Everyone was in shock, the team was in chaos. If the lab were not empty of all enemies at this point everyone would have been killed. Warren was with Betsy trying to console Ororo. She had dropped to the floor in shock and had not said a word since Sabertooth slashed Remy open. Scott had passed out shortly after the killing, Jean was sitting by him, sobbing. Bobby and Bishop had not returned from there hunt of the monster that took away a teammate. Rogue had knocked a hole through the wall to the outside and flew away. Hank had made his way to Logan's side, trying to talk to Logan, but he wasn't able to get through to the Canadian. Logan just continued to talk to Remy like he was only asleep, like he would awake from his slumber.
"Darlin' please, wake up, its alright, its just a dream, we will wake up and everything will be fine, come on darlin' open your eyes." Logan kept rocking back and forth, mumbling to someone that could no longer hear him. Tears rolled down his face, mixing with his lover's blood as it hit the floor.
Hank turned and looked at the situation in the room. He was upset, but his training as a doctor had kept him calm. He knew he had to get everyone out of here and to the Blackbird. Scott needed medical attention, Ororo was in shock, and it was only a matter of time before Logan realized that Remy was not going to wake up. He wasn't sure what was going to happen then, but he didn't want it to happen in Sinister's lab. He stood and looked over to the small group around Ororo. "Warren, can you please carry Scott to the Blackbird. Betsy and Jean, try to get Ororo to the plane without her passing out." He hit the button on his com badge. "Bobby? Bishop? We need you in the lab now, we are leaving." He knelt back down behind Logan, and put his hand on the man's shoulder. Logan jerked his head to look at Hank and growled. Not now, please don't go feral here. "Logan, I need you to get up and walk with us to the Blackbird. Can you do that?"
Logan turned his head back to look at Remy, he continued to rock. "Can't Blue, have to wait for Remy to wake up, he hates being carried. If he wakes up while I'm carrying him I'll never hear the end of it. He'll say I'm babying him. He'll wake up any minute now."
Beast saw Bishop and Bobby walk in. He stood and signalled them to join him away from Logan. "I need you to help me, I think Logan is losing reality, I need to get him to the Blackbird before he goes feral. He refuses to move on his own, so I am going to have to sedate him. Bobby could you go to the Blackbird and get the tranquilizers, Jean will show you which ones I need, just tell her they are needed for Logan." Bobby nodded and ran out the passage towards the exit. "Bishop if you could stay here and help me with Logan. I am going to try and get him to move on his own, but if he goes feral I will need help holding him down." Bishop nodded and followed Beast over to Logan.
Logan was staring off into nothing, eyes wide open, not blinking. Remy's pale body was laying across his lap, as Logan lazily stroked Remy's bloody hair and whispered to him. "Darlin' ya have to wake up now, we need to get home. Remember we are going to the cabin for our honeymoon. We still have to tell the others about getting married this morning. Come on, I promised ya everything was going to be ok, so ya have to open your eyes."
Beast heard Logan's whispers. He closed his eyes and sighed, he felt the tears coming and he had to hold it in. Get everyone out of here now, breakdown later. He took a deep breath and knelt back down in front of Logan this time, he hated to lie to him, but he needed to get him out of here. "Logan I need you to give me Gambit, he is injured and I need to look at him. Maybe I can wake him up. Can I have him please?" Not seeing Logan give him any argument, Beast slowly moved his arms under Remy's corpse and started to lift him up when he heard Logan growl. He jerked back, but not fast enough, Logan caught him with his claws across his forearm.
"Ya get away from him! I won't let ya hurt him anymore!" Logan snarled and picked up Remy, holding him close to his body. He backed away from Beast until he hit the corner of the lab. He turned towards the corner and laid the body gently against the wall. "Don't worry darlin' I won't let them hurt ya anymore, I'll protect ya." He ran his hand through Remy's hair once more and turned to take a defensive stance in front of him. "I won't let ya take him from me!"
"Are you alright McCoy?" Bishop questioned while watching Logan pace a small trail back and forth in front of Remy's limp body. He would never admit it, but he was in a bit of shock himself. He never thought he would see the death of Gambit, he was suppose to out live everyone. And here he was trying to get LeBeau's body away from a teammate. "What are we going to do now McCoy?"
Beast shook his head as he wrapped a sheet he torn off of a nearby lab table around the wound on his arm. "It is better if we wait for Bobby to return with the tranquilizers. Logan is on the verge of going insane, and that could be very dangerous for all of us. We will stay here and not make any sudden movements, he should stand his ground. This cannot be easy for him, he truly loved that young man."
"I can see that now." Bishop answered, not knowing what else to say.
"What happened to Sabretooth?" Beast asked, still staring at Logan pacing, growling when they made eye contact.
"He got away." is all Bishop said in return.
The conversation was interrupted by Bobby swiftly entering the lab with a small medical bag. He quickly ran up to Hank and Bishop. "Here, Jean said everything you'll need is in the bag. Hank what happened to your arm?"
"Its ok Bobby, its just a flesh wound. I tried to take the corpse from Logan, and he attacked me." Hank grabbed the bag and opened it, mentally thanking Jean for remembering to send the tranquilizer gun, there was no way he was going to get close enough to inject it manually.
"Funny how he was Gambit a few minutes ago, now he is just 'the corpse'." Bobby sneered.
"I am sorry Bobby, I didn't mean to be that harsh." Hank apologized. He began loading the gun and preparing the dart.
"What do you need the gun for, why don't you just...." Bobby's words were cut off when he looked up at the corner of the lab. He saw Logan guarding the body that lay against the wall behind him like a rag doll. Logan was treading back and forth, stopping occasionally to whisper in Remy's ear or touch his face. "Oh Lord, is he feral?"
"Not yet Bobby, but he is damn close. He is mainly in shock I believe. He has yet to realize that Remy is dead." He stood up and handed the gun to Bishop. "You are much better at this then I am, you need to hit him in the neck or heart if you can."
Bishop nodded and walked up to Logan. He stopped when he saw Logan lower himself and growl. He knew if he got closer Logan would attack. He aimed the gun at Logan's chest and pulled the trigger while whispering "I'm sorry."
Logan roared as the dart hit him directly in the heart. He turned and grabbed Remy and started to pick him up to run, but the room began to spin. The Canadian dropped to his knees, he tried to get up again, but the drug and the dead weight of his lover pulled him back down. Before passing out he ran his hand down the cold cheek of his lover and whispered "I love ya, I'm sorry." He finally dropped to the ground, unconscious.
"He is asleep, lets get him to the plane. Bishop can you carry Logan, or should we get a medcart?" Hank asked while running to the corner.
"I will try and manage." Bishop picked up Logan's motionless body and threw him over his shoulder and made his way out of the lab to the Blackbird.
"Bobby, can you get me that sheet on the lab table over there?" Hank pointed to the middle of the room.
Bobby ran and retrieved the sheet, handing it to Hank. "I'm sorry Hank." he whispered without thinking.
"About what Bobby?" Hank unfolded the sheet and covered the young man up from head to toe and wrapped him securely.
"I didn't mean to snap at you earlier, about calling Gambit a corpse. I was just, I don't know." Bobby covered his eyes with his hand to hide the tears. He managed to keep control until he saw Hank cover Remy's face with the sheet. Everything hit him then, it seemed so final, so over. He could never apologize for what he said or did to Remy, it was too late.
Hank sighed. He stood up and pulled his friend into his embrace. "Bobby, I know you didn't mean to snap at me. I didn't mean to sound so cruel either. This is hard on all of us, we all had so much to apologize for and say to him, and no one got around to doing it." He felt Bobby begin sobbing, he knew he hit the nail on the head. Bobby had many conversations with him lately about how Warren and Rogue were taking their hatred for Gambit too far, and it was making him feel guilty that he was drawn into it. He had told Bobby to apologize to Remy, but Bobby had never got the courage. Now his friend would never have the chance again. I will never get to apologize either. "Bobby we must leave, we will talk later. There is no one here now, but we cannot guarantee our safety for much longer."
Bobby pulled away from Hank and wiped his eyes. "Can I carry him? I can at least do that."
Hank nodded and collected his bag as Bobby lifted the body into his arms. They both left the lab together, hurrying to the Blackbird.
----------------
Bishop walked up the ramp of the Blackbird, carrying the heavy Canadian over his shoulder. He walked into the plane and everyones eyes flew up to meet him. He felt almost embarrassed at everyone looking at him. Like he was on stage and was meant to say something important, but forgot the words. He stood there holding Logan for a long moment, until Betsy broke the silence.
"Bishop take him to the back, there should still be a table open in the medical area." Betsy pulled on his free arm, escorting him to the back by the medical door. "Lay him there next to Storm." She pointed at the last empty table in the row, next to Ororo, then she returned to her seat next to Warren.
Storm, now calmer and sitting up in her bed, followed Bishop and Logan across the room with her eyes. "By the Goddess." she whispered, seeing the dart in Logan chest.
"It was necessary Storm. He wasn't letting us take..." he stopped seeing the tears falling harder down the Goddess' cheeks. He didn't want to upset her more, the rain outside was already brutal. "How is Cyclops?" he questioned trying to change the subject.
Jean looked up from Scott and met Bishop's gaze. "He will be fine, only a few stitches and a mild concussion. I think the shock was worse, he said something about telling Logan he would protect Remy. This is going to be difficult."
"It will be for all of us." Bishop sighed and turned, looking at Logan asleep on the table. "Do you think I should put him in the holding cell in the back? He was not acting himself before we tranquilized him."
"I do not think that will be necessary my friend, the dart was enough to knock him out for several hours." Beast answered as he walked into the room. "I do want to put him in the Danger Room when we return, he may wake up feral finding Remy gone." He walked up to Jean and whispered into her ear. "Could you please watch Ororo, Bobby is going to carry Remy's body through here to the back."
Jean nodded and walked over to Ororo and pulled her into an embrace, turning her back to the walkway that Bobby was now carrying Remy's body through. Storm began sobbing against Jean's shoulder.
"Bobby take him to the back and lay him on one of the cots in the holding cell." Hank lightly ordered and Bobby complied walking towards the door that Hank held open for him.
Ororo broke away from Jean suddenly and rushed towards the door, almost stumbling over herself. She stood between Bobby and the door with her hands out so he could not go around her. "You will not put my brother in a holding cell! You may not have respected him in his life but you will respect him now!" She tried to hold her ground, but seeing the limp body in Bobby's arm, covered in a bloody sheet crushed her. She began sobbing again and fell to the ground, her face in her hands. They could hear the winds and rain outside beat against the plane.
Jean wrapped her arms around Ororo's shoulders and helped her up, pulling her out of the way of Bobby. "Honey, they mean no disrespect. There are no more tables here."
"I have no need for one, he can take mine." she answered, trying to pull Jean towards the seats against the opposite wall.
Jean pulled back towards the table. "We can't put him in here with Logan. If he were to wake up to Remy next to him he would go feral. He is hurting as much as you are, but he is not as well trained at holding back his emotions. Please Ororo, they mean nothing by it."
Ororo nodded against Jean's shoulder and it was echoed to Bobby by the red head. Bobby proceeded through the door to one of the holding cells. He laid the body gently on the cot, readjusting the sheet to make sure he was fully covered. He stood there looking at the body for several minutes, saying nothing, just staring. I'm so sorry Gambit, I never meant to hurt you, I was so stupid. I wish I could have told you before ... this. He wiped the tears away from his eyes and turned to leave. As he walked out of the cell he began to shut the cage door, and then decided not to. "He would just pick the lock anyway." he joked looking up at Hank with a sad smile.
Hank nodded and squeezed Bobby's shoulder as he walked through the door back into the medical area. "Do you think you are well enough to fly us home Bobby?" Hank questioned.
Bobby nodded and walked slowly to the cockpit, ignoring everyone on the way. He sat down at the controls and set a course for home. Once the plane was in the air he pushed the Auto-Pilot button. He leaned his head against the back of the seat and closed his eyes. As a solitary tear ran down his face he whispered "I'm sorry."
----------------
Bishop entered the seating area of the cabin after being pushed out of the medical area by Hank. He took the seat next to a window and stared blankly out at the flowing clouds they flew between. This can't be happening, if he is truly gone, where does that leave me, my sister, my time?
"So how is Storm and Slim?" Warren asked to anyone that would answer.
Bishop finally replied, figuring that Bobby was not going to. "Scott is still unconscious, he will be alright. Storm is doing better, she fell apart again when Bobby carried in the body, but Jean calmed her."
"That's good." he simply replied. He looked up in the cockpit area. Bobby's back was still turned to the others, he hadn't said anything since he took the pilot seat. "Hey Bobby, you ok up there? You're being quiet."
"Sorry Warren, I'm just not in a talking mood." he snapped back at Warren.
"What's wrong with you?" Warren sneered.
"I just had to carry the body of a dead teammate into the Blackbird. A teammate that I watched get slashed open by an enemy we couldn't stop." Bobby swivelled around and glared at Warren, his angry face streaked with tears. "I just had to watch another teammate be tranquilized because he was in shock, because he just lost his lover to his greatest enemy. I just had to say I'm sorry to a dead man, when I should have said it when he was alive. Now shut the hell up Warren and leave me alone!" Bobby swivelled back around turning his back on everyone.
"Bobby? I'm sorry." Warren muttered. He didn't know what else to say. He didn't realize that Bobby would be this upset at losing Lebeau. What the hell is going on, I thought he hated him as much as I do.
"You don't owe me the apology, you owe that to the dead man in the back." Bobby quietly said, thinking Warren wouldn't hear him.
But Warren heard it, and it infuriated him. "Apology? To him? Have you forgotten who that man is back there? He is a traitor! He took my wings! He cause the massacre! We have no clue what else he has done!"
"Who that man WAS Warren, not is. Gambit is dead, he is gone, forever!" Bobby screamed while standing up from his seat and charging Warren. He grabbed Warren by the front of his uniform and picked him up out of his chair. "He did nothing worse then what you have done! He didn't take your god damn wings, Hodge did that! You just blamed Gambit because he was there, an easy target. Now he is gone Warren! Who are you going blame now? Logan for loving him? Storm for mourning her brother's death, instead of listening to you whine about your damn wings? Get over yourself Warren!" Bobby spit in Warren's face and punched him hard with his free hand, knocking Warren to the floor.
Bishop got up from his seat and walked towards the fight. By the time he reached the spot where Warren had fallen Bobby had already picked him up and was about to hit him again. When Bishop approached the brawling couple, Bobby stopped with his fist in the air. "What? You going try to stop me?" Bobby questioned looking up at Bishop.
Bishop looked at Bobby and then at Warren. Bishop gave Warren a disgusted look and then returned his eye to Bobby. "No, I was just going to go land the plane since you are obviously busy." He walked passed a protesting Angel and didn't even flinch when he heard the impact of flesh against fragile bones. You deserved worst then that Worthington.
Bobby picked up Warren off the floor by his collar and threw him back in the seat next to Betsy. He pointed his finger in Warren's face and threatened him one last time. "If I ever hear you say anything about Remy in my presence, I will do this again, only you won't be awake in the end." Bobby huffed and walked into the cockpit area to join Bishop. He pushed the button that closed the petition between the pilot seats and the rest of the cabin, leaving Betsy and Warren alone.
Betsy sighed and plucked several tissues from the kleenex box on the seat. She began dabbing the blood from Warren's nose and lip. Her hand was suddenly slapped away by Warren. "Why didn't you do something to stop him?" Warren questioned.
Betsy looked at Warren and shook her head and began wiping away the blood again. "I am not taking sides between you and your friends Warren. You should have been able to defend yourself, and truthfully, I believe you deserved that."
"What? Deserved it? I deserved getting my face pounded in by Bobby? What the hell for?" Warren yelled.
Betsy threw down the tissues and stood up. "Sometimes Warren..." She stopped not wanting to start another argument. She began to walk to the back of the sitting area, half way to her new seat she turned and looked Warren straight in the eye. "I think you need to get your hatred under control before you lose everyone who ever cared for you." She finished walking to the far back seat and sat down, ignoring Warren for the rest of the flight.
---------------
Bobby sat down in the co-pilot seat and sighed. He rubbed his face with his hands, then dragged his fingers through his hair. "Thanks for not stepping in Bish." he finally said.
"He had that coming." Bishop looked over to Bobby and back down to the control panel. "I can't say that I understand though, you seemed to be on Worthington's side when it came down to fighting with LeBeau."
"I know, I regret that, I truly do. At first I listened to everything that Warren and Rogue told me about him, believed that Gambit was just some ego driven playboy that didn't care about anyone. But after finding out about Rogue leaving him there to die, it made me question all of it. I could see how the things we were saying to Gambit were actually hurting him, breaking him down. It didn't feel right." Bobby looked out the window, seeing the mansion grounds up a head.
"In other words you felt guilty." Bishop stood from his seat. "I have the plane on auto landing, I am going to go tell the others that we will be entering the hanger." He patted Bobby's shoulder and left the cockpit.
---------------
The plane landed in the hanger, the roar of the engines stopped and the ramp was lowered. Bishop came out of the medical area carrying a still unconscious Scott in his arms. Jean followed with a shaky Storm, who was joined by Betsy. Hank came out of the medical area with bags of portable equipment and eyed Warren who was still wiping blood from his broken nose.
"Do I want to know how this happened?" Hank asked while raising an eyebrow.
"No." Warren barked. He stood up and glared at Bobby as he exited the cockpit. "Do you need me for anything Hank?"
"I think Bobby and I could handle the rest if you could take these bags to the MedLab. Please stay there so I can fix that nose of yours." He handed Warren the bags and he left quickly through the doors.
"Bobby what was that about?" Hank questioned.
Bobby sighed. "He just wouldn't let the traitor thing drop, he couldn't even stop disrespecting Gambit after he is dead. I just had enough and decked him...a few times."
Hank couldn't help but chuckle. "Well it was nothing he didn't deserve, but if anyone asks, I didn't say that. Now can you help me? I have Logan on a medcart so I can hover him out. Can you carry Remy?"
"Yea, Hank. Want me to take him to the Medlab?" he asked while following Hank back to the medical area.
"Actually, if you could take Remy to the morgue. I don't want to upset the others. I will take care of Remy when the others are out of the lab."
Bobby nodded and walked past Hank to the holding cell area.
Hank pushed the hover button on the medcart and proceeded to push the sleeping Logan out of the plane. The Professor was waiting at the end of the ramp. "Henry, what has happened? The others have not said...dear Lord, what happened?" Xavier looked up at Bobby who had just exited the plane with a body loosely wrapped in a bloody sheet. "Henry, who is that?"
"It is Remy. Sabretooth killed him as a warning to us. We had to sedate Logan to get him on the plane, Scott was injured when Remy was taken, and Storm saw the killing, that is why she is in shock." He continued to push Logan towards the house and the Professor followed.
"What was the warning?" Xavier asked sadly.
"You need to stop destroying his labs, or this will happen every time you do." Hank quoted perfectly, he had memorized it from the scene replaying in his mind over and over. "We need to put Logan in the Danger Room, I am afraid he will not be himself when he wakes up. This will be very hard on him."
"It will be hard on all of us Henry, we just got Remy back, now we have lost him again. But you are right, this will be very difficult on Logan, I do believe that he loved Remy." Xavier said sadly.
"They were married earlier today." Hank quietly blurted out.
"Married?" Bobby yelled in surprise.
"I over heard Logan talking to Remy when he was in shock, he said something about how they were going to go to the cabin for their honeymoon after this mission. That they still needed to tell everyone they got married this morning. That is why they left so early without telling anyone, I assume." Hank opened the Danger Room door and pushed the cart in, followed by Xavier. Bobby continued down the hall into the small morgue.
Hank pushed a few buttons on the medcart and it lowered to the floor. He carefully removed the dart from Logan's chest. "He should still sleep for a couple hours. I will have some new clothes brought down and get him changed. I don't think it would be a good idea for him to wake up with Remy's blood on him."
"Go ahead to the Medlab and take care of the others. I will set up the Danger Room to something Logan will be comfortable with." Xavier placed his hand on Hank's arm. "I am sorry."
"So am I." Hank left the room, to return to the lab. As he left the Danger Room the doors slammed shut behind him. Now safe at home and alone, it all caught up with him. He slipped down the wall until he hit the floor. Today he had lost a teammate, one that he never took the time to know, to understand. He had been given a second chance and he wasted it, taking it for granted. They all did. Hank dropped his face into his big hands and wept. He suddenly felt arms wrap around him, and heard a small whisper telling him that it was all going to be alright. He looked up and Bobby looked back. "I'm sorry Bobby, I guess it just hit me."
"It's alright Hank, this has hit us all pretty hard. Come on, lets get going to the MedLab. You can fix the damage I did to Warren's face. Maybe hurting him will make you feel better, I know it sure helped me. Bobby gave Hank a grin and helped the big man up off the floor.
Hank wiped away the wetness from the fur around his eyes and gave Bobby a small grin. "Yes, that may take my mind of things for a few minutes."
TBC