The sound of Logan’s footsteps echoed loudly in the empty hallway that lead to the med lab. He’d lost count of the times he’d made this trip in the last couple years. It seemed to be even more now that he had a mate on the team. Remy was somehow under the false impression that when he committed to Logan sixteen months ago he inherited the healing factor along with the heart and soul. The kid was just too damn heroic for his own good. His file was easily the thickest one in Hank’s possession. The mission his lover was on when he was hurt this time was a little different from most. They were regularly monitoring police and fire calls because there was an increase in FoH activity in the area. Cerebro had detected a mutant signature at the address of a house fire so a small team was sent to check it out. Logan paused outside the large metal door before he took a deep breath and pushed inside.  As soon as he entered he could feel his lover, he was hurting and nervous and excited all at the same time. Storm was already there, standing in front of Remy, blocking Logan’s view. She turned suddenly when she heard the door and smiled. Logan relaxed, it couldn’t be too bad if she was smiling. He walked up beside her and got his first look at his young lover. He was a mess, covered in dirt and soot. His boots were off and Henry was carefully lifting an ice pack off his ankle. “So what’d he do this time Blue?” Remy spoke before Hank had a chance to open his mouth, “ Ain’t nothin Cher, jus‘ twisted m‘ ankle, don’ need to be here.” Hank shook his head and sighed. “ I believe he was asking me and no it’s not twisted you crazy fool its most likely torn ligaments. Logan shook his head and tried to hide his smile. He found it extremely funny how his lover could frustrate the nearly unshakable doctor.
 “ Darlin you just sit still and be good for Blue, okay?” He bent and kissed his mate gently. “ Cher, did ya see Scotty? Did ya see-OW! Henri, be careful!” He hissed in pain as Hank probed the injury. “ I’m sorry, I was under the impression this was a minor sprain.” He smiled evilly as he stood “ Keep him still, I’ll be right back.” Storm bent and kissed Remy’s cheek “ I’m going to look at this bundle you found.” She turned to Logan and smiled, “Your life just became a lot more interesting.” Logan’s brow creased at the statement but before he had a chance to ask his lover what she meant Hank returned. “ I’m going to get him X-rayed Logan, make sure nothing is broken. Why don’t you go talk to Scott, he has something I think you need to see.” Hank turned back to his patient, “ Okay Mr. LeBeau, am I going to carry you or do you promise to use the crutches?” Remy rolled his eyes and held out a hand for the hated things. It seemed he spent as much time on them as the Professor did in his hover chair.
 “ Gimme de darn t’ings. Cher, go see Scotty.” He was very excited about whatever Scott had and he was going to be fine so Logan kissed his lover again and gave him a gentle swat on the butt as he stood leaning on the crutches.
“ Be Good.” Remy smiled at him then moved off with practiced ease toward the x-ray room.

Logan found Scott in a small exam room on the other side of the lab. Ororo, Bobby, Rogue and Jean surrounded him. Scott was sitting and Logan wondered if maybe he was injured too. When he heard Remy’s name he tuned out everything else. There was a strange scent in the small room that he couldn’t place.
 “ Cyke?” He asked from behind the crowd. Everyone turned and smiled at him and he got the distinct impression he was in trouble. Jean walked up to him and grabbed his hand,
“ Come here. Look at her.” Logan followed Jean the three steps it took to stand in front of Scott. The field leader wasn’t quite as dirty as his lover but he was obviously shaken. In his arms he held a small child wrapped tightly in a standard issue med lab blanket. Logan frowned; he’d seem their daughter Rachel plenty of times. Hell, he was her Godfather. Then he looked closer, this child was smaller and when it opened its eyes… Logan blinked … electric blue. This baby’s eyes were vivid, bright, glowing electric blue. “ What…” he started to ask, he couldn’t draw his eyes away from the child. “We think she’s a little younger than Rachel.” Jean spoke quietly and looked over Logan’s shoulder at the tiny baby Scott held.  It was staring up at them holding tight to Scott’s finger. Scott smiled at the tiny little girl, “ She must be younger than Rachel she’s not trying to chew on me yet, are you sweetie.” The baby smiled at the attention and the group sighed a collective “AWWW ” Logan’s frustration got the better of him and he growled loudly “ Would somebody tell me what in flamin hell is goin on?” The baby turned wide eyes at him and started crying.
“ Logan!” Everyone said at once as Scott placed the baby on his shoulder and patted her back, bouncing her gently to calm her down. “ Jean, why don’t you take Logan with you and explain what happened.” Scott said quietly as he comforted the child, his new father instincts clearly evident. Logan stared at Jean, he was confused and more than a little concerned because his lover’s excitement earlier was impossible to ignore. Jean led him upstairs to the nursery to check her young daughter before taking him to the den to talk.
 “ When the team arrived the house was already engulfed in flames. There were a few neighbors trying to help but…” She turned toward the window and blinked back a stray tear. “ I can guess the rest, I saw the kid’s eyes. Why is it here? Where are the parents? Why is Remy so excited?” Jean smiled at the last question. Remy’s love for children was well known in the mansion. Two months after the Commitment ceremony Jean found out she was pregnant. Remy was as excited about it as Scott and Jean. He helped decorate the nursery and asked a million questions after every check up. The look of awe that shone from his face the first time Jean let him feel the baby kick inside her was something Logan would never forget. Logan felt a twinge of regret for his young lover, there was no way they would ever have a child. Because of his childhood Remy was determined that the newest Summers would never be denied anything. He bought toys and clothes and fancy mobiles for over the crib. He had Tante send beautiful crystals from her shop in New Orleans that danced in the breeze and sent rainbows of color through the nursery. Finally Scott sat him down and gently reminded him that this was his baby. Remy calmed down after the little lecture but he and Logan were the first to see and hold tiny Rachel when she was born five months ago. Jean took Logan’s hand “ Scott found the parents in the kitchen. They were already gone. The team assumed one of them was the mutant. They did a full sweep of the house but it was falling down around them and they had to get out. They were half way to the Blackbird when Remy stopped dead in his tracks. He turned and ran back into the inferno without saying a word. Scott followed him, he found him upstairs, his foot caught in a hole in the collapsing floor holding the baby. When they finally got to the plane again Remy told them that he felt her presence. He could have been killed, the fire was out of control, but he risked everything to save her. Scott had to practically pry her from his arms so Hank could check him out.” Jean stopped talking so Logan could have a chance to take in what she was saying. He looked into her eyes and saw what he feared; she nodded.
 “ He’s determined to keep her Logan.” Logan felt sick, he knew Remy wanted a family that was truly his. He hoped that the ceremony would take care of that. “ We’re checking to see if she has any living relatives that can take care of her.” Logan looked at the clock, he needed to go back and check on Remy. He had to be ready to face the young Cajun and make him understand that this couldn’t happen. She probably had aunts or uncles maybe even grandparents that would want to take her. It was going to break his heart. “ I’m gonna check on Remy. The sooner he understands we have to give her back the easier it will be for him to let her go.”
 

Logan found Remy resting on a bed in the med lab, his ankle wrapped tightly and elevated on pillows. He had cleaned up and was wearing a tee shirt and sweats that Hank kept in a locker for such occasions. He was holding the tiny girl talking quietly to her. Scott stood beside the bed making sure her head was supported correctly and she was warm and comfortable. Remy beamed at Logan as he entered the room. “ Isn’ she de mos’ beautiful t’ing in de world?” He turned adoring eyes to the baby and she reached out a tiny hand to hold his finger. “ Cher, I’m in love.” Logan walked up beside him and looked at Scott.
“ OH, um…I have to um…um…I have to go.” he said and swiftly left the room. Hank entered and walked to the other side of the bed. “ Remy will be fine, he‘s torn  ligaments. He needs to stay off it for a while but you know that already. If I catch you without these crutches,” He gave Remy a warning glance “You’re going to regret it. He’s free to leave when he wants to. Now, let me see this little angel.” He took the baby carefully from Remy’s arms and she started to cry. “ Henri, she’s had a hard day. Can’ dis wait?” He held his arms out for the baby and Hank gave up. “ Alright, she seems happy enough. I do need to check her to make sure she didn’t inhale any smoke.” Remy turned frightened eyes up to the doctor then looked back at the baby, “ I covered her up as good as I could. Held her close, she’s fine. I was real careful.” He looked to be inspecting her, checking for any sign of distress. Hank’s smile was soft and kind, “ You did a wonderful job Remy. There isn’t even a speck of dirt on her. I’ll have Jean send down some supplies for… Do we know her name? I feel bad calling her “the baby” all the time.” Remy spoke quietly without taking his eyes from her. “ Non. De house was mostly gone by de time we got dere. De crib was tucked in a corner of de parents’ room. We missed it in de sweep. Didn’ realize she was even dere ’til we were leavin. I swear she called to me.” Logan pushed the blanket down a bit to look at her face. She was beautiful. She could have been theirs if it were biologically possible. She had fine auburn silk covering her tiny head and those amazing blue eyes. He absently let his hand pet her tiny head and she looked up at him and cooed. He couldn’t help but smile. Now he understood why his lover was so taken with her. He blinked a few times and straightened, what was he thinking. This wasn’t a lost puppy; this was a living, breathing child. “ Darling, we gotta talk.”  He watched his young lover holding the baby and his heart ached. He knew no one had ever taken the time to hold Remy like that. No one had looked at him with the same love that shone from his gorgeous eyes. Eyes. There was no evidence of FoH involvement. Had one of those kind neighbors started the fire that killed her parents because of her eyes? Would the world be as cruel to her as it had been to his lover because of them? Did she stand a chance of having a decent life? Was there anyone in her real family who would take her and love her unconditionally? At least her eyes were blue. Maybe she would be okay. Right, someone had already tried to kill her! Remy looked at him and from the look on his face he was thinking the same things, remembering things he should never have to remember. Logan sighed; he couldn’t deny his lover anything. “ She probably has relatives who will want to take her. Darlin, I know how bad you want this. Did ya think I forgot you mentioning it right after the honeymoon? I know what yer thinking too but she isn‘t a pet. She would never truly be your child anyway. I just don‘t wanna see ya get hurt.” He caressed his lover’s cheek hoping he would understand. Remy looked up at him and whispered, “ I know it seems crazy to you but somet’in in my gut’s telling me if we don’ help her she gonna end up like I did or worse. I ain’ got Jean Luc’s blood but he’s more my poppa dan whoever sired me.  I promise not to get too attached to her ’til we know for sure she’s ‘lone.” Logan kissed him deeply and brushed through his hair. There were lines of pain beside his eyes and he looked exhausted. “ I hear ya. Let me give her to Hank so you can rest. Yer hurtin bad and don’t try to deny it cause you know I can smell it on ya, can feel it too, the empathy’s working overtime kid.” Remy blushed and tried to get comfortable but his ankle was throbbing.
“ You wanna hold her?”  Logan looked at the tiny creature and swallowed hard. He hadn’t even held Rachel yet unless he was sitting and Jean or Scott placed her in his arms. This one was even smaller. He wasn’t sure he could do it without breaking her. Remy needed to rest though and Logan didn’t want him any more attached than he already was so he reached out and took the small bundle from his lover. Remy relaxed back into the pillow behind him and winced. “ Merci Cher, I t’ink Henri slipped me somet’in, ’m really tired.” Logan shifted the baby and bent to kiss him, “Get some rest kiddo. When ya wake up I’ll help ya back out to our place.”
 

 Once he was sure Remy was asleep he went looking for Hank. “ Ah good, I didn’t think I would ever get him to release her. I take it the sedative has kicked in?” Hank asked as Logan entered his office. He gladly handed the child to Hank who smiled and cooed at her. “ She could be your biological daughter if it were possible.” Logan smiled and watched the large doctor unwrap the tiny bundle. “ Yeah, I thought that too.” He unconsciously let her wrap her tiny fist around his finger, amazed by the strength. “ She’s got a good grip.”  He rubbed her skin and realized Remy’s was nearly as soft, making him wonder again just how young his lover was. “ She’s the picture of health.” Hank smiled.
“ I’m running her prints, we should know exactly who she is in no time.” Jean entered carrying Rachel and an extra diaper bag full of supplies. She smiled at Hank when she noticed Logan staring at the baby’s tiny hand seemingly fascinated by it. “Logan, she’s probably hungry. I brought some of Rachel’s formula why don’t you try feeding her?” Logan turned and stared at her. “ I can’t! I don’t know how to do that stuff!” Jean and Hank chuckled at the complete terror on his face and in his voice.
“ Logan, she’s an infant not a Sentinel! Sit in Hank’s recliner. He took a step, “ With the baby.” Jean tried to swallow the laugh that wanted to escape her. Logan carefully lifted the little girl who smiled and waved chubby fists at him, and sat in the chair. Jean handed him a bottle and smiled. “ Just touch it to her lips.” He looked down at his little charge and did as he was told. She immediately closed her eyes and began to drink. He turned amazed eyes to his friends and smiled. “ She’s doin it!” Jean sat on the couch across from him and lifted Rachel to her breast. “ See? She knows what to do. She just needs her daddy’s help, that’s all.” It was silent in the lab except for the tiny sounds the girls made as they nursed. Logan found himself entranced by the tiny creature he held. She trusted him completely. She needed him desperately. Remy wanted her so much. He thought to himself that maybe he should worry about not letting himself become too attached but when she opened her eyes again and stared into his he knew it was already too late.
 

TBC