Author's notes: Long time no see, people. Sorry bout that but university is kinda taking up all my time and I've been working on this chapter for a while along with the rest of the story. This chapter is kind of a key chapter of the story. Ur in for surprises, hopefully!
Gambit sat quietly as the new piece of information sank through him. It triggered within him, memories of his past, images of hate, battle even - slaughter.
"No wonder y're keepin' a low profile! De whole fuckin' Assassin's Guild has been lookin' f'ya after y'murdered their kind." His voice stayed calm though his face had turned dark with rage.
Sidney's expression though went blank. "WHAT! After what they did to me? They were all sent back to the Guild except for one! Why are they after me?"
"Hum - Lemme guess chere - Maybe dats because o'dere state - Dey all ended up in a coma!"
Sarcasm seethed through his words as he spoke and hurt her bitterly. A couple of years ago, she would have cried the instant Gambit had spoken. Today though - today was different, Gambit had no right to judge her and obviously didn't have a clue about what truly happened. She glared at him from the other side of the table angry at herself for all the revelations she was about to make. Gambit's own eyes glittered back at her, dangerously.
Staring out of the window, Sidney froze. She barely noticed the darkly lit features beyond her reflection nor Gambit's narrowed eyes as her memories - those she had so stubbornly forced back from her mind - suddenly appeared before her eyes one more time.
(memory)
She hadn't wished to go, she didn't want to meet the family - her family - the very same family which had turned its back to Sophie, because of her mutation, just a year ago.
"They can all go to hell, I don't give a damn!" She had said receiving the Christmas invitation.
But it was no use, she was stuck in Paris with her family for the festivities which were held at her brother's, now referred to as Mr Toni for some unknown reason. Her brother had come back a year ago now from his trip around the world - He had come back changed.
Not only had he changed his name, but he also had set up his own private business, which no one had a clue about. With the business also came the money, millions, no billions of it, used to build a mansion with a pool, a gym but also sports car and in the city, a racing track and football team but also - bodyguards.
Her brother suddenly had three bodyguards or gorillas, which stuck to him like fleas to a dog, all day long and they never allowed anyone to approach him any longer.
Of course the family was thrilled for "Mr Toni" - especially the parents. Their son would finally be somebody important and were very proud of this sudden success. They had even left the family home to move in with him, into the big fancy mansion!
Sidney, though, remained put in the family house remembering how things were before when her little family stuck together even in the worst. She thought at first that all this change was just a joke and her brother would eventually admit he was pretending.
But everything was different, for real, because of "him" and his "business". The last months had been quite rough for her.Sophie had disappeared of her life and her brother, on the contrary, was too involved in it. He obliged her to follow strict self- defense trainings with no explanation, always have a bodyguard stalking her wherever she went and he kept her as much as possible in the mansion.
In a way, Sidney enjoyed the attention people brought upon her as soon as they recognised her or heard her family name. Also, she no longer had any financial problems but she felt imprisoned. She was becoming more and more lonely because of her stalker. He scared most of her friends and threatened anyway guy who felt the slightest interest in her.
Now it was Christmas and a big family reunion was waiting for Sidney. She was determined to speak with her brother and make him understand how unhappy she was. She was furious with him for isolating her like he did and the mere thought of being alone made her feel desperate.
Christmas dinner had started rather badly though. Sidney had started up an argument with her aunt about Sophie's departure; again. Her father had sent her away from the family table to calm down but she was furious.
Hopefully she found herself alone in the lounge with her three adorable younger cousins. They were playing hide and seek when the nightmare started. She hadn't wanted to spend Christmas with her family, but how would things have turned out if she really hadn't been there that night?
How many more deaths would she have had on her hands?
Looking down again at her hands, Sidney breathed deeply in, attempting to control her emotions, restraining them to her inner depths. Gambit had asked for an explanation, which she was willing to give; she was willing to show her memories not her own feelings.
One of her cousins tripped over and grazed his knee. Sidney bent down to help him up and reassure him that everything was ok. But as she lifted her head, everything went wrong.
A terrible explosion went off, causing millions of cutting glass shards to burst into the lounge and cut through their flesh. The windows had exploded and five armed men, dressed in black commando suits jumped into the room, in front of Sidney.
Dumbfounded, she looked at them in shock but was soon woken up by screams. Her little cousins ran across the lounge before two of the intruders could catch them. Turning back to face the other men, Sidney saw them point guns in their direction.
They were aiming at the kids, her three cousins aged six to nine!
Before she knew it, Sidney knocked out the closest man to her. Watching him fall to the floor unconscious, she fully realised, the danger she was in, with her family. The two other men instantly turned towards her and started shooting. Bullets whizzed past her as she ran behind the nearest sofa. She spotted her cousins run out of the lounge, followed by their aggressors.
Suddenly pain seethed through her right arm and when she looked at it, she realised that she had been hit several times in the shoulder. She was no longer of the pain though as anger took over. T
he truth had suddenly struck her, both mentally and physically.
This was her brother's entire fault, his business was more illegal than she had thought and now, because of him, the whole family was in danger on Christmas day. How could she have been so naive? And how could "he" have been so stupid?
Her attackers were still firing away in her direction and there was nothing she could do about it; she was probably going to die. Fortunately they seemed to run out of ammunition and certainly the leader of the group left the room surely in search of another target. He did not speak, only nodded his hooded head and stepped away cautiously.
As he opened the door, screaming and chaos could be heard beyond in the other rooms.
They're being slaughtered! Sidney thought. And so will I.
She was trying her best to hide behind the ripped sofa. Preparing herself to make an escape, two bodyguards suddenly appeared from nowhere and knocked down the aggressor in one swift movement.
As the shooting stopped, Sidney shut her eyes and let the relief flood through her entire body. Slowly getting up, trembling she suspiciously eyed the two unconscious attackers.
Then, she looked around her. The room was a wreck; shattered glass and wood splits were scattered everywhere, feathers from the couch were still twirling in the air but she was safe.
Her moment of peace did not last long though as screams echoed into the room, screams she recognised as her mothers'. Frantically rushing in the direction of the screaming, Sidney crossed the kitchen first of all, hurriedly, only to find something that made her blood run cold.
There, lying in a pool of blood lied a dead bodyguard, a bullet hole in his forehead. Closing her eyes, stifling her scream, Sidney could not look at the fresh dripping bloodstain on the opposite wall.
It was too much for her, she had never seen a dead body before.
She felt herself gripping on tight to the kitchen table before she collapsed, exhausted and shocked on the floor. She felt like shouting, screaming, even crying but she couldn't. No sound came out from her mouth, instead another distant scream was heard from her mother, the only thing that helped her go on, get up and stumble to the next room.
She went past several doors, through rooms and hallways, trying to find her way around, following the screams.
As she got closer and closer, they finally stopped.
She was in front of the dining-room, where the Christmas dinner had been served only an hour ago.
"Whats de matter, chere?" Remy asked calmly. She had remained silent for a couple of minutes now, staring out of the window, into the darkness.
Remy had carefully listened to her story and had discreetly winced at the perfect description of the Assassins Guild men. He couldn't believe they had shot at kids, he had grown up with these people and for sure they were assassins but not childkillers.
"My life changed after that night. My mutant gene suddenly decided to express itself thus leading to the appearance of green streaks." She showed him her green hair, laughing ironically. Her throat though tightened up and her voice was trembling.
Why am I telling him all these things? How can I pour out my heart, describe my most intimate memories and feelings to him, knowing who he truly is?
It was insane, but she had to tell him, she felt the urge to because somehow, her talking about it was lifting a weight off her conscious, she felt nearly -free.
She looked up at Remy and his fiery eyes held her misty ones. They sat silently for a few minutes, reading each others eyes, faces.
Suddenly, Sidney realised, it was neither pity nor trust they were sharing, it was understanding. Remy's eyes though seemed to show an even deeper and greater pain, remorse than her own. It intrigued her.
"De past is de past, Sidney! W'ether y'like it or not, it's dere, for'ver, it's part o'you. If y'can't escape it, then better forget it."
How? How can I forget those moments that changed my life so drastically? She thought with exasperation. She had already tried when coming to USA but now it was all coming back.
"As I entered the dining room," She spoke up clearly, gazing back at Remy. "the first thing I noticed was a gun. It was held by the last attacker and aiming at my mother. She had huddled into a corner of the room with others. I was about to rush in and stop him! I know I could! But my brother got there first. He rushed in the room from another door with a Magnum 357 in his hand and shot the guy straight away in the head. He fell to the floor, instantly dead."
"My brother shot that man as a true professional." Sidney added cynically. "He didn't show any emotion; nothing, he just shot him. It was as if he'd been doing it all his life, as if killing was natural."
Her eyes glittered dangerously as she spoke. How could I have been so naive?
"I was disgusted. I felt terrible - my brother had turned into a monster and yet - After the bullet was shot, my family remained silent for a long time. I think it was the time my family needed to realise what had just happened to them. My brother was already heading back to his study, regrouping his men."
As soon as the aggressor fell to the ground, Sidney ran over to her mother and hugged her tight. She looked firstly at the dead man and then at her brother.
The feeling of disgust sunk into her and she buried her head in her mother's chest. She wanted to forget everything - but it was too late. She couldn't deny who her brother had become.
She staggered up and followed him to his study holding her wounded arm with her hand to prevent it from bleeding. She slammed the door behind her.
"Not now Isabelle. Get out!" was the only reply she got.
"What are you doing with a gun? How did you lay your hands on it?" were the only words that came to her mind. Her brother's reaction was the most surprising though. He merely laughed at her, followed by a couple of his bodyguards.
"Don't laugh like that!" She shouted back at them.
Anger finally exploded from her. "Are you blind? Don't you realise what happened tonight? Who were those - those assassins?" She stayed put, expecting an answer from her brother.
He sat down unnerved at his desk. "Whatever is said in this study, stays in this study, understand?"
Furious, Sidney stepped right up to his desk and threw the paper work off it. "Just answer my bloody question - Who are they? I want to know now!"
Looking at her more agitated, Mr Toni answered her. "They are American, Cajun to be more precise and their organisation is called the Assassins Guild."
Gambit put out his cigarette. He fiddled about in his pocket and left a few dollars on the table.
"Com'on, time t'go home!"
He helped Sidney up and put his trench coat over her shoulders. It was bitterly cold outside as winter was approaching rapidly. She was silent and quickly walked back to the car, Gambit's arm around her waist.
Back at the mansion.
"I try to tell myself that it'll be all right, but it never will be so long as I'm hiding from them."
The two of them sat side by side in the car, engine off, staring at the dark mansion ahead of them. "I admit I was part of the Mafia for a while, until I finally ran away. I know their methods though, they'll find me sooner or later but till then no one must know Gambit."
Sidney turned to face Gambit and met his flaming, red-on-black eyes. "Remember, you promised you wouldn't tell anyone."
Gambit considered her words for a while and finally returned a smile. "Like I told ya. Yo'secret's safe wit' me, chere."
Sidney forced a smile. She leaned in and kissed Gambit on the cheek. "Thank you." She then stepped out of the car and walked with him to the great mansion door.
As she stepped inside the mansion, Sidney felt Gambit's arm grip her around the waist and pulled her back towards him. She shivered at his touch, which confused her. She spun around and stared blankly back at his fiery crimson eyes.
They peered right into her very eyes, her very mind, her very soul-
Her thoughts were confused, her emotions unleashed and she felt tired, so tired of everything- but his eyes - his eyes made her feel alive again.
Before she knew it, she gave in to Gambit as he softly kissed her lips. She didn't understand what was happening but she knew that she didn't want to come back to reality.
All she wanted was his touch, the touch of his soft lips that tasted tobacco. It was comforting and tender as Gambit pressed his lips harder down on hers.
Her mind went blank and she could only concentrate on his lips, her lips, their kiss. His lips, his tongue, his warmth; it was all so comforting but all so - wrong.
She snapped back to reality and pulled away. Gambit gripped onto her even harder but she fought back. She had revealed all her secrets, her past to him, to Gambit, head of the Thieves Guild, who had tried to hypnotise her and get her drunk. He was tricking her once more for another of his twisted reason!
"Whats wrong chere?" he asked softly.
"Whats wrong?" She stated angrily. "Whats wrong with you!"
He looked questioningly back at her exasperated face.
"Open your eyes, Remy." She whispered ironically. "Kissing me isn't going to solve my problems and you won't get anything more out of me!"
Gambit eyes narrowed at her suspicious words. "Won't solve 'em chere, but I can help y'forget them; at least for tonight!"
He smiled maliciously at her and lit a cigarette with a snap of his fingers.
Exasperated, Sidney turned her back on him. "But you said it yourself, I can't forget the past. As long as he's out there and I'm hiding, I'll always be in danger, there's no escape!"
She turned around again to face him and Gambit noticed her deep green eyes full of a sorrow, a hurt he knew by heart.
"Don't you understand?" She exclaimed trembling; "My past is killing me, it's killing my life and it killed Sophie!"
"She ain't dead." He interjected calmly, taking a step forwards.
"Yet!" Sidney answered back shouting. "She hasn't woken up yet and she probably never will! Don't you see? I'm fucked!Sophie and I could have made it together against him with our combined powers but now, who will help me? - Don't you dare even mention the X-Men! Do you think Professor X and the others will help me? Do you think they're even up to fight the Mafia? Don't you think they already have enough on their hands with you and the Guild?"
Gambit's head swerved at her words and he glared at Sidney. His annoyance did not stop her though.
"What d'ya think; that the X-Men will help poor Sidney out of pity or because of their damn 'friendship' knowing who I truly am, all I've done and everything I could still do?"
She paused disgusted with herself, remembering the mall incident. She was disgusted at her life and at her brother, Monsieur Toni who was responsible for everything.
"Of course not." She whispered, realising how lonely she was in the end. Tears slipped down on her cheeks and she ran into the mansion up the stairs before Remy could catch her.
He threw his cigarette butt away and rushed after her, his only thought in mind was to comfort her, to help her. He had tried all evening but his cocky side had showed up instead after all. He knew how she felt and maybe that was what blocked him from helping her.
If he hadn't been able to help himself with the Guild until the X-Men showed up, how could he help her now?
Suddenly, he was pulled back by a familiar grasp. SNIKT!
"Let her go Gumbo! I dunno why ya messing with the new girl but till I clear this mess up, I want ya to stay away from her, ya understand?"
Slowly turning his head to face Wolverine, Gambit smiled amused. "What's it up t'you, mon ami?"
Swiftly, he pulled himself out of Logan's grasp and headed up the stairs. Growling, Wolverine closed the front door.
I like dis chappie; first kiss! Oh well, hope everything was clear. Sorry again about the very very very late update, its nearly been six months or something. Anyway will be updating shortly I hope. Wolverine also seems interested in Sidney; could it be more than about her past? ( Next chapter, Sidney gets in deep trouble but no more for now. Review on your way out please. . . .