BENEATH THE SURFACE
Part Seventeen
The movie theatre was packed, as it usually was on a Friday night. Remy had found out who was all attending their little group outing and had booked the tickets online using his phone; it had made things far easier in the end. He'd opted for VIP seats, the ones with the highest view and the wider seats, them being leather, with better cupholders and more leg room. This only helped to gain him points in everyone's eyes...everyone except Rogue's that was.
He tried to pretend he was rather upbeat, despite Rogue's argument with him had left his blood boiling more than he'd care to admit. Normally he didn't care what people said about others, but something had struck a nerve when Rogue had talked about Tabitha's bad reputation. Perhaps it had almost been as if Rogue had been picking on his reputation, his habit of being with others for one night stands.
He wasn't sure much of Rogue's claims about Tabitha were substantiated of course; rumours were just that...rumours. He'd heard such things himself of course, he'd seen Tabitha once or twice heading off on dates with young men while spying, but it didn't necessarily mean things had happened, and it didn't mean it was all right for Rogue to use it right there in an argument like it was a valid reason for him to stay away from Tabitha altogether.
She don' trust me and she don' trust Tabitha, Remy thought as he walked up the long staircase towards their VIP seats. He supposed the best he could do in the situation was try to appease Rogue as best he could and hope she'd simmer down and stop mistrusting him.
As they went about choosing their seats, he watched as Rogue went and sat right beside Tabitha, and he couldn't help but think it was a deliberate ploy to prevent her from getting close to Remy. Feeling it might be a trap otherwise, he sat at Rogue's left, feeling it the safest option.
He felt Tabitha glance over at him, almost regretfully. Ever since they had made plans he'd been sensing Tabitha wanted to talk to him about something, but with Rogue's suspicions, he didn't want to entertain the notion. The thought made him guilty, that Tabitha might need to speak to him about her father, or may be stressed over something bothering her. He kept trying to remind himself that it wasn't his problem, but his sympathy...knowing what the girl had been through...it made it hard to ignore her need for a friend. He almost wished for a therapy session right then, as much as he hated the idea of psychiatry, just so he could ask what the best course of action here would be.
When the movie started, he tried to focus on the story instead of his worries. His senses were fuelled with anger, frustration, and the distraction that Rogue seemed to be wearing the perfume she'd worn on their wedding day. He wondered if that was deliberate or not. The scent was intoxicating and reminded him of a strangely happy day; he let his elbow sit on the arm rest and pressed his cheek against it, leaning nearer to Rogue's side just so he could breathe in the smell of it. Had Tabitha and all the others been there to hear, he may have whispered to her how she smelled so nice, how it made him think of her in the dress, how he wished they were alone right at that moment.
He gazed over to see Tabitha standing up, giving a sigh. She began to move right towards the empty seat at his left, he watched her.
Rogue leaned forward "what the-?" she asked, a slight frown on her brow.
"I can't see 'cause of Marge Simpson up front," Tabitha muttered, gesturing to the row in front where a young woman with ginger hair had a rather impressive permed hairstyle that was rather high and fluffy. Tabitha dropped into the seat at Remy's left with her huge bucket of popcorn and her large soda.
"Subtle," Rogue muttered in a low whisper.
"Ssh," Remy whispered.
"Popcorn?" Tabitha asked, holding the tub out towards Remy.
Remy shook his head and as casually as he could, moved his hand from the left armrest and lay his arm across his stomach; he didn't want to even give Rogue the thought he might let Tabitha touch him.
It was hard to focus on the movie with the thought of being caught between the two women, Tabitha he could feel glancing towards him every so often, and Rogue looking at them both suspiciously. He lay his right arm across the armrest and tried to use his pinky to gently graze Rogue's gloved hand but she pulled away rather swiftly. She wasn't in the mood. How was he supposed to pretend to build a relationship with her in front of the others if she kept pulling away?
The movie theatre fell into blackness as a rather dark scene was taking place on the screen, and while no one would be able to see he moved his hand to Rogue's thigh and squeezed gently, wondering if it would be enough just to convey he was there with her, regardless of whom else had come along for the outing.
Rogue pushed his hand away swiftly as the theatre brightened up again, he felt the rejection sting just a little but tried to understand it. It was a bold move, he supposed, especially in front of others...and a bold move in front of Tabitha who was supposed to think he was married to someone who was definitely not Rogue.
At the end of the movie, as they were clearing away their empty popcorn buckets and drink cups, Remy glanced towards Rogue, "are y' wearin' perfume, Rogue?" he asked, trying to be loud.
"Ah, uhm..." Rogue looked at him slightly blankly.
"I am," Tabitha said, "Chanel Mademoiselle..."
"Since when can you afford Chanel?" Kitty asked from the row behind as she was pulling on her cardigan.
"I..."
Rogue frowned, "she can't," she muttered, "she took it from my room."
"Since when do you wear Chanel?" asked Kitty, now seeming rather amused.
"I bought her it," Remy announced, trying to deliberately drop a hint, it was the truth he supposed, Rogue had been railroaded into buying it at the cosmetics counter of an expensive boutique when she'd been buying makeup for their wedding.
"Why are you buying Rogue expensive perfume?" Kurt asked suspiciously.
"He bought it as a thank you for all the help Ah gave him on that mission. He has no imagination when it comes to gifts," Rogue replied, she seemed to be restraining herself from giving him a dirty look.
"Perfume seemed a safe option," Remy shrugged, he tried to give his wife a slightly apologetic smile.
Rogue threw a look at Tabith, "And you shouldn't have been in my room."
"I only stole a little spray or two from the bottle..." Tabitha shrugged, "You've never really minded before..."
"Yeah, well, there's a difference between a hundred dollar bottle of Chanel and a a ten dollar bottle of celebrity endorsed crap," Rogue grumbled.
"Sorry, okay...jeez, I won't touch it again," Tabitha made a face, she passed by them both to get to the end of the aisle, her jacket dangling from her fingers.
Rogue muttered under her breath, "don't touch anythin' else of mine, either," to which Remy heard quite well as he'd hovered back behind Rogue as he was cleaning up the mess that Tabitha had left.
She ain' referrin' t' perfume and makeup, Remy realised darkly.
"Will y' stop bein' so damn antagonistic?" Remy muttered to Rogue once the others had moved on and they were standing there alone.
"She's-"
"I don' want t' hear it, jus' be nice t' her, f' gods sake," Remy warned in a whisper.
Rogue snorted in contempt and left him standing there alone in the row and he waited a few moments, trying to recompose himself. He was getting rather tired of this already and he wasn't sure how to handle it. He'd had girls fight over him before, but it had never been like this...it had never really meant something and it had never complicated things quite like this. Besides, the last time he'd had two girls fighting over him, he'd ended up in bed with them both at the same time. He doubted that was what was going to happen here...not that he particularly wanted that.
He let the others decide on the restaurant they wanted to go to; they picked a Mexican one. Remy had never had much of an opinion about Mexican food, but the others seemed quite pleased with the idea and he was happy to oblige and pay. He made sure again to sit beside Rogue at the large round table; after making sure that Tabitha had picked her seat and was secured between Kurt (whom Remy could tell was definitely smitten with the girl) and Jamie (who Remy suspected may be smitten but quite shy about it).
There was a lot of discussion about the movie, about school, about things in general; for the most part he tried to participate but he became distracted when Jean-Luc finally made an appearance. It had been quite some time since he'd reappeared...not since the psychiatrist's office. Remy had almost wondered if speaking to the psychiatrist may have helped rid himself of the ghost, but it seemed that had been merely wishful thinking.
Jean-Luc was gazing at Rogue almost smugly, a cruel expression sizzling behind his yellowing eyes. Remy felt his anxiety levels rising, what was the man thinking? Could ghosts think? Beneath the table, Remy grasped Rogue's thigh hard without meaning to, his eyes focused on his adoptive father.
Rogue turned quickly to him, "Remy?" she asked in a whisper.
He shifted his eyes nervously to her, "I..." he swallowed hard, he came to his senses, he looked around the table and removed his hand from her leg, "does anyone wan' see a magic trick?"
Between the courses, he performed some simple card tricks to entertain the others, to try to keep his mind away from Jean-Luc's watching them all, watching Rogue. It wasn't working. Every time he'd glance up, Jean-Luc would be slightly closer. First he was near the kitchen door, then he was near the bar...then near the hostess station...he was barely two tables away now...so damn close. Remy couldn't help but look at the waiter nearby who was bringing a tray of shots of tequilla to another table.
God I need a drink, Remy thought nervously. I can't deal wit' this shit much longer.
Rogue let out a scream suddenly, Remy felt something cold splatter upon his back and he twisted around, he barely caught a glimpse of Jean-Luc disappearing behind the waiter who had been passing with a large jug of ice water which had been spilled all down Rogue's back.
"Oh my gosh!" blurted the waiter, his eyes wide, "I'm...I'm so sorry!"
Rogue stood up gingerly, her hair was dripping wet, pieces of ice falling from her head, her back was soaked, it was all over the chair and the floor. Remy caught sight of Tabitha stifling a giggle and at that moment he felt slightly resentful.
Jesus, Tabitha, y' ain' doin' y'self any favours by laughin', he thought in dismay.
Rogue looked shocked, standing there with water dripping down her sleeves, her hair a mess, her makeup starting to run a little. She pulled the shirt away from her back a little and ice cubes came from beneath. Remy was confused how one jug of water could have drenched her so much, she looked as if she'd been drowned.
"Look!" said Jamie, laughing hysterically, "she's like the witch in the wizard of oz! Her face is staring to melt."
Scott threw a dark and dangerous look at him, "shut up, it's not funny."
"If you wanted to do the ALS ice bucket challenge, you should have just said," teased Amara.
"Yeah, Rogue," Bobby chuckled, "who you gonna nominate?"
"I'm so sorry," the waiter tried again.
Remy wanted to explode at the man, but he knew right then it hadn't been his fault because Jean-Luc had been right there behind him, he'd pushed his arm, he'd made that water tip over Rogue. Clenching his fists, he tried to get a grasp on his anger. He wanted to blow up at everyone, blow up at the waiter, at the kids for making fun, at Jean-Luc. Getting mad wasn't going to solve anything and he saw the almost fearful look in Rogue's eyes...it would be a mistake to let his anger get the best of him right now. "Look...it's...it's fine," he said through gritted teeth, "please...we could do with some towels..."
The waiter rushed off to get some towels, face redder than a cherry tomato.
Rogue swept her hair back from her face, "Ah have to get out of here," she said, "Ah can't sit like this, soaked..."
"But-"
The manager arrived promptly, having seen the incident from across the other side of the restaurant, he'd already grabbed some towels from the kitchen, not that they were capable of absorbing much water. "My apologies..." he said, his tone sincere, "the waiter is new and not very experienced..."
"That's all very good, waiting is a hard job and all," Scott spoke up, "But our friend got soaked..."
Rogue's face was so red, Remy could see the embarrassment building over her expression as she attempted to dry herself with the poorly absorbent towels. He wondered if half of her humiliation was due to Tabitha's amusement.
"I am sincerely sorry. Our waiters always take such care and I must assure you that this is an isolated incident and will not happen again. I do hope it will not affect your decision to dine with us again...and of course, your meal is on the house," the Manager offered.
Rogue picked up her jacket from the back of the chair; it too was soaked, "Ah have to go."
"But-"
"Ah'll hail a cab...y' all got the keys to the van...Ah'll see you at home..."
Remy paused, he could feel his own shirt clinging to his shoulder and a little of his own back, "I got soaked too...I think I'm gonna call it a night. Meal is free of charge...y' all don't need me t' hang around t' pay."
"But, Gambit-" Tabitha tried, looking quite disappointed.
"Enjoy your meal," Remy forced a slightly amused smile, he tried not to look around the restaurant to see if Jean-Luc was somewhere smugly watching. He didn't need to see it to know the bastard was there.
Remy and Rogue left the restaurant together and moved a little along the street to find a cab to hail. As they stood there, ironically it started pouring down outside.
"Why is it every time Ah go out with you, Ah get soaked?" Rogue asked with a sigh, she ran the backs of her index fingers beneath her eyes to try and clean away her smudged and running makeup.
Remy tried to be funny, to hide how really upset and jarred he was by Jean-Luc's latest appearance, "If y' get wet every time we're t' gether, I'd say it ain' much of a hardship."
"That's not funny," Rogue muttered irritably, "Ah keep gettin' drinks spilled on me..."
"Jus' weird luck I guess..." he remarked uneasily.
"Ah...thought you were gonna go nuts," Rogue admitted, "Like you did in St. Tropez with that British guy..."
Remy winced at the thought of that man...he'd looked so much like Jean-Luc. He didn't need reminding of that. He suddenly found himself wondering if the ghost had actually had any involvement in that incident. It was jarring enough the man had looked like his adoptive father, but what if Jean-Luc had pushed him to make her spill that coffee over herself. "The waiter was new, he wasn't experienced...and besides...he apologised..."
Rogue looked up and down the rainy streets, "Why is it when it rains it's always impossible to find a cab?"
"'Cause they're all taken 'cause everyone grabs one when it rains," he supposed, "c'mon, we'll walk a little..."
"In the rain?" she asked.
"In the rain," he replied, "c' mere..." he reached out to put his arm around her.
"What if someone sees?" she asked, flinching out of his touch a little.
"Then...I'm jus' tryin' t' keep y' warm...'cause y' got cold and soaked..." he shrugged. "Gentlemanly thing t' do."
Rogue stopped in the street and looked up at him, "Are you okay?"
"Yeah...why?"
"'Cause...you seem...Ah don't know...a little...blue."
"Me? Blue?" he scoffed, "y' imaginin' things."
"Why did you grab my leg like that in the restaurant?"
"Y' my wife, d' I need a reason?"
"In public, yes," she decided.
Remy adjusted the collar of her wet jacket, "I touched y' leg 'cause I wanted t' touch y'...ain' any more reason than that."
Rogue gazed up into his eyes, and for a moment he felt his romantic spell on her might be working. With the right soft gaze, the right tenderness in his voice, he could cast a spell that would seduce and captivate her. She lowered her eyes to his jacket, she fixed the buttons on it a little, "tell me somethin'?" she asked of him.
"Tell y' what?"
"Somethin' about you...somethin' you've never told anyone..." she said.
"Why?"
"Just 'cause," she responded, her expression a little lost as she did up the top button of his jacket.
"Well...when I was followin' y', first time I look at y'...I wondered if that hair of yours is real..." he commented, "and if it was, did the carpet match the drapes."
Rogue pushed him, a frown building on her face.
"What? Y' asked f' somethin' I never tol' anyone..." he pointed out.
"Not that."
He sighed, "then what?"
"Somethin'...personal..." she raised her eyes to his.
There were so many personal things he wished he could tell her. That he saw a ghost, that he thought he was losing his mind, that he was having trouble sleeping because of things that had been brought up in Louisiana. He looked away for a moment, spying a nearby cafe that was open and near empty of customers. It occurred to him right then he could take her there and talk her through everything that was bothering him.
The opportunity was there, but he just couldn't make it happen. He clammed up right then, looking down at her wondering what she'd think of him should the truth ever emerge. And what about those who may overhear? What if he couldn't keep a hold of himself and broke down in a place this public? No, he couldn't do it there.
"Y' wan' hear somethin' personal? Somethin' I never tell anyone before?" he asked, hoping to distract her from his few moments of silence as he considered what to do.
She nodded a little, her expression slightly anxious.
"I'm so deep in love wit' y' it hurts..."
Rogue's cheeks paled a little.
"When we're apart...it's murder...rooms apart feels like miles, and...any distance kind o' makes me ache, my bones, my veins...everythin'...and thenbein' close t' y' feels like..." he licked his lips, "like I've been in pain f' months and suddenly I'm full o' drugs...everythin' startin' t' soothe down..." he leaned close, "the more y' pull back from me...more it stings...and then...when y' touch me..." he took her hand and pushed it against his chest, wondering if she'd feel his beating heart through the layers of now damp clothes, "y' like a heroin needle...right t' the vein...I can feel myself pulsin' wit' the addiction..."
Rogue licked her lips too, her eyes seemed a little hazy as she looked up at him, "you...should have written romantic fiction, Remy LeBeau..."
"I'd only write it f' you..." he sighed near her mouth.
Rogue stepped away from him, she gave a slight shudder, something pleasant and slightly girlish that made Remy feel assured and briefly happy. "It's really comin' down now...we need to get out of this rain..."
He let his eyes carry over the street, spying a motel. It'd be quiet there, perhaps there he could talk to her, perhaps there they could be really alone so he could tell her those things.
"There's a motel across the street..." he said, immediately wishing he had not said it at all. He wanted to talk to her and yet he didn't. He immediately regretted wanting to even try, he wasn't ready, he didn't feel ready, he didn't feel he ever would be ready.
Rogue shook her head, "We have to be back home before the others..." she pointed out, "And besides...twice in one day is a little...you know...too much..."
She thinks I want sex, not t' talk, he realised. He decided to use that to his advantage to have the subject dropped.
"Not f' me..." he teased.
"Look, there's a cab," Rogue whistled loudly, avoiding the joke.
"You guys! Hold up!"
Rogue and Remy turned in unison to see Tabitha running down the street towards them, using her bag to stop her hair from getting wet; she ran poorly in heels that were slightly too high for her. Remy was certain those heels were borrowed from Amara.
"You got to be kiddin' me," Rogue muttered under her breath.
"I...uhm..." Remy said, feeling slightly baffled.
"Is she doin' this deliberately or somethin'?" Rogue asked quietly, "Remy, you need to do somethin' about this..."
"What?" he asked in a hiss, "Y' wan' me t' insult her? Tell her never in a month o' Sundays?"
"Deal with it," Rogue warned him, opening the door to the cab that pulled up beside them.
"Thank god I caught you guys," said Tabitha, running up; Remy saw at once something was a little mixed about the look on her face.
"Somethin' wrong?" Remy stood holding the back door of the cab open, he frowned a little.
Tabitha briefly eyed the cab, whatever it was she wanted to say, Rogue's being there stopped her from doing so. "I...feel a little sick," she said quietly, "take me home...?"
"Yeah...sure..." Remy nodded.
Tabitha climbed into the back seat, right in the middle beside Rogue who was at the left side of the back seat. Remy spotted the slightly put out look on Rogue's face. He was sure she'd seen it as a deliberate act, suspicious, making sure that they could sit together.
Guess I'll pay for that later, Remy supposed as he got in and reeled off the address to the driver. As the cab pulled away from the street, Remy turned over his shoulder and saw a man standing shiftily in a doorway out of the rain. He realised at once it was Tabitha's father. Briefly, he glanced towards Tabitha, who looked worried, her hands wringing at the strap of her bag nervously. Rogue missed it entirely, seemed to be in too much of a mood with her worry that Tabitha was trying to steal him right from under her to notice the man lurking around.
The journey was spent in silence for a few moments and it was agonising; Remy tried starting a discussion about the movie they had been to but Rogue wasn't interested and gave vague and distant answers. Tabitha responded every now and then, but he could see she was too distracted. Once or twice, she looked over her shoulder out of the rear window to see if they were being followed; as far as Remy could tell they weren't.
Remy sighed inwardly and moved his eyes to the screen between the front and the back of the cab; someone was sitting in the passengers seat. His breath caught in his throat a little; it caught him by surprise and he hated that it had. By now he should have never been surprised to see Jean-Luc anywhere he went. Jean-Luc, sitting there as if he were real, turned around in the seat and stared through the glass at him, a crooked and dark smile baring his yellowed and browning teeth, his skin seemed even more decayed, his colour was grey, his hair looked to be thinning.
"Somethin' wrong?" asked Rogue, leaning forward a little to stare at him over Tabitha.
"Nothin'," he tried to get a hold of himself quickly, "Jus'..." he fought for an excuse, "I think I left my phone on the table..."
"If you did, someone will pick it up," Rogue commented.
He made a point of feeling his pockets for the phone he already knew he had, "no, wait...I got it."
"What you so worried about?" Tabitha asked, "you got somethin' you're afraid of someone seein'?"
"Yeah," he responded, his mind drifted to the photos of Rogue he had, they were slightly telling. "I got lots I don' wan' people seein'."
"Like?"
"Disturbin' things," he joked.
"Disturbing things?" asked Tabitha, slightly intrigued. "Like porn?"
"He's talking about his Lifehouse albums," Rogue looked away slightly stubbornly.
"There's nothin' wrong wit' Lifehouse," Remy responded, he pretended to be indignant regarding the subject.
"Except they're lame," Rogue commented, folding her arms.
"Says the girl who listen t' Adele."
"Ah do not," Rogue frowned.
"Yeah y' do," he snorted, "I got an email t' say so."
"Email?" Tabitha blinked, "what email?"
"Itemized bill – when she download somethin' on her phone, I get it," Remy replied casually.
Rogue threw him a dangerous look, he suddenly realised perhaps this was a little telling. He wasn't sure he even cared.
"Wait...You pay for her phone bill?" Tabitha asked; he saw the way her mind was working. Why was he paying for someone else's phone bill? What did that mean?
"I did kind of fuck up her phone, kidnap her and use her f' her powers for a few weeks," Remy explained quickly, "'sides..." he stared outside, trying to avoid looking at Jean-Luc; he was no longer in the passengers seat though, he was standing on the street outside in the rain, still menacing, lankier than he ever had been before. "She save my life."
Remy felt Rogue's eyes upon him, her gaze heavy.
"I owe her my everythin'..." he sighed quietly, watching Jean-Luc disappearing into the distance.
The rest of the ride was uneasy, Remy felt tension building in the back of the cab, and by the time the cab was pulling into the mansion driveway it seemed almost thick enough to be cut by a knife. Rogue was the first to get out, without even uttering a word, and she'd headed inside while he went about paying the driver. Tabitha hovered at the door, looking at him.
"Y' dad was there, weren' he?" Remy asked, putting his wallet back into his pocket, he heard the cab driving off at his back.
Tabitha lowered her head and gave a slight nod, "I didn't want to say, not in front of Rogue..."
"Rogue wouldn't have-"
"She might have," Tabitha shrugged, "she's been a little...different since you guys came back...she's not how I remember her being."
"How you mean?"
"She's...bitter..."
"Not true," Remy shook his head, "she just has a lot on her plate. Wouldn' you be a little iffy if y' were havin' t' repeat y' senior year thanks t' constant absence?"
Tabitha sighed a little, "I suppose."
"Anyway...did y' dad try t' talk to y'?"
"When I left but...I just dashed by him and ran to catch up to you guys...I don't know where he went...probably crawled under a rock or somethin'...where he belongs," she muttered.
"Y' should have jus' stayed there wit' the others. He wouldn' have dared-"
"I couldn't sit and eat with him there, looking through the glass like that..." Tabitha replied. "How could I?"
Remy ran his hand through his wet hair, "Listen..."
"I always feel safer when I'm with you, you know..." Tabitha admitted, "like...I'm sort of...untouchable..." she reached out to touch his chest, her fingers delicate and pale in the light on the porch.
"Tabitha..." he stepped back, "there's somehin' y' shoul-"
"Are you two gonna stand out there all night?" the front door opened and Rogue stood there, Remy saw her fight the expression of displeasure in their being alone together like that; had she seen Tabitha reach to touch him?
"Just a moment," Tabitha replied, frowning a little, "I have to talk to Remy about something..."
"Ah'm sure Remy wants to get in and get changed, he's soaked through," Rogue responded.
"Just a moment, Jeez," Tabitha replied, grabbing the door handle and shutting it, effectively closing the door on Rogue.
Remy stared at the door, "Y' shouldn' have done that..." he admitted, half expecting Rogue to open the door again.
"It's not her business," Tabitha replied.
"It...sort of is," Remy supposed.
"She's trying to look out for you, I get it," Tabitha shrugged, she gave a vague laugh, "but you're a big boy...you can look after yourself. Anyway, what I wanted to say is—"
"Tabitha," Remy took a deep breath, "I think I know what y' wan' say..." he looked away from her, considering his words carefully.
"You do?" Tabitha asked, sounding slightly hopeful.
"Yeah..." he chewed the inside of his cheek, "I ain' blind, I know the signs...everythin' about y' body language, the way y' voice is around me...I know y' like me," he said.
"I do..." she confessed, she reached for him, but he stepped back again.
"What y' like about me is all smoke and mirrors...it's illusion, y' know that, right?" he asked, "I got a natural charm...that's all..."
"I like you for you," Tabitha replied, "you're a nice guy...you're kind...and you get things that no one else I know will ever understand..."
"Tab...y' a real nice girl, y' know? Y' beautiful, and y' funny, and fun..."
"But?" she asked, sensing it.
"But I'm married..."
"To someone who isn't even with you...someone who's ashamed to be with you..." she pointed out.
Remy moved to the door and he took a hold of the handle, "I'm not gon' lie and say there isn't problems in my marriage, that there aren't secrets and doubts..." he shrugged, "But...I love my wife..."
"If she loved you, she'd be with you."
Remy couldn't help but wonder if Tabitha had a point. He didn't say anything else because trying to argue it right now would just hurt too much, he opened the door and stepped inside, leaving her standing there on the porch with her thoughts. He hated the guilt of doing that, of walking away. He raised his eyes to the stairs where Rogue stood, she was looking down at him.
"What'd she say?"
"Not a whole lot," Remy began up the stairs, his voice dull, "I said everythin' f' the both of us."
"And?"
"I made her understand," Remy kept going up.
Rogue followed, "What did you tell her?"
"I tol' her the truth, Rogue," He paused halfway.
"What?" Rogue asked, stopping, she turned him towards her, "what do you mean you told her the truth?!"
Remy gazed down to the front door, the girl was still standing out there, "I tol' her I'm married, and that I'm in love wit' my wife. I left it at that."
"What'd she say?" Rogue queried.
He snorted, "Y' wan' know what she said?" he began up the stairs.
"Yes!"
"She said if she loved you, she'd be with you."
Rogue stood there, he stopped at the top of the stairs and gazed down at her standing there in the middle.
"I never cared 'bout breakin' hearts or lettin' girls down 'fore, Marie," he said, "I never had t' care about the aftermath. But that girl, she standin' there on the porch after jus' havin' her feelin's stepped all over. Be nice if someone coul' help her pick 'em up again."
"You want me to...?" Rogue admonished.
"Yes!" he snapped. "Y' know what, maybe you can go clean up some of the mess out there that you helped make," he snapped.
"How did Ah-?"
"How!?" he demanded, "y' didn' have a hand in this? If we'd been honest, she would have never let herself feel anythin' f' me. So y' better get y' ass out there and be a fuckin' friend, 'cause, chere, that girl needs one more than y' will ever know."
Rogue looked away, her face getting redder as the fury set in.
"The longer this goes on, the harder it gets. Now either y' go out there and y' help her, and be a friend instead of a jealous brat," he warned, "or I'm gon' go tell everyone, and don' think I won't."
"Fine," she spat, "Ah'll talk to her, but what good is it gonna do?!"
"It better do some, or else," he muttered and he furiously stomped towards his room, already knowing that when he got there Jean-Luc would be waiting.
Rogue stared at the front door for some moments, trying to work up the nerve to go outside and talk to Tabitha about Remy's rejection. How was she supposed to do that? She'd never had to do that before. She'd never been really rejected like that before herself, so how could she even begin to help the girl?
Rogue hated Remy for this, she didn't like the thought of being at blame for this. It wasn't her fault was it? Hadn't he led Tabitha on? Didn't he have a hand in it? But still, in the interest of keeping her relationship with Remy as quiet as possible for the time being, she decided it would be best to play nice for now. If he wanted her to console Tabitha, then that was what she'd have to do.
It wasn't that she didn't feel sorry for Tabitha. She supposed in some way she did, it was never easy caring about someone you couldn't have. However, she disliked the idea of having to console the girl who she was certain probably could still swoop in and take Remy regardless of what had been said.
Sighing, Rogue pulled the door open and stepped outside, she looked down to the porch steps where Tabitha was sitting, just out of the rain, hugging her knees. Rogue tried to feign as light a tone as possible, "hey, you gonna sit in the rain all night?"
"Maybe," Tabitha replied quietly.
Rogue stood looking down at her, she had to admit, the tone of the girl's voice did definitely indicate she was rather upset. "Is...is something wrong?" Rogue tried, trying her best to sound vague.
"I...tried to tell him that I like him, and he...turned me down," Tabitha sighed, she pulled her knees closer to her chest, chin resting against them.
Rogue came to sit beside her, lowering herself slowly down to the step. She was still quite wet thanks to the soaking she'd received at the restaurant as well as the short walk in the rain, but at least the wet clothes had begun to warm to her body temperature finally, "Ah told you he was married."
"I know that," Tabitha replied coolly.
"Then what were you thinking dropping that bomb on him."
"I didn't drop it on him," Tabitha said, "He...told me he already knew...he cut me off before I even had a chance..."
"But still," Rogue shrugged, "you knew he was married...you should have just...kept schtum."
"How could I? Why should I? She's not even here," Tabitha despaired, "I mean...how can that work..."
"Guys in the army do it all the time," Rogue reminded, "families back home while they're off in Afghanistan or god knows where, see them maybe five times a year, maybe a week at a time..."
"I don't think she's in the army, Rogue," Tabitha remarked unhappily.
"No," Rogue drew a breath frustratedly, "But...if you think about it, Remy...sort of is. Ah mean, aren't we kind of...a mutant army? Isn't it the same?"
"No," Tabitha replied, she looked slightly thoughtful and turned to her, "when you were away with Remy...did you meet his wife? Do you know her?"
Rogue had to think quickly about how to answer this, there was only one way to answer though, "Ah...know her."
Tabitha tilted her head, "What's she like? Is she as beautiful as he says she is?"
Rogue looked away, finding it surprising he might have told Tabitha that the woman he was married to was beautiful, "Ah wouldn't call her beautiful..." she replied, refusing to lie about it. She didn't believe she was and thought Remy's perception of her was a little skewed.
"So she's ugly then?"
Frowning, Rogue clenched her teeth, "Ah wouldn't call her that, either...Ah think...she's not much of anythin'. Not pretty, not ugly...just...normal..."
Tabitha frowned, "why would he be with someone like that?" she asked.
Rogue had often wondered the same thing.
"He's so good looking...he has a great body...and he's rich and talented and funny and...he has everythin' goin' for him. Why would he want someone like that?"
Why would he? Rogue supposed. Remy had tried to tell her before but she still found those things so incredibly hard to believe. It still hurt all the same. She'd feared the others may think that about why Remy had married her. Why would he marry beneath him like that?
"Ah guess it's her personality he likes," Rogue tried to explain without being too awkward or resentful.
"What's she like?"
"She's..." Rogue tried to think of how to explain herself to anyone else without saying like me. "She's like us, Ah guess."
"What do you mean?"
"She's young...my age Ah guess, and...she's just...a regular teenage girl tryin' to figure things out..."
"What's she like with him? Did you see them actually together? I mean...did you see the relationship or did it seem like it was on the rocks?"
Rogue ran her hand through her wet hair absently, "it was rocky..." she admitted, "But...she cares for him."
"But does she love him?" Tabitha asked, desperate for the answer of no.
"Yeah...she loves him."
"You're sure?"
"Ah wasn't so much at first," Rogue confessed awkwardly, "but the more time Ah spent with..." she had to correct herself quickly before she could say him, "them...the more it started to...be obvious."
"Are...you..." Tabitha paused, "I mean...do you stay in touch with her?"
"Sort of," Rogue supposed.
"So you must know why they aren't together right now," Tabitha supposed.
Rogue thought about it, "She's...got a few issues, Ah guess. It's complicated...more complicated than Ah can really explain."
"Do you think it'll last?" Tabitha asked, looking at Rogue with a hopeful expression, hopeful for the no answer.
"Ah hope so," Rogue admitted, then tried to explain the response, "Ah mean...for his sake. He'd be devastated."
Tabitha looked away down the driveway, "the more time he spends away from her, the more he'll maybe figure it was a mistake...maybe I still have a chance. He must care about me a little...I...I'm sure he cares..."
"What makes you think that?" Rogue asked curiously, trying to fight her jealous anger.
"He's told me stuff I guess, private stuff...if he didn't care or trust me...he wouldn't have, right?"
Rogue blinked, "what private stuff?"
"Doesn't matter," Tabitha shook her head, "come on, lets get in, it's getting a little cold out here."
Rogue watched the girl get up and go inside, her stomach churning. What private stuff had Remy told Tabitha exactly that he had not told her? Why did the thought of those discussions make her blood run cold? Why wasn't he talking to her instead of Tabitha?
End of Part Seventeen
Eeeek, is Remy gonna be in the doghouse now? Yikes! Only time will tell.
Thanks to everyone for their super awesome reviews as always. I'm glad a few of you liked the psych session (even though I'm not great at writing those types of scenes). There's definitely going to be a few more (I think I have at least three more up until chapter 30). There's a few interesting camps, some don't agree with Rogue's bitchiness, some do, some are sticking up for Remy's right to defend Tabitha, while others are really finding him being a jerk about it, so fascinating to see different takes on it! lol.
As for why I haven't updated a bulk of chapters I've written, even though I am quite far ahead, it takes a good hour or two to edit each chapter (depending on length) as I have to read over it, and re-read it to make sure it makes sense (sometimes it doesn't and I end up having to reword paragraphs, etc). It's very time consuming. I also like to keep a bulk of chapters on hand in case I need to fix continuity errors or rewrite a chapter I'm not happy with (which has happened about a hundred times, especially with "Slight Return", almost every chapter of that story was on it's 6th version by the time it was all uploaded lol). I always need room to fix things, which I can't do if I upload immediately as I write it. At the moment it's probably going to stick to a schedule of about 1-2 chapters uploaded a week which is about all I can manage with everything else going on in life, lol.
Anyway, I'm off to watch Breaking Bad, hope you all have a super week and thanks so much for all the reviews, you guys really motivate me :)
- Ash