The Chinaberry Tree outside her Window
By: Ariesque
Last Updated: 11-26-03
Genre: Humor/Romance/Drama
Rated: PG for language
Disclaimer [that I forgot to put on Ch.1]: Don't own X-Men Evo, but the places in Bayville I do.
Author's Notes: So so so SORRY for the LONG delay. I underestimated sophomore year terribly. If you're stupid like me, you'd take all the honors classes the school has to offer at the SAME TIME. So I have no time to write or draw or even eat. It sucks, I know. But hey, at least I have a five day weekend so I'm hoping I can post as many chapters as I can.
Chapter Three
..................................................................................
December 12, 2003
Jubilation sat down next to Sam, who was sporting the sunglasses he got from Florida. "Does it make me look lahke a surfer, Miz Jubes?" he asked, dolefully, and the girl had to laugh.
"Who are you trying to impress, Rahne?" there was a note in her voice that made Sam look quickly at her.
"Is she here? Ah mean, raht now?" A dark look clouded Jubilation's eye. She knew Sam liked Rahne, if not loved her.
"She's out, with Kitty," was the dull reply. Sam smirked, caprice filling his face.
"Well, Miz Jubes," he said, taking off his sunglasses and putting them on Jubilation's face. "since I'm still interested in your story, Ah won be runnin' out any tahme soon. So did you see Rems again?" Her face remained dense, though, as she began again.
"No. Actually, he skipped his visit one night. Piotr came to me the next day to tell me Remy couldn't make it. But I never really knew why."
October 13, 2003
The full moon was clouded at the eleven o' clock hour--Remy decided it was time to make his move. His agile legs, muscular in appearance, stronger than most expected, climbed the chinaberry tree outside Rogue's window. But it wasn't her window he was aiming for-- rather, Jubilation's. His feet pattered the balconies like rain--soft, and somewhat distant. He reached the third window from Rogue's without difficultly and tried to open it. Nothing gave way. Fearing he'd set off an alarm, he scanned the next window--the balcony door was open. He didn't know who owned that balcony, but he was willing to find out.
He entered, the silence ringing in his ears. He couldn't resist feeling like something was devastatingly wrong with this picture, as if the balcony door was left open -purposely-. Remy dug his teeth into his tongue, as he heard the motionless breathing behind him...
He turned, skeptical. Nothing. But when he turned back, something gouged at his stomach, and the blood rose to his head in surprise. Another shot to his jaw made it difficult not to count the stars that fluttered before his eyelids. But Remy wasn't the one to be beaten on the spot. Or so he hoped.
He reached into his pocket for a card, but disposed the idea. The explosion would wake everyone up in the manor. He'd be revealed, and there would be major explaining to do. Instead, he ducked, and with his pole, he struck the leg of his assailant. The vibration rattled him along with the pole.
What? Metal against metal?
"Piotr?" He found himself asking. The oppressor seemed to have stopped breathing at the familiarity of his own name.
"Remy?" So it was Piotr! The light was thrown on, and there stood the tin man, retracting his metal exterior all the while gaping at the thief. Remy resisted chortling. "Remy, is it really you?" Eagerly, Piotr plucked Remy from his crouch and dusted his trench coat off of invisible dirt.
"Of course it is!" Remy assured him, thumping his old friend on the shoulder, "What did y' t'ink I was? Dead?" Piotr darkened at this joke.
"You scared us all, Remy. It was not the brightest thing to do," he chided. Remy waved the scold away, and surveyed the room.
"Say...nice place y' got," he told him, observing the giant oak chest, desk, and bed frame. A cake was on the counter, along with cards that greeted, "Happy Birthday!" Remy grinned. "Y' be celebratin' you's birthday w'out me? Are y' ashamed o' me or somethin'?" He threw Piotr a pout that drew a smile on the tin man's face. "Is it the eyes? C'mon, tell de truth."
"Cake," Piotr said, ignoring the sarcasm and motioning to the morsel on his desk. "Have some."
"What is it? Chocolat?" Remy went over to it. The frosting was an odd shade of indigo and the color of the cake itself told nothing short of a story. "Lemme guess, mon ami. Kitty made it?"
"It is not that bad, actually," Piotr persisted. Remy gave him a face. "Okay, so it is. But it is the thought that counts."
"So what are y' gonna do w' it? Hold it up f' a decoration or somethin'?" Piotr frowned.
"No. I will eventually eat it. I guess." He looked insecurely at the cake and back at his friend. "Enough about giving grief to the cake. Tell me, why come back?" Remy's grin faded, and he poked around in his pocket for a cigarette.
"T'ought I'd drop by t' say halo and all." He found his cigarette. "Halo."
"I do not believe you." Piotr watched as Remy lighted his smoke.
"Y' never believe me, Piotr. Face it."
"I never denied not believing you. You are here to see someone, no?" Remy blew out his breath. A thin, almost transparent line formed from his mouth.
"Maybe."
"Mebbe?" Piotr laughed. "Tell me who?"
"Jubilation. An' it's de truth." He laid a steady eye on his friend.
"Okay, okay. Jubilation." His tongue struggled with the name. "But you are also here for...her, are you not?" Remy blew out a smoke ring.
"You's up f' mind games, Petey? Figures." He said it, pettily.
"She's out, Remy." He didn't say she was with John. Somehow, he knew Remy knew.
"When is she not?" His voice was indifferent. The cigarette seemed stale in his hand which flinched when he let it burn his fingers. He suddenly turned on his heels, the urge to leave invading his heart. "Hey, Pete--tell Jubes I'll talk t' her later, just not tonight." He moved to the balcony, but Piotr held him back. There was a pause as Piotr huffed out an explanation.
"Do not...do not go back the way you came. That wolf man...Logan...he will suspect you." Remy grinned, a chagrin grin.
"Thanks." He saluted the tin man and decended down. The moon had just begun to wring itself out of the clouds, as the thief disappeared across the open field.
He couldn't say for sure when he'd see Piotr again.
October 27, 2003
It was an unusually warm for a October, and Rogue had put on a summer dress, one of Jean's old ones, to enjoy the day under the gazebo. Xavier had built it to "expand the acre", and placed it close to the cliffs that wrung down into the sea.
It was Rogue's favorite place to get away.
John knew nothing about it, though she tried to tell him about it. He would have thought it silly to be dreaming up reveries in a gazebo - a gazebo!- instead of spending time with him. Kitty rarely came out to that corner of the Institute for exposure--the pool was her place. And Kurt, well, he was everywhere, but he spent more time at the Juicy Burger down the street than anywhere else.
The only person she didn't count on finding her that day was the one who approached her. Humid for the day, Rogue had taken a seat on the gazebo, when she caught sight of a lean figure coming up the walk to the structure. At first she thought it was Kitty but instead, it was Jubilation, her hair split into two ponytails bouncing behind her head. She was fitted in a yellow dress that bared her limbs conservatively. Across her shoulders was Raccoon, a scarlet ribbon around its neck, a biscuit between its paws. Rogue observed this apparition and smiled to herself.
"Ahfternoon," she greeted, as the girl stopped in front of the small building. She seemed to observe Rogue in the summer dress, with chestnut hair in a bun and white bangs behind her ears. Then, as if approving of her appearance, Jubilation smiled.
"I never knew you owned that dress," she finally said, pleasantly, as she entered the structure.
"It's Jean's. She left it behind fer me," Rogue replied, accepting Raccoon into her arms. The animal settled into her lap, as Jubilation leaned against the wall. "Ah mean, it's not lahke Ah want tah wear it. But it's...hot." The crashing of waves behind them filled the silence. Then Jubilation spoke.
"He said he wants to see you again." Rogue tried not to perk at the statement, and felt her ears go red. "But only if you want to see him. He's going back, you know."
"Goin' back?" Rogue blurted, regretting the outburst. Jubilation gave her an uneasy stare.
"To...New Orleans. Figured he has to go back. Because of...of...someone. Bella, I think her name was...Bella..."
"Belladonna," Rogue continued, her voice low. Jubilation looked at her, trying to read the language she knew nothing about.
"You know her?" was the question, but Rogue hardly heard.
"He's still goin' tah marry dat girl? After all these months?"
"Maybe they were courting each other," Jubilation suggested, but Rogue still refused to hear her.
"But...but..." They don't love each other. They couldn't possibly love each other. When Rogue failed to continue, Jubilation sighed.
"Well, anyway, he's coming to the Zoo. Said that I should come, but I haven't anyone to drive me." She gave Rogue a pleading look. "You could just drop me off and leave me and come back for me later." Rogue glanced at her, curiosity filling her eyes.
"All right. Ah'll drive yah. But don't expect me tah come back fer yah."
Jubilation grinned. "Of course Rogue. Not in a million years."
December 12, 2003
"So the Zoo, eh?" Sam asked, watching Jubilation sort through her personal line of stuffed animals. She plucked a gigantic bear, twice as big as Logan, and placed it before the Southerner.
"Remy got me this." She patted the animal, grinning. "I named him after the bear, Brutis."
"So yah must have had fun at dis event, Ah suspect," was Sam's reply. For the second time that day, he saw Jubilation's face darken.
"Not really," she said, petting the animal as her eyes left Sam's, "it was that day Remy decided to go back to New Orleans."
October 27, 2003
The bear is awake. He stretches, the fat rippling behind his coat. He lets out an enormous groan, then goes back to watching Remy, who is sitting a good distance away, under a chinaberry tree bursting with blooms. The thief listens to the many people talking around him. Some jeer at the bear for being lazy, others walk past the pen without even noticing the animal.
"Brutis is awake," says one, and Remy's ears perk when he hears the voice. It's sweet, like ice tea to a parched throat, warm like a fire on a snowy day. He turns; smiles. Jubilation comes up the walk, her arm through Rogue's, Racoon on her shoulders. Remy stands, making sure his sunglasses are still on. They make him uncomfortable, but they are necessary. Since it is a hot day, he decided to leave his trench coat behind. Jubilation notices him without it, and grins. Racoon runs to Remy, but he hardly sees. Rogue has finally decided to look at him and she...smiles.
Remy's heart buckles.
"I was telling Rogue about how I got the name Brutis," Jubilation says, accepting Racoon back into her arms. "From Bruce and Otis."
"I remember y' told me once," he says, ripping his eyes away from Rogue. It's hard, though. "Here." He reaches behind him and gives her a bear, three sizes bigger than the girl. "I got dis f' y'." Jubilation, who loves gifts, takes it, and runs off. Rogue looks after her with curiosity.
"Dat girl can git away wit a lot of things." She glances at the bear, who has been watching the two of them for a while now. "I remember Brutis. He ran into the truck." She smiles again, and sits down. Remy becomes nostalgic with her presence.
"I thought y' weren't comin'." He stands and meets her eyes. The silence between them is eerie.
"Yer afraid of a lota things, Remy." His ears perk at the mention of his name. He goes slightly red.
"I mean, I wanted t' talk thet night. But it was awkward." To his surprise, she chortles.
"Awkward? How d'ya think it was fer me?" She stops laughing and her expression turns cold. "Ah shouldn't be here, yah know. John eventually finds out where Ah go without him."
"Does he get mad?" She doesn't look at him.
"Yah would too." Silence. Then from Rogue, "Remy..." She pauses. "Are you happy?" The bear roars as if he's heard her.
Remy looks at her. "Are y'?"
It takes a moment for her to answer. "Sometimes, Ah think you'd feel the same way if Ah was goin' behind yer back too. And yet," Tears fall. Rogue ignores them, "Ah know you'd understand. But with John, it's lahke he don't care. It's lahke he loves me only because it got rid of yah." She sits back, as if exhausted with her speech. Remy searches his pockets, pulls out a crumbled napkin, and hands it to her. She takes it, much obliged. He then takes his seat next to her, his eyes forever on Brutis.
"I'll tell y' somethin', Rogue. When y' left again, I knew I wouldn be able t' stay in one piece if I wasn near y'. I ran away and posed my death 'cause I thought I'd lost. I've made some outrageous decisions back then and I can't say I won't ever again, but now at least I'm sure of what I want." He looks at her, and when he finds she won't look at him, he turns back to the bear. "I guess I left because I thought it was best, but den I realized y' were all that I needed." He wants to go on, but she suddenly gets up, her eyes glaring.
"Ah can't love yah, if dat's what yah want. No: it's wrong." Remy is stunned.
"What do y' mean? Do y' love John? Or do y' feel sorry for him..."
"No! Ah won't abandon John..."
"So you do feel sorry f' de guy..."
"Ah won't leave him lahke yah left Jean! No, Ah have a conscience. And anyway, yah might leave me if Ah were tah love yah. Yah say all these sweet things now, but how 'bout when someone else comes along? And even when we were apart, yah promised tah write and yah never did...yah blew up that note..." She doesn't finish. Remy stands, surprised at her words so harsh and yet so true. She's seen what damage her palaver has done to him and doesn't know what to do. Then she leaves. The bear groans behind her.
Institute Informative October 31, 2003
Happy Halloween! My other half finished the cake in two days. I'm so happy he liked it, but he was a bit green for the next week or so. For the Insititute's Annual Halloween March, everyone, including Logan and Ororo dressed up! Bobby, Amara, Ray, and Jubilation won Best Group for dressing as the Ninja Turtles; Cutest Couple went to Piotr and me as Miss Muffet and he as the Spider [it was hard finding a costume for his size]; and Funniest was Professor as the Wedding Singer complete with wig and blue suit. I hope everyone had as much fun as me-- and if you want to see the picture I took of Logan in his Willy Wonka suit, I'll show it to you, but Logan forbids me to include it in this note.
--Kitty Pryde--
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Well, a lot has happened in this chapter...and if you missed any of it, I'll recap it kindly... Remy admits his feelings for Rogue, who, in disbelief, rasps this whole thing that she's bottled inside of her for quite a while it seems. But can you blame her? I promise more answers are on the way, and if you have any questions, include them with your reviews. I can guarantee half the answers are in Rumor Has It: An Explanation. And now for my endless rave of responses to reviews!
sphinx chick: I forgot what Impact was about. Truly, I did. I mean, did WB just rip the show off the air again? Who am I suppose to attack with my hateful palavers now that Scott and Jean are off the air AGAIN? Cursed creators. And I included Amara's name in the Informative, but to tell you the truth, the girl bothers me. Maybe she should've been sent back to her island because she's way over her head. If you know what I mean.
ishandahalf: [I'll tell you what I think]! I wanted the title to be catching. But now that I think of it, it's like, oh, I don't know, it doesn't catch. It's sad, I know. And pass the flavor blasted goldfish although you probably finished all of them by now, seeing how slow I update *sobs*
Caliente: 1.) Yes, it is sorta like "Fried Green Tomatoes". Not that Fanny Flag would ever read my stories, though. 2.) In Rumor has it: An Explanation, it explains the whole evil John plot in Piotr's POV. Believe me, the story really has answers.
Fuzzy Elf: Actually, I just like Jubilation. She's so happy and innocent, not like Kitty, though. In a naughty, happy and innocent way.
Rogue Star1: In Rumor Has It: An Explanation, you should find the ring incident explained in the first chapter.
ChaosCat: Between you and me [and the person who decides to read your note], Jean makes an appearance the next chapter. Glad you came around to reading my stories.
Xx-Disturbed-xX: I want a cookie.
By: Ariesque
Last Updated: 11-26-03
Genre: Humor/Romance/Drama
Rated: PG for language
Disclaimer [that I forgot to put on Ch.1]: Don't own X-Men Evo, but the places in Bayville I do.
Author's Notes: So so so SORRY for the LONG delay. I underestimated sophomore year terribly. If you're stupid like me, you'd take all the honors classes the school has to offer at the SAME TIME. So I have no time to write or draw or even eat. It sucks, I know. But hey, at least I have a five day weekend so I'm hoping I can post as many chapters as I can.
Chapter Three
..................................................................................
December 12, 2003
Jubilation sat down next to Sam, who was sporting the sunglasses he got from Florida. "Does it make me look lahke a surfer, Miz Jubes?" he asked, dolefully, and the girl had to laugh.
"Who are you trying to impress, Rahne?" there was a note in her voice that made Sam look quickly at her.
"Is she here? Ah mean, raht now?" A dark look clouded Jubilation's eye. She knew Sam liked Rahne, if not loved her.
"She's out, with Kitty," was the dull reply. Sam smirked, caprice filling his face.
"Well, Miz Jubes," he said, taking off his sunglasses and putting them on Jubilation's face. "since I'm still interested in your story, Ah won be runnin' out any tahme soon. So did you see Rems again?" Her face remained dense, though, as she began again.
"No. Actually, he skipped his visit one night. Piotr came to me the next day to tell me Remy couldn't make it. But I never really knew why."
October 13, 2003
The full moon was clouded at the eleven o' clock hour--Remy decided it was time to make his move. His agile legs, muscular in appearance, stronger than most expected, climbed the chinaberry tree outside Rogue's window. But it wasn't her window he was aiming for-- rather, Jubilation's. His feet pattered the balconies like rain--soft, and somewhat distant. He reached the third window from Rogue's without difficultly and tried to open it. Nothing gave way. Fearing he'd set off an alarm, he scanned the next window--the balcony door was open. He didn't know who owned that balcony, but he was willing to find out.
He entered, the silence ringing in his ears. He couldn't resist feeling like something was devastatingly wrong with this picture, as if the balcony door was left open -purposely-. Remy dug his teeth into his tongue, as he heard the motionless breathing behind him...
He turned, skeptical. Nothing. But when he turned back, something gouged at his stomach, and the blood rose to his head in surprise. Another shot to his jaw made it difficult not to count the stars that fluttered before his eyelids. But Remy wasn't the one to be beaten on the spot. Or so he hoped.
He reached into his pocket for a card, but disposed the idea. The explosion would wake everyone up in the manor. He'd be revealed, and there would be major explaining to do. Instead, he ducked, and with his pole, he struck the leg of his assailant. The vibration rattled him along with the pole.
What? Metal against metal?
"Piotr?" He found himself asking. The oppressor seemed to have stopped breathing at the familiarity of his own name.
"Remy?" So it was Piotr! The light was thrown on, and there stood the tin man, retracting his metal exterior all the while gaping at the thief. Remy resisted chortling. "Remy, is it really you?" Eagerly, Piotr plucked Remy from his crouch and dusted his trench coat off of invisible dirt.
"Of course it is!" Remy assured him, thumping his old friend on the shoulder, "What did y' t'ink I was? Dead?" Piotr darkened at this joke.
"You scared us all, Remy. It was not the brightest thing to do," he chided. Remy waved the scold away, and surveyed the room.
"Say...nice place y' got," he told him, observing the giant oak chest, desk, and bed frame. A cake was on the counter, along with cards that greeted, "Happy Birthday!" Remy grinned. "Y' be celebratin' you's birthday w'out me? Are y' ashamed o' me or somethin'?" He threw Piotr a pout that drew a smile on the tin man's face. "Is it the eyes? C'mon, tell de truth."
"Cake," Piotr said, ignoring the sarcasm and motioning to the morsel on his desk. "Have some."
"What is it? Chocolat?" Remy went over to it. The frosting was an odd shade of indigo and the color of the cake itself told nothing short of a story. "Lemme guess, mon ami. Kitty made it?"
"It is not that bad, actually," Piotr persisted. Remy gave him a face. "Okay, so it is. But it is the thought that counts."
"So what are y' gonna do w' it? Hold it up f' a decoration or somethin'?" Piotr frowned.
"No. I will eventually eat it. I guess." He looked insecurely at the cake and back at his friend. "Enough about giving grief to the cake. Tell me, why come back?" Remy's grin faded, and he poked around in his pocket for a cigarette.
"T'ought I'd drop by t' say halo and all." He found his cigarette. "Halo."
"I do not believe you." Piotr watched as Remy lighted his smoke.
"Y' never believe me, Piotr. Face it."
"I never denied not believing you. You are here to see someone, no?" Remy blew out his breath. A thin, almost transparent line formed from his mouth.
"Maybe."
"Mebbe?" Piotr laughed. "Tell me who?"
"Jubilation. An' it's de truth." He laid a steady eye on his friend.
"Okay, okay. Jubilation." His tongue struggled with the name. "But you are also here for...her, are you not?" Remy blew out a smoke ring.
"You's up f' mind games, Petey? Figures." He said it, pettily.
"She's out, Remy." He didn't say she was with John. Somehow, he knew Remy knew.
"When is she not?" His voice was indifferent. The cigarette seemed stale in his hand which flinched when he let it burn his fingers. He suddenly turned on his heels, the urge to leave invading his heart. "Hey, Pete--tell Jubes I'll talk t' her later, just not tonight." He moved to the balcony, but Piotr held him back. There was a pause as Piotr huffed out an explanation.
"Do not...do not go back the way you came. That wolf man...Logan...he will suspect you." Remy grinned, a chagrin grin.
"Thanks." He saluted the tin man and decended down. The moon had just begun to wring itself out of the clouds, as the thief disappeared across the open field.
He couldn't say for sure when he'd see Piotr again.
October 27, 2003
It was an unusually warm for a October, and Rogue had put on a summer dress, one of Jean's old ones, to enjoy the day under the gazebo. Xavier had built it to "expand the acre", and placed it close to the cliffs that wrung down into the sea.
It was Rogue's favorite place to get away.
John knew nothing about it, though she tried to tell him about it. He would have thought it silly to be dreaming up reveries in a gazebo - a gazebo!- instead of spending time with him. Kitty rarely came out to that corner of the Institute for exposure--the pool was her place. And Kurt, well, he was everywhere, but he spent more time at the Juicy Burger down the street than anywhere else.
The only person she didn't count on finding her that day was the one who approached her. Humid for the day, Rogue had taken a seat on the gazebo, when she caught sight of a lean figure coming up the walk to the structure. At first she thought it was Kitty but instead, it was Jubilation, her hair split into two ponytails bouncing behind her head. She was fitted in a yellow dress that bared her limbs conservatively. Across her shoulders was Raccoon, a scarlet ribbon around its neck, a biscuit between its paws. Rogue observed this apparition and smiled to herself.
"Ahfternoon," she greeted, as the girl stopped in front of the small building. She seemed to observe Rogue in the summer dress, with chestnut hair in a bun and white bangs behind her ears. Then, as if approving of her appearance, Jubilation smiled.
"I never knew you owned that dress," she finally said, pleasantly, as she entered the structure.
"It's Jean's. She left it behind fer me," Rogue replied, accepting Raccoon into her arms. The animal settled into her lap, as Jubilation leaned against the wall. "Ah mean, it's not lahke Ah want tah wear it. But it's...hot." The crashing of waves behind them filled the silence. Then Jubilation spoke.
"He said he wants to see you again." Rogue tried not to perk at the statement, and felt her ears go red. "But only if you want to see him. He's going back, you know."
"Goin' back?" Rogue blurted, regretting the outburst. Jubilation gave her an uneasy stare.
"To...New Orleans. Figured he has to go back. Because of...of...someone. Bella, I think her name was...Bella..."
"Belladonna," Rogue continued, her voice low. Jubilation looked at her, trying to read the language she knew nothing about.
"You know her?" was the question, but Rogue hardly heard.
"He's still goin' tah marry dat girl? After all these months?"
"Maybe they were courting each other," Jubilation suggested, but Rogue still refused to hear her.
"But...but..." They don't love each other. They couldn't possibly love each other. When Rogue failed to continue, Jubilation sighed.
"Well, anyway, he's coming to the Zoo. Said that I should come, but I haven't anyone to drive me." She gave Rogue a pleading look. "You could just drop me off and leave me and come back for me later." Rogue glanced at her, curiosity filling her eyes.
"All right. Ah'll drive yah. But don't expect me tah come back fer yah."
Jubilation grinned. "Of course Rogue. Not in a million years."
December 12, 2003
"So the Zoo, eh?" Sam asked, watching Jubilation sort through her personal line of stuffed animals. She plucked a gigantic bear, twice as big as Logan, and placed it before the Southerner.
"Remy got me this." She patted the animal, grinning. "I named him after the bear, Brutis."
"So yah must have had fun at dis event, Ah suspect," was Sam's reply. For the second time that day, he saw Jubilation's face darken.
"Not really," she said, petting the animal as her eyes left Sam's, "it was that day Remy decided to go back to New Orleans."
October 27, 2003
The bear is awake. He stretches, the fat rippling behind his coat. He lets out an enormous groan, then goes back to watching Remy, who is sitting a good distance away, under a chinaberry tree bursting with blooms. The thief listens to the many people talking around him. Some jeer at the bear for being lazy, others walk past the pen without even noticing the animal.
"Brutis is awake," says one, and Remy's ears perk when he hears the voice. It's sweet, like ice tea to a parched throat, warm like a fire on a snowy day. He turns; smiles. Jubilation comes up the walk, her arm through Rogue's, Racoon on her shoulders. Remy stands, making sure his sunglasses are still on. They make him uncomfortable, but they are necessary. Since it is a hot day, he decided to leave his trench coat behind. Jubilation notices him without it, and grins. Racoon runs to Remy, but he hardly sees. Rogue has finally decided to look at him and she...smiles.
Remy's heart buckles.
"I was telling Rogue about how I got the name Brutis," Jubilation says, accepting Racoon back into her arms. "From Bruce and Otis."
"I remember y' told me once," he says, ripping his eyes away from Rogue. It's hard, though. "Here." He reaches behind him and gives her a bear, three sizes bigger than the girl. "I got dis f' y'." Jubilation, who loves gifts, takes it, and runs off. Rogue looks after her with curiosity.
"Dat girl can git away wit a lot of things." She glances at the bear, who has been watching the two of them for a while now. "I remember Brutis. He ran into the truck." She smiles again, and sits down. Remy becomes nostalgic with her presence.
"I thought y' weren't comin'." He stands and meets her eyes. The silence between them is eerie.
"Yer afraid of a lota things, Remy." His ears perk at the mention of his name. He goes slightly red.
"I mean, I wanted t' talk thet night. But it was awkward." To his surprise, she chortles.
"Awkward? How d'ya think it was fer me?" She stops laughing and her expression turns cold. "Ah shouldn't be here, yah know. John eventually finds out where Ah go without him."
"Does he get mad?" She doesn't look at him.
"Yah would too." Silence. Then from Rogue, "Remy..." She pauses. "Are you happy?" The bear roars as if he's heard her.
Remy looks at her. "Are y'?"
It takes a moment for her to answer. "Sometimes, Ah think you'd feel the same way if Ah was goin' behind yer back too. And yet," Tears fall. Rogue ignores them, "Ah know you'd understand. But with John, it's lahke he don't care. It's lahke he loves me only because it got rid of yah." She sits back, as if exhausted with her speech. Remy searches his pockets, pulls out a crumbled napkin, and hands it to her. She takes it, much obliged. He then takes his seat next to her, his eyes forever on Brutis.
"I'll tell y' somethin', Rogue. When y' left again, I knew I wouldn be able t' stay in one piece if I wasn near y'. I ran away and posed my death 'cause I thought I'd lost. I've made some outrageous decisions back then and I can't say I won't ever again, but now at least I'm sure of what I want." He looks at her, and when he finds she won't look at him, he turns back to the bear. "I guess I left because I thought it was best, but den I realized y' were all that I needed." He wants to go on, but she suddenly gets up, her eyes glaring.
"Ah can't love yah, if dat's what yah want. No: it's wrong." Remy is stunned.
"What do y' mean? Do y' love John? Or do y' feel sorry for him..."
"No! Ah won't abandon John..."
"So you do feel sorry f' de guy..."
"Ah won't leave him lahke yah left Jean! No, Ah have a conscience. And anyway, yah might leave me if Ah were tah love yah. Yah say all these sweet things now, but how 'bout when someone else comes along? And even when we were apart, yah promised tah write and yah never did...yah blew up that note..." She doesn't finish. Remy stands, surprised at her words so harsh and yet so true. She's seen what damage her palaver has done to him and doesn't know what to do. Then she leaves. The bear groans behind her.
Institute Informative October 31, 2003
Happy Halloween! My other half finished the cake in two days. I'm so happy he liked it, but he was a bit green for the next week or so. For the Insititute's Annual Halloween March, everyone, including Logan and Ororo dressed up! Bobby, Amara, Ray, and Jubilation won Best Group for dressing as the Ninja Turtles; Cutest Couple went to Piotr and me as Miss Muffet and he as the Spider [it was hard finding a costume for his size]; and Funniest was Professor as the Wedding Singer complete with wig and blue suit. I hope everyone had as much fun as me-- and if you want to see the picture I took of Logan in his Willy Wonka suit, I'll show it to you, but Logan forbids me to include it in this note.
--Kitty Pryde--
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Well, a lot has happened in this chapter...and if you missed any of it, I'll recap it kindly... Remy admits his feelings for Rogue, who, in disbelief, rasps this whole thing that she's bottled inside of her for quite a while it seems. But can you blame her? I promise more answers are on the way, and if you have any questions, include them with your reviews. I can guarantee half the answers are in Rumor Has It: An Explanation. And now for my endless rave of responses to reviews!
sphinx chick: I forgot what Impact was about. Truly, I did. I mean, did WB just rip the show off the air again? Who am I suppose to attack with my hateful palavers now that Scott and Jean are off the air AGAIN? Cursed creators. And I included Amara's name in the Informative, but to tell you the truth, the girl bothers me. Maybe she should've been sent back to her island because she's way over her head. If you know what I mean.
ishandahalf: [I'll tell you what I think]! I wanted the title to be catching. But now that I think of it, it's like, oh, I don't know, it doesn't catch. It's sad, I know. And pass the flavor blasted goldfish although you probably finished all of them by now, seeing how slow I update *sobs*
Caliente: 1.) Yes, it is sorta like "Fried Green Tomatoes". Not that Fanny Flag would ever read my stories, though. 2.) In Rumor has it: An Explanation, it explains the whole evil John plot in Piotr's POV. Believe me, the story really has answers.
Fuzzy Elf: Actually, I just like Jubilation. She's so happy and innocent, not like Kitty, though. In a naughty, happy and innocent way.
Rogue Star1: In Rumor Has It: An Explanation, you should find the ring incident explained in the first chapter.
ChaosCat: Between you and me [and the person who decides to read your note], Jean makes an appearance the next chapter. Glad you came around to reading my stories.
Xx-Disturbed-xX: I want a cookie.