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Chapter 21: Reunion


Its been a week since Jean made contact with Ororo. Logan stood on the deck of the boathouse, his thoughts not on the beautiful serene image before him but on the woman who held his heart. Ororo, he thought painfully, feeling a level of helplessness he had never felt before.

After the first day, he had tried asking Jean about contacting Ororo again but after seeing her with the bags under her eyes, he decided to wait a few more days so she could rest. On the third day, he approached Jean with the idea and was told by Scott in not so pleasant words that the first time took a lot out of Jean and it would be at least two weeks or so before she could attempt it again.

Two weeks is too damn long, he had told them, only to get scolded by Scott, saying that the decision was final before walking away in a huff. Logan frowned to himself at the memory of him hitting the wall in frustration, leaving a gaping hole. Chuck’s going to kill him for putting holes in his walls, Logan had thought, smiling sadly as he made his way back to the boathouse.

The following day, Logan approached Hank, asking if he had made any headway figuring out how to track Forge so that they could bring Ororo home. Sadly shaking his head, Hank told Logan that he was working as hard as he could to restore the tracking but it seemed that Forge still had the signal blocked.

Frustrated for the second time that week, Logan went to the Danger Room to find an outlet for his pent-up frustrations. After a long, grueling three hour session, Logan still didn’t feel any better. Discouraged and truly aggravated, Logan decided to head home so that he would be alone with his emotions and not take them out on some unsuspecting teammate.

The following morning, Gambit came knocking on his door, waking him from his dream about Ororo. Irritated, Logan snatched the door open and growled at him. Unfazed, Gambit told him that he had a lead and that they would need to leave right away. Feeling a glimmer of hope, Logan pulled Gambit in and ran to the bathroom. Ten minutes later, the men took off in one of the mini-jets, only to return five hours later empty-handed.

Dejected, Logan left the hangar and headed to the boathouse. Gambit stood and watched his friend walk away, surprised that Logan hadn’t bothered to growl his anger at Gambit about wasting valuable time on a wild goose chase.

“Gambit worried about de Wolverine, ‘chere,” Gambit told Rogue later as they stood at the lake and watched Logan standing on his patio, blankly staring out at the water.

“Don’t worry sugah,” she replied, taking his hand and pulling him to the path that would take them back to the mansion, “If ah know Ororo like ah tink ah do, it won’t be long ‘fore she back in his arms. You mark my words.”

“Gambit sure hope so,” he said as they disappeared into the wooded trail.

Logan gazed out at the lake, reliving the day that he spied Ororo creating a cyclone. The memory of the awe inspiring display of her power made Logan eyes fill with tears as he thought about the possibility that she would never be able to do it again. Gazing down at his hand, Logan studied Ororo’s ring, a tear dropping from his eye. Wiping it with the back of his hand, Logan heard a little voice in the back of his head keep repeating, everything will be alright. How, he thought looking back out at the lake, unable to silence the voice. Don’t worry, everything will be alright, it repeated. Wondering if he was going crazy, Logan looked around and saw that he was alone. Just keep the faith, the voice whispered. Feeling like there was nothing left to do, Logan fell to his knees. As the tears began to fall, Logan said the one word that would comfort him at that moment, “ORORO!!!!!”

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

“Logan,” she whispered into the wind, unconsciously responding to him. That’s odd, she thought as she gazed out at the desert-like surroundings. Why would I be thinking about Logan when I’m with Forge. Standing out on the porch of Forge’s home, Ororo thought over the week she had spent undergoing a treatment Forge said would restore her powers.

She woke to find Forge at her side, holding her hand.

“How are you feeling?” he asked, tears shining in his eyes.

“Okay, I guess. Where am I?” she asked.

“We’re at my ranch. I brought you here after you were struck by a weapon called a neuralizer that made you human.”

“What do you mean, ‘made me human’?!” she asked alarmed, sitting up quickly.

“Darlin, calm down.”

“Don’t tell me to calm down Forge. Who did this to me? Where are the others?”

“Darlin, you’re not helping the situation,” he said, standing and placing a comforting hand on her face, “I brought you here with the intentions of restoring your powers. The rest of the team agreed that it would be best for you to come alone for the treatment.”

Calmed by his words, Ororo allowed Forge to make her more comfortable by shifting the bed so that she could sit up. Fluffing her pillows, he explained that he would like her to rest for a day before they started her treatment. He also said that since he had never attempted this before, it would be more like trial and error and that the first injection may not work.

Struggling to stay awake, Ororo tried to listen closely to what Forge was saying. Even as she listened, she couldn’t help but feel that something was terribly wrong with this whole scenario but since it was Forge, she decided to go along with it. Dismissing the nagging feeling she had in the back of her mind, Ororo nodded sleepily, giving Forge permission to start the treatment the following day.

“This may make you sleepy but we will see how it goes when you wake up okay,” he said before injecting her with the first treatment.

Nodding, Ororo closed her eyes as the drug kicked in. The next day, Ororo woke up feeling fatigued but hopeful that the serum had worked. When she tried to summon a rain cloud, nothing happened. Seeing her disappointment, Forge quickly explained that it was a test and that he had another serum that he would like to try on her the following morning. Determined to make things right again, Forge went back to his lab to continue working on the serum .

Trying to keep a positive outlook, at the designated time, Ororo allowed Forge to inject her with the second serum. Two days later when she came out of another drug induce sleep, they found that just like it predecessor, the serum did not reverse the neuralizer’s affects. Refusing to be deterred, Forge injected Ororo a third time while she was sleeping, causing her to fall into another deep sleep.

But just like the others, the third attempt was a failure. Refusing to be let down again, Ororo threatened Forge with bodily harm as he approached with another syringe. Lifting the metal prep tray from its resting place, Ororo swung it, narrowly missing Forge’s face as he came toward her.

He wasn’t expecting that, she thought, chuckling at the memory as she sat on the porch steps. Gazing out, a gentle breeze brushed against her skin, pushing a loose lock of hair from her face. I remember when I could do that, she thought sadly as the week’s events continued to play out in her mind.

As a peace offering, Forge made her a special dinner. To his credit, he tried to make the dinner a normal one by filling her in on the history of the area, conveniently forgetting to mention the name of the city where they were located.

“So I got a good price on the place,” Forge told her before taking another bite of his pasta.

“Has anyone called?” she asked abruptly, setting her glass down next to her plate.

“Yes and I told them we were making some progress but nothing concrete yet,” he said, looking down into his plate. Wanting to change the subject, he asked, “Would you like some dessert?”

That was two days ago. Since then, Ororo has avoided Forge and his advances as much as possible. Even though he says that they are in a relationship, something about it doesn’t sit right with her. Whenever she tried to hold Forge’s hand, Logan would pop up in her mind. It was like he disapproved of it and at first, it confused her, but now, it frustrated her to wonder if there was something Forge was not telling her. Since their dinner, she has been plagued with the same dream where she was having a conversation with Jean at a beach. Though she couldn’t hear what they were saying, it must have been something important. The images of Logan and the dream with Jean, coupled with the failure of Forge’s treatment had Ororo feeling depressed and disenchanted.

Whenever she felt this way, she would seek out a quiet place where she could commune with nature and bask in its beauty. That’s where she found herself as she shifted to find a more comfortable position on the step. Looking out, at the barren yet serene landscape before her, one of the things Forge had said during dinner came to mind. Supposedly, the original owner loved cacti so much that he transformed the plush landscape in the front of his home into dry, desert-like garden, filled to overflowing with the prickly trees and other supplemental plant life. There was, also according to Forge, a sample of every known type of cactus represented in the garden, even the poisonous ones.

Why are you sitting here thinking about cacti when you should be figuring out a way to get home, my child, her mother’s voice whispered in her ear. Startled, Ororo looked up and watched as her mother slowly walked towards her, taking a seat next to her.

“Mama,” Ororo said, tears blurring her vision as she reached out to touch her mother’s visage.

Daughter, do not speak. Only you can see me. Speak to me from here, N’Dare replied telepathically touching her head.

Oh, Mama. I have missed you so.

As have I, my daughter. You have grown to become a beautiful woman, who is strong and courageous. Tell me love, why are you sitting here on this step when you know that something is a mist.

I’m so confused. Part of me says one thing while the other part screams another.

What did I tell you to do whenever your mind is at war?

Meditate, but my heart is not in it, Mama.

Why is that, my child?

I’ve lost my powers.

Is that all? Her mother’s visage asked with a slight smile on her face.

Is that all?!?! Ororo thought angrily, wondering why her mother was mocking her.

I am not mocking you, my dear Ororo. I smile because I remember feeling the same way the day I thought I forgot how to be a priestess.

Turn her body toward her mother, Ororo asked, How do you forgot how to be a priestess?

Very easily for those who may have taken their abilities for granted. The Goddess gives us our talents but if She feels that they are taken for granted or being misused, she will take them away.

So are you saying I have lost my powers forever? Ororo asked as a tear slide down her face.

My dear child, do not fret. All things happen for a reason as they should. When it happened to me, there were some things I had yet to learn and the Goddess relieved me of my powers so that I may open to receiving the lesson that was being taught.

Ororo looked at her mother and realized that she was experiencing the same thing that her mother endured when she “forgot” how to be a priestess. I wonder what the Goddess has in store for me, Ororo thought and N’Dare smiled brightly.

Now you are ready.

Understanding, Ororo replied, So you are saying that I have placed all my eggs in one basket and failed to explore the others?

Exactly!!! Her mother’s visage said, happily clapping her hands before taking Ororo’s chin in her hand, Just as I learned, you are learning that you are more than just someone with special powers. Tap into your birthright that has always been there. Allow it to guide you back home where you belong.

Leaning forward, N’Dare kissed her daughter’s forehead, just as she had when Ororo was a child. Now that we have gotten through that, its time for me to say goodbye.

But Mama, can’t you stay a little longer? Ororo asked as fresh tears cascaded down her face, sadden again by the lost of her mother.

My dearest child, I am never too far that I can not watch and assist you but this is something that you must do for yourself or else, you will never learn the lesson the Goddess is trying to teach you, her mother’s visage said, wiping at the tears on her daughter’s face, Now meditate!!! There is much you do not remember and because of this, you are in danger.

What do you mean, Mama? Ororo asked as she noticed her mother’s visage slowly fading.

You know what you need to do, my daughter. All you need to do is to tap into that knowledge and the only way to do that is to meditate, her mother’s voice floated over her as she faded from sight.

Ororo sadden by her mother’s departure, touch her face where she felt her fingers. Looking up at the sky, Ororo said a silent prayer of thanks to the Goddess and her mother.

Looking back over the desert-like yard, Ororo moved her body into a comfortable position, and did what her mother told her “ she meditated. Slowing her breathing and clearing her mind, Ororo realized that she would be there for a while because of the serums that Forge used. The injections he had given her allowed him to manipulate her memory. Using the serum to make her mentally receptive, Forge had planted suggested memories in her sub-consciousness. As began to repair the damage Forge had done, she noticed a mental wall. Visualizing herself in front of the wall, Ororo touched it, sensing that this was Forge’s creation. Feeling its warmth, Ororo’s arms became hammers as she broke through the wall, causing a rush of memories to wash over her.

After a while, Ororo opened her eyes, glinting in the bright sun light. Knowing what she needed to do, Ororo looked up and gave thanks. Next she put her plan into action by first moving her numb limbs, trying to get the circulation going again.

Now, how do I, her thought began as she spied a flash of light in the mist of the garden. Sensing that it was for her, Ororo stood and began down the stairs. Walking on the pathway, Ororo moved with purpose, whispering some encouraging words to give her the strength and focus she would need to execute her plan, “Logan, I’m coming.”





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