They were settled into a pair of hotel rooms in downtown Memphis, where Ororo was about to take a much-needed bath. No longer afraid that their seemingly young charge would flee at the earliest opportunity, Ororo now had her own room, attached to Remy's and Belle's suite via a door. Ororo suspected the honeymooners were enthusiastic about having a room to themselves as well, if the sounds Ororo heard from the adjacent room were any indication. She shook her head and smiled, let the bathtub fill to drown out the noise.

Ororo needed to parse her thoughts. Her memories now restored, she thought to contact her fellow X-Men. However, she did not know their current whereabouts. After the Goblin Queen's assault on New York City and the subsequent destruction, the Xavier School for Gifted Youngsters had been reduced to rubble. Horrifying that their dear friend and Scott's wife, Madelyne Pryor, while having survived the plane crash, had been pushed beyond the brink and into madness. Sinister, it seemed, had proven harder to depose and his threats of imminent return were fulfilled. His machinations drove Maddie to insanity, to attempt to sacrifice the life of her own son Christopher...to demons for power, no less. It was a horror beyond imagining.

Ororo knew that Katherine Pryde and Kurt Wagner, possibly Piotr Rasputin as well, were on a small island off the coast of Scotland, Muir Island, along with a group of expatriated Morlocks. They were recovering from injuries sustained from the Goblin Queen's attack. Kitty and Kurt had co-founded a new team of mutants named Excalibur in Britain, alongside Elisabeth Braddock's brother, Brian, aka Captain Britain. X-Factor was similarly far afield, from what Storm recalled, their home base in New York City had been destroyed with the fallout from the demon attack. Storm imagined Logan had likely taken charge of her team of X-Men, and likewise did not know of their current exploits. She imagined her wisest decision would be to contact Kitty and Kurt.

Once she had finished her bath and donned the terrycloth robe offered by the hotel room, Ororo returned to her suite. Embarrassing how long the robe appeared on her small body. She had another thought regarding her next steps. Someone who was closer to Memphis than any of her other friends and allies. Though the thought of him seeing her in her current state filled her with no small amount of trepidation.

There was a knock on the door adjoining the two suites. Ororo cautiously opened it. Remy was standing on the opposite side, his hair more disheveled than usual. His clothing was no more or less as oddly paired as ever, but perhaps his current blindness could be used as an excuse. He grinned at her. The room behind him was dark. Belle was sprawled in the middle of the king-sized mattress, mostly hidden from view by a tumble of bedclothes. She appeared to be asleep. Ororo raised her pale eyebrows and regarded Remy archly. Her expression was lost on him. His blind gaze was unfocused.

"Mind if I come in?" he asked.

Ororo took a step back and Remy slipped into her room. He felt his way over to her bed, sat on the edge of the mattress.

"Glad t'have you back, Stormy," Remy told her. "We weren't sure what t'do."

"You both knew," Ororo said. "You knew who I was all along?"

"Not all along, but after Nanny mentioned some de-aging chamber, we could put two-and-two t'gether," he responded. "I thought t'call Logan, but for one, I don't know where he is, and for two, I didn't know how you'd react."

Ororo nodded, disappointed that Remy did not know where the X-Men were either. "I have been thinking," she began.

"That never goes well for me," Remy interrupted.

"I may have a potential solution for our problematic situations. My de-aged form. Your visions and Old Kingdom incantations."

"I'm listenin'," Remy said.

"I have a...contact...in Dallas, Texas," Ororo said slowly.

Remy's smile widened.

"Why are you wearing that ridiculous expression?" Ororo asked with irritation.

"Hm, your contact…he de one with de copper colored complexion, de Tinker Toy leg, and de cheekbones sharp enough to cut glass?" Even without the familiar glow in his eyes, Remy looked positively devilish.

Ororo crossed her arms and assumed an imperious expression, then caught her reflection in the mirror and realized how ridiculous she appeared.

"Logan might've filled me in. What a gossip," Remy continued in an airy, all-knowing tone. "Seein' as how you are...not without your own charms, but certainly without your feminine wiles, I'm wonderin' how you'll convince your ex to lend a mechanized helpin' hand?"

"Gambit," Ororo's tone was a warning.

"Don't get me wrong, he a handsome fella. Could be persuaded t'switch teams. Maybe I could sweet-talk your-!"

Ororo zapped him with a bolt.

"Ow! Hey! I'm only offerin' my assistance!" he cried, trying to smooth his hair. It crackled. "You're lucky you didn't get an earful of dire future predictions!"

"You. Are-!" Ororo began.

"Wait for it…!" Remy said, held his breath and bit his lower lip in anticipation.

Ororo huffed out a frustrated breath. "I will not even give you the satisfaction!"

Remy deflated. "C'mon, Stormy! 'Corrigible me!"

Ororo had never met a person who could cause her more frustration. She threw her hands up in despair and walked a few paces away, lest she impulsively try to smother her friend with a pillow. "Forge may be able to create a device to restore me to my proper form," she said finally. There, she had spoken his name. "And perhaps with some encouragement and empathy towards your dilemma, use his shamanistic powers. Provide consultation, a recommendation."

"Sounds like a pretty good lead, padnat," Remy said. "Dallas, enh? A two-hour flight thereabouts."

"We would need proper identification," Ororo told him.

Remy waved that aside, indicating he thought procuring new identities to be no bother.

"We may be recognized," Ororo added. "And your sudden outbursts could prove cause for alarm aboard a flight."

Remy considered this. "Ugh. A six, seven-hour drive then. Doable, I suppose. As long as I have control over de stereo."

The road-traveling trio would later discover that getting into Dallas would take a lot more than just the expenditure of time.

Next time: Timelines twisting, etc. And...the reunion you've been waiting for.