Hi everyone! Glad you liked the last chapter. Ready for the next installment? Of course you are! Thanks for being so patient. I finally got all my sick work caught up then I got semi-writer's block. I know what the big events are going to be, I'm just having trouble writing the transition between them. Take this chapter for instance, I had it almost all wrote, but I didn't like the way it was turning out, so I deleted it all and started over. Well, that's enough griping for now.
WARNING FOR SCOTT FANS: Scott will act like a major dick in this chapter, sorry if you like him. I need someone to be a jerk and since he isn't very high on my list of favorites . . .
Disclaimer: I bought X-men Evolution on ebay and new episodes will start next Saturday. Wait, that was dream! I own nothing. (Insert depressed sigh here.) I don't own the song "Tough Little Boys", nor do I own the singer, Gary Allen.
-Chapter 5-
The Pyro, The Ex-con, and the child
/Secret base/ Somewhere in New York/ present time
The room is filled with various computers, screens, and electronic equipment. A man enters and sits down. After he types some information into the computer, the screens fill with images of mutants of all ages. The screen nearest the man filled with pictures of Remy at varying ages. He enlarged the one of him escaping his burning apartment.
He ran a white finger over the bundle that was Angie. "Remy, Remy, Remy. A child? Has it been that long since our last meeting? I look forward to our reunion. It shall prove quite . . . rewarding." An ominous look crept onto the white faced, red-eyed Sinister. "Yes, we both have changed young friend, but I'm sure you haven't forgotten Dr. Nathaniel Essex."
/Xavier's School for the Gifted/ Bayville, New York/ present time
Remy, St. John and Angie had been shielded from the other mutants for the first night. They had been immediately led to the Medical Bay to be checked over by Beast. After that, they had been ushered to guestrooms.
Now it was the next morning and they were getting a formal introduction to the older members of the X-men.
" . . . This is Hank McCoy; you met him last night. He's our resident doctor. Lastly, this is another guest we have at the moment, Piotr Rasputin." The Russian gave a small wave as the Professor finished the introductions. "Why don't you introduce yourselves?"
St. John didn't need any prodding. "Hey mates! I'm St. John Allerdyce, but ya can call me Pyro. I got the nickname back in Cairns. I was always fascinated by fire, so my friends called me Pyro."
"Cairns?" Asked Jean, her face full of confusion.
"Yeah, it's a city in Australia, near the Great Barrier Reef. It's my hometown." (A/N I went there. LOVED IT!)
"So what are yer powers, kid?" Queried Logan.
Instead of answering, John began to dig in his pocket. He let out a cry of victory when he found the item he sought, holding it up for all to see.
"What's a lighter got to do with anything?" Said Scott.
John just rolled his eyes. "This." He flicked the lighter and pulled the flame into his hand. Angie clapped in excitement. "Make it inta a dog, John!" The pyro smiled at the little girl and suddenly the fire shifted into the shape of dog and began to run laps in his palm. He let it go for a while before closing his hand and extinguishing the flame. He gave Scott a satisfied smirk and sat down next to Wanda.
"Fire manipulation. Very interesting, Mr. Allerdyce." Said Xavier. He turned to Remy, signaling his turn.
Great. Just keep the topic off the relationship between me an' Angie an' I should be okay. "M' name's Remy LeBeau an' dis is Angelique. We're from N'Awlins."
"So you're a Swamp Rat?" Rogue called across the room in a teasing voice.
Remy smiled at her. "If I'm a Swamp Rat, dat makes you a River Rat, non?"
Having no answer, Rogue looked the other way, her cheeks flushed. What was that about? She thought. If that was anybody else I'd have a million comebacks. "Just tell us about your powers, Swamp Rat."
"For a belle fille like ya, anyt'ing," He said, sending a flirtatious smile her way. He reached into his pocket searching for the spare cards he kept there. When he pulled it out Scott gave a short laugh.
"What do you do, control cards? Or is it paper?"
Remy kept grinning, but his eyes began to glow faintly. "Somethin' like dat, homme." He charged the card slightly, aimed, and threw it towards Scott. It gave a small explosion about a foot from Scott's face.
Scott stood up and was about to say something when the Professor began to speak. "I'd like to let you both know you can stay here as long as you want. There could even be a spot for you on the team if you so desire. I just have one question: Do either of you wish to go home? I would be more than willing to help with the arrangements."
Both Remy and John shook their heads. John placed his arm around Wanda before saying, "I ain't got anyone to go home to." All heads turned to Remy.
Choose you're words carefully. Don't say too much-
"We can't go home. Grandpa told us t' not come back ever. 'Sides, pere said he don' want me t' be 'round de Thieves Guild."
T'anks, Angie.
Scott gave Angie an annoyed look. "Why don't you let your brother answer the questions, Angelica?"
Merde.
Angie gave him an offended, yet confused look. "M' name's Angelique. If ya can't 'member dat, call me Angie. An' I don' have a brother. What's he talkin' bout, daddy?"
Busted. "He meant me, ange."
"Why'd he call ya m' brother?"
"Petite, remember when I told ya dere are somet'ings I'll explain t' ya when you're older?" She nodded. "Dis is one of dem." She gave a small pout, but nodded again. Remy was painfully aware that all eyes in the room were on him. "Angie, why don't ya see if Wanda can show ya around?"
Wanda, knowing what was making Remy uneasy, quickly agreed and ushered the girl out the door.
Remy let out a slow breath, avoiding eye contact.
"So. . . She's your . . . daughter?" Asked Jean in a disbelieving voice.
"Right in one, cher."
"But you're, like, ..."
"Twenty-one. Twenty-two in two weeks. She'll be five. She was born on m' seventeenth birthday."
Scott looked like he was deep in thought. "She said Thieves Guild. You're a thief?"
"Ex-thief."
Rogue cocked her head to the side, thinking. "Is your father Jean-Luc LeBeau?"
"He adopted me. Why?"
"Mississippi may be on the other side of the river, but we hear all about the Thieves and Assassin Guilds, Le Diable Blanc." Said Rogue.
Remy pulled off his glasses and stared at Rogue. "Only look like 'im, cherie. Only look like 'im."
There was silence in the room as everyone soaked in the information they had just received and tried to understand exactly what the two Southerners were talking about. Remy couldn't stand it. "Ya gonna kick me out?" He asked the Professor bluntly.
Xavier looked taken aback. "Whatever for?"
"Most people throw ya out when de find out ya used t' be a thief an' ya have a kid."
"We aren't here to judge, Mr. LeBeau. Just to help." He held out his hand and Remy shook it. He didn't miss the haughty looks of Scott and Jean, either.
/1/1/1/1/1/1/1/1/1/1/1/1/
That night when Scott went to bed if found a note on his bed and underneath it, his wallet. His hand flew to his empty pocket where his wallet was supposed to be. Confused, he read the note: Hey One-eye, Keep the "I'm better than you" looks to yourself. Oh, watch your possessions more carefully. Sleep tight!
/1/1/1/1/1/1/1/1/1/1/1/1/
Angie hovered inches above her father's face, determined to wake him up. "Daddy. Daaaaaaddeeeeeee. Daddy!"
Remy groaned and shifted to a more comfortable position. "Just watch de movie petite. It sounds like Simba and Nala are meetin' again; dat's your favorite part."
Angie gave her father an indignant look, causing the others in the room to laugh. "It's not de same if ya don' watch it wit' me!"
Remy sighed, but opened his eyes to watch the two lions fall in love. It was past her bedtime, but Angie was like the energizer bunny, she never seemed to run out of energy. In a last attempt to get her to fall asleep, Remy had rounded up John, Wanda, Rogue, Piotr, and Kitty to watch movies. It seemed to be putting everyone to sleep. Everyone except Angie.
They had been at the mansion almost two weeks now; their birthday was just around the corner. Remy had befriended most of the other occupants, bonding right away with Piotr and, surprisingly, Rogue. The friendship caught most of the X-men off guard, but Rogue's friends, like Wanda and Kitty, supported it. The Southerners had things in common that few of the others did, such as being adopted and living down South, so they could sympathize and understand what the other was talking about.
Angie was making friends as well. The girls all thought she was adorable and even some of the guys, including Logan, couldn't help but agree to play with the girl when she asked.
Others weren't so welcoming. Remy and Scott had seemed to come to an unspoken agreement to dislike each other. That was fine with Remy; he couldn't stand the pompous 'leader' looking down on him.
Remy watched as the lions' cub was raised for all to see by the monkey. As the credits began to roll, he looked next to him.
Despite all her protested for him to stay wake, Angie had succumb to sleep. She was leaning against Piotr, her bear clutched tightly in her arms. "Guess it's finally bedtime," Remy said to no one in particular. He picked up his daughter and she stirred in her sleep.
"Don' wanna go t' bed."
"Yeah, ya do. Say good night, ange."
"G'night, Rogue. G'night, St. John. G'night, Wanda . G'night, Piotr. G'night . . ." Her voice faded as she fell asleep before they even left the Rec Room.
Remy walked down the halls accompanied by silence. It was ten o'clock and most of the students had gone to bed, resting up for the early morning training session with Logan.
Noticing a light in the library, he peered in. Jean and Scott were sitting on one of the couches discussing something.
"The Professor trusts him, Scott! Why can't you?"
Okay, dey are discussing someone.
"Why should I? He admitted to being a thief!"
So, dey're discussin' me.
"He said he doesn't do that anymore."
"He got a girl pregnant when he was sixteen. I bet you he sleeps around!"
"Scott! Don't talk about things you don't know!"
"I bet you any money he staged the explosion! He probably did it with his powers. He knew that the Professor would take them in. He's probably planning on running and leaving the kid here. I'm surprised she isn't messed up, the way he raises her." Scott stood up and began to pace. "The kid probably isn't even his. She's probably some kid he picked up to use as a gambit to get women! Or maybe he's dying of some STD and he needed a place to drop her before snuffs it! "
"SCOTT! That was really rude! You don't know . . ."
Remy never did find out what Scott didn't know. He ran to his room. Placing Angie on the bed, he sank to the floor and put his head in his hands.
For the first time in years, Remy felt despair wash over him as the tears begged to be let free.
Over the years he had learned to ignore comments about his life, he let it roll off like water on a duck's back. Instead of getting easier, it was getting harder. Is dat what people t'ink of me? What does Angie t'ink? 'M I really a bad father? A lone tear rolled down his cheek as years of built up doubts flooded his mind.
"Daddy? Are ya sad?"
Startled, Remy looked up into the eyes of his daughter. She looked confused and scared by the fact that her father might be crying.
"T'ought ya were asleep." He said pulling her into a hug.
"Did I make ya sad daddy?" Asked Angie, wiping the tear from his face.
"Never, petite, never."
"But daddies don' cry, only babies do."
"Ev'rybody is allowed t' cry." There was silence for awhile.
"Daddy?"
"Hmm?"
"Can we dance t' our song? Dat always makes us happy."
Remy smiled. "I was hopin' ya'd ask." He placed a CD in the stereo, skipped to the right number and picked up Angie. As the song started they began to sway to the music.
I never once backed down from a punch
Well, I'd take it square on the chin
And I found out fast a bully's just that
And you've got to stand up to him.
So I didn't cry when I got a black eye
As bad as it hurt, I just grinned
But when tough little boys grow up to be Dads
They turn into big babies again.
Scared me to death when you took your first steps
Well I'd fall every time you fell down
Your first day of school, I cried like a fool
And I followed your school bus to town.
Well I didn't cry when 'ole Yeller died
At least not in front of my friends
But when tough little boys grow up to be Dads
They turn into big babies again.
Well I'm a grown man, as strong as I am
Well sometimes it's hard to believe
How one little girl with little blonde curls
Can totally terrify me.
If you were to ask, my wife would just laugh
She'd say I know all about men
And how tough little boys grow up to be Dads
They turn into big babies again.
I know one day I'll give you away
And I'm going to stand there and smile
Cause when I get home and I'm all alone
Well, I'll sit in your room for awhile.
Well I didn't cry when 'ole Yeller died
At least not in front of my friends
But when tough little boys grow up to be Dads
They turn into big babies again.
When tough little boys grow up to be Dads
They turn into big babies again.
Angie had fallen asleep by the time the song ended. As Remy put her in bed, she mumbled, "I love ya, pere."
Again tears pricked Remy's eyes, this time from the soaring feeling in his heart. He kissed her forehead sweetly. "I love ya, too, mi petite ange."
/In the hallway/
Rogue back away from the door. She had been across the hall when Jean and Scott were fighting. She heard everything and had followed Remy to his room. She had watched the interaction between Remy and Angie.
He must really love her. God Scott, I wish ya had seen this. Then maybe ya would know what an ass you're being! Rogue tried to keep her anger at Scott the foremost thought in her mind. It was easier than admitting that she was falling fast and hard for the devil-eyed Cajun.
Well, how am I doing? I was having serious writer's block and did not know what to write for this chapter, yet it ended up being my longest one yet! Was it good?
