Meaow! or... the kittens strike back!
OOC.. sigh I should be doing so many other things.... but my cat told me to do this and sooo
Sunday March 18th
...............
There were some things that didn’t seem to operate the same way in the Institute as they did in the rest of the world. And time was one of them! Three days! 72 little hours. How could you be expected to locate someone in such a short delay? And yet…. knowing how hard Scott had focused on the case .. *And lets face it* ,Logan admitted, *No one can focus quite like old one eye when he gets going*and there should have been some progress. Add to that all the infinite resources at his command….. police records, shield files, Interpol, you name it they had access to it…. authorised or not….
And yet still there had been nothing. No parents searching for a lost child of Chris’s description on any media whatsoever. No desperate heart wrenching pleas for his return. Which meant that things had just got a whole lot more complicated. If Chris had been a mutant they could have used Cerebro to trace his parents. But that wasn’t the case . He was just a normal little boy who had been picked up by this meddling Amlarie and dropped in Logan’s lap without any warning. Not that Wolverine imagined for one moment that that was what she had intended. No. It was more than clear that she thought he was the worst father in the world. Otherwise, or at least according to Connor anyway, why would she have intervened in the first place?
Crap! He wasn’t going to reach back into that screwed up mess and try to draw some sense out of it. All he knew was that he had a kid on the back of his Harley, holding on to him as if counted for something and damn it maybe he did. Because ,..for whatever reason, no matter how twisted, as far as Chris was concerned ,emotionally Connor was his brother and in the end that was all that mattered.
Ok. Maybe Amlarie had been thorough…merciful even in her own strange way… Perhaps she had wiped his parents minds, making them forget they had even had a son…Logan’s soul leapt with outrage , fighting against such an abomination and yet…. could he ever be sure that Weapon X hadn’t done the same thing to him? Just stepped in and destroyed a life he had lived?
Logan clung to the desperate hope that his son’s kidnapper had at least found an easier solution. That she had maybe just picked up some lost,unwanted child and tried to give him a home. Shit! That was just his heart talking. The heart that had begun to love Chris even in the few short days he had known him. If Amlarie’s view of things was anything to go by, then he could expect other parent to have been judged by the same harsh measure that he had been judged by .And that meant they could come up wanting. No matter how hard they had tried.
*Trust Scott. Just like you always have* Logan told himself as they sped along, Chris clinging happily to him, savouring only the bike ride and not the unspoken promise that somehow lay at the end of it. Three nights now the boy had shared Connor's room and while Logan knew his son was more than happy to have Chris there, he also knew how his intimate presence must have been difficult to assume. Given Connors intrinsic need for privacy and order.! Wolverine on the other hand had a double bed that hadn’t been used by anyone other than himself for more years than he chose to remember. And too much room for the life he confined himself to living. So if the search for Chris’s parents was going to take some time…..
The arrangements had already been made. One good thing about the school,at least as far as he was concerned! The infinite ability to rebuild. The girls were already going to be absent, Gambit was taking Connor under his wing…… all he had needed to do was to take Chris on a more than welcome bike ride… an unsuspected and unanounced shopping trip to chose furniture for a new bedroom.. While they made cut his in half. Just in case Chris stayed…
No more than that…… whatever happened, a promise that he had a place in their lives…He loved Connor. That wasn’t going to change. No matter what he thought of Logan. And what could he think of me? Not much thats for sure! SHIT!!!!!
There are few things more disconcerting when you are on shifting along on a Harley, even at a reasonable speed ,than car in front throwing something out of the window into your lane. It was an everyday problem Not some all powerful, entity trying to destroy the world. Or a mutant hating faction intent on your own death Just enough to bring a bike to a sudden unpredictable halt, your unstoppable heart thudding as you suddenly realised what a fragile passenger you were carrying.
The thrown bag was now on the hard shoulder but that didn’t matter. Wolverine had been trained in combat in ways no government would ever want to acknowledge; Number plate , vehicle, personal scent , all were stored in his terrible memory as they sped to a halt. “Wait here’ he told Chris as he went to see what was so important that it could have caused the boys death.
In the end it was just a rucksack, half opened, unremarkable, except for the faint sounds coming from inside. His claws were already out, cutting through the fibre, giving the creatures within the air and light they so desperately needed. Kittens! Too young to have been separated from their mother! Four heads poking insistently in his direction. One grey , one speckled, one marked with brown and black and the last as blackas night. Demanding, helpless…
This wasn’t what he was supposed to do. He was trained not to care. To take any life that crossed his path. Or ….. he had been before Jean, before Xavier, oh lord, before Michelle. Now all he could do was to stand and relate to their cries. Orphans! Like him. Like Chris !And that was what sealed it! Damn! This wasn’t possible! But it looked like his family had suddenly got bigger! And those who had threatened them..... did so at their own risk!
There's just somethin' wild inside me pullin' me to do things I don't understand.
I can't figure it. It's like tryin' to explai
It was almost scary in some ways, being pulled from Connor’s side and taken from the school, it seemed all so friendly, and yet so often had Chris been pulled aside in the same manner only to be left alone. While part of Chris refused to think Connor would let him just disappear, another part understood that this wasn’t his family, it wasn’t his place… There was a polite obedience that hinted at Chris’s uncertainty and yet Logan had proved he cared for Connor so much and that helped Chris accept that should he leave at least Connor would be safe… After all, this was Connor’s home, Connor’s life, just because he didn’t remember anything didn’t mean it wasn’t his and Chris had wondered what would come of him in the grand scheme of things. Even Connor hadn’t been certain and promises of always keeping in touch were all that kept Chris brave as he had climbed onto the bike and entrusted himself into the sole company of Connor’s father. The man had been rather frightful in the mall, the claws still rang in Chris’s mind and the child wondered often about them… like… did they hurt when they came out? Logan hadn’t flinched… but they looked so painful! Did he use them to hurt people? The questions seemed to come at the most inopportune times and Chris was usually distracted on something else quickly enough.
Like now, the first time the two had ever really been alone together and Chris was far from the frame of mind to ask random questions, too busy trying to figure out what was going on and where he was being taken. From talk it had sounded as if they were coming back, and yet too often Chris’s mother would pull the same trick and as suspected the child yet again found himself alone. He never looked at the game ‘hide and seek’ the same way any more, instead of fun and mystery it brought a sense of neglect and loneliness. Though at least she did return, sometimes it was just hours… but other times it could be days or weeks… it just depended on what she managed to get, there had been times when she’d just drop in with some food for him, sometimes a set of clothes, then returned to whatever thing she was part of that gave her the money to afford such things.
Living here it seemed so easy to survive, the place was huge and everyone had fresh food and clean clothes and Chris had never had so many baths in his recent years as he had the last two weeks! A cold shower from the pouring rain was usually the best he got unless he managed to get himself grimy and had to seek out some public toilets to try and clean himself off in the sinks. Whenever his mother took him to the beach they’d use the showers there but he never had things like shampoo or conditioner or soaps! Connor set him his first bubble bath the other night and Chris had been blown away by the bubbles and had splashed around with some random toys Arisa had found for him for a good hour before Connor suggested he get out. It had been amusing for the boys as Chris run around worried about his skin getting wrinkled and Connor had played off earlier words the boy had said on their arrival to the apartment and asked if Chris had been getting his sleep or was feeling cranky.
The experience had been wonderful and Connor had put on some healthy weight since meeting up with Connor, so with a content stomach and fresh clothes on his back, Chris was able to say that he went in with nothing and left with so much more. Tiny hands clung tightly as the bike sped off, yet more questions sprung to mind, how did Logan know how to work this thing, how did it move so fast, how did he know he’d not crash into the other cars on the road? How did Logan know where he was going? So many roads and side streets and it seemed so easy to get lost and yet Connor’s dad looked as if he knew exactly where he was going, so did all the other cars on the road. Though even simple things like road signs went amiss with the kid, who never attended any schooling and so lacked essential skills such as reading, amongst any number of other core basics.
Despite the initial scare Logan had given, since then he’d proven to be nothing like how Amlarie had made him out to be, the boys had talked about their views on him a little and both had more positives to say at this point then negatives. Madison was scary though… but Arisa was nice! It was easy to see the girls had good connections with their elder brother and yet not with each other, and Chris asked Arisa about it briefly and she came short with replies, seeming to struggle for any definitive response though Connor had come to offer a distraction.
The sudden stop threw Chris from all thoughts, both the faint worries and uncertainty as well as the thrill of the sense of speed he wasn’t at all used to experiencing. The little heart thudded away quickly as his tiny grasp tightened with all his might at the bike abruptly jerked to a halt.
“Wait here’ The words were commands that Chris obeyed and yet they were hardly harsh ones and unlike his mother’s ‘wait here till I get back’ statements this one didn’t seem to leave the same air of concern. Then again, Logan would hardly walk off on him, not while Chris sat planted firmly on the bike. The youth however watched on curiously as Logan went to investigate, the child not at all aware of how close to fatality such encounters risked bringing. Those claws!! A flash of metal caught Chris’s eyes and the boy watched on in amazement, all those questions flooding back and yet Logan was off examining the back and somehow Chris worried about disturbing him… Some people really didn’t like being disturbed, a lot of the guys his mother had hung around with hated it when Chris bothered them, though usually Chris never saw them more then once or twice and so he tried to never let it bother him. Kittens! Faint noises sparked a greater interest towards the bag as Logan cut it open and suddenly small little kittens were peeking out!
"…Kitties!" Chris had grown up with a fair few ally cats scattered about his home but he rarely ever got to see kittens and they looked so helpless, unlike the street wise adult felines who could get skittish and mean quickly on the wild streets of the city, much like some of the homeless people too! "They fell out of the car, will the people come back for them?" Sitting across the street watching families walk in and out of pet shops often let Chris see how thrilled people got when getting pets and it never once clicked that someone would actually try and get rid of them, especially in such a manner!
Re: Meaow! or... the kittens strike back!"…Kitties!" So much wonder and enthusiasm in one little word, though the boys voice soon turned to concern ! "They fell out of the car, will the people come back for them?" So….. he was that innocent was he, not knowing how cruel or unfeeling people could be even to the most helpless of creatures? Crap, especially to the most helpless creatures. That was something Logan had realised decades ago. It was why he taught all those under his care how to fight. The students His children. So that when the world turned on them, as it inevitably would they could protect themselves Just in case he wasn’t there to protect them.
If Chris stayed with them then Logan would train him too he realised suddenly. And he would inevitably be caught up in the dangerous game that played itself out around Wolverine and his family. Was that really a place for a kid? One who hadn’t been born into the danger like Connor and the girls. Wouldn’t it be better in the end if…… What? He dumped him somewhere along the way? Just like these kittens had been dumped. Because he knew that’s what it would feel like, for the boy, for Connor, for himself, even if he tried hard to make sure Chris went to a good home.
Screw this! His home wasn’t normal but that didn’t make it bad. At least there Chris was already loved and that surely had to count for a lot. And Logan would damned well make it as safe as he could and as welcoming, a proper place for the boy to stay till they found his folks. Or for as long as he wanted to if they didn’t find them. The kittens wriggled in his arms, drawing his attention back to their small questioning faces. Wolverine sighed…… just like it would be for these three as well he suspected.
In the meantime he had some explaining to do and he wasn’t looking forward to it. That didn’t mean that he hesitated. “They didn’t fall kid. They were pushed” he said gruffly hating the truth but not offering the boy anything less. “Looks like someone doesn’t think kittens are cute!” It was a casual everyday cruelty, a dismissal of small lives that angered Wolverine more deeply than he would have expected. Though he kept the emotion locked away more concerned with Chris at that point than with any thoughts of revenge! For the moment at least.
Anyway” he went on not realising that his face softened as he looked at the bag and its mewling contents, even if it did still wear a rather perplexed frown. “They don’t stand a chance out here on their own. They’re too small, too young to make it by themselves.” The claws were gone now, Logan’s hands gentle as he scratched insistent heads. “They should still be with their mother but since they’re not……. “ He held the ruined rucksack out to the small boy with the ghost of a smile “Looks like we’ll have to take care of them. “ he announced “What do you say Chris. Can you help me do that?”
There's just somethin' wild inside me pullin' me to do things I don't understand.
I can't figure it. It's like tryin' to explai
Re: Meaow! or... the kittens strike back!
“They didn’t fall kid. They were pushed” Pushed? That didn’t make sense, why would someone throw kittens out of a moving car? That was cruel to do it on purpose, what if they had gotten hurt! “Looks like someone doesn’t think kittens are cute!” The comment was taken as the reason why the felines were left behind and Chris frowned a little, they were cute, and he spent his life wanting a pet and yet his mother said he was never allowed to get one, it required food and she just didn’t want to have another mouth to feed, even if there were enough strays on the streets to adopt one for free. Chris loved a scruffy little dog that lived in the area and he sometimes snuck food to the small male canine but only when his mother wasn’t around to catch him doing it. In Chris’s mind that dog was his friend, though it had only been a few months Chris wasn’t as upset when his mother left as it meant he could spent time up by the bridge with some of the older children or by the city docks where ‘Scruffy’ hanged about. Not the most intellectual of names but the hotdog man called the five year old sandy furred runt his scruffy friend and so over the months of the dog swinging by for the seller’s leftovers Scruffy was officially named, the rugged tangled coat hinted the fact that it was a homeless animal.
Perhaps that’s why Chris liked the dog so much, that and the ally cats weren’t as playful, usually they ran off, or stayed completely clear of people. Chris wasn’t familiar with how affectionate the felines could be when raised in a proper home, but that didn’t mean the boy wasn’t still really hurt at the thought of them being neglected as these kittens were!
"Anyway” Dark eyes lifted to meet Logan’s own and Chris watched the slight shift of the elder mans expression, every day the scary image from the mall seemed to be dwindled down by the fact that regardless of how frightening Logan could act, he could still act the exact opposite and as far as guys go he and Connor were both really nice, unlike how Chris’s mother described the entire male race… to the point where Chris felt almost guilty he was a son instead of a daughter when his mother really got to the brink of tears on the matter. That and Missy had occasionally gone on about how she had so been looking forward to a girl and with the hate in her voice towards so many guys it only fuelled the fact that sometimes Chris felt she would have liked it so much more if he was born a girl. It was only a good thing that his mother never mentioned that she’d so expected and hoped for a girl that Chris was really Christine, her mothers name, and she’d been calling the unborn baby Chrissy for short, playing off how grand it would be to have their nick names so similar, like best friends most young mothers dreamed of being with their baby girls. A boy name was never decided and when the time came she only shortened Christine to Chris for her lack of personal attachment to any male names that came to mind back then.
“They don’t stand a chance out here on their own. They’re too small, too young to make it by themselves.” In truth Chris didn’t agree with that, yes it was dangerous but that didn’t mean it couldn’t be done, some of them may die, but it was still possible for one or two to make it to adulthood if not all. They’d just have to figure out how to survive, where and what to eat, how to adjust to different situations. If you were homeless in the winter chances of freezing to death were high and so if you didn’t learn and adapt then you had no hope, and one survival tactic for Chris’s mother had been breaking into abandoned buildings… at least it got them out of the cold and there were abandoned apartments that were homes to a fair few runaways… However as a result that meant that people from the government would swing by to scout the area more often, like they did with most large hang out spots where homeless or runaways stayed.
And chris was doing ok on his own… though his current trick of survival had been random luck that hooked him up with Connor and now Connor’s family, just like random luck had allowed these kittens to be hooked up with this family, and in the end that’s all that some people in Chris’s position ever had, the hope for some random luck to bless them in such ways.
“They should still be with their mother but since they’re not…….” Chris lowered his eyes a little, missing his own mother’s voice, wondering where she was, if she had returned from wherever she vanished off to yet or if she was still out. Chris loved his mum and he may not be happy with some things she did but that didn’t stop him from caring about her, he figured he just didn’t understand the things that pulled her away and remained convinced that she loved him but had to do it for the both of them… And since Missy, the only name Chris knew for his mother though it was shortened from Melissa, often returned with some petty cash for food or even came with fresh clothes or a blanket or something they could use to keep warm or store their stuff, it meant Chris could more happily go with such convictions of love and support.
The damaged bag was held out towards Chris and the boy looked up with some surprise, staring at the meowing creatures and a softness striking the youths eyes as he reached out to pet them carefully.
“Looks like we’ll have to take care of them.“ It was like something from a dream! An adult actually offering to care for stray animals! Chris grew up for nine years being told how animals just stole what food was available for people to scrounge up and the only good they were for was for eating! Chris would never eat a kitten or dog! The boy had a stronger taste for fruits and salads but wasn’t really put off meat as such, if he got to try out a wider range of foods he’d start to realize though he really loved his salads, fruits and veggies. Oddly enough he had a strange affinity towards potatoes, no matter how they were served, he would eat them with eagerness. Then again, Chris was tending to eat his meals as if someone was on the verge of snatching it up from in front of him, which made it hard to see which types of foods he preferred. There was so much food though… Chris sometimes daydreamed about taking some of his share on his plate down to his old home to give to his ‘uncles’, but he was scared if he left he’d not be allowed to come back, or if
“What do you say Chris. Can you help me do that?” A grin came across Chris’s features, no one ever really wanted him taking care of ‘important’ things as he was always too young, though he’s never been asked to do anything serious aside taking care of himself… But taking care of himself and taking care of little kittens was a world of difference in his eyes and he wanted to prove he could be reliable! That eagerness however didn’t stop the concern over all the things his mother and others have said about owning pets.
"What if there isn’t enough food because you share it all with them, you won’t eat them when all the food is gone will you?" After one of the older guys going on about how he found a cat and fattened it up as best as he could with mice and unwanted scraps and whatever else only so he could later eat it meant that Chris rally did believe the other people who commented on the fact the only good a pet was for them was to be eaten and it always upset the child. People would take their dogs for walks and play and laugh and it wouldn’t be a lie to say there were times Chris had actually been jealous of the affection and care a spoiled pet got. Not anymore though… not with Connor and now Arisa and while Madison still unnerved the boy she wasn’t unpleasant to him and Logan was seeming very nice. That didn’t mean Chris never wanted to see his mother again, but it did mean he was happy and the idea of leaving here was getting more and more painful as every day passed onto yet another.
Re: Meaow! or... the kittens strike back!
The glorious smile that had lit up Chris’s face at Logan’s suggestion faded all to soon."What if there isn’t enough food because you share it all with them, Chris asked, his question wholly serious, eyes growing round with concern as he added. « you won’t eat them when all the food is gone will you?"
Logan blinked. Where would he get such an idea? Wolverine didn’t believe that Chris felt he was that much of an animal that he would go around randomly eating kittens. In fact he hadn’t sensed any real fear in the boy where he was concerned apart from his abiding one of being separated from Connor. So why was there suddenly this very real worry in his voice as if food could be reckoned more precious than the lives he held in his hands.
That wasn’t a concept that came easily to a child, or to an adult for that matter. Not unless they had known what it was to go without it. Was that the case with Chris? It wasn’t outside the bounds of possibility Logan supposed. The boy wasn’t exactly fat, in fact he was definitely on the skinny side. And Amlarie did seem to have this whole save the world complex going on even if it was badly misdirected. She could as easily have picked Chris up off the streets as taken him from a wealthy family she somehow disapproved of. That was the problem. The uncertainty of it all! Though Logan thought that just maybe a piece of the puzzle had slipped into place.
It was certainly something to be looked into, but for now there was still this taught fear in the boys stance that Logan hated to see and was determined to put to rest. “Hey kid” he said gently dropping to one knee so that his eyes were level with the boys and putting his hands gently on Chris’s shoulders. “Have you seen how much Connor and the girls eat? If I can afford to feed them then it’s not these little fellows who are going to pose a problem now is it? You don’t have to worry about things like that, Chris. We’re going to look after them just fine, I promise.”
Logan wasn’t always good at showing his emotions but when he did they were deep and true. There was a sincerity to him that was bone deep, a commitment to caring that was only partly to do with these strays they had picked up and everything to do with the lost boy who held them. He smiled now his rugged face looking surprisingly like his sons as he went on “But you are right. We need to buy them something to eat. And a few other things to boot! »
The sensible thing would have been to go back to the school, drop the kittens off and then set out to buy what they needed. But then that would have spoiled the surprise he had planned for Chris and Connor and somehow, in the light of what had just passed Logan felt that his new sleeping arrangements might be more important in Chris’s eyes than he had ever imagined.
So Logan rose to his feer and looked ruefully at the mewling kittens. Then he gave a bemused laugh. “Guess I should learn to use zips in the future he said surveying the damage his claws had done to the backpack. “It would certainly make transport a hell of a lot easier.” He took of his jacket and carefully wrapped it round the bag making it secure once more then looked at Chris. “Looks like we’re going to be taking that trip in the black van after all. ” he said with a grin activating his com badge. “Wouldn’t want to take any risks on the bike. Not with this many passangers anyway.”
There's just somethin' wild inside me pullin' me to do things I don't understand.
I can't figure it. It's like tryin' to explai
Re: Meaow! or... the kittens strike back!
“Hey kid” Logan fell gently to a knee, Chris wasn’t used to such close proximity and it was easy for him to get used to, playing with Connor was fun and being around people delighted the youngster, but he still felt strange since it wasn’t something that he was used to. A few blinks followed as Logan’s hands rested on Chris’s shoulders, the boys brown eyes dropping to stare at the floor as if bracing for some horrible talk about the needs out weighing the wants, food was needed, pets were wanted, if food was lacking, ‘pets’ made up for it, and that’s how things went. “Have you seen how much Connor and the girls eat? If I can afford to feed them then it’s not these little fellows who are going to pose a problem now is it? You don’t have to worry about things like that, Chris. We’re going to look after them just fine, I promise.” Looking up, Chris chewed his lower lip for a moment, wondering over the things Logan mentioned and then thinking back to how Connor and his sisters did eat a lot of food… Connor hadn’t eaten that much till he came home, sure he ate a lot before but not the amounts he was eating now.
Chris hugged the bag of shifting kittens, careful to make sure the ripped openings wouldn’t be let neglected to allow the tiny felines to fall through. It was hard not to believe everything this man said, Chris trusted Connor so deeply now and this man had his sons face, so many things were the same, they may not always have gotten on together but Chris knew that sometimes it was when people were too alike that really tore them apart.
“But you are right. We need to buy them something to eat. And a few other things to boot!” What other things Wolverine may mean was completely unknown to Chris who knew nothing about pet care products or anything of the like. The next couple of days would be real turning blocks in Chris’s life, in the very way he perceives life, nothing could prepare him for the simplicities that have already begun to form the basic foundations of relatively normal childhood, regardless of living in a school or having mutants under the roof Chris started calling home. A home was somewhere were you felt safe, a place where you felt loved and as long as Chris had Connor he had more then enough love to survive on. Though as Logan rose, a laugh rolling off his tongue so effortlessly, leaving Chris with a curious smile formed gently in the corners of his mouth.
“Guess I should learn to use zips in the future” Small lips pulled back into a more amused smile, instinctively Chris’s hands and eyes double checked to make sure everything was ok and the kittens were secure. Like Many children Chris was going to become attached to animals, filled with aspirations of becoming a qualified healer to animals, though more then that Chris would always aspire to understand their behaviours. Perhaps something that will help throw him on track to those dreams would be his connections with Connor, as well as Logan now, but Connor would often display animalistic tendencies, imprinting that close bond Chris has with his self appointed brother whenever he approaches stressed creatures. When an animal was scared it could get scary at the same time, especially wounded animals desperate to survive.
Everyone had problems, and some weren’t so easily understood, like Connor’s phobias or compulsions, but that didn’t mean just because it didn’t technically effect others around Logan’s eldest in the same manner that the problems weren’t serious. As long as Connor was around then his problems would be shared by the ones close to him, and Chris had seen what effects could be caused if someone didn’t respect someone else’s flaws or faults, it was important to keep an eye open for signs of strange behaviour because no matter how insignificant it may seem it may be really important. If Chris could learn to read the signs, if he could learn how to mend the problems, like he had seen Logan help ease Connor in the car the first day they met, then Chris knew he had a chance to help, Logan couldn’t be around all the time, in fact that was a problem Connor complained about. Neither could Chris though and the boy knew that, but still, for when he was around, he’d love to know how to help, and he’ll realize that helping ease stress would be a trait he’s good at, not only with people, but with animals as he finds them easy to bond with. If only given the proper chances, Chris could do well in studies towards behaviour and psychology, both in animals and humans. As hard as some people would find it to believe considering how far behind in schooling the nine year old was, he may be bright, but even bright kids need tools to help them grow.
“It would certainly make transport a hell of a lot easier.” As Chris fiddled with the bag Logan had earlier given to him, the elder man had removed his jacket, moving it towards the bundle in the boys hands and carefully wrapping it about to help support and stop any kittens accidentally slipping out. “Looks like we’re going to be taking that trip in the black van after all. ” It had taken a moment for Chris to realize what Logan was referring to, it had been a few days since they last discussed travelling in the other form of transport other than the motorbike after all. “Wouldn’t want to take any risks on the bike. Not with this many passangers anyway.” Another grin was made, more wider and excited now, no one had ever let anyone have this many pets before!! At least not as far as Chris knew, which may be limited but to Chris what he knew was all he could rely on and right now he felt like the most spoilt child on the planet.
"Does James like…" Chris paused in his excitement, there were the odd occasions he still said James instead of Connor, both of the boys seemed to keep slipping back into the false name but they used Connor in a majority of the times, and as things progressed they “Connor” was becoming more strongly connected to Logan’s son instead of the previous name they’d been using for the previous two weeks. "I mean Connor, would he be ok with kittens?" It was a tough one even if the answer seemed obvious, ever since Connor was able to point Michelle insisted more with an air of amusement that Connor was trying in his own way to try and express his desire for pets. Especially a dog, there had been times while out shopping Michelle almost caved in as Connor glued himself to the windows and watched the puppies, like all children he happily got lost in his trance and it didn’t help when Arisa also lit up at the sight of the pet store.
The problem, or reasons, they couldn’t own a pet, were because of the very children that longed so badly for them, Madison aside. Their middle child was far too self absorbed to want yet another attraction around to distract her brother. As much as Michelle knew the girls would likely put up with whatever a pet threw at them, and with their enhanced senses it would be a big burden to bare, only neither parent was quite sure how Connor would deal with things. His ever increasing need for cleanliness and order a growing concern and Michelle broke apart whenever she saw her son enter a stressed state… and having a pet was just asking for mess.
As the years passed Connor still had his fear of being too close to people, the fear his claws might slip out and hurt them always on his mind. The obsessive compulsions were always a chore to live with but other problems, especially the death of Michelle, only impacted things for the worse. That didn’t stop Connor’s desire for a pet, even if he no longer plastered his face against the windows at pet stores he’d show his interest in other ways, hanging about the stables had been a release for Connor, and the last few months he’d even been joining Riley for walks about the school with his friends young puppy. It was only in the last year or two that Logan’s son was starting to realize what his mother had been trying to gracefully explain to him as a child, and in some ways it hurt a little to only have others confirm that because of who he was he was denied yet another thing most kids were privileged with.
Re: Meaow! or... the kittens strike back! "Does James like…" If Logan no longer flinched every time he heard the name Amlarie had imposed upon his son, he still didn’t feel comfortable with it, little knowing that the reasons for his reaction went back much further than just the stress of the past days to a time when he had happily answered to the same name, little doubting what the future held in store .It would be nice though when Connor was just Connor again in the hearts and minds of everyone and the ‘James’ disappeared off the horizon. And Chris was doing his best to make sure that happened, quickly correcting his mistake as he said "I mean Connor, would he be ok with kittens?"
Once again the kid went straight to the heart of the matter asking the very same thing that Logan was asking himself. “To be honest Chris, that’s a hard question to answer” Wolverine acknowledged. “These little fellows are going to be messy that’s for sure… and we both know how Connor hates mess. Then there’s the whole question of the smell and the noise……….”
On the surface keeping them certainly looked like a recipe for disaster. But then Logan had known that from the first moment he had set eyes on them them. he had still decided to. Why? Because even if his head was screaming that this was lunacy his gut told him otherwise. And just for once, where his children were concerned , he was going to listen to it.
” Connors has always freaked out when things are out of place ever since he was a kid” Logan explained. “ It’s not his fault and just for once its not mine either. It’s just how he is.” It was true, just a fact they had to deal with even if sometimes it was hard for all concerned. Though in the end it was always hardest for Connor. “ Its kept him from doing a lot of things he’d like to have done though. Like having pets.
He always wanted a dog when he was little” he told Chris” and Arisa, well she was right up there encouraging him. We always said no though. We just didn’t think he could handle it.” Maybe they had been right. Or then again, maybe not. It didn’t matter now. It was done and there was no going back on it. Besides when Michelle had died hed hardly been able to look after the kids like he should have so the thought of adding an animal into the equation had been out of the question.
“But Connor’s not a kid anymore.” Wolverine went on softly “And though he maybe doesn’t realise it himself just yet, he grown to be strong and bright, capable of doing anything he puts his mind to. Even putting up with a little mess when it comes in a cute package!
You see Chris, parents always try to protect their kids from things that can hurt them. Even if like me they don’t always succeed. But…….. I don’t want to protect Connor so much that I keep him from living. Logan sighed. “Guess I’m not making much sense am I kid? Let just say that yes, these guys will stress him out sometimes but he could get just as upset over a shirt thrown on the floor or a cushion that’s out of place. And those things won’t bring him any of the fun or love that a kitten will.”
That was the bottom line really, wasn’t it. The overwhelming reason that he was wrapping the little cats up and taking them home! He wanted Connor to have that love. “That’s why I’m sure he’ll be fine with this” he said to Chris with a smile. “Better than fine. Because theres one thing about Connor that’s bigger than all of his problems put together. And that’s his heart.”
There's just somethin' wild inside me pullin' me to do things I don't understand.
I can't figure it. It's like tryin' to explai
Re: Meaow! or... the kittens strike back!
“To be honest Chris, that’s a hard question to answer” Although it was honest, Chris was still sad that Connor’s father couldn’t ease Chris’s worry by saying that Connor would be fine, that he’d be happy, he’d be ok. It hurt that there was no assurance, that even Logan couldn’t be sure. “These little fellows are going to be messy that’s for sure… and we both know how Connor hates mess. Then there’s the whole question of the smell and the noise……….” It wasn’t like the reasons Chris had been given in the past, it had nothing to do with lack of food or money, but instead the smell and noise? For Chris that wasn’t a problem, he grew up with people who were lucky to shower outside of rainy days… he was lucky if he could find a moment of silence living on the streets of New York.
” Connors has always freaked out when things are out of place ever since he was a kid” It was strange listening to Logan talk to him about Connor, it was hard because Chris had never had anyone discuss other peoples problems with him, he was just a kid, just a shadow, a shadow his mother said had to stay low and disappear whenever she had company. “It’s not his fault and just for once its not mine either. It’s just how he is.” A slight look in Chris’s eyes reflected the confused empathy that sparked at in his eyes at Logan’s words… so many people blamed Logan for so many things, but Chris wasn’t used to someone accepting the blame themselves, everyone else was always wrong, as far as adults go anyway, they were right, and children were too young to know anything. But this one seemed willing to be honest, seem to be open… and seemed to be just as hurt by his lack of relationship with his son as Connor had been with his father.
“Its kept him from doing a lot of things he’d like to have done though. Like having pets. He always wanted a dog when he was little” A small smile came, because it was nice to know that he and Connor had similarities, and while most kids wanted their pet, Chris grew up without being allowed one, and so had Connor. Both were in different lifestyles, but both had the same restrictions. “and Arisa, well she was right up there encouraging him. We always said no though. We just didn’t think he could handle it.” It must have hurt, not only Connor, but them, because it didn’t sound as if Logan… or the ‘we’ he mentioned, was really all that proud of their final decision.
“But Connor’s not a kid anymore.” The tone was thoughtful, soft, and Chris found his attention drawn to the kittens for a moment, watching the back carefully. “And though he maybe doesn’t realise it himself just yet, he grown to be strong and bright, capable of doing anything he puts his mind to. Even putting up with a little mess when it comes in a cute package!” That’s true… Connor put up with Sarah’s mess… not always in the most graceful of ways, but he tried to stop himself, especially when she caught him in the act, or when she’d watch him after he noticed something he felt he had to fix. Chris couldn’t understand why Sarah wouldn’t just let Connor move things about, let him clean her mess, let him do what he was urged to do to a point of frustration and stress should he be denied. Sometimes, the answers seemed to simple and obvious to Chris, and yet so many didn’t seem to see things in the same manner. Why did older people have to make things so difficult?
"You see Chris, parents always try to protect their kids from things that can hurt them. Even if like me they don’t always succeed. But…….. I don’t want to protect Connor so much that I keep him from living.” Being a parent sounded… complicated. Chris wasn’t sure he got it, his mother did weird things, and Connor’s father did weird things, at least compared to his mother… why wasn’t there some sort of universal parental behaviour, the way things were Chris wasn’t sure he’d ever be able to understand the way a parent was supposed to be. They were all too confusing… but there was something so different about Logan, something so defiant and wilful, some desperate need towards his son that was all too alien for Chris, and yet it seemed like a good thing. “Guess I’m not making much sense am I kid? Let just say that yes, these guys will stress him out sometimes but he could get just as upset over a shirt thrown on the floor or a cushion that’s out of place. And those things won’t bring him any of the fun or love that a kitten will.” And just like Connor would have the kitten’s love, he would have the love of Chris as well, of his family too it seemed.
“That’s why I’m sure he’ll be fine with this” There was a smile given to Chris and Chris offered a soft one right back. “Better than fine. Because theres one thing about Connor that’s bigger than all of his problems put together. And that’s his heart.” Yes! His heart, and that was something that Chris understood, that’s what was important to Chris, that Connor had a heart, a compassion, a strength. It was easy to see now where that part of him came from, though Chris wasn’t used to having two parents so he didn’t even wonder about Connor’s mother, all that existed was one parent, as long as there was one, that’s more then what many other kids had. Dark eyes looked up to study the face of the man, so unlike everything he had been led to believe and yet punishing himself for these mistakes that he had been accused of.
"Did you ever walk away from him because you had to?" The question came without being thoroughly thought out, in so many ways it surprised Chris, and his expression showed just that. It wasn’t because Chris wanted to know if some of the things said were true, it wasn’t because Chris was curious towards their relationship… it was just… he wanted to know if that’s what parents do. He didn’t really care if there were different reasons as to why, as long as it was done, because if it was, then it would be so much easier to forgive his mother for all those times he felt so scared and alone… while she was off somewhere else, with someone else, for hours, days, even long at various times. While Chris could deal with waiting on his own for an hour or a few hours, he could even cope having to sleep the night on his own or with his so called ‘uncles’… but when days passed, when a week became two? When his mother strolled up with a fresh pair of clothes or something to eat, looking well fed and decently clothed and clean, only to leave him again… While Chris was accepting, he wasn’t totally unforgiving… but he wanted to be.
Re: Meaow! or... the kittens strike back!
Talking things through with the kid had brought a certain peace, as if explaining to him had straightened out Logan’s thoughts and feelings into something that actually made sense. It wasn’t something that happened everyday. All too often Wolverine’s instincts simply took over. And while following them always seemed right at the time, he was often left afterwards wondering if he could have done better. If perhaps there had been another solution. One which a more rational person might have taken! One in which perhaps less blood would have flowed.
It didn’t help him knowing that usually when he acted that way it had been a question of life or death. Situations in which an instants hesitation could have meant the difference between coming home to his kids and leaving them without a father! Because in the end, for him, rules like that didn’t apply. Death was a perhaps constant companion, but not one who had ever been able to keep him in her grasp. Even if he had wanted to he didn’t seem to be able to die. Unlike all of those who had tried to hurt him or his family in the past.
Just for once though, he hadn’t been thinking along these lines. He had actually been thinking that this time he might just have got things right. Then Chris asked "Did you ever walk away from him because you had to?"and all the old doubts came rushing back
It must have shown in his eyes and the way his face set itself back into its familiar grim expression. “That all depends on what you mean by walking away” he said gruffly. It was a cop out and he knew it. And if this boy was going to be living with them then he deserved a proper answer Even if Logan didn’t particularly want to give it.
” I admit that I haven’t been there a lot of times when Connor and the girls needed me. he went on with a sigh. “That happens when you’re raising kids on your own. Things get in the way. Jobs. Obligations! Things that adults have to deal with.” Like saving the world, or trying to keep out of the hands of government organisations. The bigger picture you could call it. It was just funny how it so often managed to screw up the smaller one.
“You never think that something crucial is going to come up while you’re not there. So you do you best. You leave them somewhere safe, with someone you trust and expect that everything will be all right. And sometimes, no matter how hard you try it just isn’t.”
“But that isn’t walking away…..” How could he explain the difference except to say that the phrase made him think of abandonment, of refusing to be there when they needed you rather than just being caught out by what life flung at you. That was something he had done only once. Even if now he regretted it with all his heart! He had never spoken of it to anyone though his team mates had worked it out for themselves. It certainly wasn’t something he should have been discussing with a nine year old boy at the side of a road. But somehow here he was doing it anyway.
“There was one time… just one……. when I really thought that the best thing I could do for my kids was stay away.” It hurt even to talk about it. It brought it all back so clearly. Logan forced back his emotions as best he could but they still spilled over into his words. “Not because I wanted too you understand.. God no, it almost killed me to do it. But because I thought I’d make things even worse if I came back. Though now I’m not so sure. ”
“Hell kid” Wolverine said softly “I haven’t even told Connor that. And I’d be obliged if you didn’t either. He just thinks I didn’t give a damn. Thought, I mean. I suppose he’s forgotten that along with all the rest. Anyway.. one day … when things get less crazy……if they ever do. maybe I’ll talk to him and the girls about it. Who knows, they might even be able to forgive me. And then maybe, finally, Ill be able to forgive myself. ”
There's just somethin' wild inside me pullin' me to do things I don't understand.
I can't figure it. It's like tryin' to explai
Re: Meaow! or... the kittens strike back!
For a moment, as Chris had peered up expectingly at the older man, the youth realized with a slight worry that perhaps his question was not a nice one to have asked. It didn't seem to sit well with Logan and yet he still pushed himself to answer. “That all depends on what you mean by walking away” The small brow furrowed slightly, Chris didn't really see any other way one could 'walk away' other then liturally walking away.
"I admit that I haven’t been there a lot of times when Connor and the girls needed me." There was a time when Chris once had an ear infection, and it hurt so bad, but his mum couldn't do anything about it. It didn't hurt in his heart when she was there to comfort him, but it did hurt inside when she left him all alone to deal with the pain. Luckily his 'uncles' knew a doctor that was able to see him, she supported the homeless and offered free services and even though Chris got treated, he was scared without his mother there to assure him. He was just a kid back then, about six.. in the boys young mind he looked back and reflected with the impression it was so many years ago and he was so much more grown up now compared to back then.
“That happens when you’re raising kids on your own. Things get in the way. Jobs. Obligations! Things that adults have to deal with.” That's what Missy always said, Obligations... Chris grew to rather dislike that word, it seemed to pop up at all the wrong times. “You never think that something crucial is going to come up while you’re not there. So you do you best. You leave them somewhere safe, with someone you trust and expect that everything will be all right. And sometimes, no matter how hard you try it just isn’t.” Well... Chris supposed his mother figured that he was safe with his 'uncles', safe in their little alleyway collective. She always insisted that as long as he kept out of sight and didn't trust anyone that looked 'official' or 'strange' then he wasn't in any danger of being taken away or hurt.
“But that isn’t walking away…..” Now confusion really did settle over the boys expression, his eyes looking more keenly at Logan's face as if trying to crack a puzzle. If it wasn't walking away what was it? That sounded just like walking away to him.. and if one wasn't walking away, then what was one doing?
“There was one time… just one……. when I really thought that the best thing I could do for my kids was stay away.” The meowing bodies clutched within the bag lazily shifted about, brown eyes turned down to watch it for a moment, only to lift once more and stare the elder man in his face. “Not because I wanted too you understand.. God no, it almost killed me to do it. But because I thought I’d make things even worse if I came back. Though now I’m not so sure. ” It sounded complicated. Confusing! And hard to understand, perhaps for Logan as much as Chris himself, and the youngsters expression showed the attempts he made to try and understand what was being said, it was serious, and while Chris understood, at the same time he knew he was missing something, some big story to explain it all.
“Hell kid” The voice was quiet, and Chris felt as if his question was just as hard for Logan to answer, as it had almost been to ask. Uncertainties and confusion riddled the emotional words, both in Chris's question and the older mans reply. “I haven’t even told Connor that. And I’d be obliged if you didn’t either. He just thinks I didn’t give a damn. Thought, I mean. I suppose he’s forgotten that along with all the rest. Anyway… one day … when things get less crazy……if they ever do. maybe I’ll talk to him and the girls about it. Who knows, they might even be able to forgive me. And then maybe, finally, Ill be able to forgive myself. ” There was moment, one where Chris found himself wondering as he spoke if what he was just about to say were words he thought up himself or merely something he had heard somewhere else.. in any case, they slipped out, his voice slightly soft, but clearly assuring.
"If he didn't care, he wouldn't have been so angry." Was that even helpful? Chris grew up getting told a lot that he tried his hardest to understand grown up matters or grown up discussions but then he was just as often told he didn't really understand them. And sometimes it seemed better to him if he didn't bother trying, because they never seemed simply to solve, even if to him they appeared to have such an easy answer, adults always much such the biggest fuss.
"It's always better to tell the truth, even if the truth sometimes hurts. That's what I was told." There was a slight pause, one where Chris almost wrinkled his nose as he thought of a better way to put it, or at least a way he found he understood better. "The biggest secrets become the biggest monsters. And if no one else knows the monster is real, how can they help you fight it?" There was a touch of Connor in there, perhaps in essence a touch of Michelle as well. She always found it so easy to explain things to her kids in a manner they understood, and Chris and Connor managed to stumble along the secret of analogy and the wonders of simplicity it can bring to a childs life. "If Connor doesn't know the monsters there, then he won't know what he's fighting, and he won't know what's really causing all the damage if he can't see it." Did that make sense? Chris had images of some giant monsters running through the city, he'd watched a few really really old movies in some TV store windows before and they had strange monsters running around fighting each other and destroying half the city in the process. Chris was just trying to think about how more people would make fighting the monsters easier, and since he used the word monster to describe a big secret, he tried to stick with it... But then wondered if he was making as much sense as he felt he was when initially speaking out his thoughts.
Re: Meaow! or... the kittens strike back!"If he didn't care, he wouldn't have been so angry." Logan stared at Chris in amazement feeling as if his words had somehow torn apart the vision of the world that he had set in his mind and reassembled it into something else. Something in which hope was just possible!
It made sense. After all, most of the times he had been mad at his kids it had been because he was worried about them. Because he cared about them. If they had really written him out of their lives as a lost cause would that burning resentment they displayed still have been there? Or would they simply have turned the page and left him behind?
It was a truth that he had been forced to face many times in the past. That those closest to you were the ones who could hurt you the most!. But it had taken a child to point out to him that the same might be true for his children. For if they had expected nothing of him in the first place then he wouldn’t have been able to let them down as badly as he had! And for once that almost seemed like something to be glad of.
Not that the lesson ended there. "It's always better to tell the truth, even if the truth sometimes hurts. Chris went on That's what I was told." Even if the truth was ugly? Even if it made you less than the man you had hoped to be. "The biggest secrets become the biggest monsters. And if no one else knows the monster is real, how can they help you fight it?
It may just have been a childish analogy as far as Chris was concerned but it struck home all the same. For after all wasn’t that exactly what Logan was trying to hide? The fact that he was a monster! At least that was what he had been thinking when he had left his kids alone to deal with their pain. But as he had already told Chris, now he was far from being sure that it had been a good idea. For In the end what was worse? Having a monster for a father or having no father at all?
"If Connor doesn't know the monsters there, then he won't know what he's fighting,” Chris explained “and he won't know what's really causing all the damage if he can't see it.” Was it truly as simple as that? Or as complicated! Could he really sit down with his family and say ‘Look at me. For once really look at me. This is what I am, whether I like it or not. This is the beast that I keep locked up inside! Until it breaks free. Until someone hurts one of you and it roars‘
Last night Connor had treated him as a real father. And it had seemed like an eternity since that had last happened. But in the end it had all been false, a myth based on the clean slate Amlarie’s meddling had indirectly offered them. It was hard to admit that he had been selfish enough to profit even for a moment from Connor’s amnesia. But the truth was that he had. He had poured hot chocolate and watched his son simply be happy in his presence. Even if deep down inside he had known that it was all based on a lie.
Just like his relationship with Chris. Oh he could play the father. he could take him to the mall to buy furniture and adopt all the kittens he wanted to. It still didn’t change the fundamental truth. Underneath it all he was a killer. And perhaps it was time for him to own up to that fact.
Just as it was time to either move forward or to retreat, for the black van had pulled up beside them, its open doors an invitation to move either way. “Thanks” Logan said making his decision. “You’re right. Monsters are always stronger when you can’t see them. Now…. put the kittens in the back and the strap yourself in… we’ve got some serious shopping to do.
He was what he was; neither he nor anyone else could change that. And in the end that was just going to have to be enough. Because one way or another he had a family to bring up! Four kids! Four kittens. And one Wolverine! And god help anyone who got in their way!
........
end of thread?? TBC.. in the mall or refered back to...... im happy either way.
There's just somethin' wild inside me pullin' me to do things I don't understand.
I can't figure it. It's like tryin' to explai
Edited by: 
Topic Commands
Click to receive email notification of replies
Click to stop receiving email notification of replies
