Author's Notes: Well, look at that. Another chapter. Huh.
Disclaimer: Not mine. Marvel's.
The Girl, the Animal, and the Thief ch.7
By Thren
Remy sighed as the last drop of bourbon slid down his throat. It was his special reserve, the last bottle left from New Orleans. It was only to be used in case of emergency. He figured now was as good a time as any.
He leaned into the cold stone of the rooftop, smoke swirling into the night sky. He enjoyed the sharp sting in his lungs and the bitter taste of the cigarette. Thief instincts had driven him to explore every inch of the school grounds and he'd found this hiding spot just over the garage. It was quiet, away from the students and the teachers, from his temporary home. Most importantly it afforded him a chance to think, Lord knows he needed it.
He hated New York. Remy could never trust a place where it got so damn cold. He grabbed the now empty bottle and frowned at it. The alcohol had given him some warmth, but he had a feeling even the sun would feel cold to him tonight. He had a long history of screwing things up, but he had to congratulate himself for this one. A small part of Remy argued that none of this was his fault. That Victoria had come after him and gotten involved in more than she could handle and Rogue had been trying to protect the Wolverine. The small part of him was quickly overruled.
He took a long drag from his cigarette watching the smoke swirl into the night sky. Seeing Victoria had brought back a lot of memories that he'd been trying to forget. Remy never had been one to believe in love or eternity, only the moment mattered. Bella Donna had changed that. She managed to stir up desires he hadn't known about. They'd gone house shopping, picked a china pattern, gotten married.
Remy pulled at the chain around his neck, dragging the ring from under his cotton t-shirt. The moonlight sparkled off the diamond; it was one of the few things in his life he'd actually paid for. Not even Victoria-Claire, Bella's own sister, had known about the marriage. Bella had decided they should keep it a secret while the Guild negotiations had been going on. They'd been so close to a truce.
He snapped out of his reverie as warning bells went off in his head. He sat up, instantly sober. They had company. He slid down the roof and back through the open window, reaching out with all of his senses. The intruder was good, too good. This was not a student out of bed but someone trained in stealth. Remy crept with an inhuman grace and stealth toward the intruder, finding him in one of many hallways. He approached the man from behind drawing a card from his back pocket.
"Tsk! Tsk!" The card crackled pink, dangerously close to the intruder's thick neck. "Not good enough, m'friend. No moves. Wouldn't want you to lose your head, neh?"
"Put de card away, Remy!" His voice was deep, raspy, and very familiar. "You still a thief, I hope—not an assassin!"
"Henri?" Remy gasped, pulling away from the man. "Henri! You son of a thief! It's been too long!"
They embraced tightly, a small part of the pain ebbing away. Remy smiled at the bald-headed, portly man in front of him. Though not biological brothers a lifetime of memories brought them closer than blood ever could. Remy led him to a porch, offering the man a cigarette.
"You know I gave that up, Remy." He leaned against the stone railing crossing his arms over his bulging stomach. "It's good to see you again, m'frerer. It's been too long since you been back to de Big Easy."
Remy sighed and tapped his finger against the end of the cigarette, igniting it. "You know I can't go back, Henri."
The older man rubbed his head absently. "I know, Remy. But you can't blame an old bastard fer tryin'. Things have changed since you left. De Assassins have changed, and not for de better. We could use you back dere."
"What's happenin', Henri?"
He sighed, looking older than Remy remembered. "Belle's father didn't fare too well after she died. An' it was only a mater of time before Julien would take command."
"Julien?" Remy dropped the cigarette in surprise. "Belle's brother? Dat little rat? He's controlin' the Assassins?"
"It ain't just that, Remy." A shadow fell over Henri's face. "He's different somehow. Changed. The Assassins are vicious under his control, all dey want is revenge against us. I don't think Julien is acting alone."
Remy closed his eyes. "What do you mean, Henri?"
"It's ain't just his personality dat's changed. He's gone crazy. If I didn't know better, I'd say he was a mutant." Remy's eyes snapped open. "An' he suddenly come into some big money. An' I don' think it was in inheritance, neh? Someone else be pullin' his strings."
Henri shook his head in the silence and the ache grew in Remy's stomach. The call of blood was strong; he knew he was needed in New Orleans. That he should return and help the family that had raised him, that had given a poor little mutant kid a chance. He owed them more than he could repay. But being there would only bring back memories of her, and Remy wasn't sure he was ready to deal with that. And there was a greater debt owed below him.
"I can't go back, Henri. Not now, maybe never." His voice held true regret.
"Bullshit. Dere's nothin' stoppin' you from going back, Remy." His brother grabbed his shoulder tightly. "I know you had a thing with Bella Donna, but this has gone beyond that. Come home, Remy. It's family. Ain't nothin' more important than that!"
"We got Victoria-Claire in de basement." Remy smirked at the shocked look on his brother's face. "An' dere be a li'l chere dat be in pretty bad shape, thanks to moi. So as you can see, bro', I got enough to take care of here, let alone back at de Big Easy. Besides, I made a promise to m'self."
"Dat's gotta be one hell of a promise." Henri let go of his shoulder, smiling a bit. "Den again, if you got Victoria, Julien won't be far behind. I think maybe you've got enough trouble for now. But dis won't be the last of me, Remy. You're needed back home. An' de Big Easy don't like to be kept waitin'."
They hugged again, a brief goodbye. Remy watched him go a thought popping to mind. "Henri. One more t'ing. How did you know where to find me?"
Henri met his gaze. "How did you know I was on the school grounds?"
They stared in silence before a smug grin spread on their faces. "Fair enough."
A dark look passed over Henri's face. "One t'ing you can be sure of, bro. If I can find you, someone else will too."
Remy awoke to a rumble and the room shaking. He watched amazed as the basketball court opened and a sleek, black jet emerged, rising into the air. The jet took off into the west and the disturbance ceased, Remy shook his head. The X-Men took themselves a little too seriously for his tastes. Then again, the consequences were severe if they didn't. Remy grabbed a shirt and headed toward the med bay.
Jean and Professor Xavier were already in the room when Remy arrived. From their disheveled appearance he suspected they'd been there all night. Xavier was bent over Rogue, fingers resting a few inches from her head. Remy took a seat across from the redhead who smiled wearily at him and Remy forced a return.
"How de petite doin'?" Though it seemed impossible to Remy her skin was paler than before and his heart flip-flopped as she drew in a ragged breath.
"She's still fighting, but it's getting more difficult to get through to her. Physically she's exhausted, which makes the mental battle even more difficult." She paused, doubt creeping into her voice. "The Professor and I are doing all we can, but she's getting harder to reach. Soon she's going to be on her own."
Remy nodded absently, his gaze drifting to Victoria and frowning at the flood of memories and pain. Jean followed his stare and sighed. "I'm afraid she's in worse condition that Rogue. From what the Professor can tell, there's no discernable trace of Victoria left in her mind."
A muscle ticked in Remy's jaw and he nodded again. He could feel Jean's eyes on him, knew that she was curious, that the X-Men had been more than patient and respectful of his past. And after all that he'd put them through they at least deserved to know why one of their own was down. He wasn't going to be leaving any time soon from the look of things, and especially if Julien was going to get involved.
"Before I left N'Orleans dere was negotiations between de Thieves an' the Assassins. Fer years we'd been fighting, but m'perer and Victoria's father were trying to bring peace. Both her an' Bella Donna were de daughters o' the head o' the Guild. Bella was my…we were involved."
Remy paused, drawing in a deep breath before continuing. "That last night of de meetin's a knife was stolen from their Guild. Bella Donna was murdered and dey found scorch marks all over de place. Naturally dey pegged me for de thief. T'ings went to hell after dat."
The silence that followed his story filled the room. He knew she was surprised. Remy guarded his past and his secrets fiercely and though he'd left out large, important chunks of the tale, it was more than he was used to sharing. He suddenly felt far too old for his nineteen years. Jean placed a hand on his shoulder, tacit gratitude shone in her eyes.
He stood gruffly, pulling away. "Don't get too sappy on me, petite. De Gambit ain't getting' all soft on you. De X-Men gonna have more trouble on dere hands by keepin' Victoria here. Her brother ain't gonna be none too happy 'bout it. An' dere be trouble stirin' back home. Just thought you should know what you're up against. Don't say de Gambit didn't warn you."
"What do you mean trouble back home?" Her eyes were piercing, but before Remy could answer the older man gasped sitting sharply upright. The Cajun turned as Rogue cried out sharply, muscles tensing before going still. Remy itched to take action and was frustrated that he could not. Jean stood as well, patting a dry cloth to the Professor's forehead. Xavier squeezed his eyes shut exhaling heavily.
"She's blocked me out, again. This time I'm afraid it will be a while before I'll be able to help her, if at all." He worriedly rubbed his chin.
"How is she doing, Professor?" Jean's eyes flicked between the girl and Xavier concernedly.
"She's still fighting, but it is overwhelming her. She is beginning to despair. Though she's managed a slight victory I fear the worst is yet to come."
Rogue's face twisted in pain, her mouth gaping open and closed in a silent cry. Remy wrapped the sheet around his hand and grasped hers, begging that her pain would cease. Whatever god there was seemed to be listening for the lines in her face smoothed and she looked calm once more.
"There's nothing you can do for her now, Professor. You should get some rest." Jean rested a hand over his arm, the look of concern laced with feminine warning.
He sighed wearily and nodded. "You are right Jean. This battle has been getting increasingly difficult and I'm afraid my strength is waning. I'll return later this evening. Mr. LeBeau, place contact me should anything occur."
Remy watched the old man silently leave, Jean following behind him. She paused at the doorway and smiled sadly at him. "Don't give up hope, Remy. She needs that most of all."
The door closed behind them, leaving Remy alone with the girls. The two off-beat blips of the heart monitors creating a soothing melody. Remy sat again, scratching wearily at his neck. What the hell was he doing here? He had known the Assassins would come after him and that they'd bring endless trouble with them.
He sighed, a familiar ache welling in his chest. He longed for Bella, to hear her laugh, to feel the caress of her skin and her spicy scent. She always smelled as if she'd spent the whole day baking or cooking the Cajun food that she loved. At the time he hadn't been able to imagine life without her. Now he was empty.
Rogue shifted next to him, heart rate increasing momentarily. He leaned forward, watching her shallow breathing. Maybe not as empty as before. "Chere, I don' know if you can hear de Gambit or not." He paused, licking his lips. "But I'd be much obliged if you could pull out of this, m'petite. Y'see, I've already lost one woman I cared very much for."
He leaned further down, stroking her hair, being careful not to touch her skin. "An' quite frankly I be startin' to care about you, girl. An' I hate it when good beginnings go bad. Please, Rogue."
He was answered only by a soft sigh, the girl's eyes tightly closed. Hope, Remy figured, had better do some good. He leaned back into the chair, taking up a vigil over the girl. His long night caught up with him though and he soon fell into a restless slumber.
He was dreaming.
A warm, summer night in the Big Easy glittered around him, filling the sky with excitement. Remy smiled, a certain peace settling deep in his soul. He was home. Slender fingers grasped his hand and he turned to see his young bride.
"Look Remy." She pointed toward the two-story house before them, smiling grandly. "Someday, that'll be our house. An' they'll be little brats runnin' around all over. We'll finally have peace." Remy's smile grew, warming him deeply. He knew it was a dream, that it wasn't real. He didn't care.
"You don't deserve happiness!" Victoria's voice bit through the serenity. "You don' deserve any of it! Filthy t'ief!"
She flew toward him, knocking him into the dirt. Bella Donna approached behind her, covered in blood, a terrified look on her face. "Why Remy? Why…"
"Bella!" He struggled vainly against Victoria's superior strength. "I didn't do it Belle! You've gotta believe me chere!"
"Why didn' you protect me?" She fell, slowly turning to dust. He tried to cry out to her, to beg forgiveness, but only a strangled choke came from Victoria's tight grip on his neck. The woman's scream grew higher, filling Remy's world. Shrill and loud it morphed into a vibrato, sharp, jolting shrieks.
Remy woke with a start, the noise following him into the waking realm. Confusion filled him with a slight panic, hands crackling slightly with power. His breath came raggedly as his senses oriented, his mind registering the med bay settings. But the beeping sound persisted at an alarming pace.
Rogue thrashed in front of him, bringing him fully awake. He quickly stood, hovering helplessly over the girl. The tempo of her heart monitor increased his own and as he watched her flail and convulse, panic set it. She cried out, fists swiping at an invisible assailant. Instinctively he reached for her, snatching his hand back just before contact. Frantically he searched for gloves, struggling to stretch the latex over his skin. Tubes and patches came loose as she lashed out, the fast pace shrill of the heart monitor changing to a terrifying flat line. Remy grabbed her wrists, trying to contain a strength far greater than Rogue should posses.
"Merde!" He breathed heavily trying to calm down. "Xavier! Mon dieu, m'ssuer, wheel your ass down here!" He hoped that would be enough to alert the telepath. Remy wasn't sure he could hold the girl for much longer. He watched in horror as Rogue's face contorted in hatred, an evil smile twisting her lips. Her screams turned to rasping laughter. She struggled more fiercely and Remy had to straddle the girl to keep her on the bed.
"Merde alors." Remy growled, fighting against what he knew to be Victoria's strength. The Professor had said Rogue was fighting the other personas for control. Apparently she was losing. "Rogue! Chere, I thought we had a nice little chat about how dis wasn' a good idea."
She drew him close, hissing with rage and violently shoved Remy across the room. His shoulder connected with a sickening thud against the wall. The boy groaned, twisting to land on his feet. He watched the girl twisting the sheets wrapped around her, back arched unnaturally. This wasn't definitely a good sign. The door to the med bay slid open and Jean, looking slightly disheveled, came rushing through.
"The Professor is on his way. What happened?" She approached Rogue, jumping to avoid an errant fist.
"I don' know." Remy stumbled his way back, clutching his now dislocated shoulder. He winced against the pain tearing through his torso and took up place beside Rogue. "She just started screamin'. Gambit didn' do nothing."
"I'm not saying--" The door slid open again and Xavier made his way directly to Rogue's bed. "Professor, what's going on?"
"Hold her." It took both Remy and Jean to keep the girl still enough. Xavier's eyes closed tightly, fingers hovering above her head. After a moment he took a deep, shuddering breath and backed away from the girl. "Her barrier is complete. At the moment there's nothing I can do to get through, though it is not Rogue who is keeping me out." The man's gaze turned darkly to Victoria.
Remy looked at the blonde woman in surprise. Other than her sickly pallor, she showed no signs that this was anything but a long nap. "If Victoria is causing all dis with Rogue, den why isn't she fighting too?"
Xavier sighed, running a hand over his head. He looked at Rogue with uncertainty and sorrow. "There isn't an actual battle taking place, Mr. LeBeau. There is an imprint left in Rogue's memory, that is all. Essentially, it's all in her head."
The girl laughed again in grim triumph. "Dere has to be somethin' we can do!"
As if in answer Rogue fell suddenly still, the flat lining monitor eerie in the sudden quiet. Remy looked down at the girl, an icy cold gripping his stomach. He knew he should have been comforted that she was no longer anguished, but it didn't feel right. His fingers clutched her small hand, skin cold beneath the latex. He looked nervously at the Professor and Jean, but found no reassurance. He turned back to Rogue, eyes widening at the triumphant smile she now wore. Remy watched in horror as a brilliant blonde began to stain the girl's brunette hair, starting at the roots and flowing to the tips.
Jean gasped, hand flying to her lips. "She's losing."
Remy took a step forward, towering over the girl, helpless. He couldn't reach her, couldn't fight for her. A frown furled the girl's brow and the hair tightened into curls, age lines stretching her face. She looked like Rogue still, but older and crueler, her face losing the fragile innocence Remy had been drawn to. An iron fist clutched his heart. Another woman was going to die, because of his actions. Because he kept running from his battles, because he didn't have the balls to fight back. He bent over the girl in desperation, sending up a silent prayer. He wouldn't give up on this one.
"Please, chere," his voice was nothing but a pleading, hoarse whisper. "Please don't do this. I don't want to lose someone else. Rogue…hold on."
She gasped, arching up again and Remy snapped back, still clutching her hand tightly. The girl shook her head slightly as if trying to clear something away, then slowly lay down against the pillow. Xavier leant over her again, eyes tightly shut.
"He's through." Jean's voice was terse, tension radiating through her. Remy's eyes flitted between Rogue's face and Xavier, watching for any sign of what was going on inside the girl's head. After an agonizing eternity, her hair began to darken, returning to a chestnut color and losing the majority of the curl. Remy barely dared breathing in anticipation. Rogue's breathing slowly returned to a natural pace, and a calm expression settled into her features. Xavier sat up slowly and stiffly, tightly clutching the arms of his chair.
"She should be awake now." The older man brought himself around to Rogue's bedside. "Rogue? Rogue, can you hear me?" Her eyelids fluttered slightly, eyes moving rapidly beneath. Painfully slow, she opened her eyes. Remy's heart sank as glittering green eyes stared up at the ceiling. The baleful emerald he'd grown so accustom to with Victoria had replaced the gentle brown of Rogue's. He'd lost her. "Rogue?"
She groaned and raised a hand to massage her forehead. They watched her carefully waiting for any sign of the girl they knew. "Anyone get the number on that truck? Ah feel like mah head's gone through a blender…"
Remy practically cried out in relief. She was awake. Rogue was back.
Ending notes: Always late but worth the wait. The start of the scene between Henri and Gambit was taken straight out of the Gambit mini-series that came out….what, ten years ago? Anyway, I stole that. I do hope Marvel doesn't mind…More to come. Plot thickeners and whatnot. Hope you enjoyed.