Remy looked down at the body of Scott Summers as it lay in the coffin, hands folded over the ruby quartz visor. He blinked. He shook his head, then looked closer. "Sacre Dieu." He bolted from the room and out into the hall. He careened off of a shocked Cable and down towards the lab. "M. Essex! Henri! It ain't Cyke!"
Sinister looked up from his microscope. "Don't be ridiculous. I, of all people, know his DNA."
"But he ain't got the right scars."
"Explain."
Hank looked up at the sharp command. Remy's mouth pinched for a moment before he spoke. "When I got here, me an' Cyke had a talk. He done gave m' a blood oath. I made it scar. That boy should have a white, raised scar on the back of his right hand."
"Bring the body here for further examination." Sinister turned back to his work. Gambit flicked him off, then turned away. "I don't fuck children."
Hank and Remy's heads snapped back towards the scientist.
"Especially not my own, no matter how Victorian you consider me."
"Desole, M. Essex."
"Apology accepted."
Remy left, meekly this time. "Don't sit there like a stunned fish, McCoy. There's work to be done. LeBeau will bring the body back, I'll need a record of all major procedures you've performed on Summers."
****
Logan leaned a little harder against the Cajun's throat. "Talk faster," he growled.
"It ain't Scotty's body."
"Meanin'?"
"Meanin' Henri an' M. Essex need t' look it over t' find out if'n it's a clone or somet'in'."
"What makes ya say it ain't my boy layin' there, still as dust?" Tears spilled over the Canadian's cheeks and his voice caught. Remy touched the tears.
"Because he don't got no scar on his hand."
"But he ain't had a scar on his hand since I been with him." Wolverine's voice trailed off, lost without the anchor of his lovers. He sat up, though, freeing the thief to get up and take the body from the coffin. Logan followed him to the med-lab. He, in turn, was trailed by Cable and Rachel. By the time they reached the med-lab, it was a mob scene.
Beast summarily dismissed everyone except the Cajun and the Canadian to the waiting room. Remy laid the body down reverently, then stood back. "Find a corner, Gambit, I may have need of you," Sinister stated.
Remy swallowed, then found a corner and settled down with a pack of cards to play solitaire. He didn’t look up from them when Logan sat next to him. "Just tell me this ain't some fantasy ya cooked up so yer picture of him'll stay intact."
Remy flinched and the Canadian's sad gaze flicked away. "Non, M. Logan. It ain't no fantasy. Fantasy'd be pretendin' he ain't never hit me and never t'reatened m' 'prentice. Non, homme, this is just the truth of the matter."
Logan nodded. "Gin?"
"Only wit' ice."
Wolverine snorted. Gambit dealt out the cards and they started playing.
****
Cable frowned at the med-lab door. "I don't like the idea of Sinister having Scott's body."
"Sinister's been frighteningly helpful," Betsy stated. "He's the one who determined the proper medication level to keep him sane for the past two months."
"Then why'd Slim go off the deep end?" Bobby asked.
"Gambit upset him," Rachel stated.
Cable rolled his eyes. "I understand the impluse."
"But you've never actually bounced the Cajun off the wall."
Jubilee was entertaining the almost one year old Ray with sparkles from her fingertips when Hank came out to update the team.
TBC