WHO:Emma & Laura WHEN: just after this conversation WHERE: puppy rehab & rehoming place WHAT: Emma and Laura are bonding. WARNINGS: Cuteness STATUS: Complete
There was never a time where Emma would’ve envisioned herself forging a pleasant relationship with Laura Kinney, but then, she hadn’t expected that she and Kitty would ever properly get along either. It seemed distance and perspective could do a lot of things for a person. Having never suffered the near constant loss and fear of losing yet more children, Emma couldn’t rightly bring herself to see Laura as the threat she perceived her as in the dreams.
Her methods were questionable, but Emma was able to understand the difference between a potential threat and simply being a confused young woman. And if her relationships with Jean and Kitty could change, perhaps so could her relationship with Laura.
If it meant taking Laura to one of the adoption shelters that encouraged human handling and interaction with the little pups, so be it.
There was never a time when Laura would have thought to tolerate anything from Emma Frost. Not after what she’d done to her. But that was there, and this was here, and if Laura had learned anything it was forgiveness.
And needing puppies after her awful dream was probably overriding anything else. As usual, dressed in black, with ripped jeans, she stepped down the stairs, and walked up to Emma’s car. “Hello. Thanks…”
With a rare, but genuine smile, Emma gave a soft nod before carrying on the way, understanding that Laura’s gratitude was a fairly large deal. “It’s no problem,” after all, puppies was a much better therapy than anything else.
“Would you like to talk about the dream? Or is this the forget it happened sort of deal?” Emma understood the effect that the dreams could have. So far the ones that truly affected her were not things she wished to discuss, even with Jean it was hard to converse about it, about all the young life snuffed out in front of her. But if she knew anything, it was that these things still turned toxic when left unattended.
“It was…” Laura shrugged her shoulders and sighed. “It was bad. Someone bombed a town with the trigger scent.”
She was eternally haunted by that damned scene, that programming. Laura hugged herself. “I don’t want to talk about it. I don’t even remember what happened. Just the before, and the after.”
Laura’s trigger scent was part of Emma’s fear, really. When they got down to the brass tacks, it was part of what made her wholly unstable and dangerous to anyone around her, until all traces of the Facility that made her and any of that damn stuff was gone. And that would never be a certainty.
“Then we won’t talk about it.” But Emma was far more aware now that Laura was just a girl, she wasn’t a weapon or a tool, she was just a girl trying to make it through a life she had no choice in. “I know the best place for cute little puppies.” And it wasn’t that far a drive away, so hopefully Laura wouldn’t have too much time to sit and wallow either.
Later, maybe, Emma could try to approach the matter and make sure that Laura understood it was in no way her fault, but that could come at another time. A short, not entirely awkward drive and they arrived at the Rehab and Rehoming centre that catered to puppies seized from unauthorised mills. “I do hope you’re ready for unmitigated levels of adorableness.”
Laura had a special affinity for animals. They’d tried to break her, using animals. Making her hurt them. But she’d always held on to that part of herself that was innocent. How animals were innocent. “I am, but are you?”
She couldn’t imagine Emma Frost in a puppy pile. She hoped that happened.
“I’ll manage.” Emma had no natural affinity for small creatures, not really, but she wouldn’t harm any at all. Well, unless she was vacationing with Scott in the Savage Land and that was different.
A few words at the desk, the promise of a very large cheque at the end of their visit and Emma and Laura were directed back to see where the puppies were living. Most of them were sandy coloured labradors, a few little pomeranians that had slight problems with their faces, some pugs and long haired dachshunds.
“Okay, I’m not sure if I’ll manage.” Far too many small, adorable little things with their wagging tails and happy little faces, regardless of how horrid their lives had started out.
Laura was suddenly determined to get Emma into a puppy pile. Not even for blackmail, just in general because it seemed so ludicrous it had to happen. She thought that Gabby would like that, and anything Gabby liked was worth exploring. She missed her sister.
Bursting into a smile, Laura knelt as she was swarmed with puppies. “I don’t have enough hands for all of you.”
This was something that even Emma could smile at, the deadly X-23, smooshing herself among little puppies without a care in the world. If puppies helped, well why not? She wondered if she could do the same to Logan one day. Although she doubted it would be puppies. Maybe large wild cats he could wrestle. Mental note for another time.
“Maybe there’s something to that animal therapy thing after all.” Emma was not the sort to lie around on a floor with animals, with any kind of animal, but she had no problem with bending down to give a soft scratch to a wobbly pug that didn’t seem to know where he was going right then.
“This really helps you feel better?”
“Yes.” Laura looked at Emma with a smile on her face and new respect. She was a lot less of, well, a bitch than she was in the dreams, yet somehow she was still that familiar person. Part of Laura had always wanted to get her approval, but then for a long time approval was all Laura had tried to get from anyone, most of all herself. “They’re innocent and they don’t want to hurt people. They just want to love people.”
She supposed that much was true, even for older dogs who had seen harm, ones that weren’t cared for properly, they still forgave and loved unconditionally. In some ways Emma saw that as a flaw, being unable to learn, forgiving such harm. And yet, animals were trusting by nature.
Picking up the floppy little pug, stopping the silly thing from landing on his own face, Emma ignored the unsanitary licking in favour of tickling her fingers on its tummy. “A proper pick me up after rough days, hmm.” Undoubtedly something many people needed.
“You’ve never thought about adopting one?”
“We’re considering it. Rapunzel’s apartment doesn’t really allow pets.” If only everyone could have puppies and other animals. Or at least be made to sit down with them for a few minutes and realize that there were such innocents.
“Well that hardly seems right.” Even the squirming little thing she held, it was enough to make her possibly not dwell so hard on things outwith control. “I’d sooner control access of humans who disliked animals than controlling the allowance of animals.” Even Emma was distrustful of people who didn’t like animals. Just in general, that was something to mind.
“I assume that moving simply for a pet is more complex than I’d say.”
“I think we’re going to move to another place anyway.” Laura still needed to bring that up to Rapunzel. They’d already discussed her actually moving in, but she wanted to get that process started. And a bigger place that allowed pets? That would be nice.
She lifted up a puppy and let it lick her face. “Near a park!”
“It certainly would help things.” Living where no pets were allowed, while getting comfort from small animals, it wasn’t exactly the most sensible thing on the planet really. Especially considering the kind of comfort people often needed around here. “And a park is a good idea, for more than just pets.”
Emma had a yard that was almost a small park, but that was more to allow some privacy and nude sunbathing.
There were alternates. Like rats or ferrets, though the latter were inexplicibly banned in California. And Laura actually technically owned a Wolverine, but Jonathan had a new home out at Logan’s ranch where he was grouchy. Which apparently meant happy.
“Getting out is good. I can’t always go hiking. Or run naked in the woods like dad.” Laura couldn’t resist, she figured the mental picture would drive Emma mad.
It was a mental image that had Emma raising an eyebrow at the pug in her arms right that moment, as if he would have an idea on just what to say about the matter at all. “Well, let’s be glad that we don’t live on the edge of the woods.” Because yes, Emma had seen enough of Wolverine in her dreams to put that mental image just front and centre.
She might need to share with Jean later, just to spread the love.
“Although I would never endorse running naked through the woods, I can’t even begin to list the reasons. I imagine the pain of branches hitting sensitive areas would be reason enough to not do it.”
“I don’t recommend it.” Laura made the kind of face that only a daughter grossed out by a parent could possibly make. It was probably one of the more normal faces she’d made in front of Emma. “I shouldn’t have brought that up.”
Laura had regrets.
“Yes, dear, your filter still needs work, but that’s not always a bad thing.” Emma appeared to be talking to the pug then, which had flopped over with his spine a little, possibly some kind of issue with his motor functions, the little thing. “I am however going to need to mention to Logan that civilised people do not run about nude. Or simply alert the police to his habits. Goodness, that would be comical.”
She absolutely could not stop herself giggling a little at the image of a naked Logan being accosted by officers. “Oh, if only there were a way.”
“Take a picture of his face when you bring it up.” Laura was sure that would be worth some blackmail material and that Emma would take advantage of that. She didn’t mind, she was sure it would be for a good cause. She turned back towards Emma. “...and thank you.”
Good causes seemed to be Emma’s thing right now, and it wasn’t such a terrible thing. She knew that the helping people thing was supposed to be the huge draw towards being an X-Man, but it had taken Emma a long time to care there, over here it wasn’t just the same. “You’ve said that, dear.” It just made Emma smile a little more honestly. “It’s really not a problem Laura.”
None of it was, and in some regards maybe Emma had the most to make up for with Laura.