Chapter 6: The Ring
Remy stepped into the living room, "I did it, Chere," he said with a smirk, "I actually did it."
Rogue had been sitting on the couch, next to the phone for some time, waiting on a phone call that she wasn't even sure would come. The television was on, its strange eerie light flickering across the room, almost illuminating Rogue in a strange blue tint.
To admit, Rogue was extremely surprised Remy had thought to come find her in the living room. She stood quickly, "you did it? And didn't get caught?"
"Almost did. Were a few things I didn't expect," he admitted, "I guess I underestimated the job…and was a bit over confident in the beginning, but I did it in the end," he said.
Rogue smirked, "so did you learn anything?"
"I think I did," he said, "whoever is doing this, is even smarter than I am," he sighed, "What are you doin' in here anyway?" he asked.
"Nothing, I was trying to call Kitty, but she's not home yet…"
Remy looked at her, "you look guilty," he said.
Rogue felt like a deer in the headlights, "Huh?"
"You look guilty, have you done something bad?" He asked, he wanted to see if he could get her to admit something was going on, that she was keeping secrets from him.
"No…I, er…was just feeling guilty about the way I walked out of your room earlier. I was being a bitch, I'm sorry," she explained quickly.
"It's fine," he shrugged, he walked over to the couch and sat down.
"So…you've cased the place, you've broken in – and succeeded. So what do we now then?" she asked.
"Not too much yet. This is one way of breaking into the centre. There has to be others. As far as I know, I didn't see any signs of previous break ins through the locks or the panel near the lab door, I'd been the first one to mess with them, which means whoever is doing this knows how to get past it without leaving traces on them, or they know another way – in other words, they're even better than I am at this."
"Is that even possible?"
"I'm one of the best Thieves in New Orleans, but doesn't mean to say there aren't Thieves better than me in the rest of the world," he pointed out softly, kind of downheartedly. "In fact the fact there were things I missed when casing the place the other day just proves I'm kind of losing my touch, maybe I'm not such a great Thief anymore."
"Don't be stupid," Rogue looked at him, "you're a great Thief, one of the best, always will be."
"Whatever," he sighed.
Rogue sat beside him, "So…what now?"
"I look for other ways to break in," he explained, "there must be other ways, this can't just be the only way," he admitted, "I'm gonna start planning again tonight."
Rogue looked at him, "Remy, let it rest a few days, you're obviously exhausted, chill out for a while first, then you can worry about other ways later…" she put her hand on his arm.
Remy looked at her, she was clad in dark grey plaid pyjamas, and wearing thin black cotton gloves, her hair was slightly mussed, she looked as if she'd been tossing and turning on a restless night, and he had the feeling it was something to do with the secret she'd been keeping from him, although what that secret was, he was yet to discover.
He wanted to ask her right then what was going on, but he held back, she had been stressed enough – they both had – and a fight was the last thing either of them needed. And it would undoubtedly turn into exactly that, it always did.
"I was worried about you," Rogue murmured, "I didn't think you'd make it through."
"I told you, I can bend my body in any way," he shrugged, "didn't even get stuck once," he lied.
Rogue smirked a little, "what other ways can you bend your body?"
"You'd be surprised," he shrugged.
"Can you get your own head up your ass?" Rogue smirked.
"If that's what turns you on," he joked.
Rogue giggled a little, amused by the comment.
Remy looked at her, drinking in her presence as he always did, she was so beautiful in the low lighting of the living room, and in the bluish flickering light from the television, he was entranced by her unearthly attraction. And despite he felt suspicious of her, right then he would have given his life just for one kiss – if she'd allow it.
"You're a sight for sore eyes," he murmured.
"Flatterer," Rogue blushed, looking away, pleased with his comment, she pretended to be more interested in what was on the television than him.
Remy reached over, placing his leather-gloved hand upon her cheek, turning her face back towards him, he brushed his thumb against her pale flesh, and she closed her eyes, shuddering a little at the touch of the cold leather. "I knew…what it was you were tryin' to say earlier," he admitted, "I just didn't think it was the right time to be talkin' about it."
Rogue sighed, pulling away, "Why? Why make me wait but all the other girls could have you in minutes?"
"You know why," Remy answered, "Chere, give me time, alright? This is one relationship I'm not in a hurry to mess up," he stated. "And sex can mess things up…extremely."
Rogue looked away guilty, knowing sex wasn't the only thing that could mess up the relationship. Lies could, and she had some of her own. She felt like a hypocrite, having picked on him for having his own lies and secrets she'd found out about herself, yet, she had the nerve to keep her own when she'd made him promise to tell her any of his secrets. It felt bad.
"What's on your mind?" he asked softly. He was hoping that she'd just tell him right then, he was hoping she'd take the hint.
"Nothing…" Rogue chewed her lip, "will you just hold me?" she asked.
"If that's what you want," he wrapped his arms around her, and held her to him, her head against his chest so she could hear the beating of his heart – a heart he'd swear beat only for her and no one else. "Chere," he murmured softly.
"Yeah?" she asked after a time, her arm was draped over his stomach, she was beginning to feel comfortable, and sleepy right there and then.
"We have no secrets from each other, right?" He asked, hinting again.
Rogue fell silent for a moment, thinking, she knew she should tell him right then, it was the opportune time to get anything she needed to off of her chest, but she couldn't. She couldn't bare the thought of starting another fight. Another fight might just ruin things between them so much that there would never be chance of reconciliation again. She wasn't sure if she was willing to risk their relationship for the morals of being honest.
Remy felt the all too familiar feeling of the sinking of his heart, she was lying – lying to him. He'd thought she'd always be honest with him. Why did she have to lie to him now? What was she hiding from him. He let his fingers dance up her spine, "If…you ever do have any secrets…even shameful ones…y'know you can tell me," he murmured.
"I don't have any secrets, Remy…" Rogue raised her head and looked at him, "my life is an open book, you've read it cover to cover so many times, you know everything there is to know, already."
Remy nodded a little, he pulled her closer, "because, y'know…me and you can't even think about bein' together if we can't trust each other, right?" he asked.
Rogue nodded too, "And I trust you completely now…" she admitted.
"I trust you," Remy said, although quite frankly, now he didn't, now that he'd overheard that conversation.
She lay her head back on his chest, closing her eyes, "this is how it's meant to be, y'know, why has it taken so long just to get here and sit here like this together, without nothing holding us apart?" she asked wearily.
"You sure nothing is holding us apart?" he asked.
Rogue raised her head, "what do you mean?" she asked, and was about to ask if he knew something he shouldn't, but just then the security guy came in through the door, he looked slightly panicked, his breath heavy as if he'd been running.
"Have you guys heard anything or seen anything unusual?" Michael, the security guard demanded hastily.
"Nothin', mon ami," Remy responded, almost too quickly. "Why?"
"There's been a break in…"
Remy raised his head, "are you sure?"
"Seven thousand dollars worth of chemicals are missing," Michael stated, "you're the only ones in the centre who seem to be awake apart from myself."
Rogue spun around and looked worriedly at Remy, she knew he couldn't have taken those chemicals, but again, suspicions because of his ability to steal and the fact he'd managed to break in to the lab without being caught, did again leave her concerned.
"Are Moira and Sean back yet?" Rogue asked.
"Not until tomorrow," Michael stated.
Remy stood up, "But…how?" he asked. "How could someone have broken in?"
"How the hell should I know? There are no signs of a break in but several things are missing from the lab – I checked. Someone's been in there alright, so many chemicals are missing…and I found this…"
Michael held up something in the air, Remy walked over and took it from him with his gloved hand, looking at it. It was a long silver chain, rather delicate, and the links had snapped so that it was no longer wearable. On the chain, dangled a silver ring, almost plain except for an engraved thorny heart, with a ruby in its centre.
"What is it?" Rogue asked, she stood up, and looked at the ring, in confusion.
Remy's face had gone pale. Even without him having said anything, she could see it in his eyes.
He'd seen the necklace before.