Not Playing by Your Rules

To Whom it May Concern:

If I may offer a bit of advice.

There is no one in this world who can convince you to trust if you are unwilling to do so.

There is no such thing as certainty for those who have felt the sting of betrayal, as even a telepath can be fooled if the player being examined is a seasoned one.

Your faith is your own to place wherever you find it suitable, Gambit.

And don’t tell me you cannot, because you chose to share your insecurities with me of all people. I can only assume it is because you don’t wish to burden those you care about with the knowledge of your shaken beliefs.

However, these people you call friends…they have found you when you have strayed. They forgive you your weaknesses.

I, myself, have no God. I have no country and no government to base my reliance on. I believe solely in what I can see, LeBeau. And what I see are people who would give their lives for you in a moment’s notice, without regret, and without a doubt in their mind that you would do the same for them given the circumstance.

And that isn’t even the reason why they would.

They would do it because they would rather die than lose you to something so petty as a father convinced his son is better off dead.

If there is one thing your faith deserves, it is the people who decided, through all of the pain and sorrow, that it was worth every ounce of effort to be your family.

You know that as well as I do. In all likelihood, you probably know that better than anyone.

Trust your X-Men, Gambit.

If a bitter old man can do it, so can you.