Author's Notes: Bad case of writer's block hit me for a few days and then voila! Thanks you guys for all the support, it really means the world ^_^...

Chapter Seven: Rise of the Storm


"Had the defendant properly adhered to the guidelines and by-laws of his signed contract, the burglary wouldn't have happened which relieves my client of all liability."

He liked watching her work. She always looked so serious, so sure, so…sensuous. Or maybe that was just to him, but then again he doubted it; a lot of men in the courtroom were glued to her, even when she wasn't saying a word. Her hair was pulled back in her characteristic bun, her tailored pants skimming her curves in just the right way. His eyes could never get enough of her in all her many flavors, but seeing her working always gave him a slight chuckle. How odd her life must be, even to her. She, an accomplished thief in her own right, represented those who did what she did. Most of them though, from what Remy could tell, had far less skill.

Ororo was aware he was watching and it gave her a slight blush whenever she would see him from the corner of her eye, his gaze riveted on her. He was dressed the most laidback, that day in faded jeans, a black t-shirt and his favorite boots, his characteristic smile playing across his lips. She thought it must've been weird to see her working, knowing what he knew about her, but one day a week without fail he'd be in a courtroom watching her do her thing. He winked lecherously at her before walking out. He'd be waiting for her by the elevator.

After shaking hands and sharing small talk for a bit with the judge and her opponent of the day, she started out the courtroom. Remy was preoccupied with a short, greasy man and it didn't seem to be a friendly conversation. She saw his hands twitch, a tell-tale sign of his anger and decided she'd better quell whatever was going on.

"I'm ready when you are, honey," she chirped, easily taking his hand in hers before turning to the little man.

She raised her eyebrow and smirked; it was just Reynolds. He'd attempted to bed her a few times in the past. Needless to say, he always failed and didn't take too kindly to the implication that Ororo was too good for him. Now seeing her with Remy just seemed to make his blood boil. She tugged at her lover's hand, sending light electric massages through his palm. She felt him take a deep breath and smile down at her.

"Alright cher, we can leave now. I've got no time for small business today anyway," he quipped, allowing himself to be pulled into the elevator.

"Nice seeing you again Officer Reynolds," Ororo called.

"Its detective!" they heard him bellow as the doors closed.

They shared a glance before breaking into laughter. Reynolds? A detective? The ruddy little conniver hadn't the sense the Goddess gave him, much less enough to detect anything. Sure, she knew his was a crooked agenda, but as a lawyer she knew her hierarchy had nothing to do with his. If she could eradicate all the dirty cops in the city, she'd be afraid there wouldn't be enough left to protect and serve. In any case, as far as she knew, Reynolds was small potatoes.

"How do you even know him, LeBeau?" she asked, undoing her hair on the ride down. She had, after all, lost the wager.

He smiled appreciatively, reaching over to caress one of her free tresses, "Oh, we're just ol' friends, me and Joe."

"Didn't seem too friendly to me," she answered, shaking loose her mass of waves.

He sighed, pulling her abruptly against him for a kiss. His lips descended on hers like warm honey and tasted just as sweet. One hand in her hair, the other on her backside, he was a man lost in his woman.

"Nothin' to worry your pretty head about amie," he whispered, lightly nipping her lips.

"Even so, you know I'm probably going to worry anyway," she answered, stepping a small distance away from him as the doors opened again.

He took her hand and led her through the lobby, his face proud and beaming. A blush crept up her cheeks; he was proud to be with her and call her his own. She hadn't recalled the last time a man had been genuinely proud to be with her. Her few exes always seemed to be faking it to her. Sure, they liked being with her, but it never infused them with energy. She was a prize to them and nothing more; something to show off to the boys.

Remy never treated her like that, she thought as they made their way for coffee. He'd taken his time with her and waited for the right time to introduce her to his brother, his best friend and his father, all of whom said he spoke incredibly high of her. His step-mother though was a bit tougher on her, with good reason she supposed. She'd been a mother to Remy where other women had failed, reigning in his rambunctious and sometimes troublesome energy and turning into something positive; she'd be damned if some girl just came in and wrecked her son. Ororo could admire that.

She noticed he seemed to be in his head lately, especially now after that run in with Reynolds. His jaw was set, his red eyes set straight as if he were looking beyond everything. She nudged him a bit, and with a few quick blinks, his eyes focused back on hers. She knew he saw how concerned she looked; she'd given up poker facing with him. He smiled wantonly and squeezed her hand, pulling her into their favorite after work coffee bar.

Ororo's back stiffened as she heard the hearty, familiar laugh. She groaned inwardly as her father caught her eye and smiled. She looked from Remy, who was scouting for a booth, and her father, who's eyes bore into her own.

"Hello my darling daughter. Nice to see you looking so…refreshed."

She hated the way he talked to her through her mind and how condescending he always sounded, but that never seemed to stop him. He'd just work around her formidable, damnable mental blocks and talk louder and louder. Over time she'd learned to repel his as well as her sisters' mental influence, making her a unique hybrid of learned mutant behavior and mutant genetics. But him being one of the strongest telepaths in the world, and maybe the oldest, he always found a way around and into her mind..."Hello to you too, father."

"Who's this young man? Another…friendly fling of yours I assume. Sweet, naive Ororo...Need we revisit the Forge incident?"

A pang of hurt and indignation rose in her chest as Remy tried to lead her to a booth. Forge was her first love; he'd meant a lot to her, in her younger days. They were going to be married and he chose to instead drop the bomb that he was only doing it to get in good with her father. Not that he didn't love her, or grow to love her of course, but his inital reason of being with her would've always left her questioning his motives. She'd been devastated; her father knew the entire time and said nothing. He let it go on past the point of hurting his beloved daughter. Ever since, their relationship was turmulous. Her anger was fueling her now so instead of being lead, she pulled Remy towards the non-imposing looking man in the wheelchair.

"Remy LeBeau, I'd like you to meet my father Charles Xavier. Father, this is Remy."

Remy smiled, eagerly shaking hands with the man unknowing of the argument going on between father and daughter.

"You haven't called in weeks Ororo…"

"I didn't wish to speak with you."

"Ashamed? You should be. This man isn't fit enough to wax your floors much less be your suitor."

"What have you ever known about what was good for me? You only seem concerned with what's good for yourself and your own image."

"I took you when the world was willing and ready to crush you underfoot! You should be…"

"I didn't ask you for a damn thing Charles! I was perfectly fine on the street where you found me, but you had to make a lady of me. You had to mold me into something I wasn't meant to be to fit your own version of a family."

"You're the most ungrateful child! All I did was rescue you from that life and this is the thanks I get for looking out for you?"

"I was perfectly capable of looking out for myself when you met me."

She smiled openly at her beau, but her eyes had stopped lying to him; he knew she was calling it in and that she wanted out. He just didn't quite know why. "Cher, why don't you go to the rest room and freshen up some?"

Something in his eyes let her know it was okay and she gave a grateful smile as she fled. Her mind was five steps ahead of her as she discarded her heels in the restroom and climbed through the tiny window without a second thought. Black film smudged her hands and the front of her suit but she was free and on her way to the apartment, but in her mind she was simply pacing around the restroom; it would take her father awhile to figure out her thoughts were decoys contradicting her actual actions. Telepathic sisters came in handy for those kinds of things.

The sky darkened as her anger bubbled just below the surface, lightening crackling overhead. Tonight would be a storm like no other in this city.