Chapter 13: Old Man

For as lost in thought as Logan had been coming back from Japan, he hadn't been prepared for the expression K was wearing when they stepped out of the hangar.

She took a moment to give him a kiss to welcome him back before she wrapped her arms around his neck and whispered out the news to him that Harry Tabeshaw had passed away earlier that day. For a moment, it was clear that Logan was shocked, but then he simply wrapped his arms around her and held on tight for a long moment.

"You should go find Kurt," she said in a quiet tone. "I know he's waiting for you, and when you two are done … you know where I'll be." She took a moment to give him a long and lingering sort of kiss before he let out a breath and nodded his head.

They headed up to the main floor, hand in hand and quiet, and even Bobby looked like he'd been taken down a peg by the news. K pulled Logan along, avoiding Jubilee and Noh ... all the way until she found Kurt in Kate's office. She knocked gently on the door and poked her head in before she pulled Logan along with her.

"Do you have some time this afternoon?" she asked Kurt, not even bothering to hide the tip of her head toward Logan.

"And all the way through this evening," Kurt replied with a little nod.

"Okay. You boys go do what you gotta do. When you get him good and liquored up, bring him back so I can take a turn trying to cheer him up," K teased lightly as she looked over to Logan then stole a kiss. .

Kurt smirked her way for the slightest moment before he teleported over to stand beside Logan. "I'll bring him back later," he said with a small nod before he took Logan down to the dock — with plenty of whiskey in hand.

Before he did anything else, Kurt made a point to wrap his friend in a hug before he handed him a bottle of whiskey and gestured for Logan to sit with him on the dock. "Please, join me."

"Not a bad idea," Logan replied flatly. He took a seat and cracked open a bottle to take a deep pull. "So. I can't leave without crap going wrong while I'm gone now, eh?"

"Amazingly, the world still turns no matter where you go," Kurt said with an attempt at a smirk.

"Yeah, but this ain't the kinda news to come home to," Logan said softly. "Not that I left Tokyo with great news either."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Kurt said sincerely. "More than the usual trouble, then?"

Logan waved a hand at him and took another deep pull. "Just somethin' I thought was in the past. Yashida business. They got an upstart little punk kid of Harada's who wants to take over the family business."

Kurt frowned. "I thought that was over," he sighed.

"He blew it already, strictly speakin'," Logan replied. "Attacked me without offering me a weapon. Surrounded us with ninjas. He thinks if he kills me, he'll win honor back for his family, but … it'd take a helluva lot more'n that." He looked up at Kurt for a moment. "Pulled a neat little trick you woulda liked when he came at me with the honor sword before I threw it on the ground."

"Oh?" Kurt couldn't help but look both proud and interested as his tail swished almost lazily behind him.

"Not exactly a pirate trick, more a .. pissed off samurai kinda thing," Logan explained. "I took the scabbard off him, and when he attacked, I sheathed his sword and took it from 'im."

Kurt couldn't help but chuckle. "And people say I am the dramatic one."

"You are," Logan insisted.

Kurt smirked. "I am," he agreed. "But still."

They were quiet for a while as Logan's mood shifted again. "When's the funeral?"

"Two weeks, in Alaska," Kurt said quietly.

"Scott got a list of who wants to follow me?"

"Yes," Kurt said with a bit of a nod. "And of course, I'll come with you."

Logan shook his head a bit. "Don't have to."

"I want to," Kurt insisted. "I have no better place to be than with my best friend." He rested a hand on Logan's shoulder. "I'm sorry, mein Freund."

"He was gettin' old. Nothin' anyone could do about it."

"Still, if there is anything I can do…" Kurt sighed and watched Logan for a moment before he took a pull from the bottle. "It's always hard to lose a friend."

Logan simply got quieter, his eyes on the water as he continued to drink, and Kurt fell silent beside him, just offering his friend someone to drink with as they both watched the water in quiet contemplation.

It was well after dinner was over before the two of them headed back up to the house. Kurt was leaning heavily on Logan for support, and Logan looked stoic as he handed Kurt off to Kate at their room then headed down to his own. He was feeling pretty damn old and a little bit miserable until he stepped in to find Elin and James curled up asleep around K. She looked up at him with a little tight smile. "They slept here while you were gone," she explained.

He let out a weary breath and kicked off his boots before he climbed into bed and pulled all three of them a little bit closer to settle in. "Good," he said, curling into them. "Spoil the hell out of 'em when my back is turned."

"You are lying to yourself if you're trying to pretend like you don't do it when you're here," she replied before he kissed her for a good long moment. "I'm glad you're back."

"Me too," he admitted before he tucked in and kept one arm across the whole little group of them.

The day before Harry's funeral, Logan and K had thrown together a little bag for the trip, and the little family of Howletts headed downstairs to leave for Alaska before the storm front came through. Heavy snow was predicted for the night before and the morning of the funeral, and they needed to be sure they were there ahead of the weather.

Kurt met them downstairs — both he and Kate were ready to go. Jubilee was in a hovering state of shock still from the news, but she had made it clear she was not going to miss Harry's funeral.

Logan took a breath and looked up at the little gathered group and nodded as K handed James over to Annie. "If we're going, we should be gettin' ahead of the weather."

"You'll need a pilot," said Scott as he was the last to arrive and looked ready to go as well with a small overnight bag.

Logan looked up at him with an open look of surprise before he nodded lightly. "Guess I do."

Scott held his gaze for a second with a small frown before he headed to the plane without another word — while the others kept an eye on Logan or Elin and James, whoever it was they felt needed the attention the most at any given moment.

The flight up was fairly easy, though as they came in for a landing, it was pretty clear that the weather report was right on the money; the clouds coming in from the northwest were heavy, black and ominous looking.

The airport had them put the jet in the hangar next to Harry's old bomber, and for a moment, Logan, Jubilee and Scott all just stared at the old warbird, clearly thinking of one adventure or another where the old C-47 had saved their necks.

Finally, Scott let out a small breath. "There's a nice lodge near my old neighborhood. Usually pretty quiet; I've got us some rooms," he said as he started to direct the group out.

No one had a thing to say as Scott took them to his spot near the woods, and they weathered out the night without incident — outside of Logan and Kurt drinking heavily and watching the snow fall.

The funeral itself was a bit more packed than Jubilee had figured. All kinds of locals had made it, and several people from back in Harry's old hometown near Vancouver had come too. The whole thing was fairly quick and filled with good stories that everyone had about Harry. But through it all, Logan simply listened, and when it was over, the little group quietly headed back out.

Harry's plane, they overheard, was being donated to a museum that simply couldn't understand how or why the old man had put so many hours on the old bird, but they were tickled to have it as an exhibit. Before the X-Men left, Logan and Scott climbed into Harry's Dakota to say goodbye to the old girl.

Logan took his time as he walked through the plane and took a moment to drop into the co-pilot chair and lean back to simply look at the old instrument panel. The yolk on the pilot's side was well-worn, and the leather that covered it was shiny from wear. It was easy to see exactly how Harry liked to hold it when he was around. "He was more like a fighter pilot than a transport pilot," Logan said suddenly as he tipped his chin to the yolk. "His old SO hated the way he flew."

"Got us out of plenty of scrapes, so I'm not complaining," Scott said quietly.

"He was the best at the time, for sure. If you thought he was good when you knew him, you shoulda seen him when he was young. No fear."

"I'm sorry I didn't get to see that."

Logan smirked a bit and let out a sigh. "You two probably woulda teamed up on me. Nope. Better you didn't."

"Well now I'm even more sorry. Would've been nice to have backup," Scott said with a bit of a smirk to match.

Logan chuckled a little and nodded. "Doubt either of you would need the backup," he replied before he got up and spent just another silent moment in the cockpit before he started to head toward the door. "Doubt she would have kept airborne much longer. Harry was the only one that knew a damn thing about these planes. Probably better someone appreciates her." When he stepped out and hit the concrete, he gestured to Scott. "Lead the way."

Scott watched Logan for a moment and then nodded as he led the little group back to the blackbird and started up his prep. Kurt had Elin on one knee telling her stories about the plane her dad had been sitting in. Jubilee was sitting next to Kate with her head on her friend's shoulder, and both of them fell asleep quickly, tired from travel and taking care of their friends. And for the most part, except for Kurt's quiet stories, the blackbird was quiet.

K had given Logan a kiss as soon as he was close enough — and the two of them snuggled up, holding hands and keeping to themselves. It wasn't long after takeoff that Elin came over and climbed up to give her father a kiss and snuggle into K, tuckered out from all the travel and socializing. Within a few minutes, Elin had fallen asleep, and K wasn't too far behind, though she hadn't let go of Logan's hand.

It was another few minutes before Kurt moved to sit on Logan's other side, his head tipped slightly as he looked over his old friend and let out a sigh. "How are you doing, mein Freund?"

"Fine," Logan replied in a low, quiet rumble. "I'm always fine. You know that."

"And sometimes it's a lie. I know that too," Kurt said with a little nod as he leaned back.

Logan glanced at K and Elin as they slept and then over to Jubilee and Kate. He even took just a second to see if Scott looked like he was paying attention before he turned his head Kurt's way. "It's just … tiring. I'm used to people dyin' on me. It's pretty damn common. But … for some reason, when it happens like it's supposed to — without all the violence? Makes me remember how old I am."

"Because it's so uncommon?" Kurt asked, trying to follow him.

"No," he said, shaking his head lightly. "I think because it's just … I knew him when he was a punk kid fresh to the military. I watched him grow up. And somewhere along the line, he got old."

"That's how things are supposed to go, I'm told," Kurt said.

"Doesn't make it any easier to watch 'em all die on you. One way or another."

"No, it doesn't," Kurt had to concede with a bit of a sigh as he found his gaze slipping toward the women curled up asleep across from them.

"After a while, it makes it hard to want to know anyone," Logan admitted.

Kurt looked surprised for a moment before he nodded thoughtfully. "I'm glad you don't give up on us, then," he said. "I'd be worse off not knowing you, mein Freund, even if it's often the case we leave you too soon."

"It's not a matter of you guys leavin' too soon," he said. "I'm thinkin' more like I'm over my stay."

"Because you feel you should be with them," Kurt surmised quietly. He paused and tipped his head at K and Elin. "But you should be with them. And with us. With me, with Kate, with Jubilee—"

"Not goin' anywhere, Elf," Logan said softly. "Just thinkin' out loud."

"Good." Kurt nodded once and leaned back again. "I have a feeling I'll need my Wolverine in my own elder years."

Logan let out a little laugh. "You won't," he said. "You sure don't now."

"Lächerlich," Kurt scoffed. "Where would I be without my Wolverine to help me with my three princesses to keep them safe?"

"Likely far away from the trouble I bring with me and perfectly happy," Logan replied.

"And having never met Kate to save her from the trouble you bring," Kurt said with a raised eyebrow.

"For the record — I didn't bring that trouble. It was there already."

Kurt smirked the slightest bit. "Ah, but you are the perfect bait for adventure. Why do you think we stick around?"

"Head trauma?" Logan deadpanned.

"Nonsense." Kurt just shook his head.

"Well, with a little luck, this one will last me a while," he said, tipping his head toward K.

"It's my hope you both see each other through to the end of your long lives," Kurt told him honestly. He had to smirk the slightest bit as he added, "And through many a generation of elflings."

"Yeah, probably gonna have to herd 'em, the way you two're goin'."

"You say that like it's a bad thing," Kurt said with a smirk.

"Puttin' words in my mouth," he replied. "Seems that you pass on the genetic predisposition to ignore any damn thing I say to every one of 'em."

"It's not just my genes," Kurt laughed. "They have a double dose of trouble."

"Then I guess I better hope our kids get good healing in their cards then," Logan said. "So they can pull your princesses' asses outta trouble."

"There will be Wagners and Howletts getting in and out of trouble until the end of days, mein Freund," Kurt promised him.

"And Summerses as far as the eye can see, likely," Logan added, just to see if Scott was eavesdropping — which, if the smirk was anything to go by, he was. Logan took in a deep, cleansing breath and let it out very slowly. "It's taken me a couple lifetimes to figure it out, but it's worth it. I think."

"It is," Kurt agreed without hesitation. "It has to be, or there would be no reason for it."

Logan nodded. "I tried avoiding people. Just to keep from losin' 'em. Didn't work."

"No, you care too much to do that," Kurt said.

"Didn't used to," he said even quieter.

"I somehow doubt that," Kurt said, matching his quiet tone. He chewed over his next thought for a moment before he said, "It seems to be genetic. When Kate and I visited that alternate future, Elin was doing the same thing — trying to distance herself to avoid losing anyone she cared for."

"It's a dumb kid move," Logan said with a nod. "I lived with the wolves for a while, you know."

"Thank God you grew out of that and into living with elves instead," Kurt said with a smirk.

"You can thank Sinister and the Creeds for that — so I don't think that was one bit about God," Logan replied.

"He still brought you to live with elves, though," Kurt insisted. He shook his head. "He likely knew I'd need it."

"There was a damn big gap between that time and you," Logan said, shaking his head. "Just dumb luck, I think."

"I don't believe that for a moment, and you know it," Kurt said with a small smile. "Just like I don't believe it was dumb luck that brought you back to me with my future wife in tow. Thank you for that, by the way."

"Thank her; she was taggin' along."

Kurt chuckled. "It's a good thing she's asleep," he teased. "Or there would be a loud argument on that point. Likely she'll be arguing it for the rest of her life."

"That's sad. For her to be so wrong for the rest of her life," Logan said as he leaned back a little bit.

"So stubborn, you mean," Kurt corrected him. He looked Kate's way and let out a sigh. "Still, I hope she's wrong and stubborn for a good, long time. All that's happened recently ... it's just reminded me we don't have that guarantee. And even if we do…" He trailed off and shook his head, leaning back a bit further. "Well, never mind that. It's far, far in the future, with any luck."

"What's eatin' you, Elf?" Logan said with a little frown. "Just spit it out."

Kurt let out a breath of a laugh. "I forgot who I was talking to for a moment — can't hide anything from you," he teased before he shook his head. "It's just that watching you — watching what happens when you outlive your friends and loved ones — has reminded me of my own inherited lifespan. I am getting old, Logan, but I still don't look it."

"Yes you do," Logan argued. "Nowhere near as spry lookin' as when we met though."

Kurt sat up a bit straighter and gave Logan a bit of a look. "I'd be more insulted if I didn't find myself wanting to get older with her," he said at last, tipping his head toward Kate.

"Well. You picked a young one, so that's in your favor anyhow."

"She was so upset about this latest birthday," Kurt chuckled a bit. "Now that she's as old as I look."

"Don't know what to tell you, Elf. I never had a girl last me long enough to worry about old age."

Kurt let out a breath. "I know. I suppose we'll just have to take it as it comes." He smirked slightly. "I seem to worry in my old age, I guess," he added with a twinkle in his eyes.

"That's all anyone gets to do, old man," Logan teased.

"Then it's a good thing I have my Wolverine with me," Kurt said.

Logan tipped his chin toward Kate. "You should probably head over to her. I don't think she's sleeping that hard without her giant bamf doll."

"Likely not," Kurt agreed. He rested a hand on Logan's arm for a moment and gave him a warm smile. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. Go snuggle your old lady."

"Oh, don't call her that, please. She's upset enough as it is," Kurt said, though he was chuckling as he stood. "At least wait until I start to gray as well."

"Is that what's got her worked up?" Logan asked. "Because she's not the only one dealin' with that. Not me, of course."

"Of course," Kurt said with a smirk. But now his curiosity was piqued, and his ears were perked. "But others."

"Yeah, they seem to run in the same crowd. Hair dye stinks, you know."

"You have a much more sensitive sense of smell than I do," Kurt laughed.

"I've got a more sensitive sense of just about everything over everyone."

"Yes, you are sensitive," Kurt couldn't help but tease.

"Regular shrinkin' violet."

Kurt chuckled and shook his head at Logan. "Now I'm curious to see just how many on our team are as vain as you are," he teased. "I'll have to watch more closely."

"I'm not the one frettin' about gray hair," Logan countered.

"Do I look gray to you?" Kurt shot back, gesturing at himself.

Logan tipped his head and looked him over carefully. "Not as deep of a blue as you were before."

Kurt scoffed. "Lächerlich."

"No, ... you used to be the same shade as your little entourage … "

"You're ridiculous — they get their shade from me."

Logan leaned his way and whispered to him, "They're darker."

Kurt drew himself up and shook his head at Logan. "You're … ugh. That's just not the case."

"My very old eyes are better than yours too, Elf." Logan smirked at him as he pulled K under his arm to settle in. "Or … maybe I'm just tryin' to make you feel better."

Kurt straightened up a bit more and gave Logan another look before he made a mental note to check the old pictures from when he first joined the team and prove his old friend wrong — or right, as the case may be — before he sat down next to Kate and snuggled in for the remainder of the flight out.