Hell in Paradise - REVIEW THIS STORY

Written by Keri Wilson
Last updated: 01/02/2007 02:01:11 AM

Chapter 3

Remy struggled so he could see who was in each of three trucks. He saw that his oldest child Renee made sure all her siblings were in the same truck. Remy got the soldiers so pissed off they forced him into the same vehicle without paying attention to what they were doing.

The soldiers secured Remy with about 20 different locks and chains.

"Know my reputation, non?" Remy smirked at the guards.

"Shut up mutie scum."

Real original dere, Remy thought derisively.

He saw that some guard had tossed Kitty in the truck, and she was still unconscious. Remy was concerned that rough treatment could have injured her or the baby she was expecting. Roman yelled at a solider that had almost stepped on Kitty. A big solider with a blonde buzzcut hair backhanded Roman's jaw hard enough he was thrown to the floor. Thankfully Roman landed on his rear and other than a probable bruise to his face was not injured. Remy felt his own rage surge through when his child was struck by dat chien. He tamped it down though, now was not the time. They were essentially powerless at the moment.

Roger was obviously in a state of shock. He uttered not a word and his eyes were wide. Remy worried the most about this child of his, even more than Renard. Renard had been frightened but calmed when they had a telepathic conversation. Renard was young enough at six, that he still could be easily comforted, despite being telepathic. Roger was fourteen though, aware of his shortcomings as a fighter. Especially since his first year at the Academy. Emma wasn't exactly the most diplomatic of teachers. Remy recognized the feelings of guilt and shame in Roger's eyes as a familar shadow. He had to do something now.

"Roger, mon fils, vienez ici."

"Pere, I failed." Roger was nearly crying.

"Non." Remy felt a strange sense of deju vu. When Etienne died during the tilling ceremony he had much the same feelings. Jean-Luc had said almost the same words Remy spoke now,

"Y' didn't fail petite, y' did what y' could, just like your pere did. Sometime t'ings turn out bad. Not our fault jus' what happens. Best t'ing to do now is t'ink about what t' do now."

Roger impulsively hugged his father tightly. Remy hugged him back despite all the chains on him.

Regina was able to persuade two soldiers that looked embarrassed to even be participating in this farce to lift Kitty into a seat. They looked even more embarrassed when Regina told them that Kitty was pregnant. One was the last solider to leave the truck and told them in near whisper,

"I don't hate you guys, really. You scare me, with all your powers, but I wouldn't have done this if I'd had a choice." He jumped out the back door and it was slammed shut, leaving them in near total darkness.

Remy was proud to see Renee and Regina were doing what he carefully taught the older children. Even Rowena was and she had just started the training. They were silently taking in every detail of their surroundings, eyes alert. Remy knew that the Academy, where Renee usual went to school, would be hit as well, possibly already had been. He was glad she and Roger had chosen this weekend to visit home. At least he knew they were okay for a while longer and his other children as well.

He thought of his grown son Andrew in New York today with his wife Lisa and their infant daughter Analise. Had they been captured yet? Andrew meant as much to Remy as his children with Tara, despite their mutual discomfort at first. He had only learned of Andrew's existence because of the mutant powers he had inherited. Andrew came to the school and father and son got to know each other. It was obvious that Andrew had his father's quick mind and he excelled in school. He did not share his father's youthful wild streak though or wicked humor. Andrew was not a humorless young man, but he was perhaps a bit too serious about everything. He readily laughed at others jokes but did not make ones himself. When Andrew's interest in medicine emerged Hank McCoy soon was mentoring him. Andrew graduated early from medical school at the top of his class. Remy was proud of him. He had a dream and was able to make to come true. The thought that someone could take that dream away from Andrew just because he was a mutant... And Andrew's wife and child endangered as well. Remy felt his anger grow anew.

Those thoughts brought to mind his one absent child, Richard. He was likely in New Orleans somewhere, probably with the Guilds. He wasn't happy about Richard getting caught up in all that, especially with Jean-Luc no longer alive. But if anyone knew how to hide people, it was the Guilds. Richard and any other mutant children would be hidden well.

When Jean-Luc had died, Remy had decided to cut all ties to the Guild forever. His adoptive father, despite his many faults, had loved his adoptive son very much. Other than a few close relatives, like his cousin Lapin, though, he'd had very little more than contempt and resentment from Clan LeBeau and even moreso all the other clans that made up the Thieves Guild.

Nonetheless Remy had once entertained going through the ceremony to restore himself to the Guild. It had been during a trip to New Orleans. He and Tara had gone down to New Orleans to show off their first child to his family. Renee had been three months old.

Jean-Luc and Tante Mattie were overjoyed. After a very warm welcome and a hearty meal, his father had taken him aside privately and said, "Wit' de child now, Clan LeBeau will take y' back in fully and it won't be hard t' rescind excommunication."

"I'll t'ink 'bout it."

Remy had thought about it for a full day, including that evening when he and Tara had left Renee with Tante Mattie, for a night of revelry. Tara had been every bit as wild as he had. It was a night they both savored remembering. The next morning he talked to Tara about rejoining the Guild. He had pretty much decided against it, but decided that Tara would make the final decision for all of them.

"He's goin' tah reinstate yah with the Guild?"

"Oui."

"Ah know that means a lot tah yah Remy, tah not be an outcast anymore. Do yah want tah?"

"Like t' be a full part o' de family again. But to be totally beholden t' the Guild, non."

"So yah'll tell him no?"

"Yeah."

Tara had hugged him. She understood what he was giving up. That was the point that he realized how much they both had changed and grown together. It made him love her all the more. He also realized that what had always been his secret dream of a love that would last, and only grow stronger had come true. At that point the seed had only first burst from the earth. Now it was a sturdy tree. Not even death could sever it.

Remy did not fear death for himself, but for Tara and the children. He hoped the words of their captors were true and their lives were not in danger, merely their freedom. He also hoped that wiser heads would soon prevail and they would be free again.

Jubilee couldn't help herself, she was sobbing and couldn't stop; Gwen was shrieking infant howls in concert. Jubilee clutched her daughter close. She wanted to get control because the ten other children in the truck were crying as well.

She had to calm herself so she could calm them.

Too many childhood nightmares were crowding her conscious mind. She had to shut them out. Nightmares altered to fit this horrific situation. Don't think about what it could mean. Don't think about your sons at the Academy and what could be happening to them. Don't think about any of that.

"Just think about where you are now." Logan's words to her back when she first joined in on his adventures both with and without the X-men. Amazingly it had stopped the panic freak out feelings back then, and it calmed her now. Calmed her enough that she remembered what Gambit had told her back then. "Watch everyt'ing, y' never know what unimportant t'ing might just be de key out."

She worried she might have missed something important already, but as the truck rolled out, she calmed the children and tried to guess by feel the direction the truck was going.

Piotr awoke to find himself firmly locked to the walls of a truck in motion, with no powers. His captors had some idea of how strong he was even with his mutant powers neutralized. He could see nothing in this truck but heard some children quietly crying. He raged at his helplessness. He would not let them harm the children! He would die first!

They hit a patch of bright light on the freeway system. It came through one tiny window at front. He saw Kitty was not there, or their daughter, only Fion, their son, and some of the older children at the school.

Something snapped inside. They had killed Kitty and all the others! He would revenge them! Hatred of humans burned in him.

While he silently raged the children were lulled to sleep by the slight rocking and repetitive engine noise.

Tara neither said anything or looked at her father during the whole trip back to Senator Kelly's house in Arlington, Virginia; just a short drive from Washington D.C. When they passed the famous cemetery on the way to the house, Tara felt an overwhelming grief for her loss, and shuddered, desperately trying not to break down.

When they entered the house Kelly put on a false charm that sickened Tara. She followed him and a household servant upstairs. In the same cheery tone her father opened the door to he room she would stay in and said, "Well here it is, your room, do you like it?"

She looked at him with shocked amazement. He was asking her if she liked her prison, and this after being torn from the people she loved! What in the world was he expecting? For her to smile and exclaim how much she loved it? She said nothing just held out her arms for him to take off the armcuffs.

He looked uncomfortable, but brought out the small box that unlocked the cuffs and hit the button. The cuffs dropped to the floor. She then turned without a word to her father and walked into the room and sat down in a chair near the window and looked outside. She heard the door close and lock behind her. The window was barred, originally to keep intruders out but now to try to keep her in. She looked at them. Ah could break them easy, but where would ah go. Besides it's not just me, ah got a couple of other lives in there, she thinks, putting her hands over her abdomen protectively. Foh their sakes ah'll stay put. She looked around the room and saw that it was a suite. She had almost everything she could want in here. Everything but what she wanted: her children, her husband, her friends, their families, and her freedom. She was alone except for the babies she carried in her womb.

Tara was sure they were keeping her under constant surveillance. She knew there had to be cameras hidden in this suite. She didn't care, let 'em look! She let the grief that she had been holding back, out in wrenching sobs.

Kelly felt something change in himself when he heard that through the door. He felt something like a twinge of shame or guilt. Did I do the right thing voting for that bill? I thought I did it to protect humans from mutants. They told me that innocent mutants, especially the children, would be safer in the camps. Safe from the people who hate all mutants...

Tara cried again in bed that night, missing Remy's arms around her, remembering all nights they had spent together. His sensuous gentleness at first had been overwhelming and wonderful. Then discovering their matching passions, being hardly able to stand the time they were away from another. There were other things too: the look in his eyes when he was teasing her, or when he held the kids when they were babies, the texture of his hair, his scent, everything...

Then the kids, she saw each one in her mind. Renee who resembled Remy so much in looks, but her in powers, with a weaker form of her absorbing ability and being able to fly, but not as fast as me. Renee was the leader, but also the peacemaker. If any of the children could free the others safely it was Renee. She had taken in every bit of training her father had given her. She has to concentrate to keep herself from temporary absorbing not just the power, but the psyche, memories and emotions of people like ah did. She can control it though, and is only able to absorb temporarily, not permanently. Also despite not having her father's advantage of agility she was considered one of the best fighters of her age group at the school because she had taken her father's lessons of strategic fighting so to heart. Far better than she had paid attention to Mystique at Renee's age. Of course Renee had parents who were violently opposed to ever using their children the way they had been used by their foster parents. Mystique had been as obvious as a loaded pistol in using her. Jean-Luc had been subtler, using Remy's guilt and sense of family honor to make him do things.

Richard, likely in New Orleans somewhere, had the hot temper and impulsiveness that had marked both Remy's and her earlier years, he also looks a lot like Remy, he inherited the least amount of powers, only Remy's anti-absorbing gene, that all of the kids got, and Remy's agility. Richard resented getting so few abilities. Remy was sure Richard had become part of the Guild. Neither of them was happy about this. Richard would have to learn for himself though, like they did. Tara had let herself be resigned to this, even though in her mind she still saw the little boy that clung to her and would scream in anguish when she left the room after laying him down for his nap. Could the Guild hide and protect their people as well as their reputation gave them? Tara hoped so.

Roger, he had the impulsiveness but not the temper, he looks like a mixture of the two of us, and I can't see that he favors either of us more than the other, in his face at least, he got my flying ability and Remy's agility. Roger was the most lighthearted, He has his father's sense of humor but without the bitter edge Remy gets sometimes, but now... Roger never took the fighting skills class seriously though. He was vulnerable if they had to fight. The only blessing was that every one of his friends and siblings knew this and would watch out for him. Also Roger thankfully had her full range of speed, so if nothing else he could fly away fast and he could use the agility in flight as well if not better than on the ground. He had played like it was a game, but he had easily outmaneuvered her in the air when she had been training him.

Regina, she looks like me, and is quite a flirt. She has a little of Remy's persuasion ability, and his kinetic charging ability, plus my absorbing ability-but much weaker, thank goodness, she has to concentrate to even be able to access what she can, only a brief partial absorption of someone's powers. She pays attention when she wants to and can fight smart if necessary. She's mastering the kinetic ability fairly well. Remy thinks she's much better at it than he was at her age.

Then there's Roman, he definitely has Remy's agility and reflexes, he also looks like a mix between the two of us, but I believe he favors Remy more. He is the protective one, perhaps a bit on the macho side, he bosses around the younger kids, and tries to do the same with the older ones, but he does it partly because he wants to keep everyone safe. He was the first one at our school to be worried about the growing antimutant feelings last year. He'd tell Remy and me we ought to go somewhere where the little kids would be safe, we tried to reassure him that nothing would happen... Ah think he might have more than a bit of the seventh sense that never has been very strong in me. That could help him in a fight, he's so young though, ah don't want to even think about him having' tah fight, and the babies...

Tara lets out a gasping sob, then goes on. Rowena, looks like me, she's her daddy's girl, a bit of a tomboy, just like me at her age. She thankfully has Remy's agility and mah ability to keep from injury, with some of the antics she's pulled. She's quite an athlete, Jubilee tells me. She recently showed signs of an empathic ability. It could possibly become stronger than Remy's.

Renard, until recently, our baby, he's the quiet one, but kindhearted and very intelligent too, ah can tell he is Professor Xavier's favorite of Remy's and mah kids. Ah guess he can empathize with Renard's problems, plus Renard being so intelligent and a strong telepath, from birth yet! The Prof. was amazed, because even he didn't have his first telepathic experience until he was eight years old.

Ah wish ah could have done something tah have kept us together, ah wish this hadn't happened at all. Ah want tah be back with mah children, husband, friends, and their children at the school. Ah wish this was just ah nightmare ah'd wake up from!

Kitty awoke hurting all up and down her back. She immediately realized she was in a truck in motion with no lighting, with several other people. She recognized the Lebeau children's voices. "What's happened?"

Remy answered her. "Dey've got us split up. Two more trucks, don't know if we're all being sent t' same place or not. Y' daughter is on a truck wit' de other little ones and Jubilee. Your husband and son are on de truck with older kids, besides mine here."

Her mind first conjured up horrid visions of the Holocaust. It was doubly quick to come to her mind being both Jewish and a mutant. But she realized if extermination had been their intent they wouldn't be on these trucks. The military would have killed them all there, easier and quicker. They were miles from the nearest neighbors and no one that saw all the military hardware going that direction would have said a peep, for fear of their own lives. So something else was the plan.

"Where's Tara?"

"Her daddy decided he wanted t' get t' know her. He's goin' be keepin' her under house arrest."

Kitty heard the anguish in Remy's voice. He was usually quite skilled at hiding his emotions, but when it came to Tara, never.

What did she feel about being separated from Piotr? She sighed when she realized she felt only concern. She did not feel anything like the near panic about her two children being separated from her.

She and Piotr had gradually fallen into this sort of boring relationship with occasional fights and occasional sex. She sighed again when she recognized the pattern of her parents' relationship. She had fallen into something similar. Piotr was not involved in organized crime like her father had been, but he hadn't been the most faithful of husbands. There had been two affairs with art clients, thankfully not conducted at the school. Kitty had nearly asked for a divorce after she discovered the second affair. That had been last year. Did she even love Piotr anymore? It was hard to say. Maybe it didn't matter anymore...

She wanted her children close by. She did have this child she was carrying, but her arms ached to hold Kayley and Fion. Fion was getting to the age where he would tolerate his mother's hug briefly, but fuss about her being mushy. Fion was with Piotr for now, and Piotr did love the children, even if he was irresponsible. Kayley though loved to be cuddled. She was probably crying in that other truck. Even with "Aunt Jubilee" she would still be scared and want her mama, as much as her mama wanted to be with her.

Kitty prayed, please let us all be together soon and safe...