Disclaimer: I don't own them!
Chapter 5.
Anna was exhausted. They had spent the past three days successfully avoiding inspections at various points along the way. She assumed Remy was indeed headed towards New Orleans, however, he hadn't volunteered any information about their destination and she hadn't asked. In fact they had barely exchanged words since a terrible argument the day after leaving the hotel. Since then, they had been on pins and needles with each other. But, if she discounted the tension and the occasional sarcastic remark here or there, she could pretend that each had gotten quite good at ignoring the other's presence.
She wondered yet again, how she had ended up in this situation and tried to assess her options. It had seemed like a simple, sure thing in theory. Run away from home, check. Assist in apprehending a wanted criminal, check. Move on with her life, check. Except she had failed at each of the three tasks, was now stuck in the company of said criminal, and had no idea what was going to happen to her. Remy had taken her laptop, so she had no way of communicating with anyone. Not that there were a lot of people she could trust; only Raven and Kurt. By now, Raven should know that something was wrong, when Anna hadn't contacted her. Since Raven had thought it best to keep their meeting place in Caldecott County, Mississippi, between the two of them, Kitty had no way of letting Raven know what had happened. She briefly considered that Pietro would be trying to contact her. However, Remy had been thoughtful enough to dispose of her cell phone before leaving the hotel. Of course, being "rescued" by Pietro was a contradiction of terms. It was difficult to decide who to despise more. It was the proverbial devil and a hard place.
They were currently driving a small sedan that Remy had "acquired" the day before. This was their third in as many days, always nondescript vehicles, with lightly tinted windows. Ever resourceful, Remy had gotten hold of travelling papers that identified them as a married couple, Susannah and Stephen Roberts.
Anna opened her eyes to see that they were approaching another checkpoint. It was almost nightfall, and the rain was coming down hard. Remy slowed the car to a halt in front of the barricades. Two SCF officers dressed in waterproof jackets with hoods requested their papers. Several others stood in the tower a few feet away. All were fully armed. Remy silently wound down his window and handed them to the large man holding a flashlight. They were both wearing image inducers so Remy's distinctive eyes which would have immediately singled him out as a mutant, and Anna's distinctive hair were both disguised as an unremarkable shade of brown. Anna nervously looked at Remy, but he looked completely at ease. Remy didn't expect any problems from the SCF. They looked like an ordinary couple – there was nothing to single them out as mutants, or worse, as part of the resistance.
"Do you mind stepping out of the vehicle?" It was phrased as a question, but Remy knew he had little choice in the matter. The SCF had the legal capacity to search any vehicles or individuals passing through state borders.
"No problem, mon ami, got nothing to hide."
Remy got out while one of the officers frisked him. He only had a deck of cards in the pocket of his coat, a half empty box of cigarettes and a lighter.
"You too Miss."
Anna reluctantly allowed the overweight female to search her. She felt small in comparison to the cops around her. They were physically imposing, even the woman, whom Anna judged to be around 5'11''. She didn't see why they even needed to frisk her. There was very little she could have been hiding within her tight black pants and top.
Remy went with the officers to the trunk of the car. He opened it revealing a pair of large, dirty sneakers, courtesy of the former owners, some tools and a spare tire. There was no respite from the rain as he stood waiting for their response. He could see Anna's wet hair plastered down her face.
"O.k. You're free to go. Don't delay on the streets. Remember there's a curfew in place." The woman handed Anna back the now stamped papers, and turned her attention to the vehicles in line behind them.
Anna gave a sigh of relief when they were finally on their way, increasing the distance between them and the SCF. Remy glanced over at her. "Your father must be pretty proud of himself."
Anna pretended not to hear him, but he wasn't about to give up there. "How does it make you feel, as a mutant yourself, to be treated like a criminal."
"I wouldn't know. I guess it helps if you're actually not a criminal."
"Are you crazy or just naïve? Curfews in major cities? The government is trying to flush out mutants. They've got everyone so hysterical, people are reporting anyone who looks or dresses or behaves a little differently. What kind of life can we ever expect to have in this environment, mutant or not? How can you be all right with that?
"I'm not interested in having a philosophical debate with you." Anna responded coldly. She turned her head toward her window, indicating that the conversation had come to an end.
Remy gritted his teeth. She was without a doubt the most infuriating woman he had ever met; a title he previously thought reserved for his ex-wife. She couldn't really be that blind to their reality even if she was the daughter of Owen Chase. Even he, insulated as he had been, living with the Thieves Guild, had left his old life behind to fight for the cause. He could have led a comfortable life under the protection of his family without ever being exposed, but that went against everything he stood for. Even thieves had honour. But for now, he had to get them to safety, before the curfew began. He looked over at Anna. Even asleep, she looked proud and defiant, and beautiful. Without thinking, he brushed the damp strands of her back from her eye. Beautiful. And she hated him, he had to remind himself.
He tried to think back to the battle at Muir Island. One of the ever increasing clashes between a small number of the government's mutant soldiers and a handful of resistance troops. It was one of the more violent encounters he had experienced, but he and his team had fared much better than the other side. He wondered which of the soldiers had been Anna's fiancé. He never thought about the people they were opposing. It was easier to fight a nameless, faceless opponent, for precisely this reason. He had no idea what to say to Anna. He was sorry that she was hurt, and he didn't want to fight, but he believed in his cause. He was, is, doing the right thing, but, how do you say sorry for causing that kind of pain? It was just too complicated. If he was smart, he would keep his distance from Anna, too. Still, a part of him longed to find out more about 'Joseph'; what kind of man would Anna have loved? Not that he was interested in her. They were after all, on opposite sides. Even if the matter of her fiancé didn't stand between them, their views were irreconcilable. Non. This was just his inquisitive nature at work. Thieves always do their research.
He was back in familiar territory, only a day from home. They would have reached before, but the journey was twice as long with the more recent "safety regulations" the government had implemented. He pulled into the small Bed & Breakfast he had been looking out for. The owner, Claude, was an old friend and had been expecting him.
"Anna. Wake up!" She didn't budge.
He went around to Anna's side, pulling her sleeping form from the car. He carried her to the room and laid her on the bed, making a second trip to get the bags.
Anna awoke to see Remy standing over her. She sat up abruptly and took in her surroundings. They were in a large room, with a sitting area on the opposite end of the room and she was lying on the only bed. Not that Remy would trust her alone. Since they had left the others behind, they travelled all day, staying in single rooms. Rather futile in her opinion, since Remy had confiscated her own travel documents. She couldn't go anywhere on her own. She wouldn't last a day without proper identification. Although to give the devil his due, metaphorically speaking, Remy had always wordlessly taken the couch. He was a perfect gentleman. No innuendoes or insinuations. He probably preferred to sleep with women who didn't try to get him killed. Fair enough. But it didn't seem like him to get picky at this point. Anna smiled unconsciously at that point.
Remy was looking down at her. "I thought you might want to get out of those damp clothes. The last thing I need is for you to get sick on my watch." He nodded to her bag on the floor, and then left the room.
It occurred to her, as she got undressed, that Remy had carried her to the room. A nice thing to do. Maybe a little romantic even. Well, it would be under the right circumstances: a nice guy that the girl likes, it helps if the girl is awake too. Besides, she imagined he'd had a lot of practice. It was probably second nature for him to carry women to his room. Come to think of it, maybe he was just using basic psychology on her. In theory, it makes it so much harder to hate him when he's nice. But then he wasn't really nice to her when they actually spoke. They weren't even civil in their brief conversations.
When she finally emerged from the bathroom, she was actually in a good mood. The trip there had been uncomfortable, after getting caught in the rain at the last checkpoint. She had been cold and wet and tired, and generally pissed off. She had barely slept, since meeting Gambit. The past few nights she had spent lying awake, until the wee hours of morning not long before it was time to be off again. At first, she tried to be on guard, just in case, since she was currently powerless. But even when it was clear Remy wasn't going to try to kill her in her sleep (why he would wait until she was asleep was beside the point), she found herself tormented by her thoughts, and fears of what would happen afterwards if she did make it out of this situation. Amazing what a good nap and a warm shower could do. She came out to see Remy seated on the couch. He had apparently bathed and changed elsewhere, and ordered dinner. Her stomach growled suddenly and she realised suddenly that she was starving as the wonderful aroma wafted through the room. There was also bottle of wine and dessert. He hadn't bothered to wait for her. More chinks in the armour. Definitely un-gentleman-like.
"Thank you" Anna said sincerely as she sat beside him, before picking up her own tray from the sofa table.
"Hmmm, I guess I should feed you well more often. It seems to improve your disposition." Remy could have accepted her gratitude, but he didn't feel like being gracious at the moment.
"So much for the southern gentleman." She countered. Maybe she deserved that. But where did he get off acting all superior.
"The last time I checked, trying to get someone killed wasn't considered good etiquette, Anna."
"Excuse me Remy, but, you don't wanna start the whose crimes are worse game. If it wasn't for your actions, we wouldn't be here in the first place." Anna responded heatedly. "I'd be off somewhere in Europe right now, and you'd be doing… whatever it is you do."
Remy didn't respond. Game, set, match to Anna. It was just a matter of time before they had gotten to this. Dieu. He wasn't looking forward to it.
"Anna, I think we need to talk…"
"No, Remy!" She looked intently at her fork as she toyed with her food. She seemed to do that when something was bothering her. He remembered from their first dinner together. "I don't want to have to do anything right now. I just want to enjoy my dinner. Please, let's just have a truce for now. Nothing about the past."
She seemed so agitated. Remy was not sure what to do, but since the conversation wasn't likely to have a happy ending anyway, he decided not to pursue it. "O.k. chère." She relaxed visibly at that. They ate in silence. He refilled both their glasses with wine, and leaned back on the couch closing his eyes. Anna noticed for the first time the dark circles under his eyes.
"You can have the bed." She volunteered.
He opened his eyes, smiling slightly. "Don't tell me you actually care, chère"
"No. It's in my best interest that you don't fall asleep at the wheel tomorrow." She finished off her wine.
He smiled at her again. She wasn't sure if she had noted before how very handsome he was when he smiled. She actually felt very comfortable and relaxed for some reason; maybe it was the combination of sleep deficiency and alcohol. She felt a little warm. She was sitting so that she was facing him on the couch. They were physically close, but not touching. She was aware of just how close he was. Remy leaned over and took both her hands in his.
"Anna, I'm really sorry about what happened."
She shifted, suddenly sitting up straight, a rather panicked look on her face. "I don't want to talk about this." He held her hands so she couldn't get up. "Non. Il faut que tu comprends. Je suis desole. I didn't set out for things to happen the way they did. I'm not a cold blooded killer. I'm just doing the best I can with the cards I've been dealt. If I could change the way it turned out I would. Anna, you have to believe that. Do you see?
His eyes pleaded with her to say yes. Tears glistened in her eyes, but she refused to give in. Luckily she was saved by a knock on the door. Remy glared at the door, before striding quickly over, and opening it.
Claude handed him a key. "It's all set for when you leave. Ca va?" He looked curiously at Anna standing beside the couch.
"Oui. Everything's fine. The meal was fantastique, as always. Thanks, mon ami."
Anna couldn't hear what the two were saying, but after a few moments, Remy closed the door behind him. As he approached, she was afraid he would want to resume their conversation. "I'm going to lie down." She was said, a bit abruptly, and sat on the edge of the bed, discarding some of the pillows.
"Didn't you just offer me the bed?" Remy had an amused look on his face.
"You're right. Its only fair." Anna was about to get up, but Remy plopped down beside her. "It is big enough for two." He added sardonically "Don't worry. Contrary to what you might think, I'm not in the habit of making unwanted advances. You're safe from me."
He then closed his eyes and ignored her completely. After a few minutes, she heard the deep, even pattern to his breathing and realised he was asleep. She closed her eyes, and tried to go to sleep too. A few minutes later, she turned to face Remy, edging closer until she was curled up in his warmth. "Chère, what's wrong" He opened his eyes.
"I'm cold." She mumbled. She was. He could feel how cold her hands were, and she had goose bumbs on her arm. He got off the bed and pulled the comforter and sheets down. She quickly hopped under the covers, and he joined her, rubbing his hands along her arms to warm her. He pulled her close to him, and closed his eyes to go back to sleep. He tried to ignore the feeling of her body next to his and her breath on his neck. His body wasn't paying much attention to his instructions however. All he would have to do is run his hands down her thin dress, press his lips down on hers, and… that wasn't helping matters. Dieu, she was driving him crazy. Just breathe. This was nothing special. God why does he feel so good? She sighed contentedly next to his ear, and he felt a tingling sensation travelling the length of his spine.
Ok. That's it. Remy shifted up, lifting his head off his pillow and looked down at her. He was about to move away to the extreme end of the bed, but she wrapped her arms around his back. She was looking up at him, her green eyes wide with a combination of desire and innocence. He felt intoxicated. "Anna" he whispered, as he caressed her face. There was something about the way he said her name – it sounded beautiful and exotic and she loved it. He was going to say that whatever was about to happen was a bad idea. She probably wasn't ready. He was going to do the right thing for everyone. But right then, Anna pressed her body flush against his. She gasped as the current ran through both of them, arching her back. She closed her eyes, and her lips parted slightly as she moaned out loud. She tightened her grip on him. All Remy's resistance crumbled in that instant.
He took Anna's mouth in a deep kiss, grabbing her hair with one hand, he ran his free hand down her body, caressing her breast, her oh so curvaceous hips, her ass, her legs. He wanted to be slow and gentle, but his desire to be inside her was overwhelming, as her hands found their way under his shirt, teasing his nipples, and pulling down his pants. He moaned in her mouth, and pulled her under him. Quickly peeling off her dress, he licked and suckled her nipples until she cried out. She couldn't take anymore, she just wanted him. "Remy, please." Her nails dug into his shoulders. He ran his fingertips along her inner thighs, finally making his way to her underwear. He gently stroked her through her thin wet panties, watching as her eyes grew smoky from passion, before slipping a finger in. She gasped his name again, and he closed his eyes at the throbbing sensation that caused. She ran her fingers through his hair, before dragging them down his back. He felt her small hand wrap around him, moving slowly up and down, and she began to place a trail of small kisses along his shoulder and up the side of his neck. He closed his eyes. "Anna, mon amour, wait." It was so intense, he needed to slow things down. Take his time with her. Make it last. His hands caressed her cheek, and his gaze was so passionate she wanted him even more then as she looked into his eyes. "Tu es si belle, Anna." He kissed her softly on the lips, teasing her with his tongue until they were both frustrated. She grabbed him, kissing him thoroughly, wrapping both legs around his waist. Remy groaned at the sensation, thrusting against her, through the barrier of their underwear.
A knock came at the door. Remy made an annoyed sound. "Claude can come back later." He pulled Anna back into his arms, kissing her tenderly. The knocking was persistent and getting louder. Anna motioned for him to answer. "Fine. O.k., I'll go." He rolled his eyes and picked up his pants quickly getting into them and opening the door, grumbling as he went "He has the worst timing in the world."
Claude came inside quickly shutting the door. "Remy, there's trouble."