Marvel owns the X-men, no profit is to be made by this work.
"Dude! A cop?!" Jubilee hissed, trying to keep her voice down with Rogue in the shower.
"Oui, met him last night. Maybe keep the eye out for him along with any of the usual unsavoury sort, helped him take a bad man off the streets." Remy said quietly, sitting with her at the table in the kitchen.
"Ugh, fine. What's his name?" Jubilee grumbled, munching on her cereal.
"Just tell me he be Jackson, rank I cannot say. Drug bust, that give you a clue. Maybe six feet, dirty blonde hair, blue eyes. Mid-thirties tops, don't go looking for a uniform as it was undercover." Remy explained, both going quiet as they heard the crank of the knobs in the bath.
"Alright whatev, I'll try and find out the shit on him so I know him if he snoops you out. Lets hope he's not a fashion freak, otherwise might have just given him your card." Jubilee growled, noisily slurping her milk.
Sipping his coffee and thinking on getting a proper machine for his apartment, Remy longed for the espresso always readily available at the shoots instead of the passable dark roast he was albeit enjoying. He'd have to do something about making back his lost winnings from last night, but at least officer Jackson wasn't so clean cut as not to slip his buy in back with his roll. Cops were interesting people, coming in every kind from saints to outright villains, one that bent the rules would be well worth looking into.
Heading to the living room and walking his fingers across Jubilee's head as he passed by, he flopped down in his favourite chair and watched the news. Flipping through the stations, he settled on the one he trusted the most as more on the Mutant Registration Act started playing with a senator spilling all the usual paranoid rhetoric. Hearing the door to the bath open, he tilted his head for a look and admired the transformation he saw there as Rogue stepped out.
"My, my. This welcome Rogue is looking ravishing this morning, help yourself to the kitchen." Remy said with a flirtatious smile.
That she looked bashful made her all the more alluring, that and the sway of her hips as she walked off. Jubilee was a blur vanishing in the bath, hearing that one creaky drawer pulled open as she went to light some incense surely. His usual guests used it to disguise a very different aromatic, he knew she just used it to banish the humid stench of a well used shower. Looking back to the news, a doctor that could give him a physical any day was fielding questions, some red headed beauty in a business suit and avian features.
Stepping in and taking her place on the sofa she had slept on, Rogue joined him in watching the television when he noticed her clear surprise. For a different reason than his own he knew she watched this lady on the screen debating reason and logic to the den of lines that were politicians, this Doctor Jean Grey. Wondering if she knew her from the life she had run from, he left her secrets for now as he let his attention fall back on the newscast.
"You hanging out with Jubilee again today?" Remy asked, feeling a bit of pity for the Doctor on the screen being badgered by smooth talking professionals.
"I don't know, I...really don't know what I'm going to do." Rogue said, peeling an orange for her breakfast.
"Chere, today is another day in paradise. This city, it has everything anyone could want, like all things it has a good and bad side. You stick with her, I assure you she keep you in the sun that you look like you need a good bit of to let you figure things out." Remy softly explained, clearly seeing how lost she still looked.
"I just can't keep..." Rogue started, tearing at the rind of her orange in a fit of frustration.
"Accepting our hospitality even if we only met? My Petit, she be a good judge of character that I trust, she call you friend yes?" Remy asked with a kind smile.
"Yes..." Rogue confessed, under batted eyes avoiding his gaze as she kept watching the television.
"Bon, that all I need to know. Maybe we become friends, for now you still be my guest. Now, this..." Remy said, reaching into his pocket to pull out a wad of cash to strip some bills from.
"What?" Rogue asked, looking to the cash held to her.
"You take this and help Jubilee today, just keep an eye on things, keep an eye on her. Easy money." Remy said passing off the bills.
Rogue counted them and looked to him in question, two hundred even in twenties. She didn't really know who this man, this Remy LeBeau really was, but seeing her first friend she'd met since arriving in Los Angeles sleeping soundly with him out in the hammock had spoke of the younger girls trust in him. Folding the bills over once and stuffing them in her pocket, he looked grateful even if she felt she was the one that should be.
"Thank you." Rogue said, having her first slice of orange.
"If you sticking around, well, we'll figure you out a way to make your own way. We have to stick together no? Just look at the kind of men who we be up against?" Remy said waving his hand to the television and the venomous Senator Kelly.
"Maybe they're right..." Rogue whispered, curling on in on herself.
"Non, did you ask to be different from them? Did he ask to be what he be when he born? C'est la vie." Remy questioned gently, sipping his coffee after.
"I didn't ask for this..." Rogue said all the stronger, chewing morosely on her orange.
"No, you didn't. Fate was not kind to you, so you let myself and our shared friend do for you what fate wouldn't." Remy replied without pause.
"Why? Because I'm a mu, mutant like you?" Rogue questioned sharply.
"Non, because you be lost just like I was once, just like she was. We be finding our own way now, you welcome to join us." Remy said, climbing to his feet to stand over her with a hand offered.
Hesitant at first she took it, expecting to be pulled up to her feet but instead he just held her hand in his and trailed a finger over the leather of the skate gloves she wore. Bending low to place a kiss to her hand with a flourish, he let go and headed off to the kitchen for a refill leaving her on the sofa flustered and puzzled yet without the gnawing worry. Having him so close she could take in his scent, a musky cologne laced with aromatic cigarettes and something else. At the core of it though she didn't know how to explain it, but his scent filled her with a knowledge that he wasn't lying.
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"What are we doing here?" Rogue asked of her friend as they walked to the booth.
"Second breakfast." Jubilee answered, snatching a menu from the diner rack.
Looking around the diner, the first thing she noticed was the number of uniformed men sitting down eating the greasy spoon fare and putting back cups of coffee. With their boards under the table and helmets on the seats, they had the booth that could fit four if not a squished six all to themselves. Not exactly the usual clientele, Rogue had been suffering the curious looks from many since they walked in, taking a menu herself if only to hide behind it.
"Alright girls, what'll you have?" The harried waitress asked stepping up with a pot of coffee in hand.
"Two coffees, choco milk, the waffle and sausage platter with bacon and uh...huh, strawberry jello with whipped cream. What're you havin' girl?" Jubilee read off, turning the question to her friend.
"Umm, eggs and toast?" Rogue asked of the waitress.
"How do you want 'em?" The waitress asked, jotting down the order.
"Sunnyside up." Rogue replied.
The coffee was poured before the waitress left, taking her own and watching Jubilee raid the sugar. The eyes of some of the men at the bar were on her now, elbowing another to witness the abuse of a good cup of brew as the sugar jar was tipped up to stream on in a seemingly endless flow. Throwing in a couple of the brown sugar packets in her own, she watched in revulsion as next a dash of honey was added before it was stirred. Holding the spoon just so, Jubilee let go as it stood in the coffee looking pleased.
The laughter around the diner helped to ease some of the tension out of the moment, Rogue slumping down in her booth to sip her coffee and wait for her 'second breakfast'. Looking bored, Jubilee's interest darted about the diner from one curiosity on the wall to the next, from picture to picture. Watching her though, Rogue got the feeling she wasn't so much interested in what she was looking at as much as the men about. She wanted to ask why they were there, of all places a cop hang out, but she now knew just why she had some cash in her pocket.
"You're totally getting better with that board by the way, gotta try and get ya to do a power slide sometime. Way fun, once ya get the hang of it o' course but like hey, no pain no gain." Jubilee said turning her attention back, rocking her board back and forth to slam in to the wall as she brimmed with energy.
"Sounds painful..." Rogue mused, holding her cup near her lips when she stopped to watch the horror of Jubilee having her first sip.
"Best coffee around, and seriously when my waffles get here ya gotta try a bite.
"Hey, kid? Could you cease and desist with the thumping?" An Officer asked swivelling on his stool to stare her down.
"Sorry." Jubilee apologized, the noise coming to a halt.
"Thanks. Shouldn't you two be in school anyway?" The officer asked, leaning back against the counter to engage them with his own cup in hand.
"Cha, to learn how to ask if you want fries with that? Nah man it's overrated daycare and if you say otherwise you're lyin' under oath." Jubilee groused, putting back more of her sickeningly sweetened cup.
"It'll at least keep you out of trouble." The officer remarked, looking from Jubilee to Rogue.
Feeling his gaze on her, she let her eyes fall to her cup and waited for her order wondering just what trouble Jubilee was trying to stir up. From the corner of her eye she could see him look on her with sympathy, wondering if it'd still be there if he knew just what she was, what she was capable of. Trying to fight off the stir of emotions that painted her cheeks red, she closed her eyes and tried to force it all down. Listening to the chatter, she noticed just how easily she could hear it all, from the dirty jokes and the ribbing of their peers to whispered discussions of their shifts past and worries of those heading out.
"Thought it was the Five O's job." Jubilee retorted, slouching in her seat.
"We deal with a different kind of trouble." The officer replied, nodding to the waitress as she held the pot in offer.
"Yeah, I watch the news. Domestic incident, missing peeps, double homicide no leads..." Jubilee started, her voice dropping at the end with her shoulders slumping.
More of the officers were looking their way, Rogue herself noticing just how uneasy the man across from her looked just then. The bell ringing from the short order cook toiling over his grill had the waitress rushing back and bringing their plates. As the food landed in front of Jubilee she perked up, but Rogue felt without knowing why that her friend had just painted herself in the scent of old pain, the aromas of their meals doing little to mask it.
"Hey, kid...my card. If you get in any of that kind of trouble, or just need someone to talk to...feel free." The officer smiled kindly as he placed the card down on the table.
"Officer Koenig." Jubilee read.
"Andy's fine, enjoy your waffles." Andy said, turning back to his own meal then.
"Thanks..." Jubilee said, taking the card and slipping it down in her shorts.
Watching it play out, Rogue saw the girl across from her liven back up to just as she knew her, cutting off a hunk of waffle and scraping it off on her own plate. Trying a bite of the waffle, Rogue agreed that they were damn good. Before she knew it one of the stack of four was thrown down with her eggs as they enjoyed their second breakfast. For her size Jubilee wolfed it down to the amazement of many the gathered officers and Rogue herself, spooning the jello on the waffles in some sugary explosion that had many shaking their head watching the sight.
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"Been a while since I've seen a forgery walk through my doors, what brings you to my humble shop Rembrandt?" Vince of Venice Vince's Pawn and Brokerage asked.
"Well, it be a while between tables and the last one didn't treat this boy right." Remy said, flipping the sign to closed and locking the door.
"What? Someone play my player?" Vince asked, taking a bite of his sandwich he was working away at.
"Something like that, lets just say I walked out with my ante but little else." Remy remarked, looking with a careful eye at some of the items in the case.
"Shit...you were at that game?" Vince asked after a swallow.
"Oui, might have made a friend, might not. Time will tell, I have my Ange looking into it." Remy said, flipping through a shelf of records.
"Fuck, then why the hell are you here man?" Vince asked, angrily biting into his sandwich.
"Well, I always come here. So it's not like it be uncommon, I always buy something nice don't I? Nice and legal oui? Course those times I usually find something in the bottom of the bag and some days later you always find a nice little package in the mail." Remy remarked, hoisting down a guitar to admire.
Vince looked to Remy in honest surprise, washing down his latest bite with a swig of his beer. The sidelong glance was the only thing the man needed to know, the deal finalized as Remy kept browsing. Excusing himself to the back, Vince returned minutes later as Remy stood eying a framed and signed poster.
"I made a call, scraped the bottom of the barrel. Your usual isn't on the tables, I know you don't like even getting near this kind of work but it's all I got. Picture, name...you find her, you call this number. I hear back from them and take my cut. Business as usual." Vince said, returning to his sandwich.
Already Remy didn't like the idea, people didn't come to men like Vince if all they needed to do was find out if their wife was cheating on them or some daughter had run off with a questionable man and the family needed to know she was alright.
"Let me see the picture first." Remy said taking down a rack of chips purported to be from some demolished casino from back in the days when the mob ran Vegas.
"You know I can't do that Rem, you say yes you'll do it and buy something. If I think you're not going through with the contract I give it so to someone who will." Vince said, pounding back the last of his beer.
"Let me see her face, then I decide." Remy said, bringing the rack up to the counter.
Staring him down hard as it was through sunglasses, Vince reached into his pocket and pulled out a photo placing it down on the glass of the counter face down. As Remy reached for it though he held his hand down over it, shaking his head.
"I need a shit, I'll be right back." Vince said walking away.
Left alone at the cash and waiting for the door to slam shut, Remy turned over the photo and felt an uncomfortable chill run down his back looking at the girl there. Add some blonde highlights and a couple of days worth of California sun and he found himself to be staring at his Rogue, the girl in the photo a different person with how innocent and carefree she looked. Flipping it back down, he pulled out the cash for the chips and doubled it as he waited for Vince to come back. The flushing of a toilet roared with the door squeaking open as the man came back to the counter to stare him down again.
"Oui, I'll take it. Here's a little something extra homme, I like the chips too much." Remy said passing over the cash.
"Alright then, let me just get this bagged for you. A pleasure doing business." Vince said, counting the cash.
"Something like that..." Remy said, leaving after unlatching the door and flipping the sign again.
Walking out of the shop and heading down the road, he kept an eye out for a bar finding himself in a serious need for a drink just then. Tempting as it was to call the number now just to find out what sort of trouble his Rogue was in, Remy figured at the least he could buy some time knowing he'd have at least a week before Vince started calling him for some updates.
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"What was that back there?" Rogue asked skating down the street.
"Second breakfast? I was hungry" Jubilee said swerving a pothole.
"No..." Rogue replied even if the breakfast had been great.
"The Five O? Cops know the best spots for good cheap food and I think we just got us an in to go check out the district station to look for whoever Jackson is." Jubilee explained.
Gritting her teeth in frustration Rogue could tell in that strange way her friend was being wholly honest even if she still hadn't answered the question that had plagued her. Giving a few kicks to catch up to her, she overtook Jubilee and attempted her first power slide stop with only the times she'd seen her friend try it to guide her. Following suit, Jubilee stared up at her in question.
"C'mon, I'll get ya one of those damn stupid coffees ya like if ya tell me." Rogue said, snatching her board and heading on down the street.
Two coffees and a skate down to the beach, Rogue sat on the edge of the skate park watching Jubilee work through her sugar rush on some borrowed board. By the way the rest of those around her watched, Rogue had to figure she wasn't alone in thinking Jubilee had some real talent as she raced around and worked tricks. With hoots and hollers the board was passed back to its owner for her friend to fall down next to her flushed and fatigued.
"Spill." Rogue spat, flopping down next to her.
"Can we just put this off for a day of quid quo pro when we're both low? Seriously, I'll fucking pinky swear you a on this if we don't do this now?" Jubilee mumbled, banging her helmet and against the curb.
"Something happened to me after he attacked me..." Rogue whispered, forcing the subject.
Jubilee looked up and saw the clear worry and discomfort writ on her friends face, giving one final butt of her head to the cement to the curb before bouncing up. Rogue waited for the game to carry on, the ball still bouncing in the other court.
"What if I just take ya somewhere ya can go dig out the truth from my peeps so I don't gotta go breaking this down..." Jubilee offered, staring at her feet and scuffing her shoes against the concrete.
"Who're your peeps?" Rogue asked with a shoulder.
"That's another question, you'll get the answer tonight. Pool party girl." Jubilee said, shoving her back.
"A pool party, you're serious?" Rogue asked flatly.
"Pfft, trust me, you'll like this one. Totally caters to you. So we cool?" Jubilee asked, bowing her head.
"And if I don't get the answers I need?" Rogue asked.
"Then we can hit up a Denny's or something and we'll spill, deal?" Jubilee offered with her hand held out.
"Deal." Rogue replied, giving one firm shake to cement the oath.
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