Chapter Fifteen
Wolverine walked proudly beside Ororo. He would have liked to have reached out and taken her hand in his but didn't know how she would take it. After all, he was only a lowly Pirate while she was a beautiful Queen. She probably did not even want to be seen with him, but he found himself wishing his mates could see him now. He had seen a lot of women in his time, but she was the most beautiful by far.
He wondered how long it was to her house. He hoped it was not far. He knew they did not have a lot of time to get what she needed and back to the wagon. "How far is it to your house, Ororo?" he asked.
As they rounded a corner in the circle of houses, she indicated the one at the end with a nod of her head. It was only a small cottage, barely large enough for one, but its perimeter was surrounded in a wide assortment of flowers, each of which appeared lovelier than the last. A huge oak stood to one side of the house, its branches sweeping upwards in a seemingly desperate attempt to touch the heavens, and a weeping willow stood only a few feet in front of an open window that led to her bedroom.
He waited for her to open the door, glancing nervously around. He felt as though a vice grip was around his heart, squeezing ever more as the seconds ticked by. He hoped they were not surprised by any of the townspeople for he knew they had probably found the smoke and the bodies they had burned. He wanted to have her back into the safety of the wagon and back to the ship before that happened.
She could sense his tenseness and did not need to ask to know that it was due to the danger that was all around them. The sky was growing increasingly darker even as her hand slipped into her pocket. Surprise flickered over her face as she found her pocket empty, however, and she realized that her key must have fallen out in the ocean. Her voice was calm as she asked him, "Hum, do you happen to have a pick on you, Logan?"
Her question surprised Wolverine. "Why, little darlin'? Where's yer key?" he asked. "But no, I don't have a pick, nothin' but these," he said even as he popped a claw out and used it to open the lock. Once it was unlocked, he stepped back out of the way, knowing she was probably very well shocked seeing his claws but knowing that he could not hide it from her. His eyes sought hers, hoping not to see fear in them.
Her mouth had fallen open upon the sight of his claws, but she breathed a silent sigh of relief as she believed she had managed to regain her calm appearance before his attention turned back to her. Her blue eyes shimmered when he looked at her, but it was not from fear but rather concern. Stepping closer to him, she cupped his roughened hands in her gentle ones. "Does that not hurt?"
"It did once upon a time when they came out on me all o' a sudden. I wasn't born with them, but apparently they were in me the whole time. I hated them at first, but as I found more and more uses for them, I came to be happy I had them. They've saved lives many times, includin' my own." He reached out and opened the door for her, pushing it wide open. "We'd best hurry, little darlin'. There's a lot o' space between us an' the ship an' not much time."
"Of course," she answered, nodding even as she withdrew her hands from his. She swept through the doorway with a natural grace, calling back to him as she did so. "You may come in with me, and thank you, Logan." Remembering his earlier question, she finally answered it. "My key evidently fell out in the water."
He smiled at her even as he entered her house. "Thank you for inviting me in. When we get back with my mates, don't call me Logan. That's just for yer ears. They call me Wolverine; they don't know my real name."
She listened to him even as she led the way through the front room and a short hallway. "Do you normally make a habit of keeping such secrets from your friends?" she asked curiously. She opened a door and walked into her bedroom.
"You are the only one who knows my name. I don't tell others, 'cause when they know your name, they have power over you. I told you. I'm really not sure why, but I trust you."
Glancing over at him, she graced him with a reassuring smile. "Your secret is safe with me. We all have things we wish others not to know, and I promise I will not tell a soul."
Moving to her bed, she knelt before a small trunk at the end of it and opened it. She then moved to her closet where upon she pulled out only three of the outfits held therein. Moving back to the trunk, she dropped them in before walking over to her dresser. It held several drawers, but she only pulled out one. She took that one out, carried it over to the trunk, and dropped its few contents into it. Placing it on her bed, she turned and, without hesitation, selected two of the books from her top shelf.
"You can take more o' those books if you want to, 'Ro. I can carry that trunk with very little problem, an' even if you decide you don't want the books, the crew will just about die to get 'em. We have a definite shortage of books, an' believe it or not, there are those of us who actually read, including the Captain."
"Very well then." She stepped back from the bookcase and held her hands up. The wind in the room suddenly picked up as it circled around her, swept the books off of the bookcase, and dropped them into the trunk. As her hands dropped, so did the wind.
Wolverine knew that it would take him quite a while to get used to the little things that she could do. He thought that being able to use the wind like that was an amazing, useful trick. He hoped she never got mad at him, because he would hate for the wind to get him the way that it had gotten the books. He knew he'd never get away from it. "Is this all, little darlin'?" he asked.
"Almost," she told him. Walking back to her dresser, she lifted the lid of what appeared to be a music box. It was, however, a hidden compartment that sank into the first drawer, which was without a knob or any other way to open it and appeared to be merely there for decoration. Reaching into the compartment, she drew out two sheathed knives and a small, black case. Setting them onto the dresser, she opened a second music box. This was actually a small box, just as it appeared to be, and she pulled out a pair of earrings that had been crafted into lightning bolts. Adding that to the trunk, she stepped over to the left wall, which was completely bare.
He watched as she collected her knives and then stepped over to the wall, wondering what she was going to do with it. The knives had surprised him, because he had not thought she had any real weapons beside her powers. Why would she need them, he wondered, and did she know how to use them? Again, hopefully, not upon himself.
Ororo reached out and placed a clawed hand onto what appeared to be just another brick. Blue flashes raced from her fingertips as lightning sank into the brick, which she had long ago cast a spell upon. She stepped quickly to one side as the brick shot out. Stepping back in front of the hole where the brick had been, she withdrew a locket from within.
He tried not to show his surprise. Everything about this woman seemed to be one long chain of surprises. "Are we ready now?" he asked.
Tightly grasping the locket in her hand, she walked back to the trunk and slid it into a secret compartment. Shutting the trunk, she fastened the latch. She moved slightly closer to the bed as she slid a key out from underneath her mattress. After locking the trunk, she pocketed the key and stood. She gestured at the trunk, and winds lifted it from the floor. Looking back to Logan, she nodded.
"If ya have any food or other supplies, ya might want to bring them. The ship hasn't been stocked, and I'm afraid it won't be stocked before we leave. It's a long ways to Tortuga, an' there are no stops in between. We'll be eating a lot o' fish, so anything you have will be good."
She thought for a moment before answering. "I have no food inside, but there are a few fruit-baring trees out back."
Wolverine grinned at her. "I haven't clumb a tree in a long time. Sounds like fun. Get us something to put 'em in?"
She nodded in response and then led the way to the kitchen. The single cupboard that stood in the room was just as bare as she had indicated, but there were gunny sacks piled on top of it. With a wave of her hands, breezes again lifted, this time carrying the sacks down to them.
He grabbed an armload, planning to fill each of them. The crew would be happy to get them; fresh fruit would sure beat the heck out of hard tack and weevil flour biscuits that they'd probably encounter before they reached Tortuga. He grimaced at the thought of the biscuits.
Gathering the remaining bags to her, Ororo walked around the table before opening the door. Stepping out, she moved to one side so that Logan could follow.
Logan stepped out into the sunshine, and his mind was instantly boggled at the sight he was met with. She had said a few trees and he had expected one or two, but the garden was full of fruit-baring trees and bushes. He could not believe the vast array of fruits and wondered if she might have some vegetables, as well. "Do you have any vegetables growin'?" he asked.
"Potatoes," she answered, her eyes looking up at the trees. Although she had ended up staying for nearly half her life, she had never meant to stay here for long. She had planted the trees solely to help the community, but she would dearly miss the grove.
Logan set about collecting apples, oranges, peaches, and pears and loaded the bags without a single thought as to how he would get them to the ship. He was amazed at the booty and knew that, although the Captain personally did not eat fruit, he would still be proud to see them. Logan then dug up potatoes and filled another two bags. All in all, he had ten bags collected in a blink of an eye before looking around for some kind of conveyance. "'Ro, darlin', you got a wheelbarrow?"
"Of course," she replied. She had been working alongside him the entire time and had collected the same amount of bags. "I shall return in just a moment," she added, walking off in the direction of her gardening shed.
He did not wait but followed her and spied the wheelbarrow as soon as she opened the door. Stepping forward, he grabbed it before she could and headed back to where the bags were waiting. He loaded the potatoes first and then the pears and apples on the bottom. Then he added the oranges and put the peaches on top. It was quite a load, but it had one more thing to add. He was turning to head into the house when he saw her returning with the trunk. Placing it on the side of the wheelbarrow, where it would not crush the peaches, he lifted the handles and began to head back in the direction where he knew the wagon would be waiting.
Logan and Ororo were on their way to the wagon when they heard Wesley excitedly marveling at all the sights and things he was finding in Fred's house. He sat the barrow down. "Maybe we'd better check on them? At the rate he's goin', they could be all day. Wesley?" he called out.
Ororo smiled gently. "He sounds as though he is amazed, but given Winifred's laboratory, I can not say that I am surprised."
"I thought she was a Witch? What is she?" he asked.
"There are many kinds of Witches, Logan. Some of us have gifts from the Gods in the forms of powers but not all. Winifred does follow the path, but she is more of a scientist at heart."
Scientist was a new word to Wolverine. He did not have a clue as to what it was. "What's a scientist?" he asked.
"Well, there are various types, but Winifred uses her knowledge and tools to try to find answers as to why certain things are the way they are and, mostly, for cures."
"You mean like a doctor? Brendan Richards is our ship doctor. He's a very good one, but I've never seen him do any scientific stuff."
"Somewhat . . . " Ororo began to answer but stopped as Fred poked her face through the door.
"Ororo! There you are! Ah was hopin' ya'd come by! Honestly, Ah wasn't plannin' on bringin' everythin', but Wesley -- He's just -- " She shook her head, at a loss for words, and finally admitted, "Ah just don't know what ta do with him! Ah ain't evah seen any one go after mah beakers in such a manner!"
Wolverine looked at her with one eyebrow raised. He had heard them called many things but never beakers. "You say Wesley's after your beakers? We thought the boy . . . " His voice trailed off. Would wonders never cease?
Winifred nodded in all seriousness. "Mah beakers an' mah test tubes an' -- an' -- "
Ororo placed a gentle hand on Logan's forearm and faced Fred with a gentle smile. "It is perfectly all right, Winifred. He probably simply has never seen such an array of tools," she emphasized the word in hopes that Logan might understand.
Wolverine was grinning from ear to ear. The boy was not hopeless, after all! "Better not go in there, 'Ro, not till he gets through. First time, you know."
"Oh mah -- !" Fred's mouth flew open, a deep crimson staining her cheeks.
"Lo -- Wolverine," Ororo gently chided, her own cheeks appearing darker as well, "that is not it at all!" Releasing his arm, she started forward.
Meanwhile, Wesley was inside, ignoring everything being said and busily packing test tubes, beakers, other equipment, and books. Outside, Wolverine followed reluctantly behind 'Ro. "If you say so, ma'am, but it sure sounded fer all the world like he was very busy, an' if I do say so myself, it's well past time."
Despite the day's events and her unwillingness to embarrass Logan or Fred any further, Ororo could not help herself as her lips parted in a gentle tinkling of laughter. She met Winifred at the door. "Honestly, Ororo, Ah just don't know what ta do! Ah don't even have enough crates!"
Ororo placed a reassuring hand on Winifred's shoulder and faced her younger friend's frantic nervousness with a reassuring smile. "We will find a way to handle the situation, Winifred. Besides, you should not have to leave any of that behind. You never know when such might be needed, and your equipment is more important to you than food." Fred started to speak, but Ororo shook her head. "Do not try to deny it, child, for I know you and know that that is true."
At the mention of food, Logan asked, "Miss Fred, do you have any food in the house? If so, ya might want to bring it. The ship's low in supplies." Women were certainly strange creatures, and he wasn't exactly sure how to handle either of these two. He just knew that wherever 'Ro went, he was going, and that he liked both of them a lot. "Give me a minute, an' I'll get Wesley outta there," he said as he walked into the room. Not paying attention to what Wesley had in his hand, he patted him on the back. "Good goin', buddy."
"I know!" Wesley exclaimed, grinning like a kid in a candy shop. "I simply can not believe this! Look, Wolverine! She has so much!"
"They both do, my friend," Wolverine agreed with a grin, "an' aren't we the lucky ones?"
Wesley looked up at him in confusion, a bag in one hand and a beaker in the other. "Ororo's a scientist, too?" he asked in disbelief. "I thought they were Witches, not scientists!"
"No. 'Ro's a Weather Witch and a gardener. You oughta see the booty I got -- fresh fruits and potatoes!" he almost whispered the latter. He dearly loved potatoes.
"That's all fine and dandy, I suppose, but just look around you, Wolverine! So many books, and such equipment! My Gods, a man could die happy here!"
"Oh, you can say that again," Logan breathed softly. "I've just gotta get in 'Ro's garden one more time."
Wesley looked questioningly back at his friend. "You left something?" he asked.
"No, matey. I found something."
"Well then, why didn't you already get it?"
"It takes time, my friend; it takes time. Now let's get this stuff packed up an' headed fer the wagon." Four pairs of hands made the work short and easy, and they had soon finished the task.
The men had been so busily at work that the women had stood to one side. Winifred was still shaking her head in amazement as she could not figure out how they had managed to get everything packed, let alone so quickly. "Mistah Logan," she spoke up quietly, "'bout that food. Ah've got some vegetables Ah was workin' with if that'll help."
"Sure will. Get 'em, and I'll add them to my barrow. How're we gonna carry this stuff? Do you have a wagon or a wheelbarrow?"
Winifred shook her head. "No. Ah tried ta tell Wesley, but he just wouldn't listen."
"That's all right," Ororo was quick to reassure both Fred and Logan. "I can transport them."
"They won't fit on the wheelbarrow, 'Ro. I could take these to the wagon an' return."
"I can carry them on the wind, Wolverine."
"Okay . . . " he said disbelievingly. He would wait and see, however, because he had seen the wind do some mighty strange things at her instruction already. If she said she could do it, he believed her. "But we'd better get a move on."
Ororo nodded as she turned her attention back to Winifred. "Where are you keeping the vegetables?"
"In the kitchen," Fred nodded to one of the two rooms that adjoined the one they were in. "What's left o' 'em any way. Ah had more, but mah plans just weren't workin' out. Ah didn't think it'd be so hard to combine carrots and potatoes."
"Euuw," Wolverine said. "Carrots? Yuck! Those things'll rot your teeth out! Now potatoes, that's a vegetable that'll fill your stomach!"
"They can both be quite filling," Wesley informed him, "and are both good for your health."
"Thank you, Doctor Wesley, but if I've got any part o' carrots, I'll give 'em to you."
Winifred looked up at Wesley, her eyes shining. "You're a doctor?" she asked in amazement.
Wesley smiled at her, his chest puffing out in pride. "I am a scientist like yourself, madam."
"Doctor Doom, ma'am. He forecasts comin' things by readin' it on paper. He's usually right," Logan said, "but it's usually not stuff we really wanna know till it happens. A very smart man," he said, tapping his forehead.
Winifred beamed at Wesley. "Oh, wow! Shucks, Ah bet we could come up with some wonderful stuff together!" she exclaimed, never realizing how that sounded.
"I bet you two could," Logan agreed as he headed outside. He had had about all he could handle of Wesley and Fred. He had already gotten heated up watching 'Ro in the garden, just being near her and not being able to do anything about it, and now these two were all but doing it in front of him. If this kept up, he'd soon be hunting some of that water the Captain liked to use so much of. "Hurry up," he called out. "We've gotta get going!" He glanced ominously at the darkening sky, his need for haste quickening his step.
"I shall fetch the vegetables," Ororo spoke, "but Winifred, you need to fetch at least one change of clothes."
"Clothes?" Fred repeated, then blushed. "Ah hadn't even thought o' that!"
Ororo smiled but did not say that she had thought as much. Instead, she turned and walked into the kitchen.
Wesley began toting the boxes out of the door, and Logan took them from him and sat them neatly on the ground in a row. They soon had the room cleaned out and glanced expectantly at the door, waiting for the women to emerge. They had barely began to wait, however, when Wesley glanced back down at the crates. "What did she mean when she said she'd have the wind carry them?" he asked Logan uneasily.
Wolverine said proudly, "'Ro is a Weather Witch, an' as such, she can get the wind to do stuff. A while ago, in the garden, she told it to lift her. It picked her up like she was a feather an' carried her up to one of the highest branches so that she could get some apples down! Surprised me so much I almost fell out! I didn't say anythin' 'bout it. She had that wind haulin' an' totin' fer her like it was some kind o' fancy dandy wantin' attention. I can't wait to see how she gets it to tote these boxes!"
Wesley shook his head slowly from side to side in amazement even as his eyes returned to the door. "This day is just full of one surprise after another."
"You can say that again! What were you an' Miss Fred handlin' inside that took you so long before we got here? Looked like you had just barely began to pack."
"We had," Wesley admitted, "but I couldn't help myself, Wolverine! Her equipment is just so amazing! I haven't seen that much stuff in one place since London!"
He looked at him in surprise. "You actually saw equipment like hers in London? Well, it's true. They do come with the basic equipment, some bigger than others."
"Not the size so much as the sheer amount," Wesley amended.
"And you had to discuss that?" Logan asked incredulously. "Well, it probably made for an interesting conversation. Yer've talked more today than ya usually talk in a whole week. It seems she brings out the best in you. What do you make o' all this snow?"
"I wasn't sure what to make of it at first," Wesley admitted. "I didn't have my scrolls or equipment available, after all, but Winifred has been researching it for a while now. She says a great force of evil is coming to obliterate the town, Wolverine, and I believe her. That's one of the things we talked about in there. She showed me all her data, and I must say that it is astounding! Her mind is astounding! I just can't believe it! Having another scientist around, especially one of her intellect and beauty -- ! I just -- !"
"Well, ya better lay kinda heavily on the beauty part o' it, my friend. Ya know we're goin' to the ship. There a lot o' single, unattached men lookin' fer women on that ship, an' they ain't had time to get one in port. Ya better put yer mark on her or they'll be tryin' to move in on uncharted waters."
"She doesn't deserve to have to tolerate that!" Wesley exclaimed heatedly despite himself. "If -- If they touch her and she does not wish to be bothered by them, I'll -- I'll cut their hand off!"
"Wesley, just mark her. I've been thinkin' 'bout it, an' I don't know how to mark 'Ro until we get the other men alone, either, 'cept to growl if they get too close, but I plan to tell 'em she's mine an' they better not lay a paw on her. I advise you to do the same. They're basically good men, but they're horny bastards an' we do have two beautiful women. Just don't let the women know. They won't like us thinkin' that we own them."
"We do not own them, Wolverine!" Wesley sharply objected. "We should be so lucky as to have them own us! And I shall not lay an unworthy claim upon Winifred, but I will tell them what will become of them should they bother her!"
"Well, you do it your way, an' I'll do it my way just as long as they know. I'd hate to have to kill one o' em fer layin' one of their grubby mitts on my 'Ro."
Wesley nodded understandingly and opened his mouth to speak. His words were forgotten and his mouth left opened, however, as Winifred, followed by Ororo, stepped out. Winifred carried a single trunk, but what amazed Wesley were the bags that floated in the air behind Ororo. Recovering himself, he rushed forward just in time to meet Fred at the base of the steps and took the trunk from her. Meanwhile, Ororo fastened her attention on the cases. Her left hand gestured to them to lift, and breezes lifted the cases into the air.
Carrying the trunk, Wesley headed off in the direction of the wagon followed by the ladies and the cases and bags that floated in the air. The rear was brought up by Wolverine who kept sniffing the air as though something was about to hit them as he pushed the wheelbarrow.
It did not take them long to reach the spot where the wagon had been but was no longer. Wolverine sat the wheelbarrow down. If there had been tracks, the snow on the ground had now covered them, and he had to use his nose to locate the direction in which the wagon had been driven. "They went that way," he said and pointed in the direction of the Halliwells'. It did not take long to cover the space between where they were and the wagon, and he could see that it was being filled with barrels of what he hoped was food. He was about to unload his wheelbarrow when they were approached by one of the women from the house.
Hearing snow crunching under approaching footsteps, Ororo turned to look in its direction and was surprised to see Paige rushing to them. Her face was paled with fear, and Ororo knew instinctively that it was not just what they had been through that day and losing her mother and grandmother that now had her so afraid. She quickly gestured her hands in silent commandments to the wind, sending the cases and bags sweeping by Logan as they appeared to load themselves into the wagon. As soon as that was taken care of, Ororo rushed forward to meet Paige. Clasping the youngest Halliwell's shoulders, she stilled her even as she asked in deep concern, "Paige, child, what's wrong?"
"Prue!" Paige exclaimed, her voice trembling as she was on the verge of tears. "Prue and Joxer are locked in the room!"
Ororo did not have to ask which room nor even how they had gotten locked in there. "Goddess," she spoke with a quick intake of breath.
Seeing that 'Ro was taking care of the girl, Logan had quickly loaded what he had been carrying and added the wheelbarrow. He didn't know if they'd have a use for it aboard the ship or not, but he was not one to throw away anything. He then walked over to stand beside 'Ro as the girl said "the room", making it sound as though it was the voice of doom. Ororo's fearful reaction only added to his concern. "What room?" he asked.
Ororo quickly explained. "The Halliwells have a very special item that they keep in their mother's and grandmother's room. The room has a spell on it so that it traps any one who enters it but is not of their blood. Only Patty and Penelope knew how -- "
She was interrupted by Paige. "No! Don't tell me you don't know how to get them out!" Tears welled in her eyes. "I can't lose Prue, too! I can't!"
"Easy, child," Ororo gently spoke to her. She wrapped her arms around Paige and held the young woman reassuringly even as she looked, unshed tears sparkling in her own eyes, to Logan for help.
"Show me the room?" Logan asked.
Ororo nodded before turning her attention back to Paige for a moment. "Paige, dear . . . " she started but could feel Paige's tears wetting her shirt.
Ororo had not known when Winifred had came up, but Fred now reached out and gently touched Paige's shoulder. "Paige, come here, sweetie," Fred started but had barely gotten the words out when the girl turned into her embrace. The women's eyes met, and Ororo knew that Winifred would handle the situation and felt confidant in her ability to do so. Without another word, she turned and headed directly into the house.
She did not stop until she stood in front of the room that held Prue and Joxer trapped. "They are behind there," she said, nodding to the door, "but we can not hear them nor can they hear us. The door can not be attacked, either."
Wolverine walked up to the door. He sniffed at it. It was giving off some kind of a high-pitched sound that only his alert ears could pick up, and he knew better than to reach out and touch it. "I'll be back," he said and raced outside.
Walking slowly outside the front door, Wolverine began to make his way around the house. He held his hands out toward the house, sensing the vibrations that it was giving off. He was not surprised that the others could not hear it. He went all the way around the house, sensing that the vibration ebbed and flowed in some places and searching for the weak area. Everything had a weak area. He knew that from experience. He reached out, tentatively touched the house, and was not shocked.
He finally found the spot. It was the only spot that the vibration was not coming from. Flicking out a claw, he stuck it in. He was surprised that he was still not shocked. He began to drag his claw down, cutting a door into the room. He tried to rip quickly at first, but it sealed itself. As he slowly cut down, however, he noticed that it stayed open only for a few minutes longer than it had when he had ripped it.
He had to find something to stick in it and hold it open. He found some logs that had been cut for firewood and carried several of them back. As he tore gently through the wall, he slipped a log in. He knew that it would have to be a quick maneuver and that the house would seal itself again quickly. He could hear the people inside now. "Be ready," he called and was answered by a shriek from Joxer which he ignored. "It will only last a few seconds an' yer'll have to get out, so if there's anythin' in that room that you want, ya'd better grab it and be ready when it opens."
Prue glared angrily at Joxer. "Don't even move!" she said angrily with a finger pointed at him. She flipped the rug back and pulled open a secret chamber in the floor. Reaching inside, she pulled the Book out. It was wrapped in a black, silk cloth, but she knew what it was and did not pull the cloth off. Walking over to the hole that was slowly appearing in the wall, she turned back to Joxer. "Get over here now!" she said, pointing to the floor just in front of her. "You heard him say that it was going to be quick!"
"But -- But -- But the wall's talking!"
"Fool!" she said. "Get here now!" Prue had a lot of patience, but she had very little with this man. He had jerked her last nerve.
"No way!" Joxer exclaimed, shaking his head. "I'm not going anywhere near a talking wall, especially not one that sounds like an angry Wolverine!"
Prue got in front of Joxer and started poking him on the chest. She backed him up and had him at the wall just in the time that Wolverine hollered, "NOW!" She poked him again, and his feet tripped her, causing her to fall into his chest and knock them both out of the hole that Wolverine had made. Logs, Book, Joxer, and Prue fell out even as the hole sealed itself again immediately. She took deep gulps of the fresh air even as she looked at Wolverine. "Thank you very much! Please do something with this!" she said as she pushed Joxer to him.
"Joxer," Wolverine growled at him. "Talking walls, are they? I have never met a bigger idiot! Just wait until I tell Gabrielle what a fool you've been! Get in the wagon, sit there until we get there, an' don't touch anything!"
Prue had already ran around to the front of the house. Upon entering the house, she was met by both Paige and Phoebe, hugging and screaming so loudly that their voices made Piper come out of the kitchen. "Prue, thank Gods!" she exclaimed, rushing forward and joining in the group hug.
"That idiot!" Prue seethed. "I gave him to that short man out there; I hope he eats him! Now we must get out of here and hurry! Have you got everything?"
Lorne had followed Piper out of the kitchen and was very relieved to see that Prue had been released. "The short man's name is Wolverine," he said, "and he is a very good man to have around." His arms were loaded down with bags, and he hurried out to the wagon. It took him several trips to get all of the bags into the wagon. Phoebe had two bags full of clothes and a few romance novels that no one knew she had, and she ran for the wagon.
"I think we almost are," Piper told Prue. She noticed Ororo slipping out behind her sister but did not call to their godmother. She knew she was being hit as hard as the rest of them, if not more so, and needed some time to herself. "Oh," she added excitedly, "and guess who Lorne found!"
"Who?" Prue exclaimed. At her exclamation, a meow was heard. "Kit!" She scooped the cat up. "I guess we're ready now," she said with a smile and headed out to the wagon.
Piper followed her sister, still talking. "You wouldn't believe the time I had with Phoebe and Paige! They wouldn't believe me for anything when I told them that Lorne was good, but at least they believed Kit!"
Prue didn't ask; she knew that if Lorne had truly been evil, Kit would have attacked him. As the cat indicated it wanted down, she released it into the wagon and it headed straight for Lorne's lap; she knew it had not attacked him.
Lorne looked over at Gonk. "Nice doggy. Stop looking at the cat like that. You'd better be friends. Come; sit down." Gonk, who was very tired of being ignored except to be scolded every time he happened to glance Meesy's way, crawled over beside Lorne and laid down by his leg, trying his best to ignore the cat. Too many cats here, he thought with a glance at the two catwomen who were still sleeping and the catman who sat beside one of them.
Logan had followed Ororo when she had walked out of the Halliwells' house. He knew she was upset. He finally caught up to her, but her back remained to him. "'Ro," he asked, his deep voice full of concern, "are you okay, little darlin'?"
His voice stopped her in her tracks, but she did not turn back around to face him. Her arms were folded before her. Her hands rubbed her arms as though to warm her although she was not cold. Her head was tilted to look up at the sky that grew ever darker, and tears shimmered in her sad, blue eyes. "I am all right, Logan," she answered him, her voice even quieter than usual. "I just . . . " How could she tell him how much coming so close to losing Prue on top of everybody else who had died that day had scared her? She could not, so she said instead, "Thank you."
"Any time, little darlin'," he reassured her. "Nothin's ever gonna happen again to those you love; ol' Logan won't let it." He scooped her up in a bearhug before she knew what was happening. "What a woman! You can even summon the wind with a twist of your little hand! Ol' Logan's very lucky to have you as a friend! Now you want to tell me what's goin' on in yer mind?"
She sighed. He thought she was wonderful. His every word, his every action, told her that, but only she knew just how dreadfully wrong he was. She remained in his arms, thankful for the comforting embrace that she did not deserve, but her tears continued to shimmer, coming ever closer to falling as she thought over the day's events.
"I can not help thinking about them, Logan," she answered quietly, her voice barely above a whisper as though she was afraid to make the admission aloud. "And Prue . . . The thought of losing her too scared me. The Halliwells are my godchildren. I've already taken their mother and grandmother from them," she did not realize the words as she opened up for the first time, a single tear slipping from her eyes and dropping down onto his shoulder. "I could not bear the thought of losing her, too, let alone of causing them even more pain."
"What makes you think that you took their mother, 'Ro, let alone their grandmother? Did ya think that you could stand alone against the townspeople, protectin' all those weaker than yerself? You're not to blame, so stop takin' the blame of the world on your sweet shoulders. You haven't failed the girls. I just met you today, and I know that you never just give up. You fight against the Fates. You can't tell me it was your ideal to walk into the water, but why you followed 'em, I don't understand that." He waited for her words, knowing only that by talking it out would she be able to cope with it.
"That is just it, Logan. Perhaps it was not my ideal, but I nonetheless supported it." She sighed again as she admitted something to him that she had never even told Patty, who had been the best friend she had ever had. "When I first came here, I never meant to stay, but Patty and I became fast friends. She would have listened to me had I stood against the ideal of sacrificing ourselves to do what we could to save the others." Thunder rumbled in the sky above their heads as she stepped out of his embrace. "What you have seen me do today is only a small fraction of what I am capable of doing, Logan. I could have done so much more! I could have stood against the townspeople, and yes, I could have taken them."
"Yeah, an' a lot more people would've died. The girls would've died, because they would've stood by you. They would've caught a lot o' the townspeople's anger. I don't know whose ideal it was to drown peacefully," he spat that word out angrily, "but I understand the reason behind it. Patty would want you to take care o' her girls. They need you." He almost added, 'I need you', but kept that little bit of information to himself. "Time will help to heal the wounds, 'Ro. You're gentle with others. Be gentle with yerself. Give yourself a chance away from here. Jack will take you somewhere safe. He keeps all his people safe. Give me a chance to help you with the girls." There, he'd said it. He'd almost put his foot into it up to his neck as to letting her know his feelings for her. Now he was expecting a let down.
"Goddess knows I . . . they can use all the help they can get, Logan, but I do not know if anything will ever be enough. It . . . " She turned from him, not wanting him to see her increased tears. "It almost killed me when I lost my parents, and I was so little at the time that I barely even remember them. They already lost their father. That was painful enough, and now to lose their mother and grandmother at the same time . . . "
She shook her head even as tears that she had kept pent up for years began to spill down her cheeks. "I should have done something, anything, but when it mattered the most, out of the millions of things I could have done, I did nothing! I let them die, Logan, not just Patty or Penny but all of them! You say that I should be gentle on myself," her voice shook as thunder bellowed and rain began to fall, mixing with the snow and becoming sleet before it hit the ground, "but how can I when I am as much to blame as those . . . as those . . . " She struggled to find the right word, but she had never cussed and could not think of a word fit of describing one who would take another's life in the name of a religion that they did not even hold by.
"You're wrong, 'Ro. You're not to blame. You thought you were doing what was best fer all concerned, an' most importantly, you weren't their leader. From what I understand, Patty an' Penny were. If there's any blame, it rests with them. You didn't kill your parents, so stop blaming yourself for that. The girls will need you. Ya have to pull yourself together. They're young, head-strong, an' probably pretty foolish as most of the young are. They'll need you fer guidance an' fer love. You have to be strong for them an' yerself." Logan hoped what he was telling her would help. He knew he was not very good with words. All he could speak was what he was feeling. He hoped it would be enough. He reached out and attempted to pull 'Ro into his arms again. "They will not blame you. I don't blame you. So you must stop blaming yourself."
She did not tell him that she did not know if she was even capable of giving the girls the love they needed or, for that matter, any one, but she did let him pull her back into his arms. His arms were strong and felt so comforting and right around her, almost as if they had been waiting for her her entire life, but she knew that that was a thought of pure absurdity.
He was relieved that she had not pushed him away. He vowed that he would get a bath as soon as they got back to the ship. He imagined that he must be smelling something fierce and didn't know how she could tolerate him yet she allowed him to hold her gently. "I'll be there for you, 'Ro, any time you want me to be. I don't know if I'm any good at takin' care o' girls, but I'll do what I can. Right now I think we'd better get to the wagon before they leave without us." He broke off the hug and, taking her by the hand, led her toward the wagon.
As they reached it, he put her in first and then climbed in beside her, pulling her back into a hug. "It won't take long, but it'll be a little while that you can rest." He looked around and noticed that the others had all settled. He hoped it would be an uneventful, quick trip to the ship.
The others huddled together, hoping that the rain would not get worse. They thought it was part of the snow storm that had been going on most of the day. Prue looked at Ororo with a question in her eyes. Could she have been responsible for the rain?
Ororo caught Prue's questioning look as she laid her head on Logan's shoulder. Knowing that a storm would only make it harder to reach the ship, she closed her eyes and fought to rein in her emotions. As she regained control again, the wind, lightning, and sleet vanished, but the snow continued to fall.
Prue had watched Ororo and had seen the declination in the weather. She knew she had been right, but though she nodded to herself, she didn't say anything and turned her attention back to her sisters instead.
Meanwhile, Tom and Morph had transformed back into dragons. They had been waiting for Logan and Ororo, who were the last to get on, and as soon as they had gotten on, they almost flew to the ship. The wagon was jam-packed with people and belongings, but although it was crowded, it was almost comfortable as old and new friends huddled together. What would have taken them hours to reach the ship took them only about fifteen minutes. Passing quickly through the town, they noticed that part of it was on fire but did not stop to investigate, knowing that they had to get to the ship and get ready to leave.
As they rode swiftly through the town, Gabrielle tensed, her hands itching for her sais as she fully expected trouble. The shapeshifters could feel her tenseness through the reins, but as Tom's telepathic voice met her mind, she relaxed just a little. It's all right, he told her. They don't see us for us. They see Morph and me as horses, not dragons. They think you're just a fat, old man, he added teasingly, and the others are just luggage. Reaching the ship, they began swiftly unloading and preparing the ships for departure.
To Be Continued . . .
