Chapter Sixty:


Emil Lapin awoke to a distant crashing sound, bolting upright in bed, eyes wide and panting hard.

Blinking, he swung his legs over the side of his bed and stood up, listening for a moment.

There it was again, louder this time, almost closer.

Hurrying across his room, stubbing his toe in the process, Emil swung open his door, cursing under his breath, almost as unhappy about his toe as he was about being woken up.

And he wasn't the only one.

Doors flew open all down the hall, and the next thing he knew the whole family was gathering in the middle of the hallway. Jean-Luc emerged from the master bedroom, blinking blearily as he moved to join Emil at the banister. "What was dat?" he asked.

"Dunno," Emil replied.

Downstairs, Tante Mattie hurried into the foyer from her room, tying her robe around the waist. "How's a femme s'posed t' sleep wit' all dat racket goin' on outside?" she muttered under her breath.

Rogue, Mercy and Henri came running from opposite directions, Rogue from the east wing that she shared with Remy, and Mercy dragging her groggy husband in from their wing. Tessa joined them a moment later, the only one not looking unsettled, and the only one not wearing pajamas. Instead, she wore the same jeans and black top that she had worn during the day. Emil raised an eyebrow, baffled at the idea that she had yet to go to sleep, but he supposed he really shouldn't be surprised. It was just like Tessa to spend most of the night up analyzing and observing data through her neural computer interface, and to be up bright and early looking as if she'd slept for hours.

Henri was wearing a pair of boxers and a loose t-shirt, while Mercy had on a red nightgown, and Rogue was dressed in a pair of black drawstring pants and a black tank top. All three of them looked like Emil felt, and he had a feeling that whoever was causing all that noise was in for it if they didn't have a damn good reason.

"What is all that fuss?" Rogue demanded, green eyes still a little glossy, but becoming more and more alert with each passing moment. Her long two-toned hair was pulled back into a thick braid that hung down her back, the layered white locks hanging loose around her face as she rested her elbows on the banister.

"Don' know," Emil muttered, yawning as he ran a hand through his spiky red hair. "Jus' woke up." He glanced over at Mercy, raising an eyebrow. "Jacques still sleepin' t'rough all dat racket?"

"Oui," she nodded curtly. "He's out cold t'night."

"If my calculations are correct, we are about have company," Tessa announced evenly.

Sure enough, a moment later the front door banged open and in stumbled two exhausted, battered figures.

"Remy!" Rogue cried.

It was Remy and Lucas, alright, both of them breathing hard as they shoved the door shut behind them, exchanging a dark look as they caught their breath and regained their composure. "What de hell happened t' y' boys?" Mattie demanded, hurrying forward even as Rogue started to float down to the foyer.

"Sentinels," Remy gasped out, red-on-black eyes wide and brimming with adrenaline, and everyone went still. Remy looked up directly at Rogue, who had frozen in midair at his words. "Dey found us."

Something funny happened to Rogue's face right then, Emil noticed. It didn't go pale like he would have expected, and there was only a flicker of alarm in her eyes before she gritted her teeth, her jaw hardening in determination. "Always knew they would, sooner or later," he heard her mutter to herself.

"There are several dozen soldiers prowling the streets, as well," Lucas added grimly. "It is likely that after their containment team failed to apprehend the young mutant last week thanks to your interference, that Trask has taken a personal vendetta against the mutants of this city."

"Thanks," Rogue scowled.

"I did not mean to lay blame," Lucas replied evenly, looking up at her. "I was only stating facts."

"Yeah," Rogue sighed. "Ah know, sorry."

"How far behind you are the Sentinels?" Tessa inquired.

"Not far," Remy said darkly. "De deux o' y' pack up some bags. Don' waste time wit' toiletries an' de like, we can get dose on de road. Grab clothes fo' de four o' us, an' de campin' supplies. We'll take de bikes, so pack light."

"Right," Rogue nodded grimly, and she whirled away from the banister, flying back towards the suite she and Remy shared.

"Make sure you pack a battery supply," Lucas told Tessa with a grim look, and the telepath gave a curt nod before leaving to gather their things together.

Emil didn't need to ask why Lucas wanted a battery pack, the dark-skinned mutant liked to keep one on hand so that he could recharge his powers in an emergency, and he no doubt thought that he was going to need it soon.

"I will get the bikes and meet you out front," Lucas said, turning to Remy.

"Grab de helmets, too," Remy called after him. "Wit' dose tin monsters on our heels, dere's a good chance dat we gon' need dem."

"Right," Lucas nodded.

"What are y' talkin' 'bout, chil'?" Tante Mattie demanded crossly. "Jus' where do y' t'ink dat yo' goin' at dis hour?"

"Away," Remy answered shortly. "Dere's not'ing else t' be doin' but goin' now."

"Why?" Henri asked with a deep frown, leading the way down to the foyer. "What aren't y' tellin' us?

Remy sighed. "Dose Sentinels got a target lock on me an' Lucas, dey won' give up till dey find us, an' make non mistake, dey will find us if we stay here much longer."

"We can hide y' until dey're gone," Jean-Luc argued.

"Papa," Remy said, his voice thick with anxiety. "It ain't safe fo' us t' stay, not now. If we do, we lead Trask an' his toy soldiers right t' ya'll. Believe me, dat bâtard won' hesitate t' kill de lot o' ya'll fo' harborin' mutants, an' dey'd use y' as hostages t' get us t' surrender. Don' even want t' t'ink 'bout what dey'd do t' us den. Marie lived t'rough dat nightmare once, Remy won' let her face it again."

"But-" Mercy began.

"S' better dis way," Remy cut her off gently. "Fo' everyone, if we go."

Jean-Luc was quiet for a long moment, but when he looked up Emil saw the begrudging resignation in his uncle's eyes. "Where will y' go, pup?"

"Don' know," Remy shrugged. "We'll figure dat part out once we lose de Sentinels. De important t'ing now is dat we get outta town an' put as much distance between us an' Trask's men as we can. Once we're clear, we'll start t' worry 'bout our destination."

"Ya'll will come back, though, right?" Mercy asked, biting her lip.

"As soon as it's safe, oui," Remy promised. "Dis is our home, we ain't gon' give it up wit'out a fight."

Henri draped an arm around Mercy's shoulders, squeezing gently, and she gave her husband a trembling smile. Emil looked from them back to Remy and nodded to himself as he reached the bottom of the staircase. "Oui, dis is yo' home," he agreed, giving Remy a bit of a glare. "An' don' y' go fo'gettin' it, mon ami."

Remy grinned despite himself. "Not a chance, homme." Turning his head in the direction of the stairs, he called up, "Marie, chere? Y' ready t' go?"

"All set," Rogue's voice replied, and Emil turned to see her coming up behind him, a large duffel bag swung over her shoulders. "Ah got us both a few days worth o' clothes, swamp rat," she added, placing one hand on the banister and vaulting over the railing to float down to the ground.

"Good work, p'tite," Remy flashed her a faint, strained smile before turning to face his family. "Best we get de goodbye outta de way quick, we don' got de time t' be foolin' wit' long farewells."

Taking the hint, Mercy threw her arms around Rogue, while Henri stepped towards his brother. "Take care o' yo'selves, petite frere," Henri advised somberly.

"Always do," Remy replied, pulling him into a hug.

As soon as she disentangled herself from Mercy, letting her sister-in-law move over to hug Remy, Rogue turned to smile up at Emil. "Wish y' didn' hafta go, p'tite," he told her.

"Me, too," she said with a sad smile as he hugged him tight. "Ah'm gon' miss ya, Emil."

"Back at y', Marie," Emil said, kissing her on the cheek. "Y' try an' keep ol' Remy outta trouble, hahn?"

"Ah'll try," Rogue smiled. "But Ah don' reckon it'll do much good, knowin' him."

"Oui, probably not," Emil chuckled.

"Remy heard dat," Remy said with a scowl, punching Emil in the arm lightly. "M' gon' miss dat stupid grin o' yo's, Lapin. Don' do anyt'ing dat Remy wouldn' do while we gon, non?"

"What wouldn' y' do?" Emil raised an eyebrow.

"Bon point," Remy chuckled with a grin, slapping him on the back good-naturedly.

They turned to watch as Rogue let go of Tante Mattie to hug Henri. "Tell Jacques that we love him, will ya?"

"Oui," Henri nodded. "He's gon' miss de deux o' y'."

"We'll miss 'im, too," Remy said.

"Bella an' Theo are gon' be sore dat dey didn' get t' see y' off," Mercy murmured.

"Jus' tell Bella t' see t' it that she don' have that kid until we get back, ya hear me?" Rogue warned lightly. "Ah plan on bein' here fo' the birth o' mah godson."

Mercy smiled. "I'll be sure t' pass dat along t' Bella."

"Good," Rogue said. "Ya do that."

"Remy LeBeau, y' get over here dis instant," Tante Mattie insisted, yanking him into a crushing hug that left the mutant thief gasping for air. "Y' a fool boy, y' know dat? De kind dat drives a famille crazy wit' worry. Y' best write dis time, regardless o' where y' end up, or so help me..."

"De rollin' pin t' Remy's head?" Remy finished knowingly, wincing at the thought.

"T' say de least," Mattie grunted, folding her arms over her chest.

Remy opened his mouth to reply, but was cut off by the sound of the front door opening.

"LeBeau?"

Emil looked past Remy and Rogue to see Lucas standing at the door, a bag over one shoulder, and Tessa at his side, both of them with helmets in hand.

"Right," Remy murmured, taking a deep breath before turning back to face the family one last time with a forced smile that wasn't fooling anyone. "Well, guess dat's our cue t' be gettin' de hell outta town, hahn?"

Jean-Luc stepped forward to stand in front of the couple, fixing them both with an intense look. "Be careful an' stay safe," he ordered gruffly. Looking to Tessa and Lucas he added, "Dat goes fo' all o' y'."

Lucas acknowledged his warning with a silent nod, then started out down the steps, with Tessa following, as he tugged his helmet down on his head.

"We will, Papa," Remy promised. The two of them hugged, long and hard, and then Jean-Luc touched a hand to Remy's cheek, and the other to Rogue's.

"Je amour vous deux," he told them fiercely.

"Nous amour tu, aussi," Remy replied, taking his father's hand and kissing it lightly before stepping back so that Jean-Luc could enfold Rogue into a farewell embrace.

"We'll be fine, don' ya worry," Rogue assured him with a smile. "We've got lots o' practice at gettin' outta trouble."

"An' into it, as well, I've noticed," Jean-Luc sighed, kissing her forehead. "Jus' come back in one piece, oui? Dere's still de matter o' dose grandchildren dat y' promised me."

Rogue laughed. "Ah'll keep that in mind, sugah," she promised, moving to join Remy at the door. "Wish us luck, ya'll."

"Luck," Mercy called, touching her fingertips to her lips.

Flashing them one last smile, Rogue hurried outside to where Lucas and Tessa were waiting beside the two motorcycles. Lucas handed her a black and green helmet that Emil recognized as the one that the dark-skinned mutant had gotten for her the previous Christmas.

"Au revoir, ma famille," Remy said with a dramatic bow, and then he bounded out the door, swinging it closed behind him as he took the front steps two at a time. A moment later the sound of a pair of motorcycle engines roaring to life sliced through the warm night air, and the screech of tires on the pavement signaled that the four mutants were taking off down the street, picking up speed as they headed towards the highway.

"Good luck, chil'en," Mattie said quietly, voicing what they were all thinking. "Got a feelin' dat de quatre o' y' gon' need it soon enough."


Translations:

duex- two
bâtard- bastard
Je amour vous deux- I love you both
Nous amour tu, aussi- we love you, too
ma famille- my family
quatre- four