A/N: Ok so I know I said I was going to try to finish this story last week, but I have discovered I was being irrationally optimistic. Turns out moving is not fun, nor is it very easy no matter how much stuff you have. First I have to give tons of thanks to UltimateGammy91 for catching the "skirt" mistake so I could fix it. Also to all of my reviewers both new and old thank you so much for your interest in my story.
For one breathless moment she was flying. She felt the rush of air past her ears and the delightful weightlessness that held her body suspended. She didn't see or hear the raging fire behind her, nor did she sense the ground below her. For one instant she felt utterly at peace.
A peace that was quickly shattered with the tightening of Rene's hand around her waist and the inevitable tug of gravity pulling her down. Her eyes widened as the air began to move faster around her, her throat suddenly to dry to scream. She could feel the silk of her skirt trailing up around her feet, almost as if it was desperately reaching for the tranquility of the sky.
"Gawd, Ah'm gonna die." That was the only thought that could pierce through the fog that had descended on her mind.
Almost with the grace of a dancer she sensed Rene shift beside her, moving in the air like he was part of it. She knew it was only brief seconds but this fall appeared to go on forever. She tired frantically to relax her body, preparing for the impact with the ground.
When she hit she was confused by the sensation, it felt hard but at the same time yielding. Somewhere she registered the sound of Rene groan as the air was knocked from his lungs. He had taken the brunt of the fall, forcing his body underneath hers. Together they rolled, the momentum from the drop propelling them. When his body stopped, she felt her own continue causing his already weak hands to lose their grasp. Rogue softly came to a stop a few feet away, her lungs trying with all their might to draw air.
For a moment Rogue simply laid there. Her mind was running in circles trying to sort out everything that had just happened. She moved slightly and experienced a sharp pain ripple through her body. Experimentally she moved her limbs pinpointing the pain in her ribs and foot. Gently she rolled onto her hands, keeping her muttered curses low, as she naturally assessed her damage. Looking down at her foot she winced at the angle it was tilted, defiantly broken. She dragged her eyes away and quickly searched the darkness for Rene.
He was laying face down in the grass, to far for her to reach out to him. She couldn't see his face, the flaming remains of the house casting his features in a shadowy haze. Watching she looked for the gently rise and fall of his back, hoping he was still breathing, but could detect nothing. His body was nothing but a still figure among the grass blades.
"Rene," she called, getting no response, "Rene."
She forced herself to begin to crawl forward, wincing as the pain in her ribs shot through her body.
"Listen here, Swamp Rat, don't ya dare die on meh. Not now not when we are so close," Rogue was fighting the tears that were filling her eyes, both from pain and agony. She was getting to him slowly, her limbs feeling like lead. She was about three feet away when a shot rang through the air and what could only be a bullet went whizzing past her ear.
Rogue froze, every muscle tensing with pain. From the house she could see a figure making its way towards her, a rifle hanging loosely in their hand.
"Annabelle, Annabelle, now what made me so sure I would find you here?"
Rogue snarled as the voice registered in her head and the familiar features of Colin flickered in the light. His face looked gruesome in the red and orange light, one side nothing but a mess of peeling away skin. She lifted her chin defiantly as he drew nearer.
"What no answer, cat got your tongue darling?"
"Don't call meh that ya conniving piece of gutter trash," Rogue spat at him.
"Oh someone is feisty, aren't they?" He paused right over the still form of Rene,.
"You must imagine my surprise Dearest," Colin made the endearment sound like a vile curse, "When I arrived at my home to find not my wayward fiancé but two unconscious men. I figured you had to have come after this piece of filth."
He punctuated his statement by delivering a sharp kick to Rene, causing a groan to escape the unconscious man. Rogue silently thanked god that he was still alive before returning her attention to the dangerous man in front of her.
"Stop it Colin, its meh ya want anyway."
"Your right," he began to advance towards her, "I am going to make you suffer for everything you put me through. If you hadn't been so willful I wouldn't have had to go to such lengths to break you."
Rogue watched him, preparing herself for a fight, when a movement caught her eye. Slowly and with great effort she saw Rene begin to try to rise from the ground. Turning her attention to Colin she saw he had recognized something going on behind him. Rogue felt her heart stop in that instant as she tired to get to her feet, but she was to late. Colin spun around to fast, raised his gun and sent one shot into the poor broken man's side. Rene jerked once, his body stunned by this new assault, before falling once more to the ground.
"NO!" Rogue screamed. Forgotten was her pain as she threw herself at Colin, struggling for the gun. She almost had it before he forced his elbow into her throbbing ribs. Rogue fell back onto the ground with a thud, her face looking up into the barrel of the gun.
"I am starting to realize you aren't worth this Annabelle. As for your lover over there I wouldn't be to torn up, It looks like you'll be joining him sooner then you thought."
Rogue watched as Colin's finger pulled back on the trigger. Her life was about to be cut short before it even really began. Annabelle would never get to be with the man she loved, and Rogue allowed herself to admit neither would she.
"Ah am so sorry Remy," she silently sent the message in her head, "Ah am sorry Ah never let you in. Sorry Ah never got the chance ta show ya how much Ah cared for ya. If Ah had the chance Ah wouldn't spend the rest of mah life being afraid of getting hurt or hurting others. Ah'm sorry."
Colin never got the chance to fire though. Rogue looked on in amazement as a small figure hurled itself into Colin's knees knocking him to the ground. The gun fell to the side as Logan pummeled the grown man with his tiny fists.
"How dare you hurt my friends," he snarled.
Colin was shocked but quickly recovered and reached out to grab the small boy by the neck. He was just about to squeeze when another shot cut through the silence causing Colin to fall with a scream, his hand clutching his side. Rogue looked up towards the house to see the shapes of group of men materialize out of the shadows, Logan's father at its head.
"Don't you dare lay a hand on my boy again," his voice was as cold as ice.
"Annabelle, are you alright?" Rogue was surprised to see Krispin make his way through the crowd. He fell on his knees before her, trying to take in her injuries. Rogue could only stare at the body of the man laying just out of her reach, tears running down her face. She tired to move towards but could not force her body into any motion. It didn't take much for Krispin to put to and two together but he asked her what happened anyway. With as calm a voice as she could muster she told him everything Colin had done.
"Who are these men, Krispin?"
"These are my colleagues I guess you could say. Annabelle I haven't worked in the shipping offices for sometime now," his voice became very quiet, "I would like you to meet members of the Thiefs Guild of New Orleans, I have been in training with them for two years now."
Rogue's mouth fell open in shock as the men silently surrounded Colin, who lay moaning on the ground.
"I went and found my dad at the party," Logan said coming up beside her, "Your brother was there and he said he knew what to do. My dad insisted on following me, he isn't with them." Logan said this last part with a jerk of his thumb towards the strangers.
Standing Krispin made his way over to Logan's father. "Sir we have been waiting for the right time to deal with this man," he indicated Colin, "He has committed crimes against members of our organization and cheated us out of some things of immense value. Before I go I must be sure that what you have witnessed here will not be repeated since it may make things difficult for you."
Mr. Howlett silently took in Krispin's determined face, glanced at the poor lifeless man on the ground, growled at the other howling man before coming to rest on Rogue's torture face and his son's determined eyes.
With a shrug he addressed Krispin, "And what did happen here Sir? As far as I know I came after my son and stumbled on a burning building and a woman in need of assistance nothing more."
Krispin gave a understanding nod of his head before turning his attention to the other members of the Guild. With amazing swiftness they dragged Colin to his feet. Colin seemed to realize a little to late what they intended as the men began to direct him into the darkness of the surrounding woods.
"No you can't do this. I am an important person you can't do this," he panicked, "People will come looking for me."
One man chuckled, "Trust me son, ain't nobody gonna come lookin' for y' and if dey do ain't no way dey gonna find what's left of y'."
They listened as Colin's screams grew fainter. Krispin turn to his sister and gave her a small smile, "He won't bother our family again." He made sure Mr. Howlett would take care of her then with one last look over his shoulder disappeared into the direction of the woods.
When silence returned, Mr. Howlett gave Rogue his full attention.
"Miss I should be getting you back to your father, but with the circumstances being as they are," he swept his gazed to Rene, "I think I best better give you a minute first." He walked over and grabbed Logan's hand, steering the little boy away. Logan paused for a moment as they passed Rene, and Rogue could just see the tiny glisten of a tear in the young boys face before moving on.
Rogue sat stunned her eyes painfully glued to Rene's unmoving form. She could feel the tears again, a hopelessness in the pit of her stomach. Her eyes took him in, her eyes going from the scratched arms to the bloodstain on the side of his chest. As she stared she could almost convince herself that the red soaked garment was slightly moving. As her blurry vision focused on his back she could just make out the gently rise and fall.
With hope filling her, she began to crawl towards him, yelling for Mr. Howlett. The closer she got though the more her vision began to fade. What was wrong? She could feel the pain in her chest anymore, nor her foot. Was she more injured then she thought? She fought the dizzying sensation, forcing her body closer. She could now just barely make out his face through her haze. His lips were moving but she couldn't hear him. She reached out for him, her hand falling just short. With her vision fading faster she finally heard him whisper before the world disappeared from in front of her.
"Chere…"A/N: So I really don't know why I made Krispin part of the Thiefs Guild, call it a wild whim since I wanted a person of her family to help and I wanted him to come with some serious back up. Plus I wanted to take care of Colin without making any of the main people actually have to dirty their hands with killing him. If it was too much I do apologize but I did feel I didn't give Krispin enough of a chance to be tough. Please review I love hearing your feedback. : )