Dismal Angel 2010 - Episode 19

Chapter 6:  Oath

          Kitty Pryde and Remy LeBeau were outside on the back porch hours later, it was nightfall now, and a chill was in the air.  Remy was sitting upon the steps with a cigarette dangling from his fingertips, he looked out at the seemingly endless estate, everything in his life now seemed incredibly ruined, he didn't know how to go on from this.  Now that the X-Men knew he'd planned to steal that research – even for its own safety – he knew he'd be looked at in a whole different light.

          "This has been some day," Kitty said wearily, she sat beside him on the steps, she rubbed her head, it was throbbing from stress, she'd taken a few painkillers but nothing seemed to be easing it.

          "Tell me about it," Remy said, he glanced at his watch, he'd been away from Rogue's bed now for a while and he wanted to return and make sure she was still alright, although he knew there would be no change to her condition.  He wished he understood what had happened, it still baffled him.  "So…Psylocke is actually…going to join…the X-Men?" he asked of Kitty, who'd been sent to help Psylocke find a room and give her a tour earlier that day.

          "Insane isn't it.  One minute they're trying to kill you, the next, they're joining the team," Kitty responded, "but it's just temporarily, until you help her find this Sinister guy…" she looked down to the ground.

          Remy took a long drag of his cigarette, and exhaled, "I can't beat him…" he sighed, "despite what I said in there…I can't…"

          "Why not?" Kitty said, "what's so…big…and scary…about this Sinister dude?"

          "He's like something from somebody's nightmare.  He lurks in every shadow…" Remy said in a low tone, "I always feel like he's watching me."

          "That's not possible," Kitty remarked.  "You know there's no way anyone could get onto our grounds without us knowing."

          "Isn't it?" Remy asked, "I can…and the clones can…don't you think there's a slight possibility he could too?"

"You're being paranoid," Kitty decided.

"You weren't there, you don't know him," Remy uttered, his voice cold, angry with Sinister.  How could he expect Kitty to understand, they'd never even run into Sinister.  They dealt with Magneto, Chantal and the Clones – and that was only the GOOD half of it.  When Sinister was involved, things were never good.

          "I don't GET it, though," Kitty said suddenly, "why didn't you just…tell us about this guy before?  It's like some big detail you decided to leave out as if it doesn't matter and it so obviously does – because if it didn't, then why did you have some mad woman and her kung fu crap on your back?"

          Remy sighed, "it's complicated," he said, and this seemed to be his final word in the matter.

          Kitty wanted to press further, but somehow couldn't and Remy didn't seem like he was in the mood to go into any further details, so much had happened in the last twenty four hours that he – like most people – wanted to forget temporarily and take a moment to breathe.  She looked at him, his hair stirring in the wind, his eyes staring out into the distance, but not focusing on anything.  He hadn't shaved in a couple of days, stubble darkened his jaw. 

"I'm gonna go inside," she touched Remy's arm, "don't stay out here too long, it's getting kind of cold," she got up.

          "I won't, petit, I won't," he said, flicking his cigarette away, watching the dance of sparks down the drive as the stub blew away.

          Kitty felt bad for him as she slipped inside the mansion.  Nothing ever seemed to go right for him – or Rogue.  It was a shame, she couldn't think of two people more deserving of it than them. 

Sighing, she headed upstairs intent on taking care of some things that she'd been avoiding.  She had some things to do that still needed attending.  When she got to her room door, Psylocke was just coming out of the ladies dorm guest bedroom.  They looked at each other.  Psylocke's glance was knowing.

          "Settling in?" Kitty asked, she gave the woman a look over.  She was tall, and her hair touched her thighs, it was long, and silky, the kind of hair Kitty would have always dreamed of having but never managed to acquire.  Her eyes were violet-blue, and stunning beneath long lashes.  Psylocke had somehow managed to make the simple floral robe that Ororo had loaned her look exotic and provocative.  This woman was so extraordinarily beautiful that most of the males in the Mansion had been staring longingly at her, even Piotr, and that slightly bothered Kitty. 

          "It's adequate," Psylocke responded.

Kitty unlocked her bedroom door, she wondered if perhaps she should just go to bed instead of taking care of that other particular thing she just didn't really want to do at all.  She wished she could just find it in herself to get it over with but she didn't want to face it, no matter how much she knew she had to.

Psylocke looked at Kitty, "you have a question on your mind, don't you?" she said.

Kitty swallowed, staring at the woman, unable to say a word.

"It's been plaguing you for a while, but you've been too scared to confront it, and you've been putting off the answer all day…"

          Kitty was frightened by just how accurately telepathic this woman was, it was almost as if the woman could make better sense of Kitty's thoughts than she herself could, and that was not a comforting thing to know.  Kitty gave a vague nod, not even caring how offended she would generally feel by the violation of her mind.

          "You'll find the answer is yes…" Psylocke said softly, yet in a very nonchalant manner that left Kitty feeling slightly sullied, "perhaps you should begin facing it now instead of hiding from it and avoiding it as you have been," she said.

          Kitty felt tears brim her eyes, but she said no more, and she opened her door and stepped inside, slamming it behind her.  Behind the door, she burst into tears, and she heard the footsteps of a casual Psylocke descend down the hall.

          Remy LeBeau entered into the hospital wing, there seemed to be no change in Rogue at all, not even a single movement.  He sighed and picked up the overturned chair he'd tried to hit Psylocke with earlier and he set it upright.  "So…" he said softly, "Just you and me again," he took her hand, "so much happened, and when you wake up you're bound to hear about it sooner or later.  I just hope you aren't going to hate me when you do…" he reached over and stroked her hair softly, making sure to be so careful as to not touch her flesh.

          She looked so beautiful, as if she were simply sleeping, her long dark lashes pressed against her tan flesh, her breathing even and strong. 

          "What's goin' on in that head of yours, Chere?" he asked softly, he wished for an answer but found none in her lifeless comatose state.  "God, if I'd known my kiss would make this happen to you…I'd never have done it…but you—oh what's the use of makin' excuses…" he sighed.  "It's my fault, you know it and I know it," he looked away, squeezing her hand.  "I couldn't help myself," he admitted.

          He imagined if Rogue were there, she'd argue with him, she'd agree.

          "I know," he said looking at her again, "if you were here, you'd probably concur with that, you'd say that's my problem.  I never can help myself and that's why I always get into trouble no matter how hard I try to stay out of it.  And you'd be right…" he kissed her gloved fingertips.

          Remy listened to her breathing for a while, there was no change in it at all.  A clock on the wall ticked the time away around them.

          "I waited eight years for that kiss…nine years…" he murmured, "since the moment I fell in love with you when I was nineteen..." he stroked her hair again, "for a minute there, I thought nothin' was happenin'…I didn't feel it, Chere…not one single bit of pain…your powers didn't touch me…I know I didn't imagine it…" he squeezed his eyes shut, to force back tears.  "But now they've backfired on you…" he rested his arm on the mattress and rested his head against it. 

          He tried to focus on happier times, as if it would give him something to hold onto.  The first time dancing with Rogue, holding her close to him, the moment he'd first known that Rogue was the woman he'd wanted to spend the rest of his life with.  The first time she'd told him she loved him.  Times when they'd laughed together, held each other.  Things that he'd forced himself to try and forget for the last seven years drifted back to him.  Choosing Rogue's Christmas present – a chain with an engraved cross on it.  Picking the ring he in a roundabout way proposed to her with. 

          Despite the incredible sadness that always crept up on him whenever he was with Rogue, the time he spent with her had always been the happiest of his life, the most content, and being in her presence was a solace that he'd never found with any other woman.  Merely being able to look into her face was enough to still the beating of his anxious heart.

          "Chere, you need to pull through," he whispered, "if you don't…I'm comin' to join you…" he murmured.  And he meant it.  Without her now, he didn't think he could continue with this life.  It would be an empty life, not worth living without her.  His bond with her was the only thing he felt might be keeping him alive and grounded.  He remained in silence after his oath, just listening to her breathing, and holding her hand, lying with his eyes closed trying to visualise her smiling at him.

          And then her voice broke the silence, and Remy thought his heart might have stopped at that moment as she said his name, "Remy…"

- The End

(DUN DUN DUNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN or is it?  Gah, I'm so evil.  Yes, it's trueeeeeeeeeee.  As usual, a shout out to the people who always take the time to review, especially the ones who write the big reviews that I adore so much, ishandahalf, Rogue4787, Vampire Adrian – thanks, It's nice to see a review that contains more than one sentence.  Don't get me wrong, I like seeing the ones with nothing but  "please update soon", but some thoughts or anything can be helpful, lol.  Props to Aro – there would be no asschunks, blue haired snails or spitting out without ya – luv ya.)