Why had he left?

He needed to. It wasn't like he had anything to go back to. Beyond a cause. An ideal. Was it one that could even possibly work? He didn't know. Maybe. Then there was the woman factor. Always that factor rearing it's head and haunting. He knew he'd go back.

But not before he found his answers.

"Get outta my way, bub." Logan growled, getting pissed that these hicks were in his way. Damn down country bumpkins didn't know when they out to get the hell out of someones way. He'd just have to teach them.

"What, you think we're afraid of you short stuff? Get outta your way? Yeah, right. Whatcha gonna do, growl at us with that nasty breath?"

"Move or be moved, bub." Logan gave the final warning, shifting his hands. He could feel the claws starting to press at his skin, begging to be released.

"Yeah, you and wha..."

"Now, now, is dat any kind of way t'be showing southern hospitality t'our northern friend? Don't seem like it ta me. Mebbe ya bozos piss off, an leave de welcoming committee t'de people dat remember de meaning of southern hospitality, yeah?"

Logan growled. Now he had some pretty boy punk with a snake-charmers voice fighting his battles for him. A tall pretty boy none the less. Did every single day have to be like this? One god damn frustration after the next?

Surprisingly, the men backed off. Why the hell were they afraid of the tall cajun? Then Logan smelled it. The faint scent of burning atmosphere around him, the scent of many a weapons, the light jangle of weapons.

Well shit, pretty boy got an armory in that coat a his. What the hell's the burning atmosphere scent though? Oh...

Logan found himself blinking, when he saw even through the shades he wore, a reddish glow was seeping around the glasses in the darkness surrounding the bar.

"Yea, dat be what I thought. Three... two.." The men scattered. It was one thing to screw with a short northerner, quite another to screw with a mutant. At least, one who had real powers, and not one who's power was a snake tongue.

"Dat ya bike, mon ami?" The cajun asked him, jerking a thumb to one of two Harley's that were parked next to each other.

"Yeah, why?" A touch of suspicion touching his tone.

"Jus' curious. De other one be mine. Ya got good taste."

Logan wanted to laugh. It was a damn good bike. How Scooter had such good taste in bikes he'd never know. Then again, that damn boyscout had everything. Jet was like his baby, the bikes, the cars, he even had Jean... damn Cyclops.

"Whatever bub."

"Eh, like ya say mon ami. Whatever. Was gonna see if ya wanted ta catch a beer, but guess not." The cajun shrugged, and slipped into the bar on his own.

"What the hell..." Logan shrugged, and followed him. Plus someone this smooth, damn snake charmer, might just know about what I'm looking for...

Some hours later, the two walked out of the bar. Damn cajun could hold his beer pretty well. They both had a slight stagger in their steps, but Logan was shaking off the alcohol already, as his healing factor burned through it. Not quite as fast, but just as surely, he'd noticed the cajun sobering up a lot faster then was normal for a human, even a mutant with a fast metabolism.

Sniff. Sniff.

"You actually any good in a fight, Gumbo?"

"Oui. Who we gonna fight mon ami? De purple elephant, it no put up much of a fight ya know."

"Ninja."

"Oh. Gambit no like ninja. Dey always t'row dem damn smoke bombs, an dem smell worse den dat cigar ya was smoking.."

Chris. Kids loaded, probably couldn't fight even if he was sober, and there's at least ten. At least. Winds from a bad direction..

"Right kid. Just get on your bike and ride, or get back in the bar. This ain't your fight."

The words were out of his mouth, about the time figures in red began jumping from roof tops.

"Uh, mon ami? Dem de Hand.. whatcha do to piss dem off?" There was the jangle of his coat again. Maybe the kid could fight. Logan didn't have time to worry, as his claws unsheathed and he dashed forward to meet the first of the approaching figures in red.

Logan heard the sounds of a scuffle behind him, and to his surprise none of the thuds that he heard when he glanced were the cajun. Instead he was brandishing a bo-staff almost as long as him, and holding his own against multiple assailants at once.

Damn. Kid ain't that bad after all.

"You wish, bub." He snarled, and flicked his hand back, taking one of the Hand members in the chest who tried to attack him from behind, before whirling back to face those ahead of him. They knew how to fight, but that didn't save them against his claws that cut right through their own weapons like a knife through butter.

What he wasn't counting on however, was when darts started puncturing his arms. He started laughing at that at first. "Heh. Poison? Shoulda done yer homework.." But the words died on his lips. He could feel it, and it was strong. It was going to slow his healing down a lot, maybe too much, and he could feel his energy starting to lesson. Then red clad figures were swarming...

And explosions rocketed the night, scattering them, it repeated a few times, but then they were swarming towards the source of all those explosions. The Cajun.

Logan couldn't help him, he was still facing off against a number of his own.

Somehow, they were both still standing, but it was becoming a downward battle until a figure in black leapt from a roof top, and began to wade into the action. At first the Hand were unaware of her, it had to be a her, from that scent, the way the black shifted at her chest. That was one of the Hand's weaknesses. They rarely talked, rarely even screamed. In this case, it meant they went down from behind without raising a cry.

When they did notice a third opponent had joined the fray, the tides had already shifted. Logan had time to start ripping into the cajuns opponents from behind, even though it cost him a number of wounds, and the figure in black tore into the opponents that came against her. She seemed to dance in and out of combat, sticking mostly to range and her shuuriken, but occasionally the blade on her belt flashed and dueled.

When the last of them fell, Logan was panting, and sitting on the ground, waiting for his body to purge all the poisons. The cajun had slipped into the bar, to grab two beers, and when he returned he tossed one to Logan, and dropped onto the ground near him. Seemingly uncaring at the bodies.

Then again, the cajun had known they were Hand. He couldn't be a total novice. The black clad figure just observed them both from the shadows, before shaking her head and stalking forward.

"You draw trouble to you, Logan-san. Then, you always have. Having the Hand sent out after you yet again, after all these years."

Logan just looked confused, while Gambit was looking suddenly interested in his beer bottle.

"Of course. I was told of your amnesia. And you, Cajun. You were not an expected sight, but not an unwelcome one. Hello, Remy."

The cajun just nodded, Logan saw, when the figure pulled off her mask and smiled at the cajun. "Been a while, Yukio."

"Ya know this girl, cajun?"

"Well, dat probably be why I'm callin her Yukio, eh? Yeah, I do. Logan, Yukio, Yukio, Logan. He's a Canadian who likes beer, she's a thief and a ronin."

"We should move, before authorities notice the remanents of the fight." Yukio gestured towards their bikes, and then smirked. "Now."

An hour later, the three sat around a camp fire. Yukio had ridden behind him on his bike, where as now she sat next to him, while he smoked a cigarette and looked at the burning flames. He still felt an attraction to Yukio, maybe even fondness, but the emotions that might have gone to her were gone now. Something had shifted that connection, and he couldn't see her as more then a friend. He also didn't find himself considering bedding her, which troubled him. Why wouldn't he? He had in the past, it'd been enjoyable, and it wasn't as if he was seeing anyone.

Was he?

Introspection ended though, as realized the other two were talking.

"So you see Logan, the Hand were dispatched to bring you to someone. I was dispatched to make sure that did not happen. Rather handsomely paid to boot. You should see the money you can make in the protection racket, Remy."

The way she smiled at him scared him. Not only because it was a friendly smile, but because of the various emotions she radiated every time she looked at him. It seemed to be disturbing Logan too. The sharp variances in love, hate, sometimes mellowed to just a fondness. It was odd. Probably why he disliked running into his exes. They always felt like that.

"So, someone hired a buncha ninja to come after me, and someone – who you won't tell me who – hired you to make sure they failed. Sounds kinda suspect if ya ask me. Whatcha think bub?"

Remy was surprised the shorter man was asking him, but he just shrugged. "Yukio can be trusted ma petite homme. She is what she say she is, a t'ief and a ronin, and she got her own sense of honor."

Yukio was giving him an odd look at that, but Remy kept his gaze on Logan.

"So what happens now? Do they just keep coming after me, or will they quit now that they failed?" Logan sounded out of his element, which Remy was somewhat confused by. If the man had the Hand after him, and from how Yukio initially addressed him, he had ties to Japan. Should've known about this stuff. But didn't.

"No. They won't give up that easily. You have two choices, Logan. You can just kill them when they come after you – but they've been briefed on how to fight you, or you can kill whoever paid them to go after you. Once the origin of a contract is dead, especially a contract like they put on you, just for kidnapping, they withdraw. They can't very will kidnap you if the person who wanted you is dead."

"I like that last option. Take out the bastard who's got em after me. Ya know who put em on me?"

"A former military man by the name of John Wraith. I do not know who or how he has any connection to you, only that he is after you." Yukio supplied.

"Cajun?" "Never heard of him."

"Any ideas on how we find this jackass?"

"Nope. Not a clue. But the cajun could find him."

Logan blinked, looked at her, then at the cajun, who was looking sadly at the empty six pack he'd brought with from the bar.

"Cajun?"

"I can make some inquiries. If dere any t'ing dat can be turned up about him, den we find out what it is."

"What are you cajun? CIA? NSA? Yer not a foreign service, your accent and scent is American."

Yukio was laughing, and Remy just sighed. "None of de above. Somet'in far better. T'ieves Guild."

"Aw shit. Two thieves, one a ronin, and one a Guild member. Tonights been a real bitch."

Gambit just laughed. "No shit mon ami, no shit. Well, I better make some phone calls if ya wanna get started on dis soon, which I'm guessin ya do... excuse me." Pulling his cell out, Remy slipped away from the others. He'd call Jean-Luc after he made another phone call first.

He was due for a phone call to Ororo. It was only 6am in New York, but she wouldn't mind. Plus it'd pass some time so he wasn't calling Jean-Luc at god awful times of the morning, and besides. He wanted to hear Stormy's voice for some reason.

"So, how ya know the cajun?" Logan was eying her with distrust, and she just smiled lightly back.

"I met him in Japan. We spent some time together."

"Oh. That's why your scent is so neurotic."

"Excuse me?"

"Ya still got a thing fer the cajun, don'tcha girl?"

".. it is none of your business, what my emotions are. I am being paid to safeguard you from the Hand, not to be your friend."

"Have it your way sister, but the cajun looks like he's moved on if you ask me. Maybe you should do the same."

Yukio just scowled at him, grabbed one of the blankets, picked a spot of ground, and pulled it over her. Asshole. What did he know about Remy? It was none of his business anyway. If Remy still didn't want her, well. She'd just let it go then. She'd spent too long feeling the aching lack of him at nights, or missing his scent in the bed. She hadn't even been able to look at another man, knowing they wouldn't compare to him.

Besides, there was no reason for him to not want her. He seemed to be more at peace now, more collected. Like he wasn't running anymore. Maybe he'd be willing to reconsider her offer now. They'd had good times before, hadn't they?

If not, well. Maybe she'd just kill him. That'd be one way to get over him, wouldn't it?

"Hope ya packed a jacket, Yukio." Remy informed the other two, as he strode back to the camp site they picked a days travel from the last. The cajun was grinning, Jean-Luc had come through in a big bad way this time, and in a lot quicker order then Remy had figured he would be able too.

"What ya talking about gumbo?" "You could always keep me warm, Remy.."

"Found ya 'friend' John Wraith. He got a place in Colorado, little mountain retreat. Survivalist style. Has his own power generator an everything. So ya want to see this through, we going to de Rockies. As for keepin ya warm chere, from what I remember ya better at dat den I am."

Two different reactions. Logan nodding, while Yukio just frowned at him.

"If we going, let's get gone."

Logan frowned. "Why you coming cajun? Just give me the info, wash yer hands of this. No reason to get involved."

"Would if I could, mon ami. After I got involved de ot'er night, dis ass included me into his contract wit' you. Père was awful pissed about dat, an even de Assassins Guild warned de Hand dey better watch demselves."

At the confused look from the two, although Yukio's was also concerned Remy sighed.

"I'm de son in law of de head of de Assassins Guild. Not dat dat means much, wit' Bella dead, but de fact of de matter is, if anyone kills me, ol Maruius t'inks it should be him dat does de deed."

"Oh." "Shit cajun, how many pissed off exes and fathers you got out there after your ugly hide?"

"Heh. More den I care to t'ink about, Logan. More den I care to t'ink about." Candra, Vertigo, Arclight, Assassins, shit, possibly even Yukio. But he said he'd go with, when he mentioned Logan to Storm and she asked him to watch out for him... and that was before it got personal.

Yukio was just frowning at him, and then leaning forward so her shirt tightened. As if testing if his eyes would go down her shirt or not. He looked, chuckled, and went to get his bike ready. Behind him, he could sense Yukio's confusion at his reaction to her almost blatant offer, and his looking but doing nothing.

"Any word from our enterprising young thief, Ororo?"

"A call a few nights ago Charles. It seems Gambit ran into Logan, and he has some trouble from his past after him again."

"Oh? Is it anything they need help with?" Charles frowned. Gambit sure did seem to get around. Almost a kanck for falling into trouble, if what he'd heard about the thief was true. It was odd to think that a man so young was already a legend.

"He didn't seem to think so, Charles. But then, Gambit wouldn't think he needed help even if he was going up against Magneto alone."

"I see. So you want to go help them?"

"I do. An old friend is with them that I haven't seen since that mission we did in Japan last year, and they may need my help."

"Well, there is nothing going on currently. Jean has the flu, and Scott and I can handle the students by ourselves. Take the Black Bird."

"Thank you, Charles."

"Of course Ororo. Say hello to Logan for me, and see if he's considering coming back yet."

"I will." They both grinned a little. If for different reasons. Ororo because she couldn't imagine Logan ever staying for more then a month or two at a time, and Charles because he rather imagined she'd be more focussed on bringing Gambit back to them. He'd only been gone two weeks now, but he knew there was a desperate sense of feeling incomplete, or missing him, within her.

Jean had even complained to him about being unable to shield the projected thoughts from Ororo, while she was sick with the flu. But then, Jean had complained of a number of such things with her mental shields weakened by being sick. A house full of teenagers was as painful to a telepath as it was to an empath.

"Why'd you flag us to pull over, Cajun? We got quite a bit of light yet, could get another hundred miles yet." Logan groused as they parked at the rest area, well in the clear he noticed. What was the cajun up too now?

"Cell phone was going off. Can't talk while riding mon ami. Gimme a minute." With that, Gambit pulled is cell out and slipped away from him and Yukio. Where Yukio was frowning at nothing.

"What's your problem now?"

"Remy, of course. You.. may have been right. He seems to have moved on, or not be interested. I've made .. gestures.. and he has ignored them all. I even.." Yukio trailed off. Which Logan was thankful for. He somehow had the feeling she'd tried something pretty brazen, and the cajun had turned her down. Maybe that's what caused the minor swerve in their riding about a half hour ago.

"Stuck yer hands down his pants, didn't ya?" Logan wasn't able to resist, and knew he'd been right when her face went aflame from a blush.

"Why ya call him Remy all the time? He insisted I just call him cajun or Gambit."

"I have heard you call him Gambit. I have wondered... but I suppose. It makes sense." Yukio looked disappointed once again, and Logan felt confused.

"What's such a big deal about the name Gambit?"

She frowned at him. "You must listen to the currents more, Logan. To the whispers in the shadows. You would benefit highly from this. Remy LeBeau is the Prince of Thieves. He is widely regarded as the third best thief in the world, despite his age. The second is his father, Jean-Luc LeBeau. The first best thief is Gambit. For a while now, no one has known that the elusive legendary Gambit is in fact Remy."

Logan was shaking his head. "The kids that good? You got a few years on him, yer a thief. You tell me."

"He is that good. I rank in at fifth, by most estimations. I may have more experience, but he has the skill, and he is not so inexperienced as you might think. He's been groomed for it since he was a child, while the rest of us usually start later in life."

Logan shook his head. Damned thieves were weird.

But he was distracted by a cough, as Gambit came back.

"We go up de road about a mile, deres an exit ramp. Bout four miles past de town t'de south dere a real big open field. We getting a lift t'Colorado from dere."

Both Logan and Yukio looked at him in confusion. Logan was glad he wasn't the only one. Damned thieves.

"A ride from who, cajun? I don't like secrets."

"From a friend, Logan. From a friend. Stormy, she pick us up dere in dat fancy jet ya'll fly around."

Yukio gasped, and Logan frowned. Stormy? Storm? This kid was getting calls from Ororo, and calling her Stormy? Shit. What had gone wrong with the world, that it turned upside down like this.

Yukio he noticed looked even more confused then him. Oh well, as long as she didn't try and stab the cajun.

"Let's roll."

"Hello Logan." He was the first one up the ramp, pushing his Harley ahead of him, and then leading it aside to the cargo hold to begin strapping it in. All she got in answer him was a gruff mumble she didn't even catch. She had to imagine his nerves must be getting to him, but being around Gambit could do that to anyone.

Next came Remy, pushing his bike up, but once he was up, she pulled him into a hug. "I missed you, Remy." "Missed you too, Stormy. Lemme get dis bike lashed up, den we talk an get going, yeah?"

She nodded, and he pushed the bike the way Logan had gone, and Storm turned to find Yukio pushing a hug on her. "Heya 'Ro. How have you been? You know the cajun too? Is there anyone who doesn't?"

That was Yukio. A bright energetic free spirit. In a way, she reminded her a lot of Gambit. But there was a nervousness in Yukio, and that's when she remembered. Part of the story, his full history Remy had told her. Yukio. Japan. She felt her heart tighten, and she wasn't sure for which of them it was. Remy, Yukio... or hereself.

"I've been well, Yukio. I met Remy a few months ago. He saved my life.. and well. I lost my memory for a while, and he played Knight in Shining Armor to me. How do you know him?" She knew Yukio, and the answer was likely to be blunt. But.. she had to know how the other woman would respond. If there was going to be trouble between her and Remy. Oh Bright Lady, what am I going to do if there is trouble between them?

"Oh. I met his worthless hide in Japan. I shacked up with him for a bit, and then we got into this competitive tiff, and like the scoundrel he is, he ran away when I was starting to like him. That's just the way he is." Yukio was eying her though, Storm noticed. Her tone sounded bitter, and Storm wasn't sure why. It didn't seem to be directed at her, but at Remy.

"Oh.. Well. He has had a... colorful past?" Was the only political way she could answer it. For some reason, she felt a stab of jealousy at Yukio admitting she'd slept with Remy. What is going on with me? He's a brother, not my lover. Yukio is a friend, I should be happy if they had found happiness together.

"Cajun, you finished strapping that bike in four minutes ago."

"Yup, I did. You been done for six. Got a point?"

"Afraid to go out there, huh?"

"You blame me, mon ami? Soon as Yukio heard Stormy's name, she went cold like towards me. Rather not get stabbed wit' one of dem knives, sword, or shuriken dat she carry ya know."

"Jealousy, gumbo. Jealousy. She reaked of it. So you been with one, she still wants you, and is getting pissed cuz she ain't had you. Storm don't got that rabid smell to her though, and she ain't reaking of lust like most women do when they see ya. What you got going on with her, swamp rat? Ya hurt her, I got you."

One of his claws extended, to make the point.

"Ain't got no intention of hurting Stormy, so you don't need t'be threatening me."

"You didn't answer the question, cajun."

"You t'ink I got de answer, mon ami? You probably got more a clue den I do. You known 'Ro longer den me." Gambit shrugged, and apparently decided bearing the womens wrath was better then the look in his eyes, because he walked out.

"Aww shit. Thieves, and a love triangle. I'm gonna kick Scott's ass. This is all his fault somehow."

Awkward situations. High Tension. That was a good way to describe the cock pit area of the Black Bird. Ororo's scent was changing on and off. She had something for the cajun. The cajun smelled guilty whenever he looked at Yukio, and of something else that he couldn't quite name when he looked at Storm. Then there was Yuko. She liked Storm, but smelled of jealousy and whenever she looked at Gambit, it seemed to be a mix of regret and hate.

Awkward didn't cover it by half. Then there was him. He smelled like beer. Small favor I had the brains to grab a six pack at that last gas station.

Belch.

"Logan." Yup, that'd be Storm lecturing him, which he just ignored. The cajun was playing solitaire on the drop down from the seat in front of his, and Yukio was sharpening her weapons.

It was a relief in the horrible situation when Storm finally said. "We have visual now. Deaccelerating, and putting us into a holding pattern over it. Do you have a plan, Logan?"

In answer, Logan popped his claws. Snikt. "Only plan I ever got, 'Ro."

"Shit. If dat de extent of ya plan, mon ami.." Gambit was shaking his head and sounded disappointed.

He smelled it too. Bastard had probably heard the black ops rumors about Wolverine, and was expecting a better plan then just gutting Wraith.

"What's this tub of bolts say about the place, 'Ro?"

"Not a whole lot, Logan. It looks like what it is. A remote mountain home. There's about fifteen heat signatures down there though, but I do not see any wepaons emplacements.

"Right, then here's what we do. You summon up a bit of weather to make em blind, and set us down a bit above the visual your weather will obscure. Three of us will go in.. there." He pointed at the entrance that looked like a back door to the home, with fewer heat signatures around it.

"You give us eyes in the sky, and keep any of 'em from retreating."

Storm smelled unhappy, but she nodded. "Very well. I will give you cover. Good luck."

Of course, things never went that smoothly. The back entry way had worked, but they encountered opposition quickly. Logan had leapt immediately into the fray, and told the other two to go the other way. With rolls of their eyes, they had.

His adamantium bo-staff flicked easily in his hands, and Yukio seemed taken back by the fact he'd just managed to deflect bullets from them, but it was only momentarily, while her shurikens took the attackers down while Gambit wove a defense with his staff.

He just offered her a smile, before they plunged from one room of the sprawling mountain home to the next. These weren't just ordinary goons they were facing off against. Whoever this John Wraith was, he was surrounded by spec ops quality military trained men, equipped none too lightly. Even their body armor was military grade.

"Down." Remy commanded, and when Yukio didn't immediately drop, he dragged her down with him, as bullets spewed through the air they'd just been in.

"How?"

"Spatial awareness." Gambit murmured to her, as he charged a card, and sent it sailing through the door way ahead of them, followed by three more.

"You're sucking at stealth today, cajun."

"Yea well, Logan howling and cutting peoples guts open while they screamed seemed to show dat stealth was out de window... de cards took down de guys in de next room. Can only sense one guy up ahead of us, den we should be able to loop around and meet up wit' Logan I t'ink."

"Well, let's get this done with. I have a job to do." Her voice going icy, when she remembered to be mad at him. Remy just followed, wanting to sigh.

He did sigh, a few minutes later, when he saw just who, or rather what, the last person was. His arms glinted with steel, and wearing thick body armor. Oh just great. All I need to run into, be a cyborg. Why life hate me like dis?

Before Yukio could jump at him, Remy threw two charged cards, hoping to end this fast. Unfortunately, the man just shifted his arms to catch and quash the cards in his hands, the explosions seemingly contained by the cybernetics somehow.

"Aw shit." Those two words were all the time it took for Yuko to leap in with her sword, and Remy was following right behind with his staff. What resulted wasn't what either hoped for. Remy gaped when the man seemed to be able good enough to block both of their attacks simultaneously with those metallic arms. Even more disturbing was the arms didn't dent from the blows of his adamantium staff.

"Sonnabitch."

"My mother wasn't a bitch, mutant." Clang, clang. Shit. This guy was good.

"Non? You sure bout dat. Pretty sure I was wit' her de other night, an she wasn' even wort' ten bucks."

A roar of a growl erupted from the man, and even though he'd blocked the blow, Remy found himself hurled across the room into a wall. It stung, but the impact provided him with a huge surge of kinetic energy, his eyes alighting with the glow.

Yukio hadn't fared so well he could see though. She was in a heap near another wall. Shit.

"Well, guess it up to me to finish dis." Pushing himself off the wall, his staff began to glow, and the fight rejoined in all honesty, each swipe of his staff caused an explosion that knocked the cyborg back.

"My name is Garrison Kane." The cyborg told him admist the fight.

"So what?"

"I just thought you should know your killers name."

Logan was getting annoyed. These spec op soldiers weren't bad, but he wasn't wasting the time with anything fancy. Already he'd been shot up, and quite a few bullets had been pushed out of his body by the healing factor. He'd left quite a few of them dead in his wake though.

It was almost anticlimactic, really, when he entered the study to find a grey haired old colonel sitting behind the desk.

"Ahh. Wolverine. I never really thought you would come to me. Obviously it's my lucky day."

"Yeah right, bub. You're about to be dead. What'd ya want me for, besides for a fast death?"

Wraith just laughed, but Logan smelled someone else. A concealed panel opened, revealing a man in gold and black body armor that seeme familiar. The gun in his hands looked nasty too, and it felt nasty he found out when a round pierced his leg.

"I don't suppose you remember old Maverick here, do you? Oh well. It won't matter soon." Wraith laughed, as the two mutants began to fight across his office.

Logan found that one thing was bad. Every time he struck the man, he seemed to get stronger. Worse, whenever he found a chink in that armor, the wounds seemed to heal up. Not as fastly as his own did, but still quickly. No good.

What he had not been expecting, was when the figures fists began to glow, and energy blasts rippled out crushing him into a wall.

Oh yeah. This is gonna be real fun.

With a snarl, Logan flung himself across the room, and dropped pretenses, going for the throat so to speak. Claws finding purchase in calfs to hamstring his opponent, a punch to the jaw, and while those blows reigned upon him, over time he worked a gap into the chest armor, and ran a claw along the mans gut, causing him to double over.

He didn't hesitate. Moments later he was hurling across the room at Wraith.

"So... you think.. you're going.. to beat me..?"

Gambit was breathing heavily. Sure, his body was getting more energy every move, but he still had to breath, and pulling oxygen into his lungs while moving and whirling his staff was actually a lot more work than one might think it was. Using his Bo-staff as a boom-stick was working better then using it regularly had. Charred spots showed on those solid metal arms, and the mans body armor was starting to look a lot worse for the wear.

The real problem was, Gambit wasn't sure how long he could keep this up. Over time, he might win, but it'd only take one screw up.

Of course, that was about the time he noticed Yukio was back up, and skulking in the shadows. Time to take a gamble she wouldn't want him dead. Twirling his staff, he went into all out attack, the explosions growing in intensity, until he scored a blast right at the cyborgs chest armor, but it cost him getting swiped into a wall once more.

"Sonofa... Dat hurts, ya know dat?" That's right, you SOB. Look at me. Look at me.

The cybor was looking at him, and advancing with a twisted grin. He never even noticed Yukio slipping up behind him, or her sword cutting his throat from behind. Gambit looked away from the blood, and began to stumble towards the door way out of the room.

"Remy."

He stopped at her voice, as she approached. She had a grin, and her sword was sheathed again.

"Yeah chere?"

"Thanks for trusting me." His back hit the wall as she pounced him, and her lips sealed against his. Her leg shifted between his own, teasing his lower body expertly as she had many times in Japan, while their lips caressed, and tongues danced.

He shouldn't be, he didn't want to be, but her feelings were washing over him. Just when he thought she was about to drag them onto the floor to make love then and there, it ended. Not with a knee to his groin, or a slap. Just her lips pulling back as she breathed heavily, and he felt one of her knives at his throat.

"That was for old times. This.. Consider this a warning, cajun. If you ever hurt Ororo the way you hurt me, I will come after you. Do you understand me?"

"I do." He didn't bother to say more. She didn't want to hear it. Telling her if it wasn't for 'Ro, he might have come back to her would just add salt to her wounded feelings, and he didn't even know if it was true. He didn't even know if he felt that way for Stormy the way everyone seemed to think he did.

Certainly, Stormy didn't seem to feel that way for him. He could find out, all it would take is one glimpse at her emotions, but.. he had promised himself he wouldn't do that with her, way back when she was just Stormy, before she remembered she her name was Ororo, and she was a hero.

Logan's fight was going considerably worse. The wounds he'd given the armored figure should've kept him occupied, given him some time. But no, even as he jumped at Wraith, those damned energy blasts sent him sailing out the window. What he wasn't expecting was when the wind caught him, held him, and pushed him back inside of the same window.

Storm. Of course. Perhaps the largest surprise was when lightning bolts sailed in right past him, striking the figure until in armor until it wasn't moving anymore.

Shit. Remind me not to piss her off. Shaking his head, Logan smirked advancing on Logan.

"You don't know what you're doing Logan."

"Oh, I'm pretty sure I know what I'm doing Wraith. Now ya got two choices. You can talk before you die, or you can just die."

"I think I'd rather see you suffer not having answers, then telling you anything you animal. You'll never be more then just a filthy mutant animal, Wolverine. Remember tha...ack."

Logan just shrugged. Hard to talk without a throat. A shrug of his shoulders, he started poking around the office. Nothing that looked like much use.

"Ya know mon ami, dis looks like an awful mess.." The cajun murmured as him and Yukio stepped in. For some reason Yukio smelled like sex, while the cajun just smelled tired. He'd never understand these people.

"Try the computer, Cajun. I assume you.. yeah you do." Logan shook his head when the cajun began digging through files like a pro. Yukio was leafing through books.

"So who'd you have a fight with, Logan?" The female thief asked him, and Logan gave a start realizing the man in body armor was gone.

"Eh, just some schmuck. Musta crawled away to bleed to death in the snow. No big loss. How about you two? You get up to some excitement?" Logan was grinning at her, but Gambit wasn't paying attention.

For some reason, Yukio looked ashamed of herself, then just shrugged her shoulders. "Oh, just a metal armed freak of a cyborg. There's nothing on the shelves."

"Anything on the computer cajun?"

"Nada. Just a few references ta something called Weapon X, but otherwise dere ain't jack shit here. Except for some dirty emails back and forth from dis Wraith loser an some woman. Not even a cipher, it's just really bad porn." The cajun was laughing while shaking his head.

"Can pull the drive if ya want or think someone back at de school get more out of it?"

"Nah. Just blow it up. Can ya take most of this place out with it?"

"D'accord. Go catch de ride, an have a line dropped from de bird.. I can't delay a charge dat big for more den thirty seconds..."

Storm frowned when they told her what they wanted, but she manuevered the black bird over the window Logan had flown out before, while Logan tossed out line from the Black Bird so it would hang just outside the window.

Not long after, Gambit hurled himself from the window to grasp the line, and began climbing up it while Logan pulled it in, and as soon as he was almost in, she accelerated. Even from half a mile away, the explosion Remy had created was very impressive, impressive enough to cause them air turblance for seconds.

Once they were up in the air though, she tapped auto-pilot on with a course towards New York, and slipped out of the pilots seat to stalk back, wrap Remy LeBeau on a tight hug, and kissed his cheek. "Don't you go worrying me like that, Gambit. If you'd been a few seconds slower, or I had been on accelerating, you – or we all – could have been caught in that!"

Remy surprised her. He was laughing. "Nah. Never happen Stormy. I trust you. You wouldn't let me get m'self offed dat way." His arms were still around her, and they felt very very nice.

That cocky grin of hers was infectious, and the trouble in his eyes was too. Storm wasn't sure when it had happened, but she found their lips were pressed together in a series of kisses, and his hand was on her rear end, squeezing and holding her against him while they shared their first real kiss.

The startling fact, was when she realized she was on her tip toes, and while his hands were supporting her while their tongues pressed at each other.. it had been her that leaned up to kiss those red lips that had been almost taunting her.

It was Logan's gruff voice that pulled both of them back to reality. "Get a room, you two." The gruff short man was sticking a cigar between his lips, and patting himself for a lighter. Storm shook her head, grinned at the cajun, and pinched his rear before stepping away.

That will teach him to touch my ass like that in public. Really, what has gotten into him. Man handling me in front of Logan and Yukio. After all, clearly it had been man-handling, even if she'd initiated the kiss. There was a brief memory of just where one of her legs had been rubbing against, and her cheeks turned red. "I.. better get back to the cockpit."

"Aww. Stormy, I never seen you blush like dat. Tres belle. Tres Belle."

"Do not call me that silly name, Gambit." She didn't look back as she stalked into the cockpit, but she could hear him chuckling and smelled him lighting a cigarette and Logan's cigar. That was Scott's problem, not hers.

Yukio watched the kiss with hooded eyes. However, it didn't affect her in the way she thought it would. She found herself smiling a little, and it was as if a spell had been broken on her. Did she still care for Remy? Yeah, she always would love him to some extent. She found herself still hating him some as well, but it was lessened.

Him and Storm fit, maybe. It would do Ororo good to have a free spirit like the cajun in her life. She'd always told the Wind Rider she needed to loosen up and let her hair down. With Remy, she wouldn't have much choice in the matter.

There was also a surge of guilt in her. She'd briefly entertained the idea of telling Storm what had happened in the room, but refrained. Gambit hadn't even done anything to her, besides kissed back, and let his hands run along her. He hadn't even been that into it, not the way he used to be. But there was no point in shaming herself and telling Ororo she'd managed to get off on what appeared to be her boyfriends leg in that kiss.

Stupid LeBeau and his stupid tongue, and those stupid hands.

She was looking forward to getting back to Japan. Which.. if she wanted to do that, she better get 'Ro to drop her off in Mississippi. That's where most of her kit still was, she'd make her own way from there.

Remy watched as Logan sauntered down the black bird steps, a cigar lit and puffing smoke into the air. It was a real saunter, practically a swagger. The Canadian was an odd fellow. A cigarette hung lit between his own lips, but as he moved to step down the steps, an arm wrapped around his hip, and he felt Stormy at his side. They hadn't talked much on the flight back, after the kiss.

He wasn't sure what to expect. She'd certainly been into the kiss, after she leaned up and shoved her lips to his. Her arm around him wasn't the same way it used to be either. She used to just take his hand as they walked. This was much more possessive, but at the same time, it felt that same easy going companionship. It was just evolving. A further step.

As they walked down the ramp together, they saw Logan was already talking to the Professor and Scott, and the bald man looked up.

"Welcome home, all three of you." Logan just laughed, but Storm was smiling.

Remy had to admit, he found himself grinning too. He'd found his answers, in the time he'd went back home, with Yukio, and his little adventure. The kiss from Storm had just sealed the deal, really.

"Merci beaucoup." Remy replied, meaning it. He turned his eyes to meet his Stormy's, and she seemed to understand when she arched an eyebrow, and he nodded.

"Professor Xavier, I'd like to introduce you to the newest X-man. Remy LeBeau, Charles Xavier."

Scott Summers looked like someone had slapped him, Logan was still just laughing, and Charles had that little grin he was trying to not show.

"As I said. Welcome home, Mr LeBeau."

--

Authors Note: This is not the ending. What comes next? You'll just have to wait and see. The students are back though, so it's time for more then just Jubilee and Bobby to meet Gambit, amongst other things. I doubt the Storm/Gambit pairing was any real surprise, since I've been setting that up for the last few chapters, without any attempt to hide it.