Gambit's day started out great. He had breakfast at the same time with his kittens. They had a routine down. He'd get up and get ready for the day, then he would head to the kitchen and he would feed his kittens and make food for himself. The kittens would twine themselves around his legs while he walked. While that would almost trip some people up, to him it was like practicing for a job. He would easily step out of their little displays of attention. After breakfast he would play with them for a few minutes. Once he was done he would head out to take care of the things he had planned for the day.
He needed to see plans at the surveyors office to get a look at blueprints, then stop off at the building he planned on visiting late in the evening. Rogue had called to remind him that Tony had a few more things he wanted Remy to look into and that she would drop off the list at his place. He had hoped she would just email it. He wasn't sure what would be on the list. Pepper had also called on Tony's behalf. It amused Remy. It felt like the Avengers were going out of their way to keep him busy so that he wouldn't get into trouble with people like Cich or Tombstone.
Fence had texted Gambit with details on the new piece of tech he wanted. Though Fence used the word "needed," Remy would decide how much trouble it was worth. While he didn't mind helping his friend out with making some extra cash on tech, he tended to get into more trouble than it was worth lately.
When Remy got to his apartment door, he discovered a note taped to it from Cecilia. He opened the letter. She left him directions for where their mystery date would be on Friday. He smiled to himself. He loved mysteries and it appeared Cecilia was finally going to be a bit playful. He could work with that. It inspired him to think about the fun he could have on Friday night.
When Remy came home, normally all of the kittens would greet him, but this time as he entered his apartment only two of his three furballs were at the door waiting for him. He bent down to pet them and thought maybe the other kitten was sleeping somewhere. He went to his desk to drop off the material he needed for his heist. He sighed. It appeared the only person not bold enough to walk into his place when he wasn't home was Cecilia. He had hoped she would surprise him by being in his place, specifically his bedroom, waiting for him. That fantasy had not come true yet. He would have to up his game with her, that much was clear.
He went about organizing the material he had obtained. Some of the items he would study later. As he was placing his documents and tools down, he noticed some things were not exactly as he left them when he went out. To his dismay there had been people in his apartment. One of his pictures had been moved. A small technical device he needed was on his desk that was not there when he left in the morning. And there was a sticky dot that smelled like alcohol near his calendar. He wasn't sure if the dot was new or if it had appeared when Wolverine and his bampfs had visited the other night. He hadn't had a chance to clean everywhere and he had the maid take the week off. There was just too much stuff he needed left out for a few days. No need in having your help get hurt or accidently involved with activities that shouldn't involve them.
Knowing there had been invaders in his apartment, he did his customary search of his place to see if anything was missing. While looking his place over he had noticed that the third kitten still had not appeared. The three kittens were like peas in a pod, they were always together. He was a little surprised that there were only two of them.
Remy looked everywhere in his apartment for his missing kitten. He never let his kittens out, they were always greeting him when he came home. They didn't even try to sneak out the door. While they were curious, they were just happy to see him so they followed him around. He called for the kitten, made smooching noises and all sorts of cooing sounds to lure the kitten out, but the little one never showed up. He was certain when he filled the food dish all the kittens would appear. Still only two kittens, and now he was baffled.
He was looking in every small place, under things, on top of things. He was completely mystified by the kitten's disappearance. He was really working himself up but finally decided the kitten had to be in the apartment and he would wait until the little bugger showed up. The other two kittens noticed his distress and cuddled up to him to make him feel better. He hugged and petted them. He cooed at them and asked them if they knew where their sibling was. Even though they couldn't talk maybe they would show him where to look.
He entertained the idea that maybe one of his house guests had taken the kitten. It didn't make sense to him but he was now grasping at straws. The issue for him was no one besides himself had shown an interest in the kittens, it didn't make sense. Rogue didn't seem fond of them, Cecilia liked them but never offered anything more than attention to them. Fence seemed to have mixed feelings about them. While the bampfs had played with the kittens a few days prior he just didn't think they would come to his place. Nor did he think they were that interested in the kittens. The bampfs usually didn't go anywhere without Wolverine. None of this stopped him from making a few calls.
As he suspected, Rogue informed him she didn't see them when she stopped by. Fence also said he hadn't seen the kittens when he was there but also admitted he didn't really look for them either. There was no need to call Cecilia though he did like his excuse for calling but she hadn't walked into his apartment. He threw caution to the wind and called her anyway, he knew she wouldn't have the missing kitten but he thought it always good to the let the woman you are courting know that you're interested in her. As he suspected she didn't see, hear or know anything about his kitten but at least he got a few more details about Friday night.
Logan was sitting in his office sifting through paperwork. Kitty had filled out most of the forms, he just needed to look things over and sign documents. A few of the bampfs were hanging out in his office. He was enjoying whiskey with them while he read reports.
Logan got up from his desk. He needed to stretch and since the bampfs had drank all the whiskey, he started toward the liquor cabinet he had in his office. He was almost to the cabinet when he heard a mewl type sound. He looked around and shook his head. He had to be hearing things. It sounded like a kitten. He got a bit closer to the cabinet and he heard the mewl again. This time he knew it had to be a kitten. It made him think of Remy and his kittens. He started to look around and the cat sound became more regular. Oddly enough it took him to the liquor cabinet. He opened up the cabinet and inside was one of Gambit's kittens. He recognized the distinctive look of the kitten, and he could scent Remy on the kitten. It had to be Gambit's little one but why was it in his liquor cabinet?
Logan was surprised and said: "How'd you get here?" He picked the kitten up and started petting the little furball. He looked around for his bampfs who had mysteriously disappeared. He shook his head. He thought to himself; "little bastards."
"Wonder if he knows you're missing," he said to the kitten. He gave the kitten a little scritch on the head and took it with him as he walked toward his desk.
"Remy's probably worried about you," he told the kitten. It just mewled. With a sigh, Logan went to his cell phone on his desk to call Gambit.
Before he could place the call, one of the bampfs appeared just as Logan reached his desk. The bampf held his arms out for the kitten as if it belonged to him. The bampf expected Wolverine to give him the kitten. When that didn't happen, he just looked quizzically at Wolverine.
"Bampf?"
Logan gave the bampf a stern look and told the bampf; "You will take this kitten back and you will not take it again."
"Bampf?"
"You heard me, you don't take other people's things, and I don't want you taking Remy's pets from him." The bampf looked a little ashamed but immediately went to Logan and held out its hands. It wanted to hold the kitten. Logan wasn't going to allow it but he could see this bampf really liked the kitten.
While handing the bampf the kitten, he warned "No teleporting away with it, we're taking it right back to Gambit."
"Bampf!" He meant 'no,' he wanted to keep the kitten, Logan could tell by the way the bampf was being protective and holding the kitten. He wanted to keep it.
"You heard me and ya know you shouldn't have taken the kitten from its home." Wolverine wasn't pissed but now that he had figured out how to train the little gremlins, he was putting some effort into getting them to do what he wanted them to do instead of letting them run wild through the school. He was finally able to communicate with them well enough that he had hoped they would be better behaved.
"It's not yours and you'll take it back to Gambit." Logan was quite adamant in his tone with the bampf. The bampf shook its head in an attempt to say 'no' again. However, Wolverine's look meant that there would be no compromise.
"Bampf?" The bampf looked remorseful but it clearly didn't want to part with the kitten. He petted the kitten to demonstrate to Wolverine that it cared for the kitten. The kitten purred. Logan felt for the bampf, he could see how much it liked the kitten.
"We gotta take it back," Logan used a gentle voice with the bampf in hopes it would understand that he couldn't just teleport and grab stuff from others like they were used to doing at the school.
"Bampf," Logan could hear the sadness in the bampf's tone. He gave the bampf a hug in reassurance hoping that it would reinforce the idea of doing the right thing. He could tell from the bampf's acceptance, that it would be okay with giving up the furball.
"I'll talk to Remy and see if he'll let you visit, how about that?" He gave the bampf an encouraging look, and the bampf seemed to understand with a nodding of his head. The bampf had the kitten cradled in his arms and was stroking the kitten. The kitten was completely unaware of the problem and was purring in contentment.
Satisfied that the bampf would be able to give the kitten back to its owner, he picked up his phone and called Gambit.
Remy was confident the kitten would show up, but he still searched the apartment a few more times. To take his mind off the missing little buddy, he looked up schematics and a few other things for a job he was thinking of doing. He called Fence for some intel on the odd technology he would be looking for. He also asked him if he took a kitten from his place. Fence was incredulous, he informed Remy how much trouble those little shits were and there was no way he'd take one home. He also reminded him that this was the second time they had discussed the missing cat.
Remy's cell phone rang, the caller ID told him it was Logan and he thought sourly: "Great, I'm missing a cat and Logan probably needs something and all I want to do is find my kitten." With a heavy sigh he answered the phone.
"Hey, Logan," Remy put on his best poker face and was nonchalant.
"Cajun," Logan could tell Remy was not himself, but let it go like always did when the Cajun was moody. He also knew why Remy was sounding that way. He was torn between teasing him or just tell him straight up that he had his missing furkid. Remy helped him make the choice.
"Look Logan, unless it's important, now is not a great time," Remy was trying not to sound stressed but he couldn't help it.
Feeling sympathetic and pleased that Gambit wasn't playing his usual facade, he said: "Hey Remy, I got your kitten. One of the bampfs brought it to the school. We'll bring it back in a few minutes."
The change in Remy was like night and day. Logan could tell just from the breathing on the phone how relieved Gambit was at hearing that his kitten was okay. "Thanks mon ami, I've been searching for little Oliver for awhile now."
"No problem, we'll be teleporting to your place directly, so don't give me crap about the smell." Logan laughed at that, despite his heightened senses he just got used to the smell and didn't think twice about it anymore.
"Whatever Logan, just bring my little one home." Remy was slightly annoyed but his relief at knowing where the kitten was overrode his irritation with Wolverine.
"Be there in a few," Logan hung up. He looked at the bampf who was petting, cuddling and coddling the little kitten.
"You can't keep it, it has to go home where it belongs," Logan gave the bampf a sympathetic look, he could tell the bampf liked this kitten.
"Bampf," the bampf seemed to understand, and seemed a little disappointed. He never stopped paying attention to the kitten.
In an attempt to make the bampf feel better Logan said: "Hey, we'll go to the liquor store before Gambit's place. We'll pick up some whiskey and hang out for a bit, but you gotta let the kitten stay there when we're ready to go home." Logan stared at the bampf with sincerity hoping he would understand.
"Bampf," was all he said and Logan knew from the tone the bampf would leave the kitten with its rightful owner.
"Okay, let's get a couple more bampfs and some leashes and we'll go." Logan walked to his credenza and opened a drawer that should have important stuff like school things but for him it was the best place to have his bampf leashes.
Logan put leashes on a few of the bampfs, they were ready to go. He told them they would get some whiskey before going to Gambit's place. While the bampf holding the kitten was grudgingly doing what was said, Logan knew he'd make it up to this one. They bampfed to the liquor store, Wolverine picked up a bottle or two for the bampfs. The store owner tried to tell Wolverine to leave his mutts outside but conceded to Logan, since they were on leashes.
The bampf with the kitten could tell by the smell what the good stuff was and he looked for it. Once the good stuff was found, he grabbed the bottle and took it to Wolverine. Logan looked at the bampf with an "are you kidding me" look but went along with it. They checked out with the booze and then bampfed to Gambit's apartment door.
Wolverine knocked on the door. Remy didn't take long to answer. He opened the door and gestured for Logan and the bampfs along with his kitten to enter his apartment. Remy bent down to pet his kitten on the head and bampf suddenly became possessive and pulled the kitten closer to himself.
"Hey, what'd I tell ya, you will leave the kitten here." Logan pulled at the bampf and made him face Gambit. "He's sorry and he won't take your kittens again."
The bampf looked around shyly but still held the kitten. He then grabbed at the brown bag that Logan had carried with him. Logan gave the bampf the bag. The bampf pulled out the expensive whiskey and offered it to Gambit. Remy went to take the bottle from the bampf and it gestured as if it was trying to get Gambit to take the whiskey and leave the puff of fur with the bampf. Logan cleared his throat to signal to the bampf that the whiskey was an apology for the taking the little kitten and not a negotiation for keeping it. The bampf put his head down, gave Remy both the whiskey and the kitten. Remy could tell, the bampf was unhappy about the situation.
Remy bent down to the bampf's height, "Hey there, you can visit them anytime and play with them. They just need to stay here. Thanks for the whiskey too. You're a good little imp."
The bampf smiled at Remy. Then he tugged on his leash, and looked at Wolverine. Logan rolled his eyes, "We're gonna hang out for a bit, besides you should share that whiskey with someone who appreciates it."
"Ya, alrigh'," Remy went to get some glasses and put his kitten with the other two. The bampfs immediately looked for toys. Then they took the kittens for some play time. Logan and Remy sat on the couch, flipped on the TV and relaxed.
"Thanks for bringing my kitten back", Remy yawned. It had been a long day and the stress over the missing kitten was taking its toll on him.
"No problem, and don't fall asleep on me again," Logan smiled. "I'm starting to think you're a lousy host".
"Whateva' Logan, just watch the TV," Remy refilled their glasses as they sat in comfortable silence.
Author notes:
Cich and Tombstone villains in the Gambit solo series written by James Asmus. The kitten named Oliver is in Gambit #15. The other two are nameless, I'll make that up if I continue with this series. Wolverine and bampfs training on leashes WATXM #32. Gambit is given kittens by Mystique who saved them from Sabertooth AXM #62. Gambit and Cecilia have been dating AXM #48.