Standing On the Edge of Summer
Between Rapture and Rupture
Remy stared at her blankly as he tried to absorb her words. Henri had presumably hung up from Remy's previous call and was currently attempting to call back, because Remy could hear the phone ringing from the floor, although he had no intention of picking it up at that moment.
"Anna…" he began, unsure of what exactly to say. "…How could y' have? Ain' she a statue?" Smooth, LeBeau, he scolded himself.
Her face fell and she looked down to her gloved hands. "…She was a statue," she corrected him coldly. "Ah… pushed her off a cliff."
He opened his mouth to respond, but thought better of it. Don' jump down her t'roat, Remy, he told himself. He knew he had a knack for asking inappropriate questions and knew how sensitive the situation at hand was. Remaining objective while Rogue talked about shoving her petrified mother off a cliff was proving to be slightly difficult. The situation seemed absurd enough out of context, but then again, when were things normal for either of them? "When did y' do dat?" he managed to ask softly, resting his hand on the arm of the chair.
"Last night," she sniffled. Her watery eyes focused on his hand, as if it were too close for comfort.
"An' den y' came here?"
She nodded. "Ah didn't know where else Ah could go… Ah couldn't stay at the institute, not with Kurt." Fresh tears spilled out of her eyes as she looked at him again. "You should have heard him, Remy," she whimpered. "Ah've never heard him cry befoh an' it's…" she sighed and rubbed her gloved hand across her face again. More makeup smudged in its wake.
He stared at her neutrally, once again uncertain of how to continue the conversation. Once again, his mouth would hang open for a second and then shut, words of comfort failing to pass his lips. Rogue slipped a hand through her hair shakily, and Remy noted how the white and auburn strands had begun to cling together with the natural oil of unwashed hair. She sniffled again, wiping her damp glove under her nose shyly. Remy heard the semblance of a stomach grumbling as she curled into the chair further to hide it.
"Have y' eaten anyt'ing, chére?"
She shook her head as he stood up. "Ah felt bad enough that Ah broke in ta here. Ah didn't want ta raid yoah fridge."
"So… y've been sittin' here f' de last twenty-four hours?"
She glanced up to his standing form, a ghost of a smile crossing her lips momentarily. "Ah used the bathroom. An' Ah got some water too."
"Well, bon den, p'tite," he said with a small smile of his own as he offered her his hand. "Let's get y' cleaned up an' fed, eh?" She stared at his naked hand cautiously for a moment before sliding her own gloved hand into it. Remy wasn't sure if it was because she was afraid to touch him or because she was wary of all the tears and makeup that were no doubt dirtying the leather encasing her hands. "Did y' bring anyt'ing wit' y'?"
"No… Ah just kinda ran with the six dollars an' some odd change in mah pocket. It was enough foh the two buses Ah rode ta get here," she explained in a small voice as her eyes fluttered up to his.
"Right den. I'll find y' some clothes t' wear," he replied as he assisted in lifting her off the chair. "C'mon." He wrapped his arm around her shoulders delicately before he started to walk her across the apartment.
"Ah'm sorry," she whispered as he escorted her to the bathroom.
He smirked, knowing what she referred to. "I jus' want t' know how y' did it. Dis ain' de easiest place t' break in t', I'll have y' know."
"After… what happened, most of what Ah'd absorbed from everyone was gone. But there were li'l things that stayed that Ah guess Ah held onto. Ah… Ah have crazy math equations from Mr. McCoy an' some other obscure things… Ah got lock pickin' from you."
He raised an eyebrow in thought. "Y' got dat all from one li'l touch?"
She smiled darkly. "Not that Ah can remember absorbin' anyone, but that's all it really takes."
"I see," he whispered in response. Guess dis wouldn' be a good time t' tell her dat she kissed me t' knock me out. "At least it came in handy," he added as an afterthought.
Rogue snorted. "Sure it did."
He dropped his arm from her shoulders to open for the linen closet door. He reached inside to find her a towel. "Here," he said with a warm smile as he handed her a large, fluffy towel. "I'll leave y' some clothes on m' bed while y' get cleaned up. I'm gonna head out real quick f' some food since everyt'ing here is three weeks old."
She accepted the towel from him and hugged it against her chest. "Thank ya, Remy. Ya really don't have ta put up with me. Ah know you've had a rough couple of weeks too…"
He put up a hand to silence her. "Hey, I'm flattered y' came here, Anna. Honestly." He sincerely smiled. "But I'll be back."
She nodded and turned to enter the bathroom. She spared a glance back to him as he walked into his bedroom to search for clothes before she closed the bathroom door behind her.
After quickly locating some suitable clothes for Rogue, Remy exited his bedroom and walked into the living room once again. He bent down to pick up his phone before he promptly left the apartment, locking the door behind him.
Ignoring the two new voicemails he'd gotten in the last ten minutes on top of the seven he hadn't checked, he immediately dialed Henri's number. He rushed down the hallway to the elevator as he pressed the phone to his ear.
"Remy!" Henri shouted into the Remy's ear before he'd even heard the phone ring on his side.
"What de hell is goin' on down dere?" he hissed hastily in response. "What do y' mean de Assassins have Papa?"
"Dey took him de ot'er night. Everyone was goin' crazy 'bout how y' boss died an' how y' didn' report in 'cordin' t' de contract-"
"I was in Egypt!" Remy hollered defensively into the phone. "De guild pro'bly knew he was dead b'fore I did!" He entered the elevator and smashed in the ground floor button before falling back against the shaft's walls roughly.
"I don't t'ink dey much care, frère. Y' know how Marius was gettin' wit' Belladonna's birthday comin' up."
"I really haven' had de time t' sit back an' wonder 'bout it, actually," he sighed exasperatedly. "Does he know dat de Assassins took Jean Luc?"
"I'm guessin' oui since we all know. De Nawlins underground has gone insane wit' dis, Remy."
"An' he hasn' done a t'ing t' stop dem?!"
"Remy, it wasn' jus' any rogue group of Assassins dat plotted dis. …Julien took Papa."
"Quoi!?" The elevator reached the ground and Remy stormed out of the apartment complex. His fist dug into pocket angrily as he searched for a cigarette. He felt as if he'd never needed one more than he did at that moment. He made a mental note to yell at Henri for getting him addicted in the first place at a more opportune time as his hand grasped at a box in his pocket.
He found a cigarette inside the pack, slightly bent but smokeable, and placed it to his lips shakily. Any exhaustion he'd felt prior to the phone call had been chased away as the adrenaline from his anger fueled him. With his free hand, he touched his finger to the tip of the cigarette, lighting it effortlessly with his powers.
"Y' need t' come back… like, yeste'day, Remy," Henri said softly after a few moments. He could tell Remy had taken to smoking a cigarette in order to calm his nerves.
Remy's thought pattern on his family paused as he began to walk in the direction of a small grocery store near the complex. He took a drag of the cigarette before removing it from his lips thoughtfully. He was heading towards the grocery store for a reason other than a midnight snack; that reason was currently up in his shower, washing away crusty and dried makeup from her tear stained face. "I can' do dat right now, Henri," he responded after a long moment.
"What do y' mean y' can'?" Henri asked incredulously. "I know y' aren' big on y' responsibilities f' de Guild, but dis is family!"
"It's not dat…" Remy sighed, taking another quick drag of the cigarette, slowing his pace towards the store. "Henri, Anna's here."
Henri fell silent as he tossed the name back and forth in his head. "Anna?"
"River Rat Anna," he described, knowing it would spark in Henri's mind in an instant.
"Quoi?! What de hell is she doin' up dere?"
"Le c'est une long étage , frère..." he sighed, feeling a wave of fatigue wash over him all over again. "But she's got it tough right now. I can' leave her, Henri."
He heard Henri sigh into the phone. "When do y' t'ink y' can get here?"
"I'll figure somet'ing out, but I need t' get her off her feet an' out of m' apartment b'fore I can do anyt'ing dealin' wit' de Guild, comprende?
"She's in y' apartment?"
"…Oui. I came back from de base an' dere she was – a total mess. She's cleanin' up right now. I'm actually on m'way t' gettin' food f' her."
Henri snickered briefly. "Y' know, dat fille always had a way wit' you." Before Remy could retort in his defense, his brother sighed again, relenting. "Alright, frère, I'll see what we can do from our side, but we need y' down here as soon as y' can manage it."
"I'll call y' when I can, but it'll be at least a night b'fore I can leave. She needs me right now," he repeated.
"So do we, Remy."
He sighed, lifting his cigarette to his lips before he began walking to the store again. "I know, Henri, but I can' be in two places at once."
"I understand. I'll let de ot'ers know what's goin' on an' dat y' safe."
He nodded, even though Henri couldn't see it. Suddenly, a thought occurred to Remy. "Wait, where's Belle in all dis?"
"No one's heard from her," Henri answered briefly with a hint of reluctance.
However, Remy didn't sense the hesitation in his brother's tone. "She called me a couple days ago… I'll have t' try gettin' a hold of her." Remy looked ahead of him and saw the store nearby.
"Good luck, mon frère. L'ensemble situation c'est une Malheur," he reminded him.
"Merci. I'll talk t' you later." He flipped the phone closed with another sigh. "Merde," he muttered, throwing his burnt cigarette into the street. He dropped his phone into his pocket and pushed the door open to the small grocery store.
-----
"I don't see why y' had t' get changed completely," Remy mentioned as he led Anna down the dirt path that followed the river to the LeBeau estate. Anna had insisted upon changing out of the long sleeve shirt and pants she'd previously donned in exchange for a long summer dress that fell above her ankles, complete with a summery lacy over shirt. "An' what's wit' de gloves? Are y' tryin' t' pull de entire Southern belle look?" he joked.
"Foh one, Irene thought Ah should be presentable since Ah'll be a guest at yoah house," Anna explained hotly. "This is one of the nicer outfits Val bought foh me. An' two," she said while she tugged at her gloves down on her knuckles. "Ah think the gloves look cute. If it weren't so hot all the darn time, Ah think Ah'd wear 'em everyday."
Remy smirked. "Vous êtes bizarre, fille."
She beamed up at him. "An' yet ya keep meetin' up with me everyday foh the last week an' a half. How does that work out?"
"Y' never did tell me how y' know French, Anna," he told her, effortlessly avoiding her comment. His brother gave him enough good-natured grief for spending his days with some random girl –
"A river rat, no less, frère!"
- But he didn't need the same lip from his friend.
Anna shrugged. "Just kinda picked it up. Ah'm no where near fluent but Ah know the basic stuff… Ah can listen to it better than Ah can speak it, too."
"Not bad. I always t'ought it was weird dat y' knew what I was sayin'."
"It's not like ya speak full sentences with me, Swamp Rat," she giggled. "Maybe Ah'll get back ta ya after Ah take French in high school. You can test me then."
"If y' come back 'round den, I can tutor y'," he offered with a wiggling eyebrow.
"You? A teacher? That'll be the day," she laughed.
Remy stopped in his tracks. "Quoi, y' don't t'ink I can teach?" His tone was playful, but Anna knew she'd hit a nerve.
"Well, if ya wanted ta teach me somethin'… ya could show me how ya lifted that girl's watch last week…"
"Y'd like dat, wouldn' y'," he smirked, continuing his pace. "I tol' y', I'm bonded t' an oath on dat one."
Anna pouted and blew from her eyes a stray white lock of hair that had fallen from her high ponytail. "Yeah, yeah, Ah remember. You're no fun," she groused.
"Well," he started, his voice low and impish. "I could teach y' somet'ing else…"
She immediately matched the mischievous grin that appeared on his face. Her eyes shone green with excitement. "What?"
He slowed his steps, noting the estate in the distance. "We're gon' play a li'l trick on mon frère…"
-----
Rogue slid open the glass shower door, feeling slightly more refreshed than she had twenty minutes before. Her stomach growled fiercely from underneath the black towel wrapped around her, crying in agony for nourishment. "Quiet," she muttered to it as she dried her feet on the bath mat in front of the shower.
She wrapped the large towel around her more tightly as she tiptoed across the bathroom and reached for the door. She turned the knob gently and pushed the door open a crack, peeking outside. The steam from her shower rushed out of the open door while the air conditioned coolness from the rest of the apartment trickled into the bathroom. She felt goose bumps rise on her pale, damp skin.
She stuck her head out of the bathroom, her eyes jetting back and forth for her host. "Remy?" she called. She didn't sense him in his bedroom next to the bathroom, nor did she hear him in the living room or the kitchen. She took a tentative step out of the bathroom, all the while listening for Remy. The plush carpeting of the floor squished between her bare toes as she strolled lightly into his room. After a quick glance around, her eyes fell on the folded clothes on his bed.
Carefully so she didn't drop the towel tucked around her chest, she lifted up the shirt on top of the small pile of clothes. Smiling, she noted it was a long sleeved thermal shirt. Her eyes drifted to the rest of the clothes: a pair of track pants that would be more than long enough for her, plus a pair of socks and a spare pair of gloves. With a smirk, she picked up one of the gloves and held it up to her hand.
It was huge.
She smiled sincerely for the first time in weeks at the sight. She couldn't help but laugh softly at his attempt to make her comfortable.
She turned her attention away from the glove as heard the front door open and shut just so slightly. The rustling of plastic bags brought her to the bedroom doorway, his glove still in her hand.
The bags dropped on the counter and suddenly Remy's head peeked around from the living towards the bedroom. "Hey," he greeted her with a warm smile. "Hope y' don' mind some grilled cheese wit' tomato soup. Dey were out of filet mignon," he smirked.
She felt his eyes flash down her toweled form for a brief moment and a blush rose on her cheeks. "That sounds great," she mumbled, unconsciously drawing her towel closer with her free hand. He is not checkin' you out. It was just a curious glance – he is not leerin' at you, Rogue, she told herself harshly.
"Ham an' cheese, right?" His eyes met hers again, a smirk glimmering in the red irises.
She smiled gently, happy that he remembered. That's two smiles in as many minutes, she thought with an internal smirk. "Even better."
"Bien. How are de clothes?"
"They're fine," she said with another blush as she was once again reminded of her lack of clothing. "Ah was about ta change."
"I got y' a few more t'ings," he said as he came around the bend of the wall and held out a bag by its base.
With her free hand, she slipped her hand through the handle. "What is it," she asked curiously, peeking in.
"Toiletries… toothbrush, deodorant, dat sort of stuff," he explained almost shyly. It wasn't a tone she'd expected to hear from him.
She felt the blush spread to the tip of her nose and down her neck as she inspected the items in the bag, feeling completely exposed. Oh mah gawd, Ah wish Ah was wearin' more than this damn towel! "Ya didn't have to," she managed to say. "Thank you."
"Don' mention it," he said with a lazy smile, his nonchalant disposition back. "I'll let y' get dressed."
She nodded, hugging the bag to her chest as she stepped back into the bedroom. She shut the door behind her, shaking her head in astonishment as she glanced over the items in the bag again.
-----
A few minutes later she stepped out of the bedroom again, her hair lightly falling slightly above her shoulders in a towel-dried mess. She'd decided to skip on Remy's gloves and kept the thermal shirt's long sleeves pulled down past her knuckles. The track pants were huge and pooled around her feet, but she cinched the tie string around her waist as best as she could.
As soon as she opened the door, the smell of simmering butter and tomatoes assaulted her senses. Her stomach lurched in response. "Hmm…" she hummed as she shuffled around the corner to the living room. She peeked over the counter to the kitchen and saw Remy pouring the tomato soup into bowls. "Ah don't think Ah've ever smelled somethin' so delicious," she murmured as she joined him in the kitchen.
He looked up and smiled. "Y' must be real hungry den since it's only soup."
"Oh, Ah am," she said as her eyes hungrily floated over the food. "Ah didn't know ya could cook."
"Dis is not'ing," he said dismissively. "Tante taught me how t' after de engagement. Figured a good husband should know how t' cook," he explained, snickering and scoffing at the same time. And then he suddenly froze. "Excuse me," he said, placing the pot back on the stove top before he left her to the food.
He paced into the living room, retrieving his cell phone from his coat thrown over the chair Rogue had vacated previously. He flipped it open and speed-dialed Belle's number.
"C'mon, Bella," he urged, counting the third ring in his ear.
"Bonjour, amis! Dis is Belladonna. I didn' make it t' m'phone so leave a message. Merci!" Beep.
"Belle, it's me. Sorry I haven' called sooner, but I jus' got back from m' mission. Henri tol' me what happened an' I was jus' worried since no one's heard from y'." He sighed, frustrated that he was talking to her voicemail instead of her. He imagined his fiancée had felt the same way three days before. "Listen, chére, jus' call me when y' get dis, s'il vous plaît." He closed the phone to end the call. "Dammit," he muttered under his breath.
Rogue lifted her head from her soup. "Is everythin' okay?"
He walked back into the kitchen and fell into the chair across the table from her. "Non, Anna… not at all."
"What is it?" She placed her spoon down so she could listen to him attentively.
"Y' know de contract I tol' y' about?"
"Yoah contract? Yeah."
"Oui, well… it's up."
Rogue's jaw dropped. "What do ya mean it's 'up?' Why? Does that mean ya hafta go back?'
He nodded gravely. "Dat ain' de half of it. It looked like I was skippin' out on de agreement t' de Assassins an' de Council since I failed t' check back wit' m'guild after what happened wit' Magneto, so… de Assassins took mon père."
Rogue was happy she'd stopped eating to pay attention because she was sure she would've sputtered tomato soup everywhere in shock. "What? Why? What would that possibly prove?"
Remy shrugged, slumping against his chair. "Dey need me back dere as soon as possible."
"Why haven' ya gone yet?" Her eyebrows knit in curiosity. "Ya shouldn' be here if they need ya down there," she insisted.
He ran a hand through his hair roughly. "Because I can' leave you," he said softly. Upon her astonished look, he added quickly, "Here – like dis, I mean."
"Remy… you've done more than enough…"
"Hey, y' came t' me f' a reason, Anna. I'm not goin' anywhere till y' sure dat y' can go back t' de X-Men."
Her eyes shifted from his as she sighed. "Ah appreciate this more than you could imagine, Ah do but… Ah don't know when Ah'll be ready ta go back," she whispered. "But Ah know Ah won't keep ya from goin' back home. Ah've already burdened ya enough."
"Don' say dat," he told her, leaning forward. "As of right now, you are m'number one priority." A faint blush spread on her pale cheeks with his words. "Why don' y' t'ink y' can go back?"
Her head dropped and suddenly her soup became the most interesting thing in the world. "They haven't looked at me the same since the night of the concert… like they need ta walk on eggshells around me." She picked up her spoon again and began to twirl it around idly in her bowl.
"De night of the concert?"
She laughed shortly, and it wasn't happy. "It really has been awhile since we really talked last, hasn't it?"
"It has been. I left y' a few messages right after I was in London…"
"Ah lost mah cell phone in the scuffle at the concert… haven't really bothered ta get it replaced." She looked up from her soup. "Ah'm sorry."
He shrugged. "I jus' wish I could've been dere f' you."
She met his eyes and smiled wryly. "You're here foh me now."
"At least I could do dat much," he responded, a smirk pulling at his lips. He nodded towards her soup and sandwich. "Eat, we can talk later."
She smiled and dipped her spoon into the soup once again. "Ah like that idea."
-----
Rogue devoured a sandwich and a half along with a whole bowl of soup before she leaned back in her chair with a contented sigh. "Ah don't think grilled ham an' cheese has ever tasted so good," she murmured, her pale hand patting her stomach.
Remy smiled. "Glad y' liked it, chére." He stood up and collected their empty dishes. "Y' feelin' better?" he asked as he deposited everything into the sink.
She nodded slightly. "Mah stomach thanks you," she snickered. "Ah though Ah was gonna implode foh a second there. It's mah own fault that Ah didn't eat anythin' though." Her gaze dropped to her hand and she watched her finger swirl around on the thermal material, knowing what was coming next.
"Anna…" Remy leaned his back against the sink. "Can y' tell me what happened wit' Mystique?"
She glanced at him sideways, her eyes downcast and cloudy with gray. She pushed away from the table, the chair legs squealing against the polished wood paneled floor. "Where do ya want me ta start?" she asked in a stuffy voice. She knew she owed him an explanation, but it didn't make it any easier to recall the events of the night before.
He turned and found two mugs in the drainage basin. "How about… a little blue birdie mentioned dat he was y' brother."
Her lips curled into an unhappy smile. "When did Kurt tell ya that? In Tibet?" She spat the location as she recalled being told by Logan how far she'd blindly traveled under Mesmero's influence.
He filled the mugs up with water and opened the microwave door to put them inside. "Oui, an' dat was right b'fore he found de statue an' said it was his maman."
She bit her lip and looked up as she heard the microwave door shut. "What are ya makin'?" she asked, straying away from the conversation.
"Tea," he responded shortly as he pressed the power button on the microwave. "Why don' y' take a seat in de ot'er room? We can talk more comfortably in dere."
She stood up wordlessly and left him in the kitchen to tend to the tea. A few minutes later, he joined her in the living room with a mug hooked in each hand. With her hands covered in the long sleeves so as not to brush accidentally against his bare fingers, she accepted the mug from him. She pressed the ceramic mug to her lips and took a small sip. "Hmm… chamomile," she murmured softly. "Thank ya."
He took a seat next to her on the couch, waiting for her to speak. She caught his patient gaze and sighed. "Remember how Ah told ya that Mystique was there the day mah powers manifested? An' how Ah said Ah wasn't sure how she an' Irene knew each other in order ta get Irene ta basically turn me over ta her?" Remy nodded silently. "Well… they've been friends since… who knows when. Ah'm not sure when they met, but Ah just know that Mystique has always been around."
"What do y' mean?"
"Val, Ronnie, Mallory, Leni… all those friends of Irene's with their 'routine visits'? They were all her, all along," she said in a low cold voice. "Mah real surname – Hardwick – it was just another alias of hers."
"So… y' original adoptive maman didn' really die in a car crash an' jus' happened t' leave y' wit' her blind best friend," Remy concluded.
She shook her head and sighed, taking another sip of her tea. "There was some big destiny in store foh me that Irene foresaw years befoh Ah was even adopted by 'Millicent'," she scoffed.
"An' what was dat?" he asked.
"The 'destiny'? Foh me ta raise Apocalypse, apparently. No one bothered ta fill me in completely on the goose chase Ah was on," she snorted. "Ah'm tired of everyone tellin' me that it's not mah fault, that Ah didn't have a choice, but look what it's done so far! Magneto would be alive an' yoah guild wouldn't be at war again, let alone everythin' else that's happened!"
"Y' can'put dat on y'self," he told her gently.
She shrugged noncommittally, refusing to listen to him. "An' you know what the terrible thing is?"
"What's dat, chére?"
She took a moment to yawn. "If Ah had the chance ta push her again, Ah'm not so sure Ah'd walk away."
He regarded her with a quiet stare, his eyes flickering to her mug. "She hurt y' real bad, Anna. I know what it's like t' have dat one person dat is supposed t' care for y' de most betray y'," he whispered understandingly.
"Adoptive parents suck," she murmured shortly, leaning back against the couch.
With a sad smile, Remy reached for her mug and took it out of her hands delicately.
She watched with hazy eyes as he gathered the mug in his hands. "You drugged me again, didn't ya," she whispered accusingly as she fought to keep her eyes open. They drooped shut and snapped open again as she forced herself to glare at him.
"Dis was Tante's special blend, Anna. I jus' wanted y' t' get a good night's sleep," he explained soothingly.
"Good," she yawned. "Ah'd hate ta have ta kick yoah ass in the mornin' after ya've been so nice ta me…" she trailed off. "Ah haven't had a good night's sleep in weeks…" she added tiredly.
"Je sais, chére." He watched her smile briefly as her breathing continued to deepen.
He placed her mug on the table next to his untouched one. He stood up and bent down to slide his arms under her legs and around her back. He lifted her up with ease, noting dismally that she weighed less than the last time he'd held her in such a fashion.
"Where are we goin'?" she mumbled against his chest.
"Y' are goin' t' sleep, Anna," he told her, swiftly moving across the living room and into the small hallway leading to his bedroom.
He carried her to his bed and gently set her down. She instantly curled up on the mattress, hugging one of his pillows to her body. He reached for the folded comforter at the foot of the bed and spread it over her sleeping form.
"Bonne nuit, chére," he whispered. He heard her muffled 'night' in response and smiled. He turned and exited the room, stopping short in the hallway at the linen closet. He pulled out an extra pillow and blanket for himself.
He trudged back into the living room, throwing his pillow down into the arm of the leather couch. "So much f' sleepin' in m' own bed t'night," he chuckled as he sank into the couch. He lifted his cooling mug of tea to his lips and took a long sip until most of the mug's contents were gone.
He stared at the empty mug, feeling the tea slide down into his stomach. A lazy smirk crossed his lips as he could already feel the effects of whatever Tante mixed with the chamomile in order to create such a reaction. He yawned as he placed the mug down in its spot next to Rogue's. He wearily ran a hand across his face as his other hand fumbled sluggishly with his boot laces. Once they were loose enough, he kicked them free of his feet and swung them onto the couch in a fluid movement.
He rested his head against his pillow, stretching his arms above his head momentarily before clasping his hands behind his head on top of the pillow. "Time f' m'good night's sleep," he murmured briefly before his red eyes slipped shut.
-----
Anna could hardly subdue the smirk on her face as Remy walked her up the steps to the grand front doors of his house. Her mind mulled over what he had told her to say – that is, until her eyes actually looked at the house in front of her. Her poorly hidden devious smile fell from her lips and her jaw practically dropped in astonishment. Remy didn't mention he lived in a mansion! She managed to plaster a placid look on her features and fought to keep it in place as Remy ushered her through the front doors.
"This place is huge," she let slip out in a small murmur as she followed him past the foyer.
"Eh, I guess it is. Don' really notice most of de time," he said with a humble shrug. He craned his head forward, glancing into the rooms they passed. "Tante?" he called as they passed the main sitting room. "I'm back an' I brought m' friend!"
"In here, chil'," a voice returned from another room, further back in the house.
"She's in de kitchen," Remy told Anna, guiding her through one hallway into another room and another.
Anna's awe overwhelmed her and she couldn't help but drink in the décor around her. It was amazing! Mink vases lined the bookshelves along the walls and crystals figurines of all varieties surrounding and accenting them, some with precious gemstones crafted into them; ornate paintings and gold leafed frames covered the walls in each room, as if one artist was devoted to each area; a chandelier seemed to hang from every single room's ceiling, glittering like diamonds regardless of the amount of light reflecting off the extravagant fixture.
"Ya sure ya don't notice this every time ya walk through here?" Anna asked, her voice faraway as her head leaned to look at a particular crystalline rose in the hallway. Her eyes absorbed the gold base, shimmering with rubies and emeralds.
Remy snaked his hand into hers and led her away from the shelf. "Oui, I don'," he said with a chuckle.
She reluctantly followed him, attempting to keep her eyes forward. "Ya failed ta mention ya had all this cool stuff in here."
"It's not like I can sit here an' touch any of it, fille. It just sits dere an' collects dust until it's cleaned up. Half of dese rooms aren' even used most of de time unless mon père has a meetin' an' has it in dere."
Anna wrinkled her nose. "Oh. That's no fun."
"Non," he sighed. "It really isn'." He slipped his hand from hers as they reached the kitchen. Remy walked in ahead of Anna, motioning for her to follow him. She shyly edged up behind him, seeing a woman by the stove that could only be the one he affectionately called Tante Mattie.
"Good, s'bout time y' got home, Remy. T'ought y'd stay down by the river all day," she laughed as she placed the spoon she'd been stirring with down on the counter and turned to face them. She glanced past Remy and smiled widely. "So dis is de belle Anna we've heard so much 'bout," Mattie praised as she gently pushed Remy out of the way so she could take a better look at Anna. "An' look how y' dressed, chil'!" she exclaimed approvingly.
Anna blushed furiously under Mattie's gaze, unable to keep her cheeks from flushing bright pink. She threw a look to Remy that said "Ah told ya so" before she looked up at Mattie. "It's nice ta meet ya," she greeted, sticking her daintily gloved hand up so as to shake Mattie's.
The older woman's darker face brightened even more. She stepped up and gathered Anna in a tender hug, ignoring her small extended hand. "She's so polite, Remy. How does she even stand y'?" Mattie teased.
Remy crossed his arms across his chest petulantly. "We've been home f' two minutes an' not only have y' managed t' embarrass me, but y' smotherin' m'guest too," he smirked.
"Dieu, y' know dere is no such t'ing as a handshake in dis house," she laughed jollily. She released Anna from her embrace and much to her relief and Remy's mock disappointment, Anna was smiling from ear to ear.
Upon seeing Anna's grin, Remy's eyes narrowed at her, glowering lightheartedly. "Y' aren' supposed t' encourage her, fille!" he hissed at her.
"Oh let it go, Remy. Y' jus' sour 'cause y' haven' gotten a hug yet," Mattie insisted with her arms wide.
Anna giggled as Mattie advanced on Remy, only to have him hide behind her smaller body for a futile shield against the larger woman. "Hey, Ah actually enjoyed that," she threw over her shoulder to the playfully cowering Remy. "Irene doesn't hug me like that ever!"
"See, chil'? Takin' it f'granted," Tante Mattie told Remy with a click of her tongue.
"Eh, y' know I love y', Tante," Remy teased as he stood up from behind Anna, swatting her long ponytail absently. She grabbed the ponytail and glared at him. He shrugged with a sheepish smirk.
"Why don' y' take her sweater an' y' two can get situated out back?" Tante suggested. "I'll bring y' out somet'ing t' drink t' chase 'way dis heat," she added as she turned towards the refrigerator.
Remy tugged on Anna's arm. "C'mon, it's dis way." He led her to the back door. He opened it and allowed her to go past him out onto the veranda. Her eyes once again were wide with astonishment as she drank in all the land around them.
"This is amazing, Remy," she breathed as she slipped out of her lacy covering. She glanced back to him as he offered to take her shirt. "How do ya not have a big head 'bout livin' in a place like this?"
He smirked slyly and draped her shirt over one of the lounge chairs lined along the house. "I didn' tell y' 'bout how t'ings were b'fore Jean Luc adopted me, did I?"
Anna took a seat in one of the chairs, gracefully tucking her skirt underneath her. "Ya really haven't gone in ta it," she replied, looking up at him. "Ah figured ya didn't remember it like Ah don't remember much of life befoh Irene." Remy slumped into the seat next to her, a forlorn and wistful frown crossing his face. It wasn't an expression Anna saw often from him and it intrigued her. She tilted her head to the side, reading the emotions that crossed his eyes. "You remember all of it, don't ya?"
"It ain' pretty eit'er," he muttered with a sigh.
Anna bit her lip. No way was she going to have him recall such blatantly less than cheerful thoughts on their day that had been going so splendidly. "When's yoah brother gonna be home? Ah want ta make sure we have our story down," she asked, her smiling face bringing him back to the present.
He looked at her again, the past gone from his eyes and replaced with the mischievousness she was more accustomed to. "He should be home soon, Mercy in tow," he snickered.
"Ya really think he's gonna fall foh it?"
He waved his hand dismissively, the very idea of failure far from his mind. "If dere's two t'ings I know about mon frère, is dat one, de boy is gullible as anyt'ing. An' two, de boy holds a grudge against dis girl unlike anyt'ing I've ever seen. Why do y' t'ink he gives me such merde 'bout hangin' 'round you?"
"Ya didn't tell me he did!" Anna cried incredulously.
"An' dat is why dis is goin' t' be so much fun," he snickered menacingly.
-----
Remy felt a slight poke in his shoulder that jarred him awake from his sleep. His eyes fluttered opened and focused on a set of gray-green irises that blinked at him brightly in the sunlight shining through the drawn blinds. "…Anna?" he grumbled. "What y' doin' up, fille?"
"Rems, Ah had this idea," she whispered as she knelt down next to the couch so she wasn't looming over him.
"… What time issit?" he mumbled, running a hand over his face.
"A li'l past ten."
"Okay…" He pushed himself off his pillow. Stretching his arms over his head, he yawned loudly. He tilted his head slightly to the right, allowing the joint in his neck to crack mutely. He repeated the action to the left before looking at Rogue again. "What's y' plan?" he asked her, rubbing his neck free of tension.
"When are you goin' back ta New Orleans?"
"I tol' y' – whenever y' ready t' go back home y'self. I won' leave y', chére."
She stood up from the floor and sat herself next to him on the couch. "The thing is, Remy, Ah don't know when Ah'll be ready ta go back. Like Ah said… they haven't looked at me the same way foh weeks an' Ah pretty much feel like Ah don't belong there anymore, especially after the other night."
"Why do y' say dat?"
"The X-Men don't kill, Remy."
"All y' did was push her off a cliff – dere's no tellin' whether or not she was gone already, Anna."
She bit her lip and ran her hand through her hair, the dark auburn and white mingling in a post-sleep ruffled mess. "Ah want ta go with ya," she said softly without looking at him.
"Quoi? I can'-"
"Ah've thought about it, Remy," she started, her eyes snapping up to look at his again. "Ah've been tossin' it over an' over in mah head an' Ah just need an out – even foh a little bit. Ah figure you'll need the company goin' down an' Ah reckon we'll be able ta get all that talkin' that we wanted ta do out of the way. Once we reach Louisiana, Ah can call the X-Men an' have them get me an' you can do what needs ta be done."
He gazed at her, tracing the quiver of her lips without her dark lipstick lining them, up to her bright green eyes without the shadow of black and purple surrounding them. As he took her in, it hit him - she was Anna again. The girl he'd met years ago shone through as she shyly tucked a white forelock of hair behind her ear with a pale hand peeking out from his shirt.
"Are y' sure dis is what y' want t' do?"
She nodded, her hand dropping from her hair. "Ah need this, Remy. An'… the more Ah thought about it," she bit her pale lip, trying to find the words. "Ah can't leave you either. Not only as a repayment foh last night-"
"Anna, I tol' y' it's okay," he told her as he stood up from the couch and turned away from her towards the kitchen. Rogue's eyes flashed to the brief sliver of skin that appeared between the hem of his shirt and the low waist of his jeans when he stretched once more. She was thankful he couldn't see her avert her eyes from it so noticeably.
"Ah'm askin' ya ta let me be there foh you like you've been there foh me, Remy. That's it," she said insistently as the blush faded from her cheeks. She stood up and followed him into the kitchen.
Remy opened one of the cabinets to find some coffee. "I didn' do dat much-"
"Jean told me how ya were in the tomb after Apocalypse booked," she interjected, hoping he'd get the point. "An' how ya wouldn't let me go."
He turned, his eyes softer as he faced her. "Y' don' remember dat?"
She shrugged, her eyes falling from his. "Ah'm tryin' mah hardest ta fohget the bad things that happened that anythin' else is jus' gone. Ah mean…" she turned away from him to take a seat in a chair at the table. "Ah remember wakin' up when Logan picked me up, an' then the next moment Ah was with you. After that, Ah had Kurt an' Kitty hoverin' around me on the plane ride home. Ah've been kinda dependin' on people ta fill in the pieces foh me."
Remy nodded with a sly smirk. "So… what else did Jean say 'bout me?"
"She just said there was somethin' 'oddly placed' about yoah compassion," she explained with the tiniest of smiles. "Then she asked why ya would be so inclined as ta hold me when we don't know each other at all."
"What did y' tell her?" he asked as he prepped the filter in the coffee machine.
"Well, Amara happened ta start screechin' at that exact moment about Bobby freezin' the pool, again, so Ah got the chance ta duck away."
Remy paused thoughtfully in his preparations. "Y' haven' told any of dem 'bout us, have y'?" Realizing the wording of his question, his eyes flared up and he quickly added, "'Bout our friendship an' knowin' each ot'er before, I mean."
Rogue's eyes widened at his slip, but otherwise acted as if she hadn't noticed it. "No, Ah haven't. Logan thinks somethin's up though. He said ya were actin' different than he expected when the three of ya came after me."
Remy smirked as he turned the brewer on. "An' here I t'ought he was too busy wit' Creed t' even notice I was dere."
"He did say he was a little preoccupied with tryin' not ta kill him…" Rogue snickered.
He slid out the chair adjacent to Rogue's and took a seat. "So," he began as he relaxed in the chair. "Y' really want t' come wit' me?"
She smiled slightly and looked at him, pulling at the extra long sleeves covering her hands absently. "Yeah, Ah really do," she told him sincerely.
He leaned forward and stared at her intently for a moment as if reading for any waver in her resolve. Finding none, he sat back in the chair and smiled lazily. "It'll be nice t' not take de trip alone."
"Plus, Ah mean, it would take less time since ya'd have two drivers…" Rogue smirked as she avoided his eye contact, feigning innocence.
"So dat's why y' wan' come along! Y' just want t' ride m'bike. I see how it is, chére. T'anks." He pushed away from the table dramatically and stood up, pretending to be absolutely insulted. He tsked at her as he retrieved two new mugs from the cabinet.
"Well, as long as you're okay with it," she teased with a grin as she watched him ready their coffee. She realized as soon as the smile had spread across her face that it was the first time in what felt like forever that she'd gotten a chance to joke around with anyone. There was Risty… but then there obviously wasn't. Kurt had tried with her as well, but she'd stubbornly pushed him away. It was like no one who knew her as Rogue could relate to her anymore.
Not that she really let them anyway.
It was different with Remy. She knew the second she broke into a sprint after walking away from the foggy gazebo that night, he would understand. She hadn't had the opportunity to hide her previous life from him like she'd been able to with everyone else because he'd been part of it, if only for those three short weeks. Try as she could, her thoughts constantly bounced back to him and how he was the clearest part of her life now that everything was completely messed up.
He looked at her and saw her for the girl beneath the nickname and dark clothes. She knew that when her gray-green eyes connected with those ruby red irises burning out from a pool of black, he saw Anna, the part of herself that she'd desperately clawed for in the last month because being Rogue hurt too much anymore.
"Listen, I'm gon' get cleaned up," Remy spoke up, breaking her out of her mental reverie. He placed a full mug of coffee in front of her, along with his cell phone that he must have grabbed while she was deep in thought.
"Ya want me ta call them?" She stared at the phone as if it would explode under her fingertips at the slightest touch.
"Y' been gone f' over a day. Y' know dey've gotta be worried 'bout y'."
"Ah know, but…"
He rested his hand on the back of her chair and leaned down so close, Rogue's hair brushed against his cheek. "De line is completely untraceable, chére. It's up t' you."
She kept her gaze on the phone, solely because if she moved her head, her forehead would've bumped into his chin. "Okay," she breathed, hoping he'd realize how painfully close he was.
"Bien," he said, standing to his full height once again. "I'll only be a few minutes. We can get somet'ing t' eat den, hein?"
She nodded, finally comfortable enough to shift her head and glance at him over her shoulder. When she saw him go around the corner to the hallway, she faced forward once again. His phone mocked her casually from its position on the table. You won't use me, it taunted. Like you could gather up the courage to make a simple call and let the people who care about you know you're alright.
"Screw you," she snarled at it, throwing another cautious glance over her shoulder. She reached out for the phone, but halted as her hand hovered over it indecisively. She could hear the shower turn on from the other side of the apartment. She checked over her shoulder again, as if Remy would peek around the corner, dripping wet and clad only in a towel. She imagined he'd give her a frown, wondering why she hadn't made the call yet.
With an exasperated sigh, she snatched the phone off the table and flipped it open. She dialed Kitty's cell phone number, as it was the only one she remembered by heart – save for Kurt's – besides the main institute line.
It rang twice before an inquisitive voice answered. "Hello?"
"Kit?"
"Rogue?" Her former roommate's voice was instantly alert with recognition and Rogue wasn't sure if she felt comfort at the familiarity of the younger girl's high pitched voice. "Where the hell are you?! You just, like, disappeared!"
"Kitty, calm down – Ah'm okay, but Ah just needed ta get away."
"Kurt told me what happened," Kitty said in a softer tone after she took a second to breathe and collect her thoughts. "Rogue, I know that you didn't want the statue here but-"
"How is he?" Rogue interrupted, not really caring for Kitty's opinion on the topic.
"… He hasn't really said much."
"He's mad at me, ain't he." It wasn't a question.
"To be honest, I don't even think he's noticed you're gone," Kitty snapped. Rogue wanted to be upset by the bite in Shadowcat's voice, but she knew she deserved it. "You didn't answer my first question," she reminded her.
"Ah'm… at a friend's."
Kitty paused. "You're at a friend's…" she scoffed incredulously. "You know I don't believe you, right?"
"Ah didn't expect ya to," Rogue snapped in return. "But he wanted me ta call an' let ya know Ah was okay."
"How thoughtful of him," Kitty snorted.
An awkward silence settled between them and Rogue contemplated hanging up the phone. She opened her mouth to quietly say goodbye, but Kitty's voice sounded first. "When are you coming home?" she asked softly. "I didn't mean to sound so angry, but you know I hate when you do that disappearing thing!"
Rogue sighed. "Ah know ya do, Kit."
"And I'm sure Kurt's worried – really! He… just hasn't said anything about it."
Rogue felt a pang of hurt in her chest at the thought of Kurt not even mentioning her absence at the institute, but knew she honestly didn't expect anything else. "Has anyone come lookin' foh me?"
"Mr. Logan searched for you last night… I think he just got home a little bit ago. He was real worried about you too, ya know. He kept muttering about how he knew something like this would happen – with you running off like this, I mean."
Rogue winced. Instead of apologizing, she sighed once more. "Kit, Ah'm not comin' home just yet…"
"Why not, Rogue? Where are you?" Kitty asked again. Gone from her voice was any trace of her previous hostility.
"A friend's," Rogue repeated shortly.
Kitty scoffed again. "Oh, come off it, Rogue! No offense, but you haven't really talked to any of us for weeks and if you weren't here you were with Rist-" She stopped short and Rogue froze. Her jaw went slack at Kitty's words. Kitty immediately began to squeak an apology. "Rogue, I'm sorry – I didn't mean-"
"No, it's fine," she responded in a stiff, distant voice. "She… she was real long enough foh you ta say that." The door to the bathroom opened and Rogue could hear the ventilation fan turn off. "Kit, Ah'll call you in a couple days. Tell everyone Ah'll be fine," she mumbled numbly.
"Rogue-"
"Tell Kurt Ah'm sorry." She was sincere, though her voice lacked emotion. The words tumbled off her lips numbly as her voice grew softer.
"Please don't go-"
"Ah'll call you later." Against Kitty's protests, Rogue dropped the phone from her ear and clasped it shut in her palm. She closed her fist around the cell phone and sighed.
"Y' alright, Anna?"
She turned her head and saw him over the counter to the living room, standing by the hallway. He had towel dried his body off, but his skin still managed to glisten as his hair dripped on his shoulders and down his chest. Rogue caught a glimpse of the towel around his hips and snapped her face forward again. She fought the blush that crept onto her pale cheeks.
"Ah talked ta Kitty," she responded softly, hoping he'd keep his distance with so much of his skin showing. There was enough on her mind – she didn't want to add his gratuitous bare skin and how it made her feel to that as well.
"I see," he said, still across the room. "M' gonna get dressed an' den we can go get breakfast."
She nodded, not sure if he could see the small action. She didn't turn her head again, her mind partially shy by his half nakedness but mainly overwhelmed with memories of her and her former supposed best friend.
"Ugh," she groaned inaudibly, wiping her thumb under her eye to catch a stubborn tear that managed to fall.
"Hey… y' sure y' okay?" he asked her again, his voice closer.
"Ah'm fine," she insisted softly, refusing to let him see her cry again. She slid the phone back onto the kitchen table without a sound.
"Anna…" she felt him come closer and slide into the chair across the table from her. "What is it?"
Her eyes remained downcast so she couldn't see his bare muscular chest. You've seen him shirtless befoh. Get a grip. "Ah didn't tell you about Risty," she whispered reluctantly once she'd told herself enough to grow the hell up.
"Non, y' didn't."
"She was mah best friend… the first person who really understood me up here, ya know?"
"I didn' see y' 'round anyone b'fore when I'd see y' at school."
"That's because after Ah went back ta school, she was in Area 51," she snapped. "She came back in time foh me ta have a mental breakdown."
"Y' mean…"
"Yup. It was her all along." She wiped another angry tear that fell from her eye, hoping Remy didn't catch a glimpse of it. She knew he did though and even attempting to hide it was a ridiculous action.
"Chére… she can' hurt y' no more."
"Then how come she is now?" Her face shot up and her eyes were gray and cold, trembling with tears. "Remy, Ah could push her off a thousand cliffs, but that betrayal… that whole knowledge of knowin' that mah life was a fuckin' lie – that's never gonna go away."
He sat back in his seat, appraising her flushed cheeks and watery eyes. "Den what's de sense in runnin'?" he asked sincerely.
She regarded him with a cool glare, although her lip quivered slightly. "Just go get dressed, Swamp Rat. Ah'm hungry."
He stared at her neutrally for a moment and she pointedly avoided his gaze with a scowl across her face. With a sigh, he stood up from his chair. "I'll only be a few minutes," he told her again before leaving the kitchen.
Rogue slumped in her seat. She almost called to him – anything so he wouldn't give her that disapproving, soul deciphering red-eyed stare again. Instead, she bit her lip in frustration and blinked her eyes over and over again to keep the tears from falling.
She lifted her hand to her lips and bit down on it through the thermal material, suppressing her groan of defeat as the tears slid from her eyes once more.
------------------------
Translations (because I always forget to do these!):
Le c'est une long étage , frère. – It's a long story, brother.
L'ensemble situation c'est une Malheur. – This situation is a disaster.
Vous êtes bizarre, fille. – You are strange, girl.
(I don't know French. Translators are my friend, even if they're not correct.)
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And here we are, the end of chapter seven! For those of you following the lyrics to the song that this is loosely based around, we'll be hitting the second verse finally in the next chapter. Funny how when I originally had this in my head, it was going to be three simple chapters…
That said, I feel like a whole lot of nothing happened in this chapter, but I couldn't make it any longer without having to split it up anyway, so we'll just go with this. The flashback will obviously continue in the next chapter as well. I'm going to have fun with that one… muahaha.
Rogue is just a big ball o' angst in this one, ain't she? How will the ride down to New Orleans go? What exactly happened to Jean Luc? Where's Belle? And what the hell did lil!Remy and Rogue have in store for Henri? And what other subplots am I forgetting to mention in this little 1960-esque paragraph? Find out, next time. (smiles)
As always, leave love in the form of a review. You guys are awesome, never forget that!
--- Courtney