Title: Sirens' Song
Author: Sinayah
Disclaimer: I don't own any characters from Buffy, Angel, or Xmen. They belong to very rich people who don't appreciate them as we fanfic writers do.
Disclaimer 2: The Chapter Title and Lyrics belong to Stroke 9.
Authors Note: Many heartfelt thanks to my muse Zenura, without her I wouldn't have had the guts to write. If you like this story please review or send me an email, I'd really appreciate hearing what you think. Enjoy!
Authors Note 2: The 'lullaby' in this chapter is actually a variation of an original poem I wrote for my son. It's copyrighted so please don't steal it.
Chapter 9: Kick Some Ass
"How many people wanna kick some ass…"
Serena, Evan, and Kurt arrived back at the hotel just as their friends returned from the club. Serena and Logan left the five teens exchanging stories on the terrace of their second story rooms, while the adults went into their shared room to discuss the evening's adventures thus far.
"Next time Chatterbox, I beat people up for information and you go to the hormone warehouse with three teenagers. If I never see that place again it will be too soon. Are you sure the hellmouth is under the school and not in that place?" The big man asked, rubbing his temples, trying to rid himself of the headache that was forming.
Serena gave him a sympathetic look before remembering the kiss he'd planted on her before they parted earlier. I wicked gleam came into her whiskey coloured eyes as she clucked her tongue and took over the task of rubbing her friends temples. "Aww poor Wolvie, was it too much for you?"
Logan growled and sat on the bed, letting the small woman minister to his aching head. "It was awful Chatty. I had to stand up on a catwalk to watch the kids and all the hormone bombs were hitting on Rogue and Kitty. I even felt sorry for Speedy; his ass got pinched so often. Then right before we left, I had to take off a vamps head. Found it…him, whatever, tryin to eat some brainless girl."
Chuckling, Serena took her hands from Logans head and tilted his chin up. Her lovely eyes glared down at him as she stated, "Good! I hope you suffered! If you ever kiss me like that again I'll let the kids throw a party at the mansion and leave you as a chaperone got it! If you want to kiss me you do it like this."
Logan gaped at the younger woman, stunned speechless by her lecture. He watched as her full, darkly rouged lips descended, and closed his eyes to receive her kiss. "Hey Logan, Serena, come on! We're getting hungry out here, let's go eat already!" Kurt and Evan stuck their heads through the partially opened door. "Umm, oops?" Both heads pulled back when they'd taken in the scene they'd interrupted.
Serena pulled her head back and began laughing loudly. She grabbed her bag and hustled herself into the bathroom to change into her normal clothing. Blue eyes opened, and six gleaming claws shot out of Logan's hands as he stood. Stalking to the door he stuck one clawed fist out the opening and growled, "I oughta gut ya both for that you little brats! Do you know how long I've waited for that woman to get a clue? If I don't get a kiss tonight neither of you will see tomorrow morning!"
The two jokers laughed out loud, happy to have foiled Logan's liaison for the moment. "What's going on guys? Did you interrupt something?" Rogue asked, finding their amusement contagious, even without the benefit of knowing what they were laughing at.
"Logan was about to get that kiss he's been wanting for months! We interrupted just before Serena touched him!" Evan gasped out. Everyone at the mansion knew that Logan was deeply in lust with their house mother. The sparks between them were obvious even to the densest of the residents. Evan had organized a pool on when the two would get together; even Ororo and the professor had put their money in.
The announcement made the group laugh all the harder. Kitty asked who had this week in the pool. Evan thought for a moment before replying that his aunt did. Pietro was asking how soon he could get in on the action when Logan and Serena came out of their room. Seeing the objects of his disgruntlement Wolverine growled at the teens until Serena patted his arm to make him stop. "Come on you little jokers, we'll eat at the diner down the street and then we have some more work to do."
Dinner went well, with the kids talking about their adventures. Pietro and Rogue pouted when they heard about the massive slaying of vampires and demons in the bar. Kitty made some disgusted noises, not really liking violence. The young brunette talked about the club and asked the adults if they could visit it one more time before they left. Serena told her it would depend on how things went the next day with the slayer and Spikes' rescue.
After everyone had finished eating Evan gave their leader the list Willie had given them and the group left the diner, walking together toward the nearest house, which happened to belong to the watcher, Rupert Giles.
They found the complex that housed Mr. Giles townhouse easily and wandered into the courtyard, finding the right apartment and circling around it, looking for a convenient window to peep through. They'd gotten around the side of the building when Logan stopped them. The group waited silently, watching the man as he cocked his head, listening to a sound their ears couldn't pick up. "Someone's having sex up there Chatty." He said, jerking his head upwards to indicate that the sounds were coming from the upstairs bedroom.
"Well then he won't mind us having a peek into his downstairs bathroom will he? That's where Spike said he was being kept." Continuing around to the back of the building Serena spotted the bathroom window, set high on the wall. There was no light on in that room and the woman became enraged at the thought that her friend could be chained up in a cold, dark room, listening to the noises of one of his captors having sex.
"Kitty, can you phase your head into the bathroom and see if Spike is in there? If he is there is going to be unimaginable amounts of hell to pay when I get a hold of that group." The older woman said; a dangerous gleam in her darkening eyes. Kitty went to the wall under the window and phased her upper body through the obstacle. She looked around the dark room, seeing that she'd entered over the bathtub. There was no one in the tub, but the chains piled near the sink indicated that Serenas' friend had been kept there.
Pulling back out of the room Kitty turned to Serena and said, "He's not in there, but there are some chains on the floor so he must have been there not too long ago right?" The girl hugged her friend tightly, seeing that she was near tears.
"He should be there. Where else would they keep him? He wouldn't have escaped on his own; not after he sent me that letter to come and get him. God I don't even want to think that the blonde bitch might have dusted him. He's helpless!" Trying hard to control her emotions Serena clung to her young friend as she spoke. Logan came over and picked the woman up, gesturing with his head for the teens to follow.
Outside the complex, the group sat down and gave their leader time to pull herself together. Pietro took the list of addresses from Evan, who'd taken the paper back after Logan and Serena had looked at it in the diner. The snowy haired boy spoke to the group, thinking aloud. "Ok so he's not where he said he'd be. One of the other members must be keeping him for some reason; probably so this guy could have his girlfriend over. So, which person is most likely to have him?"
Evan took over where Pietro left off, putting the pieces together to find the missing vampire. "The dude in the bar said the slayer and the redhead live in a dorm at the college. If Spike is with them against his will, I doubt the girls could sneak him into their dorm room without him causing a ruckus."
"That leaves the guy then. Give me that list man, and a quarter." Kurt finished Evan and Pietro's thoughts. He held out his hand and accepted the paper and coin from the white haired boy. Kurt stood and walked across the street to the payphone. Looking at the phone number beside the name A. Harris, he deposited the coin and dialled.
Rogue had followed her team mate, wanting to see what he was up to. She reached him as he began speaking. "Hi, this is Kurt umm Kurt Logan. Is Xander there?" Rogue smiled at the boys' nervous attempt to disguise his voice and his use of a false last name. They waited a minute before Kurt began speaking again.
"Hey Xander, this is Kurt, you know from work? Listen man, I know its short notice but can you switch shifts with me tomorrow? Why? Umm, because my sister has a doctors appointment and I have to take her. Ahh thanks man you saved my neck. Hey, didn't I see you earlier? I thought I saw you with some bleach head, Billy Idol wannabe. Huh, your cousin eh? Sounds like you don't like him much. Yeah I know how that is. He staying with you long? Not too long then, that's cool. Hey I better let ya go and get some sleep man. Thanks for switching with me. Yeah, that's right, lunch shift. See ya later man, bye." Kurt hung up the phone with a pleased smile on his face.
The two teens returned to their friends and Kurt crouched down in front of Serena. "Spike is with the guy, Xander. He's staying with him for a few days while his 'parents are on vacation.' You want to go over and check it out?" He asked, feeling like a knight in shining armour when Serenas' face lit with joy.
The dark haired woman lunged at her friend, hugging him tightly. "Thank you for finding him. Let's go take a look around the boys place. Maybe Kitty can let Spike know we're here." Standing, she led the way to Xander Harris' house. Feeling proud of themselves for solving the problem that had made their friend so sad, the boys exchanged high fives before falling in with the girls.
The Harris home was a single story building in a lower middle class area of the town. Kitty once again stuck her upper body through the wall, taking in the sight of Mr. and Mrs. Harris sleeping in their bedroom. Another try located the second, empty bedroom, and a third showed the living room and kitchen areas. Xander and Spike were nowhere to be found. Withdrawing from the living room wall Kitty just shook her head, letting the others know she hadn't seen Spike.
Becoming angry Serena whispered, "Where are they? This is getting bloody ridiculous." The group circled the house once more, looking for some indication that there was another room in the small house. Logan spotted a window set near the ground at the back of the house and pointed. "There's a basement. Take a look inside Half Pint, the kid probably lives down there."
The willowy brunette obliged, kneeling down on the grass and phasing her head through the wall next to the window. Looking around the room, she saw the disco ball hanging about two feet from her face, and beyond that was a fold out sofa, a dark haired boy snoring away on the make shift bed. Pulling out of the wall Kitty got up and walked around to the side of the house, her friends following behind.
She knelt and phased through the wall again, her dark eyes immediately spotting the bleached blond hair and pale skin of Serenas' friend. She sighed with relief before pulling back to give her friends the good news. "I found him." She whispered happily, "He's tied to a chair, sleeping. That Xander guy is sleeping on a sofa bed. You were right Mr. Logan, he lives down there."
Serena knelt down on the ground beside her friend and gave her a hug. "Think you could phase me through Kitty? I need to see him and make sure he's alright. He's probably heard us out here by now." Kitty nodded and took hold of her older friends hand and phased them both partially through the wall again.
Serena spotted the golden yellow orbs peering back at her the moment her head came through the wall. Spike was looking at her with his trademark smirk in place. His amber eyes took in the little brunette that had come through beside the woman. Winking at the young girl, he made a gesture in sign language. "Well what are you waiting for, get me out of here."
Being unable to sign back while holding Kittys' hand Serena mouthed "Tomorrow Spike." Seeing his impatient glare, she continued, "I want to have a word with your hosts." After years of reading the womans lips, Spike understood her words and nodded. Just then, another head came through the wall. Logan had apparently gotten curious and taken Kitty's other hand so that he could take a look as well.
Nodding a greeting to the man who'd just phased in Spike gestured, "This that Logan bloke you told me about?" She nodded yes and smiled. "How many others did you bring Nymph?" He chuckled silently when she mouthed the words "Four more outside."
"Well Luv, you've truly brought the cavalry. Now go away and let a vamp get some sleep. I'll be expecting you tomorrow." Spike signed. Serena couldn't hold back a small giggle at his flippant attitude. "See you tomorrow Spikey, good night. I love you." She mouthed before pulling out of the wall, taking Kitty and Logan with her.
As they disappeared Spike sighed, "I love you too my little nymph, Thank you for coming to get me." The vampire closed his eyes and settled in for the first decent nights sleep he'd had since he was captured by the soldiers, knowing that his Nymph would rescue him the next day.
Walking away from the house, everyone noted Serena's greatly lightened mood. The woman practically skipped down the sidewalk, heading back to their hotel. Kitty explained to the others that Spike had woken up and that he and Siren had spoken for a few minutes using sign language and lip reading. "Rogue, he's even cuter in real life! That picture doesn't like, hold a candle to the real thing." The brunette exclaimed.
The boys groaned good naturedly at the thought of yet another good looking male to compete with for the attention of the girl's. Their moods too were lightened, now that Serena was happy again. Now that she'd seen her missing friend and knew he was alright the worry lines had disappeared from her forehead and the tension in her small frame had eased.
It was about midnight when the group paused in their trek. Across the street in one of the towns many cemeteries Logan had heard a frightened cry, and seen movement between the headstones. Fearing that someone was being hurt, he called for the team to follow and made his way into the dark cemetery.
The big man used his sense of smell to track the creatures and their victims through the rows of headstones to a large mausoleum. He looked inside and his stomach churned at the scene inside the building. At his gesture Serena came forward to look inside. She looked for a moment, counting heads, before backing a few feet away, bringing Logan with her. The teens had caught up and were standing with curious expressions when their leaders rejoined them. "What's going on in there Chatterbox? That was…Gawd that was horrible."
"It's a nest. Probably a family group, I sensed a couple of older vamps and a lot of newbies. There are five people still alive, and fifteen vamps." Looking at her charges she said, "We need to get them out. How do you kids feel about having a little play time?"
In response the teens reached into their pockets and pulled out an assortment of stakes and vials of holy water. Logan unsheathed his claws and growled. Taking out her own stake, Serena gave them a quick plan. "Ok, Kurt and Kitty will go over near the mausoleum and start talking to get their attention. When they come out to investigate back off and scream, like you're afraid of them. Once they're all out we'll take them on."
"Don't take on more than one at a time. Stay close together and help each other. Evan, be careful where you shoot your spikes, I don't want one of us to get hit by one. Rogue, do not use your powers on these things. I'm not sure what you'll absorb and the last thing I want is for you to get a taste of the demons that animate these creatures. Ok. Kurt, Kitty you're up." The kids started walking slowly toward the crypt, Kitty talking loudly about how creepy it was to be walking in a cemetery after dark.
As expected, the vamps came rushing out, eager to take a couple more victims. Kurt yelled and backed away, dragging Kitty with him, both playing the part of the frightened innocent well. Thirteen of the creatures followed the teens, leaving two behind to guard the lair. As Kurt and Kitty ran past Evan, he stepped out from behind a tombstone and fired a multitude of stakes from his arms and chest.
Two vamps exploded into dust as the wooden spikes entered their hearts. Another four were wounded by the flying wood. Stunned by the attack, and the boy who shot stakes from his body, the vamps got an even bigger shock when four other people emerged from their hiding spots and their first victims returned.
Logan charged into the vamp closest to him, adamantium claws raking the creatures' neck and severing its head. Serena had vaulted over a headstone and kicked another in the chest, sending it to the ground where she quickly staked it. As each adult took on another vamp, the teens were dealing well with the five that had come after them
Evan and Kitty were fighting back to back against two vamps. They were holding the creatures off, Kitty phasing through the attacks of one and Evan expertly blocking the blows of another. They duo obviously had a plan of their own because Kitty yelled "Now!" and Evan spiked out, grabbing the arm of his opponent and pulling the vamp into him, impaling it on his chest spikes. As that one turned to dust Kitty phased straight through her opponent and, with the help of Pietro, who'd appeared in a flash of white hair, pushed her vampire into Evan, impaling it on the stakes protruding from the boys back.
Rogue and Kurt were having fun, toying with the vampires who weren't used to food that fought back. The slayer and her group aside, the vamps in Sunnydale had never seen teenagers who fought like this group did. Rogue sent a spinning back kick at the female vamp she was fighting, sending it sprawling. She quickly jumped on it and sent her stake into its heart with a strong stabbing motion. Kurt was playing 'can't catch me' with his vamp, also a female, and the creature was getting confused. The blue teen teleported around her and threw his open vial of holy water onto the back of her head. The vamp screamed and was unprepared when he re appeared in front of her and plunged the stake into her heart, Pietro appearing again to shove the vamp when the stake didn't quite reach its heart.
Logan and Serena had taken out another three vamps and they looked around to see their charges doing tremendously well. Pietro had used his sonic speed in lieu of strength, backing off and taking a running start, charging the first vampire that came after him with his stake raised. His aim had been true and the vamp exploded into dust before it had even realized what the streak of white coming at it had been.
The speedster had used a similar tactic on a second vamp, this time using his powers to rapidly beat the creature into submission. When it lay stunned at the boys feet Pietro's arm had flashed down to end its existence. Having managed to kill two of the vamps, the boy had turned his attentions to helping the other teens, dashing to aid Kitty in shoving her large opponent onto Evan, tripping a vamp that was trying to sneak up behind Logan, and shoving Kurt's vamp to help the blue boy finish his kill.
The team gathered together as the dust of their opponents settled to the ground. The teens were gasping for breath, tired from their exertions. Taking only a moment to regroup Serena sent Pietro to call for an ambulance and left the other four teens to rest while she and Logan went into the mausoleum.
The two minions left to guard the lair had fled during the skirmish, realizing that the strange people were going to win the fight. Logan covered his mouth and nose when he passed through the doorway to the crypt, and Serena wrinkled her own nose in distaste. The ground was littered with human remains and assorted garbage. Flies and maggots teamed on and around the corpses. Making their way carefully to the far corner, where the frightened, wounded, but still living people were huddled Serena typed, "It's alright. The creatures are dead now. We've got an ambulance coming to take care of you. Let us help you get out of this place."
The five terrified people, all teenagers who'd been caught during a séance, allowed Serena and Logan to lead them out of the grisly crypt. Hearing the sirens of the ambulance Logan called for their charges. "Come on kids, we don't want to be around when the cops get here. They'd ask too many stupid questions."
The tired group walked quickly back to their hotel and entered their rooms, calling dibs on who got the showers first. No one noticed the small blonde figure that trailed behind them, shock and a bit of fear showing on her face. 'I've got to talk to Giles first thing in the morning. They don't look like demons, but that was too weird.' Buffy thought, her hazel eyes looking at the closed doors of the three hotel rooms.
* * * * * * * * * *
In Serena and Logan's room, Logan got the first shower. He'd sneezed all the way home, the vampire dust irritating his sensitive nose. He wished he could stay under the warm spray for a while, but he quickly cleaned up, knowing Chatty was waiting for a turn.
Slipping a pair of black sweat pants over his damp legs, the big man left the closet sized bathroom and let Serena in. Figuring the woman would take a while in the shower Logan took the opportunity to go check on the kids. They hadn't complained of any injuries but as their guardian on this mission it was his duty to make sure they weren't hurt.
Rogue let him into the room she shared with Kitty and he found that his favourite girls were tired but not seriously hurt. Kitty had phased through her attackers punches and was unhurt, but Rogue had a fist sized bruise on her shoulder where the vamp she'd staked had landed a punch. Logan made a snap decision and lightly brushed his lips over the girls' forehead, allowing her to absorb a bit of his healing power. He watched the bruise vanish and ignored her screeching about his touching her, knowing Serena did the same thing each night.
Leaving quickly, he said goodnight to the girls and made his way to the boy's corner room. Evan let him in and he looked each of the boys over. Evan and Kurt were exhausted from using their powers so much that day, but they would be fine in the morning.
Pietro was just coming out of the shower and Logan saw that the boy had skinned his knee sometime that night. He asked the snowy haired boy how it had happened and was touched when the kid muttered that he'd fallen after tripping a vampire that was set to attack Logans back. The older man nodded in thanks and said his goodnights to the youngsters, telling them that Serena would probably be in later to 'tuck you in like good little boys.' Logan chuckled as he closed the door on the boys' groans.
The water had stopped running back in his room and he lay down on the queen sized bed, waiting for his little Chatterbox to appear. She emerged about five minutes later, her hair damp and curling around her waist. Logan had never seen Serenas' nightwear and gasped now at the sight before him. Her curvy little body was clad in a mans flannel shirt that was about five sizes too big for her small frame. The bottom edges of the lycra shorts she wore peeked out from under the loose shirt, showing a long expanse of pale, shapely leg. With her wildly curling mane of raven black hair and deep honeyed eyes Serena was a sight to behold.
Serena too was getting an eyeful. With only a pair of sweatpants covering the essentials, too much of her friends' deeply tanned and lightly furred body was revealed. Her golden gaze took in the thick ridges of muscle on his arms and chest, the deep suntan from long hours working outside, and the soft looking black hair that seemed to cover his entire front, narrowing slightly as it reached his navel. 'I always knew he was a fine looking man, but damn! No wonder I feel so tiny next to him.' She thought, letting her appreciation of his form show in her eyes.
"I'm going to go say goodnight to the kids Wolvie. Why don't you pour us a nightcap? If you look behind that cooler I stuck in the mini fridge you might find a nice surprise. Don't look inside the cooler though, that's Spike's dinner for tomorrow and I doubt you'd find it a 'nice' anything." Serena said, heading out the door, giving Logan a fine view of her swaying backside.
Logan got up, her idea of a nightcap sounding great to the tired man. Taking her advice he pulled the cooler out of the fridge without opening it and found two bottles of his favourite Jack Daniels whiskey hidden behind it. "God love that woman, I know I do!" He thought aloud, praising his friends' thoughtfulness.
* * * * * * * * * *
While Logan was searching the hotel room for glasses, Serena was chatting with her female team mates. They were dead on their feet tired but still yakking away about their adventures. She listened to Rogue gripe about Logans touching her to heal 'a little bruise' and promised to chastise the man thoroughly, all of them knowing it wouldn't happen. Hugging both girls and kissing their foreheads Serena wished them goodnight and followed in Logans footsteps to the boy's room.
They must have been expecting her because her knock was answered by three voices calling "Come in." Entering, she found the boys already abed, Kurt and Evan sharing one double bed and leaving Pietro the other. Sitting down on Pietros' bed facing Kurt and Evan she asked, "So boys, how are you enjoying your first California trip?"
They laughed with her and started babbling about how much fun they were having. Serena could only shake her head over her boys' insistence that killing vampires was 'cool' and 'fun' and 'better than skateboarding.' Knowing the dangers of their cocky attitudes toward the life and death battle they'd been in earlier she felt the need to caution them.
"Ok boys, I know you think all of this is great fun, but let's be serious a minute. What happened tonight wasn't a Danger Room session; it was a kill or be killed fight. If you hadn't staked those vampires, you can be sure they would've drained you, and maybe tortured you first. Also, never do again what you did a few minutes ago. If you're in a private home, a vampire can't enter without an invitation. Never just call one out, always get up and see who's knocking first, even if you recognize the voice. It's such a small thing I know, but a mistake can get you killed." She lectured, pleased that the boys were listening to her and taking the matter seriously.
After getting their agreement to be cautious she continued on a more light hearted note. "Alright then, enough serious talk. You're all tired and I think it's time you got some sleep." The boys were happy to obey, laying their heads down and closing their eyes. Moving to the bed Kurt and Evan shared Serena tucked the blankets around their shoulders and brushed a kiss over each forehead, making the boys smile. 'Logan's right, we really are her good little boys.' Kurt thought.
Pietro was awed by his friends' easy, mothering nature. He was even more shocked when she approached his bed to give him the same treatment as the other two teens. Remembering that she'd done this with him as a child he gave in and allowed her to tuck him in. She kissed his forehead and was about to turn away when his arm came out to halt her. "Please?" he asked, knowing she'd understand.
A warm smile gracing her elfin features the dark haired woman sat at his side again and spoke softly. "Alright Ptichka. All of you close your eyes and go to sleep now." Closing her own amber eyes and leaning her head back, the sea siren opened her mouth and began to sing an old Ukrainian lullaby, translating the words into English so the boys would understand.
God please bless the children,
Who sleep in here tonight.
Lord protect the innocents,
Until dawns early light.
For here lies my heart,
My pride and my joy.
These sweet smiling angels,
My precious baby boys.
God please bless the children,
You sent on angels' wing.
That the world may know the happiness,
My little ones can bring.
Lord protect my baby boys,
These children so brave and bold.
Stretch your arms out to comfort them,
When the night grows cold.
Nothing for myself,
Do I ask of Thee.
Only that you keep these babes,
Safe for you and me.
Her sweet voice faded away at the end of the song and she looked at the three teenage boys lying in their beds. The happiness in their smiles brought a flush of warmth to her heart, and the lone tear on her Ptichkas' pale cheek touched her deeply. Serena brushed the wetness away and kissed his forehead again, as she had long ago. Then she turned and left the room, turning off the light and locking the door behind her.
When the door closed behind the small woman three pairs of eyes opened. A voice came from the bed that held the shining silver blue orbs. "Do you guys get that treatment every night?" Pietro asked, thinking of his cold, drab room in the Brotherhoods house and the loneliness that was a constant feeling for the four boys.
In the bed that held a pair of chocolate brown eyes and another pair that shone with an iridescent light a voice responded, "Not the lullaby part but yeah, Serena usually comes in every night and does the mother hen thing. She picks up our clothes and makes sure our alarm clocks are set, then tucks us in and kisses and hugs us goodnight. I get it twice because Auntie O comes in after Serena leaves." Evan said, sighing as though the routine got tiresome, trying to preserve his cool.
"Yeah, Serena is a good Mama to all of us. She even visits Jean every night and Jean hates her. It's good to have Serena around, she makes the mansion feel like a home." Kurt added, thinking of the many times he'd taken the nightly opportunity to unload his fears on her, and how she'd always given him the reassurance he needed.
Pietro nodded, closing his eyes. "She used to sing that lullaby to me, back in the Ukraine, when she put me to bed at night. I couldn't remember the words until she sang it again tonight. I'm glad I remember some of the time I spent with her. She hasn't changed much over the years." The white haired boy turned onto his side and let himself drift off to sleep.
When his breathing had evened out into the shallow even pattern of sleep Kurt's voice sounded again quietly. "I think Serena was a good Mama to him too. Those Brotherhood boys, they need a Mama; badly." Evan nodded in agreement, and the two Xmen followed Pietro into sleep.
* * * * * * * * * *
Serena walked quietly back to the room she shared with Logan and walked in, turning and locking the door behind her. She sat down on the queen sized bed next to her friend, who handed her a plastic cup with two inches of amber liquid in it. Leaning back against the headboard, the woman crossed her delicate ankles and sipped at the strong whiskey.
"I heard you singin to the boys a minute ago. I'm surprised they let ya treat em like little kids. If it was anyone else comin to tuck em in and kiss em goodnight they'd probably groan and gag. The male ego, ya know?" Logan said, awed by the power the tiny woman seemed to wield over teenagers.
"They may be nearly adults, but all children need a mother, even teenage boys. Especially our kids, who've either had to leave home to learn about their powers, or were forced to leave by their own parents because of their mutations. I love taking care of them, and being able to make them feel loved. They need to be loved and I need to love them. It completes the circle." Serena responded, taking another sip of the whiskey and letting the alcohol soothe away the tensions of the day, finally able to relax a little. The pair lay silently for a while, sipping at their drinks and letting the exhaustion take hold.
When they'd finished their nightcap Serena rinsed the cups in the bathroom sink, then returned to the bed. Logan had climbed beneath the covers and was holding the other side open for her. She climbed in and sighed deeply, the lumpy hotel mattress and thin pillow feeling heavenly to her aching muscles.
Logan turned off the bedside lamp and lay on his back, listening to the sounds of the late night traffic. After a minute or two Serena turned to face him and propped her upper body up on one elbow, her honey coloured eyes shining with a golden light. Not saying a word, her hand came up to caress his stubbled cheek. Her small thumb traced the outline of Logans' full lips, then rubbed over the soft, dry skin. Bringing the hand up, Serena smoothed his tousled black hair away from his temple, and lowered her face to meet his lips in a sweet, gentle kiss.
The seconds ticked by quietly, unnoticed by the man and woman. Then Serena reluctantly pulled back for a breath, breaking the tender kiss, but not the serenity of the moment. Logan moved his arms, one going around her shoulders and the other around her slender hips, pulling the dark beauty into his embrace. The large, callused hand on her hip trailed upwards, fingertips dragging over the dip of her waist, roughly textured but gentle palm stroking over the curve of generous breast, tickling lightly over her collarbone and finally treating her cheek and lips to the same exploration she'd given his.
Tilting her chin so that her darkening eyes met his twinkling sapphire orbs, Logan tilted his head downward to meet her lips in a second, more passionate kiss. His lips moved softly over hers, coaxing her response, and she parted her lips when his tongue touched them, begging entrance. Their tongues duelled flirtatiously for a few moments, until they again had to separate for breath.
Without speaking, each knew that this was as far as they would go tonight. Gently passionate kisses, just enough so that they knew how the other felt, and that there would be another time and another embrace, once they were home again. Tucking her dark head under Logans chin, Serena cuddled close to the big man, feeling protected when his large, muscled arm came around again to hold her close. A kiss pressed into her hair, and she returned the gesture against his chest, before both closed their eyes and allowed sleep to take them into its deep embrace.
When a breeze from an unknown source drifted through the hotel in the dead hours of the night, all seven members of the rescue team were sound asleep, and their smiling lips parted willingly to allow a breath of white smoke to leave their bodies.
Author: Sinayah
Disclaimer: I don't own any characters from Buffy, Angel, or Xmen. They belong to very rich people who don't appreciate them as we fanfic writers do.
Disclaimer 2: The Chapter Title and Lyrics belong to Stroke 9.
Authors Note: Many heartfelt thanks to my muse Zenura, without her I wouldn't have had the guts to write. If you like this story please review or send me an email, I'd really appreciate hearing what you think. Enjoy!
Authors Note 2: The 'lullaby' in this chapter is actually a variation of an original poem I wrote for my son. It's copyrighted so please don't steal it.
Chapter 9: Kick Some Ass
"How many people wanna kick some ass…"
Serena, Evan, and Kurt arrived back at the hotel just as their friends returned from the club. Serena and Logan left the five teens exchanging stories on the terrace of their second story rooms, while the adults went into their shared room to discuss the evening's adventures thus far.
"Next time Chatterbox, I beat people up for information and you go to the hormone warehouse with three teenagers. If I never see that place again it will be too soon. Are you sure the hellmouth is under the school and not in that place?" The big man asked, rubbing his temples, trying to rid himself of the headache that was forming.
Serena gave him a sympathetic look before remembering the kiss he'd planted on her before they parted earlier. I wicked gleam came into her whiskey coloured eyes as she clucked her tongue and took over the task of rubbing her friends temples. "Aww poor Wolvie, was it too much for you?"
Logan growled and sat on the bed, letting the small woman minister to his aching head. "It was awful Chatty. I had to stand up on a catwalk to watch the kids and all the hormone bombs were hitting on Rogue and Kitty. I even felt sorry for Speedy; his ass got pinched so often. Then right before we left, I had to take off a vamps head. Found it…him, whatever, tryin to eat some brainless girl."
Chuckling, Serena took her hands from Logans head and tilted his chin up. Her lovely eyes glared down at him as she stated, "Good! I hope you suffered! If you ever kiss me like that again I'll let the kids throw a party at the mansion and leave you as a chaperone got it! If you want to kiss me you do it like this."
Logan gaped at the younger woman, stunned speechless by her lecture. He watched as her full, darkly rouged lips descended, and closed his eyes to receive her kiss. "Hey Logan, Serena, come on! We're getting hungry out here, let's go eat already!" Kurt and Evan stuck their heads through the partially opened door. "Umm, oops?" Both heads pulled back when they'd taken in the scene they'd interrupted.
Serena pulled her head back and began laughing loudly. She grabbed her bag and hustled herself into the bathroom to change into her normal clothing. Blue eyes opened, and six gleaming claws shot out of Logan's hands as he stood. Stalking to the door he stuck one clawed fist out the opening and growled, "I oughta gut ya both for that you little brats! Do you know how long I've waited for that woman to get a clue? If I don't get a kiss tonight neither of you will see tomorrow morning!"
The two jokers laughed out loud, happy to have foiled Logan's liaison for the moment. "What's going on guys? Did you interrupt something?" Rogue asked, finding their amusement contagious, even without the benefit of knowing what they were laughing at.
"Logan was about to get that kiss he's been wanting for months! We interrupted just before Serena touched him!" Evan gasped out. Everyone at the mansion knew that Logan was deeply in lust with their house mother. The sparks between them were obvious even to the densest of the residents. Evan had organized a pool on when the two would get together; even Ororo and the professor had put their money in.
The announcement made the group laugh all the harder. Kitty asked who had this week in the pool. Evan thought for a moment before replying that his aunt did. Pietro was asking how soon he could get in on the action when Logan and Serena came out of their room. Seeing the objects of his disgruntlement Wolverine growled at the teens until Serena patted his arm to make him stop. "Come on you little jokers, we'll eat at the diner down the street and then we have some more work to do."
Dinner went well, with the kids talking about their adventures. Pietro and Rogue pouted when they heard about the massive slaying of vampires and demons in the bar. Kitty made some disgusted noises, not really liking violence. The young brunette talked about the club and asked the adults if they could visit it one more time before they left. Serena told her it would depend on how things went the next day with the slayer and Spikes' rescue.
After everyone had finished eating Evan gave their leader the list Willie had given them and the group left the diner, walking together toward the nearest house, which happened to belong to the watcher, Rupert Giles.
They found the complex that housed Mr. Giles townhouse easily and wandered into the courtyard, finding the right apartment and circling around it, looking for a convenient window to peep through. They'd gotten around the side of the building when Logan stopped them. The group waited silently, watching the man as he cocked his head, listening to a sound their ears couldn't pick up. "Someone's having sex up there Chatty." He said, jerking his head upwards to indicate that the sounds were coming from the upstairs bedroom.
"Well then he won't mind us having a peek into his downstairs bathroom will he? That's where Spike said he was being kept." Continuing around to the back of the building Serena spotted the bathroom window, set high on the wall. There was no light on in that room and the woman became enraged at the thought that her friend could be chained up in a cold, dark room, listening to the noises of one of his captors having sex.
"Kitty, can you phase your head into the bathroom and see if Spike is in there? If he is there is going to be unimaginable amounts of hell to pay when I get a hold of that group." The older woman said; a dangerous gleam in her darkening eyes. Kitty went to the wall under the window and phased her upper body through the obstacle. She looked around the dark room, seeing that she'd entered over the bathtub. There was no one in the tub, but the chains piled near the sink indicated that Serenas' friend had been kept there.
Pulling back out of the room Kitty turned to Serena and said, "He's not in there, but there are some chains on the floor so he must have been there not too long ago right?" The girl hugged her friend tightly, seeing that she was near tears.
"He should be there. Where else would they keep him? He wouldn't have escaped on his own; not after he sent me that letter to come and get him. God I don't even want to think that the blonde bitch might have dusted him. He's helpless!" Trying hard to control her emotions Serena clung to her young friend as she spoke. Logan came over and picked the woman up, gesturing with his head for the teens to follow.
Outside the complex, the group sat down and gave their leader time to pull herself together. Pietro took the list of addresses from Evan, who'd taken the paper back after Logan and Serena had looked at it in the diner. The snowy haired boy spoke to the group, thinking aloud. "Ok so he's not where he said he'd be. One of the other members must be keeping him for some reason; probably so this guy could have his girlfriend over. So, which person is most likely to have him?"
Evan took over where Pietro left off, putting the pieces together to find the missing vampire. "The dude in the bar said the slayer and the redhead live in a dorm at the college. If Spike is with them against his will, I doubt the girls could sneak him into their dorm room without him causing a ruckus."
"That leaves the guy then. Give me that list man, and a quarter." Kurt finished Evan and Pietro's thoughts. He held out his hand and accepted the paper and coin from the white haired boy. Kurt stood and walked across the street to the payphone. Looking at the phone number beside the name A. Harris, he deposited the coin and dialled.
Rogue had followed her team mate, wanting to see what he was up to. She reached him as he began speaking. "Hi, this is Kurt umm Kurt Logan. Is Xander there?" Rogue smiled at the boys' nervous attempt to disguise his voice and his use of a false last name. They waited a minute before Kurt began speaking again.
"Hey Xander, this is Kurt, you know from work? Listen man, I know its short notice but can you switch shifts with me tomorrow? Why? Umm, because my sister has a doctors appointment and I have to take her. Ahh thanks man you saved my neck. Hey, didn't I see you earlier? I thought I saw you with some bleach head, Billy Idol wannabe. Huh, your cousin eh? Sounds like you don't like him much. Yeah I know how that is. He staying with you long? Not too long then, that's cool. Hey I better let ya go and get some sleep man. Thanks for switching with me. Yeah, that's right, lunch shift. See ya later man, bye." Kurt hung up the phone with a pleased smile on his face.
The two teens returned to their friends and Kurt crouched down in front of Serena. "Spike is with the guy, Xander. He's staying with him for a few days while his 'parents are on vacation.' You want to go over and check it out?" He asked, feeling like a knight in shining armour when Serenas' face lit with joy.
The dark haired woman lunged at her friend, hugging him tightly. "Thank you for finding him. Let's go take a look around the boys place. Maybe Kitty can let Spike know we're here." Standing, she led the way to Xander Harris' house. Feeling proud of themselves for solving the problem that had made their friend so sad, the boys exchanged high fives before falling in with the girls.
The Harris home was a single story building in a lower middle class area of the town. Kitty once again stuck her upper body through the wall, taking in the sight of Mr. and Mrs. Harris sleeping in their bedroom. Another try located the second, empty bedroom, and a third showed the living room and kitchen areas. Xander and Spike were nowhere to be found. Withdrawing from the living room wall Kitty just shook her head, letting the others know she hadn't seen Spike.
Becoming angry Serena whispered, "Where are they? This is getting bloody ridiculous." The group circled the house once more, looking for some indication that there was another room in the small house. Logan spotted a window set near the ground at the back of the house and pointed. "There's a basement. Take a look inside Half Pint, the kid probably lives down there."
The willowy brunette obliged, kneeling down on the grass and phasing her head through the wall next to the window. Looking around the room, she saw the disco ball hanging about two feet from her face, and beyond that was a fold out sofa, a dark haired boy snoring away on the make shift bed. Pulling out of the wall Kitty got up and walked around to the side of the house, her friends following behind.
She knelt and phased through the wall again, her dark eyes immediately spotting the bleached blond hair and pale skin of Serenas' friend. She sighed with relief before pulling back to give her friends the good news. "I found him." She whispered happily, "He's tied to a chair, sleeping. That Xander guy is sleeping on a sofa bed. You were right Mr. Logan, he lives down there."
Serena knelt down on the ground beside her friend and gave her a hug. "Think you could phase me through Kitty? I need to see him and make sure he's alright. He's probably heard us out here by now." Kitty nodded and took hold of her older friends hand and phased them both partially through the wall again.
Serena spotted the golden yellow orbs peering back at her the moment her head came through the wall. Spike was looking at her with his trademark smirk in place. His amber eyes took in the little brunette that had come through beside the woman. Winking at the young girl, he made a gesture in sign language. "Well what are you waiting for, get me out of here."
Being unable to sign back while holding Kittys' hand Serena mouthed "Tomorrow Spike." Seeing his impatient glare, she continued, "I want to have a word with your hosts." After years of reading the womans lips, Spike understood her words and nodded. Just then, another head came through the wall. Logan had apparently gotten curious and taken Kitty's other hand so that he could take a look as well.
Nodding a greeting to the man who'd just phased in Spike gestured, "This that Logan bloke you told me about?" She nodded yes and smiled. "How many others did you bring Nymph?" He chuckled silently when she mouthed the words "Four more outside."
"Well Luv, you've truly brought the cavalry. Now go away and let a vamp get some sleep. I'll be expecting you tomorrow." Spike signed. Serena couldn't hold back a small giggle at his flippant attitude. "See you tomorrow Spikey, good night. I love you." She mouthed before pulling out of the wall, taking Kitty and Logan with her.
As they disappeared Spike sighed, "I love you too my little nymph, Thank you for coming to get me." The vampire closed his eyes and settled in for the first decent nights sleep he'd had since he was captured by the soldiers, knowing that his Nymph would rescue him the next day.
Walking away from the house, everyone noted Serena's greatly lightened mood. The woman practically skipped down the sidewalk, heading back to their hotel. Kitty explained to the others that Spike had woken up and that he and Siren had spoken for a few minutes using sign language and lip reading. "Rogue, he's even cuter in real life! That picture doesn't like, hold a candle to the real thing." The brunette exclaimed.
The boys groaned good naturedly at the thought of yet another good looking male to compete with for the attention of the girl's. Their moods too were lightened, now that Serena was happy again. Now that she'd seen her missing friend and knew he was alright the worry lines had disappeared from her forehead and the tension in her small frame had eased.
It was about midnight when the group paused in their trek. Across the street in one of the towns many cemeteries Logan had heard a frightened cry, and seen movement between the headstones. Fearing that someone was being hurt, he called for the team to follow and made his way into the dark cemetery.
The big man used his sense of smell to track the creatures and their victims through the rows of headstones to a large mausoleum. He looked inside and his stomach churned at the scene inside the building. At his gesture Serena came forward to look inside. She looked for a moment, counting heads, before backing a few feet away, bringing Logan with her. The teens had caught up and were standing with curious expressions when their leaders rejoined them. "What's going on in there Chatterbox? That was…Gawd that was horrible."
"It's a nest. Probably a family group, I sensed a couple of older vamps and a lot of newbies. There are five people still alive, and fifteen vamps." Looking at her charges she said, "We need to get them out. How do you kids feel about having a little play time?"
In response the teens reached into their pockets and pulled out an assortment of stakes and vials of holy water. Logan unsheathed his claws and growled. Taking out her own stake, Serena gave them a quick plan. "Ok, Kurt and Kitty will go over near the mausoleum and start talking to get their attention. When they come out to investigate back off and scream, like you're afraid of them. Once they're all out we'll take them on."
"Don't take on more than one at a time. Stay close together and help each other. Evan, be careful where you shoot your spikes, I don't want one of us to get hit by one. Rogue, do not use your powers on these things. I'm not sure what you'll absorb and the last thing I want is for you to get a taste of the demons that animate these creatures. Ok. Kurt, Kitty you're up." The kids started walking slowly toward the crypt, Kitty talking loudly about how creepy it was to be walking in a cemetery after dark.
As expected, the vamps came rushing out, eager to take a couple more victims. Kurt yelled and backed away, dragging Kitty with him, both playing the part of the frightened innocent well. Thirteen of the creatures followed the teens, leaving two behind to guard the lair. As Kurt and Kitty ran past Evan, he stepped out from behind a tombstone and fired a multitude of stakes from his arms and chest.
Two vamps exploded into dust as the wooden spikes entered their hearts. Another four were wounded by the flying wood. Stunned by the attack, and the boy who shot stakes from his body, the vamps got an even bigger shock when four other people emerged from their hiding spots and their first victims returned.
Logan charged into the vamp closest to him, adamantium claws raking the creatures' neck and severing its head. Serena had vaulted over a headstone and kicked another in the chest, sending it to the ground where she quickly staked it. As each adult took on another vamp, the teens were dealing well with the five that had come after them
Evan and Kitty were fighting back to back against two vamps. They were holding the creatures off, Kitty phasing through the attacks of one and Evan expertly blocking the blows of another. They duo obviously had a plan of their own because Kitty yelled "Now!" and Evan spiked out, grabbing the arm of his opponent and pulling the vamp into him, impaling it on his chest spikes. As that one turned to dust Kitty phased straight through her opponent and, with the help of Pietro, who'd appeared in a flash of white hair, pushed her vampire into Evan, impaling it on the stakes protruding from the boys back.
Rogue and Kurt were having fun, toying with the vampires who weren't used to food that fought back. The slayer and her group aside, the vamps in Sunnydale had never seen teenagers who fought like this group did. Rogue sent a spinning back kick at the female vamp she was fighting, sending it sprawling. She quickly jumped on it and sent her stake into its heart with a strong stabbing motion. Kurt was playing 'can't catch me' with his vamp, also a female, and the creature was getting confused. The blue teen teleported around her and threw his open vial of holy water onto the back of her head. The vamp screamed and was unprepared when he re appeared in front of her and plunged the stake into her heart, Pietro appearing again to shove the vamp when the stake didn't quite reach its heart.
Logan and Serena had taken out another three vamps and they looked around to see their charges doing tremendously well. Pietro had used his sonic speed in lieu of strength, backing off and taking a running start, charging the first vampire that came after him with his stake raised. His aim had been true and the vamp exploded into dust before it had even realized what the streak of white coming at it had been.
The speedster had used a similar tactic on a second vamp, this time using his powers to rapidly beat the creature into submission. When it lay stunned at the boys feet Pietro's arm had flashed down to end its existence. Having managed to kill two of the vamps, the boy had turned his attentions to helping the other teens, dashing to aid Kitty in shoving her large opponent onto Evan, tripping a vamp that was trying to sneak up behind Logan, and shoving Kurt's vamp to help the blue boy finish his kill.
The team gathered together as the dust of their opponents settled to the ground. The teens were gasping for breath, tired from their exertions. Taking only a moment to regroup Serena sent Pietro to call for an ambulance and left the other four teens to rest while she and Logan went into the mausoleum.
The two minions left to guard the lair had fled during the skirmish, realizing that the strange people were going to win the fight. Logan covered his mouth and nose when he passed through the doorway to the crypt, and Serena wrinkled her own nose in distaste. The ground was littered with human remains and assorted garbage. Flies and maggots teamed on and around the corpses. Making their way carefully to the far corner, where the frightened, wounded, but still living people were huddled Serena typed, "It's alright. The creatures are dead now. We've got an ambulance coming to take care of you. Let us help you get out of this place."
The five terrified people, all teenagers who'd been caught during a séance, allowed Serena and Logan to lead them out of the grisly crypt. Hearing the sirens of the ambulance Logan called for their charges. "Come on kids, we don't want to be around when the cops get here. They'd ask too many stupid questions."
The tired group walked quickly back to their hotel and entered their rooms, calling dibs on who got the showers first. No one noticed the small blonde figure that trailed behind them, shock and a bit of fear showing on her face. 'I've got to talk to Giles first thing in the morning. They don't look like demons, but that was too weird.' Buffy thought, her hazel eyes looking at the closed doors of the three hotel rooms.
* * * * * * * * * *
In Serena and Logan's room, Logan got the first shower. He'd sneezed all the way home, the vampire dust irritating his sensitive nose. He wished he could stay under the warm spray for a while, but he quickly cleaned up, knowing Chatty was waiting for a turn.
Slipping a pair of black sweat pants over his damp legs, the big man left the closet sized bathroom and let Serena in. Figuring the woman would take a while in the shower Logan took the opportunity to go check on the kids. They hadn't complained of any injuries but as their guardian on this mission it was his duty to make sure they weren't hurt.
Rogue let him into the room she shared with Kitty and he found that his favourite girls were tired but not seriously hurt. Kitty had phased through her attackers punches and was unhurt, but Rogue had a fist sized bruise on her shoulder where the vamp she'd staked had landed a punch. Logan made a snap decision and lightly brushed his lips over the girls' forehead, allowing her to absorb a bit of his healing power. He watched the bruise vanish and ignored her screeching about his touching her, knowing Serena did the same thing each night.
Leaving quickly, he said goodnight to the girls and made his way to the boy's corner room. Evan let him in and he looked each of the boys over. Evan and Kurt were exhausted from using their powers so much that day, but they would be fine in the morning.
Pietro was just coming out of the shower and Logan saw that the boy had skinned his knee sometime that night. He asked the snowy haired boy how it had happened and was touched when the kid muttered that he'd fallen after tripping a vampire that was set to attack Logans back. The older man nodded in thanks and said his goodnights to the youngsters, telling them that Serena would probably be in later to 'tuck you in like good little boys.' Logan chuckled as he closed the door on the boys' groans.
The water had stopped running back in his room and he lay down on the queen sized bed, waiting for his little Chatterbox to appear. She emerged about five minutes later, her hair damp and curling around her waist. Logan had never seen Serenas' nightwear and gasped now at the sight before him. Her curvy little body was clad in a mans flannel shirt that was about five sizes too big for her small frame. The bottom edges of the lycra shorts she wore peeked out from under the loose shirt, showing a long expanse of pale, shapely leg. With her wildly curling mane of raven black hair and deep honeyed eyes Serena was a sight to behold.
Serena too was getting an eyeful. With only a pair of sweatpants covering the essentials, too much of her friends' deeply tanned and lightly furred body was revealed. Her golden gaze took in the thick ridges of muscle on his arms and chest, the deep suntan from long hours working outside, and the soft looking black hair that seemed to cover his entire front, narrowing slightly as it reached his navel. 'I always knew he was a fine looking man, but damn! No wonder I feel so tiny next to him.' She thought, letting her appreciation of his form show in her eyes.
"I'm going to go say goodnight to the kids Wolvie. Why don't you pour us a nightcap? If you look behind that cooler I stuck in the mini fridge you might find a nice surprise. Don't look inside the cooler though, that's Spike's dinner for tomorrow and I doubt you'd find it a 'nice' anything." Serena said, heading out the door, giving Logan a fine view of her swaying backside.
Logan got up, her idea of a nightcap sounding great to the tired man. Taking her advice he pulled the cooler out of the fridge without opening it and found two bottles of his favourite Jack Daniels whiskey hidden behind it. "God love that woman, I know I do!" He thought aloud, praising his friends' thoughtfulness.
* * * * * * * * * *
While Logan was searching the hotel room for glasses, Serena was chatting with her female team mates. They were dead on their feet tired but still yakking away about their adventures. She listened to Rogue gripe about Logans touching her to heal 'a little bruise' and promised to chastise the man thoroughly, all of them knowing it wouldn't happen. Hugging both girls and kissing their foreheads Serena wished them goodnight and followed in Logans footsteps to the boy's room.
They must have been expecting her because her knock was answered by three voices calling "Come in." Entering, she found the boys already abed, Kurt and Evan sharing one double bed and leaving Pietro the other. Sitting down on Pietros' bed facing Kurt and Evan she asked, "So boys, how are you enjoying your first California trip?"
They laughed with her and started babbling about how much fun they were having. Serena could only shake her head over her boys' insistence that killing vampires was 'cool' and 'fun' and 'better than skateboarding.' Knowing the dangers of their cocky attitudes toward the life and death battle they'd been in earlier she felt the need to caution them.
"Ok boys, I know you think all of this is great fun, but let's be serious a minute. What happened tonight wasn't a Danger Room session; it was a kill or be killed fight. If you hadn't staked those vampires, you can be sure they would've drained you, and maybe tortured you first. Also, never do again what you did a few minutes ago. If you're in a private home, a vampire can't enter without an invitation. Never just call one out, always get up and see who's knocking first, even if you recognize the voice. It's such a small thing I know, but a mistake can get you killed." She lectured, pleased that the boys were listening to her and taking the matter seriously.
After getting their agreement to be cautious she continued on a more light hearted note. "Alright then, enough serious talk. You're all tired and I think it's time you got some sleep." The boys were happy to obey, laying their heads down and closing their eyes. Moving to the bed Kurt and Evan shared Serena tucked the blankets around their shoulders and brushed a kiss over each forehead, making the boys smile. 'Logan's right, we really are her good little boys.' Kurt thought.
Pietro was awed by his friends' easy, mothering nature. He was even more shocked when she approached his bed to give him the same treatment as the other two teens. Remembering that she'd done this with him as a child he gave in and allowed her to tuck him in. She kissed his forehead and was about to turn away when his arm came out to halt her. "Please?" he asked, knowing she'd understand.
A warm smile gracing her elfin features the dark haired woman sat at his side again and spoke softly. "Alright Ptichka. All of you close your eyes and go to sleep now." Closing her own amber eyes and leaning her head back, the sea siren opened her mouth and began to sing an old Ukrainian lullaby, translating the words into English so the boys would understand.
God please bless the children,
Who sleep in here tonight.
Lord protect the innocents,
Until dawns early light.
For here lies my heart,
My pride and my joy.
These sweet smiling angels,
My precious baby boys.
God please bless the children,
You sent on angels' wing.
That the world may know the happiness,
My little ones can bring.
Lord protect my baby boys,
These children so brave and bold.
Stretch your arms out to comfort them,
When the night grows cold.
Nothing for myself,
Do I ask of Thee.
Only that you keep these babes,
Safe for you and me.
Her sweet voice faded away at the end of the song and she looked at the three teenage boys lying in their beds. The happiness in their smiles brought a flush of warmth to her heart, and the lone tear on her Ptichkas' pale cheek touched her deeply. Serena brushed the wetness away and kissed his forehead again, as she had long ago. Then she turned and left the room, turning off the light and locking the door behind her.
When the door closed behind the small woman three pairs of eyes opened. A voice came from the bed that held the shining silver blue orbs. "Do you guys get that treatment every night?" Pietro asked, thinking of his cold, drab room in the Brotherhoods house and the loneliness that was a constant feeling for the four boys.
In the bed that held a pair of chocolate brown eyes and another pair that shone with an iridescent light a voice responded, "Not the lullaby part but yeah, Serena usually comes in every night and does the mother hen thing. She picks up our clothes and makes sure our alarm clocks are set, then tucks us in and kisses and hugs us goodnight. I get it twice because Auntie O comes in after Serena leaves." Evan said, sighing as though the routine got tiresome, trying to preserve his cool.
"Yeah, Serena is a good Mama to all of us. She even visits Jean every night and Jean hates her. It's good to have Serena around, she makes the mansion feel like a home." Kurt added, thinking of the many times he'd taken the nightly opportunity to unload his fears on her, and how she'd always given him the reassurance he needed.
Pietro nodded, closing his eyes. "She used to sing that lullaby to me, back in the Ukraine, when she put me to bed at night. I couldn't remember the words until she sang it again tonight. I'm glad I remember some of the time I spent with her. She hasn't changed much over the years." The white haired boy turned onto his side and let himself drift off to sleep.
When his breathing had evened out into the shallow even pattern of sleep Kurt's voice sounded again quietly. "I think Serena was a good Mama to him too. Those Brotherhood boys, they need a Mama; badly." Evan nodded in agreement, and the two Xmen followed Pietro into sleep.
* * * * * * * * * *
Serena walked quietly back to the room she shared with Logan and walked in, turning and locking the door behind her. She sat down on the queen sized bed next to her friend, who handed her a plastic cup with two inches of amber liquid in it. Leaning back against the headboard, the woman crossed her delicate ankles and sipped at the strong whiskey.
"I heard you singin to the boys a minute ago. I'm surprised they let ya treat em like little kids. If it was anyone else comin to tuck em in and kiss em goodnight they'd probably groan and gag. The male ego, ya know?" Logan said, awed by the power the tiny woman seemed to wield over teenagers.
"They may be nearly adults, but all children need a mother, even teenage boys. Especially our kids, who've either had to leave home to learn about their powers, or were forced to leave by their own parents because of their mutations. I love taking care of them, and being able to make them feel loved. They need to be loved and I need to love them. It completes the circle." Serena responded, taking another sip of the whiskey and letting the alcohol soothe away the tensions of the day, finally able to relax a little. The pair lay silently for a while, sipping at their drinks and letting the exhaustion take hold.
When they'd finished their nightcap Serena rinsed the cups in the bathroom sink, then returned to the bed. Logan had climbed beneath the covers and was holding the other side open for her. She climbed in and sighed deeply, the lumpy hotel mattress and thin pillow feeling heavenly to her aching muscles.
Logan turned off the bedside lamp and lay on his back, listening to the sounds of the late night traffic. After a minute or two Serena turned to face him and propped her upper body up on one elbow, her honey coloured eyes shining with a golden light. Not saying a word, her hand came up to caress his stubbled cheek. Her small thumb traced the outline of Logans' full lips, then rubbed over the soft, dry skin. Bringing the hand up, Serena smoothed his tousled black hair away from his temple, and lowered her face to meet his lips in a sweet, gentle kiss.
The seconds ticked by quietly, unnoticed by the man and woman. Then Serena reluctantly pulled back for a breath, breaking the tender kiss, but not the serenity of the moment. Logan moved his arms, one going around her shoulders and the other around her slender hips, pulling the dark beauty into his embrace. The large, callused hand on her hip trailed upwards, fingertips dragging over the dip of her waist, roughly textured but gentle palm stroking over the curve of generous breast, tickling lightly over her collarbone and finally treating her cheek and lips to the same exploration she'd given his.
Tilting her chin so that her darkening eyes met his twinkling sapphire orbs, Logan tilted his head downward to meet her lips in a second, more passionate kiss. His lips moved softly over hers, coaxing her response, and she parted her lips when his tongue touched them, begging entrance. Their tongues duelled flirtatiously for a few moments, until they again had to separate for breath.
Without speaking, each knew that this was as far as they would go tonight. Gently passionate kisses, just enough so that they knew how the other felt, and that there would be another time and another embrace, once they were home again. Tucking her dark head under Logans chin, Serena cuddled close to the big man, feeling protected when his large, muscled arm came around again to hold her close. A kiss pressed into her hair, and she returned the gesture against his chest, before both closed their eyes and allowed sleep to take them into its deep embrace.
When a breeze from an unknown source drifted through the hotel in the dead hours of the night, all seven members of the rescue team were sound asleep, and their smiling lips parted willingly to allow a breath of white smoke to leave their bodies.
