven't seen an update from you? Sniff, sob. Sniff. "Inconceivable," huh? Well, after writing this I feel even more comfortable in saying, "I don't think that word means what you think it means." But I hope it's not too bad and you enjoy it anyway!
Cat--LOL, no way, you watched them both yesterday? How cool is that! What a fun movie day. I will do my utmost to keep him from marrying Bella. Actually, I just thought of a way that I could kill her off in this fic, but I'm not sure if it's better or worse if she dies now, so…yeah…
Bored247: Yeah, the job is with the Acolytes. I agree, it is ridiculous. Must be the helmet. Hope you enjoyed this bit.
Realtfarraige --LOL, you know, I'm not sure if Jean walked by twice because she was being ignored. That would be highly amusing, though. WOOT! The 10th Kingdom! I LOVE the 10th Kingdom. (Book stunk, though.) Hope you enjoyed watching it. Lol, the 'scenery was a bit metallic.' That's great. Hmm, you're right about his response being interesting in the light of his perspective employer…I don't recall thinking about that when I wrote it… I completely agree with your whole 2nd to last paragraph. Well, what say you about this one? Hope it's not too bad.
Veronica Small: I'm glad you're enjoying this story. You are correct in your feeling--and no, I didn't say that in the AN, so you're all good. ;) Hope that you continue to enjoy! Thanks for reviewing, and please keep letting me know what you think!
Wild: I certainly WAS happy. It's great just having you as a read/reviewer, but now I feel all special from a long review:0) Hmm, yes, well those words might come into the conversation. (Grin) Yes, their dealing with who they told all this too is going to be…well…fun--for us, that is. Heh heh. Wow, no internet connection stinks, but I hope that you have an AWESOME time there! Enjoy yourself! (And this update came within 3 days, aren't you proud?)
Ish--lol, I'm glad you got to watch the movie. I think I missed it, but that show was so clever, I'm sure the movie rocked. Thanks for the stars! Sigh, those are great movies, aren't they? Lol, I'm glad you enjoyed Rogue's round-a-bout mutant activity recounting. I'm doing the best I can with that, it's fun but hard to write--'cause she doesn't want to give it away, but I want the readers to see what's happening, so our interests conflict. (Yeah, maybe it's not healthy to refer to a character as a sentient being…oh well…) Glad you liked the rant. Yeah, Remy working for Mags is gonna put a serious irony tint in the relationship. Oh well, at least he's not working for Mystique. I have a feeling that once they find out who the other is, being candid isn't exactly gonna be the first thing on their minds…lol, oh well. You have a very good feeling there…not at first is right--should be fun to see how long their stubbornness will outlast their attraction (Opps! Giving plot away (please, it's a Romy, like that's too big of a hint)! Must stop now!) Anyways, hope you enjoyed! Heh, what did you think of Anna's fear of spoiling him?
AngelicFairy: Heh, heh, the 'fated meeting.' Yes, that should be fun. Glad you're enjoying it, hope you continue to do so.
sheisbeautiful-sheisnotme: Yeah, I'm looking forward to the meeting too. Glad you're enjoying it! Hope this chapt's OK.