Could the word innocent be used to describe a building? Remy wasn't certain there was any other word that would quite fit the ranch style office. Inconspicuous didn't quiet fit.

The bright blue of the stone dental office on the ritzy side of Richmond had the aura of lightness and cheer. Real ironic considering what was inside. He had to give Sinister credit though. It was a great case of hiding in plan sight.

Never in his wildest dreams could he picture Sinister in a white lab coat fixing teeth. Baring them maybe but not fixing. Now, the image of Sinister with a drill at his disposal was not hard to picture at all. The reflection was all too real and it sent a shiver down his spine.

Tawla leaned against the wall beside him near the window. It had cost a small fortune in bribery money to get this particular hotel room but the view had been undeniably worth it. Now they had to wait.

"A watched pot doesn't boil any faster." Her gaze flipped from the dental office to his profile.

His eyes remained plastered to the window. "No' interested in pots."

"You know what I mean LeBeau. We can't make our move until tonight. Unless, of course, your theory is correct about the desk clerk here. We may find ourselves facing Sinister sooner than we planned."

"Reasonable 'sumption, neh? B' like Sinister t' have eyes here."

"I agree. However, deleivring me over to Sinister in exchange for the boy would work more smoothly. It gives us a small advantage."

"Mayb' but no' gonna ask dat of you."

Tawla sighed in exasperation. "You don't have to. I am volunteering. I can call Charles to pull rank if I have to."

In that moment, he could learn to hate her. How easy it would be to turn from his conscious and walk that path. Couldn't she understand the temptation of her offer? Of course she did, that was why she was trying to make it more comfortable to accept by taking the decision out of his hands.

There was a time, not too long ago, that using people to achieve his goals was a distasteful game. He wouldn't, no couldn't, go there again. He had fought too long and too hard to turn his life around.

He was a new man who had a woman who believed in him. He wouldn't deceive that. If it came down to it and he had to trade a life for his son's, it would belong to no one but him. "De answer is no."

Tawla pushed away from the wall and stalked across the room. "I have a debt to pay and I am not letting anyone get in my way of paying it."

Remy tensed and turned slowly to face her. Damn, he didn't need this can of aggravation. It was difficult enough to control his anxiety. By tonight, he and Kyler would be a family.

The knowledge filled him with an euphoric joy. This baby would go a long way to sooth past pains for both them while tying them together in the most intimate way, blood.

A warning thrilled his head telling him not to hope too much, this could be one of Sinister's tricks but he pushed it aside. There had to be a baby and it had to be theirs. They deserved that much after all they have been through.

Remy didn't realize he had floated away from his company until he noticed Tawla's aggressive stance and the bewildered query of her eyes. He couldn't stop himself from asking. "Why you help?"

She didn't hesitate when she responded. "Charles wants you to have your son. I want to be free of my obligation. I won't go into why I owe him but I do, big time. This is the only thing he has asked of me."

She gave him a brittle smile. "Sorry LeBeau but you're stuck with me."

Damn the woman was frustrating but focusing on her took his mind off his worries. What was her connection to the professor? What was this mysterious debt? And with her type of power why did she want him there? The last question was disturbing and he had to voice it. "Why you bring me den? Why not go by you'self?"

A look of desolation flickered over her features so quickly he couldn't be certain he didn't imagine it. He blinked and studied her face again. Looking back at him was the calm, sardonic expression he had come to associate with her.

"Sinister has quite a few under his employ and last I checked I wasn't wearing my sweater with the big red S on it."

The flippant response was definitely what he expected from her. Yet, she wasn't telling him the truth. That was okay. She was serious in her bid to retrieve his son and right now, that was all that mattered. She wanted him here, fine. He wanted to be here. Even though he was curious he knew that he, above all others should be able to respect her privacy for things better left alone.

With that thought in mind it was time to lighten up. "S stand for super p'tite?"

He breathed a sigh of relief when her grin this time was one of genuine humor. Good, things were going to get serious enough all too soon. *****************************************************************

Had she been a bigger woman she might have resembled a football player bent on a tackle. Instead, she could only barrel through the study door with the air of agitated female. The pink flags in her cheeks and the panting of her breath would only help reinforce the image.

Well, there was nothing she could do about that. Calm and collect was beyond her ability at the moment. She had been running on nerves since Remy up and left with Tawla left three days ago.

She still couldn't believe how he left. He simply kissed her good-bye without offering any explanation about what was happening and told her not to worry as he walked out the door. Like that was really possible!

She stewed for two days biting her fingernails down to nubs. She decided to go digging for info when she caught herself looking at her toenails.

She was only able to get the barest of information from Xavier's tightly locked files and what she found wasn't reassuring. Armed with a physical description and a code name that chewed on her last nerve, Kyler decided to try a different source for her answers.

There he was, sitting elegantly behind his elegant desk in his elegant study. She looked down at her own attire, faded jeans and one of Remy's old sweatshirts. Not exactly a take me seriously power outfit but one worked with what one had.

Charles looked up from the mound of paperwork before him and acknowledged her before she was half way to the desk. "Kyler, may I help you?"

"Yes, I think you can." She paused in front of the desk to wait for the response she was hoping for.

"I'll help you in anyway I can."

Bingo! She sat heavily into a chair. "I know," she told him, some of her tension tempered by relief. "That's why I'm here. I need you to tell me why you let Remy disappear with someone who has a mutant name of Reaper."

To be continued...

Comments? By Jleskridge@aol.com