Tested

Disclaimer: Characters and Premise are borrowed from the Marvel, I'm not making any money.

Part 2

Jean-Luc stood back quietly watching Remy check his thief's kit. "Yo' really t'ink dis be a bon time for mischief?" he asked.

Remy glanced up, surprised. "Oncle Luc, Lapin an' I ain't up to any trouble, trut'."

"If dat be so why would I t'ink Lapin be 'volved?" Jean-Luc asked.

" 'Cause if I were, he would be," Remy replied frankly. "Mais I ain't, I can't act like a kid anymore."

"Remy," Jean-Luc said sounding unhappy. "Yo' barely started relaxin' 'nough to act yo' age in de firs' place."

Remy shrugged and turned his attention back to inspecting his lock picks.

Jean-Luc switched tactis. "S' yo're not plannin' trouble. What 'xactly are yo' plannin'?"

"Yo'll see," Remy said.

Jean-Luc sat down beside Remy. "Is dere somet'ing wrong Remy?" he asked. "Yo've hardly spoken to me since we got back."

For a long time Remy sat fussing with his tools, not even looking at his Oncle. Then, very quietly, he said, "Yo'd be easy to count on, I don' want to need anyone."

"What happened to yo' Remy?" Jean-Luc asked.

"Rien happened," Remy said. "Not to me, not really. 'M here ain't I? Jus' got a little 'minder; hearts lie. Yo' want to look out for me 'cause yo' care 'bout me, mais what happens when yo' find someone else yo' like bettah?"

"Remy yo're m' family, yo a'ways will be," Jean-Luc said. " 'M nevah gonna choose 'tween yo' or Josette or Henri, no mattah how much yo' an' Josey might want me too. Yo're all m' family. If it's in m' power I'll nevah let any of yo' come to grief."

Remy met his oncle's eyes and Jean-Luc was disheartened to see simple disbelief in the teen's eyes. Remy didn't try to argue, Jean- Luc wished he had, but he just turned back to what he'd been doing without a single word.

After a few moments Jean-Luc pushed himself to his feet and with a sigh and left.

****** ****** ******

Six long days of driving and sight seeing later the bus carrying the little tour group was deep in Central America.

Belle sat toward the rear, curled in her seat staring out the window intently, discouraging anyone from talking to her. It didn't help much. She'd been suffering from morning sickness since the trip started and she was the main topic of gossip among the other passengers whether she talked to them or not. And it was all her fault.

The first morning she'd come down to breakfast pale and sickly, still feeling nauseated. She'd picked at the buffet without enthusiasm, noticing her distress one of the kindly little old ladies had asked if she were feeling all right. Out of sorts and wanting someone to whine to, Belle had told the woman exactly how she felt, in detail. As the day wore on the nausea faded, the next morning the pattern repeated and it didn't take long for the women in the group to start exchanging knowing looks when she declined breakfast or sat there pushing the unappetizing slop around on her plate.

When they stopped for lunch Mr. Moreland solicitously offered her a hand off the bus while his wife looked on pityingly. Belle had heard them whispering the night before over dinner. They thought she was a runaway, ashamed to face her parents in her condition. Because it seemed like the Becca thing to do Belle accepted his assistance without comment, never quite making eye contact with either of them. She wished she could tell them where to shove their sanctimonious pity. Yes, she was sixteen and pregnant and no it wasn't planned, but she wasn't going to let that disrupt her life.

Several of the older members of tour group glared disapprovingly at her and Belle heard the word "harlot" whispered among them. Becca ducked her head and pretended not to hear, Belle considered putting a dagger through the speaker's foot.

When they went to take their seats in the quaint, touristy, little cantina Roe hurried to claim the seat between Jane Donis and the Lenards. Her eyes strayed guiltily toward Belle then she looked away, uncomfortable. If Becca had of been far enough out of her shell to notice the rejection she might have been a little hurt. Belle sneered to herself, "Dat's right 'M trouble an' yo're too busy bein' de good girl to have a life."

"Sit with us," Jim Chelsey offered pulling out a seat for her.

"Don't worry, we'll protect you from any nonsense the boys get up to," his wife Clarice added, with a stern look at her notably rambunctious children.

Becca stole a shy glance through a curtain of blonde hair and offered them a tentative smile as she murmured a quick, "Thank you."

The boys chattered animatedly about the crab they'd found on the beach that morning. Their parents deftly balanced small talk with her and acknowledgement of the boys' excitement.

Belle felt a fleeting wisp of regret that she and Remy would never be like that. But this baby was already causing enough havoc in her life. She pictured a golden-haired, demon-eyed toddler tugging at her shirtsleeve as she tried to carry out a sniper assignment.

"Merci, but no," Belle thought to herself. Morning sickness was bad enough and she was already going to have to wait nearly forever until her second assignment between the later stages of the pregnancy and getting back into top physical form.

"Mebbe later," she though. Once she and Remy had made names for themselves and took positions of authority within their Guilds. Assuming they both lived that long. Belle had never pictured getting old, living fast and dying pretty were more her style.

****** ****** ******

Jean-Luc noticed the self-satisfied looks on the two boy's faces and knew he should be concerned but it was such an improvement from over the emotionless mask that was becoming normal for Remy that he honestly didn't care what they'd done.

They were waiting in his office. Remy perched coolly on the corner of his desk, a dark colored backpack at his feet. Lapin caught in the act of peering impatiently out the door.

That they were choosing to meet him there told Jean-Luc it was business, at least in their minds, that they wanted to discuss. If it had been trouble they wouldn't have chosen his lecture spot.

"We should've asked firs'," Lapin began. "Mais Remy's way more dan ole 'nough an' it ain't like I nevah acted as Registrar 'fore."

"Oui, mais Remy didn' grow up wit' us an' yo' knew yo' wouldn've gotten m' 'pproval if yo' had asked," Jean-Luc pointed out.

"None of which stops me from havin' de necessary skills," Remy said dumping a pile of jewels on to the desk. " 'Pproval or non, I did de job."

Technically Jean-Luc knew he shouldn't but he still asked. "Lapin?"

"We headed up river, hit Demar's organization since I knew he likes convertin' cash to gems an' it's tradition to steal somet'ing sparkly for de Tillin'."

"Your target's 'cceptable," Jean-Luc allowed.

"It was a damned fortress," Remy interjected feeling that the difficulty of his feat was being underrated.

Jean-Luc ignored him for the moment. "Your 'valuation Guild- Member Lapin?" He asked formally.

"Remy did it," Lapin said. "I didn' help at all. Mais he shouln' use his powers so much, slaggin' de wirin' be too much of a signature. He passed de Tillin' mais needs to 'xpand his methods 'fore he tries de Tracts of Passage."

Jean-Luc nodded accepting the report. "Dis be irregular," he said then added. "Mais your situation be unique Remy, yo're a member of de Guild now."

"S' I can start takin' jobs?" Remy asked.

"A few an' yo'll need a chaperon wit' yo'," Jean-Luc said. "De Tillin's like getting' your learners permit, not your driver's license."

"Bien, 'M gonna buy a house as soon as I get de money," Remy declared. "I don' t'ink Belle likes it here an' I ain't sleepin' under de same roof as Julien."

"Smart choice," Lapin said under his breath.

Jean-Luc couldn't help but agree. "Marius an' I maintain some houses in town for visitors from out of town. Yo' an' Belle could pick one of dem," he suggested.

"I don' want any help," Remy protested.

"Yo' can't jus' walk in an' dump a suitcase full of cash on someone's desk neither. An' yo' can't get a house loan wit'out people questionin' where de money for de down payment came from, not at your age. 'M gonna to have to co-sign an' dat will still raise s'picions. Remy not takin' help jus' be foolish."

"I'll do it on m' own," Remy insisted.

"Den rent a 'partment," Jean-Luc replied. "Dere are plenty by de college where no one would t'ink twice 'bout your age an' bot' yo' and Belle'll mos' likely be 'ttendin' classes dere in 'nother couple years anyway."

" 'M gonna do dis marriage an' parent t'ing right," Remy stated stubbornly.

"What does a house have to do wit' dat?" Jean-Luc asked.

"Rachael an' Mark had a house," Remy insisted with growing fevor. "Wit' pictures like a real family. An' I'll be able to protect de bebe like dey couldn' protect deir Kevin. I won' let anyt'ing bad happen. An' Belle won' like bein' an Assassin, she ain't like Scalphunter or Wolverine, she won' turn on me!" Jean-Luc and Lapin stared at Remy with bewildered concern as the telltale nimbus of his powers flared around him.

"Yo a'right?" Jean-Luc asked cautiously.

" 'M fine!" Remy snapped then stormed out of the room.

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