Disclaimer: The usual stuff, blah, blah, not mine, blah.

Author's Notes: Thanks for all the initial feedback;) The places mentioned in the story are all real, and I hope I've done them justice, because I believe it would take a much better writer than I to truly capture their beauty and elegance in words.

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Manumission

by Kristen Elizabeth

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Into this night I wander,

it's morning that I dread.

Another day of knowing

the path I fear to tread.

Oh into the sea of waking dreams,

I follow without pride.

Nothing stands between us here

and I won't be denied.

And I would be the one

to hold you down,

kiss you so hard.

I'll take your breath away.

And after I wipe away the tears,

just close your eyes, dear.

-Sarah McLachlan

****

He was running twenty minutes late and he'd spent the day with people who hated him. Remy LeBeau was not in a good mood. With the collar of his brown coat pulled up, his hands stuffed deep into the pockets and a slight scowl on his usually sociable face, he entered the Court of Two Sisters restaurant at nearly a half past seven.

Had it not become Rogue's favorite place to eat in the city, he would have suggested having dinner somewhere else, someplace a little more relaxed and not quite so well-known. Every time he passed by the iron gate covered in soft, green ivy and caught a glimpse into the pressed white linen, sparkling crystal and polished silver world, Remy could remember digging through their dumpster as a child, searching for anything halfway edible. Anything to relieve the cold bite of hunger.

The maitre 'd gave his coat a suspicious look, but quickly darted his gaze away when he caught sight of Remy's eyes. Red and black, they burned into the short man, a silent warning to not cross his path at that particular moment.

"Do you have a reservation, sir?" the man stammered, rifling through his papers. "Or has your party already arrived?"

"Dere a gal here wit' de mos' beautiful green eyes you ever seen?" Remy asked.

"Oh yeah!" At the narrowing of the man's own demonic eyes, the maitre 'd paled. "I mean, yes. Yes. Follow me."

Remy followed him through the elegant dining rooms and out into the courtyard, which gave the place its name. A fountain sat in the middle of the open air space, which wasn't entirely open air as a thick ceiling of ivy and vines hung over their heads. The man led him past the crowd of dinner guests and towards a secluded corner of the court.

Instantly, his mood lifted. Rogue sat at a small table meant only for two, looking off to one side as she sipped a glass of water with lemon. Her hair was swept up into a loose knot on the top of her head, leaving tendrils of white to curl around her delicate face. She wore a dress he'd never seen before, black with thin straps leading down into a heart-shaped neckline that perfectly displayed the cleavage he thanked god for every time he looked at her. The dark color off-set her creamy skin, and made him want to…

"Remy!" She turned her head to see them approaching, and there was no mistaking the flash of impatience in her emerald eyes. Rogue set down her water glass as he slid into the chair across from her and took the menu that the maitre 'd offered him.

"Enjoy your meal," the man murmured, making damn sure not to even cast a single look in Rogue's direction.

"Yer late," she reminded him.

Remy reached for Rogue's black-gloved hand. "T'ings took longer t'wrap up today." He raised her fingers to his lips across the table. "Forgive dis t'ief?"

Pink spread across her porcelain cheeks. "Ah guess so. But yer payin' for dinner."

A waitress came by a moment later. Remy ordered for them both, champagne to start off with, and a variety of Creole specialties for the main courses. When the girl left, he gave Rogue an impish grin. "Were you missin' me today, chere?"

She shrugged one shoulder in badly-faked indifference. "Ah went shoppin'. Didn' really have time to think 'bout ya, swamp rat."

"Dat hurts." He put a hand over his heart. "Dat hurts deep."

"Well…" Rogue recanted. "Ah suppose ya did pop into my mind every now an' then." She took a small sip of water. "Ah feel like Ah haven' even seen ya the whole time we've been here."

She was trying very hard not show her own hurt, but it didn't stop a pang of guilt from hitting him square in the chest. He'd dragged her all the way to New Orleans on their one week of vacation time away from the X-Men, and then practically left her to fend for herself while he tried to settle Guild business. Surely she had to know that he'd have rather spent every moment so far with her rather than in an underground stronghold, surrounded by assassins and thieves who would have loved to see him entombed alive St. Louis Cemetery.

"Je suis desole, chere," he apologized. "Gambit didn' mean t'be leavin' you all alone."

"It's all right, sugah." She sat back in her chair as the waitress returned with a silver bucket that held a bottle of champagne and two long-stemmed glasses. Remy popped the cork and poured with agile hands and practiced ease. Rogue smiled. She didn't know a lot about his time on the streets, but he'd certainly transcended it. "What're we toastin'?"

He raised his glass. "T'tonigh'. 'Cause dis Caj'n got everyt'ing righ' now, de greatest t'ing bein' de prettiest femme in de city sittin' across de table from him."

Rogue's tongue darted out to wet her lips. "To tonigh'," she echoed softly. The champagne was cold and sharp and stung her throat with a thousand tiny bubbles. She couldn't stop thinking about the small, woven bag in her black clutch. If it worked at all, it wasn't going to work for too much longer. Tonight might be all they ever had together.

"Somet'ing bot'ering you, chere?" Remy asked, setting down his glass.

She immediately shook her head. "No. Ah just…the heat today. Took a lot outta me. That's all." It wasn't clear whether he believed her or not, but he let it go. "How much longer 'til all the Guild stuff is settled, do ya think?"

"Anot'er day. Maybe two." He winked at her over the centerpiece of fresh flowers and candles. "You gettin' tired o' de city?"

"No way," Rogue replied, fervently. "Ah love it here, Remy. Ah really do." She tucked her hands into her lap, twisting her napkin. "But Ah think Ah'd like it even better…if Ah was with ya."

Remy considered this for a second. "Den tomorrow…I tell de Guild t'fuck off."

Her eyes widened slightly, then relaxed into doubt. "Ah'd 'magine that's not such a good idea, sugah."

"Let dis t'ief worry 'bout de ot'er t'ieves."

Rogue gaze darted back and forth between his eyes, feeling them scorching over her flesh, wanting them to go even further. On their first night in the city, his burning stare had woken her up from a fitful sleep. He been watching her as she slept, and when she accused him of it, he made no apologies.

"If all dis Ca'jun ever get t'do is look at you, den he gonna look, chere," he'd told her.

Even now, her heart quickened at the memory. The two of them in bed, sleeping side by side…the two of them in bed, naked and joined. Her visualization…she couldn't shake it. She wanted it to come true, wanted to believe that the charm in her purse would make it happen. So much so that as soon as she'd returned to their room to change for dinner, she'd added a bit of his hair to the bag that she got from his comb.

Rogue cleared her throat and looked down at the delicate platinum watch on her wrist, a Christmas present from him the year before. It was coming up on eight. Less than twelve hours to go before the sun rose again.

She looked back up. "Ah don' suppose we can get all this to go, can we?"

Remy frowned, puzzled. "Why we do dat, chere?"

"Ah…" Rogue took a breath. "There's somethin'…" She laughed at herself. "It's a really long story, sugah, but…Ah think Ah might've found a way for us to…" Unconsciously, Rogue lowered her voice. "…be together. Tonigh'."

The look on his face was priceless. Confusion, surprise, excitement, doubt, all rolled in one. He blinked once, then twice. "I don' understand. How…?"

"Ah told ya, long story."

"Gambit suddenly be likin' long stories, petit."

Rogue picked up her purse from the floor, but didn't open it. There was no telling how Remy would react to a voodoo charm, considering his upbringing. He could either dismiss it totally, or react to it as he might to a poisonous snake in his bathtub. "Jus'…trust me." She paused. "Ah'll never hurt ya again, Remy. Ah swear."

He blinked again and set his napkin aside on the table. "Let me get de check," he said in the strangest voice. "Den…" He trailed off. "Den w'at, chere?"

"Then…" Rogue bit the inside of her cheek. "Let's go to bed."

****

It started to drizzle as they walked from the restaurant to their room that overlooked the entire Vieux Carre. Remy took off his coat and draped it over Rogue's shoulders.

"Thanks, sugah," she said, tugging the material up over her head as to protect her hair from the rain. A moment passed in complete silence. "Tell me what yer thinkin'?"

She could hear him sigh. "Chere…dere don' be words t'describe w'at I'm t'inking. Least not'ing dat could be said in front o' bébés."

"Ah don' see any babies here."

Remy relented after another second. "Gambit t'inking…if dis be true…dere's not'ing he done in dis life o' his t'deserve w'at you be wantin' t'give him."

"Ah don' suppose lovin' me an' wantin' me when anyone else would've given up long ago counts?" she snapped.

They stopped in front of the wrought-iron gate that led into the courtyard of the building they'd been staying in. He wanted to grasp her shoulders, but he was lacking gloves and she was lacking sleeves. All he could do was take the one hand she wasn't using to keep his coat over her head. "Tell me how, chere. W'at happened today t'make you t'ink we can make love tonigh'?

"Ah told ya to trust me."

"Trustin' not de probl'm dis time. Gambit jus' need t'know."

Rogue gestured to the gate. "Can we get off the street first, sugah?"

He gave in, again, with a sigh and a shake of cinnamon-colored head. The courtyard, a much smaller version of the one they'd just come from, bloomed over with the colors of spring, turned a shade darker in the night air, and dripped with water from the rain. They walked up the outdoor stairs and entered the studio apartment. Remy went to flip the light on, but Rogue shook her head as she draped his coat over a high-backed chair. "Leave 'em off; there's enough ligh' from the street."

With that, she walked straight to the massive bed at the center of the room and sat on the edge of it. "If Ah tell ya…Ah need to know yer not gonna laugh at me. Ah didn' seek this out. It just kinda…happened."

"Do I look like I be laughin' anytime soon, chere?"

She took a breath and opened her purse. Avoiding his eyes, she pulled out the little charm bag and held it up. When she finally looked at him, she couldn't help but notice how his jaw had dropped several inches. "What's wrong?"

"Don' you know w'at dat is?" he asked. "Dat's…gris-gris. Voodoo." Remy shook his head. "Non, chere…non. We don' mess wit' dat."

"Ya don' know, Remy. The woman…she knew stuff…'bout me. 'Bout us." Rogue felt her voice trembling, and tried to keep it even and calm. "Ah think…Ah think it migh' work."

He walked to the bed and kneeled in front of her. "At w'at cost, petit?" Giving the bag a wary look, he continued, "Dose charms an' curses…de always come wit' a price t'pay. Dey don' make somet'ing good out o' not'ing." Remy reached up to touch her face, but stopped before he made contact. His hand dropped. "Gambit don' want you payin' de price."

"Ah already know the price," Rogue said, blinking back tears. "Ah only get this one nigh' with ya…an' when the sun comes up, that's it. It don' work no more." One tear made it through and slipped down her cheek. "Ah'm willing to pay it, Remy. Ah'm willin' to spend the rest o' my life rememberin'…if Ah just get to show ya…"

"Show me w'at, chere?" he prompted her a second later.

She lifted her head, her eyes wet. "How much Ah love ya."

"Mon ange…" Remy didn't think he could have loved her more in that moment. The usually invincible, strong-willed woman warrior had opened up a piece of her heart to him, and now sat in front of him, trembling with the fear that he might turn away.

He wasn't going to. Ever. After taking a silent breath, Remy reached back up, pausing again as his fingers skimmed the air over her flawless cheek. Steeling himself for whatever might happen, he let his fingers make contact. He touched her.

Rogue couldn't hold back a little gasp when his palm cupped her cheek. Her first, base instinct was to jerk away. But he wouldn't let her. He gripped her wrist with his other hand and held her in place. A moment passed…and then another…and another. And nothing happened.

There was no buzz of energy, no panic on his face, no thoughts flooded into her mind. All she could feel was the gentle calluses on his fingers, the texture of his skin, the heat that pooled at the center of her body.

"Remy," she whispered. "Oh god…it works…"

His index finger moved, gliding up and down her cheek, caressing her. "I always t'ought you'd be soft, chere." He swallowed. "I was righ'."

It was Rogue who made the first move, leaning forward and pressing her lips against his in a hasty, but chaste kiss. He broke it all too soon for either of their liking. But he was already getting worked up, and there were things he had to be certain of first. Her eyes were green pools he could drown in; he blinked to regain his focus. "Dis be w'at you want?"

She nodded, and before she forgot, slipped the charm bag underneath the white eyelet covered pillows. "Ya want it, too…don'tcha?

He kissed away the frown that crossed her expression. "Don' you be doubtin' dat, chere. Dere's people we know who t'ink dat dis is all dis Caj'n wants."

"But that's not true," Rogue said, running her fingers through his rain-damp hair. "Ah won' pretend to know everythin' 'bout ya…but Ah know ya better than that."

"Ya know Gambit better den he know himself, sometimes." Remy wiped his clammy hands on his pants, still kneeling, but fighting to maintain his balance. He could smell her light perfume, see the deep cleft between her breasts, and now knowing that he could do what he'd wanted to at the restaurant, namely burying his face between them, it was hard to keep thinking straight. "If dere be anytime you don' want t'go on…we stop, chere. Dat's my promise." She nodded. "Dis be serious," he continued. "Your…first time…it shouldn' be messed up 'cause o' an impatient t'ief…who's wanted you so long." Remy closed his eyes. "So long, chere."

"Ah know," Rogue said, nibbling on her lower lip. "Me too, sugah." She kissed each of his eyelids, and then his mouth, so softly and sweetly. "There ain' no one else in this world who Ah wanna have this nigh' with." She stood up, putting him at eye level with the apex of her thighs, so tantalizingly hidden behind flimsy black material. "Ah want ya."

He looked up the length of her body, over the swell of her breasts and into her bottomless eyes. Smooth as silk, he stood up until she had to look up to see him. "I still don' like de way dis had t'come 'bout," Remy said, his voice throbbing with desire. "But I can touch you for tonigh'…" As if to demonstrate, he kissed her, parting her lips with his tongue. Her mouth was hot and satiny wet. He wanted hours to taste her, but he gently pulled away after only a minute. "It won' ever been enough. But it be somet'ing, oui?"

"Yeah." Her head was still spinning from the delicious feeling of his tongue loving hers. Rogue crossed her arms over her chest, hooking her fingers around the thin straps of her dress. Inch by inch, she eased them off her shoulders, and peeled the dress down to her slender waist, revealing the strapless black lace bra she'd purchased that afternoon after leaving the voodoo shop.

His mouth was dry. Desperate, he tried to swallow back the lump that welled up in his throat.

"Ah'm not afraid, Remy," she told him. The dress pooled around her feet, baring the bra's matching panties. "But Ah don' wanna think 'bout anythin' but lovin' ya for the rest o' the nigh'."

"Anot'her promise, chere." Remy slipped his hand around her waist and pulled her body into perfect alignment against his. "An' I intend t'keep it."

****

To Be Continued