X-Men Fan Fiction ❯ The Angel's Gift ❯ Ch 3 ( Chapter 3 )

Title: The Angel's Gift, ch 3
Author: Jukebox
Pairing: Remy/Secret Santa
Rating: PG-13
Feedback: Always appreciated
Archive: If you think it's worthy, then absolutely. Permission
granted. Just let me know where so my fragile ego will be stroked.

Disclaimers: I don't own any of these characters.  Didn't ya know they belong to Stan Lee?  Now that's a man with a truly brilliant imagination!  And, I usually think poorly of my own writing, so I'll never make money off of this or any others like it that I write.

Summary: Gambit doesn't see what's so special about Christmas, especially when Rogue is sent away on secret mission. But the others and a secret Santa are going to try to help.

Warnings: I don't know French or Cajun French, so my apologies to people of those areas if I butchered the language in this fic. If I put any in this fic, it came from online translators and LA library archives. Last, but not least - there are thousands upon thousands of X-men fics on the internet. So if this one resembles another you've read, it's purely oincidental. But, let me know who & what so I can go check it out for myself to see. If I see it's real similar, I'll write that author and offer him/her condolences for having a mind like mine.

Few little notes: 

~ represents telepathy

italics represent thoughts

CH 3

It was mid morning when Remy's eyes began to flutter open.  The light in the room made him wince.  He had forgotten to close the curtains.  Shading his eyes with his hand, he lifted himself into a seated position on the bed and held his head in his hands.  Oh but he had a massive hangover.  He couldn't remember anything past the first few beers.  Seeing as he was back in his room and still fully clothed, he assumed Logan had brought him home safe and sound as promised.  Just then, the telephone beside his bed rang and sent a piercing slice right through his skull.  With a loud moan, he reached over to grab the offending thing with every intention of blowing it up.  But, not until after finding out who had disturbed him so early in the …..  mid morning. 

"Allo?" he said breathily.  His eyes were closed as he rubbed the side of his face.

"Remy?"

Immediately his eyes flew open and he was instantly alert.  "Chere?"

"REMY!"  Rogue screamed.  He yanked the phone away from his ear as if it had burned him.  Grasping his forehead in his hands and rubbing his temples, he groaned loudly squeezing his eyes shut.

He could hear her calling his name through the receiver.  After a few moments, he brought the phone back to his ear cautiously.  "Not so loud, chere."

She laughed on the other end, well aware that he was nursing a hangover.  "Where the hell have ya been, swamp rat?"

Sighing into the phone, he replied "Oh chere!  It so good to hear your voice.  When you coming back?"  He sounded so desperate, but he didn't care.  He missed her too much.

"I've only been gone one day, Cajun.  I tried calling last night when I got here, but ya weren't there.  Logan and ya have a good time?  Ya didn't do anything stupid that I'll regret, did ya?"

"Feel like you been gone forever.  Miss you so much.  We had fun I t'ink.  Don't remember much.  But, I'm sure Logan took care of me.  Where you at chere?" 

"Ya know I can't tell ya that, sugah.  That's why it's called a secret mission.  Duh!"  Her smile could almost be seen through the phone.

He smirked and moaned again.  "You been hanging around de petite too much."

"Dern tootin'.  Now, ya been participating in the Christmas festivities like ya promised?"

Sighing heavily and rolling his eyes towards heaven, he replied "You were serious 'bout dat?"

"Of course.  Tell me what ya got everyone.  Ya did remember to wrap them right?"

Rubbing his face again, he started rattling off the gifts sitting in his closet.  "For de ones dat's gonna be here, let me see.  Wolverine's got a box of expensive Cubans.  I hate dat crap he smoke now.  Also gonna tune his bike.  Dat may get me dead before it over way he feel 'bout anyone touching his pride and joy, but it worth it non?  Jean getting a pair of diamond stud earrings.  Got Cyke a new pair of shades wit' special lenses.  Dese shades be cool, chere.  Dey gonna let him see some colors ot'er dan red.  Henri help me get dem.  Speaking of Henri, I got him some antique medical equipment, from de early 1900's.  He been collecting pieces." 

She noticed that the more he went on about the gifts, the more excited he seemed to become.  She was beaming with hope on her end.  "Jubilation getting a watch she been wanting real bad.  Got Bobby dat collector's action figure he been drooling over.  Ange not gonna be here, but I bought him some onyx cuff links.  I saw him admiring mine one time and I know he don't have a pair.  Hell, it hard to buy anyt'ing for a multi-millionaire.  And for my Stormy, I got her a beau sundress wit' patterns and colors to remind her of home.  Also dis special necklace I saw her try on in de store one time when she t'ought I wasn't looking." 

"What ya get the Professor, sugah?"  She decided to cut him off for the sake of time.  Naming off every gift he bought for every person in the mansion would take all day.

"Dat was a hard one, chere.  He not one to talk much 'bout himself, so no way to tell what he might like.  But, I t'ink I figure it out.  I've been snooping around."  He smirked at that statement knowing he was probably going to get a lecture from her.  "I found a first edition of a book I heard him talk about one time.  De way he looked when he mentioned it gave me de impression it meant a lot to him."

"Ya done good, Cajun.  Now, listen, ya be good and participate like ya promised.  I'll try to call again in a day or two, when I can."  She was just about to disconnect when she paused to say one last thing.  "I love ya, swamp rat."

"Love you too, chere.  You come back soon?" 

"When the job's done, sugah, promise."  With that, she disconnected. 

He held the phone to his ear a few more moments before hanging it back up, deciding against blowing it up after all.  Rubbing his face one last time, he managed to stand and awkwardly make his way to the bathroom.  As he stumbled through the door and looked at himself in the mirror, his jaw dropped.  Surely he was imagining what he saw.  Quickly throwing some water in his eyes, he looked again.  No mistake.  There on his face, neck and collar was the unmistakable marks of red lipstick in multiple positions. 

"Hehn?  What de hell happen last night?  Rogue gonna kill me."  He looked down to make sure that he was still fully dressed.  Releasing a breath he had been briefly holding, and waiting for the wave of dizziness to pass from the temporary lack of oxygen to his fog induced brain, he decided to take a shower to try and clear his head.  Can't see how anyt'ing happen too much if I'm still in my clothes he thought to himself as he stepped under the spray.

After cleaning up and stumbling his way down to get something to eat, he wasn't expecting to run into anyone in the kitchen.  As soon as he opened the door however, he instantly noted the presence of Wolverine sitting at the table reading the paper. 

"Mornin' Gumbo" he grunted.  "Feelin' ok?"  The grin on his face spoke volumes.

"Non, Logan.  What happen last night?"  Gambit stumbled over to the counter to pour himself a cup of coffee. 

"Ya don't remember?  Ya were the life of the party, bub.  And that one woman ya had your hands all over…..ya made me blush."  Wolverine snickered but looked up from his paper when he suddenly heard the coffee cup fall to the floor.  With a deep concern etched on his face, he stood and closed the gap to catch the wavering thief.  "Ya alright, Cajun?  Ya look kinda pale."  He led him over to one of the chairs and sat him down.

Gambit swallowed hard and looked over at his friend.  "Did I lose control of my charm Logan?  I don't remember.  But I had lipstick all over me dis morning and now you say I….." he swallowed again without completing his statement.  "What I done to Rogue?"  The distress on his face and in his voice was heartbreaking. 

Logan decided to spare him the teasing he had originally planned after seeing the young man's face. "Nah, kid.  Ya didn't do anything.  Oh believe me, there was a lady all over ya trying to get in your pants, but ya wouldn't let her.  Ya done good.  Sides, I wouldn't let nothing like that happen to ya."  With that he slapped Gambit on the back and fixed him another cup of coffee.

Jean walked into the kitchen, sensing both men in there.  She noted the sickly look on Gambit's face.  "Good morning, gentlemen.  Gambit, are you feeling ok?  You don't look too well."

"He's feeling a little hungover this morning Red."  Logan chuckled and sat back in his chair to resume reading his paper.

"Can I get you an aspirin?"  She grasped his ice cold hand and rubbed his knuckles.

"Nah, petite.  Aspirin knocks me out.  Sleep de sleep of de dead for hours with just one" he absentmindedly stated as he stared into his cup of coffee.  Jean and Logan briefly exchanged a glance at this tidbit of information.

"Well, drink some juice, it'll help.  Now, I want you to come to the grocery store with me and Storm later to pick up the ingredients for our Christmas meal."  She reached up to brush back a stray hair that had fallen across Gambit's face. 

"Sure, chere.  Look forward to it" he lied.  Well, what could he do?  He had promised Rogue after all.

Jean stood to leave.  "Great!  We're leaving in an hour.  Think you can be ready by then?" 

Remy shrugged his shoulders and smirked at her as she left the kitchen with an exaggerated roll of her eyes.  Logan chuckled behind his paper not even looking over at the glare he knew he was receiving from his team mate.