Last one for tonight. Don't own, don't profit.

(Break)

Logan found his target after two days of searching. The girl looked like any other young woman in Texas; sunglasses, a tank top, short shorts and long red hair pulled up to keep as cool as possible in the hot sun. Logan triple-checked her against the picture to confirm, then began following her. She took her time walking through the crowded streets, then went down an alley. Logan hesitated, then followed only to be hit in the chest with something hot and painful, a fireball. He sighed as he brushed off the charred remains of his shirt. He hated it when they had abilities the file didn't list.

(Break)

Again he was on an empty highway late at night. Again he was thinking of Kurt, this time in worry. What if Mystique refused to talk, or worse, denied being Kurt's birth mother? What if she wasn't where Charles thought she was? A thousand things could go wrong here, and only a few could go right. Logan took his exit and found a cheap motel to spend the rest of the night in. Tomorrow he would find Mystique, for better or for worse.

The next morning he knocked on the door of an upscale house in the suburbs. Mystique herself answered the door.

"Why Logan, what a nice surprise. Erik isn't here at the moment, but I'm sure I could keep you... occupied until he gets back." She purred the last part, running a finger along his jaw. Logan lazily knocked her hand away.

"I'm not here to see him. I want to talk to you." Mystique raised an eyebrow.

"Oh really? What does the great Wolverine want to talk with me about?"

"Kurt."

"Ahh. How is my second born?" Mystique pondered her nails and stepped out onto the porch with Logan, closing the door behind her.

"He wants to know about his birth parents." She looked up sharply at that.

"So he sends an animal instead of coming himself?"

"He doesn't know I'm here."

"Of course. Let me guess. Charles wants you to interrogate me, and you thought talking about my son would cause me to succumb to some maternal mushiness and spill all? Well, think again." She attacked with startling speed, but Logan reacted with even greater speed, used to sparring with Kurt, and pinned her against the wall. "I see my son has been teaching you things."

"Lots. Now, you will tell me what I want to know." Mystique lazily plotted how to get out of his hold.

"Why?" Logan was so angry he actually answered honestly.

"Because I love him, damn it, and I hate seeing him unhappy. He wants to know where he came from, and I'm going to do my best to get him the answers he wants." Mystique forgot all plans of escape and stared at Logan, stunned.

"You. And Kurt?"

"Yes." It came out as a growl.

"Let go of me and tell me what you want of me." Logan released his hold and she dropped nimbly to the porch.

"I want you to talk to him and tell him whatever he wants to know."

"You want me to tell him he spawns from two evildoers?"

"You're not saying that Magneto is-"

"No. Compared to Kurt's father, Erik is a Boy Scout. Where and when do you want this to happen?"

"Next week is Kurt's birthday."

"So it is."

"I want you to meet us here," he pulled out a brochure for a park and handed it to her. "At 2 on his birthday."

"Good choice. Public venue, outside, lots of potential witnesses. I'll be there. Provided you do something for me."

"What?"

"Tell me, why Kurt? Why not any of the other people who have undoubtedly shown interest?"

"I don't know. He understands me, and I understand him. That's all I care about." Mystique smirked.

"I suppose that will suffice. You are dismissed. But wait." She raked her nails across Logan's face. "That's for thinking you could possibly restrain me." Logan looked at her, blood dripping unheeded down his face.

"Why are you being so cooperative?"

"Believe it or not, I didn't intend to abandon him like I did. I kept track of his life until he joined the X-men, and I was quite proud to see that he inherited some of my abilities that allowed him to be a star in the circus. If he wants to know about me, it's the least I can do." She opened the door, walked inside, and shut it behind her gently. Logan blinked. That had been easier than he had expected.

(Break)

Kurt went to bed alone again and sighed, looking longingly at Logan's phone on the night stand. It was less than a week before his birthday, and still no sign of Logan, he was starting to worry. He began reciting Hail Marys to relax, and as he was drifting off to sleep he imagined he heard the roar of a motorcycle coming down the driveway.

Logan quietly entered the bedroom, got changed and slipped into bed beside Kurt, who turned to snuggle up to him.

"I've missed you, meine liebe."

"I've missed you too."

"I love you, dream Logan." Logan realized Kurt was still asleep and chuckled.

"I love you too, real Kurt." He kissed Kurt's forehead and settled down to sleep the first good night's sleep he had gotten since he left. It ended much too soon when Kurt awoke at his usual time to find he hadn't been dreaming after all and hugged him joyfully.

"Vhy didn't you vake me up?"

"I tried, you called me 'Dream Logan' and snuggled up to me. It was so cute I couldn't bear to try again."

"How vas zhe mission?"

"Can we talk about it later? I've missed you every minute I was gone." Kurt smiled and reached between them.

"I can feel zhat. I've missed you too. Shall ve celebrate your homecoming?"

"What about training?"

"Zhey vill not miss me."

(Break)

At the paintball field, everyone was waiting for Kurt to show up, and finally Storm went to find him. She came back ten minutes later with a grin on her face and addressed the group.

"Logan came back last night, so I think it's safe to assume we can start without Kurt." This was met by cheers, since Kurt had been quite mopey since Logan left.

(Break)

No one saw either of them for the whole day, until Logan roared up the driveway on his motorcycle, parked it in the yard and thumped through the halls to Charles's door. It swung open as he raised his hand to knock, he entered and sat in front of the desk and looked at Charles expectantly. The words he spoke weren't the ones Logan was expecting.

"Logan, what happened to your neck?" At Logan's questioning expression, Charles slid a mirror across the desk. Logan picked it up and glanced in it to see several hickeys and bite marks remained. They were fading, but rather slowly. He set the mirror down and shrugged.

"Kurt missed me." He said simply. There was silence. "Aren't you going to ask about the mission?"

"Oh, yes. How did the mission go?"

"Fine. Would have been nice to know she could throw fireballs."

"Had I known she could, it would have been in the file. Has she been... neutralized?" Logan nodded. "Good. How did the side mission go?"

"Mystique's going to meet Kurt and I on Saturday and she'll answer whatever questions he has. I may need some time off, though. She hinted that his father is a real bad guy, makes Magneto look like a good guy."

"I understand. Keep me updated."

"Anything else?"

"No. Goodnight, Logan."

"Night, Charles." With that, Logan left the office and walked out of the mansion. He would have to tell Kurt that repeated biting over several hours did indeed leave longer lasting marks.