Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Raj was waiting at the coffee stand when Mollie arrived.

"I've got new syrups on the menu," they told her. "I'd love to hear your thoughts."

Mollie took a sip. It was still her normal caramel latte, but there was a richness to it.

"That's really lovely," she replied, "what's different?"

"It's a different sweetener, I know a lot of people don't like saccherin."

Mollie nodded. "Can you add a shot to Mark's hot chocolate, too, please? I'll let you know what he thinks."

Raj nodded. If they could get the town grump on side, that would be a result.

Chapter Text

"You gotta see this!" Logan said, dragging Owen towards the cable car.

"What are you up to now?" Owen asked.

"Heidi installed some upgrades, caught m'pa an' me by surprise last night, but you'll love it."

Owen shook his head, though he was glad to see that Logan's spirits were lifting again.

The cable car swung over the canyon, pausing as always for a photo op.

"Please smile at the yakmel!" Heidi's voice sounded over the speaker.

FLASH!

Owen blinked, then grinned as a photo of him and Logan dropped out a slot next to him.

"One for the wall!"

Chapter Text

The saloon was quiet; everyone had left. Owen was in the kitchen finishing up, Logan sat at the bar while he waited on him.

Cooper had left his guitar on the stage. Howlett had taught Logan to play, but he hadn't played in years, not since…

He picked up the guitar, and started to play an Old World tune, one he remembered from his youth. He didn't notice Owen leave the kitchen until his barroom baritone picked up the melody.

Together, they finished the song, tears pricking at the back of Logan's eyes. Something in him was starting to heal.

Chapter Text

The cave was dark, but dry. There were some signs that people had, if not lived there, at least passed through. Boxes of supplies, some half used torches. Logan lit one and laid out his bedroll. The cave was far enough from town that Justice shouldn't stumble on him - Light, he hated having to hide from his friends - but close enough to keep an eye on things.

As he settled to sleep he heard a scratching against the walls. Rats. Darkness, why did it have to be rats? He'd find a new place tomorrow, too late tonight.

Logan woke with a start. He wasn't sure if it was five minutes or five hours later. He felt a sharp pain in his wrist, a bite of some sort. A figure maybe half his height stood over him. A triumphant voice squeaked "Mine!" before scurrying away.

"Nightmare," he muttered, before falling asleep again.

When he woke again, there were more torches lit. He could smell food cooking, and a feminine voice was singing from nearby.

"Oh good! You're awake! I was starting to worry!"

Logan looked round to see where the voice came from. A young woman in a floaty pink dress and a crown stood at the edge of the room watching him.

"Who the hell are you?" Logan asked.

The woman giggled. "I'm Lumi, I'm your princess. Your blood allowed me to take human form to be with you. It might have some side effects as well, though. Just be aware."

I'm still asleep and dreaming, Logan thought.

He felt his nose twitch, and his skin started to itch. Everything in the room seemed to grow larger.

"Hmm, yes, that's what I was worried about," murmured Lumi. "Not only do I get a human form, but you now have a rat one. We'll need to work out how to sync them up!"

Chapter Text

"Where did this ruin appear from?" Millie asked Logan as they headed into the Old World building they'd found in the Eufaula.

"It happens, Buttercup," Logan replied, with a shrug. "That last sandstorm brought up a few changes in the landscape, seems to be of those."

"Reminds me a lot of Lab 7," Millie said. "Makes me real nervous."

Logan nodded; his wife had a point. Some of the things they'd found there still gave him the shivers.

This particular ruin looked like old medical labs, treatments, rather than research, maybe an old clinic or something. Walls and floors were tiled, the counters steel; it seemed designed to be easy to clean. Rummaging in some of the cupboards Millie packed up some of the medicine bottles to take back to Fang for further investigations. The gauzes and bandages she tucked into her own pack for emergencies.

"It's too quiet," she said, looking round. "I don't like this." Logan nodded in agreement.

"One more floor, then back to town, report into Justice?" he suggested.

"That sounds like a—"

A loud roar interrupted Millie's agreement, and they looked at each other in shock.

"You an' your big mouth," Logan muttered.

"That don't sound good," Millie said.

"No. Better find what it is 'fore we head back," Logan agreed. "Ain't sure if it's dangerous or injured."

Stepping back into the corridor, they looked round. "Well, we know it's clear back that way," Millie said, "guess we're heading further in."

There were stairs at the end of the corridor, and they headed down carefully, ready for anything that might jump out at them. But there was nothing.

As they walked down the next corridor, the only sounds were their footsteps echoing off the walls. They checked each room they passed, but there was no sign of anything, much less the size of creature they expected to find.

As they reached the end of the corridor, a snuffling noise caught their attention from the last room.

They pushed open the door, unsure what they expected to find.

This room had been an old office, now mostly empty. In the middle of the floor was something that reminded Millie of her pet gecko, Trevor.

It was about half as big again as Trevor, and a deep rusty red colour, though the body shape, and the eager smile were the same. There was just one big difference.

"Wings?" Millie hissed. "Only one thing I've seen that looks like a gecko with wings, an' that's in an Old World story book."

"Yeah? What was it?" Logan asked watching the creature for any sign of attack.

"It's stupid," Millie said, hesitating. "Even back then it was called a myth, a fantasy."

"Yeah? We thought mega tunnel worms were a myth an' look how that turned out," Logan reminded her.

Millie sighed. "Dragons. It looks like a dragon from Old World storybooks. 'Cept, well, this is a lot smaller than I expected."

"Dragons, huh? Ain't they like twenny feet tall?"

"That's the myth. And the other thing about them—"

The creature in front of them hiccuped and a small, blue ball of flame rolled out of its mouth and disappeared. It was too weak to do much other than leave a slight singe on the floor.

"—they breathe fire," Millie finished, her voice dropping in awe.

Logan crouched down to examine the creature - the dragon - which looked back at him and grinned, before flapping its wings and taking to the air until it was eye level with him.

"What the…" he said quietly. The wings looked too small to support its weight, but here it was, airborne in front of him.

The dragon flew around him, as if examining Logan right back, before grabbing the brim of his hat in its mouth and flipping it onto its own head.

"Hey!" Logan called out, chasing after it as it flew down the corridor, Millie at his heels.

It headed pass the stairs and into a different wing of the building. They caught up with it in what looked to have been a clinic ward. The beds were overturned, and all the bedding dragged to the centre of the room to form a nest.

"Light, the other thing the book said about dragons, they hoard treasures," Millie said.

"Ain't having my hat as a treasure!" Logan replied, approaching the nest.

The dragon sat in the middle, Logan's hat proudly on it's head, clearly pleased with itself. Herself, Logan realised, as he spotted the eggs underneath her.

He reached a hand out gently. "Hey darlin'," he crooned. The dragon nuzzled her head against his hand, and Logan took the opportunity to take his hat back with his other hand.

"Got any jerky, Buttercup?" he asked Millie, who rummaged in her pack and produced some.

"Yakmel, or rocket rooster?" she asked.

"Whichever is handy," Logan replied. He fed the jerky to the dragon piece by piece, and poured some water into the lid of his canteen, which she swallowed down.

Eventually, it hopped onto his shoulder, settling down against him, making quiet snuffling sounds.

"Mils, check those eggs, will ya? If they're like penskies, the eggs should be warm to the touch.

Millie shook her head. "Ice cold. Wonder how long she's been nursing them with no hope."

"Guess we've got oursels a dragon, then," Logan replied, as he stood up, the dragon snuffling softly. "Andy's gonna love this."

Chapter Text

They left the cave late afternoon, while there was still enough light to get home safely. They kept the horses at a gentle trot, wanting to draw the afternoon out as long as possible.

“Shall we take the long way through the Valley?” Logan suggested. “Before Catori finishes tearing down the ruins for her theme park.”

“Sounds like a good idea.” Owen replied, and they headed down the path.

“Stop lookin’ at all the gems you could be minin’!” Logan called over to Robyn. “If’n we’d let you bring you pickhammer, we’d never get home!”

“You know me too well!” Robyn replied, laughing. “But you know I’ll come back here tomorrow now I know that pile’s there?”

“We’ll see,” Owen replied, slipping into protective mode.

Robyn coughed.

“Oh, I mean, of course you will, gorgeous!” It was still a struggle some days to get them to drop the over protectiveness, but they were getting there.

There were surprisingly few monsters in the valley that afternoon, meaning that it was also quiet and still other than their horses. As they passed one of the weird ruins that looked like an old cockpit, Robyn heard some odd noises. She wasn’t sure what it was, but she was certain it wasn’t a monster.

“Guys, hold up a minute,” she called out, dismounting and throwing her reins to Owen, who was closest.

She checked this area for resources regularly, and knew that the door on the cockpit had been shut every time she’d been. She’d checked inside on her first visit, and made sure no stray animals could get trapped inside. Now, it was propped slightly ajar. The noise she’d heard came from within, although it had quietened now.

“Careful, darlin’,” she heard Logan murmur from behind her.

“It’s fine,” she replied, gently sliding the door open.

Robyn wasn’t sure what she expected to find, maybe an injured rock hyena that would need put out its misery. She hadn’t expected to find a young boy sitting with his arms round his knees. He was staring into space, as if he hadn’t seen them, and she realised that what she’d heard were sobs that had softened to gentle sniffs.

She knelt down in front of him. “Hey kid, are you OK? What are you doing in here?”

He looked up, startled. Tear stains ran down his cheeks highlighting the dirt there.

“‘m fine,” he muttered. “‘ m hidin’ ‘case they come back.”

“Who's they?” she asked softly.

“They don’ want me, so I don’ wan’ go back to them,” was all he said.

“You got a name, kid?” Logan asked from over her shoulder.

“Andy.”

“Well, Andy, I’m Logan, this is Robyn and our friend Owen is waitin’ outside. We’re near Sandrock, ever hear of it?”

Andy shook his head.

“How ‘bout we take you back to town, get you a meal and a bed. We can worry ‘bout the rest once you feel better?”

“Will they be there?” he asked.

“Well, don’t know who they are,” Logan replied, “but I promise you, ain’t no-one in town that would leave their kid behind.”

“My friend’s got a daughter who’s ‘bout your age, I reckon,” Robyn added.

Andy nodded solemnly, and stood up. It was only then that Robyn noticed just how skinny he was. She didn’t know who ‘they’ were, but she guessed his parents or guardians. If they ever reappeared, that would be an interesting conversation. She glanced at Logan, and could tell he was thinking the same thing.

They led Andy outside, and introduced him to Owen. The boy looked at all three of them, as if judging them, then nodded carefully. “‘K, I’ll come to town with you.”

“Even ridden a horse before?” Robyn asked. He shook his head.

Logan lifted him up onto Robyn’s horse, before helping Robyn settle behind him. Despite her protests, they’d given her the gentler of the three horses Coop had had available that morning. Now it worked in their favour. Andy quickly fell asleep as they rode.

“I’ll ride ahead, let Trudy know,” said Owen. “He seems happy with you two. Just take it easy, and I’ll see you at saloon.”

The other two nodded in agreement and he took off.

“I’m guessing ‘they’ are his folks,” Logan said quietly, trying not to wake him. “If’n I get my hands on them…”

“Back of the queue, Lo. I might leave somethin’ for you, but how on the Darkness could they treat a kid like that?”

The ride back to town was uneventful. Andy whimpered a few times in his sleep, but didn’t wake.

Owen was waiting outside the saloon with Trudy when they arrived.

“Jasmine’s at Vivi’s,” Trudy said, “thought that might be the best place to settle him for the night.” Both men murmured their agreement, remembering how Grandma Vivi had helped drag them up when they were that age.

“Andy, wake up,” Robyn said softly, shaking his shoulder. His reaction was sudden. He sat bolt upright and started screaming in terror.

“It wasn’t me! I didn’t do it! I’m sorry!”

Robyn held him tightly, murmuring quietly and stroking his hair until he calmed down. Carefully, she passed him down to Logan. Andy clung tightly to him, looking for safety.

Chapter Text

Justice and Unsuur looked over the cliff but didn’t see her.

“The door to the building there…it’s open a little.  Think she landed in there?” Unsuur asked.

“Maybe.  Dang…no one could have survived that fall, though.  We need to go tell folks.  Get some rope to go down and check.  We’ll need to bring her back.  Owen is gonna be crushed,” Justice said.

“No,” Owen said.

“Owen, I’m sorry.  I saw her go over the cliff myself.  That cliff was way too high for her to have survived it.  There’s just no way,” Justice said.

“Did you see her at the bottom?” Owen asked.  He was unnaturally still.  Justice wasn’t sure he was even breathing.

“Well, no.  Unsuur is getting equipment to go down and make sure.  But I had to come tell you, man.”

“I’m coming with you,” Owen said, in a tone that brooked no argument.

“That’s not a good idea, Owen,”

“Justice,” Owen said through clenched teeth, “That is MY wife down there, and she is carrying MY child, and if she is dead, then I will be the one who brings her back, and that is the end of it,” Owen said.  

“Wait, she’s pregnant?  I…man, I’m sorry.  I didn’t know…oh, man, that’s why she didn’t go into the gas, isn’t it?”

“Yeah.  We’d just found out when the green thing happened.  It’s early days yet.  We aren’t telling people until she feels the baby move..” Owen broke off  and scrubbed the heel of his hand over his eyes.  “I…I have to see her.  I can’t even consider the notion that they’re gone until I see her, Justice,” Owen said.

“I understand.  I’d feel the same,” Justice said.  He could tell that Owen was holding himself together with the thinnest of threads, so he wasn’t gonna tell him anything that might snap that last bit of control.

Owen pulled off his scarf and his jewelry, and slammed them down on the bar.  “I…dang it, I don’t know where Grace is.  Fuck it, let’s go.  If Lynn is gone, then I don’t give a fuck about this saloon anyway,” Owen said, and started walking.

They argued, but in the end, Owen prevailed.  He went down the cliff while Justice and Unsuur waited at the top.  Owen got down to the bottom of the cliff and looked around. There were goat prints and goat droppings around, but his wife was nowhere to be seen.  No human tracks, and no blood, either.  He looked up at the face of the building, and she wasn’t on any of the ledges up there, either.  He felt some stirrings of hope in his heart.

“She’s not down here!” He yelled back up at Justice and Unsuur.

“This is definitely where she went over!” Justice hollered back down.

Owen looked around.  One of the rolling doors was open a little, so he grabbed it and heaved.  It didn’t fully roll up, but it was enough that he could get in.  

He shined his light around, and he drew in a breath when he saw the outline of when she’d been laying in the dust.  He kept looking, and almost wept in relief when he saw the footprints.  Her boots had a fairly distinctive tread, and there it was.  She was up on her feet and moving.

He wanted to run ahead and find her, but he had to let Justice and Unsuur know, first.  He crawled back out the door and went back to the base of the cliff.

“Found her footprints!” he yelled up to the two men waiting above.  “She’s in the building.  Door mostly closed behind her, so she's probably trying to get out another way!” He yelled.  Or she’s trying to find Logan, that’d be her all over.

“Want us to come down and help you look?” Justice asked.

“No, just go let folks - especially her ma and Zeke - know she ain’t dead!  Leave the rope, may have to climb back up if we can’t find another way out.  I’m gonna find her,” Owen yelled.

“Lynn!” Owen called down the tunnel he found himself in.

“Owen?” came her faint, and very welcome, reply.  He quickened his pace, although he had enough sense not to just drop the lantern and run.

When she came around the bend in the tunnel, though…he broke.  He ran to her and fell to his knees and enveloped her in his arms, not even trying to stop the tears.

“Hey, hey, what’s this?” Lynn asked.

“Justice…he told me you were dead,” Owen said.

“What?  I’m gonna kick his ass,” Lynn said.

“No, no…did you see that cliff you went over?  I get why he thought so,” Owen admitted.

“The goat caught me,” Lynn said.

“Logan’s goat?”  

“Yeah, pretty sure I'm unhurt because of him.  The landing knocked the wind out of me, but I'm ok.”

“The baby?” 

“Seems fine.  No cramps or bleeding, anyway,” Lynn said.  “I didn’t want to take the chance of free-climbing back up, so I thought I’d see if I could find another way out.”

“And maybe catch Logan?” Owen asked, which made Lynn give him a sheepish smile.

“And maybe catch Logan,” she agreed.

Owen had some suspicions about Logan that he should probably share with his wife, but he wasn’t sure how to go about it.  He’d ponder while they worked their way through this place.

Between the two of them they had enough rope to safely travel the weird playground maze that they found themselves in.  Lynn was good at spotting traps, so thankfully they didn’t run afoul of any of the many, many traps that Logan…well, probably Haru…had set.

“So what do you think this was?” Owen asked as they climbed up yet another colorful cliff.

“I hesitate to say it was a kid’s playground, but it sure seems like that,” Lynn said.

“Maybe some kind of…I don’t know, amusement park, like what Catori is trying to do?” Owen mused.  They stopped at the top and sat for a bit.

“You doing ok?” Owen asked.  He was breathing harder than she was, so she was probably fine, but he had to ask.

Lynn took a sip of water and ate a piece of jerky.  She offered him some, but he just shook his head.  He knew she needed to keep food on her stomach so she didn’t feel ill, and who knew how long they’d be in here.  He did take a sip of his water, though.  It was lukewarm, of course, but it refreshed him all the same.

“Yeah, just could feel the baby asking for food,” she said.

“What does the baby say about all this climbing?” he asked.

“He doesn’t mind.  What does your back say?” Lynn asked, which made Owen laugh.  “My back is fine, darlin’, although I’ll admit I’m glad of the rest.  I think I can see where we need to go, though,” he said, pointing towards what did indeed look like an exit.  Lynn nodded and started to stand, but Owen held her back. 

“I’m not too keen on my pregnant wife getting into a fight with Logan.  You’re tough, darlin’, but he’s been training all his life,” Owen said.

“Fair enough.  Your pregnant wife is also not too keen on getting into a fight.  Let’s see what we can do to prevent that,” Lynn said, standing up and dusting off her trousers as she did so.

Owen stood and put away his water bottle.  “Stay behind me, if you would.  I’ll see if I can get him to talk,” he asked.

They left the funhouse behind and walked into what looked like a natural cave.  Owen scanned around and spotted Haru.

He didn’t want to approach too close - Haru was very good at chemistry and a fair hand at engineering, too, which meant even more traps - so he called out to the man.

“Haru!  We just wanna talk!” he yelled.

Haru gasped and turned.

“Owen?  What are you doing here?” he asked.

“Here with m’wife,” Owen answered, gesturing at Lynn.  “Just lookin’ to talk.  I know you, Haru, and I know Logan.  I’m willing to bet things aren’t what they seem,” Owen said.

“And you’d be right,” Grace said, stepping out of the doorway at the other end of the cavern, followed by Logan. 

“I shoulda come to you from the get-go,” Logan said, shaking his head.  They’d talked over what Logan, Haru, and Grace were trying to accomplish, and what they needed Lynn to do.  Grace seemed both annoyed and relieved that her cover was blown, at least where Owen was concerned, but Lynn was happy she wasn't going to have to keep anything from her husband.

"We'd best get back.  I told Justice and Unsuur you weren't dead, but they're gonna be wonderin' where we are," Owen said.

"We'll figure something out," Lynn said.  "We always do."

Chapter Text

The woman got off the train and looked around.  She’d almost forgotten how oppressive the heat was in this Light-forsaken hole, although the town seemed greener than she remembered, which meant the air didn’t feel quite as dry.  She still wasn’t sure why she’d decided to return after all this time.  Something about that picture in the Ataran Times had called to her though, made her realise that she needed to finally face her past. 

She’d have recognised Howlett anywhere.  He was older and greyer in the picture, but she could still see the man she’d fallen for all those years ago.  It was the younger man standing next to him that had jolted her.  If she hadn’t known better, she would have thought it was her pa standing next to her husband.  He was going by his middle name now it seemed, but there was no doubt that it was her son.  She’d last seen him wrapped in a bundle of blankets as she passed him on to Vivi for the afternoon, saying she needed to go shopping. 

“You’ve got some nerve showing your face round here, Camille,” a voice said, interrupting her train of thought.  Looking round, she recognised Mabel, the rancher’s wife.  She was a couple of years older than Camille, and while she’d tried being friendly during Camille’s time in Sandrock, Camille had pushed her away.  As she had most everyone. 

“Good to see you, too, Mabel,” she replied evenly.  “looks like you finally managed to fix up the town?” 

“Cut the crap, girl.  What do you want?” 

Camille raised a perfectly shaped eyebrow.  The Mabel she remembered had been polite and charming.  Seems like she’d developed a backbone over the years. 

“What in tarnation are you doin’ back in my town?” a nasally whine interrupted them.  Camille groaned.  Even back then Cooper could talk the hind legs off a yakmel, and she doubted he’d changed. 

“I was hoping I could see my husband and son,” she said calmly, which received snorts from both of them.  “Could you tell me where to find them?” 

“Why should we do that?” Cooper asked.  “What makes you think they’d want to see you?” 

Cooper started onto one of his rants, making it clear his ability to talk had only increased over time.  As Camille listened with one ear, a young girl came over and whispered something in Mabel’s ear, before glaring at Camille.  She looked enough like Mabel that Camille assumed this must be their daughter. 

Mabel put a hand on Cooper's arm, interrupting his diatribe. 

“They’re in the Blue Moon, Howlett’s expecting you.  Be warned, I doubt you’ll get the welcome you’re hoping for.” 

With a curt nod to Mabel, Camille shouldered her bag and headed towards the saloon. She noted the two decorated yakmel carts outside, waiting on passengers, and felt a fleeting twinge of guilt that she was about to disturb someone's wedding day.

Howlett was waiting just inside the door for her, arms crossed, and glaring at her. She reached to hug him, and he stepped back and shook his head. 

"What do you want, woman?" he growled. "You got some nerve showin' your face round here at all, but today of all days?” 

"That's no way to greet your wife!" she snapped. Howlett barked out a laugh. 

"You ain't been my wife for better'n twenty years, Camille. So I repeat, what do you want?” 

"You divorced me?" she asked, stunned. 

"Divorced you?  Course I divorced you.  Light, woman, you're lucky I didn't have you declared dead.  Knew you'd be out there somewhere, ready to come slinking back." 

"And why did no one tell me?" 

"You disappeared off the face of the earth. If no one could find you, then how could they tell you?” 

Camille scoffed.  “As if you tried that hard,” she said. 

“Camille, I had– you know what, never mind.  Why are you here?” Howlett asked. 

“I saw you and Beau in the paper,” she said, “seems you made mayor and saved the town.” 

“An’ that’s why you’re crawlin’ back?  Since I’m the mayor now an’ not a monster hunter?”  Howlett shook his head.  “I’ll give you one tip.  If - and it’s not guaranteed he’ll want to talk to you, especially not today - if you talk to our son, no-one’s called him Beau since you left.  He goes by Logan.” 

"Ugh, you would do that.  I always hated that name and you know it," Camille said.  “Did you start erasing me as soon as I left?” 

"Don't matter if you like it or not, he does. An' you did a fine job erasing yourself, I didn’t need to do a thing." 

“And what’s so special about today that he won’t want to speak to me?” 

Howlett gestured around the bar.  “Because, with your impeccable timin’ and flair for the dramatic, you’ve managed to turn up on his wedding day.” 

“Be– Logan’s getting married?” she whispered.

Flora would have known who she was, even without being told. Logan really was the image of his mother. She'd intended to stay out of it, but Rose wanted her father and was refusing to accept any substitutes.  Rose’s indoor voice wasn’t any better than her father’s or her brother’s, so rather than risk her daughter deafening the whole saloon, she took her to Howlett. 

"Sorry to interrupt, but she wants you and no one else will do," Flora said, handing Rose off. 

"That's because she has taste," Howlett said. He took Rose and settled her on his hip, then turned to face Camille. He was surprised to see shock on her features. 

"Is that...our granddaughter?" she asked.  She looked at the little girl, a toddler, then at the woman who had handed her to Howlett.  They looked enough alike that she was almost certainly the baby’s mother.  Early to mid thirties, likely, so older than Be-Logan.  Had probably baby-trapped him. 

Howlett laughed. Rose, wanting in on the joke, laughed too. She patted Howlett's chest and said "Da!" 

"Yes, Rosebud, thank you,” Howlett said, then turned to Camille.  “You heard her. Rose is my daughter, not Logan's.” 

Camille sneered, the first sign of a crack in her composure. "So, you robbed the cradle again, did you?” 

Howlett snorted. "She's older'n you are, Camille. Only cradle I ever robbed was yours, and only because you lied to me.” 

“I’ll leave Rose with you,” Flora said, kissing her husband and her daughter before slipping off upstairs. 

“You know, when I first saw her, I thought she baby-trapped our son.  But no, she baby-trapped you.” 

Howlett snorted.  “Know all about that technique, do you?” he asked. 

“How dare you!” Camille hissed, outrage cracking her composure even further. 

“Despite what you think, Camille, I ain’t stupid.  Hindsight is clear sight, as they say.  You were lookin’ for a meal ticket, and I was it.” 

Camille swallowed.  He didn’t know, he didn’t understand…but he was wrong about one thing, he was. 

“I did care about you, Howlett.  Still do,” she admitted. 

Howlett snorted, but his eyes softened some. “You’ll always be the woman who gave me Logan, Camille,” he said. 

Flora knocked on the door of the room, and let herself in.  Haru was straightening Logan’s tie and lapels, while Andy sat on the desk, swinging his legs. 

“Pa told me to sit here and not get messed up,” he informed Flora before she could lecture him for sitting there. 

“It’s fine,” she murmured.  “Logan, we need to talk.” 

“Light, what’s happened?  Owen?  Pa?”  She could see the panic starting to cross Logan’s face. 

“No, nothing like that.  We’ve got an unexpected guest.  Your mother has randomly turned up.” 

“Beg pardon?” Logan said in disbelief. 

“What does that bitch want?” Haru added.  “Sorry for swearing, but…” 

“It’s a good question,” Logan said, slumping onto the edge of the bed. 

“Andy, can you go fetch your da, please?” Flora asked. 

“Will do,” he said, jumping off the desk and running out the door. 

He found his da and his pappi in the bar, talking to some woman that looked an awful lot like his pa.

Logan got up to go to the bar and bumped into somebody next to him.  He glanced towards them, apologising automatically, and kept walking. 

“That’s no way to treat your mother, Beau,” Camille snapped. 

Logan froze.  He hadn’t realised that’s who he’d bumped into, hadn’t seen her since they got back from the ceremony, so he hoped she’d scurried off, tail between her legs.  Sadly that wasn’t the case.  Well, now’s as good a time as any, he sighed to himself.  Squaring his shoulders and drawing himself up to his full height, he turned round and looked at the woman who had given birth to him. 

She was tiny, his pa had always told him that much, and he’d certainly got his colouring from her, but that was all.  He’d always known he was Howlett’s son through and through, but looking at Camille just confirmed it.  She looked tired, too.  She was about the same age as Flora, as far as Logan knew, but the years had not been kind.  She had a brittle, manufactured air about her. 

“My mother?” he asked, incredulous.  “You disappeared, and come back twenty-six years later and think you can call yourself my mother?” 

The voices in the saloon quietened as they stopped to listen, but Logan was oblivious to his audience.  “Where were you when I fell an’ scraped my knee, needed a plaster and someone to kiss it better, huh?  Who rocked me to sleep when I was ill?  Who helped me with my homework?  Celebrated my achievements?  Could I talk to you when I kissed a girl an’ realised I didn't like it?  Or when I kissed a boy an’ realised I did?” 

Camille stepped back, not expecting the cold fury that was turned on her. 

“I’ll tell you where you were - you were nowhere.  That was Pa, an’ Rhonda, an’ Vivi an’ Debbie, and even Mabel when I was little, and now I have Flora. Near every woman in this town has been a better mother to me than you!  You do not get to waltz in here on my wedding day and call yourself my mother!” 

He felt Owen’s hand on his shoulder, and Flora stepped in between him and Camillie. 

“C’mon, Moon, that’s enough,” Owen murmured in his ear, “don’t let her ruin our day.” 

Howlett stepped up to his ex-wife and wrapped his hand round her arm. 

“That’s your cue to leave,” he hissed, guiding her gently towards the door.

Flora put her hands on Logan’s shoulders.  “Look at me.  Not at her, at me,” she softly said. 

Logan swallowed down whatever he was about to say and turned towards Flora’s voice. 

“You’re right.  She gave birth to you, but she’s not your mother, not if you don’t want her to be,” Flora said. 

“You’re my ma,” Logan choked out. 

“I know, sweetheart, I know,” Flora said, wrapping her arms around Logan’s shoulders.  He shuddered and bent a bit, putting his arms around Flora and his head on her shoulder. 

Owen stood behind Logan and wrapped his arms around them both.  “We’ve got you, Moon,” he quietly said. 

“I couldn’t love you more if I’d birthed you myself, and I will never walk away from you,” Flora told him. 

Logan nodded, head still on Flora’s shoulder, but he relaxed into both his ma’s and his husband’s embraces. 

Howlett got Camille outside and closed the saloon door behind them. 

“Ain’t you hurt him enough, Camille?” Howlett asked. 

His ex-wife sighed, and sniffed.  “I just wanted to…” 

The saloon door opened and Bull stepped out, shutting the door behind him. 

“Don’t matter what you want.  Logan has made it clear what he wants, and it ain’t you.  Jensen keeps the waiting room nice an’ warm for overnighters, I’d advise you to spend the night there and get the first train out.” 

“Hoots, go back in to help see to your boy.  I’ll make sure Miz Camille gets to the station.  I’ve got some questions to ask her, anyway.” 

The two of them were silent until they got to the train station.  

“You had questions?” Camille asked.  She had a fairly good idea what Howlett’s oldest friend wanted to know.  He’d made it clear that he hadn’t liked her when he and his wife had come for the wedding, and she couldn’t imagine him liking her any more now. 

“Yeah.  I gotta know, Camille, if that even is your real name.  What was so important in your life that you had to leave your husband and child behind?” 

Camille twisted the strap of her traveling bag, and decided to tell him the truth.  Or most of it, anyway.  “I was so alone.  Howlett was gone all the time and I was just so alone.  And Beau cried all the time, and I was just such a failure with him.” 

“Oh that is just so much horseshit.  You coulda talked to Howlett, or any of the women in this town.  They’d’ve helped you.  You think you’re the only woman to have a hard time after having a baby?”  

Camille scoffed.  “They all hated me, were just watching to see me fail.  And I did. Does it even matter why I left, Bull?  They did just fine without me.  You heard him, in there.  He called that woman his ma.  I shouldn’t have come back here.” 

Bull snorted.  “Whatever you have to tell yourself to sleep at night, Camille, or whatever the fuck your name is.” 

“I go by Carmen,” she quietly said. 

“He asked me to find you, you know.  He wanted you back badly enough to get the ACI involved.  I tracked you to the train station in Atara, and then you fell off the face of the planet.  Camille James…Light, Camille anything ceased to exist after that train station.  And I couldn’t find any trace of a white-haired young woman, either.  You didn’t wanna be found, made sure you wouldn’t be.  So you can just cut the ‘woe is me, they did fine without me’ shit, because you made dang sure they didn’t have any other choice.  He’s moved on, found himself a good woman who makes him happy and loves that boy like he’s her own.  I don’t actually think you can wreck this for him, but I advise that you don’t try.” 

“If you knew my family, Bull, you'd understand. I ran away to Sandrock to escape them, then when I thought they’d found me again, I had to get away again, make sure they wouldn't come after Howlett and Beau. I made sure my arrival in Atara would be noticed, then used the tricks I'd been brought up with to vanish.” 

"Your family?" Bull spat out, "don't give me that yakshit, woman."  

Camille whispered out a name, one rarely spoken in polite company. 

Bull raised his brow.  "Seriously?  You expect me to believe you're a...?" 

"Believe it if you want, or not, I don't care.  I told you the truth, I couldn't cope, I felt like I was failing Howlett and Beau as it was.  Then I got word that HE was looking for me.  I couldn't let him find them, so I ran.  After a few years, I'd got myself together enough to start dealing with them, work to change them from the inside.  Ha.  They changed me more than I want to admit.  I'm not the same woman that Howlett married.  I guess Beau  - Logan - is right, I was never his mother." 

She dropped on the bench in the waiting room and closed her eyes.  Bull stood and watched her, making sure she stayed there.  Bill, Justice, Unsuur and Cal all took turns in watching her during the night as well, but she remained there until the train arrived.

By the time Howlett got back inside, his family were nowhere to be seen.  Paul and Debbie were sitting outside the office door, and waved him over. 

“Owen an’ Flora took him in the office out the way, then Andy came barrelling past with Rose on his back, wouldn’t be left out.” 

Howlett nodded.  “Sounds like Andy.  Light, I’m surprised he didn’t try kicking Camille’s shins once he found out what was goin’ on.  He’s so protective of Lo.  How’s he doin’?” 

Paul held his hand out and shook it back and forth. 

“Little shaken, but I think he’s OK, or will be.” 

Howlett and Logan stood on the roof patio of Howlett's house as the train pulled in.  They saw the white hair as she climbed on board - in the first class carriage, of course - and settled down. 

Logan sighed.  He’d hoped to have a proper wedding night with Owen - he knew Owen had ideas that Logan was more than happy to go along with, but after Logan had his breakdown in the saloon Owen had flat out refused to do anything but cuddle with him last night. 

“We got all our lives for that, Moonbeam.  Tonight I just want you to feel safe,” he’d said. 

Much as it galled him to admit, his husband was right.   He wasn’t gonna settle until Camille was gone. 

“She tol' Bull some stuff last night," Howlett said with a sigh.  "He's gonna check into it when he gets back to Atara, but she claims to have left to protect us.  Need to speak to Flora as well, she might know something, too." 

“Flora knew her?” 

“Nah, but she might have read a thing or two in a professional capacity, money launderin’ and such.  Bull’s gonna see what he can pull together.” 

"Don't matter," Logan said, sighing.  "She never did." 

They watched the train pull out, and Bull stepped off the platform and headed towards the house.  He nodded as he saw Logan and Howlett watching. 

“She’s gone,” Howlett said.  “Let’s get back downstairs.  Flora’s cookin’ breakfast, and I know how much you enjoy her breakfasts!” 

“Breakfast tacos?” Logan asked, perking up. 

“Yup.  Owen an’ Paul are helpin’, they’re makin’ enough for ev’r’one.  She insisted, says they’re your favourite.  You liked your ma’s cookin’ from the get go, dintcha?”