Disclaimer: It is my displeasure to constantly remind all of you that the X-Men and other copyrighted stuff you see in this page do not belong to me.

(1) Notes: Whoa, I'm here! I'm actually alive! -winks at the boos that someone makes- Maybe it's weird for someone like me to resurrect myself like this, but I hope you guys are still hungering for the update of this fic. ;)

As you may have noticed, I changed the title from Bright Lights to Limelight. It's because I found I couldn't work with the former name I gave this story, originally planning to integrate the lyrics of the song Bright Lights by matchbox twenty in it. But apparently, I found that my plots clashed with the message of the song somehow, so maybe I'll just leave that idea for a future chapter of this fic, or another story altogether.

Anyway, since I haven't updated for such a long time, I'm apologizing for anything that would make this piece seem different or a little off from how it started. I want to test if I can still make this thing run properly, so kindly do me the favor of dropping me a line and scrutinizing my work. I haven't lost all of the things I've got in store for this – so I do hope I can make you guys stick around. And if anyone's been wondering why I don't answer reviews, I was unsure whether I had to do it. But if people like this chapter, then the former could change. ;) All right, without my usual ado, here's the next installment. Hope you enjoy!

Limelight by melancholic

4. Enchanté?

Warren Kenneth Worthington III was never one to pass up an opportunity, especially one that appeared so willingly in his midst. He was almost always sure when favorable prospects opened up for him, and this feeling that he often obtained was more or less a major reason for his successes – both in the field of money and love. As the CEO of Worthington Industries (a computer programming company, and owner of the Avenging Angel videogame franchise that also was sweeping the minds of youngsters worldwide), he was able to use his connections to worm his way into various Hollywood-related affairs, those he often engaged into.

It wasn't surprising, but it became a field-day for the media when Warren's manager and public-relations-officer, Candy Southern, made announcements that talks were underway for the dashing, young mogul to make his first stint as an actor in Genesis. Warren had realized that, after much hesitation, he had finally allowed himself to be enamored by the glamour that was Hollywood; a window opening up for him that he hurriedly jumped headfirst into.

So far, Warren's world, if possible, became more accessible to the public, and he found himself succumbing to his vices all the more. That changed, of course, when he met Elisabeth Braddock at an awards ceremony in London, where both of them served as presenters. They had clicked almost immediately, a rather memorable encounter occurring in her hotel room afterwards. Since then, he had remained close to her family, being best friends with Brian Braddock, his lover's twin.

He never lost that same feeling of opportunity dwelling inside of him, when Brian, an aspiring director in his own right ever heard of the TV show Captain Britain?, and someone who ran his own modeling agency, had suggested that they would participate in a friendly wager displaying their talents in manipulating the region of newbies in Hollywood. Warren readily accepted the challenge, glad to have a chance to show up his best friend that was a habit between both of them, and appear like a saint in the eyes of whosoever was gifted with acting abilities that he discovered.

This was why he observed Remy LeBeau's pathetic attempts at wooing two innocent-looking bystanders to get fairly minor parts in Genesis, instantly recognizing the vivacious Asian girl's antics, and the pensive gaze that settled itself in the eyes of the her companion. Curiosity and interest flickering inside of him, Warren mumbled a quick "Sorry, maybe next time?" to the girls who practically flung themselves at his heels, begging he sign them up to be in the flick. Warren admitted that their glittery brassiere tops had a plus on him, but they looked pretty ridiculous when they set up into a formation that typical high school cheerleaders often attempted, toppling one on top of the other in a matter of seconds, and ending their supposed performance in such a way that irked him.

Wriggling free from their taut grips on him, Warren brushed himself quickly, winked at Betsy, who was examining a group of guys who looked like they belonged in a science-fiction convention, and sauntered over to where Remy and his victims were. His reason for approaching them was that Warren thought he had a knack for recognizing talent within a five-mile radius of him, and he didn't want Remy to overlook what they both had found.

And this is why I like the job that Xavier assigned to us. Warren thought amusedly, remembering the task that their beloved director had laid upon them. Of course, he knew that this was another perfect opportunity for him to swoop down on the demon that was Remy and make like what St. Michael the Archangel did to Satan. He was apprehensive about the huge chance of Remy scaring off the two aforementioned women, knowing that Remy lacked the professional skills needed to recruit people into this movie. But, with my luck, he probably already charmed them into joining the crew as carpenters.

Quickening his pace, Warren reached the area Remy and the girls were occupying and, with a smirk, decided to wait there to be noticed, instead of interrupting Remy as he got whatever was left of his groove on. After a few minutes of supposedly sensing the typical fanatic antics (the Asian girl was sure to be going wild over him, and not Remy), a pair of arms snaked their way around his waist, a familiarly soft head resting on his shoulder. Warren lighted up and grinned, planting a kiss on Betsy's cheek in a form of greeting. He then lost interest in everything but his girl.

———

"Ah… escusez-moi,, were ya interested in gettin' a role in de movie, belles?"

Breathe. Breathe. Breathe. Jubilee commanded herself to do as she thought, stubbornly trying not to stare into Remy's mesmerizing eyes. She was right; they appeared like they were sizzling red, except now that her petite body was almost free of being contained (before it started jumping around like a bunny with rabies), she could see that Remy was wearing… contacts?

Nah, can't be! This is a conspiracy, I tell you! Remy LeBeau doesn't need any artificial methods to make him the sexiest man alive! Jubilee was quoting a magazine on that "sexiest man alive" thing, every fiber of her soul agreeing wholeheartedly. Her thoughts were all in a flurry, blood pounding in her cheeks the second she realized that Remy had addressed them when he sent out an enquiry about their interest in the movie.

Jubilee, in a desperate move to make the judges notice her, had resorted to everything from counting backwards from 100 in Chinese, no less to miming. Of course, she wasn't going to admit that she was acting like everyone else here; but how else were they expected to behave? She had the slightest suspicion that Remy, intrigued by the passiveness of Marie, advanced to them in an approach to tell Marie off for her attitude. But to her utmost surprise, he asked them about the film. He… them!!! It was almost like the heat was affecting her line of vision, sneaking these hallucinations in.

When Remy questioned them, Jubes could count at least a hundred heads that swerved in their direction, shock, anger, jealousy and every other imaginable emotion etched on the fans' faces. Yes, she was strongly tempted to stick her tongue out in victory. That'd show those wannabes! Remy had sensed talent, obviously – that's why he was here, in front of her! Jubilee swallowed the nervous lump that had formed in her throat (where did that come from?), stretched her hand out in hopes of a handshake, a grin replacing that moment of anxiety.

"Are you kidding?!? Of course we are!!!" Jubilee exclaimed, pushing worthless questions full of logic out of her mind. Who cared if a part of her wanted to know what made her stand out in this crowd, shining bright enough to get Remy to notice her? What if someone had tipped Remy off about her, earlier?

Jubilee vaguely remembered her friend Monet from high school, an insanely rich Ambassador's daughter who bragged about dining with the stars in her home every other week. Yes, the options mentioned and all else were impossible. The only proper explanation was that she had star quality - period. No doubts about anything else. See? Even Warren Worthington and Betsy Braddock have come to see you! She cheered, recognizing the blonde man who stood amused behind their little group.

To her surprise and hysterical pleasure, Remy grabbed her hand and shook it, his grip loose but enough for Jubilee to get a feel of the silky skin that was his palm. He gave her an extra treat by beaming at her, allowing her to take in a whiff of his cologne as well. Jubilee stared at him, seemingly dazed for a moment. She didn't know how or what to think and feel when she all of the blood was rushing to her head, the voices that were chattering around her previously boring into her ears were now fading echoes, how all the lights seemed to be brighter than usual, didn't know where the ten extra Remy's had materialized from, how she began to feel as if she were floating up, up, and away, and the lightheadedness present in the back of her mind when everything went black…

———

Marie's eyes grew wide in panic when she witnessed the strange movements of Jubilee after Remy had let go of their handshake. Before that, she was pretty speechless with regards to his unexpected arrival, mentally slapping herself as she thought she imagined Remy releasing himself from Ororo's arms, and scrambling all the way to get to her place. It just seemed pretty impossible how one second, she was here, minding her own business and looking for a way to shut her best friend up, when she had visions of Remy showering his attention on her. Yes, the plain, country girl ol' her, to be exact. Marie couldn't remember the last time that she offered anything fantastic about herself for anyone to notice.

So when he scampered over to their area, suggesting that they be in Genesis, Marie didn't know what to make of the situation, really. She gave Remy a small smile, looking apologetic for Jubilee's antics, and tried to act like she was thinking his proposal over – but, in truth, she was avoiding his gaze, feeling like he was attempting to catch her eyes as he charmed and swarmed Jubilee. She honestly had no comment about his question; she was sure he just wanted to pick on a few innocent girls before he crawled back to Ororo, marking his day as complete.

Moments after she made her silent musings, Marie glanced quickly at Jubilee. Everything speedily blanked out as she bit back a scream – Jubilee was lying on the floor, unconscious. Jumping into action, Marie dived down next to her friend, checking for the pulse she knew that would be there. In mild relief knowing that Jubilee had merely lapsed into a faint, and indignation growing inside her as she glared back and forth between her fallen friend and the stunned actor who knelt down beside her in concern, Marie toned her voice down into a whisper, making sure only Remy could hear what she said.

"Must ya always make girls fall fo' yah?" Marie couldn't help but accuse in a slightly snappish voice, hoping that it masked the playfulness she tried to conceal.

Remy, in turn, was taken aback by her hiss of a reply, a grin returning to his face, which had turned pale when he saw the Chinese firecracker of a girl on the floor. "Like ya?" He teased, continuing, "Oui. T'ink dat's one o' my purposes in de world, chérie."

Winking, Remy found himself trembling, part in reliefthat he heard Piotr call one of the medics hanging around, how, after one heart-stopping moment, it seemed like everyone in the tent was focused on them, not a breath emerging from anyone, and how the unnamed beauty he sought had spoken to him in a voice that was hushed, yet sugary… Remy anticipated he would have trouble removing her voice from his head, rendering him unable to focus on anything else. Not that he wanted the chills she sent up and down his spine to end… and oddly enough, he was starting to feel at home with this shyness that she caused.

As the medical assistance team came and hoisted Jubilee up onto a stretcher, Marie felt obliged to follow her friend to the emergency tent, wishing to be there when Jubilee would wake. It was becoming evident to her that part of her eagerness to stand up and trail the men clad in white was because of Remy.

She didn't like how she felt a blush creeping to her cheeks at the thought of him, the tingling sensation that reigned over her body at the mention of his name, or anything that had to do with him. After all, she was untouchable, in a sense. Jubilee had said so herself before… yes, that was it. She was uncomfortable with the fact that this guy seemed to be keen on trying to reach her. Eh, that's not the truth. Marie covered up her past thoughts with that last statement, concluding that really, she didn't like him.

Remy suddenly shot up, hastening to pursue the girl once more. Here she was, less than a foot away from him… wait, the distance was increasing… the girl was walking ahead! Muttering angrily to himself, Remy traipsed behind her swiftly, trying to look subtle as he reprimanded himself for being in the vicinity of a woman he was attracted to and couldn't even be smooth enough to get her name.

Stealth and sneakiness were in his résumé as a highly skilled member of the Thieves' Guild back in New Orleans, Louisiana, where he was trained as a child. This was a fragment of his past that Remy would rather forget, and hardly anyone ever knew, but he still bore the identity of one of the best thieves the Guild had ever seen.

Chuckling, Remy recalled how he had first gotten into showbiz: he, as a child, tried to rob a talent scout named Lucas Bishop, who was on holiday in New Orleans. Remy clearly remembered the fact that the golden Rolex fastened to Bishop's wrist was too much to resist; he needed to one-up his cousin, Emil Lapin, (now a famous talk show host) into who would steal the items with most worth for the day.

Apparently, he was caught by Lucas (Remy was still about eight when this happened; he wasn't as experienced back then as he was today) moments after when he tried slinking away to a far corner of the street. Bishop, who was thoroughly amused at Remy's attempts to be free from his crimes (Remy had been acting innocent, but very cutely so), agreed not to have the juvenile thief arrested if he decided to audition for the starring role in the movie Le Diable Blanc, which was to be filming in that area.

After a few pleas from his father (the idea had excited Remy so much) and negotiations, Remy tried out for the part – and of course, he got it. Everything was history ever since, and Remy was even more proud to say that after acting for nearly fifteen years (and a few Oscar nominations in his belt), he felt more fulfilled in this stage of his life than any other. Undoubtedly, being able to get almost anything he wanted didn't hurt as much…

Except her. Remy's face showed a look of determination as he followed the people donning white attires – not that they were hard to spot or anything. Five minutes of tracking passed, and Remy, to his great pleasure, saw what he was sure to be his mystery girl's form. He marched over to her hastily, unmindful of the star-struck fans that he managed to elbow along the way.

When the men paused in front of the small medical tent adjacent to the main one where he was previously, Remy grabbed his chance and grasped her shoulder, resolutely ignoring the sparks of electricity that passed from him to her. Dazed momentarily, Remy blinked, and was abruptly met with her confused but smiling gaze.

"I… didn't get ya name." Remy choked out, nervousness in the pit of his stomach; his words almost came out as a stutter. What's the matter with you?!? He held his breath, hopeful that she wouldn't give him a petulant response.

Marie, on the other hand, was shocked by the surge of sparks that rapidly trailed through her body. She peered at Remy questioningly, her coy interior fleshing out through her gape. Millions of answers ran through her mind, Marie not being in a particularly right condition to pick a witty one out. Giving him a meek grin and settling on Jubilee's name for her, Marie whispered, "Yah can call me Rogue… and Ah've got ta get goin', y'see… Ah'm accompanyin' mah friend…" With that, Marie left an astonished Remy behind, causing him to lose her in the crowd once again.

———

It's just a matter of time now, cher darling. You'll be back with me, where you belong. She was tired of waiting. Of course, there were special cases, and Remy LeBeau was a good example of this. But she knew, deep inside that the time was coming. She would be the one to consume him, instead of this throng that she was in doing so to Remy. It was not good to test her patience, though…

(2) Notes: You know, I don't think I can end a chapter without adding my rambles to it. "Rambles" might sound like a better name for this section, except nobody would take me seriously. Then again… Was I ever treated that way? ;)