Hi. I'M SO SORRY! I was going to update sooner, but I was having computer trouble. To make up for it, I give you the last, and longest chapter (it beat out chapter 9 by 364 words) of "I Ain't de devil, I just look like 'im!"
Chapter Seventeen
Tying Up Loose Ends
/Xavier's Institute for Gifted Children/ Bayville, New York/ present time
Remy moaned, shifting in his hospital bed as he slowly reentered consciousness.
From the other side of the room, Belladonna looked over at her ex-husband. Curiosity getting the better of her, she wrapped her robe tighter and made her way over to his bed. As he moaned again, his eyes fluttered open for a few seconds.
"Doctor McCoy! He's wakin' up!" Bella got closer to him. "Remy? Ya okay, Remy?"
Remy struggled to stay awake. He heard a soft, feminine voice calling him. 'Ya okay, Remy?' Slowly he opened his eyes. The room spun dangerously and he squeezed them shut. Taking a deep breath, he opened his ruby-onyx eyes once more.
First, all he could see was a yellow blur. He blinked a few times as it came into focus. Curly blonde hair . . . blue eyes . . . a familiar face . . .
Covering his face with his hands, Remy emitted a sorrowful groan. "Mon Dieu, 'm dead! 'M in hell!" He cried just as Hank entered the room.
"Nice t' see ya alive, too." Replied Bella icily.
"Relax, Mr. LeBeau," Said Hank, beginning to exam him, "You are most certainly alive and perfectly healthy, or at least, you will be in a few days."
"But- . . . She's s'pposed t' be dead!" Cried the Cajun, clearly confused. (hey, alliteration!)
"I may be blonde, but 'm not stupid!" Exclaimed the affronted girl. "I grew up 'round Assassins. Do ya honestly t'ink I didn' learn a t'ing or two 'bout fakin' a death?"
"Oui."
Bella crossed her arms over her chest and turned her head the other way. "Dat's some t'anks f'r savin' ya life."
"One: m' life wouldn't've needed savin' if it wasn' f'r ya," Remy struggled to sit up, "an' two: WHAT DE HELL HAPPENED?"
Hank laid a furry hand on Remy's chest, gently pushing him back down. "Mr. LeBeau, you must rest. Your body has had a very rough couple of days. If you just let me finish, I assure that you will hear the entire story."
Half out of compliance, half out of sheer exhaustion, Remy relaxed against the pillows. He watched in silence as the doctor checked his wounds and vital signs. Although he ached all over, he seemed to have come out with relatively small injuries.
He glanced over at Bella. She was reclining on one of the beds, reading a magazine. Her presence still baffled Remy; had he not seen Sinister shoot her?
Lost in his thoughts, Remy didn't hear Dr. McCoy calling his name. He jumped slightly at the tap on his shoulder.
The doctor handed Remy two blue pills and a glass of water. "Take these. They'll ease some of the pain." After watching to verify that his patient took them, Hank spoke again. "Charles will be down here shortly to talk to you. After that, I daresay, you will have some other visitors that have been waiting patiently for you to awake."
The doctor made his way over to the female Cajun. "Alright, Miss Boudreaux, I need to change the dressing on your wound."
Belladonna heaved an agitated sigh, before slipping off her robe. Lifting up the side of her t-shirt, she revealed the fist-sized bandage on her side.
"The bullet only grazed her side." Remy gave a startled jump as the Professor wheeled up beside his bed. "She escaped from Sinister's and came to tell us where you were."
Remy gave the Professor a skeptical look. "Bella? Belladonna Boudreaux tried t' help me? Willingly?"
"Yes."
The younger man cast another glance at the blonde, who was wincing as medication was applied to her side. "What happened after dat?"
"After Miss Boudreaux informed us of your whereabouts, the team assembled and headed out. I'm sure you are able to figure out what happened when they arrived."
Remy nodded. "Dey got inside, but den dey caught by dose Sinnases. Sinister put me in de machine an' I don' remember anyt'ing after dat."
"You succeeded in your attempt to blow up the machine and it caused a large explosion. Jean was able to created a force field to protect the team."
"Sinister-"
"-Was caught in the explosion."
"An' Aria?"
"She was relatively unharmed. In fact," The professor smiled, "I believe she saved the day."
"What do ya mean?"
"When the team pulled you out of the rubble, you where almost dead. Aria's power is somewhat of a healing agent. Not only did she save you; she also informed Scott that Alex was downstairs."
Remy's mind was in overload mode, trying to process all the information he had just received. I almost died? An' Aria saved me . . . Dey found Alex downstairs . . . Wait, what 'bout ev'ryone else?
As if reading the Cajun's thoughts, and he probably was, the Professor added, "Aria and Alex were the only mutants they were able to find. It looked as if some escaped, but . . . the others were less fortunate."
Remy didn't have to ask. He understood that answer loud and clear: they had died.
The contemplative silence was broken by a muffled thump. Glancing at the door, Remy had to let out a laugh. Along side Angie and Aria's excited faces, John was peeking in, looking just as eager.
Charles let out a slight chuckle as well. "I think I'll leave you to guests." He started to leave.
"Wait!" He turned. "T'anks. F'r ev'ryt'ing." The professor nodded and continued on his way.
The med bay door swung open as the group came to celebrate his recovery. Angie climbed up on the bed a wrapped her small arms around his neck. "I missed ya, daddy."
Remy ignored the soreness and hugged her back. The pain was well worth being able to see his daughter. "I missed ya, too, ange."
When Angie finally released him, Remy glanced at Aria, who was standing nervously beside the bed. He smiled at the violet-haired girl. "I hear I owe ya a t'ank ya." He held out his arms and she eagerly climbed up beside Angie and wrapped her thin arms around his neck, whispering in his ear, "You saved me first."
"Okay, okay. It's my turn now, shelias." The two little girls moved to the foot of the bed as John broke up the tender moment. The pyro gave his friend a manly hug and a clap on the shoulder. "Good ta see ya feelin' better, mate."
"T'anks, John."
"Is it my turn yet?" John turned around to find Rogue behind him, impatiently tapping her foot.
The Australian stepped aside, giving her a mock bow. "He's all yours, shelia."
She walked to the bed, leaned down, and placed a gentle kiss on Remy's lips. "Hi," She said with a smile.
"Hi." He pulled her back down for a more passionate kiss.
"EWW!"
"Shut up, John!" Cried Angie.
"Yeah, it's romantic!" Added Aria.
The two Southerners grinned at each other and kissed once more.
Belladonna watched the lighthearted banter between Angie and St. John. There it was, that twinge in her heart. Unsurprisingly, seeing Rogue and Remy kiss didn't bother her that much. Why should it? She wasn't exactly faithful to him and they were never in love in the first place. She had wanted the divorce. She didn't want a child. She was the one who let them go.
But here she was, feeling regret for the first time in five years. No, six, she corrected herself, ya weren' dat lovin' when ya were pregnant wit' Angelique either. She almost laughed out loud at her own stupidity. Now she was jealous. Now that she could see what a good father he was and how he was such a kind, caring person. Now that it was too late, she was able to realize what she had let slip through her fingers all those years ago.
She shook her head, trying to rid herself of the taunting thoughts. She had her fiancée Jean Paul, her family, and the Guild waiting for her back home. She had no need to dwell on the past when there were pressing issues in the present.
Her inner monologue was interrupted but Hank. "Excuse me, Miss Boudreaux." He handed her a bag. "Your belongings, along with a few clean clothes for you the wear, are in this bag. The Professor wishes to speak with you, but after that you are free to go."
"Right. T'anks." With one last glance across the room, Bella, swiftly and quietly, left the Med Bay.
/Later/
The Bayville Times
Esteemed Doctor Found Dead
The body of Doctor Nathaniel Essex was found dead in his private laboratory yesterday. Dr. Essex was a doctor renowned all over world for his interest in mutants. He never issued a statement as to what he was studying, but many universities he worked at emphatically say he was searching for a way to rid mutants of their mutant genes.
It appears he had a laboratory in the lower section of his house. There was a large explosion, assumed to be from an experiment. The blast was of such high magnitude that it weakened the house's entire structural system, causing it to collapse.
Police, firefighters, and volunteers combed the sight for hours in search of the doctor. It appears he was crushed under the several tons of material that fell on him. He was pronounced dead on the scene. There will be a memorial service in two days in his hometown of Albany.
Police are still declaring the house a crime scene, due to some of the disturbing things found in the rubble. There were several human-like creatures in the lab. Medical examiners are guessing that the explosion caused a change in Essex's assistants' DNA. The same is thought to have happened to him, for he too, was found mutated.
This reporter promises to keep you updated, as more facts become present in this breaking news story.
Remy gave a snort of laughter as he laid down the newspaper article. St. John had taken the girls upstairs to get something to eat, but Rogue had stayed with him. "Dis is it? Dey don' know what happen, so dey're just gonna make stuff up t' make it seem like de psychopath was a martyr or somet'ing?"
"Apparently."
Remy stared at Rogue, who looked calm and unaffected by the farce he had just read. "Don' dis bother ya, cherie?"
"Of course! I'm madder than hell that that bastard gets treated like a saint after what he did." She moved closer, leaning on his shoulder. "But there's nothin' we can do 'bout it. Nobody'd believe us. All that matters is that ya, Alex, an' Aria got out okay an' that Sinister was stopped."
"I guess ya're right," he grudgingly replied.
They sat in silence for a few minutes, until someone knocked on the door. "Come in."
A nervous blonde came into the room and it took Remy several minutes to recognize her.
Her normally skin-tight apparel was replaced with a baggy sweatshirt, loose-fitting jeans, and tennis shoes. Her face had been scrubbed free of all makeup and her hair was pulled up into a simple ponytail. "Bella?"
She smiled. "Hi. Why ya starin'?"
"Ya look . . . different."
"T'anks, I t'ink. I just came t' say goodbye. De doctor an' dat Professor guy both gave me permission t' leave, so 'm headin' out."
He gave her a skeptical look. "What did ya really come down here f'r? A t'ank ya?"
"No!" She shifted uncomfortable for a few minutes. Finally, she let out a deep breath and spoke. "We're divorced now, so de Guild will prob'ly try t' have de weddin' as soon as possible. After dat, I'll be de head of de Guild. I could . . . I could lift de ban an' ya could come home. If ya wanted t', dat is." She added quickly. "Anyway, dis isn' some attempt t' get on ya good side. I screwed up. I screwed up when I helped Sinister an' a screwed up years ago when I told m' dad dat ya were a mutant." She reached up to wipe a few tears from her face. "Mon Dieu, don' know why 'm cryin'."
Remy was confused. What the hell was happening? "Bella, I-"
"No, Remy." She cut him off. "I want t' do dis. De way I just let Angie an' ya go . . . I was bein' a selfish bitch. I won' deny it. I don' deserve ya forgiveness or anyt'ing, but I hope dat I could be part o' ya lives. I mean, I doubt dat de two o' us will evea be friends, an' Angie don' seem dat keen on me right now, but . . . I just . . .I just like t' have it be an option, ya know?"
Slowly, Remy nodded. It was alot to process. Part of him wanted to say yes, one day Angie would want to know her mom. Another part wanted to say no, hurt her like she had hurt him. He decided to answer truthfully. "I don' know."
Bella nodded slightly. "Well, dat's a better reply den I t'ought I'd get." She came up to the bed and gave him an awkward hug. She held out her hand to Rogue, who shook it. "Ya got yaself a good homme. Take care o' him."
"Well, au revoir." Bella picked up her bag and headed towards the door.
She was about to open it when Remy stopped her. "Wait!" She turned. "T'anks, Bella."
She smiled slightly. "Same t' ya." She looked at Rogue. "Keep workin' on dat right hook, it's pretty good." With that, she was gone.
Remy turned to Rogue and raised his eyebrows. "Right hook?"
"It's a long story . . ."
/Later/
Remy sighed for the umpteenth time in the past hour. He shuffled the cards and began to play his twenty-ninth game of Solitaire. What doctor in their right mind- he wondered as he placed the seven of spades on top of the eight of diamonds- came up with the idea that an injured person needed to rest? Being alone made him restless, reminding of the fact that he was not allowed out of the bed with its sterilized sheets. Being alone also made the pain coursing through his sore muscles that much more noticeable. Add the fact that everyone was upstairs eating pizza while he ate Chicken Noodle soup and you got one very bored and agitated Cajun.
He placed the King of hearts on top of the Queen of hearts. "Wow. I win. Again." Deft fingers scooped up the cards, shuffling without even having to look, and dealt his thirtieth game. Dis is gotta be some kinda record. God, what I wouldn' do f'r a distraction.
As if in answer to his silent prayers, Remy heard the unmistakable squeak of shoes on linoleum. Several moments later the visitor entered to room.
"Hey, Remy."
Remy raised an eyebrow. "Scott."
"Can I come in?"
Remy was tempted to say no, but curiosity was eating at the back of his brain. "Sure."
The younger man made his way into the room. He nervously sat down in the chair next the Remy's bed, placing a foil-covered dish on the nightstand. Remy eyed it suspiciously before returning to his game. "So . . . Heard ya brother's doin' pretty good." He stated, keeping conversation light.
"Yeah. He had a sprained ankle, plus slight dehydration and malnutrition, but Dr. McCoy said he'll be fine in few days."
"Good." The conversation hit a lull, the only sound heard was the sliding of Remy's cards against the plastic tray.
"I'm sorry."
"'Scuse me?" When Remy had seen the young leader in the doorway, this was not what he imagined transpiring.
"I'm sorry. I was a really jerk to you."
"Ya 'specting me t' disagree?"
"No. I just wanted to apologize and ask if we could . . . start over, maybe?" Even with the ruby glasses, Remy could tell the man was sending him a hopeful look.
Remy bit his lip. What was the worst that could happen? "Okay."
"Really?"
"Yeah."
"Great!" A heavy weight seemed to disappear from Scott's shoulders when he smiled at Remy.
"So . . . What's wit' de plate?" Asked Remy, eager to get way from the 'male mushy moment', as St. John was fond of calling them.
Scott grinned again. "We saw Jean preparing that soup for you and a bunch of us thought you would like another form of sustenance." He slowly peeled back the foil, reveal two steamy, hot pieces of pizza.
Remy quickly grabbed the plate and took a huge bite. "Mmm. I t'ink we're gonna be good friends, mi ami."
/A few days later/
Two sets of eyes gazed up at the blue expanse above them. Twilight was upon the mansion and the first stars were starting to appear as tiny, white dots in the navy sky.
Remy leaned back in the porch swing, pulling Rogue closer to him.
"It's so beautiful." She whispered.
"Yeah, she is." Said Remy, his gazed fixed on the Southern girl.
Rogue turned to look at him. "That's so cheesy!" She smacked him lightly on the arm. "What chick flick did ya get that line from?" (1)
Remy pretended to be offended. "Ya wound me, cherie. Dat's de last time I try t' be romantic."
"Idiot."
"Keep lovin' me an' I'll be anyt'ing ya want."
Rogue just shook her head before snuggling back into her previous position- half reclining, her head resting on his chest. His words replayed in her mind. Did he really mean it?
"Ya know, now that I risked my life for ya, ya're nevea gettin' rid of me," Stated Rogue. Her tone was light and playful, but Remy could hear the underlying seriousness in her statement.
"I didn' plan on it, cherie."
/Next day/
" . . . so, on behalf of the team, I welcome you to the X-men." Charles Xavier smiled at the three recruits at the front of the room. There was tumultuous applause as the existing team congratulated their new teammates.
Wanda enveloped St. John in a hug, showering him with kisses. Piotr blushed as Kitty kissed him, still being shy about showing affection in front of everyone. Remy opened his arms wide as 'his' three girls ran into them. He shared a tender kiss with Rogue as Angie and Aria clung to his midsection. The rest of the group surged forward, offering congratulations, high fives, hugs, and other well wishes.
Logan and Ororo stayed near the door, watching the scene with smiles. Their hands were intertwined and placed protectively on her stomach, where the first Logan child was beginning to grow.
Yes, thought Charles, Even in the worst times, love prevails and gives us greater rewards than we thought possible.
"So, Remy, what's your codename gonna be?" Asked Scott. "Everyone has one."
The Cajun thought it over for a minute. "I always t'ought Gambit would be an interestin' name . . ."
THE END
Yeah! All done. How was the Remy/Bella and Remy/Scott scenes? Not too far-fetched, I hope. I hope Bella didn't seem to OOC from how I was portraying her earlier. I have an idea for an epilogue, but I don't know if I should do it as a one-shot or as an extra chapter to this story. What do ya think?
I don't think I'm going to have a sequel to this story, but I do have an plot bunny for another one . . . sneak peek in the epilogue!
(1) Don't mean to offend anybody who uses that line in their story and/or thinks it's romantic. I just find it so cheesy and cliche.
Reviews: (I figured you really wanted to know what happened so I put 'em down here)
Ishandahalf: Thank you! Saving the Cajun is so much better than saving the day . . .
xmengirlzrule: You know me so well. I could never kill that adorably, sexy Cajun.
Wolf of Fire: Thanks! Glad you like it.
Minnaloushe: Thanks. Hope you liked how the rest of the plot lines resolved.
Missy: Hope the reunion was up to par. And yeah, it was a pretty dramatic chapter. I was hoping it came across that way.
Chica de Los Ojos Cafe: Well this wasn't exactly as ASAP as I would have liked, but I got it up. Hope you liked the finale!
GothikStrawberry: Hoped you liked how Remy and Bella resolved their conflict.
cat2fat900: well, it wasn't very fast, but it's up.
PyroManiac: Be careful when you're at the edge of your seat, it's easy to fall off! lol. (Inside joke) Anyway, Thanks! I never thought I was that good at writing action.
bored247: I'm sad too. Don't worry, there's still the epilogue!
lilpyro900: Thanks!
Stormshadow: Thank you! No, Sinister is gone for good, so he's not gonna miraculously come back to life for a sequel or anything.
PhantomPunkEvo: "sadistic crappo" . . . Hmm . . . I love it! Thanks.
simba317: I could tell you really got into this chapter ;) Sorry 'bout the countdown. I liked the play on words, too. I just kinda came to me . . . Anyway, thanks!
Lady Godiva: Yeah, it was kinda rushed, but if I didn't end it soon, it would have gone on forever. I have ideas for others stories, but I don't know when I will start them. There will be a sneak peek of one of them in the epilogue!
Authorless: Guess I am that cruel and evil, making you wait 10 days. Sorry!
boghadair: Thanks!
Kerrilea: Keep the cookie, I don't deserve it. This update is free! Hope you like it!