Chapter Twenty-four
Logan headed for the great outdoors. He didn't figure there'd be anybody out there that would complain about his smoking. He didn't dare light up in the house. He looked around and didn't see any one. Taking a seat and leaning his back against the house, he looked out in front of him, wondering where the next attack would come from, and lit up his cigar. Just as he lit it, he heard some one fussing and heading his way.
Kitty was blinded by her fury and the tears that were threatening to come to fore as she marched in a straight deadline for the house. Her hands were balled into fists, and though Lockheed cooed to her continually, she'd stopped paying attention to him completely. She didn't even see Wolverine as she headed directly toward him.
"Whoa, little lady!" Wolverine called out to her. "Where ya goin' in such a murderous rage?" It was then that her scent hit him, and he was stunned. "Well, I'll be damned!" he said. "Elektra!"
Kitty had been about to bite off a response to Wolverine when he called out a name that made her freeze and grab her sword. She whirled around, drawing it from its sheath and dropping instantly into a battle stance. "Where!" Yet she did not see her. She cut a look over her shoulder at Wolverine. "Where is she?"
"You!" Wolverine explained. "What is she to ya?" He took a puff on his cigar and watched her reaction to the name with a surprised look on his face.
She turned, pointing the sword at him now. "Why . . . " she managed to get out, "do you want to know?"
"Well, unless my nose has suddenly decided to take a hike, I just smelled her on ya. Tell me I'm mistakin'."
She sheathed her sword, but her emotional eyes remained wary. "I've no reason to lie to you."
"So? Tell me."
"We're related."
"Is she yer mother?"
Kitty's eyes narrowed. "How'd you know that?"
He was slowly putting two and two together and realized that it was a very good chance that Kitty might be his own daughter. "Sniff me, Kitty," he told her so that he could get close enough to sniff her.
She eyed him. "Why?" What was this man's problem, and where had that damn Priest gotten to?
When he saw that she wasn't going to sniff him, he asked, "Can I sniff ya? Bare with me. I have a reason fer askin'."
She continued to eye him warily but reminded herself that he could not hurt her. If he were to try to grab her for whatever reason, she could simply phase through him. She nodded, though her hand lay at the ready on her sword's hilt. "All right . . . "
He stubbed out his cigar and then leaned forward and sniffed her. "Ya'd best sit down," he told her. "I smelled Elektra on ya, an' I knew it was her scent. I used ta know Elektra. It's been years since I've seen her. I need ta ask ya another question. It's kinda personal, but if yer'll bare with me, yer'll see the reason soon enough. Do ya have a birthmark?"
She had not sat down when he'd told her to but had let that comment pass. Her mind was running double-time as she tried to figure out what he was about. Her eyes widened even more as a thought came to her. He knew Elektra. There was something else about her scent that bothered him, and now he wanted to know if she had a birthmark. She raised a hand to touch her ear but paused. "Show me yours," she told him, "and I'll show you mine."
Wolverine looked at Kitty and noticed that her hand had almost touched her ear. Now she was presuming that he had one. He knew the game was up. He flipped his hair back to reveal his left ear and leaned forward so that Kitty could see.
Kitty leaned in close to him, her eyes searching the spot behind his ear, and then she gasped. Her eyes shot as round as saucers as she stared at the tiny, blue sword. She stumbled back in shock, but Lockheed pushed her toward Wolverine to keep her from falling.
Wolverine reached out and grasped the girl, helping her to sit down on the ground. "Can I see yers?"
There was a new emotion in her eyes as Kitty looked up at him. She nodded, not yet trusting herself to speak, and pulled her own hair back from her ear. She tilted her head to one side, allowing him a direct look at her own birthmark.
"I thought as much," he said, "when I smelled her smell on ya. She didn't tell me she was pregnant, an' I swear ta ya, girl, I never knew ya existed or I'd've found ya by now. I believe I'm yer father, an' the birthmarks prove it. I don't know why she didn't tell me or why she didn't tell ya who yer father was. Ya had a right ta know."
Kitty let out a shaky breath. Her mind was too dazed to speak still as she pulled her long legs up and circled them with her arms. Her chin rested on her knees as she stared up at him. Lockheed cooed softly as he perched on her back, and finally she spoke. "I always knew the day would come when I'd finally meet you. I just didn't expect it to be . . . now . . . and here . . . of all times and places. I . . . " She shook her head. "Elektra didn't tell me anything. It was years before I finally traced her down as being my Mother, and that came out in a fight."
"I heard that she'd gone to the bad side. Like I said, it's been years since I've seen her. In fact, the last time I saw her, must've been when I got her with you. I wished the bitch had told me. I would've come fer ya. What did she do with ya?"
"She never wanted me," Kitty told him. "That's probably why she never bothered to try to tell you. My parents were attacked by her at the harbor in my hometown, but it wasn't the normal kind of attack. Instead of taking their money, she gave me to them."
"She attacked them an' then left ya with them! That don't make any sense! How'd she know that they'd take care o' ya an' not drown ya?"
"I doubt she really cared, but that was supposedly the reason behind the attack. Kind of a warning to them that if they didn't take care of me right, she'd be back." She shrugged. "Not that she ever checked up on me again. But my parents are good people. They loved me, and they told me the truth. They never tried to lie to me."
"I owe 'em a lot fer takin' care o' ya, Kitty. If I'd only known, I'd've come. I swear it. I hope ta see her again one day, an' when I get through beatin' the crap outta her, I want her ta explain ta me why she did what she did. I know it's too late fer ya to think o' me as yer father. After all, ya do have an adopted father. But I want ya to know I'll be here fer ya an' that, if ya want it, ya have a family. It's going ta be quite a huge family, if everythin' turns out the way I hope it will. I've asked 'Ro to marry me, an' she said yes. With her girls an' my boys, we've got a big family, but there's always room fer ya." He smiled at her as he got to his feet. He offered her his hand.
Kitty was gazing at him with tears in her eyes. These tears were not angry as the ones earlier had been, but they were a mixture of sadness, happiness, and a hope that she had lost long ago. She took his hand, and Lockheed took to the air as she stood. "Wolverine, I've always thought myself to be lucky. Well, I did any way. I was a bit . . . ignorant as a kid. I thought I'd be lucky to have two fathers an' two mothers, but then when I met Elektra . . ." She let that sentence hang in the air, figuring he'd understand what she meant though she did not have the words for it. "But meeting you, I guess . . . Maybe I am still a little lucky."
He pulled her into his arms in a bear hug. "Little darlin', ya don't have ta call me Dad. Ya can call me Wolverine or ya can call me Dad, if ya want, but know that I'll always be here fer ya no matter what. I can't wait ta tell the others! What a joy an' a surprise! I never expected ta have any children, but the Goddess has blessed me with quite a few o' ya an' I'm proud o' every one o' ya!"
She returned his hug as her heart continued to dare to hope and believe. "I guess this island did bring something good after all. I just hope we can get off of it."
"Yes, I hope all o' us get off it safely," he told her. "Now who made my little girl so angry? Who do I need ta give a piece o' my mind ta or perhaps a claw?"
She pulled back enough so that she could look at him in surprise. "A claw?" she repeated. "But you're not at all cattish!"
He moved one of his hands away from her and unsheathed the claws of that hand. "Maybe not, but I have got a fine set o' these," he told her. "Don't be afraid o' 'em. They're great for fightin'. They've saved my life many a time."
She couldn't help grinning at the sight. "I don't know how I missed those earlier," she said. "No wonder you were ripping those raptors apart!"
"I couldn't help but to notice yer power. Do ya have any others besides phasin'?"
"Well, there's a lot more to the phasing than you know."
"Honey, ya already had me walkin' on air, an' I've seen ya pass through walls an' people! So what else could there be?"
"Well, for one, it can disrupt just about anything mechanical. But there's something else that's kicked in every now and again. I didn't know where the Hell it was coming from, but I guess now that it was you."
"What was it," he asked, "an' how do ya know it came from me?"
Kitty touched a finger to her nose. "I pick up things sometimes. Not a lot but sometimes. It comes in really handy for tracking."
"Yeah, the ol' nose does come in good fer trackin'," he agreed with her, "an' it definitely came from me. Yer mom's not a mutant, or at least, I don't think she is."
Kitty's smile started to fade as she remembered his earlier question. She knew now, looking back after her anger had had a chance to cool, that it wasn't really Kurt's fault. He couldn't have known what a nunnery meant to her, and besides, it was her own fault for looking at him in the first place.
"So are ya gonna tell yer ol' man what man was botherin' ya? I feel like I'm in fer a little action."
Kitty swept a strand of loose hair behind her ear and looked away, diverting her eyes from his, as she answered him. "It . . . Well, it was more of me bothering a man than vice versa."
He could tell she didn't want to go into more detail. "Well, if the problem occurs again, let me know. I don't mind lendin' a claw."
"In this case, you would," she told him. "It really was my fault. I mean, for Gods' sakes, I'm a widow times two now and I'm looking at a Priest!" She covered her mouth with her hand, but her wide eyes told him that she knew it was too late.
"I thought I saw a little somethin' there between ya two earlier, an' it doesn't matter how many times ya been married, Kitty. It wasn't yer fault that the man died, an' think o' the good side o' it -- that ya had two men who loved ya. Ya had a special time between them lovin' ya an' ya lovin' 'em, an' that's what life's about -- lovin'. Not all Priests are celibate. After all, they are men. But since yer his Captain, he might not look at ya that way. Then again, he'd be a fool if he didn't. Want me ta talk ta him?"
"It wouldn't do any good," she replied, "but I do appreciate the offer. It's not my being his Captain, and it's not even his looks. It's the Priesthood. He . . . He told me to get to a nunnery!" She shook her head. "But I know he didn't mean it the way I took it at first. He couldn't have known that I thought of joining one once -- right after Piotr's death -- but that I hadn't been able to give up the life of a Pirate."
"Could be he did mean it but not in the way yer thinkin', darlin'. Could be the good Father's got feelings fer ya an' wants ya to be safe from him, an' the safest place ta his way o' thinkin' would be a nunnery. He couldn't reach ya in there, because o' the nuns. So there's hope fer ya two yet, darlin'. Sure ya don't want me ta talk ta him? I know how ta be discreet."
She nodded with a sigh. "I . . . Yes, I'm sure. It's just . . . I don't even need to be considering another man this soon, and I know that both you and he have told me that I'm not responsible for Peter's death, but it doesn't feel that way. Besides, I was already being untrue. I was looking at him even on the way here!" She shook her head in shame.
"Nothin' ta be ashamed about, darlin'. A woman's a woman, an' a man's a man, an' ya can't help bein' attracted ta the ones yer attracted to. It's like with 'Ro an' me. She hit me like a hurricane an' completely blew me away. An' would ya believe how lucky I am? She actually wants ta marry me!"
"Yeah." It was only then that she realized she'd been so shocked that she'd forgotten to congratulate him. She grinned at him. "And congratulations, by the way!"
"Ya need ta meet yer new mom, so ya see, darlin', ya are gonna get yer dream -- two fathers an' two mothers. She's gonna be delighted ta meet ya. She might not understand ya, but that little woman has got a lot o' love in her an' I think she's gonna make a great mother. She's probably gonna mother ya an' me to death, but what a way to go!" He grinned. For the first time, despite all the crappy things that had happened to him, including the dinosaurs, Wolverine finally felt like he was getting his world together. "Shall we go in, darlin'? Breakfast is ready."
"Yeah. Just . . . promise me one thing?" she asked hopefully, grinning despite all the problems that plagued her.
"What's that?"
"That I won't have to sit by Kurt. I just can't face him right now!"
"No problem. Ya can sit on my right side. 'Ro's sittin' on my left, an' when we get to doin' all the talkin' after breakfast, you an' me can make our announcement 'bout findin' each other. 'Ro an' me gonna make our announcement 'bout what we are plannin' on doin'. There's gonna be several others; we just have to wait our turn."
Kitty nodded as she went into the kitchen with him. It was then that she remembered Sean's desperate pleas that Wolverine was a good, trust-worthy man, and she laughed. Shaking her head, she explained, "I should've listened to Sean. He tried to tell me you were a good man."
"Sean an' me go way back together, Kitty. He's had a really rough life, but we've saved each other a couple o' times an' we've always told each other the truth. If Sean tells ya somethin', ya can carry it as bein' the truth. I don't think he's capable o' lyin'."
Kitty nodded. "I usually do trust his judgment. It was just . . . " She sobered at the memory. "I had to be extremely careful. I didn't want the last ones of our group walking into even more trouble."
He led the way into the dining room where he could see several others already taking a place at the table. They were talking but not eating. He pulled a chair out for her and looked toward the head of the table, expecting to see Jack, but it was empty. "Guess we're still a little early," he said as he slipped her under the table.
"Looks that way." She grinned up at him. "But you're in for a treat! Chong's a wonderful cook!"
"That's somethin' we hadn't had in a long time until we got Miss Piper, but unfortunately, I don't suppose she'll be cookin' any more any time soon. But she definitely cooked a feast the other night! Poor little darlin'! I hope her eyesight comes back."
When Jack had finished dressing, he looked toward the bathroom which neither Brendan nor Will had yet left. It was quiet in there, and he couldn't imagine what they were doing. He headed for the door and was going to knock on it when he saw it open and Brendan walking out, his eyes fixed on the floor. "I put the clothes on the bed for both of you. Get dressed so we can go eat."
The men nodded as they headed silently, neither looking at the other, for the bed. Will was just picking up what he presumed to be his outfit when he heard the bathroom door shut. He looked up and met Jack's gaze even as he realized Brendan was gone again.
Jack shrugged. "Were you two okay in there? I didn't think about it being a problem for either of you. I hope it wasn't."
"It wasn't," Will assured him. "It's just . . . Well, Jack, you know I'm shy, and I guess Brendan is too."
"I heard he dressed in a barrel," a voice seemed to come out of nowhere.
"Carl, what are you doing eavesdropping? Don't you have something more important to do?"
"Nah. Not really," the answer came from the closet where Will's round eyes were transfixed. "Paige is in with her aunt, so I can't really do anything there."
"Well, you can go down to breakfast. It's about to be served. Leave now or I'm coming in there after you!" Jack headed straight for the closet only to hear squirming which he took for Carl's quick retreat. He opened the door to make sure. Peering into the closet, he could barely make out Carl's figure as he started to head toward where the kitchen would lay but stopped and started working his way up. "Where ya going, Carl?" Jack called. "The kitchen's the other way!"
"I know," Carl replied, his smile obvious in his tone of voice, "but I just realized what an idiot I am!"
"Huh? I could've told you that yesterday!" Jack told him.
"No, it's not that!" Carl retorted. "I could've been listening in on Paige's conversation this whole time!" He dug faster.
"I don't want to be around when you get caught in that situation," Jack told him as he closed the door on him. "He's heading straight for trouble," he informed Will who was still staring at him and the closet.
"That was Carl, right?" he asked. "In the wall?"
"Carl is always in the wall, snooping. That's how he knows everything that goes on as soon as it happens. That's what Gnomes do -- is dig. Never say anything you don't want to hear repeated." He walked over to the dresser, picked up a hairbrush, ran it through his hair quickly, and then tossed the brush to Will.
Will had just finished dressing when Jack tossed the brush to him. He caught it deftly, then began fighting with his curls. "I . . . I don't know if I'll ever get used to all the . . . " He glanced toward the closet and the bathroom before returning his gaze to Jack. He dropped his voice to a whisper before continuing. ". . . abnormalities in your family, Jack, but I want to."
"We are definitely an abnormal family, but I love every one of them! Speaking of which, we'd best get Brendan out of that bathroom. Something has upset him a lot, but he hasn't told me what it is yet. If we don't get him out of there, he'll spend the day in there hiding."
Will cast a doubtful look toward the closed door of the bathroom. "He won't tell you with me present. Perhaps I should go ahead?"
"You don't mind, love? If he won't tell me, I'll beat it out of him. I won't be long."
Will knew his hair was still a mess but was used to the confounded mass. Deciding to leave it be, he walked over to Jack and placed the brush back on the dresser. "I'll miss you," he told him before lowering his lips to his.
Jack deepened the kiss. "I'll miss you, but I won't be long."
Will wrinkled his nose at him. "Hurry," he pleaded before turning and walking away.
Jack watched Will leave. He liked the way he walked and the view his back side presented. He walked over as Will shut the door and knocked on the bathroom's closed door. "Brendan? Are you coming out?"
"Y-Yeah." His voice came out as a squeak, and he had to harden it. "In a minute or so."
"Come out now. You're dressed. I don't want to keep Will waiting long, but I do want to find out what's going on with you. You are more skittish today than usual, and I know it's more than just the full moon coming tonight."
"Well, it's not every day a man wakes up to a woman in his arms!" He stopped, his wild eyes shooting toward the door. He'd meant the words to come out a lot quieter than they had. Had Jack heard him?
"Brendan, did Prue throw herself on you again?"
"I . . . I'm not sure."
"Open that door! I don't like having a door between you and me! And what do you mean you're not sure?"
Brendan opened the door but still would not meet his gaze. "I'm not sure," he repeated. "I was going to bed with Cole, but that . . . didn't exactly work out. I woke up, found myself on the couch, and, hum, realized Prue was alone . . . "
"You mean Cole and Piper were together last night? Why, that's wonderful! I wondered how long it was going to take them to get together. So you went to protect Prue and ended up sleeping with her? I knew you could do it! You just have to relax and let yourself go! Congratulations!" He reached out and patted him on the back. "Last night was definitely a wonderful night!"
Brendan's head lifted slowly, and the furious look he met Jack with froze his hand on his back. "Last night," Brendan growled through gritted teeth, "was not a wonderful night, Jack! I don't even know what happened! I was set to guard her door but must've went to sleep, because when I woke up to Paige's screams this morning, I was inside her room with her next to me!"
"Oh! So you didn't . . . make love? I misunderstood ya. You don't know what happened. You went to sleep, and the lovely Miss Halliwell had her way with you! Or, at least, you think she did. Were either one of you unclothed?" Jack asked him.
Brendan sighed even as he shook his head. "I thought at first that we had, but then, after I'd had a chance to calm down, I remembered that we weren't and thought perhaps we'd just slept together. But then I heard her telling her sisters that we had! But Wolverine found me and we talked and he said that he didn't think she would have because ladies don't do that and Prue's definitely a lady but . . . Gods, Jack!" he cried. "I don't know what to think any more!"
"I'll tell you a surefire way to know. Go down, act normal, and make eye contact with her. If she can't look you in the eye, then she's guilty. Some reason, women are always embarrassed the morning after. I don't think that she would do it, because she wants you to be the one to make that move. The girl does love you, though, Brendan. Maybe you should take her aside and tell her about your . . . ordeal? It might help her to understand why you're so reluctant about sex. We've got to do something about you tonight since the chains were destroyed; I hope Doctor Doom is already working on it."
Brendan nervously scratched at a flea. "Well, I kind of . . . already told Wolverine I'd . . . hum . . . I'd . . . huh . . . talk to her . . . "
"Good! Talk to her, but make sure Carl's not around! He's even worse about tunneling since he's got in the house! Some houses have termites; ours has a Gnome! You ready to go? I'll walk you down."
Brendan swallowed the golfball that had been rising in his throat. "Ready as I'll ever be."
Jack headed for the door of the room, opened it, and stepped outside. He looked back to check on Brendan. His brother was coming toward him, but though he was not wolfing, Jack could still tell that his tail was tucked between his legs.
To Be Continued . . .
