Chapter 10
Festive season over Erik went back to work traveling to and from the office every day. Hank returned to his studies and Pietro to school. Charles, alone all day, grew bored having re-read all of his favourite books by the end of the month and his mind drifted back to the day of the book signing, when he had read to the children. He pulled out a fresh note book and began writing down ideas for a series of children's stories. He chuckled thinking how this was going to go down, he could see the headlines. 'Famous Erotica writer Charles Xavier turns to Children's Books.'
"What're you so happy about?" Erik asked, Charles had to check his watch, he had been busy.
"My new project. I'm working on a set of children's stories."
"Wonderful, you'd have to be working with Remy on this one; he's in charge of the children's department. Well he answers to Logan but he's the main person involved."
"You don't deal with children's books?"
"No, I deal with the filth and the teenage and young adult books. As you wrote my dear. What's it about?"
"Well it's a collection of short stories based on a school for mutants. Like superpowers but they're genetic. Here take a look." Erik read the list of characters, "sadly I hate to admit it but I'm going to have to work with an illustrator on this one. I've done a kids book before and I hated it."
"You should ask Pietro to help you out; he's rather good with his drawing. A+ in Art Class since grade school." Erik suggested.
"I'll think about it, God I'm tired, I started this morning."
"Come on let's go out for dinner. Just us."
"Ooh, what's the occasion?"
"Nothing special, but we landed a good book deal, contracted for a series of 10 books minimum."
"Well good for the publishing company, can I take a shower first?"
"Sure, if you're up for it I'll join you?"
"Do you even need to ask?" Charles grinned.
The following morning Charles joined Erik on a trip to his office to meet Remy Lebeau. Erik was wearing his suit but Charles had opted for casual, a pair of jeans and a green shirt with the sleeves rolled up to the elbows. "Promise me you'll behave?"
"Erik I promise I'll be on my best behaviour." Charles assured him as they rode up in the elevator.
"OK, I'll be in my office, afterwards."
"OK I remember where it is, love you," he kissed his cheek as the elevator doors opened.
"Love you too," Erik said quietly, "come on Remy's office is this way." In his office, a sizeable room with a desk and plush chairs and a coffee table Remy Lebeau sat reading his latest submission from one of his longer projects. He and Logan worked together in the Children's Literature department because there was just so much of it. "Remy you remember Charles."
"Bonjour."
"Hello."
"He's got ideas for a book of children's stories."
"Brilliant, come in, mon ami." Erik excused himself and Remy invited Charles to sit on the couches and offered him coffee for them to talk. Charles pulled his note book out of his bag and shared his ideas. Remy was a good person to deal with Kid's books because although you wouldn't have thought it, Remy was amazing with children.
"So how many stories do you think we're going to need?"
"Minimum of 30 I think should work. But we need a test."
"I have thought of that, my friend, she's a school teacher in the City, I was going to ask her, though you might need to call on my behalf, some bad things happened last time I did a reading there."
"Strange, I have a friend of the same profession who a few years back said an author brought the wrong papers."
"Ororo Monroe?"
"That's her, so you're her friend who writes the dirty books."
"She never mentioned she knew anyone in publishing, I'd remember that."
"You may have heard of her scoundrel womanizer friend?"
"You're that Remy Lebeau?"
"The one and only." Remy said proudly. "Don't worry about Stormy, like many women she cannot resist doing as Remy asks of her." Charles had to let out a laugh, this man was exactly as Storm had described to him.
Ororo Monroe sat in the staff room during morning recess talking with her colleagues when her phone rang on the table in front of her. It played very loudly, the song she knew meant only one person could be calling. 'Sex Bomb' she sighed excusing herself, he changed it every time he got hold of her phone. He was well trained in pick-pocketing so it was often changed. "Yes Remy?"
"How did you know it was me?"
"Stab in the dark," she answered dryly.
"Cher how would you like your class to get a reading from my new author he has a collection of stories about a school?"
"I'll have to run it by the Principle but I'm sure the class would love it, what's his name?"
"Hello old friend."
"Charles? Back into children's books? You had better not screw up like you did last time, I almost lost my job."
"Now now Stormy, no threatening my author."
"Why do you call me that?"
"Dat is for me to know and for you … Not to know." Remy smirked.
"Look I'm not promising anything but I'll ask, goodbye Remy, Charles."
"Au Revouir Stormy."
"Later 'Ro."
After a week of pleading her case to the head master Ororo called Remy to tell him the good news. Remy passed on the news to Charles and said he wanted five short stories to test out, and he had a week to do it.
"Charles you wanted to see me?"
"Pietro, yes come in, I was wondering if you would like an artistic gig of sorts, my new editor wants illustrations for my new book and I'm not much of an artist but your dad says you are."
"Um sure I'll give it a go, what did you have in mind?"
"Well a few of the characters are 'derived' from people I know so if I get you photos maybe you can animate them?"
"Sure, dad said they were mutants, anything in particular?"
"Not many are physical. Just like this guy," Charles showed him a description.
"This sounds a lot like my Uncle Logan." Charles said nothing just grinned. "And this Remy," Pietro said as he looked through the lists of characters. Understanding that Charles was writing what he knew. "Hey, this kid sounds like me," he smiled. "I think I can work with this, can I take these?" He asked holding up the character descriptions.
"Sure I'll get a few pictures of you for these few," he said circling a few names on the list.
"On it."
Ororo chewed nervously on her nails in the reception area of the school as she waited for her friends to arrive. Two cars pulled up in the car park, she knew both of them. The first Remy and the second Charles. A third man got out of Remy's car, he was slightly taller than Remy and he had darker, messier hair. "Stormy this is Logan my partner in the Children's literature and you know Charles."
"Remy quit calling me that, Charles nice to see you again, this way; the kids are on lunch so you can set up." Charles and Remy set up the pictures of the characters Pietro had drawn. "Not that I don't trust you Charles but I need to see what you've brought to read to them."
"Ah yes, here you go," he smiled at his old friend handing over the stories he'd brought with him.
"Lebeau why am I even here?" Logan asked.
"Ah right, Logan, you said I owed you after our last double date disaster." Logan fought the urge to punch him on the spot and turned his attention to Storm.
"Bub you expect me to pick up a woman at work in an elementary school?"
"No, just talk, maybe exchange numbers and go from there. Look trust me Logan I know that you and Stormy are right for each other, it was just a matter of waiting for the right time and for you both to be single."
"I swear one day Lebeau things are gonna turn sour."
"When the day comes I suppose I will deserve it."
The reading, unlike the last one, went smoothly and Charles and Remy got their desired feedback from the children.
Remy headed home but Charles waited until Storm could leave so Logan could talk to her then he was giving Logan a lift back to the office where he was picking Erik up. He didn't miss Ororo and Logan exchanging numbers and making plans or her blush as they said goodbye. Logan made to light a cigar in the car. "Logan if you light that in here I'll have you know I'm a trained hypnotist and I'll make you think you're a six year old girl."
"Can you do that?"
"I'd have 'Ro braid your hair." Sighing Logan put away his lighter and cigar.
Over the next month Charles and Remy worked closely with Pietro on the stories for the book. Remy had booked in a signing on the release date in the local book store with a reading from Charles. For once Charles wasn't as nervous about what he was about to go through.
Erik, Pietro and Hank were there too, Pietro was dressed as his 'alter ego' from the book, 'Quick Silver' to humour the children. "I still don't see why you had to make Xavier bald Pietro," Charles said as he flipped through the pages he'd marked to read.
"Well you are thinning out a little on the top there Charlie."
"Hank remove him before Charles cries." Erik said grinning.
"Am I really going bald Erik?"
"No, you aren't. Ignore him. I think it's to make his head look bigger and therefore him look smarter."
"Are you saying I have a small head and look stupid Erik?"
"Not at all darling now I think Remy needs you over there," Erik said trying to change the subject. Remy introduced him and he went over to the cushioned area set up in the children's section. Like the last time he'd been here Charles sat on a cushion and chose the story he was going to be reading out.
Charles opened the book and told them about the story he was going to be reading to them.
"Remy Lebeau was a frequent visitor to Xavier's School for Mutant Children so when he visited he was put onto the Teacher's Job Hat and which was drawn weekly. This week Remy had chosen the slip of paper reading 'Night Duty,' meaning he had to stay awake all night in case a student needed him or anything was to happen. A plus was he was able to sleep through the day and he had a lot of time to himself and his thoughts.
"The School had recently gained a new child who had come into her powers at an early age. Part of her mutation meant that she didn't need to sleep so Emiliee spent her nights reading or watching TV in the common room with the other children who either stayed up late or did not sleep. Tonight she sat alone in the kitchen while Remy patrolled the halls, when he made a stop for a cup of coffee to help keep him awake Remy met the new resident of the school.
"Remy turned shocked as he heard a squeak behind him. 'Bonjour.'
'Hello.' She looked at the man she had never seen 'are you a teacher?'
'Oui, I am, you must be Emiliee, your teachers told me about you, apparently you have a very cool power." Charles took a moment to show the pictures on the pages and Remy had to do a double take at the illustration Pietro had drawn.
"'I can change my voice and mimic others,' she answered him back in his own voice. 'You sound familiar, are you from Louisiana?'
'Oui' Remy replied, 'how could you tell?'
'My favourite film is called the Princess and the Frog, you sound like the characters. Have you ever seen it?' Remy had indeed seen the film, many times but as each time a student brought it up he made it out like it was the first he'd heard of it, just to make the child happy.
'No I haven't.'
'Would you like to watch it with me?'
'Cheré I would be honoured,' Remy smiled and she pulled on his hand to take him to watch the movie. The next morning at day break Logan, a tall man with messy hair and claws that grew from his hands found them watching the movie for the second time, Emiliee curled under Remy's arm as she watched.
"'Having fun Lebeau?'
'Plenty Monsieur Claws.' Remy chuckled and turned his attention back to the film."
The children clapped at the story and the rest of the signing went off without a hitch.