OBJECTS IN THE REAR VIEW MIRROR

The phone rang and Logan hurried out of his small bathroom to open the drawer and answer the call. "Yeah?" He walked around the room with his phone and listened to the voice on the other end.

"Bad news, Logan. Guess who's lawyers came for a visit, this morning."

"No shit?"

"No shit. And, from what I gather, our star boy is in for a treat." Ess tapped the end of his thin, silver pen on his desk and listened to the other man breathe.

Logan thought and silently hoped it was all imagined. But, it wasn't. "The party's tonight, so either way if they do show up, I have to stay out of sight. That's gonna be hard to do, and keep the kid safe, at the same time."

There was a long pause on both sides. Neither men could afford losing such a valuable key to the case, yet they found themselves dumbfounded on how to keep it from happening. A knock at Logan's door broke the silence and ended the conversation.

Walking over to the door, he sniffed and paused. Logan tucked the small phone into his shirt pocket and answered the door.

Perfume. Rich and strong perfume.

"Somethin I can do for you?" Logan asked as he opened the door to see Rachel standing there. Her hair had been pulled back into a fancy bun with a flower clip on the right side. Her evening gown was what caught Logan's attention. The near see-through dark blue material had grabbed him and shimmered in the faint light of his room, in the dark corridor. He had to admit, she did look stunning.

Rachel stepped into the room and smiled at him. "I'd like you to do me a favour, for tonight. Jake has informed me that Remy isn't feeling well, and is missing some security for the guests. He asks that you serve as a chaperone of sorts. And, occasionally, check on his Remy." Her tone had been something of gradual sarcasm.

His ears perked immediately when he heard that Remy wasn't feeling well. He wondered why when at dinner the night before, he seemed fine. "Alright." Logan eyed her. He knew her too well to let his suspicions show on his expression. "What's wrong with him? Contageous?" He quirked an eyebrow at
her subtlty.

"Just a 24 hour thing. Nothing serious. In the meantime, I want to go shopping." She smiled and walked back towards the entranceway, wanting Logan to follow her.

Logan had spent half the day running around with Rachel. He carried boxes and drove her up and down the streets only stopping at expensive shops. She had also come on to him numerous times and went out of her way to throw herself at him. What had set him off was her snide comments she'd make about Remy and Jake. Logan only took mental notes of what was said and then shrugged when he was asked his opinion.

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As the party ran on into the late hours, Logan had done his best to stay out of sight from anyone that might recognise him. He had been up to Remy's room and found it had the lock in place. The Cajun was in there, of course, and the scent of fear and blood was perfuming Logan's nose as he sniffed the door.

He knocked at the door and called in a hushed voice, to the boy inside. Hearing no answer, Logan unsheathed a claw on his right hand and stabbed at the lock's keyhole underneath. Discarding the lock and opening the door, cautiously, Logan peered inside the darkened room. "Remy?" He took a few steps in and paused. "Hey kid, it's me. Just Logan. Where are ya?"

A lump in the bed moved. Remy sat up and peeled back the covers from his face. "Ici, cher. Over here." His voice was fragile and near whispers.

Logan moved closer and sat down on the edge of the bed. Taking out his lighter from his pants pockets, he lit it and held it up to see Remy's face. The first thing that came to mind was shock, and then anger. Brushing a hand lightly across a dark bruise on Remy's left cheek, he growled low.

"Non cher, dis is Remy's fault." Remy glanced from Logan to the blanket. Shame had become apparent on his features. He sat with a thin t-shirt and boxers on. His arms and face had been covered with dark bruises and scratches. The long auburn hair had been pulled back into a ponytail and slightly mussed. Looking up again, red on black eyes searched the older man for any sign of disgust. He found none.

Logan sighed. "He noticed the book missin, right?"

A nod.

"Dammit!"

Remy threw his arms around Logan and hugged him. "S' it time yet, Logan?"

"Yes, Logan, is it time yet?" A voice from the doorway followed the question. Rachel stood there with her arms crossed in front of her and her left shoulder leaning against the frame. Her evening dress glistened in the moonlight that came through the window. "Well...?" She waited.

Logan turned around and closed the lighter. He glared at her and held Remy tightly. "And, what do you want?"

She smiled. "I've had you pegged for a while now. I know you're a cop. Don't think you're the first. If you're wondering, Jake didn't give him the shiner. I did." She paused and came toward them. "Oh, he found out about the book. And Remy told him where he'd taken it. After, I had a little fun with him. Back to Jake, now, he doesn't know you're a cop. Yet. He will by tomorrow. Your friends won't be able to get past the security alarms and system, and by the time they get in, we'll be gone. How does that sound?"

"Sounds a bit gutsy. But, you've forgotten one thing. I've been over this whole area, and canceled the program. My boys are movin in as we speak." He stopped and sensed the fear in her. Releasing Remy, he lunged after her as she tried to escape and backhanded her when she tried to claw at his arms.

Remy had slipped out into the corridor and called for Logan to join him. He watched as the older man smacked the woman once more and sent her sprawling, unconsciously, to the floor. Pulling the door shut after Logan had exited, he replaced the broken lock and led Logan to Jake's room. As he ran into the room, Remy turned on the light and headed straight for the bedside table and opened the drawer. He tossed several black books onto the bed and told Logan that was all he needed to hold Jake.

Logan came closer to the boy and spun him around to face him. He had closed the door when he entered and locked it. "You know I have to arrest you too, don'tcha?"

The boy nodded and averted his eyes. "What happens t' Remy, cher?"

"In a few days, I can release ya, in return for your testimony. And then we can go from there." Logan tingled with warmth as the boy again wrapped his slender arms around his shoulders. Holding him close, by the waist, he kissed him. "You'll be ok. I promise." He whispered after the kiss ended.

Remy nodded.

Logan's hidden earpiece sounded, causing him to flinch. "Gah! I'm not deaf!" He spoke. "We're ready. Guests are in the den." Keeping his eyes on Remy, Logan sighed and retrieved a pair of handcuffs from his back pocket. "You'd better get dressed first." He followed the boy into the bathroom and watched Remy open the closet doors and choose a gray suit to wear. Once the boy was dressed, he was handcuffed and led back out stopping only to retrieved the books from the bed.

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The police swarmed the house. Guests were caught and arrested. Jake and his sister were both placed in a car together, and could only watch as Remy was hustled into his own by Logan.

Jake sneered at Logan as the man caught his eye. Noticing the badge on a chain around Logan's neck, he narrowed his eyes and moved them to Remy, who was sitting in the backseat of the car next to them and staring forward, emotionless. "Why didn't you tell me sooner, he was a cop?"

"Why? You've spotted the others without my help." Rachel answered, testily.

Jake had found it oddly fitting that Logan was riding passenger in the same car as Remy. He silently cursed Logan for his doublecross. Remy, on the other hand, he didn't want to admit to himself or anyone else that it was the boy who had done it all. Jake swallowed hard as he watched the car with the young man in the back, pull away. Mentally, he told himself that he had pushed the boy too far, and this was his reward. He had been right.

More than half of the guests were arrested and booked at the station. A few had grumbled about it being a bad party, but the very high ranked officials in the bunch had only sneered at Logan and his group and demanded to be let go. Several others threatened that the case would be dismissed immediately, and that Logan would never work in the state again. To which, Logan had onnly smiled and laughed under his breath.

Remy had remaied quiet and collected about the whole fiasco. He was booked and led to a cell by himself, where he sat patiently. He yawned and winced as his stomach growled in hunger. Laying down and curling onto his right side, on the bed, he waited for the few days to pass so he could be released and briefed on the pending trial.

When he was released, he was starving but didn't let anyone else know. He had barely eaten or slept in the four days and was close to collapsing. Ororo had been true to their agreement, and took him in as an attourney and watcher. She told him how the trial would go and that when he was on the stand, he was no one's friend. He agreed and promised to tell everything.

As the trial approached, he was visited by Logan and was allowed to talk briefly with him about his fears. "You need to eat, kid. Aint good for ya to starve yourself before the trial. I know yer scared, but please eat. For me?"

"Okay."

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Remy sat on the stand, awaiting the questions from Jake's lawyer. He fidgeted with his coathem and avoided eye contact with Jake and Rachel. He answered each question to his best knowledge. Some had been quite embarrassing to answer, but managed without a faulter. The cross-examination was a hard one for Remy to get through. He had known Jake's lawyer from previous run-ins with the law, and wasn't exactly thrilled to be on the receiving end of the carefully hidden venom that the lawyer wove. Questions about his sexuality and what Jake had done for him. Also, he was subjected to a wave of allegations about how he had willingly gone along with exchanging sex for money and occasionally other hobbies as well. He was also asked to describe in detail his visits to Xavier and Dr. Essex. Remy hid a shiver and stuttered a few times but continued to answer questions, calmly.

"So, you're telling the court that you had no prior say whatever in what my client wanted for you?" The defense lawyer asked in a sly but demanding tone. He gave Remy the easy feeling that he didn't approve of what Remy was doing. He was a young man in his 30s. Short brown hair framed a thin face with hazel eyes behind thin-rimmed glasses. He stood just shorter than Remy, but not by much. A thin, lanky man paced the walkway in front of the stand. Glancing up one more time to Remy when he didn't answer the question, he frowned.

"Oui. Err, yes. Jake was de boss. I was jus' de tramp." Remy lowered his gaze from the spot at the back of the room to the material of his brown pants. He was groomed neatly and sat just like a pristine soldier, at mute attention.

Jake and Rachel both sat very still and calm. Neither of them flinched or turned away at any of the testimonies. Remy's testimony had been a little different. Jake's heartbeat had begun beating a bit faster as the boy talked. He sighed and shivered, slightly when Remy glanced at him for the seventh time. He knew the boy would be his downfall, but he hadn't cared when the beautiful young man was obediently beside him.

The young man stopped and looked at Remy, again. "Jake only wanted one thing from you?" His eyes ventured over to the jury, who was also awaiting Remy's answer.

"Yes."

More questions followed and Remy was feeling ashamed and belittled at the waves of emotions that came from all directions of the room. Some were pleasant, and some not so pleasant. Ultimately, Remy began to swim from the tidal waves that each answer brought.

"Objection!" Counsel is badgering the witness. My client has stated several times he was only a pawn in Mister Collins' games." Ororo stood up and slammed her hands down flatly on the table in front of her.

The judge sat there, weary of the line of questioning. "Sustained." The old man's voice had clearly shown his age. "Mister Cameron, get to the point or sit down." Looking over his thick-rimmed glasses at the pacing lawyer, he warned.

"Yes sir. Just one more question." The man looked from the sighing judge to Remy. "Mister LeBeau, why did you decide to turn your lover and boss in to police?" A cold question but more or less, to the point.

Remy weighed his answer. He sighed and caught Jake's cruel glare. "Never wan'ed t' do all dat stuff. De money was good, but jus' wan'ed to be wit' someone Remy loves, non? Never asked f'r all dat an' de beatings too. Time f'r a change."

The judge told Remy he could step down, and watched as the young man nodded and made his way back to his seat before hearing the closing statements of both sides. When the last statement was given, he excused the jury and then sighed, tiredly. "This court is now in recess." The gavel hit the desk loudly, as the judge stood and dismissed himself.

Logan comforted Remy and told him it was almost over with. Ororo agreed and also gave Remy a pat on the back as he spotted a guard removing Jake from the courtroom.

"Wha' happens now?" Remy asked as he looked up from his chair, to Logan.

Logan smiled as best he could. "Now we wait for the jury to come back. Ya did good, kid. How about some lunch?"

Remy and Ororo nodded and followed the man out of the room.

As he ate his meal, Remy began to remember how he'd felt when his father had dumped him out of the family and made him feel worthless. He also remembered how Jake had come along and told him that he'd take care of the youth. Now, he had repaid him for his kindness by stabbing the only man that had claimed to love him, in the back. He rberebered he had almost been a father, among other things during his stay with Collins. But it wasn't until Logan, that he'd finally had enough of the abuse.

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After 3 hours and 15 minutes, the jury came back and read the verdict. "We find the defendant, Jacob and Rachel Collins, guilty of exploitation and drug trafficking. We also find Jacob Collins guilty of slave trading and intent of murder." The chairman of the jury stood and calmly read the verdict.

The judge stared sternly at Jake. "The defendant will rise." He waited for Jake to follow the order. "MisCollCollins, this court finds you guilty of the crimes read. Do you have anything to add before I pass
sentencing?"

Jake stood there, calmly, and collected. Throughout thtiretire trial he had done little in showing any emotion. During Remy's time on the stand, he only made slight glares and hidden lude gestures to the young man. "No." He replied and remained straight and calm as the judge continued.

"Jacob Collins, it is the court's findings that you are found guilty. Therefore, your sentence is 25 years in a maximum security facility. The Parole Board will review your case at that time. You may be seated." The judge sighed and looked to Rachel who was seated beside her brother. "Rachel Collins will you rise?" He paused. "Miss Collins, I am sentencing you to 12 years in a woman's correctional facility. Possible parole in 9 years, and you are to be taken directly from this courtroom. It's a shame that a woman can be so manipulative and uncharacteristically cold to be able to do what you've done. Officer Logan must have had his hands full in dodging your attacks. I'm sorry it had to come to this." He again, looked back over to Remy and asked him to stand.

Remy shifted, uneasily, and then stood and waited. He half expected the same punishment for his crimes, but changed his mind as he felt the calmness in the judge's demeanour.

"Mister LeBeau, I've been a judge for 35 years and I've only come across very few people like yourself. Though, I admire your strength, it is not without consequence. You are found not guilty in the charges of aiding Mister Collins in his business dealings. However, your other actions are not easily excused. I am sentencing you to sexual therapy for a term of 3 years. I am also asking for a parole of 9 years. You will report ever other Wednesday to an appointed officer who will then decide and report your case to me. If
I find you've done well, I'll review your case in 5 years. You may be seated." Stamping the gavel on the desk, again, he stood and announced. "This court is now adjourned."

Remy breathed a sigh of relief and stood to shake Ororo's hand and thank her for her services. His eye caught Jake's and he excused himself to talk to the man. "Jake!" He called as the guard stopped and let the man turn around. "Remy's sorry cher. I had to. Was de only way to stop others from dis kind of debt."

Jake stared cooly at him. He smiled and shook the boy's hand. "Forget it. You were always my favourite toy, Remy." Looking over Remy's shoulder at Logan, he grinned and looked back at the young man. "Be good for the man, Remy. Logan's getting my best fuck." He winked and let the guard lead him out of the room in cuffs.

Returning to his seat, Remy sat down and stared at the floor. He jumped when a hand was placed on his shoulder. "S' over wit'. Now, Remy has no home t' go to. Can Remy get his t'ings from de house, or no?" He asked but didn't look to see who was standing behind him.

"Yea kid, I'll take ya over there. You okay?" Logan's voice was calm and tender. He had heard the conversation between Remy and Jake, but didn't bring it up. "Look, Remy, don't pay any attention to him. You're better than he will ever be. For one, you aren't behind bars for 25 years. For two, you care about people. Come on, let's get outta here, huh?"

Remy nodded and remained silent and deep in thought for the rest of the day. His things were packed and he was checked into a hotel room, and now stood in the small livingroom in near confusion. His brow furrowed and his hands rested in his pockets. Logan had taken him to get something to eat and made sure he was okay before he excused himself to give Remy time alone. But, Remy hadn't wanted to be alone. His mind told him he was in the wrong place, but the courts and Logan told him that was his new home. He sighed and made his way to the bedroom to lie down. Not even taking off his suit, he curled up in the middle of the queen sized bed and closed his eyes.

Over the next few weeks, Remy had purchased himself a small apartment and was moved in quite nicely. He let the officials know and saw his therapist and Logan like he was told. His parole officer had known and worked with Logan in the past, and counted on the other man to deliver Remy and keep an eye on him when he wasn't able to.

"Does dat mean I can' see y' again, Logan? No good at bein alone, cher. Please, don' go." Remy hugged the older man before being gently nudged away.

Logan inhaled and smiled. "I'm not goin anywhere, kid. I got bumped up to Captain, so I won't be out much anymore. We can still see each other, though. They haven't outlawed that. Play your cards right, I'll take time off and we'll go do somethin. Sound good?"

Remy nodded and smiled brightly.

"Good. Now, let's get you some groceries." Logan led Remy into the market but stopped when he realised the boy had stopped to read the papers in a dispenser, about Jake. Walking back over to him, he whispered. "You okay?"

A small shrug and then a nod. "D' ya t'ink I can- mebbe- see him? Miss him, cher. Want to make sure he doin okay, no?" remy remained focussed on the paper in front of him.

Logan rubbed the young man's back through the thin blue windbreaker and sighed. "We'll see. Come on." Taking Remy by the arm, he slowly walked the youth into the shop. Getting a full cart and carrying it out to Logan's Dodge truck, he drove the young man back to his apartment and helped him unload and put away the groceries.

Remy stopped in the middle of the kitchen, after all of the food was away, and faced Logan. Kissing the man on the cheek, he smiled. "Merci, cher. Y' so nice to Remy. I repay y' soon, oui?"

Logan only smiled and kissed the man back.


The End!