Hank knocked on Remy's door.

"Quoi?" Remy asked, Hank too that as an invitation to come in.

Perching on one chair he said, "I've been meaning to ask, what made you call us when you got in trouble?"

"Figured yo' know de answer to that as well as me," Remy said. "Your Professor, he a subtle one. Didn't realize he'd been dere till I started looking for traces of what I knew had happened."

"You KNOW Xavier tampered with your mind?" Hank asked.

"Yo' t'ink of any other reason I call a man I met for all of a minute on de other side of the continent for help wid a team of professional killers? 'Specially when dat man tell me he represents a SCHOOL?"

"No, I can't," Hank replied. "But you said you found traces of what he did, proof."

"I know what de inside of my head feel like," Remy said. "I know when someone, not me, been changing it. Jean be straight forward, a boulder thrown in a stream. Yo' know it be dere. Tell her to git and the stream goes back like it was. Xavier be more clevah. Puts a few pebbles in here, loosens de bank dere and for yo' know it de stream's shifted to a whole new course. Probably should be grateful, neh? Be dead now if I hadn't called."

"Could you teach me to do what you do?" Hank asked. "To see a telepath's interference?"

For a moment Remy's expression was eager, happy. Then frustration clouded his eyes.

"I want to," he said. "Mais, I don' have de words. How I explain de difference 'tween yo' an' not yo', it just is. It like sayin' how yo' see, yo' just open yo' eyes."

Disappointed, dissatisfied Hank sighed. "I suppose you can't explain how you shield yourself from telepathic probes as well."

"Hein?" Remy said frowning. "Don' know what you mean, shield. Don' like 'em me, I just keep out of de way."

"Professor, I'm curious," Hank said. "How is it that you got Remy to call us but couldn't stop him from throwing what amounted to a bomb at Peter?"

"It seems a general suggestion aimed in Remy's direction didn't activate his defenses, but when I tried to co-opted his motor functions before he could cause any damage I could get a foothold in his mind."

"But you have been manipulating his mind, or at least trying to," Hank said.

Xavier frowned at his student. "In good conscious I couldn't ignore Remy's plight, he's barely more than a child. Living on the streets any number of evil fates might have befallen him. However I could hardly drag him back here against his will. Further, to maintain your and the other's safety I couldn't simply tell him what sort of help might be found here. A subliminal suggestion to call should he be threatened was the best course for everyone. Or so I believed, Remy is so resistant to telepathy it didn't take effect until it was almost too late."

"And now that he's here and knows all about this little operation, that justifies keeping him here," Hank suggested. "After all, if he left that information could fall into the wrong hands."

"It's in Remy's best interest as well," Xavier confirmed. "He may believe that breaking his trail is enough to escape from those pursuing him but I sensed their determination. They would eventually find him again. Beyond that Remy's potential was being wasted in the life he was leading."

"How many other ways have you manipulated us?" Hank asked. Then as if an afterthought added, "All for our own good of course."

"If I were inclined to interfere with my student's love lives I would have resolved the utterly pointless doubts Scott burdens himself with months ago to get some peace from Jean's frustration and his fear of rejection." Xavier said. "And you know blaming me for Bobby's injuries is simply a manifestation of your need to have SOMEONE to hold accountable. If David were alive you'd focus your righteous anger on him no doubt. As it is you must content yourself with blaming me for placing Bobby in harms way and perhaps for failing as David's father."

"You're so fond of reading my mind," Hank replied sarcastically. "I'm certain you realize we already dismissed that sort of proof."

"You require me to prove a negative Beast," Xavier interrupted.

Hank overrode the Professor's protest, "It was right before Bobby was hurt. If you somehow missed it, Bobby was too scared to fight. If he hadn't attacked David would have left him for last. We could have beaten him before it cost Bobby so much."

"Will you allow the possibility that it was the danger to a friend and not intervention from me that broke Bobby from his terror induced paralysis?" Xavier asked. "Bobby has proven himself a hero before and I was unconscious when he confronted Weapon X in an attempt to protect the rest of us."

Lips thinned with anger Hank stormed out of the Professor's office.

"Hey kid," Logan yelled. "Get a move on it. Jeannie remembered not to call ya psychically so you better not make her regret it by holding up dinner."

"Crutches 'member, got me an excuse," Remy replied grinning as he appeared in the doorway.

Logan glanced at the coat tied around Remy's torso. "Why don't ya leave the security blanket in you room?" he said.

"Ain't dat!" Remy said frowning. "Dis whole state be unnaturally cold."

"Ya ain't that good of a liar kid," Logan replied. "Ya been here for almost a month, do you think it might be possible for you to make it through dinner with only one pack of cards on you?"

Remy glared stubbornly at him, making no move to loose the coat.

"Kid, I'm all for being prepared, but your guard's so high you can't recognize a friend when you see one. Even I need people to watch my back once and awhile."

Remy fished out one deck of cards and rolled it in his tee-shirt sleeve then untied his coat and tossed it back in his room. "Better mon frere?" he asked.

"Yeah kid. The first step to working out the difference between sensible caution and ravin' paranoia is knowing that there are times when you can stand down."

"D'accord, mais no one better mess wid m' coat," Remy muttered. "Not like I got anything else dat's m' own anymore."

"Jean, may I speak with you?" Professor Xavier projected.

"Sure, I'm listening," Jean sent back.

"Do you remember the conference in New York, I've decided I will be attending it for the next few days," Xavier told her.

"The one you called a waste of time?" Jean questioned.

"Quite true, however, I believe it would be beneficial for Remy if I were gone for a few days. His sensitivity about telepaths is making it difficult to gain his trust," Xavier explained. "He knows you aren't capable of entering his mind undetected, so I am hoping my absence will help him to trust that his desire to stay here is of his own making."

"He wants to stay?" Jean asked her mental tone conveying disbelief.

"Remy has expended all of his resources. He wants to be safe, to have people to depend on, to belong, but he is afraid to trust. My abilities give his fears a focal point. I hope that by suddenly removing myself from the equation the rest of you will be able to befriend him before he can reorient his defenses. Remy would like to believe himself to be totally self-sufficient but he is only a fifteen- year-old boy. He needs friends and family."

"Still what's the point, New York's still in mental range for you?" Jean asked.

"Remy isn't aware of that," Xavier replied.

Remy watched Scott approach with a knowing grin. "Yo' got some activity to make me feel like a part of the group mon ami?"

"Naw, I thought I'd try a new approach," Scott replied easily. "Thought I'd ask if there was anything YOU wanted to do. You were living in New York when the Prof and Ororo found you before. You have any one here you want to catch up with or anything?"

"Yo' know, dat sound like a damn good idea," Remy said smiling wistfully. "Be nice to know she be a'ight."

"She?" Scott asked curiously. "Girlfriend?"

"Little one, I took care of her for awhile," Remy said. "She have some bad 'uns after her. I protected her. Den I find out dat Essex be after me still. Didn' want de petite caught up in dat yo' understand?"

Scott filed away the information that the situation they'd extracted Remy from wasn't his first run in with Essex but decided not to draw Remy's attention to his slip up. Instead Scott nodded, giving Remy the assurance he seemed to want.

"I checked de place out as best I can 'fore leavin' her dere an' dey seem like 'kay folks. Dere be no reason for dem to hate de petite either."

Scott felt a touch of melancholy as he noted Remy's aborted gesture toward his eyes. It saddened him to see Remy's matter of a fact acceptance that people would hate him for the unique eyes that gave him away as a mutant.

"I keep to the de shadows few days after leavin' her as well, see dat dey be treatin' her a'ight. I know yo' can nevah be sure 'bout people, no matter how good t'ings look. Mais, I did my best and de lesser of two evils, neh?" Remy finished with a sigh. "Like to see her 'gain, make sure she be happy."

"Sure Remy. No problem," Scott said.

Several hours later they pulled up in front of a shelter. Scott watched in bemusement as Remy managed to tangle his crutches in his hurry to get out of the car. He'd spent the whole drive fidgeting. Scott had never seen the other boy so excited about anything.

Scott followed at a leisurely pace as Remy approached one of the shelter's volunteers.

"Yo' remember me?" Remy was asking. "Brought a girl chile here 'bout half a year back. She be okay? Can I see her?"

"You were rather hard to forget, what with making Mia float and all. I'm Jeffery by the way. You must be Remy. Mia talked about you constantly while she was staying with us."

"Was stayin' Little One not here no more?" Remy asked, concern and disappointment vying for supremacy in his voice.

"The police were able to locate Mia's Aunt..."

"Her Tante 'lizabet in Las Vegas?" Remy interrupted.

"Yes, that's her. She took custody of Mia," Jeffery replied. "The police wanted to speck to you as well. They were hoping you could provide some leads about the man who murdered Mia's mother and kidnapped her."

"Mia, Little One's name be Mia? She be happy wid her Tante? Like to talk to her..."

"The full name is Mia Devens, same as her Aunt, they're probably in the phone book," Jeffery volunteered. "Hearing from you would probably make Mia's whole month."

"Merci M. Jeffery," Remy exclaimed happily. "Come on Scotty, gotta make a call."

"Thanks," Scott said turning to follow Remy. "Mia's day isn't the only one you made."

"You'd better hurry," Jeffery replied. "I think he's going to leave without you."

"Little One?" Remy said hopefully.

"Remy!" Mia shrieked.

"Oui, little one, 'ow you been?" Remy asked.

"I got to fly on an airplane, all by myself." Mia began excitedly. "It was almost as neat as when you made me fly."

"Yo' livin' wid your Tante now. Yo' like dat?" Remy asked.

"My Tante? Huh-uh, I'm staying with my Auntie Elizabeth. She's nice. What's a Tante Remy?" Mia asked.

"Tante is de same as Aunt," Remy explained.

"Oh, like pants are parents?" Mia asked.

"Not quite, but close 'nough," Remy replied. "Glad yo' happy dere."

"You could come stay here too," Mia offered. "I'd let you have the top bunk bed. It's nice here and I told everybody about you. Crisa doesn't believe you're real. We'll show her!"

"Little one, I got a place to stay," Remy said, wondering what Mia's Aunt Elizabeth would say if he showed up on her doorstep.

"But this is better than the train car," Mia argued. "We don't have to pretend to get food and the doors lock so no bad people can get you."

" 'Preciate de offer cheri," Remy said swallowing a lump in his throat. "But I wouldn't want to put your Tante out none. 'Sides, I found a new place to stay m'self, it a nice place too."

"Okay," Mia sighed. "But you could still visit sometime couldn't you? And we could call each other. Crisa and I do that sometimes, when we're not mad at each other."

"Sounds bien, I mean good," Remy replied.

"What's your number," Mia demanded in a business-like tone.

Smiling to himself Remy fished out the card Xavier had given him and read the number off for Mia.

"Where did you go?" Mia asked as soon as she'd repeated the number back. "I missed you."

"Missed yo' too Little One, mais I could not stay. Had some bad people of m' own to deal with. What yo' been doing while I be gone?"

"I'm going to school. Recess is the best part, 'cept maybe art. I got to..."

Scott peeked into the den and spotted Remy sitting on the floor, leaning back against the telephone table, the phone cord wrapped idly around one foot, a warm, relaxed smile curving his lips as he listened to Mia's chatter.

"See Remy," Scott said to himself. "There are good people out there. Your Mia found them and so did you."