Disclaimers: I own everything. Screw y'all. *Brother/ShaggyDiz taps shoulder and shakes his head* I don't? Damn. Heh… jokin about the 'screw y'all' thing… :o)
Don't own characters or Evolution, but I do own copies of the CDs mentioned. Not that accounts for anything but oh wellz. Another thing, I'm not good with time and distance… I'm also not sure if they speak with a full out Rogue/Southern accent in Georgia (because I don't think they do in Florida…). This is what I get for being a Philly girl. :o)
One more thing (haha jackie chan adventure fans): a reviewer mentioned that Xavier wiped the minds of the people in Caldecott so Rogue would be safe… umm, I didn't quite follow that here if that's what happened. (An' if it did, heh, *shrugs*)
Going Home – Chapter 3
As Rogue had predicted, she barely got any sleep. Instead, she spent the night staring at the ceiling with an occasional glance to her alarm clock. Her heavy eyelids dropped for the last time around 4:30, but Rogue soon snapped them open again. She sat up in bed and checked her clock. Only quarter aftah six!
Hastily, she threw her covers off her body and rubbed out the crick in her neck. Since this was vacation for the X-teens, no one would be expected to be up for at least 2 hours. There were some early birds always, like Ororo, but even the professor took advantage of the tranquility of Cape Hatteras.
Rogue hovered over her bed and flew over out of the room to the bathroom. If a nice warm – long – bath couldn't quell her high strung nerves, even for a while, then nothing would.
An hour and a half and a bottle of Storm's special all natural bubble bath later, Rogue emerged from the bathroom with extra 'pruny' fingers and toes. She felt more energized, but not as nervous. "Time foh Remy ta wake up," she whispered as she headed for his room.
She tapped lightly on the door, so as not to wake Scott. She figured Gambit would be up since they were leaving in a little more than an hour. Hearing nothing but the mattress creaking under one of the boys, she pushed open the door and peeked in. First she saw Scott, with his sunglasses strapped on by a band around his head. He lay on his back with his head lulled to one direction, facing Rogue. He breathed deeply with his lips parted slightly. "An' what a charmer he is," she murmured, remembering their first school project. She had thought she had a crush on him then, but after meeting Remy, that feeling had been chased away.
On the thought of her Cajun boyfriend, she stepped into the room and glanced to the bed opposite Scott's. Unlike their leader, Remy was practically falling off the bed. He was sprawled out across the double bed with his arm hanging off and his head was lying close to the edge as well. He'd kicked off his sheets, despite the central air running through the house. As always, he was shirtless, donning only a pair of pajama pants. Rogue tip toed over to his bed, tightening her bathrobe along the way.
"Remy?" She whispered as she kneeled down next to his bed. Cursing to herself for not bringing gloves, she reached out to his discarded blanket. After making sure her hands were concealed, she prodded him gently. "C'mon, Swamp Rat. We got an hour 'til we leave," she hissed close to his ear.
"Go 'way…" he grumbled. "Y' fly down. Let Remy sleep."
"Don't make me pull ya outta bed, mistuh. You said we were leavin' at nine sharp."
He lazily picked his head off his pillow and checked his clock. "Yes, I said dat, but right now is only 7:58. Remy has an hour." He shut his eyes again, half from sleep and the other half from the light pouring in from the window. He rolled over away from Rogue. A small smile appeared on his face. Oh, he was awake all right, but the morning was never complete without annoying the hell out of Rogue.
"Fine, Ah'm not gonna fight with ya. Ah'll just leave now an' fly like ya said." She got up from her kneeling position on the floor and strode right back out of the room, pulling the blanket half way with her.
"Oops." He scrambled out of bed and ran out after her as quietly as he could. "Chere!" He called to her once he got out into the hall.
She stopped in her tracks and whipped around, gray-green eyes blaring. "What?"
"Y' know I was jus' jokin'."
"Remy, Ah really didn't wanna joke 'round this mornin'. Ah wanted ta get ya outta bed so you could get ready so we could get rollin'. This means a lot ta me, if ya didn't notice."
He killed the space between them. "I know. I go shower right now, eh? An' I'll be ready at nine like we said before."
"An' what am Ah supposed ta do foh that hour?" She pouted.
"Dunno, make us lunches or somethin'. Play video games." He laughed at the last one. "Jus' don' be bored. Go wit Stormy on her walk. She should be up by now."
"All raht. Go an' get ready. You're wastin' time." She smiled softly and then walked away. Remy sighed, shaking off his own smile and stepped into the bathroom.
An hour later, Rogue had packed up the car, made lunches like Remy asked and did accompany Ororo on her morning walk/fly. Storm led her out past the beach and a good mile over the ocean. Seeing land so far away really awestruck Rogue, and for that little while she forgot about her trip.
But now she was back at the car, sitting anxiously in the passenger seat. She had gotten the keys out of the glove compartment and started up the car. She kept side glancing the clock as well whenever she switched stations. 8:58. "Dammit," she sighed in a sing-songy voice.
Rogue finally got tired of flipping through the station she didn't know so she slipped her Garbage Version 2.0 CD into the player. As the first beats played to "Temptation Waits," she cranked it up, but not without checking the clock first. "He's got one minute," she muttered under the music.
Not able to be heard over the music, Kurt appeared with Remy behind the car. Remy walked around the car to the driver's side while Kurt moved to talk to Rogue. She was in the middle of singing when she saw Remy in the corner of her eye.
She immediately perked up. "Foh a second there Ah thought ya weren't gonna make it."
Remy grinned back, but then looked to Kurt patiently waiting for a chance to say goodbye to his sister.
Rogue turned around, her eyes warming up more to her blue brother's presence. She stood up and wrapped him in a hug, carefully avoiding the contact of her bare skin with his face and neck. "Doncha get mushy on me, Kurt. Ah'll be fine."
He laughed. "I'm getting mushy? Excuse me, who started up zis hug?"
She pulled away. "Whatevah, Elf. Anyway, Remy told me what ya said last night. We'll be fine. What could harm us down there?" She smiled reassuringly.
"Zen I won't tell you to be careful because it's not needed, ja?"
"'Course not." She flipped around and checked the clock. 9:02. "Well, we hafta get goin' if we wanna get there at a reasonable time."
Kurt nodded. "I'll let ze others know you left vhen zhey vake up."
"Thanks, Kurt." She kissed her gloved fingertip and pressed it to his blue nose. "You be good."
"I should say ze same for you."
She slid back into her seat. "See ya Kurt!" He waved to her and Remy before disappearing in a cloud of gray and pink. She turned to Remy. "Let's get rollin', Swamp Rat." She turned the music even louder as "I Think I'm Paranoid" started up. Remy put the car in drive and pulled away from the beach house in a squeal of dust.
The sun was hitting high noon and the two X-teens had just crossed over into Georgia. Rogue had since pulled off her jacket and used it as a pillow to fall asleep on. For the last half an hour, it had only been Remy and the road as Rogue got the sleep she needed. The air was getting considerably thicker as they traveled south. Remy pressed a few buttons and slowly the cover to the convertible rose over them and shut into place. The sun was getting worse and he didn't think Rogue had put on any sunscreen. And knowing how much she avoided sun in the first place, she would burn easy. The windows were left open, because the warm air never bothered him much at all.
Around one o'clock, after they had gotten through most of Georgia, they made a pit stop. Remy carefully took one of Rogue's hands and squeezed it gently. "C'mon, chere. Time t' go t' de bathroom."
Her eyes opened and she wearily looked around at their surroundings. "Where are we?"
"Almost in t' Alabama." He checked the map. "We should prob'ly be dere in mebbe t'ree hours. I'm figurin' N'awlins is 'bout t'ree an' a half hours 'way."
"Sounds good." She pulled on her jacket. "Ah hate ta hafta wear this."
"I know. Jus' for a couple minutes." She nodded, still partially asleep and pushed open her door, hit with a new wave of heat.
"Damn, Ah fohgot how hot it gets down here. Can't wait till we're by the river. It's great." She stepped out of the car and walked around to Remy's extended hand.
They walked into the service station, which was one of those tiny plazas with lots of selections to eat and places to buy souvenirs. Rogue looked at the ladies' room. A line, as always. "Remy, Ah'm gonna be a couple minutes," she said, motioning to the ever-growing line. He nodded and let go of her hand, seeking out the men's room as well.
Rogue walked over and stood in the back of the line that stretched about 10 feet out of the actual bathroom. Who knew how much longer she'd have to wait when she passed through the doorway that led into it. She crossed her arms and huddled to herself. Hate havin' this many people around. This is just as bad as sittin' in an elevator with twenty strangers. The woman in front of her had a little girl with her, maybe about six. She looked at Rogue with curiosity. Rogue then figured how much of an outcast she must have looked like. In the eighty-five plus degree weather, everyone had pulled out their tank tops and shorts, while Rogue stood in her navy jacket with her black wind pants, not to mention gloves.
"Mommy," the little girl asked, tugging on her mother's hand. "Why is that girl wearin' so much?" The mother, as casually as she could, glanced over her shoulder to check out what her daughter was talking about. She saw Rogue in her get-up and then quickly adverted her attention forward again.
"Hush, baby. Don't you be worryin' 'bout anyone else but yoahself, ya hear?" She hissed as she pulled her daughter closer to her side and advanced up in line as much as she could. Rogue just stood silently. If Ah'm not hated foh bein' a mutant, it's foh dressin' funny. She glanced around for Remy. He had taken the liberty of getting her a bottle of water and was getting himself a soda at the Burger King.
Five minutes later, she was finally out of the bathroom and clear of the myriad of women of all ages staring her down. She all but ran out of the bathroom, careful not to brush into any of the women still waiting. She found Remy waiting by one of the machine-type gum dispensers. "Ready?" He asked.
"More than ready," she responded eagerly. She grabbed the water bottle of out his hand and with her other hand snatched his now empty hand and dragged him out of the service station.
When they were near the car, Remy finally spoke up. "Wan' tell me what dat was about, chere?"
"Give me a second." She ripped off the cap to the water bottle and took a huge gulp. "Okay. Ah feel bettah now." He just raised an eyebrow and waited for her explanation. She let out a deep sigh. "Ah really don't feel like talkin' about it, but seein' as ya're not movin' us anywhere, Ah got no choice."
"Usually y' would jus' said dat y' wouldn' wait f'me an' jus' fly. Now I know somet'in's up."
"This li'l gal, she saw me with mah clothes… she didn't mean anythin' by it, but the look her momma gave me." She didn't wait for his reaction. She just opened the door and flung herself inside, already peeling off her coat.
Remy got in more slowly, trying not to be in the path of the jacket that was now tossed to the backseat. It hit the seat with a loud thud. He sat down, cautious about making eye contact with her. He turned his head sluggishly, squinting his eyes underneath his sunglasses. "Chere?"
"What?" she snapped.
"It don' matter what happened in dere, alright?"
"Don't you see, Remy? That's prob'ly how everyone back home is gonna act."
"Hey," he took her hand in his, forcing her to look him. "Y' not gon' let dis stop y' from goin' back. We are not turnin' dis car 'round and wastin' anot'er four hours on de road jus' 'cause y' hate de clothes y' wear. It never bot'ered y' b'fore, an' it ain' gon' start now, okay?"
She remained still for a moment before dropping her head in defeat. "Ah'm sorry."
"Don' be sorry," he said with a lighter tone. "Y' jus' learnin'. 'Member dat. Y' pretty much only been in contact wit' people up north who can stand seein' someone dress in full like y' do. Down here it gon' be a li'l tougher t' fool 'em."
She nodded again and then pulled her hand out of his. She reached back for the bag she had made full of their lunches. "Ya want some food?"
"Sure." He smiled as he accepted one of the sandwiches.
After going through another one of Rogue's CDs (Ozzy Osbourne's The Ozzman Cometh), they had made it across Alabama and were slowly making it into Mississippi. Remy checked the clock as he flipped around the stations, trying to find some sort of jazz music. "Rogue's its goin' on 3:30."
She had been lazily gazing out the window, trying to take in as much of the muggy air as possible. "How long do ya think it's gonna be?"
"Might be dere by 5, not sure. I have a question, dough."
She sat up and looked to him. "Yah?"
"Where x'actly are we stayin'? Did de prof give y' some money for a motel or somet'in'?"
"He gave me what Ah would've spent in North Carolina. He gave me yoah money too, but Ah was thinkin' that we first see Irene… she shouldn't mind if we stay with her."
"Wit' Irene?"
"Yah. Ya don't mind, do you? She shouldn't really have any hostility towards us… hell, she prob'ly knows we're gonna ask her ta stay already."
"'Cause y' said she was a precognitionary-type person, non?"
"Yah, Ah think anyway from what Ah got outta Mystique."
"Not'er question."
"Shoot."
"Don' t'ink she called Mystique t' tell her we comin' down here?"
"Maybe she did. Won't mattah. Ah ain't turnin' this visit in ta anotha fight 'tween me an' her. If she does end up bein' down there an' waitin' foh us, we'll just stay somewhere else, no problem."
Remy nodded as he switched lanes. "Y' ev'r t'ink of maybe jus' spendin' time wit' her?"
"Ah did, when Ah was part of the Brothahood," she responded in a matter of fact tone.
"Non, I meant… jus' you two, an' maybe Kurt."
She sighed. "Yah, Ah've thought about it. Ah nevah thought it could work out though. There's so much bad blood now."
"Den jus' get ov'r it. She is y' mot'er after all."
"Since when are ya playin' mah shrink?" she sneered.
He grinned out at the road. "Since y' won' tell anybody else what's goin' t'rough dat head o' yours but me."
"Oh y'all're so funny. Ha-ha-ha." She swung her head in sync with her fake laughs. Internally, she thought over Remy's words well. Maybe it was time that they got over their feuding. They never fought when she was part of the Brotherhood… well, except for that time in the geology trip. Think about what Remy said, gal. He's got a point. Just grow up an' maybe Mystique will too.
"What do ya think the othahs are doin' now?" She asked, just to break the silence and mainly to change the subject.
"Knowin' dem, Kurt an' Evan prob'ly jus' got in from de pool an' are sittin' down t' anot'er 2 hours of N64. Kitty is prob'ly tannin' wit' Stormy. An' my last gues' is dat Jeannie dragged Scott in t' town for shoppin'." He beamed, thinking how correct he probably was.
Rogue stifled a giggle. "What about Xavier?"
"He's a harder one… I guess he be readin' or somet'in'. Don' see him 'nuff t' make an accurate guess."
"Yah. You're prob'ly raht 'bout the readin' thing. But Ah think he mainly does that at night. Maybe he's swimmin' laps? He still does like ta work his upper body."
Remy shrugged. "Possibility."
"Ah'm tryin' ta think of what we would be doin' if we were still there."
"Y' still gon' try an' work on dat skin tone y' call a tan?"
She narrowed her eyes on him in a playful way. "Ya should be happy Ah even dare ta wear a bikini 'round all o' y'all. Thank gawd it's a private beach."
"Hey, dat camouflage one is real nice, chere." He chuckled. She thought about throwing her jacket at him, but decided against it since she really didn't want him to lose control of the car. She did promise to bring it back in one piece after all.
Two hours and forty-five minutes later, the butterflies in Rogue's stomach had appeared again as they reached the border between Mississippi and Louisiana. "Ah cain't believe how close we are."
"Y' know, if y' get too sick t' go, we can just ov'rshoot it an' take a trip t' N'awlins."
"Thought ya were banished?"
"I have my ways. I was jus' banished from de guild. Can' keep me from de Big Easy f'ever."
"If things don't go all that well in Caldecott, we just might do that then." She smiled.
After driving south for another few minutes, they got off the highway. The road off the highway immediately became familiar to Rogue as they drove by the outskirts of Caldecott. Even the smallest gas station brought a smile to her face. The biggest smile of all came when they drove by a dusty sign off the side of the road that read: "Welcome to Caldecott County, Mississippi."
"Holy shit, we made it!" She practically shrieked.
"You jus' tell me where t' go."
Rogue gave him directions to Irene's house, but not without pointing every little landmark along the way. "Look! That's the playground, an' mah old school…" She went on and on, pointing out the most absurd things. Remy thought for a minute that she had de-aged about ten years and was pointing out everything in a candy store. But he knew that this was her home and she was merely showing it off. They drove a little bit closer to Irene's and they came across the river. "There it is. Aftah we see Irene, we're definitely stoppin' there. Ah wanna show ya everythin'." Her tone calmed a little bit. Remy thought she may have been remembering something bad, but a smile was still apparent on her features.
"Turn here. Irene's is just a couple blocks down." Remy nodded as he turned left and drove down the street. After passing a few short streets, Rogue whispered and pointed, "Raht here."
Remy pulled up to the small gray house, with its white shutters and oak tree in the front yard. Rogue put on her jacket and checked the mirror a thousand times to make sure she looked all right. "Y' ready for dis, chere?"
Rogue put on her best smile. "Yup. C'mon." She opened the door and stepped out, straightening her pants and stretching slightly. An' I t'ought dis Irene femme was blind… Rogue seems t' be puttin' a lot t' her image. She walked around the car and grabbed Remy's hand, trying her best not to squeeze it too hard in her mix of excitement and nervousness. She closed her eyes and breathed in deeply, trying to calm herself.
Remy just shook his head at all her antics. "Chere, it be okay."
"Ah know. Ah'm definitely ready though." She tugged on his hand and led him up the path to the porch. Rogue raised her fist to the door and held it steady for a moment before knocking. The knock came out a bit louder than Rogue would have liked, given her strength. She let out a nervous giggle. "Shoulda used the doorbell." She muttered. Remy just gave her hand a reassuring squeeze.
A few moments later the door swung open and a woman wearing sunglasses and holding a cane stepped out. "Yes?"
"Hi, Irene. It's me."
"Rogue?"
"Mm-hmm," she answered shyly.
The woman smiled. "Come on in, then! I've been waiting for you all day!" She reached out for Rogue's hand, which the teen graciously took hold of. Still holding Remy's hand with her other hand, she followed Irene into the house.
It smelled of potpourri of many different kinds and the rooms were dim. "Here, sit." Irene tapped her cane to one of the small couches in the living room. "Would either of you like a drink?"
Remy sat, while Rogue still stood. "Let me, Irene. Remy, ya want a Coke or somethin'?"
"Dat'll be great, chere." He smiled.
"Ah'll be raht back, then." She let go of Remy's hand and disappeared into the kitchen. Everythin' is all the same. Ah wondah if mah room is still the way Ah left it. She wandered around the kitchen a bit before actually going into the refrigerator to retrieve the cans of soda. She didn't mean to snoop in any way, she just wanted to see what her former guardian had been up to.
Meanwhile, in the living room, Irene had taken a seat near the window in one of the upholstered chairs. She didn't at all stare in Remy's direction, and remained quiet for a moment. Remy, on the other hand, gazed around the room, exploring for himself. So dis is where Roguey grew up. No wonder she don' like video games. Dere ain' a TV here. He mentally laughed.
"Remy, right?"
"Oui," he replied, turning his attention to Irene.
"Where are you from, if I may ask?"
"N'awlins, ma'am." May have t' turn de charm on dis femme if my politeness don' work. He joked to himself.
"Just as I had thought. It's interesting that both you and Rogue are from the South and how you found each other."
"Yeah." Where is she goin' wit' dis? She testin' me t' see if I'm a good boyfriend or somet'in'?
She switched the legs she had crossed. "How are things with Xavier? I know that things didn't turn out so good for her with Mystique."
"She likes it dere, I guess."
There was a pause. "Between you and me, I advised Raven against the absorption of Miss Danvers."
"Wit' all due respect, ma'am, but I don' t'ink Mystique cared all dat much."
"Ah'm back." Rogue said happily as she returned back in the living room with two glasses filled with Coke. "You didn't want anythin', raht Irene?"
"No thank you, dear." She smiled, not changing the direction of her face.
Rogue took a seat next to Remy as she handed him his glass. He gratefully accepted it and took a gulp. Something about Irene didn't sit right with him, but he was too afraid to shatter Rogue's spirits by bringing it up. "Irene, Ah have a favor ta ask of ya."
"Anything, child."
"Ah was wonderin' if we could stay here foh a couple days. If it's too much troub –"
"Of course you can stay here. I would actually be more relieved if you did instead of a motel."
Rogue nodded appreciatively. "Thank ya so much. Ah have anotha question."
Irene looked to the direction of her voice as acknowledgement.
"Is mah room still the same?"
Irene cracked another smile. "Yes. I didn't dare touch it. I always had the feeling that it would be needed again."
Rogue got up and proceeded to give the woman a hug. "Ah wanna go look at it. C'mon, Remy!" She grabbed his hand and pulled him onto his feet, but then flew ahead of him upstairs. He walked slowly for a second, staring at Irene out of the corner of his eye, but then followed her up the stairs, taking them two at a time.
Irene listened for a moment to make sure they were in Rogue's room and then got up and felt her way over to the table where a phone sat. She picked it up and dialed a number she had dialed many times before. After three rings, the other person finally picked up.
"It's Irene. I told you she was coming down."
"Did she just arrive?"
"Yes, Raven. You really should come down. It would be good for her to see you here in a non-hostile place, while she's away from the rest of the team. She wouldn't –"
"-feel the pressure to be assertive against me. I know, Irene. We've gone through this a hundred and ten times. How long is she staying?"
"A couple days at most. When can you make it down?"
"I should be there by the morning. I have a few loose ends to tie up here."
"I would hurry. Something bad is going to happen. I had this image… It was so fuzzy, but it happened by the river."
"Are you sure you're not having a flashback of the night her powers manifested?"
"I don't have flashbacks, Raven." She laughed to lighten her tone after realizing how stern she sounded. It was the truth though. "I have to go. I don't want Rogue to know that I contacted you."
"Very well. I'll see you in the morning."
"Goodbye, Raven." Irene hung up the phone and then took her seat near the window once again. She felt another image coming. She hoped that it would answer some foggy messages running through her mind.
Rogue raced up to her room almost blindly. She reached the door and took a deep breath. She perked her ears when she heard footsteps behind her. "Remy?"
"Oui, where y' at?"
"Ovah here. Turn left at the stairs." He hit the last step, which Rogue remembered always had that extra creak. He finally made it behind her.
"What're y' watin' for, chere?"
"Ah wanted ya ta see it with me." She didn't wait for his reaction, just proceeded to turn the doorknob her gloved hand had been resting on for the last minute and pushed the door open gently. It swung open with a small squeal at the hinges. Rogue stood silent for a moment before walking through the arch.
"Chere… it's, umm, pink."
She laughed. "Don't remind me. It looked all raht in the black light though. Ah'll hafta show ya the show when it gets darker." Remy nodded and walked over to her bed, sitting down on the edge.
"Well, I c'n say dat I wasn' expectin' dis."
"It's just a room, Remy."
"Rogue… y' have teddy bears. Y' don' have any teddy bears at de mansion!" He picked one up by the pillows. "Dis one's purple!" He was on the brink of bursting out in tears from withholding his laughter.
She snatched it away from him. "Ah shoulda known ya woulda reacted this way." Despite her foul demeanor towards him, she held the stuffed animal with the utmost care. "If ya must know, Irene decorated. Ah know this sounds like a load of bull ta save mah own ass from embarrassment, but she decorated mah room befoh Ah came ta live with her."
"Sure, blame ev'ryt'in' on de blind femme." He snorted through his grin. "S'okay, chere. I won' tell de ot'ers. But one promise?"
She nonchalantly hugged the bear for a moment. "What?"
"Y' gotta bring dat one back."
She narrowed her eyes at him. "An' what if Ah don't?"
"Y' talkin' t' me, Rogue. Don' t'ink one of dese ain' goin' back wit' us. Look," he picked up another one. "He needs y' love!" He shoved the bear in her direction.
"Oh, don't even!" She said, an amused grin leaking onto her face. She threw the purple bear at him, which for good measure, he didn't bother attempting to snatch it mid-air. It collided with his head and he fell backwards on the bed in defeat.
"Damn, dis bed is comfy. I don' t'ink de ones at de mansion are as comfortable as dis."
Rogue appeared by his side with a sly smile on her face. "An' ta think it ain' even been broken in."
"Chere, please…" He grabbed another stuffed animal and covered its ears. "Not in front of de bears!"
"Ah ain't touchin' that one. C'mon," she said, taking his hand and hauling him off the bed. "Ah'm gonna tell Irene that we're goin' out foh dinnah."
"We are?"
"'Course. Ah wanna let ya in on a li'l secret." She leaned in as close to his ear as she dared. "'Rene ain' the best cook in the world. An' that way we'll be in a good part of town."
"How much are y' gon' show me t'night?"
"As much as Ah can. But we're definitely goin' ta the river. Ain't no way 'round that."
"Didn' t'ink dere would be." He smiled. She walked him out of the room, shutting the door behind her.
On the way down the stairs, she called "Irene?"
Irene looked away from the window and in the direction of the stairs. "Yes, dear?"
"We're gonna go inta town… get dinner an' check out some stuff."
"Be careful. I've seen some strange things these past couple days."
"Ya sound like mah brotha."
"I didn't realize he watched out for you."
"Yah. It's amazing what'll bring people tahgetha." Rogue cut her sentence short. She had wanted to say "especially with a momma like Mystique," but decided not to mention her blue skinned mother at all this trip.
"Oh. That's great though." She smiled warmly. "You two have fun. Don't get back too late."
"We won't. The latest we'll be back is eleven." She led Remy to the front door. "Bye 'Rene."
"G'bye, ma'am." He said as the door shut behind him.
They walked to the car in silence. Rogue walked around to the passenger side and watched as Remy stared blankly at the car. "Remy… somethin' buggin' ya?"
"Hmm?" He glanced up to her concerned face. "It be weird."
She opened the door to the car. "Tell me about it in the car. Ah'm sure it's nothin'." She smiled reassuringly and disappeared into the car.
Remy glanced back to the house. Irene was still sitting at the window. He fought back a shiver and climbed into the car. "Y' want de roof down, chere?"
"Sure." She stretched out luxuriously as he mechanically pressed the button to fold the roof down. "Wanna tell me what's buggin' ya?"
"I dunno how t' explain it… when y' were in de kitchen, Irene started talkin' t' me." He laughed, feeling kind of foolish for bring this up with her. "It seemed like she saw 'lot o' me… not anyt'in' good wit' de way she was talkin' 'bout me. Den she said some ot'er stuff…" He trailed off as he put the car in drive and pulled away from the house. As Rogue did earlier, he didn't wish to bring up Mystique at all unless necessary. The trip wasn't about her. Especially Irene trying to play like she was on their side.
"Ah think Ah see where ya're goin' with this. Befoh Ah knew Ah was a mutant, Ah didn't know that she was one eithah. An' she would always be warnin' me an' stuff ta the fullest extent. Hell, she even knew what type of mutation Ah had so Ah would be safe. Ah've worn head ta toe clothin' since junior high." She shrugged it off casually.
"I dunno, chere. It's jus' weird. Guess I'm not used t' havin' people who can see de future 'round me."
"Ah find Irene more comfortin' than two telepaths if ya ask me." She smiled and put her hand over his on the stick shifter.
He grinned at her motion and decided to drop the Irene topic. "So where to, p'tite?"
She checked the clock. It was going on six o'clock. "Is it too early ta eat?"
Rogue directed Remy around the small town for almost 15 minutes before finding a small place to eat. It was a pizzeria close to the river. Remy couldn't help but notice how empty the place was, and whoever was there gave Rogue a not-quite-so-inconspicuous look over before returning back to their meals. It seemed to him that she strode in with as much confidence as she had back home, which after he though about it, wasn't as much as he had originally thought.
She did, however, pick one of the farthest back booths. She slid into the seat and looked to Remy to sit across from her. Once they were both seated and comfortable, Rogue whispered, "Remy?"
"Oui, chere?"
"Should Ah have come back?" She glanced towards the front of the restaurant. "Ah think it's kinda obvious they know who Ah am."
"Don' worry 'bout it. If it gets real bad, we'll jus' leave." He smiled.
She didn't look too convinced. "This is feelin' like a big mistake ta me. Just a stupid dream Ah didn't realize wouldn't work until Ah actually got down here."
"Rogue, y' know in y' heart dat y' wanted t' come back. If y' didn', y' would jus' keep wonderin' what could've happened an' if t'ings could've been different."
"Ah guess…"
"Hey," he said as he got out of his seat and slid next to her. He pulled off his sunglasses and found her eyes. "If y' feel dat bad 'bout dis place, let's jus' go an' find a McDonald's."
"There ain't a McDonald's here, Rem." The corners of her mouth curled into a smirk.
"Do y' really wan' leave?"
"Here?" He nodded and she sighed. "No."
"Den let's order." He put his sunglasses on again and called to the waitress. She sauntered over and made small talk with Remy before he actually ordered. "I'll have a Coke, what 'bout you, chere?" He turned to the quiet Rogue.
"Ah'll have a Sprite," she mumbled without looking up. When Remy was all but flirting with the waitress, Rogue had glanced up and recognized her as Deb, one of the popular girls from her old school.
"Y'all from the south?" The waitress asked as she scribbled in her notepad.
"I'm from N'awlins." Deb giggled at his accent, while Rogue snorted. "Ma femme here is from 'round here." Rogue thought about kicking him very hard for mentioning that.
"Really?" She snapped her gum and shifted her weight onto one hip. "What part?"
Still without looking up and trying to look as small as possible, Rogue answered, "Western Caldecott."
"That is so great! Ah am too!"
"Ain't that somethin'," she mumbled.
"So what brings ya back here?"
"Ah'm just visitin' mah… aunt." Somehow the words 'former guardian' didn't ring right.
"Cool. Wait a sec, Ah'll be back with yoah drinks." She walked away, leaving Rogue particularly relieved.
"Ah thought she would nevah leave." She leaned back in her seat even further.
"Aww, it wasn' dat bad."
"Cuz she didn't realize who Ah was. Which is really confusin' because who wouldn' recognize a life suckin' teenage gal with white forelocks." In annoyance, she blew the stray lock away from her face. It fell back in place immediately.
"Didn' seem like it matt'red t' her. 'Course, y' didn' let her see y' at all. Y' were hidin' behind me de whole time."
"Raht." She kept her head down, staring down into her lap. Not before long, Deb returned. She put down a glass in front of Remy, not without giving him her best smile. Then she reached across him to put down Rogue's Sprite. "An' here's yoah –" She glanced at Rogue for the first time in over six months. "Oh mah…" Her face turned paler than Rogue's normal shade. "W-what're ya doin' back? Yoah kind isn't wanted here." The paleness turned into red with anger and hatred.
Oh, merde. Dis ain' good. Remy put his arm between Rogue and the waitress before the blonde didn't something she regretted. "P'tite, we be goin' now." He pulled out a five dollar bill from his pocket with his free hand. "C'mon, chere." He tugged Rogue's hand, while she still kept a timid yet demeaning glare in the waitress.
"What? Are you a freakin' mutie, too?" She sneered.
"Matt'r o' face," Remy began as he slid off his sunglasses, revealing his strange eyes. "I am. An' unless y' wan' find out how dangerous I can get when snot bigots like y'self mess wit' ma p'tite, den you'll let us leave wit'out a problem."
Deb kept her cold glare on the couple but stepped out of the way. Remy stepped out of the booth with Rogue trailing right behind him. She avoided the icy gazes of everyone in the pizzeria and quickly left.
"Dammit, dammit, dammit," she chanted as she kept walking. "Ah told ya this was a bad idea. Didn't Ah tell ya this was a bad idea? We should just go back ta Bayville… who cares 'bout the othahs. Dammit Ah need ta get outta here." She sounded like Pietro with how fast she was spitting out words.
"Chere, y' sound like y' need a cigarette." He laughed, trying to stop her from taking off. He had her tugging on one arm and his free one was reaching into his pocket.
"Ah told ya not ta do that anymore!"
"An' I don'." He pulled out his sunglasses. "How 'bout dis: we take de car, go t' de grocery store, an' get some sort o' food. Den we'll go by de river…" he said soothingly as he drew her into an embrace. "An' we'll eat dere an' stay f'de sunset, eh?"
"Ah guess we could do that… Ah'll wait in the car though." She smiled slightly. "Thank ya, Remy." She hugged him back. "Seems like ya always know what ta say."
"Anyt'in' f'you. Y' know dat." He kissed the top of her head and the pulled away, walking in the direction of the car. Rogue followed slowly, taking quick glimpses around. Was this really a mistake? She asked herself for the hundredth time in the last ten minutes.
Remy carefully made sure his sunglasses were on right so no one in the small neighborhood store would be freaked out anymore than they had to be. He left Rogue in the car against his wishes, but figured she was safer in there than in the semi-crowded grocery store. And if she were to be attacked, which was highly unlikely, it would be nothing she couldn't handle.
He pushed open the door and a little bell jingled. He laughed to himself about how primitive Caldecott was. Fortunately, he didn't have trouble from anyone while he getting selected items to eat and drink. He knew the customers were probably wondering why anyone would wear sunglasses indoors, but no one made mention of it to him directly. He just purchased his items and walked out, giving the cashier a dazzling smile for good measure.
Rogue sat low in the convertible. Even with the roof up and the tinted windows she felt out in the open. She glanced around behind her own pair of sunglasses, checking for anyone that could be suspicious or aware of her existence in Caldecott. She was sure Deb from the pizzeria had called all her little prep friends to let them know that 'the freak' is back.
She shuddered at the thought. A freak. She wasn't welcome in her hometown. And apparently people still talked about her. Six friggin' months an' Ah still cain't find mah peace.
She sighed sadly and slouched even more in her seat at the sight of a person walking by the car. Not anyone in particular or familiar, but knowing how word traveled in her town, that guy knew about her too.
Feeling slightly bored and a little anxious at being alone, she reached into the glove compartment for Scott's cell phone. Rogue had realized she hadn't given it back to him when she was looking for her sunglasses earlier that day. She figured he wouldn't mind too much if she called anyone since the Professor picked up all the bills.
She weighted the phone in her hand for a moment. "Who ta call…" Well, there was one person she hadn't said goodbye to at the beach house… She dialed a number she knew by heart, grinning evilly.
"What d'ya want, Cyke?" A gruff voice said.
"Hey, Logan. It's me."
"Rogue? Aren't ya in Hickville or somethin'?" He laughed.
"Ha-ha, funny. It's Caldecott, thank ya very much."
"How is it so far?"
"Umm…"
"Shit. Knew I shoulda came along."
"No! Ah mean, Ah had a run-in with some bitch from mah old school an' it got ugly. Ah just wanted ta tell y'all we might be back sooner than Friday if this keeps up."
"I see. Where's Gumbo?"
"Gettin' some food from the store. He suggested a picnic. What's everyone up ta there?"
"The usual. The girls are at the beach an' the boys're swimmin'. Ya sure ya don't want me to come down? I ain't missin' anythin' by not bein' here."
"No, Logan. It's okay, really. Just a bumpy start."
He sighed heavily into the phone. "Fine. But if somethin' does-"
"-Ah know, Ah know. Let ya know. Seriously, Logan. If it ain't Kurt than it's you."
"Tough shit. Unless you can get away from both of us, yer stuck with us as yer bodyguards."
"That's relieving." She glanced up at the sight of someone else. "Hey, Ah'm gonna go, Remy's back. Ya wanna say hi?"
"Nah. Stay outta trouble, kid."
She laughed. "An' what if this so-called 'trouble' comes lookin' foh me?" As she said that, Remy got in the car and dumped his bags in the back seat. She smiled and held up a finger to keep him quiet as he saw her on the phone with an estranged look on his face. "It's Wolvie," she mouthed.
He took his seat and grinned.
"I'm bein' serious, Rogue."
"If ya're still blamin' yoahself foh the whole 'me-an'-Remy-bein'-captured-an'-taken-ta-Seattle-by-a-lunatic-geneticist', please get ovah it. We all know that was our fault, not yoahs."
He just grumbled in response.
"Ah'm gonna go. Tell the prof. we made it down okay an' we'll call on our way home. Tell everyone hi foh us. An' tell Kurt ta stop worryin'." She snickered.
"All right."
"Thank ya, Wolvie. Ah'll call ya if Ah need… umm… 'Logan' help."
"Okay. Bye, Rogue."
"See ya." She clicked the phone off.
"What in da hell made y' call him?" Remy asked disbelievingly.
"Ah dunno. He's mah second best friend ta you, ya know."
"'Course I know dat." He smiled his dazzling grin. "Y' ready t' go?" She nodded happily. "Y' tell me where t' go den."
"Gotcha. Ya wanna make a left on the way outta here…"
Rogue and Gambit settled at Rogue's favorite spot by the river. There was a small clearing of the trees where the sun could be seen straight on till the horizon. "Seems t' me y' have a t'ing for sunsets."
"Was it that obvious? Damn, mah secret is out!" She put her hands to her face in dismay. Then she laughed a little before her face went serious. "Ah hid here till the sun went down that night. Ah ran from Ty in the club and hid here an' wanted ta cry. Ah didn't know who Ah was. An' Cody wouldn't have cried. He toughed things out like the football player he was. That's what kept me runnin'." She shuddered weakly at the memory.
Remy instinctively wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "S'okay, chere. T'ings are way bett'r now."
She pulled away. "Are they really though? Ah'm grateful foh everythin' Ah've gotten up north, but Ah still don't belong there. This is mah home an' Ah want things ta be the way they were… befoh Ah had these damn powers." She looked down at her hands. "Ah hate gettin' all whiny, but…gawd. Ah hate talkin' about this."
"Rogue, I like when y' talk 'bout dis stuff. Tell y' de truth, we got a lot t' learn 'bout each ot'er."
"Ya're tellin' me. Not everyday psycho betrothed ex-girlfriends pop in ta see ya."
"Hey! Dat only happened once!" He put his hands up in defense, all the while smiling.
She mirrored his smile. "So, am Ah ta expect anotha one soon or somethin'?"
"Not at all." He smirked again, then he set down their bags of food. "Sorry I don' have a checkered blanket t' make it more traditional."
"Ah'm fine with the grass, Swamp Rat. Let's eat." They spent the next half an hour or so eating in silence, only hearing the gentle current of the river and other nature sounds. Rogue felt immediately at peace and Remy saw her relax like none other time he had seen her. She lay lazily against a tree, munching slowly and tranquilly on her sandwich. Her eyes just focused on one part of the water, watching it flow by.
"Ah wanna go climbin'," she said suddenly.
He just smiled. "Den go for it, chere."
She put the rest of her food down on one of the plastic bags and walked a couple feet down to a selected tree that had branches suspended over the water. She grabbed two of the branches and hoisted herself up the normal way, when Gambit thought she would have just skipped it and flew up. Once she reached a sturdy branch, she crawled down it to wear it hung over the river. Then she sat, dangling her legs over each side. She raised her arms up as if she would fly like a bird and threw her head back and sighed. "This is what Ah used ta do all the time. Back then Ah would just pretend Ah could fly if Ah jumped off this branch. One time Ah actually tried and ended up with a face full of water." She laughed at the memory. "Kinda ironic now that Ah can fly."
Remy was down by the trunk of the tree. "Y' want me t' come up dere too?"
She nodded. "Sure. Ya gotta see things from up here. It ain't much, but foh you, it's not every day ya get ta see somethin' from up high."
"Chere, we go on de roof all the time."
"Ya know what Ah mean, Swamp Rat. Get up here." He followed her example before and grabbed the branches as she had. Soon he was up, leaning against the trunk of the tree on the same branch. "Ya gonna come down here by the river?"
"Don' y' t'ink it'll break wit' both our weight on it?"
"If ya want, Ah'll hover next to it, so ya won't fall off if ya're so scared." She smiled at her challenge.
"Oh, you jus' stay dere, Rogue." He crawled down and sat next to her. He looked up and down the river. "Dis is nice up here."
"Ain't it? Ah love this tree. Been climbin' it foh who knows how long."
"An' y' said dat y' fell off dat one time?"
"Yah, that was pretty funny. Ah went home ta Irene with muddy clothes an' everythin'. She wasn't too happy." He got a demonic twinkle in his red eyes. "Ah don't like that look, Remy. Ya always do somethin' bad."
"I ain' plannin' anyt'in', chere. Honest." He just looked away from her to change the topic. She stared at him questioningly for another moment before turning her attention back to the river. Remy chuckled to himself quickly and then did something he knew he would definitely regret later on. He, deftly as he could, wrapped his arms around her and leaned off of the branch. He heard a tiny yelp from her out of surprise right before they hit the water with a huge splash.
"Remy!" She shouted angrily as she got her head over the water.
He actually let himself float down river a bit so he would be hit with her flailing arms. When he got above the water himself, all he could do was laugh.
"Ah cain't believe ya did that!" She hovered herself as much over the water as she dared. The last thing she needed was for some local to see a flying girl. She twisted her hair to get the water out. "Jeez, an' here Ah thought Ah hated pool water."
Remy swam to shore and just waited for the oncoming of Rogue's anger. "Y' not too mad, are y', chere?"
She just curled her lip into a twisted pout and got out of the river. "Y'all're just lucky we didn't leave our stuff at Irene's. Gimme the keys so Ah can go get changed." She stomped over to him.
"Can I-" He started as he pulled the dripping keys out of his pocket.
"No, ya cain't watch!" She growled in frustration and snatched the keys away. All Remy could do was snicker to himself.
Ten minutes later, Rogue emerged from the car, while Remy obediently stayed away. "Y' okay now?"
She sighed. "Yes, Ah'm fine. Just a li'l shaken up. Don't evah do that again though."
He put his hand up. "Thief's honor."
"Don't even give me that." She laughed. "Are ya gonna get changed?"
"Nah, I'm dryin' up as it is. I'm gonna grab a new shirt, dough." He took the keys and went back to the trunk of the car. He simply changed his shirt there. Rogue tried her best to not stare, but she's seen his chest enough to not get all bashful when he was changing.
"Remy, did ya check what time it was?" She asked as she suddenly became interested in her shoes.
"7:40 somet'in'."
"That's what Ah thought."
He finished pulling on his shirt and shutting the door to the car. He walked over to her with a questioning look in his eye. "Why?"
"Ya hear that?"
He stood quiet for a moment and concentrated on nothing, trying to get what she was hearing. He faintly heard music. "De club?"
She nodded ruefully. "Opened at 7:30."
"Y' wan' go dancin'?" He rose an eyebrow and nudged her slightly.
"Ah don't think that'll be the greatest idea in the world…"
"C'mon. It'll be fun. We can watch de sunset from dere instead!" Without waiting for her response, he started tugging at her hand towards the music.
"Remy, no! Ah cain't go back there!"
"Chere," he stopped in his tracks. "Y' can' keep runnin' from dis. Y' eit'er face it now or it's gon' plague y' for de rest of y' life. An' I don' t'ink y' wan' deal wit' dat 'long wit' ot'er stuff. Now come on." He began pulling on her hand again, and this time she obliged.
"Ah can do this," she said to herself as she tugged at her skirt. Funny how she picked an outfit out of the car similar to what she was wearing that night. One of her simple black skirts with her matching boots and tank top, with stockings and a sheer blouse in a crimson color. They trudged on, Remy leading to where ever he heard music.
Rogue insisted they take the back steps to the porch out back of the club, where music was pumping out of. It faced the setting sun, of course, and Rogue stood somberly, watching it. She didn't even turn around when he asked if she wanted a drink. She just threw her hand up in acknowledgement and he was gone inside the main building.
"Ah can do this," she repeated to herself. Her gaze locked with the pink and orange hues of the sky, as the sun was lost behind the trees. This ain't so bad so far. Ah can do this, Ah can do this. It's just the club. The club, none the less, but Ah can do it. Just survive tanight an' we can even go home tamorrow. She absently fidgeted with her gloves.
She heard footsteps echoing underneath the music behind her. A smile appeared on her face. Remy'll get me through this too. She turned around, ready to accept her drink, whatever he may have gotten her. But she halted mid turn. "Oh no," she all but whimpered. That ain't Remy, sugah. A voice in her head told her.
There, in all his glory, stood a tall blonde boy about her age. "Cody…" she whispered.
TBC…
Yeah… like that wasn't predictable. What can I say, I suck with cliffhangers. I'm also sorry this is soo late, but with Europe and getting over my jet-lag… I'll try to have the next part up within a week or so, depending on when I finish it. It may be the conclusion… like I said, depends. :o)