Author's Note: Wow! So many reviews, 30! thanks so much it means alot! I'm so sorry for the late update but my laptop charger shorted out and I had to order a new one, I'm on a separate computer right now so if its a few days before I next update please understand, but I promise unless something major comes up it won't be more than four or five days before the next update.
PeggySkitles- Thanks, lol I try to rely on spell check mostly but slip up every once in a while. THANK YOU SO MUCH! I had absolutely no idea what her name was that helps so much!!!!
b.a.n.h.s.f.c..-Haha yes Rouge's character is suppose to be very unstable and broken, you'll see why in later if I may request something of you can I shorten your name to ban for my sanity when replying? lol
Courtney Summers-Is here!
Laceylou76-I'm glad you liked the way I made the perspectives of Mattie and Jean-Luc different. Yes you'll have to wait a bit longer for this section to resolve and explain itself but I'm putting alot of effort into it so I hope it comes out to your liking!
sailormoon846212- Thank you so much! Uhmm actually there are a handful of really good storys like that,I'll PM their url's to you if you'd like.
Dani- Haha I'm glad to see new people liking my story, here's my next chapter so no need to have withdraws!
Lalaladybug67- Thank you for the compliment! hope you enjoy this next chapter.
the-writing-vampire-tis alright! I'm glad to see you back though, yay college.. Haha I'm starting to think everyone's liking the rouge/fireblade moments which makes me really happy cause I have alot planned for it. You'll just have to wait and see how Remy's find's out. LOL! I could totally see Rogue doing that, -laughs evilly- thats a perfect image right there, lol. Well here's the next chapter glad to see you back, and thank you!
Chapter 12: Whom Hold's Faith's Hand.
The buzzing of the mansions phone rang silently through out Jean-Luc's ear, with each unanswered ring his body became more fidgety. He groaned in impatience, did those people ever pick up their forsaken phones? Wasn't that the whole point of owning one? He felt his sister's gentle hand squeeze his shoulder in reassurance. He snorted reassurance my ass, your just rubbing in the fact that I screwed up, again, he thought bitterly.
It rang several more times before a calm yet slightly winded voice answered the phone, "Xavier's Institute for gifted youngsters!", Jean-Luc sighed in a mixture of relief and annoyance, relief for the fact he had gotten an answer, annoyance because it sounded like the idiot on the other line had the attention span of a gnat.
"Oui, may Ah speak ta Remy, it be rather urgent." He heard the soft sound of whispering and giggling in the background. He mentally smacked his forehead, just what he needed a ton of gossiping teenagers to deal with when he needed to get ahold of his son. He was about to start yelling when the voice piped up suddenly.
"Oh I'm sorry, left on a this morning." Jean-Luc felt his gut twist, karma was having a hell of a good time messing with him wasn't she. Forcing himself not to kill the innocent bystander, he went to speak again but had to stop, seeing as his voice was mocking that of a homicidal maniacs. Clearing his throat he lightened his tone but not much.
"Do ya know when he'll be back?" More giggling, then sudden silence. For a moment he thought that they had hung up the phone on him, and debated whether to hang it up or not, when suddenly the voice piped up again a poor intimation of his voice sounding back.
"We don know ya reckon," Jean-Luc was ready to start cussing when suddenly the line was filled with the sound of taunting laughter. Though quickly after the line went dead, only one thought soaring through is mind those damn teenagers...
He hung up the phone and looked up at Mattie, her brow furrowed in confusion and worry. "Any luck?" She asked sadly, knowing the answer already, but trying to seem hopefully for any spark of fortune.
"Non, jus a bunch o' chucklin teenagers, Remy's gone on a mission." She reach out a hand to help Jean-Luc up but he merely shooed it away and laid both of his hands over his eyes. He sat there for a moment in complete silence, his mind replaying the events of the night prior. The demonic glare of his granddaughter still fresh in his mind. He had thought he could right his wrongs with Remy by going through Rouge but to no such luck.
Suddenly Henri burst into the room, a look of defeat on his face as he took in the sight of his father and aunt. Mattie looked up at Henri, their gazes meeting for a swift moment, she knew what was to come and she couldn't help but feel her heart shatter.
"Pere, dere's nothin' we looked everywhere and there is no trace of 'er." Henri along with several other squadrons had scoured the place from top to bottom, from boundary line to boundary line, only to find the girls bike gone and with no tracks to follow. After said discovery they all set out looking all over New Orleans for her but sighted no signs of her or her mutant destruction. What was strange though was the fact that her bike still remained in the parking garage and he wasn't certain as to how she fled so quickly without it.
Henri bowed his head, he had grown a real soft spot towards the girls while they were there, but Rouge, not to play favorites, in all honesty he had enjoyed her company the best, she was through and through a Lebeau, from the attitude to the mouth, it reminded him so much of his brother, whom he missed greatly. It was like having another kid Remy around, but with more flare.
His thoughts were short lived though as Jean-Luc sat up and groaned loudly. He looked back and forth between his two family members presently in the room. Even though they didn't show it on their features they both blamed him partially for what had occurred. Of course Jean-Luc couldn't blame them, he fully blamed himself, but had wished that he been a bit less selfish and more understanding. Hell he thought sourly, had I done that from the start I wouldn't have lost my boy either. Abruptly though his thoughts came to another dilemma, his frustration growing two fold.
"Does Elle know about dis?" He looked at Mattie, who shook her head. She wrung her hands together nervously, something that she had done since he could remember, and something he knew she only did when her fears were at their peaks, or she was hiding something. Knowing the degree of the situation he knew it was the first, but it didn't help matters any.
"Non, she still be asleep." Jean-Luc leaned his head back against the back of the large sitting chair, great just great. I lose on granddaughter and the other ones clueless, that's going to be fun to deal with. He looked at his sister pleadingly but suddenly a spark came into her eye as she shook her head no, knowing exactly what was running through her brothers thick skull.
"Don' you even try ta push dis off on moi Jean-Luc, dis be your mess." Mattie crossed her arms in defiance sealing her point. Henri dispite the circumstances looked like he wanted to chuckle at the sight of the two older adults.
"Merde, thanks alot soeur, now I gotta break another one." He looked at the staircase, only imagining the wrath that awaited him when a certain green eyed beauty woke up.
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Merde. Merde. Merde. Did he forget to mention Merde?
Remy could feel his body slightly vibrating from the impatience he had. They had spent almost four whole days in this town and still no sign of any 'mysterious mutants.' He grunted in annoyance which got him a look from a slightly confused Kitty. He only shrugged his shoulders and shot his gaze in the opposite direction. He hated this town, it had stolen everything from him ripping his very soul to shreds, and now standing there again it made him uncomfortable,yet almost longing for the things he once had.
He shook himself forcing the thought away, how selfish could he be? True he longed for the touch of another, but it wasn't Rogue's fault that her damn powers reverted back to square one after the incident. She had hated herself after the incident but never once let it show on purpose to Remy, but through small actions he knew it had slowly eaten away at her very being. He growled inwardly, if he ever got his hands the bastard that had torn all that was precious to him away.......
He felt a dull pain in his heart knowing the exact source of it. The mere thought of that long buried memory still had the power to make his entire core shudder. It was a memory he had long tried to drown away in alcohol and tears, but to no such luck that forbidden picture always made itself known at the worst times. It had tore him in a way that no wound ever could, and despite his own pain he could only imagine what Rogue's still was. As far as he knew she still cried herself to sleep when it rained outside, when all he felt was a dull throb that could easily be pushed aside with the right train of thought. He dreaded those storms, and the sound of her trying to hide her broken sobs was more than enough to make his insides burn. He knew she blamed herself for the accident through and through though, and that she beat herself up for it every waking moment of everyday and despite everyone's constant comfort and understanding for years she still was trapped in the darkness.
Though he had see light in her, even if just the smallest glimmer in the last few days. Small actions that were almost forgotten due to the rarity and non existent use were beginning to show themselves again and it left Remy breathless. Those actions were enough to show there was hope, and that maybe she was pulling herself free from the darkness, and whatever had set off these small glimmers well Remy could have kissed it.
Remy felt a sharp pain explode through out his shin and he let out a strangled yelp, his trance long forgotten as he hugged his shin to his chest. Slightly opening his eyes and peering out he took in the sight of a certain brown haired girl that had been a major part of his deteriorating mental state.
"Mon Dieu! What was dat for chat?" He hissed at Kitty. She merely rolled her eyes at him, she had long given up on trying to be addressed as Katherine and had let the stupid nicknames stay. Pulling her arms up roughly she motioned behind her where the majority of the group were well ahead and quickly making themselves smaller dots on the horizon.
"Oh I don't know, maybe the fact that you've been standing there like an idiot for a good fifteen minutes!" She jumped up waving her arms slightly, allowing a huge amount of escape through her teeth she let her tense shoulders drop down.
"So can we like follow them, please? Cause I really don't wanna run in this heat." Kitty pulled at the collar of her shirt and fanned herself earning a chuckle from Remy. She scowled at him and turned to leave, he followed right behind on her heals.
"I've been meaning to ask you something Gambit." He looked at the Shadowcat, a certain feeling pulling at his mind telling him to decline her access to questions, but going against his better instincts motioned for the girl to continue.
"How do you wear a damn trench coat in the middle of summer!" She had stopped on the side walk her hands dug into her hips and head slightly cocked towards the right. Gambit had to force himself not to burst out in relieved laughter as he took in the sight of the menacing glare the five foot four woman who weighed around a hundred and ten pounds was shooting at him.
"It's really nothin', petite." He walked past Kitty, who quickly stormed up next to him and shot another dirty glare in his direction. "See dis really isn't a coat it is a built in air conditioning system, non?" She glanced at him and nodded in agreement completely oblivious to what she had agreed to. Though her head did a double take realizing the stupidity of her actions. She grew red in the face from embarrassment before crossing her arms over her chest trying to regain some of her long lost dignity as Remy's laughter could be heard four blocks down.
"Haha your funny gumbo," She quickened her pace and began mumbling incoherent insults, that even Wolverine's sensitive hearing would of had a hard time picking up on. He sighed in content, he still had his family. Even if it consisted fully of a bunch of misfits with strange talents. As he thought about though he realized he wouldn't have wanted it any other way. He continued lazily walking through the streets coming across some old familiar spots from his childhood. He was lost funny in the moment before a certain irritated voice rang over the communicator.
'Swamp Rat, Ah swear if ya don't hurry it up Ah'm kickin ya to the couch!' Remy's lip twitched in amusement, that was definitely the old Rogue rearing her head. He smiled in spite of himself and quickened his pace. Cutting around a corner he thought of different ways to antagonize his chere, when he came upon a sight that left his heart strumming. Scorch marks covered the buildings and streets, while pieces of car's and store's lay scattered through out the roadway.
"Bout tahme ya got here Swamp rat," Rogue flipped her hair over her shoulders a sudden impatient look coming into her glowing green eyes, "As you can see, we've got a slight problem on out hands." Remy could only nod his head dumbly as he took in the sight of the destruction. He had never seen anything quite along these lines, except for one time in his life, and that one time he had had to leave home because he had caused said destruction.
Hearing a familiar bamfing noise sound behind him, Remy turned to meet face to face with an image induced Kurt. Over the last twenty years his long hair had progressively gotten shorter, to a point were it ended just above his chin, but aside from that he didn't any different that he did the day he had turned twenty five.
"There you are! I've been looking all over for you! Vhere vere you?" Remy could only shrug his shoulders, in all honest truth he had been lost in a memory, but that wasn't going to cut it so he settled for using one of his many talents, lying.
"Lookin' round de alleyways for any sigh of de muties. Dough it appears it was right in front of us." Kurt eyed him with suspicion before disappearing and reappearing next to his sister. Remy turning tuned out everything around him as he over looked the damage done. He sighed in discontent, there was no way these mutants were safe if they had such powers, but what bugged him the most was the fact that they looked just like his powers.
Suddenly a flash of auburn and white caught at the edge of Remy's eye and he couldn't help but allow his eyes to widen, he then caught a quick flash of orange and...green?
"Mon ami's Ah dink we've found de culprits." He pointed his finger down the dark alleyway were the low echo of light footsteps could be heard. Rogue's eyes once again lit up with a sudden determination that left Remy startled.
"Alrahght, here's what we're doing."
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Elle felt her heart jump in fear, pain, anguish and most of all anger. She took in the sight of the man before her and without fully thinking through her actions let her fist fly forward. With a resonation crack Elle pulled her hand back and watched as her grandfather fell to the ground, hand cradling his injured jaw.
"You low life bastard!" Elle screamed wet tears streaming down her face, how could he have let this happen? What kind of man was he? She glared down at the man who's dark eyes were glazed over in pain, whether from the ache in his jaw or the emotions of guilt of which he had brought upon himself, Elle wasn't sure but either worked for her at the moment.
She felt a light hand grab her shoulder and before she knew what she was doing she shoved Mattie away. Focusing on her room she disappeared in a thick cloud of emerald and appeared in her room. Grabbing her bag she began stuffing her various items inside, ignoring the constant pool of tears cascading down her cheeks. She knew this had the greatest possibility of happening, of the the situation backfiring, but she had let her foolish hopes get in the way with dreams of the perfect life, and now her other half was out there somewhere doing only god knows what. She growled in frustration and pinned her long hair back behind her neck and shouldered her bag.
Picturing the front gate of the mansion she felt the familiar pull and soft kiss of wind as she came through the portal. What she didn't feel though was the soft thud of her feet touching the ground. She looked up and took in a sight she had long feared. Fighting with all of her might she tried to transport away and succeeded. She landed in the bar where she and her sister had first began their search. Seeing as it was a little before noon the place was deserted.
Jumping up she ran through the building ignoring the growing feeling in her gut as she shot through the doors of the tavern and fell into the arms of a furry blue beast.
"Why hello, what is your hurry young one." She felt her heart skip a beat, it was talking. She laughed like an idiot before losing consciousness in the able arms of 'Hank McCoy' her last thoughts consisting of what has this world boiled down too?.
Woot! This chapter was a pain to get out, but alas here it is! And I promise this is nothing like what it seems, hehe but you'll have to wait til next chapter to find out! I promise it's sooo much better and more complicated than this chapter makes it out to be! So TTFN! R&R!!!!