Memories
Cry for the Children
Disclaimer: I don't own the X-Men or any of their characters. Tora and Weapon X-ii are my own though.
Tora kicked Logan as the screaming reached a new intensity.
"Whur…?"
"It's your turn to look after him."
"What?"
"I fed him and that was last time. He'll need changing now."
"I am not…"
"You are Logan. And I'm catching up on sleep."
Her head hit the pillow and he could tell she wasn't going to wake up any time soon. Grumbling he went into the room next door and started the distasteful task of changing Jamie's nappy as Tora insisted on calling it. He didn't see what was wrong with diaper but apparently she'd been talking with Meggan Braddock and picked up British colloquialisms. When he finished the boy gurgled happily and snuggled up. In the two months since his birth he had grown and he was now alert to everything that happened. In looks, he had the black hair and ice-blue eyes of Logan, but his skin was the slightly darker shade that Tora's skin had gravitated to. It seemed impossible for her to tan or get sunburn, her skin was just naturally a warm olive. Like Eloise, like most Provincial French. Jamie gurgled and Logan became humming a tune he half remembered from somewhere. A tune that had been sung in a soft, gentle voice that he felt he should know.
"Blow the wind, blow;
Swift and low;
Blow the wind o'er the ocean.
Breakers rolling to the coastline;
Bringing ships to harbour;
Gulls against the morning sunlight;
Flying off to freedom!"
He heard a noise and turned to see Tora standing in the doorway.
"Where did you learn that?"
"It was just always there."
She smiled slightly.
"I think he's asleep."
And he was, eyes tightly shut, hand curling around Logan's finger. So small, so fragile. So perfect. He placed him back into the cot and pulled the warm blanket, a gift from Jean, over him. The little mobile swung round and the small Bamf doll at the foot of the bed looked over Jamie like a guard against the real world. Etana had known they would come here. Just like she'd known the money would be unwanted and sent most of it to mutant charities and a bit for financing the Avengers and the X-Men. And a trust fund for Jamie. The room was painted in warm colours, with the X-Men on the walls. Kurt was on the ceiling over the cot and Warren was just landing. Etana was conspicuously absent. Jean and Scott had their arms around each other and Remy and Rogue were on opposite walls but their eyes had been painted to be meeting. Hank was standing looking intelligent and Bobby was throwing snowballs. And Logan, Tora and a baby stood where the cot had been placed. Logan was looking at the painted Tigress when arms had wrapped around him and the real one had rested her head on his shoulder.
"You'll need some sleep. You have to go into town tomorrow, to pick up the generator."
He sighed and left the room, glancing back wistfully at the chair next to the cot.
Jean looked incredibly wistful as well.
"He was a good dad."
"One of the best."
"He would kill for his children."
"So would she."
Tora was standing in the kitchen getting ready and talking to Jean who she knew had her on speakerphone.
"Look, I'm exhausted. Babies happen to wake up in the night. Yes, the generator broke and we can't fix it, so Logan's going down to get a new one."
"No, it's not going to be a problem."
"I don't know when we'll be coming back. We'll visit at Christmas."
"We may not come back to active duty until Jamie's a teenager."
"He needs to be able to understand"
"I heard that Scott! No, we are not teaching him how to fight. He's two months old!"
"Yes, we are training. Look, I've got to go. I need to feed Jamie. Bye."
She fitted the mobile back into the box they kept for emergencies. Like the generator failing and plunging them all into darkness. Then she allowed her pupils to widen, giving her better vision of the dark corridors than most. She reached the door and instantly knew something was wrong. According to her nose, she had been here just minutes previously. She pushed open the door and froze. An empty cot, and a broken window. And above all, the scent of Poacher rolling on the breeze.
Jean froze.
"It's about to happen isn't it?"
"Yes."
Logan was in the middle of buying the generator when the soul band started battering his mind. Tora is in danger, Tora is in danger. He needed to make an excuse and his phone buzzing did just the trick. Apologising for having to go, 'Family troubles and all that', he used his bike to get up to the house as fast as possible. When he did he knew instantly what was wrong. The Tigress costume had disappeared and there was a scent he recognized. Poacher had been here. And she had taken Jamie.
Without bothering to get into uniform, Logan charged after the scents on the wind, running so fast, he tore some tendons but they healed and he kept on running. He had to get to Tora. He had to.
Jean looked at her companion.
"He didn't make it in time."
"How could he?"