Email: morganalebeau@yahoo.com

Summary: Remy and Warren's love deepens during their honeymoon, which gets cut short because Warren's brother dies and leaves behind his son Jason. Now, Remy and Warren face the challenge of raising a prejudiced 15 years old. Scott has to deal with Corsair's unexpected arrival and now has to tell his father that Corsair's youngest son is alive. In the meantime, Warren and Jason come to blows. Enraged, Jason decides to leave Warren and Remy.

Until I met Remy, I didn't know what love was about. I thought I knew. Betsy and I seemed so right for each other, that I never wondered *why*. In hindsight, I realize we were the perfect match because we were both self-centred and egocentric.

Remy taught me everything I know about love. I never realized how rewarding it was to *give* love, to *give* pleasure and to care for another person that deeply. Betsy and I never gave; we took from each other what we wanted. But Remy's love opened my eyes.

We'll continue to work through his fears. Together we can beat the demons that haunt him. Remy lets me in, lets me fight at his side and I love him for trusting me like that. Now that we're on our honeymoon, I'm sure more of his demons will raise their ugly heads. Ah, but maybe I've been reading too many of the books that Jean-Luc gave me on child abuse, but I can't shake the feeling that we still need to deal with some major issues. Warren smiled at his lover, who was tucked away beneath his arms.

"Are you comfortable, love?" Warren caressed a lock of golden hair. The golden locks had appeared when Remy had realized that his charm was in fact a healing power. Warren loved the gold on black eyes and the golden strands of hair.

"Oui, mon amour," Remy whispered blissfully. "Tell me where we're goin'?" So far Warren had insisted their destination stayed a secret. Remy had tried hard to make Warren give in, but had failed.

Remy still couldn't believe that they really were on their honeymoon. Warren had chosen Venice to start their honeymoon and Remy hadn't objected, only expressing his hope they'd visit Paris as well. Of course Warren had given in. Remy had learned to wrap his lover around his little finger.

"Not yet, love." Warren leaned in closer and pressed a gentle kiss on Remy's brow. "It's a surprise." Remy sighed deeply, trying to pretend annoyance, but Warren knew him too well to be fooled. "I'll never forget how gorgeous you looked when you spoke your vows."

Remy's eyes closed as he mentally replayed their commitment ceremony. Although they'd committed to each other when they'd still been in Ireland, they'd wanted a more official ceremony. Opening his eyes, they locked on the ring he was wearing. Warren had given him a Claddagh ring, and Remy cherished the gift deeply. Remy stole a glance at Warren's finger. His lover wore a similar ring.

The gondola moved slowly over the water and Remy looked up at the setting sun. It was almost evening and the reflected rays of the sun made the water look like liquid gold.

"Je t'aime, Ange," Remy whispered in a sudden emotional tone. At times it still baffled Remy that Warren wanted him. He'd tested Warren's patience and love countless times when they'd lived in Ireland and Warren had come through every time. Why want damaged goods like moi? Warren knows what de Antiquary did to me. In bed, he can' even take me 'cause I'm 'fraid of relivin' de abuse. And den dere are de times dat I freak out on him 'cause he touches me in a way dat I associate wit' bein' touched by de Antiquary. And yet, Warren was at his side, had promised to love him until death would part them.

Warren sensed Remy's melancholy and opted for distraction. "Do you think Bobby and Nick will want a commitment ceremony in time? Or what about Jean-Luc and Logan? Can you imagine them exchanging vows?"

Remy chuckled softly, as ancient palazzo's passed them by. "Bobby and Nick? Oui? Mais Père and Logan? Mebbe in time." Remy rested the back of his head on Warren's shoulder. Warren's arms were tightly wrapped around his waist and contentedly, Remy sighed. "Remember when we first met in N'awlings? De assassins had shot y' and I wanted to save mon ange's life."

Warren only remembered too vividly that he'd scolded Remy when he'd regained consciousness, calling Remy a traitor and looking at him with disgust. Then another memory pushed away the first. "I nearly died when you shielded me from those daggers."

Remy's hand rested against Warren's chest and the Cajun felt how his lover's heart sped up. "Was dat when y' realized y' loved me?" Remy would never grow tired of listening to Warren's voice. Sometimes he instigated these talks just to hear Warren confess his love again.

"I didn't realize it at that time," Warren replied thoughtfully. "I wasn't ready to admit that I loved a man. It hit me later when I talked to Bobby. Suddenly I found myself rushing back to New Orleans, hoping that I'd find you there."

Remy nodded against Warren's chest. "Y' weren't de only one who didn' want to admit to bein' in love."

"Rem?" Curiously, Warren cupped Remy's chin in his hand and waited for the Cajun to lock eyes with him.

"I've been t'inkin' 'bout it," Remy admitted. "I must have been in love wit' y' 'fore findin' y' in N'awlings. Didn' want to admit it eit'er," he said reluctantly. Warren had always fascinated Remy. Although Remy'd known that Warren was a mutant, he'd always hoped that part of Warren was really angelic. And only days ago, Remy'd found out that he possessed an angel's soul himself.

Warren decided not to go there. Discussing this further would lead them to addressing Rogue and Warren knew that Remy hadn't dealt with her betrayal yet. Thankfully, they'd arrived at their destination and Warren pulled Remy to his feet as the gondola came to a stop.

"Cher?" Surprised, Remy wondered why they'd stopped.

"This is the Palazzo Duodo. It's basically a hotel, but I own it and we'll have it to ourselves this weekend. There won't be any other guests." Warren thoroughly enjoyed the expression in Remy's eyes. "Let's move, love." Wolvie, who'd been half asleep at their feet, left the gondola first.

Remy followed Warren, wondering what else his lover was up to.

///

"Cher, c'est magnifique!" Remy really loved the hotel's antique interior. "Didn' know y' owned hotels in Venice!" Impressed, Remy caught Warren's eyes. His lover had cancelled all reservations, offering the original guests a free vacation at a later date to make up for the inconvenience.

Warren took hold of Remy's hand and rubbed its knuckles. "There's an exhibit on contemporary art in a nearby gallery. Do you want to check it out this evening?" He'd planned several activities, which he hoped would interest his lover. "We can go out for dinner first."

"Y're spoilin' me rotten," Remy whispered softly, as the maid closed the door behind them. They'd arrived at their suite and Remy stared at the heavenly four-poster-bed with satin sheets. Wolvie immediately headed for one of the comfortable couches in the living area and went back to sleep.

"I love spoiling you, love," Warren replied in a gentle tone and folded an arm around Remy's waist. "Are you happy?" Making Remy happy was the most important thing in his life. In former days Warren had only worried about his own happiness, and his lover had come second. Things had certainly changed.

"Oui, I'm happy, cher," Remy sighed and leaned in close enough to claim Warren's lips. The hesitant kiss quickly progressed in to an expression of pure love and affection.

Warren couldn't help growing aroused and thrust weakly against his lover's groin. "You drive me crazy, Remy," he admitted in a hoarse tone.

"Let me take care of y'," he offered. Remy pulled Warren towards the bed and pushed him on to his back. Straddling his lover's hips, Remy returned to kissing Warren's lips.

Warren's hand slipped down to caress the bulge he expected to find in Remy's trousers, but found none. Remy wasn't erect at all. "What's going on, love?" Making love would never be 'normal' for them and Warren had accepted that when they'd gotten together. Every time they endeavoured to make love, Remy fought his demons all over again. Warren admired Remy's determination to overcome his troubled past, but Warren also knew that the Cajun pushed himself to do things he wasn't ready for.

"Want to make y' come," Remy breathed.

But the dark, hooded eyes gave the Cajun away and Warren gently took hold of Remy's talented hands, which had found a way passed the waistband of his briefs. "We don't have to make love when you're not in the mood, Rem. It's okay to say no."

Remy froze. "Mais I want to do dis for y'."

"You don't have to get me off because I've got a hard-on, Rem. I'm not a horny teenager. This should be about love, not lust, remember?" In the early days, Remy had tried to use sex to keep Warren close because the Cajun had been afraid of being deserted. "Why don't we cuddle? You know how much I love to cuddle."

"I'm sorry, cher," Remy whispered and rested his body on Warren's, allowing his lover to bury him in a warm hug. His face rested on Warren's chest and Remy concentrated on his lover's breathing. "Don' know why I did dat."

"Do you really want to make love?"

"Wanted to make y' come."

"Why?" Warren waited for Remy to cock his head so they could make eye contact. It looked like they were going to have one of *those* talks again. "We made love only yesterday and it was beautiful."

"Mais y' never get to be on top!" Remy suddenly blurted out. Horrified at what he'd just admitted to, he closed his eyes, wishing he'd never spoken those words aloud.

Warren sighed, realizing his suspicions had been right all along. "You feel guilty," he stated determinedly.

"Oui," Remy confessed softly. "Y' can' even take me 'cause…"

"Say it, love," Warren didn't want any unspoken fears between them. Holding his lover close, he tried to radiate calm and love, knowing that Remy's empathy would pick up on it. "It's okay to say it."

"'cause de Antiquary messed wit' my mind," Remy said in a bitter tone. "It ain't fair."

Warren's fingers tangled in Remy's hair. "Go on, love, tell me." They were getting closer to the heart of the matter and he already knew what Remy would say next.

"It ain't fair dat y' have to be on de receivin' end all de time. Want y' to enjoy it too." Remy averted his eyes. This had been haunting him since they'd first made love. Every time they had sex, he ended up on top, taking Warren.

Warren chose his next words carefully. "When we make love that way, what do you sense from me, empathy wise?"

Remy trembled in Warren's arms. "Love…" He'd made sure that Warren wasn't in any pain when he took his lover, but… "We should be able to reverse roles."

"Rem, listen, love," Warren said firmly and his hands clutched Remy's head, making sure his lover listened closely. "I love it when you take me. I love it when you're inside me. It makes me feel incredible close to you. I make love to you because I want to express my feelings for you. I don't say yes because I feel like I have to. It's my choice, love." Closely studying Remy's eyes, Warren realized that he wasn't getting through to the Cajun.

"Mais, I remember how it felt, bein' on de bottom and… I'm sure y' would rat'er be on top," Remy whispered his fear, his doubts. The fact that Warren was still holding him tight ensured Remy that his lover understood.

"Rem, even if we never make love in *that particular way*, I won't leave you. I understand where you're coming from and why you're scared to be taken." Warren wished he knew the words that would make Remy understand. "There are so many ways to make love. Please don't think you're failing me."

"Mais I want y' to take me!" Remy whispered in an emotional tone. His empathy told him that Warren's words mirrored his lover's feelings, but… "Y' used to be on top all de time wit' de ladies…"

Warren sighed, exasperated. "Rem, this is obviously very important to you. Please realize that I love you and that it doesn't matter to me whether I get to penetrate you or not. I can make love to you without being inside you. I'm so happy right now, holding you in my arms. Having you close and feeling you is all I need."

Remy realized that Warren was completely sincere. It didn't bother Warren that there were limitations to what they could do in bed, but it did bother him. "Would y' help me to make dat step?" Pressing his lips on Warren's brow, Remy tried to communicate that he'd gotten the message. "I want to work on dis."

"Why don't you try working on it yourself first? Without me present there would be a lot less pressure on you." Warren saw Remy's confused expression. "Why not try to touch yourself in that way? I know it frightens you to lose control. Why not explore your body that way privately? Then, when you feel comfortable you could try and share it with me? If you want to do this, we'll have to take small steps."

Enthusiastically, Remy nodded his head. "I can do dat, mon amour." Why hadn't he thought of it himself? "What 'bout y'?" Warren was still hard and Remy suddenly felt incredibly insecure. Warren had gone down on him several times, but Remy had been unable to do the same for Warren. The act reminded him too much of being abused by the Antiquary.

"You've got talented fingers, love," Warren hinted. "They were doing a great job." He could tell Remy wanted to pleasure him, but Warren felt reluctant to go ahead with it. Remy had to realize that there were times when holding each other was more than sufficient.

"Cher," Remy whispered and his right hand pushed down Warren's jeans. "I love de way y' look when y' come." It was the truth. Warren had this incredible lost and adoring look on his face when he hit orgasm.

Warren let Remy decide, after all, this was their honeymoon. "I'm so incredibly lucky to have you, Rem," he whispered and sighed as his lover's fingers curled around his erection. "Kiss me, love." Warren arched his back and claimed Remy's lips. He'd love to bring Remy to orgasm too, but the Cajun wasn't aroused, so Warren concentrated on sparkling the passion that was hiding inside Remy. Spreading his legs to give Remy easier access, Warren bucked against his lover's hand. "Feels so good, Rem. You're the only one who can make me lose my mind." His hands caressed Remy's face and hair.

Warren's soft fingers made Remy tremble. He slowly stroked Warren's slippery cock, taking his time and concentrating on putting all the love he felt for Warren in his ministrations. "Je t'aime, mon amour," Remy whispered and covered Warren's body with his, while keeping up the stimulation.

"I love you too, Cajun," Warren whispered and tensed up as Remy's fingers teased against the head of his erection. One fingertip probed against his slit and Warren thrust involuntarily. Warren gently grabbed the back of Remy's neck and pulled the Cajun close enough to brush Remy's lips. "We're making love now," he breathed into Remy's mouth.

Remy swallowed hard. "I wish I could give y' more, cher."

"This is all I need," Warren assured him. His body tensed up as he approached orgasm. "One finger, Rem, please… I'm so close…"

Remy nodded his head, and pressed one slick finger against his lover's entrance. He didn't let it slip inside yet. Remy was content to massage the outer ring of muscle for now, relaxing Warren completely.

"Oh, Rem," Warren moaned and arched his hips. "You don't know how good this feels," he whispered as the tip of Remy's finger made it inside his body. The sensation drove him over the edge and he came hard in Remy's hand. "Please push," he begged, riding that first wave of orgasm.

Remy obeyed, still puzzled at how having a finger inserted in his body could make Warren lose it so completely. Remy only remembered the pain and shame from his childhood that had accompanied the invasion. Opening his shields hesitantly, he tried to focus on Warren's pleasure and Remy shared Warren's ecstasy. Warren was pushing down, trying to take in more of Remy's finger and the Cajun's eyes grew big, feeling the waves of ecstasy that washed through Warren. Would he feel the same way if he asked Warren to push one finger inside his body? Did he own the courage to find out?

"I love you so much it sometimes frightens me," Warren confessed in the heat of the moment. "I can't envision life without you, Rem."

Remy had never heard a more passionate declaration of love. Warren was still trembling, riding out his orgasm and was utterly incapable of hiding his feelings. Those feelings hit Remy full force, seeping into his very soul. A single tear escaped Remy's eyes. "Can' live wit'out y', mon amour. Never leave me."

Remy used the sheet to clean Warren up and then rolled his lover on top of his body. "Please hold me?"

Warren nodded his head. He'd hoped to find Remy erect after the Cajun had experienced his orgasm, but Warren's fingers only encountered a limp cock. Remy was really worried about their love life. "It was perfect," Warren assured his lover. "Don't fret, love."

Remy closed his eyes and groaned as Warren's lips descended on to his eyelids, kissing them and teasing his eye lashes. "Ange…"

Warren continued to shower his lover with tender kisses. He brushed Remy's closed eyes and then claimed his lover's luscious lips. "Feel me?" he asked softly. "Feel my love for you? Let me in?"

"Shields are open," Remy mumbled lost and felt how his cock woke up, suddenly interested in Warren's probing strokes.

Delighted, Warren noticed the semi-hard cock that pushed against the confines of Remy's jeans. "Is this okay with you?" Warren asked softly, seeking permission before going further.

"Oui," Remy moaned as Warren's hands unbuttoned his shirt. He opened his eyes and found that Warren had released his wings. "Y're magnifique," Remy mumbled, quickly losing himself in the passion that Warren's mind radiated.

Warren pushed Remy's shirt back and licked his lips, finding erect nipples beneath his fingertips. "Just try to enjoy this, love." Remy tensed a little, but Warren didn't feel discouraged. His tongue lavished one hard nipple and his fingers gently rubbed the other neglected one. "You're beautiful, Rem."

Remy snorted a little at that. "Y' need glasses, cher." How could Warren pretend not to see the numerous scars that disfigured his body?

"You're perfect," Warren continued in a seductive tone, as his lips left a trail of kisses down Remy's stomach. His fingers unzipped Remy's jeans and pulled down the jeans and briefs. Yes, Remy was hard. Feeling excited, Warren stroked Remy's erection exploratory. "I want to taste you, love." Warren remembered the first time he'd licked Remy's cock. The Cajun had almost had a panic attack, because it had sent Remy's thoughts back to the Antiquary's rooms. Warren had grown used to telling Remy what he'd do next and the panic attacks had disappeared.

Remy quavered violently as Warren's tongue slid over the head of his erection. When Warren had first gone down on him, Remy had been afraid that his lover would end up loathing him for allowing this to happen. But Warren had really taken to this particular activity and Remy had let go of some of his apprehension.

Warren let his fingers slide down his lover's length and then caressed Remy's perineum. A delightful moan escaped Remy and Warren smiled contentedly. In the beginning, this caress had freaked Remy out. Now the Cajun could relax in to it.

His lips closed over Remy's cock and his tongue swirled around the tip of his lover's erection. Remy bucked hard and Warren relaxed his throat, preparing himself to take in his lover's length.

Remy cried out as Warren swallowed more of him. Involuntarily, his hips arched and he thrust wildly in to the warm and wet mouth that surrounded him. I want to do dis for Ange, too. Remy felt guilty for not returning this favor. A moment later, all thoughts stopped running around in circles, as Warren suckled his erection. Remy called out his lover's name and buried his hands in the satin sheets, clawing the fabric. "Mon amour… please… so close…"

"Do you want to take that next step, love?" Warren asked, momentarily releasing his lover's throbbing cock. Maybe if he drove Remy mad with passion, his lover would be able to do away with some of his fears. "I won't hurt you, Rem. Never." His agile fingers slowly stroked Remy's cock, and one fingertip pressed against his lover's perineum. "Do you trust me?"

Remy's eyes flashed open and locked with Warren. Did his lover know what he was asking? How much the idea of being penetrated scared him? But then he remembered the way Warren had felt when Remy had pushed that one finger inside. It was just a finger and Warren would stop if he said so. "Oui," he whispered in a tiny tone.

Remy's erection returned to semi-erect state in his hand and Warren recognized the fear in his lover's eyes. "Please trust me, Rem." Warren whispered before his lips closed over Remy's cock again. He teased the organ and suckled it. Remy's cock quickly retained its former hardness.

With one practiced move, Warren uncovered the lube he'd unpacked earlier. He refused to take any chances and covered his index finger with a generous amount of Wet. Then, he simply rested his fingertip against Remy's puckered opening. "Tell me how it feels," Warren instructed, pressing a kiss on the tip of Remy's cock. Slowly pumping his lover, Warren locked eyes with Remy.

"Slippery," Remy mumbled surprised. "What are y' doin', cher?" It felt like Warren was massaging his entrance, never inserting his finger.

"Relaxing your muscles. Worked for me the first time you took me, love." Warren lay down on his side, pulling Remy close to him. "Hey, look at me, Rem."

Remy opened his eyes again and blushed. "I feel…"

"Exposed? Vulnerable?" Warren supplied and carefully probed the tightness of Remy's outer muscle. "Want to stop?" Remy was tense, but was obviously working on relaxing his body. "It's okay to say no, remember?"

"Non, I don' want to stop," Remy whispered. His breath came in spurts. Warren was still pumping his shaft and Remy moaned, realizing how close he was to completion, even in spite of that one finger that was slowly pressing inside. "Cher, I'm scared."

"I know, Rem, I know." Warren's finger froze, only his fingertip was buried inside Remy's body. "Does this hurt?"

"Non," Remy panted, as Warren increased the speed of his strokes. "Doesn' feel uncomfortable."

"Good, do you want me to continue? You're about to come, Rem and this can make it so much better." Warren held his breath as Remy tried to reach a decision.

"Don' stop. Don' know if I'll ever have de courage 'gain," Remy whispered. If he hadn't been bordering on orgasm, he'd never have given Warren permission.

"Trust me, Rem. Relax. I love you," Warren whispered and carefully massaged the tight passage before pushing in a little deeper. His finger was half way in and he stopped applying pressure. Remy had taken a huge step today and Warren wasn't going to blow it. "You feel… hot," he whispered seductively in to Remy's ear. His lover bucked, thrust into his hand and Warren licked Remy's nipple.

Remy involuntarily pushed down on Warren's finger when orgasm took hold of him. A startled moan flowed through the room, when Warren's finger slid in to the knuckle. Remy shook violently as his lover's fingertip brushed his prostate. His orgasm echoed through his body and Remy felt how his inner muscle contracted around Warren's digit.

"Oh Rem," Warren elbowed himself in to a sitting position and kissed the Cajun passionately. His lover's body trembled fiercely and a wave of hot completion dripped from his fingers. "You're mine, forever," Warren panted in between kisses.

Remy stared in to Warren's eyes, only too well aware of the fact that his orgasm had been much stronger than usual because Warren had inserted that one digit. "An…ge," Remy whispered, spent. "I liked it," he admitted in a broken tone.

"Hey, you're supposed to like it," Warren corrected him. "It's okay to like it." It'd take them a long time to undo the damage the Antiquary had inflicted on Remy. "How does this feel?" Slowly, Warren started to pull back, but on his way out, he massaged his lover's passage.

Tears dripped from Remy's face. Tiny waves of ecstasy still coursed through him and Warren was doing this incredible thing inside his body. It had never felt like this when the Antiquary had penetrated him. It was hard to accept that this intrusion now brought pleasure instead of pain. "Ange… I… I… can'…"

"Hush now," Warren pulled back from Remy's trembling body and wrapped his lover up in a warm embrace. "Try to calm down first and then we'll talk, all right?"

Remy nodded his head and relaxed in to the comfort and warmth of Warren's closeness. Finally, trusting his voice to sound sort of steady again, Remy said, "I expected pain… and bad memories."

"Did I hurt you?" Warren asked concerned.

"Non, y' didn', cher… mais de Antiquary did and every time when y' touch me… *dere*, I feel ashamed."

"You took a great step today. You know that, don't you?" Warren smiled gently. "The last time we tried this, you mentally retreated and it took me a long time to assure you that I wouldn't force you."

"I remember, mon amour," Remy admitted. "Mais… I still feel dirty 'cause of what happened when I was a chile."

"You said it yourself, Rem. You were a child and the Antiquary didn't accept no." Remy cuddled his love closer. They lay facing each other, feeling hot and sticky from their lovemaking. Warren wrapped his legs and arms around Remy's body and studied his lover. "You feel ashamed because it felt good, don't you?"

"De Antiquary always told me dat my charm made him rape me. I know dat was a lie, mais… I shouldn' love de feel of y' inside me. It brought pain back den and I feel like betrayin' myself." Remy worried that this explanation wouldn't make sense to Warren, but his lover gave him a look filled with understanding.

"You've felt like damaged good for a long time, haven't you?" Warren licked the salty sweat from Remy's throat.

"Oui," Remy admitted, surprised that Warren understood. "He made me in to a whore. Didn' père tell y' dat I went to his room one night and…" His words became stuck in his throat.

"That you offered yourself to him?" Warren finished and noticed the sudden fear in Remy's eyes. "He also told me that you did that to test him because you were afraid he was like the Antiquary." The fact that they could discuss this so openly, reassured Warren that they'd be fine in the end. "You know that you're not a whore. You suffered terribly when you were a child and I love the man you've become. I know you can't leave the past behind, but we've got to work on your self-image, love."

Blissfully, Remy leaned in as Warren's fingers caressed his face. "Je t'aime," he whispered sincerely.

Warren smiled. "We'll deal with your past, your fears and your pain. Our love is true. Never doubt that, Rem." Warren tucked Remy's head beneath his chin and simply held his lover close.

Note; in this story, Remy and Corsair never met and Scott never mentioned Gambit to his father!

Part 2

Warren snuggled deeper into the embrace and peeked at Remy's smiling face. They'd left Wolvie at the Palazzo to have dinner and visit the art exhibit. They'd even ended up buying two paintings from a contemporary artist and Warren had sent them home. Home was a luxurious villa in Florida, where he planned to take Remy after their honeymoon.

Remy tightened the embrace and rested his chin on Warren's shoulder. Whispering into his lover's ear, Remy said, "Tonight was perfect."

"Yeah, I thought so too," Warren replied smugly and covered Remy's cold hands with his. "Do you want to go flying tonight?" There was a full moon and the view would be stunning.

"Can we do dat? What if dey pick y' up on deir radar?" Remy kissed the top of Warren's head. He felt like living a dream and feared waking up. Life couldn't be this good for Remy LeBeau. Or was that Remy Worthington? He didn't even consider Remy Summers. Warren and he still had to decide on what to do with their last names now that they'd had their commitment ceremony.

"Don't worry about that. Should they pick us up, we'll deal with it then." Warren noticed Remy's thoughtful and distant expression. "Rem?" Had something upset his lover?

"I like Remy Worthington," Remy said without a trace of an accent.

Remy smiled. He'd heard Remy lose the accent and regain it moments later. He was probably in for a lot of surprises! "I like Warren LeBeau too."

Remy returned the smile. "What 'bout Summers?"

Both men shook their head after a moment's thought. "No," they blurted out simultaneously. "At least we agree on that!" Warren added happily.

Remy released a deep sigh. "Dis is heaven, ange," he whispered blissfully. "How long do y' plan on stayin' here?"

"The weekend. Then we'll move on to Athens." Warren fingered a lock of Remy's hair. "Did you hear from Jean-Luc?" They'd taken the laptop along.

"One message, oui. He wishes us a happy honeymoon. Père and Logan are heading for San Francisco."

They'd arrived at their Palazzo and Remy and Warren exited the gondola. "Don' want to go 'side yet," Remy whispered softly.

Warren waited until the gondola had left and then spread his wings. "Get behind me and hold on, love."

Remy clasped his arms around Warren's waist. A moment later they took to the sky. A thousand stars and a full moon guided their path and Remy wondered what he'd done to deserve a lover like Warren.

They flew in silence, neither man speaking their thoughts aloud. Remy loved being airborne and being this close to Warren. He was nestled safely between his lover's soft wings and his head rested on Warren's shoulder. "Don' ever want dis to stop," he admitted unexpectedly.

"I feel the same way, Rem," Warren smiled, something his lover couldn't see. "And once we're back at the Palazzo you'll fall asleep in my arms."

///

They made it back to the Palazzo one hour later and Warren landed carefully at the back of the building. Warren turned around in Remy's embrace, he noticed that Remy's arms were still tightly wrapped around him. "Rem?" In the dark, the gold on black eyes stared back at him.

"Just realizin' how happy I am," Remy said softly. "I don' want to t'ink 'bout what would have happened if y' hadn' come back for me after y' left N'Awlings." There were times that he still couldn't believe that Warren had returned to claim him. "Still remember findin' y' at my bed. I'd dreamed dat y' were back and to actually see y'… Ange…"

"I still feel bad for leaving you in the first place. You'd been injured because you were protecting me and…" As he was reminded of one his first mistakes, Warren looked up apologetically. He vividly remembered that one morning when he'd left to get some groceries without telling Remy. The Cajun had been asleep and it had seemed a sin to wake Remy. There had been an expression of absolute horror in Remy's eyes when they'd made eye contact after he'd returned to their cottage. The Cajun had believed that Warren had left him *again*. Warren had never forgiven himself for putting Remy through that fear.

Remy yawned fatigued. He'd been really tense, hoping that nothing would go wrong during the commitment ceremony and that nervousness was now taking its toll on the Cajun. "Sorry, ange. Don' want to fall 'sleep on y'."

"Come on, love. Let's get some rest." Warren pulled Remy with him and they quickly made their way to their suite. Hopefully the maid had carried out his instructions.

Remy followed Warren inside. One look at the couch told him that Wolvie hadn't moved since they'd left. The canine was still contentedly asleep on the sofa. Remy suspected that Wolvie would make up for his laziness tomorrow and it would be hard to control that bundle of energy once Wolvie had woken up.

A sudden flash of love, emanating from Warren caught Remy's attention and he turned to look at his lover. Warren stood in front of the bed, which was covered in red rose petals. The sweet fragrance almost made Remy dizzy. "Cher?"

"I want to sleep with you in a bed of roses," Warren whispered, feeling very romantic. Something about Remy always woke Warren's romantic feelings and spurted them on.

"Mon amour," Remy whispered shyly. He raised his right hand and pressed his fingers lightly against Warren's lips. "I don' deserve y'."

"Come on, let's take a bath first." They'd taken a quick shower before they'd left for dinner, but Warren now wanted to use the large bathtub in the bathroom.

Wondering if he should expect even more surprises, Remy hesitantly stepped into the bathroom. "Oh, cher. Y' don' have to do dis!" The bathtub was filled with warm water and white rose petals floated on the surface. Why was he this emotional? Remy felt like he could burst out in to tears any moment now.

"Shst, Rem," Warren whispered soothingly and began to undress Remy. "Let's take that bath and then we'll snuggle up in bed."

Remy read between the lines. This was about love, not lust. Warren wasn't trying to talk him into having sex like some of Remy's previous lovers had. No, Warren wanted him to enjoy the attention without having to worry about any sexual favors. "Ange…"

Hearing that one word made Warren smile. He preferred ange above all the other names, above cher, mon amour, Warren.

Remy allowed Warren to remove his clothes and Warren led his lover to the bathtub, telling Remy to slide into the warm water. "I'll join you in a sec."

Remy suddenly found himself emerged in rose scented water and wondered surprised where his clothes had gone. He was naked now, wasn't he? Shaking his head, Remy tried to clear his mind. When Warren joined him, Remy slid closer, wrapping his long legs around his lover from behind. It was an intimate moment, but Remy didn't shy back. "Let me wash y'r hair?" He loved the feel of spun gold between his fingertips.

"Sure." Warren rested his back against Remy's chest, enjoying the feel of those agile fingers washing his hair. His hands massaged Remy's calves. Warren loved it when Remy wrapped himself around him like this. "Rem?"

"Oui?" Remy rinsed Warren's hair and had to struggle to get to the conditioner because Warren's wings were in the way. But he gladly suffered a little discomfort to feel those soft feathers on his skin.

"I own a nice little place in Florida… Would you spend the rest of your life there with me?"

Remy smiled and pressed a kiss at the back of Warren's neck. "As long as we can be toget'her, oui."

"And our friends can visit." Warren cocked his head and looked over his shoulder at Remy. "Don't you want to learn more about Scott?"

Remy shrugged his shoulders and massaged the conditioner into Warren's locks. "I'm still gettin' used to de idea dat he's my brot'er."

"Want if Corsair shows up? Have you ever met him?" Warren turned around in the embrace and sat facing Remy. "Would you like to meet your… biological father?" He hesitated, not knowing what term Remy preferred. Jean-Luc would always be Remy's père and Corsair would never be able to replace the former patriarch.

"Non, I've never met him," Remy admitted and relished the caresses that Warren bestowed on him. "Would like to meet him, oui, mais… I'm not sure I want Corsair to know dat I'm his son."

"Why is that?" Warren grabbed the shampoo and planned on returning the favor. "Turn around, love." Warren waited patiently for Remy to make up his mind, whether to comply or refuse.

Hesitantly, Remy turned around and offered Warren his back. Now that he couldn't see what was going on, he started to feel a little nervous. "What's dere to be proud of for Corsair? He'd find out dat his son's a t'ief."

"Don't put yourself down like that, Rem. I don't like it. You're a great person."

"Y're biased, cher," Remy whispered, as Warren's hands worked their magic, massaging his scalp. Remy soaked up the attention he was getting and felt incredibly relaxed. The fact that Warren had mentioned that they'd go to sleep after the bath worked miracles.

"All done," Warren announced, pleased. "I should get some towels."

"Lemme," Remy offered and practically leaped out of the tub.

"Be careful, Rem," Warren warned, knowing how slippery a wet floor could be.

"Oui, cher… I know…" Remy retrieved a couple of fluffy towels and gestured Warren to get to his feet as well. He wrapped the soft towel around Warren's body and dried his lover's skin. "Why don' y' get into bed? I'll clean up here," he offered.

Warren briefly considered objecting, but saw Remy's desire to please in the gold on black eyes. "Don't take too long, love. I want to fall asleep holding you." Warren left the bathroom and removed the towel before slipping into bed naked. He'd warm the bed for his lover. As he lay there, Warren realized that he wanted to hold Remy really bad. He wanted to spoon up behind his lover and hold Remy through the night. Problem was that Remy couldn't always deal with feeling a body behind him in the dark. Maybe Remy'd feel better if Warren left a light on, or lit a candle?

Wolvie made his way out of the living area into the bedroom and climbed onto the bed. Warren watched it with resigned amusement. The foot end of the bed was Wolvie's territory since that first night. Well, the canine always warmed their feet!

"Rem?" Warren listened closely to the sounds coming out of the bathroom. What was taking Remy this long?

Remy startled hearing Warren's voice. Quickly, he pulled the plug from the bathtub and dried his skin. For one moment he'd considered following up on Warren's advice to explore and to touch himself. Mais it won' work. I'm not 'fraid of touchin' myself in dat way. I can do dat. I only get nervous when it's Warren who wants to touch me *dere*.

Remy quickly cleaned up and joined his lover in the bedroom. He shot Warren a smile when he noticed that Wolvie had claimed part of their bed. The canine had grown attached to both men. Remy had realized that when he'd picked up on strong defensive feelings aimed at Warren. In the beginning Wolvie had only tolerated Warren's presence, but that had changed.

Looking at Warren, Remy's heart thumped loudly in his chest. Warren was lying on his right side and had pushed back the comforter, expecting Remy to lay down behind him. What did ange say? He wanted to fall 'sleep wit' me in his arms? He can only do dat when I'm in front of him, which means… Warren has to spoon up behind me. Remy hoped that waking up in that position wouldn't freak him out. The Antiquary had often sexually assaulted him when he'd been sleeping on his side. Mais I'll try… for ange.

Warren watched curiously as Remy walked to the other side of the bed, and then lay down facing away from him. Hesitantly, Remy pressed closer until they lay spooned against each other. Warren held his breath. Remy was showing him how much the Cajun trusted him. "Are you sure, Rem? I don't want to spook you."

"It's only a small step," Remy whispered nervously as Warren's groin made contact with his buttocks. "Mais I should be ready to take dis step."

Warren draped one leg over Remy's hip and pulled his lover close. As he placed tiny kisses on Remy's back, he felt how his lover began to relax. Warren pulled the comforter back up and tucked them in. "You feel so good in my arms, Rem. Thank you for trusting me." He gave in as Remy's hands grabbed his wrists and pulled them in front of Remy's chest. The Cajun wanted to be hugged tightly and Warren gladly obliged.

"Are you comfortable, love?" Warren thanked the heavens that he wasn't growing aroused. That would certainly make Remy uncomfortable and shatter the enchanted moment.

"Just hold me and don' lemme go," Remy whispered softly. Warren's arms held him tight and he relished his lover's closeness. When the Antiquary had wrapped his arms around him, the old man had only wanted to keep him from fighting back. "I want to have sweet dreams tonight, cher," Remy added fatigued.

"I'll keep the nightmares away," Warren promised.

Slightly annoyed, Wolvie growled, telling the two men that it was time to go to sleep.

Warren felt Remy chuckle in his arms. "He wants us to shut up, Rem."

"Wolvie's gettin' an attitude," Remy sighed. He felt secure and safe in Warren's arms. "Have some sweet dreams too, ange," he mumbled, dozing off.

"You're my life, Remy," Warren whispered before following his lover into the land of dreams. "Don't ever stop loving me."

///

A strangled whimper woke Warren from his blissful sleep. It only took him a second to realize that Remy was having a nightmare. The Cajun was trying to wrestle free of the embrace and Warren immediately let go. Warren studied his whimpering lover and sighed relieved. It wasn't one of those earth-shattering nightmares, at least not yet. He knew what to do.

"Rem, listen to my voice. It's only a nightmare, love." Warren stayed at a distance as long as he didn't know what the nightmare was about. Another tormented whimper left Remy's lips. "Tell me, Rem, what's going on?" Warren took a deep breath and focused on his love for Remy, knowing that subconsciously his lover's empathy would pick up on it. "Rem? Come on, let me help."

"It's cold," Remy whispered, balancing on the edge of waking up. He pulled the comforter close to his body.

Warren sat up and shivered as the cold of the room hit his naked skin. "Wolvie, get off the bed!" Warren commanded and pulled up the satin sheets to wrap them around him.

Indignantly, Wolvie lay down on the floor, watching Remy with concern.

"Rem? I can make you feel warm again, but you'll have to let me get close to you." Warren cautiously crawled a little closer. "We're in Venice, Rem. We fell asleep after taking a bath, do you remember?" Suddenly, gold on black eyes opened. Warren's brow grew knitted, seeing the unshed tears in them. "Rem?"

"I was back on de ice, ange. It was so cold," Remy whispered and moved closer to Warren. "Make de cold go 'way?"

"Oh, you don't have to ask, love!" Warren exclaimed softly and opened his arms. Remy nearly knocked Warren off the bed when the Cajun flung himself into his lover's arms. Warren quickly wrapped them both up in the comforter. "Lay down again, love?" It surprised him that the nightmare hadn't been about the Antiquary. He'd kind of expected that after Remy had allowed him to spoon up behind him.

Warren gently touched Remy's chest, closely observing his lover, but Remy accepted the touch without pulling away from it. "Shst, it was only a nightmare, Rem. I've got you." Warren manoeuvred Remy onto his side, so they were facing each other. Remy snuggled up to him and rested his head against Warren's shoulder. "It's okay, Rem."

"It felt so real," Remy sobbed softly as he let go of his fear now that he was safe in Warren's arms. "Why can' dey leave me 'lone? Don' want to have dese nightmares!"

"Your subconscious is trying to deal with the trauma. You've got to give it time," Warren chided him softly. "You've already improved greatly, Rem. There were times when you couldn't stand me touching you after you'd had a nightmare and look at us now. You've got to be realistic. Dealing with the pain takes time."

Remy blinked watered eyes, but a smile flashed across his features as he glanced at Wolvie. The canine's head rested on the side of the bed and the wolf was obviously trying to find out if he could climb into its old warm space again. "C'mon, Wolvie," Remy encouraged the canine.

Warren stroked Remy's damp hair and realized that his lover was covered in cold sweat. "You want Wolvie to warm our feet again?" he asked, giving Remy the chance to compose himself.

"Oui." Remy waited until Wolvie had made himself comfortable at their feet and then he peeked at Warren. "Did I scare y'?"

"A little," Warren admitted. "I was scared you were going to have a panic attack."

"I didn' dream 'bout… *him*," Remy whispered. If the dream had been about the Antiquary he might have had that panic attack. "Dose nightmares are growin' less."

"That's good." Soothingly, Warren rubbed Remy's back with long strokes. "Do you think that you can go back to sleep now?" If not, he'd stay awake with Remy.

"Ange? Findin' y' here when I wake up… Y' don' know what dat means to me," Remy mumbled barely audible. "Ruin y'r sleep all de time and yet y' stay."

"Oh, Rem," Warren whispered, touched. "You've been there for me too when I had a nightmare about Apocalypse." Warren shivered. "Although… it's been weeks since I had one… I stopped having them after… after you discovered your healing powers."

"Wish I could work dat power on myself in dat way." Feeling tired and melancholy, Remy rubbed his cheek against Warren's chest. "How did I survive de cold?"

"I don't know, love." Warren doubted they'd ever find out. He'd contacted the group of scientists that had found Remy's nearly frozen body, but they'd been unable to supply him with additional information. "Go back to sleep, love? I'll be here when you wake up again, Rem. Wish I had some mutant power that would keep your nightmares at bay."

"Just be here when I wake up," Remy whispered against Warren's chest and surrendered to his lover's warmth, that slowly lured him back into sleep.

"Rem, I'm so sorry," Warren whispered, but Remy never heard those words as he'd fallen asleep again. "I should have gone back to Antarctica to search for you. I'm so sorry I walked out on you." His mistake would haunt him forever.

///

His nose itched and Remy sleepily wondered what was causing it. If he wouldn't know any better, he'd contribute it to the fresh smell of coffee, croissants and marmalade. But why would anyone fix him breakfast in the middle of the night? He'd just gone to sleep, hadn't he?

"Hey, wake up, sleeping beauty," Warren whispered teasingly. "And move over!"

Remy opened one sleepy eye and realized that Warren stood next to the bed with a large tray. "Huh?" Remy whispered confused, but he moved over to the side of the bed, creating space for Warren to lie down. As he opened both eyes, he saw bright sunlight fall into the room. "Ain' it supposed to be night?"

"It's almost noon, Rem and I brought you breakfast." Warren sat upright and placed the tray in between them. "Coffee?"

"Oui," Remy replied softly. "Why ain't dere a clock in dis room?" he wondered surprised.

"Because time doesn't matter on our honeymoon." Warren put a generous amount of marmalade on a croissant, tore off a small piece and offered it to his lover. "Eat something." Warren had already poured their coffee, black and hot.

Still a little dazed, Remy elbowed himself in to a sitting position. "Why didn' y' wake me earlier?" He usually never slept this late!

"You didn't sleep that great," Warren explained. "And I can't wake you when you look like that. You'd wrapped yourself all around me. It took me ten minutes to get out of bed unnoticed!" Warren offered his lover another piece of croissant and followed Remy's questioning look. "Wolvie's outside. There's a garden behind the Palazzo and he's stretching his legs. Yes, I already fed him."

"'bout last night," Remy started hesitantly, "sorry I woke y'."

"Hey, I love being there for you. Don't feel guilty about it." Warren handed Remy the coffee and the Cajun sipped from it.

"C'est bien," Remy commented as the black liquid flowed down his throat. He never felt awake until he'd had some black coffee. "What are y'r plans for today?"

"What would *you* like to do?" Warren returned the question.

"Don' know… As long as y're close, I'm fine."

"What about some sightseeing? We can rent a gondola and cuddle all day long," Warren suggested, a little disconcerted by Remy's lack of energy. Maybe that nightmare still bothered Remy? "Don't I get a good morning kiss any longer?" he whispered teasingly.

That brought a smile to Remy's lips. "Y'll always get a good mornin' kiss!" Remy leaned in closer and claimed Warren's lips. "Je t'aime, cher."

"That's better!" Warren returned the kiss and deepened it. He'd woken up with a raging morning hard-on and had taken care of it himself while fantasizing about Remy.

Remy released Warren's lips and gave his lover an odd look. He felt something in Warren's thoughts that slightly upset him, but he couldn't put his finger on it. "Is somet'in' wrong, ange?"

"Nothing," Warren assured Remy. "Let's finish breakfast and get moving before Wolvie's back."

Remy smiled. "Oui, Wolvie will drag us into de garden to play wit' him all day long."

"Wolvie needs an attitude adjustment!" Warren exclaimed and watched Remy eat another croissant. Thankfully, his lover's appetite was back.

///

"I had a great time today," Warren whispered contentedly and nodded his head. The gondola was taking them back to the Palazzo and Warren felt immensely thankful for having Remy as his life mate. They'd explored the city today and Warren hadn't been surprised to learn that Remy knew a great deal about Venice's history and art. "Tomorrow we'll leave for Athens," he informed Remy.

"How long do y' plan on stayin' on dis honeymoon?" Remy asked amused. The sun was hiding behind some clouds and he suspected it'd start to rain soon.

"For the rest of our lives hopefully," Warren replied blissfully as Remy's fingers tangled in his hair. "And yes, I added Paris to our traveling plans!"

Remy grew quiet, lost in thought. "Ange, do y' ever wonder what our lives would be like if we hadn' met in N'awlings?"

"No, I refuse to think about that," Warren said steadfast and pulled Remy's hand to his lips so he could kiss his lover's fingertips.

"Y're a romantic." Remy quivered as Warren's tongue caressed his fingertips. "Wolvie will be mad at us."

"Let him. He needs to learn that we're in charge." Warren stretched lazily as the Palazzo appeared in front of them. "They should have dinner ready for us."

Remy whispered a 'merci' to the gondolier and followed Warren into the Palazzo. He noticed that something was wrong when he picked up an odd nervousness from the receptionist. "Cher? Somet'in' happened."

Warren took the warning seriously. Addressing the receptionist, he asked, "Do you have any messages for me?"

The man replied in perfect English. "Signore Worthington, you've received a letter, marked urgent." He handed Warren the piece of paper.

Remy moved closer to his lover, as Warren opened the envelope. He read out loud, wanting Remy to know what was going on. "It's from our family lawyer."

# Mister Worthington,

It saddens me to inform you that your brother, Samuel Worthington, died yesterday in a car accident. His son, Jason, was only mildly injured. As you're Jason's only living relative, the judge will probably award you custody of Jason Worthington. Please contact me as soon as possible.

Yours truly,

Vincent Dagarmo. #

"Ange?" Remy kept his shields wide open, trying to detect any shift in emotions emanating from his lover. "I'm so sorry." Remy cursed himself mentally. He didn't even know if Warren and his brother had been close!

"It's okay, Rem. I didn't know my brother that well. Sam never wanted to have anything to do with me." Warren closed the letter and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Jason should be about 15, I think." He hadn't even dealt with his brother's death yet and now he had to face the possibility of raising his nephew. "I've only seen Jason once, when he was 6."

"Is dere anyt'in' I can do?" Remy offered and waited for Warren to take the initiative. Remy didn't want to impose himself. Warren radiated a small amount of shock, but seemed calm and in control. But sooner or later Remy suspected there would be an emotional outburst.

"No, Rem. We need to wait and find out the judge's decision. Maybe the kid knows a family he's close to and he'll want to live with them, instead of with me." Warren suddenly realized something. "Jason and I are the only Worthingtons right now."

"Y' don' have any ot'er relatives?" Remy inquired concerned as they walked towards their suite.

"No, we're the last."

"Do y' want to go home? I'd understand, cher." Remy didn't really know what to make of Warren's reaction and emotions. Maybe Warren was trying to suppress them? "Don' shut me out, cher?" he asked pleadingly.

"I need a little time," Warren replied. "I'll never shut you out, love. Don't worry about that."

They'd arrived at their room and went inside. Wolvie cornered them at once.

"Why don' y' lie down, cher? I'll take care of Wolvie," Remy offered. It'd give Warren a chance to organize his thoughts.

"Thanks, Rem." Warren placed a single kiss on Remy's brow. "I appreciate it, but don't stay away too long?"

Remy signaled Wolvie to follow him outside and as he closed the door, Remy cast one last glance at Warren, who looked worried and suddenly tired. Yet, his empathy assured Remy that Warren wasn't in any distress. Warren seemed stunned, maybe even a little shocked at the news, but there was no emotional pain. "Will be back soon," Remy promised as he closed the door behind him.

Warren released a deep sigh as he dropped on to the bed. He felt sorry for Jason, but hoped that the judge wouldn't give him custody of the kid. He was still trying to help Remy deal with his past… no way they could raise a 15 year old!

Part 3

Westchester

Feeling melancholy, Scott stared out over the lake. He'd left the mansion to have some privacy. Although he appreciated Jean and Charles' concern, he wanted to think about Remy and Corsair without being monitored. He had to make some personal decisions and he didn't want to do that while telepaths could peek into his mind.

Right now, he didn't have the means to contact his father. He'd have to wait until Corsair decided to visit Earth. How will he react? He always thought that his youngest son had died and now I have to tell him that Remy's alive. I still can't believe that Sinister staged Remy's death!

Scott also blamed himself for not finding out the truth earlier. Maybe Remy's red on black eyes should have tipped him off. No, I couldn't know. But realizing that didn't make him feel better.

Scott had been sitting on his heels and now rose to his feet. Carefully, he stretched his cramped muscles. How long had he been sitting out here?

A smile formed on his face as he remembered the commitment ceremony. The love in Warren's eyes had been tangible and Remy's gold on black orbs had mirrored Warren's feelings. If someone had told me that Remy and Warren would end up being lovers, I'd have declared them mad. And yet, they compliment each other.

Looking over his shoulder, Scott stared at the mansion. The boathouse was empty again. Rogue had stayed away after Remy hadn't reacted to her touch and Joseph had moved back into the mansion. There was an odd atmosphere in the house. The only bright spot was Bobby. Ever since Storm had accepted that Bobby and Nicholas were lovers, Drake had proudly shown Nick off.

But if he was having trouble accepting this revelation, how was Remy dealing with it? Thankfully, Remy wasn't alone. Warren would support Remy. Scott shivered briefly, feeling immensely grateful that Warren was at Remy's side and not Rogue. Scott and Warren were good friends, they could relate. He found it a lot harder to relate to Rogue. That woman was a mystery to him.

A sudden cold crept through his coat and Scott looked up questioningly. It was a beautiful, warm day, so where was the cold coming from?

"I'm gonna get you!"

Scott smiled as Bobby's warning cut through the air. Drake had frozen the ground and it was snowing heavily. A moment later, Scott discovered that the snow clouds followed Nicholas wherever the young man went. Nick was already covered with a layer of snow, but hadn't surrendered yet.

Amused, Scott watched Bobby chase Nicholas, who had picked up some snow and now threw a snowball at Drake.

"That doesn't scare me!" Bobby called out and ran after Nicholas. He wasn't in his ice form and didn't pay much attention to the ice beneath his feet. "Here I come," Bobby announced and moved in closer on Nick. But Bobby hadn't counted on the ice being slippery beneath him.

Nicholas burst out laughing when Bobby went down on his butt. "The great Iceman!" he roared mischievously. "Can't deal with the ice, Bobby?"

Bobby wanted to object, ice up and show his lover that he could perfectly well deal with ice, but seeing Nicholas this merry Bobby laughed warmly. "I guess I outsmarted myself."

"Did you hurt yourself, darling?" Nicolas inquired worried, as he approached his lover. "Didn't your butt cushion the blow?" A wicked grin flashed across his features.

Bobby staggered to his feet, removing the snow and ice from his coat. "It was a hard landing!" Bobby exclaimed with feigned annoyance.

"Want me to kiss it better?" Nick gave Bobby a wink.

"Now there's an invitation I can't refuse!" Bobby whispered seductively and claimed his lover's right hand. "You can kiss it better once we're in my bed."

Scott shook his head. Bobby's hormones apparently raged and Nicholas was only encouraging Drake! "You can talk dirty in bed, Drake!" Scott called out and thoroughly enjoyed the startled shriek that fled Bobby's lips.

"Scott! I didn't know that you were here too!" Bobby blushed slightly. "I didn't know we had an audience."

"It's okay." Scott smiled reassuringly. Bobby still felt a little insecure, uncertain how his team-members would react to such obvious flirting. Seeing Bobby and Nicholas together was very new to all of them. I might have reacted differently if I hadn't seen how well Remy and Warren worked out. Scott had never suspected some of his team-mates were gay or bi.

"I think I'm going back inside," Scott announced. He'd barely had any time to think about Remy and Corsair. Maybe it was best to face that challenge when Corsair showed up on his doorstep. He shouldn't worry about something he couldn't control. Scott waved good-bye and headed for the mansion.

Bobby exchanged a look with Nicholas, who didn't seem subdued or worried at all. Apparently, Scott's unexpected appearance hadn't upset Nick. "Wanna go back too?"

"Sure, darling." Nicholas locked his amused eyes with Bobby's. "I still have to kiss it better," he announced wickedly. He relished seeing the blush on Bobby's face. Nicholas understood that Bobby tried to hide his insecurity, as Bobby had told him that this was his first gay relationship and that he was afraid to screw things up. Nicholas however, had had boyfriends before. "Come on, darling, let's get moving," Nicholas said eventually. "Although I love the snow I feel terribly cold."

"Want me to warm you?" Bobby offered, trying hard not to stumble over his words.

"Oh yeah." Nicholas pulled Bobby along. "Let's go and get warm!"

///

Venice

Remy softly closed the bedroom door behind him when he made it back from walking Wolvie. He'd left the canine in the living area, after explaining to the wolf that he couldn't sleep in the bed tonight. Warren probably wanted some privacy and having a wolf snore at your feet could be annoying.

He'd stayed out longer than he'd planned, but Wolvie had had so much pent up energy that they'd played for one whole hour. Now that he sneaked over to the bed, Remy wondered how Warren was doing. Warren had switched off the lights and only a few moonbeams illuminated the room.

Focusing his empathy, Remy tried to get an impression of Warren's feelings. He felt like invading Warren's privacy, but his concern urged him on. Sadness, regret and nervous anticipation flowed in to his mind. Warren wasn't in any emotional turmoil yet, but heading that way. "Cher?" Remy whispered softly, knowing Warren was awake.

"Come to bed, Rem," Warren whispered softly. He hadn't realized how lost in thought he'd been until he'd heard Remy's voice.

"Y' want me close? Understand if y' want some time 'lone," Remy offered.

"Please get in to bed and hold me, love. I just want to go to sleep." Warren peeked at Remy, and noticed his lover's concerned expression. "But bear in mind that I'm not the greatest company right now."

"C'est bien, ange. I understand," Remy assured him and stripped quickly. "Where do y' want me?" He now stood naked beside the bed and Warren lay on his right side, facing away from him.

"Get behind me, love, and hold me."

Remy didn't need further encouragement and slipped into bed. He reached out and gathered his lover in his arms. Only now did Remy realize that Warren was still fully clothed. However, his lover felt cold and Remy quickly pulled up the comforter. "Wanna talk 'bout it, ange?"

Warren first wanted to decline, but then realized that talking always seemed to help Remy to better deal with his fears. And it isn't fair to keep Remy in the dark. Suddenly, Warren realized how wonderful it felt to be wrapped up in Remy's arms. The Cajun's head rested on Warren's shoulder and Remy's breath softly caressed the skin of his face. It felt so good to have a strong shoulder to lean on.

Remy waited patiently and didn't push Warren in to talking. He gently kissed the back of his lover's neck and moved until he rested comfortably between the soft wings.

"Lavender," Warren mumbled softly.

"Cher?" Confused, Remy tried to peek at Warren's face.

"You smell of lavender. I don't think you smelled like this before."

"Want to comfort y', ange." Remy shivered briefly. Tante had told him that she'd smelled lavender when he'd tried to comfort her after her nephew's death. "Are y' cataloguin' dese fragrances now?"

"They tell me a lot about how you really feel, Rem. You've got the tendency to keep everything inside."

"Like y' do, cher?"

"No, I want to tell you about Samuel, Sam, but it isn't easy." Warren pressed closer against Remy's pliant body. He loved feeling Remy close behind him. "When Sam and I were small kids we got along just fine."

Remy licked his lips, wondering how to phrase his questions. His empathy told him that Warren wanted to talk about this, but he had to handle this carefully. After pressing another kiss on Warren's soft skin, Remy asked, "Was he y'r younger or older brot'er?"

"Sam's 9 years older… He was my big brother."

"What went wrong?" Remy tightened the embrace and felt Warren relax in his arms. It was good to know that Warren also trusted him with his secrets.

"I got wings," Warren said in a bitter tone. "When Sam realized that I was a mutant he cut off all contact."

"I'm sorry, cher," Remy whispered sincerely.

"I'd hoped that me being a mutant wouldn't matter to Sam because we were brothers, but… I was wrong."

"Y' don' expect family to react like dat," Remy agreed and kissed Warren's locks. "What 'bout y'r dad?" He suddenly realized how little he knew about his lover's past.

"Dad wasn't thrilled, but didn't treat me any different. Dad and I were never close. He was always away on business trips and after mom died he got really distant. But he didn't disown me or banish me from the family home."

"So Sam left?"

"Yes," Warren confirmed. "After I got my degree and returned home, Sam refused to stay any longer. He didn't want to live under the same roof with a mutant." Warren tried to hide his pain, but knew that the attempt was futile. Remy was an empath and surely felt his turmoil.

"And when y'r fat'er died?" Remy asked, concerned.

"Dad had named us his heirs and we had to work together to keep the family fortune safe. But Sam limited the contact to business meetings only."

Remy sighed deeply. He sensed how much this had hurt his lover.

"And then I got this blue skin, courtesy of… Apocalypse. Can you imagine Sam's reaction when he saw me?" Warren's bitterness now was obvious and he trembled in Remy's arms. "I saw the loathing in his eyes."

"I'm so sorry, cher," Remy repeated, unsure what to say. Usually Warren listened to Remy's admissions and not the other way around. Remy remembered holding and comforting Warren only once before. Warren had suffered from a nightmare featuring Apocalypse and later that night, Warren had told Remy about walking out on him during the trial. Their role reversal was disconcerting, but it felt good to be able to be there for Warren. "Now tell me what else's bot'erin' y'." Warren was keeping back.

"Sam's son, Jason."

"Why worry 'bout him?" Remy stroked Warren's shoulders, gently massaging tense muscles.

"I don't know a damn thing about raising a 15 year old!" Warren suddenly exploded. "I'm sure Sam told Jason about his mutant uncle. The kid and I only met once and at that time Jason kept his distance."

"Cher? Lemme tell y' somet'in'," Remy said gently and waited until he had Warren's undivided attention. "Jean-Luc Lebeau didn' know how to raise a mutant and he did a great job… I t'ink."

"Oh, Rem!" Warren turned in Remy's embrace until they were face to face. Warren wrapped Remy's arms around his body again and stared into the gold on black eyes. "I was so feeling sorry for myself that…"

"What I'm tryin' to say, cher, is dat y'd make a great père too." Remy noticed the stunned look on Warren's face. "Y' care. Only dat matters."

"But I'm sure Sam taught Jason to dislike his mutant uncle." Warren looked at Remy apologetically. "And you're still healing. You don't need this."

"Cher," Remy whispered and pressed a gentle kiss on Warren's brow. "I was a mess when père took me in. Jean-Luc didn' know how to handle me, mais he tried and tried hard. I didn' trust him, tried to run 'way 'cause I was 'fraid he'd hurt me like de Antiquary had. He didn' tell y' I fought him at times?" Remy waited for Warren's nod and then continued. "I yelled at him to leave me 'lone. I even scratched his skin open when he tried to bat'e me dat first time. Didn' want to lose my clot'es, dat made me feel vulnerable. Mais Jean-Luc knew dat I needed him and he didn' give up."

"You can't compare yourself to Jason, Rem. Jason's a spoiled brat. Sam always gave Jason what he wanted, even sent Jason to the most expensive boarding schools."

"Sounds to me like dat chile got a lot of material t'ings, mais little amour, cher," Remy pointed out to Warren. "Sounds like y'r brot'er tried to buy Jason's affection." Remy suddenly wondered about something. "What 'bout Jason's mère?"

"She died in childbirth. Jason never knew Maggy." Warren released a deep sigh. "I don't want to talk about this anymore, Rem."

"Ignorin' it won' make it go 'way," Remy said softly and smiled.

"Crazy Cajun," Warren whispered affectionately. "I told you that once, didn't I?"

"I 'ways pay attention." Remy's smile brightened. "Look, ange, we'll deal wit' dis toget'er, non? Y' don' have to do dis 'lone."

Warren now shook his head. "Throwing my own words back at me, huh?"

"Wanna go to sleep or…?" Remy wasn't sure what to do next. When one of his former lovers had been upset, he'd let them use his body to distract them, but he couldn't and wouldn't do that now.

"I'm not in the mood for hanky panky," Warren replied, obviously pleased that Remy understood that having sex wouldn't solve anything. "Let's go to sleep? I've got this feeling tomorrow might be an exhausting day."

"Y' should lose de clot'es first," Remy reminded him.

"Yeah, I guess you're right about that." Reluctantly, Warren got out of bed to strip. "Keep my spot warm," he asked Remy.

"Mais of course," Remy whispered and watched Warren take off his clothes. Warren needed a little distraction as his lover was still brooding and Remy quipped, . "Did I ever tell y' how well I can see in de dark?"

Warren released a cry of feigned surprise. He only knew too well, but was more than willing to play the game. "You're peeking."

"Cher," Remy said amused. "Y've got not'in' dat I haven' seen 'fore!" But his amusement quickly changed into confusion when he realized that his cock was waking up. Merde! I can' want dis now! Warren just learned dat he lost his brot'er and I… I can' want dis now! But his body had different ideas and he was growing aroused quickly. Embarrassed, Remy averted his eyes.

Warren noticed the sudden change in his lover's eyes. Also, the unexpected fragrance of lilies alerted him that something had happened. He quickly slipped between the covers and lay down facing Remy. Why was his lover blushing and averting his eyes? Then he noticed another fragrance floating through the room, roses. Remy's aroused! Warren realized, surprised. "Hey, talk to me, love."

"Sorry, cher, don' want dis." Remy shrugged his shoulder apologetically, as he tried to fight his arousal down.

Very carefully, Warren slid one hand beneath the covers. "Rem?" His probing fingers only encountered warm skin and he remembered that Remy had gone to bed naked. "Is this for me?" Warren smiled reassuringly as his fingertips brushed Remy's erection. It didn't happen too often that Remy spontaneously wanted to make love.

"Sorry, cher," Remy whispered. "Dis ain' de right time."

Warren silenced his lover. "Hey, as far as I'm concerned it's always the right time." He wanted to take away the emotional agony that haunted the gold on black eyes. "Can I play with it?" he quipped, hoping to relax his lover. Only moments ago he'd told Remy that he wasn't interested in any hanky panky, but then he'd been afraid that Remy would offer himself for the wrong reasons. But this was different. This was pure. This had nothing to do with manipulation, but everything with true love and attraction.

Remy's eyes grew big. "Play wit' it?"

"What's wrong?" Warren slowly stroked his lover's erection beneath the covers, just intending the caress as a prelude. He wanted to take his time.

Remy struggled to find the right words. "Shouldn' react like dis. Y' just lost y'r brot'er and I lie here wit' a hard-on."

"Rem?" Warren rubbed his thumb across the tip of Remy's cock and the Cajun quavered at the caress. "It means a lot to me that you didn't try to distract me with sex earlier."

"It did cross my mind," Remy admitted and helplessly arched his back.

"But you didn't act on it. Rem? Let me do this for you?" Warren watched his lover's beautiful face and kissed Remy's lips. "You want this and so do I."

"Mais y'…"

Warren felt Remy's probing fingers. "I'm not hard… yet, that's true, but I'd love to give you this, Rem."

Confused, Remy sought out Warren's eyes. His lover was still massaging his hard cock and pre-ejaculate was making his erection slippery. Warren's caress felt even better now. "Don' know how to explain dis," Remy said hesitantly.

"Try," Warren whispered and pressed tiny kisses all over Remy's face. "Tell me."

"When I had a lover," Remy started, uncomfortably, "dey took what dey wanted. I…" The revelation came unexpected. "I made it easy for dem to use me, non?"

Warren nodded his head. "I think so," he whispered and pushed down the comforter so he had access to Remy's bare chest. "I never knew I could have a thing for a man's nipples," he admitted and ran his tongue across Remy's left nipple. "Go on," he said eventually.

"Dey never took de time to make me feel good like y' do," Remy panted. "I just offered myself to dem. I never realized…" Remy's voice trailed off, as Warren closed his lips over his left nipple, nibbling gently. "Cher… I'm gonna come…"

"That's the idea, love," Warren quipped. "I want you to come." Warren moved down Remy's body until he met Remy's weeping erection. "It makes me feel so good when I make you come." He knew how much Remy had suffered in the past and it made him feel special that the Cajun trusted him not to hurt him. "I think I'm going to try that tongue thing."

"Tongue t'in'?" Confused, Remy looked down at his lover. Warren placed Remy's hands on his shoulders and the Cajun caressed his lover's skin. "What are y' gonna do?" He had to know what to expect.

"Can I touch you… there?" Warren gently rubbed his thumb over his lover's entrance.

Remy shivered. "Cher…"

Warren pumped his lover's cock slowly but hard, and the caress drew a whimper from Remy's lips. "Yes or no?"

"Oui," Remy whispered, helplessly. He was too close to orgasm to call Warren back now. Warren was the first lover who'd ever focused so entirely on Remy's needs that it made the Cajun nervous. Warren was so intend to give him pleasure that Remy wondered why Warren was so driven to make him come without wanting any sexual favors in return.

"Thanks, Rem… thanks for trusting me." Warren got to his feet and gently positioned Remy on the right side of the bed. Still lying on his back, Remy's long legs dangled off the bed. Warren kneeled on the floor and placed Remy's legs over his shoulders. That way, he had perfect access to those gorgeous round mounts. "Can I eat you?" Warren noticed the shudder that ran through his lover's body and returned to stroking Remy's hard cock.

"Cher, y' don' have to do dis." Remy felt vulnerable and helpless. Never before had he been the center of his lover's complete attention. Usually, it was the other way around.

"But I want to," Warren said in a pouting tone. "Please?"

Remy released a moan. "Oui, cher." He knew he had to take this step if he truly wanted to overcome his demons. If it hadn't been for Warren's talented fingers, his erection would have faded because of his nervousness. "Cher!" Remy groaned the word when something wet and slippery slithered down his cleft. A soft throbbing started in his cock and Remy buried his fingers in the satin sheets.

Warren smiled. "I guess you like that," Warren whispered mischievously. He'd always thought that doing this would gross him out, but seeing Remy squirm and whimper only motivated to try harder. His tongue connected with warm flesh and slithered inside. Remy jerked and Warren used one hand to steady him. "Easy now," Warren whispered. After first removing his tongue, he thrust it inside again.

"Cher!" Remy's tone was frantic now and he bucked hard.

Warren ignored the outcry and concentrated on driving Remy insane, using his tongue to explore his lover's hidden secrets. Remy's balls trembled beneath his touch and Warren realized that his lover was close. He pulled back and Remy whimpered at the loss. "Come for me, Rem," he whispered and closed his lips over his lover's cock. At the same time he inserted one finger in to the wet passage.

"Mon Dieu!" Remy arched his hips, thrust into Warren's hot mouth and involuntarily he pushed down on to his lover's finger. He forgot to breathe when Warren's fingertip found his prostate. "Cher… please… so close… wanna come… please… Warren…"

Warren listened to Remy's raving and wondered if his lover had ever given himself so completely during their lovemaking. He carefully added another digit and scissored his fingers, making sure he regularly brushed Remy's prostate. Remy was incredibly relaxed and Warren looked up to stare into his lover's dilated pupils.

Remy lost control when a second finger opened him up. Warren sucking him hard drove him over the edge and his cock released his come in short, jerky spurts.

Swallowing everything Remy had to offer, Warren didn't remove his fingers yet, but made sure his fingertips no longer made any contact with Remy's prostate. Spasms coursed through his lover's body and Warren licked Remy's cock clean, before letting the now sated organ slip from his mouth.

Remy only slowly came down from the adrenaline rush and it took him a moment to regulate his breathing. "Cher?" he looked down at his lover with tears in his eyes.

"Two, Rem. You took two fingers. They're still inside you." Warren moved them slightly and watched his lover's reaction. "Tell me how it feels, love?"

"It feels… so good," Remy sobbed softly as unshed tears fled his eyes. "Feels so good…"

Warren nodded his head. "That's the way it's supposed to feel, Rem." Slowly, he pulled back and exited Remy's body. "Sore?"

"Non, don' t'ink so." Remy felt terribly relaxed. "What 'bout y', cher?" He'd completely neglected Warren's needs and felt guilty about that.

Warren grinned a little. "I came with you, love."

"Cher?" Remy didn't understand. He hadn't even touched Warren!

"Making you come, made me come," Warren quipped and smirked. "We're a mess. I should clean us up, love." His own orgasm had taken him by surprise. Yes, he'd grown hard when he'd made Remy come, but usually he needed more direct stimulation to reach orgasm. It had been quite an interesting ride!

"Y've got a drop of come on y'r chin, cher…" Remy felt shy all of a sudden. He couldn't remember any of his lovers coming because they'd focused on him.

"Have you ever tasted yourself, Rem?" Warren collected the droplet onto his index finger and then brought it to Remy's lips. Moving in closer, he claimed his lover's lips possessively.

Remy moaned into Warren's mouth, as he tasted himself. "Merci, cher…" he whispered sincerely. "No one has ever been dis gentle wit' me."

Warren sensed the pain behind those words and nodded his head. "Things have changed, love. Now stay here." Warren slid out of bed and headed for the bathroom. He returned with a wet washcloth and a towel. He'd already cleaned himself up in the bathroom, and as he sat down on the side of the bed, he took in his lover's appearance. "I smell candy… sugar and honey," he said teasingly as he cleaned Remy up. "I love that smell."

Remy allowed the clean up, but then opened his arms and pulled Warren close. "Please cher, want y' close." After a moment's hesitation, Remy pulled Warren on top of his body. Remy wiggled beneath Warren and spread his legs to accommodate his lover.

Surprised that Remy wanted him to cover his body, Warren accepted the invitation and settled down between Remy's thighs. "I love you, Rem." He firmly wrapped Remy's legs around his waist and rested his elbows on either side of Remy's face so he could look at his lover. He loved to rest between Remy's thighs and Warren's cock stirred a little, interested in this development.

Remy sensed the growing arousal and swallowed hard. Being on the bottom like this made him feel uncomfortable, but he wanted Warren to top in the future. It was too damn confusing. "Can we go to sleep, cher?"

Warren understood the hint. "Sure, love." Remy wasn't ready to take another step. "Am I not squashing you?" Warren loved to feel Remy beneath him, but realized it might trigger flashbacks.

"Dis is fine," Remy whispered, overcoming his fears. Warren wouldn't force him. The Antiquary had done that, but Warren would never do that. "I'm tired, ange." Tomorrow would be another long day, especially if they had to return home unexpectedly.

"You smell so good," Warren whispered as he rested his head on Remy's shoulder. Remy wrapped his arms around him and Warren finally relaxed. "You were amazing, love," he mumbled, drifting off in to sleep.

"Non, y' were 'mazin'," Remy corrected a sleeping Warren. "Merci for bein' patient and showin' me true love." His body tingled with the after effects of intense pleasure and it didn't take Remy long to doze off himself.

Note //…// depicts thought.

Part 4

Remy stirred in his sleep. He'd been peacefully dreaming of flying over Venice's rooftops in Warren's arms, but something had upset his dreams. Peeking open one eye, Remy realized that Warren was the source of the disturbance. Reaching out empathically, Remy probed Warren's feelings.

His lover was in obvious emotional turmoil and Remy wondered whether to tighten his embrace or let Warren go. He'd fallen asleep with Warren in his arms, spooned behind his lover. "Cher? What's wrong?" he whispered, hoping to wake his lover, but Warren was deeply entangled in his nightmare.

At times like these Remy wished he were a telepath as well. Although he sensed Warren's distress, he had no idea how to reach him. He knew what Warren felt, but couldn't access the thoughts or pictures that were upsetting Warren. Remy didn't know how to ease his lover's pain.

"Cher? Ange?" Speaking a little louder this time, Remy grew concerned. Warren wasn't reacting to his voice. Warren struggled in the embrace and Remy immediately released him. Sitting upright, Remy freed Warren's flapping wings. Warren trashed on the bed and Remy's face contorted. "Don' know what to do, ange," he whispered upset.

Acting on instinct, he reached out with one hand and placed it on Warren's shoulder. To Remy's surprise, Warren allowed it. "Please, cher…" Remy was growing worried and even a little frightened. Warren radiated pain and terror and the emotions flowed into Remy's mind now that the Cajun had opened his shields.

"Warren?" Remy tried one last time and closed his eyes, concentrating on sending his lover soothing emotions. "Cher, je t'aime. Please come back to me." He didn't know where Warren's mind had traveled in his sleep, but his lover was surrounded by darkness. He had to try.

///

Warren stared into Apocalypse's face and tried to ignore the filthy laughter that escaped the mutant's lips. Metal wings were attached to his back and he shivered at the malice that Apocalypse radiated. Then another face took shape, pushing away Apocalypse's visage. Cameron Hodge's face appeared instead and Warren felt a sting of betrayal. //Get out of my mind!//

Subconsciously, Warren knew that he was having a nightmare, but he had no means to stop the hellish scenario. Suddenly, he found himself in a hospital room and the doctor in charge inserted a needle beneath his skin. //Oh God, not again!//

He'd been here before. Had woken up from his worst nightmare in this room. His wings had been amputated because of Cameron Hodge's scheming. He'd felt more dead than alive when he'd woken up, only to find his wings gone. //I don't want to be here!// Instinctively, Warren reached out. //REMY!//

///

"Ange!" Remy felt his lover's outcry for help and quickly covered the distance between them. Right now it didn't matter if Warren wanted the physical contact or not, fact was that Remy needed to touch Warren to strengthen the empathic link. Carefully, Remy folded his arms around Warren and pulled his lover in to a sitting position. He had to avoid one of Warren's wings, as his lover was moving about wildly. "I'm here, cher."

But his words didn't seem to reach Warren, and Remy took a deep breath before pushing through Warren's shields. //Le professeur trained dem bien!// Warren, like all X-Men, had considerable shields to keep attackers from acquiring secret information by invading his mind.

Finally inside Warren's mind, Remy mentally gasped. The darkness threatened to consume his lover. Hate and pain made up the blackness and Remy had to counteract all that negativity by focusing on his love for Warren.

"I'm here, cher," Remy repeated, slightly relieved when Warren stopped trashing in his arms. "Will protect y'. Will drive the dark 'way," he vowed passionately.

Remy realized that the darkness was strong because Warren was feeding it. Warren still hadn't completely dealt with certain events from his past and they were gaining on him. "Je t'aime, cher," he whispered and battled despair himself. How could he ever reach his lover when the darkness continued to grow stronger? //Je t'aime, cher!//

Startled, Remy almost pulled away from Warren as his fingertips began to tingle. He'd experienced this phenomena a few times before and it had usually happened when he'd prepared his lover to make love. But this time a golden glow left his fingertips and snaked over on to Warren's fingers, engulfing his lover's hand in golden light. //Mon Dieu, what's dis?//

///

Unexpected warmth invaded the surrounding darkness and Warren clung to the glow. The hospital room faded and instead a golden cloud appeared, protectively wrapping itself around him. It was a magical experience. The emotional warmth was breathtaking and Warren lost himself in the love that surrounded him. //Remy?// Was this his lover's doing? But since when did Remy possess such… power?

The love that embraced him felt extremely powerful and penetrated each hidden corner of his being. Warren unintended held his breath, afraid that when he exhaled, the glow would disappear.

The warmth made him feel safe and images of Apocalypse and Cameron Hodge drifted at the outskirts of the glow, but couldn't penetrate the protective warmth.

Warren's eyes suddenly flashed open as he awoke with a whimper. "Remy?" His lover's brow was knitted with worry. The golden glow surrounded Remy as well and seemed to connect them, making them one. A golden silhouette illuminated their bedroom. "I had a nightmare…" he whispered and cocked his head, suddenly realizing that the golden glow surrounded them completely. An emotional safety blanket had been wrapped around him.

"I couldn' reach y'," Remy mumbled apologetically. "And den dis happened!" Feeling awed at whatever *dis* was, Remy grew silent.

"I feel warm," Warren said eventually, seeing apprehension in Remy's eyes. "I feel… loved?" Warren suddenly realized that Remy's empathy had kicked in big time. Usually, he didn't *feel* Remy this intensely. "I feel…" Warren paused to search for words, "I feel your love for me?"

"Got worried when y' didn' react, ange and… didn' do dis on purpose," Remy said apologetically. "Sorry for invadin' y'r mind like dat. Only excuse I've got is dat I was really worried."

"Rem, I love the way this feels," Warren said impressed. He'd known that Remy loved him deeply, but feeling it was awe-inspiring. "You love me this much? Wow." Warren had forgotten about his nightmares now that this warmth permeated his body and mind.

"Y're not mad wit' me for plungin' into y'r mind like dat?" Remy found that he couldn't release Warren's hand. The glow was keeping their fingers twined together. "Cher? Are we stuck?"

"I don't think so, Rem," Warren said reassuringly, soaking up Remy's love and affection like a sponge. The darkness in his nightmare had been too intimidating and he needed something to battle its memory. "Maybe I'm not ready to let go yet?" he suggested.

Remy's eyes grew big. "Cher, y' don' need *me* to fight y'r nightmares. Y're de strong one."

"Oh, Rem. You're *so* wrong!" Warren exclaimed. "Don't you know that you're my strength? If it hadn't been for you I would have let those assassins murder me. You gave me a reason to live. Do you have any idea how badly I need you?"

Remy blinked. "Need *moi*?" Why did he have a hard time believing that? Warren wasn't the headcase, Remy was!

"Does this work both ways?" Warren inquired interested and twined their fingers tighter. He'd give this a shot.

"Don't know, cher," Remy admitted. "Dis is new to me too." He trembled slightly as the golden glow flashed brightly. "What are y' doin', ange?"

"Sending you my feelings."

Remy gasped at the flood of feelings that suddenly washed over him. Love, affection, adoration, need and trust touched him deeply and Remy's eyes released a single tear. "Dat's beau… souffle-prent," Remy panted softly. "Takes my breat' 'way," he added, seeing Warren's questioning expression.

"I'm ready to let go now, are you?" Warren asked in a teasing tone. Remy finally understood how deep his feelings ran for his Cajun lover.

"Oui," Remy whispered, but his actions proved differently. His fingers refused to let go of Warren's and the golden glow intensified.

"No, you're not," Warren realized and leaned in closer, bringing their hands to his chest, holding them there. He pulled Remy up onto his knees so they were level and could easily look into each other's eyes. Warren leaned forward and rested his forehead against Remy's, never breaking eye contact. "I love you, Rem. You're my life."

Remy's eyes closed briefly. The love that stared back at him was too pure. "Ange." A soft sob escaped Remy.

"Tell me," Warren encouraged his lover.

"No one ever needed me like dis."

"Stupid Cajun," Warren chided him affectionately and he pressed a chaste kiss on his lover's lips. "Want to go to sleep like this?" He wouldn't mind feeling this warmth all night long. "The golden glow is *so* you, Rem!"

Remy actually chuckled, hearing that comment. It was true though. He wasn't ready to let go. That Warren still suffered from nightmares worried Remy. "Gonna hold y'," he whispered and pulled Warren down until they lay spooned. Holding Warren close, Remy buried his face in his lover's locks. One wing closed over him, creating a safe place.

Warren smiled. The glow was still there, proving to him that his lover would keep him safe.

"Will keep de nightmares 'way," Remy promised and this time he knew that he could keep that promise.

"I wish I could do the same thing for you, Rem," Warren whispered, feeling a little sad. But the warm glow made it hard to hold on to the sadness.

"Go to sleep, cher," Remy mumbled soothingly. "No more nightmares, I promise."

Lured in to sleep by his lover's promise and the warmth, Warren closed his eyes and snuggled closer to his lover. He craved feeling Remy's naked skin against his.

"Sleep, mon amour. Will watch over y'." Remy repeated the promise until Warren had fallen asleep. "Je t'aime," he added and realized that Warren thought of Remy as the strong one. //What a joke!//

///

San Francisco

Logan watched as Jean-Luc paced their hotel room. They'd decided to travel the good old USA with some newly bought Harley Davidsons and were heading out tomorrow morning. "What's buggin' ya?"

"Remy," Jean-Luc said without hesitance. "I'm worried about Remy."

"Why? They're on their honeymoon… what could possibly go wrong?" Logan considered his own question and then shook his head. "Don't answer that one." A lot of things could go wrong. Some villains would love to get a piece of Remy and Warren. "Any particular reason why yer worried?" Logan got up from the bed on which he'd been resting and walked over to his lover.

"Just a feeling, cher," Jean-Luc replied thoughtfully. "I can't really explain it, mais dere have been times when I… somehow knew Remy was in trouble and afterwards, my instincts proved right."

"Why don't ya give Remy a call? Or send them an e-mail message? The hotel has Internet access." Logan folded one arm around his lover's waist. Even after spending weeks together, the Cajun master thief still held back, held on to little secrets. Although the trust was there, Jean-Luc was reluctant to share everything with Logan, and hell, he understood Jean-Luc! He had secrets himself!

"You said it yourself, cher. It's deir honeymoon. I don't want to intrude."

"But yer worried." Logan observed Jean-Luc, as the Cajun struggled with himself to reach a decision. "Knowin' Remy, he'll be thrilled to hear from ya."

"Mebbe I'll send a message," Jean-Luc said reluctantly. "I don't know what's wrong with me." Nervously, he moved away from Logan's touch.

"What's goin' on, Cajun?" Logan didn't like this one bit. Jean-Luc had never acted this… upset before.

Jean-Luc locked eyes with Logan, obviously frustrated that he couldn't figure it out himself. "It's driving me insane," he mumbled eventually. "I feel like something terrible is about to happen and I can't stop it."

"Do ya get these 'hunches' often?" Logan inquired, concerned.

"Maddie always thought that I could tell de future," Jean-Luc said and shook his head. "Mais dat's just mumbo jumbo. I always thought dat it was connected to Remy's charm… empathy… magic, whatever you want to call it. We always had dis connection."

Logan carefully considered his answer. "Let's find a computer or a phone." If Jean-Luc was this edgy there had to be a good reason. Something told him that Jean-Luc hadn't stayed the Guild's patriarch without having some extraordinary skills and gifts.

///

Venice

"Good mornin', cher," Remy whispered and placed a kiss on the tip of Warren's nose. He'd sneaked out of bed earlier to get the breakfast tray so they could have breakfast in bed again. "I 'ready walked Wolvie…"

Warren stretched lazily and realized that something warm and heavy covered his feet. Wolvie had climbed onto the bed again and taken his rightful spot. "You're too good to be true, Rem."

Remy smiled shyly. "Coffee or tea?"

"Coffee," Warren said decisively. "Have there been any calls from my lawyer?"

"Not yet, cher." Remy peeked at his lover. "Wanna go home today?"

"I'll call him later and then we'll see. I don't want to break off our honeymoon, love." Warren dipped his finger into the strawberry marmalade and covered Remy's lips with the sweet substance. "I'm hungry," he whispered and pulled Remy down with him. They almost knocked over the tray when Remy settled down beside Warren. Wolvie gave them an indignant stare.

Warren looked deeply into Remy's eyes. "You're blushing!" Warren said teasingly.

"Why are y' lookin' at me like… dat?" Remy whispered nervously and accepted the strawberry that Warren offered him. The kitchen staff had added a plate of various fruits this morning and Remy wondered whether Warren planned on feeding them to him. "Cher?"

"Thank you for last night, Rem," Warren said sincerely. The golden glow was gone now. "Do you have any idea what happened?"

"I was tryin' to reach y'," Remy whispered shyly and obediently ate another strawberry. "Wanna talk 'bout dat nightmare?"

"It was Apocalypse again." Warren didn't want to discuss this. The morning was way to perfect to dwell on nightmares, but he knew Remy well enough to know that his lover wouldn't give in easily. "And Cameron Hodge." Had he ever told Remy about Cameron?

Confused, Remy locked eyes with Warren. "Who?"

"We grew up together. Cameron and I were best friends, but… I never realized that he'd become a mutant hater. When the Marauders damaged my wings…" Warren caught Remy's sharp intake of breath. "Which was *not* your fault, Rem, they could have been saved."

"I don' understand," Remy admitted and frowned. He'd never asked Warren how he'd dealt with losing his wings.

"My wings could have healed," Warren continued and claimed Remy's hand, which he kissed, palm and back. "But Cameron told the doctors to amputate my wings."

"What?" Remy's cry echoed through the room. "Cher, I didn' know…"

Warren gently caressed his lover's shaking hands. "Listen, love."

Remy tried to calm down. He hadn't known that Warren's wings could have been saved.

"Cameron belongs to an organization, the Right, which is determined to destroy all mutants. Our friendship no longer means a thing to him. Not after he found out that I was a mutant." Surprised, Warren gave in as Remy wrapped both arms around him. "It's okay, love," he said reassuringly, smelling the lilies, mixed with lilacs. "None of it was your fault, you should know that by now."

"If only I'd known what Sinister was up to! I'd never have led dem into de tunnels!"

"I believe you, Rem, now calm down." Warren almost regretted telling Remy about Cameron. "I've got my wings back. It's okay, love."

Remy drew in a deep breath. "It's just dat…"

"What?"

"I love y'r wings so much…"

Warren smiled warmly. "And I love you."

"Cher," Remy gasped the word. "I know y' do, mais sometimes it's hard to believe."

"Let's finish breakfast and then I'll make that call to Vincent. Depending on its outcome we can plan the rest of the day, okay?" Warren cupped Remy's chin in the palm of his hand and waited for his lover to meet his glance. "I want to spend the rest of my life with you."

Speechless, Remy just nodded his head.

///

Remy couldn't stand it any longer. Warren had been uncharacteristically quiet all morning and was now trying to reach his family lawyer. "Cher? How y' doin'?"

"Not that great," Warren whispered honestly and then took a deep breath when Vincent, his lawyer, answered the call.

Remy tried not to eavesdrop and moved into the living area, where Wolvie gave him a curious glance. "Hey, Wolvie," Remy said absentmindedly and sat cross-legged next to Wolvie, who rolled onto his back to offer his tummy to Remy.

"Want a tummy rub?" Remy smiled, amused. Wolvie always made him feel good. An animal's mind was very different from a human's, much less complicated, and Remy obliged the canine. His long, agile fingers teasingly rubbed the wolf's tummy. A soft growl escaped Wolvie's throat. "Y' like dat, non?"

Wolvie growled a little harder and Remy continued to rub. It took his mind off Warren's problems, no *their* problems. He'd tried to support Warren, assure his lover that he'd make a good dad, but wasn't that sure of his own qualities to raise a teenager. Would he, Remy LeBeau, make a good père too? He doubted it.

Yes, Jean-Luc had been a good role model. The Cajun master thief had given Remy all he needed and more. Jean-Luc had never held back his love and had always been there for him. But could he do the same thing for a strange 15 years old boy? However, Remy knew he had to try to make this work. Jason had just lost his father and Warren was all the boy had left.

It might take them a while to show Jason that mutants didn't differ that much from 'normal humans', but how would the kid react to finding out that his uncle was gay as well and then being confronted with Remy?

His temples began to throb and a headache set it. Merde, he didn't need this right now! Unexpectedly, arms wrapped themselves around him and the sudden contact made Remy jump to his feet. The gesture brought back memories of the Antiquary, holding him in place. Panting slightly, Remy freed himself of Warren's arms. He fled in to the opposite corner of the living room, creating distance between them.

"Rem?" Startled, Warren backed down. Remy's reaction worried him and the Cajun's eyes were haunted. "Bad memory?" he whispered, hoping he'd pegged down the source of Remy's reaction. His own heart thumped heavily seeing the terror in his lover's eyes.

"Don' do dat when I can' see y'!" Remy choked out eventually. He felt angry and ashamed at the same time. Angry that Warren hadn't given him an advance warning and ashamed because he still needed that warning.

"I'm sorry, Rem. I guess I forgot." Feeling truly remorseful, Warren simply extended his hand, not touching his lover yet. "Please?"

Remy eyed the hand briefly and then clasped his fingers around it. "I'm sorry too, cher." His empathy told him that his reaction scared Warren. "I didn' hear y' come in to de room and… for one terrible moment *he* was back in here."

Warren didn't need to hear the name to know that they were talking about the Antiquary. The bastard would probably never stop haunting Remy completely, though it helped to know that Daimon had dragged the sorcerer to Hell. They'd never heard from the son of Satan again.

"I spooked you…" Warren realized. "Would you give me a hug, Rem?" Warren hoped they could deal with these momentary flashbacks.

Shyly, Remy locked eyes with Warren. How could he ever deny his lover? Slowly, carefully, he took a step closer to Warren and folded his arms around his lover. "I'm 'kay," he whispered, forcing himself to relax now that he held his lover in his arms. "What did Vincent say?" His instincts urged Remy to change the subject matter.

"The judge's going to make a decision this afternoon. Vincent will call me once he knows more."

"Where's y'r nephew now?"

"With Vincent. Kid's very upset."

"Dat's understandable, cher," Remy whispered and cherished the embrace. "I know dis is hard on y'."

"Rem?" Warren broke the embrace, took possession of his lover's right hand and guided Remy to the couch where he sat the Cajun down. "I need to tell you something."

Remy immediately picked up on Warren's nervousness and tensed. Patiently, he gave Warren the time he needed to phrase his thoughts. What was this about? Was it about him freaking out at Warren's touch earlier?

Warren noticed the apprehension in Remy's eyes. "It's about the nightmare I had last night."

Remy didn't want to feel relieved, but he did. "Y' can tell me, cher."

"Some time ago I dated a young lady. I really was in love with Candy," Warren gave Remy a shy look. Discussing former lovers had never been high on his priority list, but he had to get this off his chest. Remy had to know why seeing Cameron Hodge's face in his nightmare had freaked him out.

Remy smiled reassuringly. He didn't know much about Warren's previous lovers.

Warren returned the smile hesitantly. "Candy was the opposite of Bets and really down to Earth. I was seriously considering settling down with her when Cameron Hodge abducted her." Warren had to stop briefly, as memories rushed back into his mind.

Remy remained completely quiet, but squeezed Warren's hand reassuringly. His lover could trust him with every facet of his past.

"Cameron tortured her."

Warren's admission took Remy aback. "Ange?" Surprised, Remy noticed Warren's watering eyes. Obviously, his lover had never really dealt with what had happened to her and Remy sent Warren his love and all the reassurance he could muster that it was okay to go on, that he would be there for Warren.

"I tried to rescue Candy, but realized too late that Cameron had set me up. It was a trap and she died. Cameron killed her." Warren forced back his tears. "When I saw his face in my nightmare last night it all came back."

"Oh, cher. Don' know what to say, 'cept I'm sorry dat happened. Dat must have hurt, still hurt," Remy whispered. He didn't know how to comfort Warren, who had suffered horribly.

"I can handle it," Warren assured Remy and squeezed his lover's hand in silent reply. "I just want you to know what's going on. I don't want to have any secrets from you, Rem."

Remy leaned in closer and enfolded Warren in a tight hug. "I'm so sorry y' had to go t'rough dat, cher."

"Rem?" Warren peeked at his lover, who immediately met his eyes. "Cameron's still out there. Be careful. The bastard's immortal. You can't kill him."

"Y' t'ink he might come after me too?" Remy shivered and stored away this new information.

"I don't know. He has disappeared for now, but please watch your back? Cameron is an obsessed psychotic. He wants what I have, my money, my power and he hates my lovers."

And absurd thought crossed Remy's mind. Would Cameron hate Warren enough to stage his brother's car accident? Non, he dismissed that thought. If that were true it meant that Cameron would have gone after Jason too and the kid was alive and safe.

"What's going on in that head of yours?" Remy's expression puzzled Warren.

Remy swallowed hard. Something else had popped up in his thoughts. "Cher, can it be dat dis Cameron wants y' for himself? If he's dat obsessed wit' y', maybe he's in love wit' y' and really possessive?"

Warren blinked his eyes. "I never thought of that, Rem. As I said earlier, Cameron and I were best friends when we were kids, but I never saw anything that would indicate that he had a crush on me. Cameron hates mutants."

"I wouldn' rule it out, cher," Remy chided Warren gently. "Mebbe dis Cameron doesn' know why he feels de way he feels?"

Warren shrugged his shoulders. "I don't care about his *feelings*. I think that he's no longer capable of having any emotions. All I care about is your safety, Rem."

Remy tightened the embrace and held Warren close. "I'll be careful," he promised passionately.

Note //…// depicts thought.

Part 5

Westchester

"Scott?" Bobby frowned disapprovingly as he found Scott sitting in kitchen after midnight. "What are you doing here?" Scott never was in the kitchen at such a late hour! Concerned, he pulled up a chair and straddled it. Ever since they'd worked together to find Remy they'd grown closer.

"I couldn't sleep." Scott nursed his hot milk. "I could ask you the same thing."

"Nick woke up with a growling stomach," Bobby explained, fairly certain that Scott wouldn't make a big deal out of Nick staying the night. "Why can't you sleep?" Bobby urged Scott on, who obviously needed to talk to someone. Maybe Scott preferred to talk to him instead of Jean? Especially if this was connected to Remy.

"I just got the message that Warren's brother died unexpectedly. He leaves behind a 15 years old son." Scott sighed deeply. "Warren wrote that they'll probably have to take care of the kid."

"That was one damn short honeymoon," Bobby said regretfully. "Anything we can do?"

"Warren doesn't think so. He's still waiting for the judge's decision, but wants to return home to attend his brother's funeral." Scott sipped from his hot milk. "This couldn't have happened at a worse time."

Bobby nodded his head. "Are we gonna attend the funeral too?"

"I was thinking of going alone." Scott licked his lips. "Or do you want to come along?"

"You aren't taking Jean along?"

"No, the professor and Jean are in the midst of an experiment and she can't leave." Scott leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms in front of his chest. "You know… I still find it hard to believe that Remy's my brother. Don't get me wrong, I'm thrilled to have another brother," he explained quickly. "But there's something… disconcerting about gaining a brother who's already in his twenties. I wish we could have grown up together."

"Did you have any luck contacting Corsair yet?" Bobby got to his feet and prepared some sandwiches for Nicholas.

"No, I don't know how to reach him." Scott emptied his mug and placed it in the sink. "I'll let you know when we'll leave for the funeral."

"Okay," Bobby whispered and locked eyes with Scott. "Are you worried about Warren and Remy?"

"Not Warren, not really. He's tough. I'm more worried for Remy. He looked fragile when we talked to him in Ireland and later at the commitment ceremony he seemed to have regained some weight, but…"

"Remy's a survivor," Bobby said reassuringly. "You'll see that when we get there." Bobby picked up his plate with sandwiches and headed for the corridor. "Give him a little credit. He's a lot tougher than you think."

Scott hoped that Bobby was right.

///

Venice

"Rem, you've got mail!" Warren looked up at his lover, who sat reading on the sofa. Warren had sent Scott a message to tell him about his brother and had wanted to check his inbox when he noticed Jean-Luc's message.

Uninterested, Remy looked up from his book and locked eyes with Warren. "Who's it from, cher?"

"Your dad." Warren enjoyed seeing the change in Remy's eyes, as a sparkle appeared in them. Warren got up from behind the desk and gestured Remy to take the seat instead. "Go on, answer the man!" He felt a little better now that he'd told Remy about Candy and Cameron Hodge. But something else bothered him; the way Remy had freaked out at his unexpected touch. He had to be more careful in the future.

Remy quickly covered the distance and sat down in front of the screen. Clicking on the message, he said, "Y' don' have to go, cher. I keep no secrets from y'."

"Why don't you read it first?" Warren suggested and made himself comfortable on the couch. Wolvie sneaked closer and dropped his weight unceremoniously on Warren's feet. "What do you think you're doing?" Warren inquired and shook his head as he realized that he expected the canine to actually answer him. Yeah, like Wolvie could talk!

"He wants y' to have warm feet, cher," Remy reminded Warren. Wolvie always fell asleep at the foot end of their bed, serving as an extra quilt. Remy quickly scanned his père's message. "He wants to know if we're fine, ange." Jean-Luc also apologized for disturbing their honeymoon. Remy smiled.

But as he reread the message his merriment faded a little, noticing the worried tone of the message. Quickly, he typed his reply, assuring Jean-Luc that he was fine. Should he also tell his père that Warren's brother had died and that they were heading home soon? He decided against it for now and sent the message, hoping it would reassure Jean-Luc.

"Did y'r lawyer call yet?" Remy moved back to the couch and swallowed hard. Next, he made what he considered a very bold move. He straddled Warren and looked deeply in to his lover's eyes. "We'll leave tomorrow," he realized a little saddened.

"I'm afraid so, Rem. No matter what the judge will decide I want to attend Sam's funeral. It's the least I can do and I want to talk to Jason." Warren saw the regret in Remy's eyes. "I'm sorry, love. I don't want to leave either, but we don't have a choice. Maybe we can come back after we dealt with everything?"

"I'd like dat," Remy admitted, but then grew quiet again. He was struggling emotionally, trying to make a very difficult decision. "Want y' to make love to me."

Puzzled, Warren raised an eyebrow. "Rem, what exactly are you saying?" He was treading on dangerous grounds if he interpreted Remy's request correctly.

"Want y' to take me," Remy confirmed. "I want to take dat step."

"Do you think you're ready for that?" Warren looked thoughtfully at Rem. Yes, his lover had been relaxed enough to let one or two fingers penetrate him the last time they'd made love, but Warren doubted Remy was ready to go all the way. "I don't want you to do anything you're uncomfortable with, Rem."

"Mais I want to do it! I want to enjoy it," Remy said steadfast. "De bastard took dat 'way from me and I want it back!"

Warren still wasn't convinced. "We'll see what happens."

///

"Mon amour," Remy whispered and arched his back as Warren's tongue did incredible things to his throbbing cock. He tried hard not to think about what was to come. Remy had talked for hours, assuring Warren that he really wanted to do this and in the end, Warren had given in.

"Rem, are you sure?" Warren asked one last time as his index finger brushed Remy's prostate. It had taken a lot of time and gentleness to get Remy to relax enough to take two fingers and Warren needed this last conformation that his lover truly wanted this.

"Please take me, ange," Remy whispered, denying how scared he felt. He was on his back, legs spread wide and Warren was kneeling between them. He had to see Warren's face when they finally made love. Had to be sure that it wasn't the Antiquary touching him.

"Lift your hips, love, " Warren instructed after removing his fingers from Remy's warm body. Warren pushed a pillow beneath Remy's hips and slowly lowered his body so he covered Remy's. Carefully monitoring Remy, Warren grabbed the lube again and coated his erection with a generous amount of Wet.

Warren now faced a dilemma. Part of him couldn't wait to make Remy his, to thrust inside that hot passage, but another part urged him to stop.

"Please, cher, make me y'rs. Want dis," Remy said, as he picked up on Warren's reluctance to finally bury himself inside his lover's body. Remy tried to control the tremors that started to rock his body. "Take me!" Warren's weight pressed him down and he fought a rising panic as the blunt head of Warren's cock pressed against his entrance.

Warren carefully positioned himself and took a deep breath. Remy had wrapped his legs around Warren's waist and they didn't leave him much room to manoeuvre. "I'm going to push inside now. Don't worry, love. I won't hurt you. Just try to relax for me?" Warren never broke eye contact and saw the rising panic in the gold on black eyes. "Rem, do you want to stop?" If Remy gave the word, Warren would stop. Remy's nails buried themselves in his flesh as his cock nudged against Remy's entrance, opening his lover up. A groan left Warren's lips as he started to slide inside. He'd died and gone to heaven! "You're doing great, Rem. I love you, you know that, don't you?" Warren held his breath as he pushed passed the tight ring of muscle. He was inside; they'd taken that first step. "Love you, Rem. You…" Warren never got the chance to finish the compliment, as Remy unexpectedly convulsed beneath him.

"Get off!" Images of the Antiquary invaded Remy's mind. He remembered how the bastard had forced him onto his hands and knees and had pushed inside without warning. Feeling a similar invasion, he panicked. Warren's face changed into the Antiquary's visage and Remy reacted instinctively, freeing himself. "Get off!" A terrible agony coursed through him as his lower body exploded with remembered pain. It was happening all over again! Remy lost control and tried to throw off the heavy body that pressed him down.

Remy's shrieks alarmed Warren and he wanted to pull out immediately, but Remy used his long legs to catapult him through the room. Warren slammed hard into the wall. "Rem." His sigh flowed through the bedroom. He should never have given in to Remy's demands! Should have known that Remy wasn't ready to take this step! He should have known better!

"Get off me! Don' touch! Don' want dis!" Remy curled up and snatched the comforter, quickly covering his naked body with it. "Stay 'way…" He shook violently as memories overwhelmed him. It hurt so bad! He never wanted to feel that invasive pain again and had to protect himself.

Warren cautiously made his way back to Remy's side. His left shoulder hurt, but he locked out the throbbing pain. Consoling his lover was way more important. "Rem?" He sat down on the side of the bed, but didn't attempt to touch the Cajun. "Flashback?" His instincts told him what had happened and he blamed himself for causing this pain. He'd been way too eager to take Remy.

"Don'… hurts bad… don' touch…" Remy hid his face behind his arms, pulled his knees up to his chest and crept deeper beneath the comforter. He still shook violently and couldn't get the image of the Antiquary thrusting above him out of his mind.

"I'm not going to touch you, love," Warren assured him. His heart ached in pain, seeing Remy in such agony.

"I keep seein' him," Remy whispered in a panicked tone. "I t'ought… t'ought y' were him." Remy wasn't sure how Warren would react to that revelation and mentally prepared himself for his lover's anger.

"Rem, can you look at me? I won't touch you, but I'd like to see your eyes, please, love?" Warren wasn't above begging. He needed to make contact, *real* contact with Remy.

"Non, can' do dat." Now that the terror was growing less, shame took over. "Did I slam y' into de wall?"

"Don't worry about that. Look at me, Rem?" Remy's body visibly shook beneath the comforter. "Or do you want me to leave?"

"NON!" Remy yelped suddenly. "Don' go!"

"Rem, I'll stay," Warren quickly assured him. He grew aware of a fragrance he'd never smelled before. It was the disgusting smell of rotting flowers and it urged him on. "Rem? Love, look at me!"

Remy peeked at his lover. A wave of love, affection and worry washed over him. "Y' ain' angry?"

"Not with you," Warren assured him. "Rem, we knew this could happen." Warren decided to be completely honest. "Part of this is my fault. I shouldn't have given in. But Remy, you've got to stop pushing yourself like this!"

Remy lowered the comforter slightly. "Mais I feel dat y're mad." Remy regulated his too fast breathing and tried to calm down. He felt like a failure for freaking out on Warren in the midst of making love. He'd really wanted this!

"I'm mad with the Antiquary, what do you think?" Warren regretted his bitter tone. Remy would take it personally and think that bitterness was directed at him. He knew his lover! "Rem, I hate the bastard for what he did to you and I wish I could go to Hell and beat the crap out of him. I never wanted to intentionally hurt someone, but I want to kill him over and over again!"

Remy startled a little at Warren's vehement tone. "Mais it was moi, who… who lost it, slammed y' into de wall." He expected Warren to be irritated, maybe even angry with him.

"Remy." Warren hated to spell it out like this, but had no choice. "You're the victim. You're not to blame for what happened. The Antiquary hurt you. You should be angry with him! Please, don't take it out on yourself. Don't let the bastard win. You've got to accept that you couldn't stop him. He was stronger and you were only a child. Don't direct this anger at yourself, love." Warren raised his hand and placed it next to Remy's, not touching yet, but curled his fingers in invitation.

"I feel dirty," Remy admitted in a choked tone. "I should have done somet'in' to stop him."

"What? What could you have done? How can a small child stop a grown man? Tell me, Rem." Warren fought hard to control his rage aimed at the Antiquary. He had to be calm and in control for Remy.

"Mebbe…" Remy looked up pleadingly. "Don' know, cher." Back then, he hadn't found a way to fight the Antiquary. "De ot'er kids held me down when I fought him."

"Oh, Rem!" Warren wished he could console his lover by showering Remy's face with kisses. Although he knew the basics of what had happened back then, Remy hadn't told him the sordid details. The Cajun was still trying to deal with it on his own. "Can I ask you something, love?"

"Mais oui." Feeling a little reassured, Remy uncurled and moved onto his side so he could better look at Warren's face. However, he continued to clutch the comforter like it was a lifeline.

"Suppose I wouldn't want to go down on you because it makes me feel like I'll choke. Would you want me to go down on you anyway?" Patiently, Warren waited for Remy's answer. He noticed how Remy's fingers sneaked closer and finally curled around his.

"Non, wouldn' want dat," Remy said passionately, momentarily forgetting his own pain. "Would never want y' to do anyt'in' dat made y' uncomfortable."

"You see, Rem, that's why I don't want you to push yourself like this." Warren experimentally squeezed Remy's hand gently. "I told you this before and I'll tell you again. I love you. I don't need to penetrate you to make love to you. I don't want you to do anything that makes you uncomfortable."

During Warren's speech, Remy sat up and Warren smiled reassuringly. His lover still clutched the comforter, but the eyes were lucid again. "Listen Rem, I know it's important that you have control in bed, but I don't feel comfortable doing this. I don't want to be the reason why you have flashbacks. It's obviously way too early to try this. And I'm putting a stop to it."

Remy's heart missed a beat. Was Warren dumping him? Tears threatened to leave his eyes and he forced them back. "What are y' tryin' to say? Are y' kickin' me out of y'r life?"

"You really don't get it, do you?" Warren said stunned. "I'll *never* dump you, Remy! I just don't want to add to your pain. I don't want you to bottom again, do you understand? I'm comfortable with you being on top. Please try to understand, Rem." But Remy's response had told him a lot. His lover was still afraid that he'd eventually desert Remy.

Remy lowered his eyes. He'd completely misunderstood his lover and felt ashamed for not giving Warren any credit. "Sorry, cher."

"Stop being sorry, Rem." Warren got to his feet. It was time for a little distraction. "You promised to cook a Cajun meal each month. It’s dinner time and I'm hungry!"

Thankful for the change of subject Remy nodded his head. "Y'll get some Gumbo!"

Warren smiled warmly and released Remy's hand. "Why don't we get dressed? We can't run around naked in the hotel's kitchen!" Remy chuckled softly and Warren felt relieved. Had they mastered this crisis? He turned around to get dressed and gave Remy all the privacy his lover needed to get in to his sweats too.

Remy was relieved when Warren left him alone. He threw off the comforter and quickly slipped into some sweat pants and a long sleeved shirt. Remy sat down on the bed again and stared at his hands. He'd lost control and could have injured Warren badly. Maybe his lover was right and he should stop pushing this, at least for now. Warren seemed very content to make love in other ways and maybe he should try to accept that? But could he do that?

Damn the Antiquary for ruining his life like this. The bastard had taken away his control when he'd been a child, had taken away his ability to enjoy feeling Warren inside him. Suddenly, a rush of rage moved through him and Remy banged his right hand into the head end of the bed.

"Merde!" Remy cursed loudly. When Warren had told him that his lover was angry with the Antiquary, Remy hadn't understood. He'd been too busy directing that anger and the blame at himself, but Warren's words had released some of his own hidden anger. He almost charged the sheets with kinetic energy and barely held back. He had to get that anger back under control. An explosion in here would be disastrous.

"Rem?" Fully clothed, Warren appeared in the doorway and studied his lover. The anger on Remy's face was a welcome sight and he knew what to do. "Put on your socks and shoes. I'll get your coat."

Confused, Remy looked up at Warren. "Why?" Tremors shook his body and Remy tried hard not to fall apart in front of Warren.

"We're going flying and find ourselves a nice deserted place where you can let go of that anger." Warren studied his lover carefully. It was time that Remy let go of some of the pain and rage that had been locked up for too many years.

///

"Well, Rem. We're here," Warren said, pleased and gestured at the deserted pastures. "Want to charge something?" Warren handed his lover a deck of cards.

Remy stared at the cards suspiciously. "Cher, I never…" He always tried hard to control his rage, afraid to hurt someone accidentally.

"Take them," Warren insisted and took hold of Remy's hand. He didn't want to startle his lover unnecessarily and moved slowly. "You know you're angry with him. Remember that night in Ireland when you threw your charged cards into the lake?"

"Oui." Remy accepted the deck of cards and stared at them. "It's true, y' know. I'm angry."

"And you've kept it inside for all these years. It's okay to let go, love."

Remy fumbled the cards in his hand. Warren shouldn't encourage him like this. "*I* messed up, ange. *I* can' deal wit' dis."

"Remy," Warren said softly and pushed a stray lock behind Remy's right ear. His lover didn't flinch and Warren felt encouraged. "You were a child. A small child! He had no right to touch you!" His anger flared as he said those words. "The bastard shouldn't have raped you!"

The card in Remy's hand began to glow. //Ange's right. I was only a chile. I didn' know what was happenin'… I couldn' fight him!// Tears flowed down his cheeks as the emotions refused to be caged any longer. Maybe being an empath was the reason why they'd remained caged for so long. He'd repressed them, had pretended they didn't exist and that they had no right to break loose. "I hate him!"

"Yes, I know you do. I hate him too." Concerned, Warren watched as the kinetic charge continued to build. "You should throw that card before it blows us up, love."

Remy reacted sluggishly and threw the card, which exploded in mid-air.

Worried that it had taken Remy so long to throw the card, Warren asked, "You don't want to blow yourself up, Remy, do you?" When he didn't get an answer, Warren cupped Remy's chin in the palm of his hand, forcing his lover to look up at him. "Do you?"

His mouth had gone dry and Remy stared helplessly into Warren's eyes. "Dere was a time when… when I t'ought like dat."

"Do you still?" Warren held his breath. He'd never expected this admission.

"Non," Remy whispered softly. "Non, don' think like dat any longer. Want to be wit' y', cher and… y're right. I should blame him and not me. I was just a chile, right?"

Remy's pleading eyes locked with his and Warren nodded his head once. "Yes, you were just a child." Fascinated, he watched as the deck of cards began to glow. "Are you ready to let go of some anger?"

"Oui, cher," Remy mumbled and charged the deck with kinetic energy. "He should have kept his hands to himself!"

Warren approved of Remy's sudden vehement tone. "Yeah, that's true."

"I hate him," Remy sobbed as tears of relief and anger fought for dominance. "He…" Remy looked to Warren for support. Saying the words was hard.

"It's okay, Rem. Say it."

"He raped me… and… told me I was to blame," Remy bit his lower lip. "He told me lies." After uttering those last words, he let the cards fly from his fingers and they exploded before hitting the earth.

"Do you feel better?" Warren asked after giving Remy a moment to compose himself. The tremors had weakened and the rivulet of tears was growing less. Daffodils, Warren distinctly smelled daffodils. "Rem?"

"I feel better," Remy said absentmindedly. "Felt liberatin' to say it 'loud." He was focused inward and tried to make sense of what he was feeling. "Would y' hold me?" Remy asked hesitantly.

"Are you sure you can deal with that?" Warren didn't want to repeat past mistakes.

"Oui, cher."

It was the expression in Remy's eyes that convinced Warren that wrapping his arms around his lover was okay. Moving slowly, giving Remy time to adjust to his presence, Warren first folded one and then another arm around Remy's shoulders.

Remy leaned in closer and rested his head against Warren's chest. "Y' really must love me to put up wit' dis." Feeling emotionally drained, Remy drew in a deep breath. "Je t'aime, Warren."

"Crazy Cajun." Remy didn't call him Warren that often and he understood its significance. "I really love you, Remy LeBeau."

"Can we go back to de Palazzo now?" His knees almost gave out on him and Remy clung to Warren for support. He hadn't charged anything in a long time and the sudden kinetic release had drained him. Finally letting out his anger had taken away the rest of his energy.

"Sure, we'll fly back. Hold on, love." Warren placed one hand beneath his lover's knees and his other below Remy's back. Lifting him from the ground, Warren spread his wings and took to the air. As he looked down at Remy, he whispered, "Close your eyes, Rem. I can see you're tired."

"Don' wanna fall 'sleep on y'," Remy objected, but his eyes slipped shut nonetheless. Admitting his anger felt good; liberated that part of him that still felt like the child the Antiquary abused. He felt complete now; like he'd kept the child that he'd once been locked away. All these feelings confused him and he listened to the beating of Warren's wings, which always soothed him.

Warren pulled Remy close to his chest and realized that his lover was falling asleep. He hoped that getting Remy to release some of that anger had been the right thing to do.

///

Warren landed gently at the back of the Palazzo and carried Remy inside. His lover was still soundly asleep and Warren intended to keep it that way. But Remy stirred in his arms and Warren realized his lover was about to wake up. "Stay asleep, love."

Sleepily, Remy opened his eyes and wondered why he was floating in the air. Then he realized that he was in Warren's arms and that his lover was carrying him inside. "Can walk, cher."

"I know that. I just love carrying you like this, Rem." Warren smiled brightly and placed a single kiss on Remy's brow. "Why don't you try to go back to sleep, love?"

"Don' wanna have nightmares," Remy objected, barely audible. His eyes refused to stay open and his head lolled back to rest against Warren's chest. Maybe he didn't have much of a choice.

"Open the door for me?" Warren asked, now that Remy was awake anyway. Remy obeyed and Warren carried his lover into the bedroom. "Your eyes are closing again," he said, slightly amused. "Don't fight it. Your body's trying to tell you something."

Remy curled up and allowed Warren to cover him with the comforter. "Will y' stay close, cher?"

"Sure. I'll be in the living room. I need to make a few calls." He still had to check on the preparations for Sam's funeral and the judge's decision. "Just call me should you need something, love."

"Merci, cher," Remy whispered, already dozing off.

Remy's fingers clawed the comforter and Warren doubted that Remy would go back to sleeping naked at his side in the near future. That was okay with him because he understood. During these last few hours he'd seen how vulnerable Remy was.

"Sleep tight, my angel," Warren whispered and kissed Remy's brow one last time.

///

Warren headed into the living room, picked up the phone and dialed his lawyer's number. Vincent answered at once. "Vince, it's me, Warren. I want an update."

"The judge awarded you custody of Jason. You're his legal guardian now."

Mentally, Warren cursed. "Vince, I don't know a thing about raising a teenager!"

"You're the only family he has left," Vince reminded him.

"Where's Jason now?"

"Back at my place. Jason was in the car when the accident happened. He saw Sam die." Vince took a deep breath. "He'll be a handful."

Warren sat down. He hadn't known that Jason had seen his father die. "Does he know that he'll live with me from now on?"

"I still need to tell him."

Warren heard the cautious tone in Vincent's voice. "Let me guess. The kid hates mutants?"

"Sam passed his dislike of mutants on to his son. Jason won't be thrilled to live with you, but I'll do my best to explain things to him."

"We're leaving for Florida in the morning," Warren informed his lawyer. "We'll attend the funeral and take Jason home with us."

"How does your partner feel about this?" Vincent inquired.

"Remy's not doing that great. Vince, I need you to take care of some things."

"What can I do for you?"

"I want to change my last name to LeBeau. Do you think you can take care of the legalities?"

Vince whistled through the phone. "I'll look in to it. I'll call you once I know more. Do you want to give Remy power of attorney?"

"Yes. I want him to have full access to my bank accounts and I also want him to have authority to decide what to do should I ever get critically injured."

"I'll find a way to organize it," Vince promised. "What do you want me to tell Jason?"

"Tell him that Remy and I'll take care of him." Warren took a deep breath. This would be hard on all three of them. Jason didn't want to live with them, Remy was still battling his demons and he was caught in the middle of it all.

Note //…// depicts thought.

Part 6

Venice

Warren sat upright in bed and studied Remy, who was still soundly asleep. Remy had fallen asleep after they'd gotten back and hadn't woken since. It pleased Warren that his lover had slept for that many hours undisturbed. He'd expected Remy to suffer from nightmares, but thankfully they'd left him alone.

His fingers gently caressed Remy's locks and Warren sighed. They had to leave in 4 hours and after they had arrived in Florida they would attend Sam's funeral.

"Oh Rem," he whispered softly, careful not wake his lover yet. "What am I going to do with you?" Remy's panicked reaction yesterday had stunned Warren. He'd been fairly confident that Remy had been pushing himself and wasn't ready to be penetrated, but Warren had never expected to be slammed into the wall! Warren made up his mind. He wouldn't allow Remy to bottom again in the near future. Maybe in six months, or a year, when his lover had had some time to get to terms with everything that had happened.

"Ange?"

Remy's sleepy voice pulled Warren from his musings. "Hello there, sleeping beauty," he whispered and placed a gentle kiss on Remy's lips. "How are you feeling today?"

"'Kay," Remy whispered and fully opened his eyes. Everything that had happened last night was kind of blurry, but he clearly remembered throwing Warren off when they'd made love and he still felt bad about that. Yes, Warren had assured him that everything was fine again, but the doubt continued to eat away at him. "Can I ask y' somet'in'?"

"Sure." Warren moved until he was on his side, facing his lover. He was no longer touching Remy, leaving his lover to take the initiative… or not.

"What did y' mean when y' said y' didn’ want me to bottom 'gain?" This had been bugging Remy since last night. He didn't want to assume he knew what Warren had meant since he'd misunderstood Warren badly when he'd thought that his lover was dumping him. He'd ask questions instead.

Warren expected that question. "No more pushing yourself for *at least* 6 months. Do we agree on that? You need some time to deal with everything and I need to get over the… fear of hurting you like that again."

Confused, Remy sat up and looked at his lover. "Fear? Y' didn' hurt me."

"Because we tried to make love in that certain way you had a flashback. That… scares me. I don't want to hurt you." Warren leaned into the touch as Remy's fingers caressed his face. "I love you too much to take such risks."

Remy caressed Warren's brow and let his fingers slide into the mane of golden locks. "Y' really don' mind bein' on de receivin' end all de time?" he asked nervously. "I just don' understand how y' can enjoy it."

"Rem, the next time we make love, open your shields completely and try to feel what I feel?" Warren looked Remy in the eyes as he sat up. "When you're inside me, it feels amazing. I feel like being a part of you when we make love."

Shyly, Remy nodded his head. "Merci, cher."

"Now, why don't you take a shower, eat breakfast and get dressed? We've got to leave in 4 hours. We have to be on time for Sam's funeral."

"Mais oui, cher," Remy replied quickly and pushed back the comforter. "I went to bed fully clot'ed?" he realized, surprised.

"Yes, you were asleep when we got back and I didn't know if you'd feel comfortable with me undressing you in your sleep." Warren watched as Remy got to his feet. Remy swayed a little.

Remy considered Warren's words and then walked over to his lover's side of the bed, where he kneeled. Warren looked him in the eyes. "Cher, it wasn' y', y' understand? I… loved de way y' touched me, even… down dere," Remy whispered and a blush spread over his face. "Mais den I saw… his face and… I lost it."

"Me pushing inside triggered it?" Warren opened his arms. Remy quickly moved into them and Warren rested his chin on top of Remy's head.

"'fraid so," Remy mumbled against Warren's chest. "And y' may be right."

"About what?" Warren kissed a strand of Remy's hair.

"Dat I'm not ready yet to… let y' take me," Remy whispered barely audible. "Mebbe y're right and we shouldn' try 'gain for de next few mont's and… I feel relieved dat y' suggested it. Takes 'way de pressure." Remy was afraid to look up and firmly closed his eyes. "Are y' really 'kay wit' dis?"

"More than okay," Warren assured him and soothingly stroked Remy's back. "We're not going to try again for some time. I really think that's the best thing to do."

Remy nodded his head. "Je t'aime, cher. Sorry for bein'…"

"Don't dare to apologize for needing time to recover, love!" Warren said firmly. "You can have all the time you need."

Remy broke the embrace and finally made eye contact with Warren. "Cher, am hungry."

"Want to eat breakfast first and shower later?" Warren suggested and pulled Remy to his feet. "Let's go into the kitchen and plunder it!"

Remy released the breath he'd been holding and followed Warren into the corridor. //Am goin' to be stron' for y' from now on! No more tests, no more breakdowns. Je t'aime, cher!//

///

Florida

"I don't care what the judge says! I refuse to live with him!" Stubbornly, Jayce glared at Vincent. "He's a mutant!"

Exasperated, Vincent tried to talk some sense into the kid. "Listen, Jason…"

"It's Jayce!"

"Listen, Jayce," Vincent tried again. "Warren's a good person. You shouldn't judge without knowing him. You only know what your father told you and Sam was prejudiced."

"Don't talk about my dad like that!" Jayce got to his feet and faced Vincent. His ash blond locks danced on his shoulders and his eyes shot fire. "My dad just died! You could show a little respect!"

"It's the truth," Vincent replied determinedly. "Kid, you know I'm sorry that he died. Sam was a good friend." He'd been Sam's lawyer for years. "But you need someone to look after you."

"I don't *need* anyone!" Jayce glared at Vincent. "You could have given me an allowance so I can take care of myself." Accusation and bitterness colored his tone. He stalked over to the window and straightened out the dark suit he was wearing. They'd leave in a few minutes to attend his father's funeral.

"You know Sam's will," Vincent pointed out to the boy. "You can't get to the money until you're 21. That's 6 more years." Vincent studied Jayce and wondered what was really going on in the kid's head. Jayce showed a lot of anger, but didn't seem to mourn his father's death much. //Which is understandable… in a way.//

Sam had sent Jason to boarding school when the boy had been 5. It had taken Vincent some effort to find a school that was willing to take in a boy that young. Jason had only spent the holidays at home and even then Sam hadn't been around much. It was safe to say that Jason never had a chance to really get to know his father… or his uncle.

"Warren's prepared to look after you." Vincent knew he also had to tell the kid about Remy and was working towards it.

"And after two days he'll send me back to Saint Andrew's, so what's the big deal?" Actually, he wanted to go back to school. At least there he'd get some peace and quiet and maybe, he'd be able to get the picture out of his mind of his father dying strapped to the seat inside the burning Mercedes.

Jayce had really been looking forward to this vacation. His father had promised to take him places, maybe even take him to Europe to introduce him to some business partners and then the accident had happened. His father's screams still echoed in his head. Why had he survived and why did his father have to die? He hadn't known his dad at all! Angrily, Jayce wiped away the tears that spilled from his eyes and he aimed that anger at Vincent instead. "What?"

"I doubt he'll send you back to school that quickly. Warren wants to get to know you."

"Why?" Jayce stalked a little closer. A terrible anger raged deep inside him.

"I know Warren. He'll want to look after you personally."

Jayce raised a questioning eyebrow. "Why would he want to do that? Doesn't he know I can't stand him?" His father had told him about mutants, that they threatened the 'normal' humans and that they had to stop mutants from gaining the upper hand.

Vincent decided to tell Jayce everything. "Warren and Remy just got married. They were on their honeymoon when Sam died and they…"

"Remy," Jayce whispered thoughtfully. "Isn't that a man's name?" His eyes turned into suspicious slits. "Warren's a faggot too?"

"Don't you dare use that word in my presence, Jason Worthington!" Vincent was losing his patience with the kid. He'd been willing to put up with a lot because of the trauma that Jason had suffered, but he couldn't tolerate this. "Warren's in love with a man, that's it. I don't want to hear that word again!"

"A fucking faggot… well, it takes two faggots to fuck," Jayce stated in a malicious tone.

Vincent could only stare at the 15 years old boy. Where had Jason picked up such language? Surely not at the exclusive boarding school where Sam had sent his son.

"Is his bitch a mutie too?" Delighted, Jayce registered the shock on the lawyer's face. Hell, it felt good to get the anger out of his system!

"Go to your room, young man." Vincent was dumbstruck. He didn't have any kids and wasn't sure how to react. "You better not repeat that in front of Warren or Remy. Get the hell out."

If looks could kill, Vincent would have been dead by now. Jayce's eyes possessed a poisonous expression. "This isn't over yet," Jayce announced victoriously as he marched out of the living room. Being honest with himself, he knew he was taking out his anger on the wrong person, but there was no one else around.

He slammed his bedroom door hard behind him and flung himself onto the bed. He hated this room, which wasn't even his. It was just Vincent's guest room and it stung that he'd never had his own room. At school he had to share with the other boys. "All I ever wanted was a home."

And that was the one thing Samuel Worthington had never given his son, a home. Sam had always been traveling, conducting business and had rarely remembered his son. Jayce suspected that his father resented him because his birth had resulted in his mother's death.

Jayce sneaked his hand into his traveling bag and uncovered the only picture he owned of his mother. Margaret had been a beautiful woman and he'd inherited her features and her eyes. Maybe that was why Sam had found it difficult to spend time with him.

Now he was an orphan and an uncle he'd never known had been awarded custody. Rebelling against that decision he clenched his mother's picture in his hand. "I don't need him to look after me. I can take care of myself!" He wasn't going to make things easy on Warren and planned on manipulating his uncle so Warren would sent him back to Saint Andrew's. He wanted Warren out of his life!

Staring at his mother's image, he wondered why he'd reacted so viciously when Vincent had reminded him of the fact that Warren was a mutant. Although his father had tried to install a similar hate in him, Jayce didn't really believe that all mutants were evil. But he'd known better than to openly contradict his father. Sam had been really fanatic when he'd talked about eradicating mutants. His dad had even joined an organization called 'The Right' to support their cause. His father's fanaticism had made him weary and he didn't trust 'The Right' at all.

But the thing that had shocked him most was learning that his uncle was living a male lover, he'd even married the man! Gays made him feel uncomfortable for several reasons. And now he was supposed to live with a gay couple? No way! Never! He'd either find a way to push them apart or to force them to send him back to Saint Andrew's, but he refused to live with them!

"Jayce? It's time to go."

Jayce sighed, hearing Vincent's voice. "I'll be with you in a moment."

"And watch your mouth at the funeral. Show you've got some manners," Vincent instructed, still worried that the boy had been so vicious when he'd learned that Warren loved a man.

"I'll try," Jayce promised as he opened the bedroom door. "After all, it's my father's funeral. I don't want to cause a scene."

Vincent shook his head as the boy descended the stairs. He didn't envy Warren and Remy who'd have to deal with this prejudiced youngster.

///

"Remy!" Scott quickly walked over to his brother, slightly alarmed by the expression in Remy's eyes. Something felt wrong. "Are you okay?" After exchanging a look with Warren, who nodded his approval, Scott pulled Remy aside. "Bobby, go talk to Warren. I need a moment alone with Remy," Scott instructed.

Bobby noticed Remy's paleness too and didn't object. He moved towards Warren who seemed to hold up pretty well. Warren was dressed in black, like Remy, but seemed in a better mental shape. "Warren," Bobby extended his hand. "I'm sorry about your brother."

Warren accepted and shook Bobby's hand, while keeping one eye on Remy and Scott. "Bobby, I didn't expect to see you and Scott here."

"Scott wanted to pay his respects and talk to Remy. Scott's worried." Bobby watched as a number of people he didn't know offered Warren their condolences, which his friend politely accepted.

Softly, Warren replied, "Remy's not doing that great. I wish I could keep him away from all this. He doesn't need it right now."

"That bad?" Surprised, Bobby looked Warren in the eyes. "Aren't you guys working out? I thought…"

"It's not about Remy and me. We're fine. It's his past. Remy… " Warren chose his words carefully, as Bobby didn't know about the Antiquary. "Remy suffered some abuse when he was a child."

"I didn't know that," Bobby admitted and watched Scott and Remy talk. Well, it was Scott who did most of the talking.

"Remy, are you sure you're all right?" Only now that he was up close, Scott noticed the beginning dark circles beneath Remy's eyes. "Are you getting enough sleep?"

Remy cursed privately. He'd always feared that he might have to tell Scott bits and pieces from his youth, but this wasn't the right time to make those revelations. But it didn't seem like Scott would stop asking questions soon. Remy quickly looked at Warren, his eyes begging his lover to give them some privacy.

Warren picked up on it. "Let's move over there." Bobby followed him, and so did the people who still wanted to offer their condolences. Scott and Remy stood alone and no one could eavesdrop on them. Warren continued to watch his lover.

"Scott?" Remy hesitantly placed his hand on his brother's arm to stop Scott from talking. "Need to tell y' somet'in'." Remy quickly made sure that no one was listening in and then continued. "Didn' live wit' Jean-Luc my entire chilehood."

Scott had grown quiet, seeing the serious expression on Remy's face. The black suit only stressed the Cajun's paleness. "Remy, what are you talking about?" He didn't know much about Remy's past, but he saw the pained look on his brother's face and prepared for the worst.

"Before Jean-Luc took me in I lived wit' an… evil man, who… hurt me." Admitting the truth would always be hard on Remy. "De memories came back to haunt me."

"Who is this bastard?" Scott hissed between gritted teeth. The thought that someone had hurt Remy when he'd been a child was unbearable. He was Remy's big brother and should have protected his sibling. It stung even more that he'd never known that Remy had suffered in his youth like that. None of this was in Gambit's file!

"He's…" Remy wondered how to phrase this. Had Daimon killed the Antiquary or was the old sorcerer still alive in Hell? "Out of y'r reach," he said eventually. "He paid for his cruelty," Remy assured Scott.

"Is there something, anything, I can do to help?" Scott desperately wanted to make things up to his brother.

"Means a lot to me dat y'r attendin' de funeral," Remy whispered. "It's good to see a familiar face in dis crowd."

"The service is about to start, love," Warren said after walking over to his lover. He claimed Remy's hand and rubbed his lover's knuckles. "Are you up to it? Otherwise Scott here can…"

"I can deal wit' it," Remy assured him and shook himself from his musings. He focused on the present and asked, "Did y' find Jason yet?"

Scott recognized the name. Jason was Samuel Worthington's son, the kid Remy and Warren were going to take care of. That wouldn't be easy on the two men, who had no experience with raising kids.

"Yes, and he didn't look too happy to see me. He's with Vincent." Warren had kept his distance so far, not wanting to cause a scene at his brother's funeral. He'd address Jason after their guests had departed.

"I still hate dat image inducer," Remy whispered. Warren appeared perfectly normal. The blue skin, which Remy found so exotic, was gone and the magnificent wings had vanished from sight.

Warren gently squeezed Remy's hand. "Let's get moving. We should try to find a place in the front of the church." Warren had wanted to make a remark similar to Remy's. His lover was wearing special contacts so the gold on black eyes wouldn't create a commotion. The brown eyes that stared back at him were completely out of place.

"Would you stay close to Remy?" Warren asked Scott and Bobby who were walking behind them.

"Of course," both men said simultaneously.

///

Jayce closely observed his uncle, who looked *surprisingly* human, but he knew better. He'd once seen his uncle in flight. Yes, Warren Worthington was a mutant. His eyes drifted to the man at his uncle side. //His lover!// Jayce thought, disgusted. //They're even holding hands in church!// Taking in Remy's appearance, Jayce felt slightly envious of the man's good looks, but then reminded himself that the man was gay. He had to be careful around them.

Warren squeezed Remy's hand and Jayce's eyes narrowed. His uncle could show Samuel Worthington some respect by not caressing his lover during this funeral! Enraged, he bit his lower lip and his hands turned into clenched fists.

Suddenly, his uncle's lover's eyes locked with his and Jayce defiantly glared back. //Don't try to play your mind games with me. I know what you are, faggot.// Jayce no longer paid any attention to the priest and simply stared hard at Remy. //You're just after his money. I bet you let uncle Warren fuck you each night! You get onto all fours and in return you live a life in luxury!//

At Saint Andrew's a steady amount of rumors always circulated the dorms. They were about senior students that hit on the younger and more vulnerable ones. He vividly remembered Carl, an 18 years old student, who was always there when the new kids arrived. Jayce shivered, remembering how Carl had seemingly judged the new boys, as if he were picking out his favorite meat at the buffet. Certain rumors refused to die. Most of them were about Carl, who had tried, and on some occasions succeeded, to molest the younger boys. Carl always prided himself on getting the younger kids to go along with his perversities and Jayce and his friends had decided to keep a close eye on the new kids when they arrived.

Jayce had stayed at Saint Andrew's during one of the shorter holidays. His dad had told him to stay at the school, as Sam would be in Europe most of the time. One late evening Jayce had felt like taking a shower before going to bed and he'd headed for the dorm's showers when he'd heard a shriek filled with terror. He'd started to run and soft whimpers had guided his way. When he'd reached the dressing room, he found that Carl had manoeuvred one of the new boys onto his hands and knees. Carl was rubbing the kid's ass and Jayce hadn't hesitated. He'd knocked Carl off his feet and they'd fought. Both had walked away with bruises and black eyes. After Carl had fled, Jayce had returned to the boy, who couldn't have been older than 11 and had tried to calm the kid down.

Later, he'd filed a complaint against Carl and had demanded that the dean looked into the matter. But Carl's dad was a wealthy politician and the man had used his connections to transfer Carl to another school. Later, Jayce had heard that the kid who had been assaulted had dropped all charges. When he'd asked the boy why, the kid had told him that Carl had threatened to finish what he'd started.

And so Jayce's distrust, even hatred of gays was born.

Remy fitted Jayce's profile of a gay who was playing mind games with a straight man. Remy also struck Jayce as an opportunist. Jayce didn't like this Remy one bit and was determined to open his uncle's eyes. Maybe that once the fag was out of the way, his uncle would return to dating girls and in that case, Jayce might reconsider living with Warren. His mind set, he broke eye contact with Remy and concentrated on the priest again.

///

Remy shivered and Warren glanced at his lover. He couldn't really speak up right now, as the priest had requested a moment of silence and he hoped that rubbing Remy's fingers would comfort his lover.

Remy quickly nodded his head to assure Warren that he was fine, but he wasn't. He'd raised his shields to keep out the emotions from the grieving crowd, but found himself unable to shut out one particular person; Jason.

Warren had pointed the boy out to Remy and he'd studied Jason ever since. The boy was about 5 foot 5 and had curly, fair hair. The brown eyes almost looked black. Jason was dressed in a black suit and sat obediently beside Vincent, but the kid's expression unnerved Remy. He sensed an immense amount of anger in the kid's mind. Anger that was mixed with sadness and a strange sense of solitude, which Remy couldn't figure out. Jason seemed alone in this gigantic crowd and Remy wondered what kind of father Samuel Worthington had been.

Jason's anger got to him and he almost felt nauseous. He raised his shields to the maximum and still that terrible anger clawed at his defenses. Remy suddenly felt very apprehensive. Jason would be around for a long time and he better get used to the kid's presence.

///

Finally, the priest told the bearers to carry the casket to its last resting place and the crowd stirred. Warren used that moment to check on his lover. "Remy? You're trembling!"

Remy told Warren a white lie. "It's deir emotions, cher. Too many people." He didn't want Warren to know that it was Jason who was making him this uncomfortable.

"I should have known." Warren chided himself for his thoughtfulness. The fragrance of lilies clung to Remy. Scott and Bobby gave Warren a concerned look, but Warren signaled them that everything was under control.

The crowd followed the priest and came to a stop when the casket was lowered into the earth.

"Ashes to ashes, dust to dust…" were the only words Remy caught, as he sensed Jason's eyes on him. The boy stood next to the grave, eyes narrowed and teeth bared. Remy almost bolted, feeling the hostility in Jason's mind. Why was it aimed at him?

///

"We should get acquainted with Jason," Warren said as the crowd left the graveside. Only Vincent, Jason, Scott, Warren and Remy remained behind.

Bobby left because he wanted to call Nick and he also realized that Scott could handle anything that came their way. //Remy and Scott are brothers. Scott's entitled to stay.//

"Cher… mebbe I should stay here and y' should talk to him first?"

"Remy? You've been trembling all through the funeral, what is it?" Concerned, Warren probed Remy's eyes. //You're keeping back.//

"I can keep an eye on Remy if you want to talk to Jason alone," Scott offered.

"No, let's do this now," Warren said determinedly and nudged Remy forward.

Remy took a deep breath and composed himself. With every step that brought him closer to Jason, the sinister feelings increased. He hoped he wouldn't throw up, as the anger sent his stomach into convulsions.

"Jason? Maybe you remember me? I'm your uncle, Warren." Warren extended his hand. "I'm sorry about your dad."

Jayce considered his next move carefully. He accepted Warren's hand and shook it. He refused to look at his uncle's lover. "Uncle Warren."

"Jason, this is Remy, my life partner." Warren held his breath, seeing the sudden loathing in the kid's eyes.

Remy offered Jason his hand as well, but the boy demonstratively crossed his arms in front of his chest, refusing the contact. Remy cringed, emotionally suffering as Jason's hate slammed into him. What had he done to deserve such anger?

Jayce simply ignored Remy and looked at Warren instead. "I demand you send me back to Saint Andrew's."

Privately, Scott seethed with anger. How did the kid dare to ignore Remy like that?

Warren felt torn between getting angry and feeling sorry for Jason. He didn't want to aggravate the situation now that they were still in public. He'd sort out this mess once they got home. "Why don't we discuss this later? I'm sure you need some time to deal with your father's death."

"I can do that at school," Jayce replied, formally. He refused to live with a gay couple. Maybe if he got Remy out of the picture? The man looked shocked; good.

"Remy and I discussed this and we would like you to stay with us for some time." Warren tried again, but a sinking feeling descended onto his stomach. Jason seemed stubborn and incredibly rude.

"Respectfully, uncle. I don't want to live with you." Jayce remained calm and in control.

"Why's that?" Warren wondered if he wanted to learn the answer. But it was too late. He'd asked the question.

"I refuse to live with you as long as… *he* is there too." Jayce cocked his head and pointed a finger at Remy. "You should know that he's only after your money, uncle."

Remy's heart thumped loudly, hearing those words. "Scott? Get me outta here," he whispered softly. He could no longer handle Jason's negative emotions.

"Sure, Remy. Come on, let's move." Scott pulled Remy along and they walked towards the car park where Warren's chauffeur was waiting to take them home.

"I told you to behave!" Vincent exploded suddenly. He'd waited until Remy was out of hearing range.

Warren stared at his nephew. "What's wrong with you? Remy's family!"

"Your family perhaps, but not mine. He's only after your money!" Jayce felt fairly confident that he'd succeed in tearing their relationship apart. However, he didn't know yet how far he could go with Warren and decided to be careful. "My dad always told me not to trust mutants and look at you. You're a mutant and gay! Guess my old man was right about you. Is *he* a mutant too?"

Warren barely managed to keep his anger in check. "I don't know what's going on with you, but I don't tolerate that kind of prejudiced behavior. You'll apologize to Remy the moment we get home…" Warren turned around to follow Remy, but then reconsidered. "And you're grounded for one week. No TV, no other privileges. You'll stay in your room."

"You're not my dad! You can't do that to me!" Infuriated, Jayce glared at Warren.

"You're right. I'm not your dad, but the judge made me your legal guardian and believe me, right now I wish he'd never made that decision." Warren looked at Vincent. "Do me one more favor? Make sure he gets to the ranch and accompany him to his room?" Vincent nodded and Warren added, "And later on, I wish to talk to you privately."

"Consider it done," Vincent replied and told Jayce to get moving.

Jayce shot Warren a dark, menacing glance. This wasn't over yet!

Part 7

Worried, Warren joined Scott and Remy in the parking lot. From the corner of his eye, he caught Jayce's stubborn expression as the boy protested Vincent's order to get into the car. Ignoring the kid for now, Warren headed for his lover.

Remy and Scott stood next to the car and Warren easily noticed the tremors that rocked Remy's body. Jason's rejection and rudeness had hit his lover hard. At times, the empathy must feel like a curse to Remy and Warren was glad he didn't have this particular gift. He wasn't sure he'd be able to deal with it.

Warren didn't understand why Jason had been so rude and obnoxious. He wanted to be really, *really* mad with the kid, but couldn't. Jason had just lost his father and probably felt lost and angry, taking it out on the people closest to him. But it was no excuse to treat Remy like that and he'd talk to the boy later. He didn't tolerate such behavior.

"Rem?" Warren observed his lover for a long moment and then wrapped one arm around the Cajun's waist. "I'm sorry, love. I don't know what got in to Jason."

Remy locked eyes with Warren. Scott's hand still rested on Remy's shoulder and it soothed him to have his brother close. Scott had calmed him down and managed to get him focused again. Without Scott's coaching Remy might have lost control over his emotions. "He's angry, cher. So angry."

"Yes, I realized that too. But why? Why is he so angry with you?"

Remy sighed. "Wish I knew, cher. Ain' a telepat', remember?" Remy felt secure as Scott gently squeezed his shoulder. Scott still surprised him. Remy'd had never really gotten to know Scott Summers and was eager to make up for it. He wanted to spend time with his brother, but now that Jason had appeared on the scene, that would have to wait.

"What are you doing to do? Jason will probably continue to verbally attack Remy," Scott remarked. "I might not be a parent, but I like to think I helped the professor raise some of the younger mutants. Jason's going to make it very hard on the two of you. Why don't you just send him back to school? That's what he wants and it'd solve your problems."

"I'm tempted to do just that," Warren admitted through gritted teeth.

"Non, cher," Remy objected. Now that the car with Jason in it was gaining distance his empathy no longer picked up the kid's anger and Remy released a choked breath. "He's hurtin' for a reason, ange. If we send him back, de anger will continue to grow. It'll poison his mind."

Warren shook his head. "Remy, we should send him back to Saint Andrew's." His first encounter with Jason had discouraged him. Warren wanted to focus on Remy's healing process and this little brat wasn't going to ruin things for them.

"Listen, cher," Remy said firmly and looked into Warren's eyes. "De chile just lost his fat'er and den discovers y've got a male lover. I can't blame him for freakin' out. Give him a chance."

"Remy, he blatantly ignored you, demanded you left!" Warren shook his head in disbelief. Why was his lover defending the brat?

"Ange," Remy whispered. He was in control of his emotions again, but kept his shields up. "He's angry and I'm an easy target. If y' let him get 'way wit' it, he'll pull dis on ot'er people too. Den he'll never learn. We've got to set him straight."

"One week," Warren said determinedly. "I'll give him one week. If he doesn't clean up his act, he's gone."

Remy nodded his head. "D'accord. He exchanged a glance with Scott, who looked at him questioningly. "Scott?" Remy congratulated himself on the fact that he no longer had the tendency to call his brother Cyke. It surprised him that Scott was so supportive and defensive. Remy still remembered the angry expression in Scott's eyes when he'd told his brother about the abuse he'd suffered.

"I hate to say this, but you're probably right, Remy. It looks like the boy needs a firm hand." Scott grew quiet briefly, but his hand didn't leave Remy's shoulder. He'd been able to help his brother and it felt good, but now… "I hate to say this even more, but Bobby and I've got to return to Westchester."

"I understand," Remy assured him, still surprised that Scott had turned up to attend the funeral. Scott seemed to take his brotherly obligations very seriously. "Merci for comin'," Remy said sincerely. "Didn' expect dat."

"Hey, I like to spend time with my baby brother," Scott teased warmly and patted Remy's shoulder before removing his hand. "Call or write? I'd love to stay in touch."

"I will," Remy promised and felt shy, as Scott moved away from them. "Feel like I never really knew him," he admitted to Warren.

"Scott's a good man, once you get to know him. He tends to shut people out," Warren replied. "I guess he lost too many people he cared about."

Remy got into the car and Warren joined him. As the chauffeur started the engine, Warren claimed Remy's hand. "This isn't going to be easy."

"I know dat, cher," Remy sighed. "Wish I knew why he hates me."

"Is that what you sensed? Hate?" Warren covered Remy's hands with his and rubbed them warm. They felt icy cold.

"Was aimed at me, oui, mais dere was somet'in' else too." Thoughtfully, Remy watched how Warren's fingers rubbed his skin. "He feels betrayed and 'lone.

Patiently, Warren waited for Remy to continue, but when his lover remained silent he asked, "And you can relate to that?" Oh, Remy was an open book to him! "Don't make the mistake of comparing yourself to him, Rem. Jason's a spoiled brat."

"Y' told me dat y'r brot'er wasn' really interested in de chile," Remy mused aloud. "Did Jason ever have a home?" He somehow doubted it. "Why is he dat eager to go back to school?" Remy returned the caress and rubbed the skin of Warren's hand.

Warren considered Remy's question carefully. His lover had made a valid point. "I always had the feeling that Sam kept Jason at a distance."

"Why?" Remy leaned back and snuggled closer to Warren, who reacted at once and kissed a lock of his auburn hair.

"Maggie died in childbirth and Sam loved his wife very much. I always felt that Sam never 'forgave' Jason for being the reason that Maggie died, that he blamed Jason for her death. Does that make sense?"

"Y're very observant, cher, and oui, it makes sense." Remy rested his head against Warren's shoulder. "If we're gonna try and help Jason we'll have to go all de way. Can y' do dat, cher? We can' dump him when he starts pushin' back."

"He's already pushing," Warren said, annoyed. "And pushing hard. I'm not sure I've got what it takes to straighten him out."

"Who else's gonna do it den, cher?" Remy looked at Warren and sighed blissfully. "Mais we need to do dis toget'er. He doesn' want me near y', y know dat, don' y'?" As long as they didn't let Jason push them apart, they'd be all right.

"This is going to be hard on you, Rem. Are you sure you can deal with it on top of… everything?" Concerned, Warren held Remy's gaze prisoner.

"I wouldn' have been here if it hadn' been for poppa, cher. We should give Jason a chance. De chile looks like he needs someone."

"You're much too good for this world, Rem," Warren whispered and brushed Remy's lips. "I'll try to deal with him. Try to stay out of it for now?"

"If dat's what y' want, cher." Remy gave in. "Mais don' shut me out."

"I'll never do that," Warren repeated the promise he'd already made a few times. He figured it was time to pique his lover's curiosity a little. "Don't you want to know where we're headed?"

"Mais oui, cher. We're are y' takin' me?" Remy played along, although his mind was still trying to figure out why Jason felt this incredible amount of animosity.

Warren grinned smugly. "Some years ago I bought Honeymoon Island. It was a state park originally, but now I've closed it down for visitors. I've got a ranch there and I planned on taking you there after our honeymoon."

Remy flashed a mischievous smirk. "Honeymoon Island, cher?"

"Hey, I *am* a romantic! I hope you don't get seasick. We'll have to take the boat to get there."

"Kinda secluded, cher?"

"Yes, I wanted to have you all to myself." Warren's grin darkened. "And I won't let Jason ruin it."

///

Jayce glared at the back of the chauffeur's head. He refused to look or talk to Vincent, who was sitting beside him. The lawyer radiated anger and Jayce wondered about his next move. Had he gone to far? Had he been wrong about Remy? No, the man had to be after Warren's money!

"You made one hell of a mistake, boy," Vincent sneered at last. He didn't know Jason that well, but he saw some cracks in the kid's mask. "Remy's a good person."

"He's a gold digger!" Jason stated vehemently.

"And how do you know that?" Vincent wondered if anyone would ever get through to the angry and stubborn boy.

"My dad never told me that Warren liked men. This *person* is playing mind games with my uncle and I won't allow it."

Vincent raised a puzzled eyebrow. Did the boy feel protective of Warren? Uncertain whether to laugh or cry, Vincent said, "Remy isn't a *gold digger*. He's quite wealthy."

"How do you know? Did he tell you that? Why doesn't he show you his cheque book?" Jayce drew in a deep breath. His arms stayed defensively crossed in front of his chest.

"I saw his accounts," Vincent told the kid. "And he doesn't need Warren's money." Warren and Remy had asked him to create a joined account and Remy had given him full access to his bank accounts.

That comment made Jayce look up. Okay, so maybe Remy wasn't after Warren's money, but there had to be some kind of hidden agenda. "Where are you taking me?" he asked curiously. He needed more information if he wanted to make plans.

"Honeymoon Island."

"A fuckin' island?"

"Don't use that word. I'd like to think you've got manners." Vincent was beginning to realize that Jayce wanted to throw him off balance by using that word. It just didn't seem right that a 15 years old boy used it that easily. "It's a beautiful place."

"I want to go back to Saint Andrew's," Jayce stated determinedly and bit his lip. He remained quiet during the rest of the ride.

///

Richmond

Logan dropped onto their bed and let himself fall backwards. They'd been on their bikes for hours and would only stay at this little motel for the night. "Cajun, sit down and get some rest." He watched Jean-Luc closely and wondered about the nervousness in his lover's gestures.

"What's wrong? Are ya still broodin' 'bout Remy?" He didn’t like seeing Jean-Luc in such a dark and gloomy mood. No matter how he tried to distract his lover, Jean-Luc returned to brooding.

"Oui," Jean-Luc admitted as he collapsed onto the bed next to Logan. "Can't shake de feeling dat something's wrong."

"Did he answer yer message?"

"He wrote dat everything was fine, mais I know Remy. He won't tell me if he feels it would burden me somehow." Jean-Luc stole a glance over at the laptop.

"Tell the kid that we're comin' to visit," Logan said firmly. "Ya need to convince yerself that he's okay." He dragged his tired body from the bed and collected the laptop, opened it and placed it on Jean-Luc's lap. "Ask him where they are and tell him to expect us to drop by. I refuse to sit here and watch ya go crazy over this."

Jean-Luc's fingertips hesitated to make contact with the keys. "It's deir honeymoon, Logan."

"I don't care and I'm sure Remy won't either once he knows yer drivin' yerself crazy over this." Relieved, Logan watched as Jean-Luc gave in and sent his son a message, asking Remy and Warren if it was okay if they visited shortly. "Feelin' better?" Logan inquired as Jean-Luc closed the laptop again.

"Oui, I think so." Jean-Luc released a deep sigh. He felt tired and emotionally drained.

"Want me to take yer mind off things?" Logan offered. He slipped into position behind Jean-Luc and began to knead his lover's tense shoulders.

"Feels good," Jean-Luc mumbled, relaxed. He closed his eyes and sighed blissfully. Logan's hands worked their magic and he leaned back against his lover's chest.

Logan grinned wickedly. He knew a way to distract Jean-Luc and relax the man completely. "Wanna play?"

Jean-Luc chuckled softly. Those two words had quickly become an invitation to intimacy. "Mais oui." And for once he had no desire to take the lead or to top.

Logan sensed Jean-Luc's weariness and took charge. "Wanna play with the handcuffs?" They had only used them once and back then in Ireland, Jean-Luc had used them on him. Logan felt how shivers ran down Jean-Luc's spine. Letting go of control was still a big issue for Jean-Luc. "Will make it worth yer while," Logan promised and let his tongue slide up Jean-Luc's neck. "Just the thought of seeing ya tied down and at my mercy makes me hard, Cajun." Talking dirty had always worked before!

Jean-Luc gave Logan an appreciative grin. "Bring out de handcuffs, cher and *try* to tie me down."

Logan growled at the promise, which was also a threat. He'd win.

///

Westchester

Nicholas looked up from his book as his computer announced that a new message had arrived. He smiled and headed over to the computer. Hopefully, Bobby had sent him a message.

After he sat down, he scrolled down and his eyes grew worried as he read the sender's addy. Sighing, he opened and read the message. He should have known that his employer would contact him in search of more information. Nicholas paused to formulate his answer.

#Monsieur,

There's little I can add to my last report. Rogue hasn't returned yet and no one seems to know her whereabouts. I'll inform you the moment they find out. Professor Xavier and Jean Grey are conducting an experiment, hoping to find her, but so far it's been fruitless.

There's only one thing worth mentioning. Scott Summers and Robert Drake left Westchester last night to attend the funeral of Warren Worthington's brother, but I suspect Remy already told you about that. From what I've heard, the judge awarded Warren custody of his nephew Jason.

Yours truly,

Nicholas D'Arcy #

He read his message over and sent it. Jean-Luc LeBeau was a hard man to please.

///

Honeymoon Island

"Let's go on board," Warren whispered and kept one arm wrapped around Remy's waist. "Keep your shields up, love."

Remy nodded his head once and hesitantly sought out Jason's form. Vincent and the boy had already boarded and frustration simmered from Jason's brown eyes. But the hatred had lessened and Remy sighed relieved. As long as he kept his shields raised to the maximum he could deal with it. "He looks lost, cher."

Warren bit his lip. He couldn't understand why Remy cared about the arrogant brat. As far as he was concerned, Jason could get his ass kicked back to Saint Andrew's. "What? Do you want to talk to him now?" Warren asked, as Remy moved towards the youngster. "He's not going to acknowledge you." A sinking feeling made his stomach contract nervously. He didn't want Remy to get hurt again.

"Non, cher, not talk."

Suddenly Warren realized Remy's intentions. The empath was trying to make sense of Jason's feelings. "And?" he asked as he joined his lover. Jason stood a few feet away from them and Warren whispered. "What do you sense?"

"Confusion, cher." Remy lifted his hand and smiled as Warren immediately claimed it. "We've got to find a way to get t'rough to him."

"You agreed to let *me* handle this, remember?" But Warren realized that Remy felt drawn to Jason for some obscure reason that he couldn't figure out. If the boy had treated him like Jason had Remy, he would ignore the youngster completely until he'd apologized. Warren exchanged a look with Vincent, who seemed equally worried. Warren tried to catch Jason's gaze and after several long minutes, he succeeded.

///

Jayce glared at them. His stomach did a somersault when he realized that his uncle was holding his male lover, radiating an extreme protectiveness. His conversation with Vincent had made him slightly less certain about Remy's intentions. He'd assumed that the man was after his uncle's money, but if what Vincent had told him was true, Remy didn't need Warren's money at all.

//It doesn't really matter,// he thought determinedly. //I'll make their lives hell, so they won't have a choice but send me back to Saint Andrew's.// The fact that Remy's eyes remained locked on his back began to unnerve Jayce. Why was the man looking at him like that?

///

"Cher? Do me a favor and switch off de image inducer?" Remy made sure that they were alone. Jason and Vincent stood near the railing and the crew was below deck. At the same time, Remy removed his contacts and put them safely away for future use.

"All right," Warren said, slightly confused. "Why?" Remy's brilliant smile stunned Warren, as he looked into gold on black eyes. "Don't wear those contacts ever again."

Remy's smile turned into a smirk as he lovingly took in those white wings and blue skin. "Je t'aime," he whispered softly and pressed a kiss on the back of Warren's hand. Then he waited for Jason to look at them again.

"What do you hope to accomplish?" Warren asked softly and caressed his lover's agile fingers. The fact that Jason hadn't lashed out again after the funeral made him feel hopeful.

"I want him to see us as we really are," Remy said slowly, as Jason peeked at them. The angry glare vanished and big eyes stared back at him. "Bien," Remy whispered pleased.

///

Jayce's eyes grew big and he momentarily forgot to breathe when he looked at his uncle and his lover. Yes, he'd seen Warren's wings before, but somehow they now seemed larger. And then there was this blue skin. He didn't remember that. When had his uncle gained that blue skin? Jayce shivered briefly. His uncle was a mutant all right! But what about his male lover?

As he stared into Remy's eyes, Jayce's breath escaped unintended. //He's got gold on black eyes! He's a mutant too!// Jayce expected Remy to be a mutant, but to see the proof was disconcerting. //Wonder what his mutant power is?// Suddenly, he felt extremely ill at ease. What if the man was a telepath? He'd heard about mind readers.

"I can't help it, but I think Warren's mutation is… special. I think it's beautiful."

Vincent's voice pulled Jayce away from his musings. He didn't have a smart-ass comeback right now. "I didn't know he had blue skin."

"That was sort of an accident," Vincent said hesitantly. He didn't know all the details. Carefully, he monitored Jayce's reactions. The kid's mask was showing cracks all right.

"What about *him*?" Jayce still refused to address Remy properly.

"Remy?" Vincent smiled. "Why don't you ask him yourself?"

"I don't talk to faggots."

Vincent sighed, disappointed. He'd thought that they were making progress. "In that case you shouldn't talk to Warren either."

Hearing that statement, Jayce remained quiet. It was different with Warren, who was family; the only family he had left. His thoughts returned to Remy. No way he'd walk up to the mutant to ask him about his 'gifts'. As far as he was concerned, Remy didn't exist.

///

"Bien?" Warren repeated. "What's bien?"

"He's startin' to doubt. We need to be patient, cher," Remy said, pleased. "Love de way y' look now. Do y' have to switch de image inducer back on?"

"I don't think so. Vincent knows what I look like and Jason had better get used to it." Warren wrapped his other arm around Remy's shoulder too and pulled his lover close to his chest. "How can you stand feeling his hate?"

"Doubt he hates *me*," Remy clarified. "He hates life, which seems terribly unfair right now. He just lost his père and doesn' want to live wit' us."

Warren rested his chin on Remy's shoulder. The Cajun would always be his salvation, his strength. "I love you, Rem."

///

Jayce sulked the entire way to the ranch. The jeeps easily mastered the rough terrain and Jayce tried hard not to bounce around in his seat. Although he was tightly strapped in, he didn't feel safe. His dad had died in the car crash and this reminded him of the way the car had been catapulted over the road. He'd been so terrified.

His father hadn't been dead on impact, but had suffered for some time, hanging in the seatbelt. Jayce, who'd sat in the passenger's seat, had stared in horror as blood flowed from his dad's mouth and ears. Even now, remnants of terror tried to make him panic.

///

In the second jeep, Remy's head jerked up. Jason's emotions were growing darker, gloomier and Remy sensed the panic beneath the surface. "He's scared, cher."

Warren looked up. He'd been staring out of the window. "Who? Jason?"

"Yes, didn' y' tell me dat his père died in a car crash?" Remy locked eyes with Warren.

"Shit," Warren cursed softly. "But he didn't mind being in a car during the first stretch."

"De road's bumpy now, cher. Don' y' wonder what it was like for Jason, locked up in dat car?"

"Do I need to tell the chauffeurs to stop?"

"Non, he won' lose it. He's just scared." Remy reassuringly squeezed Warren's hand. "We're getting' t'rough to him, cher. We can' give up."

"If it means that much to you, Rem, I'll try… hard."

///

"Wolvie!" Remy chuckled, as the canine leapt towards him. The wolf knocked him off his feet in excitement and a long, wet tongue slithered across his face. "Calm down, Wolvie," Remy whispered, taken aback. The animal's relief at seeing him again was overwhelming. Until now he'd never realized just how much the canine had grown attached to him. Remy let the wonderful wave of emotions wash over him. "Missed y' too."

Warren stood behind his lover and grinned broadly. "Someone's glad to see you, Rem." His heart leapt happily as Wolvie continued to wet his lover's face with long swipes of his tongue. "I hope he doesn't plan to greet me in a similar way." Wolvie hadn't even acknowledged him yet. The canine was way too busy licking and nuzzling Remy.

"Wolvie, calm down!" Remy repeated, as two large front paws settled down on his chest, pressing him down onto the earth. Luckily, the soft grass had cushioned his fall.

They'd made arrangements when they'd still been in Venice for Wolvie to go straight to the ranch. Neither of them had judged it wise to take the canine along to the funeral.

"Do y' like it here. Wolvie? Plenty of animals to chase after, mais y'll behave, won' y'?" Remy managed to push Wolvie off and with Warren's help he got back to his feet. Wolvie however, tried to level him again. "Bad Wolvie!"

Suddenly, Remy looked over his shoulder and saw that Jason had halted in his tracks. For the first time since they'd met, the boy seemed to acknowledge his presence. Warren was about to speak up, but Remy signaled his lover to let him do the talking instead. "What is it, petit?"

"But that's a…" Jayce stuttered, taking some steps away from the canine.

Remy was thrilled that Jayce no longer ignored him. He'd use the boy's curiosity to establish some sort of contact. "It's a loup, oui."

"It is a *wolf*!" Jayce exclaimed, quickly translating the word. It was the first time he felt glad he'd taken some French classes. "What's it doing here?" The wolf suddenly seemed to notice him and Jayce froze. The canine had been friendly towards Remy, but how would it act towards him?

Warren silently watched the exchange and felt thrilled. Trust Remy and Wolvie to find a way into the boy's heart!

Remy saw his chance and focused on Wolvie. He couldn't telepathically tell Wolvie to let Jason pet him, but Remy could try to influence the canine. Empathy certainly had its limitations. //Plaît, Wolvie, de petit needs someone.//

Jayce felt fascinated and terrified as the wolf began to sneak towards him. "Shouldn't you keep him on a leash or something? Is he dangerous?" Jayce failed to stop himself from rambling. "Because if he is, I think…" He grew quiet as the wolf pushed his head beneath Jayce's hand.

"He wants to be pet," Remy explained and felt how Warren's hand came to rest at the small of his back. "Y' don' have to be 'fraid of him. Wolvie's a friend."

"Wolvie?" Jayce carefully petted the canine's head and although he was determined to continue to hate Remy, he couldn’t help addressing the man. "Why did you give him that name?"

"It's a long story, petit," Remy replied and thought of Logan and Jean-Luc. He hoped they were happy.

"His fur feels softer than I thought." Cautiously, Jayce sat on his heels and stroked the canine's flank. "How did you tame him?"

"I didn'. Wolvie wants to stay wit' us. He can leave whenever he wants," Remy explained and sighed relieved. Yes, things would work out eventually. It'd just take a lot of time and effort. "Wolvie can keep y' company while y'r here," Remy suggested. "Mais mebbe y' want to see y'r room now?"

Warren gestured to one of the maids. "Take him to his room." The girl nodded and went to pick up Jayce's traveling pack, but Vincent was quicker.

Vincent smiled, pleased that Remy had found a way to make contact with the boy. "Come on, kid, let's get moving."

"Can I take him along?" Jayce asked and suddenly realized he'd been talking to Remy the entire time. How had that happened? He loathed the man! He had to pay attention to what he was doing! Jayce was about to walk away from the canine without waiting for Remy's answer, when the wolf tightly grabbed his jacket with his sharp teeth. "What?"

"Wolvie doesn' want to be left 'lone," Remy chuckled. "Go on, Wolvie, it's bien." He sensed the wolf's inner struggle. Remy had just returned and the canine didn't want to leave him so soon. //Mais Jason needs y' more, Wolvie.//

The canine seemed to nod his head and then dragged Jayce after him, using the boy's jacket to pull him along.

"Hey!" Jayce sputtered as the wolf pulled. He considered shrugging out of his jacket, but no, he liked the stubborn wolf!

Remy and Warren watched them leave. "Maybe you're right, Rem. Maybe we can get through to him. You're right. We can't give up on him."

"De petit reminds me of someone," Remy said wickedly as he took hold of Warren's arms, which he wrapped around himself.

"Rem?" Confused, Warren peeked at his lover's eyes.

"Reminds me of one stubborn and arrogant playboy I used to know." He turned around and brushed Warren's lips with his. "Mais y' changed. Y're no longer like dat."

"Well, maybe there's hope for Jason's yet," Warren mumbled mesmerized as he stared in Remy's eyes. "Want to check out our room? You look tired, maybe you want to lie down a bit?"

"Keepin' de shields up tires me," Remy explained in a soft tone and fell into step beside Warren as his lover led him through the corridors. Eventually, Warren halted when they'd reached a mahogany door.

"Close your eyes," Warren softly instructed and turned the key. However, he didn't open the door yet. "Please, close your eyes, love."

Remy was tempted to ask why, but sensed Warren's sincere desire to please him. So he closed his eyes and waited. He heard how the door opened and he barely kept back from peeking through his eyelids, but Warren wanted him to keep his eyes closed, so he did. "What are y' doin', cher?" Remy whispered and was surprised to feel one arm slide beneath his knees and the other around his back. "Ange?"

"Shst," Warren chided him affectionately and lifted Remy in his arms. "I'm going to carry you over the threshold, love."

Remy thought he'd misheard. "Over de t'reshold?"

"We got married and I want this to be our home, so... I'm a traditional guy, sue me!" Warren pressed Remy close to his chest and carried him inside. "You can open your eyes again, Rem."

Feeling incredibly nervous, Remy slowly opened his eyes. He'd never imagined that Warren would want to carry him over the threshold. Warren was such a romantic and it made his heart beat faster.

"What do you think, love?" Warren waited impatiently. He hoped Remy liked the interior and…

"De bed, cher!"

"Yeah, I picked it myself."

"When?" In genuine delight, Remy stared at the big, wooden four-poster bed. It had a canopy made of blue silk, with embroided silver stars and a crescent. "Oh, cher."

Warren placed Remy in the center of the bed and lay down beside him. "I love the canopy," Warren said as he stared at the midnight sky above them.

His raging emotions made it hard for Remy to reply. He elbowed himself into an upright position and locked eyes with Warren. "Feels like I'm flyin' in y'r arms when I'm in dis bed. Sky's so close."

"So you like it?" Warren asked, slightly relieved.

"Love it, cher." Remy leaned in closer and gently kissed his lover's lips.

"Then we're finally home, Rem. I plan on growing old here with you." Warren noticed the tears that unexpectedly left Remy's eyes. "What's wrong, love?

"I'm just so happy, cher. Never been dis happy. *Y'* make me happy."

Warren balanced one of Remy's teardrops on the tip of his finger and then licked it off. "These are tears of happiness then?"

"Oh oui, cher, dey are." Remy firmly nodded his head. "Dis is home."

Part 8

Westchester

Bobby had used the key that Nicholas had given him to enter his lover's apartment. "Nicholas? Sorry that I'm late, but…" Bobby apologized, as he stepped into the bedroom. It was way passed midnight and Nicholas had already gone to bed. Bobby smiled at his lover, who seemed deeply asleep. The one thing he absolutely loved about Nicholas was his lover's tendency to sleep naked. It was rather warm inside the bedroom and Nicholas had kicked off the sheets during his sleep. A gorgeous, lean, agile body lay in the center of the bed and seemed to beg Bobby to caress it. Licking his lips, Bobby stole closer and sat down on the side of the bed.

Last week they'd made love for the first time. Nicholas had taken him, claimed him, and Bobby still blushed, remembering his outcries of passion when Nicholas had entered him. The next evening, they'd reversed roles and Bobby had buried himself inside Nicholas' warm body. Now, one week later, he still quavered, as he remembered the sensations that he'd felt when Nicholas' tight passage had massaged him, making him come. Making love to a girl had never felt that good.

Bobby leaned in closer and involuntarily his breath caught. His eyes drifted down the perfect back and came to rest on the two tempting mounds of flesh. Nicholas had fallen asleep on his stomach and Bobby wished he could run his hands over his lover's buttocks again. He vividly remembered how soft and inviting Nicholas' skin had felt beneath his fingertips. But it didn't feel right to take advantage of his lover like this. Nicholas was asleep after all. //But a few caresses won't do any harm.// Bobby crept closer to his lover and let the tip of his tongue tease Nicholas' earlobe. Softly, he began to nibble on it. //Damn, this is a mistake!// Touching Nicholas like this was making him hard!

"Bobby?"

Nicholas' sleepy voice shook Bobby from his guilty feelings and he pressed kisses on the back of his lover's neck after easing back the dark locks. "Yeah, it's me, love. Sorry that it took me so long to get back to you."

"I'm sure your friends appreciated it that you attended the funeral," Nicholas mumbled. He'd heard Bobby enter the apartment, but had feigned sleep. "How are Warren and…?" He pretended to have forgotten Remy's name.

"Warren and Remy are doing as well as can be expected." Bobby wondered why Nicholas wasn't sitting up, facing him. Was it a hint that Nicholas wanted Bobby to continue the caresses? Boldly, he let his fingertips slide down his lover's back. "Missed you."

"I missed you too, darling," Nicholas mumbled and cocked his head so he could lock eyes with Bobby. "That feels good." He'd never expected to fall in love with the Iceman, but the attraction had been there from the start.

"Want me to keep on going?" Bobby failed to keep his desire out of his voice. "You look like…"

"What, darling?" Nicholas smiled invitingly. Bobby was the most attentive lover he'd ever had and it was probably due to the fact that the X-man was new to this kind of love. Bobby's first time had been with Nicholas and his lover had certainly surprised him. The gentleness and consideration had been a giant turn on for Nicholas. "I want you to take me," he murmured softly.

"Oh God, I want that too, love," Bobby was tempted to turn Nicholas onto his back, but then he'd lose the stunning sight of his lover's backside. "But it's already late and you've got classes tomorrow and…"

"Do me, Bobby, please." Nicholas couldn't remember begging a lover to claim him before.

"I'm a little surprised," Bobby admitted as his hands kneaded his lover's ass cheeks. "I figured you'd want to top."

"Bobby," Nicholas gasped briefly as one of Bobby's fingers slipped into his cleft, teasing his puckered entrance. "Oh, but you last *so* long!" Discovering that Bobby could go on forever had made being on the bottom much more pleasurable. Some of his former lovers had come too quickly, leaving him behind, but not Bobby. "Do me quick and hard."

Bobby grinned. He'd already noticed that Nicholas liked it hard and fast. He didn't know how he felt about that. He liked to take his time to make love, but Nicholas was convincing him quickly. "Do you have condoms and lube?"

"Oh yes," Nicholas whimpered, as Bobby's finger teased against his entrance. "I love you, Bobby," he whispered, as his lover pulled back his finger to lubricate it. "Under the pillow," Nicholas informed his lover and watched how Bobby retrieved the necessary items. Bobby had expressed fear that he would unintentionally hurt Nicholas while they had anal sex and insisted they'd use every precaution in the book, which meant a generous amount of lube and special condoms. "Hurry!"

Bobby kept one hand on his lover's buttocks and continued to massage the soft flesh, as he spread the lube over his fingers. "Gonna prepare you first, love."

"Don't need it," Nicholas panted and rubbed his erection against the sheets.

"What about doing it doggie style?" Bobby suggested. "You'd have to get up to your hands and…" He hadn't even finished the question when Nicholas raised himself on all fours, wiggling his ass. "I take it that's a yes?"

"Oh, yeah!" Nicholas grabbed the head board firmly and arched his back. "Fuck me." He'd never made a secret of his desires and believed in telling his lovers what he wanted. He loved sex; it was as simple as that.

"Lemme prepare you first, okay?" Bobby circled the little pucker and gently pushed inside. His finger easily slid passed the guardian muscle and nestled deeply inside his lover's hot passage. "You feel so good, babe."

"More!" Nicholas pushed back, urging Bobby to move. "Fuck me silly!"

Bobby hesitated. Although Nicholas seemed terribly relaxed, he didn't want to run the risk of hurting him. "Two," he announced and his index finger crept inside too. "Are you still okay?"

Nicholas threw back his head, looked over his shoulder and whispered, "How much longer do you want me to beg? Hard and fast… please, lover." Bobby's fingers stretched him, scissoring inside his passage. "I'm going to come if you keep this up and I want you inside."

Bobby gave in and nodded his head. "Alright, love." He removed his fingers from Nicholas' slippery entrance and unbuckled his belt.

"Don't take off your clothes," Nicholas instructed. He was tempted to steal one hand to his groin and stroke himself to completion, as the tension was becoming unbearable.

"You like it that way?" Bobby asked, a little surprised. Nicholas was turning out to be one hell of a lover, who continued to surprise him. Bobby unzipped his jeans and pushed them down. His proud cock bobbed free.

Nicholas licked his lips. "Want to taste you."

"Not now," Bobby said firmly. "Or don't you want to be fucked silly?" He gave Nicholas a mischievous smirk and kneeled behind his lover. Bobby released a strangled breath when Nicholas' hands released the head board to claw in the pillow.

Nicholas leaned forward, presenting himself to his lover and rested his head on his forearms. "Fuck me."

Bobby couldn't ignore the urgent plea and slipped on the lubricated condom. "Are you ready?"

"Yes," Nicholas raised his ass a little further in invitation. The next minutes would be a mix of pain and intense pleasure. No matter how relaxed he was, Bobby entering him would hurt.

Bobby's fingers were curled around his cock, holding the condom in place. He used his other hand to spread Nicholas ass cheeks and then positioned his erection at his lover's puckered opening. "Love you, Nicholas."

Nicholas felt the blunt head of Bobby's cock and tried to relax. He bit his lip as Bobby pushed his way inside. "Oh, fuck," he panted as Bobby's cock pushed passed the tight ring of muscle. Bobby was inside him, but barely.

Bobby's right hand massaged the small of Nicholas' back. "Can't believe you're letting me do this, *again*!" A velvet tightness surrounded his cock and he was tempted to push further inside, but realized that his lover needed time to adjust to the invasion. "Stroke yourself, love."

"Can't," Nicholas gasped. He'd collapse if he couldn't lean on his arms. "I want you inside… completely. Come on, Bobby, push!"

Bobby looked down and a surge of passion swept through him at the sight of his cock disappearing into his lover's body. "You asked for it, love," he reminded his lover and pushed harder, opening Nicholas up.

"Oh, God," Nicholas panted hard as Bobby slid deeper inside. He tried not to breathe too deeply. Bobby was big and they'd go at it for long minutes. He had to save his strength.

"I'm inside," Bobby whispered, stunned. He was buried to the hilt in Nicholas' body. "Babe?"

"I'm okay, but I might kill you if you don't start fucking me, Drake!" Nicholas tried to rub the head of his cock against the sheets, desperate to get some stimulation. Bobby's first thrust took his breath away. "Fuck…"

"You like it when I fuck you, don't you, babe?" Bobby whispered passionately as he set up a slow and gentle rhythm. He'd make this last.

"Yeah," Nicholas rasped as he pushed back hard. "Oh, God." The friction inside his body was overwhelming and his cock began to leak pre-ejaculate. His erection had faded a little when Bobby had forced his way inside, but his hard shaft was throbbing again. Then Bobby stopped moving. "No," Nicholas moaned. "Don't."

"I wanna savor this," Bobby announced. For some reason his eyes where locked on that little hole and his cock that had buried himself inside. "You're gorgeous." He kept perfectly still. Bobby's heart beat frantically and picked up speed when Nicholas moved of his own accord, pushing back, rocking forward.

Nicholas couldn't take much more. "Please," he begged, desperate for Bobby to start thrusting again.

"Come here, babe," Bobby whispered and wrapped one arm around his lover's shoulder. "This should feel even better." He pulled Nicholas close to his chest and supported his lover.

"Bobby." Nicholas whispered the name. The new angle enabled Bobby to thrust against his prostate and Nicholas moaned deliriously.

"Fuck yourself," Bobby whispered. Until a few weeks ago he'd never imagined it possible that he could let go like this, but Nicholas was quickly teaching him that there shouldn't be any holding back in bed.

"Yes!" Nicholas placed his hands on Bobby's arm and rode his lover. The perpetual movement of falling and rising was quickly becoming his entire world. "Don't come yet," he begged Bobby. He wanted to come first and clench his lover's cock to completion.

"Don't come yet," Bobby whispered in return. He'd last a little longer and playfully bit Nicholas' neck. "How about this?"

"Uh?" Nicholas felt Bobby shift beneath him and suddenly he was squatting on top of Bobby. "What?" Looking over his shoulder, he saw that Bobby had lain down.

Bobby smiled hungrily. "Set your pace, baby," he encouraged Nicholas and watched as his lover impaled himself over and over again. "Beautiful," he whispered passionately.

"Make me come." Nicholas didn’t know why he lasted this long. It only seemed to happen when Bobby was inside him.

"Sure, baby." Bobby grabbed his lover's waist and pushed Nicholas onto his side. Spooned up closely behind Nicholas, he began to thrust again. His hand reached across his lover's belly. "Hard or slow?"

"Hard," Nicholas moaned as his fingernails dug into the sheets. Bobby fisted him hard and fast, in the same rhythm as his thrusts and Nicholas felt orgasm approach. "Bobby," he whimpered and came in his lover's hand.

Bobby couldn't control his thrusts any longer and they grew wild. As he buried himself completely inside his lover's spasming passage, he came hard. "You're mine," he whispered passionately.

Nicholas shook fiercely as Bobby's come marked him as his lover's. "So good," he whispered, sated. Bobby was still buried inside him and he cherished the connection. "Stay inside as long as you can?"

"You'll be sore," Bobby warned him.

"I don’t care."

"Just one more minute and then I'm going to pull out." Bobby cuddled his lover closer. "You're incredible."

Nicholas giggled softly. "So are you! I've never known anyone who can keep going for that long!" He pushed back, hoping to keep Bobby's softening cock prisoner a little longer.

"I'm gonna pull out, love," Bobby announced. "I'll be careful." When Nicholas had made love to him, pulling out had been the only thing that had really hurt.

"I'm ready." But Nicholas bit his lower lip until it bled as Bobby pulled out.

Bobby noticed Nicholas' flinch and rolled his lover onto his back. He quickly disposed of the condom and then focused on Nicholas again. "Lemme check." Nicholas had done this too the first time they'd made love. "Spread them," he instructed teasingly.

Fatigued, Nicholas opened his legs and allowed Bobby to check for any tearing.

"Damn, I hurt you," Bobby whispered upset as he found some blood. "Don't move!" They'd bought condoms, lube and some soothing salve. The man who'd advised them in the store had insisted they took the salve as well, just in case. Bobby felt thankful now. "Lemme get in there again."

"Bobby, I'm fine," Nicholas whispered, drained. "I'll be a little sore, that's it."

"Don't tell me you're fine when I just made you bleed, Nicholas." After squeezing some salve onto his finger he gently worked it into the abused passage. The anus simply wasn't made to be penetrated like that. "Better?" Bobby inquired after applying the salve.

"Yeah, come here, darling." Nicholas pulled Bobby on top of him and made sure his lover was settled comfortably between his thighs. "You're a very special man, Bobby Drake."

"You're the first to say that," Bobby whispered, taken aback. "The girls I was with… I couldn't get it up and…"

"Hey," Nicholas whispered and brushed Bobby's lips. "You don't like girls that way, remember?" He hoped that his attempt at humor would succeed.

Bobby chuckled softly. "Yeah, I know *now*!" Bobby pushed some stray locks behind Nicholas' ear. "Can I stay the night?" Originally, he'd only planned to kiss Nicholas goodnight.

"Yes, you can stay because you fucked me silly," Nicholas teased warmly. "But I think I'll clean up first and your hand is covered in come."

"Stay here." Bobby moved quickly and retrieved a damp towel from the bathroom. He cleaned them up and then settled down again. Nicholas shivered beneath him and Bobby pulled up the comforter. "Let's try to sleep?"

Nicholas nodded his head. Bobby was spread comfortably on top of his body and Nicholas sighed as Bobby pressed him down. Nicholas decided that he liked that particular sensation. "Sleep tight, darling."

"Sweet dreams," Bobby whispered and kissed his lover goodnight. "God, I love you so much," he added as Nicholas drifted off into sleep.

///

Honeymoon Island

Warren fondly looked at Remy, who'd fallen asleep on the big four- poster bed. He'd suspected that the funeral had tired Remy, as the empath had been forced to keep his shields up all the time. And later on, the confrontation with Jayce had exhausted Remy as well. Remy lay cuddled up to him. The Cajun had made himself comfortable in his arms and Warren loved holding him. "My sweet angel," he whispered softly now that Remy couldn't hear him. In Remy's eyes, Warren would always be 'ange', but Warren felt similar about his lover, whose soul was half angelic.

He should get to his feet and seek out Jason. The boy still hadn't apologized to Remy and that worried Warren. He hoped that Jason would give in. If not, it meant that the youngster was determined to defy and challenge him.

Remy stirred in his arms and Warren used the opportunity to slip away from his lover. Warren gently pushed a pillow into Remy's arms and his lover immediately pulled it close and clutched it to his chest. After tucking the comforter in around Remy's body, Warren whispered, "I'll be back soon, promise." Remy didn't react and Warren sneaked out of the room, softly closing the door behind him.

Determinedly, he turned into the next corridor and headed for Jason's room. They'd have a good talk and Warren was resolved not to take any crap from his nephew.

///

Warren knocked on the door, announcing his presence. "Jason? I want to talk to you."

"Go away!"

Irritated, Warren raised an eyebrow. "I'm coming inside."

"NO!"

Warren ignored Jason's protest, opened the door and froze in his tracks. He'd expected to find Jason angry, but not crying.

Jayce quickly wiped the tears from his eyes. "I didn't say you could come inside."

Warren waved away the protest. "Why are you crying, Jason?"

"It's Jayce! Not Jason!"

"All right," Warren mumbled thoughtfully and approached the bed. The youngster pushed himself into a sitting position and faced him. "What's going on?" His eyes sought out Wolvie who lay on the foot end of the bed. The canine seemed sad.

"Leave me alone," Jayce repeated stubbornly. He didn't want Warren to see him crying.

"Jason… Jayce, come on, talk to me. I *am* your uncle, you know." Resolved, Warren straddled the chair beside the bed. "There's got to be a reason why you're crying. Is it because of your father's death?"

Jayce hated himself for mumbling, "Yes." This was *his* pain and Warren should leave him alone with it. He'd been dozing off with Wolvie close, keeping him warm when the image of his father, dying in the car, had startled him fully awake again.

"Want to tell me about it?" Warren knew he had to handle this carefully and forced down the anger he'd felt only moments ago. The boy obviously needed something from him, even though Jayce was too stubborn to admit that. "You saw your dad die, didn't you?"

"He c-c-couldn't unb-b-buckle the s-s-seatbelt," Jayce stuttered. "He h-h-hung upside down in the c-c-car and I couldn't h-h-help him." Tears threatened to leave his eyes again, but he forced them back. It was bad enough that Warren saw him this vulnerable.

"Jayce," Warren said compassionately and he rested his right hand on the boy's shoulder. "I'm sorry you had to see that. It must have been awful."

"You c-c-can't know what it was l-l-like!" Jayce stammered, slightly angered.

"You're wrong. I do know what it's like. I saw friends die and couldn't do a damn thing about it. I know it hurts." Warren suddenly realized something important. "And it makes you angry, doesn't it? The fact that you couldn't help him. It sure as hell made me angry that I couldn't stop it."

Jayce didn't want to listen, but Warren sounded sincere. Subconsciously, he reached out and petted Wolvie's head. "I can't seem to get the images out of my h-h-head," he admitted.

"Working through trauma like that takes time. Believe me." As Warren looked at Jayce again, he saw the vulnerability in those brown eyes. "You don't have to work through it on your own. Remy and I…"

Indignant, Jayce glared at Warren.

"Why? Why do you hate Remy that much?" Warren had to know. He understood that the boy was angry, but why aim it at Remy? "He never harmed you. You barely know him!"

"He's a faggot!" Jayce didn't really know why he wanted to hurt Warren intentionally, he just did.

Warren tensed. "Say that word one more time and you'll regret it, Jason Worthington!"

"Why? Isn't it the truth?" Jayce remained rebellious.

"Why does his sexual preference matter? You don't seem to have a problem with me being gay?" Warren really didn't understand the kid and was losing his patience.

"I hate gays," Jayce said in a trembling tone.

"So you hate me too?"

"You're family," Jayce protested, but realized that his reasoning was crooked.

"Remy's family too." Warren considered his next move. "Why do you hate gays?" he repeated his question. There had to be a reason why!

Jayce suddenly blurted out, "Because I walked in on one who was sexually assaulting one of the younger students! I don't trust them!"

"You witnessed an attempted rape?" Warren said, stunned.

"Carl was notorious for his behavior and the smaller boys couldn't fight him off."

"What did you do when you walked in on them?" Warren wasn't sure how to handle this. Having witnessed a sexual assault would explain Jayce's behavior.

"I kicked his butt." Proudly, Jayce locked eyes with Warren. "I couldn't stand there and watch it happen."

Warren's brain worked things out quickly. "And now you think Remy's like Carl and abusing me?"

"Your trust. He's abusing your trust. He's got to have some secret agenda. You should dump or divorce him, whatever you need to do to get rid of him. He'll hurt you."

Jayce's determined tone stunned Warren. "Oh, my God. You've got it all wrong." Warren didn't know how much he could tell Jayce. Remy himself had to tell Jayce the truth. "Remy's not an abuser," Warren said eventually. "Give him a fair chance? He wants to help you."

Suspiciously, Jayce moved away from Warren and rested his back against the head board. "Help me? Yeah, right!"

Warren got to his feet. "Listen up. During dinner, you *will* apologize to Remy for your behavior. You won't use the word faggot again while you live in this house and you'll treat Remy respectfully. Got it?"

"Am I still grounded?" Jayce didn't avert his eyes, as Warren's locked with his.

"Yes, you are, for one week." Warren headed for the doorway. "I suggest you try to get to know Remy."

"I don't want to," Jayce said arrogantly. "I'll be back at Saint Andrew's shortly."

"I'm really trying to understand you, Jason," Warren said honestly. "But I don't get it. Remy and I are offering you a permanent home in case you hadn't noticed."

"Only until you get fed up with me."

"What?" Warren halted in his tracks and looked at Jayce. "Why would you think that?"

"My dad always grew quickly tired of me," Jayce said and shrugged his shoulders. "Why would it be any different with you?"

"Did he ever give you a sense of… home? Of belonging?" Warren suddenly found himself holding pieces of the puzzle and Jayce's behavior started to make sense. The boy felt unwanted, unloved and was protecting himself the only way he could.

"I was hardly ever allowed to come *home*," Jayce replied and his tone sounded sarcastically when he pronounced the last word of his sentence. "He was too busy to spend time with me."

Warren remembered something Remy had said, that Sam had given his son a lot of material things, but hardly any love. "Dinner will be served in one hour," Warren said and straightened his shoulders. "I want you on your best behavior."

Jayce remained quiet, but his fingers still stroked the canine's fur.

Warren walked into the corridor and closed the door behind him. Jayce was full of conflicting emotions; anger, sadness, fear, loneliness. //Remy's an empath, maybe he can… no, Remy's still dealing with his own trauma and can't handle Jayce's pain. I have to deal with this myself.//

"Writin' poppa back. He wants to visit. I told him he could." Uncertain, Remy looked up at Warren. "I hope y' don' mind? Or do y' want me to…"

Warren silenced Remy with a soft kiss. "I'd love for them to visit. Give them our location, love?" Warren released Remy and walked towards the bed. He lay down and stared at the canopy. "I talked to Jayce."

Remy sent the message and then joined his lover. "He's upset. I've been pickin' up rough emotions."

"He told me why he hates gays," Warren announced and claimed Remy's left hand, which he caressed tenderly. "He witnessed a younger boy being sexually assaulted. Jayce thinks you're doing the same thing to me."

Remy's eyes grew sad. "Explains it, cher, doesn' it?" Suddenly, he felt tired. "Can' fight a memory, cher."

"You're not giving up, do you hear me?" Warren stated passionately, as he sat upright. "You told me to hang in there and we will. We'll make him see he's wrong!" Warren had taken hold of his lover's shoulder and barely kept himself from shaking Remy. "You aren't giving up!"

"I'm so tired, ange." Remy lowered his eyes and stared at the floor. "His emotions… dey're so strong. I can' keep de shields up all de time." Remy had never managed to rebuild his shields to the way they were before Antarctica and the memory-loss.

"We'll have dinner together in 30 minutes." Warren cupped Remy's chin in his hand and raised his lover's face. "Look at me, Rem. What changed your mind?"

"Had a nightmare," Remy admitted softly and closed his eyes.

"About?"

"*Him*," Remy whispered in a choked tone. "He was tellin' me 'gain dat everyt'in' was my fault, dat I made him rape me."

Warren grew angry with himself. He should have been there when Remy had woken up. He forced himself to calm down, knowing that Remy was tired due to locking out such intense emotions. "He lied, love. He lied."

"It still hurts," Remy whispered and tried to pull away from Warren.

"What's going on, Rem?" He barely recognized his lover. Only hours ago, Remy had been determined to face every problem they might encounter.

"Don' know. Ange, I feel tired."

Warren was tempted to suggest that Remy skipped dinner, but refrained. Remy needed to eat and they had to confront Jason. "I'm so sorry that you have to go through this, love."

"I'll be strong for y', cher."

"Rem, you've been strong all this time," Warren whispered, touched. "Lean on me? Let me be your strength?" It looked like his lover was exhausting himself, trying to deal with everything at the same time. "I love you," he added instinctively and folded his arms around Remy's frame. Gently, he pulled Remy down until they lay on their sides, facing each other. "I'm sorry that I wasn't here when you woke up from that nightmare."

"Y're here now," Remy whispered, blissfully. He'd missed his lover's presence. "Hold me?"

"Until the end of time," Warren vowed and cuddled Remy close. "I'll never let you go."

Part 9

Honeymoon Island

Remy sat down at the dinner table, wondering how Jayce would react to finding him there. Mentally, he replayed the information Warren had given him earlier. //De petit witnessed an attempted rape…// Could he find a way to make Jayce understand that Warren wasn’t in any danger?

"Are you okay, Rem?" His lover looked worried and Warren couldn't blame him. The next confrontation would be hard on all of them. "I'm here for you, love."

Vincent, who'd joined them for dinner, felt concerned. Warren had only hinted at Remy’s past, but Vincent could tell that Remy felt vulnerable.

"I'm nervous," Remy admitted. "I don' know what to expect."

"Aren't Jayce's emotions giving you some indication of how the boy feels?" Warren stood behind Remy and folded his arms protectively around his lover's shoulders.

"Dey're foggy, cher. Can' read dem properly. So many feelings are runnin' t'rough him." Remy leaned into the embrace. //I'd never have survived wit'out y'.//

Jayce's cough startled them both. Three pair of eyes met Jayce's brown ones. Warren stared hard at his nephew. He wanted to hear that apology now. Jayce wouldn't get another chance to make things up to Remy. "Loud and clear, young man."

Jayce clenched his hands into fists behind his back. Although Warren had planted the seeds of doubt in his heart, he wasn't looking forward to apologizing to Remy.

Wolvie stirred beside him, probably sensing the tension in the dining room. The canine left Jayce's side and walked over to Remy. Looking up at the Cajun, Wolvie rested his head in Remy's lap, rubbing the side of his head against the human's thigh. He wanted to be petted, to be reassured that Remy didn't feel abandoned because he'd spent some time with Jayce.

Remy ignored Jayce and smiled at Wolvie. "Did y' miss me?" he said teasingly and gently scratched behind the canine's ears. "C'est bien."

Jayce felt some stinging jealousy now that the wolf had deserted him in favor of Remy. Warren's eyes told Jayce that his uncle was still waiting for that apology. His stomach growled softly, telling its owner that it needed food. It urged him to speak up. Jayce drew in a deep breath and addressed Remy. "I'm sorry."

"C'est bien," Remy whispered, peeking hesitantly at the boy.

"No, tell us what you're sorry for," Warren urged Jayce on. He didn't want any more misunderstandings. His nephew would treat Remy respectfully. If not, Jayce would find himself on his way to Saint Andrew's, just like the kid wanted.

"I shouldn't have called you a faggot." Jayce locked eyes with Vincent, who nodded approvingly. Earlier, the lawyer had told him to behave, but Jayce had refused to listen. In a certain way he was also apologizing to Vincent.

"D'accord," Remy whispered in a nervous tone. "Y're angry, I understand."

But Warren silenced his lover by gently squeezing Remy's shoulder. "Let him finish."

"I also called you a gold digger," Jayce admitted and heard Warren's surprised intake of breath.

"You did what?" Warren said in disbelief.

"He said that on our way over here," Vincent said. "I told him that Remy didn't need your money, Warren."

"I apologize," Jayce said, barely keeping his anger in check.

Remy felt that anger and fortified his shields. "Mais y' don' mean it, petit."

Jayce's glance quickly shifted from Vincent to Remy. "This isn't easy," he admitted. "I still don't trust you."

"I don' expect y' to trust me," Remy clarified. "Mais try to stop hatin' me?"

Warren deemed this the best moment to tell Jayce about Remy's mutant powers. He walked away from his lover and only stopped when he stood in front of Jayce. "You should know that Remy's an empath and your hatred hurts him." Warren heard Remy's soft groan and locked eyes with his lover. "Trust me, Rem."

Remy nodded his head. It was too late anyway. Warren had already told Jayce. Remy wished Warren had kept his powers secret a little longer. Now the boy might think that Remy was manipulating his emotions.

"A what?" Jayce mumbled, confused. "What's an empath?"

Warren looked to Remy to answer that question. Remy sighed deeply. He pushed back the chair and joined Jayce, who immediately took a step back.

Wolvie was at Remy's side and ready to protect him in case of trouble. Yes, he liked the boy, but Remy came first.

Remy made eye-contact with Jayce and felt the boy's apprehension. "It means dat I can feel what y' feel."

"Remy's also a healer," Warren added.

"Listen, petit. I won' ever mess wit' y'r feelings. Don' be 'fraid." Remy sensed Jayce's fear, shock and even a twinge of curiosity. He felt encouraged by that and continued. "I know y're hurtin', petit, and dat y're angry, mais y' need to realize dat y're not angry wit' me, mais wit' life."

Jayce didn't know how to react. He knew that the anger, which he felt was his. Remy was being honest. The mutant wasn't screwing around with his feelings. If Remy were, no way Jayce would be this hostile towards his uncle's lover. For the first time since Jayce had met Remy, he tried to see the man as he really was, without prejudice coloring his perception. Shocked, Jayce stared into the gold on black eyes, which radiated truth. Swallowing hard, Jayce wondered if he'd misjudged Remy. "Why do you want me here?" he asked suddenly. He'd never intended to voice that question.

Pleased, Remy nodded his head. It was a first step. "Mon poppa adopted me when I was 'bout 10. Until den, I didn' have a family. I don' want y' to grow up 'lone."

"You were adopted?" Feeling curious, Jayce followed Remy towards the dining table. He mirrored Remy and Warren's movement and sat down. "Do you *really* want me here?"

"Why is dat so hard for y' to believe?" Remy asked, concerned.

"My dad never wanted me around. I even spent most of my holidays at Saint Andrew's," Jayce replied. He tried to ignore the stabbing pain that pierced his heart.

"You t'ink he didn' love y'," Remy stated, convinced.

"I caused my mother's death." Jayce's eyes grew big, as he realized what he'd told them. He wished he could take back those words, pull the pain back into himself. Then he remembered what Remy had told him about being an empath. "You're feeling what I'm feeling?"

"Oui, y' feel 'lone and guilty. Angry 'cause of de way y'r dad treated y'." Remy hoped he was getting through to the boy. "I ain' de enemy, Jayce."

Jayce looked down at his hands, which had relaxed during the conversation. The clenched fists were gone. A part of him wanted to believe Remy. The man seemed to understand and accept him the way he was, which was a first. No one had ever accepted him. Not even his father, so why would Remy be different? The man was probably trying to befriend him for Warren's sake.

"Y' don' believe me," Remy realized, sensing Jayce's doubt. Saddened, he stared at the food. He'd lost all appetite.

"Give him time," Warren whispered, as he claimed his lover's hand. "We're still getting to know each other, love."

Jayce looked up, hearing that last word. //Love, does Warren really love Remy?// The question haunted him. Had he really made such a terrible mistake in judgement? Had he?

///

Westchester

Bobby deeply inhaled Nicholas' scent. They'd fallen asleep in each other's arms and he loved waking up while his lover was still dreaming, snuggled close to him. //I never knew it would be like this,// he thought in contentment. //I know now that I've never loved someone before, *really loved* someone.// The thought of leaving Nicholas to go back to the mansion made him feel queasy. But Nicholas had to attend classes and Scott had scheduled a training session at 09.00. Bobby had better not be late. //What if I send Scott a message, telling him that I'm calling in sick? That way I could spend more time with Nicholas and I can drop him off at the University.// The thought was extremely tempting and Bobby quickly gave in.

Cautiously, trying not to wake his lover, Bobby released Nicholas and sneaked out of bed. Only then, he realized he was butt naked. They'd fallen asleep after making love. His cock stirred a little, as Bobby remembered the way Nicholas had moved against him during their lovemaking.

Bobby blushed, slightly embarrassed that he'd been so eager to try all those different positions, but he'd heard and read about them and had wanted to know what would work best for them. They all had. Bobby grinned and headed towards Nicholas' desk in the adjourning room. He sat down and switched on the computer screen. Great, Nicholas' inbox was already open and all he had to do was open a new message, address it to Scott, and then...

//LeBeau?// Why was there a message in his lover's inbox with that name on it? //Does Nicholas know Remy? No, he would have told me.// Confused, Bobby wondered whether he should have a look at that message. //It's not Remy's E-mail addy, Warren gave me that one, so... what the hell's going on?// Bobby stole a glance at Nicholas, who hadn't woken yet and then tried to open the message.

#Enter password.#

"Damn!" Bobby whispered the word. Nicholas had secured his messages.

"What are you doing, Bobby?" Nicholas opened his eyes. He'd woken when Bobby had climbed out of bed, but had remained motionless.

"I want to send a message to the mansion, telling Scott I won't participate in today's training session." Bobby hoped his voice sounded steady.

But Nicholas heard the odd tone. "What's wrong?" He sat upright in bed. The sheet fell down to his waist.

Bobby swallowed hard at the beautiful sight of his lover. He didn't even want to think that Nicholas was hiding something from him. There had to be a perfectly logical explanation. "Why are you receiving messages from a certain LeBeau? Is it Remy?"

Nicholas suddenly tensed. Damn, he should have deleted that message, but he'd been so tired that he'd forgotten. "Darling, let me explain." Nicholas cringed, seeing the sudden apprehension and distrust in Bobby's eyes. He'd never intended for Bobby to find out.

"If it isn't Remy," Bobby said firmly. "Who is it?"

"His father, Jean-Luc LeBeau," Nicholas whispered and watched helplessly as Bobby created this emotional distance between them. Oh, he understood that Bobby felt left out, possibly even betrayed but... "I couldn't tell you."

Bobby understood perfectly. "You're his spy?" When Scott and he had visited Warren and Remy in Ireland, the Cajun had hinted that Jean-Luc had spies in Westchester that kept the former patriarch up to date. But Bobby had never expected Nicholas to be one of them.

"Jean-Luc wants to make sure that Rogue won't try to hurt Remy again," Nicholas said and wrapped the sheet closely around his body. He felt vulnerable and exposed all of a sudden. //Please, I don't want to lose Bobby over this!//

Bobby got up from behind the desk and returned to the bedroom where he put on his clothes. He hardly looked at Nicholas, as he was too busy trying to figure things out. "You used me," he stated eventually. "I was your main source of information." He felt utterly betrayed. "I trusted you and you were only using me." A strange sense of detachment coursed through him. Reality would hit him later on.

"You don't understand, Bobby," Nicholas replied in a worried tone. He got out of bed himself and clutched the sheet tightly. "Remy's very important to Jean-Luc and I..."

"Are you a trained thief too?" Bobby slid into his sneakers and grabbed his coat. He felt dirty and used. //I thought he loved me!//

"Yes, but Bobby..." Nicholas went after Bobby, who marched towards the front door. "Please listen to me!"

Bobby turned around and glared at Nicholas. "Come on, just admit it. You needed inside information and I was dumb enough to confide in you. Geeze, I've been so stupid to think that you loved me!"

"Bobby, wait!" Nicholas took hold of Bobby's right arm and tried to keep him from leaving. "Let me explain this and then you can leave." He was beginning to panic. He was utterly in love with the X-Man and seeing the loathing in Bobby's eyes made him nauseous.

"You should have told me before we started to date," Bobby said in an accusing tone. "Were you afraid that I'd break things off once I knew the truth? Dammit, Nick! You must have laughed hard when I fell for you!"

"No, Bobby, please..." Nicholas fought back his tears when Bobby slammed the door hard behind him. "Let me explain..." But Bobby was gone and could no longer hear him. Leaning heavily against the wall, he let go of the tears that swam in his eyes. "I never used you. I never laughed at you. Fuck, I'm so sorry, Bobby."

Sliding down the wall, his knees gave out beneath him. He held onto the sheet for warmth and comfort and cried softly.

///

"Bobby?"

Scott had been on his way to the Danger Room, when the younger man crashed into him. Bobby obviously wasn't paying attention where he was going and Scott noticed the faint impression on Bobby's face that revealed that he'd cried. "Stop right there," Scott instructed and grabbed Bobby's arm.

"Lemme go, Slim."

Scott raised an eyebrow, hearing the angry tone in his friend's voice. "Let's talk, Drake." Not taking no for an answer, he pulled Bobby into the professor's study, which was empty. "Sit and try to calm down."

"I can't fucking believe it!" Bobby sneered angrily.

"Believe what?" Scott sat down opposite his friend, behind the professor's desk. "What happened?"

"It's Nicholas," Bobby hissed between gritted teeth.

"Lover's quarrel?" The glare that Bobby shot him alarmed Scott. "What the hell happened?"

"He's a fucking spy!" Bobby blurted out. "Nicholas works for Jean-Luc LeBeau, who wants to know what's going on at the mansion. He used me." Those last three words were a desperate whimper.

"A spy?" Scott repeated, stunned.

"Nicholas is one of them, a thief." Bobby shook his head. "I trusted him, Slim. I thought he loved me."

Scott watched Bobby closely. "Nicholas told you?"

"Come on, man. It's way obvious that he was using me to get his information." Bobby dug his fingernails into the armrest of the chair. "I was so stupid."

Scott saw the pain and sadness that hid beneath Bobby's anger. "Did Nicholas tell you or did you draw these conclusions yourself?" he asked again.

"He didn't need to tell me, Slim." Bobby made eye-contact with his friend. "I feel used."

Scott considered his advice carefully. "Why don't you give Nicholas a chance to tell his side of the story?"

"What's there to tell?" Bobby asked, embittered. "I'm going to my room, Scott. Don't expect me to take part in the training session. I don't want to hurt anyone accidentally." He got to his feet and turned away from Scott. "I don't want to talk to him, so in case he calls, you can tell him I'm not in."

"Bobby, running away from this won't help."

"I'm not running away, Slim. I just need time to deal with this." Bobby was angrier with himself than with Nicholas. He'd walked into the trap with eyes wide open and he couldn't really blame Nicholas for doing his job. It just hurt that their love wasn't true.

///

Later that night, Nicholas sneaked over the mansion's premises, easily avoiding all safety measures. The security cameras didn't pick up on his presence and confidently, he began to climb the outside wall. His destination was Bobby's window and he was determined to reach it. Dressed in black clothes, he didn't stand out against the dark wall.

When he reached Bobby's window, he carefully peeked inside. He'd expected to find Bobby awake or pacing, but the young man was asleep in his bed and Nicholas envied him. He'd tossed and turned after Bobby had stormed out on him and in the end, he'd decided to carry out this plan.

Agile fingers opened the window and he soundlessly slid inside. //Bobby, I'm so sorry. I never wanted you to find out that way. I'd have told you once Jean-Luc had given me permission, but he's out of reach.//

Nicholas tiptoed over to the bed and looked at the sleeper. //My God, Bobby, I do love you. I never used you. If only you had given me a chance to explain.// But now that his cover had been blown, he'd never get another chance to explain himself to Bobby. He'd move to another city in a few hours and he'd never see Bobby again. His heart ached.

He gently took hold of the flowers that he'd stacked away in his backpack and placed them on the bed next to Bobby. "I love you," he whispered sincerely and managed to control the urge to lean in and kiss Bobby. //It's over,// he reminded himself and returned to the window. In a few minutes he'd sit in his car, leaving Bobby behind forever.

"I wish things had been different, Bobby." Nicholas forced himself to turn away from the sleeper and headed for the window. Making no sound at all, he climbed down the wall and disappeared from sight.

///

Bobby groaned as he woke the next morning. He felt depressed and had absolutely no desire to leave his warm bed. //The first thing I used to do was to call Nicholas... So why get up?// Lazily, he stretched his body and hated the fact that warm sunbeams had found a way into his room. He could have sworn that he'd closed the curtains before going to bed.

Turning onto his other side, he cursed loudly as something sharp stabbed him in his side. "What?" Bobby threw off the sheet and stared at the three roses that lay beside him. Next to the roses was a closed envelope. "Nicholas," he whispered, realizing the thief and spy had broken into his room last night. "We need to upgrade our security system," he mumbled absentmindedly.

Attached to the stems of the three red roses was a note. Bobby picked up the flowers and turned the note around so he could read the words.

One red rose for every time that we made love.

Bobby's eyes began to water. "Damn you, Nicholas. Why are you doing this to me?" Bobby's heart felt heavy with pain and regret. His hand trembled as he opened the letter. Only now, he realized that he was clutching the red roses to his chest. Bobby's eyes scanned the content of the letter.

Bobby,

I didn't want to leave Westchester without explaining my actions to you. If you throw away this letter, so be it, but I can't leave like this.

I do love you, Bobby. I never planned on falling in love with you, but for me it was love at first sight. I'd never have made the first move, but when you came to the grocery store, which I was using as a cover, I couldn't help myself and agreed to meet you for coffee. Things got worse for me from that moment on. I was falling head over heals in love with you, but I knew that we couldn't be together. You're an X-Man and I realized that once you found out that I was here to gather information on Rogue, you'd kick me out.

Yes, I spied on the X-Men, but I never used you to acquire information. As you might have noticed by now I'm quite capable of sneaking inside to gather my information without anyone knowing about it. I never used you, Bobby. Never!

You'll probably wonder why Jean-Luc sent me to spy for him. He needed someone whom Remy wouldn't recognize. Remy and I never met and Jean-Luc thought I was the perfect man for the job. Yes, I'm a trained thief and I know how to misguide people, but I always tried to be honest with you.

I hope that you can someday forgive me for misleading you. It was never my intention. I suddenly found myself between a rock and a hard place. I didn't want to let Jean-Luc LeBeau down, but I didn't want to lose you either.

I'll leave Westchester and won't bother you again. I wish I hadn't hurt you like this.

Nicholas D'Arcy-LeBeau

The letter dropped from his fingers and dumbfounded he stared at Nicholas' last name. D'Arcy-LeBeau? Why had Nicholas signed the letter with LeBeau?

Absentmindedly, he clutched the roses harder and one thorn slipped beneath his skin. Bobby brought his finger to his lips and suckled it, trying to stop the bleeding.

Nicholas' letter sounded sincere, but the sense of betrayal was still there. Why did he feel like he still didn't have all the answers? There was only way to make sure, he'd have to confront Nicholas. But what if Nicholas had already left Westchester?

"I shouldn't have walked away. Damn, Scott was right. We should have talked this through!" He didn't even know who Nicholas truly was. Had he fallen in love with the real Nicholas? "I need to know!" he realized and jumped out of bed. Within minutes he was dressed. When he left the mansion, he still carried the roses in his right hand.

///

Richmond International Airport

"Did I ever tell ya that I hate flyin'? Never got enough leg space. Gimme the Black Bird anytime." Jean-Luc had arranged seats for them on the next commercial flight to Florida.

Amused, Jean-Luc watched him. He could tell that Logan was trying to distract him. He was still greatly worried about Remy. Something didn't feel right.

"Ya'll be with Remy in a few hours, Cajun," Logan reminded Jean-Luc. Hopefully, his lover would grow less restless by then. "Honeymoon Island," he growled softly. "Why doesn't it surprise me that Warren would buy a place with that name?"

"Cher? Stop complaining. It isn't working." Jean-Luc stared at the plane, which was almost ready. "Let's board." He led the way and handed the ground stewardess their tickets.

Logan followed reluctantly. "I can't believe ya don't own a private jet."

"I do."

"Then why ain't we usin' it?" Logan sighed, exasperated.

"I don't want anyone to know dat we're heading for Florida. Dat's why we're flying under aliases."

"Gettin' paranoid, Cajun?" Concerned, Logan studied Jean-Luc, but he refrained from making any more comments. Jean-Luc looked seriously worried and he decided to support his lover whatever way possible. "Let's get movin' then."

///

Honeymoon Island

"Vincent? We need to talk." Warren signaled Vincent to follow him into the library. He caught Remy's slightly panicked expression, as his lover realized he'd stay behind alone with Jayce. "We'll be back in a moment, Rem."

Remy nodded his head and watched them leave. Sitting on the sofa, Remy closely observed Jayce, who was busy surfing the net. "Any interestin' sites?" Remy asked, trying to engage Jayce in some conversation. Thankfully, the boy's feelings of hatred had diminished. They were still there, but not that strong any longer.

"Not really," Jayce replied, thoughtfully.

"Are y' interested in art?" Remy felt at a loss. Jayce wasn't really cooperative.

"Art? No." Jayce exited the program and switched off the computer. He turned to face Remy. He'd had some time to think things over and was getting worried that he'd misjudged Remy completely. Oh, man. If that was true he'd made a complete ass of himself. "How long have you and Warren been together?"

Jayce's question surprised Remy. "A few mont's."

"How did you meet?" Jayce walked over to the couch and sat at the other end, maintaining distance between them. He noticed how tired Remy looked and wondered why dark circles were starting to show beneath his gold on black eyes.

"We... were bot' X-Men..." Remy had chosen for the past tense because they were no longer officially on the team.

Jayce considered the answer. "But you weren't lovers all the time?"

Remy sighed. Why was Jayce suddenly asking these questions? And why did the boy use the word lovers instead of faggots now? Was he really getting through to Jason? Mon Dieu, he fervently hoped so! Remy remembered Jayce's question and replied, "Non, we weren' lovers. Y'r uncle hated my guts when I was still an X-Man."

"Hated you?" Growing interested, Jayce moved closer to Remy. "Why?"

"I'm a trained t'ief, petit and he didn' t'ink much of dat."

"A thief?" Jayce wondered how many more revelations would follow.

"Oui, a t'ief."

"What about the accent? Where are you from?"

"N'Awlings... New Orleans," Remy explained quickly. "Grew up dere."

"With the family that adopted you?"

"Oui, lived dere wit' tante and Jean-Luc."

"Where you already an empath back then?" The empath thing puzzled Jayce.

"Oui," Remy whispered, feeling uncomfortable. //I ain't gonna t'ink of de Antiquary. He's gone.//

Jayce registered the sudden discomfort on Remy's face. "Sorry, didn't want to pry. You're entitled to your privacy."

"Merci." Remy reached out and petted Wolvie's head, who had unceremoniously draped himself over Remy's lap after the Cajun had settled down on the sofa.

"Can you feel his emotions too?" Intrigued, Jayce's eyes followed the graceful movement of Remy's hand.

"Oui, de're wonderful."

"I bet it feels better than sensing mine." Jayce felt guiltier with every passing moment. "I'm sorry I called you that name."

"Merci, petit. Means a lot to me." Remy wasn't sure what was going on, but Jayce's hostility seemed to be diminishing. Hopefully, it would stay that way.

///

In the library Warren and Vincent exchanged concerned looks. "We'll talk about the boy in a moment," Warren started, "but first... did you manage to make the name change official? Am I Warren LeBeau now?"

Vincent opened his suitcase and handed Warren a stack of papers. "You will be after you signed these."

Warren sat down and quickly scanned the documents. Resolved, he signed them.

"That one gives Remy power of attorney," Vincent pointed out when Warren reached the last document.

Warren smiled as he signed it and handed the papers back to Vincent. "I'll tell Remy tonight."

Pleased, Vincent put the documents back into his suitcase. "What about Jason? Are you sure you want to invest that much time and energy in him? He doesn't listen and he's really stubborn."

"I think Remy's making progress with him," Warren replied, as he leaned back into the comfort of his chair. "I don't know a thing about the boy. Can you gather some information on him? He told me he witnessed an attempted rape at Saint Andrew's."

"So that's why he's so angry with Remy and you?" Vincent took out his notebook and wrote down the school's name. He'd follow up on it.

"Yes," Warren sighed the word and then looked thoughtfully at Vincent. "In time I'll arrange for a private tutor. Let's give Jayce some time to recuperate first."

"Yes, Jayce witnessed Sam's death. That shook him up pretty bad."

"I wondered about that," Warren mumbled and sought out Vincent's eyes. "Do you know what caused the accident?"

"I asked Jayce before we attended the funeral."

"And?"

Vincent closed his eyes, trying to remember Jayce's exact words. "They were on their way to a farm, which Sam wanted to buy. Sam was ready to settle down and wanted to spend more time with Jayce. Jayce told me that the sun had just set when a bright light blinded them. At first, they thought it was a car and expected to collide with the other vehicle, but they never did. The light grew stronger and Sam lost control over the car. It was suddenly catapulted over the road and they ended up upside down when a tree stopped them."

"Go on," Warren said, intrigued.

"They had both buckled their seatbelts and Sam was trapped. Jayce tried to unbuckle his father, but couldn't reach him. Sam didn't die on impact. He struggled for breath for a few minutes. Several ribs had punctured his lungs, causing internal bleeding."

"How did Jayce get out?" Warren wondered what emotional damage witnessing this scene had done to Jayce.

"A car that passed them by stopped and turned around. The woman called 911 and she managed to get Jayce out of the car. But Sam was already dead at that point." Vincent clasped his hands in his lap. "I only managed to get Jayce to talk about the accident once. He doesn't know how to deal with it."

"Can you blame him? He saw his dad die." Warren got to his feet and paced slowly. "He'll stay here. If anyone can help him, it's Remy."

"I didn't know that he was an empath." Warren had only told him that Remy could charge lifeless objects with kinetic energy.

"He doesn't like people to know everything about him." Warren suddenly had the craving to hug his lover tightly. "That's all for now, Vincent. When will you leave?"

"I've got a boat standing by to take me to the mainland." Vincent rose from his chair and shook Warren's hand. "I'll try to find out more about Jayce."

Warren nodded his head once and opened the door. Vincent left quickly and Warren returned to the living room, wondering if Jayce was still behaving himself.

Part 10

Westchester

Feeling nervous, Bobby tried to locate Nicholas in the massive crowd. He'd gone to Nicholas' apartment first, but had only found empty rooms. The furniture had either been removed or covered up by sheets. Next, he'd imagined what he would do if he were in Nicholas' shoes. The letter had mentioned that Nicholas was leaving Westchester, so Bobby had driven to the nearest airport, hoping to find him there.

During the ride, he'd had time to think things over. He'd read the letter again and the roses were on the back seat of the car. Maybe he'd overreacted. Nicholas deserved a chance to explain everything. Yes, he knew bits and pieces now, but could he let Nicholas leave like that? No!

"Nicholas!" Bobby called the name loudly, as he located the young man, who'd just handed the stewardess his boarding pass. "Don't go on board yet!" Nicholas didn't react and Bobby suspected that the other man hadn't heard him. Bobby fought himself a way through the crowd and grabbed Nicholas' jacket before the other man could disappear. "We need to talk, Nicholas."

"Bobby?" Stunned, Nicholas stared into his former lover's eyes. "What are you doing here? My flight's about to leave."

"You can catch the next flight, if you still want to leave after we talked," Bobby said resolved and pulled Nicholas away from the exit. "I found your letter... and the roses."

"I wanted to say good-bye," Nicholas whispered, taken aback. What was Bobby doing here? He'd never expected the X-Man to come after him. Why had Bobby decided to track him down?

"I should have given you that chance," Bobby replied, regretfully. "Can we talk now?"

Nicholas watched, as the plane he was supposed to be on, started to taxi. "I suppose so. I missed my flight anyway."

Bobby's heart missed a beat, seeing the expression in Nicholas' eyes. It was apparent that the other man expected this to be an unpleasant conversation. "Come on, let's find a place to sit down. I'd kill for some coffee." He'd left the mansion without eating breakfast. Bobby's stomach growled demonstratively.

Nicholas followed Bobby and they picked a table at the back of the restaurant. Bobby ordered coffee and some sandwiches, and Nicholas stuck to tea.

"What do you want to talk about?" Nicholas asked softly.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Bobby maintained eye contact the entire time.

"I couldn't. Jean-Luc didn't want anyone to know I was out there." Nicholas nodded thankfully as the waitress brought their order. He sipped carefully from the hot tea.

"Which reminds me..." Bobby uncovered the letter. "Why did you sign it D'Arcy-*LeBeau*?" Bobby suddenly realized how stupid it'd been to walk out on Nicholas. Those answers had to come out into the open, if they wanted to move on and settle this. He still loved Nicholas and wanted to give their relationship a second chance. He refused to let Nicholas walk out of his life like this.

"Jean-Luc's my father."

Bobby caught the defiant expression in Nicholas' eyes. "Your father?" Remy had never mentioned having a... what? Half-brother? Foster-brother? Jean-Luc wasn't Remy's biological father and that made things even more complicated. Then another question surfaced. "Does Remy know?"

Nicholas shook his head. "He doesn't." Thoughtfully, he stared at his tea. "Do you really want to hear this now?"

"Yes, tell me."

"Why?" Nicholas locked eyes with Bobby. "You made up your mind yesterday. Why should I tell you?"

"I shouldn't have judged you that quickly," Bobby admitted. "But I felt hurt."

Nicolas understood, but wondered why Bobby was here in the first place. "Why did you come after me? You told me in very clear words that our relationship was over."

Bobby swallowed hard. He'd made one hell of a mistake. "I came after you because I love you."

Nicholas' eyes grew big, hearing that admission. "Even after I *betrayed* you?" At least, that was how Bobby saw it.

"Did you betray me?" Cautiously, Bobby sought out Nicholas' hand beneath the table. Once he'd found the precious limb, he felt how tremors coursed through it. Nicholas was nervous too. "I've been thinking about that."

Nicholas waited patiently. The next move was Bobby's. "I never used you to get the information I was after."

"You broke into the mansion before?" That still puzzled Bobby. "How? The mansion is extremely well secured."

Nicholas shrugged his shoulders. "I had excellent teachers, the best."

"Will you tell me your story?" Bobby asked after he'd sipped from his coffee.

"Everything?"

"Yeah, everything," Bobby confirmed as he took a bite from his sandwich. "If you want this relationship to work, you've got to come clean. I feel like I'm in love with someone I don't know."

Nicholas licked his lips. Had Bobby just hinted at the fact that they might still have a future together? "Do you think we can... stay together? I would want that very much. I love you, Bobby." Bobby blushed and Nicholas' heart leaped in his chest. The answer was obviously yes.

"Just tell me," Bobby mumbled, shyly.

"After Jean-Luc's wife Louise died, he met my mother, Marie. They started to see each other, but Jean-Luc felt like betraying Louise. They never got really close emotionally and one day my mother discovered that she was pregnant. She never told Jean-Luc and left. She felt like he didn't really love her because he kept holding back. We left for Europe and she settled down in Paris."

Bobby gently squeezed Nicholas' hand to encourage him to continue.

"When I was 12 she told me who my father really was. I already knew his name, but didn't know that he was the patriarch of the New Orleans' Thieves Guild. She gave me the chance to meet my father. When Jean-Luc and I first met, I couldn't stop crying. He told me that he'd only known of my existence for the last 2 years. My mother had kept my birth secret and Jean-Luc desperately wanted to get to know me."

"So what happened?" Bobby had already forgiven Nicholas in his heart and he suspected Nicholas knew that as well.

"We agreed that I would spend 3 months with my father each year. I traveled to New Orleans, but Jean-Luc made sure that no one knew that I was his son."

"And he never introduced you to Remy? You must be about the same age."

"I never met Remy. There was always a power struggle going on in the Thieves Guild and Jean-Luc wanted to keep me safe." Nicholas smiled. "I always wanted to meet Remy so when Jean-Luc suggested I'd go to Westchester, I gladly accepted. I hoped to finally meet my brother, which I did."

Yes, Bobby had introduced Nicholas to Warren and Remy. "And you never told him?"

"I couldn't. It was obvious that Remy was having a rough time and I didn't want to spring this on him." Nicholas only now realized that he was rubbing Bobby's knuckles. "I wanted to keep Remy safe, that's why I accepted this assignment."

"How did you become a thief? And are you really a history student?" Bobby wanted to get to know the real Nicholas.

"My mother died when I was 16. She had cancer. Jean-Luc found me a foster family. I wanted to be a thief because I hoped it'd make my father proud." Nicholas paused briefly. "I was working on my master's degree in History when Jean-Luc sent me here and I decided to take some classes at the University."

"You live in New Orleans then?"

"No, I live in Paris. Jean-Luc asked me to be his contact there and I accepted. I was studying at the Sorbonne." Nicholas felt encouraged. Even after his confession, Bobby was still holding his hand. "Anything else you want to know?"

Bobby carefully considered his answer. "Nicholas, would you stay here? I want things to work out between us. I can't let you go. I love you too much to lose you."

Surprised, Nicholas forced back the tears that threatened to leave his eyes. "Do you really want me to stay?"

"Now that the secrets are gone, yes. Give us another chance?" Bobby remembered the three roses, which he'd found in his bed. "Why the roses?"

"I wanted you to know that I care." Nicholas averted his eyes. "Making love with you is beyond words."

Bobby placed the money that they owed the waitress on the table and pulled Nicholas to his feet. "Let's get going."

"Where are we going?" Dazed, Nicholas allowed Bobby to pull him towards the exit.

"Some place private," Bobby stated firmly. "We still need to do a lot of talking."

"Bobby." Nicholas stopped him. "Are we still together?"

"Yes," Bobby replied at once. "We are."

///

Honeymoon Island

"Rem?" Warren watched as his lover disappeared into the bathroom. "Are you going to take a shower?"

"Oui," Remy replied and caught Warren's glance. "Wanna join me?"

"What about using the jacuzzi?" Warren walked over to Remy, who was already taking off his clothes. Lines of worry were etched onto Remy's brow and Warren wanted to help his lover relax.

"Bien," Remy said listlessly and turned the water on so the jacuzzi would fill up quickly.

Remy's apparent lethargy worried Warren. "Hey, what's the matter?"

Remy slid into the warm water and pulled up his knees so he could rest his chin on them. "Feelin' melancholy, cher."

Warren didn't waste any time, stripped and joined his lover in the water. "Can I hold you?" He'd learned to be careful when Remy was in this kind of mood.

"I'd like dat," Remy replied after thinking it over. He moved closer to Warren, who opened his arms to capture him in them. Remy nudged Warren's legs apart and sat between them. Content, he rested his back against Warren's chest. "Bien."

"What's bothering you?" Warren asked softly as he single-handedly massaged his lover's shoulders. His other hand was holding Remy's. "You've been gloomy since this morning. Is it because of the nightmare?"

Remy closed his eyes and bit his lip. He'd known Warren would want to address this. "I'm gettin' so tired of havin' de same old dream all de time."

"About the Antiquary?" Warren caressed Remy's fingers and pressed a gently kiss on the back of his lover's neck.

"Oui," Remy admitted at once. "When will de dreams stop? I should have dealt wit' it by now. It happened many years ago and he's still dere in my dreams."

Warren heard the edge of panic in Remy's voice and wrapped his arms and legs tighter around his lover. "Rem, this will affect you forever. I doubt it'll ever go away completely. The emotional scars run too deep. You've got to accept that it's part of who you are."

Remy's eyes opened slowly. "For de rest of my life?"

"Yes, but you also know that we can heal those emotional injuries. You just need time. You've got the tendency to push yourself when you're not ready to take the next step." Warren had told Remy this before.

Remy turned in the embrace and wrapped his long legs around Warren's waist. They now faced each other and the warm water reached onto their armpits. "I want to make love wit' y', cher."

Cautiously, Warren tried to gauge Remy's intentions. "Why now?"

"Because I need to feel y'." Remy took the initiative and kissed Warren hard. "Mais I ain' sure I can go all de way, cher."

"What do you want to do?" Warren welcomed the hand that wrapped itself around his awakening cock. Semi-hard already, his shaft was definitely interested in Remy's ministrations.

"Like dis?" Remy's voice trembled a little, but he sighed relieved as Warren's fingers curled around his erection. He only hoped that limiting their activity to handjobs wouldn't disappoint Warren.

Warren smiled and arched his back as Remy's strokes grew harder. "Whatever you want, you'll get, love." He realized that Remy was setting boundaries and was saying no because he wasn't in the mood to make love. Warren respected his lover for that. It was one thing he'd always hoped Remy would understand; his right to say no.

Warren matched his strokes with Remy's and it didn't take them long to reach climax. Warren came first. He moaned as Remy continued to milk him dry. "I love you, Rem."

Remy blushed. Suddenly Warren rolled Remy's left nipple between his fingertips and that unexpected stimulation pushed Remy towards orgasm too. He came in Warren's hand and he thrust wildly, as he reached completion. "Oh, cher..." The intensity of the feelings between them would always baffle Remy. Warren constantly radiated love and affection, but when they were this intimate those feelings intensified to a level he'd thought impossible.

"The glow's back," Warren mumbled, pleased. It was very faint, but the golden glow surrounded their bodies, binding them together. "How do you do that?"

"I don' know, cher," Remy admitted and caressed Warren's face.

"Wow," Warren groaned, as a wave of delight coursed through him. "Touch me again?"

Remy obeyed and stroked Warren's shoulders with his tingling fingertips.

Warren quivered and his cock saluted again.

"Cher? What's happenin'?"

"I feel like I'm about to come again," Warren moaned, not fighting the ecstatic feeling that pooled in his groin.

Warren's reaction puzzled Remy and he opened his shields completely to feel what Warren was experiencing. He yelped softly as a tidal wave of lust and love washed over him.

"Rem, touch me again?" Warren couldn't stop himself from making that request. He'd never felt this raw need before. "I wish you could take me," he added softly. "But I understand."

Overwhelmed by Warren's reaction to his touch, Remy struggled to phrase a reply. "We don' have lube, cher."

"Can you feel it too? Do you, Rem?" Warren bucked against Remy, seemingly begging his lover to help him find release. "I never felt this... complete before." It was like Remy's feelings were mingling with his, until they became one mind.

Remy felt the need too and rational thinking deserted him. All he knew was that he needed to get closer to Warren, to touch him, caress every part of his body, and possess him completely. He'd never felt Warren's crushing need this clearly and it urged him on, leaving only the desire to please his lover. He wasn't thinking logically when he pulled Warren out of the water and placed him on the floor.

"Oh yes, please, now..." Warren spread his wings until they rested comfortably on the tiles. He pulled up his legs, hooked his arms around his knees and presented himself shamelessly. "Rem, inside, now!"

Warren's frenzied need became his and Remy poured some bath oil over his erect cock. "Soon, cher... soon," he soothed his lover. A small voice in the back of his head told him that he should prepare Warren first, but when his lover's eyes locked with his, Remy acted instinctively. "Cher, je t'aime."

Warren quavered as Remy's cock pushed passed the ring of tight muscle. As soon as his lover was inside, Warren released his legs and threw them over Remy's shoulders. With his hands he managed to grab his lover's ass and pulled Remy deeper inside. "Yeah, inside me... all of you. Mine..."

Both men's thoughts had stopped being rational some time ago and only animalistic grunts left their throats as they settled into a wild rhythm.

"More, harder... deeper!" Warren no longer recognized his own voice. He let go of his lover's buttocks, satisfied that Remy filled him completely and stroked himself hard, eager to reach orgasm again. Remy leaned over him, both his hands rested on the floor to support him. It was one of the most beautiful sights Warren had ever seen.

"Cher, touch me... dere..." Sharing Warren's feelings, Remy experienced the pleasure that his lover felt. Part of that pleasure was due to being penetrated.

Warren reacted at once. "Suck it," and he offered his lover his index finger.

Remy bathed the fingertip in saliva and guided his lover's hand, as it crawled down his lower back. "Oui, cher," he moaned and stopped thrusting.

Warren used the momentary rest to his advantage and inserted his digit into Remy's body. "Hot, tight," he moaned, as he began a thrusting motion himself.

"Cher, we're gonna come," Remy announced. He wanted to push back so he could take Warren's finger deeper, but at the same time his lover urged him to thrust again.

Both men released a whimper as they reached orgasm. "Cher," Remy buried himself inside Warren's passage and tensed as his lover's finger stroked his prostate. Their orgasm was ripped from them and they released their come in short spurts.

Feeling Remy reach completion like this, Warren roughly sought out his lover's lips and bruised them in one brutal kiss.

They clung to each other for long moments afterwards. Warren removed his finger from Remy's body and shivered.

Remy's sated sex slipped out of Warren and he collapsed on top of his lover. Unable to move, Remy lay there panting. A film of sweat covered their bodies and Remy managed to catch Warren's eyes. "Cher?"

"Rem," Warren mumbled. "Best loving I ever had!" he whispered enthusiastically.

"Same for me, mais..." Remy tried to roll off his lover, but his body refused to move.

Warren saw the exhaustion in Remy's eyes and gently rolled them onto their sides. Facing each other, they tried to regulate their breathing. "Look, the glow!" It had never been this strong before.

"What did we do?" Remy asked in a shaky tone.

"You let go, Rem. It was the first time you really let go." Warren expected to see guilt and shame in Remy's gold on black eyes, but they were only draped with satiation. Remy seemed speechless, so Warren continued. "It felt like you *really* took me this time. You didn't constantly ask me if I was fine, or if you were hurting me. You took what you wanted, what *we* wanted. Oh Rem, it was amazing. I can still feel the tremors rocking my body."

"Y' wanted me to take y' dat way," Remy said softly. "I... saw what y' wanted."

"You *saw*?"

"Wrong choice of words," Remy said quickly. "Felt like y' guided my actions." Remy gently caressed his lover's face. "Dis feels right."

"Feels fucking amazing," Warren agreed and blushed. Oh God, how he loved that little aggressive streak Remy had just displayed. "You're healing, Remy. This was the first time you let go of your fears and memories. We just have to be patient."

"Oui, I wasn' 'fraid."

Warren's fingers tangled in Remy's locks. "I don't want this... *enchantment* to end." The air was filled with the scent of honey and sugar and he even detected a hint of roses beneath them. It felt so good to see Remy's eyes free of fear. //And he isn't hovering over me to make sure he didn't hurt me when we made love. Oh, I already feel sore, but it was worth it!//

"Wanna go back into de water, cher?" Remy's hand wandered down Warren's chest and briefly caressed his lover's sated organ.

"Yes," Warren panted, surprised by the touch. //Remy said that my urges, my need had guided him when we made love. Isn't that amazing? I wonder if I can do that again the next time we have sex.// Warren allowed Remy to help him slide into the jacuzzi. Then he remembered the one thing that would have stunned him, if he'd been thinking straight. Remy had asked him to enter him too. Only with one finger, yes, but Remy had wanted it.

"I'm tired, ange," Remy mumbled as he pulled Warren close. Gently, Remy forced Warren's head against his shoulder so his lover could rest. Beneath the warm water, Remy's hands continued to caress Warren's body. They stroked the soft flesh of the insides of his lover's thighs, played with the pubic hair and slid up and down Warren's stomach.

The sensuality in those caresses surprised Warren. He'd never seen this quality before. Something had happened when that glow had urged them to make love. Something very profound, but Warren couldn't figure it out. Deeply content, Warren rested in Remy's arms.

///

Richmond to Florida

"How much longer?" Logan complained. He tried to stretch his legs, but there wasn't enough room. "Ya could have bought first class tickets."

Jean-Luc gave him a sharp look. "Something's wrong."

"Whadda ya mean?"

"One of de engines sounds... off," Jean-Luc tried to peek at the engines through the small window. "Don't you hear it?"

"Was dozin'," Logan admitted, but focused his hearing on the four engines. "Yeah, yer right." Alarmed, he exchanged a look with Jean-Luc. "Do ya think the pilot noticed?" He'd barely asked the question when a soft chirp sounded.

"This is your captain speaking. Due to minor technical problems we're forced to land on a nearby airport. I apologize for the inconvenience, but our first priority is your safety." The chirp sounded again and the 150 passengers stirred. The stewardesses tried to calm everyone down, but a hint of panic remained.

"Dis isn't a coincidence. Someone sabotaged dat engine."

Jean-Luc's statement startled Logan. "Why? Why would anyone do that?"

"Dis is about us, mon ami." Jean-Luc nodded his head. "Someone's trying to keep us from reaching Remy."

"How can ya be sure about that?" Logan's mind raced, trying to find a logical solution for their predicament. "Maybe the plane was already malfunctionin' when it took off?"

"We would have heard," Jean-Luc corrected him. "De noise started only minutes ago."

"Ya really think that someone's tryin' to stop us? Who?"

"I don't know, cher, but I've got de feeling we'll find out soon."

///

Honeymoon Island

Remy and Warren were about to go to sleep when loud banging on their door alarmed them.

"Mister Worthington, we've got an emergency!"

Warren raced over to the door after quickly donning some clothes and opened it. He recognized the man in front of him. Jim was in charge of the stables and the horses. From the corner of his eye, Warren registered that Remy had put on some sweat pants and was now joining them.

"We just heard that a fire's eating its way over to the ranch. It's burning everything that blocks its path," Jim informed his boss. "It'll reach the ranch in less than an hour."

"Damn!" Warren cursed. "Why didn't you inform me sooner?"

"We didn't know." Jim looked embarrassed. "I've never seen a fire spread that quickly."

"Rem, stay here." Warren smothered his lover's protest by saying, "They'll probably start bringing in injured people and I need someone in charge here. If we can't stop the fire, you've got to evacuate everyone." Warren quickly collected his boots and coat and slid into them. "I need you here, Rem."

Remy stopped himself from protesting. Warren was probably right, but he wished he could stay at his lover's side. "I'll take care of de people."

"Thanks," Warren whispered and quickly pressed a kiss on his lover's lips. "You know what to do, Rem. Don't doubt yourself, you hear me? We'll stay in radio contact. Okay?"

Remy watched as Warren dashed into the corridor. He realized that the threat was serious. From all over the house he was picking up on people's fear and panic. Remy quickly grabbed a pair of jeans, and a heavy sweater and changed into them.

He'd have to check up on people and start planning a possible evacuation.

"Remy? What's going on?"

Remy looked up and found Jayce standing in the doorway. The boy was still wearing his pajamas and was obviously half asleep. Suddenly, he realized that Jayce had said his name without any loathing in it. In spite of their dire situation, Remy smiled. "Get dressed properly, petit. A fire's headin' our way. We might have to leave in a hurry."

Jayce tried to understand what Remy had told him. "A fire?"

"Oui, it's comin' dis way. We have to take care of de personnel. See if dere are any old people dat require help? Get movin', petit."

Jayce blinked his eyes. "You want me to help?" There had been a fire once at the school and they'd dismissed him when he'd offered to help.

"Oui, petit, now move!" Amused, Remy watched as Jayce started to run. Jayce was a good kid, but awfully confused. "Now what?" he wondered. He had to assemble the people that had stayed behind after Warren had taken the rest to fight the fire.

///

Jayce halted dead in his tracks when he reached his room. He quickly went inside, slammed the door and leaned heavily against it. Suddenly, it struck him how badly he'd misjudged Remy. //I had it all wrong. Oh my God, the things I said! I can't face him again, not now, not now I know that the cares!// Jayce paced his room and then threw his backpack on the bed. Frantically, he stuffed it with clothes.

//I can't stay here! Not after the things I've said. I called him a faggot, and... Shit, why did I do that? I acted like a prejudiced jerk. Warren and Remy can't want me around after the way I behaved and I won't get a better chance to leave unnoticed. I still got my credit cards. I can head for the next big city and... arrange for my transport back to Saint Andrew's.//

Jayce quickly dressed and grabbed his backpack. No one would pay him any attention. //It's a good thing that Wolvie stayed with Remy, or he might have stopped me. That wolf is way too intelligent!//

Sneaking through the corridor, Jayce observed Remy take charge. The Cajun seemed driven and Remy's concern for the injured workers showed in his voice and gentle touches. //How could I make such a mistake in judgement? Why didn't I see the real Remy? I always prided myself on being there for the younger pupils and now that I really needed my wits, they let me down.//

Jayce turned around, left the house and continued to walk. He didn't look back.

///

Part 11

Westchester

"Scott?" Cheerfully, Bobby walked into the living room. Nicholas was at his side and they both looked radiant.

"Bobby, Nicholas," Scott greeted them. He was in the middle of eating breakfast when the two men arrived. They were alone in the living room and Scott remarked, "Did you talk things through?"

Bobby had told Nicholas that Scott knew of his doubts and that it was because of Slim that he'd decided to seek out his lover. "Yeah, we did and Nicholas wants to tell you something."

Now that his father was out of reach, Nicholas had made some personal decisions. "My father sent me here to watch over Remy. Jean-Luc didn't want to take the risk that Rogue turned you against Remy."

Surprised, Scott raised an eyebrow. Had he heard correctly? "Jean-Luc LeBeau is your father?"

"Yes, but Remy has never met me. He doesn't know." Nicholas leaned into the embrace, as Bobby folded one arm around his shoulders. "I can't reach Jean-Luc any longer and we decided you should know. However, I'd appreciate it if you didn't tell the others."

Scott nodded his head once. "I understand your concern. I won't tell the rest." Scott took a moment to study both men. "Are you going to stay now, Nicholas?"

"Yes." Nicholas lovingly looked at Bobby. "We'll try to repair the damage. I really love Bobby."

"Good," Scott stated, pleased. He was about to add something when Joseph walked into the room. Scott could tell from the look on Joseph's face that something unexpected had happened.

"We just received a message from Corsair," Joseph informed them.

Scott shifted nervously on his chair. "What message?" He'd been trying to reach his father since he'd found out that Remy was his younger brother. Had Corsair finally received his message or was this just coincidence?

"He'll arrive in 20 hours." Joseph grinned as he caught a glance of Bobby and Nicholas. The two men were obviously in love.

"Thanks for telling me," Scott mumbled, nervously. Corsair would be here in 20 hours and then he had to tell his father that the baby, whom Corsair presumed dead, had survived after all. Fighting down a light panic, Scott watched Joseph leave. //How to break the news to Corsair? Tell him that Sinister arranged for the baby's abduction? That his son is still alive? You never met him, dad, but Gambit's been with the X-men for some time. How do I tell him that the team left Remy to die in Antarctica?//

"Scott?" Bobby released Nicholas and walked over to Scott, who had a distant expression in his eyes. "Corsair coming here is a good thing. You'll tell him about Remy, won't you? Remy has every right to meet his biological father."

Nicholas registered the information. He knew that Jean-Luc had adopted Remy, but it was new to him that they'd found out who his biological father was.

"I don't know how to tell Corsair," Scott admitted eventually.

"You'll find a way." Confident in his friend's abilities, Bobby squeezed Scott's shoulder.

///

Richmond to Florida

"We're going to attempt a controlled landing," the pilot announced and panic broke loose.

"We're gonna crash!" Logan corrected the pilot in a sarcastic tone. He considered their options. "There must be somethin' we can do!"

Jean-Luc sat quietly and shook his head. "You can't stop de plane from crashing."

"We should have taken the Black Bird," Logan cursed as the plane suddenly lost height.

"You'd better hold on, cher." Jean-Luc stared at the hysterical passengers that were either screaming or praying.

"Ya don't seem too concerned," Logan pointed out to him. The plane dove forward and continued to fall.

"We can't stop de plane from crashing," Jean-Luc stated rather calmly. Logan stared at him like he'd lost his mind. "After de crash we'll help de survivors to de best of our abilities. Dis is out of our hands."

"Who do ya think is behind this?"

Jean-Luc remained silent, lost in thought.

All conversation stopped as the plane made contact with the Earth.

///

"Mon Dieu," Jean-Luc gasped. Almost 20 people had died in the crash. Others were badly injured. "How are you doing, cher?"

"Healin' power's kickin' in," Logan mumbled as his spine recovered from the impact. "I'll be fine." Logan stared at the dying flames around them. "We need to help them." One look at Jean-Luc told Logan that the man would be fine. Jean-Luc had only sustained a broken wrist and the elixir of eternal life would keep the Cajun going. Logan ripped off a piece of cloth from his coat and bandaged his lover's broken wrist. "Let's move. Some of those people are in a bad shape."

Jean-Luc nodded his head. "We need a first-aid kit, cher."

"Why don't ya get things organized? Separate the critically injured from the people with minor injuries." Logan stalked through the remains of the plane and cringed as the stench of burned flesh attacked his nostrils. He hoped that Jean-Luc was wrong and that no one had arranged this plane crash.

15 minutes later, he returned to Jean-Luc with the first-aid kit that he'd found. "The pilots are dead," he told his lover, who was trying to stop a young man's bleeding. A steel rod had eaten itself a way through the man's shoulder. Applying more pressure, Jean-Luc told Logan to help him. They worked silently for a few minutes and then moved on to the next critically injured passenger.

"Dere are too many," Jean-Luc whispered, saddened. "We can't help dem all."

Luckily, some of the survivors followed their example and tried to help their fellow passengers.

While Logan concentrated on applying first-aid, Jean-Luc and the other survivors began constructing a camp at some distance from the plane. Then he realized that he had to take care of the deceased passengers. The hot sun already attacked their remains and the stench would quickly become unbearable.

"We'll bury them," Logan said, finishing Jean-Luc's thoughts.

Jean-Luc stared hard at the remains of a young girl. She couldn't be older than 14. "Someone sabotaged de plane, Logan."

Logan noticed the sharp tone in his lover's voice. Jean-Luc was mad as hell. "Any idea who?"

"Non, but we'll find out."

"Why don't ya look after the passengers? I'll take care of the corpses," Logan offered.

"Non, we'll bury dem together. Will be hard on both of us, but I won't let you do it alone." Stubbornly, Jean-Luc stared into Logan's eyes.

"Look, Cajun. Yer wrist is broken. Ya won't be much help." Logan's voice sounded gentle. "I can deal with it."

Still reluctant, Jean-Luc finally gave in. "Call me should you need help?"

"I will," Logan promised. To his surprise a handful of the passengers offered to help dig the graves and Logan considered refusing them until one man told him that the young girl who had died was his daughter. Logan gave in and led the men to the spot where he intended to bury the dead.

Jean-Luc glared at the sky. "Coward," he hissed angrily. "If you want us, you'll have to come and get us. All you accomplished was killing innocent people!" His eyes watered as he watched the father carry his daughter to her last resting place. "You'll pay for dis!"

///

Three hours later, Jean-Luc had the improvised camp pretty much organized. Logan had offered to scout ahead in search of food and water and had returned with fruits. After telling the survivors where they could find the fruits, Logan watched them leave. They would bring back enough food to keep everyone alive.

A few of the injured people were getting worse, their fever climbing. Some were getting better. Jean-Luc was simply growing frustrated.

"Easy, Cajun. Yer doin' all ya can," Logan reassured him.

"I want to make de person pay who did dis."

"Yer really convinced someone staged this crash?" Logan didn't know what to make of Jean-Luc's accusations.

"Oui!" Jean-Luc placed a wet cloth onto a woman's brow, who was burning up with fever. "I'm sure!"

Logan wanted to ask Jean-Luc why he was that certain when a loud explosion shook the earth beneath their feet. At first, Logan thought it was the plane, but then he smelled the gas that filled the sky. "Tear gas!"

Jean-Luc fell onto his knees when the aggressive gas attacked his neural system. "Cher!" He coughed and was only faintly aware of the fact that Logan hauled him to his feet.

"Damn Cajun was right!" Logan cursed and dragged Jean-Luc, who was nearly unconscious, over to the cover of the trees. Looking over his shoulder, he saw several passengers succumb to the gas. He could no longer deny that Jean-Luc had been right. It certainly looked like someone wanted them. "Well, they won't get us!"

"Oh, I'm afraid you're wrong, Wolverine."

Logan wanted to spin around, but Jean-Luc's dead weight prevented him from moving with his normal speed. A tranquilizer dart hit the back of his neck. Although it wouldn't render him helpless for long, his body needed time to deal with the chemical and he dropped to his knees, swaying. A moment later, something hard crashed into Logan's skull and he lost consciousness.

///

Honeymoon Island

"Rem? We've got the fire under control. You don't have to evacuate."

Remy sighed, relieved. Although they could only talk over the radio, it felt good to hear Warren's voice again. He needed a beacon in this whirlpool of negative emotions that surrounded him. His shields were weakening, but thankfully the workers began to calm down, as they heard the good news over the radio. "Bien, Warren."

"How are the injured people doing?" Warren asked. He then shouted instructions at the workers, which were closest to the fire. His wings had already saved the lives of several people, who had been surprised by the fire. Warren had flown them out.

"I managed to heal some of dem," Remy replied truthfully. The workers had given him an odd look when he'd placed his hands on their injuries. In most cases the wound had started to heal. He had to be careful not to exhaust himself while concentrating on one injury. A large number of people needed his help. Now, he felt drained and tired. Using his healing power demanded most of his energy.

"I'll be back in a few hours," Warren informed Remy. "Make sure there's no panic?"

"I calmed dem down," Remy assured him. He wasn't sure if he'd used his empathy to talk some sense into the workers, but eventually the panic had subsided and the people had settled down.

"Remy?" One of maids called out to him. "Steve's getting worse."

"I've got to go, cher. Come back quickly," Remy whispered and handed over the radio to one of the workers, who would monitor the current situation closely. Remy quickly followed the young girl. Steve was one of the hands that helped Jim with the horses and the elderly man had suffered a heart attack and severe burns when he'd helped Warren earlier.

Remy sat on his heels and placed his right hand over Steve's heart. The man had nearly stopped breathing. Concentrating on his healing powers, Remy let the golden glow seep into Steve's body.

"Thank... you," Steve rasped a moment later when his breathing eased down. "Was... suffocating..."

"Y're welcome." A beaming smile flashed across Remy's features. He really loved having this healing power because it enabled him to help people.

Looking around, he suddenly wondered where Jayce was. He hadn't seen the boy since he'd told Jayce to get dressed and help the older workers. "Janet," he said, as he addressed the maid. "Have you seen Jason?"

The girl looked about. "No, I haven't."

Worried, Remy got to his feet and tried to focus on Jayce. Usually, the boy's feelings pulled him close, but the emotions were gone now. "Merde!" he cursed and hurried towards the boy's room. When he opened the door, he realized what had happened. The room was a mess and Remy noticed that the kid's backpack was gone, together with some clothes. "He ran 'way!" Remy didn't stop to consider his actions. He immediately went after the boy. Somehow, he'd find Jayce.

///

Remy's thoughts ran in endless circles as he set foot on the mainland. "Go back to de ranch," he instructed. "Dey need all de help dey can get." He'd been lucky that this worker had still been on board. The man had also told Remy that he'd taken Jayce to the mainland. "De fire's under control, mais y' never know what will happen next."

"Yes, sir," the worker replied and turned the boat around.

Remy watched him leave and then looked about. He needed some form of transportation. Luckily, the jeeps that had taken them here were still parked nearby. Remy relied on his old thieving skills to open the door and hotwire the engine.

"Where did y' go, petit?" Remy concentrated, trying to locate the boy's emotions. He caught a very faint echo, after filtering all other people out. Jayce's emotions tasted raw. Remy sensed the youngster's confusion, fear and loneliness. What had possessed Jayce to run away like that? Remy vowed to find out.

The jeep picked up speed and Remy headed for the next city, Tampa, praying that Jayce hadn't run into trouble yet. The boy's emotions were dark and tangled, but Remy felt reassured as long as he sensed Jayce. //Why? Why did he run? I t'ought we were doin' bien. He seemed less hostile, even friendly. Why run 'way? Did I do somet'in' wrong?// Remy felt guilty for not paying more attention to what was going on with the boy. After Warren had left to fight the fire, the boy had become his responsibility and he'd messed up. Angry with himself, Remy stepped on the gas, eager to find Jayce as quickly as possible.

Long minutes passed by and Remy started to wonder how Jayce had been able to cover this distance. The boy must have gotten a ride from someone who'd passed by, but who would be out here in the midst of the night? //What if I can' find him? Non, I can' t'ink like dat! I *will* find him!//

Remy slammed onto on the brakes as the faint echo of Jayce's emotions suddenly died. Only a moment ago it'd felt like he was getting closer, as the boy's emotions had grown stronger. Now, they were gone. "Oh, merde!" Remy shivered. It felt like Jayce had stopped to exist.

///

Tampa

Jayce thanked the friendly woman who'd given him a lift into town.

"Be careful, sweetie. The city's a dangerous place for a young boy like you. Go find your parents."

Jayce had told her that his parents lived here and that information had made her cooperative. She'd almost pulled him into the car to deliver him home safely. "I will. Thanks for the ride." He felt a little guilty for telling the nice lady lies, but he had to get away from Honeymoon Island... and his mistakes.

The car drove off, leaving him alone. Jayce looked about and wondered where to go next. "Transportation," he mumbled softly. Maybe he could catch a bus home. What about traveling by plane? They would ask for his papers, which he didn't have. And what if someone came looking for him? In that case they'd probably check the airport first. "Hey, who should come looking for me?" Jayce didn't believe for one second that Remy or Warren would come after him. The two men were probably still caught up fighting the fire. Maybe Warren would ask Vincent to find him, but Jayce doubted it.

"Let's try Greyhound first." Jayce swung his backpack over his shoulder and walked down the street. It was busy even though it was almost midnight. He'd seldom been outside this late. They had to go to bed at 22.00 at school and when they'd been visiting a town his father had accompanied him. Now he found himself in unfamiliar territory.

"Can you spare some change, son? I'm a veteran, lost my right leg in Nam."

Startled, Jayce jumped back. He'd been so lost in thought that he hadn't noticed the beggars that were moving closer. There were at least 6 of them and he realized he'd ended up in a bad area. "I don't have any money," he whispered and tightened his hold on his backpack. All he had was his credit card.

"A cute kid like you must have something to eat. Did your mummy make you sandwiches?" the beggar asked.

Another beggar interrupted him. "What's a kid like you doing on the streets this late? You'd better run home, boy!"

Jayce clutched his coat closer to his body. Why were these people out on the streets? Weren't there any shelters where they could spend the night? "Leave me alone! I don't have food or money!" Panicking, Jayce started to run.

A wave of laughter erupted behind him. Once the voices had faded, he stopped running and leaned heavily against a wall, trying to catch his breath. "I need to find a hotel where I can spend the night," he realized, but as he looked about, he only saw neglected houses. He'd walked straight into the city's slums.

"Hey, Leroy, look what the cat dragged in!"

The voice sounded nearby and Jayce pushed himself closer to the wall. His eyes had gotten used to the darkness and he made out five forms. Damn, why wasn't the street lighting working? He could hardly see a thing. Were there 5 people out there or more?

"I want those boots!"

"I dig that coat. I bet it's warm!"

Jayce registered the voices and shrunk into himself, trying to make himself invisible. He didn't stand a chance fighting these street kids. Now that the full moon appeared from behind the clouds, Jayce noticed their haggard looks, too skinny, too bruised and way too vicious looking to put his troubled mind at ease.

"Hand over the backpack and strip, rich kid."

"I'm not rich!" Jayce exclaimed in a loud tone, hoping to attract attention from someone who could help him. "I don't have any money!" Startled, he stared at them as the kids moved in closer. Why weren't they at home with their parents? Why weren't they in bed, asleep? What were they doing here after midnight? //What the hell am *I* doing here?// He should have stayed at the ranch where he was safe.

"You smell of money, brat. You're wearing Nikes, expensive clothes and that's a Kipling backpack!" One of the boys lit a cigarette and reached out for him. "You wanna do this the hard way?"

Jayce needed a moment to think it over, but the street kids were impatient and attacked. Defensively, Jayce raised his arms and tried to protect his head. Suddenly, one of the kids kicked his legs from underneath him and he dropped onto his knees. More kicks followed and one fist connected with his chin, knocking Jayce out cold. He collapsed onto the concrete and lost consciousness.

///

A moan left Jayce's lips as he regained consciousness. He felt awfully cold and his body hurt. His stomach felt tender and his temples throbbed painfully. As he wanted to crawl onto his knees, he released a yelp of pain. "Ouch," he whispered, realizing that his left knee might be broken. He also tasted the metallic sting of blood on his tongue. //Please, don't let me be bleeding internally.// He didn't even know where to find the nearest hospital.

"I'm so stupid," Jayce chided himself. "I had it all!" Tears flowed down his face as he realized that he'd thrown everything away. Warren had offered him a *permanent* home and he'd turned it down. And why? Because he'd allowed prejudice to control his rational thinking.

He looked down and realized that his backpack was gone. They'd also taken his Nikes, coat and sweater. All he had left were his jeans and a T-shirt. Damn! His wallet was gone too. //They took my credit card!//

Jayce no longer fought his tears and released them. The cold of the concrete sneaked through his clothes and into his bones. His left knee hurt and his head felt like it would explode any moment now. Sobbing softly, he wondered what to do. He'd never expected to fall into the hands of criminals.

"Daddy," he whimpered softly, but then the terrible memories crashed over him again. "He's dead," Jayce whispered and rocked himself. He'd never felt so alone, so helpless. "Uncle Warren... Remy..." The words brought no comfort, knowing how badly he'd treated the two men. "I'm sorry." And this time he really meant it.

///

Remy halted in his tracks. For the last 30 minutes he'd failed to pick up on Jayce's emotions, but now, the faint echo was back. There were many people around and that made it hard for him to pinpoint Jayce's location. As he started to walk, he quickly realized that he was leaving the main street and heading for dark and shadowy alleyways. Why had the boy chosen this direction? Desperation and a sense of loss filled this particular part of the city and Remy felt people's anger at being forced to live in the slums. Their living conditions were bad, unemployment high and the kids dropped out of school too early.

"Jayce, where are y', petit?" Remy mused aloud and he stopped walking to get his bearings. The echo of Jayce's emotions guided him and Remy followed his instincts. People were watching him closely. A warning was in order or they might decide to move in on him. He reached for the deck of cards he always carried with him and charged two cards. Their light helped him find his way and also served as a warning, as he allowed one of them to explode. The stench of violence subdued a little. His trick had worked. They now kept their distance.

"Jayce?" he repeated the boy's name again, hoping Jayce would answer him. The youngster felt close and Remy briefly shut his eyes to focus on the emotions. "I'm comin' for y', petit, don' give up." The sense of abandonment that Jayce radiated was overwhelming.

Remy headed towards a large garbage can and pushed it aside. "Oh, petit," he whispered, saddened. Jayce had used the garbage can to hide behind. Remy sat on his heels and pushed back Jayce's dirty locks, which were covered with dried blood.

"Jayce? Petit? Can y' hear me?" Reaching out empathically, he tried to get a better impression of the boy's emotional condition. Jayce's mind felt empty and lonely. "Hey, open y'r eyes, petit. We've got to leave dis part of town."

Jayce struggled to open his eyes. The right side of his face was black and blue and Jayce desperately tried to determine whether a friend or a bully was talking to him. "Who's... there?"

"It's moi, Remy. Y'll be bien, petit." Remy felt how panic overwhelmed Jayce. "Non, petit, don' be 'fraid. I'll take care of y'." Remy wondered what to do next. Should he get Jayce into safety or heal his injuries first? He could carry the boy, but doubted Jayce would go along with that.

"Why... are you... here?" Jayce whispered. His mouth felt awfully dry. His lower lip had been split and blood dripped down his chin.

Remy made his decision. He'd start the healing process and then take Jayce into safety. "Shst, be quiet, petit. Y're hurt." Remy rested his right hand on the top of Jayce's head. "Dis might tingle."

Jayce managed to lock eyes with Remy. He still couldn't believe that Remy had come for him. "What are you... doing?" Remy was right. His head tingled a little and an odd warmth descended down his neck, shoulders, chest, into his left leg, finally reaching his injured knee.

"Takin' de pain 'way," Remy whispered reassuringly. "Y'll feel better soon, petit."

"I'm sorry," Jayce mumbled. He surrendered to the comfortable warmth that settled into his abused bones.

"Why did y' run 'way, petit?" Remy drew in a deep breath. He'd healed a large number of people back at the ranch and hadn't had the time to recover from the power drain. Now Jayce needed his help, but Remy was quickly reaching his limits. "I've got to stop, sorry, petit." He pulled away his hand. If he exhausted himself, he wouldn't be able to get them into safety.

"I couldn't face you," Jayce admitted, feeling better already. His knee still ached, but the stinging pain was mostly gone. "I never gave you a chance. I just assumed I knew who you were, what you were."

"Sounds like y' learned y'r lesson, petit." Remy got to his feet and helped Jayce up from the concrete. "We should go to de 'ospital."

"I don't need to go to the hospital. I'm fine." Jayce didn't want to trouble Remy. "I'd like to lie down though."

"We'll find ourselves a comfortable 'otel, oui?" Jayce swayed on his feet, clearly favoring his left leg and Remy folded a supportive arm around the boy's waist. "Bien?" He didn't want to make Jayce feel threatened, so he wanted to know if this was okay with the boy.

"Oui," Jayce replied, shyly. He really wanted to make up for past mistakes and it looked like Remy was willing to give him a second chance.

"Ah, y' took French at school?" Remy tried to engage Jayce in some conversation to take the boy's mind off his surroundings and the pain.

"I was trying to get back to Saint Andrew's," Jayce explained. "I didn't think anyone would attack me."

Remy's eyes grew clouded, as he remembered the years he'd spent on the streets of New Orleans. "People are hungry, petit. Dey don' have any money. Sometimes takin' it from de weak is de only way to survive."

"You talk like you know them personally," Jayce remarked and peeked at Remy's draped eyes.

"I lived on de streets when I was younger dan y're now, Jayce."

"You lived on the streets?" Jayce repeated, surprised.

"Didn' have a family, Jayce. Had to support m'self. Got beaten up like y' did." Remy wasn't sure Jayce was ready to hear this, but continued. "Ate from garbage cans, begged people to give me deir change and sometimes, I stole de food when I was hungry."

"And no one took care of you?" Jayce gestured Remy to stop walking. They were almost back on the main street. Only a few more steps and they would leave the darkness behind.

"My parents didn' know dat I was still 'live. I lived wit'... a vile old man." Remy shivered, as the face of the Antiquary blinked in his mind.

"Vile?" Jayce's stomach contracted nervously and it wasn't because of the beating he'd taken. Everything he'd ever believed in was swept away. Remy's choice of words made him wonder; vile?

"I can' tell y' now," Remy said evasively. He concentrated on supporting Jayce as they moved towards the main street.

"Remy?" Jayce raised his right hand, following a hunch he couldn't really believe. But when Remy flinched away from his touch, the pieces of the puzzle fell into place. The boy whom Carl had attacked had reacted in the same way when Jayce had tried to shake his hand while saying good-bye. //Oh my God, I can't believe this! Martin flinched like that when I tried to touch him. Can't be. This can't be happening. A vile man?// Jayce knew that he'd reached the only logical conclusion, but the impact of his former accusations hit him hard. //I assumed he was taking advantage of Warren. That Remy was like Carl but... Remy's been abused in the past. Fuck...// He'd felt bad before, but now he felt like a bully. "I'm sorry, Remy. I didn't know..." Jayce mumbled his apology, which came straight from the heart. "I..."

"Stop it, petit. It doesn' matter. I need to get y' home." Remy realized that Jayce had figured it out and he didn't know how he felt about that.

"Jayce," Remy started, but paused as something sharp penetrated the skin at the back of his neck. "Merde, what...?" Remy swayed on his feet as vertigo made his head spin.

Jayce leaned against a nearby wall and watched horrified how Remy went down. The gold on black eyes closed and Remy's mouth remained slightly agape. "Remy?"

"At last..." A dark voice hissed the words.

Jayce turned around as quickly as he could, cursing his injuries. In the shadows he made out the vague contours of a man. "What did you do to him?"

"Shut up, Jason."

Jayce's hand went to his throat as a small dart broke the skin there. "Who... what?" he whispered, as he slid onto the concrete.

"At last, revenge will be mine!"

Part 12

Honeymoon Island

"You did a great job, guys! We beat that fire because we worked *together*!" Proud, Warren congratulated his personnel, which had done a wonderful job in putting out the fire. There had been times when he'd thought that they'd lose that battle, but they had proven him wrong. "We saved the ranch and all our people!" Warren smiled warmly, pleased that his men had pulled through.

Their jeeps had reached the ranch and Warren didn't waste any time. He jumped out of the jeep and hurried inside to find his lover. The first thing that struck him was that all the injured people were taken care of. Remy had lived up to his expectations and had taken charge of the situation. It looked like his lover had outdone himself.

"Mister Worthington!" Steve softly called his boss' name.

"Steve." Warren sat on his heels and took in the older man's appearance. "You don't look that great." Steve had been the one who'd taught him how to ride on horseback and Warren had a soft spot for him.

"Remy helped me." Steve still felt weak, but wanted Warren to know what had happened.

"Yeah, Rem loves to help people."

"I had a heart attack and suffered severe burns, but they're almost gone now. I can breathe again. The tightness in my chest's gone."

Warren nodded his head once. Remy had obviously used his healing power. "We'll take you to the hospital." He beckoned Jim and gave all necessary instructions.

"Remy's a good man," Steve whispered, as he drifted off to sleep again.

"Yeah, he is," Warren agreed and helped his men carry Steve into the jeep. "Make sure he gets proper medical treatment," Warren instructed Jim, who'd accompany Steve. After he watched the jeep drive off, he stepped back into the house. Where was Remy? Warren had expected his lover to be there to greet him when he returned to the ranch. "Remy? Where are you?" he whispered, softly, as he searched for his lover.

"Can I help you?"

Warren recognized the voice as belonging to the maid. "Janet?"

"Yes, sir," she replied, shyly. "Are you looking for... Remy?"

Amused, Warren grinned. Everyone called him mister Worthington, but no one seemed to call Remy, mister LeBeau. They all used Remy and that told Warren a lot about his lover's popularity. Apparently, the personnel already felt comfortable taking orders from the Cajun. "Yes, do you know where I can find him?"

"He left."

"What?" Warren exclaimed the word in an agitated tone. "He did *what*?"

"Remy was searching for Jason, but couldn't find the boy. The last time I saw Remy was when he dashed outside." Janet noticed Warren's concerned expression. She couldn't help being worried too.

An angry growl drew Warren's attention away from Janet. "Wolvie?" When he'd heard that Remy'd left, he'd hoped that his lover had taken the wolf with him. Remy seemed to attract trouble and the canine would have provided extra protection. "Why did you let them leave?" Warren shook his head, realizing he was addressing a wolf. "Never mind. We've got to find them. Come on, boy." Warren signaled the canine to follow him.

"Janet? Make sure the wounded are taken care of?" Warren looked at the girl. "I'll be back as soon as possible. Hopefully, Remy's still close."

"I'll look after them," Janet promised and watched them leave, hoping they would quickly find Remy and Jason.

"Get into the jeep," Warren told Wolvie and then slid behind the wheel himself. He started the engine and was about to step on the gas when he realized that he didn't know where Remy was headed. "Damn, now what?" Had Remy already left the island? Where was Jayce? Had Remy found the boy? Had they covered the distance to the mainland? "I don't know where they went," he whispered, feeling miserable.

Wolvie, who had sat quietly next to him, glared at Warren. A deep growl left his throat and he placed one paw on Warren's right hand, which rested on the steering wheel.

"I know that we need to get going, but where to?" Warren sighed, as he finally stepped on the gas. "Are they still on the island or..." Wolvie's throaty growl interrupted him. "What?" Warren stared at Wolvie, whose growls grew harder as they headed for the landing stage. With his sharp vision Warren had long established that the boat was still there. "They didn't leave the island," he told Wolvie.

A growl that sounded too much like a 'no' echoed in the jeep. "You think that they're on the mainland already?" Warren raised an eyebrow as Wolvie released another growl. "Well, your guess is as good as mine," he whispered, feeling discouraged. "So you can 'talk' after all."

Warren could have sworn that Wolvie gave him an amused glance. "What? At times, when I talk to you, I actually expect an answer. I still wonder about you," he mumbled, as he kept a close eye on the canine. "You seem to adore Remy and just put up with me, but why? You're a canine, a wolf. Why stay with us? And by the way, now that we're talking about this, how did you, a wolf, end up in Ireland? There are no wolfs in Ireland!"

Wolvie bared his teeth, his version of a grin. Warren was asking way too many questions.

"It finally happened," Warren commented dryly. "I lost my mind. Oh Rem..."

They'd reached the landing stage and Wolvie leaped outside through the turned down window. Warren followed the canine, now seriously wondering about the wolf. Was there more to Wolvie than met the eye?

///

Once they'd reached the mainland, Warren pulled over, climbed out of the jeep and spread the map on the hood of the car. Studying the map, he felt lost. "Shit, what do I do now?"

Wolvie stalked over to Warren and put his right front paw down on the map.

"Huh?" Confused, Warren sought out the wolf's eyes. "That's Tampa! You think we'll find them there?" Okay, he was now convinced that Wolvie was holding out on him. "Are you really a wolf?"

Wolvie growled softly and moved closer. Then he dragged his long, wet tongue over Warren's cheek.

"Oh man! That's gross! You did that on purpose!" Warren used his sleeve to wipe off the wolf's saliva. "I can't believe you did that!" He'd seen Wolvie lick Remy's face on several occasions, but back then it had been an expression of affection. Warren wasn't sure how to interpret Wolvie's move now.

The canine smirked, showing his teeth and then jumped back into the jeep. Using his paw, he honked.

Warren jumped, hearing the unexpected sound. "Yes, I'm coming! Give me a moment to fold the map!" Slightly stunned, he slid back onto his seat and started the engine. "Tampa, here we come!" Warren wouldn't admit it out loud, but secretly he was thankful that Wolvie was tagging along, because it kept him from brooding the entire time. //Remy, where are you? Did you find Jayce? Please be all right...//

///

Westchester

Nervously, Scott paced his room. Thankfully, Jean was too busy with the last stages of her experiment to make him talk about his feelings. Right now, Scott wanted some privacy. He had to prepare himself for one of the hardest conversations in his life. The only conversation that came close was when he'd sought out Remy to tell him that they were brothers. Now he had to tell his father that Remy had survived Sinister's manipulation.

Checking the time, Scott realized that Corsair was scheduled to arrive in less than 30 minutes. The Starjammers would drop Corsair off and wait for his signal to pick up their leader again. Scott felt relieved that he'd get the chance to talk to his father one on one, as this was a very delicate matter.

"Scott? Corsair's early!" Bobby forgot to knock as he threw the door open. Concerned for his friend, he made eye contact with Scott. "The Starjammers are about to leave again. Corsair's waiting for you in the living room!"

Scott was jolted into nervousness by Bobby's announcement. "I'm not ready yet!" Scott exclaimed upset. "I don't know what to say."

"Why don't you start by showing Corsair that certificate you got in the mail? That would give Corsair a chance to explain things to you. You could take it from there, Slim." Bobby didn't envy Scott right now. "Want me to stick around for moral support?"

"Thanks, Bobby, but I've got to do this on my own." Scott drew in a deep breath, mentally preparing himself to talk to his father and then squeezed Bobby's shoulder. "I really appreciate the offer, but you'd better join Nicholas." Scott had heard the whispers and giggles that had emanated from Bobby's room earlier.

"You don't mind Nicholas staying here, do you? He'd already cleared out his apartment."

"He can stay," Scott said and smiled, using this little conversation to postpone the inevitable.

"Go and tell him, Slim." Bobby smiled smugly and pushed Scott towards the doorway. "He'll be so glad to find out that the baby didn't die."

Hesitantly, Scott headed for the living room and found Corsair pacing. His father was apparently worried about something. "Corsair," Scott said eventually, after gathering his courage.

"Scott! Son! Your message sounded urgent!" Corsair walked towards his son and briefly hugged him. The long years apart had left scars. They'd never be really close, but he was determined to keep working on strengthening their relationship.

"Yes, we need to talk." Scott endured the hug, hoping that one day he'd feel more comfortable returning Corsair's obvious affection. After all these years it still felt odd to have his father back. "Let's sit down first."

Taken aback by Scott's serious tone, Corsair sat down opposite his son. "Scott, what's going on? Your message said that you *had* to talk to me."

"I got this in the mail a few weeks ago," Scott said and handed Corsair the certificate.

Curiously, Corsair took hold of the piece of paper and studied it. He grew pale, realizing what he was holding in his hands. "You got this in the mail? Who sent it?"

"I don't know. But dad, don't you owe me an explanation? Why didn't you tell me that I had another brother?" Scott was trying to handle this to the best of his ability. He didn't want to spring the fact that Remy was alive on his father without warning.

"I don't know where to start," Corsair admitted, as he stared at the certificate. The baby had died and a part of his heart had crumbled with it. "Katherine discovered that she was pregnant and we sought out this doctor that the hospital recommended. His name was Nathaniel Essex."

"Sinister." Scott nodded his head, not surprised to hear that Sinister had tried to manipulate his parents so many years ago.

"I didn't know that at the time," Corsair reminded Scott. Now that he held the certificate in his hand, memories, which he'd pushed away, resurfaced. "Essex told us that the foetus wasn't developing the way it should. There would be severe complications and if the baby survived, it would be a premature birth."

Scott felt deeply sympathetic. "Is that why you never told me?"

"Considering the complications and the bad outlook for the baby, we decided not to tell you and Alex. We didn't want you to be hurt should the baby die during birth. Katherine spent most of those 7 months in New Orleans where Essex had a clinic." Corsair closed his eyes. "I flew in after Katherine called me, completely panicking. She'd lost consciousness the previous night and Essex had told her that she'd had a miscarriage. She needed me. I left you and Alex behind with friends to be with her. I was too late. The baby had died." He still remembered Katherine's sobs that had tormented him. He'd wanted this child as well.

"Essex signed this certificate. So did I." Corsair looked at Scott, almost pleadingly. "The baby's death almost devastated Katherine. It was hard to be there for her, to support her. I don't know if we'd made it, if we would have had to console Alex and you too."

Corsair reached out with his hand and Scott reacted at once, taking hold of it, squeezing gently. "Did you ever see the baby?"

"No, Essex told me the baby had been born deformed and that it would be best if we didn't see the boy. I still regret giving in." Corsair held onto Scott's hand, needing the support. He had never thought that he'd have to tell his son. "If only I'd known who Essex was... Some nights I startle awake, afraid that Sinister lied and that he's holding my son prisoner, using him for his tests."

Scott licked his lips. "Did you pick a name for the baby?"

"Yes, Remy. You see, Katherine once had a wonderful dream. Her eyes sparkled when she told me that she'd seen an angel in her dreams. The angel had told her that she'd give birth to a very special boy and that his name was Remy."

Scott raised an eyebrow. He didn't know what to make of this story, so he returned to his former line of questions. "Was there anything special about the baby? Did Essex tell you in which way he was deformed?"

"He told us that the baby's eyes had been red on black." Corsair smiled. "That wouldn't have made a difference to us. We'd have loved the boy as much as we loved Alex and you. Of course, at that time we didn't know that our sons were mutants. And this baby would have been a mutant too."

Scott got to his feet and poured both of them some whiskey. "Here, you're going to need it."

Corsair shot Scott a confused glance. "I'm sorry that we never told you, but... the baby died and it would only have stirred up our pain."

"I forgive you for not telling me," Scott said, thoughtfully. "You didn't know any better at the time."

"But why did you receive this certificate? Where does it come from? Why sent it now?" Frustrated, Corsair stared at his signature. //I should have demanded to see my son!// He still blamed himself for not seeing through Sinister's disguise.

"I don't know who sent it," Scott started, "but I think I know *why* I got it."

"Why?" Corsair locked eyes with his son. This conversation was tearing open old wounds.

"Because someone wanted to make me feel guilty." Scott prepared himself to start his own confession. "Did I ever tell you about Remy LeBeau?"

Corsair shook his head. "I don't recall that name." But hearing that first name hurt. //There are more people out there who named their son Remy! I shouldn't react like that, just hearing that name.//

"What about Gambit?"

"Sounds vaguely familiar," Corsair admitted. "Isn't Gambit on the team?"

"He was... It's a long story," Scott mumbled. "We thought he died some time ago, but he survived." Scott tried to find the right words. Why was this so damn hard?

"Why are we talking about Gambit now?"

"Dad." Scott pulled his chair closer to Corsair's and rubbed his father's hand. "His eyes are, were, red on black. His name's Remy and..."

"What?!" Corsair exploded and leaped to his feet. Agitated, he started to pace. "Has to be a coincidence. My son died..."

Scott rose from the chair, walked over to his father and grabbed Corsair's shoulders. "Listen to me," he said determinedly. "Remy didn't die. Sinister planned this because he wanted a Summers to run his tests on. However, a Cajun thief crossed his plans and abducted the baby from the clinic."

Stunned, Corsair could only stare at Scott.

"Remy had a tough childhood, you should ask him when you meet him, but he turned into a fine man." Scott drowned his whiskey in one go and slammed the glass onto the coffee table. "Your son is alive."

Corsair collapsed onto the chair. "He didn't die? I didn't make sure... Essex, Sinister...we believed him... We were so stupid."

"Stop beating yourself up over this," Scott chided his father gently. "You can't change the past, but you can be part of Remy's future."

"And he's been an X-Man? I didn't know. I never met Gambit..."

Scott nodded his head, saddened. "If I had known about the baby's peculiar eyes we might have discovered the truth earlier."

"Are you sure that he's your brother?" Corsair looked at Scott. "His eyes might be a coincidence..." He didn't want to believe that he'd failed Remy that badly.

"Hank ran a DNA test. It came back positive. Remy and I are brothers. You're his father." Scott watched Corsair very closely. His father's eyes were swimming and finally released the tears Corsair had been repressing for years.

"I can't believe that Remy's alive," Corsair mumbled. "What if you'd never found out?"

"We should thank the one who sent the certificate. We'll probably never find out who did, but it helped uncover the truth." Scott smiled reassuringly.

"If only Katherine had lived to see this day. She loved Remy while he was still in her womb." Corsair wiped away his tears. "Where's Remy now?" Scott was right. There was no point in dwelling on past mistakes, not while he could make up for them in the present. "Can I talk to him?"

"He's in Florida." Scott gestured Corsair to empty his glass.

Corsair did and relished the burn the alcohol left behind. It made him realize that this was really happening. He'd just gotten a son back.

"Do you remember Angel?"

Corsair nodded his head. He remembered the winged X-Man. "What about him?"

"Remy and Warren are lovers. They had a commitment ceremony a few weeks ago." Scott observed his father closely.

Corsair cocked his head. Remy had chosen to be with a man, so what? "Scott, I'm in love with someone from a different planet. Hepzibah isn't exactly human, in case you hadn't noticed." Corsair grinned.

Satisfied, Scott nodded his head. "We should give them a call first so Remy knows we're coming to see him."

"Let's send that message once we're on our way? I can't wait to see my son." Corsair guided Scott towards the doorway. "Can we use the Blackbird?"

"Yes, I think so. I should tell Jean and the professor that we're leaving. They're in the midst of an important experiment and I can't disturb them."

Corsair grabbed a pencil and a notebook from the table in the hallway. "Write them a note." Impatiently, he waited for Scott to finish. //Remy's alive. I can't believe it. How did he survive? Why did I believe Sinister when he told me that the baby hadn't made it? I've been so stupid!//

"Dad?" Scott noticed the distant expression in Corsair's eyes. "It wasn't your fault. Remy doesn't blame you either."

"He knows I'm his father?" Corsair asked to make sure.

"Yes, I told him after the DNA test. He was in a bad way back then. He seemed better the last time we met, but... he hinted at something that worries me." Scott wasn't sure if he should confide in his father. What Remy had told him had been confidential and Remy had to make the decision to tell his father about the childhood abuse.

Corsair wanted to press the matter, but saw how stern Scott's jaw was set. His son wouldn't tell him. "Why are we wasting time? Let's get moving." Corsair placed the note next to the phone and gently nudged Scott towards the hangar. //I want to find out what Remy hinted at that obviously worries Scott.//

Scott and Corsair made their way into the hangar and boarded the Blackbird. "Want to fly her?" Scott asked.

"Sure, she's a mighty fine lady," Corsair whispered pleased and sat down in the pilot's seat. "Let's get her into the air." Corsair wanted to finally meet and get to know a son he'd assumed dead for too many years.

///

Tampa

"Cajun?" Logan tried to open his eyes and cursed loudly when he realized that a blindfold kept him from scanning his surroundings. Focussing his other senses, he picked up on labored breathing. "Cajun? Is that ya?"

"Oui, cher," Jean-Luc mumbled. "Where are we?" He'd regained consciousness only seconds ago. His broken wrist throbbed in the handcuffs he was wearing.

"Dunno know," Logan whispered. "We're 'lone in this room, but someone might be listenin' in. Dammit, Cajun! Ya had to be right!"

"Any idea who took us, cher?" Jean-Luc tried to lock out the pain. Maybe he could twist his way out of the handcuffs, but there were also ropes that tied him down to the chair he was sitting on.

"Nope, didn't recognize the voice." Logan pulled at the handcuffs, but they didn't give in.

"Can you get us out with your claws?" Jean-Luc winced mentally, as the metal of the handcuffs dug into his aching wrist.

"I ain't sure. I'm wearin' a collar," Logan stated confused, still affected by the sedative. "I need to get it off." He already felt the adamantium poisoning his body. Without his healing factor, it would kill him within days. It wouldn't be a nice death.

Jean-Luc understood. Logan had told him about the adamantium and the healing factor undoing its effects. "Let's see if dis ol' thief still remembers some tricks. It's been years since I needed dem."

Suddenly, they registered footfalls, which were closing in on them. Jean-Luc immediately stopped his escape attempt and feigned exhaustion. Privately, he cursed the blindfold. That way he couldn't even see their attacker. A door opened and the footfalls stopped. Jean-Luc wished he could communicate with Logan unnoticed. If only he could see Logan's eyes! His lover would understand his intentions!

"Well, you no longer act that cocky."

Jean-Luc and Logan both recognized the voice. They'd heard it before the tranquilizer darts had hit them. "What do you want?" Jean-Luc asked, knowing Logan's anger would get them into trouble. It was best if he talked to their kidnapper instead of Logan.

"From you? Nothing?" the stranger replied, amused.

Logan growled dangerously. "Gonna rip ya 'part, punk."

Exasperated, Jean-Luc sighed. Diplomacy would never be Logan's strongest character treat. "You didn't have to kill 20 people to get to us. You even killed a chile."

"The child means nothing to me."

Jean-Luc barely kept from flinching, hearing the emotionless tone.

Logan however, had no problem voicing his contempt. "Monster. The girl was only 14!"

"She isn't important. The only thing that matters to me is that I've captured you."

"Why?" Jean-Luc's anger was quickly building. Their kidnapper didn't even feel any regret at having taken a child's life!

"You'll die in here, that's all you need to know. You'll never again see Gambit or Archangel."

Logan, who'd grown quiet, tried hard to identify their attacker. He'd heard that voice before, but couldn't put a name on it. He decided against further aggravating their abductor.

"I hope you'll have a most unpleasant death. You'll stay alive for a few more hours, but the lack of water and food will finish you off eventually... and did I mention that you might run out of oxygen as this room will be air sealed after I've left?" An amused chuckle accompanied the words.

Jean-Luc realized Logan's game plan and remained quiet too. Once the stranger had left, they could work on an escape plan.

"Have a miserable death."

Jean-Luc and Logan listened as the door closed. A hiss echoed through the air as the room was sealed off. "How long do you think we have?" Jean-Luc asked, examining his handcuffs again. If only his wrist wasn't broken! Then it would have been easy to free himself.

"I don't know, Cajun. We've got to hurry up. Can ya get out off the cuffs?"

"Give him time to leave de area," Jean-Luc pointed out to Logan. "Don't want him walking in on us when I'm breaking free."

Impatiently, Logan tapped his foot. "Hurry up, Cajun."

"I'm out of practice," Jean-Luc admitted. "Need to sharpen my skills, should we get out of here in one piece."

"We need to get out of here, Cajun. I need to settle the score."

"He's going after Remy and Warren, you realize dat, don't you?" Jean-Luc said, concerned, and managed to pull his injured wrist free. "Merde," he cursed as the pain cut through his arm.

"What's going on?" Logan noticed the pain in Jean-Luc's voice.

"One more to go," Jean-Luc replied, quizzically and concentrated. He twisted his shoulder, arm, and wrist and slipped free. "Our kidnapper isn't a smart man," he remarked as he pulled off the blindfold. Looking about, he saw that they were in some sort of abandoned basement. He quickly untied his feet and moved over to his lover.

"I hate dat thing," Jean-Luc stated firmly, as he saw the Genoshan collar around Logan's neck. "Let me get dat off first."

Logan suddenly felt Jean-Luc's hand on his neck and relaxed. Even single-handedly, the Cajun was great with locks and the collar quickly opened.

Disgusted, Jean-Luc threw it aside. "Let's do de blindfold next. How are you feeling, cher? Is de adamantium already causing you problems?"

"Nothin' that my healin' factor can't deal with," Logan assured his lover. He sighed, relieved, as Jean-Luc removed the blindfold. "Thanks."

Jean-Luc smiled and proceeded to undo Logan's handcuffs. "Can you do your feet yourself?" he whispered and sat down on the floor, cradling his broken wrist against his chest.

With one quick move, Logan's claw undid his ankle restraints. "Yer bleedin'," he said, concerned. The wrist definitely looked bad.

"Let's find Remy and Warren," Jean-Luc said, resolved and allowed Logan to pull him to his feet. "Dey'll need our help."

Logan let Jean-Luc pick the lock on their cell door and then followed his lover outside. Once this was over, he planned on asking Jean-Luc how the Cajun had known that they were in danger.

///

Tampa

Remy moaned softly as he woke to a splitting headache. "Merde," he whispered, disorientated. Where was he? What had happened? Then, he remembered going down after that dart had hit him. Automatically, he wanted to raise his hand to check on the puncture.

"Merde!" This time, his voice sounded louder. He couldn't move his hands. They were handcuffed behind his back. Opening his eyes, he quickly took in his surroundings. Someone had gone through a lot of trouble to kidnap him. He was cuffed to the wall and he leaned against it for support. The basement looked medieval and water dripped from the ceiling. It was chillingly cold in here.

"Remy?"

Jayce's voice took Remy completely by surprise. "Petit!" he exclaimed in a shocked tone and he located the boy in the opposite corner of the room. "Are y' bien?" Concerned, he tried to reach out to mentally gauge Jayce's condition, but gasped, as he didn't feel the boy's emotions. Suddenly, he noticed the weight around his neck. "A collar," he whispered, nervously. His powers were useless now.

"Remy? I'm fine... I think," Jayce said in a shy tone. "What about you?" Some parts of his body still hurt, as Remy hadn't been able to heal his injuries completely, but the pain wasn't that bad. He could deal with it.

"Can y' move 'bout?" Jayce's hand didn't appear to be handcuffed and Remy encouraged the boy, as Jayce struggled to his feet.

"I'm a little dizzy," Jayce replied honestly.

"Can y' come over here?" Remy needed Jayce's help if they wanted to escape. "We can' stay here, petit."

"Who did this?" Slowly, Jayce made his way over to Remy. "Hey, you're handcuffed!"

"Jayce, listen to me. Y' need to run and get out of here." He couldn't endanger the boy. "Y' need to find Warren." Now, that should motivate Jayce to follow his instructions. "Find a way out of here, Jayce."

Jayce shook his head. "No way. I'm not leaving you. What's that thing around your neck?"

"A Genoshan collar. It keeps me from usin' my powers. Now get goin', petit!" Jayce's concern touched Remy deeply, but it was the wrong time for Jayce to grow protective of him. The boy didn't stand a chance against their kidnapper and Remy would never forgive himself, should Jayce get injured again.

"I won't leave you, Remy," Jayce said resolved. "You're defenseless."

"Petit," Remy started, trying again to talk some sense into Jayce, "We're in trouble."

"I can't go back out there alone," Jayce pointed out to Remy and smirked. "What if I get beat up again?"

Remy sighed deeply. The boy was already playing him! "Petit, we're in danger!" Roaring laughter echoed through the room and it nearly froze the blood in Remy's veins. "Jason, run! Now!" He tried to sound as convincing and authoritative as possible. "NOW!"

Finally, Jayce obeyed and ran in the opposite direction of the stranger who now approached Remy. Jayce looked back once and shivered, seeing their kidnapper. Remy was right. He had to find Warren. Running as hard as he possibly could, he turned left and disappeared from Remy's sight. Their kidnapper had looked like one of the monsters that chased him in his nightmares.

Remy felt relieved as Jayce fled the room. Hopefully, the boy was out of danger now. Slowly, he raised his eyes and took in his abductor. "Mon Dieu, what are y'?" he whispered, shocked. The 'man' in front of him no longer bore much resemblance to a human. Too bulky, too tall and too wired with technical gadgets, it almost looked alien. //A cyborg,// Remy thought confused. //Part human, part machine.//

The face was barely human and what shocked Remy most were the metallic wings attached to the man's back. They were an exact replica of the ones Apocalypse had given Warren. "What do y' want from me?" Remy barely managed to control the tremors that coursed through his body. The evil grin on the man's face reminded him of the way the Antiquary had devoured him with his eyes. "What are y'?" he asked again as the man only smirked smugly.

"Ah, manners... I should introduce myself." He walked up to Remy and glared down at the gold on black eyes. So far, everything was going according to plan. He'd let Jason escape, hoping the boy would take Warren here. "My name's Cameron Hodge and I'm going to execute you."

Part 13

Tampa

"Cameron Hodge?" Remy's eyes grew big, suddenly realizing who stood in front of him. But Warren had never mentioned that Hodge was some sort of cyborg. And why did the man have wings? They were just like the ones Warren so abhorred. Remy shivered violently. But at least Jayce was no longer in danger. It surprised Remy though that Hodge hadn't gone after the boy. He had to stall a little longer, buy Jayce more time. "Y' took 'way ange's wings," Remy stated accusingly.

"I wanted to do him a favor," Hodge replied and with a demonic grin he spread his wings to full width.

"And now y' got some y'rself?" Remy tried to remain calm and in control of his fear. Being restrained and defenseless while facing Warren's nemesis wasn't a good thing. Hodge slowly raised a gloved hand and the leather moved along Remy's jaw line, almost caressing the skin there. Remy couldn't suppress the tremors that coursed through his body.

"But I use these wings to execute mutants like you. They serve a noble purpose." Hodge curled his fingers around Remy's throat and pressed... hard.

Remy's eyes narrowed in fright. He could tell by the feel and strength of those fingers that they were part mechanical. Unable to breathe, he briefly struggled in the chokehold and then went limp.

"No, not yet," Hodge said smugly and released his prisoner, who promptly fought for breath. "I want Warren to watch you die."

"Why?" Remy choked out. "Why do... y' hate... him?" His throat hurt and he took small, careful breaths.

Angered by Remy's audacity to speak up, Hodge gave his prisoner a cuff on the ear. "I don't want to hear your voice, mutant."

There was more power behind Hodge's flat hand than Remy had thought possible and his head slammed hard into the wall behind him. A sharp pain cut through his head and neck. "Bâtard!" Remy cursed loudly. "Free me and try dat 'gain!"

Hodge laughed coldly. "I'll beat that courage out of you, mutant." He uncovered a small device, which he showed Remy. "Recognize it?"

Remy slowly nodded his head. That little gadget controlled the Genoshan collar and could send electricity through his body. "Oui."

"Good, let's make sure you won't forget." Pressing the button, Hodge grinned cruelly.

Remy's body contorted with pain. A snaking lightning bolt seemed to reach every muscle and sinew, almost short circuiting his brain. "Aaaagghh," he groaned in pain as the electricity slammed into his heart. His healing power was off line now that he was wearing the collar and Remy suddenly felt scared.

No, he wasn't scared to die at Hodge's hands, but how would Warren deal with his death? Would his lover find the courage and the strength to go on without him? Just when the pain became unbearable, Hodge switched it off.

"That's a prelude, mutant." Pleased, Hodge yanked Remy's head back by pulling at the auburn hair. "Look at me when I talk to you." The rivulet of blood that dripped from Remy's lips made him hungry for more, but he had to pace himself. He didn't want Remy dead yet. However, that didn't mean he couldn't play with the mutant.

"Why?" Remy stuttered as he licked his lips, trying to get rid of the metallic taste. "Why do y' hate Warren?" That question apparently infuriated Hodge and Remy took another blow, this time aimed at his right eye.

"I don't hate Warren!" Hodge said, annoyed. No one understood him!

Remy barely managed to raise his eyes. His sight was blurry and he wondered how many more blows he'd have to endure. "Y're obsessed wit' him."

"Obsessed?" Hodge considered the word. "Maybe."

"Why kidnap Jason and me?" Remy refused to give up yet. Maybe he could talk his way out. This time, Hodge retaliated with a blow to his stomach. Remy spat up blood. Hodge didn't like being questioned. Well, too bad! As long as they talked, Jason could gain a bigger head start on Hodge and Remy was willing to pay the price. "What do y' want from us?"

"I want Warren to turn to me after he loses everything," Hodge revealed in an unguarded moment. "You're not worthy of his love. Candy wasn't either, but I am. I'll show him the way to salvation. He'll join my cause. His money strengthened the Right before and he'll give it new life again."

"Ange will never support de Right!" Remy mumbled, biting back the pain. "He's a mutant himself."

"Such a pity, isn't it? I'll have to convince him to let me remove those wings. Maybe I can get used to his blue skin." Hodge threw back his head and laughed loudly. "Warren's mine... has always been mine, but he hasn't realized that yet."

Disgusted, Remy shook his head. "Y' don' love him. Y're a psychopat', obsessed wit' somet'in' y' can never have."

Hodge's laughter stopped abruptly and he glared at Remy. "No, it's *you* who doesn't understand. Look at you, thief. You're nothing but a cheap whore who got lucky." Hodge relished seeing the pain in Remy's eyes. "I know *he* enjoyed making you beg."

Remy's heart missed a beat. "What are y' talkin' 'bout?" Remy tried to pull away as Hodge's gloved hand reached behind his back to curl cruel fingers around a cuffed wrist.

"A friend of mine told me about the Antiquary."

Remy bit his lower lip when Hodge's hand sneaked over the back of his hand, snapping his thumb in two. "Antiquary's dead."

"No, technically speaking, he's not," Hodge pointed out to Remy and moved on to another finger, which he slowly crushed. "You see, I made a pact with a demon, N'Astrih. I'm immortal now. I can't die." A diabolical grin flashed across his face.

Remy's head dropped forward as Hodge unexpectedly let go of his hair. "Warren will witness your death and then... he'll turn to me for comfort once he sees that I'm looking out for his best interest."

Remy realized that he was dealing with a mad man and closed his eyes. His neck, face, fingers and chest hurt and discussing things with Hodge wouldn't get him anywhere. He'd better conserve his strength for when he'd need it.

"Jason will lead him here," Hodge added malignantly. "I needed him to run and you helped me by telling him to get moving, mutant."

Remy's heart thundered in his chest. "Don' hurt de petit."

"Warren doesn't like Jason very much. I saw them fight at Sam's funeral." Hodge waited for Remy to draw the correct conclusion.

"Y' killed Warren's brot'er," Remy realized, shocked. "What kind of monster are y'?"

"I'm not a monster!" Hodge exclaimed and threw a right hook at Remy, who doubled over when the fist buried itself in his diaphragm.

Remy struggled for breath, but failed. Slowly he lost consciousness. Only the restraints kept him upright.

Pleased with his handiwork, Hodge nodded his head. "I'm going to enjoy slitting your throat in front of Warren."

///

Tampa

"Wolvie! Stop running!" Warren cursed softly and freed his wings. The canine had been leading him through alleyways for some minutes now and was picking up speed. Spreading his wings, Warren relished the shift of air beneath them as he took to the sky.

It surprised him that they hadn't run into anyone yet. He'd always assumed that the city's slums would be packed with people who lived on the streets. "Wolvie!" The canine turned left and Warren followed quickly.

Warren didn't know what to make of the canine's odd behavior. Ever since they'd left the ranch, the wolf had taken the lead. It almost seemed like Wolvie knew where to find Remy. But how could that be? Remy had never told him that his lover shared a special link with the canine, so how did Wolvie know Remy's whereabouts?

The wolf didn't stop running and simply growled, telling Warren to hurry up. Time was running out and Remy needed them.

"Wolvie!" Warren yelped as he almost crashed into a billboard. He'd been so intent on keeping track of the canine that he forgot to pay attention to where he was flying.

///

Jayce pressed himself closer against the wall. He vividly remembered catching a glimpse of the boogieman and he didn't want to be found by the monster. //Warren, I need to find Warren. But how do I do that? If I had some change I could give him a call and tell him to come here. But the kids took my wallet. Should I try to get the money I need by... asking people for their change? By begging?// Maybe a nice lady would give him the money after he explained why he needed it.

But what if he ran into those bullies again? Or a man that was just waiting for a boy to come up to him for help and then take advantage of him? Jayce realized that he'd been lucky those street kids hadn't hurt him worse than they did. They could have sexually assaulted him.

That thought reminded him of how badly he'd misjudged Remy. "Shit," Jayce whispered nervously. What did the monster want from Remy? Why had they been sedated and kidnapped?

"I need to talk to Warren." But it would take Warren hours to get here, even if he used his wings. "I should report this to the police as well." But would they believe him? They'd probably think that he was making this up, they'd make some calls and find out that he'd run away. But he had to take that chance. Remy's life was in danger! He found the courage to leave the safety of the shadows and cautiously took a few steps.

Jayce screamed as something jumped up against him, throwing him hard onto the pavement. "Leave me alone!" he screamed in panic.

"Jason?"

Hearing his name calmed him slightly. "Who..." He'd closed his eyes when the attacker had thrown him down and he now peeked through half closed eyelids. He didn't recognize the animal at first as frightened as he was, but then... "Wolvie?"

The canine growled softly and licked the boy's face. He'd smelled Jason's scent and now, he also detected Remy's scent on Jason.

"Jayce!" Warren called out the name and landed next to the fallen form. "Thank God we found you!" Warren pushed Wolvie aside and helped his nephew to his feet. "Jason, what happened?" His sharp eyes picked up on the fading bruising on the boy's face.

"Later!" Jayce stated determinedly. "You've got to help Remy first."

"He found you? Where's Remy now?" Warren made sure Jason wasn't hiding any injuries and then looked into the boy's eyes. "Tell me."

"A monster hit us with darts and we passed out. He's still got Remy." Jayce held tightly onto Wolvie, who stood pressed against his legs.

"A monster?" Warren realized that he was wasting precious time. "What way? Tell me once we're moving."

Jayce took Warren's arm and pulled him along. "It looked like some sort of robot and it had wings... metal wings."

Warren sucked in his breath. Whom was Jayce talking about? "Did you hear his name?"

"No, Remy told me to run and I did. I'm a coward," Jayce said discouraged. "He was restrained and couldn't run. I should have stayed to help him."

"There was nothing you could do," Warren assured him. "You did the right thing. Now take me to Remy."

///

"Where do ya want to go, Cajun?" Logan was quickly learning to trust Jean-Luc's hunches. Recent events had convinced him that Jean-Luc was hiding something from him and although he was inclined to push his lover into revealing the truth, he didn't. He hoped that Jean-Luc would tell him out of his own accord.

"I don't really know, cher." Jean-Luc looked about. The corridor had led them to a deserted alleyway. "Mais we should stay close. We're supposed to be here."

Logan gave his lover a puzzled glance. "How do ya know that?"

"I just do," Jean-Luc whispered and gestured Logan to follow him into another dark alley. His wrist continued to throb painfully, but he locked the feeling out.

However, Logan failed to ignore the fact that his lover was in pain. The scent of Jean-Luc's blood that dripped from the abused wrist was all around him, filling his nostrils. "Ya should lemme have a look at yer wrist, Cajun."

"I can deal with it," Jean-Luc chided Logan. "It's not life threatening. Stop worrying about it."

"Someone's comin'," Logan announced and pulled Jean-Luc out of the light of the street lamp.

"Anything else?" Jean-Luc whispered, cautiously.

"Smells... familiar," Logan mumbled at a thoughtful tone. "There are three of them, two humans and an animal."

"Can you be more specific?" Jean-Luc leaned against the wall for support. His arm was pulsing vehemently. He feared the open wound might have become infected when it came into contact with the handcuffs.

"Let's find out," Logan whispered. "Wait here. Ya can't fight like this." Logan didn't wait for Jean-Luc's answer and disappeared into the alleyway. Now that his lover was injured, it was Logan's duty to keep Jean-Luc safe and to find out who'd abducted them.

Logan halted and focused on the footfalls. "What?" The rhythmic footfalls suddenly disappeared and instead he picked up on... the beating of wings? "Worthington?" A low growl made Logan look down and he grinned, recognizing the canine that Remy and Warren had taken in. Calling out a tad louder he said, "Wings!"

Warren heard the voice and immediately recognized it. "Logan?" He descended and landed near the Canadian. "What are you doing in Tampa?"

"It's a long story, Wings, but we're looking for Remy."

"We?" Warren, who had held Jayce in his arms when they'd been airborne, placed the boy back onto his feet.

"Jean-Luc's here too, but the Cajun's injured. Someone staged a plane crash to get to us." Logan noticed the boy's scared expression. "And who's this?"

"My nephew, Jayce." Warren shifted his glance from Logan to Jayce. "This is a friend, Jayce and his name's Logan. You can trust him."

Logan raised an eyebrow at the suspicious look that the boy gave him. "Ya don't trust easy, do ya, bub?"

"Not any more," Jayce said, warily and then he addressed Warren again. "We need to hurry."

"What happened to mon fils?" Jean-Luc, who had grown impatient, emerged from the shadows. He quickly glanced at Jayce, noticed the bruising and then looked at Warren. "And who did dis to de petit?"

"Petit?" Jayce repeated, mesmerized. "That's what Remy calls me."

"I'm his père," Jean-Luc explained and moved a little closer to the boy. "What happened?" No, Warren couldn't be responsible for this bruising. Determinedly, Jean-Luc pushed that thought away. Warren would never raise his hand against someone he loved.

"Some street kids," Jayce explained quickly. "But can we get moving now? Who knows what that monster's doing to Remy."

"Remy's bein' held prisoner?" Logan concluded, as they followed the boy through the alleyways.

"By a robot," Jayce replied, eagerly. "Only his face appeared somewhat human."

Suddenly, shivers ran down Warren's spine. Now that he thought about it, he only knew one person who used implanted technology. "Fuck, it can't be Hodge."

Logan hissed, hearing that name. "Hodge? The punk that had your wings amputated?"

Jayce's eyes grew big and he briefly stopped walking. "Amputated?"

Warren stared blankly at the wall. "It's happening all over again."

"What is?" Jean-Luc looked pleadingly at Warren and then turned to Logan. "What is, cher?"

"Wings should tell ya 'fore we go inside," Logan said and studied Warren, who was shivering nervously.

"Hodge kidnapped and tortured Candy. We were an item at the time. When I tried to rescue her... I walked into a trap and she died." Warren spoke quickly, before he lost his courage to tell them. "Oh my God. Hodge plans on killing Remy too... is probably torturing him... right now." Devastated, Warren fought back his tears. "I can't lose Remy... I can't go in there. Hodge's waiting for me to show up."

Logan placed a hand on Warren's shoulder. "Ya won't be alone this time. Ya've got back-up."

"But Hodge knows I'm coming! He's waiting for me to show up so he can kill Remy in front of me." Warren suddenly realized that Jayce had heard every word. Damn, the boy was way too young to hear all this shit. "Don't let it be Hodge."

Logan squeezed Warren's shoulder. "Sounds like it's Hodge alright. We need a plan," and he looked to Jean-Luc to think of one.

Jean-Luc nodded his head once. "I'll think of something." Addressing Jayce he asked, "How much longer?"

"In there," Jayce said and pointed at a metal door. "That's the exit."

"And our way in." Jean-Luc looked thoughtfully at Warren and Logan. He was inclined to tell Warren to stay back and look after Jayce, but his son's lover would never agree to that. Warren loved Remy too much to stay behind and do nothing to stop Hodge's reign of terror. "I've got a plan."

///

Logan smelled a surplus of metal in the air that wasn't supposed to be there. Hodge had probably registered his presence and Logan grinned. He wanted Hodge to follow him closely. Sneaking deeper into the abandoned building, his nostrils caught the stench of blood and burned flesh. Jayce had told them that Remy had worn a collar and Logan figured that Hodge had given into temptation to send some electricity through Remy's body. "Yer gonna pay for what ya did," he announced determinedly, as he remembered how emotional the father of the 14 year old girl had been when he'd buried his daughter.

At the same time, Jean-Luc forced a neglected window open and then crawled inside through the old ventilation shafts. They had to time this right or their rescue attempt would fail. Remy's life was at stake and that left them no room for mistakes.

Logan heard the sounds above his head and realized that Jean-Luc was also making his way inside. Now, he had to find and distract Hodge, who probably didn't expect three men to show up instead of one. The element of surprise was on their side.

"Well, well... Wolverine."

The hair at the back of Logan's neck grew rigid hearing that voice. "Hodge? Show yerself and fight like a man!" Warren had told them that Hodge was a psychopath and Logan hoped to make Hodge as mad as hell because then the mutant hater might become careless.

"Are you calling me a coward?" Hodge stepped forward and waited for Logan to descend the stairs that led into the basement where he was holding Remy prisoner. "I'll have to kill you for that."

"Draw a number and get in line." Logan unsheathed his claws and stepped into the basement. He was ready to buy Jean-Luc and Warren all the time they needed, but then he saw Remy's crumbled form. The Cajun's face was covered in dried blood and he'd collapsed onto his knees. Only the restraints kept Remy upright. "Ya bastard!"

"Wolverine, what an unpleasant surprise. You should have been dead by now." Hodge powered up the laser that was implanted into his right hand. Raising it, he aimed at Logan. "You're ruining my plans!" He'd expected Warren to come to the rescue, not Wolverine! "I bet the Cajun's still alive too."

"Oui," Jean-Luc whispered, inaudible, picking up on Hodge's words, as he moved down the ventilation shaft.

Hodge gave Logan a dirty grin. "I'll just have to kill you first."

"Ya can try," Logan announced and attacked Hodge. Using his adamantium claws he cut through Hodge's armor as knives through hot butter.

"You can't hurt me! I'm immortal!" Hodge exclaimed and spread his wings. His feet lost touch with the floor and he gained height.

That was what Warren had been waiting for. He'd been watching Hodge and Logan through a broken window and had almost lost his courage seeing Hodge's armored body. The metal wings seemed to mock him and suddenly a deep anger was born inside his soul.

"Kick his ass, uncle Warren!" Jayce said enthusiastically. From where he sat he couldn't see Remy and if he had, Jayce's reaction would probably have been more subdued. "Go get the monster!"

Warren drew in a deep breath, pushed the last remnants of glass out of his way and jumped down. Quickly, he spread his wings and headed for Hodge.

Logan saw Warren approach and grinned. "It's payback time," he quipped wickedly and moved out of the way.

"HODGE!" Warren screamed and grew even more furious when Hodge turned around in mid air and grinned at him. "Bastard!"

Hodge realized that his plans had been ruined and that he had to save his hide. No, they couldn't kill him, but they could immobilize him. Aiming his laser, he tried to shoot Warren down. Shocked, he stared at his arm, as it dropped onto the floor.

"Courtesy of old Wolverine," Logan growled, pleased.

Frantically, Hodge tried to regain his momentum, but found himself slammed into the wall. Warren had a tight hold on him and Hodge tried to free himself.

Jean-Luc chose that moment to drop from the end of the ventilation shaft and he headed for Remy at once. "Oh, Remy!" he exclaimed, shocked, seeing the amount of damage that Hodge had done. Suddenly, he realized that someone had followed him and had left the shaft as well. Looking over his shoulder, he recognized the canine. Briefly, he'd been worried that it had been Jayce, but the boy knew better than to follow him!

"Lemme!" Logan wanted a piece of Hodge too and his sharp claws pinned the psycho to the wall. "Whadda ya say now, Hodge? No longer runnin' off that big mouth of yers?"

"You can't kill me!" Hodge spat at them. "I'll come back for you."

Warren stared at his nemesis. Logan stood firmly on his feet, keeping Hodge in place. "You killed Candy, you bastard!"

"She didn't love you," Hodge sneered.

"You're insane," Warren mumbled, disgusted. "And you wanted to kill Remy too!"

"Warren!" Jean-Luc's voice cut through the basement. "Remy needs you!"

Warren shot one more venomous look at Hodge and said, "Logan, don't let him get away."

"Ya can count on me, Wings." Logan twisted his claws a little deeper into Hodge's armored body, making sure the mutant hater couldn't escape. The canine suddenly appeared at his side and Logan nodded approvingly. "Ya smell evil, don't ya?"

Wolvie growled dangerously. Logan was right; Hodge was evil, he could smell it on the man. Using his mental powers, the wolf called out to his master.

///

"Remy!" Warren touched down and stared at his lover's bruised and bloody face. "What did the bastard do to you?"

Jean-Luc was already working on removing the collar. "I need you to hold him." Once he removed the restraints, Remy would drop to the floor.

Tenderly, Warren wrapped his arms around his lover's battered frame. "I've got you, Rem and I'll never let you out of my sight again!"

Jean-Luc smiled at hearing that passionate vow. He unlocked the Genoshan collar and threw it away from him in disgust. "I'm going to remove de handcuffs now."

Warren held Remy as tight as he dared. There was blood on Remy's lips and he didn't know if his lover had coughed it up. If he had, it might indicate internal bleeding. "I love you, Rem. Please fight. Don't give up." As the handcuffs opened, Warren supported his lover, who almost dragged him down with his dead weight. "Can I lay him down?"

"Non, I need to untie his ankles first." Jean-Luc glared at Hodge, who was cursing loudly.

"You can't kill me, Wolverine, you should know that by now," Hodge quipped smugly.

Logan was about to crack an answer when a terrible stench erupted all around him. He knew that stench; it was sulphur. Looking over his shoulder, he saw how a now familiar form took shape. "Not 'gain," he whispered, confused.

"Sorry to disappoint you, Logan," Daimon Hellstorm said in an amused tone. "But Hodge is my responsibility so I get to end his miserable existence."

The canine moved aside to let Daimon pass and Logan noticed the expression in the wolf's eyes, which was way too intelligent for an animal. "Get in line, bub."

"You can't kill him," Daimon reminded Logan. "Cameron Hodge made a pact with a demon..."

"You're right, I did!" Hodge exclaimed triumphantly.

"You have no idea who I am." Daimon laughed.

The sound of laughter attracted Jean-Luc and Warren's attention and they quickly looked at Hodge to find out what was going on. "Mon Dieu!" Jean-Luc whispered, recognizing their old ally.

Warren was unprepared when Remy collapsed in his arms as Jean-Luc undid the ankle restraints. Gently, he lay Remy down on the floor, resting his lover's head in his lap. Cradling Remy's head in his hands, Warren managed to keep an eye on his lover and Daimon at the same time.

"Who the hell are you?" Hodge asked Daimon. "You're not supposed to be here!"

"Where evil is, I am," Daimon answered quizzically. "And as the ruler of Hell, I declare your contract with N'Astrih null and void." Daimon opened his hand and Hellfire shot from his palm. "I've got some special torment in mind for your black soul. You'll fit in perfectly in Hell."

"NO!" Hodge screamed viciously as the Hellfire snaked up his body.

"Logan, you might want to move out of the way," Daimon said teasingly. He loved ruining N'Astrih's plans. He'd take care of his minion later. Content, he watched as the Hellfire completely engulfed Hodge's body.

Logan quickly retracted his claws. The canine bit into his coat and pulled him away. "Hey, whadda ya think yer doin'?" But the wolf simply grinned at him.

"Ashes to ashes, dust to dust," Daimon stated, obviously pleased. "I always wanted to say that," he added, seeing Logan's puzzled expression. "Say good-bye now."

Hodge uttered one last scream as the Hellfire burned away the armor and nestled inside his bones. Within seconds, his ashes floated onto the floor.

Daimon turned around, smirked at Logan and then grew serious again when he walked towards Remy. "Our little angel should stay away from demons."

Warren didn't know how to react. He was too relieved to have Remy back in his arms. "Hodge hurt him." With utmost care, Warren stroked back the bloodied hair and cringed, seeing the black eye and other bruising along Remy's jaw line.

"He exhausted his healing power trying to help other people," Daimon stated knowingly. "You have to take him to the hospital. A rib threatens to puncture his left lung."

"How do you know?" Jean-Luc asked, puzzled.

"I possess healing powers myself, but they don't work on an angel. Our powers aren't compatible. He'd fight me instinctively. His injuries need time to heal." Daimon sat on his heels and stared at Remy's face. "I can take you to a hospital."

"How?" Warren tightly held onto his lover. "We shouldn't move him. Maybe we'd better call an ambulance?"

"We don't need an ambulance. Gather around me," Daimon instructed and waited for the canine, who had gone outside. "Did you leave anyone out there?"

"Jayce!" Warren couldn't believe that he'd forgotten about the boy!

But luckily, Wolvie was pulling Jayce along. He nudged the boy onto the staircase and descended it behind Jayce.

Jayce stared at the group of men and cringed seeing the state Remy was in. He ran down the stairs and joined Warren. Hesitant to speak up or touch Remy, he whispered, "Will he be all right?" He'd never seen someone this seriously beaten up before.

"Yes, he will," Warren said determinedly and locked eyes with Daimon. Take us to the hospital. Rem needs a doctor."

Daimon nodded his head, smiled and summoned his power. After opening the doors between dimensions, he transported them to the nearest hospital.

Part 14

Tampa

They gave the hospital staff quite a scare, appearing in front of them, wrapped in a cloud of sulphur and Hellfire. Thankfully, the nurses and doctors turned out to be true professionals when they saw the wounded among them.

Jean-Luc was taken into an exam room and Logan growled displeased when they announced that the Cajun needed surgery. The x-ray showed a compound fracture and they had to set the bone before it could be put in a cast. Logan stayed in the corridor, next to the door of the operating theatre.

Jayce was also closely examined, but quickly released, as the bruises on his face were fading and the physician couldn't find any other injuries. Warren released a relieved sigh when Jayce joined him again. Daimon and Wolvie stayed close too, while the medical staff was busy determining the severity of Remy's injuries.

"Rem looked bad," Warren whispered concerned, as he paced the waiting area. "I can't believe that Hodge hurt him like that. It's a good thing the bastard's dead or..."

Daimon rested a soothing hand on Warren's shoulder. "Remy will recover. You need to have faith in him." From out of the corner of his eye he caught Jayce's suspicious expression. It amused Daimon that the boy openly showed his distrust. Most humans just shied away from him.

"But Rem's face..." Warren raised his hands and hid his face in them. He didn't want to fall apart in front of them. Jayce needed a stabile environment and right now everything was a mess. //But Jayce's holding up fine,// Warren realized, a little surprised.

"I can't lose Rem," Warren mumbled, upset. He wanted to shake off Daimon's hand, but felt frozen. "I can't imagine life without him." When had Remy LeBeau become the center of his life? Would life still be worth living without the Cajun? Those were frightening questions and he was reluctant to think about the answers.

Daimon decided to distract Warren. The mutant was driving himself insane, asking himself what would happen should Remy not recover. Looking down at the wolf, he smiled. "You served me well."

That got Warren and Jayce's attention. "Yeah, what's up with that?" Warren's glance shifted from Wolvie to Daimon and back again. "He knew where to find Rem."

Daimon smiled smugly. He'd gotten their attention all right. "This 'wolf' is not really a wolf," Daimon said, trying to make them even more curious. It would take their minds of worrying about Remy's condition.

"Then what is he?" Warren kept a close eye on Jayce, who seemed stunned. He couldn't blame the boy. Jayce should never have been tangled up in this. The boy should be safe at the ranch, not getting caught up in the supernatural.

"Wolvie's... demonic," Daimon revealed with a smirk on his face.

"He's a demon?" Jayce interjected, curiously. "I thought he was... just a wolf."

"He's a dog of Hell." Daimon petted the wolf's head. "He accepted the assignment to look over Remy... for the rest of his life."

Warren swallowed hard. "Are you telling me that a demon slept in my bed?" He remembered all the times that Wolvie had curled up at the foot end.

"Yes, his real name is Garm." Daimon considered his next move. "I planned on letting Garm guard Remy, but now that you know the truth I suspect you won't want Garm close any longer."

Warren stared at the canine... dog of Hell. "I'm not sure," he said eventually. Remy had grown quite fond of Wolvie and Jayce had taken to the canine as well, but now... Warren looked at Jayce. "What do you think?"

Jayce's eyes grew big. Did Warren really want *his* advice? "I kinda like him, but..." Jayce turned to Daimon. "Is he dangerous?"

"Only to your enemies," Daimon assured them. "Garm has the gentlest disposition of all dogs of Hell, which is why I chose him. He doesn't really fit in with the rest of the pack. He's too... playful."

Warren remembered how Wolvie's tongue had dragged over his face hours ago and had to agree with Daimon. "So your name's Garm?" The dog of Hell bared his teeth. Warren had learned by now to interpret that as a grin. He didn't feel completely comfortable having a demon that close, but... "And he watches over Remy?"

"Yes," Daimon assured Warren again. "Garm really likes living with Remy and you. He especially likes your warm bed."

"That's got to end, you hear?" Warren said determinedly, addressing Garm. "No more sleeping in bed!" The dog of Hell cocked his head and looked absolutely miserable. Warren tried hard to repress his amusement, but a grin slipped through. "You're on probation," he decided. "And we still have to tell Remy, who..." Shit, he'd completely forgotten about his lover!

"You brought in my patient, didn't you?" The elderly doctor, who stepped into the waiting area, recognized the winged mutant.

"Yes, he's my life partner," Warren replied quickly. "How's Remy?"

"So..." the doctor wrote down the name on a piece of paper. "So that's his name?"

"He hasn't regained consciousness then?" Daimon concluded.

"He woke up briefly, but is asleep now. I don't want him to wake up again. I should introduce myself first, I'm doctor Richards."

Warren shook the doctor's hand, but wished the man would tell him more about Remy's condition. "How is he? Rem was in a bad way when we found him."

"Why don't we sit down?" Richards suggested and noticed that the small group followed him. "You're all family?"

"Yes," Daimon stated determinedly. The lie didn't bother him.

Puzzled, Richards raised an eyebrow, but didn't question the answer. After they sat down, he said, "I examined Remy. He's going to make a full recovery."

Warren leaned back in the chair and nodded his head. "Thank God." He heard Daimon's soft snort of disapproval and even Wolvie, no Garm, seemed to shake his head. //Well, they're right... we did have some help, but it was of a demonic and not of a divine nature,// Warren mused.

"Remy's got a broken rib, that almost punctured his lungs, but we bandaged it rather tightly and it should heal just fine." Richards watched Warren closely. He'd never seen a mutant from up close and his curiosity awoke, but he pushed it away. His patient came first. "His right eye needs rest and I'll give you a prescription for eye drops, which you need to apply every 12 hours."

"What else?" Warren asked, mentally making notes so he wouldn't forget to pick up the prescription before they left.

"His right hand. His thumb and index finger are broken... crushed is more like it. We had to splint them. He'll need rest and should stay off his feet. Remy took some nasty blows."

"I'll make sure Rem stays in bed." Warren licked his lips, as his mouth had gone dry. The damage seemed less than he'd feared. "Can I see him now?"

"Yes, but keep in mind that he's asleep. I'd like to keep it that way," Richards said as he got to his feet.

"Does he have to stay or can we take him home?" Daimon asked, wondering how well Remy would deal with being transported back to the ranch in a car or helicopter. If he could use his own means of transportation it would be less painful for Remy.

Richards gave them a thoughtful look. If he read them right, Remy would be perfectly cared for, maybe even better than should he stay at the hospital. "There's no reason for him to stay," he said eventually. "But he's confined to bed rest."

Warren nodded his head once. "I understand, doctor Richards."

"I'll take you to his room, but only two of you, no more!" Richards stated determinedly. "He's asleep anyway."

Warren exchanged a look with Daimon. "Can Jayce and I go in?" He realized that Daimon had taken out Hodge, had taken away that threat and Warren didn't want to boss Daimon around.

"Sure, I can wait." Daimon stretched his legs, making himself comfortable on the chair. "But keep in mind that I can't stay here too long...I'll transport you to the ranch and then I need to attend to my own affairs."

"Thanks for helping us out," Warren said, softly. "We couldn't have killed Hodge and he'd have found a way to get back at Rem when we least expected it."

"Go, go and see Remy and once he's awake I'll take you home.

///

Jayce stood silently beside Remy's bed and studied the Cajun's features. Bruises covered most of Remy's face and his right eye had been beat shut. Remy lay on his back and Jayce caught a glimpse of the bandages around the Cajun's chest. Remy's bandaged right hand rested on top of the blanket and Jayce wondered if those broken fingers hurt badly. Maybe it was a good thing that Remy was soundly asleep.

"He'll get better," Jayce said in a wavering tone, needing to hear Warren's assurance.

"Yes, Rem will recover just fine." Warren carefully sat down on the side of the bed and cradled Remy's left hand in his. "I thought I'd lost him," he confided in Jayce. "And what the hell did you think you were doing running away like that?" Warren stared hard at Jayce. "You could have gotten yourself killed."

//I nearly did,// Jayce thought remorsefully. "I'm sorry," he whispered, averting his eyes. Suddenly he found the linoleum floor very interesting.

"Why did you run?" Warren asked Jayce. At the same time he pushed back a stray lock of golden, auburn hair that had slipped into Remy's face.

"I couldn't face you... or Remy."

"Why?" Warren managed to look away from Remy and into Jayce's eyes. As long as he felt Remy's hand in his, he was reassured that his love was all right.

"I... misjudged Remy so badly," Jayce whispered and peeked at Warren's eyes. "He isn't abusive."

"No, he certainly isn't," Warren mumbled. "What changed your mind?"

"Realizing that he cared about me... *you*... the people who suffered burns. He took care of them, of you and he even wanted to look after me." Jayce wringed his hands behind his back. "I'd understand if you no longer want me on the ranch. I messed up."

"We all make mistakes," Warren chided his nephew gently. "I made plenty. But Remy taught me that everyone deserves a second chance. You obviously care about Remy and I'm sure that he wants you to stay with us, so forget about running away ever again." Warren distinctly noted Jayce's relieved sigh. "You're coming home with us."

"Bien..."

Startled, Warren looked at his lover, whose left eye had opened. "Rem, you need to get back to sleep." Warren rubbed the knuckles of Remy's left hand. "I figured you would agree with me. Jayce should stay, shouldn't he?"

Remy managed a weak smile. "Mais... oui," he whispered. "Tired... cher." Remy wondered why his right eye stubbornly remained shut. His chest hurt and he tried not to inhale too deeply. Warren's presence however, reassured him. He didn't wonder why Warren was close, just accepted it and relished his love's presence. Dozing off again, he used his last strength to curl his fingers tightly around Warren's hand, making sure that his lover couldn't leave.

"He's asleep again," Warren whispered with a smile on his face.

"Wings?"

Warren looked over his shoulder at hearing Logan's voice. "Yeah?"

Jean-Luc's broken wrist now rested in a sling and he leaned against Logan. They stood in the doorway, both wearing a smug expression on their face.

"How's your wrist?"

"Dey took care of it," Jean-Luc whispered, careful not to wake Remy up again. They'd talked to doctor Richards and knew that Remy would make a full recovery. Jean-Luc was confident that his son's healing power would speed up the recovery process. "Daimon told us dat he'll take you home."

"Are you coming along?" Warren would like that. "Remy might need you."

But Jean-Luc shook his head. "Remy's in capable hands," he complimented Warren. The truth was that he owed Logan an explanation for his past behavior. "Mais we'll visit shortly."

Jean-Luc's decision surprised Logan. He'd thought that they'd accompany Remy and Warren, but his lover probably had a perfect reason for deciding differently.

"Do you think he'll remember Logan and I were dere too?" Jean-Luc wondered out loud. Remy had appeared unconscious when he'd removed the restraints.

"I'll tell him you helped," Warren said softly. "I should get Daimon now. Remy will feel much more comfortable resting at home than in this hospital room." Warren reluctantly let go of Remy's hand and signaled Jayce to join him. Jean-Luc was entitled to a moment alone with Remy.

"Merci," Jean-Luc whispered as Warren and Jayce passed him by. He walked towards the bed and claimed Remy's hand, which felt warm and smooth. "Remy, you need to be more careful, petit."

Logan stood behind Jean-Luc and placed a possessive hand on his lover's hip. "Ya know that the kid attracts trouble. Ya can't keep him safe forever."

"I know dat, cher, believe me, I know. I wish it were different, mais I'll always want to protect Remy." Jean-Luc leaned back and relished Logan's closeness. "You were right. We need to talk."

"That's why we're stayin'?"

"Oui." Jean-Luc leaned forward and pressed a gentle kiss on Remy's brow. "Je t'aime, petit." Embedding the lines of Remy's face in his mind, he smiled saddened. "De bruises will fade." Then he released Remy's hand and stepped away from the bed. Both men left the room.

///

Honeymoon Island

"Garm, stay with Jayce," Daimon instructed and the dog of Hell gently took hold of Jayce's hand and pulled him in the opposite direction. Daimon followed Warren, who carried Remy in his arms, to their bedroom.

"You're home, love," Warren whispered affectionately as he placed Remy in their bed. Covering his lover with the comforter, he allowed himself to relax slightly. Remy was home.

"Cher?"

Remy's tired voice startled Warren. "Stop waking up, stupid Cajun," he chided Remy teasingly. "Close those eyes and get back to sleep. I'll still be here when you wake up." Remy's smile was genuine and relaxed. Warren tucked his lover in. "If you're a good boy, I'll join you in bed later."

"Would... love... dat," Remy whispered, barely audible and drifted back to the world of dreams.

"Warren?" Daimon waited for the other man to turn around and face him. "My work here's done."

"Thank you," Warren repeated his earlier words. "Without you..."

Daimon cocked his head. Warren had no idea how much he'd mingled in Remy's life. He'd never regret getting involved and sending the certificate to Scott Summers. Remy deserved to know who he really was, in all aspects. //My father should never have informed the Antiquary of Remiel's birth.//

"You realize that I'll always keep an eye on Remy?" Garm would contact him should something extraordinary happen.

"I don't think that's a bad thing." Warren walked up to Daimon and offered the man his right hand. "You'll always be welcome here."

"I hope you'll never regret those words," Daimon pointed out to him. "I *am* the ruler of Hell."

Warren's smug grin grew wicked. "Defense mechanism, huh?"

Daimon laughed. No human had ever had the audacity to say that to him! "Maybe," he chuckled and turned around. "I'm leaving." He called on his Hellfire to take him home.

"Does he have to leave behind that sickening stench of sulphur?" Warren remarked. "When Kurt teleports it smells like that too." Briefly, he considered if both men might be related, but then shrugged it off. "No way."

Warren returned to the bed and lay down on his side, facing Remy. He didn't even bother to undress, so eager was he to watch Remy sleep. Warren desperately wanted to wrap his arms around his lover and pull him close, but they would have to be careful for the next couple of days, as his lover's injuries needed time to heal. As he fingered a golden lock, Warren smiled. "I love you, Rem."

///

The Blackbird

Scott noticed the nervous twitch near Corsair's mouth. He felt equally worried, but didn't show it. For the last 30 minutes they'd tried to get a hold of Warren and Remy on the ranch, but all the foreman could tell them was that the two men had left several hours ago.

"Where's Remy?" Corsair whispered the words, privately, not expecting an answer. Scott knew as little as he did. "You don't think something bad happened to him? This Jim mentioned a fire."

Scott didn't really know how to comfort his father. "I'm sure Remy's fine." Like a cat, Remy seemed to possess at least nine lives, some of them used twice.

"How much longer before we reach the ranch?" Corsair no longer fought his nervousness. //What if I lose Remy before getting to know him?// That thought frightened him.

"Ten more minutes," Scott replied. "Do you want to try again? Maybe they returned in the meantime."

"You try contacting them," Corsair said, worried. He didn't trust his own voice right now.

///

Honeymoon Island

"Mister Worthington?" Jim knocked softly on the door to his boss' bedroom. He'd seen the way Remy had looked when they'd returned home and didn't want to disturb the two men, but Warren was needed. He knocked again, a little louder this time and said, "Warren?" Jim was one of the few workers who would ever address his boss in that manner.

Reluctantly, Warren opened his eyes. Something had disturbed his sleep and his first concern was for Remy, but his lover was soundly asleep. Then, Warren heard Jim's voice. Cursing softly, he dragged himself out of bed, tucked Remy in again and tiptoed over to the door, which he softly opened. "What?" Warren asked as he closed the door behind him.

"A certain Scott Summers is trying to reach you over the radio," Jim informed his boss. "He says that he needs to talk to you, urgently."

Warren wished he could go back to bed and watch over Remy, but realized that he couldn't ignore this. "I'll talk to him." He followed Jim into the improvised control room, where they'd moved all equipment during the fire.

Jim handed Warren the headphone and Warren sat down. "Scott? Is that you?"

Inside the Blackbird, two men jumped on their seats. Scott reacted at once. "Warren, where have you been? We've been trying to reach you for some time now." Scott smiled reassuringly at his dad, who shifted uneasily in his seat. Corsair was obviously nervous to meet Remy.

"To cut a long story short, Hodge tried to kill Remy... and we just got back from the hospital," Warren explained.

Corsair almost jumped out of his seat. "What? Who's this Hodge and how's Remy doing?"

Scott felt concerned too, hearing this news, but couldn't help smiling warmly. Corsair was getting angry and worried about a son he'd never seen before. That was definitely a good development.

"Hum, Scott? Who's there with you?" Warren had trouble identifying that second voice.

"My father," Scott replied, somewhat amused.

"Corsair?" Warren suddenly felt apprehensive. "Scott, where are you?"

"I'm about to land the Blackbird in your front yard," Scott quipped.

"Oh fuck," Warren exclaimed in an unguarded moment. Remy's biological father was about to visit and his lover had no idea that Corsair was here!

"Oh *fuck*?" Scott repeated, dryly. "I didn't know you used that word, Warren." As he looked at Corsair, Scott realized that his father barely managed to remain seated. He addressed Warren again. "Are you trying to tell us that our timing sucks?"

"Sucks?" Warren repeated the word in tone similar to Scott's and cringed. "Yeah, actually it does. Remy's been kidnapped and tortured. He has a broken rib, broken fingers and his face is covered in bruises."

"Who is this Hodge?" Corsair asked Scott again. "I'll make him pay for hurting Remy like that!"

Warren caught Corsair's threat and addressed Scott. "Tell your dad that he can't do that. Hodge's dead."

"Good," Corsair growled and settled down. "Take her down, Scott." The way he felt now, he didn't trust himself to pilot the Blackbird.

"Warren, do you think Remy's up to meeting his father? We can wait a little longer, give Remy more time." Scott looked at Corsair, who nodded his head.

"I'll damn well make time!" Corsair stated determinedly.

"I'm not sure," Warren said thoughtfully. "Rem still hasn't woken fully. Why don't you land the Blackbird and I'll arrange some guest quarters for you. Maybe later today, you can talk to Rem? It depends on how bad Remy's feeling. I can't make any promises," Warren warned them. "I need to be sure that Remy's strong enough to meet his father." Feeling fiercely protective of his lover, Warren was determined to put Remy's needs first. Corsair's came second.

"Agreed," Corsair mumbled and nodded his head once. "We can wait."

"I'm about to land the plane, Warren. I'll meet you in about 10 minutes." Scott terminated the connection and chose a clearance close to the house to land the Blackbird.

///

"Be quiet now. Don't make any noise!" Warren instructed them in a firm tone. "I don't want Remy to startle awake. He's been through enough lately!"

Scott stared at Warren. Had he ever seen Warren this protective of someone before? Not this extremely. Yes, Warren used to fuss over Remy since they'd become lovers, but this intensity was new. "We'll be quiet," he promised.

"I just want to see my son." Corsair felt embarrassed and frustrated at the same time. He understood Warren's need to make sure Remy was fine, but he'd never do anything to hurt his son! He wouldn't wake Remy if his son needed to rest that badly!

Satisfied, Warren slowly opened the door and signaled them to step inside. His first glance was for Remy, who still lay in the center of the bed, hidden beneath the comforter. Warren took the lead and approached the bed, making sure Remy remained asleep.

Scott and Corsair followed, almost tiptoeing over to the bed. Corsair's heart beat wildly. In a moment he'd see his son for the first time in his life. Scott had told him about the changed eyes, which were gold on black now, and he mentally prepared himself for that remarkable sight.

//My son. Remy survived... I'm about to see my son, maybe even touch him, convince myself that he's alive... oh Katherine, if only you could be here now. Sinister didn't win. The baby survived!// Euphorically, Corsair took another step and finally laid eyes on his son. "Oh, Remy," he whispered, taken aback, seeing the extensive bruising on his son's face.

"Shst!" Warren placed his finger against his lips, indicating that Corsair should remain quiet. Father and son could talk later, once Remy had rested sufficiently.

//They have no idea how hard this is on me!// Corsair thought, frustrated. //I waited 25 years for this!// But he got his feelings back under control. He cringed, seeing the bruising and the black eye. An urge to make Hodge pay overwhelmed him, but then he remembered that the madman was dead.

Cautiously, Corsair lowered himself until he sat on his heels. His face was only a few inches away from Remy's and Corsair imprinted Remy's face in his mind. "My son," he whispered, affectionally.

Warren and Scott held their breath when Corsair whispered the words. Some movement showed beneath the comforter and Warren grabbed Scott's arm when Remy's left eye unexpectedly opened.

///

Disorientated, Remy wondered why his right eye refused to open. Too tired to find out, he felt content just to use the one remaining eye. Blinking once, he realized that someone was staring at him. It was a man with auburn hair, sparkling eyes and a curious expression on his face. "Who...'re y'?" he stuttered sleepily.

Remy picked up on the warmth and affection that the man directed at him and he tried to identify that face. "'ave we... 'ver met?" His words were slurred and he attempted to sit upright. "Ow," he exclaimed as pain shot through his chest and right hand. Obviously, sitting upright was a bad idea. "An... ge?" Remy called out to his lover, needing to know that Warren was close.

"I'm here, love." Warren quickly stepped forward and sat down on the bed. Taking Remy's left hand in his, he tried to radiate calm. His heart ached, seeing the way Remy tried to look up at him. "Don't... You're hurt. Your right eye won't open."

Corsair had quickly stepped back and now joined Scott. A deep anger burned in the pit of his stomach. Hodge deserved to die all over again for hurting his son like this!

"Give Remy time," Scott whispered reassuringly. "Warren told me that Remy's under the influence of sleeping meds."

"Ange? I... 'ear... voices..." Remy murmured. Tilting his head was extremely painful, so he gave up on finding out who was in the room with them.

Warren swallowed hard and made a decision. He gently stroked Remy's hair and leaned in closer so Remy didn't have to try too hard to focus on his face. "You've got visitors, love. Scott's here." Warren raised his hand and gestured Scott to approach the bed.

Scott smiled at Remy. "Did you get yourself into trouble again, little brother?" he asked, teasingly.

"Cyke... Scott... 'orry," Remy whispered, feeling immensely confused. "'at 're y' doin' 'ere?" Remy only vaguely realized that he couldn't get his lips wrapped around the words. The sleeping meds were messing with his mind and affected his speech.

"I wanted to visit you, spend some time with my baby brother." Scott smiled, seeing the way Remy tried to grin at hearing those last two words.

Corsair watched them, feeling envious. Scott and Remy seemed to get along well and he felt left out, while he was their father! But he waited for Warren to introduce him. Remy looked fragile and Corsair didn't want to worsen his son's condition by startling him.

"'s nice t' see y' 'gain," Remy mumbled. The sleeping medication made him feel light-headed. "'orry, don' feel dat 'reat..."

"Warren told me about Hodge," Scott said in a soft tone. "We should let you go back to sleep."

Corsair cringed privately. He wanted Remy to know that his father was here!

"Wait." Remy had increasing difficulty to stay awake and focused. "Feel somet'in'."

"What do you feel, love?" Warren caressed his lover's brow, rubbing the tension away that probably emanated from Remy's temples. "Do you have a headache?"

"Oui."

Remy's answer confirmed Warren's suspicion. He'd been relieved to learn from doctor Richards that Remy hadn't suffered a concussion. "Are you feeling nauseous?"

"Non." Just in time Remy remembered not to shake his head. That would only worsen his headache. "Feel... pain," he whispered, trying hard to pronounce the words properly. "Emo... tional... pain." He tried to look passed Scott. "Dat... ot'er man..."

Warren knew he should tell Remy that Corsair was here. "Rem? Love?" The distant expression in his lover's eyes worried him. "Scott didn't come alone."

Remy waited for Warren to continue. His strength was leaving him quickly.

Warren caught Corsair's glance. "Come over here," he said gently.

Corsair obeyed and sat on his heels so his face was level with Remy's again. "Hello Remy," he said in an emotional tone. The tears that had earlier filled his eyes now slipped down his face.

"'allo." Remy wondered if he was supposed to know this man, who felt so strongly about him. Feelings of love, protection and affection covered him like a blanket and these emotions emanated from the stranger.

"You don't know me," Corsair realized, saddened. "My name's Christopher Summers," he explained as he gently took hold of Remy's left hand. "You probably know me as Corsair. I'm your father."

Part 15

Honeymoon Island

Remy simply stared at Corsair. His brain was still trying to accept that his dad was sitting in front of him. Dad, never poppa or père. Those titles were reserved for Jean-Luc LeBeau, the man who'd saved his life too many times to count.

Corsair's nervousness increased when Remy didn't verbally react to his admission, but maybe that was due to the sleeping medication. Remy seemed fully conscious, but wasn't. "I love you, son."

Hearing those words brought a smile to Scott's face. Corsair was far better at expressing his feelings than he'd ever be. Remy needed to hear it.

"Son," Remy repeated, taken aback. "Y're... my...dad." Still in disbelief, he tried to raise his left hand, but then realized that Corsair had already claimed it. His dad's emotions were real, his hand felt real... Remy had to accept that this was happening now. It wasn't a figment of his imagination. Now that he had a good look at Corsair, Remy concluded that the man did resemble Scott in a certain way.

"You're tired, son. We can talk later. I won't leave before we had a chance to get to know each other," Corsair promised as Remy's eye slipped shut. "Yes, that's it. Sleep." He waited for Remy to doze off and then whispered, "Katherine, you'd have been proud of him."

Warren felt torn. He wanted to stay with Remy, but needed to check on Jayce as well. He'd lost track of the boy after they returned home. "Can you stay with Rem a little longer? I'll be back in ten."

Corsair firmly nodded his head. "I'd love to spend time with my son. Even if he's asleep."

Warren exchanged a look with Scott, who nodded his head. They would stay with Remy until Warren returned. "Thanks," Warren said quickly and hurried out of the room to check on Jayce.

///

Jayce and Garm were having a stare contest. Jayce sat upright on the bed with his back against the wall while Garm had made himself comfortable at the foot end, hogging the blanket. "It's hard to believe that you're not really a wolf." He didn't know how to feel about Garm being a dog of Hell. The knock on his door was a welcome distraction. "Yes," he said, wondering who it could be. He almost jumped to his feet when his uncle entered. "How's Remy?"

"Asleep again," Warren replied and sat down on the side of the bed, giving Garm a curious look as well. "I though you might be hungry, Jayce." Warren placed the sandwiches, cookies and milk on the nightstand. "How are you doing? It's been a rough ride for you too."

"I'm sorry that I ran," Jayce admitted at once, feeling guilty as hell. "If I'd stayed here, Hodge would never have gotten hold of Remy. It's my fault Remy got beaten up."

Warren licked his lips. He had to handle this delicately. "Hodge would have found a way to get to Remy, even if you hadn't run off. But you did and yes, it made it easier for Hodge to grab Remy."

"I can't believe that you still want me here," Jayce whispered.

"You're family, Jayce." Warren ruffled the blond locks. "And I've got the feeling that Remy and you will become good friends. Give yourself a chance, Jayce."

Garm felt the tension and decided he had to do something about it. The bed dipped as he sneaked off it. Both humans were a little too preoccupied to pay much attention to him.

"I really like Remy," Jayce admitted, fighting hot tears. "Why did I make it so hard on the two of you?"

"You're a teenager, Jayce and teenagers are always trouble," Warren said jokingly. "I should know. I used to be one!" Relieved, Warren noticed the smile on Jayce's face.

"I think I want those cookies now," Jayce remarked, feeling a little more comfortable and definitely wanted here. "Oh man!" Jayce's eyes grew big as he saw Garm munching the cookies. "Don't tell me he ate my cookies!"

Garm acted perfectly innocent and returned to claim his spot on the bed. Closing his eyes, he licked his mouth to get all the crumbs and then pretended to be asleep.

"He's going to be trouble," Warren stated amused.

"He already is!" Jayce agreed and decided to eat the sandwiches instead.

///

Upon Warren's return, Scott and Corsair left. Warren promised Corsair that he could spend time with Remy tomorrow when the sleeping meds had worn off.

After getting undressed, Warren sat upright in their bed, resting his back against the headboard. Remy slept beside him, clutching the comforter to keep warm. "Ah, Rem... I almost lost you."

Remy reacted to the sound and reached out with his left hand. "Cher... close." His fingers dug into the fabric of Warren's boxers and he pulled the winged man close.

Warren thought about not giving in. By lying that close to Remy he could unintentionally put pressure on the broken rib, but his lover persisted and Warren relented. Remy folded an arm around Warren's waist and pulled his lover close to his chest.

Warren found himself locked in a tight hold. Remy was obviously not planning on letting him go. "Hey, I'm here, love. Don't worry about me." The sound of his voice seemed to relax Remy slightly so Warren continued. "Jean-Luc and Logan helped me to get you out. Jayce wants to stay, but feels bad about the way he treated you. Me? I'm just glad to have you back."

"'s 'kay, ange," Remy whispered in his sleep. "C'est bien."

Warren smiled against Remy's chest, returned the embrace and spent the remaining night staring at his love's face.

///

Tampa

Logan studied his lover, who sat cross-legged on the floor of their hotel room. He knew that Jean-Luc wanted to talk, but shaking off old habits was hard on the former patriarch. Logan sat down behind his lover and pulled him to his chest. "Wanna talk?"

Jean-Luc flashed him a grin. "We should talk, oui."

"How did ya know we were in danger? Why the aliases and the commercial flight? How did ya know that someone was after us? That Remy was in danger?"

"You know about de Elixir of Eternal life?" Jean-Luc drew in a deep breath.

"Yeah," Logan wanted to add, 'Ya stole Remy from the clinic 'cause of it,' but he held his tongue. Jean-Luc had paid for that mistake.

"De Elixir has some side-effects," Jean-Luc started hesitantly. If the Guild found out that he was betraying secrets he might find himself in big trouble, but the need to be honest with Logan outweighed his fears.

"What side-effects?" Logan whispered the words into Jean-Luc's ear and caught the man shivering beneath his hands.

"Clairvoyance," Jean-Luc sighed, resigned.

"Are ya tellin' me ya can see the future?" Startled, Logan caught Jean-Luc's glance as his lover looked at him over his shoulder.

"To some degree. I only see flashes." Jean-Luc shrugged his shoulders. "It's grown stronger."

Logan whistled, impressed. "Can't be easy on ya, knowin' what's 'bout to happen."

"I don't see everything, cher. Just bits and pieces." If he'd only had this ability when he'd been young! Then he'd never have stolen Remy from the hospital. "When it first showed, I couldn't handle it."

"Whadda ya do?" Logan forced Jean-Luc to lean back against his chest, deepening their physical contact.

"I met someone who taught me to control it. Stephen Strange."

"I met him a few times," Logan replied, surprised that Jean-Luc had kept all this from him. He wondered what more secrets the Cajun was hiding. Saddened, he realized that there would always be secrets between them. There were Guild things that Jean-Luc could never tell him. That his lover was opening up now was amazing.

"Stephen and I were lovers," Jean-Luc whispered and held his breath.

Logan gulped. "Lovers?" He never expected that admission.

"Only briefly," Jean-Luc explained. "That was before he met Clea."

Logan wondered if he should press Jean-Luc to tell him more, but realized that his lover had already taken a major step in strengthening their relationship. "I don't have to worry 'bout fightin' off a jealous ex-boyfriend then?"

"Non, don't worry about dat," Jean-Luc assured him, but remained tense against Logan. "Where do we stand now, mon ami?"

"Actually... We're sittin'," Logan quipped and playfully rocked the Cajun in his arms. "I don't know 'bout ya, but... wanna play in bed?"

Relieved, Jean-Luc released the tension that had controlled him only a moment before. "You're okay with dis?"

"Yeah," Logan mumbled as he licked the back of his lover's neck. "Will tell ya one of my secrets later... even the score so to speak."

Jean-Luc turned around in the embrace, took in Logan's honest eyes and knew that their love would always persevere.

///

Honeymoon Island

The next morning, Warren woke up, opened his eyes and stared into Remy's gold on black eye. The right eye was still closed, black and bruised. "Good morning, love. Feeling a little better today?" Remy looked awake and the smile on his lover's face reassured Warren slightly.

"A lil'," Remy admitted and allowed his left hand to tangle in Warren's golden locks. "What happened?"

"What do you remember?" Warren pressed an incredibly gentle kiss on his lover's lips.

"Hodge beatin' me up," Remy whispered in a choked tone. "I passed out."

"We rescued you," Warren started, "I had a lot of help. Jean-Luc and Logan showed up and..."

"Poppa?" Surprised, Remy looked about, as if he expected Jean-Luc to be close.

"They stayed in Tampa. I guess they wanted us to have some privacy."

"Hodge?" Remy tried to shift his body, but the pain that cut through his chest made him freeze.

"You sustained a broken rib, love." Warren stroked Remy's soft hair. "Hodge's dead. Daimon took him out."

"Daimon?" Remy tried to understand what had happened, how come that Jean-Luc, Logan and Daimon had shown up just at the right time? Sensing Warren's emotional pain, Remy whispered, "Y' musta been scared..." Hodge had killed Candy and Warren must have been frightened that everything would happen all over again.

"I was, but they helped me through it. Even Jayce told me to kick Hodge's butt."

"Jayce..." Upset, Remy tried to get into an upright position. "De petit ran..."

"Rem, Jayce's fine." Warren sat up and stopped Remy from moving further about. "The doctor confined you to bed, so stay there." Warren gently pressed Remy onto his back. "I'll get us some breakfast. Do you want to talk to Jayce later?" He also had to tell Remy about their dog of Hell.

"Oui..." Shyly, Remy peeked at Warren. "Had a strange dream last night."

"Tell me about it." Warren returned to caressing his lover's hair. "What did you dream about?" Remy'd had a calm night without nightmares.

"Dreamed dat Corsair was here," Remy whispered, almost too soft to hear.

"Corsair and Scott *are* here, love." Warren caught the shocked expression on Remy's face. "They arrived yesterday."

"Corsair's here?" Remy couldn't believe that his dream was turning out to be reality. "My dad's here?"

"I'm sure he'll visit you today. Corsair was quite emotional yesterday. He even cried."

Remy swallowed hard. "Cried?"

"He said that he'd waited 25 years to finally see his son."

"I'm 25?" Remy had never been sure about his age.

The simple question nearly brought tears to Warren's eyes. "I can't imagine how it must have been for you, not knowing who you are, when your birthday is, who your parents are... oh, love..."

"Could y'... could y' ask Corsair to come here now?" Remy said pleadingly.

"After you had breakfast, Remy, okay?"

"kay."

///

"Breakfast in bed, cher. Y're spoilin' me rotten," Remy whispered shyly. Warren had been fussing over him since they'd woken up and Remy had to admit that he loved all the attention. It finally convinced him that everything was all right again. Jayce was safely back at the ranch, Scott and Corsair would meet with him later and Hodge was dead.

Warren took great delight in preparing some toast with marmalade for Remy, who couldn't do much with his right hand. "Open up," Warren instructed and waited for his lover to take a bite. "By the way, there's something you need to know about Wolvie."

"What's dat, cher?" Remy used his left hand to wipe away some marmalade that had slid onto his chin. Lying in bed like this, with Warren close resembled Remy's idea of heaven.

"Wolvie's actually a dog of Hell, a demon."

Remy spat out the mouthful of orange juice he'd just drunk. "Sorry, cher," he apologized for making a mess. "What did y' say?"

"His real name's Garm," Warren said amused and used the corner of the sheet to clean up the orange juice. "And he's Daimon's minion. Daimon sent him to keep an eye on you, to protect you."

"Mon Dieu," Remy whispered, shocked. "He doesn' feel evil."

"According to Daimon, Garm isn't evil and didn't fit in with the pack. That's why Daimon sent him here. I told Daimon that Garm could stay," Warren said in a soft tone. "Or don't you want him around any longer?"

"Need a moment, cher. Is an awful lot to deal wit'." Remy couldn't believe that Wolvie wasn't a wolf. He'd never felt anything out of the ordinary. "He can stay," Remy decided eventually. "Cher, I'm stuffed."

Warren placed the breakfast tray on the floor and observed his lover for long moments. "You want to talk to Corsair, don't you?"

"I remember his face... I t'ink... not sure." Remy mourned the loss of body heat when Warren left their bed to get dressed.

"Stay in bed, Rem. I'll fetch Corsair for you, but you've got to promise not to move about too much while I'm gone."

"Promise, cher," Remy said and gave Warren one of his warmest smiles. Then, his smile froze. "Cher... I don' remember what Corsair said last night."

Warren sensed Remy's apprehension and did his best to reassure his lover. "I've never seen Corsair cry before, but he did last night when he saw you for the first time in his life."

"Wanna talk to him," Remy whispered, with a hint of uncertainty.

"Give me a moment, love. I'll be right back with him."

Remy fought his growing nervousness and shivered as the door closed behind Warren. He was about to talk to his biological father.

///

"I'm nervous," Corsair admitted embarrassed.

"That's only understandable." Warren smiled warmly. "Rem's nervous too."

"Are there things that I shouldn't bring up the first time I talk to him?" Corsair didn't want to make any blunders.

"You'd better not ask Remy about his childhood," Warren said thoughtfully.

"Remy said something that worried Scott. Might that have to do with his childhood?"

Warren decided to go for the direct approach. "Remy was abused when he was a child."

Corsair froze in his tracks. "What?" he stammered.

"After he was stolen from the clinic he lived with a man called the Antiquary, who abused Remy sexually... and emotionally." Warren swallowed hard. "Remy's still dealing with it, so I suggest you don't bring it up just yet." Looking at Corsair, Warren saw that the man's hands had turned into tight fists. "I know... it infuriates me too."

"Words fail me," Corsair stammered, shocked. His guilt deepened. If only he'd demanded Essex showed him the baby's corpse! None of this would have happened then!

"Are you okay?" Warren asked concerned. Warren waited for Corsair to regain his composure and then the two men started walking again. "Do you want me to wait outside?"

Corsair wavered. "I'm not sure."

"I'll remain close. Call me, should you need me." Warren opened the door to their bedroom and signaled Corsair to enter. "And don't forget that Rem's an empath. He can feel what you feel. Sometimes, that makes words redundant."

Corsair's eyes widened. An empath? Scott hadn't told him that Remy was an empath! As he stepped inside, his eyes automatically sought out his son. Remy sat propped up against the wooden head end of the bed. His left eye was open and Remy tightly clutched the comforter. Yes, Warren had been right; Remy looked nervous too. "Hello, son," Corsair started.

Remy licked his lips, taking in his father's features. "Corsair?"

"You can call me dad," Corsair offered. He pulled up a chair and straddled it. "I can't believe I'm looking at you, Remy. I wish your mother had lived to see this day."

"She's dead?" Remy felt Corsair's feelings clearly and they spoke of love and acceptance, but Remy still felt like he was talking to a stranger.

"Yes, Katherine died some years ago..." Corsair searched in his pocket for the picture that he always carried with him. "This is your mother." He handed the faded photo to his son.

Remy devoured the woman's image. "She was beautiful," he said sincerely and tried to memorize her features. It was strange to realize that this was Scott's mother too. "Did Scott know her?"

"Yes, Alex and Scott both did. I'm sorry you never met her." Remy wanted to return the photograph to his father, but Corsair refused. "Keep it. I don't need the photo to remind me of her. She'll always be in my heart."

Speechless, Remy caressed the old photograph with his fingers. "Merci." He didn't know how to react to this man. "Never thought we would ever meet."

"I thought you were dead, Remy. When Scott told me that you survived I nearly had a heart attack." Corsair slowly raised his right hand and rested it gently on Remy's shoulder. "I want to get to know you."

"I feel de same way," Remy admitted in a shy tone. "Can y' stay a lil' longer?"

"I'll stay as long as it takes to see you heal, son."

"We'll take dis slow?"

"Yes, we'll take it slow."

///

At noon, Remy finally managed to convince Warren that he could eat lunch sitting at the dinner table. It had taken all his cunning, and even a little empathic manipulation, to get Warren to listen to him. They'd reached a compromise, which didn't really please Remy, as Warren decided he'd carry his lover to the dining room and sit him down. //I can walk! Not'in' wrong wit' my legs!// But Remy gave in, realizing Warren would insist on this condition.

Warren gathered Remy in his arms and Corsair opened the door for them. It pleased Warren that father and son had spent most of the morning together. He could tell that this was hard on them, but they were opening up to each other.

"Jayce's looking forward to talking to you," Warren informed his lover. "The boy's worried about you. He's angry with himself for running away because it enabled Hodge to get to you."

"Not de petit's fault!" Remy stated firmly and held onto Warren as his lover carried him through the corridors. "I can walk, cher!" he exclaimed exasperated.

"No, doctor Richards confined you to bed. I shouldn't have given in earlier," Warren mumbled. "But you've got this way of winding me around your little finger."

Remy grinned and caught Corsair's smirk. He remained silent until they reached the dining room, where Scott, Jayce and Garm were waiting for them.

"Remy!" Jayce got up from his chair when he saw the Cajun. But when he saw the massive bruising on Remy's face, his relief lessened. "I'm sorry."

"It's 'kay, petit." Remy whispered into Warren's ear, "Put me down next to his chair. Petit needs to know dat I'm doin' better."

Warren followed Remy's instructions and once his lover was comfortable, he took the seat next to the Cajun.

Garm wagged his tail when he approached Remy. The dog of Hell hadn't been close to Remy since they'd destroyed Hodge and he was anxious to find out if the Cajun still accepted him or if something had changed.

Remy stared into Garm's eyes, wondering if he would now feel any evil in the demon's mind, but he didn't. It still felt good to have Garm close. "Y' held out on me," Remy said in a mock accusing tone. "Mais, c'est bien."

Garm cocked his head, revealed his wet tongue and dragged it over Remy's good hand.

"Oh, gross," Warren said, amused. "He did that to my face..."

Garm's action swept away the tension in the room and they laughed. Looking about, Remy realized how blessed he was to have his family close.

Hold fast that which is good.

Part 16 Epilogue

Remy embraced Nicholas and regretted having to say good-bye so soon. "Take good care of my petit frère, Bobby." The two men had to return to Westchester, but had promised to keep in close contact.

"Who are you calling little?" Nicholas said in mock hurt. "I'm nearly as tall as you are!" Nicholas enthusiastically returned the embrace. When Bobby and he had visited Remy and Warren, he'd been nervous to learn how Remy would react to finding out that Jean-Luc had another son. Remy had seemed hurt at first that he hadn't known about Nicholas, but eventually the older Cajun had understood Jean-Luc's reason for keeping Nicholas' identity a secret.

Warren watched the two Cajuns closely and felt a little sad himself to see Bobby and Nicholas go. They'd livened up the ranch quite a bit these last 2 months. Not to mention that Bobby had been caught smuggling cookies to Garm. Yes, the two men had fitted in perfectly. "Don't wait too long to visit again," Warren said and shook Nicholas' hand. "Feel free to drop by whenever you want."

Bobby smiled and curled a possessive arm around Nicholas' waist. Although he didn't really want to leave Honeymoon Island, he was looking forward to having Nicholas completely to himself again. During these last two months he'd had to share Nicholas with Remy. "Trust me, Remy, I'll take excellent care of your *little* brother!"

Nicholas sighed, pretending annoyance. "*You* of all people should know that I'm not little!"

Remy, Warren and Bobby laughed warmly at hearing that remark.

"When are you going to have *your* commitment ceremony?" Warren asked, teasingly. "I know this little palazzo in Venice. It's perfect to spend your honeymoon."

"Once he stops calling me little!" Nicholas stated jokingly and ruffled Bobby's hair. "We've got to leave now or we'll miss our plane." The jeep was already waiting for them and Nicholas gave Remy one last firm hug. Remy had already made a full recovery when they'd arrived, but Warren had told him about Hodge and the kidnapping. Nicholas had kept a close eye on Remy ever since.

"Why don't you visit us?" Bobby asked, as Nicholas and he walked over to the jeep. Jim would escort them to the boat and ensure they safely got to the mainland.

But Remy looked uncomfortable at hearing that invitation. "Rogue's back, non?"

"Yeah, but... I get it, Remy." Bobby nodded his head; he wouldn't push his friend into confronting Rogue again. She still seemed spooked by the fact that she'd been able to touch Remy without hurting the Cajun. "By the way, where's Jayce? He wanted to say good-bye."

Warren cleared his throat. "My fault. He's behind on his homework assignments and I told him to work harder. Guess he took it to heart."

Nicholas and Bobby got into the jeep, buckled up and waved as they said their good-byes.

Warren enfolded Remy in his arms and pulled his lover close to his chest. "I'm glad they got together." He'd been worried to hear that Nicholas and Bobby had almost ended their relationship after finding out the Cajun's true identity.

"Oui, cher, dey're good for each other." Remy rested his hands on Warren's arms and sighed blissfully. Now that Bobby and Nicholas were gone he wanted to discuss something important with Warren. "Let's find a quiet place?"

Warren followed Remy over to the porch where they sat down on the swing. They'd had it installed after he'd found Remy sitting on the wooden floor. The sun was about to set and most of the workers were barbequing, having a drink and relaxing. No one was close so Warren asked, "What do you want to talk about?" He'd learned to read Remy's facial expressions perfectly. It also helped that he could sense his lover's emotions. Looking into sparkling gold on black eyes, Warren felt truly blessed.

"It's been 6 months," Remy hinted and blushed slightly. He pushed deeper into Warren's arms and cherished his lover's closeness. "I t'ink I'm ready to try 'gain."

Briefly, Warren had no idea what Remy was referring to, then he remembered their deal to wait at least 6 months before trying to make love with him on top again. "Remy, are you sure about this? I love you. I don't need to be inside you."

Remy rested his head against Warren's shoulder, pulled up his feet from the wooden floor, and folded his arms around his knees. Warren was now all wrapped around him, just the way he liked it. "I've been doin' a lot of t'inkin," he started, "I ain' scared any more."

"Rem..." Warren pressed a kiss on his lover's locks. "I know that you're not afraid to be with me. It's the memories you're scared of."

"De nightmares have stopped," Remy pointed out to Warren. "And I don' feel uncomfortable any longer when y' put y'r fingers in me..." Remy said, directly. He wanted to address this matter head on. "I don' wanna do dis to please y', mais for me, for us."

Pleased, Warren rocked Remy slowly in his arms. "Are you sure you're not pushing yourself?" he asked, giving his lover a way out.

"Haven' y' noticed de difference when we make love?" Remy replied, glancing at Warren.

"Yeah, I have," Warren admitted. He no longer needed to announce his next move in bed and Remy now expressed his needs and desires as well. It made their love making even more intense. During the last 4 months they'd formed some sort of emphatic link that was especially strong when they made love. It allowed Warren to feel Remy's emotions and that had convinced him that his lover felt less threatened and intimidated. The only thing Warren still feared was that Remy might suffer from a rape flashback.

Resolved, Remy took hold of Warren's wrist and freed himself of his lover's embrace. He got to his feet and extended his hand. "Make love to me, cher." Remy's heart almost stopped beating when Warren shook his head. "Non? Y' don' wanna make lo...ve?" His voice faltered when he hit that last word.

"Not like this," Warren soothed Remy. Damn, it hadn't been his intention to upset his lover. He jumped to his feet and reclaimed Remy's closeness, firmly re-establishing the hug they'd just shared. "I want the first time that I make love to you to be special," he reassured Remy. "Tomorrow evening, all right? Please, Rem." Warren looked into nervous gold on black eyes. "I sometimes fantasize about making love to you and... I want our first time to mirror that fantasy."

"Y're mushy," Remy muttered, as he calmed down. "Y' frightened me!" He playfully slapped his lover's butt. "Don' ever do dat 'again!"

"Understood," Warren whispered and captured his lover's lips for a long kiss.

"Uncle Warren! Remy! I finished my..." Jayce came to a sudden stop when he saw the two men kissing. "Oops," he whispered, shyly. Garm, who'd followed Jayce closely, bumped accidentally into the boy. "Bad doggie! Jayce said amused and peeked again at Warren and Remy who'd stopped kissing, but were still wrapped around each other.

"What did y' finish, petit?" Remy asked, interested. After their return from Tampa, Jayce had decided to stay at the ranch. A private tutor visited twice a week and Jayce was doing his homework, tests and assignments using the Internet. His tutor could thus check Jayce's progress.

"My essay on the first amendment," Jayce announced proudly and presented it to them. "Could you read it before I hand it to Mister Henley?" Jayce hoped his tutor would be pleased with the result.

"Sure." Warren took hold of the paper and scanned through it. "Looks well documented, Jayce. I'll read it this evening."

Remy smiled, seeing the way Jayce beamed with pride. Jayce seemed to feel at home here. "De principal from Saint Andrew's called. She wants to know whet'er y'll be back or not."

Jayce had learned one thing during this last half year and that was that Warren and Remy really wanted him here. "I want to stay here... at home." He knew it was the biggest compliment he could possibly give them.

Warren sensed Remy's pleasure as it flowed into his mind. "Jayce, do you want to take King out?" he said, trying to distract Remy and Jayce. "He needs some exercise." The white stallion and Garm had become best friends after the dog of Hell had tried to startle the horse. King had retaliated by threatening Garm to use his hind legs to kick the dog's ass. Garm had cleaned up his act after that.

"Cool!" Excited, Jayce started to take off, when he suddenly halted in his tracks, remembering how Warren and Remy had looked when they'd kissed. He'd seen them kiss before, had even caught them making out on the couch one night when he'd walked to the kitchen to get something to drink, but only now he realized that he didn't mind living with two men. The *gay thing* no longer bothered him.

"Somet'in' wrong, petit?"

"No, everything is just fine!" Jayce called out as he chased Garm to the stables.

Warren and Remy exchanged a glance. "He's a good kid," Warren said eventually, voicing Remy's thoughts as well. "I'm glad he stayed."

"And now y're stuck wit' some very interesting lecture," Remy said teasingly and pointed at Jayce's paper.

"Why don't we read it together? Snuggled up in bed?" Warren suggested and led his lover inside.

///

"I ain' nervous," Remy whispered in a stressed tone. "Dere's no reason to be nervous. We made love 'fore!" Remy paced the living room, waiting for Warren to join him. His lover had been gone all day, 'preparing for a special evening', as Warren had called it.

But he knew why he was this nervous. The last time that they'd tried to make love with Warren on top, Remy had sent his lover flying through the room. He'd panicked back then and his biggest fear was that he'd lose it again.

During these last 6 months Warren had never brought up the subject of making love that way. Remy had however, and Warren had assured his lover again and again that he was perfectly happy with their love life. The empath had sensed Warren's honesty, but still felt... lacking.

He'd told Warren that he wasn't doing this for his lover, but for himself. That was true. He no longer felt that he had to do this to prove to Warren that he really loved the other man, but... he missed this intimate aspect. He wanted to be able to feel Warren inside him, enjoy that sensation, just like his lover enjoyed being taken. The Antiquary had done his best to take away his ability to feel pleasure, lust and love and he was still trying to get it all back. It was a slow struggle, but he felt like he was winning.

Wringing his hands, he wished he knew what Warren had planned for this evening. His lover had only hinted that they'd be heading outside. "I ain' nervous," he repeated again.

Trying to find something that would soothe his nerves he walked over to the chimney. A few days ago, they'd placed a collection of personal photographs there. Lovingly, his eyes found Katherine's face. Next to it, they'd placed a picture of Scott and Corsair. Remy had talked them in to having their picture taken when they'd visited the ranch months ago. Then, his eyes drifted off to a photograph of Nicholas and Bobby, also taken here at the ranch. In the background he made out Garm. "I never realized we put up so many pictures," he whispered absentmindedly, as he stared at the photograph he'd taken with him from New Orleans, which showed Jean-Luc giving a young Remy a tight hug.

Last night they'd added a picture of Jayce, who'd posed proudly, with Garm resting at his feet. The dog of Hell had really taken to the boy. However, it was the last photo that made his heart miss a beat. Warren had folded his arms around him and they'd both laughed warmly when Jim had taken the picture. Yes, he was truly blessed.

"Hey, love," Warren stepped inside and immediately sensed Remy's tension. He'd expected it and didn't let it influence his plans for the night. He'd just take things slowly and see what would happen tonight. "These are for you."

Remy stared at the red roses that Warren pressed into his hands. Quickly, he curled his fingers around the stems, which didn't have any thorns. "Merci, ange, dey're beautiful."

"Are you ready to go?" Warren leaned in closer and gently brushed Remy's lips. The tremors that rocked his lover's body had grown less but where still there.

"Oui, where are we goin', cher?" Remy placed the roses on the coffee table, knowing that the maid would put them in a vase later. It would be a terribly sin to let them whither away. Warren took hold of his right hand and Remy followed him obediently outside. "Cher?"

"Get behind me, Rem. We're going flying." Warren waited for Remy to take his familiar position between the wings and then secured his lover's arms around his chest. His spread his wings and took to the sky, not too high, making sure that the sunbeams still warmed their bodies. "It's a beautiful evening, isn't it?"

"Oui, ange." Remy almost felt like he could touch the rare cloud that marred the perfectly blue sky. It would take the sun at least another hour to set and this was his favorite time of day. He loved watching the sun set... and rise again. "Where are we goin', cher?" His nervousness was almost gone now that he lay relaxed on Warren's back. It was also the first time that he noticed how perfectly his groin rested against his lover's buttocks.

"Eh, Rem? Growing aroused already?" Warren felt how Remy's erection began to poke his backside. Seductively, he wiggled beneath his lover, rubbing his butt against Remy's cock.

"Y're wicked, cher!" Remy chuckled, relieved that he was still able to joke with Warren, knowing what was going to happen tonight. Suddenly, he saw Jim, who was trying to hide behind a palm tree. "Cher? What's Jim doin' here?"

"He helped me prepare for tonight."

"Oh," Remy whispered in a small voice. "What preparations?"

"You'll find out in a sec." Warren changed their course and flew over some trees that had been blocking their view. "Over there."

Remy swallowed hard. "Mais, cher..." He held on tight as Warren landed on the warm sand. "Y' didn' have to do dis..." On the beach stood their dining table, filled with exquisite food, wine and burning candles. Speechless, Remy's eyes drifted to the blankets that had been placed on the sand. "Y' wanna make love here?"

"Yes," Warren confirmed, turning around and taking Remy's hand in his. He led his lover to the table and sat him down.

Feeling curious, Remy stared at the envelope on his plate. "What's dis, cher?" His eyes floated over the abundant food and only now he noticed that his glass was already filled with champagne.

Warren dipped a strawberry in Remy's champagne glass and whispered, "Open up, love." Slowly, he let the strawberry slide into his lover's mouth. Remy licked his lips and Warren groaned as his cock jumped to attention.

Warren's arousal slipped into Remy's mind and the Cajun felt deeply sympathetic. He'd been hard since their flight. "Want me to open it?" he asked Warren and fumbled with the envelope. He knew that his lover had placed it there for a reason.

"Yes, open it." Warren sipped from his champagne. Originally, he'd wanted to share this with his lover 6 months ago, but after the kidnapping he'd concentrated on Remy, making sure his lover made a full recovery and later on, Nicholas had stolen Remy away from him. Now that things had slowed down he figured it was time to tell Remy about the name change.

Remy opened the envelope and stared hard at the official looking documents inside. Two pieces of papers demanded his attention and he scanned the first one. "Power of attorney? Cher, why?"

"I trust you to take care of me should something bad happen." Warren watched Remy closely. "Maybe I should have discussed this with you before taking legal action, but... it felt right."

Remy looked at the second paper and his breath caught. "Cher? De last name...?"

"Remember when we got each other the Claddagh rings back in Ireland?" Remy nodded his head and Warren continued. "We joked about taking on each other's last name... Remy Worthington-LeBeau-Summers..."

"Or Warren Worthington-Summers-LeBeau," Remy replied, fighting the return of his nervousness.

"I chose Warren LeBeau. Plain and simple. On some official contracts it will be LeBeau-Worthington because my business partners like to know it's still me they're doing business with, but yeah, I took on your name."

Remy ran his fingertips over the paper. "Can' believe y' did dis... dat y' would take poppa's name... my name... give up y'r own." Remy wiped away the solitary tear that flowed down his cheek.

Briefly, Warren was terrified that he'd made a terrible mistake by not asking Remy's permission first, but then the empath sent him his feelings and Warren sighed relieved. Remy was happy, intensely happy. "Wanna swim naked?"

Remy looked at the food. They could eat this later. "Mais oui."

Both men got out of their clothes and ran into the waves. "Not fair!" Remy complained when Warren won the race. "Y're usin' y'r wings to beat me!"

"Let me make up for my cheating then!" Warren flung himself at Remy, pulled him beneath the water and tickled him.

"Merde!" Remy exclaimed when he surfaced again. "Y're a cheat, cher!" Totally relaxed they fooled around in the water, dragging the other beneath the surface and splashing around like kids. Twenty minutes later, they grinned at each other, panting slightly as they had chased each other through the water.

Warren wanted Remy to make the first move. His heart beat wildly as the Cajun reached for him, pulling him close. Their wet bodies moved against each other and their erections brushed.

"Out of de water, now!" Remy stated urgently and pulled Warren along. They dropped onto the blankets and kissed feverishly. "Oh, cher," Remy easily rolled Warren on top of him and he spread his legs invitingly. "Wanna make love wit' y'." He wanted Warren to touch him, to drive him insane. "Do we have lube?"

Warren chuckled. "Yes, we have." He uncovered the tube from beneath the blanket. Warren considered asking his lover whether Remy really wanted this to happen, but sensed the answer in the Cajun's mind. Remy would be seriously upset if Warren stopped now.

Running his hands gently over Remy's lean body, Warren took his time to make his lover moan with pleasure. Remy's slick cock poked into his abdomen. "Open the tube for me?" Warren was determined to let Remy guide their actions, should the Cajun need that control.

Remy's eyes mirrored uncertainty and Warren whispered, "What?" as he slowly, lazily stroked his lover's cock.

"Now what?"

Warren sat back on his knees and looked at the beautiful man beneath him. "Rub it on, plenty."

Remy took a deep breath and coated Warren's cock with a generous amount of lube. Warren then took over and put some lube on his fingertips. "I really want to be inside of you, Rem," he whispered seductively as one finger found Remy's entrance. "But just say stop and..." Warren gently massaged his lover's opening and once he felt Remy relax, his finger slid inside.

Remy buried his hands in the sand, relishing the weight of his lover on top of him. "Je t'aime," he whispered and raised his head to capture Warren's lips.

Warren quickly complied. His tongue nudged against Remy's teeth and his lover allowed him entry. Chasing Remy's tongue with his, he slipped in a second finger and began to stretch his lover. They'd gone this far before and Remy usually took his fingers easily... like now. But after that disastrous first time, Warren had never again tried to enter Remy fully. The Cajun squirmed beneath him and his fingertip located the sweet spot inside his lover's body. Rubbing it gently, Warren felt Remy buck hard.

Arching his hips, Remy sucked the tip of Warren's tongue hard. Remy looked into Warren's eyes, pleadingly. He was ready.

But Warren shook his head, added more lube and then returned with three fingers. Aiming for Remy's prostate, he thrust slowly. "Rem? Now?" Although he read the answer in Remy's eyes, Warren needed to hear the words.

"Yes, cher, inside... now..." Remy gasped as Warren's fingers left his body and he quickly threw his arms around his lover's neck, holding him in place. "Like dis," he stated confirmed.

"But it will be less painful when you're on your side, love," Warren said pleadingly and nibbled on his lover's earlobe.

"Non, need to see y'r face." It would keep his memories at bay. "Please?"

Warren gave in. "Wait..." he folded the blanket they weren't using right now. "Lift that incredibly cute ass of yours, love." Remy blushed. Warren couldn't believe it. Remy was blushing. Even after all this time, his lover was still getting used to receiving compliments! He placed the blanket beneath Remy's hips. It would take some strain of Remy's back and legs. He hoped that the angle was right to hit his lover's prostate once he was fully inside.

"Oui." Remy had hooked his arms behind Warren's neck again and pulled him close. This time he felt the head of Warren's cock against his slick entrance. "Take me, cher. Wanna be y'rs."

"You're already mine, Rem." Warren took hold of his erection and placed its tip against his lover's opening. "I love you, Remy," Warren whispered and pushed inside. The ring of muscle gave in and Warren moaned. Placing his hands next to Remy's shoulders, he gave his lover time to get used to the invasive feeling.

Remy only tentatively let go of the breath he'd been holding and noticed that he was solely focused on Warren. The bad memories left him alone. The fear and nervousness had left too. "Oh, cher..."

Taking Remy's moan as a sign to proceed, Warren pushed in deeper. Suddenly, he slid into the hilt and stunned he realized that he was completely buried inside Remy's passage, which was incredibly tight. But he'd waited too long for this moment to let his urges lead him and he maintained eye contact with Remy the entire time.

Remy tried not to breathe too deeply. Feeling Warren inside was a divine experience and he couldn't believe how good it felt to be one with his lover. He'd never imagined it would... could feel like this.

"Remy?" Warren needed to know that his lover was fine. Holding perfectly still, he tried not to thrust.

"I'm bien, cher... just can' believe dat I didn' t'row y' off." Wrapping his legs around Warren's waist, he tried to thrust up. "Y' can move, ange. I won't break."

Slowly, tenderly, Warren moved inside his lover. Suddenly Remy's muscle clenched him and Warren sought his lover's eyes. "Did you do that on purpose?"

"Oui," Remy replied impishly. "Want me to do it 'gain?"

"No," Warren moaned. "Or do you want me to come right now?" Warren established a gentle rhythm, careful not to thrust too deeply or wildly. He wanted this to be special. Remy quivered beneath him as the head of his cock brushed his lover's prostate.

Remy threw back his head and buried his fingernails in Warren's back. Thrusting back, he met his lover passionately.

Warren groaned. He didn't want to come yet, wanted this pleasure to last forever. Leaning in closer he licked Remy's ear. "I promised you that we would one day make love in the sky... do you remember that?" Spreading his wings, he tightly hooked his arms behind Remy's back.

Remy was too wrapped up in rapture to object. "Mais oui, cher..." He heard the beating of Warren's wings and held on tight. Warren continued to thrust, to rub against his prostate and he knew that he wouldn't last much longer. Suddenly, the soft fabric of the blankets was gone and a gentle breeze brushed against his back. "Cher?" Only now he realized that Warren had taken to the sky. "Ange," he whispered, taken aback. He groaned deeply in his throat as Warren's determined thrusts sent him over the edge.

Warren shared Remy's climax and bit his lower lip. "Oh Rem..." Feeling his lover's ecstasy and the quavering body against him, he reached orgasm as well. It rode along on the last remnants of Remy's pleasure.

Remy buried his face in Warren's golden locks and licked the sweaty skin, eager to taste his lover. "We made love, cher... we made love... and y're still inside me."

Warren pressed his lover close to his chest and his sated sex slipped out of Remy's body. His wings trembled as he returned to the beach, setting Remy gently down on the blanket. They stared at each other, taking in each line of the other's face, inhaling their scents and relishing the echoes of passion in their minds.

They lay down and Warren wrapped the blankets around their cooling bodies. "Wanna stay here to watch the sun rise?" Remy was in his arms, snuggled up to him and Warren had absolutely no desire to move.

"Oui, stay," Remy whispered and closed his eyes. "Felt good to be a part of y'."

"Yeah, it felt... beyond words." Tightly curled up around each other they watched the sun set completely and then counted the stars. Sated, they fell asleep.

The end.