Heya, bet you all thought I'd quit on this! Nope! ok but seriously I'm ashamed of how long this took and really sorry for the wait. things just kept on popping up one after the next and I hope people didn't completely give up on me. Please enjoy and believe me when i saw that the net chpter won't take as long. In fact it's mostly done so it won't take long at all.
Remy was shaken awake. Tante Mattie was standing over him. In a flurry he stopped himself from rolling off the couch and swearing. She had her hands on her hips. "Get your self up, boy. It's Sunday and I'm taking Kathy to church."
He looked across the room to the table where Kathy sat drinking orange juice and watching him. He ran a hand through his hair. "Den dere ain't no reason to wake me up." He tried to lie back down on the couch.
"You're not going?" Kathy asked with big eyes.
He paused and licked his lips, trying to think of a way to tell her. "Ah, I'm not dressed and. . ."
"Oh, he's goin' he ain't gonna disappoint you, sugar." Tante Mattie said, giving him a little smack as he stood up to hurry him along. "Get moving."
He grumbled and looked at the clock. "I don't need to hurry, I got time."
"No you don't we're heading out early. Now get cleaned up and dressed."
Half a hurried hour later he was dressed and feeling like a kid in the way she'd practically dragged him out by his ear. Kathy skipped along happily as they bustled down the street heedless of others, most of whom were tourists. "I ain't awake for dis."
The church loomed up ahead and Kathy took his hand. He was reminded dismally of how her father had told him about her and felt a stab of sympathy for the little girl next to him. He hoped she wasn't remembering how close they'd come to reuniting them. He squeezed her hand and he thought she might have remembered because she didn't squeeze back.
Tante Mattie greeted another old woman who cast them all a curious look. She whispered to Tante Mattie and the two of them laughed. "It sure is nice to see you again, Remy." The old woman said before heading in, she gave Kathy a quick smile.
"Who was that?" Kathy asked.
"Miss Nancy." Tante Mattie said. "She's an acquaintance of Jean-Luc's."
Kathy looked as though she was trying to figure out what 'acquaintance meant and Remy leaned down to whisper. "Means she tells him who's buying the nicer things in life and how he might acquisition those things."
Again she looked confused by the big word but no question was asked and he laughed, leading her up the church steps.
"Now, I know you get ancy Remy, so you can cut out as soon as Communion is over." Tante Mattie said.
"That's gracious of you." He muttered.
She gave hm a small swat on the back of his head which was a feat because she was a good deal shorter than he was. "Don't get smart."
They sat in the Lebeau pew and waited for people to finish finding their seats. "You know I used to get busted for going up dere and stealin' communion wafers." He whispered to Kathy who giggled. "Father McNairy used to always run me out before I made it past the communion rail." He looked at Tante Mattie. "Is he still here?"
"No, he retired to Miami a couple of years ago. They replaced him with Father Schmidt but he only lasted a short while and then they instated Father Leary and he's been here ever since. Schmidt didn't like putting up with de Guild but Father Leary doesn't mind none. Or at least he don't seem too bothered by it."
Remy leaned back and rested his arm on the back of the pew, effectively putting it around Kathy. "Schmidt must not'a enjoyed confession too much den."
"That was part'a de problem." Tante Mattie smacked his leg lightly and in a harsh whisper added: "Get your feet of dem kneeling rails, boy."
Kathy looked down at her own little legs that dangled over he edge of the pew and then up at Remy. He winked at her.
"You've had your first communion, right child?" Tante Mattie asked, keeping her eyes glued to Remy's feet.
Kathy nodded and they settled back. Remy could tell he was being watched out of the corner of his eye and considered putting his feet back up just to tease her but refrained. "So how'd they get a priest okay with hearing about multi-million dollar thefts all day?" Tante Mattie hummed and mumbled something intentionally vague. "What was dat?"
"I reckon de Guild had somethin' to do wit it. Probably got their own choice of priest."
He rolled his eyes, the Guild sometimes had too much power. He looked up at the alter and caught sight of someone watching him. Sister Benedict. He remembered her because she had never approved of him being allowed into the church. She was a firm in her belief that he came from the devil, even with all of the recent awareness of mutants. He nodded at her and she turned away quickly and crossed herself.
He looked down and saw Kathy looking up at him worriedly. He brushed a hand over her head. "Don't worry about it, mon petite chere." She nodded and turned back.
They fell silent as the priest and acolytes began the possession up to the alter. Remy dropped a coin into Kathy's hand for the offering plate and then folded his hands, more in lip service than anything else and judging by the aura Tante Mattie was casting she knew it.
Towards the end of the service when they were heading up to the communion rail he fell into line next to Sister Benedict who kept glancing sideways at him and clutching at her Rosary like it was a life line. He grinned a little at her and she scowled.
"I don't care how old you get or how much time passes," She hissed. "I'll always remember where you came from. You may have Jean-Luc fooled but you can't trick me."
He leaned in. "Wouldn't dream of tricking you, sister."
Apparently she didn't believe him and scuttled off. She was an old woman now, she'd been old in his memory too but now she had to be pushing eighty. She was the maiden daughter of one of the long deceased members of the Thieves' Guild and had an honorary place in the church and the Guild. She had been one of the most vocally object to Remy's adoption. She had been a foe of his as a child too when he lived on the streets, always either trying to get him to clean up or chasing him off the church school's playground. He didn't hold any animosity towards her now though, too much time had passed and he now saw her as just a superstitious old woman and it hadn't been like he hadn't gone out of his way to cause her trouble, even going as far as to go the whole day pretending to be a student at the school one time.
He shook his head fondly at the memory of that incident. He and some of the others under Fagin's care had played a game called 'lets see how mad we can make Sister Benedict' many a time.
He took his place at the communion rail with Kathy beside him and after flashing the priest a grin, he now recognized Father Leary from a church in the Irish Channel, he said his prayers and departed, holding Kathy's hand.
They settled into the pew and waited for communion to end, with all the bustle he was able to tel Kathy another funny story about getting in trouble under old Father McNairy, earning her laughter and adoration.
Someone taped him on his shoulder and he looked up to see a man with a pony tail standing behind him. The man nodded his head towards the door and he gave Kathy's hand a quick squeeze. "Mind Tante Mattie." He said, getting up.
The long haired man lead him out of the church and into the bright sunlight. "Sorry about that." He said. "Tante Mattie said it was okay to grab you after Communion." He held out his hand. "I'm Edouard, Monsieur Lebeau told me to pick you up. He's got some information on de little girl."
Remy nodded, heart skipping a beat, he wasn't sure he wanted any information on Kathy's family. He took one last look into the open church doors before hurrying down the steps and after Edouard. "I don't recognize you." He said. "Are you knew to de Guild?"
Edouard laughed. "You've been gone a while. I had my Tithing three ears ago so I guess you could say I'm new. I heard about you though!" He shook his head. "Le Diable Blanc and about the Assassins Guild too." he stopped, seeming to have realized he'd made an error in bringing up Gambit's failed, disaster of a marriage."
Remy sized the kids up and decided to forgive him. "So I've become quite infamous, eh?"
"Oui!" Edouard laughed, relieved not to have angered the son of the leader of the Thieves Guild. "I heard a bunch of stories about you, you're practically a legend to everyone new."
Remy grinned a little, he kind of liked the idea, but then again, it depended on what kind of legends they were telling about him. He didn't push it. Just in case they were bad, he didn't want to know.
Jean-Luc was in an office in a town house The Guild owned property all over and used the different buildings for different purposes, however he was just using an empty office.
Remy sat down in front of the desk and watched Edouard leave. His father cleared his throat. "How was church?"
"Same as usual. Is that de same Leary who used to assist at that church over in the Irish Channel?"
Jean-Luc nodded. "Schmidt left and the position opened up. We made sure he got it."
Remy nodded and shrugged, he hadn't ever had that much to do with Leary but he remembered him to be kind. "Good for him den." He pause uneasily, not sure if he was ready to hear about what his father had found.
Jena-Luc shuffled some papers. "Last night I put out some calls and this morning one was returned. We found Kathy's aunt. The Hoffman woman. She's living with her husband and daughter in Illinois."
Remy plaed with a paper weight. "Where abouts?"
"Chicago suburbs. I have an address." Jean-Luc held out a piece of paper and Remy took it, looking over the address and the picture of the house. There was a phone number too.
"Has anyone called her?"
"No, that's up to you."
Remy didn't meet his father's eyes, he started intently at the house, it was a nice two story. Not the big Italianate and Queen Ann houses Kathy liked but a pleasant, happy looking home. "Did you find anything else about the sister?"
"She looks good. She's got a daughter a few years older than Kathy and her husband's an accountant."
Damn, he couldn't think of a single reason not for Kathy to go to these people. He sighed and stood up. "Merci pere. I'll tell Kathy."
Jean-Luc watched his son with concern. "Remy. . ." He started but Gambit cut him off.
"Remy waved his hand. "Non, it's fine. I gotta go pick Tante Mattie and Kathy up from church anyway. Tante will have my head if I'm late." He ran out the door and as he hurried down the street he loosened his tie to think. Lord he didn't want to give up Kathy but he couldn't keep her. Tante Mattie was standing in front of the church talking to an old woman while Kathy stood at her side. The little girl spotted him and ran to him, grabbing his hand and smiling up at him like he was the best thing ever.
He grinned down at her and caught another glimpse of Sister Benedict giving him a disapproving look. He raised his arm and let Kathy swing from it. She was barefoot again, feet already dirty.
"Let's go Petite, early lunch for us."
The three of them departed and took a cab back to Remy's apartment for a change and then to a restaurant. Remy felt the paper with the Chicago address burning a hole in his pocket. It felt heavy and he tried not to think about it but eventually he took it out and showed it to Kathy. "Listen hear petite, I got somethin' to show you. We found your aunt."
Kathy looked at the paper curiously and then up at him. There was a mix of emotion sliding across her face. She looked sad and happy at the same time.
"Now, she lives in Chicago. That'll take us a couple of days to reach."
"Can I talk to her?" Kathy asked.
"Well, I gotta call her and tell here what's happened first but then I don't see no reason why not."
The little girl nodded soberly. "Ok."
Tante Mattie watched them both through narrowed eyes and she glanced concernedly at Remy. "Do you like your aunt?" She asked.
Kathy nodded. "I've only met her a few times but she was really nice. My cousin is nice too and my uncle. He was really funny." Her eyes looked up at Remy and it was clear that she was torn.
He gave her hand a squeeze. "I'll call her tonight, how's that?"
She nodded, still looking grim.
His heart hurt a little and he felt Tante Mattie pat his knee consolingly. He was glad she was there.
Well, thanks for sticking with me though the long wait. The story is drawling to a close and there will probably be only about two or three more chapters.
Next chapter Remy calls the aunt and that gets sorted out so we've got that to look forward to.
Thanks for reading and for all of the follows/favorites and reviews on the last chapter they were all really appreciated!