Chapter 4:  The Plan

             "Wake up!"

             The loud voice of Bella Donna disturbed Rogue and Remy from peaceful slumbers, they leaned up, breaking away from each other whilst the cold glare of Bella Donna gazed over them hatefully.

             Remy rubbed his eyes, "You never did let me get any sleep," he said, "things certainly never change, do they," he muttered.

             "Shut up."

             "So you got us here, you obviously wanna say something to us, standing there with that face that tells me you got somethin' on your mind," Remy winced as he tried to move his injured arm, "So tell me, Belle, what's your brilliant scheme this time."

             "Oh, I don't think you need worry your pretty little head like that, mon chere," she stood with her hip to the side, arms folded, her chest swelling under a very tight black top.  Despite Remy hated the woman, Rogue could see the look of lust in his eyes as he looked over Bella Donna.  Rogue felt like kicking him right then. 

             Rogue looked away stubbornly, Remy could only gaze.

             "So, what, gonna drag me all the way to another wedding?" Remy asked, "didn't you get the message the last time?"

             "But the last time, I didn't have a back up plan," Bella Donna's eyes swayed over to Rogue.  "This time, Remy, I'm going to give you an ultimatum.  You see, if you don't go through with this wedding…and you object when the priest tells you to say 'I do'?  You're gonna watch me gut your little whore up like a fish…"

             Rogue spun around to look at Remy, his eyes as wide as her own.

             "I got no qualms about killin' her," Bella Donna reached to her right thigh, a small scabbard was strapped there, and she yanked a very intricate dagger from it, she twirled it in her hand, the tip pressed against her index finger.  "I'd take no greater pleasure in cutting her…takin' her apart, piece by piece."

             "Assassins don't kill for pleasure, Belle, they kill for profit, it's the way of the Assassin," Remy stated, as if he'd been well versed in the rules.

             "What would you know, you're nothin' but a Thief," Bella Donna remarked.

             "I know the bylaws, Belle."  Remy stood up slowly, his words fell from his mouth in very fluent French.  "Aucun voleur peut voler pour la richesse personnelle mais seulement se soutenir, Aucun Assassin cherche à tuer un ennemi à moins qu'a payé pour ainsi faire."

             Rogue gritted her teeth, she was beginning to desire asking Remy for lessons in French once they got out of this mess, "and the translation of that?"

"No thief may steal for personal wealth but only to sustain himself, No Assassin seek to kill a foe unless paid to do so," Bella Donna spat, she clenched the dagger in her fist, "but you broke those rules a LONG time ago, Remy LeBeau."

"After I left the Guild.  I might be a thief, but I'm not under the laws of the guild anymore.  I'm an X-Man now," Remy squinted his black and red eyes at her coldly.

"Wrong.  You WERE an X-Man.  You're never goin' back there…and tomorrow, you're gonna be my husband, like it or no…if you don't…your little slut is gonna die by my hand…" Bella Donna growled.

"What if I sacrifice myself…" Rogue stood slowly, she glanced at Remy, who looked as doubly surprised as Bella Donna did.

"Do you think he's worth dyin' for, Chere?" Bella Donna seemed amused, "so he can live free and have any woman he wants…tellin' them all he loves them and them dumpin' them after he gets his lay?"

Rogue looked at Remy, "yes," she answered.

Remy took his eyes away from Bella Donna, and turned towards Rogue, "Chere, without you, my life wouldn't be worth livin' anyway…" he drew his breath sharply.  "At least if I marry Bella Donna, you get to live and I have the knowledge that you'd be safe…" he explained.
             "Remy, don't…" Rogue grabbed a hold of his uninjured arm, and shook him a little, "think about it…bein' married to that—" she pointed to Bella Donna, "would be a living hell."

"My life is a living hell…havin' to avoid them.  I've been avoidin' them for years.  And even if you were a sacrifice, they'd still get me in the end…while there is honour between Thieves, the Assassins know nothing about Honour," he sighed.  "No, I know what I have to do…" he walked over to Bella Donna. 

"No, Remy, please!" Rogue pleaded, she felt her heart pound in her chest, she kept trying to tell herself that this wasn't happening, that it was some kind of bad nightmare…yet, she pinched herself and Remy and Bella Donna were before her, looking deep in each others eyes.

Remy tilted his head a little to the side looking at Bella Donna, "Belle…I'll say I do at the alter…but let her go…"

Bella Donna smiled, and she put the dagger in its sheath against her thigh, took Remy's face in both of her hands and kissed him hard, and deep, Rogue felt waves of disgust and hatred sweep over her, and she clenched her fists.  Remy had his left hand buried in Bella Donna's beautiful long golden hair, and his mouth was pressed fiercely against hers as if he'd hungered for the kiss for an eternity. 

During the kiss, Bella Donna's stunning blue eyes opened, and glanced at Rogue from their corners, the expression smug.

"Remy, no…"

Remy broke his lips from Bella Donna, "I'm with her now, Rogue," he stated, his voice plain, and seemingly unemotional.

Rogue felt panic emerging, he rarely – if at all – called her by the name of Rogue.  It had always been Chere, or Marie if he was feeling extra sweet towards her.  But Rogue, it sounded so serious.

Rogue drew her breath, "Remy, I love you…" she felt tears stinging her eyes.

"I owe my love only to one woman…" he slipped his arm around Bella Donna.  "The woman I promised to love forever the night I gave myself to her and she to me…" he glanced back to Bella Donna, "So…Belle, we gettin' married tomorrow…do we really have to wait for the wedding night?" he raised an eyebrow.

Bella Donna smirked, "Not if I get my way…"

Bella Donna walked backwards, pulling Remy towards the door by the collar of his leather coat.  Rogue's mouth dropped, was he really going to do this?  She felt all of a sudden as if she'd been fooled and as if Remy had always intended to go back to Bella Donna eventually.  "Remy…" she whispered.

"Wait…what about her…" Remy gestured towards Rogue, "You said you'd let her go," he reminded, his hand resting on Bella Donna's hip.

"Not until after the wedding, mon Chere," Bella Donna planted a kiss upon Remy's jaw, "c'mon…it's been a while," she smirked, "been so frustrated…"

"Remy!" Rogue yelled.

Remy and Bella Donna left, and the door slammed behind them, and the locks were clicked.  Rogue rushed to the doors, tears escaping and trickling down her cheek, she threw her fists against the door, "REMY!" she screamed.  Banging as hard as she could against the door did no good.  She fell to the floor, tears streaming now.  She couldn't believe he'd betrayed her.