Wow, thanks all of you for your kind reviews! My ego is practically glowing. ;P
But really, if there's anything that doesn't make sense, isn't correct, or even if you just have a character you'd like to see more of, feel free to throw that stuff in too! I hope you're enjoying our little trip to New Orleans as much as I am! And you'll all be happy to know that I'm starting the next chapter today!
"Rogue. All dis time…you been t'inkin' dat I left because you touched me. You t'ought dat you hurt me, dat I was scared, dat I was disappointed, dat I didn't trust you, jus' cause you touched me. Cause dat's why ev'ryone always left before, isn't dat right?"
Yeah, that was it. The anger that had been surgin' through mah veins every time ah thought about him. Ah hadn't let mah brain wrap around the idea entirely till just now, because it was too painful. Ah was mad because ah thought he cared. Ah'd fooled mahself into believin' again that this one might just be able to see past all that was wrong with me, that this one might actually have enough gumption to get close. Ah was mad at him, but ah was also mad at me. Ah always messed it up. Ah couldn't help it, and ah didn't want to, but shoah enough, ah'd slip up and it'd all go ta hell.
Why'd ah even come here in the first place? Maybe ah was worried that somethin' had happened ta Gambit, that he was in trouble. Maybe because ah was curious what he wanted. It was probably a lot of reasons, but a part of me was hopin' he wanted to see me. Maybe say "hey, sorry ah left you high and dry". When ah found out he just needed a favor…that he wanted mah powers, not mah person…ah had resolved to give him a piece of mah mind that would leave a nasty taste till next July. It was all ah could do not to just hit him till ah wore mahself out, but ah'm a lady after all.
Once ah actually got down to the meat of the matter, down to the words…ah got a little lost. Ah started to realize that it wasn't just anger…it was hurt. Dangit didn't somebody in this whole stupid world think ah was worth somethin'? Wasn't there anything inside me that was good enough to counteract my touch? My skin can't be, but there are plenty of parts of me wide open and beggin' ta be touched: my mind, my heart, my soul…weren't any of those good enough?
Ah wasn't about to say all this to him. How could he understand? And while ah'd started this conversation with all the fire ah had in me…it threatened to end with tears, and ah wasn't givin' anybody that. Ah hadn't wasted tears on anybody or anything in years, and ah wasn't about to break mah record now over this.
But then he tried to take the easy way out, tell me a nice lie to make it all better. "No, of course it wasn't that. Whatever do you mean?" Yeah, right. Just enough to help me get mad again. But as ah spun around to give him another earful, he did somethin' to really rattle me: he took mah glove out of his jacket.
Ah wear gloves every day of mah life. Ah go through them like most people go through socks. When ah lose one, ah assume the dryer ate it up, and go buy some more spares.
But let's be honest…Remy LeBeau stealin' one of mah gloves…be still mah heart. It doesn't get any more sentimental than that. Foah one of the few moments in mah life, ah was completely speechless. Ah couldn't think of anything ta say. So ah just sat there looking at him, mah feelings plain on mah face.
"And I didn' leave before I knew you were gon' be all right. I came to see ya ev'ry day. Yo' not not'ing to me, Rogue, you are quite possibly my fav'rite person I ever met. An I promise you, when dis is over, I'll go back wit'you. I missed you, chere. And I t'ink I've fin'ly figured out dat when it comes to me an' you…when it comes to 'us'… s' only a matter o' time."
Wait what? Hang on a minute. Us? What are we talkin' about here? Remy can flirt with the best of 'em, but he and ah…we're friends. He wouldn't look at me like that. He likes the gorgeous, glamorous, sensual type gals. Not some boring down home brunette who practically lives in an isolation tank. Oh…ah get it…
"Remy Lebeau of all the times foah you to crack a joke you shoah picked a lousy one this time."
His eyebrows lowered and his gaze fell square on me.
"Gambit is bein' dead serious, chere."
He started movin' closer ta me, and ah backed away. Ah hate havin' the lower ground.
"What are ya? Plum nuts?!"
"You gon' try to tell Gambit dat you don' feel dat? Dat you don' feel dis?"
He tried run his finger through mah hair, but ah smacked his hand.
"Ah don't know what yoah talkin' about, but you better stop all this funny business befoah ah give ya a real reason ta laugh."
He seemed to chuckle to himself, and then he reached for me a second time. Ah went to smack him away again but he moved quick, caught mah wrist and spun me toward him. Befoah ah even knew what had happened, he had mah back pressed against his chest, and his arms around mah waist, lockin' mah arms at mah sides. Ah coulda broken free, but ah was startled and ah didn't want to hurt him, so ah just sat there, stiff as a board.
"You got till the count of three to let me go, ya dirty swamp rat!"
He leaned forward, his mouth lingerin' by mah ear. Ah could hear him smile. Ah still can't make up mah mind whether this was one of the best or worst nights of mah life.
"Chere….ma chere…when you decide yo' ready, Remy'll be dere. Until den, run all you wan', cause ev'ry time you turn around, I'll be jus' a step behind."
He let me go and backed away, hands up. He kept giving me that knowing stare, smilin' me down. Ah couldn't think of a dang thing ta say, so we had our very first awkward moment. Finally ah couldn't take it anymore.
"You know, ah don't even think anybody's come up with a word yet to describe just what's wrong with yoah head."
He laughed at me. "Does dat mean we friends again, petit?"
Ah smiled at him in spite of mahself.
"It's dirty work but ah guess somebody's gotta do it. So how do you propose we get you outta this right proper mess ya got yoahself into?"
"Lucky fo' you, I t'ink I got it jus' about figured out."
About then, Remy whipped out a diamond ring the size of a sweet pea.
-Later-
"Ah ain't leavin' without ya! Now tell me what's goin on!" Ah grabbed him by the wrist befoah he could walk away.
"Chere, please, let dis go! Remy's only tryin' ta protect ya!" Remy's eyes were pleadin' with me.
"You think ah can't take care of mahself? What are ya tryin' to protect me from?"
"Please, honey jus' go on back up ta New York. I don' wan' to see you get hurt."
"You think eight months without you didn't hurt?"
Just then, a man came runnin' towards us. He was a little shorter than Remy, but only by about two inches. He had blond hair pulled back into a ponytail, a square jaw covered in about two days' worth of stubble and warm brown eyes. He wore a black leather jacket, blue jeans, and combat boots. Not altogether unhandsome. Must be Henri.
He stopped just short of where Remy and ah were arguin', drawing more than one or two curious stares from passersby, eyes dartin' back and forth between the two of us.
"Remy…what's dis?"
"Please don't ask, now ain't the time."
"Oh ah think now's the perfect time! Who're you and what business so you have with mah Remy??" Ah put mah hands on mah hips, a message from one southerner to another that ah meant business.
Henri looked at me appraisingly, and then back to Remy.
"Jean-Luc tol' you to come alone."
"I did come alone. Dat's why she's so mad."
"Who's this Jean-Luc? Somebody better get to explainin' somethin' to me or else ah'm gonna have to crack some horns."
Remy looked at me hard, and then sighed.
"Chere, why you always got be so stubborn?"
"Cause ah have to be to put up with you."
Henri stepped closer to Remy. "Who is she?"
Remy opened his mouth to explain but ah cut him off. "Who am ah? Ah'm the future Mrs. Remy LeBeau, so whatever you got on mah fiancé, ah'll have you know ah outrank you."
Henri's jaw dropped.
"Pourquoi n'avez-vous dit rien? Comment pourriez-vous garder un secret comme ceci? (Why didn't you say anything? How could you keep a secret like this?)"
"I didn' want her involved in dis. I didn' even want her to know about it. Jean-Luc proved dat he'd use anyt'ing against me, I couldn' risk it."
"Den dis is all true? You love dis femme?"
Remy looked away from his brother and back up at me. He walked over to me and took mah hand in his.
"Dis girl, Henri, she's everyt'ing to me. Mon monde entier (My whole world)."
"You could try treatin' me that way ev'ry now and again." Ah smiled at Gambit…tried to make it look good.
Remy pulled me to him and wrapped his arms around me, nestlin' his face in the collar of mah jacket. Ah had to resist all mah instincts to go rigid and push him away. Mah personal bubble is roughly the size of a football field. It had been years since ah'd hugged anybody at all. That and Gambit just has ways of gettin' me all shook up. But ah took a deep breath, forced mah smile to stay on mah face, and wrapped mah arms around his neck like it was the mos' natural thing in the world, even though it was the first time ah'd ever hugged Remy. The first time ah'd had the scent of him wash over me…the first time ah felt how warm he was when our bodies pressed together…the first time ah felt small and safe in his arms…
See? He gets me all shook up.
Henri finally interrupted.
"Remy."
Remy pulled apart from me slowly, and looked back at his brother.
"We got to take her to de guild."
"Non! We keep her out o' dis."
"She's here now Remy. Jean-Luc's gonna find out one way or anuddah. He's not gonna hurt her. Maybe it'll be enough to make him wan' to let you go."
"I said non! What is it wit' you people and not listenin'? I'm gon' work dis out on my own, and ma chere is goin' back to New York."
"Remy LeBeau, ah am goin' wherever you go and ya cain't stop me. Ah didn't come all this way just to be sent packin' by the man who's supposed ta love me. If this Jean-Luc is the reason ah've been huntin' you foah eight months not knowin' whether yoah alive or dead, then ah'd like to have a chat with him anyway."
Ah folded mah arms over mah chest and looked him dead on. Henri did the same. Remy's shoulders slumped.
"I can' fight you bot'."
"Ya cain't fight me on mah own either."
And that is how Remy got me to the Thieves Guild, without anyone suspectin' that was the plan all along. Ah hadn't been all that keen on posin' as Remy's bride-to-be, but ah figured he knew the situation better than me. He thought that him havin' a lady in the wings might put enough pressure on Belle to either slip up or talk, and Jean-Luc would have to bring me into the fold to continue controlling the situation. If we could keep mah little skin condition a secret, as well as mah fairly adequate French, we might be able to get enough information to sort this thing out and gain some leverage.
Of course until we did ah was gonna have to follow Gambit around makin' calf eyes. Ugh. But ah had to look like a love sick puppy, not bright enough to pose a real threat. And as undignified as that might be, ah was gonna have to deal with all Remy's sweettalkin' and snugglin'. Ah don't even think ah need to explain how many different reasons ah had foah objecting to that. But the biggest one? Ah was gettin' the impression that Remy was gonna use the situation to his advantage at every turn.
What made me think this? Well of course there was the incident with sleepin' arrangements.
"I assume yo' gon' wan' de femme wit' you in yo' room, Remy?" Jean-Luc seemed like he couldn't decide whether to be entertained or irritated with him.
It took everything ah had not to sputter and flush. Remy's face gave no indication of his real response, other than a cocked eyebrow. The moment ah could ah jumped in with a response.
"What kind of lady do you take me foah? Remy might be mah fiancé but we aren't married yet. Ah'll take mah own room if you insist on keepin' us here."
Jean-Luc looked both amused and surprised, but ah thought he was gonna comply befoah Remy jumped in there and ruined everything.
"Non. I wan' her wit' me. I don' wan' anyone tryin' anyt'ing funny. She's here fo' me, not any uddah business. I wan' to make sure it stays dat way."
His jaw was set like he was determined, but his eyes were twinklin' with mischief. He was tryin' ta rattle me.
"Now Remy, far be it fo' de T'ieves Guild to impune a lady's honor."
"Remy we talked about this." Ah gave him a look that ah hoped conveyed mah wishes telepathically.
"And you can trust me, chere. It's ev'ryone else dat you got to be worried about. Please, if you insist on stayin' here wit' me, den you got to let me call some shots." He gave me a half grin…cheeky…
Ah knew Henri and Jean-Luc were watchin' me close. Ah couldn't argue logically. If we really were a couple, and he'd really been missin' foah eight months…then ah wouldn't argue past this point. Unfortunately, it was a lie. We weren't a couple, ah'd spent the past eight months hatin' him, and he was still tryin' to flirt underneath it all and trap me into somethin' ah didn't want to do. Some people have a way of gettin' under yoah skin.
Ah swallowed hard. "Fine."
What was actually anger heatin' mah cheeks looked like blushin' ah guess, cause everybody busted out laughin'. This little vacation was goin' to be the death of me if Remy LeBeau had anything to do with it.
Jean-Luc didn't seem too pleased to meet me, but ah have to admit, ah was more than a little interested in the Thieves Guild. Secret families, feuds, outlaws…why it was straight out of an adventure novel. Not to mention that sometimes a person makes a lot more sense to ya if you know where they're coming from. Remy has a hell of a place to be comin' from.
The first day was unnerving, and most of it was spent on mah own. Remy had a lot of explainin' to do behind closed doors. Perfect. Everyone was watchin' me close, both suspicious and threatening. Ah just pretended not to notice. Not like ah haven't been in awkward situations befoah. Like that time ah left the Brotherhood foah the X-men jumps to mind.
This was different though. Ah've got a lot of faults, but lyin' has never been mah forte. It took a lot of talkin' on Gambit's part to convince me this whole thing was necessary in the first place, and then this whole world was so foreign to me ah had no choice but to take him at his word…if ah wanted to help anyway.
Puttin' on a show with all these unfriendly eyes on me…ah was startin' ta wonder if ah'd made the right choice.
It was Tante Mattie that finally cracked first. We were still talkin' things over with Jean-Luc and Henri in the foyer when she tore across the room and grabbed me by the elbow.
"Tante Mattie, what you doin'?!" Remy rose to come after us.
"You wan' to marry dis femme, den you got to get it by me. I tol' you dis last time and you didn' listen. Look where dat got you. So jus' sit down and shut up." Her tone wasn't one to be argued with. Ah looked back at Remy, beggin' him with mah eyes, but ah don't think he'd figured out yet who he should be more afraid of.
Tante Mattie set me down at the kitchen table, and ah waited while she looked me over. Her eyes were a dark grey, almost charcoal, and they were sharp as a tack. Her posture told me she was a lady used to gettin' her way. Her hair was piled on top of her head, a mess of blonde that had all but turned to silver with age. Finally she sort of snorted, a signal that she'd made up her mind ah guess.
"You wan' somet'ing? Tea, coffee?"
"No thank -,"
"I'll be offended if you refuse."
"Tea's fine."
"And some cake. I have a few slices o' pound cake left over from dinner Monday."
"You really don't need to-,"
"I do jus' what I want and not'ing else. Yo' too thin. Skinny girls are twits. My Remy is too good to marry a twit, so you better eat somet'ing now."
Oh she was tryin' ta ruffle mah feathers all right. Ah wasn't gonna take the bait.
"Fine then. Ah'd love a piece of cake."
She scuttled about the kitchen foah a few minutes, then presented me with mah tea and cake. Oh, this was a belle battle if ah'd ever heard of one.
"Thank you. It's quite good."
"It oughta be after thirty years' worth o' makin' it."
Ah took a sip of tea, not losin' her gaze. Then ah put my cup and saucer to the side.
"You made up yoah mind about me yet? Or are ya waitin' foah me to do a trick?"
"Now ain't the time to get sassy wit' me."
"What, you got a copyright on sass?"
"Maybe." She took a long sip of her tea, still starin' me down.
After a moment or two, she continued.
"Yo' too young."
"Pardon me?"
"Yo' too young. Yo' all taken in by the idea o' de happy endin'. Fate work ev'ryt'ing out. Dat handsome face he wears charms all de ladies, but dere's a lot more dat comes wit' Remy."
"We all got our baggage. Lord knows ah got mine."
"He's a mutant. Now dat's neither here nor dere to his fam'ly, and maybe so far it don' matter to you, but what about when it comes time fo' children? How you gon' feel den? How about when yo' movin' again cause you got to get away from all de people dat wan' to hurt him? How about when some uddah handsome face smiles at you and gives you way out o' all dis?"
"You think ah don't know he's a dang mutant?"
"Don' give me dat tone. I've seen all dis before. Maybe Remy hadn't proposed to all o' dem, but I've seen girls want to be wit' him but not be seen wit' him. I've seen de way people look at him when he's out on de town, and it burns me up. Yo' a pretty girl. Men gon' fawn over you. I'm tryin' to tell you dat Remy deserves somebody who's gon' be proud o' him always, in spite o' ev'ryt'ing. Maybe you believe yo' dat girl, but I'm tellin' you yo' too young to be t'inkin' about all dis seriously."
This kinda talk had the reek of bigotry in denial. Bein' young and hotheaded, ah did the thing that came easiest. Ah reached up and pulled mah wig off, lettin' mah own auburn and silver locks fall free.
"Mutants ain't monsters. It's not something you explain to a kid 'when they're old enough.' You try to protect Remy from the rest of the world when deep down, yoah still thinkin' about it like its some kinda deformity, like there's somethin' wrong with him. Bein' born a mutant is no different than bein' born with blue eyes. It's who you are. Now ah've known women like you befoah. Yoah hindsight is perfect and you know everything there is to know. Well ah got news foah ya, sugah. Yoah wrong. Ah may not know much, and ah certainly can't see the future, but ah know two things foah shoah:. Ah care about Remy Lebeau. Ah care what happens to him, and ah ain't gonna be dissuaded from it by a meddlin' biddy. And two, Remy doesn't want to be here with any of ya. He left y'all behind cause y'all didn't treat him right. So who's suspicious of whom here?"
Tante Mattie looked at me hard. Ah looked back at her coolly, waitin' foah her to do whatever she needed to do. Suddenly, and unexpectedly, she smiled. Then she threw her head back and laughed.
"Young lady," she began, wiping a tear from the corner of her eye, "You are wonderful. I had started to t'ink I was de last! Now go on, get back to our Remy. He'll be waitin' fo' you."
Crazy person…
Jean-Luc reminded me of a pirate; a mean pirate, but a pirate nonetheless. It was partly his dress. He wore a dark burgundy button down shirt, open at the collar, with long cuff reachin' from his wrists to his fingers. The pirate shirt was tucked into black pants, which were tucked into black boots. He had a gold medallion around his neck that looked old as heck. When ah asked, Remy explained the medallion was the mark of the Thieves Leader, and had been worn by every guild head for the last 200 odd years. Made me want to play with it somethin' fierce, but ah discerned that Jean-Luc wouldn't take too kindly to the idea.
Henri was nice enough, but it was plain in his face that somethin' was goin' on behind those brown eyes of his when he looked at me. What the specifics were, ah don't know, but ah know he was conflicted. Remy havin' a fiancé had messed up some kinda plans someplace, and now Henri didn't quite know what to do. Maybe Remy was onto somethin' with this scheme after all.
Emil was irritatin' as a hose turned on a hornets' nest. Clearly not high up in the strategy department, he was content to follow me around makin' comments that normally would have earned a good pop in the jaw. Remy tried to get him to stop it, but only half-heartedly. He thought it was funny. Damn him.
Merci, like all women in this family ah suppose, had a test foah me. Hers was less straight forward. She came out all friendly like, talkin' to me about this and that, how much Remy was like Henri and all that, reminiscing about her own engagement while bouncin' little Sebastien on her hip. All the sudden, her face lit up.
"Oh no! I left some'ting in de kitchen. Here, watch de little one fo' a minute, won't you?"
She practically threw de baby at me, and den ran off befoah ah could say anythin'.
Oh gawd oh gawd oh gawd…ah thought. Ah don't know the first thing about babies. Ah'm an only child, or ah was when ah left home. Not to mention mah skin condition. If ah ever, ever hurt a baby ah do believe ah'd fly mah lousy behind right inta outer space.
But Sebastien just looked up at me foah a minute or two, like he was t'inkin. Den he went to bein' a roly-poly. Ah nearly dropped him, but when ah caught him, he giggled. So ah mocked droppin' him again, and then caught him. He giggled harder. Ok…ah can play dropsies. As ah was droppin' and catchin' him, mah necklace fell down and he grabbed it in his little fist.
The necklace was mah momma's. Not Mystique, but mah real momma. And pryin' it from his little fingers made me think of her like ah hadn't in a long time, but not really in a ponderin' kinda way, just made an arbitrary memory leap to mind. Ah remembered bein' small, and ah remember a game she used to play with me. We'd laugh an' laugh and ah'd beg her to do it again. Gosh ah hadn't thought of that in years. Ah thought maybe ah could try to play it with Sebastien.
So ah sat down in a chair by the window, putting him on mah knee, and started bouncin' him in tune to the old rhyme.
Ride a hoss to the Banbury cross
See the old lady, ride on a hoss
Rings on her fingahs and bella on her toes
She'll have music wherever she goes
At the end of the song, you make a sound like a horse neighin', and then you tip the baby backwards, like the horse reared up. Sebastien bout laughed himself red in the face. At some point, ah started laughin' too. Ah stopped thinkin' about everythin' else and just enjoyed playin' with the baby. Little ones shoah are strange things.
But after a little while, Merci's voice snapped me out of mah reverie.
"You know…babies don't respond to kind words or gifts. Dere little eyes don't get swayed by beauty or fashion. Dey see right on through to de real person. We've had people come through here befo', and Sebastien always had dem pegged. He seems to like you, so you mus' be all right."
"You in the habit of leavin' yoah baby with strangers to figure them out?"
"I didn' leave you alone. Been watchin' you de whole time. Dat's my precious angel."
She held out her arms, and ah deposited the little tyke, who smiled up at his momma, totally unaware of all the intrigue. Ignorance is bliss, ah guess. But Merci smiled at me, and den back down at the little guy.
"You been havin' a good time wit' yo' Tante Rogue?"
Felt like rocks hit mah stomach. Ah guess it hadn't really occurred to me till just that second that this was a family; a strange family with a strange occupation, but a family nevertheless. Some of the tension here was because of me messin' with guild plans, but some of it was these people tryin' to accept me as a part of their lives. Because ah was tryin' to convince them that ah was gonna be.
Ah'm a lot of things, but ah'm not a liar. Remy and me were gonna hafta have a talk.
"Merci…you got a very handsome guy there. You and Henri, yoah both very lucky."
"Don't I know it, but merci, petit. I hope you and Remy will be ev'ry bit as happy. I'm jus' so glad dat he had de sense to stick wit' de southern ladies. When I heard you were from New York, I was worried."
Dangit ah liked her already.
Bout that time Jean-Luc sent foah me. Ah was hopin' maybe he was just gonna throw a baby at me too and then this would all be over with.
Ah went to see him in his office. It was a big room, lined with bookcases. The back left corner held his desk across from two chairs, where one might expect a job interview to take place. Ah hoped he wasn't gonna make us do this that way. But there was also a claw foot sofa in the middle of the room, facing the right wall and an unlit stone fireplace. He beckoned me to sit with him here. This was a little closer than ah might like to be to Jean-Luc this early in the relationship, but beggars can't be choosers. Ah sat down with him.
"So what yo' pa'ents t'ink of Remy?"
Well, here's at least one question ah can answer truthfully.
"They haven't met him."
"How long you plannin' on keepin' it a secret?"
"Well, ah don't know where mah momma is, frankly, and daddy and ah haven't spoken since ah was 14 years old. Ah figure ah can keep it a secret as long as ah need to."
"Well isn't dat convenient?"
"It's not like that anyway, and you know it. All the people ah live with now have met Remy. Some like him, some don't. But in the end it's me he's got to please, isn't it?"
"An' does he?"
"When he's in the mood to."
Jean-Luc smiled at me, and sort of chuckled. What's he gettin' at?
"You know…when Remy was not more dan 7 years old, he brought home a puppy. Tol' me de mutt had gotten bogged down in de swamp, and when he pulled him out, it followed him home. He had dat same expression his face dat he did jus' now, tellin' me about you. Went to watch de news a few days later, and turns out it was de mayor's dog dat Remy stole from de front yard. And it wasn' no mutt. Was a rare breed Australian hound."
He rose, a nostalgic smile on his face, and went to lean on the mantle over the fireplace. When he turned back around, the niceness was gone.
"You see dere was more to Remy's part in de story dan he was tellin' me, but dere was also more to de dog."
"What are ya tryin' ta say?"
"I know Remy. I'm his papa. I know when he's up to mischief, and he's up to some right at this moment, and yo' in it wit' him. Mattie tells me yo' a smart girl, and fo' a smart girl to do a dumb t'ing like come here means she got a plan. So you feel like talkin'?"
Ooh he's clever. I don't know if all Cajuns think on their feet like this or if it's just the LeBeaus.
"That would sorta take the fun out of it, wouldn't it?"
"Dis ain't a game. Dis is my family"
"Not ta sound childish, but you did start it."
"Least as far as Remy's tol' ya. But keep in mind, you only got one side of de story. How far you willin' to trust a t'ief?"
Good question.
"Look Jean-Luc, ah'm not here to mess with yoah family. Ah don't want to cause trouble. Ah just want to help Remy, that's all. So if ya want more answers, talk to him."
"You care about my son? Or you just need him fo' somet'ing?"
Jean-Luc was lookin' at me hard. There was no way foah me to lie under that gaze. So what was the truth?
"Ah don't really have a use fo' him, so ah don't see how ah could use him."
"Don't dance round me. Do you care about him?"
Ah thought about it the way my momma must have. If ah had to leave tomorrow, and never see him again…would it matter?
"Yes. Ah care about him...he matters to me."
"Bon. Then let us begin our little game shall we? You better try hard to catch me in my mischief befo' I catch you in yo's."
With that, Jean-Luc dismissed me, and concluded mah first day. But then ah had to worry about survivin' mah first night…in a room alone with Gambit.
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