Long Road Home (the_wolverine) wrote in valarlogs, @ 2013-04-21 23:07:00 |
|
|||
Entry tags: | !complete, clarice ferguson (blink), eli, faiza hussain (excalibur), logan howlett (wolverine), oyama yuriko (lady deathstrike), velma kelly |
Papa, the pups!
Who: Logan, Velma, Eli, Faiza and Clarice. Yuriko over phone. Also Logan's wolf-pups who I forgot existed until now.
What: Logan’s House gets firebombed
When: Saturday night
Where: Logan’s house
Status: Complete
Rating: R for semi-graphic depictions of burns and smoke inhalation
trigger: firebombing and fires
Logan had been worried about Eli staying with them. Not because he didn’t want her too, but because he wasn’t sure how Vel would feel about the idea. Eli really had nowhere else to go to, and he didn’t think it was worth risking her, or another’s safety.
He still didn’t know how often she had to eat. Or how much she’d drain. He picked up some plasma, and some blood packs, just in case. It was probably better for her mental stability if that worked. He could get used to having a family of sorts though. As bad as things were, they were still looking up.
Eli was cleaning out the kitchen for Logan, scrubbing the sink with Comet and making it shine. She hummed a little as she worked, glad that she could do something with her hands. “Papa? Do you want me to clean out your fridge?”
Velma had risked the trip to her office that day - Creed could easily find it, if he hadn’t already - and was just now getting back to Logan’s place. She took the key from the loose brick outside, opening the door. “Logan? It’s Vel.”
She walked into the kitchen, raising an eyebrow when she saw the other person in the kitchen. “Eli, right? Hi. What brings you over?”
Logan shook his head. "Darlin', you don't need to do any of this. Jus' sit down an' relax." He looked over at Vel when the woman came in. "Eli's stayin' with us. There was a..problem at her place."
“I don’t mind, Papa, it distracts me.” Eli smiled up at Vel, but then cocked an eyebrow at Logan. “Do not fib, it was more than a problem.” She washed her hands, then sighed to herself. “Papa understates. I am here while the police investigate my mother’s passing.”
Velma blinked. It faintly bothered her that Logan tried to sugarcoat it, but now wasn’t the time. “Your mom?” She wondered what happened, but that wasn’t her business, at least not yet. “I’m sorry to hear it. The cops know you’re here and everything?”
"They do. We cleared it with social workers. They'll be visitin' a few times to make sure." Mostly, Logan didn't want Eli to think too much on how her mother had looked. "Okay, it was more than a problem but you don't need to think about that right now."
“I ... can’t eat food any longer.” Eli opened the fridge to point out the blood bags. “I was starving, Mother startled me.” She pressed the heels of her hands into her eyes against tears. Velma deserved to know. “I won’t ... you’re not at risk to me, not unless you starve me for a week or something, but - if it bothers you, I shall not stay.”
What in the hell? Velma looked at her, the consternation probably writ large on her face. “Are you seriously telling me you’re a frigging vampire?” She was a little freaked out, yeah, but at the same time, the girl was ... innocent. Even now, she looked terrified, not excited or dark or whatever the hell you might expect a vampire to look like.
She had to ask. “How do you eat?”
"She ain't the only vampire I know," Logan admitted, after a long moment. "But you really don't wanna know how she eats. It ain't like Jubilee, or the vampires you read about."
“Essentially I rip their throats out,” she murmured, closing her eyes and wincing. “If I don’t kill them immediately afterward, they’ll repair slowly and become a vampire. I won’t hurt you, I promise.” She wasn’t even that strong.
After Creed, Velma was a little more prepared for violence. She set her jaw. “I’m guessing you can’t hurt Logan.” She didn’t really think anything short of decapitation would hurt Logan. “I’m just asking because I don’t want you in trouble.” Or either of them.
“That’s the idea, if the bags don’t work.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “In my dreams I’ve done the meal thing for a friend before. Jus’ need to figure out a way to keep the house from becomin’ a mess.”
“Bathtub,” Eli offered, resuming cleaning the sink.
Fuck a donkey. Velma sighed. “Long as you’ve done it before, I guess. Just ... I don’t want to watch.” They couldn’t really blame her for that, she figured. She liked the girl, and Logan ... well, yeah.
“Don’t want you to watch...Wouldn’t be pleasant.” Didn’t sound like it would be pleasant. At least with Jubilee it was kind of enjoyable. He opted to not say that part out loud. “I know this is really fucked up. I wanted to figure out a less blunt way to break it to you.”
Frankly, she figured Logan would need to blow off even more steam than usual, if he had to look after Eli, which meant he’d need her. “It’s okay.” What else could he have done? She didn’t think the girl had any other real family, and she knew how close they were. “What about light?” If she knew anything about vampires, she knew they couldn’t be in the sun.
“I boarded up the dojo room. Moved futon in there for her, should keep the light out for her.” Logan put his hand onto Eli’s head and ruffled her hair.
“I do not want to watch,” Eli murmured. She bit her lower lip, but then couldn’t help but smile when Logan ruffled her hair. It gave her the courage to speak to Velma. “I know I’m ... stranger than before. And if I scare you, I do not blame you or hold it against you. I can always go. Logan loves you, though he is stubborn and stupid and will not say it. The same reasons you will not say it to him. I will not interfere with that.”
She couldn’t help but laugh at Eli’s bluntness, even though she knew Logan would grumble. “I’m not a monster, kid. I wouldn’t throw you out with no place to go. This place is weird; unfortunately, I know bad shit happens to good people here.” This was practically Logan’s daughter, for Christ’s sake. She would have told Laura the same thing. Though she did wonder about how quiet they’d have to be. Neither of them had a libido they could just turn off.
Libido? Turn off? Would never happen. Logan steadfastly ignored Eli's bluntness. There would be no discussing emotions or feelings, at least not right now. "It'll probably get worse before it gets better, but it'll get better."
“I do ask that you tell me before you go through whatever absurd mating ritual Logan puts you through.” Eli wrinkled her nose. “Probably something involving steak, no?”
Velma bit her lip not to laugh again. “Kinda glad you’re younger. You’re so his type.” She shook her head. “No, just ... shit’s already interesting. It just got more interesting. We can manage.”
Logan gave Eli a dry look. “We’ll just have to keep it off the kitchen table.”
“I doubt the kitchen table would support your combined weight. And I already cleaned it.” Eli returned to scrubbing, returning Logan’s look with one of her own.
Well, she was definitely laughing more with this girl around. “She’s got you there.” Velma grinned, going to put her stuff down by the door. Muscle and metal weighed a lot.
“Good thing you cleaned the counter, then,” Logan said, undaunted.
“You stain it, you clean it,” Eli singsonged.
Velma just laughed again. “Logan, you’re gonna love it when it’s safe for me to go home again, huh.” This wasn’t permanent, at least as far as she knew, so she’d have to help Eli torture him while they had the time.
“Maybe,” he replied, knowing he was outnumbered and that there wasn’t much he could do about that. He also knew that he’d probably enjoy it while it lasted.
“Please, he enjoys this. He is a masochist, and please, do not say I am right, I do not wish to have evidence.” Eli wrinkled her nose and washed her hands. “I am going to go telephone my ... friend.”
“Don’t worry about that.” Velma chuckled, turning to Logan as the girl left. “Is she really okay?” She asked him, stepping closer. All she knew was that she would have been a mess if she’d killed a family member she actually liked.
“Do I have to growl at him?”
Logan shook his head, lowering his voice. “No, I don’t think she is, but she’s trying to deal with it the only ways she knows how. She’s gonna need more help than I can give her alone.”
“Honestly, I’m more worried about her getting caught in the crossfire here.” Velma shrugged. “Did you tell her about Creed?” She kept her tone quiet, hoping Eli couldn’t hear. The girl didn’t need any more worries. Hell, neither did Logan.
“She knows.” Logan folded his arms, unfolded them, then pulled Vel close and folded them around her. “Feel like maybe I could protect her here.”
Velma nodded against his shoulder. At least Eli knew what was out there. “You know I’ll do whatever I can.” To help protect both of them. She was getting a workout now, but she still wanted to get a self-defense teacher. Or a big fucking gun. She just didn’t want to be dead weight. She knew Neena hadn’t meant anything by it, but somehow, the woman hadn’t let her forget she was just a regular human.
Logan didn’t think Vel was dead weight. He thought she could handle herself better than she thought she did, but it would take time for her to understand that. Time that they didn’t really have. He smelled it three seconds before it happened. Fire and shrapnel tore through his house as he wrapped his body around Vel.
Velma didn’t have time to react - as soon as Logan grabbed at her, forced her head down, she felt the boom, and the heat. Shrapnel rained horizontally through the house, embedding flakes in her legs, but she didn’t feel it. “Eli!”
Logan pushed himself to his feet, pulling Vel with him. He had to get her out before he could even think about helping Eli. The kitchen window had been blown out, and he pushed her towards it. "I'll get Eli! You get out of here!"
He could hear his wolf-pups yowling in the back, but he dove back into the inferno.
It was dark, and Eli couldn’t see for the smoke. She could hear the pups too, and that was what she was going for. Flames licked her legs, crept up her back, and she didn’t care.
This was going to be the thing that redeemed her. This was the moment that saved her soul.
Coughing and sputtering, she moved toward the back of the house, crying out in surprise when a beam cracked above her head. “Papa, the pups!”
Velma grabbed her bag from the doorway, but when he said he’d get Eli, she turned toward the animal sound. “Jesus, Logan!” She would have argued more, tried to do more, but then she was outside, sitting where she’d landed on her ass, too stunned to even cry.
Her first impulse was to look around for the bastard, but there was no need to be suicidal. Instead, she called the fire department with shaking hands. Then she left Lo a message. “Logan’s house is burning down. I’m fine. Keep the fucking press away, I had to call the fire department. Do your damn job.”
After she hung up, she tried to look around, tried to stay alert in case that son of a bitch was lurking. A few neighbors had heard something and were coming out of their homes, and she just yelled, “Get back! Get away!”
The beam crashed onto Logan, but he shrugged it off, picking Eli up in his arms and barrelling through smoke and fire. He rammed his shoulder against the door, but it wouldn't budge, so instead, he popped the claws on one hand and started to carve an exit to the outside. Smoke blackened his lungs and burned at his throat, and before his sense of smell burned out he was pretty sure that it had been napalm.
He cut through something electric and nearly lost his grip on Eli, before kicking the wall open and diving through. He stumbled to the ground, dragging them away from the fire. The pups were cowering in their own dog house, which was starting to catch fire. He just wasn't sure he had the energy to get to them. His skin was pockmarked and burned, and most of his hair was gone. It was even bubbling on one hand.
Eli clung to Logan as he fought to get outside, turning her head into his shoulder. Her hair was singed, and the lace of her socks had melted into the flesh of her legs, but she’d been able to hold her breath. When he stumbled, she pushed him away, fighting herself to get out of his arms. She thanked every god that it was dark outside, and she unlocked the doghouse, crying out when the metal burned her fingers.
It didn’t matter. She’d lose her damn hands if she had to.
The pups were terrified, and they snapped at her fingers as she tried to scoop them up. It didn’t matter, they could take her flesh if they had to. She didn’t think she could turn little animals. She hoped she couldn’t.
Velma could still hear the animal sound, the yipping and yowling. She stumbled to her feet, limping, staggering, whatever she had to do, to get around the side of the house. “Eli! Logan!” Were they outside? Trapped?
Logan shouted Vel's name, though it sounded more like he was coughing up a lung. From the substance that landed on the ground in front of him, he probably just did. They were still too close to the house, and Logan had stopped feeling pain. He got to his feet, reaching for Eli, looking around blindly for Vel.
Eli growled, a feral, low sound, and it made the wolves cower. She scooped them into her arms, running away and yelling for Logan to follow her. She wasn’t as fast as she was in the dreams, but she was still better than most humans, and she streaked out toward the sidewalk. “Velma, get across the street, the house may - ” She tried to get her breath, but she just motioned for Velma to follow her with her head.
Fuck that. Velma went to Logan first, damn near shaking with relief. He looked like hell, but it wouldn’t kill him. She grabbed at his arm, pulling him up, figuring any pain either of them might feel was secondary to getting him the fuck out of there. “We’re gonna get across the street,” she told him, teeth clenched to stop the shaking. “Fire department’s coming, but not the cops.” She hadn’t been sure whether or not to call them.
"He won't go for them," Logan snarled. Creed wouldn't want to bring that kind of attention. Not yet. The fact that it was an arson would be enough attention, and probably make for greater scrutiny of Logan, at least for insurance purposes. Any deaths were bonus.
He wondered if Alex would be among the responders.
He stumbled across the street, before finally turning to look at his house. He set his jaw. "Fucking...fuck."
Eli crouched with the pups, glad they’d only suffered singed fur. Her hands were in a bad way, bone peeping out from under subcutaneous fat that bubbled and singed, setting her stomach to doing backflips. “I will kill him,” she growled. Her voice was low, her growl sounding a bit like Logan’s for a moment.
Velma just wanted him gone for now. She had her laptop, but that was about all. She helped Logan as best she could across the street, sinking to her knees once they were on grass. A fire engine could be heard approaching. “Eli, you all right?” As she let her muscles relax, she started shaking again, but oh well.
"You and me both," Logan snarled. He could feel himself cooking from the inside out, his metal bones having heated up rapidly in the fire. It was a disconcerting feeling, and didn't help the smell of charred flesh that filled the air.
He looked at Eli, finally, and swore then and there that Creed was going to die slowly.
“I will be fine.” She bit her lower lip, worrying it with her human teeth. “It isn’t really my fight, but I have been forced into it, it would seem.”
Velma felt sick anger. “We’re going to get you two patched up. Then find somewhere to go. Then we need more information.” She needed to know what Creed thought Logan had done. She needed to know if this bastard had a family. She needed to know what his weaknesses were. And she needed to know where to get the biggest handgun she could lay hands on.
She shifted to look at Logan, stopping when stinging pain crawled instantaneously up her legs. Velma looked down and saw gashes and scrapes, including one near her knee that throbbed. She could see a charred piece of what looked like siding protruding from the site. “ ... Well, I guess the adrenaline wore off.”
Logan thought that his 'hunting' trip with Laura might very well have to be moved up. At least once he healed up. He had to find Creed and he had to bring him down, before anyone else was hurt, or someone was killed.
"Both of you need to get to a hospital."
Eli sighed as she stood up. “I will heal. I need to eat. Velma should go to the hospital. I will ... find something.” She looked at Logan. “What of the pups? We could go to a hotel.” She supposed they’d have to check in with her social worker.
“You’re gonna have to Goddamn drag me.” She was more worried about the two of them. And the question of where they could go was a good one. “My house likely isn’t safe. They’ll be looking for you at Summers’, or Kitty’s. Neena’s had enough trouble, from what she said.”
"He'll look for me there, too. Anyone they can link me too obviously." Logan thought about Yuriko. He didn't really want to involve her. He didn't want to drag trouble to the hospital, either. "Summers will need to use his contacts to cover me an' Eli up. Our healin'."
“We could go to my house. Does he know about me? It is not as if there is anyone else to endanger at my home.” Eli smiled when one of the pups licked her nose.
“No, but it’s a crime scene, isn’t it?” Maybe they could go eventually, but probably not now. Velma shook her head, gritting her teeth as her leg throbbed. “Fuck. I probably should get this looked at, but I don’t want to go alone. There’s no guarantee he can’t get in there.” Were any of Logan’s friends able to heal anybody else?
Logan closed his eyes. This wasn't what he wanted, but maybe he needed to get over his whole loner thing anyway. "Kitty. Her roommate can teleport us to Faiza. She's a doctor that can heal other people, an' she don't ask questions. We just need to figure out what the fuck to tell the firemen."
“If you and I go to see this miss Faiza,” Eli started, “They will only see you, Papa. You are the only one who lives here, after all.”
She didn’t like that, but Eli was right. “I think she’s on the right track.” Velma was calmer now that they had a plan. “I got my bag before I left; I have my phone if you can risk calling Kitty.”
"Okay." Logan made the phone call, and after Kitty yelled in his ear, there was a flash of light.
Clarice looked around, blinking her green eyes in shock. "Holy cow. Oh my god are you all right? No of course you're not all right, come on, let me get you to Faiza."
Eli’s eyes went wide at the pretty woman, holding up the pups. “Thank you.” She stammered a little, unsure of what to do.
“Thank you.” Velma tried to get up. “We should go. Fire engine’s close now.” She looked at Logan. “You look human again already.” That was about as honest as she wanted to get in front of strangers.
Logan nodded. He wanted to kiss Vel and looked like he wanted to, but he wasn't one for sentimental good byes. "You'll get fixed up good as new."
Clarice held out her hands, taking one of the pups. She smiled at Eli, trying to reassure the younger girl. "First time you might throw up at the other end, but it’s kind of fun until then."
Eli smiled at the other girl, then rolled her eyes at Velma and Logan. “If I do not throw up from the teleportation, I will throw up from them.”
“Oh, leave me alone.” It was surprisingly good-natured, though, and Velma looked over at the pink woman. “I’ll do my best not to barf on anybody.”
"They're kind of adorable, aren't they," Clarice commented, then she flicked her wrists, and all three woman and all three pups were gone.
They arrived under ground at the ranch, where Faiza was already waiting. She took one look at them, gaped for a second, then put her professional face back on. "Put the girl here, she needs immediate attention if we have any hope of reversing this damage."
Eli shook her head. “I will be fine. Tend to Velma first.” She looked around for a place to void her stomach, as well as a place to put the pups down. “I am not human. Anymore.”
Velma managed to keep her stomach contents down, but she was dizzy as hell. “Fun,” she murmured. When Eli said she was all right, Velma raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure?” Did she have a healing factor like Logan? She did her best to focus on this, and try not to worry about Logan. She wasn’t there, she couldn’t do anything.
Faiza blinked at Eli, took her apart, then put her back together again. "Oh my word that's fascinating! I have some experience with your kind, you know. My father became one. Oh, right. Miss, if you'd sit here."
She turned to Velma.
Eli blinked, then couldn’t help but grin broadly at Faiza. “I think you are the most adorable woman I have ever met.” She plopped down with the pups to watch Faiza work on Velma. “It will be all right, Velma, it didn’t hurt.”
Velma had watched the procedure with wide eyes - what the hell kind of healing made you fall apart? - but Eli seemed to be all right. Reluctantly she sat down. “I’m Velma, and this is Eli. By the way. Logan said we should come to you.” She didn’t know how much information to give, but the doctor - Faiza? - probably needed that much.
"If one of his lot is involved, that's probably wise." She wriggled her fingers, taking Vel apart so that she floated in pieces in the air. There was more shrapnel than she'd thought, but that was easy enough to remove, though she spent a particularly long time on one piece near the femoral artery.
Once the more life-saving healing was done, she started to work on Vel's burns.
"They really do leave fires on every street corner."
“It was not his fault, it was a man who wants to hurt him and his.” Eli was tending to the pups, running water gently over their singed fur and applying burn salve to places that needed it.
This felt fucking weird. Though it wasn’t painful, like Eli said. Velma wished Eli hadn’t been so open, if only because she didn’t know how many people Logan wanted in on this. “So far it’s just stirring shit.” Fairly explosively - what the hell had started the fire? - but still. “Logan got really hurt, but you know him, I’m sure.” He was likely back to normal by now.
"He's not the only one stirring things around." She thought about Kitty and Neena and their exploits. It was like they thought of themselves as heroes still, even in this world. "It's given me plenty of practice, sadly. Was anyone else hurt?" She looked over at the vampire caring for the puppies and smiled. "They'll be fine. They've got a good caretaker, I see."
Eli giggled when the puppies stayed close to her, licking her hands. “You said your papa was like me. ... how?” She looked up at Faiza, then at Velma, glad that Velma would be all right. The older woman was too beautiful to be hurt this way.
“Just Logan got hurt, far as I know.” Velma didn’t feel that different from normal, which she was grateful for. “Eli saved the dogs. Was it bad?”
"Dracula..." She paused, then shrugged a shoulder as she knit Vel's burns. "Yes, that Dracula... turned my father and killed my mother. Then he and his armies tried to invade the United Kingdom. If it wasn't for a really brilliant plan by a man named Wisdom and a lot of hard work from everyone involved we'd have all been rather screwed. It helped that I have a holy sword."
Eli raised her eyebrows. “I hope you hurt him.” That was unacceptable. “Your parents, they are well here? Since the dreams are not exacting.”
“Wisdom? I think I’ve met his wife. Little woman, blonde, pregnant?” Velma wondered just what kind of people were living in this county. It didn’t scare her; it actually made her feel a little better, just ... talk about out of left field.
"Wisdom helped my father not become...evil. I've met a girl who was turned by Dracula's son and she's rather energetic and nice?" Faiza smiled, patching up some of Vel's hair and then putting her back together. "I could tell you about Meggan some time, and Dane. I was his squire, and I carried Excalibur. And Navi is adorable."
She looked over at Eli. "I'm afraid they died a few years ago, here."
“I’m sorry,” Eli murmured. “If you carry Excalibur, you’re not a squire. That sword picks someone of noble heart. It must have made the right choice.” Eli was cradling one of the pups, smiling when it snored.
Velma blinked and suddenly she was sitting down again. Her knee was in one piece, from what it looked like. “Thank you,” she murmured, looking at her arms, legs, everything. Strangely, this was almost more overwhelming than the entire fire-explosion-thing. She took a deep breath to steady herself. “Does anyone know how to get a hold of Logan? Is there a way without a phone?”
"Friendly neighborhood telepath?" Faiza shook her head. "I don't know, really." She washed her hands and leaned against the sink. That had been exhausting, and one of the more bold healings she'd done since she'd gotten her powers. She was definitely a lot more confident she could do what she needed to do to help people.
Eli made sure to watch what the other woman did, making sure that she wasn’t too tired. It was fairly obvious that she was tired. “Could the pretty pink woman take us back to him? Or I suppose he might call us when he needs to be fetched.” She sighed. “I do not like leaving him alone.”
“Me neither.” Velma looked at the doctor. “You look like you need to sit down, never mind us.” Frankly, she would have liked a few minutes to lose her shit, but that could come later. “He’ll probably call. I left my phone with him,” she told Eli. “Don’t want to go back and have the firemen still there, they’ll wonder who we are.” She sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose.
"Patch is more than capable of taking care of himself, I assure you."
Clarice had watched in silence. But now that everything seemed okay, she walked forward. "I can lend you a change of clothing. You're a bit...curvier than I am, but I think we can find something that'll fit. I can port you in a street over and you can show up like you heard from some where?"
Clarice was generally curvier than she thought she was.
Eli nodded hard at that idea. “I can go. He’s meant to be looking after me anyway.”
She wondered about the ‘Patch’, but Velma turned to the pink woman instead. “I’d be really grateful.” She sighed. “Do you mind taking me back there afterward?” She knew Logan was okay, just, where the hell else was she supposed to be?
Clarice nodded her head. "I can put Eli near the fire, like she crawled out of it, and put you on the next street over?" She wanted to help them. They were Logan's friends and Logan was a friend of Kitty, so it all worked out in her mind.
"Just be careful, those weren't normal burns," Faiza said.
Eli blinked, but then went to impulsively hug Faiza and Clarice in turn. “What sort of burns were they, do you think? So I can tell Papa.” She didn’t hesitate before calling Logan her father. He was.
“I heard a boom,” Velma said. “But I don’t know if it was gasoline, TNT, what-the-fuck-ever. Maybe the fire department figured it out and told Logan.” She shook Faiza’s hand; she’d thank Clarice later. “If there’s ever anything I can do for you, just let me know.”
“Reminds me of something I’ve seen in a warzone,” Faiza said. “Napalm perhaps? Or something like it, anyway. Very nasty. You’re both...exceptionally lucky.” She squeezed Vel’s hand, and hugged Eli gently. “Just try to stay out of trouble, and keep me on speed dial?”
“We will.” Eli nodded sagely, then stood by Clarice. “Will you watch the pups? I will return for them soon.”
“I will, promise,” Faiza said, smiling at her.
Clarice dropped Vel off first. The smoke was thick and the smell of the building burning reached even here. She squeezed the woman’s shoulder, then ported Eli to the backyard of Logan’s house. The heat was enough to blister her skin and she backpedaled. “Will you be okay??”
“I’ll be fine,” Eli smiled. She walked toward the fire trucks, looking for Logan frantically. “Papa?” She looked around for Logan as fast as she could, moving past firemen and equipment.
One of the firemen approached her, calling out. “We found the girl!”
Logan tried to push away from a cluster of paramedic. “Eli?!” What the hell was she doing back? His vision was starting to return, though it felt like his lungs and nose were going to never recover.
Velma walked up about ten minutes later, though she did her best to react extravagantly. It wasn’t hard. She ran the last twenty feet, letting herself show emotion - fear, shock, reacting to the smells. Relief that he was all right. “Logan? Eli? I heard about - are you all right?” The tears in her eyes might have been real.
Eli just wrapped her arms around her father, burying her head into his chest. “You’re still hurt,” she whimpered, trying her best not to cry. Crying blood would get her noticed.
“Been worse. Remind me to tell you about the time I blew myself up on purpose.” He was careful to watch where he patted Eli, squeezing her tight. He even enveloped Vel into his arms when she arrived, as much for himself as for the two of them. This day officially sucked. “Just glad you’re all right. Really...really fuckin’ glad.”
Velma blinked back tears as much as she could, but she couldn’t help it a little, especially when he pulled her close. “You’re gonna be okay, though. Right? Just a little ugly?” She wanted him to smile, or even growl. This just all felt fucking weird and a little normalcy would probably help them all.
Logan cracked a smile, and kissed the side of her face. “I’ll be okay, an’ back to my ugly mug in no time.” He looked at Velma, relieved that she wasn’t seriously hurt. He wondered where she’d gotten the change of clothing.
Eli moved to sit down on the curb, smiling at one of the younger firemen who smiled at her. He waved, and she waved back, then blinked when she realized she was being flirted with.
The paramedics were far enough away that she didn’t have to whisper. “Faiza fixed us both up. Eli and me are fine. That lady ... Clarice, I think? She’s watching the puppies.” Velma sighed, looking around. She did chuckle, seeing Eli. “I think that fireman’s trying to hit on Eli.”
“Good.” Logan rested the side of his face against Vel, watching Eli carefully but generally not making any moves to kill the Fireman. He was just a kid too, and Logan was too exhausted to care.
Blushing pinkly, Eli giggled when the fireman started trying to show off, coming over to give her a blanket. She played her ultimate trump card, answering him in Swedish and pretending she didn’t understand a word he was saying.
Velma just sighed, letting him rest his head against her, one arm gingerly around him. “Any ideas where we could go?” She didn’t have any; the only person she knew who had space nearby was Lo, and there was no way she’d subject Logan or Lo to each other for long.
“That’s my girl,” Logan muttered. “Don’t know. Well I do know but ain’t sure I wanna bring trouble down on her head.” Because of course it would be a woman.
“Ask her.” Velma gently stroked his hair. “Don’t make any decisions for her.” She wasn’t lecturing him, just suggesting. Logan did have the paternalistic thing down to a tee.
“Damn it.” Logan pulled out his phone, and called Yuriko. He wasn’t going to put Neena through this, not after the shit she herself was going through. He needed to call her and Laura, though.
Yuriko wasn’t expecting a call this late, but she picked it up nonetheless. “Moshi-moshi?”
“Hey darlin’, it’s Logan.” He scratched the back of his head. He wasn’t used to asking for help and there was a great deal of strain in his voice.
It was late, and he sounded extremely pressured. “What is wrong?” She kept her voice down, but as she walked out of her room and over into the kitchen, she could speak louder. “Are you all right?”
“No, no I’m not. Someone firebombed our house.” He didn’t even blink at using the word ‘our’ or what that implied about him, Eli and Vel.
Yuriko blinked faintly. “Are you all right?” Him and whomever he was living with. “Did you make a gangster upset? The only people I know of who use bombs are yakuza.”
“Don’t think he’s Yakuza. Gaijin like me. Was the fucker that killed Mariko and Amiko. They let him out an’ he has a vendetta.” Logan spit on the ground, and it would be best not to ask what that was.
“くそ.” Yuriko sighed. If it wasn’t Japanese, she was a little out of her element. And yet she owed Logan a debt. “If he is gaijin, though, he would not know of me. Would he?” The wheels were turning.
“I met him after you. He’d have to do a lot of research an’ even then he wouldn’t get a name.” The wheels were turning in Logan’s head too. “I really don’t wanna put you in danger.”
“I would doubt the danger, unless there is something you are not telling me. My home is designed for five people, and there are servants’ quarters downstairs which are unused.” Yuriko spoke fast, knowing he might overrule her. “No one goes in there, and my father does not leave his room except to bathe and eat. At least temporarily it might be a refuge for you.”
"There's three of us. Any of those rooms windowless with access to a bathroom?" He glanced over at Eli as he spoke. "Got a girl with a bit of a sun allergy."
Yuriko racked her brain - she hadn’t been in there in ages. “If I remember, the toilet is at the end of the hall, which is most definitely windowless.” Sun allergy? How strange. “I recall three rooms, plus kitchen and bath. One of those bedrooms only has one window, which could be boarded up or blacked out.”
“That’ll do.” Logan closed his eyes, sighing heavily. “Gonna owe you, an’ I’ll make sure we won’t stay too long. I’ll help cover any utilities or food we use.”
“I can fix the window. Father is sound asleep and has literally slept through earthquakes in the past.” Yuriko shook her head. “He will examine the accounts, but nothing more. I owed you a debt; this is the least I could do.” She wasn’t afraid of any mysterious gaijin. She’d probably seen worse.
“Thank you, darlin’. I just need the address an’ I can get us there, probably faster than you could believe.”
Yuriko checked the clock. “Do you need the window to be boarded up immediately? If so, you should wait.” She gave him the address anyway. She didn’t bother telling him to take a back route; he was likely an old hand by now.
“No, if the bathroom is blocked off then we can worry about that tomorrow.” Logan knew Eli wouldn’t mind. “I’ll see you soon. ....an’ thanks, Yuriko, I owe you.” He hung up, and gestured for Eli.
Eli walked over, standing and straightening her skirt. “Yes, Papa?” She was ready to go wherever they were headed. She trusted Logan.
Logan put his arm around Eli, and kissed Vel’s head. “We’re goin’ to a friend of mine’s place. She’ll let us lay low for a few days while Vel an’ I figure out where we’re gonna live.”
Velma nodded. She’d heard enough of the conversation to assume that the woman had agreed. “She said we can come now?” They had phones, and Velma had her laptop. She doubted that Creed would be tracking the network, if nothing else.
“Yeah. I’ll call in Clarice an’ that way we don’t have to worry about bein’ followed. We all need to be really fuckin’ paranoid for a few days.”
“Valarnet should be safe, but otherwise, yeah.” Velma shook her head, closing her eyes and feeling somewhere beyond exhausted. “You okay with that, Eli?”
Eli nodded to herself, hoping that she’d be able to let Athelstan know she was okay. “I just have one person I wish to tell I am safe.”
“Your guy, I know. I ain’t gonna stop you from talkin’ to him.” Logan sent a quick text to Clarice, then started to sneak them away from the scene. “Come on, lets get a breather.”