Disclaimer:I don't own X-Men:Evolution, just myself (Called Molly Callum in 'fics.)
and any original characters/background characters that might pop up from time to time.
AN: A little sexy part in this first chapter, but that's all. It gets a little grusome near the end too, but nothing horrible. Also, I've been trying to make Remy more "in-character", because I know sometimes he comes across as a bit OOC as Seruleyan-Wings pointed out to me. I don't know how well it comes across in this story, but in upcoming fanfics it comes through much better, I believe. Enjoy!
Things weren't going too well for Remy during the week. First he had to fix the engine on his car, then he found out Bobby had turned one his favorite shirts into nothing more then confetti with a prank gone badly. After that it was everything from getting the wrong order at Taco Hut to running out of ink in the pen while paying bills.
This morning though, all that was simple and inconsequential to what was happening presently. Molly had gotten knocked unconscious by a new kid Magneto had found. A very strong telepath that could do all kinds of things, including locking people inside their own minds in the astral plane. All this meant Molly wasn't going to just wake up on her own like the other thousand times she'd been unconscious. Jean was going to have to work hard to bring Molly back. They needed Molly for a recon mission to see what Magneto was up to. Word on the street was that he was planning to form an alliance with someone, but the X-Men didn't know who.
"It's going to be okay," Remy squeezed Molly's hand as he sat next to her in the infirmary, not sure if he was talking to comfort her or to comfort himself. He walked into the next room where Hank was outfitting Jean with wires and heart monitors to check her health as she prepared to make the trip inside Molly's mind. "I want to go with you. Please," Remy said, firm and unwavering.
Jean considered it for a moment. "I suppose you could, but you have to stay with me and don't make a mess of things."
"How could I make a mess of things? We're going to be on the astral plane, it's not even real," Remy said as he sat on the opposite bed, handling the wires with all the little sticky patches at the ends.
"It isn't real, but for what it's worth, we're going to be in a projection of Molly's mind. Something we can see, hear and touch, so we don't want to meddle where we aren't wanted," Jean explained, then laying back onto the bed and closing her eyes.
"I'll try to be very careful then," Remy lay back, relaxing. Before he knew it, he was unconscious, and the next second he was apparently standing next to Jean in a dark place. There was enough light to see around, but around them everything was black. As Remy glanced at the ground there was a reddish-pink fog surrounding their ankles.
"This is _it_?" Remy said incredulously as looked around feeling confused.
"It's just the beginning. Anyone's mind is a big place, like a maze," Jean said, "Just stay with me."
They walked forward and came to a wooden door that Remy was positive hadn't been there seconds before.
Jean opened it and pleasant smells assaulted Remy's nose. Things like fresh bread, cherry ice cream and laundry detergent.
When they walked inside, there were doors to the left and right of them with labels engraved in silver plating that said things like 'MEMORIES' or 'RANDOM THOUGHTS'. The doors were all plain brown wooden mundane doors, but what was inside them wasn't at all average or ordinary. The size was a little bigger then your average hallway,
seemingly going only straight.
"What are we supposed to do?" Remy asked, looking at the doors with intense curiosity even though Jean had told him not to go messing about. He shoved his hands into his pockets, but it didn't stop the urge of wanting to grab a doorknob and fling it open just to see what was inside. It was the perfect opportunity to see how Molly's mind worked and just what was knocking around in her head. Anyone would be curious, it was only human nature.
"We'll just walk until we find Molly. I can't sense her inside her own head. I can't sense you either in here since we're not actually here, so that's why you have to stay with me. If you don't, your consciousness is going to get lost in here," Jean said.
"Well you could have told me that earlier," Remy's eyes widened, aggravated at Jean already.
"I didn't want to upset you," Jean started walking, her footsteps the only sound in the place.
"I was already upset," Remy griped, following behind her.
The two of them walked in silence for a long time. Remy kept looking around at doors. There were _so_ many.
Rational and irrational fears, phobias, nervous ticks, bad habits, good habits, worries. Plus things like mental perception, body image and self-esteem. Concepts and feelings all clearly labeled, but more importantly, this was all one hundred percent Molly. All her thoughts, everything she was.
Maybe Jean had been right, Remy didn't have any right to meddle and he could mess something up.
Perhaps make Molly forget something important or make something worse.
...Or maybe make something better.
"So Jean," Remy said casually, "How does all this work? I mean, could I go inside a door and change a memory or erase some weird phobia that Molly has?"
"You can't _change_ memories. They're ingrained, like computer hardware. They are easily erasable if you're a good enough telepath. Phobias and things might be changeable, I'm not sure. The Professor and I never got that far in my training with the astral plane and how the brain works," Jean said.
While Jean was talking, Remy decided to sneak a peak into the room marked Self-esteem. He only wanted to look, not change anything (though in his opinion, it couldn't hurt to give Molly a confidence boost).
Inside everything was like a little control room. Each "tv" screen was black with a message in white letters. Things like "Not pretty enough", "Too fat", "Eats too much", and "Lazy" were on large screens. On much smaller ones were things like "Good artist", "kind", Good person" and "helpful". It didn't take a genius to figure out that the stronger, more dominant messages were the bigger ones, and the ones that were weaker we're smaller. It pained Remy to see Molly's mental image in such concrete, tangible form. He knew she had problems with how she thought of herself and how she saw herself, but he didn't realize how deep they ran. How serious they were.
"Remy!" Jean looked a perfect combination of angry and disappointed as she stood in the doorway with her hands on her hips and an intense, almost frightening glare.
"I didn't touch anything, I was just looking," Remy held up his hands like an innocent man caught in the middle of a bank robbery who had a weapon at his feet.
"I don't care. I told you that you need to stay with me and that it's important not to go poking around inside Molly's head!" Jean snapped.
"All right. Sorry," Remy said. He lead the way out of the room and Jean shut the door behind them.
"Um, so, do you think she could be in one of these rooms?" Remy asked.
"I don't think so. It would be too obvious," Jean observed, "She's probably somewhere else."
Remy didn't know what that meant since there were doors as far as the eye could see, but he went with it.
There was a sudden left corner, signaling they were going deeper into Molly's mind. As they kept walking Jean started talking amidst all the silence. "What have you been up to lately?"
"The usual," Remy answered, "There really isn't anything new going on. You?"
"I received a B plus in my therapy course. Oh, I found out that my sister and her boyfriend are starting to get serious," Jean smiled.
"Um, good," Remy said, "We really haven't gotten to talk much lately with everything going on, have we?"
"No we haven't," Jean said. Remy considered the two of them friends. Not really close, but friends all the same.
"You know I used to have a little thing for you back in the day," Remy blurted out. What on earth made him say that?
"You did make it pretty obvious," Jean smiled, winking at him in a friendly manner.
"Always wondered why you were with Scott at first, but the more I got to know everyone, the more I could see how the two of you complimented each other in every way," Remy said.
"And what about you?" Jean asked, "Do you think that you and Molly compliment each other in every way?"
"Is this a therapy question?" Remy raised an eyebrow.
"It's just a genuine question. Your relationship is kind of funny. Different from everyone elses.
Scott and I were friends before we dated. Kurt and Amanda barely knew each other. Lance and Kitty were rivals. You two seemed to hit it off from day one," Jean mused.
"Well it wasn't as easy as you make it sound," Remy said, "Which reminds me, if the situation is so dire why are we walking?"
"We don't know where were headed and we can't exert ourselves on the astral plane. The more mental energy we expend, the longer it will take because we'll just wear out and have to start the process over again because I'm not strong enough to be on the astral plane for more then a couple hours at a time. Since we're taking it slow that helps me," Jean said.
"Okay, I understand," Remy put a sympathetic hand on her shoulder. That said, Remy realized that he needed to buckle down and not peek into every room he came across. Molly needed him and now was no time to goof off.
"So should we listen for her or just keep our eyes peeled?" Remy wondered.
"A bit of both," Jean said.
"Anyway, Molly and I do compliment each other I guess. We...we find strength in each other. I know it sounds corny, but it's true.
She can count on me for support and I can always count on her to be there for me. And we're good at giving kicks in the pants when the other needs it," Remy laughed, thinking of the past few weeks as either he or Molly was depressed and the other had to work to get each other out of it. Neither would take no for an answer, so it was funny how determined they could both be.
"I know she's happy to have you," Jean said. The pair became quiet again.
They kept walking. "So you're not the least bit curious as to what's going on in Molly's head? You don't want to take a little peek in one of these rooms?" Remy smirked.
"I'm curious, but not nearly as much as you are," Jean smirked back.
They looked around. Remy spotted a door marked fantasies. He couldn't resist smiling. He told Jean he would behave, but since when did he ever do half of what he said? He quietly walked over to the door and opened it silently, the only way an ex-theif knew how.
The room was decked out in passionate red. Maroon carpet, silky red sheets on the bed and red walls.
There were only two occupants in the bed. Kissing. Kissing passionately. Remy watched 'his' hands slide up 'Mollys' bare stomach. His fantasy Doppelganger was only wearing black boxer shorts and Mollys fantasy self was wearing a white top, and a matching skirt with her belly exposed. Remy found himself practically drooling.
"I'll always love you and no one else," Fantasy Remy said, "You make me feel so strong and manly."
"Mmm...Remy...Remy...I wanna...mmmmm Remyyyy..." Fantasy Molly said. Remy had a big smile on his face. He always knew that Molly had these kinds of thoughts about him. It struck him as quite amusing. Of course, that didn't mean this wasn't fun to watch. It was _very_ fun.
"Remy!" Jean was furious this time.
"Shh," Remy kept watching the fantasy unfold, "It's just getting to the good part."
That earned him a smack upside the head. "OW!" Remy said, "What? I couldn't help myself."
"You never can. Now let's go," Jean ordered.
"Fine," Remy grumbled, reluctantly leaving the door and all it contained.
