Remy Lebeau (lediableblanc) wrote in valarlogs, @ 2013-09-26 00:08:00 |
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Entry tags: | !complete, bella donna boudreaux, remy lebeau (gambit) |
Who: Bella Donna Boudreaux & Remy LeBeau
What: Belle brings Remy up to speed
When: 9/24
Where: Their favorite bar to begin with.
Rating: PG for language, brief mention of violence
Status: Complete
Belle was tired but very happy when she made her way into the bar to meet Remy. She felt bad that Nicholas wasn’t doing well, but she had a plan now, and something like the ability to decide her own destiny. She’d never really set up long term goals for herself, so the freedom to do that was a little scary.
She was wearing jeans and a t-shirt, since that was what she’d had in her SUV at the time. Her handler was still shadowing her, but he’d promised to keep his distance so he wouldn’t scare away her friend. She wasn’t sure how she’d cope with that, since he’d likely want to stay in earshot. She figured she’d work it out as she went.
Remy, in another life, was a professional thief; he could smell cops. When he saw Belle walk into their bar, he raised an eyebrow. “Who’s the watchdog?” he murmured, going to kiss her on both cheeks. “You look good, for une femme who just got out of hospital.”
She kissed him back. “Handler.” She figured he’d get the idea that they couldn’t talk about the dreams at the moment. “Merci. It’s been a pretty emotional week. I need t’ kick your ass at pool t’ get back to normal.” She winked at him and ordered a beer for herself. “How’ve you been?”
Annoying, to be sure, but he got it. “Pool you can have, but ain’t so sure about the kickin’ my ass.” Remy smiled - he wouldn’t let her win; she’d hit him for it. “Me, I been ok. Got a new puppy dog, and I got an audition in a coupl’a days.”
“An audition, huh?” She grinned at him. “Whacha gonna be doin’?” She grabbed her beer and made her way over to a table. “Also, congrats on the puppy? You got her spoiled yet?”
“Oh, Ruby’s the princess of the house already.” Remy laughed. “Found her under a parked car on Sepulveda, took her home to recover, but found out she ain’t got a micro-chip, and Candy gave me the eyes.” He gave Belle the lip wobble to illustrate. “And I got an audition for a film with Natasha Romanova.” Hopefully she wouldn’t notice that too much.
“Awwww. So you practicin’ for later?” Belle asked, giving him a wide grin. “I hear that’s a thing people do. Wouldn’t know first hand.” She set up the balls, smiling when he mentioned who else was in the film he was auditioning for. “Ooh, so you’re gonna be an actor? Have your name in lights and go t’ movie premieres and shit?”
“Lord have mercy, I ain’t wanting no kids til way later.” Remy laughed, getting his own beer. “I’s fine with Princess Ruby for now. Logan gave me shit for trying to show him a picture, though, so I think I got rid of ‘em. And I dunno about being an Actor ... it was the reason I came out here, but now I ain’t so sure.” He grinned. “You think this face could be a scene-stealer?”
Belle ‘tsk’ed at him. “I woulda loved t’ see a picture.” She finished racking and looked up at Remy, tilting her head and studying him for a minute. “I dunno. You’re kinda squinty.” She teased.
“And yet, in some reality, you married me.” Remy laughed. “Flip a coin to decide the break?”
Belle rolled her eyes. “Don’t get into that sci-fi alternate universe shit.” She pulled out a coin, hoping her handler wouldn’t read anything into that comment. “Call it.”
Shit, he’d forgotten. This was kind of stupid, and he hoped she’d explain later. “Tails.” Remy said, taking a pull of his beer, watching her flip it. “So, you feelin’ back to normal?” He meant physically; she didn’t have to talk about the memory stuff if she didn’t want to.
Belle flipped the coin onto the table. It landed on heads, which was great news. “Yeah. I’m pretty sure I’m back t’ normal. Remember all my recipes and all the people in my phone.” She bent over to take her first shot. She wasn’t great at breaking, but she’d set Remy up for a bunch of good shots. “It was pretty scary not remembering anything. I didn’t like seein’ everyone so sad.”
“I hope I don’t sound selfish, but I’m glad I wasn’t there.” Remy replied, surveying the table. “I mean, I know we ain’t known each other too long, but still. Don’t like seein’ mes amis in pain. You had people around all the time, though, right?” There was a long shot he could make in the corner pocket, and when she was done, he set up to take it.
“Yeah. Nicholas at first, then Vanille. And you know.” She jerked her head at her handler. “I was hard copin’ with it all.” She drank her beer and shimmied up onto the tall chair next to their table.
She’d mentioned a Nicholas, but not Vanille. “A friend and a lover? Or a lover an’ a friend?” Remy smirked. “You mention that homme before, but not her. Still, glad you had people with you.” Well. Not her tail. Hopefully he’d get the whole story on that some other time.
“Lover and ex-lover turned friend. I live a complicated life of intrigue.” Belle said with a laugh. “Vanille’s a real sweetheart, but she’s been through a lot lately. I know this can’t’ve helped.”
“Has she now?” Remy grimaced sympathetically. “Let me guess, you worryin’ your head about her, now, when she was just worryin’ about you? What does your man think on all this? He any help?”
“He’s helpful, but there ain’t much that we can do for her. It’s one of those things you gotta get through on your own.” She sighed. “I just hope things settle down for everyone now. I’m tired of worryin’ ‘bout people.”
Remy nodded before bending down to take his shot. “Side pocket. Merde!” He missed by two miles, after the cue slipped in his hand. “Putain. I think you got the right idea, though. Just be there for her, as she and your man were there for you. Can’t say you won’t worry ‘bout nobody, though. This is Orange County.”
“No shit.” Belle noted, sliding off the stool to look at the table. “These are some stubborn balls.” She noted. “Doesn’t help that I had the bright idea f’r Wolfwood t’ move in and asked right after her girlfriend stopped bein’ sick and right before I lost my memories.” And now he was sick, and Vanille asked her to stay at his place instead. She didn’t know what to make of it.
Remy blinked. “You asked him to move in? Sheeeeiiiit.” He dragged it out, Louisiana style, and grinned. “You got a big ol’ crush.”
Belle only confirmed it by whacking him in the calf with her pool cue. “Shush. None of your business either way.” She was even blushing.
“Ow! Putain de merde, woman!” Remy was laughing, though. He bowed, still grinning. “Oui, Miz Boudreaux, ain’t none of my business, Miz Boudreaux.” Still, he was glad. She’d always seemed kind of lonely. Lovers had a way of helping that.
She stuck her tongue out at him. “Never mess with a lady that’s got a big stick in her hands.” She missed her next shot and chalked it up to distraction. “It’ll just be nice not drivin’ all the way out t’ be around him. Though I guess it could work the other way around.” She wouldn’t need her big study anymore, and the CIA wouldn’t keep paying the rent forever.
“Whoever got the bigger place.” Remy nodded. “My apartment was bigger’n Candy’s, so when she moved in we kept my place. We gonna look for a real house, though - dog is a pit mix, so she need room to run.”
“Yeah, but I have the bigger place ‘cause I got a roommate. Don’t wanna kick her out.” But on the other hand, she probably wouldn’t be able to let Vanille stay there if she left. “We’ll figure it out when we know what we’re doin’.” She decided.
“Oui, probably best.” Remy made a shot, finally, and pumped his fist theatrically. “Aha. So, for now, things is just goin’ back to normal for you? Or normal as they ever get?”
“No such thing as normal, but back t’ routine, oui. You nervous ‘bout the audition?” She began working on her beer in earnest. She was trying to use the time she’d spent unaware she smoked to quit, but now she always wanted something to put in her mouth.
“Yeah. Crazy nervous.” Remy smiled a little, not entirely wanting to admit it out loud, but doing it anyway. “I get nervous about a lot lately. Kinda startin’ to piss me off.”
“Somethin’ wrong?” She put her beer mug down, tilting her head a little. Her smile turned to a look of concern. She might give Remy a hard time, but she liked him and didn’t want him to be upset about things.
“Worried about Candy, more’n anything.” Remy trusted Belle, and it wasn’t as though she’d spread it around. “Candy’s daddy ... he used to beat on her. As a kid. It’s one of the reasons she ran out here. But now we think he found her.” He set his jaw. “Ain’t never killed nobody here.” He meant in this reality, but they couldn’t talk about that right now. And they couldn’t talk about how Remy would choke the bastard if it kept his wife safe.
“Don’t have to, neither.” Belle noted smoothly. She hoped he’d get the implication. She couldn’t offer to kill the bastard while her handler was listening, but she had no issue doing so.
“We got some friends who know how to look at records and stuff like that. Hopin’ it won’t become an issue.” Remy shook his head, bending down to take another shot. “But I mean. Fuck, Belle, she’s my wife.” He knew it might seem weird, given what they’d both dreamed, but they both had moved on.
“Je compris.” Belle assured him. “Let me know if you need any help with the situation.” It was as close as she dared to offer to kill the man and be done. “I can help keep her safe.”
“A lotta people have offered.” Remy smiled, hoping she understood he was grateful. “Just upsets me ... don’t like feelin’ like this is all fleeting. Even if it is, yanno?”
“Everything is temporary, but this doesn’t hafta be. You’ll be okay and so will she. Her father shows up wantin’ to hurt her he’ll find a helluva fight on his hands, even if it is just the two of you. It’ll suck for a while, but then it’ll get better, ‘cause things go like that.”
“Mais oui, they do. Guess it’s true for everyone.” Remy held up his glass in a mock toast. “You and your man, too. Since you want him to be movin’ in and all, it don’t sound temporary.” Teasing her felt good. If she didn’t whack him again.
She didn’t hit him, but she did roll her eyes. “We ain’t pickin’ out wedding china or nothing like that. I just think we’d have more sex if we were around each other more often. Plus we could carpool, and that’s just smart.”
“C’est vrai.” Remy grinned. “I also just like givin’ you grief.”
“I noticed.” She said with a laugh. “Guess you’re entitled, after all the jokes I’ve made at your expense.” She grinned at him so he’d know she wasn’t taking anything personally. “I don’t know if I’ll ever be ready for that kinda commitment.”
“Eh, if you is, fine, if you ain’t, fine. You also don’t have to get hitched to commit.” Remy shrugged. “All it takes to commit is to promise not to fuck nobody else. Does the thought of him screwin’ another woman make you want to kill?” He couldn’t help but be amused at the visual.
“We’ve already had that discussion, and these days don’t take much t’ make me wanna kill people anyway.” She said it lightly, and it didn’t bother her much. She was just unsure whether that change was from the dreams or the increased stress having so many people to care about put on her.
“Does that mean yes or no?” He cocked his head to one side. “And whichever, I just think you were right earlier. If shit’s all temporary, maybe we need to enjoy it with the people we love, much as we can.” He knew it was sappy, but oh fucking well. A lot was going on in his life, and despite their talking, he was still losing at pool.
“Yes. I haven’t slept with anyone while in my own body since we met. It’s new t’ me, Don’t normally have ties like that.” She stepped up to take her shot. “I know it’s silly t’ get hung up on, but I’m still not sure what t’ do about all this.”
“What’s to do? You love him and he loves you. Enjoy it.” Remy didn’t see what the big deal was.
Belle sighed. She couldn’t explain it right now. She’d have to lose her handler ASAP. “You’re right, of course.”
She looked upset, and Remy furrowed his brow. He went over to hug her, wrapping one arm around her. “Go into the ladies’ room,” he murmured. “Can talk there, least for a minute.” He’d find some excuse; the handler wasn’t in theory going to be watching him.
Belle nodded and hugged him back. “‘Kay.” She knew the ladies’ room had a window to the outside, so they could get away to talk. It would piss her handler off, but it might prove she wasn’t mentally addled.
She took her next shot as though nothing had happened, sighing when she missed. “Ugh. I’m not up t’ my usual standards tonight.” She frowned at the table, then leaned her cue against their bar table. “Go ahead an’ take your turn, I gotta powder my nose anyway.” She grabbed her purse and headed to the bathroom, rummaging through it until she found her cell phone. She always looked at it when she went to the bathroom, her handler would notice if she didn’t do that now.
Remy didn’t know what the hell was going on; he just knew they couldn’t talk and it bugged him. He polished off his beer, and after a few more careful minutes, he headed off in the general direction of the bar. However, he took a sharp left once he was out of the man’s visibility range, winding up outside.
It wouldn’t take her long to get through the window, he knew, and before she was even all the way through, he had to ask. “What the fuck’s going on?”
“They make these fuckin’ windows so high.” Belle groused, trying to maneuver her other leg out. “Still can’t tell y’, ain’t enough time. I’ve got an office on Jeffrey and Roosevelt, 1427 Jeffrey, number 201. Meet me there in twenty minutes and don’t let a black SUV follow you.” She landed on one foot and shouldered her bag. “I assume you got a trick or two from the dreams.”
“Mais oui.” Remy tossed her a salute. “I’ll be there. You ain’t in danger, is you?” Fuck, that would be all he needed.
“Nope.” She assured him, before darting to her own SUV. She wound up taking more than twenty minutes to get there. Her handler had to be picked up when he gave chase, and then she had to lose him again. Still, she wasn’t too flustered when she made it to her bolthole. She smoothed her hair back from her face and greeted Remy with a smile.
Remy hadn't taken much less time; he'd taken a circuitous route just to be on the safe side. But he was sitting there when Belle showed up, now very curious. "Well, you got my attention."
“Bon.” She unlocked the door and let them in. The office was mostly empty, just a table, a couple chairs, and a minifridge. “Beer?” Because what else would she keep in her bolthole? “So I used t’ have this job. Worked for the government doin’. . . well, it was kinda like the dreams, actually.” She grabbed a beer for herself and sat on the table to drink it.
Beer worked for him. Remy raised an eyebrow. "Black ops?" He sat on the nearest chair.
“Yeah. I meant there was more to it than what I did in the dreams. I did a little of everything, actually. When I lost my memories my handler showed up, and he’s been tailin’ me since. I’ve got a psych eval comin’ up should get rid of him, but until then I can’t say nothin’ ‘bout the dreams. I’m sure there’s some government agency that knows about this shit, but the one I worked for don’t need that information.”
"Putain." Remy somehow didn't like that idea. The dreams had become a part of them all. And Belle, well, he knew her well enough to know she didn't deserve having no privacy at all. "So that episode, it fucked you more than what we all thought?" Given she'd lost her job and all that. "Your man know what's what?"
“I sure as hell didn’t expect t’ be retired.” Belle noted with a sigh. “He knows. He’s military so there’s a little leeway. I shouldn’t be tellin’ you none of this.” It was dangerous, but she trusted Remy. Probably that was the dreams’ influence more than anything else, but it didn’t make it less true.
He didn’t bother saying he wouldn’t breathe a word or anything like that. Either she trusted him or she didn’t. “At least he know a little. Keepin’ shit like that from him might get dicey. But you sure you gonna get rid of the tail after your eval?” Talk about putting a cramp in her style if she didn’t. He shook his head. He worried about her, though she probably wouldn’t thank him for it; still, they’d been madly in love in one reality.
“He gets paid too much t’ babysit me and he’s gonna take over my work.” She shrugged. “Even if I do get a helper they won’t be breathin’ down my neck like him. Mostly the gov’ment just wants t’ make sure I’m not gonna admit to doin’ the specific things I’ve done, or that I’ve got anything to admit to in the first place.” She shrugged. “My job was my life, there’s no way I’d let those secrets out now, even if I am annoyed they retired me.”
“‘S why you never work for no government,” Remy replied gravely, wanting to make her at least smile. “I’m sorry it all went clusterfuck, p’tite.”
“I’ll live. Couldn’t have a future before. Now I got options. There’s worse fates.” She shrugged. “I was in almost as long as I was out, gonna be a hard adjustment.” She’d make it work. She always got through whatever life threw at her.
“Least you got somebody, and you got some good friends.” Remy took another pull of his beer. “You know I gonna look out for you long as you let me, oui?”
“That’s fine as long as I get t’ do the same. I got an ego, but I know I need a hand sometimes.” She smiled at him. “I appreciate it. Gonna be a hard adjustment sleepin’ in the same bed for more than a year.”
“Oh, no, not the same bed.” Remy laughed. “Havin’ a fixed address and a man you love is so hard.” Cause she did. He hoped the guy felt the same way. “You should come, meet Candy sometime.”
“I know. My life is terrible.” She pressed her hand to her forehead dramatically. She couldn’t even sustain pretend drama without a laugh. “I’d love t’ meet her. Maybe we could have dinner or somethin’ when Nicholas is feelin’ up t’ snuff.”
“That’d be nice. Think I talked to him on the network once, but ain’t never met him. And Candy would like you.” He was fairly sure of that. Candy liked people of any gender who didn’t take bullshit.
“Then let’s make it a plan. I’ll text you in a week or so. Lemme know if you need a hand with anything, I’m gonna be bored with just one job.” She slid off her desk, looking around at the room. She’d have to clear it out when she lost her tail.
“If Candy’s daddy turns into a threat, I let you know. Already had to tell Logan he can’t kneecap ‘im. Candy gets first crack.” Remy was smiling, but he wasn’t amused.
Belle nodded, then leaned down to kiss his cheek. “Be careful.”
“You too, hein?” Remy kissed both her cheeks. The pool could wait. “Don’t wanna have to come visit you in the federal pen, nem’mind the hospital.” He smiled at her.
“Psh, I ain’t stayin’ in no jail, and I’m workin’ on staying out of the hospital for a while.” She grabbed the door, holding it for him. “I forfeit the match, we’ll work on figuring out who’s better at pool someday, but I need to find my handler.”
“I’m hopin’ you don’t get no riot act for this.” Remy looked a little worried. “You tell your man, when shit calms down you gonna have dinner with me an’ Candy.”
“I’ll just use it as proof I’m still in my right mind, and I’ll let him know. Drive safe.” She smiled and waited for him to leave so she could lock up.
Remy saluted, heading off down the hall quick, figuring he ought to make tracks before anything went down. Though all the information he’d gotten wouldn’t stop him from worrying about her.