Things moved quickly once the two men got out of the bedroom. It took no time at all for Remy to make arrangements for a real safe house for them. Within the half hour they were leaving this apartment and were on their way. The group split up in what was considered a necessary precaution. Remy and Spencer went one way while Jean Luc and his thieves went another. Jean Luc wasn't that fond of the idea and he wasn't shy about letting them know that; he worried about the two being on their own without anyone to help them in case someone did find them before they got back together. Spencer simple comment of "I trust Remy to keep us safe" had earned him a kiss and a look of thanks and happiness from Remy. Nothing else was said about their separating.

It took a little over an hour before they finally reached the place that was going to be their sort of base of operations for the next little while. It was a little three bedroom, two story house in Queens, just a plain looking house much like any other on the street. The neighborhood looked like one that wasn't quite the best, which worked in their favor because it meant it was one were people wouldn't bat an eye at the small group suddenly moving in. They wouldn't create any unnecessary stir.

They were careful on their way there, even more so than they'd been coming to this last place. Spencer didn't comment on it at all. He had put his trust in Remy and he wasn't going to take that back. If Remy thought this was necessary, he would believe him. Remy was more likely to understand who was coming for them than Spencer would.

The place was furnished, yet another thing that Spencer didn't ask about. He was too busy celebrating when he found that the kitchen had a coffee pot and, oh thank God, coffee. Remy showed it to him with a smirk that grew into a grin at Spencer's thrilled look. "I called a friend and had dem run over and stock a few t'ings fo' us." Remy explained while he set about starting the pot of coffee.

"Must be some friend." Spencer said wryly, seating himself at the kitchen table. "It's only been sixty three minutes since we decided to go to a new place."

Remy nodded agreeably. He was pouring water into the back of the coffee maker. "She is. Y'd like her, I t'ink. When we get t'ings cleared up, we should invite her and her woman over fo' dinner. Dey're sickeningly sweet mais dey're fun, so dat makes up fo' it."

"I think we should try and handle all of this before we start making plans for dinner parties, Remy."

That earned him a bright grin. Slapping the lid shut and flipping the switch, Remy finally turned away from the coffee maker and faced Spencer. He strolled up to him and tipped Spencer's chin up so he could steal a quick kiss. Even with as new as the physical part of this relationship was, it felt so natural. They both smiled when the kiss broke. Remy lightly pinched his chin and then let go so he could step back and drop into the chair near Spencer's. "Y'r right, y'r right. We got a shitload of t'ings to get done. First t'ings first, we should probably call de house b'fore dey start looking fo' us."

Spencer held his hands up and sat back in his chair. "You can make that call."

"Oh, merci. Y'r so kind." Remy said sarcastically. But he pulled his phone out of his pocket. Looking down at it, he scowled. "Dey aint gonna like dis."

"Yeah, I know." To say the least. One thing Spencer had observed about the X-Men was that they seemed incapable of staying out of one another's business. No matter what it was, all of them had to be involved in it. All of them. One person in particular Spencer knew was going to have quite the reaction to this whole thing. "Logan's going to explode."

"Logan?" Remy waved a hand dismissively. "Hell, he aint gonna explode. He's just gonna hunt us down. It's Scotty dat's gonna explode. Dat vein in his jaw might finally burst."

Spencer grimaced. "I'm not looking forward to that."

There was a hint of amusement dancing in Remy's eyes. The corner of his mouth twitched like he was fighting a smile. "Oh, I dunno. Might be in'eresting. Almost makes me wish I could be dere instead of doing it t'rough de phone."

"You take too much pleasure in trying to irritate that man."

"Y' gotta take life's pleasure where y' can get it."

"Hedonist."

Laugher bubbled up from Remy. "Y'r damn straight."

Something of the Imp that Remy usually called him was peeking through. Spencer had no idea if Remy's inner good mood was rubbing off or if it was just a strange reaction to all of their stress. But he found himself arching an eyebrow at Remy and teasing "Last I checked I wasn't."

That only stopped Remy for a second. When he realized what Spencer meant, he started laughing again, the rich sounds echoing around the room. "Non, y' aint, are y'? Merci Dieu fo' dat!" Abruptly, Remy looked up, and then he was quickly on his feet and moving. Spencer had no idea what it was that had alerted him but Remy quickly moved over towards the front room. Their bond was filled with an alert readiness that had Spencer drawing to his feet as well. Just a second later it relaxed. Then Remy was calling back "Papa's here!"

"Oh, joy." Spencer murmured under his breath. He sank back down into his chair. It wasn't that he didn't like Jean Luc; he didn't know the man well enough to say if he liked him or not. What he did know about him was enough to have him wanting to like him. Remy spoke of him with such love in him. Anyone who earned that kind of love from Remy couldn't be bad. It was just…he got the impression that Jean Luc wasn't too fond of him. Not that he could really blame him. The man had been there for Spencer's little 'tantrum'. When Spencer and Remy had come back out of the bedroom, Jean Luc had been all warm smiles for Remy, pleasant and agreeable to their plans, and for Spencer he'd been reserved and polite, never rude, just restrained. Like he was observing him and hadn't quite made up his mind yet.

Spencer was just pushing out of his chair to head towards the coffee pot when he heard the front door open. He found a cupboard with mugs and pulled down three of them just in case.

The two LeBeaus walked into the kitchen as Spencer was pouring his own prepared cup. He looked up at them and lifted the pot a little. "Coffee, anyone?" Both men said yes, so Spencer poured into the other mugs as well. He took those over to the table first and set them down by where Remy and Jean Luc had just taken their seats. Then he fetched the little containers by the pot that carried little packets of cream and sugar and he brought those over as well. Remy caught his hand and gave it a quick squeeze. "Merci, Spencer."

"Of course." Spencer said. He smiled briefly before turning around to go get his own coffee. As he went, he heard Remy say "So, Papa, what kind of threat we looking at here? Y' got any idea what's coming fo' us aside from Belle?"

Spencer flinched only slightly at those words. He quickly pushed it down so that his face was composed before he turned back around. He made his way back over towards the table. Remy caught a chair with his foot and tugged it out and over so that it was right beside him. Spencer sank down into it and leaned in a little towards Remy even as he watched Jean Luc across the table. The man was watching them with curious eyes, yet his tone was all business when he spoke. "I don't know much yet. I still got a few calls out to people. De ones I do know of are all from different Guild houses. It aint just Assassins dat want y' two, it's t'ieves, too. Word is dat Demetri—from de Chicago house?—is planning on sending someone, mais it's supposed to be just to talk. Dere's word dat Lil in London is planning on coming out herself, an she's not de type to come up nice and proper an ask questions. She'd take y' back home where she could talk to y' dere, outside our reach. Dere's quite a few Houses dat're going to be sending people out to pick y' two up and bring y' back to dem."

"But why?" Spencer asked. He looked over at Remy and then back at Jean Luc. "This is the part I truly don't understand. Why do they want us? Why are they all so eager to come to us?"

"Y'r de first bonded pair in over t'ree hundred years, boys. Dere's legends about dis. About de bonded pair and de return of de Healers." Jean Luc said. He wrapped his hands around his mug and leaned his arms on the table, his eyes pinning the boys in place. "Did y' ever stop to t'ink about how few empaths dere are in de world? Telepaths are a dime a dozen, and other powers are repeated here and dere, just in different ways. Energy powers, animal powers, dey all boil down to de same t'ing even if dey're in different variations. But how many empaths do y' know? How many have y' heard of?"

He'd never actually stopped to think about that. How many mutants did he know of that had powers that were empathic in nature? There was his empathy, of course, and Remy's charm, which was a minor empathy. There were powers that he could think of that might be empathic based, but a true empathy like his?

Jean Luc nodded as if he could hear what they were thinking. "Empathy has almost died out. Y' see it here and dere. A base for some powers, or a small sidebar to others. But not'ing like what it should be. Like what it could be."

"And dey t'ink dat us bonding means dat, what, it's gonna start coming back?" Remy asked.

"Oui. Dey t'ink dere's a chance y' two bonding will act like a catalyst to bringing back empathy and, with dat, bringing back de Healers. Dey're de same ones dat believe de story I told y' dat bonding like y'rs was how de Guild leaders were chosen."

A little piece of the puzzle clicked into place in Spencer's mind. He sat back in his chair, letting the new information wash over him, fitting it into place with everything else. "They think that, if it is true and we are these special leaders they've heard of, taking us will allow them to control the Guild. Control the leaders and you'd control the whole group." It made sense in a twisted sort of way. But Spencer's mind was racing along now, running down the path this set him on, seeing all the little twists and turns in it. More questions popped up, as well as more answers.

Without even realizing it, he fell into one of his bad habits, one that had frequently amused the team—he talked out loud as he thought. "Why would they want to control a group of healers?" He murmured, furrowing his brows and looks down at his coffee. "Things like this, they're all about power, so what would be gained from controlling people whose only goal is to heal? Money? They could charge people for use of a healer. With the diseases in the world today, it could be a lucrative business." His fingers tapped along the edge of his mug. Money was a good motivator. People would do just about anything for money. But there had to be more to this. Power. Big moves like this, they were about power. Money was enough of a reason to send minions out to do your dirty work. From the sounds of it, there were one or two Houses that were sending their leaders out. They wouldn't do that for just money. "Power. It all boils down to power. What would be powerful about owning a group of healers and their partners?" It hit him and Spencer's eyes went wide. They lifted, locking on to Remy, who had been watching him this entire time and feeling him thinking. "Jesus, Remy. Oh, man." Spencer felt like he'd been sucker punched. He felt like he was going to be sick.

Remy took the mug from his hands and Spencer barely felt it. However, he did feel it as Remy's hands closed over his, clenching down tightly on them. "What is it, Spencer? What've y' figured out?"

"Think about it, Remy." Spencer spoke past lips that had gone slightly numb. Shock had him frozen there in his chair, unable to even look away from Remy's eyes. "Whatever house captures us has their own personal pet Healer. One that is supposedly going to bring back other empaths and healers who would then be tied to the place their 'leader' is tied to. They'd have a whole Guild of people who can heal."

"Oui, cher, we figured dat out."

"No, no, you're not getting it." How could they not see it? Spencer could see it and the idea horrified him. What little coffee he'd drank was threatening to come up as all the implications of this sank in. "I said this is about power. Whoever gets us gains a hell of a lot of power here. Think about it tactically for a moment. If it was you and you had the only empathic healer in your control, if you had a whole Guild of people who could heal, all yours to control and command, what would you do? What play would you make?"

Spencer both saw and felt as it registered with Remy what he was trying to say here. Shock hit first. It was Jean Luc who voiced what they were all thinking, though. "War." He said, stunned. "Dey'd start a war."

"Exactly." Spencer whispered. He didn't look away from Remy's eyes, though his words were addressed to both LeBeau men. "What are a few casualties or injuries when you've got someone right there that can heal someone almost back to new in no time? And take it further. Imagine how interrogations would go. How long would you be able to hold on to your secrets when you know that you won't die from what they do? That, no matter how badly they hurt you, they can just send someone in to heal you up so they can start all over again?" The thought of that almost broke Spencer's control. He bent over, trying to draw his hands in to press against his churning stomach. Remy released his hands but immediately caught his shoulders and pulled him in so that Spencer's forehead was resting against Remy's shoulder. Spencer gratefully did so, needing the contact right now. "Oh, God, Remy."

One of Remy's hands reached around to rub Spencer's back and the other one went to its customary place in Spencer's hair. The shock that Remy had been feeling before was now being replaced with a wave of protectiveness and possessiveness so much stronger than anything Spencer had felt from him before. In contrast, his voice was low and gentle, a soothing sound near Spencer's ear. "Shh, Penny. I won't let no take y' like dat. I won't let dem use y' dat way so don't y' t'ink about it. Focus here on me. It's gonna be okay. I got y' here. Relax, cher. I got y'."

Spencer stayed there for a few steadying breaths until he was once more sure that he wasn't going to throw up all over Remy's lap. Even after he was sure, he took a few more breaths just to give himself time to find a little more control. He let the warmth of the Protector's emotions chase away the fear and chill inside. Now was not the time to panic. Panic would do nothing. He'd already had one big flip out today; another one was the last thing he needed. Spencer drew in one more deep breath and then made himself sit up and look at Remy. The glow to those beautiful eyes helped settle him just a little more. When he spoke, his voice was much calmer. "We need to get started on doing our information gathering, Remy. It's more important than ever. You need to go call the house and let them know what's going on, just in case anyone comes there, and to let them know we won't be there for a while."

He felt surprise and a bit of annoyance off to the side and instinctively turned to look. He found Jean Luc watching him with an unreadable expression. The emotions cut off when the man pulled his shields up tight as if realizing that Spencer could feel him. "And what is it dat y'r going to be doing?" The older man asked.

"I'm going to speak to my team." Spencer told him.

One elegant eyebrow arched. "Y'r going to involve de Feds in dis? In Guild business?"

"Aw, lay off him, Papa." Remy said.

Spencer took a breath to settle down the small spike of temper. "No, sir. I'm going to involve my friends in my business." And let him make of that what he would. Spencer brushed it all off and brought his attention back to Remy. "Why don't you go ahead and go make your call and get in a smoke outside? I haven't seen you have one all day and I'm sure you're probably dying to walk the perimeter."

Humor danced in Remy's eyes. "Y' just don't wanna be near when Scotty starts yelling."

"I knew you were a smart one." Spencer teased him. The humor felt a little forced and his insides still seemed to be churning, but he was damned if he was going to let it keep him down. Especially with Jean Luc looking on. He would not break down in front of the man again.

It felt good to listen to Remy's laughter when they both rose from their chairs. Because he was prepared for it, Spencer didn't startle when Remy caught him and yanked him in for a hug. He wrapped his arms around the man and burrowed in against him for a moment and just let Remy enfold him completely. The Protector was still going strong in Remy and Spencer knew that the man's instincts were going to be demanding that he keep Spencer in sight at all times, keep him safe, and yet they'd also be demanding he make sure the area was as secure as possible. This part of Remy worked solely on protecting and caring for his bondmate and that definitely meant his safety. It was part of why he'd suggested that Remy go have a smoke and walk the perimeter. It would help set him just a little more at ease. Spencer knew that it had sounded like an order, something that he wouldn't typically do. But he also knew that this part of Remy needed a little firm direction sometimes and needed to see Spencer being steady and capable if he was going to be comfortable leaving him even for a moment.

Remy's arms tightened around Spencer. "Y'll stay here while I'm gone?"

"Yes." Spencer agreed easily. "I won't leave the house." He'd known this was coming, too, and didn't hesitate to help reassure his bondmate.

"Don't go upstairs yet. Not till I clear it." Remy said sharply.

"Okay."

"An keep de curtains closed."

"Okay."

"An stay wit' Papa."

That one had Spencer hesitating for just a moment. "Okay." He finally agreed. "Unless I have to go to the bathroom. I don't want company in there."

There was a slight pause and then a sigh. "D'accord."

Spencer resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He gave Remy one last squeeze and then reluctantly pulled back. "Go on, go take care of things. I'll be here when you get back."

"I'm holding y' to dat."

He watched Remy go and gave a small shake of his head. Even knowing it was the instincts in him, this protective part he couldn't really control, it was still crazy sometimes to watch it. It was lucky that he felt what Remy felt and knew the motivation and emotion behind all of it. If he didn't have that, he might not have been as understanding or as tolerant. But knowing the emotion there, feeling it, made him more than just tolerant. He found himself enjoying it a bit, deep down inside where he'd never admit it to anyone. A part of him liked having someone so dead set on taking care of him. It was…nice.

Spencer brushed his hair back from his face and tried not to rub at his throbbing temples. There as a headache of mammoth proportions brewing in there. I need to meditate before this headache gets any bigger. Or before anything else went wrong. He was all out of sorts and he knew it. There were danger signs flashing brightly for him. The headache, the tiredness, the mood swings from one extreme to the other. All those were signs that he'd stressed his powers. Meditation usually helped that. There just wasn't time right now.

First and foremost, Spencer pulled out his cell phone and sent a quick text out, wanting to make sure the person he needed was free and wasn't working. Then, while he was waiting, he picked up his coffee cup and brought his attention back to the other person in the room. Being alone with Jean Luc was enough to make him nervous. To try and combat that, he focused the important things. "Do you think you would be able to write out a list for me of all the people you know that are coming for us as well as where they're coming from?" He asked.

To his surprise, Jean Luc shook his head. "I can give y' some names, but I cannot provide y' with all de information y'r looking fo'. I'm bound by certain Guild rules here. Dere's only so much I can do."

Great. Just great. This was one thing that he could really do without having to deal with. Spencer loathed politics. To hide his annoyance, he turned and moved over towards the coffee pot under the pretenses of refilling his mug. Years of practice kept his voice neutral. "I understand that you're working underneath certain constraints here, sir. I wouldn't be asking if it wasn't important. I'm only trying to look out for Remy and do what's best here. To keep him safe, to keep us safe, I need to understand what's coming our way. That's best done by understanding the people coming."

"It's not dat I don't see de importance of it." Jean Luc said slowly. "It's just…de contacts y'd use, de people y'd speak with to find out y'r information, dey're de type of people I can't afford to bring down on dese others. If I bring some of dese people under de notice of the Bureau, it won't be just dem dat suffers. De Guild would suffer too. I have to do what's best fo' everyone here, no matter how hard it is."

Spencer could see the logic in what he said. He didn't like it, but he could see the logic. Pouring his coffee, he tried to think of a way around this. A way to make this work. They needed the information; there was no denying that. "What if you made the list, but gave it to Remy?" He finally asked. Putting the pot back, he turned his head to look over at Jean Luc. "I can understand why you don't want my friends looking in to these people and I can respect that. But we need to know what we're up against to be prepared. So, what if you make the list and Remy gathers information through his contacts? That wouldn't bring any legal attention to the Guild. I'll give you my word that I won't give any name on that list to anyone at the Bureau."

"Y'd be willing to do dat?"

"Yes." Shrugging, Spencer carried his mug back to the table. He snagged a few packets of sugar while he sat down and proceeded to add them to his coffee. As he stirred them in, he looked up through his bangs and found Jean Luc watching him with the strangest expression on his face. His shields were still up strong so there was no way for Spencer to read his emotions; he was forced to rely on reading body language. What he saw told him the man was surprised by something. Yet all he was doing was staring. It had Spencer shifting uncomfortably in his seat. He didn't like being stared at. "What?" He finally asked.

"Y' really care fo' him, don't y'?"

"Of course I do. We're bonded together. How could I not care for him?"

The older man shook his head. "I don't mean just wit' de bond. I'm talking about Remy as a person. Y' really care fo' him."

Spencer saw no reason to deny it. "Yes." He paused and bit his bottom lip. Better to just get this out of the way. This is Remy's father, I need things as peaceful as possible between us. "What you saw earlier, between Remy and I…I know things might not have looked, well, all that great. That wasn't one of my finest moments and I'm not exactly proud of it. I don't usually, I mean, I'm not normally like that. I don't really get angry that way." He looked back down at his mug, not quite comfortable with this. He felt Remy start to respond to the change in his emotions and he sent him reassurance to let him know that everything was okay. That wouldn't hold him for long, though. Not with the Protector out so strongly. Knowing that his time was now limited, Spencer looked back up and met Jean Luc's eyes. "I know you don't exactly have the best impression of me and I know that, right now, you might not even like me very much, but please, believe me when I say that I care a great deal for your son. There is no one aside from my mother who is more important to me than him."

"It's not dat I don't like y'." Jean Luc told him. He sat back in his chair and Spencer could see the man was trying to choose his words carefully. He wasn't brushing Spencer's words off. He was giving them thought and carefully forming his response. After a short pause, he finally said, "Y' seem like a nice enough person. And I know dat, no matter what I feel, y' and Remy are bonded together and not'ing I do will change dat. It's just…I'm sure y' can appreciate dat, as his father, I'm just trying to look out fo' my boy. Remy hasn't had de easiest life and I just want to see him happy." Jean Luc smiled charmingly and spread his hands out on either side. "I'm sure if y'r Papa was here, he'd be doing de same t'ing, non?"

Spencer scoffed before he could stop himself. "If my father were here, he'd be looking for the quickest way to get out. It's what he's best at." He regretted the sarcastic words as soon as they were out of his mouth. To try and quickly gloss past it, he tried for a small smile that was meant to be reassuring and he waved a hand in a gesture meant to wipe away his other words. "I'm sorry, that was uncalled for. I do understand what you're doing here, sir, and I can respect it. Remy went through the same thing with Morgan when they met."

Laughter echoed in the room as Remy came strolling in. Spencer had felt him coming and had heard the door open just moments before. Remy had lasted longer than Spencer had thought; it didn't surprise him that the man was back now. His protectiveness hadn't faded a single bit while he was gone. If anything, it had grown stronger. But it eased now as he made his way over to Spencer. None of it showed on the outside, though. All that showed was the good humor on his face that he wanted to be seen. "Ahh, he must be quizzing y' on y'r intentions." He said teasingly as he strolled up to Spencer. The two exchanged a brief touch of hands and a smile. Then Remy looked over to Jean Luc, humor dancing in his eyes. "Be nice an leave de po' boy alone, Papa."

"Not on y'r life, child." Jean Luc quipped.

Remy dropped down into the chair beside Spencer, kicking his feet up in a nearby one, and his arm went around the back of Spencer's chair. It looked so casual and relaxed and his smirk said he was in a teasing sort of mood. Under the surface he was watchful and alert. He had that feel to him that he got during those Danger Room training sessions that Spencer had come to recognize as Remy scanning around them for a threat. Even if he didn't look like he was watching, he was. Through all of this was twined the familiar twist of emotions that was the Protector. There was a threat to his Healer and that instinctive part of Remy was out in full force. It was why he was up against Spencer's side, yet still separate enough that he could launch to his feet in an instant to defend if need be, and why he was seated between Spencer ant the hallway towards the rest of the house. Anyone or anything that came in would have to go through Remy first.

Whatever Remy said next came out in rapid fire French. It was too fast for Spencer to catch and try to translate, but Jean Luc must've understood because he gave a delighted laugh. Whatever had been said must've set him at ease. His body relaxed and his smile was a little more honest.

It wasn't worth asking what had been said. If Remy had wanted him to know, he would've said it in English or he would've translated. Whatever it was, it was private between the two men and he could respect that. So he just glossed past it and focused instead on something else. "How'd the phone call go?" He asked Remy.

Amusement filled Spencer at the scowl that twisted Remy's face. The man reached up and rubbed at his ear. "Dat man's got a set of lungs on him, dat's fo' damn sure."

"He's not too happy with us, I take it." Spencer said wryly.

Remy snorted and his scowl took on a slightly pouting edge to it. "Oh, no, he aint mad at y'. He's convinced y'r jus', like, along fo' de ride or somet'ing. No, he got mad at Remy."

"What?" That had Spencer sitting up a little straighter. He turned more towards Remy to better look at him. Scott was mad at Remy for this? But, why? It wasn't his fault! Spencer's own protective side pushed forward. "Why is he mad at you? You haven't done anything wrong. If he wants to be mad at anyone, maybe he should be mad at the Professor for not being more discreet in his inquiries."

"Dat's exactly what I said." Smiling, Remy patted Spencer's leg and sent him warm and soothing emotions. "Don't worry, I talked him round. He understands why we aint coming dere, even if he don't like it. We settled on a compromise."

"Y' compromised?" Jean Luc asked teasingly. "I didn't know y' knew de meaning of de word. What was y'r compromise?"

A corner of Remy's mouth twitched like he was fighting a smile. His mirth flooded the bond. "We don't have to come dere, mais he's gonna send someone to help out an keep an eye on us." The mirth grew a little more and a small smile finally broke free. "He's sending de Wolverine to play bodyguard."

Laughter bubbled up in Spencer. He relaxed back into his chair again and gave in to a small chuckle. "That was your concession? Logan as a bodyguard?"

"Oui." Remy said smugly.

"So, who suggested it?"

"He did."

Spencer's chuckles turned to full blown laughter. Remy, seeing that Jean Luc wasn't quite understanding, explained "Logan would've come after us whether we liked it or not and we already knew dat. We'd planned on jus' askin' him to come out to save him de trouble of hunting us down. Scotty basically demanded somet'ing we was gonna do anyways." He grinned broadly as his father started to laugh right along with Spencer. Once all the laughter had died down, Remy continued on with his explanation. "Logan said he'd be here in about an hour, hour an a half tops. He's gonna make a few calls of his own, see what he can see. He's knows more folks dan some people realize. An he's gonna bring us some of our t'ings, too."

"Oh, wonderful." Spencer breathed out a sigh of relief. Fresh clothes would be great.

"Y' hear anyt'ing from y'r side yet?" Remy asked Spencer.

The young genius shook his head no. His phone had stayed silent in his pocket this whole time. "I sent a text to Garcia, but I haven't gotten a reply. If she can't even text back then it's a pretty safe bet that the team is rather busy at the moment. She'll call once they have a free moment."

"M'kay." The look on Remy's face softened just slightly. He lifted one hand and used it to tuck some of Spencer's hair behind his ear. "Why don't I watch y'r phone fo' y' fo' a bit and y' can go set up wit' some meditation? Y'r shields feel like y' need it."

That was true. This had been a hell of a long day already with quite a few emotional upheavals and his shields were suffering for it. Meditation did sound like a good plan. But Spencer found himself hesitant to say yes. He found the idea of leaving being away from Remy, even just a room away, was a little too much for him right now. Everything they'd heard today was still playing in Spencer's head and it all made him want to cling tightly to his partner and never let him go. "No, no. It's okay. I'm fine." He lied.

He should've known better than to lie. Remy knew better; he could feel just how much of a lie it was. He didn't call Spencer out on it outright, though. He just looked at Spencer with understanding and lowered his voice even more, letting it drop down to a soft, reassuring cadence. "I wasn't planning on leaving y', Penny. We can all go in de living room and I'll stay in dere wit' y', I promise. I'll stand guard over y'. I aint up fo' letting y' out of m' sight fo' more dan a minute or so. We can just go on in de living room an Papa an I can visit while y' meditate, if we won't bug y'. How's dat sound?"

Relief coursed through Spencer. Go figure that Remy would be feeling the same way that he was. Spencer should've known that the man wouldn't be letting him out of his sight. "That sounds perfect. You guys won't bother me at all once I'm under."

"Good. Y' go on and get settled in dere while we refill our coffee. I won't be more dan a minute behind y'." Remy leaned in and gave him a quick kiss before rising up from his chair.

Minutes later, the three men were settled into the living room. Jean Luc had a recliner while Remy was lying stretched out over the couch. Spencer was seated on the floor in front of the couch in full lotus position. He was a little jittery at first, his emotions skittering from here to their inside the bond, until Remy reached out and laid a firm hand on the back of his neck, providing Spencer with a steady anchor. It only took a few breaths for some of the tension to ease and for his breathing to start to settle out. Remy lay there and looked inside himself, monitoring Spencer both physically and emotionally through their bond, watching is at his partner slowly eased down into that peaceful state that came when he reached the first part of his meditation.

Once he was settled firmly in it, Remy drew back and opened his eyes. He found his father watching him with a small smile on his lips. Remy returned the smile easily. "He's under enough we won't disturb him now." At least, so long as he kept his own emotions steady. He knew Spencer would react to changes in his emotions. It wasn't that hard, though. All he had to do was let some of Spencer's meditative peace slip into him and he was relaxing a little as well.

Jean Luc looked down at him and cocked his head. "He looks like he goes in deep. Can he even hear us?"

"Not dat I've ever noticed. His empathy opens up, t'ough, so he'll feel us. An he'll feel me, of course. He'll pull up fast enough if he feels somet'ing wrong."

"What does he meditate for? I get the feeling that he does this frequently."

Remy nodded his head and adjusted a little better on the couch. One arm was behind his head and he was slightly propped up on the armrest, his other hand stayed at Spencer's neck, and his legs stretched out along the rest of the couch. This was as close to relaxing as he would come. Still alert and ready to move, his body at least was resting a little. It was a good way to rest and be comfortable while standing guard over Spencer and while enjoying conversation with his Papa. "He does. De meditation, it helps him process out de emotions he picks up and settle down his own. Plus, it lets him fix anyt'ing wrong wit' his shields. I t'ink he t'inks better in dere, too. He's usually got some t'ings figured out by de time he comes out. Mostly, I t'ink it's just his way of being able to stay sane underneath everyt'ing he has to feel all de time."

Well used to reading his father's face, Remy could see sympathy in the slight tightening around Jean Luc's eyes, and a hint of sorrow touched his gaze. "He's an extraordinary man with quite a burden placed on him."

"Y' didn't seem so sure of dat earlier." Remy's tone held a note to it that made his words more than just playful. He knew that Spencer had thought Remy hadn't picked up on the tension between the two men, but Remy wasn't an idiot. He knew Jean Luc and he knew spencer. He'd seen the tension there and he'd caught enough to figure out what was going on.

To his surprise, a look of slight embarrassment touched Jean Luc's features. "I was a little hard on him, I know." He admitted, surprising Remy even more. "Part of it was a Papa worrying fo' his boy. A boy dat he's tired of seeing people hurt."

"Spencer aint gonna hurt me, Papa. He cares, more dan anyone else I've ever been wit'."

"He hurt y' dis morning." Jean Luc pointed out.

A gusty sigh slid from Remy. "I told y', he didn't mean it like dat. Once he realized what was going on, he fixed it. He aint de type to hurt people, Papa. It just aint in him. When ot'er people hurt, he hurts, even if it aint his fault."

That drew a small grimace from Jean Luc. He looked down at Spencer and his expression softened a little once more. "Je sais, je sais. I can see dat about him. He's got a good heart in dere. A damaged one, dere's no denying dat, but a good one. He'll be good fo' y', petit."

"I t'ink so." Remy agreed. He looked at the side view he had of Spencer's face, admiring the look of it. The soft brush of lashes over high cheekbones. The slender look that he was still determined he would fill out, eventually. He just had to keep feeding him. Eventually he'd put some weight on. Remy watched him and his lips curved up in a smile. He didn't notice his father watching him. Jean Luc could see Remy's face relax, see the warmth that filled those devil eyes, and he knew that his son was well and truly caught. He'd yet to hear the couple say the words but the love between them was obvious to anyone with eyes. Jean Luc smiled at the pair and said a silent prayer and blessing for them both.

A little over an hour passed by before something disturbed their little haven. Remy and Jean Luc had been exchanging small stories, bits of tales about friends they knew, or people back home, or just little things that had been going on in their lives. They'd been catching up, essentially. Remy had just finished telling his father about his training sessions with Spencer and how well his partner was improving when Spencer's emotions suddenly shifted just second before the man's said "Logan's here." Warm brown eyes opened, turning to the window and the nto Remy. There was more peace in them than had been there earlier, as well as a tiny spark of humor. "I can feel him coming up the road; I recognize his signature. He's worried and annoyed and a bit grumpy."

"So, basically, he's hisself." Remy said dryly.

Laughter danced in Spencer's eyes. "Basically. Be nice and let him in, would you? He should be just pulling up right about now, if I'm guessing right. I don't feel anyone else out there but the same guards as before, either. I don't think he was followed. Not unless they know how to shield like Jean Luc."

Remy sat up, stealing a quick kiss along the way, and he flowed easily to his feet. "Don't no one know how to shield like Papa. He don't even know how he does it." He strolled over to the door and pulled it open wide, grinning at the sight of his friend climbing out of an old pickup truck. At the sight of the white bags in Logan's hands, Remy let out a laugh. "Ah, Spencer, it looks like Logan brought y' a present."

Grabbing a duffle bag from the back of the cap, Logan slung it over his shoulder and elbowed the door shut. He strolled up towards Remy with his customary glare on his face. "What the hell kind of shit you land yourself in now, Gumbo? Can't you stay outta trouble? I let ya leave the house for one night and suddenly I find out there's a shit ton of people out to kill you."

Ah, no one greeted his friends quite like Logan did. Remy laughed and stepped back, gesturing the man who was his best friend into the house. "Let me out, eh? Since when did y' become dis Cajun's keeper, mon ami?" He teased.

Logan snorted and bumped him as he passed him. "Someone has to. You get into enough shit for ten people."

"Hey! It aint Remy's fault!" Remy exclaimed, putting a hand over his heart. He scanned the street before shutting the door behind them. With one hand he gestured Logan to where the living room was. "Dis one's all on de Professor and his inability to ask questions discreetly."

"Yeah, well, who's the idiot who let someone else ask around for him instead of doing it himself?" Logan shot back. He grinned as his barb hit home. Taking advantage of a quiet Cajun, he went into the living room where Spencer and Jean Luc were still waiting. With his usual manners, Logan tossed one bag right at Spencer, snickering as the genius scrambled to keep it from spilling. "There, Stretch. Eat up." The other white bags were tossed onto the coffee table and the duffle bag was dumped by the couch. He gave Jean Luc a polite nod and a respectful "Mr. LeBeau," casual with him from having met the man once before. Then he went over to the love seat and dropped himself down onto it, ignoring the low groan the furniture gave underneath his bulk.

Remy watched it all and gave an amused shake of his head. That was Logan for you. Rough, gruff, and caring, all rolled into one thirty second time span. His mannerisms and words were the rough and gruff part, and the food was the caring. Remy knew that Logan had most likely only stopped off for the food for Spencer's sake. He, like Remy, was on a mission to fatten their slender friend up. They both thought him too skinny. Logan was one of the only ones to make sure that Spencer got his junk too, as was obvious by the loaded burgers that Spence was just pulling out of his bag.

The way that Spencer was looking at the food had everyone laughing. Remy shook his head and moved to sit back on the couch once more, sitting up this time instead of laying down. He bumped his knee against Spencer's shoulder while leaning forward to dig in the bag on the coffee table. "De way y' look at dat t'ing is indecent, Penny. It's just a burger." He teased. With a hand gesture and a look, Remy let Jean Luc know to help himself to the food. He grabbed his own burger and sat back.

Spencer didn't even look up at Remy as he unwrapped his burger. "It's not just a burger. I haven't eaten since last night, Remy LeBeau. Right now this food is pure ambrosia."

Shaking his head, Logan watched Spencer with fond amusement. "You and your junk, Stretch."

"Hey, this isn't junk!" Spencer protested. He took a bite and his expression was almost orgasmic. Everyone watched as he ate that first bite like it was the best food he'd ever had. When he finished that bite, he smiled over at Logan. "I'll have you know I lived off this stuff for years and years."

"Oh yeah?"

"Mm hm. When I was little, Mom cooked more, but by the time I was about eight it wasn't really safe for her to be cooking. Dad did a lot of it when he was home. When he wasn't, well…I became a pro at scavenging, or grabbing takeout. Plus, honestly, what nine year old isn't going to pick up a box of Pop Tarts for breakfast when he shops, or snag a quick dinner from the burger joint down the road? Come on now." He shrugged one shoulder and flashed a smile before turning his attention back to his food. Since he was still on the floor below Remy, he didn't notice the looks his words earned him, and he had his shields up enough that he felt no one but Remy at the moment, which meant he didn't feel the surprise or the pity from the other two at hearing that he'd been doing the grocery shopping at nine years old.

Remy shot the two a look to warn them to keep quiet. He could see the looks on their faces and he knew how Spencer would react if he looked up and saw them. To distract everyone, he reached down and gave Spencer's shoulder a quick squeeze "I hate to break it to y', cher, mais y' aint nine no more. Don't y' t'ink it might be time to eat grown up food?"

"There's no point in being grown up if you can't be childish sometimes." Spencer quoted. It was one of his favorite quotes.

"Yeah, yeah, be childish some other time." Logan interrupted with a growl. "Right now, I wanna know what the hell's going on. Someone catch me up, cause Scooter didn't have shit to tell me."

"It aint a short story." Remy warned him.

"Then start talking, Gumbo."

So, they did. The two went back and forth, taking turns to tell the story as they ate, giving Logan everything they'd learned, everything they knew. The whole telling took almost an hour. By the time they were done, the food was gone. The house fell quiet as Logan processed what they'd just told him. They gave him a bit of quiet to go over it all in his head. While he did, Remy gathered up their garbage, taking it into the kitchen and throwing it away. It was when he came back and settled in by Spencer again that Logan finally spoke.

"So let me see if I've got all this." Logan said. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, and ticked off the points on his fingers as he went. "You two found out your some mystical Healer/Guardian pair out of the damn legends, fated to rule over a Healer Guild that died out centuries ago but that's coming back to life now because you two went and did your weird bonding shit."

"Allegedly." Spencer couldn't help but add in.

A glare from Logan silenced him. Spencer sank back into his seat and snapped his mouth shut. Logan nodded and held up another finger, moving on to the next point. "People who believe this alleged story are now trying to hunt you two down and either kill or capture ya so they can stop this from happening or find some way to control it. Potentially to start a huge ass fucking war or stage some hostile takeover or some shit like that. Then you've got this mystery main house that you've got to find, which is supposed to have a special library full of all the knowledge these Healers had, and you've got to find it, the two of you. Before anyone else does, I'd guess, or else bad shit could happen I'd bet, cause I don't even wanna know what the hell someone like Sinister would do with a library full of Healer knowledge like that. Did I get it all?"

"Dat's de gist of it." Remy said agreeably.

"Shit." Shaking his head, Logan glared at them like they'd somehow planned this just to make his life miserable. "Aint it ever easy with you two? This is like some shit from a fairytale or something." He let out a sigh and flopped back in his seat. From one pocket he pulled out a cigar and went through the process of getting it lit. Once the end was lit and he had it going nicely, he looked up and fixed them with sharp blue eyes. "So, when do we leave?"

A stunned silence fell over the room. Spencer and Remy shared a look and then turned together to look back at Logan. "What?" Spencer asked.

Logan drew off his cigar and blew smoke up at the ceiling. "Well you didn't think I'd just sit back and let ya go on your own, now did ya?"

"Logan, cher…"

"Don't even try it, Rem." Logan cut him off. "You're gonna need all the friends you can get at your back here. The hell if I'm letting you two go off on your own and deal with all this shit without someone watching your back for ya. You're both stuck with me, like it or not."

"Thank you." Spencer said softly, his low voice drawing Logan's attention and softening the feral man's gaze. He looked at Logan and Remy felt their shields shift, knew that Spencer was sending emotion to the other man. Respect and gratitude along with the feelings of friendship. He saw Logan smile down at the genius and marveled a little at how much affection and loyalty Spencer seemed to inspire in people. He just brought out that kind side in people. Serious, gruff Logan actually turned kind of soft around this kid, treating him like he was one of his pups to look out for, care for. Like Spencer wasn't just his friend, but was his kid or something. Remy kept that observation to himself. He was sure Spencer didn't notice it; from what he knew of his bondmate's childhood, he had a feeling Spencer wouldn't recognize fatherly affection if it bashed him over the head.

Logan's softer side only showed for just a moment. Then it was gone and he was shrugging one shoulder and brushing off the seriousness of it all. "So, like I said, when we leaving?"

"We're not sure yet." Remy told him. "We aint exactly made plans. We been too busy gathering intel to really start to plan t'ings out."

"Good plan." Logan told them both. "It aint all got to be figured out today. An you two look beat, anyways."

"It's been a long day." Spencer said by way of explanation.

"Sounds like it's been enough for one day. We got some information, we got more coming in, and you two look like five miles of bad road. Why don't you go on and stretch out? Shut it down for a while. I'll keep watch."

With no one else would they have trusted so much to actually agree to that and mean it. But they knew that they could afford to relax here tonight with Logan standing guard for them. He'd let them know if anything was coming. Spencer smiled and sent a wave of gratitude to his friend as he rose to his feet. "Thanks, Logan."

As they walked up the stairs, Spencer could feel just how tired Remy was. It was in every inch of him. The man had had so much thrown at him today and he'd been essentially running on high alert since then, worried every second about keeping himself and his bondmate safe, trying to think and plan and anticipate everything. No one could run like that constantly. Spencer had no doubt that Remy was up to the task, but after a night of rest. After he had a chance to recover from everything that had happened today. Both men were worn down, tired, and their bond was still raw from the fight this morning. They needed to decompress and heal a little together.

He let Remy lead the way to the bedroom and even waited once inside so that the man could clear the room and make it as secure as possible. Windows were checked and locked, the closet was checked, even under the bed was checked. Spencer just waited patiently out of the way by the door until Remy had gone over every inch of the room and found it to his liking. Only then did the Cajun come back over towards him and hold out a hand. "C'mon, cher, let's get y' in bed."

"That sounds perfect." Spencer agreed.

It became clear when they got by the bed that Remy was going to try and sleep in his clothes. Logistically, Spencer understood why. Right now he just didn't care. He was trusting their safety over to Logan. Let Logan make sure they were safe. Spencer had a much more important job to do. He caught Remy by the lapels of his jacket and stopped him before he could climb onto the bed. The element of surprise allowed him to get Remy's coat off his shoulders before the other man managed to ask "What're y' doing, Spencer?"

"You are not sleeping in your clothes and armor tonight." Spencer told him simply. He got the jacket off of Remy and draped it over a nearby chair. Then he turned back around and reached for Remy's shirt. He cut off any protests before they could for. "Logan is keeping watch for us downstairs and I'm more than willing to keep enough weapons and cards close to the bed to allow you to feel secure. But you are not climbing into that bed fully dressed. This is coming off; all of it."

His straightforward way of saying it seemed to have stunned the other man. He was watching Spencer, not even lifting a hand to help him, but not trying to stop him anymore, either. "Well now, is someone in de mood?"

"Hush." Spencer murmured. He finished stripping Remy, even squatting down to help him step out of his shoes, socks, and finally his pants. Then he rose and gestured for Remy to climb into bed. Surprisingly, Remy did so, no questions asked. Nodding to himself in satisfaction, Spencer briskly and efficiently stripped out of his own clothes, straight down to the skin. His usual nerves were nowhere in sight when he climbed into the bed and moved to straddle Remy's abdomen.

Remy ran his hands over the outside of Spencer's thighs and managed to summon up a leer for him. "Now dis looks promising."

"Hush, Remy." Spencer murmured. He bent forward, hands going to Remy's face to smooth back his hair. One long finger traced over the little furrow that had built between Remy's eyebrows. "You're so tense. So tired."

The corner of Remy's mouth quirked up a little in an attempt at a smile. "I'm okay, cher."

Bending, Spencer pressed a light kiss against Remy's forehead. "Hush, I said." He straightened up again and looked down at Remy with so much apology in his expression that it left Remy silent. "I hurt you today." Spencer told him, his fingers smoothing back Remy's hair again. "I didn't mean to, but it still happened. I felt it there at the end, just how much my emotions hurt you. How raw they left you inside. And I've watched you today and seen just how tired you are and how raw you still are inside." He moved his hands over Remy's forehead, tracing away the tension lines, smoothing them away as he went. He stopped at Remy's temples and rubbed where he could feel the throbbing of a headache that had sat there most of the day. Remy groaned softly and his eyes fluttered shut.

Spencer worked his fingers there for a few minutes until he felt the headache start to fade away. He didn't really notice the warmth to his fingers as his healing powers slid into his touch. All of his attention was focused on his partner and on smoothing away the damage he'd done. He traced over Remy's eyebrows, down his nose, under his eyes and back towards his ears. With each touch, he smoothed away a little more pain. He worked carefully along Remy's jawline where the muscles had tensed countless times while he'd been talking on the phone or dealing with people. Times where he'd almost bitten his tongue off to keep his temper in check.

"You work so hard to take care of me." Spencer said. He brushed his thumb over Remy's lips, smiling when the tip briefly dipped between them and was met with the flick of a tongue. Long lashes fluttered and a hint of red peeked out from underneath heavy lids. Spencer met the sensual look and smiled. He pulled his thumb, running that bit of moisture over Remy's lips, and then he moved his fingers back along Remy's jawline to his ears, dipping briefly towards the back of his head to trace the tension lines he felt. "I watch you and you work yourself so hard sometimes, Remy. You don't even seem to realize all the things you do. You've been so good to me from the very first moment this all started."

Remy seemed to have caught on to his mood because he didn't say anything there, though Spencer could feel how he wanted to.

Bending once more, Spencer ghosted his lips over Remy's, letting their mouths brush together in a whisper of a kiss. As he did, his fingers found the knots at the base of Remy's skull and down his neck and he pressed over them, chasing away the pain. "Let me take care of you tonight, baby. Logan's on guard out there and he'll let us know if anything comes our way. I'll be here too, watching. Let me be the one to take care of you tonight." He pressed in and kissed Remy slow and deep.

When he pulled back, he could see on Remy's face that he had what he wanted. He saw the surrender written there and it made him smile. He knew what a huge gift Remy was giving to him here; knew and treasured it. Remy was handing over control to Spencer and that was a gift that was meant to be treasured. Spencer would make sure he didn't regret it. He kissed him once more in silent reward and then, with a little mental sigh of relief, he gave himself over to the pressing need inside of him that had been demanding for hours now that he take care of his Guardian. Spencer handed himself over to his instincts in a way he'd never allowed before. His healing ability, his empathy, they opened up wider than ever and then focused down solely on Remy. At the same time, their bond seemed to open with it and the two of them seemed to sink into it. The whole world outside of the bed mostly dropped away for them. Spencer had just enough presence of mind to keep a part of his empathy extended like a sort of shield that would alert him if anyone started to come close or any negative or threatening emotions started to happen. Otherwise, he was focused solely on Remy.

This touch wasn't sexual in nature. It was a healing touch. Spencer's hands ran over every inch of Remy's exposed skin, chasing away the tension, the pain. Knots that had formed here and there, old bruises left from training sessions, pain in muscles that had been tensed in preparation for trouble for so long that they were a steady ache. The healing in his hands chased it all away. And deeper than that, the healing flowed into their bond, soothing away the pain from their fight earlier. If Spencer closed his eyes he swore he could see it like a glowing, soothing green that flowed into their bond like liquid light, running through all the parts that connected them together and easing those raw places. He felt Remy gasp under him as it poured into him, into his mind, healing as it went.

Spencer opened his eyes and looked up at Remy's face. He watched as the man relaxed in a way Spencer had never seen from him. From anyone, really. As Spencer moved further down, rubbing over Remy's stomach and hips now, he watched as he relaxed more and more and he felt joy and pride at the sight of it. He had done this for him. He had eased him this way.

By the time that Spencer had reached Remy's feet, the man was a puddle in the bed. Spencer ran his hands over Remy's toes, the last little part of him to be touched, and he finally sat back on his heels to look at what he'd done. Remy was just lying there, limp as a rag doll, radiating such peace. Inside and outside he was completely relaxed. Spencer gave a happy little hum and climbed back up the bed. Remy made not a sound when Spencer stretched out over him. But when Spencer's face found the crook of his neck, Remy mustered up enough energy to turn his head and nuzzle at his hair. Spencer pressed a kiss against Remy's neck. That was the only communication they had. Spencer draped himself over his bondmate and then, with a sigh of his own, he let go of everything else and let him sink down into their bond, let it surround him. This was all he needed. The rest of it could wait until morning. This, right here and right now, was perfect.

He was smiling as he slipped down into sleep.

So ends part one of this story, folks. I'm going to end the first book here and pick this up in the second book, Healers, which I'm going to get started on plotting out and I hope to start publishing it very, very soon. Keep your eye out for it. I don't know when I'll finally get it out but I WILL, I promise. I thought it better to break it up like this so that this long, long story doesn't get insanely long. Plus, it allows people who've lost interest in the story, or who don't want to see it go further along this new route, to walk away if they want to, and any that are interested can subscribe to the next story and continue along the journey with the full understanding of the mystical, slightly supernatural side of things that lie ahead.

I hope you all liked this book and I am so grateful for all your support, your helpful words, and all those wonderful reviews. You've all be fabulous, sugar bees! Until next time *wink*