Second Chances

BY : SisterWine
Category: X-men Comics > AU - Alternate Universe
Dragon prints: 2011
Disclaimer: The X-Men are the sole property of Marvel Comics, Disney Corp., and 20th Century Fox. I do not own them at all. I make no money off of them, nor do I claim them as my own. Matthew and Stephanie are mine. Strictly entertainment only.

Second Chances

Author: SisterWine
Rating: PG
Summary: Two-part sequel to "Neighbours". Since I've been rereading my own fic, I decided to entertain the idea for a sequel. *Pauses* I'm allowed.
Disclaimer: Logan, Jean, Alex, Scott and Remy are the sole property of Marvel Comics, Disney Corp., and 20th Century Fox. I make no moneys off of them, nor do I claim them as my own. Matthew and Stephanie are my own creations and therefore, I own the rights to them and you do not. (LOL, sorry). No harm intended. No moneys exchanged. Strictly fiction and fun.

The white car pulled into the driveway and hushed the engine. Remy sat there a moment before getting out, sighing to himself. It had been a year and a half since they had put Alex to rest. Scott had followed suit not seven months into his sentence from an inmate who had become particularly possessive over him. With his head resting against the headrest, he closed his eyes for a moment. Night had fallen long ago and he was pretty sure everyone else was in bed so, he sat there and listened to the silence of the night.

He must have sat there for some time because he jumped when a tap at the window woke him from his musings. Opening his eyes and turning to see a dark figure at the driver's side window, he cracked the door open when he realised it was Logan. "You spyin' on me, Logan?"

"Nope. I usually tap on cardoor windows in the middle of the night, just to see if someone's sleepin' in their car, again." Logan smiled playfully. He had been dressed in his workpants and white sleeveless undershirt, sitting on his front porch steps having a short beer and savouring his last cigar before he went to bed. He had been keeping an eye on Remy's white sportscar for the past half hour, hoping the young Cajun was alright. "Workin' later and later, aren't ya, Cajun?"

Getting out of the driver's seat and standing up, Remy smoothed his maroon silk dress shirt and black tie before slipping his hands into his black suit pants pockets, his right clutching his car keys tightly as if thinking he were going to lose them if he loosened his grip around them. Shaking his head, he stared down at the ground. "Gotta keep my mind goin, non? Can't stay in one place too long or de thoughts get goin' again an' can't really spend time thinkin' 'bout him."

Logan's brow furrowed. It had been 18 months since Remy was on a kick of not speaking about his lost lover but, it was the way Remy had addressed it that brought Logan back to that time in the past. "So, you've just been workin and not datin, huh?"

"Got a presentation due for de Xavier Institute, next week. Figure I get a jump on it, no?" Remy shrugged and leaned against the car.

Nodding, Logan understood that Remy had a "finishing quality" about him. Remy was always pushing himself to work harder and longer hours when he really didn't have to. In fact, Remy was there at work when Logan clocked in, in the morning, and stayed at work until late at night when after Logan had long ago clocked out. Logan admired that quality Remy was giving to the company but he was concerned that Remy was too young to become a workaholic like he had been when his wife died. "I'm sure your dad appreciates the hard work yer puttin in."

Snorting his answer, Remy looked away from Logan and back across the street where Logan's half-empty beer bottle sat on the front step and started thinking about something cold to drink while snuggling on the bed with--...... who was he trying to think of, again? "Poppa's on holiday this week. I'm just makin sure de work is all done for when he gets back."

"Right." Hands in his pants pockets, Logan skimmed over the young Cajun and noticed Remy's new-found twinge he would get when he was avoiding a certain topic. "I uh, saw that new recruit, down in Accounting, kinda lookin at ya, the other day. Thinkin maybe.... you two might hit it off, or somethin? He seems kinda nice."

Remy smirked. "Yea, hear he likes baseball and shootin pool. Everythin' an Accountant needs to survive." He thought for a long moment and then looked back at Logan. "You got someone sweet, Logan?"


"Why not?"

"Never found anyone to fill her place. My kids think I'm gonna die lonely and broken down but, they only liked one person out of the whole mess." Logan eyed Stephanie's dark window and thought about the many conversations they had had about Remy and his lack of finding someone to take Alex's place.

"Yea. Me too." Remy checked his watch and yawned at how late it was getting. Even though it was the weekend now, he was still exhausted from the lack of sleep he had during the week. "Well, better turn in. Time for de meds to start workin' t'rough. G' night, Logan." Reflexively, Remy pushed off of the car and leaned over to kiss Logan's cheek, something he had done many times to Alex as they parted company for the night. Taking a few steps towards his front door, he paused and realised what he had just done, and to whom. Since Logan hadn't corrected him, he continued on to the door and then inside his darkened house.


It was a week later when Logan saw Remy again, sitting on his front step with a glass of iced tea and a cigarette. With dark sunglasses on and summer attire, Remy waved over to him but didn't move from where he sat. His long auburn hair had been pulled back into a ponytail that the light breeze of the afternoon delightedly played with.

Logan had come back from the market and was unloading his groceries when he spotted the young Cajun sitting outside. He nodded back and called a "hello" before finishing getting his numerous paper bags inside before venturing over. "How ya feeling?" Logan called from mid-street as he made his way to stand in front of Remy.

Remy shrugged and took a sip of his tea. "Wakin up but feelin better dan I was, yesterday. You?" Replacing the glass beside him, Remy looked up at the security guard and gave a faint smile, offering him a glass of tea or a smoke. When Logan accepted, Remy stood up and opened the front door to pour Logan a glass of tea, listening to the neighbour's day. He could feel his clothes becoming hot as the other man followed him inside. His heartbeat raced and he had to mentally tell himself not to panic as Logan had stepped a little too close to him.

When Logan stepped into the house, he found that Remy's downstairs was immaculately clean and neat. "I see you took down the blinds from your windows. Looks nice in here. Brighter, at least." He stood in the doorway and looked around the livingroom, noting the folded bedding and pillow on the far end of the sofa. "Expectin company?"

"Huh?" Remy had finished pouring Logan the drink and had already put the pitcher back into the refrigerator before walking over to his guest and handing Logan his glass. "Non, I was watchin tv last night and didn't want to move upstairs."

Logan smiled at the thought of Remy's little camp out. "Cute." Taking a sip, Logan took a second to enjoy the taste of the cool liquid in his mouth; just like Jean used to make. There was a brief silence before Logan started to speak again only to be interrupted by Remy's cell phone ringing loudly from upstairs on his bed. "Ya know, Steph's birthday is comin up. She'd like ya to be there, if yer free?"

As the phone rang again and Remy placed his own newly replenished glass of tea down on the coaster, on the small table beside the sofa, and started up the stairs after excusing himself. "She wants me dere, huh?" Remy called down from the top of the stairs as he made his way to his room to grab his phone that was on the third chorus of his favourite song. When he came back, he had missed the call and was checking his messages while walking down the stairs. "How old is she gonna be?"

"Gah. 14. Can you believe it? My babygirl is growin up." Logan grinned, proudly.

Remy smiled as he retrieved his glass from the table and took a sip, shoving his cell phone into his shorts pocket. "Becomin a lady, ain't she?"

Logan's grin brightened. "Yea, she sure is." The faraway look in his eye as he pictured giving his daughter away at her wedding and the birth of his first grandchild was stopped by Remy clearing his throat and smiling courteously at him. "Uh, yea, she is." Logan blushed and changed the subject before Remy could see his cheeks redden too deeply. "Anyway, it's next Saturday at 3. Sound good?"

"Oui. Gimme time to shop fer her. What's she like?"

Logan had to think for a moment on what Stephanie wanted and what he thought was a low enough price for Remy to shop for. "Well, she's been talkin about telescopes and solariums. But, then again, she is growing into a very pretty young lady. Maybe a makeup kit or a gift card to a dress shop, or somethin. Nothin too expensive." Finishing his glass of tea, Logan took it over to the sink and set it in before turning back to Remy. "Well, I gotta get back to oversee the two terrors, across the street." Thanking Remy for the tea, Logan started out of the house before stopping and turning back to the young Cajun. "By the way, Matt talked me into grillin some steaks and hot dogs, if you wanna stop by, later on."

"Sure. Sounds fun. I bring de tea and beer?"

Logan grinned. "Sounds good. About five okay?"

It was Remy's turn to smile. "Five's just fine. Can clean up an' run to de store. See ya den!"

Logan waved goodbye and smirked to himself all the way back over to his own front porch. After weeks of offering to have Remy over and Remy not accepting, Logan finally won. His next task was to get his two "monsters" to help him clean up the house for company. They had asked him about having Remy over for months but his answer was always the same, "Remy's busy and can't make it this time." How they'd be happy to hear that he finally got Remy to agree for some steaks.

Logan had spent some time thinking about Remy and how Remy hadn't been out for dinner or drinks with anyone since the funeral, so he wanted to make a special evening for Remy but keep it a casual thing. Remy had already misunderstood the signs a year and a half ago so he had to be extra careful not to mislead Remy and also not to alienate Remy in the process. He had his work cut out for him. "Hey, munchkins! Help me clean up the house for our guest, tonight!" He called from the bottom of the stairs as he opened the door and walked in.

Matthew, now 12, poked his head out of his room and called down to his father, "who's comin?" Matthew had grown three inches and managed to go through clothes and shoes about as fast as he grew. Over the course of the winter, he and Logan have had to replace his entire bed due to him breaking it, just from dumping his soccer gear onto it and then flopping down, from exhaustion.

"Remy. Nudge yer sister." Logan smiled as he heard Matthew scream with delight and run over to his sister's room to bang on her door as if the house were burning down. The banging continued as Logan wandered into the kitchen to check on how well the steaks were thawing.

"Steph!! The Remster is comin! Hurry up!"

Stephanie opened her door and raised an eyebrow at her younger brother. "Are you sure?"


"Hnn." She had been dressed in a nice pastel yellow summer dress with little blue flowers on it and had been trying to figure out how to wear her hair for the day. She had finally settled on barettes and had been standing in front of her full length mirror before being rattled by the banging on the door. Her hair was longer, now. Both of their's were but Stephanie's hair was now the full length that Jean's hair had been before she was killed. A beautiful young woman that resembled her mother in almost every form that it usually resulted in making Logan tear up as he kissed her goodnight. "I will be down in a minute. Go help dad, please." Though she was older, Matthew had grown to two inches taller than her over the course of a few months.

"Hurry up! Remy's gay, he doesn't care how pretty you are!" Matthew had said it, not to be mean to either his sister or Remy but to get her mind off of her mirror and looks and downstairs to clean. Although, he could have chosen better phrasing.

Stephanie sighed, inwardly.


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