Carnival
by Rhona
Their relationship has turned something strange. One moment, they're screaming at each other; the next, they're acting like long time lovers, Xavier said to himself as he observed the two, who appeared to be arguing on the bluff.
He watched as Serina began to storm off and Remy run after her, catching her by the waist and taking her to the ground. She began to writhe, and to make sure that she wasn't injured, he checked her mind. She was laughing. Evidently he was tickling her.
"Ok...heh...Ok, I give!" she laughed.
"You promise? No more fighting today?" he asked, continuing his torment.
"Ok...ok...yes...yes..." she pleaded, tears beginning to fall from her eyes as she laughed.
"Promise?" He paused. "An' I'm de best husband in de world?" he smiled, his face close to hers.
"Oh, please," she said breathlessly, rolling her eyes. "I promise no more fightin' t'day, but ye are by far the worst husband in th' world," she grinned.
"De worst!" He began to tickle her again. "De worst?!" He brought his face as close as he could without touching her. "You want me to change your mind?" he asked, stopping his tickling, brushing his lips against hers. "I've heard you whisper somet'ing else at night."
"I never said ye wasnae a good lover; ye're not a good husband," she said, still breathless, lighting kissing him, placing her arms around his neck.
"Tell me, Petite; what would it take to make me a good husband?" he asked, propping himself on one elbow, keeping his face close to hers.
"Yer death," she half-growled, kneeing him in the groin and teleporting away.
"Why, 'Renia?" he asked to her back as she brushed out her hair. "We used to be so close. But now dat we be married, you don' wan' me near you." He took the brush from her, finishing her hair.
"A'cause, Remy, ye have no heart, which proves that we have a hollow marriage. Th' only thing we have is a physical attraction, a physical need. Ye havna nor will ye ever love me, so why should I get attached?" she replied, getting up at the sound of a knock at the door.
It was Xavier. "I would like to speak to the two of you in my office, immediately."
"Be there momentarily, Charles," she replied, closing the door. "Great, now what?" She pulled her hair back into a clip.
"Who knows, chere," he replied, resting his hands on her shoulders. "Prob'ly has to do wit' a mission." He caressed them gently. "Le's jus' get it over wit' so we can straighten out dis mess we seem to have."
She turned to face him. "Finally, somethin' we agree on. Our marriage is a mess with a piece o' paper ta make it legal; nothin' else." She then turned to leave.
"'Renia," he began. "Dat's not what I meant." He followed.
"No, but it's what I've said all along," she snapped as they walked down the hall to Xavier's door. "Caenna blame me fer bein' a dreamer. I'll never give up hope that ye'll come around and realize that ye have ta let me go. I'm not what ye wanted, anyway," she said, reaching up to knock on the door.
He caught her hand before it hit. "An' you can't blame me for hoping dat we make dis marriage work." He turned her to face him. "I have become too attached to you to jus' throw dis away. Damn it, 'Renia! I love you."
She pushed him off. "Tha's easy for ye ta say now, while she's not here. But will ye feel tha same when she comes home?" She paused. "I won't wait ta get shattered, so I won't get attached, not again." She turned and knocked on the door.
"Come in," Xavier stated through the door. "Please have a seat," he suggested as they entered. "I wanted to talk to you two about where your relationship is going."
"What about it?" Serina began to be defensive. "We're workin' on it."
"It not be anyone's business, 'fessor. It's still too new," Gambit replied, feeling the same as his wife.
"It's causing problems with your concentration in everything you do. You nearly killed each other in the danger room yesterday, and you argue all the time. Why can't you work things out in private and put up a better appearance in public?"
"You mean, act like all tha other couples here," Serina stated. "We're not tha same. They already had feelings fer each other."
"So did you," Xavier stated.
"But they doan' have a third party in their lives," Serina snapped, walking to the window. "They also doan' have handicaps," she muttered under her breath.
"Is that what this is about, Serina? Rogue?" Xavier asked.
"She don' t'ink I'm sincere," Gambit replied.
"Ye've never been sincere, Remy. Hell, they damn near killed Storm a'fore we agreed to it." She walked to the door. "I won' go back on my word, Remy, no more arguin' t'night, so I'll leave now a'fore I break my promise ta ye." She opened the door. "Don' bother waitin' up fer me; I doan' know when I'll be back." She slammed the door behind her.
"Is that all that bothers her?" Xavier inquired as they both looked at the door.
"I don' know," Gambit answered. "She gets stranger all de time."
"Do you still have strong feelings for Rogue?"
"Always will," Gambit replied.
"And Serina?"
"I don' know. I care much for her, even told her I love her, an' I do, but she always tells me dat I'm wrong. Dat I'm hollow." He sighed. "I don' know what else ta do." He stood. "If you don' mind, I got some t'inking to do," he said, leaving.
The feeling he picked up from Gambit were confusing. His feeling for Rogue were genuine, as were the ones for his new bride. But it was almost as if he couldn't differentiate between the two. Almost as if he was replacing Rogue with Serina; only Serina could sense it.
He only hoped it could get straightened out before it got too out of hand.
Serina crept quietly into her room, hoping that her husband was already asleep. She quietly dressed for bed, carefully pulling the blankets back and crawling into bed.
She stretched out and didn't feel him in the bed. She sat up, reaching for the light.
"Did you enjoy yourself?" Gambit asked softly.
"You didnae have ta wait up fer me." She turned on the light. "I went for a long drive, an' had coffee on tha wharf. If'n that's what ye call a good time, then yeah, I guess I did; alone," she snapped.
"Xavier questioned me after you left." She could hear him move about the room; he sounded as though he were coming closer. "He gave me somet'ing to t'ink about." He turned out the light, and sat beside her, pulling her hands into his. "Is Rogue de only problem? Or is dere somet'ing else dat bothers you?" He brought her hands to his lips. "We used to talk to each ot'er easily. Please, talk to me, 'Renia."
"About what?" she asked, pulling her hands away. He knew he had an advantage in the dark. "I've already told ya, ye're in love an' have been fer some time wit' Rogue. How can ye expect me ta see more of a happier outlook on this situation than there really is."
She moved from the bed to the window. "Ye lived wit' me fer years in New Orleans, and never once looked at me other than a friend. When I came here, I comforted ye when ye missed her most. Until the office fire, ye had forgotten mae. Ye married Belle, fell in love wit' Rogue, and now ye expect mae ta believe that, after all these years, you now love mae, really love mae."
Tears welled in her eyes. He hadn't moved from the bed. "How can ye expect mae ta just take ye fer only yer word." She paused. "I was never good enough fer ye afore, Remy. I really caenna see where I am now. I'm sorry. I just caenna."
"Jus' give me time t'show you dat I was wrong." He moved to stand behind her. "I admit, I was scared an' we were young. Jus' give me one more chance."
"Ye've always told me I was too young fer ye, that I didnae know what I was doin'. Then ye tell me I make ye nervous, a'cause I look too young. Now, I'm s'posed ta just give ye a chance? What would it prove, Remy?" She turned to face him. "All I am now is a surrogate fer what Rogue is not. Ye taught mae most everythin' I know, from t'ieving to makin' love, but most of all how to break hearts." She then stood and walked away, grabbing her robe and striding out the door.
He watched as his wife walked out to the bluff. She seemed to be throwing something off the cliff one by one. He went down to get a closer look.
She sat on her knees on the edge of the cliff, the wind blowing most of what she threw back around her, but she didn't seem to notice.
Gambit began gathering cards from the grass a good foot behind her. They were no ordinary cards, they were playing cards. He held one up, charging one of his own. It was the king of hearts. He spread the others in his hand. They all were. He flipped one over, and it read:
Renia, my sweet,
They pale in comparison to what you've given me. Thank you.
Love always,
Remy
It was one of the first ones he had ever given to her. He turned over another.
My dearest Renia,
I hoped to find a love that's true,
And now I've found that love in you.
Love you always,
Remy
They were all from him. Every one he ever gave her was scattered around her and some seemed to have made it to the water below.
She was still throwing them as he approached, tears streaming down her cheeks. He could hear her soft sobs; he knew those sobs. He heard them often at night, both in Louisiana and here in her sleep.
He slid down behind her, encircling her in his arms. "'Renia, stop. Please," he pleaded softly, stopping her from throwing any more. She began to pull away, but he pulled her back. "No. Let me help, let me erase de pain." She began to cry harder as he held her, listening to the sound of a dream, a hope shattering.
She leaned her head against him, relaxing in his gentle hold. "I never knew, 'Renia. you kept dem all an' I never knew dey meant so much."
"They meant everythin' ta mae. They kept me goin', even in the worst o'times. They reminded me of a happier time," she said softly. "Now, they cause mae pain."
"Why, Petite?"
"Because now I have ye, but not like then. An' you don' send them anymore, an' they don' mean tha same anymore. Nothin' will ever be tha same, Remy. So why? Why d'ye want ta try? Nothin' ye do now can ever erase what has happened." She turned to face him. "I'm a telepath, Remy; I can sense how ye really feel. Without tryin', I can read yer mind. There is nothin' ye can hide from mae. Even now, ye mentally apologize t'her as ye hold mae. Like ye did at our wedding."
She pulled away, standing in front of him. "Face it, Remy. You don' need a blind girl fer a wife." She then ran off toward the house.
He sat there for a long time, thinking on what she had said, slowly picking up the pieces of her shattered heart.
He entered their room to find her asleep in the chair by the open window. He quietly undressed, then gently lifted her and carried her to bed. When it seemed that she had no more tears to shed, she found more. He could still see them on her lashes. He laid beside her, pulling her close. It was a long time before she fell asleep. He just lay there, holding his wife close.
He awoke later that morning to a soft humming. He opened his eyes to see Serina drying her hair in their bathroom. He decided to lay there and watch her.
He felt as though he'd been blasted to the past. Their past. As she stood there, blowing it dry, she looked as if time had never touched her. No pain, no stress. Just the same as she had been back in New Orleans.
She spent over an hour in there; it always took that long for her hair to dry. She then dressed in jeans and a T-shirt, then began the task of pulling up her hair. At this, he decided to get involved. He moved quietly to stand behind her. "Can I give you a hand?"
"Would you?" she asked back.
"Sure. How do you want to wear it today?"
"In a high ponytail," she replied.
"How would you like it if we spend de day together?" he asked.
"I don' know, Remy, can we really do that without arguing?" she asked, picking up a box from the dressing table. She pulled out a tied cloth, then cleared a spot on the table.
"I t'ink so," he replied, letting her ponytail fall down her back.
"Well, let's see," she said, laying the cloth out.
"What do you have dere, Petite?"
"Shall we see what tha cards say, Remy?" She pulled a deck of tarot cards from a velvet pouch. "Ask them any question."
"De tarot, Petite, when you learn dis?"
She flipped the top card after shuffling. "Long ago." The 'Past' card showed.
"Is today goin' to be a happy one?" he asked. "For de two of us together?"
She shuffled, then had him touch the deck. She did a simple five-card spread. "Hmmm. It seems that tha day will be full o'happiness, memories, a time lost, a love anew an' surprises." She put the deck back together. "I would love ta spend tha day wit' ye." She stood, kissing him lightly. "So, what did ye have in mind?"
"Let's jus' say it's one of de surprises," he smiled.
"Ok," she smiled. "I'll get us some coffee, and ye get in tha shower." She kissed him again, then almost bounced out of the room.
He just shook his head and headed for the shower.
Later that day...
Remy LeBeau took curves faster each time, enjoying the feel of his wife tighten her grip around him as they rode his motorcycle. "Ye ever gonna tell me where we're goin'?" she asked, resting her head on his shoulder.
"No, Petite, I'm not. Now close your eyes," he smiled. "An' no telepathy. It's a surprise," he said, turning off the road to head through the trees. He felt her hold tighten and her breath on his neck as they hit a bump on the dirt path that lead to a small river. "It's all right, 'Renia, we're almost there," he said when her grip didn't loosen.
He parked under a large tree; the spot was perfect. No one around for miles, a picturesque view of mountain, valley and river. "Petite," he began, her hold still steadfast, "we're here." He felt it loosen a little. He slid her around to sit in front of him, not breaking her hold. He smoothed her hair. "What's wrong, 'Renia?" he asked softly as she still held on pretty tight. He lifted her face to his. "I didn't mean to scare you."
"Ye dinnae," she replied, opening her eyes. "I jus' got a bad feelin'." She loosened her hold only to find that he now held her close. "That's all," she smiled, turning her head to looked around. "Oh, Remy, it's beautiful," she breathed, taken aback by the land's splendor, as she looked though his eyes.
"As you are," he said, kissing her cheek. "Come one." He set her to stand on the ground. "I packed us a lunch, an' I got more surprises planned for today, and some for tonight." He unhooked a basket and blanket.
"Really?" she asked softly. "We havnae gone on a picnic since ye took mae to France on spring break." She grabbed the blanket from him when he couldn't get it to spread out evenly.
He set the basket on the blanket, opening it and pulling out its contents: a bottle of wine, two wine glasses, grapes--red seedless, cheese, crackers, and salami. He then pulled out a foil package containing Creole chicken and a bowl of Cajun potato salad.
"Did ye make all o'this?" she asked, sitting down as he poured the wine.
"Yeah." He handed her a glass. "Did it while you were wit' Xavier. De chicken an' salad I made for you for dinner las' night, but you were too upset," he explained, fixing her a plate, then handing it to her, and making his own. "I hope you enjoy it."
She took a bite of chicken; it had a wonderful flavor, but was a bit spicy. She gratefully took a drink of wine. "Powerful," she said, drinking some more wine.
He laughed. "I'm sorry, Petite. A lil' too much pepper, no?"
"Jus' a little," she smiled.
"Try de salad, it be a bit more gentle," he said, feeding her a bite. "Better, no?"
"Mmhmm," she said, grateful that it was a little tamer.
They spent the afternoon laughing, swimming and eating, but most of all enjoying each other's company.
They spent a long time lying on the blanket under the tree, watching the sun begin its descent. "Remy," she began, her head resting on his shoulder, her hand on his chest.
"Hmmmm?"
"Today has been absolutely wonderful. Thank ye," she said softly.
"It not even over yet, Petite," he said, kissing the top of her head. "I have a special dinner planned, den, a night of sheer fun."
"Oh Remy," she rolled onto her stomach, lifting her head to see his face, both hands on his chest. "Can we skip dinner; I don' think I could eat 'nother bite."
"OK, Petite. Den we go to de extravaganza," he smiled, kissing her gently and longingly. "We have a long ride ahead of us, so we need to get going." He looked down at her. "If you are ready?"
She laid her head back down on his chest. "I duenna know," she sighed. "It's so peaceful here. So...oh, I duenna know. I don't want it t'end." She closed her eyes.
"So it won'," he said softly. "Whenever you're ready."
"I guess we can go now. I duenna know where or how far we have ta go," she said, starting to rise.
"Wait a minute, 'Renia," he said, pulling her back to him. "I have some'ting for you." He pulled out a long, thin box. "I was going to give it to you at dinner, but since we're not going, I t'ought I'd give it to you now," he said, handing it to her.
She felt it slowly. "What is it, Remy?"
He chuckled. "Now, Petite, de only way you'll ever find out is if you open it."
She smiled at his persistence in surprising her. She slowly opened it, running her hand along the inside of the velvet-lined box. She felt what seemed to be a bracelet. "A charm bracelet?" she inquired.
"Close, Petite; feel it more closely."
She ran her hand along the length of the chain. "An anklet?"
He tapped the box. It jingled. "Bells?" She raised a brow.
"Yes, Petite," he said, taking it from her. He removed it from its case, running his hand down her left leg, lifting her pant leg. He gently placed it on her ankle. It jingled prettily.
"Oh, Remy, it's precious," she stated softly, as his hands slowly ran up her leg. "Now, Remy, behave yerself, ye did want to finish our evening together as ye planned, didnae ye?" she purred, having a hunch as to where this was leading.
He moved his hands to her waist, slowly working his way up. "Now, Petite, how do you know dat I didn't plan dis all along?"
"Mmmm," she groaned softly at his touch. "Maybe a'cause I heard ya on tha phone earlier." She grinned as his face came closer to hers, his lips brushing hers.
"Y' what?" he asked, hoping to have heard wrong.
"I heard y' on de phone earlier," she repeated, mimicking him as he ran his lips down her neck.
He pulled back abruptly. "No," he mocked a gasp, falling on his back. "You caught me!" he croaked, pretending to be mortally wounded.
She mocked a shocked expression. "Oh no!" she gasped. "Now I'm all alone. I guess I'll have ta teleport back," she said, rolling the blanket around him. "Better take his remains as proof. Xavier may not believe that I didnae really kill him. Though tha thought did go through my mind," she said, tucking it in around his neck. He reached up and kissed her. "Remy!" she laughed as he broke free, pinning her to the ground.
"So. You've thought of my death," he said in a threatening tone, his eyes glittering. "Tell me, was it Xavier's idea, or yours?"
"I won' tell," she grinned. "Nothin' ye kin do will reveal my mission."
"Ve have vays of making yu talk," he began, placing his hands in a threatening way at her sides, talking in a generic German accent. "Is it safe?" he asked, lightly tickling her sides.
"I'm not saying," she said, fear in her eyes. He began to tickle her. "No...no...please, no," she laughed as he tickled her with a vengeance.
"Tell me, Petite," he said as he continued to tickle her.
"Ok...ok," she said breathlessly. "It was all my idea. Only mine," she cried.
"An'?"
"An'?" He continued his torment. "An' yer tha best husband in tha world," she cried in a fit of laughter, her arms around his neck.
He stopped, breathless himself, but enjoying her playfulness. "Really?" he asked, moving to lay beside her.
She rolled to face him. "No. I was jus' saying it ta get ye ta stop." She leaned forward, kissing him deeply. "But ye're gettin' better. Jus' duenna try ta buy mae." She caressed his cheek. "I love tha anklet, an' I'll cherish it, but today, today has been absolutely heaven." She kissed him again. "Now, let's get goin'." She got up, gathering everything up and then waited for him on the bike.
He smiled at her eagerness, grabbing the blanket, and headed toward her.
They stopped by the mansion to drop off their picnic items, them headed out once again. Remy told Xavier that he didn't know what time they'd be back.
He drove her to Coney Island, taking her back to a memory she once though lost to her. "A carnival?!" she exclaimed lightly.
"One of de biggest, Petite." He kissed her hand. She had moved the ring he bought her to her right hand when he gave her the 'wedding ring'.
She grabbed his arm, pulling him close. "Ye ain't goin' ta repeat what happened tha last time, are ye? I may nae be able ta pay yer bail," she whispered with a hint of seriousness in her voice.
"Moi?" he gasped. "Never fear, amore, dose days are long past," he replied, starting to walk with her. He stopped suddenly, leaning near her. "You did bring your wallet, no?" he smiled brightly.
"Ye're kidding, right?" She wasn't quite sure her sensed weren't mixed by his closeness.
"Yes, 'Renia," he sighed, leading her to the entrance.
They rode several rides and played several games; some he won, others she won, both lost and had fun.
They gathered their winnings and he took her for a ride on a row boat. They slowly cruised through the waters, coasting near the land's edge. "Oh, Remy," she began as he lay against her in the boat, "today has been absolutely a dream." She purred softly into his ear. "Thank you." She lightly kissed him.
"I'm glad dat you enjoyed it, Petite," he said, turning to kiss her back.
The kiss deepened, releasing a pent-up passion that she had hidden for years. She held him tight, her back to the shore as they continued to kiss. Suddenly, she pulled away abruptly. "Oh Gods," she whispered in a shocked voice. "I'm sorry, Remy, so sorry," she said tearfully, pulling away and disappearing.
With her gone, he now saw fully why she ran. His eyes fell upon Rogue, standing on the shore. "Damn," he muttered, rowing to shore. He gathered their things and began to walk towards his bike.
"Remy?" Rogue's voice was soft. "You all right?"
"Yeah, Chere," he replied, "I'm fine." He tied the stuffed animals to his bike.
"Who was that?"
"Someone special to me," he replied. "Need a ride?"
"No, thank ya," she declined. "Ah'm here with friends."
"Den I see you around," he said, starting his bike and heading home.
Upon reaching his room, he found it emptied of all of Serina's things. On a hunch, he went to her old room and knocked on the door. There was no answer. He quietly opened the door. Her things were scattered all about the room. He quietly laid their toys on the floor.
As he reentered his room, he found a note on his bed; with it was the anklet he bought her. The letter read:
Remy,
I'm ever so sorry. I never meant for this to happen; it just felt...so right, for the first time it felt right. Please forgive me, I never meant it to end this way. I'm sorry.
Love,
'Renia
He folded it up, putting it into his pocket as a tear silently slid down his cheek. Now he knew why he had to have her. She was the one he'd searched for all his life. Always. And all this time, she'd been right there, beside him. 'How could I be so blind?' he thought as he stared out his window alone.
