Note: ok, major warning here for abuse mentally and physically, but I promise and can happily say as I'm already writing the next chapter now that there will be no more abuse after this. Although it may take time to up load my next chapter as I'm currently adding stuff on my other story, Running into you. Alright, well enjoy.
Chapter 20
All was quiet as Gambit and Rogue approached the house. Rogue opened the door, then Gambit stepped past her, keeping his woman safely behind him. They found the same mess they had left it in, or rather Rogue's father had made the other night. Rogue had described to Gambit that tonight will be the hardest night of keeping him in as he would have gotten over his hang over and think more clearly and want to go and buy more booze. But as Gambit entered, he saw the man slouching on the sofa, with a tin already in hand.
"Did you really think ya could keep it from me girl?" Rogue's father said over his shoulder. Rogue entered, closing the door behind her, and going to enter the livingroom where her father was. But Gambit had his arm out and was stopping her from going any further.
"So, is he your pimp?"
"I beg your pardon Monsieur? Your daughter is not a prostitute!" Gambit stated with an irritated voice
"Ain't dat what they all say?"
"And I am not a pimp!" Gambit said getting more annoyed at this man. Rogue saw this.
"Papa, this is mah boyfriend, Remy. He's real good and nice ta meh." Rogue said in a shy voice.
Gambit was a little taken back by Rogue's tone. He would have though she'd be going mental at her father with that firey temper of hers, but it was like she was tryig to cower away. He'd never seen Rogue scared of anyone. Not even Apocolypse. It just drove him further insane as he realised the impact this man had on his woman.
"Ha, liked you'd find anyone nice."
"He is papa. And ya bein' rude ta him. "
"He's been here before. He knows where ya room is. What more could he want?"
"Papa, ah'm not a sult!" Rogue finally snapped up at her father.
"Then what do you do?"
"Ah, errr," Rogue muttered, being timid once more. "ah used ta work in a restaurant, but ah gave up ma job ta come here. Ta see you. Ta help ya out-"
"To help me out? And what's wrong with me girl?"
Rogue swallowed down something hard in her throat.
"Papa, I know ya been ta the hospital six times since ah left due ta alcohol poisionin'. Ya drinkin' yaself ta death."
"The nurses call ya? Dat fuckin' bitch Nora. The whore loves a good gossip. What'd she say ta ya ta get ya down here? Dat I'm ill? Dat I'm on meh death bed? Ha, bull shit. That woman is a bull shitting liar who needs a good whippin'. Her husband should keep her inline better than he's doin'."
"No papa. No one called... Ah found the papers screwed up on the floor when ah was cl-"
"Ya been goin' through ma stuff?" Rogue father yelled, turning his blood shot eyes now on her.
Rogue coward away as if she was a frightened, little child, and Gambit wouldnt have it. Gambit stepped more in front of her, his anger flaring in his red eyes. Rogue's father glared at them for a while, then the father gave a chuckle of a disturbed sinister laugh.
"Ha, just like ya mother. A sneaky, no good whore."
"She is not a whore! She is ya daughter, who is tryin ta save ya life, even after all the crap ya put her through. And all ya can do is sit their on ya fat arse gettin' wasted instead'a actually listenin' ta a girl who's willin ta help ya get clean. What sorta-"
"What've you been sayin girl!" Yelled the father as he stood up.
He was about the same height as Gambit, but larger. His angry, blood shot eyes locked on with Rogue's large ones full of fear. She seemed to shrink in the corner, with her voice too as she said "nuthin'" although she knew it was a lie.
It was a natural reaction from past experiences. She'd never, once, as a child wanted to find out how much worse the punishment would be if she actually admitted to doing something wrong. Even by mistake.
"Nuthin? Ya liein', dirty whore! Who ya been talkin to! What ya been sayin bout meh! What ya been sayin bout us! Filthy-" just as the father grew closer and raised his hand to slap Rogue across the face, Gambit stepped in and blocked him.
Rogue's father growled, then went for Gambit. Only Gambit was too fast, pulled out his Bo-staff and in a moment had not only hit Rogue's father with it, but had him pinned back to the sofa.
"Ya apologies!" Was Gambit's cold, cut off words as he stared daggers down at Rogue's father.
The end of the Bo-staff was pressing against Rogue's father's throat and Gambit pressed, harder and harder with it the longer he took to talk. If he spat or called Rogue anything horrible, then he would get a jab in the throat or guts. Either way, Gambit was choking him.
"Alright, alright. I'm sorry ya stupid shit. But ya betta not had said anythin' ta the cops or I swear-"
"Dats enough outta you!" Gambit said, jabbing his staff in the mans throat once again. "Now, here's what ya gonna do. Have ya eaten yet?"The man only snarled at Gambit. "Fine then. We'll make ya some food, and when ya finished eatin' it ya goin' ta bed and ya gonna sleep. Do I make maself understood."
"Who'd ya think ya are? Ya got no right comin' inta ma home, threatenin' meh. I could call the cops."
"You do dat," Gambit said finally stepping back. " And when dey question me and Rogue, then I'll make sure dey find out bout all de hell ya put her through-"
"Ha, like she'd tell." Rogue's father interrupted, but Gambit plowed on.
"I'll make sure that not a damned detail is missed, and then I'll make it public. You'd go on death row from what you've done. Do ya understand moi?"
The face nodded after a moments grimace. Then he sat up, cursed Gambit under his breath and looked to Rogue who had become hidden in the shadows by the edge of the room. Rogue's father growled, then got up and went into the kitchen. Gambit's face softer as he approached Rogue.
"Are you alright, chère?"
"Yeah." She said after a moment and spoke the words out with a cold, dry voice. "It's just... Ah neva thought you'd..."
"Blackmail him? Oh chère, I would do so much worse than that if you'd let moi. I hated ta say it Rogue, but kindness ain't gonna get through to that man. If I ain't a blackmailed em, then things may have gotten a little... Outta hand, if you caught what I'm sayin?"
Rogue didn't appear to responded to that and instead watched the best she could as her father got out some bread and started to make himself food. Rogue swollowed down hard again, feeling like there was a stone stuck in her throat. She turned to Gambit, understanding now what he meant. Rogue nodded her head then said in the same quiet voice, but with a bit more confidence,"Thank ya Remy. Ah don't know what ah woulda done without ya."
Gambit gave a small, warm smile just for her, cupping her chin in one of his hands, and turning her face more closely to his and so they could see each other better. Once Rogue's smile grew, he was satisfied. "Don't thank me yet chère. Ders still a long way ta go. But don't worry. I'll be there." He moved in a step and wrapped an arm around her waist, "every step of the way." Then he kissed the top of her head. Glad to see her blush.
XXXXX
Her father had done what he was told, eaten downstairs, finished watching what he was watching and then went to bed. Rogue and Gambit had curled up together on the sofa and watched the TV till later on in the night. Then Rogue went to check on her father and came back to Gambit with news that he was asleep. Gambit smiled and pulled her closer. A little while later, Rogue's stomach growled. Gambit laughed. "I think ya hungry mon Chèrie. How 'bout I make ya sumthin ta eat, non?"
Rogue grinned largely and said, "Why, whatever did ah do ta get an angel like ya?"
"I ain't the angel chèr, but I am the demon who'd give up hell just ta be with dis angel right here." Gambit said as he came back around the sofa and kissed the top of Rogue's head. He let her sit, grinning in bliss as he roamed the kitchen.
Then, after a moment, a frown came on his face.
"Chère?"
"Yeah."
"How much does ya father eat?"
Rogue came into the kitchen at that point, puzzled by his question, then noticed like him that there was no food left. "I don't think he eats that much... But ah might be wrong. Ah ain't known him for a very long time. Guess wel'l have to pass on the food tonight. Get some tomorrow."
"The shops still open." Gambit said, looking at the clock on his phone. He slipped it back into his pocket and shrugged. "I can run down and grab sumthin' quick for us."
"Is that such a good idea?" Rogue asked, stepping closer to him. Gambit realised that she had wrapped her arms around herself for comfort. She was either scared or cold. Gambit led her back to the sofa, sat her down and covered her up.
"Chère, I heard ya stomach. I ain't gonna let ya starve tonight. Not if I can help it. And I'm not havin ya walkin' de streets at dis time at night. Ya father's asleep and won't bother ya. I'll run there and back, and I promise, I won't be more than ten minutes."
Rogue seemed to think of this, then held up her little pinky which was still in her glove and said "Promise?"
Gambit chuckled at Rogue, then lifted his little finger and shuck hers. "Promise." He said.
XXXXX
Not two minutes after Gambit had left and Rogue had curled up in a ball, uncomfortable without Gambit's presence, Rogue's father staggered down stairs. Rogue jumped at hearing the thump at the bottom of the stairs and turning around to find her skinny, but fat blood shot eyed father glaring at her from the bottom of the step.
"What did ya tell him?" Rogue's father snapped. And he locked the front door.
"Ah... Nuthin'." Rogue bottled up, cuddling up to her cushion more.
"Don't talk shit to me girl. He admitted it. You been talkin' to him. What'd you tell em?"
"Ah...Ah... Mom... Ah told em 'bout mama... How-how upset ya were afta she left." Rogue cowered. But somehow she thought of Gambit. And thinking of him made her strong. It made her stand up, dropping the cushion and stand tall. She thought about what Gambit had done for her that her father never had. What her mother said she gave, but never really did. Suddenly, she felt hate fill her. Hate and resentment of how she'd been treated all her childhood life compared to the last few days with Gambit. "And ah told him bout tha monster ya really are"
Rogue's father seemed taken back at Rogue's sudden outburst and her actually standing up against him. Then he straightened too, his own anger raising. He wasn't going to let her speak to him like that. So he decided to crush her. Crush her like he always had; mentally, emotionally, physically. "You think he really cares 'bout ya? Ha!" he laughted."you-you think he loves ya, don't ya?"
"Ah know he does. He's told meh."
"Oh, he's told ya, has he?" He's told ya he loves ya, and ya believed him. You stupid girl. He doesn't mean it. How could he love ya? He's just sayin' it ta make things easier for him. Ta make it easier ta get inta your knickers."
"No. No, he isnt. Ah know he ain't tryin' anythin' like dat. His actions proved it. He came down here after meh when he didnt havta. He's come here and he's put up with ya. That's commitment, and just before ah ran away ta come here, we were 'bout ta be married. He's a good, honest, decent man. Sumthin' y'all neva be and neva have been." Rogue said, spitting her furry.
The father staggered again after having a sudden pain in his head, but quickly recovered. He snarled at his daughter like a beast and said," Well, if he's really dat descent, then he'll leave ya! He'll see ya not worth shit. See that ya mentally screwed up and can neva be fixed. See dat ya damaged goods."
At his snide grin, Rogue felt a ping in her body and her hands started shaking. He'd reminded her of a horrible memory. Worse than the beatings.
"Ya haven't told him everythin' then. And once he founds out ya not as... Pure as ya make out ta be, he'll leave ya. He'll be disgust in ya. Wonder what he ever saw in ya. He'll dispise ya. Just like everyone else does in this god forsaken town. Just like I do. Just like ya own mother did."
Rogue's breath hurt as it caught in hurt throat.
"Yeah, that gold digging whore despised you. Hated you. Never wanted you. She only wanted you as a tie to me. And believe it or not, I used ta be a noble man. Just like him. Just as willin' ta defend mah woman. But I was young. I was naive. I was stupid. That woman was only interested in meh for ma money, and once I lost mah inheritage, she started ta lose interest. Ya weren't important to her. She neva wanted ya. Ya were just a tie to mah money for her, then when it went she went. Most likely ta find Sumone else ta satisfy. Ya wanna know why she left ya here? Ya were a pain ta her. Annoyin. Sumthin she neva wanted. Sumthin that'd ruin her image as a pure, southern angel virgin. She lefted ya cause ya were a fault in her life. And in mine. And now ya just the same as her. A gold diggin whore. So, how far up the duff are ya? How much he got?"
Rogue swollowed down tears. It took her time to build up that same rage she had as before, but just thinking of Gambit made her stronger.
"Ah ain't pregnant. It ain't possible for meh. And ah ain't a gold digger. And he ain't got any money left. It got stolen from him a while ago."
Her father's grin only widened.
"So that's why ya came back here. Ya plan failed. Ya were ready ta marry tha man, then ya found out he went broke, and ran out on him just like ya filthy gold diggin mother. Ya ran from ihm and ya came home cause ya had no where else ta go. No place else ta feed ya. But the basterd tracked ya down, aint he? Looks like ya plans backfired. So what ya gonna do now whore?"
"Ah ain't a whore and that ain't what happened at all. He stopped tha weddin', and ah ran here after that. When ah left was when his family 'came broke." Rogue yelled, knowing it was twisting the truth a bit but it was proving her point against her father who just laughted at her.
"He dumbed ya? What'd happened? He find out ya slept with his best man?"
"No... He has his own reasons why, and ah understand em now. Ah understand a lot more. Ma eyes have been opened and ah finally see the foul disgustin monster ya really are. Ya ain't ma father. Ah ain't gonna be able ta help ya. Ma father died years ago. The last trace of im died as soon as mama left. Ah didn't just lose ma mama that day, ah lost ma no good papa who was neva there for meh nand ma mama. Ya wonder why she left? Why she cheated on ya? It's cause ya were neva there. Ya might as well been cheatin' on her?"
Rogue leaped out of reach as her father pounched at her, falling over the sofa and into the table. Adrenalin rushed through Rogue's veins as she stood wide eyed, looking down at her father. But Rogue couldn't stop. She did think she wanted to. She didnt think he deserved it.
"Your the one who drove mama away. It was all your fault that mama cheated on ya. Ya own fauilt that she ran away. It's all your fault ah got abused as a kid, and neva knew love til now."
"What would you know of love? Are ya really willin' ta sacrifice ya self? Do whatever it takes ta keep him? Ta keep em safe? Ta keep em alive? Ta keep em with ya?"
"Yes." Rogue said firmly. Her father looked at her from the corner of his eyes.
"Sounds like ya already dune stuff ta prevent em from leavin ya." Her father turned around, slouching out as he did.A grin on his face again. "Amuse meh. What've ya dune?"
"Ah saved em from havin' ta marry sumeone he didn't wanna. Ah saved em from his death. From his own family. And ah'm gonna make sure he stays safe. Ah'm gonna do whatever it takes ta keep em safe."
"Whatever it takes?"
"Whatever it takes." Rogue confirmed.
"Oh, so you'd steal for him? Lie for him? Kill for em?"
"Yes," Rogue said firmly, swallowing down the lump in her throat.
Rogue's father saw that she was struggling in answering that. Oh he could tell she was telling the truth, but he knew that look in his daughter's eye.
"Ya'd really kill for em, would ya?"
"Yes."
"I see. Ah see that guilt in ya eye. I see ya've already dun sumthin bad. Terrible even." he grinned. "Ya really think he'll still love ya once he finds out what ya've done? Ya really think a decent man will stay with a killer? Ya think he'll look at ya the same way, knowing what ya did? What ya have become? Thing like dat change people. It's already changed ya. Ah can see it now in ya eyes, and ma sight ah dat good as it used ta be. So he'll defiantly see it. He'll see ya for what ya really are. He'll see ya as that killer and he'll neva look at ya the same. Neva think of ya the same. He'll stop lovin ya, and you'll be a washed up, damages goods, gold diggin' whore, just like ya mother."
Rogue felt tears form in her eyes. What she'd done wasn't really that terrible, was it? Why was she believing what this horrible man was saying anyway? Rogue shuck her head. She was nothing like her mother. Nothing like her father. She was good and she was going to prove it.
"Ah'm nuthin' like er." Rogue spat out viciously.
Her father looked at her as if she was a vicious dog about to attack him. He was finding his feet as Rogue spoke.
"That's right. Ah ain't dune anything bad. Not really." Rogue shuck her head."ah ain't killed anyone or cheated on him. Ah've saved his life by doing one simple thing, well maybe two, but it still is right. Ah've saved his life by doin' what I've dune, n ah ain't dune anythin ah know he ain't dun before. Ah know he won't look much differently at meh then what he does now. Not that different. He'll understand. He'll still love meh. N ah'll still be good in his eye. That's all that matters. Cause ah am good papa, ah am. Part from...what happened...when... Ah was a helpless child. And what ya did ta meh, ah'm still pure. Still savin' maself. Not givin' anythin out or anythin away, and he knows it. He knows ah can't and he knows that they'll neva be anyone closer ta meh than em. And when ah do, if ah do, find a way ta touch people without hurtin em or killin em by accident, then he'll be ma first. He'll be the man ah give maself to once ah learned how ta control ma powers."
"Your powers?" Rogues father raised his eyebrow, moving towards the fire place and picking something up in his hands. Something that made Rogue freeze where she stood as she looked and acknowledge what it was he was holding.
"Ya mean ya a fifthy mutant?" Rogue's father said as he began stepping closer to her. Rogue stepped back once she realised he was growing close enough to use the long metal stick that he used to beat her with as a child. Rogue ran to the back door and tried opening it, then remembered that the house was still all locked up and she couldn't get to the keys. She turned to her father, eyes wide in fear as his yelled and struck her.
