A series by November

Chapter 69: Things are Gonna Change

“Hair is gray and the fire is burning,
So many dreams on the shelf.
You say I wanted you to be proud of me,
I always wanted that myself...”
--Tori Amos

While an arson expert testified about accelerants and incendiary devices Logan looked around the courtroom. He identified who was trouble, who was not, who was just there for the show. Three of the bailiffs comforted him a little. The fourth was a little green and unfocused and seemed distracted by a woman in the back row.

The court was charged with tension so intense that one word spoken out of turn would spring it into a riot. People tried to breathe a little more quietly, to take up less space. Logan was intensely uncomfortable and cursed Marie for bringing Maggie into this situation. She was only six, for Christ’s sake! But Marie had adamant. She wanted Maggie, no matter how young, to have a taste of the things that were ahead in the adult world. And now, staring at her father’s profile, she didn’t regret it.

The first recess came at around eleven and it was then that Max D’Ancato turned around. His eyes widened as recognition hit him. She held her ground. It was like playing chicken. She rode straight down the highway, accelerating constantly, but he swerved away, looking panicked away from her and to her again. He looked ashamed, guilty, weak. She didn’t need to say or think a word to him in her mind, all she needed to do was stare that stare that leveled him, made him turn away.

During the recess Marie approached the prosecutor and asked him when Cody and Kayla would be testifying.

“Definitely not until tomorrow. Who are you?”

“Marie D’Ancato.”

His eyes widened as he remembered the rumors. “Oh.” He glanced at her bare arms.

“I just want to know so I can be here for them.”

“Maybe tomorrow.”

The next day it was decided that Kayla wouldn’t take the stand. She sat between Marie and Logan as Cody testified. Giving his testimony made Cody look ten years older. He recounted the fire without care for the emotion he was showing. He didn’t care. He was done with this town. Done with everyone but his father.

As Cody recounted the fire Kayla was shaking. It was obvious that she was reliving it. Marie held her close and she let herself be held.

After Cody was examined a recess was called and Marie asked him if he wanted them to take Kayla back to the hotel. He did, and she just wanted to leave.

They didn’t know until leaving the courthouse that the media had snapped pictures of them going in, and some bright individual made the connection with the Wolverine.

There was a strange energy, a buzz, in the lobby and Logan’s heart started pounding. “Here they come,” someone shouted excitedly. Logan’s hand fell tight on Kayla’s shoulder and the low growl in his throat was drowned out by the cacophony around them.

The reporters were like a wall, a coiffed, pushy, microphone-holding, question-asking wall. “Are you the Wolverine?” “Sir, can you comment on the allegations-”

Logan swept Kayla up into his arms and she held him close. Marie held Maggie who was crying. All four looked terrified as they ran for their car. That was what made the papers next day.

Kayla couldn’t stop shaking and Logan needed to stalk off somewhere to burn off his furious energy. Unfortunately, they didn’t dare leave the hotel. The city felt hot and hostile and one step away from a riot.

When they turned their cell phones back on there were urgent text messages from Jean and Xavier. GET OUT! GET THE HELL OUT OF THERE!

They called Charles. “I’m watching you on the news right now. That was a narrow escape.”

“What the hell happened?” Rogue said, pacing. Logan held Maggie who was falling asleep from the tension of the day, and Kayla watched her pace.

“Apparently they made the connection between Logan and the Hoboken incident. Your presence down there has obviously stirred up a lot of rumor and stories.”

“Shit. My dad better not walk because of this.”

“On the contrary, that footage makes you and Cody and Kayla look all the more sympathetic. You each were carrying a terrified child. You can’t manufacture PR like that. I wouldn’t be surprised if his counsel moves for a mistrial.”

“Oh, they better not.”

“Is Cody done?”

“No, they still have to cross-examine him.”

“I’m sending a Blackbird for you. I trust Cody will be okay with Kayla coming back to Westchester.”

“Oh, absolutely.”

“I’ll send Jubilee, Scott and Bobby at four this morning. They will remain to guard Cody, and they will bring Logan’s truck back when he is done testifying. Rogue, you can fly back.”

“Oh, Jesus.” She hated flying the 'Birds.

“Well, it’s either you or Logan, and he hasn’t finished his flight training yet.”

“Okay,” She saw no other alternative.

“Scott will be in touch with the details.”

She hung up and relayed the details to Logan. He was not happy about slinking away in the night but he admitted that he just wanted them safe, now.

And, he could even see the irony in his being forced to let Scott take his truck.

They didn’t come from the hotel room for the rest of the day. They longingly watched the swimmers down in the pool, and made do with Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune. Hotel security was lax and there were several knocks at the door.

The local news proved interesting. The stuttering reporters did not know what to make of the bizarre ties between the Robbins family, the D’Ancato family, and the Wolverine. It was all so simple, but the fact that the defendant’s daughter was carrying out one of the victims baffled them.

Kayla had relaxed enough to be enamored with her image on TV. Marie kept typing on her laptop, sending email far and wide to her friends to assure them she was safe. They ordered room service and Logan wouldn’t let them eat until he’d sniffed every dish. Maybe he was being paranoid, but he didn’t think so. He had learned never to underestimate the fear of a narrowed mind.

Cody came in after dinner. They had left him a message to come to their room. They filled him in on the situation. Kayla clung to him. He reported that testimony was nearly finished and that the jury might deliberate the next day. They were doubly glad that they were leaving soon.

They didn’t bother with the eleven o’clock news. Kayla and Maggie slept on one bed while the three adults played cards. Rogue had CNN on mute and she occasionally eyed the crawl at the bottom of the screen.

...PALESTINE...WOLVERINE DEATH THREATS RECEIVED IN JACKSON, MS...MICROSOFT SUED...

She clapped her hand over her mouth pointed to the TV screen. They watched as the crawl returned a minute later.

Marie started her laptop up quietly so as not to wake the kids. She got on line and went to CNN.com. Logan and Cody moved around to the other side of the table. She found the story. It recapped that day’s events with a photo of them fleeing and said that death threats were being made to “a local hotel” where the Wolverine was thought to be staying. Marie made a hushed call to Xavier from the balcony. He insinuated that his PR people were in town trying to get to the source of the threats, and moved their pickup time to two.

They were packed and ready. They let the kids sleep until the last minute but Kayla woke up several minutes before Jubilee dropped quietly onto the balcony. Kayla started to cry. She didn’t want to leave Cody behind. He assured her over and over that he would be safe.

“Boy am I glad to see you,” Rogue said quietly to Jubilee.

“You look skinny on camera, girlfriend.” Shallow, yes, but Jubes always knew how to take Rogue’s mind off her troubles, if only momentarily. She quickly strapped a half-sleeping Maggie onto the harness that Jubes wore. “Go with Jubie, baby. I’ll be up in a minute.”

When Maggie woke up fully they were in the air. She saw the city three stories below, felt wind on her face and Jubilee’s arms around her. She wasn’t afraid. It was like flying.

One more trip, and Kayla was up. Then Rogue, and Logan.

“Thanks for comin’, Iceman,” Rogue said, tousling his hair.

“Please tell me that hotel at least has decent AC,” he said. His leather was clinging to him in the humid Mississippi night.

“No, that’s why he sent you,” she grinned and it hid her nervousness. She looked dazed at the control panel. "Where's Cyke?" Logan asked.

"Jean's on call so he got diaper detail."

Logan strapped the girls into their seats. Bobby radioed when he was safely in the hotel room. Logan buckled up in the co-pilot’s seat. Marie checked her systems and they took off.

Maggie was enthralled. She badgered Logan until he relinquished his copilot seat to her and buckled her tightly in. “Don’t talk to Momma, ok, she needs to concentrate hard.”

“Okay.” Instead she badgered him with questions about every aspect of the Blackbird. He answered to the best of his ability.

An hour and a half later they were in Westchester. Marie brought the bird down into the hangar and sighed, lolling limply back in her seat. “Never again,” she said.

They called Cody, Bobby and Jubilee and let them know that they were okay. Marie sensed that Kayla was very traumatized and insisted that she stayed with them. She slept in Maggie’s trundle bed.

Maggie was elated at having “copiloted” the Blackbird and she was too wound up to sleep. While Marie fell into bed, Logan took Maggie for a walk. He looked up at the stars and remembered the day he derided Charles’ dream of peace, his little utopia. Now he felt ashamed, because this place was all they had.

The next day Max D’Ancato was found guilty of two counts of attempted murder, and of conspiracy to commit murder. The day after that he was sentenced to twenty-five years under federal hate-crime legislation. Cody came home safe with his two X-Men escorts. They were all alive, and well, and Marie decided that it was time to look forward instead of back, to their wedding.