"How's she doin'?" Remy shuffled slightly in his chair. The urge to fidget was overwhelming but he exerted his self-control and clamped it down. He steadily met the gaze of the man in the hover chair.

"I imagine you sympathize with what she is feeling. She is a proud woman. It is difficult for her to accept being used as Sinister's pawn."

"You know for sure dat it was Sinister?"

"There are several hours missing from Kyler's memory. They immediately follow her meeting with Sinister. It is a logical assumption. I conclude she was unconscious, hence no memories. We won't be absolutely certain until we find the elusive Mr. Essex."

Remy took a deep breath trying to still the turbulent emotions inside him. He had already known that Kyler was here because of Sinister. Hearing the confirmation from the professor made it seem real all the more. The professor was right. He not only understood what Kyler was feeling; he had been there.

A part of him wanted to rush out and offer her comfort. Another part wanted to run as far away from anything involving Sinister that he could. He felt his heart squeeze as his mind conjured up a mental picture of Kyler. The image of her sitting on his bed, eyes laughing up at him, was vivid.

This wasn't the time to run. He inclined his head to the professor and stood up. He needed to find her, talk to her, and make sure she was okay. He was half way to the door when the professor requested another moment of his time.

"Do you think it is wise to seek her out right now? She has much to sort through." He was especially concerned by her reluctance to tell Remy about the child she carried. She was emotional shaken at the moment.

The professor was a caring man but he didn't understand what she was feeling. He couldn't, you had to experience something like that for yourself. "Dere was a time when I'd have sold my soul for some trust and understandin'. I won't allow her t' b' alone now."

He closed the study door after him. Kyler hadn't been seen for an hour. She would want privacy. There were two probably places she would choose, the roof or the dock. He decided to try the former first. He could see the later from there.

He quickened his strides. The door creaked a little as he opened it. The open window drew his eyes like a magnet. Of course she would have to leave it open, she lacked his skills as a thief to break back in.

He pulled himself up on the window ledge to locate her. He was fortunate; she was facing away from him. He called upon all his stealth as a thief to climb up on the roof. She hadn't detected him yet. He stood in the shadows watching her.

She had her legs drawn up to her chest with her arms resting on her knees. She was staring out into the night. "Remy? Aren't you going to say anything?"

He stepped out the shadows and approached her. "You couldn't have heard me."

She hid a small grin over the arrogant certainty in his voice. "I didn't hear you, I felt you." His looked confused. The grin burst into a full-blown smile. "It sounds corny, I know. But I honestly feel you. My body reacts to your presence."

"Dat don' sound bad." He felt his own lips curve into a smile as he took a seat beside her. He reached out and took hold of her hand. "You cold, p'tite."

"I've been out here a while." There was no trace of the laughter that was present earlier, only sadness laced the words.

"Why you up here?" He knew why she was out here. He wouldn't have been able to find her so quickly if he hadn't understood her motivation but he was hoping she would tell him.

Oh, Lord, he was a sweet man. She turned to face him and placed her palm on his cheek. "Don't worry about me, Rem. I'm going to be all right. No matter what happens, I have been given the best gift one person could give another."

He hadn't a clue what that meant. He had hoped he could impart with some grain of wisdom that would comfort her. He found he couldn't speak as he studied the vulnerable expression on her face. So many emotions swirled in her eyes. He was transfixed as he tried to read them all, fear, sadness, hope, and love. Love? He brought his head down until their noses were almost touching. He looked into the gray depths again. He hadn't been hallucinating. Love was their, love for him.

"I...I...." Damn, what happen to the rapier wit he was noted for?

She moved her fingers from his cheek to his lips. "Ssshhh." She knew it was a risk letting her feelings show. He might not be declaring undying love for her but he wasn't running in terror either. "Let's not talk about that, okay?"

The way he nodded his head with her hand still firmly planted on his face was comical.

She removed her hand. He agreed with her. He wasn't ready for this discussion. "What bout?"

"Hmm, let's see. Well, we could talk about the size of the scalpel Hank's going to use on me tomorrow. Or, how about, the haircut I am going to get?"

His eyes widen in horror. "You really t'ink dey use de old stuff?"

Her laughter trilled out. "I was teasing you! Hank told me it was relatively simple with your Shi'ar machines." She rolled her eyes as if asking for divine interference. "For Heaven's sake! Do I really look that gullible?"

He was relieved she hadn't thought they were just going to rip into her brain. "I didn't...I..."

"Wow, twice in one night! Usually, I am the one tongue tied!" She tugged on his hair. "Come on Rem! With as often as you bump your head? You'd be bald." She erupted into giggles at the thought of Remy without his long auburn locks.

He really should say something to her about teasing him unmercifully but he couldn't. It felt good, watching her try to stifle her giggles. He caught a whiff of her womanly scent as she leaned against him, weak from her struggle. "Chere, you have no respect for de man in your life, neh?"

She straightened abruptly. Her face was the model of seriousness. "I have lots of respect for you Remy." She started playing with her shoestrings. "You've done some wonderful things."

"Yeah? How you know dat?"

She took a deep breath and released it slowly. It looked like tonight she was going to have to place another card on the table. "I've read Charles' file on you. Didn't you know?"

He sucked in his breath with a loud hiss. "I knew you were researching Sinister but I didn't never thought you b' in my file."

"I was trying to profile him. You use information from any source you can." She didn't want to look up and see the betrayal he must feel at her intrusion of his privacy. She kept playing with her laces like they were the most fascinating thing on this earth.

"What was in de file? Was dere stuff from before?" He pushed the words past clenched teeth.

"Mutant Massacre? Is that what you want to know? Yeah, I read all about." She jumped to her feet and began to pace as well as she could on the slanted roof. "It was awful."

His heart sunk. She was condemning him like the rest. The X-men took him back because of his abilities. It had taken a long time to get beyond the hurt. The trust had to rebuilt all over again. Even after all this time he didn't feel the sense of family he once did. He was here because they needed him. Kyler didn't. How was he going to convince her not to walk out of his life? Did he even want to go that route again?

"Are you listening to me?" She demanded her hands fisted on her hips.

"You ain't saying nothin' I ain't heard before." The angles of his face were sternly set.

He looked so resigned. She wished she could take his pain away. That was not possible but she could show him she was willing to share it. She knelt down beside him and wrapped her arms around him tightly. She wished she had his energy ability. She would like nothing more than to pour her warmth into him.

He tried to break the embrace but she holding on to him as if her life depended on it. Besides, he didn't want to hurt her. No, that wasn't the reason, he simply didn't want her to let go. "Chere?" He succeeded in getting a hand in between them. He raised her chin from where it was buried in his shirt. "Ahh, chere, don'." He wiped away a slivery tear escaping from her eye.

"It was awful what they did to you." She whispered.

"I don' understan'. What did dey do t' me?" He gave up trying to catch the drops of pain they were flowing too fast now.

"Your friends? They just left you. And now you think I betrayed you because I was looking in your file."

He couldn't figure out how she came to that conclusion. Surely it listed the abandonment as part of his punishment for his crimes. The part about her betraying him was nonsense. "I don' t'ink dat bout you."

She couldn't hide the hope on her face. "Really?"

"Yeah." He pulled her back against his chest.

Relief flooded through her. She turned her head to the side in an attempt to keep from soaking his shirt with her tears. "I am glad."

"Don' b' sad. Cryin' stop, neh?" He certainly hoped there would be no more tears. He hated to see her in that kind of misery.

She sat back on her heels giving her space to look at him again. "Good grief!" Couldn't he see? "Those tears were for you. I cried for you, your pain."

"Me?"

"Someone needs to. Have you? Have you ever? You deserve someone to care enough to cry buckets of tears for what you've been through. You deserve the release of tears. Can't you see? Look at me and see."

I am lookin' at you."

"Then you aren't seeing. I love you Remy LeBeau. I love you. You are a special man. You made some mistakes but you've got through them. Can't you see what you have accomplished? You've overcome to be the wonderful person you are now." She grasped his shoulders and tried to shake him. "Don't you get it?"

Her words thunder through his mind trying to find the reasoning in them. How could she love him? Rogue couldn't manage and they had spent a lot longer building up the relationship. This beautiful woman was telling him she loved him despite his mistakes. He was confounded with thoughts and feelings. "What you want me t' say?"

"I want you to tell me about it. I want you to trust in me enough to tell me about it" She gripped his shoulders hard and pushed herself back up to a standing position. This was his most guarded secret. All the nights they spent together talking about everything under the sun this was the one thing he never mentioned. She didn't want him to tell her because she was begging. She wanted him to want to tell her.

God, look at him. He had faced foes without a hint of fear and here he was trembling at the thought of putting his heart on the line. They agreed to deepen the relationship earlier but he knew now that what she wanted was him to open his heart and soul.

She already said she loved him and he believed she meant it. Loving was scary. It led to all kinds of hurt he didn't ever want to experience again. Could he let go of the past? He wanted to. He desperately wanted to take the offered gift with both hands and never let go. "Okay, cherie. If you sure you want t' hear."

Relief poured through her. She walked back over to him and sat down. "I want to hear it."

The sounds of the night played background music as he told her of the story of him and Sinister.

To be continued