The Companion Picture - REVIEW THIS STORY

Written by Dandelion
Last updated: 12/03/2009 06:26:08 PM

Chapter 13

"Drink to me only with thine eyes, and I will pledge with mine. Or leave a kiss but in the cup and I'll not look for wine." Rogue sighed, flipping through the book of poetry she had picked up at a little, used-book shop. Remy had been a great quoter of romantic poetry, but that never really surprised her.

From the very beginning Remy had always appeared to her to know exactly how to go about romancing those of the opposite sex. He had whispered that particular gem in her ear during their carriage ride through Central Park. Rogue gritted her teeth, things were so perfect that night. Everything he said and did seemed to sing out to her and her alone that he was in love with her and no one else mattered.

She had believed it.

She still did.

Every instinct within her told her that Remy, in his own sad and lonely way, was trying so hard to be the person he thought she deserved. The problem was that he failed so miserably. He was a scoundrel trying to be a saint and it simply went against everything he was. To be perfectly honest with herself, Rogue couldn't say she was too upset. She had never wanted the saint. She was always drawn to the scoundrel, and with Remy she had certainly found the prince of them all. She knew why he didn't want to tell her the truth about his past. It was the same reason she was the loathe to tell him what she had done. He wanted to be someone she could be proud of. That was, of course, impossible. How could she be expected to admire a man who was so ashamed of himself?

Rogue sat in a little outdoor cafe across the hotel that Remy and Magnus were currently calling home and thought about her last trip to Miami. She had tried to steal an antiquated conquistador's helmet. She would have pulled it off, too, if it hadn't been for Bobby. She glanced at the hotel's entryway and hoped her disguise would hold up on this, her fourth day of intrigue. She wore a big straw sun hat, partly to cover the tell-tale stripe in her hair, and partly to keep the Miami sun off of her fair complexion, shades, and a sarong skirt with a halter top. She guessed that even if Remy *did* happen to notice her across the street, he wouldn't recognize her. She hoped. He hadn't emerged yet, so she indulged in her reminiscence. She wasn't too sure if she appreciated Bobby's interference or not. <Ah suppose it would've been nice to see if Ah could get away with it. Ah came close. Bobby had to go and stick his nose into it. At the time, Ah was awfully grateful for it. It just seemed like Ah couldn't control myself, but Ah've wondered more and more, so much time had gone by since the kiss that Ah wonder if deep down Ah was tryin' to understand Remy more than anything else.> She flipped through her poetry book and then put it away and pulled out a fashion magazine. <Ah could feel his instincts, Ah still can at times. It's like when Ah feel Belle inside my head. Ah push her down, but Ah let Remy come up, Ah don't want to know Belle. Ah want to know Remy, and Ah do. Ah know him now like Ah never did before. Ah see him as he *is*, scared, ashamed of his past and the mistakes he made, too proud to admit it. More like me than Ah ever thought before, and yet, different somehow.>

Rogue didn't think she'd ever be able to explain the insight she had on Remy and how it made her feel. She certainly couldn't explain it to the others who had their own opinions of the man. Bobby had been quiet about her need to find him and she had been expecting him to put up the biggest fight.

Of course, Bobby had his own problems. He confided in her briefly before she left. "Emma is driving me up the wall."

"She's in Boston, Bobby."

"She's been in my head, Rogue. Don't pretend that she'd be hindered by distance after that." Bobby had certainly been in a mood.

"Look," Rogue told him. "Emma's been in your head, Remy's been in mine. Ah'm going after him, maybe you better go and confront her once and for all."

Bobby looked at her then, seriously. "You know, I had my own ideas about LeBeau. But I have to tell you, Rogue, Seattle changed my mind. He helped me out and he wanted to help you. He wasn't very smart about it, but I can relate to that."

"What are you tryin' t'tell me, Bobby?"

"That there's something in him that's worth saving, and it seems like you're the only one who can do it. I saw him after you left and I really think that his feelings are genuine. About as genuine as anyone's. Maybe more so. I don't know, it's hard to explain. But for a few minutes all of his defenses were down and I could see what you and Storm see. There's a man there who believes and feels just as much as the rest of us do."

Rogue smiled, "You've never been more eloquent, sugah." She hugged him hard. "You go have a chat with Emma, and Ah'll be talkin' to ya real soon."

So here she was, feeling a little like Mata Hari, and loving every minute of it. It was nice to feel like she was walking on the edge again, and in control of herself. She wasn't running away this time, she was running *to* something. What that was exactly, remained to be seen. Rogue came out of her reverie when she notices Remy coming out of the hotel with Magnus. Her heart skipped a beat and she forced herself to remain calm. She bent her head toward the magazine she had bought to make it seem as though she were reading.

Her sunglasses gave her the cover she needed to observe Remy unnoticed. He paused outside the doors and looked around him. She watched him discreetly.

Remy scowled. "There's dat woman again."

"Where?" Magnus looked around.

"Don't look!" Remy hissed.

Magnus froze and sighed loudly. "How can I see this new shadow of yours if I don't look?"

"You can look, but don't be so obvious about it." Remy adjusted his sunglasses and crossed his arms. "She's sittin' in the cafe 'cross the street wearing a big sun hat and shades."

Magnus scanned the cafe. "So. Go talk to her."

"Forget it!" Remy seethed. "I thought we were clear on this."

"Oh yes," Magnus nodded. "That's right, you're becoming a monk. I forgot that part."

"I'm not becomin' a monk, Lensherr. Ha. Ha. You quite the comedian now, I t'ink I like you better when you a megalomaniac wit' homicidal tendencies. Least you didn't joke 'bout *ev'ryt'ing* den."

"What are you saying, I don't have a sense of humor?"

"It's your timin' dat stink," Remy answered, hiding a smirk. "Anyway, Ah'm not goin' to talk to her or nobody else."

Magnus sighed, "Remy, Rogue is gone, why do you insist on holding onto this idea that you can't even talk to another woman? I think it might make you feel better."

"Dat's not the point!" Remy raged. "It's not dat I can't, I jus' don' want to. Completely different."

"All right. Fine. But you keep in mind, we're going to be on a boat for a significant period of time. Don't get any ideas." One side of Magnus' lip twitched.

Remy rolled his eyes, "Don' worry none, Lensherr. You not my type." He lowered his shades and winked at his friend, then looked back across the street to the woman at the cafe.

<DAMN DAMN DAMN!!!> Rogue raged inwardly. <They've seen me. DAMN!!> She watched the two men as they spoke to one another. It looked like an interesting conversation and Rogue wished she could eavesdrop. <Ah'd love to hear what these two have to say to each other.>

<Magnus looks very good,> she thought as she appraised them. <There's something altogether different 'bout that man. Must be the smile. Ah don't think Ah've ever seen him smile in my entire life. He's just acting different. Casual is the word. Strange. Ah don't know if it suits him for the long haul, but he sure wears it well now.>

Her eyes moved to Remy, <Look at him. He's got that stubborn set to his jaw, Ah wonder what it is he doesn't want to do. Magnus may as well save his breath, nobody can make Remy do anything when he clenches his jaw like that.> She smiled and watched them head down the street. <What am Ah gonna say to him? 'Hi Remy, Ah'm back!' Yeah, right.>

She put her magazine away and stood. She wasn't sure what her plan was, but she wasn't about to let them out of her sight, so she walked down the street after them.

They reached the Chamber of Commerce and stopped. She watched them as they talked and gestured to one another. Remy seemed to be gesturing to the shore a great deal. Magnus didn't look very approving, but after a few minutes he nodded and went inside the building. Remy turned and started making his way to the beach.

Rogue suddenly didn't care if he saw her now. She was ready to go to him, to tell him everything was all right, that she didn't hate him and she wasn't afraid of him. Her steps moved faster. She probably would have reached him if her courage had held up. She stopped cold at the beach. <What am Ah goin' to say? How can Ah help him? How can Ah go up to him and make it so we can really make somethin' work? Ah want him to trust me, to be able to tell me the things that worry him. Ah want to be able to do the same things with him. Is that even possible?>

Rogue moved forward scarcely realizing what she was doing. All she saw was Remy. He sat on a rocky outcropping, watching the waves hit the shore. He didn't seem to be aware of anything around him.

It was strange, the feeling she got as she watched him. There was a solace he seemed to get in his solitude. There was a serenity in his manner as he watched the waves. Rogue knew the time was now.

She was so close to him now. She sat down next to him silently, and waited. Remy was about to leave. He didn't like this person invading his privacy and forcing herself on him without word or thought. Then he felt something. There was something familiar about the very air around this person. Remy looked out at the waves and pondered the familiarity. It wasn't Magnus. Magnus charged the very air around him without even realizing it. Remy didn't get any of that feeling, so it wasn't his friend. Besides, Magnus wouldn't have kept quiet this long.

Remy closed his eyes and breathed deeply.

<Magnolias...> Only one person in the world reminded him of those flowers, the one person he never expected to be here next to him at this moment. Rogue.

He turned his head. She held the hat on her lap, letting her hair loose. The wind swept her auburn locks back away from her face. He stopped and stared. He reached up with one and fumbled with his shades, pulling them off and staring at

her in utter amazement. "Rogue?"

At that one moment, Rogue knew. She knew that she had made the right decision in finding him. She knew because as she looked at him she saw something in his eyes she hadn't seen before. Hope. She removed her sunglasses and looked sideways at him, a small smile playing at her mouth.

She reached out brushing a lock of his hair away from his face. "Hello Remy."