April 7, 2010

This morning on my way home from class, Focus on the Family was playing a speech by David Faber, a Holocaust survivor.

That got me thinking about Kitty's grandpa, and about Logan and WW II—specifically "Operation: Rebirth" and the camp he and Captain American liberated.

"Grim Reminder" is before "O:R." Kitty and Logan's relationship has grown since GR and…yeah. They understand each other better.

Apparently, Sunday the 11th is Holocaust Remembrance Day or something of the sort. Sweet.

And I love Magneto's line in "O:R" about "a small boy in Poland who owes you that much."

Btw, I know very little about Kitty's grandpa. I'm going on the assumption that he was older when he was in whichever Camp he was in (for my intents and purposes, Auschwitz), and that he lived until Kitty was maybe in her late teens.

I also love IronRaven's version of Samuel, AKA Opa, in "Home to Meet the Family." I'm going off of those ideas.

Maybe just a tad bit AU.

The breeze ruffled her hair, a gentle reminder of a man who'd done the same thing many times when she was a girl.

Kitty stood resolutely in front of the stone, trying to hold back the tears. When they finally spilled over, she dropped to her knees, shoulders shaking with sobs.

"I love you, Opa," she whispered, her throat barely allowing the words out.

Kitty could only stare at the gravestone, taking in her grandfather's birth and death dates, and the etchings underneath: Beloved Father, Grandfather, and Friend.

"Survivor," Kitty added softly, placing the hand-made Star of David next to the stone, which was already covered in flowers.

She had spent hours carving the wood, begging Logan to teach her.

Five of the six points bore a word that represented or described her Opa, the three on his grave stone included.

The sixth point—or rather, the top one—bore the number that had been tattooed on his arm, the one that Kitty had traced with her finger so many times as a child. Always, she begged Opa to tell her the story, and always, he would explain that he had been kept prisoner and had been hurt during the war. Her parents insisted she was too young to hear the whole story, and he respected their wishes, waiting until her bat mitzvah to go into more detail.

That night, she had cried herself to sleep and been awakened by the nightmare that would plague her for the next several months: her grandfather's nightmare.

Eventually, the nightmare faded, but then the headaches started, headaches that she now understood as the emerging of her Mutant powers.

The headaches had confused her at the time, and so had her abilities. Her parents and Opa were the only ones who knew what was happening, though the adults really had no idea what it meant.

Opa had been the most helpful and understanding after discovering Kitty's abilities. He had been the one she trusted most, and she had spent many a night crying into his shoulder, desperate for comfort.

Now, he was gone. She no longer had his shoulder to lean on, his eyes to sparkle at her when he was teasing, or his gentle touch to wipe away her tears.

The thought terrified her, and the tears kept coming.

Slowly, gently, strong arms wrapped around her shoulders, repositioning her so that she was crying into someone's shirt.

She didn't bother to look up, just kept crying until the tears were gone, and even then she clung to the figure, hanging on for all she was worth.

The grunted chuckle came as a surprise, breaking the silence suddenly.

"You really wanna crush me, Half-pint?"

Kitty relaxed her grip, her face still buried in Logan's chest.

"Sorry," she mumbled, sighing and pulling back.

"'S'okay," Logan reassured, his gaze softening as he smiled down at her.

"I just miss him so much," Kitty whispered, a stray tear trickling down her cheek.

Logan brushed it away, letting his hand rest on her cheek for a moment before he replied quietly, "I know you do, kid."

"Do you ever think about it?" Kitty asked, staring up at him curiously.

"What? Death?" Logan frowned.

Kitty shook her head. "The war. World War II. Opa was in a concentration camp. He used to tell me about it. I just wondered if you ever thought about it. You know, since you were there, kinda?"

"Oh," Logan sighed, blinking at Kitty before answering, "Yeah, I do. Sometimes."

Kitty bit her lip, debating. Logan frowned and asked, "Something bothering you?"

"It's just…" Kitty looked over at the gravestone, then back at him. "Well, Kurt said that he heard Magneto say that a little boy in Poland owed you, or something. I was wondering…"

"If I helped your grandfather's camp," Logan finished.

Kitty only nodded, looking at him expectantly.

"The Polish boy who owed me something was Erik Lehnsherr, who grew up to become Magneto," Logan stated simply, and Kitty's eyes grew wide as he continued, "and I doubt we were in the camp your grandfather was in."

"Oh. Well, I just wondered," Kitty sighed, her gaze traveling to their feet.

"Half-pint," Logan stated gently, tilting her face so that she was looking at him. "If I was in the camp your grandfather was in, I'm glad. If I rescued him that night, that means I helped bring you into the world, right? Indirectly, at least?"

Kitty stared at him, processing the thought. A smile lit her face as she realized he was right, and she hugged him again, this time taking care not to crush him.

Logan smiled fondly, returning the hug and pressing a kiss to the top of Kitty's head.

"Your Opa would be proud of the person you've become," he whispered, fighting back his own wave of tears as the statement continued in his head.

…and so am I.

Notes: Eh. Funky ending. I'm not super-stoked about it, but it works.

Influences, Borrowed Ideas, and Other Random Crap:

I mentioned them at the beginning, but Focus on the Family, IronRaven's "Home to Meet the Family" and episodes "Grim Reminder" and "Operation: Rebirth."

I used Google for the tattoo and bat mitzvah stuff. Figured I should incorporate them somehow.

Crushing Logan is probably impossible for just about anyone, let alone Kitty, to accomplish, but...I wanted light humor. And that also references "Grim Reminder" if you squint and titl your head.

I can see Logan carving. Don't ask why, he just seems like the kind of guy who would know how to carve. And it adds to their relationship, sort of.

Opa being the one she cried to was random; I don't know how often she got to see him as a kid. Maybe he lived nearby and she saw him a lot?

I hope I wasn't too off-base or offensive with this!

Words: 819

Time: A couple of hours. (Edited April 9, 2010)

Other: Um, yeah, let's just say it's the anniversary of Opa's death and Kitty's visiting his grave. Logan tags along just 'cause. I like Logan/Kitty fluffery friendship stuff. And because I wanted to incorporate the WWII stuff.