One year later and there's actually an update. Go me. Well there's only gonna be about one chapter after this and possibly a short epilogue. So it should only take me about another year to finish, eh? Lets hope there some of you that are acutually left reading this... Oh yeah. This isn't beta'd so I'm sorry for the mistakes ahead of time.
Chapter Eleven
Remy had only been gone for a short fifteen minutes while he had talked with Roberto. It was more than enough time for Jean-Luc to notice his absence though.
When he walked back into the house and in to the living room, Jean-Luc was standing there waiting for him. The look on his face more than told Remy that he was in trouble. He stopped just in the door way to the room and met Jean-Luc's cold gaze.
"Where have y' been?"
"Was only gone for a few minutes."
"Y' weren't supposed t' be gone at all."
"'M sorry. I won't do it again."
"How many times have I heard dat before, Remy?"
Remy cringed and took an involuntary step back. "I'm sorry."
"Don't say you're sorry, boy, just don't do it. Y'd t'ink by now dat y'd have learned t' obey orders."
"Oui. I won't do it again."
"Now y' lying t' me." Jean-Luc took a step forward. Remy couldn't help but cringe back. He flinched reflexively, prepared for the hand he knew was about to strike at him, eyes shutting to brace himself as he knew that there was no point in fighting back. There was rarely any point in anything when it came to dealing with Jean-Luc.
That hand dealt a glancing blow to the side of his face, a warning that had him gasping at the flare of pain he knew could be so much worse and backing away. A hash hand wrapping with bone grinding tightness around his wrist stopped him though, jerking him back and shoving him hard enough for him to cry and jangle a painting off its nail so it crashed to the ground. Another thing that he was sure to be punished for as the frame cracked.
The doorbell rang then, stilling Jean-Luc in his tracks and he scowled over at the door, just visible from the entrance to the living room. The grip on Remy's wrist didn't loosen though, if anything it got tighter and Remy paled slightly.
"Please, pere," he begged and tugged slightly against the hold on his wrist.
Jean-Luc just gave him a slight shake. "Shut up, boy."
The knock sounded again, concerned voice of Scott drifting through the wood. "Remy? Are you okay? ...I thought I heard something. Remy?"
Remy moaned. Not Scott, not now. He could only be thankful that it wasn't Roberto. The grip on his wrist was jerked again.
"Friend of yours?" Jean-Luc practically growled.
Remy shook his head desperately. "Non. Jus' someone from school. Don' know what he wants. Please, I'll make him leave."
"Oh, he'll be leavin'." With that Jean-Luc started to drag him towards the door. Remy struggled uselessly against him, straining against the iron grip on his wrist.
"Non. Please, don'."
But Jean-Luc wasn't listening if he ever did. Dragging Remy down the short hall to the front door, clearly drunk as ever and Remy often wondered if completely insane to go with it. Struggling was pointless and he gave in, letting himself be forced along and resisting the urge to whimper more for fear at Scott's reaction than any pain from his wrist. He didn't need anybody else knowing about this than already did, didn't need anybody else thinking him as utterly pathetic as he clearly was. But he couldn't do anything to stop Jean-Luc from swinging the door open. Couldn't stop Scott from looking at them both in astonished, eyebrows raised over the rims of his sunglasses.
"...Remy, what-?"
"Dieu, Scott, just go away," Remy half gasped out.
Jean-Luc was glaring at him. Scott could only stare in shock, finding himself frozen as the only conclusion possible reached him. Jean-Luc snorted when it was clear that Scott was making no move.
"Y' got no business coming around here. Get de hell out."
That seemed to snap Scott out of his gaping and behind the glasses his eyes narrowed. He stepped forward, intent on coming to Remy's defense and never mind that Remy might not want it. Because he clearly needed it.
"Let go of him." He was demanding, Remy was cringing. Jean-Luc was just smirking, amused over the entire situation. He shrugged callously and used the grip he still had on Remy's wrist to swing him forward into Scott who only just managed to catch Remy and stop them from both falling over.
"Whatever you say," was Jean-Luc's only response as he slammed the door after Remy. Remy knew that tone, that hint of amusement that said he was just imagining new ways of punishing Remy for this later.
He pulled away from Scott, half stumbling and looking at Scott in disbelief. Scott was looking back at him in concern; Remy could feel the gaze drifting over him, searching out injuries. He had gotten off lightly but it didn't matter. He would only get far worse later on.
"Are you okay?"
Remy gritted his teeth, afraid of what would come the moment he stepped back through that door. Angry at Scott for causing it. Why the hell couldn't people just let him be? Couldn't they see that all they ever managed to do was make it that much worse?
"Non, 'm not okay. An' t'ank y' for makin' it so much worse. Stay de hell away from me, Scott. De others better stay away as well." He didn't wait for any reply. Judging from the bafflement that took over Scott's features at Remy's words it would have been a few moments before he could respond anyway.
He broke into a run before Scott could stop him. Just running, he didn't know where as long as it was away from here. Away from this hell.
He could not possibly have any more of a goofy smile on his face. And Roberto plus a goofy smile was just somehow wrong. It went against nature and everything that was ever right with the world. Now a goofy smile on Kurt was just nothing short of adorable but on Roberto... No.
Still, Bobby couldn't help but grin himself at the look on his friends face. His day hadn't exactly been bad either and he figured he had every reason to be every inch of the thrilled he was. Looked as if Roberto had had a similar time of it.
Bobby half bounced up to him and clapped Roberto enthusiastically on the shoulder. Roberto jumped as he'd been off in his own world, letting his mind wander. It wasn't hard to guess that they would be thoughts of Remy. The jump of surprise didn't knock the smile away any though.
"Hey there, 'Berto. Lookin' good. Take it from that pathetic smile on your face you had a good day."
Even that, while it would normally make Roberto scowl at Bobby, didn't seem to faze him at all and he just smiled up. "Could say the same for you."
Bobby could only give a fondly reminiscent smile and nod a little slowly. Great day it had been and he was beginning to think that he might just need to bound off and find Kurt. Plaster a big wet kiss on him for no more reason than because he wanted to and could. From the look on Roberto's face he was thinking the same thing. Regarding Remy of course.
Before either of them could do anything though, Scott was suddenly there and jogging up to them, distressed look on his face. Bobby turned to face him just as Roberto got to his feet and they watched him approach. Trying to be worried but both of them too happy to properly manage it.
Scott came to a stop before him, instantly ignoring Bobby to favor Roberto with a worried, bordering on guilty look.
"You need to go find Remy."
Instantly Roberto was overtaken with a worried, panicked look at Scott's words. He stepped forward menacingly, demanding to know just what Scott had done.
Scott raised his hands placatingly. Bobby watched both of them in confusion, standing back and resisting the urge to demand an explanation as well. "Just go find him."
Roberto stared at Scott a moment longer with narrowed eyes, wanting an explanation but even Bobby could see that standing around yelling at Scott - while kind of fun - wasn't getting him anywhere. With another worried glance between the two, Roberto turned and jogged off. Scott yelled after him.
"Check the park by his house."
Roberto didn't look back and Scott and Bobby could only watch him leave. Once he was out of sight, Scott turned back to Bobby, favoring him with a less than pleasant look. Bobby instantly looked defensive, ready to plead 'I didn't do it'.
"You and Kurt have been hanging out with those two. Did you know about what's been going on with Remy at home?"
Of course Bobby knew what he was talking about. There was little else that he could mean. Bobby shook his head though, putting on a falsely baffled look. Because he wasn't supposed to tell anyone else and he wasn't about to break a promise. Even if it was a stupid one to keep... Trust was important.
"This is important. You want to help Remy? Then find Kurt, and don't tell me neither of you know what's going on, and meet in at the Professor's office."
He didn't wait for a response before turning and continuing on his jog to the mansion and presumably to the Professor's office. Bobby stood there for a moment in indecision before leaving to find Kurt.
Remy was where Scott had said he'd be. In the park by his house and off down one of the old jogging trails that was overgrown with vegetation and very rarely used. It was as good as any place be alone. Secluded and quiet. He was sitting leant back against a tree when Roberto found him. He didn't even bother to look up as Roberto walked up to him though he couldn't have failed to hear the noise of Roberto's feet snapping twigs along the path. He stared at the ground, arms resting over his drawn up knees. Roberto kneeled before him, wanting to catch his eye and raising a hand to gently push the sunglasses up so he could do so. Remy made no move to protest or acknowledge him and Roberto sat back on his heels, unsure what he should do.
"...Remy? What happened? Scott said I should come talk to you. Did something-?"
Remy finally raised his head, silencing Roberto with a single look. "Leave me be, 'Berto. Ain't in de mood."
"You know I'm not gonna leave." Roberto smiled softly at Remy as he said it. No way could he ever leave Remy, especially not like this.
"I never asked for any help from any of y'." His voice didn't hold the anger it should have, just quiet depression. Roberto raised his hand to brush over Remy's cheek, hoping to offer comfort in some way, he'd noticed the red mark there and it was easy to guess what happened. Why Scott was worried and why Remy was here now.
"Well you don't have to. We're your friends now and we help regardless."
Remy shook his head, looking desperate for Roberto to just understand. Roberto didn't, couldn't. "But y' ain't helpin'. Y' makin' it all worse. Don' y' see?"
"No! I don't understand at all. Why you stay there. You'd be so much better off if you just came to the mansion."
"I told y' why."
Letting out a steadying breath, Roberto tried to calm himself and nodded, speaking in a more quiet tone. "I know."
"Den why can' y' just back off?"
"Because I love you too much."
Remy looked away at the honest words. Roberto knew better than to expect anything more. At least not yet. He smiled and got to his feet, holding a hand out for Remy. After a moment, Remy took it and pulled himself to his feet, eyes still not quite meeting Roberto's. Roberto kept hold of Remy's hand after he was standing, lacing their fingers and giving a squeeze.
"You wanna get outta here?"
A shrug was his only answer but it was enough. At least Remy wasn't balking at him anymore, wasn't refusing everything Roberto offered and telling him to leave. It was a start and Roberto started a casual walk back along the path. Giving them a bit of time together, since he never seemed to get enough, by walking slowly.
The last thing he expected to see as they got closer to Remy's house was Remy's mother walking down the path towards them. She took one look at them; at how close they were, at the hands that they held laced together. Roberto could see her expression cloud over. Could feel Remy cringe next to him and jerk his hand away.
Mary gasped as if she had only just realized what it truly all meant. Her hand rose to cover her mouth in her shock and the look she turned on Remy was so full of disappointment that Roberto had to quell the anger that was bubbling up at it. Wasn't there anyone of Remy's family that just cared about Remy? But she was walking up to them. Roberto held his breath, held himself tense.
Mary reached them, looked between them as though both of them had commented nothing short of a sin - which in her eyes Roberto supposed they had - and slapped Remy hard across the cheek. Darkening the red mark that had already been there. It was enough to snap Remy's head to the side momentarily and he stared at her in shock. She was already turning on her heel though. Walking away from them, the sound of her holding back a sob clearly audible. Roberto didn't care. Only didn't go after her and yell at her because he could see the tears swimming in Remy's own eyes.
Nothing more he could do than wrap his arms around Remy and pull him up close. Do what he could which always seemed to be mostly nothing...