Between a Bear and a Hard Place(84)

“I guess that serum worked,” Draven said.

“Must have,” Eighty-Three said. “I hurt. My muscles, they all ache, and even the hardness of this floor feels painful. The light hurts my eyes, every word you speak hurts my ears, but it’s an honest pain. A human one, if that makes any sense.”

“Rogue,” Rogue said, recalling the request from a few moments before. “I’m Rogue and you saved my life.” The bear reached out, took the clammy hand in his and shook it.

Fury looked at the black-haired bear and took a step forward, then clasped Eighty-Three’s hand. “I’m Fury. That was a hell of a fight.”

A tear rolled down Eighty-Three’s hollowed cheek. It caught a groove from some removed piece of mechanical equipment, and then rolled down his neck. He touched the collar of the Metallica tee that Claire put him in. Looking down, he scrunched his eyebrows and lifted the shirt. “This is ghastly,” he said with a smile, observing the flaming skeleton that appeared to be in an electric chair. “But comfortable.”

“It’s cotton,” Jacques said. “And I’m Jacques. Pleasure to meet ya.”

Eighty-Three accepted the handshake, nodding. Without any warning, he pulled the pilot in with a clumsy gesture, and hugged him tight.

“Was that appropriate?” he asked when they separated. “I feel very close to you, but I’m not sure what to do with those feelings.”

The gruff Cajun was looking at his gaunt friend, and then pulled him in for a hug. “Doin’ what you feel,” Jacques said, “ain’t ever inappropriate.”

“Ever?”

“Well, how about ‘usually’?” Draven asked. “I’m Draven. You saved my friends, I owe you everything.”

Eighty-three cocked his head to the side, which made his neck pop several times. “They saved me, too. Right here, just now, they saved me. Why do you keep saying that I did so much saving?”

“Went both ways,” Jill said. She squeezed the rail-thin shoulder, though it seemed to grow more muscular under her fingertips. “You helped us, we helped you. That’s what friends are all about. We help each other when we need it.”

“Friends?” he asked, apparently confused at the notion. “Does that mean that—?”

“Suppose it must,” Stone and King both said at the exact same time. Both reached for a hand, but seeing what was happening, Stone let the older bear reach first. He nodded slightly. King regarded him for just a second and nodded back.

“Friends help each other. Friends we are.”

“And we never forget friends,” Stone added, taking the man’s other hand.

“Which can get a little irritating,” Fury said, chuckling to hide his own thickening voice. “But we’re here for you. Whatever you need, whenever you need it, that’s what we do.”

Eighty-Three was smiling, and slowly shaking his head from side to side. The wet trail running down his face kept getting bigger with each passing moment. “I have... friends.”

“You have a family,” Claire said, hugging him tight. “No matter who you really are, or where you’re from, no matter any of that. We’re family now. We’re all family. Even if we fight and growl at each other sometimes. Even if we get infested with parasites and try to kill each other. Even if we keep getting mad that someone keeps making us quit smoking,” she laughed under her breath. “We’re all family. And you know what the best thing about family is?”

Cleo rolled over from where she’d been upside down and asleep for the past several hours. Her paws clicked along the floor, and when she got to Eighty-Three’s side, she made a mewling sound and licked at his fingers. A moment later, he was scratching her around the jowls and about a half-second after that, he was on the floor rubbing her exposed belly and making the same bark-growls that she was.

Everyone just watched, staring at him in amazement as he and the dog rolled around, he letting her absolutely bathe him with big, fat licks.

“You can’t get away from ‘em,” Rogue finished. “No matter how much you try.”

Everyone laughed, watching the two of them frolic. Nothing but pure, utter joy marked either of the two of them, and although Cleo hadn’t ever been the most trusting dog, and Eighty-Three had not seen a dog in his conscious memory, that didn’t matter one bit.

Claire hugged Fury and Stone to her sides, wrapping her hands around their waists. Each of them turned and kissed her at the same time. A surge of warmth crept through her body, making her neck, her scalp, the mark, and even the tops of her feet prickle with electric pleasure.