Hello!! Thank to all of you who had read, reviewed and added this fic to your alert and/or favorite list. Also, I want to thank the unsigned reviewers since I can't reply you properly, and finally my dear beta-reader Wanda W for helping me.
A/N: I do hope you enjoy this and kind of makes it up for the last one -I'm talking about Remy and Logan's reaction- as I said to some of you, Logan and Remy truly regret their decisions and words (each one in his own way).
Disclaimer: All X-men belong to Marvel!!
XXXX
Chapter 5.
-A few hours later-
Remy LeBeau, Master of the Thieves Guild, poured himself another Bourbon and settled back into his study chair. Jean-Luc observed without saying a word, he could notice the anxiety in his son's gaze. Meanwhile unaware of the seriousness of the previous event and the current state of Remy's feelings, Henri, Etienne and Emile were just having some drinks and a chat as they usually did at night.
"I can't believe y' gave dem de collar Remy." Emil's said as he, Jean Luc and Etienne joined Remy at the living room.
Gambit chuckled, "Y' have much to learn mon jeune cousin," he said as he gave Jean-Luc a mocking look, making Emil turn his gaze towards his uncle and gasp in disbelief as Remy took out a little black velvet bag from his trench coat with the white collar which glowed in the middle of the dark room in it.
"French forgers, de bests in de world!" Etienne said with a smile as Remy handled him the original collar. "I myself contact Monsieur Renoir for dis little job."
"Remy's right Emil," Jean-Luc said in a calmed voice, putting his hand over his nephew's shoulder, "mais I'm sure you'll learn everyt'ing you need."
"Mebbe… mais I'll never be as good as Remy." Emile said as he ran a hand through his hair unable to hide his amazement, "Je suis sûr!" (I'm sure)
"Don' say dat Emil," Remy said, as his red on black eyes darkened and his gaze got lost in the dark Bayou sight framed by the large window. "Y' never know when de slightest t'ing can fool y' as a kid… and hurt y' as y' swore y' would never allow."
Not really understanding Remy's words, Emil gave Jean-Luc a 'what the hell he's talking about' look. The once Master of the Guild, allowed the role of comprehensive father took over the insensitive cold hearted thief one. And with a hand order Etienne and Emil left the room.
"Remy?" Jean-Luc asked approaching his son.
"Don' Jean-Luc… I don' want a lecture." Lighting a cigarette Remy turned to meet his father. "I already know what y're gonna say, 'I told y' so'," he humphed. "Never thought I would hear it after all de heartbreaking Bella issue."
"I wasn't gonna said dat, though." Remy's eyes widened in doubt. "Y' love dat fille son." Remy was about to say something, but before he had time to protest, Jean-Luc continued. "Don't deny it. I'm your père and a well trained thief myself, I know to see behind de façades, to read de looks on peoples faces… y' love her Remy."
"Since you put it dat way… Oui. je l'aime." Remy let the cigarette's ashes fell on the rug. "Mais what's de point of dat now, de fille lied to m'."
"Like y' never lied before… y' Thieves Master."
"Don' mess up de t'ings Jean-Luc, y' know what I mean."
"Oui, I do… mais I also know how wrong y're by judging her wit'out hearing her own version of de events."
"Listen at y'!" Remy said rolling his eyes. "Yesterday you told m' otherwise!"
"Yesterday I haven't saw her kneeling in y'r office pleading at y' between sobs." Gambit remained in silence. "I saw de look on de fille's yeux… she was sincere, she cares 'bout y' mon fils."
"Je ne sais pas père. Dat Wolverine homme… he seemed very upset with her, his words were full of anger. I don' believe he was lying just to bother her."
"So what! She left de X-men for some reason, et dat is not of y'r business."
"Is she still here?" Remy asked unsure of what to do if Rogue was still in the manor, yet wanting her to be there.
"Non, she left about two hours ago… I met her at the hallway."
Remy raised his eyes. His questioning gaze said more than a thousand words. He wanted to know if Rogue said something to his father before she left.
"Non… she didn't say anyt'ing." Remy turned his eyes away again. "Mais her eyes… dose eyes spoke for her." Jean-Luc walked towards the door, "She was hurt Remy and dere's not'ing worst dan a hurt femme… you should know it by now," he said before exiting the room.
"Oui, je sais," Remy said putting out his cigarette.
Once he heard Jean-Luc close the door at his back, he opened the crystal-framed door and stepped into the balcony. There in the middle of the night, Remy LeBeau let go a sigh. He couldn't really believe what had just happened, and as the recent events of what seemed the longest night of his life passed by his eyes in a flash, the constant image of Rogue hit him hard. The thought of the southern belle crying in front of him made his heart ache. Not because of her but him. She might have lied but still she came to explain, and he didn't hear her. Even worse, he threw her out… no wonder she chose to leave.
Taking a deep breath, Remy LeBeau regretted the way he treated her… but it was too late now. Even so, the so called 'ladies man' admitted to himself how deeply he truly cared for Rogue and how devastated he felt right now. Because truth was he loved her.
"And she's gone -snap- just like dat. And look what she leaves behind. Gambit, Master of d' Thieves Guild, left standin' like a fool. Pain in his chest… 'cause she stole my heart… gaspin for air 'cause she took my breath away…" (1)
Giving one last look to the shining full moon in the sky, Gambit clenched his fists and let out a frustration moan. She was the one person he cared for the most, yet he lost her in such a fool way.
...
-Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters. A few days later-
"I can't believe it!" Logan snarled making Forge to step back mumbling nonsense. He was way too scared to talk.
"That filthy thief!"
"Jeez Logan relax!" Kitty managed to say. "After all it's not that unexpected, or do you really think he was gonna give up that easy?"
"I can make a new collar," said Forge.
"No, not yet anyway," Logan added after a couple of silent minutes. "That Cajun is smarter than I would like to admit, he's not gonna give the collar to anyone just like that… after all he's also a mutant."
"Yep," said Kitty. "I'm more concerned about Rogue, though." All the eyes in the room stared at her. In an instant eight pairs of eyes were scrutinizing her. ""What?" She yelled, "I am. For God's sake did any of you saw her?" she asked turning to Emma, Logan and Kurt. Then she stood from her chair and spoke to everyone in Xavier's office. "Gambit refused to hear her at all, no matter how much she begged him. And as for Pietro and the rest of the Brotherhood, I don't even want to think how things had turned out back at their house the moment she returned empty handed!"
No one dared to say a word in Rogue's favor, not even Kurt.
"Come on Kurt, aren't you going to say anything?" Kitty said, looking for some kinf od support behind Kurt's glare. "I just can't believe you guys, she might have made the wrong decisions but… she's our friend. She used to be one of us, and I'm sure underneath it all she still is!" and with that Katherine Pryde abandoned the room slamming the door behind her. Bobby Drake hesitated an instant before he went after her. A couple of minutes later, he came back with a tearful Kitty hugged in his arms.
"Spill it Wagner," said Logan, as he smelled Kurt's feelings. "Whatever you're thinking say it."
"I don't know… I'm just not sure." Kurt stood from the leather couch he was sharing with Scott and Emma. His gaze jumped from Logan to Ororo Munroe to Hank McCoy. "I don't know… I mean, she's meine schwester."
"Ok, I'm sure I'm talking for everyone. I'm sorry," Emma said glaring at Wolverine, "almost everyone in this room when I say you're truly concerned about Rogue and that you all wanted to ask me about her, am I wrong?" since no one in the room -not even Logan- said a word, Emma continued. "I was able to read her mind for an instant back at the Thieves manor. She's indeed confused. Her head is a mess and I'm not talking about all her 'inner guests'."
Storm gave her some sort of disapproval look. Emma knew she wasn't her favorite teammate. "Look I know some of you don't like me and some of you don't even trust me, but what I'm telling you is true. Rogue truly cares for that Gambit guy," she hesitated about saying the next thing. She didn't know Rogue, but felt some kind of betrayal for revealing to the Southerner's former friends her feelings. God knew she would be upset if somebody told them the way she felt for Scott Summers. "She… she loves him, and felt she failed him after he found out Pietro's plan. She felt alone once again, maybe lonelier than ever and…"
"And what Emma, please tell us what she was feeling!" Kurt asked Emma, truly concerned and moved by the way his sister felt back there, and by the fact that he didn't say a word to her.
"She was upset with herself for the way she once more trusted in someone who happened to turn his back on her," saying this she fixed her blue eyes on Logan who was standing at the back of the room. "Just that this time, even though she felt some kind of betrayal… she's sure it was her fault."
"I'm going to look for her," Kurt said resolute. "I don't care if you're ok with it or not."
"And I'm going with you," Kitty said.
"If Kitty goes, I'll go too," Bobby announced.
"That boy has an utterly evident crush on the little brunette and does nothing to hide it," Emma thought to herself.
"Wait," Logan ordered. "All of you… we're going do this. But we're gonna do it the right way." He turned towards Emma. "Frost please use Cerebro to see if you can find her." Emma nodded. "The moment she finds Rogue we leave. Summers just as before you're in charge; Storm, Forge and Hank will stay here with you, under your command." Everybody were about to leave the room when Logan added, "and Frost you were wrong just in one thing. I do care about Rogue, more than any of you could even imagine…" after the group left Xavier's office leaving Logan behind standing alone by the window he said to himself, "And I'm not gonna let you down again Rogue… never."
...
-New York City. Three months later-
Rogue entered the cozy studio apartment in Greenwich Village where she had been living for the past weeks carrying a bag of groceries and closed the door behind her. It was the smallest one in the entire building and it was soberly decorated, but she didn't care, the rent was low and the location was excellent. Besides, money wasn't the problem, after years of refusing it she had finally accepted Destiny's inheritance, so she didn't even bother to look for a job, not yet anyway. Opening the fridge she started to put in the milk and cheese she had just bought and she put water to boil in order to make some tea.
It had been almost three months since she left the Brotherhood. She left her life behind the moment she left New Orleans -with that she meant her mutancy- and after all this time she hadn't used her powers not once. She left him, or rather, he walked away from her, leaving her behind but yet here she still was hanging on. She hadn't seen him in days but it seemed like years. Life after meeting Remy LeBeau wasn't the same. She wanted to feel his arms around her again, his lips crushing hers, the brightness of his red on black eyes staring at her, and his distinctive Cajun drawl just one more time, but she knew that was impossible. She lied to him and he didn't forgive her.
"It's easy to blame Pietro for something Ah agreed with in the first place. Ah could be honest with Remy the moment Ah began to have feelings for him and Ah didn't because a part of meh was sure of being part of the Brotherhood, sure of fulfill the task without letting mah feelings get involve." Rogue said to herself as she poured the boiling water into the teapot.
-Flashback-
"I'm sorry Rogue, I didn't get it," Pietro said rubbing his forehead in frustration. "You what?" he asked raising his voice in disgust.
"Ah said, Ah didn't get the damn collar," Rogue answered.
"And why doesn't that surprise me?" Neena's voice was full of irony.
"How the hell would Ah know that Logan was going to be there?" Rogue gave Neena a menacing glare before turning to Pietro. "Ah saw Gambit giving it to Logan right in front mah eyes. One of Gambit's men grabbed Kitty Pryde pointing a gun at her, maybe Rem… Gambit," she corrected herself, "didn't care about it as much as we thought." Rogue fought the urge to cry as she said those words, since she was the only one who knew its hidden meaning.
"And if that's true it's because of you Rogue," said Pietro. "Your job was to seduce Gambit in order to obtain the collar."
"Maybe she isn't as good as we thought," Neena pointed out. "I mean if the thief didn't gave a damn about the collar it's evidently because he doesn't give a damn for Rogue either."
"Neena please!" Pietro shut up Domino aware of the effect her words could have on Rogue. Too late, her words pierced Rogue in a way neither Pietro nor Neena even imagined. The mere idea of Remy not 'giving a damn' for her mixed with the memories of the recent events were just too much for Rogue to handle.
"Neena," Rogue fixed her eyes on the black haired girl. "Save your words… Ah'm outta here, and Ah'm not talking about the stupid room, in case yah didn't get it Ah mean you all!" Rogue turned around and walked towards the door. She was ready to leave when Pietro's hand grabbed her own forcing her to stop.
"Wait, Rogue." Pietro fixed his blue ice eyes on her green glimmering ones. "Stay…" Pietro wasn't good at showing his feelings, but his eyes spoke for him, he really meant what he said. Unfortunately for him, Rogue's feelings were already set on somebody else… a Thief that had stolen her heart.
"Ah'm sorry Pietro…" said Rogue and sighed as she removed her hand from his grip. "It just didn't turned out the way Ah believed it could… Ah'm no Brotherhood, no X-man. Ah need a time on mah own," and saying this she abandoned the room.
-End of Flashback-
"Gawd girl… let's see, yah told yahrself to trust no one after the way Logan left the Institute. Yah promised to never let anybody hurt yah again, how? By not letting feelings get involve, that was why the Brotherhood seemed so 'right' so to speak. And what yah did Rogue? The very first thing yah promise not to… yah trusted him, yah believed in him," Rogue sighed deeply. "Yah fell in love…" wrapping the cup with both hands, she let the heat warm them little by little as she sipped the black tea.
Day after day, Rogue insisted on assuring herself that everything was better now, but the rings under her eyes told another story. Anna Raven -as she called herself now- didn't expected much of life. After recents events she thought it was better to keep a low profile… and remain alone, since no one could hurt her that way. But, even clinging to her rough façade, her fears and insecurities tormented her, and the essence of Remy LeBeau followed her everywhere. Anna looked into her night table drawer to take the card that Remy had given her one night. The Queen of Hearts, hit her with a bunch of memories and illusions of what would never worked out anyway. Her untouchable body had always been the perfect excuse to not allow anyone to approach her. The perfect shield for her heart, so she could never get hurt, or so she believed… until she met Remy LeBeau.
"Gawd knows how much Ah miss yah Remy… Ah never though Ah could need somebody else that much until Ah met yah," a sad smile spread along Rogue's face. "To blindly love someone so much that it hurts…"
…
-New Orleans Thieves Guild-
"Wolverine," said the young man as he offered his half gloved hand -a gesture that was ignored on purpose by the Canadian- and offered his visit a seat. "To what do I own de honor mon ami?"
"Save the manners Cajun," said Logan rudely. The fact that they needed Gambit's help, so to speak, didn't meant he had to like him. "I'm here for one thing… rather, one person."
"One person?" Gambit's eyes sparkled with interest; maybe this could be a good agreement with major benefits.
"Rogue," said Logan.
The mere mention of her name instantly changed Gambit's look and his mind abandoned the previous thoughts as fear invaded him.
"Rogue?" full of worry, his voice betrayed his apparent composure in an instant. A detail that didn't go unnoticed. Logan didn't even need his acute smell sense to notice Remy's true concern.
"Yes, Rogue…" Logan took a deep breath as he continued. "We have looked for her for a while. Thanks to Wanda Maximoff, Pietro's sister, we know that she isn't part of the Brotherhood anymore. Even using Cerebro…"
"Et y' t'ink I can find her?" Remy asked, or more interrupted Logan. "I may be de best thief on dis side of de country mais if de fille doesn't want to be found it's going to be impossible." He stared at Logan defiantly. "Have y' consider dat possibility… she knows de way dat Cerebro works. If she hasn't used her powers she must have a reason homme, not to be found."
"Save your conclusions bub," said Logan as he lighted himself a cigar. "We've found her," he said as he breathed out the smoke. "Well, Frost did. Cerebro detected her for an instant last week."
"So she used her powers?" Gambit asked. "Is she ok?"
"She's fine," said Logan. "For now at least, it wasn't exactly her power, it was Kitty Pryde's power manifesting in Rogue most probably accidentally. Anyway, she's alone and we fear that way she might be an 'easy' target for the MRD."
"And where is she? Is the MRD after her?"
"No, not yet, but we can't run any risk… she's in New York, all this time she's been there."
"And," Gambit let out a fake laugh. "Y' came all de way here to tell m' dat? If Rogue is in New York den why are y' here Logan?"
"Because as much as I hate to admit it we need you… I need you?"
"…" Gambit couldn't believe his ears, has Wolverine just said he needed him?
"She must hate me for what I've done, for what I told you before… something I now regret. Yet, I noticed that somehow she trusted you, as hard as something like trust could be coming from Rogue." Logan left his cigar in the ashtray for a moment to look right into Remy's red on black eyes. "She cared for you… as much as -I can smell it in your scent- you care for her."
Gambit gave a deep sigh, "So why me? I mean… apart from all de obvious reasons."
"I was hoping that the obvious reasons would be enough Gambit. Was I wrong?" asked Logan.
"Wolverine… you got to have honor among thieves, vois pas?" Gambit stood up from his chair and walked towards de big window behind his desk. "I'm a man of my word," Logan snarled at Remy's statement. "Well, most of de time." He turned towards Logan, lowering his voice as the memories hit him. "Last time I saw Rogue…"
"Yeah I know, I was there remember?"
"Let's just say I asked her to leave…" Gambit lowered his gaze fixing his eyes on the rug's designs and sighed. "The pain and ferocity in her eyes… she was hurt homme. She must hate moi too and I… I got to assume dat still stands."
"I wouldn't blame her."
"Look who's talking?" said Gambit with a little chuckle.
"Cut it out Cajun, I already feel bad there's no need to rub it in." said Logan standing from the chair and walking towards Remy so he could face him. "Are you going to help me?"
"So, y' want me to help y' to… what exactly? I'm sure y' don' come all dis way to hire some random muscle."
"Of course not," Logan let out a laugh. "I'm not that desperate… besides I would count on Colossus for that. It's more, let's say complicated… feelings are involved."
"Alors, you want me because I'm someone Rogue might open de door for." Remy finally stated the obvious. Yet Logan could notice the hesitance in his words and eyes.
"Gambit, she might have said she didn't want you. But what if she needs you? What if she can't get through this on her own?" Logan told Gambit with an honesty that none of them could ever imagine considering the way they had met. (2)
Truth was this was more important, a subject that mattered to both far beyond the issues between them… it was Rogue the most important girl for both of them. Each one in his own way cared for that girl more than anything else. For Logan it was friendship, loyalty and paternal care. For Remy LeBeau it was love.
XXXX
gosh kind of long, anyway that's all for now... please don't forget to review, I really like to hear what you think about this fic!!!!! Also I want to be honest about the update, I'm not sure when the next chapter will be post, since I'm working on my thesis, but I promise to do my best and update asap.
take care
-pennylane-
Quotes:
(1) And she's gone, snap, just like dat. And look what she leaves behind - Gambit prince of t' Thieves Guild, left standin' like a fool, pain in his chest...cause she stole my heart… gaspin' for air...cause she took my breath away...
From X-men #45 (changed prince into master to fit the fic)
So why me? I mean… apart from all de obvious reasons.
I was hoping that the obvious reasons would be enough Gambit. Was I wrong?
Professor, you got to have honor among thieves, vois pas? I'm a man of my word, most of de time. Las time I saw Rogue, she said she had some things to thing through alone. She asked me not to follow her. I got to assume dat still stands.
A bodyguard? You come all dis way to hire some random muscle?
Of course not.
Alors, you want me because I'm someone Rogue might open de door for.
Remy, she said she didn't want you. But what if she need you? What if she can't get through this on her own?
X-men Legacy #220 (change the Professor for Logan and other things in order to adapt it to the fic)