Constant Craving

CONSTANT CRAVING CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT (NC-17)
Disclaimers Apply


A/N Goddess Foxfeather, Mad Queen of Plotbunnies, I burn incense in your honor in thanks for Beta-ing (and Ted has told Billy and Joaquin stories! Whoooo-eeee!) ;) Vampyre: um....out there? InterNutter, TC and Maxwell Pink are lovely wonderful sparkled people for archiving! :) Readers/Reviewers: Hootie Hoo! Keep 'em coming! (er...in light of my stories being high rated, that was almost dirty). There is a peace treaty in negotiation between the animal factions so I think we're safe from the Killer Kitties (tm) strafing us for a while... whew. Was running out of foxholes.


"Man, I'm too full to do this, yo..." Todd grumbled, his eyes drifting to where Rogue stood, helping Storm rinse some of the dishes. Kitty stood on her toes, shoving plates back into the cabinet while Jubilee struggled with leftovers.
"We gotta, Todd..." Scott sighed. "Look, just make it look natural, like we started fighting over the game or something."
"Won't it look strange if I'm in here with you all? I hate American football..."
"Fine, Kurt," Scott sighed. "You should spend time with your sisters anyway...just come in when we start getting loud." Kurt nodded briskly and 'ported from the room, his voice wafting down the hall a few moments later, calling for his sisters. "Ready?"
Lance nodded. "Amara's gonna let me have it for this..." _Though that's a good thing...heh. _
Todd sighed. "Let's get this over with...here comes Tabby."
True to form, where there were males, there could be found Tabitha. "Hey, boys...up for a game?" she asked coyly.
"My team's on, yo...hush!" Todd said, settling into the armchair nearest the television. Lance and Scott took opposite ends of the couch, Jamie perching on one arm of the furniture, while Remy took the recliner, all training their eyes on the television and trying to ignore Tabby's simpering and posturing.
"You got crabs or somthin', gal? Can't you stop wigglin'?" Remy finally said, exasperated.
"Fuck you, Gumbo!" she seethed.
Lance rolled his eyes. _Here we go. _ "Man, that ain't no way to talk to a lady."
"Show us a lady and we'll talk to her properly," Scott muttered, loud enough to be heard.
Todd pushed himself to his feet, his reluctance nearly visible through his movements. "No one picks on one of the Brotherhood without out all of 'em comin' down on 'em!"
"I knew it!" Scott crowed, leaping to his feet. "You're still Brotherhood!"
Kurt chose that moment to 'port back in, the footsteps of his sisters growing louder as they raced up the hall to see what the yelling was about. Jamie licked his lips and drew himself up straight, doing his best to look imposing. "I refuse to be in the same house with Brotherhood trash!"
"I second that!" Kurt growled, his tail lashing violently. Tabby had the gall to look smug, shrinking back against the couch with a grin fit to split her face.
"What the Hell is going on in here?" Jubilee snapped, crowding the doorway with Kitty and Jean. Storm hovered behind, a knowing but cool look on her face.
"We were just telling the Brotherhood scum that they could leave!" Scott snarled, keeping his answer vague for the benefit of Lance and Todd.
"You what?" Kitty gasped, sounding horrified. Kurt gave her a mental round of applause for her performance. If he had not told her himself, he would have thought she had no idea what they were doing.
"Kurti!" Katja hissed in his ear, tones reminiscent of their mother, "Sei nett zu Todd! Er hat nichts Falsches getan!"1
Erika pushed forward and tugged on her brother's arm to make him break his death-glare towards Tabby. "Sei nicht gemein, Kurt. Nicht jetzt2..."
Anja sighed. Kitty's wide eyes begged her not to renege so, in her best pitiful voice, the one reserved for asking if she could go out to a party or see a film when her parents already said she could not, she drawled, "Klappe!"
There was a moment's pause before Scott sighed and said resolutely, "I want this Brotherhood trash out of the mansion by dawn." He turned on one heel and stormed from the room, followed closely by Jamie and Remy. Kurt stood still for a moment, looking between his sisters and Kitty before saying quietly, "I'm sorry." He was gone in a blink, leaving Tabby alone with the women.
"What the Hell did you do, Boom Boom?" Jubilee growled, coming forward. She knew it was all an act on behalf of the boys but she could not resist a chance to wale on Tabby.
"Not one damned thing..." she smiled. "But I'm thinking I may have to thank Lance in person later for sticking up for me..."
Amara shoved her way between Kitty and Jean. "Like Hell."
"Ooooh..what're you gonna do? Burn me? Flame on3, bitch..." Tabby pushed herself to her feet and lunged towards Amara. Kitty was quicker, though and had Amara in phase before her flames could flare up, making Tabby pass through the both of them and land heavily on the low coffee table between the television and the couch.
"Wow," Erika breathed. "sie gehört wirklich in den Zirkus... sie wäre genial als Asisstentin eines Zauberers!" 4
Storm's voice cut the burgeoning fight. "Tabitha, go to your room. Amara, Jean, finish putting awhe lhe leftovers. Jubilee, bring me the rest of the dishes from the dining room."
"Um, we're gonna go, like, do....stuff.KittKitty said, motioning for the Wagners to head out of the rec room, following them with a backwards glance to see Tabby glaring mutinously at Storm. Once they were in the foyer, she pulled Katja aside. "You have it?"
"Ja...leave it to us. We'll get her..." She looked at her sisters a moment then pulled Kitty into a hug. "You know," she whispered fiercely, "when Mama told us about her visit here, I never thought you'd be so much fun..."
Kitty found herself returning the hug and laughter spilling out of her lips before she could silence herself. "Fun? I'm corrupting minors!"
"Ja...and don't think we don't appreciate it!"

The sisters trailed Tabby to the upstairs study, chattering away as if they had no idea she was present. They settled into a settee along the bay window, talking animatedly while Tabitha glared. "You guys gonna go?" she finally snapped.
Erika, Katja and Anja exchanged confused glances. Finally, Anja spoke. "Du bist eine dumme Kuh!"5
"Speakee English?" Tabitha scowled. "Stupid foreigners. Can't even speak a normal language.
Erika smiled sweetly. "Ich bin ein Holzfäller und mir geht's gut..."6
Anja choked on a giggle and said conversationally, "Kurt sollte dich in eine Wand teleportieren. Zweimal."7
Tabitha snorted. "I caught Elf's name, but that's it..." She narrowed her eyes at them and asked snidely, "So you really can't understand me? If I said you were all a bunch of stupid twits with mush for brains if you're gonna keep following Kitty around, you would have no idea what I said?"
The girls smiled pleasantly at her and Anja said "Arschloch."8
"Didn't think so..." Tabby went around the desk and dialed a number. "If I find out you're spying on me, I'll flay you."
Katja smiled politely and turned back to her sisters. With small movements, she turned the tape recorder under her sweater on and angled herself to face Tabby. Her sisters' conversation turned to a low murmur and Katja willed her heart not to be so loudly as Tabby spilled her sordid tale into the phone.

He did not expect her to come to him, much less like this. Logan felt like slashing the living daylights out of something when a gentle hand on his shoulder made him turn suddenly, growling low before he realized who it was. "Sorry..."
"It's fine, Logan. Just thought you looked like you wanted to talk." Storm sat down on the bench lining the Danger Room wall.
"Earlier you didn't want to...in fact, you ran like your tail was on fire," he grumbled, sitting down next to her but careful not to touch her.
"I regret my childish actions...but I was scared, to be honest."
"Scared? Of what? Me?" Logan raised his brow at her and felt a little amused.
"Not of you..." she sighed. "Just of us."
"Us? Why?"
"What are we? Logan, you're basically my best friend and we were lovers for a night. Do you want that? To be friends who seek comfort in each other's bodies?"
"What else is there?" he breathed, leaning close to her. She smelled faintly of flowers but the overlying odors of dinner were much stronger, though not unpleasant. _Huh. Storm smells like pumpkin pie...heh. _
"There's...there's more. I'm not sure what, but more." Her eyes were hooded with tiredness and stress as she turned to face him, not at all surprised to find he had moved closer. "Logan, I think it's obvious I am inexperienced with men."
"Physically, but I know you are much better at the emotional side of being human than I am. 'Ro, I don't want to hurt you. I'm afraid I will. I know I will."
"If we were together, would you be unfaithful?"
"No," he said, sounding disdainful.
"Would you strike me? Insult me? Let me walk all over you?"
He snorted. "Never in a million years!"
"Then you won't hurt me. Arguments only hurt for a moment and can be forgiven. Differences of opinion make life interesting. Neither of those will hurt me."
"Am I what you want?" he husked.
Storm drew a deep breath in through her nose and exhaled slowly before responding. "Yes."
His slow move towards a kiss was broken by the hiss of the Danger Room door sliding open. "Hey guys!" Jamie called brightly. He was followed by Rahne and Jubilee, each looking tired and more than a little annoyed.
"What're you three doing here?" Logan asked with the faint trace of a growl.
Jubilee sighed. "Jamie had too much sugar. He needs to burn it off before going to bed otherwise we'll all be up when he starts watching monster movies again."
"Hey! I can't help it if Frankenstein helps me sleep!" Jamie whinged, crossing his arms over his chest indignantly.
"O'course he does, sweetie," Rahne chuckled. "Just like Mel Gibson in a kilt helps me sleep..."
"What's that supposed to mean?" he huffed.
"Not a thing..." she kissed him chastely on the nose and Jubilee made gagging noises. "If ye don' like it, scat!" Rahne said, muffled as Jamie kissed her cheek.
"Logan, make 'em stop!" Jubilee begged.
"Guys...break it up..." he sighed half heartedly. _Can't really fault 'em when I was about to do the same thing... _ "Keep an eye on 'em Sparky...we got grownup stuff to talk about..."
Jubilee growled at him. "Don't call me Sparky."
"I'll call you Sparky so long as you call me Wolvie..." he jerked his head for Storm to follow him and smiled evilly at Jubilee. "Night Sparky." Her protest was cut off by the sliding of the door.
Storm smiled as they rode up in the elevator. "You bait her."
"I live for it." Logan grinned. "Now...as we were saying," he said softly, leaning in close.
"Not here..." she said, equally soft. "Bedroom."
"Are you sure?" he asked, not quite daring to imagine.
"Yes..." The doors slid open and she walked out ahead of him, not looking back as she led the way up the stairs and down the hallway to her room, more private than his since it was around the corner from the students' bedrooms, secluded in a little-used hallway.
"I've never been in here before," he commented as she turned on a lamp. The sitting room was small but well appointed, the door to the bedroom open enough for him to see gauze drapes swathing a wide bed.
"Welcome, then." Storm smiled. "Would you like some tea?"
"Um...no. Are you nervous?" he asked, amusement glinting in his voice.
"Not so much nervous as...well, yes. I suppose I am." She laughed softly. wou would think this was my first time, not last time."
Logan approached quietly but swiftly, taking her by the arms and drawing her close. "Darlin', there's nothin' you need to worry about. I won't hurt you."
Storm was not sure if he meant physical or emotional pain, but she nodded as if acceptine ste statement for what it was worth. He lowered his head to kiss her but she drew back slightly. "Logan," she asked quietly, "do you think you could love me one day?"
Logan tensed. He cared about her. Deeply. So deeply, he reflected, that it cut him to the quick to think of life without her. But love was a word that tasted unfamiliar on his tongue. He did not remember his life before but love was one of the things that set of warning bells in his mind, dragging up _betrayal, pain, lies... _ Things he did not want to associate with Storm. " 'Ro..." he sighed. "Don't ask me that."
"I need to know. Because I think it is entirely possible and quite probable that I could love you. That I do love you."

1 Be nice to Todd! He hasn't done anything wrong!
2 Kurt, don't be mean. Not now.
3 I have no idea why I keep using the Human Torch's line for Amara's powers. It works...
4 She has got to join the circus...she's kill as a magician's assistant!
5 You're a stupid cow! (translations courtesy of Foxfeather...she wears many hats...lol)
6 I'm a lumberjack and I'm okay. (Monty Python...in German!)
7 Kurt should port you into a wall. Twice.
8 asshole