Over breakfast the next morning, Logan asked Kit about what her mutant abilities were. He had revealed his own including his claws to her the night before and she had been fascinated. Logan had been amazed that the fingers which had so recently been digging into his flesh in passion, now traced the backs of his hands with a touch as light as spider webbing.

"I'm not a natural mutant. I was genetically engineered," she replied harshly, her hands gripping her coffee cup. "My father wanted to see what he could do with gene splicing. I'm it," she snarled angrily. "My mother was his laboratory assistant. Using her eggs, he played about a bit with different animals till he had success with the fox. It apparently appealed to his warped sense of humor. He was an avid fox-hunter."

"Nice guy," Logan said quietly.

"He implanted this creation in my mother, made her carry it to full-term. She nearly died giving birth to me." She took a long drink from her coffee, then set the cup aside, not noticing that her hands curled into fists. "The first 5 years of my life were just a continuing experiment to him. Luckily, even though I was a freak from the time I was born, my mother loved me." Her face softened as she remembered her mother's gentle voice and hands.

"At least you had that. What happened after you turned 5?" She smiled viciously, revealing pointed canines similar to his own.

"My mother grew tired of his constant abuse and experimentation and we ran away. She rigged his laboratory into a bomb, then we ran. We were a few blocks away when it blew up. She'd done a wonderful job. I understand it burned for a long time. It was ruled an accident. They never found his body."

"None o' us asked t' be what we are. You think I was born with adamantium bones and claws, darlin'?" he asked quietly. She looked into his eyes again, saw pain there, and reached over without thinking to lay her right hand on his forearm. He felt the warmth from her hand and found himself feeling better. "They were the result of an experiment I didn't volunteer for. My mind's been messed with so much, I don't know what memories are real and which one's ain't."

"I'm sorry. I guess we're more alike than I thought. Apart from the enhanced senses, we were both used by people who never cared what they did to other people's lives."

"It's not important, darlin'. And it doesn't matter where your talents come from. You're a mutant like the rest of us."

"Do you really think the mutant community would accept someone like me?"

"Yeah. I know where you'd be accepted. The X-men." She blinked, then shook her head, pulling her hand away. Logan grabbed it again. "Let me take you there, Kit."

"And what if you're wrong, Logan?"

"Then you n' me go t' my place in Canada." She smiled a little sadly at him.

"Why would you want to do that?"

"Why not? I'm a man, you're a woman...'Sides, I'm getting' kinda usta yer company." She stared at him, then laughed, shaking her head.

"Oh, thank you, Logan. That's very sweet, but you'll get tired of me before long. Then I'd be out on my own again."

"Try me." She looked at him, deep into his eyes, and stopped laughing.

"You're serious."

"You think I go around propositionin' women all the time?"

"Well..." she teased and he shook his head, chuckling.

"Ya gonna trust me?" She stared into his eyes for a long time, then took a deep breath and shook her head.

"I don't know, Logan. I'm not really comfortable around other people."

"They're not just people, Kit. They're mutants, and my friends. They accepted me and I'm not that easy t' get along with."

"Why do I have the feeling that's an understatement?" she asked, smiling back at him.

Logan laughed out loud at that and sat back as their breakfasts arrived. When the waitress had moved away again, they both started on their food and Logan started trying to find out more about her.

"You need t' go back t' the bar, pick up yer car?" he asked, but she shook her head.

"I don't have one, but thank you."

"Really? So, you just hike everywhere?"

"Well, yes," she replied. "You see, when my mother...died a few years ago, I became a special agent with Scotland Yard's CID, helping out whenever they needed any kind of tracking done, usually recently missing persons or fleeing felons. Most of the officers I worked with never knew I was a mutant.

"I've only been in the States for a few months, and I've been trying to do the same here, but it seems that police here are a bit more skeptical about those abilities. They want to know how I can find the people so easily, and they don't believe it's just a gift. So I just keep moving." She shrugged and bit into a piece of bacon. "Most of them know me by the code-name of Vixen, but a few know my real name, Kathleen Keith. Mum was the only one who called me Kit, except now for you."

"Well, thanks. That's a real honor," he admitted, but she only smiled and reached for his hand.

"I believe the honor is mine, to be with you. I'm very glad I picked you up last night, Logan. I..." He raised both brows and looked at her, and she sighed, releasing his hand with a loving pat. "Nothing. Finish your breakfast, love. It's getting cold." He knew she had something else on her mind, but for now, he let it go. She'd talk when she was ready.

That night, Logan sleeping mind heard the soft whimpering and it nudged him awake. His eyes snapped open and he tensed, listening, till he realized it was coming from the form beside him. He sat up and looked down at Kit, obviously in the throes of a nightmare.

Her head tossed on the pillow, her fists twisted in the covers and the whimpers of pain and fear came from her barely-parted lips. She was drenched in a cold sweat, and he reached over to gently shake her awake.

"Don't touch me!!" she screamed, still caught up in her dream, and rolled away from him into a tight ball, shivering. Logan was stunned, but understood the powerful grip dreams could have. Not touching her, he leaned over to call her name softly. Finally breaking free, she recognized his scent and started to uncurl herself.

"L-Logan?"

"Yeah, honey. You okay now?" he asked quietly. She flipped over and burrowed into his arms, which closed tight around her while she cried. When her shivers had passed into an occasional shudder and the tears had slowed, he pressed a kiss against her hair.

"Wanna talk about it?" She took a deep, shaky breath, starting to pull away.

"I'm sorry I woke you. It's just...a nightmare that I have sometimes." Instead of letting her go, he sat up against the headboard, settling her against his chest.

"Tell me."

"I was raped when I was 14," Kit admitted, her voice barely audible. She felt him tense in anger. "The dream...I relive that day, then the boy becomes...my father. He laughs as he...as he..." She shuddered again violently and he tightened his arms around her. "I'm sorry I woke you, love."

"Don't be. I got my own share o' bad dreams." He slid down into the bed again, and spooned her back to his front.

"I hope I'm here for you when you do. You have no idea how much this means to me. And you don't have to worry that he went unpunished. Once I was able, my mother made sure I got some of my own back."

"Yeah?" He moved her hair out of his face and she could feel his breath on the back of her neck. She twined her fingers into his where his hand lay on her belly.

"Oh, yes." Her smile was quite feral as she recalled the past. "My mother went with me and hid in the shadows while I waited in the same alley. I called out to him as he walked past. The arrogant jerk thought I'd liked it." Logan listened in silence, knowing she needed to talk.

"He stepped into the alley and pinned me against the wall. When he tried to kiss me, I kicked him in the groin." Though he didn't feel sorry for the jerk, Logan still flinched in subconscious male sympathy. She felt it and gave his hand a squeeze. "Mum taught me well. When he was on his knees, I punched him in the face as hard as I could. I think I almost broke my hand, but it felt wonderful. Then my mother stepped in.

"She'd brought a little copper knife with her and told him it was an ancient Egyptian castrating knife. He was scared then. In a very quiet, almost conversational, voice she started to explain to him how they did it, in minute detail."

"Can we skip the details, sweetheart? I think it'll give me nightmares."

"Sorry," she chuckled softly, snuggling back closer to him. "Needless to say, he never bothered me again. Mum told him he would experience the practice first-hand if he ever did."

"It'd keep me in line," he admitted. She laughed softly again, and it had the same effect on him as it did before. His arm tightened on her waist while he started to kiss her ear, and she moved her head to give him better access to her sensitive cord in her neck.