(Seven)

Up on the widows peak, Remy dozed, but never quite fell deeply asleep. He had too much on his mind. He gave up trying and rolled over when he felt the first rays of sunlight warm his face. He looked next to him, but Kimble was gone. At first Remy panicked a little, he was responsible for Kimble at the moment, but then smiled when he saw his friend nearby after all.

Kimble was awake and perched on the wall of the widow's peak. He had been facing the east, watching the sun rise. He had his wings fanned out as if to sample the sun's light as he had the food from the night before. His eyes were closed and his arms outstretched as he bathed in the bright light of the new sun. He looked like an orange glowing gargoyle with an odd expression on his handsome face of total wonder and bliss. A small breeze brushed him and he laughed.

Remy was quiet and lay still watching his new friend. He hadn't wanted to frighten Kimble with his story, but was worried about how Kimble was going to fit in here. He knew Kimble had chosen him as his personal guide and protector here and Remy feared that he might get prejudiced against because of his own poor reputation. Kimble wasn't like other people. He was very sensitive and child like, something that might not go over very well in this house of over achieving adults. Remy made a promise to himself to look after Kimble and try to steer him in the right direction. He wasn't going to let Kimble fall down as far as he had, not without a fight.

Kimble lowered a wing and turned to look back at him with a small smile. "Thanks."

"For what?"

"Fer this. Fer talkin' ta me. Fer lookin' after me."

Gambit shrugged nonchalantly, back in his usual role. "No problem. Gambit knows what you need. 'E gonna look after you, je promets. You just gotta make sure 'e don' be workin' too 'ard, neh? Stay cool, man."

"No worries."

"Bien," Remy grunted and rubbed his eyes. He was really tired, but knew he wouldn't get any real sleep until he worked out whatever was going on with Rogue.

"I gots ta see my Fallen now," Kimble said, stepping down from the railing with a smooth fluid grace. "I gots ta feed. I knows you kin do it, but wanna talk ta her, 'pologize fer bein' such an ass last night."

"I gotcha, man. Let me walk ya down."

" 'S all right. I knows the way."

"Gambit take you anyway. Make sure you don' get sidetracked," he said with a grin, rising.

They packed up the bags and blankets and made their way through the quiet house. Remy paused once outside of Rogue's bedroom door. The door wasn't shut tight and he peeked in to look at her sleeping face for a moment. He withdrew as silently as he'd crept in and they made the rest of the way down in silence, Remy's brooding sadness a bit of a come down for Kimble after that glorious sunrise. Remy dropped him off at the tram and made sure he was all set before turning away towards the elevator.

Kimble watched him go, wondering what he could do to help this man who had done so much for him. He decided to take a look around the Storage Room after. Maybe there was something packed away in all the junk that might be useful.

Kimble went into the ship and looked around for Fallen. The door to the lower level was open so he went down. He could hear Seth and Fallen talking in the shop. They were saying lovely nonsense as she stood with her hands against the glass of the vision screen. Kimble paused, just to watch them. He loved them both deeply and wished they could be together. He was reminded of Remy and Rogue, so close and yet so far. "Hey, guys," he said after a moment.

Fallen turned to look at him. At first her eyes were sad, but then she brightened. "Good morrow. Did you sleep well?"

"Yeah. Remy took me up ta th' roof. They gots a place up there ta sit. I could see alla the stars. I sawr the sun come up. Wuz the most beautiful thing I seen in a long while." He was a little uncomfortable talking about things Seth couldn't do, but wanted to share his happiness with Fallen.

"I'm glad you had fun. I spoke with the Professor. He said we could stay as long as we need to. This is good because Henry thinks he can get Seth out."

Kimble smiled and looked up at his brother with love. "That's good. That's real good."

"It's going to take a long time, though," Seth said. "We'll be pretty busy. I wish it wasn't going to take so long. It already seems like forever since I've felt my Fallen," he ended sadly.

Kimble's grin grew wider. "I kin fix that."

"Oh? How's that?" Fallen asked. "Are you suddenly wise and powerful?"

"Naw, just hungry." He looked at her and raised an eyebrow in invitation.

She laughed and went towards him, eager for the Black Room, but he held his hand up. He went to where the tools were hanging and took down a large knife she had there. "What are you doing?" she asked, fearful he was going to hurt himself.

Kimble sat on the bed. "Gonna make sure it lasts a while, is all. Yer gonna fix me anyways."

"Wait, don't do that. It's sick!"

Kimble grunted a laugh. "Not as much as watchin' you two gittin' all mushy on me."

He took the knife and slid his palm along the blade, making a large cut. He grunted in pain, but didn't stop. He squeezed his hand, forcing his gel to come out in a gush. It spilled over him, but shimmered and disappeared. He lay the knife on the floor and stretched out on the bed, getting as comfortable as possible in spite of his injury. "C'mon, then. I ain't gots all day," he complained good naturedly, fluffing the pillow next to him for Fallen.

She came to the bed and lay down, not touching him right away, but getting comfortable. He opened his arms and she lay against him with a smile. Almost at once she felt the surge as he took Ristle from her and then she was falling down into the Black Room. They landed together and she felt him enjoy the rush from the power. His reaction was so like his brother's to her love, it made her laugh. She looked up as Seth dropped down next to her. He fell into her arms immediately, seeking her warmth and presence. She gripped him as tears spilled from her eyes. She would never be able to express to Kimble the gratitude she felt for doing this for her.

"This is so good, Fallen. I don't want to be without you," Seth said, burying her with kisses.

"We'll get you out, you'll see," she promised. "It'll be the best." Like before, she lay very close to Kimble and gave herself to his brother.

(break)

Outside and not far away, Wolverine ran through the woods swiftly, pushing the limits of his body. The air out here was fresh and a still a little chilly, but he was warm from the exercise, his breath coming out in a steamy little cloud as he moved swiftly with little noise. The Xavier grounds were vast and he had many acres of forest to himself. As Remy had said, he was the big bad watch dog that prowled the yard, only this yard was huge and he knew every inch of it. It had been weeks since he'd been home and he was out here now, making sure all was as he had left it. He'd been out here for over an hour, never losing his pace as he ran the borders and checked all of his markings. He was fiercely territorial and tolerated no trespassers. "No Hunting" signs were posted all along the boundaries and his powerful senses would tell him if that sanctity had been violated. So far so good.

He stopped at the lake, catching his breath a little, and looked up into the sunrise. The sky was purple and orange, his favorite time of day. He decided to go for a quick swim and so stripped off his clothes and stepped down into the lake up to his shoulders, his skin almost steaming from the change of temperature. He growled to himself with contentment, loving this.

He was a wild thing and enjoyed all the wilderness around him. There were no houses that bordered on this lake and it was very private here. Or so he'd thought. He looked up as Jean used her telekinetic power to drop down from the sky and land on the rickety wooden dock that jutted out into the lake. A lone rowboat was tied to one end, neglected.

"Yer up early," he greeted, not displeased to see her.

"I knew you'd be around. We missed you."

"We or you?"

She smiled demurely and tossed her head back, making her long red hair shimmer in the sun's new light. She was very beautiful to him. "Both."

Logan dunked his head down and wet his hair. He rose, slicking it back with his hands and flexing his muscles in an obvious attempt to impress her. She laughed, making him shiver. "You haven't changed," she said.

"Guys as old as me never do, darlin'. So what brings you out here? You that desperate to see me naked? You know where I sleep. You can come see me anytime."

"Same old Logan," she said with a laugh. "Remind me again why we never got together?"

"You have this desperate longing for lousy sex. I keep tellin' you I'd be happy to cure it, but yer addiction, it's too strong."

"Oh, that's right. Here I was thinking it was just you being so crude and brutally honest."

He grinned irritably, showing her his teeth. "Oh, yeah. That's what it was. What do ya want with me, Red?"

"We have some new people at the house so don't freak out. The Professor took in a couple of students and Rogue...well, she's got a new boyfriend."

Wolverine scowled in annoyance. "What happened to her old one? We weren't gone all that long."

"Well, you know how she is. Never standing still."

Wolverine slicked his hair back again. It had grown a little long in the time they were gone and it fell into his eyes, wet with the lake. "And you? You standin' still?"

She regarded him with her deep green eyes. This one she loved deeply, but he was so cold and hard. It was part of the attraction, but also his biggest flaw. She needed someone she could be completely comfortable with and that just wasn't possible with him. "I'm good, Logan. I just missed you. Not your games...just you."

He put his head down and sniffed. "All right." Finished with this, he walked out of the water, letting her see him as he dressed. She didn't look away even as he asked, "What's his name?"

"Rogue's new beau? Manny Cortez."

"He got powers? Anything I should know about?"

Jean laughed. "He's invulnerable. They make quite a pair."

"I'll bet. Remy?"

"I don't think he knows. She'll tell him this morning, I'm sure."

Logan pulled on his shirt, tugging on it as it clung to his wet skin. "Gambit had a real tough time this last trip out. He don't need this."

"He'll be okay, he always is."

No that's what he makes everyone think. He's just like me, Logan thought to himself. "I'm sure. Race ya back to the house."

"Last one makes the coffee."

He grinned. His coffee was very strong and jokingly referred to as, "Logan's sludge". His body could tolerate most forms of abuse easily, even his own coffee. He loved to torture others with his brew, just to watch them shiver and wimp out. "You got a deal."