Notes: Howdy! Thanks again to everyone who reviewed. It's always a pleasure to hear from you guys.
I am going to apologize now for any delays that may follow this post – I must confess to being distracted by a new toy. I bought a Kindle Ebook reader from Amazon and I'm totally smitten. Anyone who is an avid reader seriously needs to check out this device, it's the coolest of the cool, I swear, lol. I will try to be responsible and keep my posts on time, but if I get lost, just send out book shaped bread crumbs and I'll come out of hiding I promise. :D
Art for this chapter is up at my website for anyone interested in looking at it.
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(Two)
Remy walked up the ramp of the Dragon 2, cursing softly the lateness of the hour. It was now almost two in the morning and there was still so much to do. He wanted to get to Boston as soon as possible, knowing that unlike most other mortals, Thieves never slept.
Remy had once belonged to one of the most prominent Thieves' Guilds in the world, one run by his adopted father, Jean-Luc LeBeau. Jean-Luc had taken Remy in as a child and raised him as his own. Later, he had wanted to hand the Guild over to him, but Jean-Luc's own son, Henri, had other plans. When Jean-Luc died, Henri made it clear he wasn't going to tolerate Remy being the Boss without having anything to say about it. Remy had walked away without a fuss, he had never wanted the Guild in spite of Jean-Luc's intentions.
There were others though, who were not so happy with Henri being in charge. The one with the biggest clout and the loudest complaints was Etienne, Remy's cousin. Etienne wasn't up to a Guild war either, so instead he took his closest followers and set up shop in Boston. He was smart enough to take with him the best and the brightest of the young talented Thieves and was, so far, doing a great job of running Henri out of business, taking his best clients simply by providing much better service at better prices. Shrewd was Etienne and very wise.
Gambit had been out to see Etienne in Boston a few times since the Guild split but it had been a while. He had more than a few reasons to go –- one, they had been close as kids, and two, Etienne had brought Tante Mattie up with him, the woman Remy would always consider to be his mother. He had missed her and had brought the twins up to see her a couple of times already.
Remy made sure to call ahead before he even entered the Dragon 2, it was late at night there and it wouldn't take long for him to fly the distance. Etienne, like most Thieves of the Guild, was wide awake in spite of the late hour and more than happy to receive him. He was already setting up guest rooms before their quick conversation was over.
Remy walked into the Main Room of the Dragon 2, pausing in mid stride to smile at what he saw. The boys had gone on ahead as he had commanded and set up the ship, but Remy hadn't expected to be delayed. He had taken longer than he had anticipated with Simone and had forgotten to check back with them and let them know he would be late. That was okay, his dutiful Siskans had waited up for him. Well, Aiden had anyhow. Kimble was out cold on his pilot stick, laying back, covered with a warm fleece blanket, snoring away.
Aiden was sitting on the floor beside his lover, a game of solitaire about half finished. Aiden didn't sleep as much as Kimble did and so had found a way to amuse himself. He smiled as he saw Remy come into the room.
"You are late."
"Je suis de'sole, duty call me away."
"It all right, juszt do not let it 'appen again, neh? Szo many oder, better t'ingsz me and ze Keemble could 'ave been doing," Aiden teased suggestively, not the least bit put out.
Gambit didn't take the bait, instead he looked down on Kimble's face, smiling with happy memories. " 'E still snores."
Many long years ago, before Gambit had married Molly, he and Kimble had briefly shared a bed. It was an inevitability considering their strong bonding and the strong sexual natures of both men, but it hadn't lasted. Kimble was a needy creature and Remy was used to more independent partners. Coupled with Kimble's low hum of melancholy - a side of effect of his having been shattered mentally and then sloppily repaired – was more than Remy could take for long. Plus, there was one thing that Remy had wanted most that Kimble could never provide – a family of his own. Kimble had accepted Gambit's withdrawal gracefully, he was Siskan after all and had only wanted Gambit's happiness. Kimble's memory was perfect and Remy had given him plenty of pleasant recollections to call upon whenever he wished.
Back on the Dragon 2, Aiden grinned at Gambit now, his smile all affection. "I like 'isz noisze. It comfortsz me. Why you szo late?"
"I had to see Simone."
" 'E isz well?"
"Better now."
"Zat isz good. Ashair will keep good watch over him."
So will his Mistress, Remy thought, but didn't give voice to it. He didn't want to argue. Instead he smiled down on the sleeping pilot and said, "I almost 'ate to wake 'im."
"It isz all right, 'e been aszleep for a while now," Aiden replied, already packing up his unfinished card game and getting to his feet. He stood over Kimble and leaned over to kiss his lover's lips, a gentle awakening. It was also a display of possession though there was no open jealousy between Aiden and Remy. Kimble had changed hands forever and nothing was going to change that. Gambit stepped back, giving way with no hard feelings, and sat on his own stick, getting ready to leave.
Kimble mumbled something without opening his eyes, his shine all sparkly and bright with love and happiness. He wasn't the least bit upset at being woken up, at least not by so sweet a kiss. Aiden laughed and whispered a reply, something that had Kimble opening his eyes a little bit more. He sat up drunkenly, rubbing his eyes and trying to wake up more fully. He saw Remy there and smiled. "Hey."
"Bonjour, lazybones," Remy teased, his eyes merry. It was always nice to see Kimble happy. "You ready to fly or what?"
"Shure," Kimble answered, straightening up, all business now. "Where we off to this time?"
"Boston," Gambit said, but paused when he saw a strange look cross Kimble's face. "What?"
"They gots real good steamed clams there. Mary liked them best."
Remy did not immediately reply. A long time ago, Kimble had been stolen from him and was gone almost an entire year. Kimble had been sneaking away from the Xavier Mansion back in Westchester looking for sex and got far more than he had bargained for. He had been kidnapped and misused, becoming a shattered wreck before Remy finally caught up with him and brought him back home. Mary Green had been one of his kidnappers. Kimble rarely spoke of that stolen year, so many terrible things had happened to him then, but every once in a great while though, Kimble would let slip some offhand reminder of that lost year. It was odd though, in a nice way, to hear Kimble speak of it so positively.
"We get dere in good time, mebbe we see what we see, eh?" Gambit said to that, not wanting to dredge up anything painful by asking Kimble the particulars of how he had eaten something Gambit had never served him. "Etienne got a great cook last I knew."
"Sumpthin' ta looks forward to, then."
Remy nodded and went back to work, conscious of the fact that Aiden was slow to take his seat. Aiden knew that Kimble had been taken as well, but it had happened before they had met. Aiden was a little confused about the odd conversation that had just taken place, but he let it go, settling down in his seat and saying nothing more about it as they made their way across country.
Remy had never flown the Dragon 2 to Boston but he been flown in Fallen's Lucky Dragon so he knew the way by flight. Etienne, ever a LeBeau, had purchased for himself a huge sprawling hundred room mansion there to run his operations out of. The grounds were at least twenty acres wide and the red brick house set back well from the road. Etienne was posing as an investment banker who was doing well and he played the part with gusto, indulging in many luxuries. Remy had Kimble set the Dragon 2 down on the front lawn very close to Etienne's bright red Porsche and a sparkling silver Hummer limousine.
The man himself was waiting for them outside as they landed, ever the gracious host. He was a tall blonde aristocrat dressed in a full Thieves' black even though it was now well past three in the morning and bit late for an actual score. The uniform included a long black coat and body armor similar to Remy's own, showing they had indeed come from the same place. He was a couple years older than Remy, not that it showed much. His smile was broad as his eyes were blue and held no guile. He was thrilled by this visit.
Remy came down the ramp and was happy to let Etienne give him a full and eager embrace. They had been close as kids, growing up romping and proud in Jean-Luc's huge New Orleans compound, having adventures and getting into all sorts of delightful trouble.
Etienne stepped out of his embrace and looked over Remy's shoulder to the two men who had followed him out. His voice was smooth and light, sharing Remy's same Cajun accent as he questioned, "T'ought you said you only need two rooms for de night, homme. You pick up a stowaway?"
"Non, two be just fine. Dese two be married. Dis is Kimble and Aiden, m' flight crew."
Aiden, easily the proudest of the pair, smiled happily at having his marital status upheld in mixed company, but Kimble had blanched a little where he stood and dropped his eyes. He was still shy and nervous about how other people thought of him, something that wasn't likely to change anytime soon. His open and free sexuality had made him a target in the past, something he had never forgotten. It had been a while since he was out with people who didn't belong to the Complex and he felt a bit overexposed by what Remy had said.
Remy hadn't thought twice about mentioning they were a couple for a good reason, he knew Etienne could care less and he was right. Etienne wasn't the least bit fazed by it, he was all about work as he asked, "Dat's fine, den. De rooms all set up, you guys wanna crash now or you ready to work? Already got some info'mation back on dat name you give me."
Gambit grinned, wide awake now. "I'd love to see what you got, but m' boy's are pretty tired. 'Ungry, too. T'ink mebbe you get one of yo' guys to whip up some steamed clams and chowder for 'em?"
"No problem. Tony's de bes' I got an' he always ready to feed anyone who ask."
"Bien, just tell 'im to keep de portions small. Dey eat like little kids, my boys."
Etienne nodded, taking a deeper look at the pair as if really seeing them for the first time. He took in their other worldliness and large tattoos. "Dey like Skye, ain't dey?"
Long ago, before Remy had really understood what the Game was fully about, had come across Skye, a Rogue of the Game, though he hadn't known it at the time. Remy wanted to keep Skye somewhere safe but not too close to Kimble who was still recovering from his lost year. Remy had given Skye to Etienne for safekeeping and he had stayed just long enough for Etienne, who was no one's fool, to know there was something less than human about the guy.
"Oui, dey like Skye," Remy answered, his voice a little sad. "Only dey ain't nearly so bad."
(break)
Skye, that Siskan devil, was on someone else's mind as well besides Remy's.
Logan, restless, walked down the short hallway of cells that comprised the Complex's high security jail. He'd had another long nap and felt better, but couldn't get his mind off of making plans for his next visit to Twilight.
He had a lot to consider – he now had the means to get to Twilight and back, but any good planner has to have more than just plan A. If something should happen to Simone on Twilight, he had to be able to get his team home in one piece. There was the Honey/moth express, but it would kill almost any mutant who tried it. That is, unless they were healers like himself.
Logan just happened to have a couple of those on hand, though they would need a real short leash. Three of these cells were currently occupied, though only two had any immediate interest for him. The third held Skye, a Siskan too sexually corrupt to ever have free out in the world ever again. He could stay in his cell and rot forever for all Logan cared.
Any good Siskan Courtesan worth his salt loved to please clients. Skye had been so badly damaged by repeated meltings and abuse by the Siskan Maker, Quishnalay, that his concept of just what a client was had been horribly marred. He used his powerful empathy and healing magic to enslave his clients, bending them to his will and making them perform any task he desired, no matter how repugnant. He even went so far as to murder and eat some of them, a kind of cannibalism though he wasn't of the flesh himself.
Skye, in his travels, had managed to secure two very powerful clients to serve him and used them as weapons in the Game, using them to slay the terrorist, Jael, and ending the Game forever. Both of them were here now in X-men custody and it was those two clients that interested Logan now.
The first cell Logan came to held Kyle Gibney, a young man of many names. He had once been Wild Child, a Weapon X reject. The program had taken an ordinary teenaged boy and chemically altered his DNA, giving him a healing factor and a feral mentality. It had backfired terribly, he had become as savage and vicious as Sabretooth, a notorious killer already in the program. Unlike Sabretooth, Wild Child simply would not obey – he broke out of the training facility only to reap havoc on the nearby town, raping and slaughtering as many people he could catch, devouring his kills and rolling in their blood. He was later deemed a waste of time and dumped into a cell to rot.
It was there that Jael found him and took him for his own. Kyle then become Grog, a cannibalistic waste disposal machine of sorts for Jael, who had gleefully fed him anyone he wanted to get rid of. Grog embraced his job with gusto, consuming whomever he was fed with wanton and savage glee. Later, after Jael had tired of him and stripped him of his healing powers, Skye had come to his rescue.
Skye used his healing ability not only to restore the boy back to health, but to hold him in thrall. He was Skye's little lion and so had been named Famayalin, "Little Lion" in Siskan. Never having felt much love in his entire wretched life, Kyle had fallen and fallen hard for Skye's false promises of love and joy. He would do anything Skye asked of him. He had no idea that Skye's heart was much too hard and cruel to ever love anyone properly.
Now that the Game was over and Skye and Kyle were in custody, folks here had been working with Kyle, giving him back his name and trying to help him break free of Skye's hold on him in the hope that he might some day be rehabilitated. Asher had a huge hand in that, something that could be readily seen.
Even though the hour was late, Kyle was up, sitting at a small desk in his cell, reading a book, something Logan never would have thought he would ever see if you had asked him just a short while ago. Perched on Kyle's lap was a huge orange tabby, purring happy as it was petted by one of the boy's small clawed hands.
"Surprised you ain't eaten that fat cat yet," Logan teased, not unkindly.
Kyle lay down his book and looked over his shoulder, his pale green eyes squinting as he tried to determine the level of humor in that comment. There was little love lost between these two though they had made some sort of peace. They shared a long and painful history, one both men were still trying to sort out. Logan had been doing his fair share of the work, coming to visit Kyle on occasion and passing no more judgement on the boy.
Skye's magic had the ability to heal and even restore a fallen mutant's power, but it had side effects stronger than simple addiction - he could cause a secondary mutation in a client that was exposed to his power long enough. This boy would never be called pretty – his long face now had a short snout that allowed for his elongated fangs. Talking was hard for him, he tended to drown his words in half snarls and feral curses. His legs were bent at the knees, making upright walking difficult. He had spent most of his time with Skye as a sort of lion like dog, trotting about on his hands and feet. He was trying to overcome that now, but it was hard going. Being incarcerated now, it seemed he had all the time in the world to correct that.
The cat that was currently warming his lap was named Cody and had been a gift from Asher. Many animals had been left orphans after the Game, casualties of war that got little recognition. Charles Xavier refused to euthanize any of them, though there were so many. Instead a sort of pound had been set up and the animals farmed out to anyone who was willing to care for them.
When Asher first suggested letting Kyle have a pet Logan was first to speak up. He failed to see how a feral freak like Kyle could take care of anything when he could hardly care for himself. Asher was so much wiser than that, saying that sometimes a person who had been messed with as badly as the kid had been sometimes needed something to love to help them open up. It had worked splendidly – Cody was well cared for and Kyle had come a long way back down the path towards humanity.
Kyle blinked at Logan through the long shag of his unruly blonde bangs and seeing the man was only joking, managed some sort of smile with his misshapen face. "Mrr! H–h-ello...t'... you... too...eh?" he growled in greeting.
"What are we reading tonight?"
Rather than try to speak the title, Kyle simply held up the book. Wolverine was quite surprised to see it was one of the books Charles had written, a treatise on compassion and equality for all mankind, regardless of what they looked like. Charles was a man of many words, Logan had been unable to finish that particular book himself, it was wordy and complicated and hurt his brain though he sympathized with its general message. Logan was taken aback, he hadn't thought Kyle intelligent enough to even try such a book, never mind be so close to the end. He put Logan to shame, but then again, Logan had many other ways to kill time that Kyle did not.
Logan laughed rough amusement. "Having trouble falling asleep? I could have just asked the doc to give you a sedative instead."
Kyle snorted his own gruff chuckle and marked his place with a scrap of paper. "Why..why ...come s-see me? Mrr! S-so late..."
Logan leaned against the back wall, getting comfortable. "What would you say if I said I could get you outta that cell? Just long enough to help me with something."
Kyle squinted again, his trust still somewhat grudgingly given. Kyle had grown comfortable with his limited space. He knew he was a mess mentally and wasn't sure himself just how far he could be trusted. The cell made everything safe. There was little need to have to curb his wilder tendencies simply because temptations no longer existed for him. He wasn't sure just what Logan was asking of him, if it was a test or not.
"Fuck the kid," came an even deeper voice from two doors down, the words clearer, but the low growl of it just as feral. The voice held gruff amusement as it continued to tease, "You can have me anytime, Logan. All ya gotta do is ask."
Logan closed his eyes, turning his head just slightly. "Keep it down, Creed."
"Name's Kris now. Kristalay. Somethin' wrong with yer memory, boy?"
Wolverine didn't dignify that with a response. That voice belonged to his half brother, Victor Creed, a man with more names than young Kyle had ever had. One of them was quite famous – Sabretooth. Sabretooth was the second of Skye's two clients, but he hadn't been for very long. Jael had also stripped him of his mutant powers, powers that Skye had given back. Unlike Kyle, Sabretooth was much too powerful a spirit to ever be in anyone's thrall for long. He had gotten what he wanted out of the deal – healing that gave him that ability take what he really wanted - revenge on Jael for having stripped him down in the first place. Unlike Kyle who had been under Skye' care far longer, Sabretooth had been able to walk away from his former Master with few withdrawal symptoms beyond boredom and a bit of a headache. He hadn't been physically altered, just restored.
The name he favored now was a gift from a Siskan, but not from the freak who resided just down the hall. No, the name Kristalay had come from Kimble. Mary Green had help when she had kidnapped Kimble during that lost year of his, Sabretooth had been her boss at the time and the one who had ordered it. Like always, Sabretooth had left his own mark on those he spent enough time with. Kimble's fear of the phone had been a poor reward for giving Sabretooth such a lovely name – Kristalay meant Golden Hair in Siskan, appropriate since the man was as blonde as the young kid in the cell Logan was now looking in on.
Kimble had barely survived living with Kristalay, the man was a most brutal Master. It was Kristalay with his big fists and cruel disposition who had caused the worst of splits in Kimble's already fragile psyche, and yet with his big big heart, Kimble had forgiven the man, even loved him still, in his own way. The X-men, knowing this, had kept Kristalay as far away from Kimble as possible. No one was going let Kimble even consider going down that dark path again.
Logan didn't dignify Kristalay's last remark. "What do ya say, Kyle?" Logan asked the boy in front of him, using Kyle's given name as a lure. It was a ploy that Asher had started, a way of giving Kyle back to himself. He now belonged to no one and no one was ever going to harm him again the way it had been done in the past. "You up for a little work?"
It worked, Wolverine could see the capitulation in Kyle's eyes. "What.. you... need?"
"I got a job, but it's one with a lot of risk. I need someone who can walk away from a real bad fight. Someone who ain't gonna be afraid."
"And...if...I ...mrr! ...eat....someone...?"
It was a legitimate question. The hardest thing for Kyle to overcome was his eating habits. Both Jael and Skye had indulged the boy, happily feeding him raw human meat and nothing else. Now Kyle struggled to eat anything he was fed here in captivity. It was down to barely cooked beef and yet, Kyle still at times gagged on it. It wasn't hot and red and fresh, it was cold and dead, like eating a rotted corpse. His struggle showed plainly, he was thin now and a bit ragged in his eyes. He was always starving and yet, he never complained. Even in his weakened state, he understood that he would win this battle eventually, it would just take time. Now Logan was throwing temptation right in his path.
Logan just grinned wickedly. "There ain't no one there I'm gonna cry over, son."
"All the more reason to take me along," came that voice from down the hall again. "Least you'll know I can get the job done, just like I done with Jael. That little squirt over there never even came close to the guy."
Kyle growled deep and low in his throat in response to the insult, as dangerous a sound there ever was. It hadn't been his fault that Kristalay got to Jael first, a reckless teleporter had been involved and well, you know how that goes. Shit just happens – that is, Kyle always getting the short end of it anyhow. "Mrr! Fuck you, 'Tooth!" he snarled, showing more than a bit of fang. Cody, disturbed by the change in his Master's mood, dropped from the boy's lap and hid under the bed.
"Easy, fellas," Logan growled himself. "Nothing's been decided yet."
Kristalay just laughed, a dry sound like breaking bones. "That mean you ain't asked Chuck about this yet?"
Logan bristled, but Kristalay was right. Wolverine hadn't gone to see Xavier about this, not just yet. He wanted to work things out before bringing this to the boss. "No point in askin' the guy if no one's interested."
"I'm yer man, then. You want something done right, you bring me," Kristalay continued to try and persuade. "You know I'm just dyin' fer some air. I been good, so I have. Done everything you asked."
That was true. Kristalay had allowed himself to be caged and poked and prodded without causing a fuss, something unusual. Well, with Kristalay, determining what was normal was no easy feat. He had been worked over by two empathic Siskans – Kimble had actually shown signs of being able to help the guy control his rages, and Skye, well who knew what dark magic had been worked there? What was clear was that Kristalay hadn't tried to escape or do more than make crude jokes while he had been here, something that never would have happened in the past.
"C-count...me...out!" Kyle hissed bitterly, turning away and slamming open his book, though he was clearly too agitated now to read.
Even as Skye's lions, these two had fought. Kyle had been with Skye first and saw Kristalay as nothing more than an interloper and a thief. It didn't matter that their Master was now denied to them both, Kyle was all too eager to blame Kristalay for all of it. Kyle's hunger ran deeper than just an empty belly. He still missed Skye's empathic love and gentle touch, even if he had only been used for what Skye had wanted. Love was a much more powerful tool than hate and Skye had known that well.
"Kyle, please," Logan dared to say. It was a word he used seldom, so it held some weight. "Just tell me you'll think about it. I could really use your help. It'll also look good on your record."
Kyle looked back at him, wanting to believe. He nodded just slightly. "Jus... jus... keep.. 'Tooth..away...from... me."
"Thanks," Logan replied, happy now, and walked out.
(break)
Logan left the Complex's makeshift jail and headed back to his apartment. There was more he wanted to do to get ready for his run back to Twilight but since it was so late, it would just have to wait.
He entered his darkened apartment and being a creature of habit, took in a deep breath as soon as he closed the door behind him. He could smell the food his wife had cooked for supper and the mingled scents of his family as they slept. It was one of the most comforting smells in the world to him, especially now when he was still so tired.
Family. It was a word he hadn't thought he would ever associate with himself but now after all these long years it had finally happened. He used to cruise violently through life, never allowing himself to get attached to anyone. He hadn't wanted to have anything to lose. Karen had changed all that. She gradually altered his thinking, making him realize that with a family he had so much more to gain. They would connect him to all the ages, ground him, even as he outlasted them all. He'd thought losing a wife would be the end of him until she told him of how he would follow the lives of his children, watching her live on through them. It had touched him deep in those empty hurting places and put those tired old voices to rest. He had never looked back since with regret.
His apartment was generous for here, but his kids still had to share. He stopped at the first bedroom he came to and as was his routine, took a peek through the door at his two daughters as they slept. Leslie and Jessie lay asleep in their beds, eight and six years old respectively, the darlings of his heart. They were both startlingly beautiful, cookie cutter copies of their mother, both redheaded and green eyed. Scary smart and tough as nails, they would give the boys a run for their money when they grew up.
Jessie hadn't been sleeping so well after the Game was played out just outside her home. It was a learning experience for her, it had made her realize that scary things really existed out in the world and made her aware of her own mortality – Angel, Kimble's adopted daughter, had been her best friend. Angel had perished in the fighting, a bit of a shock for Jessie who had been sheltered like most of the kids who had grown up here. Charles had hoped that moving here would keep his mutants safe, but trouble had found them anyway. Logan did not fear for Jessie, she was tough like he was and already recovering, but he knew she would never forget that it had happened.
He moved to the next room and stopped once more, this time unable to stop the smile that spread across his lips. Like most men, having a son was the pinnacle of proving one's manhood and, to a degree, Logan was guilty of this himself. Not content to merely linger in the doorway, he entered the room and stood over the crib of his youngest child, thinking that it wouldn't be long before this one needed a real bed. Carter was almost three and growing up fast. Unlike the girls, this kid was all Logan. The only one of his kids to come out X-gene positive, Carter was dark haired and serious even at that young age, his fingers slightly deformed at the tips, promising claws later in life. His arms had been X-rayed and already he was showing signs of having his dad's inner bone claws as well, making him a double threat. If he had his dad's healing factor it was slow in showing up, Carter had had his share of ear infections as did any normal toddler, but it was still early yet.
Logan brushed some of Carter's hair back and the boy smiled in his sleep, taking a deep breath as though scenting his night time visitor. He would have his father's enhanced senses, of this Logan had no doubt. Carter was serious, but so far, unlike Logan, seemed to be in control of his temper. He was quiet instead, thoughtful and watchful, not the least bit reckless. He wasn't timid either, he just took his time, watching to see how others did things and learning from their mistakes before he made his own. Hopefully, Logan was thinking, being so cautious would spare him the worst of the pain that he himself had suffered in life.
Logan left his son to happy dreams and withdrew, moving on to the Master bedroom where his wife lay sleeping, her arms and legs spread out as if compensating for his absence in the bed. It wasn't the first time he had come home to this by far, he was an active X-man and had a busy schedule. He was often away from home and was lucky that Karen was independent enough not to give him any grief over it.
Logan undressed, his mind still going. He knew that living with him was hard and it hadn't always been easy. They'd had their share of fights but somehow managed to get through them. He had also long since stopped telling her when he was injured on missions, it scared her far too much when he did, he had learned that much right quick. Now, when he came in so late, it was understood on her part that he had been hurt and had needed to recover, usually somewhere else to spare her and the kids from having to see it. He certainly hadn't told her he had been fragged by that Bouncing Betty, though she had seen his legs briefly when he had first come back to rest. He had been cleaned up by then, but it was obvious he'd lost a good chunk of his meat God knows where. She didn't ask and he didn't tell, he merely kissed her deeply, telling her not to worry without ever speaking a word. She had kept quiet and just followed him to bed where he had his nap, wrapping her arms around him until he had fallen asleep.
One thing he had never doubted was her love for him. She had no regrets in spite of all the rough road they had traveled and would do it all over again, he knew this because she stayed. Only a saint with a heart of gold could do that, he was such a rough edged man.
He slid into bed and lay his warm body next to hers, stretching out and pulling her close with his big arms. She was so soft and wonderful there. Perfect.
"I miss you," she mumbled sleepily without opening her eyes. He had been so busy lately, even before this new mission.
"I miss ya too, darlin'," he whispered back to her, nuzzling her hair and making her smile. "I'll make it up to ya, I promise."
"You better," she teased playfully in spite of being so tired.
She was asleep again by her next breath and Logan simply held her there in the dark, ever so grateful to have her there. She was slim and pretty, a lovely redhead with bright green eyes, his favorite. Moments later he was out cold himself.
He woke a few hours later, better rested and brought round by the sounds of his girls chattering away in the kitchen as they ate breakfast and got ready for school. Moments like these were important, he mused to himself. They reminded him why he worked so hard at what he did, he was doing it to protect them and help them have a better life. They made all of his pain and suffering worthwhile.
He got up from his bed, feeling almost fully recovered from his visit to Twilight now after having slept so decently. A hearty breakfast later and he was ready to get back to work. His first stop was a visit to see Charles Xavier and let him know what he was planning for his raid on Frost.
The Professor was happy to listen. They met in Charles' large office. It was a spacious room lined with shelves full of books and fancy handmade artwork. It was homey place, warm and comfortable. Logan took a seat across from the Professor's large wooden desk and their discussion began.
"Have you decided who you will take?" the Professor asked, curious what Logan had in mind.
Logan leaned back in his overstuffed chair, lacing his hands behind his head as he answered, "Fury will want his men to go in - and they will – just not the way he wants. I plan on usin' them only to take out Frost's men. It won't be much of a fair fight, I've got the feeling that most of Frost's guys are hacks. They should go down easily enough.
"Frost himself is something else. He's obviously got a doorkey or something or other like that, so I want him taken down fast and hard. We get him at the start, we won't have to worry about him escaping or takin' any hostages with him. Besides, I don't give a toss what Fury says, he's gonna want that doorkey for SHIELD and every fiber of my being says we shouldn't let him anywhere near it."
Charles couldn't help but nod in agreement, Logan was saying what he had been thinking himself. "I agree. That doorkey isn't safe in anyone's hands."
Logan nodded, but was still speaking. "To do that, I want to send in a team to take down the leadership in a first move strike. They go in quiet like, take down Frost, then Fury's guys can mop up the rest. For that strike team I'm gonna need some heavy hitters for that, there were a lot of guys there. A telekinetic would be nice, Jean would be my first choice. Cyke, Rogue, Iceman, Nightcrawler if I can have him.
"Most of all," Logan continued, his voice getting a bit cautious as he added, "...I want a good security team protecting Simone."
"You're taking Simone?" Charles interjected, unable to hide his surprise just as Logan expected. "You can't be serious. He's just a child."
"No he's not. He ain't even alive."
Charles shook his head at Logan's unwillingness to understand about Siskans and who and what they truly were. "Technically you are correct, but you get my point. He is an innocent."
"Maybe, but he's also our way in and out with no fuss." Logan went on to explain about how Simone could conjure his precious doors at will, any time and any place. Charles had gotten a very brief preliminary report on this already, but Logan was now giving him the details. It was very helpful and gave him a better picture of what Logan had in mind. Still, he wasn't quite happy with the Siskan leaving the Complex.
"I don't like this at all," Charles continued to protest. "He's not the least bit trained. He's only been out of a holding cell for just a few weeks."
"He's been going back and forth to Twilight on his own for a while now, Charles," Logan reminded, crossing his arms in irritation.
"Yes, and look at how well that turned out."
Logan rolled his eyes in exasperation. "This time will be different. He'll be going in cloaked and getting an escort this trip around. He's just to open our door and that's it. No fightin' or takin' part in doing anything else. He'll be well looked after. I want the ferals. I want Kyle and Sabretooth."
"Kristalay. He calls himself Kristalay now," the Professor corrected, only to see Logan slowly shaking his head in disdain. "I know you don't think it means anything, Logan, but it does. A new name means a moving on. Just the same, I don't feel either he or Kyle can be entirely trusted. Besides, were you planning on killing half the island just to get what you want? They'll slaughter everyone. I thought this was going to be something of a rescue, not an act of revenge."
"This ain't revenge."
"It still sounds like overkill. You were planning on taking Frost alive, yes?"
"They won't be coming for Frost. They'll be for door guarding only. Our exit has to be protected. They've already said yes."
"That was presumptuous."
"Just thought I'd ask," Logan returned but his eyes were merry with ironic humor as he gave his boss the same line he had given his half brother. "No point in asking you if they weren't interested."
"And if they try to escape?"
"It's an island, there's nowhere for them to go. If they use the Honey it will probably just drop them back outside Frost's warehouse like it did for me. Since I'm plannin' on using that spot as our launching point, SHIELD will be right there waiting to pick them up. Besides, they've been good, you can't deny it."
"And I don't. Do you trust them?"
"Enough for this. Besides, I'll be with them the whole time."
The Professor arched an eyebrow in surprise, "It's not like you to hold back."
"Like I said, my primary concern is our exit. I'm not so irresponsible that I would risk stranding us all there."
"I'm glad to hear that."
"Look, I want what you want. Frost gets taken down and everyone comes home. If I can do this with no one having to use the Honey like I did, I can hold back for that."
Charles nodded, relenting for now. "When are you planning on going?"
"Couple of days, not more. Remy's checkin' out something in Boston, I can wait until he gets back."
"All right. See it done."
Logan nodded and walked out, ready to get this ball rolling.
