Title: The eyes of a child

Author: Morgana (morganalebeau@yahoo.com)

Website: http://www.oocities.org/morganalebeau/

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The eyes of a child 5 - Discoveries

By Morgana

 

Several days later, Remy sneaked through the LeBeau mansion, still trying to draw as little attention as possible. So many things had happened since he had visited Philippe's grave. Jean-Luc had kept his word and had had the writing on the tombstone changed, adding some forget-me-nots as well. He had sobbed softly when they had visited the grave yesterday.

Now he was beginning to feel at home here and that scared him. He had never felt this cherished and welcome before and he was waiting for Jean-Luc and Mattie to throw him out. As he walked down the corridor, he headed for Jean-Luc's study. Jean-Luc had assured him that he could visit whenever he wanted and he had never seen a study before.

It felt liberating to be finally able to walk on his own. Although he still felt dizzy at times, he was recovering and the only thing that annoyed him was his cast. The skin beneath it itched terribly!

Remembering his manners, Remy knocked on the door and waited for Jean-Luc's answer.

"Oui?"

"It's Remy, m'sieur," he said softly, wondering if this was a good idea after all.

"Come inside, mon fils."

Remy cringed at hearing those last two words. He really didn't understand why Jean-Luc called him son. Cautiously, he looked inside. "I can go 'way 'gain," he offered, seeing Jean-Luc reading some papers.

"Non, petit. I 'ways enjoy your company." Jean-Luc put the papers aside and gestured Remy to approach. It was the first time the boy had taken the initiative and it pleased him that Remy was growing more confident.

Soundlessly, Remy walked over to the couch in the corner of the study, his eyes always on Jean-Luc. When he sat down, he jumped up again as an angry growl echoed through the room. Remy froze in his tracks, scared to look down at what was causing the growls. "Sorry, m'sieur, didn' know, didn' look..."

"Remy, meet Napoleon," Jean-Luc chuckled, walked over to the couch and picked up the big, fat, orange tomcat. Napoleon usually disliked strangers, but he hoped the tomcat would make an exception for Remy. As far as he knew Remy had never had a pet before and maybe the boy would like taking care of Napoleon. Please behave, he pleaded privately as he petted Napoleon.

Remy's big eyes betrayed his surprise and nervousness. He'd seen cats and dogs before, even rats and mice in the building where he and Philippe had lived, but this cat was huge! Shuffling his feet, he wondered what Jean-Luc expected him to do. He hid his hands behind his back, making sure he couldn't knock anything over accidentally.

"Would you like to pet him?" Jean-Luc watched Remy's face, seeing hope and uncertainty battle there and he wondered which would be victorious.

"Would like to, m'sieur, mais I don' t'ink he'll let me." The cat looked majestic, staring at him suspiciously.

"Remy, sit down." Jean-Luc waited until Remy had made himself comfortable and then walked over to him. "Open your arms."

"What 'bout de cast, m'sieur? He won' like dat..." Remy's voice sounded tiny and nervous.

Jean-Luc sat down beside Remy and waited for the boy to extend his arms. Slowly, hoping Napoleon would co-operate, he placed the tomcat in Remy's arms. The boy's eyes turned impossibly huge, feeling the soft fur and weight settle on his lap.

"He's heavy, m'sieur." Remy didn't dare move, afraid the cat would leap off his lap again. Cocking his head, he tried to catch the cat's blue eyes. Nervously, he licked his lips.

Jean-Luc smiled, took hold of Remy's left hand and rested it on Napoleon's head. "He likes it when you rub behind his ears."

"He's gonna jump off my lap, m'sieur!" Why would such a magnificent cat want to stay?

Seeing Napoleon stretch on the boy's lap, Jean-Luc felt confident that the tomcat accepted Remy. "Rub behind his ears," he repeated encouragingly.

Gingerly, Remy touched the silky fur and then Napoleon's head. "He's soft, m'sieur."

Napoleon leaned into the touch and Remy rubbed behind his ears as Jean-Luc had told him. The fur was one of the most amazing things he'd ever felt, so soft, so warm. Cautiously, he tried to pull Napoleon closer to his chest to cuddle the cat.

Jean-Luc briefly held his breath, hoping Napoleon truly accepted Remy as part of the family. The tomcat didn't disappoint him; Napoleon began to purr luxuriously, pushing his head against Remy's hand, urging the boy to continue stroking his head.

A huge smile flashed across Remy's features. "He's stayin'... why?" He wanted to never let go of Napoleon, to carry the cat with him wherever he went, even hold him during the night, but Napoleon would never allow it so he treasured these rare moments.

"He likes you, Remy," Jean-Luc said pleased and ruffled the boy's hair. However, Remy flinched away and he quickly broke the contact, studying the boy instead. "I like you too, Remy."

Remy tightened his hold on the cat. This was it; the moment he'd feared all along! "You like me? What's your pleasure, m'sieur? Want me to suck you off or..." Remy felt silent as Jean-Luc jumped to his feet and marched back to his desk. "M'sieur?"

"Don' you ever offer yourself to me 'gain, Remy! I'm not a john and you're not a hustler, understood?"

Remy shrunk back, pulled up his knees and crushed Napoleon against his chest. The tomcat mewed in protest, but didn't try to claw his way out. "Sorry, m'sieur, I t'ought... I don' understand... why else are you helpin' me?"

Staring into Remy's clueless eyes, Jean-Luc sighed. He should have known better, should have controlled his anger, which wasn't aimed at Remy, but at himself for failing the boy when he had only been a helpless baby. Slowly, giving Remy time to compose himself, he returned to the couch and sat on his heels in front of Remy. Poor Napoleon... Remy was crushing the tomcat against his chest and the fact that Napoleon allowed it surprised him.
"Remy, you can ease your hold on Napoleon. He isn' leavin'." Jean-Luc desperately searched for the right words.

Shocked, Remy realized that he was slowly suffocating Napoleon and let go abruptly. The tomcat dropped from his lap, but landed on his feet, licking his fur. Remy didn't believe his eyes when Napoleon jumped back onto his lap and began to massage his belly with his paws. "What's he doin', m'sieur?"

Jean-Luc felt relieved now that the emotional storm had passed. Remy was completely focused on the cat and had seemingly forgotten about their argument. "He t'inks you're his mère. Cats continue to do dis even after dey left deir litter."

"It... tickles," Remy chuckled softly.

"Remy, did you ever have a pet?"

"Pet, m'sieur?" Remy avoided Jean-Luc's eyes. Hopefully Jean-Luc wouldn't remember what they had been discussing originally because he felt ashamed for thinking Jean-Luc wanted a blowjob as payment for his care. Stupid, stupid, stupid!

"Oui, a pet. Napoleon is my pet. I look after him, feed him, pet him... would you like to take over for me? Napoleon needs a lot of attention and I'm busy workin' most of de time." Remy's big eyes told him he had hit bull's eye. "You would like dat, oui?" Poor Napoleon. Sorry, mon ami, Remy will not easily let go now he has a hold on you. But Napoleon's wise expression reassured him. It was like the cat knew Remy needed him.

"Can I, m'sieur? I'll take bon care of him... will feed him, pet him..." Remy was rambling and his eyes flared bright red, then dampened again. "Mais non, I can' do dat. He's yours, m'sieur."

"He's our pet, Remy, oui?" Jean-Luc gave Remy a look filled with hope. "Please accept dis li'l gift from me to you?"

Remy nodded his head weakly and felt like he needed to apologize. "I'm sorry, m'sieur."

"Why are you sorry?" Jean-Luc carefully watched Remy rub behind Napoleon's ears.

"For t'inkin' dat you... dat you wanted me to... suck you off... to pay you back... I jus' don' understand why you're takin' care of me." Remy bowed his head in defeat, closed his eyes and concentrated on cuddling the tomcat. "I'm still scared you'll hand me over to de Antiquary or t'row me out onto de streets 'gain. I can' believe I'm dis lucky."

Jean-Luc nodded his head once. "I understand, Remy, I really do, mais dis is for real, oui?" One day I'll have to tell you dat I stole you from de hospital and delivered you into de Antiquary's hands, mais not yet. You need to gain strength first.

A comfortable silence descended on the study and Jean-Luc found that Remy's eyes were closing. "Are you tired, Remy?"

"A petit peu, m'sieur. It's been de first time I left my room on my own..." Until now either tante or Jean-Luc had helped him getting around. "Mais I don' wanna leave Nappie yet."

"Nappie?" Jean-Luc raised an eyebrow, but the dignified tomcat seemed to accept the nickname as he licked Remy's left hand. "Why don' you take him wit' you?"

"Can' walk and carry him at de same time, m'sieur. I would drop him..." Remy yawned and rested his head against the cushions. Rain was crashing against the window and he smiled, melancholy. "I hate rain."

"You do?" Jean-Luc picked up Napoleon and put him on the floor. Then he lifted Remy in his arms and carried the sleepy boy back to his room. Napoleon followed and jumped onto Remy's bed when Jean-Luc put the boy in its center. Knowing that Remy didn't want him to undress him, Jean-Luc simply covered him with a blanket. He had tried undressing Remy once when he had been half asleep and the boy had started fighting him, reliving some horrid memories.

Napoleon curled up beside Remy and the boy wrapped his arms around the tomcat. "Poor Napoleon," Jean-Luc whispered.

"I heard dat... want him back?" Remy failed to open his eyes. Napoleon radiated heat and made him feel warm from the inside. It was like the tomcat was inside his mind, but this time he didn't shrink back in fear like when the Antiquary had drained him. Napoleon felt warm, and a protective blanket wrapped itself around his thoughts, luring him into relaxation.

"It's startin', Jean."

Jean-Luc startled hearing Mattie's voice. He hadn't heard her enter the room. "What is?"

"His powers... I don' think he's a telepath," Mattie said, walking over to the bed and stroking Remy's hair. "An empath mebbe."

"Empath?" Frowning, Jean-Luc's gaze shifted from Remy to Mattie. "Can you teach him how to control his power?"

"I can try," Mattie whispered, smiling. "He's a good chile, Jean. Stop worryin'. Remy will be fine."

"I hope so." Jean-Luc released a sigh and left Remy's room, giving Mattie and Remy some privacy as she started undressing the boy. I really hope so, Mattie. Remy's been so badly hurt... so badly... can our love heal him? Jean-Luc looked over his shoulder and found that Remy was sound asleep. I'll love you so much that you'll have to heal, Remy. I won' fail you' gain.

///

Jean-Luc hugged Henri, welcoming his son home at last. Henri had been away on Guild matters and it had taken him longer than expected to wrap everything up in New York. "Mon fils, it's good to have you back."

Henri smiled as well and patted his father's back. "It's good to be back!"

Jean-Luc and Henri walked to his study and the first thing Henri noticed was Napoleon's absence. "Did somethin' happen to Napoleon while I was 'way?"

"Sit down, Henri. I need to tell you some things." Jean-Luc filled two glasses with Bourbon and handed his son one. "About four months ago we tried to sprin' de chile with de alien eyes, remember?"

"Oui." Henri sipped his Bourbon. "And we failed. What's got dis to do with Napoleon?"

"I ran into de boy a week ago. He's been stayin' with me ever since. Napoleon kinda adopted de boy."

Henri was surprised, but managed to hide it. "What are your plans regardin' de boy?" His father had never told him why he wanted to free the child, he had just followed Jean-Luc's orders. He trusted his father to have good reasons for taking the boy as his protégé.

"I wanna adopt him." Jean-Luc watched his son carefully.

"Adopt him?" Henri put his glass down and began pacing the study. "Dat's a big step. Why?"

"I owe Remy big time."

"Remy?"

"Dat's de name he gave himself," Jean-Luc explained. "He hated de name de Antiquary had given him."

"You want to make dis official?" Henri considered everything he had heard and wondered what hold the boy had over his father.

"Oui." Jean-Luc walked over to his son and rested his hand on Henri's shoulder. "Lemme tell you what he's been through. Mebbe den you'll understand." They sat down on the couch and Jean-Luc told his son what had happened to Remy after the boy had escaped the Antiquary.

///

Henri studied Remy closely. A layer of blankets covered the boy and he could see Napoleon's whiskers above the fabric. Remy had a dead grip on the tomcat. The boy looked smaller than he remembered; but his face showed deep lines, even in sleep. Jean-Luc had told him about Remy being a hustler, about Philippe, his grave and trying to pick his father's pocket. Jean-Luc definitely had a weak spot for the boy. What do I do? Accept or fight dis?

Remy wouldn't present any danger to his position; he would always be Jean-Luc's firstborn and true flesh and blood. His ego could take having an adopted brother. "Did you 'ready tell him 'bout your plans?"

"Non, I wanted you to know first, mais my mind's made up, Henri. I will adopt him."

"Remy LeBeau..." Henri said softly. "Why not."

Jean-Luc smiled. "Now, keep in mind dat he's probably an empath. Remy will figure out if you really accept him or if you're only pretendin'."

"Oui, he's a mutant," Henri recalled. "Do you t'ink he has other powers as well?"

"I don' know much 'bout mutants. Mattie's de expert, mais she said it's unlikely mutants have more dan one power." Jean-Luc sat down on the side of the bed and stroked Remy's hair. The boy moved restlessly, trying to squirm away from Jean-Luc's hand and he stopped the caress. He didn't want to evoke any flashbacks.

"When will Marcel make dis official?" Marcel was their lawyer and would handle the adoption.

"He will drop by tomorrow. I want you to be present as well."

Henri nodded his head. "I'm lookin' forward to gettin' to know my petit frère."

Jean-Luc truly hoped Henri was being honest with him. "He needs a big brother."

"Don' worry, I'll be one."

///

Remy yawned, rubbed his eyes and hugged Napoleon upon waking up. "Good mornin'," he whispered into the tomcat's ear. "I'm glad you stayed." But it was more than that. Napoleon was still inside his mind and the cat's presence was comforting and warmed his chilly soul. "Dis will be our li'l secret, non? We won' tell dem."

It surprised him that Napoleon's presence in his mind didn't freak him out. It brought back bad memories about the Antiquary, but having Napoleon this close also soothed his troubled mind. The cat had also been responsible for his peaceful sleep, somehow keeping the nightmares away.

Was this Napoleon's doing or his? How was it possible that he felt the cat in his mind? "You're mon ami, oui?"

In the doorway Mattie watched them and realized she had to teach him how to control his powers. But that also meant telling Remy that she was a telepath and the only telepath Remy had ever known was the Antiquary. The boy would fear her and never let her get close again. She had to bide her time and wait for the right opportunity to show Remy that not all telepaths fed on others to stay alive.

"Mornin' chile. It's time to rise and shine!" Remy was startled and Mattie pretended not seeing his apprehension. She wanted him to feel safe for now and didn't mention her worries. "Need me to help you get dressed?" Remy's right wrist was still in a cast and made it hard for him to dress himself.

"I wanna try on my own." Remy didn't want to release Napoleon, but sensed that the cat needed to stretch his legs and get a bite to eat, so he let go. He climbed out of bed and walked into the bathroom to splash some water onto his face. He wanted to take a quick shower or bath, but something told him tante didn't have the time to wrap his cast in plastic this morning. Within minutes he brushed his teeth, combed his hair, stepped into some jeans and put on a sweater. He was actually quite pleased with himself that he'd managed to do all this without Mattie's help.

To his delight, Napoleon was still on his bed, waiting for him. "Nappie!" He jumped back onto the bed and rubbed the tomcat's tummy.

Mattie watched them, smiling gently. "Come on, chile. Napoleon's hungry and so are you."

Remy followed Mattie to the kitchen and sat down to eat his breakfast. "You'e tryin' to fatten me up!"

"Oui, I am," Mattie admitted as she put Napoleon's food into a bowl, feeding him. "Jean-Luc wants to see you after you're done eatin'."

Remy was busy shoveling his food into his mouth and Mattie sighed. "Slow down, chile, or you'll have another stomach ache." No matter what she tried or said, Remy couldn't slow down eating.

"Why does m'sieur want to see me?" Remy asked between two bites of bacon and eggs.

Mattie shrugged her shoulders. "I don' know," she said, lying. She knew Jean-Luc wanted to tell Remy about the adoption and introduce him to Henri and she didn't want to spoil the surprise. "And why do you keep callin' him m'sieur? He asked you to call him Jean-Luc."

Remy actually smiled shyly. "Don' know, Mattie."

"Now you're playin' games with tante!" she chided him. Remy had finished breakfast and she shooed him toward Jean-Luc's study. "Don' keep him waitin'!"

Remy was already half-way to Jean-Luc's study when he quickly turned and ran back to the kitchen.

"Chile, what?" Mattie smiled as Remy picked up Napoleon. It took the boy a lot of effort to lift the heavy tomcat and Remy swayed on his feet. "You'd betta start eatin' more! Napoleon weighs more dan you do!"

Remy chuckled and managed to lift the cat to his chest. "You're comin' wit' me... not leavin' me 'lone."

When he finally arrived at Jean-Luc's study he realized he couldn't knock because he had his hands full of cat. "Huh? M'sieur?" he called out instead.

"Remy?" Jean-Luc opened the door and grinned, seeing the boy's predicament. "Want me to take Napoleon?"

"Non, I can manage!" Remy stepped inside, but froze, seeing the two strangers. His bravado disappeared and he moved closer to Jean-Luc, seeking the man's protection.

Jean-Luc noticed Remy's fear and sat on his heels in front of the boy. "I want you to meet dese people. Dey're friends." Remy nodded his head, but obviously distrusted the strangers. After rising to his feet again, Jean-Luc guided Remy to his desk. "Remy, put Napoleon onto de couch."

Remy sighed, but obeyed at once. "Oui, m'sieur."

"Remy, I want you to meet Henri LeBeau, he's mon fils." Jean-Luc watched Remy's reaction closely and saw the shock in the boy's eyes.

"You're his son?" Remy stared at Henri and quickly averted his eyes.

Henri and Jean-Luc exchanged a look. Henri smiled, mimicked his father's move and went down on his heels so he was level with Remy. "Bonjour, Remy." He offered the boy his hand.

Remy awkwardly accepted it. "Bonjour, m'sieur." Why hadn't Jean-Luc told him he had a son? Now he felt guilty for taking up Jean-Luc's time when he should have been spending it with his son!

"And this is Marcel, he's my lawyer. Do you know what dat word means?" Jean-Luc asked.

"Tante's teachin' me new words, oui, I know..." Remy searched his memory. "Mais I don' know how to explain it."

"He deals with official matters, Remy, and I asked him to come here because I want to make dis official." Jean-Luc signaled Remy to stand beside him behind the desk. Remy obeyed hesitantly. "I know you can' read yet," Jean-Luc started, seeing shame in Remy's eyes. "Don' worry, you'll learn how to read and write, mais right now you'll have to trust me."

Jean-Luc noted that Remy nodded his head, but didn't confirm he trusted him. It's probably too soon for dat. Jean-Luc cleared his throat and pointed at the paper. "Dis is your name right here."

"It says Remy?" He forgot about Henri and Marcel and cocked his head, recognizing the "E" which tante had taught him to write.

"It says Remy LeBeau." Jean-Luc held his breath, watching Remy closely.

"M'sieur? I don' understand." Helplessly, Remy looked at Jean-Luc. What game was Jean-Luc playing? Mais non, he doesn' play games.

"I want to adopt you, Remy. I want you as mon fils." Jean-Luc smiled as Remy's eyes widened in shocked surprise. "I want you to be part of dis family."

The first thing he felt at hearing those words was pure joy and he barely controlled the urge to throw his arms around Jean-Luc's neck and to hug him, but then he shook his head. "Merci, m'sieur, mais I can' accept."

Frowning, Jean-Luc cupped Remy's chin in the palm of his hand and sought out the boy's eyes. "And why's dat?"

"Henri is your fils. He needs you... can' take his père 'way from him." An incredible sadness slipped into his swimming eyes. He wanted Jean-Luc as his father, wanted the man to take care of him, but couldn't take him away from Henri!

Henri reacted at once and walked up to Remy. "Petit, come here and talk to me." He guided Remy to the couch and sat him down. Automatically, Remy's hand went in search of Napoleon to touch the fur. Henri smiled, convinced that his father was doing the right thing. "Remy?" He waited for Remy to look at him before he continued and he cringed seeing the lost expression in the red on black eyes. This boy desperately needed a father and family.

Remy trembled, wondering just how mad Henri was at him for trying to take away his father.

"Jean-Luc's a bon père, Remy. He raised me well, at least I t'ink so, mais you need him more dan I do. You need a père to take care of you. I'll 'ways love my père and I want you to love him too. Please, Remy?"

Remy's eyes went from nearly orange to bright red during his little speech and Henri watched the transformation in fascination. "You'd be mon petit frère, oui? We can do t'ings as a family."

Tears flowed down Remy's cheek. "Are you sure, m'sieur?" He couldn't believe Henri accepted him like this!

"I'm sure, oui." Henri pulled Remy gently to his feet and walked him back to Jean-Luc's desk where he picked up a pen and put it into Remy's left hand. "Lemme help?"

Remy nodded his head and watched in amazement as Henri guided his hand into writing his name beneath Jean-Luc's. Was this really happening?

Jean-Luc practically radiated happiness and contentment as he wrapped his arms around Remy, who oddly enough allowed it, not kicking to free himself. "You're Remy LeBeau now."

Remy tried to wipe away his tears, but found that Jean-Luc had a tight hold on him. So he surrendered instead, resting his head on Jean-Luc's shoulder and soaking up the man's compassion and love.

"Call me poppa?" Jean-Luc met Remy's eyes and smiled encouragingly.

"Ain' sure," Remy whispered, peeking to see if Henri was really okay with this. Henri nodded his head and Remy finally found the courage to address Jean-Luc. "Poppa."

Jean-Luc sighed, relieved that things had worked out and hugged his son. "You'll 'ways have a home here, mon fils." He held Remy close while the boy cried.

Poppa... poppa... I got a père, a père who loves me! Remy buried his head against Jean-Luc's chest and let go of all the feelings, which he had kept bottled up inside.

"Je t'aime, petit." Jean-Luc stroked the soft hair.

"Je t'aime, poppa."

A solitary tear made its way down Jean-Luc's cheek hearing those three little words.

 

Chapter Six - First times

"Remy, we need to talk." Mattie and Jean-Luc exchanged a pleased look as Remy approached. The boy had been at the LeBeau household for over a year now and barely resembled the scared hustler they had taken in at all. Feeding Remy healthy food and making him work out had improved his physical condition and they were now here to deal with the emotional side.

"Tante, poppa." Remy smiled, showing off his white teeth. The dentist had shaken his head in disbelief when he had first taken a seat in the dentist chair, but investing money and time had certainly paid off.

"You keep growin', don' you?" Jean-Luc remarked teasingly. "We need to buy new clothes 'gain. One shoppin' trip comin' up... Mattie can take you."

Although Remy felt much more comfortable around Jean-Luc and Mattie, he always reminded himself how lucky he had been to pick Jean-Luc's pocket that day. "Henri said I did well on de agility test." Remy blushed. "He said I'd make a fine t'ief, be a grand addition to de Guild."

Jean-Luc nodded his head, remembering the surprise on Remy's face when he had told the boy about the Guild. Remy had been very eager to make Jean-Luc proud and had worked hard on becoming the best thief there was. "You'll make a great t'ief, Remy." He reached out and ruffled Remy's long hair. He had suggested cutting it, claiming long hair could hamper a thief, but Remy had declined and he respected his son's wishes. "Mais dat's not why we wanna talk to you."

Remy's eyes darkened and Jean-Luc realized the boy still felt insecure, probably always would, no matter how much he reassured Remy. "Come, sit wit' us." Jean-Luc picked up Napoleon, who'd felt neglected lately now that Remy devoted more time to his studies and dropped the tomcat on Remy's lap. Napoleon purred as Remy rubbed behind his ears.

"Bonjour, mon ami," Remy whispered, staring into the cat's eyes. Napoleon's mind was strong, remarkably strong for an animal and he soaked up the cat's affection for him. In return, he rubbed Napoleon's belly.

"What do you wanna talk to me 'bout?" Remy said hesitantly, hoping he hadn't displeased or disappointed the two people that meant the world to him.

"You're doin' remarkably well wit' your studies," Jean-Luc started, trying to reassure Remy, "mais we never discussed your feelings."

"My feelings?" Remy frowned. "I don' understand." Didn't Jean-Luc know how thankful he was that the Patriarch had taken him in? Didn't they know how much he loved them? That they were the only ones he trusted?

"We know all dat, chile," Mattie said, steering the conversation toward her telepathy. "We know you love us, trust us and how grateful you are."

Remy jumped to his feet and Napoleon's reflexes kicked in, making sure the tomcat landed safely on his feet. "You know what I was t'inkin'!" Remy's eyes narrowed and his old suspicions surfaced again, accompanied by bad memories featuring the Antiquary. The old monster had known what he had been thinking as well! Dazedly, he stared at Mattie, moving away from her.

Mattie sighed. "Oui, I'm a telepath, Remy."

"Jus' like de Antiquary." He'd learned a lot since living with the LeBeau's. "What do you want?" He closed his eyes against the memories, not wanting to relive them after all this time. "Why don' you leave me 'lone?" He rested his forehead against the wall; why was Mattie doing this to him?

"Non, I'm not like de Antiquary. I don' feed on your life energy, Remy." Mattie walked toward him, but refrained from touching him. He didn't trust her right now and would only grow more distant. "I wanna help."

Remy's eyes met hers. "Help?" Could he still trust her? She had said she didn't want his life energy, but she wanted something from him.

"I wanna teach you how to control your empathy. You need strong shields and..."

"Empathy?" Remy's eyes grew big.

"Oui, you're an empath. You read emotions like I read thoughts." Mattie gave him a thoughtful look. "You've been broadcastin' dese last few days. You're gettin' stronger and you need to learn how to deal wit' it."

"I ain' an empat'," Remy whispered, shocked.

"Den how come you feel Napoleon in your mind? Your empathy grew after Jean gave you Napoleon to care for, don' deny it, chile."

"I don' wanna be an empat'," Remy mumbled, lost. What was an empath?

"You have a beautiful gift, chile. Lemme teach you." Mattie extended her hand, hoping Remy still trusted her. "I'll never let you down, Remy. I want what's best for you. Please, trust me... petit."

Hearing that endearment made Remy decide to accept her offer. "You took me in, gave me a reason to live," he started and his gaze shifted from Mattie to Jean-Luc, "I want bot' of you to be proud of me."

"You're a great student, Remy, and you'll master dis as well. You make me very proud." Jean-Luc rested his hand on Remy's shoulder, noticed the shiver that washed through Remy's body, but squeezed his son's shoulder nonetheless, trying to show Remy how much he cared. "Listen to Mattie, mon fils, and make me proud."

Remy's eyes glowed. "I will."

///

Henri carried Mattie's suitcase to the black Sedan. They were leaving for New York on Guild matters. Jean-Luc was feeling a bit under the weather, coming down with the flu and had opted to rest and spend some time with Remy instead.

Mattie locked eyes with Remy. You be a good chile while tante's gone. They had been working on strengthening Remy's shields and as well as being a strong empath, the boy had turned out to be a weak telepath as well. After Remy's initial reluctance to use telepathic speech the boy had turned out to be a natural. His shields were strong enough to lock her out and he could control his empathy to a certain degree. We will continue to work on dis once I'm back.

Oui, tante. Remy glanced at Henri and Jean-Luc. The two men knew tante and he were talking telepathically, but didn't know what that conversation was about. He still tried to stay on Henri's good side, scared Henri might feel jealous of the time Jean-Luc spend with him instead of with his real flesh and blood. Although Henri tried to make him feel like part of the family, Remy would never forget he was only adopted.

Mattie and Henri slipped into the back seat and the driver keyed the ignition; Remy and Jean-Luc waved goodbye.

Remy felt the fatigue in Jean-Luc's mind and knew that the flu was hitting hard. Jean-Luc had been working too hard and too many hours and his body was paying the toll. Suddenly Jean-Luc's hand settled on his shoulder and he barely repressed the reflex to pull away. Instead, he offered Jean-Luc the support he was looking for. "Wanna go inside 'gain?"

"Mebbe I should lie down for a bit," Jean-Luc whispered. Was he running a fever? A coughing fit almost doubled him over. "Mon Dieu, dis cold means business."

Concerned, Remy looked at Jean-Luc. "Poppa?"

"What are you sensin'?"

"Cold's gonna hit hard."

Jean-Luc smiled. "Help me to my study? I'll lie down on de couch for an hour. Dat should do de trick." His smile brightened, seeing Remy's frown. The boy would probably turn into a mother hen now Mattie wasn't here!

"Poppa?" Remy licked his lips. He had never contradicted Jean-Luc before and felt nervous. "You should go to bed. De couch will only wreck your back."

"Are you tellin' me I'm gettin' old, chile?" Jean-Luc chuckled, but then started to cough again. "Mebbe you're right. Take me to my room instead."

Pleased, Remy guided Jean-Luc to his private chambers. He had only been here once or twice before when the nightmares had turned so bad that Jean-Luc had let him sleep in his bed.

Jean-Luc sat down on his bed and sighed deeply, which set off another coughing fit. "Merde!"

"I can get you some hot tea," Remy offered, eager to take care of Jean-Luc. He closed the curtains, switched on a lamp and helped Jean-Luc remove his boots.

"Dis is absurd! I'm never ill! I don' get de flu!" Jean-Luc panted for breath, feeling an increasing pressure in his lungs. He started to lie down but Remy stopped him, fluffing his pillows so he wasn't completely horizontal. "I would like some tea." Remy's eyes glowed with pleasure and Jean-Luc smiled despite feeling nauseous and dizzy. Remy will baby me to deat'!

"What kinda tea would you like, poppa?" Remy tucked the blanket around Jean-Luc's form. He had never had the chance to take care of Jean-Luc and he wanted to do everything right.

"Chamomile, wit' a hint of lemon? Steamin' hot?" Jean-Luc actually enjoyed seeing Remy fuss over him.

"One hot tea comin' up!" Remy started for the door, then looked over his shoulder. "Are you comfortable, poppa? Anyt'in' else you want me to fetch?"

"Hot tea is jus' fine, Remy." Jean-Luc sighed relieved when Remy had left his room. Even Mattie wasn't this bad! He won' hardly let me out of his sight...

///

Remy hurried back to Jean-Luc, carrying the tray with hot tea and crackers. He was humming softly, determined to take care of Jean-Luc until his father felt better. "Poppa?"

"I'm still 'wake, Remy..." Jean-Luc sneezed and realized he didn't have any tissues.

"Want me to get you some tissues?" Remy handed Jean-Luc the mug filled with hot tea.

"You're cheatin', petit."

Remy felt caught in the act. Jean-Luc had given him permission to peak at his mind, but he still felt hesitant to do so. Jean-Luc had formidable shields himself and he wouldn't be able to read his father's thoughts if Jean-Luc didn't want him to.

"Tissues, right." Remy looked about and headed for the bathroom. He placed the box with tissues next to Jean-Luc and stood in front of the bed, wondering what to do next. Jean-Luc blew his nose and Remy giggled.

"What?"

"Your nose is glowin'," Remy remarked teasingly.

"Why don' you fetch Napoleon and keep me company? It's been a while since we talked."

Napoleon walked into the room, looked at them and settled down at the foot of Jean-Luc's bed.

"He must have heard dat," Jean-Luc teased. "Remy, come here." He patted the space next to him and noticed that the old wariness returned to Remy's eyes. "You know you can trust me, petit."

Remy sat cross-legged on the bed and watched Jean-Luc closely. "What?"

"You're doin' so well, Remy. When I took you in, I hoped you'd recover, mais I feared it was too late." He had wanted to tell Remy about his betrayal several times, but had chickened out. How could he tell Remy he had delivered him into the Antiquary's hands? "You feel at home here?"

Remy quickly nodded his head. "Oui, love it here."

Jean-Luc speech was stopped short by another coughing fit. "Mer..." He didn't even get the chance to finish the word, feeling weak and cold.

Remy left the bed to collect another blanket and placed it on top of the first. "Warmer?"

"Merci, Remy." Sipping his tea, Jean-Luc felt at peace, in spite of being ill.

///

"Dis... is... disgustin'!" Jean-Luc cringed; a sneezing bout had taken him by surprise and his hands were covered in snot. His eyes stung, he felt weak and chills wracked his body. Thankfully, Remy was still at his side eighteen hours later, bringing him hot tea and a new load of tissues. "You should get some sleep as well, Remy."

"I'm bien," Remy whispered, helping Jean-Luc sip his tea, supporting his father's hand. "I like takin' care of you." The words escaped his lips before he realized what he was saying. Lowering his eyes, he stared at the crackers Jean-Luc had refused to eat, claiming he was nauseous.

Jean-Luc smiled encouragingly. "I like takin' care of you too. We're quite a pair, Remy." Suddenly, his stomach contracted. "Remy, bathroom, now!"

Remy grabbed Jean-Luc around the waist and supported him while they made their way to the bathroom. Jean-Luc lunged for the porcelain bowl and emptied his stomach. After everything had left his digestive tract, dry heaves continued to torment him. He was very much aware of Remy, who was rubbing his back and brushing back his hair. De roles are certainly reversed.

"Poppa? Want me to call tante or Olivier?" Remy was getting worried, feeling the exhaustion in Jean-Luc's mind.

"Let's give it another 12 hours, bien? If I don' feel betta by den, we'll call Olivier." Jean-Luc sat back and leaned his back against the wall.

Remy flushed the toilet again and looked lost.

"Mouthwash?" Jean-Luc suggested, but Remy shook his head.

"Non, you should brush your teet' or you'll never get rid of de taste."

Jean-Luc chuckled again. "You'd make a bon nurse, Remy. Sure you wanna be t'ief?" He dragged himself to his feet and picked up his toothbrush. "Toothpaste?"

Remy uncapped the tube and handed it to Jean-Luc. He felt proud that he could help Jean-Luc and that his father was leaning on him. I'll take bon care of him...

After brushing his teeth, Jean-Luc returned to his bed and pushed away the tea. The mere sight of it made him nauseous again. "Remy?"

Remy sat beside him and absentmindedly cradled Jean-Luc's hand in his. "It'll get betta, poppa."

"Dat's what I said when I'd jus' taken you in." Jean-Luc closed his eyes. The pressure on his lungs was gone now and he hoped he would continue to improve. "You never gave up, petit. Must have been hard on you."

"You know what de hardest part was?" Remy soothingly rubbed Jean-Luc's fingers, marveling at how much bigger his father's hand was than his.

"What?" Jean-Luc opened his eyes again to search Remy's.

"To believe dat you didn' want some sort of payback... dat you didn' want... me in dat way." Remy bit his bottom lip. "De Antiquary wanted my life energy, Philippe used me to finance his drug habit and de johns... dey jus' wanted sexual favors. It was so hard to believe you were different. I was afraid to believe..."

Jean-Luc caressed Remy's fingers, regretting that this boy had suffered so greatly because of a mistake he had made almost eleven years ago. Which reminds me... It's Remy's birthday today, mais I can' tell him, can' explain why I know dat fact.

"You seem betta," Remy said, trying to cover up his embarrassment by switching topics.

"I feel betta, mebbe you can get me some orange juice?"

"Mais oui." Remy regretted letting go of Jean-Luc's hand but did so anyway. These intimate moments had become rare these last few weeks.

Jean-Luc used Remy's absence to reach beneath his bed. It would take Remy a few minutes to get the orange juice. He was panting by the time he had lifted Remy's gift from the floor and dropped it onto the bed. Fortunately, the content wasn't fragile.

"Poppa? Your orange juice." Remy handed the glass to Jean-Luc and noticed the giftwrapped package that had miraculously appeared on the bed. He pretended to ignore it, but couldn't help wondering what it was doing there.

"Open it, mon fils." Jean-Luc knew Remy was going to like his present because he had seen the boy admire it when Mattie had dragged him with them on a shopping trip.

Remy's hands trembled when he removed the gift wrapping. Why would Jean-Luc buy him something? His eyes widened, seeing the leather jacket inside. "Poppa?"

"I saw you admire it, mais you never ask for anythin' so I decided to buy it for you. Try it on." Jean-Luc nodded his head as Remy slipped into the leather jacket. "A perfect fit."

"Merci, poppa, mais why?" His fingers caressed the smooth leather and he avoided Jean-Luc's eyes. Getting gifts made him uncomfortable; he always felt like he should give something in return, except he didn't have anything.

Jean-Luc shrugged his shoulders, feeling tired. "It suits you, petit." He deliberately avoided answering Remy's question. "I t'ink I'll nap for a while."

Remy stroked back a damp lock from Jean-Luc's face, realizing how much he loved this man. Jean-Luc had truly touched his heart and given him the love he had craved all those years. "Merci, poppa. Je t'aime aussi."

He shrugged out of the jacket, reverently placing it over a chair. Yawning, he laid down beside Jean-Luc, snuggled up to his father and cradling Napoleon in his arms.

///

Jean-Luc experimentally stretched his body and sighed when the movement didn't cause another bout of coughing. Guess de elixir is finally kickin' in. Wonder why I got the flu in de first place! Feeling a warm body against his, he opened his eyes and looked at Remy, who was deeply asleep in his arms. The boy had truly fussed over him like a mother hen when he had been ill. You're a precious gift, Remy and you must love takin' care of me for a change.

"Remy? Petit, wake up?" Now that he was feeling better he wanted to check his agenda and see what plans he had made for today. Did I invite Belle and her father over to meet Remy? Marius and he had been talking about uniting the two Guilds and decided a marriage would work best, provided Remy and Belle liked each other.

Jean-Luc smiled as Remy continued to sleep right through his attempts at waking him up. Remy's growin' out, his muscles are finally developin', mais he's still too small for his age. He's even growin' facial hair. I'll have to teach him how to shave! Affectionately, his fingers traveled down Remy's chin, and the hairs tickled beneath his fingertips. His voice also deepened a bit. He's becomin' a man.

"Remy? Sleepyhead, come on, wake up!" Jean-Luc tried harder now, tickling Remy. He never knew what reaction to expect when he did something unexpected like that. Remy could wake up giggling, but could also freeze up from memories.

Remy's eyes flashed open and he started giggling. He had been relaxed in sleep and the nightmares had left him alone. Looking into Jean-Luc's mischievous eyes, he decided offense was the best defense and tickled Jean-Luc back. A few months ago, he would never have dared to touch Jean-Luc in this manner. "You're feelin' betta."

"Oui, must have been your bon care, Remy. You really make a bon nurse." Jean-Luc picked up Napoleon and put the tomcat on the floor. "We'll feed you in a sec, mon ami." Turning back to Remy, he said," Merci for lookin' after me. I haven' had de flu in years." Mon Dieu, he's blushin'! Remy's blushin'!

Remy squirmed away from Jean-Luc and got to his feet. "I'll make breakfast for you and feed Nappie." Jean-Luc's praise made him feel awkward; he just wasn't used to being complimented.

"Bien and I'll take a quick shower. Remy, got any plans for dis afternoon?"

"Non, don' t'ink so." Remy halted in the doorway and looked at Jean-Luc who had managed to get out of bed and was stretching his body. "Why?"

"I want you to meet someone." Jean-Luc cringed seeing the sudden suspicion in Remy's eyes. The boy would never be able to trust unconditionally and it was his fault.

"Who?"

"Belladonna." Jean-Luc watched Remy's eyes go big. "Henri told you 'bout her?" Henri had taken on Remy's training personally, trying to bond with his adopted brother.

"Oui, he even showed me pictures of her, mais I never met her 'fore. She's an Assassin, non?"

"Oui, and one day she'll be de leader of de Assassins." Jean-Luc had long thought this through. Henri was too old for Belle and engaged to Mercy, but Remy was of the right age and might be interested in Belle. Mais should Remy say non, I don' wanna marry her, de deal is off. I won' sacrifice his happiness.

Remy nodded his head; if this was Jean-Luc's wish he'd comply. "I'll be dere."

///

He's fidgetin'! Jean-Luc grinned, seeing Remy's nervousness. De boy's 'ways insecure when meetin' strangers.

He walked over to Remy and rested his hand on the boy's shoulder. Boy? Youn' man is more like it. Only eleven years old, Remy made a very mature impression, probably due to everything he had been through in his short life. "Don' worry, Remy."

"I can' help it." Remy managed a weak smile. "I never met any girls 'fore."

Jean-Luc hadn't considered that. The Antiquary's Velvet Ministry consisted of boys only and later on the streets Remy had only been in contact with older men. Of course the boy was nervous! "Belle likes you."

"She does?" Remy's eyes showed surprise. "How do you know?"

"I talked to her." Jean-Luc hoped he wasn't adding to Remy's nervousness by confiding this to his son. "She wants to meet you."

Remy fumbled with the sleeve of his sweater. "Do I look bien?"

"You look fine, Remy." Jean-Luc caught the footfalls in the corridor and knew their guests had arrived.

Remy heard voices and stared at his father, mutely begging him to stay close. The door opened and Marius and Belle entered.

Mon Dieu, she's beautiful! Remy had seen pictures of her, but they didn't do her justice. Belladonna was beautiful. He instantly fell in love with her blond, silk-like hair, which was hanging loose over her shoulders, her inviting blue eyes and her luscious lips. Something stirred in his groin and he blushed, realizing he was reacting to her presence. I like her...

"Marius, dis is my son Remy LeBeau." Jean-Luc had watched Remy closely and grinned. The boy was obviously attracted to her!

Marius shook Jean-Luc's hand and took in the boy's appearance. His spies were already gathering information on the boy, but Jean-Luc was guarding Remy's past well. Seeing the red on black eyes, he was reminded that the boy was a mutant. Remy wasn't his first choice for Belle, but if she liked him he wouldn't stand in her way. "Remy, dis is my daughter Belle."

"Pleased to meet you, Remy," Belle said, formally, and extended her hand. She raised a puzzled eyebrow when Remy hesitated to shake it. There was something about the young thief that intrigued her. The red on black eyes were fascinating and the boy was actually blushing... He's cute!

When her father had first told her about Remy and an eventual marriage to stop the fighting between the two Guilds, she had been furious, but now she was actually considering going along with her father's plan. Marius would insist that they date for some time, then he would proclaim their engagement and they would marry when they turned eighteen. Her father had planned her future and while she had hated that idea at first, it seemed way more attractive now.

"Uh... Bonjour, Belle," Remy stuttered, wishing the ground would open and swallow him. His face had turned crimson and Belle was still holding his trembling hand. He had lowered his eyes and now found the courage to peek at her sky blue eyes. She was smiling! Smiling at him! Weakly, he returned the smile.

Belle decided to help the poor boy. "So you're a t'ief? I'm sure you can tell me a lot of interestin' t'ings and mebbe I'll show you how to kill someone usin' only your pinky."

Marius and Jean-Luc laughed. Even Remy managed a chuckle. Belle had broken the ice and Jean-Luc was immensely grateful for that. Exchanging a look with Marius he noticed the equally pleased expression on the Assassin's face. They had agreed not to leave Remy and Belle alone and to limit the introduction to only a few minutes to avoid awkward moments.

"What? You don' believe I can kill someone wit' my pinky?" Belle smiled.

Remy was lost, seeing that smile. He knew that if he would try to say something only nonsense would leave his lips, so he stayed quiet and tried to hold her gaze instead.

"We need to leave now." Marius saved Remy from embarrassing himself and guided his daughter toward the doorway. "I'm sure de two of you will see a lot of each other in de future."

"Merci for droppin' by." Jean-Luc shook his head; desperately trying to hide his amusement. Remy already looked like a love-sick fool.

The door closed and Remy sighed relieved. "I acted like a dumbass." The blush remained as he looked at Jean-Luc. "You t'ink she hates me now?"

"Non," Jean-Luc said firmly. "She likes you, mais you're nervous and she knows dat."

"Does she also know 'bout... 'bout my life on de streets?" Remy lowered his eyes. "She's way too bien for me!"

"Nobody knows you were a hustler," Jean-Luc assured him. "When de times comes, you'll have to decide whether to tell her or not."

"I like her..." Remy admitted, shyly.

"We could tell," Jean-Luc teased. "Marius was pleased as well. I'm certain he'll contact me to arrange for another meetin'. I'm glad you like her."

Remy shuffled his feet and the strange sensation in his stomach slowly faded. He had heard about love at first sight, but had never thought it really existed. Now he knew better.

///

Later that evening, it was time to turn in for the night and Remy undressed, only leaving his boxers on. It was rather warm tonight and New Orleans was threatened by a heat wave. Although he hated the cold, he disliked the heat as well. Lying down on his bed, he grinned as Napoleon settled down at the foot of his bed. Napoleon had spent every night close to him since he had sat on the tomcat accidentally.

Feeling lazy and comfortable, he stretched and kicked off the sheet, feeling hot already. Thinking back on Belle, he smiled, wondering if she really liked him. He could try his empathy on her the next time they met, but that was cheating and he quickly dismissed the thought.

What does her hair feel like? Remy couldn't stop thinking about her and when he fell asleep he still saw her face in his mind.

///

Belle was close, they were talking and he met her sparkling eyes. "You're très belle, Belle."

"You're handsome too, Remy." Belle giggled and moved closer. "Have you ever kissed a girl 'fore?"

"Non," he admitted honestly, feeling nervous and shy. "You're so beautiful, Belle, can' believe you like me."

"Mais I do!" Belle smiled determinedly and brushed his lips. "I like you, Remy LeBeau..."

Remy's eyes flashed open; he was trembling and a strange sensation pooled in his groin. Looking down at his body, he found he had wiggled out of his boxers during his sleep and his penis... Non! Shocked, he stared at the clear liquid that left his penis in short spurts. "Non!"

His breath hitched and he stared at his come in disbelief. "Non... non!"

Jean-Luc, alarmed by Remy's cries, stormed into his son's room, ready to deal with intruders or the boy's recurring nightmares. "Remy?" A quick scan of the room indicated Remy was alone, so his son was probably suffering from nightmares again.

"Remy?" Remy was hiding beneath a sheet, which he had quickly pulled up to his chin. "What's wrong, Remy?" Remy was shaking like a leaf beneath the sheet and the red on black eyes glowed with a frightening intensity.

When Remy didn't respond, Jean-Luc tried touch, but Remy jerked back. "Remy, lower your shields? Please? Trust me, mon fils." Remy occasionally allowed him into his mind when he had had a nightmare, knowing he could soothe the boy's troubled mind. "Remy?"

Remy blinked his eyes, realized Jean-Luc was in the room and began sobbing. He was confused, shaken and felt dirty.

"Remy, lower your shields? Den I can help you calm down. Focus on your breathin', petit." Jean-Luc was clueless as to what had upset Remy and waited for his son to reach a decision. Reaching out carefully, he found that Remy had lowered his shields and he focused on his love and affection for the boy. "Everythin's bien, Remy."

"Non, it ain' bien!" Remy exploded. "I'm one of dem now!" Using the sheet, he cleaned himself up.

The action puzzled Jean-Luc at first, but then everything fell into place. "You had an erotic dream, oui?" Still concentrating on his love for Remy, he managed to calm his son down. "An erotic dream 'bout Belle, mebbe?" Remy nodded his head, but still avoided his eyes. "Dat's perfectly normal, Remy."

"Non, it ain'!" Stubbornly, Remy refused to meet Jean-Luc's eyes, feeling ashamed and dirty.

Jean-Luc switched on the lamp on the nightstand and took in Remy's flushed appearance. "It's normal to feel confused, Remy. Dis took you by surprise, mais it was bound to happen. You're a man now."

"I don' wanna be a man!"

What was he missing? Jean-Luc studied Remy's face and recalled his son's words. "What did you mean when you said; 'you're one of dem now'?"

"A john," Remy admitted in a shaky tone. "Johns come... I never did..."

"You were too young. Surely you know 'bout dis?" Jean-Luc frowned. Didn' anyone tell him what to expect? Den 'gain, who could have told him? De Antiquary didn' care and Philippe... Merde, it's up to me. Henri knew all dis stuff and wasn' upset when he had his first ejaculation. Mon Dieu, how do I explain t'ings to Remy? Wit' his prior experiences dis had to upset him. Remy won' approach dis rationally.

"I wanna take a shower, please leave?" Remy fidgeted with the sheet, desperate to wash away his shame.

"Bien," Jean-Luc sighed. "Take a shower and den come to my room. We need to talk." Jean-Luc got to his feet and licked his lips. "Remy, it's bien. Please, believe me?"

Remy nodded his head, but his set jaw indicated he didn't believe Jean-Luc. "Move it, petit. Take dat shower and den you'll come to my room. Understood?"

"Oui." Remy waited until Jean-Luc had left the room, pushed down the dirty sheet and hurried into the bathroom. After turning on the shower, he stepped beneath the warm spray and poured a generous amount of shower gel into his hand. He scrubbed his skin until it was red and then left the shower cabin. After wrapping some towels around his body, he collapsed onto the floor and began rocking slowly. "I'm one of dem now..."

///

Jean-Luc became impatient and worried when Remy didn't show up and decided to return to his son's room. Finding it empty, he called Remy's name. A soft groan attracted his attention and he stepped into the bathroom, finding Remy sitting on the floor. Sitting on his heels, he cupped Remy's chin in the palm of his hand and forced him to meet his eyes. "Remy?"

Remy's draped eyes begged him to leave him alone, but instead Jean-Luc wrapped his arms around the trembling boy, lifted him and carried him to the couch in the corner of Remy's bedroom. "We're gonna talk now," he announced, firmly.

"Why is dis happenin' to me?" Remy lifted his eyes and met Jean-Luc's apologetically. "What did I do wrong?"

Jean-Luc smiled reassuringly. "Rien, you did nothin' wrong."

"Den why..." Remy frowned. "Only johns..."

Jean-Luc finally understood what was upsetting Remy. "You're a man now, Remy, and your body's goin' through a lot of changes. Dis is normal. Every man has erotic dreams and orgasms. It's normal."

Remy stared at Jean-Luc. He couldn't believe his father wasn't equally upset. "Do you have dem?" When Jean-Luc hesitated to answer, Remy nodded his head. "Non, you don' have dem! Mais I have... why am I bein' punished? I tried to be de best I can, mais... it's cause I sucked them off, non? Dis is..."

"Remy, stop it." Jean-Luc's voice was remarkably calm and warm. "You aren' bein' punished." He took a deep breath before making his next admission. "I have erotic dreams too, Remy. And oui, sometimes I come in my sleep. It's perfectly healthy." Remy's big eyes almost made him smile, almost, but he didn't, not wanting to ridicule Remy's fears. "Why don' you get dressed and we continue dis in my study?"

Only now, Remy realized that he was still naked beneath the towels. His face grew flustered and he quickly nodded his head. Jean-Luc wouldn't let this matter rest and he had better get dressed and join his father in the study.

///

Fifteen minutes later, Remy shuffled into Jean-Luc's study, feeling awkward and shy. He had slipped into some jeans and a blue sweater, but still felt naked and vulnerable.

"Ah, Remy, come sit wit' me." Jean-Luc signaled Remy to sit on the couch next to him.

Remy accepted the invitation, but sat down on the other end of the couch, putting distance between them.

Jean-Luc cleared his throat, reminding himself to treat this rationally for Remy's sake. "Remy, I assumed you 'ready knew what was happenin' to your body, considerin' your... prior experiences on de streets. I should have known betta."

Remy nodded his head, wondering what Jean-Luc really wanted to say.

"Let's have dat talk now?" After Remy nodded his head, Jean-Luc continued. He had prepared this speech years ago, but Henri had laughed at him when he had tried to explain this to his son and he had secretly been glad he didn't have to talk to Henri about sex. But now, he had to talk Remy through it.

"Chemical substances called hormones produced by de pituitary gland in your brain are responsible for de physical growth in several of the sex organs, among dem de penis and de testes. Dese hormones are also responsible for de changes you can' see. One of dese is de growth of sperm inside de testes. At 'bout de age of 13, sometimes earlier, many sperm have grown inside de testes, and are ready to be released. Your first ejaculation occurred durin' an erotic dream and it's your body's way of lettin' you know you're startin' to mature sexually. It's perfectly normal and natural." Jean-Luc drew in a deep breath, relieved he had managed to get it all out in one go.

Remy had listened quietly, not interrupting Jean-Luc, but now he couldn't keep silent any longer and chuckled. "You're blushin', poppa."

"Well, oui, it's de first time I had to deliver dis li'l speech... and we're only half way through!"

Remy smiled; Jean-Luc had achieved the impossible. Jean-Luc had driven away his panic and fear. "What else do I need to know?"

Jean-Luc told himself to get it over with. "It's also a sign dat you're physically able to fat'er children."

Remy chuckled again. "Poppa, I ain' havin' sex."

"Mais you might in de future..." Suddenly, Jean-Luc felt saddened; Remy had already had sex with men in the past who had paid to abuse the boy's body. This wasn't new territory to Remy, so why did it feel so awkward? "Dere's somethin' else I need to tell you."

Remy nodded once, waiting patiently and enjoying seeing Jean-Luc squirm.

"It's bien to say non if you don' want to have sex."

Jean-Luc's words impacted hard and Remy averted his eyes. When he had lived on the streets he hadn't had a choice and it meant a lot to him that Jean-Luc stressed this fact.

"Always remember dat, Remy, you 'ways have de right to say non." Jean-Luc searched Remy's eyes, which never hid a thing. "Don' let anyone force you to have sex, petit."

"I understand," Remy whispered, softly.

"One more thing..." Jean-Luc caressed Remy's face and was pleased when his son didn't flinch beneath the caress. "You never know who you'll fall in love wit' and it shouldn' matter whether it's a man or a woman."

Remy averted his eyes. "Can never love a man like dat..." He shuddered, remembering the men who had paid him for a blowjob and Hugo's face appeared in his mind, making him relive horrid memories. Never, will never touch a man in dat way! Never 'gain!

"Remy? Do you understand dat havin' erotic dreams is normal and healthy?" Jean-Luc hoped his little speech had reassured Remy.

"Oui, I t'ink so." At least the panic was gone. "Merci for explainin' dis to me."

"I'll ask Mattie to adjust her lesson plan when she gets back and put sex education on it." Jean-Luc ruffled Remy's hair. "Wanna go back to sleep now?"

"I don' t'ink I can," Remy admitted, honestly.

"Wanna talk 'bout Belle?"

Remy nodded his head. "She's beautiful, non?"

Jean-Luc agreed. "Oui, she's très belle, mon fils." Looking forward to talking to Remy all night long, he smiled and listened to his son describe Belle's beauty. Remy's got it bad...

Note: I stole Jean-Luc's speech from http://library.magellanspecialty.com/healthmessages/Sexuality.htm
as I don't know too much about the subject myself. No copyright infringement is intended.

 

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