Chapter 9: A New Life
The restaurant was crowded, as it usually was; Marcello's was a popular restaurant. The small group of people who came in didn't wait for the hostess to seat them, but went directly to the piano bar. The sprightly strains of an Irish traditional ballad meandered softly through the air as they seated themselves.
Remy pulled out Rogue's chair, kissed her as she sat, then sat himself in a chair beside hers. Jean pushed Charles' wheelchair up beside the table, and then took a seat beside Scott. Ororo sat, regal and beautiful, as always, to the left of Logan, who was fiddling with his tie. "Logan," she said to him gently, "stop fooling with it…"
Logan glowered. "If it weren't Cat's first performance here, I'd never have let ya talk me into puttin' on this monkey suit," and he untied his tie for the umpteenth time. Charles grinned as Ororo leaned over Logan and tied it for him… "and this time, Logan, leave it alone, for the Goddess's sake…"but there he went again, untying it, as the waitress brought over a tray with their wineglasses and filled them. Charles sat and listened with a slight smile to the conversations going on around him as he sipped his wine.
The lights dimmed, and a nervous, officious man came up to the podium as the previous player on the piano got up and left the stage. "And now, we at Marcello's are pleased to present to you one of the best players we've ever had here. She has graciously signed a contract with us to play here exclusively, so here she is, the lovely Catryne Steele!"
The spotlight picked up a slim, graceful figure dressed in a sleek shimmering silver sheath coming out form behind the curtain. She looked out at the faces, doing her best not to squint into the bright lights, and saw, only a few yards from the stage, Xavier, Ororo, Jean, Scott, Logan, Remy, and Rogue sitting at a table applauding. She smiled then, and sat down at the piano, pulling the mike close to her mouth.
"I wouldn't be here if it weren't some very special friends of mine," she said, her words for all the restaurant patrons but her smile for one particular table alone, "and if it weren't for the love, encouragement, and support they've given me, I wouldn't be here. I'd still be working in a job I hate, for a demanding boss I can't stand." There was an appreciative ripple of laughter as she paused. "So I'd like to dedicate my first song to them. "it's called, 'Remember Me This Way'."
Her fingers stroked over the keys, coaxing a ripple of lovely music from them, and then she began to sing.
"Every now and then
We find a special friend
Who never lets us down.
Who understands it all
Reaches out each time you fall,
You're the best friend that I've found…"
Logan leaned across the table. "Remy, I didn't know she had such a lovely voice," he said, but the others hushed him impatiently.
"I'll make a wish for you,
And hope it will come true
That life will just be kind
To such a gentle mind
And if you lose your way
Think back on yesterday
Remember me this way…"
After a few more songs she came to join them at the table, sipped a glass of water and listened to their profuse praise for her voice and singing. She had enough time to grab a quick bite, and she told them a little bit of what she'd been doing in the month since the Master had died.
"I went back to the building," she said, "and as far as I can tell no one else made it out before the building fell. I waited a week, and monitored the accounts that the Assassins have. No one made any attempt to touch them, so I took them. I donated the contents of five of the accounts to various worldwide charities, liquidated the physical assets and distributed that too, then I went and got selfish. I bought myself a house out in the suburbs, got myself a car, fixed up my bike, and left the rest alone. I figured someday I might find someone else I want to marry; after all, I'm only twenty-seven, and maybe I might have another child. I'd like that."
"Physical assets?" Remy questioned.
She nodded. "You didn't think the money was all we were getting, did you? in many cases, we had to take the valuables of the victims we took out so it would seem like a robbery, or a mugging. Some of the items I returned, but a great deal of it I couldn't figure out where it had come from, so I had the jewelry and valuables taken apart and discreetly sold. "I'm wealthy, independent…and I owe it all to you." she kissed Remy quickly and slipped a velvet box into his hand as she did. "Give it to her," she whispered into his ear. "It's not stolen, I promise." She got up and headed back up to the stage, sitting at the piano and beginning to play.
Gambit quietly placed the box on Rogue's plate when she wasn't looking without opening it, though he was dying to see what it was. The box was too big to be a ring.
Rogue turned back to the table after the last song, and saw the box on her plate. "Remy?" she gasped, opening it.
Inside lay an exquisite jewelry set; a gold choker with a large but tasteful emerald teardrop hanging from it; matching earrings, and a pretty emerald bracelet with tiny emerald drops on it. Rogue gasped, squealed and showed Jean, who laughed. Then she turned to Remy, picking up the necklace and handing it to him. He clasped it around her neck, then turned and gave her a long, lingering kiss.
The piano player on the stage smiled, and bent over the ivory keys.