I present chapter three! Thank you very much to CaptMacKenzi and to my Guest review for leaving your comments, they were greatly appreciated! Chapter three, they've made it to New Orleans! Please enjoy!
The weather grew warmer as they passed down into Arkansas, despite going through towns and small cities they were very much alone, no one ever spoke to them, some times when they were in particularly out of the way joint someone would say something nasty about mutants but Remy never let it trouble him any.
Down on into northern Louisiana they went, man and child. A strange pair if ever there was one. A man who wore his sun glasses at all times of day and a little girl with an adult's eyes.
Further south they went, until he stopped on the side of the road and excused himself to make a phone call. He hesitated before dialing home. He wasn't sure if anyone wanted him home but when his father answered there was no hostility and the story of the little girl amused him. Remy said he would stay in his own apartment, thank you very much and his father agreed, saying that if that was what he wished than that was what was best. He asked if he could have some help from Tante Mattie, she had been such a help to him when he was a child.
She came on the phone and first chided him for never calling and then asked for the story and finally agreed to help him.
He turned and gave Kathy a smile. "My pere is gonna help us out with finding your relatives." he said.
She smiled a little and they climbed back on the bike, going south again.
Once in the city they stopped at his apartment. He didn't want to leave her alone for a minute, he was afraid someone would come and snatch her up. She was too alone and too clever and the Thieves Guild stole children, not jut paintings and jewels. He was proof of that. He called Tante Mattie and told her he was in town and she said she'd be right along. That was a relief because he really didn't know what little girls needed.
Kathy spent her time crouched down, peering through the bars of the veranda outside. He kept one eye on her and another trying to make up the bed for her. She was watching the people down below. He came out and stood next to her. "Like the view?" He asked. She nodded. "You should see it when I parade goes by."
She looked down the street as if expecting one and he leaned over the rail to look down. He spotted Tante Mattie coming up the street, people who didn't even know her moved out of her way. He cracked a grin. "I'll be right back, petite. I gotta go meet some one at de door."
Kathy didn't even hear him, she was too busy watching the street below.
He ran down to meet Tante Mattie who gave him a rough hug and then slapped him on the back of his head. "I done told you and told you to call me or right me, Remy Lebeau. How am I supposed to know if you're alive or dead when you're off running around with super-powered maniacs?!"
He pulled back, rubbing his head and pretending she's hurt him worse than she had. "I've been busy!"
"Busy my. . . oh never mind, I've got more important things to worry about than a hapless child like you. Where's the little one?"
"She's up stairs. You ain't gonna hit her none, are you?"
"Nah, I'm saving all that for you."
Up they went to where Kathy sat dangling her legs over the edge of the veranda, completely oblivious to them.
"Tell me about her before anything else." Tante Mattie said, settling herself onto the couch.
Remy sat opposite her. "Well, I agreed to meet this man, her father, a few days ago. He said he had a job for me but when he told me the job was to steal back his daughter I got nervous." She gave him a raised eyebrow. "Well, I did it anyway and found out she'd been kidnapped by loan sharks. They figured as long as they had her the pere would pay anything he was asked. I guess I made them right mad by stealing the petite cause they went and done in her daddy. They was aiming to kill her next before I got her out of town."
Tante Mattie laughed. "You just can't help yourself, Remy and you never could. You see a pretty face in danger and you just stop thinkin'."
He allowed her this reminiscence. "Well anyhow, now I gotta find her a place to stay. I'm lookin' for her relatives and came here to lay low for a while. I don't know how far dem sharks are willing to go."
She looked out at the child and rubbed her chin. "Alright, I'll ask Jean-Luc to take a look into it. You got a last name for dat family?"
"Caldwell. Daddy was named Mark."
"Alright. Now, you introduce me to your little friend."
He called for Kathy who reluctantly came in, still bare foot and dirty. "Kathy, this is Tante Mattie, she's a good friend o' mine." He waited for Kathy to smile but she only gave Tante Mattie a suspicious look and stood against the wall.
"Hey, come on now, she's alright." Kathy looked between them, sizing up the situation.
Tante Mattie laughed. "She reminds me of you." She said. "Smarter than the average child and twice as suspicious. Come here honey and let me get a look at you."
Surprisingly Kathy came forward and allowed Tante Mattie to grip her shoulders and hold her at arms length. "Hmm. You sure are a skinny thing. You know Remy was too when he was young. I can fix that though. I did him. Now, you're gonna need to scrub up and we'll get you some nice new clothes. How does that sound? You like dresses?"
Kathy nodded and looked at Remy who smiled. "You get the scrubbing done and I'll get the clothes." He said.
"And shoes." Tante Mattie added. "Child doesn't need to be running around bare foot if it can be helped."
He nodded and got to his feet. He had changed into street clothes, he didn't wan to draw any more attention to himself than necessary. "You be good for Tante Mattie, you hear?"
Kathy gave him a frown but nodded.
"Hey, I'll be right back, I'm only going down the street."
She looked back at Tante Mattie and then nodded, apparently making the conscious decision to trust him.
He darted out the door, wanting to get the shopping done and over with as fast as possible. It wasn't that he didn't trust Tante Mattie, he did but there were other people in the city he didn't trust. The Thieves Guild liked smart children and the more clever a child was the more enticing the Guild found them. Perhaps if he had been a bit more of a dullard they might not have paid so much attention to him.
But on to business. She had said she liked dresses and that was a good place to start. He headed to the nearest clothing store and began going through their racks. When he had been her age and needed new clothes, he had gone into dressing rooms and torn the tags off. It made him smile to think of it. He found another green dress and a pair of little white shoes, thinking she might like them.
He gathered up other necessities, pajamas and a tooth brush under clothes and socks. A pair of shorts, some shirts. He wondered what the other X-Men would think if they ever saw him shopping for children's clothes.
And back to home it was, where he found Tante Mattie right at home in his living room with Kathy. Tante Mattie was reading her a book and Remy recognized it as one from his father's house. He had been too old for it when he had moved in but Tante Mattie and used it to teach him to read. He smiled. Kathy was wrapped up in a towel, listening quietly.
He held up the shopping bags. "Got you some clothes, petite!"
She slid down off the chair and took the bags from him, peering inside. She smiled and then ran for the bathroom to change.
Remy plopped down on the couch. "Have a good time wit' her?" He asked.
Tante Mattie shifted so that she was facing him. "Well, she's not exactly like you, you couldn't stop talking, that girl hardly says a word."
He frowned and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Well, she's shy and who can blame her? Her pere just died. She's dealing with a lot of changes."
Tante Mattie nodded, eyes soft. "Poor child." She clasped her hands and looked towards the bathroom door. "Have you t'ought about what you're gonna have to do if you can't find her any family?"
He sighed. "I don' know. I just hope it don't come to dat."
The door opened and Kathy came out in the green dress but without the socks or shoes. He clapped and gave her praises and she flounced around for him, showing off her new dress Tante Mattie laughed and said it was nice to take care of a girl once in a while.
Kathy sat down at the table and looked at the book. She could read but she didn't seem interested in the words, just the pictures.
"Jean-Luc is mighty interested in this story." Tante Mattie said. "He wants to meet the child."
Remy frowned but nodded, if he wanted his father's help in locating her family he would have to do what the man wanted. "He knows dat if I can't find her family it doesn't mean she's up for grabs for de Guild, right?"
Tante Mattie gave him a stern frown. "I don't know what he knows but I suspect he knows dat at least."
Remy shrugged, not entirely convinced. Lost children seemed to have a tenancy for turning up in the Guild's clutches. "Well, I t'ink we got a good shot at findin' her family. Did mon pere say anyt'ing about meeting us tonight?"
"No, he's workin' tonight. You're on your own, unless you want me around."
Kathy looked over at them, listening.
Remy rested his elbows on his knees and rocked forward. "What do you say, petite? How about a night on the town?"
She smiled and he winked at her. "I t'ink we can manage for one night. Just tell him that this is important."
Tante Mattie got to her feet and gave him a quick hug. "I'll do that, now you stay out of trouble tonight, you hear?"
He laughed. "I ain't even been back one day and you think I'm gonna start trouble."
"I didn't say you'd start it, I'm just saying that you have a habit of ending up in trouble one way or another."
He conceded, she was right after all. When she was gone he looked at Kathy and smiled. "Well, what did you t'ink of her?"
Kathy shrugged. "She seemed nice. I like her."
He ran a hand through his hair. "Me too, chere. Me too. Well, come on den. We got de city to ourselves and it's about supper time."
She slid off her chair and hopped to meet him.
"You gonna put on your shoes?"
She shook her head and he cracked a grin. "Alright, but I'm gonna bring 'em along anyway, just in case some restaurant manager gets in our faces."
Out on the street, Kathy was stunned by the new sights, for the past few days they had seen little else but fields and the occasional farm or small town. People must have thought she was a tourist, with the way she turned her head from side to side. He laughed and lead her to a small cafe. "Dinner, petite." He reminded her.
Afterwards they wondered around and he showed her the sights. He showed her the houses in the garden district and she said she loved them. He had one he'd bought many years ago but he didn't tell her that. He had bought it for himself and Belladonna but he didn't want to go there now, he was having a good time and there was no point dragging up unhappiness.
"Guess you'll be meeting my pere tomorrow." He sad as they made their way back. She gave him a concerned look, as if asking if that was a good thing and he laughed. "He's okay. He's gonna help us."
She nodded, accepting it as so. She trusted him and he thought, she had to, she didn't have anyone else. He put a hand on her head and brushed her hair. She gave him a curious look but didn't ask if anything was wrong and he picked her up and put her on his shoulders, humming and letting her bare feet rest. All night long she had rejected the shoes. It made him laugh because she really didn't need them.
Thank you very much for reading, I hope you've enjoyed!
And I hoped you liked Tante Mattie!
Next chapter Jean-Luc comes into the picture, we'll see how that goes and if he likes Kathy!