Degree of Insanity - REVIEW THIS STORY

Written by Jacque Koh
Last updated: 01/02/2007 02:01:11 AM

Chapter 3

"So y be wanting me t look f y black pearl now, mon ami?"

"If you have the time, it can wait. You are a complex man, Remy LeBeau."

"Pah, Remy not de deepest y ever met."

"I would ask then, how you knew that destroying the opal would return my powers to me? You are astute, Gambit. Though some may consider you a fool, because you squandered yourself of a favor."

Gambit looked down at his feet as he walked, "Belle still be my wife. And a part of Gambit still loves her."

"As you say. My sister, however, would also wish to offer you a gift for helping me."

"No need, mon ami. I do dis f a friend."

"I believe it would be wiser if you consider her offer, Remy. She might decide on her own to give you something."

Gambit swallowed hard, "Remy, t ink about it."

A raven sat on Gambit s shoulder as it showed him the path towards the waking world.

"Kaarrk, clever request with Delirium, Cajun. Now she s one kid you don t want to mess with, with regards to gifts."

"Dat de only t ing Gambit can t ink of, dat he wan t ask o de petite."

"You did okay by the kid, too." the raven told him, "he s a bit shaken by the close call, but he ll be all right."

"At least this time he asked for help, Matthew."

They turned towards the source of the voice to see a pale young woman approaching them. Gambit flinched involuntarily when he saw her.

"Sorry, chere."

"That s okay, Remy." She smiled at him pleasantly, "I can t imagine anyone wanting to meet a person who calls him an idiot to his face."

"Gambit, deserved it, chere. Least y call it t his face, an not t Remy s back."

"I m glad to see you in brighter spirits." The woman smiled as she fell into step with him. "I came by to thank you for helping my brother. And to ask, why did you let her off, Remy? She would have easily sent you to me."

"I don fear y sunless realm, chere. But y brother, he c n be far more terrible dan y ."

She looked at him expectantly. He obligingly continued with a sigh.

"In his heart, Gambit still cares f his wife, chere. He still willin t give his life f her."

They walked a bit more in silence before she spoke again.

"Remy? What would you have asked for this time, if you didn t ask my brother to forgive your wife?"

Remy looked at her suspiciously from the corner of his eye.

"Don t look at me like that. I haven t seen my brother yet, so he didn t put me up to this. After hearing what you asked for the last time, I m just curious."

"Y don go telling him, neh?" Gambit folded his arms and sighed, "Remy would have asked f a dream through de gates o bone."

"Kaaarr, A true dream? What of?" Matthew asked as he hopped off Gambit s shoulder to land on the rock beside the portal.

"Maybe f his wife, maybe f Rogue. Or maybe Gambit decide he won be selfish, an ask f somet ing f de X-Men. I leave y t guess wha it might be."

She smiled as he took her hand and kissed it in parting, "Take care of yourself Remy. My brother doesn t have many friends as it is."

"Pardonz moi chere, but Gambit hope dat our date in Samara won come f' several decades." He grinned at her before he stepped through the portal.

"Same here Remy, be safe. Please don t have me see you too soon."

As promised, Gambit walked through the portal and found himself in the living room of the mansion. The X-men turned to look at his entrance in shock.

"Remy! Thank the Goddess you re safe."

"Where ave yer been, sugah?"

"Where did you come from, Remy? Did you slip pass the security systems again?"

"Who was that girl, Gumbo?"

"What kind of power did she have? She wasn t a mutant."

"Are you hurt, Remy? Your armor s charred you have a cut on your throat!"

"Perhaps you should grace the infirmary with your presence, Remy. Let me check if you have any injuries."

"Gambit What s going on?"

Gambit studied the open faced curiosity on the X-men. His own face was screwed up in thought as he tried to put words to his recent adventures. He opened his mouth to speak, but closed it again and shook his head, his poker face slipped into place.

"Y not believe, Gambit."

Scott caught him by the shoulder before he could turn away.

"That s *not* an acceptable explanation, Gambit. Try us."

Remy could barely hold back his laughter at the man s expression. Curiosity was just eating away at him.

"De quick version is dat de petite s brother was a prisoner, an de homme was held in my wife s house. Gambit got him out, and he came home."

"Who was the girl?"

"De Lady Delirium."

"Huh?"

"Let Gambit see if he c n get dis right. She be an . anthropomorphic personification o a consciousness. De petite chere is, Delirium."

The X-Men blinked at him.

"Er Remy, what did I find you reading this afternoon?"

" Reading ? We should be asking what he s been drinking, Joseph."

"I *don t* smell any alcohol on yer, Gumbo."

"Remy, perhaps a trip to the infirmary really is in order. If you are having delusional episodes -"

Remy pulled out of Scott s grip with a sigh. "Gambit said, no one would believe him."

"Remy? Sugah, if ya havin problems-"

"I am not crazy." Gambit snorted, he threw a grin at Bishop before he turned away from them, "Let s jus say dat if Gambit does become de Witness, dis time Bishop got no need t worry dat he go mad, neh?"

With that he disappeared up the stairs with a chuckle.

"Remy! You can t leave it like that?!"

"Gumbo! The kid had me and Bish, on our butt ends and drooling!"

"She had me believing I was covered with with bugs."

"Remy, it wasn't telepathy. What did she do to them?"

"REMY!!!"