Note : Ok, I know this one is short, but you reacted quite… hum… negatively (Is that a word?) to the last chapter and I had to make some things clear… Anyway, chapter 11 is on the way and almost finished already, so you shouldn't have to wait too long for more action.

Becki : Oh, please don't be upset! Don't be angry! Making people mad at me is not my point here… But hey, be happy, everything always turns right after a few chapters, you know how it was in Through Time! Besides, they'll be more of Remy and Rogue in the following chapters, and some other X-Men too, so dry these tears, and calm down: you're going to like what's going to happen in the next chapters!

Yumiko : Well, I can't really answer that question without giving my plot away, can't I? But you'll have your answer in this chapter…

Nessie : Ah, feelings… Your little finger can sometimes be a great friend…

Tammy : Glad you're still a loyal reader… I hope you'll like the following as well…

Ishandahalf : Well, Remy had to tease Louis about his date, especially when you think it's Scott's daughter he's dating. I liked the idea too… As for the plot, you're right : they just keep popping out in my head, forcing me into writing them down to make my characters suffer and cry and go through pain… I feel bad! I swear! But damn… It just keeps coming back! I put them in a cage though, and I'll make sure they don't come out of this story. Just in case I have an urge of putting them in my next fluffy fic (which is on the way, I already have a few paragraphs done. I screwed the songfic. Pure fluff, I swear!).

Talia458 : Hum. These are interesting guesses, I never would have thought myself of the Guilds… Well, you're wrong about it but… You're giving me some ideas… he he he.

Lucky439 : You really think bubba will only be sad? I can think of a word that rhyms with sad and that qualifies best Remy's reaction…

Enjoy.

Recognition

She could hear the voices. A woman talking to her, whispering gentle words. Her whole body ached, and she was afraid to open her eyes.

"Louis" she whispered, and struggled to sit up. Hands were on her shoulders in a moment, pushing her gently down on her back. Her chest hurt and her head began to turn, so she let the hands push her back down.

"Shhh, stay down, honey. The ambulance is coming."

There were voices behind, exclamation. A siren coming in their direction, and gentle and professionnal hands lifting her, laying her on a stretcher. The blinding light in the ambulance, the deaftening sound of the sirens in her pounding ears. The doctor, asking her her name, her parent's names, her phone number…

"Louis, oh my God, Louis…"

***

His lungs hurt. But when he tried inhaling some air in, they worked and filled with oxygen, his rib cage slowly stretching. He was sitting on a hard chair, but couldn't move his hands. He opened his eyes, slowly, to quickly close them back. It had to be a nightmare.

"Open your eyes Louis. I did not have the time to see if they were your father's."

He opened them and stared at the tall dark man in front of him, repressing a deep shudder. Everything in the man was freaky, from his long black cape to the shinning fully red eyes in a marble white face. He had never saw him, but knew who he was. Behind him, all leaning on the wall, were four men, the same that had attacked him in the street, staring at him.

"Ah, rogue eyes, I see. Now, we'll see if your sister has the same, shall we mister LeBeau?" He turned to the young men and gestured to three of them. "You, come with me. Aeros, you stay here and keep an eye on him." He walked (though it looked more like he glided) to the door, followed by the three other men, and Louis recognized the guy who had knocked him down. His face was different, though. He had kept his face calm from the moment Louis had opened his eyes, but he now wore a startled expression of horror on his face, and was staring at Louis in bewilderment. The door closed, and Louis stared back at Aeros. He got tired of the game, though, and sighed.

"What do you want, a picture?" Aeros blinked twice, and shook his head. He walked a few steps, grabbed a chair and sat horse-like on it in front of Louis, resuming his staring. On the street, when he had used his powers, his eyes had glowed an eerie purple, but seen upclose, they were a deep violet-blue, with a hint of worry Louis didn't understand.

"LeBeau, that's your name? Louis LeBeau?" He asked, souding more like he would have wanted a 'no' as an answer. His English was perfect, but held a strange accent, a slight insistance on the vowels, and cutting the 't's. Louis started. It was the same French accent as his father's, but almost non-existent, and not as pronounced as Remy's.

"You heard it right" Louis answered coldly. Aeros sighed and drove his fingers through his shoulder-length jet-black hair. He stared at the floor at their feet for a few moments, and raised his head, his eyes plunging into Louis'.

"I didn't know."

"My name? Why the hell does it make a difference?"

"He told us where you were, and that we were to pick you up there, whether you wanted it or not, and bring you here unhurt. He never said your name." The end of the sentence came out in a whisper. "Please tell me your sister's name isn't Josée…"

Louis' heart stopped, and he hissed through his teeth. "You can't hurt her. She'll be with our parents and friends, you can't hurt her." Aeros shook his head vehemently.

"Why the hell would I want to hurt her? I…" he trailed off and inhaled sharply. "Your friends… you're talking about the X-Men, right?"

"Well, you should know, they're good 'friends' of Sinister's." Another shake of the head.

"Sinister won't tell me anything, I'm only an employee of some sort. The kind that can't resign." There was cold hatred in his voice, and Louis narrowed his eyes at him.

"You sound like you don't like him very much." Aeros snorted.

"Well, he didn't look like that and didn't introduce himself as 'Mister Sinister' when I first met him. And the contract he made me sign didn't say he would kill me if I deserted" he spat.

"Then how did you hear about the X-Men? They don't do a lot of commercials on television." Aeros smiled.

"Nah, someone told me about Xavier's school for gifted."

"Who?"

Aeros stared at Louis, and narrowed his eyes, a small smile on his lips.

"You're not really in a position to ask questions."

"Or answer any. But a guy can try."

Aeros looked at him for a long moment. He got up to put the chair back against the opposite wall and paced around, making small circles in the dark room. He stopped in front of Louis, and looked down at him. "You're a very perseverant person, it must run in the family blood." The said blood turned cold in Louis veins, and he looked up at Aeros, dreading what he would say next. "Your sister told me about the X-Men."

"Who are you?" Louis hissed. "How do you know my sister?" Aeros walked away and sat on the chair again, looking him in the eyes, and smiled, reaching out his hand as to shake Louis's.

"I'm sorry, I haven't introduced myself properly. My name is Antoine."

To be continued!