Wolvie Femmes * Scars:
Rayne took her time in the shower. The hot water pulsed against her face and she tried to concentrate on that instead of the turmoil that threatened to engulf her. She recalled now that Jason did in fact see her in the lab. He held her under water once when the scientist tested some gills they had tried to transplant onto her. Rayne now fought hard to forget that surfaced memory. She told herself that Jason didn’t do it on purpose or out of meanness. He had been forced to. She didn’t think he even remembered. A wave of nausea ran through her and she rested her head on the shower stall. “Stop, stop stop.” She said banging her head slightly against the tile. “Ah don’t want ta remember dis.” She stifled a sob and held her shaking hands against the sides of her head. “Go away, NOW!”
The water stopped abruptly when she slammed her hand against the control and there was a sudden pound on the door that made her jump.
“Rayne,” Hayley called from the other side of the bathroom door, “your guests are here.”
She dried off quickly, tossed on a robe and ran for her room. Too late she realized that they were in her room. Rayne stared in disbelief when she saw that they were in her closet trying on her things.
Kitty saw her first and smiled pleasantly, “Hello Rayne,” She gestured to the room, “When did you buy all this?”
Jubilee chimed in raising her eyebrows at Rayne in mock surprise, “I can not believe you went shopping without us.”
Rayne shook her head, “Ah didn’t buy any of it.”
“Where’d it all come from then?” Rogue said as she walked out with the black duster and Akubra on and she looked at Rayne a little confused.
Rayne didn’t like them going through all her things but she didn’t want to tell them that. “It was here when we moved in. Justice bought it.”
The others stood there slack jawed. Then Kitty and Rogue exchanged a knowing glance as all eyes settled on Jubilee who just stood there as if trying to decide something. Finally Jubilee gasped out, “You lucky ‘HO’!”
Kitty laughed knowing that Jubilee had a
crush on Justice. Rogue gave Jubilee a slight shove. She knew that some of the
girls were a little jealous of her relationship with
Kitty gestured around the room, “This is a very interesting motif.”
There was a snort from Jubilee who was wrinkling her nose and looking at the CD’s, “Why did he buy you all this wacked music?”
Rogue scoffed and interceded, “Because he knew she was from Louisiana Jubes, and he wanted her to feel at home.” She thought of her home and how she missed it a lot sometimes.
Jubilee snorted again and looked to Rayne expectantly, “Do you really like this stuff?”
Rayne felt her face flush, “Oui.” She walked to the clothes chest and fumbled with the drawers.
“Dude, that is sooo messed up,” Jubilee tossed one of the CD’s back on top of the pile with a look of disgust. “I’m going to have to introduce you to some righteous music.”
Rogue laughed, “You call the stuff YOU listen to music?” She smiled at Rayne hoping she still felt at home here despite Jubilee’s attack on her choice of music.
While they bantered, Rayne turned her back on them and slipped her arms from the sleeves of her robe to put her underwear on. While she was slipping them on, Jubilee let out a sudden yelp when Kitty had tried to put headphones on her to make her listen to some Cajun music. At the sudden sound Rayne jolted enough for the robe to slide off. Before she could put it back on the others had noticed the scars that covered a great deal of her body.
There was a stunned silence as Rayne quickly wrapped the robe around her hoping they hadn’t seen. Her face burned with embarrassment and she considered running away. She closed her eyes and kept her back to them.
The sound of popping gum broke the silence, “Oh, my, gawd, that is so messed up.” Jubes voice said what none of them had the courage to.
Rogue took a couple of steps towards Rayne.
“Did they do that to you in that lab?” She shuttered thinking of how Rayne was
now living with one of the relatives of the man who was responsible for her
torture, not to mention that her brother was that same woman’s lover. Rogue
shuttered again. Granted, she liked the
Kitty gently put her hand on Rayne’s shoulder, to which Rayne slightly shrugged it off. Kitty looked at the others but they were as dumbfounded as she was. The image of the horrible scars all over Rayne’s body flashed into her mind again and she tried to shake the image away. She didn’t know what to say to Rayne. Although she now understood a little bit better the Cajun’s erratic temperament. They had all thought she was a little strange for keeping to herself at the school. “Well duh,” Kitty thought. Still though, others had gone through horrible events and weren’t weird. But then again, she didn’t know all of the Cajun’s past. She had heard some stories about what happened at the lab by the others, but this was the first time she had actually seen this kind of physical evidence.
Rayne walked to the closet, “Ah need ta find somethin’ ta wear.” A feeling of sheer dread washed over her and she couldn’t focus on anything. She fumbled around with some pants and wished that the night was over and done with.
Again Kitty looked to the others and they stood there in silence.
Rogue snapped out of her trance and marched into the closet with resolve. She understood a little better what it felt like to have to shy away from people.
“Rayne?” Rogue called quietly testing the waters.
Rayne jumped but already had a shirt on and a pair of jeans. Rayne managed a weak smile. “What d’ya think? Will dis do alright?”
“I think we’re alike Rayne,” Rogue looked at the clothing Rayne had chosen.
Rayne looked quizzical, “Meaning?” She noted Rogue’s bell bottomed denims with a tight fitting short sleeved shirt covered by a long sleeved jacket and elbow length gloves, and raised her eyebrows.
Rogue pointed at the clothing Rayne had chosen. “We both have to hide under a lot of clothing.” Rogue shrugged looking at her own long sleeves and gloves. She pointed again to what Rayne had chosen to wear, not only was the shirt long sleeved but it had a high collar as well, and the jeans were too baggy for her lithe frame. “We both wear a lot of clothes to keep things hidden,” Rogue sighed. “You wear that because you don’t want people to see your scars and I wear mine so people can’t touch me.”
Rayne looked at the floor, “Ah heard that you can’t touch people. That it hurts.” she mumbled. “Ta touch or be touched.” She sighed, “Ah dress this way because Ah don’t want people to…” She growled in exasperation. “Because…”
“Rayne.” Rogue wanted to offer her hope, “You’re not the only mutant who has scars from this sort of thing.”
That caught Rayne’s attention, “Pardon?”
“Afterburn does,” Rogue said quickly, “And Bobby said that Jason does too,” Then she added in almost a whisper. “I don’t have scars exactly like you but I have to hide my skin and never be touched or I can scar other people…like you.”
Rayne looked at Rogue with concern, “Jason has scars?” Her brow furrowed as she wondered what they had done to him there. Maybe she did have more in common with Jason then she thought. She silently cursed all those responsible for so much pain.
Rogue nodded, “The outside heals pretty good, but what they did to ya’ll on the inside will take a lot of time to get better.” Rogue sighed watching Rayne fingering clothing with an almost blank stare. “My scars, are that no matter how much I want to touch somebody, I can’t.” Rogue looked at the floor, “you can’t see my scars Rayne, but they’re there.”
Rayne met Rogue’s eye, “Ah don’t want people ta see them. Don’t want them ta know.” She was getting angry but she understood that Rogue was telling her this because she wanted Rayne to know that she did fit in here because the others had been through some of what she had. A shiver made her hair stand on end. “Ah reckon it’s just gonna take time.”
“I’m still not used to not being able to touch people,” Rogue sighed. “It’s really hard sometimes y’know?”
“Ah can imagine, b-but…” Rayne stammered caught between divulging a painful secret and holding it inside.
Rogue saw the intense turmoil in Rayne as she stood holding onto a small golden cross that was around her neck. She figured she knew what Rayne was thinking about and really wanted to help her get past it. After a few awkward moments of silence Rogue said softly. “I know what happened, and I want you to know that it’s ok.”
Rayne rubbed her ears to see if they were working properly. “Know what?”
“I saw something in my mind once. I think it was a memory.” Rogue forcefully shoved the image back into her subconscious.
Rayne’s face went white and she felt her legs going limp. “Mon Dieu! How many people saw that?”
“It’s ok, really.” Rogue only brought it up because she wanted Rayne feel better about herself. “I mean, that was a terrible thing to go through, but it will be ok. It was not your fault. You are not a bad person.”
“Who else knows?” Rayne looked as if she would pass out any second. “Jason doesn’t know does he?” She felt very sick.
“I don’t think he does. I haven’t heard anyone talk about it at all. Listen” Rogue looked at Rayne and forced her to look back. “I’m your friend ok? We all are. I think our past brings us closer together, know what I mean?” Rayne looked dubious, “Please trust us and let us help you.”
Rayne looked thoughtful for a moment then smiled slightly. “It would be nice to have some friends. But…”
“No buts girl. We’re your friends now, like it or not.” Rogues’ smile took in her face.
Rayne smiled slightly again at how Rogue seemed to genuinely want to be friends. She turned her attention to the clothes rack then, “Ah think Ah’ll try this on real quick.” She watched Rogue leave the walk in closet to give her privacy and she felt glad that she did. She was deeply touched by Rogues compassion but she still felt awkward and ashamed. And now she couldn’t stop wondering what all had happened to the others, especially Jason.
Hayley noticed Remy’s glance at the stairs once more and she sighed knowing he was also tapping his foot for the same reason. She smiled and wondered if he would be like this if they ever had a daughter, “you can’t go up there because you will just embarrass her.”
Remy exhaled as Hayley only voiced what he knew, “Ah wasn’t going to.” He looked at the stairs again. “Just wonderin’ is all,” he rolled his eyes at the absurdity of the situation. Here he was, the happy go lucky bachelor, worried over his sister’s date.
Hayley changed the channel they had been watching on the couch together in the hopes that he would forget about the girls upstairs with his sister. She watched him trying to suppress the urge to turn his neck to the stairs and he finally stood up, “Why do we have ta wait around here?”
Hayley wrinkled her brow wondering what he was getting at and just shook her head lightly, “because it’s polite.”
“Oui, mais.” Remy sighed, “It’s too nice an evening ta just sit here,” he grinned and sat next to her again, “Get dressed chere, Ah’m takin’ ya out ta dinner.”
Hayley smiled but her suspicious nature got the better of her, “Where? Are you planning to go to the same restaurant as Rayne?”
Remy slapped his hand on his chest in surprise, “Moi? Why would Ah do a thing like dat?” His eyes glowed slightly, “Ah just don’t wanna sit around an’ wait de whole time.”
“You don’t want to be here when she gets in?”
“We’ll be back by den, Hayley,” he smiled. “Bein’ dat de stove doesn’t work Ah thought we’d go out for a change.” He coughed. “It is dangerous for you to be out too much but this should be fine.”
Hayley smiled knowingly folding the TV guide, “I get it. You want to be back before she gets home but you need to be occupied until then.”
“Oui, but Ah also want ta show off mah beautiful lady,” Remy smiled coyly. He had to admit he wanted to treat Hayley and Rayne as well as Justice had the past couple of weeks and this was his chance to do so with one of them at least. He looked at Hayley whose beauty, even pregnant, stole his breath away. In her loose frumpy clothing it was hard to tell she was pregnant at all. He liked her not looking pregnant in the baggy clothes because it gave him some idea of what it would be like being with her and her not being pregnant.
Hayley smiled at the thought of a nice night out and without Rayne noting their every move. “Ok I’m sold, but are we going to wait around for Jason to arrive?”
Remy gave her a hard look, “Mais oui!” He laughed lightly, “Ah’m not gon’ have her go through all dis alone. ‘Sides, Ah have ta scope dis homme out.”
“Down boy,” she laughed.
“Down?” He laughed, “Yo’ gon’ be sayin’ dat ta me all night?” He winked at her mischievously.
Hayley laughed at his devil may care attitude all of the sudden. Then the doorbell rang and his demeanor changed back to being nervous.
Remy scrambled to get to the door almost tripping over his feet in the process, “Don’ worry Ah’ll get it.”
Hayley sighed, “I’m not worried.” She said with a little laugh but she was sure he didn’t hear her because he was focused on the door.
Bobby and Jason looked around nervously as they waited at the door. Neither had expected to pick the girls up at such an expensive looking home. The manicured lawn with perfectly lined trees wasn’t what they were expecting to find, and when they got to the front door they found the porch was huge and made of marble. It was opening and welcoming enough but at the same time foreboding to the young men who jumped when a red eyed Gambit flung the door open.
He looked differently then when they had seen him at the school. At Xavier’s he was usually decked out in some combat outfit or that long duster but here he had nothing of the sort. Here they found Remy with his hair pulled into a ponytail and dressed in jeans, boots and a tee shirt that showed his muscular chest to its advantage. Even though he appeared more casual the young men still felt as though if they made one wrong move that the wild eyed Cajun would have them up against the wall. He looked at them expectantly as he opened the door further trying to usher them inside.
“Come in,” He gestured to the inside of the house where they saw another familiar face.
Hayley appeared at the other side of Remy as he locked an arm protectively around her waist, “they’re upstairs getting ready.” Hayley smiled as they walked inside the house.
It was then the hosts noticed Jason no longer had green hair and they both traded a glance. They also saw that Bobby was trying to hide a snicker behind his hand as he pretended to clear his throat.
“Didn’ you have green hair, homme?” Remy said quickly.
Hayley elbowed Remy wondering if it could be part of his mutation, “It looks fine black, Jason.” She also noted the items in Jason’s hands and lack of things in Bobby’s hands.
Jason ran his hand through his hair seeing that Hayley was looking at what he brought in, ‘here goes nothing.’ He sighed.
Jason noticed that Remy held his hand out in greeting and became nervous. ‘Well, faint hearst never won fair damsesl.’ Jason spat in his hand and thrust it into Remy’s extended hand. When he saw the shocked look on his face, Jason feared he had done something wrong and his stomach felt like it dropped to the floor.
Remy wondered what bush this boy had crawled out of until he saw Bobby laughing behind Jason’s back and realized Jason had been set up, “Jason, welcome.” Remy smiled shaking his hand a little firmer ignoring the moisture in between their hands and then he gave his attention to Bobby. “Robert Drake, de ice boy.” Before Bobby could protest, Remy grabbed his hand and pumped it with a plastic smile.
Bobby knew he was caught when Remy dropped the smile for a second and raised his eyebrow. Robert held back a sigh of disgust at the saliva that still covered Remy’s hand when he shook his.
“How ya been, Bobby?” Remy asked quickly as if they had been old friends rediscovered and then he placed his moist palm flat against Bobby’s shoulder knocking him lightly in a friendly way. Bobby suspected that Remy was using a downward motion as he patted his palm against him to wipe the saliva off his hand, and he knew it was so when he saw Hayley hiding a smile.
“Just fine. Mr. LeBeau,” Bobby said flatly.
“Homme, Mr. LeBeau is my Father. Call me Remy.” Remy smiled broadly giving his shoulder a last squeeze and reliving his hand of the last of the spit.
Remy turned to Jason and the packages he had and he smiled, “yo’ brought all that for Rayne?”
Jason swallowed, “Si! I mean yes, no wait.” Jason sighed trying to stay in English, “I brought this for you, sir.”
Remy didn’t know what to think, “For me? Homme you ain’t thinkin’ of takin’ me out with ya are you?”
“No sir,” Jason fumbled and uncovered the box among the flowers and candy, “Traje esto para usted,” Jason shook his head, “I brought this for you,” he promptly gave Remy a medium sized box, “this is for the dowry, um…Rayne’s dowry?” He nodded at the package that Remy took gingerly.
“Oui, de dowry,” Remy tried to play along as he opened the box and nearly jumped out of his skin as a chickens head popped up, “Sacre!” Remy’s eyes traveled to Hayley and he gave her a cocky smile, “Chicken for dinner, chere?”
Hayley snorted, “Just put it out back with the rest of the animals.”
Jason silently wondered if Rayne had received animals from other suitors.
Remy turned his attention again on Bobby who didn’t seem surprised that there was a live chicken in the box. “Why don’ you have anything?”
Bobby knew Remy was just matching wits with him, “I did all that the first date with Rogue.”
“But back then you didn’t pick her up here,” Gambit tilted his head challengingly.
Hayley sighed, wondering if it would come down to a peeing contest next, and grabbed Remy’s arm, “why don’t you go get Rayne and the girls.”
Remy nodded, “t’ank’s for de chicken.” He looked Jason in the eye with a measure of respect. The boy had gone through a lot to impress him. “Yo’r all right homme.” He smiled and made his way up the stairs quickly.
Hayley sighed, “Would you like to sit down?” She eyed all the things Jason still held and sighed. “You can set your flowers, candy and gifts down here.” She patted a table with a tiny drawer by the door.
“Gracious,” Jason said feeling the thorns from the roses that had embedded in his fingers as he released the things on to the table with little clinks.
Hayley shook her head looking at Bobby who had a smug smile on his face as he sat on the couch.
Reg Grundy sauntered down the hall whistling a tune that quickly became an exclamation when he rounded a corner and nearly stepped on a diminutive figure. “What the bloody hell? Sorry mate; didn’t see you. Dom is it?”
Dominic looked flustered but grateful that Reg didn’t trample him. “Why don’t you watch where yer goin’, you great bloody lummox!”
“Don’t be such a big girl’s blouse Dom, I did’nae hurt yers any.” Reg said with a wide grin.
But Dominic wasn’t in a bantering kind of mood so he kicked Reg’s shin. “Don’t call me a big girls blouse you offspring of a billy goat!”
Reg couldn’t help but laugh, even through his throbbing shin pain. “Baaah! True enough my father was a bastard, but you did’nae have say something that cruel about the innocent billy goat.”
Dom growled out his frustration, “Can’t get a bloody word in edgewise with this horse’s ass.” He glared up at Reg. “And where might you be goin’ that you have to run people down in the halls? Where the fire, eh?”
“No fire mate. Just hungry;” Reg pat his belly. “An’ I’ve run outta beer.”
Dom scoffed, “I don’t think that you’re supposed to have beer in this place.”
“Yeah well,” Reg said with a wink, “I only use it for medicinal purposes.”
Dom laughed. He was beginning to like this character, but he had an agenda and couldn’t be delayed long. “Well, I won’t keep you from your appointed quest. Have a good evening, and drink one for me will you lad?”
“Come have a pint yerself. I won’t tell anyone.”
“Ahh no laddie, but thanks all the same.” Dom said then turned and walked away.
Reg watched him until he vanished around a corner. He mumbled to himself, “That gold hoardin’ rainbow chasin’ little bastard has one mean kick.” He reached down and healed his leg, then stretched and pat his belly once more. “Time ta put the feed bag on.”