Vulpe
Vulpe had slipped out the backdoor to sit outside and think for a bit. She was getting so sick og being closeted. She knew how to look afte herself. She wasn't completely stupid.
Her tail twitched uneasily as she moved to a place she could hide. She dozed for a bit, rocketing back into consciousness when she heard a scream. With shocked eyes, she watched a team of assassins move through the house, killing everyone inside. A woman she'd talked to about art, ran out into the backyard, and fell forward with half her face blown away by a bullet.
Vulpe slid backwards through the underbrush as two assassins started to search the backyard. She got out her cell and pressed the number for Gambit. She knew Jean-Luc was out of the country, trying to sort out the situation in Italy. Gambit was her best bet.
She continued to watch the slaughter from a safe distance, waiting for Gambit to pick up. She memorised the facial features of the assassins, eyes cold with anger.
Gambit
"Scarlet get off the can opener," Gambit scolded.
He sighed a little as the phone rang and answered it.
"Hello?"
Vulpe
A burst of machine gun fire chattered as one of the thieves fought back, only to fall as an assassin plunged a knife through his back.
"Caio, Gambit? It's Vulpe," she said, watching the drama play out.
She could see the blood splatters across the walls from where she was hiding.
"Someone found me. They're killing everyone in the house."
Gambit
Gambit swore.
"Can you get out?" he asked. "I could meet you somewhere..."
Vulpe
"I was outside. I'm hiding, but you know, not really expecting to be going out in public," Vulpe said.
"I'll stick out like a sore thumb. But I can go over the rooftops, I think. Where do you want to meet?"
Gambit
"Sure, okay, I can see dat," Gambit said.
He organised a place with Vulpe to meet up, then hung up. He paused and eyed the fuzzles.
"Red? I need to go resuce our friend Vulpe. You make sure everyone behaves themselves okay?"
Red bounced a little, then bounded over to the little fuzzles and said something commanding to them in his fuzzle way. Gambit chuckled, then hurried out to the van. Thank goodness he had finally gotten his own place.
Vulpe
Vulpe hung up and moved slowly, looking over her shoulder continually and senses pricked. The slaughter in the safehouse continued as the assassins searched for her. She wished she could have gotten some of the things that she left behind, but better to be alive without them then dead with them.
She wasn't spotted on her way up to the rooftops and she slowly and carefully made her way to where she was meeting Gambit. She saw him from her viewpoint on the roof of one of the buildings and made her way to the ground, then stealthily to where he was standing by his van.
"Ciao, it's me. Let's go, and quick. I don't *think* I was spotted, since I'm not dead but..."
She could still smell death on her fur.
Gambit
Gambit nodded.
"Do yo' have any idea who it was? Specifically, I mean," he asked as he got back into the van.
Vulpe
Vulpe got into the passenger seat and drew the hood of her jumper further over her face.
"No. It was the Assassin's Guild though, who was paying them is another matter..."
She bit her lip, staring straight ahead.
"I have brought such trouble wit' me..."
Gambit
"Dere's no need ta blame yo'self cheri," Gambit said, driving off. "Dere will always be someone who had somet'ing against someone."
He steered into the traffic.
Vulpe
"Those people are dead because of me...because your father gave me sanctuary," Vulpe said.
"Their blood may not be on my hands...but it is on my soul."
Gambit
Gambit nodded thoughtfully.
"I won' try ta make you feel better, because dat will only make it worse inside. But know dat I don' hold yo' directly or indirectly responsible for deir deaths, Vulpe."
Vulpe
Vulpe took her rosary out and started to slide the beads through her fingers.
"I know. Your father won't either. How they found me...I don't know."
The soothing click of the beads calmed her as she prayed in her head.
Gambit
"And we shall see dat dey don' find yo' again," Gambit replied.
He weaved his way between streets.
"Almost dere..."
Vulpe
Vulpe nodded, able to focus on the conversation and her prayers.
"Dat is boun. I wish I hadn't had to call you."
Gambit
"I wish yo' hadn' eider, but I'm glad dat yo' did," Gambit replied.
A few minutes later, he pulled into the driveway, opened the garage door, drove the van inside and then closed the roller door.
"Home sweet home," he smiled.
Vulpe
"Boun."
Vulpe got out of the van.
"You live here by yourself?"
Gambit
"Yes, just me and da fuzzles," Gambit said, opening up the door and heading upstairs. "And dey better have behaved demselves."
Vulpe
"Hmm, fuzzles..."
Vulpe shrugged slightly and followed him.
"You know when M'sieu LeBeau is coming back from Europe?"
Gambit
"Uncert'in," Gambit replied. "May no' be until nex' year."
He stepped into the kitchen and eyed the eight fuzzles.
"Has everyone been behaving themselves Red?"
Red bounced and made a noise as if to say yes and a couple of the fuzzles scampered over to Vulpe.
Vulpe
Vulpe nodded, face carefully blank.
"Yo know if he's talked to my madre at all? I wasn't allowed any calls in case they traced them...lot of good that did since they found me anyway."
She bent to pick up one of the fuzzles, and petted it.
Gambit
"If he had, he hasn't tol' me about it," Gambit replied.
Little Rosa snuggled up in Vulpe's hand. Rusty and Rory decided to be cheeky and bounced around her feet.
"I t'ink dey like yo'."
Vulpe
"Dat's nice...seeing as how not many people seem to," Vulpe said dryly.
She carefully made her way to a couch and sat down. The fuzzles bounced up onto the couch with her. She put Rosa down, then pulled her jumper off over her head. Too hot when she was furred as well.
Gambit
Gambit grinned.
"Can I get yo' anyt'ing ta eat or drink?" he offered.
Vulpe
"Something to drink would be nice, grazie," Vulpe said.
She was tired, but she didn't want to sleep. She knew she'd see the faces of the theives whose deaths she had brought in her dreams.
"Coffee, if it's not too much trouble."
Gambit
"None at all," Gambit assured her.
He put on the jug and started pulling out a couple of mugs, and the jar of coffee.
"Sugar?" he asked.
Vulpe
"Two, prego."
Vulpe curled up on the couch, careful not to squash any of the fuzzles bouncing around her.
"No milk."
Her tail settled around her and she smiled slightly as two of the fuzzles pounced on it.
"Careful, da tail is attached to me."
Gambit
Gambit grinned.
"Dey're even more fun in da middle of da night," he said.
He spooned in some coffee into each of the mugs, and sugar into his own.
Vulpe
"Fantastico," Vulpe said dryly.
"Dey're cute though."
Gambit
"Yes dey are. The babies are Red's. Yo' may remember Rogue? She owns Liberty, who's da mother, and she generally looks after dem all. But Rogue is in Australia on camp at da moment, and asked me ta look after dem," Gambit explained.
The jug boiled and he poured in the hot water. He stirred the contents of the mugs, adding milk only to his own, and then joined Vulpe, carefully giving her mug to her.
Vulpe
"Grazie," Vulpe said, taking the mug from him.
"De girl wit da white streak? Dink gufo pointed her out at one point."
Gambit
"Yes, dat's her," Gambit nodded, sitting down.
He sipped at his coffee.
Vulpe
Vulpe let the warmth sink through the mug to her fingers, holding it carefully.
"Boun...how's the blonde girl?"
Gambit
"Demetria? She's good. In Australia too, unfortunately," Gambit replied. "So 'tis just moi."
He grinned broadly.
Vulpe
"Yo could probably go see her," Vulpe said.
"Sure your father has a teleporter in his employ somewhere. Or yo in da middle of dings dat can't be left?"
Gambit
Gambit shrugged.
"Let's choose the latter," he smiled.
He paused, wondering what to say next. He didn't think it would be entirely appropriate to ask if she was seeing someone, what with the slaughter on the safe house, where communication with the outside would have been rather restricted.
Vulpe
"Si."
Vulpe sipped from her coffee, eyes carefully blank.
"Desidero andare a casa..." she whispered finally. (I want to go home.)
Gambit
The smile disappeared from his face and he patted Vulpe gently on the shoulder.
"I'm sure evert'ing will work out," Gambit said quietly.
Vulpe
"If...no, *when* I go back to Italia, I'm going to have to take up my padre's position," Vulpe said steadily, eyes betraying a glimmer of tears.
"I'm probably going to be da youngest Matriach ever. I...overheard some conversations at the safehouse. Dere's bloodshed in da streets. I'm the only one who can bring dat to an end. Mio padre and I...we always talked about when I would take his place at da Guild...but it wsa never meant to be dis soon."
Gambit
Gambit nodded.
"T'ings never seem ta happen when yo' want dem to," he said. "Or how yo' do. But whatever happens, Vulpe, I will make sure yo' get back ta Italia."
Vulpe
"Grazie, Gambit."
Vulpe wiped her hand across her eyes.
"Dio...Sono un tal disastro." (I'm such a mess.)
She petted one of the fuzzles, sipping from her cup again.
Gambit
Gambit reached over to the coffee table and picked up the box of tissues there.
"A horrible t'ing has happened, cheri. Yo' allowed ta cry," he said softly, holding the box out to her.
Vulpe
"Dey were nice people," Vulpe said, putting the cup down before she dropped it.
"A woman, she called herself Jet...we talked about art. I watched her get shot. A man called Rhys, he managed to fight back and I think he killed two of the assassins, before one got him with a knife from behind. I saw it all, from the windows. Hiding," she spat.
"Like a scared bambina."
Gambit
"She who runs away, lives to fight anoder day," Gambit said. "Day will pay for dose deaths."
He put his arm around her shoulders in a comforting gesture.
Vulpe
"I don' like to run, and dat's all I been doing. Running and hiding," Vulpe said in disgust.
"Fox, me."
She growled.
"Coward, me."
Gambit
"Dere is no shame in retreat, Vulpe," Gambit said. "Not when de odds are against yo'. And da last t'ing I woul' ever describe yo' as is a coward."
He paused.
"But per'aps yo' are right... enough runnin' has been done. Per'aps we shoul' start ta turn da tables."
Vulpe
Vulpe bared her sharp teeth, looking very animal for a moment.
"Sound boun, Gambit. Sound verra boun indeed."
Gambit
Gambit nodded.
"Any ideas den, on how ta begin? Or would yo' rather sleep on it first?"
Vulpe
Vulpe looked thoughtful.
"First of all...I dink I need to kill enough assassins dat no matter what dey offered, dey won't come after me. Also, I need to find out what exactly is going on in Italia. Find what allies I have left...and hire the Assassin's Guild to kill the Vindichi family. While I prefer to do it meself, they might be so busy running dey won't be able to do anything."
Gambit
"Sounds like a plan," Gambit said.
He sipped his coffee.
"Be sure to let me know if dere's anyt'ing I can do ta help. In the meantime, yo're welcome ta stay here as long as yo' need."
Vulpe
"Grazie, Gambit," Vulpe said quietly.
"After what happened in Italia...a lot of men my father trusted to see me to the control of the Guild in Rome, they betrayed him. It means a lot dat you and your father would do dis..."
Gambit
Gambit nodded.
"In our world, real trust is hard ta find, Tis in times like des dat yo' learn who yo'r real friends are, cheri."
Vulpe
"Si, you do," Vulpe agreed.
She petted one of the fuzzles and it squeaked happily.
"I think it is time I switched from the hunted to the hunter."
Gambit
"Indeed," Gambit agreed.
He put his empty coffee mug on the table.
Vulpe
"Mmm."
Vulpe yawned.
"Anyway...I'll sleep on it. Where can I..."
Gambit
"Yo' can take my room," Gambit replied. "Down the hall, first door on the left."
He pointed to the hall.
Vulpe
"I can't take your room," Vulpe protested.
Gambit
Gambit waved a hand.
"It's fine, cheri," he said. "I can just as easily sleep out 'ere. Sofa bed. You'll be more comfortable, and I wouldn' dream of denying yo' some privacy."
Vulpe
"If you're sure it's alright and you'll be fine..." Vulpe said, getting up slowly to avoid hurting any of the fuzzles.
"Grazie, Gambit."
Gambit
"No problem, Vulpe," Gambit replied with a smile. "Have a good sleep."
He stood as well and took the empty coffee mugs to the kitchen.