The afternoon barbeque went on for hours. Burgers and steaks were grilled and drinks flowed all around. Spencer and Remy were almost glued to one another, practically high off the new declaration between them. It was almost like the last little wall between them had been broken and now they were truly, completely connected. The feeling was amazing. They sat together, hands linked or legs touching, even something as simple as shoulders brushing together. But each touch that had become so natural to them now felt as if it took on an intimate edge. Spencer found himself eager to get back to their hotel room so that they could celebrate this feeling together the way they both wanted to.

But for the moment, they were with friends and family, and they weren't going to run away from that. They made themselves relax and simply enjoyed the time spent with everyone. It was no real surprise to Spencer when, after lunch was eaten, Remy slipped away to the car for a moment and came back with his sketchpad and pencil. This time the duo set up in their patio chair with Spencer at the back and Remy lying back against his chest. The Cajun drew his knees up, using his thighs as a surface for his sketchbook, and he proceeded to draw the images all around him. Spencer watched over his shoulder, in awe as he always was at Remy's skill. On paper there appeared a picture of Hank and Logan sitting on one wall, discussing something. Another was of Jubilee sprawled out in the grass with Nyssa, the both of them practically asleep. Alex and Bobby playing a game of basketball. Jean, head tipped back as she laughed. Ororo, sitting cross legged on the ground with a puppy in her lap, her typical decorum vanished. Betsy talking at one of the tables with Kurt, giving him a bright and charming smile. Scott, sitting on the wall with Logan behind him, bent down to whisper something in his ear that the expressions on their faces suggested was intimate. One after another Remy sketched them.

"Damn." Alex's voice interrupted Spencer's musings. He looked up to see his brother looking down at the picture Remy had just finished of Logan tickling a squealing Jubilee. "That's awesome, Rem."

"Merci, mon frère."

"Let me see." Jean chimed in. She stretched over in her chair to look at the sketchpad. Her smile grew at what she saw there and the look she gave him was impressed. "That's really well done, Remy. I had no idea you were such an artist. You've captured them perfectly."

Without warning, Alex reached down and snatched the book. "What else you got in here?" He started to flip pages, checking out what was in there. Remy didn't rise, though he did smirk up at him. "Y' don't wanna do dat, Alex. Just give me de book back."

"What do you…augh!" The book went flying back to Remy, who caught it easily. Alex gave him a look of disgust and shuddered. "Dammit. That's burned into my eyes now. Burned!" He spun and stalked off, muttering furiously.

Remy just laughed. He saw the eyes on him and felt Spencer's curiosity and his grin grew a little. "I t'ink he found m' 'Sleeping Spencer' collection." Turning, he looked over his shoulder at Spencer. "De one on m' quilt from dat night in m' studio."

In the studio? Oh…oh! Heat filled Spencer's cheeks. He remembered that night. The night had been clear and he and Remy had taken a quilt up to the attic studio and spread it out underneath one of Remy's skylights. Then they'd laid together and looked up at the stars. They'd made love there, underneath the starlight, before passing out together. Spencer hadn't known that Remy had drawn him while sleeping. He could only imagine just how much of himself was visible in that picture. No wonder Alex had freaked out. That wasn't a way anyone wanted to see their baby brother.

Spencer's blush had everyone laughing. Betsy let out a whistle and winked at them. While everyone else was laughing, Scott shook his head and made his way over to the couple. He stopped by the chair and flicked at Remy's shades, catching his attention. "Let me steal you for a minute, Remy. I want to talk to you about something."

The random request had Remy turning to slant a look at Spencer, who nodded lightly. With a casual shrug, Remy said "Oui, Fearless." With a twist of the spine that shouldn't have been possible, Remy turned and gave Spencer a kiss, murmuring against his lips "Be right back."

"I'll be here." Spencer murmured back.

One last kiss and then Remy rose from the chair to follow Scott into the house. Spencer knew what his brother was going to talk to Remy about; he'd already talked about it to Spencer, just to feel him out and see what he thought of it. What he wanted to do was talk to Remy about still working with the house, at least in one sense of the word. Though it wasn't talked about, and most people probably didn't know, Remy had been 'Scotty's thief', as he put it, for quite a while. Working on jobs here and there to help the cause and help the household. Jobs that only a skilled thief could manage. Scott wanted to see if Remy would still be willing to work jobs like that. He'd be sent the job information so that he could review it and decide if he wanted to do it or not. It would be all his to plan out and take care of on his own schedule, provided there wasn't a deadline. He'd have the ability to say no if he wanted. Spencer thought that it was a good idea. Not only would Remy be able to stay working, as Spencer knew he would like to do, but he'd be able to still fight for the dream in his own way without giving up any part of their current life. He thought that Remy would like it and that it would be good for him and he'd told Scott that. Now it was just up to Remy.

Unfortunately, Remy leaving left Spencer sitting alone in his chair with only Alex and Logan here that he really knew. In that moment, the thing happened that Spencer had been hoping to avoid. So far everyone had been all about talking to Remy and finding out things that had happened to him or what their life had been like the past few months. They'd been reconnecting with their friend. Now suddenly the attention seemed to shift towards him. Logan, Warren and Jean were the only three here that had ever met Spencer before, though the others had heard a little bit about him.

It was Jean who broke the sudden quiet, smiling at him in that motherly sort of way that she had. "So I hear you two have to go back home tomorrow, Spencer. It was nice that you could get a couple days off to take care of things. I know time off is hard for you to come by."

"Yes, it generally can be." He admitted. "There's always the risk of being called in during that time, as well. But I didn't request this time off. I'm on a two week leave right now that is technically medical leave."

"Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine." He answered automatically. Almost immediately, Alex scoffed and said "Fine, right. You were in a sling, brat. Which, by the way, your husband totally ratted you out on. He says you're supposed to be in it for a few more days. So where is it?"

A defensive look crossed Spencer's face and he scowled at his brother. "It's back at the hotel room. I'll tell you the same thing I told Remy—I'm fine. My shoulder feels much better, thank you."

"Yeah?" Alex bent down, scooping up the basketball at his feet. "Catch!" With no more warning than that, he threw it at Spencer. Quickly Spencer lifted his arms to catch the ball, yet it still managed to hit his chest even as he caught it. The impact of the ball not only hit the bruising on his chest, but his shoulder screamed at him for moving it so quickly and for trying to catch. He had to clench his hands down on the ball and bow his head down for a second with his eyes screwed shut just to keep the groan of pain from rolling out of him. When he had it under control, he looked up once more and his scowl was even deeper. He didn't stop to think about it before he sent a short charge into the ball and threw it back. It was extremely satisfying to watch Alex catch the ball and jolt when the electricity zapped him.

Logan prevented it from turning into an all-out fight by slapping the ball out of Alex's hands and growling at them both. "Keep it up and I'll tie up the both of ya. Can't you two behave for five damn minutes together?"

"No."

"Hell no."

Their simultaneous answers brought laughter to the group. In an obvious effort to turn things away from anymore potential arguing, Ororo picked the conversation back up. "What is it that you do for work, Spencer?" she asked him.

Spencer shifted a little in his seat, curling his arm up and trying to discreetly cradle it close. Catching the ball hurt far more than he wanted to admit to. Damn Alex for having to be an ass. He tried to adjust to ease the ache while he answered Ororo's question. "I'm a profiler at the BAU." At the confused looks he got, he clarified. "That's the Behavioral Analysis Unit in the FBI."

"Him and the team study human behavior and shit like that and they use it to make profiles to help them catch serial killers, arsonists, and other nasty bastards. "Alex explained.

"You're a Fed?" The incredulous question burst from Jubilee. She was staring at him with wide eyes and a hint of a laughing grin starting. "Seriously? And your brothers are Cyke and Havok, and you're married to Remy? And you're a Fed?"

Humor quirked Spencer's lips. The reaction didn't surprise him. It was kind of to be expected. "It does seem rather strange, doesn't it? But yes, I am, as you put it, a 'Fed'. And before anyone asks, Remy knew about my work before he married me." Finally comfortable, he picked up his wine glass once more and took a sip. "It's part of the reason I've never come here before. Scotty and I decided a long time ago that it was safest to kind of keep this part of our lives separate. It was less of a risk for us if I cold honestly claim that I didn't know anything about the life here. I always knew general information, enough to get by, but not details."

"That's why Scooter don't say much about him, either." Logan threw out. "Keeps him safe as well."

Alex nodded in agreement. He came over, throwing himself down into a chair by Spencer. "I never really liked it, but it was smart. Scott didn't want the chance that someone would connect Cyclops and SSA Dr. Reid and try to use the situation. Plus, we're kind of protective of our little brat here."

"Shut up." Spencer grumbled quietly.

"Doctor?" Hank asked. He'd been mostly quiet so far but that seemed to have intrigued him. "You seem rather young to be a doctor."

"He's a genius, Hank, didn't ya know?" Smirking, Alex reached over and ruffled Spencer's hair, laughing at the scowl it earned him. "The brat has an IQ of 187, an eidetic memory, and he can read something like twenty thousand words a minute. He has B.A.'s in philosophy, psychology and…"

"Sociology." Spencer filled in.

"Right. And Ph.D.'s in Engineering, Chemistry and Mathematics. Little shit started college when he was just barely thirteen, I think. He's our Urkel."

It was habit to roll his eyes and shake his head at that comment. He'd heard it far too many times for there to be any real sting to it. "Is that jealousy I'm picking up from you, big brother?" He rolled his head to the side and quirked an eyebrow at Alex.

Alex snorted at the accusation. "Jealousy? You've got to be kidding me."

"No, no, I think it might be."

"You're so full of shit, brat. Why the hell would I be jealous of you? Get off it."

"You can deny it all you want. But you can't like about emotions to an empath, Alex. And I'm pretty sure that's a little hint of jealousy I'm detecting there."

Turning a little towards him, Alex glared at Spencer. "Really? And what is it you're detecting now, shithead?"

Without missing a beat, Spencer said "Bruised ego." He let a slow smile curve his lips. "Hit a little too close to home there, Lexi?"

He really hadn't been thinking. If he had, he probably wouldn't have pushed his luck. Though he wasn't admitting it to others he knew he was still too bruised to be roughhousing. Still, trading barbs with Alex was second nature. The insults came out before he could really think about the consequences. Alex was the one person in the world that could make him act before he thought. That was what happened right then. The words came out of his mouth before he could stop to think about what reaction he might get. If he'd thought about it, he would've known what would happen. But he hadn't, and so he wasn't prepared when Alex reached out and shoved the side of his chair, toppling him over. Spencer hit the ground and his wine spilled everywhere, splashing all over him and the floor. His shoulder caught the ground and for a moment the world went white as the pain exploded. He didn't even notice when the back of his hand caught a part of his broken wine glass.

Everyone moved forward at the pained sound that Spencer made. Surprisingly, it was Alex who moved the quickest, hopping up and quickly going to drop down by Spencer's head. "Pidge? Dammit, pidge, where does it hurt? Shit." He must've caught sight of Spencer's hand because he started to swear even more. He grabbed a bandana from his pocket and wrapped it around the bleeding part of Spencer's hand. "Shit, shit. Dammit, pidge, why'd you piss me off? Man, Scott's gonna kick my ass. Come on, let's get you up. Come on." With hands that were extremely careful, he started to sit Spencer up. Through the pain, Spencer was vaguely aware of Alex's words. His vision cleared as he and Alex slowly made their way to their feet. Logan was on the other side of him, trying to keep him steady.

Once he was sure he had his balance, Spencer looked over at Alex, who was watching him with so much concern. "Spence, you okay, man? I'm so sorry! I didn't even think about your bruises. Are you bleeding anywhere else? Are you all right?"

For a second Spencer debated what to say or do. Then he mentally shrugged and gave in to his baser urges. With the hand that wasn't bleeding, he balled it up into a fist and let it fly right into Alex's nose. It was more than satisfying to watch Alex stumble back and clutch at his face. "Now I feel better." Spencer answered.

"Son of a bitch!" Alex pulled a hand back and looked down to find blood there. "You bloodied my nose, Spencer! What the hell?"

"You knocked me out of a chair, Alexander!"

"So you retaliate by punching me in the face? What the hell kind of bitch move is that?"

Before they could argue any further, Logan's deep voice broke in between them. "Enough! Alex, sit yer ass down and pinch your nose off. Spencer, get over here and sit down and let Blue look at ya. And I swear, I'll beat the next one of you knuckleheads that wants to throw another punch. Now, move!"

With distinctly sulky expressions, the two brothers moved.

Scott and Remy were just finishing up their conversation about that time. Scott had laid out all the details of what he was thinking and Remy was sitting back now, contemplating it. The idea was interesting. There was no denying that he was interested by it. He'd not only be able to do something that he honestly enjoyed, but he'd be doing something to help people, a thing that was a definite bonus to him. He'd be getting to help people while at the same time making use of his skills and still having the freedom to be able to be home when Spencer was home, so they'd still get to see one another. Plus, it was work he could get without worrying about his eyes being noticed and ruining his job. Yes, this definitely was worth thinking about.

Gaze a little sharper, he looked up from where he'd been staring at his beer. "What about funding? Are any expenses gonna come out m' own pocket?"

If Scott knew he'd won, he was gracious enough not to look smug about it. "All reasonable expenses will be funded through me. I won't expect an itemized list of expenses, though. I trust that you won't hose me too much."

"Y' get de family discount, mon frère."

"So, is this something you're interested in then?"

"Y' give me a little time and I'll talk it over with Spencer." A quick grin flashed over Remy's face, replacing the business expression he'd been wearing with one of humor. "Aint stupid enough to commit to somet'ing without talking to mon mari first, even if'n y' said he's fine with it. Quick way to get m' ass handed to me, non?"

"Got you trained, huh?" Scott teased.

Warmth lit Remy's face and he smiled broadly and without shame. "Oui." He started to say more when he felt temper echo down the link from Spencer before being followed by pain. He felt the pain give way to this strange love/anger mix that he'd only felt when Spencer was mad at Alex. Remy sent a questioning sense towards his husband and the worry inside him faded when Spencer sent back a sense of love and reassurance.

Suddenly Alex's voice echoed faintly in towards them. "Son of a bitch!" they heard him shout. The two froze, turning to look towards the door right as they heard him add on "You bloodied my nose, Spencer! What the hell?"

"Shit." Scott shoved back his chair and rose to his feet. "I swear, those two are going to be the death of me one day." He stopped long enough to look down at Remy and say "Why don't you take a little time in here, think about things, and I'll go handle the two raging idiots outside." Then he was striding out of the office in a way that had Remy almost pitying Spencer and Alex. Almost. Not enough to go out there and brave a furious Scott, though. He'd just let Spencer handle that one on his own. Amused, Remy rose from his chair, stretching himself out slightly.

He tried to do as Scott suggested and take a moment to think about this idea. Only, when he let his thoughts roam, it wasn't over this. His thoughts drifted somewhere else entirely. He tried to put his thoughts back on track but they just wouldn't listen. They kept drifting to one thing and one thing only—Rogue. Eventually, Remy sighed. Then he gathered up his courage and left the office.

It wasn't hard for him to find her. Once, he had known all her little quirks. The things she liked and didn't like, where she went when upset or angry, the gestures she made to show she was nervous or scared. He'd known all of it. And despite everything that had changed, those things still seemed to be the same. She was hiding out in her room as she usually did when upset. He knew that, if he opened the door and looked, he'd find her curled up in her bed, clutching that ratty old stuffed bunny that she didn't admit to anyone she had. She'd never say just who gave it to her. The most he'd ever gotten, and that was with lots of prying, was that she'd had it since she was just a little girl. Otherwise, she said nothing more.

Remy had to pause to gather his courage before he could bring himself to knock on the door. He didn't want to do this and yet, at the same time, he did. He had to, really. This couldn't be left unresolved like this. They needed to square things away between them once and for all. For him, for her, and for the others around them. This had to be resolved somehow.

The "Go away!" that was shouted through the door was expected. As he'd done countless times before, Remy ignored it completely and instead, he opened the door. He was barely inside before she was sitting up in the bed and glaring furiously at the door. "Ah said go away!" she shouted. When she saw who it was, her face grew even harder. "What the hell are you doing in here? Get outta mah room!"

"Non, Rogue." Remy kept as calm as he could. Deliberately he stepped fully inside and then shut the door behind him. Then he turned to meet her gaze head on. "I aint leaving. Not until we deal with dis somehow. I can't leave dis unresolved between us."

"There aint nothing to resolve. Ah don't want nothing to do with you!"

Remy wasn't sure where the words came from, but he found them spilling past his lips, and they felt right. "Maybe y' don't, mais I've got some t'ings to say to y' and some t'ings I want answered. Y' and Remy, we meant somet'ing to each other once. If y' remember any of dat, den at de least sit here and hear me out, s'il tu plait. And if y' still want me to leave when I'm done, I'll go. Mais I've earned de right to say m' piece."

He wasn't sure at first what she would do. There was so much anger coming from her. But she surprised him; the anger faded slightly and she seemed to wilt just a little on her bed. When she spoke, her voice still held anger, but it wasn't quite as strong as it had been. "Talk fast, swamp rat."

"D'accord." It was now or never. This was the only chance he'd get and he knew it. Time to say the things he'd always wanted to say to her. "I know dat what y' saw from me, de t'ings y' learned, dey changed how y' saw me. How could dey not? Dere's a lot of m' life dat I never let y' into, Rogue. And y' got every right to be mad about dat. Partners, dey should tell one another t'ings, oui? Dey should share t'ings. Y' and me, we aint never been really honest with one another."

"Now wait…!"

"Non, Rogue. I aint done yet." He cut her off gently yet firmly. When he was sure she was quiet, he continued. The words just kept coming, pulling up from deep inside. "We weren't honest and y' know it. We both kept our secrets. De t'ing is…m' past, it aint somet'ing y' could handle. Maybe dat aint right of me to say, mais it's de truth. Who I was, de t'ings I've done, de person I was, it aint somet'ing y' could've handle and still looked at me. We've both got darkness in us; I t'ink dat's part of what drew us together. Y' just don't wanna admit to dat dark part of y'. Y' try so hard to cling to de light, femme. Y' want so bad to be light and good dat it just about rips y' apart." Pausing, Remy looked down at his hands. He chuckled mirthlessly. "I got de opposite problem. I've always known m' darkness. It's de light in me dat I've had a hard time seeing. M' Papa brought it out in me fo' a while and den t'ings…t'ings chased it away again. Mais being wit' y', I felt it again, just a little. I felt dat light in m' soul and I fought so hard to be good. I thought maybe I could finally make up fo' de t'ings I'd done."

"Some things can't be erased."

"No, dey can't." He agreed. "Some t'ings leave a stain on our soul dat we can't never wash away. I got m' fair share of dem. For a while, wit' y', I tried to pretend I didn't. I tried to pretend dey wasn't dere. I tried to pretend to be somet'ing I wasn't. That's not me, though. Dat aint me, Rogue. I made m'self into someone else when I was wit' y' and fo' dat, I'm sorry. Y' deserved better dan a lie like dat. Je suis désolé."

His apology obviously caught her off guard. But it took a weight off of Remy's chest that he hadn't even realized he'd been carrying. Saying all of this to her felt good. It felt like he was lancing an old wound that had started to fester. All of the bad was dripping out, cleansing him so that, when he was done, he might finally be able to heal. Only, there was one last thing. One question he had to ask; had to know the answer to. His eyes found hers and held them as he asked the question he was afraid he already knew the answer to. "Here, it's just de two of us. Let's be honest fo' once, Rogue. We both deserve dat. I deserve to know de truth. Did y' ever love me? Even a little?"

He honestly didn't think that she'd answer him. He never expected to get any true answer out of her. But she stunned him completely by letting out a sigh not flinching away from his gaze as she answered him. "Ah think ah loved who ah thought you were. But now, knowing what ah know, listening to everything you just said….ah can't. Ah don't really know if ah ever did. You're not who ah thought you were, Rem."

"Je sais." Remy bowed his head and closed his eyes. When he lifted his head once more, his eyes were clear and dry. "Merci fo' de trut'." Then he turned and walked toward the door. He paused after opening it, one hand braced on the frame. Slowly he turned to look at her once more. "I tried being who y' wanted me to be. I tried being de person y' thought I was. Mais…I was miserable. Now I aint changing who I am fo' no one. I found someone dat loves me fo' me, darkness and all. He don't mind m' dark spots. He don't care about m' past. He looks at me and he sees past de bullshit, past de lies and de cover ups and every defense I ever put up to protect m'self. He sees past all dat—and he loves me anyways. Dat amazing, beautiful man loves me. I hope one day y' find somet'ing like dat fo' y'rself."

Without another word, Remy slipped silently out the door, letting it click shut behind him with just a whisper.

It was a slightly lighter Remy that made his way back downstairs and onto the back porch. Almost the instant he was out there his eyes went to the person that was most important. Spencer was standing against a wall with Scott in front of him. The older brother looked furious and was obviously lecturing Spencer, even if no one else could hear. On the other side of the porch, Alex was sitting in a chair, very obviously sulking. Everyone else was carrying on conversation in between them as if nothing had happened. Remy looked at them all and picked the easiest option to walk up to and ask "What happened?"

Jubilee was all too eager to tell him. By the time she was done, Remy understood why he'd felt what he had from Spencer. And while he knew that brothers fought and thee two fought more than most, he couldn't stop himself from having that small urge to go and add his own hit to the one Spencer had given. However, that wasn't his place. This was between brothers and he wasn't foolish enough to really get between that. At least, not over something so small. He turned himself once more and looked over at Spencer. It looked like Scott was finally winding down. Spencer's eyes were no longer on his brother, though. They had moved toward Remy. He quirked his head slightly and looked at Remy as if trying to figure out some sort of puzzle. Then his lips curved into that little half smile that Remy so loved to see.

How on earth had he gotten so lucky? Everything he'd told Rogue was true. Somehow, despite all his darkness, despite his past, despite everything that Remy had going against him, somehow Spencer saw past all of it and still loved him anyways. Loved him in a way that no one else ever had. That love flowed over to him now, filling him, warming the last of those cold places that the Artic had left inside of him. For the first time in years Remy truly felt alive. Not just living, but alive. Spencer had taken a broken down shell of a person, someone so broken and frozen on the inside that it was any wonder he was still functioning, and he had helped him to heal. He'd provided strength and kindness and caring. Most of all, he'd given love. Even before he'd ever said the words, he'd given Remy his love. Was there any greater gift than that?

Nothing he had ever done or ever could do would be enough to make him deserving of a gift as precious as that, yet he wasn't foolish enough to turn it away. He took it gave his own and in that give and take, he found more peace than he'd ever known was possible.

Remy barely realized as his feet started to carry him forward. He didn't pay attention to the people that watched, or to the way that Scott turned to look, or to anything else but the electric eyes that never wavered from him. When he got close, Spencer opened his arms and Remy easily slipped in, wrapping his own around Spencer's waist. He drew that long, lean form against him, their bodies seeming to line up just perfectly, and it was only natural to dip his head down those few inches and press their lips together. Their kiss carried every inch of their love, every feeling that held no words. They broke for air and Remy pressed their foreheads together, their breath mingling between them until it seemed like they were living and breathing and feeling only one another. The words came so easy then, so perfectly. "Je t'aime, Spencer. Mon mari. Mon cœur."

"I love you too, Remy."

Drawing in a shared breath, Remy let it back out, letting go of every last drop of tension inside. "Take me to de hotel, mon mari. Den, tomorrow, take me home. I'm ready to go home."

Spencer's arms tightened around his neck. He said nothing, only tipped up once more to kiss him. With that kiss, he said everything. Here, with each other, they were already home.

END OF CHAPTER ONE

So ends the first chapter in the story of my boys. :) In this story, we dealt with Remy and some of his problems, the Trial, and how the boys were brought together. This was the story of how they met and how they built their life. In the next part of this series, we're going to focus a little more on Spencer. There will be a fair bit of emotional drama, angst, and maybe even some hurt/comfort if people are up for that. I'll be starting that story shortly, so look for it to appear sometime in the next few weeks, once I get a few chapters together at least.

In this next part of their story, we'll get to see a bit more into the past of the Summers brothers and the effect it has on their present. There will be secrets, and lies, and trouble. With part of Spencer's past coming back to haunt him, the Colonel actually showing up on their doorstep, and a local case that hits a little too close to home, the young genius is going to need his partner more than ever. Will Remy's love be enough to help hold him together when everything else seems to be flying apart? Check out "The Broken Road" as soon as it comes out and find out!