Disclaimer: The main characters are not mine, this is an amateur effort written purely for the fun of it, and no money has exchanged hands, and it is not intended to breach the copyright of Paramount and Pet Fly Publication.

With thanks Connie for the beta reading, for Gail for her input, and Mary for her French.

For Lorraine, Many thanks for your kind present of your picture of Jim and Blair.

Soul Keeper 3

Dancing Death

Part One

Westchester

Mandy and Kat Taylor arrived at the Mansion for the new term, there was always the sickening feeling of leaving their parents behind, but the Mansion had become a home away from home, with good friends among the inhabitants.

This term was going to be different, for the first time Professor Xavier was including non-mutant children on the school register, the first step in integrating human and mutants.

Mandy hefted her bag, threaded her way through the other students milling around in the front entrance, and headed for their room on the third floor girl’s wing.

“Salute Petite.” The voice came from behind them and could only be one person.

“Hi Gambit,” Mandy’s smile was genuine, as she took in the man leaning against the banister of the central stairway. “Looking well,” she glanced at her sister, this was beginning to sound lame, and could feel herself starting to flush. Being the object of Gambit’s undivided attention was a little overwhelming. Even if his eyes were hidden by his habitual dark glasses.

“Let Gambit help y,” the tall Cajun X-Man leaned past her, took both bags, and started up the stairs, leaving the girls to trail behind him. He already had their door open and was putting the cases down when they arrived slightly out of breath behind him.

“And you’re still here Gambit?” Mandy could not help blurting out the question. She had thought that the ex–Marauder would have made a run for it by now.

“Seems dat dey need Gambit.” He made no effort to explain further. “See y’ both later.” He closed the door behind him as he left.

Kat, the older of the two, exhaled slowly, “Good to know he’s in a good mood, because sooner or later he is going to remember, and then, poof.”

“Yeah and half the building goes supernova, maybe we should talk to Professor Xavier.”

“Yeah and the first thing he does is speak to Dad,” she left the sentence hanging in the air. “Mandy, whatever we do, we are screwed.”

“So we have what, another three years at school and Gambit’s going to be here, so murder is out, although with your cooking you could put him out of action.” Mandy put in with a grin.

“Okay so I put Mr. Summers in the med lab for 48 hours. How was I to know that he would get food poisoning from my cooking? I did get a 10 from Mr. Logan.” Kat put in.

“Yeah, only when he knew you had poisoned Mr. Summers.”

“A marks a mark,” Kat snapped back, she suddenly clicked her fingers, “Gambit’s badge, did you see it?”

“So, all faculty wear them on meet and greet day.”

“Faculty, so what’s Gambit doing with it?”

“You don’t think...” Kat grabbed the information back off the dressing table, tore open the envelope and quickly ran her finger down the listing.

“Shit!”

“What?”

“Mr. R. LeBeau, Student Councilor,” Mandy tried to grab the listing, only Kat pulled it back, “Mr. LeBeau is taking us for Sex Education 101 on a Thursday morning.”

“Oh Hell…” There was a pause as the two girls exchanged a look. “Well it could be worse.”

“It is Mandy, Self Defense, you know you flunked it last year.”

“Don’t tell me, I have Logan.”

“You’re right, I am not telling you have Logan, you have Gambit.”

“It’s going to be a long term.” Mandy flopped back on the bed and stared up at the ceiling, “a real long term.”

0-0-0-0-0

The Danger Room.

The first day of school and what did she have, Mandy yawned, self-defense. What kind of school had a PE lesson at 6:30 in the morning, she mused.

The Danger Room was on half-light. She glanced round and then her breath caught as she saw the flash of red eyes as Gambit came out of the gloom.

“Morning Petite.”

“Gambit,” the click of the Bo-staff snapping out to its full six-foot made her jump and step back, she knew exactly what it could do, in his hands that staff was a deadly weapon.

“I read y’r file Mandy,” he tutted, “y’ have to learn to protection y’rself petite. It’s a big bad world out dere.”

“Already know that,” Mandy snapped back. The Bo-staff lashed out and she jumped back, but the blow was perfectly timed to hit the floor near her feet. Gambit must have partially charged the Bo-staff because of the loud bang it made when he hit the floor.

“So what y’ goin to do Mandy?” Gambit paused, “So what y’ goin to do?” He swung the Bo-staff round before she could register it and it was pointed at her throat. In that split second all Mandy could remember was when they had been attacked in their Uncle’s house, by the Marauder’s led by Gambit.

Mandy brought her hands together fingers interlocking towards her body and then pushed away from her body, using her telekinetic ability she threw Gambit from her, the fear that she had experienced at the kidnapping was relived and boosted her power. The Cajun flew six feet backwards, hit the floor with a bone-crunching thud, and lay still.

“Oh my god,” Mandy rushed to his side. “Gambit?”

The Bo-staff hooked her legs from under her and she landed on her backside. Even as he got back to his feet with a graceful move, the Bo-staff pushed her in the chest, knocking her onto her back, and she was looking up its length at him. With the back of his partly gloved hand he wiped his face and the telltale smear of blood, from his lips. He cut off her apology.

“If y’ goin to put a homme down, make sure he stay down, cher. Dat were Gambit comes in. Powers are bein, but Gambit teach y’ to fight.”

He leaned down and pulled her to her feet, collapsing his own Bo-staff and then pulling another from his pocket, it was a smaller version than his own, with a flick of his hand the staff snapped out to its full length.

Placing it into her hands, he smiled, “Won’t bite y’ Mandy.” Turning it in her hand she nearly dropped it.

Gambit moved behind her, his hands covering hers so that he could direct her movement, he felt her tense, “It’s okay cher, it’s just old Gambit, and he won’t hurt y’.” He heard her exhale.

“Sorry Gambit.” It was disconcerting to feel the long lean body pressed against her, but his grip was impersonal and she relaxed allowing him to take her through the first simple exercised, and soon moving slowly with the flow of his body

0-0-0-0-0-0

Six Weeks Later

Cascade

Washington

Jim Ellison looked down at the body and shook his head, this was the third mutant that had been murdered in Cascade in the last three months, each had been killed at a full moon, and the body mutilated by the killer.

As a Detective in the Cascade police force, it was his job to catch the killer, but he was more driven than most. As a Sentinel it was his city to protect, and someone was killing his tribe, and he would bring that someone down.

He lifted his head and fixed his senses on his Guide, the young man that helped him control his enhanced senses, who had made a burden into a gift, and for that Jim could never repay him enough, but it still saddened him that Blair had had to pay such a price.

As a Guide Blair had been classed first as a rogue, an empath that refused to give himself up to the GDP for training. He had hidden his talent to try and maintain a normal life. All the kid had wanted to do was get his PhD. and teach, both of which would have been denied him if the authorities had learned that he was a Guide.

But that had all ended when he had been kidnapped and made the personal pet Guide of a psychotic Sentinel. He had finally managed to betray her to the police, and instead of being helped he had been thrown to the tender mercies of the GDP, ending up in a correction facility where he had been raped and abused on a regular basis, and where a weaker man would have committed suicide to escape. But Blair had hung on and found Ellison, since then the Detective had done everything he could to re-build the younger man’s life.

Blair turned and met his gaze, a smile touching his lips as he crossed over to stand by his Sentinel, his gloved hand dropping onto Jim’s shoulder, as he lowered his empathic barriers and linked to his Sentinel to help him focus on the search for clues.

Captain Simon Banks hovered in the background as Blair handed off a bag to the forensic officer, the man was careful not to make contact with Blair’s hand, the empath had his barriers down and the touch of anyone other than his Sentinel could catapult the Guide into empathic shock. It had only happened once, and the offender was still on sick leave, or so the rumor mill said.

“Okay Jim, what did you find?”

Jim Ellison, Senior Sentinel Prime of Cascade and one of the Senior Detectives in the elite Major Crimes Department shook his head. “Not a lot Simon, whoever did this knew that they would be calling in Sentinels, he or she,” he saw the look on his Captain’s face, “I would not rule out a woman, remember Alex Barnes.”

Simon nodded, “So?”

“They saturated the scene with sage, can’t find anything worth a damn, but we got lucky with a cloth fragment in the man’s hand.” He looked back at the body as it was being taken away. “We have to find whoever is doing this, that poor kid was only 18 and some bastard killed him because he was a mutant. Who’s next, Sentinels,” his gaze hardened, “or Guides?”

0-0-0-0

Major Crimes

Simon Banks stretched his full six foot three and paused as he caught his reflection in the mirror, he had worked hard to get where he was. Captain of Major Crimes, he tried to be fair and play no favorites, every one of his Detectives was there on merit, black, white, male or female, they had earned their place on his team.

The knock on the door brought him back to the present. Jim Ellison stood just inside the office. “Captain,” he waved the file, “we've got a connection between the killings.”

“Show me.”

The Sentinel crossed to the dry board, “the first killing was John Bennett, the next was Carl Day, and the third tonight, was Leo Bishop, all three were students at Rainier.”

“On the same course?”

“No, Bennett was on Sentinel Studies, Day was on Accounting, and Bishop on Archaeology. “All three men worked at a local club to raise money for their education. Two were on the swim team until their mutant powers cut in.”

“What could they do?”

“Nothing out of the ordinary, but it gave them agility and speed above the normal,” Jim flicked a page of the report, “Leo had all the makings of a first class professional skater, but once he came on-line it meant that he could not pursue a career in professional or amateur sport, but it didn’t stop him dancing.”

“All three of them worked at a club called the Watering Hole, it’s new and they boast that all their dancers are mutants, its popular among the thrill seekers. The reason we didn’t get the information to start with was that all of them danced under a different name, and their boss didn’t report them missing, and when their faces turned up on the newspapers, he turned a blind eye, the good of the club.” Simon didn’t miss the sarcastic bite to the Sentinel’s words.

“Is he willing to help us?”

“He is now,” the Sentinel almost purred the words as a smile twisted his lips.

0-0-0-0-0

Rainier University.

The beginning of term

Jubilation Lee, sat down in the lecture hall, and piled her books in front of her. A pretty girl with fine features, raven black hair worn long, swept back and pinned in place by a old gold colored slide, she clicked her chewing gum and slipped deeper in her seat as she recognized the teacher, “Dr. Blair Sandburg,” of all the people she had to meet up with.

The young man took his place in front of the lectern, “Good Morning, this is the first lesson of Sentinel 101, anyone in the wrong class should leave now?”

Two young men muttered apologies as they left the lecture hall. Blair just smiled and turned back to his class.

“For the next six months you are going to be studying Sentinels and Guides, and the social interaction of the clans and the world about them. Now open your books to page 12,” and he launched into his lecture.

0-0-0-

As the class started to filter out, Blair crossed to Jubilee. “How are you settling in Jubilee?” His smile was gentle, and she felt his concern as a soft caress of her mind.

“Fine, Dr. Sandburg, I just wish I didn’t have to leave the Mansion.”

Blair steered her away from the other students, “it was not a punishment. The Professor thought that if you studied Sentinel 101 for this term it would give you a better insight to what is happening with Logan and Gambit.”

“The Swamp Rat,” Jubilee spat the words, and then looked up into Blair’s eyes. “Sorry.”

“I understand, but I thought you did too, in New Orleans. I won’t lie; you made a major mistake in turning on Gambit, one that could have gotten you killed. Sentinels, especially those with the feral strain, don’t take kindly to people endangering their Guides. But I know that you want to make amends, you can do it.”

“But Gambit...”

“Gambit is an empath, if you let him in he will know what you’re feeling, and then Logan isn’t going to stand a chance.” Blair patted her arm. “At least give it a go.”

Jubilee nodded, not trusting herself to talk, she clung to her books as Blair walked away.

Logan had been her friend, her father figure, and her security blanket, during the days when all she had known was fear. He had rescued her and taken her to the Mansion. She had met Rogue for the first time, her older sister in the Logan Clan, and then Mandy and Kat had joined. All sisters together, who could gang together to bully Logan, A smile touched her lips as she remembered the time they had coaxed, hell, dragged him into taking them to the mall shopping. They had been a family.

And now there was Gambit. For the first time in her life Jubilee didn’t lie to herself, she was jealous that the Cajun had joined the family, but maybe the family could get bigger without her losing Logan.

Jubilee remembered what it had been like before she had come down to Rainier,

The weather was warm and the smell of newly cut grass had reminded Rogue of home, her father pushing the lawn mower across the grass, trying for the checkerboard effect that he loved. Mandy and Kat had a firm grip on Gambit’s long sleeved shirt, even in this heat the Cajun didn’t wear short sleeves, and still wore the habitual dark glasses ( the sun was too harsh for his light sensitive eyes), and his cropped leather gloves.

“Come on Gambit, you promised, two on two, no powers flag football.” Mandy pleaded, at the same time Rogue appeared and Gambit stopped dead in his tracks.

“Bingo, game over,” Kat said with a grin, you’d have to be blind not to see that Gambit and Rogue had a thing going, the only problem was that Gambit and Rogue seemed to be the only ones not clued in about it, which made it a great spectator sport.

Rogue had tried to talk Jubilee into playing but the younger girl had just shook her head. It hurt Rogue to see her younger sister-by-clan like this. Logan declined as well, preferring to sit under the nearest tree with a beer in his hand watching his cubs playing with his Guide.

His Guide was young and hyper, this would help burn off some of his energy, and then later he would bond, and maybe this time Gambit would not be so impulsive. But then, according to Dr. Sandburg, Logan took a pull on the beer, hard to think that kid was a PhD. in Sentinel science, Gambit was a Dark Guide, and they were from time immemorial a hand full in the bond. What was it they said, the only tamed Dark Guide was a …….

He was brought back to the present by a yell?

The game was now forgotten and had turned into a free for all, with the cubs pinning his Guide to the ground. Rogue, with her superhuman strength was holding Gambit down with one hand as the other two girls pushed newly cut grass down the back of his shirt, as Rogue herself was thrusting a handful of grass down the front of his Guide’s tight jeans.

With a grin Logan got to his feet, “Rogue!” At her name she stopped what she was doing and looked up, her hand still down the front of Gambit’s jeans. Logan carefully raised an eyebrow, looked from her face to her hand and back up again, and allowed his grin to broaden. Rogue colored bright red and tried to jerk her hand free, and in doing so found she was stuck, her face got hotter as she tried to free herself. Her overheated brain finally registering that if she released the grass she could get her hand out, she pulled back so fast that she landed on her backside looking up at Logan, who turned on his heels and walked back towards the mansion.

He heard the footfalls and Gambit was at his side, he had allowed his mate to play and now they needed to bond. Sentinel and Guide soul mated for this life and the next.

Logan made a mental note to talk to Sandburg about the dreams, he was pretty sure that Gambit shared them when they slept in the bond, and he wanted to know what they meant. Normally he would have dismissed them, but there were dimensions to the Dark Bond, as Sandburg had described it, that he had to understand, the Darkest Bond was coming and he wanted to be ready.

He saw Jubilee from the corner of his eye, tears streaking her face as she watched them leave. Logan had to fight the urge to release his claws. He felt the touch of Gambit’s mind, like a soft caress against his anger, the touch of fingertips brushed the back of his hand, and he let the anger drop away. She was going to Rainier for a term, to learn more about Sentinels and Guides, and maybe then she would be able to return to the clan; in his heart of hearts he missed her.

A cough brought Jubilee back to earth and to the present.

“Hi, you’re new.”

“Only here,” Jubilee grinned.

The girls laughed, the oldest of the three looked to be in her early twenties with long blond hair pulled back and fixed with a thick black hair band. “We saw you talking to Dr. Sandburg, good looking isn’t he?”

“I suppose so,” she had not really given it much thought.

“Open your eyes and look,” the blond girl put in, “pity he’s one of them.”

“He’s gay,” Jubilee mouth dropped open.

“No, he’s a Guide, an empath, and his Sentinel is a real hunk, I would not mind being a filling in that sandwich,” the others burst out laughing and Jubilee joined it, she has not made any friends yet, and the girls looked fun.

The blond did the introduction, “I am Crystal, this is Julia,” she pointed to a smaller girl, all of five foot one, with curly dark hair, “and this is Pam,” indicating the third girl that had mousy brown hair. Jubilee was all too aware she was the youngest of their group.

“Come, we’ll show you around.” Crystal caught her arm and tugged her up. She added in a whisper, “Dr. Sandburg was in entertainment you know.”

“No?”

Julia traded a grin with her friends; this was going to be fun.

“Oh. He had a film career,” Crystal steered Jubilee away as she added, “are you doing anything tonight?”

0-0-0-0-0-0

Jubilee was stood outside of her apartment, the Professor had paid good money to get her decent accommodation in Cascade, and she was well aware that she was luckier than a majority of her fellow students, in that she didn’t have to share a shoebox with three other people.

Because this was her first night out since she had come to Cascade she had decided to dress to kill, her hair adorned by a jade slide, the high mandarin necked silk blouse, black skirt and shoes, made her look stunning. She had already seen the looks of some of the boys as she waited for Pam to pick her up, in the last few weeks she had made good friends with the three girls. All three, Crystal, Julia and Pam, had good academic heads on their shoulders, but a wicked sense of humor that had helped her cheer up.

Pam pulled the car up and Jubilee piled in. Julia and Crystal were already in the back and leaning over the seats, “You are going to love this place, the guys are wow,” she passed Jubilee a hip flask. “Come on Jubes, don’t be prissy, a shot of whiskey to make the evening go with a swing.”

Jubilee hesitated and then took a mouthful, the girls were watching so she was not going to be a baby, even if she was three years younger than them.

Pam reached over her shoulder and swerved as Jubilee yelled, “watch that car!” But Pam ignored her and took a swig of the whiskey.

“Smooth, girl, just like that new dancer, body to die for, hot sex on toast,” Crystal whispered a comment in Julia’s ear, too low for Jubilee to hear. Julia joined in the laugh.

“What we eating tonight girls?” The conversation was making the younger girl a little uneasy. “What about Italian?”

“We have a taste for Cajun, what you say Jubilee, a little hot Gumbo?”

“Yeah okay.” Jubilee sat back and looked out of the window, she got a feeling that something was happening round her and she had no idea of what.

Pam parked the car round the back of the club and Jubilee for the first time got a look at “The Watering Hole.” The bouncer stopped them, and if she was honest Jubilee was praying that they would be refused entry, but the bouncer just pocketed the fifty that Pam gave him and waved them through.

The dancer had already started; walking behind the other taller girls Jubilee didn’t see what was happening until they suddenly parted.

“Now that is hot Gumbo.”

She looked up and her mouth dropped open, the dancers ankles were locked round the top of the pole, he dropped his body backward, and caught the pole with his hands so that his long lean body was stretched nearly the full length of the pole, his long auburn hair brushing the ground. He slid down, his hands touching the floor in a handstand, his long legs releasing the pole and he rolled forward coming to his feet, his body moving sensually to the music. Sweat coated his body, all he wore was a pair of skin-tight jeans, so tight they must have been spray painted on him.

The dancer somersaulted and then went into a single hand walk over before landing in the split position, his head resting on his knee, his long hair veiling his features, then his upper body snapped upright hair flying clear of his face.

The dancer rolled onto his stomach, then spun onto his side and up to his feet, three steps and he was wrapped round the pole again.

The stage went black and the club’s clients went crazy.

When the lights came back on a new dancer was starting.

Jubilee’s mouth was hanging open. “See what I mean, Hot and spicy,” Pam said, as with a fingertip she pressed the younger girl’s jaw shut. “Our meal for tonight. How much have we in the kitty?” Crystal pulled out a thick roll of money. “400.

Jubilee you tell the manager we want personal lap dances from the Cajun.”

“Errr, not a good idea, I mean...”

“Jubilee, it’s not like we’re going to fuck him.” Crystal took great pleasure in the look on the younger girl’s face. “Go get him girl,” and pushed her towards the bar.

The crowd had opened enough for her to reach the bartender. “Mister.” Her face drained of color as the bartender turned and she found herself looking into ruby colored glasses, and at Scott Summers.

Six weeks earlier.

Westchester

Blair dropped his hand onto his Sentinel’s arm, “Easy Jim, we’re entering their territory, Logan has a Guide, he isn’t going to claim me.”

“Just who is this Logan,” Simon leaned forward, his breath catching, as the cramp in his legs made itself known.

Blair twisted in his seat, “Logan is a Sentinel Primal, the only one that I have ever found, and I am hoping that he will let me document him.” Simon rolled his eyes, Sandburg was bouncing, and the kid had more energy than the energizer bunny.

“Jim?” Simon decided to bypass Blair, he had the feeling he was about to get a lecture on the subject, he could almost feel sorry for this Logan if Blair had set his sights on him.

“Sorry Simon,” the Sentinel apologized for his guide and took up the story, “Logan is a Primal Dark Sentinel, and his Guide, Gambit, is a Dark Guide.”

The big Captain flopped back in his seat, “You mean there’s two of them,” and under his breathe he added, “oh shit!” Simon had had a few run-ins with the Dark Guide, and seeing the normally peaceful Blair Sandburg turn into the dangerous volatile persona of the ancient Dark Guide had been something he hoped never to see again.

“So how stable is this err, Gambit,” Simon trailed off as Blair cut across him.

“You’ll get your chance to find out.”

A man who looked to be younger than Blair stood on the steps of the Mansion. . His auburn hair was pulled back in a ponytail, and his face was framed by bangs, he was tall, six foot two, and had a rangy build. He was wearing a black battered duster over jeans and t-shirt; sneakers covered his feet. The newcomer looked, to Simon, normal except for the fact he was wearing dark glasses on an overcast day. His hands were in his pockets.

“Salute Blair, James.” The accent Simon identified as Cajun, remembering it from his holiday in New Orleans.

The younger man closed the distance between them. Gambit turned to Blair first and the Cajun crossed his hands over his chest, wrist to wrist, the flat of his hands so the tips of his fingers touched his shoulders, then lowered his head down. Blair copied the greeting, only then did the two Dark Guides seem to stand down. “Permission is granted brother.” Blair’s voice had the husky tone of the Dark Guide.”

Gambit turned to Jim, his voice dropping to the same sensual purr, “James,” and leaned in, as he tipped his chin up, exposing his throat. Taking great care as if he was fragile, Jim rested his hand round the younger Dark Guide’s waist, and then scented at this throat.

A loud roar caused Simon to pull his service revolver and spin round, as a newcomer strode towards them. The man was Jim’s age, a mass of dark hair, he was only five-five if an inch, but pound for pound was as well built as the Cascade Detective. As he came at them there was a ‘snitk’ and Simon jumped back as three deadly blades shot from each hand and the man roared his challenge.

“Simon don’t move,” Jim warned, and then he acknowledges the newcomer. “Logan,” but he never broke eye contact with the more primal Sentinel.

Before anything could develop, Blair acted; ignoring his own Sentinel he stepped out in front of Logan and lifted his chin, exposing his throat to Logan in an open invite to scent him.

Logan detected the change in scent, Blair was scared, the need to protect a Guide overrode everything; he pulled Blair close, nuzzled at his throat, clumsily petted his head and back to calm him, it was only then he exchanged Blair for his own Guide, wrapping his arms round the tall Cajun and holding him close.

It was Jim that did the introductions, “Simon, this is Logan and Gambit.” He paused, “Logan, Gambit, Captain Simon Banks, Major Crimes Cascade PD.”

Simon slowly holstered his service weapon, ready to follow the Sentinel and Guide’s lead. Only then did the claws retract, but even so Logan kept Gambit away from the Captain.

“Why the visit Ellison, the bond’s strong, we don’t need you.” The feral Sentinel tightened his one arm grip round his Guide’s waist.

“Police business, we might need the help of the X-Men.”

0-0-0-0-

Professor Xavier scanned in the pictures taken of the nightclub, and in a few seconds the danger room had replicated the club.

Scott entered and looked round him, his mouth dropping open, “Gambit,” Scott was already yelling for the Cajun X-Man, “you get you backside down to the Danger room, and I am mean now Cajun.”

Xavier could not help but smile. “I programmed this Scott, not Remy, now this is Captain Banks, he needs help on a triple murder case in Cascade, three young boys, all mutants, have been killed, we need to send in someone undercover.”

“I’ll go,” Scott put in straight away, he would not ask one of his X-Men to do something that he hadn’t checked out first.

0-0-0-0

Gambit came into the Danger Room in time to see Scott Summers lose his grip on the pole in the center of the stage, his balance was wrong, his foot slid down and he landed heavily on his backside.

“Great move Cyke, music to suffer by.” Gambit yelled as he saw their fearless leader struggling to untangle from the pole.

“You think you can do better Gambit?” This was a direct challenge.

Gambit shed his black duster like a second skin, then in one stride went into a cartwheel to a hand spring, and the momentum threw him towards the pole; he caught it and then swung round, before somersaulting off.

“Like that Cyke?” Gambit grinned as Scott turned to the Professor.

“Great, he’s like human Velcro,” then his face softened into a smile. “Well done Remy.” The Cajun dropped his barriers slightly and found the warmth of pride in the emotions that Scott was projecting at him, he wasn’t angry for being shown up, the reverse, he was pleased that Gambit had done so well.

“Congratulations Gambit, you have the job.”

“W’at Job?” He looked from Professor Xavier to Simon, puzzled.

“You’re the newest pole dancer at the Watering Hole.” Simon put in, and then cringed as he saw the look on the man called Logan’s face, he looked ready to kill.

0-0-0-0

“Like hell Gambit is going to Cascade alone, over my dead body, bud.” Logan’s voice had the bite of the darkest primal Sentinel; he had his Guide pinned in the corner of Xavier’s study, blocking all access to him.

“No cher, it’s something Gambit has to do. Gambit could not allow another homme to die.” The mutant Guide’s hand was running over his Sentinel’s shoulder, allowing his touch and voice to sooth his Sentinel.

“Then I am coming with you Cajun.” His eyes flicked from Sentinel to Guide to Captain, and it was not a statement, it was a written law.

Jim nodded in agreement, no Sentinel would allow his Guide to go into danger alone, Logan’s reaction was to be expected and applauded. “The Watering hole, as of tomorrow, will need a new bouncer, think you can manage that?”

He didn’t get an answer but the look on the Primal Sentinel’s face promised death to anyone that tried to touch his Guide.

0-0-0-0-0-0

Part two

The Present - Cascade

The Watering Hole Night Club

Like any nightclub it was easy to walk past it in daytime, it looked drab and uninviting, but once the lights came up, it became a beacon for women out for a good time.

Jean Gray straightened her Channel power suit and walked over to the bar. She had picked up on her husband’s shock at seeing Jubilee, but she handed the $300 dollars over and ordered the Cajun for her private booth. Without a backward look the brunette X-woman took her seat.

Ten minutes later the Cajun reappeared wearing the same sprayed on jeans, but with a loose scarlet shirt covering his upper body, a pair of sneakers on his feet, habitual dark glasses covering his eyes. For a moment he paused and got his bearings, then took a seat in the booth, sliding across the seat so they were hidden from view.

Immediately, Jean captured his hand, her mind opening to allow him to link, she could only imagine what the emotions in the club were doing to the younger man. He might have very strong shields, but even so it would wear him down quickly, that had been the second dance of the night and with each one the women were getting more rowdy. “Gambit you need to keep a firm hold on your empathy, you’re broadcasting dear.” She reached a hand out and brushed his hair away from his eyes, “and you don’t need those with me.” Jean fingers lightly touched his dark glasses, and then stroked his face with the back of her hand.

“Cyke won’t like that.”

“Scott is busy, and Gambit, you’re no threat.”

“Gambit could be.” He cocked his head to one side and hooked his glasses, pulling them down so that he could see over them.

“But Gambit knows that I love Scott, and would not do anything to threaten that, now would he

“Non.” He paused, “but Logan...”

“Business Remy.” She saw the smile touch his lips, “are you picking up anything?”

Gambit shrugged, “Dere is a dark cloud in dis club, Gambit he picks up lust, sex of de fine femmes, but someone wants to kill, tried to lower mon charm but nearly lost it.”

“Think about those feeling, and I will track the emotions back to their sender.”

“Non!”

“Remy you let me in before, please.”

“Too dangerous.”

“I am willing to take the risk,” she gave his hand a squeeze.

Without warning Gambit dropped his barriers and she felt as if she was being sucked into his mind, it was like trying to stand in a high wind, she stumbled but finally managed to keep her footing. Gambit stood leaning against his barriers, but this was a different Gambit, he wore a pair of slashed tight jeans, a black t-shirt that was too long, and an old battered brown trench coat. He looked younger, the cigarette in his hand flicked towards her, and it exploded near her face, making her pull back. “Y’ still want to go ahead with dis?”

“Yes.” Jean saw the way he tipped his head to one side as if trying to puzzle her out, “No agenda Gambit, remember.”

Taking a chance, she closed the distance between them and held her hand out. For a long moment nothing happened, and then she felt his hand curl round hers. Together they moved deeper into his mind.

The mindscape of everyone’s mind was different, Storm’s was an English County garden, Logan’s... she gave a shudder, and for Gambit it was the streets of New Orleans French Quarter and Bourbon Street. For Jean it was like looking at photographs, but as they approached each picture they changed into a portal entrance that would take them through to that memory.

The newest of the memories took them back into the club, and she shuddered at the emotions from the women as Gambit had danced. Like a frenzied feeding of a school of sharks, the colors in the club were red and pulsing.

Turning, Gambit pointed to the back of the club, and she followed the thread of emotions, a thread jet black and decaying, with the poison of dark emotions, lust, hate, and the need to kill. Jean carefully collected the emotions and the imprint from them, and sealed them in a box, she looked round to find Gambit watching himself dance, and she felt the self loathing and guilt pouring off the younger man, those would have to be addressed later when the case was over, she sensed they were old emotions. She reached for his hand and squeezed it softly until he looked away from the stage back to her again. “Time to go home Gambit.”

“I am home.”

There was such despair in his voice that Jean pulled him into a hug, “No Remy, home is Logan and the X-Men.” Keeping a firm grip on him she pulled back to the barrier, only then releasing him, “remember you’re loved Remy.” Then she slid through the barriers, feeling them strengthen behind her.

Gambit’s eyes fluttered open and for a split second he looked lost.

“All over Remy.” Leaning forward she pressed a kiss to his forehead, then checked her watch, “remember you have back up, you’re not on your own.”

0-0-0-0-0

Scott saw his wife leave the booth, then turned his attention back to Bobby as the Iceman laid his tray down on the counter. Scott loaded it with another load of drinks. “I would not mind Slim, but that’s another forty dollars that those old ladies have just pushed down my jeans, and I am not even dancing.”

“Bobby,” the name was a warning.

“Okay, okay, keep an eye on Gambit.” Turning on his heels Bobby started back into the belly of the club. In the distance Rose Connor was closing the ‘staff only’ door. At 58 she was the den mother of the Watering Hole, she acted like a mother for the dancers, and her grief at the recent deaths was genuine. She had worked at the club for the last ten years.

Bobby saw the look of distaste on her face as she bumped into the new bouncer, one Marie Parker. Rogue looked the part in her tux, her hair pulled back and twisted up in a knot. She touched her hair with a gloved hand as she stepped out of the older woman’s way.

The lights began to dim for the next dancer. Looking round Rogue saw Jubilee and her mouth hardened. Under the way of the clan Jubilee was her younger sister, she headed for them, but the owner of the club, Max Simon, reached her first. Her eyes widened and she followed him to the dancer’s dressing rooms behind the stage. Her first concern was Gambit; she took a steadying breath when she saw that the Cajun was okay.

Gambit knelt over a young Asian dancer, he shook his head, “He’s dead.” Rising he caught Rogue’s shoulders and all but dragged her out, “Y’ don’t want to see dat petite.” He tightened his hold as her face paled, the dancers face had been beaten to a pulp in a frenzied assault.

Rogue knew that Logan was not going to be happy about this, he had nearly taken the Danger Room apart when he had been told he was needed for another mission on the eve of their departure for Cascade.

She had taken his place because she was ‘family’, and had promised to look after Gambit. Now she had to live up to that promise to protect the Cajun.

0-0-0

Jim Ellison looked at the body, this was the latest killing and the murderer was getting more and more bold. This time he had attacked the dancer in the one place he might have thought himself safe, his own dressing room.

“Who found the body?”

Officer Martin Holt let his eyes drift over the guide who stood at the Sentinel’s shoulder, and pointedly ignored him. After all you didn’t acknowledge a guide dog, and as far as he was concerned that was all guides were, the new regulation be damned. “A cleaning lady called Mrs. Connor, she screamed and one of the dancers came running.” He shook his head, “dances as the Raging Cajun, a regular blackened fish eating Cajun, can’t even speak English, you wouldn’t think he’s American, more like a frog eater.” There was bitterness in his voice and was mirrored in his emotions that ate at Blair’s barriers, Jim felt his guide shudder

“Watch your mouth Holt,” the warning was said softly, but the look in Jim Ellison’s eyes brought Holt to a full stop, he had crossed the line and he knew it.

“So which room’s he in.” Jim could smell Gambit’s scent and could have followed it, but he had to play the game, Gambit was supposed to be a stranger to him.

“Room t... t... three,” Holt stuttered. Ignoring him, Jim shepherded his Guide through the door first. The officer wasn’t Guide safe, and to a Sentinel there was no worse crime.

Jim pushed the door open. Gambit sat at the dressing table, the room empty except for a duffle bag in a corner. The Cajun was playing cards; the only noise in the room was the slap of pasteboard. Blair closed the door behind them, “Are you alright Remy?”

“Non, de ba’tard killed him unduh our nose, we got to stop him.” He paused, “De homme didn’t break in.” Gambit scooped the cards up, “De time window for de killin means de killuh was in de club. He picked Chung, could have been Gambit, Jean bought me private time, Chung he went back straight after de dance.” He tapped the cards bringing them into line, and slid them into his pocket.

“Did you pick anything up?” Blair asked as Jim looked round the room.

“Oui, evil, lust, hate, dis is one sick homme, Blair.”

The Sentinel halted and looked back at Gambit, “Remy, come here.”

With a shrug the X-Man did as he was asked, keeping his movements slow, Jim reached for his hand and brought it up so that he could inhale his scent. Blair caught Gambit’s arm to stop the even younger Guide from pulling away. Releasing it, Jim duplicated his actions with Gambit’s other hand.

“Talk to me Jim.” Blair released his hold and placed his own hand on Jim’s shoulder, linking, and allowing his mind to brush that of his Sentinel.

“Any reason anyone should be touching your stuff Gambit?” Jim nodded to the closet, “this reeks of scent.” He wrinkled his nose, pulled the door open, and nearly gagged, the corrupt scent was rancid to the Sentinel, and he began to spiral down into a void, as the world blacked out.

Blair only had time to yell a warning as the two Guides caught the big police officer and lowered him to the ground. With Gambit supporting him, Blair wrapped himself round his Sentinel, using his hands and voice to coax him back. When that failed, his mind, with the power of a kick ass Dark Guide, tore through the void, hauling the Sentinel back to the present. Jim came round with a start, his breath catching in his throat, his grip tightening on his Guide.

“Talk to me Jim. What was it?”

When he tried to look towards the closet Blair caught his chin and stopped him, “No big guy, concentrate only on me, you’re not going down that road again.”

Ellison dipped his head and inhaled his Guide’s scent; wrapping his senses round his Guide, all he could hear was the younger man’s heart, all he could taste and smell was his Guide’s scent, at that moment the world was Blair Sandburg. Listening to the sound of Blair’s voice, he was coaxed back, until all his senses were re-set to a manageable level. Finally he could talk.

“The scent was bad Chief, really bad, decayed. The killer was in here, and then when Gambit didn’t come back he went after the other dancer. He was after you Remy, looks like we baited the hook a little too well.”

“What am I going to tell Logan,” the female voice brought the three men round. Rogue was stood in the doorway; she was all but wringing her hands.

“If the killers after Gambit, Logan has to know...”

“Logan’s not to know Cher,” Remy put in quickly. “Logan is undercover, he can’t break cover for Gambit, understand, too dangerous for him.”

“But...?”

“We handle it.” His red on black eyes flicked from Jim to Blair to Rogue and back again. “De killuh will be back, and we get him, oui?”

There was a knock on the door, “Captain Banks is here detective.” The police officer stood waiting.

“Coming. Blair take Mr. LeBeau’s statement, and Miss Parker’s, and I expect to see you in 20 minutes.” Jim made his tone all business.

The look on the uniform’s face made Jim itch to put a fist through that smug expression, the man was just waiting for Jim to put Blair in his place, a Guide was a legalized slave to a Sentinel, with no rights until recently, and many people didn’t like the changes.

Blair tugged the notebook from his backpack as the door closed, “we’d best get this down Mr. LeBeau.”

The Cajun just looked at Jim’s retreating back, “How y’ take dem looking at y’ like dat, like y’ nothin more dan a pet dawg.”

“Holt?” Blair shrugged, “a long story.”

“Give us de Reader’s Diges’ version.”

Blair had the feeling he wasn’t going to get the statement until he did.

“Holt’s brother and his partner Richard Travis crossed the path of a Sentinel, a woman called Alex Barnes. She had me as her pet Guide, took everything away from me, threatened to kill Naomi if I tried to leave her.”

“Naomi?” Rogue put in, “Your girlfriend?”

“No, my mother,” Blair continued, “ It was only when Namoi was reported killed in a car crash, that I was able to contact Jim, and betray Alex to the police.” Blair’s voice became distant “as it was I ended up killing her to protect Jim.

“Betray?”

“I was her guide, okay I never wanted to be, but she was my sentinel what else can you call it”.

“And Holt”, Rogue promoted.

Alex shot Travis, and killed his partner. The police thought Travis had been injured protecting him, and he was awarded a medal for bravery. On the back of that he got rapid promotion, and ended up in Major Crimes. When the truth came out he was demoted and,” Blair shrugged, “he hates my guts. He blames me for what happened, and maybe he’s right.”

Blair was lost in the moment, until he felt a hand rub his shoulder and he looked up at Gambit, the two Guides had both suffered, and Gambit was the one person that could understand guilt, even misplaced guilt.

“Y’ want dat statement Blair?”

0-0-0-0

As Jim walked down the corridor with Travis he slowed, the decayed smell was back, turning his stomach; he halted at the air conditioning vent.

“Give me your nightstick,” he added, “now,” with a snarl. Using it he pried off the vent cover, pulled on a pair of latex gloves, and reached up and along as far as he could. His fingertips grazed something. Stretching, he managed to catch hold of it, a baseball bat, the end covered with blood. His eyes focused on it, and he saw hair of more than one color, and skin fragments; this was the murder weapon.

“Get Captain Banks and Lieutenant Plummer, and Travis, you tell anyone about this bat and you’ll be on the morgue patrol for the next twenty years.” Jim’s tone told him it wasn’t a threat; it was a promise.

Lieutenant Plummer, Jim’s ex-wife, was a petite blond woman, as always she was dressed in a smart two-piece skirt suit., She took the bat and laid it down on a sterile sheet. “I am going to need to take this back to the lab for testing.”

“No.”

“Jim, this has to be tested.”

“The killer has used it on all the killings, he’s not going to leave it. I scented him in the Cajun’s room, he’s going to be back for the kid, if he finds his weapon of choice gone then he is going to rabbit so fast we’re never going to catch him.”

Caroline shook her head. “You can’t ask a civilian to act as bait for his killer Jim, its too dangerous.”

“It’s the only way,” he looked at Simon, seeing the expression on his Captain’s face, “Gambit is prepared to take the risk, I know he is.”

“Lieutenant, take the bat and you have two hours to run your tests and gather information, then I need it back here. Jim, get the vent changed and in the meantime I will have this area completely sealed off, then we bait our trap.”

The last comment was for Caroline’s benefit, the X-Men were already in place.

0-0-0-0-0

In the dressing room, Blair closed the notebook and stowed it away in his jacket, “I’ll get it typed up and you’ll have to come in and sign it.”

“Gambit can’t go into a polize station.”

“If you’re not on the file they.” Blair’s voice trailed off, “You are on record aren’t you.” As he saw the look on Gambit’s face.

“Interpol, that all, but dey would like to get deir hands on Gambit” The Cajun X man added, “Gambit and the X-Men will have de killuh by den Blair, and y’ won’t need it”

0-0-0-0-0

Back in the corridor Simon was puzzled and asked. “How did you miss the bat when you first came down here, if it smells that bad.

Jim reached a hand up to the vent, “the air conditioning keeps cutting in and out and that wafted the scent. The killer left this,” he pulled down a small bag of sage, “he was using that as a mask, but when the air conditioning cut in, it circulated the scent and the sage could not handle it. Sometimes even Sentinels have to get lucky.”

0-0-0-0-0

Scott Summers was wiping the bar down, at the same time watching the reaction of the customers to the fact that they had to wait for the police to finish with them. Jubilee was moving from one foot to the other. He didn’t have to be a telepath to know that she was scared that she was going to be found out as being underage.

The police officer checking ID’s looked at hers and for a moment seemed to freeze and then handed it back, and continued on to the next group.

Pam sighed, “You didn’t tell me you had a fake ID, I thought we had it then.”

“Errr didn’t want to brag.” But Jubilee was looking past her to the businesswoman. Jean Gray was an alpha telepath, and had worked her magic on the police officer, but at the same time Jean’s voice entered her mind. <Jubilation Lee, Mr. Summers will be talking to you later, go back to the flat now, and stay home>.

<I am not a kid>, Jubilee shot back, she wasn’t a ‘path’, but she knew that Jean would hear her.

<Then stop acting like one>, the contempt was plain in her voice as she turned away.

0-0-0-0-0

Finally Jubilee was free from the club, and she climbed into the car, and the other girls piled in, Pam, immediately handed the younger girl a hip flask.

“I think we all need this after tonight,” she grinned, “but what a rush. I vote we all go back tomorrow night, I still have a craving for some hot spicy Cajun, girls.”

“It will be closed, the killing.”

“Jubilee, Jubilee, stop being so small town, they won’t be able to seat all the women that will want to be there, nothing like a good murder to get the juices flowing, and that got the juices flowing.” She took another pull and handed it to Julie.

Now that the flask was drained it was pushed back in her bag, it was then Jubilee saw the smear on the scarf, it looked black in the night light, but it was quickly pushed back into the bag, and she could not get away from the thought it was blood.

0-0-0-0-0

The Managers office in the Watering Hole had a shabby but homey (in the states homely is synonymous with ugly, homey is synonymous with homelike) feel about it, but given the amount of money that the club raked in nightly it was more a decorating statement than a financial one.

Scott was sat on the sofa with Jean, while Rogue was seated in an overstuffed armchair with Gambit perched on the arm.

The picture on the computer flickered and then cleared, as the security disc was played, there were three cameras in the club, and the recordings showed the activity from three locations, the front entrance, the main bar and the dance area. It showed Jubilee and her group entering, than taking a seat. , The camera panned through the dancing, and then the main bar. Scott was serving and Bobby taking the drinks through the throng of customers. He clearly jumped at one point when a wandering hand found his backside. The young man colored as he saw the grin Jean gave him.

Jim forwarded the disc, “This is when Gambit started his dance,” he froze the picture, in the background there was clearly caught in the flash of the lighting a figure, shapeless in the shadow, but near the employees entrance.

He advanced the disc a little further, and the camera panned round again, when it came back the figure was gone. He continued the disc, and this time the door opened exactly as there was a flash from the next dancer’s