Part Twelve
written by Soar and most expertly edited by Jeanne Kalvar
email ksg3@le.ac.uk
Jean had taken him back to the mansion and back down to the infirmary, checking him over to make sure he hadn't hurt himself in spite of her protective bubble.
He suffered the examination with impatient sighs and lots of fidgeting, until she'd told him off again. This was a new experience for Remy, being mothered. He decided while Jean was carrying out the examination that he could probably get used to it. "But not too used to it," he thought to himself. "If you lose your edge here you'll die out on the streets, that or something worse than dying will happen to you." He remembered the men that had attacked Ororo and himself, and others like them from his past. He shuddered as he felt icy tendrils of fear make their way down his spine.
Jean finally let him go after concluding that he was perfectly fine, and Remy wondered whether she had children of her own. She seemed to be a very natural mother to him.
They were walking back towards the kitchen when Remy felt a number of presences. Jean, however, did not seem to be alarmed. "Perhaps she can't sense them like I can," he thought.
"Jean," he said hesitantly.
"Yes, Remy?" Jean asked looking down at him.
"Dere be a lot of people in de house."
Jean stopped for a moment, and then she smiled, "There is no need to worry, Remy. These people live here. Come on, you can help me make the dinner," she said and carried on towards the kitchen.
Remy followed after her, feeling only slightly reassured.
The kitchen was still empty when they arrived. Jean set out the ingredients to prepare the nights meal, Remy helping her. However, the kitchen did not stay empty for long; the smell of cooking food drew the some of the X-men towards them.
"Hey Red!" Logan said, sniffing appreciatively as he came into the kitchen.
"`Evening, Logan. How did it go?" she asked.
"Stupid FOH trying to start a riot again. But we managed to contain them, for now anyways." Logan stopped as he sighted the small boy sitting at the table, chopping vegetables. "Well, what have we here?" Logan said, grinning.
Remy watched warily as the funny-looking man approached the place where he sat.
"Want some help kid? I'm real good at slicing." Logan extended one of his claws, winking with a conspiratorial grin.
Remy shot out of his seat in alarm, his eyes wide and his mouth gaping as he watched the claw extend from the strange man's hand. He began edging towards the door.
"Logan!" Jean cried in shock, "Look what you've done now; you've frightened Remy!"
Logan got up from the table and moved towards the trembling Remy, intending to apologise and coax him back to the table. But Remy bolted towards the door only to find his way blocked by a big black man with a strange tattoo over his eye. He backed away nervously, but was blocked in by Logan's approach from behind. He saw hands reaching for him, and blind panic made him cry out in fear.
Jean sighed in displeasure and advanced on them all. She pushed Logan out of the way and told Bishop to move away from Remy. Then she crouched down in front of the little boy and grabbed his hands in her own.
Remy was muttering to himself, "Non, non, non, non," over and over again.
He registered the closeness of another person and instinctively tried to fend them off, but these hands grabbed his own. He tried to free himself desperately, but his kicking and struggling would not detach this person.
Jean lifted Remy's kicking, screaming body and enfolded him in a hug, trying not to wince when Remy's foot connected painfully with her knee.
Slowly, Remy became aware of a smell under his nose, and he felt himself wrapped in a tight hug. The smell was very familiar; he'd been hugged by this person before. Awareness returned as Remy realised that it was Jean who held him, not some unknown assailant from the streets of New Orleans. He slowly stopped his struggles, and his small body relaxed.
Jean smiled as she sensed his returning awareness and recognition of her. She moved over to a chair, still carrying him, and sat down with him on her lap. Logan and Bishop had stayed in the kitchen in case Jean had needed their assistance, and they now took seats at the opposite end of the table so that they didn't alarm Remy again.
Jean felt a warm wetness permeate her clothing and realised Remy was crying silently. She lifted his head gently and turned him to face her. He looked so very vulnerable, and she hugged him a bit tighter.
"Would you like to tell me what that was about?" she asked gently.
Remy shook his head and turned his face away.
Jean gently took hold of chin and turned him back to face her.
"No one will tell you off, you know. We just want to help you. You don't even have to talk to me, anyone here would listen to you and nobody else would know unless you wanted them too. Would you prefer to talk in private?"
Remy shook his head again, "Don' wanna talk 'bout it."
Jean sighed, "It's okay, Remy. You don't have to talk. It's just that sometimes talking helps. Maybe later. You know that, if you need to talk, I will always listen." Jean smiled warmly at Remy, "Now, lets get you cleaned up."
Gently, she put Remy back down and walked over to the sink. He hurried after her, warily watching the two men who had remained silent. Jean got a face towel and wet it, then proceeded to gently wipe Remy's face. He suffered her ministrations silently, preferring to stay close to her rather than face the two men.
When she had finished she faced him again, "Do you still want to help me here in the kitchen, or would you prefer to go to your room?" she asked him.
Remy thought about this, "You mean back to dat hospital place?" he asked.
Jean laughed, "Good heavens, no! There's no need to keep you there anymore, because you're much better. Actually, you can have your own room here at the mansion if you would like." A thought struck her and she smiled, ignoring a voice in her head that said Scott wouldn't like the idea. "Or if you would prefer, you and Ororo can stay at my house near the lake."
She watched as Remy processed this information. "I can stay wit' you?" he asked.
Jean nodded, "Yes. If you want, you can go there now, or you could stay and help me with the dinner. It would mean you would probably meet the other people who live here, but I promise you no one is going to hurt you."
Remy sighed, "Okay. I stay and 'elp you non?"
Jean grinned, "That's wonderful! Now, I think you had some chopping to finish off for me, but we're a little behind, so would you mind if I asked Logan and Bishop to help you?"
Jean noticed the surprised faces of the two men and hid a smile. She thought that it would be good for Remy to feel comfortable around more than one person in the house.
Remy turned around and looked at the two men carefully. Jean seemed to like these two men. Slowly, he moved away from Jean, back towards the table and the vegetables he had been chopping. Still watching the two men, he sat down and picked up his knife.
Jean smiled, then she got another two knives from the drawer. She walked casually over to the table and handed them to both men.
Logan slowly reached over to grab a handful of vegetables to chop. Remy stilled momentarily and his wary eyes became fixed on Logan hand, as though he expected a claw to shoot straight out at him. Logan had to hide a smile. The kid was jumpier than a cat on a hot tin roof. Wasn't much different from the adult Remy, just that as an adult Remy had learned to hide his fears better. However he couldn't disguise the smell.
"So, Red," he said, "How d'ya want these veggies chopped?"
Jean smiled; she knew that Logan knew how to chop vegetables as easily as she did.
"Why don't you get Remy to show you?" she said.
Remy jumped, startled as attention was suddenly focused on himself. He could feel the eyes of both Logan and Bishop on him, so he slowly looked up.
Bishop had always wondered if Remy's eyes were black on red since he was a child; now he knew. They were actually a beautiful crystalline blue right now. They obviously changed when he had gained his mutant powers. Right now, they were warily watching every movement he made. He seemed to be considering whether or not to run or to stay and show the men how to chop vegetables.
In the end, Remy slowly stopped what he was doing and looked over at Jean, who smiled back reassuringly.
He sighed. "You got to cut dem into little squares and den put dem into de pot."
He watched as both men slowly got their vegetables and started chopping.
Logan was easily chopping away, but Remy still kept an eye on those hands. He wondered how the man had gotten claws inside there. Then he looked over at Bishop.
"Non," he said.
The room suddenly fell silent as all action ceased.
"You cutting dem too big," Remy said to a startled Bishop.
Jean and Logan began to laugh, and Bishop pulled a face.
Remy's guard relaxed slightly.
end of part 11
Part Twelve