Fractals

Fractals (NC-17)

Disclaimers: I own nothing. I make no profit from this work of fan fiction and anything you recognize belongs to Marvel/WB or other named entities that I’ll make sure and credit within unless it’s a commonly known brand such as Coca Cola, etc. Further, this work contains mention and/or description of sexual activity of many varieties and violence. If this bothers you, leave now. Notice the pretty rating at the top? That means that if such content is forbidden to you for whatever reason, bugger off. It’s not my fault if you get in trouble for reading this so don’t come whining to me if you gaughaught. That said… *GLOMP * for reading this and reviewing!

A/N Goddess Foxfeather, Queen of Mad Plotbunnies, BUSIEST WOMAN ALIVE ™, Prophetic Muse, Hamster Witch and Uberbeta… wheeeeeeeeeee! Mrwol! InterNutter, TC, Maxwell Pink and Dracena are wondermous and sparkley for archiving/hosting. ProPhile, yes there will be smut! Morgan: *poke * Readers/Reviewers: Thank you thank you thank you for sticking with me so far! *GLOMP * The ducks sing your praises…

“You’re late…”
Jamie barely had time to voice the first syllable of his response before he was plastered all over with travel-worn Scottish girl.1 When she finally let him breathe, he grinned goofily at her and said, “Logan got stuck in traffic.”
She grinned back, her eyes crinkling in amusement. “That man gives road rage a whole new name. Come on, help me with my bags.” She grabbed the two carry ons and left Jamie the checked luggage, which seemed to weigh a ton. “I brought back souvenirs for everyone,” she called over her shoulder as he struggled to keep up.
“Like what? An entire castle?” he muttered, half dragging, half carrying the suitcase as they headed to where Logan stood, propping up a pillar.
“Ha. No. Just knick knacks and such…” She stopped and waited for him to draw even before grabbing one side of the suitcase and lifting it so they could carry it between them.
Sometimes Jamie did not like the fact his girlfriend was stronger than he was, partially due to her mutation, but at times like this, he was very glad of it. “Thanks. My fingers were going all numb… So how did the, um…you know. How’d it go?”
Rahne’s face was carefully neutral as she paused to let a large woman with a screaming passel of children stampede by. “I’ll tell you about it later,” she promised in a tone as flat as her expression.
Jamie nodded and did not press any further, though he did glance at her collar bone to see that her crucifix still hung there. _Doesn’t mean anything, _ he told himself. _It’s not like stripping rank or something. They can’t stop her from wearing it even if they did excommunicate her… _ “Kitty’s coming home today, too,” he offered brightly, sounding overly enthusiastic about the whole thing. “Kurt’s gone overboard making her dinner and getting flowers and all this romantic stuff.”
Rahne snorted. “She’s been gone five days and they talk every night, according to her email. And she’s leaving again Sunday night! That boy has issues.”
He shrugged. He could kind of see Kurt’s point in everything to do with Kitty. He sometimes felt like going overboard for Rahne, too, until he reminded himself that Rahne, unlike Kitty, would not accept it all with a blush and smile and kissing thanks but rather a _look _ that bespoke uncomfortable embarrassment. “Emma came back from Boston on Wednesday… She said the new school’s gonna be done soon. They went ahead and put a pool in that hole Lance made.”
She laughed outright at that. “The Lance Alvers Memorial Swimming Pool and Sun Deck. He’d appreciate that, I’m sure.”
Jamie shrugged again, smiling faintly. “Only if it was all girls.” They dodged one more group of tourists on their way somewhere and finally drew to a stop before Logan. “Found her!” Jamie said unnecessarily but feeling the need to announce their presence officially.
Logan nodded, looking mildly amused. “I see those tracking lessons paid off. How was the flight?”
Rahne sighed. “ Bad food, smelly seatmate, and I think customs stole my panties2. Other than that, decent.” She relinquished the suitcase to Logan, and smiled. “And I’m starving! Can we stop somewhere on the way home?”
Logan’s answering smile was genuine. “Ah, Kurt’s mother is still visiting. She’s insisted on making dinner tonight since it’s the last Friday before the new term at the school.”
The Scottish girl raised her eyebrows. “She’s still here? Doesn’t she miss home?”
“Yeah,” Jamie responded before Logan could, “but she and Kitty have some plan going on that’s driving Kurt nuts and neither one will tell him what it is.” He made a face. “I just hope it doesn’t end up in someone getting kidnapped, hurt or worse…”
“A plan?” Rahne mused, shaking her head and following Logan towards the exit. “I swear, living with her is a continual Scooby Doo episode.”
“Her dad’s still in the hospital,” Jamie put in, though he was not sure why. He noticed Logan seemed to stiffen at that and mentally kicked himself for mentioning the much despised Mister Pryde. “Um…oh, look. It’s gonna rain!”
Rahne sighed and laced the fingers of her free hand through his. “I’m glad you came to pick me up,” she murmured as they headed towards the parking area. “I missed you terribly.”
Jamie swallowed the giggle that rose in his throat, damning the childish response. “I missed you too. A lot.” They fell into silent step behind Logan, not speaking again until they neared the station wagon borrowed from the garage for the day. There, lingering in the parking garage behind it, was a man carrying a rather professional looking camera. “Um…” Jamie murmured, glancing at Logan who had stopped in his tracks. “Friend of yours?”
“Can I help you?” Logan asked in his best “fuck off and die” tone, setting Rahne’s suitcase down and approaching the man with his hands stuffed in his jacket pockets. “Lost?”
The man looked momentarily startled, then smiled brightly. “I’m from the Daily Planet3,” he began, but Logan cut him off.
“And we’re from Mars. See ya at the next alien convention.” He nodded at the other two and they scrambled to drag Rahne’s luggage to the car.
“Look,” the russet-haired man began, sounding less sure of himself, “I just want to take a picture of you guys and I’ll leave you alone.”
Jamie frowned. “The Daily Planet… isn’t that the paper The Bugle4 is in competition with?”
Rahne narrowed her eyes. “Both of them aren’t fit to line a birdcage with. Come on.” She clambered into the car and slammed the door behind her, staring straight ahead. Jamie followed suite, climbing into the front seat and leaving Logan alone to deal with the stranger.
“I hate doing this,” the red head muttered. “Look, Mister, I’m just doing my job. Let me get a shot of you leaving and I won’t bug you any more.”
Logan smiled thinly. “Why do you need a picture of some people picking up a friend from the airport? Is the Planet that hard up for news?”
“You’re mutants!” the photographer interjected. “Readers want a picture of mutants!”
Logan’s hand shot out, one claw extended, and he sliced the camera strap around the young man’s neck, his booted heel coming down on the now-ruined camera with a crunch. “Then tell them to rent _Toxic Avenger5_.”
1 I admit…heavily inspired by a line from “Barrayar” by Lois McMasters Bujold in which Lieutenant Koudelka was “plastered all over with tall, grubby blonde.” Good book. Go read it.
2 Actually happened to a deceased friend of mine. Well, before she was deceased. She went to Mexico for her honeymoon andn thn they came back and she got her suitcase from the conveyor belt thingy at Logan Airport, it had that customs “we’ve pawed your things” tape all over it and all of her underwear was missing. She was not amused.
3 Yes! A crossover and it’s only the first chapter! If you guess who it is, I’ll give you a gold star.
4 Spider Man, Spider Man, Friendly neighborhood Spider Man… And no, it’s not him.
5 One of THE WORST MOVIES EVER!!!!!