Merde! What was he to do now? His eyes clenched shut in frustration. Think damn it! There isn't much time. The other Marauders were surely on the way and he seriously doubted they would allow him to waltz right out the front door.

Okay, he could leave Tawla here, take the baby and run. Not very noble but she was tough enough to survive anything Sinister could dish out until they could form and a rescue party. It wasn't like they would leave her there for any real length of time. Besides, from what he had just seen she could take care of herself.

His justifications weren't very convincing. Remy heaved the sigh of the world-weary. Just once, wouldn't it be nice if the hardest decision of the day was whether to get a Whopper or a Big Mac?

He looked down upon Tawla's lifeless body near his feet. Not to be immodest but he was use to women falling at his feet albeit normally occurred more figuratively not literally. He had caught her easily enough but arranging her on the floor gently hadn't been a piece of cake. Her head thumped loud enough that surely would have rendered her unconscious if she hadn't already been in that state.

Perhaps if he had placed the baby on the floor first, yet he couldn't. Fear that the child would disappear if anywhere but his arms overwhelmed him. He knew it was irrational but his arm was frozen refusing to uncurl. The kid was staying put.

Sweat trickled down his back. Time was running out. Any minute the Marauders were going to burst into the room and it would be too late to do anything at all. Think! Sinister used teleportation in emergencies but it was logical to assume that he left as escape route for the Marauders. Considering that he even cared if they got out or not. Garbage was recyclable after all.

Three doors to chose from. He could exit through the same way he entered but would they expect that? Could he risk taking another route and getting lost? Remy took two steps toward the door he had entered through.

Two steps away from Tawla but maybe toward freedom for himself and his son. Two steps after another two steps, after another and he could begin his future. Two steps.

Too may steps, he couldn't leave her. Remy's chin hit the center of his chest in dejection. His nose brushed across soft skin. He caressed one plump thigh wondering how could he endanger his son by staying when he needed medical attention. The unnatural stillness had to be drug induced. The babe hadn't stirred on even made a sound during the entire ordeal.

The war of leaving raged in him once more. Right and wrong were suppose to be black and white. Why did his life always swirl into the gray areas?

Surely Tawla would understand and forgive. His son was severely drugged, barely hanging on. She was strong she would survive. So would he. He had damned his soul once and lived through it. Two more steps toward the door.

Brief flashes of another time when he grabbed a child and fled to safety filled his mind. Guilt and anguish formed an all-powerful hand pushing on his shoulders trying to force him to his knees. His throat raw with tears and sobs he refused to give a voice to.

It wasn't the time to get in touch with his emotions. Self-pity wasn't going to make it all go away. His lips quirked into a reluctant smile helping to restore his inner balance. Well, Kyler would be pleased to know he had been paying attention to her psychology drivel on getting in touch with his inner self.

Damned if he did and damned if he didn't. He might as well try the staying kind of hell, he wasn't sure he could survive another bout of the leaving kind no matter the consequences.

"Sorry m' p'tit. Tres tres sorry." He whispered as a lone tear trickled down his angular cheek. The price of his piece of mind could very well be his son's well being but he just couldn't walk the next two steps. Selfish either way, no not selfish, he was damned. Nothing new for him anyway.

"So b' it." Remy looked around the room for the perfect place to hunker down and fight.

"Where are we going?" Kyler demanded as she reacquainted herself with her hair-pulling mode. Her gaze flicked Logan's hairy arms, at least her would be victim had plenty to spare. Although it might not be as satisfying if it didn't leave a bald spot. How fast would his healing factor grow hair if it did at all? Damn, she was getting nasty.

Oh all right! She wasn't getting nasty she was already there. She wouldn't be in this mood if these people would talk like regular people. But no, she wasn't with ordinary people. She was with the X-Men, the team not her friends, Beast, Wolverine, Phoenix, and Storm of the X-men to be precise.

She had to have a talk with Charles when she returned about adding some communications skills to their daily workouts. They quietly refused to answer any of her questions. The nerve! And to top it all off she hadn't a clue where they were going. Arrrggg!

The moment they boarded the Blackbird all she heard were orders and console reports. Real informative stuff for a non-pilot like herself. Non pilot, non-engineer, non-technician for all the flashy light type machines and gadgets this bird was filled with. More of the Shi'ar technology obviously.

Man, she really hated being kept in the dark. Shoulders back, deep breathe, "I would really appreciate it if you would share the privileged information of our location with me." Kyler added a winsome smile to the saccharine sweet voice aimed at Wolverine.

"All you had to do was ask darlin'."

"Ask? Ask! I have been asking for half an hour straight and that was only after it dawned on me that no one was going to be forth coming. Ask!" She stood over his chair steaming.

Wolverine grinned at her dramatics. "You must give the boy fits."

"What are you talking about?" A part of sighed with relief as she spotted her friend Logan under the Wolverine persona.

He gave her look indicating the sugary voice she used earlier must have drilled a cavity in her head. "The Cajun, of course."

"Oh, I doubt it." Kyler paused. "But if it was true I've heard it's great way to exercise. Wouldn't want those excellent reflexes of his to slow down."

"Fits all right." Logan looked down at his console. "You're good for him." His tone was sandpaper, harsh and scratchy. "He needs some fun in his life."

Kyler's eyes widened in amazement. "I was of the understanding that he had plenty of fun with lots of people."

"Naw, not that, laughter, love."

"He had Rogue for awhile. He loved her.'

"Did he?" Logan's gaze was direct.

That thought startled her. Remy didn't talk much about Rogue. Whether it was out of considerations for her feelings or his she wasn't sure, only that they had tactically agreed not to talk about it. Until Logan's curious comment she had been okay with that. It was hard to think of your lover's ex-lovers without a tad bit of jealousy. A tad, reality check, more like tons.

"Why aren't they together?" She asked hesitantly. A part of knew she would should wait and ask Remy but the curiosity was too great.

"Well now, let me grab my all seeing crystal ball so I can tell you." Logan got serious at Kyler's exasperated look. "You have to understand that things changed after we found out about the Morlock Massacre."

"I understand that a lot of his friends weren't very understanding." She snapped.

"It wasn't like that."

"You left him to die!" She cried.

"Listen up." He growled. "Rogue left him there and she wasn't in her right mind at the time. It doesn't excuse but I'm guessing that was the end for those two. Not that there was much but wishful thinking in the first place. They were both so wrapped up in each other's problems that they didn't spend any time on their own emotional baggage. A couple has to work though the crap to make it. They didn't and they didn't last."

That certainly drained her anger. "Crap is that the new psychological term?"

Logan's hand slashed air. "You want Freud's opinion go ask him. I tell it like I see it."

"What about you? How did you see him? I thought you of all people would understand, would help him."

"I did understand but there was more than just me, there was the whole team. It was a rough time for all of us. The team was hanging together with one staple and a dot of glue. We looked but there was nothin' to find."

Logan's voice took on a far off quality. "It stuck in my crawl good that we couldn't find him but in a way it worked better this way. It took time for everyone to calm down after Eric the Red's trial. Some felt betrayed."

"How? I just don't understand why! I've seen your files. All of you have a skeleton in the closet that would make any dog drool. Why was what Remy did so bad? He had no choice!"

"It wasn't what he did, it was that he didn't tell us. Hell, Rogue stole identities, Phoenix ate cosmos for fun, and Angel was Apocalypse's boy for awhile. And me, I have done things that make it hard to look in the mirror some mornings."

"Understand now?" He continued. "Those skeleton's were taken out and shaken for the team to see. No one was proud but they fessed up. Remy didn't do that. The more we probed the tighter his locks became. He came to the one place that hands out second chances like dime candies but didn't trust us to take it. That was the betrayal."

Kyler could see his point but her heart still didn't understand it fully. Maybe feeling about him as she did she never would. "I love him."

It was so simple. She loved him and in that she would take the good with the bad. She knew Logan would understand her point of view as well. Heck, you didn't get to be as old Logan without being around the block once or twice. Considering Logan's age he probably circled the proverbial city by now.

"Know that and that is what makes you so good for him. I've seen you in action. Some people are like pitbulls. They sink their teeth in and they don't let go. You're a bull." Amusement twinkled in his eyes.

"Gee, thanks, I think. It is such a charming image."

"Sure is. Now go bug someone else while I find a place to land this thing."

"That brings me back to the original question. Where are we going?"

"Cerebro pinpointed Remy and Tawla's in Richmond Virginia."

"Remy had made a large withdrawal of money near the Kentucky Virginia line." She added when a stray thought hit her. "Hey, I spent hours searching for them. Why didn't anyone tell me sooner?"

"The Prof wanted them to have a chance of it on their own. That changed when they didn't check in."

"So all the time I was scouring every data base under the sun he knew where they were?"

"Kyler, it wasn't meant as a slight." Hank assured her as he walked into the cockpit. Logan, Jean wants to take a closer look at zone five on the aerial map."

"Rerouting." Logan acknowledged.

Hank nodded absently before turning back to Kyler. "Remy needed to know you were safe before he left and asked us to keep all information to ourselves."

Kyler opened her mouth to argue with something along the lines of being to take care of herself when Logan interrupted her. "Probably worried something would happen like the last time you got involved."

She flinched. Logan should have just slapped her. It would probably hurt less than the guilt that was squeezing her guts now. Damn his hide! That was below the belt and the searing look she gave him told him so.

Hank placed a furry but comforting hand on her shoulder. "Kyler, we are your friends, Remy is your significant other, we are simply concerned for your safety. Not one of us would imply you are unwelcome but the truth of the matter is you haven't been trained to confront the type of situations we have."

Kyler ground her teeth in frustration. Damn Hank's fuzzy hide too. And damn it more because he was right. She had no training. What was she going to against the Marauders? Throw rocks?

Nothing was going like she had planned. Sure, she was grateful for their help. She wasn't completely stupid. Sinister had been a scary dude in a three-piece suit and somewhat normal skin tone. He was horrifying in his I wannabe a demon gear.

Yet, a small part of her thought she could truly help. Do her part like one of them.

The hand on her shoulder squeezed lightly bringing her out of her funk. "Thanks Hank, Logan. I appreciate what you tried to do." Kyler told them surprised at the broken glass quality of her voice.

"Ky." Logan started.

"No, no it's okay. You guys are right. I haven't had the training or the experience. I want to be useful so I will bow to your expertise." The humor got to her; Hank's hand fell from her shoulder as she gave them both a mocking bow.

"That was to your command. You just let me know what you want me to do. Now if you'll excuse there is too much testosterone in here. I think I will join the ladies in the back."

"Think she'll be okay?" Hank asked Logan as they both watched her graceful exit.

"Yea. The kid's tough."

Hank nodded in agreement. "What is our new ETA?"

"Logan checked the Blackbird controls. "Five minutes."