(Four)
"I won't let them hurt you. I'll keep you safe."
Logan squinted, leaning over just a bit in his seat. They had been in the air only just a few minutes, heading for home. The tension in the cabin had faded, disappearing as they left all that ugliness of Twilight and Dockside behind them. Remy had calmed down now and relaxed as they traveled, growing a bit drowsy even as he let Kimble do the flying for them. In the quiet, not quite lost behind the ragged snoring of Kyle as he slept beneath them on the floor, Logan had heard Julien's soft whisper.
The boy was bent over the lovely young girl whose head remained in his lap. He was brushing her oh so gently with his elbows, his concern for her very real. What Logan didn't fully understand was why Julien was acting like they were the bad guys. What did he think they might do to him?
If Logan had asked him, Julien could safely say that he had many reasons to distrust people. It seemed like no matter where he went there was always someone who appeared to have bad intentions towards him. Rescues weren't always the blessings they seemed to be. At least he could safely say that Kiden had never hurt him, not this precious wonder who lay so still and lifeless now.
"It'll be okay..." he whispered again as if she could actually hear him. He didn't care if they could be overheard. All he was thinking of in that moment was how she had saved his life all those years ago.
After Lucas had left them to find what medicine he could, Julien had slipped in and out of evil dreams, always to wake to find her there next to him. Eventually Lucas returned and Julien woke to his face being gently patted. It was Kiden again. "Take this," she said and water and hard lumpy pills were pushed into his mouth. He drank them down and slept again.
He woke some time later, but it was like a dream. He was lying on the floor, covered in filthy blankets. He was conscious enough now to see that the ceiling above him belonged to a broken down warehouse, shattered windows all in a row let in pale moonlight from above. Beside him there was movement, and he saw two figures moving in the dim, shimmery light of a single candle.
Kiden lay on her own makeshift bed and moaned softly as Lucas kissed her. They were only a few feet away from him, the boy on top of her, their bodies obscured by ragged blankets, but not enough to disguise the careful motion of their passionate loveplay. Julien was young but knew enough of his mother's profession to recognize what he was seeing. Still, he couldn't look away, something about their heated interaction mesmerized him. Kiden's love for her scraggly companion was something powerful that Julien could sense, something that flushed his own face and made him feel warm.
Julien had seen his own mother doing this thing, but unlike Kathy who had been servicing a man she had despised, Kiden seemed to be enjoying this with all she was made of. She was vocal and happy, laughing softly with pure happiness and joy, her arms wrapped around her lover, keeping him there, not pushing him away.
Kiden's eyes were closed and she was enjoying herself too much to see that Julien had awakened, but at one point in the action Lucas turned his head and his big brown eyes met Julien's fevered ones. The look was less than kind and Julien could see in his face that the youth was annoyed at being watched. Lucas was jealous.
"Wh-what?" Kiden mumbled blearily, but Lucas turned back to her and kissed her, his hands on her face and keeping her focus on him. He grew more aggressive with his body and then gasped loudly as they shuddered together, both of them coming to a stop. Kiden wrapped her arms tightly around her lover, bringing her legs up around him as they lay together, breathing deeply now. Lucas recovered first and kissed her neck, soft and gentle.
Julien lay as he was, watching them as if trying to divine their secrets. He was so unused to actual love that he wasn't sure what he was looking at. His trying to understand it all made him more awake and with that alertness came the return of his pain. He whimpered softly and tried to rise, but he was much too weak.
Kiden heard that and turned to look at Julien in surprise and no small amount of embarrassment. She knew he had to have seen her and Lucas together. "Hey."
"Wh-where am I?"
Kiden moved and Lucas grumbled softly in complaint, rolling off of her to allow her to rise. Kiden pulled down her oversized shirt, dressing as it were, and got up. She came to Julien's bed and put her hand on his forehead. "How do you feel?"
"Hurts."
"I'm sure it does. Do you remember what happened to your hand?"
"My stepfather hurt me."
Kiden's eyes opened wide, but then closed with gentle understanding. "You need a doctor."
"I can't," he gasped. "My eyes." That wasn't the real reason, though it sufficed. He could still vaguely remember something exploding and Jerry screaming, but it was all so dreamy and far away. Enough of it remained that he knew he couldn't risk being reported to the police. He hadn't run that far.
"I'm sorry. I sent Lucas for some pills, but I don't know if they will be enough."
"It's okay..." Julien breathed, happier now that she was so close. "Do you have anything to eat?"
"Yeah," she replied and reached for a backpack nearby. As she leaned over she sneezed and wiped at her nose. "Uggh... I must be coming down with something."
"They were sick at my house, I must have given it to you," Julien explained weakly.
"Maybe," she agreed, not the least bit angry about it. Of course, if she had known it was the Flush, she might have been more concerned. Not for her herself, perhaps, but for anyone she might infect.
He gratefully took a half full, white box of tepid Chinese food when she handed it to him. It wasn't normally his favorite, but he was much too hungry to refuse.
"You guys live here?" Julien asked, looking around. His new companions were obviously homeless though this seemed cozy enough.
"Yeah, I know it's not the Ritz, but no one bothers us here." Kiden smiled at him and tucked him in a bit better. She gave him some more water and more of those pills. "Take these and get some more rest. If you feel better tomorrow, I'll show around the place."
"Thanks," Julien said and lay back down. He was still so very tired. The food and medicine began to have some effect and he felt his eyes get heavy. He looked back at his rescuer, seeing that she had returned to her bed and to Lucas' arms. Lucas held her tightly, stroking her hair back as she fell asleep, but his eyes were all on Julien. Lucas was staking his claim, letting the newcomer know that Kiden was his and his alone.
Julien closed his eyes, not wanting to endure that resentful gaze any longer. Sleep took him quickly and he had no dreams.
It was morning when he next woke. Sunlight was streaming in from the broken windows and the air was fresh and sweet. He sat up in his bed, feeling a lot less cloudy though his hand was still throbbing. It was red and ugly, swollen and misshapen. He didn't even want to look at it.
"You're up," Kiden greeted happily from behind him.
He turned to look at her. "Thanks for taking care of me."
She gave him a quick hug. "We runaways have to stick together."
He liked the sound of that. It meant he was welcome here with her and no longer alone. It comforted him more than any medicine ever could.
She helped him up and supported him, wanting him to walk around a little bit. He was still fevered, his legs were trembly and weak. He needed to pee but was too embarrassed to ask her where he should go. As if sensing his thoughts, she showed him their makeshift latrine – it was in a far corner far away from where their beds were. She helped him as best she could, helping him to lean against the wall as he relieved himself.
That over with, she walked him around some more, bringing him to the windows and showing him the view from outside. They were pretty isolated here, it didn't look anyone would trouble them here. They hadn't gone far before Julien needed to lie down again. When they got back to the beds they saw that Lucas was just coming back from outside, wisping into view. He had been out foraging and had brought them some more food. This time it was canned pasta from a store.
"How do you do that?" Julien questioned, unable to stop himself from asking.
Lucas squinted at him in annoyance. It would be a look Julien would get from him often. "The same way your eyes are red and black. Don't you know what a mutant is?" Lucas snapped, unable to keep the condescension out of his voice. He clearly thought Julien was stupid.
Julien shook his head in answer, and stung by Lucas' sharp remark, spoke to Kiden who had a gentler face. "My stepdad called me that, but I didn't know what it meant."
She was happy to explain. "It means people like us who are different, who can do things regular people can't."
"Are you a mutant, too?"
She just smiled at him in a sad sort of way. "Yes."
He looked at her, not quite understanding. He could tell she wasn't being completely honest, but she wasn't going to elaborate. She went for the food instead, automatically doling it out. She gave some to Julien and herself, but not to Lucas. It wasn't a snub, the boy wasn't interested in eating - he had left them to look out the window, keeping watch. She turned away to sneeze again and Julien could see her cheeks were flushed. She was feverish just like he was, though she seemed to be coping with it well enough.
"Thanks for the food," Julien said, just for something to say.
"You're welcome. Tomorrow if we're both feeling better, I'll show you where we get it. Just so you can earn your keep," she teased gently, her eyes merry.
He smiled, happy now. She was including him, inviting him to stay. He was thrilled. Of course when he glanced Lucas' way, the boy was glaring at him, not the least bit pleased. There was no trust there. Julien turned away but he was determined to stay, even if it was just long enough for Kiden to teach him how to survive.
It took a couple of days for the both of them to rest and get over their colds. They were lucky to be mutants and even though they were both suffering from the Flush, they managed to shrug it off in time. Kiden was as good as her word and once they both felt better, she began to show Julien around.
Kiden and Lucas had set up house in this abandoned warehouse because it was isolated and holding together enough to offer them decent shelter. It sure beat the hell out of living in a cardboard box or in an alleyway.
It was hard for Julien to move around much at first, but Kiden found some rags to make him a makeshift sling to protect his poor battered hand. It was still ugly and swollen but the antibiotics seemed to be doing their work, or maybe it was just luck, but it didn't get infected. One thing was obvious – because the badly broken bones had never been set, the hand would be useless for him forever, no matter how well it healed.
Julien tried not to think about that. Instead, he focused on what Kiden was trying to teach him about surviving here and now. There were safe zones – the warehouse they were living in, Kam Lee's where the cooks sometimes gave them scraps to eat for free, and a fountain in a nearby park that they could use to wash in at night if they were careful.
To wander out of those zones was dangerous. There were cops looking to take them in if they got caught, but also there were small gangs of mutant kids running around the area and they each had territories. At the moment Kiden and Lucas and now Julien were off of their radar, but Kiden worried about being forced to join one of those gangs. She knew what the cost would be for her as a female, and it was far more dear that what she wanted to pay. Lucas was her love and the only one she was willing to share her body with. She was careful as she explained this, unsure of just how much Julien knew of the world. She could see he was a bit naive and new to this rough and scramble life. He was as green as they came.
Kiden was older than Julien by a couple of years or so and had been living on her own out here for a while. She was able to survive as well as she had because of Lucas. With his ability to ghost as he did, he could easily steal whatever he wanted for them – blankets, food, candles and all that. It was a significant advantage over many of the other homeless people here in the city. Kiden was thin but not starving, she would not feel the cold. Lucas was pretty strong but was still limited in what he could carry. He didn't steal a lot at once, he was trying to help them remain as inconspicious as possible and they had succeeded nicely for a while now.
Kiden explained that she had run away from home after her parents had been killed in a car accident. She had been raised in a loving family, one that hadn't minded that she was different in her ways, but once her parents were gone, she had no one else to turn to. Foster care wasn't an option for her so she hit the road, running away and taking her chances on the streets.
Julien listened to all she had to say with rapt attention, happy to have her by his side. Her eyes were kind, passing no judgement. She was caring for him, looking out for him. His love for her was growing by the minute but he was careful with it – Lucas was always there, never far away, and at night Kiden was always in his arms.
As the days passed, Julien watched Lucas and learned plenty. Lucas never lost that look of not quite being all there in a physical sense. Julien wondered if it had something to do with how he was always ghosting, fading in and out and bringing Kiden things she needed. Lucas did not eat at all and Julien wasn't even sure the boy even slept, even though he kept Kiden warm at night. Lucas didn't talk much and Lucas never ever got around to liking Julien at all.
It didn't help matters much that Julien had a hard time hiding his attraction to Kiden. She was pretty in a simple way and had a generous smile that never passed judgement his way. She was always ready to listen and reminded him a lot of how his mother had been before life had stolen what little joy she'd had to give.
Julien was new at this, he had been exposed to so few people, and not to any other kids his age. Julien's body was changing and not just from his mutation - now that he was getting a taste of what girls were like, especially one so happy to near him, it was hard for him not to respond. He found himself watching her, following her sometimes when she didn't know it.
When the fountain wasn't available for washing, there was a water pipe in one of the nearby buildings. It wasn't as safe to use, it was too much in the open for frequent use, but it was better than nothing. Because it was so open, they were to go one at a time for their own privacy.
He knew he wasn't supposed to go when Kiden went, but Julien found himself following her, staying just far enough behind that she wouldn't notice him. There was a wall nearby with a hole just large enough for him to peek at her, but not so big that he could be readily seen.
Julien couldn't take his eyes off of her as she washed. He was embarrassed yes, but not enough to pull himself away. Thinking himself alone and his head filled with bright hot thoughts of her, he unfastened his pants and slid his good hand down inside, shuddering with relief at the first touch of his fingers. All of his pain vanished in that moment, washed away by heat and bliss.
Julien had inherited many things from his true father and one of them was an early awareness of his body. A lot of alone time had seen to that. Bored beyond his means at times, this was not his first time doing this, but it was the first time he had done so with a real flesh and blood naked girl in mind and in his line of sight. She was so unbelievably beautiful...
Julien had no sooner lost himself inside that blissful dream when he was roughly smashed into and tossed to the ground. Lucas had seen him in action and was beyond pissed off about it. "You little punk! She's mine!" the ghostly young man snarled, vanishing and reappearing repeatedly in a circle around Julien as he tried to right himself, confusing his prey and maintaining the upper hand.
"Stop!" Julien cried, frightened beyond belief. He defensively covered his face with his good hand, too terrified to move. "Go away!"
Lucas shoved Julien down onto his back and pounced on him, his knees to Julien sides. He crouched like that over him with nothing but the purest malice in his eyes. He may have seemed ghost like at times, but at the moment he felt real and solid there as any flesh and blood boy would have been. He grabbed a fistful of Julien's tattered shirt and leaned down on him, his teeth tightly clenched as he hissed, "When Kiden says you're strong enough to hang on your own, you're outta here, ya little punk! You got me?"
All Julien could do was squeak in fear.
Lucas snarled once more in conclusion and shoved Julien down again before stepping away. Kiden arrived at that moment, just in time to know she had missed an ugly confrontation. She had dressed after hearing their noise, but she was still wet from washing. "Julien! Lucas! What are you two doing here?"
"Teachin'!" Lucas replied and then vanished in an angry cloud of vapor.
Kiden rushed to where Julien lay and gave him a hand up. "Are you all right?"
"I don't think Lucas likes me," Julien complained on the way to his feet. He was shaking badly and could hardly stand. The rough handling had awakened the pain that always slumbered there in his hand and it had come alive with its dire warnings. It was on its way to healing, but still he had pain when it got bumped around or hit anything. He hoped she didn't notice that his pants were loose and not all the way fastened.
If she did, she said nothing about it. Instead she just smiled at him. "Don't worry about him. He's just a little moody...and maybe a little jealous. He's not used to sharing me with anybody."
"How long have you guys been friends?" Julien asked, anything to keep the conversation away from himself.
Kiden shrugged. "For as long as I can remember. We grew up together, he's like my brother."
Julien squinted in confusion and Kiden was forced to smile. "It's complicated. You asked me if I was a mutant? Well I am. Julien's my ghost."
"Your ghost?"
"Yeah. He's always been there. When I was little, he was little. When I grew up, he grew up with me. At first no one could see him, but when we got older, he grew stronger. When my parents started to see him they were afraid, but after a while, when they saw he wouldn't hurt anyone, they just kind of got used to him."
"But not the family you had when they were gone?"
"No. Not them," she replied, her voice growing sad. "They were afraid of him and told me to make him go away. They didn't understand that I need him, he's like a part of me. I chose to run rather than give him up."
Julien's spirits sank at the sound of that, though he tried to hide it. He was a perceptive lad and knew what it meant. If he wanted Kiden he would have to fight Lucas for her, a battle he highly doubted he could win. At the moment she was his lifeline, she was caring for him better than his own family had. In the short time he had been here he had eaten well from the scraps Lucas brought them and was even gaining some weight. He couldn't afford to push things and lose her.
He was not an accomplished liar by any means and she saw his sadness. She brushed his face gently and said to him, "It's okay, you know. I know why you were here... just, just understand that I will look after you and all that, but there will never be anything more between you and me."
"But I love you!" he blurted out, hoping to stop her from saying anything more. He didn't want to be rejected by her and left on his own again.
"I love you too, but not that way."
Julien blushed instantly and turned away, unable to look at her beautiful face.
She wouldn't let him hide and turned his chin so they were eye to eye. "You're young and you have your whole life ahead of you," she said, being the most serious he had ever seen her. "You can lose your clothes, lose your home, but the one thing that hurts the most to lose is your heart. The secret one that we all have inside of us and cannot afford to give away lightly. We all have things we want that we can't have. You can't let it consume you. You can't let it ruin what's good inside of you, okay?"
Julien wasn't sure he understood but he was willing to agree just to keep her here with him. He nodded at her and was instantly relieved when she held out her hand to him and said, "Still friends?"
He grinned and shook her hand, the touch of her sending a thrill right through him. "Friends."
"Good," she replied. "Because today is Friday and you know what that means."
"Dumpster diving," he answered. It sounded gross, but she had already showed him that at times it could even be fun. They never knew what they might find. At this point he would dumpster dive with her anytime, anything to keep her close, no matter what she may have said. He wasn't ready to give up on having her, not just yet.
(break)
"Two minutes to port," Kimble announced, waking Julien from his thoughts. Julien was new to flying but had an idea what that meant.
It was confirmed when Remy drowsily replied, "Home sweet home. Message ahead to dem we comin' in wit casualties. Lucky ain't so as fast as us but she won't be long. Dose kids'll need some help settlin' in."
"Aye." Kimble went right to work, clicking buttons and sending the message home as requested.
Logan unbuckled his seatbelt and stood, stretching and cracking his neck. He was stiff but no longer sore from the day's injuries. He was a quick healer and as a career soldier, was ready for anything even now. He turned around, ignoring Julien, but toed the other young man that was still sprawled out asleep under the seats. "Hey, Kyle. Time to get up."
Julien nervously shifted in his seat as Kyle growled coarsely in protest. Logan toed him again and Kyle got moving, coming out slowly and stiffly on his hands and knees. The change in him was profound. Just in the course of the short nap he had taken he had digested most of what he had eaten and had made good use of it. He had filled out some and no longer looked so starved and emaciated. Like Logan, all of his injuries were gone and the hollowness around his eyes had vanished.
Logan watched him as he stretched, internally having to admit that it was important that Kyle be better fed than he had been. They would have to try harder at finding him something he would be willing to chow down on without having to sacrifice a human life to get it done.
"Mind yo' feet," Remy cautioned to the group that wasn't still buckled in. "We be landin' just about now."
The warning wasn't really necessary. There was some slight movement of the floor beneath them as the ship gently banked to the right when they came in for that landing but it wasn't bad. Kimble was skilled - Logan, who had remained standing, didn't even need a safety strap to keep his balance. They settled down and the hatch opened, beckoning freedom.
Rogue just smiled and skipped out in a rush, eager to see if Simone had made it home safely. Logan let her go without a word.
Now that they were safely back on the ground, Logan was once more in charge. He snapped his fingers at Max, "Grab Kiden there and take her down to the Med Bay, have her checked out. Kyle, yer with me."
Kyle didn't argue, he fell into step at Logan's heel like a good dog, ready to go back to his cell to finish his nap. Cody would be waiting there for him and he'd had enough adventure for one day. He was aware of Kristalay's absence, though, he kept looking over his shoulder as if expecting the larger man to suddenly appear. It seemed odd to have him gone. "Mrr! Where 'Tooth?" he asked, his memory of things still a bit fuzzy.
"We'll pick him up later," Logan lied dismissively, just wanting Kyle compliant. "Time for you to get back to yer room."
Kyle nodded and asked no more questions. He simply did as he was told.
Remy stood stiffly from his pilot stick, tired now. He looked at Logan, the unasked question – What about Julien?
Wolverine grunted at him on his way to the door. "Take yer boy along to the Med Bay, too. Have his leg looked at. Just know this – there will be a debrief. He ain't gitten out of it."
"Bien sur," Remy replied without argument, knowing that as much as he could protect his son there were questions that had to be asked and answers given.
Max raised Kiden up in his arms and headed for the door. Remy, right behind him, helped Julien to his feet. As tired as he had been Julien was worse. The boy was stiff and sore, stooped over like an old man. Remy had taken Julien's arm to keep him from falling and he didn't like the feel of it in his hand, like it was all bone with no flesh. He would see to it that the boy was given something to eat as soon as possible.
The first thing Julien noticed as he left the small confines of the Dragon 2 was that there was no way this place could ever be confused with Twilight. For one, it was garishly bright. He had lived in Twilight for months now and had long since gotten used to the constant gloom. Here the bright sun forced him to squint and bow his head. It was still late morning and not as hot as it would be later in this desert region, but it was way too warm for the clothes he now wore. The heat blasted him almost as much as the sunlight.
They made their way down the ramp, Kimble and Aiden holding up the rear. The moment they hit the pavement there was a low rumble as the Lucky Dragon landed nearby, its landing just as smooth and perfect as Kimble's had been. Julien hesitated with some fear at the sight of it, this large silver ship so close. He had been brought into the Dragon 2 so quickly he never had a chance to really look around the area where they had first come through the door. Here the magnificent and sleek looking Lucky Dragon was uncloaked and he was getting quite an eyeful. Just who were these strange people with all of these strange flying ships? It was weirding him out.
Remy put a reassuring hand on his shoulder and joked, "Don' be scared, fils. Before too long, you won't even t'ink twice what you see around here."
Julien wasn't sure if that should be comforting or not. If this was the outside of where these people lived, how bizarre was it going to be inside? They had landed on a long sprawling tarmac and Julien, while a bit blinded by all the sunlight, could just glimpse a huge multi-storied office building with many glass windows twinkling in the distance. Oddly though, the group didn't go in that direction, instead they headed for what looked like a small nearby guard shack that had an outside stairwell going down below the ground.
Remy had them moving quickly, he wanted to get Julien out of sight before Fallen could unload her cargo of rescued children. They went down deep, at least three sets of stairs by Julien's reckoning, making him wonder just how large this strange Complex really was. They parted ways on the third landing – Logan turned Kyle towards the holding cells while the rest headed towards the Medical Bay. Julien was quick to note that all the doors in the stairwells had scanners for badges, there was no free access here.
The hallways here were long and deep, suggesting a huge maze like interior. There were many doors here, and Julien was quickly lost. If he had tried to run, he never would have found his way back out. These doors held many surprises – when they passed one of the Solarium doors, Aiden said something to Remy and the Siskans went their own way, ready for some time in the sun. Julien caught a quick peek of the big room through the open door, awed by the trees and grass. It looked amazing and he couldn't help but wonder how they could fit a park into such a large room, never mind how they kept it alive underground. But then, if they had flying ships and this huge sprawling underground home, why not this as well?
The Med Labs weren't far away and once inside, Remy steered Julien towards one of the examination rooms closest to the door. He wanted the ability to get out of there fast if needs be with the other kids coming in. He gently pushed Julien towards an examination table and pulled the curtain around it, trying to keep them out of sight. Henry would be along soon, but so would the other kids as well. Julien was still cloaked with a bracelet but Remy wasn't taking any chances.
Julien was nervous here in the Lab but settled down when he saw Max laying Kiden gently down on the next exam table beside them. Remy could see Max was impatient and said, "You can go, I'll watch dem bot'. 'Enry will be 'ere in a minute."
Max paused, not sure if he could trust Remy not to run off with the boy. At the same time he had no desire to wait around here so he nodded and left, leaving them alone.
Remy watched him go, having to bite down on a surge of resentment. He didn't like not being trusted. Max was too much like Logan, they had the same prejudices against the Siskans and himself as well. Remy let it go for now and tried to relax, he had more to worry about than what Logan's little side kick thought about him.
Warm now, Remy removed his coat and set it on the doctor's stool that was against the wall. Logan had told him about the leather strap the boy had worn on his leg and Remy took it now from one of those large pockets. He set the Purifier down next to where Julien sat on the exam table. He touched it thoughtfully, upset that it was still damp with the blood of his child. Like Logan, he knew it wasn't the first time it had been soiled this way. "What is dis, fils?"
Julien's eyes flicked to his face briefly, his shine sparkly with anger, but he looked away without answering.
"And yo' collar? Dere a reason why you wear dat, too?" Remy continued to ask, though he had an idea about the answer to that. He had seen the destruction outside of Kathy's trailer after all.
Julien didn't answer, but Remy wasn't all that surprised. There was no trust in his shine. Not one bit. "If you want us to understand where you been and who you are, you gotta give us sumptin', fils."
Julien wasn't budging. Remy decided a good will gesture might be in order. He walked behind his son in slow careful movements and began untying his hands. With the boy being in such rough shape, Remy figured there was nowhere he could run off to anyhow. As he worked the ropes, the thief asked, "How about yo' girl, den? Why she got de collar?"
"She's dangerous," Julien answered immediately, his first direct answer to a question. His hands were free now and he rubbed his poor aching wrists, Logan had not been any gentler with the rope than he had been with the duct tape.
Remy squinted at the quick, eager response. He had an idea that Julien was being truthful, but he was still hiding something. He was at least encouraged that they were finally talking now. "Is dat so? You wanna tell me about it?"