II
Damn, Southern Mississippi was hot!
With a sigh, Rogue wiped the sweat off of her forehead with the back of her hand and chided herself for being so…so… whiny. Of course, it was hot, it was the South for god's sake, and she should be more then used to it by now, being from there of course.
Still, coming from New York State where the late fall weather had been rapidly receding into snow, she wasn't as used to her native heat like she was used to or should have been. With a curse as she pushed her limp hair out of her eyes, as she drove, Rogue resolved to get used to it as soon as possible again. It wouldn't do any good to have anyone thinking she was some Yankee wimp transplant who couldn't stand a li'l down home heat.
"Ah'm beginning to hate cars." She muttered as she winced at the near empty line on her SUV's gas tank, and the persistent rattling under her hood.
Rogue decided a pit stop was much needed.
This being the third blasted one she'd needed since she'd left New York State three days before.
With mumbled French curse she'd pilfered off of Gambit (one of many) she decided she'd cruised into the first service station she came across and with a sigh, made a mental note to think about trading her car in for something that wasn't going to cost her an arm and a leg to fill. Or keep up, she thought with a sigh as the rattling under her hood resumed again, causing her to wince. She'd been hoping she'd make it to Legacy before she'd have to have the car fixed again but obviously it wasn't going to make it that far.
Normally Rogue could have handled a little car trouble, hell she and Gambit were the best mechanics the team had but with the heat and the fact that she was exhausted, and as much as she hated to admit it, nauseous, (The morning sickness Jean had predicted, having finally hit her on her second day on the road) for once Rogue just didn't have it in her to stop and try.
This was saying something, considering her SUV was her most prized possession, and normally kept in tip top shape. She wondered what could have gone wrong, since the car had been tuned by her own hands lees then three weeks before, and she wasn't prone to missing anything.
Unless, of course she was distracted by how fast her life, as she knew it, was rapidly disintegrating around her.
Yup, that would do it.
Rogue had never been as glad to see a service station as she was when she crossed into another one of the many small towns; she'd passed through since she'd crossed the state line early yesterday morning. Vaguely she recalled, seeing the town's name as she'd passed it a few moments before. AlderBrook, or ElderBrook, something like that. It really didn't matter since she was just passing through, but it was damn good they had a service station or she'd have been in real trouble without her normal tools.
She coasted in, just as smoke started pouring from under her hood in a black cloud, and knew she just might be here for longer then she'd thought. "Do what ever ya have ta do." She said to the grizzled attendant as she hopped out and pressed the keys into his waiting hand.
"Whatever you say girlie." He said with a nod.
"Ah'll be in the café." She said, jerking a thumb over her shoulder to a nearby diner.
"Ah'll sent my boy over ta get you when Ah'm done." He agreed with a nod as he moved to crack her hood.
Sensing her SUV was in good hands, Rogue grabbed the overnight bag she kept in that car, and headed for the café, noting the fact that her stomach had stopped rolling and was now rumbling. It was a good sign, in her opinion, it meant that she could out the pesky morning sickness aside and get some food inside her.
She pushed open the diner door, and gasped as the smell of cooking food hit her like a bullet.
Then again, maybe not.
On shaking legs and more then a little aware of the stares she was receiving from the younger more attractive men seated around, she headed for the bath room to clean up before she …ate?
Once inside, she tossed her sunglasses aside and appraised herself in the bathroom's single mirror. Her curly auburn hair was pulled back in a tight pony tail, leaving only her trademark skunk stripe free to curve around her face, and (although she was tired, and it was only 6:30 in the morning) her green eyes still sparkled.
Quickly, she splashed some cold water on her face, and upon freeing her hair from its clip, decided to leave it loose around her shoulders and back. She changed from a pair of blue jeans to a pair of black and then decided a tank top was the best way to go, given the weather. Aware she was taking up the bathroom; she pulled a forest green tank top from her bag and slipped it on. Completing the outfit by covering the tank top with white men's shirt, she knotted loosely at the waist. For a moment she stared at herself, as she threw on some lip gloss and then she collected her things and headed back out to the main room.
Ignoring the stares she was getting from the regular patrons, Rogue seated herself in the corner. Glancing at her hands, she smiled and realized for once, how bare she felt without her normal gloves on.
She'd been driving nonstop for three days, almost four, and she longed for a bed and a shower but she wanted to make it to legacy as fast as possible. The only time she'd really stopped when she'd crossed the Mississippi state line the day before. She'd sat in her car, by the side of the road for an hour as memories and feelings overwhelmed her, and then she'd driven on.
"What can I get you, sweetie?" The waitress asked as she approached the table.
"Ah'll have a coffee ta start." Rogue said as she looked at the menu and felt her stomach lurch. Everything was fatty, fried, or greasy. After a length she spoke. "And some toast, please."
The waitress smiled. "Expecting, huh?"
"What?" Rogue said a touch sharply. She was only three months along; she wasn't even showing yet, was she?
"That's the exact same thing I had for breakfast every morn'in when Ah was pregnant." The waitress said kindly. "I think it's universal."
"Right." Rogue said with a laugh, she'd forgotten how frank and easy people talked down here. Everyone, stranger or not, was considered a friend in these towns unless they showed other wise, and Rogue wasn't about to. "Ah'm only three month along,"
"Congrats, then," She said as she poured Rogue her coffee. "Ah'll be right back with your toast."
Rogue smiled as she watched her go. She felt more at peace then she had in a while to say the least. She'd forgotten how the South could bring that out in her, more then anywhere else.
"Excuse me," She said when the waitress returned. "Can you tell me how far is ta Legacy?"
"Visiting?" The waitress asked cautiously.
"No." Rogue said with a shaky smile. "Puttin down roots is more like it."
"Well then," The women said, her smile returning. "Its about 150 miles yonder up the road, if you stay straight on this highway, you can't miss it."
"Thanks." Rogue said with a yawn. 150 miles, she could make that today if she pushed it and then she'd be home. Of course, she didn't really have a home there yet but hotel would do until she could rent or buy a house for herself and the baby.
"Coming home huh?" the waitress said as she laid Rogue's bill on the table.
"You might say that." Rogue agreed as she pulled some money out of her purse. "Or creating one, kind of like a new start."
"No better way to do that then a new baby." The waitress said as she took the money and hurried off.
"Yeah." Rogue agreed as she started for the door, seeing the mechanics son coming to get her. "Mah thoughts exactly."
Happily seated in her, now fixed, SUV and a couple of hundred dollars shorter, twenty minutes later Rogue pulled away from the service station. Damn carburetor, she should have listen to Remy and gotten it replaced months ago but she'd been too stubborn.
Remy.
At the thought of his name, she felt her eyes blur with tears and she almost had to pull over. With a sigh she finally admitted to herself, the he'd been on her mind constantly since she'd let the mansion. She wondered if he missed her, half as much as she missed him.
With a snort, she caught sight of her own tearful face in the mirror above her head and with a bit of a shock realized something about the way she was dressed.
The shirt she had on over her tank top of one of Remy's shirts.
She had to face it; she couldn't get away from him, no matter where she went. Not that she really wanted too.
"What am Ah doin?" She asked to herself as she slowed down and pulled over. "What have Ah done?"
Doubt had finally hit her, and all of a sudden she didn't know wither to go right or left, back or forth. She pictured everyone worrying about her, and then what would happen if she raised her child alone or with the others around her and then she pictured what Jean and Scott and Jubilee and Logan had to go through to raise there children safely.
Was it worth it?
Take the chance, that little voice nagged at her, for both your sakes.
Go back, another voice said, what if your powers come back and you need help?
That thought had ever occurred to her, What if her powers came back and she needed help? What if she hurt her child?
On the verge of a panic attack, Rogue laid her head on her arms on the steering wheel and took several calm breaths as she tried to put her thoughts in order. After a moment she raised her head, and then with a nod started the car up again.
She needed this chance, and she owed it to her son or daughter.
She knew if the she ever needed them the team would be there for her, Xavier would make sure of that but for now her future lay in her and in front of her. Stretching ahead as flat as the Mississippi lowlands around her, and just as long.
Legacy, here she came.
The mansion felt like a morgue.
As he traversed the hallways that morning, Remy was more acutely aware of this then ever.
Just as he was aware the student, and yes even, the teachers, were avoiding him as if he'd just lost the school in a high stakes poker game. Already ten minute late to his shop class, he figured most of his students were probably gone by now anyway, so instead of heading for his classroom, he took a detour and headed for the staff lounge instead.
"Merde!" he said in a low tone as he slipped inside and shut the door behind him.
My thoughts exactly!
Remy whirled around in a circle, literally, crashing against the door hard, and was surprised to find a silent Jean and an even silenter Professor, seated behind him with a chess board between them. He wasn't sure who had spoken, but from the look of the board and the look on Jean's face, he was pretty sure it was her.
As he watched in amazement a chess piece silently floated across the board from one place to another, bumping a corresponding piece out of the way none to gently. "Checkmate." Xavier said out loud with a smile as Jean made a playful face at him.
"Good game, huh?" Remy said as he filled up his coffee cup.
"If you call getting trounced, good." Jean said with a sigh.
"You've yet to beat me at chess." The Professor said. "Because you're mental concentration is still too slim."
This was clearly a contestable issue with Jean, judging by the look on her face and not one to be discussed in front of others. As Remy watched, an exchange, he couldn't hear passed between her and Xavier and then Jean abruptly changed the subject.
"Don't you have a shop class now?" She inquired through gently gritted teeth.
Remy shrugged. "I'm sorry, I couldn't concentrate to teach."
"It's okay." Jean said gently as he sat down. "Everyone understands."
"Indeed." Xavier agree. "It's been a stressful few days for you, nobody is bothered."
"Thank you." Remy said, and then after a moment. "Remy's just worried about her is all."
'We know." Jean said in the same gentle tone. "But she'll be okay; she can take care of herself."
"I know." He said with another sigh. "But it don't make it any easier that she left."
"I agree." Jean said with a sigh of her own.
"And you won't go lookin for her?" Remy asked of Xavier. "To see if she'll come back?"
Xavier shook his head. "I got the distinct impression she didn't want to be followed or found. She needs some time on her own, far be it from us to give her that time."
"She'll come back." Jean assured him. "Who in this team, hasn't left at some point or another and not returned better for it?" She shrugged and flipped her long red hair over her shoulder. "This is her home; her family is here, once she realized that she'll be back."
"Well put." Xavier said as he started to wheel from the room, towards his physics class. "Thank you for the game, Jean."
"Any time." Jean said as she patted his hand affectionately and went back to marking a stack of exams she'd left on the conference table.
With a sigh, Remy rose as well. "Gotta go to my advanced auto class." He muttered as he stalked out, leaving Jean alone in the room momentarily until Cyclops entered for his prep period.
"Hey." He said dropping a kiss on the top of her head as he sat down across from her. "Was that Gambit I just saw barreling out of here?"
"Yup." Jean said with a sigh as she marked an F on a paper.
At this rate, Angel was going to be in Advanced Bilogy forever.
"Still upset is he?" Scott asked as he opened a folder and began pulling papers out.
"Very." Jean said as she continued to work.
"So it wouldn't be a good time to tell him, you and Xavier basically know where Rogue is, and where she's going?"
Jean dropped her marking pen. "How do you know-?"
"Honey, there isn't much I don't know when it comes to the team." Scott interrupted. "Especially when it concerns you and Xavier."
"I'll buy that." Jean agreed.
"Plus, you talk in your sleep." He said with a small secretive smile.
"I do not!" She said indignantly.
"And I have access to your to most of your dreams and thoughts at night." He said with a mock sigh. "When you've got your mental shields down."
"That goes both ways you know." She said, speaking of their unique telepathic connection. "I know your dreams and fantasies."
"I didn't say anything about fantasies." Scott said, rising to get a cup of coffee. "You brought that up all on your own."
"So I did." Jean said motioning him to sit back down. "I'll get it baby."
With a practiced hand, as she glanced over her shoulder, she lifted the coffee carafe off the back counter and floated it telekinetically across the room to the table, followed by cream and all the other necessities for coffee.
"Thanks." Scott said the subject of indulging fantasies safely forgotten for the moment. "I'm going to need it."
"Planning for Advanced Trigonometry, huh?" Jean asked, knowing it was boring as hell.
Scott nodded, and then cocked his head thoughtfully at her and she could tell even from behind his glasses, his gaze was troubled. "So you're not going to tell Remy where she is?"
Jean shook her head. "No." She said after a moment. "Charles and I both think she needs sometime on her own, and she won't be able to get thorough whatever, she's going through the way she needs to, if we go after her." She chewed her pen thoughtfully. "I wish we could go after her, she's my friend, I miss her like crazy but if she wants to be on her own, then we owe her that respect."
"If it's hard for you, imagine how hard it must be for Remy." He said as he took a sip of his coffee.
"I know baby." Jean said. "But there's nothing we can do for him right now, except be his friends. She'll come back Scott; she's just going to do a little soul searching before she does."
"Your right, as usual." Scott said with a sigh as he looked over at his wife "It's just…" he let his voice trail off.
"What?" Jean asked curiously.
"Well, I know if it was you and me." Scott said thoughtfully. "I sure as hell wouldn't give up or wait for you to come back, I'd be out looking until I found you, no matter what it took." He chuckled. "We both know that well."
Jean smiled. "I know, normally I'd say the same thing but it's different his time Scott." She shrugged. "Their different type of couple, sometimes they need their space to survive as a pair."
"Yeah." Scott agreed. "I guess Rogue knows that better then anyone else."
"Not everyone." Jean said sadly, thinking of Remy. "Just most of us I guess."
"Yeah." Scott said again as he looked at his work, and she knew he was thinking of Gambit also. "Maybe."
When Rogue finally reached Legacy, she stopped the car and pulled over. Then, just as she had when she'd entered the state, she gotten out of the car and started at the beckoning welcoming sign, that proclaimed in bold letters: Welcome to Legacy, Mississippi! Pop. 1200.
"Twelve Hundred and two." She said softly as she glanced around at the empty urban highway, leading to the town's center.
She turned and headed back for the SUV, slipping behind the wheel and tuning the radio into something local as she went. Humming softly, she turned a corner and smiled as the highway began to turn into a neat row of houses, all complete with pickets fences.
Children were out playing while parents worked outside and shouted light conversations at each other. Rogue couldn't help but smile as she watched the scenes around her.
It all seemed so, normal.
She could hear Remy's voice in her head. "Girl, what's so good 'bout being normal anyways, I'd rather be us any days."
All Rogue's life she'd been questing for a normal that, most people said didn't exist but she'd never given up and now, this just felt, right to her.
Now all she had to do was find a way to fit in it.
"Excuse me!" Rogue said, slowing down and sliding her window down as a young woman with a stroller passed her. "Can you tell me, where a good hotel is?"
"Local ones, pretty good." The women said cautiously. "It's just past the center of town."
"Where's that?" Rogue asked.
"'Bout five miles up the road, take a left. You can't miss it." She said as she scooped the hair out of her eyes.
"Thanks." Rogue said with a wave as she moved on, aware that the women was still standing on the pavement, watching her go. With a sigh, she drove on; she'd also forgotten how suspicious people in little towns could be as well.
Sure enough though, five miles up the road, Rogue hit the town's center and slowed as she began to drive through it. It was as busy as a small town could ever be, with people hurrying from stores and heading to jobs in the early morning.
Already she could feel the small town charm, rolling through her as she pulled to a stop and watched people waving to their neighbors, friends or even their family members before hurrying on their own way.
As she pulled up to a red light, Rogue looked around curiously, eyeing one side of the street and then the other. She could see kids running off to school and she smiled, thinking maybe it would be her own child one day.
As she move on, she pasted the drug store, the post office and the grocery store and then further up the street the local theater, a medical clinic(something she took particular notice off, due to her pregnancy) and then to her delight, a real estate office.
She made a mental note, to return their later and drove on, passing several clothing stores, the local beauty parlor and then the mainstay of any little town, the local café.
"Ah could really like it here." As she drove past the high school and out of the central core. As she reached the edge of town, just past the town school, she passed a two story Tudor style house, painted a graying off-white that caught her eye.
The house stuck out, because it didn't quite seem to belong where it was, it just didn't fit the rest of the small town surrounding it. It was too big, too ostentatious.
She loved it instantly.
It sat back from the road, a gothic built building that harked from the days when the South was far more ostentatious then it was presently. The windows were decorative and it boasted a wrap around porch with well worn boards while the gabled roof looked new and sturdy. It boasted a huge lawn surrounded by boxed hedges, and a massive Sycamore tree that towered above the house, giving it shade and cover from the Southern heat.
The manor had a private air, an air of tranquility that appealed to Rogue instantly and that was when she noticed it. A sign hanging from the front of the iron privacy gate surrounding the property.
Oh, dear lord it was for sale.
Quickly, Rogue copied down the number on a doughnut sack and then drove on her way to the hotel, feeling her eyes blurring from fatigue as she steered into the parking lot.
The motel looked cheap but serviceable, the kind of place you stay in when you're too tired to go any further but at the moment Rogue didn't care.
She grabbed her bag from the back seat, and hopped out of the car locking it as she did so then hurried into the hotels office to see about getting a room.
The women behind the desk eyed her for a moment then gave her a cautious smile as she approached. "Hi there." She said as Rogue approached.
"Hi." Rogue said in a pleasant tone as she stifled a yawn. "Ya'll get any rooms left?
"Plenty." The women said with a smile. "If that's what you're looking for, is there only you?"
Rogue nodded as she paid for a single for a week. "Unless you count, the one Ah'm carrying on board."
The women laughed, "That explains why you look dead on your feet, come on I'll put you in room six." She grabbed a key off the wall behind her and moved from behind the desk, motioning Rogue to follow her as she did so.
"My name's Betty Ruth, I'm the manger here so if you need anything just give a holler." She said.' There's ice down the hall, and a candy machine and there a new convince store just around the corner if you want any other food."
"Thanks." Rogue said gratefully as the women pressed the key into her hand and she stepped inside.
"No problem." Betty Ruth said as she pulled the door closed behind her. "Have a nice stay."
"I hope so." Rogue said with a sigh as she pulled the curtains, and kicked off her shoes. Then, despite the fact it was early in the day, she crawled on to the bed and under the covers, quickly succumbing to a deep dreamless sleep.
Remy was restlessly tossing around in his sleep when all of a sudden a sharp ringing noise permeated his ear drums.
"What da hell?" he muttered cracking one eye, and glancing at the alarm clock. It blinked 9:00 AM back at him and it took him a moment to realize it wasn't his alarm going off… Because it was Thursday, his day off and the one day of the week he could actually sleep in beyond the crack of dawn. He didn't have to teach his class today, or go to training sessions, so why was he awake?
The phone.
It took him a moment to realize it but that's what it was, the phone beside his bed was ringing happily, waiting for him to pick it up.
With a groan, he sat up, letting the blankets fall to his waste as he grabbed for the receiver before the person at the other end hung up.
"Bonjour," He said into the receiver, waiting for an answering hello or introduction.
Silence.
There was nobody talking at the other end, but he knew someone was there, and for a moment he felt a flare of hope as he sat bolt up right. "Rogue!" He said into the phone as a touch of anguish and panic began to creep into his voice. "Rogue, baby is that you?"
There was no answer on the other end of the phone, so he continued speaking hurriedly, afraid if it was her she'd hang up. "Rogue if that's you, speak up girl, talk to me, please!" Quickly he scanned the caller ID, only to find it was an unlisted number from an unknown source and then he knew it was her. "Come on, Mon Coeur, please talk to me, Remy knows it you, I'm not angry I promise." He sighed and ran his hand through his hair as he spoke again. "Anna, I love you, please say something, anything."
She hung up.
The buzz of the dial tone sounded loudly in his ear, as he pulled the phone away and looked at it shock. "Merde." He cursed, as he slammed the receiver back down into the cradle, so hard he was knew, if he had his powers, he'd have charged the thing to a nuclear level.
He'd had her on the line, and he'd let her go, he should have done something, anything to keep her there, to talk to her so she'd come home again. H missed her like crazy; he'd been a fool to let her walk away, a fool to throw away his chances at having a family with the only women he knew he'd ever want to have a family with.
She was in pain, he could tell, and she was lonely and there was no way he help her, because there was no trace on the phone. He hadn't even thought of having one put on in case she tried to contact him.
And now it was too late, he could have missed his only chance to talk some sense into her.
She had a whole community here to help her with her pregnancy and the baby, friend, a support network.
She had him.
He didn't even think it matter anymore that the baby wasn't his, as long as she came home safely again.
He just hoped he got to tell her that, before it was too late.
Stupid idea!
Rogue sat on the end of her bed, in the hotel, tears streaming down her face; as she stared at the phone in its cradle where she'd just set it.
What had she been thinking to call him?
She hadn't been thinking, she knew. She'd been sleeping and she'd had an awful dream, one of the rare nightmares she got every once and awhile from all the personalities she'd absorbed.
They were always the same, dreams where she was lost, losing herself, both physically and mentally. She often described them like drowning in a pond and just being able to see daylight but never being able to reach it. You could feel the water closing in around you, smothering you but there was no one there to pull you out.
Remy always pulled her out.
Whenever she'd have a nightmare, he'd wake her gently, wait for her to calm down and then hold onto her tightly as she cried the images away. She always joked when it came to her dreams; he was her life preserver, the one who always pulled her to safety and kept her there.
She loved the feeling of his arms around her, so strong, she always felt safe when she was with him, especially when she was in bed with him. She couldn't say that about anyone else in her life, give her mutation but he'd never seemed to care about it a wit when they'd shared a bed, even when her powers were active.
God, she missed him.
When she'd woken from the dream alone, she'd been crying, cold, and shaken, and she'd felt for sure she was in harm's way. She'd pulled the blankets around her tightly but she just couldn't get warm, she didn't feel safe and she knew she'd needed to hear his voice just one more time, so badly.
So she'd called him, just to hear his voice, only it hadn't worked like she thought it would, instead of making her feel safe, it made her chest ache with loneliness and she'd cried even harder, clutching the phone until her fingers were stiff and white.
Hearing him plead had made her feel so ashamed. Remy was a proud man, he didn't beg or plead to anyone, let alone her, so she knew he was hurting badly and she was the cause.
Still she missed him so much, she couldn't breathe, she didn't think she'd ever be able to again.
Quickly collecting herself, giving herself a mental slap in the face so to speak, she wiped the tears off her face and took several deep breaths. The nightmare was gone, she was safe and sound, her baby was all right, she had no reason to sit around and feel sorry for herself. She needed to pull herself together, and call the realtor about the house before some other person snapped it up.
Taking another calming breath, she pulled the number out of her purse and dialed it, willing herself not to hang up the moment a woman's voiced trilled out "Anderson's Real Estate, my name is Julia, how may Ah help you?"
"Hi Julia," Rogue said a tad awkwardly, "Ah'm new to town, and Ah saw a house this morning, Ah was interested in. Ah wondered if Ah could set up an appointment to view it if it wasn't taken?"
"Where was the house located?" Julia asked, sounding a tad amused.
Rogue snorted, she probably thought she was some Yankee transplant, looking for a little down home comfort before cruising back off to the big city, to forget all about Legacy. "Off Main Street." Rogue said, a tad coolly. "By the Elementary School."
"Okay, so that's Gabriel Manor then, give me a moment please to check that for you."
Rogue quickly found herself on hold, listening to the Yellow Rose of Texas on crack as she marveled at the irony of things. Julia was back in an instant though. "Aurelia can show you around this afternoon if you like, there's no present bid on the house."
"Aurelia?" Rogue asked, a little perplexed.
" The realtor." Julia said simply, "If Ah could just get you name, Ma'am?"
"Ava." Rogue said absently, not failing to notice how awkwardly her new imposed name felt on her lips. "Ava Carlton."
"Okay Ms. Carlton, I'll tell Aurelia to meet you at the House at 1:00?"
Rogue glanced at her watch, it would give her just enough time to grab a shower and something to eat before she had to go. " That'll be fine." She said as she thanked the women and hug up.
For a moment she sat staring at her hands (one of which still bore the opal and Amethyst ring Remy had given her on her last birthday) and then with a curse, she slapped her palms against her thighs and headed for the shower.
She had a house to look at.
"LeBeau, watch out!"
With a Southern curse he'd pilfered off of Rogue(one of many) he ducked the Sentential's beams and dove to the ground, hitting hard enough to knock the wind out of him and painfully jar his knees, despite the armor he wore. He tossed a charged playing card at the hulking robot as Sam "Cannonball" Guthrie dove down beside him to help him out.
"You know, Remy, buddy" He panted as they dodged stimulation. "I know I'm not as good looking as your last training partner but that still don't mean you don't have to pay as much attention to me, man. If you get me killed, Lila will kick my ass."
At the mention of Sam's girl, Remy felt his heart constrict but he said nothing just tosses another charged card at a stim and dove around Wolverine as he crashed by, happily ripping apart a Sentinel, limb by limb as he cursed the air around him blue. "Don't worry Cannonball; Remy'll get you home to your sweetie in one piece."
"Glad to hear it." Sam said as he flew into the air and took a dove at another drone then dove back beside Remy and helped take out another one. "You know, you don't make watching your back easy."
"Ain't supposed to be. " Remy grunted. "Dat's half da fun and dis weather don't help, non?" He cast a rueful glance up at Storm, as she glided around the room gracefully, using her weather manipulations to cause a frigid rain to pour around them in droves, causing all the team to be soaked to the skin.
"True." Sam said with a crooked grin. "But if something happens to you, Rogue will kick my ass, and then where will I be. Lila say's it's my best feature."
As soon as he said the words he regretted them, wincing as he did so at the pained look on Remy's face. "I'm sorry man." He said with a shake of his head. "Talk about putting my foot in my mouth."
"Don't worry about it." Remy said as Scott called the session to an end and Storm blessedly stopped her rain. Together he and Sam turned and slogged off to the change rooms as he pushed his wet hair out of his eyes.
"So how are you doing, really?" Sam asked as they grabbed towels and headed for the showers.
"Really?" Remy asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Really." Sam said bluntly. "None of this, I'm fine bullshit."
Remy laughed ruefully. "It's dat apparent huh?"
"Yeah, like glass." Sam said with a sigh. "You miss her huh?"
"Like crazy." Remy said as he leaned against his locker door for a brief moment. "Even though we were apart, I could still see her, she was still here, dat made it bearable but this," He shook his head. "It's driving me nuts." He laughed. "This morning I got a hang up on my phone, thought for sure it was her, it's like dat every time it rings."
"It could have been her." Sam said as he took a gulp of water. "Did she say anything?"
"Nope." Remy said. "And da number wasn't viable."
"So get Sage to look at it." Sam mused. "If it can be traced, she can find it. Hell, even if it can't be she could still probably track it down."
"Your right." Remy said as he slammed his locker shut, his shower forgotten. "I'm gonna go talk to her, see what she says."
"I'd put a shirt on first." Sam advised then looked down. "And some shoes. It's a bumpy track to her boat house." After a moment of thoughtfulness he added. "And some pants! She's likely to rip that off if she see's it!"
But Remy was already gone, leaving Sam talking to air in the empty locker room.
With a sigh, Rogue pulled up in front of the manor, and for a moment she just sat in the car and stared at the house, wondering if she was going to like what lay inside.
She leaned back against the seat, mentally taking in the off-white paint and wrap around porch, the gabled roof and antique looking full length windows.
In a way it reminded her of a much smaller version of the Mansion, and she figured that was why she liked it so much, at least from the outside.
"Well," She said as she slid the keys out of the ignition, and adjusted her sunglasses on her nose. "Here goes nothin."
With fifteen minutes until she was supposed to meet the realtor, Rogue decided to do a little exploring on her own. AKA without anyone else prying to why she was looking where ECT…
She slid easily out of the car, and walked up to the gate, carefully pushing it open, wincing as it groaned loudly.
She made a mental note for that to be the first thing she got rid off if she bought the place.
Southern charm or not, the fence was a cut off from everything else and Rogue had spent far enough of her life cut off from people as far as she was concerned.
Quietly she looked around the front yard, noting the garden's needed to be replanted, and the lawn needed to be cut. Nothing one of the local boys wouldn't do for the right price she guessed as she looked up at the towering Sycamore tree in the front yard. She wondered what it would look like with a swing attached to it.
With musings on her mind, she began to walk around back carefully, noting with satisfaction that the heat wasn't bothering her nearly as much as the day before. She watched carefully as she went, not knowing what the over long grass held, and not really wanting to.
"Oh mah." She whispered when she saw the back yard for the first time. The wrap around porch stood above her while green grass stretched out in front of her as far as she could see. Off to the side a small greenhouse stood ready to be cleaned and used. To the other side was a child's playhouse that (If she was correct) was actually a miniature of the Manor itself.
She was about to go closer when she thought she heard a car pull up front. "Prompt lady." She muttered as she looked at her watch, noting it was exactly 1:30. With a sigh, her curiosity unfulfilled she turned towards the front of the house, and started for the direction she suspected the sound had come from.
"Mrs. Carlton?"
A good looking middle aged woman met her as she rounded the house's north side. She was dressed conservatively in a Navy blazer, her long blonde hair pulled back into a pony tail, with a clip board in her hand, and as she saw Rogue she gave her a friendly smile.
"That's me." Rogue said, accepting the hand she offered before stepping back. "Ah hope you don't mind, Ah was exploring the ground's a bit to see what Ah could find."
"Not a problem." The women said. "Hopefully you liked what you saw. Ah'm Aurelia by the way."
"Ah know." Rogue said. "And Ah did, like what Ah was that was."
"Good." Aurelia said. "So why don't we go inside then and Ah'll show you around a bit, give ya'll some of the house's history."
"Sounds good ta me." Rogue said, falling in behind her as they approached the house. "Ah'd like ta get out of living in a hotel as soon as possible."
Aurelia laughed. "So Ah take it your from down here originally?"
"Farther up north." Rogue said. "Up Caldecott County way, but Ah've spent the last few years living in New York State."
"Why move back here?" Aurelia asked as she let them inside. "if you don't mind me asking, that is."
"A lot of reason's." Rogue said. "It's kind of hard to explain."
"Enough said." Aurelia said as they stepped inside and Rogue got a good look inside her new prospective home.
"It needs a little cleaning." Aurelia said as they were both engulfed in a cloud of dust. "No one's lived here in a while."
"How long exactly is a while?" Rogue asked as she coughed into her hand.
"Oh," Aurelia said as she switched on the lights so they could see. "'Bout eight years or so." She looked around and smiled fondly. "Gabriel Manor was built in the 1890 by a big named land baron, Aaron Kingly, as a gift to his wife, Chelsea. He moved her from Kentucky when her health began to deteriorate soon after they were married. She loved the area as soon as she saw it; she thought it would be a good place to raise children." She gestured for Rogue to follow her and moved on from the foyer.
"But?" Rogue said as she took in the floor to ceiling windows and the hardwood floors.
"But there were never any children." Aurelia said sadly. "Sadly, Chelsea's health was never good enough. Her heart and lungs had never been strong, and she could never bring a child to term. She clung to her dreams though, despite what the doctors and her husband told her. She always thought she'd be gifted with a child, and she set about making the house ready for it. I assume you've seen the playhouse out back?"
"Yes." Rogue said, feeling sympathy for the sad young women.
"Well there's a nursery that goes with it upstairs."
"Really." Rogue said intrigued. "Can I see it?"
Aurelia nodded. "But we'll get to that in a minute, if you'll follow me this way I'll show you the living room, and the kitchen."
While they toured, Aurelia continued to tell her the Manor's past. "Chelsea died young, in 1899, the history books say she was only 28 or 29, and Aaron followed soon after. He was killed in a riding accident, about a year later in 1900. The house was empty for about ten years after that, and then it was bought by a silent film star named Glenna Rose in 1910. She wanted a quiet place to come when she wasn't in Hollywood. When her career when sour, she moved her for good. "Aurelia stopped for a moment as they came to a door way. "This is the living room."
Rogue looked around the spacious room, taking in a full view of the oak paneled walls and the large windows. Her eyes moved to the dark drapes (something she had a feeling she'd get rid of as soon as possible.) And she nodded. "Ah like it." She said at last.
"Good." Aurelia said. "Then Ah'll show you the kitchen, it's this way."
"After Ms. Rose died in 1960, the house passed to the town in her will. It was used as a library, an orphanage for young girls, and then as a meeting place for the town council and school board until 1974 when it was sold to a man named Will Ames. He turned it into a B&B, and then when he sold out in the early eighties, the house was sold again to a young couple named Han and Myra Caine."
"What happened to them? Rogue asked as they moved down the corridor, and she studied the light fixtures above them.
"They modernized it." Aurelia said simply. "Added better wiring, better plumbing. Probably saved it form becoming a hulking ruin. They raised four children here, Emma, Dean, Anthony and Talia before they left."
"Where are they now?" Rogue said as they stopped outside the kitchen door.
"Florida." Aurelia said with a laugh. "With the kid grown and gone, they decided to retire. So they sold the house back to the town, packed up and moved to Orlando." She opened the kitchen door and motioned Rogue inside. "The kitchen's the newest thing in the house." She said, seeing the delight look on Rogue's face. "Han was a cook, he needed everything new."
The kitchen was bright and sunny, with hardwood floors and large bay windows. All the cabinets and the fridge and stove were off to one side, while a breakfast nook offered intimacy and privacy for the kitchen table. An island in the middle provided all the space one would need to cook while all the appliance were top of the line, and looked almost new.
"If you'll come this way Ah'll show you the Solarium and the office." Aurelia said "And then we'll head up stairs and Ah'll show you the bedrooms and bathrooms."'
"Sounds good." Rogue said, feeling a little bit overwhelmed. This was a lot of house for one person.
Two.
Make that two people.
The solarium was wall to wall windows, giving a spectacular view of the back garden and playhouse while the office was dark and brooding, and proved to be the room Rogue liked the least on the tour. It seemed a sad place, and she had a feeling that that room would stay locked most of the time if she had anything to say about it.
By the time they headed up stairs Rogue was beginning to wonder what she'd gotten herself into. This house wasn't her normal style at all, it was way too big. She liked things smaller, simpler, her house in New Orleans was like that, cozy, intimate. She hadn't dared go there though, it would have been the first place Remy would have looked for her and she couldn't honestly say she wouldn't have gone back to the mansion with him.
That was, if he was looking for her.
"Aside from the master bedroom and bath, there are four guest rooms, and two bathrooms." Aurelia was saying. " Most of them are empty, so there really isn't much to see but I will show you the master bed and bath. It's at the end of the hallway."
When they stepped into the room, Rogue new instantly she was going to buy the house.
It was huge, dominated by a large four poster bed. Off to the side was a large window seating no doubt with strong underneath it and off to the left of that was a massive walk in closet.
" There's a dressing area over here." Aurelia pointed out, and the bathroom is through there."
Eagerly Rogue peeked in and saw the sunken in tub and sky light. She eyed the tiled floor and mirrored walls and knew instantly she had to have this house.
No matter the cost.
"What does that door lead to?" She asked, point to the connecting door beside the bed.
" The nursery." Aurelia said. " You wanted to see that, yes?"
Rogue nodded and they moved from one room to the other. " It's little big." Aurelia said. I believe the Caine's used it for their children when they were young, and then for their grandchildren before they moved. I suppose it can be turned into a private sitting room."
"Ah've got a little one on the way." Rogue said dumbly as she looked around at the most gorgeous room she'd ever seen. "That's why Ah moved here."
It was painted a shade of deep lavender with white lace curtains on the windows. A well worn rocking chair sat by the window, ready for use and an antique crib sat by the far wall as well as a changing table. The entire room held a warm feeling that gave Rogue a feeling of safety, and that was exactly what she was looking for.
"Ah'll take it." She said turning to the real estate agent.
"Are you sure?" Aurelia said. " You don't want to look around more?"
" Nope." Rogue said, wondering where her good sense had gone. She was normally more practical then this. " How much are you asking?"
We;; you have a few options." Aurelia said as they went down stairs to the foyer. "The house is for sale by the Historical Society but they recently, uh, came under new management and their also willing to rent the property if a sale price can't be reached."
"Ah'm, sure we can work something out.' Rogue said with a grin.
" Great." Aurelia said. " In that case, why don't we go to my office and try to reach a deal?"
"Sounds good to me." Rogue said. " Just point me in the right direction."
"LeBeau, just what do you take me for?"
"What?" Remy glanced at Sage in perplexity as he crossed his arms over his chest. "What do you mean?"
Sage sighed. "You come to me and tell me that you would like to trace a call, one that you're not even sure was Rogue. It was less then thirty seconds, has an unidentifiable number, and it took place over four hours ago. Correct?"
"Yeah?"
"Again I state, what do you take me for?"
"A computer genius." Remy said. "I thought you could do anything with technology."
"I can." Sage said simply never taking her eyes off the computer screen, and what she was streaming. "But even I'm not that good."
"What are you talking 'bout??" Remy asked in frustration.
"I can't tale something out of thin air." Sage said with a frustrated sigh of her own. "Even if I checked the log on your phone, it wouldn't work because you weren't set up to trace calls."
"Are you sure?' He asking, wincing at the glare he received. "Right you're always sure, aren't you."
" 99.9 of the time, yes." She said, and he could almost hear a trace of sympathy and envy in her voice as she spoke.
Almost.
"You must love her very much, to go to all this trouble to find her."
"I do." He said. "It's driving me crazy."
"Well there's nothing I can do for you." Sage said as her frosty cover slipped over her again. "I suggest taping your phone in case she calls again, which in all likelihood she'll do."
"Why?" he said.
"Because she wouldn't have risked calling you if she didn't miss you like crazy herself."
Remy felt his sprits boost.
Sage had a point.
"This may be a dead end, but Remy's not giving up." He said stubbornly.
"I didn't say you should." Sage said as she leaned back in her chair. "In fact, I'm sure you have numerous contacts you can call to track her down."
That was also true, but that was his last resort.
One he was going to have to use now, before she slipped out of his life for good.
"Thanks Sage." He said as he turned to leave. "Remy might just do that."
"LeBeau!" Sage called hesitantly as he was about to leave. "Can I offer you a little advice?"
"Sure." He said. "Fire away, for all the good it'll do."
"People here have a tendency to leave and return frequently." She said as she adjusted her sunglasses. "Your best bet could very well be to leave her on her own, and let her come back in her own time." She smirked. "Everyone here does, hell even the dead don't stay dead around here for long, they always come back in some form or another. It's too much of her home for her not too return."
"I know." He said with a sigh. "But I just can't let it go, you know?"
"Not really." Sage said coolly. "But I can estimate and project."
"Right." Remy said as he left. "I'll see you around, I've got to go se a man about a phone tap."
And then he was going to put the red flag out, and see what his contacts in the Guild and around the country had to say.
By the time Rogue re-entered her hotel room that night, she was the proud owner of one sprawling Southern Manor in need of work.
Or Renter, she should say.
Something had told her it was far more prudent to rent the house then buy it, not only because it was a expensive house, but also because she knew if(When) She went back to Xavier's she could just finish paying her rent and go.
She set the groceries she'd bought on the floor beside the bed, and looked around. Compared to the house, her hotel looked small and dingy but it was home for now. The realtor had said it could take a week or so to get all the paperwork done, and money transferred, so she didn't have much of a choice, other then to stay where she was.
With a sigh, Rogue opened the small fridge and began putting stuff away, It had been along day, starting off at the manor and real estate office, and then moving on to various stores as she bought what little furniture the house didn't have, which wasn't much since she was renting it as a fully furnished home.
"Well." She muttered to her stomach as she yawned and headed for the shower before bed. "At least we won't be homeless."
Or at least houseless.
She knew very well it took more then just a house to make a home, it took love, and happiness and that wasn't something she was sure she was going to find without a red-eyed Cajun in her life…not to mention her bed.
But the house was perfect for her.
Almost too perfect, really.
Rogue's instincts were telling her that there was more to the place then the realtor had told her, but she was willing to wait and find out on her own time.
Her red flag was up, telling her to be cautious, to be safe and guarded until she knew the town better but with a snort, she pushed her instincts away. She'd been on guard her entire life; this was one time when she wasn't going to be.
"Everything is fine." She muttered as she climbed into bed with a yawn. She kept repeating that as her mantra as she fell deeply asleep, and dreamt dreams of a day when her new house really was a home.
Meanwhile across town in the now darkened Real Estate office, Aurelia sat at her desk and patiently waited for the last person to leave. "Working late?" Julia asked as she pasted by.
"Paperwork" Aurelia said. "Have a nice night."
"You too." Julia said as she hurried out the door.
When she was alone, Aurelia picked up the phone and dialed the number with shaking hands. Her breath caught as after a moment of silence on the other end, she realized that he was waiting for her to speak. "She bought it." She whispered, finally hearing a low voice laugh softy as she spoke. "Literally."
Aurelia cocked her head with a smiled. 'Everything is going to plan Mr. Sinister. She believed everything you told me to tell her, right down to the last detail. There were no problems at all."
"Excellent." Sinister finally spoke, deadly and quietly. "Then keep an eye on her, and keep me apprised of the situation."
"I will sir." Aurelia said, then spoke cautiously. "May I ask…why you want her sir?"
"I don't want her." Sinister said cruelly, "But her… brat… is another story."
"Sir…"Aurelia said but he cut her off sharply.
"No more questions, just keep close ties to Rogue, and let me know what she does. Is that clear, or are we going to have a problem?"
"No problem Sir." She said quickly, knowing what he could have done to her. "I promise."
"Good." He said, then without another word he disconnected her, leaving her with only the buzzing of the phone in her ear, and the cold silence of her empty office.
With a calm authority, Aurelia set the phone down and went about erasing the number from her call log like it had never been. Then she quickly shut the office for the night before anyone else went by and saw a total stranger working where the normal Realtor would have been.
… if Aurelia hadn't killed her and taken her spot three weeks before.
Sinister had been right, telepathic shields and illusions worked very well on these small town hicks, even if she could only keep them up for a few hours at a time.
As she left the office, Aurelia felt a shot of pity for Rogue. Sinister wasn't really after the girl, she could tell, he wanted her to get to someone else and she was just a means to a bloody end.
Oh well.
Soon Rogue would be dead, and then she wouldn't have to worry about any pain or suffering. She'd find peace, and Mr. Sinister would get the man he was looking for.
With that pleasing thought on her mind, she hurried to her car, tossing her shields up again as she did so, and headed home before she was too tired to keep up her part in the charade any longer…
To Be Continued…