Chapter 32

There was little to be done about the Cajun's state of mind. When Daken or Steve laid their hands on the thief he only shook them off. Telling them to leave him there. To let him die kneeling in the dirt besides the two bodies. Even Loki had no effect on the Cajun. Remy's head only hung low as he gazed at Wolverine and Logan. His cheeks were streaked with tears as they coursed down his cheeks through the blood and grime that marred them.

Even as night fell, Loki did not leave him. At some point Daken broke into the car with the dead body, driving it away deep into the woods where no one could find it. He came back an hour later to find nothing about the scene had changed. Steve had found two blankets in the back of Loki's car and spread them over the corpses. But when he tried to move either of the bodies Gambit would fly into a rage, jumping up and charging at the soldier with his staff. Loki had to physically grab Remy and hold him back long enough for Steve to retreat before he let go of the Cajun. Remy then became suddenly passive once any threat to the bodies being moved went away.

"We can't stay here forever. Give it an hour, two maybe, and they'll start coming back." Daken whispered to Steve. The soldier nodded grimly as he glanced at Loki who stood guard only a few feet away, gazing at Remy with a look of remorse. Even he did not have an answer in the face of this tragedy.

"How do you suggest we get Mr. LeBeau to cooperate with us? I'm worried about forcing him or restraining him in any way. We could always have Loki hold him down, but we risk hurting him."

"Look at him! There's nothing in this world that could hurt him more than he is right now." Daken hissed angrily, keeping his tone low. Steve frowned as he gazed back at the Cajun.

"We could reason with him." Steve suggested half-heartedly. He already knew that would not work though. They had attempted to talk the Cajun into at least burying the bodies where they were. Remy refused stoutly, stating anyone who touched Logan or Wolverine would find themselves dead.

From the tree line, the crack of branch sounded like a gunshot. Daken was the first one suddenly at Remy's side. For the whole three hours the man had not moved once from the spot, keeping his silent vigil despite the three around him. Silently, the feral's bone claws came out, gleaming in the pale light coming from the headlights. Loki had flicked them on so they could see, for once uncaring if they were to be found at any given moment.

Daken tensed as he spotted a dark figure coming towards them. At first he thought it was Romulus come back to finish the job. He'd even starting to growl as he bristled ready to fight off the feral. Instead, he heard a low grunt in return. A few seconds later Sabretooth stepped into the clearing. He was splattered with blood. Most of it dried in patches all over him which flaked off whenever he moved. Loki's eyes narrowed as he straightened up, wary of how vulnerable he was. Seeing the three sets of guarded eyes looking at him, the feral laughed. Even so, it was clear the feral was completely exhausted.

"I see the happy reunion happened without me. You bastards could have at least waited before you started the party. I would have brought the booze." Victor said with a sadistic grin. His eyes flickered to the two blankets covering the bodies. His grin faded as his eyes fell on the one he figured to be Logan.

"So, they killed each other, huh? Figures. I knew the runt would never-"

"Shut up. No one wants to hear your mouth." Remy said. His tone was stronger than he meant it to be. He staggered to his feet his knees, joints cracking from being moved from the same position they had kept for hours. When the blond feral frowned at him, the Cajun glared daggers back at him.

"I killed Wolverine right after he… Got Logan." Gambit said, almost choking on the words as they came out. His vision swam and he could not tell if it was because of tears or exhaustion. Sabretooth snorted glancing again down at the two bodies. For a long moment he said nothing, only studying the dried blood on the ground and then at the scarred man standing guard over them.

"Never knew you had it in ya, Gumbo. Then again, I never took you for a killer. Congratulations. You're just as cold hearted as the rest of us blood thirsty murderers. Welcome to the club." Victor said smirking. He made a mock bow to the Cajun, keeping his amber eyes locked on him.

When the Cajun came flying at him it was only a simple matter of reaching up and catching the staff. Bringing back his fist, Victor punched Remy in the face. He watched as the man's head snapped back, his eyes wide with surprise. Daken moved in but was forced to catch his step parent. The blonde feral snorted and rolled his eyes as he stared at the unconscious man in the young feral's arms, wondering how such a person had managed to survive for so long.

"Haven't you done enough? Go, before I end this miserable life of yours." Loki hissed as he came forward. Steve had picked up his shield ready to ram Victor but the feral only snorted, holding up his hand to stop them from murdering him before he reached into his pocket. Drawing out a small device which he tossed onto the ground at Daken's feet.

"Cool your panties, pretty boy. I just came to deliver that. Dunno if it will work at this point, but it's worth a shot." Victor growled. Then, before anyone could stop him, he slipped back into the darkness.

Daken stared at the spot where his father's longtime adversary had been, wondering what in the world had just happened. Loki came up and gently took the unconscious Remy from the young feral's arms. Sinking to his knees, he cradled the Cajun and whispered softly over him. Steve picked up the object Victor had dropped. It was a small, round metal device about the size of the palm of his hand. He turned it over studying the star engraved on both sides. Daken joined him, standing by the soldier's shoulder as he two gazed at the object.

"What did he mean, work? What is this supposed to be?" Steve asked. Daken frowned as he studied the object. Then his eyes lit up as he took the device from the soldier turning it over in his hands and he studied the side. It appeared to be two pieces locked together.

"I don't believe it. I thought they were all destroyed. It's a… Gemini Star. This is a different one. It's supposed to join whoever had their personalities split into one person again. But…" Daken frowned as he gazed down at the body of his sire and father.

"I can't tell if it will work on someone who's already dead." He finished. Loki glared up at the two having overheard what they were saying.

"No harm in trying it at this point. Much as I despise the man, he deserves to be buried as he was in life. A complete being, not a broken one." Loki snapped harshly. Daken nodded grimly in agreement as he twisted the device. It popped into two equally sized pieces.

Without being asked Steve drew the blankets off of Logan and Wolverine. In death they looked exactly alike. Completely surprised that their time had come. Never thinking they could have ever been killed. Daken placed a device on the chest of each of them. Pressing a small button on the side to activate them before he stood back.

There was a beeping sound and then both bodies flickered. They broke apart into dots of color swirling around each other. The beeping continued growing faster and more urgent as the atoms collided with each other, molding together as they rejoined once more. A second later the display died down into one body. His shirt completely in tatters as he continued to gaze blankly up at the sky with his baby blue eyes.

For a moment he did nothing. Then, slowly, Daken saw the man on the ground blink slowly. There was a thin scar, barely noticeable, on the man's neck. After another minute his chest began to move as he breathed shallowly. Then he began to move first his arms, then his legs, and finally his eyes contracted.

Logan felt his mind align itself once more. All the memories from the previous months flooding him all at once. It was only a few seconds, but for him it was as if he lived those memories all over. Leading up all until the point he felt the blade slice into his neck. Of Gambit glaring at him, damning him for what he had become as he fell the ground. He sat up, coughing as his lungs began to work back to their full capacity. He ignored the shocked expressions of his son and friend. His senses flooded suddenly with the sour scent of grief pervading the air. A scent he knew only too well from one person.

"Hey, give him to me." Logan ordered, his voice scratchy from not being used. Loki's head jerked up, staring wide eyed at the man. Too impatient, Logan reached out and took the limp body of his Cajun.

Remy had been knocked out cleanly. His head lolled to the side in unconsciousness, completely unaware of his surroundings. Logan's hands began to shake as he stared down at his Cajun, noticing for once the bags under of his eyes. How his body had become thin from his captivity with Sabretooth which the man had never fully recovered from. The few grey hairs which Logan had never noticed until then were actually there.

He stroked his Cajun's cheek gently. Holding his Cajun close, he cradled Remy's head in the crook of his arm. With one hand, he felt his heartbeat pound strongly once again in his chest. For the first time in months, he was able to actually explore his feral senses. Around him the woods did not seem dark anymore, but rather bright. He could smell Sabretooth's scent clear as day leading away from him. All at once the instinct to protect his mate, washed over him along with a sense of regret.

Loki, Steve, and Daken all gaped at the Canadian. Logan scowled at them, tempted to draw his claws and drive them off. In his arms Remy stirred, letting out a soft moan as his head shifted. Logan slid his arms under his partner and lifted him clear off the ground. The others moved out of his way as he walked over to the car. Steve opened the door for him, allowing for him to slip into the back with his Cajun. After a few moments, Steve slid into the front seat. Daken sat in the back with both his parents as Loki got into the driver's seat. There was an awkward moment of silence before Loki started the car and hastily turned in a circle, speeding up once they were headed in the right direction heedless of the speed limit.

"You shouldn't let him sleep if he's just had a concussion." Daken mentioned, breaking the silence. Logan scowled at his son, glaring at him as he stroked Remy's hair.

"Why should I wake him up? He's been through enough shit as it is. Besides, they're actually saying now you should let someone sleep if they've had a hit to the head. God knows he needs the rest." Logan growled back in reply. Loki's eyes flickered as he glanced at the pair in his rearview mirror.

"What? Why you looking at me like that?" Logan demanded angrily. He didn't know why, but he felt vulnerable when Loki gazed at him.

"Because you just came back from the dead, that's why. Everyone is here is no doubt wondering if you're a ghost of some sort. Did you see anything on the other side?" Loki asked coolly regaining his composure. Logan frowned wondering what in the world the trickster meant.

"I was only out for a second. Doesn't mean I died!"

"Uh huh. Perhaps we should leave it at that then."

"Yeah, you should." Logan shot at him. Loki shook his head, exchanging a look with Steve who only shrugged his shoulders.

Remy did not wake up the entire car ride. He stirred when they hit a bump, mumbling in his sleep. Logan made soft sounds over his Cajun's head, hoping to somehow soothe him. Daken glanced at him when he did this but said not a word. It felt strange, having his son and lover so close at hand. Daken was a part of his life Logan had hoped to keep hidden for a long, long time from his Cajun. One he had hoped would fade with time.

After two hours, Loki pulled to the side of the road in front of some apartment buildings to let Steve out. The soldier glanced at the trio in the back then again at Loki. A silent question if he could handle them. The demi-god waved him off and told the soldier to get his rest. He finally pulled away from the curb once Steve had extracted a promise from the trickster to call him once things were settled.

They drove for another hour before Loki pulled into some high rise apartments. Parking towards the front entrance, he turned the car off and got out. He came around to open Logan's door and helped him lift Remy out of the car. Daken stepped out as well and trailed after his father as he they walked up a couple flights of stairs to the top floor. Once there, Loki unlocked the door to his apartment he had been renting for the past couple of months.

"There's a bedroom to your right over there. You can lay Remy down there on the bed." Loki said nodding to the hallway to his right. Logan grunted in thanks as he carried his Cajun to the bedroom.

Once he had Remy on the bed, Logan took off his partner's boots. Tossing them into a corner before removing his Cajun's shirt and trench coat. Logan stripped down to his own boxers as well glad to be rid of the stinking clothing. Despite the fact he had okayed Remy to sleep despite his injury, it had him worried. The man had hardly done a thing since he had been knocked out. Only now and again mumbling incoherently.

Logan climbed into the bed, hearing the springs creak as he settled down beside his Cajun. He pulled the blanket over both of them and held the other man close. Outside in the living room, he heard Loki speaking to Daken. Whether he was questioning the young feral or threatening him, Logan could care less. He meant to stay up at least for another hour. To enjoy having his mate back and being a man again. Yet exhaustion called to his spent psyche before he too drifted off.

There was no telling how long they slept. For all Logan could have cared about it could have been the end of days as far as he was concerned. Only when he felt the figure beside him begin to wake up did he come fully aware of his surroundings himself. His senses snapped back on as if they had never been gone. Rolling over, Logan slipped an arm around Remy's waist and pulled the man closer to him, nuzzling his hair as he inhaled his scent.

Remy stirred again, pushing against his partner's chest. Logan only held onto the other tighter. Pushing himself up on his elbows, he kissed the younger man on the temple. A lump had formed on his Cajun's head where Sabretooth had punched him. After another minute, the Cajun made a soft sound, his eyelids flickering. Then they opened up, peering blearily up at the Canadian who gazed down at him. Confusion colored his handsome features as he spoke.

"Logan?"