Hiding

Disclaimers same as before and again big thanks to Magnus.

Roisin looked at Kurt and Logan and felt nauseous. Logan was totally lying, he was saying “no problem” but anyone with half a brain could just tell by his body language that what he meant was “we’re fucked”. Kurt sighed quietly and Roisin knew he could see through Logan as easily as she could. alm almost. Logan also seemed to be feeling nostalgic and apprehensive about something else. She kind of wondered what that was. She stood up and walked up to Logan, searching his face, wondering why he wouldn’t look at her.

“Roisin. We need to get out now.” He barked at her, looking at his shoes. Suddenly she knew why the apprehension. She always had been somewhat predictable.

“What? Are you insane? I can’t just pick out a few outfits and some shoes thenthen leave my entire life here! I have worked for years and years to get this store to where it is! I…it’s mine. I know you told me last night that we’d have to leave..but…I’m not ready to go. Ron won’t be here until 2. What about all my stuff? My belongings? My shoes? I…I worked really hard for this.” She went from shrieking to zombie-like whisper in a matter of seconds.

Kurt walked up behind her and put his arms around her. He leaned down and whispered something in her ear that Logan couldn’t hear. She nodded and left the room, going upstairs, presumably to pack. They could hear her stomping around.

“Where are we going to go?” Kurt asked Logan quietly. He had dropped down into that strange squatting position that made him look even more gargoyle like and put his head into his hands.

Kurt’s mind raced, “I’m worried about her. This isn’t the kind of thing she does. This is the kind of thing you and I do. I shouldn’t hide- I should be taking these bastards on so that Roisin and others like her don’t have to drop their entire life and run away. She already did that once. Run away? I guess you already knew that. But I don’t want her to have to stay away. I want her to be able to come back here. She needs to be somewhere safe. But I need to fight.rt srt seemed to be talking to himself and Logan wasn’t sure if he was supposed to interject or not. “I don’t want to leave her alone but I can’t just sit back wat watch others fight for me. This is my fault- these bastards are after me- and maybe after her- because I fucked up…” Kurt sighed, exasperated.

“You didn’t fuck up, Kurt, you fucked up their plans. That’s different and it’s a good thing that you did. Now I’m not a particularly religious man, as you know, but can you imagine the ramifications of destroying an entire religion? What that would do to people? Chaos everywhere- all kinds of nasty ugly things. They’re killing, Kurt. They’ve killed a dozens already. As for Roisin…she wouldn’t be safe with you or I here, not now. I know someone who can take care of her.” Logan said, lighting another cigar. “He owes me a few favors and she’ll be safe with him. They’ll probably hate each other but as long as she’s safe she can put up with a personality conflict for a few days, right?”

“I guess if you let her bring her whips and collars and paddles, she’ll be just fine with a personality conflict.” Kurt tried to laugh but there was no real feeling in it.

Logan walked over to his friend and put his arm on his shoulder.

“You know, Elf, you don’t always have to try and cheer everyone up. You-“He stopped, sniffing the air. “Grab Roisin. NOW! Teleport outside. To the post office.” Kurt just stared for a moment and then disappeared in a cloud of purple smoke.

Roisin jumped halfway across the room and Kurt’s sudden appearance and was about to try and make a joke when she saw the look on his face and that he held his hand out to her. She nodded, grabbing her suitcase and her purse off the bed and reaching for his hand with her other hand.

“Hold on tight and close your eyes. You may feel a little dizzy.” He whispered in her ear as the world around her disappeared in a flash of purple and smoke and darkness and dank. When she opened her eyes again she saw that they were by the post office across the street and that mercifully the street was almost deserted. What she saw next made tears spring to her eyes. Her beautiful little shop, her life’s work- in flames. The grate had been ripped apart by something and the glass front shattered as if an explosion had ripped through the shop. Inside saw saw flames leaping and licking at her wares. Everything she packed carefully into boxes to be stored safely and it didn’t matter now, they just burned. A second later, Logan came bolting out, burned on his face and carrying something in his hands. Roisin dropped to her knees and sobbed as she watched everything she had worked for be destroyed. Kurt was hugging her, trying to pull her up, and whispering something in German to her over and over. Logan stared across the street, glaring, as the skin over his face went from bubbling and red back to its normal color.

“We need to go. Now. Rosh, you got a car?” He asked her, repeating the question when she didn’t answer at first. All he got out of her was a nod and he looked up and down the street, seeing a car parked a few stores down that had to be hers. “Save a Life Adopt A Shelter Pet” was emblazoned on a huge red bumper sticker. She hadn’t changed much over the years after all. Logan and Kurt half carried Roisin to the car as she cried silently.

“I don’t have the keys. They’re inside. On the coffee table.” She whispered as they stood outside the dingy little green sedan.

“Well, you got insurance, right?” Logan asked her. She nodded, thankful for the fact that maybe someday she’d be able to rebuild her store. The fire department was roaring down the street towards them and as she turned and attempted to run after them, Logan grabbed her shoulder and pulled her into the car. He’d opened the lock with his claws and Kurt was already sitting inside. Logan drove another claw into the ignition and the engine came to life. Roisin curled up into a ball on the backseat and cried some more. They pulled away, Logan driving more slowly than he’d like to but not wanting to draw any undue attention to them. The fact that no one had been on the street watching the fire was unusual. It was the middle of the week but still awfully deserted for early afternoon.

“Rosh- your neighbors on the block…mutants? Gays? Massage parlors? Anyone who might also have been targeted by our little friends?” He asked. She shook her head.

“Just me. They’ve always been nice to me though- I never had any problems with any of them. Where are we going? I need a drink.” She leaned down and rustled through her bag, pulling out a prescription bottle and reading the label quickly, she opened it and took out four of the small green tablets. She tossed them in her mouth and swallowed, flinching at the bitter taste. She sighed and looked back at the plumes of grey smoke that were now all that was visible of her home and livelihood. Logan pulled into a gas station and got out of the car, running inside to pay and buy something. Kurt leaned around from the front seat and rubbed Roisin’s arm.

“You aren’t hurt are you? I’m so sorry for what happened- this is my fault. Someday I will make it up to you, I promise. Roisin, I’m-“ She cut him off with a kiss, wrapping her arms around him and holding on as tightly as she could. He bamfed away for a second to reappear in the back seat next to her, kissing her and holding onto her as she cried.

Logan came back to the car and tossed a pack of cigarettes at Roisin. He placed a plastic bag on the passenger seat and went to fill the gas tank. In a few minutes he was back in the car, holding up the bag. “Sodas. Water. Chocolate for you, Roisin. x stx still your favorite?”

She and Kurt pulled apart for a moment, and she tried to smile at Logan. “Yeah. You remembered? Thanks.” Suddenly her forced posture crumbled and the tears for rage and loss once more flowed freely.

“My lighter. gon gone- I left it in the shop. It’s one of my favorite things in the whole world.” Roisin said quietly as Kurt and Logan looked from one another and back to her. Logan personally was just shocked to see Roisin break down- he knew she obviously had cried before, everyone had, but she sure as hell had never let him see it. He shook his head and pulled the ivory lighter from his pocket, tossing it to her. It made him feel good to know the lighter had meant so much to her, even though the thought of what that might mean worried him. They pulled out of the gas station and got on the road again. They drove in silence as the snow picked up and got heavier.

“Logan, what was that you carried out of the shop?” Kurt asked quietly. Logan had updated Kurt on the current status of the investigation into the Church of Humanity and how he’d told the professor earlier where they were going. It was about two hours after they’d gotten on the road and Roisin had fallen asleep and was using Kurt’s lap as a pillow. She was curled up in a little ball, with her face pressed against his stomach. He stroked her hair as she slept, enjoying the little purring mews she made now and again. His other hand reached down and stroked the little line of fur on her back by her tail. He would never forgive himself for this- because she’d offered to help him, her life was ruined. There weren’t enough Hail Mary’s in the world for this one, he thought.

“Not sure, Elf. I think I immobilized it though. It’s wrapped up pretty tight in one of those PVC like zippery things she still had hanging up. Put up quite a fight for a…whatever the fuck it is. I’m hoping my friend will know what it is. Something about it seems familiar, but I can’t put my finger on it.”

“It was alive? Put up a fight? I don’t understand.” Kurt said, watching as the number of deer crossing signs seemed to increase at the same rate other cars on the road and street lights disappeared. The snow was starting to fall more heavily now too, the further north they drove.

“Little…machine like thing. Squirted two chemicals that ignite on contact. It’s a tough little thing. Near indestructible. It’s got ceramic plates with asbestos cloth covering the joints. This thing was built to take serious heat. Like it wasn’t supposed to burn with the store. Like a little vacuum cleaner from hell. But someone definitely didn’t take any chances burning the place- that chemical stuff was everywhere- there’s no way the firefighters will be able to salvage much. I hope it doesn’t spread- but I wouldn’t be surprised if it did. They probably wanted it that way, so it’ll look like something in Roisin’s shop caused the rest of the block to burn. Make her unwelcome. Show her for the mutant scum she is, whatever. I don’t know what it is. It’s still buzzing around, I can hear it. It’s wrapped up pretty tight though- I think it emptied all of its chemicals. Hope so or this car’s gonna blow. “ He saw the look on Kurt’s face and laughed.

“Come on, Elf, you think I didn’t check that out before bringing it with us? Don’t you think it’s a little strange that no one came to check out what was happening at the store? I mean, loud bangs, fire, etc. Small little street like that, someone’s gotta be nosy. Someone’s got to have seen something. Where was everyone?”

“I don’t know. That is strange. I hope no one was hurt.” Kurt added, looking down at Roisin’s sleeping form. “Where are we going anyways?”

“Old friend. Has an antique shop in Maine. Mostly stuff he’s owned over the years. He’s a mutant, too. His consciousness never dies- he does- but he always ends up reincarnated into a male infant. Been going on for about four hundred years now, I don’t even know what his name is these days. Haven’t seen him since WWII. He’s a little abrasive- nothing really has much value to him since he knows he’ll just come back. He’s not so great with people.”

“Wait- this is coming from you? He’s not so great with people? You, Mr. Congeniality say this? What’s he going to do when you show up for the first time in sixty years with two total strangers?” Kurt asked.

“Oh, he’ll be a little grumpy at first but we’ll stop and pick up a nice bottle of whiskey for him. That’ll cheer him up. At least it did 60 years ago when I saw him last time. He leaves the money in trust and always manages to get the shop back. I imagine he's doing better now, what with the big market in antiquing. Wasn't quite as successful in the early days. Look, He’ll be fine, he’ll get a kick out of you and I imagine Roisin will irritate him to no end, and that’s always amusing. Look, I know what you’re thinking, but really, we’ll be safe there. He can be a little impulsive but he’s pretty good in a scrap. He’s got a sword collection that will boggle your mind. His favorite’s the scimitar. That’s what we called him back in the trenches. Scimitar. Almost gave me a run for my money a few times. Almost.” Logan smirked at his friend as they drove on into the night.

Another hour or so passed before the two old friends spoke again. Logan had watched Kurt’s head drop down onto his chest and he didn’t have the heart to wake him when he so clearly needed the sleep. Roisin was still out like a light, and Logan was pretty sure she’d taken something to ensure as much. He looked in the rearview mirror again, wondering what had possessed her to change into a skirt and hooded sweatshirt. Hardly “on the run” clothes, but then again, chicks were different. Some of them could run in heels, right? She had her old boots on and he was glad to see that- if she needed to, she could get a pretty good kick in at someone. She’d probably be cold though, he thought. Oh wait, she can just make more clothes. Forgot about that. He flipped the radio on and opened the window, lighting a cigar.

Kurt woke up at the cool breeze and met Logan’s eyes in the rearview mirror.

“Elf, there’s one more thing. The Prof wants you to use this.” Logan tossed him a small watch like device.

“The image inducer.” Kurt whispered, looking at the hated device. He snarled at it.

“It’s just to keep you safe. Well, to keep her safe- think of it that way. I mean, I hate to break it to you, bub, but you’re hardly the type who blends, you know?” Logan chuckled, feeling bad for his friend’s discomfort but at the same time knowing exactly what to say to get him to agree. Kurt never could resist a damsel in distress.

Kurt placed it on his wrist and pressed the small green button on the side. In an instant, he’d gone from fuzzy blue to white male. His hair was dark, brown though, not blue. His eyes were a greenish brown and there were pupils. Tail, two fingered hands with thumbs and two toed feet were gone and replaced with their human counterparts. Except the tail, which of course, had no human counterpart. He sighed again, looking down at himself.

“At least I’m still good looking, right?” He said, trying to smile, fangs gone and replaced with perfect teeth.

“Fucking gorgeous, you are. Of course. Roisin will probably freak out when she wakes up in some strangers lap, though. Might remind her a bit of the old days.” Logan said. Kurt kicked the back of his seat and Logan apologized.

“Ok, ok, that wasn’t fair. She wasn’t as pure as the driven snow. I know that. I just liked to tell myself that she was. Don’t know why. Nothing to be ashamed of, what she was. Hell, she outghta be proud. Had some of the best times of my life with that girl. Damn…the things she could do with her mouth.” Logan groaned a li and and tossed the cigar out the window. Kurt looked down at Roisin- whose head was in his lap- and involuntarily shuddered at the thought of how close that same mouth was to him right now. Part of him was irritated that Logan had chosen now of all times to break with his never ‘kissing and telling’ routine, but another part of him was very curious.

“’S ok, Elf, she’s sleeping. I can hear her. Breathing is nice and even- she probably took a little pill to take the edge off. And the consciousness. We can talk and she won’t know a thing.” Logan said, waiting for another kick in the back from Kurt, as he was certain he’d offended his friend’s good nature now. To his surprise, Kurt didn’t kick. He bit his lip for a moment, looking all the world a thoughtful young man, not the blue furred mutant he really was.

“Yeah, she took something before. Klonopin. Four milligrams. Plus I think she wore herself out crying. Can’t see as I blame her, considering she found out two of her friends were murdered and her entire life went up in flames only a few short hours after you came back into her life and brought me. We should write a book or something. ‘How to Destroy Someone’s Life in Under 72 Hours.’” Kurt snorted.

“Forget it, I’m not in the mood for self-pity, amazingly.” He rolled his eyes and Logan nodded at him. He could tell there was something Kurt wanted to ask but was mentally debating if it was proper or not. Damn, the man had given up the priesthood right? He needed to loosen up. Understandably the day had been pretty stressful, but they were on the road now and no one knew where they were.

“Yes Kurt? I know you want to ask me something…” he prodded.

“How did you meet her exactly?” Kurt asked. Logan sighed. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea after all. But Roisin had probably already told him this much, right?

“Sleazy bar-you know, the kind I like. She was in there, arguing with a former client. He was begging her to take him back as a client, on his hands and knees in this filthy bar. She just sat up there on this little bar stool, little pink dress with black lace around the collar and the sleeves- I think it actually was made out of latex… crazy high stiletto heeled shoes with little straps, tail swishing. Super confident. She was hot. And it turned her on, too, this guy on the floor begging her. I could smell it coming off of her; I could actually feel the heat from her. She was just repeating the same thing over and over, calm as anything. ‘Six months Andy. I told you. Six months and you can come back. Not till then. You don’t want to make me angry, do you?’ But still this guy is just going on and on, so anyways, she lit a cigarette, stood up, and stepped on the guy’s hand with one her stiletto heels. Just stood on it and looked down at him. ‘Six months, Andy. Don’t make me angry.’ He made this sound that was obvious to everyone in the room that he’d just come all over himself. Then she grabbed her purse off the bar and walked out.

I was out in the street after her in a second, introducing myself and trying to use the ol’ Logan charm. I could see how young she was, and though I know you’d love me to tell you that it freaked me out, the truth was, I couldn’t get over her. That tiny little thing, that guy on the floor in front of all those people- the way she’s just ste on on him like he was nothing? The whole thing- big turn on. She was waiting for me outside. As was her bodyguard, this huge apelike guy. Can’t remember his name…maybe Paul? Anyway, this guy followed her around- made sure no one got out of line. Apparently I wasn’t as suave as I like to think if she was waiting outside with her bodyguard. We got to talking, I asked her about what she did and I was really intrigued, so I made an appointment for the next day. When I got there, she asked me a bunch of questions as to what I wanted, what I didn’t want her to do, what my limits, were that kind of shit. She whipped the hell out of me, working up a huge sweat as she tried and tried to break the skin. She was so worn out she couldn’t see that the skin was breaking, it was just growing back right away. She had me bound to this huge cross like thing-“

“Yeah, I saw a picture of one today. It's called a free-standing cross. Didn’t really think it was your color, Logan.” Kurt interjected sweetly. Logan cleared his throat and shot him a nasty look.


“ Anyways-Finally she did, my skin broke and was too beat to bounce back right away and I swear I just about died. It felt great. Like, I don’t know how to describe it. Just this amazing release. Then she told me I’d been a good boy and I could pleasure myself if I wanted to. But that I had to wait for her to give me permission to come. I think she’d only been doing the Dom thing for like a year or two then, but damn. I guess she was just a natural. “ Logan looked back to see Kurt’s reaction to what he’d just told him. His eyes were a little glazed.

“Really? Wow. Then what happened?” Kurt asked, glancing down at Roisin who still seemed to be sleeping peacefully in his lap. He was pretty sure the shifting of his pants would wake her sooner rather than later. The image of Roisin standing there in one of her cute little outfits whipping Logan was oddly appealing. Not so much the Logan part, he reminded himself.

“I don’t know if I should tell you the rest…why don’t you ask her? She’s awake now, aren’t you, Pussy Cat?” Logan laughed under his breath as he turned the signal on and made for the rest stop on the side of the highway.

“Time for a break anyway. Don’t you chicks always have to pee?” Logan asked. Roisin moaned and stretched, increasing Kurt’s frustration at his pants tightness exponentially. She kissed the crotch of his pants and sat up, smiling sleepily at him. Her eyes focused and she jumped back.

“Kurt? What the fuck? Where’s Kurt?” She asked, backed up against the door.

“It’s me, Roisin. Image inducer. See?” Kurt pressed the little button and returned to his normal form. She sighed in relief. He switched it back on and went back to looking like some model from some European magazine.

“Oh. I like the blue you better. I mean, you’re still cute but…I like you fuzzy better. Let me just change into something warmer before we go out there, ok?” she said, cracking her fingers and stretching them out. They pulled into a parking spot and Kurt and Logan watched as she pulled a pair of woolen like stockings out of her suitcase. Apparently she’d packed more than they had given her credit for. Then they tried not to watch as she took off her boots and hiked her legs up in the air to put them on. She laughed to herself. Logan closed his eyes and groaned, cursing his sense of smell and the fact that she was wea tho those damn ruffled panties. She grinned to herself. Men were all so easy. They got out of the car, Roisin wrapping a blanket from the floor around her as a coat. Logan walked ahead, stopping briefly to tell them to stick together and wait for him and not to split up.

“Elf- I’ll be back in a minute- you stay with her and then she can go in the bathroom while we wait outside. Don’t talk to anyone- stay to yourselves. We’ll grab a little bit of dinner but we’re eating in the car.” He looked around at the tourists mulling about the rest stop and glared as though each other them were secretly a Sentinel or something.

“A little paranoid, isn’t he?” Roisin asked Kurt, squeezing his hand and marveling at the way she could still feel the two fingers and thumb though there appeared to be a normal human hand in hers. The sedatives she’d taken had relaxed her, and though she still felt scared and sorrow at her friends’ death, it seemed somewhat distant, as though it wasn’t actually happening to her.

“He’s just concerned about you. He cares for you a great deal. I don’t think even he realizes how much.” Kurt said quietly, not looking at her. He couldn’t help but think that there were definitely some unresolved issues floating around Logan and Roisin. He’d seen the way Logan had looked at her when he didn’t see Kurt watching, when she'd had her legs up in the air a few minutes ago. Kurt had also seen his almost inperceptible sniff as if trying to catch her scent. It was the Wolverine’s stare, not Logan's. He wanted her.

“Well that is really sweet and all but I’ve kind of got my eye on someone else. He had his chance. Oh, and the part he’s not telling you? About what happened next? I’ll tell you later. When we’re alone. “ She reached up and wrapped her arms around Kurt’s neck, kissing his ear and neck. He couldn’t help but grin. The hell with the Wolverine, for now anyway. He’d always liked cats better. Sometimes they were shifty and mischievous but that was part of the fun. This had been a hell of a day so far.