"I wonder why Tante Mattie wanted us to come here?" Emil Lapin asked. Remy LeBeau shrugged as he pulled the car into the driveway of Tante Mattie's house. Mattie had called the two and asked that they join her and the others as soon as possible. She didn't give them a reason, but then again, they didn't need one. They always did what Tante Mattie asked, all the thieves did.
Mattie saw the car pull into the driveway and went out onto the porch. She wanted to prepare the boys for what they were about to find out. It would be a shock to them, Remy especially, to learn that Etienne was still alive.
The two young men got out of the car and joined Mattie on the porch. "What's goin' on, Tante?" Remy asked.
Mattie looked at them and contemplated just how much to tell them before letting them go inside.
"I have a couple of t'ings to tell you," she began, deciding to just go with her heart. "Now, Emil, you won' remember dis, b'cause you were only a baby when it happened, but Claude's an' Genard's mothers moved to Los Angeles in late 1976. Dey were both pregnant an' wanted to raise deir daughters away from de Guild life. A few hours ago, dose two girls showed up here, all grown up. So Claude an' Genard are inside, getting to know dem."
"Hey dat's great!" Emil said, his blue eyes lighting up at that news. "Dey told me when I was a kid 'bout deir mothers leavin'. It's really great dat dey're finally getting to know deir sisters."
"It is, chil'. It really is." Mattie replied. "Dey're really happy."
"What's de other t'ing you wanted to tell us?" Remy asked. He was happy about the news of Claude and Genard finally getting to meet their sisters after all the years that had gone by, but he had a feeling, looking at Mattie's face, that the girls weren't the real reason she had asked him and Emil to come over.
Mattie sighed, wishing he wasn't so observant. Theoren had told her that if she wanted to tell them, she could, and she was a little nervous about it. Before she could begin to tell them about Etienne, Theoren came out onto the porch.
"Have you told dem yet?" he asked Mattie, his brown eyes filled with elation and concern at the same time. He, too, was worried about the reactions of his two young friends.
"I told dem 'bout Rory an' Dani," Mattie replied, relieved to get the distraction.
"Oh, okay." Theoren said. "Um…can I tell dem 'bout…?"
Mattie smiled. "Of course." She said, turning and going back into the house to give them some privacy.
Theoren faced the two young men and raised his eyebrows. "Dis isn' 'xactly easy to talk 'bout."
"Theo, what is it?" Remy asked. "You can tell us."
"Okay. Well, it's like dis. Jean-Luc an' Tante Mattie haven' been honest wit' us for de past few years."
"What are you talkin' 'bout, Theo?" Emil wanted to know.
"Remy, what happened in Spain when you an' Etienne were dere ten years ago?" Theoren asked suddenly, deciding to break the news to them by getting history discussed first.
"We were kidnapped by the Pig an' when I tried to get us out usin' my powers…stupidest t'ing I could've done…we got separated. Papa went dere three weeks later an' came back an' told us Et was dead. Why?" Remy replied.
"Etienne wasn' dead." Theoren replied. "Jean-Luc took him to California to live with Claude's an' Genard's mothers, an' told us he was dead to keep him safe. He's been dere for de past ten years, until today, dat is."
Remy and Emil looked at each other, eyes wide.
"He's alive?!" Remy demanded.
"He's here?!" Emil questioned.
Theoren chuckled. "Yes to both questions. He's inside. He an' de girls are good friends, needless to say, an' dey decided it was high time to pay us a visit."
Emil looked like he didn't know whether he wanted to laugh or cry. He was only two years older than Etienne, and they had grown up together. He had been hit relatively hard by his friend's supposed death, and the idea that it hadn't really happened was overwhelming. Hand on the doorknob, he looked questioningly at Theoren, who just chuckled again.
"Go on, get in dere." Theoren told him, knowing how important this was to Emil.
Remy went to follow Emil, a pensive look on his face, but Theoren stopped him. "Hang on, Rem," he said with a small sigh, putting his hand on Remy's arm. Remy stopped and looked at him.
"What is it, Theoren?"
"When all dis has died down, could we talk? Dere's somet'ing I have to tell you, but I don' want to keep you right now…"
Remy was confused. He had no idea what Theoren wanted to talk to him about, but he had an idea it had something to do with Etienne. "Sure, Theo. Whenever you want, jus' come find me."
"Okay."
Theoren followed Remy into the house, lost in his own thoughts. He wasn't looking forward to his talk with Remy later, but at least he knew he had some time to figure out what he was going to say, while Emil and Remy were hanging out with Etienne.
A few hours later, Theoren found himself helping Tante Mattie make supper for everyone. Mattie noticed his thoughtful and somewhat worried expression and decided it was time to ask him what was going on in his head.
"Is somet'ing wrong, chil'?" she asked.
Theoren sighed. "Dis has been quite de day…I'm so happy dat he's alive, although it's been slightly overwhelming to be talkin' to him, findin' out 'bout his life for de past ten years. Him an' dose girls…dey're like a little mini-guild, dey're so close. Den dere's Emil…I t'ink he was hit almost as hard as I was when we were told Et was dead. He looks so happy out dere; de way dey're carryin' on, it's like de past ten years never happened. Even Remy looked happier den he has in quite awhile."
"Theoren, are you upset dat Jean-Luc an' I kept de truth from you?" Mattie questioned as she tossed the salad.
Theoren plugged in the electric potato masher and looked at her briefly before starting up the masher and mashing the potatoes. "Non. I understand why Jean-Luc did what he did, an' I know it was in Et's best interest dat no one here know he was alive."
"So…why de frown?"
"I haven' been treatin' Remy all dat well in de past ten years. I've been blaming him for what I t'ought was my brother's death, an' now dat we know de truth, I…well…"
"You have to apologize to him for your treatment of him." Mattie finished.
Theoren nodded. "Oui."
"Do you honestly t'ink he's angry wit' you?" Mattie asked. "He's been blamin' himself jus' as much as you have. I t'ink it'll do you both good to talk 'bout it. An' now dat Etienne is here, it's a good time to do it."
"You're right, as always, Tante. How do you manage it?"
Mattie laughed lightly. "Chil', if I knew dat, do you t'ink I'd be here takin' care of a bunch of t'ieves an' assassins?"
"Well for our sakes, I certainly hope so!"
"Hey Remy?" Theoren asked. It was after supper and Remy, Emil and Etienne were sitting in the living room. Claude, Genard, Dani and Rory had gone for a walk over to the guild safehouse so the girls could meet Mercy and Zoe, the two female members of the Thieves Guild.
"Oui, Theo?"
"Can we…uh…?"
"Oh yeah, sure." Remy replied, remembering that Theoren had wanted to talk to him about something. He looked at Emil and Etienne. "We'll be back in a few minutes."
The two men went onto the front porch, closing the door behind them.
"What's on your mind, Theo?" Remy asked, deciding that beating around the bush wouldn't be a good idea.
"Remy, I…I wanted to apologize to you." Theoren admitted.
Remy frowned. "Apologize? Why?"
"Well, ever since dat day Jean-Luc came home an' told us dat Etienne was dead, I've blamed you for what happened, an' now dat we know de truth, I feel bad 'bout de way I've treated you." Theoren explained, leaning on the railing.
Remy moved and stood beside his friend. "Theo, I've blamed myself jus' as long as you have. My powers were still developing, an' I foolishly t'ought I could control dem enough to use dem to get us out of de situation we were in. I was wrong. An' for de past ten years I've had to live wit' de knowledge dat I was responsible for de death of one of my best friends. Do you know what dat's like?"
Theoren thought for a minute. "Non. I don'. De only best friends I've ever had were Henri an' Claude. Claude's still here, an' de Assassins got Henri."
"Well, de guilt is unbearable. Worse den anyt'ing you could imagine." Remy told him. "Theoren, I'm not stupid. I never once resented you for de way you treated me. I knew what was botherin' you…I would have done de same t'ing if I'd been in your position."
"So…"
"So I don' t'ink you need to apologize. Since you did, I accept. Now stop worryin' 'bout it. He's gon' be here, what, two weeks? I t'ink you, me an' Emil should spend as much of dat time wit' him as we can. You 'specially. He's your brother after all." Remy said.
"So we're good?" Theoren asked, turning and looking at Remy.
"Yeah. We're good. How 'bout we go get dose two in dere an' find somet'ing to do?" Remy replied, heading for the door.
"Sounds good. Hey maybe we could go to dat new club dat jus' opened in de Quarter. Mercy an' Zoe went on Friday, dey said it was a pretty decent place to hang out."