Author's note: thanks to all who read and reviewed. I love you all. I've begun to realize more and more how cliché it was to bring Belladonna into this fic but I did it anyway. But I hope my plot is original from this point on. ATTENTION: I'm making Julien Belle's stepbrother now to make things less weird in this story. Sorry in advance for the confusion!
Disclaimer: I don't own the X-men. But I do own the 1st season of X-men evolution and a couple of Romy fics. The secondary title to this chapter sort of belongs to Arthur Golden who wrote 'Memoirs of a Geisha'. The song is called 'When you say you love me' by Josh Groban. I highly recommend you find a way to listen to him. He has a great voice!
~*~*~*~
Chapter 6The Problem with Memories
(Memoirs of a Cajun)
"Belladonna is my wife," Remy announced.
At first Rogue didn't react. It took a while for her to process that unexpected information. She just blinked at first and felt her brow twist in confusion before the fear and anger settled in.
"What?" she questioned, her voice blank and a little dazed.
Remy looked down to the damp ground, biting his lower lip. "She's my wife, Rogue," he repeated. He was quiet about it as if that would soften the severity of the blow.
A look of garbled emotions crossed Rogue face as she took a badly needed step backwards, the full extent of his message finally hitting her square in the face.
He's married?! Her mind was screaming, reeling in a violent storm of confusion. What the hell? The shock consumed her, making it hard to breathe. Her body felt cold and shaky and her heart pounded, forcing icy blood throughout her veins. She thought to cry but for a moment the shock was too much and she just stood that, staring at him, her brain a befuddled lump of mush.
"How?" she gasped out in a voice made buoyant by bafflement. "Why?"
"We were married right after my 16 birthday," Remy told her. "I want to say that I didn't love her but I did, Rogue. She was the daughter of the leader of the Assassins and, despite the fact that our gangs were at constant war with each other, we met when we were young and feel in love. I proposed to her so we could have a life together and end the warfare. But on our wedding day, I killed her bother, making matters between the Thieves and the Assassins worse, and then I got mixed up with Magneto who took me out of New Orleans before anyone could arrest or kill me."
Rogue didn't say anything when Remy was talking. Even the few moments to collect herself, she blinked and turned to glare at him. She took a determined step forward, clutching her first in a tight ball. She caught him by surprise when she rammed it into the side of his face. Even though she was a pretty powerful mutant, the blow still stung something bad and Rogue cried out in pain, jumping back and holding her bruised hand. Meanwhile, Remy just flinched and held the side of his jaw.
"I deserve that."
"You deserve a hard kick in the ass, Remy!" Rogue shouted, quickly moving forward to push him. She didn't mean for him to fall backwards onto the ground but unfortunately when she got mad she got strong. She lost her balance when he fell and landed on top of him, knocking the breath out of herself.
"Married?" Rogue spat out, raging as she repeatedly clouting him in the chest with her fists. "You're married?" Smack. "Why the hell didn't you tell me?!" Smack. "I ain't particularly open to polygamy!" Smack. Smack. Smack.
"Ouch, chere! Stop it, all right? This ain't a great place to fight!"
"Does it look like I care?"
"Let's go to a café and talk things over!"
"Hell no! I ain't going anywhere with you! It began here and it will end here, Remy!"
Sighing, Remy grabbed a hold of her wrists and held the small weapons at bay. Even though Rogue was stronger than the average female, he had a good 100 pounds on her. He sat up without much effort and looked straight into her pale face.
"We're going to be adults about this and talk," he told her plainly. "Not play of game of beat-the-crap-outta-the-Cajun."
"Screw you," the beautiful southern retorted. Her savage glare could have seen Wolverine running for the hills. "I'm not going with you."
"Yes, you are." In a blink of an eye, Remy was on his feet and walking toward the cemetery exit, hurling the unwilling Rogue behind him. She growled and tried to pull away but the more she struggled, the tighter he held on. No one paid them any mind as they marched through the laden streets of the French Quarter and soon Remy was pulling her inside a small café that was still open and still lively as ever.
"Sit down and shut up," Remy commanded, all but pushing her down into the hard seat in a darkened corner. He took the other sit across from her, leaving a small table between them. Remy still held her wrist in his hand so there was no chance of escape.
Rogue was seething as she scowled at him.
"This a bad time to ask y'all what you want?"
Remy looked up to see a lovely woman with dark hair standing by him. She was wearing a black and pink waitress' uniform and a pad of paper in her hand. When she saw him, the woman blinked for a moment before a wide angelic smile brightened her face.
"Well look what the cat dragged in! It's Remy Lebeau! I didn't even recognize you. When the hell did you get in town?"
He forced a sincere smile. "Tonight," he told her. "I didn't know you worked her, Leis."
"For a couple of months now. You made it just in time for Mardi Gras. Damn, you look worn through and through," she remarked, noticing the pretty little bruised decorating his jaw. "Have you talk to your papa? Does he know you're here?" she asked.
Remy shook his head and ignored the murderous look Rogue's was shooting his way. "Nah. Thought about seeing him tomorrow."
"He's gonna have your hide for coming back. Er…you upset the young lady or something?" She shot a careful glance to the pretty thing on the other side of the table. "She looks like she's about to kill you." She didn't fail to notice the girl's swelling hand that she was trying to hide in her lap. The waitress put two and two together and couldn't help but grin a little.
"They're always trying to, Leis," Remy replied. "Could you grab us a couple of cokes?"
"Cokes? Sure thing. It'll be on the house. I'm bring some ice out too," she replied, before retreating a safe distance.
Remy sighed and glanced over at Rogue, more than a little fearful. "What, chere?"
She arched an eyebrow and snapped in a nasty voice, "She another one of your girlfriends or something?"
"Damn, girl! Leis is my cousin!"
"…Oh." Glare.
Leis returned and placed the drinks and a cloth full of ice before them. "If you want anything to eat, just tell me, all right? Cook's made his special black pepper and shrimp gumbo tonight. It's mighty taste-y if you want my opinion."
"Thanks but we'll hold for now." When she was gone, Remy grabbed his 'coke' and took a mighty gulp of in, inviting the familiar flavor of bourbon as it hit the back of his throat and burned a hole in his empty stomach. Rogue didn't touch her drink.
"Chere, listen," Remy began speaking softly as he sat his glass back down, "I fouled up in the cemetery. Me and Belle, we're not married anymore. When I killed Belle's step-brother, the marriage was end."
"I don't fucking care about that!" Rogue hissed, keeping her voice low but still as malicious as ever. "I'm pissed off that you didn't tell me! We're you just going to keep it in the dark or something? Remy you told me that you never loved anyone else!"
"I'm know, chere. I was just protecting you and myself. Now let me see your hand. You banged it up pretty badly."
When he reached for her other hand, Rogue jerked away. "Don't touch me," she spat out. "Leave me alone!"
"Don't be stupid, chere! Give me your hand. It's hurting you."
Still objecting under her breath, she forked over her wounded hand and winced when Remy gently pressed the ice against the swollen and discolored flesh.
"If it makes you feel any better," he mumbled as he worked, "you got a wicked right hook."
"It feels like I broke it into a thousand pieces," she admitted, hissing violently when the ice made contact with a particularly tender spot. "Damn it, Remy! Watch what you're doing! It hurts like hell!"
"Sorry, chere," he replied, trying to be more gentle this time.
"Remy, how many more secrets ya got honestly?" Rogue asked him after a moment, exasperation pouring out of her bright green eyes. "Every time I turn around I find something new about you! Why didn't you tell me everything from the beginning when you told me about the murder? I could have been more understanding but now I'm sleeping with a married man who was never going to tell me he was married at all! Remy, you're such a…moron!"
He looked up over at her, hiding his smirk. She could have called him a dozen other colorful names. "Do you honestly think that we could have had something if I told you all my dark secrets, chere?"
"Yes! Believe it or now, I would have appreciated your honesty. God damn it, we're a couple and, as cheesy as it sounds, most relationships are built on honesty and trust, not just love alone. It we don't have either, what the hell are we building out relationship on?"
Remy was about to make a joke when Rogue sent him a chilling glare.
"I love you, chere," he told her. "I'm sorry I lied to you and was too stupid to trust you enough to tell you anything."
"Stupid is right," she muttered under her breath. "You said you loved Belle. Do you still love her now?"
Remy shook his head. "No. She went from the girl next door to the psycho down the street in a blink of an eye. She wasn't the girl I thought she was," he replied.
"What happened, Remy?"
~*~*~*~
Remy was grinning from ear to ear was he waited in the large vestibule of the grand St. Louis Cathedral, still decked out his in formal pale gray tuxedo. Around him, Lebeaus and Bordeauxs, Thieves and Assassins, had gathered, chatting about how beautiful the wedding had been and how proud they were that little thief had finally married Belle and congratulating him. Even some of the Assassins stepped forward with smiles to welcome him into their part of the family.
This was the happiest day of his life!
A pounding slap on his shoulder brought the youth out of his daydreaming and almost through a wall. He quickly looked up and saw that it was his father, beaming down at him.
"Damn, papa, what'cha trying to do? Break my shoulder or something?" Remy quipped.
The patriarchal Jean Luc Lebeau just rolled his gray eyes at his son. "Cut the crap, Remy. I just want to say how proud I am of you. You really did right by marrying Belle."
Remy smirked and clasped his papa's hand briefly. "Don't get all sobby on me. The Assassin will think you've gone senile."
Even though the two rivaling gangs were now family, it would take some time getting us to that notion. The younger generation of the gangs were tense and a little uneasy while the progenitors of the two families, Marius and Jean Luc, were ready to call the endless war to an end. To long they had been fighting.
"We're heading over to the reception with Lapin and Marius."
"D'accord," Remy answered. "I'm gonna go collect my blushing bride." (okay)
"Want Henri to stick around and wait with you?"
"Nah. I'm good. Go and get drunk for me. We'll be there soon, papa."
"All right. A bientôt." (see you soon)
Remy watched his father leave the church with his cousin, brother, and father-in-law, then turned and hurried down the hallway towards the room Belle was in. He paused before the dark mahogany door and frowning, hearing the maddening frenzy of ecstatic females in there, fussing over his wife and making Remy shudder. Well, so much for a little private time before the reception.
He sighed and knocked firmly.
"Qui est-ce?" one of Belle's cousins called. (Who is it?)
"Ouvrir le porte. C'est Remy." (Open the door. It's Remy)
Several of the ladies giggled and he carefully pushed the heavy door open and stuck his head inside. There she was. Amidst all the flowers and the flock of feminine figures was his tall, slender, beautiful wife. His woman. He loved the sound of that, living his slightly breathless.
For from being ready to go, Belle was pushing her wild mane of golden curls off her forehead and smiled at him, apologetically, while her multiple cousins in pale green dresses crowded around her. Her veil and diamond tiara were lying on a nearby table while the thin straps of her gorgeous white grown hung low on her shoulders. Remy could tell the back was unzipped.
"Mon Dieu, don't tell me your changing!"
Belle laughed prettily, her cheeks turning pink with embarrassment. "Don't worry, cher," she told him. "I'm going to change at the reception. I came back here to ditch these high heels and put on some sneakers but I tripped and ripped the zipper."
"Is it bad?"
"Nothing a safety pin won't solve. I'll be fixed in a minute."
"Nah, you're good to go now," Belle's cousin, Claudia, announced as she carefully zipped up the back of Belle's large wedding dress. "It doesn't even look like you ripped it at all."
"Merci," Belle replied, looking at the handiwork in a full-length mirror. "All right, girls, you head to the reception. I'll be there in a minute."
"You're not coming with us?"
"No way!" she laughed. "It's my wedding day and I've barely had any time with my handsome husband. Soot on out of here so I have give him a proper kiss."
The other girls blushed and quickly left the room, throwing smiles in Remy's direction. When they were all out, he jumped inside and quickly closed the door. He turned around and watched as Belle ran over to him, throwing her pale naked arms around his neck.
"Le meri et la femme," she purred, settling her head against his chest. "I can't believe it. I'm so happy." (husband and wife)
"Me, too," Remy replied, burying his face in her waterfall of golden locks.
"I wanted to wear my hair down since I know you like it that way, but my aunt thought that would be too casual for a wedding," she told him. "So I was stuck with a god heavy tiara and a veil that blinded me throughout my wedding."
Remy grinning at the woman in his arms and leaned down to kiss her forehead. "You looked beautiful, mon amour. Like a fairly princess."
"You don't look to bad yourself," she replied, blushing. "You're brother did a good job picking out this tux. I almost didn't recognize you, all cleaned up and everything. I love you, Remy."
He held her closer. "Love you, Belladonna Lebeau." He loved seeing the warmth flood his wife's beautiful face before he lifted her chin and kissed her soundly on her pink lips.
She was so sweet and soft as he held her. He was glad that he had such a beautiful, precious girl to share his life with. Her demeanor soothed his heart and calmed his wild side like something he had seen.
When the long, honeyed kiss ended, he grinned down at her and stroked her petal soft cheeks. "Allons-y, chere," he murmured (let's go). "Let's head to our reception before people start the party without us."
Holding her hand, Remy led out of the room. There was a limousine waiting outside in the dying light of day for them that would take them to the hotel where the reception was held in the grand ballroom.
"We in the right place?" Remy murmured as they paused in the doorway into the ballroom in shock.
"Er…I think so," Belle replied, her voice a little strained.
"Looks more like a forest."
"Or a rainbow."
Remy couldn't help but laugh at the horrendously garish decorations. Uncountable tables were set up around the ballroom, leaving a spot for dancing and place where the groom and bride would sit in honorary seats. Color was absolutely everywhere and so where thousands of romantic flowers like roses and lilies. Their scent was a little overpowering. But Remy guessed that once he was properly drunk, then he could deal with the gaudy adornments.
"What happened to keeping it simple and pretty?" Belle asked. "The colors alone could stop a blind man in his tracks."
"Who decorated?"
"Aunt Cécile obviously."
"Oh man, she's here?!" Remy asked, quickly scanning the room for any sign of that ungodly woman.
Belle nodded, looking terrified. "Oui."
"You see that foul stepbrother of yours anywhere?"
Belle shook her head. "No," she replied, looking very relieved. "He probably won't show."
"Good. Well, love, let's get in there and get it over."
"I think I need a drink."
"You don't drink, Belle."
"I will after tonight!"
Remy smiled and tugged at Belle's hand. Each forcing a paper-thin smile, they walk into the large room and was immediately bombarded with the thunderous sound of clapping as relatives turned and applauded the entry of the newlyweds. It took forever to get to their seats because literally everyone and their mother was stopping to greet and congratulate them again with pats, hugs, and smiles. Remy tried not to jump when Belle's older female family members pulled him into a bear hug, almost suffocating him with their large bosoms and groping his behind.
"Jesus, your aunts are frisky," Remy murmured as they flopped down in their seats, thoroughly exhausted by the walk.
Belle laughed and patted his shoulder. "That's nothing compared to the Lebeau men. You brother almost stuff 20 bucks down my bodice."
"What a bastard. I would have expected at least a fifty."
Soon the reception was underway. The band started to play waltzes, the bar opened, the food was set out, and people chatted, danced, drank, and ate in happiness and peace. Belle threw her lovely bouquet of white lilies, which was caught by a blushing young girl, and Remy pulled Belle's lacy garter off and tossed it into a crowd of rambunctious men. In the middle of it all, Jean Luc stood up by his son and delivered a very heartfelt speech about loyalty, love, children, peace, blah, blah blah. There wasn't a dry eye in the house by the end of it except for Remy. He had been snickering through the whole thing. It wasn't everyday you see a man like his papa talk about those kinds of things. While everyone applauded at the end, Jean Luc let Remy know how he liked his son's behavior by hitting Remy hard on the shoulder before returning to his seat, which only made Remy laugh harder.
Finally it came time for the newlyweds to have their little dance in front of everyone. Remy laughed and stood up under the glare of a spotlight, hulling the mortified Belle to her feet as well. She was all but hiding behind him as they walked to the empty dance floor as the soft melody of their song played in the background.
"I'm gonna trip and fall, cher," Belle whispered to him, more than a little scared..
He turned around and placed a hand on her waist while his other hand held her right hand. Belle was gnawing her lower lip as she placed her left arm around Remy's shoulder.
"You'll do fine, Belle," he told her, kissing her forehead. "We've dance hundreds of times before. Nothing to it."
"You not the one dancing with a circus tent tied to your waist!"
"Just forgot them all. Focus on us. We're the only ones out here. It's like our own little universe."
"Okay," Belle whispered. "Let's dance, Remy."
You say those words, my heart stops beating
I wonder what it means
What could it be that comes over me
At times I can't move
At times I can't hardly breathe
As the slow, romantic song played out, Remy pulled Belle closer. Almost one, they swayed to the music, lost in each other's arms.
When you say you love me
The world goes still, so still inside and
When you say you love me
For a moment, there's no one else alive
"This is such a beautiful song," Belle sighed.
Remy smiled. "I love you, chere."
"I love you too."
"I can't wait until we buy our own house," he told her.
"Yes. We'll buy a grand ol' house, fix it up, and it'll be our castle."
"We'll have kids of our own kids."
"We'll have a boy and he'll look just like his papa…"
"Without the demon eyes hopefully."
"You're eyes are beautiful, cher."
"I'm really looking forward to our first real fight."
Belle laughed, shaking her head. "We'll fight, yes, but we won't stay mad for long. We will always come back to each other."
"And we will have lots of sex, too. I can't wait."
"Me neithor."
And this journey that we're on
How far we've come and I
Celebrate every moment
When you say you love me
That's all you have to say
I'll always feel this way
When you say you love me
The world goes still, so still inside and
For a moment, there's no one else alive
When you say you love me
Do you know how I love you
It was a little passed midnight and the reception was still in full swing. Belle leaned over to whisper in Remy's ear, "If I want to breathe again I better change now."
He perked up instantly. "Need any help?"
She smirked. "Looking to give any, sugar?"
"Absolutely."
"I'll go back first then you follow after a couple of minutes," she told him. "That way, we won't rise any suspicion and have the older ladies box our ears."
"D'accord, lovely. See ya in a few."
"It's room 23."
She winked at him before rising and walking away. Remy watched her disappear beyond the entrance of the ballroom. After a few excruciatingly slow minutes, he, too, stood up and strolled out of the hall, saying that he was going to get some fresh air. Out in the lobby, he all but ran up the staircase to Belle's isolated boudoir. He didn't bother knocking, knowing that she was probably waiting for him, and walked right in. What he saw made him see red and snap.
Belle's stepbrother had finally showed. Obviously drunk, Julien was holding Belle from behind. With one hand he was ripping her dress off her body and with the other her was covering her mouth so she couldn't scream. Julien obviously had not heard Remy's entrance but Belle saw and stared at him with her large blue eyes full of fear and helplessness. She tried to reach out for him.
"Get of her!" Remy raged, charging towards them. He ripped Julien off Belle, who fell to the ground in a pillow of white satin, sobbing and hiding her bruised face. "Fucking bastard!" He threw Julien to the ground and savagely kicked him.
"Remy!" Belle screamed. "Stop it!"
He didn't hear her. Over and over he kicked the drunken Julien before grabbing him by the collar and hulling him out of the room, down the hallway to the lobby, outside to a darkened alleyway. The noise they made caught people's attention and they quickly followed them into the night.
"How could you do that to Belle?" Remy shouted, anger boiling in his stomach as he felt sick over his step-brother-in-law's twisted antic. "She's your fucking sister!"
He threw Julien against the wall when the older man just smiled.
"Come on, Remy," he taunted, shoving his fist into Remy's stomach. "Let's fight."
"Remy?" It was Jean Luc. "What's the matter? What's happened?"
A little winded, he pointed an accusing finger at Julien. "I found him trying to rape Belle in her room!"
The onlookers gasped and Jean Luc as well as Marius tried to get the ladies back inside where it was safe. Henri meanwhile tried to stop Remy from turning Julien into a bloody pulp but Remy wouldn't listen. The two brawled in the alleyway and it finally ended a few minutes later when Remy pulled out Henri's switchblade his brother always kept with him and plunged it into the tender flesh of Julien's throat.
Julien stiffed in shock, staring at Remy with large eyes. Remy frowned and pulled the knife free only to slam it into his stomach. He would have stabbed him again had it not been for his father who pulled him away from the bleeding body. Julien fell to the ground, coughing up blood and gasping for air.
"Remy, arrêt!"
"Stop? Why? I'm not finished yet!" He struggled to get free of his father but he couldn't.
"He's already dead!" Jean Luc told him.
Shocked, Remy stilled and gapped down at the body. Julien was cold and dead on the dirty alleyway floor.
"Bastard!" Remy cried out, tearing filling his eyes. "He deserves death!"
"Quiet, mon fils," his father whispered. "Let's…"
Before he could finished long blood curling screeched filled the air. Remy turned and saw Belle breaking through the tight circle of men, her hair and dress flying wildly behind her.
"Belle," Remy began.
She turned on him. "Murderer!" she screamed. "You killed him! You killed my brother!"
He was in shock. Surely Belle would not try to defend Julien after what he tried to do to her! Speechless, she saw her fall on her knees and clung to her bother's body, his blood staining her white dress as she sobbed.
"Oh, god, why?" she wailed, trembling.
Remy was in total shock. He had never seen that side of her before. She was usually so very sweet. Right then he realized that it had been a bad idea to marry her. To a girl like that, her family was everything to her. He was crazy to ever believe that she could put her family second place to their love.
Suddenly, Belle jumped up and turned around, her blue eyes blazing with fury. "I'll kill you!" she screamed, bending down to grab the gory knife Remy had dropped. The red blood ran through her slender fingers, coating her pale hand. "I'll kill you!"
She ran at him blindly, the knife raised high in the air, but Henri caught her in time. She fought him and Marius moved forward and took the bloody blade out of her hand.
"Jean Luc, get your boy outta here!" Marius hissed. "Someone called the cops!"
"Shit!"
Remy blinked, his wits slowly returning. Before he could stop himself, he was running off as fast as he could with the sounds of sirens blaring in his ears.
~*~*~*~
"So I ran," Remy continued, eyes unfocused. "Magneto found me that night and I was on a plane to Bayville the next day."
Rogue was horrified. "How could Julien do that to his stepsister?!"
"Julien wasn't a nice guy," he said, putting it as candy-coated as he could for Rogue. "He never warmed up to me or the idea of peace between the guilds. He would have given anything to keep the two gangs rivals. It didn't matter the cost. He knew my short temper and provoked me where it would hurt the most. He knew I would lose it and that one of us would die, continuing the bloodshed between the gangs."
When he stopped, Remy felt exhausted and gulped down his bourbon as quickly as he could to wash away all those horrible memories that made his blood run ice cold. Rogue just sat there, staring at him with her eyes wide, brimming with unshed tears, and face sickly colorless.
"God," she whispered after a moment, looking down at her lap and feeling completely lost. "I don't know what to say. I still wanna be mad at you but at the same time I just want to hold you and maybe give Belle a good beating."
"Let's just wait until your hand heals before you do something like that, okay?" Remy replied. "I'm sorry, chere. I didn't want to tell you because I didn't want to relieve all that drama. That was a very dark time, chere. I didn't intend on reliving any of it again."
"But it seems that ever since I came into your life, you've been forced to relive it all," Rogue said, miserable. "Maybe we…we should break up or something? This relationship isn't very good for our health."
"Don't say that, chere! You've helped me come face to face with my demons. Without you I would still be running from my past. Running won't get me nowhere. I'd still have all my troubles. But now at least I can try to come to grips with what I did and work them out. It's better to meet Belle head on. If she wants to fight, then so be it. I'm ready for a fight."
"Are you going to kill her?"
"I don't know what to do, chere," Remy admitted, helplessly. "But I don't want to be killed either."
Rogue sighed and nodded. "I understand. I'll…stick by you and help you if I can."
Remy lifted her undamaged hand to his mouth and pressed a small kiss against her knuckles. "Thank you, chere."
"Don't expect us sleeping together anytime soon. I'm still a little angry with you."
"I don't care about that, chere," he told her, smiling a little. "As long as I have you, I can go through hell and back."
"Let's try to avoid hell, shall we?" Rogue replied, sniffling. Finally her tears had started to fall and she hid her face behind her hand.
"Don't cry, chere. If you start, then I will to," Remy told her, almost begging as he grabbed a napkin off the tabletop and dabbed gently as her tears. "If I start, then there's no tellin' when I'll stop."
Rogue gave a shaky breath. "Okay. Okay," she whispered before standing up. Remy thought she was going to leave and made to effort to stop her. She probably needed time to think. When she sat next to him, wrapping her arms around his wait, he was completely surprised. She buried her face in his shoulders and held on to him tightly.
Remy closed his eyes, thinking how much her loved her. He draped his arm around her, holding just as tightly.
"Hmm, look at us," he mused quietly after a moment. "Just two dogs licks each other's wounds."
"We're not licking each other's wounds," Rogue protested. "We're finding comfort in the one we love. I feel very comforted."
Remy gave a faint smile and ran a hand through her hair. "Me too, chere. Should I order us some comfort food?"
"Anything sounds good right about now. It takes a lot of energy to rave at someone. What'cha got in mind, Remy?"
"The usual."
"You thinking about gumbo? I'd like to try some."
"All right, chere," Remy replied, looking up to single his cousin.
Leis approached the table very apprehensively. "Everything worked out, hun?" she asked.
"For the most part, yeah," he replied.
"Good. You and that pretty thing on your arm look good together," Leis commented with a friendly smile. Rogue took her cue and pulled away from Remy to look up at his cousin.
"Oh, this is Rogue," Remy quickly introduced her.
Leis held out her hand and Rogue took it. It was soft and warm, just like her smile. "Nice you meet you."
Lei's brown eyes sparkled. "Ooh, a southern gal!" she exclaimed. "You don't know how happy I am to know that you ain't a Yank. Where you from, sugar?"
"Mississippi but I live in New York."
"So I'm guessing you two met up there?"
Rogue nodded.
"Well, I'm glad to see you can hold your own against my cousin," Leis laughed, taping Remy's bruise lightly and cause him to cringe. "Though by the looks of your hand, you need some more practice and proper training. But your aim and strength were good."
"No, she doesn't need any practice or training!" Remy protested. "If she does, I'm bound for a world of hurt."
"Well, sometimes you need some sense slapped into you. Who better to do it for you than your girlfriend?" Leis replied, smiling impishly. "Don't worry, Rogue. A week in New Orleans with Remy and your bound to work all the kinks out in the hook. I wouldn't be surprise to see you plow a grown man to the ground, hun."
"Mon Dieu," Remy muttered, crossing herself.
His cousin looked satisfied. "What do y'all need?"
"Two orders of your gumbo."
"And some grits," Rogue added.
"All right, sweetie. It'll be out in just a couple of minutes." With that Leis turned and walked away.
"She's nice," Rogue commented. "Very friendly. I like her."
"Yeah, we're a very friendly sort of people, chere," Remy replied, smiling.
"Is your papa friendly too?"
"Hell no!"
"Where does he papa live?"
"Out in the bayou. About 10 miles southwest of New Orleans."
"Will you watch some of the parade with me before you go out and see him?" Rogue asked. "I don't want to be alone on Mardi Gras."
"You won't be alone on Mardi Gras," Remy assured her, squeezing her gently. "You wanna come with me? I'll introduce you to my papa. He won't kill me in front of a beautiful fille." (girl)
Rogue didn't find that amusing at all. She just stared at him deadpan. "Sure," she replied hesitantly after a moment. "I'll go."
"We'll probably run into my brother too. He ain't too bad."
"Henri, is a good man," Leis added, sitting the food down on the table. "Mon Dieu, I don't know why you didn't tell you're papa or brother that you were coming down for Mardi Gras. They are going to kill you before you have a chance to set foot inside your house."
"Ah, they miss me, Leis," Remy replied. "I'll probably get a hug or too before Henri drowns me in the bayou."
"That's comforting," Rogue murmured before she dived into her deliciously big bowl of gumbo that turned her insides to mush. "Your family always so violent, Cajun?"
"It's tough love. You get use to it after a while."
To be continued….
Author's Note: I really liked this chapter especially the flashback. I hope you liked it to and drop me a review. ^___^ Anyway more to come. The next chapter will be very exciting to write. Belle finally shows up! Run for cover!