Chapter 3
There was crackling and Claire opened her eyes. She was greeted with a view of the stars, and a warm glow coming from the perimeter of her vision.
Turning her head she saw a fire burning about 10 feet from her, casting a warm circle around her. She knew she hadn't started the fire, so the question was who did?
She sat up, leaning on her elbows and peered around her. There was no one in her sight, so she lifted her nose and sniffed, there was someone there, but she didn't recognize them.
For her that was a good thing.
Sitting up fully she crossed her legs in front of her and noted the mud caked on her skin and clothing. Her hands still bore the scars of the bombing, but it receded more every day.
"You awake," a calming voice said from behind her and Claire rolled into a crouch, growling as the fire's glow obscured her vision.
"Who are you?"
The man walked forward sitting on the other side of the fire, moving slowly as to not provoke her. "Is that anyway to treat your savior?"
Claire's eyes narrowed, it was never good when people answered a question with a question. It meant they were evading you.
"Maybe not, but it's yet to be seen if yer my 'savior', she said sarcastically.
The man across from her nodded. "You are cautious, I do not blame you, it is a dangerous world we live in is it not?" He motioned for her to sit down, and although she didn't want to she found herself compelled to obey. She sat down, however her body was held taunt, ready to fight or flee, what ever need arose.
The man studied her, it was obvious that she was alert, and that she didn't trust him. She had changed a lot in the time they had last been together, and it didn't appear that she knew who he was, however it was most likely for the best. It would give them a fresh start.
He took a spic off of the fire and tore off a piece of the rabbit he had been cooking and handed it out to her. She eyed him suspiciously, looking in his eyes, instead of at his hand.
"Eat, if I wanted to kill you I would have done it already."
"Unless you had a worse plan in mind."
Claire watched as irritation flitted across the man's face, but it disappeared as quickly as it had come. This man had control of himself she thought.
"Fine, don't eat." His hand retreated back to his side and he bit into the meat, the fact that she didn't trust him to eat it irritating him. It wasn't often that a person didn't trust him, he made sure of that. He had never had this problem with Claire before.
Of course a lot of time has passed, and she had changed. Her hair was short, cut close to her head, and there were scars on her body, although they looked old and healed. Her eyes had a sharpness to them that they had before lacked. She watched him much like a lion watches an antelope, waiting for it to make the wrong move so it can pounce.
"So why am I here?" Claire asked and the man shrugged.
"I found you and you seemed like you needed help. I was lonely so I brought you here to care for you."
Claire stood up, "That a load of crap, tell me what you really want or I'll separate your head from your body asshole." She growled.
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Remy looked around as everyone turned to stare at him. Normally he liked being the center of attention, but not when it concerned Claire.
"Well?" Scott asked.
"Well what Cyke? You want Remy to tell you he has de p'tite all figured out and he know exactly where she went. Sorry, dat not be happenin." He looked at him begrudgingly.
Scott took a calming breath and leaned forward. Things have never been pleasant between him and Gambit. They had only became more strained after his return from the dead with Dim in tow. He looked over at the large man who was sitting on the floor against the wall with Jubilee by his side, her hand on his shoulder.
He knew his gentle friend blamed himself for what happened to Claire, but everyone else knew there was nothing Dim could have done. Claire made her choice, pure and simple.
That wasn't to say that he wasn't grateful for the decision she had made, she had sacrificed herself to save their mentor. However they no longer knew where he was, and she had left. They were stuck.
Justified or not, he was angry about that.
"Can you tell us where she might go?"
Remy looked up and shrugged, "Away from here mon ami, away from you." He looked around him, an accusatory gleam in his eye.
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The man chided her, "such a temper. I just want fine food and someone to eat it with, is that so hard to believe?"
"Where I come from? Yeah."
"And where do you come from?"
Claire studied him, trying to size him up. He was trying to appear non-threatening, which usually meant that there was a threat there.
"I've been around. You?" Her voice was flat.
"Ah myself, I go where ever the whim takes me." He leaned back against a fallen log with a smile. His hair was soft and dark, his teeth straight and white, but his hazel eyes had an edge to them. They held a predators gleam.
"That must be nice, no responsibilities, no 'cause' to fight for."
"I didn't say that," he looked at her, "I had a cause, something I was looking for a very long time for, but now I've found it and everything will be right."
Claire didn't like where this was going. "What were you looking for?"
The man looked at her with hooded eyes, "you."
