Author's Note: Hi :) Sorry I've not published in a little while. Life ended up getting in the way for a good few months and it almost completely changed for me. All in good ways though. Got a new job, ended up having to travel out for work for a time, made new friends, went out with them and old friends. Meet a guy, started dating him, but it wasn't meant to be. Passed my theory test and have been preparing for my practical driving test. Also had to make time for family in between that. Dealt with Bonfire Night, Halloween, Christmas and the New Year and now things are just starting to calm down and settle. I have actually missed writing these little stories quite a bit so I'm looking forward to getting back to it and hoping life doesn't get too crazy again for a little while now :). Hope your all doing ok. Enjoy the stories!
The Package
Bib:
Remy receives a parcel in the mail. The issue is finding him.
Story:
Jean yawned and rubbed at her nose as she made her way down the stairs to breakfast. A knock at the front door to the mansion halted her. She went to answer it and found the postman there, delivering the daily post and a package. Normally, he would just leave the post near the gate, but the package had to be signed for apparently.
After dealing with the postman, Jean entered the dining room and began to give out letters. Once all of them were handed out, she came to the parcel. The name on the front read "Remy LeBeau."
Jean glanced around the dining room, realising for the first time that morning that she couldn't see Remy in the dining room.
"Anyone know where Remy is?" she asked the remaining people in the dining room.
Jean had actually ended up sleeping in that morning (which was unusual for her). She figured that her alarm had been turned off by someone, but she wasn't too sure who and, honestly, she wasn't too mad at them. She was actually glad she got an extra hours sleep. She did feel a bit down about losing out on that time where she could have done something, but still, the extra sleep was needed.
"He's not been down this morning," Scott said, looking around the room, puzzled now himself.
"He's got a parcel. Do you know where he might be?" Jean asked.
Scott shucked his head and went back to munching away at his cereal.
"Just give it to the Professor," Scott mumbled in between mouth fulls of cereal.
Frowning at Scott, Jean left the dining room to go visit the Professor's office.
Xxxxx
Jean was knocking at the Professor's door and getting no answer. She tried reaching out mentally to him, but she found it strange that she couldn't reach him.
"He's gone out Red," Logan told her as he passed her in the corridor.
Jean's lips formed an O shape as Logan's information sunk into her brain slowly.
"Hey, Logan. You haven't seen Remy, have you?" Jean asked.
"Nope. And I'm hopin' it stays that way," Logan said before disappearing himself.
Jean sighed to the heavens at her luck.
Xxxxx
The next thing Jean thought to try was Remy's room and seeing if he was there. Jean knocked a few times and then opened his bedroom door a jar. She couldn't see anyone in there and huffed.
Jean moved over to one of the bedrooms opposite Remy's and knocked on the door. Ray answered, fully dressed (unlike herself) and he looked at her with confusion.
"Have you seen Remy?" Jean asked him.
"No, sorry," Ray said.
"Do you know where he would be or if he went out?" Jean asked.
"Honestly, that guy's so sneaky and quiet, I never know when he's in his room or not. He never tells anyone anything either," Ray said.
"Alright, thanks," Jean said, already knowing this information about Remy.
xxxxx
Reaching out lightly with her mental abilities, Jean was able to locate quite a few minds outside by the pool. It was irritating to have to make her way downstairs and outside when she had just come from downstairs, but she got it over with. What was irritating her as well though was the fact that she couldn't just search for Remy mentally and drop him a message that he had a parcel. That damned barrier in his brain was keeping her out and shadowing him from her mental scanning. Jean tried to see if the X-Men outside could see Remy around or if they knew if he was around, but she couldn't get a clear answer. Their minds were too occupied with having fun that morning.
When Jean did arrive outside, it was to find Jamie and Rhane messing about in the pool.
"Have either of you two seen Remy?" Jean asked them.
Both shuck their head.
Xxxxx
Moving on to the next room, Jean found Tabitha and Amara in the kitchen, putting together what seemed to be a small feast.
"Have either of you two seen Remy?" she asked.
"Ha," Tabitha said, placing her hands on her hips. "Don't tell me you're running after that man now," Tabitha said.
"Tabby!" Amara stressed.
"What? She already has Scott. Not like she needs another," Tabitha said.
"No, actually, I'm just looking for him so I can give him this parcel. So, have you seen him?" Jean asked, finding her patience waning.
"No, I'm afraid not Jean," Amara said.
"Ain't our job to keep track of that slimy Cajun," Tabitha said, picking up her snacks and turning to leave. Before she did, she stopped and turned around as if she remembered something. "Oh, and by the way, a load of us are getting together in the wreck room to watch that new reality show that's on if you wanna join. That is, after your done chasing LeBeau around."
"I'm not," Jean tried to say, but she gave up as she watched Tabitha and Amara leave the kitchen.
Xxxxx
Jean next tried out the lounge area, but Logan and Ororo who were sat together told her that Remy wasn't there and they didn't know where he was.
After that, she tried another room and Bobby and Roberto told her the same thing. After that, another room and another and another and Jean was about to lose her mind.
The next room she tried was the wreck room where Kitty, Jubilee, Tabitha and Amara all sat, ready to watch their new reality tv show.
"Have any of you seen Remy?" Jean asked, sounding more irritated than ever before.
"Already told you we haven't," Tabitha spoke up.
"Why are you looking for Remy?" Jubilee asked.
Jean noticed that Kitty and Jubilee had seemed to perk up some more after hearing Remy's name.
"I have a parcel with his name on it and I'm trying to give it to him, but I can't find him," Jean near snapped.
"Oh," Kitty and Jubilee both said before seemingly plobbing back down on the sofa and back into their lazy positions.
"Look, just find Rogue and give it to her," Tabitha said.
"Rogue?" Jean questioned.
"Yeah," Amara said, stepping in for Tabitha who was getting irritated that her programme was being interrupted. "Wherever Rogue is, Remy never seems to be too far. I'm surprised you haven't thought about turning to Rogue."
Jean felt like hitting herself upside the head. How had she not thought about that? Usually, she was the smart one around the mansion and could work out something as small as that. She blamed the fact that her brain was still half asleep.
"Anyone know where Rogue is?" Jean asked.
"In her room. Where else would she be," Kitty said, rolling her eyes.
With that Jean left for Rogue's room.
Xxxxx
Rogue heard a knock at her door.
"Come in," she called out, knowing from the steadiness of the knock, it wasn't anyone annoying. That was, until the door actually opened.
"Have you seen Remy?" Jean demanded to know.
Rogue looked up from her book and directly at Jean who came across with a lot of attitude.
"No and what's with the tude?"
The next thing Rogue knew, a parcel was being thrown across the room at her and she moved to catch it.
"Give that to Remy for me," Jean said, grabbing Rogue's bedroom door and closing it behind her.
"Wait, why?" Rogue went to say, but Jean had already closed the door behind her.
Xxxxx
It wasn't too long later until Rogue received another visitor.
"Bonjour Chérie, y' be lookin' as belle as ever," Remy said, moving from her balcony window and heading towards her bed where she lay.
Rogue ignored Remy, finishing the last few sentences to the chapter she was reading. As she did come to a finish, Remy lay down on her bed and made himself comfortable.
"Where've you been?" Rogue asked him.
"Gettin' us lunch," Remy said, producing a bag that smelled of heavenly delight.
"Is that Julie's?" Rogue asked, moving to grab a hold of the bag and open it.
"Oui, got y' favourites. Well, that be y' favourites after mon cookin'," Remy said.
Rogue rolled her eyes at that and took the coffee he offered her.
"Your tante's cookin' is first, let's make that clear. Oh, an' while we're at it, why the hell am ah gettin' your mail?" Rogue demanded to know.
"Pourque?" Remy asked, seeming a bit confused himself.
Rogue reached over to her bedside table and near threw the parcel at Remy. He caught it and turned it over to see his name written on it.
"Well?" Rogue demanded to know.
Remy's smirk came back quickly as he already put two and two together to know why she had ended up with it. He wondered if she was asking a rhetorical question and if she already knew the answer herself?
"Now how can I control de actions of others?" Remy asked.
"By influencin' em," Rogue said.
"Oh," Remy said, raising his eyebrow and obviously faking a confused look. "And how may I be doin' that, huh?" he asked as he moved his face closer to Rogue's.
Rogue tsked and hit Remy in the face with her pillow, near knocking him off the bed. Rogue couldn't help but chuckle at Remy as he struggled to keep on the bed.
"What's in the parcel?" Rogue asked as she began eating her food.
"Y' do know X-Ray vision ain't moi mutation, non?" Remy said, enjoying being a tease.
"Then open it!" Rogue said, once again, pushing the item into Remy's hands.
"Seems someone be diein' t' know what be in de box more than moi-même," he said.
"Damn it Remy! Either open it or get ya sorry arse outta mah room," Rogue stated, making her final offer.
Giving in with a chuckle, Remy opened the parcel. He pulled out some bubble wrap before he got to his gift.
"Hot sauce?" Rogue asked.
"Not just any sauce. Dis be some'a Tante's home made sauces. Guess she be wantin' me t' use em," Remy said.
Rogue, staring at the bottle in Remy's hand with a raised eyebrow.
"You sure she ain't a psychic or somethin'?" Rogue asked Remy, referring to their earlier conversation about Tante's cooking being the best.
"Dat's what I been sayin'!" Remy stressed.
Rogue just smiled at Remy's reaction. He'd mentioned a few times how his tante just seemed to know what was going to happen before it happened, but she was claiming to not be a mutant. This topic actually drove Remy insane and it was fun to tease him with at times.
"Alright swamp rat, well, if she really can see the future, then ah'm sure she's tryna send you a message," Rogue said, tucking the remainder of her food away, climbing up off her bed with it and heading towards her bedroom door.
"Oh, and what might that be?" Remy asked Rogue while pocketing the other two items that had been in the box.
"That you're cookin' tonight. So best hop to it," Rogue said just before exiting her room and leaving the door open so Remy could follow her out.
He did with his box of sauces in hand.
"Y' know dis here Cajun always be willin' t' bring ya a hot meal," Remy said.
Rogue rolled her eyes and tsked like she always seemed to do when she was flattered and didn't have much of a comeback.
"Ah'm gonna go talk ta Jean and let her know that, from now on, ah ain't some kinda cubbyhole for ya," Rogue said, turning to head off to the wreck room where Jean and the others were.
"I'll get started on dinner," Remy responded to her.
Rogue simply waved her hand, dismissing Remy and leaving with her food.
The first stop Remy made before the kitchen was to his room. When he entered, he pulled out the two items he'd stored in his coat so Rogue wouldn't see. He frowned down at them, not too sure what to make of them.
One was a book that had been handwritten by the thieves over the years and had quite a lot of their adventures in there and some of their trade techniques. The other was a letter that looked to be in Tante's handwriting, but Remy was sure that it was highly influenced by Jean-Luc. He decided to shelve the book and letter and work out Jean-Luc's game at a later date. He then took the sauces he needed and went to create a meal for himself and Rogue.