Life at the mansion took some getting used to. Emma wasn't sure whether or not she could live in the mansion with Bobby Drake and Scott Summers. Both were so… so anal about everything. She thanked her lucky stars that Scott's younger brother, Alex, wasn't like his brother at all. She had been assigned to help with Scott's rehabilitation and had given him the new school tour at Storm's request. Scott had been appalled when he saw the door to Rogue and Remy's room. He traced the outline of their names scratched into the door.

"You allowed vandalism?" Scott asked.

"It's really how they got together in the first place," Emma said, shrugging.

"It should be sanded down and fixed," Scott replied.

"I'd like to see you try. Neither Rogue nor Remy are worth pissing off," Emma answered wryly. "It's sentimental to them."

"I thought Rogue was with Bobby?"

"Yeah, well, Bobby never carved their names in a door for a dance," Emma said, smiling fondly.

Scott had let the door be and reluctantly pulled his hand away. "So much has changed," he sighed.

"Some for the better," Emma answered, taking his hand and leading him down the hall to meet the new students.

Kitty met them with Colossus in the front foyer. She had a huge bouquet of white roses. Wow. Colossus had good taste, Emma thought, eyeing up the bouquet.

"Hey, Em, these just came for you," Kitty said, dumping the bouquet into Emma's surprised hands. "Read the card, who's it from?"

Emma took the card from the envelope and read it silently, "Dear Miss Emma Frost, You'd make a great Thief, 'cause you stole my heart." Emma couldn't hide her smile or the slight colour that rose to her cheeks. Henri.

"Well?" Kitty asked impatiently. "Who sent them?"

"Doesn't say," Emma said, slipping the note into her pocket. "These need water. Come on, Scott, I'll show you the kitchen."

"I already know where the kitchen is," he replied, following her anyway and looking a little jealous.

Kitty was left in the hall with Colossus.

"Betcha anything, Henri sent those," Kitty said to her boyfriend. "Oooh! I just love triangles!"

Remy sat across the table from Sinister. The team had turned him in to the proper authorities. Sinister was now in the custody of the police's mutant task force. He wore a similar helmet to the one Magneto had worn, only this one kept Sinister from getting into other people's minds, rather than keeping others out. He was strapped into a straight jacket and sat complacently across from Remy. No doubt Stryker's research had come into play on this one. For most cases, Remy didn't agree with the human's methods of containment, but in this instance, he did. He wasn't even sure what he was going to get out of Sinister or why he was the only one the man would speak to. Remy was taking one for the team, and begrudgingly showed up to visit Sinister.

Sinister smiled at him from across the table. It sent chills down Remy's spine.

"Remy, my dear boy. How lovely to see you," Sinister said in a pleasant voice.

Definitely hopped up on some kind of drug, Remy thought to himself. Sinister was way too pleasant to be Sinister.

"I've got some questions to ask you, Sinister," Remy replied, unfolding a piece of paper from his pocket. He felt like he was a kid on an errand for his mother, only his mother was a very testy blonde psychic. He looked down at Emma's neatly written out questions.

"Those aren't your questions, dear boy," Sinister replied. "Ask the ones you really want the answers for."

Remy looked up from his list. He studied Sinister's face hard. Yes, the man across from him was now the Sinister he knew.

"You're faking," Remy said carefully.

"The master of cons wins a prize," Sinister answered. "They can't hold me forever, Mr. LeBeau. You of all people know that."

Remy nodded. Magneto had escaped a very similar imprisonment, and Sinister, in Remy's opinion, was much craftier.

"Why me?" Remy asked quietly.

"It all comes down to genetics, Remy," Sinister answered. "Your genetic make up is phenomenal. It's a shame I can't track your lineage due to the mysterious circumstances of your adoption. A mutant born with a visible mutation is rare, since the majority of mutations develop in puberty. You, however, were born with those eyes. Right from birth you were the white devil."

"And so why Scott?" Remy asked.

"Ah, the Summers brothers. Powerful mutants. I came across Scott a few years back barely alive on a beach. I've kept him alive through his brother, who I encountered much earlier. Sadly, in order to keep them both, I had to incubate them until I could figure out how to harness your mutation."

"Why would you go through all that trouble?" Remy asked suspiciously.

"My dear boy, you aren't listening to me. Genetics. It's that simple. In order for me to survive the ages, I need perfect genetic mutations. Survival of the fittest, boy, survival of the fittest."

Well, at least the Summers brothers had acquired Sinister as a personal stalker as well. Remy didn't feel so alone anymore. Sinister's obsession with pure genetic mutations stretched further than Remy. He was wasting his time here. He had got up to leave, and almost pressed the button for the guard, when Sinister made an odd comment.

"She has fantastic genetics. I'm curious what your offspring would be like."

"We are not your experiments," Remy replied sharply, hitting the button for the guard. One arrived at the door immediately to let him out.

"Not yet, anyway," Sinister called after him.

Remy refused to turn around and give Sinister the satisfaction of knowing he'd gotten to him. He was relieved when Rogue met him in the hallway and silently wrapped her arm around his waist as they left the building.

Remy took the long route back to the mansion. Things were different now. Before New Orleans, everything had been so uncomplicated at Xavier's, now everything had changed. In addition to the Summers brothers being revived from their incubative slumber, Emma had restored both War and Famine to their original forms.

Remy wasn't sure exactly where he stood now. Jean-Luc had revoked his exile, and he was free to return to New Orleans. He had been hasty to leave, but once he arrived back at Xavier's, he wasn't sure he belonged there anymore. He couldn't deny the thrill and excitement he'd felt being back with the Guild of Thieves. It coursed through his veins. Part of the reason he'd left so abruptly was because he wanted to join in the fight. He wanted to be part of it all again.

Rogue rested her hand on his thigh while he drove. He'd left New Orleans for her. She was one of the good guys, one of the X-men, and for her, he'd stay and be and X-man too. He'd even try to be a good guy.

Rogue smiled up at him. "You okay, Sug?" she asked.

"Yeah," he answered. "Hey, Chere? Let's just drive for awhile. I'm not quite ready to go back to the mansion."

She rubbed his thigh and his body came alive.

"Me either," she answered.

And so, Remy just drove with no destination in mind. It didn't matter where they ended up. She was with him.

End