**Remy:
Remy entered the garage with a hint of a smile on his face as he fingered the tracking device in his pocket. He doubted that he would use it, but the fact that Logan had given it to him made him confident in what he was about to do. The X-Men would come if he needed them; that was enough of a comfort to make him confident in his plan. If Sinister went back on his word, he could always call the X-Men. He repeated those words over and over again in his head.
He drove non-stop for hours before he needed a break. He pulled into the rest area and got off the bike so he could walk around. He threw the duffle bag over his shoulder before making his way inside to order a cup of coffee. He found a payphone and sat across from it as he eyed it sadly. He was far enough from the mansion to call her; Essex could come find him here.
He threw his half finished cup into the garbage on his way to the restroom. Once he called there would be no taking it back, no second guessing himself. He would be a sitting duck until they came for him. He splashed some water on his face and stared sadly at his reflection in the mirror. He didn't want to be the son of Essex anymore. He wanted to be free of the man.
As he walked out of the restroom he didn't allow himself any more time to hesitate before he walked over to the payphone. He forced his hand not to tremble as he raised it to drop a quarter into the slot. He dialed her number without thinking; it was engrained in his very soul.
"Dr. Millings," her voice answered harshly.
His throat was dry and he almost hung up the phone because her tone was colder then he had ever heard her speak.
"Who is this?" She asked angrily.
He didn't want to do this; he didn't want to go back to Essex. He closed his eyes and leaned against the cold wall as he forced himself to speak. "Lilly," he whispered so quietly that he hoped she wasn't able to hear him.
"Remy?" she asked as her tone changed instantly.
"Oui," he admitted as he forced the glittering tears in his eyes to refrain from wetting his cheeks.
"Are you alright?" she questioned sincerely.
"You can come get me," Remy replied.
"Did they hurt you?" she asked worried.
"Non," he admitted. The X-Men hadn't hurt him at all while he had been with them and he was only now able to admit that to himself.
"Where are you?" she asked sadly.
"You can trace da call," he said instead of offering her his location.
"Are you sure?" she asked. Her voice sounded nervous and he almost changed his mind.
"Oui," he informed her. He couldn't back out now he tried to convince himself.
"Remy, he already has her," Lilly warned. "Just stay with the X-Men," she encouraged.
"Non," he said forcefully. "He'll let Tori go if I come," he told her unnecessarily.
"I wish you hadn't called me," she told him and he was startled by the anger behind her words.
"Lilly," he said her name questioningly. He was unsure why she was suddenly mad at him.
"Why do you sacrifice everything for her?" Lilly asked.
"Are you tracing the call?" he asked her instead of answering.
"Yes," she admitted. "Why?"
"Because I love her," he explained.
"She wouldn't do the same for you," she argued.
"You don't know that," he informed her as he doubted the truth of her words. He was frustrated that she chose now of all times to argue with him.
"Go back to the X-Men," she insisted.
"No," he refused. He didn't understand her insistence, in the past she had always encouraged him to return.
"Do you understand what I went through to get you out of here?" she condemned.
"I'm sorry Lilly, I never meant to get you in trouble," he insisted. He couldn't have her mad at him, not now when he was about to go back.
"I won't even be allowed near you now," she informed him.
"I'm not fighting him," he insisted.
"That doesn't matter," she informed him. "He's mad at both of us."
Now more than ever Remy doubted that he would ever escape the man again. "What does that mean?" he asked.
"You know what it means Remy," she sighed. He wanted to ask her for a better answer because he wasn't sure what that meant. He wasn't sure how harsh Essex would be on them and he wanted her to explain. "The trace isn't done yet, you can still hang up the phone," she encouraged before he could speak.
"No," Remy insisted again. As much as he didn't want to go back to the man his conscience wouldn't allow him to walk away.
"Fine," she replied.
"Lilly, you know what Tori means to me," he pleaded for her to understand.
"Don't you think you've protected her long enough?" she questioned.
"Is she alright?" he asked as he avoided her question. If she really wanted an answer he knew that she would ask again.
"I haven't seen her," she stated.
"What? Why?" he asked surprised.
"I'm not allowed to," she informed him.
His worry intensified, "you have access everywhere Lilly, go see her."
"I'm done breaking rules for you Remy," she explained.
"Rules?" he said the word confused, "I'm simply asking you to check on her."
"And I told you, I'm not allowed to do that," she stated intensely.
"Since when are you not allowed somewhere in his labs?" he questioned a little harsher then he meant to.
"Since I planned your escape," she accused harshly. "I'm sorry, I don't blame you," she immediately added as she lightened her tone.
"Lilly," he said her name gently as guilt completely hit him. She had never been mad at him before for anything.
"Someone will be there soon," she informed him.
"Someone?" he questioned. "You're not coming?"
"I warned you Remy," she replied.
He closed his eyes again as he realized that she was right. "Can you stay on the phone?" he asked.
"Sure," she agreed.
**Logan:
He watched Remy walk out the door and frowned. There must have been something more that he could have done to help the kid. He didn't just mean right now, he meant over the last few years. Remy had been an X-Man for four years and only now had Logan found out about his past. Logan realized that only now had he gained the kids full trust.
He hadn't decided until the last minute to give Remy the tracking device but he was sure that it had been the right thing. He hoped that Remy would actually use it if he needed them. He was almost positive that the kid would need them.
He sat staring at the door for a few minutes before he was sure that Remy was really gone. He stood up and made his way up to his room. He had been waiting in the kitchen for a while before Remy finally came down because he hadn't wanted to risk missing the kid.
He laid down on his bed, but couldn't sleep. He was still missing something, he realized. Why would Sinister have sheltered Remy the way the kid claimed? And why did Remy really believe that Sinister would live up to his end of the deal? Logan was sure he was still missing something.
Hours later he still wasn't asleep when he heard someone across the hall. He didn't need to open the door to know who it was. It was an understatement to say that Ororo would be upset when she found out Remy was gone. He sat up and forced himself to dress because he knew she would seek him soon.
Thunder shook the house as a sudden storm settled upon them. She must have found his letter. She would ask him why he let the kid leave, and Logan wasn't sure if he had a good enough reason. He looked out the window and hoped that Remy was outside the reach of the storm.
"Logan," she said his name as her hand frantically knocked on his door.
He opened the door before she became more panicked. He was saddened by the expression of loss on her face. Remy should have talked to her instead of simply leaving. Logan felt bad for not insisting on it, but he had more important things to talk to the kid about.
"He's gone," she said through tears.
"I know," he admitted. There was no reason to hide the fact that he knew already.
"Did you send him away?" she questioned suddenly furious.
"Of course not," he defended instantly.
"But you didn't stop him," she accused, her emotion unchanged.
"I couldn't 'Ro." He didn't know how to make her understand the truth behind the statement without explaining everything that Remy had told him.
"You should have stopped him!" She yelled.
"I know," he admitted, "but short of locking him up, I couldn't."
"Why would he leave? Things were getting better. He was getting better!" she was more hysterical then he had ever seen her.
"He'll be back 'Ro," he said in an effort to try to calm her down.
"How do you know that?" she questioned suspiciously.
"I just do," Logan stated. He didn't want to get her hopes up that Remy would call for their help. He wasn't sure that Remy would actually use the tracking device that he gave him so he didn't want Ororo to know about it. For the time being Remy was on his own.
"We must alert the others," Storm insisted. "He could not have gotten too far."
"No," Logan insisted. "You gotta let the kid do this."
"Do what Logan?" She asked.
"I can't tell ya 'Ro," he insisted.
"If my brother gets hurt I am holding you responsible," she threatened.
He nodded, but didn't offer a further response. There was nothing he could do now; he just had to wait for Remy. Why did he let the kid leave with such a stupid plan?
She stormed away angrily and the weather outside intensified. He looked out after her for several minutes before closing his door. He wondered why he had gotten himself so caught up in the mess.
He skipped breakfast that morning and took out his frustration in the danger room instead. The hologram of Creed seemed to taunt him a little more than it ever had before. He understood why Remy would have hidden the truth from him, but he was still angry about it.
The images surrounding him faded into the cold steel of the danger room and Logan wasn't surprised to find Scott in the control room looking down at him. "The Professor wants to see you," he informed Logan.
Logan wasn't surprised so he didn't argue the request. "I'll be there in fifteen," he informed Scott. Scott nodded before walking away from the window.
He decided to shower and change before he went to see Xavier. He hadn't decided what to tell the man yet, but he hoped that they could have this meeting alone. As he reached the door he appreciated that the Professor allowed him to knock instead of simply beckoning him.
As he entered the office he couldn't bring himself to meet the man's eyes. He sat down in a chair in front of the man's desk and was glad that Scott wasn't present. He sat silently as he waited for Xavier to ask him a question. The man had a right to know where Remy was.
"You know why I called you here," Professor Xavier stated flatly.
"I had to let the kid go," Logan responded. He wanted the Professor to ask because if he simply offered answers it would seem more to Logan like he was betraying Remy's trust.
Xavier looked at him thoughtfully from his position behind his large oak desk. "Ororo is concerned that you forced Remy to leave," Xavier explained, "is that true?"
Logan frowned, "no," he stated firmly. "I just couldn't make him stay," he reaffirmed. Remy had to make this decision himself and he had chosen to go. Perhaps if they had more time to think about it then they could have come up with a better or at least a different plan but Remy had insisted on leaving. Logan was sure that he should have done something different.
"Why did he leave?" Xavier finally asked and Logan wondered why it hadn't been his first question.
"How much do you know about the boy's past?" Logan asked.
"I am afraid I know very little," Xavier answered. "I have spoken with his father numerous times and he provides me with very little insight as well. Jean-Luc seems angry that I continue to update him on Remy's condition. It is most disconcerting."
"He threw the kid out a long time ago," Logan responded.
Xavier raised his eyebrows in surprise, "I was unaware that they had a falling out."
Logan shifted his eyes to the wall behind Xavier, "how much do you want to know?" He questioned cautiously.
"How much has he hidden from us?" Xavier asked in response.