Disclaimer: I don't own any characters except my characters. Which are quite a few this time around. Let's try it this way: I don't own any Marvel characters that happen to show up in the upcoming chapters and which I'm sure you'll recognise without any need to name long lists. I also do not own Jenny, which Dizi created a few years back and which is a fabulous character. I strongly recommend you read her adventures with Wolverine and the X-Men.
Foreword
My Irbis Saga is divided into two cycles: the Irbis Cycle proper, and the 'Taming of the Hearts' Cycle. This is the second story in the second cycle.
You do not have to read the first cycle, just be aware that Creed met his match (sort of) in this Irbis OC. In the second cycle there are several plot points of the first cycle that are mentioned but they don't really require going back to read it (if you disagree, let me know). Do note that this cycle is set in an AU that diverges from the canon comic books shortly after M-Day.
Be aware that the stories in this cycle segue one into the next and, even though each story has its own arc (with a few subplots), there is one line that follows all of the stories. If you wish to start this cycle at the beginning, keep in mind the list below
Previous stories in the 2nd cycle and how essential they are to know before you read the current story:
1. The Proposal – focus on Remy and Rogue. Not essential to the current story.
The Ressurrection
1. Lebeau
Gambit hurried through the sleepy corridors. Students, teachers and staff were all in their rooms, if not their beds, and the school felt deserted. Anna had expected him to arrive from New York City that afternoon, not past everyone's bedtime, so she was bound to be upset. Still, not as much as he was. He knew he'd be late, he just hadn't expected for his plane to get delayed for over three hours, which meant he'd be getting to the Massachusetts Institute for Super Human Studies way beyond the twins' bedtime.
He saw light glowing through the door frame and took a deep breath. If she was waiting up for him, there'd be a row for sure. Especially if she started going on about how he never phoned or texted to warn her he'd be late. Which, according to her, was always. Or about how he was unreliable and careless and... He sighed, knowing he'd better take it all in repentant silence. That might spike her anger, true, but not fuel it into fury, something that his voice always managed to do at such situations, no matter what he was saying. Bon, allons y!
He knocked lightly. Always best if you didn't surprise an angry Anna Marie.
"Cher," he called softly, entering noiselessly when he didn't get an answer. Perhaps she'd fallen asleep. But no; she was sitting by the desk, correcting students' papers.
"Anna?"
He heard her letting off a harsh breath but then she resumed her work without a word. This was new. For a moment, Remy felt relieved he wasn't about to get any heat but then he hesitated. He opened his mouth to talk to her yet stopped himself. If she was giving him some sort of silent treatment, it was wiser to leave her be. He closed the door as soflty as he'd opened it and slid over to the crib.
They were both sleeping, his little angels. The sight tucked at his heart and melted away the rest of the world every single time. Christophe was half holding a puppy toy and Remy had to rub his hands not to pick him up, but as his eyes slid over to his petite Marie, who had managed to pull every cover away, he couldn't help himself. With greater gentleness than if he were pickpocketing a dummy of dangling bells, he hoisted her up and pecked a kiss on her tender forehead.
"Don't..." But it was too late.
Remy looked at the burning green eyes and smiled.
"She not gonna wake up 'cause 'o me, cher." His voice was a whisper as he sat on the king-size bed. "Ya know dat."
Of course she did, but what did it matter when she was angry? Once more, she just turned her back on him. Definitely the silent treatment. C'est bien. He had just the right thing to counteract it, anyway: the shock & curiosity treatment.
"Petey asked fer my help," he whispered across the room, fully aware of his own wide, silly smile which his precious little girl had the power to create. "He didn't know which ring t'pick."
"Huh?"
Remy didn't look up, his eyes drinking the sleepy sight in his arms.
"Petey wanted Remy t'help 'im pick a ring." Now he did look up at Anna and added teasingly. "A diamond ring."
The surprise rippled through her beautiful face, happiness for her friends overcoming the angry scowl.
"Oh, Remy, that's... that's wonderful!"
Oui mais... He shrugged, getting up to return his petite to the crib. "Remy don't think our friend will pop de question any time soon, so it be best if no one breades a word, oui?"
Anna got up and came up to him, frowning, and Remy tucked the li'l Marie swiftly in the white sheets.
"What makes ya so sure?"
Vraiment? When a guy asks for help to buy an engagement ring and can't even say if he likes or doesn't like a single ring from over a dozen, it's pretty sure he won't be proposing in the following weeks.
"Seems t'me he's scared o' gettin' a 'non' fer an answer."
Anna groaned and rolled her eyes. "Kitty loves him more 'an anything! She'll scream yes 'fore he gets the chance ta finish proposing! Ya did tell him that, right?"
Maybe that was what scared him. Petey and Kitty had been living as a sure item for over three years now and, as far as anyone could tell, it was working as a charm. So, why change what isn't broken? If Petey had asked him, Remy would have told him to forget that change. Living as an item means you still get some breathing space, you still have your own space; step into the ring trap, though, and that's all gone. Every move you make, every breath you take, she has to be privvy to it all, every single day for the rest of your days. Still, to avoid getting back into dangerous waters the moment he was about to sail away from them, Remy touched a few strands of his son's auburn hair and whispered a vague answer as he reached for a pocket.
"It ain't dat he don't know, cher." He took out a silky pouch, gazing at it lazily. "I saw dis li'l thing when we was lookin' at dem rings."
"What li'l thing?" But he could hear the beginning of a smile in her voice. "Ya think Ah'm gonna ferget ya got here this late an' didn't even have the decency ta text me?"
Avoiding eye contact for the moment, he opened the pouch and pulled out a silvery necklace with two hollow hearts entwined. He heard her catch her breath at the sight. He knew that would be her first reaction; a woman cannot see two entwined hearts and not see two entwined wedding bands. So he showed her the hollow hearts on the tip of his fingers in such a way she could read the inscriptions on the rims: Marie and Christopher.
"Oh," and she took a hand to her mouth, those beautiful green eyes shining with motherly emotion. There's nothing quite as motherliness to get safely out of a wedding conversation and its related evils.
Without a word, Anna turned, picking up her hair for him to close the clasp. Remy finished the action with a kiss on the lovely neck. She chuckled, delighted, then slid away to the side. Her smile was playful but her raised finger gave him the feeling that was all the playfulness he'd get at the moment.
"Ah got my students' assignments ta finish," she explained as she returned to the desk, her fingers playing with the two little hearts.
"Essay?" Those were long and time consuming.
Anna shook her head as she sat, still looking at him with the sweetest smile. "Diagnostic test. Ah wanted ta see what they already know about the Super Human Act Civil War."
That had been only five years ago, so it couldn't be a difficult test.
"Ya wanna hear some o' de answers?"
That meant creative little kids. Remy sat back on the bed. "Bien sur! Lemme hear de most shockin' ones."
She laughed. That's how he liked his Anna Marie: smiling happily. Motherhood had made her even more beautiful, if that was possible. And although Remy was ashamed of having been worried about her perfect waist, he was proud that she had been able to recover her perfect shape and size in a year. It was like having the best of two worlds.
"This is from Kyle… the one with bat wings?" Remy nodded even though he had no idea who she was referring to. He wasn't part of the staff anyway, even if he did keep an eye on the Academy's security, so why should he know the kids? "The Super Human Civil War happened because Lincoln wanted to eliminate all the zombies so the zombies killed him and then there was a war of superheroes against super zombies."
Mon Dieu, no more zombie films for that one.
"And Vex wrote: It is called a Super Human Civil War because it is a war between civilians with super human powers."
Encroyable. How old were those kids when the Civil War had happened? He shook his head at the ridiculous ideas. Good thing he wasn't a teacher. If there was something he refused to put up with, it was kids lost in alternative realities.
"Ah, but listen to Amallee: The Super Human Civil War happened five years ago. It was a fight between civil rights and protective laws. Some heroes died or became fugitives because they didn't want to reveal their identities. When villains tried to steal the secret database with all the identities, the law was changed. Now the vigilantes with a secret identity don't need to reveal their true identity but they need to be registered and to report their activities. There is a website with the statistics of their activities. Super human vigilantes can also work with authorities, ask for governmental grants if they have a good track record, and get donations from the general public."
Hallelluiah! "Dat one don't need no summer classes, cher."
"Oh, it's not because o' that. She has just enrolled and since she was a runaway, she ain't gone ta school fer over six months." Bon, she'd learnt more outside school than all the others in it, then. "She wants t…"
The mobile vibrated audibly and Anna's smile faded away. Merveilleux! He'd just defused her anger and now he was going back to square one. Irritated, he fished the thing out of the pocket. Summers. Merde.
"Oui?"
There was a slight pause on the other side, probably because he usually answered the phone cheerfully. But it would help his cause if Anna felt his annoyance over the phone call was stronger than hers.
"Sorry if I'm interrupting something."
Looking away from Anna, Remy made sure his voice sounded somewhere between annoyed and angry. "Ya ain't interruptin' nuthin', but I got here 'bout ten minutes ago and I didn't get de chance t'spend five minutes wi' de twins de entire week."
"Well, I'm sorry to hear that, but we have a situation."
Fantastique. He hadn't really thought Scott was going to ask him to go on another mission and his previously overblown irritation became absolutely genuine.
"Non, ask somebody else."
"Feel free to sit this one out afterwards, but will you just listen to me first?"
Remy breathed out.
"Allors, what is it?"
"Some guy named Kredall contacted us for an interview; said he wanted us to help him tackle a new danger for all mutants, former mutants and their families."
That combination, mutants and their families, had never resonated within him as much as in the last two years. Scott knew that too. Gambit glanced as his two children, irritation warring with the need to act.
"What kind o' danger?"
"He didn't elaborate, just said that children of mutants and former mutants were in danger. Suggested we collected some information by ourselves first and gave us an address as a sign of bona fide. Apparently there are some interesting files locked away in a safe and, once we collect those, we should be able to get to a secret room and the proof he's talking seriously."
That was strange to say the least. "Who was it, de homme dat contacted ya?"
"He called himself Kredall and didn't mention any associations, but he did use voice altering software so we're guessing he's well known and the name he gave us is an alias."
Stranger and stranger. "Dat sound ta Remy like a trap."
"Yes, I know. That's why I'm sending in Logan and Kitty to back you up. If things go wrong, they'll bust you out. They're taking off in a jet as we speak; should be there in less than two hours."
He hesitated on giving the answer, even if he had already made up his mind.
"Bien. I'll be ready."
"Lemme guess," Anna grunted as soon as he switched off. "Yah're off into a trap. Again."
"Someone's attackin' de families o'mutants," he simplified for greater effect as he approached the two cribs. It was what had won him over, after all. "Children."
He was constantly telling Anna that the twins were old enough to have their own room, with a connection door to her room, obviously, but their own room nonetheless. They were sixteen months old already. And yet, tonight, he agreed they should be as close as possible.
If you've enjoyed the chapter, please leave a review (if you do so under your FF name, I'll be able to answer you). Just let me know what you liked and disliked so I can keep improving my writing skills. Thank you.
