Hiya and thank you for choosing to read my story of how Jean-Luc offered to adopt Gambit, well he's Remy here cause he's not Gambit yet. The idea came to me when I was showing my friend some of my old comics (I've recently converted her to comics) and I was looking at some of them and i couldn't help but think about what a firework Gambit wa kid, it was Nicieza Gambit comics if that explains anything! He seemed to already be a charmer and so i wanted to get my shot in t portraying him as such. I hope everyone likes t! Please enjoy! Thank you! :)

Ten year old Remy sat in a big arm chair kicking his feet slowly. Across from him sat the man who's pocket he had just been caught picking. He sank back in the chair, which was all too easy, given his small size and decided on weather or not he would meet the man's gaze. He had two options. He could refuse to look at the man or he could meet him full on and glare at him. Right now, he was staring at his feet. He looked up, deciding on the second option. He stared fixedly back at the man who met his gaze with a slight smile. Remy swallowed. He hadn't meant to pick the pocket of the leader of the New Orleans thieves guild. If he had known he wouldn't have dared. Or would he have? He had to think on that one.

The man sat across from him, waiting for the boy to speak. His eyes were full of curiosity. Not unkind just curious. He looked at the little boy as though he had just found the most interesting marvel in the world. It was hard not to smile. Yet he managed not to. Only the corner of his mouth curled upwards. The boy glared back, waiting for the man to speak.

"So, I hear your name is Remy." He said. "Do you know mine?"

Remy didn't bother to ask how the man knew his name. He was the leader of the Thieves Guild. He would know everyone's name. He nodded. Of coarse he knew the man's name. Jean-Luc Lebeau. "I know your name." He said. "Monsieur Lebeau."

Jean-Luc was more than please that the boy spoke so strongly. "Exactly. Do you know who I am?"

"Oui. De leader of de T'ieves Guild." His curious eyes were wide. Waiting.

Jean-Luc smiled. "Very good." He motioned for a man in the corner to come closer. "Jacques, will you get us some lemonade?"

The man grimaced, he was a thief, not a butler. "Oui, Monsieur."

"And maybe some sandwiches. Remy, would you prefer pink or yellow lemonade?"

The boy looked both surprised and delighted to be asked his opinion. He thought for a minute. Perhaps he would be judged by his choice. But then he thought that that was ridiculous because there was nothing you could learn from lemonade choice. "Pink, I t'ink." He went for the sweeter option.

Jean-Luc smiled. "Yellow for me."

Remy watched the man, Jacques leave before returning his attention to the well dressed man before him. "What you be wanting from me, monsieur?"

Jean-Luc took note of his straight to the point tone of voice. "How old are you now, Nine, ten?"

"Ten."

"Well, ten is a very good age. Tell me, do you like working with monsieur Fagin?"

Remy shrugged, nervous. "Does okay. Dere are worse." He tried to come across as though he didn't care. He had sneaked in to see a movie one time and he had thoroughly admired the main character's brazen, standoffish manner. The way no matter what was going on the hero was unfazed. He wanted to come across as that. He tried to lean back in his seat and look at ease. "Why?"

Jean-Luc chuckled. The boy answered his question with a question. "Well, I was curious. I know Fagin well but I wanted to hear from you."

"You want me to inform on him?" Remy asked curiously, both taken aback and delighted with the idea. He was sure if Fagin ever found out he would be punished but the idea of selling him out was delicious.

"Not exactly but as you mentioned it, is there anything I should know?"

Remy thought for a minute. A man of monsieur Lebeau's status would not be interested in the welfare status of children so he tried to think of what a man of his baring would care about. "Oh!" He said, an idea coming to him. He leaned forward as though he was discussing very important business. "Well, sometime he pawns off some o' de jewelry we brings back and don't turn in de money to you."

Jean-Luc rubbed his chin, more amused at the boy's seriousness than anything else, he was not worried about Fagin holding out, he knew of it but wasn't that concerned. "Does he now? Dat's very interesting."

"You won' tell him you heared it from me, will you?" The boy asked.

"No, don't worry about that." Jean-Luc leaned forward. "You know, you are very talented. You almost got away with my wallet."

A flicker of pride and then worry crossed the boy's face. "I didn't know it was you, sir." He mumbled.

"You didn't?"

Remy kicked his dirty sneakers together. "Not at first."

Jean-Luc smiled. The kid had guts. He rubbed his lower lip, admiring the way the boy played with words. "And what did you do when you realized it was me?"

Remy didn't meet his eyes yet he had a defiance in his posture that said he was more sorry he got caught than anything else. "Try to run."

Jan-Luc laughed.

Jacques came back in with the drinks and sandwiches. He set them down on the small table between them, giving the boy a curious look.

The boy gave him one of contempt, mocking how he believed rich people acted and trying to seem as though he belonged in Jean-Lucs elegant library. The man tried not to laugh. A dirty pickpocket was not intimidating.

Jean-Luc's eyes sparkled. He took a sandwich and bit into it, chewing slowly and waiting for the boy to take one for himself. When he did not he nodded, prompting the child to eat. "Go ahead, there's plenty of food."

Remy eyed the sandwiches before snatching one up and cramming part of it his mouth. "This is good, monsieur." He said, reaching for another.

Jean-Luc raised an eyebrow as the boy ate another and choked. "Do you want to slow down?" He asked. "You'll choke and I don't need you vomiting all over my library."

Remy slowed down, annoyed that he had been called on his sloppy eating. He cleared his throat and sipped his lemonade in an attempt to prove he was not completely uncultured.

"So, Fagin tells me that you're one of his best."

The boy smirked. "'Coarse I am." He stuffed another bite into his mouth and sat stiffly, as though he wanted someone to try and tell him he shouldn't be there. To dare and tell him he wasn't the best.

Jean-Luc fished in his pocket and handed over the boy's sunglasses. "I believe you dropped dese."

Remy took them back but didn't put them on. He was waiting for the man to say something about his eyes. Jean-Luc did not and so he tucked the sunglasses into the collar of his t-shirt. "Why you bring me here?" He asked again.

"To talk."

"We been talking. What more you want?"

"Well, I'd like to finish my lunch, for one." He spoke pointedly, telling the boy not to ask anymore questions. "So, what exactly have you been doing? Fagin's turned in some jewelry he said you brought in. I'm sure you didn't pickpocket this." He fished out a necklace and held it up with one finger.

Remy paused, unsure of weather he would be congratulated or punished for procuring such an item. "Shop had lousy security." He shrugged. "I didn't get enough money dat day and had to make up fo' it. Didn' want Fagin mad at me."

Jean-Luc smiled. He was not mad. In fact he was impressed. He had looked into where the necklace came from and knew it was a pretty piece of work he boy had done. "Was that the reason?"

"And my friend Jean bet I couldn't do it."

Again, Jean-Luc had trouble keeping from smiling. "If I hadn't had to give it Fagin I woulda give it to my girl."

At this point he had to crack a smile. "You have a girl?"

"Yeah." Remy looked proud, again daring the man to question him. Jean-Luc wondered just how brazen the boy really was.

He shook his head. "You're a different boy."

Remy wondered if it was a stab at his eyes and instantly became suspicious. "What that mean?"

"Nothing bad, I assure you."

Jean-Luc settled back, well aware that his own relaxed posture was much more intimidating than that of the young boy in front of him. The boy looked like he was trying to imitate Michael Corleone. He stroked his chin. Waiting for the boy to say something.

Remy privately admired that the man's casual posture positively screamed command. He unconsciously tried to mimic it. He folded his hands across his stomach, his elbows only just resting on the arms of the chair. He chewed the inside of his cheek. He could feel Jacques in the corner watching him but resisted the impulse to turn around and glare at him.

"Why don't you tell your homme over dere to quite staring." He said, coming off more arrogant sounding than he'd intended.

Jean-Luc waved Jacques off. "Dat better?"

Now that they were alone, Remy's guard shot up. "I dunno." He said defensively.

Jean-Luc leaned forward. "Would you be at all offended if I asked to look at your eyes." Truth be told, he was very curious.

Remy paused. He didn't dare let some stranger touch him and he was uncomfortable with someone examining his eyes yet that stranger and that someone was the New Orleans Thieves Guild leader. Denying him could lead to a terrible cost. Slowly he leaned forward.

Jean-Luc reached towards his small face and brought him closer. He was gentle and did not wish to harm the boy or scare him. He studied the red and black eyes intently. Many people spoke of the devil and of his demon's eyes yet he could see nothing demonic. Or if he did, his curiosity simply over powered it.

Remy stayed still, afraid to make the wrong move. It felt odd having someone hold his face so gently. When Jean-Luc had grabbed him by his hair only hours before he had not been gentle but now Remy felt no malice. He was a little frightened that there was no flicker of fear or of other in the man's eyes. He didn't know how to deal with that. He held still a moment longer before being released. "What that about, monsieur?" He asked.

"I was curious."

Remy had the sudden urge to put on his sunglasses. "'Bout what?"

"It's not everyday I see someone with eyes like yours."

The boy shifted defensively. "You ain't gonna. They unique."

Jean-Luc smiled. "And what's 'unique' mean?"

The boy paused. Truth be told, he didn't know. Belladonna had used the word and he had liked it. He shrugged, not wanting to give the wrong definition and be made a fool.

Jean-Luc chuckled. "It means special, one of a kind"

"Oh."

"You know, some people talk about the devil." Jean-Luc siad, wanting to see the boy's reaction.

Remy shifted again, figiting nervously. "Don' know nothin' 'bout dat." He hoped the man would change the subject.

Fortunately, them man did.

"Remy, I have a proposition for you." The boy looked up. "I have an avid interest in developing your skills further." Remy's brows came together. "What would you say to being my adopted son?"

The boy's mouth fell open. "Dis some kinda joke, monsieur?"

"I assure you it is not."

Remy looked doubtful.

"I mean it. That's why I brought you back here."

"You mean it wadn't because I tried to steal from you? I t'ought you was gonna punish me!"

No, nothing like that. Actually, I was impressed."

"Impressed?" Remy could not believe what he was hearing. He sat dumbfounded and for the first time he felt self-conscious. He felt like a dirty little boy in a room ten times too nice for him. He felt horribly out of place and the very idea that he could become part of this man's world and not some street brat was too large to grasp. His mind did the only thing it could do. It doubted. He narrowed his eyes and waited for the other shoe to drop.

Jean-Luc waited to hear a response. When nothing came and the boy's face soured he was actually relieved. Had the child jumped at the chance he might have been disappointed and written him off as needy and pathetic but as it was, the boy was showing remarkable judgment. He didn't trust strangers. "I would remove you from Fagin's care and you would live in this house." He paused, trying to make the offer sound more appealing. He had the feeling that regardless of what he said, he would win the boy over in the end. "You see, Fagin's rules don't apply here. You get dinner despite how much money you bring in and you get good food. I doubt what Fagin serves is very appetizing at all."

Remy nodded, deep in thought. He was weighing his options. In the back of his mind he was wondering why he was being offered a choice at all. If Monsieur Lebeau was so powerful then he shouldn't have to ask for things. He thought about leaving his friends but found he wasn't that concerned and he thought he could see them whenever he wanted. The food sounded good and so did the idea of living in such a nice house. He looked around the library. It didn't interest him much. He couldn't read. There had been one girl in Fagin's gang who could but she hadn't taught for free and he had always thought he had better things to spend his earnings on. He liked the idea of sleeping indoors every night and maybe he could talk his way into new clothes. And the thought came to him, that if he could clean himself up and claim he came from money, people couldn't look down on him and especially, if he could say a man as powerful as Jean-Luc was his father, real or not, no one would dare make comments about his eyes. To his child brain, it was a very good offer. He had a lot to benefit, though he still wondered what Jean-Luc could possibly gain. He had already written him off as not being one of those types of men. He pegged him for the type who didn't beat around the bush and if he was one of those types of men he'd have taken what he wanted already. "Yes," He thought. "I 'll take it. I can't do any better."He licked his lips and made eye contact. Jean-Luc didn't flinch away from his eyes and that more than anything made him feel like he could trust the man.

He leaned forward and stuck out his hand, very business like. "You got yourself a deal, Monsieur. I be your son if you want"

Amused, Jean-Luc shook it. "I'm pleased we've reached this agreement."

Remy was perfectly well aware that he was being teased but he he didn't mind. It was kind teasing. He decided that at least for the time being, he liked Jean-Luc.

They stood up and he felt very big. He'd made a deal with the head of the New Orleans Thieves Guild. Jean-Luc put a hand on the back of his head and guided him towards the door. "Come, we have to make up some id for you."

Rem looked up at him curiously. "You mean like dem drivers licensed I find in wallets? I just throw dose out."

"Well, not exactly but close."

"It's okay, monsieur, I don' need one. I drive all de time and I don' got no license."

Jean-Luc paused, almost afraid to ask about him driving. "Well, then we won't get you one of those."

Remy smiled, proud of himself. He followed Jean-Luc into his study and set about creating a whole new life for himself.

Thank you all for reading! I'm thinking of writing a second chapter of how he finishes out his day here and how he meets Tante Mattie and Henri and how he settles in for the night. If anyone wants me to do that, all ya have to do is tell me. I may do it anyway but it always helps to tell me. Thank you very much, I hope you all enjoyed.