[2009 – October – Saturday]
[New York – North Salem – Xavier's School For Gifted Youngsters]
"Pup!", Logan called out joyfully as he looked up from his work on the old silver-grey Dodge Challenger that he had been working on for the better part of a decade and saw his daughter coming towards him.
The car had to endure an unfortunate amount of abuse during the years, much like his bike, so they were more or less eternally unfinished projects of his.
However, he didn't think about that when he saw Laura as he had not seen her for almost two weeks, which had left him feeling rather lonely. He may not have raised the headstrong girl but Logan saw her as his own all the same.
"Hey, Oldtimer.", Laura greeted him back, a faint smile on her flawless face.
Roughly cleaning his hands with an oil-stained rag, which honestly may have made things worse, Logan couldn't help but take a large step toward the girl and hug her tightly.
Though as soon as Logan did so, he froze in shock, his mind almost going blank because of what his enhanced sense of smell was telling him.
Not many people knew how incredible his nose was but it was undeniably his strongest sensory organ, easily rivaling that of a wolf's.
As such, Logan had no problem deciphering the complex mixture of scents clinging to his daughter's body, which meant that he knew without a shadow of a doubt that it had been less than an hour that she had been intimate with two other people.
He even easily identified those two people to be Jean and Elijah.
This 'revelation' shocked him to his core, his fatherly instincts going haywire while his rational mind was stumped. At a loss, Logan had not a single clue on how to react to this 'news'. Even if, by chance, he had read a dozen parent guides, which he had not, he doubted that any one of them would be of help in a situation like this.
He had known that Laura had fallen for the Frost spawn but how exactly that had led to her sleeping with both him and the telepathic problem child, Logan could not understand.
Feeling a bit dizzy as he struggled to come up with an action plan after being confronted with things like 'teenage sex' and the possibility of having to have 'the talk' with Laura, Logan came to himself again when his daughter wiggled out of his embrace.
Still facing him, she asked quietly, nodding towards the opened hood of the car: "You need help with this?"
"Y-Yeah, I do.", he answered after shaking off his daze, relieved that he didn't have to figure out how to approach the topic of Laura's sex life just yet.
As cowardly as he felt by doing that, Logan truly didn't know how to approach such a 'delicate' subject, so he simply threw his mind back into fixing his car to gain himself more time to figure out a strategy.
"You can help pump the gas so that I can check the fuel injection, something's off about that.", he instructed, not noticing the almost apologetic look in his daughter's eyes.
Still, while they worked together on the car, he also recalled the rather horrific information that Hank and the Professor had managed to uncover about last night's happenings.
Smiling wryly, his head began to hurt as he started to lament the fact that out of all the teenage boys around, his daughter had to get involved with the one whose actions could frighten the world. And it didn't just end there since Jean obviously had to fit in there somehow too.
Helpless, Logan started to gain a much more profound understanding of the struggles of parenthood while he silently cursed a certain young monster for leading his daughter astray after having already bewitched Jean.
Worse yet, his usual method of slashing first and asking his questions later was of no use in this situation.
The mature mutant 'berserker' was sure that if he even expressed a hint of aggression towards a certain stubborn yet gentle redhead, Elijah would pluck his head from his shoulders.
Adamantium might be the most durable metal on Earth but Logan had serious doubts that it could stop Elijah from crushing his skeletal structure like it was made out of dry twigs.
Still, those were just some idle thoughts since the older mutant had always reserved a special place for Jean in his heart, the struggling girl having roused his protective instincts while her stubborn and tough mentality filled him with a strange sense of parental pride after having watched her growing up.
As for confronting Elijah himself instead of Jean? Well, Logan wasn't a genius but that didn't mean that he would just serve himself up for the young man to beat his ass, or worse.
He had no delusions about the young man's ability to do so or his willingness to act in such a manner. After their first meeting, he had already known that Elijah was of the ruthless sort, and everything that had happened since then had shown him how right his instincts had been.
That young man was a real monster, a demon amongst demons.
Ironically, what had been a quality that he had admired and respected upon meeting Elijah for the first time, had now become a headache for him.
Sighing to himself, he just threw all those thoughts out of his mind for the moment and concentrated on the task at hand while being grateful for being able to spend some time with his daughter.
…
Looking at her gruff-looking father with hidden gentleness in her eyes, Laura felt apologetic in her heart.
She was obviously aware of her father's impressive senses, so she was clear about the fact that he had definitely smelled Elijah and Jean on her, and what naughty things the three of them had done this morning.
Laura did want to tell him about the three of them being together but she was honestly not sure how to start such a conversation nor what she should expect from Logan in response.
Part of her was afraid of his disapproval for something that was so incredibly precious to her, so Laura had used this roundabout method to inform him what had happened, taking advantage of his enhanced senses and giving him some time to process it.
She still wanted to talk with her father about all this since he was her only family and she trusted and loved him greatly but she also found it somewhat hard to find the right words to explain her relationship with Jean and Elijah.
Laura knew what she felt but she wasn't sure she could convey her thoughts in a way so that Logan would understand them.
Not to mention that she was still a teenager, despite her horrific past, so there was a certain awkwardness when it came to talking about her love life with her father, especially since hers was more than a bit out of the ordinary.
After all, there wasn't really a guide on how to tell your parents that you were sexually and romantically involved with two people who were also a couple, so Laura saw her own hesitation as well-founded.
And while she was apologetic about how she had let Logan glean the truth of the matter, Laura couldn't help but find the rapidly changing expressions on her father's face somewhat funny.
Time passed as Laura assisted her father with the repairs and the maintenance of the engine, which she enjoyed even though she was a bit absentminded, her thoughts subconsciously circling around Jean and Elijah.
With how recent the change in their relationship was, she, like most people who had just gotten together with their lover, basically wanted to be around them and yearned for their presence all the time.
Laura knew that Jean was inside the mansion somewhere, helping out Yukio with the decorations and other party preparations, and the thought of sneaking away to steal herself a kiss or two had entered her mind not for the first time while she was helping out Logan.
And the more she thought about Jean's soft and warm lips, the more restless Laura felt.
Just as she was ready to find an excuse to slip away for a few minutes and surprise the adorable redhead, the sharp and pervasive sound of a motorcycle engine reached her ears.
Being somewhat of a fanatic when it came to motorcycles and old muscle cars, which was definitely her father's fault, Laura was naturally attracted by the sound as was Logan.
They both turned away from the car that they had been working on for the past hour and a half and looked towards the half-opened gate of the mansion at the end of the long driveway, which was visible from the small side building where the garage was.
Like a white shadow, she strained her eyes to see someone drive a motorcycle past the single closed wing of the reinforced double-wing gate, only to reach out and grab the metal frame of the gate and use it as some sort of improvised pivot.
With clearly superhuman strength and muscle coordination, the daredevil riding the machine managed to pull the bike around the sharp 90-degree corner with impossible speed before letting go and racing towards them, engine roaring and howling.
Laura's eyes couldn't help but glitter when she saw such a crazy and undoubtedly inhuman maneuver, her gaze fixed on the white bike that closed in with devilish speed.
Brakes screeching and tires smoking, the rider abruptly slowed down his bike when he was less than thirty meters away, the back wheel of the motorcycle leaving the ground under the influence of inertia almost immediately.
Still, the rider seemed to have everything under control as he leaned back smoothly, his movements precise and seemingly unhurried, even when it became clear that the sudden stop would overturn the motorcycle as the imaginary line from the back wheel to the front wheel stood nearly vertical to the ground.
Her heart racing, Laura's breath paused as her wide emerald eyes took in the happenings before her with rapt attention.
Fortunately, this was so, which was why she didn't miss the moment the rider powerfully twisted his waist, his weight shifting and muscle contracting as he swung the bike around mid-air just when the back wheel had reached the highest point.
Still, that wasn't enough to negate the previous acceleration but the rider seemed to know that as Laura noticed some tenuous movements as he shifted gears, the engine roaring as he twisted his wrist to accelerate once again instead of full-on pressing the brakes.
With another quick yet subtle jerk of the handlebar, the bike suddenly spun around itself as it continued to move forward, tires scraping against the asphalt audibly, leaving wide black circles on the ground.
It almost looked as if the rider had lost control but Laura got a different feeling as she watched all this happen in the span of a few short moments.
And as if to prove her right, the spinning bike lost the last vestiges of its speed after a full turn around, the rider's strong leg extending towards the ground as he stabilized the machine with ease and precision merely two meters in front of them, the smell of burnt rubber permeating the air.
Turning off the ignition, his other foot kicking out lightly to flip the stand into position, the rider dismounted and took off his black full-face helmet.
Shaking his head, full-black locks whipping around his face as his shadowed green eyes glittered with boyish charm, Elijah exhaled with a playful smirk: "Well, that was exciting."
"Huu!", the tiny black owlet inside his collar trilled excitedly, her head popping out just beneath his chin as she rubbed her cheeks against Elijah's neck, her beak pinching his skin. For an outsider, it was difficult to tell if Arya agreed with her foster parent or was scolding him but Elijah just laughed and petted her lightly while hanging the helmet on the handlebar.
Laura's own eyes positively glowed as she looked at the young man who represented one of the missing pieces to her heart, his daredevilish antics and sinfully charming looks making him look so sexy that she had the urge to pounce on him right then and there.
She didn't think to ask where he had learned how to drive like that, the same way one wouldn't ask a fish how it knew how to swim. In both cases, the answer was simple – he/it just did. After all, Elijah's identity as a Realm Lord, which was basically a 'god' for all intents and purposes as far as she understood, was no secret to her.
If he wanted to learn something, there wasn't really anyone who could stop him or compare to him in learning speed.
Making a split-second decision born out of instinctual yearning, Laura discarded her previous worries and reservations, stepping forward like her very soul urged her to.
"Elijah!", she called out tenderly and was welcomed by his warm embrace, a loving and fiery light shining in his deep green eyes as he greeted her with a soft kiss to her waiting lips that sent sparks through Laura's whole nervous system and made her lose all strength as she leaned against him.
Being so close to the one she loved, being kissed by him so freely, Laura couldn't help the shy yet overjoyed smile that settled on her lips and lit up her whole face as she looked up at him, her small hands resting against his chest while one of his arms was wrapped around her slender waist.
Elijah's other hand was raised to her cheek, his thumb brushing over her smudge-stained skin as he looked at her with eyes full of tenderness and a spark of mischief.
"Why are you all mucky, little wolf? You know that I didn't bring you a mechanic's costume, do you?", he asked with a laugh, his thumb showing a black smudge after he caressed her cheek.
Snorting softly, Laura could feel her cheeks heating up a bit as she stopped looking up at Elijah and just laid her head against his chest, inhaling his wonderful scent for a moment while ignoring his teasing.
She instinctively wanted to reach up and caress the back of Elijah's neck but she stopped herself when she remembered that her hands were still dirty. Thankfully he was wearing a robust black motorcycle jacket that was pretty much impervious to the mix of old oil and blackish dust on her hands, so she didn't stain his clothes in any visible manner.
Opting to change her tactics, Laura tiptoed a bit so that her lips could reach his neck, leaving behind a teasing yet sensual bite as she retorted quietly but stubbornly: "You're the mucky one!"
Elijah just laughed it off but also tightened his embrace, which made her want to sigh out loud in comfort.
"So what's with the bike?", she eventually asked quietly as she raised her head again, eyes glowing with curiosity and glowing interest as she looked at the white ride, which she recognized as a Ducati 1198.
"It's Christian's.", Elijah explained with a smile, "He gave me the combination for his lockbox before he went back to Europe with Cordelia a few weeks back. He has a small car park in Brooklyn for when he is in town. This is just one of his bikes."
"A small car park?", Laura's eyes lit up just imagining the collection of someone so wealthy.
The Massachusetts Academy also had a car park from which the student could borrow cars after getting permission to leave the school grounds for recreational purposes but there were only a few truly luxurious and noteworthy vehicles amongst those, which naturally couldn't compare to the private collection of a billionaire like Christian Frost.
Stealing himself a kiss from her lips again, which deepened her blush, Elijah looked at her adoringly as he said: "We can go there sometime and you can have a look around. I am sure Christian wouldn't mind if we borrowed a car or a bike every now and then."
Not answering verbally, Laura carried a small but tender smile on her lips as she simply pushed her head back against Elijah's broad chest, nodding while doing so.
Still, a gruff voice sounded out the next moment, reminding her of something that she seemed to have forgotten after her love's arrival.
"So, either of you mind telling me what's this all about?", Logan questioned in a deep voice, and Laura didn't have to turn around to be sure of the massive frown that graced her father's face.
Freezing up, her heart sank into her stomach for a moment, unsure of what to do.