They gypsies were delighted to be back on the road again. For the first several days of travel there was constant singing along the line of the caravan, laughter, and children playing. Jean Luc allowed Remy to ride his own horse, Voleur, along side the caravan with Henri and some of the other children, as Jean Luc's dappled bay stallion had not only grown familiar with Remy, but was fond of the child and was very gentle with the young rider, who was still learning to handle him.

Remy would often circle around to encourage little Brouillard, and a couple of times, Henri helped get the foal up and slung over Voleur's back in front of Remy, when the little foal grew too tired. There were a two other foals with them, who would also be carried as such, both younger than Brouillard. One was a little piebald filly, and the other a striking black colt with a white blaze and stockings. Brouillard's dam, Minuit, didn't seem to mind the travel, and definitely enjoyed the attentions of the little red eyed boy when he saw to her care at the end of the day, rubbing her down with Brouillard while Jean Luc took care of his stallion and the two horses that pulled his wagon.

"Is Minuit yours, papa?" Remy asked one evening.

"Non, mon fils." Jean Luc said with a smile. "She belong t' Gerard. He sold me Brouillard an' allowed us t' take Minuit along wit' us dis year, t' care fo' her foal."

"Oh…" Remy breathed, thinking that he must thank the large gypsy man when they returned in the winter. And then, completely changing the subject, he blurted "Can Remy come into de towns now?"

Jean Luc blinked, taken aback at the unexpected question.

"Well…" He said slowly, seeing several of the other nosy Romani listening in, "we'll see. Don't know how people gon' take t' your eyes…" It was something that they had accepted, and as such, neither Remy, nor Jean Luc shied away from the topic.

"Wanna help, me." Remy told the man. "Remy pull his own weight!"

"An' y' will, Remy." Jean Luc assured the ten year old, ruffling his hair. "But ain't gon' have y' doin' de work y' ain't ready t' do. Y' gon' have y' chores like de ot'ers…"

"But Remy passed de test! Can pick pockets!"

"In de larger towns, Remy." Jean Luc explained. "In de smaller ones, dere ain't many t'ieves, and our t'ievin' will be noticed, an' dat puts de whole clan in danger…" Remy nodded his understanding. "In de bigger places, we see, non?"

"Alrigh', Papa…" Remy sighed, standing and walking away, tossing Jean Luc's purse back over his shoulder. Startled, Jean Luc fumbled to catch it, and then shot a glare at Remy's retreating back, before transferring it onto the laughing gypsies.

Mattie gave him a sly look and drawled "Y'd t'ink y'd learn t' keep a bette' eye on it when Remy be 'round, homme."

"One would t'ink…" Jean Luc said icily, leveling a look on the woman, who just laughed back at him.

The first stop on their trip was a small village, who was very excited to see them. They were preparing for their Spring Festival, and Remy was surprised and delighted when the gypsy children dragged him along to play with the village children, and then stood up for him when the village children expressed trepidation upon seeing Remy's eyes. Jean Luc was beyond pleased when he saw Remy in the thick of things as the children raced around, wildly staging a mock battle.

And the night of the festival, Jean Luc moved to his place at the table with the village elders, with Remy by his side, holding his hand. Some of the elders had heard of the child's eyes, the others looked alarmed. But Jean Luc calmly set Remy beside him and introduced him as his adopted son. And Remy, bless him, had smiled widely, started talking, and charmed the elders in no time at all. He had been so quiet when Jean Luc first took him in, but over the winter Remy had developed into quite the little chatterbox, and was easily able to bring laughter from the people around him. He was such a precocious child, it brought incredible joy to Jean Luc to see.

And that night, around a bonfire, Remy stole the show when the children began to dance. He didn't think it possible, but day by day, Remy was becoming more and more bright, happy and outgoing. He had completely transformed in the six months that he had been with the Romani.

"I wouldn't even recognize de boy," Mattie said one evening, "had I not seen dis transformation m'self…" The other gypsies agreed, laughing as they watched Remy up a tree, swinging upside down by his knees from a tree branch, dangling sweets over the heads of the smaller children, who were eagerly jumping up and down, trying to snatch them from his fingers.

"Y' done a good job wit' de boy, Jean Luc." One of the elder men said, clapping the Rom Baro on the back.

"I dunno…" The older man's wife cackled. "Dat Remy may be mo' dan any of us can handle!" And everyone turned and watched as Remy dropped out of the tree, doing a full flip and then landing on his feet running, the other children chasing after him, laughing as Remy gleefully executed several back handsprings before rolling under a wagon and darting out the other side, climbing onto the next and doing a front flip through the air and onto the roof of the next wagon over.

"REMY! You gon' break yo' neck!" Jean Luc bellowed.

"No point in livin' a life," Remy called back, "iffn y' be too cautious t' LIVE!" And he executed a backflip with a full double twist off of the wagon, tumbled forward in a roll and then came up to his feet and disappeared into the darkness, his laughter carrying back to the other gypsies as the rest of the children followed him, tumbling, cartwheeling and flipping playfully.

"… Alrigh'…" Jean Luc growled, slowly turning back and glaring at the others. "Who de hell been teachin' dat boy Philosophy?!"

The Romani travelled a road that ran along the foothills of the Alps, through northern Italy. Remy eagerly studied the language with his papa and a few others, finding that he quite enjoyed Italian. He also got his first history lessons, and was enthralled with the stories of the old Roman Empire, and the emperors that had ruled it, and the strange gods they had worshipped. On rainy nights, Jean Luc would regale the boy with countless myths of the old gods before bed time, while teaching him to play cards.

On nights when the spring showers turned to storms, Jean Luc would be woken by the boy wriggling into his arms, frightened by the thunder. And rather than patiently putting him back into his own bed, Jean Luc allowed the boy to cuddle close; after all, he had never before had someone to soothe his fears before. Jean Luc would offer him loving reassurance, and would ease him back into sleep while stroking his hair.

It was mid spring when they left Italy and began to turn north… And that was when Remy had one of the most incredible days of his young life… he met another mutant for the first time.

As part of his training, Jean Luc had been teaching Remy the art of stealth, in addition to lock picking. There was a very wealthy villa, and the aristocrat who lived there was in Rome.

Remy had been challenged to enter the villa unseen, and bring back some kind of bauble. Getting in had been simple. The guards were fat and lazy, and seemed to be enjoying their employer's wine in his absence. That, Remy thought, would be a fine prize for his papa, who enjoyed fine wines. And so, Remy made his way to the cellar. But as he perused the selection, there was a commotion. The door slammed open, and with a cry, a girl was flung down the stairs. A cruel looking woman appeared at the top, a smug smile on her dark painted lips as the girl hit the floor.

"You cannot escape." She said, and the girl raised her head. Remy was astonished. The girl made him think of his Tante Mattie… she had dark skin, though not quite as dark, but her hair was a shocking white and her eyes a silvery blue. She got to her feet and wiped blood from the corner of her mouth.

Remy frowned when the woman descended the stairs into the cellar.

"You will live here." She was declaring in a haughty tone. "In the cold and dark, until that spirit is broken and you will no longer resist the whims of my master."

"I will never submit!" The girl declared, he voice strong and beautiful. Her courage inspired admiration in the young gypsy, hidden in the shadows, and he knew that he could not leave her there. Chivalry demanded that he save her, and his heart and mind felt strongly about it.

"I will beat you into submission." The woman spat, and raised a cane.

"Don't t'ink y' will!" Remy called, and the girl and woman both jerked, startled. Remy sauntered into a view, a small child with the confidence of a man as he lightly twirled his staff in his fingers. "T'ink de lady can go where she want, non?" And he glanced the white haired girl, who was staring in shock at his eyes. The woman was too…

"Another one…" She breathed, eyes glittering in a malicious sense of triumph. "And what are your powers, child?" She asked, trying to sound kindly.

Remy shrugged. "Dunno. Ain't got dem yet, me. But don't need dem… You step back an' let us leave now, s'il vous plait? Don't want no trouble…"

"Then why are you in the cellar of a home you do not live in?"

"Ah…" Remy blinked, and then gave a sheepish grin. "Alrigh'… Guess I been caught…" And he happily pulled down a few bottles of wine and slid them into his satchel.

"You're a thief."

"Oui!" Remy admitted, happily. "T'ink I steal HER!" And he pointed at the white haired girl. The woman looked confused, and Remy cocked his head. He felt something. Almost… as though it was her… "Y' ain't got use fo' a couple po' children…" He persuaded. "Ain't learned proper skills yet… jus' be more mouths t' feed, non? Mo' trouble dan we be worth, oui?"

"Children are troublesome…" The woman sighed, looking mildly annoyed. Remy smiled, walking up to her, cocking his head.

"Can't speak fo' her…" Remy said, nodding to the mutant girl, "but… got no manners, me! Tend t' run wild like an' uncivilized heathen… break t'ings a lot, me. Make a mess wherever I go… Y' don't need dat hassle."

"No, definitely not." The woman agreed, making a face.

"So… we spare y' de trouble an' jus' leave. An' y' can enjoy dis peaceful home." Remy nodded, reaching a hand back. After a moment, the girl accepted it, and Remy gasped softly when he felt a flash of… feelings? Confusion… hope… fear… Remy began to tug her up the stairs.

"M' apologies fo' de inconvenience, madame…" He said, reaching the top and tugging the girl through the door. "We be leavin' y' in peace now…"

"That would be lovely, thank you…" The woman said, and Remy softly closed the door and tugged the girl down the hall, plucking up things from off of side tables as they moved down the corridor.

"… How did you do that?" The girl asked.

"No idea." Remy confessed, grinning and snatching a gilded dagger with precious gems laid into the scabbard. "C'est magnifique…"

But then, behind them, the door slammed open and the woman barreled through with a furious shriek.

"DEVIL CHILD!" Remy and the girl froze, then Remy snagged her hand and bolted. "My master may demand the girl, but I'll keep you myself, boy! I'll make you PAY for using your filthy little demon tricks on me!"

"Oh, no!" The girl gasped.

"Jus' keep up!" Remy blurted, flinging open and window and climbing out. He turned and helped the girl, and then they took off across the grass, eyes wide as the guards closed in.

"RUN!" Remy shouted, shoving his satchel into her hands and spinning his staff as he turned to face the two guards nearest. The girl watched, eyes wide, as the young boy, only three or four years her junior, wielded his staff skillfully, and had disarmed one guard, and had the other on the ground, cradling his manhood, within moments.

"RUN!" Remy commanded again.

"This way!" The girl cried, and tugged Remy to the left.

"Dat be a cliff over dere, cher!" Remy argued.

"Exactly!" The girl grinned, and Remy's eyes widened as the girl's eyes turned white. He slowly raised his eyes and took in the darkening clouds as they swirled overhead. The wind picked up, and lightning forked across the sky.

"Are… are YOU-?" He gasped.

"Yes." The girl smiled, not slowing down as they approached the cliff. "Trust me! JUMP!"

Remy let out a shriek but did as she had said, clinging tightly to her hand. And then she was over him, catching his other hand with her own. They were no longer falling down, but at an angle. And the angle became less and less sharp as they… almost glided into the trees.

Thunder cracked through the air and the rain began to fall as Remy's toes skimmed the grass, and then he was running again, his heart in his throat. The girl was beside him. He turned and looked at her, shocked.

"… Who ARE you?!" He demanded to know, eyes wide in awe.

"My name is Ororo. But I am better known as Storm. And you?"

"… Remy. Remy LeBeau."

"And your other name?"

"… hehn?"

"Your mutant name."

"… Don't got one."

Storm just smiled. "When you get your powers, you will earn one."

Remy smiled back, then swerved, calling "dis way!"

The children ran through the trees, heading around the cliff and back towards the main road towards the villa. Storm questioned the wisdom of this, but Remy insisted. And then they burst into a clearing and Voleur snorted, tossing his head. Smiling, Remy ran to his papa's horse, rubbing a hand over the velvety black nose before pulling himself up into the saddle. "C'mon!" He cried, offering his hand and tugging Storm onto the horse behind him, and then Voleur galloped off into the woods.

They rode for several hours in the rain before finally coming to the edge of a large meadow.

"Oh… You are Romani?" Storm asked.

"Am now, me!" Remy told her, grinning as he urged the horse into camp. Several gypsies came running, ready to welcome Remy back from his test, but their shock registered as soon as they saw Storm. One of the men ran off, and as Remy guided Voleur to the main bonfire in the center of camp, Jean Luc came running up, eyes wide.

"Remy… What've y' done?!" He gasped. "Y' was s'posed t' take somet'in small! Somet'in' dat wouldn't be noticed!"

Smirking, Remy removed his satchel and offered it. Jean Luc accepted it and peered inside. "What de hell is all dis?!"

"De baubles!" Remy announced, proudly. "An' some… extras."

"Dey'll know dey was hit by a t'ief!"

"Oui." Remy nodded. "Dey already know." The troupe gaped at him, horrified. "Dis is Stormy."

"Excuse me?" Storm blurted, scowling.

"De lady at de house was gonna hurt her! T'rew her down de cellar stairs, papa! Was gonna do bad t'ings… Couldn't leave her, me!" Remy explained. Jean Luc stared, then sighed and lifted his son off of the horse, and then carefully helped the girl down, too. Then he stared into her eyes.

"Is dis true?" He asked, and she nodded.

"I have been running from them for a long time." She admitted. "I was trying to find my way to a place I had heard of. A sanctuary for… people like me. And him." She glanced at Remy.

"For mutants?" Jean Luc asked, and Storm nodded.

"I was caught and brought to the house. To be enslaved." She said. "Remy saved me."

"An' got some nice wine, too!" Remy announced, pulling out the several bottles and holding them up, the gypsies cheering in delight and then going through the other items he had stolen, admiring them and sometimes laughing over the silly little worthless things that had just been randomly grabbed…

Jean Luc stared at Remy, and sighed, but ruffled his hair. "Alrigh', Remy… Y' did de right t'ing." He admitted, then drew the boy in for a hug. "Jus' glad y' got out safe…" And then he looked at Storm. "Are y' hurt, cher?"

"No." Storm answered, shaking her head.

"Den let's get y' fed and rested. Y' can stay wit' Tante Mattie."

On cue, Mattie hurried over. "Oh, Remy… I am so proud o' you!" She exclaimed, hugging the boy tightly and then hurried Storm away, babbling about checking her over for injuries and assuring her that she was now safe. Jean Luc then turned and stared down at Remy, before taking his hand and pulling him away, saying "Come wit' me…" He was startled at the sudden sensation of fear that sizzled through him momentarily, and it made him glance back at Remy; the child looked scared.

Jean Luc pulled him into their wagon and lifted Remy up, sitting him down on his desk, and then he sat down in his desk chair and stared at the child. "Tell me everyt'ing, mon fils… What happened?"

Remy gulped, but did so, starting when he had arrived at the house and left Voleur tied to a tree. He described in detail how he had infiltrated the house and made his way into the cellar, and how he had hidden and observed the girl, Storm, being thrown down the stairs. He told Jean Luc what the cruel woman in the house had said, trying to be as accurate as he could.

Jean Luc seemed to go cold when Remy told him of the woman's reaction when he had revealed his presence… how she had seemed eager upon sight of his eyes, and not frightened. He sat back with a frown when Remy said that the woman had asked him about his powers.

"An' what did y' tell de femme?" Jean Luc asked, his voice tense.

"Dat… I ain't got em yet…" Remy admitted, quietly. Jean Luc nodded. "An' she asked what Remy be doin' dere if I ain't dere fo' trouble…"

"And?"

"… Said I was a t'ief." Remy shrugged. "An' took some wine."

Outside, several gypsies jumped and stared at the sudden explosion of roaring laughter from Jean Luc's wagon.

"Remy!" The man cried between giggles when he was able to speak again. "Dat be one o' de mos' stupid t'ings y' eve' done! An' damn it all, I can't be mad at y', me!" Remy gave his papa a sheepish grin. "Ah, Remy… y' worry your papa wit' dese risky gambits y' take… alrigh', what happened next?"

"Tol' de crazy lady dat I was stealin' Stormy—"

"HAH!"

"—an' said dat we be nothin' but useless kids… don't got no useful skills o' nothin'… Dat we ain't wort' keepin' aroun' an… she acted funny."

"Acted funny?"

"Well… she… she seem a bit… fuzzy?" Remy offered, tapping a fingertip to his temple. "An' she agreed."

"Agreed?!"

"She listen t' Remy." The little boy explained. "Told 'er dat Remy be mo'trouble dan he be wort'!"

"Ain't DAT de trut'…" Jean Luc snorted, grinning. Remy mirrored his smile.

"Wild an' uncivilized heathen, me! No manners, I break t'ings, make messes…"

"HAH!" Jean Luc barked again.

"An' den I said we was leavin' her in peace, an' she… let us go."

"Wait… let you go?!"

"Well… kinda?"

"Kinda?"

"Remy take Stormy upstairs an' we was 'bout halfway outta de house when she started screamin' an' came after us. Call Remy a Devil Child!" He looked oddly pleased at that, giving his papa a wicked little grin. But Jean Luc didn't say anything. Remy cocked his head, eying the distant look in his papa's eyes as the man mulled things over.

"… Papa?"

Jean Luc blinked and shook himself back into the moment, looking at the boy. After a long stretch, he sighed, reaching out and stroking Remy's hair.

"Remy…"

"Oui?"

"Got some questions f' you, mon fils…"

"D'accord?"

"… When I be near you… funny t'ings… happen in m' head."

"Hehn?" Remy asked, cocking his head in confusion.

"Does y' head ever feel funny?"

"… Did t'day…" Remy admitted. "When I was talkin' t de crazy femme… An' sometimes…. When I be in trouble?"

"In trouble?"

"… When y' get mad at Remy…" The boy admitted. "Feel hot. Jus' a bit. Real quick, dere, den gone… here…" He tapped his head, and then his chest. "An' here… Almos' like… Remy be angry fo' a moment."

"My head feels funny sometimes…" Jean Luc said softly, holding Remy's small fingers in his own. "When y' be scared… Feel it, just fo' a second, here…" He pressed a hand to his own chest. "Like… lightnin'… dere, an' den gone."

"Oui!" Remy nodded.

"… Remy… t'ink y' may be gettin' y' powers, mon fils…" Remy stared. "T'ink dat… it be emotions. Y' can feel ot'er people… an' dey can feel you. An'… sounds like y' may be able to make dem feel t'ings, too… sounds like maybe you… charmed dat femme… Can y' try t' do it on purpose?"

"… T'ink y' feel worried, papa…" Remy whispered, eyes wide.

Jean Luc eyed him for a moment, then nodded, saying "t'ink we ain't waitin' fo' sunrise t' move on…" And he turned and left the wagon. Within the hour, the troupe was on the move once more. Mattie and Jean Luc guided the wagon together, Remy and the girl, Storm, in the wagon, chatting excitedly.

"Empath." Mattie declared, once Jean Luc had finished telling her about the conversation with Remy.

"Hehn?" Jean Luc asked.

"De boy may be an Empath, Jean Luc. Can sense and manipulate emotions." She sighed and shook her head. "Dat gon' be rough on dat po' child… He lucky we got 'im, now…"

"Hm?"

"Well, t'ink, Jean Luc! If he was still in dat town… imagine livin' an' bein' able t' feel everyone 'round y'… feel how much dey hate, fear an' despise y'… How you t'ink de boy take dat? We need t' help him get control… dat power can hurt 'im, jus' as much as it could help 'im… maybe more…

"An' what about de girl?" Henri called from where he rode his horse beside them.

"What?" Jean Luc asked.

"She gon' stay wit' us?" Henri asked.

"Je ne sais…" Jean Luc sighed. "T'ink I know where she was headed, me… We gon' take 'er dere, an' den we see…" And he and Mattie both smiled when they heard Remy's laughter from back in the wagon, followed by the girl making a noise of amusement and exasperation.

"Do NOT call me Stormy!"