What The Future Holds

Consciousness hit Remy LeBeau hard as he began to notice his surroundings. He had been placed on a cold table. There was something covering his eyes, and, to top it off, he could feel that there were unfamiliar hands exploring the area where he had been stabbed. If he were at the Mansion, those hands would have belonged to Hank. These hands were too small and feminine to be Hanks.

A slight muttering came from somewhere past his head and the woman who had been examining him left to walk towards it. Now's my only chance, Gambit thought desperately, as he immediately snapped upright.

The only problem being that he hadn't noticed the restraints around his wrists. Just as fast as he had tried to get up, he was flung back to the table, like an elastic. His stomach revolting against the sudden strain. He groaned at the pain in his side and at his own stupidity for not noticing the restraints in the first place.

The person who had came in noticed what he was doing and ran over to him. "Gambit!?! Oh my God Remy what are you doing?" She said in a shocked tone, putting her hand on his bare chest to hold him down.

At this he started to strugle. He had heard the compassion in her voice, but ignored it. Often times, Sinister spoke to Gambit as if he were his best, no, his only friend. It didn't fool him then, and he sure as Hell wasn't about to let it fool him now. "Non..." he muttered as the hands of a second person, a man, came to aid the first.

Gambit, calm down. Out of nowhere, a voice appeared in his mind. It was a familiar voice, and the warmth that was emitted by her mind touch was completely sincere.

Reaching out for it, he subsided somewhat in his convulsions. Chere...? J-Jean? Dat you?

Yes Remy. It's me. You don't have to worry about anything. You're going to be alright. She assured him.

Jean? Where am I? Where Henri? Why Gambit tied down? Why can' I see?

You're in the infirmary. You're restrained because your powers were being triggered while you were unconsious. Hank is just across the room, dealing with some injuries that Bobby sustained, and you can't see because your eyes are bandaged. They were bleeding, Cecilia belives--

Cecilia?

Someone Bobby met while you and the others were off on Chandalar. She believes the bleeding probably had something to do with the psychic blow you threw at Sauron. If it was anywhere near as powerful as what Storm and the others say it was, I have no doubt that she may have been right.

Storm an' de others? Sacre Mere! Dey FELT dat?!? Are dey alright? Did I hurt--

They're fine Remy. Right now you have to worry about yourself. Just get some rest, okay?

Okay, Chere.

Jean put her hand to her head and looked up at the other people in the room. Jubilee, who sat behind her, next to Bobby and Joseph, looked at her with nothing but worry written across her face. Warren, who had just arrived back, without Betsy Jean noted, looked at her with confusion and anger in his eyes, still standing in the door where he had been when Gambit first woke up. Wolverine stood directly across from her, on the other side of Gambit's now still form. He had jumped up from his own bed, when he saw Gambit jolt upright, to help Jean hold him down. Wolverine had only concern for his fellow team mate written on his face. Jean was happy that she wasn't the only one who didn't feel the same way Rogue did. The doctors had gone to work on Remy, removing the wrist bands among other things, and Bobby and Joseph both stared at them as if to say 'Why bother?'

Jubilee looked as if she were going to burst if someone didn't tell her what was going on so Jean took the opportunity to reassure her. "He'll be fine. He's just a little disoriented." At that, the young X-Woman let out a huge sigh of relief, that was vocal, if not visible.

Wolverine gave her a sideways glance. "Are you okay, Jeannie?"

She smiled at him. "I'm fine Logan. It would appear that Gambit's mind was a bit annoyed at being tricked into getting stabbed. He subconsiously set up shields to prevent that from happening again. I was seen as a threat, so his shields snapped up around me. I was lucky he recognised me, and reached out for me."

"Fascinating. What clues then did you have that he was disoriented?"

"He didn't know where he was."

"I've got a better question. WHY was he here?"

"IceMan is correct. Gambit had no right to come back here after what he did."

"Growwwlll... No more then you 'Joseph'."

Bobby crossed his arms and stared at Wolverine. "'Growl'?" He repeated.

Ignoring Bobby's comment, Joseph's left eyebrow twitched up and he looked inquisitively at Wolverine. "I assure you that I am no longer the man I once was. The sins of my past in no way reflect on the man I am today."

At that Jean cut in, in quiet anger. "I assure you that your redemption is no different than Gambit's. I can feel what he feels for all of us, and I know what he has in his heart for this entire team. The ONLY difference between your past and his is that, not only did he REGRET the choices he made... But he tried to set them straight. At least he feels grief for what he did and is trying to REPENT for those sins, unlike SOME people I know, who chose to IGNORE a past instead of FACING it."

Joseph opened his mouth to reply, then closed it, realising she was right.

Jean just turned around, and walked out the door, Warren pushed right up against the frame so that she didn't hit him as she stormed out. "If anybody needs me, I'll be in the War Room."

"Remind me to stay out of the War Room for the next hour or so," Warren commented to Hank, who was the closest to him at the time.

"Perhaps someone should go after her." Hank replied thoughtfully.

Shortly following, IceMan slapped him on the back and said, "Thanks for volunteering furball."

Hank looked at his best friend and sighed, "You owe me BIG time Popsicle. And I mean BIG!" With that he went out the door, and headed towards the War Room, passing Marrow as he went.

Sarah entered the room before the door had even closed. "What's stuck up the red head's ass?" She commented casually, then she looked up at all the people in the room. "Party in the infirmary?" She quipped.

"Marrow, as you can tell, it is very busy in here right now, so if you are not injured, I suggest you leave." Cecilia replied firmly. Actually, what she said was a lie. Gambit was the only serious patient right now, what with Wolverine already healing and Bobby's injuries not being that severe. She just didn't like Marrow. There was just something about her that put her mind on the edge.

"What de...?" Gambit muttered to no one in particular reaching for the bandages on his eyes.

"Gambit, what are you doing?" Angel asked coming towards him, more to get away from Marrow then anything else.

Gambit got up and walked towards him, stumbling a little from his wounds and squinting from the sudden light. Cecilia caught him before he could fall, and helped him to stand, when he refused to be lead back to bed. "C'rebro? Intruders..." He muttered.

That got the others attention they all stood up and got ready for anything. "Cerebro, locate the intruders..." Wolverine growled. "Cerebro? respond!" Nothing. "Shit! Gambit where are they?" For now Wolverine seemed inclined to trust Gambit. He had known when Henri, Gambit's brother, had broken in, before anyone else. Wolverine decided that there was no reason not to believe him now.

His gesture of trust did not go unnoticed by Gambit. For a moment, he just blinked at him, trying to get his bearings. "Too many." He finally answered.

"Can you estimate?" Joseph asked.

He closed his eyes and for a minute, his brows dipped, and his forehead creased. Then his eyes snapped open, "Get DOWN!" He yelled but he was too late.

The door slid open and a grenade bounced into the room oozing an odd green gas. As one fell in front of Gambit, he fell back into the doctor's arms both stumbling and gagging. Then Angel stood in front of them and swept at the gas with his wings, rushing the door. At that same time, the door flew open, and the room was bombarded with fire. Through the sounds of the explosions and gun fire, Gambit looked up to see a tall man dressed in a S.H.I.E.L.D. uniform, that he was sure he had seen before yell to them all, "Good Bye X-Men! I'll see you in HELL!"

As the gas in the room was set fire to, Gambit fell back into the Doctor's arms completely, and they both fell to the floor. She held onto Gambit as tight as she could, terrified, and yet some how clarified at the same time, she realised that her mutant power would be able to protect her, but Gambit would burn to death, unless, somehow, she could extend those shields around him too. Hell in deed... She thought ironically, holding on stronger to the frail form in her arms.

Risking a glance up she noticed that it was working. The heat was almost too much to bear, but outside the shields, she was willing to bet, it was a LOT hotter.

"Chere?"

She heard a cajun voice, and looked down at Gambit who was attempting to look up at her. His eyes were filled with tears and she had to wonder if she was holding him too tight. No that's stupid. The alternative was MUCH worse.

"Chere?" He repeated.

"Yes?" she asked putting her head down on his shoulder.

"...Neve'mind."

"You can tell something about the people around you right?" He nodded. "The others?"

"Ice Man got t' Warren an' Sarah b'fore de fire hit."

"Sarah?"

"...Marrow."

"Oh. The others?"

"Joseph got up a shield 'round Lee... Wolverine is... an' de others upstairs... I can' feel dem anymore. Dey're just... gone."

"No."

TBC...

Note: Okay this is really cool, mostly I corrected spellings and changed a few words. Read through it and see what you think. Also anything that has been put in brackets by means, that I didn't really understand okay?

Soar

Crimson.