Chapter 11

Some say the sensation of doing something that has already been done before is somewhat exhilarating. The strange familiarity tickling at the back of the mind, raised hairs on the back of the neck, and goosebumps trailing across the arms all serve as some sort of recognition, perhaps a warning.

Perhaps it acts as a precursor to history repeating itself, an internal alarm system that warns of possible danger ahead and demands that the impending situation be handled with the utmost caution. After all, not all things in history turned out so great.

Of course, that is why history is taught. So the mistakes of the past may not be made in the future.

At least, one would hope.

For the life of him, Remy Lebeau could not understand why he was putting himself in one of those weird déjà vu-history-repeating-itself kind of situations.

He was a smart man who prided himself on having a healthy combination of book smarts and common sense.

At this moment, he wondered where both were when he made the decision to try a movie-dinner date with Belle again.

Once again, they were sitting in Stormy's, trying to make idle talk while they waited for their food to come out.

To his credit, he had learned enough to pick the movie himself and change it around so they saw the movie first and then went to eat. That way, they would have something to discuss at dinner. He had chosen to see Pirates of the Caribbean. Both Rogue and Scott had seen it when he was tied up with family stuff and had raved about how good it was. At first, he was a bit irked that they had gone to see it without him, but since Scott was leaving the next day and movies always came out later where they lived in France, he let it slide. Rogue had promised to see it again with him anyway.

He and Rogue would be leaving in a couple of weeks to head up to New York so Remy had figured that it would be nice to try to squeeze in one more date with Belle before he left. After all, it would be about two months before they could even see each other again. The results of their last get-together had turned out positive so he used that to fuel his confidence to go ahead with a more formal date.

So why were they having such a hard time keeping up a conversation?

'Dis is ridiculous. I'm actin' like I ain' never been on a date before. Y' got de charm, Lebeau. Use it. He cleared his throat and addressed his date. "Glad I was able t' see y' tonight. All dat actin' is keepin' y busy.'

Belle's wandering attention settled back onto Remy. "Yeah it is. I love it, though. All o' my work is only gonna help me when I go t' de Academy."

"Y' excited?"

"Definitely! Can' wait to work wit' people on such a high level. I love my troupe down here but some o' dem just aren' as good mentors, y'know?"

Remy nodded. "Yeah, I know. De Academy is one of de best. I wouldn' be surprised if y' became deir number one actress."

"I hope so. Dat would be so great," Belle agreed. "So, y' an' Rogue are leavin' soon, huh?"

"Yup. Two weeks from today. I'm gonna miss seein' y' when we leave," he told her with a wink.

"Well, o'course y' will! Who wouldn't miss seein' me?" she said with a smile to implicate that she was teasing.

"Only a fool," he answered with a tantalizing smile, hoping it would have some affect on her. He brought her hand up to his lips for a quick kiss.

Belle blushed slightly at the contact. "Can' agree wit' y' more." She returned his smile for a moment before her face donned a look of slight distaste. "Don' see how y' could drive all dat way, though. Dat's way too much time in de car f'r me."

"No way," Remy disagreed. "It's gonna be great. Dere's so much t'see on de way up dere. We get to go t'rough at least five states so dat's a lot of sight-seein'. Besides, it's only a twenty-hour drive. We could get dere in a day if we wanted."

"Ugh, no t'anks. I would rather fly."

"Dere's no culture in flyin," he protested.

"Dere may not be any culture but dey got first class an' a personal TV monitor. Why drive y'self when y' can sit comfortably wit' people caterin' to y'? And de only t'ing y' have to pay attention t' is de inflight movie."

Remy's returning retort was cut off when a new voice entered the conversation.

"Hey, Belle! How ya doing?"

Remy looked up at the intruder to see and man, about Belle's age. With his sandy blonde hair, deep blue eyes, and well-built physique, he looked somewhat like a Ken doll. Only his friendly, somewhat goofy, smile indicated that he was probably a fairly likeable person. Taking a quick glance at the visitor's attire, Remy concluded that the man seemed a bit underdressed in his blue jeans and white polo.

"Hello, Robert. Fancy meetin' y' here." Belle's tone of voice contained a hint of irritation.

"What? No hug for everyone's favorite Bobster?"

"Mebbe another time," she replied, her eyes darting to Remy across the table.

Bobby noticed this and realized that Belle had a dining companion not familiar to him. "Oh, man! I'm sorry. I totally thought that you were someone else! How rude of me. My name is Robert Drake, but my friends call me Bobby," he said, extending his hand for a shake.

Remy received the handshake, his mind noting the name of person in front of him. "Remy Lebeau. Pleasure to meet y'."

"Yeah, right back at ya. Sorry to disturb you guys. I'll let you go. Nice meeting you again, Remy. Belle, great seeing you, as always. Say hi to the lovely Miss Rogue for me will ya?" The words tumbled out of Bobby's mouth as he walked away from their table.

"Will do, Robert," Belle replied before turning her attention back to her date. "I'm sorry 'bout dat. His maturity level leaves a lot t'be desired."

"Don' be sorry. It's nice t'meet y'r friends."

"We're not friends," Belle corrected him.

Her comment confused him. He could have sworn this was the guy that she had dated at the beginning of high school but had decided that they were better off as friends. "I t'ought dat y' guys were friends after y' broke up?"

Belle looked him like he had just grown a second head. "Excuse me?"

"Dat was Bobby Drake right?" Belle nodded, still not following.

"Y' told me dat y' dated at the beginning of high school but he was too goofy for y' so y' decided t' just be friends."

Belle was about to tell him that he was mistaken and was talking about Rogue when she remembered the whole letter thing. "Oh, um, yeah, we did. Dat was ages ago, dough. We lost touch since den. He's more friends wit' Rogue. Dey got along real well."

Something about they way she said that put Remy on edge. "Y' say dat like dey're more den friends."

"De boy's been in love wit' Rogue since de day dey met. I swear, he only dated me so dat he could get t'Rogue." She tried to sound mildly hurt.

Remy plastered a smile onto his face. "He's crazy, Belle. Any guy would have t'be t' not notice how precious y' are."

"Remy, y' are too much!" Belle teased, but was inwardly pleased with the compliments.

"I aim t' please," he told her with a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. For some reason, the thought of Bobby and Rogue together unnerved him to no end.

"Ya know, Ah think Ah've been to this airport more times in the past few months than Ah have in the past few years," Rogue thought aloud as they drove to the airport.

"Now, chére, don' say dat. Y' gon' make Scott t'ink dat y' don' want t'see him off," Remy chided.

"How 'bout we do a 'tuck and roll, Grandma'?" she asked excitedly.

"A what?"

"It's when ya just slow down real slow in front of their drop off point and then throw them outta the car. Ya don't even have to stop."

"Y' should have tol' me dat earlier so dat we could have made him sit shotgun," Remy said, feigning exasperation.

"You know, I'm really not going to miss this when I'm gone."

Rogue turned around in her seat to look at her friend. "We love ya, Scott," she told him in a honeyed voice while batting her eyelashes.

"Like a rash," Remy added.

"The feeling's mutual." For reason's beyond Scott's comprehension, he had somehow become a favored target for the pair's playful banter over the past few weeks and he somewhat dreaded what it was going to be like when they all returned to New York. Overall, he didn't really mind, though. At least it was one step closer to getting Remy and Rogue together. 'Look at me. I'm playing Cupid for a guy that can get any girl he wants.'

Unfortunately, Belle was still in the picture. From what he had gathered, their last date had ended quite well. Although, Scott was quite surprised that Remy had called it a good date. The extent of his physical relationship with Belle was limited to kisses on the hand and forehead, from what he had seen. When he had blatantly asked if they had made out yet the morning after their last date, Remy had said no. The Remy he knew would have reached first base thirty minutes into the first date. Not that it was a bad thing that he hadn't touched Belle. The whole concept sounded incredibly nauseating.

"Will ya quit pettin' me!"

"I can' help it. It's soft."

"Then get your own!"

Scott was shaken from his train of thought by the incredibly odd dialogue. "What's going on?"

"Have y' seen her pants? Dey're really nice. Touch it."

Rogue pulled her body towards her door. "Hell no. No one is rubbing up an' down my leg anymore. Get your own velour pants."

"Fine. Be selfish."

"Please! How would you like it if Ah was pettin' ya like a dog?"

"I think he'd enjoy it," Scott said with a smile.

"Hey!" Remy protested.

"What? Like a guy wouldn't enjoy being touched by a beautiful girl like Rogue. I bet some guys would pay money for it. You think her pants are soft? Touch her hands."

Touch her hands? Remy's eyes narrowed as his grip on the steering wheel tightened slightly. "How y' know dat?"

Oh. Someone's getting 'protective,' Scott thought as watched Remy's jaw clench. He hadn't meant to do pick that particular bone with Remy but decided to run with it. Maybe he'd spill the beans about his true feelings. "A gentleman never tells."

"Like y'r a gentleman."

"Miss Rogue seems to think so. Isn't that right?"

Rogue smiled, playing along. "Absolutely. He just complimented my skin and my looks. Girls like that kind of stuff, ya know."

Remy vaguely heard what Rogue said. When Scott had called Rogue, 'Miss Rogue,' the term had spurned thoughts of another man, which only served to fuel his irritation with Scott, and spark his anger just a bit.

"Dat's exactly why guys say dat stuff, 'cause girls fall for it."

Rogue couldn't help but take slight offense. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means, dat a guy will tell y' what y' want t' hear so he can have his way wit' y'."

"Not all guys are like that Remy," Scott objected.

"I know a few," Remy replied, blatantly looking at Scott through the rearview mirror.

Scott noticed this. "Are you trying to imply something?"

"If de shoe fits, mon ami . . ."

"That's enough!" Rogue interjected. The tension in the car had skyrocketed in the blink of an eye. They pulled up in front of Scott's airline terminal and Rogue was glad for the perfect timing. "Scott, go check in. We'll meet ya inside." Her tone left no room for protest.

Without a word, Scott grabbed his bags and exited the car. Remy pulled away from the curb and Rogue did not say anything until the car was parked.

"What's wrong with ya? Why are ya so mad?" her own irritation evident.

"It was nothin'," he mumbled, more to the steering wheel than to her.

She turned in her chair to look at him fully. "That was not 'nothing.' The vein in your neck is ready to explode."

"He jus' got on my nerves."

"Ah don't believe that. We were just jokin' around when ya got all riled up for no reason and insulted Scott and offended me!"

Remy finally turned towards her. "I didn' like de way he was talkin' 'bout y' okay!"

Rogue was slightly taken aback by the outburst but didn't let it stop her. "We were jokin' around! IF Ah had been offended, Ah would have said something. Ya know that. Ah'm not some helpless, easy little girl, like you implied earlier!"

"I didn' mean it like dat. I jus' don' like guys disrespectin' y'."

"No, ya just don' want guys talking to me, period. An' ya shouldn't even worry about that. It's not like Ah have a pack of guys trailing me or something."

"What about Bobby?"

Rogue's eyes widened slightly. "What about him?"

"Belle told me de truth 'bout him."

Her insides froze. "What did she say?"

"Dat he only dated her to get to you and dat he's been in love wit' y' forever."

Relief washed over her. "So what does that have to do with anything?"

"He wants y'!"

"So what? Ya want Belle. What does this have to do with Scott?"

They stared at each other for a solid ten seconds before Remy visibly deflated.

"Nothin'. It has nothin' t'do wit' Scott. I know he was jus' messin' wit' me but for some reason it jus' bugged me."

"Is it because it was about me? Do ya have a problem with me being friends with Scott?"

He shook his head. "No."

"Is this going to be a problem when we go to school? Are ya going to act like this every time some guy tries to talk to me or talks about me?"

"Probably! I can' help it."

"Well, sugah, your gonna have to try. Ya may be my best friend but ya ain't my boyfriend so you're not allowed to be possessive."

The truth of her words rang in his ears. "Y'r right, chére. I'm not your boyfriend." He combed a hand through his hair with slight frustration. "Look, I'm sorry 'bout bein' protective an' all. I can' help it but I'll try harder. No promises, though. You're important to me. Anyt'ing dat happens to y' may make me act stupid. I didn' mean to hurt y'r feelin's an' I didn' mean to insult Scott. Forgive me?"

Rogue reached over and gave him a tight hug. "Of course Ah do. Just don't let me cause problems for ya, okay? Ah'm a big girl. There are some things Ah'm allowed to do now."

Remy squeezed her back before she let go. "I know, I know. Y're all grown up and working in a lingerie shop," he said, causing Rogue to smile. "Come on. I gotta apologize to Scotty before takeoff."

Both got out of the vehicle and Rogue linked her arm through Remy's. As they walked to meet Scott, Remy tried to shake the unexplained feelings of hurt that flared at Rogue's boyfriend comment.

A.N.:

I'm still here! I swear! My work just kinda swallowed me whole for a while. However, I thank all of you for the constant prodding for a new chapter. I feel that this particular chapter may be kind of a let down after all that waiting but, I swear, the real fun is about to begin!

Reviews are the best! Thanks to all of you wonderful people!

Chatice

- The natural everyday romance scenarios are nice, aren't they? I definitely think that the characters are more fun to write when there aren't super powers to deal with.

SassyGrl024

- Yup, signs are everywhere and they aren't going to stop until the right people get the hint! Scott seems to be on the right track but everyone else is still out of the loop.

T.

- Keep on the lookout for that little tidbit of information. Things like that always seem to pop up in the future. I think it goes along with the whole difficulty of keeping up such a big lie and not informing all involved parties who know the truth.

Rogue Warrior Spirit

- You seem to be on the same track as my thought process. I like to think that's why Rogue doesn't see her attraction to Remy. He's in the 'friend' category because she views him as being taken, and, therefore, off limits per the girlfriend code.

Aro

- Yeah, I don't think killing off Belle would be the best thing. Wouldn't want Rogue to not date Remy as not to break the whole respecting your dead friend's territory. Her and Remy seem to honorable to just start dating after Belle's death, like her presence would always be hanging over them. Don't worry, though. I think you'll like how things turn out in the end.

Caliente

- Thanks! I hope this chapter was just as satisfying.

Lightspeed Suzuka

- Thanks! Plushies are the best! I felt bad having to ignore their pleadings of a new chapter while I let my work consume me.

Rogue4787

- People are definitely starting to choose sides. It looks like the score right now is Rogue and Remy: 3 and Remy and Belle: 1. It's nice to know the readers are seeing all of the hints and signs. If only the characters could ,too, eh?

Pookie Sanchez

- Belle and Scott? Doesn't that seem cruel? :)

Roguechere

- Yup, couldn't do it. Thank you for the comment on Belle. Made me feel more confident about my writing.

Coldqueen

- Ex's have a habit of popping up at the oddest times, don't they? Hope you enjoyed Bobby's small (very small) cameo in this chapter!

The Rogue Cajun

- Fantasmigorical. What a neat word! I'm gonna have to use that somehow . . . is it okay if it makes an appearance in the story?

TigerStorm

- Scott will bring it up to Remy at some point, but not until they're all settled in New York and he has better proof for his argument. About that last thought, let me know what you thought it was and I'll let you know if you're right. :)

Comicfn

- I thought it was about time that someone see the light.

Michelle

- I'm glad I can count on you (and all of the other loyal reviewers) to boost my ego and pester me to hurry up. Makes me feel special.

Ishandahalf

- It is nice to see that not everyone is blind in this little world I have created. Lots of hidden feelings will make themselves known once everyone gets to New York. Keep your eyes peeled, that's only about three chapters away!

DemonRogue13

- Thank you!

Yumiko

- I'm glad I've saved you from such a graphic death. Though, I'm a little concerned about the millions of angry fans. Think I could convince you all into thinking that once a month is soon? :)

Jadedbeauty

- I'm trying to update quicker. Trust me, I want to write this as much as you want to read it. The fact that I'm no where near being finished is hanging over me like a dark cloud.

Rogue77

- Sorry I made you think that way. I guess I was just trying to say that Rogue is completely loyal to Belle and would do everything in her power to make her happy as far as her relationship with Remy. The same goes for Remy, too. Rogue is just too nice of a girl.

Panther Nesmith

- She is kinda fun to write. Glad you liked the chapter!

Nie Starwhister

- Thank you. It would have been weird, I agree.

Cate

- Thank you for the wonderful review! I hope I can keep up the same level of work!

Khay

- Things will be more fun in New York! I can't wait!

Gothic- Rogue LeBeau

- Thank you!

Roguewannabe29

- I read your pleas. Sorry for making you wait so long! The truth will come out eventually, but not anytime soon.

The Rogue Witch

- So glad you rediscovered the story again. Hope this chapter was just as pleasing.

Ladychopsticks

- So many questions is right. The truth will come out, but not to everyone at once, and the reactions will be interesting.

Pixie-cat

- Sorry, can't kill off Belle. I kinda need her to finish out the story. It's far from over.

StarrFirePhoenix

- Finally, an update!

Jazzyboo

- Thanks for the review!

Lid'l Rogue

- Not so much Romy in this chapter, but the next chapter is the long-awaited drive to NYU!

Vaillance

- Thank you for making me one of your favorites!

Roguelebeaux003

- Yes, I really liked the movie, though I heard it was considered a flop in India.

If I missed anyone, I am so sorry but I am very appreciative of your reviews!