Title: Master of Puppets

Author: Morgana (morganalebeau@yahoo.com)

Website: http://www.oocities.org/morganalebeau/

_____________________________________________________

 

Master of Puppets 2

By Morgana

 

Chapter Ten

The mansion
Scott released a deep sigh before stepping in to the medlab. Hank was already present, trying to calm Bobby down who seemed intent on pacing the room in his weakened condition. Bobby's eyes were wide and revealed worry in its purest form. How should he break the news to Bobby that Sinister was behind Remy's 'creation' after all? In the end he opted for the direct approach as they were running out of time. "Robert, sit down. We need to talk."
Hearing Scott address him that formally Bobby stopped pacing and sat down in one of the chairs. "Where's Remy?" he demanded to know. He'd already tried leaving the medlab, but Hank had managed to keep him back.
Scott slowly shook his head and exchanged a look of understanding with Hank. There were so many things they had to discuss and he didn't know how to start.
"I'll leave you alone," Hank said and quickly left the medlab, realizing Scott's need for privacy.
"Scott, what's going on? I demand to know why?" Bobby forced himself to remain seated. Why were they so determined to keep him in here? He had a right to search for his lover!
"Bobby, give me a chance to explain things to you, please," Scott said pleadingly and took a seat opposite the younger man. Bobby grew silent, apparently giving him that chance, but Scott didn't what to say or where to start. Then his eyes fixed on Bobby's hand and he realized the young man was wearing =two= rings. One of those had to be Remy's and Scott cursed himself for having stayed in the hanger instead of hurrying down here to talk to Remy. This was his fault! //Jean is gone for a few hours and I screw up!//
"Scott? You're telling me what happened or?" Bobby urged him on. It was killing him to sit here helplessly. There had to be something he could do to find Remy. Why had his lover left the medlab like this and where the hell was he? The thing that worried him most was that Remy had left the ring behind. Like this was supposed to be some kind of good-bye?
//Scott?//
Xavier's thoughts gently rolled in to his mind and after looking at Bobby, Scott realized he was the only one receiving them. //Yes, sir?// Scott replied, trying to figure out if he felt thankful or irritated at this interruption.
//Warren just informed me that Remy accessed the security cam files. We can assume Remy knows about Sinister's demand.// Xavier's concern accompanied that information. //My guess is he left the mansion to turn himself in to Sinister to get Jean back.//
"Damn!' Scott exclaimed infuriated. He immediately registered Bobby's puzzled expression as those words tumbled from his lips. They were running out of time and he had to trust Bobby to be able to deal with this. There was no way to break it gently so he said, "Bobby, Sinister and the Marauders took Jean. Before Sinister left he told us that he'll let her go in return for Remy. We're afraid he?" Scott flinched seeing sudden understanding in Bobby's eyes and blamed himself for letting Remy slip through his fingers. "I'm sorry, Bobby. I should have come to the medlab the moment the two of you arrived, but? //I was too busy feeling sorry for myself. Team leader? Team failure!// he scolded himself.
Enraged, Bobby stared at the two rings. Sinister had abducted Jean? //That's why we saw one Marauder running away from the mansion. Damnit Remy! You shouldn't have left like that. You should have learned by now that you can trust us to help! Why do you always do these things? Remy, I'm scared. I don't want to lose you, but?//
"This is so much like Remy!" Bobby whispered softly and suspected Remy had made his decision the moment he'd learned what Sinister had done. Remy adored Jean as she was one of the few people, which had accepted his presence and had stood beside him after learning his secrets.
"Damnit, Scott! Remy will do anything to make sure Sinister releases her! Do you think that?" His voice faltered. The very thought of Remy being at Sinister's mercy made him feel sick. "Scott, there's no way in hell Remy can deal with Sinister. The creep scares him gutless. We've got to try and?"
"There are other things you need to know," Scott said hesitantly, interrupting his friend. //I haven't yet started telling him the hardest part! I need to tell him about that fucking DNA cocktail Sinister used to?// but once more the professor interrupted him. //I got a fix on Sinister's location. We'll meet in the hanger.//
//Understood, sir,// Scott replied, relieved they had found a lead on Sinister's hiding place. He had to get them back, his wife and his son! Questioningly, he looked at Bobby. The younger man was injured and would seriously hamper the team when going after Sinister.
"Stay here until we get back? I promise we?" Scott started and then realized his mistake in judgement.
"No way! I'm coming along! I'm not going to sit here and wait! The injury doesn't bother me in my ice form!" Bobby's tone was determined and his hands had turned in to fists. He would sneak in to the Black Bird and hide until they landed if necessary. He wasn't going to desert his lover! "Let's get going! You can fill me in right now." Bobby iced up so the injury wouldn't bother him and quickly left the medlab.
Scott managed to catch up with him. This wasn't the way he had pictured telling Bobby. He'd wanted to sit the young man down and explain in detail what they had learned from Remy's DNA. But this couldn't wait and Bobby had to know the truth when facing Sinister. "I don't know how to tell you this," Scott said softly.
Bobby looked up. "Just tell me!"
"Remember the professor asking Remy for a blood sample before the two of you headed for Paris?"
Bobby nodded his head.
"Well, Hank discovered that Remy's genes?" Giving up on finding a subtle way of explaining this he said, "Hank discovered that Jean's genes and mine were used to?'create' Remy. There is also a third party and we suspect it's Magneto, but?" Scott stopped running as Bobby came to a sudden halt.
"Say that again?" Bobby muttered perplexed.
"It's the truth, Bobby. Sinister?" Scott paused, uncertain what to say.
"Remy is your son? Is that what you're telling me?" Bobby tried to process this information and his heart missed a beat realizing Sinister =had= experimented with stolen DNA and Remy =was= the result of that experiment. "Remy, oh my God? this will destroy him!" Bobby tried imagining what Remy's reaction would be like and felt miserable.
"Bobby, Jean and I agreed that we'll do whatever necessary to get Remy back."
Bobby heard that particular tone in Scott's voice that he'd only witnessed a few times before. "You can accept this?" he asked hopefully. "Do you have any idea how much it would mean to Remy to be accepted in that way?"
"I think I do," Scott replied and pulled Bobby along, unwilling to waste a single moment. "Magneto pointed out the same thing and we agreed to do this together. We won't let Remy down."
Relieved, Bobby nodded his head. He was still trying to get used to this revelation. "Oh boy, so Remy now has two fathers and a mother?"
"Yes, it definitely looks like that," Scott confirmed as they turned around the corner. The X-Men were already boarding the plane and Scott shivered slightly seeing Magneto among them. //How will he react in the heat of battle? I doubt he will follow orders?//
//Scott?// Xavier started and gestured the two men to come closer. "Magnus will be hard to? control. The best advice I can give you is to stay out of his way."
"Thanks!" Scott grunted, but felt the same way. "We'll get them back, sir, I promise!"
"Bobby?" Xavier said as Scott started to run for the plane. "Try getting close to Remy. I suspect he'll be heavily sedated or collared. Get him away from the fighting and establish some form of contact with him."
Bobby nodded his head once. "Consider it done." He was about to leave for the plane as well as he turned around. "Is it true? Did Sinister use their DNA to?"
"Yes, I'm sorry to say it's true. Remy doesn't know who his parents are yet and I suggest you don't tell him before you're safely back at the mansion." Xavier felt more concerned than he wanted anyone to know. "Now get going, Robert. And be careful!"
Bobby didn't need any encouragement and used an ice slide to board the plane. As he looked at Magneto's face he only saw concern.
Magneto moved to the back of the plane, sat down and let Scott pilot it. He didn't object as Bobby took a seat next to him.
"You're Remy's father too? This is confusing!" Bobby felt a little shy but since Paris he'd started to see Magneto in a different light.
"I certainly hope I am," Magneto said softly. "Remy is? important to me."
Bobby smiled, but the two rings quickly reminded him of the fact that he was cut off from his lover. "You like him a lot, don't you?"
Magneto returned that smile, however weakly. His eyes drifted away from Bobby and settled on Logan who was eyeing him suspiciously. "Yes, I care a great deal about Remy."
Logan raised an eyebrow at hearing that statement.
"When I found him on the ice? he was scared and confused. Remy worried about his charm power, that it would somehow seduce me. Truth is, I felt protective of him from the start." Magneto noticed that Logan averted his eyes and looked at Scott instead. The tension inside the plan was tangible.
Bobby's smile brightened a little as he looked at Remy's ring. "I think Remy would love having you for a father." Bobby vividly remembered the expression on his lover's face after Magneto had said good-bye on Christmas Eve. "Remy might not say it, but he likes you too."
Magneto leaned back and drew in a deep breath. "I'll kill Sinister for what he did to Remy? that's a promise!"

Sinister's lab
Slowly, Jean opened her eyes. Finding herself in unfamiliar territory she tried to take in most of her surroundings. She shuddered, finally remembering that a dart had buried itself in her flesh, rendering her unconscious. //This must be Sinister's lab,// she thought and tried reaching out with her mental powers, but? nothing happened.
Something heavy hung around her neck and her hands instinctively examined it. An inhibitor collar was blocking her powers. Frustrated she focused her attention back on the lab. She was in a cubicle made of glass and she barely had any space to move around. It allowed her to stretch to her full height and she could turn around, that was it.
Across from her stood the cylinders she remembered from Remy's memories. Even now Sinister was growing new clones to replace the Marauders he had lost in battle. Jean shivered, seeing the dead expression in the clones' blank eyes.
//Sinister, you'll you pay for what you did to Remy! How can you do such a thing to a child? You really are a monster!// Cursing the fact that she was helpless she checked her body for injuries, but found none. //What are you going to do next, Sinister?//
"Ah, my guest is awake again!" Sinister quipped and emerged from the shadows. Without her telepathy his prisoner hadn't been able to pick up his presence. "I hope you like your? temporary home."
"What do you want?" she spat and banged her fist against the glass. Seeing his ugly face filled Jean with rage. She wanted to make him suffer for what he had done to her son!
"You need to ask?" Sinister said truly surprised. "I want my test subject of course!"
"You'll never lay hands on Remy again! Scott will defend our son!" Jean stopped banging on the glass and instead shot him look filled with disgust. "He was only a child!"
Sinister laughed. "You don't seem to understand. LeBeau isn't your son. Don't give in to such sentimentality!" Sinister slowly approached her cell, relishing the shock on her face. "Oh yes, you may have supplied part of his DNA, but he's mine. LeBeau will always be my property!"
"He's no one's property!" she stated infuriated. "You did enough damage."
"Damage?" Sinister said thoughtfully. "It was never my intention that he ended up on the streets. If Magneto hadn't attacked my lab he would never have left my care."
"Magneto?" Jean echoed. "What does he have to do with this?"
"I must admit to being impressed. I never thought you'd study LeBeau's DNA. Your discovery is most unfortunate."
Jean's instincts suddenly kicked in. "We were discussing Magneto!"
"Ah, you might as well know the truth. Magneto contributed to the experiment as well. Unwillingly perhaps but?"
"No," Jean moaned, realizing the truth. "You used Magneto's DNA as well as Scott's and mine?"
"Yes, that combination promised the best result. Unfortunately, the years LeBeau lived on the streets prevented his abilities from developing fully. When I talked him in to working for me I hoped his telepathy had already kicked in, but no?
Imagine my surprise when my scanners suddenly picked up neural activity. LeBeau is almost a full-blown telepath and he also displayed a talent for telekinesis. Of course I want him back! I need to examine and study his DNA so I can construct my final creation, my ultimate weapon!"
"You sick bastard," Jean hissed. "You've been setting him up, haven't you? Why else would you want him involved in the Massacre?"
"Very perceptive!" Sinister had to admit. "I hoped that such an exposure to pain would trigger his telepathy. And I wanted the Morlocks eradicated for a long time. This way they would even serve my purpose, but LeBeau's shields were too strong? a pity."
"You ordered the Morlocks killed just to expose him to the pain? You wanted him to feel their terror?" Jean closed her eyes to regain her composure. "You hurt my son, Sinister. I'm going to get back at you for that!"
"Promises, sweet promises," Sinister whispered amused. "May I point out to you that you're in no condition to threaten me?" He walked up to her cubicle and grinned maliciously.
Jean kicked at the glass wall. She wanted out! Wanted to wrap her hands around his throat and choke him? Kick him in the face, throw punches at him, but? he was right. She was helpless.
"Boss?"
Sinister turned around. "Yes, Harpoon?"
"Scalphunter just called in. He's got LeBeau!"
"Excellent," Sinister stated and turned back to his prisoner.
His eyes guided her to an exam table and she shivered. She'd seen the things he had done to Remy when he'd been a child. The thought of Remy being strapped to that contraption made her blood boil. "Don't you dare hurt him!"
Sinister's amused chuckle floated through the room. "Seems like you possess more courage than LeBeau ever did." Sinister studied her and then added. "He's doing this because I promised to return you to the X-Men."
"No," Jean stuttered. "Scott would never agree to that!" But in her heart she wasn't sure Scott would keep Remy from making the switch. Scott still hadn't come to terms with that fact that Remy was their son. //No, Scott will protect Remy? he has to!// Otherwise she'd been married to a stranger. The Scott she loved would never sacrifice their son to get his wife back.
"LeBeau sneaked out. They never knew he was missing, as they were too busy mourning your departure? I know the way LeBeau thinks?" Sinister stepped away from the cubicle and stared at the entrance. "I need to get ready?"
Jean's eyes watered, but she kept the tears from flowing down her face. She had to be strong for Remy's sake, wait for her chance to escape and save her son! //Scott, don't let us down!//
Remy was near panic as Scalphunter lead him inside the lab, which he remembered from his nightmares. The cylinders, the exam table, the sterile smell? //Non, mon Dieu? I can' do dis!//
"Keep moving!" Scalphunter growled and pushed his prisoner forward.
Remy almost stumbled over his own feet as Sinister stepped up to him, an exultant smile on his face. //Non, dis can' be happenin', please Dieu, help me!// He couldn't survive a second imprisonment, he couldn't!
"Remy!"
Jean's voice took him by surprise. Instinctively he turned around, ignoring Scalphunter's infuriated growl. "Jean!" he whispered softly. At least she was still alive. Seeing the collar around her neck he swallowed hard. She didn't deserve that. "Let her go," Remy said, addressing Sinister. Scalphunter gave him another firm push and he tripped, ending up on his knees in front of his nemeses. "Y' wanted m'. Y' got m', now let her go!"
"Making demands?" Sinister snapped half amused, half angered. Leaning forward he tapped against LeBeau's collar. "This is only the beginning!"
Remy flinched, as Sinister's fingertips caressed his skin. "Please let her go," he whispered.
"I will, but only when I deem the time is right. For now you'll cooperate, do you understand?"
Remy nodded his head. "Oui," he whispered and refused to meet Jean's eyes. She had been trying to establish eye contact since he'd heard her voice, but he was afraid to look at her. //I'm de reason she's here?// and felt miserable for getting her involved in this.
"Lie down on the exam table," Sinister instructed, eager to find out if LeBeau would obey his orders. If LeBeau proved resilient he would break the man's spirit quickly.
Remy managed to get back to his feet, but seeing the exam table made him panic. "Non, not 'gain?" he moaned in pain. IV's had been set up close to the exam table and he knew that the moment he laid down he would be hooked up to them, his wrists and ankles bound and there would be no way of escape left. Remy started to struggle, to fight. He wasn't going near that exam table!
"Let him go, you bastard!" Jean yelped helplessly. If only she had her powers back, then she could protect him! "Let him go!" Jean's fist impacted, but the glass didn't give in. A tear flowed down her face as Scalphunter, Harpoon and Sinister himself pushed Remy down on to the exam table. Shackles snapped close and Sinister started hooking him up to the IV's.
Remy heard Jean's screams and fought tears himself. He didn't want her to see him this way, this helpless, this horrified. Opening his eyes again he stared in to Sinister's. "Let her go," was all he managed to whisper. "I'll do whatever y' want m' t', please."
Sinister laughed coldly. "Ah, maybe I will let her go, maybe," he whispered, then cruelly inserted a needle in to Remy's left arm.
Remy's eyes widened, realizing what Sinister was doing. A sedative crept in to his blood stream and would render him unconscious. Finally, he found the courage to meet Jean's gaze and barely audible he whispered, "Je suis désolé, chere." Then his world darkened and cold paralysed his body. Closing tired eyes his last thought was for Bobby.

 

Chapter Eleven

Hunched down in the cubicle Jean waited for Sinister to return. Her space was limited, but at least she could move around slightly. Remy, however couldn't move at all as the shackles kept him in place.
Wiping away a single tear she continued to stare at her son. Sinister had left after attaching several IV's to Remy's unconscious body and taking a few blood samples. Remy had screamed as Sinister had used a bright flashlight to examine his eyes. Although the sedative had been working, it had failed to block out all the pain.
"Remy?" she whispered and constantly kept an eye on the doorway in case Sinister would show up. "Remy?"
He didn't -couldn't- reply, but Jean's eyes never left Remy's face. "You've got to hold out, Remy," she said, hoping that he could somehow hear her. "You've got to survive! I want to take you in to my arms, talk to you, explain everything, please Remy."
"He can't hear you," Sinister replied instead as he stepped in to the laboratory. He actually enjoyed seeing hatred in her eyes. "This is the last time ever you'll see him."
"What?" Jean stuttered and awkwardly got to her feet so she was almost level with Sinister.
"Your fellow X-Men have somehow located my lab. I'm moving my experiment to another location. I'll leave you here. Tell your 'friends'," and he spat the word in a venomous tone, "that if they come after me LeBeau won't survive the tests."
Jean was speechless. She had a hard time believing someone was capable of such cruelty. "We X-Men don't abandon our own."
Sinister raised an eyebrow and grinned. "You left him to die in Antarctica. I'm not asking you to do something you haven't done before!"
That statement made her swallow hard and she remained silent, uncertain what to say.
Sinister gestured Scalphunter to wheel the exam table out of the room. "Take a good look, Ms. Summers. This is the last you'll ever see of Remy LeBeau."
Jean's pressed her hands against the glass as Scalphunter and Remy passed her by. She would have sold her soul just to touch him and take him away from his nemeses. To take him home and hold him until the sedative had lost his effect. Then he would open those eyes and she could tell him everything they had learned.
But it wasn't going to happen. Scalphunter pushed the exam table out of her sight and the door closed behind them. "Bastard!" she hissed at Sinister, who merely laughed at hearing the insult.
"I bid you farewell, Ms. Summers? hopefully we won't run in to each other again because LeBeau wouldn't survive such a meeting!" Sinister mocked her and then left the laboratory as well.
Helpless and almost exploding with anger the only thing Jean could do was wait for the X-Men to show up.
"Warren? Logan?" Scott called them in a soft tone. The two men reacted at once and moved to the front of the plane.
"Yes?" Warren said, exchanging a troubled look with Logan.
"I want the two of you to watch Bobby's back when we go in. No matter what he says, Bobby isn't in prime condition and that infection is still troubling him." Scott tried to sound not too concerned, but the last thing he wanted was for Bobby to get injured more severely.
"Don't worry about our Ice cube," Logan said in a similar tone. "Just concentrate on gettin' yar family back."
"Thanks," Scott mumbled and then looked at Magneto who was talking to Bobby. Somehow he envied the bond Magneto and Remy had developed. But it did make sense. The two men had certain things in common. Both were outsiders and Scott suspected very lonely. //Jean, I need you!//
"We're almost there," Storm said, who had been watching their progress.
"Storm, Warren, I want you to fly down there. Report in should you run in to Marauders," Scott instructed.
"Understood." Storm gestured Warren to follow her and a moment later they were flying in front of the plane, diving to the earth.
Scott started landing procedures and hoped Sinister hadn't picked up on them yet. As Magneto suddenly appeared to his right, Scott looked up.
"Sinister is mine," Magnus said. "You get your wife and Remy out there. Let me deal with Sinister."
Scott nodded his head. This was one plan he agreed with. "Don't forget to watch the Marauders. They will try and cover Sinister's escape."
"I'm counting on the X-Men to be there should that happen," Magneto said in a soft tone, indicating he wanted this to be a team effort.
Both men knew they needed the other in order for this mission to be successful. Scott nodded his head. "We'll do this together."
Storm and Warren flew through empty corridors, disliking the situation more with every passing moment. "Scott," Storm said using the headset, "Are you certain this is the right location? This place is deserted."
Scott hissed. "The professor was certain we would find them here! Damnit! Sinister must have seen us coming!"
Magneto, who was walking next to Scott, overheard that comment. "In that case Sinister might have moved Remy to another facility." His voice was tense. They were so close to reclaim their loved ones that he'd never considered failure.
Logan looked questioningly at Bobby who had been way too quiet during their flight. In ice form his eyes were impossible to read so Logan said. "Are ya still copin', kid?"
Bobby's eyes met his. "Logan?" and he grew quiet. He couldn't possibly explain the horror he was experiencing. Without Remy's thoughts in his mind he felt alone and incomplete.
"We'll find Gumbo," Logan said reassuringly. In thought he added, //And Jeanie!//
Scott contacted Warren. "Found anything yet?" The corridors were too quiet and there was no sign of the Marauders. His instincts told him they were too late and that Sinister had seen them coming all right. //Damn! I can't fail them like this!//
"We just entered some kind of lab," Warren informed Scott in a formal tone, trying to keep his rage under control. Seeing the cylinders made him shudder. Had Remy really spent the first years of his life in such a place? He didn't put it passed Sinister to mess with a baby.
"Warren! Look!" Storm exclaimed in a warm tone, seeing Jean asleep in a glass cubicle.
"Scott?" Warren immediately flew over to Jean and tried to find a way to open her prison. "We've found Jean!" Warren sighed relieved as Jean opened her eyes, which were lucid. "She's alive and appears unharmed!"
"Thank God," Scott whispered and sent a prayer to whatever God had been listening. "Remy?"
"No sign of him," Warren replied disappointed.
Magneto's hands turned in to fists. "We're too late!"
Scott hesitantly laid a hand on Magnus' shoulder, uncertain if he was trespassing here. "Maybe Jean knows where they took Remy. We won't give up."
Magneto took a deep breath. "You're right. We need to talk to her."
Jean rose to her feet as Warren tried to find the mechanism that would set her free. How many hours had passed? Had Sinister succeeded in taking her son to another facility? "Warren? Have you found Remy yet?" Jean asked worried.
"No," Warren replied and watched Storm as she moved over to the control panel.
Storm's fingers touched several buttons and eventually she located the one that opened the cubicle.
Jean quickly stepped outside and walked towards her friends. "We've got to find Remy!"
"We will," Scott said as he entered the lab and opened his arms for Jean.
She flung herself in to the embrace and deeply inhaled his scent. Together they would find their son and deal with Sinister. Looking up she realized Magneto was standing behind her husband and she remembered Sinister's admission. "Remy's his son as well."
"Sinister told ya?" Logan said, extended one claw and slipped it gently underneath her inhibitor collar. A moment later it fell on to the floor.
Jean rubbed her throat and neck, relieved to find it gone. "Sinister knew you were coming, Scott."
"Thought so," Scott muttered and wrapped his arms tightly around her frame.
Magneto however had lost interest in the reunited couple and turned to Bobby. The rest seemed to have forgotten about Drake now that Jean was back and Magnus watched fascinated as the younger man shifted to human form.
Bobby swayed briefly as fever returned, making him feel dizzy. Thankfully Magnus noticed the sudden weakness and folded a hesitant arm around Drake. "You should have stayed in the medlab."
Bobby laughed embittered. "You don't think I'll stay there while Sinister has Remy?"
"No, I don't," Magnus admitted. "But you need to rest now." The others had noticed their soft conversation and hesitantly, Jean approached them. Magnus supported Bobby who leaned heavily on him.
"Bobby?" Jean started and decided to talk to Magneto later. As words eluded her she acted on impulse and claimed Bobby's hand, caressing it gently and she almost choked up seeing him also wear Remy's ring.
Bobby saw the unshed tears in her eyes and squeezed her hand in return. "Why did he turn himself in?" Bobby whispered. "When will he finally start trusting us?"
Jean sighed. "Trust needs to be earned and we let him down in the past. Remy is used to doing things on his own." Casting a glance at Magneto she sensed his concern, his anger for reaching the lab too late. "Sinister told me he used your DNA as well."
Magneto absorbed that confirmation. "I suspected that much." Unexpectedly Bobby's grip loosened and Magnus reacted at once, scooping the unconscious younger man up in his arms. "I suggest we take him back to the mansion." Looking about he refused to believe Sinister had won eventually. //I will search for Remy. No matter how long it takes!// he promised.
"Scott?" Jean leaned in to the embrace and relished his presence. They'd sought out a secluded spot in the back of the plane to talk.
"I know, darling. I'm so glad to have you back, but?" Scott's voice trailed off. "I failed Remy? again!"
"It isn't your fault," Jean assured him. "Sinister knew you'd found him out and moved Remy long before you showed up. We always forget the damned range of his scanners!"
"Did you see Remy?" Scott looked her in the eyes. //I missed you so much!//
//Yes, I did.// Jean sighed mentally. //Sinister plans on resuming his experiments. He also told me that he would kill Remy if we tried to go after him.//
//He won't kill Remy, not after all the trouble he went through to get him!// Scott pointed out to her.
//I agree, but? you should have seen the panic in Remy's eyes. Sinister had him collared and sedated. Remy is helpless.// Jean looked over at Magneto who was still supporting Bobby so the younger man could sit upright. //I'm afraid for Remy.//
Scott's fingers tangled gently in her hair and he tenderly pulled her head to rest on his shoulder. //I failed Remy? I failed our son.//
Magneto was trying hard to keep his emotions under control. They had failed to rescue Remy and he shuddered at the things Sinister could do to his son. To make things even worse Bobby had developed a high fever and was clinging to him for? comfort? Warmth?
This was such a mess! He should never have returned Remy to the X-Men. Instead he should have kept his son close. Why had he been so determined to see Remy among the X-Men? They had left him there to die!
"Remy?" Bobby whispered softly. "Where are you?"
Magnus cupped Bobby's face in the palm of his hand and studied the face. The fever had taken hold of the younger man and Magnus blamed himself for letting the Marauders attack the couple in Paris. He should have intervened earlier.
"Remy?" Bobby moaned again.
Magnus didn't know what to say and tightened his hold instead. Storm piloted the plane and he hoped they were travelling at maximum speed as Bobby needed medical attention.
"Magneto?"
Magnus gestured Jean to sit down. He knew why she'd come here. "In what condition was Remy the last time you saw him?" he asked in a trembling tone.
"Sedated and collared," she replied truthfully and almost jumped back, as fury emanated from Magneto. "I know how you feel," she started, trying to somehow establish a basic connection between them. The way Magneto was holding Bobby told her he cared about the young man as well.
"I can't bear the thought of that monster hurting my son," Magneto finally revealed.
"Neither can I, or Scott," Jean pointed out to him. She wavered briefly, but then rested her left hand on his.
They stared in to each other's eyes, never speaking, but knowing instinctively what the other was feeling. Bobby stirred in his arms and Magnus averted his eyes to check on his son's lover. He'd never before felt this helpless, not even in the camps. =His= life wasn't in danger, his =son's= was and there was nothing he could do to protect Remy.
The lab
Detached, Remy stared empty eyed at the ceiling as Sinister's hands moved over his scalp. Fingers pushed away thick locks of hair to attach electrodes.
"I kept my word. Your precious Jean Grey is back with the X-Men." Sinister told Scalphunter to switch on a monitor.
Remy gasped involuntarily at the sight of Jean stepping outside the cubicle to find shelter in Scott's arms. Briefly, he managed to glance at Bobby in his ice form and immediately Remy closed his eyes. In Bobby's gaze lay everything he'd given up to save Jean's life.
The collar was starting to irritate his skin and the itch was driving him mad. Would it be like this for the rest of his life? Collared, shackled and sedated? Sinister would never let him out of his sight, would never be negligent around him. Sinister wouldn't give him a chance to escape or to end his life.
At least he had managed to help Jean. That had been his sole purpose. It shouldn't matter what would happen next. He'd left Bobby behind, had said good-bye while his lover had been asleep. Bobby couldn't love him any longer, not after that stunt he'd pulled.
Maybe the X-Men would be better off without him, period. He couldn't linger in the past, remembering the life he had lead, the man he had been.
Seeking out Sinister's eyes he focused on them. He was back in a lab, one of many Sinister had built all over the world and he would probably spend the rest of his life here, //an' die here.//
Hours later he woke again. Nightmares had filled his sleep and he wanted to call out for Bobby as he realized he was biting down on a gag. There was no way he could utter a single sound. Completely helpless he peeked down at his body. His clothes had been removed and he was now wearing some kind of medical gown. The IV's were still in place and the electrodes on his head reminded him of another time he'd been subjected to this procedure.
Ever since Sinister had strapped him to the exam bed he'd started to remember the things he'd been through as a child. //Non, don' want t' remember dat now!// Instead he focused on the IV's. Sinister was feeding him intravenously and another IV pumped fluids in to his body.
Tears, which he couldn't keep back any longer, flowed down his cheeks. He'd almost believed he would spend the rest of his life with Bobby.
//Bobby, I miss y', cher. But I had no choice. Y'll find anot'er lover? Only a fool would pass up y'r love? does dat make me one?//
His body felt cold, immobile and his thoughts were icing up as he willed himself in to stop thinking all together. It was the only way to endure Sinister's 'care'.

 

Chapter Twelth

"How is Bobby?" Warren asked concerned and peeked at his friend. Bobby's shivering body was covered with blankets and his brow glistered with sweat.
"I'm trying to find a way to break the fever," Hank said. "I still wonder what possessed Scott to let Bobby accompany them to Sinister's lab. The boy is fighting a severe infection!"
Warren walked over to Bobby and pulled up a chair. Slowly, he took hold of a clammy hand and caressed the fingers. "We still got no lead on Remy's present location," he told Hank. "48 hours later and we still don't know where to start."
Hank sat down as well and sighed deeply. "Bobby keeps calling out for Remy."
Bobby shifted restlessly in the bed at hearing that name, grabbed Warren's hand tightly and whispered, "Remy?"
"No, Bobby. It's Warren," Hank stated in a loud tone, but knew Bobby couldn't hear him.
"Remy? I'm cold?" Bobby moaned and turned on to his left side.
Warren looked like he couldn't contain his rage any longer and Hank wondered how the 'parents' were coping with this. The last thing he had heard was that Magneto had locked himself up in the Danger Room to work through his anger by fighting an imaginative Sinister. Charles was keeping on eye on him and Hank hoped Magneto wouldn't injure himself in the process.
"How are Jean and Scott dealing with this development?" Hank asked. Jean had been nearly inconsolable when they'd returned without Remy.
Warren shook his head. "They're trying to support each other, I guess. Logan is also taking this personally and? damn! Everyone wants Remy back!"
Hank checked Bobby's temperature. "The fever seems to be dropping. Hopefully he'll be free of it tomorrow."
"And then he'll remember Sinister still has Remy?" Warren muttered and then locked eyes with Hank. "They seemed happy together? complete."
"I know what you mean," Hank admitted ruefully. "Bobby struggled a long time before finally accepting his sexuality and when Remy returned? Bobby didn't have much of a choice."
"I never pictured them together," Warren confessed, "but?" and thought about the relationship he was slowly building with Logan. Did the others know they'd become an item? Warren wasn't certain he was ready to reveal that truth to them and Logan seemed content to take this slow, giving him the time he needed.
"Remy?" Bobby mumbled again and briefly his eyes flashed open. "Remy!" he exclaimed.
"Robert, please calm down," Hank said softly and administered him some medication to fight the fever.
"I hate sitting here like this, being helpless? If only Cerebro could find Sinister's new hiding place!" Warren muttered fatigued. He only knew too well how hard it would be to find Remy now that time was passing by quickly. They had to do something =now=!
//Magnus, you're exhausting yourself!// Charles sent and watched Magneto fight off another Marauder. Yes, he could terminate the program, but then Magnus would still refuse to talk to him. //Magnus, you can't help Remy when you're exhausted yourself!//
Magnus looked up at the control room and knew Charles wouldn't give in until they had talked. So he stopped the program and walked towards the exit. Charles met him there. "Leave me alone, Charles. I'm not in the mood to talk to you."
"Magnus, I'm concerned about Remy as well," Charles said and felt relieved as Magnus halted in his tracks. "You can't do this on your own. Scott and Jean?"
Magnus turned around and stared him in the eyes. "They don't need me."
"But you need them. Jean, Scott and you are? Remy's parents. When he gets back the three of you need to act as one." Charles's chair came to a stop in front of his old friend. "Do you have any idea how to locate Remy? Is there something we can home in on?"
"No," Magnus whispered helplessly. "Nothing."
"How do you feel about Remy being your son? For a long time you only suspected it to be the truth."
Magnus stared at the wall. "Feel? I feel like being back in the camps and watching the Nazis experiment on one of our own. At least back then my powers were useful!" He had often managed to intimidate the guards with a display of his powers and in that way he'd saved lives. "But now? I can't even find him!"
Charles nodded his head. "Magnus, do me a favor and talk to Jean and Scott. They're suffering too."
Reluctantly, Magnus gave in and followed Charles out of the Danger Room.
Jean got to her feet as he entered the living room. Charles had stayed behind in the corridor, intent on giving them some privacy. Magnus felt like an intruder and wanted to turn around to leave, but Jean's voice called him back.
"Please stay."
Magnus nodded his head and sat down as far away from them as possible. They found themselves in a very odd situation and he wondered what they were thinking.
"I feel guilty for not going to the medlab to talk to Remy," Scott said unexpectedly. "If I had done that I might have prevented Remy from leaving the mansion like that."
Magneto stirred, hearing that honest tone. "We all made mistakes," he murmured. "I shouldn't have left him alone after we got here."
Jean watched both men and then said, "We should look at the future instead. There has to be a way to find Remy."
"If only we knew how?" Magneto whispered softly.
24 hours later Bobby opened his eyes and stared right in to Hank's.
"Hello Robert, it's good to have you back. How do you feel?" Hank inquired and smiled tenderly.
"Better," Bobby whispered. Usually he would crack a joke during a time like this, but he didn't feel like it. "Remy?"
Hank had feared this moment. "I'm sorry, Bobby, but we haven't found him yet."
Bobby closed his eyes to keep the tears from flowing down his face. "I miss him so badly."
"I know," Hank said soothingly. "But you do have another visitor," Stepping aside he gestured Magneto to approach the bed.
Awkwardly, Bobby tried to sit upright. After elbowing himself into a sitting position he looked at Magneto and was startled to see the dark rings underneath the man's eyes. "You haven't slept much," Bobby realized and accepted the orange juice Hank handed him. All he wanted right now was a hot bath and then he would find a way to track down Remy.
Hank moved away from the bed, but continued to watch them closely. Although the fever was gone Bobby was still very weak and needed rest.
"I don't want to sleep," Magneto said hesitantly as he sat down.
"Nightmares?" Bobby inquired softly. Somehow he couldn't picture Magneto suffering from nightmares.
Magnus shrugged his shoulders. "Guilt always rears its head at very inconvenient times."
"Guilt?" Bobby whispered.
"I could have done something to prevent this tragedy."
Bobby shook his head. "Remy is stubborn. Once he makes up his mind there is no way of talking him out of it." Bobby leaned in to the comfort of the pillows and thought things over. "How are we going to find Remy?" he asked eventually.
"Cerebro has failed to pinpoint Sinister's location this time," Magneto informed him. "It'll take time, tracking Sinister down."
"And time is the one thing we don't have!" Bobby stated resolved.
"Robert, you're still very weak," Hank said as he walked over to his friend. "Why don't you try to sleep or at least rest?"
"I feel a lot better," Bobby objected. "I want to take a shower."
"Later," Hank insisted and refilled the glass. "You need lots of fluids."
Obediently, Bobby drank the orange juice. He felt strangely numb without Remy's thoughts twirling in his mind and he was trying hard not to break down in front of the two men. "I'm too scared to think about Remy," he finally admitted. "God knows what Sinister is doing to him right now." Tears suddenly dripped from his chin and he quickly wiped them away.
Magneto placed a soothing hand on Bobby's brow. "I know, trust me, I know," he growled. "But Dr. McCoy here has a valid point. You need to rest, sleep. Trust me, I'll keep on searching for Remy."
Bobby didn't want to fall asleep, afraid he'd be out of it when the call came that they had found Remy. "Promise that you'll wake me should?"
Magneto nodded his head. "I'll wake you the moment we receive news about Remy, I promise."
Somewhat reassured Bobby closed his eyes and tried hard not to think of the terror Remy might be going through. //Please God,// he prayed, //Let us find him,// and then fell asleep.
The lab
Remy desperately tried to keep his eyes open and to focus on the ceiling. Sinister had administered him another dose of the sedative and he felt like being afloat in the room. The ceiling seemed to be gaining on him, coming closer to crush him. He tried to scream for help but the gag prevented him from making any noise at all.
He had lost all sense of time. The last time he'd woken up he'd been nauseous and Sinister had removed the gag to allow him to empty his stomach. Only later Remy had realized Sinister had operated on him.
He'd managed to capture a glance at a shiny object and had noticed that a small part at the back of his head had been shaved. The sight of that ugly red scar, stitches still visible, had started another round of dry heaves. Finally Sinister had realized what had upset his 'patient' and had draped locks of hair over the scar. Suddenly Remy had started to wonder whether he'd just imagined the entire thing.
But no, his head hurt and his body felt paralyzed. The drug Sinister had administered rendered him helpless. Even the Marauders, which at times were inside the lab, looked down at him with loathing in their eyes.
He had lost the feel in his fingers and Remy wished he could turn on to his left side. His back ached and he wanted so badly to curl up in a foetal position. It was cold in the lab and Sinister didn't believe in blankets. Goose flesh appeared all over his body and Remy closed his eyes as fatigue overwhelmed him.
Maybe this time his dreams would be about Bobby. The nightmares were draining him and even after opening his eyes Sinister still stared right back at him. Last night he had dreamt of Bobby holding him, sharing his fantasies with him. Waking up later had been horrific.
Remy didn't have any power left to fight Sinister. Hell, there was no way he could fight Sinister even if he wanted to! And the X-Men? would they come for him? He still didn't understand why they had stood beside him on Christmas Eve when Rogue had made her appearance.
"The X-Men have forgotten about you," Sinister said as he hooked another full bag up to the IV. "Now that Jean's back there's no need for them to come after me. Forgot about them rescuing you."
Remy couldn't reply and even if he'd had the possibility he wouldn't have known what to say. Sinister was right after all. Maybe Bobby would try to find him, but his lover would give up eventually and move on with his life.
"You want to know =why= they're not going to rescue you?" Sinister whispered in a soft tone.
Remy's eyes widened at that tone. Shivers racked his body and he wished he could cover his ears so he didn't have to listen to his nemeses.
"They hate you," Sinister continued.
Remy's eyes focused on Sinister against his own will. Why would they hate him?
"You're my most promising experiment, LeBeau. I knew that using the Summers' DNA and combining it with Magneto's would create a strong mutant. It's a pity though?" Sinister stopped talking seeing the terror in his prisoner's eyes. "They didn't tell you? Yes, they know? even your lover knows."
Remy couldn't keep back his tears and sobbed quietly. Was it true?
"Yes," Sinister confirmed, seeing the question in those red on black eyes. "I used stolen DNA to create you."
//Non, dat can' be true! Non, mon Dieu!// Stolen DNA meant he had no right to exist. He was the living proof that Sinister had experimented with =stolen DNA= from people he had started to look upon as his friends! Jean, he could never face her again. Scott would probably hate him and Magnus? //Mon Dieu, why did y' let me live? Why didn' y' let me die on de streets?//
"That's why they won't come after you. They don't want you around," Sinister said satisfied, checking the readings all the time. "They're glad you're gone."
Remy closed his eyes. He might as well be dead now that he knew the truth. Even if Sinister would let him go he had no place to seek refuge. New Orleans was forbidden turf and he could never again return to the mansion.
"But I want you to stay with me, LeBeau. Sinister cares about you, will look after you?"
Remy wasn't listening any longer. Sinister was hurting him on purpose and his will to survive shattered underneath the merciless revelations. Too drained to remain conscious, Remy fell asleep and the last thing he heard was Sinister's mocking laughter.
"You're an abomination!"
Jean's voice echoed through the tunnels. Remy was running as hard as he could, trying not to stare at the bodies of dead Morlocks all around him. Running harder he forgot to look ahead and bumped in to another body.
"You've got something that belongs to me!" Scott snarled, an infuriated expression colored his face.
"Mon Dieu, please help!" Remy yelped as he started running again, turned around the corner and found Magneto waiting for him.
"You lied to me!" Magneto sneered and pointed a finger at him. "You're a thief! You stole my DNA!"
Panicking Remy froze. There was no way he could outrun them and as Jean and Scott joined Magneto he fell to his knees, covering his face with his hands. "Please, forgive," he whispered terrified.
"Remy?"
Another voice cut through the tunnels and as he looked up he was back in the lab. Bobby stood next to the exam table and he expected to see loathing in those eyes, but instead he only saw love and genuine affection. "Bobby? Cher?" Had he lost it? Had he gone mad at last? Or was he? dreaming?
"Remy?" Bobby looked down at the screaming man, strapped on to the exam table. "It's all right! I'm here, love!" he said soothingly and failed in undoing the shackles.
"Y' can' be here," Remy whispered in disbelief. What the hell was going on?
"You're having a dream, Remy and this time you somehow managed to reach me!" Bobby realized and gently stroked the dark hair. "Tell me where you are and I will come and get you out!"
"I don' know," Remy stuttered shocked. "Dis can' be!"
"Remy, try to remember. Where did Sinister take you?" Bobby cursed softly seeing Remy's reaction to that name. "Remy, listen to me!" Instinctively he placed his lips on his lover's and captured them in one ravishing kiss. Remy began to relax and Bobby finally broke the contact. "You can do this, Remy. Tell me where you are."
Remy was lost for words, stunned by the intensity of this dream or whatever it was. //Must be Sinister playin' mind games on me.// But what if Sinister had nothing to do with it? Then he remembered his nemeses' latest revelation and Remy knew he couldn't take the risk that Bobby would somehow find him. "Cher, please leave me."
"No way," Bobby said resolved. "Now focus!" Looking about he tried to take in most of the lab. His eyes quickly scanned the empty tanks, no clues there. Then his eyes found a map displayed on a screen. That might be it!
"Remy, I'll be back in a second," he said reassuringly. Not getting any reply he moved over to the screen and studied the map. "Sinister's labs! Remy? according to this map we're in Canada, 30 miles from?"
The last thing Bobby heard was a scream as Remy kicked him out of his dream. "Why? Remy, why?" he screamed as he was hurled through the tunnels. "I want to stay with you!" Remy's voice sounded distorted, but Bobby immediately clung to it.
"Don' try t' find me, cher? don't."
The Mansion
"Bobby, wake up! Robert, listen to me!" Hank said in an urgent tone. He'd only briefly left the medlab and upon his return he'd found Bobby tangled in the blankets, suffering from a severe nightmare.
"Remy, I'll find you!" Bobby screamed in agony.
"Robert, listen to me. Bobby, wake up!" Hank repeated and looked up as Jean entered the medlab. Her facial expression showed worry and fatigue.
"Can I help?" she offered.
Hank nodded his head once. "Bobby won't snap out of the nightmare."
Jean was about to reach out and sooth Bobby's troubled mind as the screaming stopped.
Bobby opened his eyes and calmly stared in to Jean's. "I've seen him, Jean in my dreams."
"Bobby," Hank said concerned. It wasn't the fever talking and he hated to see his friend in such distress. "You had a nightmare."
"But I felt his mind, his thoughts! I know where we can find Remy!" Bobby stated determined. Before Hank could protest he had pushed back the blankets and managed to get to his feet. "I don't care whether you believe me or not, I'm going to Canada!"
"Canada?" Logan repeated as he leaned against the wall. The scent of fear had pulled him here and he now studied Drake closely. "Ya know where to find Gumbo?"
"Yes, I do!" Bobby said and grabbed the sweats from the chair. "Are you coming along, Logan?"
Logan walked towards them and stopped Bobby by placing his hand flat on the younger man's chest. "Ya're goin' nowhere. First, we're goin' to talk to the others."
Protesting loudly, Bobby tried to get away from Logan. "Remy's in pain! We can't sit down and discuss this."
"I say we leave now," Magneto suddenly stated. He'd overheard the last few sentences.
//I monitored Robert's dream,// Charles' thoughts flowed in to their minds. //Somehow he touched Remy's mind. We should act on this and act now! Scott is already preparing the Black Bird for departure. I suggest you don't waste any time getting there!//
Relieved, Bobby nodded his head. "C'mon, Remy needs us!"

 

Chapter Thirteen

The lab
Exhausted, Remy kept his eyes tightly shut. Sinister was still hovering over him, muttering softly about his psi potential. The energy readings his scanners picked up seemed to impress Sinister. Remy however, felt tired and too weak to even shift position on the exam table. Sinister still continued to inject him with a mind numbing sedative and that was probably the only reason why Sinister had briefly taken his collar off.
Eyes closed, he desperately tried to block the memory of that last dream in which Bobby had promised to rescue him. Even now Remy wasn't sure if he'd dreamed it all, or if it had been a hallucination caused by the sedative. If he had dreamed it, did that mean Bobby had somehow received that dream and now knew his location?
//Mon Dieu, don' let him come after m'! I don' wanna be found! Not now dat I know de trut'! Dey will never f'rgive m'! Never?// he thought distressed. //Non, Bobby won' try t' find m'. Dey will stop him. Dey have to! I can' face dem.//
Truth was that he didn't want to be found; at least he was trying very hard to convince himself of that fact. But it wasn't working. His mind was telling him that he didn't deserve any better than this, being Sinister's creation and responsible for the deaths of the Morlocks. His heart however was a different matter.
His heart insisted that he couldn't be blamed for Sinister's actions in the past. He was just another victim of the mad physician and entitled to Bobby's love and his friends' forgiveness. But Remy was too scared to hope, too scared to believe the X-Men and Magneto would see it the same way.
The irony of this situation suddenly hit him! He'd already been a thief before he'd been born! Remy shied away from that thought, not wanting to know just how Sinister had brought him in to this world.
He felt cold and the chill was in his mind, not inside his body. Sinister had already raised the room temperature seeing him tremble, but that couldn't take away the icy certainty that he shouldn't be alive. A madman's experiment had no right to live!
His mind had been brutally broken during the days he had spent in Sinister's lab. After Sinister had moved him to this place, Remy had given up hope. The X-Men wouldn't try to find him. Sinister was right. Jean was no longer in danger and he didn't matter? His mind hoped they had already forgotten him. His heart was crying out for Bobby's love.
Sinister was talking to him, but Remy ignored it. All Sinister usually demanded was that he didn't move, didn't struggle and he continued to lie motionless on the exam bed.
Briefly, he allowed his mind to drift off, shutting Sinister's voice out and he managed to recapture the timbre of Bobby's voice. No matter what horrors Sinister would subject him to; Remy desperately hoped he would never forget Bobby's admission that he had fallen in love with a Cajun thief. That confession had changed his life.
Losing himself in memories Remy refused to open his eyes or reply when Sinister suddenly addressed him in an urgent tone. Nothing mattered except for Bobby's words, nothing?
Remy had found a place within his mind Sinister couldn't defile with his presence and slowly he wrapped that darkness around his soul, shutting out Sinister, shutting out everything around him. He'd found his secret hiding place and would never again leave it.
The Black Bird
Scott eventually nodded his head, reluctantly going along with Magneto's suggestions. "Don't forget that our prime objective is to get Remy out of there. We can always deal with Sinister later!"
Magneto raised an eyebrow. "I will not have Sinister come after my son ever again!"
"Magneto," Jean sighed. "We're in this together, remember? We're a team."
Magnus knew she was right. They only stood a chance against Sinister and his Marauders if they got their act together. "All I'm asking is to let me deal with Sinister."
Scott gave up. "Fine, you concentrate on Sinister then!" And shook his head as he looked at Jean. He should have known better than to try and order Magneto around! "Warren, I want you to cover Bobby's back. Once Bobby reaches Remy he will have to shift back to human form and he isn't in a great shape." That comment earned him a dirty look, coming from Bobby.
Warren nodded his head. "I'll cover their retreat."
Logan had been pacing until now, but as he looked at Scott his eyes were deadly focused. "And I'll take care of Sabretooth!"
Scott considered replying, but then dismissed the thought. Logan's mind was set and it was good to know that Sabretooth would be dealt with. "Storm, Hank, Jean, that leaves the three of you to make sure the Marauders don't prevent Bobby and Remy from leaving." Scott drew in a deep breath. Everyone knew what to do. Now they could only pray Sinister wasn't expecting them!
The lab
//What's dat sound?// Vaguely, Remy registered an explosion in the background. It sounded fairly far away though and he wondered if an experiment had gone wrong, maybe even blowing Sinister up in the process. //Wishful t'inkin',// he chided himself.
The collar had once more been placed around his neck and shackled like this he was incapable of movement. There was no way he could cock his head to see what was happening. It didn't matter anyway.
Maybe he was lucky and Sinister would leave him alone a little longer. Descending in to the depths of his mind he settled down in to the soothing darkness. The explosion wasn't important. The screams didn't matter. Here, in the twilight of his soul he no longer felt anything.
But the intensity of the explosions increased and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't ignore them. They also seemed to be getting closer. //I hope de lab is goin' t' explode!// He wouldn't regret dying in that explosion. It was better than being strapped on to an exam table for the rest of his life!
And why did his head refuse to stop hurting? Was it because of the sedative or the surgery? He vividly remembered seeing that scar at the back of his head. Too scared to think about it he tried to remember the little cupids, which had graced the ceiling of their hotel room in Paris. He desperately needed a distraction now the screams were advancing on him. Pinching his eyes tightly shut Remy buried himself in the pit of his mind.
Scott nodded towards Bobby, telling him to get moving. The Marauders were putting up a fierce fight. Thankfully his team mates were in a bad mood and out for Sinister's blood.
Warren flew ahead of Bobby and Logan had managed to engage his old archenemy in to a fight, taking Sabretooth away from the core of the battle. Storm used her elemental powers to keep Harpoon, Blockbuster and Riptide on the defensive and Hank was trying hard to disarm Scalphunter. So far, so good, Scott mused.
Bobby had taken the hint and was now sliding in to the main lab. A yelp involuntarily escaped his lips as his eyes located his lover. "Remy!" he screamed. Seeing him shackled and defenceless stirred something deep inside him. Feeling immensely protective of the Cajun he vowed Sinister would never again hurt his lover.
"He's mine!" Sinister snarled, revealing himself as he stepped away from his hiding place. Seeing the X-Men inside his lab infuriated him. Remy LeBeau was his, only his!
Warren mentally prepared himself for an attack, but then Magneto appeared from nowhere. Where had the man been hiding?
"Get Remy out of here!" Magneto ordered and eyed Sinister wearily.
Bobby didn't hesitate. Shifting to human form he ran towards his lover. Scott had been right. Seeing him in ice form would only upset Remy. "It's going to be okay," he said soothingly and exchanged a look with Warren who was fighting off Arclight. "Remy? Can you hear me?" The blank expression in those half closed eyes frightened him and he knew that instant that Remy didn't recognize him.
Bobby used his mutant powers to freeze the shackles and snatched them away from Remy's wrists and ankles. They revealed red, raw flesh. At some point Remy had fought Sinister. "I'm here, love." Bobby sat on his heels and gently cradled the back of Remy's head in his hands. "I'm going to take you home."
Remy didn't react and Bobby sighed heavily. Secretly he had hoped that the sound of his voice would snap the Cajun out of his stupor. "I'm going to carry you, Remy. You don't look like you can walk." First, he grabbed a blanket and wrapped Remy up in it. Then he snuck his hands underneath Remy's knees and back. "You might want to hold on."
Remy shivered as flesh touched flesh and suddenly he realized that this wasn't a dream! He wasn't hallucinating due to the sedative! Bobby was here, picking him up from the exam bed and clutching him to his chest. Part of his brain couldn't deal with the evidence of his lover's dedication. Bobby was still at his side, looking out for him? Why? Bobby knew about the stolen DNA! There was no reason why?
Bobby read the confusion on Remy's face. The alien eyes were only half open and the pain that stared back at him almost made him choke up. "You've got to hold on, love!" Bobby urged him on and followed Warren who had succeeded in clearing his path.
Running as hard as he could Bobby looked over his shoulder and realized Magneto was about to square off against Sinister who looked infuriated. Never before had he wished someone dead, but this time Bobby caught himself hoping Sinister wouldn't survive this confrontation.
Pressing his precious load close to his chest Bobby reminded himself of the fact that only Remy's well being mattered. He had to get his lover to the Black Bird, tuck him in and wait for Hank to take over. "Everything will be fine, Remy. I love you, you stupid Cajun!" and he planned on convincing Remy to never sneak off like that again.
"You almost gave me a heart attack, love," Bobby whispered in a more tender tone. "You could have died! What were you thinking handing yourself over like that?" Looking down at Remy he noticed the swimming eyes and felt guilty for addressing his lover in such a tone. "I'm sorry, love? I just don't want to lose you!"
Remy stared at him, hearing the words, but not understanding them. The sedative was making it impossible for him to think rationally. He did know he was no longer shackled to the exam table and that Bobby was close. Even though he didn't understand the words, he realized the tone behind them. Had Bobby really come for him? Impossible!
Once more closing his watering eyes he simply relaxed against the warm body and never realized they were running towards freedom.
Magneto knew there had to be a way to terminate Sinister's existence. The question was, =how= to accomplish that? Looking at Sinister's metallic like skin he wondered if he could control its molecular structure.
Scott's optic blast impacted hard and threw Sinister off his feet. //That might be it!// Magnus realized, //Maybe I can do this, but I'll need my complete concentration!//
Jean had picked up on those thoughts and together with Scott they fought their way up front to aid Magneto if necessary. //What's your plan?// she wanted to know, including Scott in the telepathic exchange.
Irritated by the interruption Magnus briefly locked eyes with her. //I want to take Sinister out for once and for all. Maybe I know how.//
//How?// Scott asked as he kept blasting away at Sinister, not giving him a chance to open a terresect.
//You just keep blasting at him like that. I'm going to try and manipulate the molecules in his body.// Magnus drew in a deep breath. He'd never done this on such a scale before.
Jean nodded her head and created a protective shield, surrounding the three of them. //I don't know how long I can keep this up,// she warned both men as her shield stopped one of Harpoon's imbued objects.
Magneto concentrated on the task at hand. Jean and Scott seemed rather calm, but his own emotions raged as he stared in to the eyes of the man who had damaged Remy so badly. It was payback time. This monster wasn't going to scare anyone any longer!
Scott blasted full force away at Sinister who had dropped to his knees. From the corner of his eye he noticed that several Marauders had gone down, but that Scalphunter was trying to reach his boss. Luckily Beast kept the Marauder back. //Jean?// he sent telepathically, picking up all the little signs which told him how upset she really was.
//I'll be fine, Scott, knowing Sinister can't hurt Remy any longer. I can't believe how much I hate him!// Jean looked about and the lab made her shiver. //To spend the first five years of your life here, that's awful!//
Scott agreed and managed to get closer to her. When was Magneto going to make his move?
Magnus finally felt confident that he had a firm hold on Sinister's structure. It was awfully complex. The molecules almost instantly tried to move back in to their original position. He'd wanted to do this slowly, but had to abandon that idea. Sinister would get too much time to recover. They would have to terminate Sinister's life with a bang. //Aim at his head,// he told Scott, using the telepathic link Jean provided. Thankfully Scott obeyed promptly. //Good.//
Magnus raised his hands and reached out for the metal in Sinister's 'body'. //Armor is more like it! There's nothing human about him,// Magnus realized. Waiting for the next optic blast to hit Sinister he gathered his powers and manipulated Sinister's molecules, scrambling the madman's powers.
As Scott's blast hit Sinister, Magneto timed his attack along with it. Sinister's body seemed to implode as Magnus prevented the molecules from returning to their original setting. This was it! He couldn't screw up now. One last twist, one more optic blast and Sinister's body was viciously torn apart. Magnus left Sinister no way to reassemble his body.
Stunned, Jean ducked away as a shock wave almost hit her. She sensed disbelief, even horror emanating from Sinister. A moment later, nothing of the mad physician remained. The place were Sinister had stood was empty now. //Did we really do that?//
Fatigued, Magnus nodded his head and leaned heavily against the wall. This manipulation had taken a lot out of him. "Sinister's gone."
The Marauders heard that statement and seemed to panic now that their boss had been destroyed. Only Sabretooth managed to escape in to the tunnels underneath the lab. One by one the X-Men aimed their attacks at Sinister's clones, taking them out for good.

 

Chapter Fourteen

Bobby tightly wrapped his arms around Remy's frame and wished Hank would hurry back to the Blackbird, as Remy needed medical attention. A few minutes ago Bobby discovered a scar at the back of his lover's head and he'd almost panicked, realizing Sinister had performed some sort of surgery on Remy. Hopefully, the sedative would lose effect shortly as Bobby wanted to see recognition in those red on black eyes. "Remy? Can you hear me?" he asked, trying to establish contact.
Remy didn't react. Although he was awake he didn't want to ruin this perfect moment. Bobby's body was warm and seductively wrapped around his. Only a few hours ago he would have dismissed any idea of ever resting in his lover's arms again. He felt comfortable, warm and protected. Doubtlessly, Sinister would show up to reclaim him, but in the meantime he wanted to cherish the feel of the body close to him.
His hands rested useless in his lap and Bobby was rubbing them, trying to rid them of the tremors rocking his fingers. Shifting closer Remy rested his head against Bobby's shoulders and tried hard to remain motionless. This illusion was too fragile and could shatter any moment now. He couldn't allow that to happen.
"Remy? Please open the link?"
The question shocked him. //Non, won' do dat!// he thought as resolved as he could muster. His thoughts swirled aimlessly and he failed to create order in the chaos. It was impossible that Bobby still wanted him! //I ain't reactin'!// he told himself. If he shut out Bobby's request, he could fool himself into believing that he wasn't hurting. //I don' want t' hurt!// Opening the link meant sharing his pain with Bobby and he didn't want his lover to know how he was feeling.
"Remy." Bobby heavily sighed his lover's name, realizing he was being shut out. "I do love you, Remy," he tried again.
//Non, y' can'!// Remy almost shook his head, but managed to keep himself in check. Such movement might indicate he was awake and he didn't want Bobby to let go of him. Bobby was only saying these things to comfort him and not because he was sincere!
It dawned on Bobby that Remy was determined not to react and proceeded to pull him closer. "It's okay, Remy. You can have all the time you need," he said soothingly. Seeing the collar around his lover's neck appalled him. Yes, he could freeze it and remove it that way, but such cold might upset Remy.
"I missed you, Remy," he said softly. He had to stop Remy from slipping further away from him and the sound of his voice would be hard to lock out. "When I woke up in the medlab and realized you were gone? I actually cried."
Remy trembled hearing that admission. Bobby had shed tears because of him? //I only cause trouble,// he chided himself. He didn't want Bobby to hurt because of something he had done. Bobby didn't deserve that!
"When we found Jean she was almost in tears because we'd been too late to get you out as well." Bobby closely monitored the man in his arms and knew with certainty that Remy WAS listening. "She cares a lot about you."
//Non! Impossible!// Why would she care for him? She couldn't care for him now that she knew who he was, what devious ways Sinister had resorted to in order to create him.
Bobby hesitated to continue. Did Remy know about his parents? Had Sinister told him that truth? //If Sinister told him we can count on it that he twisted everything!// The professor had been right to advise them to wait until their return to the mansion before telling Remy. //But what if he knows already?//
The arrival of his teammates interrupted his musings and Bobby immediately sought out Hank's eyes. "Remy's sedated, I think."
Hank quickly covered the distance and sat on his heels in front of the couple. Bobby had pulled Remy onto his lap and the Cajun seemed to feel safe in his lover's arms. Hank refrained from touching his patient, but listened closely to Remy's breathing. "Remy, may I touch you?" he asked softly.
"He won't react," Bobby informed Hank, "but as long as you're gentle I don't think he'll put up a fight."
Trying to reach a decision Hank locked eyes with Jean, who nodded her head.
"Sinister sedated him. Remy hardly registers what's happening." Jean took a deep breath and slowly stroked back the dark locks which had fallen in front of Remy's face. She needed to see his face. "Remy?"
//Non, please don'.// Remy tried to crawl even closer to Bobby.
//Remy, everything will be fine,// Jean reassured him and focused her powers on the inhibiter collar. It was the last thing that reminded them of Sinister and it was time to do away with it. The collar snapped open and Jean gently removed it. As her fingertips touched his skin, she sensed his pain and anguish caused her to accidentally bite her lip. Looking at Bobby she knew Remy needed his lover. //I love you, Remy. Don't you ever dare forget that!// she stated resolved and placed one tender kiss on his feverish brow.
//Non, y' can'!// Remy objected, determinedly.
//Remy,// Jean sighed. //Yes, we know Sinister used our genes? and we are proud to have you as a son.// Jean also sent that last comment to her husband and Magnus who had now joined them.
Too scared to look up Remy concentrated on keeping his eyes tightly shut. His hands trembled, but Bobby squeezed them reassuringly. This couldn't be happening!
"Jean is right, you know," Scott said aloud as he took Jean's place, who had moved to the back. Using his chance to talk to Remy, Scott added, "Please don't blame yourself for something Sinister did. I like you a lot, Remy and I'm sorry I failed you in the past. Will you give me another chance? I want to make things up to you."
//What is Cyke talkin' 'bout?// Remy wondered. Failing him? Another chance? Confused, he buried his face in Bobby's clothes.
"Give him some time to adjust to everything," Jean advised her husband and pulled him along with her. "Remy is safe and once we're back at the mansion we can talk to him. Right now he needs Bobby."
Magnus watched them disappear to the front of the plane and appreciated the fact that the other X-Men left him alone. Although they were watching everything closely, they stayed clear of Remy. Nodding his head Magnus walked up to his son and wondered what to say. He realized he wouldn't get a reply. Remy was still too drugged to think rationally, but he wanted Remy to know that they loved him. "Remy?"
Hearing Magneto's voice sent a shiver through Remy's body. He felt like he'd betrayed Magneto the most. The man had saved his life in Antarctica. //He probably regrets ever takin' me in!// And to his own astonishment that thought hurt tremendously. Until now he hadn't realized just how good a friend Magneto had become and he was afraid to lose that friendship.
"Remy, I will try to be a good friend? and father if you want me to. I'm still getting used to the fact that you're my son, but?" He'd never spoken these words in this context before and he briefly hesitated, wanted them to sound sincere. "I love you, my son."
Remy couldn't take this any longer and looked up, locking eyes with Magnus. The sedative still distorted his sight, but Magnus' eyes radiated the truth. Struggling to speak Remy moistened his cracked lips. "Je suis désolé," he muttered brokenly.
Magnus and Bobby exchanged a glance, both men pleased they'd lured Remy into talking. "No need to feel sorry, Remy." Magnus placed a gentle hand on Remy's shoulder. "We'll talk later, son, once you feel better."
//Son?// Remy's eyes grew big. Now that the collar no longer blocked his powers he tentatively reached out to touch Magnus' feelings, cautiously staying away from the man's thoughts. //Mon Dieu, he's speakin' de trut'!// That realization drove him over the edge. He couldn't deal with this right now. Leaning back into Bobby's embrace he briefly glanced at his lover's eyes. Watering blue eyes stared back at him and unintendedly the link lapsed back to activity.
//Yes, Remy, I love you.//
Bobby's thoughts hit him unprepared. Remy hadn't realized he'd opened the link and he shut it down again at once. Exhausted he sighed, closed his eyes and relished the warmth of Bobby's body. As he dozed off, he was faintly aware of Magnus' hand still resting on his shoulder. //I wonder what dis means?// Remy thought confused, as Sinister's drug pushed him into a deep and dreamless sleep.
Later, back at the mansion.
Reluctantly, Bobby handed Remy over to Hank, who cautiously placed the Cajun on an exam bed. Hank had suggested examining Remy while he was still drugged. Hopefully, Bobby could then take him to his room so the Cajun would wake up in familiar surroundings instead of a medlab.
"You need to have a look at this scar," Bobby pointed out to his friend and swept away some of Remy's locks.
Hank raised an eyebrow seeing the recent scar tissue. "I'll run some scans on him and get some x-rays just to make sure he's fine."
Bobby nodded his head. "Can I stay?"
"Yes," Hank confirmed. "In case he unexpectedly wakes up your presence might sooth him."
Hank decided to perform a complete physical on Remy and tried to be extremely gentle when moving his patient to another bed. "He's lost weight," Hank remarked.
"And I hate those dark circles underneath his eyes." Bobby caressed Remy's fingers as Hank started another battery of tests. "What can I do to help him?"
Hank's knitted brow revealed his worries as the results of the scans appeared. "Be there for him, I guess. He needs to talk this out, Bobby and I'm not sure you're the right person to?"
Bobby looked up. "What are you trying to say?"
"Remy feels ashamed. We already saw that on the plane and he won't want you to know what lives inside the depths of his mind, thinking it will push you away." Hank regretted speaking this bluntly, but Bobby had to understand. "Rage is hiding underneath the pain and fear and he will keep it all inside."
Bobby did understand Hank's reasoning, but felt confident he could make Remy open up. //Anyway, that's in the future!// "What about that scar?"
Hank's eyes came to rest on Remy. "Sinister didn't leave any implants behind, if that's what you're worried about. Looks more like he removed something."
"And you don't know what?"
"Remy never allowed me to give him a complete physical," Hank reminded him. "But that scar is the least of your worries." Hank proceeded to disinfect the punctures the IV's had left behind. "Try to get him to eat," he advised.
"So, I can take him to my room?" Bobby got to his feet, eager to spend time alone with his lover.
"One moment," Hank objected. "We should get him out of that medical gown. He left some sweats behind the last time he was in the medlab."
Together they removed the offending garment and Bobby managed to get Remy into the sweats. Suddenly, Jean's thoughts drifted into his mind, probing as if not to disturb him. //It's okay, Jean. Remy will be fine. I'm taking him upstairs now. Can you fix him something to eat?//
//Of course!// came Jean's reply, eager to help. //I'll tell the others the good news.//
Bobby picked Remy up, pulled him to his chest and left the medlab. He was going to put Remy to bed, wrap him up in blankets and then he would prepare the hot chocolate Remy was so fond of.
"Magnus?" Charles didn't look up from behind the desk as his old friend sat down in a chair.
Magnus clasped his hands and wondered why he had come here. Maybe it was because he couldn't be with Remy. It was important the young man didn't feel pressured and the way Remy had clung to Bobby had told him he needed his lover at the moment.
"Magnus? What's wrong?" This time Charles did look up. His friend's powers made it nearly impossible to probe his mind unnoticed. "Remy?"
"We destroyed Sinister," Magnus started and looked Charles in the eyes.
"The damage?" Charles didn't have to specify his question, Magnus understood.
"Severe. Remy? seems lost and blames himself for Sinister's actions. It will be hard to break the hold the past has on him." Magnus leaned forward, studying Charles. "I want to help him deal with it."
"You're asking my permission to stay?" Charles said slightly surprised. He should have expected this request, no, demand. "If you're uncomfortable here you can stay in the boathouse."
A knock on the door stopped their conversation. Charles reached out and nodded his head. "Enter."
Jean and Scott slowly walked inside. They weren't surprised to see Magnus in Charles' study. "Sir?" Scott started and briefly nodded towards Magnus, acknowledging his presence. "What are we going to do about Remy?"
"Nothing," Charles stated determined, earning baffled looks. "Remy has to determine the pace. He'll let us know when he's ready to let anyone in. We shouldn't rush him." Jean's watered eyes focused on him and Charles wished he had a different answer for them. "He needs to heal."
"But," Scott objected.
"I'm not saying you shouldn't see him or talk to him," Charles explained, "but don't push him to talk about Sinister or his past yet."
Magnus hated to admit it, but Charles was right. //Hopefully, Remy will find the courage to face his past.//
Charles realized that thought had been directed at him and replied, //If he doesn't then we'll act.//
Slowly, Remy opened his eyes. The first thing he noticed upon waking was that the sterile scent had vanished. That reassured him and as his fingertips moved over the sheet he realized it wasn't a dream. The X-Men had managed to get him away from Sinister.
Vaguely, he remembered Jean telling him that she loved him. Scott had been at her side, asking for another chance. The memories didn't make any sense! And there then was Magnus, who had called him 'son'.
Staring at the ceiling he suddenly realized where he was. Bobby's room! Cocking his head he wondered what the hell was staring back at him. A Thing action figure? And why was he hugging a fluffy teddy bear? A chuckle forced itself a way through his throat and eventually he smiled.
As he looked out the window, he realized night had fallen. Cocooned in bed he felt comfortable, but in the back of his mind he feared that Sinister would appear any moment now. Sinister would never let him go!
Suddenly, panic coursed through him. The blankets had tangled around his frame, keeping him a prisoner, much like the shackles had in Sinister's labs. "Non," Remy panted, "Non!" The panic set off his newly discovered telekinetic powers and a mere thought flung the blankets onto the floor. Shocked at what he was capable of Remy stared at his wrists, which had been bandaged to ensure the wounds would heal quickly.
"Dese powers ain't mine!" he whimpered. "I can' use dem!" He vowed to keep them locked up inside. Suddenly, he realized the origin of his powers, the charging ability, the empathy and? "Non! I don' want t' think 'bout dat!"
But no matter how hard he tried, telepathy had become a solid part of his life. Against his will, he sensed Bobby's presence behind the door. "Non, block it!" he told himself.
The door opened and Remy averted his eyes, unwilling to look at Bobby. //I once told him dat I don' deserve him, or his love. I was right. I don' deserve him.// Curling up into a fetal position he folded his arms around his legs, pushed the teddy bear away from him and resolved, ignored Bobby's presence. It was time that Bobby moved on and found someone worthy of his love!

 

Chapter Fifteen

Bobby placed the tray on the nightstand and sat down on one side of the bed, facing Remy. Dark hair obscured his lover's face and Bobby felt lost without the inside information the link usually provided.
"Remy?" he said resolved, as his fingers pushed back locks of auburn hair. "Talk to me, Remy." But his lover didn't react and Bobby wondered about his next step. Studying Remy's face he noticed the deep lines of suffering on his brow and he wished he could take away that pain. Too bad he wasn't an empath as well. Leaning in closer Bobby placed one gentle kiss on Remy's brow, hoping it would evoke some kind of reaction. It did.
Remy trembled at the feel of soft lips caressing his skin. The simple gesture spoke of nothing but love and his resolve melted away under the steady flow of Bobby's affectionate feelings, which he couldn't shut out. Part of him hungered for that affection, craved it, and he needed it as badly as oxygen. Bobby's fingertips now tangled in his hair and Remy flinched, as he wondered if Bobby knew of the scar hidden underneath the locks.
"Hank wants to talk to you," Bobby informed him. "I know you don't want to see him, but there are things you need to know about your physical condition." Remy kept perfectly still and Bobby sighed audibly. "Remy? Please look at me."
Remy was seriously tempted to do so, but realized that making eye contact might set off the link and he didn't want Bobby to know what he was going through. Bobby had once cried because of him and that wasn't going to happen a second time! Keeping his eyes closed he tried hard to deny Bobby's presence, but those fingers now strayed down his throat, touching all those sensitive spots that had made him squirm during their first lovemaking.
Bobby's gaze softened as he realized that Remy was fighting himself. "It's okay, love," he whispered in to Remy's ear. "I love you, Remy. You can rely on me to be there if you need me. I won't desert you." Resolved, Bobby wrapped his arms around Remy's body and pulled him in to a sitting position.
Remy let him, as he didn't know how to react to this intimate gesture. Bobby now also wrapped his legs around his waist, pulling him closer to his chest. With a terrified sob, Remy rested his head on Bobby's shoulder.
Bobby held him close, rocking him and mumbled soft words of reassurance in his ear. "I love you, Remy. You shouldn't believe the things Sinister told you. Jean, Scott and Magneto love you too."
"But?" Remy bit his lip, as he realized that Bobby had lured him in to talking. Silence was his only defence. The moment he spoke he acknowledged the truth.
Bobby smiled at hearing that one word. "You can talk to me, love. Don't shut me out." Bobby moved one hand so he could cup Remy's chin in it. Raising his lover's face he finally managed to lock eyes with his lover. Remy's eyes were watered and pain poured out of those alien orbs. "Let me in, Remy."
Remy shook his head. "Non," he whispered in a cracked tone. "I can'."
"Why?" Bobby wanted to know and cocked his head to hold Remy's gaze. "Look at me, Remy."
"Y' should have left m' dere t' die!" Remy stated, shocking himself as well.
"So Sinister could poison your mind and continue to hurt you? I don't believe that!" Bobby replied. A soft smile graced his features. "We both know that you want to be here with me and not in Sinister's lab."
Remy bowed his head in defeat. "Y' shouldn' waste y'r time wid m'," he whispered. Remy wished he was strong enough to pull away from Bobby, who was making him face things he was scared of. It was tempting to give in and to believe Sinister was to blame for everything that had happened. "Y should f'rget 'bout m'."
"How can I?" Bobby said and clutched Remy's head with both his hands. "I love you, Remy. I can't live without you."
Those words impacted hard and Remy released the tears he'd been holding back. "Cher," he whispered unwillingly and folded his arms around Bobby's shoulders.
Relieved, Bobby drew in a deep breath. Hearing that familiar word eased his troubled mind. It looked like he had managed to get through to the Cajun at last. While holding Remy, his hands soothingly stroked his lover's back. Slowly, Remy seemed to relax. "Want some hot chocolate?" he asked as he gently pushed Remy back in to the pillows.
Remy stared in to Bobby's eyes and found there the confirmation of his lover's earlier admission. Yes, Bobby still loved him. "Y're mad," he whispered in disbelief.
Bobby let the remark go by unnoticed and retrieved the tray instead. It would take time for Remy to accept everything that had happened. "Here, Jean made these pancakes. She wants you to eat them, understood?"
"Jean made dem?" Remy repeated surprised.
"Yeah, she's worried about you." Bobby handed him the chocolate and watched closely, urging Remy to take a sip.
Remy gave in and slowly sipped the still hot liquid. A question burned his lips, but? "Does she hate m'?" Sinister had told him that the X-Men knew about the stolen DNA.
"Hate you?" Bobby knew that instant Sinister had messed with Remy's head. "She LOVES you, Remy." He placed the tray on Remy's lap and said, "Start eating."
Remy was indecisive. "How can she love m'?"
"Remy, we know what Sinister did and no one holds that against you." Bobby caught Remy's elusive gaze. "Scott is trying to figure out how to handle having another adult son, but I think he secretly loves the challenge. Jean is waiting downstairs to hug you and never again let go and Magnus? I've never seen a man that proud of his son."
Remy devoured this information; scared to believe it was the truth. Looking at the pancakes he felt? strangely numb. He did remember Magnus calling him son, but he had contributed it to the drugged state he had been in. To be accepted by them was? something he craved badly, but scared of disappointment he told himself Bobby was lying. They couldn't accept his existence like this!
"Remy, try eating one pancake at least? Otherwise you might upset Jean," Bobby urged him on. Remy's movement was mechanical, like his mind was occupied with something else. It probably was. Remy managed to eat one pancake and satisfied, Bobby gently kissed Remy's fingertips after his lover placed the utensils back on the plate.
"De scar?" Remy asked unexpectedly.
Bobby nodded his head. "I was worried about that too," he revealed. A knock on the door however, interrupted their conversation. "That must be Hank. Please talk to him?"
Reluctantly, Remy nodded his head. "But y'll stay?" he asked pleadingly.
"Of course I will!" Bobby stated resolved and went to open the door.
Hank slowly walked inside, giving his patient the time he needed to compose himself. "Remy?" Hank said and took in his appearance. Remy appeared depressed and passive, as he'd expected.
"Oui?" Remy whispered and pushed himself back in to the pillows. Hank carried a sterile scent, which he hated. Hopefully, this wouldn't last long.
Hank remained at a distance. Bobby sat down again and Hank noticed how gingerly Remy gave in when Bobby started to stroke his hair. "There are a few things you need to know." Hank moved a little closer and caught Remy's trembling. "You must be worried about the scar at the back of your head."
Remy froze. Did he really want to know what Sinister had implanted in to his brain?
"I couldn't find any foreign objects in your brain tissue. I don't know what Sinister wanted to accomplish with that surgery, but there are NO implants or other devices," Hank said, stressing the word. "My guess is that he either removed something or? " This peculiar thought was too horrendous to consider. "Or Sinister operated on you for no special reason but to scare you."
Bobby's eyes narrowed at hearing that assumption. "The bastard," he hissed. Remy's body tensed and Bobby quickly added, "Don't be afraid of Sinister, love. Sinister? is gone. Scott and Magneto took him out."
"What?" Remy stuttered stunned. "Dey did what?"
"Sinister and his Marauders are no longer alive," Hank confirmed. "I had the honor of taking out Riptide personally. We also destroyed the Marauders' clones he was growing and blew up his lab."
Remy stared from Hank to Bobby. "Cher?"
"It's the truth. Sinister can no longer hurt you." Compassionately, Bobby twined his fingers around Remy's. "It's over."
Remy sobbed silently and rested his head on Bobby's shoulder. "I can' believe dat."
"If you open the link you can read my memories," Bobby offered.
"Non!" Remy was still determined not to let anyone in.
Hank watched his patient with growing concern. "Remy, physically you're exhausted. You need rest, food and a lot of liquids. I suggest you try to get some sleep." Without making any sound Hank left the room and closed the door behind him. In the corridor stood Magnus and Jean, eagerly awaiting news.
"Remy needs time," Hank said eventually and gestured them to walk with him. "I'm certain Remy will let you know when he's ready to talk to you. Right now, dealing with Bobby is already draining him. Remy feels guilty and ashamed and Bobby is trying hard to make him see the truth."
Magnus nodded his head. "We can't give in to his distorted feelings of guilt. Remy needs to know that we accept him as our son."
"He knows, yes," Jean said, addressing their former enemy. "But he doesn't understand WHY we accept and love him."
Magnus knew she was right. "If necessary we'll find a way to convince him."
Exhausted, Remy had little strength left to fight the overwhelming fatigue that had been building inside him. Bobby had slid in to bed as well and was now holding him firmly. The feel of that familiar body next to him pushed Remy over the edge. Tumbling in to the realm of dreams he feared the return of the nightmares. Although he tried to wake up, he failed.
Bobby watched Remy struggle to remain awake and realized this might be his only chance to find a way to make Remy open the link. The nightmares would make Remy vulnerable and Bobby hoped his lover would instinctively reach out, using the link.
"I feel like the hero in Nightmare on Elm Street," he whispered privately. "We destroyed Sinister, but he's still tormenting you. I'm sorry, love but I've got to use your dreams to get through to you, Remy." Tightening the hold he had on the other man he rested his head in the pillows and followed Remy in to the world of dreams.
Looking about Bobby found himself in a comfortable, warm bedroom. But this wasn't the mansion. A sound made him turn about and he immediately recognized the boy trashing in the bed. "Remy?" As he walked over to the bed he realized that this boy looked slightly older, maybe 13.
The boy jerked, threw the blankets on to the floor and screamed hard. His red eyes glowed in the darkness, but the expression in them was so far from demonic that Bobby choked up. "It's only a nightmare," he whispered, remembering the group of boys he had encountered in Remy's prior dreams.
The boy however ignored him and the screaming continued. His voice suddenly broke and soft yelps flowed through the room. "Père, s'il vous plaît m'aider! Le diable est revenu. S'il vous plaît m'aider!"
The instant Bobby wanted to sit down to take the boy in to his arms, the door was flung open and a man stormed inside. "Mon fils, no need t' be 'fraid!" the man said soothingly and caught the boy in his arms. "Y're safe."
Bobby watched silently. The stranger was now rocking the boy who continued to cry softly. Le diable, Remy had said. Had the nightmare been about Sinister? When would that monster finally leave his lover alone?
"Jean-Luc! What's wrong wid de petite?" A woman also entered the room, worry etched on to her face. "Did he have 'nother nightmare?"
Bobby's interest grew now that he knew the man's name. //So this is the man who adopted Remy?// Studying Jean-Luc LeBeau, Bobby realized the man's concern was genuine. Jean-Luc's eyes were sharp and intelligent. //A man to be reckoned with!// Bobby knew instinctively.
"Tante!" the boy exclaimed in a loud tone. One hand sneaked free and Remy managed to snatch Tante's. "Don' let him take Remy away!" the boy sobbed and looked up pleadingly at the man holding him.
"No man will ever hurt y' 'gain, petite. I made a promise, non?" Jean-Luc said and continued to rock the child. "Why won' y' tell m' who hurt y' like dis?"
"Non!" Remy screamed in panic, "den he'll hurt y' too, m'sieur."
"Y're worried 'bout m', petite?" Jean-Luc whispered in an emotional tone. "Don'," he added and pulled Remy in to his lap. Addressing tante, Jean-Luc said, "I'll stay wid de petite."
Tante reluctantly nodded her head. After caressing the child's wet face she moved to the doorway. "Call m' if de petite has 'nother bad dream."
"Oui," Jean-Luc whispered and then concentrated on rocking his adopted son. "Tell m', Remy, what's scarin' y'?"
The boy seemed to shrink in those comforting arms. "Can' tell y'," he muttered eventually.
"I will still love y'," Jean-Luc said reassuringly.
Disbelief colored the boy's eyes. "I was hungry an' cold."
"Oui?"
Jean-Luc seemed prepared to accept everything Remy would tell him and Bobby felt a growing respect for this man, who had chosen to adopt a street kid, so obviously a mutant with eyes like those.
"De man took m' t' his place an'," Remy's voice faltered.
"An' hurt y'," Jean-Luc finished for him. "Remy, I want y' t' say de words. What did dey do t' y'?"
The boy's trembling worsened and shaking violently Remy whispered, "He told m' t' take off my clot'es an' den?"
Bobby swallowed hard, wondering why Remy had picked this dream, this memory to show him. He knew about his lover's past and this scene wasn't scaring him of. It only served as a reminder of what pain Remy had suffered in his youth.
"His hands were all over my body," Remy whispered barely audible. "I didn' know men did dat t' chil'ren, but I needed de money t' buy food an'? I didn' fight when he pushed 'side."
The voice cracked and Remy's sobs screamed in to his ears. Bobby cringed himself hearing this admission.
Jean-Luc's brow knitted in concern. "Y're much too youn' t' deal wid dis. No chil' should be put t'rough dis, petite."
Suddenly, Remy started to struggle free, but found that Jean-Luc was determined to hold on to him. "Don', petite. I'm angry wid dose men, Remy, but not wid y'. Y're mon fils, Remy an' y' won' push m' 'way dis easily."
Remy's eyes grew big and Bobby realized the boy had counted on Jean-Luc being revolted by his admission. The comment Hank had made slipped in to his mind. //Yes, he feels ashamed and guilty because Sinister used stolen DNA, but it goes much deeper.// Looking at Jean-Luc he hoped he'd found a way to really reach Remy. //I'll have to prove to him that I love him in spite of his past. I can do that!//
Jean-Luc placed the boy back on the bed, covered him with blankets and squeezed the tiny hand clinging to his. "I'll stay here wid y', petite."
"Merci, m'sieur," Remy muttered in an embarrassed tone. "Didn' want t' wake y' up."
"Don' worry 'bout dat, mon fils, but I told y' not t' call m' m'sieur, non? I'm y'r père now."
Bobby's heart thumped seeing the sudden bright smile on Remy's face.
"Oui, Remy remembers, père."
Bobby's smile weakened as Remy referred to himself in the third person again. "Remy, thanks for showing me what to do," he whispered and turned away from the bed. "Now I want you to wake up, Remy and don't you dare closing this link!"
As Bobby opened his eyes he realized Remy was waking up as well. Immediately he checked on the status of the link. Yes, it was still open. Relieved, he gently shook Remy awake. "I want to talk to you, Remy!"
Remy shuddered, completely aware of what had happened. During his sleep the link had opened and had dragged Bobby in to his dream. He didn't feel ashamed for what Bobby had seen, but he did feel bad for pulling Bobby in to his nightmares. //I've got t' close de link!//
//Remy, don't.//
Remy looked up at Bobby's warm eyes and sensed the sincerity in those two words. //I don' want t' hurt y',// Remy explained. His mind was a dark pit, filled with pain and guilt. He shouldn't expose Bobby to that.
//My choice, my decision.//
Remy trembled. //Oui, y'r choice, cher, but?//
//I can deal with the pain, Remy.// Bobby assured his lover and kissed his soft lips. //I want to ease your pain, shower you with my love? I can only do that when the link is open.// Bobby studied Remy's eyes. Hope flickered and he smiled. //I need you, Remy.//
//Need me?// Remy echoed surprised. //I don't understand, cher.//
//You will,// Bobby promised and sensed Remy's surrender. Yes, the link would remain open. //Thanks for trusting me, love. I won't let you down.//
Remy stared in wonder at Bobby's resolved eyes. Finally he understood the magnitude of the love Bobby bore him. //I love y', cher,// Remy whispered in to his lover's mind.

 

Chapter Sixteen

"Wings?" Logan closed the door and his eyes quickly searched the room. It was late at night and he'd decided to check on the mansion's inhabitants. With Magneto staying here one couldn't be too careful.
"I'm fine, Logan," Warren replied. He'd been staring out of the window, wondering when the snow and ice would finally melt. It was time for spring, or at least for some sunbeams to lift the depressing mood that hung heavily over the mansion. "Where have you been?" he asked and looked over his shoulder.
"Makin' my rounds to be sure Magneto ain't playin' us for fools." Logan walked up to Warren and enfolded the man in an embrace. "What were ya thinkin' of?" Logan wasn't sure that he wanted to hear the answer. Warren was getting better, calmer, more focused. The nightmares had lessened in intensity and frequency and Logan knew Angel no longer needed him.
Soon Warren would tell him good-bye. He'd always known this day would come and he'd tried hard not to grow too attached to Warren, but? he'd always been a loyal man and he couldn't give only half his heart or soul. It hadn't surprised him to learn that his feelings for Warren ran deeper than he'd suspected.
When they'd fought the Marauders in the mansion and Warren had slammed in to the wall, his heart had stopped momentarily. Then, seeing Sabretooth, all he'd been able to think of had been keeping Warren at a safe distance. Sabretooth would enjoy, no, relish, killing someone he loved.
Warren remembered Logan's question and leaned in to the embrace. "The future and?us," he said eventually, catching Logan's sharp intake of breath. Turning around in the embrace he managed to capture Logan's evasive eyes. "What?"
"It's okay, Wings. I understand," Logan muttered and released the man. After taking a few steps towards the doorway he muttered, "Ya know where to find me if ya need to talk."
Confused, Warren watched him exit his bedroom. What the hell had just happened? Mentally replaying the few words they had said, he couldn't find a reason for Logan to react the way he had.
Quickly, he stepped in to the corridor and was just in time to see Logan vanish inside his own room. "Logan, wait," he said and pushed a foot inside, preventing Logan from closing the door.
Surprised, Logan raised an eyebrow. Yes, he did understand. He had always known their liaison would only be temporary and he'd accepted that limitation. Warren was ready to face the world again and no longer needed him. //Ya've been a great teacher,// he sneered at himself. Warren had learned how to deal with his past. Now it was time to focus on the mess he'd made of his own life!
"What do ya want, Wings?" Suddenly Warren pushed him inside and reacting on impulse, his claws extended.
Warren looked at the deadly blades, but didn't fear them. Instead he quivered, remembering the way Logan had run them along his body during their lovemaking. The feel of deadly metal against his skin had pushed him over the edge. More than once he'd licked the spots they emanated from. During these few weeks he'd learned more about himself than in a lifetime. And he owed these personal revelations to Logan, Wolverine. A man he'd despised once.
Logan stepped aside, granting him entry. "What do ya want?" he repeated, irritated that Warren had followed him to his room.
"What's this all about?" Warren asked puzzled. "Are you upset because I was thinking about US?" he said, putting emphasis on the word.
"There's no us, Wings." Logan was about to throw Warren out of his room as Angel surprised him by pushing him against the wall. His claws had disappeared, but could pop out any moment. The expression in Warren's eyes puzzled him. "Back off, Wings!"
"Oh no!" Warren exclaimed, knowing he was playing with fire and loving it. "I don't know what you pretend to 'understand' as you just phrased it. I was thinking about US because I want to stop hiding this relationship."
Speechless, Logan stared in to clear eyes. "What did ya say?"
Warren leaned in closer and his tongue licked the skin beneath Logan's left ear. "All these years I've wasted thinking I'm that much better than you. I even left the team because I couldn't stand you."
Logan wanted to interrupt, but Warren's eyes told him not to. This was something Angel needed to get out of his system. "I was wrong, Logan. I'm not better than you. Truth is?"
"Yeah?" Logan said, as Warren's grip loosened. He could easily have slipped free, but he remained motionless.
"Truth is? I think I'm love with you." Warren chuckled softly. "Bobby is going to milk this one for years!"
Logan's eyes narrowed. "Ya're not thinking straight."
"That's true," Warren admitted. "I haven't been able to think logically because of YOU. Do you have any idea how much this frightened me? I've never before felt attracted to another man and now I'm in love with someone I actually feared!"
"Feared?" Logan said, realizing Warren had used past tense.
"You don't scare me any longer, Logan. I can't explain it, but? when you walked in to my room a moment ago I wanted you to make love to me. It was all I could think of. Does that make sense?" Warren pondered his own question. "It's more than just physical, Logan. Yes, you made me admit things I never wanted to face, but? there's this softness to you. A caring side not many people get to see."
Logan swallowed hard. "Are ya serious?" Oh yeah, he smelled the honesty on Warren, even his arousal, but he wanted to hear the words. Warren had surprised him greatly these last weeks. He'd discovered that Warren was a rather passionate lover once the man had done away with his prejudice. Secretly he'd always hoped their relationship would grow in to something stronger. Dependency was a bad foundation for any relationship.
"You want to know how serious I am?" Warren said in a hoarse tone.
Suddenly hands found a way inside his clothes and Logan realized he'd made a mistake in judgment. Warren wanted to be with him for the right reasons and suddenly Logan felt old and tired. "Warren?"
"Yes?" he looked up. Logan seldom addressed him in that way. Only then he realized how fatigued his lover looked. "Come on, let's get in to bed." Pulling Logan along Warren pondered everything that had happened lately. Sometimes he forgot Logan was human after all. To him the man consisted of pure strength and something old, something ancient he couldn't label.
Logan lay down on his bed and Warren moved in to his arms. Absentmindedly he stroked the soft feathers. "Do ya think the others already know about us?"
Warren closed his eyes and listened to Logan's steady heartbeat. "They may suspect something, but with all the problems the X-Men had lately I doubt they paid much attention to us." He loved the way Logan's hands moved over his feathers. Cocking his head he rested his chin on Logan's chest to look at his lover. "I never asked you if you're comfortable with this? relationship."
Logan smiled lazily. "More than comfortable," he whispered in a strangely soft tone. "More than comfortable."
Remy slowly opened his eyes and wondered where he was. Part of him believed everything had only been a dream and that Sinister was still holding him prisoner in his lab. But then he registered the warm body pressed in to this, spooned behind him. He immediately picked up Bobby's dreams. His lover was still soundly asleep and in the middle of a rather passionate dream involving them both and? //Jean's fluffy handcuffs?//
Chuckling softly Remy bathed in Bobby's affectionate feelings for him. Last night had been a revelation. He'd never expected Bobby to stand at his side and fight the demons in his dreams, but his lover had done just that. Never again would he doubt Bobby's love.
He tried hard to control the urge to reach out telepathically to see if everyone at the mansion was doing fine. //Can' use dese powers. I shouldn' have dem.// But as Bobby shifted behind him Remy realized the link was more powerful than ever before. He wasn't sure he could take it down without Bobby's cooperation. His lover lived inside his mind, much like he did in Bobby's.
//I'll have t' accept dat I can' turn off de telepat'y wid Bobby, but I can refrain from usin' it on someone else!//
Even while resting in his lover's arms Remy felt depressed and guilty for merely existing. //I shouldn' be 'live!//
//Remy, stop thinking that!// Bobby admonished him, as his lover's inner turmoil woke him.
//Y're 'wake?// Remy hadn't realized Bobby's dreams had stopped.
//Love? I want to look at you.//
Remy slowly turned in Bobby's arms and hesitantly raised his eyes to look at his lover.
//I think you should talk to Jean or Magneto? Scott.//
//I can' face dem, cher.// Shame was crushing him and Remy closed his eyes.
//You must!// Bobby stated resolved and switched to talking aloud. "I suggest you try Magneto first."
"Non," Remy replied, lapsing back in to speech as well. Slowly, he freed himself of Bobby's arms and slipped out of bed.
"Remy?"
"I jus' want t' take a shower, cher," Remy reassured him. "Or a bat'."
"Go ahead, love. I'll prepare breakfast in the mean time." Bobby noticed the slouched way in which Remy moved. The elegance was gone and Remy appeared to be unwilling to move at all. With a start Bobby jumped out of bed and grabbed Remy's waist.
//Cher?// Remy looked up, startled and surprised. Bobby appeared upset, why?
//I love you,// Bobby sent and brushed Remy's cracked lips. //Don't run away from me. I know what you're thinking, remember? Right now you're considering walking out of the mansion and never coming back. I'll kick your butt if I catch you thinking that again!//
Perplexed, Remy stared in to Bobby's eyes. //Merde!//
//I heard that!// Bobby chided him. //And don't forget to wash your hair. Want me to do your back later?// he offered to make up for the tone he had used earlier.
This time Remy smiled. //Only my back?//
Bobby sighed relieved. //You better keep Renard under control for now! Breakfast comes first!//
Remy nodded his head and wandered off to the bathroom. Absentmindedly he smiled. //I had f'rgotten I told him 'bout Renard!// Why was he feeling this gloomy? It wasn't like him to consider running away from his problems. Jean-Luc had taught him to always face them.
//You're depressed,// Bobby said compassionately. //It's a normal reaction after everything you've been through.//
//Oui, maybe y'r right, cher.// Remy admitted. Shudders racked his body as he looked in to the mirror. A stranger's face stared back at him.
//A face I love!// Bobby reminded him.
Remy smiled. Bobby had almost reached the kitchen and the link was still strong. He wondered how much distance he would have to put between them before it would die.
//Don't even think about finding the answer to that question!// Bobby admonished him.
//Cher, can I have some privacy here?// Remy distinctly registered Bobby's amused laughter.
//If you want me to do your back later you better get in to that bathtub now!//
Remy took off his clothes and refused to look at his too thin frame. //Need t' gain weight,// he realized and sighed thankfully as Bobby didn't respond. As he slid in to the warm water, he sighed and relaxed. His tired muscles loosened and Remy closed his eyes.
The warmth was comfortable and unexpectedly he started to cry. Loud sobs emanated from his throat, as he finally realized that he was safe.
//Remy? It's okay, love. Sinister is dead, remember? He can't hurt you.//
Bobby's thoughts echoed in his mind and Remy nodded his head. //I know, cher, but?//
//I'll be with you in a sec.//
//No need t' hurry,// Remy assured him. //I'll be fine.// Startled, Remy picked up the presence of another telepath. Instinctively he knew who it was. Her presence was too familiar. Remy did his best to lock her out, as he didn't want her to know he was using a power that was hers alone.
//Remy, please don't think like that,// Jean sent. //I don't blame you for anything. Please, I'm standing in the corridor. Can I come inside to talk to you?//
Panicking, Remy looked down at his naked body. //Non!// An amused chuckle drifted in to his mind. //Jean please!//
//Come on, Remy!// she sent amused. //You've got nothing I haven't seen before.//
Remy moaned. This wasn't going according to plan! Jean must have taken his silence as a yes because he suddenly registered soft footfalls coming his way. //Merde!// he cursed and grabbed the towels.
Quickly, he stepped out of the tub and slung the towels tightly around his frame. Panic returned as he realized he was about to face Jean?
Nervous, Jean pushed the door ajar and peeked inside. When she'd felt Remy's pain earlier she'd made up her mind. The professor might have advised her to wait and to let Remy make the first move, but? she couldn't bear the thought that her son was in pain.
"Remy?" she said in a soft tone and smiled seeing his disheveled appearance. His hair was still wet and large droplets dripped on to the floor. The towels did little to hid the fact how much weight he'd lost. He looked lost to her and the way he persisted in avoiding her eyes made her reach out with even more determination.
"Remy, come, let's sit down." Jean extended her hand, hoping Remy would accept it. But Remy remained motionless. Sighing, Jean took another step closer to him and then grabbed his left hand. Her eyes locked on the bandages and almost healed punctures, which the IV's had left behind. Resolutely, she pulled him along. //Sit down,// she instructed and took a seat next to him on the bed.
Remy was confused. Why was Jean doing this? He would have understood if she had never talked to him again! Unexpectedly, her fingers started to disentangle his hair. The gesture took him aback and he gingerly peeked at her face. To his surprise he found that she was smiling.
//I never knew I had another son. Nathan will want to meet you one day,// Jean told him in an effort to provoke some kind of reaction. But only blank surprise stared back at her. Charles had been right, she realized. Remy blamed himself for everything. She had to open up a little more.
//I know you can hear me, Remy. Why do you think I'm angry with you? Hasn't Bobby told you that I'm thrilled that you're my son?//
"Thrilled?" Remy repeated stunned.
//Yes,// Jean replied and snaked one arm around his waist. //I always liked you, Remy and learning the truth about you hasn't changed that. In a way I'm thankful for what Sinister did with my DNA.//
Remy's eyes grew big at that admission. He must have misheard that remark. Did she really say she was thankful that??
//Yes, Remy. Look at you. Every mother would be proud to have you as a son!// Jean had succeeded in curling her other arm around his frame as well and without paying attention to his startled expression, she pulled him close for a hug. //I wanted to do this ever since the professor told us who you really are, Remy.//
Remy felt paralyzed. Her words of acceptance were tearing the darkness inside his mind apart. Her presence, warm and golden, moved through his mind and caressed his thoughts. Her love wrapped itself around the cold inside his soul and engulfed it in warmth. He'd never felt something like this before and in a certain way it frightened him.
//Remy,// Jean sent, breaking the comfortable silence that had settled between them. //You can't deny that we are mother and son. Your mind and mine are too similar. I'm not asking you to call me mum, but? I want us to be friends.//
Remy was too focused on this warm presence inside his mind to reply. The warmth felt like it belonged there, like it knew every dark corner where he used to hide from the pain. Jean's thoughts touched all those places, every time again assuring him everything was fine. It was more than he could take right now.
He'd spent these last days in his own private hell and his nemeses had almost destroyed him. If it hadn't been for Bobby and the X-Men he would still be Sinister's. He would have died in that lab, or maybe Sinister would have put him in a clone's body when his own had grown old. Shuddering, he looked at Jean. Her eyes radiated warmth and acceptance. He realized that she was waiting for some kind of reply. As he moistened his lips to speak, her gaze darkened slightly.
//Talk to me in my mind, Remy. It's your birth right, your inheritance.// Jean's eyes brightened again in expectation.
Mentally too tired to object, Remy gave in. //I don' know what t' say, what t' do.//
//What does your heart say?// Jean replied and kissed his brow.
Remy trembled at that touch. //I never had a mère,// he started and realized tears were flowing down his face. There was no way back now. He had to finish what Sinister had started. //When I was lil' I dreamed of my mère holdin' me an' I wondered why she'd left me behind. I always t'ought my parents didn' want me.//
//I can see why you'd think that,// Jean replied and gently wiped away the tears from his face. //I know it's a little late but I want you to know that I love you. I want you to be part of my little family. Yes, I know Scott sometimes acts? like a prick, but?// she paused, seeing the grin on his face. //But basically he's a good man and I know he wants a chance to get to know you better.//
Remy chuckled softly. //It feels good t' know dat my mère didn' abandon me,// he sighed in to her mind.
Pleased with her result, Jean decided not to dwell any longer on the past. She wanted Remy to know that things had changed. From this moment on he could count on his family to be there for him. //I love you, Remy,// she told him again. Jean suspected he needed to hear it many times more before he'd start believing it.
//Merci, Jean. Knowin' y're okay wid dis means a lot t' me,// Remy whispered shyly.
//Okay with it?// she repeated and grinned at him. //Remy, // and suddenly she knew words wouldn't sooth him. Instead she tightened the hug.
Remy wondered if she planned on hugging him to death. She was holding him like she never intended to let him go again! //Jean? I need t' breat'e, y' know?// But Jean's mischievous look threw him off balance.
//I want to hear you say it, just once, Remy. //
//What?// he wondered. The answer flashed brightly in her mind. //Does it mean dat much t' y'?// he thought and only then realized she'd heard that too.
//Yes.//
A smile, warm and accepting appeared on Remy's face. He wasn't sure who was the most nervous about this development, but in the end he found the courage and whispered, //Oui, mère.//
//Thanks, Remy.// Jean stroked her son's back and hoped it wasn't the last time he would address her like that.

 

Chapter Seventeen

Bobby stood in the corridor, listening to every word of the telepathic exchange between mother and son. He couldn't shut it out, as the link buzzed with energy. Jean's words however made him smile. "I told you to talk her!" he chided Remy who couldn't hear him.
"Uhm, Bobby?"
Scott's voice came as no surprise. Bobby suspected that Scott had listened to their conversation as well through the link Jean and he shared. Scott had changed his uniform for more casual clothes and glasses replaced the visor. It was hard to tell what the man was feeling and Bobby waited for his friend to address him.
"Think I can go inside?" Scott asked in a shaky tone.
Bobby nodded his head. "I think you should. Remy is opening up right now and you should take advantage of that. I'll wait here." He didn't want to distract Remy now that he was reaching out to Jean.
Scott mumbled a thank you and hesitantly stepped inside. Jean was so much better at handling these situations! He never knew what to say or to do, scared to screw up a fragile friendship or relationship.
Jean smiled, sensing her husband's insecurity. Talking to Remy would do Scott some good too. //Remy?// Her eyes shone with pleasure as he no longer tried to avert his eyes. Hopefully she had managed to convince him of her sincerity. "I think Scott wants a word with you as well." Jean got to her feet after placing one more kiss on his check. "I'll go and keep Bobby company."
//Scott wants t' talk t' me?// he asked Jean as she walked over to the doorway.
//Of course, what did you think?// Jean quipped and opened the door. The couple exchanged a loving glance before Scott walked inside. Jean then took hold of Bobby's arm. "Come on, we're going to have some coffee. I think Scott and Remy need some time alone."
Bobby didn't object. There were some things he wanted to ask her any way.
Scott took a deep breath before making his way over to the bed. Remy suddenly looked too young to deal with this. There was something infinitely sad in those alien eyes and Scott wasn't sure what to say.
He picked up a robe lying on a chair and draped it over Remy's shoulders before sitting down. "You look cold," he whispered and stared at the floor.
"Merci," Remy mumbled and pulled the robe closer to his body. Scott was right, he did feel cold. But this time it was a physical cold, as his mind was still warm from Jean's thoughts.
"I'm not good at things like this," Scott muttered eventually. Remy was looking to him to set the tone of this conversation, but he was at a loss. What did one say in a situation like this?
Remy clutched the robe and couldn't help but sense Scott's confusion. However, there was no accusation, no anger aimed at him in Scott's mind and Remy relaxed. "I don' know what t' say?"
Scott smiled at hearing that. "You know that we already have one adult son? Nathan? And now we've got another."
"I know," Remy confirmed. "Cyke?" then corrected himself, "Scott, Je suis désolé?" he started, but Scott cut him short in a resolved tone.
"Damnit, Remy, stop being sorry for what Sinister did!"
Remy sucked in his breath, surprised by Scott's tone. "But he took Jean 'cause of me!"
Suddenly Scott began to understand. "Remy," he said and roughly grabbed Remy's hands. "Listen to me. When Sinister took Jean I was furious with myself for not being able to protect her. But then, I heard that you had left the mansion so Sinister would let her go and? What the hell were you thinking?" Scott vehemently shook his head. "That your life is worth less than Jean's?"
Remy was holding his breath. This lecture had been coming for a long time and Scott wasn't holding back.
"You're my son, damnit! If Sinister had killed you, I would have never forgiven myself. I was the one who had to protect you and I screwed up! Don't you ever dare sneaking off like that again! You're not too old to be spanked, young man!"
"Spanked?" Mon Dieu, did he really say 'spanked'? Remy repeated stunned.
"Well, or we could ground you, but locking you up in your room wouldn't be much of a punishment, knowing Bobby would find a way to sneak in!" Scott continued as his tone softened. "I know this must come as a shock to you, but we care a lot about you. And Jean? I think she's going to fuss over you until she's sure you're feeling better."
"Merde," Remy whispered slightly amused. "She almost hugged me t' deat' a moment ago!"
Scott smiled and gently squeezed Remy's hands. "I guess I just want you to know that I'm okay with this."
Remy locked eyes with Scott and sensed it was the truth. "Merci," he said honestly. "I was 'fraid dat?"
"We wouldn't accept you," Scott finished knowingly. "We were never angry with you, Remy."
Immensely thankful Remy smiled weakly.
"Now get dressed, young man! I'm hungry and last time Logan ate my breakfast because I was late."
"I ain't leavin' dis room." Remy looked up apologetically. He felt safe here and he didn't want to run in to Magneto by accident, as he still feared that confrontation.
"Oh yes you are!" Scott replied in a firm tone and walked over to the cupboard. "Bobby's clothes will fit," he remarked and threw Remy some jeans and a white shirt. "Now, do you need assistance?"
"Non!" Remy said and shivered at the thought of Scott helping him get dressed. Slowly he picked up the clothes and walked in to the bathroom.
"Hurry up in there! I'm hungry!" Scott said in a loud tone and complimented himself for not giving in to Remy. No way he was going to allow Remy to hide in this room!
Remy sighed resigned and brushed his hair. Why was Scott acting like this all of a sudden? As he returned to the bedroom, he noticed Scott had already opened the door.
"Let's go," Scott stated and smiled. Remy's eyes were questioning him and he suddenly realized that if Sinister had made another change in Remy's DNA those eyes might have possessed another quality. Remy might have been able to control the optic blast, but Sinister had decided differently or made a mistake when rearranging the DNA.
Remy unintentionally received that particular thought. It was distressing to know that Scott's DNA was probably responsible for his alien eyes.
Scott made an educated guess at what had upset Remy and smiled weakly. "I never thought of them as demon's eyes," he said reassuringly.
"Merci," Remy whispered and allowed Scott to rest a hand on his shoulder. It was the strangest thing to suddenly be accepted by his parents. He'd always dreamed something like this would happen some day and now that the time had come he felt shy and? hurt.
Logan was fully aware of Warren's approving look, as he slipped in to his clothes. Last night Warren had initiated their lovemaking and Logan had found himself pinned down on to his stomach. Warren hadn't wasted any time to claim him and had buried himself inside his lover. What had shocked Logan most had been his own willingness to surrender. Maybe Warren wasn't the only one still learning about his desires and needs.
"Hungry?" Warren inquired and stretched his body. His wings almost touched the walls as he spread them.
"Yeah," Logan grunted. Fully dressed he returned to the bed and observed Warren's seductive pose. Legs spread, resting on his elbows, he presented a challenge. But Logan shook his head. "Warren, 'bout last night," Logan started and wondered when Wings had changed in to Warren. He'd never liked that name and yet, it now rolled gently off his tongue.
Warren grinned wickedly. "I wasn't sure you'd let me do that to you. You're always the one in control, calling the shots, but last night? I don't know what happened."
Logan cupped his lover's face in the palm of his hand. "Ya surprised me."
"I surprised myself," Warren admitted and cocked his head to savor Logan's caress. "I hope I didn't do anything wrong? It was my first time?" Warren offered as an apology.
"Ya were great," Logan assured him and hesitated to add the next bit. "An' I liked it that ya were the aggressive one for a change. I didn't know how temptin' it could be to? simply trust someone else to take care of yar needs."
Warren nodded his head and sat upright. "That's how I feel about you, Logan. I know that you'll take care of me and I want to do the same thing for you. I trust you."
Logan swallowed hard. "So ya're serious 'bout tellin' the others?"
"Yes," Warren said in a firm tone. "But let me tell Bobby? I want to see the look on his face when he finds out!'
Amused, Logan shook his head, as he tried to imagine Bobby's reaction. "Okay, but I get to tell Gumbo."
Warren looked slightly disappointed at that. "Okay," he gave in. Quickly, he got out of bed and picked up his clothes from the floor. Hopefully Logan hadn't shred them last night. The pace had turned frantic once he'd told Logan what he planned on doing to him.
Logan started to suspect that Warren was stalling, studying his clothes like that. Seeing that subtle and exotic looking body in front of him, his mouth started to water. "Ya better hurry up or I'll throw ya right back on the bed."
Warren grinned. "Talk is cheap, Logan." Warren put on his trousers. "Maybe tonight we can? steal those handcuffs Jean gave Remy for Christmas?" His heart thumped as he imaged what Logan would look like cuffed to the bed. "I want to try them on you," Warren said seductively, as he moved to the door. "Throw YOU face down on the bed, spread those legs and take you hard and deep."
Logan's only response was a low, dangerous growl.
"Like that?" Warren said in a challenging tone.
Logan got up from the bed and stalked him. Warren was getting an attitude and it was time to lay down the rules. "No one ties me down."
"We'll see about that!" Warren quipped, opened the door and flew downstairs. Looking back he saw the bulge in Logan's trousers. But his lover wasn't the only one aroused. His own erection was throbbing painfully.
"Hey, look where you're flying!"
The warning came too late and the collision swept the other person off his feet. "Bobby?" Warren whispered and noticed Jean failed in hiding a chuckle.
"What's gotten in to you?" Bobby asked surprised. Warren looked different. The eyes sparkled and he seemed very energetic.
"Sorry, I was distracted," Warren said softly, but kept a close eye on Logan who now strode down the stairs, an evil gleam in his eyes.
"Ya wanted to tell the ice cube? Here's yar chance!" Logan sneered and extended his claws.
"Oh shit," Warren cursed, recognizing that expression in Logan's eyes. It usually meant he ended up on all fours with Logan driving him insane. "Got to go!" he yelped and tried putting more distance between him and his lover.
"No way," Logan whispered and leaped in to the air, pulling Warren down with him.
"What's this about?" Bobby turned to Jean, a helpless expression in his eyes.
"Lover's quarrel," Jean whispered in return and giggled.
"What?" Bobby repeated and looked at the two men, both struggling to end up on top. Logan's claws had disappeared, but his grin proved he was enjoying himself. "Are you telling me," and Bobby looked at Jean, "that they're?"
"Together, a couple, dating," Jean started and smiled at Bobby's baffled expression.
//Remy?// Bobby called his lover. //You're not going to believe this!//
//I heard everyt'ing, cher,// came Remy's response. //I can imagine Wolvie likin' men, but I always t'ought?//
"That Warren was as heterosexual as they got!" Bobby finished aloud.
Warren sought Bobby's eyes. "I wanted to tell you myself," he started.
Logan used that moment to gain advantage and straddled his lover's hips. "I guess they know now."
"Yes, I guess they do," Warren admitted and shrugged his shoulders. Logan was hard and his arousal pressed against his body, demanding satisfaction.
Bobby fought hard to keep a dignified face, but finally exploded with laughter. "This is too much!"
"Logan, let go!" Warren said determined and locked eyes with his lover, telling him this wasn't the right time or place to have sex.
Logan growled disappointed, but got to his feet. Extending a hand, Warren grabbed it. Logan pulled his lover up from the floor. Suddenly he realized it had been Jean who had mentioned the lover's quarrel. "Ya knew 'bout this?" he asked her.
Jean nodded her head once. "The two of you radiate lust and warmth. You don't have to be a telepath to know what's going on. I'm happy for both of you." Jean claimed Bobby's arm and dragged him to the kitchen. She was hungry and in need of some black coffee.
"That went rather well," Warren said pleased. Then, he stared in to Logan's eyes.
"Ya know what we're gonna do after breakfast?" Logan baited him.
"Oh yes, I know," Warren muttered sensually. "And I'm looking forward to it!"
Questioningly, Remy looked up at Scott who had fallen in step beside him. "Is it true? Are Logan and Ange??"
"Oh that," Scott muttered distracted. "Yes, I guess so. Jean told me they have gotten quite close these last weeks." He'd been too occupied back then to discuss this with the professor or Jean. Sinister had been lurking behind their back and he didn't really see any problems just because Logan and Warren were doing the deed.
Remy smiled briefly. As long as he could focus on someone else, everything was fine. He just didn't want to think about his own problems.
They reached the kitchen and Scott gestured Remy to step inside first. Not in a mood to argue about something this trivial Remy complied. Immediately he smelled coffee and toast. His stomach began to growl loudly and he smiled apologetically at Scott.
"When was the last time you ate?" Scott inquired concerned. While waiting for the others to join them he started to squeeze some oranges. Remy could use some extra vitamins.
"Last night. Jean made pancakes?" Remy said in an uncertain tone.
"Guess you only ate one!" Scott remarked and handed him the fresh orange juice.
Remy hesitated to accept it. "I can make my own."
"Just drink it, Remy!" Scott instructed and walked over to the fridge, getting everything he needed to prepare breakfast. "How do you want your eggs?"
Remy almost choked on the juice hearing that question. Was Scott going to make him breakfast?
"Scrambled," Bobby replied instead as he strolled in to the kitchen, followed by Jean, Warren and Logan.
Remy sighed. The last thing he wanted was to be the center of attention. He didn't feel comfortable with this many people around, even though they were his friends.
//Relax,// Bobby told him and sat down next to his lover. //Look at them,// and he pointed Logan and Warren out to Remy. The two men were bickering and keeping a close eye on each other. //Remind you of someone?//
//We're not like dat!// Remy objected. Feeling shy all of a sudden he avoided looking in to Warren's eyes, as the man tried to catch his gaze.
//Yes, we are!// Bobby stated and buttered his toast. "Hand me the strawberry marmalade?" he asked Warren.
Warren carried the item over to the table and sat down as well. His wings quivered, feeling Logan's eyes on him. "Remy? We were worried about you," he said, telling Logan with an impatient gesture to stop stalking him.
Logan took the hint and decided to pester Scott instead. The bacon and eggs smelled heavenly and he was determined to grab that first portion.
"I'm feelin' better, merci," Remy acknowledged and was pleased with the change he sensed in Warren. "Y' look happy."
"Well," Warren replied and actually blushed. "Logan has something to do with that."
"I know," Remy admitted softly. Bobby's hand squeezed his knee and he quickly reached down to curl his fingers around his lover's.
Scott walked over to the breakfast table and placed the bacon and eggs on it. Logan followed him, grumpy because Scott had refused to give him a serving before the others had had a chance to decide if they wanted some or not.
Remy's eyes widened as Bobby started to pile up food items on his plate. //I hope y' don' expect me t' eat all dat!//
//I do!// Bobby replied and smiled.
Magnus followed his nose, picking up seductive fragrances coming from the kitchen. Hungry, he decided to go in search for some breakfast himself. As he got closer to the kitchen, he identified several voices and he almost turned back, not wanting to spoil their conversation. But at hearing Remy's voice he changed his mind. Resolved, Magnus marched in to the kitchen. It was time to talk things out.
All voices died as Magnus strode inside. Ashamed, Remy stared at his plate. This was why he'd wanted to stay in his room! Damn Scott for making him leave his sanctuary. Remy told himself not to peek at Magnus' feelings. Not because he didn't want to infringe on the man's privacy, but because he was too scared to learn Magnus' feelings for him. He didn't want to experience Magnus' anger or loathing.
Bobby, who had picked up on those thoughts, looked at Jean for guidance. He knew for certain that Magneto didn't loathe Remy, but his lover would never believe him. Jean saved him.
"Maybe we should eat in the living room." Jean poked Logan in the ribs, telling him to grab his plate and follow her. One by one they left the kitchen until only Remy and Bobby remained.
Remy almost panicked as Bobby picked up his plate to join the others. //Don' go, cher!//
"Everything will be just fine," he soothed his lover and smiled tenderly. "Trust me." On his way out he searched Magnus' eyes and was assured by the firm expression they possessed.
"We need to talk," Magnus started and took in Remy's shy appearance. He'd only once seen the young man this withdrawn and uncertain. "This reminds me of our first encounter." Magnus poured himself some coffee and sat down opposite his son. "You know better than to be afraid of me."
Remy pushed back his chair, but then froze. "Do y' hate me?"
"Hate you?" Magnus repeated, tasting the words. "No."
Remy sighed slightly relieved. "Y've got every right t' hate me."
"Why?" Magnus placed his mug on the table and studied his son.
"Sinister created me wit'out y'r permission." Remy really didn't want to go there. He just wanted to get back in bed with Bobby and lose himself in his lover's arms and mind.
"I knew you'd blame yourself," Magnus commented. He rose from the chair and then walked up to Remy. Slowly, he took hold of those delicate wrists and pulled Remy to his feet so he could look him in the eyes. "You didn't do anything wrong, Remy. Sinister committed these crimes. You didn't."
Remy devoured every word Magnus spoke. "I was 'fraid."
"Why?" Magnus asked patiently.
"Y' saved my life once? I was scared y' wished y'd left me t' die instead." Remy smiled weakly. "Y'r? friendship means a lot t' me."
"Friendship," Magnus mumbled and turned Remy's hands in his until the palms faced upwards. Slowly he traced the lines inside the thief's hands. "My feelings for you go much deeper than friendship," he confessed.
Remy tried hard not to let go of the surprised moan that threatened to escape his lips. The way Magneto's was caressing his hands was? beyond words. "I wondered 'bout dat," he admitted. "Why are y' still here?"
"I want to get to know my son." Magnus cocked his head and smiled. "And maybe he wants to get to know one of his fathers?"
Remy smiled. "Jean-Luc is de only père I ever had? but? now it seems I've got two more."
"And a mother," Magnus pointed out to him, now firmly clasping Remy's hands in his. In order to make this work he needed the physical contact. It would make it a lot harder on Remy to shut him out.
"Oui," Remy whispered. "I never t'ought I'd ever get t' know my real identity."
"So, will you stop avoiding me?" Magnus asked softly and brought Remy's hands close to his chest.
"Oui," Remy sighed.
Magnus' smile took on a mischievous expression. "Aren't you going to give your father a hug?"
Feeling strangely shy Remy hesitated.
Magnus however, pulled him closer and held him for a few moments. "Looks like we both found what was missing in our lives."
Nodding his head Remy tasted the truth in those words. "I can' explain it," he started gingerly and rested his head on his father's chest. "But I feel? connected t' y'. Wid Jean dere is de telepat'ic link, but wid y'? it's different."
"I know, son. It was there right from the start. When I found you in Antarctica I began to care for you." Magnus understood what Remy was trying to say.
A soft voice coming from the doorway caught their attention and father and son both looked up.
"Are the two of you joining us in the living room?" Charles inquired with a bright smile. "I think Logan is dying to sneak back in to the kitchen to get more bacon and eggs."
"Yes, we will," Magnus replied for both of them.
Remy followed his father in to the corridor and peeked at the professor, who had set everything in motion with that DNA test. //Merci, m'sieur for givin' me back my family.//
Charles smiled in return. Watching both men disappear around the corner he nodded his head. Maybe he'd been right about Magnus after all. There was a core of goodness and righteousness in that troubled soul. Something told him that he'd just witnessed a new beginning.

 

Go on to Miracle of love

Go back to Master of Puppets1