(Three)
Later that evening, Charles Xavier looked up when there was a soft knock on his door. He'd had a day full of appointments and it was quite late, well after ten at night, this Complex was huge and lots of folks were clamoring to see him. It was swiftly becoming apparent he was going to have to put more on Warren's shoulders or promote someone from below to help out. He had also been notified about the happenings in New Orleans. A small team of X-men investigators had been sent out to the site but it would be some time before they reported in. Right now there was no verification that it was Jael playing the Game but since Logan was convinced it was, so was he. They would all have to be very careful now.
"Come," he replied to the knock on his door, smiling when he saw his Chief Medical officer come in. "Hello, Henry."
"Good evening, sir. I've had quite a time scheduling an appointment to see you."
"Perhaps you should start bribing my secretary with Twinkies."
"Ah, a suggestion duly noted, sir."
Beast entered the room and settled his big blue bulk into one of the Professor's large chairs. He waited as Charles wheeled himself out from behind his desk and moved across from him to a better position for conversation, these two were much too close to speak over a desk. Henry grinned at him and began. "I wanted to bring you an update on Kimble."
"And how is our Siskan friend?"
"Coping, sir. He has not been allowed to charge since the incident and I would like to bring him topside in the morning to sun himself."
"You've asked me this before and my answer is still the same. It's only been three days. I'm not so sure that's a good idea."
"Yes, I understand that, but he is very weak. He sleeps most of the day and when he is awake he's groggy and hardly responsive. I'm left to wonder how exactly this is therapeutic to his condition."
Charles sighed and rubbed his chin. "It's not. But I have to consider the emotional state of my people. It was very upsetting, what Kimble did. I was hoping for a chance for the fervor to die down."
"He's not going to stay alive like this, sir. Yes, he can feed off of Ristle for a while, but it's not enough to keep him forever. It's not fair."
"And what was fair for Mary Green?"
"She tried to abduct Angel."
"A theory."
"One I'm willing to bet my degree on."
Charles was quiet for a moment, considering. Beast wasn't the only one to have said this, Kimble was getting support from all sides, even from Logan. Wolverine had done his investigation and had concluded that Mary Green was in fact a spy who had infiltrated this facility. It didn't mean that Logan wanted Kimble released, quite the contrary. The Security officer was concerned at Kimble's response, Mary Green could have simply been arrested for the threat to be contained, there was no need to kill her. This is what had Logan worried. That and Kimble's shrine, the one from his closet. It was a concern for everybody.
"How far along is the Solarium?" Charles asked, coming out of his thoughts.
The Solarium was a pet project of Henry's. The goal of this Complex was complete self sufficiency and solar power was going to have a lot to do that. The Solarium was a large underground park currently under construction and under Henry's supervision. There was a lot of hidden technology in its design and he was the primary driving force behind it. His answer was honest, "It will be at least two weeks before the park can open and months before the farming grounds can even be set up for testing."
Along with the park, Beast had also been involved with the farming applications of the solar system in place. Three large caverns had been excavated and the solar panels and solar converters put into place. The trick was how to divert enough solar energy down below to support a large crop of plants. This Complex was huge and growing larger by the day, that was a lot of mouths to feed. Fortunately, they had several of the best mutant minds and talents on the job. They were using a complex set of mirrors and relays, something far too complicated to get up and running on a dime. Henry was hoping for more time.
Beast knew why Charles was asking. If Kimble needed to recharge, it was safer for him to do it below ground where he could be better protected. The unfortunate fact was, the Solarium simply wasn't ready just yet.
Charles continued rubbing his chin, trying desperately to think of something fair here. "All right, you can bring Kimble up in the morning, but I want him escorted at all times. Is his locator still working?"
Henry heaved a sigh of relief. "Thank you, sir. And yes, the device suffered no damage from the plasma. You see, we can keep tabs on him at all times. We can set the device to trigger against any security box in the Complex. I don't think he would even attempt an escape, but withall the people on patrol, Kimble would never get far. He'll be fine."
"All right, my friend," Charles replied with a laugh. Henry was trying so hard to be convincing. "Is that all you had for me?"
"Not quite. I wanted to throw something out at you, to see if maybe I was simply losing my mind."
"Try me."
"As you know, Remy was injured eight weeks ago."
"Yes, I see he's doing quite well."
"Very well, sir. Almost too well."
Charles arched an eyebrow. "Really?"
"Well, yes. You see, the breaks were quite severe. He had the surgery as you know and the brace has already come off. I gave him a cane but he hasn't really been using it."
"My X-men are stubborn that way. 'Real men don't need canes', and such."
Beast chuckled at that. "Yes, no one knows this more than I, but still, Remy has bounced back far more quickly than expected."
"And you have a theory for this?"
"Only if you promise not to laugh and haul me away."
"Well, it has been some time since you've had a vacation."
Henry laughed softly, a low deep rumble. "Don't try and change the subject."
"Continue."
"Well, Remy spends a lot of time with Kimble, in fact they are almost inseparable."
The Professor nodded in agreement.
"Logan... Logan has suggested their relationship might have been... well...in the past..."
"They were intimate. You can say this, Henry, can't you?" Charles interrupted, a smile on his face now. He was enjoying Henry's discomfort, having always found Beast to be oddly shy on certain subjects, amusing considering he was a doctor. He of all people should know how these things go.
"Well, er, yes. He went on to say that he thought they were still...intimate...on some level."
"What does this have to do with Kimble?" Charles asked, wondering where this was going. Henry's mind was closed off to him, all of his students had been well trained. All he could get from the doctor was his discomfort with disclosing personal information, but some excitement as well. Beast wanted to tell him something positive, he just wasn't sure how to get it out.
"Well, when Victor Creed was brought in, he was in terrible condition - multiple lacerations, severe blunt force trauma, broken bones, some of his teeth were forcibly removed. Anyway, he was in shock and I had serious doubts he was going to survive the hour, never mind through the surgery it took to put him back together. Kimble was there and he... he 'touched' Creed with his mind, he used that 'charm' power of his, his empathy."
Charles was nodding. "Yes, like that Clan fellow who died. I was there when Kimble helped him pass."
"That's correct. Bruce," Henry reminded, his eyes glowing with excitement. "Well, I think that when Kimble 'touched' Creed, he boosted his spirits, perhaps enough that he pulled through like he did."
"And you think Kimble 'touched' Remy the same way."
"Precisely. If you recall, when Kimble had all that trouble years back, Remy claimed that Kimble had helped those that were sick before, that Kimble had showed him this in the files."
"And now you think Kimble did this with Remy somehow."
"Absolutely. The last examination I gave Remy puzzled me and I asked him about it, but he was his usual evasive self. He might not have known I was on to anything at the time, but I could see him thinking about it afterwards. I don't think he was aware that Kimble had affected him that way."
The Professor steepled his hands. "So what did you want to do about this?"
"I don't know. Try some tests perhaps when Kimble is well."
"He is quite disturbed, that may never happen."
"I realize that, but perhaps if he was given a task - a job - he might regain some self worth."
"He has a job at the daycare center."
"He hasn't been going. He found the conditions there...unsatisfactory."
The Professor arched another eyebrow at that. "Unsatisfactory? The centers here are the best care money can buy. Nothing outside can come close to their quality."
"I agree, that is not the point. I think he was used to having more control over things. Remember, he ran the center back home. He would not be doing that here. I think it made him uncomfortable to play that lesser role. It makes him feel less valuable."
"That's absurd. As a teacher, he would always be valuable."
"I disagree. He doesn't want to be merely told what to do or what to teach, I think he requires a greater role to feel good enough about himself to be happy."
The Professor considered this. "Illogical, but I suppose Kimble's ways of thinking have never been quite normal."
"That's unfair."
"It's accurate," Charles countered. "I know you've spent a great deal of time with him, but he has defects in his logic. He lets things pass that matter, and cries over things I fail to understand."
"Think of him as being trapped in an endless puberty, sir. It helps."
Charles chuckled softly. "All right. So you think we have a closet healer and you wish to test your theory, but your subject is mentally unstable. What do you propose?"
"Nothing at the moment, just...just that let's not be so hasty to judge him. Let's not throw him away for something that might not have been entirely his fault. I do not believe he has murdered, he was only defending his child, and the reason for that is simply this - his compassion would not have allowed it. Kimble is not an evil creature. He is not given to whims of cruelty, not against others."
"Against himself perhaps."
"Yes, against himself. Only because he fails to see himself as worthy of anything. He blames himself for anything bad that has ever befallen his friends, but most of all he blames himself for the Game."
"He did not create the Game."
"No. It created him, or he was created because of it, however you want to think of it, but the end result is the same. Kimble can be saved, he just has to find his value. That's what matters, that's what will keep him sane. That and his daughter's love for him. She needs her father."
Charles couldn't help but sigh again, this time in disappointment. "You know that he will be denied custody of her. It is not safe for her to remain in his care."
"He's not violent, sir. Not towards her."
"It's not a question of violence." Charles opened a drawer and lay some photographs of Kimble's apartment out for Henry to see. Spotlighted was the shrine Kimblehad hidden away in his closet, the one with the pictures of his former Masters and those he believed he had harmed.
Henry took them, not quite understanding. He had seen these before and Remy had explained the pictures to him in detail. Once he realized the significance of each picture, the shrine made sense. This was evidence of Kimble's feelings of guilt and Beast did not understand what this had to do with custody of Angel. "I don't see your point, sir."
"Read the bottom caption."
On the shrine itself, Kimble had left a note to himself, "Angel will be safe as long as you never fuck her. She's not your Mistress, not like that. Remember this and she'll be safe. No one stays...no one dies."
"Kimble is a Siskan, sir," Henry tried to explain, feeling a familiar tension. This was not the first time he'd had to pass on an excuse for Kimble's odd behavior. It was simply too difficult for those who did not spend any time with them to grasp easily. Between his long association with Seth and Kimble both, Henry had a better understanding than most. "He is used to thinking of his Mistress in certain terms. He would never molest Angel for the same reasons I believe he didn't actually murder Mary."
"That may be. But I cannot take that chance."
Henry bowed his head. Kimble was not going to handle this well. "What will you do with her?"
"Remy and Molly shall keep her. It makes the most sense."
"Have they been told?"
"Not yet. I've been waiting for Karen to look in on Kimble."
"He is in no condition to be examined. His behavior is not stable when he's this low on power. He's angry one minute then weeping the next in shame. It won't be fair."
"It has to be done, Henry. Kimble's mental state must be determined. I'm sorry."
"When will she see him?"
"I know it's late, but she's on her way right now. Gambit is there with Kimble, she won't be alone with him."
(break)
Karen Logan walked down the short hallway to the holding cells in Henry's medical labs. It had been three days since Mary Green was slaughtered and she had stayed away from Kimble until now, wanting the pilot to have some time to decompress before she came to speak with him. It was late at night, almost midnight, but she knew it didn't matter when she went to see him. Kimble wasn't on a schedule, not with his body so low on power. She had called ahead and was told Remy was down there as well, keeping an eye on the Siskan.
She had read some reports that both Henry and Remy had filed, gathering details, but wanted to see Kimble for herself. Since the move here, Karen had let Kimble fall through the cracks, something regrettable. It was just that the change had been so abrupt and disruptive. She was spread between two locations, juggling patients all around. Her schedule was full, taking up her whole day and with the kids, she had even less time to get to everyone, another reason she was here so late.
Actually, the truth was that Kimble had never been fully responsive to her even though she had been his therapist since the beginning. If he got in trouble it was always Remy he wanted, he never asked for her, never fully opened up to her. Kimble spoke to her enough that she could file decent reports back to SHIELD, enough that his continued incarceration at the Mansion had never come into question. Karen filed her reports and let Remy handle the tough stuff, an arrangement that had served all the parties well enough. Since the move here, those reports no longer had to be filed, they were essentially hiding out and so Karen had once more relied on Remy to watch over the Siskan. She had thought the pilot was getting along well enough, there had been no incidents of violence until now.
One look at Kimble's apartment had told her that belief had been woefully mistaken. She saw the shrine Kimble had made and it was enough to make her shiver. The knives had brought another chill to her bones. There was a child living in that apartment! Her room was only just across the hall! Kimble claimed not to have used them here, but how was she supposed to believe that? There was also the notion that Kimble had to remind himself not to plan on having sexual relations with his daughter, that it would protect her. Karen had no good things to say about that, was unable in fact to swallow the horror of it without gagging. It was clear Angel could no longer live there. There was no way Karen could convince anyone that Angel should remain in his care when she couldn't convince that to herself. She had no idea how she was going to present this to Gambit, he was sure to put up a fight on Kimble's behalf. She wasn't looking forward to the ugly confrontation, another reason she had put off this visit until now.
Karen came to Kimble's cell and paused just outside, taking a moment to simply watch. Remy was there with his Siskan, his back up against the corner with the pilot laid up against his chest and in his arms like a child. It was warm in the cell and the thief had taken off his long coat and tossed it aside, it lay in a crumpled heap next to them. Kimble had been covered in a warming blanket, he was growing colder as what little of his precious life giving energy that remained was drained away over time. Remy was petting him gently, whispering softly to him although it didn't look as though Kimble was even awake. As Remy's hands passed over his skin, Kimble's body absorbed tiny amounts of biokinetic energy, Remy's Ristle. Red crackles sparkled around Remy's fingers, making a faint light show, but it was all an illusion. Gambit's Ristle could carry him for now, but it wouldn't be enough to sustain him over a long period of time.
It was amazing just how much this Siskan had affected Remy's life. He had come in and turned everything upside down, yet Gambit just went with it, sacrificing so much time and effort to keep Kimble going. Logan had once said to her that they were in love once, but she doubted that it had ever ended. Look at how gently those hands stroked Kimble's face, those lips moving so softly and with purpose. Every motion was vibrating a love that could be felt by anyone, not just an empath. Karen found herself wondering at Molly's strength. Their attraction and bond had to be apparent to Gambit's young wife, it had to be, yet Kimble had lived peacefully under her roof for years.
Well, that peace was relative. Kimble was far from stable, but he had never reacted violently to anyone living there. Kimble's persistent instability was a puzzle, one hard to understand. He had multiple personalities competing for his attention, yet Kimble wasn't a true split personality in the human sense. All the selves talked to each other and interacted as if in a crowd. Supposedly those voices had been shut off by the Games Master, but it was the Punisher, Zander, who had come out and killed Mary Green. Both Henry and Remy testified to hearing Zander's voice and she had no reason to doubt their words. In most cases, a split personality might be treated with medications, yet that could not be done here. Kimble did not have an organic brain and so could not be chemically treated. Even Henry's feeble attempts to chemically wean him off of his plasma addiction had failed. Yet Kimble could get drunk, stoned, and be sedated with high doses of alcohol and carbohydrates. It just made no logical sense and was ever so frustrating. What to do with him then, if he could not be medicated into control? Was it really fair to lock him away forever?
Worse yet was how all this was taking a toll on Angel. Having an insane hologram for a father certainly complicated things. Karen had spoken with the child and was unnerved by Angel's calm. She accepted what had happened as she did all things Kimble did with a grace that would shame most adults. She was not fearful of her father, only kept demanding to see him. Her request had not been honored, Kimble was totally out of it by being so drained and no one wanted her to see her father like this. That and the question of her future custody was a serious issue. No one was sure if Kimble should even be allowed to see her at all, least of all herself.
"What you t'inkin' all so serious, neh?" Remy asked, breaking into the doctor's reverie. He was looking up at her now, a hard edge of accusation in his voice. He was studying her intensely with those demonic eyes, totally unnerving her. Had he read her thoughts?
"Is he asleep?" she spoke, not daring to answer such a loaded question.
" 'E fadin' in an' out."
Karen scanned her hand and entered the cell. It was a plain padded room with no furniture, as a Siskan, Kimble needed nothing other than the warming blanket that covered him. Karen took a seat on the floor beside Kimble, positioning herself so she could have a reliable view of his face. She wanted to see him for herself, judge his reactions to her questions. Looking at him bundled up small and fragile in Remy's embrace did nothing to change her mind about what had to be done with his daughter. He was a killer, he was a sexual deviant with an incurable addiction to bio-produced plasma energy, he was a child in desperate need of a really good parent. No, it was going to take far more convincing than Kimble had in him to give, of that she was sure. She took out a pad of paper and got ready to break Kimble's heart, feeling all the while like a criminal for having to do this. "Kimble? You awake?"
The pilot cracked open an eye. "Kin I goes outside now?"
"It's almost midnight, the sun is down."
The eye closed and the pilot gave a soft whimpering sigh.
"Kimble, I have to talk to you."
"Too tired..."
"This won't take too long."
" 'Kay."
"I just have a few questions, but you need to answer them as honestly as you can. Can you do that?" she asked, ever so wary of Remy's presence in the room. Normally she would have interviewed Kimble alone, but she had an idea the thief wasn't about to leave upon her request. He was as good as Kimble's lawyer and this was a criminal investigation.
Kimble opened that one eye again. "What do ya wants, Karen?"
"I have to ask you about Mary."
"I talked ta Logan 'bout this already."
"Yes, but now I need you to talk to me, okay?"
"She wuz gonna takes my Angel."
"You brought her to your apartment. Why?"
Kimble dragged his tongue across dry, cracked lips. "Wuz the plasma."
"So you brought someone you knew was possibly dangerous to your apartment because she had plasma?" Karen asked, cringing inwardly with every word. She hated to do this, but it was her responsibility as his appointed psychologist to get some kind of answer from him.
Kimble gave a low defensive growl, his lips pulling back a little. With his half awake eyes, it made him appear all the more dangerous. "Fuck you!" he rasped. "You don' knows nuthin' 'bout it!"
Karen gave him a pained smile, noting with discomfort that Remy was openly grinning now. It wasn't a happy smile, his eyes were cold and mean. She could see that any help she thought he might give her was gone, evaporated by her harsh but necessary questioning. His hands had kept their restless movement, stroking back Kimble's hair now so that the indignation on the pilot's face was that much easier to see.
"We've talked about the plasma before, Kimble," Karen stated, her voice professionally calm and even. "You know it's harmful to your hardware. You've done a good job of staying away from it until now. What happened?"
"You ain't my friend. Yer bein' means ta me."
"I'm not trying to be, Kimble. I would hope by now that you'd know me well enough to trust that I'm working for what's best for you and Angel. It's been my job all along to look after you. Both Remy and I have done that. Now you have to help us help you. If you want Angel to remain your daughter, you have to do this."
" 'Scuze-moi?" Remy snapped. "What's dat you sayin'?"
"We have a murder and a shrine with knives. Not to mention a note where Kimble suggests he might molest his daughter."
"E'spere! Hold on a minute!" Gambit said, sitting up a bit straighter at that. He had known the shrine was going to be trouble, but the potential damnation of Kimble's note to himself hadn't really occurred to him until now. "Jus' back de cart right up, chere. Dat wasn't what it looked like! You don' understand!"
"Then help me out here. I wasn't the only one to see it."
"Sh-she's m' Mistress..." Kimble rasped again. "I cain't lets m'self be a Courtesan fer 'er. It's the only thing ta keeps her safe."
"Safe from what?"
"M' bad luck disease."
Karen frowned, getting a response she hadn't expected. It offered her no comfort, he wasn't saying he shouldn't touch her for the obvious reasons like "I'm her father" or "Because she's only a child." No, his reasoning was beyond her understanding. "What bad luck disease? What are you talking about?"
"All m' Masters're dead. Dead cuz a bein' around me. Cain't let her be m' Mistress, not like that. Not now, not never," Kimble replied, his lips quivering as he thought of all he had lost. He was to blame for all of it.
"You ever think about touching her like that?"
The pilot's face hardened again and the look in his eyes changed, making her shiver. The look was not pleasant, he had gone from childish vulnerability to something far more dangerous. "You ain't takin' her," he said in a voice that dropped in pitch with every word. "She belongs ta me."
There was an ugly silence where the two of them simply looked at one another, fighting an invisible battle of wills. It was Remy who broke it by saying to Karen, "Mebbe it not such a good idea upsettin' 'im, non? 'E ain't reactin' well to t'reats." His voice was sharp, placing emphasis on the word "threat". How could she be asking questions like this when Kimble had killed only a scant three days ago? It was not a wise thing to push Kimble into a box. If Zander was still rattling around in Kimble's head, the Punisher wouldn't like it.
"That's precisely why I'm here. He's not reacting well to threats. He's not reacting well to anything. How can he take good care of Angel like this?"
"All 'e needs is some peace an' quiet. Right, Kim?" Remy said, his voice changing back to a purposeful monotone, designed to be the least irritating as possible. He was doing his best to calm the pilot, not liking the drop in Kimble's voice, it was too much like Zander's low growl. Remy had gathered Kimble a little more closely and was releasing a vibration of calm even Karen could feel.
They all knew Gambit was empathic, had been even more so ever since Kimble touched him, but she had forgotten how strong it was, he had always kept a tight control over it. The fact that she could feel it now was enough to make her question the wisdom of letting Gambit remain. Was this the same as coercion? She didn't want Kimble's reactions to be affected in any way.
Kimble swallowed and blinked, the worst of his anger fading away as he noticeably relaxed under Remy's careful treatment. The box was gone and he could breathe again. He was still and quiet as Remy reached beside him and slipped a hand into the pocket of his discarded coat. Out came a small silver wrapped square and Kimble shivered at the sight of it, anticipating. Remy unwrapped the square and slid a tiny bar of chocolate into the pilot's mouth, a sweet just big enough to taste.
Karen took the moment to regroup, looking away to scribble on her notepad and trying not to feel like a complete outsider here. She had seen Remy use chocolate before, learning quickly that it seemed to have some kind of calming effect on the Siskans, a reaction the thief never bothered to explain to her. The bond between these two men was creepy, making her feel like the enemy. It wasn't fair, her having to be the bad guy here, but it was her job. This was the ugly part of being the house shrink, the one where she had to ask the dirty questions and try to figure out who was lying. Her own feelings on the matter had to be squashed, this was not supposed to be personal, but it was difficult since they had all once lived together. Kimble was family.
"I agree that he should be keep small," Karen replied finally, using Kimble's expression for hiding himself away from things that upset him. "But the fact remains that he has been keeping secrets." She looked at Kimble and asked, "How long have you been hearing the voices, Kimble?"
He didn't answer, just closed his eyes and silently willed her to leave.
"Kimble?"
"Go 'way. You ain't my friend. You ain't never been."
"That's not true. If I really disliked you, I could have seen to it that you were placed in a SHIELD prison, Kim. I have never done that, nor did I want to. I have to ask these questions because the Professor and others need to know that you're safe to be around."
Kimble opened his eyes to glare at her. "I ain't gonna molest m' daughter. Zander wuz protectin' m' Angel, that's my job an' I wuz weak, I fucked it up. Me! He come an' made it right."
"Murder is making it right?"
"Them knives wuz from a long time ago," Kimble continued, blatantly ignoring her question. He was pushing out his defense for each of his crimes in clipped, bullet sentences, the strain of talking showing clearly on his face. He was tiring rapidly, drained by his emotions and trying to stay awake. "The knives and the pitchers is old, from b'fore we come here. I done it ta reminds m'self of what a monster I am, not that I needs with alla yous shovin' it in m' face!"
"Kimble," Karen replied sternly. "Calm down."
"I am calm!" he snarled. "You got yer stupid answers now, not that yer even listenin'. You ain't never listened ta me! The only one who listens ta me is Remy! He's my friend, not you! Now just fuck off already!"
"Kimble, relax."
"No!" Kimble said, jerking in Remy's grasp as angry tears spilled from his eyes. "You hates me! Everybody hates me! Well, guess what? I don' cares no more! You even think about takin' m' Angel there'll be trouble! Now gos away!"
"Kimble-"
"This conversation is over," Henry growled with authority from the doorway. He had just come from the Professor's office and wanted to tell Remy the good news that Kimble would be allowed to charge. He wasn't liking what he saw now. This was too much like an ambush. "Karen, if you please? You can speak with Kimble at another time, perhaps when he isn't nearly so vulnerable."
"You realize that I am asking the questions that other people here are thinking. They have to have answers. Decisions have to be made."
"You can ask them later. Kimble is low on power, something that exacerbates his condition as you can clearly see. You can question him again tomorrow - after he's had a chance to charge," he finished, giving Remy a pointed look.
"Merci, 'Enry," the thief replied, his eyes showing every inch of his relief.
"On whose authority will Kimble be allowed to charge?" Karen asked.
"The Professor. He gave me permission just this moment and I will see that it is honored."
Karen sighed and packed up her stuff. As a professional, she was obligated to say, "If you allow him to charge, you are giving him the ammunition to harm someone else."
"Kim didn't 'arm anybody, not de way you mean," Remy corrected sternly. " 'E was defendin' Angel. Don't t'ink even yo' hubby doubt dat."
"I have noted Logan's input on this."
"And?"
"Logan is in full agreement with both of you."
"Den why you givin' Kim such a 'ard time?" Remy complained, his patience wearing thin. He had been perplexed at Karen's almost accusatory questioning from the start. It wasn't like her to be so driven.
Karen sighed again, feeling an ache deep inside. "Look at the position I'm in. As far as SHIELD was concerned, I was responsible for Kimble. I failed to predict what he was going to do. I didn't even discover the repair had failed insofar as the voices were concerned. I am responsible for Mary Green. I am responsible for Angel as well."
Gambit leaned back against the wall, letting his anger drain away. He could see now where Karen was coming from, how she might feel guilty and responsible for what had happened. She felt the same way he did. "You ain't responsible for Mary, chere. Never t'ink dat. None of us saw it comin', not even me. I didn't know 'bout de voices m'self 'til Zandy showed up, so don' take it personal, but dat's b'side de point. Fact is, Mary come 'ere lookin' fo' trouble an' it found 'er. Nuthin' like dat is gonna 'appen to Angel."
"Until I am sure of that, I cannot allow Angel back into Kimble's custody if he is ever released. I can't take that chance. I'm sorry, Remy."
His crimson eyes bored into her and she felt his power come at her, licking around the corners of her mind. She allowed it, knowing that this was the only way to make him fully understand. She let him taste it all - her regret for having failed Kimble, her shame for her fear of him, of what he might do. Worst of all was her great sadness at having to deny Angel her father. There was no greater pain than this, she felt like the bad guy when all she wanted to do was help. Only her professionalism prevented her from breaking down into tears at this moment.
Remy's voice was a little more gentle as he said to her, "Angel ain't in no harm's way, chere. Gambit's got watch. She safe."
"Then she'll stay as she is. You have custody of her, it's the best thing for her right now. Understand the rules, here, Remy. Kimble cannot be alone with her."
"You fuckin' bitch! I hates you!" Kimble hissed in a raspy whisper, tears streaming down his face. He covered his face with his hands and started to quietly bawl, his whole body shaking with sobs.
Karen shuddered with internal agony at his words, everyone could see it. "I'm sorry, Kimble," she said, this time unable to stop the break in her voice. "I never wanted to be in this position. You put me here. Make sure I'm never here again and we'll call it even," she finished, tears finally spilling out of her eyes. She grabbed her things and bolted, feeling ugly and dirty. When Henry reached for her she jerked away, not wanting to be touched. The lab door slammed shut and she was gone.
"Kimble?" Remy called out, folding his body a little more tightly around him.
The pilot was lost, all angry tears and sobs, his mind too fragile to fight this anymore. Gambit hugged him tightly, fighting back the hurt and ugliness Kimble was forcing him to feel. He shivered off a large vibration of comfort, not caring that Henry was there. He wasn't one to use his power so openly when among those outside of his family group but Kimble was simply far too trashed.
"Nobody's gonna take Angel away from you," Remy promised, releasing more vibrations in an attempt to get through to his Siskan. "Dey all jus' scared. Give dem time. Give me time. Gambit's gonna see you t'rough dis like 'e done everyt'ing else. You believe me?"
"She ain't takin' Angel away from me. No her, not nobody!" Kimble bawled, that hard edge returning to his voice. His tear flooded eyes had turned to the door where Karen had gone, perhaps analyzing just how much of a threat she really was and just what he was going to do about it.
It was enough to make Remy nervous, not that he let it show. He was smooth and easy as he said, "No one's takin' Angel, she just gonna stay wit me an' Molly awhile. Karen didn' say you couldn't come, too. Jus' dat you an' Angel can't be alone. All dis means is you an' Angel gonna be spendin' a lot more time at my place which is just fine wit everybody. You got yo' wish, cher. You back wit me an' Molly, comprenez?"
"Yes," Kimble replied through his sobs, that ugly edge dissipating quickly as relief took over. Remy had appealed to the hurting place inside and found his mark. "You gonna takes care of both of us like ya always done."
"Dat's right. Dere's no need for de sword no more. No need for yo' tears either. Take a nice deep breath and calm down, hien? Dis all gonna smooth itself out, cher. We gonna fix it, just you an' me. We a team, a team fo'ever." As if to seal the deal, Remy let go another more powerful vibration of peace and bliss. "T'ink about Angel now, t'ink about playin' in de park, t'ink about 'er fine, fine laugh. You gonna be 'earin' it. Just you wait an' see."
Henry stood in place, momentarily mesmerized by the sudden influx of bliss that was washing over him, coming in like ripples of gentle warm water. Remy's vibrations and his gentle soothing words had been powerful enough to affect him as well. It was as if someone had laid a nice cool cloth on a searing burn, all of the frustration he had felt at Kimble's situation was gone and all he could feel was love and serenity. He blinked, the scientist in him going into full gear. This had come not from Kimble, but from Gambit. Yes, he had witnessed Remy calming Kimble before, but never with such strong persuasion and powerful vibrations. What magic was this? He knew Remy had been affected by Kimble, they all did, but he had no idea of the degree of it.
"All I have to do is stay here and keeps it small. Small and quiet," Kimble whispered.
"Dat's right. Small and quiet. Angel's safe. Safe wit me an' Molly."
"I loves you, Remy," Kimble said, grasping him tightly. His face was still wet with tears, but he had stopped crying now.
"Je t'aime, cher. Toujours, you know dat."
"I wants ta sleep now."
"You go right ahead, Gambit's right 'ere keepin' watch."
Beast watched in amazement as Kimble finally calmed and with the tiniest of smiles slipped away into sleep, all of his fears smoothed away. "How did you do that?"
"It's de 'charm'," Remy replied simply, laying Kimble down and covering him up with the warming blanket.
"Yes, but that was very strong. You can do that all the time?"
"Non. It take a little practice," Gambit said, grinning up at him mischievously. "Jealous?"
"Of course. Think of all the medical applications. Actually, I had something to say about this with the Professor."
Remy cocked his head. " 'Eh?"
"This charm power. I think it's more than just empathy."
/They're starting to find out, Shi'ow-ri whispered. / About damn time. /
Tough to keep it a secret wit all dese Siskans freakin' out, Remy replied. Guess ol' 'Enry a little slow on de uptake.
"Told you guys all dat long ago," Remy replied honestly.
"Ah, a truth hidden out in the open," Beast countered, returning Gambit's smile.
"It's de Kundatesh. All de Siskans 'ave it, Gambit does too. Kim brung it out in me. Don' you read yo' own files?"
"It's one thing to write about it, quite another to feel it. How many know it's this strong?"
Gambit shrugged. "Logan, Molly. Some of de others from de quad. It ain't really no secret."
"Did you know this power can heal?"
"It don' do dat, it just makes you feel good inside. When a body is feelin' good on de inside, it can do anyt'ing. Mon Tante a 'ealer an' she say dat many times. Seen it m'self b'fore Kim ever touch me."
"Well, consider this, Remy. You've never been in better shape than you are now, even with that leg of yours. Creed pulled through when no one thought he could. Molly is pregnant. That's a lot of 'feeling good' making the rounds if you ask me."
Gambit froze, struck numb with wonder at that. The "Good Feeling", it was what Kundatesh meant in Siskan. It was freaky how Henry had tossed that out like that. Remy hadn't fully considered just what Kimble was capable of even though it was in front of him the whole time. His mind was still working the possibilities of Beast's train of thought when the doctor spoke again.
"Has Kimble ever 'touched' Molly, the way he 'touched' Creed when he came in?" Henry asked, nervous caution in his voice.
Remy smiled at that, but couldn't hide the bitterness as he teased, "Is Kimble makin' de rounds, molestin' us all?"
"You know me better than that, Remy."
"Yeah, 'e 'touched' her. Just once when we first came 'ere. Dey 'ad an argument an' 'e want to make 'er feel better," Remy replied without elaborating.
"Then Kimble has a power that is very important. That makes him valuable," Henry said, placing emphasis on each word, knowing Remy's Siskan mind would understand. "In more ways than one. He needs to know it."
Remy started to move, still fussing with the warming blanket. "You tol' de 'Fessor?"
"Yes. I had to for Kimble's sake. You're not the only one looking out for him, you know."
Remy looked up at him, smiling again. "Merci beaucoup, 'Enry. I owe you."
"Pay him later," came a rough, growly voice.
They both turned to look at the new arrival, Logan was standing there, a phone in his hand. Logan could smell the distress of his wife in the air here, but since he had already been informed about Kimble's loss of custody, had known it was coming. He would seek Karen out when he was done here, but first he had a message to deliver. He held his cell phone out to Remy with the strangest of smiles, "Got a call from Westchester. One you don't wanna miss."
Gambit stood stiffly, he had been sitting down far too long, and took the offered device. "Bonjour?"
A soft spoken voice, one with a unique and very distinctive accent came at him from the other end and Remy's face broke out into the widest grin.
