The next morning...

Remy woke up reluctantly and went to his room to start packing a bag of clothes and stuff he would need while he was away. Once he was finished and dressed in his uniform, he went back into Cyndi's room to wake her up and say good-bye. He walked inside the dim room and inhaled deeply, her room always smelled so nice. He let his eyes look toward the bed where Cyndi was sleeping quietly still nude and wrapped up in her sheets. At that moment he would give anything to stay home and lie in bed with her all day and make love like dirty, stinkin' heathens. But, he knew he had to go with his team. He really had no choice.

"Chere?" He said softly as he approached the bed. Christ, did she look so beautiful...

She let out a soft whimper in response and snuggled her face into her pillow.

"Chere, wake up. Remy's gotta go now." He said as he nudged her bare shoulder gently.

"No, not yet, Baby. Come back to bed..." She finally said sleepily into her pillow. As inviting as the idea struck him, he knew he shouldn't. He would surely have to be pulled out by Logan or Scott and she wouldn't appreciate so many men in her room while she was naked.

"Non, Chere. Remy can't, ya know dat." He said softly. She let out a sigh and rolled onto her back to look up at him with tired eyes.

"Will you call me tonight?" She asked. Remy nodded and smiled. He had never had anyone to keep in touch with or anyone who truly cared for his well-being like she did. The whole idea of 'checking in' with someone all the time had been something he had watched Scott and Jean do...it seemed tedious, but with Cyndi, it didn't seem so bad. It was endearing and sweet.

"Oui. Remy call ya everynigh'." He promised as he bent down and kissed her on the forehead.

"I'll miss you, Baby." She said as she reached up and stroked the side of his freshly shaved cheek and paused at his chin which still had stubble there. She wondered if he intended to grow the hair there or if he had forgotten to finish.

"Remy's tryin' somet'in new." He smirked down at her, noticing her studying his chin.

"You better get going before I pull you in here." She smiled up at him as she led his face back down to hers, still holding his chin in her hands and kissing him warmly.

"Be a good girl." He murmured against her lips.

"Never." She whispered. He smirked and winked as they pulled apart.

"Dat's wha' Remy was hopin' you'd say." He chuckled as he took a good long look at his beautiful girlfriend. If something happened to him while he was away, he would want to remember her just like that; hair all splayed about, face clean and uncomplicated by make-up and those full lips that loved to kiss him.

"I love ya, Chere." He said meaningfully.

"I love you, too, Baby." She smiled up at him as he bent down to kiss her again. His lips caressed hers possessively as if they would never kiss each other again. On missions, you never knew if you would come back or not and Remy just wanted to be sure she knew how he felt before he left. It would eat him up the whole trip if he hadn't.

"Go, Baby. Call me tonight." She giggled once the kiss started getting too heavy. He groaned against her lips and slowly pulled away. She was right. He was getting himself all worked up for something he couldn't possibly follow through with.

"Alrigh'...Bye, Chere. Go back ta sleep." He said softly as he reached down to stroke her cheek and she turned her head to kiss his hand. They locked eyes for a moment before he turned to leave and she snuggled back to sleep.

That afternoon...

Deciding to stay home while the girls all went out to lunch, Cyndi decided to take Remy's advice and practice on her powers. So she went in search of Hank in the med lab which was down in the lower levels with the Danger Room and knocked on the wall before she walked inside.

"Good afternoon, Cyndi. What brings you down here?" Hank smiled up at her kindly, looking up from his computer, removing his glasses and placing them on his desk.

"I was wondering if you weren't to busy, maybe you could help me with my powers." She replied as she walked into the lab.

"What exactly do you need help with?" Hank asked curiously.

"The Professor says I need to focus because my powers are getting stronger...he thinks I can't manage them. So, I need to practice using them." She replied, stuffing her hands in the pockets of her jeans.

"I'd love to help you. I could even test you to see what level your mutation is at right now..." He smiled, excited that he would get to be scientific that day. Usually when the Professor was gone, that meant Hank didn't have much to do until he returned.

"Test away." Cyndi smirked as he got up from his desk and brought her further into the lab. The lab looked like something out of a movie. All chrome and high-tech. She steered clear of going in there unless she was hurt or something.

XXXXXXXX

"Did Xavier tell you that you are now at a level 4?" Hank asked as he looked up from his testing device, reading the display for the results.

"No...What's that mean?" She asked from her spot on the metal exam table.

"Well, the highest recorded mutation is a level 5...it belongs to Jean." Hank admitted. Jean? Mild mannered, level headed, good natured Jean? Cyndi cringed at the thought of what the woman could do when provoked enough.

"How long has Jean been a level 5?" Cyndi asked.

"Since childhood. Xavier brought her here to keep her powers in check. She was headed down a destructive path if he hadn't toned her mutation down with mental blocks." Hank informed her. This was all news to Cyndi.

"And I'm a level 4?" She asked.

"Yes, but it appears you don't pose a danger to yourself. No mental blocks required for you, My Dear." Hank smiled.

That was a relief.

"So what do you suggest I do?" She asked.

"I'm going to bring you outside and I'm going to test what you can do. Have you move different objects...animate and in-animate. Things varying in size and weight. Have you ever tried to move yourself?" He wondered out loud.

"No. I can do that?" She asked as she sat up on the exam table and looked at him.

"Jean can do it by putting a mental shield around herself. And you're both telekinetic. Why not?" Hank replied. Cyndi shrugged at that and agreed. Why the hell not? How cool would it be to 'fly' around?

Outside...

After Hank had Cyndi moved Logan's truck, practically all of the trees in the backyard and various other large objects, including the boathouse, Hank decided to step things up a notch and took her on a little field trip downtown to an abandoned industrial park.

"Now I want you to focus really hard on that one building. Keep everything else out of your mind if you can." Hank instructed as he pointed to a run down office building that was at least 4 stories high. It would be a challenge, but Cyndi knew she could do it. She had nothing better to do today anyway. So after locking her sights on the building, she willed it to move...but nothing seemed to happen.

"This won't work, Hank. I'm not that good." She sighed as she gave up a minute later.

"Keep trying..." Hank urged as he jotted down notes on a clipboard. She nodded and looked back at the building. This was her mountain to conquer and by the end of the day, she would climb it. She had to if she ever wanted to join her team mates again.

So after a good 30 minutes of non-stop focusing on the same building, she was finally able to move it a good 20 feet above the ground and hold it there for about 5 minutes. Hank made her do this multiple times until she began to feel faint and had to stop.

"I'm going to have you stop for today. You did amazingly." Hank smiled encouragingly. She smiled back at the big, blue one. She did do well and to congratulate herself, she would reward herself with a pint of chocolate chip cookie dough later.

That night...

Remy called just as he had promised and proceeded to listen as Cyndi told him about what she had done while he was gone.

"Wow, a whole pint o' ice cream?" He chuckled on the other end.

"Jerk. You're not even gonna acknowledge how major it was that I lifted a fuckin' office building?" She laughed.

"Remy jus' kiddin', he very proud o' ya, Chere." He replied, no doubt smiling.

"So, what are you guys all doing?" She asked softly, wishing she were there. She didn't know what she wanted more; to have Remy come home or to be with Remy and on the mission.

"We jus' had somet'in ta eat; now we're all 'bout ta go ta sleep." He said through a yawn.

"Miss you already." She sighed.

"Remy misses ya, too, Amour." He replied. After a moment of quiet, Remy piped up with a great idea.

"So ummm...are ya in bed, Chere?" He asked curiously. She bit her lip and told him she was. He let out a devilish chuckle and proceeded to ask her what she was wearing.

They weren't going to sleep anytime soon.