24 hours later...

"I can't believe it", he had only been away for three days. Three days! And look what happened without him...

Professor Charles Francis Xavier. Legend among mutant and humans alike. Telepath for God's sake! He should have seen it coming...it was his fault, he had known how withdrawn Remy was, should he not have anticipated something like this?

"It ain't your fault, Charlie. The kid's never been easy to read, telepath or no flamin' telepath", his students knew him well. Wolverine knew him especially well. They may not have agreed on certain aspects of life and existence but nevertheless he knew what Charles was thinking. And again with the infuriating pet name...

"Logan. I have, on many occasions, reminded you that my name is not Charlie. Professor Xavier, or if you absolutely must, Charles but not under any circumstances 'Charlie'".

Logan puffed his cigar thoughtfully for a second and then turned back with a knowing look to the Professor, "Fine Chuck but quit changing the subject".

Charles sighed. There really was no use was there?

"He's awake according ta Hank but he ain't lettin' no one near him so I'm not exactly sure what kinda' state you'll find him in if you go in there", Xavier regarded Logan for a long moment. Something had flashed in the room. A scene of some sort...smells and redness...blood redness.

"You were the one who found him, weren't you?", understanding dawned on him as he saw the look, for the briefest of seconds, flash across Logan's face. The Canadian hid it well, as he always did, however to a telepath it was nigh on useless to even bother.

Logan fidgeted a little in the chair. Again, very uncharacteristic of the man, a man who was usually very set in his ways, confident of his ability to cope.

'What must he have gone through?', Xavier thought, 'What must it have been like?'. Logan had seen blood. There was no disputing that fact, he had killed and witnessed killing but self mutilation...to that extent? He had tried to kill himself, he had admitted as much to Charles over the years but to see the product of something so - - words failed him - - disgusting, no..that wasn't even close, nauseating...nothing was enough. No word would suffice.

"Yea..yeah it was me", Logan stood up and walked to the window. From Charles's office there was a clear view of the boathouse in the bright summer light and Xavier could almst feel the knot in Logan's stomach clench.

"Logan? Would you like to talk about it, are you alright?", Logan whirled on heel and slammed his fist of off the wall. The anger in his face was unmistakably directed within. It was a look Xavier had seen on his face many times now. Self-hatred.

"What d'you want me ta say Chuck?! What amount a' talkin's gonna change anythin'?!".

Clearing his throat Charles settled back in his chair, steepling his fingers as if it were a statement in itself. Logan's shoulders slouched and, likewise, his body collapsed in Xavier's chair. Self-defeat. The knot hadn't loosened.

"Like dragon's breath it sears the soul and visions cloud the mind...", Logan cocked a world-weary eyebrow at Xavier and chuckled, he had a damned quote for everything...

"Exactly. An' ah can't get rid of them. It feels like a mist I can cut with a knife, never mind a balsted cloud..", Logan leant forward too Charles and looked him straight in the eyes, "He never wanted this. He didn't wanna die! He just wanted ta be shot o' this place. But he stayed, for two reasons."

Any normal man, any man who didn't know Logan, would have taken that as an attack but Xavier merely nodded and willed the stocky man to continue.

"He wanted to see what exactly 'his friends' really thought of him and he wanted to clear his name", Logan didn't seem to mind the fact he was growling out the words at Charles nor did he really seem to mind the fact that he was grinding it out through clenched teeth, "He needs to get away from here. The so called 'do-gooders' haven't done any goddamned good this time around! He has to have a break.."

Charles was no fool. He saw when action had to be taken, when people had to be put in their place and when actions had to be stopped before they even started. This was one such occasion.

"No. There is absolutely no way that you are taking Gambit from this mansion, Logan. He needs psychiatric help - -", Logan slammed his fists of off the table and rose to his feet menacingly. Neither worked to sway Xavier in the slightest.

"He needs friends! He needs someone to punch and someone to hold and someone to damned well trust!! You guys have preached about trust and teamwork to me since the day I got here! Where's your precious team now?! Wheres the trust?! Do you see any teamwork?!!", Logan had begun to pace and stopped just short of the door.

"Logan - -"...there was no use. He wasn't in the mood to listen and if Charles had to be perfectly honest, he wasn't in the mood to preach.

"Don't 'Logan' me! I'm sick and fucking tired of all this goddamned team shit! No one was there for him when he needed it. Thats the facts and if we keep on the way we are that isn't gonna change!!", grabbing the doorknob in his hands and yanking the door free Logan spotted the crowd of spectators outside of the door. Most of the X-Men who had once been Remy's friends were looking at him in horror.

"You lot make me sick, you know that?! Your a bunch of fucking hypocrites! The lot of you!", stomping through the crowd Logan got to the end of the hall and was stopped by Scott Summer.

Glaring up at the man Logan could feel his blood start to boil and a familiar rage build inside of him, bubbling to the surface with uncontrollable force.

"Move", it wasn't a question and Scott stepped aside, quickly walking to the Professor's study but before he could cross the threshold a voice called to him from inside.

"Just close the door Scott. Close the door and keep walking..."