A Summer of Sunsets
Chapter #19 “Reunion, pt. 7”
The Reunion.
From the road, no one would have been able to tell that there was anything more than a dinner party going on at the Xavier estate, with a couple dozen cars spread between the long circular drive and the three garages nestled in a small dip at the side of the guest houses.
However, from the beachside, the party was in full swing, with music blaring, guests dancing, and food being passed around in earnest. There was enough soda for the under-aged attendees, and wine and other spirits flowed generously for the adults.
One of the kitchen staff members was busy playing bartender for the guests, and as he handed Ororo a freshly made Cosmo (her 2nd), she caught a movement from the corner of her eye. Turning toward the door not far away, her face lit up immediately as she saw Logan standing in the wide threshold, only a step or so in front of her father’s chair.
“Logan…” she said, almost to herself, with a sigh of…relief? Had she really thought he wouldn’t come?
His head came up almost immediately after she’d said his name, as if he’d heard her, and even though he smiled, it didn’t quite reach his eyes. He felt some other eyes land upon him but Logan was too occupied by the presence beside him to care much.
“Glad you could make it.” She teased, having left her drink at the make-shift bar to greet him. With a quick but meaningful peck on his lips, she smiled at him again before turning to her father, still holding Logan’s waist, standing at his side.
“Well, I guess it’s a little late for formal introductions, hm?”
Charles looked up at them, his clear blue eyes not quite meeting hers before he settled his gaze squarely on Logan. “It’s never too late for that.”
That seemed to make her afternoon, and Ororo stepped even closer to Logan, looking lovingly at him as she gestured. “Dad, this is Logan. Logan, my father, Charles Xavier.”
He felt absolutely stupid for standing there, hugged up against her as she gazed at him like that, while her father almost shot daggers at him. A small muscle ticked in his jaw (on the side opposite Ororo), and he waited a second before casually extending his hand.
Charles came to his senses, and accepted the handshake before his daughter could begin to question his silence. “Logan.”
The other man only nodded, the pleasantries ended then, and Charles put his hands on the wheels of his chair as if he were about to leave. “I’m sorry, dear, but I need to rest a moment. Forgive me.”
Ororo’s eyes became concerned then, and she left Logan’s side, coming to kneel beside the chair before Charles could roll off. “Are you alright? You do look a little pale.”
He still didn’t meet her eyes, instead focusing on her hand as it gripped his chair. He laid his on hers, and squeezed gently. “I’ll be fine. I may need a little food. I think Erik has a plate waiting for me.”
He started off toward the tables set up where other guests were already elbow deep in BBQ’d chicken, ribs and burgers. Without missing a step, he turned his head a little and spoke to Logan. “You’ll excuse me, Logan; I’m sure we’ll catch up later tonight. Won’t we?”
Behind her, Logan’s body grew rigid, his left hand clenching reflexively and that jaw muscle throbbing. “Yeah.”
As suddenly as he’d felt the tension welling up inside him, it disappeared when Ororo turned back to him, and took his hand, smiling up at him. “I think he was speechless.”
“Is that good?” He asked, a little tense.
“(chuckles) Well, I’ll put it like this: At least he didn’t go inside your head to get at your ‘true intentions’ with me.” She laughed at the look of pure panic that passed over his face, and tugged at his hand, pulling him away from the door.
“Come on. I’ve got some people I want you to meet.”
---
Across the patio, a very interested set of eyes watched the couple as they made a bee-line for the table where Marie, Beth, Brian and Kurt were sitting. A smile almost touched her lacquered lips as she brought a Rum & Coke to her mouth. She’d been glad she went back inside to fix her hair & makeup after those little hellions had had their fun earlier. She hadn’t even made a big deal about it, inwardly promising that they’d regret it once it was time to sleep (ooh, the dreams she had planned for them).
Smiling to herself, Emma watched the fine specimen attached to Ororo as he shook hands with Kurt and Brian while Ororo made introductions. Things were definitely picking up at this little freak-party. She had almost been knocked over by the psychic angst that had passed between him and Xavier. It was what had brought her attention to them, and now she was as curious as hell. She could tell Ororo had no idea what was going on underneath her own nose, and Emma felt it was her duty to find out.
---
With wide green eyes, Marie smiled up at Logan as he stood between her and Beth’s chair. She was positively radiating energy as she watched her sister and the mystery boyfriend”who she had to admit, absolutely met her expectations for fineness.
Beside her, however, Beth was a little more reserved. Like Emma, she’d also felt the almost negative vibes that had emanated from her father and Ororo’s boyfriend. It had puzzled her a little, because she wanted to just chalk it up to “Meet the Parents” kind of melodrama…but there was this nagging sensation at the back of her brain that just wouldn’t shut up.
As Ororo politely excused them to the table nearby where Hank & Moira were sitting, Marie barely let them get out of earshot (for Ororo, that is) before turning to Beth in excitement. “O. My. Gawd. Beth, did ya see the body on him?? Ro did good!”
Beth and Brian simultaneously rolled their eyes, and Kurt only shook his head, his thick fingers covering his face in embarrassment. As Marie chortled and got admonished from the other members at the table, Beth’s eyes turned to the couple as Ororo made introductions once more and Logan tried to grin and bear it. She suddenly needed to talk to her sister. Now.
“Excuse me.”
Marie barely even noticed she was gone, her thick southern accent damned-near muddling everything she said. Brian looked up with a “help me” expression, but Beth just patted his shoulder and kept going.
---
“It’s nice to meet you, finally,” Piotr towered above Logan, but the gentle giant smiled warmly as he shook the man’s hand. “We’ve heard a lot of rumors about you.”
Ororo smacked his arm and they laughed. Logan only allowed a somewhat tense smile, before he caught a whiff and then sight of one of Ro’s sisters. She had been looking at him before he turned to see her, he was sure. Now, she kept her gaze on Ororo, smiling gently, though her eyes were sharp and alert.
“Hi. Logan, I hope ye don’t mind if I borrow my sis for a minute?”
Curious, Ororo turned puzzled eyes to her sister, but before she could answer”
“Go ahead, Beth; I’m sure we can keep him entertained for a minute.” Came from behind Ororo’s shoulder.
She turned to see Scott standing there, holding a plate full of food and wearing his best smile behind ruby glasses.
Logan turned to the man, slightly annoyed at his tone and presumption, but didn’t have time to object.
“I promise, it won’t be but a minute.” Beth hated the fact that Scott had come up, but she really needed to get this off her chest.
Blue eyes flickering between Logan and Scott for a bare second, Ororo forced a smile, squeezing his hand. “Mind?”
Logan shook his head in the negative, despite the hairs going up on the back of his neck, and took a seat across from Piotr. “Go ‘head, Darlin. I’ll grab us a plate while yer gone.”
“Thanks. I’ll be right back.” She was barely finished with that sentence before Beth was pulling her away.
“Oh, here you can have this one.” Scott chimed in once Ororo was out of earshot, sort of dropping the plate before Logan on the table. He took the chair beside Logan’s, turning it backwards to straddle it, giving him a once over as if he were looking at something that amused him.
Logan’s eyes slid to his left, his body appearing completely relaxed outwardly. He knew by the way the man smelled that this must be ‘Scooter’”er, Scott. The ex that was in the Air Force. He grinned, showing sharp canines; the ‘knowing’ smirk only seemed to annoy the man more, and he scratched the chair against the ground, drawing it closer to the table.
Piotr looked between them a couple of times, his expression unsure, and inwardly he wondered if it was too late to make an escape.
“So…Logan, isn’t it?” Scott leaned onto the back of the chair, his arms crossed over it as he watched the man closely.
Fixing him with a stare that immediately chilled Scott’s blood, Logan grunted, “That’s Colonel to you.”
Recovering quickly, Scott saw an opening, and with an easy air of superiority, chuckled, “Ah. Colonel. Why am I surprised? Ro’s always been partial to servicemen.”
Ignoring both Piotr’s look of shock as well as the insinuation in that comment, Logan angled his head away from Scott, giving him a glare. “The way I heard it, yer partial to loose blonds with an inferiority complex.”
Scott’s expression faltered as he fell speechless, and Piotr coughed, choking on his drink.
---
Stopping at the bar to get her Cosmo back, Ororo turned to keep Logan and Scott in her sight, hoping her ex wasn’t making a complete ass of himself. “Beth, what’s going on? Is something wrong?”
Shaking her head at the offered drink from the bartender, Ororo’s sister turned as well, but her eyes found their father, who was sitting with Erik, Moira, Hank and others. She paused now, unsure, but took a deep breath and went on. “I’m not sure. I’ve just got this…feelin’, I guess. It’s nagging at me, Ro.”
“What kind of feeling?”
“It’s about Logan. And Dad.”
---
Taking bites slowly and deliberately, Charles kept his eyes off of the table that Logan sat at. His hands were almost visibly shaking with anger; the only show of emotion from him. No one else at the table seemed to notice…except the one person closer to him than even any of his children.
*Charles?*
Xavier looked up carefully as Erik wiped his mouth with a napkin and stopped eating. His psychic abilities were limited, and so he couldn’t concentrate on opening their link while eating. Charles eased Erik’s attempt by opening his mind, but tried to shield him from the raw emotions raging inside him. *I can’t believe he’s actually doing this, Erik! After all this time--*
*I know,* Erik glanced in Logan’s direction, then picked his fork back up as if he was about to start eating again, though he didn’t. *But from what you’ve said she told you of how they met, I don’t think you can completely put fault--*
*Yes, I can. Ororo doesn’t know. She can’t know, otherwise she’d never entertain the thought of a relationship with that man.*
Erik paused at the vehemence in Charles’ thoughts. He could see how the anger was weakening him, and if for no other reason, he thought his friend should let it go; at least for the night. *Charles, calm down. You need to relax, or she’s going to suspect something’s wrong. Or at the very least, Beth and Emma will be able to pick you up.*
This seemed to give Xavier pause, but after several seconds he just shook his head, nearly stabbing the piece of meat on his plate as he started to cut it. *…I never wanted her to find out like this, Erik, but I can’t let this go on. Damn him; I remember how hard it was to get Howlett to agree to this in the first place. The problems in his past were clouding his judgment; he thought back then that I should have told her the truth when she was old enough to understand. I mean, he was adamant about it. Going on and on about how I wasn’t honoring who she really was…*
Erik stared at him through this short tirade, blinking. *Charles, what are you saying? Do you think Logan purposely became involved with Ororo? Just so she could somehow remember--*
*God, I hope not.* Charles slumped a little, reaching up to rub his temple. *But with everything I know of the man, I can’t trust him enough to believe otherwise.*
---
“Beth? What do you mean?” Ororo was getting a weird feeling as she looked at her sister, who was still looking at their father across the deck. She’d known Beth to possess a sort of clairvoyance along with her psychic abilities, but the expression on her face was giving Ororo pause. It was even starting to worry her.
Shaking her head, Beth tried to find words to express her misgivings. “I don’t know, luv. But I keep getting the feeling that they don’t care for one another.” ‘That much is obvious.’
Ororo seemed taken aback by that comment. “Really?” She looked at each man in turn; her father as he and Erik seemed deep in conversation, albeit mentally, and Logan, as Scott and Emma seemed to have him rapt in attention.
“Splendid.” She muttered, watching the seductive play of body language from Frost, as she stood close by Scott’s chair, leaning on him and eyeing her from across the deck.
“Wha..?” Beth stopped in mid question as she caught sight of them as well. “O… fuck.”
---
“So, you must be Logan.” Emma had started out, giving him a very lusty once over, confidently standing by his chair momentarily in her skimpy outfit.
For his part, Logan didn’t even glance up at her, continuing to stare at Scott, daring the man to make another ill-conceived comment about Ororo. He would be content to ignore the plastic doll, just to make sure that red-eyed bastard kept his mouth shut.
Pointedly looking away from Logan’s angry silver gaze, Scott ran a hand along Emma’s arm playfully. “You’ll have to forgive him, Em. Ro’s got herself a man of few words.”
Leaning so far into Scott’s personal space that the man felt compelled to move back, Logan fixed the younger man with a tranquilizing gaze before whispering harshly, “I only need one…”
Standing over Scott’s chair, Logan thrust his face almost nose to nose with him, his canines bared threateningly and his silver, lupine eyes almost glowing as a deep, rumbling growl bubbled up from his chest.
Piotr and Emma were shocked into silence, and poor Scott was lucky he wasn’t standing, because his knees still trembled a little in his Dockers, but the rest of him was too terrified to move. He had no idea who”what”this man was but it almost literally scared the shit out of him.
As quickly as the growl had appeared, Logan’s eyes returned to their normal grey color, and he leaned up out of Scott’s face, turning on his heel. He almost knocked right into Ororo, who was only a few feet behind him. She hadn’t heard their exchange, but the look on Scott’s face and Logan’s sneer told her a lot.
“Logan..?”
Taking her hand, he snorted like a bull, pushing the negative emotions out of his body. Jerking his head toward the buffet tables of food, he asked, “Ready to get somethin’ to eat?”
“Uhm…yeah, yes, that’s fine.” She allowed him to guide her away from the tables, barely looking behind them at the eerily quiet table he’d just left.
Still watching his retreating form, Emma couldn’t help the look of interest on her face, her eyes narrowed as they followed Logan’s body in retreat. She couldn’t help it, but that little feral display had made her hotter than two rats fucking in a wool sock.
‘Hmm..! Well, he may act like an animal, but I’ll bet this Logan’s still just a man…’
---
“What was that all about?” She questioned, confusion clearly written on her face as he carelessly slopped side dishes on a large plate, moving down the long table quickly.
Logan paused, staring at his plate and suddenly realizing he wasn’t hungry. He turned to her then, his expression softened dramatically. He wanted to apologize, but he didn’t even know where to start. Each moment he stayed here, he felt more and more like a total idiot and a complete bastard. Finally, he put the plate down at the edge of the table, and took her hand. “Nothin, darlin. Just guy stuff. You know.”
“Ahh…” She smiled a little, touching his face and chuckling. “Beating of breasts and territory marking?”
“Somethin’ like that.”
“Ro! Logan,” Marie came up then, beaming mischievously at her sister before turning to their guest. “Hank an’ Brian are settin’ up the home movies in the theatre downstairs. As soon as everyone’s done eatin’”“
“Ohh no,” Ororo actually put her hand to her face in shame, having just remembered that other long-standing tradition of her family; the game of who would be most embarrassed by the home movies. Each year new footage was added to the DVDs, new photos to the slide show, and the vote was tallied. Almost everyone had “won” at least once; several twice. Ororo had the record of four separate occasions, and Marie was still seeking retribution for her crowning the year before, when an ancient home movie of her younger days surfaced, where older brother Hank had used a chicken drumstick bone-on-a-string to coax the toddler to him.
Logan’s brow rose at Marie’s excitement and Ororo’s unease. He had already decided that this family was probably the weirdest one he’d ever met, but there was a part of him that wanted to be able to relax around that sort of eccentric behavior. If only…
“Come on, Logan,” Marie pushed her sister by the back toward the doors, where some of the other guests were taking their plates with them.
Ororo was quick to grab his hand, unable to keep from laughing. “I can’t believe I forgot about this. Oh, you’ll love it; you get to see me as a snot-nosed kid.”
---
The home theatre was packed with the guests, as Brian and Hank set up the digital projector and the DVD player from the small room in the back near the door. While they fought the wires and decided whose ‘moments’ to show first, Bobby and Kurt kept everyone entertained, taking digital photos of the guests for the photo album.
By now, Logan had done his best to try to relax and act natural, but every time his eyes met Charles’, he got tense again, and this time was no exception, as Ororo’s father sat in his wheelchair near the door, apart from everyone, while his lack of interaction went curiously unnoticed.
Groups of the guests took turns taking pictures together, and once the Xavier sisters had had their turn, Marie coyly suggested that Ororo and Logan take one together; after all, she reasoned, “Yer part of the family, now, right?”
He could have sworn Ororo was blushing, murmuring something to her sister all the while giggling as they were set apart from the rest, before the plain backdrop of the side wall in the large room. He only shook his head, glad he was with her, but wishing they were both somewhere else. Anywhere else.
She leaned against him, smiling when his arm curled around her waist, and hugged his neck, her forehead resting against him. Her smile was genuine, her heart full; it was the happiest she remembered being in quite some time.
---
As Hank started a DVD of Kurt’s greatest BAMPF practical jokes, the guests settled in to their seats, laughing and conversing as meals were finished and various desserts were passed around.
Every few minutes, Bobby would reappear, passing out the digitally printed photos from the media room down the hall; he made sure to keep copies for the album, but freely handed out pictures for everyone to see.
“Here you go, Ro.” He smiled at her and Logan, as they sat close in the comfortable reclining chairs of the theatre room.
She grinned, taking the two identical pictures, passing one to Logan. “For you.”
He looked at the picture, long and hard, comparing her carefree expression of contentment and pleasure to his guarded countenance beside her. It was their first picture together, and the image would forever be immortalized by the fact that at that moment all he was thinking of was that they could never last.
Swallowing the hard lump in his throat, Logan stuffed the picture in his shirt’s single breast pocket, and tried to forget it was there.
“Darlin, where’s the john?” He whispered over the cacophony of laughter as Kurt was shown on screen “bampf”ing into the girls’ locker room at The School, and promptly being chased out by lightning bolts, psionic daggers and an adolescent Marie, who was threatening to “Lay her hands on him”.
Distracted momentarily from the screen, she whispered the directions to him, pointing him to the closest one, a downstairs bathroom close to her father’s study. “Hurry back.”
He closed his eyes briefly when she kissed him, and got up, making his way to the nearby aisle. He had to get out of that room. Away from her, away from her family and all their happy memories. Logan never thought he’d be this bothered by it all, but the longer he stayed in the presence of the Xavier clan, the more alone he felt.
‘This ain’t nobody’s fault but yers, Bub.’ He shook his head at himself as he rounded the corner, heading toward the restroom.
“Logan. A word?”
He started, not realizing how deep in thought he was until it was clear his reflexes were slipping. Turning his head just a little at that voice, his eyes narrowed to slits, and his lips curled just a little as she came closer and he could smell her.
“What.”
Her lips pulled back to show bright white teeth, perfectly lined, and her light blue, almost colorless eyes raked over him like the most brittle winter wind. “My my. Rough around those edges, aren’t we? I just don’t know how little Ororo ended up with someone like you.”
No more in the mood for games now than he was with Scott before, Logan couldn’t help a low, barely audible growl. He knew she was a telepath of some skill, according to Ororo, and he had no intentions of giving her the opportunity to try sinking her psionic claws into him. “What the hell do you want?”
When he paused to say that, she came up to him, standing very close despite the increasingly audible rumble coming from him. If he thought she’d be afraid, Logan definitely got a surprise when she sighed, smiling seductively as she brushed his chest with her fingers. “If I told you, would you give it to me?”
He snapped her hand up, holding her wrist a little tighter than perhaps he should have, and stepped back, throwing her limb back at her in disgust. Before he could respond, however”
“Emma that will be enough.”
They turned to see Charles sitting in the hall, his hands folded casually as usual, but his face very plainly displeased. He’d spoken barely above a whisper, but she’d heard him quite well, and while she rubbed her slightly bruised wrist, gave Logan a once over again, and chuckled. “You’ll think about that answer, won’t you Logan?”
He watched her leave, heading back toward the theatre room but not before turning to look at him once more. He shook his head, partially unable to believe she’d actually done that, despite her past with Ororo. The lady couldn’t possibly have believed that he’d be as stupid as Summers.
Finally looking to Charles, he jerked his head in the direction Emma had retreated, grunting, “Thanks.”
“Don’t. I wasn’t trying to lend you a hand, Colonel.” Charles rolled up to Logan, his eyes suddenly seeming very hard as his quiet voice spoke evenly.
Not really surprised by Xavier’s change in attitude, Logan replied, “Fine. What are you doin’ then?”
“I told you we were going to have a talk. I think that time has come.”
“Now?? You’re right in the middle of yer family’s reunion and you wanna do this now?” He didn’t pretend to understand Charles Xavier’s motivations; he never had, and knew he never would.
“Lower your voice, Col. And come with me.” Charles didn’t wait to see if he followed, as he turned off from the direction of the bathroom into his downstairs study.
Logan didn’t really fight the itching at his knuckles, but he didn’t indulge it either, as he silently followed Charles’ chair into the spacious area. He knew this day would come; he’d known it the first time he’d seen Ororo and hadn’t told her to stay the hell away from him. That didn’t mean he had to like it any better for knowing.
“Okay, ya wanna talk; so talk.” Logan closed the door roughly behind him and turned to Charles, crossing his arms tightly.
“What do you think you are doing?” Charles had not turned to face him yet, his hands still on the wheels of his chair, and his head lowered just a bit.
“Nothin’ less than you asked me, Ambassador.”
“You agreed to help me keep her safe. You agreed that she wasn’t to find out.”
“Nothing’s happened to Ororo. And I ain’t told her nothin’.” He said defensively.
Charles’ head snapped up, and he spun his chair quickly, pointing an accusing finger at Logan. “This is your idea of ‘safe’?? I never told you to get romantically involved with my daughter! Just what sort of sick game are you playing here??”
Logan actually flinched, and was speechless for a moment as he looked down at Charles. He could see the vehemence fairly rolling off the man, but his own defenses also rose. “What the hell’re you talkin’ about?”
“You think I don’t know about You? Your history?” Charles said cryptically, eyeing him. “The things in your past that you’ve tried to hide. Tried to forget? You’re just as dangerous now as you were back then, and I don’t want you dragging Ororo into that.”
“I think that’s her decision, ain’t it? But then, it isn’t like you’ve given her much choice in her life, right? That’s what this is really about. You’re afraid she’s going to find out the truth and hate you fer keepin’ it.”
“This isn’t about me,” Charles paused, coughing roughly before continuing, “This is about you, and why you felt like you needed to step back into Ororo’s life after you fucked it up 25 years ago.”
Logan’s eyes widened at the crude language he knew Charles Xavier did not use often. It was a clear indication of the level of his ire, but Logan was getting pretty pissed himself. Especially at that accusation. “I think yer gettin’ the two o’ us confused. I was just doin’ my job; I’m not the one using mind control to keep my kid from findin’ out what really happened to her parents.”
“Of course not. But you no longer have that opportunity, now do you?”
*SNIKT*
---
For several moments, Ororo had stood with some uncertainty in the hallway, as her thoughts turned to an internal dialogue. She wasn’t sure what had been keeping Logan, but as the minutes passed, there came an ‘itch’ in the back of her mind that began to become a nag. After she’d seen the empty spot where her father’s chair had been, she rolled her eyes with a sense of comedic chagrin, knowing that Charles Xavier was doing exactly what he’d promised he wouldn’t do.
Casually excusing herself, she had headed for the exit of the theater, but not before locking eyes with Emma, who’d come back inside a little before. She didn’t have to decipher the ‘look’ she’d given her. Ororo had remembered it from years before…right before she’d caught Emma & Scott in a somewhat compromised position.
Shaking her head, she turned and left, but Emma’s head games were quickly forgotten, as she wandered the halls downstairs. She’d checked the bathroom, but didn’t find him there. As she turned off the light inside and came back towards the theater, she could have sworn she heard a familiar sound.
It sent a chill down her spine now, just as it had months ago. Ororo touched her hand to her chest, swallowing, and her eyes searched the quieted hall, now in panicked confusion. ‘What is going on??’
Turning to her left, she looked down the long hall, and knew that there was no room of particular interest other than her father’s study at the end. As she hesitantly began in that direction, the sudden sound of raised voices validated her initial assumption.
Tossing up several mental shields, she quietly headed down the hall.
---
“What the fuck did you just say?!” Logan’s eyes bulged in his face, his breathing quickened as he clenched his fist at his side. Three perfect adamantium claws gleamed in the dim lighting of the study; a presence all their own.
“And just what do you think that’s going to accomplish?” Charles was calm, his hands folded in his lap once more, no more afraid than if Logan had pulled a rabbit out of his pocket.
“You’re the one that brought this whole thing up! You don’t know shit about Amahra, old man.”
Charles kept quiet for a moment, inwardly regretting his low blow, but unwilling to apologize. “What I do know is that I find your relationship with my daughter completely unacceptable. Your present arrangement cannot continue.”
Logan shifted, his claws retracting slowly before he crossed his arms tightly. It was the only position he could imagine that would keep him from pouncing on Ororo’s father and beating the shit out of the man for that comment. “’Present arrangement’? We’re seein’ each other, Bub.”
“Not for long. I want you to end it.”
“You ain’t serious.” Logan sneered, looking down his nose at the other man.
“I assure you, Colonel, I am. I won’t have Ororo getting in the middle of whatever personal mission of self-destruction you may or may not be entertaining.” Charles reached over to pluck a thick file folder from within the nearby drawer of a desk.
“I don’t know what yer talkin’ bout, but ‘Ro isn’t some kid you have to look after. She’s a grown-ass woman.” Logan watched him, his contempt for the former Ambassador growing to new heights.
“This is what I’m talking about…” Charles opened the folder Erik had brought him weeks earlier and started sifting through it as he continued. “I suppose you forgot my contacts in the government. Well I have not, and I found out some pretty unsavory things about you. Your current post, for one. This Section X nonsense”“
“Who told you about that?” Logan was quiet now, his eyes narrowed as he felt his pressure up.
“That doesn’t matter. My point is that I’m sure you haven’t told my daughter what kind of dangerous”not to mention barely legal”work you do.”
“I can’t tell her that and you know it. It’s fer her own safety.” He shot back.
“Just like you won’t tell her your involvement from Kenya? For ‘her own safety’?” Charles didn’t wait for an answer to that, as his attention was distracted for a second before he locked eyes with Logan once again.
“You don’t want her to know any more than I do, Bub. So what’re you givin’ me the 3rd degree for?” Logan was distracted too, but from watching Charles slowly turn the loose sheets of paper in that folder. He wondered just what sort of information had been gathered there, and what Xavier ultimately planned to do with it.
“We shall have to get one thing straight, Colonel Howlett: My love and your…concern for my daughter’s well being are two completely divergent things. We had an understanding; one you claimed agreement to 25 years ago, but for some reason have recently decided you no longer need to oblige”“
“It’s not that simple”“ Logan pointed out, but fruitlessly as Charles continued,
“”It never was. But you have made the situation needlessly hopeless by involving yourself in my daughter’s life.” Charles looked at him squarely, his bright blue eyes suddenly dulled of energy, but still full of contempt. “Now, as I stated before, you will have to end it.”
Logan didn’t like the sound of Xavier’s command, and his posture told the other man so. Sneering, he retorted, “’Or else’? What?”
Charles shook his head, resigned, and expelled a deep breath. “For Ororo’s sake, Logan. Are you so selfish in this ‘relationship’ you claim to have with her, that you cannot put her welfare before your own?”
He blinked. “You’d actually tell her. What, to spite me? You sunuvabitch--!”
Knock-knock.
The two men turned toward the closed door; Charles didn’t seem that surprised, Logan realized, though his own brow had immediately shot up to his hairline. He cursed himself inwardly for once again letting himself off-guard so easily.
“Dad? Logan?”
Charles tented his fingers before his lips, looking at the Colonel. Logan’s eyes stayed on the closed door, his mind reeling despite the almost calm look on his face. Without answering, he stepped to the door, turning the knob, but it didn’t budge. Turning back just barely to Xavier he whispered, “Unlock the door, goddammit.”
“Your decision, Col.”
A low growl erupted from Logan, and he yanked on the door again. It gave this time, and he was met by Ororo’s beautiful, but questioning face. There was just a barest hint of a smile there, which told him she hadn’t heard their conversation. “Ro.”
She looked past him, wagging a finger at her father and tsking, completely missing the quick look of displeasure that had painted Logan’s features. “Daa-ad…I thought we agreed you weren’t going to play Inspector Interrogator tonight.”
Before Charles could respond, Logan carefully took her arm, lightly nudging her back through the threshold as he mumbled, “Don’t worry ‘bout it, Ro. B’sides, we’re missin’ the home movies.”
Her chastising smile faltered at the stiffness in his voice, and she glanced from him to her still quiet father, who hadn’t moved an inch since she appeared. “Uhm. Okay…what did I interrupt here? Are you two alright?”
“Fine. We’re fine.” Logan almost cursed out loud at the obvious lie. He couldn’t understand why he was losing his cool like this, but he definitely didn’t like it. Perhaps if he just got away from the mind-reading girlfriend’s-father-from-hell, he could collect himself, and they could get the fuck outta Dodge.
“No, you’re not. Dad? What’s going on?” No such luck.
Charles finally met her eyes, a weird, half-smile-half-frown distorting his features. Instead of answering, he moved his gaze to Logan, an obvious question piercing the other man.*Are we agreed, Colonel?*
Logan’s body visibly stiffened, and his eyes cut back to Xavier’s with a menacing glow as his lip curled. Behind him, Ororo’s eyes widened at the audible growl and she stood rooted in place. Breathing deeply, he growled, “Stay…out…of my head.”
Charles didn’t blink, but could sense that Logan was the sort of man who was only going to say that once.
“Dad, what are you doing?” Ororo’s incredulous voice broke through, and Charles met her gaze somewhat sadly, as he resigned himself to what he had to do.
*I love you. No matter what, know that…always.*
“Let’s go.” Logan was moving through the door, but knew immediately that she wasn’t following him. Her hand was gripping his shirt’s sleeve, her body turned awkwardly as if she were just about to come with him, but her head was turned back, her eyes staring at Charles.
“Dad..?” She breathed, her eyes wide and searching his, though her father continued to stare at Logan’s back.
“Don’t do this.” It was the only plea Logan allowed, his voice hushed and strained almost as if he spoke to himself. He shook his head slowly; deep down he still reminded himself how They couldn’t have lasted, but to end like this…not like this.
“Don’t do what?” She turned to him now, watching him with still just enough trust and faith that it made something deep in his chest ache.
“Ororo…” Logan paused, unable to continue, unsure how exactly he let it get to this point.
Before he could go on”assuming he was going to go on”Charles closed his eyes behind them, sighing deeply with a look of concentration on his face. For barely a few seconds his clammy palms gripped his chair’s hand bars as his mind strenuously unwove the layers of carefully placed blocks that he had maintained for more than two decades. Then he opened his eyes, their blue depths shining with barely contained tears.
“Oohh…” Ororo’s legs buckled from beneath her, but Logan was there immediately, only just able to keep her from sinking down to the floor completely.
As she stared up at him, it was as if she was seeing someone else, and he could clearly read the look of confusion in her eyes as she looked up at him, her nails digging into his arms through the material of his shirt.
Blinking rapidly, she started to shake her head, as their physical positions brought back a mirror image from her past…a past she now began to remember.
There was rubble…
There was darkness…
The smell of blood.
Hands reaching to her…hooded grey eyes…
“It…was you. You were…there??” she asked him, but didn’t need the confirmation.
“Ororo…” He couldn’t. He still couldn’t.
“I don’t understand.” Her voice trembled as she tried to regain her footing, leaning away from him. Logan wouldn’t release her, however, as if maintaining the physical contact could keep their relationship together.
He grimaced, deep lines setting in his face & brow as he turned briefly to glare at Charles, who still had not said a word out loud in some minutes. “I was there…I…”
Say it…
He turned back to her, his eyes held a plea that he knew she couldn’t comprehend. After so long, one would think it a relief to finally come out with it, but instead Logan only felt himself slipping deeper down some bottomless pit.
Just say it.
SAY IT.
“…I killed your parents.”
TBC…
[Reviews - 223]
-
Table of Contents [Report This]
Chapter or Story |
Chapter or Story |
Chapter or Story |
Has been viewed 1968 times
- Text Size +
-
Table of Contents [Report This]
Chapter or Story | Chapter or Story | Chapter or Story | - Text Size +
You must login () to review.
