Never Let Go

Bobby's blue eyes grew large at the tail end of the conversation he caught. "Remy's hurt?" he asked concern tinging his voice. Scott stood up and herded the younger man ahead of him. "Not badly." he said and pushed open the double doors to the war room. The others were assembled and looking startled. Scott stood at the head of the table and nodded his head.

"Gambit found Wolverine." he said and there were several gasps that went up around the table. "Logan called. They are in Oregon and need to be picked up. All I got so far is that Sinister had Logan and Remy found him. In the process Gambit was injured, lacerations to his leg that prevent them from getting back on the bike." he said looking at Beast and nodding for the man to go and get his med kit. "The team will be me, Beast, Bobby, Storm and Jubilee. Rogue and Jean are on coms and scanning." he said as the team snapped to attention. "I want to know if anything is closing in on them. Let's move out people." he said as they broke up and scattered to do their respective jobs.

Jean crossed the room to Scott's side and quirked a brow. Scott's jaw twitched. "What?" he asked in a low voice. Jean leaned her hip on the table as Scott gathered some gear.

"You are worried." she said and let her hand fall to his arm. Scott paused and looked at her.

"I won't fail him again." he said and his teeth clenched. Jean's eyes softened.

"Honey, we weren't even there when it happened." she said and Scott shook his head.

"The option to leave a team member behind no matter what the past crime should never have come up. If i hadn't failed as a leader that wouldn't have happened." He said and she felt the gravity of his thoughts. Giving a tender sigh she pulled him into a hug.

"We have get them back." he said quiet desperation.

The team scrambled with efficiency and soon the ground rumbled with the rising jet. A boom and they were off streaming toward the west coast with Storm at the wheel and Scott barking orders.

***

Remy was sweating as he twisted in the sheets. His head thrashed on the pillow waking Logan from the light doze he had fallen into. Trying to be careful not to hurt the boy Logan grasped for the flailing limbs and spoke softly. "Shhhh ok darlin' yer ok. Shhh, it's a dream." he said and caught the boy's face in his hands. "Rems open your eyes, baby." he said and suddenly the red and black eyes snapped open to stare at the feral. Remy gasped and then clutched at the bigger man. "Oh Logan." he said and shook.

Logan held his boy to him and stroked down the long damp back.He pushed comfort and safety and love through the link they shared. He had felt the incredible terror and panic the Cajun had been caught up in.

"What were you dreaming, darlin'?" he asked as they leaned back on the pillows. Remy shook his head and pressed his cheek to Logan's bare chest. He breathed the feral's scent in and listened to his steady heartbeat. "Don' wanna talk bout it right now, cher. Kay?" he said his voice husky from the tension of his nightmare.

Logan understood the resistance to relive night terrors, had enough of his own. He nodded against Remy's head. "Ok, darlin'." he said and continued to pet the boy.

They were quite for a bit both taking comfort in the other's presence. Logan could feel the boy sorting his feelings out and he tucked the silky head under his chin silently offering his support. Remy wrapped his arms around the bigger man's waist.

"Tell me what happened, I mean I know how dey caught you but--" he paused to shudder at the images from the video. "tell me what happened after dat." the Cajun asked in a soft voice. Logan stilled his petting a moment and then gave a deep sigh. "Most of it is jumbled. I recall the pain and the drain it was to heal." he spoke in a low voice.

Remy could feel along the link that the memory was giving Logan a recollection of that pain and the boy shivered. Logan drew him closer. "Mostly i was in a daze and then when i was clear, Sinny started in with his asinine questions and then just chained me up in that room and set to torturin' me. After that I was full feral pretty much the whole time'" he said and Remy tightened his hold on the feral.

"He showed me a clip of him askin' you questions." he said his voice still light and soft. Logan's throat thickened.

"What happened in it?" he queried almost afraid to hear what his young Cajun was subjected to. Remy lifted his head and his amazing eyes locked on the feral.

"He was askin' you if...if we would come for you." his eyes widened as he looked at Logan, the red pupils growing as if gathering light in the dim room. As if he wanted to see every facet of Logan's face as he spoke. Logan licked his lips before he interrupted.

"I told em that the X-men would come and then I remembered that they made ya all think I was dead and I doubted." he furrowed his brow thinking that was all the scientist had shown the boy. Long fingers fell on his lips stilling his attempt to explain himself.

"Den you said somthin' that surprise dis tief." the corner of the sensual mouth curved up. "You said dat Remy might." the fire and cole eyes flared a second. "You were right, cher. Remy always come for you no matter what." he shifted upward to replace his fingers with his mouth.

***

Storm steered the jet lower as they approached the town their team mates were stuck in. The com crackled and Jean's voice came over the line, cool and calm, the voice of The Phoenix.

"You must get there soon, there are aggressive beings closing in on the location." Scott cursed under his breath, he knew they had been slowed down when they had to fly around a strip of airspace being used by military.

"How many?" he asked as the team on board gripped their arm rests and prepared for most probable battle. The line crackled again.

"There are four to the west, six to the east and ten more coming in from the south." the response came making all that heard it tense more.

"Bobby, call Remy's phone, tell them what's coming so they are not ambushed." Scott said as they zoomed over the outlying forrest around the town. Bobby nodded and reached for the phone Cyclops handed back to him. He dialed quickly his fingers shaking a little.

***

Logan was helping Remy into some loose pants to wear on the jet. Remy's hands were braced on the feral's shoulders as the burly man bent to lift the injured leg and place the long foot in the pant leg. The feral had been right, the wounds hurt much more after the boy had rested it. The injured tissues swollen and hot to the touch. It was taking all his concentration to not wobble from the pain.

They boy jumped slightly when the room was filled with the sound of deep voices chanting "oh ee oh yo oh" It was the witch's guards form the Wizard of Oz. Remy grinned as Logan looked up quizzically. "Dat would be Cyke's ring-tone." he giggled as the feral gave a snort and let the boy's foot down then reached for the phone on the bed.

"Ya guys bout here?" Logan asked and he tucked the phone to his shoulder and went to finish helping his boy. He stilled when Bobby's somewhat squeaky voice babbled at him. "Hold up, Slow down, Drake. How many and how close?" he asked his blue eyes flashing up at Remy making the boy run cold as he understood what the man was asking.

If Logan hadn't been listening carefully to the Icaman's response he would have commented on how he could see the Cajun change from the open and gentle Remy to cocky and hard Gambit. The boy steeled himself then reached to take the garment from his somewhat bemused lover and grit his teeth as he pulled them on. He only slightly winced as his injured leg protested.

"Ok Drake, we'll be out of here in five." he said and closed the phone. He moved around the room gathering the gear and then moved to help Remy. The boy shook off his arm and lifted his chin.

"Can't let dem see I'm gimp right off, cher." he said and took his duster from his lover. Slipping it over the tee shirt and pants he sat gingerly on the bed and took a deep breath before bending to pull on his boots.

"Shit Rems, let me help ya, they can't see us yet and yer gonna open the wounds again." he said going to his knees and taking the boy's hands from the boot. He moved quickly and got the boots on, buckling them tight and then standing with his hand out to his young, stubborn lover.

"Come on, Darlin. I can hear the jet but I can hear the bastards too now." he said his blue eyes flecking gold. Remy took the hand but kept his face placid.

"Dey be comin int' a world a hurt, non?" he said his white teeth flashing as he fanned out a deck of cards, all glowing faintly as he prepared. Logan frowned and squared his shoulders.

"As soon as the team gets here ya get yer pert lil ass on the Bird, ya got me Cajun?" he asked and leveled his gaze at the boy. "I ain't takin the chance they will exploit yer injury and if that fuck is with them he knows yer hurt." he said and Remy felt the link pulse with the feral's love and fear for him.

The pointed chin dropped a little and he swallowed hard. He couldn't turn a cold shoulder to Logan's pure feelings for him and his safety. "Oui, I understand, Mon Coeur. " he whispered and then leaned to take a deep, fevered kiss from the man's lips.

Logan hated the panicky way he felt about stepping out of the door with Remy still vulnerable. He could hear the jet booming over the small town and he nodded at the kid as they broke their kiss and then turned to leave the shabby room.

Logan opened the door cautiously and let his senses stretch out and search for friend or foe. He could smell three or four what had to be clones from their washed out scents, they were lurking just around the corner of the building. He could also hear the Blackbird as the team found the empty lot across the street a good place to land.

He quietly told Remy about the clones and then in a swift movement they burst from the door and headed across the car park. Gambit could see the jet just settle on the ground, dust kicked up by the thrusters swirled around making the visibility a little crappy. He could feel the burn in his leg and it sapped at his concentration. Logan made a growling sound and turned as the clones sprung out and gave chase.

"Get on the bike, kid. Drive to them." he shouted as he engaged the first clone, one of Harpooner. Claws bared Logan dodged the metal flung at him and lunged for the clone's midsection.

Remy fumbled the keys from his jacket as he tossed a few cards in the direction of the clone headed at him. He reached his bike and flung his bad leg over the seat biting his spilt lip making it bleed again. He jammed the key into the ignition and, bracing for the scream of his muscles, he kicked the bike to start. The Ducati roared to life and Remy gunned the engine as he saw the jet gangplank open and the team came flooding out.

Knowing Logan would kill him if he didn't get to the relative safety of the group he took off for the team. Logan felled the first two clones with ease. He was engaged with the other two when Remy's bike shot off. Wanting to look and see that the boy made it was a strong urge but he resisted.

Beast and Bobby were the first off the jet and they could see their team mates being attacked. Behind them Cyke stomped down the plank and glared around. The sound of Remy's bike caught their attention. He could see what the Cajun was trying to do and he figured Logan ordered him to. Remy would never run from a fight if he could help it. It was something kind of infuriating about the kid.

Suddenly the three X-men lurched forward at once. They could see the flaw in the plan. The motel ran the length of the car park, at the end of the building stood Sabertooth. He had half a tree in his hands and was waiting for Remy to pass.

The collective shout was lost to the thief's hearing under the scream of the high performance motorcycle. He leaned into the wind zeroed in on his friends. The next thing he saw was a dark shape headed right for his face. Despite his injury and disorientation the mutant's reflexes saved his life once again.

As if anticipating the blow Remy went back on the seat of bike, laying almost flat. The kludge whistled over his body just inches from hitting him. Moving with whippet quickness he twisted and vaulted himself from the bike, cursing in French as his baby skittered across the pavement. Landing in a cartwheel the Cajun avoided getting creamed by the fall. He bounced to his feet and staggered only a fraction.

Creed didn't miss it, he was watching for it.

"Problems, Swamp Rat?" he snarled and kicked at the weakened limb. Remy moved to avoid the blow but wasn't as fast as normal and the kick glanced off his thigh. While it would have shattered his kneecap if it had landed true, the pain was still blinding. Remy choked the scream back and snapped out his bo in time to strike Creed in the face.

"Only problem Remy got is mangy stray chat dat needs to be put down." he snapped back.