A/N: My apologies for the delay. I actually had this done at 2:05 am on Sunday, but for some reason, the site wouldn't let me upload it at that time. I kept getting error messages. Just so you know that I wasn't purposely delaying submitting this :). Thanks for your patience and your reviews, as they do mean a lot to me. :3
Chellerbelle: I figured it was about time things began to progress between them and get the story moving. Of course Kitty has to tease her! That's what best friends are there for. ;)
roguey21: I am always giving mine the evil eye. It acts up at least once a day. XD Glad you think my little change of pace is working! :)
courtneykutie: I am so happy you thought so! :D Yes, Rogue and her 'excuses'....lol!
Saturday morning finds Rogue stretching lazily in her luxurious bed. She sighs happily as she burrows her head into the down pillow. Her bed back home wasn't this nice. Mystique was frugal with most of Rogue's needs, except the clothes. "Best to keep up appearances." Rogue thinks bitterly to herself. The only reason she had her guitars was because she'd always saved her small allowance over the years. It really stuck in Mystique's craw that she spent her savings on those. She smiles to herself with the memory of Mystique's face when she came in, first with the Martin, then the Gibson a little later.
Just as she is getting back to sleep, a figure creeps into her room. He steals up to the covered girl, sticks a finger in his mouth and inserts it into her ear.
Rogue jumps up, startled and slightly disgusted. She narrows her eyes at the perpetrator, who chuckles wickedly, clearly enjoying her reaction as he fights off the slight buzz from the seconds of contact. She throws the covers back and growls "Swampy, ya betta run, 'cuz I'm gonna kill ya!" She leaps out of the bed and tackles him to the ground before he can move. Not that he really wants to, mind you, but back to the story.
"I like dis position, cherie." He smirks. "Was wort' it t' give y' de wet willy."
She gives him an evil grin and attacks him by tickling him (Covered places only, no touchy here!). "See what happens when ya give me a wet willy?" She finds one particular spot and concentrates on it for a moment, making him howl with laughter.
"I see y' foun' is wors' ticklish spot." Mercy chortles from the doorway. "S' w'at'd 'e do now?" She casts an amused glance his way.
"He gave me a wet willy. He mus' pay!" Rogue asserts while moving off him as gracefully as possible.
"Ewww, Remy! Are y' 20 o' 12?" Mercy declares while looking at him with a sick expression.
"Rogue, by all means y' can drown 'im in de bayou if y' wan'." She offers magnanimously.
"That's a good idea for tha future." Rogue muses with a small smile as she grabs clean clothes for the day. "Ya gonna leave, so I can get dressed?" Rogue looks pointedly at Remy.
"Can' I watch?" He passes her a suggestive glance. "I can even 'elp y'." He whispers as he walks by her.
"No thanks. I can handle dressin' maself." Rogue looks at him with a wry grin. "Out!" She points to the door.
As he leaves, she closes the door behind her to prepare for the day, after her rude awakening. She meets them downstairs and savors the scent of freshly made cinnamon rolls.
"Sit an' 'ave some breakfas', petit." Tante invites smilingly. "Did y' sleep bon?"
"I did till a short time ago." Rogue proceeds to tell her the story as she pours herself some coffee.
"S' dat's w'at all dat noise was. Remy! Dat's no way t' treat a femme." Tante scolds. "I honestly don' know w'at gets int' dat 'ead o' y'rs sometimes, boy!"
"It was all in fun, Tante. Roguey's s' fun t' pick on." He grins mischievously at the girl, who sticks her tongue out at him.
"Jus' remember what they say 'bout paybacks, Swampy." Rogue retorts playfully.
"Petits, dat's enoug'!" Tante cuts in. "It's time t' eat. Y' deux can argue dis out lat'r."
The two subjects pass each other naughty glances as they eat.
After breakfast, Rogue is again on the couch flipping through channels with a bored air. "What is it 'bout there bein' nothin' on TV on Saturdays." She complains to herself.
"Not ev'n a good NFL game t' watch." Remy mutters as he flops down next to her.
"Ya like football?" Rogue asks idly as she casts a quick glance in his direction.
"Oui. I like de Saints. 'Ow 'bout y'?"
"Same here. It actually looks like we have somethin' in common." Rogue jests.
"Y' know, I t'ink y'r righ'." Remy teases in return. "W'at we goin' t' do 'bout dis momentous occasion, cherie?"
"I think it calls for somethin' special." She plays along, beginning to enjoy herself.
"Oui, I agree. "Ow 'bout I take y' out an' show y' de town?"
"I've already been shoppin' with Mercy."
"True, but 'm pretty sure y' didn' see all de sights wit' 'er. Prob'ly jus' de inside o' a lot o' stores. Lemme guess, y' wen' t' de Galleria." Remy speculates. He knows Mercy's taste lies mainly in department stores.
"Ya right about that. I guess when I think about it, we really didn' go anywhere but there." Rogue concludes agreeably.
"S' 'ow 'bout it? Wan' t' go out on de town wit' me?" He smiles and holds his hand out to her.
"Will ya be on ya bes' behavior?" She gives him a wary look.
"Ain' I always?" She looks at him with a brow raised questioningly. He chuckles slightly. "D'accord. I will be not'in' less dan a gen'leman." He assures her.
"Well......I guess so, seein' as there's nothin' else ta do, anyway." Rogue answers wittily.
"An' on dat 'encouragin'' note..." Remy states with slight sarcasm as they leave. Rogue laughs and he eventually joins in.
Remy remains true to his word as they walk along the streets, him pointing out various sights and filling in with facts, whenever he can. He takes her to an outdoor cafe where they order lunch and idly watch as people pass by.
"Ya eva wonda about people?" At Remy's curious look, she explains further. "Like what they do for a livin', what kinda house do they live in...that kinda stuff?"
"W'en I'm out 'ere like dis, I sometimes do. W'en 'm on a job, den I already 'ave a lot o' dat info in 'ere." He taps his temple.
"Why? What is it ya do?" Rogue asks, intrigued.
"'M a t'ief, cherie." Remy answers simply.
"That's right! Tante tol' me about that. Said ya stole a lotta government plans in tha makin' an' info from corrupt politicians, businessmen an' tha like." Rogue replies in a hushed voice.
"Dat's righ'. Give de fille a gol' star f'r listenin'." Remy teases. "Jus' our way o' makin' sure dat de rights o' all aren' compr'mised by de prejudice o' a few."
"So ya don' pick pockets anymore?" Rogue jokes.
"Non. It eventually got t' w'ere it wasn' a challenge anymo'." Remy smirks in amusement and they both laugh. There is a comfortable silence as they relish their lunch.
With their lunch finished, Remy gazes at her inquisitively.
"Y' go t' church wit' Tante, righ'?"
"Yeah. That's where we met. Somethin' on ya min', Remy?" Rogue gives him a concerned look.
"S' y' b'lieve de same way she does, non?" Remy inquires.
"Yeah, I do." Rogue answers with a smile.
"Why?" Remy asks with a suspicious countenance.
"Because He's always been there for me, despite whateva I'm facin'. So far, he's been tha only 'constant' in my life. Eva since I invited Him inta my heart an' my life, I neva feel as alone as I did before."
"Hmm....nev'r t'oug't o' it in dat way, befo'. I know Tante's always tellin' me dat I need t' make m' decision f'r 'Im, dat one day it'd be t' late, but I've nev'r felt ready."
"Lemme ask ya this. What would it take for ya ta 'feel ready'?"
He ponders that question for several minutes. "Maybe w'en I feel like 'm good enoug' f'r 'Im." He states seriously.
"Remy, that's tha thing." Rogue begins to explain until their conversation is brought to an abrupt halt.
"Bonjour, Remy. Who's y'r petit putain du jour?" Belladonna inquires with a haughty grin.
"Belle, if y' don' min', dis is a private conversation. B'sides, y' 'ave no righ' t' be talkin' t' 'er in such a manner. Shows ill breedin'." Remy retorts, annoyed with her interruption.
"I can speak t' 'er in any way I wish, considerin' dat y'r t' be m' 'usban'. Nice trick, by de way, gettin' y'r
pere t' pos'pone our nuptials til' nex' year." Belle smirks disdainfully.
"Non, dat's w'ere y' misund'rstan'. I 'ad nothin' t' do wit' dat coup de grace. If I did, it would be pos'poned indef'nitely." Remy shoots back.
"Cute, chere. S' is she y'r lates' one nigh' stan'?" Belle sneers at Rogue, who glares back. Then an impish expression overtakes her features. "Oh no, it's much more than that....Belle, is it?" At her curt nod, Rogue continues. "Ya see, I'm his girlfriend." She explains, sending a slight wink Remy's way.
"What? Dat can' be true!" Belle replies, her voice betraying cold fury.
"Can an' is." Rogue substantiates. "Right, sugah?" She asks Remy sweetly, who rapidly recovers from the shock of her bombshell. "Dat's righ'." He confirms by placing an arm around her shoulders.
"Lis'en 'ere y' putain! Remy's mine. Dis time nex' year, 'm marryin' 'im no matt'r w'at! Y' o' no one else will stop dis." She punctuates this by shoving Rogue hard against the table she and Remy were sitting at. She quickly springs up and grabs Belle's arm, painfully twisting it behind her back. The woman howls in pain as Rogue hisses in her ear. "Now ya listen an' ya listen good! Remy wants me, not ya. Ya betta leave us alone, or tha nex' time we meet, dis arm will be broken by ya's truly!" Rogue emphasizes her threat by twisting it a bit more, then letting go.
"If ya live that long." Belle responds with her own threat while rubbing her sore arm.
"'Ey! Don' y' be t'reatenin' m' femme." Remy growls menacingly.
"Y'll get tired o' 'er an' t'row 'er t' de street as y' do all de ot'ers." Belle predicts. "Y' see, chere, Remy 'ere doesn' stay int'rested in a femme f'r too long. Aft'r 'e takes w'at 'e wan's, 'e moves on t' de nex' femme." She coldly responds.
"Maybe cuz' he hasn' met tha right one, yet. Ya see, I'm here for tha long-run, honey. I'm not goin' anywhere!" Rogue counters self-assuredly. "Besides, if he's such a womanizer, as ya say he is, then why do ya wan' him so badly?" Rogue questions shrewdly.
"Why'd'ya t'ink, stupide fille? Y'r 'boyfrien' 'ere is de nex' patriarch t' de T'ieves Guild. I plan on bein' married t' dis one w'en it 'appens. Dis will unite de deux guilds, makin' me Matriarch. Den t'ings will def'nitely change." Belle laughs evilly.
"Sometimes tha bes' laid plans come ta ruin." Rogue answers astutely.
"Not dis one. Y' might've won dis roun', but I inten' t' win overall! Remy LeBeau will be mine. Mark m' words." Belle chuckles connivingly as she saunters off.
"W'at was dat?" Remy asks, bewildered.
"Well, now that we know what tha swamp hag wants..." Rogue reasons humorously.
"Why did y' do dat? Y' know y' jus' made mo' trouble f'r y'self." Remy has no idea why she stuck her neck out for him like that.
"I have my reasons." Rogue answers ambiguously with a small grin.
"Like..." Remy presses.
"One, it's rude ta interrupt two people in conversation. Two, she called me a slut. Nobody calls me that, considerin' I've neva been with a man." She blushes at the realization of what she just let slip. Remy chooses to ignore it, for the time being and lets her continue. "Three, she wants ta use my friend as a pawn in her evil plot for personal gain. Ya think I'm gonna stan' by an' let her?" Rogue asks incredulously.
"Four, y' really do wan' me all t' y'rself. Admit it, cherie, y' fin' me irresistible." He looks at her with that adorable smirk.
"...An' tha momen' is ruined." Rogue states ruefully. "C'mon, Remy. I think we need ta get home."
"See. Now y' can' wait t' get me 'ome." He points out as she laughs all the way to the car.
Their important conversation will continue in another chapter.