"Remy?" Her small voice uncertain and fearful, as his grip released her, her eyes fell onto his face. "Remy!" Jumping at him, her arms rapped around his once thick neck.

"Oui, petite." He rapped his arms around her small petite frame, a little too petite for his liking; he could feel her ribs under the small pressure that he used. "Oh, hon, it been a long time." Suddenly remembering Kyle he nearly panicked, "Mel, are ya okay?" He pulled her off his neck setting her down, before he began to look over her, making sure she was all right. "Ya didn't get hurt did ya?" Remy looked back at Kyle's prone form.

"I'm..." Her gaze had followed Remy's. Blood. Almost all of Kyle's stomach was ripped open, and the you could see blood still slowly making its way to the pavement, burn marks were apparent around the wounds. "Oh my god! Oh..." Anything she would have said was muffled into Remy's jacket, as he pulled her close trying to shield her from the world.

"Shh, hon, it be okay. Just don't think about it. Ol` Remy got ya." He stroked her hair, as her body shook with waves of grief and sobs.

"It's okay, go ahead, let it out." After about five more minutes of this, Remy got off of the ground, pulling Melinda up with him, shifting her in his arms. He thought it better to leave before the cops showed, which more than likely wouldn't be for another hour or more, this area of town was not top priority and people where thought less then human most of the time.

As he walked out of the alley he stopped briefly, saying a prayer once more for Kyle, wishing he could give him a proper burial as well. It had started to rain lightly while Remy walked out down the street swiftly, he didn't know what happened to Kyle, but from what Kyle had said, he guessed that his Mel was the one they were after. After a whiles walk, Remy spotted a glass bus stop, the glass was broken on one of the panels, but it was probably the best place to stay for the night, and the only places he could keep her warm for a bit.

"Mel, ya feelin’ better now?" He looked down at his charge.

Wiping away a tear she nodded, "I'm okay now." Remy could see the defiant need for her to cry more, but she wouldn't allow herself that.

"Here, Melinda, take my jacket ya need it more." Remy slipped the jacket over Melinda’s shoulder as she looked around the streets almost nervously. Remy smirked as he saw the length of his coat scrape the ground but she didn't seem to mind. She hadn't even noticed that Remy was finished and moved to gather her up into his arms. Wide eye she looked up at Remy quickly.

"We can't stay here." That was all she said... she gave no reason... didn't need to. Remy glanced in the direction Mel's eyes had just fallen upon before looking to him.

"Oui," he finished putting his jacket on to Melinda, mentally kicking himself for not noticing. They were being tracked.

"Think, think, where can we go?" He mumbled to himself.

"Come on," she tugged on his hair to get his attention, he let her back down to the ground and she started pulling him along with her as she ran down the streets though the shadows. Trusting her, Remy followed almost blindly, keeping most of his focus on the man trailing them.

<><><><><><><><><><><>

It had taken them almost half-a-hour to reach their destination and moved to a walk. Remy surveyed the area, while Mel guided him to wherever she was going; she hadn't said anything yet. There were little fires started so many feet, each with a person or two huddled around them. Some where just stacks of papers or other rubbish and other where in barrels.

"Jess, Damion!" Mel called out, making Gambit turn to see Melinda running over to two teenagers. Remy took his normal long strides to catch up to Mel and her group.

"Where is Kyle?" One of the boys asked, looking passed her and into the shadows. Mel's eyes glazed over a bit, Remy had walked over and was now standing behind her, placing his hand on her shoulder, trying to confront her.

"Yeah, and who the hell is this?" The other boy glared, with his pricing blue eyes, at Gambit. Gambit grunted in reply, looking down at Mel before answering.

"Name's LeBeau, you would be?" He didn't even notice the protective tone that overthrew his normal nonchalant voice.

"Jesse, now what do you want?"

"Nothing, boy." Remy swept the area once more.

"Come on, Mel, let's find somewhere safer, dis place is to wide out in the open. Don't worry, I'll make sure who ever followed us won't be doing it again." He whispered down to her.

"You ain't taking her anywhere, just who do you think you are?"

"I'll tell ya, ya litt--"

"Stop it, okay? Jess, this is, Remy he's my friend, Remy this is Jesse, the same thing applies. So chill out, Remy's right." Turning around, Mel located Damion, "Come on, Damion,"

"Coming."

"Where are the other two?" Mel asked.

"They went to find some more stuff to burn." Jesse put his hands over the small fire, which was quickly resetting.

"Remy..." Mel turned to face Remy.

"Yeah, yeah, we can stay around `til de show up, but we still need that cover, `til then."

"What's going on?" Damion walked over to her, checking Gambit over as he did.

"We're being followed." Mel said.

"Well, that clears it up a bunch," Jesse said as he frowned at the smaller girl before him.

"I'll explain in a minute." Throwing that over her back she continued to talk to Gambit. "How about under the bridge, where it meets the top? It's the only place that we'll be able to see the other two from." She pointed to a spot about fifty feet away to their right.

"Good thinkin’, petite."

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

"Ya going to be okay up here for a few minutes, I'm going to get some answers."

"Yeah, Remy, good luck." She kissed him on the forehead, before it ducked out of view and headed toward where they'd just come from. "Be careful!" She cried after him.

"So Mel what's going on?" Jesse let out a sigh as he slid down the cool cement.

"Someone is after me, they... they" she bit her lip, how was she going to tell them, was she going to cry again, oh god she hoped not. Damion crawled over to her, holding her hand, comforting her. "They killed Kyle." Her eyes became watery and a tear or two fell, but the sobs didn't follow, at least she didn't brake down this time.

"They what?" "What?" Both the boys tried to yell out at once.

After a long silence, and the boys took it in Jesse finally asked the simple question that lingered in the air, "How?"

"He was…" Damion pulled her close, hugging her, he needed it just as much as she did. Damion glared at Jesse, his void eyes digging at him 'how could he ask her that?' Jesse wasn't an insensitive person, he'd probably give his life for any one of them but it seemed that sometimes he forgot how young she was. Melinda pulled away, pushing her long uncut hair back away from her face, then lend against the cement as well.

<><><><><><><><><><><><><>

"I'll be askin` dis one more time, Mon Ami," a crack was heard as Remy hit the man against the wall again. "Who sent ya after the girl?" Remy's demon eye's flared, lighting his face up with a reddish glow.

"No... one, swear."

"Yeah right," came a growl. "Doubt dis will jog your memory, but it will make dis homme fell a lot better." Taking his fist, he slammed it into the man's noses, breaking it instantly.

"Ya leave de girl alone or I'll finish de job I've started." Hitting the man in the stomach again he let go allowing the man to fall to the concrete, causing him to cry out once more as his broken leg made contact with the cement.

<><><><><><><><><><><><><>

Sneaking back to where the children hid Remy felt different, like he was doing something well with his life, it made him feel like an X-Man again.

'But I ain't an X-Men, not no more, don't deserve ta be.' A mask engulfed Remy's face, hiding emotions. Reaching the bridge Remy spotted two more forms moving in the area, careful not to make a sound he approached the group.

"Oh god," he heard a female voice, it wasn't Mel, Mel didn't cry in that fashion.

"He can't be dead, I mean, what are we going to do?" Another unfamiliar voice rang out, this time a male.

"Oh come on, Tim, the man just died, forget about yourself for once, will ya?" That was his Mel, strong and caring. He didn't just not deserve to be an X-Man; he didn't deserve to have her love, either. He could leave just now, but he knows he has to stay, if just for a night. He needs to make sure no one comes after them again, besides no matter how much he knows he doesn't deserve to say good bye, he needs to.

"Shh... Michelle, it's okay." Gambit sensed, though his mutant ability, Jesse rocking the girl he had guessed was Michelle.

"I'm sorry, Mel, but it is important, he lead us, what are we going to do? Who is going to lead?"

"I will, Kyle said I was second in line, `sides I'm oldest."

"Michelle is the same age as you are, Jesse."

"Yeah, but I'm sorry to say I doubt she can handle the job. I'm sorry, Michelle, I didn't mean it to sound harsh, but you don't make decisions fast enough, and if we're in trouble..."

"Now wait a minute!" Damion jumped to his feet, just missing hitting his head.

"No, Damion, he's right." Michelle places her head on Jesse's shoulder as he raps his arm around her waist.

"But..."

"He's right, I don't and I agree with him. He'd make a better leader, besides I don't want the job. Don't worry about it Jess, I know you'd do better. And Kyle did appoint him next leader." Damion sat back down as Michelle ended.

"Sorry, man." Damion said as he looked towards Jesse.

"Yeah." He held out his fist, and Jesse hit it down in agreement.

"What about Remy? He could lead." Mel says out of the blue.

"Who?" Michelle/Tim said at the same time

"Remy. You'll meet him in a bit, he went off to get the guy following us."

"Wait, wait, wait. If there are people after us, how do we know that he's not one of them?" Tim chimed in.

"I know Remy. He wouldn't hurt any of us, so chill out."

"Tim, has a good a point, Mel. Yeah you know him, or think you do, but people aren't always what they seem on the outside. What if he's fooling you?" Jesse said.

"Hey, lay off of him." She snapped, embarrassed that she had exploded at her friends Mel headed out from under the bridge's cover.

"Hey, Mel, wait!" Michelle ran after her. Remy had moved to the top of the bridge and was now perched on the wall, but he had heard all they said.

"Come on, Mel, wait up." Melinda had already seen where Remy was sitting, she instantly went to his side, jumping up onto the wall herself.

"Mel, could you... Ahh!" Michelle jumped back about 3 feet, she hadn't noticed Gambit until she was right in front of him and the light slowly cast over his skin and his dark sunglasses. Michelle started to step back but as she did the light was blocked out, and the shadows had blanketed him once again.

"Sorry, chere, didn't mean ta frighten ya."

"You Remy?"

"Oui."

"Name's Michele."

"Mel," she whizzed by Gambit. "Come on, Mel, don't take it so hard it's just that, we're worried. We gotta be careful." Melinda still said nothing which just infuriated Michelle even more causing her to raise her voice. "Mel, stop acting like a little kid, `cause I know you aren't!"

"Yeah, don't need ta fight about me staying, I'm not." Michelle looked over at Gambit, while Melinda sat there gaping at him.

"What do ya mean your not staying?"

"I..." Remy started to say and then he looked over towards Melinda, "I can't." Gambit looked so small at that moment. Looking over at the closest thing she ever had to a father she felt the erg to smack him. He can't, what kind of an excuse is I can't!

"What!" It wasn't a question this time; she jumped up in front of him. "I thought ya cared about me!"

"I do, you know I do petite."

"Sure act like it!"

"Come on, Mel, I'm in no condition ta take care of you kids." He sighed. "I know somewhere you can go, great place, with great people. Your friends come, too."

"What is the matter with ya, Remy? You aren't acting like yourself. What happened? What happened to you, where is you I'll take on the world carefree sprit, what happened to the Remy who wasn't afraid of anything?!" She took a deep breath, not noticing the others coming, up to see what was up with the yelling. "Ya don't need ta take care of us!" Her voice shifted to a soft cry, "Just don't leave me again."

"Oh, I'm sorry, baby." He pulled he close once again. "I'm so sorry I left ya." A tear unseen by the rest slipped down his face. With a jerk of his head he signaled the rest to go back under the bridge.

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

"Where we going?" The group of four teenagers followed a tall reddish-brown hared man and a young girl walking next to him to god knows where.

"How are we supposed to know?" Damion snapped, he was worried, not for the group, he guessed he trusted Remy, but he was worried for Melinda. It just seemed, as she was about to break.

"Well ya can see in the dark, putz." His voice had a tint of venom to it.

"Damion, Timothy, both of you be quite." A female voice said sternly.

"But I just wanna kn..."

"Tim, not now." A warning was placed down on the table; no one dared to oppose it. The followed silently for the next half-hour, pondering all the things on their minds, bring up questions and fears and some relief. Finally, the two figures stopped waiting for them to catch up.

"So what did you find?"

"A place ta stay." A Cajun accent emerged from the shadows. They were now all standing on or around the front steps of and old abandoned church, the front doors were boarded and a locked tightly. Remy's shades had been removed and his red on black eye's now were reveled, the others fell silent as they stared at him. Remy disappeared around the corner of the building.

"He's going to look for a way in," Melinda informed them as if nothing had happened, she didn't think anything had.

"Mel… his eyes." Michelle tried to her friend in astonishment. "They're the same as yours. What are you not telling us? Who is he?"

"He's a friend."

"But your eye's are the same, how can that be if you're not related." Michelle went on, Jesse was trying to watch the others to see their reaction and to hear exactly how his Remy was.

Melinda frowned; she had tried to forget what had happened to her, she really didn't want to talk about it now, not on this day. "It's a long story, but we aren't family - well at least not in blood - I'd rather not talk about it now. Let me just put it this way, in a process to save my life he had to give me part of himself. It's not easy to explain and I'd rather not have to, maybe I'll tell you someday."

"That's okay, Mel, you don't have to." Damion spoke up.

"Is this place safe? I mean things are abandon for a reason, maybe it's not sturdy." Timothy tried desperately to chance the subject.

"I looks okay to me," Damion replied. "The roof seems fine and the rest is made out of stone."

"Damion, go help Remy look for an opening."

"Okay." Damion ran around the building.

"Hey, Damion wait up." Mel chased after him. Timothy looked over at Jesse anxiously looking back at where Melinda and Damion had gone off to.

"Go on." On Jesse's words sent Timothy in a run after the others. Jesse slipped his arm around Michelle's waist. "So what you thinking?"

Michelle snapped out of her daze, "About today, I guess." Knowing he'd give her a worried look if she would turn to him look at him she added a little more, "And you."

"Really?" He smiled sexily at her, when she tried to face him.

"Yep." She said for a matter of fact. Then they stood there for a while staring at each other. Jesse pulled her a little closer and she filled the gap of about an inch as she pressed her lips to his. A loud cough interrupted the two.

"What?" She whimpered to herself. The overly acted cough rang out again. Pushing off of Jesse she turned around. Gambit was standing there waiting, his arms were crossed but he was smiling inside.

"Found a way in, let's go." He waited for them to pass him before he moved, then took the rear. Timothy was waiting for them at the entrance they had found.

<><><><><><><><><><><>

"Mel, Damion, you find anything?" Remy called out.

"Besides a coat in the back and a few mats for the pews, not much." Damion called back.

"That will work for the night. Bring `em up here. You've gotta stay close by each other for a while, `Kay?" Remy walks back to where the other two are gathering things. "Leave one of dem back here, `Kay?"

"How come?" Mel piped up.

"I'm gonna sleep in this back room tonight. Tomorrow we'll find a spot for each of ya to have a room. Now go up there and do what Jesse tells ya."

"Okay, night, Remy." He kissed her on the forehead as she gave him a hug, then she ran carrying the rest of the things to the front of the church.

"Sleep well, Chile." Pulling his mattress into the corner Remy fell into it and went out like a light.

<><><><><><><><><><><>

"Okay, guys, stop fooling around and get over here." The other three that had been fooling around came to join Jesse and Michelle.

"What you need, Jess?" Melinda questioned.

"It's late and we need to be getting some rest soon." Before he received any groans he went on,

"Damion go up to the altar and look for some candles and matches, I can't see a thing in here."

"We don't need matches, I could use my power." Timothy said.

"No, Timothy, you don't have enough control over your powers yet."

"Damion could do it," Mel suggested.

"Let's just see if he can find anything first, huh? I don't think any of us has enough control over our powers to do that, yet. So lets just forget about it, unless we need to."

"Got `em!" Damion's voice echoed from a small room off to the side.

"Good, bring them here. Okay, the rest of you grab a mattress and stay close by." Damion walked out and gave everyone a candle, with a match. "Take one to Remy, too."

"Sure, be right back." Damion said with a mock salute and then floated on out of the room.

"We'll talk about what happened tomorrow, okay?" Jesse tried to stop them from worrying, at least for the night. He knew that this new job would be hard, he didn't like bossing his friends around nor did he like having this reasonability on his shoulders. But he had it and would prove himself.

"Sweet dreams, guys." Mel said.

"Night." Michelle plopped down on her thin mattress.

"Yeah, what she said." Damion pulled his mattress in-between the two girls.

"See ya in the morning." The last words were from Timothy.

<><><><><><><><><><><>

The sun had come up an hour ago but you couldn't see it though the boarded church windows. Only shards of light were let into the once vacant church. Now, three young mutants lay on the floor sleeping. Another two where in the loft and the last one was walking around, thinking and listening to the conversation up top.

"So what ya been doing, hon?" The man then grunted, after the sound of someone hitting something. Jesse, the boy listing, moved closer to the loft.

"What you mean?" The young girl with her long golden brown hair flowing down jumped up onto the balcony railing.

"All these years." The man looked over to the girl and then back to what he had been doing. "Be careful, petite."

"`Kay. Not much, been with the gang a while, actually, Kyle found me first."

"But you've been all right all these years, right? Nobody has been messing with you?"

"No, no one's messed with me." She smiled to herself silently laughing at the protective tone in his voice. Another grunt came from above.

"So you all mutants?" His question bland, almost sad. He felt for the kids, he'd been a kid once out on the streets and he knew what it was like to be a mutant.

"Yeah."

"How has your control gotten?"

"Okay, I guess."

"What can you do."

"I can keep the nightmares and visions away." She began to twiddle her thumbs.

"How long it take?" Gambit stopped punching the board, which had a rope tightly tried around it. He walked over to Melinda and into Jesse's view. Gambit's eyes where really quite like Mel's. Not just the appearance, but the emotions they gave off. They've seen too much for my age look that hung in their eye when they weren't laughing.

"Almost as long as I've had these powers, but it did get hard sometimes. Kyle helped me a little, but I can't do much but keep my power in check. I've only let my shield down a couple of times to use my powers since you left and it hurt every time."

"Den I guess we're going to haft to help you learn to control you're powers better, what you say?"

"I love to, what about the others could you help them? Timothy really needs the help, the others are okay, but Timothy can hardly control his powers."

"Sure, babe, whatever you want."

"Thank you, Remy!" She gave him a hug before returning to her spot and Remy back to his punching. His arms were getting soar, but he kept on going. His body was a mess from the way he had lived the last year, but now he had to be careful, he had a purpose, he was going to protect these children.

<><><><><><><><><><><>

The others where awake now and they were buzzing around the church like nuts, exploring the place finding whatever they could on Jesse's orders. Remy stayed in the loft watching the kids. They hadn't eaten yet, but Remy had taken some food for a bakery about five blocks away and fruit from a store across the street. He was waiting until they had finished to give it to them, he knew they'd be starving. Timothy kept looking up at him every time he passed. Remy would wave or smile at the boy as he did; finally getting the courage Timothy climbed up the stairs to talk to Remy.

"Hey, boy."

"Hi." He stood there nervously.

"What ya need?"

"Well, umm... Mel said that you might help me learn how to use my powers."

"You Timothy den?"

"Uh-huh."

"Den dat's what I said." He looked down at the others, most of them where back in the same area; it looked like it was time for a break. "You ready to eat?" He smiled at the boy as he headed for the stairs, grabbing a small bag.

"You've got food?"

"Well that's what most people eat," Remy grinned. Then yelled to the others while only half way down the steps.

***

"Can I have another one?" Damion asked Remy.

"Oui, here." Remy throws him another croissant. "Anyone else?"

"Over here." Michelle said.

"Yeah me to." Mel said.

"Can I have one, please?" Timothy said.

"How about you? Name's Jesse right?"

"Yeah - that's my name - I'll take one, too." A croissant landed in Jesse's hand.

"Would you like to know our code names?" Timothy asked eagerly.

"Sure, why not?" Remy grinned, the boy looked better with a smile on, not that shy, timed, look he seemed too normally ware.

"Kewl! My code name is Channel, because when I'm hit I gain energy and can blast it back out." The boy was proud of what he was, that was a good sign at least.

'Just like Bishop,' Remy thought. Remy still wondered and worried about what happened to his friend, he was afraid that Bishop may have died that day but there was always hope.

"The guys nick named me Rage... but I don't know why." Michelle said as she sat back, her blue bangs falling in her face. "I can fly and I'm pretty strong."

'Rogue' Remy wished he could get his mind off of the X-Men. Remy nodded as to say he was listening.

Jesse spoke next, "I'm Shift, because I have the power of teleportation."

"My nick is Nightvision, I can of course see in the dark and I also shoot beams of energy from my hand, I gain energy from the darkness." Damion said.

And last but not least Melinda, "Well you know my powers, but my name is Sight."

"So you got a team name?"

"No."

"How about de X-ternals?"

End of Part 1