Her eyes drifted open to the soft beam of light floating through the unshielded window, disturbing her atypical, blissful slumber. Though despite the sun's impolite intrusion, she felt oddly at ease - a warm, fuzzy feeling possessing her entire body. She sighed contently as the remembrance of certain partaken events filtered into her mind, allowing a hint of a smile to grace her lips as she felt an arm drape itself over her from behind and the comforting sensation of another's body heat against her own.
Warm breath tickled the back of her neck, sending butterflies fluttering about in her stomach uncontrollably. Bringing up a hand to gently run a finger across the skin on his arm back and forth, mesmerized in thought and letting the glory of the morning have it's full effect, it was not long though until she felt him stir behind her and let out a long, deep breath, telling her that he too had been awoken by the impudent daylight.
Remy smiled gently to himself as he felt the soft tickling sensation continue repetitively across his forearm, finding it strangely soothing and heartening, comforting even - though he did not open his eyes until the gentle murmur of her voice prompted him to do so.
"Ah was born in Mississippi. Spent mah whole lahfe theah until a few months ago, with mah Momma and mah brothah Kurt. Mah Daddy left befoah ah was born, but . . . ah had a step-fathah foah a while" She finished weakly, letting out a shaky breath - somewhat hoping that he had not heard her. Remy, surprised a little by her unexpected openness, listened intently to her slow words, not moving a muscle as he silently absorbed the little information she had given.
"So, Kurt isn't y're real brot'er?" He queried lightly, his voice a little husky having not long been awake. She felt her heartbeat hasten at his words, though she forced herself to breathe slowly to calm herself and keep her emotions in check. She shook her head in reply and then realized that from his position he would not be able to tell what that gesture meant.
"No. Mah Momma married again when ah was two an' then had Kurt" She replied quietly. Remy remained still - a few minutes elapsing in silence, assuming that she was not going to reveal anymore until she began to speak again.
"He was a drunk - had a really nasty tempah. Used ta hit her when he was mad . . . he hated meh, probl'y b'cause ah wasn't his. Stupid bastard got himself killed bah a drunk drivah ironically enough" She gave a bitter laugh that racked her body as tormented images and memories from a past she had strove to forget over the years, resurfaced themselves in her minds eye.
Remy reached for her hand with his overhanging arm and held it tightly, pulling her body closer to his in a comforting embrace. Her quivering body that had mixed somewhat from embittered hilarity to hushed sobs, subsided as she fell into his hold - feeling an unusual mental release from her before unspoken history.
"Served him rahte. Ah told her so many tahmes, but she wouldn't listen . . . she jus' carried on takin' it, let meh take it too an ah ended up hatin' her foh it" She continued. Remy couldn't be sure exactly as to the extent of what 'taking it' meant as she did not elaborate, though from her hesitancy to relive it and the evident hostility in her voice as she spoke - relayed to him that they were not good memories. He felt his blood boil at the thought of her being hurt and abused deliberately and was sure that had it not been for the fact that this 'step-father' was dead - he would have been on a murderous rampage after the bastard right at that moment.
Instead, he tightened his hold about her and kissed the top of her head - a pang of guilt swelling in his stomach over how he had pressed her to divulge experiences she had obviously not wanted to remember. They remained in silence, the uncomfortable upheaval of memories still sat silently in Rogue's mind though she felt them slowly recede, disappearing back to where they had come from as she relaxed into Remy's arms.
"Gumbo, De Thomas Crown Affair and recently 'What it means to miss N'Awlins'" He said decidedly out of the blue.
"Huh?" Rogue asked confusedly and moved her head slightly to unmuffle the sound of her voice at his random words.
"Y' ask'd m' last night at de ice cream place" He replied warmly.
"Ya remembahd thaht?" She let out a laugh, the pleasant sound bringing a smile to his own mouth. They lay in comfortable silence, enjoying each other's embrace for a few more minutes before Remy began to speak.
"Nev'r knew m' birth parents. Liv'd in an orphanage till I was six . .. when a couple adopt'd m'" He spoke with a sad sigh, some of his own worst memories of his early days resurfacing. Rogue twisted about in his arms to face him, an inquisitive but concerned look adorning her features.
"Y' were adopted?" She repeated quietly. Remy gave her a small smile and brought up his free hand, twisting her dark hair that had taken on an auburn shine in the sunlight - around his fingers gently - nodding to her question.
"Oui. By de LeBeau's, who want'd anot'er kid f' dere ot'er adopt'd son, Henry . . an' dey pick'd me. Gave m' a home an' a family" He continued, captivated in the moment and playing with her hair as he looked into her softened, compassionate eyes. Rogue gazed back at him, thinking through his unexpected revelations.
"So thahts how ya became a thief?" She asked sensitively as he smiled at her question.
"Adopt'd int' a family o' dem, didn't really hav' much choice. D'ough t' b honest, I can't imagine life not bein' one" He continued to smile, though inside he was feeling a little disheartened at the actuality of not being able to imagine a life without thieving or Assassins for that matter. Rogue watched him intently, seeing his smile falter after he finished speaking. Without hesitation, she lifted her head and kissed him tenderly on the lips, he instantly pulled her toward him closing any possible space that had been let between them, to deepen the kiss. Rogue raised her hand onto his shoulder, slowly trailing it down his firmly defined arm until he suddenly flinched away, breaking the contact between them.
"Owww!" He moaned, lifting himself to take a closer look at his injured arm. Rogue looked on concerned, raising herself to look at the bandaged limb.
"Ah'm sorry. Ya should prob'ly go ta a hospital or somethin'" She apologized. Remy looked immediately at her incredulously, raising an eyebrow at the very mention of the word 'hospital' making Rogue huff and roll her eyes at him.
"Fahne! But ya should really get some antiseptic or whatevah . . . theahs gotta be a drug store around nearby" She reprimanded, climbing out of the bed and walking over to where the bags had been dropped the night before. Remy diverted his attention from the dull ache of his arm, smirking as he watched her naked, retreating form saunter across the room - observing as she picked up a few items of discarded clothing from the floor, taking a few objects out of the bags and dressed herself in a long sleeved, black v-neck, dark jeans and the green coat she had acquired in Las Vegas - all within minutes of leaving the bed.
"Don't want y' t' go alone chérie," He thought aloud, moving himself to get up. Rogue rolled her eyes again at his idiocy and bent down to put on her boots.
"Don't be stupid. Ah'll be gone all o' ten minutes if thaht - ah'm sure you'll survive without meh" She said, standing and placing a stubborn hand on her hip, looking at him as if to say 'I'm-going-alone-whether-you-like-it-or-not'.
"I doubt it petit'" He replied with a customary mischievous smirk, still sat on the edge of the bed admiring her figure from his position - watching as she scoffed at his remark and left the room.
Smiling to himself, he pulled his legs back onto the bed and relaxed back into the pillows, taking the television remote from the side table and switching it on. He idly thought that this had been the most honest and truly open conversation he had ever had with anyone in his entire life and what surprised him more was that he didn't regret a word, didn't feel any remorse for revealing more of the inner sanctum of his personality, of his life. Though incidentally, he couldn't help but feel bad at what little she had told of him of her life before their meeting - he found that his thoughts had often wondered over the past few weeks to when they had met and what his life would have been like if they hadn't.
He had never been a believer in fate, associating life more with a game of poker - knowing when you have a win and knowing when to fold - simple - until he met her, his mind somehow twisting to not completely disregard fate and destiny. He sighed and switched the channel, growing annoyed with the sound of the squeaky-voiced 'Power Puff Girls'. Whatever was going on, he knew one thing for sure - he didn't regret for one minute meeting Rogue and scarily enough, he couldn't envision the time they had known one another without her.
Rogue strolled down the busy street, looking at the shop signs ahead of her in search of the drug store the hotel receptionist had given her directions too, 'Ah eithah took a wrong turn somewheah or thaht guy had no ideah whaht he was talking 'bout' she moaned sarcastically in her head, settling on the latter reason as the most logical answer.
Finally, after a bus had nearly soaked her by splashing through a huge puddle on the side of the road from the storm last night - she saw a sign indicating a pharmacy and ran across the road at a convenient interval between traffic.
Emerging from the store a few minutes later, she began a slow walk back to the hotel, mapping out the route in her head so she wouldn't get lost. Turning a familiar corner, she suddenly felt uncomfortable and quickened her pace, trying to act as unassumingly as possible - passing another block, the feeling still did not die and she turned her head to the other side of the street - though she could not see anything suspicious and tried to pace herself, putting the feeling down to her being in different surroundings and over-reacting.
All of a sudden, she heard a car pull up abruptly behind her causing her to look about in alarm as two men jumped out of the black, tinted-window vehicle and gave chase after her. Adrenaline kicking in to her system she turned about and bolted as fast as she could - though she was not fast enough as one of the men clutched her arm, making her twist about and punch him in the face. The shock of the attack making him let her go, though by that time the other man had caught up and grabbed her from behind and began dragging her back to the stationary car.
Rogue struggled as hard as she could against the mans grip, attempting to kick his crotch and legs as he held her arms securely to her sides. Just about breaking free as he doubled over in pain, she made to make another getaway, though not realizing that the other mercenary had recovered from his momentary shock and was approaching behind, stopping her in her tracks.
"Damn bitch!" He snarled aggressively before knocking her out cold with a single blow to the head.
The sound of the telephone made him jump - he looked at it as if had somehow offended him and waited a few more rings before walking over to it and picking up the receiver."We av' de fille LeBeau. Y' ev'r want t' see her again - y' know where we'll b'".