Disclaimer: I own some things, but none of these characters. French is a language best written by those who know it, but I'm ignoring that rule.
Chapter four: A Change of Tempo
On second thought, maybe today wasn't such a bad day, Rogue smirked as she glanced over at Remy paying for their coffees. She ripped open another package of sugar. He was shamelessly flirting with the girl behind the counter. She had to be at least eight years younger than him.
He just can't turn it off, she laughed. It's like breathing ta him. Most women would be ticked off that their 'date' was flirting with someone else. Rogue would have been too--if she considered Remy LeBeau in any way hers. But as it was, he was just a stranger--an admittedly hot stranger--that she had bumped into a couple of times and used to expose Bishop's incompetence. And showing up Bishop would improve her mood any day.
Besides, watching him soak in the teenage girl's appreciation was kinda funny.
He finished paying for their coffees, and Rogue turned back to loading her coffee with sugar.
She felt him as he approached, but she refused to turn and acknowledge him.
He whistled, "Dat's a lot of sugar, chere."
It's the only way Ah can stand the stuff. She shrugged, "It's a failsafe combination. If the caffeine doesn't get me up, the sugah will."
Remy was about to say something when her cell phone went off.
"Did ya never hear of ringtones, chere?" she could hear the wince in his voice.
Yeah, it's just that this phone is loaded with too much useful technology ta make any room for 'em. So she made a face at him and answered her phone.
"Hello?"
"Rogue, I assume that you're ready to hear the secondary entrance procedure? Since it's obvious that I sent an agent to meet you for nothing. " Bishop's voice came through, irritated and self-satisfied.
Rogue struggled to hide a smirk. "No, Ah'm at a local Starbucks."
"And why should I care about that?"
"Well, ya see, Ah met this guy in Kingsley Park this mornin' an' he offered ta give meh a ride on his motorcycle, an' this is where we ended up."
Rogue found Bishop's short silence profound, and she had to struggle to keep herself from giggling. Man, Kitty would have loved this.
"What section of the park?" Bishop's voice was strangled.
"Just some random guy, who knows how many of them were in the northeast section of the park?"
"My agent…must have missed you."
Or ya didn't send him at all. "OK, OK, ya're right, Ah shouldn't go for rides with strangers." And ya should come up with less ludicrous protocols.
"I'll transmit the location of our base to your phone of a secure line. The meeting's at nine."
"Yeah, Ah'll meet ya there." There, a nice simple encrypted message over a secure line. Was that so hard?
Apparently so, because Bishop hung up without so much as a goodbye. She could just see him fuming that his foolish plan to humiliate her and backfired. Rogue was having a very hard time refraining from laughing.
Time ta play "believable lie." "Ah hafta go."
"Who was dat, petite?" He gave her a half smile and there was genuine warmth in his false brown eyes. She almost didn't want to go.
"One of mah overprotective friends. They want ta see that Ah'm still alive after mah harrowing experience. Thanks for the coffee." She took a deep sip and set it back on the table. "That'll keep me til Ah meet 'em for breakfast." Or briefing. Ya know, whatever.
"Do ya want Remy t' take ya?"
Aww, how sweet. But no, Ah don't think takin' ya ta top secret government base is exactly appropriate for a first date, sugah.
She grinned up at him, "No, Ah don't think so, Remy. But thanks for the offer."
Time ta go, Rogue. She satisfied herself with one more quick look at his all-too-gorgeous physique and thought, No, today wasn't that bad after all.
She felt his eyes on her as she walked out.
"See ya tonight, chere!" he called to her as she approached the door.
"Ah'll do mah best," she said without turning around. Ah can't promise anything, but Ah think Ah might just do mah best ta meet ya there, Remy LeBeau.
She knew he was standing there watching her as she walked away. Somehow, this pleased her.
Rogue waited until she was sure that he hadn't followed her and that she was in a safe enough area before opening up her phone and checking on the coordinates that Bishop had sent her. The base was somewhere in the center of town. FORCE was big on 'hiding in plane sight,' a philosophy which she wholeheartedly approved. She had time to walk there, but she didn't have time to go back to her hotel and shower and change if she wanted to make it there early. And Rogue always made it a point to be early.
Oh well. It's not like they haven't seen me in sweats before. Maybe Ah'll be able ta use this opportunity ta talk Carol inta lettin' meh rent a car. Walking a city is the best way ta get information about it, but that phase is over now and Ah'm startin' ta miss mah bike.
Of course, droolin' over Remy's custom fitted Harley might have had somethin' ta do with that.
Be honest, girl. That wasn't the only thing ya were drooling over.
It wasn't that she liked him. No. Certainly not. But it was more than just attraction. It was…chemistry. Yes. That's what it was, simple chemistry. Pheromones pushing and pulling her in his direction, causing long dormant butterflies to take flight. But it certainly wasn't because she found him charming, intelligent, witty, or amusing. No. It was chemistry. That was all.
Rogue had always enjoyed chemistry. She decided that, yes, she would meet Remy tonight, if business permitted.
But now, she had to push all those thoughts away. She was approaching the coordinates that Bishop had sent her. It was the town post office, a plain brick building with so much more lying underneath. Rogue slipped around the side of the building and looked for the entrance. It appeared to be a plain metal door, but Rogue knew that no one in SHIELD or FORCE would be stupid enough to use metal as part of the security system. She stepped up to the unobtrusive alley way entrance and looked hard for the retina scanner. Ah, there it was--cleverly disguised as a chip in the brick of the building. She crouched slightly and stared into it. Her identity confirmed, a bit of the brick wall detached and slid out and to the right, revealing what looked to be a plastic cup holder. Rogue ran her hand through her hair, plucking out a loose strand and dropped it in the cup. The DNA tester further confirmed her identity. Rogue heard a click and the door opened. As she moved towards the door, the brick wall returned to normal. It would have been all too easy for Mystique ta bypass, she thought. But Ah don't know anyone else who could do it.
Still, she was relieved that they had taken her suggestion and stood still on the sensor pad as it measured her current height, weight, bioelectrical signals, heartbeat, and brainwaves. Mystique could imitate nearly everything else and easily steal a DNA sample, but there was no way she could have fooled a brain scan. Stepping off of the sensor pad before the scan was complete, or coming up with the slightest discrepancy in projected records meant that the alarm would sound, the corridor would be immediately sealed off, and knock out gas pumped into the room as SHIELD operatives converged on the trapped intruder.
"Rogue identity confirmed," the cool female voice of the computer echoed in the dimly lit chamber, and it switched on the glaring fluorescent lights so that Rogue's path would be lit.
An ironic smile twitched at the corners of her lips. "Don't Ah know it." Too bad they wouldn't take mah advice about fluorescent lighting. Ah know it's cheaper, but it's such shock ta the system.
She began to walk through the empty corridor, knowing that it took her deeper and deeper underground. It is amazing ta me how they get each and every single one of these ta look like carbon copies of the original. Ah mean, familiarity is nice, but some form of originality in design would be appreciated. Lack of imagination shows stagnation. O' course, they would just say that it's just transportin' all the comforts of home.
Finally, she reached the briefing room. Rogue removed a glove and placed her hand on the scanning pad next to the door. "Identity confirmed" and the time flashed across the screen in red, and the door slid up.
Rogue replaced her glove and stepped into the briefing room. It was glaringly white, as usual. Her attention was immediately drawn to the large furry blue man hanging upside-down next to the metallic conference table.
"Greetings and salutations," he said, turning on the parallel bars that ran across the ceiling to greet Rogue. Beast slid his black rimmed glasses off his nose and gave her a gentle feral grin.
"That's mah way of sayin' hello," Rogue responded. "Charlotte's Web."
Hank McCoy chuckled and carelessly flipped down from the ceiling, neatly missing the sheer plastic screens supported on white plastic bases that were scattered in seemingly random spots throughout the room. If Rogue hadn't seen the same exact layout in every other FORCE base, she would have wondered what they were for. As it was, she knew that they were various advanced computers, waiting to be voice-activated.
"What, Ah don't rate some Shakespeare after all this time?" she grinned at him.
"It's only been a month, Rogue. And how was your vacation?"
Rogue groused and walked over the table, sinking down in one of the uncomfortably straight-backed chairs. "Ah think ya know that as well as Ah do, sugah. After all, there was surveillance on me wherever Ah went."
Beast returned to the ceiling and latched onto the bars running across the room with his feet, walking over to hang upside-down in front of Rogue. He had found that with most people, this sort of action was, to say the least, disorienting. But Rogue enjoyed watching him have fun. It was one of the qualities that endeared her to him.
"Miss Danvers merely wished to insure that you did not do anything rash," he frowned down at her, knowing full well that his frown came out as a smile in his current position.
Rogue grinned at him and leaned back on her chair, "Sugah, this argument should be takin' place between me and a certain Fearless Leader. Ya don't need ta defend her. An' Ah know it wasn't your decision. But Ah bet they had ya behind the controls most of the time, huh? Did ya like that little display in Athens?"
Beast felt the blood rush to his head, and it wasn't from his upside-down position. He coughed something that Rogue didn't quite catch.
She leaned forward with a big grin on her face, "But wasn't it at least a lil' bit funny when he ended up with feta cheese in his ear and baklava in his hair?"
Beast couldn't help it, he burst out laughing at the memory.
Rogue smirked and leaned back in her seat. "Maybe next time ya'll come with me. That way Ah wouldn't have ta worry about no peepin' Tom's."
"No, merely eluding your escort," he responded.
"Hank, honey, ya know me well," Rogue grinned unrepentantly at the man. "So where is everyone? Are we the first one's here again?"
"'Early morning hath gold in its mouth,'" Beast said, moving along the bars to hang over his seat. "Benjamin Franklin." And he flipped down, landing neatly in his oversized chair, performing casual acrobatics that would have made the most skilled trapeze artist green with envy.
"Ah must be movin' up in the world. Ta go from a spider ta a president," she winked at Hank.
His fur bristled, "On the contrary, Rogue, Charlotte was a kind, inventive, spider who saved a friend's life. Benjamin Franklin was simply a womanizing statesmen who dabbled in inventions." He winked back, knowing full well the Rogue did not think that Ben Franklin was a president and was only trying to ruffle his fur. He was relieved to have this friend who wasn't the slightest bit intimidated by him, and he was happy to joke around with her.
Rogue laughed. She knew that she was clinging desperately to having a good time with Hank. Soon people would be entering the room who she really did not want to see…and people would not be entering the room who she really did want to see. But this was her first op since her "vacation," and Rogue was eager to get back to work.
With a swish, the door to the briefing room opened and Tessa entered, precisely on time. Her long black hair was tied in a simple braid and she wore a severe black pantsuit that accentuated her lean figure. Tessa's normally placid demeanor broke into a smile when she saw Rogue.
"It is good to see you again, Rogue."
Rogue smiled shyly at her friend, "It's good ta be seen, Tessa. Ah trust that Bishop's recovered from that lil' incident in the park?"
Tessa's smile flickered for a moment, "It was an…unfortunate occurrence. I wish that he had consulted me on forming a proper entrance procedure for you. I am surprised that you went along with it."
Rogue let out a small sigh of relief, knowing that Tessa's excellent analyzation skills would pick it up and her mannerisms interpreted twenty different ways only to match with Tessa's records of her past actions to come up with the most probable cause of her body's movements, and that all this would take place in less than a second. At least Bishop hasn't robbed her of her common sense. She doesn't seem as keen on him as she did when Ah left. Ah wonder what happened?
Rogue propped her elbows on her knees and leaned towards Tessa with a grin. "Ta tell ya the truth, sugah, Ah almost didn't. But the man with the motorcycle was fine," she finished with a wink.
Tessa grinned back at Rogue, "So it was one of those 'Take me wherever you want me, handsome' ventures?"
Rogue snorted. He wishes. "No harm in lookin', Tess."
Tessa's smile flickered again, and she sat down. "No…"
Before Rogue could respond, or inquire about the sudden sadness in Tessa's eyes, the door swished opened again, and the remaining members of their team entered the briefing room.
The co-founder and leader of the team strode in first. Carol Danvers was a powerful woman in every sense of the word. Her blonde hair was cut short and hung in a bob around her chin. She wore a navy uniform with an Asian collar and three buttons down the side. Her eyes automatically scanned the room as she entered, landing on Rogue with a brief smile before her business-like demeanor returned.
Carol Danvers…ya and Ah are goin' ta have words. She was like a big sister to Rogue. An annoying big sister who always thought that she knew what was best. Like big sister who thought she was the mother. Rogue had had enough of mothers to last for a lifetime. After insistin' Ah take a break, Ah can not believe all the surveillance ya put on meh, gal! An' then ta call me back for an op that Bishop is in charge of…we need ta clarify a few things, Major. But Rogue respected Carol as a leader, she was tough, fair, willing to hear all opinions, didn't tolerate nonsense, and made hard decisions that she had to live with. They had each helped each other through some hard times in their life, and there was a true understanding and loyalty between them.
Emma Frost followed Carol into the room. Her long blonde hair cascaded down her back in an obviously expensive and time consuming style. She was dressed in an immaculate and seductive white dress that somehow managed to clash with the sterile white of the briefing room. She didn't walk into the room, she sashayed, her trademark diamonds sparkling in the fluorescent light.
Rogue immediately double checked her mental blocks. Ah don't like her, Ah don't trust her, an' Ah don't see why we have ta work with her. The information that she gave us ta take down the Hellfire Club was not worth what she tried ta do ta me. Ah don't like accommodating her questionable methods or her continued presence here… Ah wish Carol had let me take her out. Damn the "usefulness" of her powers, her "willingness" ta serve, and her "desire ta make amends."
Lucas Bishop followed them in, his gaze coldly taking in every aspect of the room. He had tied his long black hair back in a pony tail and was wearing jeans and a long-sleeved T-shirt. Despite his attempt to look casual, he was holding a very large gun in his hand like it was an extension of his arm.
Ah believe this is the part where Ah make some sly remark about 'compensation.' Maybe that's why Tessa looked so disappointed… Ah wonder what happened ta him that turned him inta such a jerk? He was much easier ta get along with when he first joined the team, seemed more competent too…
They each took their regular seats along the oblong table in the center of the room.
Rogue forced back the hitch in her throat when she saw that, since each FORCE base was an identical copy of the original, they still hadn't done anything about the two empty seats.
With all their talk of 'moving on' ya would think that they would at least utilize the space a little better and get rid of those seats!
She stared accusingly across the table to the empty chair next to Emma, doing her best to ignore the empty seat to her left. Or we could at least sit in different spots!
"Has anybody heard anything about Bobby?" she asked.
"When last we heard, he was successful in his intention of joining with the X-Men," Tessa responded.
"Vigilantes," Carol said.
"Extremely well organized and effective vigilantes," Bishop added.
"Whatever," Rogue said. "Ah'm just glad ta hear that he's all right.
"Indeed," Hank said. "Although we miss our former companion's presence, it is heartening to recognize that he is doing well and furthering his ambitions."
"Yes well, now that that's over with, can we get on to why we're here?" Emma's tone was bored and she was examining her French manicure.
Rogue felt her temper begin to boil. Bobby had left because of her, and Emma was just sitting there examining her nails as if he was no more important than a dead fly. Let it go, Rogue. It's not your fight. Bobby let it go--he left. Ya don't need ta fight for him. Besides, she'd just love ta see ya get all riled up.
Carol nodded, all business. "Bishop, you were the one who found the information regarding this case, as such you will be in charge of planning the op. Begin the briefing."
Bishop stood up and passed out slightly opaque plastic boards the size of a standard clipboard, complete with a dark pointer attached to the top. "This is the symbol of the Thieves Guild."
A holographic image appeared on the plastic sheet in Rogue's hand.
"We don't know how long the Guild's been around, but we're speculating at least three hundred years. It's base is in New Orleans. There are also rumors of a sister guild, the Assassins, but these rumors have yet to be confirmed. The Thieves are the best of the best. They usually deal with high priced merchandise, jewels, art, and information."
Images of items that were confirmed Guild heists appeared on the clipboard.
"But we've recently received information that they are beginning to venture into activities far more nefarious. We need to know what they're planning, and we need to stop it."
The clipboard filled with various reports. Rogue took the black pen and scrolled through them. This all seems ta be fairly normal black market stuff. What does this have ta do with us?
"We've received some of this information from the FBI and other parts of our most reliable underground connections. It's been confirmed that they're planning something big. We have to find out what it is and stop it."
"Wouldn't it be better to attempt to infiltrate the Guild in order to verify this information?" Tessa asked. "That way we would be in a unique position to stop it, and it would also give us the most information."
"That's a good idea, Tessa," Carol said. "We will certainly keep that option open."
Rogue narrowed her eyes, "Forgive mah ignorance, Bishop, but looking at their records, this really seems like stuff that the FBI can handle. We're here ta deal with mutant threats ta humanity. What does this have ta do with us?"
Bishop opened his mouth to respond, but Carol cut him off, "I understand your position, Rogue. But from what Bishop has told me, this is a very real threat and it deserves investigation. We're acting more as a scouts on this op. We're trying to ascertain whether or not action is necessary, depending on what they are trying to do. The information is in the Smartpad."
Rogue watched Carol as she spoke. She was direct, as usual, but there was some shifting of her eyes that Rogue hadn't seen since she had first met her. Ya know Ah don't work without all the information, Carol. What are ya keepin' from me?
"If the Guild is based down in New Orleans, then would that not be a more prudent location to begin our investigation?" Hank asked.
"Good question," Carol said. "The answer is that one of the Guild's key members has come up here for a vacation. Down in New Orleans, they will be much more cautious, but here, we have a much better chance at making contact and getting the necessary information."
Rogue thought she saw Carol glance warningly over at Bishop. But Bishop didn't respond, merely continuing. "As Carol stated, one of the Guild's highest ranking members has come to this city for vacation. He will, no doubt, be bored. We'll use him to get the information that we need about what the Guild is planning."
On third thought, why do Ah ever bother having second thoughts? Murphy's Law could have been written with me in mind. Remy LeBeau's profile smirked up at her in all of its holographic perfection.
"His name is Remy LeBeau, codename Gambit."
No wonder it was important ta ya, Rogue thought, her head spinning. Bishop was still speaking. She fought to pay attention.
"He has several known aliases, including Robert Lord, Damien Black, and Le Diable Blanc. He was adopted into the "royal family" of the Guild at a young age and has never actually been caught. But you can see the list of crimes that he is associated with. Trust me when I say that this is a modest estimate."
Rogue took the black pointer and scrolled through the extensive and impressive list just like everyone else. She vaguely recognized the names of some of the heists that had been pulled off flawlessly.
Ya hafta admit, he's good at what he does. She remembered how smoothly he had picked her pocket.
"Due to the patriarchal nature of the guilds, LeBeau is referred to as "The Prince of Thieves." He has another title as well: The King of Hearts."
Various holographic images flickered onto her plastic screen. Poor peeping-tom shots of Remy with various women, his face always half-hidden, and not always in shadows.
Ah knew ya were trouble. She told herself that from the way he acted, she expected nothing less. Still…she felt a little disappointed knowing that she had been right. He was all talk, to him she was nothing more than a brief amusement. Not that it matters. He's nothin' more than the target now.
"Due to this weakness, we've decided that the best way to get information would be to send in Emma. You can get his guard down and then read his mind, obtaining the information that we need in order to plan our next step."
Emma smiled a cat's-got-the-cream smile and studied the picture of Remy.
Ah think Ah'm gonna be sick.
"It is also suspected, but not verified, that Gambit may be a mutant of unspecified abilities," Bishop continued.
Rogue noticed the glare that Carol sent him over this. But Bishop ignored her. "So use caution when you approach him, Emma. Remy LeBeau is a dangerous man."
If possible, Emma looked even more self-satisfied. "Should be fun," she said.
"We know that he's in this city. Now the only question remains is how do we track him down and make contact with him. Rogue, what did you find on your initial surveillance of this city?"
"Oh, Ah think Ah know how we can contact him," Rogue said dryly, ignoring the twinge of disloyalty that she felt. Remy LeBeau was the target now. Nothing more. Damn him.
"What do you mean, Rogue?" Carol said.
Oh, this'll be fun. "After finishing mah initial surveillance last night, Ah went ta a local club, The Devil's Dare. Ah met him there. He asked me ta dance." Rogue shrugged. "This mornin' when Ah went out runnin', he was at the park."
She raised her eyes to lock her gaze with Bishop. "He was the man on the motorcycle who met me there."
Bishop growled.
"How remarkable," Hank said. "Quite a coincidence."
"Yeah," Rogue said. Fancy that. How odd. Quite strange. Ah could kill that no-good Cajun!
"Did you learn anything of use from him?" Carol asked.
Trust ya ta get straight ta the point, Carol. "Well, for one thing, his eyes aren't brown. They're red on black."
Rogue waited for a moment for her words to sink in on the various members of the table. She forced down the surprisingly increasing feelings of guilt. She hadn't learned this information as a FORCE agent. For some reason, she felt reluctant to give it up. No good dirty swamp rat.
"You mean to say that the cornea, sclera, and pupil are completely black and that his irises are red?" Hank said.
"If ya mean ta say that his eyes are black where they should be white and red where others' are blue, then yeah, Hank, that's what Ah'm sayin'. And they flicker--the red in his eyes. Ah think it has ta do with his mutation."
"Fascinating," Hank murmured.
"Which is?" Tessa asked.
"Making the latent energy of an object kinetic." Rogue noticed Emma's artificial blank look, and decided to play along. "He makes things go boom."
"I'll just bet he does," Emma's voice was thick and sultry.
Rogue felt her right hand curl into an involuntary fist.
"Anything else?" Carol said.
"He also knows that Ah'm a mutant. He knows what mah powers are."
"What?" Bishop said. "Why would you tell him that?"
"Well it's hardly like Ah was supposed ta know that he was the target, Bishop!"
"That doesn't excuse you spouting out information about your mutation!" he shot back. "What if we wanted to use your connection on the case?"
Rogue half-rose in her seat as she yelled, "For one thing, you're right, it's mah mutation. Ah'll talk about it with anyone anytime Ah damn please! Secondly, maybe if ya had given meh all the information before calling meh in on this op, Ah would have been able to make a well-informed decision!"
"Rogue, Bishop, stop this now," Carol's emotionless voice cut like a laser through their argument. "True, it might have been beneficial if you had concealed your mutation, Rogue, but now there's nothing we can do about it. The information that you've retrieved regarding his mutation is far more valuable, regardless of you've obtained it."
Ah'm not sure if that's a complement or not. Rogue continued to glare across the table at Bishop.
"So how does this translate into you knowing how to contact him?" Tessa asked.
Here it comes. Rogue slumped back into her chair. "He asked me out on a date tonight. Ah didn't say Ah'd go," she spoke to ward off Carol's sisterly concern and Bishop's impending conniption, "but Ah know that he'll be there anyway. Ah'll just take Emma along with meh and fade into the background."
"Why don't you just tell me where it is? I'm sure I'll be able to find it."
Rogue smiled, swallowing back her urge to punch her teammate. Teammate. Right. "Believe me, Ah'd like nothing more than ta leave ya and the swamp rat ta your own devices. But look at his record--he's got a suspicious nature an' an ego the size of Everest. If ya just show up on your own, claimin' ta be my friend an' that Ah just didn't feel like meetin' him, what do ya think his response will be?"
Emma nodded, reluctantly.
"That sounds like the best plan," Carol said. "Emma, Bishop will brief you on what specifically to look for in his mind. Rogue, what time is your date?"
Some date. "7:30. But Ah want ta get there early."
Carol smiled approvingly, "Of course. Remember, get out of there as soon as you can. You don't want to be any sort of distraction."
No, of course not. "Believe me, Carol, Ah'll be out of there as soon as Ah can."
"Very good then, we're just waiting on the results of your scan tonight, Emma. We'll meet again tomorrow morning at seven."
"What if the night's activities make it impossible for me to sneak away before seven?" Emma asked.
"Make it eight, then," Carol said. "You all have received your temporary assignments. See you in the morning."
Emma immediately went over to talk with Bishop, Tessa and Hank were talking quietly about the propability of Rogue meeting the target before-hand and discussing the ramifications of his mutation, and so Rogue shoved down her confused feelings and intercepted Carol as she was on her way out.
"What is it, Rogue?" Carol asked.
What, no hello, how are you, it's good to see you? "Ah was hopin' ta talk with you for a few minutes, Carol, if ya don't mind."
"Actually, I have a very important meeting to attend in Langley, and I need to leave now if I'm to make it on time. Perhaps some other time." Carol left without even confirming a time for them to meet.
Rogue blinked. That's never happened before. Something doesn't feel right.
Rogue glanced over to Bishop and Emma, the two people that she trusted least on the team in close conference. Something doesn't feel right at all.
And now Ah'm off ta take Emma ta steal mah date, the target.
Gawd, Kitty, Ah wish you were here right now.
XXXXXXXXXX
Remy left Starbucks mildly irritated with himself. He replaced the bolt on his bike, revved her up, and tore down the street. I can't believe I let her leave wit'out even gettin' her number. I've never been so distracted by a femme before. Just watching her walk away…merde.
He forced himself to concentrate on driving. It didn't work very well. It's not dat I admire de femme. No. Just because she had been cursed with one of the most painful mutations he had ever heard of and was still managing to live through it, that was certainly no cause for admiration.
'M…intrigued by her. Yeah, dat's it. A nice little mystery t' crack.
And she had eyes like deep pools, teasing, tempting, pouty lips, the figure of a goddess, and skin so smooth that he knew he'd risk the pain of absorption to be able to touch it--even if it was only for a second.
She's…challenging…dat's what it is. Keeps closing her eyes and looking away, doesn't want me to get close t' her. But it's not just me…she doesn't want anyone getting close. He grinned. It'll be all the more pleasure t' break t'rough t' her heart knowing dat I'm de first one dere.
And the way she had reacted to his eyes…Remy couldn't help but feel a deep sense of satisfaction, pleasure, and…relief. She saw part of what he hid away and accepted it, was even disappointed when he hid it again. Dat's….somet'ing else.
No, it certainly wasn't that he actually liked her. He was just…appreciating the quality of his target. That was all.
And dat is some high class piece of work, he smirked, shut off his bike, and walked to his apartment.
He took a shower and let his mind trace over the curves and grooves of her form, the lovely contours of her face. She t'inks she can't touch…she just hasn't been exposed t' de proper alternatives.
I wonder if she'll be dere tonight? Remy didn't spend a lot of time wondering about it. Never once had he been stood up. He let himself remember what it felt like to be briefly pressed against her. She's fast on de uptake, I'll give her dat, remembering how she had bolted him off of her without so much as breaking a sweat.
I t'ink gonna need my rest if 'm gonna be in top form tonight. An' for dis femme, not'ing but top form will do.
He shut off the shower, and toweled off. He grabbed a clean pair of boxers, and put them on. But before he went to bed, he went over to his computer and entered the new information that he had learned about Rogue to the worm that he had searching government computers. Maybe the fact that she was a mutant would help uncover the mystery of that black petal she gave him.
Remy fell asleep contemplating all the possible uses of sheer silk sheets.
XXXXXXXXX
After Emma and Bishop had finished their conference, Rogue found herself ambushed by the blonde, who demanded to know any detail Rogue could recall about Remy. For some reason, Rogue felt like her time with Remy was very precious, and she didn't need a second thought to hold back from this woman. But like it or not, Emma was her teammate, so she told her the basics of what she remembered and then managed to escape, telling her that she'd better be ready to go at 6:45 because there was no way in hell that Rogue was walking into this place blind. She returned to her hotel room to attempt to sort out her emotions.
Rogue wasn't very good at sorting out her emotions, preferring to stuff them down and ignore them completely, just doing the job.
She had opted to take a long shower, letting the sensation of the water running down her skin smooth away the lingering disloyalty she felt like so many gentle caresses.
It made no sense to feel loyal to a man that she had hardly met.
But she did.
And that made her mad.
The sooner Ah introduce him ta Emma and Ah get the hell out of there, the better off Ah'll be.
She tried to smother thoughts of what he and Emma would undoubtedly be doing as Emma dipped into his brain for the information Bishop needed. She was disappointingly unsuccessful.
That made her even more mad.
Why should Ah care what that slut does? She wasn't sure which slut she was referring to. But the thought of Emma with Remy irritated her beyond all that was reasonable.
She recognized that and it didn't improve her mood.
Once he sees her, all touchable and willing, he'll forget all about me.
She tried to ignore the fact that this caused her a sharp pain in her chest. It just hit too close to home. Once again, she was passed over. Because of her 'gift.' One more time, she had to swallow back what she wanted because of the 'greater good.' It was just another time where she was more of a weapon than a person.
How fortunate that Ah ran into him at the club. Think of all the time we'll save.
Rogue had had it with self pity. She hated Remy LeBeau for making her feel this way again.
Just try an' flirt with me again, LeBeau. Ah promise ya a not so sweet surprise.
Rogue glared down at the two outfits spread out on her bed. But hopefully Ah'll still get ta spar with him and kick his butt back ta N'Awlins.
Stop it, girl! What are ya thinkin'? The less contact with him, the better for ya and the better for the mission. After all, don't ya want him ta fall head-over-heals for Emma? Love blinds, after all. That'll make the op much easier. Remember Samson and Delilah?
Ah wonder if Emma will be able ta pass as an acceptable thief...
She stared longingly at her loose workout pants and sweatshirt. They were comfortable, breathable cotton. But when she kicked and punched, they had a tendency to ride up on her body. If he did still want to spar with her, she had to be prepared to fight responsibly. Just one touch of her skin would put him out for the count, and she wouldn't have any chance to control what she took from him.
So she sighed, Ah just know he's gonna get the wrong idea about this, and began to put on her mostly spandex sparring uniform.
Her cell phone rang. "Yeah?"
"I'm outside," Emma said.
"I'll be right down."
Rogue slid into the passenger seat of Emma's silver Jaguar convertible. Ah hate Jaguars. All show, but they break down in months. Pretty on the outside, treacherous insides…
She looked at Emma. As she had expected, the woman next to her was wearing as little clothes as possible. Rogue sighed, She drives the perfect car for her.
"Where are we headed?"
"24th Glenn and Baker."
Emma slowly pulled away from the curb and began driving. After Emma cautiously parked her cark a few blocks away, she and Rogue walked up to the door that Remy had indicated.
"Are you sure this is a gym?" Emma said.
"One way ta find out," Rogue replied and knocked on the door of the house.
A large body-builder came to the door. "Yes?"
"Mr. LeBeau asked me ta meet him here at 7:30," Rogue said.
"You're early. And he didn't say anything about a guest," the man replied.
Rogue shrugged, "She came in out of town ta surprise me. Ah couldn't just leave her at home."
The man grunted, and opened the door to admit them. They past through a foyer decorated in Oriental style and then he opened one more door.
"It's yours for the night," he said. "Try not to break too much."
Rogue blinked at the sight before her. "Ya got it, sugah."
The man grunted again, and turned to leave.
The room that stretched out before them was comfortably decorated with wooden floors and high ceilings. It was huge. Over to the right stood a beautiful set of uneven bars, a trapeze, horse, and trampoline. There was a large section of specially padded and sprung floor for gymnastics. In the center of the room was a wide combat circle, set up in traditional Japanese style. In the left were various free weights and other pieces of exercise equipment, including hanging punching bags.
"Not bad," Emma said. "It reminds me of my private gym at home."
Rogue didn't see any need to respond, and she walked over to the padded floor. It's been ages since Ah've had a chance ta work on one of these traditional mats. Remy was right, this is a great place.
"Why did you insist on bringing us here so early?" Emma said. "It only makes you look desperate and gives me the chance to be bored."
"Ah couldn't care less about your boredom, Emma," Rogue said. "Why don't ya attempt ta make yaself useful and look around the place, see if ya can pick anything up."
Emma rolled her eyes, put her hands to her forehead and began an elaborate mental scan.
"Not like that," Rogue hissed, knocking Emma's hands down. "Ah swear, if Ah didn't know how calculating ya actually are, Ah'd think ya were the biggest bimbo in creation! Do ya want LeBeau ta know what ya're up ta?"
Emma smiled at Rogue and licked her lips, "Tell me, Rogue, does he live up to his name? Those pictures hardly showed his face at all. Although they did demonstrate his confidence in some of his…skills."
Rogue rolled her eyes, ignoring Emma's attempt to bait her. "Ya can see for yaself in a few minutes."
"Chere! You're early!" Remy's voice called into the room before he actually made his entrance. "Don' tell Remy ya were missin' him dat much. Y' coulda just called."
"Don't flatter yourself, Swamp Rat," Rogue called back. "Besides, ya never gave me ya number."
"Remy will have t' remedy dat," he trailed off as he entered the room. His eyes quickly raked up her body. Rogue was glad that she still had her sweatshirt on. They lingered on her face and he smirked when he gazed at her lips. Then he turned to Emma, and his expression changed slightly.
Rogue turned as well. Emma had removed her coat. She was wearing only a sports bra that teetered on the edge of decency, and short, tight, low, shorts that somehow clung to her butt and flared out at the same time. In other words, she was exposing miles of very touchable skin.
"An' who's dis?" Remy said.
"Remy LeBeau, Emma Frost," Rogue said. "Emma dropped in on me unexpectedly, so Ah invited her along."
Remy waggled an eyebrow at her, "Didn't take ya for dat type, Chere."
Before Rogue could retort, he had turned to Emma, taking her extended hand and raising it to his lips, "Enchanté, Mam'zelle Frost."
Emma giggled as he kissed her hand.
Rogue felt her stomach heave.
She forced a smile and was about to speak when Remy released Emma's hand and turned to her again. That's surprising.
"So what do ya t'ink of de place, cherie?"
"Ah admit it, Swamp Rat. It's a nice place ya got here."
"Merci."
"How'd ya manage ta get in?"
"Let's just say Remy knows de owner. Shall we? I hope your friend doesn't mind watching."
He hadn't dropped her for Emma. He was smirking at her. Rogue wanted to rip that smirk off and stuff it in his ear. She wanted to tear off his lips and use them a gag to shut his mouth. She wanted to press her mouth against his so hard that he wouldn't be able to make a sound.
What the hell? Where did that come from?
Emma's head shot around towards her at the thought.
Rogue cursed, long and loud inside her mind. What is he doing ta me? Ah know better than ta let mah guard down. Especially in front of her. She quickly reinforced her shields.
"Actually, Ah thought Ah'd have a brief go at the gymnastics floor first. It's been ages since Ah've gotten ta use proper matting. Ya can look afta' Emma for me, can't ya, Remy?"
Remy stepped closer to Rogue, "I can wait for a little while, chere. But don' keep me waitin' long."
"Now why would Ah do that?" Rogue breathed.
"Remy? Could you help me with these weights?" Emma asked. She had adjusted the zipper on her sports bra while Remy and Rogue were talking. She was barely held together.
Rogue bit back a sarcastic comment, and deciding that she didn't want to risk taking any attention away from Emma, waited until she had walked away before taking her off her sweatshirt.
Remy looked over at her, his ever present smirk taking on a slightly different shade. "Of course, petite. Remy will be right with ya."
He turned back to Rogue for a moment, but she was already stretching out in the far corner.
XXXXXXXXX
Rogue had removed her sweatshirt, exposing her black spandex training suit. It had bright emerald green stripes along the sides that artistically twirled across her rib cage and across her right leg. Remy slid his gaze over Rogue's body. His initial assessment at the club had been off. She didn't just have all the right curves in all the right places. He couldn't imagine a more perfect body. And that said quite a lot, because Remy LeBeau had a vivid imagination. Still, with that spandex, he didn't really need his imagination...
He realized that he was ignoring her friend while staring at Rogue. Then he realized that he didn't care. Emma Frost was beautiful, her blonde hair flowing just so, make-up impeccably in place, small, high caliber diamonds glistening in her ears. Oh she was beautiful, undoubtedly, but she was all too regular. He'd had one that looked just like her last week. Emma was blonde, touchable, willing, and boring. This girl…this rogue who was amazing him with her flexibility while ignoring him completely…this girl had captured his attention completely. He had to have her.
While staring at Rogue, he felt a sudden push against his mental shields. He looked around, but couldn't locate the source. Rogue was completely ignoring him, his empathy told him that wasn't pretended. But Emma, standing next to him, felt frustrated. It might just be 'cause I'm ignoring her…but why take chances?
Remy turned to her with a slightly feral grin, "So what brings y' t' town, petite?"
He handed her a weight and projected at her :You're not wanted here.:
Emma flinched. "Oh, ah, business. And Rogue, I suppose. She's been through a rough couple months."
"Yeah?" :I don't need you tellin' me about de belle femme. I can get it from her myself.:
Emma's brow furrowed, and he felt the push against his shields increase. "Yeah. Where did you meet her?"
"Remy met de belle at a local club." :Didn't she tell y' dis? Remy t'ought y' were 'friends.':
Emma smiled, "It's good to hear that Rogue's back in clubs again. She loves dancing, but she hasn't gone for months."
That sounded genuine to Remy, and the pushes against his mental shield stopped. He quirked an eyebrow. "Why's dat?"
The strongest push against his shields yet. Emma's face was covered in a thin sheen of sweat. But that might have just been because of the heavy weights she was lifting. She didn't look like she was accustomed to this kind of workout. But Remy's mental shields had kept out the strongest telepaths in the world. And whoever was trying to get in was unsuccessful.
Emma let out of a breath and lowered the weights. "I'll have to let her tell you that. She doesn't like it when people talk about her behind her back, you know."
He quirked an eyebrow at her, :Den why'd y' start it: Once again, Emma showed no outward response to his projection. "Remy can understand dat."
Emma smiled at him, "I'm sure you can. Look at her. She's so good at this stuff."
Remy followed Emma's gaze. Rogue was, indeed, "good at this stuff." In fact, every twist, flip, and turn was done with the precision of a professional. Yet it was obvious that the routine was spontaneous. She jumped, flipped, went into a side-split, and somersaulted all in one fluid movement, making it seem effortless.
Remy's mouth went dry, staring at her, and he found that other parts of him were standing at attention.
"You like her, don't you," Emma said.
"Remy would t'ink dat was obvious," he said dryly.
"Just as obvious as why she asked me to come with her," Emma said. "She told you about her mutation, right?"
"Oui," Remy said, turning to face Emma completely for the first time that night.
"She hates it," Emma said.
"Remy can see why," he said.
"No, I don't think you do, yet," Emma said. "But if you're lucky, you might. Be careful, Remy."
He smirked at her, "Remy's always careful."
"Don't hurt her."
"Not plannin' on it."
"Good. Then I'll leave. Tell Rogue I had a phone call and that I'll call her later tonight."
Remy gave Emma a real smile, "Merci, belle."
"De rein," she responded.
Emma put on her coat and walked out of the gym.
Dat was strange. Remy thought. Oh well, I'll t'ink about it later. Got more important tings t' do...
He walked over to Rogue. She was absorbed in what she was doing, once again ignoring the world in sheer pleasure of movement.
She did a set of handsprings, culminating in a head-first flip which she landed in a perfect split.
Merde. Remy began to clap, slowly. If he didn't so something soon, he wasn't going to be able to hold back the urge to find out if she was that passionate and free in everything she did. Not t' mention flexible.
Rogue's head shot up, and her eyes widened, then narrowed. She hadn't been aware of him watching her. She quickly stood up.
"Where's Emma?"
Remy trailed his gaze along her body again, taking his sweet time before answering her question. "She left. She said she had a phone call. She'll call you later."
Rogue walked to him, frowning, "Ya weren't rude ta her, were you?"
He grinned at her, "Mebbe a little."
Rogue snorted, trying to hide how amused she was. "Why'd ya get her ta leave?"
Remy stepped close to her. "Would t'ink dat would be obvious, chere. I came t' meet y', not her."
A confused look came over Rogue's face.
Remy took advantage of it, stepping even closer, "I wanted t' be wit' ya, not her."
Rogue's face immediately closed down, all emotion disappearing. "Forget mah mutation already, Swamp Rat? No one can be with me. Even if Ah decided t' let ya."
He smirked, "Ya here, ain't ya?"
"Only 'cause ya promised an opportunity ta kick ya sorry butt."
Remy grinned, "Y' welcome t' try, cherie."
Rogue closed the space between them, lifting her face to his defiantly, "Ah'll do more then that."
"Oh, I hope so," Remy breathed.
Rogue raised her eyebrows and tilted her head, "Let's go then," and she neatly stepped around him, stooping down to pick up her gloves that she had left on the edge of the mat, and walking over to the combat circle.
Remy turned to follow her, his body on automatic pilot. His jaw twitched. Why dat little…river rat! I can't believe she just did dat! He smirked, No wonder I like dis fille.
He joined her in the ring, smirking as he looked her over one more time. Remy's gonna enjoy dis.
Rogue finished tugging on her gloves, and they began to circle each other, measuring their opponent.
"Take it off, Swamp Rat."
"Chere, Remy's shocked! An' here he t'ought ya were just here t' fight."
"Shut-up. Ya know what Ah mean."
"Well, it sounds t' me like--"
"Your image inducer, Gumbo. If Ah'm gonna fight ya, Ah wanna fight ya."
"Fine," he complied, unable to stop the secret thrill her words gave him. "But Remy should warn ya, Mud pie, his eyes give him an unfair advantage in a fight. Dey start t' glow, an' can become hypnotic."
Rogue snorted, "So is saying 'Loook into mah eyes' your best shot, Cajun?"
"What's de matter, ma cherie? Ya can't call Remy the same t'ing twice? If ya must call him anyt'ing, he suggests his name."
Rogue's teeth clenched together, "Ah ain't yours, Remy."
And with that, she attacked him.
He dodged her roundhouse kick and counter-attacked with an attempt to kick her feet out from under her. Rogue easily flipped over his leg and threw a punch at his exposed side, which he turned just in time to catch. He yanked her towards him and she went with it, raising her knee to gut him. He blocked it with his own leg and used his other hand to slide down her back onto her butt.
Rogue's eyes widened, and she spun around, jabbing him in the gut with her elbow.
Remy grunted and released her.
"That all ya got, Swamp rat?"
"Remy's yet t' show ya what he's got, cherie."
Rogue's eyes narrowed. "Ya're all talk. Ah've yet ta be impressed."
He gave her an easy grin, "De night's still young, chere."
They began to fight again, still somewhat tentatively, each testing the other out. Their speed began to increase, along with the force of their blows. Remy was slightly more agile than Rogue, but she was faster.
Rogue grinned, and began a flurry of punches and kicks that Remy was hard pressed to stop. He resorted to grabbing her arm and throwing her backwards.
Rogue recovered quickly, "Ya ain't half bad, Swamp Rat."
"I could say de same t'ing about ya, River Rat. In fact, ya're better den I t'ought."
Rogue grinned at him, "Then why are ya smiling?"
He grinned back at her, "Because I know something ya don' know."
"An' what is that?" she was having a hard time keeping back her laughter.
"I am not left-handed," (1) Remy said with a bow that he immediately turned into a forward flip, ending with his fist where Rogue's face was only moment's before.
Rogue attempted to kick his legs out from under him, but he dodged the blow. They continued the fight.
Soon, they fell into a natural pattern. It was like dancing. Every punch was blocked. Every kick was dodged. Every attempt to trip the other over was evaded. They were--to put it quite simply--matched.
XXXX
Rogue spun away from his blow, whirling to block his quick punch. She followed through with a quick jab to his solar plexus. He caught her hand and tugged her forward. She used the momentum to flip over and away from him, pulling out of his grasp.
He turned to face her and their eyes locked.
His eyes, his eyes. They weren't flickering anymore. They were glowing a steady, entrancing red.
His eyes, his eyes. And she wasn't fighting anymore. They were just…standing there…breath heaving in and out of them.
His eyes, his eyes. Rogue found herself taking a small step closer to his warm body. He noticed this and quickly closed the distance between them, standing only a breath away he waited for her to eliminate the distance and reach for him.
She couldn't break her gaze…his eyes, they were enrapturing, hypnotic…hypnotic. Rogue remembered Remy's warning with a gasp, and stumbled away from him. In her haste to escape his gaze, she misjudged her distance from the edge of the platform and tumbled off, striking her head hard against the wooden floor.
Rogue briefly lost consciousness.
"Chere!" Remy said and was at her side in an instant. He knelt beside her to assess her condition, his hands automatically brushing aside the strands of hair that had fallen across her face. Three of his bare fingers brushed against her forehead, and he was so concerned for her that he scarcely noticed that nothing happened.
Merde, Remy! What are y' sup'osed t' do for someone who's unconscious? Ya ought t' know dis! But he didn't, he couldn't think of a single thing to do, only remembering enough to know that he shouldn't move her in case her neck was broken. "Rogue, ya gotta wake up!" Some date dis is. Didn't want to sweep her off her feet like dis, neh?
"Rogue," he repeated, urgently.
She moaned softly, and her eyelids fluttered open. "Get offa me, Swamp Rat."
Remy let out a sigh of relief and eased away from her. "Ya had me worried dere fo' a minute, River Rat."
Rogue groaned again and attempted to sit up. "Don't worry. Ah've got a hard head. Takes more then a lil' fall to knock me out for the count." Sitting up, the room started spinning and she sighed, lying back down. "It's just been a long day. Ah guess mah body wanted ta take a little nap."
Remy smirked at her and lay down beside her, propping his head up on an elbow so that he could maintain the best possible view. "If ya need help gettin' up, ya just have t' ask, chere."
"Ah don't need any help, least of all yours."
"Den get up."
She rolled her eyes and said, "Ah wouldn't think ya'd be so eager ta talk me out of lyin' next ta ya."
"Mais, when ya put it like dat," and he edged forward and traced a gloved finger across her collar bone.
This brought Rogue bolting upright. "D'ya wanna go again, Cajun?"
"Love it when ya talk dirty, cherie," he said, lazily standing to join her.
Rogue punched him in the jaw.
He moved with the blow, easily absorbing most of the force. "Remy guesses he deserved dat, fo' lettin' ya get hurt." He stepped close to her his hands clenched into fists at his sides. "But don't do dat again, not unless ya want t' try and finish it."
"Don't think Ah can't, Cajun."
"Remy don't doubt ya. Mais, mebbe ya shouldn't t'ink it would be dat easy, neh?"
Rogue gave him a nasty smile, "Why not? It seems ya're easy with everything else."
Remy narrowed his eyes, "Jealous, chere?"
"Ya wish."
"Non, not really," he smiled at her. "Remy likes ya just de way dat ya are."
Rogue's eyes widened, and she swallowed. She took a step back and averted her gaze. What does he mean by that?
There was silence between them for a moment.
"Ah should get goin'. It's been a long day, an' Ah have an early meetin' tomorrow."
Remy knew better than to press her to stay. "Den let Remy see y' safely hope, chere."
"Ah can take care of mahself, Swamp Rat. Ah would think that would be obvious."
"Mais, it not be for ya. It be for Remy's own peace of mind."
"Ah'm sure ya want ta follow me home for your 'peace of mind.' It has nothin' ta do with finding out where Ah'm staying."
Remy shrugged. "Un homme can have more den one goal."
Rogue rolled her eyes, "Remy, if ya were a girl alone in a city, would ya want some stranger knowing where ya lived?"
"Mais oui, if Remy was une fille wit' un homme like Remy after her, den he would be very open wit' de homme."
"That only proves that ya'd be an even dumber girl than ya are un homme," she said, mauling the French furiously.
Remy raised an eyebrow, "Y' speakin' French?"
"What's it sound like ta ya?"
He winced, "Mebbe y' don' wan' Remy t' answer dat, hein?"
Rogue gave a low throaty laugh. She began to respond only to be cut off by her cell phone.
"Yeah? … No. … OK."
Remy stared at her curiously.
Rogue turned away from him and picked up her sweatshirt, shrugging it on.
Remy watched the movements of her body with regret. He had never thought of spandex so fondly before in his life.
"That offer of a ride home still valid, Cajun?"
"As y' wish, ma belle." (2)
Rogue sighed. "Ah ain't yours, Remy. Don't make me beat ya again ta prove it."
Remy grabbed her gloved hand and brought it up to his lips, and kissed the back of her hand, staring into her eyes the whole time. Then maintaining his grip on her hand, he led her out to his motorcycle.
AN: Wow, I know it's been a long time. But hey, long absence, long update. That makes up for it, right? Truthfully, I could have just updated the bit about FORCE, but for some reason I always saw her finding out about Remy and getting to fight him in the same chapter. So yeah, the wait, the length, it was worth it, right? Right?
Hope you guys enjoyed that bit of denial the two of them going on before things got more complicated. And yes, I had to complicate them. I mean, it wasn't as if they already had enough relationship issues, right?
What happened to Kitty? Why did Bobby leave Force? What happened that made Rogue so despise Emma? And what was up with Emma at the end? Why was she suddenly so nice? Don't worry, all will be revealed. Let me know what you think of Rogue's team. I agonized over who to put on it, although some people were obvious to the plot--also, the pesky plot wouldn't let me put on some people that I really wanted. Oh well, they're still fun, right?
And my favorite line in this chapter? "So is saying 'Loook into mah eyes' your best shot, Cajun?"
Oh, and about their fighting. I would have loved to give you a detailed fight scene. But my fingers were killing me, and I don't think I could have gone on for as long as they were fighting. So I short-cutted. About them being 'matched.' I figure, Rogue was trained as an assassin and soldier. Every time that she's fighting someone and trying not to kill them, she's at a disadvantage. She's very, very good at what she does. But she tries not to do that stuff anymore. And Gambit was trained to fight, not to kill, but to incapacitate those trying to kill him (After all, he was trained to fight against the Assassins, right?) That's why he's so "grabby" when he fights...well, that's one of the reasons, anyway. So I figure, whenever they fight (at least in this fic), Gambit is gonna have the upper hand unless Rogue is really trying to kill him, in which case I'm not sure who would win. But I don't want Rogue to kill Remy, because then I would run out of story. So I guess we'll just never find out which one of them would really win.
This is the part of the author's note where I shamelessly beg for reviews. Y'know I never realized how motivating they were. The sooner we get through this plot stuff, the sooner I can incorporate Romy-fluff… :0)
Seriously, if you read it let me know what you think, all right?
Quote: 1 That exchange from "Then why are you smiling" to the "1" is taken directly from The Princess Bride. If you haven't seen that movie, then stop what you're doing and (right after you review) go out and find it! It is one of the best movies in the entire world. Actually, if you haven't seen it, don't review--go, get the movie, watch it, and come back and review and let me know what you thought (of both my story and the movie. Gee, I'm not at all demanding, huh? ;0)).
2 "As you wish" is also a line from The Princess Bride.
Review Responses:
Enchanted light: You loved it? Yay! That makes me feel good. Hope you enjoyed this one too.
Lyrit Liltrick: Don't really remember why my prof said that a toothache symbolized sexual frustration. Probably something like 'an itch ya can't scratch,' or some such thing. Hey, people find all sorts of symbolism in Shakespeare. And he hinted at an awful lot of stuff. For example, the word "die" in this quote "I will live in thy heart, die in thy lap, and be buried in thy eyes; and moreover I will go with thee to thy uncle's." Benedict is making reference to a certain sexual act. Oh the joy and innocence of the Renaissance, or something like that. (Still think that line's hilarious, though.)
Ishandahalf: Yah, Rogue was willing to put up with a lot more when he was just some random stranger…now, it's on. She's royally ticked off at him for making her feel and interfering with her job. Poor Rogue. It's only gonna get worse for her. Personally, I can't stand coffee. Love chocolate, hate coffee. A friend of mine took me out to Starbucks once in an attempt to convert me and bought me a mocciatto with an actual brownie in it, and it still didn't work. I like tea though. Nothing's that special about their date, except that it's a very nice private gym. Sorry if I didn't make my intentions for them clear. I'm so glad you liked the toothache thing! Totally spur of the moment. It amused me greatly. And yes, Remy's in for it, big time. But he asks for it, ya know? Hope you enjoyed this chapter.
Cat: Yes they're going to be falling deeper and deeper and the situation is just going to get worse and worse. I know, I'm cruel. But hey, that's drama for ya, right? And fortunately, the characters can't come out of my screen and beat me up for tormenting them. :whew: Hope you enjoyed this bit. And--hey--denial's fun. Just look at those two.
Bored247: Wow, that's a lot of chocolate! I think I'm getting hyper just reading it. But I'm glad you enjoyed it. Makes me grin. Hope you liked this bit too!
Wrapped in Banana Foil: No, they definitely won't be getting together right away. But it'll be worth it all in the end, if I can help it. Hope you enjoyed this bit.
coldqueen: Can't live with 'em, can't live without 'em.
Kit: Oh good, you liked the slap! I was so tempted to have her kiss him…but then I realized that she just wouldn't. And yeah, Bishop's contact information was stupid--but they both knew that. He was just trying to get her in trouble. Boo and hiss. Not really much flirtyness in this chap, but I kinda like the denial and the ending bit.
Chica de los ojas café: Glad you liked it. I know this isn't soon, but I tried. Hope you enjoyed this as well.