Sinowa – I figured, they were SO close to the Bermuda Triangle and all… ;-)
Sashi – Thanks so much! Yes, standing from our POV, you would think that Stryker would've had a clue, but he didn't have any way of knowing. You think Ben was going to tell him? Tee hee!
NachtcGleiskette – "Heir" is the one that really has my attention right now! Where is that next update??
Colleen – Stryker is a very bad man…..
Mara – Shakespeare – one of my authors of all time! …"The course of true love never did run smooth." Also applies to poor pair. Comas are my nemesis….
Jeanne – The tie into the movie will be coming up in a couple of chapters. Thanks!
Sarah – Hmmm…That would be something interesting to try. This is my first fan fic ever and my first writing attempt in a LONG time. I might give it a shot. If not here, then in a later story.
Sicklepod – ha ha ha! Thanks. I figured if Kurt could get from Washington DC to Boston, unseen and injured, surely he could find his way off an airport landing field, undetected. (You are TOO funny!! :-D)
**************************
Rachel was dragged from her deep slumber by a gnawing hunger. She tried to ignore it, but the rumbling in her stomach persisted, accompanied by a determined, tickling kick that she had not yet become accustomed to. Finally, she pushed her pillow away and stared, confused at the generic surroundings of the motel room Kim Grant had checked into. Slowly, the events of the past few days came back to mind. They had not stopped moving since they had disappeared off the airplane in Miami. Barely stopping even long enough to catch their breath and change rental cars, in which, 'Kim' demanded to have dark, tinted windows. They kept moving till they had reached Georgia, 600 miles away. Finally, somewhat secure they were not in immediate danger, they checked into a motel, to get some much needed rest.
But, Kurt refused to let them both sleep. He insisted one of them should stay awake and it should be him. Rachel had been too drained to argue. Now, he sat, perched on the back of the motel chair, watching over her. His tail swung slowly, acting as a counter balance. He noticed her beginning to stir and went to her. "How did you sleep?" He sat down on the bed beside her.
"Like the dead." She groaned, rubbing her eyes. "What time is it?" She asked, struggling to sit up, still fully clothed.
"After dark." He responded, shrugging. "You've been asleep most of the day." Helping her prop up, he ignored his own pressing fatigue. She sat there for a moment, trying to get her bearings.
He offered her his hand as she finally tried to get out of bed. "You shouldn't have let me sleep this long." She chided him, gently. She slipped her feet back into her shoes.
"You were exhausted." He responded, unswayed.
"So are you." She countered. However, she stumbled against him, proving his point more than her own.
Just then, there was a knock at the door. Rachel's blood ran cold as she instinctively clutched Kurt's hand tighter.
"Kurt! Rachel! Open the door!" Came an insistent, vaguely accented, voice from the other side of the door. That voice seemed familiar, somehow.
They stared at each other in open shock. They doubted it was Stryker's men. Why would they knock...unless it was a trick? Kurt cautiously went to the window and peeked through the slit in the curtains. A great smile crept onto his face. He unchained the door. "I don't believe it!" He breathed, opening the door.
Before Rachel could stop him, Kurt unlocked the door and dragged in the stranger. He wrapped him in a huge hug. Rachel backed away from the scene, startled. Then, she studied the handsome, swarthy man more carefully. Her eyes went wide with recognition.
"Stephan!!" She cried, running up to him. Stephan let go of Kurt long enough to grab her up and swing her around. "How did you- Where did- What are you-" She had so many questions, she couldn't get them all out.
Stephan answered them all with one word. "Lumi."
Kurt and Rachel stared at each other. Kurt shook his head. "You know, I am very glad the Frau is on our side."
"That old woman scares me silly." Rachel agreed.
**************************
Half an hour later, over fast food, Stephan related the phone call he had gotten from Lumi and his sister, Jemaine, a few days before. She had not known their precise location, but gave him enough information that he was able to use his contacts to track them to this hotel room.
"You two are hard to snag! I've been trying to catch up to you since Miami!" He chuckled. Then, he reflected a moment. "You know, I never thought there'd come a time when I'd be helping YOU out of trouble!" Stephan grinned at Kurt, who shrugged in response. He changed the subject. "Why didn't I get an invitation to the wedding?" He chided.
"You did." His blue furred, foster brother replied. "It came back, 'Resident Unknown - Return to Sender."
Stephan laughed a deep, strong laugh. "I do move around a lot." He winked at Rachel. "Must be the Gypsy in me!" He reclined back in the chair and slapped Kurt good naturedly on the back. "Kurt, you did good! I think, you married the most beautiful gypsy in the world!"
Rachel blushed under her golden skin, despite herself. When she was a child, she had had a crush on Stephan, the handsome, dark haired teenager that had always, good-naturedly, indulged her infatuation.
"So, where are the two of you headed?" He asked, sipping another drink out of his Styrofoam cup.
Kurt shook his head. Rachel shrugged. "I do not think we've thought that far ahead." He answered. "Our flight from Germany was....somewhat spur-of-the-moment."
"Well, then travel with me in my little caravan for a while." Stephan interceded, before Kurt could say anything further. It was more of an instruction, than an offer. "We are very good at staying out of sight."
Kurt bit back his irritation. He should be grateful that his brother had risked his life coming here to help them. But, he had always done this, even when Kurt was a child. He would step in a situation and take over, whether he was asked to or not. And, Kurt refused to admit it, but he was just the tiniest bit jealous of the way he looked at Rachel. Of course, Stephan looked at every woman that way, but Rachel wasn't just any woman. She was his wife. He was starting to remember just how crazy Stephan used to drive him.
"I don't know, Stephan." Kurt shook his head. "The men who are after us are dangerous. I don't want to endanger you or your friends."
Stephan laughed. "Danger-Smanger!" He held his arms open. "We're family!"
"Kurt and I need to talk about this, Stephan." Rachel stopped him, picking up on Kurt's disquiet. She stifled a yawn. "Can we take this up in the morning?"
"Sure." He conceded to her. "I'm staying in room 204. My group is camped out here and there. If they see anything unusual, they'll let us know. Call me if anything comes up." He stood up and clasped Kurt into a brotherly hug. Then pulled Rachel into an embrace, putting his hand, uninvited, on her belly, hoping to feel a little kick. Rachel kindly, but sternly, removed his hand, as she hugged him back. She didn't want to be touched, without permission, ever again.
Kurt slipped an arm around her as they bid Stephan good night and shut the door. She could feel the slight tension emanating from him.
"Well...he hasn't changed." Kurt mused, putting the chain back on the door.
"We do need his help." Rachel admitted quietly, staring at the multi colored carpet. "We can only run, helter-skelter, for so long."
Kurt nodded but did not answer. "Why don't you get some more sleep? You need it." He offered, kindly, pushing a stray lock of hair out of her face.
Rachel shook her head. "No, you need it more than me."
Finally, they agreed, with Stephan and his friends keeping a look out, maybe it was safe enough for both of them to try and get some sleep. Kurt pulled off his shirt and pants and turned down the covers on the bed. Rachel shrugged off her own clothes and pulled on her trusty, shapeless nightshirt and climbed in bed beside him. She reached over and turned out the lamp beside the bed. He held out his arm and she laid her head in the hollow of his shoulder in a practiced move.
He chuckled as she yawned again, settling in beside him. "Why ARE you so sleepy, anyway? You've been asleep all day." He teased, knowing very well why she was so worn out.
The acrobat was rewarded for that with a playful jab in the ribs. "It's not my fault." Rachel defended herself. "It's his!" She pointed to the baby. Who, she swore, was currently turning somersaults.
"His?" Kurt smiled, thoughtfully. "So, you think it will be a boy?" He reached out and laid his hand against her, feeling the slight movement.
"Absolutely." Rachel nodded her head, smiling mischievously in the dark, listening to him walk in, up to his furry blue neck.
"What makes you think so?"
Rachel raised her head to look into his glowing eyes. "Because it's keeping me awake! If it were a girl, it would settle down and let me go to sleep!!"
Kurt laughed, but took the cue and curled his arm around her shoulder. However, after a few minutes the question loomed in the air heavily. Neither of them could ignore it.
"This is your home, liebe. Where SHOULD we go from here? We can't keep running forever." Kurt asked her in the darkness.
Rachel thought about the slightly worn business card in her purse. "I think, I know of one place."
"Where?" Kurt sounded a million miles from drowsy.
Rachel sat up and turned back on the lamp. Leaning over to the floor she came up with her purse and dug through it for a moment. She handed Kurt the business card.
Kurt sat up and grappled with the words. While he could speak English almost fluently, he was not well practiced reading it. "A school?"
Rachel nodded. "A school for 'children who are 'different.'" She tried to say 'different' in the least offensive way possible. "...for mutants." She finally admitted.
Kurt looked at the card, darkly. "What kind of school?" He didn't want his child growing up in some kind of research facility. He had already experienced enough of that.
She took the card back and studied it. "I really don't know anything about the school. But the head master there is a mutant rights advocate. Professor Charles Xavier. I think the baby would be safe there." She smiled slightly, remember the kind, distinguished man in a wheelchair.
"The man who met with you in Geneva?" He asked, head cocked to one side, remembering her conversation with Joe in the pilot's lounge in Cuxhaven.
Rachel nodded. "Yes, I think he could help us, if anyone can." She leaned back against the headboard.
But Kurt was not convinced. "And are we just supposed to ship the baby off??" Kurt shook his head. "I will not leave my child in the hands of strangers to rear." He folded his arms over his chest in an air of detest.
"Do you think I would even suggest that??" Tears sprang up in Rachel's wide eyes. Every since seeing that tiny little hand, she had been in love with this child. Enough so, that she had given up her entire life and everything she had ever known, forever, just to keep it. It was a slap in the face that he would insinuate she would be willing to abandon it or send it away, for any reason.
"No!" He answered quickly, regretting his quarrelsome retort. "It's just..." He reasoned, more calmly. "I don't know of any school that allows the parents stay on campus with the students....And I don't want the two of us separated from him....or her." He thought for a few seconds. If they took in an infant, they would HAVE to, at least, allow the mother to stay as well. "Maybe you and the baby could go there and I-"
"You could what, Blue boy?" She cut him off, staring him in the eye, reading his mind. She held up her left hand. Her wedding ring glittered in the lamplight. "Till death do us part, sweetheart. So, unless you're going to kill me. You're stuck with me!" She gave him a small smile. "Where you go - we go."
But, he looked at her with horrified expression. "Rachel! Don't even joke about something like that!" He reprimanded. "I would never harm you."
Rachel shook her head, taken back. "I know, Blue." She cupped his cheek in her hand. "I was only joking." His intensity took her off guard.
Kurt took her hand and kissed her palm, but was only swayed a little. "Still, joke about something else." His vow to her uncle rang in his head.
Rachel took the admonishment with a grain of salt. "All right." Then she took a deep breath. "I don't think this is just ANY school, Kurt. How about we just go there and see what this place is like? If we don't like what we see, we'll leave."
Kurt relaxed a little, letting her hand go. "Maybe we are over reacting. You are human. Isn't there at least a chance this child is human, as well?"
Rachel looked away, her own thoughts taking her back to Cuxhaven.
Schatz.... Do not keep secrets from me..
She shut her eyes against the memory of his words. She held her purse tightly; afraid he would somehow see the ultrasounds she had hidden there. She knew she should have burned them. In fact, she had stood, more than once, beside the fireplace in the chalet bedroom, with the pictures in hand, trying to do just that. But she just couldn't bring herself to destroy them. They were too precious to her.
Yes, theoretically, she supposed a child with one human parent and one mutant parent might be born human. But she knew that was not the case with this child. Now, she was confronted with a terrible choice. She had to either lie to Kurt that she wasn't sure of the baby's genetic make up. Or, she had to confess to him that she had contemplated an abortion. MORE than contemplated it. Which was bad enough, just in itself. But add Catholic doctrine to the matter....Lie to him or confess her transgression. She didn't know which one would hurt more. Or WHO it would hurt more.
An oppressive silence seized the room. Kurt tilted his head, listening to it. "Rachel?" He questioned.
She decided she would be easier to live with a lie that protected them, than a truth that would only cause both of them more unhappiness. She sat the purse back down beside the bed and gave him a weak, tired smile. "I suppose anything's possible." She lied, with the best of intentions.
He nodded and smiled back. After they turned the light back off and settled down for the night, Kurt fell asleep almost instantly. Rachel laid away for a long time remembering that the road to hell was paved with good intentions.
*******************************************
Sashi – Thanks so much! Yes, standing from our POV, you would think that Stryker would've had a clue, but he didn't have any way of knowing. You think Ben was going to tell him? Tee hee!
NachtcGleiskette – "Heir" is the one that really has my attention right now! Where is that next update??
Colleen – Stryker is a very bad man…..
Mara – Shakespeare – one of my authors of all time! …"The course of true love never did run smooth." Also applies to poor pair. Comas are my nemesis….
Jeanne – The tie into the movie will be coming up in a couple of chapters. Thanks!
Sarah – Hmmm…That would be something interesting to try. This is my first fan fic ever and my first writing attempt in a LONG time. I might give it a shot. If not here, then in a later story.
Sicklepod – ha ha ha! Thanks. I figured if Kurt could get from Washington DC to Boston, unseen and injured, surely he could find his way off an airport landing field, undetected. (You are TOO funny!! :-D)
**************************
Rachel was dragged from her deep slumber by a gnawing hunger. She tried to ignore it, but the rumbling in her stomach persisted, accompanied by a determined, tickling kick that she had not yet become accustomed to. Finally, she pushed her pillow away and stared, confused at the generic surroundings of the motel room Kim Grant had checked into. Slowly, the events of the past few days came back to mind. They had not stopped moving since they had disappeared off the airplane in Miami. Barely stopping even long enough to catch their breath and change rental cars, in which, 'Kim' demanded to have dark, tinted windows. They kept moving till they had reached Georgia, 600 miles away. Finally, somewhat secure they were not in immediate danger, they checked into a motel, to get some much needed rest.
But, Kurt refused to let them both sleep. He insisted one of them should stay awake and it should be him. Rachel had been too drained to argue. Now, he sat, perched on the back of the motel chair, watching over her. His tail swung slowly, acting as a counter balance. He noticed her beginning to stir and went to her. "How did you sleep?" He sat down on the bed beside her.
"Like the dead." She groaned, rubbing her eyes. "What time is it?" She asked, struggling to sit up, still fully clothed.
"After dark." He responded, shrugging. "You've been asleep most of the day." Helping her prop up, he ignored his own pressing fatigue. She sat there for a moment, trying to get her bearings.
He offered her his hand as she finally tried to get out of bed. "You shouldn't have let me sleep this long." She chided him, gently. She slipped her feet back into her shoes.
"You were exhausted." He responded, unswayed.
"So are you." She countered. However, she stumbled against him, proving his point more than her own.
Just then, there was a knock at the door. Rachel's blood ran cold as she instinctively clutched Kurt's hand tighter.
"Kurt! Rachel! Open the door!" Came an insistent, vaguely accented, voice from the other side of the door. That voice seemed familiar, somehow.
They stared at each other in open shock. They doubted it was Stryker's men. Why would they knock...unless it was a trick? Kurt cautiously went to the window and peeked through the slit in the curtains. A great smile crept onto his face. He unchained the door. "I don't believe it!" He breathed, opening the door.
Before Rachel could stop him, Kurt unlocked the door and dragged in the stranger. He wrapped him in a huge hug. Rachel backed away from the scene, startled. Then, she studied the handsome, swarthy man more carefully. Her eyes went wide with recognition.
"Stephan!!" She cried, running up to him. Stephan let go of Kurt long enough to grab her up and swing her around. "How did you- Where did- What are you-" She had so many questions, she couldn't get them all out.
Stephan answered them all with one word. "Lumi."
Kurt and Rachel stared at each other. Kurt shook his head. "You know, I am very glad the Frau is on our side."
"That old woman scares me silly." Rachel agreed.
**************************
Half an hour later, over fast food, Stephan related the phone call he had gotten from Lumi and his sister, Jemaine, a few days before. She had not known their precise location, but gave him enough information that he was able to use his contacts to track them to this hotel room.
"You two are hard to snag! I've been trying to catch up to you since Miami!" He chuckled. Then, he reflected a moment. "You know, I never thought there'd come a time when I'd be helping YOU out of trouble!" Stephan grinned at Kurt, who shrugged in response. He changed the subject. "Why didn't I get an invitation to the wedding?" He chided.
"You did." His blue furred, foster brother replied. "It came back, 'Resident Unknown - Return to Sender."
Stephan laughed a deep, strong laugh. "I do move around a lot." He winked at Rachel. "Must be the Gypsy in me!" He reclined back in the chair and slapped Kurt good naturedly on the back. "Kurt, you did good! I think, you married the most beautiful gypsy in the world!"
Rachel blushed under her golden skin, despite herself. When she was a child, she had had a crush on Stephan, the handsome, dark haired teenager that had always, good-naturedly, indulged her infatuation.
"So, where are the two of you headed?" He asked, sipping another drink out of his Styrofoam cup.
Kurt shook his head. Rachel shrugged. "I do not think we've thought that far ahead." He answered. "Our flight from Germany was....somewhat spur-of-the-moment."
"Well, then travel with me in my little caravan for a while." Stephan interceded, before Kurt could say anything further. It was more of an instruction, than an offer. "We are very good at staying out of sight."
Kurt bit back his irritation. He should be grateful that his brother had risked his life coming here to help them. But, he had always done this, even when Kurt was a child. He would step in a situation and take over, whether he was asked to or not. And, Kurt refused to admit it, but he was just the tiniest bit jealous of the way he looked at Rachel. Of course, Stephan looked at every woman that way, but Rachel wasn't just any woman. She was his wife. He was starting to remember just how crazy Stephan used to drive him.
"I don't know, Stephan." Kurt shook his head. "The men who are after us are dangerous. I don't want to endanger you or your friends."
Stephan laughed. "Danger-Smanger!" He held his arms open. "We're family!"
"Kurt and I need to talk about this, Stephan." Rachel stopped him, picking up on Kurt's disquiet. She stifled a yawn. "Can we take this up in the morning?"
"Sure." He conceded to her. "I'm staying in room 204. My group is camped out here and there. If they see anything unusual, they'll let us know. Call me if anything comes up." He stood up and clasped Kurt into a brotherly hug. Then pulled Rachel into an embrace, putting his hand, uninvited, on her belly, hoping to feel a little kick. Rachel kindly, but sternly, removed his hand, as she hugged him back. She didn't want to be touched, without permission, ever again.
Kurt slipped an arm around her as they bid Stephan good night and shut the door. She could feel the slight tension emanating from him.
"Well...he hasn't changed." Kurt mused, putting the chain back on the door.
"We do need his help." Rachel admitted quietly, staring at the multi colored carpet. "We can only run, helter-skelter, for so long."
Kurt nodded but did not answer. "Why don't you get some more sleep? You need it." He offered, kindly, pushing a stray lock of hair out of her face.
Rachel shook her head. "No, you need it more than me."
Finally, they agreed, with Stephan and his friends keeping a look out, maybe it was safe enough for both of them to try and get some sleep. Kurt pulled off his shirt and pants and turned down the covers on the bed. Rachel shrugged off her own clothes and pulled on her trusty, shapeless nightshirt and climbed in bed beside him. She reached over and turned out the lamp beside the bed. He held out his arm and she laid her head in the hollow of his shoulder in a practiced move.
He chuckled as she yawned again, settling in beside him. "Why ARE you so sleepy, anyway? You've been asleep all day." He teased, knowing very well why she was so worn out.
The acrobat was rewarded for that with a playful jab in the ribs. "It's not my fault." Rachel defended herself. "It's his!" She pointed to the baby. Who, she swore, was currently turning somersaults.
"His?" Kurt smiled, thoughtfully. "So, you think it will be a boy?" He reached out and laid his hand against her, feeling the slight movement.
"Absolutely." Rachel nodded her head, smiling mischievously in the dark, listening to him walk in, up to his furry blue neck.
"What makes you think so?"
Rachel raised her head to look into his glowing eyes. "Because it's keeping me awake! If it were a girl, it would settle down and let me go to sleep!!"
Kurt laughed, but took the cue and curled his arm around her shoulder. However, after a few minutes the question loomed in the air heavily. Neither of them could ignore it.
"This is your home, liebe. Where SHOULD we go from here? We can't keep running forever." Kurt asked her in the darkness.
Rachel thought about the slightly worn business card in her purse. "I think, I know of one place."
"Where?" Kurt sounded a million miles from drowsy.
Rachel sat up and turned back on the lamp. Leaning over to the floor she came up with her purse and dug through it for a moment. She handed Kurt the business card.
Kurt sat up and grappled with the words. While he could speak English almost fluently, he was not well practiced reading it. "A school?"
Rachel nodded. "A school for 'children who are 'different.'" She tried to say 'different' in the least offensive way possible. "...for mutants." She finally admitted.
Kurt looked at the card, darkly. "What kind of school?" He didn't want his child growing up in some kind of research facility. He had already experienced enough of that.
She took the card back and studied it. "I really don't know anything about the school. But the head master there is a mutant rights advocate. Professor Charles Xavier. I think the baby would be safe there." She smiled slightly, remember the kind, distinguished man in a wheelchair.
"The man who met with you in Geneva?" He asked, head cocked to one side, remembering her conversation with Joe in the pilot's lounge in Cuxhaven.
Rachel nodded. "Yes, I think he could help us, if anyone can." She leaned back against the headboard.
But Kurt was not convinced. "And are we just supposed to ship the baby off??" Kurt shook his head. "I will not leave my child in the hands of strangers to rear." He folded his arms over his chest in an air of detest.
"Do you think I would even suggest that??" Tears sprang up in Rachel's wide eyes. Every since seeing that tiny little hand, she had been in love with this child. Enough so, that she had given up her entire life and everything she had ever known, forever, just to keep it. It was a slap in the face that he would insinuate she would be willing to abandon it or send it away, for any reason.
"No!" He answered quickly, regretting his quarrelsome retort. "It's just..." He reasoned, more calmly. "I don't know of any school that allows the parents stay on campus with the students....And I don't want the two of us separated from him....or her." He thought for a few seconds. If they took in an infant, they would HAVE to, at least, allow the mother to stay as well. "Maybe you and the baby could go there and I-"
"You could what, Blue boy?" She cut him off, staring him in the eye, reading his mind. She held up her left hand. Her wedding ring glittered in the lamplight. "Till death do us part, sweetheart. So, unless you're going to kill me. You're stuck with me!" She gave him a small smile. "Where you go - we go."
But, he looked at her with horrified expression. "Rachel! Don't even joke about something like that!" He reprimanded. "I would never harm you."
Rachel shook her head, taken back. "I know, Blue." She cupped his cheek in her hand. "I was only joking." His intensity took her off guard.
Kurt took her hand and kissed her palm, but was only swayed a little. "Still, joke about something else." His vow to her uncle rang in his head.
Rachel took the admonishment with a grain of salt. "All right." Then she took a deep breath. "I don't think this is just ANY school, Kurt. How about we just go there and see what this place is like? If we don't like what we see, we'll leave."
Kurt relaxed a little, letting her hand go. "Maybe we are over reacting. You are human. Isn't there at least a chance this child is human, as well?"
Rachel looked away, her own thoughts taking her back to Cuxhaven.
Schatz.... Do not keep secrets from me..
She shut her eyes against the memory of his words. She held her purse tightly; afraid he would somehow see the ultrasounds she had hidden there. She knew she should have burned them. In fact, she had stood, more than once, beside the fireplace in the chalet bedroom, with the pictures in hand, trying to do just that. But she just couldn't bring herself to destroy them. They were too precious to her.
Yes, theoretically, she supposed a child with one human parent and one mutant parent might be born human. But she knew that was not the case with this child. Now, she was confronted with a terrible choice. She had to either lie to Kurt that she wasn't sure of the baby's genetic make up. Or, she had to confess to him that she had contemplated an abortion. MORE than contemplated it. Which was bad enough, just in itself. But add Catholic doctrine to the matter....Lie to him or confess her transgression. She didn't know which one would hurt more. Or WHO it would hurt more.
An oppressive silence seized the room. Kurt tilted his head, listening to it. "Rachel?" He questioned.
She decided she would be easier to live with a lie that protected them, than a truth that would only cause both of them more unhappiness. She sat the purse back down beside the bed and gave him a weak, tired smile. "I suppose anything's possible." She lied, with the best of intentions.
He nodded and smiled back. After they turned the light back off and settled down for the night, Kurt fell asleep almost instantly. Rachel laid away for a long time remembering that the road to hell was paved with good intentions.
*******************************************