The Blackbird was in flight, soaring silently over the ocean.
Scott was at the controls, while Jean sat nearby, glancing up occasionally, then returning to her thoughts.
"I can't belive those three took off like that." it was Warren, his feathery wings folded tight against him, who spoke.
Bobby turned back from staring out the window, regarded him a moment, then said softly, "I can."
Warren glanced back at him, puzzled.
"Well, none of 'em were there when...well, you know. Neither was I, and niether were you. That's why we're here, right, Hank?"
The blue-furred mutant looked sad as he gently replaced two collars - similar to the ones made not so long ago in Genosha - in their case. "That is an extremely astute observation." he said, softly.
"Logan was safe at home." Jean said, abruptly. "I don't understand why Ororo left, we were going to help him, we still want to help him..."
"Some help." said a small, distant figure, eyes open behind aviator sunglasses. She was careful to control every word, every gesture, around the three who were settled near the pacing lioness, ready for anything.
She knew better than to give herself away, hell, she'd spent a large portion of her remembered life learning that - often the hard way.
Logan growled, low in his throat, and returned to pacing back and forth, eyes glittering with gold-amber every time he passed a small path in the trees.
"Hey, she...um, she'll be back soon." the girl said, rising to place an experimental weight on her aching ankle. It held, though a faint crackle of pain shot up her spine.
About time, she told herself, irritably. Ya'd think with a healing factor thing this would be faster...
"Who are you?" asked Rogue, from her postition next to Remy.
"....Call me Kanoni." Glad I read that book on Africa, she thought, forcing herself to think in clear English. Not as easy a task as she hoped, but she had managed tougher things.
"Bonjour, Kanoni." said Remy, putting an arm around Rogue, and looking pleased when she didn't shake it off. He didn't notice her quick, almost aching glance before she squashed it down.
"What are you doing here?" asked Rogue, as the lioness finally lay down, regarding the newcomers with a baleful green gaze. Tiny squeeks announced the arrival of her two cubs, which she held down and washed, reassuring herself they were safe and well.
Kurt rose slowly, aware of Logan's glance in his direction, and extended a hand to the pale cub, which wobbled forward and sniffed his fingers curiously. He smiled, murmering, "Nett katze."
Logan padded over, a soft growl in his throat, and the lion kittens mobbed him, nipping with their milk-teeth and squealing when he herded them back over to their mother for a nap.
It was then Rogue noticed Logan's clothing - or complete lack thereof - and actually blushed.
The older mutant sniffed the air, uttered a reassuring growl, and crouched to watch the path, largely ignoring them.
Cubs. The thought was part-exasperated, part affectionate. Noisy and active as the three were, he wondered where the beta was.
Image-thoughts brought a faint snarl, the slight lifting of his lip to reveal fangs.
The beta would not be welcome here. This was not his place.
Mine. growled Logan to himself. A low rumble overhead made him glance up, and he saw the black-strange not-bird pass overhead. Unconciously, his claws extended, then retracted.
So. The beta was determined to fight for pack-place? Another faint snarl.
This was not his place.
Even if the place-battle had to be fought, he would put the beta in his place.
This was not the beta's place.
No.
Mine. thought Logan, and it made him turn to gaze down the path, where the scent of Skyfur-mate grew closer. This brought a soft, possessive rumble to his throat as he rose. Thinking again, though for different reasons, Mine!
Ororo was more than a little startled when three familiar figures rose to start toward her.
Logan was between them in a moment, claws unsheathed and fangs beared, and she felt a surge of irritated anger - though not at her lover. At those she had once called friend, even family.
At the X-Men.
Couldn't they leave them be?
"Ororo!" called Rogue, startled when Logan growled sternly at her, lifting a hand, claws extended, in a warning gesture.
Without thinking, Ororo rested a gentle hand on Logan's tense shoulder, stepped up around him but not past him, aware of his alert almost-anger - and somehow, a ripple of awareness warned her of a large black thing passing overhead.
"The X-Men." Ororo's beautful face did not fill with relief or affection at the words, not this time.
Instead, a lightning-spark glowed in her eyes as Logan gathered her to him, stroking her hair lightly, sniffing her in concern.
Not-pack human-scent was strong on his mate, but Logan chose to ignore that for a moment.
Skyfur-mate was angry, angry at the strange black not-bird - at the beta.
He soothed her gently, regarding the cubs with eyes that almost seemed to glow.
They were safe in the den, and this was the place they should stay.
Beta. The thought brought images that were not entirely hostile. Once, the beta had been, had been...
Been what?
Smaller brother. Trusted. Pack-leader with him near to protect him from cub-error...
Friend.
This brought a cock of his head, then a violent shake of it.
Now...
Pack-betrayal.
This brought a series of slash-angry-whirls of thought-emotion that distressed him.
He was lone - no.
Skyfur-mate.
Not lone.
New pack.
Yes.
He calmed then, uttering a low purring rumble and nuzzling his distressed mate gently, comfortingly.
Pack.
His pack.
Mate.
Pack.
His pack.
Logan growled, communicating his disquiet to Skyfur-mate while soothing her own roiling emotions.
"Logan will not tolerate the X-Men here." Ororo's voice was almost cold, until the lion cubs wobbled over to greet her, weaving through her and Logan's legs in an attempt to persuade them to play.
"I know what happened was horrible..." began Kurt.
"No, Kurt." Ororo shook her head as Logan crouched to allow the cubs to nuzzle against him. "You don't know. May the Goddess grant you never know."
None of them had ever heard so much anger in the weather mutant's voice.
Overhead, thunder boomed in empathy with her emotions, as the clouds darkened, lightning flickering within them.
"He's been pretty cranky." the voice floated from the area near the trees, where the injured girl sat, petting the head of the curious lioness.
Ororo managed a smile for her, though inside, she fought down both anger and fear.
She couldn't forgive her former teammates, but niether did she want a full-scale battle that might injure Logan - or even them.
Even now, she could not find it in her heart to hate them.
Logan didn't.
But the bonds he had laborously forged were frayed and torn, at very best. He would fight to drive them away, and the X-Men...well, she could think of only one reason they would have come looking, and she would not have it.
"Logan." she said, aware of the golden gaze that met her's, full of a love that made her heart seem to take flight despite her thoughts. "Stay here. Please."
Mate. Protect. the image-thought-emotions were powerful enough to make her almost reconsider, but she forced herself to hold his face - his strong, beautiful face - in both her hands and whisper gently to him.
"My love." For his ears alone. It seemed almost sacred at that moment, something she was not willing to share with the newcomers.
Finally, reluctantly, Logan seemed to agree, though it was clear he would not stay behind for long.
Not when she was in danger.
This was about trusting her, beliving in her, and despite his instinctive, primal thoughts, he let her go.
"Ororo!" called Remy, and she paused.
"Be careful...Soeur, oui?"
Feeling the prick of tears in her eyes, Ororo nodded once and was gone.
Logan watched them alertly, eyes shadowed with gold and amber.
The lion kittens, however, rolled and tussled in the soft leaves, unconcerned.
TRANSLATIONS
Nett katze - Cute kitten
Soeur - Sister