Chapter 5: Billy's Reality

Erik turned his gaze at last from the searing red hole in the roof when he could no longer see Wiccan and glared at K. "What — what happened?"

"I don't know," she replied from where she still hadn't gotten up after being blasted back by Billy's exit. It was clear she was just as confused as anyone else and still trying to figure it out. "I was just … trying to get him to stop crying."

Erik looked thunderous as he lifted her up, one hand outstretched and a sneer on his lips. "What did you do?" he demanded, floating up so he could look at her eye to eye, already set to tear her apart magnetically.

"I was holding him," she replied, wide-eyed herself. "I told him I trusted him."

"Can we ma-a-a-aybe have this argument somewhere else?" Wade asked as he ran a Weapon X soldier through.

"Not until I know where William is," Erik said with real heat to his tone — though while he still had K held up by her bones, he was angry enough that anything else metal — Logan and swords excluded — was simply crumbling and folding in on itself all around them.

Logan froze as he saw the position that Erik had K held in — a little too familiar for him to ignore. "She's not lying," he told Erik. "She didn't do anything."

Erik turned a furious glare Logan's way, but when Logan held his gaze, Erik's finally softened, and he let K down as he let out his breath. "If anyone else is being held here, we should find them and then raze this place."

"Well," said a new voice — familiar, but slightly changed — as Billy seemed to materialize out of the air. "There is still James. I saw him here. I saw everyone." The young man's voice sounded different, like there was a slight echo, and his eyes were still filled with galaxies. What's more, the sides of his hair were completely white just above his ears and all the way around.

K and Logan shared a look — they hadn't told anyone in the X-Men about the baby they were expecting when they were captured, and it had seemed like nothing to bring up since … well. They thought the boy was dead. "James?" K asked, the look of confusion and fear totally gone as a deep rage sparked up, along with a growl low enough that it was felt rather than heard by the men in the room.

Billy nodded softly and gestured the right way. "Three corridors down, and to your left," he said, his voice still echoing slightly.

She didn't question him, simply turning on her heel and starting off at a brisk pace, with the rest of them following close behind.

Erik still looked confused by the exchange. "Who is James?" he asked.

"Their little boy," Billy explained. "He'll be… just over two by now." He glanced toward Erik and smiled. "Don't worry. He'll be alright, given enough time."

As they spoke, K rushed into the room that Billy had mentioned, though she'd had to cut her way in — not in any kind of mood to wait for Logan or Erik or anyone else. She stalked in, her lips curled back, looking for whoever it was that was dumb enough to get between her and her little boy.

The door opened into a massive room, and the men followed her in and spread out to see where James might be tucked away. They were halfway across it when Billy pointed out the man trying to sneak out with the little boy in his arms.

Logan locked on to the guy and then looked toward K and barely got to Erik to push him gently out of her path as she took off toward the guy at a dead run. "You've heard about mother bears," Logan told him. "This … is a little worse than that."

They watched as Billy managed to get the black-haired little boy away from the Weapon X guy — not holding him but simply lifting him up before K tackled the guy and started to beat the life out of him, all low growls and snarls that ended with a sharp crack as she broke the man's neck and headed toward Logan — who was now holding their son. When she got within a few yards, her shoulders dropped and the two of them tried to introduce themselves to the little boy that they never got to meet until now.

"I wish I could do a few more reunions like that," Billy said with a small smile as he hung back with the others. "There's a few more you'd've liked."

"Which part?" Wade asked. "The darling little boy or the snarling and neck breaking — because I'm pretty sure she'll repeat that performance."

Billy chuckled and shook his head. "I just meant… I wish there were more of the people I know. The kids I know." He glanced to Wade, twinkling starlight in his gaze. "I can't change much here. I could change any reality I wanted, but not this one. Sorry."

"Well that's just … stupid," Wade said, crossing his arms over his chest. "Couldn't you .. I dunno … make everything unchangeable in some universe where everyone is happy and living in little picket fence cottages?" He pointed a finger at Billy. "I know there has to be one like that."

"Yeah, there is. And little flower people. And one where everyone is a princess. I've seen them all," Billy agreed with a small smile.

Wade waved his hand at Billy dismissively. "I don't know what you're talking about … I'm always a princess."

"Well, there you go." Billy shook his head at him. "But ... I can help you get rid of Weapon X."

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure at this point we just need to have Logan stand on one side of the room and hold little James up like Simba so she can see him?" Wade shrugged up to his ears. "The rest will take care of itself."

"Yes, well. I know where the bases are. And who is still alive," Billy said. He looked sheepish. "I know… just about everything about this dimension. It's kind of… central."

"Know-it-all," Wade said under his breath.

"In this case, yes. Yes, I am."

"If we get rid of Weapon X, will that lighten everyone up a little bit and give me a chance to go find a nice girl out there somewhere?" Wade asked as he stretched out and went looking for his swords. "Because I'm kind of getting tired of watching everyone else's kids."

"Try Scandinavia," Billy said with a small smirk.

"Well, when you narrow it down to just Northern Europe …"

"It's more fun if you find her yourself," Billy chuckled.

"Oh, Billy-boy, I am not complaining," Wade said with a grin. "That's a whole lot of pretty to sift through."

Billy nodded and then glanced at Erik. "So… do you mind if I stay for a while? Just to make sure you're all … relatively alright?"

"I wish you would," Erik said.

Billy smiled at that and nodded. "Then if it's alright with all of you, let's move this reunion to …" He tipped his head. "Ah. You went to the Savage Land. I was going to say Avalon."

"We had to abandon Avalon," Kurt replied.

Billy frowned. "Right. That was my fault." He glanced up at Kurt with a perfectly open expression. "So much of what happened here is my fault. I don't even know how to begin to apologize."

"Nothing that happened was done maliciously," Kurt replied gently. "I was blessed to have her in my life while I did." Billy nodded quietly, though he didn't say anything further. If he pointed out now that he had created this world…

K and Logan made their way over to the group very slowly. K was holding the little boy finally as he studied her face with an expression of pure concentration.

"Why don't I take you to where Elin is?" Kurt offered.

"Where is she?" Logan asked, pausing for a moment with a look that wasn't easily placed. "Would she even want to see us after you spent all this time raising her?"

"Wade has been sure to tell them all stories of their parents. What they are and were truly like," Kurt promised him.

"Stories and the truth don't usually line up," K said softly. "Not that I doubt your mad skills, Wade."

"Then why don't we see for ourselves?" Kurt suggested, and an instant later, all of them were in the Savage Lands, just outside the door to the room where the kids were playing with Bruce and Tony.

Kurt paused at the door. "Most of them are painfully shy. It's no reflection on you," he warned.

The two ferals shared a look that clearly read that they thought Kurt was being far too generous. As usual. "You're running the show, Elf," Logan said, though he was obviously uncomfortable.

Kurt nodded and pushed open the door, and while there was a high squeaky sound of delight for a moment when Krissy saw her dad, the kids stopped and positively scattered into hiding spots when they saw Logan and K.

"We're … not causing trouble," K said — more to Tony and Bruce than to the kids.

"As if I would bring you here if you were," Kurt said in a tone of near offense as he scooped up Krissy and the little girl half hid in his shoulder.

K shifted in place as she readjusted her grip on James. "Sure," she said slowly before she turned to Bruce and Tony, tipping her head toward James. "Is there any way you could check him over? I really want someone outside of those creeps to tell me he's healthy."

Bruce met her gaze for a moment and then nodded, gently reaching out to take James, though the little guy seemed hesitant to do much of anything, too unfamiliar with his surroundings. Bruce frowned quietly but readjusted his hold so he was halfway cradling the little boy.

"They told me he died," she said with a wavering voice as a means of explanation, her arms crossed in front of herself tightly.

"Then they lied," Bruce said.

"No kidding," she replied, still frustrated and angry over all of it.

"Do you mind if I…" Bruce gestured to a door nearby. "It won't take long, but the kids aren't quite comfortable with all… this."

"Go ahead," Logan told him. "We can step outside."

"No, they likely need more exposure to you. I'll be back," Bruce said, still wearing a small frown as he got to his feet and slipped off to check James over.

"We can wait here," Kurt offered, gesturing to a nearby long couch that, until a few moments ago, the kids had been occupying. He sat down with Krissy still wrapped up in him, pointedly not looking toward any of the kids' hiding places so that they would feel safe to come out on their own.

Logan and K shared a look before Logan put his hand at the small of K's back to urge her forward. When they sat down, the two of them were nearly sharing a cushion, curled into each other tightly.

They sat in silence for a little while, though Krissy kept stealing little peeks at them before burying her face again, not entirely sure what to do with each of them — until finally, the little advance scout poked his head out from underneath one of the tables and made his way very carefully over.

"How come you're here?" he asked with all the bluntness of a five-year-old, his arms crossed over his chest.

They both seemed taken aback by the way the question was phrased. "Because Kurt brought us here," Logan replied.

Chance shook his head. "I saw that. I mean how come you're here?"

"Where do you think we should be?" Logan asked.

The little boy shuffled his feet. "Well. Not here," he said. "We're not supposed to let you find us, I thought."

"We're not going to hurt you," Logan told him. "We're on your side. And you don't have to run anymore."

Chance frowned at that and glanced at Kurt, who nodded gently. "Okay. Well. If Kurt says it's okay," he finally said.

"Logan is my very best friend," Kurt promised. "And K is absolutely wonderful. I promise: neither of them will ever hurt you. Ever."

"But you can decide for yourself," K said, giving Kurt a look.

Chance seemed to think about it for a long time before he nodded and climbed up to sit on Kurt's other side — not by the ferals but still watching them carefully. "If you guys're bad, I'm gonna grow up to be really big, so you better watch it," he said with his arms crossed.

"If you decide we're bad, we'll leave you alone," Logan told him. "And we won't ever bother you again."

Krissy picked her head up at that, her nose scrunched up. "Never ever?" she asked.

"Never ever," K agreed.

"That's a really really long time," Krissy said, still with her nose scrunched up. "And my papa likes you."

"It's not your papa's decision," K reasoned. "We don't want to scare you."

"I'm not scared," Chance insisted with his lower lip poked out.

K just stared at him for a moment, lips parted, unable to reply to him as he held her gaze for a moment, his chin thrust out.

"Of course you're not," Logan said with a little nod, though he wasn't too far behind K.

Chance glanced at Logan and nodded once before he climbed back down to go find his sister — which slowly prompted the other kids to poke their heads out as well.

Shocking the rest of the kids, Elin finally came out of her hiding place without being prompted. She made a silent beeline almost right to them and looked at Kurt for only a moment before she closed the distance the rest of the way and climbed right up on Logan and wrapped her arms around his neck. He very nearly let the stress go as he snuggled into her, and as Logan hugged her and she settled in, she reached over with one hand to rest on K's cheek. So it wasn't long before the three of them were wrapped up in each other.

"I don't think they're bad guys," Sying said at last. "Elin doesn't hug bad guys."

That seemed to be the cue for the kids to start to relax, too, going back to the game of Chutes and Ladders that they had been playing before, though both Krissy and Elin stayed on the couch where the snuggles were.

"Hey, Kurt," Tony called out after a while. "The news is reporting an 'unexplainable volcanic event' in Iceland. Know anything about that?" he asked.

"Not yet, but I'm sure we will," Kurt replied. "We just left Iceland not long ago."

"Did you build snowmen?" Krissy asked.

"There really wasn't much snow," Kurt told her as he booped her nose.

"You should build snowmen," Krissy said. "I can help! I can make snow angels too!"

"Then when we go somewhere with snow, you can do that — but not here, and not until we find a new place to live," Kurt replied.

"But we just got here," Krissy said, her eyes wide.

"Do you like the jungle?" Tony asked. "Because I am totally sick of it."

"Well…." Krissy thought about it, her tail swaying behind her. "I don't like being hot and sticky."

"Yeah, but most of the north was taken over by bad guys," Tony said. "Right, K? The entire northern neighbor is evil."

"Well … there might be a spot or two that's acceptable," K replied as Elin curled into her mother finally. "But they're pretty remote. Probably too remote for you, rich boy."

"I like beaches," Krissy offered. "Even if the sand gets in my fur. We hid there one time, and it was my favorite."

"I like snow and fires," K told her. "We could have hot chocolate."

"I do like chocolate," Krissy said.

"Can we come too?" Charlie asked, looking up from the board game.

K glanced to Kurt and tried to deflect the question. "That would be up to Kurt, I think."

"You mean it's up to them," Kurt replied. "If your staying or going is based on if they want you to stay or go, then then joining you must be based on the same logic."

"Unless you think it's a bad idea," Logan added.

"Why would it be a bad idea to have hot chocolate?" Chance asked as if this was the most ridiculous thing he'd heard all day.

"They still think you're afraid of them," Kurt told Chance in a mock whisper.

Chance shook his head stubbornly and looked Logan and K's way. "I told you I'm not scared," he said, one hand on his hip to accentuate the point.

"Oh, I've missed that look," K whispered to Logan as neither one of them seemed able to look away from Chance.

"So we can come for hot chocolate?" Charlie asked brightly.

"Anytime you like," K agreed as Logan gave her a look that all but screamed 'too fast'.

Charlie nodded and grinned sheepishly down at the board game.

"As long as Kurt says it's alright," Logan added when it was clear that K had no plans to amend her statement.

"Of course it is," Kurt said, giving Logan a little raised eyebrow look that turned into a smirk K's way.