15
Remy watched as Cole bounded through the front door first, followed by Rogue and Joseph, hand in hand. He had a small model train in his little hands that he drove on an imaginary track through the air.
"Look what Joe bought me!" He stopped to show Logan who politely faked intrest in the plastic toy.
"It's so cool cause it's exactly like one a' the big ones that was there! An' I got to sit in it! An' blow the whistle! It was so cool..."
He watched Logan muss up Cole's brown hair as he sent him in the direction of the rec. room. He watched Rogue give Joseph a kiss before glancing at her watch. He watched as she explained that Cole was probably hungry, excusing herself to make up a snack. As she headed towards the kitchen, he followed.
She grabbed an apple from the fridge, washed it under the tap, pulled a large knife out of the drawer and began to slice.
"What do you want?" She asked without turning around to notice him standing in the doorway observing her.
He pushed himself off the doorjamb. "Uhh..." He stepped into the kitchen and rubbed the back of his neck with an embarassed chuckle. "How did y' know-"
"Oh please... y'don't think ah know when ah'm bein' stalked? You aren't the only one with keen senses Cajun. What do y'want?"
He moved over to her, leaning back against the counter next to her. "I wanted t'talk."
"Again? So soon? While ah must admit that ah'm shocked you actually stuck around this time... ah woulda thought you were all 'talked out' since last night."
Remy squared his jaw and lowered his voice "You didn'... tell anyone yet. Did you?"
She looked up at him for the first time and shook her head. "No."
"I think we should keep dis... quiet. For a while."
She put her free hand on her hip, still gripping the knife with her other hand. "You don't want me to tell Joseph."
"I don't want you t'tell anyone. But no..." He glanced at the knife. "I don't want you t'tell him."
"Why?" She blinked and shook her head. "Are you... ashamed?"
"Rogue." He cut her off. "I just don't..."
"Want the responsibilty. Right? You want to stick around... because y'like Cole an' all, but you don't want people to expect anything from you." She crossed her arms, still holding the knife. "Typical Remy. Just typical. Y'know... there was a part of me that was hopin'..."
She gestured with the knife as she spoke. "Ah shoulda known better. You taught me that lesson once already."
"Anna..."
She pointed the knife at him and narrowed her eyes. "You can't do this Remy. You can't pop in an' out of our lives. Cause one day, Cole will know the truth. An' it won't matter what anyone else thinks or expects of you. It all comes down t'him."
He blinked at her, turning his attention to the knife she had pointed at him, inches from his nose. He moved his hands up, pulling the knife from her grip with one, and gently holding her hand with the other.
As he set the knife down out of her reach with a wink, he smiled "Dat's better."
She squared her jaw.
"What I was gunna say... was dat I just don't think it's any a'their business." He squeezed her hand. "I want t'tell Cole... but chere..." he shook his head. "Y'gotta give me some time. You had nine whole months to adjust."
She looked down and let out a breath. "Ah guess that makes sense."
"I just want t'make sure it's d'right thing t'do. Fo' everyone... but mostly Cole. Let's face it chere... I'm a screw up."
"Can't argue with that." She cracked a small grin.
"An' as for whether or not I'm ashamed a'you..." He lifted her chin with his finger and gave her a smooth smile. "I'm pretty sure dat'd be the other way 'round Anna. Non?"
She gave him a small smile and opened her mouth to respond when Kitty rounded the corner into the kitchen.
Rogue turned back to the counter, pulling her hand out of his to reach for the knife.
"What the hell?" Kitty whispered harshly. "You are so lucky it was me."
Sarah stopped in the kitchen doorway with a smile. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing." Kitty shrugged. "Just waiting for you."
Sarah looked at Remy as she walked "I was on my way here to get the lemonade out of the fridge." she explained with a smile as she glided across the kitchen floor to the refridgerator. "Only to realize that I had no hands to carry the cups and ice!"
Remy smiled as Sarah set the pitcher of lemonade on the counter before swinging the freezer door open. "So I had to spin around and find someone to help me to save myself a trip. I was almost here too... If I'd known you two were here already, I would have saved myself a lot of trouble."
Kitty gave Remy a sharp look before chuckling along with Sarah "Oh well... I don't mind helping. I'm really good at carrying stuff."
"It's true, she is." Rogue nodded, dropping the knife into the sink as she turned around with her plate full of apple slices. "Her parents almost named her Camel."
Remy laughed, giving her a playful nudge towards the door.
"You two go ahead... I can help Sarah."
"Awww..." Sarah cooed with a grin, looking back at Rogue. "Isn't he such a gentleman?"
Kitty snorted and Rogue shoved her out through the doorway.
She opened her mouth to begin spewing out questions and Rogue shook her head. "Just shut up an' walk."
XXXXX
"What the hell was that?"
Remy furrowed his brow, his eyes closed beneath a pair of sunglasses pearched on his nose. With everyone all packed in the pool area, he'd taken to a secluded patch of grass to relax, hoping for some peace and quite.
So much for that.
"Yo'blockin' my sun p'tite."
"What's that about your son?"
He opened his eyes and shifted the sunglasses down to peer over the top. "What do y'want Kitty."
She flopped down next to him on the grass and leveled her gaze at him.
"You know what I want."
Remy sat up, crossing his arms over his bare chest with a grin. "Well... Pete's a good friend a'mine p'tite. I wouldn't feel right messin' 'round with his girl."
Kitty scoffed and rolled her eyes. "You wish. I want to talk."
He let out a breath and pushed the sunglasses back up, laying back down in the grass with his hands behind his head. "What else is new."
She narrowed her eyes at him. "You think you can get rid of me with your snide comments? I'm not that easy to get rid of."
"So I've noticed. Dere ain' nothin' t'talk about."
"Rogue told me you don't want anyone to know. And I can understand that... for the time being."
Remy let out a breath and squeezed his eyes shut, silently hoping the simple act would be enough to make her stop talking.
"But that's not my issue..." Kitty raised an eyebrow. "You know what I'm talking about. You know what I saw."
"You saw nothin'. I was just assurin' Rogue dat I wasn't leavin' again. Dat's all."
Kitty furrowed her brow and shook her head. "What are you doing Gambit? First you guys are at eachothers throats and you disappear. Then you show up again like nothing happened and you're getting all like, intense in the public kitchen."
"Sorry, next time I'll use the private one."
Kitty's eyes grew distant and she looked away. "Oh my gosh... I can't believe I totally did not see it!" She looked back at Gambit with a laugh. "You totally love her!"
"What?" Remy sat up and rolled his eyes. "I don't have time t'star in some fairytale you dreamed up Kitty. You been readin' too many o'dem werewolf books. Yo'minds all corrupt."
Her eyes widened and she gasped, pulling Remy back down as he tried to stand up. "Oh my God! You're right! This is totally... you are totally her Edward."
"I don't know what dat means." He sighed, becoming increasingly less patient the more she spoke.
"Edward! You are Edward!"
He pinched the bridge of his nose and squeezed his eyes shut. "I know I'll regret dis... but what d'hell are you talkin' about?"
"Edward and Bella... they were like, totally made for eachother. Except, he's like, a vampire and stuff? And she has blood that sings to him or whatever."
"Okay, I'm leaving."
"No!" Kitty clamped a hand around his wrist and pulled him back down. "Edward decides that he's no good for Bella and takes off. Enter Jacob... this totally hot werewolf. I mean, the wolf isn't hot, the human part is hot. I'm not into beastiality. That's gross."
Remy rubbed his forehead and Kitty shook her head.
"Sorry. Okay... so Jacob, the friend steps in, and tries to win her over. But he's just not the same. He's not Edward. They're like... Ken and Barbie. You can't mess with a love like that."
"Sounds like a profound piece of literature." He nodded as sincerely as he could. "But I don't love Rogue. Not like dat."
Kitty gave him a very unconvinced nod. "Sure you don't."
"An' besides... dis Jacob dude... was her friend. I was her friend. Joseph left first an' den we hooked up. Sounds like y'got your fairytale backwards." He stood up with his t-shirt in hand and shrugged.
"...No!" Kitty stood up "I'm not wrong! Because Jacob ended up with their vampire human baby!"
Remy shook his head as he walked towards the mansion. "I'm not even gunna pretend dat made sense."
XXXXX
He pulled the t-shirt on over his head as he neared the mansion, grumbling to himself all along the way. Who did Kitty think she was anyway! Suddenly she was his therapist? Surely he could do better than Kitty in that area of expertise. Kitty's head was up in the clouds, life to her was however beautiful she wanted it to be. A fairytale where everyone lives happily ever after. No matter how dirty and cruel it was in reality. He admired that about Kitty, but it also made her the last person he'd want to take advice from.
For the most part.
He made his way inside, noting how deserted the pool had suddenly become. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up and he was instantly on alert. Was something wrong? Had they called a meeting while he was out on the lawn listening to Kitty ramble? As he walked, his eyes scanned constantly. He heard someone laughing from the rec room and instantly recognized it as Rogue's voice. He furrowed his brow and casually picked up his pace. He wasn't on alert anymore, just... curious. Alright, he was downright nosey. He rounded the corner expecting to see Rogue snuggled on the couch with Joseph. Instead he saw her leaning against the back couch on her forearms giving him a nice view of her-
"Hey Rems!" Sarah smiled and waved from the big arm chair. "Jean and Scott are back." She explained before turning her attention back to the newlyweds who were appropriately seated in the love seat.
He moved over to Sarah and sat on the arm of her chair with a smile. "Y'bring me anything?"
Jean laughed and nodded. "Of course."
"You veren't gone very long." Kurt leaned forward in the couch infront of Rogue, resting his elbows on his knees. "I thought you planned a whole veek."
"Ah bet they just missed us." She smiled and gave her brother a nudge. "Just couldn't stay away."
Scott let out a muted laugh and shook his head. "No. Believe me."
"I hope you packed a lot of punch in those four days." Sarah wagged her eyebrows. "If you know what I mean."
Logan looked back at her from the pool table as he took aim. "I'm pretty sure the coffee table knows what you mean."
"So, where's the most crazy place you did it?" Sarah grinned.
"Excuse me?" Jean said through a nervous chuckle.
"Come on... everyone's done it somewhere crazy before. And this was your honeymoon! Special occasion!" She pearched her chin on her fist and winked.
"She's got a point." Remy shrugged.
Scott shook his head with a frown. "That's kind of private."
"Of course it's not!" Sarah waved a hand in the air. "I'll go first. In the changing room at a JC Penny."
Jubilee's back straightened and she smiled proudly. "Movie theater bathroom."
"Back of a truck in a Dairy Queen parkin' lot."
Kurt grimaced as he turned to look at Rogue. "Zat vas not something I needed to know."
Remy cracked a wicked smirk as he looked at Rogue, their eyes met briefly before he looked down at Sarah, lowering his voice. "Logan's truck."
Rogue snorted and Logan stood upright, pool cue in hand. "What?"
He glared at Remy as the group laughed at his reaction. His eyes turned to Rogue who was clearly avoiding his gaze as she laughed, causing him to utter a low growl.
"You better be jokin' Cajun."
Remy offered him an innocent shrug before he turned back angrily to the pool table.
"What about you Logan?" Sarah called out with a big grin.
"Minnisota." He grumbled over his shoulder as he took his shot.
Sarah moved on, trying to badger Kurt into answering until Joseph rushed in through the doorway.
He excitedly spun Rogue around and wrapped his arms around her waist, planting a kiss on her lips "Where's Cole?"
"Uhhh..." Rogue cleared her throat with a chuckle and shook her head to re-focus. "He's outside playin' basketball with Bobby. Why? What's goin' on?
"I have some amazing news." Joseph's grin grew as he looked over her shoulder to the group of on-lookers. "I got the job!"
Through a chorus of congratulations, Rogue furrowed her brow with a smile "What job?"
"It was like months ago... I applied for this really amazing job. Rehabilitating injured mutants, re-integrating them into society, helping them learn to control their powers... things like that. But I never heard anything back, so I just assumed it never went through."
Rogue laughed and gave him a tight hug "Joe! That's amazing!"
"See? I told you! The only thing is... it's on Muir Island."
Her smile fell slightly as she pulled back to look at him. "The Muir Island?" She forced her smile to look as sincere as possible as she nodded. "That's great Joe. They have a top of the line facility... and it's really beautiful there."
"I'm glad you like it there..." He took her hand and gave it a squeeze, his eyes twinkling with excitment as he spoke. "Because I want you and Cole to come with me."
A/N - Thanks for the reviews and congratulations guys! And I feel the need to assure everyone that I did NOT name my child Beyonce. LOL
Also, please no haters on the Twilight mention in this chapter... pro Twilight or against. (Depending on whos side you take of course... Remy's or Kitty's. LOL)
And another thing... I believe I've mentioned before, but I still get the feeling that people think Joseph is an OC. He is not. He's actually in the comics, and there actually was a love triangle between Remy, Joseph and Rogue. (Also, Remy was a total pouty d-bag. Ask Starlight2Twilight (not named after the books.) She'll tell you.) Joseph was a de-aged Magneto clone. But alas, in this story I chose to leave that last bit out... because again... weird. LOL For those of you interested in that... check my profile for a link to the page all about him. Or google "Joseph and Rogue"
I can't post links. LOL