Rage & Revelations
Remy LeBeau/Spencer Reid SLASH
The residents of the Xavier School couldn't have asked for a better day. And this time, Ororo had nothing to do with it. The sky was a clear blue, with the occasional fluffy cloud passing over. The grass was lush and thick and freshly mowed, the trees all had bright new leaves on them, though some still clung to their spring blossoms. The bulbs that Ororo had planted in the fall were coming up; daffodils, crocus, hyacinth and tulips. The flowers' scents sweetened the warm breeze as it swept over. The fountains were running again, freed some the icy hibernation they'd had to undergo.
And in the back, across the sprawling grounds, were the residents of the house. Teachers and students, X-Men and friends, allies from their affiliates all over. They had all come together for the first Barbecue to celebrate the return of the warm weather. Burgers, hot dogs and brats were on the grill, obscene amounts of potato salad was being devoured, and the occasional water balloon went soaring across the party. There were well over a hundred mutants in attendance, and all of them smiling.
Warren Worthington III was being teased; he was molting. Some of the younger female students who openly thought he was hot, were giggling as they worked on breaking open the pinfeathers to free his fresh plumage. All this while he carried on a conversation with Kitty Pryde, Kurt Wagner and Scott Summers. None of them had a straight face as they pretended to ignore the girls working on Warren's wings.
Jean Grey, Betsy Braddock and Emma Frost all sat around with their food and wine, and having a telepathic conversation as they ate, though their eyes drifting over the men present, and uncharacteristic giggles, more than betrayed the topic. In fact, a moment later and Rogue was standing before them in her bikini, hands on her hips and a smirk on her lips. "We ratin' the boys in their swim trunks, ladies?" She asked. "… Count me in."
And the telepaths grinned, but then their eyes all widened. A balloon came flying and burst over Rogue. The woman let out a strained gasp, stumbling forwards with wide eyes. And the telepaths watched as not water cascaded down over her body, but… SLUSH. Icy, drippy, slush. Shivering, and looking murderous, the woman slowly turned.
"BOBBY DRAKE!" She shrieked, setting eyes on the young man who was standing laughing with none other but RemyLeBeau. But when she turned, Bobby shut up, thrust out a finger and pointed, saying "HIS idea! HIS idea! He told me to!"
"What?! Now waitaminnit!" Remy blurted, his laughter immediately shifting into a look of alarm as Rogue stalked towards them. "Come on now, cher. Jus' a joke! We here t' have fun, non?"
"Oh shit…" Bobby groaned and the pair broke into a run, both shoving at the other, trying to trip the other up so that maybe Rogue would focus on the one she caught and forget about the other.
The whole party had paused as everyone watched the chase, Rogue taking flight and soaring over the other partygoers, her eyes fixed on her quarry as she pulled on her gloves.
"I oughtta clobber you!" She shouted, then swooped down and grabbed the pair by the hem of their swim trunks. And then she took flight once more, lifting them right off of the ground and…
"Douce mere de Dieu! MERDE!"
"Oooooohhh…" Came the collective wince from the crowd, as Bobby and Remy were subjected to the most impressive atomic wedgies that the Xavier School had ever seen. And then, howling, they were unceremoniously dropped into the pool from thirty feet up. Rogue landed lightly at the edge of the pool, glaring as the pair sputtered to the surface, flailing about as they tried to get their swim trunks out of places they shouldn't be.
"If either one of you EVAH' does that again…" Rogue hissed.
"No worries dere, cher." Remy announced, already grinning (though it didn't fully hide the fact that he was still feeling the atomic wedgie that he was still trying to rectify). "Dat ain't a skill ol'Gambit has. An' Gambit too smart t' do it himself anyway."
Bobby glared at Remy, pulled himself out of the pool and then…
"AAH! HEY!" Remy yelped as the pull suddenly froze over... With him still in it, and now frozen in a position where he was obviously still yanking his swim trunks out of… well…
"You're an asshole, LeBeau." Bobby said with a grin, and walked away. Under the ice, Remy's feet could still be seen flailing around. And around the edges of the pool, some of the amused students were climbing onto the ice and sliding around, laughing.
"Come on, now!" Remy howled. And after a moment, Rogue laughed and shook her head, slipping out onto the ice and sliding over to Remy.
"Looks like I've gotcha right where I want ya, sugah." She purred, and Remy blinked, then put on a flirtatious smirk.
"Well now… dat got some promise…" He chuckled, but turned away and closed his eyes. Rogue just shook her head, raised a fist, and brought it crashing down through the ice, breaking it away and pulling Remy out.
"Merci." Remy said. "Can I buy y' a drink?"
"You mean, bring me a beer from one of the coolers?" Rogue asked, amused.
"Oui."
"Oh, what a charmer…" She drawled, her voice dripping in sarcasm.
"Remy be right back." The man laughed, trotting over to the coolers, and flipping off someone when they told him he looked so cold, his nipples could cut glass. He grabbed a few beers and then headed to a picnic table where Rogue had sat down with Jubilee, Ororo, Logan, Lorna and Alex.
A dark car pulled up the drive of the Xavier School and came to a stop. After a moment, the back door opened, and a man stepped out. Tall, broad and toned, he raised his brown eyes to inspect the structure before him, and then turned when he heard the sounds of voices, and laughter. Turning away from the front doors, he moved around the house, stepping out of the shadow and into the sunlight. When he reached the back, he narrowed his eyes.
The place was full of people At least a hundred thirty five, by his first estimation. From children to elders. And they were all mutants. He had no doubt there. Some of them, it was obvious. A blonde man was shaking out a pair of gleaming white wings. And then, a dark furry blue man with a tail was scuttling up the wall of the mansion, darting around as he avoided the streams of water from SuperSoakers, and sending off a few shots in return. When he missed his targets, there were howls of annoyance, and he just laughed.
The man scowled as the fury he had fought to quell over the duration of his trip rose to the forefront again. The breeze blew brown strands of hair out of his face and back, more in line with the long hair he had tied back in a tight ponytail. The first mutants were noticing him now. A furious, intimidating looking man with a moustache and goatee, the hair at his temples beginning to gray. He wore Body armor that was vaguely familiar, and a long trench coat that was very much familiar.
He strode forwards, eyes sweeping the party. But he was his ears that found what he sought. The laughter… He whirled. There he was. Sitting at a table with a beer in hand, a grin on his face and sunglasses covering his eyes, like always. His long, auburn hair was pulled back at the base of his skull, falling down his back to his shoulder blades. He was bare, save for a pair of black and red swim trunks. And he looked happy. Care free…
Normally, this would delight any father. But for Jean Luc LeBeau, it only fueled his rage…
He took in a deep breath, and then, heedless of the crowd of mutants around him, he let out a deafening roar that brought silence to the party, and all eyes turned…
"Pfft! Y' know Gambit!" Remy laughed, taking a pull at his beer when suddenly, he heard the most terrifying sound he had ever experienced.
"REMY ETIENNE LEBEAU!"
Remy's eyes widened and he inhaled rather than swallowed, leaving him sputtering and choking on his beer. He was doubled over for a moment, staggering to his feet, and then raised his alarmed eyes, looking around desperately as he wiped his face. And then, he saw him. Striding across the lawn of the mansion and just radiating a fury that one didn't have to be an empath to feel… you could SEE it. The mutants, many powerful mutants, hell, every student, teacher and X-Man that lived there, or was just visiting for the party, scrambled to get out of this human's way.
Tall, handsome and muscular, he moved deliberately towards Remy with long, sharp strides, his eyes blazing. The X-Men that had been sitting with Remy slowly got to their feet and moved out of what they could sense was the line of fire. Remy, however, just stood stock still in his swim trunks, sunglasses sliding down his nose as he watched the man coming at him like a freight train. It took a moment to snap out of his shock, but he finally blinked and said "… Papa?"
Several of the mutants in the yard perked up at that… few of them had met Remy's father. Few of them knew he even had one.
Remy stepped forward, cautiously offering the man a tentative smile. "What y' doin' here? Is… is everyt'ing okay?" But his smile faded when Jean Luc's eyes darkened even more. Then the man was right in front of Remy.
"You tell me, Remy." The man snarled, and the occupants of the mansion watched in amazement as Remy… cowered.
"I… 'S far as I know… every'tin' fine…" No one, least of all Remy, was prepared when Jean Luc's hand came flying through the air and –
CRACK!
Remy yelped and stumbled to the side, dropping his beer and pressing his hand to his cheek, eyes wide in shock. Never in his life… NEVER, had Jean Luc raised a hand to him… He stared at his sun glasses that were now in the grass.
"You wan' try answerin' dat again, fils?!"
Remy stared at the man in genuine astonishment, but then lowered his hand from his face, revealing the bright red mark on his cheek, straightened himself and glared at his father.
"What de hell?!" He demanded. "Wha'd Remy do t' deserve dat?!"
"Oh, you can't t'ink of nothin'?" Jean Luc asked, his voice dangerous, making Remy lean away from him, cautiously. "You bette' t'ink again, y' worthless connard!" Remy's eyes widened in surprise yet again.
"Now hold on a min—"
"You got t'ree guesses, homme. O' y' Papa gon' slap you silly!"
"You can't be serious—"
"You wan' test dat, Remy Etienne?!" Roared the man, and Remy flinched back. "WELL!?"
"Non, Papa!" Remy blurted automatically, wincing at himself afterwards.
"Den y' bette' start guessin, fils…"
"… Did I steal somet'in I wasn't s'posed t' touch?"
"Dat's one…" Jean Luc growled, narrowing his eyes and holding up a finger, and Remy was starting to look worried.
"Did I f'get somet'in important?!"
"Dat's two, couillon…" Remy flinched at the second finger coming up, and his eyes darted around as he wracked his brains.
"Did Remy piss someone off?"
CRACK!
"OW!"
"Other dan y' Papa?!" Jean Luc barked.
"Enough o' dis! Merde! Just tell Remy what d' fuckin' hell is goin' on!"
"Don't y' take dat tone wit' me, Remy!" Jean Luc roared. "I will put y' over my knee, take down y' trousers and wallop y' OTHER cheek! Righ' here in front of all vos amis!"
There were some titters behind Jean Luc.
"Oh, dey t'ink I'm jokin'." He snapped, and the laughter was silenced. The X-Men, the students, everyone was now eyeing Jean Luc LeBeau, including Charles Xavier, having just arrived after Jean telling him that Remy's father had just showed up, hauled off and smacked his son across the face in front of the whole school. Remy glanced back at the crowd with a wince.
"Why don't y' tell dem, Remy? Am I jokin'?" Remy narrowed his eyes and studied his father, and then Jean Luc raised a hand and took a quick, threatening step forwards. Instinctively, Remy put up his hands defensively and leapt back, eyes going wide as he blurted "Non, Papa!"
Silence.
"… Den y' keep a civil tongue in y' head, boy. 'Fore I destroy dat tough guy reputation o' yours mo' dan I already am." Remy winced and bowed his head, slouching down like a disciplined child.
"Oui, Papa… What… what I do t'… t' make y' so…"
"October 13th of las' year." Jean Luc snapped, and the whole crowd that had gathered watched as Remy frowned in confusion… and then stiffened. His eyes widened and his face paled.
"W-What?!" Remy gasped, and Jean Luc narrowed his eyes and glared. "How… How y' know 'bout dat?! Why d' hell does 'DAT matter?! HEY!" He leapt back when Jean Luc raised his hand again.
"… I raised y' bette' dan dat, boy." Jean Luc hissed, his voice shaking in his fury. "What you did? Dat's a whole 'nothe' level of disgust I got f' y' righ' now. Neve' t'ought a boy o' mine would EVER do somet'in like dat!"
"Papa, y' don' know de whole story!" Remy pleaded, putting his hands up, palms facing his father.
"Neither did you, Remy." Jean Luc shot back. Remy blinked a couple of times. "He had somet'in' important t' tell y'. An' y' neve' even gave d' homme a chance t' say it."
"It didn't matter, Papa. I had t—"
CRACK!
For the third time, Jean Luc struck his son. Remy looked like he was reeling from the shock of it. He was starting to sound less and less like Gambit, and more and more like the child Jean Luc had raised.
"I… I don't un'erstand!" He cried, shaking his head and taking a step back, putting his hands up again.
Seeing Remy getting upset, Scott began to move towards the LeBeaus, reaching out for Jean Luc's shoulder. But when he got close, the man, not even turning around, growled "y' lay a hand on me, I'll feed it t' you, homme…" Scott froze, eyebrows shooting up. And then, slowly, he retreated.
"I uh… I t'ink we should ah… take dis inside, Papa…" Remy mumbled, staring at the ground and fidgeting in a very un-Gambit-like way.
"Oh, non, mon fils…" Jean Luc said. "We discuss dis righ' here. Y' may t'ink y'self a playe', Remy. T'ink y' hot stuff, Gambit of de X-Men. Dat's how y' play it, non? But it jus' an act. Now, dey can know what you REALLY are, Remy LeBeau. Y' ain't a playe'. Y' ain't hot stuff. Y' ain't even an X-Man. Gambit be not'in' but a lie. 'Cuz y' notin' but a chien… y' a dog, Remy Etienne, leavin' dat boy like dat."
"I had to, Papa."
"Not like dat, y' didn't! Dat boy loved y' wit' all 'is heart! An' you went an' broke it! DELIBERATELY!"
"I did it t' protect him, Papa!"
"Protect him?!"
"D' mob, Papa! D' Russians! Dey put a contract out on Remy! Was only a matte' of time b'fore dey found Spencer an' went afte' him t' get t' Remy! Had t' do it to protect 'im, me! I love 'im, Papa! Couldn't let dem hurt 'im… I… I did it f' 'im…" Remy's voice softened at the end, and sadness could be heard in his words. Jean Luc crossed his arms.
"An' y' done started pavin' y' own road t' hell when y' did." The man snarled, and now Remy frowned, almost pouted, and also crossed his arms over his chest, glaring off to the side.
"Y' eve' wonder what d' boy had t' tell y' dat night? B'fore y' destroyed him?"
"… Does it matte'? It's over." Remy said, his voice cold.
"Oh, it matters… and it ain't over." Jean Luc responded, his vice somehow twice as hard. "Seven months ago, y' left dat boy alone. Heartbroken. An' pregnant."
"..."
The silence was deafening. All eyes were on Remy… who had his eyes on Jean Luc. All color had drained from his face, and slowly, his arms fell to his sides.
"… w-what?"
"He tol' y' he had somet'in t' tell y'." Jean Luc elaborated. "He was gon' tell y' he was two months pregnant. Wit' YOUR child, Remy LeBeau. YOUR. CHILD. But y' neve' let him. Y' told 'im it wasn't workin'. 'Dat y' didn't love him anymo'. Dat dere was no getting' back what y'all had. Dat it was over. And den y' walked outta his life. An' left him alone, devastated and terrified."
Slowly, Remy lowered himself down onto the bench of the picnic table he had been sitting at only minutes ago, staring off into space.
"… enceinte?"
"Oui."
"Dat's what he… was gon' tell Remy?"
"Oui."
The silence stretched on as Remy slowly processed this news. And finally, he looked back up at Jean Luc. But before he could say anything, Jean Luc threw him another walloping curve ball.
"A month after y' left 'im… he went to get an abortion." He announced. "D' boy was too scared. Too lost."
Remy abruptly turned green. He pressed his fist to his lips, closing his eyes and taking deep breaths. He swallowed thickly, but then grimaced as he felt the acid churning up his esophagus, and then he lurched forwards and retched, but was valiantly able to prevent himself from actually vomiting. He sat there, head between his knees as he gasped for air, trying to fight down the nausea, pressing a hand to his mouth.
"He… he…"
"Non. Changed 'is mind. At de las' minute. Literally. He changed 'is mind because… if he went t'rough wit' it, he t'ought he would have lost what he saw as his last ties t' y. Decided t' keep le enfant, as a way t' keep YOU. All he talk about is… how much he hopin' dat de child has YOUR eyes…"
Slowly, Remy bowed his head, bracing his elbows on his knees and putting his face into his hands. But then he tensed, and raised his head, shooting his father glare.
"Wait… how y' know 'dat? How y' know ANY o' dis?!"
"Y' failed, Remy." Jean Luc spat. "D' mob came f' him. Regardless o' what y' done."
Remy leapt to his feet now, looking terrified like no one had ever seen before.
"Caught up t' de boy in Baton Rouge. He was dere f' work. Dey separated him from 'is team. He got away. Managed t' hop a bus right unde' deir noses. And it brought him t' N'Awlins. An' d' boy was smart. He got off dat bus, headed straight f' de Quarter an' started lookin' f' me. M' men tol' me of some kid lookin' f' me, so I went. Found him wanderin'. Asked him what he wanted. He said he needed help. Tol' me he was a friend o' my son Remy. Dat he was in trouble. Could already see he was pregnant. Couldn't leave him, so I brought him home. Kept him hidden. Kept him safe. 'Til de mob gave up and moved on. Couldn't let 'im go… could see somet'in was wrong. But he wouldn't tell me. But he talked it ove' wit' 'is boss. Was too dangerous f' him t' go home. An… I offered him to stay. He accepted, said he had nowhere, else t' go… dat de fat'er wasn't in de picture. Had left 'im. Wouldn't tell me who. He been stayin' it y' old room dese past months. Tante Mattie been takin' good care 'o him. An y' be damn grateful she wasn't 'bout t' leave Spencer's side t' come wit' me. Cuz if she had, she'd o' sliced off y' manhood, t'rown dem on de grill and served y' yer own cock on a bun wit' relish and y balls wit' spicy Remoulade by now!"
If it weren't for the situation, Remy would have died laughing at the looks on the faces of the X-Men at that one… But all he could do was continue to cower under his father's wrath, the likes of which he had NEVER seen directed towards himself before…
It was the clearing of a throat from Logan, that Remy recognized as the man biting back laughter, that broke the stunned silence.
Jean Luc sighed and bowed his head for a moment, now speaking gently, though it didn't last long. "He a sweet boy, Remy. Good heart. Strong soul. An' damn smart. Kept t'inkin' dat you an' he would make a great couple, me. He a lot mo' like y' dan y' even know. He hides t'ings, Remy. Don't let nobody see de trut'. If I hadn't raised y' he might've fooled me. But he didn't. He wears d' same masks you do. Hides all de pain. De fear. All dose t'ings he afraid t' show… he hides behind 'is smiles an' his brain… like you hide behind a struttin' coq!"
"Did he just call Gambit a "strutting cock"?" someone murmured from the crowd.
"If the shoe fits…"
"Shhh!"
Jean Luc continued. "I spent too long watchin' y perfectin' y' masks, Remy. Y' can't fool me. And neither can he. I saw d' pain in him. Agony. A broken heart. A shattered mind. A soul dat begs f' death, but clings to d' hope growin inside him. An' den, a week ago… He tol' me."
Remy slowly raised his eyes to meet his adopted father's eyes… they were burning in anger again.
"He got sick. Had a fever. Talked to me while he was… delirious. An' he tol' me every'tin'. Tol' me dat you two been t'gether f' years. Tol' me how you up and dumped 'im wit' no warnin' an' just disappeared. An' den he tol' me… dat de child in his belly is yours. I was stunned… an' all I could t'ink was, why Remy not here by his man's side? An' he tol' me… you left b'fore he could tell y'. An' I ain't never, EVER, felt de disgust f' you dat I did in dat moment… yer ignorance of his condition is no excuse. Y' a coward, Remy. A damned coward, an' a fool. An' I'm ashamed t' call y mon fils."
"… Je suis desole, Papa…" Remy murmured in a quiet, meek voice that no one on that lawn but Jean Luc had ever heard before. "Je suis desole…"
"I ain't d' one y' need t' be tellin' dat to." Jean Luc snorted, glaring.
"… He's sick?" Remy asked.
"I woulda been out here a week ago if he weren't." Jean Luc said. "He alrigh' now. I wasn't gon' leave 'til I knew he'd be okay. He don't remember tellin' me."
"When… when is he… due?" Remy asked, casting a nervous glance up at Jean Luc.
"… Any day. Tante Mattie say he way too stressed. She be surprised if de child DON'T come early." Remy put his head into his hands again, drawing in a deep breath.
"So." Jean Luc announced. "Y' got two choices, mon fils. Either y' got fifteen minutes t' get y' skinny mutant ass dressed, packed and in d' car out front… or y' got fifteen minutes f' y' friends t' get use deir mutant hoodoo t'get y' pat'etic hide somewhere I can't EVER find y'! Cuz I WILL hunt y' down, boy…" And with that, Jean Luc whirled and stalked away. But he only got a few steps before he stopped, and looked around at all the mutants. Then he turned back.
"On second t'ought… y' get half an hour. Fifteen minutes t' be in de car… and fifteen f' y' friends to lay into y' like y' deserve." And then the mutants were parting like the Red Sea before Moses, allowing Jean Luc through. And then he was gone…
Slowly, every eye on the lawn turned to Remy, sitting on the picnic table bench in his swim trunks, cheek still red, and looking like he was about to have a complete nervous breakdown as he stared at the corner of the house that his father had disappeared around.