Chapter 11: Escape to Desperation
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Logan held the steering wheel in a vice grip, beside him his wife watched the scenery flash by with a sombre expression on her face.
"They're fine, 'Ro, you talked to Evan yourself."
She nodded letting out a breath, "I know, but a mother is allowed to worry over her children."
Logan nodded, "All six of 'em." That got a small laugh out of her.
"Logan?"
"Yeah?"
"Evan told me something over the phone."
"What was it?"
"He said to tell you that…Kurt got them out."
Logan felt a proud grin come to his face, "Knew I could count on the Elf." Ororo chose not to ask what he meant and went back to watching the road flash by. They were taking Logan's old truck, the one he'd been driving when he found Marie actually, to go get the kids, mainly because anything registered to Charles Xavier would be tracked and the truck was registered to one James Howlett, and the X Jet would be way too conspicuous.
She gave a tired sigh, "Logan, will this ever end?" he let out a breath, "We have no way of knowin' love." She nodded, "I don't want to lose anyone else Logan." There were tears in her voice and Logan so wanted to bring her into his arms, but couldn't if they wanted to get to their kids, "I don't either." He reached over and took her hand, squeezing it gently, "I love you." He stated. She smiled at him, "I love you too Logan."
oOo
Kurt blinked at the ceiling before sighing in relief, his headache was finally gone and his sixth sense was back 'online' as it were.
He sat up and looked around to find his friends had yet to notice he was awake. They all looked like they'd just been told they only had a few minutes to live, and that just wouldn't do.
Shaking his head he moved into a crouching position before gracefully leaping from the bed to pounce on Pietro, whose startled yelp shocked everyone from their bad news induced stupor.
"Kurt?"
"Morning!" he greeted before jumping backwards to land in a chair. "Anybody know vhere ve can get some food, I'm starving!" they stared at him for a second like he'd just grown a second head, and Kurt was half tempted to check, before Pietro started chuckling, softly at first, like he'd forgotten how to, then falling into all out laughter.
This started a chain reaction and before anyone knew it, they were all laughing as hard as they could.
Kurt grinned, ~My work is done. ~ His motto was that sometimes when it gets really bad, you just have to laugh.
"Doctor Phil you have nothing on the Fuzzy Dude." Evan got in. Kurt grinned goofily, "Now, about that food thing…"
A little while later, after the group had discovered the food Mrs. Pryde had left them; they were all sufficiently full and hanging around Kitty's room in a similar way to how they would at the mansion.
This was the sight that greeted Suzanne when she came to check up on the teenagers.
"Glad to see you're all feeling better." She smiled at the young X Men.
Kitty smiled at her mother, "Yeah, well, it's hard to stay upset for a long time with this guy around." She playfully kicked Kurt and he in turn, without looking p from his food, used his tail to tug her ponytail.
Suzanne shook her head before leaving the room, locking the door behind her.
She strode down the hall, heading towards her study when their butler, Adam came up to her, "Madam, there are two people at the door asking for you."
"Oh, who are they?"
"I don't know, ma'am, but the man is quite, uh, rough and the woman has white hair."
Suzanne knew immediately who they were, "Thank you Adam, you can go." She called after him as he left, "And do not tell my husband about our visitors."
He nodded, "Yes ma'am."
Confident her secret would remain so, she rushed downstairs to the front entry where Logan and Ororo stood waiting.
"Ororo, Logan!" Ororo turned her head and smiled when she saw her.
"Suzanne, I was worried we would meet up with your husband."
She smiled a little bitterly, "You weren't the only one worrying about that…Follow me, and I'll take you to the kids."
She proceeded to lead them up to Kitty's room.
She knocked on the door twice before opening it, revealing the young X Men looking to her with curiosity that was quickly replaced with joy.
"Mom! Dad!" Evan and Marie spoke in unison as they shot from their seats to glomp their parents. The two adults laughed as they embraced the kids, but soon had to open their arms to the other four as well.
Ororo breathed out a sigh of relief as she embraced Kurt and Wanda, gently stroking the fur of Kurt's cheek and brushing Wanda's short hair from her face. "Thank the Goddess you're all alright."
Wanda sighed, leaning into the X Men's universal mother figure and feeling quite safe.
"Alright, we should get going, can't risk getting found." Logan explained.
Everyone nodded and Kitty momentarily broke away from the group to embrace her mother.
"Thanks mom."
Suzanne hugged her daughter tightly, wishing not for the first time she could do more, "I love you darling."
Kitty could only nod as she raced out the room with the others, leaving her tearful mom behind.
They all loaded into the truck, Marie grinning a bit at the memories it brought back.
Logan only waited long enough for all the doors to close before he hit the gas and raced them down to the highway.
In the back, everyone attempted to get comfortable, eventually ending with all the girls on the guys' laps to conserve space, not that the boys were complaining.
Kitty cuddled into Kurt's embrace as they watched the scenery pass by in flashes.
oOo
"Hey, uh, Dad?"
Logan looked back at his daughter once they reached the house. "Yeah Kid?"
"Um, everyone else fell asleep."
Logan looked over his shoulder and chuckled, everyone, excluding Marie was slumped over in some way and sleeping like the dead.
He shook his head and got out of the truck, Ororo climbing out as well.
"You two head into the house, I'll bring these guys in, but could ya send out Hank?"
There were two nods and he went to the side of the truck to open the door. Being careful not wake them, he lifted Kurt and Kitty into his arms. Kurt was extremely light and so was Kitty, so this was actually possible.
Hank came out just as he was walking into the house. He spied Marie yawning from the corner of his eyes and nodded in the direction of the stares.
She yawned again while nodding and led the way upstairs to her bedroom.
When they got there, she collapsed on the bed, but scooted over to the side, allowing Logan to lay Kurt and Kitty down.
"Evan can have tha window seat." Rogue mumbled sleepily.
Wolverine stifled another chuckle and pulled a knitted blanket over the three teens.
Within the next several minutes, everyone was asleep somewhere.
Logan collapsed on the sofa and Ororo handed him a mug of coffee that he accepted with a grin.
"So what now?" the white haired woman asked as she leaned against her husband.
Professor Xavier shook his head, "I don't know."
That wasn't very reassuring.
oOo
Kurt opened his eyes and yawned, blinking a few times before he realized he wasn't in his own room. He was frozen before someone moved beside him and he relaxed to find Kitty curled up in his arms.
~Okay, Kitty is accounted for...now where the heck am I? ~
Someone moved behind him and he turned his head to see Marie on his other side, grasping his shirt and nuzzling her face in his shoulder.
He fought a grin ~Thank God I'm her brother or Pietro would kill me. ~ His tail wrapped around her waist and settled on her arm as he looked around the green and brown room, finally seeing Evan on the window seat.
~Ah, we're at Marie and Logan's then, that's the only explanation for the color scheme. ~
Kitty moved again in his arms, getting into a more comfortable position before settling again and sighing.
He shook his head trying to dislodge fantasies of waking up with Kitty in his arms, they were in some serious troubles now, and it wasn't the time to be dreaming about a future that might not happen if the government ever got a hold of them.
That thought successfully sobered him and he just held Kitty tighter, his tail bringing Rogue closer as well. He wouldn't let anything happen to his family.
He nuzzled his face in Kitty's hair, drinking in her familiar and comforting scent. If something happened to her...
He didn't want to think about it but his mind stirred up images.
Images of him, acting more demon than human. Blood on his hands as he insanely destroyed everything and everyone after having his Katzchen ripped away from him.
~No! Never! That will never happen; I'll make sure of that. ~ He thought, but the images, while pushed to the back of his mind, continued to fight for attention; reminding him he wasn't entirely of human descent.
Azazel's smirking face came to mind and he shivered.
~I won't be like that...never again. ~
oOo
Kurt eventually got up and used his fingers to comb out his fur in the bathroom before creeping downstairs. Holding true to his codename he stayed in the shadows, only if someone was really looking would they be able to see his eyes.
With a detached interest, he took in the decor of the Logan household. Everything was basically wood and the main color scheme was most prominently, browns, greens and royal blues. It had a very warm feel to it and Kurt could picture a little Rogue running around.
He sighed before catching the sound of voices and crept closer. Past experiences had taught him to always listen before jumping in, it had saved his skin, or pelt really, more than once in his days as a thief.
"So what's the plan now?" that was Scott's voice.
"Well, first we need to do a check on the other's states; it wouldn't do for one of them to go into a panic attack or something similar." Hank supplied calmly.
Kurt listened hard to catch the next bit.
"Mainly, we need to find a place safe enough for everyone as well as find a way to convince the people that we aren't dangerous." The Professor mused.
Logan snorted, "Good luck with that, Chuck. With characters like the Brotherhood and Mystique runnin' around, we'll be lucky not to be shot on sight."
"Logan's right." Ororo backed up her husband, "No matter how dark his precognition is, it's probably the most likely. What we need to do, is find a way to address the congress and show them that we are peaceful."
Kurt's shoulders slumped, so far, it didn't sound like anyone had a truly solid plan on how to get them back to, what they considered, normal life.
"Well, we should address the most imminent point of interest." The Professor spoke up.
"Which is?" Logan questioned.
"Well, this conversation is no longer private. Come out Kurt."
Feeling his cheeks warm up in embarrassment he stepped into the living room with a slightly sheepish grin.
"And what do you have to say for snooping?" Jean questioned, hands on her hips.
Kurt smirked, his abashed demeanour leaving immediately.
"That I'm out of sneaking practice."
oOo
Once everyone else had woken up ad had something to eat, there was still the problem of planning their next move.
"Anyone have a secret hide out we can hole up in for a decade or two?" Wanda asked sarcastically.
"Not unless you count deserted churches." Kurt added, monotone as he crouched on the back of the couch behind Kitty.
"Not helping Creature." Marie mumbled beside Kitty.
Kurt shrugged helplessly and Evan patted his knee from his place on Kitty's other side.
"Alright, currently our plan is to just stay off their radar." Scott informed them, 'leader' voice.
Kurt growled softly, only audible to Logan who quirked an eyebrow.
"Anything else Scooter?" Wolverine asked, not taking his eye off of Kurt.
"Not really, no."
"Alright, in that case, here's my plan: We get to Washington and talk to the President himself."
There was an immediate uproar.
"Are you crazy?"
"You do remember it vas a mutant that attacked him right?"
"Who the Hell are you and what have you done with Logan?" the last one came from Evan, not to anyone's surprise.
Wolverine waited for everyone to die down before speaking again.
"All very good points." He muttered sarcastically, "And trust me Porcupine, it's still me. If we were back at the mansion you'd be in the Danger Room right now just to prove that."
Spyke paled.
"As I was saying...those are all the reasons we should go talk to him now. Get everything cleared up before it turns into mass panic."
Everyone stared at Logan, had he just suggested a way to fix a problem that didn't include destruction and death by decapitation?
Seeing as the sky was still blue and Evan could see no flying pigs outside, the answer was yes.
oOo
A/N: I have no idea where that last part came from; I'm very hyper right now.
Note to self: Never write while eating Reese's Pieces and Sprite.