AN: No, you've not been abandoned, just had to pause to keep up with homework. The semester is almost over, so I'll be updating more quickly this time. The theme of 'when does Rogue meet Belle?' seems to have continued in the reviews, and the answer is: Not today. Probably tomorrow, storytime-wise. By the way, I own nothing here, except for Rogue's tutor.
O-o-o-o-O
"ROGUE! HELP!" Emil could be heard calling from where Rogue sat sprawled out on a very comfy porch swing in the LeBeau's back yard. The young man alternated from taunts to prayers on behalf of his soul as Remy chased him around the yard. The afternoon had been spent with the guys tossing a football around, and now Emil was getting his comeuppance for his antics before lunch.
"You're beyond help!" Mercy called from where she stood nearby. Rogue felt a little self-conscious for taking up almost the entire swing.
"Do you want to sit?" she asked, shifting in the seat.
"No, that's alright. I'm playing referee."
"I thought you were going to kill him"
"Nah, I'm having more fun right now watching Remy go after him" Mercy commented in amusement.
"ROOOOOOGUE!!" Emil was starting to sound out of breath.
Rogue grinned. "What's in it for me?" she called out. This was too funny.
"UMM…..UHHHHH……I'LL GET BACK TO YOU ON THAT!" Emil yelled, definitely sounding out of breath.
She turned her head in Mercy's general direction. "He's not much of a negotiator, is he?" she commented.
"What do you expect? He's a thief. They don't usually negotiate; they just take what they want."
"True" Rogue replied. There was a thud sounding from the yard, followed by a cry of agony. "Damn, sounds like Remy really did kill him."
"Nah, Emil has just received the mother of all wedgies." Mercy laughed.
"Ouch" the other girl replied in sympathy.
"Don't feel sorry for him. The three of them have been tormenting each other for years. Remy's received his fair share of abuse from Emil."
"They sound like three little bratty brothers" Rogue said, and reached down to the floor to pick up the glass of lemonade that was there. It was homemade by Tante Mattie, and hands down was the best Rogue had ever tasted.
Mercy gave a snort of laughter. "They might as well be. Emil's parents died when he was young, so Jean-Luc adopted him and the three of them were raised together."
"You sound like you're all pretty crazy over here."
"Yeah, we are" Mercy laughed. "That's part of why I married into the family. I hope you have fun over here Rogue; it sounds like you need a little craziness in your life."
"Well Remy's certainly provided a bit of that so far" Rogue replied.
"So it sounds" Mercy agreed. "And here it's only Wednesday. I can't imagine what the rest of the week will be like."
"Only Wednesday? Feels like it's been longer than that. Way too long occasionally" Rogue said, making a face.
"Oh come on, Remy's not that bad."
Rogue was silent for a moment. "No, I suppose not." Yeah he was conceited, juvenile and didn't know how to listen to a simple rule like 'don't touch'. His taste in women was suspect, and despite Mercy's words to the contrary, she still had her doubts concerning his skill in thievery. But his heart seemed to be in the right place, he showed concern for others, and he could even be kind of charming when he wanted to be. It did seem like a long time though since he had first shown up with Candace on Monday. So much had happened since then. She shifted on the swing and took a sip of lemonade. "I suppose if he can remember to keep his hands to himself he could be okay."
"He tends to grow on a person."
Rogue smirked. "You make him sound like a fungus."
"Nah, more like a weed." Mercy stopped as they heard the guys approach. Emil could be heard muttering obscenities under his breath.
"Good thing Tante can't hear you" Remy said in a mockingly disapproving voice. "You don't want a sore head to go along with your sore behind, do you?"
"I'd say something to that, Remy, but there's a lady present." Emil said as Rogue heard him go past the swing.
"Really? Where?" Remy asked in what sounded like genuine curiosity.
"I think we've been insulted, Rogue" Mercy commented dryly.
"I noticed. Good thing my cane's folded up."
Footsteps approached the swing. "Mind if I sit down, Rogue?" Remy asked.
"Sure" she answered, moving into a sitting position and making sure to give him plenty of room.
"No need to scrunch yourself into the corner" Remy said as he sat down. "I swear I've learned my lesson."
"Never can be too careful" she replied.
"One of these days you may decide to trust me, chere" Remy commented, sitting back and causing the swing to rock a little.
"I'm not holding my breath." To be honest though, she was starting to a little already, but he didn't really need to know that.
"Your loss. So what do you want to do now? We've still got a couple of hours until I have to take you back."
Rogue paused. "I don't know; what is there to do around here?" Usually around this time of day she'd be in her room listening to her CD's or being walked by whatever perky little companion Candace had found for her that month. But now she had an opportunity to actually get out and entertain herself; and she wasn't quite sure what to do with it.
"Well……" Remy said, and Rogue could almost hear the wheels spinning in his head as he obviously tried to think of something to do that didn't require sight.
"You haven't had your walk today, have you?" he finally asked. "Rogue has to be walked every day." He said to Mercy.
"Makes me feel like I'm a pet" Rogue grumbled.
"That's what we'll do! We'll walk Rogue" he exclaimed jokingly. "Want to come with us, Mercy?"
"Sure, this could be fun" Mercy said. Rogue heard her walk back into the house and call to Emil, asking him if he wanted to go on a walk; the young man's reply was too faint for her to make out though. After a minute she came back.
"Emil's not coming with us" she said. "He says he's had enough exercise today. Probably a good thing anyway; he's working tonight, isn't he Remy?"
"Yeah. He really should go take a nap, but he'll probably end up playing video games until dinner."
"I have a hard time picturing him as a thief" Rogue said. "He doesn't seem the type."
Mercy laughed. "Don't let him fool you, Rogue. He may be a joker, but Emil's quick with his hands, light on his feet, and amazing with electronics. Only person better than him is Theoren."
"Theoren's one of my cousins" Remy added when Rogue gave them a confused look. "He and his brother Etienne live in another part of town. Etienne's not a Thief yet but Theoren's our best hacker and electronics expert."
"Hmm…really is a family business, isn't it?" Rogue mused, then finished her lemonade.
"Yep, it's part of why we're so successful" Remy said as he got up off of the swing. "Well, shall we get you walked?" he joked.
"That comment almost invites remarks about leashes" Mercy snickered.
"Yeah, well, I value my life" Remy said.
"Smart man" Rogue commented as she also got up. She unfolded her cane and Remy tucked her hand into the crook of his arm. Once back inside the house Remy stopped for a moment. "Tante, Mercy and I are taking Rogue on a walk!" he called, and she realized they must be near the stairs.
"Just be back before dinner; your father wants to meet her before you take her back" Mattie called down to them. Rogue found herself feeling a little nervous at the thought of meeting Remy's father. Jean-Luc LeBeau was a powerful man and she was afraid of making the wrong impression. Knowing herself, she'd probably end up running her mouth and pissing him off. Maybe even enough that he'd rescind Remy's offer of the tutor, and she really didn't want that to happen. This bit of escape from the home was the best thing to happen to her since she started living there. So she'd have to be on her best behavior, no matter what the man may say.
"Yes Tante" Remy called in reply, and they continued out of the house, with Mercy following behind.
"Don't worry Rogue; Jean-Luc may sound like an intimidating man, but he's very much a gentleman" she said, and joined Rogue on her right as they came out onto the sidewalk.
"You might not want to be too close" Rogue said, and began to restrict her movements. "I might hit you accidentally with my cane."
"Notice she doesn't worry about hitting me accidentally with it" Remy threw in dryly.
"Swamp Rat, any time I hit you with my cane is usually not an accident" she replied airily. Remy led them off of the sidewalk onto the side of the street and she felt Mercy move away from her. Rogue relaxed a little and let her cane swing freely again. She could hear children playing down the street, and a dog barking in the distance. The sun was warm, and except for the change in company it could have been one of her walks with Irene that seemed so long ago now.
"So are you a thief too, Mercy?" she asked.
"Yep. Not as good as Remy and the others yet, but note that I say yet" Mercy said with confidence.
"She's being modest" Remy said. "She's caught on faster than any of the girls who were born into the Guild. Papa thinks she'll be the first woman in the Guild to become a master."
"That's all well and good Remy, but you know what I want is to best my husband" Mercy said.
"That's because Henri said he'd buy her a Porsche if she beat him in the field" Remy explained to Rogue.
"Sounds like a good reason to me."
Mercy laughed. "I thought so too."
They passed some time in silence as they walked. A soft breeze rustled the leaves in the trees and played with Rogue's hair. The dog's voice grew closer as it continued to bark.
"I think we'll just go around the block" Remy said. "Papa and Henri should be home by the time we get back." Rogue just gave a nod of her head in response.
"So when does the tutor arrive?" she asked a little more time had passed.
"Day after tomorrow" Remy said. "Her name's Martine Talbot; my old tutor recommended her."
"It's weird, I'm actually looking forward to homework" Rogue said ruefully. "Guess it shows how bored I've been. I wonder if I'll still be saying that after I've been doing math again for awhile."
"Who knows?" Mercy said. "But in any case you won't be studying all day. It sounds like you haven't experienced much of this city at all, and Remy and I intend to fix that. You need to play tourist like everyone else who comes here. You up for that?"
Rogue smiled a little. "It sounds like it'll be happening whether I'm up for it or not. But that's a silly question; of course I am."
"Good." Remy said. "Since the tutor won't be here until Friday, we can start tomorrow. We'll go downtown and see what we run into. There's usually some kind of concert or other thing going on during the day."
"That sounds good" she said, and they fell silent for awhile; Rogue taking in the peaceful sounds of a normal, quiet neighborhood. The dog had finally fallen silent and the playing children were now behind them. It had been a very nice day so far, and she was disappointed that she would have to go back to the home soon. But she'd be back tomorrow, and in the meantime she had the rest of her book to read. I could get used to this, she thought. It probably wasn't a good idea, after all Remy could get time shaved off of his probation for good behavior………Yeah, right. So okay, she'd have Remy's company at least until she turned 18 and could leave the home. Maybe afterwards, too? It was something to keep in mind.
When they returned to the house Remy let go of her hand so she could go in. She could hear voices down the hall and someone with a heavy footstep came towards them.
"Hello Papa" Remy said. "This is Rogue Darkholme. Rogue, this my pere."
"It is a pleasure to meet you Rogue" said Jean-Luc. He had a bit deeper voice than Remy's, with a richer Cajun accent. She was about to speak when she felt her hand be taken and felt something warm and soft press against it. Remy's father had just kissed her hand! Rogue felt her face turn warm and she wasn't sure what to say, as no one had ever done that before. He let go of her hand and she could still feel the warmth through the thin material of her glove.
"Umm….li..likewise" she finally stammered, and felt embarrassed.
"Have you enjoyed yourself today? I would like to think that Remy and Mercy have behaved themselves, but I realize that's too much to hope for." Jean-Luc said in resignation.
"No, it's been good….they've been great" Rogue said.
"I won't even ask about Emil."
"He's been his usual self today" Mercy said, and Rogue could hear her step away from them.
"That's what I was afraid of."
"Well what do you expect? We've had a guest today." Mercy replied. "Is Henri here? I want him to meet Rogue before Remy has to take her back."
"Yes" Jean-Luc said. "He's on the phone with Theoren. Theoren wants his brother to have his Tilling soon."
"What's a tilling?" asked Rogue.
"The Tilling is an initiation before becoming a Guild Thief" came an unfamiliar voice from another part of the room. "The prospective member completes a designated job on his own, with an experienced Thief serving as backup and observer. If the person completes the job successfully, he or she becomes a full-fledged member of the Guild."
"Hello mon mari" Mercy said, and Rogue could hear them kiss. "Rogue, this is Remy's brother, my husband Henri; the handsome one of the family."
"Sure, if you go for bald men" Remy snickered.
"Hair isn't everything, Remy" Henri said. "Rogue, it's nice to meet you. I have to thank you for keeping my little brother on his toes. Papa, I've talked to Theoren, and I agree that Etienne's ready for his Tilling."
"Very well" Jean-Luc said. "You know that I trust your judgment. Have you set a date?"
"No, Theoren wants to wait until school lets out in a month and Etienne's free for the summer." Henri said. "And Remy, Etienne's asked to have you with him for it."
Remy was silent a moment. "Is he sure? I would think he'd want his brother for this." He said.
"No, you know he's always looked up to you. It would mean a lot to him if you did this for him" Henri said, and Rogue began to understand that this was something very important.
"Alright, I'll do it." Remy said. "I'll give him a call this weekend."
"Good." Jean-Luc said. "Now do you have to take Rogue back soon? It's almost 4:30"
Remy sighed. "Yeah, unfortunately." Rogue was surprised that it was so late already. The day had certainly gone by fast.
"Would you like a drink before you leave?" Jean-Luc asked her.
"Um, sure. Lemonade is fine" she said, and resigned herself to having to go back to the home. She wondered what kind of attitude Candace was going to have when she got back. It wouldn't be fun, but she just had to remember that the woman couldn't do anything about her coming here; not without getting into a lot of trouble with the state.
Remy took her hand and as they walked to the kitchen she could hear Mercy behind them, telling Henri about their day. Entering the kitchen she could hear Mattie moving purposefully around, the delicious smells telling her that dinner was under way.
"Tante, Rogue's just going to have some lemonade before I take her back" Remy said, and she noticed that he didn't call it her home anymore.
"I'm sorry you can't stay for dinner, Rogue" Mattie said. "We're having pork roast and vegetables."
She smiled in response. "So am I, that sounds wonderful. But so's your lemonade; I love it."
"Why thank you, child." Tante Mattie sounded pleased. Meanwhile, Remy had come back from where he had left her a moment ago and put a cold glass into her hand.
"Thanks. Why don't we get out of her way?" Rogue asked, and in response Remy took her and they went over to the kitchen table. "Do you guys have dinner in here?" she asked after they had sat down.
"No, just breakfast and lunch. Dinner we have in the dining room" Mercy said, and took a seat next to Rogue.
"Where's Emil?" Remy asked.
"He's on the couch in the living room; it looks like he fell asleep while playing video games." Mercy replied. "I'll wake him up when dinner's ready" she commented evilly, and Rogue could just imagine some of the ways she'd wake the younger man up.
"That sounds rather evil" she said, and Mercy laughed.
"No it's not. If I was feeling mean I'd have Henri do it."
"Trust me, she's being nice" Remy said.
"I swear, you guys are something else" Rogue laughed.
"I know; don't you just love it?" Mercy replied, still chuckling. "I promise, you'll never be bored here, Rogue."
She smiled in reply. "I can tell already."
When she had finished her lemonade, Remy got up from the table. "I suppose we should get out of here" he said.
"Okay" Rogue said as she also rose from the table. "It was really nice meeting all of you. Thank you so much for letting me come here." It was the only way she could think of to say thank you. Other than Sarah, there hadn't been anyone worth being polite to since she came to the home, but now she needed to get back into practice again.
"You're very welcome, Rogue", Mattie said from the other side of the kitchen. "It was good to meet you too. You have a good night and we'll see you tomorrow. Remy, you be careful now taking her back" This last part was more on the stern side. Remy didn't seem to take offense to it though.
"Yes Tante" he replied, and taking Rogue's hand, led her out of the kitchen as various goodbyes followed after them.
"So, how did you like ma famille?" he asked once they were outside. Rogue could hear him take the motorcycle helmets out of the compartment. She traded her cane for the helmet and put it on.
"I like them a lot" she said, and climbed up behind him on the bike. And she did. Even Henri and Jean-Luc, who she had only met for a few minutes; they both seemed like people she could like.
"That's good, they liked you too", he said, and starting the bike, they drove off down the street. It seemed too quickly that they arrived at the home, and as Rogue gave the helmet back to Remy, she regretted having to put up with this place for the night. She just had to remember that she'd be back at Remy's house tomorrow though.
"Umm…..thanks for bringing me over there, Remy" she said, still feeling a little weird at being nice to the guy she had been having fun tormenting just recently.
"You're welcome", he said, and they walked into the building. "I get two things out of this. I'm being a good boy and doing my good deed for the day, and I'm pissing off that little rat in the front office." Rogue could hear the glee in his voice.
She shook her head slowly as she mentally counted off the number of steps to her room. "You're really going to get yourself in trouble with her one of these days, Swamp Rat."
"Maybe, maybe not" he said. "I'll still have fun with it either way."
Rogue stopped at her door. "Well, I guess I'll see you tomorrow."
"In a manner of speaking, I suppose" he replied cheekily. "I'll see you at least."
"Oh good grief, you know what I mean" she said, and the exclamation of pain he made when she got him in the leg with her cane was quite satisfying. At least she could still get him without feeling guilty after all he had done for her yesterday and today. She didn't want him to think she was getting soft, after all.
"Ok I think I'm going home now, while I can still walk" Remy announced, and stepped away from her. "See you tomorrow."
"Yep. Bye" Rogue said, and went into her to relax a little before dinner.
O-o-o-o-O
Remy stepped out of the building with a little smile on his face. Things had gone rather well, he thought. Rogue had laughed more today than she had the entire time he'd known her so far. She had seemed to relax, she liked his family, and he had come away from it relatively undamaged. His family liked her, too. Mercy seemed to have found a new best friend in Rogue; and he had thought it rather amusing the way Rogue had blushed when his pere had kissed her hand. Wonder if I could ever make her blush like that? He thought, and then wondered why he had thought it. She was just his job; though there was a possibility that maybe they could become friends. That and having her at his home during the week would make this whole community service thing a lot easier to deal with; he'd just be hanging out with a friend, instead of feeling like he was playing babysitter like Candace wanted. The thought of Candace made him want to spit though, like he had something nasty in his mouth, so he'd stop thinking of her.
After putting his helmet on, he straddled his bike and turned it on, so caught up in thoughts of the past day and what he could do tomorrow to make Rogue smile that as he drove out of the parking lot he never noticed the figure in the shadow of the tree across the street, hatred burning in a pair of dark eyes.