"You mean to tell me that Remy has a girlfriend?" Warren Worthington's voice was full of disbelief. It had been barely a week since he had returned from a year long stay in England.

"Girlfriend isn't the right word, Worthington," Logan growled. "She's his friend, and she lets him be a father to her daughter."

"Does she know about his role in the Morlock Massacre?" Warren demanded, folding his arms over his chest.

"Dunno. Don't care. He's paid for that crime, don't ya think?"

"No," was the flat reply. "He was the one responsible for leading Sinister to the Morlocks."

"I suppose ya intend on telling her, too."

Warren Worthington, a.k.a. Angel, smiled grimly and headed off to do just that.

*****

Remy and Serene were sitting in the middle of a small copse of trees, facing one another. The reason for that continued to escape the Cajun, but he had no intention of disturbing her peace.

In the year since she'd accepted his friendship, she had bloomed. Sometimes he had to dig for her sparkling personality, but for the most part, she had let her sarcastic sense of humour surface again. Much to the surprise of the rest of the group, they had also become very close friends, and he had become a foster father to Summer SkyDancer.

"You're not even trying, Remy," Serene finally said, interrupting his thoughts. "You wanted to see my world, remember?"

"Chere, y'r world be a bunch o' trees." He was rewarded by her delicate sniff. "Wha' be de point o' dis?"

"The point," she said primly, "is for you to learn to listen to the Earth Mother. Which you can't do if you're fantasizing about me."

He burst into laughter at that. "Remy can' help it, chere. Y' be very beautiful ¡¦ delicate."

"Then turn your thoughts of beauty and delicacy towards all that is around you." She studied him. "You're Catholic, aren't you?"

"Sometimes."

"That's your problem."

"Pardon?" Remy blinked at her. "Wha' religion y' be?"

Serene gave him one of her enigmatic half smiles. "Not Catholic. Tell me, where do you believe all of this life came from?"

Remy couldn't believe his ears. "From de Lord above, chere. Where else?"

"What is the earth to you?"

"A planet in de solar system. Mon Dieu, chere, wha' kind o' questions dese are?"

"So the earth is a dead rock in the vacuum of space."

"Oui."

"How does a dead rock give birth to so much life?" Serene's half smile remained. "How does a plant or an animal wind up on a dead rock, and manage to sustain itself on the same dead rock?"

"Because de Lord above wills it."

"So why doesn't life flourish on Mars? Or on any number of asteroids?" When Remy stared at her in confusion, she smiled. "Like I said, your religion is your problem."

"So wha' y'r religion be?"

"Not Catholicism." She sat upright, and closed her eyes. "The elements are ready to meet you."

Not sure what else to do, Remy closed his eyes and waited.

*****

Serene slowly reached out with her mind, connecting with Remy's. Unlike the invasive feeling most telepaths projected, Serene simply merged her mind with his, envisioning her mind as a lake, and his mind as a river, flowing together. Water had taught her well.

(In order to fully embrace the power that is waiting, Remy, there can be no secrets. The Earth Mother knows your secrets, and She is willing to meet you. But I am Her Priestess, and so you cannot hide your secrets from me either.) Serene's mental voice was calm and soothing. (There will be no judging. Simply a knowledge.)

Remy wasn't sure what to make of this new experience. Serene had made the transition so smooth, he had barely been aware of it. And now, she wanted him to reveal all of his secrets to her. Except she had never lied to him. She would not judge. So he opened all of his barriers, letting his entire essence flow into her. Trusting in her promise.

Serene saw everything. Victor Creed in Paris, with Remy's brother and girlfriend. The affair and marriage to BellaDonna. His subsequent exile from New Orleans. His time with the Marauders. And his role in the Morlock Massacre.

He found himself standing in a smooth black void, vast and expansive. Facing him were four strange beings. A man who was made of fire. A man who was made of swirling air. A woman made of water, and a woman made of earth.

(I am Fire. I trust in the Priestess, and I now know you, Remy LeBeau.) The first man stepped forward and merged himself into Remy's astral figure.

(I am Air. I trust in the Priestess, and I now know you, Remy LeBeau.) The second man also merged himself into Remy's astral self.

(I am Water. I trust in the Priestess, and I now know you, Remy LeBeau.) The first woman merged herself with Remy.

(I am Earth. I trust in the Priestess, and I now know you, Remy LeBeau.) The second woman followed her three companions, becoming one with the Cajun thief.

Serene's astral self was suddenly there, dressed in her pure white Priestess clothing. And she was accompanied by two others. A silver hued woman, and gold hued man.

(I am known by many names, Remy,) the silver woman said, her voice musical and soft. (I am known as Brighid, I am known as Lady, I am known as Mother. Trust in my Priestess, for she is as pure as Life. She will lead you in the proper direction, and she will have my blessings to do so. Just as you have my blessings.) The woman was suddenly gone, as was the golden man. Leaving Remy and Serene alone on the astral plane.

Then she broke the contact, and he was staring at her with a hint of awe. "Is dat wha' y' have everyday, chere?"

"That is my world, yes."

"Den I be envious."

Serene laughed. "No, you're honoured. I'm surprised the elements chose to merge with you. They merge with very few people, limiting themselves to the Priest and the Priestess usually. You've had a unique honour."

Warren's shadow suddenly fell over them as he landed. "Really now?" he asked, studying the smaller woman with a surprise. He had expected some bubble-headed floozy. Instead, he was being regarded with wary grey eyes that spoke of intelligence and an inner peace.

"Yes, really." Serene returned Warren's scrutiny impassively, a shadow flitting across her features when Remy stood and walked off without a word. She could see the tension between the two men, and silently envisioned herself knocking the blue skinned man to the ground.

"I'm Warren Worthington III, code-named Angel."

"Priestess."

He frowned at that. "I've come to warn you to stay away from Gambit. He's not your type."

Serene lifted one elegant eyebrow. "I never meant to intrude on your territory, Worthington." It was an innocent statement, but Warren scowled at her.

"He's not my lover."

"Not yet."

"I don't want him."

"So why are you so protective of him?"

"He hasn't told you he's a murderer, has he? Did you know he's responsible for the massacre of the Morlocks who lived here in New York? Did you know he was a Marauder?" Warren was hoping to shock the woman.

He was sorely disappointed. "Yes, he told me that."

"And you don't think anything of it?"

Serene slowly climbed to her feet. "I think that it's not my place to judge Remy. I'm carrying around the essence of corrupted Death. I've killed my share of people, before I became Priestess. And I was a Marauder for a short while as well."

"But you didn't slaughter the Morlocks!"

"No, I did not. Neither did Remy." Her gaze turned distant, thoughtful. "Don't judge him, Angel. Not unless your own hands are clean." She turned and walked out of the small clearing.

Warren watched her leave, then sat down. He put his head in his hands and uttered the only thing he could think of. "Fuck."

*****

Summer came bounding out of the mansion at her father's approach, holding her arms up for a hug. Remy picked her up easily, kissing her cheek. "Bonjour, p'tite," he said cheerfully.

"Daddy," she replied with equal cheer. "Daddy happy?"

"Oui, p'tite, Daddy very happy." He studied the young girl, amazed at the way there was almost no hint of Victor Creed in her appearance. It was apparent that Priestess was her mother, and the bond between mother and daughter was strong.

The girl also showed every sign of being as strong a telepath as her mother, but it would be years before those signs could be affirmed or denied. And it was apparent she was very happy at the mansion; she had managed to charm the entire team into being her uncles and aunts. And Grandpapa Charles, of course.

"Mommy quiet," Summer said seriously. "Blue skin?"

"Dat be Warren, p'tite."

"Warren." Summer nodded to herself, then wiggled free of his grasp and took his hand. "Lunchtime?"

A genuine smile appeared on Remy's face. "Oui."

*****

Rogue flew out of the mansion, having heard about an altercation with Angel and Priestess. She'd already heard Angel's version; she wanted Priestess' version now.

Serene was in her usual workout place, going through her ninjitsu exercises. She paused when Rogue touched down, a wariness in her features. "Rogue."

"I heard that you were defending the Cajun against the highborn," Rogue said without preamble.

"I don't know that I'd call it a defense." Serene regarded her curiously. "Why do you care anyway?"

Rogue's temper snapped. She was tired of Serene flaunting her friendship with Remy. And she was tired of Remy treating her like she was poison. "In case you ain't noticed, sugar, the Cajun is my boyfriend, not yours."

Serene's eyes turned flinty. "You're right; I hadn't noticed. Last I heard, you treat him like dirt and expect him to be grateful for that small attention."

"I do not!"

"Antarctica." The word was deliberately dropped.

Rogue paled. "I never meant it," she protested.

"Of course not," Serene said with a studied neutrality that was insulting. "You couldn't handle the fact that Remy isn't the saint you were expecting."

"That's not true," Rogue snapped. "He was involved in the Morlock Massacre!"

"And you were responsible for draining Carol Danvers of her personality and powers. Right. No relation whatsoever."

"There's not. I didn't kill Carol Danvers; he destroyed an entire community."

Serene shrugged carelessly. "And in case you hadn't noticed, Remy doesn't want you anymore. He got tired of your whiny martyred attitude. He got tired of your hypocrisy. And he sure got tired of trying to live up to your expectations."

Rogue made a move to flatten the smaller woman, but found herself held in an agonising mental vice. The pain brought her to her knees, blood starting to drip from her nose.

(Don't you even think of touching me. Just because you're pissed that I don't pussyfoot around you doesn't give you the right to strike me.) Serene's mental voice was cold and implacable. (If you don't like the way I tell you things, then don't ask. Don't protest. Don't say a word.)

After a long and painful moment, the vice lifted, leaving Rogue bent over, gasping for air. Serene regarded her with a strange detached observation that was almost scary. "I meant what I said, Rogue. Don't think I can't kill you. If you give me a reason to, I will. Just like you killed Carol Danvers."

Then she vanished, leaving the Southern belle alone. As alone as Gambit had been in Antarctica.

*****

Dinner that night was a tense affair. Tense because of the anger between Warren and Remy, and tense because of the wariness that Rogue exhibited whenever she looked at Serene.

"Alright, ya guys," Logan suddenly said, glaring at the four of them. "Knock off the idiocy, or I'll knock some sense into ya." Warren, Remy, and Rogue glared at Logan. Serene stood and walked out with a cold silence, the door slamming behind her.

Scott glared after Serene. "What's with her?"

Remy shrugged. "De chere's an Omega class telepath, and an Omega class mutant. She be pissed at Rogue. Wha' y' t'ink?" He was greeted with astonished stares all around, and glared at them.

"Serene SkyDancer is Omega class?" Scott said slowly. He turned to Jean and the Professor. "Did either of you know this?"

Xavier looked up at the ceiling. "I knew she was an Omega class telepath, yes."

Remy shifted uncomfortably, catching Storm's gaze. "She be full Omega class, Cyke."

"So why didn't Cerebro detect her years ago? Why did she have to run into our arms?" Storm wondered out loud.

Xavier looked even more uncomfortable. "Cerebro did detect her, when she was approximately sixteen. I spoke to her stepfather several times, but he insisted that she was simply going through a psychotic episode, and he would place her in a mental institute. I gave up, especially since I couldn't contact her directly. Her mental shields are incredibly intact. When she turned twenty-two, Cerebro detected the rest of her abilities as going into Omega class."

"What do ya mean, ¡¦oing into'?" Logan demanded.

Jean cleared her throat, gazing at her half eaten dinner with the same attention that Hank gave his laboratory. "Serene was born as an Omega class telepath, and the rest of her abilities were Alpha class. It seems that when she became Priestess, her abilities were increased in power, making them Omega class."

"She's not that powerful, is she?" Cyclops was glaring at his wife and mentor with equal anger. "She's never displayed anything to indicate she's Omega class."

"She has too," Rogue contradicted quietly. "She brought me to my knees earlier." When she found herself the center of attention, she shrugged. "It was like my brain was on fire, then it was like she was squeezing it. Blood started dripping down my nose. Then it stopped, and I wanted to faint."

"She gave you a brain hemorrhage?" Xavier was staring at Rogue with a certain amount of disbelief. "What did you say that made her do that?"

"Philosophical differences about the Cajun."

Logan snorted in a huff of laughter. "Ya mean that ya insulted Gumbo, and she defended him."

"She's far too dangerous to stay here," Cyclops announced. "We can't have X-Men attacking other X-Men at the slightest provocation."

"So why ain't Rogue been kicked out fer dumping Gumbo in the Antarctic wasteland?" Logan leaned back in his seat, picking his teeth with a claw.

"He's alive, isn't he?"

"She is too." Logan gave Cyclops a toothy smile, then turned to Remy. "What'cha think?"

"Remy t'ink dat Scott be a fool."

Xavier finally broke in. "Serene SkyDancer is staying. She has never attacked another team member before, and I trust it won't happen again."

*****

Scott ground his teeth at his mentor's announcement, but accepted it. There wasn't much he could do, and he had a sneaking suspicion that Priestess wouldn't have let him throw her out anyway. Not while she had her daughter to care for.

Jean smiled at the Professor's statement. Priestess had never used her telepathy beyond the basics, and she almost certainly wouldn't again. Not while she had Priest lurking in her mind, an entity that was powerful enough to give the Omega class Priestess a whirl.

Ororo was both relieved and concerned. Relieved, because it was obvious that Remy cared for Serene and Summer; he had already told her that if they were to leave, he would too. Concerned, because while Priestess kept her abilities under extremely tight wraps, there was the chance she'd use them again.

Rogue made a solemn vow to herself that she would steer clear of Serene and her temper. She wasn't likely to forget the pain that had brought her to her knees, and Serene wasn't likely to forget that she could inflict that pain.

Warren studied the ceiling above him. He didn't know enough about the whole story behind Priestess and her daughter, but something told him that he had better tread lightly around the elder SkyDancer. Especially if he continued to blame Gambit for the Massacre.

Hank smiled to himself. He'd gotten used to the young Summer in his lab, and he had gotten used to Priestess carrying on conversations with him. Conversations in which she never asked for a dictionary. It was quite refreshing.

Jubilee was doing her best to not cheer. But it was hard. She liked Serene, and she liked Summer. And she knew Serene well enough to know that it was hard to make Serene lash out with her abilities, when she was in top physical shape.

Logan smiled indulgently at his protégé's obvious joy. Hell, he liked Serene, and if it weren't for the fact that she and Gambit already had a claim on each other, he might have pursued their friendship into something else.

Remy nodded at Xavier, his eyes narrowed as he watched Scott. If Scott managed to succeed in getting Serene and Summer expelled, he'd leave with them. And he suspected that the Professor knew that as well. But hell, Summer was his daughter. He wouldn't walk away from her. As for Serene¡¦ell, he wasn't sure of his feelings, but even she wouldn't be able to convince him to abandon the young girl. Although he had a feeling that he wouldn't be able to walk away from the woman who accepted him so openly and freely, and accepted who he was, and he was wanting to become.

Charles stifled a groan. Scott wasn't afraid of Serene, but he was wary around her. This proclamation sure wouldn't endear her to him. No matter. Scott would eventually understand the reasoning. Charles was sure of that.

Summer glanced around the table in confusion. She didn't understand what everyone had been saying, but she knew that it involved her mommy. For a child who was barely sixteen months, she was not only precocious, but extremely intelligent. She knew that no one else her age could speak clearly, and she knew that none of her friends could hear the voices in their heads that taught them the languages. Oh well. She wouldn't leave her mommy. She loved her mommy. And Mommy had already promised to take care of her forever and ever.

*****

A shadow detached itself from just beyond the dining area. Moving silently, the shadow slipped outside, undetected, gliding towards the small area that was the meditation circle of Priestess.

Serene sank to the ground, listening to the night sounds. After a moment, she raised her head to inhale deeply of the cool night air, and placed her hands on the ground. Her hands slowly began to glow a faint pale green as she absorbed the power that lay in the ground.

(They're afraid of you, Serene.) A cool and malevolent whisper suddenly sounded in her mind.

(They're cautious, Jaden.) Serene narrowed her eyes, still absorbing power, still giving herself strength. (You shouldn't have helped me lash out at Rogue.)

(Why not? You wanted to hurt her. You're just like me, Serene.)

(I know that. But I did not want to hurt her. Simply to stop her.)

(Liar. You wanted her to suffer for what she did to your beloved thief. You wanted her to pay for leaving him to die in Antarctica.)

(She's already paying, Jaden. She lost him, and she still loves him. But he doesn't love her, not anymore. He can't love someone who is afraid.) Serene finally lifted her hands, her body filled with a renewed strength. (Be gone, Jaden. Leave me to my thoughts.)

(Always touching, never gone. Always close, yet so far away. Always near, and never here. Don't forget, Serene. You did this.) Jaden's amused chuckle flitted through her mind, then his presence receded.

"How could I forget, Jaden?" she whispered to the still night air.

There was no answer.