Shaking her head at the way the others laughed as the soccer ball bounced out of bounds and disappeared into the low shrubs that surrounded the open field of Xavier’s School’s back grounds Jubilee hurried after it.
Pushing a low hanging branch out of her way she frowned as her dark eyes scanned the ground. Finally spotting the ball she moved toward it only to freeze at a low, angry snarl, followed rather quickly by a very angry voice snapping, “My ball.” Frowning she swallowed harshly and glanced around.
A moment later a small child with dark hair and eyes darted past her grabbed the ball and ran with it. A moment later the sound of heavier footsteps within the brush had her tensing with fear before she turned and ran.
Glancing back over her shoulder she swallowed at the sudden appearance of a rather furious looking woman who picked up the child and disappeared back into the brush. The dark eyes that met hers for a moment were filled with rage and something else, something that made Jubilee extremely uneasy. Running even harder she pushed the last branch out of her way and burst into the clearing only to stop panting for breath.
“What happened? You lose the ball?” Bobby Drake laughed at her.
“No,” Jubilee panted as she waved at the trees. “There was someone there. A little boy took it.”
“So you should have just asked...”
“His mother showed up. She didn’t look happy.”
“Jubilee you know you really need to check that imagination. There is no one skulking about in the forest,” Peter drawled looking at the high spirited Eurasian girl he went to school with.
“I’m telling you...” Jubilee panted looking at the others. “I saw her.”
“Slight build? Dark hair? Big, dark eyes?” Kitty asked softly, fear creeping into her voice along with the memories that haunted her nights. She hoped that it wasn’t, that whomever Jubilee had seen was gone and didn’t appear again.
“Yeah, only she looked really pissed off. Like I was some sort of threat.”
“If you insist on this little fairytale, you should tell Professor Xavier,” John drawled slowly, thoughtfully. “With some stranger running loose on the grounds he should know about it.”
“Come on,” Kitty drawled and headed back to the mansion a fine trembling in her body reawakening the fears she’d barely controlled.
“Nicolas you need to be more careful,” Marie warned as she carried the toddler back toward home. With Logan gone out scouting for fresh game she’d lost sight of their offspring for a moment. Only the sounds of his growls and snarls as he’d chased after some woodland creature had told her where he was.
It was obvious who his father was from his appearance and his mannerisms. His dark hair and eyes held knowledge no toddler should possess, along with the distinct look of a predator. At three he was almost as good a hunter as his father – even if he rarely hunted. Instead he’d practice on the small animals that often came near the cave, perfecting his skills under the watchful eyes of his mother and father. These traits were a cause of concern for Marie, who worried that the pain bringers would snatch him away again.
Seeing the young woman staring at her son had awakened an old aggression and she snarled and growled with remembered fury and fear. Even now her anger faded; her senses were on high alert, every nerve aching with tension. That they’d wandered so far from the safety of their home was another indication of how lax they’d become since they’d settled here.
She wouldn’t allow anyone or anything to come between her and her family again. Knowing that Logan would go on the defensive the moment he realized they’d been discovered she wondered if he’d want to move them and prayed not. She liked it where they were, liked that there was signs of life not just the darkness of death surrounding them.
“You look upset,” Logan’s rich voice had her smiling shakily.
“I found a ball today, Daddy,” Nicolas replied holding up the soccer ball even as she adjusted where the little boy sat on her hip.
“There were other cubs nearby,” she revealed as she set the boy down and watched him smile up at her for a moment before he darted off.
“Cubs so close to a lab?”
“Many cubs, both male and female of all ages. All seemed to be enjoying themselves,” Marie replied as Nicholas hurried off to play with his new found toy. “I think we should investigate further. If they do have cubs there than they might have control over breeders as well. We can’t leave others to that fate.”
“I don’t know,” Logan frowned uneasy with the thought of letting anyone or anything get between him and his family’s safety. “I could go take a look.”
“Not now!” Marie grabbed his arm her eyes widening with fear and something she couldn’t name. “Please, wait for darkness. It is not worth capture to find out if there are more breeders. Maybe they have other small cubs there.”
“Tonight, when the moon is high,” Logan acknowledged quickly even as he moved closer to her. “Tonight.”
With a soft smile and a low purr Marie snuggled into him even as she nuzzled against his throat, “Thank you.”
Rumbling his approval of her actions Logan nuzzled back against her and tried to ignore the desire to take her. With Nicholas up it was rare that he react so quickly, so forcibly to her advances but the need clawed at him desperately, the scent of her fertility pulling at his senses.
With a firm tug of her hand he slipped deeper into the brush pulling her along with him. Mating was always a time to howl but this time Logan refused to do more than purr even as he felt himself fall over the edge of bliss, his mate shuddering under his hands as she to fell.
With the familiar ease of time they adjusted their clothing and returned to their small, closely guarded home. In the years that they’d been there they had relaxed some, allowed their hearts and minds to claim the area and both knew they would not give it up without a fight.
“Come play Daddy,” the happy voice held laughter as the little boy kicked at the ball and Logan grinned before heading to play with his son.
“I’m tellin’ you I saw a little boy and his mother. At least I think she was his mom,” Jubilee rolled her eyes at the Professor who sat looking at her kindly from behind his desk.
“I need more than that to go on Jubilation,” Professor Xavier declared easily, he knew the girl wasn’t lying but he couldn’t send out someone to investigate without knowing what he was looking for.
“What do you need?”
“A description would be good. There are plenty of children around here..”
“He couldn’t have been more than three and he growled at me,” Jubilee replied hurriedly. “It was almost scary the level of aggression in his posture, and what few words he did use were filled with anger and barely leashed dominance. He had dark hair, weird eyes, and he was feral. She was no better; I actually thought she would attack me there at one point. It was like I was the enemy, like she thought I was out to kidnap her child.”
“Why not? It’s happened before,” Storm replied seriously looking at Charles. “I think it might be Rogue. You said yourself they never left the grounds, it’s entirely possible that being so close to the student body that it was that inevitable meeting.”
“But for the child to be so hostile.”
“Think about it,” Jean declared easily, “His parents have become so institutionalized during their time in captivity that they only know how to act like animals. Raised under those conditions it’s entirely possible that he be untamed.”
“What are you talking about?” Jubilee gasped sensing that the conversation was familiar.
“Your hypothesis could be right,” Hank declared easily. “However that does not indicate that she would react so badly to a mere sighting.”
“Well think about it,” Jean replied quickly. “We took her child away as soon as it was born and she nearly killed three of us to get him back. You don’t think that she wouldn’t be hostile at the implied threat of a sighting to her offspring?” She stated calmly waving a hand at Scott and Storm who winced in memory at the agony of broken ribs, lacerations, and the blood that wouldn’t wash out.
“I fear we must agree Jean, as such we must reassess the situation and come to a new line of defense. Perhaps we should try to establish some form of contact between us.”
“I’d rather not deal with either of them,” Scott said rubbing his chest where a visible scar was hid under his shirt, “He’s got a helluva right hook and she’s not exactly scared of a knife.”
“Look who her mate is,” Storm pointed out quickly. “We need to establish some communicative stance. With the war heating up there is no way we can just sit by and allow them to be a target. Regardless of how they act or do not act, it is not their fault that they perception of us is so aggressive. They are merely a reflection of the way they were treated, of the circumstances that they’ve endured. ”
“I agree,” Charles nodded before glancing at Jubilee in slight shock. “You have anything else to input?”
“I didn’t see any guy,” Jubilee muttered uneasily, her face creased with a thought filled frown.
“Consider yourself lucky you didn’t,” Scott declared with a slight smile, “Now back to class.”
When the door closed behind her Charles looked at the team members, “Whatever happens we must not let the army know that Wolverine and Rogue are here. I will not risk the lives of anyone on the school grounds - theirs or ours - for the sake of creating another weapon. The army failed to obtain their perfect weapon in their child; I will not allow them to continue abusing our kind.”
“That sorta goes against everything you’ve ever said sir,” Scott drawled uneasily.
“I know,” Charles sighed softly and rolled to the window to stare out, “But I also know what they were going to do if the child proved to have some useful mutation. She would not have survived what they were planning.”
“You found more in the files?”
“Yes I have,” Charles replied quickly. “It is rather distressing reading actually, so distressing in fact that I fear what could happen if things don’t flow correctly. We need to make contact, offer them something that would help them learn to trust us.”
“What are the most primal urges?” Scott asked quickly.
“Food, shelter, reproduction,” Hank replied.
“Exactly so we offer them food, better shelter..”
“Leaving reproduction out of it are you?” Hank chuckled at Scott’s dark look.
“We don’t need to help him procreate,” Scott replied haughtily, “I think it might work. We would have to send someone who could defend themselves but who wouldn’t make either of them feel threatened.”
“I have someone in mind,” Charles smiled sadly, “Now then off you go. I’ll keep you posted if there are any changes within the next few hours.”
“Yes sir,” Scott said pulling open the door and holding it for the rest of the team. Glancing back over his shoulder he stared at Charles who merely nodded briefly before turning back to his computer.
Opening the files he’d been reading Charles scrolled down to the entry he’d closed at the knock on the door. Clicking on the icon he waited for a second while it opened then took a deep, calming breath.
*Female fertility extraction – the removal and subsequent fertilization of all mature eggs within test subject identification number 458 25 244. Body has shown ability to provide multiple eggs during ovulation, harvesting will be easy. Increase doses of metformin, Folic Acid, Progesterone, and Prenatal vitamins should provide us with satisfactory results. This is a simple medical procedure that will last approximately ten minutes from start to finish. Extraction will be vaginal, the probe proved to be less than useful during implantation, vaginal is the only option left open to us. The host is expendable. All indications are that Wolverine’s semen will provide the necessary DNA to enable us to manifest a superior, malleable subject. Cross of DNA has had promising results when performed in controlled tests.* Charles muttered as he read quickly. His team had no idea just how badly Rogue and Wolverine had been treated, how badly they’d been violated time and again.
Charles had found the records of what had happened when three of the guards’ intent on raping Rogue had entered the cell and the resulting delays in pregnancy something that had irritated the doctors of the facility. With that knowledge he felt that confronting Wolverine or Rogue and trying to force them to reveal themselves in some fashion would only prove extremely dangerous.
Turning from the screen he stared out into the sun warmed grounds, how like a few humans to attempt to destroy something they knew nothing of. Feeling his anger build he turned back to the files and closed them before heading for the kitchen and a nice cup of tea.
Pacing at the front of the cave Wolverine growled low in his throat at the unfamiliar scents wafting on the wind. Darkness had started to fall and the area was cloaked in shadows making him uneasy. Glancing behind him he smiled to himself, his mate laid with their cub a soft purring sound echoing through the stone cavern as she put the cub to sleep.
He didn’t like the idea of leaving her alone while he went to investigate the threat but knew that she wouldn’t leave their cub alone. Glancing at the sky he rumbled in pleasure at the appearance of clouds. The darkness wouldn’t affect him, he had perfect night vision but it would hinder the vision of those in the lab.
“You aren’t leaving now are you?” Marie’s soft whisper had him turning to face her in the semi darkness. He could here the concern, the worry in her tone and knew she was uneasy about their plan to take the cubs from the pain bringers.
“No. Soon though, we should let them get to sleep. Let them relax and put on a smaller guard. I’ll be careful,” he replied softly, his voice a low pitched growl.
“You better be,” Marie stared at him hard, “I will not risk my cub for them.”
“If I’m not back by sun up you know what to do?”
Marie nodded and wrapped her arms around herself. As part of the plan they’d figured that if Logan didn’t make it back in time then she would take Nicholas and head north. North meant safety, security and neither was willing to surrender that.
Leaning down Logan purred against her throat as she nuzzled into his grasp, it was times of extreme stress and worry that caused both of them to revert to old habits of comfort. A purr or a lick, a nip that was hard enough to leave a mark were all indications of acceptance, of ownership. Logan knew that no other man could challenge him for his mate, she belonged to him and no other.
Moving swiftly he pushed her back into the darkness of the cave until he reached their sleeping spot. Using his weight he pushed her back into the hide covered frame he’d made and bared his teeth in a grimace at the submissive, alluring way she arched into him.
“Mine,” the low growl drew a smirk from him as he nuzzled into her hair. She was right, he did belong to her with much more ferocity than anyone would ever imagine.
Growling softly in response he quickly pushed her clothes aside, baring her flesh to his touch, to his eyes even as he felt her nimble fingers making short work of his clothing. In moves as old as their association, possession and surrender were taken and given without a qualm.
Sitting up in bed Charles frowned at the low, angry darkness that seemed to swell around him, choking off his dreams. With a quick, practiced move he slid from his bed and into his chair ignoring the fact that he was in his pajamas.
Setting the chair in motion he exited his room and headed down the hall, his focus on the source of the hatred he could feel. Moving into the kitchen he frowned as he realized there were no indications that someone was there. Turning he headed back the way he’d come even as he debated with himself to disturb the teams’ sleep.
Pausing at the annoying buzz of anger that seemed to soak his mind he turned in a circle only to come up empty. There was no indication of a person within the mansion at this hour, or at least not one with so much fury within their minds and body. Sighing as he came to the conclusion that he was picking up on Wolverine’s emotions Charles started back for his bed only to roll to a sudden silent halt. Wolverine’s fury had never disturbed him before and he wondered why it would so suddenly.
The soft sound of a door closing had him tensing in his chair and he turned to stare in the direction of the sound’s source. Offering a fervent hope that he wasn’t about to come face to face with Wolverine Charles pushed the controls on his chair and moved forward.
Hearing the door close Wolverine paused even as he scanned the area for a place to hide. Keeping to the shadows he slid into place beside a heavy wooden column and waited, letting his instincts and his senses guide him.
The familiar whir of a motor increased his ire and he shifted, leaning out to take a quick look. At first he didn’t see anyone, but the whirring kept growing in volume until a bald man sitting in a chair rolled into sight. Frowning at the niggling feeling that he was familiar Logan stared at him as he paused.
A quick sniff revealed that there was another person approaching and Logan crouched down ready to fight if necessary. The distinct smell of men’s cologne choked Logan even as he blinked to clear the tears from his eyes. Moving into position he froze as a tall, auburn haired youth stepped into view.
“Remy what are you doing?” Charles demanded crossly.
“Checkin’ out that edge of de property where Jubilee said she saw de boy. Figured it couldn’t hurt,” the young man replied nervously, his accent thick and robust.
“Remy what you do with Miss Lee is your own business however I will not tolerate the disregard for safety that slipping in and out as you have done causes. We are in a delicate situation right now.”
“Oui, Remy watch it.”
“You do that. Now did you see anyone when you were out carousing?”
“No. Not a sign of life.”
Charles nodded slowly and waved the young man off. He was as problematic as any other runaway who’d survived on the streets but that didn’t mean he wasn’t worth the trouble it took to reach him. In many ways the young Cajun had come a long way since he’d first arrived.
Sitting still Charles tapped his fingers on the handles of his chair before turning and heading for the dorm area. He’d do one last sweep before he went to bed.
Waiting until the man had disappeared Wolverine sniffed the air to be sure there were no other occupants about before he slipped from his hiding place and headed for the spot in the wall Marie had mentioned that would take him closer to the cells they’d been put into.
Slipping through the darkness he growled at the sudden opening of a door that triggered a memory of their ascent from the bowels of the lab. Climbing into it he snarled at the sensation of the floor dropping out from under him even as he rebalanced himself and waited for the doors to open.
The soft whoosh of the doors open was the only sound as he slipped out the door and paused in the dimly lit corridor. Inhaling he sniffed the air, catching the familiar stenches of disinfectants, latex, and medications. With a low, angry snarl he headed toward the end of the corridor Marie had originally led him from.
Slipping past the silently opening doors he paused as his gaze scanned the room. A long row of beds lined one wall, hoses and other medical equipment hung from the walls above them. The familiar whirring of some sort of life support echoed within the room and Wolverine moved further into the darkness to investigate.
Jerking when a door opened suddenly in front of him he snarled softly before slipping through it and pausing. The familiar Plexiglas cell he’d been held in sat firmly in place, separating the room into three nearly identical spaces. A bed complete with restraints occupied the cell, the sheets made neatly despite the cold, impersonal state of the room.
A small red light blinked on and off repeatedly from near a black box on the ceiling pointed at the cell and Wolverine growled low in his throat. How like them to film their experiments, their cruelty. A quick sniff revealed there was no one else in the room, but the soft, milky smell of a baby came from nearby and he slipped back out the door in search of the cub.
Unnoticed the small black box moved slightly to the door as it slid shut, the light blinking repetitively even as Wolverine slipped away from darkness that dwelled within that room.
Marveling at the brand new machine that sat in the med-lab Hank rubbed his hands together. It had taken him two years of fundraising, designing, and begging but at least he had a new dialysis machine. One that was specifically for removing the poisons and contaminates within the blood of mutants rescued from the labs.
With a pat on top the machine Hank turned to leave the small enclosure the equipment rested in only to freeze at the furious looking man standing opposite him. Swallowing harshly Hank stared into the cold, impersonal gaze of the furious man facing him. Glancing over his shoulder slightly Hank eyed the door to the NICU and wondered if the man was after Baby Jane.
“Hello,” Hank started only to jerk to a halt at the sudden appearance of metallic claws and the rapid and silent vanishing of the mansion’s uninvited guest. “Well that went well.”
Moving into the corridor Hank frowned as he wondered what had caused the intruder to suddenly disappear. With a shake of his head Hank turned and headed down the corridor intent on making his last rounds before retiring for the night within the NICU’s twin bed.
He would mention the man’s appearance in the morning as there had been no confrontation, no violence within the mansion he felt no need to disturb the others.
Slipping back into the cool night air Wolverine glared at the building behind him before turning and moving quickly back into the brush. He would deal with getting that cub out later, after he’d checked in on his own mate and cub. His mind told him with so few on guard that it was likely that they were out looking for his mate and cub and he had to protect them, had to keep them safe.
Moving through the brush with nearly blinding intensity he paused as he approached the cave, Marie would certainly be up and waiting for him which meant that he would need to signal his return. With a low howl he approached the cave even as he saw the shadow that danced along the wall within the firelight.
“How did it go?” Marie’s soft voice had him pausing at the entrance.
“You were right. There is a small cub in the lab. I could smell it, hear it but I stumbled across another mutant they’ve been experimenting on and couldn’t stay longer.”
“The other mutant..”
“Fully grown I believe. He can be left behind, that cub can’t.”
“How do we get it out of there?” Marie said even as she nuzzled against him, her hands searching his body with intent.
“We will,” Logan grumbled nuzzling into her throat. “We will.”
Marie purred softly, she refused to allow the lab to have anyone else’s cub. Obviously if they would take hers the possibility was there that they would steal someone else’s. Leading Logan back into the cave, she smiled softly at the faint but distinctive growling from the little boy lying sleeping soundly.
There was no way they could stand by and let that poor cub be so mistreated. Memories from their time within that lab rose to plague both of them, making the darkness swell with tension.
With a mild stretch Charles slid into his wheelchair and turned toward his suite door. Gliding soundlessly down the hall he slipped into the kitchen for a cup of coffee only to find Hank up and staring perplexed at several photos and pages of data.
“Something wrong Hank?”
“We had a guest last night,” Hank replied without looking up from his study. “I’m trying to ascertain what caused him to flee.”
“Him?” Charles paled softly before moving forward and getting a cup of coffee.
“Yes,” Hank turned handing over a picture. “I discovered this when I was going over the security clips from last night around the time I saw him. He stopped just outside the Neonatal ward where I was securing the dialysis machine.”
Charles frowned at the statement as he took the picture. Staring at the crouched figure of a man that no one had seen in over three years, Charles couldn’t help the shiver of unease that crawled up his spine.
‘What could Wolverine have wanted within the bowels of the school?’ he wondered uneasily as he stared at the fuzzy picture.
“What do you think?”
“I think we need to increase our vigilance,” Charles replied softly. “I will not allow anyone to be hurt accidentally. Obviously they’ve come to a decision, but what it could be I am not certain.”
“Perhaps you could try reaching them telepathically?” Hank suggested quickly.
“No, it would only stir things up and I do not wish to do that as is. No I’ll think of something,” Charles sighed, “How is the baby doing?”
“Well. She will be off life support later today. Her vital organs are developed enough to be without any assistance. I think she’ll be fine.”
“Good. Wonder why someone would just abandon a baby on our doorsteps,” Charles shook his head. “I respect humans but there are days when I wonder about those who would desert a poor enfant.”
“We all do. What should I do about..?”
“Put the pictures away,” Charles stated calmly, “Don’t say anything about this just yet to anyone. Until I have a plan to go by I do not want anyone to know that he was here. The fact that you’ve survived indicates that he’s growing a little more tolerant I have to find a way to utilize that.”
“Yes sir,” Hank drawled as he gathered his papers up and tucked them into a folder before heading for his office. He would put them in his files and wait for the Professor to think of something.
Inching through the low shrubbery Marie glared at the obvious looming picture of the mansion. She hated these bad ones the same as the last ones with such fury. They had stolen her child, hurt her mate, and now, now they were using a tiny cub to satisfy their sick minds. A glance upwards revealed it was closer to darkness than light and she sighed softly, she would need every ounce of stealth she had if she was to get in and out without detection.
Her dark eyes scanned the yard where several of the older cubs were sitting amongst themselves on the grass and she hissed a warning that none of them heard. Fading back from possible view she glanced upwards and smirked.
The thick trunk of the tree barely moved as she scrambled up into its branches and settled on the sturdy branch she had picked. Logan had been adamant about doing this himself but she knew what they would do if they caught him – they’d take him away from her forever and she couldn’t, wouldn’t risk him or their son. She knew that as long as she wasn’t there, Logan would remain with their cub protecting him and she was glad of that fact.
Rolling her shoulders she sighed softly and waited, watching as the bodies she could see and hear all disappeared back inside to wherever they were suppose to be. Sitting there long after the sky had turned black Marie waited impatiently until the last light faded, leaving the mansion dark before she descended from her perch.
Running across the field she hunkered down by the familiar hedge next to the glass doors in the kitchen and waited for a moment before rising and slinking inside.
*Lower level they have a special cage with huge metal doors for the cub,* Logan’s voice filled her mind for a moment before she smiled and nodded. Oh yes she knew how to get to the lower levels. Without thinking she grabbed a knife off the counter on her way past before slipping soundlessly through the darkness and over to the panel in the wall. The familiar sensation of having the floor drop out from under her was in no way comforting as she moved through the corridor to the door that Logan had indicated when she’d asked him about it. Desperately her eyes scanned the wall searching for a panel or something to indicate how to open the door only to fall on a small black button. Pushing on it she slipped soundlessly inside and smirked.
Lying sleeping in a small, clear box was a tiny enfant; a quick sniff revealed that while the baby had been monitored, the person had left the room shortly before Marie’s arrival leaving nobody that she needed to worry about. The familiar stench of disinfectants, leather, and medical supplies turned her stomach as she moved through the muted light to where the baby lay sleeping soundly. A soft smile crossed her face as she traced a finger over her face, touching her hands and feet. The appendages looked normal, and she didn’t seem to be in any need of help.
A touch of her hand to the baby’s chest revealed a strong heart and she quickly picked her up and tucked her against her body. Purring softly she rocked her gently even as she glanced up and her eyes surveyed the room.
Obviously this was some sort of medical room if the machines, monitors, and tubes were any indication but she’d be damned if she’d leave the tiny little life to their experiments. It had been devastating when she’d endured them, a new life didn’t deserve that.
Adjusting the wrap she wore she growled in frustration when it didn’t give much only to glance at the bedding. Gathering it quickly she made a pouch for the cub before slipping it over her shoulder so the baby lay flush against her body. The soft material held the baby easily, allowing for movement without being confining for the child and she purred softly as the baby shifted in her sleep.
Moving through the room she jerked open doors, pulling out items and scattering them about shredding tubes, breaking bottles, and the machines that weren’t solidly affixed to something until she came to the last cupboard. Opening it she giggled softly as she grabbed what appeared to be a bag of some sort and stuffed it full of soft rags, and various other items that she felt she could use.
Hearing the soft click of heels on the hard floor she growled and whirled to face the oncoming threat. Slipping into the shadows she moved toward the door even as the footsteps faded into oblivion and she breathed a soft sigh of relief.
Moving out of the room that held the cub she glanced around and noted that the corridor was once again empty before she hurried to the rising room and stepped inside. The ride up was as disconcerting as the ride down, but she rode it out.
Moving through the darkness of this prison she slipped out the way she’d come in and breathed in the cool night air before she raced for the tree line. Slipping into the trees she smiled softly down at the cub and hurried back toward the cave.
Slowing down as she got closer she barely jumped at a furious sounding growl from her right. Growling back slightly she stopped as Logan appeared in front of her, a dark look in his eyes. Behind the anger though she could see the fear and she lowered her eyes in surrender, a soft purr in her voice.
“What the hell were you doing?” Logan’s angry hiss drew a soft, loving smile and a shrug but no fear from his mate. Sniffing at her he smelled the cub but nobody else, that alone eased a lot of his fear but it didn’t allay the anger that raced through him at the thought of losing her.
“I couldn’t let them keep it,” Marie whispered softly, raising a hand to cup his jaw. “And I couldn’t risk losing you. We’ve been through to much for me to lose my mate, my cub. If they knew they would hurt us and I couldn’t..” she paused at the shakiness in her voice, at the burning in her eyes.
Pulling Marie closer to him Logan held her even as he tried to keep his fear and rage under control. In typical Marie fashion she’d made a choice, one that she knew would keep her family safe and he had no choice but to accept it. It was what made her so much an equal, so much his mate – her ability to be alpha when it’s needed, her ability to show him love.
“Did you find another?” Logan stared at her in the darkness, the soft play of the moonlight through the trees all the light that was provided.
“No, I would have searched further but someone interrupted my destruction of that..that cell the cub was in and I got out as fast as was possible. We can only hope that it’s enough to make them think twice about hurting another babe,” Marie said as the baby started to fuss and cry softly. Knowing instinctively what was the matter Marie adjusted her clothes and the wrap to allow the cub to suckle.
“Uh you’re not..” Logan paused at Marie’s soft smile. They both knew she’d stopped lactating, that old familiar scent of her milk had since faded into memory.
“It’ll come,” Marie whispered softly, trustingly as the baby suckled hungrily an old familiar tingling growing from within. “Where is Nicholas?”
“Sleeping,” Logan grunted at her. Standing still he sniffed the air, his senses screaming out for him to be on guard even as he rubbed Marie’s face with one hand, “I’ll check your back trail, make sure you weren’t followed.”
Marie nodded easily, catching his wrist to meet his eyes for a moment before letting his slip through her grasp and disappear into the foliage. She knew beyond a doubt that given time her milk would flow, some part of her was very persistent in that belief; and she would take care of this baby. Purring softly she moved through the mottled light of the moon and slipped into the cave.
Slipping her boots on Kitty quickly raced out of the mansion following the ghostly shadow that had disturbed her solitude in the den. She knew who it was without being told, knew that the woman from before had returned and that scared her even as it angered her. She refused to allow the woman a chance to hurt anyone else, refused to allow anyone to hurt if she could help it.
Shuddering at the memory of the blood on Mr. Summers’ chest, and the way the woman had so calmly, almost serenely licked at that blood dripping off the knife she’d held Kitty pushed herself harder to get closer. Stepping past a huge spruce tree Kitty raked a hand through her hair and wished she’d brought a flashlight along even as she realized she’d lost her quarry.
Uncertain of what to do next she glanced around at the night’s living shadows and cursed her naiveté. A low feral snarl made her jump even as her eyes scanned desperately to find the source of the feral sound. A moment later a hard hand clamped down over her mouth even as she screamed, muffling the sound completely.
Struggling, scratching and kicking, Kitty tried to get away from her capture that merely picked her up like she didn’t weigh a thing and tossed her over his broad shoulder. Squirming, kicking at him she grunted as he shifted, and knocking the wind out of her so she couldn’t scream before disappearing into the shadows.
Shaking his head Logan growled softly as he approached the cave. Obviously Marie had unwittingly let out another mutant, one that was young, but not that young. She smelled terrified at being out of the lab, probably one of the results of an experiment, Logan thought as he dumped her into an undignified heap on the cave floor.
“You let a breeder out,” Logan grunted as Marie looked up from where she sat rocking the cub. “It followed you.”
“Not keeping her,” Marie hissed looking at him then at her with a wild look in her eyes.
“She’d be useful with the cubs,” Logan pointed out.
“No,” Marie shook her head firmly. “I won’t share!”
Logan grinned slightly and moved over to kneel in front of Marie. Obviously she felt threatened by the presence of a fertile female, “Neither will I. It’s us now baby okay. I’m just saying she can watch the cubs while you’re doing your work and I’m hunting.”
“She’s a breeder,” Marie whispered painfully searching his gaze. “I can’t..I just..”
“Shh,” Logan leaned forward to kiss her softly, gently, “I know. But you don’t have to worry about it darlin’. I’m yours body and soul. Always.”
Marie nodded smiling shakily at his words. In typical fashion he’d put her fears, her unease to rest and she was grateful, “She alone?”
“I didn’t smell anyone else, but I’m gonna recheck anyway. Be back soon. Get everything packed up, we need to move and do it fast. I don’t trust those people to keep a distance anymore.”
Marie nodded and waited until Logan had slipped from the cave before moving to gather everything up. Stopping next to the terrified girl she smirked, “I remember you. You still stink of fear.”
“And you still want to hurt us,” Kitty shot back nervously.
“Because they want to hurt us; they stole my cub, my mate. Always they bring the pain down on us,” Marie snapped back.
Kitty frowned, “But they didn’t..they don’t..”
“They poke with sharp things, lock us up in small cages, and take our cubs away. They take us from each other and hurt us, making us bleed, making us burn. The pain bringers might be nice to you now but once they realize you’re fertile than the bad things will begin. They’ve already got a mate picked out for you, probably that blue furry male Wolverine saw. They’ll lock you together and poke you with the sharp things until all you want is to breed. They fill your body with things that make you burn to couple, to produce a cub,” Marie spat out fury and remembered horror and hatred in her voice and eyes, “Then when you’re growing the cub, they’ll come along and steal it away, leaving you empty and hollow.”
“But Dr. Grey wouldn’t do that, she wants to help us..”
Marie shook her head, her hair moving with the movement, “Don’t trust her. She’s a pain bringer, a ‘doctor’,” Marie spat the word out. She still remembered the ‘doctor’s’ version of help, it had cost her a lot at least until she’d managed to reclaim what was hers.
Kitty eyed the woman before her uneasily. This wasn’t the same blood thirsty creature she’d encountered years before, instead this woman was determined to protect her family, her existence from any perceived threat –real or not. Obviously she’d had a bad experience with a doctor or ten but that didn’t explain her being so.. Kitty’s thoughts were interrupted with the reappearance of the male.
“Nobody else out there. Probably don’t realize you’ve taken two of their projects.”
“We’re all packed up,” Marie rose sharply to her feet and turned to bundle the newest cub up and pass it to the young breeder before gathering her own cub and slinging him onto her back in a loose wrap. “The cubs are still sleeping so we should be able to get a good head start.”
“Um I’m not..” Kitty started uneasily only to be shushed by a dark look from the other woman.
“They haven’t revealed their true nature just yet,” Marie explained softly, sadly glancing at her than away. “I’ll watch her.”
“Keep her quiet,” Logan grunted, “We don’t need to be detected. Did she reveal if there were any other cubs?”
“No,” Kitty shook her head, “There aren’t any more cubs.” She didn’t think revealing that Miss Monroe was pregnant was too intelligent at this point. Who knew what they might do.
Logan nodded once, indicating his pleasure at that tidbit before turning and heading for the opening with Marie carrying most of the weight of their belongings.
Tucking the baby in closer to her warmth Kitty followed the prompts from the young woman and fell into place behind Wolverine, her gaze darting around as she wondered about leaving a trail for them to follow. Noting in passing the way the woman eradicated any indication of their passing, Kitty sighed sadly and realized that she’d have to rely on Professor Xavier and Cerebro to be found.
Two hours later Kitty was very glad she’d thought to put on her hiking boots as they scrambled over rocks. Slipping she glanced at ‘Rogue’ as she’d heard her be called and noticed her feet were bare. Cringing at the way she walked without worrying Kitty renewed her appraisal of her boots.
Smiling shakily at the dark look from Marie she kept her eyes downcast as Wolverine turned them to follow a small, almost unseen trail that led down a slight embankment toward running water. Glancing once over her shoulder she sighed, she didn’t know which way the mansion was now, and any attempts at escape would put not only herself but the baby at risk; with a tired sigh, Kitty resigned herself to waiting until they got near a phone to call for help.
Staring in shock Jean couldn’t suppress the shudder that raced over her at the utter destruction of the mansions NICU. Most of the equipment bore the scars of a one sided battle, the cradle had been toppled over, bedding lay scattered about, and the baby was noticeably absent.
“What on earth happened in here?” the soft, calm voice had Jean turning to look at Professor Xavier.
“I don’t know,” Jean shrugged, “Someone obviously wasn’t happy with something about the room.”
“My hypothesis would be our guest from the other night returned,” Hank stated calmly looking at the destruction. “He obviously felt it necessary to come back for the baby.”
“But why?” Jean muttered puzzlement in her tone. “Why now? You don’t suppose their..”
“No, I think it has more to do with the child being in a small enclosure alone. Obviously he’s more institutionalized than we originally believed. In his mind any enclosure is a cell and therefore a point of torment.”
“Professor,” Storm hurried toward them, worry etched into her face, “Jubilee mentioned to me that Kitty seems to be missing. She apparently got up last night and never returned to her bed. Jubilee is concerned that she’s been kidnapped or something.”
“I’ll see about locating her,” Charles said glancing once more at the destroyed room before heading for Cerebro an uneasy feeling growing within his heart. Somehow he couldn’t believe that Kitty had wandered off, no he had a bad feeling that she’d fallen prey to their two ‘guests’.
Charles wondered why it had taken so long for their forest guests to go on the offensive even as he settled into place and lifted his helmet. Regardless of the reasoning behind this attack, he had to find them, had to protect them from themselves as well as those who would use their problems to their advantages.
Smothering a yawn, Kitty trudged along between the man and the woman, the baby firmly wrapped against her body and the little boy trotting along beside her. Her entire body ached with exhaustion and her mind swam with the constant growls and whimpers that the pair used to communicate with. Jerking at the sudden and rather vocal protests of the baby she glanced desperately between the couple.
“I didn’t do anything to her,” she stated quickly, panic in her voice.
“She’s hungry,” Marie grunted at her and quickly reached to take the child away from the girl. A moment later she had her latched onto a breast and suckling strongly.
“Momma hungy,” the little boy whined holding his arms up to Marie, a pleading look in his eyes.
“No,” Logan replied picking him up. “You can’t nurse now. You’re a big cub, not a baby.”
“But I hungwy,” the little boy pouted holding his father’s gaze.
Marie smiled as Logan looked at her then at the suckling baby girl.
“You smell of milk,” Logan commented softly.
Marie nodded and smiled at him, “You keep rubbing them, and it’s not surprising that I haven’t dried up completely. Besides it hasn’t been that long since I weaned Nicolas.”
“Should we stop?” Logan glanced around uneasily, this was unfamiliar territory and he didn’t like it.
“No,” Marie shook her head, “I can nurse and walk at the same time.”
Logan nodded quickly and set the little boy down with a low grunt. He watched his son take the young girl’s hand and fall into place easily, familiarly. All would be well, he knew it, he felt it.
“Don’t know why you don’t just steal a car,” Kitty muttered tiredly. She raised an eyebrow at the blank looks on both their faces even as they started moving again. Shaking her head at the realization that they didn’t know what she was talkin’ about Kitty resigned herself to a long walk.
Darkness had settled when Kitty was awakened by low grunts and groans. Blinking sleepily she glanced around but didn’t see anything until she rolled over. Blushing furiously at the couple making love on the other side of the fire she quickly turned away from them even as she listened to their sounds that echoed on the night air.
The soft purr after a while told her that at least one had found satisfaction and she closed her eyes intent on getting back to sleep. She had no doubt that the woman wouldn’t tolerate him trying to anything with her, she was too possessive and that gave her some comfort.
Even as she slid into a deep sleep Kitty wondered just how long it would take for the Professor to find her and rescue her.
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