AN: I bet you guys didn't expect two in one night. It's like almost unheard of for me. But since I was so close to the end, I wanted to get it out there for you guys. You've all been amazing. Thank you for the support, the reviews, and the favorites and follows. I'm still working onmy Walking Dead story and I've got a start to an SOA story I'm kind of excited about. Anyway, thank you all again; it's been great!

Contrary to how it may have seemed to some, Remy and I were not attached at the hip. Sure we lived together and slept together and on occasion even worked together, but we also had out own interests and priorities. If I said I had never helped Remy with a job, I would be lying. I'll admit that I had fun with him and he had fun with me. But I also knew Remy was a thousand times more skilled at conning, stealing, and manipulating his way through life than I ever was.

He always said it was because he had to rely on himself from a young age and learned how to move through life in a certain matter because of that fact. I tried reminding him that I had had to grow up fast as well, but he would only shake his head. According to Remy, it wasn't about growing up fast. It was about growing up alone. Whether I wanted to admit it or not, I always had someone else to look to for guidance. He was good at scheming because that's how he had always lived.

Not me. That was always someone else's job. After thinking about it, I knew he was right. It felt a little strange, admitting that in a weird twisted way, I had people watching out for me…even if they unscrupulous and evil psychopaths.

So while Remy's talents lay with manipulating people, mine for some strange reason connected me with those very same people. For this reason, I often found myself working in tandem with another group of people and apart from Remy. Oh he tried to help, but Remy had never been a fan of kids let alone hormonal teens just learning about their powers.

By the year that Remy and I traveled to Minnesota for Lydia's graduation, I had been working off and on with Charles Xavier for close to two years. I recognized him right away from the Three Mile Incident when I lost Logan. I knew he recognized me too…maybe that was why he got in touch with me. He seemed to understand, however, that that particular topic was taboo in my mind. Needless to say, his silence on the matter was appreciated.

And if Scott recognized my voice, he never said. As to the others at the Professor's school/institute/big ass mansion, I didn't have much of an opinion. Ororo I could take or leave. Jean Grey I could most definitely leave. I still say her hair is a crock of shit. If she doesn't dye her hair, I'll punch an infant. Whatever…I'm not bitter or anything. Anyway, Remy thought my vendetta against Jean's hair was adorable. Idiot.

As Remy drove us back toward the Cities to make our flight, I was silent. I could only stare blankly out the window as my thoughts remained focused on Jo and the girls. Lydia in particular remained front and center. Her speech had left me breathless. I had been unable to contain the two or three tears that had escaped my eyes when she spoke her first few lines.

Never in a million years, would I have guessed anything about me would have remained in her mind, let alone a single phrase I whispered in her ear once ten years ago. She had only been eight and I had only been with the family a couple of months when word came that the girls' father had died. Daisy hadn't really cared, and Greta was too young to understand.

But Lydia understood. She knew she would never see her father again. And though he had been an unreliable and often times cruel piece of shit, he was her dad. She had been inconsolable, despite anything anyone had said. Then one night, sick of the late night crying more than anything, I found myself in her room and whispering the same phrase my mother had said to me so many times when my own father passed.

Все меняется, ничто не исчезает. Nothing disappears, only changes.

How she had remembered a Russian phrase from so long ago was beyond me. Though she was Valedictorian. Maybe I've always underestimated her.

As I continued to think about all that had happened and everything I had experienced that day, the sound of my phone ringing in my pocket went completely ignored. It wasn't until Remy literally shook me from my thoughts while he drove that I snapped to attention and struggled to reach my phone.

Finally, I was able to halt the sounds of MIA filling the car as I brought the device to my ear.

"Yeah…hi Professor." I glanced at Remy and shot him a thumbs up.

"How's your trip?" he asked. I smiled, knowing he truly did care about what Remy was still calling my Quest for Self-Absolution.

"Fine. We're about twenty minutes south of the cities now, then we'll be heading home."

"Do you have something waiting for you?" he asked. I could sense the hesitation in the Professor's voice and wondered what was going on in the massive brain of his.

"Not really. Is everything okay?"

"Scott and Ororo are on their way to find two mutants…one's a young girl and new to everything. She'll be scared. I thought of you and hoped you might meet with her

"Why those two? Has something happened?" It didn't make sense to send in two total powerhouses like Cyclops and Storm unless something had already gone wrong.

"Not yet," he replied slowly. "I want to be prepared in case something were to happen." I nodded, knowing Remy kept glancing between me and the road. He was probably beyond curious as to what was going on over the phone.

"Sure, okay. I'll skip Louisiana and head to New York." I felt Remy shove my arm and I pushed him away with a grin.

Stop it, I mouthed. I knew Remy was excited to get home and just cool it before either of us got back to work. But really what could I say? I wasn't going to turn my back on a scared teenaged kid who probably thought she was going insane. I've been there, and it's pretty shitty.

"Thank you, Nell. I'll have Jean text you your flight information. I want you here before they arrive. I've already got a jet waiting for you at Hubert Humphrey." I rolled my eyes.

"Of course you do." I heard him laugh on the other end of the line.

"I'll see you soon," he stated kindly.

"Hold on, Professor," I replied hurriedly. I looked over to Remy and grinned as he brought my one free hand to his lips. I giggled as Remy shot me a wink. "Where are we picking these two up from?"

"Canada; last sighting would be Laughlin City."