Summary:Remy after Antarctica, warning talk of suicide.
Disclaimer:Don't own don't sue
Chapter 1-Found
Looking out the window, Charles Xavier sighed staring out at the rain as it poured down on the mansion grounds, it had been two months since Remy was left for dead in Antarctica, Storm was still depressed as she sat on the roof. Logan had to force her to stop searching for him, she'd leave for days on end and return totally exhausted. He'd always hold her in his arms as she cried. She hardly spoke to anyone anymore. Charles turned his chair towards his desk to try and get some work done. A knock at the door took away his attention from the computer, "Come in Hank..." he called out.
"Well good-morning Charles, hope your week has been better than mine..." Hank looked outside, "I see that the rain won't let up anytime soon...have you talked to her today?"
"She refuses to come down from the roof, I've asked Logan to try and bring her down...how can I help you Hank?" Charles sighed feeling a bit depressed himself.
"I don't know I just feel so..."
"Troubled?" Charles answered quirking an eyebrow, as he leaned back in his chair.
"Actually Yes..." Hank sighed as he got comfortable in the big leather chair facing the desk.
"As do I...I never thought I'd felt so much hate over Gambit from the students...although a few mourn his death there aren't many, even now after what he's gone through, or what he went through...did you know he was roaming the streets scavenging for food, going from one orphanage to the next, from birth until he was seven...Can you imagine?" Charles frowned at the thought.
Hank looked up wide eyed, "My word...I wouldn't think the boy talked about his past so willingly..." Hank gasped, "How do you know all this...Better yet how on earth did he survive..."
"I received a call a few days ago from a Jean-Luc LeBeau...Remy's father... apparently he adopted Remy when he tried to pick the man's pocket." Xavier chuckled. "We had a very long talk...they were very close..." Charles looked dazed for a moment as he stared at his desk.
"Why did he call you?" Hank questioned.
Charles looked up to stare within the Beast's eyes, "He said that he hadn't heard from Remy in over three months, that Remy never stayed in one place too long but he always kept in contact with him the last number Remy had given him was the one from my office."
"Oh my how did he take the news of Remy's death?"
"Not too well...he didn't believe me at first, started shouting...you could tell by the sound of his voice that he was beginning to lose it..." Charles stopped there not wanting to think about it anymore.
Hank seeing the look on the Professor's face decided to continue what he refused to say out loud, "There must have been so much that boy kept secret, can you imagine all the pain and suffering he must have went through...and yet he never showed it...always had a smile on his face..." Charles nodded his head in agreement and closed his eyes, then frowned. "Charles...what is it?"
"I'm not quite sure...I must excuse myself for a moment Hank..." Charles answered as he wheeled out of his office, making his way towards Cerebro.
An hour later Xavier had summoned for Logan and Hank to meet him in the garage, "So what's the emergency Chuck?" Logan asked with a smirk.
"I need you to drive us at this hotel Logan...and keep this quiet..." Charles ordered as he entered the van and locked his chair in place. Hank sat down in the back a bit curious.
"Yeah sure, but why?" Logan asked starting up the van.
"I've found a mutant..."
Logan chuckled as he backed up and sped down the driveway, "Why not send Scott or Rogue?"
"No one is too know about him...not yet..."
Logan thought it a bit weird that Xavier showed no emotion, 'Why the hell would he not want anyone to know about the new mutant?' "Okay...So who are we after?" Logan continued as they left the mansion grounds, the gates closing behind them.
Charles quirked an eyebrow as he watched the trees pass by "...Remy..." he answered.
Logan slammed on the brakes and glared at Xavier as did Hank, "Dat ain't funny Chuck..." Logan growled.
"I quite agree Logan...As I was talking to Hank earlier I felt a strange but familiar presence, which is quite odd since Remy is halfway across town...when I contacted the hotel the man at the desk told me that he's been staying in his room some time now, never leaving and that hotel is where he is at this very moment...I've also felt that he's in an enormous amount of pain...I will not allow him to suffer anymore..."
Logan shook his head and continued forward, "Damnit why the hell wouldn't he contact us?" he growled.
"With how the X-men have treated him, do you blame him..." Hank sighed as he scratched his chin.
Half an hour later as they approached, Logan drove the van into the underground garage of the hotel, parking it close to the door following Beast and the Professor, extremely relieved and a bit excited at the fact that the Cajun thief from New Orleans was still alive. Xavier led the way as they entered the main hall of the second-class hotel, passing by the desk the three men headed for the elevators and kept quiet. Xavier hovered down the hallway and stopped at a door. Logan looked to Charles then gently knocked.
Remy was trying his best to get at least a few hours sleep, but the way he kept shivering he wasn't able to, he had lost a lot of weight since his little visit in Antarctica. The curtains in the room were drawn so that the sun's rays weren't able to enter the already dark, cold room. Remy had tried desperately to warm himself up taking hot baths and showers to the point that the water was scalding, what little warmth he'd regained would quickly leave him as he was deathly ill. The cupboards in the bathroom were filled with bottles upon bottles of pills, suffering from pneumonia, frostbite, hypothermia, and god knows what else, he couldn't keep any food down, so he barely had any strength to do anything...At the moment his body felt so cold to the point that his teeth were chattering, so Remy decided to try and warm himself up, heading for the bathroom, Remy felt a bit dizzy as he stood up too quickly and collapsed to the floor, coughing violently. As he tried to breathe Remy fisted the blankets that lay on the floor, tears pouring down his cheeks as his lungs desperately tried to take in air, Remy's throat had closed up, Remy leaned his head on the cold floor and closed his eyes knowing very well that in a few moments he would suffocate.
His shields had weakened immensely in the last two months, Xavier could sensed his confusion, exhaustion, fear and hate...he as well as Logan and Hank made their way up to his room, as Logan knocked gently on the door, Xavier sensed something wrong, "Something's not right...open that door now..." he ordered Logan took a step back and kicked open the door.
Quickly entering the room Hank's eyes went wide as he rushed over to Remy turning him on his back, Hank gasped Remy's lips had turned blue, "Could you turn on the light or something I can't see a damn thing..." he hissed as he tried to clear Remy's airway, looking through his bag, Hank took out a bottle of clear liquid and injected Remy with it a few moments later Remy coughed out and gasped for breath. Breathing now, Hank carefully picked him up and laid him on the bed Logan tried to turn on the lights and the lamps but for some reason none of them worked while Xavier stayed beside Remy looking at him worriedly, Hank stood and looked around the room, looking through drawers and cabinets stopping at the bathroom, he gasped at all the pill bottles there was, reading the names on the bottles Hank grimaced they weren't even prescribed for him, they were mostly for pain...Walking back to the room with the others Hank looked worried as he grabbed a bag, "We have to get him out of here and off these drugs..." Hank now in doctor mode, gathered all the bottles and put them in the bag to dispose of them safely, he was now totally determined to help the thief get back to his old self, he went to the bed and checked Remy's pulse, gently lifting his wrist Hank sighed.
"What's the matter Hank?" Logan asked curiously.
"We might have a small problem, in trying to rehabilitate our young thief..." Hank looked to the Professor, then at Logan, as he showed them Remy's wrist.
"He tried to kill himself?" Logan growled.
The Professor frowned and picked up his cell phone calling the mansion, Scott had answered the phone, "Professor?"
"Scott I would like you and a few others to clean out the boathouse...and stock the kitchen, we have a new mutant that will be joining us..." Charles explained.
"Yeah sure but why the boathouse..."
"He's very shy, and has been injured...he needs total rest...no interactions from the others, not yet..."
"Alright.."
"You have two hours..." Charles hung up and looked at the broken man in front of him.
"I'll start packing his stuff..." Logan drawled as he scanned the room, still a bit pissed at the thought of the twenty-four-year old who tried to take his own life. "Damnit, what's with all the depressed, stay in the dark crap...what's wrong with the fucken lights...their not working..." Logan huffed as he tried the switches again then looked up, the bulbs were all broken.
An hour later Remy was slowly starting to come to, not knowing that there was anyone in the room let alone that Logan and Hank had opened the curtains to let in the light so they could see, Remy slowly opened his eyes, Hank seeing the boy's eyelids flutter, gave him the warmest smile he could muster, "Well good-morning Re..." Was all Hank said after that Remy screamed and clawed at his eyes falling off the bed trying desperately to hide from the light. Groaning in pain Remy kept his eyes shut and held on to the side of the bed for dear life.
"Jesus, pup calm down it's only us...what the hell's wrong?" Logan kneeled down beside him, laying a hand on the boy's shaking shoulder. Xavier cringed as he sensed his pain.
"The curtains...quickly pull them back...the light hurts him..." Charles answered, Hank quickly stood and closed them.
Remy breathed in deeply as he fell to the floor and passed out.
Logan carefully picked him up and laid him on the bed, "Now what...we obviously can't take him out when the sun's out..." Logan growled.
"We'll have to cover him and take him out to the van...he's unconscious...now's the best time..." Hank pressed, as he covered the boy and gave Logan, Remy's bags.
Charles nodded and led the way to the hotel's garage, waiting until Logan brought the van around.
XXX
"How come we can't welcome the new mutant?" Bobby huffed as he swept the floor.
"Because The Professor said that the guy is shy and sick..." Jean answered for like the sixth time.
Jubilee, Kitty, Scott, Jean, Bobby, Kurt and Rogue where almost done in cleaning the house, Jean and Kitty had just finished stocking the fridge and the cupboards, when the van had just arrived Logan and the Professor got out and entered the boathouse for their inspection, Logan quickly went to the windows and pulled on the shades, covering the room in complete darkness.
"Professor?" Scott approached.
"Logan would you be so kind as to start a small fire..." Charles asked nodding towards the fireplace as he continued his inspection, looking around he told Logan telepathically to check the rooms and take away anything that the young thief could use to harm himself with which he did immediately scanning every inch of the room, grabbing a waste basket he put in a few stake knives, and everything sharp he could find.
Rogue looked at him curiously, "What are you doing?"
Logan smirked, "The kid's got a thing about sharp objects..." Heading for the bathroom, he also grabbed the blades used for shaving Jean had no idea if the new mutant was a girl or a guy or better yet how old he or she was so she had bought both. Logan also grabbed any and every kind of medication there was, including the aspirin.
Xavier let his eyes roam around the room mentally checking every object he saw, then turning to Scott satisfied he gave a small smile, "Thank-you now if you would all leave and return to the mansion...I do not want anyone to come near the boathouse, is that understood?"
"But Professor..." Scott looked a bit annoyed.
"No one..." Charles pressed as Logan shooed them all out of the house.
"Alright, you heard the boss, get out of here scram...all of ya..."
"Hey quit pushing..." Kitty whined.
"Logan..." Scott hissed, as he turned to the man.
Wolverine was loosing patience Remy could wake up anytime soon he wanted the boy in the house now. Glaring at Scott, Logan unsheathed the claws in his right hand, "Now Cyke..." he growled, Scott looked to the Professor who only quirked an eyebrow, in saying you better do as he says. Scott taking the hint led everyone out and away from the boathouse, seeing that the coast was clear Hank opened the door and carried a covered Gambit into the house laying him down on the couch.
Making sure he was comfortable, Hank checked his pulse for the umpteenth time and sighed as Remy groaned and slowly opened his eyes, coughing a little Remy groaned again as his eyes focused on his surroundings. Realizing where he was Remy's eyes went wide as he tried to push himself back away from the three staring at him, "Remy...please calm down..." Xavier tried to soothe the boy in his best fatherly voice. "You're all right, calm down...shhhh..."
Remy breathed deeply trying to stop the sudden cough he felt coming. "Wh-what...why am I-I here?" he seethed through clenched teeth.
"Shhh, calm down, I sensed you not more than a few hours ago...we brought you here to care for you, no one else knows you are here..." Charles explained.
"Don't want...your help..." Remy hissed,
Logan kneeled beside the couch thinking that maybe he might have better luck with the thieving Cajun, "Don't have much of a choice, pup...you're really sick..."
"NO-F-FUCK..." Remy growled, as he started coughing, Logan tried to help him sit up but Remy only pushed him away. Feeling extremely tired as his strength quickly left his body, Remy leaned his head against the couch and closed his eyes about ready to pass out.
Hank laid his hand palm up on Remy's forehead and sighed he was burning up, Remy feeling the contact jerked his head back, breathing deeply he tried his best to glare at the Beast. "I'm going back to the mansion to gather a few things, I'll be back in about half an hour..." Hank assured as he headed for the door.
XXX
Now in his lab Hank gathered bags of fluids and nutrients, and certain types of drugs the boy needed as well as a small portable x-ray machine.
"Hey Hank whatcha doing?" Jubilee asked.
"Jubilee what can I do for you?" Hank asked as he packed bandages and such in a box.
"Oh nothing I just saw you come in and wondered if you needed any help..."
Hank chuckled, "In other words you want to know about our new guest, is that it?" Jubilee smiled shyly and bit her bottom lip. "The Professor has warned all of you to stay away...and you all better..." Hank pressed making sure she had his attention.
"Why are you packing so much stuff?" she asked curiously.
"Because our new found guest was badly injured and is very ill..." Hank answered, a bit of annoyance in his voice.
"Why did Logan close the curtains when..."
"Jubilee, please stop asking questions I will not tell you who this mutant is, or what happened to him now if there is nothing else please leave." Hank drawled, as he looked through a closet and smiled when he found what he was looking for.
"A heat lamp?" Hank sighed as he stared at the girl, "Alright I'm going, jeez..."
Hank quickly gathered the two full boxes and headed back towards the boathouse.
When he arrived Remy had passed out settling next to him handing Logan the IV bags. Hank pulled on Remy's clothes and began to examine him. "Damn he's lost a lot of weight..." Logan frowned when he hung the bags of nutrients and fluids, while Hank winced as he looked at Remy's bruised body, then hooked him up to the IV's.
"He'll take a long time to heal..." Hank grimaced, then turned to Xavier, "Do you intend to tell his father that his son is alive?" he asked.
"I will as soon as Remy is stable..." Xavier assured.
"What you met his pops?" Logan sat the heat lamp at the back of the couch on the small table then sat in a chair.
"Not exactly I spoke to him..."
Hank smiled when he thought of what Xavier had told him earlier on how the thief had tried to pick the man's pocket, then noticed Remy's eyes flutter, "Could we perhaps talk about this some other time, Remy's about to wake again..." Hank covered the half dressed Remy with a few blankets and turned on the heat lamp that Logan had set up. Remy yawned and snuggled up in the blankets, getting comfortable.
Waiting a few moments Logan chuckled, "False alarm Hank...so..." Logan looked to the Professor, "How do we do this, we could get Storm to help, she'd be extremely protective..."
"Yes someone has to stay with our Arcadian friend, he's not to be left alone, and we've yet to know if he's suicidal...the cuts on his wrists aren't that old..." Hank sighed. Charles nodded his head in agreement. "I'll take the first watch..." Hank answered as he prepared himself, this was going to be a long night.
The next morning Remy slowly woke up and oddly enough he actually felt warm, he slowly opened his eyes and looked around, 'What the, where da hell am I?' Remy winced as he slowly sat up, 'Wait a minute, I know dis place...' he thought to himself.
"Morning pup...how ya feelin'?" Logan smirked as he helped Hank set the table, Remy frowned as he stared at the two, "I asked Storm ta join us later after you've eaten something...if that's alright..."
"Why am I here...don't bullshit me, what do ya want?" Remy hissed.
Hank and Logan froze and looked at Gambit, "We don't want anything...we just want ta help you pup, you don't deserve ta suffer through this..." Logan slowly walked into the living room and kneeled beside the glaring Cajun.
"Is there anything you want?" Hank asked.
Remy looked at the two carefully. "Yeah out of here..." Remy pushed off the blankets and slowly stood, noticing the IV's in his arms Remy grimaced and pulled them out, Hank was about to object but Logan kept him quiet.
"Listen Rem, those drugs you were taking weren't helping you, Hank threw them out..." Remy froze and turned to the two, "You're really sick, if ya don't let us help you...you could die...and that's one thing we're not gonna let you do..." he continued.
Remy shook his head glaring at the two then headed for the bathroom slammed the door shut and locked it, not that a simple lock would do much with Wolverine and Beast in the other room, Remy leaned against the door and slid down to the ground resting his head on his knees. Taking a few deep breaths he gathered his strength and slowly stood turning on the hot water in the shower, noticing a backpack Remy looked through it finding his clothes, he stripped down what he had on and stepped into the shower.
XXX
Xavier made his way down the wooded trail that led to the boat house, sighing at the handful of students that leaned against the trees trying to get a peek at whoever was in the house, "Well I see that you all have nothing better to do with your time, perhaps I should assign additional chores for all of you..."
All five students quickly turned, now a bit embarrassed at being caught, "What no way...they made me come here..." Bobby whined.
"We did not Bobby..." Rogue hissed, while Kitty tried to hide by phasing into a tree, Kurt had teleported on top in the branches, Jubilee bit her lip as she glanced over her shoulder to the boathouse.
"Sorry Professor we were just curious..." Kurt answered from atop the tree.
"The entire mansion has been warned to stay away, that includes all of you...the next time you disobey my orders, you'll all face the consequences..." Charles frowned as he gave his students the warning, "Is that understood?" all five looked at each other then nodded their heads, "Return to the mansion...". Sighing as he watched them sulk as they left, he knew that they only wanted to be friendly and meet the new mutant, perhaps a little curious on his or her powers, but he couldn't chance any of them sneaking to the boathouse and entering through the door only to find the boy they all thought dead, or even worse angry that Remy wasn't. Xavier entered the boathouse, immediately noticing that Remy was no longer on the couch, "How is he?" he asked.
Hank chuckled "Angry...he wants nothing to do with us...he thinks we want something from him..."
"That's not very surprising..." Charles smiled. "How long until the effects of the drugs he was taking wears off?"
"At least another day, I could be wrong I've no idea what he took or how much..." Hank answered.
Charles frowned, "What can we expect after the drugs have left his system."
Hank sighed, "Shakes, Anger, threats, as I've said before there will have to be someone with him all the time..."
"Have you contacted Storm yet?"
"She should be here in a couple hours..." Logan answered. "I didn't tell her why I wanted her here...though."
Half an hour had passed, all three X-Men waited patiently for the Cajun to emerge, Logan seemed a bit worried as he hadn't heard any movement within the room, yet a little bit relieved that he still hadn't smelt blood, Charles sighed as he could sense how frightened Remy was at the moment. "Don't worry Logan he hasn't done anything to endanger himself..." Xavier assured.
The moment the Professor answered the unasked question the bathroom door opened, the prince of Thieves slowly walked out wearing a white t-shirt, khaki pants, and black boots. Rubbing at his arms Remy spied a heavy sweater on a chair, heading for it he quickly grabbed it and put it on. All the time the others were watching his every movement, not saying a word. Logan slowly stood, "The sun's still out pup, can't really go for a nice little walk...why dontcha come have a little breakfast...and don't tell me you ain't hungry you haven't had anything to eat in like two days...if you don't want ta talk that's alright, ya don't have ta say anything just try and eat something..."
Remy only glared at them and slowly made his way upstairs, "Remy..." Hank tried but he just ignored him.
Charles frowned, "I take it this will take a while...get Storm here now, he might react differently with her..."
"I'll go get her..." Logan answered as he made his way outside.
Remy sat in a corner upstairs his arms wrapped around his chest shivering he looked through the banister at the people bellow. He so badly didn't want to be here, but it seemed he didn't have much of a choice.
Logan climbed up to the roof of the mansion and onto Storm's balcony with a smirk on his face, Storm sat against the railing, staring at her flowers who looked a bit drenched, Logan sat down beside her, "Hey 'Ro..."
Storm glanced beside her, "...Logan..." she answered back.
"Come on Ro, I want ya ta meet someone...I'm tellin ya you won't be disappointed..." he smirked.
"No thank you Logan...I highly doubt I would give up any cheer, with the way I am feeling at the moment..."
"Trust me girl, you need this as much as the fellah in the boathouse does..."
"No Logan..."
Logan leaned down to her ear, "Please 'Ro...Just a few minutes with Remy...that's all I'm asking..." he whispered.
"Re...What?" Storm looked up, tears in her eyes.
Logan grasped her shoulders, and looked in her eyes, "Chuck found him yesterday, he's in bad shape...no one is ta know he's here...he also doesn't want anything to do with us...he's scared...he needs a lot of help..." Logan hesitated a moment, "Hank also says that he tried to kill himself..." Storm gasped as she shook her head, a few tears rolling down her cheeks, she didn't want to hear anymore.
"Ya wanna come see him?"
"Yes...now please..." Logan helped her up and led her downstairs, Storm was shaking with joy, mixed with excitement, and nervousness as she clutched Logan's arm. Remy was alive, she couldn't believe it, damnit walking was taking too long, "Can we hurry please..." she rasped, Logan smiled and quickened his pace.
"Ya know he might not warm up to ya, or he might...just don't take it too hard if he doesn't okay...he doesn't trust any of us anymore...he won't even eat...He can't even go outside his eyes can't handle the light..." Storm nodded her head, as he stopped at the boathouse door and slowly opened it.
"Here she is Chuck..."
Charles gave her a warm smile, "How are you feeling Ororo?"
"Where..." she looked around for the thief.
"He's upstairs at the moment..." Hank pointed up at the balcony, where a figure lay hidden in the shadows watching them below. Storm slowly walked up the stairs, trying desperately to hold back her tears. "Remy..." she whispered, the figure only shied away trying to hide himself even more. Storm kneeled down beside him and tried to lay a comforting hand on him but Remy swatted it away. She stayed beside him for over an hour watching him, not saying a word. As he started to nod off and fall over, Storm quickly grasped him and gently pulled him to her pillowing his head on her shoulder, running her fingers through his hair she sighed as she held him rather possessively.
"You alright 'Ro...how's ya little brother doing?" Logan chuckled at how she held him.
Storm looked up, "If anyone even tries to harm him...Logan they will get no warning from me as I will call up a storm so ferocious that none will survive..." she whispered as she kissed Remy's temple.
"Which is why no one is to know that he is here..." Charles sighed then smiled. "I take it then that you will help us in healing our young friend?" Storm nodded happily, "You do know of course that this will take a while..."
"Yes and I don't care, Remy's alive...that's all I need to know..." she brushed a few hairs away from his eyes, suddenly Remy's eyes snapped open as he jolted awake. "Shhh, you're alright Remy..." she whispered, Remy looked around suddenly confused, then lunged forward scrambling away from the X-men and threw up.
Remy then felt a gentle hand rubbing circles on his back, as Storm kneeled down beside him, "You all right pup?" Logan asked as he stood up straight and crossed his arms. Remy breathed in deeply then coughed out a little, "How bout a few crackers to try and settle ya stomach?" Remy just shook his head and slowly stood. He wanted out of here...badly
"Remy..." Hank approached.
"Leave me da hell alone..." Remy whispered as he made his way downstairs, and sat on the couch.
Logan sighed, "Hope ya'll got a shit load of patience, cause I'm startin' to lose mine..." he growled as he followed Remy downstairs.
Hank sighed as he cleaned up the mess, "So it begins..."
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