Chapter XII


It took them an hour to shift the fallen masonry and get Pietro out of the cellar. Remy watched them winching Pietro out of the cellar and winced. Even in the minimal light afforded by the lights they had set up, Pietro's wounds were obvious enough. Remy was amazed that Pietro had survived the collapse of the châteaux and even more amazed that he had survived his injuries for as long as he had.
Two Excalibur operatives carried Pietro over to the helicopter with Lance on one side and a massive man who looked like he could have been a professional football player. Xavier followed behind them talking to an agent that Remy didn't recognise. The agent seemed to be in some pain, his movements were quite slow and he clutched a hand to his stomach as he walked. As they neared the helicopter the agent nodded and headed off down to the cockpit. Xavier himself wheeled up the ramp into the body of the helicopter and came to a stop next to Remy. "I'm sorry that we took so long to get here Mr LeBeau."
"Don't worry about it!" Remy had to shout to make himself heard over the sound of the engines starting up. "I'm just glad you showed up."
"You should try and get some sleep Mr LeBeau, you've had a very taxing time. We'll be boarding a plane for England in Geneva, but it's quite a long way there."
"I'm all right, I doubt I'll be able to sleep anyway."
Xavier wheeled off to talk to Rogue who was sitting in front of Remy. Despite his words, Remy soon found himself drifting off into a deep sleep.

When Xavier had talked to Rogue and Pietro he went to the cockpit. There Wolverine had injected himself with another, stronger painkiller and was now leaning against the wall, barely conscious. Xavier moved very close to him so that the pilot couldn't overhear their conversation. "How are you feeling, Logan?"
"I've been better," Wolverine growled. He didn't like people using his name, it brought back too many painful memories.
"X23?"
"I got the bitch. She was buried under that châteaux."
"You did well today Logan," Xavier put a tentative hand on Logan's shoulder, but he roughly shrugged it off. "Very well. We couldn't have asked more from you. I think that the Government might be willing to forgive you your past crimes. There might even be a place for you in…"
"Save it Chuck." Wolverine closed his eyes and leaned against the wall and was unconscious in seconds.
Xavier sighed. He knew that Logan wouldn't have agreed to join Excalibur, but he had to try.

By the time they reached Geneva Remy, Rogue, Kitty and Pietro were all asleep. The Excalibur agents quickly transferred them without waking them up. Xavier was about to board the plane, when he spotted Wolverine stalking away. "I'll be back in a minute Lance."
"Yes, sir." Xavier wheeled towards Wolverine.
"Logan!" Wolverine stopped and turned around. "Leaving so soon?"
"Yeah, I'm not one for your fancy celebrations. Besides, not everyone back home will be as happy to see me as you are."
"Logan, if you ever change your mind."
"Don't count on it Chuck." The two stared at each other for several seconds.
"Well, Logan, I wish you a speedy recovery and try to stay out of trouble."
"Does that really sound like me?" Logan shook his head. "See you round Charles."
Xavier extended his hand and Logan took it after a couple of seconds deliberation. The two men shook hands and then Logan turned and walked off into the darkness.

Remy woke up hours later. He rubbed his eyes several times before sitting up. He was in a sparse white room with three other beds, containing Rogue, Kitty and Pietro. A long bench of medical equipment ran along the opposite wall and as he was looking around, the agent who looked like a football player entered the room. "Ah, you're awake." The man bent over the medical bench, picking up assorted instruments.
"Where am I?"
"You're in Excalibur headquarters, Mr LeBeau." The man turned around and walked over to Remy. "I'm Dr Hank McCoy. I'm just going to give you a quick examination." Remy nodded absently, his mind still adjusting to where he was. Hank gave him a quick look over: checked his heartbeat, looked in his eye, looked down his throat and checked his blood pressure. "Well Mr LeBeau, you seem to have some bad bruising around your ribs, but apart from that you seem to be in good physical health."
Remy touched his ribs gingerly. In all the excitement he had practically forgotten about the pain. "Is there anything you can do for them?"
"Not really. Just rest them and they should heal over time." Remy nodded. "Ah, Ms Pryde awakes." Hank moved over to Kitty's bed, where she had just sat up and began his examination of her. Remy was about to ask a question when the door opened again and Xavier entered.
"Good morning Mr LeBeau. How are you feeling?"
"A lot better thank you, Mr Xavier."
"Good. And Ms Pryde, how are you feeling?"
"Tired, but I'm just happy that Pietro is alive."
"Excellent. Now, Mr LeBeau would you come with me for debriefing?" Remy nodded and got up. "Hank, send Kitty and Rogue along when they're ready, would you?"
"Yes, sir."

It took Pietro a week to recover enough to be debriefed. He opened the door to Xavier's study and sat opposite his boss, vividly remembering the time he had walked in at the start of this mission, and how much had changed since that time. "How are you feeling, Pietro?"
"Good, thank you sir."
"Still walking with a slight limp I see."
"Yes, sir. Dr McCoy doesn't think I'll ever be able to walk properly again, but it's no real hindrance," he added quickly. "I can still operate at active service standard."
Xavier laughed. "Don't worry Pietro, I wasn't thinking of taking you off the active duty roster. Now," he reached over and pulled a file out of a drawer, "I've had three separate civilian accounts as to what happened in the châteaux. I want the report of an Excalibur operative."
"Yes, sir." Pietro proceeded to report the events that had occurred while they had been in his father's châteaux to Xavier, who was having the debriefing recorded. Occasionally Xavier made a note, but on the whole he sat patiently and listened. When Pietro's report ended he leant back in his chair and steepled his fingers.
"Thank you for that Pietro, it was most informative. Do you still have the Gambit program?"
"No sir, it must have been buried in the rubble. The program only exists in Remy's, I mean Mr LeBeau's brain."
"I see. Well done Pietro, you have acted as I would have expected any Excalibur agent to do, and you have averted a worldwide disaster. I wouldn't be surprised if you get on the New Year's honours list for this." Pietro smiled slightly. "Thank you Pietro, that will be all."
"Thank you, sir." Pietro stood up and left the study. He headed straight down to the lab, where Hank was working on some gadget of his. When Pietro got there, Hank grinned and tossed him a beer.
"Told you I'd have a cold beer waiting."
"Thanks Hank." Pietro sat opposite his friend and they drank their beers in silence for several minutes.
"So what about you and Kitty?" Hank said after a while.
"I'm going to give her this," Pietro said taking a box out of his pocket and opening it. Hank let out a whistle of appreciation. Inside was a silver ring, studded with diamonds.
"How are you going to take to married life?"
"It'll be an adjustment certainly, but I'll manage." Pietro grinned and downed the rest of his beer.

"Will you, Remy LeBeau, take Marie Adler to be your lawfully wedded wife, from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, according to God's holy ordinance?"
"I will." Remy smiled at Rogue, who smiled back.
"And will you, Marie Adler, take Remy LeBeau to be your lawfully wedded wife, from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, according to God's holy ordinance?"
"Ah will." They let go of each other's hands and Remy stepped back to take the ring from Pietro, who stood behind him. Remy took the ring and placed it on the book that the minister was holding.
"This ring shall be token of this covenant between you, as the ancient and accepted symbol of marriage, and as witness of the love in which you have declared yourselves to be wedded one with the other; according to God's holy ordinance, and the law of this land. May she who wears it keep true faith unto her husband, and likewise her husband be faithful unto her, to live together in this holy bond." The minister gave the ring to Remy, who put it on Rogue's hand, then repeated after the minister: "With this ring I thee wed, in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen."
As the newly wedded couple walked out of the church, Pietro and Kitty joined hands, Kitty's engagement ring sparkling in the light, and followed them out. As the guests followed them out, Scott walked over to Jean. "Uh, listen Jean, I've got something to tell you."
"Go on."
"Jean, I," Scott took a deep breath, "Jean, I love you."
Jean's face broke into a grin and she wrapped her arms around Scott. "I thought you'd never say that."
"You mean you feel the same way?"
"Of course I do. Now come on, we don't want to be late to the reception."

The reception lasted long into the night and sometime before midnight Pietro and Kitty took a break from dancing and walked out onto the balcony of the hotel where the reception was being held. "You look really beautiful in the moonlight, you know." Pietro whispered in Kitty's ear. Kitty responded by kissing him passionately on the lips.
"When we get married Pietro," Kitty said after they broke the kiss off, "we need to have a ceremony just like this."
"We'll have whatever ceremony you want," Pietro folded his arms around Kitty and together they stood on the balcony, staring up at the stars. Pietro wished that he could spend every waking minute with Kitty but he knew that while people, like his father, existed he could not. Still he could spend some time with Kitty and he meant to treasure it forever…

And that's a wrap, folks. Ishandahalf, thank you for your all your reviews, they've kept me going from day one. hjh-31, I'm so glad you like the story, I hope the final chapter is up to standard. coldqueen, thank you for your review, and I hope you enjoy the finished story.
Would a sequel be met with enthusiasm, or should I settle with just this story? Let me know what you think, and I hope you have enjoyed the story that has been LICENCE TO KILL.