Jean sat in the waiting room about to go insane. Hank had shooed everyone out of the Medlab when they returned, including Logan. It took half the team to pull him out of the room and a promise from Hank that he would make sure Remy didn't wake without him there. Now she sat in a hallway with Logan pacing back and forth, Ororo next to her tapping her foot and chewing her nails in nervousness and Jubilee popping her gum continuously in an attempt to calm herself. She finally had to do something. "Logan, please sit down, Hank will be out as soon as he is done. It could have been a lot worse, at least he was awake and talking."

Logan stopped in his tracks right in front of the red head. "Jeannie, how could this have gotten worse? Did ya see him? He had blood all over him, we have no clue what the hell it's from. He doesn't look like he has had anything to eat the whole time he has been there and God only knows what the mad man has done to him that we can't even see! Christ Jeannie, I don't even know if that bastard Creed...I just need to know Jeannie."

Jean stood and walked over to her friend, resting her hands on his shoulders. "Logan, I did not mean that to come out so harsh. I know you are worried, we all are. Remy has been through a lot, but Hank is taking the first step to help him heal, so let him be and calm down."

"I just need to know Jeannie...." He dropped his head onto her shoulder not able to finish the sentence again.

Jean knew what he was trying to say. "Logan, if he did you cannot go out seeking revenge. Remy needs you here, he will be lost without you. If you go out tracking that monster you may find him, you may kill him, but by leaving you will be hurting Remy." She lifted Logan's face and held it between her palms, making eye contact. "Do you want that?"

"No, I would never hurt him." Logan whispered.

"Good. Then do not worry about Creed right now. If he did...hurt Remy then we need to help him heal first." She glanced over to Jubilee. The young girl was not witness to the fight in the kitchen, so she was not sure if she knew about the rape yet. She pulled him to sit between her and Jubilee. Logan leaned forward, propping his elbows on his knees, his face in his hands. Jean began rubbing Logan's back in attempts to comfort him. After a long antagonizing hour of silence Logan suddenly jumped up out of his seat. Before Jean could ask him what's wrong the door in front of them opened.

Hank took off his glasses and rubbed the arch of his nose as he exited the MedLab into the waiting area. He looked up to see Logan standing in front of him with a very impatient look on his face. He looked over at Jean and Jubilee who mocked Logan's expression. "Remy is stable and will be asleep until morning. Why don't you two go get some rest and I will update everyone after I speak with Logan." Hank waited until Jean silently escorted Jubilee out of the corridor. "Logan, I need to talk to you in private."

Logan gave him a worried look. "Can I at least see him first?"

Hank nodded. "We can talk inside, I gave him another sedative so he will sleep through the night." He opened the door and allowed Logan to walk in first, then followed, closing the door behind him.

Logan walked over to the bed his young lover slept in. He took a seat in the chair next to the bed and grasped Remy's hand, rubbing the knuckles lightly. He was afraid to touch him anywhere else until Hank told him what was going on. He looked so fragile that he would break under even a gentle touch. He could not help to be thankful that Hank had cleaned him up. Seeing his lover dirty and covered in blood was heart wrenching, it was evidence of the hell Remy had been through over the last month. Looking down to the arm of the hand he was holding he noticed a heavy bandage and looked at Hank. "What's wrong with his arm?"

Hank sighed, this was the beginning of the many things he had to cover with Logan. He cringed at the mistreatment the young man went through, he was surprised the boy was sane at all. The worry heavily weighed on his mind about the permanent trauma this will all cause. He did not envy Logan now, this would definitely take its toll on their relationship. He walked a small distance and collected a chair, pulling it across from Logan's. "That is one of three major things I need to talk to you about."

"Three?" Logan questioned with concern.

Hank nodded. "He has several other injuries. Cuts, bruises, and a few fractured bones, but they will all heal with no permanent damage. He is also extremely malnourished, I am afraid to assume that he has had next to nothing, if anything, to eat since he has been captive. There are marks from IVs, so I am assuming the only nourishment he received was intravenously. I do have him on IV for fluids, but I want him to begin eating solid foods as soon as possible. But that is the least of our problems." He pushed his glasses onto the top of his head. "There are three injuries I am very concerned about. The first is that bandaged arm." He stood and walked closer to the bed. "May I?" He asked while gesturing to take the hand Logan was holding. Logan nodded and stood to get a better look at what he was about to be shown. Hank unwrapped the arm and uncovered a huge gash running along the underside of Remy's wrist and arm. Logan gasped at the grotesque slash. "The angle of the cut would suggest he did this himself. The wound was very infected and I had to reopen and drain it. It looks like it has been reopened once before, but not properly, as if Remy or someone else had ripped out the stitches. I do not believe there will be any permanent physical damage, other then a nasty scar, but if he did do this to himself there are mental aspects that will need to be discussed." Hank began to wrap the wound again as Logan sat back down.

Logan covered his eyes with his large hands, rubbing his temples. "He must have been desperate Hank. Remy is a fighter until the end, he wouldn't have done this if he believed for a second he could survive." Logan took in a deep breath, trying to hold back tears that threatened to come. "Please Hank, tell me this is the worst of the three." He saw Hank wince and sit down again, he knew then this was the least of the problems. He released a strong breath and sat up in his seat, straightening his shoulders. He had to be strong now, for Remy.

Hank could see Logan was prepared to discuss the next injury, but he wasn't sure if he was. He dropped his hand into the pocket of his lab coat casually, acting as if he was just fidgeting with things. Truly he was holding a syringe of a strong tranquilizer, prepared to use it on Logan if he had to. He was not sure how Logan would react to the next line of the conversation, even though it was in the back of everyone's mind as a possibility. "I did a full examination of Remy...There was bruising and tearing that are consistent with rape." He looked up at Logan from the floor he didn't realize he had drifted his sight to. "I am very sorry Logan."

Logan sat there in his chair trembling in rage. Every instinct was screaming for him to hunt that monster down again and make sure he finished the job he started. But in the back of his mind he remembered he didn't want to hurt Remy, he never would do anything to cause his lover pain. He knew leaving him now would hurt Remy more then anything. He sat there for many long moments trying to calm the rage, to be stronger then the beast within him. After his mind finally settled and began to think rationally again he realized that was only two of three major injuries. What could possibly be worse then this? Christ don't let him be going in some sick order. He closed his eyes and asked the question he was not sure he wanted to hear the answer to. "What's the third?"

Hank breathed a sigh of relief, thankful he didn't have to restrain Logan. Now he just had to explain that Logan may lose Remy again. He was not sure how to tell Logan about what he had found, so he decided to be blunt. "Logan, this one I don't know how to explain. I did blood work on Remy and found a strange virus in his system. I don't know what it is, or how to cure it."

"A virus? What do ya mean ya can't cure it? What the hell are ya telling me Hank?" Logan shot out of his chair and grabbed Hank by the collar of his lab coat, shaking him violently. "I'm not going to lose him again Hank, you hear me! You will cure him! He can't die on me again! He can't, you hear me Hank!" Logan let go of Hank and sunk to his knees, sobbing. "I can't lose him Hank, not again, it's not fair." The once unbreakable Wolverine looked up at Hank with eyes full of tears, pleading, begging, for the life of the only thing that he ever held dear. "Please tell me ya can cure him, please."

Hank knelt down and helped his long time friend up and back into his chair. He took Logan's hand and placed it on top of Remy's, knowing that would hold more support for the broken man then anything he could give. He sat back in his chair, satisfied as Logan began rubbing Remy's knuckled once again. "Logan, I am going to do everything I can to save him, I promise. The virus is nothing I have seen before. The little testing I have done proves it only reacts to Remy's bloodline. It cannot effect you or me, but anyone of Remy's immediate family would automatically be affected. Theoretically that is, I have no one to prove this with. I believe Sinister has created this virus to remove certain families from the gene pool. This would fit in with his quest to cleanse mutantkind of weak genes. Why he used Remy to experiment with I do not know. I am hoping that when Remy wakes up he may have some information on the virus that will be helpful in my research."

"How much time do we have?"

"I am not sure Logan. The virus seems to only be effecting him like the flu. It is causing a fever, weakness and fatigue. That may also be symptoms of the malnutrition, infection, and blood loss. I am eager to put him on an IV for blood but it worries me that he refused it. Until I have his permission and know why he doesn't want it, I cannot do it." Hank reached over and put his hand on Logan's shoulder. "We will figure this out. As you said before, Remy is a fighter." He gave Logan a slight smile and squeezed his shoulder lightly. "I am going to go start working on this virus, you are welcome to sleep on the second bed here if you like."

"Thanks Hank, and I'm sorry about earlier, losing it and all." Logan never looked up from the hand he held, ashamed of his behavior.

"No need to apologize Logan, you just proved to me that you are still human. Now rest, you need it." Hank turned and left for his research lab that adjoined the medical room. He turned quickly when he hurt a scrapping noise behind him to see Logan pushing the extra bed up to Remy's. Logan gave him a challenging look, almost asking him to disapprove. Hank just smiled. "Make sure you watch out for the IV's."

"Not a problem, I'll be careful." Logan pulled off his boots and laid down on the bed that was now pushed against his lover's. He laid down on his side facing Remy, winding his fingers into the young man's, careful not to hit the bandaged arm. "Everything is going to fine Darlin'. Hank will figure it all out."

-----------------

Logan woke in the morning to something brushing against his face. He opened his eyes slowly and looked around tiredly at his surroundings. A moment later he felt the sensation again and looked over to the tearful eyes of his lover. He caught the hand that was brushing his face and kissed it. "Hey darlin'." He caught the small smile from Remy. "I told ya I would be here."

"Where am I?" came the weak and quiet voice.

"You're in the MedLab at the mansion. I told ya we were going home." Logan shot upright in the bed when Remy began to sob uncontrollably. "Darlin'? What's wrong? Are ya in pain? I'll get Hank. Hank!"

Remy caught Logan's hand and flinched at the pain that shot through his arm. "Non, I don't need Hank. I just can't believe I'm home. I never thought I would ever see y', or anyone again. I just don't understand..." Remy bit his lip, maybe he shouldn't push his luck. He was home and Logan seemed like he still wanted him.

"What don't ya understand?" Logan looked up at Hank who rushed in. "It's alright, I panicked." He turned his attention back to his lover and repeated the question that had not been answered. "What is it ya don't understand?"

Remy looked from Logan to Hank and back to the blue orbs he fell in love with years ago. He wanted to believe they still wanted him here, that Logan still loved him. "I don't know why y' came for me."

Logan was confused and speechless. Why would he think we wouldn't come for him? "Remy...Darlin'...."

Hank saw Logan's confusion an decided he should explain. "Remy, we did not realize that you were there until a few days ago. When we found out we rushed to bring you home."

Remy shook his head, as much as his body would allow. He felt a tinge of anger bubbling under the surface. "How could y' not know I was there. Y' left me there."

"No! Remy, we would never leave ya there. We brought ya home, or what we thought was you." He saw Remy's eyes close in frustration. "Ya didn't know about the clone?" Wolverine's felt his heart clench. He knew how much abandonedment played a role in Remy's life, how much it hurt him. Now he knew, that not only was his lover tortured for a month, he was also under the impression that the X-men left him to it. Again.

Remy felt dizzy with all the information. How could he have been left there and they not known, and what is this about a clone? "Clone?"

Hank decided this was way too taxing on the young man, it was making him tired. He needed Remy awake long enough to question him about the virus. Deciding he should give him a short explanation before Logan gets the chance to give him a long one, he explained. "Remy we brought home a body, a very dead body. We were under the impression that it was you. Come to find out it was a clone husk that Sinister created to confuse us. I am assuming he was wanting to use you for an experiment and needed us out of the way. I am also assuming that experiment is the virus that is in your system."

"Virus?" He looked at Hank in confusion.

Hank was getting worried that Remy was answering in one word sentences. He looked at Logan to see the same worry etched in his eyes. "Maybe you are too tired for this now, you need some time to recover."

"Non, Henri. I'm alright. I'm just not understanding what's going on. So much is happening." Remy's kept blinking slowly. He eyes were cloudy and dazed.

"I just needed to ask if you knew anything about the virus I found in your system. I need to know anything, even if it seems insignificant."

"Virus? I know he did something to me, but I didn't know it was a virus. He gassed the room before he took me to the lab, I would always wake up back in the cell." Remy gave Hank a look of regret. Sorry that he couldn't give him any information.

"He never said anything, about symptoms, or what might happen? Anything Remy." Hank pleaded with the young man, this virus stumped him. With out any information finding a cure may take him as long as it did to find one for the Legacy Virus, years. Though Remy was not showing outwards signs of illness, he knew years would be too long to wait.

"There was the blood thing."

Hank eyes widened and he nodded encouragingly. "Blood thing? Go on."

"One time when Creed was going to..." He stopped and looked up at Logan, trying to fight back the tears. "I guess y' already know what he did?"

Logan petted Remy's hair back and leaned down, kissing his forehead. "Yea darlin' I know what that bastard did."

Remy licked his lips and continued. "Sinister stopped him as he walked in the door. I guess he thought I was asleep. He told Creed not to make me bleed too much, it would slow down the experiment. I wasn't sure what he was talking about, but I knew it couldn't be good. That is why I did this." He pointed at the gash in his arm. "I knew that if I bled out Sinister wouldn't let me die, but it would slow down whatever he did. I waited until Creed wasn't paying attention and I used his claw to rip open my arm. Sinister wasn't happy and made Creed leave. I didn't see him for the last week I was there. Later when Sinister replaced the blood in my system I started feeling sick again so I reopened it. He didn't bother replacing it again. That's why I didn't want a blood transfusion." His confession was rewarded by Logan kissing him and giving him a loving smile. "What was that for?"

Logan lightly ran his finger down Remy's arm avoiding the gash. "I'm just happy that ya did this to save your life, not take it."

Remy smiled back. "There was always a voice in the back of my head telling me that y' would come for me. If there was any hope of that I couldn't kill myself. Even though I heard everyday that I wouldn't see y' again. I started to believe Creed when he told me that y' left me." Remy's eyes dropped shut, staying closed for a long moment and then slowly reopening.

"Darlin', go ahead and sleep, I know ya are tired and ya still have a bit of fever. We will talk when ya have slept." Logan gave him a quick kiss, which was sleepily returned.

Remy closed his eyes and fell instantly asleep.

TBC