Gambit yawned as he walked down the hall of the Acolytes' home. It was late at night and the others were asleep. The quiet snores of Piotr reached the Cajun's ears as he walked past the Russian's room to which the door was open, Gambit smiled softly at that. The quiet mumbles of St. John as he talked in his sleep also reached the Cajun's ears as he walked past the Australian's room, to which the door was also open. As he walked past Pietro's room, however, he stopped and frowned. Pietro, the youngest Acolyte and also previous member of the Brotherhood of Mutants, was talking in his native tongue, Romanian. Although Gambit, a Cajun who spoke French and English, couldn't understand what the words meant, he understood that the speed demon was having a nightmare. That was universal. With a frown, Gambit opened the door to the speedster's room, the only bedroom besides his own that had its door closed. Gambit figured that living with the four other teenagers in the Brotherhood, Pietro had kept his door closed to avoid unwanted company and to stop the teens from getting into his room and disturbing the place. Pietro was tossing and turning on the bed and his face was contorted into a look of fear. Gambit walked over to the Romanian gypsy and gently shook him awake.
"Mon ami, you were having a nightmare." Gambit said to the shaking boy.
"Oh… Thanks for waking me up…" Pietro mumbled. "I… I wasn't screaming, was I?"
"Non, I just happened to be up and by your room when I heard you talking, not screaming." Gambit shook his head. Pietro sighed in relief. "Do you want to talk about it?" Gambit said quietly.
"The gypsies found me and Wanda… And they killed everyone except me…" Pietro whispered as he scooted closer to Gambit who had sat on the bed. The teen started to cry and Gambit felt sorry for him. He knew about Pietro's past as a gypsy and knew the circumstances behind his leaving. Needless to say, the gypsies were not pleased. Gambit remembered a song that his mother sang to him when he had a nightmare and cried. Gambit gently put his arms around the crying gypsy and started to quietly sing.
"Baby mine, don't you cry. Baby mine, dry your eyes." Gambit noticed that Pietro had curled up in his arms and had buried his face into his chest. "Rest your head close to my heart, never to part, baby of mine." Gambit started to gently rock the white haired boy. "Little one when you play, don't you mind what they say. Let those eyes sparkle and shine, never a tear, baby of mine. If they knew sweet little you, they'd end up loving you too." Gambit noticed that Pietro had nearly stopped crying. "All those same people who scold you, what they'd give for the chance to hold you." Gambit smiled at Pietro. "From your head to your toes, you're so sweet, goodness knows. You are so precious to me, cute as can be, baby of mine."
"You have a really nice singing voice… Where'd you learn that song?" Pietro sniffed.
"Thank you. My mother used to sing it to me when I had a nightmare before she passed from lung cancer." Gambit said.
"I'm sorry to hear that…" Pietro said quietly. "Do you know another?"
"Oui," Gambit nodded. "Do you wish for me to sing it?" Pietro nodded. Gambit started to sing. "Goodnight my angel, time to close your eyes and save these questions for another day. I think I know what you've been asking me. I think you know what I've been trying to say." Pietro quietly yawned and Gambit smiled as he gently rocked the teen. "I promise I would never leave you and you should always know, I never will be far away. Goodnight my angel, now it's time to sleep and still so many things I want to say." Pietro's eyes started to droop. "Remember all the songs you sang for me when we went sailing on an emerald bay. And like a boat out on the ocean, I'm rocking you to sleep." Pietro's had completely closed now and Gambit knew that sleep was not far away. "The water is dark and deep inside this mother's heart. You'll be a part of me. Goodnight my angel, now it's time to dream. And dream how wonderful your life will be." Pietro's breathing had evened out and Gambit knew he was just barely awake. "Some day a child may cry and if you sing this lullaby, then in your heart there will always be a part of me." Pietro had fallen asleep and Gambit just smiled at the boy. "Goodnight, Pietro." He whispered as he laid them both down. He wondered if anyone had sung Pietro to sleep in the Brotherhood, comforted him after a nightmare, or just showed that they cared enough to wake him up during a nightmare because they were worried about him. Mystique, Gambit didn't think, was the type to do that, Toad, there was no way he would do that, Blob, maybe but Gambit highly doubted that, Wanda probably did that once upon time but not anymore, and Avalanche… No, Gambit thought, he and Pietro didn't get along well and he had not shown a shred of caring towards Pietro, to the other members and his girlfriend Shadowcat, but not to the white haired gypsy. Gambit wondered if anyone, save his sister and Mystique, knew about the past of the speed demon. Gambit didn't think so, since it took the Acolytes a few months of getting to know the gypsy and convincing him that they could be trusted. Gambit fell asleep shortly after these thoughts crossed his mind, holding onto who he considered his petit frère, his baby brother.