Chapter Seventeen: Cowboy Work
"You have to understand, I am nothing like Victor," Clara said as the two women sat in a dark corner, well removed from the rest of the cattle drive. "He's always been … unhinged." She watched K's reactions for a few minutes hesitantly asking K how she knew Victor, looking honestly upset when K gave her an honest, albeit stripped down version of their encounters.
"I can't say I'm sad to hear he's gone, even if he was my brother." Clara said finally, "I am sorry he hurt you. He has always hurt everyone around him. Especially the ones he loved the most. That's part of why he was so hard on Logan."
K wrinkled her brow. "So you think he treated Logan the way he did … because he loved him?" K asked, disgust on her face. "You're out of your goddamned mind."
Clara shook her head. "No, Logan killed our brother - who Victor liked to take his issues out on. I don't know how they ever ended up crossing paths, but I can tell you one thing for sure. If Logan didn't do what Victor wanted, he would think he was in his rights to try and punish him for it." She said it so matter of factly, as if it made perfect sense that even if she hadn't carried a familial look and scent, K could easily believe that Clara was Victor's sister. "But if you're right, he's not a problem anymore."
K didn't know how to respond to her in the least. Internal alarm bells were going off like crazy just for how close the scent was, though Clara was obviously trying to make an effort to be kind. Which was its own kind of bizarre.
"Your daughter is beautiful," Clara said finally when it was clear that K had nothing to say. "She has Logan's eyes."
K nodded. "How do you know him?" K asked, half afraid of the answer, and not overly surprised with the older woman's explanation.
"Oh. Well. Failed love affair, really," Clara said, waving one hand. "I should have known better - he was too impressionable at the time. Too young."
K's opinion of Clara went up dramatically after she heard all of Clara's story of how she and her now dead brother Saul had a hand in exploiting Logan, before springing him from Dr. Essex's lab - and how they eventually helped him to rejoin the civilized world. The details were rich - too clear to be made up, and Clara didn't mince words or hide anything about the connection in the least - including how she and Logan had a falling out after Saul died. As Clara talked, K found herself watching Logan across the way, gently rocking Abbey as the little girl snuggled into him. He had his eyes closed as he kissed her head and cradled her. K bit her lip as she heard yet another little section of how hard life had been for him for most of his long existence. It shouldn't have surprised her when she was hit with an incredible urge to go to him and show him all he meant to her.
"Clara, I'm sorry for jumping to conclusions. I just have a hard time believing that you and Victor Creed are related. You're just too different," K said, watching the blonde's reaction.
"We weren't as different as you'd think. He had a good side too, once. You might have even liked him had you met him then, but you couldn't have even been born yet. I was very small when he was good," Clara admitted.
Though it was clear that K didn't know when it all had happened, she also didn't see a need to correct her. Not when she had other things to do. Besides ...the less Clara knew about K, the better. Time to change the subject, K thought. The look Clara had on her face was one of sadness and regret, and that wasn't going to do either of them any good. For the time being, she shoved her concerns down and tried a different angle - one that should have popped up naturally after Clara had explained herself.
"So. Tell me about you and Bill. You're getting married. What do you need from me?" K asked, straightening up and pulling her flannel around herself a little tighter.
"Really we just need a second witness. I don't know many people. They avoid me – my looks scare most people off, I suppose," she said sadly, gesturing to the wicked scar that covered - and clearly blinded one eye. "Graham said the preacher wouldn't let us sign the paperwork without the witnesses being a man and woman. So I guess, I'm asking you to stand up for me," Clara finished, a little blush rising on her cheeks, making her look almost girlish.
"Is that alright with you, Clara?" K asked. "I'd be happy to do it if nothing else for Bill's sake, but only if you're sure."
Clara smiled warmly, her hair sliding over her shoulder and covering the scarred up part of her face. If it wasn't for the scars and the bad eye, she'd be a stunningly beautiful woman. "All I ever wanted for Logan was to help him, and to see him whole and happy. He was so beaten down when I knew him, but that was a lifetime ago. It looks like you helped him do whatever he couldn't do for himself. Saul and I probably weren't the best influence on him, but we were the ones that took a chance with him," Clara said. "Besides, I really have fallen for Billy. He's a good man."
K gave her a wan smile. "The truth is, I didn't do anything for Logan. He was like this when I ran into him," K told her. "And I won't take credit for what he did for himself."
Clara gave her an almost proud sort of smile before the two women began swapping stories about Bill.
After a long while, Logan peeked over to where the two of them were chatting and on seeing the two women smiling together he decided it should be safe to approach. He asked Kitty to stay by Abbey and made his way over to the laughing pair. "You girls square?" he asked, leaning down to kiss his wife as Clara beamed at them.
"Yes, we are. You've come a long way, Logan," Clara said, pleased with his choice in a wife. "I hope we can keep in touch a little better. All things considered."
Logan didn't answer though - not without hearing from K what her thoughts were on the matter and instead, he simply wished her a good night and put his arm around K's waist and led her over to their tent to take Abbey back from Kitty and settle in for the night.
The cattle drive went on much the same for the next four days. When the cows got to their new grazing land, the cowboys took a couple days to let the horses recover and to let Clara restock for the next drive.
And while they were doing that, Logan took a moment to pull Jean aside. "Keep an eye on the cook, would you?" he said. "I know her from way back, but ... "
"You want to be careful with your little family," Jean said as she touched noses with Abbey, who had a handful of Jean's hair and was grinning at her crookedly.
"Yeah. More or less," Logan agreed, though he couldn't help but smile on seeing the look on Jean's face as she played with Abbey. "That's a good look on you too, Jeannie."
"Yeah, well," Jean said in a sigh, and for just a moment, she sounded down at what she knew he'd meant to be encouraging. "We're working on it."
"It'll happen," Logan said as Abbey leaned his way - arms outstretched to be picked up. He gave Jean a quick wink as Abbey grabbed his hair and pressed in for a sloppy baby kiss before the two of them headed off to find K and relax for a little while.
"This drive makes me so nervous," Clara confided in Jean and Kitty, who had decided to help her prepare since neither of them taking part in the drive. "The way they run ... the ground shakes when the herd gets near. It's scary."
They'd packed up all that would be needed and Clara was sitting on the open tailgate of the pick up next to Kitty. Jean was leaning on the truck as the three of them watched Logan's little family play together in the tall grass with Abbey's squealing laughter echoing across to them. The baby, who had been chuckling and giggling, suddenly looked very tired, even though she was smiling as she rubbed her eyes.
All at once, Logan scooped her up and kissed her as she snuggled into his arms, her hand on Logan's nose with K leaning over his shoulder smiling at the little girl as she fell asleep. K turned her head when Logan looked at her, waiting for her to kiss him. It was a beautiful moment, broken only when Logan stood to take Abbey and lay her down near Jean. The three women at the truck smiled at him sedately as he gently handed Abbey to Jean and covered her with a blanket.
"You can relax. This is what I came here for. Practice, remember?" she said with a meaning ul smile.
"And here I thought you were just doin' us a favor," he said as Jean shrugged and blushed a little, her gaze on the grass she was kicking as he turned to head back to find K.
"They're not both doing the drive are they?" Clara asked, a bit alarmed and looking more pale than usual.
"Yeah, that's the plan, why?" Jean asked.
Clara was shaking her head as she headed off to voice her concerns for K's safety to Graham as he walked past them.
"Oh, Clara. She'll be fine," Graham promised. "She's done this a few times before. She's one of the best hands I've ever had. She knows what she's doin'. If you wanna worry, worry about that husband of hers. No tellin' if he can keep the pace, but she'll be fine."
But even with the way he'd talked her up, Graham still made a point to sit down with K that night before she turned in - just to check. Of course, K promised that the students involved would stay to the back of the herd with Bobby and that she'd take the lead. "Just like every other time, Graham," K promised.
The group started early, and K brought a very sleepy Abbey to Jean and Kitty. She took her time and kissed the sleepy girl several times before and after handing her off to the now-nervous redhead. "I'll see you gals tonight," K said, tucking a blanket around the little one. "I'll be the one covered in dirt."
Clara snorted, knowing that the cowboys from this ride were going to be both tired and sore tonight in addition to hopelessly filthy. Camp packed up quickly this time - still just before dawn as before, but the pace was already much faster than the cattle drive -even as the herd hadn't moved out. People were still mounting up, and many of the help were showing their nerves as they adjusted their gear and double and triple checked their saddles. And if the kids riding hadn't been nervous before then watching the professional cowboys look serious, they were once K took a minute to talk to the students.
"This is nothing like a cattle drive, so be ready to ride hard. There are enough able hands that you literally do not need to do anything but stay on, and stay to the back of the herd. Do not get in the middle of the herd. Do not get anywhere near the lead horse," K warned as she focused on each of them in turn. "If I see any one of you anywhere near me, you will not only fail my class, but I will kick your ass as soon as you have feeling in it again. Does everyone understand?" For the first time in any of their memories, K's instructions truly sounded deadly serious. She met each of their gazes and held it until each one of them nodded their understanding, and Bobby too before she let out a slight breath and nodded.
"One more thing – and it's important. Whatever you do, whatever happens – DON'T FALL. Got it?" K said as she addressed the five students who looked pale suddenly before she gave them the signal to mount up.
Logan was holding her horse, and all of the horses looked dead calm as the cowboys eased their mounts into position, waiting for K to give the signal. The men at the gate opened them when she did, and the first few horses ambled out when suddenly they all started to kick up their heels, running like hell. K and Logan made way to the front of the herd, trying to steer them the way they needed to be going as the herd mentality took over the animals they began following any lead they got.
All day they ran, with thundering hooves and dirt flying. But amazingly, no one fell, no one stumbled. They did almost miss the gate to the overnight holding corral halfway to the final destination, but Logan and one of the other hands managed to push them the right way with K and a second cowboy being sure to keep them from going too far the other way. When the gate closed behind the herd, K turned to face the gathered crew to count their students, all of them out of breath, worn out, and dirtier than any of them could ever remember being. When it was clear they were all accounted for, she looked at Logan, just as worn and dirty as the kids and smiled when she saw him recounting them himself, nodding when he saw they were all there.
The hired hands took their horses to a different corral than where the stock horses they were driving stood. They all took the saddles down, hanging them upside down to dry out the sweat. The horses were all nearly shaking as they stood, frothy sweat dripping off them. They were too tired to do much more than eat and roll in the grassy corral. The students and the ranch hands were shaky legged as they waddled to the mess tent, bowlegged from the long hard ride. Logan had to smile at K as she tried to pull her jeans off of her thighs as he just rubbed his own.
"You want some help there, darlin'?" he teased, and in response K couldn't help but laugh breathlessly.
"Like you have the energy," she replied with a grin, leaning in to kiss what little breath he had from him.
"Gimmie a minute and I'll ask again," he growled before he slipped his arm around her waist. The two of them supported each other as they made their way to grab a bite to eat before they fell down. Of course, since they were behind the pack, Clara came to see them, bringing hot food with her, and a gallon of water, knowing they'd be in need.
"Jean and Kitty took Abbey to the cabin at the ranch," Clara told them. "She was worn out from playing all day and I told them you two wouldn't be much for parenting tonight. I hope that's alright."
K nodded at that as Logan tipped back the water. They didn't get far into their meal though before Bobby came and sat with them too, eyes wide.
"You didn't say the ride was that intense. One of the kids wants to skip tomorrow," Bobby told her.
But that just got K smiling as she took the water from Logan, not answering Bobby until she'd drank as much as she could without choking. "They don't have to ride tomorrow if they don't want to or can't, but if they skip? They will have to ride the test at the end of the year," K said, which only got Logan groaning out a laugh.
"You're a mean woman, you know that?" Logan said, shaking his head.
K smirked wider and leaned against him. "Yeah, but you like it."
The little group joked around for a little while with Clara watching over them and smiling at the two little ferals as they teased back and forth. As soon as they'd finished eating, K made the rounds to talk to the students, informing them of the deal. Though she wasn't exactly surprised to see the consensus that she was just being mean.
"Oh my god! You're kidding, right?" Zoe moaned. "I can't feel my ass! I'm never going to be able to breathe right again, and the dirt! Oh GOD. It'll never come out!" The girl was nearly in tears.
"Did you really think I'd let you get out of a test for a simple little ride? Come on, get real. You gotta work for it, and this is pass or fail. If today was tough, tomorrow will be worse. You can back out, but you will have to ride the final exam like everyone that didn't come," K told them as they laid stone still on their cots.
"But what about the cattle drive kids? They get a pass just for that?" Everett asked though his tone was one of pure disbelief.
K gave him a warm smile and shook her head. "No. That was extra credit, which you all earned already. The deal to skip the final was a special arrangement for you five. There is no shame in backing out if you're too worn," K said, her hands on her very dirty hips. "Think about it overnight and tell me in the morning. Breakfast will be light. Don't want to ride that hard on a full stomach, right Chloe?" K directed the question to her little friend who at the moment was on her side, still looking as if she wanted to throw up.
"How do people do this?" Chloe asked. "I feel like I've done a zillion crunches."
K shook her head and turned to leave, stumbling a little herself as she navigated the uneven ground while the teenagers started bitching in earnest. She met Clara at the water truck, and K stripped off her clothes and boots, opened the tap and stuck her head under it, scrubbing the worst of the dirt off her face and arms, Clara handled the tap for her as she washed quickly in the cold water. She wrapped the towel she'd brought around herself and made her way to Logan who had already cleaned up a bit himself. He'd set up a couple of bedrolls together under the stars and was waiting for her with a smile when she showed up in a towel that didn't quite make it into the tent.
The next morning, predictably, two students chose not to continue, and instead, joined Clara in the truck as she loaded up to head back to the ranch. There would be no camp tonight, just back to base. Everyone but K and Logan looked worn out the next morning as they started out again, though problems rose quickly as they got on the trail.
A few hours into the ride, K ended up falling back to check on the students, and it was a good thing she had. One of them was in a panic because she'd lost a rein when it got away from her and the horse stepped on it. K rode next to her for a moment, then leaned far forward as they ran, removing one rein from her own horse and attaching it for the student, instead using a bale string off her saddle for her own horse.
The same thing happened just beyond the halfway point to one of the cowboys, and again, K helped him with his repair before using a second string for a rein on her mare.
When they finally made it into the last corral, K and Logan circled back to count students. The three that had chosen to ride were there, but Chloe was hurting so badly, she couldn't get off her horse and Jubilee was so over it, she was loudly telling everyone that they'd have to be crazy to trust one of K's field trips ever again, declaring them worse than Logan's survival trip three years ago in the Savage land where all the plants she could find were carnivorous.
Luckily though, there were ranch hands waiting to take the horses and gear from the riders, knowing that everyone that had ridden was worn terribly.
The students were all seated at the dinner table, the only rule on the ranch that night was clean faces and hands. K congratulated them on a 'damn good drive' before unceremoniously telling them to dig in. She took her seat along the wall away from the table. She sat on the floor, and watched the weary students eat as though they'd never seen real food before. She hadn't been there long though before Jean came over with a very restless Abbey, who was nearly tearing herself from Jean's arms when she spotted her mother sitting on the floor and dirty.
K reached out for her with a smile, and Abbey snuggled into her, ignoring the sweat and dirt, as she gave her baby kisses, sloppy and wet on the mouth when she wasn't mumbling 'mamamama'. The little girl didn't even stop when Logan sat next to her, still patting her mother's neck with her tiny hands as K kissed the side of her face.
Abbey was just so happy to be with her … until she suddenly realized her Dad was there too. She squirmed her way to him, and hugged him as tightly as she was able, humming as she leaned on him. She was exhausted herself, though it was clear she wasn't relaxing enough to sleep until Logan put his free arm around K and pulled her closer until K was leaning her head on his shoulder with an arm draped across his waist. Abbey shifted down so she had her head next to her mother's, and her hand in her shirt as Logan held both of them close. He leaned his cheek on the top of K's head and in short order, the three of them nearly drifted off on the spot.
Everyone that had participated on the horse drive slept in the next morning, except for K, of course. Abbey woke up at her normal time, happy and laughing. K did all Abbey needed, of course, and the little girl took to trying to entertain herself as she poked K's face, giggling when her mother acted like she was biting her.
Logan woke not long after, content to watch his girls as they played - though he picked up the little girl to take over for K when there was a knock at the door. As it turned out, Clara was looking for company for a trip to town. She needed to pick up a few things for herself to be ready for the wedding the next day, and she pointed out to K that she needed a dress.
"Oh, no– I don't need a dress. Jeans are fine, really," K said though Clara was already shaking her head with her arms crossed.
"Call me old fashioned, but you're wearing a dress. That's final," Clara told her. And through it all, Logan acted as if he hadn't heard a word. K tried to argue with her but in the end, she kissed the baby and Logan to leave with Clara, only to return two hours later with a garment bag and a box containing a pair of high heels.
"Not a word, love," K warned as she hung up the bag. Logan smiled, knowing that she was going to be fine with it once he kissed the sense out of her.
K slept fitfully that night. It was the first dreams she'd had since they'd arrived in Colorado. And it was all flashbacks of Creed. Nothing solid but it was all horrifying flashes of him over the years, all jumbled up.
Just a few things really stood out to her in the nightmare – the expression on his face when he tried to pick her up at the bar, when he pressed himself against her after chasing her down in the woods – the taste of dirt, the sound in his voice when he purred his approval while she screamed from his abuse. Most of all though, she was hit with a stabbing, all encompassing panic while she remembered some of his unfulfilled promises - and a sensation of absolute helplessness against his massive size advantage loomed over her in the dream like a dark cloud.
Her fitful sleep had woken Logan, who was simply waiting for her to wake up. Without knowing what had her so keyed up, waking her up could be the wrong move. So as much as he hated it - he waited and watched and held his breath. When K did finally wake up, she sat bolt upright in bed, looking madly around the room until her gaze landed on Abbey's sleeping form. Logan reached out to her and K nearly jumped out of bed when his hand touched her arm.
"Just me, darlin'. It's alright, come here now," he said quietly in a soothing tone, watching her quick breaths as her hands shook. He slowly reached for her again and this time when he touched her, she did her best to keep from flat out breaking down crying - and ultimately failed.
She didn't fight him when he pulled her tight, shushing her, and trying to soothe her. "You're safe," Logan said quietly, reasonably sure that Victor was the source of the trouble. After all, she did spend a few hours with Victor's little sister, who Logan had to admit had the same eyes and coloring as her brother did at the very least. It was undeniable that she had a similar, more feminine version of his bone structure and nose, and their scents held a familial note to them.
He reasoned to himself that It would have had to been unnerving to be so close to her for too long considering the severe trauma K had endured at Creed's hands. She cried herself out quickly enough - though she'd been unable to stop once she'd allowed herself to start. But through it all, Logan simply held her, stroking her hair as he gave her light kisses and reassurances while she tried to wrap herself in his scent, finally relaxing and pulling herself together, to fall asleep as he held her.
When morning broke, K was still in his arms. Logan had wrapped himself around her, finding a way to hold her tightly even as he slept. One eye popped open, when she wiggled a little - waking him. He looked at her for a moment before he lifted his head and started to stretch, though he still didn't let her go.
"You alright?" he asked as she stretched in his arms, her body tight against him as she arched her back and legs, toes pointed. She nodded her head and simply re-adjusted how her head was resting on his chest.
"Nightmare is all it was. Hopefully I won't get another one anytime soon," she replied before she stretched forward and kissed his chin. "Thank you," she whispered, kissing the line of his jaw up to his ear. "You're wonderful." She nearly purred out the words as he closed his eyes and just drank her in, his head leaned to the side to give her room to do what she wanted at his neck while she kissed her way down to his chest. In a flash, he'd reversed their positions, and the two of them were again completely wrapped up in each other in the early morning hours with the sun breaking through the windows and just then starting to warm up the room with the early sunbeams.
The students and teachers of the Xavier Institute were relaxing in the Colorado prarie. Few of them had any energy, and those that had done both drives were completely exhausted. They found no sympathy from their teacher and/or colleague.
"I don't give a damn one way or the other how flamin' tired you are. Get yourselves together, tonight's the last night here, and you will ALL be attending," Logan growled out after Bobby had complained about having to go to the rodeo celebration that would double as a party for the newlyweds. Logan let out a string of obscenities under his breath as he left the group, his displeasure melting the moment he saw K standing under the big tree next to the bunkhouse with Abbey on her hip - and both of them were smiling at him.
K had to leave with Kitty and Clara since Kitty had agreed to be a part of the tiny wedding party, so she could keep an eye on K for Logan - especially after the dream she'd had the night before. But just then - it was apparent that they had to go get ready. Logan pulled his wife and daughter close to him, wrapping his arms around the both of them before he kissed them and took Abbey out of K's arms. The uneasy feeling he had not long after Abbey was born began to creep up again as he watched his wife and Kitty meet up with Clara near the main lodge. He didn't think there was anything to it, but it didn't matter since he couldn't prove it one way or another, and he had some doubts himself. It was going to bug him until it resolved itself.
He made his way with his daughter to the cabin he and K were staying at, though he ran into Jean, who invited both him and Abbey to lunch with her and Bobby while they waited for K and Kitty to return. Logan accepted, but also uncharacteristically voiced his growing concerns with her and told her about K's unsettling night.
"So, do you think he's still alive?" Jean asked, her nose scrunched up at the thought. It sounded like an irrational fear considering the shape that Sabretooth was in last they saw him and SHIELD hauled him out.
But when Logan seemed to be biting back his answer, Jean took pause. He shook his head very slowly, almost reluctantly as he grimaced. "I want to say no, but it's hard to believe. He's been such a thorn in my side for most of my life – I just ...don't know. Hell, damn near everyone on the team has been dead at one point or another. I have. Scott has. Hell, Jeannie, how many times have you kicked it?" Logan asked, and Jean let out her breath in a woosh to concede that he had a point.
"That was different though, Logan. I had the Phoenix protecting me. His head was next to his knees," she argued.
"Yeah, but did he stay that way? Not to sound grim, but I never heard what SHIELD did with the body," Logan said low, distrust clear on his features and just like that, Jean knew there was a solid reason behind his concerns.
I'll keep an eye out, scan the area, look for his mental signature, she projected to him,though her brow was furrowed.
Wouldn't hurt anyhow, but I don't know if it'd help. Would it be the same? he replied, but there was no hesitation before Jean was nodding.
If it was him, it would be the same. I'll just scan for negative thoughts, someone intending harm on you or K.
Or Abbey, he pointed out.
Or Abbey, she agreed as the little girl in question slept on her father. He seemed reluctant to put her down, all things considered, instead preferring to let her sleep on him while he worried.