Work Text:
Running Into Destiny
by SisterWine
1991
"Final boarding call for Flight 0375... Final boarding call for Flight 0375."
"Mr. Karson, please come to the baggage claim. Mr. Karson, please come to the baggage claim."
Holding her small round, straw, dress hat with one hand and her small, tan carry-on bag with the other, she hurried down the ramp to the baggage claim. There had only been a few people in the terminal, as the hour was quite late, so she didn't have to dodge that many people on her way to the escalator. Long brown curls swayed and bounced from side to side as she moved down the ramp and around the corner of the terminal. Stepping on a moving stair downwards, she breathed a sigh of relief. She had made it to New York, away from her father, away from her world that had been Hell since her mother passed.
When she reached the bottom level and stepped off, she looked up at the signs and then glanced around the busier level for the baggage room. The shoulderstrap on her carry-on bag was becoming heavy and wrinkling her pressed long sleeved, pink dress. Turning around and watching several other passengars from different flights, heading down a long corridor, she figured she would follow them. Her feet were starting to hurt as she had clearly worn the wrong shoes for the trip. "Please be baggage," she whispered to herself, over and over as she followed an older couple that had apparently just come back from a Hawaiin get-away.
The sign for the baggage room had been placed in the upper left corner of the corridor, and she would have missed it if it hadn't have been for two small children, clearly up past their bedtime, jumping and screaming about the arrow pointing to the left. "Thank goodness."
There had been several baggage go-rounds on; about five of seven had actually had something going around on them. The sign on top of the last one, in the back, on the right, was her flight number. As she walked up to the go-round, she found that half her company on the flight was already there and picking out their suitcases and other big items. Spotting a giant green Samsonite making its second time around, she pushed between a businessman and a tall, blonde lady from Texas that she sat two rows in front of on the left. Her hand reached out and grabbed ahold of the handle before she gave a weak yank on the heavy case, knocking her into the businessman, who stood on her right.
"Ah'm sorry. Just trying to get my suitcase." She had to let go of the case as the force of the go-round had been too strong for her to pull her bag off.
The taller, graying gentleman smiled and waited for her suitcase to come around again before pulling it off, along with one of his, at the same time. "If these things would move slower, people wouldn't bowl everyone over like they do." The man laughed and gave her a nod as he handed over the suitcase to her.
She smiled and nodded in agreement before saying thank you and turning to go. The terminal had become much more busier since she had found her baggage. The nondescript corridor was now filling up with people from arriving and departing flights and was making her start to feel uncomfortable. Checking her watch on her left wrist, she wondered if the taxicabs were even running at this time of the morning.
A deep breath and a hard tug on her tall suitcase set her off to find a way out of the airport and out onto the landing. She had made it halfway before she stopped to pull out a pamphlet map from her carry-on's side pocket . Unfolding it and looking at it, she had barely enough time before she looked up to see a handsome young man collide with her, in front of the exit doors. Stumbling backwards, she dumped her suitcase on its side, causing the small and fragile lock to bust and the lid to her suitcase to burst open, exposing clothes that flew everywhere.
"Ouch! Hey, don't you have bells or a whistle to tell people where you're going?" She had surprised herself at how annoyed she became from simply bumping into someone. Dress fanning out and backside landing harshly on the floor, she tossed her brown curls out of her face before looking up at who she collided with. The next statement was lost as he had been quite handsome and was equally shocked to be sprawled on the floor with a beautiful girl. "Ah'm sorry. Where did you come from?"
The young man brushed himself off before standing up and holding out his hand to help her up, joking under his breath with the answer. "New Orleans, et toi?" His long, auburn hair had been about waist length but was kept in a low ponytail under a dark blue Saints cap. Pulling her up by a gloved, frail hand, he noticed the difference in their attire. He had been dressed for a baseball game, with blue jeans and a blue Atlanta Braves jersey, while she had been dressed up for Sunday morning church.
"Mississippi." Without taking the time to thank him for the help, she knelt down and began to gather up her clothing from the middle of the aisle. She was surprised to find him lending a hand like a gentleman should but felt him a bit rude as he picked up her personal underclothes and handed them discreetly to her. "Thank you."
The young man smiled and stood up as she finished putting her clothing back into the suitcase and closing it again, locking it to the best she could. He expected to see her face that her white bangs hid, as she was bent over. No luck. "You waitin' for someone to pick you up? Not really de best time of night to be out, alone, in a new city. Pretty girl like yaself could get somethin' to happen, non?"
The girl stood up and gathered her things before starting to walk towards the exit. She knew it was rude to ignore him but he had made a point and yet, he hadn't proved that he was a good guy. Her heels tapped loudly on the polished floor and then she heard his worn sneakers tapping softly into step with her.
"Hey! You sure you want to go out dere?" He had come up to stroll along side her on the right. He was much more taller than she was but only by a few inches. His hand caught her by the arm, forcing her to stop and turn around to look at him.
Hazel eyes met red on black as she wasn't exactly sure how to respond. "How do Ah know you aren't a bad guy?" Looking away from him as she felt herself blush from the attraction, she continued, "Ah just need to find a hotel and wait while a friend comes and gets me and takes me to California. What can happen from that?" Moving a lock of curly brown hair from her face, she glanced up and into his eyes without meaning to.
"In dis city, plenty." Holding out his hand to shake her hand, he introduced himself, "I'm Remy LeBeau."
Reluctantly, she shook his hand and quickly gave her name. "Rogue."
"Well, at dis time, you'd have ta pay much more dan you should for a room dey'll kick ya out of at noon. Tell ya what, you come wit' me, an' I'll get ya settled in to a nice, comfy room, for free. Dat is, if you don't mind a dog?" The charm in his voice and the weariness in her body was playing key to her breaking down and agreeing, eventhough he was a complete stranger that ran her over in the airport and broke her suitcase.
Rogue thought about the proposition for a moment before looking the young man up and down. He hadn't seemed to be suspicious or a whacko. In fact, he seemed fairly sincere about the offer. "Dog?" The word had been the only thing she could think of asking.
"Oui. Squeaker. He's a german sheppard. He's harmless." Remy paused a moment. "Unless, he likes ya. Den de slobberin' starts, and de pantin', an' sittin on yer foot to make sure you don' go nowhere wit'out him." He smiled sweetly and offered to help with her suitcase. "Look, if you don't trust me, I will call you a cab, and pay for a hotel room. Ca va?"
Nodding and stifling a yawn, Rogue gave in and allowed the handsome young man to escort her to his dark purple Toyota Tacoma pickup. As she followed him, her apprehensions were slowly dissolving. His truck was clean and nicely taken care of. She liked the way he placed the Samsonite in the empty truckbed with care, and the way he was embarrassed with the passengar seat being cluttered with rock band fliers. Giggling to herself, she waited for him to clear off the seat and shove the fliers into the glovebox, before she stepped in and set her carry-on at her feet.
Shutting the door and running around to the driver's side, Remy caught her watching him and blushed. He had never seen anyone so beautiful as her and now that she was sitting in his truck, trusting him that he was not a deranged lunatic, he felt pride in his good deed. As he opened his door, he apologised that he hadn't really expected company for the drive home.
"You live far?" Rogue watched him place the key in the ignition and turn the engine on before fastening his seatbelt. She had remembered hers as she watched him come around to the driver's side.
Remy put the truck in gear and turned to back up before answering her. "Non. Just a couple of blocks. Was only here to drop a friend off." Straightening out from backing out of the parking spot, he put the truck into drive and started for the exit to the lot. "Why you here, instead of goin' straight to California?" He hadn't meant to pry but it struck him as odd to fly from Mississippi to New York, only to turn around and go to the West Coast.
Rogue sighed. "He has family here. So, we're gonna meet up, visit for awhile with his family, and then Ah'm going to go live with him until I can get a job and mah own place."
"Oh."
There had hardly been anyone on the road as he drove a few streets before turning into a middle scale apartment complex and parking in a well lit spot, up front. "De neighbours are noisy, in de morning, but dey leave by 9." Opening his door, getting out and shutting it before hurrying around to pull her suitcase out of the bed, Remy was surprised to see she had already shut her own door and waited for him to lead the way before he had a chance to set the suitcase down on the ground.
It was a two-storey, nondescript building that was amazingly well-kept and full of apparent tenants who had nice vehicles. The main entrance was a rounded archway with small, trimmed bushes lining the walkway. She took note of every little thing she saw as they passed through the main gate and turned to the right to go up the stairs before turning to the left.
The last door on the right of the outside complex with a front view of the side parking lot. She noticed that he fumbled with his keys before managing to get the door unlocked and open only to push his way in due to a big dog guarding the door.
"Hey Squeaks! Heya buddy. Brought a friend for ya to sniff." Parking the suitcase in a corner of the small dining room, to the left of the door, Remy pet and played with the big dog that was whining and whimpering that he had been left alone. "Come on in. He won't bite. He's just a big baby." Remy looked up at Rogue, who had been wide-eyed at seeing the size of the dog. The kitchen light had been left on for the dog, as he was scared of the dark, and it gave Rogue a chance to look at her surroundings.
Stepping in and shutting the door behind her, she glanced around the front rooms of the small flat. "Nice." Moving to put her carry-on bag down with her suitcase, she jumped as a cold nose touched her naked right wrist. Turning and smiling down at the tall dog, who stood beside her, wagging his tail, she let him sniff her while she patted his head and said "hello."
Remy gave her the tour of the small space before leaving her to wind down. "De dining room, and dat's de kitchen. To de right, is de living room, and back down de hallway," pointing to a dark opening that separated the living room from the kitchen, he motioned her to follow, "is de bathroom to the left. De bedrooms- mine, to de left, an' the spare, to the right." Flipping on both room lights, he watched as she stuck her head inside both doorways and looked around. "Mine's a mess wit' drums an' stuff. De extra one is much cleaner." He had to check and make sure that he made his bed and picked up his dirty clothes off of the floor before he left her look at his room. "My roommate is gone to Georgia for a month but he won't mind you stayin in his room. Unless, you'd prefer mine?" He paused, embarrassed at how the offer sounded. "I mean, you take my bed, and I'll take de sofa."
Rogue laughed and shook her head. "No. This'll be fine. Thank you."
Remy smiled and nodded before looking down the hall at the dog who sat down in the entryway, tilting his head as if to ask, "did you really just ask that to her?"
~~~~~
She had put her things in her room and had settled down, not completely relaxing in front of the stranger, but enough to enjoy being in someplace other than a hotel room or busying airport. Taking her hat off and setting it on the nicely made bed before slipping out of her dress shoes and walking out into the living room to visit before bed.
Remy sat on the sofa, that sat on the other side of the wall that her closet was on, and pet the big dog who had taken up the empty space next to him. "You hungry? Don't have much but, pretty sure dere's some cereal in de cupboard. Makings for a sandwich?" He watched as she sat down in a dark orange easy chair with it's back to the dining room, to his right.
Shaking her head, she declined. "How long have you lived here?" Curling her feet under her dress and leaning on the left arm of the chair, she watched the dog loving the attention he was getting on his left ear and smiled.
"About two years. Came here to get a band started but we're missing de most important thing."
"What's that?"
Remy laughed to himself. "A singer. Why you come here? Aside for the friend thing?"
Rogue flinched as the question stung a bit. "Family situation didn't work out so well, so my friend is gonna help me out." She yawned and was unable to contain it.
Standing up and letting the dog hop down from the sofa and come over to put his head in her lap as he sniffed, Remy knew it was past both their bedtimes. "Well, it's gettin' ta be dat time. Better get some sleep 'fore de sun comes up, in half an hour, and people make noise outside."
"That late already?" Rogue pet the yellow and black furred head in her lap.
"Yep." It was Remy's turn to yawn. "Good night, chere." Calling the dog away so she could get up, he lead the way down the hall, turning off lights as they went. "Sleep as long as ya like. I'm off work tomorrow, so will be here when ya wake up."
Rogue stopped in the doorway to her room. "Thank you for letting me stay here." Absently playing with a curl of hair as he paused in his doorway and turned around to smile his answer back.
"Mon, Squeak." Letting the dog pounce into the room and onto the end of his bed, Remy gave her a wink before saying good night again and closing his door as she did the same.
It was morning already and the room had become much more lighter than the small reading lamp on the dresser, by the door, had given off. Not even bothering with changing into her pajamas, she turned the light off, tossed her hat onto the dresser top and collapsed onto the bed in a deep sleep.
She slept for what felt like days but was really only most of the day. Getting up and changing clothes before she opened her door to find that Squeaker had taken up residence in front of her door, she reached down to pet him with her gloved hand and followed him out to the kitchen. Turning the corner, she found Remy bopping to his walkman while he fixed himself a sandwich. Watching him for a minute until he realised she was there, she smiled as he took off his headphones and greeted her.
"You hungry? I can make ya a sandwich, too. Peanut butter and jelly, though."
Nodding, Rogue had been hungry and watched him finish making his before starting on hers. "Mind if Ah wash up, first?"
"Sure." He had gone back to making the second sandwich that he hadn't noticed her watching him an extra minute before going to wash up for the evening meal.
End.