31

A small table had been set up and all of the thieves Rogue had gone on the heist with were there. She saw that there were two more seats set up. One for herself, sat next to Theo. And another at the head of the table that was empty.

Theo lifted his glass towards her and Rogue smiled. She made her way over to Theo and slipped in the chair beside him.

"From de sounds of it, y' been through de wars lately," Theo had said.

Rogue glanced at the empty plate in front of her and shrugged her shoulders.

"Just people not agreein' with what ah did," Rogue said, not wanting to start up that topic of conversation.

"Y' mean, thievin'?" Theo questioned.

"Yeah," Rogue said.

"Technically, y' ain't stole anyt'ing yet. Y' be just de an complice. But, give it time," Theo said.

Rogue glanced back up at Theo, her eyes questioning.

"Ya… really think ah could become a thief?" Rogue asked.

"Not just a thief," came Jean-Luc's voice from the dining room enterence.

All of the seated thieves rose for Jean-Luc. After catching what they were doing, Rogue rose too. She glanced at Jean-Luc who had his eyes set on her. There was a large smirk on his face. The same one as the night he first saw her in Tante's kitchen. It… made her feel uncomfortable.

"Part'a de family," Jean-Luc finished, raising his hand in a gesture for everyone to sit.

They did and Rogue followed suit. Jean-Luc made his way to sit in the chair beside her at the head of the table. Rogue kept her eyes on the plate in front of her, refusing to glance his way. She knew Jean-Luc knew about her going on a heist because of Theo explaining on the mission how he'd had to ask Jean-Luc permission and then that he'd have to give a report which would include her interactions on the heist. Even though she had planned for Jean-Luc to learn she was open to becoming a thief, she still felt rather on edge. Her gloved hands were on her thighs, resting there, when she felt a hand reach under the table and grasp one.

"Y' did well t'day," Jean-Luc said.

Rogue felt like she had to look up then. She became entrapped once again in those intense eyes that she felt she needed to answer to.

"A toast," Jean-Luc said, raising his glass.

Rogue only just noticed that Tante had entered the room and began pouring them all glasses of wine. Rogue watched her go around the table. She refused to meet Rogue's eyes as she went and when she was stood right beside her, she still refused to look her in the eyes. There was a very clear disapproval in Tante's eyes. One that Rogue couldn't shake.

Tante had warned her not to do what she just did, not providing much of a reason why she didn't want Rogue to become a thief, just like the others. But, having the dissaprovel of Tante was earth shattering. Rogue really was on edge now as the woman remained silent. She wondered just what she had gotten herself in to.

Rogue wanted Tante to reach out with those miricale hands of hers and make her feel as if she was all healed. Make the pain that had started to grow within her go away. But Tante wouldn't do that for her now. Not with that look of distaste plasted on her face.

Rogue turned away from looking at Tante, really wondering now why going on a heist may have really turned out to be a bad thing.

"Mon précieux," Jean-Luc called, regaining Rogue's attention. "Somet'in' de matter?"

Rogue got trapped in his eyes again, but she really didn't want to tell him why she felt so upset. Instead, she found the will to force a smile and say: "Nope, no problems at all."

"Bien," Jean-Luc said, placing his glass down.

Just as Tante began to come out with a tray full of plates, Jean-Luc held his hand up towards her.

"Dis can wait," Jean-Luc said, moving to stand.

Rogue felt like her eyes double in size as Jean-Luc presented his hand towards her.

"Come, there be somet'ing we need t' disguise," he told her.

Feeling as if she couldn't say no to the head of the thieves, Rogue reached up and accepted Jean-Luc's hand. He began to lead her out from the dining room. When Rogue glanced over her shoulder at the other thieves, she noticed that none of them worn smiles. In fact, they all looked pretty serious. Just as serious as when they had pulled the heist with her. They began to move as if just given a command from Jean-Luc and make themselves busy.

Lastly, Rogue's eyes landed on Tante. Tante's eyes had become soft. Full of worry. That worry scared Rogue since, the only time she'd seen that look in Tante's face was when she feared Rogue had put herself in great danger. She watched the woman place the tray down on the dining table and head off in a direction none of the other thieves had been heading.

Rogue swallowed, feeling uneasy as she turned her head back around to pay attention to where Jean-Luc was taking her. Her heart was beating loudly in her chest and she wondered how no one else, expect her, seemed to be hearing it.

Jean-Luc lead her to a room he hadn't shown her before. They had to go down a few steps and into a somewhat dark room.

Rogue could hear heavy panting as they got closer to the basement floor. When they entered, Rogue found herself facing a horrifying sight. Before her, tighted to a chair and bloodied from receiving a good beating, was one of the Rippers who had attacked her on the very first night she emerged from the swamps with no memories.

"I be a man who has a keen eye when it comes t' précieux trésors." Jean-Luc said. Rogue jumped slightly as she felt Jean-Luc switch his hands and place his free hand firmly on her shoulder. "Can spot em a mile off. I also be a man who is able t' spot un talent when one possesses it, an' y', mon précieux girl, have a gift," he said, leading her closer towards the bloodied man.

Rogue swallowed down something nasty as the man straped to the eye glanced up at her with his one good eye. He was glaring at her, his eyes filled with hate. Rogue's face had fallen, unable to believe what it was she was witnessing. From what she could make out from the bloody remains, this Ripper was the one known as Julian.

Jean-Luc spun Rogue around, taking a hold of both of her shoulders and making her look at him. Up into those intense eyes of his. The ones that were smiling as big as his toothy grin.

"Y' be one'a de best thieves I ever laid eyes on 'cause'a y' talent. The talent," Jean-Luc said, reaching down to slip one glove off Rogue's hand, "y' posses in dat magnifique skin y' have."

Rogue felt herself become even more confused as to what was happening when she saw Jean-Luc gleaning down at her shaking hand as if he had just laid eyes upon the most glorious tressure ever known to man. She looked down at her pale hand too, seeing nothing special about it.

"In y' skin," Jean-Luc said, grabbing a hold of her wrist and lifting up her bare hand. "Y' hold de powers t' know anyone's deepest secrets. T' know everyt'ing 'bout a person from just de touch of a finger," he beamed.

Jean-Luc's excitement only made Rogue feel more terrified. She glanced behind Jean-Luc, seeing the two thieves who had tortured the Ripper member, watching her, as if, waiting for something. She wanted to ask them for help. To get this mad, delusional man away from her. But it seemed as if neither of them would lift a finger to help her if she asked. Not even if she begged. Rogue felt her bottom lip begin to tremble as she feared what was about to happen. She wondered if this was what Tante, Henri, Merci and Remy had been trying to warn her about and was mad at them for not trying harder to make her understand what the consequences of her actions would be.

"Y' not makin' any sense," Rogue said, meeting Jean-Luc's eyes again. She said this because he wasn't making sense. He was talking like a mad man to her and his thieves were following his all of his crazy words. This only made the situation more intimidating.

"Oh, I will," Jean-Luc said, raising a hand to stroke the side of her face where her hair fell. "It'll all become clear soon enough. An', when it does, y'll be able t' help us how t' take down de Rippers once an' for all!"

Rogue took a step back from Jean-Luc, but he never let go of her wrist. It wasn't going to be that easy.

"Y' mad," Rogue muttered as she tried, loosenly, to get Jean-Luc to let go of his grip. "Y' not makin' any sense. Y' talkin' like a mad man an' it's scarin' meh. Let meh go please," Rogue asked.

Jean-Luc just became more physical with her, pulling her towards him and taking hold of her second wrist.

"Maybe mad précisous, but it be dat madness dat gonna win us de war," he said, his eyes sparking down at her.

Rogue was trapped in those eyes. Trapped in the horror she was facing. Even though, what Jean-Luc was saying would happen didn't make sense, there was clear understanding what he was after and why he was doing this.

"The other's were right 'bout ya," Rogue near whispered, coming to realise the mistake she had made. "All y' care 'bout is power an' destoryin' the Rippers. Why? Why are y' so intent on hurtin' em? On hurtin' one another?" Rogue asked, now glancing at the tied up Ripper for answers. "'cause'a somethin' that happened centuries ago?" she demanded to know, now from Jean-Luc. "Seriously! Ya killin' each other! An' ya don't even know the reason why! It's madness! Madness, ah don't wanna be a part of," Rogue said, trying to pull her wrist free from Jean-Luc's grip.

Jean-Luc pulled Rogue into his chest, using one of the wrists he had hold of to twist her arm, painfully, and pin her against him. Rogue let out a little cry of pain at the action, then began to struggle, hoping, he'd just let go without things getting out of hand.

"We may not know de original reason," Jean-Luc whispered into her hair. "But we do know, dis be war an' there only one way t' end it."

Jean-Luc positioned Rogue so she was now facing the beaten Ripper head on. His hold was firm on her wrist, almost tight enough to leave bruises.

"Now, y' gonna help us do just that," Jean-Luc said, moving her ungloved hand towards the Ripper's face.

xxxxx

French Translations

Mon Précieux - Mon Precious
Bien - Good
Précieux Trésors - Precious Treasures
Magnifique - Magnificent