Scott sat in the empty den, holding a mug of black coffee that he had added a great deal of whiskey to. This was his second cup of the potent mixture, but his thoughts still haunted him. There was so much going on in his mind that he could not think straight, and it wasn't due to the alcohol. In less then 24 hours time he had found out he had another brother, stopped talking to his father, and found out the man that ruined his life ruined his baby brother's first. Now he set festering in the memories of his horrible life with only a cup of coffee an Irishman would have trouble enjoying.

He would have stayed and talked to Jean, but she was so tired from the several days of little or no sleep. He felt guilty keeping her up any longer, so he told her to sleep. She tried to argue, but it just wasn't in her to stay awake. She had drifted asleep several hours ago, but he just couldn't follow her into slumber. His mind kept wandering, keeping him awake.

He thought about the horrible things that bastard Jack Winters had done. He had endured over a year of abuse just so the man could use his powers in criminal activities. The abuse he received was mainly verbal and physical, luckily the Professor had come to his rescue shortly after it got sexual. He had only been raped once, but that was enough to give him nightmares the rest of his life.

His little brother was not so lucky. He had lived with that monster for almost four years, the abuse worsening over time. Not only was he helpless, he had no one to save him. No one to come to his rescue like Xavier did for him. Yes, his brother escaped, they still had no idea how, but was it better? To live on the streets for years, alone, with no one to protect him, again.

He blamed his father for the horrors in their lives. If he would have just looked for them instead of abandoning them, maybe the worst of this could have been prevented. Maybe the abuse Remy had to live through would have been less, maybe Jack would not have found him. He could not help to think that was the reason Jack had fought so hard to take him into custody. Not that it wasn't easy to convince the orphanage. They jumped on the chance at someone wanting a known mutant that could blow a hole in the house just by opening his eyes. Did Jack know about him being Remy's brother? Is that why he wanted so badly to take Scott in? He wanted answers to these questions, but he knew he would never get them. Jack was dead, by his hands, and somehow he couldn't feel guilty about it.

"Hey Cyke, what are ya doin' up this damn early for? It's only three in the morning!" Logan stopped when he saw the upset look on the leader's face. He also smelled the whiskey mingled with the smell of strong coffee. Logan took the chair in front of Scott, hoping this wasn't about Remy. "What's wrong Cyke?"

Scott looked up at Logan trying to give him an angry look, but knew his glasses stopped the full effect. He wanted to be alone. He suddenly realized that Remy wasn't with Logan, and Jean was asleep. "Where's Remy? You should be with him!"

Logan was happy to see Scott's worry, that meant he wasn't too upset with Remy. "Don't wet your shorts, he's fine. He just woke up a few minutes ago and he's taking a shower. He'll be down when he's through. He's having nicotine withdrawals something fierce now."

"I wish he would stop smoking, he's going to get cancer if he doesn't take care..."

"Can it Slim, and stop tryin' to change the subject. What's eating ya? I know somethings wrong, or else you wouldn't have half the distillery in that mug of coffee there."

Scott leaned back in his chair with a sigh, pulling his fingers through his unbrushed hair. "Jean thought of something earlier tonight."

"Yea, what's that?" Logan pulled out the cigar he knew he would be smoking soon and rolled it in his mouth.

"Well, dad told me that the woman Remy knows as Anna is his sister. She was baby sitting Remy the day we went on the plane trip. She must have kept him after the accident."

Logan teeth clinched around the cigar, almost breaking it in two. "Your father left him with that bitch? Did he know about Jack?"

"No, he moved in later. My father didn't know him, but I think I do." Scott whispered the last part, he still couldn't believe fate would be so cruel.

"You know him? How?" Logan started to believe that Scott had drinking a little more then tainted coffee.

"Did Jean tell you about the comment Remy remembered about Anna's and Jack's last names? About them being complete opposites." Scott waited for the nod from Logan, then continued. "Anna's last name was Summers, making his Winters."

The cigar dropped out of Logan's mouth on to the floor from his shock. Scott had told him about Jack Winters, known as Jack the Diamond in the criminal circles. Logan had actually heard about the amateur job he tried to pull at the factory before he even came to the mansion. He knew Scott was with Jack at the factory but somehow Xavier got Scott away and they had killed Jack at the scene. He never got the details, but if this was the same Jack, he really didn't want them. "Could it be another Jack Winters? There has to be more then one in the world."

"Jean scanned her memories of what Remy broadcast and sent me the clearest image of the man she could. It was him Logan, I'm sure of it. I just can't believe he would have gone so far for power. He was a telepath, he must have seen the potential in Remy when he was young. He was just waiting for his powers to manifest so he could use them like he used me. Only Remy got away."

"So ya think because Remy got away, he came after you to take his place? That Anna must have told him about the other brothers, so he must have known about you." Logan wasn't as stupid as he acted, he could see where this was going. Remy would have this turned around in seconds, convincing himself it was his fault Scott was hurt by Jack.

"Yea, that's my theory." Scott took the last gulp of his now cold coffee and stood to refill it. He stopped when Logan grabbed his arm.

Logan whipped Scott around, catching the mug that fell out of Scott's hand with out losing eye contact. "Listen, ya keep this theory to yourself. Ya don't know if that's what happened, or if it was some coincidence. If ya tell Remy that Jack came after you because the kid skipped out on him, he's gonna think you're blamin' him. I'm not gonna let you hurt Remy like that, you hear me. He's been through enough!"

Scott nodded unconsciously. He never thought of Remy taking the news like that, but now that Logan mentioned it, he could see him doing just that. His brother could warp anything into being his fault. He didn't want to hurt Remy, and he knew he might be wrong, it could have been some big twist of fate. Fate has obviously been playing dirty these days. "I won't tell Remy, you have my word. I don't want to hurt him, and I don't blame him. It is our father's fault this all happened."

Logan let go of Scott's arm and placed the mug back in his hand. Logan was about to suggest Scott try and talk this out with Cosair for Remy's sake, when his hearing picked up a car pulling up in the drive outside the house.

You didn't need exceptionally good hearing to catch the loud laughing outside the door. They both knew one voice as Bobby's, the other neither man recognized. Logan and Scott exchanged glances before they both went for the door. Scott won the race and ripped open the front door and gasped loudly at the scene. Bobby was kissing a complete stranger on the front porch!

Bobby was completely lost in his lust for the man in front of him. He didn't even noticed anyone was watching until he heard the growl. He quickly broke away from his date and turned to see something that complete surprised him. Scott was charging him, Logan a few steps behind. Before he knew it Scott had him by the collar of his shirt and lifted about a foot off the ground. "Slim, what the hell are you doing, man?"

Bobby's date was about to say something, but quickly changed his mind when a short man growled at him and unsheathed claws from his hands. Seeing that the man he met at the bar earlier was probably not worth having his throat slit, he ran for his car and drove away.

Logan wanted a piece of Bobby, but he was afraid to fight Scott for the honor. The leader was more angry then he had ever seen him before. He had a feeling Bobby was not going to walk away from this alive, and that was fine with him. As long as he got to spit on the body before they threw it into the lake he was happy letting Scott take the lead.

Scott pushed Bobby further into the post of the porch, causing a yelp to escape the young man. "What the hell was that Robert? Did you forget that you are suppose to be dating Remy? Have you forgot about the man upstairs that is fighting for his sanity because of you?"

Bobby pulled at Scott's hand, trying to get them away from his neck. He was having a hard time breathing, let alone defending himself. "SScott, let ggo, can't bbreath."

Scott just shoved him harder into the post and then dropped him hard to the ground. "Explain that!" Scott pointed out to where the car was once parked in the drive.

Bobby rubbed his neck and looked in shock from Scott to Logan. He wasn't surprised that Logan was here wanting his head on a platter, but Scott? "Why the hell do you care. It was only a fucking date! I'm not seeing Remy anymore, it's too much to deal with."

Scott fought the urge to beat the man in front of him to death. He knew Bobby was immature at times, but this took the cake. "When the hell were you going to tell Remy this?"

"He doesn't have to."

All three men quickly turned to the familiar voice. Remy stood there, obviously trying to hold back tears. Before any of them could say a word he disappeared into the hall, running towards his room.

Logan won the race to the door this time. Taking off after Remy. He forgot all about the rage he felt towards Bobby, it was washed away by Remy's tears. He couldn't stand to see the young man cry.

Scott pointed at Bobby, who was still motionless on the porch floor. "This isn't over Drake!" He didn't wait for a remark from Bobby, before he took off down the hall after Remy and Logan.

-----------------

Cosair heard Scott's yelling from the guest room and hurried out to see what was angering his son. Here he thought Scott was only yelling at him these days. He stepped out into the hall just in time to see Scott racing up the stairs towards Remy's room. He was about to follow when Iceman stepped through the open front door. He knew Robert from the many times the X-men and Starjammers fought together, he had been at the academy almost as long as Scott. "Robert, what is going on?"

Bobby rubbed his sore neck and shut the door behind him. He glanced up the stairs and decided it was best he stay as far away from the upstairs as possible. "I don't know, Scott decided he didn't like the idea that I stopped seeing Remy. He just tried to kill me in front of a date. A hot date too." Bobby muttered while smoothing out his now wrinkled shirt.

"What? I was not aware that you had stopped seeing Remy. Have you told him this?" Jean had told Cosair the details of what Remy had been through the last several days. The trouble started between Robert and Remy, who had been in a relationship for almost a month. He was not against his son seeing men, that would never change the fact that he loved him. No matter who Remy was seeing, he was still his son. It didn't matter to him as long as that person loved and respected Remy, obviously Robert did not.

Bobby looked at Cosair in confused annoyance. He couldn't figure out why the hell the Summers were so upset by the fact he stop seeing Remy. Yea, he forgot to mention it to Remy, but he figured he would understand. Who would want to take on that much baggage? Their relationship was just a fun fling, he never saw it as anything else. So why was everyone taking it so badly? "Remy knows now. I don't see the big deal. It was just a fling, nothing long term. It's not like we were soulmates or anything." His scowl quickly turned to a sly smile. "He was a damn good kisser though, I would have liked to keep him around for that at least." When Bobby looked up to see Cosair's reaction at his attempted humor, he got something unexpected. A very hard right hook to the face, causing him to hit the floor hard.

Cosair pulled Bobby up off the floor by his shirt. "You listen here you little punk, you stay away from my son or I will make sure no one finds your body when I am through with you! We'll see how you like a little vacation in the cold outreaches of space!"

"Hey! I did nothing to Scott! He's the one that started the fight with me!" Bobby stopped arguing when the yelling became too much for his pounding head and aching jaw. He just decided to forget it and get as far away from the mansion as possible. As he went to get up, he was pushed back down to the floor.

"Remy is my son, and I want you out of his life as of now, you hear me?"

Bobby nodded mechanically at Cosair with wide eyes. He didn't say anything as Cosair walked past him and started up the stairs. He finally got up from the floor and stood in the hallway for several minutes before moving. His idea of leaving the mansion was sounding better and better every second he thought about the situation. To know Remy was Cosair's son, meant he was Scott's brother, and Jean's brother-in-law. With all that family around and Logan, who seemed to be at Remy's side constantly, he didn't stand a chance in the mansion right now. He quickly made his way to his room to begin packing.

--------------

Logan rushed up the stairs behind Remy cursing the boy's speed. When he reached the room he expected to find him on the bed, but didn't. He heard the faint sound of crying, but couldn't find the Cajun. He noticed that the window was open and realized that Remy had gone out to the roof. Normally he would cut through Ororo's loft and sit on the top most roof ledge, but this time Remy had opted for the smaller corner outside his window. Logan stuck his head out of the window and saw Remy curled up on the ledge, his head resting on his knees. He would have been terrified if he hadn't seen Remy safely sit there time and time again. "Remy, come on in."

"Non! Logan, leave me alone!"

Logan shook his head, he knew that was the last thing that Remy wanted. He was back to his stubbornness. After everything that happened the last few days he was hoping he would grow out of it, at least a little. "Come on kid, I can't come out there. There ain't enough room on the ledge for both of us."

Remy gave in and crawled towards the open window, taking Logan's hand as he pulled himself through to the room. "Merci."

Logan helped Remy in and caught him as his knees gave out, pulling them both to the floor. Remy was tightly held in Logan's arms and he cried into his large chest. "Quiet Remy, he's not worth your tears. You know he didn't love ya, you said that yourself, so don't waste your time cryin' over him. You couldn't have expect much more from Bobby, he's just a brat. He made a mistake today, he didn't realize what a wonderful thing he had."

"I know we weren't meant to be. I know there was no love between us, but it still hurts." Remy held tightly to Logan as if he were the only thing keeping him from drowning. Again Logan had become his rock, the only person he could depend on. He cherished Logan for that. He never judged him, or refused him support. People like this were few and far between in Remy's life. He found himself many times questioning how he made it through life without Logan, and what he would do if he lost him now.

Scott stood in the doorway witnessing the scene. He wanted to step in and support his brother, but he stopped himself. He now realized why Logan was always at Remy's side. He saw the same look in Logan's eyes he saw in Jean's every morning. Logan loved his baby brother. He had to smile at that. He may not trust Logan completely, but he knew he would never let harm come to Remy. It surprised him that it took him this long to realize it, he wondered if Logan even realized it yet. Feeling that his brother was in good hands he turned and left them alone.

TBC