**Remy:
Remy watched the scene below him anxiously. He leaned over in his chair as far as possible and gazed down at the room intently. Storm, Beast, Iceman, Cyclops and Jean were currently involved in the exercise. Remy longed to join them almost as much as he hated the idea. He wanted his life to stop being such a contradiction.
"You are welcome to join them whenever you are ready," Professor Xavier informed him once again. The man had told him that before and Remy was sick of hearing it.
"What if I'm never ready?" he asked very seriously. His eyes never left the glass window that he was focused on. He didn't want to see the disappointment or anger that he assumed he would find on the Professors face in response to his question. It was a very serious concern that he had. He wasn't sure how he would ever be able to forgive and forget what the X-Men had done. He knew Rogue was banned from the team, but he feared that it would only be a matter of time before the X-Men realized that they had made a mistake.
"You don't have to rejoin the team if you don't want to," Xavier assured. "You will always be welcome here Remy, whether you choose to be an X-Man again or not."
Remy turned to him in disbelief, "if I wasn't an X-Man why would you want me to hang around here?" he asked.
"This is your home Remy, it will always be your home," he assured.
Remy didn't believe him; he had no reason to. He had been told that he had a home before and he had been turned away eventually. He was sure that the X-Men would be no different. "I've been told that before," the words slipped out of his mouth accidently but he wasn't entirely sorry that he had said them.
"Remy I've spoken with Jean-Luc several times and he will come if you would simply ask him," Xavier informed him. Remy was surprised that Xavier picked up on his meaning so quickly.
"He only said that because he knows I'll never ask," Remy replied. He tried to show a front of nonchalance but he hopelessly wished that his Papa would really be willing to come.
"Isn't it worth a try?" Xavier asked him.
Remy shook his head sadly, "I have no right to ask anything of him." Jean-Luc had made sure that he knew that.
"He wants to help," Xavier persisted, "he just isn't sure that you want him to."
Remy laughed, "and you believe that?" he asked doubtfully.
"I believe a father would want to help his son," Xavier replied.
The ridiculousness of the answer amused Remy more then it angered him. "That depends on who your father is," Remy informed him. In his case neither of the men that claimed that title wanted to help him. They both only wished to use him for their own gain.
He would always love Jean-Luc but he was well aware of the prophesy that led the man to take him in. Had he not killed Henri he would have been forced into a marriage to unite the Guilds. He had always held contempt for the idea of marrying Belladonna, but as he thought about the life he had instead he almost wished he had fulfilled the prophesy. Just as quickly as the thought occurred, he changed his mind.
Essex was an entirely different story, but at one point Remy had been fooled into believing that the man actually cared about him. Looking back he realized how ridiculously naive he had been. Essex had never cared about him as a son, he simply saw Remy as a weapon. Essex had convinced him that together they could do anything; naively Remy didn't realize the destructive message behind the words. Essex had fixed his powers and allowed him to earn an education. He smirked to himself as he thought about how the X-Men thought he was completely uneducated.
"Just remember the option is open to you," Xavier's words brought him back from his thoughts and he focused once again on the action happening in the danger room below him.
He nodded but remained quiet. He didn't have anything more to say to Xavier, this had been the longest conversation that he had with the man since his return.
"How have you been sleeping?" Xavier asked after a few minutes of silence.
Remy was annoyed; he wanted to watch the training session in peace. "Good," he lied.
"Ororo seems to differ," Xavier informed him.
He expected the reply, "then why did you ask?"
"I thought perhaps you'd like to talk about it," Xavier explained.
"I'll leave Stormy alone," he assured the Professor. He knew the day would come that Storm would seek the Professor's help with his nightmares. He knew he had bothered her long enough but he wasn't sure where he would now go.
"That is not what I was suggesting," Professor Xavier explained sadly.
"You didn't have too," Remy assured him, "I know Stormy ain't been sleeping either. I'll leave her alone."
"I don't believe that would make either of you happy."
Remy knew he wouldn't be happy without Storm, but he didn't want her to be unhappy with him either. "You sure?" he asked hesitantly. He felt like he was asking permission for something dangerous and embarrassment flooded his cheeks as the ridiculousness of his question fully absorbed him.
"Of course I am sure," the Professor assured him. "Do you have any comments about the training below?" he asked.
Remy knew the Professor was trying to change the subject and he was glad. "No," he replied to the question. He could sense the disappointment of the older man but he couldn't think of anything to say.
"Remy my door is always open if you decide you'd like to talk," Xavier informed him.
Remy again didn't know what to say, "merci," he managed to force out. He had no intention or desire to have another talk with the Professor; he hadn't even wanted to have the current talk.
The two of them watched the conclusion of the danger room session in silence. Just before Remy knew the session was going to end he made his exit out of the room. Remy knew that he had to get back to practicing, but he didn't trust the X-Men enough to fight with them or the holographic images of the danger room. It had become easy to trust Jean in a holographic Rec Room but he couldn't trust the X-Men with any real danger.
**Logan:
"Hey kid," Logan tried to sound casual as he walked into the mansion's library and found Remy playing cards alone. He hadn't found him by accident, but tried to make it appear that way.
"Logan," Remy replied without looking up. "Where ya been?"
The question was unexpected and Logan was glad that Remy no longer seemed to be afraid of him. He missed the old Cajun, and the kid before him looked more like his old self then when Logan had last seen him. "Had some stuff to do," he replied.
Remy nodded and continued playing the complicated card game that was laid out on the table in front of him.
"Wanna deal something else?" Logan asked as he sat across from him.
"Watcha want Logan?" Remy countered.
Logan wasn't surprised; Remy had reasons to be suspicious. "I just want to talk."
"Maybe you go call Jubilee?" Remy suggested.
Logan chuckled at the joke, and watched as Remy looked up with a smirk. "I meant I want to talk to you kid," Logan clarified.
Remy nodded and his smirk disappeared as he looked back down at his card game.
Logan sighed; he didn't know how to start. Xavier had asked him to stay away from Remy and instead of following that advice he immediately sought the kid. "I heard you been working with Jeannie," he said.
"Oui," Remy answered. He was still doing his best to ignore Logan and although it was frustrating, Logan tried not to get mad at him.
"How are you really doing?" Logan asked seriously. He was honestly concerned about Remy and he was willing to help him. He didn't bother to lie to himself that he had gone after Creed for Remy, that had been for his own selfish reasons, but he had also hoped that the conversation would end up helping Remy as well.
"I'm still here," Remy replied. The remark left Logan unsure of its true meaning and he realized asking for clarification wouldn't gain anything.
"Do you know how we found you kid?" he asked, he wasn't sure if anyone told Remy yet.
"Non," he replied sounding only vaguely interested.
Logan felt that Remy had the right to know how the X-Men had found out that he was alive and with Sinister. "Creed told me," Logan informed him.
That got a reaction as Remy's eyes flew up to meet his and the cards in the thief's hands were dropped. The look in Remy's eyes was a mix of fear and shame and Logan wasn't sure what to make of it.
Logan waited several minutes for Remy to speak and when he didn't he asked, "have any ideas why Creed would help you?" he asked.
Remy quickly shook his head, but Logan knew better. There was a connection there; neither of them had been able to hide it well. Logan was unsure if he wanted to figure out what it was. For now he let it go and explained, "he said it was because your doctor friend told him too."
"Been working with Jean, ain't been no trouble," Remy said nervously. "Just need help with control then I'll leave," Remy informed him.
That wasn't the answer Logan was looking for and he couldn't cover-up his surprise. "Kid I ain't telling you to leave," Logan informed him. "I just need to know what's going on."
Remy's eyes watered as he asked, "what else did Creed tell you?"
"He said the Doc's always lived in Sinister's labs." He hadn't meant to use the nickname that Creed called her, but he wasn't sure what other name to use. He didn't want to anger Remy by calling her Lilly.
"What?" Remy asked angrily anyways. "That can't be true!"
"That's what he said kid," Logan admitted suddenly unsure if he should have made the revelation.
"But Lilly's. . ." a look of realization passed over the kid's face before being hidden.
"Lilly's what?" Logan asked. He couldn't help his curiosity, he was still unsure of Remy's connection to her.
"Is she in trouble?" Remy asked instead of answering him.
"Creed said she was." Logan admitted.
"It's my fault," Remy admitted, "I knew I was being watched."
"Remy?" he said the younger man's name questioningly. When had Logan lost control of the conversation he wondered?
"What?" Remy replied, obviously still lost in thought.
"How long have you known them?"
"I just need a little time Logan. Please just let Jean help me" Remy was practically begging him.
"I already told you we ain't kicking you out Cajun," Logan sighed.
"Not yet," Remy admitted.
"Damn it Remy, this is your home!" Logan yelled. "Just tell us the truth kid, what's the worst it could be? It's not like you're gonna tell me you're Creed's kid."
Logan missed Remy's reaction to the outburst as he was forced to look towards the door when he heard it open. "What are you doing here Logan?" Ororo asked suspiciously.
"I was just..." he began.
"He's alright," Remy interrupted as he picked up his cards with shaky hands.
Ororo still eyed them suspiciously and Logan was confused. Why would Remy cover up what was going on.
"I wanted to ask if you would accompany me to dinner," Ororo said while looking at Remy.
"Not hungry," Remy replied. Logan was certain it was because of their conversation, but there was nothing he could do about that now.
"You must eat," she insisted.
"Maybe later Stormy," he offered.
"Logan may I speak with you outside?" she asked.
"Sure," Logan replied. He took one more look at the kid and followed her out of the room.
"What were you doing in there?" she asked as the door closed behind them.
"I missed you too," he replied.
"Seriously Logan, while you've been gone he's been trying to trust us. Please tell me you haven't ruined that!"
"It's okay Stormy," Remy said as he opened the door, "I'm going upstairs."
"Remy," she called after him, but he didn't turn or stop.
"He thinks I'm going to kick him out of here. That's not trust," Logan said after Remy had disappeared from view.
"He has admitted that he is only letting us help him because his alternative is Sinister," she informed him. "But he's trying Logan."
The honesty that shined in her eyes convinced Logan to believe her.