Disclaimer: The only compensation I am making from this fic is the warm and fuzzy feeling in my heart whenever I open my email and see that someone took the time off to review it. Obviously, none of the characters are mine. It's Marvel's. And Warner Brothers'. I think.
A/N:
I had a hard time updating this chapter because I hit a slump. I tried to write previous ones but I can't seem to continue it and they ended up in the maybe pile. Then I heard this song by Tata Young. And suddenly, inspiration struck! By the end of her song, I had the story mentally outlined. Listen to the song (with the same title as this chap!), it's really fun!
Anyways, this is the third reincarnation of this chapter. If any of you are interested in reading the first two ones, go to triple w dot xanga dot com slash khayee. Just to promote the blog (I'm happy to tell you that I'm slowly learning the ropes in the online community through the painstaking method of trial and error! Heh!), I'm planning to update the blog more often that my ff.net account since I would be posting teasers and drafts and things I want the readers to sample out first. I have this notify thingy there. If you're interested in being a semi-beta and in being a sort of story editor, join my mailing list in the blog. It's right on top of the page, you can't miss it! Take this chap, for example. I've posted this in the blog a few days before I posted this one. =)
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Immunity Challenge: Chapter 3: Naughty, Sexy, Bitchy Me*
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If there was one person in the world who truly knew Remy LeBeau, it would be Bella Donna.
That's her name. Bella Donna. Belle, if you're one of those lucky enough to be on pet names basis with her. None of those last names for the blond, blue-eyed goddess. Nosiree! One day, she would join the ranks of all those legendary women without last names—Madonna, Cher, er…Madonna, and of course, Cher.
Bella Donna moved over to the window where the shirtless Remy LeBeau was currently watching the view from their hotel suite, smoking a cigarette. Wearing only her red hot silk robe, she sashayed her way until she was directly behind Remy. She pressed herself to his bare back, her hands traveling from his sides up to his sculptured chest. "What's wrong, cher?" She murmured seductively in her ear.
Remy took a drag of his cigarette. "Not now, Belle."
Bella Donna raised an eyebrow. Remy LeBeau was saying no to her? Or rather, Remy LeBeau was saying no? That was like a fish saying no to water!
Removing her wandering hands from her lover, Bella Donna moved from behind Remy to beside him, sharing the window sill seat. "Alright, LeBeau, cough it out."
"It's nothing, chere," came the automatic reply.
"You're saying non to a night of hot, meaningless sex, LeBeau. There must be something wrong." Belle said.
The relationship between Belle and Remy was a unique one. The two had met years ago, back in New Orleans, in a party held by the local talent agency, where both of them signed up. Remy claimed to have fallen head over heels in love with the blond bombshell and immediately pursued her. They dated for a while until Remy's supposed love for the woman waned. He pursued other women but the two of them remained friends. Months later, Remy met Hank McCoy who convinced him to move to New York. Hank then ordered him to audition for the role of a thief in a new TV series, Gambit. When Remy was accepted to the role, he suggested Bella Donna for the role of Gambit's love interest. Bella Donna auditioned and was accepted. Remy attempted to re-ignite the fire between them. It worked out for a while, until Remy once again felt the need to broaden his horizons. Belle didn't mind as she felt the same compulsion to resist being tied down. In the end, the two ended up with an open relationship, so to speak. Though they were free to pursue other people; but by the end of the night, they come home to each other.
It was a situation that suited the both of them.
If Bella Donna had a soul, she would say that it's mate would've been Remy LeBeau.
So right now, she was a hundred percent positive that something is on Remy's mind. "Remy," Belle coaxed. "You know you can talk to Belle, beb."
Remy took one last drag from his cigarette and turned to Bella Donna. He flicked the cigarette to the depths below. His brown eyes locking earnestly to her violet eyes, he took her hand in his and toyed with it. "Do you think Remy's loosing his touch?"
"What?" Bella Donna was seriously shocked. The end must be near! Remy LeBeau was doubting himself!
"There's this fille," he began. "She doesn't seem to be interested in Remy."
"She's just probably playing hard-to-get, Remy," Belle placated him. But at the back of her mind, she was already planning and plotting to meet this girl. Imagine a girl with enough will-power to resist the charms of Remy LeBeau! Even the experienced Bella Donna herself was unable to protect her heart from falling for the Cajun Casanova!
"Non." Remy said as he stood up. "Remy had to practically trick her into giving him her address."
Bella Donna frowned. "What do you mean, trick?"
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"Chere."
Rogue fought back a surprised scream. She placed a hand on her chest, as if that would help slow it down. "You!" She glared at the Cajun actor when she recovered a little. "Trying to scare me to death, Swamp Rat?"
Remy raised an eyebrow in amusement. "Swamp rat?"
Remy saw Rogue turn her attention back to the road before her. Remy got the distinct feeling that she was silently praying for her cab to arrive so she wouldn't have to make small talk with the him. The notion, although he knew it was not farfetched, made him smile. It only goes on to show how different she was from the others. Most women he knew, and even those he doesn't, would give life and limb for the chance to spend one-on-one time with actor extraordinaire, Remy LeBeau.
"What?" She demanded irritably after a moment of silence.
"What?" He smirked when he noticed that she was shifting uncomfortably under his gaze.
"Why are you staring at me like that? And why are you still here?"
"Just being a gentleman, Roguey." He said. "Just waiting for Blondie to come so that Remy can make sure that nothing happens to you at this time of night,"
"Blondie?" She gave a long-suffering sigh. "You mean Cody. He's not coming. He left hours ago."
And Remy knew that. He should. After being introduced to Cody Robbins, Remy was dragged by some of his acquaintances (mostly women) for drinks and dancing. He, however, kept an eye on the table he left. Remy knew the exact time Blondie had left. Hours later when he saw his fille saying good bye to her friends and decided to swoop in for the kill. He followed her out. After all, there is a saying that when the cat's away…
"Now why would a smart pup like him leave a belle femme like Roguey alone in a bar crawling with hommes?"
Rogue looked at Remy as if he grew an extra head.
"If it was Remy in Blondie's place, he would never have left you out of his sight. Who knows who might decide to move in on his territory."
His companion snorted.
"Oh, my god!" A high-pitched voice interrupted their conversation. "Is that Remy LeBeau?"
Remy sprung into action. Grabbing Rogue by the wrist, he pulled her into a deserted alley where it was dark.
"Hey!" Rogue protested as she wrenched Remy's grip off of her.
"Sorry, cher." He grinned apologetically at her. "We were about to be discovered. Remy just wanted to talk."
"Talk? Is that what this is?" She asked sarcastically. "I thought the Remy LeBeau was actually attempting some evil deed against my honor." She sighed and became serious. "And what do you think are we going to talk about? We have nothing in common!"
"Well, if you want we could do something other than talk," he grinned sexily and leered at her.
"Haha." Rogue pushed at his chest and began to step away. "I would love to do that some time but I have to get home."
"It's too dangerous for a belle fille like you to be out on her own at this hour in the morning. Why don't Remy give you a ride?" He stopped her.
She looked dubiously at him. "Thanks, but no. I already called a cab."
"Maybe next time then."
"Maybe," she shrugged concomitantly. "Can I go wait for my cab now?"
Remy was amused by the question. "Give Remy your number first."
"Remy," Rogue started as if talking to a young child. "I didn't give you my real name. What makes you think that I'll give you my real number?:
Remy mock-gasped. "You mean Roguey's not your real name?" He smirked. "What can I say? I'm an optimist. So your number?"
Rogue sighed in exasperation. "No."
"Please?"
"Remy, I have a boyfriend."
"Remy knows."
"I can't give you my number."
"OK. How about Remy gives you his?"
"No!" She shook her head and walked away, back to the main road to wait for her cab.
Remy, undeterred, walked after her.
Just in time, a cab pulled up the curb.
Quick as a flash, Remy reached out and grabbed the knob and opened the door for her.
"Thanks." Rogue gave him a tolerant smile.
"Anytime, chere." He grinned. But instead of closing the door after her, Remy slid in beside her.
"Hey!"
"Chere, Remy wouldn't be able to sleep wondering if you got home safe. This way, he can make sure that you be ok and sleep tight tonight." He gave her a charming grin. "Don't worry, chere, Remy won't try anything."
Rogue sighed in defeat. "Fine. Whatever."
Remy grinned in triumph.
And the cab took off.
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"Maybe she's gay?" Bella Donna suggested.
"Non. She has a boyfriend." Remy shrugged.
A boyfriend? Bella Donna's interest was roused. If the boyfriend was the reason the mysterious fille was resisting Remy, she would have to meet this boyfriend herself. A plan began hatching at the back of Bella Donna's mind, a plan that would require her meeting with Remy's new fille and ending with Remy and herself both satisfied. And if the boyfriend was anything like what Belle was imagining him to be, she was going to be very satisfied.
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Anna shut the door quietly behind her and leaned against it. She resisted the urge to make sure that the cab carrying Remy LeBeau had left with him in it. Hearing the cab pass by, she counted to ten before she released a breath.
She didn't know what to make of the actor. Why was he doing this? More importantly, what on earth did he think he was doing?
"Hey!" Her flatmate, Kitty Pryde, ducked her head from her bedroom. "Whacha doing?"
"Nothing." Anna immediately replied. "Still working on your computer program thingy?" Feeling something soft brushing against her ankles, Anna immediately stooped down. "Hey, Lockheed," she scratched the feline Kitty owned which immediately sent the fur ball into cat heaven.
Kitty stretched and walked out of her room. "Yeah. It's a special order by a friend of mine. He needs it to coordinate this huge stunt he's planning. He'll be coming by tomorrow so he could check it out." She noticed the smile lighting up Anna's normally serene face. "Had a nice night? You look like the proverbial cat with yellow feathers in the mouth."
Anna didn't even know that a smile was beginning to tug at her lips. She straightened up and shrugged. There was only one reason for her to be happy that night. "Um, yeah, Cody was able to stop by to say goodbye before he flew to Venice."
Lockheed hissed in irritation that no attention was being paid to him.
"It must be a bummer to have a mega-rich boyfriend who has to constantly travel the world to oversee business." Kitty commented, only half-joking. She then picked up her tabby.
"Tell me about it. Half the time I forget which country he's in." Anna shrugged off the jacket she had been wearing and threw it on a chair. She then began the task of emptying her pockets. "What on earth?" She frowned as she took out a card of some sort from her back pocket. A playing card. "The queen of hearts?"
"What is it?" Kitty asked as she paused, on her way over to the kitchen to give her cat something to chew on.
"I don't remember having this—" her voice trailed off when she turned over the card. On it was an unfamiliar scrawl spelling out the name of a Cajun actor, along with his number. She couldn't help but chuckle.
"Anna?"
"It's nothing, Kit. Go back to work." A smile spread across the face of Anna Marie Darkholme. That man is nothing if not persistent.
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The whole world stopped when she entered the bar. Eyes swiveled to her as she confidently walked in. Slowly, she raised her head, as if contemplating the crowd before her. She lowered her lashes as if finding the scene unworthy of her. She descended the steps lazily, as if she has all the time in the world. She licked her ruby-red lips. The men watched in anticipation and desire. The women watched in envious disgust.
A smirk graced her lips. Just the way she liked it.
Her too-short skirt moved slyly upwards as she sashayed towards the bar.
While the women surreptitiously whispered her name among themselves, the men sat up in attention that is usually reserved for ballgames.
Many male eyes never left her legs, hoping for a peek for what lied beneath the short scrap of leather. Other men's attention were focused a little higher—on her above-average chest which were barely covered by wisps of almost see-through fabric. The three-inch high and pencil thick heels of her knee-high boots tapped unswervingly on the floor as she made her way to the bar.
Arriving at her destination, no less than four men fought among themselves to pull out a chair for her. She gave the winner a half-smile, which almost gave the poor guy a heart-attack. Climbing on the chair in such a way that would ensure that the bartender would see the maximum amount of her flesh possible, she smiled at him.
Bella Donna was a woman on a mission.
The bartender's mouth dropped open. "B-Bella Donna?"
"Can I ask you a question, cher?" She asked the bartender, who was almost drooling at the sight of her.
It took him a moment to recover. The bartender tossed his long, dirty-brown locks in an attempt to impress the actress. "Sure, honey." He gave her a smile as he put down the glass he was cleaning on the counter. It was important to him that he did not appear to be a lovesick dope. He wanted to show her that he was in control of the situation.
"Do you know a fille named Rogue?"
Immediately, suspicion rose in his eyes. "What do you need Rogue for?" He demanded.
"Just want to talk to her 'bout something." Belle said as she leaned over, ensuring that the bartender see more of her cleavage. "I'll make it worth your while."
The bartender, unable to deny a pretty woman anything, sighed and looked around. "Sorry, honey, she won't be coming in tonight." He shrugged as he picked up the glass he had picked up earlier and continued wiping it.
Bella Donna smiled at him. "You seem to know this Rogue person very well," she purred.
He shrugged.
"The name's Bella Donna," she flashed him a grin. "You can call me Belle, if you want." She held out a hand.
The bartender wiped his hand on his apron before accepting the hand. "Lance" He said.
"So, about this Rogue," Belle pressed.
"I hung out with her in high school. She's moved back here in Bayville for the summer," he offered her, wanting to give everything, every tiny detail to this blond goddess.
"You know where I might contact her?"
"I might." Lance shrugged.
"Well." Bella Donna reached into her purse and produced a scented, red and black card. "Quid pro quo?"
Lance grinned as he took out a pen tucked behind his ear and snatched a used order form from the bar top.
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"Hi. This is Kitty Pryde. If you want to leave a message to me or to my flatmate, Anna Darkholme, you know what to do after the beep!"
Beep.
"Anna? It's Cody. I have an emergency. I need to talk to you. I did something. And now I'm freaking scared. Call me ASAP. I need you. I miss you. I love you."
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"And…Cut! That was a great take, people. Nicely done!"
Tossing the bloodied knife she was holding unto the ground (where someone else would undoubtedly pick it up), Bella Donna strode purposely off the set and towards the dressing room assigned for the stars of the show.
There were a few things more satisfying that flawlessly executing a particularly hard scene in one take. Bella Donna took pleasure in the fact that she was not only about the looks. She was a damn good actor.
And a damn good schemer.
She was a woman who was addicted with all the pleasures of life and treasures such pleasures more if she worked hard at it.
And right now, her pleasure was a certain Cajun actor named Remy LeBeau.
Flinging open the Cajun's dressing room door like she owned the place, she found the above-mentioned Cajun lounging lazily on a chair with his bodyguard, and two of the show's staff, smoking cigarettes and playing poker.
"God, this room smells like a bad night in a dingy bar," she drawled.
"Finished your take, chere?" Remy asked lazily, unconcerned and used to her intrusion.
"Boys, I need to speak with Remy alone."
The quiet Russian bodyguard named Piotr, the African-American bleached blond stunt coordinator who preferred to be called Spyke, and the weirdo special effects expert named St. John, rose and left immediately.
"What is it, Bella?" Remy asked as he threw down the set of cards he was playing with.
"I have something you want, LeBeau." She said as she took out a slip of paper from her tight pockets. "And you have something I want." She smiled seductively as her eyes caressed Remy's body.
A mischievous glint twinkled in Remy's eyes. "You want Remy, chere?" He asked with a smirk. "You've got it."
"Good." Bella purred. "Tonight, you're all Bella Donna's, beb. Every square inch of your body." With that, she gave him the scrap of paper which held not only Rogue's home number, but her real name and cell phone number as well.
Remy hungrily snatched it from Belle. A smile tugged at his lips as he glanced at it. "And you'll soon be Remy's, chere," he vowed, muttering to himself. "No use fighting it."
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~tbc
OK, next week, I'll update Ideologies so if you wanna know when I'll be updating this next, try two weeks from now. I already wrote the first paragraph of it, and guess who's going to bamf in! =)
Question: I spent a long time thinking about it, and now I'm asking for your opinion: do you think Remy's the kind of guy who sends flowers to a girl?
Thanks to all those who read and an extra special thanks to those who reviewed! The response and feedback that I've received for this fic continually overwhelms me. Thanks. That's all I can say, thanks.
Lady Farevay – ah, but m'lady, I said Remy's movie almost beat LOtR in the box office ;) Thank you for appreciating my efforts on giving Remy the chance to be a demon-eyed thief in the world of non-superbeings.
evosmylife – thanks. I'm really flattered. I'm hesitant to write this too because I kinda liked the idea of a kickass all-powerful Rogue. And in this fic, she's just a regular human. But I'm enjoying myself much. Hope you are, too.
Cheers Darlin – Darlin', I'm afraid the idea of Logan being Rogue's dad is not my original idea. Read loads of other fanfic regarding that topic, and on top of my head, From the Shadows by Black Queen is one of them. Being a Romy fan, I never did get the Rogan pairing—not in Evo, not in the comics, heck! not even in the movie. Wow. I sound like a shipper (actually I am a shipper…but moving on). I'm afraid Cody's in for the long-haul. Got some delicious secret about him, as hinted above. As for Jean…well, I see what I can do.
Camille – Thanks for the Rockstar compliment. That fic really surprised me, I'm still getting a review or two months after it's finished. Being a good writer takes practice, practice, practice! And loads and loads of reading, so I'm going to say that you're on the right track. =) Thanks.
Cathain Nottingham – You're review is such an upper. Somehow, through a few words, you've managed to convey and impart a feeling of zest and fun! Yey! It's like coffee, only without the bad breath-inducing vileness.
ishandahalf – ah, now the mystery unfolds. Thanks for humoring me. Now I can sleep better at night. =) oh, and you have no idea how long I've waited for someone to comment on Scott's one-eye-yness. You were the first one, so YEY! for you. And I was expecting a lot of grief in making Rogue geeky and Wanda being all girly 'coz they never were in the comics/movie/Evo. And I get another gold star. I now have a grand total of two. Would flattery be able to earn me another one? Oh, and yeah, Rogue's gonna make it real hard for Remy (and I don't mean that in a dirty, sexual kind of way, get your mind out of the gutter, mine's already stuck in there). And, yeah, I'm gonna make a swing for 'em crack bunnies.
evanescence kicks ass – Yeah, Evanescence does kick ass, doesn't it? Anyway… funny how everyone thinks it's original, yet my initial reservation about posting this fic is that it's cliché-ish. Maybe it's because it's overdone in other stories but not in XME. Oh, well. I'll just be gracious and let my head swell and accept you compliments. =)
JexyBaby – I changed my mind and wrote Kitty in first. Kurt's to follow with an explanation why he's in absentia so far. And there's no scam, he really is her boyfriend. Why is everyone asking that (alright, not everyone)? Lots of people have asked if she was only doing that to fend off Remy's advances. Denial much? ;) The thought never occurred to me until you asked the question. Hmm…if you checked my blog on the same day I posted this, then you have not read my drafts, but I posted the two initial drafts and this chap's draft there, wanting to see if I'll get a feedback before posting it here. Thanks.
Extacy – Thank you. I'm afraid that I have to leave Remy's reaction to your imagination. I find it hard to write descriptive stuff. And in answer to your question, I generally try to update once a week, generally from Friday to Monday (our time zone). As stated above, I'll be updating my other fic next week, you try to check out this fic in two week's time.
Star-of-Chaos – Nope. No medical traumas. I'm actually working on the premise that what if Rogue never knocked out the blond dude. But that doesn't mean that there will be no traumas in the future *insert evil cackle* After all, most of us here are die-hard Romy fans!
spankychaff – I swear I tried to update the following day you reviewed for the second time, but I got hit by four exams. Anyway, thanks. But do you think Remy's a possessive/jealous kinda guy?
GreenFairyGirl88 – Thanks. Hope you liked this chap as much as last chapter.
Carla-p – I try not to post until I get at least 3000 words for this fic. Thanks for the ultra-mega nice comments. Your reviews never cease to uplift my spirits.
the Caliente - Wanted to review the newest chapter of Sometimes, by my computer won't open links in new windows. Grrr. So if you updated enough stories, I'll send you another email =) Wasn't Cody the name of the football jock Rogue absorbed in Evo? I just assumed it was him 'coz he was blond and all. Thanks for the comments on stuff. I don't know why, but in evo, I always lumped Rogue together with the 'Hood. But I'm making her hang out with Kitty in this fic too coz they're housemates. Yeah, thanks for the thumbs up, but I always saw myself as a Buttercup you know, instead of Blossom. Hmmm…But what adjective rhymes with Buttercup?
The Rogue Cajun – Thanks. =) Flattery, my dear, will get you everywhere.
Girl number 1 – Well, I'm not sure I can deliver with the heavy stuff, inspite of my initial proclamations to the effect. I'm basically a laid-back person so long as I'm not PMSing so, heavy is not really my forte but I'll try!
Nigihayami Haruko – Oh, I initiated you into the wonderful world of Xmen fanfics? JOY! Well, I do have an issue against Jean and Scott which was traced from my childhood experience which dates back to the animated Uncanny X-Men (my first exposure in the Marvel Universe) where they devoted a whole season—A WHOLE SEASON—to the Phoenix Saga, effectively and severely limiting the Rogue exposure. Ahem. All done ranting now.
bad-girl4 – Cody's her boyfriend…although the question of whether he'll remain her boyfriend is still undetermined. =)
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oh, and still promoting my blog at triple w dot xanga dot com slash khayee. Thanks and kisses!
