Daddy Blues

Jean-Luc walked around Remy's apartment. Remy didn't know his father was there yet and Jean-Luc waited patiently for his son to come out of the kitchen and greet him. As he looked around the apartment he noticed black pearls and diamonds on the desk. He smiled to himself and wondered from whom had Gambit appropriated the jewels, though he was certain he could easily find out. Fence kept Jean-Luc up to date on Remy's activities. Now, that Remy knew this, Jean-Luc feared keeping tabs on his adopted son would be a bit more difficult.

He felt something brush against his legs, and he looked down to see a kitten rubbing against him. He picked the kitten up to take a better look. As he was holding the kitten he noticed the kitten had extra toes, a polydactyl. He petted the kitten and asked what its name was as if the kitten would answer. He smiled and told the kitten he would have named him poly, toes or Hemingway.

Remy walked into his living room and saw his father petting a kitten.

"Hey Père, didn't know you were going to visit. Couldn't use a doorbell like normal people?" Remy smiled at him.

"We're not normal people Remy," Jean-Luc put the kitten down. "Did you see this one has extra toes?"

"Ya, I know. I bought clippers to keep her nails trimmed." Remy gestured to his father to sit on the couch. "Why ya here?"

"I just wanted to check on my son," Jean-Luc smiled. Remy became suspicious.

"I see you've been busy," he looked in the direction of the desk. Remy followed his father's gaze.

"The guy ripped Fence off, the least I could do was settle the score." Remy sat on the couch and waited for his father to tell him why he was visiting.

"You settled the score but didn't give the jewels to Fence?" Jean-Luc was surprised by Remy keeping the jewelry.

Remy was slightly annoyed with this conversation. "I have my own reasons for keeping the jewelry."

"Women are your downfall boy, haven't you learned that yet?" Jean-Luc knew of his son's affinity for those of the female persuasion.

"Non, I guess not," Remy shrugged his shoulders. "Why you here?"

It appeared Jean-Luc needed some prompting and Remy wanted to get the visit over with so that he could get ready to meet a lovely lady he met at Central Park. She had stopped him when he was walking through the park. She had dragons tattooed on her arm that faced each other. She held a large sketch pad in her lap along with pencils. Her dark hair was loosely tied in bun and she had hazel eyes. He was easily fascinated with her looks. She seemed distressed. She quickly explained to him that she had been asking people all day to just stand near the tree by the bench she was sitting on and let her sketch them. Her sketch art class assignment was to draw a person in Central Park. Everyone had turned her down and she was losing daylight to work in. Remy told her would let her sketch him and smiled at her. The look of relief on her face was priceless. He walked over to the tree and leaned. She was amazingly quick with her sketch. She showed him the sketch and she thanked him. He walked over to her, then leaned down and kissed her hand. She blushed immediately, he asked her if she would join him for drinks later. She smiled and agreed to meet him. Remy's musings came to an abrupt end when Jean-Luc cleared his throat to get his attention.

"I want you to do something with me, father and son," Jean-Luc looked at Remy trying to gage his son's reaction to this statement. Either his son would be really suspicious or mildly curious. He was never sure how some of these statements would be taken. He supposed that was part of how he brought him up.

Remy knew his father was up to something but was well aware that if he was going to get any answers from him he would have to play along. His father could be very secretive. They didn't do the father and son thing very often and usually when they did, it usually resulted in some guild altercation of some sort.

"What do ya wanna do?" Remy tried not to sound too skeptical in his response.

"I've got box seats to a football game, thought maybe you'd want to go with me?" Jean-Luc smiled at his son. A public place of this size meant a big heist or distraction. Though it was possible his father really was wanting to spend time with him.

"What game?" Remy knew that they could get tickets to any game in the country, it just depended on which city the guild needed to be in.

"I've got box seats to the Giants, Saints game at Metlife Stadium, you won't believe the hospitality. Its a crème de la crème type atmosphere and we get to see a game. You'll love it, son." Jean-Luc was actually trying to convince Remy. Now Remy knew something was going on.

"Père, I've been to a game or two and had box seats. What are ya plannin'?" Remy felt confident that his father was up to something. He wanted answers.

"Remy, I just want to go to a game with you. Can't a father do that with his son?" Jean-Luc sounded sincere. However, he was talking to Remy LeBeau whom he raised to know better. This was something he wanted to change between them. Jean-Luc knew his son wouldn't completely trust in his words but would go along with it.

Remy gave his father a stern look. "This had better not have anything to do with the X-Men. And don't cause problems for me with the Avengers or MI13."

"I just want to go to a game with you, thats all," Jean-Luc smiled at him. He also patted him on the back in encouragement. He put his arm around Remy's shoulders and hugged him slightly.

Remy thought to himself: the X-Men might call him a charmer, but he had nothing on his father.

"Awright, we'll go. What time is the game?" Remy suspected a late game, it would be more convenient for thieves.

"One o'clock", his father cheerily replied. This surprised Remy, like his white whale,* this would be an odd time to pull a heist. Was his father testing him again or were they really going to a football game? He was uncertain. Jean-Luc, feeling the conversation was over, hugged Remy one more time then left his apartment. He knew he confused his son and was silently pleased with himself.

Jean-Luc and Remy rode in a limousine to the game. While in the limousine Remy was feeling a bit paranoid. He kept waiting for Jean-Luc to surprise him with something, anything. Jean-Luc didn't pay any attention to his son's discomfort. He knew that if he had spent more time doing these sorts of things with him, that they would not have these awkward moments. He knew as every thief knew, patience would be the key ingredient. Building a better relationship with his son was important to him. They briefly talked about the guilds. Once the topic came up, Remy was certain his father would give him a clue as to what they were doing and why going to a football game was important.

Remy waited for Jean-Luc to tell him about the next guild thing or a special operation that would need his expertise. He was surprised at how little his father talked about the guilds, it was more like an afterthought. The guilds were mentioned for the sake of it and dropped just as quickly as Jean-Luc moved on to other topics.

Jean-Luc's small talk about everything was another thing that was getting on Remy's nerves. His father didn't usually spend time with things that weren't important to the guild or the thieves' profession. They had been reconnecting since Remy's trial a few weeks ago.** It felt like Jean-Luc was making up for lost time with him. However, that didn't make sense to Remy. Still he was able to keep up with his father but every now and then he would look at Jean-Luc expecting to be told of the real reason they were attending a football game. Not that he minded going to a game. He enjoyed football, but he usually didn't go with his dad.

They arrived at the stadium and got in line to enter the building. Remy knew while they were in line his father would not have time to tell him what was going on. He still wasn't completely convinced that this was only a father and son thing. While waiting to go through security, Remy flirted with ladies in the line with them. Funny part was his father was being as charming and flirty with the ladies as he was, another thing he wasn't used to seeing his father do. He was starting to get really suspicious. Had Mastermind or some other mutant who could mind-control others taken over his father? It was something he'd have to keep in mind and a watchful eye on his dad. Despite his concern, he did like this fun side of his father. He seldom got to see this part of Jean-Luc.

Once they got inside the stadium, the ladies had given them their numbers in hopes they would call them. They gave the ladies a kiss on the hand, and walked toward where their box seats were located. As they strolled to their destination, Remy's curiosity was getting the better of him.

"Père, what's really going on?" Remy tried to sound nonchalant.

"A football game." Jean-Luc smiled at Remy. "Remy, all I want is to watch a game with you. There is no heist, special meeting, or secret agenda."

"I don't believe you. Who are you, and where is my Père?" Remy stared at Jean-Luc with a serious look. Jean-Luc could tell his son wasn't playing around.

Jean-Luc stopped walking forcing Remy to stop as well. He pulled his son near a wall so that they were out of way from those trying to get places in the stadium. He stared at his son, put his arm around him and made eye contact with him. He wanted Remy to trust him, he knew it was his fault that Remy was wary.

"Remy, my boy, all I want to do is watch a football game with you. Nothing more. No guilds, no meeting a muckety-muck. It has been too long since I've spent any real time with you. I've missed you more than I ever tell you or show you."

Remy could see Jean-Luc was sincere and it affected him more than he was ever going to let anyone know.

"Awright, I believe you. Let's go." Remy shook off his emotional turmoil at the gesture his father was showing him. His father wanted to enjoy a ball game then he would too.

They got to their box seats. There was an incredible feast, the catering and staff were top notch. It was everything a five-star restaurant provided including wine and a large assortment of beer. The only difference was the football atmosphere. Father and son also flirted with the ladies that were in the area. They got the opportunity to meet the parents of the Giants quarterback who was in the box seats next to theirs. The father of the Giants quarterback had also played football. Jean-Luc told him that he had watched him play quarterback for the Saints and complimented them on having very talented sons in the NFL.

Jean-Luc and Remy had a great time at the game. Father and son not only watched the game but connected on things going on with each other. Mostly it was Jean-Luc getting to know his son after being absent for far too long. The reports Fence gave him only made him miss Remy and it wasn't the same as interacting with him. Spending this day with him was something Jean-Luc knew he needed to do more often and told himself he would find time to do more things like this with Remy. He finally realized that spending time with the few people that truly were his family was more important than the guilds.

This story was part of a challenge, the prompt words needed to be in the story at least once. The words chosen are listed following the word prompts.

prompts: black pearls, diamonds, Jean-Luc, polydactyl, women, dragons, sketch art, football

*Gambit #15 - a thief's item that is the one they want to steal the most, yet do not.

**Gambit #16 - Remy put on trial by the thieves guild.

Gambit #17 is the last issue of the solo book. Gambit is leader of the world wide thieves guilds and will still teach at the JGS - with an understanding that he can come and go as he pleases. Fun info, he teaches "Intro to Art History" and "Sex Education".