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Chapters
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
 
 
 

The Companion Picture - REVIEW THIS STORY

Written by Dandelion
Last updated: 12/03/2009 06:26:08 PM

Chapter 17

Marjorie Brett Wilder opened her eyes and felt like singing. She opened her eyes to a new life, a life of hope and wonder.

<What a difference a day makes..> she thought as she rolled out of bed and hopped in the shower. She hummed all sorts of airy tunes as she went through her morning ritual, complete with a hundred crunches.

There came a knock at her door. "Are y'decent?"

<Remy's voice,> she smiled as she went to the door and opened it.

"Thought y'might be hungry," he offered as she stared wide-eyes at the array of choice in front of her.

Remy was struggling with several trays loaded for bear with all sorts of food.

"What are you trying to say there, Cajun?" she asked him, raising an eyebrow.

"I wasn't sure what you in the mood for, so I got ev'ryt'ing."

"Ah see that," she opened the door wider and took some of the trays. "Come on in, 'fore you make a mess."

Remy came in and started spreading out the feast. "Even if you not dat hungry, Brett, I can put away most'a dis. An' Magnus prob'ly be hungry whenever he gets back."

Brett's mouth was watering at the luscious choice in front of her. "Ah can't begin to tell you, sugah, how sweet this is, but Ah can't help but wonder how you're going to pay for all of this."

"Not a problem," Remy sat down and lifted the cover off of a plate of eggs Benedict.

Brett sat down as well, spearing a strawberry with a dainty fork, "What have you and Magnus been up to? Y'all rob a bank?"

"No, not rob," Remy grinned. "Turned out Lensherr an' I both been saving for a rainy day."

Brett's eyes twinkled, "You better be careful, Remy, Ah may never want to see the sun again."

Magnus closed his eyes and breathed deep. The salt air was invigorating. He tried to remember long ago, wondering if he ever spent time by the sea as a child before the darkness came. He shook his head as nothing came.

<Stop waxing nostalgic over memories you don't have,> he berated himself silently. <Things will come in time.>

He leaned against the railing of the pier and went over the list of names he got at the Chamber of Commerce, it gave him several leads to finding a ship to charter for his journey.

"Magnus?"

Magnus didn't even register his name being spoken. He was so used to his name only being spoken by Remy, and usually in irritated or teasing tones.

"Magnus?!"

He jerked his head up and looked around. Perhaps Brett was calling him. No, he didn't see her. He turned back to his notes.

"Magnus!"

He couldn't miss her this time, a willowy blond in a plain white T-shirt, denim shorts and a wind-breaker tied around her waist. Her hair was tied back in a loose braid, but several strands had broken free and waved about in the sea breezes. She looked at him, her blue eyes a mix of emotions. "It IS you!"

Magnus cocked his head, "Do I know you?"

She looked taken aback at this statement.

"Yes, you do. Or rather, you did. We haven't been in touch for a while."

Magnus continued looking at her with a curious expression. "What's your name?"

"Lee. Lee Forrester." She looked a little perturbed at his lack of recognition. "You don't remember? Do you remember sending one of your lackeys to kill me?"

Magnus paled, "I don't know what you're talking about!"

The sharp tone of voice stopped her. She looked at him closely. There *was* no recognition in his eyes. There was also a fatigued irritation at her accusation. "You really don't remember me, do you?"

"No, I don't."

She reached out and touched his arm, "What happened to you?"

He paused, hearing the genuine concern in her voice. "How did I know you?"

Lee colored slightly, "We had a relationship. We were very close for a while, but things happen and it didn't last." She laughed nervously. "I have to say, I never expected to see you here. You almost blend in with everyone else, you seem so relaxed. It's so strange. It's so unlike you."

<Oh, I haven't heard *that* before,> Magnus sighed inwardly. "Well, it's like me now."

She removed her hand at his curt tone. "What *are* you doing here, Magnus?"

"I'm traveling with a friend. Actually, it's friends now, we've been joined by another." He ran his fingers through his hair, "Maybe you can help me, do you know who I could charter a boat from? We're headed towards the Bermuda Triangle."

Lee gaped at him for a moment, then started to laugh. "You *really* don't remember me. Yeah, I know someone you can talk to, come with me." She tugged lightly at his shirt sleeve and beckoned him to follow her.

"It has been a good trip, Lensherr's a good guy," Remy talked easily as he tore apart the croissant on his plate. "It's nice to be around a guy who has done awful things, too. It's like he understands, even if he doesn't remember."

"Ah think maybe you didn't give us enough credit," Brett replied, nibbling on the flaky bread. "We would've listened, we wouldn't have judged you."

Remy looked at her appreciatively, "I know you wouldn't, Brett. I don't know about the others. There are a lot of them who would probably have looked down on me even more."

"What makes you think they look down on you?"

"Because it's true."

Brett paused, thinking back on her stay.

"You have a point. It's strange when Ah think about it. For a long time, it seemed that no matter what Ah did to prove myself, Ah'd always be the renegade from the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants. Ah know some of them accepted me for who Ah became, but thinking on it, it's hard to say. Ah know that the original five tend to look down their noses at the rest of us. Not all the time, and maybe not even intentionally, but when push comes to shove those five band together and *nothing* can get in."

"What you call that, Brett? Loyalty or what?" Remy tapped his fork against the side of the plate with a soft >ting<. "They never trusted me, 'cept for Stormy. I know I never give them much of a reason to, but I still wonder why I stayed knowing I had nothing there."

Brett leaned her chin on her hand. "Why did you stay?"

Remy stared hard at the plate. For a long time he didn't answer, then slowly, words started coming out. "When I was growing up, I learn ev'ryt'ing a good t'ief need to know. When to go in, when to get out, when to drop a job when the deal gone bad. When I hook up wit' Stormy, I taught her all of dat. We robbed people blind. But there was always a code of conduct dat you follow. We stole from people who already stole. We stole *back* from'em.

"When she remember her life I came wit' her, I figure I owe it to her to be wit' her. I figure we'd leave when she pay off whatever debt she feel she owe. When she tell me she's staying, I didn't know what to do. Dis little slip of a girl got turned into a grown woman and I feel like her big brother. What am I goin' t'do leave her alone?"

Brett smiled. "Storm is never alone. She's got all sorts of people who love her."

Remy looked up briefly. "Stormy is always alone, she just great at hiding it."

"This is the Arcadia."

Magnus looked at the ship, not knowing the first thing about it and knew he ought to say something. Lee was obviously proud of her vessel. She looked at him expectantly.

"Wow."

She made a face. "Well, I like it, and it has saved your life before."

Magnus looked interested. "Really? In that case I like it too."

Lee smiled and looked at him sideways. Yes, it was Magnus, no doubts. She knew that profile so well. She shook her head slightly at fate. She couldn't even fathom the forces that were responsible for throwing this man into her path again. "Well, come on board and we can discuss the terms."

"We?"

Lee paused. "Yes, we. I am the captain of this ship. You're heading to the Bermuda Triangle, you say?" She hopped across the makeshift gangplank and gestured to Magnus to follow, which he did. She took him inside. "You wouldn't be heading to your old base would you?"

His eyes betrayed his surprise. "Yes. You know?"

Lee bent her head looking through her library of logs. "We met there. A long time ago."

Magnus leaned against the door-frame. "It couldn't have been so long ago, if you pardon my saying so."

"What do you mean?"

He smiled slightly, "You look far too young."

She gaped at him for a moment. "You've changed."

"So I hear."

Lee shook her head, a few more blond strands flying free. "I mean, you were never the kind to pay compliments before. Certainly not as casually as you just did."

"I don't think I was very much fun before," Magnus mused.

"Crusading doesn't leave much time for fun," Lee offered.

"No, I don't suppose so. Still, I think I would have done much better salvaging my own soul rather than saving everyone else's."

Lee straightened, logs in hand, "Interesting, thought. Knowing you as well as I did, it was never going to happen. Not while you had your cause."

A sly expression crossed Magnus' face, "Not that you're bitter or anything."

Lee's face relaxed slightly, "No, not at all." She placed the logs on the table. "Here, I've got the route mapped out and everything. I don't think you're going to find another ship with *that* kind of advantage."

Magnus looked at the logs, "No, you have a point." He looked up at her. "Does this mean you're interested?"

She met his gaze, "You have no idea."

Brett sipped from her glass of orange juice and regarded Remy thoughtfully, "What about you Remy? Are you alone?"

"Sure."

Her eyebrows lifted slightly, "You seem pretty frank about it."

"Not really any reason t'hide it," Remy mused. "'Sides, it's easier to say now, 'cause I'm not as alone as I used t'be."

She smiled to herself. "It's nice of you to notice."

Remy leaned back in his chair, "It took me long enough, neh?" He stretched his arms up over his head. "Been so long, y'know? I always have dat 'me 'gainst dem' mentality. It takes some doing to force it out."

"Is it all gone?"

"No," Remy laced his fingers together and rested them against the back of his neck. "No, it's not all gone, but a start is a start."

"True."

"What about you, cherie? Aren't you alone?"

"Ah used to be. Ah've found lately that Ah'm not nearly as alone as Ah always thought. Ah was always too afraid to open my eyes, Ah guess."

"And now?"

Brett's smile lit up the room, "When Ah held onto Lorna's hand and nothin' happened it was like Ah was comin' out of cave and seein' the sun shine for the very first time. It was a lifetime of hiding fallin' away. Ah felt like a butterfly, free for the very first time in my life."

"What a feelin' it must've been," Remy offered quietly.

"Ah felt so brave. Ah felt like Ah could do anything. It's so good not havin' t'be afraid anymore. When Ah realized Ah could touch without fear, Ah realized there really wasn't anything I couldn't do."

Remy only smiled at her.

"That's why Ah came back to find you, Ah wasn't afraid anymore. Ah ran away because Ah was afraid." She reached across the table to him, he took her hand in both of his. "Ah'll never run away from you again."

He kissed her fingertips, "I'll never give you reason to."

"So that's your planned route," Magnus looked over the map that Lee had on the table.

"I certainly do promise an interesting ride," Lee replied, tapping her fingers on the table. "That area has a well-earned reputation for weirdness."

"Well, that'd be nothing new."

"I have to admit I have a personal interest in the trip," Lee folded her arms across her chest and fixed Magnus with a stern look. "You have a lot to answer for."

"Don't expect much," Magnus shrugged.

"I don't care if you answer or not, I just want to let you know what I think of some of the things that happened," she frowned.

"Well, maybe I'll remember something while you berate me, anything's possible," Magnus rubbed his neck. "Actually, I'd welcome the opportunity to remember anything, I seem to have hit a dry spell."

"How did it happen?"

"Charles did it, up there," he pointed towards the sky. "Details are fuzzy. I'm told that it happened several months ago but..." he let his sentence run off. "Time means very little to me right now. I am in no hurry, I just want a piece of myself back. I believe time means even less to the people I am traveling with."

"Who *are* you traveling with?" Lee pressed.

"Should I worry?"

Magnus smirked, remembering Remy telling him he was wanted by Interpol. "No, I don't think there's any cause to worry. Two friends of mine, Remy and Brett."

"Any last names to go with those?"

"They can tell you themselves if they are so inclined. As it is, I am Erik von Isar for official records."

Lee raised an eyebrow, "Okaaaay."

"How soon can we sail?"

"How soon can you be here?"

Magnus nodded, "Good. I'm anxious to start this trip."

"I can imagine."

He looked at her, "Can you?"

Lee laughed, "Actually, no. I've never been mind-wiped. I've never had amnesia. I'm just a regular person that has some unusual acquaintances and I keep getting into some *very* unusual circumstances because of it."

Magnus stood up, "Well, I see no reason why that should change." He thought of Remy's sleepless nights and his own shattered past fitting together. He could only guess what Brett's inclusion to the equation would mean.

Lee stood as well, "You'd think I would have learned my lesson by now." She motioned to the door. "I'll walk you out."

Magnus turned and headed back out to the docks, he nodded to Lee in a friendly manner as he started to leave, but she held onto his arm, detaining him.

"Is there anything I need to know?" She looked genuinely concerned. "Is there anyone after you? Should I be prepared for...whatever?"

He mulled that over, "Well, no one seems to have turned up yet." He nodded another farewell and headed away.

Lee was left looking after him wondering what sort of cosmic joke she had stumbled in on.

 

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