Chapter Thirteen: Trust

Gambit rushed back to the car and by the time she hit the sidewalk in front of the house it came peeling around the corner and stopped right in front of her as Remy opened the passenger side door.

"Ready ta go, p'tite?"

Rogue looked at him strangely, if not a little suspiciously.

"Decided ta take a ride around the block?"

She climbed inside, shut the door, and buckled up for dear life. Rogue had been able to forget the question that had been bothering her about Remy the few months.. Why had he come to the institute? He didn't need to be there, as he demonstrated when he went to go watch over the Morlocks.

Once, for a half an instant, she'd indulged that he'd stayed there for her, but that was ridiculous. Only an idiot would go after a girl he couldn't touch. And today with Kitty, that didn't support it much. And now with what Pietro said.. She'd known before he'd worked for Trask, but never really considered what he might have done. Dirty work? That was a loaded phrase...

Remy smiled and tore off toward the mansion.

"So, learn anyt'ing interestin', or yo' goin' ta keep dat ta yo'self?"

He glanced over at her, the smile still on his face, though he couldn't ignore the way she'd looked at him. What if he hadn't heard everything they'd said and she knew? What if she told everyone else? Well, he could always go back to the Morlocks easily enough...

There was a day when Rogue probably would have told him what Pietro said. Back then, there was little reason not to - she had even begun to trust him, confide in him. It felt right. But now.. Now she was reminded that this man, this boy may have been one of the key contributors to her capture and experimentation.

"It was nothin' important.."

It was soon obvious that they weren't headed toward a mansion. In only a couple of minutes they were back to the same dirt parking lot that he'd taken her to when he stole the French teacher's car. He parked, turned the car off, and took the keys from the ignition.

"All righ', p'tite, Remy can' afford ta tiptoe 'round da mattah... Did he tell yo' what Remy did fo' Doc Trask?"

Rogue looked down into her lap, then out the window - anywhere but at him. Pietro hadn't said much, but Remy didn't know that. She could pretend she had some kind of advantage. But she wasn't like Remy, something in her mind noted bitterly.

"Nothin' Ah didn't know before.. Ya worked for him, doin' his dirty work. Ah can only guess as to what that meant."

Remy reached into his coat and slipped his gloves on, then put a hand against her cheek and turned her head to look into her eyes. He didn't let her turn away but looked right into her eyes, just to be absolutely sure. He couldn't afford to not be, after all. His path in life hung on a thread and he had to know what would come next, or he'd lose any advantage he had. After he was satisfied he pulled back and started the car up, then got back on the road toward the mansion.

"Dat's good, den, p'tite... dat's good."

Rogue pulled away as soon as he'd let her, suddenly angry. What was that about?

"What, is there somethin' ya don't want me ta know? Like why you're at the institute, or what ya did for Trask?"

What was she, some kind of tool to him? A little voice in her pointed out that he might be sticking around just to get her trapped again. Why else pay special attention to her?

He glanced over at her and hesitated, breath held. Thoughts ran through his mind and he had to put full concentration on the right move. He nearly hit the car in front of them as it stopped at a stoplight, but zipped around it and through the busy intersection somehow without dieing. By then he'd thought of what to do and sighed.

"Remy can trus' yo', p'tite... he pretty sho o' dat... I's jus' dat.. Remy ashamed o' some o' de stuff he done... He... don' like ta t'ink 'bout it... an' he don' wan' othahs ta t'ink 'bout it eithah..."

"Ya might be able ta trust me, but how do Ah know I can trust you?"

Rogue opened the car door and got out. It was uncomfortable talking about this in a place where she couldn't run away, if she felt the need.

"Ah'll be honest with ya, Remy. Pietro told me what Trask was up to, and what he wanted to do ta me. He also made me question why you're sticking around. How do Ah know you're still not workin' for those men? What am Ah supposed ta think?"

Remy sighed and got out as well.

"Yo' s'posed ta t'ink Remy's awesome, jus like all de othahs... Yo' not naive, dough, and dat's a problem... Tell me, den, p'tite, wha' da yo' t'ink o' Remy? You t'ink he come 'round ta try an' do all dese bad t'ings, and so fo'th, and dat de Prafessah ain' know? Yo' t'ink he come ta get yo' back, and sit nex' ta yo' bed all nigh' an' jus' leave yo' dere wit'out kidnappin' yo'? Yo' t'ink Remy jus' bidin' his time fo' a bettah chance den dat? Cause Remy don't t'ink there would be one. So why do yo' think Remy tryin' ta do bad, anyway? Jus' cause Remy won' tell yo' personal t'ings? He really like ta know, cheri."

He watched her expectantly, closely, but he was vulnerable again, he even shook slightly. He was definitely not happy to be doing this.

"Ah'm not 'naive', and that's a 'problem'? A person isn't supposed ta go aroun' charmin' people inta doin' what he wants! Look at Kitty, ya got her wrapped around your finger! Ya put on a show for everyone, but what's it for? How can ya not expect me to assume the worst just cause ya been nice ta me! We both know who ya worked for, why shouldn't this time be different?"

        It was true he'd had ample opportunity to kidnap her, or send her into the hands of Trask's men. And there were also times when he's been exceptionally kind. But Risty had been her best friend, and turned out to be Mystique.

"Ya wouldn't be the first one to make me think they were my friend."

Remy frowned and turned away to lean against the car. He looked out towards the ocean, out onto the waves, thinking. He was silent for several minutes before he finally decided to say something.

"Remy touch yo' befo', an' yo' musta taken somet'in, cause Remy was tiahed an' sick fo' awhile latah... So, p'tite, why don' yo' jus look into yo' head an' tell Remy why he's heah." He glanced at her for a moment, but then back to the ocean, one hand fiddling with a card, flipping it between his fingers absent-mindedly, the Ace of Spades.

Rogue watched him sternly, looking at the water as she thought. One of the most frustrating things about that experience was that she'd retained none of Remy's memories. Nothing about his past, or why he was here, or his motives, or even how he felt. The Professor explained to her why.. She could have killed Carol for that. Again.

"Ah would if Ah could, but she destroyed ya. That's what caused me ta lose it that day at the plaza. Ah didn't retain anything from ya."

"Well, p'tite, he don' know wha' ta tell yo' den. If yo' don' trus' Remy den tellin' yo' t'ings is no good." He sighed and charged the card in his hand and whipped it at a tree, the card exploding violently, larger than usual, making the tree collapse back with the others. "Remy jus' ain' nuttin' but trouble... He tell yo' dat ovah and ovah..."

Rogue crossed her arms and rested her forehead in her palm, fingers tangled in the white strands of hair. She remembered the last time he'd said that - he left. There were plenty of reasons why she couldn't, shouldn't trust him, and now Pietro's information put her safety on the line. But did she really believe that Remy would hurt her? There were simply too many times that she'd gone through betrayal, and each time reinforced her life statement: never get close, never care, never get hurt. And each time she did those very things. And now what, was she going to become some kind of mutant killer for it?

"Ah can't do this anymore.. Ah don't want ya ta leave, but what am Ah supposed to do? Ah don't know what reason ya got for bein' here, but why else would ya be so nice ta me? Bein' a killer mutant soldier is the only reason anyone would pay special attention, so why else would ya be here besides that?"

He still didn't know how to answer. Remy just wasn't used to this sort of talk. He had to tell her, he wanted to tell her, he just didn't know how to. Maybe that was his father's fault, too, but he didn't want to heap so much blame on someone who had taken him in off the street, the devil child with a demon's eyes. They'd all been so scared. How then? That's when it came to him.

"I'll show you, p'tite..." With that he vaulted and slid over the hood, getting back to his feet right in front of her. One arm went straight around her waist and he looked in her eyes.

"Pull away quick, cher."

He didn't give her time to question it and his other hand slid behind her head, pulled her close, and he kissed her. He just hoped she'd find what she needed and she'd be ok.

Rogue froze as the unnatural, non-feeling sensation filtered through her body from her lips. Out of instinct she'd pulled away, Remy needn't have said anything, but that's when the small part of Rogue's mind known as Carol rose up in the same violent rage she did back then. Rogue suddenly grabbed the lapels of Remy's trenchcoat, holding on for dear life as the battle between Carol and Remy ensued.

Rogue could feel her hands begin to tingle with a familiar feeling. If she let this continue, she'd be picking up pieces of Remy all over the parking lot. This time Carol wouldn't force her down. Rogue choked out a cry, bending all her will on subduing Carol. Remy's essence fought with her, but a tiny copy was no match for a whole being. Rogue could see small snippets of Remy's memories before he disappeared.. but she'd have to think of those later. Carol had focused her anger on Rogue now, and fought for control. A third source joined Rogue in the fight, and it wasn't too long before Carol was forced into a small corner of her mind. Rogue slumped, but was still awake this time.

Remy kept one arm around her waist and put the other with it. He pulled her up a bit and sat her on the hood of the car, though he still held her up.

"Are yo' all righ', p'tite? Yo'... aren' hurt, are you?"

He watched her carefully, his breath held, and he bit his bottom lip slightly. If he'd hurt her again... he wouldn't be able to come back.

Rogue put both hands to her forehead against the pressure that was building there. Her vision swam a bit also, but she felt alright besides that.

"Ah'm alright.. Ah don't know why that happens. It didn't happen when Ah absorbed Lance."

Gradually Rogue cleared her mind long enough to have a glimpse of the memories she'd absorbed from Remy.. they were choppy and mixed.. she didn't have a very long time to retain them before Carol destroyed him. She could see him as a child in the streets of the Big Easy, and a man, and then a dead man. There was a woman, too, beautiful with long hair. She then saw herself and the institute, and the Morlocks.

"Who is she?"

He looked down and took a deep breath. He didn't have to ask who the 'she' was. There had been only one woman from his former life that was worth a spot in the front of his memory.

"She... Belladonna... Remy's ol' sweetheaht..."

That was easy enough to guess. Why wasn't he with her? Rogue opened her eyes to stare towards the sea, waiting for the darkness to clear from her vision. A numbness began to set in, and it wasn't from her fight with Carol.

"Where is she now?"

He shrugged and slowly moved back from her... He didn't want to crowd her, and he had started to feel a bit dizzy and queasy as well. His color had all ready gone and his face was still a bit ashy, though he seemed to have decent control of himself.

"She back home, in Nawlins, at least dat's where Remy left her... He... Killed her brothah... Cause he challenge Remy..." He closed his eyes, an actual tear rolling down one cheek. "Yo' can' turn down a challenge, course... Only yella-bellies do dat... not de real men..." He shuddered and turned, only to fall to his knees and spill his guts, literally, right into the dirt.

Rogue jumped off the car hood, more or less recovered. She wasn't the one who suffered from using her power.

"Remy! Are ya alright?"

Well of course not, she just drained him. Why did he have to go and do that? He could have been killed. Rogue stooped behind him, one hand gently rubbing his back, and she thought more about Belladonna. Why didn't he go back for her, or why didn't she come to him? Probably, she guessed, because there were certain nefarious characters making that a difficulty, but love always found a way, or something like that...

Remy spits a few times and wipes his mouth with the back of his hand, then stood with a slight shiver. "Remy fine... he jus... don' like t'inkin bout his ol' life... Bes' ta jus' leave dose skel'tons in Remy's closet..." He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, then went back to lean on the car and looked at her. "Did yo'... find what yo' needed ta know, p'tite?"

Rogue stood and leaned on the car with him, looking back at the water.

"Ah think so."

The memories weren't very clear, but she could see that Remy was trying to lead a better life - even though he still participated in some less than legal gambling activities. But that wasn't really hurting anybody. She also knew that Trask didn't factor into it, the thing she'd most feared. What would happen now that she could trust him in full?

"Ah'm sorry for accusin' ya of bein' here for.. other reasons." The memory of what Pietro had told her came back again, and Carol's attack. "Ah just.. get so afraid that someone's out ta get me all the time, an' they usually are.."

He hesitated for a moment, but she must all ready know, so he slid his arm around her waist and moved a bit closer.

"I's all righ', p'tite, yo' didn' have no reason ta trus' Remy... yo' do know, dat's what mattahs... An' he heah fo' yo', too... Don' have ta worry none..." He wiped the slight sheen of sweat from his forehead as his color started to come back a bit... at least she pulled away quick.

Rogue tensed up a bit as he slid closer. She hadn't got that part of the memo. Still, she could see the gravity of the moment, and they'd gotten to be friendly enough. Her head throbbed just trying to justify it. She didn't pull away, but she didn't lean into it either. Besides, he had some woman called Belladonna down south.

"Thanks."

Rogue turned her attention back to the ocean, her vision back to normal. Eventually Rogue gave into indulgence, though, and leaned her head on Remy's shoulder.