Saturday morning
Wolverine was completely and utterly in love with Morph. Although they had only recently become an official couple, they had known each other for years. Logan trusted Morph entirely, but the same couldn’t be said about Logan’s kids. To them, Morph was just “Dad’s new partner” and they didn’t even have the best relationship with Logan to begin with.
Logan was certain his kids would love Morph if they got to know them better. So, he figured doing something together as a family would be a good idea.
It was early Saturday morning, and Laura, Gabby, and Akihiro stood outside the mansion by their dad’s car, each holding a small bag of their belongings, unsure of what was happening.
“We’re going on a road trip” Logan explained.
“Is this like that time you took us camping just to train us?” Laura asked, raising an eyebrow.
“I liked that trip; I petted a deer” Gabby said with a smile.
“No, this is a family trip” Logan clarified. “We’re driving all Saturday, staying at a hotel overnight, and coming back on Sunday.”
“Wouldn’t it be faster to take the Blackbird?” Akihiro asked.
“The point isn’t to get there fast; it’s about the journey” Logan said.
“I want the front seat” Laura said loudly.
“None of you are getting the front seat” Logan replied.
“I’m the oldest. I should sit in the front” Akihiro grumbled.
“Morph is sitting in the front” Logan announced, surprising all of them.
“What are you talking about?” Akihiro asked.
“Morph is coming with us” Logan repeated.
“For how long?” Laura asked.
“The whole trip.”
“If this is a family trip, why is Morph coming?” Akihiro asked.
“Because they’re part of the family now. Now get in the car and stop asking questions…” Logan said as they climbed into the back seats. He leaned in through the window. “And behave yourselves. Blood is really hard to clean off a car.”
Logan turned to see Morph walking out of the mansion, and he met them halfway, giving them a quick kiss on the lips as a greeting.
“Are you sure they want to do this?” Morph asked, tilting their head toward the car. “I want to get along with your kids, but forced bonding won’t win me any points.”
“These kids are stubborn. They won’t give you a chance unless I force them” Logan said with a scoff.
“I wonder where they got that from…” Morph teased, handing Logan a backpack.
“What do you even have in here? I said it’s just for the weekend” Logan asked, noticing how heavy the bag was.
“Snacks. I brought them for your kids” Morph said with a small nod toward the car.
“Bribing my kids with food. Smart” Logan said with a smile as they walked to the car.
Once they got in, Morph turned to the kids in the back and greeted them while Logan started the car. “Hey, I’m sure this will be a fun trip.”
“Sure” Akihiro said sarcastically.
Logan gave him a quick look in the rearview mirror as the car started moving.
“I brought you these” Morph said, passing their backpack to Gabby, who was sitting in the middle.
“Don’t eat them all at once. Make them last the whole trip” Logan warned.
Gabby pulled out a bag of gummies and opened them. “Thanks, Mixter Morph!”
Morph laughed, turning back to face the front. “Just Morph is fine, Gabby.”
“Is Morph your real name?” Gabby asked as she stuffed several gummies into her mouth.
“My legal name is Kevin Sydney, but everyone calls me Morph.”
“Like the city in Australia, but with a Y” Akihiro said.
“What are you talking about?” Laura asked, confused.
“His name is spelled S-Y-D-N-E-Y, like the place in Australia, but with a Y after the S” Akihiro explained.
“It’s spelled the same way as the place in Australia, idiot” Laura replied.
“No, it’s spelled with an I,” Akihiro insisted.
“No, it’s spelled with a Y” Logan said, glancing into the backseat.
“Since when?” Akihiro asked, annoyed.
“Since the city was founded” Logan answered.
“Why did you think it was spelled with an I?” Laura asked.
“Because I’m Japanese, and in Japan, it’s spelled with an I. How was I supposed to know you all use a Y?” Akihiro said.
Morph bit their lip, trying not to laugh, while Logan started thinking this trip might not have been such a great idea after all.
After a while on the road, Morph put on the radio. Gabby sang along to the songs or asked Morph to change the station. Laura and Akihiro stared out the windows. When a commercial came on, Morph turned the volume down, and Akihiro took the opportunity to speak.
“Can I ask you something, Morph?” Logan glanced at them in the rearview mirror, not liking Akihiro’s tone.
“Sure” Morph said.
“Why do you like him? He’s not a handsome man…” Akihiro asked, leaning toward Morph’s seat.
“You do realize you look a lot like him, right?” Morph replied, amused.
“…You’ve just offended me deeply” Akihiro said, leaning back in his seat.
Hours passed, and Morph and Gabby kept the mood light, while the others occasionally joined in. Akihiro didn’t say much, mostly looking out the window, though he chuckled when Morph shapeshifted to make a joke. At one point, Akihiro caught Logan sneaking glances at Morph and looking genuinely… happy.
When Morph finished telling a story, Logan spoke. “There’s a gas station up ahead. I’m stopping there so we can grab lunch, stretch our legs, and everyone needs to use the bathroom. Everyone. Got it? I don’t want to stop later because someone has to use the bushes.”
“Which bathroom will Morph use?” Gabby asked.
“Oh… I guess it depends. I like going to unisex bathrooms when they have them. Sometimes I go to the men’s, but between you and me, women’s bathrooms are always nicer” Morph explained.
When they arrived, Morph shifted into their human form before getting out. They went to the bathroom first while Logan and the kids went into the store. When Morph came out, they only saw Akihiro leaning against a wall, so they assumed the others were still in the bathroom and walked over to sit beside him.
“It must be fun having sisters. I was an only child” Morph said, trying to start a friendly conversation.
But Akihiro didn’t respond in kind. “You don’t have to try to get along with us just because of Logan. I doubt he cares what we think of you.” He looked away. “He doesn’t care about our opinion… You don’t understand.”
“I do” Morph said. “I might not know what it’s like to not get along with Logan, but I do know what it’s like to not get along with a parent.”
Akihiro looked at them, and Morph continued. “After my mom died, my relationship with my dad was never the same. And I know it’s different because you didn’t grow up with Logan. But I can tell you this: you don’t have to love Logan just because he’s your dad, especially if he wasn’t a good dad. But you should at least know that he’s trying.”
Akihiro was surprised. He didn’t know that about Morph. They were always so happy; he assumed they’d had a good life. But now he realized Morph was more than just a funny person. When they mentioned loving Logan… it surprised him in a different way. For a moment, the thought made him feel lighter. But then something else came to mind.
“Do you think…” Akihiro started slowly, “that he feels that way about me? That he doesn’t love me because I’m not… a good son?”
Morph was taken aback by that. “Of course not. He loves you. If he thought you weren’t a good son, I don’t think he’d be trying to get close to you in the first place.”
The boy stayed quiet, and Morph continued. “Why do you think we’re on this trip?”
“Because he wants to spend time with you?”
“If he just wanted to spend time with me, why would he bring you all?”
Akihiro thought about that for a moment, and Morph answered their own question. “Because he wants one of his favorite people to get along with his other favorite people.”
Akihiro felt lighter again.
“Thanks, Morph,” Akihiro said with a small smile. “But I still don’t see what you see in him. I’m sure you could do better.”
Morph laughed. “I’m not going to agree with you on that.”