Title: Family Ties That Bind

Author: Monica

Synopsis:

Remy and Scott, sons of Nathanial Essex, are sent to the Xavier Institute to learn to hone their powers. They meet sister's Marie and Jean, who are running from dear old dad. Not sure exactly what happens. Not sure if there's going to be romance, or just good ole action. Tell me what you want. I aim to please.

Disclaimers: All recognizable characters belong to Marval. I'm not making a dime.

Special note: This was inspired from one of kethry or eoen's stories. I think it is called Essex Boys. Find it at yathink.tvheaven.com

Jean watched as Scott pulled the nightshirt off of Kitty and picked her up in his arms. He murmured something comforting as he wiped the tears from her eyes. The four-year old wrapped her skinny arms around his neck and stuck her thumb in her mouth. Scott tossed the grape juice stained shirt to Remy and started up the stairs to Kitty's room. Nobody else in the room seemed to care that Scott was taking Kitty instead of one of the dining monitors.
Remy was wiping the mess from the table. Jean stood up to help as he juggled the shirt and plates.
"T'anks," Remy said as he breezed past her to the laundry room. Jean wandered over to him and leaned against the washer. "Can I help y'?"
"What's the deal with Kitty? She's not your sister, right?" She absently tucked a strand of her fiery red behind her ear as she watched Remy throw the little girl's shirt in with a bunch of clothes.
"Non. So?" His red on black eyes looked up at her curiously.
"So why is Scott playing babysitter?"
He shrugged. Remy turned away so she wouldn't see the irritation as it crossed his face.
"I mean, it seems to me that someone like Scott would have better things to do."
Remy frowned at her. The girl and her sister had only been at the Institute for a couple of weeks, but it seemed that she was always hanging around. He had a feeling that this one would mess up all of their plans. He smiled and said, "Why don' y' mind y'r own business, Jeannie?" He let the washer lid fall and strode towards the door.
She watched him leave, a speculative look on her face as he turned the light off on her. Why couldn't people be what you expected them to be?

Scott let Kitty pick a shirt from his drawer to wear for bed since her other nightdress was also in the wash. He sat on the edge of the bed as she made a mess of his dresser.
"Scottie, don't you have a pretty pink shirt?" Kitty asked, obviously disguntled that she couldn't anything appropriate.
"Uh, I hope not, sweetie." Remy swept into the room, a scowl on his face. He was muttering under his breath in French.
"Remy, I need a shirt," Kitty announced in a sing-song voice.
"A pretty pink one," Scott thought to add.
"Hmm, petite, let's see what we have here." Kitty had her arms crossed and was watching Remy skeptically. Remy went through his drawers until he found a red dress shirt shot through with silver and gold thread. "How 'bout t'is one?"
Kitty cocked her head to the side and studied it carefully. "Okay, that's pretty." She stood still as Remy buttoned it all the way up and folded the sleeves up.
"Ready for bed?" Scott steeled himself against the pout and tears that were surely on the way. Kitty's lower lip quivered as she worked herself up to full blown tantrum. Here we go again, he thought as Remy quietly let himself out of the room. That one could never stand firm in the face of pouting lips, the brat.

Marie was sitting at the vanity, staring at her reflection intently. When Jean walked into the room, Marie had her nose about an inch from the glass.
"What on earth are you doing?" Jean asked her sister, shaking her head.
"Do I look like a whore to you?"
"What? Of course not. Where did you hear something as stupid as that?" asked Jean, bristling with indignation on her sister's behalf. These fucking rich kids, thinking that they're better than everyone else.
"Well, nobody actually said that, but I heard Jubilee telling Betsy that Remy is only interested in easy girls, but I caught him, you know, looking at me like that, and so then I wondered if I looked like I'd be easy." Amazingly enough, Marie managed to say this all in one breath. She looked up at Jean, worry etched in her face.
"Oh for the love. Marie, you're an attractive girl. A lot of boys are going to look at you." Jean rolled her eyes even as she thought, Plus, with your power, any boy trying to get to first base will be sorry pretty damn fast. But of course she won't say this to Marie.
"Oh. Well, do you think he likes me?" Marie couldn't quite keep the hope out of her voice. Fifteen years old and never been kissed. And unless Professor Xavier could help her, prospects didn't look any better.
Jean stood over her shoulder and gazed at their reflections in the mirror. Her bright red hair hung in waves down her back while Marie's chestnut curls ended just below her shoulders. Their faces differed slightly in shape, with Marie's slightly rounder. But their eyes, both glowing emerald green, made their relation undeniable. Marie's impatient twist in her seat broke Jean from her line of thought.
"Of course he likes you, but Marie, he barely knows you. And you barely know him." The warning was implied and Marie sighed. She knew she had to be careful, but it had been so long since someone looked at her like that.
*But you do remember what came from that, don't you.*
*Yes, Jean.* Marie sighed and stared at the mirror again, her green eyes raging.

Scott stared at the letter in his hand, fear racing across his face. Remy was watching him carefully and closed his eyes when Scott got to the end. The handwriting on the envelope was enough to make him dread the contents.
"When?" was all Remy asked as Scott slowly folded the paper and replaced it into the envelope. Remy had to sit down, and the kitchen floor was as good a place as any.
"Two weeks. He only wants you. He's sending Victor down to the school to pick you up." Remy turned a shade paler with this information. Scott felt guilty that he was glad that he wouldn't have to go home. He gave Remy a hand up and dragged him to their room.
"Why can't he leave us alone? I thought the whole point of sending us to Xavier's was so that he wouldn't have to deal with the trials of training teens," Remy pouted. He buried his head under his pillow, groaning.
Scott was worried. Their father had never pulled them away from school before. His letter said that he needed Remy for a week. And why only him? The idea made Scott very, very nervous.

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Remy stretched his arms as he began to wake up and they hit a soft, solid mound under his covers.
"Wha-?" He lifted the blanket and found Kitty curled in a ball, thumb in mouth, and quite content. He looked across the room and saw Scott laying face down on top of his blankets. Finally, he glanced at the clock and saw that it was three in the morning. He quietly got up and stared down at Kitty, trying to decide whether to try and move her back across the hall. In the end, he just tucked the blankets in around her and silently left the room.
The mansion was freezing at night. Remy wished he would have pulled on a shirt as he made his way down the stairs. There was a light on in the kitchen and Remy perked up. He didn't feel like being alone.
"What are y' lookin' for?" He stood against the counter, his arms crossed over his chest. Marie gasped, obviously startled at his presence.
"I don't know. Nothin' I guess." She peeked at him over her shoulder. He was adorable with his hair sticking up in the back.
"How 'bout some hot chocolate?" Remy said while he rummaged through the cabinets. He heard Marie getting the milk from the fridge as he pulled out the chocolate and a pan.
"Why can't you sleep?" Marie asked, putting her head on the counter as Remy stood over the stove. She watched as he carefully tasted the chocolate and grabbed two mugs.
"Family problems. You?" Remy looked over at the girl. Her face was pale and tired, yet she still was one of the most beautiful creatures he had ever seen.
"Nightmare." Remy held out a mug and they drank silently, each contemplating their problems.
"Who's after you?" Remy asked. He kept his eyes fixed to the center of the table.
Marie looked up quickly at him. "What do you mean?" She was tapping the mug with her fingernail. It was driving him nuts.
"Your sister said something like that," Remy said smoothly, lying through his teeth. He finally looked up and met her eyes. A man could get lost in those eyes.
Marie shook her head. "No she didn't. Jean's smarter than that."
"What's she trying to get to Scott for?"
"He's a good looking guy. Why shouldn't she?"
"She's afraid of him."
"Jean's not afraid of anything."
"Well, she should be. Tell her to leave us alone." With that, Remy put his glass in the sink and started back up the stairs. Marie sat in the kitchen for a long time after he left.

Remy crawled back in bed, carefully moving around Kitty, who had decided to stretch out. Wrapping an arm around the girl, he stared at the ceiling. It would surely only last a little longer, right?

"Concentrate!" Professor Xavier hissed to Marie. They had been working on control for the past hour. Her nerves were frazzled, his patience was ebbing and there was no show of any improvement.
"I am! I just can't do it!" The other students in the room looked at her, disgruntled. Marie glared back at them. When she got to Remy's smirk, she just about lost her temper.
"Very good, Remy. Your show of control is much improved," Ororo said, with a smile on her face. He had been practicing with discharging an object.
"Ohh!" She jabbed a finger down on Xavier's palm. And for a few seconds, nothing happened.
"Much better." There was a kind smile in the steely blue eyes of his. Professor Xavier called a halt to the session and wheeled himself out of the room. Marie smiled brightly. Finally.

"How did your session go?" Jean asked, not tearing her eyes away from the television screen. The news was playing. Hoardes of people were gathered to watch a Friends of Humanity protest and the cops were trying to keep things peaceful. Jean was watching her father at the top of the podium. He was screaming that mutants were an abomination, a mistake of nature.
"Why do you watch him?" Marie asked, taking the remote and turning the television off. Her fists clanched at her side as she stared at the black screen. She hated the man who screamed that he wished she were dead. Who screamed that he would be the one to kill her.
"I don't know. At least this way, I know where he is. It's better than expecting the man to jump out from behind a bush. How did your session go?" Jean forced herself to let go off the magazine which she had crumpled. Her hand hurt from squeezing so hard.
"Actually, it went well," Marie said, a slow smile spreading on her face. "Maybe I can really learn how to touch again." Jean leaned back as Marie jabbered on excitedly about her session. What a strange thing for a teenage girl to get excited over, she mused. Not her first kiss, or her first date, but being able to touch again. Very strange. And very sad.
"Show me." Jean held out her palm to her sister.
"I don't know if I can do it again," Marie backed away nervously, falling into the habit of getting out of arm's reach.
"You did it before, do it again," Jean commanded, waiting for Marie to come to her. As if steeling herself for the task, Marie nodded to herself and placed her palm over her sister's. And nothing happened.
Jean smiled. Just maybe, it will all be worth it.

A/N: I wanted to get that touching thing out of the way. I have no idea how this is going to turn out. Any suggestions are welcome. Reviews are desired. Tell me what you think.