Stargazing - REVIEW THIS STORY

Written by Cat Smith
Last updated: 01/02/2007 02:01:11 AM

Chapter 12

Remy rested his chin on the backs of his hands as he looked at Bishop, laid on the medibed in front of him. The Shi'ar medics had assured him that the big man would be fine, and would regain conciousness soon. Remy was nervous and happy at the same time. He was glad Bishop was alright, and relieved to see some one he knew out here. At the same time, his nerves were overcoming him as he wondered how he could tell Bishop... everything. For a long time, since right after Antarctica, Remy had decided that he would be truthful, if possible. Lying and hiding things had robbed from him everything he held dear, and it just wasn't worth it. Now that he had gained a sembalance of a life with the Shi'ar, he wasn't going to risk it. He also had no intention of risking Bishop's friendship, if he still felt any.

On the edges of his perception, he felt someone enter the room, soft-footed and quiet. He recognised the walk. "Lil. How're t'ings goin'?" He watched as the Majestrix stood next to him, and looked down at Bishop.

"Better than they have any right to." She gave him a rather flashing smile. "I have you to thank for that, Gambit." He smiled weakly at her, then looked up, startled, as he felt her strong hand on his shoulder. "I mean that, Remy. You may have saved my people from Deathbird's attack." Remy watched her eyes cloud over. "We haven't found her, yet. I have no doubt - she will not stop." She looked down at him, and motioned for him to stand, her other hand tight on her staff of office. Turning to face him, she began to speak, her voice now formal. "We took significant damage in the attack. If Deathbird attacks again, I am unsure we will be able to hold them off." Remy got a sinking feeling, but ignored it until he heard her words. "I wish for you to take Bishop to Earth and get the X-Men to come and help us fend off the impending second wave of my sister's attack." Remy stared at her. His blood rushed in his ears, and panic washed over him. Memory flooded over him, and he sat down heavily. Memories of Angel, threatening to kill him, of Rogue abandoning him.

"Remy, are you alright?" Lilandra, worried, touched his shoulder and looked at him. He looked at her with haunted eyes. "If I had any idea it would have this effect on you-"

"I'll do it," he whispered, his voice rasping and ragged. He saw Lilandra looking at him, uncertain, and he nodded. "I can't stay way from dem f'ever. Can't keep runnin'. I'll go soon as Bish is better. 'Kay?"

Lilandra smiled at him. She was touched. She knew now how strongly Remy feared the reaction of the X-Men, but he would go for her, for the people he had become so close to as he helped to rebuild their world. She watched as his eyes grew distant.

"'S been three years... Do y' t'ink dere hatred'll've grown or faded?" He looked at her with haunted eyes. Lilandra paused, not knowing what to say. She did not have the personal connection to the Mutant Massacre that the X-Men did. She saw it as a tragic mistake in which Remy had been used to collect a group of mutants, which in all probability, Remy thought were to protect the man he had foolishly placed his loyalty in. To the X-Men, it had been one of their worst moments. One of their own, Storm, was supposed to be the leader of the Morlocks, and the X-Men fought and were injured. She straightened, and smiled at Remy.

"Gambit, the X-Men are perhaps even more than you give them credit. They have an infinate capacity for forgiveness. Think of the people they have taken in who have done bad things in the past. Storm was a theif and self-proclaimed goddess, Wolverine an unknown for much of the time, and he has much that is dark in his past. Jean Grey destroyed a planet as the Dark Phoenix, Psylocke was an assasin." She paused, knowing her last two examples are going to hurt them, but knowing they need to be said. "Rogue was with the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, stole Carol's soul," she watched carefully as a wave of pain washed over Remy's face, and when he seemed to gain control, continued. "Charles Xavier himself almost destroyed your world as Onslaught. The X-Men know mistakes can be made, and have forgiven them. As they will forgive you." Lilandra pulled Remy into her arms, and held him. Startled, he returned the gesture. It was strange for the Empress of the Shi'ar to show such a gesture, and he certainly had not expected it. But he accepted her embrace thankfully. She pulled back, and smiled at him. "Over the past few years, you have become one of my best friends, as well as a trusted aide, and now soldier. Asking this of you also is a great favour, but..." She trailed off, then focused herself to what she needed to say. "Bring Charles back to me." Despite her determination, the words came out as little more than a whisper, but Remy smiled, and leaned forward to kiss her on the cheek. It was her turn to be surprised this time.

"Don' worry, chere, I'll bring him t' y'." His smile was genuine, and Lilandra returned it. Then her smile faded.

"I have matters I need to attend to. Would you like to join me?"

Remy shook his head. "Non, I'll stay 'ere wit' Bishop, if dat's okay." Lilandra nodded, and Remy watched as she turned into the Majestrix, and walked regally out of the medbay. Sighing, he sat, and thought on what she'd said. With a smile, he realised that Lilandra _was_ a good friend to him. And as for the X-Men and their forgiveness... He wasn't so sure, but it didn't stop him hoping desperately. His train of thought was interrupted as he heard a groan. Looking at Bishop, he saw the man's fingers twitch, and he glanced at the screens, using his cursory knowledge of Shi'ar medical technology to check that nothing was wrong, then smiled in relief as Bishop's eyes opened.

"Bonjour, Bish, how y' feelin'?"

He watched curiously as the man sat up carefully, checked nothing hurt overmuch, then turned his attention to Remy.

"Gambit. I thought you and the X-Men had returned to Earth."

Remy's eyebrows rose as his heartbeat started to race. He thought he'd have a little more time before Bishop asked him to tear his heart out and place it in front of him. Oh well.

"We did. Dey're still dere, far as I know. Bish..." He trailed off, then sat down again. *Dis is hard.* "We got back t' Earth, t' Antarctica, and dere was a 'trial'." Remy's lips curved into a hard smile at the word. "De X-Men found out what I'm 'bout t' tell y' an' abandoned me in d' snow. T' die." Shaking his head, Remy realised that he was still bitter, and that talking about it was making himself worse. He decided to just tell Bishop about the Massacre. "Dey foun' out dat I did some bad t'ings in de past. Dat I worked for Sinister." Remy watched as Bishop tensed minutely, and raised an eyebrow. Swallowing thickly, he made himself continue. "I collected de Marauders up f' 'im, and led dem t' de sewers. I didn' know what was gon' happen once we got dere. I knew it wouldn' be good, but mon deiu." He shook his head as the memories threatened to overcome him, and looked at Bishop. He knew his eyes were wide, and begging pathetically for forgiveness, but didn't care. He _wanted_ to beg for forgiveness, but wanted to see Bishop's reaction.

For a good few moments, Bishop merely looked at him, then, to Remy's surprise, relaxed. "I knew you had done something like that." Remy stared at him. "The Witness had connections with someone I now assume to be Sinister - or rather, connections against Sinister. He tried to destroy a geneticist utterly, saying he had things to make up for. When Shard and I asked him what he meant, he replyed that he was responsible for a massacre." Shrugging, Bishop continued. "At the time, it didn't seem so strange. The Witness was a cruel, twisted man." Bishop now looked into Remy's eyes for the first time. "I would not have attributed these acts to you. You are, however, no longer that man." That seemed to be Bishop's last word on the subject, and his forgiveness made Remy's heart soar, as he carefully ignored the reference to the Witness. He had enough to worry about without even thinking about that. Then Remy sat back, and extinguished the flame of hope that momentarily hit his heart. *He weren't dere, Remy. He didn' see it, wasn' hurt, an' is jus' glad dat his future didn' happen.* Remy set the usual emotionless mask on his face, and raised his head to look at Bishop with all professionalism.

"If y' would be willin' t' join me, de Majestrix has set us a task." Bishop looked interested, and so Remy continued. "She want's us t' go t' Earth an' get de X-Men t' help her in fendin' off her sister when she comes again."

Pausing for a second, Bishop sighed. He wanted to deny the fact that Deathbird would strike again, that she had learnt her lesson. But the lesson had been taught many times before, and she refused to learn it. The simple fact was that with the X-Men there, she was more likely to be brought in without being hurt, and then perhaps Bishop could ask for Lilandra to be lenient. Bishop nodded.

"Alright. I will accompany you to Earth to seek out the X-Men."

Remy was surprised, but nodded, grateful that a familiar face would be with him when he met the X-Men once more. He feared the moment with all his heart, and both dreaded and longed to see them, especially Rogue and Ororo. But over everything else, no matter how the X-Men reacted to his presence, he, Cmmdr. LeBeau had a job to do, and intended to do it.