O-o-o-o-O
When Rogue woke up Saturday morning the first thing she was aware of was the sound of birds. Disoriented at first, she realized after a moment that the birds were outside, and from that and the comfy bed she was in that she was at the LeBeau house. She smiled and stretched in the bed, just enjoying the peace of the morning. It was going to be a beautiful day. No dealing with the cafeteria's breakfast, which left a lot to be desired on Sarah's days off. Instead she'd have whatever yummy thing Tante Mattie cooked up. No dealing with Candace, instead she'd have Remy, Kurt and Ororo to hang out with this weekend. She had to admit though, the social worker hadn't been quite as hostile lately. She wasn't back to her old annoying self; instead she'd seemed rather smug about something, and Rogue was almost afraid to ask what that was. Whatever it was though, it would be alright; Rogue had an out if things started going in a bad direction, via Kurt and Professor Xavier. Just five more months until her birthday. Surely she'd be able to wait that out.
In the meantime though, she had a comfy bed, birds singing outside of her window, the promise of a delicious breakfast, the company of the LeBeau's, and her brother was coming to visit. She debated whether she wanted to get out of bed and reaching over, felt around until she found and pressed the large button on her alarm clock that she had brought with her for the weekend.
"8:38am"
....said the mechanical voice of the clock. Irene had given her the clock a few years ago, and Rogue still thought it was cool. The various buttons on it had Braille printing on them with voices to tell her what the functions were as she adjusted them, while the main button would have a voice tell her what time it was. Apparently it wasn't a common clock; she had shown it to Martine once, and her teacher had said that while she had seen several different types of clocks for blind people, she had never seen one like Rogue's. She also said that it must be a custom job as there were no manufacturer's markings on it. As for how it was powered, Irene had told her that the battery was guaranteed to last for the life of the clock; it would never need replacing. Martine's comments made Rogue curious as to where Irene had gotten the clock; unfortunately she had never thought to ask.
So it was after eight-thirty, so what? That was one of the beautiful things about weekends; being able to notice what time it was, roll over and go back to sleep. She was in no hurry to be anywhere. Rogue knew that Remy liked to sleep in, and besides, Kurt and Ororo wouldn't be arriving until noon anyway.
Rogue wasn't really tired anymore, so the rolling over and going back to sleep bit wasn't an option, but at the same time she wasn't quite ready to get up yet either. So she just lay for awhile, nestled under soft, clean-smelling sheets, and listened to the world around her. At first it was just the birds outside, and the occasional bark from the dog down the street as a car passed by. Gradually though, other noises made themselves known. From somewhere upstairs the sound of water going through pipes told Rogue that at least someone else was up; probably either Tante Mattie or Henri. According to Remy they were both morning people. Eventually she started to hear movement on the ground floor though, and decided to get up. Rogue was getting hungry and while she was pretty comfortable with the first floor of the house, she didn't really know the kitchen well enough to feel comfortable trying to make herself breakfast. That was something she still missed about home; she and Irene kept everything in the same places so they'd always know where things were; Carla knew not to change things, and would tell them where things were when she had gone shopping. Rogue could go into the kitchen whenever she wanted and find herself something to eat. Unfortunately she wouldn't be going back to that any time soon. Residents weren't allowed in the kitchen at the home. She doubted it would be any different at Kurt and Ororo's school; with so many kids around it would be impossible to keep things in the same place. After she graduated though, maybe she could get herself a place of her own; a little apartment all to herself where she could have everything exactly where she wants it and make her own breakfast, instead of getting up and asking whoever was awake to do it for her, as she was about to do.
Rogue got out of bed and grabbing her overnight bag off of the floor, felt around in it for a pair of jeans and one of the light linen blouses that Mercy had bought her. The fabric was soft and comfortable against her skin, almost silky, and she stroked her hands down her arms before putting on her gloves. She took her cane and made her way to the kitchen, where she could hear voices and the sound of dishes.
"Good morning." Rogue said from the doorway, not sure who was there.
"Good morning Rogue." came Tante Mattie's voice. "Do you want something to drink? Remy, start the kettle." she said, not bothering to wait for her to answer, and Rogue bit her lip to keep from smiling. Poor Remy, always the kitchen help.
"Tea, please." Rogue said, and made her way to the table; Tante already had her slave labor for the morning so she didn't offer to help. But Rogue had done her turn in the kitchen before; Tante would sometimes have her wash dishes, snap beans, shell peas or do other tasks that didn't involve knives. And she didn't mind at all; it was just one more thing about being here that helped her feel normal again.
"I thought you didn't like mornings, Swamp Rat." she commented when Remy handed her a cup of tea a few minutes later. She had been listening to the anchorman read off the morning news on the little television that Tante Mattie liked to keep in the kitchen.
"I don't." Remy said as he moved away from her. "Tante decided since I have guests coming I should be awake."
"But Kurt and Ororo won't be here until noon." Rogue said, taking a sip of her tea. Remy had remembered just how she liked it.
"Yes, but we're having slow-cooked ham for dinner tonight so he's starting it now." Tante Mattie said. "How do you want your eggs, Rogue?"
"Scrambled, please." she replied. "Is there any more of that melon left over from yesterday?" Mercy, in an effort to be a little more health-conscious, had started asking that Mattie include more fruit and less meat with breakfast. There was some resistance at first, but after showing her the latest heart attack statistics Mattie had relented. She still insisted on cooking with butter though, and no one had argued with her on that, especially not Rogue. Sarah and the other cooks at the home used margarine, and it just wasn't nearly as good.
Rogue was halfway through her eggs when she heard footsteps approaching the kitchen.
"G'morning my famile." Came Emil's cheerful voice.
"Hail the conquering pool shark." Remy commented sarcastically. "And how much money did the boys lose last night?"
Emil laughed. "Etienne's getting better; he didn't lose nearly as much as last time we played. Claude said he was going to work some overtime tonight to make up for what he lost."
"I thought Claude said he wasn't going to play with you anymore?" Rogue asked. One of the many things that she had learned over her time with the LeBeau's was to not play pool with Emil; the only person in the family who was equal to him in the game was Remy.
"He did." Remy said. "But he says that every time they play pool. The man's a glutton for punishment."
"I'm not complaining." Emil said as he moved past Rogue.
Henri and Jean-Luc came in a few minutes later; according to Henri, Mercy was still asleep. He was telling Rogue about the funny movie they had seen last night when the sound on the television suddenly went up.
"Listen to this Rogue." said Remy.
"....as originally reported last night, the Louisiana state legislature is now considering a law requiring registration of any mutants in state custody, including prisons and the foster system. DNA and other testing will be done to document the abilities of these individuals, and their names will be kept in a database for the public record. Alan Lewis, founder of the group Friends of Humanity, spoke out in favor of this legislation: 'The people have the right to know what their money is being used for. They have the right to know if their tax money is being used to house and feed mutants. The system already lets dangerous criminals free through early release. Are some of these criminals possibly dangerous mutants who could cause even more harm to the public? The people have the right to know. I applaud the state of Louisiana for considering this measure. I only hope they do the right thing and pass it into law, and that the federal government follows their example, and extends it to all mutants.' Opponents are calling this a test run in an eventual demand for a law requiring registration of all mutants. There is not expected to be any word on this legislation for at least another two weeks. Stay tuned to this station for further updates."
"They can't do that, that's ridiculous." Emil said in disbelief.
Rogue just sat with her mouth open. They wanted to test her and catalog her?
"Sure they can." Henri said bitterly. "All they have to do is mention public tax dollars and people will let them do whatever they want."
"And who's going to do this testing? The government of course." Remy said, the anger apparent in his voice. "When they find out what some of these mutants can do, when it's public record, what's to stop the military from stepping in? Ororo said there's been evidence of experimentation on mutants; one of the teachers at her school was even experimented on by the government. When they get this info, what's to stop them from taking some of these mutants?"
Especially someone like me Rogue thought to herself, and a light bulb went off in her head.
"THAT'S why she's been sounding so damn smug!" she said out loud, and the room fell silent. Tante Mattie didn't even reprimand her for swearing at the table.
"Candace." Rogue continued. "She's been sounding smug about something for days now, hasn't even been getting after me that much. She knew this was coming. I don't know how, but somehow she had to have known."
"How could she know that though?" Henri asked.
"She's one of them." said Remy in a tight voice. "The Friends of Humanity. She had one of their brochures on her desk one day when I went to see her and she was at a meeting that Ororo and I went to."
"Why didn't you tell me?" Rogue demanded. Remy was usually so honest with her about things, why wouldn't he tell her something like this?
"For what purpose? It's not like you can do anything about her, so we didn't see any point in worrying you." Remy shot back.
"We. Did you tell Kurt too?" Rogue asked, hating the idea of being the only one not in the loop, even if Remy was right in that she couldn't do anything. She still preferred to know.
Remy sighed. "No. He was already upset enough about you deciding to stay here, I didn't want him flipping out on us if he heard about Candace."
Remy was right about about that too, Rogue agreed. Kurt would flip out. He had taken on the role of big brother very quickly and very seriously; her eighteenth birthday was still several months out but he was already counting the days until she left New Orleans and joined him in New York. And even though he was only about seven years older he still considered himself to be her guardian in a way, being her oldest known relative, although she was technically a ward of the state. As close as they were becoming, Rogue wished he would lighten up a little. Despite her physical age, she wasn't a child. She admit though, it was nice to have someone care about her like that. Between Kurt, Remy, Ororo and the LeBeau's, she no longer felt alone in the world.
"We need to tell him." Rogue said finally. "He really will flip out if he finds out we kept this from him."
"You're right." Remy said. "We can tell him when they get here later."
"I hate to say this Rogue." Henri broke in, "but as much as we all love having you here, perhaps you should speak to Professor Xavier and see if he can start the process to transfer guardianship to him? If this law passes it might be a bad idea to wait until your birthday to go to New York."
Rogue thought about this. Yes, the idea of this law passing made her very nervous; it had trouble written all over it, but she just couldn't get herself to leave New Orleans yet. She wanted more time with her new friends, and if she was honest with herself, more time with Remy. She wasn't sure if the soon to be Mrs. Lebeau would be too keen on her new husband making trips to New York to visit a female friend, so Rogue needed to enjoy her time with him while she could.
"No, I'd rather wait until my birthday." Rogue said. "Besides, I don't think they'll pass this law. The state couldn't be that stupid; mutants have rights just like anyone else. They can't catalog us like animals"
"Believe me, they could." Jean-Luc said. "The anti-mutant movement has attracted some very rich, powerful people, and money buys power, even over those who would otherwise act with more sense. I would suggest keeping Xavier's offer in mind."
"I will, but for now I want to stay in New Orleans." Rogue said, finishing her breakfast, which had gotten cold during the discussion.
"I'm glad to hear that; is someone trying to make you leave?" came Mercy's voice, sounding a bit sleepy.
"The state of Louisiana is trying to pass something requiring mutants in state custody to be tested and registered. We think it could be a step towards locking people up." Remy said in disgust.
"Bastards." Mercy muttered. As she passed by Rogue, she stopped and squeezed the younger woman's shoulder gently. "Don't worry girl, they're crazy if they think they'll get their hands on you."
"They already have their hands on me." Rogue said. "At least for the next five months. It's just a matter of waiting to see what they decide to do with me."
"We'll get you out of here if they pass that thing. Won't we Remy?" Mercy said.
"Oui. Your brother will have that super jet of his down here so fast it'll make your head spin." Remy.
"See? No problem. Now where's the coffee? They'll be down here in a couple of hours and I want to be awake when I meet your brother." Mercy said.
"On the counter, where it usually is." Remy said. Rogue heard him sit down next to her.
"Mercy's right." he said quietly. "We'll get you out of here if those idiots pass that law."
"Sure." Rogue said. "Then they'll have you right back in jail again for kidnapping, and I doubt they'd agree to community service this time. No, if I have to leave I'll have my brother come get me. Xavier's got all kinds of lawyers and stuff; he should be able to keep Kurt from getting in trouble."
"Okay. It's good to have a backup plan though, just in case." Remy said.
"Thanks." Rogue said with a little smile. "Since we've got a couple of hours before Kurt and Ororo get here, I should probably do some homework. Martine wants that essay on Paradise Lost done by Monday."
"Blech." Remy said. "I thought that was one of the most boring things I ever read."
"I know. Satan was probably the most interesting character in the whole thing; it was pretty sad." Rogue said. "Oh well, I'll be in the library." She got up from the table, took her plate and brought it over to the sink, where she rinsed it off before leaving it. The she headed off to the library.
O-o-o-o-O
It wasn't until around twelve-thirty that Kurt and Ororo arrived. Remy leaned against Mercy's car and watched as the super jet, as he and Rogue now called it, landed on the runway at the little airport they used. They had spent the last half hour trying to talk about anything but that news report from this morning. Rogue seemed nervous about it, not unbelievably so though; but Remy had to admit to himself that he was scared. Not just for Rogue, although that was a big part of it, but for mutants in general. After the anti-mutant groups he and Ororo had visited and the hatred he had seen in the faces at the Friends of Humanity rally, he was quite confident that that law would be passed. Rogue and other mutants like her would be gathered up, tested and cataloged, a public record for any anti-mutant group or government agency to see and target. From there it was only a matter of time before it was spread out to include mutants in the general public. Unlike Rogue, Remy had little hope that the Louisiana state legislature would see sense in this matter. They would have to deal with things as they happened though. He had been serious this morning; he knew his father would do whatever he could to help, but he'd drive her out of the state himself if he had to. And if he couldn't for some reason, he knew that Rogue's brother would move heaven and earth to save his sister.
As much as he hated to admit it, Henri may be right in suggesting that Rogue get out of town while she can. He had felt a selfish pleasure though when she had said that she wanted to stay in New Orleans. He didn't want her to go, and the idea of her possibly leaving sooner than expected just hit home to him how much he would miss her. He enjoyed seeing her every day, and even on the weekends where she didn't come to visit he found part of himself looking forward to Monday. And it wasn't that he was bored on the weekends or didn't have anything to do; on the contrary, Belle was over every weekend and a couple of times during the week, going over wedding plans and just spending time with him. She was even looking at houses for when they were able to move out on their own. Remy always enjoyed seeing her, but the times when she and Rogue were in the house at the same time were very uncomfortable; Rogue's animosity towards his fiancee was understandable, as Belle was barely civil to her when they were together, but Belle's rudeness drove Remy nuts. He had told her several times that he was faithful to her, that he and Rogue were just friends, and they were. Neither of them had ever acted in anything other than a platonic manner towards each other, or indicated that they wanted to. He supposed that the little kiss on the forehead he had given her last night might be construed as slightly less than platonic by others, especially if they were wanting to see it that way, but Remy considered it innocent. He still wasn't sure exactly why he had done it, it had just seemed like a good idea at the time. Despite the physical separation from others that her mutation demanded, Rogue needed touch just like anyone else. Yes he had wanted her to have information last night, but he had also wanted it to be seen as a kind gesture, that he wanted to touch her, that he wasn't afraid of what she could do to him. And he hoped she had understood that. He thought maybe she had, at the very least she had seemed more disconcerted than angry with him last night, he recalled with a smug little smile. Remy liked being able to bring out reactions like that in her. Was that really the thought of a friend though? He wasn't entirely sure, but he remembered liking to do the same thing to Belle.
For now though, the hatch on the super jet was opening and he could see Ororo stepping out of the plane. Kurt was right behind her, talking to the same young man in sunglasses that had flown Ororo down the last time. Remy now knew that the young man's name was Scott, and that those sunglasses protected others from the fiery blasts that came from his eyes. Talk about looking at the world through rose-colored glasses Remy thought to himself. He definitely didn't envy him that mutation though. Like Rogue, Scott was stuck hiding part of himself to protect others. But he seemed to deal with it alright; Kurt had said that Scott was a teacher and student leader at the Xavier Academy, and respected among the students, even if he had a reputation for being uptight. Remy remembered with amusement the words "stick up his ass" being used in relation to Scott Summers on more than one occasion in their conversations.
The personality-challenged young man waved at them from the plane, then went back inside after Kurt and Ororo had stepped off the ramp. Once they were clear from the plane, it taxied slowly away then shot off down the runway. Remy watched in envy; he didn't know how to fly a plane, but he'd learn if he could get to fly something like that.
Arriving at the car, Ororo gave Remy a kiss on the cheek while Kurt caught his sister up in a big hug. Remy grinned; she was always caught off guard by people touching her.
"It's so good to see you again." Kurt said, not letting go of Rogue. Remy was happy to see her wrap her arms around her brother and hug him back.
"How are you Remy?" Ororo asked smiling. "Have you been behaving yourself?"
"No." Rogue said, finally letting go of Kurt. "He made me go rollerskating last night. I swear I bruised my tail bone falling on my butt."
"Hey, I didn't make you go." Remy protested.
"Well you helped. It was peer pressure, I swear the whole family ganged up on me." Rogue said.
Kurt looked like he was trying not to laugh. Instead he just took his and Ororo's bags and started to put them in the trunk of the car.
"Well I think it's good for you to get out more. You seem to rarely go anywhere other than Remy's house." Ororo said.
"We went to the pottery class at the museum last week." Rogue said.
"Yeah, I've still got clay in my favorite shirt." Remy said, opening the car door for Rogue.
"Hey, that's your own fault; you shouldn't have worn it knowing we were going to that class." Rogue said.
"It would have been fine if you hadn't thrown clay at me."
"That was a pretty good shot, wasn't it?" Rogue grinned as she got into the car. "I wasn't sure if I'd hit you. It's still your fault though; you're the one who made that comment about cementing my mouth shut."
"At it again as usual." Ororo laughed after getting into the car. She sat in the front seat while Rogue and Kurt sat together in the back. The drive back to the house was fun, with Kurt and Ororo telling about the latest antics of the students at the academy. In particular, Kurt was trying to avoid the crush that one of the girls, Kitty, had on him. Remy thought it was funny.
"Wow. This is a great place." Kurt said once they had arrived at the house. "Doesn't Anne Rice live in this neighborhood?"
"Yeah, not too far from here." Remy said. "But I don't know how she is about visitors."
"Oh well." Kurt shrugged. "I still think it's cool."
"You read Anne Rice?" Rogue asked. "I wouldn't have pegged you for a vampire fan."
"Actually I liked The Mummy the best." Kurt said. "Ramses is a really smooth character. But Lestat's okay too."
Remy showed the two to their rooms upstairs while Rogue went to the kitchen to help Tante Mattie put together lunch. He had been surprised at first that they were having separate rooms, considering they had been together for so long, but Ororo had explained to him that as a Catholic Kurt didn't believe in sex before marriage, and she respected that. Remy thought it a little crazy, especially when he had a girlfriend as beautiful as Ororo, but ultimately he respected it also. It showed the depth of the respect and affection Kurt had for her, and that he had long term plans for their relationship if he was willing to wait. He was glad Ororo had someone to love her like that. And that it was Rogue's brother made it even better.
They ate lunch with the rest of the family. Tante Mattie made fried chicken, despite Mercy's suggestion of something healthier like salad with shrimp. Tante had insisted that their guests needed to have some good traditional Southern food while they were here, and Remy agreed. Of course that was mainly due to the fact that he would never say no to his Tante's chicken.
"Come on chere." he said as they ate. "You gotta admit, it'd be a crime to let Rogue's brother and his girlfriend leave without trying Tante's chicken."
"Yes, it's good....." Mercy said reluctantly.
"It's the best." Remy broke in, and Kurt nodded eagerly.
"Alright, it's the best. But I still say our arteries will pay for this later on." Mercy finished, licking her fingers as she finished her chicken leg.
"We all gotta die of something." Rogue said, reaching carefully onto the platter to grab another piece.
Ororo just quietly ate her chicken breast. Remy found it amazing that someone could eat fried chicken as neatly as she did.
"Did you guys bring your swimsuits?" Mercy asked. "I thought we'd play in the pool after lunch."
"Yeah, Rogue suggested bringing them." Ororo said.
"Cool. Rogue, you can borrow one of mine." Mercy said.
"Are you sure about this? I thought I'd just get a little sun and read a book." Rogue said uncertainly. "All of us in there with me just in a regular bathing suit is asking for an accident."
"It's okay." Mercy said. "I can't speak for Remy here, but I know the rest of us are smart enough to be careful around you. I think you'll be alright."
"Hey, I've been careful." Remy said, hoping that Rogue wouldn't say anything about last night. And even with last night, he thought he had been careful. He had only touched her briefly.
"I suppose." Rogue said.
"Great. I'll go grab one of my suits." Mercy said, and took her plate up to the sink.
"I'm gonna go play Grand Theft Auto with Emil. I've been shedding a little with the hot weather, and I don't want to get fur in your pool." Kurt said a bit sheepishly.
Remy bit back a grin at the image of Blue Boy shedding. Emil just laughed; Kurt had shown them what he looked like without the image inducer.
"Oh man, that's funny. I can just picture bits of blue fur floating in the pool." he said.
Kurt made a face. "It's embarrassing."
"Come on Rogue, let's go." Mercy said, grinning. Rogue joined her a minute later, followed by Ororo, and the three left to find swimsuits. Kurt and Emil left a few minutes later to go play video games, leaving Remy and Henri to clean up as Tante was going grocery shopping and Jean-Luc didn't do dishes if there was any way to avoid it.
About half an hour later everyone gathered at the pool, minus Kurt and Emil, who were hanging out in the living room happily involved in car chases and violent crime. The two had gotten along right off the bat with their mutual love of bad jokes and video games. Remy was sitting on the side of the pool in a pair of swim trunks, splashing his feet in the water when Mercy, Ororo and Rogue came out. Mercy looked good as usual in a tiny black bikini, Ororo was wearing a green suit that looked lovely against her dark skin, but Rogue was what had his mouth hanging open, and he shut it quickly, hoping no one had noticed. She was just wearing a simple black one piece suit, but he had never seen so much skin exposed on her before. She was beautiful. Remy's pulse sped up and he tried to will it to stop; this was his best friend, he wasn't supposed to be reacting to her like this. He kept himself from saying anything, afraid that he'd betray what she was doing to him.
I'm an engaged man, damnit. He thought to himself, but all he could do was admire the way the sun shone on her dark hair as she carefully approached the pool area.
"Give me your gloves and cane Rogue." Mercy said. "I'll put them on the table."
Rogue handed the items carefully to Mercy, and hugged her arms around herself, looking very self-conscious. Remy wasn't surprised; she probably hadn't shown so much to skin to anyone in years, she had to be nervous.
Remy watched Rogue move cautiously as Mercy verbally guided her into the pool.
"Where's Remy?" Rogue asked once she was in the water.
"I'm over here, petite." he said. She was a few yards away from him to the left.
"You've got plenty of room to swim on your own." he said, and slipped down into the water. Mercy joined Henri on the other side of the pool, where they started teasing and splashing each other, while Ororo was a little ways away from them, floating in the water.
Rogue seemed to relax a bit upon hearing this, and felt her way along the edge of the pool a little before stretching out to float. She smiled, her pretty, empty eyes closed for the moment.
"This feels wonderful." She said.
"I know." Remy agreed. "I'm going to do some laps." He set off around the pool, the movement through the water feeling very good. After five laps, he stopped to rest against the side of the pool. Rogue had apparently become comfortable enough to do some swimming of her own, and the others were careful to keep clear of her when she headed in their direction.
A little later the four of them started a game of pool volleyball while Rogue relaxed against the side of the pool out of the way. Remy felt bad at not being able to invite her to play, but she didn't seem to mind so they went ahead and had their game. After about another hour or so of play, they all got out of the pool and hung out for awhile in lounge chairs while they dried off in the sun. Mercy and Ororo put on tanning oil and sunglasses. Rogue just closed her eyes and stretched out in her chair.
"Chere, did you put on sunscreen before you came out here?" Remy asked, looking over her very fair skin.
"Yeah, it's okay." She said.
"Good." Remy said, and laid back to work on his tan.
After they were done at the pool, Remy, Rogue, Ororo, Henri and Mercy all took showers and gathered in the living room to see what Kurt and Emil were up to. They had abandoned GTA and were wrapped up in an NBA basketball video game.
"You know, there's a perfectly good hoop outside." Remy commented, sitting down on the floor next to Rogue's feet. She was on the couch with Ororo, while Henri and Mercy were curled up in one of the armchairs together. Remy had noticed that they seemed awfully cozy lately, and he wondered if maybe they were trying to make him an uncle. He thought that would be a great idea; he'd get to spoil the kid rotten, and drive his brother and sister in law nuts in the process.
"Yeah, but out there we can't be these guys." Kurt said, pointing out the big name stars in the game.
Emil nodded. "Besides, this guy can teleport. He'd cheat."
"I would not!" Kurt protested, but Remy didn't think he looked very innocent.
"Oh please." Ororo said. "Every time we have a 'no powers' game, you always end up all over the court."
Kurt at least had the sense to look embarrassed. "Heh, can't help it sometimes liebchen." he said.
"Riiiiiiight." his girlfriend rolled her eyes.
"So, how are things up north? Has that doctor of yours had any new ideas about Rogue's mutation?" Mercy asked.
"Not really." Kurt said, half of his attention still on the game. "Professor Xavier said he wanted to explore the possibility of it being psychic though. He wants to have some mental sessions when Rogue comes up in November."
"What, is he going to have her like, meditate or something?" Mercy asked.
"I don't know." Kurt said. "He'll probably go into her mind and check things out in there, see what makes her brain tick and if it has anything to do with her power."
"If anyone needs their head checked out, it's Remy." Henri said. "I'd love to know what makes his brain tick."
"You sure about that?" asked his wife.
"He'd have to have one first." Rogue said smugly.
"That's not nice." Remy pouted, feeling a little ganged up on.
"Never said I was." Rogue replied. "I'm really not too crazy about the idea of someone going through my head, but if it helps me out in the end, I'm all for it."
"Why doesn't he just make a device or something to control her power? He had your image thing made, right Kurt?" Emil asked.
"It's a little more complicated than what I've got." Kurt said. "The image inducer is relatively easy compared to what Rogue would need. We don't have anyone who can do something like that."
"Well, we did, but nobody has seen him in awhile." Ororo said. "Forge could build almost anything. His mutation makes him a technological genius."
Kurt nodded. "Yeah, but he disappeared about two years ago. It's too bad; if anyone could make something to block powers, he probably could. He's a pretty cool guy, I liked him."
Remy frowned. "No idea on what happened to him at all? It sounds like we could really use him."
Ororo shook her head. "No, not a trace. He does some work for the government, but they've found no sign of him either.
"That stinks." Rogue said. "I'd rather do that than have someone in my head."
"I don't know about that. Psychic control on your own would likely be more permanent than any device. Besides, devices can break or get lost." Ororo said.
"Maybe." Rogue conceded. "But I've already got enough people inside my head, I don't need any more."
"Well it's rather a moot point anyway, with Forge missing in action." Kurt said. "I'd say the Professor would be your best bet at this point."
Rogue sighed. "You're probably right."
After watching Kurt and Emil play for awhile, Mercy insisted that they put in a movie, so the rest of the afternoon was spent watching bad Monty Python flicks. Even without being able to see the movie, Rogue still seemed to find the verbal jokes funny enough to enjoy herself. Eventually Remy excused himself to go check on dinner, and cooked vegetables while Tante Mattie made biscuits to go with the ham that Remy had had in the slow cooker all day. Everything came out delicious, and Remy basked in the compliments that he received from his family and guests.
After dinner Rogue listened to the news for her current events discussion on Monday with Martine, until it was time to get ready to go out. Some people dressed up to go to the dance halls, but Remy and his family had always dressed pretty casually. Apparently Mercy had told Rogue this, because she came out in jeans and and one of her light, pretty crotcheted tops.
"You look lovely, chere." He told her, and he was pleased to see her blush.
"Thanks." Rogue said. "So you ready to show off what a great dancer you are?"
"Of course. Remy'll dance rings around his brother." he grinned.
Ororo joined them in the foyer when he said this.
"Why on earth are you talking like that?" she asked in confusion.
"Oh, Remy decided that he sounds cool talking in third person." Rogue said, looking disgusted. "Could you please tell him how lame he sounds?"
"It does sound pretty weird." Ororo said.
Remy just rolled his eyes. "You femmes just have no sense of style."
"Whatever. Let's just go." Rogue said.
Kurt and Ororo rode in Mercy's car with her, Henri and Emil, while Remy took Rogue on his bike. The dance hall was starting to fill up when they arrive, and the local zydeco band that was playing tonight was already in full swing. He had Rogue's arm tucked in his, with her cane folded up as she'd more than likely be whacking people all over the place by accident. She didn't complain though; they had been to plenty of places where it was just easier for Remy to guide her.
"Don't forget to save me a dance Rogue." Emil said, and squeezed her free hand before taking off to find himself a partner. Henri paired up with Ororo and Mercy paired up with Kurt in order to teach them how to do the dance, leaving Remy and Rogue at the table the group had commandeered for themselves.
"So, chere." Remy said. "You gonna come dance with me?"
"I suppose." Rogue smiled. "Since everyone else has abandoned me to you."
"Oh you know you'd rather have me teach you than those other guys." Remy said teasingly.
"If you say so Remy." Rogue replied condescendingly. "Come on then, show me your stuff."
Remy grinned and led her onto the dance floor. Finding a relatively quiet spot, he went through the steps with her; and while she was very awkward at first, she gradually caught on and as long as he didn't go too fast, she could keep up with him. Eventually they joined the rest of the crowd on the floor and he was dancing her around the room to the bright, infectious beat.
"You having fun?" he asked between songs.
"Definitely." Rogue smiled. "I have to admit, you're not a bad dancer."
"Ah, but you haven't danced with my cousin yet." Remy said. "Once you've danced with Emil, you'll appreciate how good I am." He looked around the room and saw Emil dancing with a pretty red head, her hair almost as bright as his own. Kurt and Ororo were dancing together now, and it looked like they had picked up the steps pretty easily, while his brother and Mercy were at the bar having a drink.
A couple of songs later Emil came over to borrow Rogue for the next dance, so Remy danced with his sister in law.
"You two are adorable together you know." she said while they danced.
"Don't you start too." Remy groaned. "Your husband has already insinuated the same thing. Rogue and I are just friends. Besides, in case you've forgotten, I'm supposed to be bringing peace to our family by marrying Belle."
"And how many times have political marriages really brought peace to warring families, or countries for that matter?" Mercy asked. "I know you think you love Belle, but don't sacrifice your life and happiness for us. There's got to be another way to stop the feud with the Assassins."
"But I do love Belle." Remy said. And he did. He was prepared to commit to her. It was just that when he looked at Rogue............and he just really enjoyed her company.......it made him want to beat his head against a wall. He didn't want Mercy and his brother to be right. Rogue was his friend. He didn't want anything to complicate that, or to complicate the life he was preparing to make with Belle. This was as much for his family as it was for himself. The deaths and injuries that have occurred over the years, they had to stop. And nobody could think of any other way to do it.
"Maybe you do." Mercy said. "But are you sure this isn't obligation more than anything else? You just seem so much happier with Rogue."
"It's a bit of both." Remy admitted. "But even if I did feel that way, it wouldn't matter. She's going to New York in November to be with her family, her only family. And I love my family and New Orleans too much to leave. It would never work."
Mercy shook her head before Remy swung her into a spin. "I know I'm biased since I can't stand Belle, but it just seems like a mistake."
"You'll have to get over it." Remy said. "Belle and I are getting married. Now let's talk about something else."
"Fine." Mercy replied.
After finishing the dance with his sister in law, he danced with Ororo once before going to the bar for a drink. He sat at the table and watched as Rogue had another dance with Emil, where he amazingly enough didn't seem to be stepping on her feet, and then danced with Henri before Kurt collected her for a dance. It was a waltz, and Remy enjoyed himself watching Rogue laugh at something her brother said while he twirled her around the floor. When they finished, Remy decided that since she had danced with the guys that he could have her back to himself again.
A violin began the sweet strains of another waltz as Remy approached Kurt and Rogue.
"Mind if I get another dance in with your sister?" he asked.
"Go for it." Kurt said. "I"m going to go get a soda." Then he walked off.
"Thank you so much for asking me to dance, Remy." Rogue said sarcastically.
Remy just grinned. "I was just being polite. Isn't it customary to ask the male for permission to cut in?"
"Yeah, but this is the twenty-first century. You're supposed to ask the woman these days."
"Fine, fine. Desole chere. Come on, dance with me, please. The song's getting away from us." Remy said, and took her hand.
"I suppose." Rogue shrugged and clasping his hand, found his arm and slid her free hand up to his shoulder. Remy put his hand on her waist and guided her into the waltz, ignoring how happy he felt to have her this close.
O-o-o-o-O
Rogue fought back a smile as she and Remy danced; yes, it would have been more polite for him to ask her rather than her brother for the dance, but she was just having a hard time staying annoyed at him tonight, she was having such a good time. Henri was an excellent dancer, and even though her brother was just learning, he had been pretty good. Even Emil wasn't as bad as everyone said he was; he had gone a little fast and she had had to work to keep up, but he didn't step on her toes once and they had rarely bumped into each other. It was nice to go back to Remy though; she was more comfortable with him than the others. It was especially nice going through a waltz with him now. His hand felt comfortable on her waist and he guided her smoothly around the floor.
"Spin." he warned, and she spun once before he caught her around the waist again. This time though his hand ended up further around her, and she ended up brushing against his chest before he began moving again. He didn't make any attempt to back away from her, and she was having a hard time remembering how to breathe, feeling Remy so close to her. He was close enough that she could almost rest her head on his shoulder, but she didn't dare. She couldn't accept that she might possibly be feeling anything other than friendship for the man who was supposed to be just her court-appointed companion, regardless of how fast her heart was going right now, and even if she could accept the idea, Remy was in love with another woman and would be married in another 3 weeks. She could never say a word, it would be absolutely humiliating and would make things awfully uncomfortable between them.
Then Remy's arm slipped a little further around her waist and Rogue found herself just a little bit closer to him; she could feel the top of her head lightly brush against his chin. Oh god...... she thought to herself, trying to ignore it. Did he even realize what he was doing? He just couldn't. Rogue couldn't bring herself to say anything though or move away from him; she didn't know if she'd ever be this close to him again, she'd never been so close to any man other than her brother and she didn't want to stop before the song ended.
Remy's arm moved just a little bit closer around her.......
Oh god........I'm in so much trouble...... Rogue thought to herself as she couldn't help herself from letting her head rest carefully on his shoulder. She could faintly smell his cologne, something lightly spicy, and made herself relax as they moved.
I'm in sooo much trouble.
O-o-o-o-O
Taking a large swig from his glass of whiskey, Julien Boudreaux watched as Remy LeBeau danced closely with someone other than his sister. They looked quite cozy together, the Thief and his little blind girl, and Julien smirked cruelly. One more foot deeper into the grave he was digging for his future brother in law. It was too bad Bella wasn't here tonight to see it; she was on a girl's night out at the clubs with some of the other female Assassins. She didn't like the traditional Cajun music anyway. Julien remembered the argument she'd had with their father when Marius said that he wanted a zydeco band at the wedding reception.
Julien liked it, but right now he was sitting at the far end of the bar with a drink while his date danced with someone else. He tried to remember her name; Ann, or Angel, or something like that. Angela, that was it. She was the daughter of one of his father's business associates, and while she was pretty, and a nice girl, he wasn't interested in nice. He usually tried to avoid the nice girls because he wasn't a complete bastard. If he tried to show any interest he knew he would just be leading them on, and he didn't want to do that. His father had asked him to take Angela out and show her a good time though, so he would; he would just make sure to not seem like it was anything more than that. He was glad she was a brunette; she had pretty brown hair that fell past her shoulders. He didn't date blondes, never a blonde. A blonde girl would just be too much like his sister. He knew he was sick, and he would never allow himself anyone who could have even a slight resemblance to Bella; he would never allow himself even the fantasy of her. That could tempt him to think that he could........and he would never touch her.
He looked down at the drink in his hand and took another sip. The approaching wedding was making him more frustrated, and the almost continual ache in his heart stronger; he now found himself drinking more often than he was used to, and at odd times of the day. It probably wasn't a good idea, but he just couldn't help himself. Thankfully one of the other Assassins was here tonight, so he wouldn't have to worry about driving.
In the meantime though, Julien now had more information to feed his sister. Over the past month or so he had been dripping verbal poison into Bella's ears regarding her upcoming marriage to the Thief. He had also seen her fiance and his companion out and about occasionally, and they looked very happy together. Such an adorable couple, he thought sarcastically to himself. He'd prefer Remy LeBeau six feet under, but even if he just ended up with this other girl he could live with that, as long as he was away from Bella. And this was good ammo; they were dancing way too close to be seen as just friends. Julien smiled to himself. His petit soeur would have a fit.
When the song ended, Julien tossed back the rest of his whiskey and stood up to go find Angela. He figured he should have a couple of more dances with his date before the night was over. Then he'd go home and tell a nice little story to his sister.
It looked like it was going to be a good night after all.