Hey everyone! Well, some bits of this chapter I'm happy with, and some I'm not so happy with, but it seems to be heading where I wanted it to go so I finally decided to stop fooling around with it and just post it! Feedback will be gratefully received!
Logan's Wolverettes: Many thanks to my faithful reviewers! - nileena, Kyryn1, Sniktchick, Laudine, FrozenVoices, Sarra Ambrai and Dumesweeney!
Let me know what you think, guys! On to the story ...... !
ooXoo
5. First Impressions
"I mean it, Kristi! That man has to go! I will not have him in my house a moment longer!"
"Mom, this isn't right. Logan's my b …… my friend, and I will not ask him to leave. If he goes, I go too!"
"If that's the way it's to be, Kristi ……."
Mr Marsters advanced on his wife, hands held up, pleadingly. "Linda, please. Let's talk this over and not be hasty."
His wife shook her head, vehemently. "There's nothing to talk about, Gordon. The man is at least fifteen years older than Kristi. It's wrong, can't you see that?"
"But if they're in love …….?"
"Love? Don't give me that excuse, Gordon. Of course they're not in love! With only one tentative boyfriend to her name, do you honestly think Kristi knows anything about love?"
Kristi stepped forward, angrily. "Now wait just a minute ……..!"
Her mother rounded on her, eyes narrowed. "No, you wait, Kristi. Answer me this – what exactly does this ……… this 'boyfriend' of yours do at your school anyway?"
"He's a teacher." The moment the words left her mouth, Kristi knew she had said the wrong thing. He mother pounced on the statement like a terrier on a rat.
"I knew it! You see, Gordon? He's just using his position at the school as a means to prey on innocent young girls!"
"How dare you …..?" Kristi knew she was taking liberties in talking back to her mother, but she couldn't stand idly by and let her mate's name be sullied. Her temper was rising and she desperately tried to rein in her feelings, but she knew she was transmitting her distress and feared the consequences. She had to stop this before it went too far. She once more tried the voice of reason. "Logan is a good man, mom. He's not capable of anything bad."
"A likely story!" Mrs Marsters leaned into the still open fridge and began pulling out cooked meats and salad, which she banged down angrily on the counter top. "And another thing – have you had sex with him?"
"What? No, mother!"
Mr Marsters held up his hands. "That's it! This conversation has just taken a direction in which I am not willing to go." He began to gather his hastily assembled drinks, placing them on a tray. "I'm going back to our guests. 'Guests', Linda. All of them. Before they start figuring out that something is wrong." He gave his wife a pointed glance. "Sort this out. Because I, for one, have no wish to alienate our eldest daughter over something so trivial." And with that, he stalked from the kitchen.
Kristi watched him go and then turned back to her mother. "He's right, you know. All this is ridiculous."
Mrs Marsters sighed and, for a moment, Kristi saw the mother she had always known – kind, loving and protective. But those very qualities were now proving her undoing. Her mother wanted the best for her daughter, but couldn't see beyond her own prejudice. "Maybe this is ridiculous to you, Kristi, but not to me. Can't you see this from my point of view? Can't you see how wrong this is?"
"It's not 'wrong', mom. Logan and I love each other." Kristi wished she could mention the bond, but with her mother so dead set against Logan's age, she didn't think it would help.
Mrs Marsters snorted. "Oh, please, Kristi, not you too? This simply will not do – this Logan obviously has you deeply under his influence. But luckily, I can see a way around this. You say you've not had sex with him? Well, at least I can give you credit for that – and it means he has no ties to you. So we simply give him some train fare home, he leaves tonight and no one will be any the wiser."
Kristi threw up her hands in disgust. "I just can't believe this! I finally find someone who I can be myself with, who knows I am a mutant and isn't appalled by it, and you ….. you hate him!"
"Hate is a very strong word, Kristi. I don't 'hate' the man, I just don't want him to be involved with my daughter."
"But can't you see …….?" A soft touch to the bond distracted her just seconds before Kristi sensed movement in the doorway. She turned to see Logan standing there, his eyes dark.
"Anythin' wrong, Kris?" he half growled.
Kristi shook her head, distractedly. "No, I …….. I'm fine, Logan. Really."
She was lying and he knew it. Logan snorted and moved across the kitchen to stand beside her, slipping an arm around her waist and pulling her close as if to prove his possession of her. "Not what I heard."
"No, it's okay, Logan." Kristi was desperate for him to not cause a scene. "Mom and I were just talking."
"Yes, Logan, Kristi and I were simply chatting." Mrs Marsters reached into a drawer for a knife and began slicing cucumber, feigning nonchalance. "We were discussing your age, to be more precise." She turned from the counter, pinning the feral with a frosty glare. "Tell me – just how many years older than my daughter are you exactly?"
Logan quirked an eyebrow. "Oh, I dunno. Hundred or so, maybe." The knife clattered to the floor from Mrs Marsters' suddenly limp fingers and he stooped to pick it up. "The years don't matter. What does matter, is the love I feel for your daughter, Mrs Marsters. An' the love she feels fer me in return. Now if you can't respect that, that's your problem, not mine." He held out the knife, but Mrs Marsters was too stunned to take it. He slid it onto the counter next to the cucumber. "I know you don't like me. Don't bother me much – people have hated me as long as I can remember, so you can think on me as you see fit. I won't lose any sleep over it either way. But this is Kristi's home. An' she's come a long way to see you an' her dad, an' maybe give you both some good news. An' I will not have you treatin' her as though she's done somethin' shameful an' sordid. Do you understand me?"
Mrs Marsters nodded, weakly.
"I will be stayin', Mrs Marsters, no doubt about that. Treat me how ya want - ain't no skin off my nose an' I'm used to it – but Kristi's your daughter. She's an X-Man. An' she deserves more respect than you're currently showin' her. Deal with it." Without waiting for a reply, he turned back to his bondmate. "Come on, darlin', yer coffee's goin' cold."
And he led his mate from the kitchen.
Mrs Marsters watched them go, letting out the breath she hadn't even realised she'd been holding. Her hands shook as she turned back to the counter and picked up the knife. Clearly, she'd underestimated Logan's hold on her daughter and more drastic and final measures were called for in order to put things right.
She began to slice the cucumber once more, letting the repetitive motion soothe her mind so that she could think more clearly and rationally.
It only took a few moments to come up with the perfect plan. With a serene smile on her lips, she reached for the phone on the wall beside her and began to dial ……
oooOOOooo
"Oh, there you are, sweetheart!" Kristi's father turned from the cabinet he and the others were gathered around as Logan and Kristi entered the room. "I was just showing your friends Nikki's dance trophies."
"You should have waited until she got home, dad." Kristi moved across the room, her mate one step behind her, his hand resting possessively against the small of her back. "She would have liked the chance to show off."
"She'll find enough opportunities to show off without the trophies for an excuse." Mr Marsters smiled and handed Logan the bottle of beer he was still holding. Logan nodded at the man's kindness and then grinned appreciatively as he noticed the label. Things were certainly looking up – it was his favourite Canadian brand.
"So how old is Nikki, Mr Marsters?" Jubilee placed the trophy she was holding carefully back into the cabinet and gave Kristi's father her most disarming grin.
"She's fourteen. Probably around your age, my dear, so I reckon you'll get along just fine. She's a confident child, if a bit forward for her age, but she's also prone to mischief, so don't let her lead you into anything."
Logan snorted, an action which he hastily turned into a cough. He seriously doubted that Nikki would get the chance to lead Jubilee into any mischief at all – knowing the firecracker as well as he did, he suspected that any mischief would be instigated by someone closer to his heart.
Remy was staring across the room at another cabinet also full of trophies, to which he now pointed. "Are dose also belonging to de petite, Mr Marsters?"
"Petite? Oh, you mean Nikki?" Kristi's father was clearly getting the hang of deciphering Remy's strange mode of speech. He looked at the cabinet and glanced sideways at his eldest daughter. "No, they're …….. ah …….. they're Kristi's."
"Kristi's?" Jubilee immediately trotted over for a closer look, while Kristi blushed furiously and glared at her father. "Latin American ……. Ballroom …….. Kristi, I didn't know you could dance!"
"It seems there's a lot you haven't told us, Kris." Logan raised an eyebrow at her and Kristi had the grace to look apologetic.
"It just never came up," she argued, half-heartedly. "And besides, it was a long time ago. I haven't danced in years. I'd probably fall over my own fool feet if I tried now."
"Rubbish!" Mr Marsters treated his daughter to an amused snort. "It's like riding a bike. Once learned, you never forget ……."
He trailed off as his wife entered the room, bearing a large plate of sandwiches cut into triangles. She smiled, brightly. "Help yourselves, everyone!"
Exchanging wary glances, Remy and Jubilee each helped themselves to a sandwich. Mrs Marsters smiled at them before moving on to offer the plate to Logan. He took one, but Kristi noticed that he actually sniffed it before taking a bite. The flash of open suspicion that came to her through the bond suggested that he hadn't ruled out the possibility of her putting something nasty between the bread just to spite him. She swatted his arm, playfully, and Logan grinned back, realising he'd been caught out.
Mrs Marsters placed the sandwiches on a nearby coffee table so that everyone could help themselves. "So let's get to know each other a little better, shall we?" she announced, cheerily. Her husband tossed her a warning glance, but she ignored him and made herself comfortable in a large easy chair by the ornate fireplace. "I assume, since you all live at the same school as Kristi, that you're all mutants?"
"Mom, you know we can't tell you that." Kristi helped herself to a sandwich and claimed her original place on the couch. "It's for your own safety as well as ours."
"Oh, come now, I'm not asking you to divulge state secrets or anything. I'm just interested. Logan, perhaps you'd care to tell me what your particular mutation is?"
Logan, just taking a seat next to Kristi on the couch, shook his head. "I can't do that, Mrs Marsters," he answered, quietly, still desperately trying to keep the peace for Kristi's sake, despite the woman having singled him out for attention.
"So you admit you're a mutant?"
"I never said that."
"Linda, perhaps our guests would prefer to talk about something else?" Mr Marsters moved forwards, his expression suggesting his wife had better change the subject or there would be serious words being exchanged.
Kristi's mother shrugged, innocently. "Gordon, I'm merely trying to get to know our daughter's friends better. Surely there's nothing wrong with that? After all, I'm sure that Logan's ability can't be so bad that he has to hide it. Unlike that hideous man we saw on that news programme some months back."
"Pardon moi, what hideous man would dat be, madam?" asked Remy, becoming interested by the turn of events and moving nearer.
Kristi gave Logan a mental poke and warned him to keep calm. She had a feeling she knew exactly what was coming.
Her mother waved a hand, indifferently. "We didn't actually see his face because he was wearing a mask, so 'hideous' is just a figure of speech, but he had these ……. these things coming out of his hands …….." She frowned as Remy whistled through his teeth, instantly recognising his feral team-mate. Jubilee, unnoticed by all, turned a shade whiter, " …….. and the programme made it quite clear that he was a killer – a trained assassin. We had no idea that mutants could have such dreadful mutations – and for the school to actually take these sort of people in ……"
"You know, those 'things' in his hands, they're nothing to do with his mutation." Jubilee couldn't help coming to the defence of her partner. Kristi quickly shook her head at her, but the young mutant had seen enough prejudice in her short lifetime to be repulsed by it. "He was captured – tortured – by humans. They put those 'things' in him, and worse besides and he's had to live that with ever since."
"But he's dangerous, isn't he?" persisted Mrs Marsters. "And he lives at a school, with youngsters. When we heard this, we begged Kristi not to go, but she was adamant."
"You begged her not to go, Linda. I was quite happy for her to attend, if I remember rightly," put in Gordon, with a frown.
Mrs Marsters' expression suggested that her memory of events was quite different. "Well, Kristi was quite adamant that she needed to learn how to use her powers safely, so we finally allowed her to attend on the provision that she stayed away from this …….. whatever his name is."
"Wolverine," growled Logan, softly, his hackles rising.
Kristi pressed her hand against his thigh, comfortingly.
"Yes, that's it. Do you know him, Logan?" Mrs Marsters seemed to have forgotten her animosity towards the feral in her eagerness to learn about the school's resident killer.
"I know him very well, as a matter of fact." Logan skilfully ignored Jubilee's snicker.
"And what is he actually like?"
"Well, what can I say?" Logan bared his canines in a feral grin. "He's a bit of an animal …….."
oooOOOooo
In Kristi's opinion, the situation rapidly hit rock bottom and went steadily south from there. The only saving grace was that her mother seemed not to have picked up on Logan's hint to being the feral Wolverine, for which she was extremely grateful. She had been dreading to admitting Logan's true identity, but now, with her mother's hostility so obviously to the fore, she seriously doubted she would ever pluck up the courage to do so now. She knew it was bound to come out in the open sooner or later and, while she dreaded her mother's reaction if she found out the truth from a source other than her daughter, all she could hope was that Logan stayed on his best behaviour and convinced her mother that her first impressions had been in error before this happened.
So far, Logan had been a veritable saint, apart from his ultimatum in the kitchen and even that had been mild compared to what he was capable of. She could feel his fury and indignation simmering just below the surface and she knew he was holding it all back for her sake. Her gratitude knew no bounds and she realised she would never be able to repay him for the sacrifice he was making on her behalf.
Further complications arose when they were shown to their rooms. Kristi, of course, would be sleeping in her own room, a frilly creation of pink and lilac and so out of character for her that she blushed as Remy peeked inside. Jubilee had been allocated her own room next to Nikki - it had obviously been assumed that the two girls would become friends and would like to be near each other. But Remy and Logan had been roomed together at the opposite end of the house from Kristi's room and the young mutant wasn't slow to realise her mother's reasons for doing so. Neither could sneak out without disturbing the other and to make the journey down the hallway past the parents' room without treading on at least one creaky floor board would be virtually impossible. Kristi's mother had obviously decided there would be no late night rendezvous going on in her house, but she had reckoned without Logan's uncanny abilities. As accustomed as he now was to sleeping in her bed at night, Kristi doubted whether she would be allowed to sleep alone whether her mother desired it or not.
Logan, however, still looked unhappy with the sleeping arrangements and she could sense his distress as he dropped his bags on the bed nearest the window. Due to his feral nature, he hated sharing his territory with another male, but he smiled and slapped his team-mate companionably on the back when Remy joked about them making 'mighty fine room-mates, non?"
Once her parents had left them alone to unpack, Kristi wasn't surprised to hear a soft knock at her door which announced the arrival of Logan and Jubilee – Remy had presumably remained in his room to give them time to talk.
Kristi immediately sank down onto her bed, her head in her hands, desperately trying to hold back tears. "Oh god, Logan, I'm so sorry."
Logan moved quickly to her side, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and pulling her into his chest, where she sniffled, sadly. "Hey, darlin', it's alright. Don't cry on my account. I'm used to it."
"But she's being so mean." Kristi drew back slightly and swiped angrily at her teary eyes. "God, I should have known something like this would happen. I can never do right for doing wrong where my mother's concerned, Logan. And now she's singled you out for her little games too."
Logan shrugged. "I can handle it," he declared easily, and ambled off to investigate several more dance trophies arranged on top of the dresser. Kristi blew her nose on a tissue and then jumped as Jubilee threw herself down on the bed beside her.
"So, your family's rich, huh, Kristi?" The youngster's face was aglow with thinly disguised curiosity.
"Yeah." Kristi nodded, aware that Logan had turned from the dresser and was watching her intently. "My parents own a chain of jewellery stores across Ontario."
"Ooh, shinys!" Jubilee grinned and Kristi reached out to take her hand, patting it absently as she continued. "My brother, David, runs the one downtown. His girlfriend works there too. It was always intended that I would run a store too, when I got a bit older, but then I manifested and that idea went right out of the window. I didn't feel comfortable being around people, what with all the mutant hysteria going on, and I couldn't control my powers very well." She smiled, ruefully.
"Did you want to? Run a store, I mean?" asked Logan, leaning against the dresser and folding his arms.
"I don't know." Kristi pondered the question, briefly. "It would have been convenient, I suppose. Finish high school, go to college and come home to a ready made job. But once I heard about Xavier's, all I really wanted to do was become an X-Man."
"Dream accomplished!" grinned Jubilee, and she and Kristi high-fived each other.
The door suddenly burst open and a small blonde whirlwind hurtled into the room and flung itself at Kristi, squealing loudly. Logan waggled a finger in his ear to clear it.
"Kristi! You're home!" The youngster pushed herself back to give her sister the once over, squealing once more. "Ooh, you've grown your hair! I like it! And guess what? I've just seen your guy, Logan, coming along the hallway! He is such a hottie! Lucky girl!"
An amused snort from Logan made her pull away and turn around, noticing Kristi's companions for the first time. "Oh! Hello."
"Everyone, this is Nikki, my sister, if you hadn't already guessed. Nikki, this is Jubilee. And this …….." she indicated the feral " …….. is Logan."
"Eep!" Nikki backed off, raising her hands in supplication. "God, I've made such a fool of myself, haven't I? Maybe I ought to go out and start again?"
And to Logan's surprise, she backed out of the room and closed the door softly behind her.
Kristi grinned as a soft tap sounded on the door. "Come in," she called, cheerily.
Nikki entered once more and walked straight up to the startled feral. "Hello!" she declared, brightly, holding out her hand. "You must be Logan. Pleased to meet you."
Logan barked a laugh and took the girl's offered hand. "I like this girl!" he remarked, to no one in particular. "She's got sass."
Nikki grinned up at him, the similarities between herself and her older sister startlingly obvious. She had the same gentle brown eyes and sandy hair, but worn in a short spiky bob similar to Jubilee's. Her face held the same zest for life as her sister's, but also a hint of mischievous energy. Logan reckoned she could be something of a handful, much like Jubilee, but found himself already drawn towards liking the girl. It wasn't surprising – his feral nature often prompted him to be protective towards the younger generation, viewing 'cubs', especially the females, as a precious commodity in a world where mutant offspring were generally a rare occurrence. Failing to have children of his own – or any that he knew of anyway – Logan viewed them all as surrogate daughters.
"Sorry about the mix up." Nikki scuffed at the carpet with the toe of her sneaker, genuinely embarrassed. "I knew Kristi was bringing her beau along and when I saw the other guy I naturally assumed …….." She shrugged, apologetically. "And I'm sorry for calling you a hottie. Not that you're not. Because you are …….. just in a different way…….. oh help!"
"Perhaps you oughta quit while yer ahead, kid?" offered Logan, helpfully. "An' don't worry about the mistake. It's not the first time it's happened today."
Nikki frowned and Kristi jumped in. "Yeah, thanks for telling mom about Logan, Nikki. I thought I swore you to secrecy?"
"Well, you did, but …….. Oh god, what's happened?"
"Oh, nothing much, Nik. Mom just thinks Logan's too old for me and she hates him on sight."
"What, this hunka hotness? Surely not? He must be all of …….. ooh ……… say, two years older than you, at the most." She winked at him, conspiratorially, and Logan rumbled appreciatively in response.
"Oooh, what was that?" Intrigued, Nikki leaned in to his chest to listen and Logan took a startled step back, bumping into the dresser and rattling the trophies. Jubilee all but fell off the bed trying not to laugh at the sight of the usually stoic feral being backed into a corner by the fourteen year old. She had a feeling she and Kristi's sister were going to get along very well indeed.
"Do that again." Nikki poked the feral in the chest and Logan growled at her audacity.
Nikki squealed, obviously delighted with her discovery. "Kristi, your guy's growling at me!"
"Well, quit poking him and he'll stop." Kristi was enjoying the show – she knew Logan wouldn't hurt her sister, and the amusement and pleased acceptance he was transmitting through the bond was the first hint that he was at ease since they had arrived. Trust her sister to form an instant connection with the feral – and knowing Logan as well as she did, she seriously doubted that, once formed, it could ever be broken.
"This is great!" the youngster gushed. "He's like one of those big teddies with the growler inside!"
Jubilee fell back onto the bed, laughing so hard there were tears rolling down her cheeks.
"Alright, kid, that's enough." Logan grabbed Nikki's arm, turned her around and gave her a gentle push towards the bed. "Go sit with your sister."
"You're a mutant, aren't you?" Nikki ignored the hint and whirled to face him once more. "What can you do?"
Kristi sighed. "Oh, Nik, give it a rest, will you?"
Nikki was undeterred. "What can you do, Logan?" she persisted. "Walk through walls? Fly? Talk to animals?"
"I'll tell ya what I can do, Nik." Logan stalked forward until he was looming over the young girl, his size intimidating. She gasped in anticipation. "When night falls, I turn into a huge bear with a plastic growler an' I haunt annoyin' kids who persist in askin' fool questions."
Nikki groaned in disappointment and Kristi giggled at her sister's expense, right before the door bell rang. Everyone ignored it, until Mrs Marsters' voice floated up from below.
"Kristi, honey, can you get that? I've got my hands full."
She rose gracefully from the bed. "I'll just be a minute," she told everyone. "David's probably forgot his key again." She moved to the door and turned back. "You…….," she said, pointing at Nikki, " …….. leave the growly man alone. And you …….." pointing now at Logan, " …….. don't annoy the sister." She closed the door softly on their stunned faces, confident that peace would be kept until she returned. She was smiling as made her way downstairs and trotted towards the front door – Logan and her sister seemed to have hit it off straight away, which was a huge load off her mind. With at least one supporter in the house, maybe her mother would ease off on Logan a little – her father's support would help too, but the real influence would come from David. Her mother had a lot of respect for her only son and, if David expressed support for Logan, then her mother would surely follow suit. So there was a welcoming smile on her face as she opened the door – a smile that quickly slid away as the identity of the caller became clear.
"Oh my god ……."
"Hello, Kristi." Max Evans smiled, shyly, at her. "Long time no see ……."
NEXT: Linda's plan is unveiled ……. And Logan reveals all to Kristi's father.