MagnusXXN - Cyclops did try to call Remy. Unfortunately, no one except
Betsy and Hank knew Remy was in the mansion. So, Cyke, was calling the
boathouse. This chapter, however, should be fun for the poor man. He
takes his responsibility for the team so very serious.
Elizabeth Braddock-Grey - All bribes are welcome! Great job with the fan videos on your site, I've never seen anything like them on any other fan site.
Kalika - Thank you. I love to write and my muses are always around somewhere.
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Chapter 22
They were just finishing their breakfast when they heard the door to the study slam open followed by approaching heavy footfalls. The dining room doors were shoved open and Scott stood there, every muscle tense and angry. He turned his glare on Betsy first, "I said 5 minutes." His voice was soft but hard, advertising his anger quite clearly.
"Yes, I remember. I also remember that I told you I would be there after I ate breakfast."
Scott bristled quite obvioiusly at Betsy's off hand tone. His voice began to rise in anger. "When I give an order, I expect it to be carried out."
Betsy felt movement along the link and knew Remy was using her friendship to ward off Scott's anger. He was also sending his own affection, perhaps more, back to her, reassuring her. Her own voice became hard and she met his glare levelly with one of her own. "And I, except in cases of emergency, expect to be given more than 5 minutes warning when my presence is needed. If you wish me to extend the courtesy of punctuality, you will give me a certain amount of courtesy. If you had called me earlier, I would be in their on time, however, you did not so I am not."
They held each other's gaze for several minutes. Scott glanced at Remy before looking back at her. "The least you could have done is tell Gambit to be on time." He turned to look at the Cajun. "I have been trying to reach you for over 20 minutes. Just because you are not in the mansion does not excuse you from your duties."
Remy casually took a sip of coffee before answering, "Neva' said it did. Woulda' answered but Remy wasn' in de boathouse so Remy couldn' hear de phone."
Scott paused, momentarily derailed by this information. "Then where were you?"
Remy gave a nonchalant shrug. "Aroun'."
"Damn it, you can't just wander off whenever you please!"
Betsy decided to head this confrontation off. Remy did not need this much negativity focussed on him so she prepared to get Scott's attention back onto her and off the Cajun. Before she could think of anything, however, Remy reached out and took her hand.
*Non. Don'.*
*Remy, your empathy...Was I mistaken that negative emotions are painful to you?*
*Non, you were righ'. But Remy can deal wit' it.* He interlaced their fingers and his thumb rubbed over the side of her hand affectionately. "Didn' know Remy was under house arrest."
"You're not. Stop trying to make me into the bad guy."
"'M actually not, Cyke, but Remy don' like bein' yelled at when he not done anyt'ing wrong."
"You didn't answer the phone."
"If Remy not in de boathouse, den he can' hear it 'nd he can' answer. Now Remy knows." He took another sip of coffee before looking at Betsy. "Y'done?"
She smiled and gripped his hand tighter. "Yes, I think we are ready unless Scott would like to allow us the time to put up our dishes."
"The study. Now." He did not yell the commands but his anger was still very apparent.
The two of them stood up but did not release one another's hand. *I am proud of you.*
Remy raised an eyebrow at her in silent question.
*You stood up for yourself.*
He smiled and raised her hand to his lips briefly. *Merci, 's cause of you so don' wander too far.*
They followed Scott into the study where the rest were waiting for them. Warren sat between Jean and Bobby on one of the couches while Rogue and Beast sat in nearby chairs. Professor Xavier was behind his desk, as usual, and Ororo sat on the other couch with Logan leaning on the window behind her. Upon entering, Scott sat on the arm of the couch next to his fiancee, wrapping an arm around her shoulders while she reached up to lay a hand on his leg. Remy and Betsy sat beside Ororo, who hugged Remy in greeting.
The mood of the room was ugly. One did not have to be an empath to realize that but Betsy and Remy ignored it, returning Logan and Ororo's greetings calmly before turning their attention to Scott.
"Alright, people, there is obviously some deep problems going on here and we need to get past it, as a team."
Betsy could feel Remy's defenses rising and she squeezed his hand affectionately.
"The professor, Jean, Ororo, and I have discussed this and we feel that it would be best to get the issues out and dealt with and we feel we should begin with the largest problem. Once that is taken care of everything else should just fall into place."
Betsy glanced over at Ororo and found her expression stony. It did not look like the concensus was as unanimous as Scott was inferring. The weather mutant had reached out and taken Remy's other hand, holding it tightly but Betsy could not tell if it was to give or receive reassurance.
"So, Remy, we are now ready to hear your version of the Massacre. You now have a chance to defend yourself."
"Dis court is just as stacked as Eric de Red's."
"Besides," Betsy spoke up, "It happened before Remy joined the X-men. What right have we to judge his actions of that time. Traditionally, we only judge those actions taken while an individual is part of the team." She had honestly hoped she could have put this off for some time, at least until after she had spoken to Hank.
Jean glared at her. "What do you mean 'traditionally'?"
Betsy did not try to curb her sneer. "There are others here guilty of severe crimes that have not had to face a trial like this and the usual excuse was that it happened while they were not an X-man."
"It's already been established that Logan..."
"I am not speaking of Logan. I am speaking of those who have tried, convicted, and attempted to execute Remy."
"Remy, it it?" Warren sneered at her, blue eyes burning with hatred. "You two certainly got chummy real quick, or was it that quick?"
Betsy glared back, hearing the inferred accusation. "If you wish to accuse me of something, say it out right."
"You were cheating on me! Admit it!"
Betsy laughed. She could not help it. It was not a cold sneering laught but one of genuine amusement and most of the room stared at her increduously. Remy, however, caught the joke and smiled in his own amusement. "Warren, I was not the one who disappeared with members of the opposite sex into private locked rooms while we were together."
"Oh, and I guess you two were sitting in some restaurant night before last."
Betsy laughed again, but there was less amusement. "Warren, you and I have not been together since our fight on the stairs when you turned away from me."
Warren looked at her in disbelief. "That was not a break-up."
"Yes, it was. You allowed me to be ridiculed and abused by others even when I called your name, asking for help, or at least acknowledgement. Lovers do not do that to each other, neither do friends. We were over the moment you let me walk away while you were being comforted by two other women." Betsy could feel her anger rising with her embarrassment. She hated discussing all this in public as it was not the other's business. However, at the moment it was unavoidable.
Warren's eyes went from shocked to confused to angry. "That does not explain your disappearance the previous night and that day. As I remember, that was what our fight was about."
"Yes."
"Were you with him."
The room was silent as most everyone held their breath, waiting for her answer. "Yes. We went to a restaurant, a grocery store, and a bar. All very public places."
There was a gleam of triumph in his eyes. "If it was so innocent, why bother to hide it?"
"'Cause of dis." Remy's voice cut through the room. "You 'nd de ot'ers make it real clear you no like Remy. Didn' wan' her ta have ta go through dis 'nd knew she would. Knew your feelin's 'bout me would overflow on anyone talkin' ta me. Remy wasn' gonna get de one person bein' polite ta 'im in trouble."
"You stay out of this, traitor."
Remy's eyes flashed in anger. "Ain' no traitor. Didn' betray de X-men or de Morlocks. Y'can' betray somethin' y'ain't a part of."
"My wings..."
"Remy didn' do it!"
"You found the Marauders, you brought them together, you're responsible."
Scott called for order. "That's enough, we're going around in circles and this is not what we had in mind. Now, Remy, go ahead and explain."
"Remy jus' did. 'Splained as much as he's goin' to."
The Professor steepled his fingers in front of him. "Now, Remy..."
Ororo broke in, much to everyone's surprise. "Betsy is correct. We have never held our members accountable for what was done outside of team membership. If we do, then there is much more that we will have to discuss here."
Scott looked at her disbelievingly. "Such as?"
Betsy was ready for this. "Such as, Phoenix as Jean Grey destroying populated planets yet the X-men of the time fought for her to continue living. Such as Warren left the X-men and became Death, working for a villian who wishes to destroy most of the world's population, human and mutant alike. Such as Rogue was a terrorist who engaged in several activities and raids ending in the deaths of innocents. Such as the fact that Rogue stole another woman's powers and soul."
"It was an accident!" Rogue was immediately on her feet, fists clenched.
Betsy rose to her feet as well, yelling back, "The permanance, yes. The events that led to the woman's death, no. You went to that bridge. You called her out with the intention of getting into a fight and stealing those powers. You decided to do that all on your own!"
"Don' ya think Ah'd change it if I could."
"No, I do not!" Betsy knew it was a low blow but at that moment, she did not care.
"Ladies, please sit down, this is not getting us anywhere..."
"No," Betsy interrupted, "I think this is one of those core problems."
"Just what are ya accusin' me of?"
"You have never had to face Carol Danvers and apologize for what you did. You have never had to pay for it or for what you did as a terrorist. You have never had to face the people that suffered through your actions on that team. You have made several big, lethal mistakes in your life but you have escaped them all by being an X-man. By looking at what you are now, you do not have to see the trouble your temper has caused others in the past, the things you have done, the people you hurt. You have not had to make amends. However, now that Remy has survived and returned, you have to face your biggest mistake. You left him to die when you were supposed to be on the side of angels. There is no excuse for what you did and, with him here, alive, you can not just forget it. You have to deal with it and that is why you hate him. That is why you have been working to get him thrown out of here, so you can go back to your own little world in which you are in the right, where you are the perfect little heroine and brave victim of your own power."
Rogue snarled at the British woman, preparing to fly at her. Betsy flowed into a combat crouch, psi-knife at the ready.
"Ya bitch! Ya have no idea what ya're talkin' about."
"Oh really? Then why are you so angry?"
"Ah'll shut yo'r lies for good!"
Everyone in the room was frozen as the two powerful women faced off, everyone except for one person. The lean figure stepped between the two women, facing the Southern belle. His hands glowed so fiercely it hurt to look at them. "Femme, you move 'nd you gonna be hurtin'."
Rogue barely spared Remy a glance, still glaring at Betsy over his shoulder. "Yo'r cards cain't hurt me, Swamp Rat."
"One card, non. De whole deck, oui. Two decks, Remy'll put ya in de med lab if ya lucky."
His words seemed to bring the entire room's notice onto him. In each hand was a full deck of cards, charged and ready to be released at Rogue. The slightest twitch and a devastating force would be unleashed. Her green eyes widened as she stared at him. "Ya wouldn'."
"Oui, femme, Remy will. You're not hurtin' Betsy, not gonna be even threatenin' 'er."
"After...After everythin' we were ta each othe'?"
"Wouldn' be remindin' Remy 'bout dat if y'smart."
"Bastard!"
The moment stretched into infinity until Scott stepped forward, interposing himself once again. "Everyone sit down."
It took several minutes but eventually the combatants sat back down and, although Remy decharged the cards, he only put one of the decks away.
Scott was looking exasperated and even the Professor was rubbing his temples. "This is not helping."
Jean rubbed Scotts jean clad thigh in comfort. "Well, it would. It was a sound idea and would be successful if Betsy would stop trying to cause trouble."
Betsy could feel Remy's anger boiling up once again and hurridly covered his hand with hers before he began charging cards again. There was general murmuring in the room but no one seemed to know what to say next.
Ororo finally stood up, gathering everyone's attention. "Personally, Professor, I believe several good points have been brought up and the most important is one I learned myself a few days ago. The death of the Morlocks was a tragedy and is the darkest chapter of our history. We failed our dream and we took greater injuries that day than on any other. I do not think any of us has healed from that and we have all desired someone to pay, someway to take vengence on to make ourselves feel better. We should have found that in Sinister but we have never been able to catch him. I think it was very frustrating for us that we could not avenge what we lost and then, we were presented with another target to blame, Remy. It was easy, it made us feel better, and it was wrong. We were wrong."
Elizabeth Braddock-Grey - All bribes are welcome! Great job with the fan videos on your site, I've never seen anything like them on any other fan site.
Kalika - Thank you. I love to write and my muses are always around somewhere.
*****************************
Chapter 22
They were just finishing their breakfast when they heard the door to the study slam open followed by approaching heavy footfalls. The dining room doors were shoved open and Scott stood there, every muscle tense and angry. He turned his glare on Betsy first, "I said 5 minutes." His voice was soft but hard, advertising his anger quite clearly.
"Yes, I remember. I also remember that I told you I would be there after I ate breakfast."
Scott bristled quite obvioiusly at Betsy's off hand tone. His voice began to rise in anger. "When I give an order, I expect it to be carried out."
Betsy felt movement along the link and knew Remy was using her friendship to ward off Scott's anger. He was also sending his own affection, perhaps more, back to her, reassuring her. Her own voice became hard and she met his glare levelly with one of her own. "And I, except in cases of emergency, expect to be given more than 5 minutes warning when my presence is needed. If you wish me to extend the courtesy of punctuality, you will give me a certain amount of courtesy. If you had called me earlier, I would be in their on time, however, you did not so I am not."
They held each other's gaze for several minutes. Scott glanced at Remy before looking back at her. "The least you could have done is tell Gambit to be on time." He turned to look at the Cajun. "I have been trying to reach you for over 20 minutes. Just because you are not in the mansion does not excuse you from your duties."
Remy casually took a sip of coffee before answering, "Neva' said it did. Woulda' answered but Remy wasn' in de boathouse so Remy couldn' hear de phone."
Scott paused, momentarily derailed by this information. "Then where were you?"
Remy gave a nonchalant shrug. "Aroun'."
"Damn it, you can't just wander off whenever you please!"
Betsy decided to head this confrontation off. Remy did not need this much negativity focussed on him so she prepared to get Scott's attention back onto her and off the Cajun. Before she could think of anything, however, Remy reached out and took her hand.
*Non. Don'.*
*Remy, your empathy...Was I mistaken that negative emotions are painful to you?*
*Non, you were righ'. But Remy can deal wit' it.* He interlaced their fingers and his thumb rubbed over the side of her hand affectionately. "Didn' know Remy was under house arrest."
"You're not. Stop trying to make me into the bad guy."
"'M actually not, Cyke, but Remy don' like bein' yelled at when he not done anyt'ing wrong."
"You didn't answer the phone."
"If Remy not in de boathouse, den he can' hear it 'nd he can' answer. Now Remy knows." He took another sip of coffee before looking at Betsy. "Y'done?"
She smiled and gripped his hand tighter. "Yes, I think we are ready unless Scott would like to allow us the time to put up our dishes."
"The study. Now." He did not yell the commands but his anger was still very apparent.
The two of them stood up but did not release one another's hand. *I am proud of you.*
Remy raised an eyebrow at her in silent question.
*You stood up for yourself.*
He smiled and raised her hand to his lips briefly. *Merci, 's cause of you so don' wander too far.*
They followed Scott into the study where the rest were waiting for them. Warren sat between Jean and Bobby on one of the couches while Rogue and Beast sat in nearby chairs. Professor Xavier was behind his desk, as usual, and Ororo sat on the other couch with Logan leaning on the window behind her. Upon entering, Scott sat on the arm of the couch next to his fiancee, wrapping an arm around her shoulders while she reached up to lay a hand on his leg. Remy and Betsy sat beside Ororo, who hugged Remy in greeting.
The mood of the room was ugly. One did not have to be an empath to realize that but Betsy and Remy ignored it, returning Logan and Ororo's greetings calmly before turning their attention to Scott.
"Alright, people, there is obviously some deep problems going on here and we need to get past it, as a team."
Betsy could feel Remy's defenses rising and she squeezed his hand affectionately.
"The professor, Jean, Ororo, and I have discussed this and we feel that it would be best to get the issues out and dealt with and we feel we should begin with the largest problem. Once that is taken care of everything else should just fall into place."
Betsy glanced over at Ororo and found her expression stony. It did not look like the concensus was as unanimous as Scott was inferring. The weather mutant had reached out and taken Remy's other hand, holding it tightly but Betsy could not tell if it was to give or receive reassurance.
"So, Remy, we are now ready to hear your version of the Massacre. You now have a chance to defend yourself."
"Dis court is just as stacked as Eric de Red's."
"Besides," Betsy spoke up, "It happened before Remy joined the X-men. What right have we to judge his actions of that time. Traditionally, we only judge those actions taken while an individual is part of the team." She had honestly hoped she could have put this off for some time, at least until after she had spoken to Hank.
Jean glared at her. "What do you mean 'traditionally'?"
Betsy did not try to curb her sneer. "There are others here guilty of severe crimes that have not had to face a trial like this and the usual excuse was that it happened while they were not an X-man."
"It's already been established that Logan..."
"I am not speaking of Logan. I am speaking of those who have tried, convicted, and attempted to execute Remy."
"Remy, it it?" Warren sneered at her, blue eyes burning with hatred. "You two certainly got chummy real quick, or was it that quick?"
Betsy glared back, hearing the inferred accusation. "If you wish to accuse me of something, say it out right."
"You were cheating on me! Admit it!"
Betsy laughed. She could not help it. It was not a cold sneering laught but one of genuine amusement and most of the room stared at her increduously. Remy, however, caught the joke and smiled in his own amusement. "Warren, I was not the one who disappeared with members of the opposite sex into private locked rooms while we were together."
"Oh, and I guess you two were sitting in some restaurant night before last."
Betsy laughed again, but there was less amusement. "Warren, you and I have not been together since our fight on the stairs when you turned away from me."
Warren looked at her in disbelief. "That was not a break-up."
"Yes, it was. You allowed me to be ridiculed and abused by others even when I called your name, asking for help, or at least acknowledgement. Lovers do not do that to each other, neither do friends. We were over the moment you let me walk away while you were being comforted by two other women." Betsy could feel her anger rising with her embarrassment. She hated discussing all this in public as it was not the other's business. However, at the moment it was unavoidable.
Warren's eyes went from shocked to confused to angry. "That does not explain your disappearance the previous night and that day. As I remember, that was what our fight was about."
"Yes."
"Were you with him."
The room was silent as most everyone held their breath, waiting for her answer. "Yes. We went to a restaurant, a grocery store, and a bar. All very public places."
There was a gleam of triumph in his eyes. "If it was so innocent, why bother to hide it?"
"'Cause of dis." Remy's voice cut through the room. "You 'nd de ot'ers make it real clear you no like Remy. Didn' wan' her ta have ta go through dis 'nd knew she would. Knew your feelin's 'bout me would overflow on anyone talkin' ta me. Remy wasn' gonna get de one person bein' polite ta 'im in trouble."
"You stay out of this, traitor."
Remy's eyes flashed in anger. "Ain' no traitor. Didn' betray de X-men or de Morlocks. Y'can' betray somethin' y'ain't a part of."
"My wings..."
"Remy didn' do it!"
"You found the Marauders, you brought them together, you're responsible."
Scott called for order. "That's enough, we're going around in circles and this is not what we had in mind. Now, Remy, go ahead and explain."
"Remy jus' did. 'Splained as much as he's goin' to."
The Professor steepled his fingers in front of him. "Now, Remy..."
Ororo broke in, much to everyone's surprise. "Betsy is correct. We have never held our members accountable for what was done outside of team membership. If we do, then there is much more that we will have to discuss here."
Scott looked at her disbelievingly. "Such as?"
Betsy was ready for this. "Such as, Phoenix as Jean Grey destroying populated planets yet the X-men of the time fought for her to continue living. Such as Warren left the X-men and became Death, working for a villian who wishes to destroy most of the world's population, human and mutant alike. Such as Rogue was a terrorist who engaged in several activities and raids ending in the deaths of innocents. Such as the fact that Rogue stole another woman's powers and soul."
"It was an accident!" Rogue was immediately on her feet, fists clenched.
Betsy rose to her feet as well, yelling back, "The permanance, yes. The events that led to the woman's death, no. You went to that bridge. You called her out with the intention of getting into a fight and stealing those powers. You decided to do that all on your own!"
"Don' ya think Ah'd change it if I could."
"No, I do not!" Betsy knew it was a low blow but at that moment, she did not care.
"Ladies, please sit down, this is not getting us anywhere..."
"No," Betsy interrupted, "I think this is one of those core problems."
"Just what are ya accusin' me of?"
"You have never had to face Carol Danvers and apologize for what you did. You have never had to pay for it or for what you did as a terrorist. You have never had to face the people that suffered through your actions on that team. You have made several big, lethal mistakes in your life but you have escaped them all by being an X-man. By looking at what you are now, you do not have to see the trouble your temper has caused others in the past, the things you have done, the people you hurt. You have not had to make amends. However, now that Remy has survived and returned, you have to face your biggest mistake. You left him to die when you were supposed to be on the side of angels. There is no excuse for what you did and, with him here, alive, you can not just forget it. You have to deal with it and that is why you hate him. That is why you have been working to get him thrown out of here, so you can go back to your own little world in which you are in the right, where you are the perfect little heroine and brave victim of your own power."
Rogue snarled at the British woman, preparing to fly at her. Betsy flowed into a combat crouch, psi-knife at the ready.
"Ya bitch! Ya have no idea what ya're talkin' about."
"Oh really? Then why are you so angry?"
"Ah'll shut yo'r lies for good!"
Everyone in the room was frozen as the two powerful women faced off, everyone except for one person. The lean figure stepped between the two women, facing the Southern belle. His hands glowed so fiercely it hurt to look at them. "Femme, you move 'nd you gonna be hurtin'."
Rogue barely spared Remy a glance, still glaring at Betsy over his shoulder. "Yo'r cards cain't hurt me, Swamp Rat."
"One card, non. De whole deck, oui. Two decks, Remy'll put ya in de med lab if ya lucky."
His words seemed to bring the entire room's notice onto him. In each hand was a full deck of cards, charged and ready to be released at Rogue. The slightest twitch and a devastating force would be unleashed. Her green eyes widened as she stared at him. "Ya wouldn'."
"Oui, femme, Remy will. You're not hurtin' Betsy, not gonna be even threatenin' 'er."
"After...After everythin' we were ta each othe'?"
"Wouldn' be remindin' Remy 'bout dat if y'smart."
"Bastard!"
The moment stretched into infinity until Scott stepped forward, interposing himself once again. "Everyone sit down."
It took several minutes but eventually the combatants sat back down and, although Remy decharged the cards, he only put one of the decks away.
Scott was looking exasperated and even the Professor was rubbing his temples. "This is not helping."
Jean rubbed Scotts jean clad thigh in comfort. "Well, it would. It was a sound idea and would be successful if Betsy would stop trying to cause trouble."
Betsy could feel Remy's anger boiling up once again and hurridly covered his hand with hers before he began charging cards again. There was general murmuring in the room but no one seemed to know what to say next.
Ororo finally stood up, gathering everyone's attention. "Personally, Professor, I believe several good points have been brought up and the most important is one I learned myself a few days ago. The death of the Morlocks was a tragedy and is the darkest chapter of our history. We failed our dream and we took greater injuries that day than on any other. I do not think any of us has healed from that and we have all desired someone to pay, someway to take vengence on to make ourselves feel better. We should have found that in Sinister but we have never been able to catch him. I think it was very frustrating for us that we could not avenge what we lost and then, we were presented with another target to blame, Remy. It was easy, it made us feel better, and it was wrong. We were wrong."