I know, I took forever. Please don't hate me. :-)
Thanks so much to everybody that reviewed!
JUST ARRIVED
The train made its last stop. They were in New Orleans. Rogue cautiously made her exit from the train, half expecting someone to come after her. This was not the safe place her mother had originally wished it to be for her. 'Her mother'. She had to laugh at the thought. All her 'mother' wanted was to use her. But that was not the issue at hand, even though her mother was part of it. This was going to be a battle between her and Belle. Not that it wasn't a long time in coming, but she had to be cautious. Belle was never one to play fair, and would tip the scales in her favor any possible way that she could find.
Rogue's paranoia seemed warranted as they both realized that they were being followed soon after they left the train station. They easily separated, taking two separate paths that ended up in the same alleyway. Rogue quickly turned, grabbing her wannabe stalker and slamming their back into the wall. Both of their eyes went a little wide as they noticed who it was.
"Henri, what da hell?"
"Oui, mon frere." He choked out under Rogue's grasp.
"Whay ya followin' meh an' how'd ya know Ah was heah?" Rogue nearly growled out. Henri's face began to turn a light shade of purple. Remy laid his hand on Rogue's hand, but she refused to let go of Henri's neck, but she did back off a little bit, waiting for her answer.
"Just got dis call da other day. Said you were comin'. We been watchin' any possible routes inta da city." Rogue seemed to be satisfied with his answer and let his neck go abruptly, causing him to drop to the ground choking. She stepped back and leaned against the wall opposite of him. However, Remy went to help his brother.
"What be da point in dis watchin' mon frere?" Henri's eyes turned to slits as he looked over at Rogue.
"Would think dat it would be obvious to you Remy. What are you doin' wit her anyway? Thought you gave up on dat a long time ago. Thought you were workin' for dat home up in New York."
"Be a long story best suited for an autre time. You come ta kill her?" Henri chuckled under his breath.
"We be thieves, not assassins. Dat seems to be her type a'work."
"What's da point in dis little rendez-vous den?"
"Just checkin' our intel."
"Pourquoi? Who dis be for?"
"Dey kill us if we don't follow through Remy. Her mere seen ta dat. She already made sure we were down in numbers."
"Mah mama?" Rogue began to get angry.
"For starters, Henri, Ah ain't got a mama! Secondly, you go and tell her all ya want, but Ah don't wanna see ya unfriendly face again!" She grabbed his shirt and stood him up onto his feet. Then she grabbed Remy's hand and used Kurt's power to teleport out of there before Henri changed his mind about being a thief.
Rogue made sure that they did not go far, only to the roof of a building that looked over the alleyway so that she could keep an eye on Henri. Remy grabbed her by the shoulders and quickly turned her to him, trying too desperately to get her attention.
"Are you sure dat you still want to do dis chere?" She looked at him a bit annoyed.
"Whose side are ya on anyway?"
"Yours chere, always, mais dis be a bit too much."
"Look," she sighed, "Ah know he's ya brother, and Ah ain't gonna hurt him. Or at least as long as he doesn't try ta kill meh. Ah told ya that this is mah fight, not yours. Ya don't have ta beh here." Remy brushed a hand ruggedly through his hair.
"Oui, Remy does."
They followed Henri to an old abandoned building that looked as if it used to be some type of military base at some point. Rogue just kept wondering what she was going to do once she actually was able to see Belladonna's face once again. They were able to get inside the building without being seen. The place held a few storage containers and the lights were dim and flickered just a bit. Rogue was just about to point for Remy to go ahead when she was knocked out from behind.
She woke up in a bright room tied down to some type of medical bed. Remy was no where to be seen. She pulled against her straps over and over, unable to get lose. Just as she was about to use Kitty's powers to get her out of her bind, someone came to the door. It reminded her of that dream that she first had. The one in the train, where Belle and Remy were there. Belle slowly approached her as Remy leaned back against the wall shuffling a deck of cards.
Belle held a knife to Rogue's throat.
"Now I want da truth from you." Rogue smirked.
"The truth is not somethin' ya can apparently handle, since ya seem ta beh a huge bitch no mattah what." Belle pressed the knife into her neck just enough to get a few drops of blood to trickle.
"I want da truth! I want what you stole from me." Rogue thought it over in her head as to what this crazy woman was speaking of. She really didn't have a clue, did she? Rogue was right, there was something really wrong with this scenario. Belle did not remember anything, did she? She could work with this.
"Ah take it she told ya not ta believe anyway, right?" Belle looked at Rogue a little bit confused. Remy suddenly shifted into the blue woman Rogue had known for so long.
"So you know it is me? Does not change anything."
"It changes everythin', doesn't it Belladonna. Ya knew that it was her too, but do ya know whay she is havin' ya do tha honors, instead of her bein' the one doin' all of the interrogatin'?"
"Cause you are the one whole stole my memories."
"Non, chere. Dat was an accident, dat you better livin' without." Remy came walking into the room. Mystique quickly shifted into Sabertooth.
"Dat suppose to scare Gambit, chere?" he laughed.
"Why don't Gambit go get you a nice ball of yarn to play wit?"
"I'll show you whose playing." Mystique growled out, lunging at the man. Rogue took that as her cue to phase out of the bed. Belladonna turned back to Rogue to find no one there.
"Come back here and face me!" she screamed out. Rogue phased back through the floor, rematerializing right behind her.
"Turn 'round then sug." She whispered into her ear. Quickly, she jumped back just far enough that Belladonna's knife did not touch her.
"That the best ya got?" Belle's face quickly became a bit contorted, as if she remembered hearing that before.
"She's using ya, just lahke she did meh." Rogue told her as they continued to fight.
"You're lying! Just give me back what is mine!"
"Either way your gonna wanna kill meh!" Rogue quickly took the opening to kick her in the stomach which sent her flying back into the wall behind her. She held her there with Jean's telekinesis.
"She doesn't know, but Ah can really give ya those memories back. She didn't count on that. Belle, Ah can help ya." Those cold blue eyes that she remembered seemed to change ever so slightly. They did not have an understanding, but of acceptance. But that was all the time Belle needed, as Rogue felt a sharp pain in her back. Mystique had stabbed her.
"You're right Anna. You were never good enough to be my daughter." Rogue began to choke on her own blood as she fell to the ground.
