(Six)

A few hours later, Kimble wandered into the galley looking for a drink. His hands were dirty from working and he was cleaning them with a rag. He paused with a small smile when he saw Remy leaning against the wall, smoking. They hadn't had a chance to talk since coming out of the files.

"You looks okay," Kimble observed, looking him over. "All things considerin'."

"Je suis bein, cher. I'm all right."

Kimble opened the fridge and pulled out a bottle of beer. He uncorked it and drank it down at his usual breakneck pace, his eyes never leaving Remy's face. The thief cocked his head and watched him with a curious smile.

It had been one long strange day, the thief had been thinking. Funny how a near death experience could make a person take stock of one's life. He hadn't slept yet, but had been helping Henry clean up the mess outside the cage, trying to work off some of his anxiety. Taking stock.

He realized that for all the folks that had crossed his path, he could probably count on one hand the ones he truly loved and held close to him. Watching Kimble with Sheyman had pointed that out with a startling clarity. Why was that? What was it that made him so sparse with his affection? He had been acting like a man who thought he had a lot of time, surprising considering the reckless way he operated through life. If he had died with Kimble today, who would've mourned his passing? His father? Rogue? Maybe a couple of his teammates? Maybe it was time to change a few things when he got back. He made a private vow then to himself that he was done with stupid games and screwing around, he was going to ask Rogue to marry him the moment he got back. That was a promise.

Gambit had been a bit startled when he saw Kimble come in. Maybe it was the lack of sleep, or just a leftover from the file sharing, but he could still see a ghost of Kimble's shimmer clinging around him like a shadow. It reaffirmed what he had come to know — Kimble was very much alive in every sense that mattered and yes, he did possess a soul. That and a heart greater than most people he had met. Kimble was not a machine, not just some codes floating around in a sea of gel. He was real. Remy couldn't stop a surge of love and affection for the pilot, as strong a love as he felt for his father. Like Jean Luc, Kimble had saved him as well. Saved him by reminding him of what he possessed inside and how foolish he had been to never share it.

Things were going to be different when they got back home, for him and for Kimble. If these past days were any indication, Remy had an idea that his new friend was going to need some looking after. He thought perhaps that if Fallen fell short on that job, that he might be up for it. There was no way he was going to leave Kimble to be locked away in a holding cell or abused. No, he would be there to make sure Kimble was okay. He owed him that. That and so much more.

Kimble was drinking, but his mind was as far away from a cold beer as it could get. He was a sensitive creature, a true empath, and he could sense Remy's emotions, see them swirling in his shine. At first he thought the thief might be angry at him for dragging him along through the cesspit of his life. He wasn't sure what was going to happen the next time they met, if there would be violence or ugly words. He thought there might be some misgivings, but what he hadn't expected was that powerful surge of love and affection. It blasted right through him and made him shiver right where he stood. Their eyes locked with a fierce kind of passionate energy and it was all he could do not to drop the bottle.

Logan walked in and paused when he saw the two of them looking at each other. He'd had a nap to sleep off some of his injuries and he was feeling better. He had noticed that most of the bloody mess in the Main Room was cleaned up, probably from Henry and Gambit judging from the tiredness still in Remy's eyes. The thief hadn't slept yet. It didn't stop him from looking at Kimble with an odd brightness in his red on black eyes. There was a kind of electric charge in the room between these two now, the thief and the Siskan. It was creepy.

Wolverine grunted wryly. "You two gonna kiss or what?" he joked in his rough growl.

"Jus' waitin' for you, mon ami. Kimble likes it better wit t'ree, n'est ce pas?" Remy replied with a winning smile, never missing a beat.

Kimble choked a little on the last of his beer as he started to laugh. He wiped his chin on his arm and turned to grab a towel.

"Very funny, Cajun," Logan grumbled and leaned next to him. "Too bad I don't like ta share."

Remy shook his head with a chuckle and was quiet.

Kimble leaned against the counter and wiped his face with the towel. He wanted to talk to Remy, to try and get a grasp on what this was now between them, but Logan unnerved him. He gave Gambit one last grin and started to walk out. He paused when Remy charged a playing card and held it up.

"Sumptin' on yo' mind, buddy?" Remy asked him smoothly in accented Siskan. He had retained his knowledge and understanding of the language as a parting gift from the files.

Kimble looked up at him in surprise. Gambit's Cajun drawl carried over into the Siskan and he liked the sound of it. Like the lure it was, Kimble walked over and stood in front of Remy, assessing him carefully. The thief glanced up at him and their eyes locked again, that strange intensity still there between them. He saw now that Gambit was quite a bit taller than him. He hadn't realized it before, it seemed like they had been the same height in the files. It was a strange indicator that things were going to be different between them now, he felt closer now to Remy than Seth in a way he couldn't clearly define.

Invited, Kimble reached out and took the glowing playing card in his fingers. The card crumbled to ash as he took the Ristle from it and he shivered slightly from the pleasure of it. Remy's power wasn't as strong as Fallen's but it was still Ristle and felt good as it passed into him. It was like a kiss with a promise of more. His grin spread a little wider with hope, given a choice, he would take Remy's sincerity over Bruce's indecision in a heartbeat. But when he looked into Gambit's eyes again, he realized he was mistaken. There was a message in the Ristle - / I love you. M' gonna take care of you, little brother. Keep you safe. I owe you more dan I could ever say./

Kimble chuckled softly, a bit rueful. 'Little brother', the distinction was clear. These little sips of power were all he was ever going to get from him. That and a friendship that would last forever. It was okay, he would take whatever he could get. He needed that emotion, that sense that someone out there valued him and wanted him around. He would do anything to keep this precious human close to him, anything to keep that lifeline alive. He spoke in Siskan, "Thanks fer savin' m' life, Remy."

"Pas de quoi, cher. What else are X-men for?"

"I'm sorry if I hurt you," Kimble apologized quietly, wishing only to make sure Remy knew the depth of his regret. "Never wanted nuthin' bad ta happens to ya."

" 'S all right. It wasn't all bad," Gambit replied, a sly smile on his face.

Kimble saw that as an acceptance of his apology, that all was forgiven. He hadn't misunderstood that lovely vibration of affection. All was well.

Remy shivered from remembered ecstacy and looked away, feeling confused and guilty about liking something so alien to his own nature. He recalled the experience with Carnya and Hayden with a startling clarity that bothered him. It had been something of a shock to his sensibilities, but something far too pleasurable to completely regret. It was something he wouldn't repeat, but he certainly wouldn't forget it either, that was for sure.

Kimble shook his head with a sad smile. He had hoped Gambit would have come to grips with this and worked past his embarrassment. It hadn't happened apparently. "Ya still don' gits it, do ya?"

Wolverine watched this and felt his ire grow. He didn't understand what was said in their Siskan conversation, but there was no mistaking Gambit's reaction, the arousal and the embarrassment. Logan didn't like this strange magic at work here between these two. Remy held his heart close, always had. Why now was he looking on Kimble with such an open affection? This was not normal Gambit behavior, something had happened here. He saw Kimble as a cunning and manipulative creature trying to hold Remy under his sway. How long before he shoved Remy against a wall like Bruce? Logan didn't understand why Remy had lured him over here in the first place. Remy was playing with fire here. If he kept it up, the silly Cajun was probably going to get fucked in the ass - literally. He cleared his throat to get Kimble's attention. "Are the repairs done?"

Both Gambit and Kimble shifted uncomfortably, the moment between them rudely disrupted.

"See his shine, Remy?" Kimble continued in Siskan, ignoring Wolverine's question.

"Oui. What about it?"

Logan was angry he had been blown off. "I asked you a question, pup."

Gambit startled a little as he picked up an unpleasant vibration coming from his teammate. What was this? He could feel the anger, just as he had felt it when Logan had stood over him before. Where that had been all right, just Logan's protectiveness of him, this was actually physically painful, reminding him of Valentin's affect on Zander. Like then, it wasn't directed at him, it was aimed at Kimble.

Kimble smiled sadly up at his friend. "It hurts."

Kimble withdrew from Remy, his teasing smile hiding his discomfort defensively. " 'Bout an hour," he finally answered to Logan in English without looking at him. It was a deliberate snub.

Logan snorted and shook his head, biting back his anger.

Kimble grabbed another bottle of beer from the fridge and started to walk out, wanting only to get away from Logan's painful anger and distrust. He glanced back at Gambit and spoke in Siskan again, once more offering instruction. "Don' feel bad 'bout likin' what happened in there, Remy. It ain't what yer thinkin'. It's only lovemakin', that's all. It's all about havin' fun, havin' a good time, an' makin' somebody else feel good along the way. There ain't never no wrong in makin' somebody feels like that, like they's loved and wanted and cherished for just bein' there. That's all it ever is, all it's ever gotta be. Who ya do it with don' ever matter, only the love, only the feelin' that ya share. It don't mean ya don' love yer girl. It don' mean ya ain't a real man."

"D'accorde. Gambit gets it just fine, little brother," Remy replied honestly. His promiscuous side could relate to Kimble's manner of thinking, to the childish simplicity of it. His adult side knew things were much more complicated than that outside of a Siskan pleasure room, but he wasn't about to quibble. Not now.

His reference to Kimble as his brother twice now was significant. It was not something he said lightly and spelled out the closeness he now felt with this pilot. The file sharing had created a bond between them he didn't fully understand but he now embraced it willingly. He had needed a friend for so long, someone he could relate to and understand completely. It seemed his unspoken wish had just been granted and he wasn't going to let it slip away from him, not now. He continued to speak, wanting to let his new friend know that he really did understand what he was trying to say. "I know you was 'elpin' dem, de sick ones. I know you didn't want to 'urt me. Dat you was tryin' ta show me sumptin' beautiful and I t'ank you for it. Jus' gotta give a boy a chance ta let it all sink in, eh?" Remy said with a laugh before pausing a moment to become more serious. "I'm sorry about your father. You ever need anyt'ing or just need someone to talk to, you come see Gambit, oui? Gambit still gonna take care of you."

"Shure. I 'preciate it cuz I knows ya really means it."

Remy smiled. "No worries."

"No worries."

Kimble laughed again and started to walk out again. Once more Remy stopped him with a question. "B'fore y'all get too far... De color purple mean anyt'ing to you?"

Kimble paused, feeling a shiver run down his spine. Normally the color meant nothing to him, but he recalled that last parting dream of drowning. Had Remy experienced that, too? "Nope. Wuz just some stupid dream, huh? There... at the end. Prob'ly just the files fuckin' up," he offered.

"P'etetre," Remy spoke, seeing the honesty of Kimble's response. The Siskan wasn't hiding anything. "You take care now."

Kimble couldn't stop the warm smile that washed away all of his unease. He could sense Remy's genuine concern for him, felt again that love and affection, and was simply unable to hide it. "I will. Gots work ta do." He turned and left, bringing that bright smile with him.

"What was that all about?" Logan asked Remy sharply. He hadn't understood a word that they said and it bugged him. Yeah, he could sense emotions through body language and scent, but it didn't give him a complete picture. He wanted some kind of assurance that Remy was really okay and not spellbound in some way.

Remy flinched at the unspoken accusation in Logan's voice. Its sharpness came at him painfully.

"Nuthin'," he replied smoothly, figuring there was just no explaining something as complicated as this to someone whose mind had already been made up. He was just too fucking tired. He took a deep drag from his cigarette and closed his eyes, letting the smoke drift slowly from his mouth. He sincerely hoped his new sensitivity was going to wear off soon. Logan's intensity was becoming physically uncomfortable.

Logan noticed Remy's discomfort and backed off a little in confusion. "What?" he asked a little more gently.

"I tell you sumptin', you gonna listen, mon tete dure?" Remy asked without opening his eyes.

Logan grinned. Tete dure was Cajun slang for a stubborn, hard headed person. It wasn't the first time this kid had called him that. "All right."

Gambit turned his head to look at him. "Dis not so easy to explain, but Kimble sees you. 'E sees all of you, comprenez? Now Gambit sees it, too. You got a shine. Did you see it on de play back? 'Ow all de people got a shine?"

Logan shook his head. "All we saw were things happening. We didn't know what Kimble was thinking, only what he saw."

"Den you didn't see all of it. You 'ave a glow, a shimmer dat's all around you. All of you do, but yours is brighter den all of dem. When you say sumptin', sumptin' angry, it's not just words to 'im. It actually 'urts 'im, like you hit 'im wit your voice, comprenez? I can't imagine what it was like when you actually punched 'im. Don' even wanna t'ink about dat."

He closed his eyes again and turned away. "Wit Kimble, you 'ave to watch what say an 'ow you say it. You will never be able to lie to 'im, 'cause 'e can "read" yo' shine. You know, like a telepat', but diff'rent, neh?"

"An empath?" Logan suggested. He didn't know much about that sort of thing, that was really something the Professor would know more about than himself. Yet, he had heard some talk about mutants out there that could feel emotions rather than thoughts. It was also true that some folks like that used that ability to "charm" others and manipulate them into doing things they would never consider. The idea of Kimble being such a one fit in perfectly with what he saw Kimble do to Bruce. An empath could be just as dangerous as a telepath, Kimble would bear watching.

"Mebbe, mebbe. Don' know fo' sure. Jus' keep your voice low an' even an' try to like 'im just a little, d'accorde? 'E's all right. 'E's not a bad person."

Logan considered what Remy had told him. "I can tell a lotta things about a person that others can't see. I don't see it, but I've heard of people shinin'. That we all have auras or somethin'. Been told more'n once that I got a real bright shine cause 'a my healin' factor or maybe 'cause my spirit and will is so strong. I can buy into what yer sayin' on that account. What I don't share is yer thinkin' about Kimble, though. I saw some things on that screen that just don't sit right with me. He was manipulatin' Bruce, I don't care what ya say. I haven't changed my mind on how dangerous he is. He's gonna be a real pain in the ass when we get home. I can see it already."

"P'etetre...but don' forget he saved May's life. He done it wit'out a t'ought fo ' 'is own safety - just like I seen you do fo' us more 'n once. You an 'im ain't so far apart. You a pain in de ass, too, just like 'im. You 'ave a lot in common, includin' mutual intolerance," Remy joked bitterly. "Fallen was right about 'im bein' young. You put all of 'is time together, de time 'e's been awake? Dat's only 'bout fifteen years or so, judgin' by what I seen in dose files. He a teenager, jus' like de kids at de school back 'ome. If it 'elps you, t'ink of 'im dat way, patron. He a teenager dat's been t'rough some really nasty shit. I seen you 'elpin' some of de kids back 'ome. Try givin' im de same respect." Gambit leaned forward and crushed out his cigarette. "I'm gonna get some sleep. I've 'ad enough for one day...heh, a whole fuckin' lifetime. Night, y'all." He rubbed his eyes and walked out, exhausted.

Logan watched him go and considered what Remy said. Looking at Kimble as a troubled teenager did help to put some of Kimble's strange behavior into perspective. He made a silent promise to try and be more tolerant, or at least to stay out of Kimble's way if he couldn't handle being around him. It wouldn't stop him from watching out and making sure that Kimble didn't get out of hand. Fallen hadn't been able to control him much these past days and he failed to see how that was going to change back home.