Chapter Twenty-Seven:


"Ya have got t' be kiddin' me."

Remy turned to flash her a lopsided grin. "It jus' fo' t'night, chere. In de mornin', we make our way down in t' town an' get us some supplies. Once we...commandeer some us some cash, we get ourselves a hotel room, hahn? Fo' now, dis gon' hafta do."

"Commandeer?" Rogue muttered grumpily. "More like steal."

Remy shrugged. "Gotta do what we gotta do t' survive, chere." He smirked at her as he took off his duster and laid it gently on the forest floor. "Remy even let you sleep on de duster, okay? Dat way, you don' get yo' clothes all dirty."

"Ah don't care 'bout gettin' dirty," Rogue replied, and she didn't. She just wasn't too comfortable camping out in the middle of the woods with no supplies. Especially not when they ahd no idea if the Sentinels had managed to follow them to the mainland. She shivered, rubbing her arms. "Ah jus' don't like bein' out here in the middle o' nowhere at night all alone."

"You ain't alone, chere," Remy said with a gentle smile. "Remy here, an' he ain't gon' let not'ing happen t' you, dat's a promise."

Rogue couldn't help smiling in return. "Ah can take care o' mahself, ya know, swamp rat."

"Remy know dat," Remy said evenly, his eyes serious. "But he also know dat he want t' take care o' you. So dat's what he gon' do."

Rogue felt her heart flutter at the devotion she heard in his voice. She knew that Remy cared for her, knew that his feelings for her were strong and fierce and unwavering, she had his memories in her head after all, but hearing it in his tone still made her knees weak.

Remy grinned, aware of the affect he was having on her, and leaned back against the trunk of one of the trees, lacing his fingers together behind his head. "Lay down, chere," he told her. "Get some rest. Gotta long day 'head o' us. You need yo' rest."

Wordlessly, Rogue floated towards him, her feet barely off the ground. She let herself sink gracefully down onto the duster beside him, leaning back against the tree and closing her eyes for a moment, grateful for the moment of peace.

They had run for hours, or flown, rather, under the cover of darkness. They had finally stopped when Rogue began to grow tired. There was a town about fifteen miles north of where they had decided to rest, but Remy had felt that they should lay low for a while, stay out of sight in case the Sentinels had followed them towards the mainland. Rogue hated to admit it, but he was right. The last thing they needed was to be caught by those metallic monstrosities.

She shuddered, remembering what had happened the last time they had caught her.

"You look cold, chere," Remy said, draping an arm around her shoulder. "In de mornin', Remy get you some new clothes, since we had t' leave everyt'ing back at de base. How dat sound?"

Rogue snuggled closer to him, glad for the warmth and comfort he provided. "Sounds good t' me, swamp rat. Ah could use a new pair of shoes." She wiggled her sandaled feet in demonstration. "Sandals are great fo' relaxin' at the beach base, but they ain't exactly ideal fo' runnin' from Operation: Wideawake, ya know?"

"Jus' as long as you don' turn out t' be one o' dose girls dat hafta have a hundred pairs o' shoes, p'tite," Remy responded, resting his chin on her head. "Remy don' mind stealin' whatever yo' heart desires, but he draws de line at shoes."

Rogue grinned. "Be glad ya got stuck with me, then, instead o' Kitty or Jean. They both have a closet full o' shoes back home."

Except that you don't have a home anymore, do you? Carol sneered.

Rogue winced, her hand going to her temple as Carol's shrill voice echoed through her head. "Carol?" Remy asked knowingly.

"Yeah," Rogue nodded, squeezing her eyes shut. "She felt the need t' remind me that Ah don't have a home anymore." Reaching out with her mind, she grabbed hold of her mental walls and, ignoring Carol's protests, yanked up her shields with a soft grunt of exertion, blocking Carol away in the back of her mind.

"Dat femme is a real chienne, non?" Remy asked in disgust.

"Yeah," Rogue agreed weakly, shaking her head to try and make the headache go away. Remy's arm snaked around her neck and his fingers began to massage her temples gently. She flashed him a grateful little smile, settling back against his chest. "She's right, though. Ah don't have a home anymore. Ah haven't had a home in months. The base wasn't home, it was jus' a place t' stay fo' a while. The mansion was destroyed, Ah have no clue where the others are an' no way t' contact them. An' now Ah don't even know where Evan an' Mr. McCoy are."

"Home is where de heart is, chere," Remy said softly, his breath spilling onto her neck. "At least, dat's what Remy's Tante Mattie always used t' say." He tilted his head to look down at her, and she was suddenly very aware of just how close their faces were. "So Remy guess dat he home right now, so long as he have you in his arms, chere."

Rogue's chest tightened with emotion. "Remy," she rasped. "Ah..."

He silenced her with a gentle kiss. "We figure somet'ing out, hahn? Find us a place t' go fo' a while. Maybe even a place t' stay, t' call home. Dat sound okay t' you?"

Rogue couldn't seem to find her voice, so she nodded.

Remy smiled down at her. "Good." He leaned back against the tree, his arms sliding down to encircle her waist, pulling her closer to him. "So where y' wanna go den?"

"Ah have no idea," Rogue sighed. "We can't go back t' Bayville, the whole town must know about us by now." She glared up at him "Ya know, with us bein' on the news an' all."

Remy flinched slightly. "Tol' ya I was sorry 'bout dat mess, Rogue. Remy was jus' followin' orders when we attacked-"

"Ambushed," Rogue interrupted.

"Ambushed you," Remy finished, correcting himself. "Had t' do what de Boss Man says, didn' I? 'Sides, p'tite, if dat battle hadn't happened, den Remy never would have met you."

When he put it that way, Rogue found it hard to be annoyed with him. "Okay," she conceded. "Ah'll let ya off the hook fo' that one. But it don't change the fact that we still can't go back t' Bayville. Ah don't know where else we could go."

"What about yo' hometown?" Remy suggested. "Dere any chance we'd be safe in Caldecott fo' a while?"

Rogue shook her head. "Not a chance, sugar. Ah absorbed Cody there. It's a small town. If no one figured out Ah was a mutant back then, they have by now. 'Sides, Ah don't even know if Irene is still down there or not. After Ah learned from Mystique's mem'ries that Irene had been workin' fo' her, Ah cut off all contact with her."

"Can you trust her?"

Rogue bit her lip. "Ah dunno. Ah dunno if Ah'd wanna. After all, if she's in league with Mystqiue, then there's a good chance we'd end up runnin' in t' mah mother if we went t' Irene, an' Ah ain't ready t' face that jus' yet. An' with all the anti-mutant movement goin' on, she's prob'ly long gone by now. If she ain't, mah presence would jus' put her in danger."

Remy didn't reply, so she turned to look at him, and was surprised to see he was staring off into the trees, a distant, thoughtful look on his face. She had seen that expression enough to know that it meant he was thinking, that he was weighing options in his mind. She knew he liked to think things out before he said them aloud, but right now she was a little bit annoyed.

"Remy," she said, tapping his shoulder. "Hey, Remy."

When he still didn't respond, she sighed, shaking her head. He left me no choice, she thought with a small smirk. Silently, she raised her hand, and smacked him in the back of the head.

Remy started, blinking at her in surprised. "What de hell was dat fo'?" he demanded, rubbing his head as he glared at her.

"Ya got all zombie-like an' weren't payin' attention t' what Ah was sayin'," Rogue replied, crossing her arms over her chest and glaring back. "What was so fascinatin' up in ya head anyway?"

"Not'ing important, p'tite," Remy said, his face softening. "Was jus' doin' some t'inkin', me. 'Bout our situation an' all."

"An' did ya come up with a solution?" Rogue asked curiously, hoping that he might have. The last thing she wanted to do was wander around aimlessly. She didn't mind how far they had to travel, as long as they had a destination in mind. She didn't like drifting, it could always get messy when people picked up on your trail. It was better to just find a safe place and stay there.

"Possibly," Remy replied with a hesitant shrug. "Not de ideal choice, but it would work if we don' find a better option."

"An' what's that?" Rogue asked.

Remy looked down at her appraisingly, his eyes studying her for a long moment. "Mon pere could give us sanctuary," he said at last. "Back home in N'awlins an'-"

"With the Guild," Rogue finished, biting her lip.

Remy nodded. "Oui. Wit' de Guild."

"Would they accept me?" Rogue asked with a frown. "Ah mean, Ah'm not even a thief. Not t' mention that Ah'm a mutant."

"So am I, chere, an' dey accept me, non?" Remy replied.

"But Ah'm not a thief, Remy," Rogue said. "Ya are. There's a big difference. They may not like ya jus' showin' up with some li'l mutant girl at ya heels."

"Dey don't get no say in dat, now do dey?" Remy retorted with a snort. "Remy always been a rebel, he not gon' change dat now." He grinned at her. "An' anyway, mon pere is de head o' de Guild, 'member? If Remy say he want you t' stay, Papa gon' be fine wit' it."

"Lordy, ya must have been a spoiled child, weren't ya?" Rogue replied, rolling her eyes.

Remy chuckled. "Still am, chere. Remy always get what he want." He lifted a hand to run his fingers through her hair. "An' what Remy want is you, Roguey."

Rogue felt her heartbeat quicken, and she wondered if Remy could feel it, too. If he did, he didn't comment on it. He merely stroked her hair gently, his fingers twining through her dark tresses lightly. "An' if Ah were t' go with ya t' N'awlins," Rogue said slowly. "What then? What would become of us, o' me?"

"Remy take care o' you, jus' like he promised," Remy replied. "You'd stay wit' mon pere an' I. Have a place t' live, clothes t' wear, food t' eat. Remy t'ink you'd like N'awlins. Plenty fo' you t' do durin' de day, an' Remy could show you de sights at night."

"And the Guild?" Rogue asked. "Where would Ah fit in with them, Remy?"

Remy shifted uneasily, and Rogue saw now that this was precisely the reason he was uncertain about them going to New Orleans. "Dey gon' want fo' you t' join," he confessed. "But you don' hafta. It be yo' decision, no one else's. Dey let you stay regardless, since you be wit' me, but dey are gon' suggest it."

"But Ah could stay with ya even if Ah don't join?" Rogue asked, wanting to be sure that's what he was saying.

Remy nodded. "Oui, you can still stay. It ain't easy t' live wit' de Guild, though, chere. Dat's why Remy didn't suggest dis t' begin wit'. You'd be surrounded by dat life, even if you don' live it yo'self. After a while, you don' even see it till after it happens, it jus' sort o' becomes part o' yo' life, too. Don' wanna put dat on you, p'tite."

"Ah think it's mah decision, don't ya?" Rogue asked dryly.

Remy smiled ruefully. "True. It yo' choice, chere. If ya wanna go t' N'awlins, we go t' N'awlins. If not," he said with a shrug. "Den we go wherever you wanna go."

"Don't ya wanna go home, Remy?" Rogue asked curiously.

"Don' you ever listen, girl?" Remy asked with a smirk. "Home is wherever you are."

Rogue couldn't help the blush that rose to her cheeks, and Remy chuckled, tracing her cheek with his fingers. She moaned softly, leaning into his caress, closing her eyes and savoring the feel of his touch. A moment later she forgot all about his hand on her cheek when he pressed his lips against hers in a slow, tender kiss that left her head spinning. She was glad she was sitting down, or else her knees might have given out under her.

"Wow," she murmured.

"Remy second dat," Remy said, brushing a loose strand of hair behind her ear. He flashed her a smile, kissing her on the forehead, then leaned back against the tree, his arm wrapped around her as she snuggled against his chest.

Rogue pressed her cheek against the warm material of his black shirt and sighed. Even though she was crouched on the forest floor wearing nothing bur shorts and a tank top, leaning against a tree, she had never felt more comfortable than she did in Remy's arms.

"Rogue?" he asked softly.

"Mmm?" she murmured, tilting her head so she could look at him. He was gazing down at her quietly, his red on black eyes swirling with tenderness and adoration.

He leaned his head down towards her and whispered in her ear, "J'taime, mon petite beauté."

Rogue smiled up at him, her heart swelling. "Ah love ya, too, ya swamp rat," she said softly. "From the moment Ah first laid eyes on ya."

"Dat makes Remy happy t' know," Remy replied with a smile. "'Cause the same t'ing happened t' him when he saw you in de middle o' dat battle. Knew at dat moment dat dere was somet'ing special 'bout you. Knew dat dis time, what I felt was real."

Rogue lifted her chin to press a light kiss on his lips. "Goodnight, swamp rat," she drawled softly, laying her head back down on his chest.

She felt him chuckle softly. "'Night, p'tite. Sweet dreams."

That night her dreams were very sweet, indeed.


Translations:
chienne- btich
Tante- aunt
J'taime, mon petite beauté- I love you, my little beauty