The Prince of Thieves
Chapter XIV: Once Upon a Time: Part One
By: Michelle
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In the last few times I have uploaded my chapters, I have been getting an error message; yet my chapters are loading. For some reason, they are not showing as updated on the first page X-men movie listings. I don't know why its doing that. This is the second time I have had this problem with this particular story. I will also be loading this chapter on THE PRINCE OF THIEVES: RELOADED. I know it's the same story, but if I keep having problems I am going to change over to THE PRINCE OF THIEVES: RELOADED to continue my updates.
DISCLAIMER: I don't own Gambit, Rogue, Storm, Nightcrawler, Wolverine, or any other of the Marvel characters in this story. I just write fanfics for fun. It wouldn't be pointless to sue me because I don't have shit.
This particular chapter is background information on Remy and Ororo. I based everything on Uncanny X-men 266, X-men 8 & 9, and my own imagination.
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"A thief." Logan raised an eyebrow at Xavier. "And you are allowing this."
"It's going to be alright, Logan." Xavier assured him.
"Whatever." Logan replied shaking his head. "See you in the morning, Chuck." He said and headed back to his room.
Before hi got there, Logan checked in on Gambit. He didn't trust the man already, but knowing he was a thief made him trust him even less. Of course, Ororo just admitted she was a thief. Who would have thought? And he himself stole when times got tough. More than once. However, one on in the mansion with a past of thieving ever snooped around or hot wired Cerebro.
Logan cracked the door and looked in on the sleeping form. Gambit was tossing and turning in bed. The covers were scattered around the floor. Gambit was covered in sweat. I wonder what the little bastard is dreaming about. He thought for a moment. Probably Guilt.
He closed the door and went into his room. He closed the door behind him and grunted. I'll bathe in the morning. He pulled off his shirt revealing his hairy chest and muscles. He tossed the shirt in the corner, and then began to unbuckle his jeans. Once he stripped down and changed into his boxers, he climbed into bed. As he closed his eyes, he hoped he wouldn't have any nightmares that night.
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Remy tossed and turned every which way. He felt trapped and suffocated in his own nightmares. He had lived these once.
Three days before his wedding, Eighteen year old Remy sat down at the kitchen table in his baggy jeans and his LSU TIGERS t-shirt. His shoulder length auburn hair was pulled into a neat ponytail. His ruby red eyes shined bright. He sighed as he looked around to see if Jean-Luc, his foster-father, was there. "Henri, where Poppa be?" He asked as his brother walked in the kitchen to get something to drink.
"He's out stealing something." Henri replied as he took a sip of water. "Are you alright?" He asked as he sat down at the table.
"I don't know." Remy replied and looked down at his gloved hands. "I blew up my toothpaste." This time I only looked at it. "Den, when I tried to clean up de mess, I blew up de towel." He explained shamefully. "And when I opened de door to leave de bathroom, the door knob blew up." His eyes began to water. "It just seems like my powers are getting worse. Like I can't touch or look at nothing anymore." He said. "Henri, I'm scared. What if I hurt someone? What if I blew up Bella?"
"You're not going to blow up Bella." Henri said trying to comfort him. "You just need to relax. D'accord. You're stressing yourself out too much."
"I know." Remy replied. "I can't help it. It's like my mind keeps racing and I can't make it stop."
"Remy, your powers aren't the only problem, are they?" Henri said figuring out what was really going on. "You're not ready to be married, are you?"
"Non, I ain't." Remy replied and hung his head. "I love Bella and all, it's just…I don't know. I feel like my life ain't suppose ta go dis way. Like I ain't supposed to be wit Bella." He tried to explain. "What if dere be someone else out dere dat I ain't met yet. What if I'm supposed ta be something other dan a thief?"
Henri was speechless. He didn't have a clue of what to say.
"I don't want to marry Bella." Remy said to him looking for help. "I'm not ready to marry."
Henri let out a deep breath. "Did ya tell Poppa how ya feel?"
"Non." Remy shook his head. "He'd hate me if I destroyed de peace between de Guilds."
"Non, he won't."
"Yeha, he would." Remy replied. "He wants de peace to fulfill dat stupid prophecy. Dat's all he cares about." He hung his head. "Sometimes, I hope something bad would happen, so it won't come true."
"Do you Remy, take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife. To have and to hold, in sickness and in health?"
Remy looked over his bride and his heart pounded in his chest. With her long blonde hair and violet eyes, Bella Donna Boudreaux looked radiant in her white wedding dress. It was ironic that she wore white considering she lost her virginity to him when they were fifteen. He never thought their relationship would make it to this point. But now that it was, he had to go through with it. "I do."
"And do you Bella, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband. To have and to hold, in sickness and in health?"
Bella's eyes sparkled. "I do."
"With the power invested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife." The priest said. "You may now kiss the bride."
Remy lifted up her veil and pulled her close to him. He dipped her and kissed her like he never did before. In the back ground, he could hear the Thieves and Assassin cheer. After three hundred years, the two warring Guilds were finally unified.
After what seemed like endless pictures and greeting of guests, Remy finally got time alone to be with his wife. Together, they danced to there favorite song, I Swear. He thought he was in heaven as Bella sang sweetly in his ear.
Remy thought the moment was going to last forever. That's where he was wrong.
"Julien." Bella said as she saw her brother stormed in the reception hall. "I thought you said you weren't gonna come."
"I wasn't." Julien Boudreaux replied. "But I can not tolerate the thought of you, sister, married to this street trash bastard thief." He walked up to Remy and slapped him across the face, sending him to the ground.
"What the fuck's your problem?" Remy said standing up.
"You are." Julien yelled.
"Julien, stop this." Marius Boudreaux stepped forward. "Do not ruin your sister's wedding day?"
"I'm not the one ruining it father." Julien replied. "You are." He said to him. "You are so weak. It's a shame to call you the Patriarch to the Assassin's Guild. Now have this marriage annulled."
"Non." Marius answered.
"The marriage will not be annulled." Jean-Luc LeBeau came forward. "They said the vows Til Death Do Us Part."
"Fine. So be it." Julien pulled out a fencing sword and glared at Remy. "I challenge him to a duel." His nostrils flared. "To the Death."
"I ain't gonna fight ya Julien." Remy replied. "Just leave."
"Den, ya even less the man dan I thought ya were." Julien tantalized him. "What's the matter? You afraid I'm gonna send ya back ta de dumpster ya pere pulled ya out of."
Remy's eyes glowed bright with anger.
"I don't know what's more pathetic." Julien saw the look in his eyes. "The fact you are a lowlife thief or a mutie."
Remy stormed over and snatched the fencing sword Julien's friend Gris-Gris had for him. "Ya wants ta fight." He said pulling off his tuxedo jacket and white dress shirt. "Fine."
"Remy, Julien. Please." Bella looked at them with pleading eyes. She knew she was going to loose one of them. She didn't want to be an only child, nor a widow. And she didn't stop them.
Remy and Julien stood ready to fight. No one was going to stop them. When it was all over, Remy realized Julien should have stuck to shouting insults rather then fighting.
Remy hung his head in shame as the clan leaders from both the Thieves and Assassin's Guilds past judgment on him for killing the duel. He defeated Julien fair and square, but the death of the future Patriarch of the Assassins Guild put a wedge in between the Guilds.
"Remy Etienne LeBeau."
Remy stood up to see his foster-father, Jean-Luc, give out his sentence.
"The Guilds rule dat de death of Julien Boudreaux was an act of self-defense."
Remy sighed in relief as he heard those words. But, he could feel the heart ache coming from his father as he spoke the next few words.
"However, in order ta maintain de peace between de Guild's, ya must…ya must go into exile…never to return to New Orleans. Once…Once ya cross Lake Pontchartrain, the peace is broken and…and so will be your life."
Remy had never seen Jean-Luc so sad before, nor see him cry. Marius Boudreaux handed him a bunch of papers.
"Sign 'em." Marius ordered. "I will not have my daughter carry ya name."
Remy looked him a brief moment, then at the papers. His marriage to Bella was over as quickly as it began.
When he finished signing the last page, Marius snatched then away. "If ya ever step foot back in New Orleans again, I'll fill your ass with lead myself."
Remy nodded as the tears started to roll down his cheeks. As he headed to his bike, Henri (his foster-brother) and Merci (Henri's wife) handed him a bag with his things.
"Ya call me, D'accord." Henri said to him. "Ya let me know ya alright, mon petit frère."
"Oui." Remy nodded as his brother and sister-in-law hugged him.
Tante Matte was next. He never had a mother, but Tante was the best anyone could have. "Ya visit me in Slidell." She said to him. "Ya be safe dere. Ya come ta me whenever ya need me, alright baby."
"Oui." Remy nodded. Little did he know it would be he would meet someone that needed her more than him. "I will visit."
Remy let go of her and hooked up his belongs to the motorcycle. Then, he felt a hand on his shoulder. When he turned, he was staring at Jean-Luc LeBeau. He was ten when Jean-Luc adopt him. He couldn't have asked for a better father. "Poppa." He wrapped his arms around him and held him tight. "I'm sorry Poppa. I'm sorry." He sobbed.
"I know." Jean-Luc replied, feeling guilty knowing he was the one who pushed Remy into the disastrous marriage in the first place. "I still love ya." He said kissing him on the forehead. "You will always be the Prince of Thieves."
'I love ya, too Poppa." Remy sniffled as he pulled away from his father's embrace. As eh hopped on his bike, he could feel everyone's emotions around him. Love. Sadness. Fear. Hatred. It was overwhelming. So overwhelming, that when he sped off, the street lights blew up behind him
KABOOM
Remy jumped up in his bed breathing heavy with sweat rolling off his body. He looked around the room feeling more alone than ever.
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Ororo walked sleepily to her bathroom. Her throat was so dry. She grabbed a cup and poured her some water from the sink. She gulped it down and sighed in relax from the cold drink.
She walked out of the bathroom to find herself staring at a pair of ruby eyes on her bed. It took her a second to realize who it was.
"Stormy."
'Goddess, Remy what are you doing in here?" She asked as she walked over to him. She felt his sweaty forehead. "What happened?"
"I had bad dreams." He replied. "Don't want to be alone."
"Alright." Ororo replied as she got under the covers. "But if you make a pass at me, your ass is fried."
"D'accord." Remy climbed under the covers and made himself comfortable on the other side of the bed.
Ororo sighed. Kurt would have a heart attack if he knew about this. She scooted to the end of the bed and made herself comfortable. She felt a small feeling of relaxation in her mind and she went to sleep.
Ororo looked around the room to see nothing familiar to her. From the look of the room, she could tell she wasn't in Egypt anymore. She didn't know where the hell she was and it scared her. She had thought she was on her way to Kenya. But, how could she do that when she is tied to a chair.
She struggled to get loose as she overheard voices in another room. She managed to wiggle enough to find the hidden razor blade in her belt. She worked patiently and quietly while she slowly sawed the rope until it fell loosely around her.
Once free, she got up and tried to run out the door, but it was locked. She dug again in her belt to find something to pick the lock with and noticed something was wrong.
Ororo backed away from the door and ran over to the dresser looking in the mirror at herself. She wasn't wearing her ragged green dress. Instead, she was wearing a black leathered suit with an X across the crest. She was so confused, but even more so when she looked at her face. In her mind, she was a thirteen year old pick pocket named Ororo Munroe. But her body suggested she was much more.
She backed away from the mirror. She was beyond confused. It was like she didn't even know who she was. She rushed back over to the door, but she heard someone trying to unlock it. She knew she had to get out of there and fast. She ran over to the window and opened it up. She looked out of it and saw a pool below.
Ororo's head swung around as she heard the door knob turn. There was no time to think this over. She climbed out the window and made a leap for it. If only she could fly, it seemed like something she could do, but it never happened. She hit the water so hard her body stung.
She remained underwater for several seconds without bothering to swim to the surface. That's when she felt a hand grab her and pull her to the surface.
"Ya be alright." She heard her savior say.
Ororo coughed up water and nodded her head. "I'm fine." She turned to look at her savior. He stood tall looking down at her with his ruby red eyes as he lit a cigarette with the tip of his finger. He wore long brown trench coat with a fuchsia and black suit underneath. He seemed young, but he didn't look it. He looked like a man that had been thru a lot of shit in his life. "Thank you."
"Ya welcome Chere." He said taking a drag from his cigarette. "Name's Gambit."
"I'm Ororo Munroe."
"Nice ta meetcha." Gambit replied. "So what's a belle like ya doing in a place like dis? And jumping out of three story windows for dat matter."
"I don't know." Ororo replied. "I don't know how I got here. I don't know who those people are in there. I don't remember of this."
"Ya alright." Gambit asked her.
"no." She began crying. "I'm so confused. I don't even know who I am. I don't know how I got here. I'm so confused. I don't even know how got in these clothes."
"It's alright Chere." Gambit said in his seductive voice. "Ya need ta calm down. D'accord."
Ororo nodded and began shaking.
"Here." Gambit said pulling off his trench coat.
Ororo gratefully took the coat from him and put it on. It smelled like cigarettes, spice, and cologne. It wasn't a bad smell. It seemed to suit him perfectly. "Thanks."
Gambit reached out and wiped her wet hair from her face. "Ya feel better." He watched as she nodded. "I know somebody dat can help ya."
'Really." Ororo looked at him with hope.
"Ya Chere." Gambit replied and quickly turned his head to see her capturers running towards them. "And we gots to go now."
As they began running, Ororo glanced behind her to see him throw cards at their attackers. On impact, they began exploding.
On the train they stowed away on, he sat down next to her and brushed her hair out of her eyes. That's when he noticed she was crying. "What be wrong Chere?"
"I hate not knowing who I am." Ororo replied. "I feel 13, but I know I'm much older than that."
"It gonna be alright Chere." He replied. "My Tante, she be a healer. She can heal ya. Make ya memories come back."
"And what if she can." She sniffled. "What of me then?"
He was silent for a moment. She could feel his ruby eyes dull from looking at her tear stained face. "I take care of ya." He said softly. "Ain't gonna let nothing happen to ya."
"Really."
"Oui." He replied and kissed her forehead. "Ya mon ami Stormy. Mon voleur de soeur[i]. I always be dere for ya no matter what happens."
Ororo ran her fingers thru her hair. She and Gambit had thieved their way to Slidell where his Tante Matte lived. The chubby voodoo woman was extremely excited to see him again. So excited, that she call his family over to the house. That's when she met his foster father Jean-Luc LeBeau, his foster brother Henri LeBeau, his sister-in-law Merci LeBeau, and his goofball cousin Emil Lapin.
She and Gambit became extremely close. His family considered her as a part of theirs. Henri even called her his petit soeur. His sister. It felt great. Gambit even opened up to her. His real name was Remy LeBeau. Jean-Luc adopted him when he was ten, after he tried to steal his wallet. Remy was now twenty, though she almost couldn't believe it. She would have never guessed he was seven years younger than her.
Although she was having blast being with Remy, she still felt a void in her heart. Tante was a healer, but so far she wasn't healed. She was Ororo Munroe: the thirteen year old stuck in a twenty-seven year old body. As she sat down on the steps of Tante's house, she felt the comforting nighttime breeze. It felt like it was speaking to her.
"Hey Stormy." Gambit said as he sat down next to her. she hated that nickname he had given her, yet it was suiting. It seemed like every time she had gotten upset, the weather turned stormy.
"Don't call me that." She said she looked up at him. "My name is Ororo."
"D'accord Ororo." He said with a devilish grin. "Come, we go fa a walk." He took her hand and they began walking around the backyard. 'It's nice out here, ain't it?"
'It's beautiful." Ororo replied as they walked hand in hand. "But hot."
"Yeah." He admitted. "Louisiana humidity sucks, don't it."
Ororo smiled as it began to rain. She had wished it would rain to cool everything off and it did. It felt so amazing hitting her body. It felt so natural.
Remy tugged on her hand to signal her back to the house, but she refused to budge. "Come on Ororo. We needs ta be getting back ta de house before Tante throws a fit. She be pissed if we git sick in de rain."
"No." She said as lightening lit up the sky. She shook his hand away and began dancing around.
"Ya be crazy girl." Remy said as he watched her.
Ororo raised her hands in the air. "I feel wonderful." She said calming silently to the lightening.
"ORORO." Remy screamed as the bolt of lightening hit her. When she fell to the ground, he rushed over to her. "Mon Dieu, Ororo, ya be alive."
Ororo looked up at him with her sapphire eyes. 'I remember."
"Remember what?"
"Who I am?" Ororo's eyes turned pearl white as she summoned the wind to lift her in the air. She stretched out her arms and yelled to the top of her lungs. "I AM STORM."
"Ororo." Her friends called as they exited the X-jet.
Ororo rushed up to Scott, Jean, and Forge, greeting them with hugs.
Forge, her boyfriend, held her tightly. "I was so worried." He said to her. "Professor couldn't even track you with Cerebro. I thought I would never see you again."
"You thought wrong." Ororo pulled away from him and turned to Remy. "Forge, Jean, Scott. This is Gambit. He helped me gain my memory back." She smiled at Remy. "This are my friends Jean and Scott. And this is Forge, my boyfriend." She announced to him proudly.
"it's nice to meet you Gambit." Jean said sweetly and allowed him to kiss the back of her hand. "Thank you."
"Like wise." Scott said earning an elbow in the ribs from Jean. "I mean thanks for watching out for Ororo."
Ororo could sense the uneasiness as Forge extended his hand to shake Gambits. "Thanks for bring my girl back." Forge said to him making it known Ororo was indeed his girl.
"You're welcome." Remy replied and turned to Ororo. "I needs ta git." He said to her. "It was nice ta meet ya'll."
"Wait." Ororo followed him as he began to walk away. "Why don't you come to Xavier's with us?"
'I don't belong dere." He said to her honestly. She thought her heart was going to break. "I'm sorry Ororo."
Ororo nodded her head as tears began to roll down her cheeks. She felt his delicate touch as he wiped him away. "You be safe OK. This is a number you can reach me at if you need anything, even just to talk."
Remy nodded his head. "I'll talk to ya any day Chere." He said to her. 'I call ya every two weeks, heh?"
Ororo smiled. "I'd like that."
Remy smiled. "I gots ta go." He said and kissed her softly on the lips. "Take care of yaself. I be in touch. Luv ya Stormy."
Love you too. Ororo turned for a brief second and he was gone. As she made her way back to her friends, she wondered if she would ever see him again. She wondered if he would keep his promise to call. She wondered if he would ever join her at Xavier's.
"Storm, are you alright?" Forge asked somewhat concerned and extremely jealous.
"I'm fine." Ororo replied. "I just want to go back home."
Ororo's eyes widened at the sound of her annoying alarm clock. She turned it off and sat up in bed looking at her sleeping companion. The man could sleep thru a bomb. She thought as she climbed out of bed to get ready for work.
Twenty minutes later, Ororo returned to find Remy still sleeping comfortably in bed. She walked over to him and shook him.
"Hmm."
"Remy wake up."
Remy sat up groggily and looked around. "Quoi?"
"Come on you need to get up and get dressed." She said dragging him out of bed.
"Why?" He whined. "It's not even 7."
"I know." Ororo said leading her sleepy friend to his room. "But, you have to come to classes with me."
Kurt paused in the doorway of his room as he watched Ororo lead Gambit in his room. Why the hell is she with him? Were they sleeping together? He shock his head. No way. Ororo wouldn't do that to me. His eyes widened as Ororo closed the door to Gambit's room. Would she?
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Yeah, I'm evil and I know it.
Next chapter: Gambit Goes to School. LOL. This is going to be fun. Bad boy Remy stuck in Ororo's classes. I already have ideas for that. Let's just say he isn't a teacher's pet. And of course, Some Romyness. ;)
FYI: In the comics, Forge was Storm's boyfriend. He's a super genius, shaman, and has a cybernetic leg and hand equipped with a computer interface link and plasma blasters. He modified the Blackbird, Danger Room, and some of the hidden passages in the mansion. He and Storm had an off and on relationship. He asked Storm to marry him and leave the life as an X-man behind. She hesitated in her answer and he concluded that she could never be a complete person outside of the X-men. She was going to say yes, but Forge retracted the proposal and left her before she could tell him. I think he was also jealous of her friendship with Gambit too. That bastard. Currently in the comics, he is helping Mystique and sort of has a relationship with her.
Thanks for the reviews. See you next chapter.
Michelle
Oh. I am working on the sequel to The Truth Hurts. My yahoo messenger id is turtlegirlpower so drop me a line, introduce yourself, and I'll be happy to give you hints about what I'm planning. I'm posting the sequel once Perfect By Nature is finished.
[i] My sister thief
