So much had been done today, so much said.

He had had two parties at the Home when they'd gotten back from the Court House. One for his birthday, and one for being adopted. They were great, all the kids at the congratulating him, and Marry Sue Watkins, who he secretly had a crush on, gave him a kiss as a gift.

He had seemed so happy, staying close to Remy and Rogue, listening to what they had planed for the next few days. They were going to take him shopping, let him buy new clothes, and books, and they even said something about his own computer. They had also said that he could paint his new room and decorate it anyway he wanted. That it was his to do as he pleased.

When they had gathered all of Kevin's things and left, Ms. J had come with them. At the mansion, the X-Men had all greeted him with hugs and welcomes to the family, and even Logan, who seemed scary most of the time, had a half smile to give him.

His room was nice. Huge even. He had his own bathroom, and closet. Something he'd never had before. And he had a beautiful view of the garden and green house, he couldn't wait to take some paper and colored pencils down there to draw some of the beautiful flowers.

The only thing he disliked about the room was the color of the walls, a pale green that reminded him of a hospital. But Uncle Remy, who didn't like it either, said they would change it to any color he wanted. And Aunt Rogue said that if he didn't like the room at all, he could have another.

Jean (he didn't quite feel comfortable calling everyone in the house his "aunt" or "uncle" so he just called them by their first names) had cooked a huge dinner. One almost as big as the one he'd eaten at Christmas time. She had cooked his favorite foods too. It was all delicious. And he had laughed harder then he had in a long time when Jean and Uncle Remy got into a fight about him pouring hot pepper on his food. The others had only groaned, apparently this happened often.

After dinner, Ms. J left. She had only stayed long enough to see him get settled, but she said that he wouldn't be getting rid of her yet. She would come see him every few days to see how he was getting along.

Aunt Rogue and Uncle Remy then showed him around the mansion. Telling him where it would be safe for him to go, and where he needed to stay away from, unless he was with someone. He saw a lot of cool things. He liked the Danger Room the best. He was astonished when Uncle Remy had shown it to him. He just had to know how it worked, but neither Rogue or Remy could really explain it.

So much had gone on today, that it was no wonder that he wanted to go to bed before it was even nine o'clock. Aunt Rogue had tucked him in, telling him they would go buy new paint for his room in the morning, and that they would go buy books to fill his book case, and whatever else he wanted. And that next week, he could go back to his old school, or he could stay home and finish the rest of the year here. They had so much planned for him, and they actually wanted to hear if he liked the plans before going through with them. That was something else he wasn't used to.

Uncle Remy had come to say good night too, then they had left him. But he didn't go to sleep. Instead he thought over the court hearing, or, more precisely, what happened when the judge had read his verdict.

Aunt Rogue had flown, literally, over to him and grabbed him up. His feet were lifted off the ground for a few seconds as she hugged him joyfully. Uncle Remy was there in an instant, his arms wrapped around them both.

They were crying. And it had taken a second for Kevin to realize that they weren't sad, they were happy. Happy to have him as a son. He was happy too, wasn't he?

He didn't know. It felt strange for some reason. These two weren't his parents, and yet he was scared they would be like his parents. Was he going to be like a new toy, one somebody had wanted for so long, then when they got it, tossed it to the side? Or was he going to be like his bear? Loved so much that the stuffing was coming out of him and he was worn and run down looking. Were they going to tire of him, and bring him back to the Home? Was it going to be like his parents all over again?

Kevin had started to cry along with Remy and Rogue, but for a different reason.

He lay there thinking this over, tears welling up in his eyes again, but he brushed them away. It was about midnight when he got up, and walked quietly down the hall looking over his new home.

Home? Could this really be home?

Whenever he thought of home, he thought of the apartment he had lived in most of his life. The penthouse in the apartment building was where his mother and father lived. But Kevin had lived with his two nurse maids in a much smaller apartment on the floor below. The apartment was small, but it had been home. Could he really live in a place this big?

The mansion was extraordinary, with new, strange, and wonderful things that seemed to be around every corner. And so many people all living together!

And what people! The X-Men! Heroes! People who fought battles with robots and evil mutants, they had even traveled to the stars! They were famous. Extraordinary, tough, fearless.

And... they could get hurt. Did get hurt! It was a part of who they were, what they fought for.

They were more extraordinary then he could ever hope to be. Did he really want to live with the X-Men? Thinking that each time Rogue or Remy went off on a mission that they wouldn't come back, hurt beyond repair? And how could he ever live up to their standards? He wasn't a hero! He wasn't anything special, just... a little boy.

And like most little boys who didn't know where to turn... he was scared.

He didn't know what to do.

On one hand, he wanted to be with Uncle Remy and Aunt Rogue more then anything. He had loved to watch the news when the X-Men had been on it. Had cried when he saw one of them hurt, and rejoiced when he saw that they were all right even before he met them. They always seemed to come out on top in the end.

But on the other hand, they were people just like everyone else. And people got tired of things. His parents were an example of that. They had never been there for him. He had had two nurse maids to tuck him in at night, to make sure he brushed his teeth and ate his peas. Not his parents, they hadn't even lived together. The only time his dad had noticed him was when he had done something wrong.

Even though they hadn't been there, he loved them. They were his parents, how could he not? He felt like he betrayed them somehow.

He loved Uncle Remy and Aunt Rogue, too. But... he didn't want them to be like his parents, never there, always gone. He wanted a family who would always be there. One that wouldn't leave him. And he wasn't sure that this was that family.

He just... wasn't sure.

Somehow he had found his way down stairs and was now standing at the front door. He knew how to get back to his room from here, but instead, he opened the door and walked out into the night.

Dat Scott boy, he need t' learn dat sometime people need li'le time t' adjust t' new t'ings. He thought with a half smile. But it was okay. Tonight would be that last time he had watch for a few weeks. He and Rogue both decided to take leave of absences so that they could spend time with Kevin.

Even tomorrow they were going to paint Kevin's new room a different color. And he had shown interest when they said something about getting him his own computer.

And there was still planning for the wedding to do. He and Rogue decided, that even though they had eloped in order to adopt Kevin all that sooner, they would still have a big wedding with all their friends on April 6. He couldn't wait. He had a surprise to give her that he knew would make her happy beyond belief. And the wedding wasn't all that-

Something moving on one of the screens caught his eye. He dropped his feet from the console and swung the chair around to face the screen. There was something out there. And it was going away from the mansion, but still it shouldn't have been there.

He punched a few buttons and zoomed in on the figure just as it was entering the woods.

"Wha' de...?" He jumped up from his seat, and was out the door in an instant.

Learning constellations had been one of his favorite things to do while he was at the Home. Ms. J had given him books about the names, and shapes, and when they rose and fell at certain times of the year. In learning the names, he had learned that they were mostly names in Roman and Greek mythology, and soon, he became interested in that too.

He found that looking at the stars, and remembering the stories behind each name, was very calming. It took his mind off of his questions and made him feel somehow... safe. It was something of a comfort to him. Like a warm blanket almost.

He didn't know how long he had been out there when he heard a twig snap, and suddenly Uncle Remy was sitting beside him. He didn't know what to say, or what to do. But he was sure he was in trouble now.

But Remy just looked up at the stars frowning, trying to see what it was that had held Kevin's attention for almost an hour, and fighting to keep from getting angry at the scare he'd given him.

"Wha' so special 'bout de stars dat you sit out here so long, eh?" He asked not looking at the boy.

Kevin, realizing that Remy wasn't mad at him after all, smiled slightly."Time." He said. "And life. Love and joy. Heroes. Like... the X-Men"

Remy looked away from the sky and at the boy. "You see all dat up dere?" He asked sweeping his hand toward the sky. "All I see, is stars."

Kevin laughed. "There are stories in the stars. Adventures in the names of constellations and planets." He sighed. "See," he said after a while, pointing out to a set of stars just going over the tree tops. "That constellation shaped like a W? That's Cassiopeia. She was a great queen. And the one shaped like an hour glass with the three stars close together in the middle, that's Orion, the hunter. Cassiopeia is a cir- circumpolar constellation. She's always in the sky, like the big and little dippers. Orion only can be seen in the winter."

"'Ow you know all dis stuff?"

He shrugged. "I like the stars." He said. "Looking at them take my mind off things."

"Wha' sort o' t'ings?" He asked, hoping Kevin would tell him why he had snuck away from the mansion.

But he just shrugged again, and Remy decided not to press him. They sat there for a little while, Kevin pointing out plants and constellations, giving names, and telling stories. It was close to three in the morning when he fell silent. But he wasn't asleep, just thinking.

"A-are you mad at me?" He asked.

"Non. Jus' don' go off like dat. I was worried."

"I'm sorry." He was quiet again. Then, "Uncle Remy?"

"Oui?"

"A-are you and Aunt Rogue going to leave me?"

"Leave you?" Remy asked looking at him in surprise. "Leave you where?"

"I... I mean like my parents. Are you going to go away and leave me?"

Gambit smiled. "Is dat what worry you?" Kevin nodded solemnly, and it brought a laugh from Gambit. "Boy, don' t'ink f' a minute dat we goin' t' do dat. You de best t'ing dat has happened t' me in a very long time. Rogue an' I are goin' t' be 'round t' bug you f' a while yet!

Now wha' I want t' know is why you didn' ask me dis sooner. Dis must 'ave been eattin' you f' a long time, hasn' it?" Kevin nodded. "Silly. If we didn' want you, you wouldn' be here. "

"Look, Kev. Wha' your parents did wasn' right, dey shouldn' 'ave left you. But we n't goin' t' do dat. I wouldn' want t' hurt you f' de world, an' I know dat somet'ing like dat would kill you. C'n I tell you somet'ing? I use t' live on de streets. My poppa brought me in, gave me a home. We don' talk much no more, but I always grateful to him f' n't leavin' me on de streets." "Rogue an' I love you, if we didn' we wouldn' 'ave been planin' t' adopt you f' dese last few months since Christmas. We n't goin' t' leave you.

"Dat's n't to say dat one o' us n't might get hurt, or somet'ing, but dat's a part o' who we are. A part o' bein' a X-Man. Understand?" He nodded again. "If you ever 'ave somet'ing like dis troubling you, tell us. We n't goin' t' bite. We want t' be a family t' you. And a family has t' trust each other. Understand? Does dat make you feel better?"

"Yeah, I guess it does." Kevin said nodding his head. A second later, he had his arms wrapped around Gambit's neck in a hug. Remy smiled and hugged him back.

"Come on, son. It past dis Cajun's bedtime, I know it past yours. Ready t' go back home?"

Kevin looked to where the mansion was behind them. Home? Was this home? Could he let this be Home? "Yes." He said, answering both questions.