To Catch a Fox

Authors Note/Disclaimer:
I do not own the X Men or the fictional universe they live in. This is a work of fan fiction. I’m just borrowing them for my own amusement and yours. I am making no money from this.

Please tell me what you think by posting a review or emailing me at ginevrasn@yahoo.com. Put AFF in the subject line if you do so, so I don’t delete it by mistake. I do not have a beta to proof for me, so don’t be shy.

Time for some action. Thanks again for the kind reviews, slickboy444. I hope you continue to enjoy the story.

Warnings: Violence. And a few naughty words.

Chapter Ten: Trouble

True to her word, Kit left them shortly after dinner. Remy managed to talk the others into playing cards. The evening passed pleasantly enough, though he found himself listening with one ear out for Kit’s return. By the time Jean began yawning, he decided it was pointless to wait any longer and he headed off to bed alone.

Sometime in the night, Kit slipped beneath the blankets and curled up next to him. Her skin was cool and she smelled of the outdoors. He wrapped the blankets around them both and soon drifted back to sleep.

Over the next few days, their stay began to truly feel like a vacation. Jean and Scott played in the snow like teenagers. They would come in laughing with reddened cheeks and noses to curl up by the fire or climb up into the loft together. Logan would wander into the woods and disappear for hours. Remy was certain he was continuing to see Winter Moon, as it was hard to mistake the smug satisfaction the older man exuded when he returned from his walks.

Remy even let Kit drag him out into the miserable cold. And after a while, it wasn’t so miserable. There were snowball fights that sometimes turned into all out wars with Jean and Scott. Those were fierce battles—Kit and Remy could throw with deadly accuracy, but Jean more than made up with it by using her telekinesis to make snowballs behave in ways nature never intended. And Scott would blast the missiles before they could connect with anything.

Sometimes Kit would change into the fox…And then there was always mischief. You didn’t dare set down a pack of smokes or a glove or it would disappear in a flash of white fur. You watched your step or you would suddenly find yourself pitching into a soft pile of snow—usually face first with that yipping laughter ringing through the trees. No one was safe, not even Logan. Now that was a treat, watching the man flounder after the yipping fox, cursing and threatening.

Later they would always find their missing items sitting on their beds or beside their plates at dinner. Kit never spoke of it and pretended not to hear Logan’s grumbling. But, Remy could feel the man’s amusement and had no worries.

Every few nights, Kit would hunt to augment their food supplies. Sometimes Logan would also bring back something from his walks. After a few weeks, however, they began to run low on some staples. Kit made plans to take the sled and raid some of her food caches. It would take several days. She planned to go alone, but Scott wouldn’t have it.

“There could be more men looking for us. I don’t want anyone out there alone. Not for that long.”

“I’m safer alone. I might have to cut and leave the sled. But, nobody can catch me out there.” Kit scowled. “You guys will only slow me down.”

“I’ll go Slim. We can take turns draggin’ the sled.” Logan chewed on an unlit cigar. “I can go fer days, kid. Might be slower on two feet, but these feet ain’t gotta stop.”

“All right. Fine.”

“Remy gon’ go, too.” He was going stir crazy. He might hate the cold, but it would be better than staying here alone with Jean and Scott. He doubted there was any real danger of encountering anyone out there. If they had been followed, it would have happened already.

“We leave in the morning then. Pack for about four days.” Kit shook her head, and then disappeared into the store room with pencil and paper to make a list of what was needed. Remy knew she was annoyed, but she’d get over it. He found himself smiling at the thought of getting out and actually doing something.

The morning was bright and clear and Remy waited impatiently as Kit double checked his pack. And made sure he was dressed properly. Logan stood beside the sled, smoking one of his precious cigars.

“I don’ make de same mistake twice, cher.” He gave her one of his most charming smiles. No need to start the trip off with a fight.

“Neither do I.” Her expression softened a little and she fastened his parka a little more snugly. She stowed his pack in the sled with the other two. “I’ll pull this first leg, Logan. You scout ahead along the trail.”

“No problem.” He extinguished the cigar as Kit made the shift to her fox shape. She waited patiently for Logan to adjust the harness carefully. Then Logan took off at a brisk pace, leaving Remy to follow along with Kit.

This time the journey was a little easier, lacking the urgency that had set the pace before. They would take a round-about route in the general direction they had come, hitting several of Kit’s storage caches. The first one would take about a half day to reach.

Logan knew this first leg of the trail well enough. His walks had been taking him farther and farther from the cabin and this was his kind of country. He had no trouble finding the marked tree that served as a signpost and made a quick survey of the forest around them before stopping to wait for the others to catch up. He heard them long before he saw them, the Cajun was whistling some tune and it carried on the cold winter air.

He could see Kit was in good spirits; her tail was held high and waved in the air like a flag. She pulled up next to him, bringing the sled to a neat stop beside him. She stood still and waited for him to loosen the harness before shifting to speak.

“It’s off the trail about a hundred yards or so.” She began to slip the harness off. “We’ll leave the sled here, the ground’s too rough for it.” She waved them to follow her as she stepped off the trail into the scrub.

This first cache was some animal’s abandoned den, sealed off with a pile of stones and old logs. Kit crept inside and began to hand out crates of food. When the little cave was empty, she began to unpack and repack the crates, pulling out those items that were needed back at the cabin.

“Why you don’ take all dis to de cabin?” Remy was baffled as to why she would store so much food in a place that she clearly wouldn’t be staying in.

“I have caches like this everywhere I go out here that way, no matter where I wind up, it’s not far. And I never take clients to the cabin. At least not until now.” Kit never paused in her work, sorting quickly. “Next stop will be a den where we can spend the night.”

“This stuff ain’t just fer you and yer clients is it?” Logan hefted one of the repacked crates, ready to carry it to the sled.

“No. It’s here for them, too. If they need it. I’ll replace this stuff later.” Kit gestured towards the forest and its unseen inhabitants.

“Ah. Dat make more sense.” Remy picked up a crate and followed Logan, leaving the girl to continue her sorting. It didn’t take long to finish the job and soon they were back at the sled. They took a few minutes to eat a cold lunch out of their packs and to make sure the crates were secure.

Kit suddenly froze as they were making the last preparations to leave. She turned to stare down the trail. Logan paused too. He’d heard something…A fox’s shriek. But something was different about the sound.

“What is it?” Logan asked quietly.

“Shh!” Kit shifted into her fox-girl form and stood listening intently, ears twitching.

The call came again. The fox-girl took off at a run, changing form in mid-stride to disappear down the trail.

“Shit!” Logan cursed.

“Trouble?” Remy reached into a pocket, fingers seeking one of his decks of cards.

“Whaddaya think Gumbo? Come on.” Logan took off at a trot following the fox with Remy close behind. The heavy snow slowed them down but they kept on. Her tracks were easy enough to follow.

“How far?” Remy asked.

“Not far…I can smell blood.” Logan growled and they picked up their pace. They could see a twist in the trail up ahead. As they approached it they could hear whining and a voice speaking urgently, the words unfamiliar to them.

“Dat’s Kit.” Remy observed as they rounded the bend.

Kit was kneeling beside a large fox. The fox’s head and shoulders were mottled with gray and its fur was stained with blood. Blood oozed from a row of long gashes along one shoulder and along its ribs. Kit raised her hand to stop them from approaching.

“Damn. It’s the youngster from the spring.”

Kit continued to speak to the fox quietly, touching his head and muzzle carefully. She pulled off her fur wrap and laid it over the fox.

“The sled…we need the sled. Got to get him off the trail and back to the cabin.” Kit looked up at them. “Come on kiddo. I need you to talk to me…” She stroked the fox’s head again.

“Be right back.” Logan took off at a jog to fetch the sled.

“What done this?” Remy moved closer cautiously.

“I don’t know…I’ve never seen marks like that before.” Kit looked around nervously. “He’s been running hard.” She nodded over her shoulder at the trail where tracks could be seen. She spoke again to the fox, who’s eyes were watching Remy anxiously.

Remy crept forward slowly, offering his hand carefully to let the beast sniff it. Kit continued to murmur to the fox. He looked down the trail where the fox had come in case whatever had attacked him was still following. When he looked down again, the fox was gone and the boy from the spring lay shivering in the snow, his face ashen.

Remy reached with his charm to soothe the waves of panic rolling off the boy’s mind. Kit continued to speak quietly to him in his native language, and slowly the boy began to answer her between chattering teeth. He fell silent when Logan returned with the sled in tow, the harness slung over one shoulder.

“What’d he say?” Logan halted the sled and dropped harness. Kit was helping the boy to sit upright.

“Doesn’t make sense to me...” Kit spoke again to the boy and the boy nodded, wincing as the motion jostled his injuries. “A beast that walks like a man? Claws and teeth and strange yellow eyes?”

“Lemme see them claw marks again.” Logan drew closer and Kit pulled back the wrap, showing the boy’s wounds. The edges had begun to close, but the marks were clear. Logan scowled. “We gotta hurry. Get him back ta the cabin.”

“You know what did this?” Kit’s tone was somewhere between fear and anger as she moved to take the boy’s weight on her shoulder and pull him upright. Remy moved to help her, but the boy shied away.

“Not what. Who.” Logan looked at Remy. “Sabertooth’s on our trail.”

“Merde.”

“Who’s Sabertooth?” Kit was helping the boy into the sled, rearranging crates into a sort of seat for him and pulling extra blankets from their packs to wrap around him.

“Bad news…He’s a killer. Don’t know if he’s after all of us or he just wants ta pick another fight with me. Get that kid back ta the cabin and if ya can, better warn yer mother and anybody else ya can ta steer clear.” Logan grabbed his pack from the sled and shouldered it.

“Where you goin’ homme?”

“Gonna go play wounded bird, lead him off somewheres else. You get these kids back ta Scott and Jeannie.”

“Don’ it be better to fight him wit’ de team?”

“Think about it, Gumbo.” Logan nodded at the girl and tapped his nose meaningfully. “Not too much longer ‘fore there’s another full moon.” Remy tossed a sharp look in Kit’s direction, and then nodded at Logan.

“We go. Good luck, mon ami.” Remy looked up at the sky through the trees. He couldn’t see the moon, but it was there nonetheless.

“Same to ya. Better get movin’.” Logan set off down the trail at a brisk pace. Remy watched him for a moment then turned to help Kit with the harness.


Logan’s pulse thudded in his ears. He sure as hell hoped the Cajun got his meaning. Sabertooth’s senses were just as acute as his own. If he caught wind of Kit or her mother…

He growled to himself. Don’t think about that.

Damn but that kid had left a trail that even an idiot could follow. Of course he’d been running for his life. Unfortunately, he’d run straight for Kit and the cabin. Probably hoping she’d know what to do about this threat from outside the forest.

Not much chance of covering this trail. He’d just have to face the bastard and get his attention. Piss him off and get him to play chase.

That shouldn’t be hard.

He stopped still and listened…He could hear the eerie shrieks of Winter Moon’s kin calling to each other. Warning each other, he hoped. He’d try to lead Sabertooth as far out of fox territory as he could. He took off again, hitting the ground-eating stride that came so natural to him.

{Where are ya, ya ugly bastard?}

Shit, the wind was blowing the wrong way. Sabertooth would smell him long before he got there. He’d just have to be alert. And ready. He extended his claws and kept moving, stopping every so often to listen and scent the air.

It was almost dark and he’d begun to wonder if maybe Sabertooth hadn’t been interested in hunting down the wounded fox-boy after all. He began to slow, looking around for a likely camp site.

Suddenly, a large bundle of muscle and claws dropped down from above with a roar. He raised his claws instinctively and the larger mutant was impaled on them. His heavy weight slammed Logan into the snow covered ground hard enough to stun him.

He heard cloth tear and rip and felt the burning pain of the beast’s claws as they tore at his ribs and shoulders. Then heavy hands pressed against his face as Sabertooth pushed himself upwards, freeing himself from Logan’s claws. Logan sensed rather than saw the clawed hand that reached back in preparation for a slash at his throat. He rolled away at the last moment and clambered to his feet.

“Come back here ya runt!” Sabertooth growled, his voice a little garbled by what must have been blood in his lungs.

“Come and get me, ya sonovabitch!” Logan set off into the trees heading away from the trail and deeper into the forest.

“I’m gonna kill ya, runt! Gonna rip out yer guts and knit me a sweater with ‘em.” He heard the larger mutant following him, too angry to bother to hide his movements. Logan knew he had to keep moving. And keep Sabertooth on his trail.

“Yer always promising ta kill me, Creed. Ain’t managed it yet.” The sun was setting and the light stained the snow red between the trees. Logan ran on, taking advantage of his smaller size to slip between the trees and through the underbrush.

He kept running until the forest was lit only by the moon’s light. A quick glance at its growing roundness reminded him of why he must get Creed as far away as possible before giving him the fight he wanted. The forest was silent now. He couldn’t hear his pursuer anymore. But, he was certain he was still there.

On and on he ran, not bothering to cover his trail. He didn’t want to lose Creed. Maybe he’d get lucky and actually manage to kill the motherfucker this time. End this damned pissing contest once and for all…


Remy followed the sled silently, checking over his shoulder often, half afraid to find Sabertooth there. The idea of Sabertooth anywhere near Kit was enough to send icy fingers of fear through his chest. Kit was pulling with all her might. He could hear her panting and see her breath steaming on the cold air. The boy on the sled was silent and seemed barely conscious. Every so often Kit would give an eerie cry that sent chills down his spine, then listen for her kin to answer.

{I hate dis god-forsaken frozen place. Don’ like dis feelin’ useless.}

His skills meant very little here, or at least they wouldn’t as long as Logan was successful in drawing Sabertooth away. About the only useful thing he’d done so far was cook.

{We got no business comin’ here. Bringin’ trouble like dis.}

How long had these fox-people managed to live here without being discovered? Were the X Men going to be responsible for their destruction? Kit and the boy in the sled would have been safe if they hadn’t wandered into that dirty little town and started waving money around.

Kit…He sent a prayer after Logan. He didn’t want to think what Sabertooth would do if he came across Kit when the moon was full. He’d seen and felt the way Logan had reacted. Felt how much self-control it took the man to walk away.

{She mine. Nobody gon’ touch her.}

He turned to scan the forest again, reaching out as far as he could with his senses to be sure no danger lurked out there. He moved up behind the sled and added his strength to Kit’s efforts, pushing from behind. The light was beginning to fade around them and he didn’t want to be caught in the dark if Logan failed. Kit gave a sharp bark and moved a little faster, the sled skimming over the snow.

He was running now, lungs burning, pushing hard. The cabin had to be close. A terrible thought crossed his mind. What if Sabertooth had circled around and got there first? Scott and Jean had no idea he was out there.

By the time they pulled into the clearing before the cabin, the moon was high in the sky. Its bright light seemed like a warning beacon to him. He called out to Kit.

“Wait cher, you smell anyting dat don’ s’pose to be here?”

The fox pulled up short and stood still, ears twitching and nose testing the air. She shook her head and pulled again towards the cabin. Remy strode quickly to the door, passing her to pound on it before opening it. Scott and Jean rose from their places by the fire and stared at him in surprise, Scott reaching reflexively for his glasses.

“We got trouble, mes amis.” He turned around and returned to the sled to loosen Kit’s harness, leaving the door open to the cold air behind him. Then he shifted his attention to the wounded boy, scooping the unconscious body up, blankets and all. Kit pulled herself free of the harness and shifted to her human form and followed him as he carried the boy inside.

“What’s going on?” Jean asked.

“Where’s Logan?” Scott peered out the door into the chilly night.

“Bolt the door.” Kit called over her shoulder as she followed Remy. He carefully lowered the boy onto the couch and backed away, letting Kit examine the boy. She pulled back the blankets and furs exposing his wounds and Jean gasped.

“Sabertooth.” Remy gestured at the boy, then turned to the kitchen, looking for something to clean his wounds. “Logan gone to lead him away.”

“Sabertooth!” Jean gasped and moved closer to help Kit with the boy. “What’s he doing here?”

“Probably what he’s always doing, Jean.” Scott closed the door and bolted it securely before turning around. “Trying to kill Logan…And anybody else he can get his claws on.”

“Oui. I think de vacation is over.”