A New Light

[Gambit]

She was obviously uncomfortable discussing her love life with him, so he merely offered her and encouraging smile before they began walking again. This was not a topic they had touched on much yet, mostly because she had little to say on the subject in the past. Now with this new development, he figured the thoughts would rarely be far from her mind.

What was it that this other man didn’t know? Was it that she now had control? Or that she was developing an interest in him? This was unclear from her words, but from her tone, Remy assumed the latter. That might not be a bad thing while she figured out her situation.

“Do y’ wish fo’ him t’ know?” he asked, casting a sideways glance in her direction. “I know dis is all very new t’ y’, Anna, an’ I can’t honestly tell y’ dat I’m not concerned.”

[Rogue]

She laughed because he was amusing to her. The church would have to change his name to Father Oblivious. But when had she ever given him reason to believe she’d held an interest in him? It was only recently that she’d begun to realize exactly what she was feeling when she’d run to him to confide after her training. Sometimes she’d spend the entire day or recoup in the church, praying or talking with the man beside her.

“I know he's safe. He's a great comfort, in fact. But I’m not sure if it’s best for him to know,” she was chancing this really badly, and she knew it.

There was a rod iron bench nearby and she made her way to it, “He’s kind of unattainable, and the news might not please him. It might just complicate his life.”

With a sigh, she sat down on the right and lowered her eyes to her lap where her hands lay folded, “I don’t even know if he’s allowed to think of me like that…”

[Gambit]

When she laughed in reply, he didn’t smile as he usually did in return but frowned instead. She obviously did not see the seriousness of her situation.

Or perhaps the situation was much more serious than he had first considered. She was being pursued, perhaps relentlessly, by her superior officer, something she was unsure how she felt about, but something that could benefit her in many ways if she gave in. He hoped she would not. This was his first concern, but now there was another. The situation she was describing sounded dangerous. Someone unattainable who was not allowed to think of her romantically.

Although she didn’t say it, the implication was there. Perhaps she was downplaying her role in this due the possible ramifications if anyone found out. Perhaps he was not the only one not allowed to feel. If the object of her affection was human…

“Complications aside, I doubt it wouldn’t please him,” the priest replied with a hint of humour as he took a seat beside her. Soon he grew serious again. “I don’ wish t’ influence y’r decisions, Anna, but dere’s a lot y’ need t’ consider.”

[Rogue]

“Father!” Anna exclaimed in surprise. “That’s not the sort of ‘please’ that ah meant.”

There was a moment where she just sat, looking at him, aghast. He was a man of God, but also just a man. Somehow, amidst their conversation, she’d forgotten that fact.

It seemed that he was stuck on the fact that she was now able to… erm… connect with people in ways that she’d never experienced before. She found it annoying that he showed concern for everything she said, and even more annoying that he wasn’t picking up any of her hints at all.

She hoped she would never have to give testimony to her affections outright, but it seemed that she was being given no choice.

“Ah may be touchable now, sugah, but ah’m not a Sleep-Around Sue, if that’s what you think. It’s not really a physical attraction,” she thought for a moment.

“Actually, he keeps himself more covered up than ah do at tahmes.”

[Gambit]

At Anna’s exclamation, Father LeBeau’s expression shifted quickly to confusion, then realisation, and then shock at said realisation. While she sat staring at him, all he could do for a moment was stare back, his eyes wide and his mouth hung open. He was horrified she would even consider he would think such a thing of her.

“A-anna, non. Dat’s… dat’s not what I meant at all,” her nervously attempted to explain, suddenly rising to his feet and pacing in front of her. “I… I would never imply… I jus’ meant dat any man would be pleased t’ have caught de attention o’ such a beautiful… y’r attention. I could never t’ink somet’in’ so… I couldn’t t’ink dat o’ you.”

He only risked a glance at her once as he passed by before pacing back. The black robes he wore suddenly felt very warm.

[Rogue]

As the priest walked the ground in front of her, Anna watched him with growing interest. He was stammering, calling her ‘beautiful’, he was saying he would never think badly of her. Weren’t those all good signs? He even tried to look over at her once to see her expression.

Standing from the bench, Anna slowly stepped up to him and grasped his arm, gently but strongly bringing him to a halt, “It’s okay, sugah. Ah know… ah shouldn’ta said that.”

Knowingly, she let her hand slide down his arm to take his hand. Gloveless. They were a little rough, possibly from yard work or something. Maybe grave digging, they’d lost many.

“You’re a good man, Mista LeBeau, and ah’m sorry t’ have let my mouth run away like that.”

[Gambit]

He stopped in his tracks when Anna suddenly grasped his arm. Not that he had a choice; she was the strongest woman, physically strongest person, he had ever met. His expression was full of apology and embarrassment. He had said too much. Much more than he should have said even to set her at ease. In fact, he shouldn’t have spoken the first comment that led to this whole scene. Even if she hadn’t misconstrued it, if she had actually understood what he had meant, it was still inappropriate of him.

Luckily she was a forgiving soul, and he would pay his penance later.

And then she was holding his hand, her skin soft and smooth against his own. Something so simple to him, to everyone else, was not so simple for her. Surely no one could fault him for slowly curling his fingers around hers. Sometimes a simple touch could be all the comfort one needed, and he could not deny her that comfort. Nor perhaps himself…

He would pay his penance later.

“No apology necessary. When I decided t’ devote m’ life t’ God, I chose t’ listen. Dat don’ mean I get t’ choose what I hear,” he replied, clearly joking this time.

[Rogue]

Anna looked down at her hand when his hand tightened around it and smiled. Father LeBeau, she wished she knew his first name, was possibly the most generous and plain amazing man she’d ever met. Even if being with him meant eternal damnation, she’d give her soul just to spend a day as only his. Even if they just sat together and talked, maybe along some bank of water… or something…

His words snapped her out of her daydream and she let out a small laugh, if only to appease him. She could still feel the warmth of his hand against hers, the fondness in the touch made a soft smile creep into the corners of her mouth. He may have devoted himself to God, but couldn’t he be close to someone else as well?

“The man that, uh, ah was talkin’ about,” she began, a little bit nervous. “Ah didn’t want it to be physical yet. That’s why ah’m scared of Samuel.”

Anna sighed, “Ah’m not ready for anything more than connection on an emotional and mental level. Ah want an intangible intimacy. Almost unspoken.”

Under her breath, she whispered, “Kind of like… what we have.”

[Sam Guthrie]

Obsessive? Perhaps, but one could never allow their goals to slip away from their grasp.

So he had followed her. Quietly, like he had been trained to, he had made his way to the grounds, observing her talk with the Priest.

Samuel had never been much for God. When his father struck him the first time, Samuel had wondered why God had allowed such a thing to happen to a good boy like himself.

And with each successive beating, God became less and less of a person and more and more like mythology.

The way she looked at this man of God....it angered him.

Wrath.

Why didn't she look at him that way?

Envy.

Why didn't she want him like he hungered for her?

Lust.

At that moment, Samuel made his presence known. He strode boldly out onto the lawn, keeping his cold blue eyes locked on the pair.

"Anna..." He stated, as if there was nothing amiss, "Fancy meeting you here, I was just out for a walk myself."

He only nodded in recognition of the Priest's presence.

[Gambit]

Her laughter always pleased him. With the position he held, it was not a sound he heard often from anyone. Most people that paid him visit he offered only what they expected: a listening ear and comfort in the word of God. With Anna, things were different. Her accident had left her troubled and she had needed a companion more than silence or words from a book.

But now the priest was beginning to see the error of his ways. Whatever he had concluded before had been wrong, and while he had intended their talks to help her through this, he had never considered any consequences. Although it pleased him to hear that she wasn’t naïve and about to jump into anything physical before she was ready, the meaning behind her words were unmistakable this time.

And impossible.

Although he cherished their talks and time spent together, they could never be anything more. He had taken a vow that he could not break. This was something greater than all of them and he couldn’t take the risk. A serious expression on his face, he slowly disentangled his fingers from hers and pulled his hand away.

“Anna…” he began, the words not coming easily. He hadn’t been lying before: any many would be pleased to have caught her attention. Unfortunately, he was the one man who could not act on it. Before he could find the words he needed to explain, a voice interrupted them. Part of him was grateful for the time it would give him, while another was far from it when he realised whom it was. His anger from earlier returned, only intensified by the fact that Anna had just admitted to fearing this man.

He showed now sign of any of this, though, as he clasped his hands in front of him again and acknowledged the nod with one of his own.

[Rogue]

Anna’s mind raced horrendously fast as she realized what she’d just, sort of… blurted. Why had she said that aloud? Why!? She could see the Father struggling for words and sense that she’d over stepped the boundaries. She hadn’t meant for it to come out that way, or that fast. It just happened. He was a man of God, whoever He was, and there was no way in either Heaven or Hell that she could be with him.

Her cheeks flushed when he pulled away and she refused to look at him when she heard him say her name. How could she ever speak to him again, after such an embarrassing outburst? She took a step back, and before she could have a chance to rebuke her statement, or even run from the man before her, another voice spoke up. A heavier, more commanding voice that, only moments before, she had feared. Now, he sounded like an angel.

Eyes wide, Anna’s head snapped around and she graced Samuel’s appearance with a small but relieved smile.

“A walk,” she bit her lip, “Ah owe ya one of those, don’t ah?”

Anything to get away, she was beginning to feel abnormally hot, even for the clothes she was wearing. Without waiting for an answer, she abandoned her post next to the priest to stand comfortably within the reach of her commanding officer.

[Sam Guthrie]

Samuel allowed himself a smile. Anna looked so happy, almost relieved to see him.

Of course she was, it was him after all. What woman wouldn't be happy to see him approach? Her movement to his side only served to prove his point.

"Perhaps....I'd hate to interupt any....business you have with the Priest..."

There was something dangerous in his voice.

[Gambit]

When Anna seemed relieved by Samuel’s sudden appearance and practically jumped to his side, a spark of panic rose within Remy. If his wordless refusal had sent her directly into her commander’s arms then it would not matter if God forgave his indiscretions or not, for he would never forgive himself.

Samuel Guthrie was the perfect choice for commander of the most esteemed army in the world for he held many of the same qualities as their master. But while Magneto was relentlessly determined and could be cruel, he was not without compassion or mercy. These were qualities that young Guthrie lacked, something that made him little more than a machine.

Remy met the man’s eyes momentarily, but he showed nothing but normal calm, soothing demeanour.

“It is up t’ de lady, but if she has a prior engagement I wish jus’ one last word wit’ her,” he said, his eyes moving slowly over to Anna. It was only then that the slightest hint of the deep concern he was feeling flickered in his gaze.

[Rogue]

Unnerved by Samuel’s tone in his voice, and still shaken by her blunder with Father LeBeau, Anna’s gaze passed shiftily between the two men. She really didn’t want to speak to either of them, at least not after all of this, but the Priest’s dark, concerned eyes pulled her in. Ultimately, she figured she knew what he was going to say, but if Sam really wanted to walk with her, he could wait for a moment.

This would be his test.

“Alrahght,” she finally consented.

Looking to Samuel, she let her eyes do most of the talking, ‘Just a moment.’

She didn’t wait for a reply, but intended to get this discussion over with as fast as she could. Stepping over to the Cajun man, Anna crossed her arms over her midriff and watched him expectantly. It was enough to be humiliated, but now he was wanting to talk to her in front of Sam... she could only imagine what this could bring about.

[Sam Guthrie]

How dare he?! A fire lit behind the cold eyes of Samuel Guthrie, but he calmed himself, remembering that Anna was more receptive to him when he wasn't....well himself.

She would be much easier to coerce that way.

"Very well then..." Samuel said, "Take all the moments you need, Father..."

He smiled, "I can be patient."