Deamon Lover

Jean watched as Rogue bit her lip and seemingly debated whether or not to go with the strange
young thief. Not surprisingly, Jean thought, Rogue apparently chose to go with him because she
crossed the room towards him with a dreamy little smile on her face. But before she reached him
Jean gave Remy a mental shove that sent him staggering into the room and slammed the door shut
with another small burst of telekinesis. “What do you think you’re doing Rogue?” Jean demanded.
Out of the corner of her eye Jean saw the thief readjust his sunglasses and scowl at her. She
swung her arm around and pointed accusingly at him. “Do you even know where he’s going? And
how do you know who he is?” Jean’s arm dropped and her eyes narrowed, “And what is he doing
out of jail?”
Waves of anxiety poured off from Kitty and Jean whirled around to see Kitty trying
unsuccessfully to hide in the middle of the room. Quickly Jean suppressed her anger and calmly
asked the frightened girl, “Kitty, how did he get out of jail?”
Meekly, Kitty opened her mouth to answer but Rogue bullied her way into Jean’s view. “Ah told
her that her power was gitting Remy outta jail one way or another.” Rogue cocked her head
defiantly and smiled nastily. “Got a problem with that Red?”
Jean frowned in that I’m-such-a-goody-goody-that-everyone-should-bow-to-me way. ‘I knew
Rogue wasn’t x-men material.’ Jean thought. ‘I guess this just proves it.’ Outloud she said,
“Rogue, he has to go back to jail. I mean, come on, he did steal Scott’s wallet. That’s illegal and
he should be punished. He’s looks normal enough that no one would know what he is.” Jean
shrugged. “He has to give himself up. That’s all there is to it.”
Rogue growled and looked as though she were about to lunge at Jean when Remy reached out
and gently grabbed Rogue’s arm. “It be all right cherie. Dis girl ha’ neva seen Remy before so it’s
understand’ble why she woul’ want to send him back t’ jail.” He grinned at Rogue and she
melted. “Shoul’ Remy show her why he no wan’na go back to jail?” When Rogue nodded
hesitantly, Remy lowered his sunglasses. Jean blinked in surprise and stepped back. Rogue
watched Remy’s face fall for a second from Jean’s reaction but then his easy-going grin was back
in place, “Now you see why Remy na wan’to go back. Dey won’t let him wear dese sunglasses in
jail and apparent’ly some people ha’ a problem wit dese eyes.” Remy shrugged and looked Jean
straight in the eyes. She was caught in the hypnotic red glow and didn’t catch the pain behind his
next words, “Remy t’ink dat mutants woul’ ha’ not’ing against Remy fo’ his eyes, but apparently
dat isn’t a’ways da case, non?”
Rogue did hear that pain and remembered when they first met. She had heard the hurt in his voice
when she had called him deamon lover and now regretted those words more than ever. An intense
urge to wipe away any insecurities Remy had hidden behind his wicked grin and charming words
crashed through Rogue. She slipped her gloved hand into his and started to lead him towards the
door.
“No way Rogue,” Jean reached out with her mind and Rogue froze. “Maybe I can justify letting
him go but I can’t let you go with him. Professor Xavier would be furious if we came back
without you.” Warily Jean let Rogue go and walked over to her. Behind her Jean could hear Kitty
muttering “I wouldn’t get too close Jean.” and both Rogue and Remy looked at her like she were
crazy. When she was standing in directly in front of Rogue she stopped and said, “You have to
choose Rogue, the X-Men or this guy. Which is it going to be?’
Rogue scowled at Jean. “Why do Ah have ta choose? Why kin’t Ah jus’ spend some time wit
Remy while we’re in Naw’lins and then go back ta Bayville wit everyone else?” Rogue rolled her
eyes and looked disgusted by the red-haired prig. “Ya know what Jean? Ah’m not gonna make a
choice. Ah’m jus’ gonna do what Ah want and tell you to screw off. So you kin bitch all ya want
but ya kin’t make me act like some little brainless clone of yers.” Jean’s eyes widened from the
rant but Rogue wasn’t done yet. “Not everyone can be as perfect as you,” Rogue added
sarcastically. “An’ Ah don’t even want ta try. So ya kin shove that holier-than-thou attitude up
yer ass an’ let me leave wit Remy fo’ a bit.” Whirling around Rogue started to walk out the door
but felt a hand clamp around her wrist. She tried to jerk her wrist out of Jean’s grip but only
succeeded in getting her sleeve yanked up a few inches and exposing bare skin.
Rogue sucked in a deep breath and watched in horror as Jean started to twitch. “Let go of me
Jean,” she screeched as she tried to twist her wrist out of Jean’s hand. “Let Go!”
Kitty jumped forward and tried to pull Jean back but her grip on Rogue’s wrist was too tight and
she wouldn’t let go. Remy jumped into the fray as well by grabbing both Rogue and Jean’s arms
and trying to pull them apart. In the seconds that passed, Jean went from twitched to spasming
and finally she let go and collapsed into a shuddering mass on the floor.
Rogue stared down at Jean in shock. Her face paled and left eye began to tick as the feeling of
Jean’s memories slammed into her brain. She clutched her head and backed away from the
trembling body on the floor. She shook her head from side to side, whispering the word ‘no’ over
and over again, breathing so fast that Kitty thought she was going to hyperventilate. Remy
reached out to touch her shoulder and Rogue shrieked. She flinched away and she wrapped her
arms around her self as though she could squeeze herself into a little ball.
“Kitty,” Remy’s voice drew Kitty’s eyes away from Jean, “Go git da Scott guy an’ whoeva else
coul’ help wit dis.” Kitty blinked rapidly for a moment but ran out the door and yelled out to
Scott. Remy could hear thumps pounding on the stairs and was startled to hear a loud *Bamf*
from the corner of the room. Kurt quickly figured out what had probably happened and groaned.
“Ach. Not again.” He threw a curious look at Remy and asked “Vat are you doing here?”
Before Remy could answer Scott ran through the door and gaped at the scene. He dropped to his
knees and cradled Jean to his chest. Scott pushed her bangs off of her forehead and held her tight
to stop the spasms. Without bothering to look up from the unconsciousness Jean he barked out
some orders. “Evan go get some washcloths. Kitty, call the mansion and ask Professor Xavier if
there is anything we can do to help Jean. Kurt, help me get Jean on her bed.”
Rogue stepped forward and hesitated before quietly asking, “Is there anything Ah kin do?”
Scott flinched at the sound of her voice but he didn’t take his eyes off of Jean to answer. “Yeah
Rogue, there is something you can do.” He paused and the room dropped about ten degrees from
his frosty tone. “You can leave.”
Silence crashed over the room. No one dared to breath. Even Jean lay quietly on the floor. Rogue
blinked rapidly and stared blankly at Scott. “Wha... what did you just say?” she asked as though
she had misheard him. But when he stood to face her she knew she had heard right.
Scott glared at her as best he could, “I said you can leave.” He cocked his head to one side
condescendingly, “Isn’t that what you were gonna do anyway? Just leave us like you left Irene
and the brotherhood and go along your merry little way without caring about those who tried to
help you.” Scott scowled and his face twisted up in disgust as he twisted the preverbal knife a bit
more, “You know what, I think you’re just a selfish little bitch and I’ll be glad to see you walk out
that door.”
The rest of the X-Men stared in wonderment at the venom that spewed out of their so-called
leader’s mouth. He opened his mouth for one last verbal knife but snapped his jaws shut when
Remy stepped in front of the shell-shocked Rogue. The entire room stared at him as he pulled a
three of clubs from thin air and just held it while glaring daggers at Scott. He just held it there
threateningly and they watched as it began to glow pink. Not a second had passed before the pink
glow deepened into a vicious red. The crimson glow intensified just a slight bit more before Remy
flicked the card casually out the balcony doors.
*BOOM*
Everyone jumped as the card exploded. They stared at the spot where the card had detonated
momentarily before returning their focus back to Remy. He still stood in front of Rogue
protectively and his red-on-black eyes were locked onto Scott with an intensity that frightened
most everyone in the room. Without turning his attention from Scott he snapped his fingers and a
two of clubs appeared in his hand. With a flick of the wrist so quick it rivaled Pietro the card
slammed down to the ground at Scott’s feet.
Immediately Scott jumped back but the card just sat there on the floor. Feeling like a fool, he
narrowed his eyes (not that anyone noticed) and opened his mouth but was once again cut off by a
card appearing like magic in Remy’s hand. Remy waved the ace of clubs like a fan in front of his
face. “Homme,” his voice was low and fear rippled down Scott’s back as Remy addressed him, “If
you say one mo’ nasty t’ing to ma cherie, den dis card is gonna do mo’ den jus’ make ya jump.”
The glow from Remy’s eyes deepened from red to black and Scott shivered despite the Louisiana
heat, “Now Remy here is gonna leave an’ he be taking cherie wit him. Ain’t no one gonna stop
him an’ ain’t no one gonna follow him. Tomorrow morn’ng cherie is gonna decide wha’ she
wanna do an’ no one’s gonna have a problem wit her decision. If she wanna stay, she stay. If she
wanna go back, she go back. An’ if she goes back an’ Remy hears anyt’ing ‘bout nasty t’ings
being said ta her den he gonna find da person who woul’ be so mean an’ see if dey like having a
few limbs blown off.”
When no one responded Remy turned around and reached for Rogue’s gloved hand. She stared
woodenly back at him as he kissed the back of her hand. He frowned unhappily at her reaction
and put his arm around her shoulder. When she didn’t flinch he took it as a good sign and led her
out the door. When they crossed the threshold she peered back at her ‘friends’ and when they
didn’t say anything she hung her head and walked out, ashamed and crying.