Disclaimer: If only I owned Remy LeBeau, the things that I could do..
Chapter Nine
Remy's day had been, what he consider to be, a fairly good day.
Granted he had yet to see Rogue, but given what had happened the last time they had been in the same room together, he thought it might be best just to give her some space.
So he'd taken his black coffee and a cigarette out into the garden, and was enjoying what was likely to be the last of the New York sunshine, before the bitter cold descended on them. Perhaps there was something to be said about the seasons, certainly trees were beautiful with their crisp brown autumn leaves and the ground sounded better underfoot with a little crunch. But there was nothing like the sticky heat of Louisiana, and no matter how long Remy was away, he never would become acclimatised to a New York winter.
"You want to be cautious" a stern voice said from beside him, "Parade around like that for too long and you'll get yourself a following."
Remy opened one eye and peered up to see Storm surveying him with clouded grey eyes.
He could only assume that she was referring to his lack of shirt.
"Got t' give de ladies somethin' t' look at" he winked.
"They'll be more than looking if you don't watch out" she nodded her head out towards the garden and Remy glanced up to see two young girls in bikini tops staring openly at him. As they noticed his gaze the girl with the green hair said something to her blonde friend and they both giggled.
Admittedly, he had forgotten he was surrounded by teenagers.
"Remy be irresistible, non?" he grinned.
Storm sank to sit on the step beside him, "And here I was thinking you only had eyes for Rogue."
She seemed good natured in her ribbing, but he was yet to find someone in this mansion who actually approved of his relationship with Rogue.
"Yo' ain't so happy 'bout dis, ma soeur?"
"I know nothing about it" Storm shrugged, "I know you, and I know Rogue."
"Whatcha sayin'?"
"Only that I wouldn't have put the two of you together."
"Dat right?"
Storm sighed, "There's no need to be defensive, Remy" she said softly, "But Rogue is fragile, you don't know what she's been though."
"Say dat I know a lot better dan yo'" Remy hit back, "Yo' all underestimate her."
"Her mutation-"
"Yo' ain't know nothin' 'bout dese t'ings" he said sharply, flicking his cigarette butt out into the lawn and standing up.
He was already back in the entry way when she called his name, but he wasn't about to look back.
It made him angry.
It wasn't that people assumed Rogue was too good for him, because in his heart he knew that was true. It was that they treated her like spun glass, too delicate to be allowed near to the real world. But he knew different because he had seen her previous life, she was stronger than him and anyone else in this place.
The alarm call 'X-Men to the War Room' blared out just as he was headed up the second stairway on the way to the roof and he cursed, knowing full well he would have to run back to his room to grab a shirt. If he turned up to one more team meeting topless, the Professor would likely not allow him to attend another.
He knew he was late as he jogged through the deserted corridors, shoving his head through his t-shirt as he went.
There wasn't a single person in the elevator down to the basement, nor in any of the corridors, which likely meant that they had already gathered in the War Room.
Sure enough they were all sat around the large oval table as he entered, the lecture he expected from his tardiness did not come and as he glanced around he saw that all the faces in the room seemed extremely cast down.
"Done looks like yo' all lost some money on de ponies" he said, stepping into the room and focusing his eyes on the only person that mattered.
It was the way Rogue looked at him then, her hair dragged over one shoulder and her eyes huge. She looked up at him like she hadn't since she was sixteen, like she was terrified and he was the only safe anchor in a mist of chaos.
Before he even realised what he was doing he had stepped into the room towards her.
"What is it, chere?" he asked quietly, reaching out into her emotional climate in a hope to calm her.
She took a deep, gasping breath and reached out to grasp his hand. It was the first time she'd voluntarily reached for him since he'd arrived.
"Mah momma-"
That seemed to be all she could manage before she dragged in another breath.
"Yo' sho' are scarin' me here, chere."
Again she didn't answer, so Scott stepped in for her.
"Rogue, there is no proof that Mystique is involved" he said sternly, "And if she is, she can't reach you here."
"Victor-" she managed to gasp out.
"That big cat ain't gettin' near you" Logan growled from the seat beside her, "Not while I'm around."
"An' me" Remy added, stroking a finger down her face softly.
Her breathing finally seemed to calm.
"But John-" she pressed.
"De fire breathin' maniac?" Remy asked, "What he got t' do wit' dis?"
"It appears that Pyro has resurfaced in this area after much time away" Charles said, his fingers steepled together. "With what happened after the aftermath of the cure-"
"No need to rehash ancient history dere, Prof" Remy said, shaking a hand to cut him off.
"If the news stories are correct then Eric will be regaining his former strength" the Professor continued, "It is logical that he would once again ally himself with his former friends."
"Don't seem too suspicious" Remy shrugged, glancing at Rogue who's gaze was focused on the table. "So De firebug been lingering around, don't mean nothin'."
"He's been lingering around the HellFire Club" Emma finally spoke, tapping her perfectly manicured nails against the table. "That is more than suspicious."
"How did de lil fire breather get himself an invitation?" he huffed, placing a hand on the back of Rogue's chair. "Remy been tryin' f'r years."
"Maybe his application was better than yours" Bobby bit out.
"You don't apply for the HellFire Club, Bobby" Emma sighed tiredly, "You're chosen."
"What is the HellFire Club exactly?" Kitty wanted to know.
"On the outside, it's just an Elite social club" Emma explained, "But there's an inner circle of four members who are all mutants and all extremely influential when it comes to getting their own way."
"With the elite members all being mutants it does seem rather suspicious" Storm agreed, "John was never really a social club sort of boy."
"There's no denying they'd find a powerful ally in Magneto" Scott agreed.
"So we all jus' gonna sit here chattin' like a WI meetin' or we gonna do somethin'?" Logan wanted to know.
"There doesn't appear to be a lot we can do" Charles sighed, "Other than sit and wait."
The entire room went silent for two beats before Remy spoke.
"'Course we can do suthin'" they all looked up at him curiously as he continued, "Yo' got de answer sat right here in front o' yo'."
Logan seemed to see what he meant before anyone else did.
"You got more chance of walkin' on the moon, bub" he growled.
"Is anyone else lost?" Bobby asked.
"Yo' got Mystiques only daughter an' De man she left her family for sat right here" Remy shrugged, "Seems odd yo' don't use us."
"Tah do what?" Rogue finally spoke.
"Come on, chere" he said softly, kneeling down beside her. "She taught yo' all yo' know 'bout bein' undercover, why not use does skills?"
"Lie tah mah momma?" Rogue snorted, "Ya'll have got tah he kiddin' meh."
"It ain't really lyin'" Remy reasoned.
"The moral compass of a thief" Bobby shook his head in disgust.
"Are ya'll forgettin' she tried to have meh killed?" Rogue burst out, ignoring Bobby completely.
"Did she though?" Remy raised an eyebrow.
"We ain't goin' over this again, bub" Logan bit out, "'Less you want to be a doll an' I'll show you exactly what Victor did to her."
"Pardon monsoir, yo' misunderstand" Remy held his hand out as way of an apology. "But yo' never saw how Mystique was wit' her."
"What is it you mean by that, Remy?" The Professor asked softly.
"Always had her where she could see her, she weren't allowed out alone often and she was wrapped up in cotton wool considerin' she got better trainin' dan most assassins I know" Remy shrugged, "Lot o' effort t' go t' jus' t' kill someone."
"You don't think she meant for Sabertooth to kill meh" Rogue whispered, understanding lighting her eyes as she glanced up at him. "Jus' t' scare meh."
"Yo' know yo' momma was queen o' de mind games" Remy tipped his head, "If I were a bettin' man, I'd say old whiskers got a beatin' o' his own when he got back."
"But why go to that effort?" Kitty wanted to know, her face ashen white. "For someone she cared about."
"Never said she cared, petite" Remy said, "Mystique be a cold fish, but Rogue was an asset to her."
"I'm sure she had a bunch of good fighters" Bobby said dismissively.
"Ain't her skill in combat old Missy was interested in" Remy raised an eyebrow.
"Then what?" Kitty wanted to know.
"Oh use your brain" Emma huffed, shaking her blonde hair out of her eyes. "It's obvious, if you have control of Rogue's mutation then you have control of any mutation you like".
"Ain't no one round this table thinks mah mutation be an asset, Emma" Rogue snorted.
"Oh Rogue-" Kitty was cut off.
"If that's true, then Mystique would welcome you back with open arms" Scott mused.
"With open suspicion more lahke" Rogue rolled her eyes.
"So we go an' accidentally bump inta old Johnny boy, tell him me an' de chere be a couple" Remy shrugged as though it was the most casual thing in the world. "Missy might believe Rogue loved me enough t' betray her family f'r me, mebe she'd take us back."
"If she thought what they had was real, she'd be more likely to forgive Rogue." Scott agreed, glancing around the table to gauge a response.
"Ya'll do not know mah mother" Rogue shook her head.
"And no one is going to believe Rogue loves him!" Bobby burst out.
"Oh, you're so blind, Bobby" Emma smiled.
Rogue looked up at him with those big green eyes, "Ya'll ain't serious, Cajun" she said softly.
"Yo' look me in de eye an' tell m' we wouldn't have some fun, like de good old days" he knelt down beside her, stroking her finger.
"Yah know mah momma, she's dangerous" Rogue whispered.
"Ain't half as dangerous as yo', Catin" he breathed.
"So we're goin' back inta the wolves den then?" she said, laughing as she took a shaky breath.
Remy reached out to take her hand, "Dis time we come out leadin' de pack."