Once they were done eating he took Fence aside and asked,
"Keep an eye on her, she's sneaky." Fence made a sound that was equal parts laugh and grunt.
"Like you?"
"Maybe better." Fence whistled and looked back at Compass who was feeding her leftovers to the scarred dog. Remy could see his friend's thoughts as if they were written across his face. He pitied Compass for what he had found out, and he was worried about her too.
"She's on the hunt." Remy nodded.
"Gunnin for the Assassin's Guild, Bella." Fence's eyes widened.
"She'll die!" He whispered and glanced at Compass again. "Remy the Guild is not something for a girl like her to go up against. Especially your crazy ex." he added hastily, "No offense." Remy shushed him, he wasn't certain if Compass could hear them. However he shrugged off the last comment, he had always known Bella was crazy; it was part of her charm.
"Accordin to er, she can't die, but I've no intention of lettin er fight de Guild. Bella won't take her advances lightly neither." Fence went to another table and dug out something small and another item that looked like a small tablet.
"It's not perfect, won't work underground or underwater, but water won't permanently damage it. And it has a limited distances; little bit bigger than the city." Remy nodded and took the little thing out of Fence's hand. It was thin and looked liked a four legged spider. It was only as big as one of his knuckles.
"It'll hafta do." Together the two of them went back over to Compass. She looked up at Fence,
"Don't suppose you want to adopted a dog?" Sheppard whined at her feet. Fence looked at the scarred dog.
"Unfortunately I'm not in a position to take care of an animal." He reached out and petted the big dog's head. Sheppard whined and looked to Compass pitifully. She looked slightly amused.
"Don't give me that look, your former owners are coming after me, and I can't have you getting hurt." She scratched the dog's ears only to have him jump up, plant his paws on her shoulder, and then give her slobbery kiss across the face. She gave him a look that would have peeled paint. "Was that necessary?" Sheppard woofed and wagged his stubby tail, looking entirely to happy.
"You'll both be coming back to the safe house with me." Remy was so startled at his own, but the words were out before he even realized what he was saying. More strays, he thought to himself, so much for taking time to himself.
"Kinda defeats the point of me finding him a safe home away from me if I just follow him." Remy watched her face, she was hiding something, but doing a poor job of it.
"What do ya suggest, petite?"
"Take Sheppard, he'll be able to warn you if the Assassins come to call. I'll go back to the bar, got a room upstairs. I can hide out there while I start looking for Assassin Guild hidey-holes." It was a good idea. One that had warning bells going off in Remy's mind.
"Leave the assassins alone, Compass. You can't fight em alone." Compass snorted,
"Go home Remy," she bent down to Sheppard and pointed to Remy speaking softly to the dog. He whined in response but eventually walked over to Remy with his tail between his legs. "You have a pretty woman waiting for you, and she's not someone you want to lose." He had almost forgotten about Rogue, he had the urge to go and walk home right that second. Remy realized what she was doing and instantly dug a heel into the ground.
"Don't use a compulsion on me, petite." She shrugged.
"I'm not, at least not intentionally." He walked over to Compass and put his hands on her shoulders, forcing her to look up at him.
"Do nothin against de Guild until I'm dere ta back ya up. Understand?" The look she gave him was all defiance's. She refused to respond, merely pulling away from him and turning towards the door. As she did he swiped her wallet from her pocket and quickly placed the tracker behind her driver's license. He waited for her to take a few more steps before saying, "Ava." She instantly spun around and he tossed her wallet to her. "You dropped dat." She caught it surprised, then she quickly checked it to make sure everything was present and nothing had been tampered with. However she missed the bug. Glancing his way suspiciously she stuck it back in her pocket and moved off. Once she was well out of earshot did Fence whisper,
"Smooth. How do you know she'll keep it with her?" Remy watched the spot she had been for a long time before answering,
"Because, it reminds her she exists, dat she has a past, even if no one remembers." He whistled for Sheppard and headed off back to his temporary house. The Rottweiler followed close by his side, snuffling the air and constantly turning at every little sound. It was starting to make him jumpy when they finally stood on the front porch. Remy opened the door to find Rogue leaning against a wall with her arms crossed looked at a man who was tied in to a chair and black and blue all over. He whistled,
"What he do? Cause I don't wanna make dat mistake." She made a sound that could have been a grunt or a growl.
"Couldn't keep his paws to himself, sugah, had to teach em some manners." He noted angrily that the front of her shirt was ripped and there was a bruise forming on the inside of her thigh. It took all his control to not turn and strike the man. Remy had enough of seeing people abused for one lifetime.
"Did ya question em?"
"Nah, figured I'd wait tell you got back." He looked at her surprised. She shrugged, "It's safer." Her expression became grim, "Now that you're here," She reached out and touched the swelling flesh of the man's face. She sucked in a sharp breath and let it out with a hiss. Remy extended an arm to her to steady her. She took it and when she opened her eyes the was a fierce glare in her eyes.
"He is our follower." she reached into a pocket and came back with a lifelike sketch of Compass. It was done in colored pencil and had been done by a professional. The person had sketched this while she sat playing chess with Garret. They had even drawn the black cat sitting on the table. "Not his handy work. They weren't aware who she was at this time, they thought he was the Compass."
"What happened to him?" Rogue shrugged,
"He isn't aware." Remy grunted
"I'm goinna do something , you're not goinna like, chere." He went to the kitchen and brought back a sharp knife. Pointing the knife at the man,
"You know who I am?" The man watched the knife and nodded slightly. He was afraid, but some part of him must have recognized that Remy had no intention of using it on him. "You've been followin us for a while now, non?" Grudgingly the man nodded. Surprisingly talkative for someone trained by the Assassin's Guild. "Ave we come across Compass?" No answer. "I searched de area where your man Isaiah was found. No sign of er. Go back to Bella, tell her dat Compass hunts you now." Remy cut the restraints. The man looked at him shocked and gave a sideways glance to Rogue. She had her arms crossed over her chest. "She won't stop ya." The man rubbed his probably aching arms, but then he was gone.
"What was that?" Rogue demanded quietly once the man was gone. "They will hunt-."
"I'm aware." he answered stiffly. "However, she is in hidin and being watched by someone I trust." He didn't tell her he had a way to track down Compass should the need arise. Sheppard woofed from his spot next to them, as if to say no fighting. Rogue turned in surprise and Sheppard went to her and butt his head against her leg. She reached down hesitantly and scratched the dog's ears.
"Where did you come from?" Sheppard wagged his little tail so hard his whole body wiggled. Remy snorted.
"He's her friend. Wanted em safe." Rogue knelt and petted him.
"I'm assuming he can stay with us?" She looked up at him. The word us, she intended to stick with him. He nodded and she smiled and went back to scratching the dog. "What's the plan?"
"Plan?" She looked up from Sheppard and gave him a knowing look.
"From what you said, you don't plan on letting her all alone, especially to face Bella." he smiled. The small tablet was burning a hole in his trench coat pocket, but he didn't take it out.
"Yes." he finally admitted. She watched him silently, "Anna-."
"You're not doing this by yourself, sugah." He smiled to himself. No he hadn't really expected her to agree to stay back, and if he had really wanted to leave her out of this he would have kept quiet and snuck off. He hadn't realized how long he had been silent thinking everything over until Rogue nudged him. "What's the plan?"
"Not entirely sure yet. Kinda wingin it." Rogue smiled at him.
"I'm sure we'll think of somethi-" The phone rang. The two of them exchanged surprised looks. It rang again, somehow sounding urgent. Sighing he wet and picked it up, "Hel-."
"What ave you done?" Remy pulled the phone away from his ear. His father wasn't angry more agitated.
"I'm not sure what you could mean." His father grunted.
"I've just had a visit from de Assassin's Guild. Dey are demanding we had over Fate's servant."
"We're not handin er over." His voice was defiant and stubborn even to his own ears.
"I wasn't suggestin we did."
"What are you suggesting?"
"Keep the girl hidden."
"I don't know where she is." His father grunted.
"Dey don't believe you, but dey also know you haven't been able to find her neither."
"Dey told ya?" Jean snorted in disgust.
"Non, some things ya just pick up." His father seemed to be tapping on a table. "And you don't know where she is?"
"Non."
"Good, keep it dat way. She seeks the power your friend carries and I don't think she should have it." There was a thoughtful pause. "They will continue ta watch ya, so maybe spend a few days just to yourselves and eventually dey'll give up." Remy considered it. It would give him more time with Rogue, but would Compass be safe in the mean time? Glancing at Sheppard he couldn't help but feel that Compass was already moving against the Guild. He itched to check the device to see what she was doing.
"Anything else?" His father sighed
"Not at the moment." They hung up after their goodbyes and Remy turned back to Rogue.
"You caught all of that?" She nodded.
"What are you thinkin?"
"The Guild and Bella aren't going to sit back. Dey will make a real hunt of Compass after what she did ta Isaiah. But she will be safe so long as she don't go lookin for Bella or da Guild."