Hey guys! I know it's been a while. I'm sorry. I haven't been able to think of much things to write. Anyway I want to say this isn't my story it's my friend's. She made this a while back. Her writing has gotten a lot better but still I love this story. Sadly I still don't own Marvel... maybe one day...Anyway please review .P.S. This was copied and pasted from my email so the format has gotten a little messed up. Sorry!
Anna stared at the stars, seated atop the roof of the cabin, the cabin he built for us, like they did back in the old days. The locket was clutched tightly in my hand, so tightly that the edges cut into my palm.
"you promised, Logan. You promised to come back," Anna sighed, plucking a leaf from my shoe and flicked it into the yard, "just kick his ass for me and the kids okay? And come back home and guzzle the booze again," I felt a shimmering tear make its way down my cheek and swept it away swiftly.
"mama?" Anna turned." Jamie..."
"he isn't coming home... Is he?"
"he promised he would, Jamie. You just need to trust that,"
Jamie plopped down next to me and sighed." It's been five months, ma. He ain't comin' back,"
She shot him a dark glare." he will," She said stubbornly.
" why don't you go looking for him?! He could be out there-hurt or-or worse!"
"your father heals, Jamie. He'll come back on his own time," Anna sighed when She heard Dean start crying, "now, I need to take care of your baby brother," She made my way to the hillside end of the cabin and leapt off, landing lightly on the crest of the hill. Jamie stayed put.
"he ain't. Comin'. Back," Anna heard him growl. She chose to ignore it, she would soon regret that choice.
Logan was jarred from his rest by the screech of the subway brakes against the rails." last stop, mister,"
"thanks,"
"you don't look so hot,"
"not a great last couple of months," he exited before the other man flocks say anything more and ducked into the motel. His hand dipped into his pocket for the change and he dumped it into a pay phone. After he dialed the number for the cabin, he slumped against the wall next to the stall.
" Logan?"
"hi babe," he breathed.
" how are you? The kids and I miss you..."
"I'm... I've been better, sweetheart. Lost Vic a couple days back, but I'm sure he's sticking around in the woods. Or maybe central park,"
"I miss you," she whispered.
" I miss you too, babe..." he pulled his wallet from his pocket and pulled out a picture of her, in his cowboy hat and one of his shirts with the front doubled into the neck, a short denim skirt and a cigar poking out of her mouth. He was in the background, laughing, with Jamie on his knee. His heart cinched a little, "how are the kids?"
"silver's great. Got honor roll again. Dean's got a bit of a bellyache today."
Logan winced. He hadn't been there when his youngest son was born three months ago." and Jamie?"
"he's saying things again... He's upset you left,"
"I can tell," Logan sighed, "I hate being away from you,"
"I hate you being away," Anna's voice broke. Logan felt his throat tighten painfully.
" I love you. I love you so much,"
"I love you too. So much,"
"I have to go. I'm almost out of time..."
"okay... I love you. Come home safe,"
"I will, I swear," he placed the phone on the hook and slid against the brick wall, emotions between anger and sadness and pain. He wanted to go back to her, but he had to protect his family. He had to protect the only woman who had loved him through all the things he'd put her through, even after the hell they'd been through. After his eyes had de-misted, he stood and hunted down a hotel.
When I heard the sound of a motorcycle that night at midnight, I became foolishly hopeful. I don't remember my bare feet hitting the hardwood, but I remember standing out on the porch, watching the road out front of the cabin, searching for him. Two cars went by in the span of the two hours I stood, hoping he'd come home. I was disappointed. I shuffled back to bed, dejected, and slept until I heard Silver's frantic voice.
" mom. Mom. Jamie's gone,"
Jamie clutched his head, looking about the deserted Alberta road. Blood seeped from between his fingers as the flesh knitted back together over steel bone.
" Jesus shit," he growled, pushing himself to a stand and plucking up the undamaged motorcycle and pushing it out of the ditch. He was a mite dizzy from hitting his head against the asphalt as he skidded off the Harley. His dad's jacket was scratched, but otherwise fine. After all, he HAD taken most of the fall with his hard head. His dad would have laughed. 'good thing you landed on your head, you could' got hurt!' he would say. Jamie's eyes blurred with tears.
"I'm gonna find you, dad," he whispered, "I promise," Jamie mounted the bike again and revved the engine. It roared to life like a ferocious cougar, and he started off down the road.
"mm'hello?"
"Logan!"
"Anna? How'd you get this number?"
"that's not important. It's Jamie," her distraught tone made Logan's mind race through possible scenarios. What had the boy done? An image of his son, wrists bloody, surrounded by pink water, wounds too numerous and deep to heal in time-... Or hanging from a length of para cord from the rafters, weighed down by his heavy skeleton-... Or a bullet wound in his temple, the hollow point breaking through the steel of his skull and exploding in his brain-... Bile creeped up this throat at the images.
" he's gone. He ran away. Logan... Logan I don't know what to do...! He left his phone, took his wallet and the bike, but he left the helmet... Took your jacket too,"
"he doesn't know how to drive the bike..."
"he knows enough apparently!" Anna sobbed. He could hear Silver murmuring to Dean in the background, "he left... I think he's looking for you..."
"and looking for Sabretooth," Logan said, looking down at his cell phone, the one that he hadn't given Anna the number to but she had discovered anyway, at the short message there: I'll end this so you can come home-J.
"what?!"
"he sent me a message before he left. I didn't even hear-..."
"oh god. Oh god... No. He doesn't stand a chance,"
"honey, do you need me to come home?"
"no. No, don't, stay where you are. If he finds you, you can take him back," Anna's voice was thick with tears, "I hope... Oh I hope he's okay..."
"alright... Let's concentrate..."
"I'm his mother... I should have known..."
"Anna, calm down," Logan said cautiously.
"I'm trying."
"I know," Logan ran a hand through his thick black hair, "okay... Let's focus. He's just like me, so he can follow a scent..." he snorted, "hey, out of curiosity, has he picked a mutant name yet?" anything to distract her for even a few moments.
"um, yea," he heard her cover the phone, "what was Jamie's mutie name again?" there was some murmuring, "oh right! Cougar!"
Logan smiled." sticking with the animal theme, I see," he let out a light chuckle, "what's Sil's again?"
"Viper," Logan heard her dissolve into tears again, "what do we do about Jamie?"
she whispered." one of us needs to go look for her... I hate to do this, but Anna, you-"
"leave Silver and Dean with Jean-Paul and Daken, and go look for him," she finished." it's the only way if you won't let me come home," Logan said." I have no choice,"
Jamie pushed the door of the gas station open, glancing around. His stomach snarled at him, begging to be satisfied. The mutant pulled out his wallet and went up to the counter.
" number three," he said, paying for his tank of gas. He then grabbed a hotdog and a bag of chips and paid for them as well.
" boy, you alright?"
"I'm fine," he said, popping a chip into his mouth.
" you look like year up ta no good, boy,"
"I'm just looking for something," he said as he ate.
The clerk shook his head." just be careful, boy. Most who go out looking' fer blood normally find it. And not in the right spot,"
"thanks, I'll keep that in mind," Jamie tossed his trash into the can and climbed back on his bike. He pulled out of the lot and took off down the road. It was an hour before he saw anyone, and when he did his hopes got the best of him. The motorcycle was low to the ground, and long pale hair fluttered out from the edge of the helmet.
"sabretooth," snarled Jamie. He rammed the motorcycle into the follower, and sent him sprawling across the asphalt.
"YOU!" he screamed, pouncing atop his adversary. The man did nothing except try to fend him off, but the claws on his fingers were a dead giveaway.
"you! You! You're the reason he left! YOU!" he ripped the helmet from victor's head-Only to discover it wasn't victor at all. He looked similar, but it wasn't him.
" who... The hell are you?"
"get offa me!"
"tell me your name!"
"it's John! Johnnie Creed!"
"Johnnie?"
"yes!"
Jamie crawled off him, and watched the boy-man stand.
" who are you?" Johnnie returned.
" Jamie Howlett,"
"well damn," Johnnie said, running a hand through his piecey blond hair.
" our parents hate each other," Jamie said, standing as well. His head spun from adrenaline.
" you looking too? For your dad?"
"yea. I am," Jamie rocked back on his heels.
" then come with me. Our daddies may hate each other, but that don't mean we gotta hate each other,"
"'scuse me sir, you ain't seen a boy, dark hair, blue eyes round here?"
"yea, I did. Why?"
"he's my son. He say anything?"
"no, ma'am, 'sides he was lookin' get his pa,"
I nodded." thank you,"
"he headed out east,"
"thanks," I turned and left the gas station, getting into my car and driving off. I was hardly out of the lot before a blast shook the bug. I swearved to the side and leapt out before the car rolled into the ditch and crashed.
"well," I spun and was met face to face with a pair of too-black eyes." lady sabretooth..."
"please, sister, call me Sabrina..." the blonde responded.
I rolled my eyes." what do you want?"
"my SON,"
"ain't got him,"
"that's a crock of shit, sister," Sabrina said, "your son has him,"
"shut up about Jamie,"
"I sense something between them..."
"hate?"
"no. Something more. I sense it between most of your pathetic team of do-gooders. Especially that adopted son of yours... Who is he? Daken? And that faggot skier-"
"SHUT UP ABOUT JEAN-PAUL!" I screamed suddenly. Sabrina jumped, "and shut up about my Daken," She was more scared by the deathly cold, dark calm than by the screaming. Daken was my baby, despite not being my child and not even being a young one. He was so lost, so hopeless. He hated Logan when he'd never even met him, all because of lies. I felt his pain when the world briefly shattered around him, when Logan and I, and silver and Jamie, all took him in and he learned his whole world was a lie. He was better now, but he was still ever-so-lost, and hurt. That was what made me love him like one of my own.
" leave," I snarled.
" Anna..."
"NOW," Sabrina turned and sauntered away. I was at war with myself now. Thinking about Daken brought new pain to the surface. Because I remembered that Logan still loved Its, just the slightest bit more than he loved me. Than he would ever love me. But I needed to focus. I needed to bring Jamie home. But it still hurt to recall. All I wanted was to forget.
"we need more money," Johnnie said, examining the meager $17.25 they had combined.
" that's barely enough to eat," Jamie said worriedly.
"I don't eat much," Johnnie replied, "runt," he added with a smirk.
"har-de-har-har," Jamie snorted, although he was smiling. He liked Johnnie, he truly did. He was great, kind and funny and smarter than his Sabretooth-ish physique suggested. He had intelligent blue-green eyes and elfish ears, a slightly upturned button nose and perfect pouty lips. He kept his ratty blonde hair in a braid unless he wore his helmet, and always seemed to be smudged and streaked in dirt.
" I'm gonna go see if I can find some fire wood," Jamie said.
Johnnie nodded." I'll see if I can find something to eat," he replied.
Jamie plucked the hatchet from his storage case on the bike and ventured out from the clearing.
" she sit him down in a stiff chairRuns his back and strokes his hair Telling him it's okay to cry But he just sits and stares..." Jamie hacked a branch in two and dragged it onto the tarp, then turned to hack another branch. Nestled into the crook of the branch and the trunk was a black square. Curious, the Howlett boy plucked it up and examined it. He discovered it to be a wallet, with five hundred dollars in it, and a note reading: Jamie, Take this.S. he blinked.
" Johnnie?"
"yea?"
"we got money now,"
The motel wasn't much, but a nice hot shower was worth it. Johnnie sat on the edge of the bed, running a comb through his tangled hair while Jamie shaved in front of the mirror. "god. I feel like I haven't had a warm shower in years," Jamie said.
" I haven't," Johnnie muttered, yelping a he tugged a knot in his hair a little hard, "admit,"
"after our clothes are all clean, we need to go eat a real hot meal," Jamie said, patting his face dry.
" I concur," Johnnie laughed. He gave up on his hair and twisted it into it's familiar braid.
Jamie glanced back at him and smiled." you see that look the concierge have us downstairs?"
"that 'you nasty little fags' look?"
"that's the one! Yea!"
"idiot," Johnnie laughed, "I like ya, kid, but not like that,"
"yea, really," Jamie snatched up the comb and detangled his hair with it.
" I think our stuff's done," Johnnie said. He went out to the laundry room down the hall. Jamie took that time to look at himself in the mirror. Damn, did he look like his Pa. Johnnie threw the clothes in the chair and tugged on a clean pair of jeans and a Papa Roach shirt." a gonna come change?"
"yea! Just a sec!" Jamie brushed his hair from his face and meandered into the room, grabbing his own jeans and ratty Violet Eyes hoodie, not bothering to put a shirt on underneath. Johnnie looked down at his hands and pulled his lip between his teeth.
"what's wrong?"
"my nails," he said sullenly, indicating the talon-like extensions on the tips of his fingers.
"they aren't that bad, John-boy," Jamie said, placing a hand on Johnnie's shoulder.
" no, they're worse. I look like a monster... Like my dad," he sighed, clawing back a strand of blonde behind his ear.
" let's go get something to eat, okay, Johnnie? You get sullen when your blood sugar is low,"
"okay," said johnnie. He and Jamie threw on their jackets and left for dinner.
Dinner ended up being a blast. They ended up wandering into a club after eating and, upon not being carded, ended up well beyond tipsy and having the time of their lives. Jamie was practically poured over Johnnie's lap, stuttering over his words and laughing, while Johnnie tossed back another Screwdriver.
" Jesus why am I still drinking this?"
"pfft, like iiii know," Jamie slurred.
" me either... Neither... Whatever," johnnie blinked his bleary blue eyes,
"hey, Jamie?"
"yea?"
"let's dance or something,"
"mmm'kay," johnnie took his wrist and pulled him onto the floor, all the while Jamie stumbled over his own feet.
"SH-SH-shlow down, Johnnie,"
"sorry," johnnie stopped abruptly and Jamie stumbled into his chest.
" whoa,"
"hi," johnnie grinned and ran a hand through Jamie's hair. In the most cheesy way possible, the air thickened until it was unbreathable.
"I..."
"sorry..."
But neither moved apart. Jamie propped himself up on the balls of his feet, eyes sliding closed, and kissed Johnnie. His heart began to pound in his ears with the sudden rush that kissing had provided. Johnnie pulled Jamie tighter against his chest, one hand cupping the back of his head, the other clutching his waist. Sharp canines dragged against Jamie's lower lip and he let his lips part, allowing Johnnie to feel his own sharp eye teeth with his tongue.*need to breathe... Pull back...* Jamie's brain supplied him. He broke away from the blonde.
" wow,"
"I'm sorry!" Jamie squeaked, throwing his hands over his mouth.
" no, it's fine, I-"
"hello, Johnnie," the blonde froze and turned.
"d-dad... H-hi..."
Something made the hair on Logan's neck stand on end and his heart race. He felt icy hot adrenaline drip into his veins." Anna,"
"I feel it too," came the voice on the other end of the phone line.
" he's here. In New York. And so is Victor," he hung up and spun around, taking off down the sidewalk toward Seven Aces.
"how cute. You're just like your pa, Jamie,"
"dad, let him go!"
"why should I?"
"please, dad, he hasn't done anything..."
"VICTOR!" sabretooth grinned." look who's here. Hi little brother,"
Johnnie's brow furrowed as Wolverine entered." brother? You mean Jamie's my...?"
"cousin? Yes,"
Johnnie's heart sank to his feet." no..." he whispered.
" let my boy go, victor," Logan snarled. He unsheathed his long claws, but johnnie was already upon Sabretooth, eyes blackened with rage and pain, claws long and sharp. The growl the emanated from his chest was beyond animalistic, almost demonic.
Victor simply batted the boy aside." you're weak," spat the elder blonde, "like my idiot brother," he dragged Jamie up by his hair and latched his claws onto his neck.
Jamie cried out in pain." papa!"
"LET HIM GO!" Logan stepped forward and Jamie wailed again.
" one step closer and the boy gets it," Logan smelled the bead of blood before he saw it.
" please papa... Help me,"
"Jamie... Jamie listen to me. Do whatever he says, I'll come for you. I promise,"
"papa, please!"
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry... I'm so sorry,"
Jamie sobbed and nodded." papa, I need to tell you something,"
Jamie took a shuddering breath, his face paling, "papa... I... I'm... I'm gay,"
Logan smiled weakly." and I love you the same as I always did," he managed
Johnnie came around with a groan and rolled over." you're awake... Good," Logan helped the blonde stand, but he crumpled to the ground again with a howl of pain.
"bastard broke my leg," johnnie moaned.
" will it heal?" asked someone against the wall.
" it should. Right?" Logan asked.
"yea," johnnie grabbed the broken portion of his leg and snapped it into place without so much as a wince.
" where's he taking my boy?" Logan asked.
" what?" johnnie asked.
" my son. Where's Victor taking him?" Logan was in his face, eyes narrowed and teeth bared.
" how am I supposed to know?" johnnie asked, pausing to cough a small amount of blood. The figure against the wall came over to reveal a lovely female form with flowing red hair.
" poor thing..." the woman said, brushing pale strands from Johnnie's face, "what hurts, sugar?"
Johnnie shook his head, embarrassed." nothing," he lied." come now, don't lie," he saw kindness in her green eyes and she placed a gentle kiss on his forehead,
"ignore my husband. He just wants to cause trouble since our Jamie got taken,"
"you're Jamie's mom?"
"Annalise Mae Wilson-Howlett, at your service," she gently prodded Johnnie's side, yanking back when he yelped."bastard broke a rib, too,"
"I'll heal,"
"I know," she helped him stand again.
" well?""Logan, calm down.
"He doesn't know where Vic took Jamie," Anna said. Logan's eyes lightened a bit.
" we need to find him. I promised him-"
"I know, dear, I know," she placed a hand on his shoulder, "just relax. Think things through,"
"I know, I know,"
"what are we going to do?" johnnie asked.
" we're gonna go find him," Anna said,
"I know you love him. I see it in those pretty blue eyes of yours,"
"he's my cousin... I can't-"
Anna laughed, full on guffawing, hands on her knees." sugar, you ain't Vic's son. And Sabrina ain't my sister. She calls me sister to mock me, how similar we are..."
"so we can... We can be together?"
"of course, honey," Anna suddenly looked teary, "oh, my baby boy's found someone... Someone who actually wants him for who he is..." she bit her lip, tears of happiness and pride streaking her face.
" let's go find him," johnnie said bravely.
Anna smiled ever wider." let's go! Come on Logan!"
"let me go," Jamie snarled.
" sorry. Can't," victor snarled back.
"why. Not?"
"you're the bait, little one. I want your whole family to suffer, and that half-breed 'son' of mine as well,"
"well?"
"I can't be sure, but I... I think he's out north, up in the Yukon. I'm getting some odd shapes of metal, but..."
"it's alright, Erik, love, just relax," Charles placed a hand on Erik's arm.
" I'm sorry I'm not much help," Erik whispered defeated.
"it's fine, Erik. You did great. That helps us more than you know,"
"are you sure?"
"I'm positive," Anna gave her friends each a quick hug and a peck on the cheek before walking back down to the foyer.
"well?"
"how do you feel about Alaska?"
"Alaska?"
"Vic took him to the Yukon,"
"damn him," Logan growled.
"relax. We can get up there, but it's going to take some time. And we need to go on foot, which may take months,"
"he could kill him!" Johnnie cried.
"but we have to exhaust every possible location," Anna said.
Logan gnawed on his cigar. "we'd better get started then,"
Jamie searched every corner of his small room every day, looking for an escape. The walls were made of some sort of material that made him feel like his skeleton was being compacted in on itself and prevented him from using his claws, some sort of magnetic stone he guessed. After a week he began spending his time building his endurance. The only door in the room lead out into a seemingly endless hallway, that no matter how far he ran, every few yards was a door that led to the exact same room, or at least a room exactly like his. They always knew where he was. Every day when he awoke, he would run down the hall until he was out of breath and his lungs seared from lack of oxygen. He then found the nearest room and ate breakfast. After, he did sets of push-ups. Hundreds on end, all the while thinking about his family and how he would find them. After a few weeks his arms were strong. He then held his breath in the water tub by the bed. He had lasted four minutes and a half, and was steadily improving. After a month, he found that his hair had reached his shoulders, his eyes had hardened and sunk into his face, darkness surrounding them. After two months his hair was to the middle of his back. He looked much more like his father than he had the night he was taken, with strong arms and shoulders, a hard jaw, and those hard blue eyes. After three months, he could hold his breath for seven minutes, run for hours on end (he found the end to the hall) and do seven hundred pushups nonstop. His hair was to his waist and he tied it back with a strip of his tattered shirt. He had been staring at his reflection when the door for the food tray slid open. He swung around, throwing the water bin under the seamless opening. It whirred and clicked as it tried to close itself again.
"finally," he jumped at the sound of his own voice. He had heard no voice in so long...
"do you think he's close?" Johnnie asked.
"no tellin'," Logan growled.
"James,"
"what?"
"don't be so gruff with him," Logan huffed. "don't call me James," he muttered.
"you're so irritable today," Anna said.
"of course I am. Anna we don't even know if our son is still alive, let alone if we're any closer to finding him than we were three months ago,"
"don't say that," Johnnie piped up.
Logan rounded on him. "what did you just say to me?"
"don't. Say. That. Jamie isn't dead. And he's close,"
"oh, so you have some sort of connection to him? Huh?"
"I can smell him. His frustration. They've changed him somehow,"
"shut up," Logan said darkly.
"he isn't the same. He's different. Stronger. He's-"
"shut up!"
"will you accept him for the way he's changed? Will you?"
Logan roared and the next thing Anna saw was a flash of metal and red snow. "LOGAN!" she pulled him away from Johnnie, who was crumpled and bleeding on the ground, "WHY?!" she knelt beside Johnnie, who clutched his torn stomach. Anna smoothed his hair from his face. "Logan, go,"
"... Anna... I..."
"go. Now. I want you to just go. Just for a few minutes. Go,"
Logan felt a strangling sensation in his throat. "alright," he managed, "I'll go," and he turned around. And he walked away. And he wasn't so sure he would come back. Snow blasted his face and blinded him. He felt like he'd been wandering for ages. The cold snapped at his hands but caused no damage that wasn't healed almost instantly. A sudden burst of a familiar scent bit his nose.
Logan winced and covered his face. "ugh! What is that?... What is that... Is- Jamie?" he lifted his head and sniffed, "Jamie. Anna! Anna it's Jamie! I found-!" here he turned, "Anna?" then he remembered. He'd walked away and left her to tend to the Creed boy, the one he'd attacked. Why was his brain so sluggish?
Anna stumbled in the snow. "Logan?!"
"I can't smell him, Anna!" she tripped again, losing sight in the blizzard.
"what's that?" she asked, pointing at a black mass in the distance.
"I have no clue..."
"let's go,"
Bitter, bitter, bitter cold bit his fingers. He tried lifting his head, but whatever had been in that dart made it too heavy. "move him,"
"yes... Captain,"
"victor?" he asked, slurring it so it sounded more like: "viiikker?"
"hi little brother," victor kicked Logan in the face, then brought his fist into his side.
Logan spluttered, "what a touching reunion,"
"papa?"
Logan forced his eyes open. "j... Jamie..."
"papa... Where's momma and Johnnie?"
"I don't know, kiddo. They got left behind,"
"left...?"
Logan gently touched his son's face, realizing for the first time how different he was. His once soft, brilliant blue eyes were hard and piercing, like cut sapphire. The next Logan knew, he was pulling his son into a crushing hug."we were so worried about you... I was so worried..."
"I'm fine now papa. I'm fine,"
"no. No you aren't. You aren't HOME. You aren't with your mother. She was so worried about you, and then... Oh god, your mother... Your mom... She hates me. She hates me...!" Logan felt hot tears stream his cheeks.
"what happened papa?"
"I lost my temper... One second, and I snapped, and..."
"you didn't hit her... Did you?"
"no! I would never hurt her! I... The Creed boy. I hurt him. He's okay now but I hurt him,"
"looks like you aren't dying alone Logan," victor's voice floated through. A red-haired bundle was thrown into the enclosure, that yelped like a kicked dog when hitting the ground. Fury coursed through Logan when Anna pushed herself to a seated position and a healing black eye marred her freckled face.
"VICTOR!"
"she was fun to play with," victor said, sauntering away.
"baby, are you okay?"
"he took Johnnie,"
"why?"
"like I know," she muttered.
Logan wove an arm around her and held her tight, but he calmly pushed him away. "we need out,"
"I know," she let out her claws and looked around. "how do we get out?"
"whoa!" Jamie shouted, "what about Johnnie?"
"we'll get him, babe..."
"what should I do with them?" victor asked.
Stryker looked up. "take their claws and their heads," said the agent,
"I want the Wolverine and the Bob-Kat, both, dead. Spare the boy,"
"you," Anna pointed at a guard, "c'mere..."
the guard sauntered over. "yes?"
Anna didn't respond, just reached toward the zipper in her vest and undid it slowly. The guard blinked. "ma'am?"
"sh sh sh... Don't say anything..." she removed the vest... And slammed her fist into the guard's jaw. "good boy," she snatched the keycard from his pocket.
"you should do that more often," Logan purred.
"later, love. Later," she placed a chaste kiss to the corner of his mouth.
He smiled. "love me still?"
"of course," Anna smiled an unlocked the gate.
"Jamie, you go find Johnnie,"
"on it!"
"we need to get out,"
"alright-"
"no, Logan... Listen, I- what I said back there..."
"I understand baby," Logan pulled her into a crushing kiss and pressed her against him, reveling in the touch he had been denied for eight months. "we should go,"
"yes, you should," Anna's head snapped in victor's direction.
"you,"
"me," Claws slashed and tore, grabbing her own claws and twisting them painfully. She fell to the ground with a sharp cry.
"ANNA!" Logan lunged at victor and earned a sharp slice of knives to the face.
"run along, little brother,"
"let her go!"
Anna cried out in pain. A set of three knives clattered to the ground and Anna clutched her ruined hand to her chest.
"NO!"
"de-clawing the Bob-Kat," victor sneered, grabbing her other set of claws. Another high keen, another set of bloody claws thrown to the ground. Another ruined hand. Another wave of nausea. Another wave of fury.
"remember the promise I made you victor?" Logan growled.
"which one?"
Logan ran on all fours, like an animal, and a head hit the snow, leaving a glistening red trail. "that one," came the cold response.
"come on. This way," Jamie grabbed Johnnie's hand, half-dragging him to safety.
Johnnie stumbled."
"I'm too tired, Jamie, jus leave me..."
"No, Johnnie, god dammit!" and then the alarms.
"self district sequence initiated. T-minus thirty seconds until detonation,"
"Johnnie, for god's sake! Please, get up," Jamie knelt next to Johnnie, who shook his head.
"too late," he pulled the still-smaller-than-himself boy to his chest, "i'll die for you,"
"no, Johnnie, please..." but the blonde kissed him, and Jamie's begging died on his lips.
"I found you again. That's all that matters... I love you,"
"I love you t-"The blast shook the earth.
"Logan, where are the boys?"
Anna slurred from the pain. "the bo-... No. No... No, they had to..."
he turned and ran back to the flaming ruins of the facility."JAMIE?! JOHNNIE?!" he heard Anna sob behind him, heard snow crunch beneath her knees.
"papa...?" the weak voice lit the void in Logan's heart.
"Jamie?! Keep talking, I can find you if you just keep talking,"
"okay... Papa?"
"yea, baby?"
"I think... Johnnie's dead. I think Johnnie's dead,"
"don't say that, baby, please," the next words were full of tears.
"papa, he isn't moving. He isn't breathing,"
"oh... Honey... I'm... I'm so sorry..." Logan dug through a pile of debris.
"what do i do, papa? I loved him,"
Logan let out a choked sob. "thank him for saving your life,"
"papa... I don't think I can make it without him,"
"you can, baby. I promise you can," a weak cough shook Jamie's chest.
"I'm so sleepy,"
"stay awake, okay?"
"mm'kay papa," Jamie kept prattling on, avoiding the subject of the dead man he loved.
"Jamie, I think I got you," Logan wrapped his arms around Jamie's chest and pulled him out of the rubble.
"papa!" he squeezed Logan tight, but Logan was determined. He wrapped his arms around Johnnie's chest and lifted him out as well.
To his surprise, the blonde coughed and sputtered. "you saved me..." he whispered.
"of course. You saved my baby boy. Of course I'll save you."
"I don't know what to say, papa... I mean... I meant what i said when I told you I was gay,"
Logan smiled. "and I have sex with your mother," he said, smirking.
Jamie rolled his eyes. "so funny, dad,"
Logan laughed and glanced back at the two injured forms in the back seat: Anna with her claws lying in her lap, hands still held to her chest, and Johnnie, asleep and mending.
"can hank fix momma?" Jamie asked.
"I called him at the last gas station. He said he could," Logan flipped down the visor of Daken's car: they'd had to borrow it. Daken and Jean-Paul were behind them in JP's car with Dean and Silver. The sun fell from behind the cloud bank and rays of orange fractured the air.
"I love moments like these... So fleeting and precious," Jamie said.
"Jamie, have I ever told you about my days in the quarry?"
"no,"
Logan smiled. "it was a dark place, that, but I lived half with people, half with wolves. I learned every life is precious. And I learned that it's a strong man who follows his own path,"
"like Justice?"
Logan winced." no. Justice was a coward,"
Jamie nodded weakly. "why do you love momma so much?"
Logan smiled. "she keeps me anchored. When I lose my temper, she shakes me and says 'no Logan. Think this through. Be rational,'"
Jamie grinned. "you keep her anchored too, papa," Jamie smiled.
The next Jamie knew, he was tucked onto the couch with Johnnie wrapped around him. Tears sprung to Jamie's eyes as he inhaled Johnnie's wild smell.
"hey..." Johnnie groaned. "you're awake...?"
"yes, I am," Johnnie pressed a gentle kiss to Jamie's mouth, threading his fingers through long black hair. "you are beautiful," Johnnie whispered,
"I'm glad I nearly died for you,"
"how's mama?"
"sleeping. It was successful. They got the claws back in and the serum drained. The muscles worked around them,"
"why's she sleeping then?" Johnnie chuckled. "when a mommy bobcat and a daddy wolverine love each other very much-"
"dude! Stop!" Jamie laughed, clinging to Johnnie. "I'm so glad you're okay,"
Johnnie whispered. "me too..."
~six months later~
"can we not talk about sex while I'm eating? It's just going to get me horny," Anna said.
Logan gave her a stunned look. "children present!"
"three don't care and one is too young to understand,"
Logan rolled his eyes. "that isn't what I meant anyway,"
"when you said 'up against me,' that's the ONLY way to take that,"
"not really!" she laughed and placed a foot on his leg.
"so mama, what did you get us for our birthday?"
"pickled frogs eyes and dead raccoons," silver and JJ both laughed. "no, really,"
"something you've wanted for a long-ass time," she smiled and left it at that, "don't forget, you guys start at the academy tomorrow. Your father and I teach there, so if you guys get in trouble-..."
"we know, mom," Jamie snorted, "and JP and Daken do too,"
"I've missed this place... Took some getting used to it, eh?" Anna smiled and leaned against the railing, her perfect lips quirking into a smile. The wind rustled her red hair and brought her scent to Logan's nose: gentle pine and hushed lilac, with a touch of something wild, something that hid beneath the surface. The bobcat in her, he realized. The vicious fighter within. Her bright green eyes flickered to his face, and he found her rubbing her hands.
"still hurt?" Logan asked gently.
"a bite," she smiled though, and it lit his world. "wanna go for a swim?" she asked suddenly.
Logan perked. "I'd love to," he said, following her out to the lake, which was settling with a pale mist in the moonlight. "always makes me think of Kayla,"
"And Keakuatsu?"
"of course,"
Anna slipped into the water, dunking her head under. Logan followed. "you know what you are?" she whispered, swimming in a lazy circle around him,
"mine. My Keakuatsu. And no Trickster is going to take that away,"
"and you're my Moon. You will always be my Moon," And he kissed her. And he had never felt more at home.
End.
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