Jean sighed as she redid the bandages around the awful-looking cuts held together by more stitches then the doctor wanted to think about, all residing halfway between Steph's neck and left shoulder.
The bandages were clearly made by bleary eyes, not as tight or neat as Hank would ever allow had he been running on full steam when he did them. She finished re-doing the bandages and looked at Steph's face for a moment, then carefully put her hands over the teen's head and closed her eyes in concentration.
"Jean?" Jean's concentration broke when Milana hurried through the door. "Oh, I'm sorry if I-"
"Remy's there," Jean said, smiling to show no harm had been done, quiet the opposite, it was looking more hopeful for Steph now, the life was slowly coming back to her broken body. Milana looked and found Remy at a speed only a mother can find her son, and she hurried over, gently lifting his chin, feeling the tense muscles reluctantly give way as his eyes slid up to meet hers. Smiling sadly Milana held Remy's unfocused gaze for a moment and then wrapped her arms around him as his chin fell back to his knees.
"Oh baby," she said in a hushed tone, closing her eyes and rocking Remy back and forth. "Oh Remy, why won't you answer me?"
"Don't worry Milana," Jean assured her. "I have a feeling soon this will be over, maybe sooner than Hank predicted last night. Then both you and Remy and Logan and Ororo will have your children back." Milana smiled.
"And Remy will be my baby boy again," she whispered, forehead touching Remy's.
---
Hank walked into the medbay a week later, having been again evicted from the room by Jean until she was satisfied with his energy levels, refreshed and more awake then he had been in weeks. He found Jean snoozing in the chair at the computer terminal and Milana and Remy Sr. sleeping with Remy, immobile as ever, between them. Even Kurt was there, leaning against the wall and smiling at Hank.
"Good morning," he said in a hushed voice, smiling at his family. "Milana vould not leave Remy, so they all spent the night. There vos even room for the old man," he said.
"I see," Hank said.
"Steph is getting stronger," Kurt said, beaming now. "Her breathing- I heard her murmur in her sleep to, a vhile ago. Perhaps she vill vake today, it vill help her family out a great deal, and Remy." Hank smiled, his worry considerably lessened at the news.
"She was murmuring in her sleep?" he said. Walking over to Jean he gently shook her shoulder. Sighing the red haired woman opened her eyes and yawned, stretching.
"Oh, hello Hank, sleep well?" she asked. Hank nodded.
"And Steph did as well it seems, murmuring in her sleep," he said. Jean smiled.
"Great, I'm sure Logan and Ororo would like to hear that, not to mention Rogue," her smile faltered. "The only time I've seen them cry..." Hank patted her shoulder.
"They will smile soon, laugh too," he assured her. She nodded and stood up, stretching. "You go get some sleep, no sense in you getting near the point I was at," he said, directing her to the door.
"Yes, but first I'll tell the Logan-Munroe family the good news," she yawned.
"You go to sleep," Kurt said, getting up. "Von thing I am still good at it getting messages around, I vill tell them."
"Thank you Kurt," Jean said, then left the room. Kurt nodded to Hank and then disappeared in a puff of blue smoke, waking Milana and Remy Sr.
"Hmm? Oh, hello Hank," Milana said, stretching, a concerned look on her face. "How is Steph?"
"Much better," Hank replied. Remy Sr. yawned loudly and stood up.
"Dat's good," he said. "You hear dat Rem? Steph's gonna be up in no time, right Hank?"
"Sounds like it," Hank said, and the adults watch Remy for a sign of life. Milana sighed as Remy Sr. gave her a quick kiss on the cheek.
"Don' worry petite," he whispered to her, keeping his forehead on the side of her head. "He'll be fine, soon as 'is friend wakes up."
"Of course," Milana said, squeezing his hand.
----
"Is she up yet?" Logan growled, bursting into the medbay with the rest of his family behind him, Rogue holding Ruhko in her arms.
"Teffy!" the child cried, seeing Steph and squirming to get to her.
"No shugah," Rogue said quietly. "Ya can't climb on Steph yet."
"Teffy!" Ruhko wailed, kicking harder.
"Quiet kid," Logan said, in a haunted tone that made even Ruhko go quiet. He looked at Hank, who shook his head.
"Soon though, I think. Kurt said he heard her talking in her sleep, and that's a very good sign," he said.
"Oh, thank god," Ororo breathed, eyes closed while she put a hand over her heart. She was smiling when she opened her eyes. "Thank you so much Hank."
"Yeah," Logan grunted, "I owe yeh Blue, big time." Hank smiled and shook his head.
"The mansion would never be the same without sweet Stephanie creating havoc every free moment," he said. Ororo nodded and bit her lip.
"I know," she whispered softly, and Logan put his arm around her. Then he looked at Remy.
"Remy n' Milana are probably jus' as worried 'bout LeBeau Jr. there," he said softly.
"Emy!" Ruhko squealed.
"No," Rogue said. "Yoh friend's havin' alone tahme now Ruhko, you can't bother him either."
"Emy?" Ruhko pouted, then looked grumpy. "Fine."
----
Steph's eyes fluttered for a moment, and then she raised her head carefully.
"Ow," she said, as a pain raced through her chest and head at the same moment. A bright light was keeping her from seeing anything, but as her vision slowly adjusted she could make out a large form just in front of her.
"Stephanie?" she heard a familiar laugh and the light was switched off, revealing Hank, still chuckling as he reached out and held her chin up. "Welcome back, fair warrior, to a land you have not seen for weeks. The lack of your energy brought on by sugar has made the fort a dull place indeed."
"Hank?" Steph said softly, smiling. "What are you talking about?" Hank chuckled.
"We've missed you," he said. "A lot." Steph coughed, and looked around, then suddenly saw a wall of white and felt strong arms enveloping her, pulling her close to the fabric wall.
"Steph!" Logan choaked. After a moment he let go and to her utter amazement she saw a couple tears sliding his rough cheeks.
"Dad?" she said, he hastily wiped away the tears and tried to growl, but instead laughed as Ororo pulled Steph into another tight hug. "Mom?"
"Oh Steph," was all she could get out.
"Hey! What about me?" Rogue said, pulling Steph away a kissing her sister on the cheek. Steph grinned and looked Rogue straight in the eye.
"What about you?" she replied evenly. Rogue sniffed and started to cry all at once, pulling Steph into a tighter hug than either parents had dared with her injuries.
"She's bahk!" the southern girl said happily. The adults chuckled and Logan had to wipe away another tear before he could look at the others again.
"There's someone else who needs yer welcome," he said, putting a hand on Steph's shoulder. "Hurry up, 'fore he turns into a rock." Steph looked over and she saw Remy's head, which had bowed, hiding his face before she saw it. His hands and feet though, were in clear view, and as Hank and Logan helped her get closer Steph saw the fur on his face.
"Rem?" she said in an awed voice. All of a sudden Remy looked up, stared at Steph for a long time, blinked, and a huge smile formed on his wolfish face.
Steph whistled. "Whoa, what happened to you?" she said. Remy barked out a laugh as she sat next to him, looking at his face and taking his hands in her own. He also examined them for the first time.
"Guess we know I got more from my ma den de hair, huh chere?" he said. Steph nodded, eyes wide.
"Guess so, jeez!" she said. Remy let out a huge sigh, and all at once, to everyone's amazement, his features started to change again. Slowly, from the half man, half wolf face Remy's old features appeared. The fangs shrank back into the slightly pointed teeth he had had before, and the fur receded as his hands and face slowly returned to normal.
Remy looked at himself in shock as the rest of the adults gaped at him.
"It appears that Remy Sr. was correct in his assumption that his son would return to normal once Stephanie awoke," Hank said, looking impressed. "Perhaps a furthered mutation?"
"Whoa," Logan said. "Lookin' better kid."
"I dunno, I think wolf-boy suited you more," Steph laughed. Remy smiled and looked down.
"Y' break my heart, petite," he said. Steph grinned and patted his cheek lightly.
"It's what I was made to do, it seems," she said. "That and eat, I'm starving!"