*Now everyone, please keep in mind this is a very AU story, which means that Storm's return to the X-Men and her return to adult size are going to be of my own making. I could've tried to follow the comic line and just sort of slip Spencer in there, but, well, I didn't want to, and I'm the writer here, so I'm totally doing it the way I want to. I hope that doesn't bother anyone. If you've read the comics around this time, just sort of pretend those comics didn't exist, all right? *grins* Merci!*

It was way too cold to be standing out here. The sky was already starting to darken as the sun slipped lower on the horizon and the breeze was getting chillier by the minute. Spencer LeBeau, once Spencer Reid, pulled his jacket a little tighter around himself in an effort to keep warm as he leaned against the side of car behind him. It'd been three years since he and Remy had left New Orleans that night of their banishment and the now nineteen year old still hadn't gotten used to the cooler weather that could be found in the rest of the country. He'd spent the first chunk of his life in Las Vegas and then his teenage years in New Orleans; cold weather was definitely not something he was used to. It wasn't something Remy was used to, either. The man lived in his trench coat just to attempt to stay warm and Spencer knew he layered up underneath it.

Spencer wore the same jacket he'd always worn, the same style one that Remy had introduced him to all those years ago. They were the ones with the sleeve ends that had holes for his thumbs to slide through, making sure that the sleeve would stay down, and it had both a hood and a built in muffler that allowed him to hide his face and his hair. The front of the hood even came down to a slight point that helped shield his face while still giving him clear enough line of sight. They were warm, comfortable, easily hid his weapons on the inside, and they didn't move around while he worked. Basically, for Spencer, they were the perfect thief's jacket, and he pretty much lived in his. He had three, just so he could always have one around.

It came in handy to have something that could hide his hair. The years had only brightened the silver of Spencer's hair. It made his one silver eye stand out more, as well as the silver flecks that dotted his brown eye. Sometimes, Spencer cursed it. He hated that his weirdness was even more visible than before. Remy, however, loved it, and he wasn't shy about saying it, or about snarling at someone who dared say otherwise.

Their young companion loved it, too. Spencer turned his head to look over towards the motel room that sat just behind the car he was leaning against. The young woman with them was just coming out. Ororo—or Storm, as she was called. It made sense that she liked his unique silver hair, considering her pure white hair, which was such a contrast to her dark skin.

The day that Spencer had first dreamed of this young girl, he'd never guessed just how important she'd become to them in such a short time. He and Remy had traveled a lot since their banishment. They'd met a lot of people, been in a lot of situations, and even made a friend or two along the way. But they hadn't found anyone who had touched them quite the way that Ororo did. There'd been an almost instant connection between them that hadn't faded. It'd probably helped that Spencer's dreams had told them quite a bit about her before Remy rescued her. They'd told him about the woman taken by the Nanny, de-aged down to preteens without her memories. About the young girl who, once free from the Nanny, had become a target of a being known as the Shadow King. And they'd told him a bit more than that. About the woman she'd been and the woman she would be again, with their help.

That was what they were doing now; they were helping her. Remy had rescued her and brought her back to Spencer and the two had taken her in. Worked with her, trained with her, taken care of her. But now, with her memories returned, it was time to do the one thing that Spencer had known was coming, something that he knew would change both his and Remy's lives—it was time to take her home.

Remy wasn't all that thrilled about that and he wasn't the least bit shy about letting that be known. The arguments it had spawned were quite epic, and were also part of the reason that Spencer was outside now. He'd wanted to get away from it at least for a little bit.

Apparently his luck had run out, because Remy wasn't far behind Ororo when she came out the door. The two were carrying things to the trunk of the car and arguing the entire time. Spencer resisted the urge to sigh. This was their twenty-second argument about this and Spencer was quite frankly rather tired of it. Spencer had known from the minute he'd sent Remy to go help a girl he'd seen in his dreams that one day it would lead them to this. That they would be taking this young girl back to the people she knew, the friends who were like family, so that they could help her recover from what had been done to her. Just as he knew that it was going to mean a big change for him and Remy as well. But Remy wasn't happy with any of it.

It seemed that Ororo was quite fed up with the whole conversation, too. She was glaring hotly at him as she slammed the trunk lid shut. Her voice, though, still held at least a semblance of calm to it. "Remy, I assure you. These people will not harm me."

"Yeah, well, we'll see about dat, non?" Remy snapped. With a flourish of his coat, he spun round and headed back into the room.

Spencer shook his head and watched as Ororo closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths until she was calm once more. When she opened her eyes, they locked right on him, instinctively seeking out the calming presence that usually sat between them when they bickered. Spencer met her gaze easily and offered her a small, reassuring smile. Time to play peacemaker. It seemed to happen frequently. "He's just worried, Ororo. He'll settle down once he sees that everything is okay."

The preteen sighed gustily and moved over to lean against the car beside him. She was one of the few people that Spencer allowed into his personal space like this. Ororo was very hands on, always touching when she spoke. The more upset she was, the more she touched. It was just natural to her. Even now, she pressed in next to him and dropped her head down to Spencer's shoulder. "I've told him that none of them will harm me. They are my friends, Spencer."

"I know that. He knows it too. But, Roro," He brought his hand up to lightly cup her cheek in that gesture that he'd learned these past few weeks that helped soothe her so well. His brown eye warmed and his silver one glowed in a familiar look of caring as he smiled fondly down at her with a look that went far beyond his mere nineteen years. "Remy doesn't let many people in close. Very few people ever get the privilege of really becoming entrenched in that big heart of his. You? You're in there deep. And now he has to take you back to people from your old life, a life before us, who might be able to help you in ways we can't. People who, for all intents and purposes, are going to take you away from him. Is it any wonder he's not thrilled at the idea of taking you to them?"

The way that Ororo's eyes went wide told him that he'd given her plenty to think on. Patting her cheek one last time, he dropped his hand and leaned back against the car once more. He felt her settle in against him again, head back on his shoulder. For a few beats they stayed silent as she thought and he gave her the space in which to do so. Then, whisper soft, Spencer heard "Thank you."

He smiled at the dark and kept staring ahead. "Anytime."

It was only minutes later that Remy came out of the room. The way he shut the door behind him said that the room was cleared and he was probably ready to go. Spencer turned to smile at him even as he and Ororo pushed off the car and straightened up. "Ready?"

"Oui. All good out here, cher?" Remy asked.

Spencer gave him a small nod. Though he might've looked like he'd only been reclining here, the young mutant had been doing what he considered his job; watching out for Remy. He'd been making sure the area was clear around them and that no one had crept up on them. They had their fair share of enemies and Spencer made damn sure none of them caught up with them. The years hadn't dulled down his resolve to watch out for Remy. If anything, the vows he'd made all those years ago held him even tighter than before. There was nothing in Spencer's life—absolutely nothing—that came above protecting his partner. He'd pledged his life, body, and soul to keeping Remy safe. He honored that pledge every minute of every day. The trials they'd gone through since they left New Orleans had only made him better, more resolved. Stronger.

The trio slipped down into the car, the two men up front and Ororo in the back. Remy, as always, was driving them. Spencer was used to it. He very rarely got to put his driving skills to use.

Spencer wasn't all that surprised when Remy flipped on the radio and cranked it up loud. The sounds of classic rock blared in the air as they set off on the final leg of their journey. The part that would take them to the X-Men.

They could've made the trip earlier in the day but not even Ororo had really wanted to cut their trip short. So instead of setting out this morning like they could've, they'd dallied around the motel, stretching things out until night had fallen once more. Spencer had paid for another night here, just in case, because it was always best to be prepared and because he knew it eased Remy to know they had somewhere to fall back to in case of trouble. That was a habit the both of them had learned well. Not that Spencer thought they would need it tonight.

Hopefully.

They arrived at the home of Charles Xavier in a distressingly short amount of time. Remy drove their car right up to the front of the enormous mansion without a hint of hesitation. None of his inner turmoil showed on the outside at all. At twenty one, Remy had already almost perfected what he called his 'poker face'. For as long as Spencer had known him, he'd always been good at hiding what he felt. There were times where you had to really know him to understand what was truly going on underneath the surface. Spencer had a little more insight into Remy's moods than most; when you can see the aura around someone, which usually shows their emotional state pretty clearly, it makes it hard for that person to really hide what they're feeling.

Right now, Remy's predominate emotions were worry and fear. Worry about what would happen, Spencer guessed, and fear of losing the girl in the backseat. A girl who had lit up at the sight of this enormous house.

The front door of the house was opening even before they were fully in park. By the time the car came to a stop, there was someone on the porch, someone that Ororo very obviously recognized. In a flash she was tumbling her way out of the backseat. Her voice echoed loudly through the air, a happy cry of "Jean!"

"I aint ready fo' dis." Remy murmured as he pulled the keys out of the ignition.

"Which part?" Spencer asked. He looked over to where Ororo was being embraced by a flame haired woman, and then turned his head back towards his own partner. "Letting her go, or joining up here?"

Remy scowled at him. "Either. Both. Take y'r pick." Without waiting for Spencer to respond, he pushed open the door and rose out of the car. Spencer took just a second to roll his eyes at his friend's actions. Much as he cared for him, sometimes Remy drove him insane. The two had never really lost that snappy bickering that Henri and Jean-Luc had used to constantly roll their eyes or chuckle at. Spencer was still feistier with Remy than he was with anyone else and Remy was just as feisty in return. They bickered, they snapped at each other, they sparred and took their annoyance out on one another, and yet there were no two more loyal to each other than they were.

Slipping on his sunglasses and pulling up his hood, Spencer made sure his face was mostly sheltered before he slipped out of the car to join his friends.

By the time he and Remy joined Ororo on the front porch, more people had come out and Ororo was taking turns embracing them all. She was all warm smiles and bright eyes and her aura was lit up with her happiness. At first no one seemed to notice that she'd come with anyone. Not until one of the people looked up and happened to catch sight of Remy right at the base of the front stairs. The Cajun was standing there practically radiating bored arrogance. The guy who noticed them seemed on the younger side, maybe close towards Remy in age? Blond hair, blue eyes, with a boyish smile and a mischievous look in his eye. Spencer didn't even have to try to See anything. The descriptions Ororo had given them plus the things they already knew were enough to let him know that this had to be Bobby Drake; Iceman.

It would seem the stories Ororo told of Bobby were true; especially the ones where she said he tended to speak before he thought. Without any sense of tact or subtlety, he turned towards them and arched an eyebrow before bluntly asking "Who are you?"

Spence reached out and lightly ghosted his fingers over the small of Remy's back when he reached him, out of sight of everyone else. It was a small gesture meant to remind his friend to be calm.

Luckily for the others, it worked. Remy held in that snarky remark that Spencer knew had to be sitting on the tip of his tongue and simply settled for, "De name's Gambit."

Another person moved forward through the group. He held himself with all the bearing of someone well used to being in charge. Scott Summers. There was no mistaking him. Spencer and Remy both knew about him. Scott placed himself in front of the others and used the bit of height advantage the porch provided him to look down at them. "Gambit?"

A smirk curved Remy's lips. Pulling a deck of cards from his pocket, he started one of his more complicated shuffles, one of the ones that Spencer knew he did because it required a focus that didn't leave room for temper. It was one of his little tricks on how to keep himself calm. "Y' must be Cyclops. Mon petit told me all about y'."

"I've heard a bit about you, too." Scott said slowly. There was no mistaking the slight curl of his lip when he said that, making it clear the types of things that he'd heard. "Your reputation precedes you."

Remy looked amused by that. "Is dat right?"

Years of studying Remy's face in sunglasses let Spencer read Scott's face well enough to know that the man's eyes had turned now to him. "And who is your friend?"

"Mine." Remy said firmly, not showing any of his former playfulness in his tone. His cards snapped together briefly as if to accentuate his point. Then they started to move once more in a shuffle just a bit less complicated than the last. He'd made his point, though. Spencer didn't protest it; didn't even flinch, really. He stayed content and quiet just behind Remy's shoulder and watched everything unfold. Now wasn't the time for him to speak up. Now was the time for him to just watch. He knew this was going to play out interestingly. They'd discussed this. It was why Ororo was staying quiet as well. Remy and Spencer both had warned her to let things play out a little before she tried to interject. Best to get some things out in the open right from the start.

What Scott or any of the others might've had to say about that was never discovered. A different voice entirely interrupted their standoff and drew all their attention to the man that was coming out the door. "Well I'll be damned. What's your troublemaking ass doing here, Cajun?" Logan growled lowly as he marched up to their group.

A few people stepped back as if worried, Spencer noticed. They didn't need to be. Remy's whole face lit up at the sight of the feral and his cards disappeared with a flourish. To the complete surprise of those looking on, the Cajun let out a happy call of "Wolvie!" and then darted up the steps to fling his arms around the feral and yank him in for a tight hug. Logan grumbled a little but he hugged him back briefly. When they pulled apart, Logan turned enough to send a smile Spencer's way. "Hey there, kid."

"Logan." Spencer's lips curled faintly but his expression visibly warmed. He didn't go hug him like Remy had. The look they shared was enough of a greeting for them both.

Though Spencer wouldn't call them and Logan close friends, they knew each other well enough. They'd met a few years back when they'd all been hired on the same job. It was one of the few times that Remy had agreed to work with a team. They'd built a friendship with the gruff man during that time. He was one of the few people they'd come across over the years who seemed to accept the two of them the way that they were—their unique friendship and all. Very few people understood or approved of how Spencer and Remy were together. They tried to separate them, or got upset when they asked for Remy and got Spencer as well. Logan just seemed to accept it right from the get-go. He accepted that they were a package deal and he'd respected their protectiveness of one another.

"Why don't we take this conversation inside?" Ororo spoke up from where she was still standing at Jean's side. Her quiet, calm voice drew the attention of everyone. "My story is a long one and it would best be explained somewhere we can all be more comfortable. My brothers and I have had a long journey and there is much to tell."

The use of the word 'brothers' had everyone's attention. Spencer shifted himself just a little more behind Remy. Though Spencer had finally started to grow a bit more in the past few years, sprouting up to six foot by the time he hit seventeen, he was still rail thin even with the muscle he'd built. He had a feeling he would always lean towards the slender side of things no matter how much he worked out. Not like Remy, who had a lean yet still muscled frame. Remy had the body of a dancer, or a martial artist, which worked since he liked to joke he was a little of both sometimes. He was also a couple inches taller than Spencer. It made it easy for Spencer to do as he was doing now and let himself sort of hide a little behind his partner. Spencer didn't mind appearing smaller; people underestimated him that way.

At Scott's direction, the group made their way inside. Spencer followed at Remy's heels and watched his surroundings from underneath the security of his hood. The house was even more gorgeous on the inside. Spencer took in his surroundings as he'd been trained to do, but he saw with amusement that Remy wasn't just assessing his surroundings, he was casing the place, marking the value of everything in his head. Spencer reached out and tapped discreetly against the back of Remy's shoulder. "Behave." He murmured.

Remy snuck a glance over his shoulder and flashed Spencer a grin. "Where's de fun in dat?"

Spencer rolled his eyes but couldn't help smiling. Some things would never change.