(Six)

Remy scanned his hand and walked into the cell. Aiden was sitting curled up, his knees to his chest and his chin resting on his knees. He looked very small now, vibrating vulnerability and a kind of aching sadness, his anger long gone. The electrical overload had crashed him, leaving only a pale depression behind. His soft green eyes tracked Remy through his long, blonde bangs when he came into view, but he didn't move. Remy grabbed one of Aiden's chairs and turned it backwards, straddling it. He took out a pack of cigarettes and lit one, holding it out and offering it to the prisoner.

Aiden took it and smoked, lowering his eyes.

"You okay?" Remy asked, beginning.

Aiden was silent, refusing to look at him.

"You not gonna talk to me? Least you could do after bustin' up my face. What de femmes gonna do now, Gambit so ugly, eh?"

Aiden turned away, finding no humor in that. He just wanted to be left alone. This day was one long continuous nightmare that seemed never to end.

"Okay, den. You force me to take drastic measures," Gambit reached into a pocket and pulled out his secret weapon. If Hershey's ever went out of business he was going to be in serious trouble. He unwrapped the bar of chocolate and waved it around. "Ummm...so good. So rich. So smooth. So very dark, eh?" He laughed and took a bite.

He got the Dreamer's attention, Aiden looked up at him like he was insane. "It choc'late. Szo what?"

Happy that Aiden was at least willing to speak, Remy's grin grew wider. "Not just any chocolate, mon ami. Dis Hershey's. Le meilleur qualite. Best in de worl'. See, not all chocolate created equal, comprenez? Dere's like wimpy chocolate dat try ta be de good stuff, but non. De good chocolate melt in your mouth like butter. Like dis. Try it. You see Gambit is right."

Aiden reluctantly reached out and broke off a piece. When their fingers touched, Gambit sent out a vibration of love and reassurance.

Aiden ate the chocolate and smiled. "You better wit zat, eh? You sztronger dan b'fore. Ze Kundatesh. It better dan any choc'late." He took in Remy's shine, saw no anger there in spite of the abuse he had dished out earlier. "Szorry 'bout your face, me."

"C'est rien. You gonna tell me what 'appened t'day? Why you hit me?"

"I wasz angry."

"We all get angry. We all don't go swingin'."

Aiden shrugged dismissively without comment.

"Logan say you 'ave another fight dis mornin'."

Aiden was immediately defensive. "Paul szpill coffee on me. It burned me and it 'urt. Not Aiden'sz fault Paul isz szo clumszy, him, but zen 'e don' apologize. Aiden make 'im do it. Szo what?"

"You been livin' away in Trishnar's 'ouse. Dis de real world. Dat's not de way to solve your problems, comprenez? I t'ink you know dis already, you jus' been lashin' out 'cause you got sumptin' on yo' mind you need ta talk about. Sumptin' beyond you an' Kim fightin', I figure. You can talk to me, Aiden. Dere ain't no space 'tween you an' me."

Aiden was quiet, but Remy could see he was thinking. Maybe he just needed a place to start.

"Tell me what you been dreamin', s'il vous plait. You dream 'bout Kimble?"

"Yesz."

"You dream 'bout 'im an' you? What you see?"

"Aiden szee many t'ingsz, me. Don' mean not'ing." He turned away again. His tone made it clear he didn't think Remy would believe him, but his shine showed he might be persuaded to talk about it if Remy would just ask the right question.

"Babette tell me you been dreamin' a real long time."

"Yesz. Aiden dream for many year, szee t'ingsz all ze time."

"You ever tell Trishnar what you see?"

"Sure. 'E tell ze Maszter. Mebbe 'e believe, mebbe 'e don'," Aiden replied with an arrogant cockiness that didn't even come close to covering up his misery.

Remy was all over it, his quick mind putting two and two together and finding four. "You ever get upset when 'e don' believe you?"

Aiden looked back up at him, his eyes suspicious now. "Mebbe."

"Logan sent some guys to check out what's left of Trishnar's mansion. The place was all burned up just like you said. Didn't mean dey didn't find anyt'ing. Logan's got a disc wit you on it. You in a holdin' cell smashin' everyt'ing up. Wanna talk about it?"

Aiden turned away again, his voice betraying real hurt and grief and more than a little hidden guilt. "Non."

Remy heard the Siskan's pain, but more than that, he saw the colors swirling through his shine. There was black and grey, but also a little green. Aiden wanted to talk, definitely. Gambit was all over it, his intuitive mind putting some of the pieces of Aiden's puzzle into place. "Did you see sumptin' an' yo Master don' believe?"

The Siskan closed his eyes, but not before a single tear dripped out.

Remy saw the weakness and used it. He spoke with his best easy voice, using all of his charm to persuade Aiden into talking. "What you see, Aiden? Tell me, s'il vous plait. Gambit will believe, je promets."

Aiden sniffed. He had to tell someone, he had to get this huge weight off of him. It was crushing him slowly, killing him day by day. He had tried and failed with Logan, but maybe he had just chosen the wrong human to speak with. As much as he tried to fight it, he trusted Gambit as Kimble did, the same way all the Siskans did. Remy just gave an air of understanding where the others did not. It was the Kundatesh, it was the ultimate bridge between them.

"Aiden szee Jael come, me. 'E try to warn ze Maszter dat 'e isz in danjer. He don' believe, szay it all in ze Dreamer'sz 'ead. Szo very nicze disz Maszter, eh? Szo very 'elpful. 'E give me tonicsz, szay 'Szleep chil', disz will 'elp you.' Fuck!" Aiden snarled, his face going red while his shine swirled ever more black with his anger and resentment. It didn't stop him from continuing his tale. "Ze dreamin' get worsze, each day worsze and worsze. Szo doesz Aiden'sz pain. No one care, 'cept Babette. She lay wit me, make szome of ze szcreamin' sztop, her. Disz why Aiden love 'er szo. She ze only one who care, undersztand? When all ze shit go down, Aiden make 'er come wit 'im. 'E szave 'er life 'cauze she ze only one who care."

Remy nodded at that. Babette was still troubled, but it didn't hide her great and loving heart. "So dere really was no fight at Trishnar's?"

Aiden shrugged, wiping at his eyes. He was trying to be brave, but now that the conversation had veered this way, he was feeling a lot of pain, the loss of his former Master was still fresh. "Yeah, dere wasz. Aiden jusz' waszn't in it much. 'E no fool. 'E know ze oddsz wasz bad. He grab Babette an' run. 'E szeen it in a dream anyhow. Got out while 'e could."

"So what you dreamin' now, mon ami?"

Aiden regarded him for a minute before speaking. "Aiden szee Keemble'sz Anjel die."

Remy swallowed heavily and tried to remain calm. "You tell Kimble dis?"

"Non, Aiden doesz not dare. Keemble got trouble enough wit'out dat."

Remy nodded, appreciating Aiden's sensitivity. There was no telling what Kimble might do if he had thought there was another direct threat against his Angel. Gambit didn't need to see him patrolling the halls, his sword blazing. "What you see exactly?"

"Jael come wit 'isz big army. You fight out on ze runway, all of you... moszt of you die. Oncze 'e win, Jael... Jael 'e do bad 'arm to Anjel, 'e kilt her, make ze flesh of 'er body melt away. She become a sztar up in de sky. Floating. Keemble... Keemble szcream...it ze worze' szound Aiden ever 'ear!" Aiden began to shake and this time, the tears came in a flood. "What Aiden 'spozta do, eh? He szee Jael do disz to Babette'sz Anjel. He cannot sztop zat one from dying, but 'e szee mebbe 'e can sztop it from 'appening again, me. He come 'ere, try an sztop it. He knowsz disz Anjel belong to your Sziszkan. He don' know why, only dat it isz! Ze dreamsz, dey worsze now. Every day dey worsze an' worsze! Aiden knowsz Jael isz closze. I try to sztay closze to Keemble, make sure 'e szafe, but 'e push Aiden away...juszt like Trishnar done!"

Gambit got up and came over. He had what he had come for. He sat next to Aiden and put his arms around him. Aiden fell against him, sobbing. Finally, Aiden had become his true Siskan self, a small child wrapped in the skin of a man. He cried and cried, letting go of all of his pain in a great big gush.

Remy rocked him just as he would Kimble, not even thinking twice about it. He thought of his Siskans as strange children and loved them all equally. He gave Aiden a squeeze. "C'est bein, Aiden. Shush now, fils. We gonna look after Kimble. Gonna look after you, too. You just gotta keep yo' fists down, eh? Why didn' you come to me wit dis?"

"I don't know, me. I t'ought Logan wasz my friend. He don' believe. 'E look at Aiden like 'e szome kinda boogy man, a freak. Why should you be any different?"

Remy smiled and used Kimble's favorite line. " 'Cause I'm Gambit," he said in Siskan. "And Gambit understands more dan you t'ink."

Aiden sniffed and looked up at him, pleading with his eyes. The Siskan words had won him over. It was a taste of home and comforts long forgotten. "Aiden szo scare', szo tired, me. I come 'ere to try an' szave an Anjel, Keemble's Anjel. I 'ave not szeen 'er. I need to know she okay."

Remy held him, using his empathy to read Aiden's sincerity and judge him as a threat or an honest friend. The nice thing about the Kundatesh was that it didn't allow for deception. The reading he got from Aiden was true. The Dreamer was genuinely concerned for Angel and not out to harm her in any way. "Angel's fine, cher. She in good 'ands. No one is going to let anyt'ing 'appen to 'er."

"Aiden muszt szee her," the Dreamer insisted, still shivering in his misery.

Remy sighed. This wasn't exactly his decision to make, not right now. "Maybe later when t'ings calm down," he offered as a compromise.

Aiden didn't fight it. He nodded and breathed, "Can you get me outta 'ere? Gotta go 'ome to Babette. Aiden isz szo tired...szo tired..."

"I'm gonna try. You do your part. You stay quiet, no fightin'." Remy was quiet a moment, waiting for Aiden to finally calm. Thinking of all the things he had learned from Karen, he decided to put some of that psychology to use, maybe he could ease Aiden's mind while learning more about him as well. His hands were gently stroking as he softly spoke, "You said you come 'ere to protect Angel. Dat's your purpose. But you so angry, cher. Why don' you tell me what it is you really want."

"What I want?" Aiden questioned, confused. He wasn't sure what Remy was after.

Remy's touch was gentle. "All dis time Remy know you, but you never say what you want in dis life, what you could 'ave if de Game wasn't in de way. What dream do you have in yo' heart - not de one dat's keepin' you up at night, but de one dat's keepin' you goin'?"

Aiden calmed, soothed by those soft and patient words. He really needed some help right now, some real guidance. He understood that the question was Remy's desire to know him better and that the wish was genuine. "I wish... I wish to paint szomeplacze nicze. All ze time... Trishnar 'ave picturesz of far away plazesz. I wish... I wish to paint ze snow up high in ze mountainsz."

Gambit laughed a little at that. "You an' Kimble de same. Always dreamin' of snow. Well, if you 'ang on, 'elp us get t'rough dis, Gambit's gonna take someplace nice, where dere's snow way up high. You gonna be able to paint all you want an' never be afraid."

The Dreamer let off a vibration of deep affection, a love aroused by words he never thought he would hear. A human that was interested in his deepest desires and had a willingness to help him see them happen, he never thought he would see it. "Aiden never tell you disz, but...'e dream of you, all dosze years ago. 'E dream zat you wasz comin' to Trishnar'sz. Imagine 'isz facze when 'e szee you dere, juszt like 'isz dream. Dat'sz why I 'ad to 'ave you. I knew you would be important, zat your Sziszkan 'ad szumptin to do wit me. Aiden sztill don' know what it all mean, but 'e'z 'appy you are 'ere to 'elp 'im."

"Gambit's 'appy, too, and 'e is gonna 'elp you. He gonna try."

Aiden nodded and Remy ruffed his hair before rising, it was time to go. He paused at the door. "Logan searched your place. He grabbed de notebook 'Enry gave you. 'E's gonna read it."

Aiden looked at him. "It isz in Sziszkan."

"Set' is gonna translate it. Anyt'ing you want to tell me now b'fore de others do?"

Aiden shook his head. "I wrote zat for Keemble, it wasz meant for him."

"Too late fo' dat now, cher. It's done."

Aiden grumbled and waved a hand in dismissal. "Zen I care not what you read. Mebbe it for ze beszt, but undersztand, it isz not finished."

Remy pointed to a pad of paper and a pencil that sat on Aiden's table. "Dat's all right. You write a lot more dan you say, dat's fine, cher. How about you make dis easy for me. Write down what you see in your dreams. All of it, de details, every little t'ing you t'ink of, d'accorde? Dis way, Gambit can learn from you, see what needs to be done."

Aiden nodded and watched him go, his eyes forlorn as if he were afraid now of being alone. Gambit winked at him and walked out. Aiden slumped back against the wall. He was exhausted and drained, but the comfort he had gotten from Remy would last. He should have known that Gambit would understand, it's not like they hadn't shared something long ago. He still remembered fondly the one time they'd been intimate at Trishnar's house. It was okay that he had to shift to make himself more presentable, the encounter had been very rewarding for both of them. He closed his eyes and thought of that. It was Kimble he really needed, but he'd been rejected. He didn't want any more pain. He curled up tightly again and dozed, hoping he wouldn't have to stay in this cell too long. When he woke a few a few minutes later from a blurry nightmare, he reached for the notepad and began to write.

(break)

"So what did he say?"

"Eh?" Remy said, startled from his thoughts. He was leaning in the open doorway of Logan's office, not quite ready to answer. He had left Aiden in his cell only moments before and was mulling over what the Dreamer had told him.

Wolverine grumbled with impatience, the Cajun was tripping again, thinking too hard and not answering quickly enough. The conversation between Aiden and Remy had been recorded, but he wanted to hear what Gambit himself had to say about it. "What did yer boy say?"

Gambit regarded him a moment before relieving the suspense. "Said 'e see Kimble's Angel die in a dream."

Logan blinked. That Aiden had not confessed when they had spoken last. "You believe him?"

"Don' matter what I t'ink. 'E believes it and it's tearin' 'im up inside. 'E ain't gonna let 'er go de way David went. It gonna affect what 'e do."

"And that is?"

Remy shrugged. " 'E t'inks it's 'is job to see 'er safe. Got an idea dat dat's 'ow 'e gonna beat de Game. Jael gonna want de energy she got inside. If Aiden keeps dat from 'im, den mebbe dere's some logic to it."

"I don't want him anywhere near her."

Crimson eyes lifted to him, an expression filled with a demand for patience. "We all on de same side, Wolvie. Aiden ain't gonna 'urt her."

"Says who? You? I don't think so, buddy. Just think on this, if she were to have an unfortunate accident when Jael's nowhere around to collect her energy – assuming that's even true — well, that would accomplish the same thing now, wouldn't it?"

"Why you so quick to see a Siskan a killer, homme? Aiden wouldn't do dat."

Logan snorted at him. "And you know this how? You barely know the guy. No one here does. I won't take that chance."

"When you gonna let Aiden go?" Remy asked, not desiring to entertain Wolverine with another discussion neither of them would win.

Logan shrugged. "Not for a while. Thinkin' maybe I'll hold him 'till all his energy is gone. Maybe when he's too pooped to move, that'll learn him faster than the last time. That boy's thicker'n a brick. All them Siskans are. They just keep fightin' the system like they can do as they please. Can't imagine how they get like that," he finished, waiting to see what the Cajun would do with that.

Remy bristled just as Logan wanted him to. He knew the difference between treating a broken creature with kid gloves and letting them run the house even if Logan didn't agree with his tactics. The fact was, Siskans responded far better to kindness than cruelty. Holding Aiden that long would probably only piss the Dreamer off and insult him into causing more trouble. "Dat's too long to 'old 'im. It ain't fair. De boy's got responsibilities. What about Babette?"

"If he really cared about her he'd stop screwing around. She's at a nurses station, just like last time."

Remy nodded. "I'll pick 'er up. She can stay on my couch."

"She's fine where she is."

Remy just gave him the smile, the one that showed he thought Logan was a complete idiot. "Siskans don' do so well alone. Dey ain't all strong an' perfect like you." He took a step towards the door. "Later, homme."

"I don't think so. She's just as much an unknown as yer boy Aiden. Neither one of them is goin' near Angel. I'll lock 'em all up first, I swear it."

Remy squinted, his anger rising. "Dat's pretty cold. Babette shouldn't be all alone."

"Didn't say she shouldn't be alone. Just said she shouldn't be near Angel. We've got volunteers who can stay with her at the nurses' station, keep her company. You got a problem with that, too bad."

"I'm callin' 'Enry," Gambit threatened, reaching for his phone. " 'E's de doctor. 'E's got authority over where she goes."

"Henry's got his hands full with Kimble. If yer gonna be an ass about this call Kurt. He can keep Babette. Maybe he can read her a Bible or somethin'. I don't really care. She can go anywhere but where Angel is. That's final."

Remy grumbled and turned to leave, done with this. He would take Logan's suggestion all the same. Kurt was a logical choice. Nightcrawler was always volunteering at the church he favored and was often one to stay with the sick or needy. He was safe and neutral.

Wolverine growled. "B'fore you go too far, once he's released, Aiden's gonna be under house arrest until I get the translation of his journal back from Seth. If I don't like what it says, he stays that way, understand? I'm posting a guy out front of his door and he stays put. That's final. Aiden don't like it, he's welcome to stay where he's at."

"Whatever, Wolvie. You de boss," Remy snapped and left. He was furious, angry at Logan, angry at Aiden, but most of all he was pissed at Kimble for causing all of this. If Kimble hadn't been so fucked up and stubborn, Aiden wouldn't have gone so far.

Remy walked fast, ignoring the ache in his leg. He was better, but when he was this tired, this pissed off, it seemed to remind him he still wasn't up to full speed. He grabbed his phone and dialed as he went. He got Kurt first. Yes, Nightcrawler was more than happy to take Babette to his place to be looked after. Remy promised to bring her himself along with some cubes, he would see to it they were charged for her. That taken care of, he could relax a little more.

Now, if he could just get Kimble to cooperate. Remy wasn't too happy at the way things were going with Kimble and Aiden, but the truth was, both of them had been far more stable and happy when they were together, not all broken up like they were now. The trick was going to be fixing this. It wasn't going to be easy, but Gambit was resourceful. If he was patient, he could hopefully manipulate one or the other. It was all a matter of time.

To be continued in Learning Curve.