Remy, Madelyn - Sunday evening

[x-madelyn.livejournal.com]

Following Hank's bombshell, Madelyn goes to see Remy, determined to put a stop to... whatever the hell it is.



"Space virus!" Yup, the second Madelyn came through the door, the ache started behind his eyes again. Remy looked up from the file he was studying and blinked twice.

"Pardon?"

"It's the only explanation left," Madelyn continued, closing the door behind her and leaning back against it, hands behind her.

And if this was a followup on her first statement, it was going to be one of 'those' conversations. Remy put the file down and leaned back in his chair. "Alright femme, I'll bite. What is it this time? Exposure to toxic elements? Bleed-off from de telepaths? Elvis?"

Apart from Elvis, all had been mentioned by Madelyn as possible reasons for their moments, between breathless kisses and more.

"I figured that would get your attention." Madelyn's gaze flickered around the room, settling on anything but the Cajun. "I've been thinking about... what's been going on," she said at last. "It has to stop. But it won't stop until we work out why it's happening."

"Dat right? And de best lead you can come up wit' is 'space virus'? If dat's de case, we in trouble, chere." Remy said drily, watching her squirm. Normally, he would be enjoying her discomfort, but everything had wearied him. On top of everything else, he had this redheaded lunatic to deal with.

"Well, it's that or admitting you're a convenient way to not face up to a bunch of other things. Or that it's the only way we can deal with each other that doesn't involve ripping strips off each other, which is actually pretty sad, when you come down to it." There was none of the usual animosity in her tone, just an echo of that same weariness. "If you've got any better ideas, I'm all ears."

"Chere, sit down." Remy said, dropping the file on the back credenza and getting up to pour himself a cup of coffee. Uncharacteristically, he filled one for her and passed it over. "It not space viruses, or any of de other things dat you come up wit'. De answer is dat it is you." He passed over the cup.

She took it, cupping her hands around it. With a sigh, she nodded. "I thought it was. All that other stuff... I wasn't serious. Just a smokescreen, to avoid facing up to the truth that apparently I'm attracted to jerks who like to insult me." Realising what she'd said, she gave him an apologetic smile. "No offence intended." She really did want to sort this out, especially in the wake of Hank's confession earlier. It had to be buried, one way or another.

"Offence was intended. Dat's kind of de root of all dis." Remy took a sip of his coffee. "You a sensible person, Madelyn. Bet you studied hard, part of de right clubs, wore flats to you prom and never considered stepping out of line. Doctor and a cop? If you were any straighter, dey could sight bridges wit' you."

"Maybe I am." She tried hard to keep the defensiveness - and the irritation - out of her tone. "It still doesn't explain why I've apparently lost my mind. Kissing you doesn't strike me as terribly sensible."

"Non, it doesn't, does it?" Remy grinned infuriatingly. "Dat's de whole point, Madelyn. All you life, you been set in what you are. You tell yourself dat you want nice, safe senisble men dat want children and respect de law. Bet you even acted a little smug when one of you friends had a disaster boyfriend, because you knew dat de man you got would never do something like dat." Remy leaned in, his eyes catching hers. "But, deep down, something in you wishes it knew what it was like."

"So that explains me. What about you?" Madelyn asked steadily, not wanting to own that he'd hit the nail on the head there. The sense her life was slipping away without her experiencing it, the thrill she'd felt at the thought of Remy's hands on her. The thought of doing something illicit.

"Me? Don't take dis de wrong way chere, but Remy fairly easy to persuade, 'specially if you a pretty redhead." Remy actually chuckled at her sudden flush. "See, one of dis days, after dat Beast go see de Wizard and get some courage, he or dat Kurt going to tell you how much dey love you, and you got your wish for dat dependable man, dat believes in what you believe, and dat acts like you want to act. But deep down, in de places dat you ashamed to talk 'bout, sometimes you going to wish dat it de bastard dat inside you. 'cause den, for once, you get to be bad too."

Madelyn's blush deepened. She wanted to tell him he was wrong, wanting to reject truth spoken by the person who seemed to delight in tormenting her. Who loathed her as much as she did him. But she couldn't do that - he was right, damn the smug bastard. "Why are you telling me this?" she asked, lifting her head and looking him in the eye. Those hypnotic red-on-black eyes. "You have to know telling me this means this ends. I don't flatter myself that I'm the only or best woman available to you, but you seem to like messing with my head so much, why give up now?" There was no anger in her tone, just an honest curiosity. Maybe by talking to the man, rather than what he represented, she could better get a handle on this.

"I don't like cops. I don't really like you. More importantly, you've never even given me the slightest reason to like you." Remy said, scoring a point with that one. "But dat doesn't mean I'm going to tear you down just for fun, Madelyn. Gambit would have in a heartbeat. I like to pretend dat I'm different. Which is in part why we can't get along, is because you believe too easily dat I am still him."

"I've... not been fair to you," Madelyn admitted. "But this isn't all one-sided, Remy. I might not have given you a chance, but you didn't give me one either. Still, it's not important now." She took a sip of the cooling coffee to cover her confusion, the shame, and smiled despite herself. "This is good. Some of Lorna's blend?"

"Non. Get my own in de city." Remy put his cup down, and leaned back against his desk, hands on the wood. "'sides, chere, if Remy really wanted to get back at you, it's already happened."

She raised her eyebrow. "The whole thinking I was insane thing?"

"Non, de fact dat now Remy is in your head." The same smile came back, with just a touch of cruelty. "Not 'nough to take over like before, but enough dat every choice, ever kiss, dere's going to be a little voice whispering 'bout de way dat I would do things. Means dat nice sensible Madelyn, well," Remy picked up his coffee cup and toasted her with it. "Dat femme not going to be as clean from now on."

Her face hardened. She hadn't been so wrong about him after all. She put the cup down, her movements precise, tightly controlled. She wouldn't let this turn into a screaming match, not this time. "Maybe you over-estimate yourself, Le Beau," she said, though they both knew her words were mere bravado. "But thank you, for the honesty. I won't take up any more of your time."

Remy smiled slightly wider, seeing that one lodge deep inside her. Well, maybe he wasn't as completely past Gambit as he claimed. He took a sip as Madelyn gathered herself up, and waited until she had her hand on the door before he spoke over the lip of his coffee cup.

"Bartlet, one last thing. When you hear dat voice, with which ever blue plush toy you decide on, you can think of me here," The whiplash anger crossed her eyes, and died just as fast as he finished his statement. "Alone."

She paused, and for once her reply wasn't an acerbic remark along the lines that he'd made that bed for himself. "I'm sorry it's turned out that way," she said instead, with real sympathy, and then left before he could reply, closing the door firmly behind her.