All Logan could think about was getting to the hotel. He was running as fast as he could through the crowd of tourist and pan handlers, slowing every so often to look down at the boy. Shit, now what am I gonna do? I should have minded my own business and walked on. As soon as that thought came he shook it away. God only knows what would have happened if I didn't show up! The kid would have probably died behind that dumpster and no one would have gave a damn! The thought angered him, he was going to kill the boys parents when he found them, if he found them.

Finally he arrived at the hotel. He stopped briefly at the front door wondering how he was going to explain carrying in a half dead boy. The clerk knows he came alone when he checked in earlier today. He just had to hope he didn't notice or care. He quickly headed into the lobby. As he thought, the clerk didn't even give him a second look as he head towards the elevator.

Luckily he was the only one riding up which gave him time to look at the boy. "Hey kid, wake up. It's ok, your safe now. Everything is gonna be fine, come on." He tried to stir the boy from sleep, lightly shaking him. The doors came open and he rushed to the room. Fumbling with the key he finally opened the door and ran inside. He rested the boy gently on the bed, careful not to hurt him and turned to shut the door. When he came back to the bed he noticed a small movement and a weak moan escaped the boys lips. "That's it, come on wake up. We'll get ya cleaned up, and get ya some food. Maybe some new clothes."

Logan began to worry, he felt the boy's head and he was starting to run a fever. "Come on kid, I will buy ya a damn pony if ya just wake up for me, anything." After several minutes of coaxing, he noticed the small boys eyes flutter and slowly open, as if testing the light. "Hey kid, glad you're awake!" Logan said with a smile.

"NON! "Get 'way! Don't touch me!" The boy yelled while pushing himself across the bed. He fell off the other end before Logan could catch him. The fall didn't seem to phase him, too caught up in fear, as he pushed himself into the corner. "Please, don't." He pulled himself into a ball and started rocking.

Logan didn't know what to do, he knew the boy was scared, but he didn't know how to prove that he wasn't gonna hurt him. He slowly made his way over to the corner and stopped a few feet away from the boy and kneeled down. "Kid, I'm not going to hurt ya I promise. I won't touch ya, just please come up here on the bed, or at least the table."

The boy shuttered and then peeked out under his arm. He raised his head slightly to get a better look at the man's face. "What do y' want?"

"I don't want anything from ya, I promise. You're sick and hungry. All I want to do is take care of ya. That door over there is always open, ya can leave at any time I promise. Just eat something and take a bath and let me take care of any injuries ya have and ya can leave if ya want, I swear to it, kid." Logan hoped this was enough to at least get him out of the corner.

The boy uncurled himself and shakily stood up using the wall for support. Logan took that as a cue to stand himself and give the boy space. He walked over to the night stand and picked up a menu for the restaurant downstairs.

"I bet you're hungry, huh? Why don't I run ya a bath? While ya are cleaning up I will go grab us some food from downstairs?" Logan waited for a reply but did not get one. "Is that ok, kid?"

The boy nodded.

"Good, I will get the tub going then. It's pretty big so it will take a few minutes to fill. Why don't ya look over the menu while I do that and ya can tell me what ya want to eat when I come back, ok?"

Another nod from the boy.

"Good. I'll just be in the bathroom." Logan walked slowly to the bathroom to fill the tub. From the corner of his eye he saw the boy make his way to the bed and pick up the menu. He doubted the boy could read, but the pictures would work fine. The fact that he was looking at the menu and not making a dash to the door made Logan smile. He started the bath, putting soap and towels near the tub. After it was full he made his way back to the bedroom. "The bath is ready when ya are. Did ya pick out what ya wanted?"

The boy looked up at him with a smile that could charm angels from the heavens. It almost broke Logan's heart and filled it at the same time. "I can have anything in this book?" The boy asked with amazement.

"Sure kid, anything." Logan said with a smile.

Suddenly the smile on the boy's face disappeared as he sat the menu down on the bed and turned away from Logan. "That's ok, Monsieur."

"Kid, I know you're hungry, what's wrong? Pick something out. If ya can't decide we can get a bit of everything. Just tell me what ya want and it is yours." Logan pleaded. He didn't know what to think of the boys quick change in mood.

The kid began ranting between sobs. "I can't pay y' for the food, de stole my money. So, it's better I don't eat. I don't have anything t' give y', and I don't want to..."

Logan stopped him before he said anymore, he actually feared what the kid was going to say, it was bad enough he heard it from him once. "Listen, I don't want ya to pay me for anything, I promise I want nothing from ya. Anything I give ya is for free, I want nothing in return."

"Y' promise?" The kid questioned, as if this time he could believe him.

"I promise. Now pick out something from that menu and get in that tub before it gets cold. Ya are starting to run a fever and the bath and food should help." Logan ordered.

"Anything is ok with me, it all looks bein." The boy said with a slight smile.

"Little of everything it is! Now get in the tub and get cleaned up." Logan jokingly demanded.

The boy slide off the bed and shakily stood and started towards the bathroom. Logan knew the kid wasn't going to be able to get into that big tub himself, but he wasn't going to let him help without a fight. "Ya need any help kid?"

"NON!" Came the scared reply from the bathroom.

"Ok, I won't come in there unless ya want me to, but don't go breaking your neck. If ya need help just yell." He tried to sound as casual as possible, but it hurt to know the kid was this scared at his young age. He sat down on the edge of the bed and called in the order to the restaurant, always listening for any noise that might warrant him to check on the boy. After hanging up he walked towards the bathroom, standing right outside the half closed door, he yelled in. "Ya ok in there?"

"Oui, Monsieur, mais I can't wash my hair" he answered back. "Is that ok?"

"I can wash it for ya if ya want, it's ok, I promised I wouldn't hurt ya and I mean it." He stood and waited for a long minute. He almost asked again when he heard the faint "ok" come from the room.

"I'm coming in then." Logan warned as he pushed open the door slowly. Amazingly the boy managed to get out of his clothes and into the tub without help, but it looked like it took what was left of his energy to do it. When Logan knelt down to wash his hair the boy flinched. "It's ok, I've been told I'm good at this." He joked, hoping to relieve some of the boys tension. "Lean your head back a bit." He slowly poured the water over the boys hair and worked in the shampoo and carefully rinsed it out, making the water dirtier then it already was. "Is that better?" He asked after rinsing the remaining shampoo out.

"Oui, Merci." he whispered.

"Why don't I help ya out of the tub, ok?" He questioned the boy again, afraid to do anything without the boys permission.

"Oui."

"Here we go." Logan reached for a towel as he stood the boy up in the tub. He dried him off and got him in a warm robe. "Ya ok?"

"Tired. Hungry."

"Ok, lets get ya in the bedroom and I will run down and pick up the food. Will ya be ok for a few minutes by yourself?" Logan felt stupid after asking the question. The kid has been on his own for who knows how long, he can survive a few minutes in a hotel room.

The boy nodded, and then looked at the bathroom floor. "What 'bout my clothes?"

"I'm gonna pick ya up some new ones downstairs, those are warn out and dirty. Before ya even say it, ya don't owe me anything." Logan sat the boy on the bed. He began to worry, the boy looked really tired and the fever was still there. He also noticed the blood that had rinsed off the boy in the tub, he was afraid he may be hurt more then he was letting on. "How about ya lay down and take a short nap while I'm gone, ya look tired. I will wake ya up when I come back."

The boy laid down and mumbled. "Ok." Too tired to argue he fell asleep when his head hit the pillow.

Logan smiled and pulled the covers up over the boy. After making sure he was warm enough, he went into the bathroom to collect the old clothes to try and find something that told him a size. The shirt was so old the tag was long gone, so he tried the jeans. When he turned them over to check the tag he noticed the blood stain in the seat. "Shit!" He suspected that the boy had been abused, but now it was confirmed. Who could do this to him, he just a child..

He pulled himself out of his angered thoughts and got back to the task at hand. The faster he got the food and the clothes, the faster he could ask the boy what happened. Logan rushed downstairs to the small shop and picked up clothes, along with a toothbrush, hairbrush, and a pair of sunglasses. After picking up the food he hurried upstairs and into the room. He sat the food and bags on the small table. As he turned to wake up the boy he saw the small figure raise up out of the bed and rub his eyes. "Ya awake? I got ya some clothes and a toothbrush. Wanna change before ya eat?"

The boy glance down at himself in only the robe and nodded weakly.

"I hope these fit, I looked at your other clothes for a size, but the tags were gone...Kid?" Logan began to worry. The boy had dropped his head and small sobs were racking his body. "Hey kid, its ok, what's wrong? I promise, I don't want anything if that's it." Logan raised the boy's chin with his finger and looked him in the face. He finally saw what was wrong in the boy's eyes, shame. "Kid, I saw the blood, and I have a good idea where it came from. I was gonna ask ya if ya were hurting." Logan was cut off by hysterical sobs from the boy.

"Please, I'm sorry! I was hungry, I hadn't eaten in days. He said the other boys do it, I didn't know what he wanted! He gave me money, but the man at the restaurant wouldn't take it! The boys in the alley took it from me before y' came. I swear it's gone, I didn't know, please."

Logan couldn't help it, he grabbed the young boy in his arms and held him. He didn't care if he wanted it or not, the kid needed positive human contact and he was going to get it! "Kid, it's ok, it's not your fault. That man knew better, he was just a bad man and he should have never touched ya. Kid, this is not your fault, ya understand that right?" He pulled the boy away slightly and looked into those exotic eyes.

"I guess." The boy answered with a shrug. "Why did he do that? Do all bad men like to do that? It hurts so bad." He began to cry again remembering the pain. He rested his head back on Logan's chest.

Logan did not want to have to explain this to a child, especially not one this young. He shouldn't even be worrying about this stuff yet. "Well kid, its hard to explain. When people are older they like to do things like that, but when ya are older it doesn't hurt. Ya are too young, that man knew that, he should have never touched ya." He hoped that was enough to help the kid understand. He just felt damn uncomfortable trying to explain this to a seven year old.

"Oh. So, it's ok if I'm older to do things like that?"

"Yea, but only if ya want to, and not for money, or anything like that. You'll understand when ya grow up, just stay away from all of that now, ok?"

The boy nodded.

"Hey! Lets get over to that food before it gets cold!" Logan hoped that the mention of food would end this conversation, and it did. The boys eyes lit up when he looked over to the table. Logan was surprised how much energy the promise of food put back into the kid. The boy forgot all about getting dressed and practically ran to the table. Logan grinned seeing the look of surprise at all the food laid out on the table.

"Have a seat, kid." Logan handed him a fork "Dig in!" The boy looked at the fork for a minute, and then back to Logan, and then back at the fork. Logan then realized the boy had no clue what to do with it. Not wanting to make the kid uncomfortable he threw his fork onto the floor. "Never needed em myself." He began eating with his fingers. The boy grinned and mimicked the man devouring anything he could get his hands on. "Slow down kid, your gonna make yourself sick!" Logan laughed.

That angelic smile returned on the boy's face and he continued to eat. Logan could not resist to smile back. The kid was growing on him, and it almost worried him. He started to have thoughts of wanting to lock him in this hotel room just to keep him away from the world outside, to protect him. Maybe he should call one of his contacts, have them look for the kids parents. He couldn't leave him out on the streets again. If I have to I will take him with me. He smiled to himself with a glint of hope that he could do just that. Then it dawned on him. "Hey kid, what's your name? I feel kinda funny calling ya 'kid' all the time. Mine is Logan."

The kid stopped gnawing on the chicken leg long enough to look up at Logan. "Don't have a name." He shrugged and continued eating.

"Ya don't have a name? Didn't your parents give ya a name? What do other people call ya?"

The boy stopped eating and looked down at the floor "I don't have any parents. Other people call me Diable Blanc, Demon, Freak, Boy...." He closed his eyes as if to be trying to remember more, when Logan interrupted him.

"Why don't we think of a real name? I'm not gonna call ya any of those." Logan stated and smiled trying to lift the mood that kid had fallen into.

"Ok." The kid said with a shy grin.

Logan acted like he was in deep thought, his fingers brushing his chin and one eye closed. He mimicked a English accent "Hmmm......can't call you Mary....maybe Lisa....no that won't do....how bout Georgita?"

The boy giggled uncontrolable and managed to say "Non!" between breaths as Logan continued his playful bantering.

Logan didn't think the boy could take it anymore. "How about Remy?"

The boy froze and looked at Logan as if he was rolling the name around in his head. "I like Remy."

"Remy it is then! Hello my name is Logan how do ya do." Logan mocked while holding out a hand to shake.

"'ello my name is Remy." He proudly stated back and shook Logan's hand with his small one.

"Glad to meet ya kid, glad to meet ya."

TBC