Chapter Forty-Three:


"Hold still jus' a few more minutes, chil', we're almost done," Tante Mattie instructed, her words somehow coming out clearly, despite the pin held between her lips.

"Good," Rogue muttered. "Ah feel like a Barbie doll up here."

Mercy laughed. "Dey makin' a 'Mutant Superhero Barbie' now?"

Rogue stuck her tongue out at the older girl, which elicited a chuckle from Bella and Tessa as they helped Tante Mattie secure the pins in place on Rogue's dress. Tessa had picked up the wedding gown, along with the bridesmaid's dresses, from the bridal store the day before. The alterations had been made, so now all that was left was for them to try on their dresses one last time, and make certain that they would fit correctly for the ceremony next week.

"That'll be the day," Rogue sighed. "Ya know, when we first got here, Ah tol' Remy t' be patient, t' have faith in people, that they'd come around. But it seems like things are gettin' worse as time goes on, instead o' better."

The mood in the living area sombered, and Rogue glanced over at Tessa to see if the telepath reacted. She didn't, at least not that Rogue could detect, and not for the first time Rogue wondered if it wasn't harder on Tessa, who not only had to see the protests and riots on television, but had to hear the vile thoughts of those who hated her for what she was.

"It's sad," Bella said, shaking her head so that her blond hair fell over her shoulders. "Seein' de ignorance dat people in dis world possess."

"Ouias," Mercy agreed with a scowl. "De connards don' know not'ing!"

Though the reminder that humans still looked upon them with fear and hatred stung something deep inside of Rogue, witnessing the love and unconditional trust and acceptance of her friends filled her heart with warmth. She had found acceptance at the Institute, as well, but that had been different. There she had been an outcast among outcasts, surrounded by her own kind. Here she had been an outsider, and yet she had been welcomed and made part of the family by people who did not care that her DNA was different from their own.

She looked up and caught Tessa's eye, and the telepath, sensing her train of thought, smiled a tiny smile, one that passed between comrades, sisters.

"Dere," Mattie proclaimed, stepping back to admire her work. She nodded, a pleased gleam in her dark eyes. "Take a look in de mirror, chere."

Rogue did so, turning towards the three-tier mirror behind her, and when she caught sight of her reflection, she inhaled sharply. The dress looked as beautiful on her as it had on the model in the magazine, the A-line silhouette hugging her slender waist and flowing down around her ankles elegantly. The round neckline just barely clung to her shoulders, showing off the smooth skin of her collarbone, and the sleeves left most of her arms bare. Veins of silver decorated the neckline and sleeves of the snow white dress, and wound across the beginning of the cathedral train that flowed out behind her over the edge of the table she was standing on. The gown had come with a set of satin white kid gloves, but Rogue had been adamant about not wearing them. She'd spent the past three years of her life wearing gloves, she wasn't going to do it for her wedding.

"Wow," Rogue breathed, taken aback by the beauty before her.

"C'est magnifique," Bella murmured, eyes wide as her lips curved into a delighted smile.

"Oh, Rogue," Mercy cried, clapping her hands together in front of her face. "Y' look stupéfiant... jus' beautiful..."

Rogue blushed, and glanced over at Tessa for her approval. The dark-haired telepath nodded her agreement, and Rogue grinned, giving a little twirl in front of the mirror that made her dress billow out around her. "Ah feel beautiful, Mercy," she replied. "More than ever b'fore."

"Y' look radiant, chil'," Mattie said with a proud smile. "Poor Remy's likely t' fo'get his vows when y' walk in t' dat church."

Rogue grinned even more at the mental image of her beloved stammering through the ceremony, his red-on-black eyes wide and unable to look away from her image. "That sounds like somet'ing the swamp rat would do."

"I can't say dat I'd blame him," Bella said, touching a hand to Rogue's shoulder, following her gaze into the mirror. "Look at y', de boy'll be heureux if he doesn't fall off o' de altar."

Mercy chuckled as she came up to stand on Rogue's other side, reaching up to gather her two-toned hair in a loose bun atop her head. "Wit' yo' hair up an' dat half-veil dat y' picked out, y' gon' be de prettiest bride dat N'awlins has ever seen."

"Fo' anot'er trois months, at least," Bella remarked with a teasing grin. "After dat yo' gon' have some competition in dat department."

"Speakin' o' which," Mattie said, giving them all a pointed look. "We gon' have t' go t'rough all o' dis mess wit' de dresses again in about eight weeks, so don' any o' you go forgettin'."

"Like we'd fo'get de weddin' dat makes de truce between de Guilds official," Mercy rolled her eyes. "Give us some credit, hahn?"

"Ya excited?" Rogue asked Bella.

Bella grinned. "O' course. An' I'm nervous as hell t' boot."

Rogue laughed. "Don' worry, sugah, so am Ah. Wit' every day that passes mah stomach feels more an' more like a jumble o' nerves."

"S'normal," Mattie assured them as she pushed the bridesmaid's dresses into Mercy, Bella and Tessa's hands. "Y' girls get changed so we can be sure dat dey fit."

While the three of them slipped behind dressing screens, Rogue turned her attention back to the mirror in front of her, taking in her appearance. In seven days she would walk down the aisle in this dress and become Mrs. Remy LeBeau.

It's a dream come true, Rogue thought. So why am Ah feelin' like somethin's wrong?

Gee, Carol replied dryly. I wonder.

Ya have some insight t' share? Rogue asked her friend, who she had mentally connected with that morning, so that Carol could see the dresses she had chosen. She had described them to her during their late-night talks, but she really wanted Carol to see them for herself, or as much as that was possible.

You're about to get married, Carol said matter-of-factly. Remy's entire family is going to be there. As much as you love them, they can't take the place of your own family.

Her family.

She almost laughed, except it wasn't funny in the slightest. Her family was gone. Most of the X-men were dead, killed by her own mother. She had no idea where the others were, including her brother Kurt. She didn't know if they were even alive. She had no idea what had happened to Evan and Mr. McCoy, or to Pietro and the rest of Magneto's Alcolytes.

Maybe it's good they aren't here, she said wryly, with a touch of profound sadness behind her words. Seein' as how they'd be likely t' try an' stop the weddin'. They boys, that is, the girls would be thrilled t' have a weddin' t' dress up fo'.

Hey, at least they'd provide the entertainment, Carol offered.

Rogue gave a mental laugh. That's fo' sure. Ah can jus' see 'em tryin' t' get rid o' Remy. Scott would most likely blast him wit' an optic blast, while Evan caged wit' spikes. Then they'd let Roberto light him on fire so Bobby could have an excuse t' ice him up real good. Ray would shock him a bit, an' Sam would ram in t' him until he was seein' as many o' them as there are o' Jamie. Then Kurt would teleport him off t' the top o' the Empire State Buildin' or somewhere else he would find appropriate.

Tessa's laughter filled the room, and Rogue grinned. "Hey, stay outta mah head, telepath!"

"Do not think so loud, then," Tessa shot back as she emerged from behind the screen. She had let down her hair for once, so the black locks cascaded over the beaded spaghetti straps of the navy bridesmaid dress.

Rogue took a moment to look her over, pleased with the dress she had chosen for her bridesmaids. It was an A-line silhouette, same as her own, but made out of organza cloth. The skirt was layered, the top piece a thin scarf-like texture that added a soft touch to the navy material under it.

"It is to your liking?" Tessa asked, gesturing to the dress.

"Ah'll say," Rogue replied. "Ya look beautiful, Tes."

"Thank you," Tessa said with a small smile.

"Hey, what 'bout us?"

Rogue turned her head as Bella and a very-pregnant Mercy stepped out from behind their own screens. Rogue had joked about choosing black for the bridesmaids' dresses, to slim down Mercy's five-months pregnant form, but Mercy had insisted that she pick a less depressing color, so she had decided to go with navy, which was still dark enough to offer her soon-to-be sister-in-law some shielding.

"Ya look wonderful," Rogue said. "Both o' ya."

Mercy snorted. "I look like a bloated whale. Why didn' y' tell me dat I was showin' dis bad?"

Rogue rolled her eyes. "Ya don' look like a bloated whale, Mercy."

"I don'?"

"Non," Bella shook her head. "Maybe a walrus, but not a whale."

Rogue barely stifled a laugh, and smiled sheepishly when Mercy glared at her. "Je suis desole, Merc," she said. "But yo' worryin' over nothin'. Ya don' look fat, yo' hardly showin'! If Ah look that good when Ah'm five months pregnant, Ah'll have died an' gone t' heaven."

"Dere somet'ing y' wan' tell us, Rogue?" Bella asked dryly.

Rogue was about to say something when a noise outside grabbed all of their attention. Frowning, Rogue started for the door, but Mattie shooed her back. "Y' can' open it, fille. What if it's Remy? He can' see de dress b'fore de weddin'!"

"She's right," Mercy agreed, tugging her out of view from the door. "An' Remy's been tryin' t' find out what it looks like for days now. He even had Henri try t' weasel it out o' me last night."

"Emil Lapin!" Mattie's scolding voice carried from the hallway. "Y' march right back down dere an' tell M'sieu LeBeau dat he's jus' gon' have t' wait t' see de dress until de weddin', an' dat goes fo' de rest o' y' boys, as well."

"Y' tell 'em, Tante Mattie!" Mercy called with glee.

Bella titled her head thoughtfully. "Y' know, I t'ink I'm glad dat Theo an' I aren't gon' live in either o' de Guild estates. Don' know how y' put up wit' dose boys, Rogue."

"Neither do Ah, sugah," Rogue replied dryly. "Neither do Ah."


Translations:

connards- assholes
Ouias- Yeah
C'est mangnifique- It's gorgeous
stupéfiant- amazing
heureux- lucky