All That We Let In

by heyjupiter

This is a sequel to my story The Hand You're Dealt, and is a VERY loose AU of X-Men 3. Jean Grey returns; but how? And as what? Remy/Logan/OFC. Complete.

16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16 (Logan)

NOTE: I mean, the whole story is rated M, but this chapter specifically has a pretty graphic sex scene. Whether this is warning or enticement is up to you.

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I lie quietly watching Remy and Nori sleep. They're perfect, and they don't need me ruining things for them. I wish I could regret entangling myself with them, but I can't. I love them both, and I know they love me. That's what makes this so goddamn hard for me.

Nori wakes up around eight. She smiles at me. "Anata," she says, and her voice is full of affection.

"Hey, darlin'," I say, using the English equivalent of her Japanese term. "You feel better?"

"Yeah. Just needed a little sleep."

"You've been pretty busy," I say.

"Tell me about it," she says, dramatically. Her face grows serious, and she says, "Logan, I'm sorry. For before."

I shake my head. "Don't be, darlin'. It's just—I'm just in a mood. Ain't your fault. You're doing what you need to do. I just wish—I just want to keep you safe."

"I know you do, Logan. But sometimes I'm the one who can keep people safe. Let me."

I sigh. "Don't mean I have to like it."

"Desire causes suffering, Logan. Let go of things that are beyond your control. You'll be happier."

I give her an exasperated look, but her face remains serene. The Eastern philosophies she spouts always sound extremely familiar to me. I still haven't recovered all the memories of my time in Japan, but I must have been there long enough to learn the principles of Zen Buddhism.

"Let's get dinner," she says, nudging Remy.

He wakes up and smiles at her. His face is so open and gentle when he looks at her. When he looks at me, it's a little more complicated, but still loving. Unselfconsciously, they climb out from under the blanket and throw some clothes back on. Nori sits next to me on the bed and we watch Remy preen for a moment.

Finally, we head down to the kitchen. I'm hungry, like usual. Nori eats baby carrots and hummus while Remy and I eat leftover chicken. We're chewing in relative silence when Scott comes in.

"Can you guys come down to the Sit Room in 15 minutes or so?" he asks without preamble.

"Sure," Nori says, quickly, before either Remy or I can say something sarcastic. She smiles.

Scott nods and offers a wan smile in return. The kid's been through a lot. I have to give him credit for how he's handling everything. Not that I plan to tell him that. "See you there, then," he says, leaving the kitchen. Nori goes to the fridge and comes back with a bag of red grapes. She washes them and eats them slowly, clearly relishing them.

"Cher, you going to eat any actual food?" Remy asks.

"This is all actual food. I have not eaten a single cardboard prop."

I smile, watching them banter. In my opinion, both of them could stand to gain a few pounds, but Remy always insists that Nori doesn't eat enough. Generally, Nori pretends to be annoyed about the fuss but is actually touched by it, though sometimes Remy gets a little too insistent.

Nori sighs. "I think there's some three-bean salad in there. I'll eat some of that. Happy, love?"

"Delighted," he says, giving her a Cheshire cat grin. She gets a Tupperware container out of the fridge and eats about four bites before switching back to grapes.

Before too long, she puts everything away and says, "Well. I guess we should get to the Sit Room."

Remy says, "Or we could run away to the beach."

"I hate the beach," I say.

"Of course you do," Nori says. "So we'd better just go to the Sit Room."

She takes both of us by the hand and guides us downstairs. Everyone else—including the Brotherhood—is already there, though the meeting doesn't really appear to have started. Pyro gives us a calculating look. I give him a quick glare before turning to look at Cyke. He nods and says, "Let's get started." Since not everyone has been practically living in the medbay like I have, he brings everyone up to speed on Jean, the Phoenix, the cure, the vaccine, Sinister… it all sounds absurd when it's summarized, and I snort out a laugh.

"Something funny, Logan?" Scott asks tiredly.

"Pretty much all of it," I say.

Remy says, "Last I checked, we left Mesmero and Sinister unconscious in Sinister's base. What is he up to?"

Nori says, "Well, Mesmero was tranquilized, but I don't think Sinister's going to snap out of Phoenix attack any time soon. Not without help. And I think the only way in and out of that base is to teleport. Or through that vent we came in, but there's still the matter of getting up it."

"I'm not entirely comfortable leaving the fate of the world up to what a high school music teacher thinks is possible," Magneto says.

Nori rolls her eyes. "I mean, yes, we should go back and check or whatever. But I'm just saying that I doubt he's gotten very far in the last couple days."

Hank says, "I need to know more about the cure. You say they've completed it? Will it be commercially available? Is this a government project?"

Mystique says, "They haven't received any government funding to create the cure, but higher-ups at the DOD and DHS are already sniffing around, looking to purchase large orders of it."

"The what?" Kurt asks.

"Department of Defense and Department of Homeland Security," Mystique says.

Nori makes a disgusted face. She'd been protesting the U. S. government since long before she joined the X-Men.

"So, what, they'll use the cure as a disciplinary measure?" Scott asks, his voice angry. "If a mutant gets arrested, they'll be sentenced to a dose of cure?"

"Is it permanent?" Amara asks. "… Before, we… we had to take it every day. But it wore off."

"Ah, yes. You were one of their test subjects," Magneto says thoughtfully. "Yes, this cure seems to be permanent. One dose completely eliminates one's mutant abilities."

Amara's face picks up a guarded expression. I wonder if she'd line up for the cure again. I don't think so—the first time, she'd taken it out of desperation, since she couldn't control her magma form. But Nori, Hank, and Xavier had helped her out with that.

Briefly, I imagine life as a human. I'd age, and die, just like anyone else. Actually, I guess I'd die much sooner—the instant my body figured out how much metal was in it. Well, there goes that plan.

"So, we need to get back to Antarctica and take stock of the situation there," Scott says. "We need to study the cure, and the vaccine."

"What are we going to do about Mesmero?" Nori asks softly. I haven't talked to her and Remy about it much, but they seem to have mixed feelings about Mesmero. On one hand, he'd mind-controlled them and left them to die in the snow. (In my book, this was pretty much the only hand.) But on the other hand, which must have something to do with the way his power works, they both seemed to think of him fondly. In Antarctica Jean, too, had been upset when Kurt had tranquilized Mesmero.

Magneto says, "Mesmero betrayed me, and I will deal with him."

Nori purses her lips. "What do you mean by 'deal with'?" she asks, in a tone that makes it clear she understands.

"I will kill him," Magneto says in a precise tone.

Xavier says, "We will not kill him. We will turn him over to the proper authorities."

Mystique smirks. "Oh, yes, and how long do you think it will take for him to talk his way out of the hands of the authorities?"

"Or for the authorities to use him for their own purposes?" Remy murmurs.

"We could—" Nori starts, and then stops, looking down at her hands.

Remy looks at her and nods. "We could cure him," he says flatly.

There's a momentary silence. "Well, that might be our best bet, much as I hate to admit it," Scott says.

Magneto gives a cruel smile. "A fate worse than death. Very well."

"In that case, we need to get our hands on the cure before we go to Antarctica, as well as the vaccine. Where are your samples?" Hank asks.

Mystique and Magneto exchange glances, and Mystique says, "I can get samples to you by tomorrow morning."

"All right," Scott says, his jaw set. "Then tomorrow afternoon, we'll head for Antarctica again. We'll… cure Mesmero. And… check on Sinister."

"Sinister is immortal," Magneto says. "I don't mean that he has a healing factor. I mean that he cannot die."

"Awesome," Nori says.

"Rather," Magneto says.

"But do you think he will be able to recover from the psychic damage the Phoenix caused?" Scott asks.

Magneto shrugs. "Only one way to find out."

I cross my arms over my chest. I know there's no way I'm leaving the mansion tomorrow morning, no matter how bad I'm itching to flee. Damn. On the other hand, could be a pretty good fight.

"Well, then. We'll reconvene tomorrow. After Mystique returns with the samples we need," Scott says.

I'm not sure when we decided we were teaming up with the Brotherhood. I guess maybe we need them. I don't like it, but I guess we don't have too many options. And they need Hank to look at their vaccine, so I guess we can count on Mystique returning. I don't like having to make so many guesses.

Mystique smiles and slinks out of the room. Pyro opens his mouth, and closes it again. Magneto and Charles look at each other. Abruptly, I realize they're having a telepathic conversation. Nori gives them a gentle smile and she stands to leave the room. Cecilia stops her at the door and says, "You should call Rae."

Nori blinks. "Yeah. I will. Thanks."

Cecilia squeezes her hand and says, "You were great, Nori. You saved them."

Nori shrugs. "I do what I can."

Out in the hallway, she says, "I'm going up to my office to call Rae. She gets so upset whenever I'm nearly killed."

"Not funny, cher," Remy says. I'm glad he did, because I agree.

Nori quirks her lips ruefully. "Sorry." She rises on tiptoe to kiss each of us, and we get in the elevator. Remy and I get off on the first floor, and she says, "I'll see you later."

We go out to the living room to see what the students are up to. We haven't been around much in the last month. I'm not close to any of the current students the way I am to Rogue, which is fine by me. But still, they're good kids, and I like them well enough. And, impossibly, they look up to me and Remy. So we sit and watch some March Madness game with them. I don't care about either team, but it doesn't matter. I sit on a big couch next to little Aiko. I'm half-surprised her father let her stay here. I suppose technically she was kidnapped before she got to the school, not after. Still, I can't help but wonder if Xavier made a little telepathic suggestion to get him to let Aiko stay here.

"You like basketball, kiddo?" I ask.

"Yeah," she says. "I like soccer more, but this is fun too. I have Duke going all the way on my bracket."

"You like Duke?"

"No," she says. "But I think they are probably going to win. Statistically speaking."

"You're a smart kid."

She shrugs. "Smart enough, I guess." She bites her lip. "Where's Aunt Nori?"

"She went up to her office, to make a phone call. She's fine, though."

Aiko nods. "Yeah, I know." She taps her forehead. "I know when everyone's fine."

"Oh, right," I say. "Xavier helped you out with your power?"

"Yeah." She pauses. "Oji-san, you aren't fine," she whispers.

I tighten my jaw. In Japanese, I say, "Kid, don't worry about me."

She gives me an intense look and I have to remind myself that she's only twelve. She looks a lot like her mother, and I feel a renewed pang for Yuriko's death. She replies, "I think you want people to worry about you. Aunt Nori worries about you a lot and I think that you like it."

I take a deep breath. She looks like her mother, but she has the bluntness of her aunt—though Nori's technique is gentler. She's had more years to perfect the art of saying exactly what's on her mind without offending anyone.

Remy glances away from the game and at us. He raises his eyebrows, and I shrug. Aiko smiles. "How are you, Uncle Remy?" she asks, content to let the matter drop.

He smiles. "Just fine, petite. Just fine."

She smiles back. "I know." She glances at both of us and then returns her attention to the game.

The game's almost over when Nori comes down to the living room. She perches up on the arm of the couch, next to Remy. She smiles at us and says, "Who's playing?"

"It's Duke vs Michigan," Remy answers.

"Hmm," she says. "What are their mascots?"

"Blue Devils and Wolverines."

"Wolverines! Yes. Are they winning?"

"Nope."

"Too bad," she says, with a little sigh.

Remy laughs and kisses her. Nori's not really a sports fan, and she judges teams by the cuteness of their mascots. My favorite team, the Canucks, score a passing grade for their orca. (I hadn't even really known what their mascot was supposed to be until Nori had asked, "The Canucks? Is their mascot just like, a Canadian dude?" and then looked it up on her phone when I couldn't satisfactorily answer.) The New Orleans Saints do not rate highly on her list, however.

After the Blue Devils defeat the Wolverines (to Nori's dismay), most of the kids head off to bed. Their curfew is 10PM, which is quickly approaching. But Aiko remains on the couch. After all the other students are gone, she says, "Please, can I talk to you?"

"Sure, Aiko, what's up?" Nori says.

"I need to know… I need to know what is happening with the Phoenix."

Nori raises her eyebrows. I'd half-forgotten that the kid knew about the Phoenix at all, but she'd been down there when Nori was… taken by it. She'd been the one to figure it out.

"Well… well, sweetie, why don't we go up to my office and talk about it? I'll tell you about it, but you have to promise not to tell any of the other students."

"Why not?" Aiko asks. "We're all living with her. We should know."

Nori tilts her head to one side. It's a fair point, and I know Nori doesn't believe in bullshitting the kids. Neither do I, for that matter. "Let's talk about it in my office," she says firmly, and the four of us go upstairs.

Once there, Aiko settles herself on one of the room's chairs and says, "I know she's still here. I can feel her. She's… confused. And she's still hungry."

The three adults in the room share a wary glance at that. Nori and Remy are sitting side by side on the couch, and I'm pacing, too agitated to sit. "Well, Aiko, the Phoenix lives in Jean. And Jean… Jean's learning how to control it. She's a good person," Nori says. "She doesn't want to hurt anyone."

Aiko says, "Just because she doesn't want to hurt anyone doesn't mean she won't. You know that, Aunt Nori."

Nori gives a half-smile. "That's true." She shrugs. "I don't know what to tell you, sweetie. You're right. She is dangerous. Everyone here is dangerous. But Jean is working very hard with Professor Xavier. I promise, Aiko, we'll keep you safe."

Aiko rolls her eyes. "I'm not worried about me. The Phoenix doesn't want kids. I'm worried about you, Auntie."

Nori covers her mouth with her hand, and I can see tears spring up in her eyes.

I say, "Hey, kiddo, you know we'll do everything we can to keep your aunt safe."

Aiko looks me straight in the eye and says, "Oji-san, you can't fight the Phoenix."

Nori says, "We don't have to fight her, Aiko. We just have to be patient while Jean figures out how to control her."

"She's so hungry, Auntie. I don't think she can wait much longer."

"What's she talking about, darlin'?" I ask Nori.

"I-I don't know," she says. "Aiko's empathy is the opposite of mine. And I haven't tried to read Jean's mind. I'm not sure that I could, if I wanted to."

"You need to talk to her," Aiko says. "Because she is so, so hungry. It's… it's all I can feel. Her hunger."

"Well, that's not great," Nori mutters.

"At least, it seems like when she… eats people… she can spit them back up," Remy says.

Nori looks troubled. "Yeah…" she says hesitantly.

We all look at her. "What's that supposed to mean, cher?" Remy asks.

She shakes her head. "I can't really explain it… it was so hard, so so hard to put Scott back together. I think if she had held on to him for a second longer…" she shakes her head harder. "Aiko, I promise we'll talk to Jean, and help her." She stands up and hugs her niece."Thank you for telling us. I'm so sorry you're scared. Do you want me to help you shield?"

"No," Aiko says, adamantly. "I want to be able to keep an eye on her."

Nori gives a small smile. "Okay. Well, thank you, Aiko. I promise... I promise we're doing everything we can. But please, don't tell the students yet. We don't want them to be scared. Okay? Promise me."

Aiko lowers her voice, and in Japanese says, "I promise, Aunt Nori. But you have to promise to be careful."

"I promise," Nori replies. "Now go to bed! It's late."

Aiko gives a little pout, and Nori gives her a warm smile and another hug."Good night, Aiko," she says in English. "It's already past curfew, but I'll tell Ms. Munroe you were with us."

"Good night, Auntie. Good night, Uncle Remy. Good night, Oji-san."

Remy and I both smile and wish her a good night in return, and Aiko grudgingly leaves.

Remy looks at Nori and says, "Cher, how come you never told us all that about the Phoenix? 'Bout Scotty?"

"Shit, Remy, I've been a little out of it," she says.

He just shakes his head. She's lying-or at least not telling the whole truth-and we both know it. Nori looks down and admits, "I... I didn't want Jean to know how close she came to killing Scott. I didn't... I didn't know how she would take it."

"And Scott? You didn't think he should know?" I ask.

She looks at me sadly. "If he knows, she knows." She taps her forehead.

"And you weren't going to tell us?" My voice is gruff, I can hear it. But I'm angry. And hurt. And afraid.

She slumps. "I just... I didn't... it's all a lot to process. It took a while for me to realize what... how close it was. And then, I didn't want you to worry. And I didn't think there was anything we could do about it."

"Did you tell Chuck?" I ask.

She nods.

"Oh. Well... good, then."

Nori's blocked off her empathy, but her anxiety is still apparent in her tense face and her shaking foot, not to mention her increased pulse and the slight scent of fear I'm picking up. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner," she says softly.

Remy puts an arm around her. She doesn't relax against him the way she normally would. Suddenly, I'm furious. I'm pissed at Nori for lying, I'm pissed at Jean for coming back, I'm pissed at Sinister and Magneto and Mesmero and everyone else for making Nori bring Jean back, I'm pissed at Xavier for being so smug, and I'm pissed at myself for getting involved with this whole fucked-up situation. I'm breathing fast and hard.

Nori looks up at me with those liquid brown eyes of hers. "Logan, please calm down," she I don't answer, she stands up and puts a hand on my wrist. "Logan..."

I make a quick decision. The way I'm feeling right now I could hit her, or I could kiss her. I go for the latter. She makes a surprised sound but she kisses me back. I push her against the wall and nearly lose myself. She puts her arms around my neck and her legs around my waist. I lean down, kissing and biting her ears, her throat. I suck on her delicate collarbone until a bruise starts to blossom there.

Remy moves behind me and I track him with my eyes. He locks the door and then sits back down to watch us intently. I slowly extend a single claw and watch her watch it slide out of my hand. She looks up at me, wide-eyed. I detect a little bit of fear from her, but not much. Not enough. I slice her shirt off of her, careful not to break the skin. She shivers. I leave her bra on, for now. I like the look of the lacy trim against her creamy skin. A rosy flush is rising in her face and her chest.

"Pet, you've been bad," I growl.

She looks down, not denying it. I nip at her shoulder and ask, "Do you know what happens to bad girls?"

She shakes her head.

"They get spanked," I say.

She sucks in a breath. "Please, Logan, I'll be good."

"I know you will, pet." I take a step away from the wall. She still has her arms and legs around me, but she still gasps with surprise when she loses the support of the wall. I sweep my arms under her ass and reposition her in my arms. I carry her a few feet, to the straight-backed chair sitting in front of a music stand. She whimpers when I sit down. I unbutton her jeans and she obediently lifts her hips to help me slide them off of her, and we do the same with her panties. I throw them to the floor of her office.

Then I flip her over and position her over my knees. She's trembling, but I can smell how turned on she is. I caress her ass a few times, letting her get used to the position, to the idea. My cock is rock hard, and I'm sure she can feel it through my jeans. I lift my hand and smack down. She gasps. I give her five sharp smacks and she squirms and bites down on her hand to keep from crying out. I slip a finger between her legs and tease her clit. She's still blocking her empathy. I'm torn between wanting to feel what she's feeling, and wanting to keep the Phoenix away. Reluctantly, I decide it's best if she keep her shield up.

Remy says, in a darkly sexy tone, "Hey, cher, you want something else to put in your mouth?"

"Mm-hmm," she murmurs, still wriggling on my lap.

"Like what?"

She sucks in a breath. "Please, Remy, let me suck your cock," she asks prettily.

"Well, all right," he says easily. It's been a long time since I've smelled him so turned on. He stands in front of Nori and unzips his pants, letting his rigid cock thrust out. Nori strains her head forward, trying to reach it. He laughs and steps closer, holding her head still. She takes the tip into her mouth and licks. Remy lets out a little moan.

I take my hand out from between her legs and stroke her ass. "Get ready, girl," I say, and she gives a small whimper around Remy's cock. I slap her ass, harder now. I want to mark her. I want her to remember this. Her breath is coming in small pants. I doubt Remy is receiving a very skilled blow job right now, but he doesn't seem to mind.

I look up at Remy, trying to communicate with my eyes. I hope he knows enough not to come in her mouth right now. She might choke. But I should have known better than to doubt Remy. He gives me a sexy smirk and slowly teases himself with her mouth. I feel like I could come any second now, but I deliberately hold off. Nori's ass is red and pink and blue. She's beautiful.

Remy pulls out of her mouth and shoots a hot stream of come across her back. She gasps and cries out.

"My good girl," Remy croons, stroking her hair. She lets her head fall forward, softly sobbing. I stop hitting her and gently stroke up and down her back. I get Remy's come on my hand, but I keep rubbing.

"You learned your lesson, didn't you, pet?" I ask.

She takes a long, shuddery breath. "Yes," she says.

"What lesson?" I ask firmly.

"No lying," she says.

"Good girl," I say, and I move my hand between her legs. She hitches her hips, pressing against my hand. I circle her clit gently and she lets out a pitiful whine. "You need to come, don't you?"

"Yes..."

"Yes, what?"

"Yes, please," she whispers. I slip a finger inside her. It comes back soaked, and I rub it against her clit. My other hand holds her firmly against my lap or else she might writhe right off. I get her extremely close to the edge and then pull my hand away. She cries out in frustration and grinds fruitlessly against my lap.

I chuckle and slowly return my finger. "Now, pet. You can come now," I say, touching her the way I know she needs to be touched. She makes a strangled sound-she's been trying so hard to be quiet. There are students on this floor, after all. She shudders and shakes against my leg and then falls limp, tears running down her cheeks.

I stroke her shoulders. "Good girl," I say soothingly. All my anger and frustration are gone. I feel overwhelmed with affection and protectiveness for the girl on my lap. I also feel extremely horny.

"Here, cher," Remy says. He drapes her over his arms and helps her over to the couch, where she lies on her side. He covers her with a blanket and she gives him a sleepy, dazed smile.

Then Remy comes over and straddles my lap. He kisses me fiercely. I groan and wrap my arms around him. He shifts his weight and gives me a saucy look. He knows exactly what he's doing. He kisses me once more before kneeling in front of me. "Quite a lesson you taught our pet," he murmurs.

"You think it'll stick?"

"Hope so," he says. "But then again, maybe I don't."

I smile down at him. "I know what you mean."

Lazily, he reaches forward and opens my jeans. "Mm," he says. He frees my cock and runs a hand lightly up and down it. I jump slightly and he grins. Then he leans forward and takes me into his mouth. He swallows, taking my whole, hard length down his throat. Remy's an impressive cocksucker.

I'm incredibly ready, and he's incredibly good with his tongue, and it doesn't take long before I groan and come. I pull out and Remy licks his lips and gives me a catlike both turn to look at Nori, who's lying limp and half-asleep.

"Come on, pet," I say. "Let's get you up to bed."

She nods and carefully comes to standing. She has the knitted afghan wrapped around her. I toss her pants to her and she pulls them on with a wince. Her shirt is a lost cause and she frowns. Remy gallantly offers her his sweater, which nearly comes down to her knees. She carefully collects all the pieces of her shirt and tucks them up under the sweater. She puts the afghan back into place, closes her eyes, and says, "No one's in the hallway... let's go now!" She giggles like a schoolgirl. Remy puts an arm around her and I trail behind.

We make it safely up to our-their-room without being detected by anyone. Nori throws her shirt away and pulls Remy's sweater off.

"I like it better on you," he murmurs.

"It's scratchy without an undershirt," she says.

"Always whining about something, cher," he teases. She grins at him and changes into her flannel pajamas. Remy and I change, too, and we all climb into bed. I snort with laughter when she settles down to sleep on her stomach.

"Shut up," she says.

"Sorry, darlin'," I say, and I lie next to her and kiss her cheek in apology. She makes a contented sound and I stroke her shoulders until we fall asleep.