6. HERE'S A QUARTER [CALL SOMEONE WHO CARES]

Remy leant against the doorjamb of the most casual living room inside the Guild's Mansion. With his arms crossed and one leg tucked behind the other, he watched Rogue. Her back was to him as she sat on the couch and ignored the dull glow of the television.

She was playing idly with the hem of her left glove with her right hand. Remy got the feeling that she wanted nothing more than to rip them off. It was a ritual he had become accustomed to; in the past two days that Rogue had stayed with them he had noticed her habitual behavior numerous times. Remy wasn't sure if it were due to the nerves pending an X-man raid or if she just despised her gloves.

During her brief stay, Remy was positive that Rogue had witnessed more than a few peculiar things occurring within the halls of the house Remy had once held in the highest esteem. The less she saw the better; the various criminal activities they took part in were below her.

Rogue turned her head slightly, as if she could sense she was no longer alone in the room. After a beat, she turned around completely and eyed him suspiciously.

"Something tha matter, Cajun?" her tone sharp.

Remy shook his head, "Non, jus' enjoyin' the presence o' a femme dat ain' bitchin' at me for some t'ing or another." he sighed.

Raising an eyebrow, Rogue took a guess, "Wedding plannin'?"

With a curl of his lips, Remy's distain colored his words as he said, "If yo' could call it dat."

A smile emerged at the corner of Rogue's lips, "S'matter, didn't get tha venue ya wanted?" she mocked.

Rolling his eyes, Remy moved from the doorjamb and over to the couch. For a millisecond, he considered sitting next to her, but quickly changed his mind. He sat on the coffee table adjacent to her, resting his elbows on his knees.

"Well, since hell's currently frozen over, we couldn't book it." he remarked dryly.

Rogue scooted back into the cushions and gave him a bored once over. "Trouble in paradise?" she asked absently.

"Trouble?" Remy scoffed. "Dat's an understatement. As fo' paradise, yo' need t'check yo' definition o' de word."

Rogue crossed her legs at the knee and rested her hands atop it. "Ya don' seem ta be givin' it much o' ah chance, Sugah." she said softly. Remy was surprised by her tone. It was the first time she had spoken to him as if she cared. However, looking into her eyes, Remy saw a reproachful look.

Squaring his jaw, he said defensively, "Yo' don' know de whole story."

"Ah guess Ah don't." Rogue conceded, turning her attention from him back to her gloves.

"Ain'ca curious?" He wanted her to be curious.

Rogue sighed; her eyes flickered back to his face. "Well, it seems as if ya're itchin' ta tell me."

Remy ran his tongue across his teeth as he clasped his hands together, "I don' like de way yo' look at me when Belle comes int' de fold." he admitted, his gaze drifting past her.

Rogue blanched at him, "Seriously? Ya're ah international, womanizing thief an' you don' like tha look in my eyes when ya infidelity come up? Ain' not carin' what other folks think part o' ya job description?" she said in exasperation.

"It is, an' I don't." He murmured. "But'choo always look like yo' wanna lecture me. I t'ink de whole story would change yo' opinion."

"Fine." Rogue waved her hand dismissively. "Tell me how ya justify ya infidelity. Ah'm dyin' ta know." the sarcasm dripped from her words.

Remy glared at her, "When we were children, Belle an' I were close... She was de first girl I ever loved- de only actually. But den we grew up. We believed in different t'ings. We grew apart, no longer compatible; but Belle wasn't able t'let it go."

He took a deep breath and continued, "Wit' everyt'ing 'round us changin', she clung t'de only constant variable in our lives- me. Belle an' I ain't been a true couple since we was sixteen. It's been nearly a decade, an' suddenly our Pere's thought it'd be a clever play t'marry us fo' de sake o' peace. Belle was- an is- thrilled at de idea. I, however, have done every damn t'ing I can t'ink of t' try an' get outta this betrothal I didn't want."

He tried to convey the story in the shortest means possible in attempt to get her to understand. He wanted her to understand, he wasn't the bad guy here. He was just in a bad spot

After a beat, Rogue sucked her teeth and crossed her arms, "So ya justify ta actions as one giant temper tantrum an' ya expect that ta make tha judgmental look in m'eye ta disappear?" she laughed coolly. "Ya think ya're tha only one that has been forced inta situations ya didn't like? Ya're ah grown ass man. Ya'll get no pity from me. Ya could walk away from all ah this, but ya are ah coward. Instead o' sitting Belle down ya try ta take tha easy way out. Actin' like you are tha victim here." her voice was growing louder and louder, "Ever think that Belle acts like that as ah copin' mechanism? Maybe that's how she's dealing with being forced ta marry ah selfish, yellow bellied sonva bitch. But then ah-gain, Ah doubt ya've ever gave ah damn 'bout what Belladonna wanted." she snarled. "Now get outta my sight fo' Ah personally fillet ya."

Remy blinked. Never had anyone dared call him out like that before. Nor had anyone ever spoken to him in such a way... usually people were afraid of him, be it because of his name, his reputation or his eyes. But not her. She wasn't afraid, she saw him for what he truly was. Not just a cunning thief, but a scared little boy who didn't want to be alone. As he pondered over these thoughts, his eyes glowed dangerously.

"Ah. Said. Leave." Rogue snapped, pulling off a single glove and glowering at him.

Remy should have gotten mad. If it were anyone else saying such things to him in his own home he would have been beyond pissed. Anyone else and he would have retaliated. But he didn't. Not to her. He wasn't sure why. Was it because she was a woman? Was it because she was absolutely right?

Or was it something else entirely?

Nevertheless, Remy huffed and stood from the coffee table. With a mocking bow he said, "As yo' wish Cherie." With that, he strode out of the room with a bravado to mask the fact she had just gutted his self esteem.

In the hallway post departure from the living room, Remy ran into Tante Mattie. The little old woman barely spared him a glance as she lightly pushed past him, bee lining for the room he had just left. Remy paused and watched Tante enter the room.

Knowing Tante Mattie as he did, Remy knew that she was seeking out their guest. For what, though, he was not sure. With Tante Mattie it could be anything from a deliverance of her self proclaimed "visions" or because she felt Rogue had not eaten enough.

Remy shook his head. Under normal circumstances, he would have tiptoed back to the entrance of the living room for some good old fashioned sleuthing, but considering the reaming he'd just received, he decided against it. Instead he swung by his room and grabbed his duster.

He was going out for the night. Rogue and her psychoanalysis be damned. He was about to spend the night proving her right.

A/N: Okay... so this is a short chapter and I apologize. It's basically filler because in the next chapter everything's going to hell.

**PLEASE READ** So chapter 7 will be posted the second I have it edited (probably tomorrow, 6/7). This is because I am going out of town later this week and I won't be bringing my laptop, so I'm posting two chapters to make up for the fact that there will Not be an update next week.

Regularly scheduled posting will return to normal the week of 6/21