Happy New Year!! This chapter is brought to you by Fostersb. Hope you enjoy, and remember that non of us in the ROMY Round Robin own any part of the X-men.

Remy was nervous; he was anxious; he was officially panicking. Belle had come into the Guild demanding the return of her chalice, and Remy had no idea how he was going to accomplish this goal without revealing Etienne's failure.

Remy prided himself on being a calm person. Many times, he had been surprised or faced with unexpected circumstances during which he had to think on his feet and had done so with ease and confidence. He never let his opponents at the poker table know he was holding a bad hand. He never let a woman see he was disinterested in her conversation. He never let his enemies know that he might be scared. Whenever Remy was faced with a problem, he thought fast and reacted without losing a step. But now, Remy was without an answer, and this fact was driving with nervousness towards full-blown panic.

So much was riding on Remy's ability to retrieve the lost chalice because failure to do so could result in dire consequences for Etienne, himself and the Guild. If the chalice could not be found, Etienne would certainly have to be removed from the Guild. It would kill Et to lose the connection with his family and would essentially render him an Exile in New Orleans.

For Remy, this incident would bring shame to his name and reputation. With his status as Guild Master so newly acquired, he could not afford to have scandal tied to his name, as it would make him look weak and incapable. Remy had no fear that his Thieves would rebel against him. Men like Lapin, Theo and Henri had been close to him for too long; were too honorable to revolt. But, Remy still needed to be respected by the Guild's allies. Failure to do so, could result in a call for a new Guildmaster; potentially one with the name Belladonna.

Finally, and most dangerously, a mistake by the Guild could result in another war between the Thieves and the Assassins. Belle had given Remy time to find the chalice, but if he didn't, she could end the peace they had fought so hard for. If that happened, New Orleans would be running red with the blood of the Guilds. That mere thought made Remy shiver and further heightened his anxiety.

Remy realized that he had to go to the safehouse, check on Etienne and tell him to stay silent and out of sight. He bolted from his office and half-ran down the hall towards the front door. He grabbed his trench coat, threw it on, strode through the door and shut it with a slam.

In the kitchen, Theo and Lapin sat at the banquet enjoying their breakfasts, which would now be labeled brunch considering the fact that it was almost noon. Theo perused the paper as he sipped his coffee, while Lapin shoved beignets in his mouth, the sugar forming a thick ring around his mouth.

They saw Remy stride past, his coattails whipping against the doorframe. Theo raised his eyebrows while Lapin through him a questioning glance. They heard the door slam and quickly resumed their tasks. Seconds later, they heard the door slam, saw Remy rush by cursing a storm, and then saw him quickly return and run out the door.

Theo put down his coffee mug, Lapin swallowed his beignet, and then they both muttered, "Belle."

As Rogue descended the stairs, she had a little swagger in her hips. She felt good about herself and her situation for the first time in many months, and that optimism translated into her confident body language. Only an hour ago, she had been practically attacked by a stranger. Now, she had an adventure to look forward to that could feed her desire for action. Also, she had managed to get her house clean without lifting a finger. All in all, Rogue was feeling mighty high.

She strolled into the kitchen and found Etienne standing by the table, his hands clasped before him as if in supplication. His face was a mixture of fear and anticipation; Rogue found it amusing just how much this boy wanted her approval. Though Rogue was impressed by how clean the room was, she didn't say a word. Deciding to play with Etienne a little, Rogue swiped her finger across the table and inspected it. She squinted, rubbed her fingers together, and hummed.

"Yes, this is satisfactory," she concluded.

Etienne let out a huge sigh and tentatively walked towards her. His eyes scanned the room as if he was afraid Rogue would pull out a pan and hit him.

Rogue was not naturally an unsympathetic person, and so she dropped the haughty act. "Etienne, the room looks fabulous. There is no reason to fear me, I promise I will not hurt you."

Etienne gave an unsure smile and replied, "Yeah, well, in my house, if things aren't clean, Tante Mattie will whack you good, even Remy. I did manage to make some coffee as well if you want some."

"That would be nice," Rogue answered, taking a seat at the table.

Etienne grabbed two mugs, poured the brew and handed Rogue her cup as he sat across her. Rogue deeply inhaled the rich aroma, savoring the smell like the true coffee addict she was.

"Now tell me more about this cousin of yours," Rogue said. She wanted to make sure she had done enough reconnaissance on all the players. Logan had taught her to never go blindly into a situation and try to gather as many facts as possible.

"Well, Remy is not that old, only twenty-five. He is one of the youngest to ever become Guildmaster. He is the best Thief to ever be in the Guild. He holds the records for most steals in a year and most valuable heist. He is…" Etienne paused. He realized Remy would not appreciate him telling this woman too many details, so he decided to give only superficial facts.

Rogue sensed Etienne's hesitancy, but she let it slide. "He is?" she questioned.

"Well most women would say that he is quite handsome. I mean he is tall, muscular, tan, all the things that usually qualify as hot," Etienne replied.

Rogue snorted. "Where did you get that idea. Have you been reading Cosmo?"

Etienne blushed. "Well, no, but I mean he gets any girl he wants when we go out. Henri says they stick to him like flies on honey. It's true. I have never seen him leave a bar or club without the hottest girl on his arm."

"Hum." Rogue sarcastically asked, "Well, just when will lover boy show up?" Rogue was already getting the feeling she would not like Remy. She didn't take too well to boys who thought they were hot shit; too often they were arrogant, cruel and stupid.

"It could be a while," Etienne responded. "He didn't want to raise suspicions and so told me that he might only come once every few days. He won't call before he comes, in case the lines are being tapped, so it really is a waiting game."

Rogue slumped in her chair and pouted. She didn't want to wait; she wanted to start now. She had spent too many months watching others on missions, being left out and alienated. Now she was raring to go, and the fact that she had to wait had her wanting to kick something.

"Its okay," Etienne said, trying to calm Rogue as one would soothe a child's temper tantrum.

This strategy only left Rogue further frustrated. She knew that the way she was acting was childish, and in no way reflective of her twenty-one years, but she couldn't help it. She was tired of doing nothing and the disappointment had left her petulant.

The two sat in silence, sipping coffee and thinking about what to say to one another. As the minutes passed, Rogue's irritation grew. If Kitty had seen her, she would have said she was in her "moody phase."

Suddenly, Rogue heard a quiet rapping but ignored it and continued to sulk. A minute later she heard the sound again and looked at Etienne. He had also heard the noise but shrugged his shoulders and continued to drink his coffee. By the third time Rogue heard the sound, she had had enough.

"Damn squirrels, I swear I am going to skin them alive," she muttered as she rose from her chair and stomped towards the front door.

"Now, you damned vermin, you just wait until..." Rogue cursed as she opened the door.

Remy had been trying his best not to lose his cool. He had now knocked on the door three times and Etienne had failed to answer. He would give that boy ten more seconds before he picked the lock. After counting to five, Remy heard the shuffle of feet and smiled. Poor Etienne. Sneaking was never his forte, his footsteps could usually be heard. Remy opened his mouth to chide Et but fell silent as soon as the door opened.

Remy was rendered speechless for one of the few times in his life. Looking right at him was a beautiful girl, not his cousin Etienne.

He was struck by her eyes, which even through his sunglasses, he could see were green like emeralds. She had a beautiful heart-shaped face, with smooth, creamy white skin that had a sexy flush from her exertion. Her hair, which fell in long waves down her back, was a rich auburn hue with two unique white streaks framing her face.

Looking down, Remy had to admit that the view only got better. The girl was blessed with a beautiful chest and she was quite slim. Her legs were long and lithe and her jeans hugged her in all the right places.

Though Remy was surprised, he didn't show it. He simply smiled, and went to work. "Bonjour, chère1. To what do I owe the pleasure?"

Rogue was equally shocked. The man before her was very handsome and oozed sex and danger. His brown hair fell into his eyes; his chiseled face had a light layer of scruff and his tall toned body that seemed to be poured into his shirt and jeans. Even his sunglasses, which seemed a little out of place, made him look mysterious and debonair.

Immediately after having these thoughts, Rogue's mind screamed at her to get a grip. She was not one of those girls who fawned over men. She was a loner, a girl who never gave an inch and would not be taken in by a man's charms. She knew this had to be Remy LeBeau, and she would be damned if she was going to give him the upper hand by indicating her interest.

She had to remain cool or she would only appear weak and silly. She had never been a simpering dolt and she was not about to start now. She exhaled and answered his greeting, "I ain't got time for your show, Remy LeBeau, so just get in the house and get on with it."

Remy raised his eyebrows in surprise. How did this girl know who he was, and better yet, where was Etienne? He stepped into the house, not letting his shock stop him from checking out the woman's hips as she walked. Damn, the girl was a masterpiece.

"Didn't know that Remy was a famous man. I hope you have only heard bon2 things," he joked.

Rogue turned around sharply, wanting to give him a snide remark, but she thought better of it. She needed to befriend him in order to be a part of their scheme. "I heard a thing or two. Etienne speaks highly of you." She knew she had taken the right tack when she saw Remy smile. Nothing like a compliment to boost a man's ego and make him drop his guard.

"Well, everything you heard is true." Remy grinned and moved towards her. "Now I hardly think it is fair for you to know about Remy and for me to not know your name."

"Rogue," she flatly replied, trying hard to not be affected by his slick maneuvers. The man was truly a Swamp Rat and Rogue was a little revolted.

"Rogue, hum, are you as wild as your name?" Remy smirked and all Rogue could do was roll her eyes.

"Yeah, whatever," she coolly responded. "Now are you going tell me more about the Guilds and the chalice?" she questioned, folding her arms across her chest.

"I see Et has already talked." Remy chuckled. "Just what did you do to him to get him to come clean?"

"I haven't done anything," she bit back. "The better question is why you thought you could use my house for your criminal activities?"

"Ah, so then you must be the infamous niece." Remy smirked.

"Etienne!" Remy yelled. He was going to give that boy a good licking. Remy couldn't believe that Et had shared the secret and to a stranger, no less. They had no idea what this girl could do and who she might tell. For all he knew, this Rogue was another one of Belle's Assassins sent to kill them both.

Etienne cautiously stepped into the room, making sure to stay near Rogue. She was his buffer against Remy, who currently looked like he wanted to fillet Etienne.

"Remy, she came in when I was sleeping, I found her and I had to tell her. She is the niece of Irene, she could have kicked me out, she made me tell her the truth, and she had a frying pan." The words poured out of Etienne's mouth like water.

"But you didn't need to tell her the truth," Remy snapped back. "We don't need her involved in the issue."

"I know, Remy, but she seems to be really nice and wanting to help us out," Etienne quietly admitted.

"And you trust her?" Remy responded incredulously. "What if she is an Assassin? What if she works for the government...?"

"I'll remind you both that 'she' is standing right here, and 'she' is the owner of the house," Rogue snapped, putting her hands on her hips.

Remy and Etienne turned to Rogue and stood there in silence. For his part, Remy was having a hard time concentrating on fighting when this gorgeous girl was being too hot with her rich voice, strident comments and sexy poses.

"I don't mean any disrespect, chère, but this is private family business and I can't have you involved," Remy replied.

"Well, if you want use of the house then you will have to deal with the girl," Rogue arrogantly stated. She was not going to be bullied in her own house by a bunch of criminals.

Watching the scene, Etienne was impressed. Not surprisingly, Remy had wasted no time in trying to charm Rogue, though this time, his usual charm was failing to have an effect. Etienne secretly cheered Rogue on; it was high time that Remy experienced the romantic failings that every other man went through on a daily basis.

Though Etienne was loath to interrupt his mentor and leader, he was very curious as to why Remy was here. It seemed early in the day for Remy to make his appearance, considering that he usually didn't take to the streets until well after dark.

Etienne politely coughed. "Remy, I see you are already up to your usual tricks."

"Now Et, don't say dat. You scare the poor fille3, make it seem like I'm dangereux.4" Remy smirked.

"Hardly," Rogue mumbled under her breath, causing Remy to widen his smirk.

"See now, we are already starting on de right path. I could just tell, mademoiselle5, that you were both belle6 and smart," Remy noted, his voice smooth and rich.

"Now I could stand here all day and hear ya croon, " Rogue sarcastically snipped, "but why are you really here?"

Remy's smile faltered as he looked at Rogue, then at Etienne. "Well, it is simple. The chalice be missing, and Belle knows."

Belle was comfortably reclined on her couch, sipping a martini with one hand, while the other one was meticulously filed by her personal manicurist. Belle found that there were only two ways she could effectively deal with her anger. One was running a knife through someone's torso; the other was getting a manicure. Today she had opted for the latter, as she had no desire to break a sweat.

In giving Remy seven days to find the chalice, Belle had simply given him the respect and opportunity that one rival would give another. Problem was, Remy was not her rival, but her enemy. Furthermore, she hardly trusted the man after years of being subjected to his lies, cheating and broken promises. There was no way in hell that Belle could assume that Remy would just find the chalice and return it. There was only one way to ensure the chalice would be regained; she had to track Remy.

Following Remy would not be easy, but Belle figured it was worth the risk. She just had to make sure that she used the right man. Belle put down her martini, picked up her cell and dialed.

"Hello," a suave voice answered.

"Bonjour, mon amour,7" Belle cooed.

"Hey, sexy, couldn't get enough of me?" The voice chuckled.

"You know it, but seriously, Donyell, I need you to do me a favor," Belle replied. Belle had met Donyell a few years ago at a local boxing ring and been impressed with his fighting skills. Over time, the attraction between the two had grown and they had secretly been lovers for over a year.

At first, Belle had thought it was just a fling. Donyell was a great looking man, all muscle, with smooth cocoa skin, full lips and great package. Belle had nicknamed him her "Chocolate Adonis." But soon Belle saw that he also had a great mind. He was cunning, street-smart and loyal she had come to realize that she loved him. Though she was sure that Donyell returned her love, they had not announced it, as Belle had wanted to cement her hold on the Guild before bringing in a new member. Still, Donyell was the only man she could trust enough to do this job and do it right.

"I need you to track Remy LeBeau. I don't trust that he will return the chalice," Belle stated.

"I could have told you that, honey, but I will get on it. I'll call you when I get a lead. Bye, boo," Donyell replied and hung up.

Satisfied that some precautions had been taken, Belle set the phone on the side table and closed her eyes. She focused on the massage her manicurist was giving her and tried to relax. She couldn't do anything else but wait.

1 Good day, dear.

2 Good.

3 Girl.

4 Dangerous.

5 Miss.

6 Beautiful.

7 Hello, my love.