"So where's dis beach?" Gambit asked looking to me, I pointed with a yawn, and he drove off. They gabbed in the back while I directed Gambit, apparently Lorna had some magnetic powers. They got out at the beach, Kurt collected fire wood for the bomb fire.
"Never had a beach side bomb fire with my friends before." I said, I had been to bomb fires before but never on an invitation.
"Well den, have to make sure dis is a good one for ya Cher. Care for a dip, ma Cherie?" He asked, pulling his shirt off, I wanted to swim, but I worried that if I undressed I might hurt someone.
"I don't know Sugar, could turn bad pretty quick, with y'all getting exposed." I told him, looking around at the group, knowing they wouldn't be nearly as understanding as Gambit.
"Don't worry, Gambit will protect you, live a little Cher." He told her taking her gloved hand, I smiled shaking my head at him.
"You sure do have a way with words sugar." I told him, I let go of his hand slipping out of my shirt, we both stripped down to our britches, I stuck my tongue out at him and ran for the water, he chased me in, starting a splash fight.
We were soon joined by the rest of the group after they'd gotten the fire started, soon we were all splashing playfully, like we were normal kids. Kitty and Lorna started playing chicken on Bobby and Kurt's shoulders. I wanted to join them, but I knew I couldn't, I couldn't even sit on Gambit's shoulders without killing him.
"Freezing in here Cher, de water on de bayou never got dis cold, lets go stoke de fire." He told me, almost like he'd read my mind and knew I wanted a way out of watching them be normal where I couldn't.
"Sure thing sugar." I told him heading for the shore, I grabbed a huge beach towel from Kitty's bag I dried off wrapping it around me and putting my gloves back on, I sat down on a drift wood log, Gambit wrapped himself in one of the other towels and sat next to me.
"I didn't get a chance to ask before, but when I kissed you, I got this feeling that you were running from something, that you left something behind. And you don't have to answer if you don't want to but, what was it, what are you running from, and what did you leave behind?" I asked him, he sighed poking at the fire with one of the driftwood sticks.
"Got some family trouble Cher, left my whole life behind when I left de bayou for New Orleans. Not looking to go back any time soon." Gambit told me I nodded I understood that better then most.
"I get that sugar, my family wasn't exactly keen on me being a mutant." I told him, he smiled nudging my covered shoulder with his.
"Got a new family now Cher, no need to dwell on de past." He told me, I nodded, he was right I had it pretty good here, I had to stop worrying about things that had already happened.
"Ya, that's true, I'm glad you convinced me to stay sugar." I told him he smiled brushing the hair from my eyes with his two gloved middle fingers.
"Take refuge where you find it Cher, these folk are are good people." He told me, I nodded, it was true.
"I see you're enjoying your night on the beach, maybe next time you could invite the rest of us." We both went stiff at the sound of Scott's voice coming from behind us. We turned to see Scott and Jean coming up the beach looking very authoritative.
"We would have mon amie, but we only had enough towels for six." Gambit told them I tried not to laugh, the others were coming around looking thoroughly scolded already.
"You three I'd expect this kind of thing from, but you three, we had hoped for better." Scott said to them, Jean was quiet beside him. They were all ushered into the van and Scotts car, Scott drove the van, while Jean drove the car, everyone was silent for the ride home. We were all basically grounded, which was kind of funny. They spent the next few weeks in a sort of rhythm, I trained with Jean and Wolverine in the morning, and then I spared with Gambit in the evening.
I was getting better at not draining everything I touched too, if I focused really hard I could touch someone for about two seconds before I started drawing energy from them. I was sitting in my room I couldn't sleep, I kept having nightmares about Logan's past, waking up in a tank afraid and confused with no memories.
That one was the worst, but there were hundreds of others wars, lost friends, loved ones turning on him. I didn't know how he'd handled it, and I didn't even have to live through them. I was just thinking I'd go get a snack when someone knocked on the door.
"What can I do for ya sugar?" I asked when I saw Gambit standing there, he smiled with that wicked smile that told me he had what was surely a bad idea, but there was something off about it.
"You look ragged Cher, I dink you need a vacation. Come with me petite amie, Gambit'll take you somewhere nice." Gambit told me, I shook my head, but grabbed my coat, he was silly, but I didn't want to miss a chance to spend time alone with him, if I'd met someone besides him when I ran away, I don't think I would even be trying to work my powers out.
"Alright swamp rat, but you better not get me into any trouble." I told him, he laughed leading me down the hall.
"Don't worry Cher, Gambit'll look after you." He told me, I followed him to the garage, of all the people I'd ever met I trusted him more than any one else I'd ever met. Gambit climbed into Scott's little red racing striped sports car, I stopped when I saw him start it.
"I aint even out a trouble for the last joy ride I took, and you want me to help you take Scott's favorite car. You aint right in the head Cajun." I told him, he just laughed leaning over and opening the door for me.
"Come on Cher, let loose a little." He told me, I sighed rounding the car to get in, I had a bit of a weakness for this particular Cajun.
"You're gonna get me in serious trouble sugar, this better be worth it." I told him, he leaned in close leering at me.
"Trust me Cher, it'll be more then worth it." He told me, and then he squealed out of the garage, I leaned back to enjoy the ride. I was too sleepy to question him further, so I just closed my eyes, Gambit put his arm on the back of my seat letting me lean over onto him to sleep. When I woke up I was leaning on his chest, and he was stroking my hair softly.
"Morning ma chere fille belle, sleep well?" he asked, I recognized the name of the little town we were passing through, we were headed south, to Louisiana.
"Better then usual, what does that stuff mean anyway?" I asked him, he smiled down at me.
"I called you roughly my dear beautiful girl, french was pretty common in de Bayou, could teach you if you like Cher." He told me, I thought about it for a second, I'd never much cared for language classes, but the idea of learning the language of love from Remy was definitely appealing, it was nice to know someone cared about me.
"It could be nice sugar, maybe when we get back. Where are we going any ways?" I asked him, he gave me that same wicked smile.
"De bayou Cher, Smooth Jazz, down home cookin', and bed and breakfast, heavy on the bed eh Cher?" He told her with a leer, taking his red and black eyes off me and back to the road.
"You know I can't." I mumbled sadly, he shrugged casually.
"No problem Cher, we'll skip breakfast." He told her, she laughed hitting him on the shoulder lightly, he just chuckled.
"You're awful." I told him, leaning over onto his shoulder, this was the closest I'd ever been to anyone, he was the only reason I even kept trying to touch people, I mean no one else cared about me enough to still be there now that she couldn't touch people.
We weren't too far from where we were headed now apparently, so I just relaxed reveling in the sensation of being close to anyone. He pulled into a little parking lot by some jazz club in the french quarter around hundreds of drunk party goers, apparently I'd forgotten it was Martygra.
"This little club has the best jumbolia." He told me hopping out and getting the door for me, I climbed out too.
"I forgot how much I liked Martygra, no matter who you are you fit in." I told him as we walked into the little jazz club, it was lit with soft yellow light, and the smooth jazz gave it a homey feel.
"First time I've been here without working." he told me smirking at a leather wallet he'd snatched. I frowned at him grabbing it and running back to the person he'd taken it from, handing it back silently.
"So, why did you decide to bring me here?" I asked not sure I liked him stealing he'd left the thieves, he looked away for half a second.
"I got some business in de area too, but dat doesn't matter Cher, we're here so you can let loose, now pick your poison." Gambit told her, she knew better then to push, he had family in the area, and she knew he'd been in some kind of thief group or something, it was hard for him. I just hopped he'd trust her enough to tell her soon.
"Ya okay." I told him looking at the menu.
"Julian!" Gambit exclaimed standing up defensively reaching into his coat to grab something.
"Well, if it aint de infamous Remy LeBou this just saves me de trouble a hunting you down." A greasy sandy blond man said pulling out a bo staff like Remy's as two other ratty Cajuns grabbed us from behind.
We tossed them over our shoulders with identical throws, since he was the one who'd taught it to me. Gambit pulled out his staff knocking the last one down in one clean swipe. I watched Julian get up and snagged Gambit's staff.
"Can I barrow this Sugar?" I said rushing forward and tossing Julian out through the door onto his ass on the street, Gambit laughed leaning in the door jam casually. "Thanks." I said handing it back to him and walking over to check if the guy was gonna be more trouble.
"Any time Cher." Gambit told me and then he got tackled out the door by a big Cajun with a ponytail. I knocked the guy off him and Gambit blew up a meeter shooting quarter shrapnel at the others coming out to fight.
Julian tackled him from behind ready to knock Gambits lights out, I slipped my glove off and touched his elbow long enough to drop him. I held my head as I was flooded with memories, water mines, motion sensors, a place called bloodmoon bayou, cameras, and a man I recognized as Gambits father tied to a chair and some other stuff that wasn't as recent about the families.
"Time to go Cher." He told me tossing the Martygra beads I'd picked up on our table at the men the fell apart every little bead exploding while we ran hand in hand into the crowd.
"Alright sugar, I got a dose of info from that slime, he was a ripper, and assassin, the rival family of the thieves guild, I knew you'd been in it, but why are they still after you?" I asked when we were safe, he looked away.
"Once a tife always a tife to dese folk, I'm sorry you got involved wid dat Cher." He told me turning and walking down the sidewalk.
"Gambit don't." I called out chasing after him, he turned around looking ashamed of his past.
"Look, thanks for your help Cher, but dis is family business, I gotta take care a it." He told me, I frowned as he turned to leave again.
"Why didn't you tell me they kidnapped your father?" I asked him, he stopped turning half to face me.
"Because, you don't need any more troubles Cher." He told me, I just stared in disbelief, his father's life was in danger and he was worried about her.
"What are you gonna do?" I asked him, not sure he was even going to let me help him at all.
"Go get him. Soon as I find out where he is." He told her walking away, I watched him go for a moment almost too flustered to know what to do and then I chased after him. He needed my help weather he wanted it or not.
"I need to talk to you." I told him, he spun me around and lead me into an ally. "What's the matter." I asked at his odd behavior.
"I just don't want you seen wid me Cher, it could be dangerous for you health." He told me blocking me from the entrance to the ally with his tall trench coaty girth.
"Listen I know where they're keeping your daddy." I told him, he looked a little shocked, but leaned in hopefully.
"And where's dat?" He asked his black and red eyes betraying his desperation.
"Bloodmoon Bayou. But you'll never get in there with out me sugar you're stuck with me." I told him, he sighed holding his hands out for me to stop.
"No, no I'll manage on my own." He told me turning to walk out of the ally.
"Gambit, you helped me when I needed it most, let me repay the favor, please." I said grabbing his arm and turning him around, he looked down more embarrassed then reluctant, but he took me with none the less, we took Scott's car to a boat, and we headed out into the swamp.
"Vear right a bit." I told him, he did as I said, steering around the water mine I remembered setting like I'd done it with my own hands.
"Nice." Gambit said when he looked over the edge seeing the mine anchored to the bottom.
"So, all this trouble, and I thought you didn't like your daddy much?" I asked him, he stared off into the swamp careful to keep the little raft we were pulling away from mines too.
"I don't, just cause some one adopts you don't make dem a parent." He told me, I nodded, my real parents weren't much good at being parents I could only imagine how bad it would have been if I hadn't been there real daughter.
"Ya, but at least you're here to save your daddy, I don't think I'd lift a finger to help mine." I told him, he put his hand on my shoulder comfortingly from his seat by the motor. How could he worry about me when he was the one going through so much.
"Some folk don't deserve to be helped Cher." he told me, I just stared off at the swamp, a little canopy of roots caught my eye.
"We're almost there, head under them roots it's the only safe way." I told him, I could remember passing under them like I'd done it a dozen times before. I was glad Gambit had let me help him, I wished he could trust me, but I knew how hard that was for him.
I stood up ready for there attack, I knew they'd pick us up on there motion sensors, that's why we'd brought the little raft. Gambit shifted around helping me into the raft, he leaned into a crouch ready to jump to the raft when we head the rocket let lose. He hopped in blowing the rope that connected us and letting the raft drift back while the boat cruised forward.
"It's a good thing I brought you along Cher, don't think ol' Gambit would a made it dis far wid out you." he told me, I blushed, but he was probably right, we climbed up onto the dock silently sneaking through the fog to the house.
I remembered helping set up cameras in this area, I grabbed Gambit pulling him down out of line of sight. We rolled down a hill clumsily, landing in a heap at the bottom, he moved to get up accidentally touching my ear with his exposed pinky finger. I was flooded with his thoughts, I remembered getting a phone call from my brother about my father, wanting to ask for help but not thinking it would work. I remembered scheming, I thought Rouge would help if I could trick her into getting the information for me.
"comment osez-vous, espèce d'idiot! (how could you, you idiot!) Your thoughts are in my head now vous sauvegardez Surineur, (you back stabber) you used me, you tricked me. Vous devriez avoir confiance en moi (you should have trusted me) the way I've always trusted you, how could you?" I yelled standing over him as he came to, my words littered with french from his memories. I pulled him up by his jacket careful not to blow him up and stabbing him in the chest with my pointer finger to emphasize what I'd said.
"Rouge." He said still a little out of it as he sat the rest of the way up, I walked away a few steps carefully out of the camera's line of sight.
"Ever since you knocked on my door, it's all been part of a plan, you never cared about helping me cut lose, you really are a swamp rat!" I told him in a harsh whisper.
"Rouge, ma petite amie, let me explain." He pleaded holding his aching head trying to decide if he dared stand.
"You knew you'd run into someone from the rippers at the jazz club, you knew they'd come after you, and you knew I'd use my powers to help you, because you needed me absorb the information, do you really think so little a me?" I asked him disgusted to learn that the one person I'd chosen to trust didn't even trust me enough to ask, that he'd just used me, was it all a lie.
"I'm sorry Cher." He told me looking guilty, I glared at him with total loathing.
"You were using me, did you ever even care?" I asked in a deadly whisper and turned to leave him there, afraid to know the answer.
"I've always cared mon Cher, but my fader's life was at stake." He whispered after me, I just kept walking, not sure what to believe any more. I didn't get far, I heard something explode, and I couldn't just leave him, I turned around rushing after him.
"I was right, noding has changed." I heard Gambit say just as I saw two rippers round the corner one holding the huge rocket launcher that had blown up our bout.
"Well, well it must be fader son day, now get back in der!" the older one ordered, I snuck up behind them soundlessly, something I'd picked up from both Gambit and Logan, and touched them for only long enough to knock them out.
"Move it swamp rat!" I told him still not looking pleased in the least.
"You mean she do all dat wid just de touch a her finger." John Luke, Remy's daddy, asked looking at me like some kind of shiny toy to be used.
"Forget it!" Gambit told him protectively, at least he cared that much, I slid my gloves back on and rounded the corner like I'd lived here my whole life. Gambit pulled me back pinning me to the wall when gun blasts went off just missing my head.
"This way!" I told them running a different direction, Gambit followed without question.
"How she know?" His daddy asked falling in behind them.
"Trust me she knows." He told him, not feeling the need to explain to John Luke. We were met at the door by more men with guns, but a sucking twister pulled them out of the way.
"Dat one can control de weader?" John-Luke said in disbelief, I smirked happy to see Storm floating above us.
"Meet Remy's new family, folk who actually care." I said pointedly, Gambit smiled happy to hear me say that. Kurt popped in by the gun wielding man on the roof taking it away from him, and Wolverine toppled the guard station as the three of us ran for the boat.
They chased us through the swamp while Scott tried to pick them off, and I lead us around water mines eventually a root took us out tipping the boat when we tried to evade. Kurt popped in next to me as the gators came in for a snack, but a boat was circling Remy, when it got close enough he blew it to bits.
Storm swept him out of the water tossing the other man back into the swamp, Gambit climbed out of the water looking relived, John Luke not too far away. Wolverine picked him up by his shirt collar pinning him to a tree and sliding his claws out threateningly.
"What the hell do you think you were doing bub?" Wolverine asked menacingly, I got off the ground soaked.
"Logan don't, don't hurt him, this is John-Luke, his daddy, they had him kidnapped." I told him, Wolverine dropped him growling as he backed off
"Cher." He started, as I walked over to him.
"Don't try and sweet talk me swamp rat, you just did the wrong thing for the right reason." I told him smacking him on the shoulder.
"She's right, you should have come to us, we could have helped." Scott told him, he looked a little ashamed, but I knew even if he had asked for help, it wouldn't have been from Scott or any of the others.
"Not much for trust mon amie, never had folk I could count on before." He told them more then a little shocked that they'd showed up, I was pretty sure he thought they'd just come for the car, which Scott did look a little peeved about. John-Luke left without a word, he knew he wasn't gonna get anything out of it, and he didn't care enough to stay to say goodbye.
"let's just go home." Jean said hopping into Scott's car, they drove it into the back of the x jet, the flight home was awkward, and quiet. Everyone was a little peeved at Gambit, me included. I went straight to my room when we got back.
"Cher, wait, I." he tried I just slammed my door behind me leaving him in the hall.