Well, guys, the wedding is finally here! Don't worry, though, this story is far from over. As for the X-men... like I said, they'll be showing up eventually. And when they do, it will be explained why Rogue was unable to find them for so long. I hope you all enjoy this post!
~BQ


Chapter Forty-Six:


"Tissues, Tante Mattie?"

Mattie Babtiste looked up to see Claude Potier offering her a small package of tissues. "Merci, chil'," she said, giving him a grateful smile, as she accepted the package. "I was jus' t'inkin' dat I fo'got t' bring some wit' me."

"Pas de probleme, Tante Mattie," Claude assured her with a charming grin as he straightened, brushing off his black suit. "De ceremony's 'bout t' start, an' I figured dat y' might ne needin' dem."

"Dat was très attentionné o' y', Claude," Mattie replied.

"I live t' serve," Claude said with a wink. "Now, I best get back t' my post at de back o' de church or Remy's likely t' have a fit an' charge my head off, non?"

Mattie chuckled. Given how anxious Remy looked standing up at the front of the church with his brother, that wasn't so hard to imagine. "Run along now, chil'," she instructed, shooing Claude towards the other ushers. "Don' wan' t' ruin deir big day."

She watched him hurry back to join Lucas and the other thieves who were acting as ushers on Remy's behalf. Her lips twitched in amusement when she saw Lucas reach out to adjust Claude's red vest, a scowl on his serious face.

Hard t' believe dat dey're all grown up, she mused to herself. She'd helped raise them all, had cared for them since they were no more than little toddlers scampering around and causing trouble. An' none o' dem were more o' a handful dan M'seui LeBeau...

Her gaze swept back to the front of the church and she smiled, seeing Remy glance at the clock for the hundredth time in the past fifteen minutes. She could still remember when he'd been nothing but a little boy sneaking into the kitchen to try and steal a cookie before dinner, and now here he was, a man, and about to become a husband.

In Mattie's opinion, he couldn't have chosen a better girl. Rogue was strong and fiery, with steel nerves and rock solid determination. She would never let Remy get away with anything, which was precisely what the boy needed.

Over the years, Mattie had seen Remy court and chase many a girl, but Rogue was the only one who had ever managed to steal his heart. Mattie had known, from the afternoon that the two of them had shown up in Jean-Luc's office, that this day would come.

How could it not? There was a light in Remy's eyes when he looked at Rogue, a light that Mattie had never seen in him before, and it was in Rogue, too. She still didn't know all of the details of what had happened to bring them together during Remy's time with Magneto, but it was obvious that whatever they had experience together had forged a deep and unwavering bond between them.

The music started, the familiar strains echoing through the church courtesy of a string quartet. The guests turned their heads to watch as the bridal procession started. Bella, escorted on the arm of her own fiancé, Theo, was the first to appear, the navy gown she wore a flattering contrast to her golden locks, which cascaded over her bare shoulders in curls. Tessa was next, her black tresses pulled into an elegant twist at the nape of her neck, making a striking couple with Lucas as they made their way down the white aisle runner to the altar.

Sighs of adoration echoed through the church as the five year-old Nicolas, the son of one of Jean-Luc's advisors, walked purposefully down the aisle, proudly carrying the rings on a red velvet pillow. He was followed by his sister, Isobel, who happily scattered rose petals along the aisle as she went.

Mercy came next, golden hair pulled into a bun at the crown of her head, her swollen belly hidden slightly behind the bouquet she carried, and Mattie smiled, the thought of another LeBeau child to help raise warming her heart.

And then Rogue was there, stepping into sight with Jean-Luc at her side, and Mattie was breathless. She had never seen the girl look so beautiful, with her hair piled into an elegant bun atop her head and those fetching white locks falling gently on either side of her face, the thin silver ringlet wrapping around her head, with a shimmering veil falling onto her shoulders. Jean-Luc was dressed in a black tuxedo that made him look as dashing as he had in his youth, and the glimmer of pride in his eyes was unmistakable.

Jean-Luc had been surprised, but touched, when Rogue asked him to walk her down the aisle. She didn't know her real father, and the man who was the next best thing was gone, perhaps forever. It had been a powerful moment for both Rogue and Jean-Luc, a testament to the bond that would soon be made official.

Mattie dabbed at her eyes with one of the tissues, the sight of the radiant bride enough to make her eyes begin to water.

Given the expression of awe on his face, the sight of her was having a similar affect on Remy. As Rogue and Jean-Luc drew near the altar, Mattie could almost feel the emotion swirling between them. Jean-Luc paused, and turned to kiss Rogue on the cheek, then stepped back to take his seat beside Mattie as Remy took Rogue's hand and helped her onto the altar steps.

"De chil' is beautiful," Mattie whispered.

Jean-Luc nodded, not taking his eyes off of the young couple. "Oui, dat she is."

Father Marseille stepped forward, his robes white and pristine. "We are gathered here t'day t' join dese two in holy matrimony..."

Mattie's thoughts wandered as the priest continued to speak, and she found herself thinking back to the day that Remy LeBeau had come into their lives, an orphaned infant with the eyes of a demon. There had been hesitance among the Guild about taking him in, but Jean-Luc and Marianne had not wavered, and they had loved him as if he was their own son. Little Henri had been thrilled, for he finally had a baby brother, and even Theo had been excited about his new cousin. Remy had grown into a sweet, albeit mischievous, child, with a charming grin that could melt even the most stoic of hearts.

An' dat li'l boy grew up t' be a man dat could steal even de most resistant o' hearts, Mattie thought with a smile. Rogue is proof o' dat.

Mattie watched as Rogue stood beside Remy, her white gown flowing around her, and she felt a pang of regret for the girl's mother, wherever she was. Rogue wasn't even sure if the woman known as Raven Darkholme was still alive or not, but Mattie could see the flicker of longing in the young girl's eyes, and she was certain that Raven would have wanted to be here just as badly as Rogue wanted her to be.

O' course, if dis Raven is anyt'ing like Remy an' Rogue say she is, maybe it's best dat she's not here, Mattie mused. Den we'd have t' worry 'bout her tryin' t' stop de weddin', or jus' goin' all out an' killin' Remy b'fore de ceremony.

Somehow Mattie didn't think she would have cared much for Raven Darkholme.

The boy, Kurt, was a different story, however. Rogue had told her dozens of stories about the blue-furred mutant, and he sounded delightful. Still, Mattie couldn't help wondering how he would have reacted to the news that his sister was marrying a thief.

"It's hard t' believe dat mon fils is finalement gettin' married," Jean-Luc murmured, and when Mattie glanced over at him she could have sworn she saw liquid shimmering in his eyes.

"Never t'ought dat he'd settled down, hahn?" Mattie whispered.

Jean-Luc chuckled softly. "Non, dat I didn't. De last t'ing I expected was fo' him t' show up on our doorstep wit' a femme in tow, but it feels right. Dose two... dey make sense. Dey fit."

"De same way y' an' Marianne fit," Mattie replied, squeezing his hand. "I 'member dat weddin' as clearly as if it was hier. Y' looked so handsome standin' up dere in dat tux, an' Marianne... she looked like un ange."

"Oui," Jean-Luc agreed softly. "I wish dat she could be here t' see Remy t'day... all grown up an' recevoir a épousé."

"She'd be proud o' him," Mattie said. "She loved dat chil', didn' matter t' her dat he wasn't hers, or dat he was different. She loved him, an' she loved y' fo' bringin' him in t' her life."

"An' now it's Remy dat's brought an addition in t' dis family," Jean-Luc smiled. "De daughter dat I always wanted, dat Marianne always wanted."

"She an' Rogue would have aimé each ot'er, dat's sure enough," Mattie said. "Yo' son has bon taste."

"Oui," Jean-Luc said, and Mattie saw his eyes flicker from Rogue to Mercy and back again. "Dey both do."

Mattie turned her attention back to the priest as he began the rite of marriage.

"Do you, Remy Jacques LeBeau," he asked. "Take dis woman, Marie Lynn Darkholme, t' be yo' wife, t' have an' t' hold from dis day fo'ward, fo' better o' fo' worse, fo' richer o' fo' poorer, in sickness an' in health, t' love an' t' cherish, as long as you both shall live?"

"Je fais," Remy said softly, his dark eyes bright and alive with more emotion than Mattie could ever recall seeing there in all the years that she had known him.

"An' do you, Marie Lynn Darkholme, take dis man, Remy Jacques LeBeau, t' be yo husband," Father Marseilles turned to Rogue. "T' have an' t' hold from dis day fo'ward, fo' better o' fo' worse, fo' richer o' fo' poorer, in sickness an' in health, t' love an' t' cherish, as long as you both shall live?"

"Ah do," Rogue breathed, her emerald eyes shimmering.

"Join yo' hands den an' make yo' promises t' one another," he said, gesturing with his hands for Remy to take Rogue's right hand in his own.

The young thief did so, gazing into her eyes for a moment, favoring her with the most tender of smiles before he began to speak. "From de moment I first laid eyes on you," he professed quietly, his voice tight with emotion. "I knew dat dere was somet'ing special 'bout you. Somet'ing dat I couldn't resist, no matter how hard I tried. Yo' de only woman I ever met dat could beat a t'ief at his own game; you did dat t' me de first time we met- when you stole away my heart." He squeezed her hand in his tightly, his eyes never leaving hers. "Je t'aime, Marie. Forever."

Rogue swallowed hard, her eyes absolutely sparkling with tears of happiness. "We met fo' the first time in the middle o' a fight, an' yet when Ah looked in t' yo' eyes, the whole world faded away," she said, so overcome her voice was trembling. "Ya were s'posed t' be mah enemy, but instead ya ended up bein' mah salvation. Ya stayed by me through mah darkest hour, an' ya love gave me the strength t' let go o' the past an' look t' the future. Ya taught me how t' trust again, how t' love an' how t' let myself be loved in return. Ah don' know what the future holds. Ah don' know what's waitin' fo' us. But Ah know that as long as Ah'm wit' ya, nothin' else matters."

Mattie reached for another tissue, and found Jean-Luc was already opening the package, taking one for himself, then handing her one, as well.

"May we have de rings, s'il vous plaît?" Father Marseilles requested.

Henri and Mercy stepped forward, both of them positively glowing, and handed the appropriate rings to Remy and Rogue.

"Exchange dese rings as a symbol o' de lifelong commitment an' abiding love dat you as husband an' wife have promised each other," Father Marseilles instructed. "Repeat after me, Remy. Wit' dis ring, I thee wed."

"Wit' dis ring..." Remy said, his gaze boring into Rogue's with such intensity Mattie had a feeling the church could have come crashing down around them and they wouldn't have noticed. "I thee wed," he whispered huskily, slipping the narrow gold band onto Rogue's hand and raising it to his lips, kissing her knuckle softly.

"Marie..." the priest encouraged.

Rogue smiled, her lips trembling with happiness. "Wit' this ring," she whispered, her voice thick with emotion as she slid the ring onto Remy's finger. "Ah thee wed."

Off to the side, Mattie saw Tessa discreetly hand a tearful Bella a tissue she had concealed in her bouquet.

"By dis promise, Remy an' Marie have bound demselves t'gether in marriage," Father Marseilles announced to the church. "By de power invested in me, I pronounce dem husband an' wife. Y' may kiss de bride, Remy."

"Merci, M'seui," Remy said with a grin.

The church cheered and Remy and Marie LeBeau shared their first kiss as husband and wife.


Translations:

très attentionné- very thoughtful
finalement - finally
hier- yesterday
un ange- an angel
recevoir a épousé- getting married
aimé- loved
bon- good
Je fais- I do