V
"Good morning Petite."
"Go away."
"Drink your orange juice."
"Bite me Cajun."
"That's my girl .
Remy smiled as he set the breakfast tray down on the table beside the bed and offered Rogue the glass again. "Come on", he said as he brandished the glass closer to her like she would have done for Trey. "Jean says you need to keep up your strength and this'll help."
"So would arsenic." Rogue growled as she grudgingly accepted the glass.
"Feeling better huh?" he said as he dropped down beside her.
"No", she said as she eyed the juice in the glass reluctantly. "Why?"
"Because you must be to make comments like that." he said as he moved the food tray to rest on her lap. He smiled as he motioned to the bacon, toast and oatmeal on the try. "Eat up."
Rogue shook her head and Remy sighed inwardly, wondering when his girlfriend had descended back into moody teenager mode and then called on all the patience he had as he lifted the spoon from the cereal. "I'm serious Rogue, you need to eat."
"I'm not hungry." she said stubbornly as she picked at the sleeve of her silk pajamas.
"Yes you are," he said "Because you didn't eat dinner last night, and you barely touched lunch yesterday." He rolled his eyes as he spoke. "Look, chere, you never gonna get better if don't eat something."
The morning interlude had been almost identical for every day of the four days that Rogue had been at home "recovering" in bed from her bout with the viral pneumonia that had nearly killed her. She'd spent a week and a half in Med Lab ( that Remy was sure was responsible for more then a few grey hairs in his case) as her body fought off the infection in her lungs, and Jean had ordered at another week at home to make sure that it had completely left her system. Remy was sure that was only because Rogue was driving Jean and Beast crazy being in the med lab all day, under foot even when she was supposed to be resting.
Rogue was not pleased at this prospect and she made sure to let both Jean and Remy know it, both vocally and physically as she absolutely refused to actually stay put in bed for any given length of time. More then once Remy had carried her back to bed after finding her up and around the house and the Mansion and Scott had done the same at Jean's request. Rogue had protested saying she felt like a damned prisoner but Jean was adamant about her following Doctor's orders this time.
After that evening in the lab, listening to her rant and rave in the mist of her fever, Remy had rarely left her side except to be with Trey. He'd never been so relived as when the fever had broken early the afternoon and he'd known she was going to be okay, even if it was going to a slow rode of recovery. He'd made a resolve not to fight with her or argue if it could be avoided if she'd just get better.
He was close to breaking his promise at the moment.
"Stop being so damn stubborn", he cried. "And eat, girl, it's for your own good."
He dropped the spoon and ran a hand through his hair before an idea struck him. He picked up the spoon from the cereal and waved it at her. "If you don't eat in five minutes, I'll just have to start feeding you."
She gave him a dirty look as he pressed the spoon to her lips a few moments later. "Remy means it sweetheart; don't think I won't try it." He shot her his own look back and without a word, knowing he did in fact mean it; she picked up the spoon and began eating wordlessly.
Remy smiled again and settled back to watch her as she dug in, mentally watching the time until he had to wake Trey up for daycare. "Was that so hard?" he asked as she ate.
She shot him another look, one that clearly and creatively stated where he could stick the spoon she was holding with all the venom of a butcher's knife and popped a piece of bacon in her mouth as she spoke civilly to him for the first time that day. " So what's going on with the team, anything new with Magneto?"
Remy shook his head." Not really, nothing you should worry about ."
Rogue studied him for a moment then went back to finishing her meal, realizing that since her nausea was gone, she actually was hungry. She'd soon plowed her way through the food on the plate and Remy quickly removed it, as he lounged beside her. After a moment he smoothed her hair back, and studied her for a moment. " How do you feel?", he asked, and then before she could respond to his question. " Really?"
" Tired.", she admitted as she leaned her head against his chest" And weak at times."
" Which is why you need to rest,", he said kissing her temple through her hair lightly. " And stay in bed."
" Ahright,", she said as she sat up. " But Ah'm gonna take a shower or at least a bath, just because Ah'm in bed doesn't mean Ah have to smell like one."
He laughed, and shook his head, " Alright, if you say so."
Their conversation was interrupted by a loud thump and a thin wail, signifying that Trey had woken up and as usual rolled out of bed onto the floor. Both Rogue and Gambit winced as he rose to his feet. " Remy'll get him", he said as he kissed the top of her head and headed out the door.
He crossed the hall and entered Trey's room, not surprised to find him still tangled in the blankets on the floor. With a suppressed laugh, he squatted down and removed his son quickly, setting him on the bed in his pajamas as he tossed the blankets back where they belonged. " There", he said as he tousled his son's hair. " Papa's tamed the bed monster for yet another day." He smiled at Trey, waiting for the normal laugh that, that always brought, but wasn't reassured as his son didn't smiled back, only stomped out of the room and headed for the kitchen. Remy sighed as he followed him.
It was going to be one of those days.
He could feel it in his bones.
As he entered the kitchen, he was met with the sight of Trey sitting at the kitchen table while Rogue bustled around the kitchen, getting him a bowl of cereal and a glass of juice. Well, she was trying to bustle at least, but she didn't quite have the strength, so it was more like a slow crawl with actions.
For a moment Remy started transfixed and more then a little bewildered. Rogue smiled at him guilty as she set Trey's juice in front of him. "How the hell did you get by Remy?" he asked, amazed, as he moved to her side.
" You were distracted,", she said innocently.
" You need to rest", he said leading her to the couch.
" Ah need to stay busy", she said.
" I need milk", Trey piped up from the table.
"I need a vodka on the rocks", Remy muttered as he went into the kitchen to get the milk.
He looked over his shoulder at Rogue. "Stay put." he ordered and he could see she was incensed by the command but she was already too fatigued to answer. Remy shook his head; he'd lay ten to one odds that she'd be asleep on the couch by the time he had to take Trey down to Jubilee.
After Trey had finished his meal, Remy led him off to his room to get dressed for the day while Rogue dozed on the couch as Remy had predicted she would.
"Here we go", he said as he pulled a black t-shirt out of Trey's drawer and a pair of jeans. "This'll do for today, ya?"
Trey looked at him skeptically as he crossed his arms over his chest defiantly. "Black is so not my color, Papa." He said after a moment as he stared Remy down like he'd been doing it his entire life.
Remy studied his son for a moment, eyebrows raised as he tossed the shirt on the bed. "Aunt Jubilee's been letting you watch dat 'Queer Eye for the Straight Guy' again hasn't she?"
Trey didn't say a word, and Remy began to think he was going to have to have a frank talk with Jubes about what the boy was watching with her when she baby sat. He smiled at Trey and picked up the shirt in his hand. "It's a perfectly good shirt Trey, let Papa help you put it on, so we can get going."
Trey shook his head. "Nope"
"Trey", Remy said warningly. He'd never had to raise him voice to him yet and he didn't want to have to start now, but he was in no mood to dawdle around when they were already late. "We have to get going, we're already late and you don't want to miss anything Jubilee is teaching do you?"
Trey looked at him skeptically and Remy felt a headache start to come on." Come on now", he said sternly. "Don't make me ask you again"
Grudgingly, Trey let himself be dressed in the shirt and jeans (Much to Remy's relief) and ten minutes later, after making sure Rogue was comfortable on the sofa, they headed out the door and down the hall to the day care. As they reached the room, to his surprise it was empty. "That's strange." he said as he checked out the room. 'Wonder where everyone is?"
"Sick", Jean said as she came up behind him and posted a sign at the door. "Or at least Jubilee is, with the same flu Rogue had." She smiled at Trey and he smiled back to Remy's relief again. "The day care is close until further notice."
"What about training?" Remy asked as he picked Trey up and settled him in his arms.
"Canceled", Jean said "Scott's not feeling to well ether,"
"Are we the only one's well?" he asked with a shake of his head.
"No", Jean said "Storm's fine, so are Cannonball and Kitty."
She cocked her head. "How's Rogue this morning?"
"Stubborn as a mule." he said "And cursing my name religiously for forcing her to stay in bed."
"In other words: Feeling much better and on the road to a full recovery", Jean said.
"Pretty much." Remy said with a roll of his eyes.
Jean smiled, "I'm going to check her in a little while, so I guess, I'll find out for myself then." She sighed before speaking again. "On another topic, there is grocery shopping that needs to be done for both the students and the team, and it was Rogue's turn to do it," She looked at the floor for a moment. "I was wondering if you could do it since she can't."
She could see his reluctance and moved quickly to assuage it. "I'll stay with Rogue, it's just we need things like aspirin and toilet paper, really, really badly." She smiled as she juggled Livvy on her hip. "I wouldn't be asking except, we in dire straights. I can't go because I need to watch the kids and Storm's on a field's trip in New York with her science group, and most of the kids old enough to help are with her. I could call and get them to deliver but then we really can't be sure to get what each students needs"
"Trey and I can go." Remy said nonchalantly.
"Uh", Jean said, a little dismayed. "Why don't I watch Trey and you go? Since I've got Livvy and Nate, it wouldn't be a big hassle for me to take him"
"You've got enough on your plate", he said as he tapped Livvy on the end of her button nose and she laughed, making a grab for his finger. "Besides, we're LeBeau men, we're tough, we're Cajuns, a little grocery shopping ain't nothing for us to handle", He looked down at Trey, "Right?"
"Right.", Trey said with a devious smile that Remy didn't see.
"Alright.", Jean said as she handed him a list the size of his arm and he groaned inwardly. "If you say so." She handed him a credit card, turned to go, heading in the direction of her rooms and he knew she was having some sort of mental conversation with Scott as she did, "I'll see you later."
"Yeah," Remy said as he watched her go. He turned to Trey, and adjusted him on his arm. "Come on, Mon Petite Homme; let's go tell your Mama we have some errands to run. "
As they entered the garage a few moments later, Remy had to admit Rogue had been cool about the fact he was taking the boy out for the day on his own, despite everything that had been said in the last weeks and the fact the issue of trust was still looming over their heads like the Sword of Damocles.. He twirled the keys to the SUV on his finger as they approached it and unlocked the doors. Once unlocked Remy quickly settled Trey in his car seat and then slid in himself, quickly starting the car and pulling out of the garage before someone else gave him a list of items to pick up.
Keeping his eyes on the road as he reached the highway, Remy fumbled for a CD in the driver's side compartment and grabbed the first one he came into contact with. He slipped it into the CD player and waited for the familiar beat of Rogue's favorite rock music to assault his ears, instead however he was greeted with a childish voice belting out the lyrics to The Wheels on the Bus in a cutesy tone that immediately caused his teeth to ache it was so sweet. Approaching a red light, Remy chanced a glance at the CD cover he'd tossed on the passenger seat. "The Wiggles Sing the Classics", he said out loud through gritted teeth. He glanced in the rearview mirror at Trey. "One of yours, huh?"
Trey nodded happily as he bobbed his head to the music.
"You must get your musical taste from your mother," he said with a sigh as he drove on. "Because you sure didn't get it from me,"
Meanwhile back at the Mansion, Rogue was lying in bed when she heard a knock at the apartment door. "Come in", she called and wasn't surprised when Jean entered the bed room a moment later. "Hey, how's it going?"
"I'm, supposed to ask you that", Jean said with a laugh. "How are you feeling today?"
"Tired but better", Rogue said as Jean sat down beside her on the bed.
"And on your own I noticed" Jean observed as she looked around the silent room.
"Yeah", Rogue said "Remy took Trey out."
"To get groceries, I know I asked him to go, because no one else could." Jean said.
"Wait." Rogue said holding up a hand. "Shopping? As in shopping in a mall, shopping?"
"Yeah", Jean said innocently.
"Oh Jean", She said with a laugh and a shake of her head. "That's a mean thing to do and you know it."
Jean smiled and raised an eyebrow silently as she continued Rogue's examination. "What?"
"What?" Rogue said "What? Even Ah never take Trey shopping, Sugah, it's like getting between Jubilee and a poster of Orlando Bloom, you won't get out alive or at least without missing a limb." She shook her head. "He'll eat Remy alive
, "I don't envy him." Jean said, with a small smile, knowing perfectly well what it was like to take Rogue's son into a mall . It had taken three weeks to get rid of the nightmares the last time she'd done it.
"And what do you mean, no one else could go?" Rogue said "You've taken the kids grocery shopping on your own, lots of times when Scott was away. Livvy and Nate are angelic in stores, mostly thanks to Scott's rules."
"I know." Jean said as she listened to Rogue's breathing. "But Remy doesn't, now does he?" She grinned. "I told him Scott wasn't feeling well, and that I didn't want to leave him for a moment."
"Scott's in Aruba isn't he?" Rogue said "Grabbing a new mutant with Logan?" She looked over her shoulder out the apartments, bay window. "I saw the jet leave a little while ago."
"Again I state, Remy didn't know this." Jean said "I conveniently left that out, when I talked to him. I offered to watch Trey, but he wouldn't hear anything of it. Oh well…"
"You're cruel." Rogue said with a grin. "But ya know what? You're my kind of cruel." Still she winced as she wondered if she'd have a boyfriend left when the day was done or if he'd have run back to New Orleans as fast as his legs could carry him. "Ah hope their alright."
Remy pulled into the mall parking lot, thankful that the CD from hell had stopped running a track earlier. He glanced at Trey, "We're heading straight for tha grocery store," he informed him. "Cause Papa don't want to be here all day, he wants to get back to Mama as fast as possible."
Trey didn't say a word as Remy stopped the car and hopping out, moved to the back and unstrapped his son and settled him on his arm as he walked into the mall complex and turned towards the grocery store he knew the school used.
Trey squirmed in his arms and pointed at a store window that boasted a colorful assortment of. "Papa, look toys"
"Now", Remy said "Papa told you, we're heading straight for da grocery store, not da toy store." He briefly consisted indulging Trey, he'd rarely got the chance to buy him anything in the time he'd been home but he quickly put the thought on the back burner, at least for the moment until the grocery shopping was done.
His son apparently had other ideas.
Trey's eyes narrowed, he opened his mouth, let out a yell and thus began the day from hell.
By the time they had reached the grocery store, Remy's ears were ringing and Trey was clutching a stuffed, something from the toy store. Remy wasn't sure what exactly it was, ether a grasshopper or a dragon or the goddamn ugliest Teddy Bear dressed in drag, he'd ever seen but it was the one that had caused Trey to stop screaming like Siryn and calm down enough so Remy could get them to the grocery store without people staring at them. Not that he cared really, if they did. He knew he shouldn't have caved in and bought the toy, especially not with the boy screaming the way he was, that he should have been stern and chastised him, but he'd been so shocked to hear that much noise coming from such a small person, (and one that was normally so quiet and laid back as well,) that he'd bought it without even thinking twice.
He settled Trey in a cart, wiping the tears off of his cheeks as he did so, and pulled out the list Red had given him, she'd conveniently (Or neurotically, take your pick) organized the list into categories like meat or vegetables or toiletries so he could get all the thing he needed from one place at one time, without having to return to any isles to pick stray items up. "Thank you Red," he murmured as he headed for the fruit and Vegetable isle. He glanced at the list, relived to find it was mostly toiletries like shampoo and was even more relived when he realized that he could order the foods that the school needed, like meat and vegetables and dairy items, and have them delivered by the afternoon.
He placed the order at the order counter, and then decided to pick up the rest of the order himself, having offloaded a good portion of it onto the clueless and dismayed clerk,( Which made Remy feel a bit better, to be honest) and then steered the cart towards his intended isle.
"There", he said to Trey, "Now all we got to get is junk food and toiletries, for da most part."
Trey didn't say anything, just looked around curiously as if he was taking everything in and absorbing it to his memory. He clutched his stuffed animal closer and yawned, and Remy began to wonder if he'd make the trip awake or asleep. He steered them down the isle with the shampoo, grabbing the bottles off the list as he saw them and making sure to get as many as cited, not noticing all the while he was stacking shampoo in the cart, Trey was taking it out and placing it back on the shelf. He was happily amusing himself with peeling the labels off of the bottles, or placing them when he could reach back in their places or in random spots like other people's waiting carts.
Remy for his part was clueless because when he turned around, Trey would sit back innocently and clutch his toy as he watched his father work. This was the most fun he'd had since the time he'd hidden his mother's gloves just before she'd had to go a big meeting. As Remy placed another bottle in the cart, and turned away, Trey took it out again quickly as he began to bore and set it back on the shelf among the others.
Finally Remy turned around for the last time, a bottle of mango peach conditioner in his hands, and actually looked at the cart, finding it mostly empty. His gazed flashed up to his son, who smiled at him and giggled softly and Remy was glad no one else was in the isle because the bottle he held in his hand, charged bright pink for a moment as his anger level rose. He quickly pulled his powers in check and set the bottle of conditioner in the cart.
"So you think dat's funny huh?" he said mildly, watching as Trey nodded. "Right, you would being, Rogue's son. Don't do it again, okay?" Trey nodded meekly and Remy quickly went about re-filling the cart with the shampoos and conditioners before he moved on to getting soap and toilet paper.
He checked the list and groaned as he saw the next item. In Remy LeBeau's opinion, the isle containing sanitary supplies should have been off limits for men, he hated venturing down it, (Not that there wasn't anything he wouldn't do or buy for his chere, when she needed him) and he vowed to get that done quickly so he could move on to junk food.
As Remy moved down the isle, and began to quickly get what they needed, Trey decided to change tactics, and began to randomly toss items in the cart. "Trey", Remy said as he fished a package of Depends out of the cart, quickly catching the package of panty hose, his son tossed next and setting them back in their place. "Papa told you not to do dat."
"No", Trey said "You said, no take out of da cart, never said anything about putting stuff in." As he spoke he knocked a box of tampons into the cart with a dimpled fist then grabbed a random item and tossed it in.
Remy muttered an oath in French, as he scooped a yeast infection cure, kit out of the cart next, followed by another package of Depends and several boxes of super absorbency tampons as Trey continued to dump them in at a rapid pace. Trey was obviously having the time of his life as he watched his father scrambled to pull things out of the cart as he tossed them in. Finally Remy had had enough," Don't put things in da cart!" he boomed, in a loud stern voice that even surprised him.
Trey looked at him in surprise, having never heard his father raise his voice before, and then began to cry loudly as other people began to look at them in curiosity. Remy, cursing in French, began to head them towards the pharmacy and the aspirin that was there and conveniently the next item on their list of things to get.
The Ragen Cajun was getting a ragen migraine.
A few moments later, and with several large bottles of extra strength aspirin in tow, Remy began to steer them down the junk food isle, vowing to never say Rogue had it easy when she shopped with Trey again. In fact, he suddenly felt like going home and giving her a kiss out of sympathy that she'd had to do it at all. He glanced down at Trey, (grateful he'd stopped crying at last, and equally more grateful that it was the last isle they had to go through before they went to the cashier,) and hurried down the isle, grabbing chips, of varying types, as well as other sweets like chocolate that he knew the students had asked for.
Remy stopped the cart, and checked the list, grabbing a few more varieties of chips, that were on the list as well as several cases of Coke before heading over to the candy section to get the few remaining items. With a sigh of relief as he dropped a package of Oreo's in the cart, he started to push the cart towards the cash, and then realized that he hadn't heard a peep out of Trey in the ten minutes they'd been in the isle.
He looked over at his son, expecting to find him asleep; only to see Trey had turned the cart basket into his own personal feast. He had plowed his way through half a large chocolate bar, (the rest of which rested in the arms of Tito the Cross-Dressing Teddy Bear,) part of a package of sugar covered doughnuts, a bag of Jujubes and was currently mowing his way through a package of mini-marshmallows in various pastel colors. Remy's jaw dropped, and he glanced over his sun glasses in shock, as Trey smiled a sugary demonic smile at him and silently extended the half empty bag in offering.
Remy hung his head, as he headed for the cash, knowing that he could be the best card shark in the world and yet for all his luck at the cards, he'd been beaten hands down that day by his three year old toddler.
He slid in the car a few moments later; feeling frustrated and spent, and leaned his head against the steering wheel briefly. Trey, for all his part, was sitting in his car seat, clutching his toy panda bear to his chest as he leaned back in his car seat and yawned around a smile. Remy smile back at him, but it was quickly gone.
Panda Bear?
Remy glanced over his shoulder and spotted the Tito, the Gender Mystified Bear, resting on the seat beside Trey, grinning happily. "Where did you?-", He started then stopped, vaguely remembering how he'd sped past the toy store to avoid a repeat performance of earlier and vaguely remembering seeing a display of similar toys hanging on a rack outside. He'd been so concerned with getting past he hadn't actually been watching what Trey was doing.
His son was a thief.
If Remy hadn't been at his wits end, he would have been proud.
He glanced in the rearview mirror in time to see what looked like a security guard and the toy shop keeper heading towards the car and sighed as he hit the gas and peeled out of the parking lot. Of all the people he'd ever expected to be a wheel man for Trey wasn't one of them.
After a quick stop at a local florist Remy knew Rogue liked, (where he picked her up four dozen of the most expensive roses he could find) they headed for home. "Never again," Remy muttered in French as the mansion same into view. "Not as long as Remy's sane."
A were waiting to meet him and few moments later, he'd parked and left the groceries to Storm while Jean silently took Trey for an hour, as Remy cast her the glance from hell. He marched down the hall; arms loaded with roses, feeling like he'd been run over by the Blackbird and to his surprise found Rogue waiting for him at their doorway.
Without a word she took the roses from him and pressed a double Vodka on the rocks into his hand with a smile as she went inside. He glanced down at the drink then bolted it back as he followed her in, watching as she set the roses in a large vase and then dropped on the couch, patting the spot beside her with a sympathetic glance.
Remy dropped down beside her, and for a moment rested his head on her shoulder, trying to recover without any lasting trauma then he turned, taking her hand in his gently as he looked at her. "P'tite, Remy has some thing bad to tell you."
"What?" She asked.
"Our son may, in fact, be the child of the dark minion, Satan." he said seriously, nodding his head as he spoke.
Rogue laughed, as she stroked his hair. "It was that bad huh?"
"Worse," he groaned. "Remy may never recover." He sat back and looked at her, noticing that she seemed to have more color in her cheeks then when he'd left that morning. "Speaking of, you look better chere, then when Remy left"
"Ah feel better," she said as she pushed her hair over her shoulder. "Not nearly as sick."
"Ah", he said as he tapped her on the end of the nose. "Dat means Logan's feeling better too, non?"
"True", Rogue said.
"And he gave a healing boost huh?" Remy said .
"Got it in one, Sugah", she said "Not enough to heal me completely, he's still too weak for that, but enough to make me feel a lot better." She leaned against him and yawned. "Ah'm still tired as the devil though."
"Trey, Coeur", Remy said mildly. "The devil's true name be Trey."
"Remy", she said playfully giving him a gentle swat. "Ya shouldn't say things like that Sugah." She yawned again, sagging back against the couch cushions limply, and he could see the fatigue seeping over like one of Ororo's waves of fog. Without even thinking Remy swept her up in his arms as she buried her face in his shoulder and carried her to their room. By the time he'd reached the bed, Rogue was already asleep and he settled her comfortable under the blankets before turning with a sigh, and heading off to Jean's and Scott's rooms to retrieve Trey for dinner.
" Here we go,", Remy said, a little while later as he set a plate of food in front of Trey. " Eat up," He had made Trey's favorite, grilled ham and cheese with extra cheese, and cucumber sticks then whipped up a spicy shrimp omelet for himself in record time. Since Rogue was out cold for the night and Remy wasn't going to wake her up for anything if she was finally sleeping easier, Remy'd opted for a private meal, just the two of them instead of eating in the dining room, he had a head ache and he suspected Trey was tired; he didn't want to really have to deal with the team tonight if possible. He forked a piece of shrimp as he spoke to Trey and watched, waiting for him to obey.
"No", Trey said definitely as he pushed his plate away.
"What?" Remy said as his head came up sharply.
"No", Trey said with a shake of his head. "Not hungry."
"Oh gods, it be inherited", Remy muttered as he thought of Rogue and her stubborn refusal to eat.
He scrutinized Trey for a moment and concluded Trey was just trying to test him and see what his response was. He still wasn't used to having Remy command him around and it was plain to see, especially at that moment that he didn't think Remy was going to take him to task. "Come on now", he said as he pushed the plate towards him, "Eat up, you've got to be hungry by now."
"No", Trey said again. "Don't like,"
"It be your favorite," Remy said as he poured him a glass of milk. "Papa knows because he asked your mama."
"Still not eating." Trey said happily as he pushed his sandwich around his plate with a chubby finger.
Remy sighed and then he remembered all the junk food Trey had wolfed down at the grocery store, and realized it was quite possible that Trey wasn't really hungry at all. He quickly dismissed the notion; knowing that with the mood Trey was in he could have been starving and he still wouldn't have eaten for Remy or probably for Rogue or Scott ether.
Hell, he probably wouldn't have eaten if Xavier himself told him too.
That wasn't going to stop Remy from trying though, he had to prove to himself that he could handle Trey and he had to prove to Trey that he was a force to be reckoned with, one he had to listen to when he was told. "Trey", he said calmly as he continued to eat his meal, "Papa told you to eat up, and that sandwich is going to get pretty nasty when it's cold, so he suggests you eat it now before it does."
"Not hungry," Trey said in a sing song voice, as he pushed the sandwich around. "Not gonna eat, can't make me"
"Wanna bet?" Remy muttered in French as he took a sip of his coffee, if Trey thought his mother was stubborn he hadn't seen anything yet. He set the cup aside and eyed his son down for about the millionth time that day and wondered where his stubborn streak had come from. Remy rubbed his temples as his headache began to build and quickly rose to get some aspirin, praying it was just stress and not the flu like everyone else had.
He sat back down, and cast a red eye over his son's full plate, then decided to pull out the big guns. "Tremont," He said after a moment, "You're not leaving this table until you've cleaned your plate and Papa means, clean, as everything is eaten."
Trey looked at him skeptically and crossed his arms over his chest stubbornly as he leaned back in his chair. "Papa's serious", Remy said as he pulled his cards out of his breast pocket and began to shuffle them. "We can sit here all night if we have to but nether of us is getting up from this table until it's eaten."
Trey cast him a dark look that in twenty years would have people running in the other direction and pushed the plate further away with a snort.
The stand off was on, but Remy wasn't worried, Trey'd get hungry soon and then things would resolve themselves. Hell, Remy'd even make him another sandwich if he wanted, instead of having him eat the cold hard one.
Piece of cake, nothing to it.
It'd be over before it really started.
Four hours, twenty six games of solitaire, ten cups of coffee and two ciggys later, Remy was tired, frustrated and still seated at the damned kitchen table, flipping cards as Trey stared stubbornly, albeit now drowsily, at the rock hard sandwich on his plate. Remy placed a red eight on a black nine and glanced at his cards pondering his options before taking his eyes off of the cards, and briefly glancing at his son. Trey stared back at him, clearly tired but also clearly unwilling to eat his dinner; despite the fact dinner had ended hours before and his bed time had also crept by the hour before.
Remy sighed, briefly wondering how much a healthy child would sell to the Peruvian circus market and set the cards aside as he leaned on the table and ran his fingers through his hair. "Look kid", he said desperately "Papa's sat in poker games, for days on end to win a jackpot, with very little breaks, your not gonna win dis one. Why don't you just eat?"
Trey raised an eyebrow, and said with worldly expertise. "You can put the black Queen on the red King now, Papa."
Remy let his head drop to the table with a thump, his son was stubborn as stone but as an idea came to his mind he began to feel better, after all even stone could be broken eventually under the right conditions.
Rising, Remy went to the freezer and pulled, what he thought was a tub of chocolate peanut butter ice cream out with a flourish. He grabbed two spoons, and sat down again, popping the lid off easily as he dug in.
Now, Remy didn't particularly ever like ice cream, let alone peanut butter chocolate, (and coming from New Orleans, he could think of plenty of better desserts that one could eat and enjoy) but he figured Trey would and that all it would take for him to cave in and eat his dinner was the sight of his father happily, gagging down the dessert that he liked so much.
He watched as Trey looked at him in curiosity, and it was obvious to Remy now, the boy was hungry, he was just too damned stubborn and contrite to admit it and face down the truth when he needed too.
He was a LeBeau, alright.
Rapidly developing a brain freeze that would rival anything Bobby Drake could pull off at the best of times, (and wondering why anyone would actually pay to eat the sugary sickly sweet substance he was choking down) Remy smile and nodded to the container. "You could have some," he said, realizing with a miserable sinking feeling he was resorting to high class bribery to get his own child to eat. "If you eat your sandwich, or another one Papa makes you, your choice."
Trey looked at the ice cream, made a disgusted face and went right back to sitting at the table, looking bored and tired, not moving an inch. Remy, grimaced and considered waking P'tite up to help him corral the situation but then shot the idea out of his head, he was the boy's father, he should be able to handle him and she needed her rest badly if she was going to get better fast.
Plus if he woke her up, it would prove he couldn't get Trey to listen to him and that wasn't something Remy wanted to admit yet. Feeling more and more like a parenting failure, Remy spooned up another mouthful of ice cream and realized that an even more unforeseen and disastrous event had occurred.
He was starting to like the damned ice cream.
He quickly set the tub aside, closer to Trey and winced, as he inwardly sucked the coating off of his teeth, he had to put the stuff away and get a handle on things before the unforeseen happened and Rogue woke up, because if she did and found things they way that they were, Remy knew he was a dead man, and not in a good way.
It was out of his hands because his beloved, did in fact choose that moment to emerge from the bed room, looking sleep rumpled, sweaty, and absolutely gorgeous in Remy's opinion as she surveyed the table. "What's going on? She said as she moved to his side. "Why isn't he in bed, Sugah?"
"Nothing much, nothing you need to worry about", he said "Trey and Remy are having a disagreement on dinner."
"What type of disagreement Sugah?" She said.
"He wouldn't eat," Remy said bluntly "So Remy said we weren't leaving the table until he did," He glanced at her looking for sympathy from the other parental unit of the house. "It was a good plan, Remy thought but four hours ago, now Remy's think it ain't going to work."
"Probably not," She said honestly.
"What do you mean,' probably not'," he said "A little support would be nice; Remy's trying to teach the boy a lesson chere."
"And a good lesson it might have been Sugah," she said gently as she indicated to their son. "Except for one thing."
"What?" Remy said as he pulled the ice cream closer again.
"He's asleep, sweetie. Oh, grilled ham and cheese my favorite." She said as she swiped part of the sandwich off of the plate and began to devour it. She patted his shoulder softly and Remy glanced over at Trey, his jaw dropping, as he realized she was right. Trey was sound asleep in his chair, snoring softly as he dropped off fully. It had only taken moments for him to drop off and Remy felt a pang of guilt that he hadn't put him to be when he was supposed too.
Rogue smiled at him as she picked up the rest of the sandwich, and headed back towards the bed room. "Better luck next time Cajun. You can put him to bed since you kept him up", she said as she moved down the hall and back to bed where she belonged. "Oh and Remy?"
"Yeah?" he called back around a large spoonful of ice cream. He winced figuring he was about to get holy hell for keeping Trey up late, and figured he deserved it on some level, he supposed.
"Why in the world are you eating my low fat, goat's milk and soy yogurt when there's premium vanilla in the freezer?"
Rogue had barely settled in bed, and gotten herself comfortable when Remy came in. "Da boy's abed for da night," He said as he stripped off his cloths, except for his boxers, just wanting to sleep and forget the day that had just happened. "And boy is he gonna eat in da morning."
"That's nice Sugah," She said with a yawn, "Your feedin him, since you were hell bent on starving him of his dinner."
"Remy wasn't hell bent" he said offended as he pulled back the covers and crawled in beside her. "Remy was jus trying to teach him a lesson, dat's all."
"And a fine lesson it was," she said wryly." It didn't seem to help you any."
"Remy's noticed", he said then sighed. "It just bothers me, dat's all. He don't seem to listen to me any chere, no matter what. It just fly's right by."
"He'll listen", she said as she rolled to face him, and ran her fingers through his hair. "It'll just take awhile, that's all Sugah," She smiled at him and leaned her head against his blanket covered chest. "Hell, he's three, almost four and he still don't listen half the time. He listens to Jean and Jubilee more them me half the time. Don' feel bad; just learn like Ah did, from everyone else around you."
He looked into her eyes, and without warning pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "What was that for?" she asked with a yawn. "Not that ya need a reason to kiss me or anythin."
"For being you," he said as he pulled her close. "And for always being able to make him feel better when Remy don't feel right, bout' somethin" He snuggled her closer. "I do love you girl, more then I can ever say in da words."
"And Ah love you, more then Ah ever thought Ah possibly could love some one", she said as he wrapped his arms around her, and the silence flowed over them like an Irish mist over the hills. The silence spoke words of its own as they lay there together, and it healed them both in ways they didn't even know it could.
After a moment thought Rogue spoke.
"Ketchup", she said softly in his ear.
" 'Cuse me ?" he said sleepily, having just started to drift off. " Dat some kind of new foreplay, cause as well as you are, Remy don't want to tire ya out…"
Rogue laughed softly and quickly kissed the corner of his mouth. "No, Cajun, it's not sexual, although with ya'll Ah don't doubt you couldn't find away to make it. Ketchup, as in the condiment, the kind you put on fries."
"What about it?", he as and then a horror dawned on him and she could see him pale. " Ya don't want me to take Trey back to da grocery store do ya, cause Remy think's dare may be a toy salesmen's with a grudge waiting with a steel baseball bat."
" No", she said with a soft laugh, " Listen, Trey tonight, that incident in the kitchen, you didn't give him any ketchup with his sandwich." She nodded as Remy caught on.
" And dat's what he wouldn't eat, because of a damned condiment, dat was in da fridge all along?"
"Probably, he coats everything with it, most of the time" Rogue said, watching as Remy rolled over and groaned into his pillow. She laughed again and snuggled deeper in his arms. " Go to sleep sweetie, Ah promise, everything'll look better in tha morning."
Remy nodded and shut off the light, trying to let sleep claim him and Rogue had just about drifted off when she heard one word whimpered in the dark of the room, in a highly frazzled voice.
"Ketchup?"
"Rogue?" Remy called as he strode into the apartment a week and a half later, "You here chere?" He wanted to talk to her about the new team assignments Scott was dreaming up with Xavier, and with her health rapidly returning he figured it might be time to bite the bullet, and get everything on the table as far as they were concerned.
He glanced around the still apartment, wondering where she was, he hadn't seen her since their training session earlier that morning, her first since she'd gotten sick, but she'd disappeared after that and he hadn't seen her since, and it was going on noon. As if on cue she appeared, dressed in one of his shirts and a pair of faded jeans, slipping quietly from their bedroom, looking around as if she'd lost something, or was looking for something. "Dare ya are," he said as he moved towards her, his sense pricking as he saw how on guards she was. "What's wrong?"
She held up a finger to her lips, motioning for him to be quiet for the moment as she dropped into a fighting crouch, and visions of Magneto or Mystique began to run through his head. He watched, slipping his hand in his pocket for his cards as she began to circle the room, looking warily around as if she expected to be attacked at any moment by an unforeseen enemy.
Rogue was hunting something, and he wasn't sure he wanted to know what it was.
Suddenly a giggle emerged from behind the couch, and a dark eyed little head popped up with a laugh, making dive for the hall way, that lay beyond Remy. Trey tried to make it to the safe spot but Rogue was quick on her feet and made a dive for him with a laugh, as he dove behind Remy's legs. She chased him in a circle around a clueless Remy, and then back into the living room, where she finally caught him and pulled him down in a mass of legs and arms. They were both laughing as he squirmed to get away and she started to tickle him, drawing more laughter from both of them.
Remy briefly wondered if he walked into the wrong house but as soon as Rogue had stopped what she was as doing and looked at him, from her place on the floor, with her arms wrapped around Trey, and her emerald eyes, smiling up at him from under her curly auburn hair as it fell into her eyes, and he knew he was home. "What in tha world are ya'll doing?" he asked as he pulled off his trench coat and tossed it in a nearby chair like he always did.
"Extreme hide and go seek", Rogue said as she looked down at Trey. "Right?"
"Right", Trey said. "Can I hide again, Momma?"
"Yup", Rogue said as she swatted him lightly on the behind. "Go on now, and then Momma and papa will come and find you."
"Really?" Trey asked then turned to Remy. "Papa will you play with us?"
"Sure", Remy said as he got into the sprit of things. "If you go hide."
Trey bolted, for the hall then shouted. "Hey, Papa left the door open that means the mansion's fair game." He took off out the door as Rogue winced and started to rise.
"We'll never catch him now," She said with a laugh and a shake of her head.
"Sure we will", Remy said as he grabbed her hand and they headed for the door. "Where's your sprit, chere?"
"Cajun, do you know how big, this mansion is?" Rogue said as she pulled the door closed partially behind them. "That's the reason the door was closed in the first place, it's easy to find him in our rooms but out here, he could hide for hours."
"Den we'll search him out," Remy said, "He can't hide long with me training him; Remy knows all da hiding spots in dis mansion."
"Ah'll bet." Rogue said as they started down the hall. Suddenly her face brightened "Ah'll bet he'll go to the stables, plenty of animals."
"Let's go ", Remy said taking her hand. " And see if we can find us a boy."
The stable proved empty, as did the kitchen and the green house, although Ororo's prize azalea's looked like a hurricane had blown through them, stating that Trey had been there at some point.
As they wandered through the plants, Remy draped an arm around her, vaguely remembering how he'd wanted to talk to her about something, but it didn't seem as important as before. He smiled at her. "You two place dis game often?" he asked.
"Not on this scale," She said as she looked around. "But yeah, its one of our ways to have fun." She cast one finale look around. "Ah don't think he's in here Sugah."
"No", he agreed as they moved on to the games room.
When the games room proved empty, they searched the gym and the computer labs, finding them all empty and Rogue was beginning to worry a bit. "What if we can't find him?" she asked as she pulled open a storage closet.
"Den we get da team to help, hell Jean could tell you exactly where he was without blinking an eye." He smiled at her and ruffled her hair. "Don't worry chere, he can't hide forever, he's gotta eat sometime."
As they passed Xavier's office, Rogue cocked her head at Remy, then looked back at the door. "Ya don't think,-", she said as she looked at the heavy oak door.
"Remy don't know", he said "It can't hurt to check though." He knocked on the door, and waited to enter until after he'd heard Xavier's say so, then opened the door.
Charles Xavier was seated behind his desk, entertaining a group of politicians who'd wanted a tour of the school. Inwardly both, Rogue and Remy winced as they came in, and everyone turned to look at them. "Sorry to interrupt" Rogue said "But you haven't Tremont lurking around have ya, Professor?"
"No", Xavier said smiling warmly as he indicated to the small space under his desk, briefly with his head, making sure they got the message. "I'm quite afraid I haven't seen him."
Rogue and Remy smiled and nodded briefly to the politician's as they slipped out the door, and waited beside it. A moment later, Trey slipped out the door with a giggle and Remy caught him, whirling him up in his arms as Trey gasped in shock then started to laugh. "You found me!"
"Sure did", Remy said as he settled Trey on his shoulders.
"Can I hide again?"
"It's time for lunch sweetie", Rouge said as they started back for the apartment and the kitchenette. "Maybe if you're real nice, Papa will make you a grilled cheese and ham."
Remy groaned, remembering what was now known as the Grand Sandwich Sit off. "As long lunch doesn't wind up an all afternoon affair."
"It won't Ah promise", Rogue said as they re-entered the apartment. "Cross my heart."
It was after lunch, which Trey mercifully ate, (thanks in part to the ketchup) that Remy finally found the time to talk to Rouge like he'd wanted too. She'd put Trey down for his nap and settled him in, while Remy cleaned up the lunch dishes, and waited for her to be done.
He settled on the couch when he was done, just as she entered the living room and tossed herself down beside him. "He's out", she said as she plowed her fingers through her hair and leaned back against the couch, looking tired and haggard.
"You feeling alright?" he asked concerned.
"Fine", she said mildly, then caught his look." Really, just a little tired is all."
She smiled at him and shook her head. "You've got your, Ah wanna talk look on, Cajun."
"My what?"
"Your Ah want to talk look," she said "It's almost identical to your Ah wanna have sex look." she mused for a moment then cast him a side glance. "In fact, Ah get them confused sometimes."
"Dat explains a lot", he said with a sage nod. "Your right on this one though, Remy did want to talk."
She sighed and laced her gloved fingers with his absently. "Ah figured you did, bout time we got things sorted out." She grinned devilishly and he wondered what was running through her mind. "It's ahright because Ah got a couple of surprises for you, Ah wanted to give ya anyways."
"Really," He said as he gave her a heated glance. "You know da boy is asleep if you want to…"
"Remy", she said with a laugh as she curled up close to him. "Keep yourself controlled, don't make me get the stun gun."
"Dat's not a nice thing to call Jubilee chere," he said as she swatted him playfully and leaned against him against and he wrapped his arms around her.
"You wanted to talk so talk." she said looking up at him, and he could see she was worried about what he was going to say.
"Remy wanted you to know, he talked to Jean before you got sick", he said as he stroked her hair. "And she told him, what you were like when you were carrying Trey, how you got sick and such."
"So you know Ah was a spaz", she said, "What's your point?"
He sighed, praying this would go the way he wanted it to. "You weren't a spaz, you were heartsick." he reached out and tipped her face towards him as she looked away. "And unwilling to admit it."
She nodded silently agreeing with him; able to see it now when she couldn't then.
"Remy wanted you to know, he understands now, why ya be so reluctant to put your full trust in him again." he said softly. "He understands why you be so cautious about everything between us and da boy." He smiled at her and kissed the top of her head. "And it's alright chere, because he can wait, until ya do trust him fully again."
He settled back and looked at Rogue, watching and watching her to see what her reaction was to what he'd said was. He expected her to talk, to say something, anything.
Instead she got up and walked out of the room.
Remy sat bolt upright in shock, feeing hurt vibrate through him as he registered the fact that she'd rebuffed him.
She was back right away though, carrying a yellow manila envelope in her hand and he felt as relived as he ever had as he realized she'd just got to get something from their bedroom. She settled back down beside him and looked up at him with a smile as he got a questioning look on his face. "You've said what you wanted to say." she said " Now let me say what Ah need to say, Remy."
"Ah love you." she said as she pulled the envelope open with shaking hands. "More then ah can say, and you know it.", she sighed and shook her head slowly as she tried to form words. "Ah can't say hurt and mistrusting forever, especially since Ah know you'd never hurt us again intentionally."
"Dat's right", he said honestly." So?"
"So", she said "When Ah was sick, Ah got to thinking, what if something happened to me?" She looked away and then looked back, "What if, Ah died, what would happen to Trey."
"Chere, its only natural to think like dat.", Remy said as he slipped an arm around her shoulders. "When your as sick as you were."
"The original plan", she went on as if not hearing him. "Was that he'd go and live with Jean and Scott. But-", she stopped and then went on. "That was before, you came back. Ah realized when Ah was sick that he should be with you if anything happened to me..", she pulled a piece of paper out of the envelope and held it out to him. " More of, Ah realized, Ah wanted him to be with you if anything happened to me."
Remy looked at the paper in his hands and then back up to her. For a moment he didn't know what to say and the emotions he was feeling wouldn't have let him anyways; then he cleared his throat and tried anyways. " Chere, dis gives me legal rights to him", he said in wonder.
They had discussed what could be done legally to give him parental rights before but hadn't come to a discussed in anything firm, not really knowing what their options were.
" Full parental and custodial rights.", she said warily " It also make you his sole legal guardian if something happens to me." She smiled. " Ah had my lawyer draw it up this morning, we've got a court date next week to make it official but it gives you all the rights you should have had when he was born."
Rogue reached out and trailed a gloved hand down his jaw as he looked at her with tears in his eyes. " You wanted my trust Remy,", she said softly. " Well, this is it." She smiled at him as silence stretched between them for a moment until she finally had had enough. " Saying something would you, please, anything?"
Instead he reached out and pulled her in his arms, burying his face in her shoulder as he held her tightly and she held him. This time the silence was welcome as it enveloped them until everything was gone but them and all that matter was within grasp. Rogue wasn't sure how long they stayed like that but it could have been forever for all she cared, she'd never felt so happy in her life, like a weight had lifted off hr chest and she hadn't even told him everything yet.
He clued in to that a moment later, pulling back to look at her in curiosity as he did. " What was da other surprise you wanted to tell me about?"
Rogue smiled at him and rose beside the couch, " Oh that", she said as nonchalantly as possible . " Well, if you give me your hand, Ah can show you Sugah."
He nodded and slipped his hand in her hers, confident she'd led him somewhere and show him what this other surprise was. Instead he was shocked when she slipped his hand low on her abdomen and placed her hand over it, raising her eyebrow as she did so, to make sure he got her meaning.
Remy's jaw dropped and he tried to speak but all he could get out was ." Ya, mean, your…", before he let out a whoop and jumping up enfolded her in his arms again, lifting her off of her feet and swinging her around as he did so.
" Oh Sugah,", she wailed as he did so. " Don't do that, Ah'm queasy enough as it is."
He laughed and set her down again as he tried to take everything in. " When?", he started " Where, how?"
Rogue smiled. " New Orleans must be a good town for us, baby, because that's about as far along as Ah am. Almost a month and a half exactly." She grinned at him as he got a proud look on his face. " Jean told me yesterday, Ah've been trying ta think of a way to tell ya ever since. You were right when you thought Ah might be pregnant. Jean didn't notice it on the fist set of blood test she ran but she noticed it on my follow ones"
" But the Pneumonia", he said, as he thought back . " How on dis Earth, did you manage not to miscarry?"
" Jean and Ah don't know", Rogue said as they sat back down" Ah asked her the same thing, maybe the baby's as stubborn as you are or at least, that's how Ah interpret things. ", She laughed as the look on his face. " It don't really matter now because according to Jean, both the little one and Ah are in good health anyways, we're just gonna have to be real careful for awhile to make sure we stay that way though."
" Damned straight", he said with a laugh as he puller her close and grabbing a nearby scarf, kissed her with everything he had. " God, I love you", he said brokenly. " So much."
" And Ah love you", She said as she glanced at the clock. " Ya know,", she said as she feigned a yawn. " Trey's gonna be down for a few hours at least, Ah think ah could use a nap.", She raised her eyebrows at him. " Don't you?"
Remy nodded, catching her clear meaning as they both rose from the couch and headed for their room. " Ah think so, but is it safe for you and da little one."
She grabbed his hand and began you lead him off, tossing him a heated sultry glance as she did so. " Cajun", she said as they went along. "Did Ah ever tell, you how horney Ah was during my last pregnancy?"
" Merde, no but Remy's sure as hell willing to listen if ya want to tell him now!"
Later, heading to dinner with Trey perched on his shoulders, and one arm wrapped around Rogue's waist, as they walked, They encountered Jean escorting a new prospective team mate around the mansion. " Hey guys", She called " Let me introduce you to someone." She motioned to the petite, pale blond beside her. " This is Amara Aquilla, she's new." She turned to Amara with a smile, " This is Remy and Rogue, two of our team mates." She grinned. " And their little boy Trey."
" Nice to meet you", Amara said in a voice tinged with a South American accent.
" Like wise", Rogue said with a smile as Remy nodded. " Are you two heading to dinner?"
" After I show Amara her room", Jean said ' If Scott asks, tell him I'll be there in a bit."
Rogue nodded as they went on their way. " Nice to meet you.", Remy called as they moved on as well and began to head for the dining room.
As jean lead her away, Rogue and Remy heard Amara asked in a questioning voice, tinged with hope. ' They are families here?"
Rogue and Remy both smiled, knowing what Jean's answer would be, and just kept going. They were a family, and they knew to other mutants that presented a slim sliver of hope that someday they could have one too. As they neared the dining room, Rogue leaned her head against Remy's shoulder and smiled, knowing she was truly happy and without worry for the first time in ages.
She pulled open the dining room door and they all went inside, chatting about the new baby and the better future that was hopefully soon on it's way.
To be continued…