"Why are you staring at me, Runt?" Scott demanded. Logan nearly flinched. He held the baby closer. She gurgled at him. Scott looked down at the hand on his arm. It was attached to a pair of sympathetic red eyes.
"Y' come wit' Remy. He tell y' what be happenin'." The bewildered mutant acquiesced and found himself steered into the den. There were deep gashes in one piece of the paneling, partially covered by a picture of Ororo. They heard raised voices in the hall and the squalling of an angry baby. Remy winced at the sound. "Sit down, Stick-boy."
"What the hell did you just call me?" There was a full flinch and Remy braced himself. "What is wrong with everyone around here?"
Remy sighed in relief. "It is de real Scotty den. Good."
"What do you mean?"
"Y' didn' knock me inta de wall." Scott ignored that.
"I'd start talking if I were you. I'm sure there are quite a few Danger Room sessions…" Scott trailed off.
"What's de last ding y' 'member?"
"We were fighting the Marauders. Then, I was picked up by Betsy and brought here from a mountain I don't remember climbing."
"Y' better watch dis." Remy popped in a tape of Scott, Logan and Jean making love in the Danger Room. Scott gaped. "Now dat Jeannie be gone y' wit'
"And the baby?"
"Dat be Rachel. She y' and Jean's bebe."
"How long?"
"Y' been gone near on two years."
"Two…"
"De bebe come de mont' after Jean died."
"Jean's dead? I thought she'd just moved back with her parents."
"Oui, she dead. Can' y' feel?" Remy tapped his temple.
"It's been cut off since the battle."
"Hmmm. Must've been transferred t' de clone. Dat musta taken some doin'." Scott frowned at him. "We didn' know y' weren' y' til much later. 'Til dey fin' de mark on de clone actually."
"The mark?"
"Of 'Pocolypse."
"Me and Logan?"
"He love y'. Y' loved him. Perfectly natural."
"What else have I missed? And what happened to the clone?"
"De clone be dead, cher."
"And how did you find me?" It was strange to have to pull details out of the Mansion's central gossip. The younger man seemed overly nervous. "What the hell has got you so on edge?"
"Sorry. Y' been knockin' Gambit inta de walls f' 'bout a year now. He get nervous when y' get upset." Scott blinked.
"In the Danger Room, right?"
"Non. Dat be normal. Y' clone didn' have impulse control. More like Logan dan Logan. Y' wanted t' know how we find y'?"
"That's a place to start."
"M. Charles, Betsy, M. Eric an' M. Nat'aniel work t' find y' brain waved wit' de computer. M. Eric modify de filters an' M. Essex an' M. Bete feed in y' dought waves. Worried dat y' be dead, dem."
"Sinister and Magneto were working with the X-men."
"Oui."
"Why?"
"M. Eric want t' get back inta M. Charles' bed." Scott shuddered and Remy frowned at him. "Dey be happy!" Remy chided. "An' M. Essex like y'."
"M. Essex?" Scott parroted. "Sinister likes me? After all the Hell he's put Jean and me through? Right."
"Summers blood be de mos' important ding in de world," Remy said gently.
"I hope you're talking fatherly concern or something."
"Non," Remy leered. "But dat's not de important ding."
"What else have I missed?"
"Betsy and Warren be married."
"Finally."
"Storm and Bish be wedded."
"Bishop and Storm?"
"Oui. De pup treat her right."
"Why is Jubilee here and not at the Academy?"
"Dought it be de best way t' help her deal wit' y' relationship wit' Logan. Den she needed t' stay t' stabilize de two o' y' after Jeannie died. An' t' finish her trainin'. She plannin' t' go t' SUNY next year. She an' Sam be datin'." Remy paused. "It be hard t' 'member what y' missed."
"Where's Rogue?"
"She died wit' Jeannie. Speaking o' Roguie. Raven want y' dead."
"Mystique? We've never gotten along, but…"
"She wan' t' kill y' t' make Xavier hurt as bad as she do. T' pay him back f' Rouge's deat'."
"Any other enemies I should know about?"
"Creed ain't a problem no more. He 'tacked de bebe. He in de labs. M. Essex ain't gonna let 'im out."
"When did the X-men get chummy enough with Sinister to have him take care of their problems?"
"Victor 'tacked de bebe. Sinister gived de bebe t' Logan an' y'. He don' like her t' get hurt." Remy rubbed at his left hand absently. "De clone went after Jube an' de bebe an' Logan kilt him. Dought we gonna lose de ole man too. He only alive 'cause o' Baby Ray. Couldn' leave her."
"What?" Scott wasn't sure what emotion wanted supremacy, the despair for Logan having to think him crazy enough to kill Jubilee, or the rage of having someone else running his life and ruining his reputation.
"What y' gon' t' do 'bout Logan?"
Scott stared. "In what way?"
"He love y'. Y' gonna break his heart if y' can' even give 'im a chance."
"Gambit! The runt is rude, crude and insubordinate!"
"An' he love y' as much as he love Jeannie. Y' trust him?"
"Yeah."
"Wit' y' life?"
"Yes."
"Den y' dink mebbe y' can try t' trust 'im wit' y' heart?"
"Gambit, I'm not going to…"
"Y' interested dough. Y' can' lie t' Remy 'bout dat. Y' always been interested in de homme." Remy grinned.
"Gambit!"
"Y' tell 'im y' need time. He gonna wait f' y'. De bebe need y'. Baby Ray need bot' her papa's again."
"Gambit, we're talking about short, rude and furry here. He doesn't have patience."
"He wait f' Jeannie. He gon' t' wait long as y' need him t'. Don promise dat he not gon' t' plead his case, but," Remy shrugged. "Y' care f' him, non? Y' worried 'bout his soul."
"He's a friend. Someone I can trust at my back. That's it, Gambit. I'm not sexually interested in the man."
"Somet'ing t' show y'." Remy popped in a tape of Logan and Scott making love in the forest.
"New security parameters?" Scott snapped, forcing down a blush.
"Oui. T' keep track o' dings 'cause M. Essex pop on an' off de grounds too often. Enjoyin' de scenery, non?" They watched the rest in silence. "Y' okay, Cyke."
"I think I'm in shock."
"Dat's okay."
"Jean's dead?"
"Oui."
"Really dead?"
"Oui. Atomic bomb. She contained de blast so it only kilt Rogue an' her." Scott wrapped his arms over his chest. "She left y' to Logan, 'to cherish and protect' and dat's what he did."
"He also killed…"
"De clone dat attacked his daughters. It could've been de professeur an' he would've gutted him. Or Jeannie." Remy felt the grief rising in the older man. He stayed quiet. Eventually, he saw tears running from beneath the red glasses.
Scott wasn't really aware that the murmured words were in French, or that he was crying like a child. It was too much to take in all at once. He would never, ever feel Jean's laughter in his head again, never touch her skin, or argue over the dinner dishes. The closest memory he could compare it to was being pushed out of a plane by his mother. For the first time in more than twenty years, Scott Summers cried himself to sleep.
****
"And don’t forget your equipment," Remy told Jubilee. "You have the plans?"
"Yep. I've got everything and Chuck is my life-line. If it looks too risky, I'll pull out and forget it. D'accord?"
"D'accord." Jubilee waved and left the house.
"It's like when she first went ta the Academy," Logan stated. "I've got bugs in my stomach. How is he?"
"Hurtin' pretty bad. He don't understand. And he just lost Jeannie."
"Ya think he can… nevermind."
"Homme, Remy seen y' two t'get'er afore de clone showed up. Dere's somet'ing dere, but he's scared. More scared den 'is clone, I dink. Don' wan' t' lose control. He gonna need time. Don' dink he should be alone."
"Chuck know about this responsible streak yer developin'?" Remy grinned and put a finger to his lips.
"Sh. Dat's a secret, homme."
****
The doorbell echoed through the house. "Bishop, who'd you let in this time?" Jubilee taunted as she got up to get the door. She was practically bouncing. Scott looked up from the reports he was reviewing. Remy ignored him. Scott snickered when he realized the book was Oliver Twist. That roused the thief. He twisted around in the armchair until his back was to Cyclops.
Bishop and Storm were cuddling on the couch watching "Gone with the Wind." Sam was on security detail. Rachel was playing pool with Logan. Cable was cleaning one of his guns. Scott was surprised how naturally he was accepted into the scheme of things. It would be better if Remy didn't glare daggers at him when he went near Storm or Jubilee, but that had been explained to him.
The loss of Jean was like a loose tooth, he couldn't stop prodding. It hurt in waves. Living in Rogue's room was disconcerting even though her things weren't in there.
"Remy!" Jubilee called. Grumbling, Gambit marked his place. Cable tossed him a gun. Remy checked it and tucked it away. Scott blinked. It seemed there were things he needed to be informed of.
"Diablo! Darling!" Mystique's voice called out. Scott noticed that the room went to battle ready in an instant.
"Look sharp, Slim. She's gunnin' fer ya." The den cleared out into the hall. Raven had wrapped Remy in a hug. She kissed him on the cheek.
"Tante Raven."
"Do tell me Stick-boy is really dead." Remy sighed and she studied him at arm's length. "Diablo, what's wrong? Don't tell me you gave a damn about him. This is all Sinny's fault isn't it? Time to give the red-eyed bastard a peace of my mind. So, Wolf-boy gutted him? I'm just surprised it took so… long. Who the fuck is that?" Rave glared at Scott. "Why won't you just die?"
"Raven…" She slapped the young mutant, leaving a swiftly developing bruise.
"You lied to me."
"Ah, duh," Jubilee interjected, "he's, like, a thief."
"So are you, Baby-doll." Jubilee blinked bright blue eyes at her.
"I merely withheld pertinent information, Tante," Remy stated. Scott's eyes widened. No one else seemed to think it was odd that the Cajun's accent was missing. "Let's go visit, Roguie." He took her arm.
"Oh no you don't. You can't charm me, Darling. I want explanations."
"Cloning." She blinked.
"You cloned Stick-boy?"
"No."
"Sinister cloned him for you?"
"No. Apocalypse."
"I didn't think you'd added him to your collection of Externals."
"Tante."
"What?"
"Shut up. Close your lips and give me a moment to explain things in words small enough for you to comprehend." Rave smiled at him.
"Don't take that tone of voice with me, young man. I'll have your father… Well?"
"Oh, were you finished? It's so unlike you to leave a threat half-completed." She tapped her foot. "As near as we can reckon, Apocalypse stolt Scott during a battle with the Marauders about two years ago and put a clone in his place with pre-programmed instructions to kill off the Summers kids."
"So this clone is the one that Logan, ahem, skewered?"
"Yes."
"Damn. Guess that means I'll have to do this the old fashioned way. Get your things, Sweetie. You aren't staying here." Gambit blinked at her. "Rogue's not here, you're free of the promises you gave me…" she paused. "The red-eyed freak isn't keeping you here," she stated. His eyes narrowed. "Diamond-headed freak?" He grinned. "Diablo, you don't owe him anything. You were supposed to lose the conscience and guilt. I blame Mattie for this." Raven put her hands on her hips. "You don't owe these people anything."
"Tante," he sighed. "Sorry, Raven. Remy's got responsibilities here. Gonna be an oncle soon," he gestured at Storm. "And de petite still has a few more things to learn. Can't go." Logan smelled a lie. Raven just stared at her favorite thief. She shook her head.
"I'm sorry, Remy," she said. Her features shifted. "Bye, sugah," and Rogue left the hall.
"Jubilee, ask Sam who she came in as and reset the scanning grid with this DNA sample." Remy handed her a small needle. The young woman took off. "Logan, do you have her scent marked?"
"Fer years."
"She's gonna be after y' boy now."
Gambit. My office. Remy nodded and walked to the professor's office. Behind him the team went back to the den, leaving Scott and Logan staring at each other.
"Guess we'd better talk, Runt."
"Yeah, Slim." Neither one moved.
"My office?"
"Good a place as any." Again, neither of them moved. Finally, ages later, Scott turned and headed for the comfortingly normal room, even if it did have pictures he didn't remember. He settled into his desk chair. Logan took over one of the visitor's chairs. They stared at each other for a long moment.
"This is weird."
"More than ya know. I'm used ta havin' ya in my head." That startled Scott. "Gumbo didn't tell ya, eh? Jeannie liked us up too. That's what they thought was wrong at first, that without Jeannie bufferin' the link we'd started bleedin' t'gether. Still got bits of yer clone's personality in my head. Keeps my temper even."
"Holy shit."
"Pretty much."
"I don’t get it. You love Jean."
"I love ya both. I lost Jeannie last year. I ain't plannin' on losin' ya again."
"When did you turn into a marshmallow on me?"
"Always been a romantic. Just got off my ass and did something about it. 'Course, I got prodded inta it something fierce. Been wantin' ya ferever. Never thought I had a chance." Scott shook his head. "Poccy seemed to remove yer inhibitions."
"But… Who prodded you?"
"The Cajun," Logan said as if it were obvious. His eyes were soft. "Sorry, I keep fergettin' ya ain't him."
Scott swallowed. "I don't…" he sighed. "I never thought I'd have the 'let's just be friends' talk with you." Logan laughed.
"God, kid, I though you were dead. I watched yer blood drippin' down my claws. Fer me this is a miracle. I'm always gonna love ya, Slim. Don't matter if I never touch ya again, Darlin'." Logan shrugged. "Yer alive and I ain't plannin' on watchin' ya die again. Yer gonna take care of Baby Ray with me though. She's yer kid. Hank's got the proof."
"Where is Hank? Or for that matter Bobby?"
"Hank and Bobby're on Muir with Moira and Sinister brewin' up a Legacy cure. They'll be back when they can."
"A Legacy cure!"
"Yep. Cajun sweet talked Sinister into giving up the info."
"What's it going to cost us?"
"Video tapes."
"Video tapes?"
"Yep."
"Of what?"
"You don't want ta know." Scott gulped. He wasn't that dense.
"I guess it's for a good cause."
"Yeah. Took the kid most of a month to wheedle him into it."
"He conned Sinister." Logan nodded. "I've done a dimension shift. That's the explanation."
"I fergot. We know more 'bout Gumbo than before."
"It's been two years. I'd hope so."
"We still don't know Rogue's real name."
"Point. Give me the low down." Logan grinned.
****
"Killing is not and option, Gambit! That is what separates us from the Marauders and the others we fight!" Xavier snapped.
"It's de only way t' stop de femme!"
"Your accent was getting better." Remy hurumphed, stopped pacing, and threw himself onto the couch. "She will lose interest eventually. I will not allow us to stoop to the level of Essex or Eric. We will not kill to achieve our aims."
"Oh, merci, dat's so helpful. Dis is Raven! She still punishin' mon pere f' refusin' her!"
"Well, a woman scorned and all that."
"Stop readin' y' email an' pay 'tension t' me!"
"I'm not reading my email. I'm chatting. There's a difference."
"Tell Eric y' talk t' him later."
"Not until you cool down. And don't try pouting. I'm immune and Rogue's not here for you to double team us." Remy lit a cigarette. Xavier ignored him. It was against the thief's principles to ruin the oriental carpet, so he opened the window and flicked the ashes into the fall air. He snuffed out the butt. Xavier's emotions were distracting him from his brood.
"I'll be on de roof."
****
Remy was settling into a nicely meditative brood when he saw Scott climbing over the edge of the roof. "And you used to do that every night?" Scott said settling next to the red-head.
"What's up, Fearless?" Scott surveyed the view. He usually came up here to clean the gutters or fix shingles. It was a spectacular view of the grounds and he figured a really good sunset. Remy was smoking. The thief handed him a lit cigarette.
"I quit years ago at Hank's insistence." Remy snorted.
"Remy knows dis. He also know dat it gonna taste damn good after so many years." Scott stared at the challenge between his fingers. He took a drag.
"Damn that's good." He gave into the temptation. "I'm probably going to be sick as a dog."
"Mebbe. Y' come up t' ask Gambit somet'ing, non?"
"Yeah. Why didn't you tell me you were an empath?" Remy blinked.
"Slipped my mind."
"Bullshit. For the good of the team…" Remy clapped a hand over Scott's mouth.
"Non, dis be Remy's part of de roof. Dis where he been comin' t' brood f' years. Y' only been up here once. Rule o' de roof is dis. Here y' ain't team leader an' I ain't team member. We just sittin' smokin' an' talkin' if'n y' want t'."
"Fine," Scott agreed. "Read any good books lately?" Remy rolled his eyes.
"De professor found out dat Remy never read de book an' gave it to him last Christmas. Dis be Remy's t'ird time t'rough it."
"Never figured you for a reader. What was that scene with Mystique, by the way?"
"What? Tante Raven just lookin' out f' dis one."
"And lose the accent. I know you can."
"Whatever."
"Jubilee's being trained as a thief?"
"She's good at it. And in case something happens t' me, I don't want the team out a thief. The ranks are getting thin. She started her training around the same time you… uh… your clone, Logan and Jean got together. Charles and I thought it would be a good idea for her to have something other to focus on."
"You and Charles."
"Don't get your knickers in a twist." Scott shook his head.
"I'm beginning to regret this. You sound like Sinister on ludes."
"Well, I picked up most of de accent from de man." Scott cocked his head to the side.
"So it's not just rumor that you're a Marauder."
"Was a Marauder, cher. Was. Remy don' work f' de man anymore." Remy shivered.
"How did you deal with losing Rogue?" Scott asked suddenly.
"I didn'. I just sort of ignored it until de hurt got covered up by ot'er dings." Remy shrugged. "It still hurts though. And if I never hear de opening theme t' Gon' wit' de Wind again, I be happy." Scott nodded.
"No one asked did they?" he said. Remy blinked, then shook his head. "Because they thought I was going insane."
"Because o' de trauma feelin' Jeannie die did t' de clone. Twern't important. Raven did what she dought be de best f' me den. Dat's why de professor don' wan' me killin' her. Even dough if mebbe she hadn' taken me t' de club, y' clone wouldn' o' killed Arclight an' triggered de instructions. Den again, dat jus' mean dat we miss de evidence f' longer. Poccy made mistakes, but no one knew t' look f' dem 'cause o' de timin'."
"What mistakes?"
"De scars weren' all right." Remy tapped the back of Scott's hand where there was a hairline cut from a knife. "Dat wasn' dere. Didn' notice 'til Gambit be takin' care o' de body."
"And because you put it there, you noticed it. And what exactly were you doing to the body?"
"Was gonna remove de fingers an' teet'. So dat if anyone fin' de body dey won' know who it be. Had t' get rid o' de evidence. T' protect Logan. Remy an' Jubes. Den, Gambit call Henri an' he call Nat'aniel an' dey bot' decide dat de body don' match what dey have on record. Or rat'er dat de only scars come fr' Nat'aniel an' den he know f' sure who made de clone."
"Gambit, that made very little sense. In fact, most of the day has made very little sense. So break that down into something I can possibly understand with out too much trouble?"
"Y' clone didn' have de scar on y' hand. De only scars he made when y' be his subject in de nineteent' century. Dat's when he be still dealin' wit' Poccy. Does de only scars Poccy know t' make on de clone."
"Ah, the mark of Apocalypse."
"Oui."
X-men scramble!
"Merde." Remy grabbed Scott's arm and tugged him further up the roof. "We go in t'rough Stormy's loft." Scott rolled his eyes, glad for the glasses.
"I am aware of every entrance and exit in this house, Gambit." Remy stopped and blinked at him.
"Y' really are back. But den, de clone talk like y' too. Don' be expectin' us t' just accept y'." Then, he spun on his heel and sped through Storm's sky-light. Scott followed more slowly, less used to jumping through windows without causing damage. The War Room was one of the few things that didn't seem to have been changed. Scott was thankful. Anything familiar was good.
"Situation 1: A new mutant has been located. Phoenix and Jubilee will go pick her up and see if she would like to go to the Academy." The professor threw them information and the two women left.
"Situation 2: The government has begun research into suppressing the X-factor. We need to know what they've done. Gambit and Wolverine will take care of that.
"Situation 3: Mystique has been arrested. Betsy, Warren, look into it. I want information on the arrest and where she's being held."
"We not gon' t' rescue de bitch?!"
"We cannot afford for the government to get their hands on a shapeshifter." Xavier glared at the young man. It didn't intimidate him nearly enough. He shrugged.
"Y' de boss." Scott's eyes narrowed. That was not a good sign. That meant the man was going to go do something reckless and against the rules.
"Point of information: we are now tracking on both the X-men communication net and the Marauder communications net." Scott blinked. The team scattered. Scott grabbed Remy's arm on the way by.
"Whatever you're planning, don't do it. It's not worth it. It's only gonna hurt worse when it comes out, and I have you in the Danger Room for a dawn to dusk training session." The Cajun's eyes narrowed. Then he grinned.
"Welcome back, Cyke." He gave him a jaunty salute.
"Professor, we need to talk."
"I'm sure we do. What is it?"
"Marauder communications net?"
"Remy… convinced Kitty to teach him how to splice the networks so that we could track the Marauders without them being able to trace us."
"And he got access to the Marauders' system how?"
"Because he set up the security in the first place. Sinister's interest in him has always been similar to my own. I did not have the good fortune to catch him while he was seriously injured." Scott shuddered inside. This was not the man he thought he knew.
"That's cold."
"But honest. If I had found Gambit when he was young and injured I would have done the same as Sinister has. Healed him and trained him. Then, used his loyalty to achieve my aims. I am a bit less bloodthirsty and my training methods are less painful, but I understand what happened."
"It worries me that you have spent enough time with Sinister to compare training techniques."
The professor smiled ruefully. "I admit it was not my choice, but when it was thrown into my face I couldn't ignore the implications."
"When what was thrown into your face?"
"That I was and I quote, 'jus' de same as de putain dat be causin' de trouble at de momen'.' We had been having more and more frequent encounters with the Marauders because we had agreed to allow Sinister to assist us with your clone. Skippy, I believe the team has started calling him."
"Gambit told you off."
"He knew I wouldn't knock him into a wall." The professor shrugged. "Sinister is a force to be reckoned with when he becomes focused on an outcome. His techniques of 'information gathering' do not agree with my own."
"He sent the Marauders out looking for information?" Scott snickered.
"He sent Arclight, Vertigo, and Riptide out for information. They are bloodthirsty. I argued with Sinister. Sinister argued with me. In the end Remy told both of us off and spent the rest of the night sulking because we wouldn't let him out of the Mansion."
"You've figured out how to keep him in?" Scott's smile wasn't pleasant.
"Get that thought out of your head. It was not a repeatable occurrence. At least not without the cooperation of Cable."
"What did you do?"
"Sinister and Cable set up a TK containment field that covered all the exits including the tunnels. Cable merely wanted to see if he could. And pay Gambit back for interfering in his love life, but as I warned the man, all bets are off when you enter the house."
"Why not just confine him to one or two rooms?"
"Where's the fun in that? I wanted to see what tricks he was hiding. Sinister and Skippy have both implied that he is capable of more than I have been made aware of."
"Why can't others in this house treat me normally?"
"Because others in this house can't read your mind."
"You've scanned me? Without asking!"
"For the safety of the team, I have been monitoring you since you arrived in the med-lab."
"But… you swore…"
"Sometimes rules need to be broken."
Scott snorted. "Stop talking with Sinister and Magneto. You drilled those rules into every telepath you trained."
"And perhaps that has been my downfall. I have not been using my abilities to their fullest extent."
"You are not a god and neither is Magneto or Sinister, although all three of you seem to like to play at it. I'm going out for a little while. Maybe you should think about the rules you taught me about keeping to the Dream." Scott left the War Room.
Xavier smiled. It was good to have him back.
****
Scott was not pleased. Remy was sitting on the stairs with a cell-phone in one hand and a pad of paper in the other. He'd had to have his ribs taped up when he got in the night before. Jubilee and Rachel hadn't returned yet and that bothered him. Storm was avoiding him. Bishop was polite, but cold. Logan couldn't handle playing pool with him, for some unknown reason that he didn't actually want explained to him. He sat on the stairs next to the thief. Remy grinned at him. "Mebbe y' should talk t' Cable. He got his own evil twin t' worry 'bout." Scott shook his head.
"Why have you suddenly become a central figure in this household? You barely stayed here before. You were out most nights and half of the time you didn't even give a damn about what was happening here."
"Y' lookin' at de outside o' it, Scotty. Gambit, he do dings dat de professor don' wan' y' t' have t' go back t'." Scott blinked. "Oui, Remy know 'bout dat."
"You know about what?"
"Diamond."
"Oh. That."
"Oui. Dat."
"What happened to your ribs?" The thief looked at him suspiciously.
"Dey got broke."
"I know that. How did it happen?"
"Getting de information de professeur wants."
"Who did it?"
"A source."
"This source have a name?"
"Oui."
"What is the source's name?"
"Y' don' wan' t' know dat."
"Yes, I do." Remy sighed.
"Arclight."
"A Marauder. I should have guessed."
"Well, um, dings got outta hand. She wanted payment an' dere be only so much money she want."
"Just spit it out."
"Er… we got into a fight when she found me leaving the bed," Remy muttered. Scott forced down the smile. It wouldn't be kind. Remy pouted. "Y' not gonna tell, oui?"
"No."
"Merci."
"Logan?"
"He love y'. Dat's why he can' play pool wit' y'." Scott closed his eyes.
"Bad mental image there."
"Non, it was pretty." Remy clamped a hand over his mouth.
"How long have you been using the security cameras to spy on the team's sexual activities?"
"Since y' tell Remy t' update the security de first time."
"Jesus fuckin' Christ," Scott whispered. He buried his face in his hands. "Me and Jean?"
"Oui. Even de time wit' de… ahem… nylons."
"Oh dear God." Scott started to laugh. "I'm surprised you managed to keep a straight face."
"Didn' need t' f' de most part. Y' used t' Remy havin' fun a y' expense."
"Who else?"
"Roguie watch wit' me." Remy shrugged.
"Southern brats." Scott shook his head.
****
Logan couldn't stand it anymore. It was too near that day. November was an evil month he decided. He set the miniature portrait of Jean on the night table where Scott would be sure to see it and a short note. "Sweet dreams, Slim. I miss ya." Then, using years of training. He disappeared from the grounds.
****
Scott stared at the little painting. It was Jean. It was hand-done. He couldn't help it, he slipped it out of the frame to take a closer look. He was startled to make out the tiny letters that had been hidden by the frame surrounding it. "Jean Grey Summers lover of Scott and Logan Summers." Then in tiny script at the very bottom. "1 yr. Anniversary Xmas by Remy LeBeau." He sucked in a breath. The tears came hard and fast as it finally hit him. Logan Summers. Holy fucking shit, Logan had taken his name. He wondered, suddenly, if they'd exchanged rings, or vows or something. Fingers trembling, he picked up the letter, holding the portrait in his hand.
"Slim, gotta take a break from this. Love ya. – Logan"
****
Logan looked down at the portrait of him and Scott. He smiled through his tears and wrapped it back in its silk haven and placed it in the protective box he'd carved for it. He'd pin the boy down and make him listen to reason. As Gumbo'd pointed out, he'd loved the man before he knew he had a chance in hell. Just because he'd fucked a clone didn't mean he didn't love Summers. He wasn't going to lose him again. He stood up and stretched. Time to chop firewood. Maybe he'd drag Scott up here for a while so they could sort through things. Isolated cabins were good for that.
****
Scott placed the tiny picture in its frame on the desk Remy was napping on. It made a definitive click and Gambit snapped to wary attention. He looked up at Scott from under a tangle of hair that had managed to slip out of his ponytail. Red eyes blinked and sought out a clock. "Merde! Sorry, Fearless, can' talk. Remy tell y' later. Gotta get dese stats done!"
"Statistics? Here, let me help."
"Y' mean it? Here." Remy shoved a pile his way. He worked franticly through the pile in front of him.
Scott was dumbfounded. The experiments were cruel. They were sick. They were quickly locating a cure for the Legacy virus. "Who sent these?"
"Talk later. Figures now."
****
Scott waited patiently while Remy fed the figures through the scanner to Muir Island. Then, he grabbed him by the ponytail and shook. The younger mutant squeaked and curled up on himself like a cat. Then, he realized that he wasn't going to be pulled off his feet. He looked up pitifully. "Why y' shakin' po' Remy?"
"Stow it. I want information."
"Sinister wan' me t' do de stats. Gambit fall asleep an' when y' wake him up it be almost past de deadline de man gave. Don' wan' t' piss him off, considerin' how hard it be t' make him start de work in de first place."
"Those experiments were conducted on living people. It's no different from the Nazi concentration camps!"
"Scotty…"
"No. I'm not backing down on this. I can't believe that Hank has agreed to this."
"Henri, don' wan' t' know where de inf'mation come from. And dese experiments be done years ago, when Remy first met up wit' Sinister. Jus' redoin' de stats. Henri dink dere be a mistake dere an' Remy been lookin' over de raw data 'gain."
"Gambit, it is not right." He shook again.
"Dem dyin' f' no purpose ain't right!" Remy snapped. His eyes were full of something Scott couldn't label and that worried him. "Dey suffered so bad. Can' let dem have died in vain." Scott dropped it for a moment. He'd figure out how to pound the concepts of right and wrong into him if it was the last thing he did. A miniature ethics class. One on one tutoring. Maybe he could play Gambit into volunteering. "We'll discuss this more later." He released his grip. "Now, a few questions. About this," he held out the portrait of Jean.
"Logan give it t' y', non?" Remy traced the outside of the frame with a finger. "Gave dis t' de two o' y' last Christmas. Dis be hard f' him, cher."
"Gambit, where would he go? My memories are too old. I don't know him anymore."
"Y' know enough. He prob'ly gone t' de forest somewhere. He be back, homme. He ain't gonna leave y'. He love y' too much."
"Why do you keep saying that?"
"Because it be true."
"Does he know you painted this?" He placed the miniature on the table. Remy looked away. He shook his head.
"An' y' not be tellin' nobody. Don' wan' anyone t' know."
"But it's perfect."
"Dat's de point. Can' let dem know. Can'. Den dey gonna start askin' f' dings Remy can' give no more." Scott frowned. "Can' paint no more, Scotty. Not since Valentine's. Broke m' hand. Lost some o' de feelin'. Remy can steal wit' bot' hands, but he can' paint wit' his right. An' don' be sayin' not'in' 'bout it. Den M. Essex gonna wan' t' repair de damage an' Remy can' handle dat kind o' surgery. No' again." Scott was taken aback.
"You didn't tell anyone?" he asked softly. Then, he stiffened and arched back. He collapsed to the floor.
"Fuck." Remy carried the older man to the med-lab, calling out for the professor and Betsy. He was surprised to find Cable there waiting for him instead.
"Betsy's out, remember? The professor's coming. Lay him down. What happened?"
"We be talkin'. Den he arch back in pain an' he collapse. Remy dink it be de link. It feel de same as when Jeannie died. De surge 'tween dem o' pain."
"Shit. That must mean Logan is hurt. He's not on the grounds."
"Non, he leave last night. Remy dink he be at his cabin." Remy stroked Scott's hair. "Y' call M. Bete?"
"He'll be over as soon as possible."
"Remy realign de parameters and M. Essex can' 'port 'im over."
"That'd be a good idea."
"Take good care o' y' papa. Remy got a lot invested in dis homme."
"Don't worry. I'll tell Sinister it was my fault." Cable shook his head. Paranoia was running rampant in the team. Well, not that it hadn't before, but after Sinister showing up it had gotten worse.
****
"Report," Sinister snapped.
"We be talkin', den he rear up an' collapse. He be in pain, but…" Gambit bit his lip.
"But there's nothing physically wrong that you can see. McCoy will run the scans. Cable locate Wolverine. Gambit, set up two units. One for each of them. Fluids and nutrients."
"Oui, M. Sinister." Remy swiftly assembled two beds. Bobby watched curiously. He'd come back with Hank and Sinister just for safety's sake. He didn't like leaving his lover alone with his enemy. He knew Gambit wasn't pleased with being in the lab. He was startled when he noticed a trickle of blood running down his chin from where he'd bitten his own lip. Hank was running a CT-scan on Scott. Sinister lifted Gambit's face with a hand and frowned at him.
"We will break you of these panic attacks you know. They are most inconvenient." Remy swallowed hard.
"Oui, M."
"English. No accent."
"Yes, sir." Gambit's shoulders slumped. "Bobby's a much better nurse than Remy be."
"Remington." Gambit winced.
"I am."
"Better. Set up the EEG."
"Yes, sir. Bobby, will you help me get the equipment?"
"Sure." Iceman refused to see the shaking in Remy's hands.
TBC