The 10th Kingdom - Returning Home

[x-traction.livejournal.com]

Remy helps Marie on the last leg of her journey home

"Don't touch de radio." Remy said, pulling the car off of the highway. There had been an ongoing battle coming back from New York, as she kept poking at his sound system on the rented car. He stole the occasional look over to her, as she sat huddled in the front seat beside him. After leaving San Francisco, the young woman had said very little, leaving Remy mostly to his own thoughts, and letting him nurse his aches on his own.

Marie had finally started to come to more awareness the farther they'd gotten from the airport as the voices in her head subsided to the ones she was used to. "If you had better taste, Ah wouldn't have to keep messing with it." The words were followed by a groan as Marie rubbed the side of her temple as they drove through a residential area. "Got any aspirin in this piece of junk?"

"Non, Remy not equipped as a drug store right now." He leaned back, drawing the car into the right hand lane to get ready for the turn on to Greymalkin. "I'm sure dat de medlab have all de various drugs dat you might need. After all, what's de point of having a miniature hospital if you not going to use it."

With the hand not on the wheel, he was composing a quick text message to Ororo, letting her know that he was coming into the mansion and Marie was with him. He trusted her to not overreact, especially with Marie's issues. There wasn't anyone better than the Professor to help deal with her power problems.

"It's just because you don't like me," Marie declared. "Otherwise you'd give me something to shut everyone else out. Ah got enough people in here without others trying to sneak in." She paused and cocked her head at the Cajun. "You're pretty quiet, y'know that?"

"Dat's part of my charm." Remy said, with a crooked grin. "And you need to focus on getting de voices quiet. Dere's only a little while from now when you get to have de Professor root around in you head and take out de crazy. I mean, not all de crazy, but de important crazy right now."

"What are you trying to say?" Marie said crankily before wincing again. "Ok, maybe a little less crazy would be good right now. Remind me again where any of this was a good idea?" Pulling the gloves that'd picked up at airport gift shop tighter, Marie shuddered at the memories that came flooding back.

"You contacted us, femme. And bounced me off a pillar. If anyone has a right to be annoyed, it Remy." LeBeau said, obviously lightly but not without merit. Seeing Ororo would really be good right now. LeBeau was bruised from his collarbone to his pelvis from that little event. "According to de Professor, a little telepathy is a good thing."

"Maybe if Ah knew how to use it. Stupid power. 'supposed to come with instructions," Marie muttered before rolling to press her cheek against the window. "Tell Betts to work on that for next time." In truth, Marie was still in a state of shock over the memories of stabbing her friends. The rest of her actions as Lady Mandarin were secondary to that.

"Dat's right, Remy going to tell Betts what she needs to learn 'bout telepathy. And den when Remy finally locate de other missing testicle, she likely to follow up with dat." Remy shrugged. "What's de real issue here. You picking up on Remy's private thoughts, but really, you don't want to be delving too deep inside my head. Dere's a very unlikable person living in dere."

"Nobody wants to go that deep into you," Marie said. "Which is why if you could, Ah'd have you knock me out and deliver me unconscious. We'd both be happier after all. You wouldn't have to deal with me and Ah wouldn't have to worry about picking up on your dirty thoughts about my coworker."

"I'll keep dat one in mind. I should point out dat Remy's dirty thoughts 'bout Stormy are entirely appropriate in de current situation. After all, between de gay Japanese boy, you, de former super agent and my research assistant, it's been a long week."

"Not my fault. Your fault," Marie said. "And Ah'm gonna tell Ororo about that picture you keep in your dresser." A shiver ran through Marie's body and her eyes dully took in the landscape, relieved that they were nearing the mansion. The idea of collapsing into her bed was all too appealing at the moment.

"Dat's not something dat you should have known 'bout in de first place." Remy said, turning off into the town proper. "You going to need to find a way to rein dis in."

He turned, not with an unkind expression on his face, but a hard tone to his voice. "None of dis is fair, but it's what exists. So you focus on trying to keep everything in control de best you can. You got pulled out of de edge of de worst things dat you can face. Now you deal wit' dis."

"Next time you invite me to go someplace, remind me to say no. Selling me, getting possessed, you just curse my luck. It's because you hate me." Marie had turned back to stare out the windshield, her eyes drawn to the stars twinkling in the sky above.

"I don't hate you."

"Then why did you try and sell me?" she asked, the question accompanied by a projected picture of the room in Egypt. "And why are you mean to me?" Marie suddenly wondered if she'd gotten drunk from touching Betsy as words seemed to spill out of her mouth without any conscious thought.

"I tried to sell you as a ploy. Dere's positioning in places like dat, especially when dealing wit' bad people. Marie, de world isn't as simply some times as you think it is. Sometimes good people need to do bad things, and sometimes bad people end up doing good things. Dat's why I won't let you go after Magneto."

"But wouldn't that be a good people doing a bad thing? Or am Ah a bad people?" Marie asked. "And if Ah'm a bad people does that mean you're a good people? Ah'm confused."

"Non, you not a bad person, and Remy not going to be de person dat helps you find out how to be one." He turned his eyes back to the road, obviously focusing on it to avoid her look.

Marie's browed wrinkled as she turned to face the Cajun. "Wait...what?" She sat quietly for a moment, clasping her hands in her lap as she finished sorting through the thoughts she'd accidentally absorbed. "Ah didn't know that's how you felt about me. Ah just figured..." she trailed off with a shrug. "Thanks."

"Don't mention it. If it helps, Remy happy to murder Magneto in you name." He looked over and gave her a smile. "You know what, Marie? Remy never liked you much. You were arrogant, and self-righteous, and all dat mattered was de moral code dat you worked up. And den you came back, and grew up. Ororo believes in you. You took Creed on nose to nose wit' out de slightest hesitation. You a good person, and Remy isn't. You deserve to be more den what I was. You keep dat in mind."

"You're better than you think," Marie said quietly.

"Remy fantastic, but I'd appreciate if you didn't look to Stormy for confirmation."

The look of horror that crossed Marie's face was enough to ruin the moment. "Ah take it back."

"As you should." The grin turned feral as he turned into the driveway. "We home, femme. You get youself better for now, oui? Sure dat de heroing going to need you pretty soon."

"Home," Marie echoed. No place better to be.