A/N: My turn to apologise for the tardiness of this chapter. I have no real excuses, other than my own laziness and the typical case of writers block. It's here now though, enjoy!

Chapter 14: The Hotel

The car slowed to a stop, and Remy turned away from his sleeping sister to glance out the window. They were outside a very high-class looking hotel, and Remy almost snorted at the fact that this was very much like his mother. The glass divider lowered, and Julianne looked back nervously.

"We staying 'ere?" Remy asked, raising an eyebrow as he turned to her. "A 'otel?"

"Yes," Julianne said, "so wake your sister up, and get out the car." She twisted her head to look at the girl, who was leaning against Remy with her mouth open and her eyes-half closed, which she could see when her glasses slipped down. The milky white gaze of the girl made the woman shiver, and she let the divider rise again.

Remy sighed, and pushed his sister from his shoulder before shaking her awake. She woke swiftly, and twisted her head in the direction she knew him to be.

"Was goin' on?" she asked swiftly, then yawning. "Are we there?"

"'Apparently," Remy replied, grasping her hand as he opened the door. "Come on, and watch de curb." He stepped out onto the sidewalk, and Tammi stumbled out, and clutched his hand tightly as she stood quivering. Remy frowned, taking in the sight of this strange, rather scrawny girl, and couldn't help the fact that his frown darkened.

She was only fifteen years old…he didn't really notice it before, but she was still a child, wasn't she? Being blind wasn't always a problem for her, but it had slowed her progression in terms of maturity—she'd lost her nerve early on, and that didn't help. It just reminded him that many of the kids at the Institute were just that: kids. After all they'd been through, he just tended to think of them as being a little older than they were…

"Come on children!" Julianne said brightly as she stepped from the car; she was putting forth a strong, sure façade, though Remy could see her face was still pale, and she looked nervously around at the people walking past them. One or two people cast a glance towards Remy and his odd choice of clothing, or the hulking mammoth that was Tommy, who was still in the car, but no one said anything.

"Why is 'e comin' too?" Remy growled as Tommy also exited the car. "You already got us 'ere, non? Why we need him around anymore?"

"I'll leave, you'll run," the man rumbled. "I'm staying until I'm assured that neither of you will run from your mother. No matter how long that takes." He leveled them both with a glare, though only Remy returned it; Tammi still stood at his side, her head turned in the general direction that Tommy's voice had come from, and a slight scowl on her face.

"Like Tammi would be able to run without Remy…" she muttered under her breath. He was the only one that heard this, and gently squeezed her hand in reassurance. "I'd probably fall into a pool and drown…"

"Remy, Tammi," Julianne called, and Remy tore his glower from the cop to jerk his head around in the direction of his mother. She was standing only a few feet away, her hand leaving that of a parking attendant, and she beckoned her two children forward.

Remy looked ready to refuse, but Tommy stepped forward and he urged himself to walk, preferring to keep as much distance between his sister and the Neanderthal of a cop as was possible.

"Remy?" Tammi questioned, stumbling as her brother unexpectedly started forward, but following him closely, afraid they would become separated. "Where are we?"

"A 'otel, like I said," Remy replied shortly. "Remy thinks our dear mother doesn't want to see us try an' run, and she's got a better chance of keeping a close eye on us if we stay 'ere."

"An' de cop?" Tammi asked, they were entering the hotel now, and she clutched tighter to his hand.

"Staying with us, for de time being," Remy replied. "Thinks we're gonna run." He smirked at the thought and paused just inside the hotel to turn and look at his sister. "Remy will look after you, 'kay?" Tammi hesitated, but nodded, and a slight smile spread across her face. It was an uncomfortable sort of moment for Remy; he was glad to see a bit of bravery on the girl's face, though also a little unsettled that he was the one to put it there. He'd been estranged from his family for so long, and now…he still wasn't entirely used to playing the role of big brother again, though he was trying his best.

"Remy look after Tammi," she stated, "and Tammi look after Remy."

Remy laughed at this, hugging Tammi swiftly—another uncomfortable moment, and yet one that seemed appropriate—before a shrill voice took their attention elsewhere.

"Come on children!" Remy groaned at the sound of his mother's voice, and turned to see her standing at the reception desk, staring over at them and beckoning them forward with her hand. Remy released Tammi with another groan, and led her over to their mother.

"Remy, here's your room key," Julianne said brightly, as she walked away from the desk, and she handed her son a key attached to a green tag. "Tammi, come with me, I'll take you to your room." She reached out and grasped Tammi's hand, only for the young mutant to then snatch it back with an angry sound that harshly resembled a growl that would have made Logan proud.

"You ain't allowed t'touch me," she spat, burying her hand into her trench coat pocket. "Remy can show me my room," she added darkly. Remy allowed himself a small smile at his mother's indignant look, and pulled the key from his mother's limp grasp, examining the numbers on both before staring back at her with fierce eyes.

"Dese are on different floors," he stated bluntly. Julianne hesitated, but nodded.

"It's easier for me, that way," she said quietly. "Tommy will be in the room beside yours, I'll be beside Tammi. I would gladly just share a room with her, but didn't think…" Remy narrowed his eyes, and then strode swiftly past his mother, dragging Tammi along beside him. Being dragged didn't seem to be much of a problem for Tammi, however, as she went willingly.

"Remy—" Julianne called out, but the mutant had already pulled his sister into an elevator, and the doors dinged shut as the word left his mothers' lips.

"They won't leave this way, Mrs. LeBeau," Tommy promised. "The staff is paid, and will keep an eye out, in case either of your children tries to leave through any of the doors." He paused here to jerk his head towards the revolving doors that led to the sidewalk. "Security will stop them, otherwise." Julianne nodded at this, and managed a small, though strained smile, wondering when everything would calm down.

X

Tammi sat on her bed in the hotel room, staring silently forward as she waited impatiently for her mother. Not long after Remy had led her up into the room, Julianne had entered with Tommy and ordered Remy out, she had also told her daughter that she would return shortly before snapping the door closed once more. It wouldn't have shocked Tammi if she'd locked the door, but she hadn't bothered to check just yet; there wasn't much use in it. Now, Tammi now sat in boredom, waiting on the bed—which she had only found after falling over a chair—and now refused to move in case she tripped again.

There was a noise, and Tammi raised her head and turned towards the door. The sound came again, and then Tammi realized that the noise was not coming from the door, and she turned her head in the right direction.

"Ello?" she called out in slight confusion. Was there another door leading into the room that she didn't know about?

"Tammi?" Remy's voice called back, muffled by the glass of the window that he was at. "Can you open de window for Remy?"

"Non, Tammi can't," the girl growled, though she stood and slowly stumbled forward. "Where de hell is it?" she called out.

"Two steps left and straight in front of you," Remy replied, and Tammi obeyed the order, hands before her until her fingers made contact with the glass, leaving her to fumble with the lock of the window.

"Slide it up," Remy told her. The window shifted easily, and she sidestepped to allow Remy in.

"How de 'ell did you get out dere?" she asked in confusion. In her head, she had a strange mental image of him hanging outside the window as he clutched to a rope, or something of the sort. It was a rather twisted vision, as she wasn't entirely sure what he looked like now that he was older, and nor did she know what the hotel looked like. Remy cocked an eyebrow.

"Room above has a balcony, and Remy be a t'ief, remember?"

"Non, must have slipped my mind," Tammi muttered, making her way back over to the bed as Remy wandered around the room.

"Why you here?" Tammi asked into the silence, straining to hear where her brother currently was. Silently, she was hoping that his answer would follow the lines of him explaining an escape plan to her.

"'Cause," the voice came from right next to her ear, and she jumped. "Remy doesn't trust our mere."

"Can't say Tammi does either," the girl replied, the bed shifted as Remy sat beside her. "But Professor Xavier get us out of dis, non?"

"Remy hopes so," Remy replied, and Tammi caught the worry in his voice. "Remy don't wanna see what happens if he don't." His head snapped up, and his eyes narrowed beneath the sunglasses.

"Remy?" Tammi asked in the second sudden silence.

"Hush," he hissed, "someone's coming." The bed shifted again, and she heard him run away from the bed, no doubt to find a hiding place in case it was their mother.

A loud knock on the door almost made her jump from the bed again, and she cursed the fact that she was so jumpy and edgy right now.

"Tammi?" Julianne's voice called through, and Tammi fought back the urge to growl again. "Tammi, you in there?"

"Non!" Tammi shouted, "Tammi's not in here. Dis just be a recorded message!" She swore she heard someone snicker behind her, but pushed the thought back as the door opened, and closed again with a click.

"Tammi," Julianne started, crossing the room and sitting on the bed. Tammi edged away, fingers tightening onto the bedspread.

"What do you want?" she asked, eyes narrowing at the woman even though she couldn't see her.

"Tammi," Julianne repeated, her own fingers playing nervously with the bedspread. "I just wanted to say beforehand…I'm sorry."

"For what?" Tammi snorted "My being blind? You leaving me and Remy before? Kidnapping us?" She felt a bit like a brat, but given the current situation, it seemed likely that her harsh words were completely justified.

"I didn't kidnap you," Julianne said nervously. Her gaze traveled to the girl's blank eyes at her words, which were once again visible because of the too-large glasses slipping down her nose, and she shivered. "I just want you back."

"I didn't want to be back," Tammi replied hotly. "I was happy dere with Remy. And if you wanted me back, why couldn't you take Remy too? He had to fight 'is way into dis little adventure!" she spoke in scorn, and threw her arms up in exasperation.

"Tammi please!" Julianne hissed, "Remy's old enough to live on his own, if he wants. You still a child, and you need a home. You need your mere, still!"

"I don't need you. I've lived most of my life without you," Tammi snapped. "Da' wasn't de best role model, or anything, but at least he was there…sometimes…" She frowned, and then shook her head, shoving her conflicting thoughts out of her head. "Just…get out!"

Julianne went to reply, but she saw Tammi's angry gaze, and slipped from the room when she realized that there was nothing else that could be said. Before she stepped into the hallway, she let her eyes sweep to the angry, and yet sad-looking girl for a moment before she left completely. There was a length of silence after the door had closed, and then Tammi crumpled onto the bed, her shaking hands covering her face and her terrified front coming up now that she didn't have to act brave in front of her mother. An arm wrapped around her shoulders, and she turned to bury her head into the shoulder of Remy.

"Hush, mon petit soeur." He whispered. "What be de matter? Wicked bitch o' New Orleans get t'you?"

"She make me so angry, Remy," Tammi whispered angrily. "What we gonna do? Tammi can't stay here 'til Xavier sorts everything out? What if he can't win?"

"Hush," Remy repeated, pulling her away from him and eyeing her grimly. "Remy don't trust our mere, and he certainly don't trust dat policeman Tommy." He stood, tugging at her hand until she stood too.

"Where we going?" Tammi asked, as he pulled her behind him. They paused, and her bag was pushed into her hands "Remy? Where we going?" Now she just sounded suspicious. Remy was her older brother, and of course she loved and trusted him, but she also knew of his penchant to take dangerous risks, and part of that frightened her…

"Remy's getting us out of 'ere Tammi," he replied, walking them both over to the window and pulling it open. "Hmm…you not to averse to goin' out de window, are you?"

"What?" Tammi squeaked. "De window? You crazy?"

"You've done it before," said Remy mischievously.

"Oui, but dere was a pool outside and dere was no other choice!" Tammi argued. "What's outside dis one?"

"Umm…" Remy chanced a look outside. "Pavement?" They both froze at hurried footsteps outside the room, and the door burst open. "And Remy don't think dere be any other choice," he said grimly, pushing Tammi closer to the window and further away from Tommy.

"You're not going anywhere," he snarled at them. "Kirsch wants to see you."

"And who be dis Kirsch?" Remy drawled, edging Tammi even further back. She hit the wall, and her fingers wandered until they found the cool glass of the window.

"Don't even think about it," Tommy growled, one hand going to his gun. Remy's hand went into his pocket, pulling out a pack of cards, and Tammi, hearing the threat in the man's voice, dropped her bag to pull out two of her own cards; she had them left over from the training session at the Mansion, though they would most likely be useless to her now. Throwing them and hitting targets in a calm, secluded environment was one thing, but this…well, this was quite another.

"You let Tammi and Remy go now," Remy ordered, "and we'll give you no trouble, 'right?"

"Mm…no," Tommy replied, pulling his gun out and training it on Remy.

Translations:

Mere – mother.

Mon petit soeur – my little sister.