Disclaimer: I do not own the X-men or anything associated with them…
A/N: Wow...the last chapter got more reviews than any other I have ever written! Thanks to y'all! I must say that Remy was not happy with the way I ended the last chapter. He just wouldn't stop whispering in my ear this week until I made it right. Hope y'all enjoy the final chapter of this story!
Chapter 24: Amor Omnia Vincit
Rogue was woken from a fitful sleep by the slamming of her door. In the flash of lightning that lit her darkened room for a split second, she recognized him. Remy. He had come after her!
"Remy?" she asked softly, as he stared at her with a hunger in his eyes. His hungry gaze could have burned a hole in her silk bedding.
He moved silently across the wooden planks toward her and stared down at her with his eyes glazed and probing before he buried his lips against her neck. Rogue gasped as chills spread over her while he moved onto the bed above her.
"I want' y', chere," he breathed.
Rogue realized how much she had thrown away, looking into his eyes and feeling the strength of his embrace. She needed this connection to him in a way that defied her best abilities to understand. He was her soul. A part of her that she had long ago forsaken.
In his arms, she found the sanctuary she'd been searching for. She pressed her cheek to his and inhaled the fragrant, spicy scent of his auburn hair. "Ah'm so sorry, sugah. Ah can't believe ya came for meh after the way Ah treated ya. Ah love ya…" she kissed him gently, "…Ah'll never let ya go again...never. Ya're mine."
"Remy is yours, chere," he whispered. "Remy's always been yours."
Slowly, Kurt opened the heavy door to his sister's cabin. It was unlike her to linger when she was needed on deck, but he loathed waking her all the same if she had finally found sleep. Something had been eating at her these past few weeks and it pained him and the rest of her crew to see her suffering.
"Rogue?" he whispered as he slowly moved into her room. "Rogue, are you awake?"
"Remy," Rogue moaned as she pulled her pillow closer to her in a tight embrace. As Kurt moved alongside her bed, he noticed the soft smile on her face and a light sheen of tears on her cheeks.
"Rogue?" he asked again, and lightly touched her shoulder.
Startled, she opened her eyes to find Remy gone and Kurt standing over her with a worried expression on her face.
"Kurt?" she asked, as she tried to clear her mind and become adjusted to the reality that it had all been a dream. She was still alone, and he hadn't returned. And she had banished herself into a life without him.
"Sorry, but you are needed on deck. Ve are almost to the island." Kurt sighed, and then added, "Are you alright, mein schwester?"
Rogue gifted him with her trademark glare. "Of course, Ah'm fine."
She stiffened as Kurt reached out to brush away the wetness from her cheeks, and cast a meaningful look toward her moist pillow. "Of course you are."
Kurt turned and left her alone in her room to ready herself before steeping on deck. She blinked her eyes to adjust to the light of day as she made her way up the quarterdeck to join Kurt and Wanda. The crew was busy on deck tightening the riggings and checking the anchor in preparation for their arrival. They had been at sea for a few weeks, but Rogue had ordered the ship back to Scar Island, and now they were nearing their destination.
They were only two hours out from port, the ship running strong, a stiff wind puffing out the sails and helping to shorten their voyage. When they finally made anchorage, a bright, golden sun glistened overhead and Rogue looked out over the white sand beaches, the clear blue water and the equally clear blue sky. It almost seemed unfair that such a day could exist when she felt so miserable.
A shiver ran up her spine when she spotted a familiar vessel down the harbor. It was the Devil's Lust. Remy was here.
Wanda, Rogue, and Kurt disembarked and walked through the city streets, making their way to the Wolverine's Den. They passed along a line of vendors in front of a covered market. Inside, tradesmen sold vegetables and fruits, conch and fish. Rogue wrinkled her nose at the pungent smells even as her eyes locked on the establishment on the corner. Would he be in the tavern with Ororo?
As they opened the door to the tavern, the boisterous din hit them hard and they had to push their way to the bar through a sea of bodies. Logan was working as usual and kept a sharp eye on his wife as she worked laying whiskey down for the rowdy lot.
"What can I get y', Stripes?" Logan asked, standing in front of her.
"Rum for meh," she answered. "How about y'all?"
"I'll take the same." Kurt replied, but Wanda remained silent.
"Wanda?" Rogue looked to her right to see Wanda staring at something in the darkened corner of the tavern.
"Sorry, captain, but I think I'll be joining my Johnny-boy." With that she stood and forced her way to the back with a smile on her face. Rogue felt her heart tighten as John quickly stood and wrapped Wanda in his arms.
He was alone, and her heart sank even more wondering where Remy might be and who he might be with. But she had no right to him now, she had rejected him. But the thought of him smiling at another woman, of him holding another woman, of him kissing another woman the same way he'd kissed her…it tore at her heart.
Rogue felt a gentle touch at her shoulder, and turned to look into the sympathetic eyes of Ororo.
"Logan, love, I'm taking a break. This dear woman and I need to talk."
Rogue almost declined, but something in the tone the other woman used told her that 'no' was not an option. Gathering up her flagon of rum, she followed Ororo into a quieter corner of the bar.
"What's on your mind, sugah?" she asked, taking a seat.
Ororo stood with her hands on her hips, and Rogue could have sworn she saw a flash in her eyes. "I was wondering how long it would take you to return. Why, Rogue? Explain to me why you hurt him the way you did?"
She looked away. "Ah don't know what ya're talkin' about."
Ororo took a seat opposite Rogue and met her gaze. "Yes, you do."
Rogue felt a pain rising in her temples. God, it was so hard to relive this again, especially with her. How could she possibly make this woman understand the motivations she had when she was beginning to have her own doubts. She wanted nothing more than to be in Remy's arms now and feel happy again. If only she could be certain he would be alright.
"Ororo, Ah had to let him go." A heavy sigh escaped her lips. When she looked back up into the other woman's eyes, Ororo saw the tears threatening to pour forth. In all her years, she had never known Rogue to show her emotions.
Moving around the table and forgetting her earlier frustration, Ororo hugged Rogue close to her and whispered small encouragements into her ear. "Shhh, dear…It'll be alright. You'll see."
"Have…have ya seen him?"
Ororo frowned and nodded. "Yes, I've seen him. He told me, but I need to hear why you felt the need to turn him away. You must have realized how hard it was for him to trust again…to love again." She shook her head. "The pain has nearly destroyed him."
Rogue opened up to her and explained the vision she had seen when she had touched that necklace weeks ago, and her fear for Remy. How she wouldn't be able to live with herself if she caused Remy any harm, how she couldn't bear a life with him. The pain in her vision was too great…the loneliness too paralyzing. She had hurt Remy in order to save him. If their love would bring about his end, she couldn't risk it.
Ororo sat calmly as Rogue finished, and thought over what she had learned. When she spoke, her words shocked Rogue. "Isn't that selfish, dear?"
"What?"
She reached out and took Rogue's hand in her own. "What of Remy? Did you give him a choice? You based your decision on something that may or may not come to pass without any consideration to what Remy would want. Let's assume that what you think you saw actually comes to pass. The time that you would share with Remy could have been wondrous. You could have loved him and corrected so many wrongs that young man has already faced in his life. True, losing him would be painful beyond words, but everyone dies Rogue. You can't save him from fate, but you could make his years on this Earth joyful. Remy has known such little kindness."
She squeezed Rogue's hand. "I know that this last blow has wounded him deeper than any before. I doubt that he'll ever allow someone close to him again. I doubt he'll love again." Ororo released her hand. "Are you familiar with the 'Romance de Silence'?"
Rogue shook her head.
"It's the story of a woman in love with a man she sees every year at a fair. She watches him as he grows to love another, and as the years pass, she sees him with his wife, his children and such until he is an old man. On his deathbed, she goes to him and tells him of her love. That she was dreaming of him since she was eighteen and she was just a bright-eyed youth. That because of him she never married and never knew happiness except in her dreams, where she could pretend he was hers."
Rogue's throat tightened in sympathetic pain. "How sad."
"Aye, but the saddest part of all is that right before he dies, he confesses to her that he always loved her as well. That he would go to the fair every year just so that he could watch her from afar, but since she refused to even meet his gaze, he assumed she felt nothing for him. So the two of them spent the whole of their lives aching for what they could have had, had they just talked to one another."
"Why are ya tellin' meh this?" Rogue asked.
"Rogue," Ororo looked directly into her eyes. "If you don't go to him, you'll spend the rest of your life wondering…breathing but not really living."
Rogue thought over her words. There was truth to them.
Ororo stood and motioned for Rogue to follow her up the stairs. "I've heard enough, dear. I want to show you something."
They passed a pretty blonde on their way up. She stopped and spoke to Ororo. "Och, what a pity, ma'am! Such a waste of a fine man! He dinna even lift his head when I left him the tray." She continued on her way down the stairs.
Rogue gave Ororo a questioning look. "I'm only taking you up here because I believe you both need this. But by the goddess, I swear you better not hurt him more, Rogue." Ororo stopped at the second door and shook her head. "I haven't seen him so grief-stricken and angry since Jean-Luc died."
Rogue swallowed at her words. Poor Remy. She pushed the door open slightly and saw him sitting at a table with his head between his palms. Christian was sleeping in the bed beside him and looked like a small angel. How she had missed them! Ororo was right. How could she throw all they had away for something that may never come to pass? Better to spend the rest of their time together trying to show him how much he means to her, than to have him in pain like this.
She needed to fix this. Taking a deep breath and steeling herself against his anger, she stepped inside.
Downstairs…
John was playing a soft tune on his lute as Wanda watched in amazement at his talent. Stunned, she cocked her head and watched at the expert way he held and strummed the instrument.
"You play?" she asked rhetorically.
He answered by playing a livelier tune.
Wanda gaped at his expertise. Who knew her comedic, Australian would be so talented? She'd never heard anyone play better. His hands made the cords with an ease that bespoke years of tender practice.
Wanda didn't miss the attention he was receiving from the women listening to his music either. Well, they could all bugger off. John was hers!
"What are you doin', love?" John asked as Wanda moved closer to him with a peculiar impish look on her face…the look that made the hair on the back of his neck rise.
She smiled at him while she sat down next to him.
Close to him.
"Will you show me how to play?"
Swallowing, he nodded and handed her the instrument. Wanda sat with the lute in her lap, held at an awkward angle. Seeking to correct her, John put his arms around her to show her how to hold it and was immediately assailed with the fresh, sweet scent of her hair. With the softness of her hands on his. With the way she felt like heaven in his arms.
Wanda was all too aware of John's arms around her…of his breath falling against her neck. Of the way his strong hands led hers to the frets and strings to show her how to play.
She savored the warmth of him and realized how much she had missed being with him over the past few weeks.
John lost track of time as he sat there with her practically in his lap, as he ran her hands through a series of chords to teach her an easy song.
Before he realized it, he was lacing his fingers into her hair.
She didn't protest.
Wanda leaned back into him. "How old were you when you learned to play?"
"Twelve."
She rested her head against his shoulder and tilted her head so that she could look up at him. "What made you decide to learn?"
He shrugged.
"You're very good at teaching," Kurt said as he sat across from them.
"Yes, he is," Wanda agreed.
John cleared his throat and showed her another bar. "A teacher is only as good as his student."
Wanda smiled up at him.
Enchanted, John couldn't take his eyes off her face. Her eyes were clear and bright. Her lips were made for long kisses…for driving a man crazy. Her presence took him past sanity and reason.
"I love you, Wanda."
She looked into his eyes and saw the heat. There was no ice in them tonight. They burned for her.
Wanda stood and took John's hand in hers. With that same impish look on her face, she handed the lute to Kurt and pulled John through the crowd and out the door. Kurt watched them leave with a humorous glint in his eyes, and downed the rest of his rum in one fluid motion. Heaven help them.
Rogue stepped into the room and reached out to touch Remy's shoulder but paused. "Remy?"
He jumped in startled alarm at Rogue's voice coming out of the darkness.
"What are y' doin' here?" his asked, his voice gruff.
"Ah…Ah'm sorry Remy."
"Sorry?" He stood and turned toward her. Rogue had never seen him look so rugged…so pained. His cheeks were pale and sunken in, his hair unkempt. He wore no coat, and his light shirt was rumpled in a way he never would have allowed before. And yet in that instant she saw past his ravaged state. He was her Remy and he was hurting.
It was all she could do not to run to him, to wrap her arms around him and hold him tightly against her. She wanted to comfort him, and heal his tortured soul.
"Remy…" she whispered. Ignoring the thunder of her heart and her trembling limbs, she started toward him. The narrowing of those piercing red-on-black eyes, the tic that started in his cheek, told her that he was furiously angry.
"Dieu… sorry!" he said, storming over to the balcony doors. He swung them open and leaned on the railing, taking deep breaths.
Rogue swallowed. She closed her eyes a moment, willing herself to be strong. Ororo had warned her. She had known this wouldn't be easy. Taking a few steps forward, she moved out onto the balcony next to him. The cool breezes carried his scent to her, and her heart screamed for his touch and understanding.
"Remy doesn't know why y're here and he doesn't care. Go…please go." The last words were so low that she wasn't even sure she had heard them. "Y' should have stayed away, Rogue."
"Don't…Don't call meh that."
He turned to look at her and felt a lump in his throat at her earnest gaze, his face softened by the light of the full moon. "What?"
Rogue looked into his questioning eyes. "Ah don't want ya callin' meh by mah given name. Please, darlin'. Ah'm so sorry for hurtin' ya. Ah love ya. You are the center of mah world. Ah know Ah haven't given ya much reason ta believe meh…but ya are. Ah was scared, but now Ah know Ah was wrong."
"Don't touch me, chere," he breathed as she reached to touch his face.
"Please…"
"When y' touch me like dat, y' almost make me believe y' love me." He stepped back from her and she saw the pain clearly in his eyes. "Remy would move de world f'r y', chere." He shook his head. "Dieu, y' know what hurts de most? When y' left Remy, y' took his heart wit' y'…and now y' want t' tell him y're sorry. How does your heart beat, chere? How can y' breathe when Remy died dat day?"
Remy sank down onto his knees.
Without a word, Rogue reached out to him and pulled him into her arms. They held each other for a long moment in silence as she thought about what he had said. Rogue wasn't sure where to begin, or what she could say to ease his pain, make him believe how much she needed him. "Sometimes…sometimes Ah wake up cryin' at night, and call out your name. Ah love ya more than anything, darlin'. Ya're everythin' to meh." Tears began to fall from her eyes and she buried her face against his chest. "Ah don't want ta live without ya. Please…"
Remy trembled with emotion at her soft whisper.
By the light in her eyes, he could see the truth behind her words. Here there were no more lies, no hiding. She loved him…he could see it in the depths of her eyes. And there was no doubt he loved her. Wildly, passionately, and forever.
"Chere…"
"Please…say ya'll still marry meh."
He smiled at her with such tenderness something sweet tore open inside her. "Y're de bravest, most passionate femme Remy's ever known. Y're de sunlight in de darkest of shadows. Y're de joy in sadness. Y're my life and my love and I want t' be with y' always."
Rogue leaned against him, her heart aching at the beautiful words. She knew that he meant them. "Ah love ya, Remy. Ah think Ah always have."
Remy kissed her then, a fierce, burning, passionate kiss that left her breathless and wild with yearning.
"I need y' so much, chere. More dan y' could ever imagine. Will y' marry me?"
She rested her palm against the hard, strong line of his jaw. Remy needed her, and she loved him. No matter what happened in the future, she couldn't deny him. "Yes, Remy. Ah'll marry ya."
His eyes closed and he dragged her into his arms, pressing his cheek against the top of her head. "T'ank God." Then he was kissing her again. God, it had been so long and she had missed him so badly.
"Je t'aime, chere."
"Ah love ya," Rogue said, brushing his hair back from his face. "Ah was a fool to leave ya."
They held each other on the balcony for a long time, unaware of the eyes watching them. Christian smiled to himself as he saw them embrace and declare their love. Even in his young age, he knew theirs would be a union of spirit and fervor. They would clash and argue with the same passion they shared for one another.
He would never leave her, nor she him. Life was about to become very interesting for them all.
Two months later...
With a loud holler, Tante Mattie rushed from the kitchen wielding a large wooden spoon. "Where is dat boy! John, child, y' better be getting' back here!"
Kurt and Piotr laughed as they watched John dart from the main house towards the courtyard carrying a tray of pastries intended for the evening celebration. All the children of the village were giggling and following close behind.
"Wanda, help!"
Wanda came running from upstairs into the rose courtyard behind the house at John's frantic shout. She stopped as she caught sight of him surrounded by four small boys who began to pummel him with wooden swords while another hung on to his left leg and yet another hung precariously about his neck.
Wanda laughed at the sight. "It's your own fault," she said to John.
"Why?"
"You the one who came running into a crowd of youngsters with those pastries, love," she pointed to the tray that was now on the ground at his feet.
John laughed as Pete climbed further up his back and wrapped one spindly arm around his head, over his eyes.
"Lady!" six-year-old Jace shouted, stamping his foot. "You're not supposed to make the dragon laugh. It makes him less fierce."
"Less fierce?" John asked as he gently flipped Pete over his head to land on his feet, then scooped Jace up into his arms and tickled him. "I'll give you fierce, mate!"
Wanda laughed and returned to help the other women upstairs.
Rogue trembled with nervousness as Kitty, Wanda, and Mercy helped her dress for her wedding ceremony. She wore a strapless wedding gown and was barefoot at the moment, refusing to don her high heels until the minute they left for the small cathedral.
"Y're beautiful, petite." Mercy said as she plaited two small braids and draped them gently to rest atop her auburn curls, which were held into a semblance of order by pearl-tipped pins.
Rogue smiled at her friends as Kitty handed her the locket Remy had given her. "Thank ya."
A knock sounded at the door.
She turned to see John pushing it open. He paused as soon as he saw her and gave a wolf whistle. "They're ready."
Christian opened the door wider and fell into the room between John's legs. The boy had been creating mischief with John as of yesterday, and she hadn't seen much of him since.
Chris' eyes were wider than moons as he regarded her. "Lordy, ma'am, you look like vision."
Rogue smiled at the boy and touched his shoulder. "Thank ya, darlin'. Now behave...both of ya," she said looking to John, "…or Ah might be tempted to stew up a bit of a scamp!"
Chris stuck out his tongue and ran back into the hallway. Laughing at the incorrigible imp, she took a deep breath and faced John.
"Are you all right, sheila?" he asked as he offered her his arm.
She stepped into her shoes and placed her hand in the crook of his elbow. "Aye, John. Ah've never been happier."
The chapel was bright and cheery as she entered. The stained-glass depictions twinkled over the cobblestone floor, while Wanda, Kitty, and Mercy stood at the altar opposite John, Piotr, and Henry. Her body warmed instantly when she laid eyes on Remy. He looked completely elegant in his black attire, but then he always looked that way.
Well…all except a damp spot on his jacket, where the priest had 'accidentally' spilled holy water on him. No doubt the man had expected him to shriek in pain and explode into a puff of smoke. His lips twisted cynically as a sudden movement of his hand made the priest start. The simple man had never grown accustomed to Remy's unique eyes.
As Rogue drew near, Remy reached his hand out to her. She left Kurt's side, who had agreed to walk her down the aisle, and placed her hand into his. Remy paused at the softness of the touch. A wave of tenderness tore through him, that she had agreed to come to him…love him. He was humbled by it.
She looked up, and he saw the promise in her eyes, and it shook him all the way to his heart.
The mass started and the priest led the couple in their sacred vows to one another. When the priest asked for the ring, John handed him a small silver box. He'd searched countless jeweler shops trying to find something Rogue would like.
The task had seemed simple enough on the onset, but the many choices had given him pause. After an eternity of careful debate, he had found one he hoped was perfect…
Rogue bit her lip as Remy placed the ring on her finger. As she looked at it, tears filled her eyes. The dainty gold band was elegantly carved with roses and thistles, and the deep, dark green emerald shone even in the dim light of the chapel.
She remembered John asking after her favorite color. How kind of Remy to base his choice on that. And her mother had always said that emeralds were the stones of love. That they signified the unification of the heart and soul, and would bring eternal love to the one who wore it.
"It's the most beautiful ring Ah have ever seen. Thank ya." She brushed her gentle fingers against his jaw and dropped her hand to his, then rotated the ring on her finger.
For Remy's part, he had opted against the traditional wedding band. The day before the wedding, he had visited on old friend to invest in something more permanent. When the priest looked to Rogue and asked her for the ring, Remy held up his hand and pointed to the decorative tattoo around his ring finger. "Dis ring never come off, chere. Remy's your as long as y'll have 'im." He whispered low.
After the ceremony, everyone moved the celebration back to the manor. Rogue had kicked off her shoes once they arrived and was now enjoying a moment of quiet inside.
"What's wrong, chere?"
Rogue turned to see Remy standing behind her. "Nothin', darlin'." She took his hand and placed a small kiss on his tattoo. "Are ya ready to get rid of meh yet?"
"Never, mais dere's a large crowd of people in de garden who are wonderin' where de bride is."
She wrinkled her nose at that. "Okay, Ah'm comin'." She said, taking him by the arm.
Tante Mattie grabbed her and pulled her away from Remy. Rogue promised her return before the women surrounded her. Remy smiled at the sight, then turned to get them both a glass of champagne. Laughter echoed in the courtyard, amidst the music.
Taking a drink of champagne, he scanned the crowd until he found his wife with her friends. Rogue was absolutely lovely with her auburn hair down around her shoulders. Mercy had placed little sprigs of flowers all through her hair. She looked like some ethereal fey out to seduce him.
Tante Mattie came up to him to inform him that dinner was ready to be served. Inclining his head to her, Remy went to tell Rogue that they needed everyone to be seated. Rogue laughed under her breath as she sat in the chair and they actually got her scooted up without incident. She was finally learning how to do this properly. The first time Remy had held a chair out for her had been a complete fiasco.
Remy took her hand into his, then kissed her knuckles. The sensation of his lips on her hand set fire to her. She'd never known a human being could be so happy and yet terrified at the same time.
Henri stood up to toast them.
"I know dat it's typical f'r de best man t' toast de couple, mais I t'ink John might forgive me for usurpin' his place." Henri paused directly in front of them and stared meaningfully at his brother.
"Weddings signify a new beginnin'. After all, no human alive has ever been able t' choose his family…God knows, Remy would never have chosen his." He quirked a smile at Remy. "But as de Roman playwright Terence once wrote, 'From many a bad beginnin' great friendships have formed.'"
Henri lifted a glass to them. "Here's t' mon frère, Remy, and his wife Rogue. May y' both come t' enjoy de happiness I have known wit' my own wife. And may y' give one another all de love y' both deserve."
Rogue turned her head to look at Remy and smiled. She knew the truth of those words. She loved Remy, he loved her, and he would never leave her…never. There was just one more truth they needed to share.
"Remy?" she asked sweetly. "When it comes to children, do ya prefer a boy or a girl?"
"As long as it comes with your fiery spirit, chere, Remy couldn't care less. Why?"
She leaned over and whispered softly in his ear, "Well, Ah guess come next summer we'll know exactly what he or she looks like."
Remy's entire face lit up at the news. With a triumphant shout, he lifted her up in his arms and kissed her deeply. The crowd carried his shout as they cheered his kiss.
"Long live Remy and Rogue!"
And long live their love.
A/N: So ends this installment of Savage Seas. I already have the sequel planned out. The next story is currently untitled, but will take up about three years after the wedding. Many of the same characters appear with an appearnce by Emma Frost and a few others. I have already started working on a Roman version as well that takes place right before the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius where the characters do have their powers. I'm not sure which one to post first, but I'm open to suggestions on either one! Thanks to all my loyal reviewers and readers and I'm sorry for some of the long delays in the completion of this story. I'll do my best to keep those to a miminum in the future!