(Two)

Logan walked back into the large room he had removed Star from, taking his time as he went back over to the figure that was still sprawled out on the floor next to the desk. He had to give Warren this - for a man who had forcefully and repeatedly had his way with poor Star, he didn't look like the figure of contentment. His breathing was ragged and shallow, like a man still in great pain.

If Logan hadn't already known that the heap of ruined flesh at his feet was Warren Worthington III, he never would have guessed. The man's DNA had been changed by the Honey and so his scent was off as well. The artificial wings that Hank had made for him still lay on the desk, yet this person had a pair of real ones pumped with blood and dribbling loose feathers about. They twitched and trembled with each tortured breath his body took the way the fake ones never had. More than that was the pair of furred animal legs and a long lion's tail that lay behind him, the tufted tip swishing ever so slightly with emotion just as those wings were. Clumps of blonde hair had drifted from the once beautiful head, suggesting the rest might follow. Feathers had sprung from his scalp, disrupting everything. The face was at least similar to what it once was, he had been spared having a beak, though Logan knew enough of the Honey's side effects to know better than to think this transformation was complete.

Logan bent and checked the man's pulse, it was weak but steady, stable. He then opened one eye carefully, unsure if he was just too weak to move, sleeping deeply, or outright unconscious. The body itself didn't immediately react to his intrusion, but the pupil constricted slightly from the light still streaming in from the hole Logan had made in the door. Warren's eyes had once been blue, these were now a golden yellow and rounder - eagle eyes, the eyes of a predator. A low, strangled growl gurgled up from the man's throat as if in protest and one hand jerked, clicking the floor and drawing Logan's eyes that way. Warren's human hands were gone and like his legs, his arms were now furred with clawed fingers.

"As if we didn't have enough mythological critters runnin' around the fuckin' place," Wolverine complained to himself. "Now we got a fuckin' griffin to go with the centaurs."

"You say somethin', boss?" Max asked, blocking the light again as he peeked inside.

"Nuthin' important. Them EMTs get here yet?"

"I can hear 'em coming now. Just another minute."

Logan heard them coming himself as Max had spoken and he looked back at Warren, trying to contain his anger. It frustrated him to no end that the man had thought it was okay to do this to Star, to just force her to help him as though he'd had every right.

"I hope ya get all you deserve," Logan grumbled, flashing a bit of fang. He leaned in close to Warren's ear, and not caring if the man could hear him or not, whispered this solemn promise. "If you think yer gonna get any help from Star beyond what ya already stole you can fergit it, pal. I don't give a flying fuck who you think ya are, or how much fuckin' money you have, you baked this cake and you can eat it all yerself. I hope ya fuckin' choke on it, bub!"

Warren's body shuddered and he growled again, moving a bit. Yeah, he had heard that all right, and it made Logan smile.

The EMTs had come and were now making their way through the hole Logan had made in the door, bringing along their medical kits and equipment. Logan backed off, letting them go to work. He went back to the door's interior control panel and did his best with the interior lock, finally getting the door fully open after a couple of tries with the wiring. They would need the space to get Warren out on a stretcher.

As he worked the door, Logan could see that the medics had covered Star in a blanket and she was hunched against the wall outside, Max standing over her protectively. The EMTs could do nothing for her really, her non-organic body wouldn't require medicines, at least none that they could provide. What she needed was Hank, or Asher at the very least.

At that thought, Logan popped open his phone and gave Asher a quick call. The centaur picked up on the first ring, his voice calm and steady as always. "Good morrow?"

"Ash, this is Logan. I need you to go to Med Lab right away."

"Star. Yes, I knows," Asher replied in that maddening, 'I already know what you want' sort of way. "But at the moment I haves a greater emergency."

"And what could that possibly be?" Wolverine questioned sharply in irritation. He couldn't fathom what could be more pressing. Besides, if Asher had already known Star was in trouble, why wasn't he already on his way?

"There wuz an incident with Kimble. It wuz real bad and though I treated him once already it ain't gonner holds. He needs another treatment and that'll takes some time. I cain't be in two places at once and since I'm here already I'll come down right afters I'm done here, I promise."

Asher's explanation had come unhurried, casual, as if he was reading off a grocery list, and it made Logan's fury grow all the greater. It was no surprise that Kimble needed a treatment, it seemed like he needed one for every little thing. "What happened with Kimble exactly?"

Asher didn't hesitate to answer even as he evaded perfectly, "You'll haves to ask Remy 'bouts that. I kin tells you he'll be fine, don't worry none about it."

Logan wasn't the least bit worried about Remy's precious, childish Kimble, he was angry instead. What did Kimble do now? Stub his toe? It seemed like he was always blubbering over something. Surely it was too soon for Julien to have found out about Kimble and Aiden. "Star needs you now," he insisted. "She's a mess. She's been assaulted."

"I knows, but it's her Master she needs more than me. Wash her up and brings her to him. It'll calms them both."

"Right," Logan growled in sarcastic disagreement and hung up, angry that once again Kimble had taken precedence over something Logan thought was the greater priority. His next call went to Fallen, but it was Seth that picked up. "Good morrow?"

"Seth, this is Logan. Fallen around?"

"She's down here in the Lab with Henry, trying to keep him calm. Please tell me you found Star."

"I did but there's a problem. Warren used Honey on himself and forced Star to fix him. She's a mess, if ya know what I mean. She probably needs to power up. Stay where you are, I'm bringing her up to you guys right now. Tell Henry we're on our way but don't say anything about Star just yet. He'll kill someone trying to get to her."

"I understand. We'll be here."

Logan hung up and bent down to take Star's hand. She accepted and he took her up in his arms again, happy that she didn't weigh as much as a real girl. She was wrapped up in the blanket, warm and cozy in his arms, no longer crying. The elevator ride back to the Lab was quick enough and Logan walked in, not surprised to see the place in disarray.

Seth was there, waiting for him. He faltered at the sight of Star so trashed, but explained quickly, "Hank couldn't wait. He broke out of the back room. He smashed some things up a bit, but Fallen got him corralled enough that he could be sedated. They've moved him back to one of the holding cells."

"Fine. That'll buy us some time. Star needs to be cleaned up before he sees her or he'll go off again."

"I'll take her," Seth offered and Logan was happy enough to hand her over.

Logan signaled to Maylee who was close by, prepared for Warren's immanent arrival with the EMTs. He said to her, "You know Warren's on his way up. Fine. You give him one good lookin' over and then he goes to Security. You can treat him down there, I won't have him here no matter how bad off he is."

"What happened?"

He explained quickly and she nodded, her eyes sad and weary. Everyone here in the Labs knew Star well and no one wanted to see her hurt. She was happy that it was Logan who had dealt with this. She knew his heavy handed methods well enough to know that it would never happen again. She normally felt some sympathy for the ones Logan punished but not today. Not today.

(break)

A couple hours later, Aiden lay across from Kimble on their bed, blinking in the half light. He brushed back soft wisps of ebony hair from Kimble's face, his touch light and gentle. He kept up this tender caress until Kimble's eyes eventually fluttered open. Kimble smiled at him, his eyes dreamy and small. "Hey."

" 'Ey," Aiden replied, his voice scratchy and tired. This had been a troubling episode. Aiden had wanted to keep Kimble stable on his own, to try and avoid having Asher to treat him, but this...? This had been beyond Aiden's ability to control. There was no way Kimble was going to handle yet another accusation of malevolent sexual intention tossed his way without some real help. Asher had to use more Morrowhiem than usual, it had taken Asher two tries to get Kimble calmed, once in the ship and again back here at their apartment. Kimble had been so trashed and after all that, the pilot had been out cold asleep for a good long while. One look at Kimble's glassy eyes said that he would be stoned for a while yet as well. "You feelin' okay?"

Kimble just smiled. He had no exact memory of what had happened, but recognized the sensation of being wonderfully high on Morrowhiem. He knew he had been treated and true to form didn't ask about the why of it. Why get upset all over again? Better to evade and maintain this wonderful warm feeling for as long as possible. " 'M fine. But you looks a little tired."

Aiden swallowed, feeling a surge of pain he tried to keep at bay. Despite his image of being the tough guy of the pair, he was just as emotionally weak as Kimble at times. He was just better at hiding it, at keeping it under wraps. It didn't stop the depth of his fear of abandonment. His eyes were wet though he did his best to blink away tears that might betray his weakness. "Keemble... do you sztill love me?"

Kimble squinted at that, confused. It was such an odd question and completely unexpected. He had woken like this before, all warm and fuzzy, but never had he come to to face such a question. "You knows I do."

"Are you.. ashamed... of me zen?"

Kimble's good mood began to fade. "Why wouldja ever thinks so? Cuz I didn' tells Jules we wuz married?"

Non, becausze when we were caught all you wanted to do wasz run, Aiden thought but didn't give voice to it. You would 'ave denied me if you could 'ave! You were ashamed of our love!

This was not the first time Aiden had felt this way, but this was the most intense. Even before the baptism that had gone so badly, Aiden recalled another time he'd had to deal with Kimble's fear of judgement. Not long after Jael had been defeated, life at the Complex had tried to return to normal. The few mutants that had survived would retreat to the Clubs as they had before, losing themselves in diversions such as drinking and dancing. The Siskans were not immune, they were in fact drawn to the Clubs and the music. One night the newly wedded Siskans had gone to the Club and saw a small crowd already on the floor, dancing. It was quite late and the humans, drunk on beer and fine music, were dancing to some provocative music that was playing. A couple of pairs were really getting into it, doing sensual bumps and grinds, "dirty dancing."

Aiden and Kimble were quick to follow by example. At first they had faced one another, arms encircling waists, but then Aiden turned, leaning back against his taller lover and letting that pilot's body enfold him. Kimble ground slowly against him, lost in the music and drink, forgetting just how public they were and moaning softly as Aiden slid his hands down his thighs, pushing back into him.

Aiden was the first to notice the bartender watching them. At first the man had said nothing. He just stood there, wiping dry a glass, his eyes gleaming in a strange way. Aiden was used to that. To being watched with an odd sort of appreciative lust when he would dance. A Siskan was a sensual creature even at his worst, and Aiden was no slouch on the dance floor, certainly not when coupled with his magnificent pilot husband who could make some shiver just from walking by. Aiden was shameless, really. He relished being watched and shivered off a vibration of erotic heat in the man's direction, just to see what would happen.

He never found out. Not even a second later, someone leaned in close to the bartender, speaking softly but his eyes jerking in Aiden's direction. Aiden scowled. Of course it had been a complaint, he could see the sudden change in the bartender's shine. It wasn't the dancing, all the couples were grinding so closely, it was the fact that it was two men doing the same.

The bartender frowned, his shine darkening with guilt, like he had just been caught doing something naughty just by watching them. He gestured to the bouncer and of course the man came just as Aiden had expected. He threatened softly, "Maybe you two faggots should take that shit somewhere else."

Aiden had growled with anger, ready to fight, but Kimble had jerked away from him suddenly like Aiden's very skin would burn him. Aiden stood there, reeling more from Kimble's turbulent vibrations of self disgust, guilt, and loathing then from what the man had said. Aiden would have kicked up a fuss, but Kimble had already bolted, moving swiftly away through the crowd to the exit.

Aiden followed his lover, trying to explain on the way home how they should just stand up for their rights, but it was clear early on that Kimble didn't want to hear it. It was days before Kimble left the apartment and months before Kimble would even venture back to the Club, and then they no longer danced. Aiden had been deeply hurt, but it was more Kimble's cowardice that had done it. Aiden didn't back down from a fight, especially when he thought he was in the right, but his pilot husband was a much different person. Kimble cared too deeply what others thought of him. It mattered to him to fit in. Aiden had learned to let it go in an effort to keep the peace but it still hurt, just as what happened today.

Back in their humble apartment, Kimble frowned to himself, sensing trouble here with his lover though he was too high on Morrowhiem to try and get to the exact thing Aiden was vibrating. "I didn't ever means ta hurts ya. It's just that they don'ts ever understands about us," he tried to explain, still a little off the mark.

Aiden wasn't sure it was worth the fight to argue about it, not with Kimble still so high and emotionally defenseless. It wasn't worth the inevitable phone call to Asher to have Kimble treated yet again after the blowout that was sure to follow. Aiden had accepted long ago how things were, that Kimble would always be shy about what their relationship really was. He just hadn't been prepared for how much it had hurt when that expectation had been put to the test. In spite of his tough outward appearance, Aiden was just as fragile as Kimble and far more insecure. He was hurt.

Kimble wiggled closer and pressed his lips to Aiden's, pulsing off a vibration of desire and wanting, one the Dreamer would never be able to ignore. This, too, was common, Kimble wanting to make love after waking from treatment. It wasn't something Aiden usually fought, but this time he was still too hurt to accept something that tasted of coming off the rebound. He gently pushed Kimble back. "You need reszt."

Kimble hesitated, licking his lips as if trying to taste what was wrong. Aiden hadn't refused him before, something wasn't right. "Did I hurts you?" he asked, his shine swirling with assumed guilt. "Whatever it wuz, I didn't means to."

This Aiden didn't want. As much as he was hurting, it was worse somehow to see that pain reflected in Kimble's eyes. Aiden recognized he was being stupid and self-indulgent, wanting this petty revenge. He let go of his pain with a deep sigh and gave Kimble a tight, forceful squeeze. "You did not 'urt me. I am juszt a leetle tired, eh? I need a charje."

Kimble was still, his fogged out mind trying to work around the obvious lie. He had done something wrong, but had been forgiven. Apparently it wasn't enough for them to argue over it. Kimble accepted this, knowing he was too stoned to really do anything about it at the moment, but made a vow to try and correct this later. He would cook for his beloved, something he knew Aiden would really like. Then later they would drink and play and all would be well again.

"Then let's goes to the Solarium."

Aiden smiled. "All right. Let me 'elp you up."

(break)

True to his word, Remy had Julien up and ready after his quick nap. Remy had an idea that he would find Kimble and Aiden at the Solarium and he was right. He and Julien had no sooner entered the huge underground park when he spotted them – Aiden was walking Kimble along, heading towards the large fish pond. Kimble was walking sloppily, high still on Morrowhiem and dutifully going where Aiden was guiding him, his head tipped forward like a drunk. Aiden walked slowly, moving Kimble along at a safe pace with the well practiced grace of a long time care giver.

If Aiden was concerned he and Kimble were being followed, he gave no sign. He brought Kimble up to the duck pond and once there, sat Kimble down on the paved walkway. He then rolled up the legs of Kimble's pants to his knees before gently dipping Kimble's furry little feet into the water.

Kimble laughed as his feet sank into the cool water of the pond, a loud tinkly sound full of happiness. He tipped his head up towards his lover and they embraced, Kimble refusing to let Aiden go until they had shared a lingering, loving kiss.

Julien shivered with revulsion at the sight of it and swallowed hard, but forced himself to watch this with new eyes. He put aside all the lies he had been told and saw that these two were deeply bonded and still very passionately in love with one another. It could not be mistaken for anything less.

"You see dat?" Remy questioned his son. "You gettin' what I said? Dey would never 'urt each other, you, or no one else, comprenez? What you see dere is true love, more dan you ever see most people ever 'ave."

"I see it," Julien replied honestly. "I have to go talk to them."

"I'll be right 'ere waitin'," Remy promised and let him go.

Meanwhile, Aiden stroked Kimble's hair with his elegant fingers and whispered something soft before retreating to a nearby park bench to smoke. Kimble remained as he was, splashing a little with his feet and laughing. He spread out his wings to the sun, tipping his head back with a huge smile, happy to be where he was and who he was with.

Julien watched this, knowing it was now or never, make the move or forget it. Julien sucked in a breath and came closer. He dared to pass Aiden on his bench but was halted when the small man made a noise. "Tsk. Where you goin', you?"

"I have to talk to Kimble."

Aiden snorted, an ugly, derisive sound. "And what makesz you t'ink m' gonna let you do zat?"

Julien froze, feeling the first tendrils of real fear. Before today, Aiden had always been separate and aloof, but still benign. Julien could look back fondly on Aiden's gentle advice and encouraging presence. That was now gone, replaced with the same hardness Aiden seemed to project to everyone else, or at least those he perceived to be hostile. It was painful to Julien now to find himself lumped into that latter group, his specialness and inclusion in Kimble's inner circle was gone. Julien swallowed his fear and said, "I have to apologize to him."

Aiden shook his head. He toyed with a large platinum ring on his left hand, a beautiful braided work of art that exactly matched the one that Julien had seen on Kimble earlier. Funny how Julien hadn't noticed that they were a matching pair until now. Aiden's voice was hardly friendly as he asked, "Remy szpeak to you?"

Julien nodded.

"What did 'e szay?"

Julien swallowed and gathered some courage. "That Kimble would never hurt me."

"And you believe disz now?" Aiden asked, his voice hard and condescending. "Juszt from wordsz you 'ear? You were szo very szure before, eh?"

Julien nodded, daring to meet those angry pale green eyes.

Aiden shook his head, a vibration of disappointment and aggravation leaving him. Julien should have known this on his own, Julien was many things – misguided, insecure and quick to judge – but stupid wasn't one of them. "Keemble would not 'urt you, leetle one, becausze Keemble doesz not 'urt anyone, undersztand? At leaszt not on purposze. But disz isz not szo true of me."

Julien shivered and broke out in gooseflesh, trying not to bolt as every warning bell inside his head went off. He sensed on many levels the true nature of Aiden's threat, that this was no lie or attempt to intimidate him the way that big people often did when they wanted to teach him some new rule or they were establishing boundaries. Aiden wasn't seeing him as a child or an innocent, Julien was being regarded on an adult level, something so few people had ever done. While flattering, it also meant that he wouldn't be cut any slack.

Aiden was still speaking. "You try make Keemble ashamed of 'imszelf an' 'oo 'e isz. You try make Keemble ashamed of me. Of me! Why should I forgive you for disz, me?"

"I didn't mean what I said. I was confused," Julien answered, his face red hot with regret and humiliation. "I'm sorry I hurt you."

Aiden snorted arrogantly again, his disdain obvious as he took another long, deep drag off of his cigarette. "Yesz. Yesz. An' now you szee de bright white light, eh?" He looked away for a moment, considering before turning back to the boy. "Did Remy tell you everyt'ing, eh? Did 'e szay zat Keemble real fragile? Zat 'e like a child? Zat 'e szo very friendly, szo very much caring? One look at you tellsz me mebbe not. Szee, not long ago, szomeone elsze miszundersztand a geszture of Keeble'sz love juszt like you. Dey szay szumptin' juszt asz stupid an' miszguided asz what you szay."

Julien swallowed when Aiden paused. The Dreamer wasn't going to cut him a break, the Siskan was going to make him ask. "What did they say?"

Aiden's face darkened, growing impossibly meaner. Julien hadn't thought the man couldn't look any more vicious, but there it was, Aiden's desire to punish anyone responsible for Kimble's pain. "Zey szay Keemble try to moleszt szomeone. Szomeone 'e love very much. Keemble... 'e did not take it well. 'E break in 'isz mind an' 'ide himszelf away, no szpeak to no one for a long time, not even to me.

" 'E did recover, my Keemble, but not before I 'ad to liszten to 'isz broken 'eart, 'ear isz szoul bleed. Long time it take, before my Keemble return to me. Even now, 'e not asz 'e wasz before. 'E isz wit me, but a leetle szmaller on ze inszide each time 'e come back from szumpt'in' szomeone szay bad to 'im. Disz 'urtsz me in waysz you could not posszibly undersztand. Way I szee it, you no better dan zem, ze one'sz 'oo 'urt 'im szo badly. Tell me why should I let you near 'im ever again, you fucking leetle Chuckfet piecze of shit?"

Julien gasped, frightened even further by these bitter words, hearing the genuine threat. He didn't understand the insult, the word Aiden had used, but there was no mistaking the intention. Or the danger. This man may have been small, but his pale green eyes glittered with genuine malice. Malice laced with no small amount of defensive hurt and the deepest love for Kimble.

Armed with the information he now had, reading Aiden was easier than Julien could ever have imagined. All this time, Julien had assumed that Kimble was the one in charge of his own affairs, he had been the boldest of the pair, the most outspoken and the first one to reach out to him. Looking back with his newly opened eyes, Julien could see that wasn't entirely accurate. Kimble had been the most forthcoming to be sure, but Aiden was always there in the background, protectively watching his charge and keeping him safe in all the things he did.

Aiden was in love with Kimble, married to him, yet lived in a world that was constantly hostile to the pair. While Kimble tried to hide from it, Aiden took it head on, confronting it without fear and pushing back as hard as it pushed him. He protected himself and Kimble by this shield of dangerousness, a way of keeping the rest of the world at bay. Aiden resented the need for this deeply and could hardly contain the pain it brought him, certainly not in the face of a direct attack as he perceived Julien's hateful words to have been.

"You love him," Julien whispered softly.

"Wit' all my 'eart," Aiden replied, looking at him deeply. "Can a pathetic leetle Chuckfet child szuch asz you undersztand szo deep a t'ing, neh? Heh, a virgin no less? I t'ink mebbe not. Disz make it easzier for you tiny leetle mind?"

Julien jumped back when he saw this man suddenly change. His features seemed to melt away and reshape themselves until he was looking into the face of one of the most beautiful dark haired women he had ever seen. Aiden's bright floral shirt had been wide open before this and now this gorgeous woman was half naked before him, enough to take Julien's breath away. In spite of the skin change, Aiden's clothes and the piercing gaze of her eyes remained the same. "Undersztand now, you?"

Julien nodded, his eyes wide. Remy had tried to explain some of this, that these two were actually genderless and not even close to human, but it was quite another thing to see it presented right up close. "The dress was yours."

Aiden waved her hand in dismissal. "Non, it was my sziszter'sz like I szay, I jusz' borrow it from time to time. Not zat I should even 'ave to explain szuch t'ingsz to anyone, leaszt of all you." Aiden made that ugly snorting sound again and shifted back into his male skin with a toss of his head. "I will not szee 'im break again. Not by you, not by anyone elsze!"

"I won't hurt him. I just want to apologize," Julien stammered quickly in a breathless wheeze. He was never going to understand this place. Every time he turned around, some new freaky thing was happening, enough to make him seem so small and ordinary in comparison. "I have to try and fix this. Please!"

Aiden nodded after another moment's consideration. He was still clearly agitated over the day's troubles, but he finally said, "I will allow disz, juszt disz once. Since you szeem to regret what you szay. But know disz – you 'urt 'im again and you will be introduced to a new kind of 'urt, one your fa'der back 'ome could never 'ave dreamed of. And Aiden keepsz 'isz word, 'isz promisesz. Each an' every one."

Julien stepped back and away, his body jerking awkwardly as he willed it to obey. His legs had turned to rubber and his heart was thundering in his chest. His body was threatening to faint from sheer terror, from the absolute honesty of the threat in Aiden's eyes and heart. Julien had seen the eyes of men like Gus who had killed before and wouldn't hesitate to do it again. That was the same look he saw now in Aiden's eyes.

Julien staggered away towards Kimble, fleeing the iron heat of Kimble's lover. As scary as Jerry might have been, he was no match for the look in Aiden's eyes at the thought of further injury to his beloved. Julien was young, but capable of understanding that. He walked carefully, making his way to where Kimble was sitting.