Chapter 5
Warning: dirty talk ahead. But not in the way you'd expect.
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"It is better to suffer wrong than to do it, and happier to be sometimes cheated than not to trust."
-Samuel Johnson
"We must respect the past, and mistrust the present, if we wish to provide for the safety of the future."
- Joseph Joubert
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Ororo watched as Anna led Remy out of the room, the latter mouthing 'help me' with complete seriousness as she remained glued to her bed.
She was completely confused with her emotions. A bit of her of her wanted to watch Remy recoil from the woman in horror and run to her arms. A lot of her wanted to kick, scream and pull Rogue's hair out. Most of her wanted to be happy her friend was back, despite the circumstances. All of her wanted Remy Lebeau and nothing was going to change that.
At least Remy wasn't completely sold on Anna Marie. Ororo was his friend but there was another woman out there she was rooting for. It was funny how true the old adage was: the enemy of my enemy is my friend. Not that Rogue was an enemy per se, but an unexpected obstacle.
Ororo looked at her clock, surprised it read 11 AM already. She tried to focus on the early morning's events to cheer her up, her almost kiss with Remy but her thoughts wandered back to the present.
Instead, she tried to think back to Remy's actions over the past month, and realized he hadn't been out to any of the bars or clubs without her since Rogue was gone. Then again, she wasn't his babysitter but he always told her everything. "Maybe 'she' is you…" a little voice whispered in her head and she retorted, "Elisabeth Braddock, if you are so interested in my thoughts, I have a few my lightning would like to share with you…"
"Truce?" The purple haired Japanese woman trotted up the stairs, hands up to indicate no weapons. She was still in full uniform from earlier and was followed by Jean Grey-Summers.
"Aren't you supposed to be in the Danger Room with Wolverine, Elizabeth?"
Betsy shrugged. "I broke his nose twice and we heard of Anna's comeback so it got cut short."
Ororo raised a brow, suspicious, "Is there something going on I don't know about?"
"Isn't there always, love?" Psylocke quipped, a grin on her face.
Jean rolled her eyes and approached Ororo, sitting on the bed near her. "Ororo, we know, and we're rooting for you. Anna had her chance with him, it's your turn."
Ororo laughed, "Is this some kind of trick or joke?" Her laughter was not masking her nervousness at all. What was going on for her control of will, the control of her very thoughts, to be broadcast on public access!
"Don't play daft, Storm. You've been doin' that too long. Word has it you've got your sights set on the Cajun and the moment Anna shows up 'poof' you raise the white flags? Bloody hell, woman! You practically shoved him into her arms just now!"
Storm stood up, throwing her pillow at the headboard angrily. "The mansion is gossiping about us behind our backs? Just how long have you been listening, Betsy! And you, Jean, how could you!"
Jean held her hands up, "Whoa! You're not getting away with it this time, Ororo; masking your pain with anger. First of all, Elizabeth told me what was going on; I am an innocent party…"
"Like hell you are, hon…" the Asian smiled.
"The whole mansion is not gossiping about you. Truth be told, it's been no secret to me that you've been, um… fond… of him?"
Betsy snorted. "There's a way of putting it."
Storm grasped at straws, still trying to deny everything, "That has nothing to do with it. He is my friend, why would I not be fond!"
"We're talking about the fondness that nearly blew the mansion down last night." Jean got quiet, expecting a gust of wind to blow her away as well. Instead, the white haired woman groaned and fell back on the bed, reaching for the pillow she had just discarded and covered her face.
Ororo wanted to die. Lonely Ororo Munroe's secret nightlife revealed, Film at 11! "How many people know?" asked her voice muffled from under the pillow, her thoughts immediately going back to everyone asking her about the storm. And sneaky little Betsy had her suspicions the whole time and teased her at her expense this morning…
"Don't take that joke personal, hon. I could have toasted marshmallows between you and Lebeau when Logan and I walked in. Lessee, who knows… Me…. Jean… Logan knows SOMETHING but the geezer will not utter a word. Insists it's none of my, 'goddamned business' as he so eloquently puts it."
Ororo prayed her hardest that Logan didn't know that particular something, although she had her doubts it would do any good at this point.
Jean placed a hand on her mortified friend's shoulder. "Don't be embarrassed. Not to get in a discussion of who does what, you're not alone."
Blue eyes glared at her from under the pillow.
"Yeah, Red has a hell of time when Scotty-boy is out…"
Jean cheeks burned to match her hair, "BETSY! Like you should talk… remember Ramón?"
Ororo peeked out from the pillow. "Ramón? Who is he?"
"Ramón is more of an 'it' really…" Psylocke began.
Ororo threw the pillow at the two women, "Enough! I do not want to hear this!"
"Now that we've gotten the awkwardness out of the way," Jean giggled, "What's your game plan?"
"I have none." Storm stared at the ceiling. "I was not lying when I mentioned my fondness of him as my best friend. I don't want to lose that. Rogue is my friend as well- and I hate having such horrid feelings to her, it is unbecoming. However… there is a third woman… you ladies wouldn't happen to have some insight of that, considering the other dark secrets you must know…"
Both shook their heads. "They only thing I can tell ya is he's not poppin' one off to Anna." There was a short pause before all three fell into shrieks of laughter.
Finally catching her breath, Jean wheezed, "Betsy… for how crass you are right now, you can cheer me up any time."
"It does create a bit of a picture doesn't it?"
Ororo sobered up and decided she knew how she wanted to handle the situation: mano y mano. "Betsy, Jean, I appreciate the help but I think I want to do this on my own. I fear it might turn into a gang war if I get a 'posse'." She giggled slightly. "Besides, Rogue has no reason not to go after Remy unless he tells her otherwise- I have staked no claim to the man. I trust he will be honorable."
Both women's eyes dropped to the floor.
"You don't believe he will do you?" She clasped her brown hands together. Was she only gullible placing so much faith in the man?
"Do you?"
"I do." Ororo realized that she did believe he would come through.
Jean rose to her feet, feeling frustrated her friend. Ororo would never reach out to Remy on her own, and she would suffer for it the rest of her life. "Betsy, we best go. We have an intervention to stake."
"Wot?"
"What are you two planning? I can tell you're conversing…" Ororo stated, not amused.
"Nothing, Wind Rider, I think Ramón is calling…"
"Please! Go!" the goddess waved her off with her hands, a look of disgust on her face. "You enjoy your boy TOY and I'll figure out a more constructive way to waste the next 8 hours."
"We're here if you need us, Ororo." Jean smiled warmly before following Betsy down the stairs.
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"About this intervention, Red..."
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Rogue led Remy, by his shirt, to his room. They both walked in silence, both feeling like he had been drop kicked by their best friend. Once back in side the room, Rogue went to shut the door but Remy reached out and grabbed it. "Stays open, Anna."
"Ah would prefer to talk to you behind a closed door."
"Then I guess it will go unsaid." He said flatly.
Anna rolled her eyes and stalked over to the chair at his desk and sat down. Remy positioned himself on the window ledge on the opposite end of the room, a gesture more than obvious to her. He sat, arms folded, staring out the window until she finally spoke.
"Remy… I came here to talk about us."
"What 'us.'" He muttered, staring out the window. Bobby, Beast and Jubilee were playing basketball with the small Chinese girl more than flustered at her companions.
"Ah want you to hear me out before you start spitting venom mah way." Her voice quivered. "Ah want to know if there is any chance for us to pick up where we left off. Six months has gone by. Ah've done a lot of thinkin' in that time and I'm sure you have to. This girl's come to realize that the only thing worth getting up for in the morning is to hear your voice, see your face. I wake up in the middle of the night thinkin' of you, almost able to smell you in my room and it's drivin' me crazy. Ah'm in love with you, Remy Lebeau." In her desperation, Rogue didn't care if he and Ororo were together. If they didn't have the courtesy to tell her so, he at least would have to hear the words of her heart and live with the guilt.
Remy turned his attention to her, noting the pain in her voice. She hung her head in her hands, body trembling. "Ah hell, Gambit. Don' y' dare fall fo' this. Femme's in distress only get y' in trouble." "Rogue, it's not that I don't care for you…" She stared at him, green eyes lighting up at the words. "Other words, Remy! Dammit! You're gonna lead her on!" "But I've got another woman right now." "Liar!" his mind screamed. Well, kind of. One of the women was the 'woman.' He felt like a rat. He was 2-0 lying to the most important women in his life.
Rogue shook her head, hair swaying gently. "Ah know, Remy. Lord, you're a snake."
He raised an eyebrow, red eyes flashing subtly. "Den why y' come here fo' me?"
"How long have you been with her, Remy? Before I even left?" Rogue hated the weather witch with every fiber of her being now. That bitch had most likely been sneaking behind her back, pretending to be her friend but every word, every motion, had been with ill intent. She felt sick with betrayal.
"Non. What are y' getting at?" Gambit was truly puzzled by her change. What was she insinuating?
Why wouldn't he just admit it already? "What's her name?"
"Does dat really matter!" he asked, voice raised defensively. "Why y' so curious, Rogue?"
"Why are you so adamant about hiding it from me?" she whispered. "Remy, we could still be friends. If that's all you wanted to be, then ah would- if it meant makin' you happy. I don't want to flush 3 years down the toilet because of foolishness. Please don't lie to me anymore."
"Mon dieu." Remy rubbed his eyes. Why did she have to be so nice? It was much easier to disregard an ex if she was trying to kill you. "Anna, I think it may be too soon fo' friends..."
"I understand." She swallowed the lump in her throat.
"But I'm not writin' y' off completely. Y' hurt me, chère, an' I can' fo'get dat but I am movin' on. Y' should do de same." A weight lifted off of his chest and he realized the words weren't as difficult to say as he imagined.
"Knock, knock!" Psylocke barged in. "Anna! I was told I might find you here! Darling, we have so much to catch up on! How's the night life down south?" she winked at Remy.
"See ya around Remy." Rogue straightened her shorts as she stood and cast a last glance at Gambit. His eyes remained steady with the Asian ninja's.
"Yes, see you tonight at Harry's, Remy." Betsy shot at Remy telepathically as she led the other woman out into the hall.
"Stay out o' my head, femme."
"Pish posh, you and Ororo owe me one."
"What's that?"
"Oops! Tah tah!" she cut off the psi-link with a smug look on her face.
"Since when are you interested in mah life, Ms. Braddock? And don't you ever wear anythin' than that butt-floss getup?" she teased as they made their way down the hallway towards the main stairway.
Elizabeth laughed, "Sugah, this 'butt floss' is my trademark."
"Really, I woulda sworn the camel toe was…" Rogue thought as loud as she could.
Psylocke grinned at her, enjoying the insult at her expense. "I daresay someone has gotten saucier in her absence. I would expect more thanks, having saved you from a situation that was barely better than a poke in the eye with a blunt stick" she sighed.
"What are you talkin' about?"
"We can talk about this over lunch with Jean. Anyhoo, I am going to shower- I smell like a friggin' bag lady but go see Red about lunch."
"We're going to have the party tonight…" Rogue was becoming thoroughly confused. Wouldn't Jean and Psylocke know if the other woman was Ororo? They stopped in front of Psylocke's room.
"Yeah, but you know how those things go. Everyone gets a say in but no one says what they want. Besides, we're dying to hear what Remy had to say to you- the nerve of the bloke coming on to you when you dumped him."
"Betsy…"
"Sorry. Need to shower, bag lady smell." She disappeared into her room leaving a completely confused Rogue in the hall scratching her head.
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Author's note: I promise: this story won't turn into something like 24 with a chapter for each hour. I will strangle my muses before that happens. But all of this has a purpose and will come together in the end- I'm thinking 3 more chapters will end it. Thanks to all who are cheering me on with my writing- I hope I do not disappoint you all.
Also, seriously, if you all enjoy Remy/Ro fluff, join the yahoo group Gambit and Storm group and check out Macbeth's fics- you will not be disappointed.
