Chapter Seven: Not A Clue What Happened

It was dark outside when K opened her eyes and turned to see Kate, just as dopey as she felt, in the passenger seat of Scott's car. The parking lot was more or less empty, the clock on the car was flashing a reset. K's head was heavy, and she couldn't remember how the hell she'd gotten into the car, seeing as the last thing she could remember was sitting in the restaurant with Kate nibbling on french fries and sipping at a milkshake while they teased each other.

"Kate, wake up," K said with a serious sleepy voice, reaching over to shake her friend's arm — more insistently when Kate didn't immediately respond.

It took a second for Kate to pick her head up and look K's way, but she clearly looked out of it as well. "Who hit me?" Kate asked tiredly, obviously straining to wake up, though it just wasn't happening as fast as either of them would have liked.

"What do you remember?" K asked as she sat up a bit more, leaning against the door of the car so she could face Kate better.

Kate frowned a bit and then shook her head. "We were setting up the boys to be our minions, and then ... I guess you carried me here? Because I don't remember getting here on my own. So … did you see the bad guys?"

"I don't think I carried anyone …" K shook her head. "No, I don't know what happened either. I'm not sure how we got out here? But it wasn't me." She looked over her shoulder and scanned the parking lot for any sign that something was wrong — but the only disturbing thing was how empty it was; there wasn't anything that threw up red flags otherwise. "How about we just get the hell out of here, and fast?"

"I second the motion," Kate said, nodding quickly.

K was sure to drive, since Kate still looked fairly groggy, but by the time they got to the gate of the institute, they were feeling at least a little bit more like themselves, and Kate even managed to joke that this had better not be some kind of weird symptom from the glitter pass on, because she did not want to start passing out randomly, thank you very much.

"Oooh, it so is," K sang back low. "Kate, you are positively sparkling!"

But when they got back to the mansion itself, everyone there was freaking out. It was late enough to be considered the wee hours of the next morning — and no one had heard from either of the girls that whole time. So when they both drove up in Scott's car, apparently just fine, they were treated to a mixture of expressions ranging from relief to anger and everywhere in between.

"Where you have two been?" Scott all but demanded as he was the first to get to them after they climbed out of his car. It was easier to tell that he was checking them over for any injuries with his eyes uncovered — so it was easier to tell that he was worried as well.

"We went for a burger and shakes," K said looking at him as if he was insane. "Where have you been?"

"Looking for you," Scott replied, slightly wide-eyed before he gestured to Logan and Kurt — both of whom looked alarmed. "That's what happens when you drop out of contact for seven hours."

"You're exaggerating," Kate accused him. "We were gone, like, two tops."

"Yeah, there's no way we were gone that long," K said with a frown as the two women shared a look and shook their heads in unison, even as Logan openly frowned at them with his eyes narrowed before he headed over to K.

"Kate, it's nearly three in the morning," Kurt said as he appeared at her side so he could look her over a bit closer with a frown, taking her chin in one hand.

"Oh ... well ... the clock on the car was doing the blinking reset thing. Didn't know," Kate said, stunned into slight rambling as she stared up at Kurt. It was already weird enough that they had passed out — but to be out for that long? And not know it? She was started to get seriously creeped out.

"You guys are screwing with us," K accused them as she tried to get Logan to take his hands off of her, since he was clearly trying to lean in — not even hiding the fact that he was trying to find a scent on her. "Stop it."

"It's too late, and we are far too tired to screw with you," Kurt said honestly, though he looked seriously concerned. "What… where did you go? What do you remember, that is?"

"We went out for burgers, fries, and milkshakes. Honestly." Kate looked between the three boys — who were wearing deepening frowns — and then to K, who had given up trying to stop Logan and was just letting him look her over as he pleased. "And then I guess we woke up in the car? Must have blacked out, but... " She shrugged.

"Both of you blacked out," Logan said flatly. "At the same time, to wake up at the same time. I don't think so."

K let out a sigh and made a point to wrap her arms around his neck. "I am tired, love. A lot tired," she told him before she leaned in to give him a kiss. "So either join me or get out of my way. It's exhausting doing the whole 'baby' thing, alright?"

"We should all get some sleep," Scott said, pinching the bridge of his nose but looking significantly less worried. "But we should take a detour to Hank's lab first. Logan has a point — you two couldn't have blacked out like that unless something happened."

"What could have happened to knock me out for that long without killing her? You go ahead, solve your mystery … I'm going to sleep," K swore, crossing her heart as she tugged on Logan to join her.

"Look, I know you're tired, but we should get Hank to look you over while this is still recent."

"Scott," K said, truly letting her weariness show in her voice. "Send him to me if you're that bugged. But I am tired. I'm not going to make it down there."

Scott looked her way for a second before he let out a sigh and ran a hand over his face. "Fine. I'll send him your way." He turned his gaze Kate's way, and the younger woman sighed.

"I'll take the Elf Express," she promised Scott, mostly because she was still too tired for an argument. "But if I fall asleep in Hank's lab, it's not my fault."

Kurt gave her another concerned once-over before he nodded, pulled her tight to him, and simply teleported them both away. When they arrived in Hank's lab, the good doctor was still awake and clearly worried, ready to help where he was needed when the missing women were found, though Kate noticed that he looked visibly relieved when he saw that there was not more serious work to be done than a quick once-over.

Hank was frowning, however, by the time he finished checking her over. "It certainly looks like you have a few fresh needle marks, but I'm not seeing anything in your bloodstream or elsewhere that would suggest you were given anything. It might be that whatever it was broke down quickly, but I just can't be sure." He took off his glasses to clean them for a moment before he slipped them back onto his face. "And if it's not showing up in your bloodstream, I highly doubt it will be present in K's, though of course, I'll have to check to be sure." He produced a Twinkie to give to Kate as usual and let out a bit of a sigh. "I'm sorry — I wish I could tell you more to shed some light on this mystery."

Kurt had a hold of Kate's hand as she leaned sleepily against his shoulder, clearly more ready to be done with this whole thing than he was. "Thank you," he told Hank, who simply tipped his head Kurt's way. "We'll keep looking."

"But tomorrow, right?" Kate asked. "I'm totally bushed."

Kurt sighed before he planted a little kiss on the top of her head and pulled her a bit closer. "Yes, of course. We might even sleep in tomorrow morning. I'm sure half the mansion will be doing the same, since they were all out looking for you."

"We really didn't mean to scare anybody. We didn't think we were gone for that long," Kate mumbled.

Kurt pulled her a bit tighter. "No one blames either of you, liebling," he assured her.

"Well good." She snuggled into his side with a little sigh. "Think you could take me upstairs now? I'd like to get started on that sleeping in thing you were talking about earlier."

Kurt nodded and teleported both of them up to their room, and by the time Kate half undressed and her head hit the pillow, she was very much asleep, so the only thing he could do to relieve the worry he'd been carrying around all night was to curl up beside her and snuggle in tightly.

The next morning, both K and Logan were up a hair later than normal, and as expected, the two of them were curled up into each other in their usual corner. K was leaning back against his chest, and he had one arm around her as they drank their coffee and read the paper.

Annie was fretting and worrying all over the kitchen as she watched the pair of ferals out of the corner of her eye. She wasn't actually saying anything, but it was absolutely clear what she was doing: she seemed to be trying to make sure that K was having something more substantial than coffee. Of course, she didn't say anything; she would just glance Scott's way and very quietly shake her head without saying a word. She was not subtle.

K watched her for a while as Annie tried to be sneaky. K made solid eye contact and very slowly pushed the far-too-heaped up plate away to clutch to her coffee mug, just to see what Annie would do.

Annie looked downright concerned for a moment and then pursed her lips, almost absently bouncing Chance with one hand as he tried to climb onto the table after the very full plate. "Sorry — did I make too much?" she asked at last.

"I'm fine with coffee," K said with a little smirk. "Really. I didn't get beaten up or anything. I'm fine. But thank you, I really do appreciate the concern."

Annie tilted her head for a second and smiled sweetly with a whispered 'you're welcome' before she tried again. "No appetite?"

"No more than usual," K replied. "Why do you ask?"

Annie flushed pink for a second and shrugged quietly. "I just… want to make sure everyone's alright."

"You worry too much. Way too much." K glanced over at Scott. "Just like your gossipy husband."

Scott smirked at her over the top of Charlie's curly brown hair. "I don't gossip," he said simply. "But I don't hide anything from my wife either."

"If it's not public knowledge, it's gossip," K pointed out. "You old biddy."

Annie shook her head at K and had to laugh. "Oh, you — you leave him alone," she laughed. "You know, when it was my turn, I was never not hungry, that's all."

"Sorry, no real change yet," K replied. "If anything, I'm less hungry."

Annie looked downright surprised and then had to laugh a bit. "Well, that will certainly help later. I think I'm still tryin' to get back to where I was before — but I don't exercise as much as you do," she teased.

"That can be fixed," K said with a smirk.

"Oh, I know," Annie laughed. "I already feel like I run a marathon every day now that these two are mobile," she added, gesturing at Chance, who was still trying valiantly to capture K's uneaten plate.

K smirked as she pointed to the little boy. "This guy? Right here?" she asked as she very very gently slid the plate closer for him.

Annie let out a sigh when Chance delightedly giggled and promptly began to smash and tear apart all the food he could now reach. "You're going to have to deal with this karma in just a few months," she pointed out.

"If you don't wear it, how do you figure out how to get it in your mouth?" K asked with a little smirk. "It'll wash off, and he's enjoying it so much."

Annie just chuckled. "I know," she said, already trying to get Chance to sit still long enough that she could help him eat some of the pancakes in itty bitty, baby-friendly bits. "He's our little explorer. No idea where he gets it." She glanced over at Scott, who was wearing such an identically serene smile to Charlie in his lap that she had to laugh and lost the pretended severe look.

While the little group was watching the little ones run the table, Henry came in with a bag at his side before he simply sat down next to K and opened the bag up. "I brought what I need to run my tests," he told K. "So you don't have to fuss about being in the lab unless it's necessary."

K looked over at Scott with her best wide-eyed expression. "Was this you?"

Scott shook his head. "I told you; I don't gossip. I only told my wife."

"And I can keep a secret," Annie added quickly, a bit wide-eyed but totally sincere.

"No one needed to tell me anything," Hank replied. "For one, everyone knew you were missing last night. And for another—" He took a deep breath and for a moment took his glasses off to give her a more severe look. "—you two aren't the only ones with an enhanced sense of smell."

K blew a breath out and slipped her flannel off one shoulder. "Tap's open," she said as he pulled out his blood drawing equipment.

Hank had only just started when Noh and Jubilee joined the little group for breakfast. Both of them had to pause, surprised when they saw Hank with his setup right there in the kitchen. "Is something the matter?" Noh asked with obvious concern.

Logan and K shared a little look, and Logan buried his nose in K's hair as he muttered out something quietly to her. She leaned her head his way before she pulled a face and let out all her breath. "Just checking everything over for now," she said his way. "They're a little overprotective because, you know, Kate and I can't remember last night, and .. you're going to be a big brother."

Jubilee was actually the quicker one on the draw for that reveal. Noh didn't quite get it right away, but Jubilee bounced slightly in place, clearly only resisting the urge to run over for hugs because Hank was in the middle of doing his thing. "Oh my gosh you're kidding me right now."

That finally got Noh to blink her way as the pieces clicked in. "Oh!" He turned to face K with an open expression of surprise that took a long time to settle into a grin. "I wasn't aware I was considered to be your adopted offspring."

"I don't take on creepy psychos for just anyone," K replied. "Particularly megalomaniacs."

Noh grinned and nodded at that as he and Jubilee sat down close by the two ferals, and Jubilee wrapped Logan in a hug, since she couldn't get to K yet. "I've not had siblings before, but I'll do my best to take care of this one," Noh promised solemnly.

"They're a pain in the ass if you actually have to grow up with them," K told him. "Ask Scott. He's intimately familiar with pain in the ass siblings."

"They have their high points," Scott said with a smirk. "Sometimes they randomly show up for the big things like weddings." K pulled a face at that and shook her head.

Annie rolled her eyes at Scott. "Oh, don't listen to him. I have two sisters, and it's lovely," she told Noh.

"You're also made of sunshine and lollipops," K argued. "You're weird."

"In this setting? Yes, I am the oddball," Annie said with a serene smile. Chance and Charlie seemed to almost instinctively understand that the discussion was about siblings as Chance tried to 'share' his food from K with his sister, who clearly wanted no part in the mess he was making.

"So when's the big day?" Jubilee asked over the twins' babbled argument. "I mean — the official debut of the cute little guy or girl?"

"No idea," K replied.

"Spring," Logan muttered.

"Please tell me you're talking about the other big day and not the wedding, because here I've been planning for long sleeves and leaf piles," Kate said as she and Kurt finally made their way down to the kitchen.

"Yes, that's what we're discussing," Jubilee said before she straightened up a bit. "So ... are you talking this fall?"

K put her hands up and let out a breath before she looked up at Kurt. "That … is up to him." She tipped her head Kurt's way, then leaned back into Logan, who was more than happy to pull her closer with one arm.

Kurt looked surprised. "Why me?" he asked, though he didn't sound upset, just honestly curious.

"You need a project. I don't want to mess with it," K replied. "And plans and us don't jive."

He broke into a wide grin at that and nodded, the thoughtful look already spreading over his features at somehow the same pace as his grin. "Well then," he said at last. "I guess I'll have to get to work."

"Don't go crazy," Logan warned. "Still plenty of people that want us dead. Think small."

Kurt looked almost offended as he faced Logan. "Don't worry — I think by now I know enough about my best friend to know what kind of wedding to throw."

K and Logan shared a look and she settled into him deeper, watching Kurt now. "Kate gets to pick the dress — and Scott, you have a job too," K told him. "But as far as I'm concerned — good luck."

Kurt shot her a huge grin at that. "Danke," he said, sounding entirely earnest. "Ich fühle mich geehrt."

"Nej. Tack så mycket, liten älva," she replied quietly.

Kate, meanwhile, leaned over with a little grin and a raised eyebrow look Scott's way. "We're assigning you to the guest list, Mr. Tactics," she told him in a low whisper, which had him raising his eyebrows in return for a second, fully caught off guard.

"You sure?" he asked, more toward Logan than anything else.

"She told me her little plan, and she's right. Unless … you think you know someone better?" Logan asked.

Scott smirked at bit at that and nodded. "Alright. I'll make sure everyone that needs to be on it is there."

"Well, what does Logan have to do then?" Jubilee asked. "Shouldn't you help too?"

"I'll be stabbing bad guys and lookin' pretty," Logan teased.

"Which is a full-time job in itself," Kate laughed. "Besides, if we left it to these glaciers, we wouldn't see any movement until the next Ice Age."

"I'm okay with that," K said just before she finished her cup of coffee.

"And that is why I'll be doing the wedding planning," Kurt laughed, shooting Logan a look for just a second.

"You have more exposure to that nonsense than anyone else anyhow," Logan pointed out.

"And he loves every second of it," Kate agreed with a little laugh at Kurt's positively beaming expression as she stood up to refill her coffee. She shot an affectionate smile his way and had to laugh. "He'll come down from the clouds before school starts. Maybe."

"Oh, that's right — we'll have some of the students coming back here in a few weeks before classes start," Annie said, now turning her sights on Hank with a knowing smile. "You know …. someone bought that darling house across the street from my sister."

"I heard, yes," Hank said with a little muted smile.

"Are you going to help on moving day?" she asked, still smiling as transitioning seamlessly from wedding planning to prying into Hank's love life with Daisy without batting an eye. "I know Anton and Rachel are thinking of having them over for barbecue afterward. Unless they have other plans."

"I guess the only way to know would be to ask," Hank replied as he packed up his supplies.

"Well, you talk to them more often than I do," Annie said, though the knowing smile and teasing was interrupted when Charlie got fed up with Chance's attempts to get her in on the whole messy situation and simply started throwing things at him. Annie had to separate them as Charlie gave her brother the most Summers-esque glower.

Logan began to chuckle to himself, and when Scott frowned at him, he shook his head — though it was a bit harder to stow the chuckle when Chance responded to his sister by giving her a glare of his own.

"I think I need to clean this one up," Annie said as last as she pulled Chance up and started trying to wipe his face down. She looked over her shoulder at K and beamed. "Let me know if you need anything."

As soon as Annie was gone, Kate grinned a bit wider and leaned over K's shoulder. "I found the source of the glitter," she said in a conspiratory whisper. "She's dripping with it. Still."

"I should stab her."

"You'd feel bad stabbing the pure and innocent sunshine lady," Kate chuckled. "You should just co-opt her in playdates so she can watch over her little brood and keep the glitter relatively contained for the rest of us. Pretty please." She made a little show of drawing a protective circle around herself and then just grinned. "Try not to spill any on me. I think my good Catholic boy would die."

"Yeah, he seems really mortified on our behalf right now. Like it's the golden ticket to make this thing happen faster," K pointed out.

Kate laughed and shook her head. "Just keep it to yourself, alright?" she said, sticking her tongue out.

"I make no such promises," K replied. "I'm sure if you try to hide from me too much, I'll get it all over Kurt instead. That stuff travels."

"Evil." Kate shook her head at K. "Just evil."

"Hey. I heard that's not evil. I mean, it's a lie. But. I heard from 'dependable' sources like Kurt and Annie that it's not evil. But they lie."

"They do. They can't help it, though. They're all blinded by sunshiney happiness."

"It wouldn't be so bad if they didn't … believe their lies. But they do. They so so do."

Kate just had to laugh at that. "Well, there's nothing we can do," she said philosophically.

"It's just wrong," K said, leaning toward her. "I have avoided this entire scenario… for so. Long. My record is fried."

Kate patted her shoulder and did her best to look consoling. "I know."

Translations:

From German:

Ich fühle mich geehrt. - I am honored.

From Swedish:

Nej. Tack så mycket, liten älva - No. Thanks so much, little elf.