Roguechere – your review cracked me up. I'm sorry I deprived you of so much sleep, but I'm happy to know that there's someone out there who reads like I do. And I'm so glad that my little story managed to snare you. Huge compliment as far as I'm concerned. :P

Brains-in-a-nutshell – I'm looking forward to hearing your trademark "yay update 8D!" so don't disappoint me. Lol.

iloveromys – thanks for your review and I'm glad you're enjoying! Lucky for you, I love Logan and Rogue's friendship as much as you do, so don't be surprised if he turns up as the major supporting character 90 of the time.

gambitfan85 & Bologna121 – them waking each other up last chapter was my favorite part to write. I'm notorious for babbling the second I lay down to sleep, so I thought it'd be a fun little annoying trait to write into the story. :P

Everyone in the world – I'm sorry I was so slow in updating this time, but real life decided to get in my way, and I had a little touch of writer's block that I'm trying to work my way through. Let me reassure you I have no plans to abandon this story, and I hope you enjoy this latest update! Thanks everyone for all the wonderful reviews!

Part 12: A Little Espionage Never Hurt Anybody

When ah woke up, Remy had already left the room. That was fortunate because ah am not one of those girls that wakes up lookin' sweet. Mah hair was a wreck, the makeup ah had been wearin' yesterday was smudged all over mah face, and ah had to sleep in mah clothes from the day befoah which were now one big wrinkly mess. Fortunately foah me, there was a bathroom attached to Remy's room and ah was able to sneak in there and freshen up a little. Of course nothing could be done about mah clothes, and there was only a comb, no brush, but ah managed to sort out the worst of the mess, wash mah face, and get mah hair pulled back. Then ah headed down the stairs.

Ah heard everyone in the kitchen, smelled like they were havin' breakfast.

"Well good mornin' chere!" Remy greeted me cheerfully from the table. "Remy t'ought maybe you'd never get up."

If there's one thing in this world ah hate, it's a mornin' person. "If ya'd let me sleep, swamp rat, maybe ah'd be up sooner."

Merci and Tante Mattie snickered. Dang. Maybe ah shoulda chosen mah words more carefully. Remy just winked at me.

"Well yo' jus' in time fo' breakfast, so sit down." Mattie was at the stove, her posture as defiant as ever.

"Mrs. Mattie, ah know ya hate mah figure, but would ya mind if ah passed? Ah'm not much of a mornin' person, and eatin' this early sometimes make mah stomach turn."

"Ms. Rogue, jus' Mattie will do. An' you gon' need yo' strength if you want to keep up wit' dis crowd. So I tell you what, I'll make de same deal wit' you dat I make wit' Sebastien. You eat five bites, and if yo' still not hungry, you can go."

Sebastien was at his high chair, happily beatin' his fists on the table. Remy was next to him, eyein' him sort of warily, so Sebastien threw his spoon at him.

"Remy quit botherin' that baby." Mattie scolded as she gave the spoon back to the little guy.

"I'm not botherin' him, he's de one throwin' t'ings."

"Yo' his oncle. Keep him quiet till his oatmeal is ready."

"Me?! I don' know what to do wit' him."

"Time you learn, Oncle Remy."

Remy picked up the baby's spoon and poked him with it. The baby looked at Remy sort of confused, and then back at the spoon. Then he looked at me blankly, clearly unimpressed.

"Try blowin' on him."

"Quoi?"

"Mah cousin's baby used to like it. Made her laugh."

Ah knew when the face leapt to mind that it wasn't actually mah cousin's baby. Someone in mah head had a cousin wit' a baby. But hey, helpful is helpful. Gotta choose yoah battles ah guess.

So Remy blew at Sebastien, who blinked, gasped, and then giggled. Remy looked back at me appreciatively, and then continued playin' "blow in the face". So now we have dropsies, Banbury Cross, and blow in the face. We could practically run a day care.

About that time, Mattie put a plate in front of me. It was full of scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, and a pile of…of…

"Oh mah gawd."

It just slipped out, but Mattie turned on me.

"You got a problem?"

"No no! Ah'm sorry its just…you made grits."

"Cheese grits. What about it?"

"Ah…ah love them. Ah can't even remember the last time ah've had grits. Jean and Scott in New York…they never even heard of them, and when they tried to buy some they were those gross instant things you get in packets."

Mattie smiled, and then turned back around to her stove. "Well I got a big pot full, so you better eat up."

Ah took one last moment to admire the square of butter meltin' on top before ah took a big bite and all bets were off. Ah killed that plate of food. It never had a chance. Ah didn' even realize ah was hungry. Mattie plopped another heapin' spoonful of grits on mah plate and ah ate that too. When ah finally slowed down foah fear of poppin' like a balloon, ah realized that Remy was watchin' me, completely amused.

Ah sat up straight. "What? Can't a girl eat a little breakfast?"

"Some girls more dan uddahs. Welcome to my home, chere."

Ah was about ready to fire off and start the mornin' bicker, when little Sebastien squealed and threw his entire bowl of oatmeal across the table.

It went everywhere. Remy had a nice stripe from his left cheek across his nose, not to mention his shirt was covered, the table was coated, what a mess! But the worst thing was that Sebastien had managed to cream mah gloves…the only pair ah had with me. See when ah had come here, foah some reason ah thought ah was only gonna stay foah a few hours. Long enough to save Remy from whatever, or get mad and desert him. He didn't say anything about this big chess game in the letter.

Tante Mattie just sighed and turned around.

"Well kids, off with it. I'll rinse ev'ryt'ing in de sink and den wash it later."

Remy hadn't even noticed me yet. He was lookin' at little Sebastien and surprisingly, smilin'.

"You, petit homme, are a LeBeau." He then gave the baby a big kiss, smearin' oatmeal all over him.

Mattie hit him with a wooden spoon.

"Remy Lebeau! Why do you always wanna make mo' work fo' yo' ol' tired Tante?! You are all de badness in de world! Now give me dat shirt."

To mah dismay, Remy obliged. You know how if someone is attractive enough in a movie, any shot involvin' their body happens in slow motion? Yeah…Unfortunately this little reverie was destined to be distressingly short.

"And you missy, I t'ought dat your breakfast attire was a little odd. Hand over de gloves."

Panic. Mattie started comin' over to me and ah jumped up, nearly knockin' over mah chair, backin' away.

Mattie's eyes went sharp and locked on. In a single instant, ah watched her face go from Tante…to thief.

"What kinda secret you got under dere?"

Only the worst kind. She kept approachin' me, slowly.

"It's not a secret."

"If yo' gon' lie to me, petit, yo' gon' have to do better."

Remy tried to jump in, but Mattie cut him off.

"Not from you, Remy. From her."

A knot came up hard in mah stomach, and ah didn' know what to do. This is why ah hate to lie. Cause you get caught in it, sooner or later.

"Well Rogue, you gon' answer my question?"

"Please leave me alone."

"Non. Too late fo' dat. Yo' in de game now, you either learn to play or you cash in de chips."

These people and gamblin' metaphors.

"It was an accident."

Mattie raised an eyebrow, slightly confused. The best kind of lie is one in which there is some truth.

"What was?"

"Mah hands…there was an accident."

Her face gave nothing away, but it was clear she wanted more than that.

"There are plenty of people who ain't exactly friendly to people like me and Remy. Who ain't friendly to mutants. Some of them have bigger plans and more resources than others."

"What you mean by dis?"

"It means that this ain't thief business, this is mine."

She looked at Remy, hard.

"Someone hurt dis girl, Remy? Somet'ing wrong wit' her hands?"

It wasn't concern. She was playin' us agaist each other, tryin' to find the gaps.

Remy stared at her dead on, and foah once was able to tell the truth.

"Lots of people hurt dis girl."

Mattie looked us both over hard, one last time, and then the thief melted back away.

"I'm sorry, petit. You wan' to wear yo' gloves, you won't get no trouble from me."

But now Remy had a mouthful. His jaw had set and his eyes were…glowin' a little.

"Tante Mattie why you helpin' Jean-Luc wit' dis?"

"Jean-Luc heads dis fam'ly. I am part o' dis fam'ly."

"Don' give me dat. You don' do not'ing you don' want to. Why you let him do dis to me?"

"Remy, you should know better dan anyone dat no one 'lets' Jean-Luc do anyt'ing. Not even me."

"But yo' watchin' us. And why? Cause you gon' run tell ev'ryt'ing you find out to dat man so he can use it against us. Yo' playin' my girl, yo' playin' me. All o' ya! Why am I de only one wit' de stones to actually question dis? Doesn't anyone suspect dat maybe its Jean-Luc and not me who's in de wrong?"

"Remy yo' not askin' de right questions."

"And yo' not givin' de right answers."

Mattie was quite calm as she poured herself some coffee and sat down at the table.

"You been out o' de game fo' a while. Yo' gettin' rusty, Remy." Remy just watched her, his eyes narrow. She continued. "Yo' askin' what side I'm on, who's right, who's wrong? Dat don' matter so much right now."

"It sho' matters to me. If he finds a way to make me take dat oath Mattie…"

"Listen to me, Remy. Dere's a lot of bad blood in dis house right now, lots o' people mad at each uddah. But tell me, do you believe dat dis family loves you?"

Remy looked at her hard, me ah was tryin' to figure out what was goin' on under this conversation. All the color is underneath. Finally, he answered her, his voice lower.

"I don' know. Sometimes I t'ink you must. Sometime's I t'ink you only believe dat you do. Love gets so wound up in need dat I can' tell."

Mattie set her coffee mug down on the table and took one of Remy's hands in her own.

"Dat makes me sad, Remy, but listen to me now. You need to find out de answer, because jus' supposin' dat dis family does love you, why would dey go to all dis trouble to keep you close? T'ink Remy. Sho', Jean-Luc is bound to his role as leader, but all o' us? Why would all o' us stand wit' him on dis decision?"

"Dis is what I was askin' you."

"You got to come up wit' de answers Remy. You wan' to figure dis out, start lookin' past Belle. All dis time you been tellin' us dat you don' need us, you don' wan' us, and dat yo' fine on yo' own. Bon. Cause yo' on yo' own dis time Remy. Let's see how you do."

With that Mattie stood, scooped up little Sebastien, and left. Remy grabbed a dishtowel and wiped the last of the oatmeal off his face. Ah was feelin' like maybe ah shouldn't have been here foah this, but ah didn't exactly know what to do. He went over to the sink, throwin' the towel into the water forcefully enough foah me to know he was mad. He put both hands on the counter and leaned on them, lettin' his head hang and his hair fall forward. Ah just stood there like a dummy. Ah'd never really seen him get mad befoah, and ah was kind of afraid to make sudden movements.

That's kinda funny really, considerin that these days ah don't much give a hoot nor holler if Remy's mad. You get used to it after a while. Like right now, he's mad cause ah said that. Do ah care? No.

Finally he stood up, pushed his hair back, and turned around with his arms crossed over his chest.

"Well, we won one and los' de uddah."

"What do you mean?"

"Information, chere. Mattie knows dere's more to yo' gloves dan we said. Dat means Jean-Luc is gonna know, and dat means dey gon' be after you."

"Joy."

"However, we now know somet'ing we didn', too. Dey are tryin' to protect me."

"Protect ya? From what?"

"Dat is exactly what we got to find out. And we don't have much time."

"What's it ta be then?"

"Emil."

"Emil? What are we gonna do with him? Why he's nothin' but a big bucket of testosterone!"

"Exactly."

It turned out that Remy's grand master plan was foah me to get Emil to grab me. If he did, ah could get information. And we would forgo keepin' mah strength a secret by tellin' everyone he startled me so ah hit him and it knocked him out cold. When Emil woke up from mah touch, that last thing he'd remember was doing somethin' he shouldn't have.

Ah was just as thrilled about this plan as ah was about posin' as Remy's fiancé. Emil was annoyin', but ah didn't want to hurt him. And at the time ah didn't know how keen ah felt on usin' mah powers. Yet again, Remy talked me into it. It made sense. Dangit. Why can't my way ever be the one that's logical? (Dat's what Gambit's been askin' himself fo' years.) (You know, it's not too late foah me to go back and include some baby pictures from Tante Mattie. Is that what you want swamp rat?) (Please proceed, ma chere…) (Thank you.)

It was almost too easy really. Remy went out on thief business during at least part of most days, and Emil ended up nearby, ooglin'at me. As per the plan, ah sort of encouraged it. After a few days, and since ah apparently wasn't allowed to leave the mansion, Merci went out and bought me a few things to wear, according to a list ah made foah her. She didn't do half bad, actually.

Eventually an opportunity presented itself. Ah was changin' in Remy's bathroom. The bedroom door had been closed, but the bathroom door was open. Then, magically, stupid Emil was there. Ah barely caught a glimpse of him in the mirror, and pretended not to notice. Instead, ah "accidentally" got a little toothpaste on mah shirt. Oh darn! So ah took it back off, leavin' just a thin camisole and mah bra underneath, and turned to face the door. Just then ah felt a yawn comin' on, so ah stretched mah hands above mah head and took a deep breath.

Dumb kid. As soon as ah turned back around, ah felt warm hands tryin' to encircle me from behind. Unfortunately, mah cami had rode up just enough to leave a thin strip of tummy exposed. As soon as his fingers reached it, he fell to the floor with a thud.

Emil's thoughts flooded mah mind. Dark images…

Underground...yes that's why its so dark…dark in the tunnels…the monsters don't like to be seen…no, not monsters…morlocks.

HGW…HGW…H.G.W….H.G. Wells... The Time Machine took people forward, the Morlocks couldn't be any more backward.

Have to get the money dere, down in the darkness.

Can't be afraid. I bet Remy wasn't afraid down here. Is this really where they all died? Gives me de creeps just t'inkin' about it, what Marrow will do if she catches him.

How did dey know? How did dey find out? It wasn't Remy's fault…was it?

That stupid Sinister guy. He made all dis happen.

At least de Morlocks aren't trying to kill us anymore. I don' t'ink I could take another one. Not after Etienne.

Ah snapped back into mah own head, but now with more questions than answers. My general feelin' was one of "what the hell??" but there was something deep and dark and foreboding that had put a knot in the pit of my stomach. Something about this whole situation was far more serious than ah had been hopin'. All this reference to death…

It was more than Emil's thoughts, it was his feelings of fear and regret and guilt all mixed into one sickening concoction that had me alarmed. Ah allowed mah mind to wander back over what ah had seen, thought, and felt from Emil, and finally one detail stood out.

Sinister. Ah had thought about all the lackeys that touched me, but ah hadn't once allowed mahself to dwell on Sinister himself. The first man who had really tried to hurt me because ah was me, the first person who ever sincerely tried to kill me and darn near succeeded. Whenever mah thoughts strayed that way mah mind flashed a sort of panicky warnin' and changed the subject. Plenty of people had tried to take me out, but usually because ah'm a mutant, or ah was in their way, or ah had picked a fight. Never because ahw as Rogue, and never in cold blood

Now mah mind jumped to conclusions and foah the first time in maybe mah whole life ah had a response to fear that ah couldn't control.

Normally ah just twist fear into resolve, into anger: ah use it to propel me forward. But the thought that Sinister might be here…the possibility of bein' back in under his power and direction…Ah'm ashamed to admit how much that thought affected me then.

A shot of adrenaline hit mah system like a train and stopped mah breath short. Mah face felt cold even though ah'd broken out into a sweat and mah hands went to shakin'. Ah dropped to the floor and put mah head between mah knees, tryin' to take deep breaths, tryin' not to panic. Panickin' was a dangerous proposition. If ah lost control, ah had plenty of people upstairs who would be happy to take over.

"Don't think about that now, Rogue. Just calm down. Yoah ok. Think about somethin' else. Anything else. Like riding Logan's bike. Or graduation. Anything…"

Finally, ah managed to get it together. Ah slowly lifted mah head and opened mah eyes. Emil was still out on the floor, so ah went over and flicked him in the cheek. With mah strength, it'd leave enough of a bruise to substantiate the claim that ah hit him, and the last thing he'd remember is doin' somethin' to deserve it.

A word on mah absorption: it's worse on mutants than it is humans. Mah mutant gene seems to respond to other mutants. Sure Cody got a raw deal, but that's partially because ah held on so long, not realizing what was happenin' and partially because he got the awakening touch, the very first one. Emil's touch wasn't more than a graze: he'd be fine in about twenty minutes.

Eventually Remy came back from whatever lawlessness he had been up to and night fell, leavin' us alone in his room. His family didn't give us much alone together outside the bedroom, so it was the first opportunity ah had to tell him what ah'd learned from Emil.

The second the word "Morlocks" fell from mah lips though, Remy was up like a bolt of lightening.

"Dey here? Dey know?!"

"What do they know?"

"What else did you see?"

"Ah saw tunnels, and Emil was tryin' to get the money down there to them. He kept thinkin' about H.G. Wells foah some reason. It didn't make much sense to me."

"Merde! Dat's where de money is goin'! Dey blackmailin' my fam'ly to get at my hide!"

"Remy-"

"Why didn' dey jus' tell me?? How did Marrow find out? Mon dieu!"

"Remy-"

"Why did dis have to happen? I never meant fo' dis!"

Finally ah had to actually grab his arm to get him to remember that ah was here. Remy seemed dang near unflappable…what had him so riled? Him losin' it made me jumpy, but ah figured it was mah turn to be calm and comforting.

"Remy, sugah, people are gonna hear you if you don't keep it down. Now ah'm here ta help ya, we'll sort this out, but first ya gotta tell me what's goin' on. Who's blackmailing you? What do they know? What's happened?"

Remy's face had never been so raw. It was as if he'd forgotten all about me. His face sunk down to the bottom of his shoes and he backed away from me like ah was poisonous. Whatever was eatin' him was no small thing. Ah stepped toward him slowly.

"Remy? Everything's ok. Just calm down. Talk to me."

In an instant he steeled his face and straightened. That unshakable coolness came back over his features, and he was closed.

"Not'ing. Don't worry about it."

Boy was he into mixed signals all the sudden. Ah took a deep breath.

"Listen sugah, ah just wanna know what's goin on. Ah'm tryin' ta help."

"You can' help."

"Well then what in tarnation did ya ask me down here foah? You were the one who asked me to come, remember? Ah'm here now, but you gotta let me in a little."

"Not this. Please don' ask me."

His face showed just the faintest trace of the desperation that had shown a moment befoah.

"We'll start easy then. Skip 'what', why can't you tell me?"

"I'm not tellin' you dat either."

Ah swallowed the snippy response that came most naturally (no small feat ah might add) and tried to keep to the gentle side.

"Remy ah wish you would trust me."

"Trust YOU? Dat's what you wan', me to trust you? And why should I? Yo' just some starry eyed kid who don't know anyt'ing about de world yet. You can't even trust yo'self, so why should I trust you?"

His face was angry, and his eyes were aflame as he stared me down. Ah closed mah eyes and swallowed hard. When ah opened them again, ah tried to understand what was goin' on here. It was simple really. Remy wasn't mad at me. Ah hadn't done anything. He was in pain. Something was goin' on that hurt him, and he was takin' it out on me. He was tryin' to pick at me, make me rise to the occasion so he could feel something different, think about something else. He wanted me to provide a distraction.

Oh he and ah both knew he would be made to pay later, but not right now. Now ah just looked at him coolly, and didn't say a word.

"You got not'ing left to say?"

Ah shrugged.

"Good, den we can go to bed. Goodnight!"

He stalked over to the box seat under the window and sat with a flourish of his trench coat, one leg tucked under him and his arms across his chest. His eyes burned out into the night, clearly dismissing me.

Ah watched him with a strange combination of compulsions wrestlin' in mah stomach…one was to go over there and knock some sense into him, and the other was a warm sort of desire to go comfort him…but ah didn't know how.

Finally the whole care-taking thing won out. Ah decided that the only way ah knew to comfort somebody was the way ah would want to be comforted. Sort of a twisty golden rule.

Ah approached him slowly, and he didn't look at me. Unsure of mahself, ah finally got close enough to put a hand lightly on his shoulder.

"I said goodnight, Rogue." His voice was short and stern.

"Ah'm sorry." He turned and looked at me, his mouth still twisted in an angry line, but his eyes softened with confusion.

"You don't hafta tell me anything you don't want to. This must be hard foah you, seein' Belle, dealin' with yoah family, bein' trapped, havin' yoah past haunt ya. Ah may not know exactly what's goin on here, but ah know some of what that's like. Ah didn't mean to upset ya. Wasn't mah place."

His mouth twisted down into a sheepish kind of frown.

"You didn'. Listen, Rogue-,"

Ah held up mah other hand to stop him.

"Later. Foah now, you just tell me what you want, what you need, and ah'll do it. No more questions, ok?"

He only managed a stiff nod. Mah response was leavin' him a little off kilter ah guess.

"In the meantime, remember that ah'm on yoah side. Ah may do a lot of annoyin' things, but ah'll never lie to ya. If you decide you need to trust me, ya can. If ya don't want to, then don't. Deal?"

He just stared at me. All that calm ah'd been holdin' onto finally twisted into concern, and mah hand involuntarily drifted from his shoulder to the side of his face.

"Are you gonna be ok sugah?"

Half a second passed where Remy just looked at me, and then wordlessly he reached out and wrapped his arm around mah waist, pullin' me close and tight. As always, mah personal space phobia made me stiff as a board, but with a little concentration ah managed to breathe and relax. Ah put one arm around his shoulders, holdin' him every bit as tight as he was holdin' me, and mah other hand stroked his hair.

Ah may not know a whole lot of things, but if there's one thing in this whole world that ah do understand it's the need to be held. So ah held him foah a while, and told him everything was all right.

His eyes were closed and his face pressed against mah stomach. Foah half a second he looked downright vulnerable, and a strange feelin' came over me. Mah heart constricted in mah chest, and ah realized consciously foah the first time that ah actually cared about Remy LeBeau. Ah'm not talkin' the lovey dovey stuff, ah mean that moment where you realize very simply that somebody is important to ya. Ah knew that foah whatever reason, Remy Lebeau was important to me.

Now was not the time foah too much thinkin'. Foah now ah just marveled at him. It was like he'd undergone some kind of transformation just because he meant something to me. Suddenly he was almost familiar, from how warm he always is down to his scent: cologne, smoke, and falling leaves.

If ah had known at that moment just how far we had to go…ah don't know that it would have mattered.