Summary - Takes place in the distant future. Inspired in equal parts by Kaylee's "Any Kinda Breath", and Bobby Darin's song.
Rating - PG
Disclaimer - Remy, Bobby, and Hank legally belong to Marvel Comics. The Kinda Mooks (Bobby and Remy) belong to Kaylee. The song is "Beyond the Sea" by Bobby Darin (though I changed the pronouns to make it fit). Janet is mine though, all mine!!! Mwahahaaha!!! Um, yeah. I'm not making any money off this, nor do I have any to give to anyone other than my credit card company (damn my weakness for shopping!). It's just for fun, I swear! So please, nice nice Mister Lawyer Man, don't sue.
Archive - Sure, if you want, just lemme know.
Feedback - Please give me feedback (boudicca@edbo.com). I need the attention. :)

Beyond the Sea, or, Some Kinda Reunion
by Catherine Smith

"Somewhere, beyond the sea
Somewhere, waiting for me...."

The old man drew in a deep lungful of cold, salty air. He closed his eyes dreamily, holding the breath in, relishing the way it unfurled deep in his chest, reminding him that he was alive. He reluctantly let it go, and then quickly drew in another to replace it. Never knew when your last one was coming, he thought, a bittersweet smile lighting across his face. It had been so many years since he had held his only love in his arms, watched as he gasped for air, the shallow breaths becoming fewer and further between. So many years that he could have moved on, let his face become a distant memory, something he only recalled late at night, in his dreams. But that never happened. He wouldn't let it. He could still recall every detail of him with surprising clarity, as if he had just seen him yesterday, as opposed to over fifty years ago. When he lay in his bed at night, all alone, he could still feel him, stretched out next to him, his silky voice rustling in his ear.

"Je t'aime, cher, pour toujours."

"My lover stands on golden sands
And watches the ships that go sailing..."

He sighed, and wrapped his blanket around him tighter. It was ironic how much the cold bothered him now. A person codenamed Iceman shouldn't have any problem with frigid temperatures. And he hadn't, at least not before. Like everything else, however, his powers had begun to wane as he got older. He could barely manage to plunk out a few ice cubes these days. He let out another sigh, and settled himself deeper in the sand. The sky was clouded over today, as it had been for the past week. The ocean was restless, as if it knew that summer was long gone, and with it all the people that came everyday to swim and carry on in its waters. One dark grey wave after another crashed onto the shoreline, the water racing forward to touch the man's toes, and then quickly flow away. A sharp breeze rose up and ruffled the man's thinning white hair. He pulled the blanket tighter.

"Somewhere, beyond the sea
He's there, watching for me..."

Janet McCoy stood on the patio, leaning against the railing. She watched her godfather as he was sitting on the sand, wrapped in the heavy down comforter she had bought him for his birthday. This was becoming something of a habit for him, going down to the beach every morning for the past several months and staring out into the ocean. At first she had been concerned; cold wet sand was not something a man nearing his eightieth birthday should be getting comfortable on, especially one so affected by the cold. She had voiced her concerns to her father, but he insisted that she let Robert do what he wanted. "There are so few precious things in this world that could bring such complete and total bliss to people of our advanced ages, my dear child," he had said.

"So I should just let him get his butt all cold and wet?" After all, she was in charge of taking care of him, watching over his declining health.

He grinned at her, his face covered in grey fur with just the hint of blue. "I could not have expressed it better myself."

"If I could fly like birds on high
Then straight to his arms I'd go sailing..."

Janet smiled sadly as she relived that moment with her father. Hank McCoy had passed away only a few weeks ago. Her godfather had been terribly shaken by his death. He had spent every day in his room, looking over photos, reading old letters and notes, silent tears flowing down his face. She had sat with him a few times, listening as he told her stories of friends long dead and gone, pointing out their pictures. The only one she never heard stories about was a young incredibly handsome man with red-on-black eyes. Whenever they would come to his picture, Robert would fall silent, his eyes filling up with tears. He would just sit there, looking off into the distance, a sweet sad smile on his face.

"It's far beyond the stars,
It's near beyond the moon..."

A seagull flew by, its harsh cry slicing through the air. Robert watched it for a second, his mind eventually returning to thoughts of his love. As hard as it was watching his old teammates slip away, one after another, none of their deaths compared to the anguish, the total devastation that he felt when Remy died. It was like someone had doused the fire of his soul with gasoline, the flames erupting around him, devouring him, consuming every rational thought. There had been nothing but white-hot anguish inside of him for days, months. It eventually burned out, leaving only the ashes and charred remains of what had been. On more than one occasion he had found himself holding a gun to his head, anxious to be reunited with Remy. The only thing that kept him from it was a promise he had made, as his lover lay dying in his arms.

"Cher, I want you t'know, Remy be waitn' for you, on de ot'er side."

"Shhhh ... I know, I know," Bobby crooned. Remy mustered up all his strength and grabbed a hold of his arm. "Ow, hey! That hurts," he had protested.

"Good, I wan' your 'tention." Remy had such an intense look in his eyes that Bobby sat still immediately. "Jus' because I'm der, dat don' mean I wan' you joining me anytime soon, comprennent?" Bobby opened his mouth, and then closed it. Remy shook his arm. "I mean it, Bobby. Don' be doin' an'ting crazy. You live your life, wit'out me, but also for me." Bobby nodded. "Non, say it. Swear on our love." Bobby tried to fight back the tears.

"I swear on our love, I'll live my life. For you."

"I know beyond a doubt
My heart will lead me there soon..."

He wiped the tears away from his eyes. "God, Remy, I miss you sometimes," he whispered to the wind. He laughed at himself. "Hell, what am I saying, all the time." He drew his legs in closer to his body and wrapped his arms around them. He shivered as another gust attacked him, the cold wind tearing through his body. He closed his eyes again and rested his head against his knees. He was so tired. Tired and worn out and old and weak...

"We'll meet beyond the shore
We'll kiss just as before..."

"Robert!" Janet had watched as her godfather lay his head against his knees, and then as his shoulders slumped forward and he fell to his side. She leaped over the railing and sprinted down to him. Cradling his head in her lap, she checked for his pulse. It was there, but only barely. "Robert, Robert, can you hear me?" He slowly opened his eyes. A hand reached up and caressed her cheek lovingly. She turned her face toward it and kissed the wrinkled palm. He smiled at her.

"Hey, sweetheart," he said, his voice a whisper. His gaze focused on something behind her and she turned. No one was there. Robert was still looking in that direction, his cloudy blue eyes crinkling at the corners. "Yeah, yeah, I know. Took me long enough. Hey, you're the one who made me make that damn promise." He chuckled, and then coughed. Janet's brow creased with worry.

"Robert, who are you talking to? We're the only ones here." He smiled a little more brightly at nothing. Slowly, his eyes began to lose their focus, and his smile started to fade. Janet felt him shift slightly, and with a final shudder, Robert Drake died. She wept silently and closed his eyes gently. Her fingers traced his smile. She couldn't remember ever seeing him look so at peace, so...happy. She kissed his forehead, gathered him in her arms, and walked back to the house.

"Happy we'll be beyond the sea
And never again I'll go sailing..."

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