Disclaimer: Well, I asked for the rights to the X-Men for Christmas, and guess what?! Yeah, I didn't get them. Curse you, Santa! shakes fist threateningly at him
A/N: Here we go again! Before we get to the actual chapter, I just have to say WOW. I actually got reviews, and lots of them! I still think I'm hallucinating, but every time I check them they're still there, so maybe they are real after all. They're all SO nice, I LOVE you guys! Every time I check one, I start giggling girlishly and squealing. And it continues when I move to read the next one. It's a vicious cycle, but it just puts me in the BEST of moods! So, to all my reviewers, you're TOTALLY getting gold stars! Use them wisely. Anyhoo, responses ahoy!
Personage, Lady Amaya, just me, Melfina Lupin, annikask8s2005, The Rogue Cajun, Midnight Selene, Michelle, Yumiko, Rogue77, Turquoise, tia, mAd RoGuE & Jukebox – Thanks, guys! Wow, I can't believe you've heard of me, and have been waiting for me to write something! As mAd RoGuE put it, I'm "notorious"! I like the sound of that; it makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. I still in shock that I've got a reputation on . Are you sure it's a good one? Or is everybody like, "Ooh, if ishandahalf reviews your fic, head for the hills!"? Shmeh, it's publicity either way, so huzzah! Thanks guys.
Mercury Dream – Aww! I'm glad you were so confident about my fic-writing ability. I'll be holding you to the promise of faithfully reviewing though! Bwa ha ha ha ha!
heartsyhawk – Hmm, I don't think Belle will be turning into a chipmunk in this fic, although it would be quite the interesting development, wouldn't it? As for how I'll portray her, you'll just have to keep reading and see, won't you?
Neurotic Temptress – Shame on you, haven't you learned not to piss off the plot bunnies by now? Anyhoo, thanks SO much for your review, it's nice to know that a mind as twisted as mine is enjoying this. And of course it's not a one-shot! This will be an EPIC story! Well, in theory, at least. But yeah, I can't wait till you've got time at your computer again, cuz I feel deprived of both your emails and your fics. Ooh, you're taunting me with the "and such" portion of your life, aren't you? I'm DYING to know what happened with your little soap opera! I'll be waiting…
Remy's Angy – Hmm, being a super fast reader (and typer) does help me quite a bit, but you wanna know my secret? A time machine. Shh, don't tell anybody!
Eileen Blazer – You say you were stunned when you saw that I finally wrote a fic? Well, I was stunned to see that you reviewed my fic! You are a goddess of Romy goodness! I bow down in supplication to you, my liege. I shame you and your scribbles? Sacrilege! If anything, my tiny, insignificant fic is scribbles compared to your stuff. Hmm, will my continuous praise of you make you update faster? I thought you were dead or something, we haven't seen an update from you since what, August? Shame on you. You better get typing! But yeah, thanks for your compliments! Reeking of Romyness, eh? I like the sound of that! But I don't know, since you mentioned the Gambit/Wolverine pairing, I've been giving that some serious consideration… Nah, I wouldn't do that. I think it's impossible to stray away from my internal Romy programming. Once again, thanks for the review. This update fast enough for ya? Notice I didn't wait for months, hint hint! Sorry, I just had to stick that in there. I'm dying for an update of yours!
archmagnus – Ooh, I merited a "yowza"? Huzzah! I feel all special now. ;-)
Calliann – Ahh, another insane friend! Of course we're not alone, one day the insane shall rise up and take over the world! Bwa ha ha ha! Anyhoo, glad you like it! And wow, you've resorted to pouting to get me to update fast? Wow! That's an interesting tactic, I think it worked.
Rogue4787 – Wow, you people are quite sharp with the whole emerald bit, aren't ya? But I don't know, maybe you shouldn't make assumptions. After all, couldn't Remy have been mesmerized by a really nice brooch or something? ;-)
Princess of Monkeys – Yay, I'm so glad you reviewed my fic, especially since yours is the one I'm currently obsessed with. I'm glad you like it so far. Yeah, I decided to go for a new angle and start things off in the Big Easy. And finish things off there too, for that matter – no Bayville in this fic, no siree! And woah, you're complimenting my accent writing? Thanks! That was one of my main concerns, I'm glad I seem to have done the sexiness justice.
Cloud of Blood – "Lalala", eh? I'm glad I made you burst out into song!
Aro – Thanks for the review, Robin! I appreciate the Batmanness of your comment, you know me oh so well! Thanks for the star and cookie too - all my giving is finally returning to me in gift form! But I must give you a gold star back for being first to use my "bunny on crack" line against me. I was wondering how long that would take, and then you came along two hours and twenty-four minutes after I posted. Now everybody's using it against me, it's so overwhelming! Ahh!
Star-of-Chaos – I'm a tease? Aww, thanks, I try. But let's rejoice, for you were my VERY first reviewer! I LOVE YOU! hugs Seriously, I feel the need to bow down and worship you. Hey, you were also the first to mention something about the emeralds. See Rogue4784's response if you want my take on that…
Alrighty, so on with the fic! Let me just warn you that there's an abundance of Cajuns in this chapter (not that it's a bad thing, there's no such thing as too many Cajuns!), and with the Cajuns come their accents. I'm just a simple Canadian gal, and my accent consists of adding "eh" to every sentence, eh? Ha ha. But yeah, here's hoping it goes well. Onward!
February Fifteenth
Chapter Two – A Call for Help
The Guild meeting hall was anything but dull. There was elegant mahogany furniture situated around the room, beautiful portraits of ancestors hanging on the walls, and shelves filled with countless history books. Not monotonous school-approved history, but tales of the Guild; they were filled with priceless scores, daring escapes, and thrilling fights. A person could open one of the volumes up and be caught up in reading all day. Because of that, it was almost impossible to be bored in the room. And yet, Remy somehow managed it.
Leaning back in the chair with his feet crossed and placed on top of the table, his shocking eyes were shut, with wisps of auburn hair falling in front of them. He gave every appearance of being asleep, except for the deck of cards being expertly shuffled in his hands. Every so often, he would charge one and let it detonate with a faint 'pop!' just to keep himself awake. Remy despised Guild meetings; they were full of tedious affairs that he could care less about, from debates about raising commissions to arguments regarding the latest business ventures used as fronts for money laundering. Unfortunately, as one of the Princes of Thieves, he was expected to attend.
'Mon Dieu (My God), could dis take any longer?' he thought.
There were one thousand things he'd rather be doing, one thousand pockets he'd rather be picking, one thousand girls he'd rather be flirting with. The time left for the latter was rapidly declining, with the wedding now only four months away. With every day that passed, Remy's hope was extinguished a little bit more, and he became all the more desperate. He would flirt with practically anything that moved, just wishing to find some sort of connection, some sort of bond with somebody, anybody. A real, tangible reason not to go through with the wedding, rather than just his feelings. Or rather, lack thereof.
Suddenly, Remy was jolted from his thoughts by a sharp jab to his side. Looking over to Henri, he glared and asked, "Mon frère (My brother), why you do dat fo'?"
Henri just inclined his head towards the head of the table where the Guild Master sat, looking rather amusedly at his sons.
"Y' wouldn't be not payin' attention, now would y', Remy?" he asked.
"Course not, m'sieu (sir)," Remy smirked. "Just restin' mes yeux (my eyes)."
"Dat's good t' hear, because we've got somethin' important t' discuss. About y' weddin'."
At this, Remy's ears perked up. His father's tone definitely didn't sound happy, meaning there was bad news. Well, maybe bad for him. But for Remy, anything to hinder the wedding would definitely be a blessing.
"Our spies in de Assassins' territories have reported dat Julien was talkin' 'bout Remy, and it ain't nothin' good."
"Pfft, when is anythin' dat idiot say 'bout Remy good? He's not exactly m' numba one fan since Remy be marryin' son soeur (his sister)."
That was the truth. As much as Remy didn't want to marry Belle, he had only discussed his unhappiness with the immediate members of his family. Julien Boudreaux was much more vocal about the subject, protesting to anybody within earshot until the elders of both Guilds reprimanded him; it was to seal the peace and there was nothing he could do about it.
"Dat's true, but dis mo' den just badmouthin' y'," spoke up Antoine, one of Jean-Luc's many advisors. "We be t'inkin' dat he's plottin' somet'in'. Y' know dat he's dead set against dis weddin'."
'Looks like we actually got somet'in' in common,' thought Remy. Out loud he asked, "So what's he plannin'?"
"We don' know, but we be t'inkin' dat it may be what he's best at, neh?" said Lapin, one of Remy's countless cousins. He didn't have to elaborate any further, for everybody caught the allusion; Remy's life could be in danger.
"Not dat Remy don' appreciate de seriousness o' de situation," he began, which was true. He didn't like the idea of being killed any more than the next person. "But what be de point o' offin' me? He'll get in merde (shit) wit' de Guild elders, and den de peace pact won' 'appen!"
"We t'ought 'bout dat already. It don' seem t' make any sense," Jean-Luc told him with a frown.
A silence fell over the meeting room for a moment, as everybody present contemplated the news.
'Hmm, now dere's a choice between marryin' a fille (girl) y' don' love and livin' in misery fo' de rest o' y' life, or gettin' killed fo' marryin' de same girl when y' don' even wan' t'. Nice mess y' got yo'self in, Remy,' he internally muttered.
Then one of the elders, whose name Remy never remembered, began to speak. "Maybe dere is a reason fo' Julien t' do dis," he mused while walking over to one of the bookshelves and began to search for something. "Dere's an obscure Guild law 'bout marryin' b'tween de clans," he remembered, as he pulled out a large leather-bound book, placed it on the table, and began to leaf through the pages. "Somethin' 'bout protection b'tween de two families… ahh! Ici! (Here!)" he stated, pointing to a specific page.
Everybody around the table leaned in, trying to get a glimpse of the words. "It is decreed, that if man and woman from the Assassins Guild and the Thieves Guild marry, they will be held in reverence for their union. They shall bring about peace because of this, and be held to the highest titles, and in the highest regards. Their families will be bound together. They shall protect each other, be protected from each other, and protect the Guilds. The bond is unbreakable, staying even death of husband or wife. Should this occur, the surviving spouse shall be endowed with the unified Guild's duties and responsibilities."
"So?" questioned Lapin. "We already knew dat: Remy and Belladonna get married, dey bring about peace, and because o' dat we get protection from de ot'er Guild!"
"Use your head fo' once, Lapin," sighed Henri. "By gettin' married, Remy an' Belle get de highest titles in de Guild, meanin' dey be de ones in charge! An' if Remy be killed, den Belladonna rules o'er everyt'in'! Dat must be what Julien's after, if he kills Remy after de weddin', den Belle gets control. Knowin' him, he'll probably weasel int' power from his soeur, and den take it all away from de Thieves."
Wonderful, joyous hope filled Remy upon hearing those words. This was exactly what he needed! Finally, a cause not to marry Belle, this couldn't possibly get any better.
"Now wait," cautioned Jean-Luc. "We be getting' ahead o' ourselves here! We don' know if dis is even what Julien really be plannin'. He ain't no scholar, what be de chances dat he knows 'bout dis law? It is obscure."
'Je n'y crois pas! (I don't believe it!)' Remy cursed. 'Jus' call it off already! He wouldn' possibly take de chance of an Assassin takin' o'er de Guild…'
"We don' know what Julien knows," reasoned Antoine. "Dis is a dangerous scenario. I say the weddin' be cancelled – we can' take de chance of a Boudreaux takin' o'er both Guilds, even at de expense o' de peace pact!"
Remy could have kissed the man. Unfortunately, he didn't have the last word.
"Dat's a bit rash, neh?" asked one of the elders. "Why don' we get someone t' find out what exactly he knows, den we'll know how t' proceed."
"An' who do y' suggest?" enquired Antoine.
"An' independent contractor. Dat way he won' be known t' the Assassins, an' he can gather de information we need."
The elders seemed to agree with this course of action, and all looked over to Jean-Luc. He nodded and said, "Dat's a good idea, mais qui? (but whom?)"
"Je sais (I know). L'ombre (the Shadow)," suggested Henri.
"Es-tu fou? (Are you crazy?)" asked a bewildered Remy. "Remy's all fo' gettin' help an' all, but how 'bout some help dat actually exists and ain't just some story?"
"He does exists, he's one o' de best t'ieves in de world!" exclaimed Henri. "He can get information on almost anyt'in' an' never leaves a trace o' evidence, like dere was no t'ief dere at all."
"C'est vrai (It's true), I've heard o' dis t'ief too. He does exist – dere are heists dat no ot'er Guilds admit to pullin', everyone says it's L'ombre," mused Jean-Luc. Remy could almost see the cogs in his head turning, processing the situation.
Lapin's eyes widened. "Y' not de only one, Oncle (Uncle). He's almos' as good as a Master T'ief! But he's not called L'ombre, il s'appelle Le Fantôme (he's called the Ghost)."
"C'est tu qui est fou (It's you who's crazy), Lapin. C'est L'ombre! (It's the Shadow!)" scoffed Henri.
"Le Fantôme!"
"L'ombre!"
"Le Fantôme!"
"L'ombre!"
"Will y' two stop it? He don' even exist, it don' matter what he's called!" shouted Remy, having enough of their childish argument. He was desperate for a solution to his problems, and talking about a fictional thief was a waste of his time.
"He does exist!" came the heated reply from both Henri and Lapin, on the same side for once.
"Does not!"
"Does too!"
"Non! (No!)
"Oui! (Yes!)
"Non!"
"Oui!"
"Assez! (Enough!)" bellowed Jean-Luc, finally losing his patience. "De t'ief exists, and we'll ask fo' his help."
"Comment?(How?) He's like a ghost," Lapin emphasised with a pointed look at Henri. "He don' leave clues, nobody know who he is, or where t' find him!"
"It don' matter if we find him," Jean-Luc said. "All dat matters is dat he finds us. We'll send messages t' all our contacts around de world – word will spread, an' if he's any t'ief at all, he'll hear 'bout it. Agreed?"
No objections were raised, except for Lapin who began to open his mouth.
"Lapin, if y' say just un mot (one word) about de name o' de t'ief, I swear I'll make y' go out an' find him yo'self."
He smartly remained silent, and Jean-Luc smiled and stood up. "Bon (Good). Meetin' adjourned."
As everybody stood up and made their way to the doors, Remy gave an almost unperceivable smile. Things were beginning to look up.
Next chapter, the wedding gets even closer – will the help they asked for ever show up? Cue the dramatic music!
Well, there you have it. Another chapter bites the dust. What do you think – good, bad, Nobel Prize for Literature worthy? Well, you can tell me if you REVIEW! So go and click that little button in the corner, it'll be MUCH appreciated. Huzzah, and thanks for reading. The next chapter should be up within a few days. In theory. ;-)
Kisses,
ish
