11
Merci worked wonders quickly. Rogue had been brooding, but refused to tell Merci what had been said between her and Jean-Luc. Henri came knocking on for Merci and Rogue when it was time to go. Rogue followed behind them after Henri kissed Merci's hand, then linked her arm with his and started muttering sweet nothings into her ear whilst they led the way.
As they were walking, Rogue felt a hand touch her shoulder. Out of instinct, Rogue grabbed the hand and threw the body from behind her over her shoulder and to the ground in front.
"Ouch," Etienne said, as he got up moaning. Rogue's face was horrified at seeing what she had done.
Henri's laugh eased the scene.
"Ain't y' figured it out by now, cousin? Don't sneak up on de femme or y' get y' arse handed t' y'," Henri said, reaching down to offer a hand.
Etienne had sat up and was smirking at Rogue as he rubbed the back of his head. "Dat de thanks I get for tryna be friendly?" he asked.
Rogue huffed and folded her arms, "Y' call that friendly?" Rogue shot back at him, a smirk beginning to play on her own lips. "'sides, ah don't like people comin' up ta meh, t'inkin' they got any right t' touch meh."
"Well put, chérie?" Came Remy's voice. Rogue turned her head, feeling her cockiness wavier at seeing Remy walking by with that resting smirk on his face. That smirk sent Rogue into a foul mood once again as it felt like he was rubbing it in that she hadn't known it was a thieves' outing tonight.
It took her a moment to realise he'd slipped an arm around her shoulder too. As she glared down at it, she said: "Y' lookin' t' go for a ride too?"
"If y' be offerin' une escorte t' la ville, den sure, I take y' up on dat offer," Remy said, his teeth showing through his grin as he started moving them along.
That did it. Rogue locked Remy's wrist in her hands and twisted it down in front of her. She became amused when she heard the hiss out of Remy.
"Ah don't think so," she said.
Apparently, she wasn't the only one who found putting two boys in their place funny.
"Suppose y' right," Remy muttered out. He glanced up at her, being sure to lock eyes with her. "Should be de gentlemen offerin' t' take de lady, non?" he said.
Rogue rolled her eyes and released Remy, shoving him into the wall as she made her way past. Seeing how words didn't seem to be getting through to him, Rogue approached Merci and held out her arm.
"Shall we?" she asked.
Merci chuckled before taking Rogue's arm and walking off with her.
Behind them, Rogue heard Henri say: "Bien essayé, but t'ink y' best givin' de lady some space."
The three men behind them began to mutter off in French. Rogue tried not to make it obvious when she glanced behind Merci to hear them better. From the brief glance she got, Remy had turned on Etienne who had his hands held high in the air. Etienne had a smirk on his face that wasn't matching his body language. Remy was pointing at him, muttering off quickly in French. From the glowering red in his eyes, he didn't look happy.
Rogue turned back around, feeling on edge after seeing Remy like that. She found it strange that he'd be so worked up the way he was when he was the one who set the whole night up in the first place from what she'd heard.
As they neared the main hall where quite a few thieves had gathered, Merci took off to seek out another thief, not seeming happy as she did. Henri followed after his fiancé, not seeming the least bit as worked up as she was. Rogue stared after Merci for a time, unsure why she was so upset.
Finally, Rogue glanced around, noticing a couple of eyes returning her curious glance. Eyes she'd never seen before. At least, she didn't think she'd seen them. They all seemed to recognise her and who she was. She caught a few of them nudging the others they were with and referring to her. This didn't help settle her nerves.
She saw Emil among the crowd and Theo. Although Theo was stood off to the side with quite a serious look on his face as Jean-Luc looked to be telling him something. Rogue wondered what that was but didn't want to approach encase she got trapped in another bewildering conversation with him.
"Girl, y' got a mean throwin' arm," Etienne said, coming up beside Rogue and shifting her focus.
She glanced only slightly at Etienne, her focus returning to all the thieves she didn't know and whom, she guessed, were apparently coming out with them tonight. Remy really must have pushed for a large group outing.
"Sorrah," Rogue muttered out, guessing she should, at least, try to have a few friendly faces around her tonight.
"If y' really be sorry princesse, I sure I got some bruises y' can kiss an' make better," Etienne said, stepping closer to Rogue and turning slightly to show her where his bruises were.
Rogue was trying to register why he'd just called her what sounded like princess, not fully taking in what else he'd said or was doing.
Before he got any closer, a hand shot out and hit Etienne up over the head.
"Knock it off Eti an' get movin' already. Theo ain't gonna be waitin' tout la nuit," Remy said, beginning to shove Etienne forwards.
Remy took up Etienne's place beside Rogue. Rogue just raised her eyebrow at Remy turning her focus away from him. After all, if he didn't want to spend time with her, then why should she make any effort with him? Her eyes went straight back to the crowd, watching Etienne head towards Theo.
As quite a few moments passed and nothing was said, Rogue couldn't take standing there quietly much longer.
"Ya know, when ya said go for a drink, y' left out the part where the whole thievin' world would be joinin' us," Rogue snarled.
She heard Remy chuckle which landed two fuming eyes on him that wanted to rip a hole through his head with just a glare.
"What? Y' wanted moi alone?" Remy teased, looking cocky as he said it. "Could still be arranged."
"What the heck is wrong wit' ya!" Rogue hissed at him, turning her body to face him. "Is this just a game ta ya? Or are ya seriously just messin' with meh?"
Remy smirk said one thing, but the stern look in his eyes said another as he glanced down at her.
"How would I be messin'?" he asked, sounding pretty serious in his question.
"Ya kiddin', right?" Rogue demanded to know. "Ya tell meh we'd discuss mah past over a drink then go runnin' off, invitin' the whole mansion out so what? So ya can avoid meh?"
"Only person I asked for drinks t'night be y'," Remy said, his eyes moving off Rogue to search the room. "Never invited anyone else."
Rogue snorted at that.
"Oh, so ya already had this night out planned an' ya just failed ta mention it?" Rogue asked.
"Y' in a house'a thieves chérie. The walls have ears an' mouths dat like putting their tongues in t' gear 'fore their brains," Remy said.
"What's that supposed ta mean?" Rogue questioned, folding her arms over her chest, looking like a stroppy child as she bit the inside of her cheek.
Remy reached out to her, placing a hand on her lower back and moving towards her. His movements were swift and startled Rogue. Before she knew it, he was whispering into her ear.
"What I mean is dat I never organised dis. Someone else interfered," Remy muttered before pulling back to glance down at her.
Rogue stared up at him, confusion written all over her face.
"Wait, so ya tellin' meh ya wanted it ta be just the two of us?" she questioned.
Remy's head tilted to the side, his resting smirk softening into something kinder.
"Then, if you didn't invite everyone out tonight, who did?" Rogue asked, glancing around the room.
She spotted Merci and Henri, now stood off to one side with Tante telling them something. Merci had been waiting for her when she got out of the shower, ready for them both to get dressed up. She had been the one to tell her that Remy had organised this, but if Remy hadn't, then had she lied to her? Had she been there to keep Rogue in her room while Henri set the whole thing up? The motive Rogue could think of for them doing this to her was to do with what they wanted out of her. Had they seriously set this up so she wouldn't get a moment alone with Remy? Were they that afraid that he'd manage to convince her to go back to Bayville just like that?
Rogue turned away from them and ended up glaring into Remy's chest. As she was brought out of her thoughts by Remy's obviously toned chest coming through his shirt, she glanced up at him, then followed his arm around to her lower back.
"Why do y'all keep touchin' meh so much tonight?" Rogue asked, taking a step away from him so his arm dropped from her back.
Remy opened his mouth to say something, but before she could get a response, Jean-Luc commanded the room.
"Alright, y'all best be listenin' up," he said, making the chatting thieves go silent.
Rogue noticed, as Jean-Luc was walking towards the middle of the room, he was leaving behind Theo who had a smirking Etienne besides him
"Y' wanna go out on de town t'night, s'amuser bien, fine. But y' be out wit' cargaison précieuse," he said, his hand coming up and lifting towards Rogue.
Rogue felt her cheeks go pale and her neck become warm at the attention Jean-Luc was placing on her. Those eyes of his locked on hers and she felt as if he was seeing right past her and somewhere deep in her soul.
Feeling a hand being placed on her lower back once again brought her out of that glance, making her blink a few times and breaking the stare.
"Y' don't do any foolish nonsense cette nuit an' y' make sure y' take care'a notre trésor," Jean-Luc continued, turning his attention off Rogue.
Rogue glanced at Remy beside her but decided not to kick up a fuss just yet about being touched. Not when Jean-Luc was on the prowl.
"Anyone who dun't do so be answerin' t' moi!" he warned.
Jean-Luc's eyes looked like he could kill a man right on the spot.
"Y' stay with moi t'night, comprendre?" Remy muttered into her hair.
Rogue went to push him away, but Remy's hand kept her firmly in place.
"Trust me," he near hissed, refusing to move.
Rogue's eyes darted around at the other thieves who'd gone back to talking but were still eyeing her up. Her eyes flashed towards Merci and Henri too who were on the move. As she watched them head towards the front door, something inside her sank. Had been sinking since Remy told her it wasn't him who invited all these thieves out and she guessed who it could be. She didn't know if Remy was lying to her or if Merci had. But, so far, she hadn't caught Remy out on a lie. Merci, she had and it stung to think she'd do something like that to her once again. She felt betrayed and, for some reason, she felt herself leaning more towards Remy for support since she felt so hurt by Merci's betrayal. But she wasn't going to let her hurt show. Instead, her hurt began to fester.
"Finah," Rogue snapped, becoming much more on edge about what was supposed to be happening tonight what with Jean-Luc making a statement and then Remy doing the same. The fact that they almost seemed to be agreeing on something near scared her.
"Why y' so worked up anyway?" Rogue asked Remy as he began to move them outside with the other thieves.
"Just be safer dat way," Remy said.
"Ya mean 'cause'a the Rippers?" Rogue asked glancing up at him in suspicion. He still hadn't dropped his hand.
"Somet'in' like dat," he replied.
Rogue sighed, feeling like she wasn't getting anywhere with him.
When they got outside, there were two cars pulled up. Not enough for everyone just yet. It all seemed a bit chaotic. A load of bodies were bustling around and making a fuss about small things. Rogue spotted Merci with Theo. He had hold of her arm, lightly but firmly by the looks of it to keep her from walking off. Merci didn't seem happy with the manhandling, but Henri was stepping in to remove Theo's hand from Merci's arm. She was being escorted to the car right at the very front of the queue.
Rogue began to head that way, wanting answers out of the pair of them, but Remy's hand on her back kept her from moving.
"Their car's full chérie. We take de next," Remy said, motioning her to the second car.
Rogue froze after a step or two, still glancing back at Merci.
"Can't ah just ask someone t' switch seats?" Rogue questioned, glancing down at Remy as he climbed in the car.
"It just de trip there. Y'll be seein' her again in pas le temps," Remy said.
Rogue glanced up once more at Merci who'd looked over at Rogue. She wore a grimace but got in the front car followed by Henri. Their car door was closed by Theo who began to move towards the second car. The one Remy was in.
Quickly, Rogue ducked into the car, not wanting to lose another face she'd become familiar with.
"Taken quite a likin' to her, huh? She remindin' y' of a certain brunette haired girl with a valley accent?" Remy asked as Rogue climbed in.
"Huh?" Rogue said, raising her eyebrow at Remy in confusion.
For the short second she saw his face, his smile seemed to fade at her reply. Etienne ended up drawing her attention away from Remy as he touched her side. She jumped away in reaction. Etienne didn't panic, just continued to climb into the back of the car which moved Rogue into the middle seat. She bumped into Remy abruptly as Etienne knocked her side once again while getting into the car. Remy's hand came up to her shoulder, steadying her. She glanced up at Remy for a millisecond after being knocked into him. His attention wasn't on her. He was glaring with those sparking crimson eyes of his at Etienne. Rogue dropped her head, figuring she didn't want to know.
She went to buckled herself in, becoming slightly flustered as the buckle was next to Remy's thigh. Remy must have thought she was struggling or something since he took the seat belt out of her hand and buckled her in.
"Y' lookin' mighty fine t'night, princesse," Etienne said, moving his arm so that it went around Rogue's shoulders.
Rogue was thrown off by the compliment. And Etienne's eyes, not expecting to see large sparking eyes beaming down at her. This paused her reaction when it came to noticing Etienne's arm wrapped around her shoulders.
"Errr, thanks," Rogue said, eyeing his arm. "Just somethin' Merci put together for meh."
She was about to make some comment about him moving his arm, but Etienne beat her with his response.
Etienne snorted, "Ain't nothin' when that girl works her stuff. Y' be tres belle in dat get up y' wearin'. Y' ever been on a night out in New Orleans?" Etienne asked.
Etienne's eyes glanced from Rogue to just behind her. There was a twinkle of mischief that lurked around Etienne as he glanced past her. Rogue was oblivious to the scorching red eyes that had eyed up the arm around her neck since she was too busy, forcefully, removing said arm.
"Erm, ah don't think so," Rogue said, placing Etienne's arm in his lap. "At least," she said, something coming to mind as she sat back and glanced at Remy. She'd seen where his line of sight had been but missed the irritation behind them. As he glanced down at her, Rogue just saw a blank canvas, waiting for her to speak, "ah don't think it was a night out." She said as more of a question to Remy.
Remy straightened his legs out and turned his body a bit more to face Rogue as he made himself comfortable.
"It was mainly business, but it be a night out also. Y' wanted t' wonder 'round for a while since Mardi Gras was happenin'," he said.
"Really?" Rogue asked, sounding excited. It seemed she might end up getting the answers to the questions she had which was the whole reason she agreed to go out in the first place. "We went Mardi Grad together?" she asked.
"Oui, got beads an' everythin'." He said.
"Beads?" Rogue questioned her face falling slowly. "Wait, ya don't mean ah… ah didn't-"
"Y' flashed!?" Etienne jumped into the conversation, wanting to know.
"Non," Theo said from the front seat. He'd climbed in shortly after Etienne had and was driving the car. "I don't buy it. She ain't de type."
"How'd y' know? Ain't like our Rogue here be a tamed femme after all? Y' seen how wild she can be in de gym," Etienne said, moving over Rogue to rest his arms over the front seats as he spoke to Theo.
Rogue felt her eyes bulge out of their sockets and her cheeks burn at Etienne's excitement.
"Remy?" Theo questioned.
Remy shrugged, having moved his arm behind and around Rogue's head rest. It was almost as if his arm was wrapped around her shoulders. He just didn't attempt that as he had a funny feeling Rogue would scold him for his arm as well.
"De lady wanted some so I got her some," he said, flashing a cocky smirk towards Etienne who was starting to settle back in his seat while glaring at Remy's arm. What Remy didn't see was how Rogue had folded her arms and her eyes had become dangerous slits.
"So she didn't flash?" Etienne asked him.
"Y' do realise y' be talkin' 'bout une lady here?" Remy said, moving his attention back down onto Rogue. Remy found her reaction amusing, but it wasn't really about her as he glanced back up at Etienne. "If I was y' I'd be more careful of what y' sayin' unless y' be wantin' more bruises."
Etienne just seemed to go giddy at that.
"And y' be de one givin' em? Didn't I beat y' on de mat last time?" Etienne asked.
"Didn't ah beat you three times in a row?" Rogue snapped up from her seat, glaring at Etienne.
Etienne held his hands up in defence, his eyes going wide at seeing Rogue glaring at him.
"Just sayin'," he said.
"And ah'm just sayin' ya'll be makin' ya way ta wherever we're goin' through swamp mud if ya don't quit ya yappin' an' play nice already," Rogue shot back at him.
This got Rogue some chuckles from around the car.
"Damn, y' be a feisty one," Etienne said as he wiped a tear away from his own laughing face. "No wonder Le Diable Blanc be so fond of y'."
"Who?" Rogue demanded to know.
"Ignore em chérie. Etienne just be fishin' for bettin' opts he ain't gonna win," Remy said.
By the way Etienne spiralled into laughter that could rival a hyena. Rogue was beginning to lose her cool as she made a move to punch Etienne in the gut. That stopped his laughing. Next, Rogue turned her attention onto Remy.
"And you!" she hissed, her voice still threatening.
Everything had gone quiet in the car as it became very clear they were experiencing the Rogue's rage. Remy glanced down at her, his face unreadable. "Next time ya decide ta tell a story like that, make sure ya actually finish it!"
"Désolé chérie, mais can't be blamin' dis here Cajun for what crétins be readin' in t' it," Remy tried justifying.
"Ha, dats rich," Rogue heard Etienne mutter out, but she was still glaring up at Remy.
"No buts!" Rogue stressed. "Now are ya gonna tell meh what else happened when we went out or not? An' no half stories this time!" Rogue warned.
"Half stories? Moi? Dun't know what y' be sayin'," Remy said.
"She has y' there. Y' tell t'inks half told all de time! Just t' get reactions outta people. Walks away an' watches de sparks fly as if they be one'a your card tricks," Theo said.
Remy shrugged his shoulders. "I tell de stories how they be told. Ain't moi fault y' all react de way y' do."
Rogue's heated response got washed away in a heavy wave of retorts to Remy's statement. Their voices overtook hers, calling Remy out on his antics. How he was a sneakier sneak than the rest of the thieves in the mansion and would set traps here and there for them to all walk into. Like doing something to upset Tante and then leading her to one of them or making a basketball they were using explode in their hands while in the middle of a game. Remy just seemed to be able to defect all the accusations thrown his way without actually going into more detail about how they happened. It was never explained how he got Tante annoyed at Theo or how he made the basketball explode in Emil's hands. Just like he never explained what else happened at Mardi Gras.
One thing Remy did say that caught Rogue's attention extremely quickly was what he accused Etienne of doing.
"Y' sayin' I go plantin' seeds, how 'bout de ones y' sowed for t'night, huh Eti? Twistin' mon words an' invitin' de whole guild out?" Remy accused.
This had Rogue glaring up at Etienne.
"Didn't twist any'a y' words. Just repeated em," Etienne said.
"So ya were listenin' in on a private conversation that ya didn't have any right ta?" Rogue demanded to know.
Rogue was sure she saw Etienne back up into the corner of the car as much as he could under her glare.
"Didn't realise it be private," Etienne said, again, holding his hands up to seem innocent. "'sides, Remy knows ain't nothin' private when y' discuss somet'in' out in de halls like he did. Seemed like an open invitation t' moi."
Remy snorted at that.
"Sure it did," Remy muttered sarcastically, sounding rather agitated himself. "An' the lack of mention of your name or any other for dat matter didn't clue y' in?"
Etienne went on, shifting the blame. Rogue had heard enough. She was fuming, feeling like she'd been messed around and she didn't like it. Not one bit. Didn't like how it first seemed like Remy had created this night just to avoid her which caused trouble between them. Then, she had moved onto blaming Merci and Henri when Remy denied setting up tonight, figuring that they had motives. Then, learning that what it had actually came down to was one nosey thief listening into a private conversation she was having with Remy and turning it into some big event. A part of her wanted to know why, but another side of her was forcing her to keep her mouth shut since the temptation to through Etienne out of the car window while it was still moving was all too tempting.
Rogue chewed the inside of her mouth and sat with her arms folded, silently fuming. Not only had she gone all around the bend to try and figure out how this night had turned out so disastrous. She'd been embarrassed and hadn't gotten to hear the story she wanted. When she called Remy out on it, it was almost as if what she was saying had been swept aside as if it was unimportant. Listening to all four thieves point fingers, justifying their half-truths and lies, it made Rogue think back to what Henri told her:
"Dat be thieves for y' petite. We lie, steal an' cheat t' get what it is we want. Question be, what y' gonna do next?"
She'd already said she didn't want to play games and she'd called Remy straight out for telling half stories which had got her nowhere. Etienne, she wasn't even sure she could address just yet without murdering him. What she was going to do next to get the answers she wanted, she didn't know. She figured, the answer from Etienne didn't matter so much. But, the answers from Remy did. She was going to get the answers she wanted out of him one way or another.
xxxxx
French Translations
Cousin - Cousin
Femme - Woman
Chérie -Darling
Une escorte - An Escort
La ville - the City
Non - No
Bien essayé -Nice Try
Princesse - Princess
Tout la nuit - All Night
s'amuser bien - Have Fun
Cargaison Précieuse - Precious Cargo
Cette nuit - This Night / Tonight
Notre trésor - Our Tressure
Comprendre - Understand
Pas le temps - No Time
Tres belle - Very Beautiful
Le Diable Blanc -The White Devil
Désolé - Sorry
Mais - But
Crétins - Morons