Rainy Day Road Trip by Melfina Lupin
Author's Note: Thanks to everyone who reviewed! They were so funny and cute that they made me smile all day! =) (That smiley is my new obsession) Fainting might be OOC for Rogue but I though would be funny if she did that a couple of times. She's not pregnant, though I did think about it. o_O
Disclaimer: I don't own the X-men
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Chapter 8
The Problem with Engagements
When Rogue finally came to it felt like countless hours had passed since she had fainted.
"Hmm…" she mumbled drowsily as she felt something wet and cold on her hot face. The chilling feeling broke her muddled slumber and made her stir. Grumbling softly, she slowly opened her eyes. A dark shadow loomed over her. She blinked a couple of time to focus her eyes.
"Remy?"
He was holding her in his arms, splashing water onto her face. When their eyes met, he sighed and shook his head even though he would have liked to have giving her a good shake too.
"Damn it, Rogue, what the hell is wrong with you?" he asked. Though his voice was low and raw he sounded more upset than angry.
She shrugged listlessly. "Dunno," she told him, a little slurred. She looked around them. It was getting darker and they were still in front of the old estate. It looked like a haunted house now that the shadows had come out to play. She shivered, suddenly chilled.
"You're probably just exhausted," Remy whispered, running the moist rag across her forehead slowly, cooling her flushed face. "You've had a long day. Plus a healthy does of shock didn't do too well on your system, did it, chere?"
Rogue blinked up at him, struggling to remember what had happened a couple of minutes ago. "Huh?"
"Do you think you can stand or did you want to rest some more?" he asked, completely avoiding her question.
"I think I'm okay now. Help me up."
When she was standing once more, leaning against Remy's tall frame, he tried to lead her back to the motorbike. But she wouldn't move a budge.
"Hey, Remy, you asked me to marry you!" She suddenly exclaimed, remembering everything all at once. "Don't you want my answer?"
Remy threw a shy smile over his shoulder and shrugged. "Yeah. About that," he muttered. "You don't have to answer. I think your fainting was answer enough, Rogue."
She glared at him. "I fainted because I was shocked and a little tired!" she replied. "Not because I was horrified."
Remy looked up, confused and a little relieved. "Really?"
"Yes!" she told him, exasperated.
He looked at her hard. "I'm sorry, chere. I've been thinking about that sort of thing but I never really thought about asking you. Not yet anyway! I don't know! This whole damn trip has gotten me thinking. Thinking about things that I shouldn't consider at the moment. I didn't know until I got here, how much I missed my home, how much I wanted my own home."
"I understand, Remy," Rogue muttered. "You were just caught up in the moment."
"No, chere. I meant every word I said but I fouled up something awful didn't I-talking too soon about marriage. You're going off to college after high school and will probably put off marriage for at least a year or two. I'm sorry, chere."
"Do you really want to marry me?" she asked, shyly.
Remy nodded. "Yes, chere, but there's more."
"What?"
"No doubt the war between the Assassins and the Thieves will come to an end very soon. After that I'm a freeman down here. If that be the case then…then I've decided that I would like to leave the X-men and stay here. I don't belong in New York or college."
Rogue stared at him, her heart suddenly caught in a tight cold hand. He wanted to leave the X-men? He wanted to leave her? How in the world did her think he could marry her and then stay here? Unless…he wanted her to stay here too?
"You want to leave me?" She couldn't stop the tears from rising and falling down her face.
Remy looked worried. "No, chere," he whispered frantically, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her trembling form close to him. "I don't want to leave you. I love you. Please don't cry, chere."
She couldn't help but sob against him. She was so confused!
"But this is my home and I miss it so much. I wanted to know if you would like to stay with me-live with me down here in New Orleans."
"And leave the Institute?" Rogue asked. "I don't know, Remy. My training isn't done and I still got my senior year to finish out…God damn it, but I'm tempted to throw it all away. I like it down here. I want a home here."
"Really?"
"Yes."
"I don't want you to drop school either. You can attend college here and we can rebuild this house. We'll marry when we're ready too. I know I might be asking a lot from you, chere, but I'm selfish. I want my own home and you."
Rogue looked up at him quickly, speechless. Could she really leave the Institute? It had been her home for the passed 3 years. And what would the adults say? She would turn 18 before she graduated so they couldn't stop her from going to college in New Orleans and marrying Remy. The more she thought about it the more she wanted it. She wanted to be Remy's wife and make a home with him! She wanted it so bad! It wasn't very rational but she didn't care. She wanted to marry him.
Rogue sniffled and quickly wiped away her impulsive tears, straightening away from him.
"Chere?"
"I'm sorry, Remy. But what about Belle? I love you so much but I can marry you now with her still alive and trying to kill you."
"Please don't worry about her, chere. I'll take care of things," he replied.
Rogue sighed. "All right, Remy. You can ask me again."
She thought she would die when she saw the look of utter happiness pass over his face. He grinned down at her.
"You sure?"
She nodded.
Remy grabbed her hand, kissed it, and slowly knelt before her. Rogue laughed, flushed with embarrassment.
"Will you marry me, Rogue?"
She was getting teary-eyed as she nodded fervently. "Yes," she gasped out. "I'll marry ya."
Remy quickly jumped to his feet and pulled her into an enveloping hug. He kissed the top of her head and muttered, "You've made me so happy, chere. I promise to take care of you. I'll make you happy."
She smiled, sinking into Remy's embrace. "I know you will."
"When we get into town, I'll buy you the most beautiful ring there ever was!"
"Let's just hold off on the ring for a while, okay, Remy? When the other's see it on my hand they will flip."
"When should we tell them?"
"When we get back to Bayville," Rogue said. "I'll finish high school then we can come back here and get married."
Remy purred in contentment as he held her tighter. "I love you so much, chere!"
"I love you too."
~*~*~*~
Rogue was smiling from ear to ear when they got back to the hotel a little before midnight. After proposing, Remy had taken her by to New Orleans to celebrate and, though she didn't want the night to end, she was dead tired. The heat, the crowds, and her uncontrollable emotions took a toll on her weary body. They checked in with Ororo and Remy carried Rogue up to her room.
"Get some sleep," he told her, placing her gently down on her bed. "You look beat."
Rogue grabbed his hand. "Don't leave," she pouted sleepily.
He laughed gently and kissed her forehead. "Sorry, chere. Kitty's coming in and I don't think she'll want me in here. Good night."
"Good night, Remy."
Rogue sat up enough to watched Remy walk out of the room, biding a good night to her roommate, who shut the door before collapsing onto the ground with an exhausted sigh.
"I'm so tired!" Kitty said. "But I don't want to go to sleep!"
"Me neither," Rogue sighed, dreamily. "I'm too happy."
Kitty perked up. "Happy? Ooh, what did, like, Remy do?"
Rogue shot up off her bed and grinned at Kitty. "I can't tell."
"Why not?"
"You'll flip."
Kitty frowned, crossing her arms around her chest. "Rogue! I thought we were friends! Tell me!"
"All right, but please don't tell anyone else and I really mean it this time, girl!"
"My lips are sealed. I promise!" Giddy, Kitty stood up and jumped onto Rogue's bed. "Spill it!"
Rogue blushed as she said, "We're…"
Kitty blinked. "…what?"
"We're…we're breaking up!"
"WHAT?!"
She nodded, laughing. "Yup. It's true. Remy's running away with a French cancan girl and I met a hot guy from Brazil. We thought I would be best if we went out different ways."
Kitty smacked Rogue with a pillow. "Lair! You are, like, so mean!"
Rogue laughed and said," I'm just playing with you. I had a really good day. That's all."
The younger girl stared at her in faint suspicion.
"Boy, I'm hungry," Rogue admitted, climbing off her bed to stretch. "Let's order from room service. I'm in the mood to celebrate."
"Ooh, good idea!" the younger girl replied, eye brightening up immediately. "Ice cream sounds, like, totally awesome now."
~*~*~*~
Remy was halfway into his room before John jumped up behind him, grabbing him on the arm.
"Hey!" Remy shouted, jumping with surprise as the Australian laughed, tickled by catching the renowned thief off guard. "Watch it, mon ami!"
"Damn, mate, where have you been?" John demanded, letting Remy go and following him inside the warm room. "I've been looking for you everywhere!"
"Why?"
John frowned, taken back for a moment. "I met a friend of yours in town after you guys left."
A friend? Remy didn't like the sound of that. The thieves didn't know who John was.
"Who?"
John shrugged and offered an impish smile. "Dunno. I forgot her name, mate. Well, it was weird anyway. She gave me a note to give to you." He pulled it out of his pocket and held it out to Remy.
The thief immediately snatched it away and turned away from John, grim with apprehension. If it was a girl then it was a good chance that it was Nicolette but she would contact him instead of involving a third party. No, it wouldn't have been anyone from the Thieves. Then it must have been Belladonna.
"What? No thank you?" John asked, snickering.
Remy turned and glared at his friend before looking down at the note and ripping it open. He instantly recognized the neat penmanship written in dark red ink. Had he been superstitious he would have thought it was blood.
Dear Rem,
I'm glad to see that you're still alive and well. I thought that I would have to go and get you but you made it easy and came to me instead. Don't get it in your head that you'll change my mind. I still plan to kill you. If you want you friends unharmed, you will meet me tonight at midnight. I'll be waiting for you by our tree. Remember where that is?
With all my love,
Belladonna B.
Remy was shaking with anger by the time he finished the letter. Frowning and cursing Belle, he crumbled it without hesitation. He was tempted to burn it but he didn't want to set off the fire alarms.
"Er…bad news, mate?" John spoke up nervously.
Remy rounded on friend. "I need to leave," he hissed, moving quickly to his suitcase where he pulled out a concealed handheld gun. "Where's Piotr?"
"I…don't know."
Remy frowned. "I don't know when I'll be back. Don't tell anyone I'm out."
John stared uneasily at the gun. "Damn, mate," he whispered. "What the fuck is going on?"
"It's none of your business," Remy retorted quickly, throwing on his trench coat and tucking the gun into his belt. "And keep your mouth shut. Don't tell anyone I'm out."
John could only gap like a fool as he watched Remy opened a window. The thief smoothly climbed out into the iron gallery without a sound where he disappeared into the night.
(Author's Note: Oh la la, a ticked off Remy is y-u-m-m-y!)
~*~*~*~
"Hey, you wanna, like, watch a movie, too?" Kitty asked, looking up from painting her toenails on her bed.
Rogue poked her head out of the bathroom, just finished taking a much-needed shower after the long day. "You talking about a girls' night, or something?" she asked.
Kitty nodded eagerly. "Yeah, I mean, like, were both awake now and we can't our boyfriends until tomorrow. We've ordered half the deserts on the menu, too. So lets have a girls' night!"
Rogue felt herself give into the tempting idea as she smiling, brushing her wet hair. "Okay. What's on?"
The other girl shrugged and turned on the television. There was a brisk knock on the door, making both of them look towards it. Rogue quickly walked out of the bathroom, throwing her brush in her bed.
"Must be the food," she announced. "I'll get it."
Once at the door, she stood up in tiptoe and peered through the small peephole. On the other side there was a man in a white uniform waiting with a cart out in the hallway. Rogue stepped back and quickly opened the door. She unprepared when something was sprayed into her face. Surprised, she winced and breathed in the stuff.
Kitty looked up in surprise when she saw Rouge collapse unto the floor.
"Rogue?!"
She saw two men enter the room quickly and she gaped in fear. What was going on? One man picked up Rogue and threw her limp body over his shoulder. Kitty jumped to her feet and tried to get away as the other man ran towards her. She didn't get far when he held up a small silver aerosol and dosed her with spray. She immediately felt sleepy, her limbs quickly turning into lead. She tottered drowsily before dropping to the ground, paralyzed and unconscious.
"Come on," the man said, picking up the smaller girl. "Let's get out of here before we're caught."
"Which one is the right girl?"
"I don't know. Just bring them both."
~*~*~*~
The streets were eerily quiet when Remy hurried through them, unnoticed as a shadow. It was sickening easy to steal that motorcycle while its owner was elsewhere. Slicing through the dark night like a demon, he pushed the bike towards the meeting place as quickly as possible. The old tree was located by a pond a little ways out of the city limits but it wasn't far. That was the pond Remy and Belle spent most of their summers at when they were younger. That was the place where they played and flirted. A place where Remy had asked for her hand in marriage and a place where they first made love under the hot summer sky.
Remy bitterly forced all those memories down and focused solely on the road speeding by him. He damned Belle to hell for selecting the spot to convene.
In the middle of night, the little pond was hardly inviting. Mist floated upon the dark waters and wrapped around the old weeping willow like a silver snake. The moon beamed down at him through the thick billowing clouds, casting shadows onto the earth as the cool breeze made the pussy willow of the lake quiver as if chill.
Remy slowed before finally parking the bike and shut it off. Then he climbed off and marched down to the dingy lagoon. It was quiet there too once the motor was off.
"Belle?" he shouted, unafraid to hear his voice shatter the silence.
When there was no reply, he frowned and squinted through the darkness. Where was she? A twig snapping in half behind him had him spinning around and ready for battle. A tall shadow lingered by the willow. His heart jumped.
"Belle?"
The shadow moved forward a step and the moon glanced out of the clouds. Moonlight fell upon them, basking the figure in pale light. Remy gaped when he saw that face that was so familiar yet so drastically transformed.
Belle snickered at Remy. "I was wondering if you going to get my letter," she whispered. Her voice was so longer soft and sweet. It was hard and cruel just like her eyes and her sneer. Remy couldn't believe that the woman he was staring at was Belle. She had cut off her gloriously golden locks and was clad in nothing but black leather. She wore a choker with the Assassins symbol on it.
"Welcome back to New Orleans."
Remy shook his head to clear his thoughts. "Belle, what the hell are you doing?"
She baited her blue eyes at him and pouted. "I'm not doing anything, cher. I just want a nice little chat."
"Why have the Assassins attack my guild? Marius can't be behind these attacks."
"No, Marius is not behind them because Marius is dead!" Belle announced, her calmly held anger making her words sharp and cold. "I'm the Assassins new leader now. I'm the one behind all the attacks."
Remy stared at her in surprise. "You-The new leader? What happened to Marius? Why is he dead?"
"Oh yes, I'm the new leader. Daddy didn't see the point in trying to find you or avenge his son's death," Belle told him, snickering. "Daddy thought about ending the war once and for all even after the peace code was violated. He was going to disband the Assassins and throw me into a hospital. But I couldn't let him do that. I couldn't let him forgot his only son like that or let you go so easily. You needed to be punished for your actions. But Daddy did see it that way so I killed him. The lazy fuckers that make up the Assassins didn't know. They thought it was just an accident. They were ready to leave. But when I became the leader I forced them to stay and do as I willed."
"Belle, this war can't go on anymore! No more people should have to die," Remy argued desperately, staring at the eccentric woman. "You've got me here. You've got what you wanted. So end it. End it now!"
Belle smiled and shook her head. "No, my love, I won't end it until I make you feel the same misery and sorrow I felt when Julien died."
"Why does his death mean so much to you? Julien was a bastard, Belle. He was trying to rape you on our wedding day! How could you want to avenge his death?"
"My brother was a good man, Remy!" she screamed at him. "You never knew Julien like I did. Shut up!"
"Belle, you can't possibly drag this out anymore."
"I can and I will. Why? Do you think you'll be able to kill me? You're a coward," she hissed. "You can't kill me even if you tried. You still love me."
"I pity you," Remy corrected, shaking his head and pulling out the gun. He pointed it at her fearlessly. "But if I have to kill you, then so be it. I won't let you hurt anymore people."
Belle laughed, her thin cruel laughter echoing through the pond, and moved away from the tree, dauntlessly walking closer to him. Remy was more than ready to pull the small trigger.
"If you kill me now," Belle said, "then you'll never know where she is, cher."
"Where who is?"
Belle stopped and drew something out of her pocket. It gleamed in the moonlight when she tossed it to him. He caught it in his free hand quickly and looked at it. It was a ring. Looking closer, he noticed that it was Belle's wedding ring.
"Thought you might want a ring to give to your new girlfriend," she told him. "Or should I say wife? Honestly, Rem, how could you ask a girl to marry you when I'm still alive?"
Remy paled. His grip on his gun weakened as she glared at Belle. "We ain't married to more, Belle. Leave Rogue out of this. I'm the one you want."
"No, I can't leave her out of this! As I said before I'm out to make you suffer just like you made me suffer before I kill you. It wouldn't be fun just to take you out of your misery now, now would it?"
"Where did you take Rogue?"
Belle smiled and shrugged. "You won't find her. But we will make sure that her body is recovered when we're done with her."
Remy swore and replaced the gun before turning and running back to the bike and racing back to the city. Though the Assassins might want to end the war just like Remy, they would not refuse to kill a young defenseless girl. They were black-hearted murderers. He needed to find her as quickly as possible.
To be continued…
Author's Note: What will Remy do?! Where is Rogue and Kitty?! Why do I always use cliffhangers? Well that's it for chapter 8. I hope you liked it. Does Belle seem crazy to you guys? I tried to make her but I don't think I did her justice. Well if you didn't catch on Belle is one crazy lady.