On a totally gushing, unrelated note, Day of Recovery was so cool! I am
WAITING (not patiently I might add) for Gambit's reappearance, but even
sans-Cajun it was cool.
I'm thinking of setting up an email list to notify people when a new part goes up, but I'm trying to gauge interest. Drop me an email at stellas@kenyon.edu if you want to be on it.
* * *
He came right t'rough de fire like a devil. His body looked like it was pulled taffy. Coughed and squinted in de smoke, tears running down my face. Etienne was under me, I'd managed t' throw myself on top of him as de walls came in. Out of de corner of my eye I could see Mercy an' Henri crumpled in a pile. Couldn't tell if dey were still alive and de t'ought froze inside me, despite de heat. Heard Emil moan somet'ing behind me. Could've laughed wit' relief den, if it hadn't been for de man in front o' me.
Mattie's musical taste always ran t' folk songs. She taught dem to us, always saying dat music made de country great and it might as well do de same for us. She had a sweet voice, low and rich. At dat moment, t'inking dat I might never hear dat voice again, it bubbled in my head, just a snatch. "Gone wit' de man in de long black coat."
De long black coat. Hit at his ankles. Whipwhip. Light from de fire hurt my eyes. Smoke hurt my lungs. Etienne moved under me, curling into my back. He was only thirteen. Jean-Luc wanted us all t' save de world at thirteen, or steal it, because dat's how it'd always been.
"Quickly!" I heard de man shout. His voice was strange somehow, metallic.
It was den dat I saw de devil. At first my vision was so blurry dat I t'ought I was imagining de shape o' his body, but as he came closer, I could see dat wasn't de case. He was huge and wide, wit' pale skin in a sickly color. Could see dat much even t'rough de smoke. His mouth was impossibly large, filled wit' sharp little teeth. He was hairless an' nearly naked. He wasn't human. At dat moment, all I wanted t' do was turn away, call out for Henri or Emil t' come an' face dis t'ing instead of me. But I couldn't, because I'd had t' put away childish t'ings like fear for my Tilling an' I could never get dem back.
De two men stood over me. I couldn't see dere faces so close, only de feet. De devil had long, twisted toes and thick toenails but no hair anywhere, just masses of lumpy flesh.
"Which ones?" de devil asked.
"All of them," de man in de coat replied. "We can sort them out later." Somet'ing in de voice was familiar. I struggled t' hold onto de familiarity, but it was like a dream dat fades when you wake up. My head was spinning. My eyes fell closed, de lids made o' lead.
In de next moment, I was hoisted into de air and thrown over de devil's shoulder. He smelled like expensive cologne. Almost gagged wit' de stench. My stomach churned.
Once I was outside de house, I managed t' open my eyes a bit. Lashes stuck t' my cheeks like wet leaves. Dey tossed us all into de back of a van. All I saw of de other man was a flash o' pale skin, paler den paper. Somehow, dat was frightening enough.
After dat, I drifted. My half-dreams filled up wit' de thrum o' de tires. At one point I forced my eyes open long enough t' see dat Mercy an' Henri were in de van as well. Relief filled me up quick. Dey wouldn't have been dere if dey hadn't been alive.
Finally, dere was a sound like we were goin' over gravel. It lasted for a long time. Den de van stopped and de back doors were thrown open.
"Looks like someone's finally awake," de man wit' de metallic voice said. "Pig!" Since he wasn't directing de last statement at me, I assumed he was talking to de other man. De devil had a name. I felt calmer. No time for fear. No assuming dat rescue would come from anyone but myself.
Never was one t' "play well wit' others."
Couldn't begin t' figure who dey were or why dey'd taken us. Oh I could speculated dat it had somet'ing t' do wit' Jean-Luc an' his business, but dat's as far as it went. De why t' me was less important den de how.
Of course, it was at dat moment dat de Pig took me in his arms an' I nearly vomited from de smell.
"This ain't only your operation, Essex," he said angrily. His voice was high an' wheezy, as if he were having trouble breathing. "Don't forget where your money comes from."
"How could I forget," Essex observed dryly.
I was keeping as still as possible. Figured t' learn a t'ing or two and use dere conflict against dem.
"Maman?" Etienne must not have been completely awake. Knew he'd never call out for his mother like some young kid if he realized what he was saying. Still, dat one small word, tentative an' sleepy, broke my heart t' hear.
Promise dat we're gettin' out o' here, podna, I t'ought fiercely. All of us.
Essex seemed amused by Etienne. "Not quite," he said. Could hear de smirk in his voice. Somet'ing dark an' slimy settled in my stomach. Tried not t' t'ink of other families, other lives. Normal people. Grandfather Jaques always used t' say dat de life o' a t'ief was a colorful one. Sitting at his knee, I'd lapped it up. Didn't realize dat de colors were black and blue. Scared me t' realize at dat moment I'd have traded de whole family t' be sitting in De Hideout watching de bikers fight de goths, taking bets on de outcome. I wanted t' be back in de Café du Monde wit' a mug o' chicory coffee, a beignet and de paper. I wanted de most tragic tin'g in my life t' be coffee rings across de sports section.
Under me, de Pig started t' move. What had we gotten into?
* * *
There was nothin' livin' in the house but flame, but there were no bodies either. Never knew it was possible ta be happy an' sad at the same time. Figured then that the least Ah could do was put out the fire. Bein' near the river made it easy an' Julien helped, movin' almost faster than Ah could see.
"You a mutant too?" Ah panted once we were done. For the first time since Ah'd gotten the powers Ah felt exhausted, like Ah could lie down an' sleep for a year, no problem.
"Not exactly," he said. Ah looked at him, expectin' him ta elaborate, but he looked away.
"Sorry, Ah know how it can be a sensitive issue. If ya don't wanna talk 'bout it..."
Julien shook his head violently. "Dat's not it. De powers are complicated...family. Y' should ask Remy...ask him 'bout Candra. Mebbe he'll explain. I can't. It's not my place."
"When I was a little girl, my friend's house burned down. We were living on the far side of the island then and my whole family slept in the rubble to keep looters away. Her family was there too and we all sat on top of the ashes that used to be her house and cooked beans in a can and tried to pretend like everything was going to be okay. My mom was still alive then and she stayed up all night and sang that song I loved about the cannibal king and the dusty maid. All night long so I wouldn't be scared." The words came over a long distance an' when Ah was done Ah couldn't remember what Ah'd said.
Julien looked concerned, like he wanted ta touch me, ta snap me out of it, because that's what people do ta show each other they care, don't they? They touch. In little ways, the brush o' hands or a tap on the cheek. The memory wasn't mine, but Ah could smell the wet ashes an' taste the metallic bite o' the canned beans. "The cannibal king with the big brass ring fell in love with the dusty maid, and every night by the pale moonlight across the lake he came." Jenny was in my head, but it wasn't like before. How could anyone live inside another person's head, really? She was becomin' less distinct. Her memories were lyin' on top o' mine like a blanket. Maybe it was only a matter o' time before Ah couldn't tell which were hers and which were mine. Maybe they were all mine.
Ah looked at the house. Only part o' it was ruined. "Who was your father talkin' to on the phone the other night?"
"Don't know."
"I do."
Julien seemed t' jump a foot in de air. "How long y' been dere, Bella?"
My ears pricked at the name. Ah turned ta look, only ta find myself bein' scrutinized. "Long 'nough t' know you two are up a creek. Dey took dem away, y'know. Two men."
Julien seemed ta back away from Bella. He was openin' and closin' his fists as if his hands were itchin ta do somethin'. Ah remembered what he'd told me 'bout lovin' her and Ah shivered. Poor Bella. Poor Julien. "An' y' didn't try t' stop dem?"
"What d'you expect me t' do, Julien? I'm one person an' dere were two of dem. Dey put dem all into a van and drove east." Then she seemed ta get over her anger. She reached out an' patted Julien on the cheek. He started back as if he'd been stung. "Discretion's de better part of valor, right?" That's when she set her sights on me again. She was a lovely thing, small and strong with thick blonde hair an' bright blue eyes. Her skin seemed ta glow in the last embers of the fire. It was as if all the beauty in the city had concentrated ta make this one girl. Ah'll be honest an' say that my heart sank a little ta meet her. Ah'd been hopin' Ah could hate her, but she seemed friendly. The eyes that met mine weren't evil, they weren't even mean. "Y' must be Rogue."
Ah smoothed my hands over my hips. "Lucky guess?"
Bella laughed, white teeth flashin'. "Remy told me 'bout you. I was hoping t' meet you, under better circumstances, of course. Did you get de presents?" My mouth fell open. Embarassin' ta admit that it mighta stayed that way for a while. Ah tried ta talk, but nothin' came out. "Hope y' don't mind." Ah think she was blushin' a little. "It's not that Remy wasn't thinkin' 'bout you, just dat he had a lot t' do wit Etienne's Tilling an' Jean-Luc." She'd lost me at Etienne, but Ah didn't want ta admit it. Didn't want ta seem like a small part o' Remy's life in front o' this girl who obviously knew him so well. That's because they were engaged. Ah was able ta ignore the nagging voice in the back o' my head. Ah could see how everyone down here seemed ta be trapped inside family obligations like bugs in amber. Bella forged ahead. "We had a long talk at the café when he first got back. He kept talkin' 'bout where he'd take you if you were here. Not fawning or anything, but I kept wishin' he'd taken de time wit' me." She sighed. "Remy's not one t' make idle plans. I was just helping."
"Ah don't mind," Ah assured her. The thing was, Ah did mind, but there was no way ta tell Bella that and not hurt her feelin's. Words an' deeds aren't the same thing by a long shot. Ah returned my attention ta the mangled house. "Ah've got an idea that the person who did this is the same one your father was talkin' to."
"How you figure dat?" Bella asked.
Ah ticked the points off on my fingers. "Julien said that your father was negotiating for the future o' the Guilds, that he wanted you an' Remy ta get married."
"Remy an' I aren't interested in being married."
"Right. Scare tactics. This is another way for that person ta get power."
Bella shuddered. "Even de Assassins t'ink twice 'bout messin' wit' de Pig."
"Ah don't wanna think twice. Once ya show me where he is, Ah'll go by myself if Ah have ta." Ah looked over ta find Bella watchin' me with a cryptic look on her face. "What?"
"Now I see it."
"See what?"
"Why Remy loves you so much."
His hands, his lips, his eyes. His skin. My skin. The sheets tangled. Which thoughts were mine an' which were Jenny's? How could Ah know if Ah loved him if Ah couldn't even keep him straight in my own mind? "He said that?" Ah whispered.
"Doesn't have t'."
Ah wondered 'bout that. "Who was the other man?"
Bella wrinkled her forehead. "He seemed familiar too. Mebbe...I only ever saw him once and dat was only for a second...he looked almost like De Antiquary." She directed the last part o' this at Julien who turned pale.
"You okay?" Ah asked him.
"No," he said honestly. Then he shook his head. "Rogue, I hope y' won't take dis de wrong way, but I t'ink you'd better just go home."
* * *
Randi: glad I could help with the Cajun sites. Like I said, I love me some research. I'm a sick little puppy that way. Tell your husband that I'm sorry about the line and I'll try to stay away from the snappy descriptions in the future. ;-)
Neurotic Temptress: the quick updating is so a double-edged sword. I think it was Calvin (of Calvin & Hobbes) who said it best: I find that I do better the lower I keep everyone's expectations. Against all reasoning, I actually really like Julien and Bella. Just not together. Because, y'know, incest. :-P
Christy S: I wonder what Remy will do too. He's a little tied up right now...oh god, I just had to use the awful pun didn't I?
Erica: Yes and no. Remy and Rogue have a few personal issues to get through first. While I don't doubt that they love each other, I'm not sure they believe that "love conquers all."
Jean1: I'm glad you decided to stick around for the sequel. You always have such lovely things to say. It's good to know that there're people out there reading and enjoying this as much as I'm enjoying writing it.
Lucky439: You little minx! I had no idea you liked it kinky. ;-D
starlightz6: You got me! I could never hurt Remy (much). He's just too cute!
Jessie: I'm honored by your review and by the fact that you're enjoying my story. I hope this chapter had enough little twists in it for you, perhaps to make up for my slowness-to-post (work kind of attacked me...ack!)
kitana: feel free to shower me with idle threats anytime! I don't mind, really. I also liked the scene when Etienne jumped on the table. I kind of stuck it in after I'd written both parts and while I was writing it I got a very narcissistic kind of rush. Awful I know, I'm supposed to be writing this puppy, not sitting around admiring parts of it! I am so smart! I am so smart! S-M-R-T, I mean S-M-A-R-T!
evolutionary spider: wow, my first bilingual review! It's an honor! Even more exciting is the fact that I haven't lost ALL of my high school Spanish and could understand most of it before I read your translation (see above s- m-r-t bragging). I, of course will save the Cajun cutie and he will be all mine. drools Er...I mean...I, who can tell the difference between FANTASY and REALITY will allow the Pig and Essex to save the Cajun cutie for their own nefarious purposes.
klucky: Henri and Mercy? They're okay, or as okay as they could be in their current situation. Oh I was just savin' everyone today...I just like Remy's family too darn much.
Raven: Moi? Evil? I try not to be, but sometimes it just slips out. I can only handle so many characters at once. I am poor at juggling that way, but who's to say what will happen in the end. All I'll say is that if something makes sense in terms of the story I'd be willing to write it and see if it works. But to answer your questions, no, Rogue isn't Mystique's adopted daughter in this story, she's Irene Adler's adopted daughter. Irene may still have ties to Mystique like she does in the comics, but I haven't decided if I'd want it that way yet. The thing about Rogue's real name is that it's been such a secret for so long that anything you pick is going to be anticlimactic. I don't think I'd pick Marie, I'd probably pick a name I liked. For instance, I've always been partial to Amita (it means infinite in Sanskrit)
I'm thinking of setting up an email list to notify people when a new part goes up, but I'm trying to gauge interest. Drop me an email at stellas@kenyon.edu if you want to be on it.
* * *
He came right t'rough de fire like a devil. His body looked like it was pulled taffy. Coughed and squinted in de smoke, tears running down my face. Etienne was under me, I'd managed t' throw myself on top of him as de walls came in. Out of de corner of my eye I could see Mercy an' Henri crumpled in a pile. Couldn't tell if dey were still alive and de t'ought froze inside me, despite de heat. Heard Emil moan somet'ing behind me. Could've laughed wit' relief den, if it hadn't been for de man in front o' me.
Mattie's musical taste always ran t' folk songs. She taught dem to us, always saying dat music made de country great and it might as well do de same for us. She had a sweet voice, low and rich. At dat moment, t'inking dat I might never hear dat voice again, it bubbled in my head, just a snatch. "Gone wit' de man in de long black coat."
De long black coat. Hit at his ankles. Whipwhip. Light from de fire hurt my eyes. Smoke hurt my lungs. Etienne moved under me, curling into my back. He was only thirteen. Jean-Luc wanted us all t' save de world at thirteen, or steal it, because dat's how it'd always been.
"Quickly!" I heard de man shout. His voice was strange somehow, metallic.
It was den dat I saw de devil. At first my vision was so blurry dat I t'ought I was imagining de shape o' his body, but as he came closer, I could see dat wasn't de case. He was huge and wide, wit' pale skin in a sickly color. Could see dat much even t'rough de smoke. His mouth was impossibly large, filled wit' sharp little teeth. He was hairless an' nearly naked. He wasn't human. At dat moment, all I wanted t' do was turn away, call out for Henri or Emil t' come an' face dis t'ing instead of me. But I couldn't, because I'd had t' put away childish t'ings like fear for my Tilling an' I could never get dem back.
De two men stood over me. I couldn't see dere faces so close, only de feet. De devil had long, twisted toes and thick toenails but no hair anywhere, just masses of lumpy flesh.
"Which ones?" de devil asked.
"All of them," de man in de coat replied. "We can sort them out later." Somet'ing in de voice was familiar. I struggled t' hold onto de familiarity, but it was like a dream dat fades when you wake up. My head was spinning. My eyes fell closed, de lids made o' lead.
In de next moment, I was hoisted into de air and thrown over de devil's shoulder. He smelled like expensive cologne. Almost gagged wit' de stench. My stomach churned.
Once I was outside de house, I managed t' open my eyes a bit. Lashes stuck t' my cheeks like wet leaves. Dey tossed us all into de back of a van. All I saw of de other man was a flash o' pale skin, paler den paper. Somehow, dat was frightening enough.
After dat, I drifted. My half-dreams filled up wit' de thrum o' de tires. At one point I forced my eyes open long enough t' see dat Mercy an' Henri were in de van as well. Relief filled me up quick. Dey wouldn't have been dere if dey hadn't been alive.
Finally, dere was a sound like we were goin' over gravel. It lasted for a long time. Den de van stopped and de back doors were thrown open.
"Looks like someone's finally awake," de man wit' de metallic voice said. "Pig!" Since he wasn't directing de last statement at me, I assumed he was talking to de other man. De devil had a name. I felt calmer. No time for fear. No assuming dat rescue would come from anyone but myself.
Never was one t' "play well wit' others."
Couldn't begin t' figure who dey were or why dey'd taken us. Oh I could speculated dat it had somet'ing t' do wit' Jean-Luc an' his business, but dat's as far as it went. De why t' me was less important den de how.
Of course, it was at dat moment dat de Pig took me in his arms an' I nearly vomited from de smell.
"This ain't only your operation, Essex," he said angrily. His voice was high an' wheezy, as if he were having trouble breathing. "Don't forget where your money comes from."
"How could I forget," Essex observed dryly.
I was keeping as still as possible. Figured t' learn a t'ing or two and use dere conflict against dem.
"Maman?" Etienne must not have been completely awake. Knew he'd never call out for his mother like some young kid if he realized what he was saying. Still, dat one small word, tentative an' sleepy, broke my heart t' hear.
Promise dat we're gettin' out o' here, podna, I t'ought fiercely. All of us.
Essex seemed amused by Etienne. "Not quite," he said. Could hear de smirk in his voice. Somet'ing dark an' slimy settled in my stomach. Tried not t' t'ink of other families, other lives. Normal people. Grandfather Jaques always used t' say dat de life o' a t'ief was a colorful one. Sitting at his knee, I'd lapped it up. Didn't realize dat de colors were black and blue. Scared me t' realize at dat moment I'd have traded de whole family t' be sitting in De Hideout watching de bikers fight de goths, taking bets on de outcome. I wanted t' be back in de Café du Monde wit' a mug o' chicory coffee, a beignet and de paper. I wanted de most tragic tin'g in my life t' be coffee rings across de sports section.
Under me, de Pig started t' move. What had we gotten into?
* * *
There was nothin' livin' in the house but flame, but there were no bodies either. Never knew it was possible ta be happy an' sad at the same time. Figured then that the least Ah could do was put out the fire. Bein' near the river made it easy an' Julien helped, movin' almost faster than Ah could see.
"You a mutant too?" Ah panted once we were done. For the first time since Ah'd gotten the powers Ah felt exhausted, like Ah could lie down an' sleep for a year, no problem.
"Not exactly," he said. Ah looked at him, expectin' him ta elaborate, but he looked away.
"Sorry, Ah know how it can be a sensitive issue. If ya don't wanna talk 'bout it..."
Julien shook his head violently. "Dat's not it. De powers are complicated...family. Y' should ask Remy...ask him 'bout Candra. Mebbe he'll explain. I can't. It's not my place."
"When I was a little girl, my friend's house burned down. We were living on the far side of the island then and my whole family slept in the rubble to keep looters away. Her family was there too and we all sat on top of the ashes that used to be her house and cooked beans in a can and tried to pretend like everything was going to be okay. My mom was still alive then and she stayed up all night and sang that song I loved about the cannibal king and the dusty maid. All night long so I wouldn't be scared." The words came over a long distance an' when Ah was done Ah couldn't remember what Ah'd said.
Julien looked concerned, like he wanted ta touch me, ta snap me out of it, because that's what people do ta show each other they care, don't they? They touch. In little ways, the brush o' hands or a tap on the cheek. The memory wasn't mine, but Ah could smell the wet ashes an' taste the metallic bite o' the canned beans. "The cannibal king with the big brass ring fell in love with the dusty maid, and every night by the pale moonlight across the lake he came." Jenny was in my head, but it wasn't like before. How could anyone live inside another person's head, really? She was becomin' less distinct. Her memories were lyin' on top o' mine like a blanket. Maybe it was only a matter o' time before Ah couldn't tell which were hers and which were mine. Maybe they were all mine.
Ah looked at the house. Only part o' it was ruined. "Who was your father talkin' to on the phone the other night?"
"Don't know."
"I do."
Julien seemed t' jump a foot in de air. "How long y' been dere, Bella?"
My ears pricked at the name. Ah turned ta look, only ta find myself bein' scrutinized. "Long 'nough t' know you two are up a creek. Dey took dem away, y'know. Two men."
Julien seemed ta back away from Bella. He was openin' and closin' his fists as if his hands were itchin ta do somethin'. Ah remembered what he'd told me 'bout lovin' her and Ah shivered. Poor Bella. Poor Julien. "An' y' didn't try t' stop dem?"
"What d'you expect me t' do, Julien? I'm one person an' dere were two of dem. Dey put dem all into a van and drove east." Then she seemed ta get over her anger. She reached out an' patted Julien on the cheek. He started back as if he'd been stung. "Discretion's de better part of valor, right?" That's when she set her sights on me again. She was a lovely thing, small and strong with thick blonde hair an' bright blue eyes. Her skin seemed ta glow in the last embers of the fire. It was as if all the beauty in the city had concentrated ta make this one girl. Ah'll be honest an' say that my heart sank a little ta meet her. Ah'd been hopin' Ah could hate her, but she seemed friendly. The eyes that met mine weren't evil, they weren't even mean. "Y' must be Rogue."
Ah smoothed my hands over my hips. "Lucky guess?"
Bella laughed, white teeth flashin'. "Remy told me 'bout you. I was hoping t' meet you, under better circumstances, of course. Did you get de presents?" My mouth fell open. Embarassin' ta admit that it mighta stayed that way for a while. Ah tried ta talk, but nothin' came out. "Hope y' don't mind." Ah think she was blushin' a little. "It's not that Remy wasn't thinkin' 'bout you, just dat he had a lot t' do wit Etienne's Tilling an' Jean-Luc." She'd lost me at Etienne, but Ah didn't want ta admit it. Didn't want ta seem like a small part o' Remy's life in front o' this girl who obviously knew him so well. That's because they were engaged. Ah was able ta ignore the nagging voice in the back o' my head. Ah could see how everyone down here seemed ta be trapped inside family obligations like bugs in amber. Bella forged ahead. "We had a long talk at the café when he first got back. He kept talkin' 'bout where he'd take you if you were here. Not fawning or anything, but I kept wishin' he'd taken de time wit' me." She sighed. "Remy's not one t' make idle plans. I was just helping."
"Ah don't mind," Ah assured her. The thing was, Ah did mind, but there was no way ta tell Bella that and not hurt her feelin's. Words an' deeds aren't the same thing by a long shot. Ah returned my attention ta the mangled house. "Ah've got an idea that the person who did this is the same one your father was talkin' to."
"How you figure dat?" Bella asked.
Ah ticked the points off on my fingers. "Julien said that your father was negotiating for the future o' the Guilds, that he wanted you an' Remy ta get married."
"Remy an' I aren't interested in being married."
"Right. Scare tactics. This is another way for that person ta get power."
Bella shuddered. "Even de Assassins t'ink twice 'bout messin' wit' de Pig."
"Ah don't wanna think twice. Once ya show me where he is, Ah'll go by myself if Ah have ta." Ah looked over ta find Bella watchin' me with a cryptic look on her face. "What?"
"Now I see it."
"See what?"
"Why Remy loves you so much."
His hands, his lips, his eyes. His skin. My skin. The sheets tangled. Which thoughts were mine an' which were Jenny's? How could Ah know if Ah loved him if Ah couldn't even keep him straight in my own mind? "He said that?" Ah whispered.
"Doesn't have t'."
Ah wondered 'bout that. "Who was the other man?"
Bella wrinkled her forehead. "He seemed familiar too. Mebbe...I only ever saw him once and dat was only for a second...he looked almost like De Antiquary." She directed the last part o' this at Julien who turned pale.
"You okay?" Ah asked him.
"No," he said honestly. Then he shook his head. "Rogue, I hope y' won't take dis de wrong way, but I t'ink you'd better just go home."
* * *
Randi: glad I could help with the Cajun sites. Like I said, I love me some research. I'm a sick little puppy that way. Tell your husband that I'm sorry about the line and I'll try to stay away from the snappy descriptions in the future. ;-)
Neurotic Temptress: the quick updating is so a double-edged sword. I think it was Calvin (of Calvin & Hobbes) who said it best: I find that I do better the lower I keep everyone's expectations. Against all reasoning, I actually really like Julien and Bella. Just not together. Because, y'know, incest. :-P
Christy S: I wonder what Remy will do too. He's a little tied up right now...oh god, I just had to use the awful pun didn't I?
Erica: Yes and no. Remy and Rogue have a few personal issues to get through first. While I don't doubt that they love each other, I'm not sure they believe that "love conquers all."
Jean1: I'm glad you decided to stick around for the sequel. You always have such lovely things to say. It's good to know that there're people out there reading and enjoying this as much as I'm enjoying writing it.
Lucky439: You little minx! I had no idea you liked it kinky. ;-D
starlightz6: You got me! I could never hurt Remy (much). He's just too cute!
Jessie: I'm honored by your review and by the fact that you're enjoying my story. I hope this chapter had enough little twists in it for you, perhaps to make up for my slowness-to-post (work kind of attacked me...ack!)
kitana: feel free to shower me with idle threats anytime! I don't mind, really. I also liked the scene when Etienne jumped on the table. I kind of stuck it in after I'd written both parts and while I was writing it I got a very narcissistic kind of rush. Awful I know, I'm supposed to be writing this puppy, not sitting around admiring parts of it! I am so smart! I am so smart! S-M-R-T, I mean S-M-A-R-T!
evolutionary spider: wow, my first bilingual review! It's an honor! Even more exciting is the fact that I haven't lost ALL of my high school Spanish and could understand most of it before I read your translation (see above s- m-r-t bragging). I, of course will save the Cajun cutie and he will be all mine. drools Er...I mean...I, who can tell the difference between FANTASY and REALITY will allow the Pig and Essex to save the Cajun cutie for their own nefarious purposes.
klucky: Henri and Mercy? They're okay, or as okay as they could be in their current situation. Oh I was just savin' everyone today...I just like Remy's family too darn much.
Raven: Moi? Evil? I try not to be, but sometimes it just slips out. I can only handle so many characters at once. I am poor at juggling that way, but who's to say what will happen in the end. All I'll say is that if something makes sense in terms of the story I'd be willing to write it and see if it works. But to answer your questions, no, Rogue isn't Mystique's adopted daughter in this story, she's Irene Adler's adopted daughter. Irene may still have ties to Mystique like she does in the comics, but I haven't decided if I'd want it that way yet. The thing about Rogue's real name is that it's been such a secret for so long that anything you pick is going to be anticlimactic. I don't think I'd pick Marie, I'd probably pick a name I liked. For instance, I've always been partial to Amita (it means infinite in Sanskrit)