Chapter One: Unraveled

I only know that I can change
Everything else just stays the same
So now I step out of the darkness
That my life became
~Staind


Somewhere in the Scottish Isles…

Some say that the measure of a man cannot be told in a single phrase. Many believe that a man may go his entire life without being truly tested for the strength of his mettle. Others say that the whole of one’s life must be studied to discern what type of person they were.

Still, there are some that believe a person – man or woman – is defined by a single moment. When Fate, Destiny, Chance, and Chaos all meld into one, bringing forth an impossible outcome. While there are many such moments in a person’s years, assuming they live to a ripe old age, which of those is truly the measure of their character?

Such thoughts were not common for the lone man as he studied the enormous Institute through the dirty taxi cab window, but he found himself considering the possibilities. It wasn’t customary for him to answer a ringing telephone, but he had.

Nearly one week ago, a strange phone call came to his home. Answering with a memorized greeting, he’d been surprised to hear a thick Scottish brogue on the other end of the line. She said that she was looking for a man named Wolverine. She told him quickly that this man was supposed to come here, to the middle of nowhere, as soon as he possibly could.

Being that strangely named man, Logan had accepted the invitation out of pure, morbid curiosity.

It was no secret that he was missing large portions of his memory. In fact, it was so common knowledge that he was shocked when someone seemed confused at a few of his jokes at his own expense.

He paid the cab driver, leaving a fat tip for the man who had patiently waited while Logan contemplated the mysteries of the universe. It was his strange need to fulfill this even more odd request that sparked such philosophical thoughts. These kinds of thoughts were dangerous for him, often leaving him confused and frustrated by the end.

As he stepped out of the car, he thanked the obviously confused driver, tossing him a small smile over his shoulder. It was getting easier. Smiling. He had to work at it, but it was more effortless every day.

Logan waited until the car had driven away, then he looked back up at the monstrous building before him. Impossibly tall, enormously wide, it resembled more of a fort than a medical facility dedicated to the research of mutant genes like his. There were no windows, save for a set of wide ones near the top floor.

Places such as this one gave him shivers.

He moved toward the open doorway, not surprised to see cameras. Whirling told him someone behind the mechanical system was watching. It seemed his identity was confirmed, for no one tried to stop him as he entered the spotlessly clean facility.

Long, white corridors were devoid of another human presence, scents telling him that whomever worked here had likely gone some time ago. This was the appointed time he was told to be here, so obviously his hostess would not share whatever was going on here.

Though he was further confused, Logan continued down the corridors. Instinct led him first left and then right, taking into account the various signs pointing to other areas of the facility. He decided that “Main Office� was probably a good bet. Shifting the pack slung haphazardly over his shoulder, he whistled a little under his breath.

Whoever was watching him would not have the satisfaction of knowing his entire body was on guard. No damn way he’d let them know he was over-alert and ready for action. They would assume he was as calm and cool as ever.

He scented a woman on the air, coming from a solid steel door he was mildly certain might dent his adamantium claws. She smelled of acrid cleansers and lavender perfume. There was confidence in that scent, an inner calm. Hell, he liked her already.

The hydraulics behind the door hissed as it opened, revealing a waif-like young woman with a crop of short red hair. She wore a crisp lab coat and the nametag over her breast identified her as Dr. Moira McTaggert.

“Doc.� He said with a nod of greeting.

“Mr. Logan,� she replied in a thick, rich voice. “You are right on time, as expected.�

“Well, I’m glad one of us is as expected,� he shrugged one shoulder. “Who the hell are ya an’ what the hell do ya want?�

To his surprise, his harsh tone and swearing words were met with a small, secret smile from the woman standing so serenely in the doorway.

“He told me you would say something like that,� the Scottish woman replied easily.

“Who’s he?�
Suspicion already prodded the back of Logan’s weary mind. Who else could instill such curiosity in him without any real contact? Who else would want to?

Logan’s mind was overcome with images from nearly a year in the past. Jean Grey’s swift decent into madness, Cyclops laying dead on the shore of a frigid lake…Xavier and his untimely demise. His heart hurt too much to think on those things. He shoved the thoughts to the side, pushing it all away for a later that he knew would never come.

“He’s alive?� he asked suddenly, unaware that he was speaking until it was too late.

Her smile was like the sun coming up, cheerful and bright. “Oh, yes. He has been here for many months.�

His heart stuttering into a frantic, disbelieving pace in his chest, Logan let the pack slide from his shoulder. It met the cold tile under his feet with a muted thud, a soft echo ricocheting through the vast corridors.

“Take me to him.�

“Of course.� She stepped aside, motioning with a delicate hand to the interior of what he assumed was her office. “He has been waiting to see you for many months.�

Logan needed no more encouragement. He stepped around her, peering into the room as eagerly as he dared. It was a change from the sterile environment that covered what little of the facility he had seen.

Plush carpets muted the sound of his heavy boots, rich sofas and the scent of books washed over him. So familiar was the scent that he was momentarily stunned. He pulled up short when Moira closed the door behind him, a sudden feeling of being trapped shoving past his hope and relief.

“You are safe here,� said a long-missed voice from the corner of the room. “Just as I have been.�

Disbelieving eyes swept across the room, finally landing on the seated, bald figure wearing a pressed blue suit and indulgent smile.

“Professor.�

~**~

200 miles north of Anchorage, Alaska
One week prior

Solitude and serenity are often not mutually exclusive. In fact, it is often said that solitude and serenity cannot be taken together, for fear of losing one’s mind. For those that do not believe in this very narrow concept, solitude and serenity can bring peace to a disordered mind.

Over the last several months, the snow-capped mountains and bright Northern Lights of Alaska had been one woman’s refuge. Cut off from civilization and everything it represented, Ororo Munroe found herself truly happy for the first time in years.

She sniffled in the chilled air, looking down at her numb nose. It was an odd feeling, to find one’s nose completely numb when the person in question is normally impervious to the effects of cold. Ororo found, as the months went by, that she disconnected more and more with her mutant persona.

Whistling for the dogs romping in the freshly fallen snow, Ororo trudged from her blue pick up truck toward the small cottage she now called home. The village five miles to the east was perfect for picking up supplies and keeping the rest of the world at bay. News came slowly, change at a snail’s pace, if at all. This was the kind of life she had wanted since finding the majesty of Kilimanjaro so long ago.

Andine and Eliar, a pair of Husky pups, rushed to her at the soft call. They were her companions, never leaving her wanting for company. She picked them up at a shelter several months ago. Apparently they had been abandoned when their previous owner died. Ororo took one look at the underfed animals and fell in love. The trio was inseparable now.

They had no names that anyone knew of, so she selected two of her favorite from a worn copy of her favorite book. David and Leigh Eddings’ The Redemption of Athalus was a wonderful source of names; Andine and Eliar seemed to have no problem with the choice.

Heaving two bags of supplies from the bed of her truck, she smiled at the pups fondly.

“Are we hungry?�

The dogs whined pitifully.

“Moose burgers?�

As though they understood her, both dogs licked their chops, barking eagerly.

“All right, then. Three moose burgers it is,� she nodded toward the house, letting them fall into step beside her. “And tomorrow, we’ve a trip to Anchorage. A few tourists want a flight out before the storm sets in.�

She continued telling her dogs about the next day’s plans before launching into the day’s events. Once they were inside the enclosed porch, she put her groceries down. Taking a warm towel, she wiped both dogs down roughly, ensuring their thick coats would not trap water that would leak all over the floor.

That done, she slipped into the house with her animal companions. They took up residence by the fireplace, which she started before unpacking her groceries.

Her home was simple, livable without the usual pomp and ostentatious decor many insisted on. It was certainly not Xavier’s mansion, but she loved the tiny cottage. It was warm in the winter, cozy with electric heating for the worst of blizzards and a roaring fireplace for milder evenings.

As she set about making supper for herself and the pups, she watched the Northern Lights dance across the ink black sky. In a few months, the sun would shine on this part of Alaska, killing the perpetual night and replacing it with everlasting light. She loved both sides of the North. The light warring endlessly with dark.

Ororo had come to this barren, snow-capped mountain range just weeks after she buried her family. Scott. Jean. Charles. All dead. Hatred had burned in her heart, a flame that not even her beloved Henry McCoy could douse. Finally, in desperation for release from soul-crushing memory, Ororo had fled.

Her last memory of Xavier’s Mansion was watching Logan and Henry chase the taxicab down the long drive, unable to catch her as she escaped the ruins of her once wonderful life. The death of Jean had begun her decent down the slippery slope into madness. She had left to remember who she was. Not Storm, the X-Man, but Ororo…just a woman.

Feeding her dogs, Ororo hummed to herself as she prepared her own meal and cleaned up after herself. The storm was likely to set in tomorrow evening. She had enough dog food and people food to last several weeks, should she be cut off that long. Batteries were safely tucked away for flashlights and radios. The signal was likely to be bad, but at least she would know when the roads were clear.

The plane she had purchased to be her main source of income would be stored in a nearby hangar. Her work with the X-Men not only qualified her to teach children History and Mathematics, but she knew how to fly anything that could take to the air. Using that knowledge and her comfort in the air, she had started her own business as a “bush� pilot.

She flew anywhere, through nearly anything. It was not always exciting work, but it kept her in more than moderate comfort. She still refused to touch even a cent of her inheritance from Charles.

After her dinner was eaten and the dishes washed, she poured a glass of indulgent red wine and grabbed a book from the shelf. The page was marked with a thin slip of ribbon, which she laid aside thoughtlessly. Andine lifted her head from the floor after Ororo was settled, then stealthily crawled over before leaping up to lay on her mistress’ feet.

Eliar seemed content on the floor, snoring happily in his dreams. Andine demanded attention, making Ororo smile as she lazily scratched behind the puppy’s gray-tipped ears. She began to read, listening to the soft snoring of her beloved dog and the occasional pop and crack of the fire.

~**~

Muir Island

“Ororo never made it to her plane the following morning. A blizzard tore through the area, so it was several days before anyone was able to check on her. The cottage was untouched, but the dogs were locked in the garage. One was wounded and cared for by the local veterinarian. The most disturbing evidence of foul play, however, was the message intercepted by a remote satellite monitoring the storm.�

Logan listened as Charles Xavier, a man he had thought dead until just hours ago, explained how his missing X-Woman had gone…well, missing. Though he was still reeling over the fact that his friend was alive, the news that Ororo had been found and then vanished was more pressing at the moment.

He sat across from the wheelchair bound mutant, listening as he told Logan how Ororo had gone far north to start over in the wake of the X-Men’s last clash with Magneto. He had tried to not think about her over the last months. She was the only surviving X-Man that Logan had originally met. Her leaving had hurt him deeply.

“What message?� He demanded, not liking where this was going.

Moira, her lovely face creased with concern, moved to the long, polished oak desk and flipped on what looked to be a tape recorder.

Immediately, Logan’s sensitive ears picked up shouting male voices and the panting breath of someone wound tightly with fear.

“Logan! LOGAN! I need your help! Logan! Goddess, please! NO!�

He felt his heart sink to the floor. She sounded so afraid. Though they were never what someone would consider close, Logan had generally liked the stoic mutant. She was strong, confident, took no guff from anyone.

Why in the name of hell was she calling for him?

The dogs were snarling and barking in the background. Logan listened carefully.

“They’re protectin’ her,� he said quietly over the din. “That’s why one was hurt.�

Charles nodded, his eyes betraying pain and distress over the woman he had known so well. Logan’s ears perked up when he heard what sounded like a gunshot. No…a rifle.

“Logan! I need help! Help me! ANDINE! NO! You bastards!�

Another shot. A scream. Static.

Moira flipped the switch again, cutting the sound of static from the recorded transmission.

“By the time the technicians running the satellite were able to locate the source of the transmission, it was too late.�

“Who’s Andine?� Logan questioned gruffly.

“As far as we can tell, Andine is the canine that was injured in the scuffle,� Charles said calmly. “Both animals bore signs of a recent fight and were malnourished. Whomever has taken Ororo obviously cared nothing for their well being.�

“She did though,� he cut in. “That’s a personal thing. If they didn’t give a shit, they woulda just left the dogs runnin’ loose. They wanted to hurt her an’ the dogs.�

Logan could see the wheels turning in the man’s mind. Like him, Charles was attempting to formulate some kind of profile on the type of people responsible for Ororo’s abduction.

“’Ro have anybody that pissed off at her?�

Charles shook his head. “Not to my knowledge.�

He stood, pacing the floor with one hand rubbing the back of his neck. If Chuck had revealed his not-deadness to Logan before he was ready for the world to know he was alive, it was for a reason. Logan figured Ororo going missing was reason enough. And the very thought that, when in trouble, her first instinct was to contact the man she knew the least was humbling.

She had needed help and he hadn’t been there. For some reason, that knowledge hurt.

“How’d she get the transmission out?�

“A satellite phone she kept for emergencies. Did the mansion’s connection change recently?�

Logan paused. That was Hank’s territory, but he thought he remembered his big, blue friend telling him something about satellites a while back.

“I think so,� he nodded. “Chuck, I’ve gotta tell Hank. He has to know ‘Ro’s missin’.�

Charles nodded slowly. “What are your intentions, Logan?�

Meeting the benevolent blue gaze across the room, Wolverine raised a single, dark brow.

“Ya know damn well what I’m gonna do,� he stated easily. “That’s why ya called me.�

The older man’s only answer was a soft, indulgent smile.

Logan turned to the woman watching them closely. “Know where I can get a plan ticket to Anchorage?�

Chapter Two: Searching

Live in my head for just one day
I see myself and look away
The road is showing now on my face
Soon I’ll disappear with,
I'll disappear without a fucking trace
~Staind

Denali National Park
200 miles north of Anchorage

Two days after meeting with Xavier and Doctor McTaggert in Scotland, Logan found himself in the bitter north. He couldn’t remember ever being this close to the top of the world. Canada was the only place he could recall with any clarity and even that was several hundred miles to the south.

Armed with a recent photograph of the woman he searched for, the long arm of Xavier, and his own tenacity, he had thought long and hard about how he would locate the missing mutant. Ororo hadn’t been easy to find for he and Hank a year ago, but they hadn’t thought to look anywhere other than Africa and Asia.

He checked into a small, cozy hunting lodge in an even smaller village called “Henry�. Logan immediately knew why Ororo had chosen this particular spot. She was still human and still surrounded herself with the familiar. A place named for her favorite person was an ironic quirk worthy of her.

According to the records Chuck had given him – which contained all bank accounts, job applications, and recent pay stubs under Munroe’s name – she lived alone. She worked as a freelance pilot out of a family-owned hangar.

Locating her cottage wouldn’t be too hard. Ororo was still someone who connected with society, so he was certain he would find it just off the main roads. Without unpacking, Logan made his way out of the tiny chalet he’d been given and headed for the dining hall.

It was February, leaving the exterior temperatures of Henry, Alaska well below freezing. He knew there would be more darkness than light here, at least for a while longer. Just now, he could see the swirling lights above in a shimmering rainbow of blue and violet. Even someone so gruff as he could admit it was an awe-inspiring sight.

What had brought her to the ass-end of the world? Freezing temperatures, snow, lights and isolation. Logan figured the last one was probably the key. He had over heard her telling Hank just days before her sudden withdrawal from the X-Men that she wanted to be alone. Wholly alone.

She’d gotten her wish, for a while.

Entering the crowded lounge, Logan swept his keen eyes over the entire room, searching for something out of place. The air was thick with the scent of cooking meat and spicy side dishes. A few men in hunting gear looked well on their way through several pints of beer while they made passes at the pretty Inuit waitress. Several of the other vinyl covered booths were filled with families and groups, many of them paying no heed to the stranger so suddenly in their midst.

“Can I help you?�

The pretty waitress had come over to him, her exotic face affixed into an easy smile. Her long, glossy black hair was pulled back from her face and Logan could see a fine sheen on her skin from sweat.

“Yeah,� Logan nodded, fishing into his shirt pocket for the photograph. “Ya know this girl?�

The young woman’s smile faded as she touched the photo tenderly. Immediately, Logan knew this woman would be a key in his search. That kind of barely-covered pain could only mean that the waitress knew Ororo well enough to worry.

“Ororo,� she said in that slightly accented voice.

She looked back up at him, suspicion instantly creasing her face. “Who are you?�

“Name’s Logan,� he answered. “I’m a friend of hers. I heard she went missin’, came to see what I could do.�

“Logan.� The girl raised one ebony brow, her lips twitching as though she wanted to smile. “She mentioned you once or twice.�

“Did she?� He tried to hide his surprise, glancing around to ensure no one else was listening in. “I haven’t seen her in a while.�

“I’m Mary,� the girl said, sticking her hand out for him to shake. He could feel calluses and patches of dry skin that betrayed her as a woman who worked for everything she got. It wasn’t a surprise that she hit it off with Ororo.

“Nice to meet ya,� Logan flashed her a quick smile. “Think ya’ve got a few to have a cup of coffee? I’d like to find out who I talk to bout our friend.�

Mary’s obsidian eyes seemed suddenly sad, but she nodded curtly. “I’ll get you some stew, and the coffee’s fresh. Let me tell Yvonne that I’m taking a break. I can call Sheriff Tasser too, if you want.�

Appreciating her thoughtfulness, Logan took a seat at an empty booth. The room was still noisy, but not to the point that it hurt his sensitive ears. Running a hand over his head, he spotted an enormous stuffed moose mounted to the wall behind him and frowned. She really hadn’t wanted to be found. He would have never pegged her to live in a place like this.

Fatigue from a long few days had begun to settle in, but it would not subdue his restlessness. Every minute he spent just sitting around was one minute Ororo might be in more danger. He wanted to find her, make sure she was all right. Logan refused to even entertain the thought that she was already dead. Though no ransom demand had been made, he would not give up on her.

He couldn’t really explain why this became his mission so easily. Ororo and Logan were never what someone would call close…so why was he so hell bent on retrieving her? He thought, maybe, that it was Jean’s memory that pushed him so hard. It could all be because he wanted to do right by the woman he had killed in the name of a greater good he still didn’t really understand.

Maybe for Hank, once Ororo’s closest friend. In the months since she had gone AWOL, Logan and Henry had drifted closer together. They ran Xavier’s school as a duo, fought whatever mutant menace they could defeat on their own. Between the two of them, they had recruited more for the fight and were training the young as well.

Logan liked his work. It kept him close to Rogue – damn, he needed to call her – and gave him something to fill long, lonely hours. Jean’s death still weighed heavily on his mind, though he knew he had done the right thing. Once the Professor was back, things would get easier. Every day dulled the hurt a little more, gave him breathing room again.

One regret he had carried over the last year was that he never got through to Storm. He had just watched her die inside, let her succumb to grief and despair. Though Hank had tried everything, Logan just let her go. He should have done something. He should have insisted, pushed, made her rage at him. Rage was better than nothingness.

“Mr. Logan, I presume?�

Looking up, Logan spotted a tall, wiry man wearing a crisp blue uniform. The badge over his right breast pocket bore the symbol of a sheriff. Wolverine pegged him for mid-forties, likely a lawman his entire life. He had sandy blonde hair streaked with gray and a lined, frowning face that seemed etched into a permanent deadpan.

Logan liked him already.

“Sheriff,� he said, nodding at the chair opposite him.

“Mary told me you’re here looking for Miss Munroe,� the other man gave Logan a look that clearly said he was a suspect until proven otherwise.

“Yeah,� Logan admitted. “I’m a friend from New York. Got a message that she was missin’, likely abducted.�

Tasser’s sharp brown eyes were suddenly laughing at him. “Abducted?�

One of Logan’s scruffy brows rose slowly. “You don’t think so?�

“Well, its hard to say,� Tasser shrugged one thin shoulder. “This is the wilderness, friend, people take off all the time.�

“Her dog was bleedin’, left locked in the garage,� Logan pointed out. “That don’t seem strange?�

“A little,� Tasser’s eyes betrayed him. Wolverine noted, with a hint of respect, that he was testing Logan’s knowledge of Ororo.

“An’ then there’s this.�

Fishing in his pocket, Logan produced a small tape recorder and set it on the table, just as Mary came up. She had a tray laden with rich smelling stew of very fresh coffee. While she laid out everything and took a seat, Logan turned the volume down on the recorder.

Without so much as a warning, he pushed the play button.

“Logan! LOGAN! I need your help!�

He watched both Mary and Tasser as the recording played. Mary’s coal black eyes welled up with tears as they listened to Ororo’s frantic scream for help. Tasser stiffened, trying for an impassive expression. But by the death grip he had on his coffee mug, Logan knew it was getting to him.

Hell, it got to Wolverine. He had listened to it over and over again during the many flights from Scotland to Alaska. Over time, his preternatural hearing was able to discover more and more of the events surrounding Ororo’s abduction. If he could get into her home, he might learn more. As it stood, the men who had taken her were professional, judging by the sound of standard issue boots on the floor. It was likely late at night, as he could hear no television left on and the chilling howl of a nearby wolf.

Pieces of a puzzle were bouncing around in his head. He would slip it altogether eventually, reconstructing the exact order of events before Ororo disappeared. Something in that knowledge might give her captors away. In fact, he was counting on it.

When the message turned to static, Logan flipped the recorder off. Noticing the tears now streaming down Mary’s face, he reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a handkerchief for her.

She thanked him with a shaking voice, sitting beside the now scowling sheriff.

“Where did you get that?� Tasser demanded. “And how do I know it’s authentic?�

“Well,� Logan cleared his throat. “Ororo’s got some friends with real long arms an’ one of ‘em happens to work for the State Department. You can call him right now, get me an’ this tape authenticated. I’ll even let ya use my cell phone.�

That seemed to put the rather stoic sheriff out of things to say for the moment. Logan silently handed the phone over, a slip of paper taped to the back with Hank McCoy’s office number on it. Logan had expected some interference from local law enforcement and after explaining things to Hank, Big Blue had come through for him. Using his credentials, Beast could easily vouch for both Logan and the tape.

It was actually a good plan, one worthy of his brilliant, furry friend.

Mary turned to Logan when the Sheriff turned his back to them, listening intently to the voice on the other end of the cellular phone. Her eyes were slightly bloodshot, something Logan understood well enough. He waved her off when she tried to return his hankie, instead taking a scalding sip of coffee.

“Well,� Tasser said after a moment. “You check out, Mr. Hope.�

Oh, he was going to kill Hank when he got home. Logan Hope? Oh yeah, Big Blue was a dead man.

“Told ya I would,� Logan replied, covering his dislike for Hank’s new identity for him.

“To tell you the truth,� the man continued much more cordially as he handed Logan back his phone. “I can’t seem to get anyone interested in this case.�

“Huh?� Logan grunted, taking another sip of coffee. “No one wants to find a missin’ woman?�

Tasser shook his gray-blonde head. “She had no family to file reports for her, no reason she would have been murdered or kidnapped. I got the Anchorage Police out here for the first day, but they lost interest pretty quick.�

“I tried to appeal their official word,� Mary chimed in, biting at her fingernail. “But I wasn’t marked as next of kin or anything, so no one listened.�

Fuming inside, Logan took a moment of quiet to breathe deeply. No one cared. How typical. He wanted to tear the assholes’ throats open, but he somehow figured that wouldn’t be of any help to Ororo. For now, he’d simply take this one in the chin, until someone made him get violent.

He’d find her. He would find her alive, too. Nothing would change his mind in that. If he spent the next century searching for her, at least she would know that someone gave a damn enough to come looking.

Logan figured anyone deserved that much.

“So they’re considerin’ her a runaway?�

Tasser nodded somberly. “Of course, they haven’t heard the tape.�

“And they won’t,� Logan said meaningfully, hoping Hank had remembered the other part of his little lie.

“Right,� Tasser nodded, puffing his chest out somewhat proudly. “Official business of the State Department and all of that.�

“Exactly,� he had to hide a smirk behind his coffee cup.

“Why don’t you two eat up,� Mary cut in with a roll of her dark eyes. “I’ll take Mr. Hope out to Ororo’s cottage once he’s done.�

Something heavy and cold thudded down from Logan’s throat into his heart. He recognized the feeling a moment too late to keep it from his face. It was worry, fear, and everything else he always denied feeling. Seeing her things in an otherwise unoccupied space would make it real.

“Actually,� he touched Mary’s hand, covering his worry with a certain irritated calm. “I’d like to see her dogs first.�

“Sure,� Mary said, her eyebrow rising slightly. “I’ve got them at my place.�

~**~

He followed the young woman home in a rented Ford Explorer. The man at the rental agency had explained how the engine’s heating system worked to prevent the electrical system from shorting out in the cold. He stared at the apparatus with a mixture of confusion and fascination. It took a lot of knowledge and balls to live in a place like this.

Mary’s home was on the edge of town, on the banks of what looked to be a small river. As he exited the rental, he could hear the throaty bark of dogs from around the back, mixed in with the curious growling sounds of nature.

Everywhere he looked there were snow capped mountains and thick forest. Inhaling deeply, Logan was reminded of open wilds were instinct and nature replaced ordered society. It was the type of earthy place he could willingly lose himself in. Had that same chaotic calm called Ororo here too?

Mary, bundled in a thick parka, waved at him as she left her car. Her nose was red from the cold and her hair seemed impossibly brittle, but she managed a wide smile as she led him toward the backyard.

“Andine’s doing a lot better and her stitches are healing ok,� she was saying as she unlocked the tall chain link gate. “But they’re both restless. Eliar’s usually so calm, but since Ororo went missing, he’s almost rabid.�

“Happens,� Logan explained without thinking as he closed the gate behind them. “Huskies are more pack oriented than most domestic breeds. Ororo was part of their pack and it’s their job to find her. Keepin’ ‘em locked up is like holdin’ a mother back when her child’s in danger.�

“Whoa,� Mary said with a surprised chuckle. “That’s a little intense.�

Logan glanced at her, tossing the pretty young woman a feral smile. “It’s an animal thing.�

Her cheeks flushed bright red at the low, lilting growl of his voice. Logan fought the urge to chuckle, though what she did next confused him. Instead of fluttering her lashes, giggling, or otherwise giving in to that sensual aroma of desire he tasted on the air, she cleared her throat and took a step away.

At first, he thought he had frightened her, but a moment later, she smiled again.

“Ororo was right again,� Mary chuckled as she moved past him toward the dog kennels.

“Bout what?� he asked, peering curiously into the first kennel. “How long they been out here?�

“An hour,� she replied swiftly. “My dad came to let them out.�

She cleared her throat uneasily, reaching into the kennel to rub a beautiful Husky female’s snout. Logan tilted his head at the stunning creature, watching as Mary lovingly traced the line of gray-blue that made up the canine’s mask. He looked over the petite woman’s shoulder to inspect the wound.

A gunshot wound.

“Dog had a load of buckshot in her and no one thinks of foul play?� he snarled, indicating to the dog.

“It’s Alaska, Logan,� Mary responded patiently. “Accidental gunshot wounds are a part of life.�

“Huh.� He grunted, reaching in to scratch the beautiful pooch behind the ears. “Ya didn’t answer my question.�

Logan glanced up in time to see Mary’s cheeks turn scarlet once more. She cleared her throat, turning her back on him as she fiddled with the other dog’s kennel door.

“She said…� the girl began in a whisper. “She said that if anything ever happened to her and you showed up, I’d stop worrying.�

Surprised, again, and becoming irritated that so much was shocking him, he raised a single brow in her direction.

“She said that you took care of things,� Mary continued in a small voice. “She never said what or why, just that you took care and I’d stop worrying. And I have. I know you’ll find her.�

Logan turned back to the dog, whom was calmly licking the back of his hand. The bitch’s bright blue eyes shone with pain and loneliness. Ororo was not the type to lock her canine companions in cages while she was out. Mary obviously meant well, but he didn’t like this set up at all.

When he turned to the other kennel, Eliar was staring at him with bright, suspicious eyes. The bitch would come quietly…but the male would be a problem.

“Mary?�

“Yeah?�

“Got an old sweater of ‘Ro’s? Somethin’ she mighta left over one night? Better if it ain’t been washed.�

The girl looked perplexed for a moment, her face still burning from the chilled air and embarrassing confessional. After almost a full minute of her silent deliberation, she nodded quickly.

“Yeah, I do. What do you need it for?�

“Gonna take the pups with me,� he said, looking from one dog to the other. “Then tomorrow, I’m gonna find our girl.�

Andine licked his hand as though she understood him before placing her muzzle in his palm and whimpering pitifully.

~**~

“Ororo’s been a great pilot. She doesn’t cut corners, she’s good to the customers, never misses a drop or pick up. It’s been a real pleasure knowing her.�

Logan sat in the neat cockpit of Ororo’s tiny plane, looking around at the personal touches she had added over the months. The controls and consoles were polished, clean. It was obvious that she took great pride in her equipment.

The plane was old, but it purred, according to Kenneth Gates, the owner of Gates Airstrip. After a rough night in the hotel, plagued by dreams he could not remember or understand, Logan had piled the Huskies into his rental car and driven to the hangar Ororo frequently housed her plane in.

More to the point, it was the last place anyone had seen her.

“How’d you two get started?� Logan questioned, looking up into the top consoles, where the landing gear switches were housed.

He spotted a faded photograph tucked carefully into the corner of the console. Reaching for it, he felt his stomach sink. Without even looking, he knew who was in that old photo.

Sure as the sun rises in the east, when he turned the photograph over in his hands, he found a smiling Jean, laughing Scott, and amused Charles staring back at him. They were waving to the person behind the camera. He knew who had taken it. It had to be Ororo. There was her family, being together on a warm, clear day.

She saw the past in that picture. Everything good and happy in the world. But he could see the darkness, too. Everyone in that picture, at least to Storm’s knowledge, was dead.

“She showed up one day, out of the clear blue,� Gates was saying. “Said Mary over at the Lodge told her I was in need of a good pilot. I was, so we took a test run. ‘Fore we ever landed, I hired her.�

“That good, eh?� Logan replied absently, still staring at the picture.

“Knew her equipment, knew how to fly…but she just seemed to love being in the air. That more than any crap on paper is what made me hire her.�

“I thought she was freelance,� the mutant interjected, tucking the photograph back where he had found it.

“Yeah,� Gates admitted. “Two months ago she bought the plane from me. I get a cut, for housing and maintenance, but the work is all hers.�

Finally finished with his inspection of the plane’s cozy interior, Logan turned to the man who’d been talking in an almost breathless stream since he’d arrived.

“Sounds like you two had a lot goin’ for ya.�

“You kidding?� Gates sighed, running a hand through his red hair. “Look, Mr. Hope. She’s a great pilot and a good friend. We may not have hung out every Saturday night over a keg, but I want her back safe just as much as you do.�

Logan nodded, jumping down from the cockpit and whistling for the dogs. Though Mary had said both were edgy since Ororo’s disappearance, he seemed to have formed a fast and sturdy bond with the duo. They trusted him…at least after he’d scented himself with Ororo’s sweater.

They were good dogs. Loyal, well-behaved, and still reeking of the wild.

“Last time you saw her?�

The younger man paused, as though carefully remembering that last incident.

“She came in round four the day before the blizzard. She said she needed a place to house the plane when the storm came. I told her it was no problem and she gave me her flight plan for the next morning.�

“She was flyin’ somewhere?� Logan questioned, locking all of this information away in his mind.

“Yeah,� Gates said easily, sticking his thumbs in the loopholes of his jeans. “Vacationing couple wanted to get back to Anchorage. I knew something was wrong when they showed up that next day and Ororo was no where to be found.�

“She seem off at all, last time ya saw her? Scared or skittish?�

�Nah,� the man’s voice was filled with sudden and acute sorrow. “In fact, she teased me about askin’ Mary out. I blushed red as my hair and shooed her out the door.�

He felt for the man, he really did. But time loomed over Logan’s head like the executioner’s axe. Stopping to reminisce could cost Ororo her life. He needed to find her, not sit here while someone he didn’t know wallowed over the missing woman.

“Ororo ever tell you about problem clients? Anything that mighta seemed odd?�

Gates scratched his chin, which was heavily bearded. It looked, in the right light, like his face had just caught fire. Logan was careful to keep that observation to himself.

“Not really,� the man said after a moment. “Had a creepy guy come through here from Anchorage a couple of weeks ago. Said he was a doctor or something. Ororo didn’t say anything, but I got a creepy vibe from him.�

Logan’s eyebrow shot up, a smirk playing about his lips. “Creepy vibe?�

Gates shrugged his slender shoulders, then reached around Logan to grab a clipboard from a nearby cart. “Name was Allan Justice. I just…well, he seemed really interested in her. Asked her a bunch of questions, personal things.�

Instantly on his guard, Logan’s expression shifted from amused to furious in the blink of an eye. Why had no one reported this? Weren’t the cops supposed to interview people? Something very strange was happening here.

“What kinda things?�

As though sensing Logan’s change in attitude, the younger man coughed nervously and glanced toward the open hangar door. It was dark out, though the time read ten in the morning. That was going to take some getting used to.

“He asked if her hair was a natural color. What kind of upbringing she had. I got the impression that he was fishing for information while trying to make it look like idle conversation.�

“You tell anyone about this?�

The man nodded emphatically. “Yeah. Told the sheriff and the Anchorage Police.�

“What’d they say?�

For a moment, Gates looked at once annoyed and fuming. “That the doctor checked out just fine. Has an alibi. But I’m telling you, man, something wasn’t right about that guy.�

He was inclined to agree. If someone was here just weeks before Ororo vanished, asking those kinds of questions, Logan was sure he was involved. Maybe he was a middle man or maybe he only knew of someone that knew something…but he did have information.

“Got an address?�

Gates nodded again, this time looking relieved that someone was taking him seriously.

“Yeah, right here.�

While the kid ran into the office to fetch the good doctor’s address, Logan bent at the waist to check on Andine’s stitches. The pup did not bark or try to escape, but waited patiently while Logan finished his examination.

Eliar was standing not too far from them, watching carefully. Logan knew the Alpha Male would have some issues accepting him, but the canine would eventually get the idea. Someone had to look after them and if Ororo trusted him to come find her…

He frowned. That bothered him for some reason. Ororo had told Mary that, should something happen to her, Logan would fix things. How could she have known that? Why would she put her trust, her faith into the man that killed her best friend? Would he ever, truly understand what went on in that woman’s head?

“Got it!�

Gates had returned, handing Logan a slip of paper with the doctor’s name, address, and phone number. Staring at it for a moment, the often feral mutant came to a split second decision.

“When’s the next flight to Anchorage?�

The other man grinned from ear to ear.

“Right about now.�

Chapter Three: Order

I try to breathe
Memories overtaking me
I try to face them
But the thought is too much to conceive
~Staind

Anchorage

After a swift flight, Logan found himself back at the Anchorage airport. Gates had gone off to refuel the plane and gather supplies for a few damaged buildings back in his hometown, so Logan was left to his own devices.

Carrying the “creepy� doctor’s address, he hailed a cab and headed toward the southern edge of the city. He paid no attention to the streets and buildings he passed, anxiety welling up in his chest with every mile. He had that strange precognitive feeling that this doctor was bad news.

If he had anything to do with taking Ororo, Logan was likely to just snap.

He dwelled on thoughts that he had not expected. If Ororo was still alive, was she all right? Had the bastard fed her? Was she hurt? Cold? Afraid? Did she know he was coming for her? That he would tear the world apart stone by stone to bring her home? Had she bet on that and called for him for that reason?

It frightened him. Though they had known each other a scant amount of time, memories of her were steadily overtaking him. He could remember nothing of the timely rescue in Canada, but he knew every expression her face had made that day in the Professor’s office.

She had that sort of cool, frosty calm that he wished for himself. She had given him the faintest hint of a smile while those eyes dashed over the features of his face. Grace was in her every step, conviction in her words, her voice, and an all-encompassing warmth flooded her sky-colored eyes.

Hank had once said that the mind works much like a camera when it comes to images. Logan never realized how much he remembered of that moment, that woman, than now. It was like studying a photograph from years before, suddenly remembering a million details the mind had simply glossed over.

Magneto’s right, there is a war coming. Are you sure you’re on the right side?

At least I’ve chosen a side.

God, he loved that memory. He didn’t know why, had no idea why it seemed so important now, but that single moment of Storm was his favorite. Watching her as she stood so fearless against him, completely sure that she was right and nothing would shake her faith.

She had given him pause. While before he wanted merely to get his answers and run away, her damn challenge stopped him. His need to find this woman grew with every moment. An insistent need that spoke to his animalistic nature and newfound loyalty. She needed to be returned to her family, to the people and world she had abandoned.

Even if she chose to remain here, Ororo deserved someone to save her, free her, give her the choice.

“Here ya are, sir,� the cab driver said as the car slowed to a stop. “That’s fifty US dollars.�

“Damn,� Logan sighed, reaching for his wallet. “I’ll give ya an extra hundred to wait ten minutes.�

“Sure t’ing,� the man said cheerfully.

Logan opened the car door as the driver flipped the gear into park. The street was something familiar. Dark, rank with scents of human waste and garbage, it could have easily been a street from any city anywhere in the world.

The street light was out, shrouding the building he needed to enter in darkness. Logan had to hand it to the cab driver, it was ballsy to simply sit on the curb in a place like this, waiting for a fare.

He grinned to himself when the door locks clicked into place behind him. Staring up at the two-story townhouse, Logan weighed his options. He could ring the bell and pretend he was there to fix the gas, or he could just kick the door down.

Yeah, that sounded more fitting his mood.

Stomping up the snow and ice covered walk, Logan paused for only a moment to bring his leg sharply back. One swift kick brought the door off the hinge, splintering the wood around the now useless deadbolt.

Taking two steps inside, Logan recoiled. Thick were the rancid scents of amphetamines, alcohol, and unwashed bodies. It was enough to make his head swim. He stumbled over something lying in the foyer and growled with annoyance.

As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he noted a shadowy form dart from one room to another at the end of the corridor. Snarling, Logan leapt toward the fleeing shadow, paying no mind to he trash and clothing littering the floor.

He chased his new prey through the lab set up in the kitchen and into what looked to be a basement. For one, terrifyingly hopeful moment, Logan thought he smelled Ororo on the air. He stopped dead in his tracks, looking around quickly.

Finding no trace of her, he turned his attention on the cowering form in the pitch black corner of the room.

Snikt!

Six long, adamantium claws extended from the backs of his hands, glinting in the sliver of moonlight cutting into the darkness through the slender window. Logan took one step toward the trembling man, a low growl coming from the back of his throat.

“Where is she?�

The demand cracked through the room and echoed off of the walls like thunder. Another step brought him closer to the man, whom whimpered in fear.

“WHERE IS SHE?�

This time his shout brought a sob-like groan from his captive.

“W-Who?�

Infuriated more than he expected, Logan launched himself at his enemy, grabbing him by the shabby shirt he was wearing. Controlling the roll of his stomach at the putrid scents coming off of this would-be drug dealer, Logan brought him off the ground to face him.

“You know who.� He snarled, shaking the man. “Ororo Munroe. Tall, dark skinned, white hair, hard ta forget.�

“I-I-I d-don’t…�

“Bullshit,� Wolverine hissed in a deadly tone. “Where the hell is she?�

“Look, I don’t know! I’m just the errand boy!�

“What?�

Fury was alive inside of him as the whimpering man attempted to explain himself. It was all Logan could do to keep himself from gutting the sick, foul-smelling bastard right here in his own basement.

After several seconds, the man seemed to get a hold of himself. “He sends me to a town or somethin’. I find out what I can about the mark. I don’t know what happens after that!�

“Who? Who sends you, boy?� Logan demanded. “Where can I find him?�

“I don’t know!� the man said with a squeak of fear. “I get a letter in the mail, no return address. I leave the information in an unmarked envelope in my mailbox. Couple of days later, there’s money in there. That’s all I know!�

Logan released the man roughly, dropping him without compassion onto the cold, hard floor. He resisted the urge to kick him, instead formulating a plan in his head.

“I’m leavin’ you my number. He wants more information from ya, ya call me. Got it?�

“Y-yeah…but he’ll kill me!�

“I’ll kill you! Just do it, understand?�

“Y-Yes s-sir.�

“Good.�

~**~

Henry, Denali National Park

He had never made it to Ororo’s house the night he arrived in Alaska. After taking charge of the Husky pair, he’d merely gone back to his hotel room. Sleep had been much-needed, but his reasons were far more personal.

So much he was learning of Ororo had been done in the third person. He knew she was loyal, friendly, intelligent, and caring, but what she carried in her heart could not be reflected in another person’s eyes.

A home was very different. Every touch would represent something to her, a piece of that mysterious organ that beat within her chest. He really wasn’t sure if he would feel intrusive in her home or if it would only reveal her favorite color.

He wanted to do this without an audience. Mary was a sweet girl and all, but if something did strike him, he didn’t want someone looking over his shoulder.

The trip back from Anchorage was uneventful. He stopped by to report on his findings to the sheriff, whom seemed dead set on trying to help. Logan let him run his background checks and anything else he might want to do. Every little bit helped, after all.

It was with tired eyes and a weary mind that Logan turned off the main highway in his rented Explorer, following the map that Mary had written on a napkin for him. Ororo’s home was, as he expected, straddling the border between unkempt wilds and ordered society. There was a frozen lake to the east, which he imagined glittered in dawn light. Trees and underbrush surrounded the small valley. It looked like something out of a movie. Everything here was perfect, though covered with that thick darkness.

The lights twinkled above him, not in the mocking way he thought they would. They were welcoming, a woman’s elegant hand beckoning him closer. He scratched Andine’s furry muzzle as he steered the truck toward the house, pulling up behind the blue Dodge Ram that was registered to Ororo.

Both dogs began to bark and fidget in the truck, so he reached over to open the passenger door, letting them both free. Tongues wagging and tails swinging, the pair of Huskies bolted from the car to roll in the snow of their territory.

It took Logan a moment to locate the spare key Mary had given him, and he used to it quiet his nerves. Grabbing the cellular phone from the glove box as well, he forced himself out of the truck. Both dogs made a beeline for him, then turned sharply to run back toward the house.

“Andine! Yer gonna yank those stitches out! Calm down, girl!�

The bitch turned to give him a reproachful look, so he shouted a warning to Eliar as well. She seemed satisfied by that.

He followed the dogs around the house, checking for anything the police, wildlife, and snowfall might have left behind as clues. The house was recently built, a sturdy one-story cottage. It was equipped with a wrap-around porch dotted with comfortable looking deck furniture.

There were no curtains on the windows that he could see, but thick, dependable blinds that could allow a wealth of sunlight inside or cover the sun completely. Around the back, he found traces of a small garden adjacent to a generous greenhouse…

And a hot tub.

Blinking, Logan trotted over to the covered tub, lifting the vinyl quickly. To his surprise, it was in ready-to-heat condition, even at this point in winter. Quirking a brow at the strange placement of such a thing, Logan shook his head and turned back toward the house.

The back porch had more furniture, a gas grill, and what looked to be a dog sled. Curious, Logan whistled for the dogs and marched up the steps. The screen door was pulled open, held back from smacking him in the face with a shoulder as he keyed into Ororo’s home.

Immediately, he wished he hadn’t.

No one had cleaned the “crime scene�, apparently. Books and glass were strewn all over the house. Blood still stained the thick cocoa colored carpeting and he found more than one bullet hole in the walls.

Heart aching, the image of her screaming for help fabricating in his mind, Logan closed his eyes. Both dogs whimpered as they followed him into the house. Spoiled food and blood could not erase the scent that saturated the air still. One of rain and earth, a hint of lavender.

Without really thinking about it, Logan removed his coat, closing the door behind him. He moved into the kitchen, mindlessly gathering broken dishes. Garbage bags were found under the sink, so he continued.

Plates – the heavy ceramic sort with soft blue paint – were washed and put away. Cups, bowls and anything else he could salvage were treated the same. He washed the counters, swept the floor.

When it was back in order, he made his way to the kitchen. Where everything in the cooking area was wood or stainless steel, the living space was just plain cozy. Squashy sofas covered in butter-soft cotton were easily cleared off. The dogs took up residence on them, sinking into the cushions. More of that mocha carpet was vacuumed, spots cleaned out of it.

He rescued photographs from broken frames, removing the glass from others and setting the pictures back without it. The mahogany mantle needed a good polish, so he finished that before setting the fallen pictures from where he thought she placed them.

Logan made a note that her prized painting of a Tanzanian plain was torn as he took it down. Setting it by the front door, he intended to have it fixed. Once the living space was back in order, Logan made his way toward the bedroom.

Swallowing over his rage, that fabricated mental image of Ororo’s pleading call, he stepped over chalk lines where shell casings had been found. Her bedroom bore the most signs of damage. Her bed was a mess, pillows and blankets strewn over the entire room.

Trying to not think about it, Logan went about his business. He took the bloodied linens in his hands and paused. It smelled like human blood. She’d been injured.

“Where are ya, ‘Ro?� he said to the empty air, using a nickname for the first time. “Be strong, you’ll get through it. I’m here. I didn’t abandon ya.�

He put the linens in a trash bag, determined to burn them when he was finished. Another set was in the hall closet, which made him smile. She was a meticulous person, she’d never run out of anything.

After making the bed, he washed the blood from the carpet, from the door. The bathroom was untouched, but he freshened it up anyway. When she returned, he would have everything in order. He wouldn’t let her home be lost in bad memories for her.

He’d called Mary just after finishing the kitchen, asking if she would mind him staying in Ororo’s house. The girl seemed slightly surprised, but promised to bring him fresh groceries and his things from the hotel.

Once that was done, Logan gathered up the trash bags and headed outside, dogs in tow. The Northern Lights were blinking and winking above, but their call seemed different somehow. He thought it felt like a warning.

This flight of fancy made him jump out of his skin when the cellular phone rang. Keeping a watchful eye on the romping pups, Logan set the trash to the side and reached for the phone.

“Yeah?�

“Wolverine?�

“Hey, Hank,� Logan said, relieved for some reason. “How’s it going?�

“I could ask the same of you.� Hank’s voice was cheerful, though strained. Logan could only guess at what the poor man was going through.

“I got a lead, sorta,� Logan admitted. “I’m at her house now.�

“How bad was it?� the other mutant asked cautiously.

“Bad,� Logan grunted. “But it coulda been worse, man. I’ll find her.�

“Of that, my friend, I have very little doubt,� Hank said in a tone that betrayed what Logan knew were tears in his eyes. “We had quite a surprise here today.�

“What’s that?�

“The Professor returned.�

“Well, that’s some good news,� Logan allowed himself to smile as he lit a cigar. “Kids have a fit?�

Hank laughed slightly. “Rogue screamed and fainted.�

“Damn! Did ya have a camera out?�

“Unfortunately not,� Beast continued to chuckle. “She may have killed me if I had.�

“There’s a good point. Hang on,� Logan pulled the phone away, grabbing his cigar with the other hand. “Andine! Eliar! Get yer asses back here!�

Sharp eyes caught the hint of white fur as the dogs bounced and sniffed along the tree line. Aware that bears and all manner of creatures tended to appear even out of season in areas such as these, he began to trot over to them.

“Damn dogs,� Logan said into the phone again.

“What is it?�

“Think they found a dead animal or somethin’,� Logan said on a sigh as he moved toward the dogs.

“Oh, dear.�

A moment later, Logan’s footsteps stopped altogether. He could hear Mary’s truck pulling up, something loud and annoying blaring from her stereo. But his eyes remained on the tree line.

Something…someone was walking out of that thick darkness. His heart stuttered and stopped in his chest, the phone falling from his hand along with the still-lit cigar. A lean silhouette was stumbling forward, the dogs howling into the chilly air.

“Holy…shit.�

His breathy words were lost on the air as Mary scrambled out of her truck.

“ORORO!� Her despairing scream thundered through the air, bringing Logan from his stupor as she began to run.

Logan was far ahead of her. Breaking into a full run, he bolted for the tall, dark form moving aimlessly from behind the trees. That cascade of white hair was signature. He tripped over something on the ground, but managed to keep himself from eating snow.

When he was close enough to see her face, he felt rage boil up inside of him again. Ororo’s eyes were circled with dark bruises, likely from lack of sleep. Her hair was matted, streaked with blood and earth.

“Logan?�

One word. She reached for him. Her long legs, bare to the freezing snow by what looked to be a white hospital gown, buckled beneath her. Logan leapt forward in time to catch her waif-like form, drawing her quickly to his chest.

“Mary! Go get some blankets and keep the truck runnin’!�

“Oh, God.� The girl said over and over. “Oh, God.�

“GO!� Logan’s scream seemed to jar her into action and she raced back toward the house.

“Hang on, girl,� he whispered to Ororo as the dogs began sniffing her. “I’ve got ya. I’m here, darlin’.�

“Don…� her voice rasped. “Don…�

“What is it, darlin’?� He pressed, shrugging out of his jacket to wrap her in it even as her body began to tremble with shock.

“Don’t hurt me.�

Choking, Logan pulled her into his arms even more tightly, kissing the top of her head. He was reminded, painfully, of Jean’s last moments. Of holding her his way. He rocked Ororo in his arms, unable to believe he had found her. Or had she found him?

As Mary reappeared, blankets in hand, he stood with the battered mutant in his arms. He carried her to the waiting truck, whistling for the dogs to follow. Placing her gently in the back seat, he ordered Mary to put the dogs into the bed of the truck. The girl did as he asked while he tucked Ororo in quickly.

As he checked her arms and legs for wounds that would need immediate attention, he found a small bracelet on her wrist. It looked like something from the hospital.

“Mutant Number 3480131 Munroe, Ororo. Type: Elite�

“What does that mean?� Mary asked as she slid into the passenger’s seat. She reached back to hold Ororo’s limp hand.

“I dunno, darlin’.� Logan closed the back door and jumped into the driver’s seat. “But I’m gonna find out. An’ then, I’m gonna gut the bastard that did this to her like a trout.�

“Can I watch?�

Logan only replied with a half-grin in Mary’s direction as he pulled out of the drive. Mary gave him directions to the nearest hospital before climbing in the back to hold her dear friend close. The dogs howled, but Logan concentrated on the drive.

~**~

Fairbanks Memorial Hospital
30 miles east of Henry


There was little pain when she felt herself begin to wake. Blurred images that could have been memory drifted in and out of her terrified mind. She knew something had happened to her after the terrible invasion of her home, but the specifics were elusive.

She could hear voices nearby. Many of them were unfamiliar, bringing feelings of entrapment and fear back to the surface. But under the din, beneath the frightening sounds, was one voice that brought her comfort. His growled words chased away the fear, dulled the remnants of pain.

After all that missing time, after the pain endured without reason or remorse, someone was here to look after her. No one would harm her on his watch. His dominance and fury were unmatched against anything not found in nature.

Memories that seemed not her own came back to her as the mind tried again and again to rouse into full wakefulness. The door bursting open, the beloved dogs leaping to her aid. She had reached for the phone, only to find that the mansion’s number was changed.

When the gunshots began, she could only cry out for help, knowing that it would not appear over the thousands of miles that separated them. Jean and Scott and Charles could not protect her, though she knew they might try from beyond the grave. Her mind could only deduce that one man would be her salvation.

“Logan?�

Unaware that she had called his name, she fought to open sore eyes. Hissing against the intrusive light after so long in the dark, Ororo felt a familiar hand grasp her own. It was not, however, the gruff, masculine hand she had expected, but that of a dainty female.

“Mary?�

“Hey, sweetie,� a tearful voice replied as someone killed the burning light.

Though her head swam unpleasantly, she managed to open her eyes and keep them that way. The light was dim now, making it easier on her eyes. She glanced around the unfamiliar room, spotting Logan standing in the back corner, Mary at her side, and a doctor coming around the other.

“Hi,� she said for Logan and Logan alone.

“Hey.� He replied quietly. “How ya feelin’?�

“Like I have been dragged through a frozen lake, tossed into the heart of the sun, and then used as Mike Tyson’s punching bag.�

That brought a small, welcome smile to his face.

“Miss Munroe? I’m Doctor Forrester, may I check your vitals?�

She nodded once, flinching a little when he shone light into her eyes. Throughout the examinations, she felt a cold fear bubble inside of her. Something about this was familiar, in a way that frightened her.

Understanding shone from Logan’s dark eyes and he took a few steps closer. When he reached the foot of the bed, he gently reached for one of her toes and squeezed it in a tickling manner. Appreciating his silent support, she rewarded him with a smile.

“You’re dehydrated and malnourished,� the doctor said when he finished. “I’ve got you on a vitamin saline solution right now and mild pain killers. Can you talk about what’s happened?�

“Hell no,� Logan butted in before she could answer. “She’s been knocked fuckin’ unconscious for two fuckin’ days. Give her some time!�

“Mr. Hope, I assure you…�

“I have to agree with Logan,� Mary chimed in as Ororo fought the urge to giggle at Logan’s new surname. “Let’s give her a little while to relax and brush her hair.�

“Brush her hair?� Logan said over the doctor’s shoulder.

“You’re not a girl,� Mary shot back, flipping a lock of that shiny black hair over her shoulder. “You wouldn’t understand.�

A deep, annoyed sigh came from the doctor beside Ororo. “I’ll be back soon, Miss Munroe. If you need anything, Mr. Hope can show you the call button.�

The trio was silent as Doctor Forrester left the room. Ororo laid back against the pillows, looking from one friend to the other.

“So,� she began lightly. “You two have met?�

“’Roro, you’ve got a weird sense of humor,� Mary chided as she tucked the blankets in more firmly around her friend.

Logan sat on the edge of the bed, watching her carefully. She knew he had questions, and she had a good deal to ask of the man she had not seen in a year. Asking Mary to fetch her a toothbrush and cold water, she managed to get her friend from the room without being rude.

The moment the door shut behind Mary, Logan cleared his throat.

“Ya called fer me.�

Knowing it must have weighed on his mind, Ororo nodded. “I needed the sort of help you excel at.�

“I heard,� he nodded, scooting a little closer. “Police an’ the like weren’t a lotta help.�

“No?� Ororo asked, frowning.

“Nope,� Logan shook his head. “I’d love ta know how ya just come walkin’ outta the woods like that.�

Tears, hot and stinging burned at Ororo’s eyes. Above all others, he would understand her fear, the unknowable terror that would come to her for years after this moment.

“I cannot remember anything,� she whispered, choking on her tears. “Logan, they took something from me, but I don’t know what it is. I don’t know what is memory or lies. I…�

“Shh,� he said, coming closer immediately to wrap her in a comforting embrace. “Ya don’t have ta tell anyone yet.�

Crying quietly into his shoulder, Ororo let the grief and pain consume her, knowing he was there to catch her. She was safe. Home.

Chapter Four: Lost

The greatest man I never knew
Came home late every night
He never had too much to say
Too much was on his mind
I never really knew him
And now it seems so sad
Everything he gave to us took all he had
~Reba McEntire



Fairbanks Memorial Hospital

When a person is taken or vanishes without a trace, there are questions. Police, family, friends, they all want to understand the nature of this intrusion. Nothing can harm a human’s bleeding heart so much as a disappearance without answers. When there is information, whether good or bad, it brings some morbid closure to all those involved.

However, after that person is discovered, whether it is a body found floating in the nearby river or a person merely walking out of the dark woods, there are even more questions. Family, loved ones require some sort of justice. Police need a collar, someone to blame for their own ineptitude. Doctors console themselves with medicinal answers, hoping to piece together what the victim cannot recollect.

And then, there is the victim. Though the entire matter revolves around a singular person, the one stolen in such a crude manner, they are usually the last to gain answers. How? Why? Did I deserve this?

These were the questions on a mutant named Storm’s mind as the pair of Alaskan police officers tried to interrogate her as to her abduction. The sterile hospital room was more familiar now, the day after her awakening, but it still reminded her of evils she had no memory of.

Sleep was a thing of nightmares. Dark faces and sharp pain would draw her all too quickly from peaceful rest. Logan would appear, as if by magic, drawing her into his arms to chase away the bad dreams. She never questioned his presence, or why he had not insisted on returning to New York, but he was a comfort. He was a reminder of all the good she had left behind in her search for solitude.

He was here now, standing in what she mentally referred to as “his corner�. One leg propped on the wall behind him, face set in a grim mask, and arms woven across his chest; his very stance dared someone to push her too far.

“All right, Miss Munroe, can you take through it one more time? Any small detail may help.� The elder, friendlier officer was asking as she focused her attention again.

Inhaling deeply, she cast a glance to her silent sentinel that she was all right for the moment. She could see him visibly relax. Propped up in her hospital bed, she fidgeted with the thin cotton robe, drawing it more tightly around her body. Smoothing long locks of snowy white from her face, she cleared her throat.

“I had come home and made dinner for the dogs and myself,� she began quietly. “I had poured a glass of wine and settled in on the sofa to read.�

“How much wine did you consume?� the younger, sarcastic officer cut in.

“Less than a glass,� she answered promptly. “I was settling in for a peaceful evening.�

“You didn’t have any visitors? A friend? A lover?� the elder questioned gently.

Ororo gave him a small smile, shaking her head. “No. I have few visitors, especially so close to a blizzard.�

“Right.� He nodded, marking something in his book. “What happened next?�

Frowning, she concentrated on drawing up the memory. “Eliar, my male Husky, jumped up from in front of the fireplace. I watched him run from the front door to the back, sniffing as though something were outside.�

“Go on,� the elder officer prompted.

Tears began to sting at her eyes, remembering pain and fear in those last moments she could remember clearly. “I got up, trusting the dog’s instincts and got my rifle from the hall closet.�

“Most of us that live in the wild have one,� the younger officer said, a touch more kindly. “You loaded it?�

Ororo nodded, taking another steadily breath. “Once it was loaded, Andine – the other dog – was up as well. Both of them were prowling, growling very low. I crouched in the hall, grabbed for my satellite phone and called New York.�

“Your former residence?� the elder officer flipped a page in his book. “Xavier’s School?�

“Yes, that’s right.� Ororo nodded, licking her dry lips. “I could not get a good connection by the time the door was busted down.�

“How was it brought down? Someone kicked it?�

She shook her head. “It sounded more like a battering ram. Metallic against the wood door. I whistled for the dogs, but they had already fallen on the attackers.�

A shift out of the corner of her eye told her Logan was once again on the defensive. Could he smell her tears, the ones she refused to shed? Or could he read the fear in her body language as it slowly overtook her?

“Can you give a description of these men? How many were there?�

As she rubbed the bridge of her nose wearily, Ororo turned to the younger officer.

“There were at least half a dozen, most of them startled by the dogs. I don’t think they knew about Andine and Eliar. They wore what looked to be uniforms. Dark gray camouflage, sturdy black boots. Their faces were covered by gas masks.�

“You didn’t get a look at their faces?�

“No.�

“Ok, Miss Munroe, what happened next?�

“I…� she faltered, looking to Logan. “I was calling for help, even though I knew the phone wasn’t working. I fired two rounds, but I missed the men moving toward me. I heard Andine yelp and she fell in the hall.�

“Why didn’t you use your powers?� The younger officer raised a blonde eyebrow. “Weather manipulation, isn’t it?�

“Watch it, bub,� Logan snarled from the corner.

“No, Logan,� Ororo cut in. “It is a valid question.�

“Ya don’t gotta answer that, darlin’,� he cautioned before falling silent again.

“I did use my powers,� Ororo said plainly. “Until I realized that they were not working.�

“How’s that?� The elder officer asked curiously.

“Something about the blizzard was affecting them,� she said with a one-shouldered shrug. “I couldn’t get the elements to focus on me. I suppose there was too much turmoil in the atmosphere for them to change course.�

“What a weird mutation,� the younger man said, without any hint of malice.

Ororo offered him a small, indulgent smile. “Yes, I suppose it is a weird mutation.�

“Back on topic,� the older man broke in, shaking his head at them both.

“So, your powers weren’t helping…� mused the younger officer. “Your dog was injured, what next?�

“I was scrambling back into the bedroom, trying to shoot.� Ororo swallowed thickly. “When I ran out of ammunition, I attempted to fight hand-to-hand.�

“But?�

“One of them got close enough to use a tranquilizer gun.� She tilted her head; drawing the collar of her robe down to reveal the puncture wound still bruising. “I fell, and everything went black.�

“You’re doing fantastic, Ororo,� said the elder officer with a smile. “Can you tell us anything about your captors? Where you were taken? How you got away?�

Panic overwhelmed her in an instant as she tried to recall the weeks between the abduction and her escape. Her eyes slammed closed as she tried to fight the urge to flee, to run from the pain of sketchy memories.

“I…�

“Don’t push her,� Wolverine cut in again, this time in a dangerous tone. “I mean it.�

“I remember so little,� she said helplessly. “Pain, and exam tables. Many voices talking at once, not to me, but around me. I begged for mercy, but I cannot remember why.�

“Enough.� Logan said sharply. “She’s done fer today.�

“Mr. Hope…�

“Goddamnit, get out!� He was shouting now and when Ororo opened her eyes, she saw him standing before the two officers, clenching his hands into fists.

Knowing that in seconds his claws would release, Ororo nudged him with her foot. He glanced at her and relaxed a fraction, but she knew he would not cease until the officers were gone.

“It’s all right,� the officer in charge said with a nod. “Mr. Hope is right. You have my card, sir. If you remember anything else, Miss Munroe, please give us a call.�

“Yes,� she agreed instantly. “Thank you.�

“If you don’t mind, we’d like to take a look at the doctor’s findings,� requested the younger counterpart.

“Feel free,� Ororo agreed.

“I wish you a speedy recovery, Miss Munroe.�

“Thank you.�

As the officers turned to leave, Logan glanced to Ororo. “Be right back. Don’t go disappearin’ on me.�

“Scout’s honor,� Ororo promised, holding up her right hand.

When the door closed behind Logan and the police officers, Ororo covered her face with both hands. A single, strangled sob escaped her lips before she scooted down to lie in her bed, clutching the pillow and willing the fractured memories to flee.

~**~


Logan, fuming from the interrogation though he had little right to be, followed the police into the hall. They stopped at the nurses’ station, speaking to Ororo’s doctor. In only a few, quick strides, Logan had his hand on the elder man’s shoulder.

Turning him quickly, Logan glared at him.

“Ya’ve no right pushin’ her,� he snarled. “Ya don’t know what she’s goin’ through.�

“Do you?� The man questioned plainly.

“Yeah,� Logan nodded. “I’ve got 15 years of memory. That’s it. Someone took me, took all my memories. She’ll wake up screamin’ fer years ta come. She don’t deserve it, don’t deserve yer questions. Leave her alone.�

Sympathy, compassion flooded the older officer’s eyes as he stood toe to toe with the Wolverine. Logan released him, knowing that he’d gotten through to the other man.

“I see,� the officer said with a nod. “Look, sir, I just want to find who did to her, why she was taken.�

“I might be able to shed some light on that,� Dr. Forrester chimed in, his voice shaky as he came around to them. “I have her lab results back.�

Both police officers shot a look to Logan.

“Miss Munroe has informed me that I am to treat Mr. Hope as her next of kin. He could probably stand to hear this as well.�

Dr. Forrester drew the trio of men away from the nurses’ station. They stood in a small semi-circle near Ororo’s room, away from prying eyes and ears. Logan’s heart doubled in beat. What had he found? Was Ororo sick? She claimed they had taken something from her, did this doctor know what it was?

“Miss Munroe claims she has no memory of her abduction, right?� Forrester said softly. “That is because someone didn’t want her to remember.�

“What’s that mean?� Logan demanded.

Forrester opened a file, handing it to the police. The elder officer held it open so that his young partner and Logan could read it easily.

“Someone doped her to the gills, for an extended period of time,� Forrester explained as Logan read over a dozen names of drugs he didn’t know. “Her bloodstream is littered with muscle relaxers, pain killers and something with properties similar to LSD.�

“Miss Munroe isn’t a drug user,� the younger policeman said.

“No, every drug in her system is medical strength,� Forrester explained. “Someone without medical training would have killed her with these doses.�

“Yer sayin’ a medical doc did this to her?�

“I’m saying that someone with medical training had unlimited access to her.�

Forrester turned, flicking on a light switch for the panel on the wall beside them. He clipped several X-Rays onto the panel. Logan’s sharp eyes darted over the thin sheets, looking at them carefully.

“She has incision scars,� he offered, pointing to several places on what looked to be Ororo’s abdomen and chest. “At least half a dozen, all expertly executed and repaired.�

“Why? Why kidnap a woman to dope her up and cut on her?� asked the elder officer, clearly disgusted.

“That I don’t know,� Forrester admitted. “I’ve got a specialist looking at these already, she might find something I’ve overlooked.�

“At least we know something,� the younger officer said, anger dripping from his words.

“What’s that?� Logan asked with a raised brow.

“We’re looking for a doctor or nurse, a sick one. I get the weird feeling that Miss Munroe isn’t the only victim fitting this description.�

“He’s right,� Forrester nodded. “I don’t think this was an isolated case, especially given the hospital bracelet we found on her.�

“Right,� the other officer sighed. “We’re gonna go run this down. Mr. Hope, would you like us to place a pair of officers in front of her room?�

Logan, still pondering all of this new information, nodded. “Yeah. I can protect her fine, but even I’ve gotta take a piss now an’ then.�

“And get some sleep,� the officer smiled. “I’ll have guards here in ten minutes.�

Thankful that someone was now on Ororo’s side, Logan held out his hand. “Thanks, man. I appreciate it.�

The man’s handshake was strong, confident. “It’s my job, sir.�

Logan dropped into a nearby chair, staring at the floor as the doctor and police departed. He should have gone home. If he wanted to play his “State Department� card, he could have her MedVac’d to New York in a matter of hours.

But something told him to stay. He wanted to find the bastard that had taken her, but he felt the need to just sit tight. Something was going to happen, something that would only be made worse if Ororo were surrounded by children and friends she’d abandoned.

She looked so frail on that bed, so vulnerable. He hadn’t known that this strong woman could be reduced so fast. He wanted to comfort her, something he wasn’t prone to. She called to him, like a siren to a traveling sailor. Come to me, soothe me, make it all go away.

Though he’d never shown it, Logan was a man deep feeling. So many assumed that because of his ferocity, his link to nature that so few humans could understand, that he felt nothing. He was anger, all pain. But it was far from the truth. He felt so much, so acutely that it often drove him to the brink of madness.

He felt for the woman lying not ten feet from where he sat. No harm should have come to someone who fought for her solitude. All she had wanted was time to be alone, to heal wounds no doctor could ever cause. The scars on her body would heal in time, but those on her heart were still open, still bleeding.

“Logan?�

Looking up, he smiled at the now-familiar sight of young Mary. She had a paper cup carrier in one hand, a bag of what smelled like bagels in the other. All her long hair was pulled up from her neck and she’d obviously not dressed for work.

“I thought you and our ‘Roro could use some real food,� she said, frowning. “Everything ok?�

“No,� Logan shook his head. “Sit down a sec, you need to hear what the doc just told me.�

“Oh, God.�

~**~

By the time Logan returned, Ororo had lost it.

Blood streaked her arm, the IV ripped out in a rage she had never felt before. She’d overturned the bed, thrown medical equipment across the room without remorse. The heavens shrieked her anger, thunder and lightning mingling with hail the size of grapefruit.

Her face was wet with tears, her hair crackling with electricity. She paid no mind to Logan, even as he screamed for her to stop. The monitoring equipment was tossed onto its side, crashing to pieces on the floor.

She turned when she ran out of things to destroy. Logan stood in the doorway, shielding a terrified Mary. The police had already taken up residence inside the room, hands on the pistols at their sides.

Still in a frenzy of rage and pain, Ororo brought her hands up. A hurricane force wind threw Logan, Mary, and the police into the wide corridor. She followed, dropping her hands almost instantly. Sobs wracked her body, tearing from an already hoarse throat.

With a bare fist, she went up and down the hall, shattering the plexi-glass x-ray panels. More blood tore from her veins. Only physical violence was soothing to her in this state. She wanted to hurt the world as she was hurt.

Logan was calling for her, but she tuned it out. Moving down the hallway, her clothing whipping around her as unbidden wind tore at her clothing, she continued her rampage.

Emotion was too thick inside of her to simply swallow. Raising her hands again, she shattered the glass emergency doors outward. Deep inside of herself, she was hollow. How could a human being be so cruel? Why? Why had they done this to her?

With a scream of tortured rage, Storm fell on the nurses’ station. A sweep of her bleeding arms took every file from the counter and tossed it onto the floor. No one came near her, they cowered in fear. She was screaming again, though she had no idea what it is she said.

One of the officers guarding her room came too close. She spun her weary body, heedless to the pain. Two swift kicks had him on the floor, twitching. The same went for dear Dr. Forrester.

Ororo could not control herself, nor the pain that demanded release. She would destroy everything in her wake to sate the desire for blood boiling inside of her. There was nothing anyone could do to soothe her. Nothing would make up for what she had lost. Jean, Scott, Charles…and now this? The Goddess had taken too much. She was not strong enough to weather this storm.

“STORM!�

“Leave me alone!� she shouted in response to Logan.

“I can’t do that, darlin’!�

“Will you kill me?� she demanded, turning to him. “As you did Jean?�

The stricken look on his face proved too much. That was a line she should never cross. She, above all others, had to know what it cost Logan to kill the woman he had loved for so long. But he believed in the dream, in the teachings of Charles, he had done what Jean would have wanted.

Ororo wanted it now. She wanted to die. There was nothing left here on this earth for her. Not even the power of her element, the fury of nature, could balm her broken heart. She met his eyes across the damage strewn on the corridor floor, over the trembling hospital staff and patients, the policemen she had injured.

“Kill me,� she pled with him. “I cannot take more pain.�

“I won’t do it, darlin’,� he replied in a voice that spoke of eternal suffering. “I can’t.�

“Please, Wolverine,� she begged, falling to her knees as the winds died around her.

“No, it ain’t the answer, girl.�

He moved to her, crawling through glass and wire, around the frightened people. Ororo wrapped her arms around her own body, rocking as sobs tore from her weary heart. The thunder ceased, the hail vanished, but the rain fell in steady droplets, mirroring the wetness covering her face.

Logan’s arms, such a source of comfort wrapped around her, but she fought. He would not release her, even as she kicked at him, trying to flee. She begged in that same broken voice for him to end it all, but he refused.

“What happened?� he demanded in a whisper against her ear. “What the hell happened?�

“They took it,� she cried, dissolving in his arms. “They took what I can never take back.�

“What’d they take, darlin’? Tell me,� he continued, rocking her as a father does a frightened child.

Words would not come, so she reached for his hand. That strong, impossibly gentle appendage was brought to her injured abdomen. She flattened his fingers there, pressing his flesh into hers through the cotton of her nightgown.

“Hope,� she whimpered. “They took my only hope.�

Realization dawned on his handsome face, though a hint of confusion still lingered in his dark eyes. She collapsed completely then, trusting him to hold her up, to help her.

As usual, he did not let her down.

~**~

Logan saw that the hospital received an insane donation from Xavier’s Institute after Ororo was sedated. He managed to convince them not to strap her to the bed, though she was placed under heavy guard while he ran about to finish the damage control.

Many in the hospital were told of the particulars behind Ororo’s rampage, but Logan wanted to hear it from the doctor’s mouth. Mary was beside Ororo’s bed, holding her limp hand and whimpering at the silent tears streaking the white haired mutant’s sleeping face.

She’d been bandaged for numerous cuts on her hands and arms, results of the rage she wanted ended by death. He knew something about that kind of hatred, when only the silence of the afterlife could soothe your soul. Her voice still plagued his thoughts, her plea to be killed as he had taken Jean.

He sat now, beside the doctor that had spoken to Ororo prior to her rampage. Doctor Tate was a slim, blonde woman with round blue eyes and a kind smile. Judging by the ring on her finger, she was married and she smelled of little ones. A mother.

“She was pregnant?�

His question was blunt, to the point. He could still feel Storm trembling in his arms, her flat, empty womb under his hand.

Tate shook her head. “No, but she wanted to be. At some point, I mean.�

“I don’t understand,� Mary piped up. “What happened?�

The doctor sighed deeply, standing to move toward the lighted X-Ray panel. She, as Dr Forrester had done, clipped several sheets to the light. Immediately, Logan understood.

“Oh, my God.�

“All these lines,� the doctor pointed to several along what looked to be Ororo’s uterus. “Are scars. Someone cut her open and scoured her reproductive organs. Her Fallopian tubes, ovaries, and uterus are almost completely destroyed.�

“What the fuck coulda done that?� Logan demanded, staring at the pictures in horror.

“A person,� Tate said with obvious distaste. “I don’t why, but I know how. Someone deliberately went inside of her and tore her system to shreds. That’s likely why she claimed to feel hollow, robbed.�

“This couldn’t have been done overnight,� Logan said, clearing his throat. “That’s…�

“No,� Tate nodded. “It likely started immediately following her abduction and continued until the day she was released. The drugs in her system were to keep her from feeling the pain, from remembering what had been done.�

“I’m gonna fuckin’ kill that bastard,� Wolverine fairly growled, unable to really dwell on what he’d learned.

“There’s more,� the petite doctor said softly.

“Jesus, Mary, and Joseph,� the black haired woman said from Ororo’s bedside.

“Every woman is born with up to a million ova,� Tate said clinically. “They are released one by one over the course of a woman’s life. For some reason, the numbers dwindle faster than a monthly cycle…�

“This is way too much information,� Logan cut in.

Dr. Tate, however, continued unhindered.

“With fertility drugs and certain treatments, you can make a woman produce several hundred eggs at a time. This is often to help a woman get pregnant or to store eggs for infertility treatments.�

“I’m feelin’ a big ol’ ‘but’ comin’ up here,� Wolverine sighed.

“But,� Tate sighed as well. “Someone super-produced all of Ororo’s eggs. And harvested them.�

“What?� Logan demanded, his head spinning.

Tate shrugged, though Logan could see sympathy in her eyes mingling with sorrow.

“From the tests I preformed on her, Ororo is completely barren. Even treatments like In Vetro Fertilization would get her pregnant, but the scarring says she will likely never carry to term.�

“Ya told her this,� Logan surmised. “An’ she fuckin’ flipped out.�

“One of the things all women cherish is the ability to create life,� the doctor said softly. “Someone stole that from her without cause or explanation. I’d fuckin’ flip out, too.�

“It’s like taking a man’s…ya know, away from him,� Mary offered.

“Thanks fer that image,� Logan rolled his eyes, flinching a little.

“Ororo confided that she’d always carried the hope that one day she’d be a mother,� Tate continued.

“They took her only hope,� he finished, swallowing hard. “The one thing she couldn’t handle.�

“Exactly.�

“Damn it.�

The shrill beep of a pager sounded as Logan moved back to Ororo’s bed. Mary was sniffling a little, brushing the wet strands of hair from her friend’s face. He heard Dr. Tate excuse herself, the door clicking behind her.

Unable to think of anything else to do, he pulled up the free chair and sat on the opposite side from Mary. The girl propped her head on her hand, giving him a small, strained smile as her thumb traced Storm’s knuckles.

They were quiet for a long time, giving Logan time to think. He still hadn’t told her that Charles was alive and well and back at the mansion. She’d not spoken to Hank or anyone else back in New York, though they had some explanation to why Logan needed such a large donation to cover up ‘Ro’s damage.

He was lucky that the police seemed to understand her rampage, no one was pressing charges. Dr. Forrester was fine and simply shrugged off any apology. He’d said that someone going through the emotional hell that Ororo was in deserved to strike out a little.

Still, Logan was already arranging for her to be taken home. He sure as hell wasn’t leaving Alaska until he found the asshole responsible for her abduction and injuries. Even if she decided she didn’t want him there anymore, he wasn’t leaving. She’d called for his help and she’d get it, come hell or high water.

Without thinking about it, he reached for her free hand, threading their fingers together as he sat with Mary in the still quiet. Her hands were bandaged , but he could still feel the energy pulsing through him. Hank had said that touching Ororo was like cuddling up to an electric generator. She “buzzed�.

While Hank said he found it a little unnerving, Logan could easily lose himself in the quiet hum. He closed his eyes, lowering his head to the mattress so his nose brushed the smooth flesh of her arm. She still carried the scent of blood, but it was overpowered by the smell of fresh rain and sopping earth.

Lost in that scent, the gentle hum of her skin, Logan slept for the first time in days.

Chapter Five: Healing

Somebody save me
Let your warm hands break right through
Somebody save me
I don’t care how you do it
Just stay, stay
I’ve made this whole world shine for you
~Remy Zero


Fairbanks Memorial Hospital
One Week Later

She stood in the hospital room alone for the first time since her rampage. In her hands was the damning evidence of her ordeal, her loss. Though it still seemed unreal on some level, here was the proof.

Looking through the strange, almost alien X-Rays she could see everything the doctors had explained over and over again. Words like “sorry� and “irreversible� had become hated parts of her vocabulary over the last few days. Though everyone knew how this had been done to her, the theft could not be explained.

No one knew why she had been taken nor why her captors had so ruthlessly stolen away the only thing she ever wanted for herself. Never would she bring life into the world. She would not have the chance to feel something living inside her, hear the beating heart of a brand new person. Her womb was cold and empty and so it would remain.

Tears no longer came to her as she looked at the pages condemning her to childlessness. Instead there was deep sorrow and penetrating rage. Someone had deliberately done this to her. She would find that person and demand they be brought to justice.

She dreamt now of little white haired daughters with shining blue eyes. Little girls that called her “Mother�. In these dreams, she held their tiny, innocent hands and smiled with all the love a mother could hold in her heart. But her moments of peace were shattered when she woke, knowing her dreams would remain fantasy.

Setting the X-Rays down, Ororo reached for a small evidence bag left by one of the policemen investigating her case. Inside of the clear plastic bag was the hospital bracelet Logan had found on her the night she returned. On it, in plain type from what looked to be a typewriter, was an identification number, her name, and a type. What it meant was a mystery. Ororo ran her thumb over the plastic, letting her eyes drift up to stare at the wall.

So much was unanswered. Her emotions were now in check, after Mary’s panicked claim that there was flooding. In Alaska. In mid-winter. Logan had given her a bemused smile as she tried to reign in the impulse to simply let the heavens weep. He told her that she kept everything too tight, she needed to let the emotions out or they’d eat her up.

She called him Dr. Feral.

As if her thoughts had been some sort of silent beacon, the hospital room door opened quietly. Wolverine poked his head into the room, though she could only see him out of the corner of her eye.

“Storm?�

“Here.� The reply was soft, a tone she only used when he was around. Somehow, she knew that he completely understood her mental turmoil, perhaps better than anyone in the world. Her guard was down whenever they were alone.

“Hey.� He came fully into the room, letting the door close behind him. “Nice ta see you’re in some real clothes, kid.�

Though Mary had an early shift at the lodge, she’d come by to help Ororo prepare for her trip home. She’d insisted Ororo don a pair of worn jeans and a thick cable-knit sweater. Her hair was finally free of tangles, lying in a fat braid that reached her waist.

It felt wonderful, wearing clothing, applying makeup and pulling on sturdy boots. She felt almost human again.

Almost.

“Mary was here.� She said without turning her eyes from the wall.

“I can smell that,� Logan replied.

He was moving behind her. She heard the soft thud of his boots on the clean tile. It always amazed her how silent he moved, though he was a broad man. The rustle of cloth told her he had sat on the edge of her hospital bed. Fine hairs on the back of her neck alerted her to his weighted stare.

“I am all right,� she said in that same detached, quiet tone. “Thinking.�

“Ya do too much of that, ya know,� came the rough reply.

“So you tell me,� Ororo countered. “Often.�

“You all packed?� He continued, easily changing the subject.

“Mmm,� she hummed in the affirmative.

Soft, telling noises said he was moving about the room now. The zipper of her overnight bag was pulled, drawers opened to ensure she had not forgotten anything. She heard him set the bag on the small table beside her, his presence warm, comforting.

It did not startle her when his hands found her shoulders. She didn’t bother resisting the urge to reach for his hand, squeezing those hairy fingers gently. They stood in silence for several minutes while her gaze dropped to the items in her hands.

“A broken heart won’t kill ya,� his gruff whisper was near her ear. “If it could, we’d both be six feet under.�

When she didn’t reply, he went on.

“They can take yer heart, yer hope, yer dreams, ‘Ro but that don’t change who ya are.� His hands squeezed her shoulders. “You’ll get through it, darlin’. I’ll be here, long as ya want.�

“No,� she said, voicing her wishes for the first time. “I want you to go home, Wolverine.�

“Nuh-uh,� he responded without missing a beat.

“I want to be alone.� She inflected more demand into her tone.

“That’s the last thing ya need,� Logan said, holding her shoulders more firmly. “You’ll need help findin’ the bastards that did this.�

“This is my fight,� she tried again. “Your place is in New York.�

Slowly, his insistent hands turned her to face him. She dropped the X-Rays and evidence bag on the counter in front of her as she was turned. Her eyes met the dark depths of his, seeing the determination and compassion reflected there.

“Yer wrong,� he shook his head slightly. “Ya called fer me, girl. I came. Ya still need help. What kinda X-Man would I be if I left ya swinging?�

Unable to help herself, she smiled slightly. “Wolverine, you are already a better X-Man than I am. Go home, be with Henry and the children. The X-Men owe me nothing.�

He released her shoulders and reached around her body to grab the overnight bag. When he had it in hand, he met her gaze again.

“What if it ain’t about what someone owes ya?� He questioned in that low growl. “What if it’s about justice?�

Unfortunately, Ororo had no answer for that. She merely continued staring at him, mildly surprised that she was once again thrown by this man she barely knew. In the months following the death of her family, she’d retreated into herself. No one seemed bothered by her swift decent, though she had often caught Logan giving her strange looks.

Here he was now, in the middle of Alaska, telling her that he wanted justice. For her.

“I don’t do nothin’ I don’t want to,� he finished. “Keep that in mind, darlin’.�

Ororo could only nod wordlessly. He nodded toward the hospital room door, taking a few steps to open it for her.

“Let’s get ya checked out, eh?�

~**~

Henry, Denali National Park

Coming home was usually something very joyous. As Logan drove through the middle of the tiny village she called home, Ororo could only ponder at what her reaction would be. So much pain had come to her after the shocking events the last time she was home, how would be respond to being there again?

She idly wondered, while staring out of the window of Wolverine’s rented Explorer, if anyone had bothered to clean it up. The police did not typically clean their crime scenes. The thought was sobering. Her home was a “crime scene�.

Glancing to the driver, she hid a smile by sheer force of will as Logan began to softly sing along with some country tune on the radio. Propping her elbow on the slender edge of the door, she covered her mouth with her hand.

Logan, of course, noticed this almost immediately. She had thought he would scowl and cease his singing. She was wrong.

As though he were amused that she was amused, he reached over and turned the radio up several notches. His vocals, of course, had to rise to match the stereo. Ororo watched in wide-eyed shock as he sang at the top of his lungs, beating the steering wheel in time with the music.

“When the sheriff arrived with his bathrobe on, the confrontation was a tense one! He shook his head and said “Bubba m’boy, you was always a dense one!� Reckless discharge of a gun, that’s what the officer’s are claimin’! Bubba holler’d out “Reckless, hell! I hit just where I was aimin’!�

Ororo snorted, trying to control her laughter as he continued.

“Bubba shot the jukebox last night. Said it played sad song, it made him cry. Went to his truck and got a .45. Well, he shot the jukebox. Stopped it with one shot.�

As he went on singing, word for word this strange song about someone shooting a jukebox, Ororo found herself laughing. A moment later, she began to hum along with the music, bobbing her head and tapping the rhythm on her denim-clad knee.

Laughter felt amazing. A piece of her fleeting humanity seemed to slip back into place. Logan was insanely entertaining this way. He kept up the loud singing, which was not very hard on her ears, if she was honest about it.

When the song ended, she was still caught by her small fit of giggles. Logan winked at her, leaning on the driver’s side door. He glanced at her, giving her one of those sexy, lopsided smirks.

Had she just referred to Wolverine as “sexy�?

“Yer kinda cute when ya do that.�

His words brought her sharply from the road to madness her inward thoughts were taking. She raised a brow in his direction.

“When I do what?�

“Laugh.� His grunt preceded the wheel of the truck turning softly, leading them onto the road that ended at her home.

“I have often laughed, Wolverine,� she defended immediately, no longer dwelling on thoughts of home.

“When?� he scoffed. “I’ve never seen ya do it.�

Huffing in mild annoyance, she crossed her arms over her chest. “Perhaps I have never laughed around you because you are not humorous.�

“Bullshit!� He laughed heartily. “I had ya in stitches just now.�

Unable to resist, she pulled a falsely innocent look onto her face. “You were not serious?�

Logan’s face turned from the road to give her a look of wide-eyed mouth-agape shock. Ororo held the innocence on her features for all of ten seconds. A loud, belly-clutching laugh escaped her a moment later, making Logan scowl at her.

“Yer mean.�

That, of course, only made her laugh harder.

~**~

When they arrived at her cottage a moment later, Ororo was still shaking with laughter. Logan watched her curiously as he hopped out of the truck. She eased out of the passenger side, turning into squeals of laughter as her dogs descended on her. He had left them tethered to a run while he was gone, letting them roam inside the heated garage and out in the bitter cold.

After taking Ororo’s bag from the backseat of the Explorer, he came around the truck to see her rolling in the snow with her beloved dogs. Both Andine and Eliar were to the point of peeing in the snow. They barked merrily, playfully nipping at their mistress and rolling with her on the frigid ground.

He leaned against the truck, letting a small smile cover his face. She was kind of cute when she let go. Laughing, rolling with dogs in the dirty snow was not something he expected of the very serious mutant. Even in the dim light from the outdoor motion sensors, he could see the wide smile on her face surrounded by flushed cheeks.

In a week, he had rarely left her side. If he was not at the hospital, for whatever reason, she was with Mary and the policemen that guarded her room. They were still unsure whether or not Ororo had escaped her captors or been let loose. If she had escaped, chances were that the bastards would try to take her again.

The standing order had been that no one was allowed inside of Ororo’s room without Logan’s express permission. She seemed content with this, knowing that he would let no one harm her. He didn’t know why she was so comfortable with someone she barely knew, but it made his job easier.

He was going to cover her and she’d need a lot of it during the next few weeks. Hank and Chuck had already told him to stay in Alaska. Logan had intended to, but having permission from the school made things easier.

Logan winced inwardly, thinking of Chuck. He still had not told Ororo that her father --for all intents and purposes -- was alive and well. How did you tell someone that? Charles’ death was one reason she had come to Bum Fuck Alaska to be alone. How badly would it hurt her to know that some of her pain was unwarranted?

The more Logan thought about it in those terms, the angrier he became with the Professor. As fragile as this woman was now, he wanted to ensure nothing hurt her for a while. Period. After he found the bastards that had hurt her, he didn’t know what he was going to do. Violence, pain, and blood were all likely suspects, though.

Part of him thought forcing her to return to New York where he could keep an eye on her was the best option, though where the impulse came from was a mystery. He was the Wolverine, for hell’s sake. He didn’t need any more obligations holding him back.

Logan had the sudden mental image of Jean slapping him as hard as she could for even thinking that Storm was an obligation.

“Done yet?� he called to the woman romping with her dogs. “Those monsters need some food an’ I’ve gotta get back to the lodge at some point.�

Ororo stood, Eliar panting happily as she scratched behind his ears while Andine sniffed her “mommy�. “The Lodge?�

“Yeah, that’s where I’m stayin’. I can have the Sheriff send a car out ta watch the place. I don’t like leavin’ ya all alone out here.�

She fell silent for a moment, then disengaged from her Huskies to walk over to him. Both pups gave him a reproachful look from behind Storm, as they remained tethered to their run.

“I would feel better if you stayed here,� Storm said as she tossed her braid back over her shoulder. “If you do not mind.�

The moral part of Wolverine’s brain leapt into action. Like a little angel version of him popped onto his shoulder, he clearly heard his mind telling him it wasn’t a good idea. Man. Woman. Alone. Things tended to happen even among people that barely knew one another. She was weak, vulnerable. This wasn’t a good idea.

Of course, there can be no angel without the devil, and that side was quick to make his appearance. In his other ear, Logan heard the other arguments. She was weak and vulnerable out here alone. He had to protect her. Didn’t hurt that she was beautiful, sweet, and her house was just the sort of place he liked.

As he met her gaze with questioning eyes, he saw that same mental image of her alone against the men invading her home. What had he been thinking? He couldn’t leave her out here without protection.

“Yeah, I’ll stay.�

The words left his mouth before his angel or devil could continue. He looked up into the blue-black sky, watching as the Northern Lights snaked through that inky darkness. They were singing to him again, a whispered promise that he couldn’t understand.

All Logan knew was that something would happen in this cottage. Whether good or bad, he wasn’t sure. Something was here though, waiting for the right moment to pounce.

Unnerved by this, he followed Ororo and the dogs into the house.

~**~
She was awake long after she heard Logan’s soft snoring from the living room. Eliar and Andine were sharing her bed, but she managed to slip out before either of them woke. It was still dark, but it always was this time of year.

Her clock read a little after three in the morning. Pulling on a thin satin bathrobe, she moved through her open bedroom door and crept into the living room. Logan’s form had sunk into the squashy sofa she’d purchased some time ago. Smiling at him, she tiptoed closer. Taking the blanket he’d kicked off at some point, she covered him again. Kneeling beside the sofa, she ensured he was covered, then moved toward the fireplace.

Careful to be quiet, Ororo rekindled the fire. Once it was crackling well, she stood again, brushing the soot from her hands. The twinkle of her Northern Lights brought her attention to the tall window beside the fireplace.

Standing before the window, she stared out into the night. She loved this part of the world. The changing lights, the wild of nature pressing in on all sides. With an involuntary shiver, Ororo drew her robe more closely around her.

In the shadows of the trees, she could see the lights making darkness dance. Her fearful mind kept seeing men in dark uniforms creeping toward the house. She glanced over her shoulder to be absolutely sure Logan was there. Should anything happen, he would be here to give her aid this time.

When she had calmed her frayed nerves, her hands drifted down to her flat belly. She idly wondered if she would ever rid herself of the violated, robbed feeling. Something told her she never would, that it would follow her to the grave. Logan gave her a brief reprieve when he was awake.

She smiled softly, thinking of his rather silly performance in the truck. Watching him sing was a pleasure she hoped to indulge in again. It was something out of a television show, but he had made her laugh. So few people could claim that simple luxury. He had been right earlier, she did not laugh often.

A soft groan behind her made her turn from the window. Logan’s handsome face was twisted into a grimace. Her brow furrowed and she took a step toward him, knowing what kind of terror his nightmares could bring. He soothed himself though, turning over on the sofa.

Storm turned her eyes back to the Lights, watching them play together in the dark sky.

Thoughts were her enemy lately. She dwelled on the abduction, on reasons for her suddenly infertile womb. One scenario frightened her, though it was plausible. She thought, perhaps, someone was collecting ovum from mutant females. Perhaps sperm as well. Could someone be attempting to breed mutants?

Magneto fluttered briefly through her mind, but she dismissed it. He was left powerless after the events of Alcatraz. Logan would likely think her thoughts were morbid and unlikely, but the more she thought on it, the more it became belief. Someone was out there, right now, trying to create mutants. She could have biological children soon if this was not stopped.

Running a hand through her hair, she closed her eyes briefly. Her home did not feel as vulnerable as she had thought. Logan’s presence certainly helped that. Still, she moved away from the window to relock all of the windows and doors.

She was being completely paranoid. Though she knew it was crazy, she could not stop herself.

Another pained groan came from the sofa. Ororo checked the lock one final time, then moved toward Logan’s restless form. He was fighting in his blanket, his face screwed into an expression of pain and fear.

Through the unintelligible grunts and whimpers, she heard him chant “No� until it no longer sounded like a word. She debated for a moment, wondering whether she should wake him or not. When he groaned again, she decided that she could not watch him endure this alone and dropped to her knees.

Shaking his shoulder, she called his name in a soothing tone. He did not wake, but he leaned into her touch. She wiped at his sweaty brow with the sleeve of her nightshirt, trying to infuse her touch with comfort. Shushing him gently, she sat back on her feet, letting her head fall onto his bare chest.

While she listened to his heartbeat slow, she wondered what she had done to soothe him. His breathing regulated, one of his hands coming to rest on her head.

“She buzzes,� he muttered suddenly.

Turning her head to look up at him, Ororo frowned. “Who? What are you talking about?�

It was clear that he was still asleep, talking as though she were in his dreams, perhaps as someone else.

“�Ro, she buzzes. Hums. Like it.�

Confused, Ororo raised her head. Staring at her hand, she recalled a conversation years past with her dear friend Hank. He had told her that her body conducted electricity similar to lightning and that one could feel it moving just under her skin. This “buzz� often made her friend jump, but Logan seemed to find it soothing.

When his nightmare seemed to take him again, Ororo thought fast. He had given her so much comfort, she felt the need to return the favor. Shrugging out of her bathrobe, she pushed up the sleeves of her shirt. Kneeling up slightly, she placed both of her bare arms on Logan’s chest, gently stroking his face with her fingers.

“Mmm,� he hummed happily a moment later. “She buzzes.�

It was difficult to fight the urge to giggle as he sleepily commented on a strange side effect to her mutation. She did so, if only to keep him asleep a while longer. Sleep would evade her tonight, that was already certain. So, she took a pillow from the other sofa and sat more comfortably, keeping her arms and hands on Logan’s bare flesh.

This simple, soothing action kept his night terror at bay and allowed her to think of something other than dancing shadows. Logan leaned into her touch again and again, as an addict looking for another hit. She was slightly vain about this unexpected power. Logan’s nightmares were the stuff of legend among the X-Men, but all she needed was to touch his bare flesh with hers to soothe them away.

She kept at this for hours, until just before he should wake. Without leaving a hint that she had been there, Ororo slipped back into her bedroom. At least her sentinel had received a night nearly free of bad dreams. That, she thought, was a start.

~**~

When Logan awoke, he could smell nothing but the rain. He surrounded him, drowning out anxiety and remnants of nightmares he could never clearly recall. Reaching around himself, his hand brushed something silky. He fisted his hand in it, not bothering to open his eyes. The garment was brought to his face, where he inhaled more of that clean scent.

How long had it been since he’d slept so soundly? Opening his eyes with a yawn, he left the silken robe on his face as he stretched. He felt fantastic, rested, but less than alert.

It was several minutes before he gathered enough wits to sit up. Rubbing his face and scratching his head, he looked blearily around him. Ororo was not in the room, but he was saturated in her scent. For a moment, it worried him. He felt marked in an odd way. But her scent was pleasantly numbing, so the feeling left swiftly.

With a growling yawn, Logan kicked his blankets off and stood. Another bone-cracking stretch and he felt a little more awake. There was a cup of coffee on the coffee table, which made him smile. She was obviously awake.

Panic gripped him as his hand closed over the cup. It was stone cold.

“Storm?�

Completely alert now, he rushed into the bedroom. Her bed was made, the dogs nowhere to be found. After ensuring she wasn’t in the bathroom, he bolted for the kitchen.

There were signs that someone had made breakfast. Dishes were washed and carefully stowed away. He smelled food coming from the oven and surmised that his missing friend had left his meal inside to stay warm.

“Ororo!�

No answer.

“Son of bitch,� he snarled to himself, running a hand through his hair. “No way they got her. No fuckin’ way!�

Beyond reason and panic now, Logan rushed back into the living room. He tripped over his boots, swearing violently as he crashed into the floor. He punched the hardwood in annoyance, then stood to locate his shirt.

In seconds, he’d pulled on a flannel shirt and boots, not bothering to button or tie. Logan made his way to the front door, swinging it open and pausing to take in his surroundings.

It was light, which surprised him. He usually slept through the few daylight hours, when he managed to get good and asleep. Blinking in the harsh light, which reflected off of the pure white snow, he raised his voice to a healthy bellow.

“STORM!�

Only the caw of some predatory bird and the echo of his own voice ricocheting off the massive mountains answered him.

Logan knew himself well. His knuckled itched, his brain spun…he was about ten seconds from completely losing his cool. He had to find her. He had promised she would be safe, if only to himself. Nothing could happen to her.

Taking off at a dead run, he circled the house, calling her name again and again. The rational side of him said there was no sign of a struggle and the dogs were not going apeshit nearby. They had to be close. The irrational side was ready to take the mountains and woods apart stone by stone while snarling in rage.

Sharp eyes noted a set of canine footprints running from the back steps toward the woods. Another set were right beside it, followed by what looked like sled marks. Still close to panicking, Logan jogged in the direction of the tracks.

A beat later, not five yards from the house, he heard a sled bell. A dog barked.

Crouching low, Logan concentrated on his hearing. The sled was making scraping noises on the fresh snow, flanked by swift paws and that annoying bell. But they were coming from upwind, no scents were coming his way.

Snikt!

His claws tore through his hands as he darted behind a nearby tree. He had to ensure it was her and that she was alone. Rage, blindingly hot, filtered through his previous panic. He was going to beat the hell out of her for scaring him so badly.

Several sharp commands in what sounded like a foreign tongue reached his ears as the sound of the sled came closer. Logan peered around the trunk of the enormous tree to see Andine and Eliar hauling the sled he had seen propped up on the back porch over a week before. A heartbeat later, the slender form of a woman slid past on the back of the sled.

For a moment, Logan was distracted by the fact that she wasn’t wearing a coat. It had to be below freezing out here. Shrugging that off, he leapt from behind the tree, directly at the sled.

He came face to face with the barrel of a rifle.

“Logan!� Ororo said with a screech. “You scared the living daylights out of me.�

Surprised that she had been prepared for his assault, he retracted his claws and held his hands up. With a glare in her direction, he noted the dogs had come to a stop several yards away. Ororo had jumped from the sled.

“S’only fair,� he countered. “Ya took ten years off my life when I woke up. Where the fuck were ya?�

She had the grace to look somewhat ashamed as she lowered the barrel of her rifle.

“I noticed I was out of fresh meat.�

As if on cue, the bloody scent of a fresh kill wafted toward him from the halted sled. Mouth watering at the nearly forgotten scent, he felt his eyes widen with pleased surprise.

“What’d ya bag?�

“Moose,� she gave him a smile, turning to jog toward the sled. “A buck, at that.�

He followed her quickly, anger forgotten in the wake of fresh meat. She was smiling as she shouldered the rifle, pulling back the tarp covering her prize. Logan groaned, licking his lips in anticipation when he spotted the meaty form lying passively on the sled.

“I didn’t know you hunted,� he said quietly, helping her tuck the tarp back in.

“Mmm,� she nodded. “Out here, it is a necessity.�

“Doesn’t go against yer nature?� He questioned as she indicated for him to sit on the sled. “Hey, ya know I weigh like 300 pounds with all this metal, right?�

“To answer your second question, it is less than fifty yards to the house, the dogs will be fine,� she said as she ordered the dogs to move while pushing the sled expertly. “As for the first, of course not. I eat what I kill. It is part of the balance.�

“Huh,� Logan nodded. “Makes sense.�

He fell silent then, letting the dogs lead them back to the house over the fresh snowfall. He let out a whoop of pleasure when Ororo sharply turned the sled. The dogs seemed unwilling to stop, so they circled the house. Storm let her beloved Huskies loose.

The speed was insane, knowing the sled was run by dog-power alone. He clutched the sides, watching as the beauty of the wild zipped around them. He was laughing when Ororo sent the dogs another sharp command, taking the sled into a MAC 10 figure eight.

She slowed the sled several minutes later, outside of her heated garage. Logan leapt from the sled, shaking his head as his good mood returned swiftly. That same, lazy, half-alert feeling was unfamiliar, but not unpleasant. Everything was calm here, serene.

“Ahh,� Ororo said sagely as she shook snow from her hair. “Now you understand why I came here and could not leave.�

Logan eerily mimicked the dogs as he shook snow from his own body. He watched as Ororo effortlessly untied the dogs, ordering them with a snap of her fingers to eat and drink. She looked at home here, in the wild with her dogs. For the first time in his life, Logan was jealous of someone for their entire lifestyle.

“It’s…� he paused, searching for a word. “Serene. Peaceful.�

“Exactly,� she said with a grin.

They took the moose from the sled together, lying it gently on a nearby table. From the smell of it, Logan understood that this is where she skinned and cleaned her kills.

“I dunno, ‘Ro,� he teased, using the nickname he’d selected for her. “Ya might end up with a permanent houseguest.�

Her eyes were serious as she came around the cutting block. “My dogs and I may not mind that. Depending.�

Raising a brow at her words, he gave her a small grin, leaning on the moose corpse nonchalantly. “Depending on?�

“Well, you must be house broken, for starters,� she teased back, bolting for the house door with a merry laugh.

Logan shook his head, laughing as well before he chased her into the cottage.

Chapter Six: Renegades, Rebels, and Rogues

Renegades, Rebels and Rogues
Eyes of fire, hearts of gold
They ramble till they drop
Gamble till the money runs out
They'll take any wrong direction
’Cause it's in their blood to know
That all roads lead to another road
For Renegades, Rebels and Rogues
~Tracy Lawrence


Henry, Denali National Park

Once Ororo’s recent kill had been cleaned, she carefully instructed Logan on how to properly package and freeze the meat. After a ten-minute teasing chase through the house – which neither of them seemed to find strange – they’d settled in to take care of things.

Logan, of course, couldn’t resist making her squeal, so he’d taken a chunk of bloody meat directly off the moose corpse and munched on it while they worked. For a moment, he thought his playmate might be sick. Instead, she’d rolled those bright blue eyes and set back to work.

The dogs were given meaty bones to chew on after several packages of meat were laid neatly in the enormous deep freezer in the garage. They cleaned the table and tools quickly, putting everything back into its place. Night had fallen in what was usually midday by the time they finished, but they were both used to it by now.

When Storm excused herself to clean up after dinner, Logan briefly entertained the idea of jumping into the shower with her. Unsure where the jeans-tightening impulse had come from, he stepped out into the cold instead.

The dogs followed him, as usual, romping about in the freshly fallen snow. Logan, listening for sounds that Ororo was indeed in the other end of the house, pulled the cellular phone from his pocket. Speed dial 1 was the mansion, far away in New York. Someone answered on the second ring.

“Xavier’s Institute for Higher Learnin’, Marie speakin’, how can Ah help ya, sir or ma’am?�

“Damn, girl. That’s a mouthful,� Logan grinned into the phone. “When’d the name change?�

“LOGAN!�

Her squeal had definitely caused severe auditory damage. Even when he pulled the phone away from his now tender ear, he still heard ringing.

“About a week ago,� Marie was saying breathlessly. “We thought it might be good tah start new. How’re ya?�

“Sounds fine. I’m good, darlin’. How’s the family?� He asked, fishing into his pocket for a cigar.

“We’re all fine. Ah fainted when Ah saw the Professor,� she continued. “Its so good tah see him, though!�

“I heard about that,� he laughed. “I’m glad he’s back, too.�

“How’d Storm take it? Beast said yah found her! Ah’m so glad, Logan!�

Logan frowned. He didn’t like thinking about his careful deception. Ororo had no idea that Charles was alive. Every time she mentioned him, Logan stepped around the topic. Truthfully, he didn’t know what to say to her. He felt as though he were gaining a friend every moment he spent in her presence, he didn’t want to lose that.

Friends for the Wolverine weren’t easy to come by.

“She don’t know.� He told young Rogue gruffly.

“Oh, Logan,� her voice dropped to a sympathetic whisper. “Yah’ve gotta tell her.�

Inhaling deeply from the cigar he’d just lit, he concentrated on watching the dogs.

“I know, kid,� he told her around the cigar. “I can’t just yet. Somethin’…let’s just say it ain’t the time.�

There was silence on the other end of the phone. He knew his little mutant friend. She was processing all of this, the tone of his voice. She could tell, better than anyone, when he didn’t want to give up any more information.

“When are ya comin’ home?� She asked finally, sorrow in her tone.

“Soon, darlin’,� he answered as honestly as he could. “I want ya to tell Chuck and Hank that I’ve got an idea what’s goin’ on.�

“What? What’s happenin’?�

Logan sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Kid, don’t make me…�

“Jus’ tell me, damn it!� She said heatedly. “Ah’m not a kid, anymore, Logan!�

He paused, not wanting to reveal his fears to someone so innocent. He knew her, though, as well as she knew him. She would toss one hell of a fit and likely appear in Alaska at exactly the wrong moment to interrogate him. It was easier to just tell her now.

“Listen, darlin’,� he said quietly, moving away from the house. “Someone took a lotta time hurtin’ Storm. They left her…ya know, barren.�

“WHAT?!� Her shriek almost made his ears bleed and he quieted her quickly.

“I think there’s somethin’ bigger goin’ on, baby girl,� he said softly. “I’ve gotta find out what. Tell the big man that I’m on it. This isn’t just about ‘Ro anymore. It’s about mutants, period.�

“What are ya talkin’ bout?� Rogue demanded. He could envision her stomping her foot in annoyance.

“Someone’s takin’ mutant genes, kid, I think their tryin’ to breed some.� Logan laid it out for her.

“Aw hell,� she swore breathlessly. “That’s awful.�

“That ain’t nothin’, kid,� he shook his head. “’Ro’s tore up bout it, but she wants to find these bastards. I dunno what she thinks, we don’t talk bout it much.�

“I don’t blame her, that’s a girl type thing,� Rogue said sagely. “Do ya want me an’ Kitty out there with ya?�

“No,� Logan replied forcefully. “Stay in New York. ‘Ro an’ I can handle this.�

“Logan?� Rogue interrupted, confusion in her voice.

“Yeah?�

“Why are ya callin’ Storm “Ro�?�

He paused, glancing over his shoulder as the sound of running water ceased inside the house. Honestly, he had no idea why he was referring to the estranged X-Woman by her newly adopted nickname, but he couldn’t dwell on it now.

“I gotta go, Marie. Give Hank a slap for me, tell everyone else hi. I’ll be home soon.�

The phone was switched off and slipped back into his pocket before she could answer. He couldn’t risk Storm knowing whom he’d been talking to or what he’d said. After an evening pondering information while listening to Ororo toss and turn in the other room, he’d decided on a theory.

If someone was taking mutant women, stealing their eggs, something nasty was going down. The only thing he could think was that someone was attempting to create mutants from the stolen ova. There was really no other reason to strip a woman of her reproductive organs. He thought that the scarring was from the procedures used to extract the ovum. Disgusting thought, but it made sense to him.

Another piece of the puzzle clicked into place when he thought about it. On Ororo’s hospital bracelet, when he’d found her, she’d been typed as “Elite�. He assumed it meant what kind of mutant she was. Someone as powerful as Storm was definitely “elite�. Not many wielded the sort of power she did.

Jean would have been the same, he thought. All that power was locked into their genes. It was a natural leap to think that their power, or something similar, would translate to children. He didn’t know any mutant that powerful that had little ones, so he couldn’t be sure.

“Logan?�

Though he’d heard her coming closer, he startled a little at the call of his name. He turned from watching the dogs sniff the now-trampled snow. Storm stood on the porch of her house, hair still wet from her shower.

She’d pulled on a pair of fresh jeans, heeled boots, and a fitted blue sweater that made her eyes look even bigger. Logan was momentarily stunned by how pretty she could be with so little effort. She was just a simple woman here, leading a simple – if lonely – life. He, above all others, could respect that.

Once again, he was envious of her.

“Hey,� he held up his cigar. “Didn’t think ya’d want me smokin’ inside.�

Storm answered him with that simple smile. “Cigar smoke is not so bad.�

“I’ll keep that in mind, then,� he turned toward her fully, calling for the dogs over his shoulder. “Goin’ out?�

Her clothing seemed just a little too nice for an evening lounging in front of the fireplace and she nodded quickly.

“I thought we could use a little fun,� Storm was saying as he toweled the snow-wet dogs down.

As they entered the house, he frowned. “Storm, there’s nothin’ near here fer ten miles. What’d ya have in mind? Moose tippin’?�

She swatted him almost playfully on the shoulder. “Get cleaned up and I will show you. There may not be much to do around here, but I know a place.�

“Tea an’ sandwiches ain’t my style, darlin’,� he countered, snuffing his cigar out on the porch.

“Trust me.� Her grin was worth his weight in gold and spoke of hidden meaning, secretive darkness that lured him like a moth to a flame.

He returned her naughty smile with one that bordered on feral.

“Give me ten minutes.�

~**~

Fifteen miles west of Henry

The music was loud, throbbing with the whine of a guitar. Rich male vocals soared over the crowd, even as Ororo parked her truck and unbuckled her seat belt. She waved to several patrons entering the bar as she flipped the visor down to check her makeup.

Logan was dressed to kill and she couldn’t resist glancing at him quickly. He’d showered and dressed in record time, accomplishing in ten minutes what took most men a lifetime. In faded blue jeans, cowboy boots, and an open flannel shirt showing off a white tank beneath it, he was the devil in a Stetson.

Storm had never, truly understood what Jean’s attraction to this brash, crude, and completely ill mannered mutant was. She had often teased the woman that she loved dearly that Logan was opposite of everything alluring in the world. She had been spoiled at the time, wrapped in the cocoon of an ordered society, a structured world.

Jean had always dwelled on the edge. She liked to lose control. Logan was a catalyst for something like that. Now, with Storm out in the wilds, she knew immediately what the attraction was.

He was something out of a novel. Sex oozed off of him, the promise of pleasure, of danger, of something that thumbed it’s nose at order. He was the chaos factor. Ororo closed her eyes briefly, inhaling the scent of his cologne. He even smelled dangerous.

“Where are we?� Logan asked as she flipped the visor back up.

“Dottie’s,� she replied as she opened the truck door. “No tea or sandwiches to be found. Only beer, whiskey, women, music, and smoke.�

Logan put both hands over his heart and “fell� out of the truck. He caught himself with those thick legs, sending her that devilish grin.

“Yer a woman after my own heart, ‘Ro.�

Feeling impish herself, she pressed two fingers to her lips and blew him a saucy kiss. For a moment, as he came around the truck, she wanted to swoon. Several breathy sighs around her said that the other women in the immediate area were right with her. He looked good enough to eat. Even that damned walk was a dare to come closer.

He surprised her by coming to her side as they reached the door. One of those massive hands fitted to her back, leading her gentlemanly through the doors. She was actually going to swoon if he kept that up.

As they passed a waitress, Ororo glanced over in time to see Logan expertly tip the brim of his hat to the buxom woman.

“Ma’am.� He said in his deepest rumble.

The girl nearly walked into the wall, her face flushing instantly. Wolverine out on the prowl was going to be a handful.

Ororo rolled her eyes, though part of her was pleased that Logan remained at her side. She spotted Mary, Kenny, and the sheriff’s brother, Riley, at their table in the back. As if knowing she would come, they had left two chairs open.

Mary was quite obviously well on her way to being drunk. She swayed in her chair, bobbing her head to the music as she knocked back another shot. Ororo chuckled, sneaking up behind her friend as Logan threw himself into the nearest chair.

When her friends spotted her, they all leapt from their chairs. Ororo was hugged and fussed over, making her smile widen. At least someone had missed her during her abduction. She took the chair across from Logan, nodding when Riley offered to get them all another round.

“You’ve got catching up to do, ‘Roro,� he grinned, kissing her cheek before disappearing into the crowd.

Mary linked her hand with Ororo’s, pushing Riley’s drink toward her. Without pause, Ororo lifted the foul smelling liquor to her lips and downed the shot. Tequila. Things were looking up.

Logan raised an amused brow in her direction, then returned to his study of the bar. Ororo loved Dottie’s. It was like something out of a country music video. The wide dance floor was filled with couples, the stage hosting a rather good local band pounding out radio favorites. Several battered and worn tables dotted the outline of the dance floor, many with too many or too few chairs. Smoke drifted and floated above the room, mingling with the scents of alcohol and sweat.

It was clean, at least. Dottie, the owner and operator for ten years, would not allow her place to become overly disgusting. She cooked up huge baskets of Buffalo wings and cheese fries behind the bar, catering to whatever hunger one might have.

She also completely ignored the state law requiring no smoking in bars. It was Alaska, no one really cared.

“God, it’s good to have you back,� Kenny, her red haired former employer, was saying when her attention came back to the matter at hand. “I was worried.�

“You were one of the only ones,� Logan chimed in gruffly.

“Well, we’re all that matters,� Mary said, with a slight slur to her speech. “And she’s already out and about. That’s somethin’.�

“RILEY!� Storm cried above the music and chatter. “Hurry up!�

“I’m comin’!� he replied just as loudly.

“Idiot,� Mary muttered, leaning into Ororo to kiss her cheek. “He’s all thumbs when you’re around.�

“Someone’s got a crush,� Kenny sang, earning him a swat from Ororo.

Logan was watching them all quietly, as those sizing them up. Friendships, she knew, were still somewhat alien to the long time loner. One reason she wanted to bring her sentinel out on the town was to expose him to people. He could lose himself on solitude as easily as she could.

The other reason, that she did not want to share with anyone, was that her heart and body still hurt. She wanted to feel normal. Getting completely hammered at Dottie’s was usually a weekly ordeal. It was soothing, slipping back into her routine.

“I didn’t know ‘Ro knew how ta drink,� Logan was saying to Mary, whom gave him her complete attention.

“We had the stick up her ass removed right after she got here,� was the giggled reply.

“Mare!� Ororo said reproachfully.

“She gets a new one now and then,� her friend went on. “Gotta get it out again.�

“Shame,� Logan said, obviously amused. “Damn shame.�

“Mmm,� Mary hummed, then jumped out of her chair as though something had bit her. “You dance, Wolverine?�

Logan tipped his Stetson back, sizing the girl up quickly. “Anythin’ fer a pretty lady.�

Mary giggled helplessly, letting the man drag her onto the dance floor. Several women in the area gave her dark haired friend looks that could kill. Logan roped Ororo’s friend into his arms, effortlessly steering them into the moving throng. She tilted her head, watching them as they “two-stepped� to the music. It was something Ororo could never quite get the hang of.

Riley reappeared a moment later, bringing several shots of liquor and beer chasers. Ororo immediately set three of the shots in front of her, giving her “boys� a greedy look.

“One…� Riley counted as he plopped into his seat.

“Two…� Kenny chimed in.

“Three!�

At Ororo’s count, they each tipped back a shot. Then another. And the third in quick secession. She coughed, smacking the table with her hand as the liquor burned it’s way down her throat, into her stomach.

“That’s our girl!� Kenny said proudly.

“By the Bright Lady,� Ororo chuckled. She took a quick draw of her ice-cold beer, shaking her head as though to clear it. “Whiskey?�

“Uh-huh,� Riley said slyly. “Thought it was tequila, didn’t ya?�

“Oh, be quiet,� she teased, sticking her tongue out at him.

Riley ordered another round from a passing waitress and the three of them launched into silly stories and sexually charged anecdotes. Ororo was laughing into tipsy hysterics by the time Logan and Mary appeared at the table.

Mary sat beside Kenny this time, letting Logan take the seat beside Ororo. She watched him go through the waiting shots, shaking her head. He had taken nine, catching up to her in seconds.

“Healing factor?� she questioned accusingly.

“Only works to a point, ya know,� he waggled his eyebrows, saluting her with his beer.

“Ok!� Riley cut in, swaying dangerously. “Next round. Wolverine, make a toast.�

The assembled partiers took a shot glass from the waitress, whom had eyes only for Logan, and held each up. Logan looked at them all – ignoring said waitress until she moved away – obviously contemplating his “toast�.

After several seconds of only music and indistinct chatter, he spoke loudly enough for only those near him to hear.

“To those we have lost, those we have loved, and those we have yet to meet. To friends, family, and freedom.�

Oddly touched by his sentimentality, Ororo cut in before anyone could drink.

“To the renegades, rebels, and rogues who make life interesting.�

“Hear, hear,� came the chorus from the others at the table.

Logan and Ororo saluted one another with their glasses, then tipped the shots back without so much as a wince.

~**~

“So which one are ya?�

Logan’s slurred question came well after midnight. Kenny was up on the stage, belting out one of Ororo’s favorite country tunes. She’d been singing along, watching Mary and Riley tear up the dance floor when Logan leaned a little too close.

She turned her head to him, surprised to find him so close. Shot glasses had all been lined up into something resembling a tower on the table. Over the last several hours, the group had racked up one hell of a bar tab. Logan’s reply to the waitress’ upraised brow was handing her an Xavier’s School credit card.

Ororo wanted to see the look on Hank’s face when he got the bill.

Logan, for his part, had spent the last few minutes assembling a toothpick rifle in front of him. Ororo reached over to strengthen a side of it.

“What?� Her words were breathy, stained with the consumption of alcohol.

“Ya a renegade, rebel or rogue?� he pressed, scooting his chair closer.

“Rebel,� she replied without thinking.

“How’s that?�

She shrugged. “I go through several years thinking everything is ordered, perfect, and then I get a bug up my ass and take off to rebel against my own personality. Rebel. Storm. Rebel.�

“Yer weird,� he teased, reaching up to push an errant lock of her hair behind her ear. “But sounds right.�

“So which are you?� She questioned, taking a stray glass and adding it to the tower.

“Dunno,� he said thoughtfully. “What’d ya think?�

Ororo leaned back in her chair, tilting her head and making a great show of contemplating her answer. Truthfully, she was letting her eyes feast on his bare arms, the tuft of hair peeking out from beneath his tank top. He’d discarded the flannel shirt a while ago, revealing his tanned flesh for the women to drool over.

By the goddess herself, this man was sex on two legs.

“Renegade,� she answered a moment later.

“Why’dya say that?�

“You reject everything,� Ororo said with a small smile. “You don’t like attachments.�

“Huh,� he shrugged. “Yer right.�

“Makes you dangerous,� she continued without thinking. “One has to remember to not get too close. Feeling for you, it would likely end in pain. Jean could, she was the daring one. Not me. Nuh-uh. I will play it safe, thank you.�

She was looking back at the table, so she did not catch the odd look in Logan’s eyes immediately. He scooted closer still, close enough that she could feel the energy of his body, the heat she imagined between them.

She was imagining too much right now. Uninhibited thanks to the alcohol, her tongue was loose and her imagination in overdrive. She imagined that he looked at her hungrily, that he saw her as a woman, not a mutant that needed protection. She fantasized that when he slept tonight, and she crept into the living room to soothe him that he would know it was she.

Imagination was a dangerous thing.

“What’dya mean by that,� his voice was close to her ear, a tantalizing whisper. “Darlin’?�

Something in the way he inflected that last word made her shiver in a delightful way. It was slightly sobering.

“Nothing,� she replied, suddenly more aware of what she was saying.

They lapsed into silence, though Logan did nothing to put more space between them. Instead, he reached for her hand. She turned to face him as he spread her fingers with his own, matching their hands up.

His dark eyes closed, the slightly drunken sway to his body more pronounced now. A slow, soft smile curved his beautiful mouth.

“Ya buzz.�

“I know.� Ororo watched as he shuddered a little. Or was it a shiver? Or was her mind playing tricks on her?

“Feels good,� he continued, pressing her hand between both of his.

“Many do not like it.�

“Many are fuckin’ retards.�

She chuckled at that. He surprised her again by suddenly dropping her hands. Logan blinked several times, then shook his head.

“Am I drunk?�

Ororo let out a healthy belly laugh at this, nodding her head drunkenly so that her hair flopped back into her eyes.

“Yes, I believe you are.�

“Well, so are you.�

“Yes, quite.�

“Lets have some more.� He leveled her with one of those heart-skipping lopsided grins and she motioned for the waitress.

~**~

Ororo was completely trashed. Logan glanced up at the sky, seeing the swirling lights drowned out by cloud cover. It wasn’t anything to be worried about yet, as she was dancing in her chair with Mary, singing far too loudly.

He chanced to smile, since she couldn’t see him. She really was cute when she laughed. Her face took on a childlike expression, the sound of her merriment reminding him of a warm summer breeze. Her dark cheeks were flushed, hair in disarray, but she was having a damn good time.

Though this wasn’t exactly the type of place he would peg as her stomping grounds, she looked at home here. Several people had come up during the last six hours or so to welcome her home, each forgoing sympathy for genuine relief.

If he wanted to be honest, he was pretty tipsy himself. Every time he felt his healing factor kick in, he’d down six more shots to stop it. It felt good to let go. Ororo seemed more human than he had ever seen her, so much that his eyes couldn’t seem to move from her.

They traced the smooth, chocolate column of her throat, her high cheekbones and luscious lips. Her body was still too-thin, but those hips made his hands itch. He wondered, rather drunkenly, if they would fit in the palm of his hands. She’d probably smack him if he tried.

Her hands, though, held most of his attention. Long, feminine fingers with clipped nails and bumpy veins. The kind a man likes on his skin. When she touched him, he could feel that strange humming just beneath the skin. He remembered it from the night before, or so he thought. Had she come into the living room? Put those fantastic hands on him? If he hadn’t dreamt it, why did she do it?

These thoughts stayed with him, even as he tucked Mary, Riley, and Ken into a cab. Once they were on their way, he collected Ororo.

“Don’t wanna go,� she whimpered as he tried to help her walk.

“Sorry, darlin’,� he chuckled, bending to scoop her into his arms when she stumbled. “Its late an’ yer drunk.�

“I’m only as think as you drunk I am.� She hissed, though her hands encircled his neck for balance.

“Or somethin’ like that, right?� Logan shook his head, his healing factor making him slightly more clear headed.

It took a bit of balance, but he soon had Ororo belted into the passenger side of her truck. He waved goodnight to a few others leaving and hopped into the driver’s seat. He gave himself a minute to two of deep concentration, telling his mutation what he needed. Just a little more clarity for the short trip home and he’d be fine.

Ororo leaned forward as he pulled out of the parking lot. She squealed when a familiar song came on the radio and grinned at him.

“Its our song, Logan!�

He snorted with laughter, turning onto the main highway while she sang broken lyrics to “Bubba Shot the Jukebox�. He’d gone and created a monster. He chuckled at her, watching out of the corner of his eye as she danced in her seat, white hair flying about her face.

The drive was uneventful, but he was glad to stop the truck in her driveway. He wasn’t entirely sober, driving made easier when there were no other cars on the street. She’d probably yell at him in the morning for driving when he wasn’t stone-cold, but she’d probably get over it in time.

He helped his inebriated friend out of the truck, propping her up and cupping her chin to look at her. Those bright eyes reflected the swirl of color above, but something in them made him cast his gaze upward. It was not her eyes that flashed sorrow and warning, but the Lights.

By the time he looked back down, Ororo had rounded the truck.

“Ororo?�

He gave chase, following as she ran on unsteady legs toward the nearby tree line. His heart clenched when he smelled the salt of tears on the air, the heavens cracking open a moment later. Rain soaked the earth immediately and he called for her again.

She was heading directly to the place he had found her.

“Storm! Don’t!�

Her sobs became audible a moment later and her coat was easily shrugged off. It lay abandoned on the wet snow as he passed, trying to catch up to the suddenly destroyed mutant. Her lovely form halted in the exact position he had first held her weakened body. He didn’t want to be here, though every second brought him sobriety with impossible swiftness.

Ororo dashed into the tree line just before he reached her. The heel of her boots crunched snow and underbrush as she ran. He lost sight of her in the darkness, making him stop in his tracks. A quick sniff sent him in the direction she had fled, wondering what was going through her tortured mind.

He located her a few minutes later, stopped in the dense wood. Ororo was on her knees, her arms wrapped around her seemingly frail body as she wept helplessly. Logan crept up behind her, unsure what to do or say.

“They’re here,� she cried when he came closer. “They brought them here to be buried. Buried alive.�

“What?�

Logan came around to face her, dropping to his knees in the frigid rain. He caught her face in the palms of his hands, forcing her to look at him. She was broken, the rain and tears not enough to convey her sorrow, her fear. One glance into those swirling white eyes told him more than any change in the weather patterns.

“They buried me here,� she wept. “Once they had what they wanted, they drugged me. Brought me here to be buried alive. To die alone in the cold dark.�

“No,� he shook his head. “Can’t be.�

“It’s true!� Ororo’s hands covered his. “I got away. I don’t know how or why, but I got away. They were here, Logan. But they’re gone now. Moved on.�

The pain in her words, the truth behind them tore at his heart. Without really meaning to, he gathered her up into his arms again. Shushing her, he glanced about the immediate area, rocking the trembling woman in his embrace.

From the center of the clearing, he spotted several mounds of earth, eroding thanks to the rain of Ororo’s tears. There were bodies here. At least seven that he could see. He looked to his left, spotting a single, unearthed grave.

“Oh, my God,� he whispered into Ororo’s hair. “Yer right.�

In the silence of the wood, the rain coming down around him, he held Ororo in his arms and let her cry.

Chapter Seven: Unearthed

All the promises you made
To me you made in vain
I lost myself inside
Your tainted smile again
~Staind

Henry, Denali National Park


She screamed inside the hollow walls of her mind. Pleas for mercy, for salvation from the torment that proved too much were lost in her own brain. Fractured, broken to their will, she wept and wept inside until there was nothing left.

They had all seen the graves before. Little lumps in the snow-covered earth that betrayed what was buried beneath. She could not recall where or when she had seen them, but she had. They became her greatest fear.

Amid the pain, the feeling of ripe loss, she was afraid. For the first time, she feared death, the desolation that came with an ended life. Was this was her beloved Jean had felt, trapped within the persona that had controlled her body? Had her life ended, at Wolverine’s hands, with her screaming for mercy inside?

The snow hurt her feet. Winds that usually soothed her became the heralds of woe. If they put her in the ground, she would break completely. No tears stained her cheeks, the vacancy of her eyes would not allow it. They had robbed her of even the smallest showing of emotion.

She pondered on this as she stood, helpless against her fate. Did they use the drugs to protect the bodies they robbed or to save themselves from hearing their pleas? Two others would enter the ground with her, but none of them would rise again.

Only the Phoenix rose again. A mythical bird that represented her beloved friend could rise from the ashes, wreak devastation upon the land to mirror her broken mind. But she…she was merely part of the earth. Without her emotions, her power was gone, taken by those who had stolen everything else.

The men were digging. The men were speaking. The men had needles again. Pain. So much pain. Torment. Isolation. Fear. Logan. Darkness. Hopeless. Nothingness.

No one would find them, buried in the woods. She doubted anyone would think to look here for the missing mutant women. The world at large was ignorant of their plight, blind to what was being conducted in the backwoods of a tiny Alaskan village.

The men took her now, placed her in the cold, dark earth. She screamed again, the sound captured in her terrified mind. Her lips did not part, her eyes betraying none of what was happening in her heart.

Snow-littered earth was being tossed on her weakened body. She would have been freezing as the others were, but her mutation protected her. She would die from lack of oxygen, infinitely a more painful death than the others. Before she died, her mind would be ruined by the confinement. Her phobia would break her. She was lost.

How long she drifted between life and death could never be measured. The earth was heavy on her chest, on her legs, but if she could only move, there might be hope. Trucks went away, taking the sounds and feel of humanity away with them. She and the others were alone know, lying helpless in their snowy graves.

She was not ready. Death was not to come yet. She felt hot, sticky tears seep onto her face and the earth shifted. Feeling returned to her battered body. Clamping her mouth closed so that nothing would enter, she held her breath and pushed.

So weak. Her arms and legs and heart felt limp. Determination in the form of a red haired memory filtered into her mind and she pushed again. She could hear her darling sister calling for her, telling her that someone was close by. Someone had come for her, would help her, but she had to help herself first.

On a sob that mirrored her broken heart, she pushed again. And again. And again, until finally her hand reached free air. With a mighty heave, borne of strength she had thought lost, she pulled herself from the grave.

As she coughed the dirt from her mouth and nose, she lay panting on the frigid ground. Carefully, slowly, the woman known as Storm moved toward the trees. She crawled slowly, her heart telling her she was heading to safety, until she could stand on her own feet once more.

Memory and pain were shoved aside until she was numb. She stumbled in the snow. Something was barking. Something warm and furry was at her feet.

A woman screamed.

A man appeared.

Warm, strong arms encircled her, but relief was shattered when she thought they had found her again. She spoke, though the words were lost on in her delirium. The man holding her so tenderly kissed her hair, rocked her, covered her.

Oh, she thought wearily as the world plunged into darkness. The Wolverine has come to save me.

~**~

“Logan!�

His name left her lips on a half-scream. Logan rushed from the bathroom to her bed, finding Ororo trembling and weeping. Cursing his lack of vigilance, he sat on the edge to comfort the terrified woman.

Without warning, Storm climbed into Logan’s lap. The salty scent of her tears tore at his heart, and he allowed the invasion of personal space. Her chest shivered with uneven breaths as she laid her head on his shoulder, her legs circling his waist. He rubbed her back, letting her arms clutch his shoulders.

“It’s ok, darlin’,� he murmured to the still half-asleep woman. “I’m right here. I ain’t left ya.�

She didn’t reply, so he continued rubbing her back. With one hand, he collected the mass of sweat-soaked white hair and tucked it to one side. He soothed her as best he could while trying to not fall asleep to the hum of her skin.

It had been just hours since Ororo’s memory resurfaced. In that graveyard clearing, he had heard the entire account from a weeping voice. He’d held her then, promising that there would be vengeance in the name of these murdered women. It was something akin to a miracle that Ororo managed to survive, especially after she revealed her intense claustrophobia.

She kept saying something about “rising� and “Jean�, but he couldn’t make sense of it. Perhaps she’d had some sort of vision in her fever, though he would not put it past Jean or even One-Eye to help their friend survive.

When, at last, Ororo’s tears decreased and her breathing regulated, he stood with her in his arms. She was so light, so frail that it awakened his protective nature. Logan muttered assurances into her ear as he tucked her back into bed. In the morning, she would likely be embarrassed if he told her any of this, so he would keep it to himself. He didn’t mind caring for her. With that buzzing skin and soft scent, it was wonderful to have her so close.

Once he was sure she was back in a dreamless sleep, he pulled the blankets around her and tiptoed out of the room. He’d destroyed a few trees outside, needing to release the rage that her recovered memory brought to his heart. Someone had kidnapped her, taken her chances at children, and buried her alive. These people couldn’t be human. Nothing born could be that cruel, that heartless.

There was work to be done, now. Logan kept Ororo’s bedroom door open as he grabbed for the cordless phone. He punched in the number for the Sheriff and waited four rings for someone to pick up.

“Yes?� came Tasser’s sleep-heavy voice.

“Hey, sorry it’s so early,� Logan said with a glance at the dawn-stained sky. “We’ve got a problem.�

“Logan?� Tasser replied, sounding more awake. “What happened?�

“Ororo recovered some memory last night after we got done tearin’ Dottie’s up.� Logan heard the dogs whimper and opened the back door to let them out.

“Oh, God.� Tasser’s line clicked as though he were changing the phone’s position. “What is it?�

“She was buried alive.�

Silence.

“I know,� Logan went on. “I couldn’t believe it either. We got home an’ she went tearin’ inta the woods. I found her in a clearin’, cryin’ her eyes out. There are about half a dozen graves, bub.�

“Holy God,� Tasser breathed. “I’ll have a forensic team out there in an hour. Will poor ‘Roro be up for questioning?�

“I dunno, but I don’t want no one near her til she’s ready,� Logan said stubbornly. “She’s gotta lot ta handle right now.�

“You’ve got it, man,� the Sheriff said kindly. “I’ll see you soon, Logan.�

“Thanks.�

When he clicked the phone off, he cradled it easily. It was still early and his body craved sleep. A quick mental debate ended with him moving into the bedroom again. He didn’t want her to be alone, not with this memory.

She was wearing his shirt. After bringing her back to the house, she’d gone nearly catatonic on him. The only option was to get her out of the wet clothing before she got sick. He’d not peeked -- much -- while slipping a flannel shirt onto her shivering body. It had been the first thing he spotted in his dash to get her warm.

Clad in only his sweat pants, he climbed into bed beside her, staying on top of the thick duvet. Giving into temptation was always something that came easily to Logan, so he moved closer to her, enough to feel the warmth of her body.

He propped his elbow on the pillow, resting his head in his hand so he could look at her properly. Though an evening of boozing it up had ended with such tragedy, he still found every line of her face appealing. That long nose, the spray of dark lashes resting on her cheek, her slightly parted lips and the crop of long white hair was temptation personified.

His free hand could not resist. Light, feathery touches moved over the swell of her bottom lip to the line of her jaw. He touched her brow, smooth with the peace of deep sleep. Her ear was traced softly as well, until he threaded his fingers in the silken locks of her hair.

Really, Ororo was beautiful. How could anyone hurt something so beautiful? So innocent?

He was still touching her when he finally drifted into sleep.

~**~

You killed me.

Logan awoke. Or did he? Glancing around, he found himself not in the peaceful solace of Ororo’s bedroom, but in a limitless black void.

He squinted against a sharp beam of light, raising his hands to protect his eyes. There, before him and wreathed with that fiery light, was Jean. Not the Phoenix, the woman that carried his heart to her grave.

You murdered me.

Her beautiful lips parted, but the voice was something alien. It rasped with the speech of the dead. Her emerald green eyes held accusation and betrayal. His heart was rent from his chest after just one of those blameful eyes.

Murderer.

“No!� He called toward the light. “I had to!�

Liar.

“No…�

Betrayer.

“No, Jean, don’t.� His words were caught in his throat, half-sobbing over the lump forming there. “Jean, I loved you.�

Liar. Murderer. Betrayer.

“Jean, please.�

Blood. Blood on your hands.

He looked down, finding his hands covered with the sticky, crimson lifeblood he had taken from his beloved Jean. Horror welling into self-hatred in his chest, he shook his head. It was useless to deny her words. He knew, most of all, what he had done.

“Storm?� Logan called into the blackness. “STORM!�

Stay away from her!

“STORM! Wake me up!�

A chilling laugh echoed around him.

Afraid of your dreams? Of the truth, Wolverine?

“N-No…I had to. I had to stop you. Jean….�

Murderer. Your unclean hands bring nothing but pain.

“S-Storm?� His voice broke.

The light shifted, drawing his attention from the wraith before him. He saw Ororo, sleeping peacefully beside him. With his bloodstained hands, he reached for her.

“Ororo?�

The cackling, eerie laughter surrounded him again and the image of his sleeping companion was moved out of his reach. He made a desperate grab for her, only to find the blackness holding him back.

“Bring her back!�

Why? So you can kill her, too?

“She’s not insane,� he said bitterly, staring at the slumbering form too far for him to reach. “Phoenix was fuckin’ crazy. I had to stop her.�

You killed me. The woman you loved. What’s to stop you from killing her, too?

“I won’t…’Ro? Wake me up.�

She can’t hear you, Murderer.

“’Ro? Please.� Logan looked back to the specter haunting him, tears flowing freely from his tired eyes. “Jean, I’m sorry.�

She laughed again, throwing her head back to shake with morbid mirth. He could see her more clearly now. Rotting flesh had replaced her smooth skin, the decay of death covered what had been his most cherished memory.

Jean pointed at Ororo, then to Logan, still shaking with her laughter.

Unworthy.

“Of what?� He demanded. “Of you? God, don’t I know it. But I tried to save you, Jean.�

Murderer. Liar. Betrayer.Animal.

Logan brought his blood soaked hands to his face and screamed.

~**~

Ororo was jolted from sleep by a masculine scream. On a gasp, she popped up, quickly divesting herself of the blankets that were suddenly too heavy. In her confusion, she noted that Logan was beside her, screaming in his sleep.

She had never heard any sound like it before. Pain and sorrow that could not be matched echoed from Wolverine’s throat. It stopped her heart, made her grieve for him. She leapt into action a moment later, scrambling over the covers to kneel beside him on her bed.

“Logan? Logan, wake up.�

It took only the sound of her voice to jar him awake. His dark eyes snapped open, his chest heaving with labored breathing. One of those massive hands reached blindly, capturing hers and threading their fingers together.

“Shh,� she soothed, wiping at his sweaty brow. “It’s all right, it was only a dream.�

“Storm?� His voice was broken, as though he were holding back tears.

“Yes,� Ororo replied softly. “It was a dream.�

Something that could have been a whimper left his throat and a moment later Ororo was tugged down. She let him mold her to his chest, let him encircle her with his muscular arms. He was shaking so she hooked one of her legs over his, cuddling into his side instinctively.

“I killed her,� he whispered so softly she might have imagined it.

“Logan…� Tears stung the back of her eyes anew at the memory of that terrible moment when he had laid her friend’s body at her feet.

He was still shaking. Ororo frowned, looking up at his face. His flesh was beaded with sweat, his eyes closed tight as though he were trying to block something from his sight. Concerned, Ororo shifted closer to him.

She lifted a hand to his face, letting her humming skin rest against his cheek. He leaned into the touch, some of his violent trembling easing. Exhaling sharply, she wiggled until both of her hands were free.

One rested over his heart, the other on his face. Ororo had never met a single person that reveled in the unusual buzz her skin contained, until Logan. She was happy, though, to help him when something had frightened him so.

As an afterthought, she flattened the top of her foot to the bottom of his, ensuring he had contact at three points. She remained silent, waiting for his shivering to stop. What woke him in such a state? Lingering memories of Alcatraz? The death of Jean? She felt for him, for his loss.

“You did what you had to do, Logan,� she whispered without thinking. “No matter what your mind tells you, it was the right thing to do.�

His only response was pulling her more tightly against his chest. She fitted her body completely against his, not caring if it was unseemly. He needed something tangible tonight and so did she. Dreams were their enemies; the only way to fight them was to find comfort in something real. As she rested her cheek against his shoulder, she slowed her breathing the way Charles had taught her.

Logan’s flesh dried, no longer sweating and the shivering ceased altogether. Ororo was content to listen as his heart shifted from a thundering beat to a sedate thud. She allowed her wound-up body to relax, looking up to see he had fallen asleep again.

With the luxury of his unconscious state, Ororo toyed with the thick mat of hair on his chest, her hand tracing the subtle he had not shaved yet. In his sleep, he looked vulnerable, innocent. She thought, perhaps, that this is the side of him he kept locked away. Even from Jean.

And yet, he trusted her enough to lie beside her, somehow knowing no harm would befall him. Something that could have been pride prickled in her chest at the thought. Her thumb dipped into the soft cleft of his chin. She had no idea where this insane urge to touch him was coming from, but her hands itched with it. Ororo shifted until she could almost sit up, her leg further entwining with his to steady the precarious position.

“You are a dangerous man, Wolverine,� she murmured in the otherwise silent dark.

Her head tilted to the side as she watched him, wondering at the small, secret smile now curving those pouting lips.

“Very dangerous, for many reasons.�

Ororo had to force herself to ease out of the bed. The flutter in her heart was definitely not a good sign.

~**~

By the time Logan woke, the police had arrived. Ororo, wrapped in a thick blanket, watched them enter the woods from the safety of her front porch. Her coffee sat on the small wood table beside her, unconsumed and cold.

Her protector had obviously alerted them about the gravesite. She shuddered, remembering with such clarity now what should have been her final moments. The burial, the entrapment of her own mind haunted her.

Though she wanted, desperately, to rush out into the woods, to see the faces of the women unearthed, she stayed behind. Logan would have her hide if she left without him again. It didn’t bother the weather mistress that he wanted to keep her safe.

What did bother her was that she enjoyed it.

Ororo was not the type to play damsel in distress. If she needed help, for any reason, she would ask. Though wildly independent, she was not stupid. Not asking for aid nearly always ended badly. But with Logan…she got this deep, feminine thrill when he leapt into action on her behalf.

Just yesterday, when he came harrowing out of the house after discovering she’d seemingly vanished, was something that made her smile involuntarily. She had called for him, the terrible night of her abduction. He came for her, was waiting when she came out of the woods.

From their first meeting, Wolverine had soothed and frightened her. She found comfort in his ferocity at the same time that it terrified her. She saw him as man and beast, a beautiful blending of both, irrevocably injured by things he could not remember. Ororo grieved for him, but she did not pity the feral mutant.

He was loyal, which always struck a chord with Storm. His loyalty had come to fruition during Stryker’s attack on the mansion two years prior. It was for that reason, she thought, that her panicked cry had been for him alone. During the invasion of her home, she cried out for someone she knew would help her if he could. They were not the best of friends, but she was part of a life he had embraced.

She was worthy of protection.

In much of her life, Ororo had played in the background. The other X-Men were more provocative while she preferred to do things quietly. Jean and Scott were Charles’ prized pupils, though he loved them all dearly. She had ever felt just a little out of place.

Until Alaska.

“Hey.�

Startled, Ororo whipped around to find Logan standing sleepily in the doorway. He had his hands gripping the very top of the frame as he stretched thick, ropey muscles scarcely hidden by his tank top.

Storm had to close her mouth by force.

“Good morning,� she replied when her wits returned. “Are you feeling better?�

“Could ask ya the same,� he said seriously before yawning. “Sleep ok?�

Embarrassed at a half-faded memory of him tucking her back into bed following a nightmare, she nodded. “Thanks, in no small part, to you.�

He gave her a lazy smile and a self-deprecating shrug. “S’why I’m here, darlin’.�

“Thank you, all the same, “ she replied, returning the smile. “Did you…�

She halted her question, looking away to frown. How did she know if he remembered having that nightmare? If it bothered him, she did not want to start the day off on the wrong foot. He was far too pleasant in a good mood. He made her laugh, even when she felt like dying.

“Ya can ask, darlin’,� he answered her unasked question. “I remember.�

“Are you all right?� Ororo inquired softly.

“Well, wakin’ up ta a very warm, hummin’ body luring me back ta sleep ain’t bad,� he flirted with a wink.

Ororo willed her cheeks to not flush. By the coy glint in his dark eyes, she knew she only partially succeeded.

“You find it comforting,� she replied with as much dignity as she could gather. “You comforted me, I returned the favor.�

“I wasn’t complainin’,� Logan returned slyly. “I like yer body.�

Ororo’s mouth fell open in surprise as he turned back into the house. Before she could react, he tossed her a grin over his shoulder.

“Ya look good in my shirt.�

With that, he reentered the house, leaving Ororo confused and flustered. She had, of course, noticed the garment when she woke, but was loath to remove it. The soft flannel smelled of his cigars and kept paranoia at bay. The very idea that he had undressed her was sobering.

Had he peeked?

Narrowing her eyes, she conceded that Logan was a man and likely had. She hoped that his honor and loyalty had kicked in before he got out of hand. However, if her current train of thought – not to mention raging hormones – kept up, he’d likely have her disrobed soon enough.

Ashamed that mental images of Logan tearing her clothing off with his teeth made desire flood her system, she turned her eyes back to the small figures moving along the tree line. She shouldn’t be thinking about Wolverine and nakedness at a time like this. Once the bodies were exhumed, she would be questioned again.

No other memories had surfaced, and part of her was grateful for that. With a sigh, she stood and moved into the house after Wolverine. The memory had come so swiftly, so forcefully that it physically hurt her.

What had triggered it? In her drunken state, with Logan so very close, she had desperately wanted to close those precious inches between them. To feel his lips on hers, his hard, heavy body pinning her to the truck. Instead, that terrible memory of being buried alive ripped through her.

Inside, Logan was in the kitchen, bent at the waist while he searched for something in a cupboard. Ororo’s head tilted. She licked her lips. He had, quite possibly, the most delicious backside she had ever seen.

I killed her.

A bucket of cold water would have been less effective than the sudden reminder of Logan’s whispered words only hours ago. She looked away immediately, turning to scratch her beloved dogs heartily. What was she thinking? Logan. Jean. That was the scene. It had been from the first day in Charles’ office.

Still, he was so appealing, so alluring that he made it hard to concentrate. Last night, as they drank and laughed, she saw him as more than just Wolverine, Logan the X-Man. He was human, real to her for perhaps the first time.

“Hungry?� Logan questioned her, making her look up at him across the open living room space.

Yes. “No, thank you. I already ate.�

“Ya sure?� He flipped a package of bacon in the air enticingly. “Bacon an’ biscuits with honey?�

I’d rather have honey-covered Wolverine. “I am fine, really.�

She excused herself to shower before her wayward thoughts got any further out of hand. What in the name of the Bright Lady was wrong with her?

Once under the warm spray of water, Ororo flattened her back against the stall. The cool tile did little to soothe her pounding blood. Though she knew she shouldn’t, her neglected system begged for some sort of release.

With only a twinge of shame, she propped one leg on the edge of the stall, careful to keep the sheer curtain in place. Her hand came up to tease at one breast, pinching the already taut nipple between two fingers.

She bit her lip to hold back a whimper as her mind flooded with conjured images of Logan’s hands on her skin. Rough, dominating, growling Wolverine played havoc on her sexual drive. Ororo found herself panting with want inside of ten seconds.

Her free hand traveled the length of her belly, her mind refusing to remind her of the lifelessness there. She parted her thighs further, dipping her fingers into the white patch of hair at the apex. Manipulating her body eagerly, she swept quick fingertips over her swollen clit before plunging inside of herself.

Logan was in her thoughts, rutting ruthlessly between her thighs. He bruised and bit, making her cry out with pleasure. Ororo had the secret, dangerous desire to be dominated and Wolverine would easily fit the bill. She could imagine being shoved into the mattress with every thrust of his hips, hear the deep timbre of his voice growling her name.

In seconds, Ororo tumbled over the edge, orgasm whipping through her body like lightning. His name left her lips, unbidden, echoing off of the tile of her bathroom.

Gasping for breath, she flattened herself to the back of the stall again, trying to regain some semblance of control. She had just had an orgasm while fantasizing about Logan. She was very, very glad he was well out of earshot.

After several minutes, she regained enough motor control to finish washing up. The last thing she needed was Logan knowing exactly what she’d been doing during her shower.

~**~

Outside of Ororo’s bathroom, Logan stood in complete and utter shock. The plate in his hands had cracked with the force of his grip, but he couldn’t care less about that at the moment.

He’d finished his meal and made Ororo a plate, despite her protestations. She needed to eat, judging by her too-thin form. He had planned on just leaving it on the bed, hoping she’d get the hint while he ate in the kitchen.

It was the sound of her panting that brought his attention to the bathroom. Just last night, he had squashed the urge to hop in with her, hadn’t he? Concerned that she might be having another memory relapse, he’d raised one hand to knock when the scent hit him.

He had never smelled Ororo’s arousal, but he knew women well enough to catch it. Under the lavender of her soap, he caught just a whiff of that intoxicating scent. His hearing had sharpened immediately. Flesh meeting flesh, soft groans…it wasn’t hard to figure out what she was doing in there.

Of course, Logan knew that masturbation was a normal, even healthy adult activity. Hell, he did it often enough. Satisfied that Ororo was not in danger, he had intended to go about his business, though the sound and scent of her shot desire through him faster than an electric shock.

It wasn’t until he heard his name, voiced on an orgasmic groan that he’d snapped the plate. She was thinking about him while she brought herself pleasure. For a moment, he’d nearly said to hell with morals and accosted her right then and there.

But he backed off, killed the impulse. Whatever was going through her mind, he was likely just fantasy fodder. Closest thing she had to a decent mental image. Yeah, that was it. He continued to tell himself that, even as he stood rooted to the floor.

The scent of her shampoo was coupled with a soft hum of what sounded like her new favorite song. She was done playing for now. Logan took the broken plate back into the kitchen, trashing it food and all.

Glaring down at the erection tenting his sweats, he shook his head. Ororo Munroe was going to be trouble.

Chapter Eight: Chaos Factor

You’re gonna get me into trouble
I knew it right off the bat
You’re gonna get me into trouble
If you keep lookin’ like that
~Mark Chesnutt


Fairbanks Memorial Hospital

The morgue is usually filled with foreboding. Even morticians and forensic pathologists can have moments when the scent of death overwhelms their rational minds. From the deepest reaches of human history, Man has feared Death. The unknown cessation of life is the stuff nightmares are drenched in.

To those whose lives are not spent investigating death, the morgue can echo the gates of hell itself. No matter how many people are inside, no voice rises above a soft whisper. Respect for the dead, for this unseen monster that rends soul from body, requires the utmost in deference.

Only a handful of times could the mutant known as Wolverine recall being inside such places. Though he feared little, it always sent a bone-chilling shudder down his spine. Ororo moved woodenly, letting him guide her through the wide, swinging doors. He rubbed the small of her back gently, wanting her to know he was with her every step of the way.

The pathologist’s soft greeting was ignored as Ororo made her way toward the heavy steel lockers were the seven bodies had been stored. Many of them had no identification, no missing persons’ report matched up. It was as though the abductors had intentionally taken women who lived their lives alone.

Logan stepped up beside Storm as she opened one of the lockers and pulled out the long, rolling tray. Sorrow filled her blue eyes as she lovingly touched the cold, blue face of a woman that had been buried near her.

One after the other, the former X-Woman opened locker after locker. Each face was touched reverently, as though Ororo was making a mental inventory. Logan watched her carefully, staying a little ways back to give her some privacy. She walked from corpse to corpse over and over. Saying hello, saying goodbye, saying “Someone will pay, I promise you� in her silent wake.

Their morning had been spent with the police. Storm went over her memory sequence four more times before Logan cut in and shoved the cops out of the house. She’d not broken down again, though he noticed her hands trembling and her smile was strained.

He’d walked with her to the excavated gravesite, long after the bodies had been moved. As she moved from tray to tray here, she had walked between the graves numerous times, stopping at her own. He had watched her with sadness in his heart as she stared down at her own grave, still marveling in the strength it took to survive.

“These two.�

Her voice interrupted his musings and he moved across the cold, sterile room to her side without thinking.

“They were buried at the same time I was,� she said quietly, looking up at him. “She was just a child, Logan.�

The words brought his gaze to the youthful, pale face on the slab Ororo stood beside. The girl could not have been over seventeen years old, a promising life suddenly extinguished without cause or reason. Logan’s active mind imagined Rogue on this table, bereft of her own future.

Rage colored his vision, bringing a coppery taste to the back of his throat and the beast inside him screaming for vengeance.

Storm’s humming hand wrapped around his, preventing his deadly claws from tearing through his skin. Understanding shone through the grief in her eyes and she squeezed the back of his hand lightly before pulling away.

The eight bodies were closed back into the chilled lockers, each latched quietly as the pathologist watched the exchange in silence. Logan kept himself close to ‘Ro, wondering what was happening in that brilliant mind of hers.

She read the autopsy reports in her same contemplative quiet, her brow stitching together as her eyes darted over the paperwork. Logan stuffed his hands into his pockets, wishing he had someone or something to destroy. Investigative work was her strength, beating the hell of things was his.

All she had to do was point one dainty finger and he’d tear off to eviscerate the evil that had done this. Logan was not a religious man, but he had stock in faith. Ororo’s miraculous survival had a purpose. This was her crusade, he was along for the ride.

When she finished her study of the doctor’s findings, she moved back toward Logan. Her rubber-soled boots squeaked on the clean tile, the rustle of her clothing giving off puffs of that fresh, drugging scent. He watched the gentle sway of her body, how every move she made was infused with otherworldly grace.

He was spending way too much time watching her.

“It confirms the memory,� she was saying. “All of the women were mutilated as I was.�

“Shit,� Logan said, shaking his head. “You ok?�

Though she crossed her arms and her chin wavered dangerously, she nodded. “We have to find who did this, Logan. It is the only way to avenge such evil.�

“I know, darlin’,� he replied quietly. Logan reached for her, rubbing one hand over her cotton-covered arm soothingly. “We will.�

“That man, that doctor,� she pressed, her voice thick with emotion. “Do you think he will call?�

“Yeah,� he nodded, completely certain. “These bastards ain’t done. Our little doctor friend is too piss-in-his-pants afraid to go against anyone. He’ll follow his orders, from this asshole and me.�

Her soft, borderline teary smile wrenched his heart. “I’m glad you’re here.�

“It’s no problem, girl. I mean that.�

~**~

Henry, Denali National Park
Two days later

“Oh, my God. The man looks like he stepped out of a comic book!�

“Mary…�

“No, seriously. Look at his arms…his ass, I could bite it.� Mary made a growling sound, making Ororo roll her eyes.

In the days that had passed since her trip to the morgue, Ororo found herself somewhat calmer. A part of her shattered memory had returned and she was dealing with it. Those dead women would have their justice, even if she spent the rest of her life finding everyone responsible.

Her current plight, however, was getting her darling friend from the window. Mary had invited herself over for dinner, which was not unusual. Logan seemed to like the bubbly Inuit woman, so Ororo allowed her breezy invasion.

Mary squealed girlishly, creaking the thick blinds open a fraction more. Outside, the dull echo of Logan chopping firewood rang through the mountains, coupled with the Huskies playing close by. Ororo was at the other end of the window, watching as well, though she tried to hide it.

His thick, muscular arms were bared by the tank top he wore, even in the frigid temperature out of doors. It was dark, but the motion lights bathed him in a bright glow, giving both women an eyeful.

As he raised the axe again, Ororo’s stomach clenched. He really was insanely appealing.

“How do stand it?� Mary whispered breathily. “I’d have him buck naked on the kitchen floor inside of two minutes.�

“Mary! Hush, he will hear you!�

“Oh, I hope so. Come get me, big boy.� Mary growled, making a biting motion in Logan’s direction.

As though his sensitive hearing had caught her last words, Logan paused the axe, glancing back toward the house. Mary giggled hysterically, grabbed Ororo by the shirt, and yanked her down so he would not spot them.

“God, he’s sex walking,� Mary continued, peeking out of the window again when the chopping continued. “’Roro, if you don’t jump him, I will.�

“Logan is a friend, a former colleague,� Ororo defended. “He is not a piece of meat.�

“The hell he isn’t!� Mary countered, licking her lips. “He’s just begging to go all…what do you call it?�

“Feral?� Storm offered, muttering under her breath.

“Yep, that’s the word. I bet his dynamite in bed.�

“Mary, for the last time, be quiet or I will electrocute you.�

“You’re no fun.�

It took several more seconds, but Ororo managed to pry her sexually charged friend away from the window. They moved into the kitchen, opening beers as they prepared their evening meal. Logan’s steady chopping could still be heard outside, giving Ororo some reprieve from Mary’s insistence that she take Wolverine to bed.

While she peeled potatoes, Mary slid into a barstool on the living room side of the breakfast bar, nursing a beer as she watched Ororo cook. The girl reminded Storm of an odd, elder mixture of Kitty and Marie. She could be girlish and giggly, oversexed, and innocent at the same time. Ororo adored the girl.

“You can’t sit there and honestly say you haven’t thought about it,� her friend pressed.

Unable to lie, Ororo sighed. “Perhaps I have, but that is beyond the point.�

“No, it ain’t,� the girl grinned. “When’s the last time you got good and sexed? I mean the ‘Holy God, I won’t be able to walk until next week, are those my panties on the ceiling fan, I want more now’ kinda sexed?�

“Mary!� Ororo flushed, tossing a long potato peel at her friend. “Will you shut up?�

“Nope,� Mary giggled, fishing the peel from her shirt and tossing it back. “You’re alive, relatively young, beautiful, and all alone with that hot chunk of delicious male. What’s the problem?�

Storm did not answer immediately. She took the peeled potatoes and chopped them into even hunks with chef’s precision. Mary was watching her carefully, gauging her reaction, her resistance to answer.

Honestly, there was no problem. Ororo’s body steadily betrayed her, calling for Logan’s rough and needy touch. In the silence of the night, when his dreams tortured him, she often crept into the living room. Her “buzz�, as he called it, soothed away his fears and every night, her hands got bolder.

She had mapped the contours of his chest, the lines of his face and the bugling muscles of his arms. These images were locked away in the unbroken parts of her mind for long showers that brought her a roaring climax with fantasies of her new roommate.

Once or twice, she had caught Logan staring at her when he thought she was asleep or distracted. Ororo was not an idiot, she could see desire in his eyes. He mentally undressed her on more than one occasion, giving her that prickling of feminine pride when he looked away quickly.

Oh yes, she wanted Wolverine. But taking him to bed might prove dangerous. If she got him vulnerable, opened him up as so many men did after climax, she might get more than she bargained for. As she told him in the bar just a few days past, he was dangerous.

“You think too much.�

“Mary, shush.�

“Well, you do!� Her dark haired friend frowned, shaking her head. “You’ve been through hell, what’s so bad about seducing Mr. Dark, Handsome, and Growly?�

Ororo shushed her as the front door swung open. Logan entered the house, flanked by the dogs with an armful of chopped firewood.

“I refilled the bin outside,� he was saying as he shook the snow from his hair. “It’s snowin’.�

“Thank you,� Ororo said with more false cheer than she’d intended. “If you want to wash up, dinner should be ready in about half an hour.�

Logan bent at the waist, placing a few pieces of the freshly cut wood into the dwindling fire. He put the rest in the small bin beside the fireplace and called the dogs. Mary and Ororo watched him move in complete silence as he fed the panting pups. Both women tilted their heads every time his bent over without thinking about it.

“Yeah, sounds good.� Logan replied gruffly before sniffing the air. “Whatcha makin’?�

Ororo swallowed hard, suddenly aware of the excess saliva in her mouth.

“Moose steaks in rosemary and orange sauce, potatoes sautéed in wild onions and butter, cabbage rolls with her special wine glaze.� Mary offered quickly.

“Damn, sounds good.� Logan grinned at both women. Ororo could have sworn she heard Mary whimper.

“Logan?� Storm cut in, pointing to his boots.

“Yeah?�

“You’re dripping.�

“Oh, hell. Sorry.� He shrugged, turning toward the bedroom. “I’ll be out in a sec.�

Mary and Ororo leaned over the bar to watch him walk down the hall until the bedroom door closed. Her friend grabbed at her hand when the shower turned on.

“Ok, seriously,� Mary whispered feverishly. “If you don’t take him, I will.�

Ororo shook her head, turning back to the stove and trying to not think about Logan in the shower.

~**~
“Fuckin’ Christ,� Logan growled, low in his throat. His free hand gripped the grout between the tiles of the shower stall as he came down from the self-induced high.

He’d smelled it on them both the instant he’d come back into the house. Ororo and Mary were both aroused, saturating the entire house with the scent. It was Ororo, however, that captured his full attention. Her ripe, intoxicating scent played havoc on his mind and body.

It reduced him to touching himself in the shower, imagining it was Storm’s body against his, her voice crying out his name. He had the fantasy over and over until he thought he would burst from the pressure. Every time he turned around lately, his mind was trapped in erotic images of having her naked, willing, and writhing under him.

The water washed away the fluid he’d splashed onto the tile while his over-alert body tried to regulate again. While he washed up, he kept seeing her in his mind’s eye.

Though recent events were hard to take, for both of them, he’d begun to trust Storm. She was honest, caring, and took absolutely no shit from him. She made him laugh, especially late at night when they sat in front of the fire swapping X-Men stories.

He knew she came to him when his nightmares took him. Horrifying visions of Jean’s accusing eyes were often stopped short by the hum of Ororo’s skin against his. He would drift into better dreams, half-memory half-fantasy of Storm in various scenarios. She thought he didn’t know and because he wanted her to keep coming, he let her believe that.

When he finished showering, Logan turned the water off. His sensitive hearing caught Mary’s giggling from the kitchen and Ororo’s rebuttals were followed up by the sizzle of her cooking. Logan was not an idiot, so he knew that Mary was hot for him.

She was sweet and very pretty, but her blue-black hair and almond shaped eyes just didn’t light his fire.

She ain’t ‘Ro.

Logan paused, shaking his head. Thoughts like that were only trouble.

He took the towel from the rack and dried his body before concentrating on his unruly hair. Without thinking to check, he opened the bathroom door and stepped into the bedroom to dress.

A heartbeat later, he heard Ororo’s voice.

“In the bedroom closet on the right.�

A split second after, he noted that Mary was standing in the bedroom doorway. Her mouth was open and her eyes traveled the length of his body, stopping at his now flaccid cock. Unable to resist, Logan let a slow, seductive smile cross his lips.

“Need somethin’?�

Mary’s only reply was a high pitched squeak. She remained rooted to the floor, staring at his naked form with something akin to desire and shock in her eyes. Logan, unashamed of his nude body, kept right on drying his hair.

If he knew Storm, she’d be along any second to rescue her friend. That was something he wanted to see.

As if on cue, Ororo appeared behind Mary. His eyes were suddenly for her and her alone as she sized up the situation quickly.

“Mary? What on…�

She stopped in her tracks, noticing that Logan was naked, in her bedroom, and taunting her friend. Those flashing blue eyes widened, but he caught her giving his entire body a long look. It might have been a trick of the light, but he thought he saw ‘Ro lick her lips before she leapt into action.

“All right, Mary, we are all adults here,� she said in her bossiest tone. Ororo grabbed Mary by the arm, pulling her away.

The contact seemed to break whatever stupor Mary was in and she cracked a wide grin in Logan’s direction.

“Nice piece,� she taunted as Ororo dragged her from the room.

“Logan, would you bring out the white platter from the closet shelf? My blue one is too small.� She spoke over her shoulder, not looking back at him.

“Sure,� he replied, deliberately inflecting a low growl to his voice. “Need anythin’ else?�

Both women paused and he heard Mary giggle softly. He thought he caught her say something akin to “Yep, she sure does, Sexy� under her breath.

“Put some clothes on,� Ororo snapped, slamming the door behind her.

Logan chuckled to himself when he heard them move back into the kitchen. “All ya gotta do is ask, ‘Ro.�

He exhaled sharply, controlling his arousal by force as he moved to dress quickly.

~**~

Ororo kicked off the heavy blankets, sweating in her silent bedroom. It was late and the wine she’d had at dinner wasn’t helping. Instead of being sleepy and languid, her entire system was on high alert.

Logan’s teasing of Mary had created a ball of lust in her stomach that would not be ignored. He’d spent the remainder of the evening playing with her. Mary’s eyes seemed to be permanently the size of dinner plates by the time she had headed home.

Goddess above, he had kept touching her. From the way he reached across her body to grab a beer or that single, teasing caress on her backside as they set the table, he’d been in rare form. Every touch only brought the fire in her to new heights. Not even a full belly and nearly a bottle of wine could cool her heated flesh.

Pushing both hands into her hair, Ororo resisted the urge to yank it all out in frustration. Mary was speaking truth when she hinted that it had been too long since Ororo was touched. A deep longing for that sort of contact was easily shoved aside during her months in Henry. She’d wanted to be alone, but now that was the last thing on her mind.

Mental images of shoving Logan onto her bed, the sofa, the floor kept her from sleep. She rubbed her thighs together, hoping to ease the ache steadily forming between her legs. The knowing smile Wolverine gave her as she shut the door hours before told her everything she needed to know.

He knew she wanted him.

The memory of his naked, glistening body was just as bad. In the instant she noticed he was nude, taken that long mental picture of him, she wanted to shove Mary out the door and jump on Logan. He would be good, she had to agree with Mary. He couldn’t not be with eyes like the devil and a body to match.

She toyed with the idea of bringing herself another empty, unsatisfying orgasm, but squashed it quickly. It wasn’t worth it. Nothing she could do herself would sate the lust brimming through her needy body.

Rationally, she knew it was insane. But she was an adult, as she told Mary earlier. Logan was as well and she had the distinct impression that he was waiting for her in the living room. Would he simply give her what she wanted, without pressure or rejection?

“Damn it.� She muttered into her pillow as her nipples tightened against the cotton of her nightshirt.

The pillow still held traces of Logan’s scent. It proved to be the straw that broke the camel’s back. Stealing herself for embarrassment or rejection, Ororo jumped out of bed and moved toward the bedroom door with a determined stride.

~**~

London, England
One hour prior

She was smiling into the phone, listening to her beloved fiancée on the other line as he told her about the wonders of the X-Men. It was raining, so she remained by the window, watching it cover the beautiful moors surrounding the manor.

Though it had only been a few months, she already missed the less dreary mansion that housed Xavier’s School. The open grounds and cherished quiet were filled with the laughter of children. Her relief at Storm’s recovery was strong, and she wanted to return in hopes that her friend would come back to the school.

Her movements were that of a woman brought up in culture and privilege. Even the rough silk slacks and matching top were badges of her family’s stature. She unpinned her long dark hair, shaking it as she adjusted the phone against her ear.

“I can’t wait until you get back,� Warren was saying excitedly. “You’ll go crazy over the Professor.�

“Everyone else does,� she countered. “Has Wolverine returned?�

“Not yet,� her love replied quickly. “He’s out doing what he does best, I guess.�

“Ripping the bad guys into shreds?� She laughed with Warren, delighting in the sound of his deep voice.

“Of course, he’s the best,� Angel’s tone was light until he spoke again. “Rogue was saying something about these guys kidnapping powerful mutant women. Just promise me you’re being careful.�

“I’m fine, love,� Betsy said soothingly. “The manor is well protected and my brother is in the other room.�

“OK, ok, I’ll try to not worry so much.� He paused. “When are you coming back, again?�

Betsy giggled. The only person on the face of the planet that could make her giggle like a schoolgirl was the winged man on the other end of the line. She could hear the soft rustle of his angelic wings and her heart ached for him.

“Next week,� she said quietly. “I miss you.�

“Miss you, too, gorgeous.�

Betsy frowned, staring out of the window as the previously humming electrified fence stuttered. Placing her hand on the glass, she leaned forward, peering curiously into the darkness.

“Bets? What’s up?�

“Mmm,� she shrugged. “The fence just powered down. It’s nothing Michael cannot repair.�

“You sure?� Warren’s voice was on the verge of panic. “Bets, go to your brother. Take the phone.�

“Warren…�

“I’m serious, babe.� He pressed. “I’ve got a bad feeling.�

“All right, if it will make you feel better.�

Trusting his instincts as well as her own, Betsy turned toward the library door. Brian wouldn’t mind the intrusion, especially once she voiced Warren’s concerns. Hair on the back of her neck stood at attention, giving her the feeling of being watched.

With her hand on the library doorknob, she quickly psi-scanned the room. Finding no other presence in the immediate area, she twisted the knob. It was locked.

The sound of many muffled footsteps reached her from the hallway.

“Damn it,� she cursed into the phone. “Warren?�

“Bets? Is someone there? RUN!�

She dropped the phone, twisting the doorknob frantically. When it refused to budge, she bolted across the wide study to the opposite door. It was locked from the outside as well. The same was found at the other two exits, making fear well inside Psylocke’s chest.

Annoyed that she was afraid, she backed toward the windows, where the rain pattered against the glass. A low, almost-electric hum surrounded her as the purple of her psi-blades erupted from her hands.

Psylocke stood proudly, hearing the malevolent beings jiggle the doorknob that led into the massive hall. She crouched low in a battle ready position Wolverine had taught her. Warren was screaming for her from the forgotten cordless phone.

In an instant, the door flew open and the room flooded with men in dark camouflage.

“WARREN!� She screamed. “Men, a dozen. Automatic weaponry!�

She dodged and parried as they flew at her. Combat training kicked into high gear and she bought herself time by fighting as a master. She flipped, dove, and slid to avoid being hit while she described the scene to Warren.

“Uniforms, gas masks, precision fighting, military trained. BRIAN!�

Her cry went unanswered. She feared for her brother, even as a dark figure raised a small tranquilizing gun. The sting hit her in the neck and though she tried to remain upright, the world was soon thrust into blackness.

The last thing she heard was Warren promising to send help.

Chapter Nine: Sweat

I’ve still got your face painted on my heart
Drawn upon my soul
Etched upon my memory, baby
And I got your kiss still
Burning on my lips
The touch of your fingertips
~The Cult

Henry, Denali National Park
The other side of the bedroom door

The night was filled with distant animal sounds, softly snoring dogs, and the rustle of bedding from the other room. Lights in vibrant purples, deep greens, and true blues swirled above him in a sensual, beckoning slither.

He could still smell the lavender of her bath soap, hours after she’d gone ahead to bed. He knew she wasn’t sleeping as the sound of her tossing and turning reached his preternatural ears. The heady scent of her arousal was just as bad, drifting in from under her door to torture him without mercy.

All night, his teasing touches and promising looks had flustered her. He could hear the increased beat of her heart, the way her breath caught in her throat. His quick grope of her firm backside had done him no favors, though he got to see her glare at him. She responded to him, whether she knew it or not. Her body was telling a hundred little truths every second.

Twice now he had gone to her door, intent on shoving her onto the bed and taking her until she couldn’t move. Twice, he’d turned back, unwilling to crawl. He wanted her so badly it hurt. Mental images of her flesh against his, panting, sweating, groaning, and begging were worse than any form of torture.

Logan’s ears caught the sound of feet on the floor. Small, soft footsteps were padding toward her door. He was off the sofa in an instant, standing in her living room to wait. If she came to him, he’d show her exactly how animal he could be. He’d make her body scream for more.

The doorknob twisted and he remained motionless, waiting. Her long, lean silhouette appeared in the doorway and his body wound even tighter. She stood proud, her chin tilted upward as though expecting to be turned away.

Was she fuckin’ insane?

His cock sprang to life when he caught sight of her unruly white hair. Her hand was toying with the edge of his shirt. His shirt, which she had left unbuttoned. From his place in the living room, he could see a wealth of that dark flesh unhindered by undergarments.

Logan crossed the room in two strides. When he was close enough, he wrapped one hand behind her neck, lost in the silken white locks, and yanked her to his chest. Their lips met in fevered, hungry kisses as he backed her into the bedroom.

Ororo groaned softly under his oral assault, her body melting into his until he could feel the buzz of her flesh against his. Itching hands traveled from her back to her waist, opening the shirt further. She tore her mouth from his to moan his name as he caressed the flat plain of her belly.

Her hands fumbled with the tie of his sweats, but he concentrated on her breasts. He massaged them both in his hands, rolling already taut nipples between his thumb and forefinger. Unable to resist, he quickly slid one hand down, cupping the wet juncture of her thighs.

His forehead fell against hers as he parted her folds. She was so damned responsive, how was any man to resist?

“We do not have to do this,� she whispered. Ororo’s words brought him to a low growl as her hands dipped into his sweats.

Those fantastic hands encircled his hardening cock, making him jerk his hips forward for more. That same telltale hum to her skin was driving him mad. He slipped a finger inside of her, grinning wolfishly when she rose on her tiptoes and panted his name.

“Ya want me ta leave?�

“Up to you,� was the breathy reply.

“Probably shouldn’t do this,� he replied, daring her to turn him away.

“Probably not.� Her hands tightened and stroked in time with his fingers inside her.

“I probably shouldn’t push ya back on this bed an’ touch ya everywhere ya need ta be touched.�

She whimpered slightly. “I should not let you.�

“Ya want me to, though, don’t ya?�

“Goddess, yes.�

His mouth covered hers again, letting her searing kiss rip through him. She shrugged out of his shirt, leaving that entire, glorious body bare to him. His hands left her body quickly, letting her fall back onto the bed while he divested himself of his confining sweat pants.

She scooted back on the bed toward the headboard, the window bathing her in the glow of the Northern Lights. His eyes feasted on her illuminated form. Her endless legs shifted on the soft cotton sheets. Irresistible dark skin called to him. As he crawled to her on the bed, he grasped her ankles. Hands traveled the smooth contours of her legs until he reached her hips.

They did fit in his hands. Smirking to himself, he flattened Ororo to the bed, her lips meeting his as they entwined bodies. Her full, firm breasts pressed against his chest until he could feel the maddening beat of her heart. She was alive under him, her skin’s strange buzz rising until it was nearly audible.

His tongue fought with hers, exploring her mouth as his hands continued to trace her lean curves. Her hands were on his shoulders, pulling him closer and scoring his rapid healing flesh. Those impossibly long legs wrapped around his thighs. She tugged him closer, the flex of her thighs bringing his hard cock in contact with her wet core.

Fused lips broke apart to groan in unison. Logan’s hand came up to cup her breast again. He growled low in his throat when she squeezed his backside, forcing him to slide along her center.

“Logan…� Her whimpered cry came after he latched onto the tender flesh of her throat.

She arched her chest into his, mewling for more.

“Yeah, baby?� He nipped at her pulse point then licked his way to her ear.

“This is not why I wanted you in Alaska.�

Suddenly confused, he brought his head up, staring down at her with a frown. Immediately, he noticed the barely-concealed smile and her mischievous eyes. He cracked a quick grin.

“Sure, it ain’t,� he teased, cupping her chin to kiss her again.

His toes curled with the passion she put into that kiss. The already frantic beat of his heart double timed, taking his breath away. Her buzzing hands came up from his backside to wriggle between them.

“Christ, ‘Ro.� He panted against her lips as she began to stroke him.

Logan put his weight on his arms so he could rear up. Letting her guide him, he found her entrance with little trouble. It was difficult to keep from simply slamming home, but he wanted to savor this. Inch by torturous inch, he buried himself inside of her.

He watched her face, his hands fisting in the sheets to the point of pain. Her beautiful mouth fell open, the expression one of bliss. Logan gritted his teeth, sweat suddenly pouring from his flesh. It was only after he was inside of her completely that he realized the room’s temperature had skyrocketed.

A glance out of the window revealed a clear sky, the snow on the truck was melting rapidly. His smirk became more than a little smug and he rocked his hips into her.

The smirk quickly left his face. It might have been the strange buzz of her skin, but being inside Ororo was amazing. He dug his toes into the bed, arching sharply into her. The feel of her skin, the scent of her, the sound of her passion-thick voice was driving him wild.

Gritting his teeth against the animal inside of him, he collected both of her wrists and pushed them toward the headboard. He leaned down to lick the sweat from her upper lip when she opened her desire-clouded eyes.

“Better hang on.�

Her answer was a roll of her hips and hearty groan. Logan buried his hands in her hair, hearing her hands slam against the headboard. His pace immediately switched from languid to racing. Her legs fell from his waist.

“Let me…�

Unsure what she wanted, he leaned back slightly. A feral grin crossed his features when she hooked each knee over one of his shoulders. The position made him release her hair for balance, but he was able to thrust harder, faster as per her panted demands.

Ororo’s hands made the wood of her headboard groan, but she was still begging for more. Logan gripped the pillow, letting his head fall back as he pushed into her again and again. It wasn’t enough. For one, terrifying moment, he thought there might never be enough of this woman.

As if to override his traitorous mind, he flattered her knees to her chest, never stopping his borderline violent thrusts to kiss her again. Her hands raked through his hair, scraping his scalp in a way that sent shivers down his spine.

He reared back up, grunting with every forceful thrust as she groaned his name. He might have whimpered hers, but it was lost in the tide of sensation. Logan wanted to remember this. How he felt inside her, how she felt, sounded. The scratch of her nails made him growl again, which had her clamping down harder on his cock.

She was close to the edge, gasping for breath as her hips pumped like pistons. Logan dropped Ororo’s legs, flattening their bodies together so he could kiss her again. Sweat flesh glided easily even as the bed springs squeaked with the force of their coupling.

Logan worked a hand between them when the tightening in his balls became too much to ignore. He found her wet, swollen clit and flicked his fingers over it quickly.

“Can’t…hold on.� He grunted to his lover, shuddering when she scraped her nails over his shoulders.

“Neither can I,� came the panted response as she rocked against him.

Seconds later she screamed his name, turning her head into the pillow to muffle the sound. Logan’s masculine pride was squashed as he arched sharply, cursing at the ceiling when his head snapped back. Orgasm ripped through him, making him jerk and spasm against her. He spilled inside her, nearly tearing the sheets with the force of his grip.

“Mother of God!� he cried as he shivered. Logan buried his face in the crook of her neck, his arms threatening to drop him right on top of her.

Ororo seemed to go limp under him, collapsing against the pillows. As he tried to catch his breath, Logan noted the room’s temperature dropped sharply. His gasping lover closed her eyes as she lay against the pillow.

An overwhelming, tender feeling shot through him as he stared down at her sweat-slicked face. Leaning on one elbow, he reached up to brush wet strands of hair from her brow. Without thinking, he kissed her temple tenderly.

This feeling frightened him, but he was unable to get his mind out of the post-coital haze she’d brought him to. Logan trailed more soft kisses over her face, making her smile softly. He settled between her thighs, keeping them interlocked while he touched her.

It startled him when he realized Ororo’s humming hands were lightly smoothing over his shoulders and down his arms. She leaned into his soft attentions, the noise in the back of her throat sounding curiously like a purr.

When she shifted her hips and turned her head, he groaned and kissed her in the same breath. Already, he was stirring for another bout with her. She raised one delicate brow and grinned, rocking her hips against him.

“Did you not get enough?� She batted those long lashes at him coyly.

With a lopsided grin, he buried his face in the crook of her neck, inhaling the scent of her sweaty flesh. He could feel her heart begin to hammer again as he hardened inside her. The room became overly warm again, which made his grin widen.

Raising his lips to her ear, he tugged on her earlobe with his teeth before growling.

“Roll over.�

~**~

Anchorage

Ororo watched the familiar attendants stock her small blue plane with various supplies her customers had ordered from town. They had been more than happy to fulfill her last minute orders, glad to see she was home safe and sound.

It was her first job since the abduction. Slowly, she was regaining normalcy to her life, though the search for answers would likely take more time. She stretched her arms over her head in the early morning sunset, popping the stiff bones in her neck at the same time. Logan had worried about her sore muscles, but she’d just smiled at him, saying it was a good sort of pain.

His ego had inflated considerably.

She tried to not think about him as she completed her work. There were no tender promises or words of love. Respect and trust, yes. Hot, steamy, “are those my panties on the ceiling fan� sex, definitely. But there wasn’t room in his life for more and Ororo wasn’t keen on sharing hers. It was what it was, that would be the end of it.

The morning had not been so different from the others they shared. They made small talk over breakfast, cleaned up and went on with their day. Kenny’s call that she could take a work order had cut everything short. Though Logan wasn’t happy leaving her alone, she assured him that she would be surrounded by people when not in the air. He’d grumbled about it, but remained in the cottage.

A shrill chirp made Ororo end her catlike stretch to fish her cellular phone out of the light backpack she carried. The slender device had seen much use in the last few months, though very few had the number.

“Munroe.�

“Hey.�

A bright smile broke out on her face at the sound of Logan’s voice. Ororo refused to dwell on it.

“How did you get this number?� She questioned, turning her back on the workers.

“Well, I called Mary’s – her number’s on the fridge – but she wasn’t home. So I called the Lodge, then Kenny, and then the Sheriff’s office where she was makin’ a delivery.�

Ororo rolled her eyes, her smile widening. “Has anyone ever told you that you have the tenacity of a pit bull?�

His answering grin was audible. “Usually it’s “stubborn bastard�.�

“I was trying to be kind.�

“Uh-huh.� She heard the sharp exhale of cigar smoke.

“So,� Ororo said as the workers finished loading the cargo. “What do you want?�

“I gotta want somethin’ ta track ya down?�

“Yes.� She bit her lip to hold back a chuckle.

“Wench,� he teased. “Anyway, I’ve gotta head into Henry for a while. Kenny said somethin’ bout needin’ a few hands fer some construction the other night, thought I’d lend a hand.�

“Very generous of you.� Ororo wondered why his helping her friends made her heart skip.

“He’s the one payin’ me,� Logan replied. “Oh, an’ Mary wants me ta look at her carburetor. That old truck is dyin’ fast.�

Caught between gratitude and a twinge of jealousy, Ororo nodded. “All right. I should be back in Henry around five. A few deliveries are out in the boondocks.�

“You’ll be all right?� The concern in his voice made her flush again.

“I’ll be fine, Mother.� She chuckled, hopping into the cockpit of her plane and signing a few of the forms quickly. “Now get off my phone so I can get to work.�

“Be careful. You’ve got my number.�

“That I do,� she practically purred.

There was a short pause before Logan growled through the line. “Yer gonna pay fer that one, girl.�

“Ooh,� she cooed. “Promises, promises.�

Ororo hurriedly switched the phone off, giggling to herself as she set it back into the backpack. He really was something different. Logan had gone through all that trouble just to tell her he was going out for a while?

She didn’t want to, but that undeniably feminine side of her secretly hoped he had wanted to hear her voice.

Shaking herself, Ororo went through her usual preflight check before pushing the plane into the sky. She had precious minutes before she lost the light, which wasn’t completely dangerous. She knew the sky around here, could manipulate weather patterns if she needed to. But she did love Alaskan sunsets.

The lone woman watched the stain of red and orange on the far off horizon as she piloted her tiny aircraft toward a teeny village just north of Henry. An old couple she adored lived in Opal Falls and they were in desperate need of supplies. When she was done there, she had a few more side trips before heading back to Henry.

It was good to be back at work, no matter how often Logan was slipping into her thoughts. She dropped the supplies with the Gunsers just after noon, turning her plane toward Liberty in the west.

By the time she landed in Liberty, she was exhausted. It had been weeks since she’d worked and last night provided little in the way of sleep. Logan’s healing factor definitely made sex more interesting. He’d taken her four times before she begged for mercy. Then, just before dawn, she woke him for another two rounds.

A stab of anticipatory lust shot through her belly remembering it. The sweat, skin, sounds….everything was etched into her memory. She wanted more, until her body was worn out completely from his attention. It scared her, thinking that she might never have enough.

Guilt already filled her at the mere thought of wanting to keep him for herself, locked away in the wilds of Alaska. He had a life to get back to, after all.

Ororo shook these thoughts away, hopping out of her plane when she spotted Kenny’s elder brother Rob rushing across the field to her. She waved, then beckoned his workers around to the side hatch leading to the cargo hold.

“Hey! God, it’s good to see you, chickie!� Rob enveloped her in a warm hug, kissing her cheek sloppily. “You’re too skinny.�

Ororo laughed, shaking her head. “So I keep hearing. How’re the girls?�

“Lucy and Hannah’s birthday is comin’ up. Dorothy’s pregnant again.�

She immediately wished she hadn’t asked. Torn between joy for her friend and the uncomfortably hurtful reminder of her loss, Ororo smiled as much as she could.

“That, my friend, is wonderful!� Ororo kissed his cheek. “Please, tell her congratulations for me.�

Luckily, Rob did not know here nearly so well as Kenny, so he took her excitement at face value. He continued chatting to her as they unloaded the plane, moving around to help his men. Ororo remained behind, dropping a hand to her belly. It took her several minutes to completely remove the lump in her throat.

Not even Logan could help heal this wound. There would be other reminders as she marched on in age. Friends and families would grow, blossom around her. She, as always, had no choice but to remain apart from all of it.

For the first time since her death, Ororo let herself miss Jean completely. Her dear, wonderful friend would understand. If she were alive, she would have held Ororo in the night, letting her sob her heartbreak without judgment or pity.

Missing Jean only amplified her pain. She had to step away for a moment to collect herself, the sorrow in her heart dwarfing all other things.

“You ok, kiddo?�

At Rob’s cheerful tone, she turned back to him. That practiced calm and adopted good cheer slid over her like a mask.

“Fine. Just tired.�

“Huh,� Rob rubbed his red-bearded chin. “Wanna grab a bite? Get in out of the cold?�

Ororo shook her head. “I have a few more drops and then I must get home.�

“You sure you’re ok to fly, honey?� Concern flooded his soft green eyes. But in that moment, he reminded her so of Jean that she flinched away.

“Yes, of course.� She kissed his cheek. “Tell Dorie I am praying for a boy.�

With no more words between them, Ororo jumped back into her plane. She signed the forms woodenly before soaring back into the air. She kept her tears at bay until she was high above the trees and mountains.

Only then, when she was alone again, did the world weep with her.

~**~

Henry, Denali National Park

“Give her a go!�

Logan shouted over the propped up hood of Mary’s truck, stepping back to wipe the engine grease from his hands. The girl turned the ignition over. He heard her squeal with delight when the old, beat up Ford roared to life.

When she cut the engine, Logan picked out his tools and dropped the hood back down. Mary came out of the truck, a wide grin on her youthful face. He gave her a wink, sitting back against the railing of Ororo’s porch.

Mary’s truck had completely died on her way home from work. The poor girl wound up alone, in the dark, with only a cellular phone as her weapon. She’d called Logan in a panic, Ororo’s abduction obviously coloring her thoughts. He had gone to get her, towing the old Ford to the nearest place he could think.

What a surprise he’d received when poking around Storm’s garage found him every tool he could ever need.

“You are just too good to be true,� Mary gushed as she hopped onto the rail beside him.

“How’s that?� Logan asked raising a brow in her direction.

“You just are,� she said evasively. “Can I ask a personal question?�

He narrowed his eyes. “How personal?�

“Did you sleep with ‘Roro?�

“That’s pretty damn personal,� he growled in response.

The Inuit woman held her hands up. “Look, I know you’re like the most dangerous man on the planet, but let me just say…You hurt her, in any way, and they’ll never find your body. Got it?�

Taken aback, Logan leaned to the side, crossing his arms over his dirty t-shirt. Had this little slip of a woman just threatened him? He met the coal-black of her eyes and conceded that if pushed, she likely would murder him. Respect grew for this young woman, this friend of Ororo’s.

“Got it.�

Mary put her hands down, letting her legs swing over the porch railing. “Listen, Wolverine, I love Ororo. She’s a good friend, but how that girl lives with her head up her ass is beyond me.�

He barked out a quick laugh that someone besides him was describing a loved one in such a way.

“Wanna explain that?�

Mary sighed. “She’s so sweet and strong, but inside she’s like a turtle without a shell. So she pushes everyone away until she’s all alone.�

“She didn’t push you away,� Logan pointed out quickly.

“Hah!� Mary chuckled. “She tried, stubborn bitch. But I wouldn’t let her. She’ll try to shove you out, too. Just watch. I don’t know what’s up between you, but if it starts to scare her, she’ll bolt.�

This made Logan frown so deeply it bordered on a scowl. He glanced back up at this pretty young woman and raised a brow. “What would scare her?�

“Oh, the things most women want,� Mary continued as though not even bothering to consider what Ororo would say. “She doesn’t want commitment. Even if she doesn’t think you’re into it, if she starts feeling mushy, she’ll freak out.�

Logan considered this. “Mary?�

“Yeah?�

“You’re really fuckin’ nosy.�

The girl laughed loudly, slapping his shoulder playfully. “I’m serious here! She’s all wise and cool until her feelings start running away with her.�

For a moment, he thought on her words. Ororo did have that open wisdom which made her seem far older than her years. But since he had begun to befriend her here in Henry, he noticed how fragile she really seemed. Had she fled New York because of her bothersome feelings?

Had she truly grieved for Jean? Scott? Charles?

“Yep,� Mary said suddenly.

When he looked up, she was watching him carefully. “Huh?�

“That’s exactly why she left.� The woman smiled sadly. “I know all about the X-Men and her life as one, Wolvie. She took off because she didn’t want to admit how much she was hurting.�

“That’s…� he paused, then muttered. “Something I’d do.�

Mary tapped his nose with her forefinger, making him jump. “Exactly.�

He lapsed into silence, listening to the lonely call of a coyote in the distance. Ororo had been on his mind all day. Unused to being separated from her now, he’d prowled around the house until he remembered Kenny’s work offer.

Low on funds and with plenty of time on his hands, he’d taken the red haired man up on it. Rebuilding an old shed kept his hands busy, but his mind was on her. On last night. On every damn whimper and move of that sinuous body.

Lovers in his life tended to come and go. Like water in outstretched palms, women just didn’t stick around. It wasn’t that he wanted them to or that he was interested in only sex, it was what it was.

Sex was always good, he’d taken to it very naturally for some reason. There were times, though, when a woman would flinch from his rough touch and growled voice. With ‘Ro, however, he’d felt safe enough to let go. Each time he’d taken her, it was thrilling, daring, and deep. The hum of her skin, the smoky laughter that was never mocking…

Sleeping with Ororo was an experience, one Wolverine had never indulged in before. He wanted her again, so badly his hands ached to touch her. That morning he had tried to act natural when all he could do was stare at her in dumbfounded wonder.

He’d been turned on while watching her read the damn paper. She stirred her coffee with one hand, her head tilted to the side to reveal the smooth expanse of her neck as she idly flipped through pages. Logan stood across from her, just staring at her. He felt as though he could just look at her forever.

That scared him shitless.

“That good, eh?� Mary’s teasing voice brought him swiftly back to earth.

“Huh?�

“Oh, boy,� she continued. “I’m glad you waited until I left.�

Logan flashed her a feral, toothy smile. “Ya mighta enjoyed the show.�

The girl flushed almost instantly, fidgeting on the railing. “Man, you’re bad.�

“Most girls like that,� he flirted shamelessly.

“Yeah, too bad I’m not one of them.�

He watched her curiously as she jumped off of the railing, flipping all that long, dark hair over her shoulder.

“Sorry, Stud, but I’ve got a date.�

“Kenny finally find his balls?� Logan taunted as she sashayed toward the truck, whistling a song he didn’t know.

“Be nice, Wolverine. Yes, though. He asked me out this afternoon. You wouldn’t have anything to do with that, would you?�

Logan’s face instantly took on an innocent mask. “Would I do that?�

Mary was still laughing when she got into her truck and drove away. She honked, waving out of the window as she steered her truck toward town. Logan outwardly smirked once she was gone.

His talk with Kenny had gone well, then. All through the morning of working on the storage shed had given Logan plenty of time to badger the younger man into bucking up to ask the pretty woman out. From Ororo’s admissions and his own observations at the bar the other night, the man seriously needed to find some courage.

Hell, maybe he’d even get laid.

Logan headed back into the house after putting the tools away. He noted that it was getting a little warmer as the winter began to fade. What would this tiny cottage look like in the spring and summer, when grass replaced snow? He was willing to bet that the river would thaw quickly, reflecting the mountains with perfect clarity.

Ororo’s home line was ringing when he got into the house, so he vaulted over the slumbering dogs to grab for the cordless. Andine looked at him with a lazily opened eye, then rested her head back on Eliar’s neck.

“Yeah?�

“Logan.�

“Shit. What the hell are ya doin’? Callin’ here? Ya don’t she don’t know.�

“I apologize, Wolverine, but it was unavoidable. Your cellular has been off for hours.�

Frowning at Xavier’s words, he reached into his back pocket to retrieve the phone. He snarled when he found the battery had died at some point. Worried that ‘Ro had been unable to reach him for a time, he tossed it onto the counter.

“Ok, ya win that round,� Logan continued, looking over his shoulder in case Ororo showed up. “What’s up?�

His mentor sighed heavily, bringing a chilling dread to Logan’s heart. Something was wrong.

“Is it Hank? Rogue? Peter? What, damn it?�

Fist met linoleum hard enough to leave a dent in the counter.

“Relax, Logan, they are all fine,� Charles soothed instantly. “But Betsy Braddok was abducted last night.�

Logan’s heart fell to his feet. “Bets.�

“I am so sorry to be the bearer of bad news, Logan.� His friend’s voice was filled with worry and sadness that Logan could feel across the miles. “She was speaking with Warren when it happened. She managed to describe her attackers before they overwhelmed her.�

“Wait, just wait a damn minute, Chuck,� Logan cut in. “Isn’t she in London? With her brother?�

“They found Brian in his library, unconscious. Apparently, whomever came for Betsy had come for her alone.�

“Fuck,� Logan swore violently.

Warren had been talking to her. Logan felt for his young friend deeply. In the last year, when Elizabeth returned to the X-Men, Angel and Psylocke had something like love at first sight. Logan watched them in complete awe as they fell in love. It was like something out of the movies.

He envied it.

“How’s Angel?�

“Destroyed,� Charles replied honestly. “He had just warned her that those responsible for Ororo’s abduction might be coming for others.�

“Was it them?� Wolverine demanded on a snarl. “Did those bastards take Psylocke?�

A long, weighted pause stretched between them. Logan knew, before Charles spoke again, that it was true. They had to find Betsy. Now. Before the same evil that harmed Ororo took her as well.

“It seems so, from the description Psylocke gave to Warren.�

“Chuck, I’m gonna find these assholes,� he said vehemently. “I’m gonna find ‘em an’ I won’t be leavin’ anyone alive.�

“I know. And I am sending over all the information we have from Brian and Warren via email.�

“Ya got my report, right?�

“Yes, last night. My poor Ororo.�

“Yeah, she’s pretty bro--�

Logan had turned mid-sentence, finding the woman in question standing in the open doorway. The dogs, usually going insane over their mistress’ return, were dead silent.

He did not have to wonder how much she heard, for it was written all over her beautiful face. Rage, betrayal, and stone-cold hurt were painted clear as day on the features he knew by heart. For a long, endless moment, he couldn’t even breathe.

She came at him slowly, one hand reaching out. He pulled the phone from his ear as Charles called his name, handing it to her without a word. Storm brought it to her ear, listened for scarcely a heartbeat before clicking it off.

The mutant known as Wolverine, one of the most dangerous men on the planet, was completely speechless. Tears flooded the woman’s eyes as she looked up at him, even as thunder cracked in the distance and rain fell heavily around the cottage.

He wanted to explain, to tell her why he had kept something so important from her. He needed to hold her, to make her understand he was only trying to protect her. But he found himself unable to even utter her name.

Her chin tilted defiantly and in a single moment, she became the cold, hard X-Woman he had first met years ago. Her voice was steady, not hinting to the emotion he could see churning in her eyes and reflected in the heavens.

“Get out.�

Chapter Ten: Nome

I’m in a state of confusion
I hope things aren’t what they seem
If this is really happening
Just let me go back to dream
You’re home
Tell me I was dreamin’
Tell me that you didn’t say goodbye
~Travis Tritt

JFK International Airport, New York
Three days later

By the time he stepped off the plane, Logan was a complete wreck. He couldn’t explain why or how, but every moment brought him more agony. Waking on the plane, he’d had one brief instant when the last days were only a dream. He was back in Alaska, Ororo hadn’t really ordered him out of her house.

The real world, though, came crashing down around him. He would have given the heart from his chest to make it all a dream. Thrice, the events surrounding his abrupt departure from Henry, Alaska nearly brought him to tears. The look on her lovely face broke his heart again and again.

She never let him explain. Two words brought everything caving in on him. Suddenly, he felt as though he were the one buried alive. Unlike his strong ‘Ro, he couldn’t climb back out of his own grave.

Oh, he had tried to reason with her. He had attempted to bully her into listening to his side of the story. But she merely backed away, letting the elements come close to tearing the cottage down. When, finally, she tossed him his battered duffel bag, he gave up.

The ten-mile walk between her home and Kenny’s hangar seemed endless. The snow, rain, hail, and booming thunder only reminded him of her. His new friend had tried to convince him to return to Ororo’s cottage, backed up by a half-dressed Mary. Logan refused, asking that he be given the first flight to Anchorage.

With the funky weather, though, he’d wound up on Kenny’s sofa for the night. As he lay awake in the darkness, Ororo’s fierce tempest howling around him, he could only think of how just twenty-four hours before, she was in his arms. Nothing hurt him worse than hurting her.

Why hadn’t he just told her? Was protecting her worth it now?

Rubbing tired eyes with shaking hands, Logan shook his head. The airport was alive with a million voices and scents, but he was numb to it all. He craved the eternal darkness of the Alaskan wild. He needed to hear Ororo’s thick, throaty laughter. He ached to touch that buzzing skin.

“Logan!�

He looked up to wave Hank over. His enormous blue friend bounded up with the grace of a jungle cat a quarter his size. Logan let the mutant hug him tightly, but his side of the friendly embrace was half-hearted.

So much of him wanted to hate her. The man in him wanted to write her off as easily as all the others. She was so damn high and mighty that his explanations meant nothing to the cold weather witch. Who the hell did she think she was?

His carnal, animalistic side, however, howled with mourning.

“Logan?� Hank was speaking, though Wolverine barely listened. “What happened, my friend?�

For a long moment, Logan had no reply. Looking into the crystal blue of Beast’s eyes, he struggled to explain his haggard and sudden appearance. All he could think of was Ororo’s teasing smile, her smoky laugh, the touch of her skin.

“Coulda been somethin’,� he said at last. “But it don’t matter now.�

Before Hank could press him about it, Logan hitched his duffle more securely over his shoulder and headed for the door.

~**~

Xavier’s Institute for Higher Learning

A tall blonde man was waiting for Hank and Logan as they entered the house. Wolverine spared him a quick glance before greeting Marie and Kitty. Both yanked him into a fierce embrace, questioning him as to his dark circled eyes and somber smile.

He ignored their questions, shaking hands with Bobby and Peter, giving Warren one of those curious male embraces. Hand shake, pull in, two hearty back-slaps, retreat. The young man tried valiantly to look strong, but Logan knew better.

One didn’t have to see his molting wings to know he was devastated.

“Braddock,� Wolverine said to the blonde at last.

“Wolverine.�

Captain Britain’s head inclined slightly in greeting, his thick accent reminding Logan of sweet Betsy. As he glanced from the protective brother to gentle love, he felt his heart clench again. He knew what they were going through. If someone took Storm now, he’d likely snap completely.

“I’ll find ‘er,� Wolverine said stubbornly. “Don’t think otherwise. We’ll get her back.�

“Not today,� Hank cut in quickly. He took Logan’s duffel in one hand, grasping the free arm in the other. “It has been a long flight and Logan needs his rest.�

“Hank…�

“Doctor’s orders.�

With a small wave to his friends, Logan allowed Beast to steer him down the hall and up the stairs. He was too exhausted, physically and mentally to put up much of a fight. When they reached the hall where his bedroom was located, he shrugged Hank off quickly.

“Are you sure there is nothing you want to talk about? You know I am here for you, Wolverine,� his friend pressed with concerned eyes.

Logan slapped his shoulder, giving the blue mutant a small, strained smile. “There ain’t nothin’ ta talk about.�

Hank’s expression said clearly that he didn’t believe Logan for a second, but he let him go. Wolverine gave his friend a quick wave before ducking into his bedroom. Once the door closed behind him, he dropped the duffel to the floor.

Everything in his body wanted to rush back to Alaska. He didn’t want to be so far away from her, from that simple, quiet life she’d carved for herself. It irritated him to no end that he missed Ororo. How long had he been in Alaska? Two weeks? Three? She had no damn right worming into his heart, mucking things up in his head.

But his hands felt empty. His skin craved that soothing buzz of her flesh. His ears yearned for her laughter. It wasn’t right. No one was supposed to really matter to him. Sure, he was protective of Rogue and even had a few “friends�, but to want like this…it wasn’t natural.

Logan jammed the heels of his hands into his sore eyes. “Get outta my head.�

Sitting heavily on the bed, he stared down at his hands. Whatever had started in Alaska was over now. It wouldn’t do anyone any good to dwell on it. Could have been something new, something to change their lives forever. Didn’t matter now. All that did matter was that she wanted him gone. He’d given her that. Once he found Betsy, found the bastards that were kidnapping women, he would be able to recapture his life. Ororo’s abduction had screwed everything up. It would be nice to get back to it.

Logan didn’t need a telepath to know he was lying to himself.

~**~

They were all in the War Room late the same night Logan returned. The X-Men, joined by Captain Britain, sat around the wide table, watching Hank give his presentation. Logan chimed in when needed, but he mainly sat back to watch his friends work.

Twice, Chuck had given him a look across the room. It was filled with sad understanding and slight surprise. Logan avoided meeting the gaze when he could. The last thing he wanted to do right now was rehash the entire Storm issue.

Braddock was going over the particulars of his sister’s abduction. Logan knew it had to smart, knowing he had been powerless to stop the men from taking her. Warren’s wings continually shivered, sending limp, white feathers to the floor as he tried to control himself.

Marie, now without her mutant powers, was their new computer expert. She had loaded everything onto the mansion’s mainframe, where Kitty would call up holographic images to show the assembled mutants. Logan watched the spinning photo of Betsy switch to Ororo and then the other victims.

“From the information gathered by Wolverine and Storm in Alaska, we have a general idea of what they are planning with Betsy,� Beast said in a flat tone.

“Yeah,� Logan cut in, flipping the ink pen he’d stolen from Kitty over his fingers. “They wanna gut her, take somethin’ ain’t theirs.�

He sent Brian and Warren a cold look. “We won’t let ‘em.�

Both men seemed to accept Logan’s promise and Beast went on.

“The odd thing about Betsy’s abduction was the M.O. does not fit. All the other victims lived alone, usually far from a dense population. For many of them a missing persons report was filed days after the disappearance, if at all.�

“Kitty, the map, please.� Xavier requested in his dulcet tones.

Two keyboards clacked as the girls accessed the information.

A large world map appeared on the screen, littered with several glowing points. Hank pushed away from the table, pointing to the map. “Each point represents a kidnapping victim, the first eight, here in North America, are Storm and the victims found at her burial site.�

Logan inwardly winced, staring at the tiny light hovering where he knew Henry, Alaska was located. Was she there now? Had she regretted sending him away?

He snapped the pen in his hand. Hiding it quickly, he stuffed the broken plastic into his pocket, keeping his eyes on the map.

“The only link between the victims was the fact that they were mutants. Height, weight, coloring, and mutations were all different.�

Beast nodded to the girls, whom brought up another map. Several tiny lights illuminated Western Europe. Logan’s eyes lingered on the dot over London. Poor Bets. His strong, willful pupil was in her own hell right at this moment. He’d already lost three days, he had to find her. Fast.

“All of these disappearances match the tentative M.O., save for Betsy. Six other females were taken from their homes within two days of Psylocke’s kidnapping.�

Many of the gathered mutants stared in a sort of mute horror at what Hank was showing them. Logan spotted several more dots appear one by one. They now covered South America and part of Africa.

“The yellow dots,� Beast said softly. “Are disappearances within the last two years. I bring these up because… Kitty?�

The young girl nodded, typing quickly into the console in her lap. Her tiny bottom lip quivered as several photographs flipped through the holographic projector. Several mass graves were suddenly right there in the War Room. Sheet-covered bodies, mounds of snow-littered earth all surrounded by bewildered police officers.

“In the last two years, three other gravesites were unearthed in northern Canada and eastern Alaska. The local police could not connect enough dots and with no living victims, they had nothing to work on.�

Logan frowned, staring at the dots through narrowed eyes. “They’re still up north.�

“You do not think they have relocated following Ororo’s recovery?� Charles questioned him quietly.

“No,� Wolverine shook his head. “Ya don’t know the area. There’s a million caves, thousands of valleys, wood so thick a bear could get lost. They dump the bodies too far to make a difference, but they’re still up there.�

“That’s a lot of land to cover,� Brian said forlornly. “How could we ever hope to locate the missing women now?�

“Hey, Hank?� Logan sat up, the front legs of his chair hitting the tile floor with a resounding bang.

“Yes?�

“How many of them other girls were telepaths?�

~**~

Henry, Denali National Park

She did not miss him.

Ororo moodily brought her dusting rag over the thick wood of her mantle, taking the dust from the now shining surface. Andine and Eliar were watching her cautiously, as they had since that horrible evening just days ago.

She tried to put it all out of her mind, to just go back to who she was before the kidnapping. This was her life, her choice, what right did that stubborn, crude, ridiculous man have coming to churn her up?

She huffed, fidgeting with her newly reframed photographs on the mantle. Once they were rearranged to her liking, she turned toward the coffee table. As she kneeled to polish the finely carved edges, she continued telling herself that she didn’t miss him.

His haunted eyes did not plague her. That destroyed, pleading look on his face as she ordered him out of her home did not wake her in the middle of the night. She had done right. Logan had lied to her, keeping Charles’ miraculous survival from her. He was a liar, a murderer.

Pain twisted her heart so acutely that she gripped her chest, cleaning rag and all. Her free hand gripped the edge of the table for balance, fighting to breathe. Goddess, it hurt just thinking about that damned man. She wanted to beat him to death with her bare hands for making her ache in ways she’d never dreamed possible.

Her lovely life out here in the wild seemed empty now. There was no song in the swirling Northern Lights, no comfort in the quiet dark of Alaskan winter. Her dogs, it seemed, even rebuffed her now. He had come to save her life, but in leaving destroyed it beyond repair.

It was far past unbelievable when she had entered the house to overhear Logan’s conversation. With her deliveries finished, she was smiling, happy to see him after a day apart. But when she heard him say “Chuck� her world came down around her ears. Charles was alive and Logan had deliberately kept that information from her. How could he be so cruel?

Hearing her adoptive father’s voice brought all the walls around her heart back up. Logan’s presence had gone far in tearing them down, but in one moment she remembered why she lived in the wild. It wasn’t worth the pain to be around so many people. Logan had reminded her of that.

And yet, in the dead of night, she still reached for him. Her pillow smelled of him, and before she could stop herself, she would inhale the scent eagerly. Ororo hated herself for the weakness. She barely knew him and one night of passion did not endless love make.

But, oh, how she missed so much more of him. His lopsided smile and flirting innuendo. Storm wanted to smell the smoke of his cigar, to feel his massive hands on her aching flesh. His laugh, his growl, that mulish overprotective nature.

She really did miss him.

“Pull yourself together, girl,� she muttered to herself when finally the pain in her chest ebbed.

Whatever could have been between them was gone now. She had sent him away, back to New York where he belonged. So many times during that first, terrible night she nearly bolted into the frigid night. She actually weakened to the point that she rushed to Kenny’s the following morning. What she would have said to Wolverine she would never know.

Kenny had just returned from dropping Logan at the Anchorage airport. Her friend told her with sad eyes that he’d watched Wolverine board a plane heading for Washington. Ororo’s heart had clenched, but she managed to get home all on her own. Logan was gone. It was for the best.

Her stubborn heart called her a liar, screaming it inside. There was nothing she could do now. Logan was in New York now, back among the X-Men where he made his life without her. Ororo remained in Alaska, in the wild that was now her home.

“You fuckin’ idiot!�

Startled by the voice coming from the other side of her front door, Ororo whipped her head around. She scrambled to her feet, staring at the door even as what sounded like a body slammed into it.

“Open the goddamn door, Ororo Munroe! NOW!�

“Mary?� Surprised, to say the very least, Ororo rushed to the door.

When she opened it, Mary stomped forward, poking her in the chest with an accusing finger.

“You stupid, stubborn…� The girl said something in Inuit that made Storm blush.

“Mary!�

“Don’t you ‘Mary’ me, woman,� her friend continued, coming inside and slamming the door with her foot. “What the hell are you doing?�

Weary with her own emotions, Storm shook her head, rubbing at her temple. “Cleaning.�

“Cleaning?!� Mary’s voiced reached decibels that only dolphins might understand as she grabbed Storm by the shoulders and shoved her onto the sofa.

“Why are you sitting here in your clean little cottage? Why in the name of the Lights aren’t you in New York, groveling?�

“Groveling?� Ororo questioned insolently.

“Uh-huh, groveling. On your damn knees begging your mountain man to take you back.� Mary plopped onto the coffee table, pinning Ororo to the sofa while her friend glared at her.

“I do not grovel,� she replied frostily. “And he lied to me.�

“Sure he did, but that’s really not the point,� Mary rested her elbows on her knees, leaning closer to Ororo. “Did you give him a chance to explain?�

Ororo stubbornly lifted her chin, crossing her arms over her chest. “No.�

“Did you think you might have overreacted?�

“No.�

“Did you see the look on his face?� Mary’s voice dropped to a pained whisper. “I think yanking his heart out of his chest with a dull spoon would have been easier on him.�

Trying to deny the clench in her heart at this, Ororo shook her head. “It matters not.�

“Bullshit!� The Inuit woman threw her hands up in dismay. “Storm, I don’t see the problem. He’s crazy about you, you’re crazy about him and you made him walk away. What is your problem?�

Storm stood abruptly, walking away from her screeching friend until she reached the kitchen. Once there, she slammed the refrigerator open, locating a bottle of beer quickly. After snapping the top off, she took a long, burning draw. Mary’s eyes were still on her, but Ororo needed a moment to think.

With a glassy clunk, she put the bottle on the spotless breakfast bar, flattening her palms on the linoleum. She flinched when her hand molded over the indentation left by Logan’s adamantium fist. Her fingers traced the cracked surface lovingly.

“’Roro?�

“There was no love between us, Mary,� the weather goddess said at last. “Respect and sex. We made no promises. He destroyed whatever trust I had in him.�

“I know you, sweetie.� Her friend’s voice was solemn. “If you were on top of a burning building, you’d jump off if he said he’d catch you.�

“He is an X-Man, that is his job.�

“Ok,� Mary sighed, slapping her thighs in annoyance. “Right this second, if he came walking through that door, you’d break. You’d hold him close and tell him to never leave.�

Ororo almost choked as emotion welled in her throat, though she wanted to vehemently deny Mary’s careful words.

“But he won’t,� she went on. “He’s not that kind of man. You sent him away, ‘Roro. He won’t come near you again. Men like Wolverine don’t crawl.�

“Then, what have I to worry about?�

By the Goddess, she knew that was true. In the secret, dark places of her heart, she hoped that he might turn around and come back. She didn’t want to admit, even to herself, that she wanted him to. What she would give to see him lovingly scratch her beloved Huskies or shake snow from his hair.

“Dying alone,� Mary said bluntly, making Ororo look up sharply. “Not one man in a million would put up with your shit. You know it, I know it.�

“You’re losing the high ground here, sweetheart,� Ororo warned, her eyes stinging as anger threatened to weaken her hold on the elements.

“Oh yeah, I know you,� Mary sighed as she stood. “You wouldn’t hurt me. What you will do is sit in this damn cottage, make your deliveries, feed your dogs. You’ll pine away until you’re an old woman telling stories down at the local bar about your once adventurous life.�

“What do want me to say, Mary?� Storm questioned, her hand stubbornly not moving from Logan’s dent.

“I don’t want you to say anything,� her friend replied quickly. “I want you to hop in that little blue plane and go find him. There was something between you, ‘Roro. You’re an idiot for trying to convince yourself otherwise.�

With that, Mary stood and walked out of the cottage. Ororo looked to her dogs, whom sat placidly in front of the fireplace. They stared at her in a sort of disbelief. The Lights twinkled in the window behind them, all reminders of what her life was now.

Leaving her open beer abandoned on the counter, she moved toward the bedroom. She shrugged out of her clothing before pulling on the one shirt Logan had left behind. It was gray flannel and still carried the scent of his cigars.

She buttoned it up, climbed into bed and clutched her pillow. Mary may have been right about her, but that didn’t mean Ororo was going to change. Men like Wolverine didn’t crawl. Women like Storm didn’t grovel.

It was hours before she managed to tumble into a fitful sleep.

~**~

Nome, Alaska

The day following Mary’s verbal scolding found Ororo in the coastal city of Nome. Though the temperatures were frigid, she was outside of a small hangar, scraping ice from the underside of her plane.

It was good, honest work, keeping the plane in good order. She had already changed a few damaged parts and tightened loose bolts. In several hours, the soothing, methodic work had calmed her considerably.

Earlier that morning in the Anchorage airport, she’d contemplated buying a ticket in the general direction of New York. The compulsion was so strong it momentarily winded her. She stared at the ticket agent for several minutes until her rational mind overtook the urge.

Here she was now, in Nome, repairing the plane that would take her home to Henry. Kenny had called just minutes ago, telling her that the entire gang would be at Dottie’s, eagerly awaiting her arrival. Unlike his new girlfriend, Kenny seemed to understand that Ororo did not want to chew old soup and avoided mentioning Logan.

Finished with the ice, she slid out from under the plane easily, patting the metallic side lovingly. The little blue “Beast� needed a paint job, which she could finish quickly. The name of her beloved airplane was almost faded completely.

Deciding to question Luke Harding – the owner of the hangar – about locating a small can of dark blue paint, she moved toward the office quickly. The rag in the back pocket of her jeans found it’s way into her hands so she could wipe them off.

Luke’s voice drifted toward her as the office door banged closed, mingling with one that was eerily familiar. Cold, creeping dread slid down her back, pooling in her stomach as she rounded the corner. Where did she know that voice from?

“Yes, I had heard she was performing in Nome this evening. Thank you for such a pleasant flight, give my regards to your pilot, please.�

“Sure thing,� Luke was replying as Ororo came closer. The man he was speaking to was obscured by the tail of Brendan’s bright red plane. She tiptoed a little closer, peering around the edge of the tail.

Memory slammed through Storm’s mind with the effect of a hurricane wind. Gasping through the sudden pain, she blinked rapidly while images she wished to never see again ripped through her already tortured mind.

Needles. Pain. Men in masks. Give her another dose, she’s going through it like saline.

“YOU!�

Ororo’s scream alerted both Luke and the man in an expensive black suit to her presence. She darted forward even as the mysterious doctor turned to run from her. Luke, bewildered and terrified, came toward her.

“No! Luke! Catch him!�

Her friend needed no more prompting. He turned and bolted after the fleeing doctor. Following Luke’s bulky frame, Ororo rounded the hangar door like a woman possessed. What was this man doing here? Who was he after? Had he warned Logan?

Ororo caught up to Luke easily, both of them skidding on the ice. The doctor had rushed for the landing strip. He was running blindly, heedless to Luke’s shouts to stand down. Ororo let her eyes stingingly change from blue to white, gathering the weather around her. She would have her answers from this man.

Or not.

The howl of a commercial jet flying in from Anchorage heralded the doctor’s final moments. As he slipped and stumbled along the slick runway, the jet eased over him. Ororo halted, covering her eyes as the doctor was sucked into the massive engine. A spray of crimson out of the opposite end told her all she needed to know.

“’Roro!� Luke cried over the jet’s sputter. “The plane!�

“By the Goddess.�

Ororo pulled the winds around her and launched into the air. The jet’s engine was damaged, the weight discrepancy making it tilt dangerously. If she did not intervene, quickly, the plane filled with civilians would crash directly into the airport.

In her element, Storm pushed her hands toward the staggering jet, drawing all the wind she could get her mutation on. She grunted with the force such an action required, but she managed to stabilize the plane.

It landed scant yards away with an angry groan. She heard the engines power down even as rescue crews rushed the scene. Storm lowered herself to the ground beside Luke, whom was staring at her in awe.

Though many of her Alaskan friends knew of her past, of her status as a mutant, few had seen her actually use the power of nature. His eyes were wide as dinner plates, his mouth slack from shock.

“Close your mouth, Luke,� she said gently as she reached him. “Who was that man talking about? The performer.�

“Uh,� Luke stuttered for a moment. “Some singer, uh, Alison Blaire, I think.�

“Dazzler?� Ororo pressed, her mind working furiously.

“Yeah, that’s her. What the hell’s goin’ on?� He questioned, seemingly locating his scattered wits.

“That man had something to do with my abduction and if I do not find a phone, quickly, Dazzler may be another victim.�

“I’ve got a land line in my office.�

The duo rushed back into the hangar, ignoring the scrambling rescue crews and frightened passengers. Ororo’s X-Men training ensured that they never stuck around once the proper authorities had control of things.

Inside Luke’s cramped office, she grabbed for the phone and dialed for Xavier’s Institute, as it was now called according to Logan. She tapped her fingers impatiently on a stack of invoices while the line rang.

Something on the invoice pile caught her eye and she picked up the top sheet as someone answered on the mansion’s end of the line.

“Hello?�

“Kitty, it’s Storm.�

“Storm? Oh, my God!�

“Kitten, hush,� Ororo said, narrowing her eyes at the invoice. “I want you to get Wolverine. I need to speak with him.�

“Uh, he’s in the Danger Room.� The girl replied, though Ororo could hear her running footsteps.

Waving the invoice at Luke, she silently asked if it was the doctor’s flight bill. Her friend nodded, coming over to her with a puzzled expression. Ororo smiled, slow and bordering on feral as Kitty called her name.

“Tell Wolverine I may have found Elizabeth.�

Chapter Eleven: Foolish Pride

Turn out the lights, the competition's over
The stubborn souls are the losers here tonight
And while the bridges burn
Another hard, hard lesson's learned
As in the ashes, passion slowly dies
And this romance goes down to foolish pride
~Travis Tritt

Xavier’s Institute for Higher Learning
The Danger Room

Metallic scraping resonated through the room, giving way the presence of a lone man fighting unseen demons. Covered in sweat, snarling and spitting his turmoil, Wolverine leapt from the top of a demolished holographic building. His roar was lost in the computer-generated explosions as he fell on the gray-cloaked military figures that suddenly became prey.

How long he had been at this was a mystery. Just after the meeting in the War Room, when everyone broke into their separate groups, he’d attempted to sleep. After the third rude awakening, reaching for a warm body that wasn’t there, he had given up. He contemplated visiting Jean and Cyclops’ graves, but thought better of it.

After all this time, he didn’t have anything else to say to Jean. She’d made her choice, though the Phoenix wanted Wolverine, his Jean had always wanted Scott. It had taken him a long time to come to terms with the simple truth, but there was no escaping it. He didn’t need her cold, silent coffin telling him what he already knew.

Liar. Murderer. Betrayer. Animal.

The nightmare of Jean had been right all along. He’d lied to Storm, betrayed her, murdered her friend. He was an animal.

So, he decided to act like one. Thoughts of her snowy hair and smoky laugh only brought his feral inner beast raging to the surface. He embraced it, running a suicidal program in the Danger Room for hours upon hours. He hoped that he could exhaust himself. Perhaps if his mind and body were close to collapse, he could sleep without reaching for something he knew wouldn’t be there.

Flashes of adamantium ended the lives of scentless, soulless men flooding the destroyed Danger Room. He knew nothing but pain, his constant companion. Here she wasn’t haunting him. Logan would drive her from his mind if he had to slice his brain out. He wasn’t going down like this. Not because of some uppity weather goddess.

Crimson flowed freely down his torn arms and scratched chest. Reveling in the fresh scent of blood, he met the new wave of fake warriors with their automatic weaponry. With a toothy grin, he sliced and diced each of them in turn. It wasn’t enough. He needed it harder, faster, until he wore his rapid-healing body out.

“Wolverine?�

He turned sharply at the call of his name. In his almost feral state, it wasn’t smart for someone to come waltzing into the Danger Room. But Kitty’s fresh floral scent retracted his claws out of pure instinct.

“What?� Wolverine snarled, spotting her through the holographic ruins.

She was dressed for bed, complete with her Snoopy slippers and sloppy brown ponytail. She jogged over to him, out of breath and red faced from what was probably a run across the entire mansion. In her tiny hand, she clutched a cordless receiver.

“It’s for you.�

The sharp, unwelcome hope that he would hear Storm’s voice made him scowl. He snatched the receiver from Shadowcat, covering the mouthpiece with his hand.

“Go on, kid,� he jerked his head toward the door. “Scram.�

Kitty turned and exited as though the demons of hell were right on her ass. She knew better than to mess with a rabid Wolverine. He watched her pause at the doorway and give him a small, encouraging smile. Unable to resist her innocent expression, he returned the gesture with a gentle shooing motion of his hand and strained smile.

Obviously feeling better about leaving him with the phone, she let the doors slide closed behind her.

Alone again, Logan stared down at the telephone in his hand. His sensitive hearing picked up the heavy breathing of whomever was on the other end of the line. If it was Ororo, why was she calling? Had something happened?

Did she want him to come back?

Unsure how he felt about that last, irritatingly hopeful thought, he uncovered the mouthpiece and brought the receiver to his ear. “Yeah?�

“Wolverine.�

Oh, God. It was her. His eyes closed without his permission, his ears ringing at the sound of her voice. All of his hard work, his concentration on getting her out of his damn mind, fled faster than Kitty’s retreat.

“Wolverine?�

“What?� He snapped at her second call. He didn’t want to want to hear her. It would be too hard when she hung up. By the use of his codename, he knew she wasn’t calling to ask him to come home.

Logan had to remind himself that he was home. New York was home, damn it.

Storm sighed on the other end of the phone line. “I have some information regarding Elizabeth’s kidnapping.�

Instantly interested for reasons that were not so personal now, he called out the end program code to shut the Danger Room down. “Ya do? Where are ya?�

“The coastal city of Nome, on the Western edge of Alaska,� she replied primly. He could almost hear her icy exterior clicking into place. “The doctor you interrogated before my recovery, he was here.�

“What?� Logan snarled, leaving the Danger Room. “How’d ya find him?�

“I was repairing my plane,� she replied flatly. “I heard his voice and a…something happened to me. Snatches of disjointed memory came over me.�

He knew exactly what she was talking about. Sympathy wormed its way into his heart, though he tried to fight it back. Nothing was more terrifying than coming face to face with a jumble of memory you couldn’t really recall.

“Where’s this doc at? Did ya catch him?�

There was a silent pause, broken by the sound of crumpling paper. “I pursued with the owner of this hangar, but the engine caught him first. He’s dead.�

Logan stopped in the hall. “Huh?�

“He ran onto the runway,� Storm explained wearily. “An incoming jet…�

“Oh,� he cut her off, taking the stairs two at a time. “What’d ya find out? Did ya talk ta him at all?�

“Unfortunately no,� Ororo replied. He could hear her footsteps on what sounded like concrete through the phone. “I overheard him talking about a performer, I am going to rendezvous with the intended target in an hour.�

“Ya overhear a lot, doncha?�

The words were out of his mouth before he could stop them. Bringing the phone from his ear, he slammed it against his forehead in anger. Of all the stupid things he could think to say, that probably took the cake.

“Well,� her voice had turned flat out unfriendly. “Perhaps if a misplaced heroism complex did not color certain individual’s thought processes, I would not have to.�

Wolverine heard her footsteps halt as soon as his did. He stood outside of Hank’s bedroom, knowing he would have to wake his friend. The sound of an airplane taking off in the background was drowned out by Ororo’s heavy breathing.

“Judging by the invoice Luke gave me, he was planning to leave Nome in the morning, but he was going to Fort Yukon, not Anchorage.�

Back to business, he thought with a sardonic smile. He pounded on Hank’s door, then jogged to Peter’s bedroom to repeat the process.

“What’s so weird about that?�

“Well, Fort Yukon is close to the Canadian border. Luke called a friend at the airport there. A man using the same alias had a connecting flight booked for Whitehorse, in the Yukon Territory.�

“I know the area,� Wolverine confirmed. “Lots of backwoods and caves.�

“I think that may be the source of these medical robberies,� Storm replied. “This man flew to that area seven times in the last two months.�

As Hank and Peter appeared in the hall, Logan held a hand up. Jabbing a finger at the phone he mouthed “Storm�. Both men were awake almost instantly.

“Ya know where the next target is?�

“Yes, I am leaving the airport now to meet her. She trusts the X-men name.� A pause. “Apologize to Professor Xavier, I know he hates it when former members of the team use it as a trump card, but I have little time.�

He bashed the phone into his forehead again. Storm knew how to go for the jugular.

“Listen, Storm,� Logan said trying to keep his voice from growling. “Betsy’s the first telepath they’ve taken, that we know of. For some reason, they’ve avoided them.�

“That would make sense,� her voice switched to thoughtful. “My mind was awake during some of the procedures. Had Jean or Charles been searching for me, they could have easily picked up my call.�

Ouch, he thought with a pang centered somewhere in his gut.

“Chuck’s got a faint read on Betsy, but it wasn’t enough to locate her. If yer right, he might be able to get a better lock with Cerebro, now that he’s got somewhere ta look.�

“Good,� she was curt. A car door slammed. “I have to go. This is a landline and my cab is here. I will call you on the cellular once I have the package.�

“Storm? Wait,� Logan called, panic swelling in his chest. “Where are ya goin’ after ya leave Nome?�

The line clicked and went dead. “Storm? Goddamn stubborn fuckin’ woman!�

He didn’t even try to resist the violence ripping through him. On an enraged howl, he threw the phone with all of his might. Had Peter flinched, he would have wound up with one hell of a headache. Luckily, the young man covered his flesh with metal just in time to reflect the flying telephone.

“I take it our beloved weather witch has vexed you?� Hank said smoothly, scratching at his furred face.

“Shut up, Hank,� Logan snarled. “Go get the Blackbird ready. Pete, get me Iceman, Shadowcat, and Captain Britain. We’ll brief Wheels before we go.�

“Has Storm uncovered something?�

“Yeah, and she’ll probably get her ass kicked, so we’d better hurry the fuck up.�

~**~

Nome, Alaska

“I just can’t get you outta my head. Boy, your lovin’ is all I think about. I just can’t get you outta my head. It’s more than I dare to think about.�

Ororo watched the pretty blonde on stage from the wings. She could see the dancers twisting behind the bright lights emitted by the young vocalist. Dazzler, as she was called, had trusted Ororo on sight. They spoke briefly, the girl outlining her powers.

The beat was lively, filled with an electronic thump that she could feel in her stomach. She bobbed her head, falling into the beat a little as she watched Dazzler perform.

She’d been horrified when Storm revealed the twisted plot she found herself in now. Ororo tried to soften the blow, but her personal sorrow must have reflected on her face. Alison gave her an unexpected hug, then vowed to help the famous X-Men in any way she could.

After the cover of Kylie Mingoue’s “Cant Get You Out Of My Head� was finished, the tall woman bowed before uproarious applause. Even Ororo grinned and clapped along with the drooling crowd. The girl was a marvelous talent.

She bounced off of the stage toward Ororo. “What did you think?�

“Wonderful,� Ororo said earnestly. “Your cover was better than the original.�

“Oh, shush,� Alison laughed, taking a towel from a nearby attendant to wipe at her face.

“I am being honest,� Storm countered, watching everything around them carefully.

Though Betsy had been abducted in her busy home, the two mutant women had agreed to wait out the pseudo-military in her private apartment, kept in Nome for no other reason than because she could.

Hopefully, they could contain one of the men for questioning.

“I should be ready to take off in a minute. We can grab some food and go wait for the big baddies at my place. Sound good?�

Nodding mutely, Storm trailed after the girl. She checked the cellular phone in her pocket quickly, not surprised to see she had missed 37 calls. Logan was trying to reach her. She kept the phone off, sliding it back into her pocket. The last thing she needed was him showing up at the wrong moment.

This was her fight.

Alison and Ororo left the dance club at just after one in the morning. Arms filled with Thai take out, they trooped into the sparsely furnished apartment in the southern edge of town. They sat cross-legged on the floor, eating with chopsticks and talking about the X-Men. Alison seemed very interested in the mutant-fighting group.

Ororo regaled her with tales of their past adventures. The younger woman laughed hysterically, making Storm’s wounded heart lighter than it had felt in days. They cracked open a bottle of wine, lounging in the girl’s apartment and talking into the wee hours of the morning.

Alert for danger, both women heard the numerous footsteps in the hall. Ororo jumped up quietly, putting a finger over her lips to quiet Dazzler. They split up, moving to opposite corners of the room.

Storm heard her new friend flip on a CD player concealed somewhere in her form-fitting jeans. Sound activated her mutation, which was about to be pushed to the limit. Drawing on her X-Men training, Ororo flattened her body against the wall, sliding down and letting her mutation change her eyes to glowing white.

Alison giggled soundlessly. When Ororo looked at her, she pointed to her eyes and mouthed “Wicked!�

The door slammed open, revealing a dozen men in gray camouflage. Their weapons were raised as they searched the dimly lit room for signs of their targets. Carefully concealed, neither woman moved until every last attacker was inside.

Storm leapt from her hiding place, kicking the weapon out of one man’s hand. She gripped his gas mask, forcing him to meet her gaze. “Remember me?�

A flash of blinding light made several men cry out in pain. Ororo raised her hands, summoning the winds to force them all back. The one in her grip whimpered when she grabbed his uniform, bringing his chest sharply against her knee.

He collapsed as the apartment door slammed shut, trapping the assailants with two very angry women.

Storm found herself in the thick of the battle. She crouched low, a smooth, daring smile crossing her face. In an eerie imitation of Wolverine, Ororo beckoned the already frightened men to her with one hand.

“Come and get me, boys.�

They rushed her at once. Dazzler’s brilliant lights flooded the room again, the force of her mutation throwing several attackers back into the wall. They slumped helplessly into the floor. Storm, trusting the girl’s survival instincts, met her foes hand to hand.

Her gifts would not heal her wounded heart. Every punch, kick, and feral scream patched more of her bleeding wounds. She broke one arm, tossing the tranquilizing gun out of his hand. He backhanded her sharply.

Snarling, Ororo brought her knee roughly between his legs. As he kneeled in pain, she put her knee to his face, effectively knocking him unconscious. A glance over her shoulder showed Alison easily handling two of her own while a force field protected her from the darts.

Confident her charge was fine, Storm moved from target to target. Each met her fury, falling to the floor when she was through. Inside of ten minutes, Dazzler and Storm had dropped all twelve men into groaning heaps.

“Woo!� Dazzler cried when the “dust� settled. “That was damn fun.�

“Invigorating, yes,� Storm replied, gripping her swelling hand. She must have broken a knuckle sometime during the fight.

“You ok?� Alison said as she bounced over, still glowing with her ethereal light.

“Yes,� the elder mutant nodded. “Call the police while I bind them.�

“Sure thing, girlie.�

When the young singer rushed into the bedroom, Ororo removed several police issue zip ties from the backpack she’d tossed onto the sofa. Luke’s brother worked for the State Police and blessedly had asked no questions at her odd request.

She bound each man’s hands and feet, piling them neatly in the center of the living room. One of them seemed to regain consciousness, so she marched over to him. Hooking her hands in the thick cloth of his utility vest, Storm pulled him up to face her.

“Do you know who I am?� Ororo demanded.

The man gulped. “Mutant number 3480131 Munroe, Ororo. Type: Elite.�

“Very good,� she growled quietly. “Where is Elizabeth Braddock?�

He clamped his mouth closed. Ororo brought her fist back and punched him as hard as she could. Blood spilled from his nose and he howled in pain.

“Where is she?�

“W-Whitehorse,� he coughed. “All I know. They take the girls off our hands at Whitehorse.�

“Why?� She shook him hard as Alison’s voice came into the room. “Why are they doing this?�

“I don’t know,� the man said on a whimper. “I just lead the team that gets the girls. I’m just following orders.�

“Not anymore.� A cold, youthful voice said vehemently.

Ororo looked up in time to see Dazzler bring her heeled foot down on the man’s already bleeding face. He fell over from the force of the blow, landing on his back with his eyes closed. For a moment, Storm feared that the girl had killed him.

“Putz,� Alison sighed. “Hey, the cops are on their way.�

“Good,� Storm replied, reaching for her cellular phone. “At least the Alaskan Police can claim they captured the kidnappers.�

“Aww, someone else taking credit for our bust? How’s that fair?� The young blonde pouted, making Storm involuntarily laugh.

“It isn’t,� she shrugged. “But this way we can continue working without pressure.�

A sharp exhale of breath blew her light bangs from her face. “Ok, so what’s next?�

Storm grinned. “Ever been to Henry?�

~**~

Henry, Denali National Park

“Storm?�

Logan shoved the front door of Ororo’s cottage open, greeted almost instantly by two yelping Huskies.

“Hey guys, whatcha doin’?� He paused to scratch their ears and muzzles.

“Pete, ya mind takin’ these two out?�

The tall Russian bowed his head slightly, not bothering to take his coat off as he stepped back into the chilly Alaskan night. Kitty, Brian, Bobby, and Hank all slipped into the silent house behind Wolverine, bags in hand.

He told them to drop their luggage by the door, then stomped through the rest of Ororo’s home. There were no signs as to the woman’s presence, but a half-eaten bagel told him Mary had been there recently.

“Damn it,� he growled, running a hand through his hair.

A glance toward the door showed all four X-Men still standing nervously in the foyer. He sighed, sweeping an arm toward the house grandly.

“Come in,� he snapped moodily. “We ain’t leavin’ til we find Storm.�

“Won’t she mind?� Kitty questioned as she unzipped her fur-lined parka.

“Not if she knows what’s good fer her,� Logan said gruffly, heading into the bedroom.

Damn if it didn’t smell like her. Inside her room, he shrugged out of his coat, pausing to inhale deeply. She obviously hadn’t tried to clean his scent away, for there were still traces of it all over the room. He spotted something familiar on the bed and moved to it, startled to find his gray flannel shirt tossed carelessly on the made duvet.

Pain twisted in his chest again. He wanted to see her, to hold her, smell her. His body ached to have her in his arms, under him, over him.

“Damn it.�

He heard Peter come back into the house, the dogs hot on his heels. Leaving the bedroom, his shirt and coat lying haphazardly on the bed, he called the dogs to him. Neither was snarling at the assembled X-Men. They merely watched with curiously tilted heads.

“Make yerselves comfortable,� Logan offered. “Hank, computer’s in the bedroom.�

“Oh, fantastic.� Hank said, jumping up from the sofa. “I will get to work immediately. Kitty?�

Beast and Shadowcat ducked into Ororo’s bedroom while Logan rummaged around in the kitchen. Finding a case of beer, he tossed one to Peter and another to Bobby before cracking one open with an extended claw.

Colossus sat on the opposite end of the sofa Iceman commandeered, the two of them looking around Storm’s cozy home. Logan ignored them, grabbing for the phone and punching in Mary’s number. As an afterthought, he clicked the phone off and on again, dialing for Kenny instead.

First flushes of romance often led to extended sleepovers, or so he heard. Hell, if he still had Ororo, he wouldn’t have left any time soon.

He scowled as Kenny picked up the phone breathlessly.

“Where is she?�

“Oh, hey, Logan.� The man yawned. “’Roro called about an hour ago. She’s at Doc Bridges’ in town. Something about a broken knuckle. Said she’d be home by morning to take care of the dogs.�

“Good.�

He hung up without another word.

“Wolverine.�

Looking up at Peter’s soft call, he spotted the lights of Storm’s truck bouncing down the drive through the living room window. Steeling himself for being near her again, reminding his tortured beast within that she had turned him away, he moved toward the front door. Flanked by Bobby and Peter, he swung it open, stepping out onto the porch as she halted the truck.

Big, blue eyes were staring at him through the streaked windshield. He noted, somewhere in the back of his mind, that a young blonde woman was in the seat beside her. Storm glanced at the Blackbird, which had landed on the frozen lake, then back to him.

She was out of the truck in an instant, bounding across the yard as though she had no cares in the world.

“Peter. Bobby. You have both grown taller.�

“Storm,� Peter greeted with a warm smile. He hugged the slender woman tightly before passing her off to Iceman.

They spoke in quiet tones, which left Bobby’s ears red and both of them smiling. The blonde woman came up behind her, looking from one mutant to the other. Storm never spared Logan another glance.

“This is Dazzler,� she introduced quickly. “We apprehended the psuedo-military that came to kidnap her.�

“Hey, call me Ali,� the girl said with a winning smile.

“Wolverine.� Storm said a touch coldly.

Baby.“Storm.� He replied just as flatly.

“You made good time.�

Let me hold you. “Good conditions.�

“Is Henry here?�

Look at me. See me, damn it. “Yeah, already workin’ on the computer.�

“With little Kitten, I am sure. Come, come inside out of the cold. Did you tell them to make themselves at home, Wolverine?�

He grunted in response, hating his mental comments that in no way matched what he wanted to say to her. He didn’t want her. Yes, I do.

Following the odd menagerie of mutants inside, he listened half-heartedly as Storm and Dazzler said hello to Hank and Kitty. They launched into the tale of their “brilliant� fight against the would-be kidnappers and how the police were covering for them.

He didn’t have to scold her for going off on her own, Hank covered it much more delicately than he could. His heart was heavy when Storm easily brushed the furry mutant off, kissing his cheek sweetly.

She was still beautiful. Her movements were filled with grace, life as she moved through the crowded home. They talked about all they had learned, generally enjoying being reunited. Storm had obviously missed the X-Men in her long absence and they her.

Logan stood away from the group, nursing his beer as he leaned against the kitchen wall. The need to return to New York, to push her forever from his mind was strong. But he had promised to help find the bastards responsible for her condition, for taking Betsy. Once that was fulfilled, he could go back to his life.

He could forget about her. He had to.

~**~

Ororo tucked the blankets in more securely around Kitty’s shoulders. She reached over to take the sunglasses from Alison’s head, folding them gently on the nightstand. Both girls were sharing her bedroom, while the men slept in sleeping bags in the living room.

No one had even questioned Logan’s decision to sleep in the Blackbird. Storm was secretly glad that he had. It had taken all of her self-control to not simply leap into his arms and beg him to hold her. Their words were curt, even unfriendly, but she wanted to desperately heal the rift between them.

The X-Men’s arrival in Henry was not unexpected. She knew that Logan would summon the cavalry and lead them to Alaska the moment she’d hung up on him. They wanted to locate Elizabeth, to find her before she was left as broken and buried as Ororo had been.

On tiptoes, she slipped out of the bedroom, compulsively checking on each slumbering male in the living room. Beast was muttering about sausages under his breath, which made her chuckle soundlessly.

Without so much as a robe to cover her nightgown, she stepped into the cold night. Stretching cramped arms, she glanced toward the Blackbird, tilting her head at the Lights reflecting on the smooth exterior. Was Logan inside, lying awake and thinking of her? Did he ache for her touch as she grieved for his?

Though his lies had cut her deeply, though she wanted to stab the bullheaded man with his own claws, she wanted him with her now. During their cold exchange at first meeting, all she could think was how she needed him to hold her. Had her pride allowed it, she might have simply kissed him breathless right there in the kitchen.

She touched her lips without intending to, closing her eyes so the memory of his fevered kisses would come to her. Going to him now would only show weakness. No man had ever made her beg forgiveness and she certainly wasn’t going to start now. Logan made his choice when he lied to her.

His reasons made some sort of sense, but to her it was unforgivable. Whatever might have been between them was gone now. They would move on, find others. Logan seemed to have no problem with the distance between them. Three weeks together in the wild would soon be moved into memory, locked away until age and time brought it up again.

A flash of orange in the direction of the jet made her momentarily freeze. She could see a bulky silhouette in the darkness. Swirls of smoke rose toward the sky. He was watching the Lights, she realized, smoking a cigar in the dark quiet.

Inside of her, where she locked away the emotions that spiraled out of her control, she wanted to run to him. She swallowed hard. Ororo Munroe was not a weak damsel in need of aid.

Her feet remained rooted to the snowy ground.

As though he had sensed her, Logan’s head turned in her direction. She could see the glint of his obsidian eyes in the purple glow of the Northern Lights.

Make a liar out of me. She silently begged. Logan.

Their eyes held fast in that eerie light, neither of them moving. Ororo held her breath, wondering if he was as well. Three weeks was nothing in the grand scheme of things, but she wanted him to make it more. If he would only take a single step to her…

Her heart broke anew when he turned his back on her, looking up at the limitless, sinuous swirl of light above them. Ororo straightened her spine, dying inside. Her pride would not allow her to go to him and he did not want her.

She moved back into the house without pause. In a few days he would return to New York. Her life would shift to the way it had been. Things would be as they were meant to. This mantra ran over and over in her head as she crawled back into bed with Kitty and Dazzler.

The broken heart in her chest asked her stubborn mind that if this was the way Fate intended, why did it hurt so much?

Chapter Twelve: Forces of Nature

The truth is that I'm not so good
At showing how I feel
Or keeping my mouth shut
When there's something to conceal
Or knowing how to love
Love's not in my memories
How can I rise above
All my insecurities
~Staind


Ten miles east of Henry

The weather was turning. Ice slicked already freezing streets, making a single woman drive a little slower through the outskirts of town. Mrs. Richards was expecting her dinner, ordered from the Lodge, within ten minutes. The drive was short, but the weather made Mary cautious.

Her windshield wipers were going full blast, keeping flakes of freshly falling snow from obscuring her vision too much. Born and raised in this one-horse town in the middle of nowhere Alaska, storms rarely frightened the Inuit woman. More to the point, Ororo always warned her when the weather was worth being afraid of.

She checked her cellular, just to be certain. Four little bars on the face told her she had a good connection. If something were to shift in the patterns, her wintry friend would call.

Just as she turned off of the main road, Mary caught a movement in the trees. Coyotes were common in the lean season, stalking otherwise avoided territory to find food for starving stomachs. She would never shoot one unless it became a battle for survival. She had more respect for such beautiful predators than that.

The old truck slowed a fraction more. That ghostly figure stumbling through the trees was no coyote. Popping the gearshift into park, she moved to jump out, wondering if poor Mrs. Richards had finally gone and lost her mind.

Brooks and Dunn’s “Boot Scootin’ Boogie� blared from her cellular, making her pause. Her hand on the latch, she scrambled for it. The face read “RORO� clear as day. As though heeding some unseen command, the wind kicked up.

“Hey, good lookin’,� Mary called into the phone.

Static met her ear.

“’Roro? I can’t hear you!�

“Get off…road…bli…Mary?�

“I can’t…� Sighing, she shook her head and hopped out of the car. Maybe outside she would have better luck at getting reception.

Putting one finger in her free ear, she tilted her head. “Can you hear me?�

“Get off the roads, Mare!�

The line went dead.

“Damn it!� Mary turned to jump back into the truck.

In the excitement, the figure moving through the trees had been forgotten. As Mary wrenched the car door, holding it open by force in the chilling, howling wind, her eye caught a white being standing in the road. Mary’s hands flew to her mouth in shock.

“Jesus!�

It was a woman. Tall, too-thin, wearing what looked to be a hospital gown. Her hair was a mixture of brown and violet and she trembled like a leaf caught in the wind. Mary glanced at the woman’s scrawny arm.

She was wearing a hospital bracelet.

Help us.

The woman’s lips did not move, but Mary heard her voice clearly inside her mind. Remembering what Ororo had told her of telepaths and mind manipulators, she replied verbally.

“Who?�

In the woods. Help us.

Without another thought to Ororo’s phone call, Mary collected the shivering woman and tucked her into the passenger’s seat of her truck. The winds whipped around her, heralding a force of nature that should not be reckoned with.

Knowing there were others lost in the woods, perhaps buried as Ororo had been, Mary rushed into the thick, dark forest in the direction the other woman had come from. If she was quick enough, maybe she’d find them.

~**~

Ororo’s Cottage
The other side of Henry

“The line went dead.�

Ororo slammed the phone into the cradle, not bothering to care that her friends were staring at her with worry in their eyes. She planted her palms on the counter, trying desperately to breathe while the storm sang in her veins.

Something so beautiful to her could kill her friend alone in the woods.

“Mary ain’t stupid,� Logan supplied. “She sees it comin’, she’ll get ta shelter.�

“How would you know?� She shot back, bringing her head up to glare at him. “She is Inuit, Wolverine. She reveres storms but she does not fear them.�

“Yer not scared.� He pointed out calmly.

“I manipulate the weather, of course I’m not scared!�

Her bandaged fist came down on the linoleum; in almost the exact place that Logan had indented before he left. With a cry of pain, she cradled the injured limb in her other hand, shaking Henry’s concerned paws from her shoulders.

The other X-men watched in mute fear. Even Alison seemed out of things to say. Since the early morning, Ororo had felt the change in her blood, the call of the tempest set to rage around Henry. She wanted to be out in it, to twist on the impossible currents until her worries were taken away into the blissful sky.

But cold fear for her friend eclipsed it. For the last several hours, she had set to warning everyone in the surrounding area of the blizzard brewing. The only one she could not track down was darling Mary.

Though her hand ached terribly, she strode past Hank and Kitty, moving for the front door. Logan easily stepped in front of her, a half-empty beer bottle dangling from his fingers. He met her angry gaze with those feral black eyes. Challenging her, daring her to push past him as well.

“Move.� She stated simply.

“Nope.� Logan returned easily. “Yer not gonna do her any good.�

“I can stop this blizzard, Logan. I can keep her from getting hurt. If she was on her way to Mrs. Richard’s home, I know exactly where she is.�

“Great.� He had the audacity to grin at her. “Yer still not leavin’ this house.�

“Storm, he is right,� Hank chimed in from the kitchen. Traitor. “You have said yourself, countless times, that destruction of a set weather pattern can alter the entire planet.�

“She doesn’t have to stop the storm,� Brian Braddock cut in. Had she ever told him he was brilliant? “She only needs to find her friend and bring her to safety. Her powers would allow her to do it without disrupting anything.�

“Ya ain’t helpin’, bub,� Logan said as Ororo grinned triumphantly.

“Even the stoic Captain Britain agrees. I am going.�

“No, ya ain’t,� Wolverine growled, taking a step toward her. “What happens if ya get hit with hail, knocked out? Eh? Yer not a goddess, darlin’.�

Oh, you bastard. “Get out of my way, Wolverine or I shall be forced to hurt you.�

“I dare ya,� Logan replied, his eyes flashing with the promise behind his words.

The winds screamed, shaking the cottage around her. Mary was out there in that monster and every moment she spent fighting with Wolverine could be her friend’s last. Deciding to take him up on the challenge, Ororo placed both of her hands on his chest. She slid them through the neckline of his shirt until she found bare flesh.

His eyes changed in an instant. He was not afraid, but his gaze softened. She remembered, then, that he had some uncanny affection for her buzzing skin. Ororo faltered for a moment, wanting to keep his eyes soft, to stay in this moment.

When his hand found it’s way to her hip, she jolted back to reality. Concentrating, her eyes glowing white, she shocked the Wolverine with a low voltage lightning strike.

The effect was immediate. He grabbed for her, the beer in his free hand crashing to the floor as he seized uncontrollably. She caught him in her arms, whispering an apology as the electric shock ricocheted through his adamantium skeleton. The others flew into action, Hank rushing to Wolverine and yelling at Kitty to fetch his kit.

Ororo released Logan into their care and was out the door before anyone realized what had happened.


~**~

Fairbanks Memorial Hospital
18 hours later

Logan watched them wheel Mary into the emergency room with sadness in his heart. She was blue from head to toe and bore obvious signs of hail damage. He rushed to the stretcher she was on, grabbing for one ice-cold hand.

“Hey, darlin’. Can ya hear me?�

The young woman barely twitched. Logan heeded the EMTs request that he step away. She needed medical attention as fast as they could get it to her. As the other ambulances screamed toward the hospital parking lot, he glanced to the X-Men waiting inside.

Two more emergency vehicles approached, bringing four new patients. He broke into a run when Betsy’s familiar face rolled out of the second.

“I know her!� He explained in a gruff shout. “She’s my friend.�

“Ok, just walk with us, all right, hon?� A female paramedic said soothingly. “She’s stable right now, but we have to get her warm.�

Logan took Betsy’s hand and squeezed her fingers gently. To his surprise, she smiled behind the oxygen mask and opened those big violet eyes. He smiled broadly as the gurney pushed through the exclaiming X-Men.

Hey, wild man.

Her voice in his head was the sweetest thing he had ever heard. He concentrated to send a soft thought back to her.

Hi, gorgeous.

“There’s our girl,� Logan said aloud, aware that his silence might raise some eyebrows.

When Brian appeared, his face wet with relieved tears, Logan got the attention of the female paramedic. “This her brother.�

“She’s a lucky woman,� the paramedic said with a smile. “If that dark haired girl hadn’t pulled them all out of the snow, we might have been too late.�

Wolverine let Brian move with his sister, releasing Betsy’s hand with a twinge of loss. They had found her, though why was a mystery. He figured that the evil responsible for these brutal kidnappings had learned the X-Men were on to them. Dumping the recently kidnapped women would have made it a lot easier to get the hell out of Dodge.

“Where’s Storm?�

At Bobby’s concerned question, Logan looked around the busy ER. He didn’t see any telltale white hair, so he bolted for the automatic doors. Hank was already inside the triage area, offering his assistance as a medical doctor. Peter, with training as a registered nurse, leapt in to lend a hand as well.

Logan rushed into the ambulance bay, flanked by Kitty, Alison and Bobby. Just as they halted in the frigid street, he spotted a familiar form stepping out of the ambulance. As if in slow motion, he watched the wind pick up her long white locks so that they danced in the cold air. His breathing halted for a moment, his eyes glued to her sinuous form as she helped the frenzied paramedics take another stretcher from the back of the ambulance.

She turned her beautiful head, squinting in the darkness until her eyes met his. He wondered what picture she made, dancing in that monstrous squall in a desperate search to find her friend. It had to have been something dreams were made of, a lone woman swirling in deadly air currents as though floating on placid water.

From where he stood, he could see several gashes on her face and arms, likely from the golf ball-sized hail that had rained all over the county. Her clothing was wet, streaked with mud and torn in several places. He’d never seen anything so beautiful.

Ororo blinked, turning to look back at the paramedic. Logan swallowed thickly as the world caught up around him. The moment was gone.

She jogged over to him, letting the paramedic rush the final victim into the ER. When she was directly in front of him, she frowned. His clothes were charred and his skin still pink from the rapid-healing process.

“Ya hit like a girl,� he said rudely.

Ororo’s face seemed caught between amusement and anger for a moment. She crossed her arms over her chest.

“Next time, I will kill you instead.� Her blue eyes flashed and his heart clenched.

“Doubt ya could,� he grunted.

“How did you get here so fast?� She questioned as they headed into the ER. He examined the gashes spilling crimson from her cheeks and decided she needed a doctor as well.

“Paramedic answered Mary’s cell as they were loadin’ the girls up. Brian mighta sped a little.�

“Did he damage my truck?�

Shaking his head, Logan told the younger mutants to wait in the hall while he got Storm checked out. Though she protested, he bribed her with seeing how Mary was doing and won the quick battle.

She’d surprised him, electrocuting him as per her usually empty threat. Her need to get to Mary obviously overshadowed everything else in that moment. He respected her for it. Though he’d been nearly out of his mind with worry, his body screaming in pain, he knew not that had she not left Mary and the others might have died.

It was something like the hand of God that Mary happened to be in that area. According to the quick summary Storm gave him as they entered an exam room, Mary had first run into Betsy. By the time Ororo reached her, she had unearthed every buried woman. But the cold and wet snow overtook her easily. Storm’s call to the paramedics had been brief. She had to control the storm long enough for help to arrive.

Wolverine didn’t know how she had done it, but the blizzard was the shortest in the history of freaky weather. While Storm battled the elements, Mary had succumbed to the freezing temperatures.

A nurse told Ororo to wait and asked that Logan clean her cuts while she worked on Mary. He agreed, pushing the curtain back so they could watch the frantic hospital staff try to revive the frozen woman.

He steeled his heart for the sadness in Ororo’s eyes, but it still punched him in the gut. Without thinking, he raised a hand to smooth the frown away. Her humming flesh made him shiver but not so much as those soulful eyes when they turned to him. Logan cupped her cheek with one hand, holding her still so he could look at her properly.

“Got a nasty one on the left,� he said before his heart went and did something stupid.

Ororo swallowed audibly, turning her face so he could clean the blood from her dark flesh. They continued to watch as the doctors worked on Mary and the others. His hands never stayed on her skin too long. That had been his mistake earlier.

Falling into that humming touch had gotten him electrocuted once, he wouldn’t let it happen again.

“Mary is stable,� Hank said as he moved to them. He adjusted the stethoscope around his neck.

Logan moved to the side, letting him get close enough to allow the doctor close enough to Storm. Hank inspected her cuts quickly.

“None seem to need stitches,� he murmured quietly. “Are you feeling lethargic? Dizzy?�

Storm nodded, even as Hank popped a thermometer into her mouth.

“Fighting a blizzard for 16 hours was worn you out,� Beast said with a touch of annoyance. “Track my finger.�

He moved one large, blue digit in front of her eyes. Logan sat back against the wall, watching Hank fuss over the weather witch. Ororo was sighing, even when Hank pulled the thermometer out of her mouth.

“Neurological test is fine, but your body temperature is 104.�

Logan’s eyes widened.

“You were in the cold too long. Once you are cleaned up, I want you under a heated blanket.�

“Uh,� Wolverine cut in before he could stop himself. “Isn’t 104 like close to brain damage?�

Storm tossed him a quick smile. “I tend to run a little hotter.�

“Don’t I know it,� he returned lowly.

He could have sworn he saw Hank blush as he cleared his throat. Ororo gave him a look that was an odd cross between annoyance and amusement.

“The electric currents in her body raise her natural temperature. She should be at 106.� Hank said clinically.

A heartbeat later, a nurse with graying black hair popped her head around the curtain. “Dr. McCoy?�

“Yes, Evelyn?�

“They would like your opinion on one of the kidnapping victims, if you have a moment.�

“Go on, Hank,� Logan stepped in when he looked torn between caring for Storm and the battered victim. “I can patch ‘Ro up just fine.�

“Yes,� Ororo chimed in. “Go ahead.�

“All right,� Hank agreed quickly. “Logan, ensure you disinfect the cuts and use butterfly bandages on the deeper ones. Rewrap her hand and get her warm.�

“He will have little problem with that,� she teased as Hank turned to move away.

“No doubt there,� Wolverine added, loving the way Hank nearly ran from the room.

“Ahh,� Ororo chuckled as Logan grabbed medical supplies from the counter. “One thing is my constant. I can still make Henry blush like a virgin bride on her wedding night.�

After filling his arms with disinfecting swabs, bandages, gauze, and Neosporin, Logan moved back to the exam table. Ororo was sitting cross-legged, peering around the curtain toward Mary’s bed. They watched as Kenny rushed into the room, his face crumbling when he saw her unconscious form.

Logan’s heart twisted when the young man listened woodenly to Dr. Forrester’s gentle words, falling into the chair the nurse provided.

“My poor friend,� Ororo said softly. “She was so stupid.�

“Sounds like she saved the day,� Logan muttered. He opened a pre-moistened cotton swab and carefully set about cleaning the cuts on Storm’s face.

“Her heart is enormous, but it nearly got her killed.� She hissed as the stinging solution seeped into her wound. Logan continued working, holding her face still.

“Yeah, well she nearly got me killed, too.� He raised a brow, fighting a grin when she giggled.

“Did it take long to recover? The voltage was low.� Her question was cut short by a soft curse as he doctored more of her cuts.

“A few hours,� he answered, discarding the swab and opening another. “Adamantium isn’t as great a conductor as some metals, it turns out.�

“Well, thank the goddess for small favors.�

They lapsed into silence for several minutes while Logan finished cleaning the cuts on her face. He wiped the blood away from her cocoa skin tenderly. She’d have a few bruises to deal with in the morning, but other than that, she seemed fine. He put tiny bandages over the cuts, ensuring that the Neosporin was in place before hand.

By the time he moved on to her hands, Ororo was watching him cautiously.

“I had to find her.�

It was the closest thing he was getting to an apology and he knew it.

“I woulda done the same.�

Silence.

“Why’d it take so long? I heard ya once took a hurricane apart in under five minutes.�

A puff of air left her parted lips quickly. “That hurricane was not natural, so breaking it down was safe. If I take apart a natural storm too quickly, I could light off a domino effect. So, I simply wore the blizzard down, shifted its course gradually until it dissipated. I am hoping it did not cause problems elsewhere.�

“Sorta like avoiding a ten car pileup by runnin’ off the road?�

Her smile was slightly bemused. “Something like that.�

He finished with the cuts on her arms quickly, then reached for the stretchy gauze to rewrap her broken knuckle. The current wrapping was in shreds and when Logan pulled it away, he winced.

“Ow,� he hissed, looking up into her face. The broken middle knuckle looked out of joint, the flesh surrounding it bruised almost beyond recognition. “How’d ya do that?�

She was gritting her teeth as though in pain. “Mary had lost the truck in the snow, so she had unburied the victims and made them cuddle together in a single grave.�

“Body heat ta keep ‘em warm.� He surmised. She nodded.

“I further injured my hand trying to get her somewhere warmer. All I could do in the end was try to hollow out part of the storm to keep her warm while breaking down the blizzard.�

“No wonder yer feelin’ dizzy.�

He bandaged her hand gently, apologizing when his thick fingers pressed too hard, making her wince in pain. When she was finished, he wrapped her in a warm blanket. He didn’t want to admit how worried he had been nor how proud he was that she had found her friend in that God-like tempest.

A slight, careful smile crossed her lips. When their eyes met, it was all he could do to keep himself from kissing her. One of her humming hands reached up to touch his cheek. Without meaning to, he leaned into that addictive touch. Her fingers smoothed over his brow until he reopened his eyes to look down at her.

“I should check on Mary and Ken,� her whispered words were breathy, her heart pounding loudly.

“Yeah.� He nodded, reaching up to grasp her exploring fingers. Taking her hand from his face, he gave her a quick smile. “I’m gonna go see Bets.�

“I will be along shortly.�

His heart hurt as he turned to leave the room, but he managed to get his back to her before he did something stupid. Like telling her he loved her.

Logan could feel her eyes on him even after he stepped into the hall.

~**~

Fairbanks Memorial Hospital

Ororo stood outside of the curtained triage area, where the five kidnapping victims were resting quietly. All of them bore signs of malnourishment, but the doctors were confident that they would all recover. They waited now for the results from the fertility specialist.

She did not hide the fact that she was praying from anyone.

Kitty, Alison, Peter, and Bobby had gone back to Ororo’s cottage just before dawn. Hank was asleep in the doctor’s lounge after an evening of being a doctor. She was glad that the staff had taken to him so easily. When Alison had questioned Dr. Forrester, he had said simply, “This is Alaska. Aliens could land and they’d be welcome.�

Brian and Warren sat on opposite ends of Betsy’s sleeping form. Angel had arrived just after dawn, having flown in the moment the Professor realized Psylocke was recovered. He looked haggard and his wings bore several bald spots, but the smile on his face told her everything she needed to know. He had not left his beloved’s side since his arrival.

In the now quiet triage area, Ororo leaned against the wall with a cold cup of coffee in her hands. Mary was sleeping as well, just off to the right, with Kenny in a cot beside her. She was not wholly out of the woods yet, but Storm heard rumblings of a police commendation for heroism.

“Miss Munroe?�

Ororo was already smiling when she turned. She enveloped Doctor Tate in a warm hug, happy to see the gentle woman again.

“You look worse than when we first met,� Tate teased with an open smile.

“I am more or less in tact.�

“So are your friends,� the doctor said sweetly.

“Have the results come back?� Ororo’s heart quickened as she shot a glance toward the sleeping women.

“Yep.� The slender doctor beckoned her closer. The duo stopped at a brand new X-Ray panel, making Ororo inwardly blush.

“These are from all of the victims,� Tate said as she flipped the glossy pages onto the panel and flicked the lights on.

“The scoring does not seem nearly as bad,� Ororo said with a relieved sigh.

“Uh-huh,� the doctor nodded, leaning against the wall and crossing her arms. “From the internal examinations, it seems the people responsible for this were interrupted. They had over a week with you in their custody.�

“It was enough,� Storm said a touch flatly.

“Yes, but for whatever reason, they were unable to super produce these victims’ eggs. From my tests, most of them are completely in tact. Miss Braddock and the blonde Jane Doe have a little more damage to the uterine walls, but not enough to cause significant problems.�

“That is a great relief.�

“Each of them will have a slightly higher miscarriage chance, but with proper medical care, I don’t see a solid reason to fear they will never be mothers.� Tate smiled as she flicked the lights off.

“Good,� the mutant replied with a sigh.

For several seconds, Dr. Tate watched her curiously. Then, she opened the door to an empty examination room and motioned for Ororo to follow her. Both women eased into the room, Ororo depositing her cold coffee in a nearby trash can. Tate sat on the rolling stool, pointing to the exam bed for Storm to sit.

Once they were both comfortable, the blonde doctor spoke. “I wanted to ask you how you are coping.�

Expecting this, Ororo wiped her palms on the jeans Alison had provided for her and exhaled slowly.

“I have not permitted myself to dwell on it.�

The doctor’s smile was kind. “I understand, Ororo, I really do. But this isn’t just going to go away. Even if we found a way to repair the uterine damage…�

“I have no eggs to fertilize. I know.�

It still hurt her. Somewhere behind the anger, the investigation, and Logan’s heady kisses, she was constantly reminded of her barren womb. She never thought about it, never let herself fall into despair. Even when Robert told her of Dorothy’s pregnancy, anger at Wolverine’s betrayal made it easy to forget.

“Infertility is something that can destroy even the strongest woman in the world. Most women, no matter their lifestyle, yearn for motherhood.�

“I did want it,� Ororo admitted quietly. “My life as a mutant had my personal wishes on pause for many years. When I moved here, I pushed people away, wallowing in grief.�

The doctor was quiet, reaching over to squeeze her hand.

“Now, the very hope has been taken away.� Ororo exhaled shakily, holding back tears by force. “Just when I thought I was finally adult enough to be responsible for another person…�

“I wish I could make this all go away, Ororo.�

“Doesn’t everyone?� She let a short, hollow laugh escape her lips. “I am so tired of the sympathy and the heart-crushing pity!�

Tate released her hand immediately, holding both of hers up in surrender. “All right. Lets stop with the sympathy and look toward something else.�

“Like what? I have no hope anymore. I have nothing.� Thunder boomed in the distance and Ororo quickly wiped away the tears staining her cheeks without permission.

“I have been thinking,� Dr. Tate said clinically. “That if someone harvested these eggs, they must have them stored somewhere.�

Ororo nodded. “Yes.�

“I know that you and your friends are looking into this. If these people are harvesting and storing eggs, yours are in there somewhere. If you find them, at least you could use a surrogate mother. Finding a sperm donor is easier than most women think.�

Swallowing hard, Storm dared to look into the doctor’s suddenly hopeful face. “At least then, I might have a child of my blood if not my womb?�

The blonde woman smiled. “Exactly.�

Another short laugh, this time less hollow, escaped Ororo’s mouth. “That is something.�

“Yes.� Tate shrugged. “You are surrounded by people that love you, Ororo. I am sure any of them would willingly listen. I’m a doctor and it can be hard to see a medical provider as a friend. But if you don’t grieve for this loss, give it time to heal, it will only continue to break your heart.�

She thought on this for a long, silent moment.

“I know,� Ororo admitted so softly the other woman might have missed it. “Any loss does that.�

“Think about it.�

Storm gave the woman a tight smile as she breezed out of the room. She stared at the floor for a long time, not sure what she wanted to think about now. It felt so selfish, wallowing in grief and guilt when there was work to be done.

That same guilt had driven her to Alaska in the first place. Useless to the X-Men after the loss of Jean, Charles, and Scott, she felt that the only choice was to run. She left her family, her life, to cauterize the gaping wounds.

There was hope now, though. A flicker of it sparked to life in her shredded heart. Perhaps if they did find the facility where the eggs were stolen and stored, she might have a child someday. She knew at least half a dozen men off the top of her head that would gladly donate to her cause. Henry, Peter, Riley, and Warren immediately leapt to mind.

She laid on the exam table, her traitorous mind wondering if Logan would consent to becoming an unorthodox father. A slow smile crept over her lips as she curled into a fetal position. Any child of that man would be unfailingly stubborn, unwaveringly loyal, and eerily beautiful.

With these wayward, self-destructive thoughts still bouncing around her already dizzy mind, Ororo closed her eyes and slept.

~**~

Outside of the door, Logan listened as Storm’s breathing evened out. He peered in through the window, looking between the cheap vertical blinds.

Though he wanted to slip into the room and cover her with a blanket, he refrained. His attentions were unwelcome and unnecessary, as she’d made plainly clear. Having heard the conversation – both parts – between Dr. Tate and Storm, he frowned. Her sleeping form shifted before he managed to look away.

Wolverine had once vowed to find and punish those responsible for her abduction, but he amended that now. He would find them, punish them, but retrieve that little slice of hope for this woman. Maybe, if he played his cards right, he could convince her to let another woman carry their child.

Any kid with a shred of ‘Ro’s DNA would be mulish, beautiful, and damn smart. It wasn’t a bad way for any kid to be. Logan glanced at her over his shoulder again before heading toward the triage area.

He flopped into the chair beside Mary’s bed, shaking his head at the snoring form of her lover.

“Hey, it’s the mountain man.�

Mary’s sweet voice was raspy from her ordeal. Logan grinned at her, taking a now-warm hand and squeezing her fingers lightly. She was still slightly blue, but her eyes danced with mischief when they opened. Her teasing tone made relief flood his pained heart.

“Hey, it’s the human Popsicle.�

She chuckled soundlessly. “Gave everyone a scare, eh?�

“A little. I was ready ta tan yer hide.�

“Aww,� she giggled. “I didn’t know you cared.�

Logan scowled immediately. “Hey now, who sat with me fer a week while ‘Roro was gettin’ better?�

Mary brought their joined hands up and kissed his knuckles. “How’s she doin’?�

“Sleepin’, finally. She got word from the doc that those girls ya pulled outta the snow are gonna have hundreds of fat babies.�

“Now, there’s some damn good news.� Mary’s grin was like the sun coming up.

“Yep. They’re all gonna be ok, thanks ta some wacko out in the middle of nowhere durin’ a flippin’ blizzard.�

She scrunched her nose up and stuck her tongue out at him. Logan chuckled at the silly expression, sighing when she yawned.

“Go back ta sleep, kid.�

“Yeah,� Mary murmured, her eyes already drifting closed. “Sleep. Good.�

He sat with her as she slipped back into sleep. Leaning back in his chair, Logan looked up at the ceiling and exhaled slowly.

In two minutes, he was snoring.

Chapter Thirteen: Letting Go


The heart wont lie
Sometimes life gets in the way
But there’s one thing that won’t change
I know, I tried
The heart won’t lie
You can live your alibi
Who can see you’re lost inside a foolish disguise
The heart won’t lie
~Reba McEntire


Henry, Denali National Park
Five days later


Over the course of nearly a week, Henry recovered from the blizzard. Mary, Betsy, and the other kidnapping victims were kept in the competent hands of Dr. Forrester and Dr. Tate. On the third day, Betsy and the others were released. Charles Xavier paid to return the kidnapping victims out of his own pocket, happy they had all been recovered.

One by one they were sent back to relieved families, leaving the small Fairbanks hospital with a sense that all was right in the world.

Betsy, for her part, utterly refused to leave Fairbanks until Mary was released. The girl’s hypothermia was treated, and she found herself the center of attention. She refused television interviews to sit in her hospital room while the X-Men told her adventure stories.

Peter, Brian, Bobby, and Hank all opted to return to New York with Alison. The young singer had expressed much interest in the X-Men and the unflappable Xavier. A quick phone call from Wolverine ensured that she was welcome, even eagerly anticipated. Ororo, though she ached to speak with Charles, allowed Logan to make the arrangements.

The fifth day, today, Mary was released into her boyfriend’s care. Betsy, Warren, Kitty, and Wolverine accompanied the small caravan back to Henry. Ororo drove her friends behind the X-Men’s rental car, her hand grasping Mary’s until it went numb.

For most of the day, the group sat around Ororo’s cottage, each relieved that this part of their personal hell was over. As Logan and Kenny made plans for the unusual family to hit Dottie’s following a dinner of moose burgers and beer, Storm slipped into her bedroom alone.

She had done well in avoiding Wolverine as much as possible, but her eyes stubbornly refused to cooperate. No good would come of her endless pining. Logan, much to her chagrin, was to fly home with the X-Men the following morning. Charles wanted to regroup before they set out to locate the mutant-nappers.

Sparing no glance to the Northern Lights, Ororo fished through her closet for a tan halter-top and second-skin jeans. While she was half-inside the walk-in closet, she heard the bedroom door open and close.

“Don’t panic!� Psylocke said quickly. “It’s just me.�

On a sharp exhale Ororo chuckled. She was not so sure how her resolve to stay away from Wolverine would last if he were in her bedroom. Alone.

“What are you looking for?� her friend’s British brogue called when she poked her violet-brown head into the closet.

“My elusive brown boot,� Ororo offered. “I am hoping it has not become a chew toy for Andine.�

Betsy was on her knees beside Storm in an instant. They searched for the mysteriously vanished brown boot for at least five minutes before the telepath located it. After yanking it free of the suitcase it had somehow been caught under, she sat back on Ororo’s bed.

Unashamed in front of her friend, Ororo dressed quickly. In front of her polished mahogany vanity table, she snapped the halter’s wide collar around her neck and yanked on the jeans. As an afterthought, she looped a thick leather belt into the jeans’ belt hooks and fastened the handcrafted copper buckle.

Once she was sitting at the table, she pulled thick socks on and her brown boots. She happened to adore the boots, a birthday gift from Jean the year of her death. The heavy suede footwear bore four inch heels, topping Ororo’s height at just under six-feet. They zipped up her calf and looked pretty damn nice with a pair of jeans.

While she pulled a brush through her long, snowy hair, Betsy cleared her throat.

“So,� the woman started without any preamble. “Who are you dressing for? Yourself or Wolverine?�

“Myself,� Ororo replied, having expected the interrogation. This was, after all, the first time she and Betsy had been alone.

“Uh-huh.� The woman clucked her tongue against her teeth. “So, want to tell me what happened in those few weeks between coming home and Logan returning to New York?�

“No.�

“Well, that’s just too damn bad, innit?� Betsy drew her knees up to her chest. “Spill, luv.�

Ororo, deciding to leave her hair down, had already begun applying eye makeup, so she waited several moments before replying. She should have known Betsy would not let her escape without some sort of explanation.

With a sharp sigh, she shrugged one shoulder, watching her friend in the vanity mirror.

“I am a woman, Elizabeth,� Storm said quickly.

“Uh, that I noticed.�

“He is a man.�

“I definitely noticed that, on more than one occasion.�

Scowling at her friend’s girlish giggle, Ororo continued.

“We slept together, perhaps even began to respect and genuinely like one another,� Storm fought to find words. “But he lied to me, the entire time.�

“About Charles?� Betsy frowned, obviously troubled by this.

Ororo knew she was scanning her mentally. Years ago, she had given the young telepath an open invitation to her mind whenever they were alone. Though Psylocke trained with Jean and the Professor, it was her unlimited access to Ororo that truly taught her how to hone her power.

What was she picking up now?

“Oh, Storm,� Betsy said quietly. “This isn’t even about his lying or Charles or anything you’ve convinced yourself of.�

Perhaps, Ororo thought, Betsy had learned a little too well. She nervously began to brush her hair again.

“This is about the kidnapping. You haven’t come to terms with the infertility.�

Ororo slammed her polished silver brush – vintage from the 1940’s and a gift from Charles – on the vanity table to hard it cracked. She stood abruptly, trying to adopt her signature calm throughout her body. She didn’t want a pity-pep-talk from someone that would never know how it felt. Betsy still had her ovum, her hope.

“Oh, hell no, luv,� Betsy said as she jumped up from the bed. “We’re talkin’ bout this now.�

“There is nothing to say.� Storm snapped.

“You resent the rest of the survivors at the same time you’re happy we can still have children. That’s normal and all, but you’re like an open wound right now, ‘Roro.�

“Betsy, this is something I am not going to talk about.�

Without warning, her friend was directly in front of her. Betsy’s violet eyes were flashing with anger, her entire posture defensive.

“I wish you’d been found just as fast, luv, but that’s the way it is,� she said quickly. “I know how bad you wanted babies, how much you still want them. It will take time for this to heal.�

“I know that.� Ororo said frostily.

“And the energy between you and Wolverine won’t just fade away because you can’t have children. You can’t just push every man away in the fear that your bareness will become a problem.� Betsy sighed, but her expression did not mirror sympathy or pity.

“If you want to lash out, do it. But don’t sit here and tell me that you’re shoving Logan as far away as you can because he lied. You’re the liar here, girl.�

Suddenly and without warning, Betsy reminded Ororo so much of Jean that heartache momentarily winded her. The skies rumbled ahead, even as Psylocke pulled her into a warm, strong embrace.

“I was so afraid, Storm,� she whispered quietly. “I was lying there with this man standing above me and all I could think was that you had been strong. You were the real survivor.�

Unable to reply, Ororo clutched her friend more tightly.

“I listened to everything, trying to make myself remember. I kept you in my thoughts as much as I could. I said to myself: ‘What did Storm do? How did she get through this without losing her mind?’�

“I thought about Warren, about the X-Men, and my brothers. I do not remember much, but I got a name. One name mentioned over and over again.�

Surprised, Ororo pulled back from her friend to blink at her. Betsy’s smile was slightly teary as she inhaled deeply.

“Sinister. Something about a Mr. Sinister. I don’t know why I remember that.�

Ororo frowned, the name meant nothing to her. Exhaling sharply, she nodded. “Perhaps that is the piece of the puzzle we needed.�

“You were saved for a reason, Storm,� Betsy kissed her cheek. “You were saved and that brought what they are doing to light. Now, we’ll find them, stop them.�

“The sacrifice still feels far, far too costly.�

“I know, luv,� Betsy nodded. “And it always will.�

~**~

Dottie’s
Just outside of Henry


Mary was the belle of the ball, well into their foray at Dottie’s. Mutants, friends, and her attached-at-the-hip boyfriend surrounded the Inuit heroine. Logan refused to mentally make fun of the loyal, red-haired man, knowing how close to Ororo he’d remained for the first week after her recovery.

The tables the group had shoved together were littered with empty bottles, glasses, baskets of fried food and napkins. Mary and Kitty were engrossed in whatever they were talking about while Betsy laughed with Warren and Kenny. He had to admit, it was a nice sight.

From his perch on the barstool, he ordered another drink. Storm was on the dance floor, five meters away and two to the right. He irked him that he knew, almost instinctively where she was. Since that night out in the snow, when she’d stared at him across the frigid lawn, he’d tried as hard as he could to stop thinking about her.

Turning away from her was probably the single most difficult thing he’d done in his life. But her cerulean eyes weakened him with every second. He had only just caught himself from taking a step to her, wanting to hold her in his lonesome arms. Crawling to her would only tell her how weak he really was. He didn’t feel normal around her. He felt like he as flying and falling and the walls he’d so carefully erected to keep everyone out were down around his ankles.

He hated it.

But, at the same time, he liked the feeling. That was annoying as shit.

Ororo was currently cutting a rug with that kid Riley. His eyes drifted toward the line-dancing couple as the woman laughed. Riley was saying something to her, lost in the music blaring from the live band. He hated to admit it, but ‘Ro looked good enough to eat tonight.

Several men were eyeing her, many of the young bucks goading friends into asking her to dance. In her daringly low cut top and way too tight jeans, she was a tall, magnificent, beauty that begged for a man’s touch. White hair was limp with sweat, but her cheerful laughter drew in more attention than hair ever could.

The boys lounging at the bar beside him were each pointing, nudging one another every time Ororo dipped with her hands on her waist. She was showing so much skin that she momentarily knocked the boys stupid. Logan wanted to gut each of them for even looking.

But that was the point, he thought. Storm wanted to be looked at tonight. No woman dressed like that with the intention of becoming one with the wallpaper. Though her unusual dark skin, light hair, and flashing eyes made her stand out enough, her clothing and tactile manner were screaming for attention.

A long pull from his beer bottle calmed some of his frayed nerves. As the music’s tempo changed, Riley roped Ororo close, melding their bodies together so they swayed to the soft, slow tune.

The singer onstage was female and quite talented. Her raven hair and scarlet lips showed off that throaty voice. Logan let his eyes drift to her, trying to drown out memories of buzzing skin and smoky laughter.

The girl caught his eye and smiled.

“Logan?�

Without taking his eyes from the looker on the stage, he raised a brow. “Yeah, Bets?�

“Wipe up your drool and get ‘Roro. We’re going to give Mary her present now.�

“Kay. Just a sec.�

He leered openly at the female singer, which made her flush. A deliberately promising smirk made her hit a false note.

“For fuck’s sake, Wolverine!� Betsy hissed, following it up with a sharp slap on the back of his head.

“Exactly,� he countered, finally looking toward her.

Betsy smartly psi-slapped him. Logan grabbed his head, almost dropping his beer. “Damn it, woman!�

“Now that I have your attention,� she practically snarled. “Come with me or get another one.�

Grumbling, knowing that she would readily make good on that offer, Logan slid down from the barstool. They moved onto the dance floor together, Betsy breaking off to speak with the band leader while Logan advanced on Riley and Ororo.

“Hey,� he grunted. “Bets says it’s time to give Mary her appreciation.�

Blue eyes found his when Ororo raised her head slightly from Riley’s shoulder. “Oh, all right.�

He turned his back on the dancing pair to shove through the adoring-eyed crowd. When he reached the table, he threw himself into a chair and propped his feet on another. Mary shot him a glance that he avoided.

When Ororo, Riley, and Betsy finally gathered around, the telepath took a thin garment box from Warren. Though Storm sat between Mary and Kitty, Betsy remained standing. She cleared her throat politely, making their table – and several others – fall silent.

“Mary Kenoi, I owe you a debt of gratitude,� Betsy said in a ringing tone. “Though it was reckless, you risked your life to save several mutants you didn’t know. As a result, eight are home with their loved ones now, safe and sound.�

Logan tasted salt on the air and didn’t have to look around to know the women were crying. He took another long draw from his beer, ignoring them.

“For your heroism and bravery, you were awarded the Alaskan Medal of Commendation by the local police department, but we have something for you as well.�

She handed the girl the box and motioned for her to open it. Mary did so without pause, tearing the purple wrapping paper. When she lifted the lid, Logan watched her carefully from beneath the brim of his Stetson. Her eyes welled up with tears and her hands flew up to cover her mouth.

“By the order of Charles Xavier, you Mary Kenoi are an honorary X-Woman for life.�

Applause broke out among the mutants as Mary lifted the leather, X embossed uniform from the box. She hugged Betsy tightly, then squealed over her prize. Conversations immediately restarted, even as the mutants gathered more tightly around their hero. Logan suppressed a chuckle when Mary held the leather to her chest and made a semi-silly face.

“Whatcha think, Wolvie?� She asked over the music and voices.

“Looks good on ya, kid.� He replied, saluting her with his bottle.

A moment later, the band onstage shifted songs again. Logan raised a brow, hidden by his hat, when Betsy began to whistle innocently. The first few bars brought him back to singing in the truck, Ororo’s drunken car dancing.

He chanced to look at her, noting that her head was bobbing and she was staring at him.

“Hey, Logan,� Kitty said from the other side of the table. “Dance with me.�

The flash of Ororo’s eyes made him drop his feet to the floor. Logan deposited his beer on the table and leaned over, putting his hat on Kitty’s head.

“Sorry, little Kitten,� he said as he held a hand out to Ororo.

She took it without the slightest hesitation.

“This is our song,� she finished for him.

Logan led her onto the dance floor, barely listening as the X-Men began to whisper. He didn’t care who said what or why he felt the need, but this was a song he would forever associate with Storm.

“I have a confession to make,� she said quickly. Logan linked their hands together, taking her waist with his free hand as she clutched his shoulder.

“What’s that?� he asked quietly.

“I cannot dance, not this way.� She licked her glossy lips. Logan bit back a groan.

Her eyes locked with his and he smiled. “Just don’t look at yer feet, keep yer eyes on me.�

Storm nodded. “All right.�

He waited for the right moment, the right thump of the music before marching her backward. She stumbled once or twice, making him smile. But her eyes never left his. They moved with the crowd, their bodies a safe distance apart.

“We were all down at Margie’s bar, tellin’ stories if we had one. Someone fired the jukebox up, the song it sure was a sad one. A teardrop rolled down Bubba’s nose, from the pain the song was inflictin’. All at once he jumped to his feet, just like somebody kicked him.�

Storm was smiling. Not just smiling, full on, 1000-watt grinning at him. Logan raised a brow, then pushed her sharply away from his body. She spun out gracefully, rolling back into his embrace with her back to his chest. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders, linking both hands with hers as they stomped in a tight circle.

She spun herself out the second time, then slipped into his arms the proper way. He steered them around the dance floor, not surprised when she stopped stumbling altogether.

By the time the female singer got to the bridge of the song, they were moving as one seamless unit. They pulled to a halt when the music called for it, stomping their boots together with every other couple of the floor.

The second time they slapped the instep of their boots, Logan pulled her back into his arms. She smelled of rain and soap with the gentle tang of sweat. That gorgeous body fit against his almost perfectly, though her boots made her nearly taller than he.

He wanted it to go on, to keep her smiling at him like that. In the back of his mind, he knew it would be over in seconds, that the moment would be broken. A part of him wondered if that was how his relationship with Storm would be from now on. A series of shared moments, when nothing was between them except heated air. The moment would pass and they would part again.

It seemed like a lonely existence.

The music ended, the crowd went wild for the onstage band as they announced they were taking a break. A disc jockey took over and the first notes of Travis Tritt’s “T-R-O-U-B-L-E� came from the speaker system.

Ororo leaned forward, brushing her lips – which tasted of cherries – against his. A shiver ran down his spine, making him gulp slightly. Neither of them was paying attention to the dancing couples or mouth-agape X-Men watching from the corner.

Her lips traveled to his ear, her arms sliding around him to embrace him tightly.

“Thank you for the dance.�

Before he blinked, she had left his arms and headed back to the table.

Logan scowled. She was too much, her effect on him too easy. Chewing on his own tongue, he scanned the bar quickly. A predatory smile eased over his lips when he spotted the raven-haired singer eyeing him from the bar. The come-hither in her stare was enough to get his blood racing.

He wouldn’t be lonely tonight.

~**~


Ororo watched Logan making an utter fool of himself on the dance floor. His hat was down low over his eyes, yet another beer hanging from the hand resting over the girl’s shoulder. He was smiling in a way that made Storm want to claw someone’s eyes out.

Jealousy, never an attractive emotion, consumed her. What right did he have plastering himself to a girl perhaps two years older than Kitty that reeked of cheap perfume? She ground the stem of her cherry between two fingers, glaring at Logan’s back.

They were gyrating against one another in a manner that was best kept to the bedroom. Ororo clenched her jaw until it hurt.

“Skank.�

Looking up sharply, Ororo found Kitty, Betsy, and Mary all glaring at Logan and his dance partner. Their arms were crossed and their faces betrayed the kind of violence she knew was on their minds.

“Look at her!� Kitty continued. “Could she be any closer?�

“She’s humping him,� Mary said indignantly, her tone colored by the alcohol consumed.

“Disgusting,� Betsy chimed in, slurring slightly. “Ororo, go get your man.�

“He is not my man,� Storm said coolly. “And you three are drunk.�

“So?� Kitty demanded. “Doesn’t make him any less a man-whore.�

Ororo rolled her eyes, looking to the males surrounding the women for help. They were busy constructing what looked to be a shot-glass tower, all of them shaking with tipsy laughter. Vexed, Ororo turned her back on them all, watching Logan against her will.

His flannel shirt was open, revealing his usual tank top. Tonight’s was gray, offsetting the blue material of his shirt. His jeans, complete with overlarge belt buckle, were tight enough to show off that delicious backside. Ororo wanted to touch him. Everywhere.

Knowing her inhibitions were lowered because of several tequila shots, four beers, and more whiskey than was legal did not make any difference to her. She made a noise like an angry cat, her nails biting into the wood of her chair.

Yes. Ororo Munroe was definitely jealous. If he was doing this on purpose, it was working.

She saw red when the girl pulled away, coyly nodding toward the other end of the bar. There was a storage room there, which was frequented by couples too hot to wait until they got home. Logan pushed his hat up with the neck of his beer bottle, letting the woman drag him by the shirt.

To her good fortune, her three friends were distracted. Glancing at them, Ororo waited for less than two minutes. When she was sure no one was watching, she slipped out of her chair and into the dancing crowd.

No one paid her any mind as she ducked around the bar and put her hand on the solid wood door that led to the storage area.

Before she turned the knob, she made herself pause. Through the alcohol-induced haze, she pondered her actions. Yes, she was jealous, but did she have a right to be? She was the one that pushed Logan away, that refused to beg him to be hers.

There was no rationale behind her actions. She wanted Logan, even if she could not tell him that, and she definitely did not want anyone else to touch him. Just the thought of him giving or receiving pleasure from another woman made her growl.

How could he dance with her, his eyes betraying everything he would not say, and then head off to have meaningless sex in a backroom? If she went in there now, she was making her intentions known. He would use it against her. The proverbial ball was in his court.

Ororo wrenched the door open. Tomorrow she could blame it on the whiskey if she truly needed to.

Stepping into the dimly lit room, Ororo took a moment to let her eyes adjust. There were cases of liquor obscuring her view into the back and a single, bare light bulb flickered above her head. Following a drunken giggle, Ororo eased toward the beer stacks, not immune to the irony.

A low, male groan brought her up short. That jealousy bubbling in her heart exploded and she came around a corner quickly. She crossed her arms at the sight that greeted her, swallowing the bile rising in her throat.

Logan was against a stack of beer, resting on an open spot among cases of Bud Light. The dark haired girl he’d spent the last two hours attached to was on her knees. The clink of Logan’s belt buckle was akin to nails scraping a blackboard to the weather witch.

As though expecting her, Wolverine raised his eyes to her, tilting the black Stetson back on his head.

“Hey, ‘Ro.�

The girl on her knees tensed, glancing at the intruder over her shoulder. Ororo’s eyes, however, were or Logan alone. She propped herself on a nearby stack of Miller and fixed him with a cool stare.

“Up to the same old tricks, I see.� Her voice was cold, even unfriendly.

“Don’t see a reason not to,� he answered her with a cocky grin. Crimson flooded her vision again when he motioned for the kneeling singer to continue.

“I think your playmate should leave.�

“Do ya?� Logan’s tone was taunting. “Who the fuck are you ta tell me what ta do?�

“I think Handsome’s right,� the girl said as his zipper was pulled down. “This is a private show.�

Ororo snapped.

In one stride she was across the space that separated Logan and his little harlot and the furious weather manipulator. Ororo grabbed the girl’s shoulder, lifted her from her knees and slammed her into the nearest wall.

She only noticed at the girl’s terrified expression that her eyes were glowing white. Thunder boomed and the woman whimpered. Ororo’s hold over her mutation was touch and go at the very best.

“Leave.� The one word was a deliberate growl, a challenge.

The raven-haired singer bolted from the room as though lightning were coming down on her from above. When the door slammed behind her, Ororo turned her eyes to Logan.

He was still lounging against the beer cases. His jeans remained undone, his belt lying limply to the sides. One brow was cocked as he took a slow draw from his now-warm beer.

“Ya just love ruinin’ a man’s fun, doncha?�

“You were making a fool of yourself with a child,� she snapped, not coming any closer.

If she were close to him now, this raw, primal need to make him her own would overtake what little good sense she retained. She wanted to shove him back and kiss him breathless, to ensure no other woman could ever replace her. The need to simply mark him was overwhelming.

To protect herself from him, she crossed her arms over her chest.

“Yer jealous.�

The simple truth in his words made her spine stiffen.

“Button your jeans.�

She turned to leave the room, only to be stopped by a wide hand. Logan gripped her arm hard enough to leave a bruise. She was spun quickly, landing with her backside against the stacked cases he had been leaning against.

Before she could protest, Logan’s mouth covered hers. Unwilling to submit, she kissed him back, her teeth clashing with his as they fought for dominance. His hands fisted in her hair and she lifted herself to sit completely on the beer case behind her.

“Ya ain’t leavin’ me like this,� he growled when they parted to breathe.

“You cannot have me,� she panted back even as her body screamed for more.

“Yer lyin’,� Logan replied gruffly. “Ya didn’t come in here jus’ ta get rid of the girl.�

Though Ororo shook her head, he merely smiled. She heard him inhale deeply before he removed his hat. Holding it up, he sniffed down her body until he reached the apex of her thighs. Ororo shifted when he buried his face in the front of her jeans.

“Yer body’s sayin’ what ya won’t,� he said when he straightened.

Ororo shoved her hand into his hair, the visual of him where she wanted him most was too much. It was wrong, she shouldn’t let this happen, but she barely had enough brainpower to care. She pulled him close, fusing her lips to his. His hat was tossed onto the cases beside them.

He fumbled with the clasp of her halter while her hands slid down his back, under the waistband of his jeans to grope his backside. The low groan she received for her attentions was lost in her mouth, but she smiled into the kiss.

The top of her halter came loose and Logan’s rough hands cupped her bare breasts as nipples hardened in the chilly air. She felt her eyes sting and the room’s temperature jumped sharply. He chuckled against her mouth.

“That’s it, darlin’,� he encouraged her, nipping at her bottom lip. “Melt me.�


This would not be slow or even intimate. She knew he would take what he wanted, pleasure on a carnal level that would leave her breathless. Ororo fell into it, sick of fighting what this man did to her. She knew that nothing would change in the cold light of day.

It did not stop her from hooking her thumbs in the waist of his jeans to tug them down. His thick fingers snapped her belt open. The buttons of her jeans popped loudly, even over the impatient grunts and groans echoing in the room.

He struggled to pull her jeans down while his scorching kiss broke. Ororo flattened her hands to the beer case she was seated on to lift her bottom. Logan yanked the garment down to her ankles. When her thighs were bare, she could feel his hard erection against her flesh. She gasped, reaching to cup him in her hands.

Logan swore violently, his hand fisting in her hair until she had to lean back. His mouth covered hers, tongue sweeping inside to stroke hers. Ororo reached down with one hand to unzip a single boot, kicking it off with the pant leg following. With more freedom to move now, she parted her legs, pulling her still mostly dressed lover closer.

Whiskey making her bold, she tore her mouth from his and panted against his lips.

“Fuck me, Wolverine.�

His eyes went wide and suddenly, both of his hands captured the tender flesh under her thighs. Frantic desire ran through her, her heart thudding against her chest. She wanted him inside, stroking her in all those ways only he could. The room was now sweltering, soaking their remaining clothing with sweat.

She threw her head back, smacking it on the beer case behind her when Logan entered her. Ororo felt her wet, inner muscles clamp down on him, even as Logan growled her name. Ororo felt her mutation slip a little more and the room was suddenly the center of the sun.

Neither of them cared. Logan set an immediate and bruising pace, his face buried in the sweat-slicked crook of her neck. Ororo’s hands smoothed over his shoulders, forcing his flannel shirt down so she could grip his wet flesh.

“Ya shouldn’t,� her lover gasped as he shifted. “Feel so damn good.�

“No one else would,� she shot back, surprised at herself.

Logan only pounded inside of her harder. She could feel him so deep, she wondered if he was rearranging internal organs. His hard body felt like bliss against her, making her crave more in a way that was terrifying. After another heartbeat of his punishing pace, he raised one hand to cup her cheek, holding her in place so he could kiss her again.

Ororo’s toes curled, her calves banging into the boxes. Their frenzy worked a case of beer loose and it crashed to the floor. Neither of them bothered to even spare it a glance. Ororo let her hands fall to his backside again, squeezing the firm flesh to pull him even closer. He growled her name, biting her lips as he jerked into her as though mid-seizure.

She could feel the fire building inside of her, one that was stoked with every thrust of his hips. He could make her go over in record time by his ferocity alone.

Fortunately, he decided to talk her to orgasm instead.

“Ya know what ya do ta me?� he said in that same raspy tone. “All I gotta do is smell ya an’ I’m hard.�

Ororo whimpered, meeting those obsidian eyes.

“I wanna be inside ya all the time,� Logan thrust forward sharply to emphasize his point. “Wanna feel ya hot an’ wet around me. I wanna smell how much ya want me, hear how yer heart starts poundin’.�

“Logan.� It was a half-groan, half-gasp as he hit just the right spot.

“Yer skin hums louder, makes it feel like everythin’s alive. Addicting, that’s what it is.� He fitted his lips against hers again before speaking against them. “I wanna feel ya cum around me. Now.�

A command. He had commanded her to climax for him. To her shock, she exploded almost instantly, her body shaking and tensing with it. He growled her name, swore harshly enough to make a sailor stutter. Ororo saw white lights behind her eyes as her lover strained forward, flattening her to the beer cases behind her.

He came inside of her, their fluids mixing until it coated both sets of thighs. She could not move, thinking simply not an option as she fought to control her mutation. It was difficult to breathe in the superheated room.

Ororo wrapped her arms around Logan, surprised when he did the same. They embraced, hard, paying no mind to the sweat. She clung to him, as though he would evaporate before her very eyes if she did not anchor him to the here and now.

“I want ya so much it scares me,� Logan admitted in a soft tone. Ororo closed her eyes, fearful that she would burst into tears.

“I thought I was alone in the fear department,� she replied against his shoulder.

They remained that way for a long moment, shivering in the sudden chill when Ororo finally got the elements to obey her. She could hear his heart begin to slow as he came down from the sexual high.

A pair of giggling twenty-somethings fell into the room a moment later, startling the couple still entangled on the beer cases. Logan shouted so profanely that it made Storm stifle a giggle in his shirt. The intruders beat a hasty retreat.

When he turned his attention back to her, she was suddenly aware that they had both sobered up. In an instant, just the space between two heartbeats, they were both surrounded by thick emotional armor. Ororo cleared her throat, not breaking their locked gaze.

“The others will be looking for us.�

Logan nodded, stepping back from her. She felt cold and bereft without him close, but she began to pull her clothing on anyway. The space between them erupted again. She was slightly ashamed at having let him ravish her in public, but she squashed it quickly.

“Nothin’ changes,� Logan said as he zipped his jeans and fastened his belt.

She paused buttoning the fly of her jeans to look up at him. “You are still leaving tomorrow.�

“Don’t got a better offer.�

He had thrown that out there on purpose. Ororo realized that he would still refuse to break first. Unless she told him, on no uncertain terms, that she wanted him to remain with her, he would get on the jet tomorrow and fly home.

Her pride clicked into place, icing over her wounded heart.

“I see.�

After fastening the collar of her halter and running a hand through her hair, she sat on the beer case to pull her boot on. The heavy, penetrating weight of Logan’s stare followed her every move, but she did not spare him another glance.

When she was satisfied with her appearance, she brushed past him. “Say hello to Marie for me.�

She thought she heard him call her name, so softly she chalked it up to her over-active imagination, as she stepped back into the bar.

~**~

Ororo’s Cottage
Just after dawn

He had lain awake all night, going over the last month’s events in his mind. While his friends had all slept wherever they fell in Ororo’s cottage, he remained outside, thinking as he watched the Lights dance above him.

There was sorrow in the midnight blue and violent greens that snaked through the inky sky. Those Lights had been his prophets during his time in Alaska, he knew they what they were saying now.

When everyone rose, in various states of hangover, he let them gather their things. Andine and Eliar came out to sit with him as dawn stained the horizon. His eyes traveled over the dark tree line, to the snow blanketed yard until they reached the frozen lake. The beauty of this place still hit him where it hurt.

The others loaded their things into the jet, eager to head home. Mary, Ken, and Riley bid their goodbyes with bone-crushing embraces and exchanged phone numbers. Storm was likely to have frequent company in her invaded solitude now. Something told him it wouldn’t bother her.

He had come here to save her, and he thought he had. She was open to the X-Men, her family, once more. Maybe, someday, she’d find it in her heart to forgive the Professor his deception, to douse the bridge that smoldered between father and daughter.

The things he had seen, experienced in the vast wild of Alaska would be with him for a long time. From Moose hunting and dog sledding to finding out how it felt to let go. He knew she wasn’t going to break, he prepared himself for it.

Once the X-Men were ready to depart, he waited for them to file onto the jet. No one questioned him as he stepped back into the house. Clouds were forming already, blackening the few daylight hours Henry was allotted in winter. It wasn’t her storm; hers always smelled a little differently.

As though she were waiting for him, he found her in the kitchen. He did not bother removing his coat, but he did set the battered duffel bag beside the door. Their eyes met across the open living space. She had her guard down and he could see it, so he lowered his own cautiously.

“I want you to stay.� Her voice was strong, though her chin quivered.

Hope exploded inside of him, squashed quickly by what he remembered from the Lights.

“But you can’t.�

He closed his eyes for a moment to absorb the direct blow to his heart. When they opened again, she was still standing in the kitchen, watching him carefully. Logan took that moment to capture her in his mind.

She was wearing a thin sweater on top of a flowing skirt, both in a shade of true blue. All her long hair had been swept up from her neck into a loose ponytail. She was barefoot, which seemed right for some reason.

The memory of dancing with her the previous night came back to him. Ororo was perfect in many ways. He loved her forceful, sexual side as much as the simple, serenity he witnessed now. He loved her mulishness, her pride, her loyalty.

Simply put, he loved her.

“Why not?� He demanded when his voice decided to return.

“I know what would happen,� was the soft reply.

“Ain’t no one on earth can tell the future, ‘Ro.�

“I can,� she continued. “You would remain here, happy with me. You would work for Kenny or perhaps the Sheriff. The X-Men would come to visit and yes, we would be perfectly happy. But you would grow restless. Perhaps not at first, but in a year, maybe two. “

“’Ro…�

She went on as though he had not spoken. “I would encourage you to go, to find whatever it is you’re looking for. You would promise to return and after long, lonely nights, you would. But again, perhaps sooner, wanderlust would find you. It would happen again and again until your visits here were for only a night. Until you stopped coming back at all. I would lose so much of my life to waiting for you.�

It was truth. Cold, bitter, in-your-face truth. He couldn’t fault her logic or deny her words. His track record spoke volumes. The simple, inescapable reality was that no matter how he loved her, he could not deny his nature. More to the point, she didn’t want him to try. She loved him enough to never tame him.

“I love you,� Ororo said almost desperately. “I do not know how it happened, but it is the truth. I would rather say goodbye now, have us part with good memories, than resent one another in the future.�

Logan crossed the room quickly, coming around the sofa and breakfast bar in record time. She was waiting for him, enveloping him in a frantic embrace the moment he was within reach. His arms engulfed her slender shoulders as he kissed her hair. He knew, with neither of them speaking, that this would be the last time he held her.

So he held on a moment longer, pressing her humming body against his to capture it in his mind.

When he pulled back, he saw no tears in her eyes. He cupped her cheeks with both hands, lowering his mouth to hers gently. Their kiss was soft, gentle, almost heartbreaking in it’s innocence. He released her, meeting those striking eyes.

“Goodbye, Ororo.�

Her smile was filled with unspoken sorrow, but she did not seem to expect a rebuttal. Logan released her, stepping back and turning away. He moved to the front door, collecting his duffel bag and slinging it over his shoulder.

He cast one last, longing look at her before he opened the front door and stepped into the cold.

There were no questions when he entered the jet. He took his seat beside Betsy while Kitty and Warren piloted the jet. The duo warned that the take off could get touchy because of the small storm moving through the area.

A moment later, the clouds parted and the sun beamed down on them all. Logan glanced out of the window, spotting a slender figure standing atop of her home. Her dark arms were raised as the wind whipped her clothing around her.

The Blackbird soared into the sky, smooth as a hot knife through butter. Logan sat back in his seat, staring straight ahead of him. No one said a word to him, as though they could see his heart was breaking before their eyes.

He remained silent all the way back to New York.

Chapter Fourteen: Standing Still

Oh, I still want her
And I still need him so
I don’t know why we let each other go
If you see her, tell her the light’s still on for her
Nothing’s changed, deep down the fire still burns for him
~Reba McEntire & Brooks and Dunn


Henry, Denali National Park
Six months later

If someone were to fly over the small, neat homestead bordering a fresh river and dense forest, they might have found something quite easy on the eyes. A lone woman moved from the greenhouse, which smelled of rich herbs and blooming lilac, flanked by two horribly shedding Husky pups.

She was smiling, carrying a basket over one arm that was filled with freshly cut herbs and a bouquet of pretty flowers. Several of the vases inside the pretty white house were waiting to be filled.

The sunlight was ever present now, lasting into the lonely hours of the night. Behind her, the river babbled soothingly amid noises that belonged to the wild alone. Bears and predatory cats were plentiful, but they remained on “their� side of the invisible border.

Hair white as freshly fallen snow fell around the woman’s shoulders. Her skirt whispered against her legs as bare feet dug into the dew-wet grass. The dogs were barking playfully, turning from their mistress to romp nearby, happy and content with one another.

From the outside looking in, it was a picture perfect moment. One not privy to the intricacies of this woman’s life would never guess that just seven months ago she was forever altered. Her kidnapping was old news now, rarely thought of by any of the three hundred souls populating a village five miles south.

Ororo called her dogs back to her, shaking her head in fond exasperation at their antics. They had been together for nearly two years now, a family that not even military abductors could tear apart.

Beneath this beautiful picture, there was overwhelming sorrow. When she had first come to this place, to this life, she grieved for her brother, sister, and father. Now, she mourned a decision made in the freezing winter.

She thought of him often. Her feral, animalistic, “mountain man� as Mary often referred to him. Through frequent phone calls to the mansion, she learned of his comings and goings. They never spoke personally, but messages were relayed through their connecting family. Messages that were simple, messages that never gave any hint to what lay beneath the surface.

Warren and Betsy were married just weeks after the woman’s own rescue. They lived at the school, though Wolverine helped the newlyweds remodel the old boathouse on the northern end of the property. It was a touching thought and pictures from the simple church ceremony adorned her mantelpiece.

The urge to fight for mutant rights never returned. She remained in this wild, living a simple life far from anything resembling a hate crime. About as lively as her home got at any given moment was down at Dottie’s during a Patriots versus Giants game. A hate crime here was wearing a Redskins sweatshirt.

Ororo’s home was open to the balmy July morning, letting a fresh breeze in through screened windows. She left the back door open, latching the screen so she could see the rambunctious Huskies at play. The house was her personal sanctuary, though the memories could seem suffocating when she least expected it.

As for the evil behind her kidnappings, there was little information. The X-Men investigated an old missile silo in Whitehorse, Canada, only to find the recent occupants had vacated. The trail, after that, was stone cold. With little to go on, at least for now, the mutant superheroes turned their attention to other things.

After placing her flowers in vases, inhaling the sweet scent of beautiful blooms, Ororo bunched her herbs up. A rubber band was tied around long stalks and the bunches placed upside down on a ceiling rack to dry. In a few days the wonderful scent would fade, but there would be enough dried herbs to take to the Fairbanks market one weekend.

She left the house again, armed with a large watering can. It was filled with the carefully rolled up hose so she could move about the wraparound porch, watering her tubs of gardenia. She had pansies on the north side of the house simply because she loved to watch them turn upward to the sun.

“You make a pretty picture.�

Ororo turned sharply, clutching at her heart. The watering can fell to the ground with a muted thump, spilling it’s contents on the porch.

“Mary!�

“What?� the girl grinned, bouncing up from the driveway in her cutoff shorts and tank top.

“You will be the death of me,� Ororo chided before embracing her friend warmly.

“Oh, yeah? Well, Kenny killed me last night,� the bubbly woman said excitedly. “I still think I might be dead and this is heaven.�

Your heaven, darling, my torment. “What did that man do now?�

Mary popped her left hand out, pointing her fingers downward to show off the enormous diamond now affixed to her ring finger. In a display of complete and utter girlishness, Ororo squealed with delight so that it reverberated off of the surrounding mountains.

Both women were laughing as they embraced warmly. Ororo immediately steered her into the house, insisting that they celebrate over iced tea and chocolate cake.

“It was so weird!� Mary gushed as she took her usual place on a barstool to watch Ororo move through the kitchen.

“How? When? What did he say?� Ororo demanded information while she grabbed glasses from the cupboard and plates from the drying rack.

“Well, we were playing Mutant Terrorist…� Mary began only to be cut off.

“Could we have this stirring tale without the kinky sex games, for my sake?� She made a face, which made Mary howl with laughter.

“Ok, ok.� The girl braided her thick mane of jet black, tying it with one of the elastics Ororo kept in a dish on the counter. “So, we’re…lying there. Afterward and all. And all of the sudden, he turns to me, naked as the day he was born.�

Ororo mimed vomiting, earning her an elastic snapped in her general direction.

“He just sat there, looking at me for the longest time. Then he pulled this pretty black box from under his pillow and says: “Mary, I’ve loved you for longer than Alaska’s loved her Northern Lights. Nothing in this world would make me happier than becoming your husband. Will you marry me?�

Having halted in the middle of her friend’s teary recitation of her fiancé’s words, Ororo’s face crumbled with the emotion. Mary, her dear friend during the worst parts of her life, had never believed she would find someone she loved. Kenny, having pined for the dark beauty most of his natural life, had finally filled in the void left by disinterested parents and a string of abusive boyfriends.

Ororo thought she might cry. She set the dishes on the bar and moved to her friend, enveloping her in a bone-bruising hug.

“You are both incredibly lucky, my love,� Ororo whispered, kissing Mary’s temple.

“Oh, I’m just…� She choked. “I can’t even think. I feel like I’m so light, I could float away.�

“Well, if you do, I will be there to zap your ass down in time for the wedding.�

They broke apart, smiling again. Ororo rushed to the refrigerator, only to pause at the photograph held to the freezer door by a ceramic Husky magnet. Mary was talking about possible wedding plans, but her voice faded into the background.

The photo was the only one without a frame in her picture laden home. She received it just after the X-Men returned to New York, a gift from Kitty. She had snapped it that night in Dottie’s, while Storm danced with Wolverine. Every time she looked at it, pain ripped through her heart anew.

He was holding her hand, looking at her with a soft, sweet smile on his face. For her part, Ororo was clutching his shoulder, her other hand entwined with his. The smile on her face was alien, if only because she had never seen that expression on her own face. Tender happiness reflected in the glossy portrait.

Even the surrounding couples were blurred, highlighting the dancing pair as though intentionally focusing on them. Ororo touched Logan’s handsome face with one fingertip before she jarred herself back to the real world.

“And I’ve decided to quit working at the Lodge to become the new spokesperson for the Ab-Roller.�

Ororo blinked, then turned to her friend with confusion on her face. “What?�

Mary was careful about mentioning the “Wolverine Thing� as she less-than-fondly termed it. When informed of Ororo’s decision, the girl had tried for weeks to get her to go back on it. Screaming matches, crying jags, and all manner of influence did not change her friend’s mind. Those tactics failing, Mary promptly quit speaking to Ororo for nearly a month.

Oddly enough, Ororo understood. Mary was nosy and overly enthusiastic, but she alone knew what Storm had gone through when she first arrived in Henry. Logan, in Mary’s mind, made Ororo happy. Anything that made her friend happy was worth keeping around. Storm’s refusal to let Logan into her life completely mystified the young woman.

That was behind them now, but Mary never brought Logan up. She would gladly talk about him, especially during the midnight calls she received from her friend when the sorrow became too much.

“I just asked if you’d be my maid of honor, but as you’re ignoring me…�

“Of course I will,� Ororo said with a smile. She took the cake and tea from the fridge and moved to her friend.

They sat on opposite sides of the bar, munching on cake and talking wedding plans for the next hour. Ororo’s mind drifted back to Logan more than once, but she was cautious about speaking his name. She knew, without a doubt, that he would come to Alaska for the wedding.

“I’m going to ask him to come,� Mary said at last, as though reading Storm’s thoughts. “When Ken and I are in New York next week.�

Exhaling slowly, Ororo nodded. “He adores you, he will come.�

“I know, but I want you to be ok with it. It comes down to you or him, you win every time, sweetcakes.�

Ororo smiled at her friend fondly. “It will never come to that. Now, what about this trip? When does Alison arrive to provide escort?�

“Tomorrow,� Mary practically squealed. “There’s a Dottie’s night for all of us, you’re coming if I have to drag you.�

“I would not miss it. She has become quite fond of the X-Men life.�

Alison, the kidnapping target Ororo had found in Nome, was an official X-Woman now. The blonde singer had taken one look at Xavier’s School and fallen in love. She returned every few months to Alaska to visit with Ororo and Mary. The younger women had hit it off almost immediately at their first meeting.

Visits from Alison were always interesting.

“Do you…� Mary cleared her throat. “Have messages or anything for anyone?�

Ever the matchmaker, Ororo thought fondly.

She glanced at the photograph on the freezer door and took a deep, calming breath. Oh, she had a million things she wanted to say to him. Most phrases she kept to herself were various forms of begging, pleading, and words of undying love.

Though the decision still seemed the rational one, she wondered every night if it was the right one. It still hurt, remembering his final, innocent kiss before he walked out of her home. Everything in her body had screamed to follow him, to tell him she had changed her mind.

“If you see him,� the mutant began.

He had likely moved on. There were other women out there, ones with submissive natures and fertile wombs. Logan wouldn’t still be pining for her.

“Tell him I send my best wishes.�

Mary’s face, which had lit up with hope, crumbled instantly. She shook her head sadly, but agreed to pass the message on as she moodily stabbed her fork into a piece of her chocolate cake.

~**~

Xavier’s Institute for Higher Learning
Several hours later

No one entered his rooms anymore. Even the cleaning was done by the sole occupant. Should he ever catch one of the students lingering by his door, they were scared out of their wits. Ali constantly teased him about his secret stash of porn getting out of hand, but most of the X-Men knew better.

Logan sat at the desk that had become his home in the last months, looking through police records from Oregon and northern Washington. He added several to the cast off stack, finding them lacking anything useful. Another thick manila folder was waiting for his attention, so he opened it quickly.

The pictures no longer sent him into a rage only hours in the Danger Room could diminish. Instead, the fueled his obsession like light to kindling. He frowned at one missing persons’ report. Going through the details one generous police chief had highlighted for him, he quickly grabbed a pin from the box on his desk.

The file photo of the victim was placed beside the hundreds of others on a corkboard over his desk. He sat back, looking at the young girl’s sweet smile. All of them, all two hundred and eighty five – six, he mentally corrected – had become his life.

His once barren bedroom was littered with filing cabinets and photographs. Sticky notes were put anywhere he could find room, usually tacked next to a crime scene picture or other interesting note. Serial killer profiles were stacked to his left, potential victim folders from Sacramento to Bangkok on the left.

Styrofoam cups with varying levels of coffee inside were strewn over the top of his desk along with fast food wrappers and unwashed dishes.

Every day, he thought of her. Surrounding himself with the particulars of the kidnappings, the victims’ accounts recorded on tape, and photographs only brought him back to her again and again. He ached just to hear her voice or catch a whiff of her telltale scent.

Chuck worried that he was slipping into madness. Hell, maybe he was. That didn’t mean he would stop for even a moment. He was going to find these bastards if he died trying. Unlike whoever was behind this, he had time. Nothing but time and tenacity.

Has anyone ever told you that you have the tenacity of a pit bull?

Her words slipped through his weary mind, making him reach into his back pocket. The single photograph he carried was of her and it never left his side. Not unlike this strange wallpaper, it was just one more thing he had that connected him to her.

Kitty had snapped it sometime during the last night he had seen her. They were dancing to that damn song. He couldn’t hear it now without feeling like someone had kicked him in the gut. While excruciating, it was a memory of her he cherished.

The photograph was fading and the edges were bent from being stuffed into his back pocket. That look on her face…he’d give anything to see it again. One finger came up to trace the line of her profile, her kisses still burning on his lips.

If he had known that would be the last night he had with her, he would have taken her back to the cottage and made love with her properly. The romp in the bar was great and it still got him worked up thinking about it, but it wasn’t the right way to say goodbye. He hadn’t taken enough memory with him.

So often in the last half year he debated returning to Alaska. Mary and Ken frequently invited him out, even promising that they wouldn’t tell Ororo. He knew better, though. With her so close, his resolve would wear down. He’d buckle and run to her, beg her to give him time to prove that wanderlust was a thing of the past.

And if it did bite him again, he’d take her with him. Simple as that.

Why hadn’t he thought of that before? The need to get away didn’t have to be something he endured alone. He could take her with him, travel with the one person he felt would enjoy backpacking through northern Canada.

The thought wasn’t with him that cold morning. It just hadn’t occurred to him until several weeks after arriving in New York. At the time, he thought he was doing what was right. He knew how hard it had been for her to swallow that pride and tell him she wanted him to stay, that she loved him. But his insecurities kicked in. He never wanted to make promises he couldn’t keep.

So he left. His heart stayed in Alaska, with her. Slow, painful torture came over him day after day. Things he should have said or done came back at him. He shouldn’t have tried to replace her, make her jealous. Should have just taken her back to the house, loved her until that beautiful body screamed for mercy. He could have proved to her that he belonged to her alone.

Yes, he wanted her. So bad was this need inside of him, that late at night he would merely stare at the ceiling, reliving every memory of her in his mind. Nothing in the world could prepare him for the pain involved with trying to move on.

Jean’s death he would endure a million times over than live through this one more day. But it had been her choice. He couldn’t unmake it or convince her that being together was the way things should be. She was protecting her heart, he could respect that, even if it nearly killed him.

The phone rang.

As usual, he briefly hoped that it was Ororo on the other end. No matter how he hoped, deep down he knew it was futile. She had made her decision. He had let her. That was how his fairytale was to end.

Life sucked.

“Logan.� He grunted into the phone when he picked it up on the third ring.

“It’s Warren.�

“S’goin’ on, Angelcake?�

Logan rubbed the spot between his eyes. The renovations were complete on the boathouse, but something seemed to need constant repair. Angel was quick on his feet, but neither he nor his beautiful bride knew a socket wrench from a hole in the ground.

“Sorry to bother you, but Betsy wants to know if you would mind leaving the Batcave to have lunch with us.�

He smiled slightly. The Batcave was a term everyone used after Alison wandered into his room one fine day two months ago. She had seen the evidence of his obsession and promptly burst into tears. The blonde told him on no uncertain terms that if he ever fell out of love with Ororo, she was first in line for a shot at him.

Somehow, the idea that he was completely, irredeemably, borderline-psychoticly obsessed with Ororo’s abduction struck her as romantic as hell. He still didn’t understand that girl, but the sentiment was oddly nice.

“Sure,� he answered when his stomach rumbled angrily. “What time?�

There were several mumbled words as Angel conferred with his wife.

“Give us fifteen?�

He heard Betsy giggle.

“Hey!� he said with something between annoyance and amusement. “I smell sex on either of ya an’ I’m coming right back to the Cave.�

“Sir, yes, sir.�

Angel hung up, but not before Logan caught a feminine squeal. If that girl didn’t turn up pregnant soon, he’d worry about Warren shooting blanks. They were always gearing up for or coming down from some kind of sexual high.

It was annoying. Especially when Logan couldn’t bring himself to attempt a one-night stand.

He tried, he really did, to find some kind of satisfaction with another woman. Trips to Harry’s that ended up in some dingy hotel room seldom ended as well as they used to. Distracted by the lack of humming flesh and Ororo’s cerulean eyes, he usually just apologized and left. That didn’t make the women very happy with him. His reputation was in shreds.

Logan sighed, folding his picture and stuffing it back into his pocket. He should shower before heading to Betsy and Warren’s. Maybe take a minute to clean his cave up. Tired hands ran through his now-long hair before scraping over his beard.

Resigned to putting his work aside for a few hours, Logan straightened up his desk. Files were stacked a little more neatly. Toxic cups of old coffee were tossed into the trashcan along with smelly food wrappers. He was turning into one hell of a slob.

Once everything was picked up in his work area, he stripped the bed down, replacing the sheets with the spare set Betsy gave him as a “just cause� gift. After the bed was made, he rounded up his laundry, tossing it into the old seabag he kept for laundry day.

A quick shower later, he dried his hair with a towel while coming back into the bedroom. Chuck had finally given him his own bathroom, after the third time Peter complained about hair in the drain.

Chuckling quietly at the memory, he paused to look at himself in the mirror. He needed a haircut, but Kitty kept telling him his hair looked good so long. Shaving…well, he didn’t mind the beard so much. The dark circles under his eyes though, those were starting to look bad.

“S’what a woman does,� he muttered to himself. “Can’t sleep cause I reach for her.�

Frowning at himself, he moved into the bedroom. He was just about dressed when someone knocked on the bedroom door.

A quick sniff in the general direction of the door was better than any “peep hole� could ever hope to be. The faint scent of ozone told him it was Alison so he called out for her to enter.

The girl literally fell into the room, slamming the door behind her. To his surprise, she was out of breath and red faced.

“Ali?�

She held up one finger, silently asking for a moment to catch her breath. Logan gave her time, pulling his black t-shirt over his chest and running a comb through his hair. Ali was bent at the waist, gasping for breath.

He noticed, somewhat apprehensively, that she had a thin blue folder in her hands.

“What’s up, kid?�

“I found…something.�

She tossed the file at him, smiling smugly. “That Sinister guy? The one we never found any information on, I think I got him.�

“What?�

The file was caught in mid air, but Logan nearly shredded it in his haste to get it open. He scanned the information quickly.

“Geneticist? Homicidal…� he raised a brow at Alison. “We’ve checked this guy out.�

“Nuh-uh,� she countered, coming over to point at another page. “He’s got like a million aliases.�

“So do I.�

“Ok, but look at this. A friend of mine in customs faxed this to me about ten minutes ago. He’s been trying to get into those sealed files for the last three months.�

Logan looked to where the girl was pointing. Under a diplomatic credential list longer than his arm were the contents of a special “package� shipped from Canada to Los Angeles and then to Australia.

“See that code number?� Ali pointed again.

“Yeah.� Logan grunted, unsure what he was looking at.

“That’s the shipping code for a medical cryogenic freezing chamber. This guy shipped three containers, which can hold up to 100lbs of frozen bio-material from Canada to Australia.�

Logan blinked down at the paperwork. He sat heavily on the bed, flipping through the pages until he found what looked like a profile on the man. Nathaniel Essex was consumed with trying to create the perfect mutant, his funding for genetic research had been pulled from every university center in North America.

“Hank said the only way someone could take all the eggs from those women and keep them viable was in chambers like those. I think we got him, Wolvie.�

He stared. If this was the man that had taken Betsy and Ororo, Logan was going to tear his arms off. It seemed likely, but such information finding him out of the clear blue sky was a little hard to believe.

Still, this couldn’t be ignored. He glanced at the blonde, who was watching him as one would a ticking bomb. She was due in Alaska in the next day or so, he knew that. But there was no way he was leaving her out of this. For some time, she was his only ally.

“Ali?�

“Yeah?�

“Yer gonna miss yer flight.�

She nodded at once. “I already called Mary and told her something came up. I also told Kitty and Hank to suit up. I assume we aren’t telling Xavier, as he’s in Washington and we all know Peter and Bobby can’t keep secrets to save their lives.�

Logan allowed himself to grin at her. “Think Chuck’ll have a fit if we steal the Blackbird?�

Her returning smirk was downright wicked. “Probably, but that’s what makes it fun.�

~**~

Sydney, Australia
20 hours later

The four X-Men, dressed in tourist garb, waited for a contact Hank had in the city while eating ravenously. A downside to taking the Blackbird on such a long trip was the lack of food. The girls were going somewhat crazy over several stores they could see from where they sat, while Logan nursed a beer and Hank tried to educate them all on some of Australia’s more colorful history.

All Logan could think about was violence.

He envisioned a million ways in which to eviscerate the bastard responsible for Ororo’s barren womb. Thoughts and memories warred with the burning bezerker inside of him. Just months ago he had vowed to locate some of Ororo’s hope. At the same time, he entertained ideas of a child with her.

That thought hadn’t struck him until right now. He never thought of babies and homes and all the things normal people want in life. With her, it seemed so simple. She wanted a child and he would move heaven and earth to get that for her.

Why hadn’t he realized that was love right off the bat? Standing in the hospital, watching her sleep and thinking how stubborn her kids would be, he should have just gone into that room.

Shoulda. Woulda. Coulda.

A lean, tall man with graying hair walked past the table. Logan smelled fear and tension coming off of him in waves. Hank continued speaking as though nothing had happened, but Logan knew in his bones that this was it.

The man paused, under the pretense of tying his shoe and slipped something under Hank’s chair. Logan glanced to his friend as the man walked away.

“Did you know, Logan, that one of the southern shores of Australia is called ‘Cape Catastrophe’?�

“Nope,� he replied as Hank reached under the table.

It was a small, white, folded piece of paper. Hank cleared his throat, frowning deeply.

“An address,� he spoke lowly, catching the girls’ attention finally. “For a biogenetic lab here in Sydney.�

“In the middle of the city?� Kitty asked, a puzzled look on her face.

“The very best place to hide something is in plain sight, my dear.� Hank supplied quickly.

“But a legitimate lab?� Ali spoke up, glancing around quickly. “That doesn’t seem like his style.�

“We kinda ruined his style,� Logan pointed out, taking the paper from Beast.

“How are we gonna get in?� Kitty questioned.

“For that, I have formulated a plan,� Hank said.

He went on to describe a complicated and illegal means of gaining access badges, security codes, and various other tricks of the proverbial trade. Impressed by the level of thought, Logan listened eagerly. It sounded insane and they were likely to get caught.

“Blue?� Alison finally said wearily.

“Yes, my dear?�

“I’ve got a very simple plan.�

“What’s that, Sparkler?� Logan grinned when she turned to him with a glare.

“I’ve asked you repeatedly to not call me that,� she hissed rudely.

“Yeah, but I don’t care, Sparkler.� His cocky grin earned him a plastic umbrella in the forehead. Kitty howled and Hank was obviously biting back a smile. Logan blew Alison a quick air kiss.

“Children,� Beast cut in gently. “Alison, please tell us your plan.�

She gave Logan another scathing glare, which he answered with a sharp salute with the neck of his bottle. The girl pulled herself together and looked toward Kitty.

“Well, we do know a girl that can walk through walls.�

Chapter Fifteen: Frenzy

Lets hold hands on the porch swing under the moon
While the wind through the willows plays us a tune
We can lie on a blanket out back in the yard
And wish our future on a faraway star
You’ll feel the passion as time after time
I press your sweet lips to mine
We can dance to the radio right up til dawn
Til you drift off to dream in my arms
~Travis Tritt

Sydney, Australia

They wanted until night had fallen to make their move. Wolverine and Hank changed into their uniforms in the hotel while the girls did the same in the next room over. They were careful about the selection of their lodgings for their stay Down Under. The medical facility they were to burgle was just one block down the street.

The plan, as far as plans went, was so simple Logan was sure many of his students could pull it off. They would slip around the security system littering the outer areas, find a concealed spot and have Kitty hack into the building’s mainframe from inside. Once she killed the cameras and alarms, she planned to phase each of them through the walls, just in case there were alarms on the doors not hooked up to the main computer.

Inside, it was up to Hank and Kitten to locate anything of use, anything that incriminated Essex in the kidnappings while Dazzler and Wolverine provided security from wandering guards.

Simple.

So why did he have a tense, uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach?

When the girls knocked on the door, the strange quartet made their way out of the hotel by means of the fire escapes. They jogged down the nearly empty street, avoiding bouncing clubs and fornicating couples.

One particular couple caught Alison’s eye and she stopped, dead center of the alley they were crossing dressed in her uniform, to watch them. Logan rushed back to collect her.

“Is that even legal?� she asked with mischief in her eyes.

“Probably not,� he returned, smacking her bottom so she would catch up with the other two.

Essex Genetics Center was enormous. Logan blinked up at the high, electrified fences and polished windows that went up so far, just looking gave him a touch of vertigo. It reminded him, somewhat, of Muir Island. Huge, sterile, and completely uncomfortable.

“It ain’t a cabin in the woods,� he offered to Kitty when she glanced at him.

She smiled at him, then expertly slid her foot into Beast’s cupped hands. With agility to rival any ninja, Shadowcat back-flipped over the high fence. Hank’s boost gave her plenty of room to turn her slender body so that she landed on her feet.

Just like a kitten.

Logan snickered at his inside joke, grabbing Dazzler and indicating for Beast to move when the motion-sensitive camera swiveled their way. The three mutants melted into the shadows, remaining stock-still.

His preternatural hearing picked up Shadowcat’s light footsteps as she raced along the grounds. Her body melted, leaving a telltale whooshing sound behind when she phased into the building.

They could only wait now.

The earpiece he wore crackled several minutes later.

“I’m in the mainframe room. Damn, I’m good.� Kitty whispered for Logan’s ears alone.

“She’s in an’ she’s cocky,� Logan informed his companions.

He heard a keyboard clacking and waited for Kitty to pass on any information she found.

“This is a Unix system. Hello, update, please.�

“Focus, Shadowcat,� Wolverine snapped lowly. “Can you crack it?�

She snorted. “In ten seconds, this building will be my bitch.�

Apparently, Dazzler had picked that up, for she grabbed her sides and silently howled with mirth. Logan shot Beast a look, which was returned in an expression he interpreted as “We are surrounded by children.�

Nine seconds later, the electrified fence powered down. Dazzler and Beast were scrambling over it almost instantly while Logan ensured no one was watching. He contemplated scaling the fence, but stopped short of leaping onto the chain link.

Snikt!

Releasing already itching claws, he sliced himself a nice Wolverine-sized entrance. After he stepped through, he met both Dazzler and Beast’s annoyed gazes with a grin.

“What? Ya didn’t ask before ya went climbin’ over fences.�

They both gave him a disgusted sigh. Kitty appeared a moment later, walking through the wall as easily as most could waltz down a street. She gestured for Logan first. He took her hand and closed his eyes. Walking through solid matter had a rather creepy, unnatural feeling and the lack of sight always unnerved him. Inhaling deeply, he let Kitty lead him through the wall.

Popping out on the other side, he took several great gulps of air. Next time, Hank was going first.

Back on task, he crouched low, sniffing the computer room for any signs of danger. Two more whooshing noises behind him said that his teammates were with him.

“It’s clear.�

Kitty plopped back down in the computer chair, careful to not phase through the mechanical devices. The computer was colossal, covering nearly every inch of the room. Security monitors and speakers were plastered onto the wall. Kitty’s chair was situated with two others, in the large half-moon shape hollowed out for human bodies.

“Everything on the first fifty levels looks completely legit.� She reported as he fingers flew over the keys. How she managed to watch information coming through seven monitors, he would never know. “But on the fifty-second floor, everything’s blocked off, except the elevator.�

“That’s weird,� Alison said quietly.

“If they are working on clandestine projects here, I have little doubt we will find answers on that floor,� Beast said in his usual cultured tones.

“Can we get up there?� Logan questioned, leaning on the back of Kitty’s chair.

“Yeah,� she answered with a slight frown. “We can take the elevators – I have all the camera systems down – and I can bypass the security code from the elevator. But…�

“I felt that ‘but’ coming, did you?� Dazzler asked of no one in particular.

“There’s no telling if they have a separate computer system up there. I mean, it’s likely, but not for certain.� Shadowcat explained, turning to her friends.

“Cameras?� Wolverine grunted.

“Probably not, especially if it’s illegal.� She raised a brow at him. “If we stumble on any, just claw ‘em.� She meowed at him for emphasis.

Logan shook his head. They really were surrounded by children.

With that, the group followed Wolverine out of the main computer room. Because Kitty had easily memorized the building’s layout, he took whispered orders from her. They found the interior of the laboratory just as cold and impersonal as the outside. There were no pictures on the white walls, no names above doorways. Everything looked oddly fake. Even the scents of the place were unnatural. Something stronger than cleansers masked human scents. It was nerve-wracking.

They took the elevator up to the fifty-first floor, where Kitty asked them to stop it. Logan popped a claw to open the maintenance panel she required. The serious young woman blew brown bangs from her eyes and set to work on what looked like a nest of multicolored wires.

She worked fast and deemed the elevator moveable just twenty seconds after the panel was opened. Hank pushed the required button, taking them up to the next floor.

Wolverine stepped out of the way, letting Dazzler step inside. He could hear her CD player softly blasting into her ears before she raised both gloved hands. Short, bright bursts of light erupted in the room, giving off the strong, sickly scent of burning ozone. Any cameras would have a hard time seeing past those lights, even if her power didn’t short them out.

“Clear.� She called to them, motioning for her teammates to enter the facility.

Instantly, Wolverine wished he had stayed at home.

“Oh, my stars and garters.�

“Sweet Lord above.�

“Holy fuck.�

Beast, Shadowcat, and Dazzler were in no way ready for Wolverine’s reaction. He moved directly to the center of the room and turned in a slow, meaningful circle.

No matter what direction he turned in, he saw all the evidence he would ever need. Long rows of gray, metallic filing cabinets sectioned the room into something like a cornfield. It stretched, as far as he could tell, from one end of the floor to the other.

A nauseating turn of his stomach made Wolverine clench his belly, tempted to turn his stomach out on the pristine floors.

Instead, he glanced at the nearest cabinet and bolted down one of the rows.

It took only seconds for him to surmise what was inside. Each filing device bore a number, one eerily similar to what he found on Betsy and Ororo’s wrists in Alaska. He heard footsteps following him and soft, panicked calls of his name, but he ignored them.

Finally, he reached the one place he never wanted to be in. “Type: Elite� was written on a bold red sign above two rows of cabinets. Logan grabbed for Dazzler as she came closer and met her startled eyes.

“3480131.�

She looked confused.

“3480131.� Logan said again, slowly.

He grunted in satisfaction when Alison closed her eyes and repeated the number in her head several times. They split up, then, each taking a row and looking quickly at every impersonal sticker affixed to the filing drawers.

Without any thought to where Beast and Shadowcat had gone, he hastily checked each side of his designated row. It shocked him that there were so many. He had no idea there were scores of victims he didn’t know about.

“Wolvie!�

Hearing his bastardized name, Logan bolted for the end of the row, rounding it quickly and searching for Dazzler. He spotted her in the center of the makeshift hall, but the look on her youthful face sent his world into slow motion again.

Her words fell on deaf ears when he reached her. Logan glanced at the open drawer, finding Ororo’s number staring back at him. There were at least several dozen separate files on her. He took each of them from the drawer, handing them to a frightened Alison.

A neighboring cabinet also bore the number branded into his mind and he wrenched it open. Peering inside, his heart fell from his chest at the same time bezerker rage caused crimson to flood his vision. The world moved sharply into focus, his slow-motion vision gone in an instant.

When he removed a stack of videotapes from the drawer, tears ran unchecked down Alison’s cheeks.

“Don’t. Drop. Those.� He said to his companion in a growl that made his human side shiver.

She nodded mutely, following him when he trailed the scent of Beast and Shadowcat toward the southern end of the room. They were standing by a computer, which Kitty was saying took a very short time to download.

Wolverine didn’t care what they were downloading or why. He spotted a video player and swallowed thickly. Curiosity, they say, kills the cat. But Logan couldn’t resist. He wanted – no needed – to see what was on those tapes.

Heedless to Ali’s “Logan, don’t�, he handed Beast some of the tapes before cracking one unmarked black box open. He popped it into the player, flipping the button to play it.

At once, a wide monitor displayed the contents.

Kitty gasped, covering her mouth with both hands. Dazzler was sobbing, but he did not hear paper hit the floor. Beast was completely silent.

Logan could not take his eyes from the horror before him. On a flat, white examination table, was Ororo. The camera operator focused on her ashen face for scant seconds, but it was enough for the assembled mutants to see the haunted, vacant look in her eyes.

A pale man stepped up to the table, covered in surgical garb. Unfortunately for Nathaniel Essex, he had not yet covered his face with the protective mask.

“Subject number 3480131 Munroe, Ororo Type: Elite. Today we begin preparations for the ovum production.� said the man on the tape.

He covered his mouth and took a long scalpel from the nurse beside him. Logan was caught between the images before him and hazy, half-remembered nightmares of his own.

For several minutes, the X-Men watched as Ororo’s abdomen was opened. The doctors slipped long, torturous instruments inside of her, detailing the areas they scored in which to “capture� the eggs they would produce. She was motionless on the bed for a long time, which was something Logan was glad for.

No one on earth deserved these memories. It was better if she never, ever knew.

A beat later, the most terrible sound Logan would ever hear erupted from the screen. Ororo began to flail on the bed, her blood staining the nurses as they tried to restrain her. She was screaming, from the pain or violation, Logan was not sure. The sound was burned into his memory, more fuel for nightmares the he feared would never leave his mind.

“Turn it off!� Kitty screeched.

But Wolverine had overtaken Logan in a heartbeat. He screamed, with every ounce of rage, of despair, he could muster. Six long adamantium claws tore the flesh of his hands. The pain only spurred him on.

Beast tried to calm him, protectively moving the younger X-Men behind him. The animal was inconsolable, wanting only vengeance, only blood. Wolverine turned, slicing through the computer chair as easily as most could snap a toothpick. Kitty wept and Dazzler whimpered, but even their sounds of fear were not sufficient enough to drown out the feminine scream echoing in his mind.

“I’m gonna kill you, Sinister!� Wolverine snarled so loudly that it ricocheted in the cavernous room. “I’m gonna tear ya apart from the inside out!�

Wolverine raced from the screen, from the X-Men and down the hallways of cabinets. He wanted to tear it all apart with his bare hands. Nothing would make this right. What was done to her, to all of those women, was demonic on a level that would make the devil vomit.

Logan destroyed several filing cabinets before he ran out of room. Standing there, amid the clanging of metal meeting the tiled floor, the female weeping behind him and Beast’s placating tone, he snarled. Sharp eyes darted about, searching for something, anything else to tear apart.

His claws retracted. The beast fell silent and the man took over. Logan’s eyes narrowed on the sign above the entrance to a far corridor.

“Hank!�

~**~

Henry, Denali National Park

Ororo whistled loudly, clapping her hands together on perfect beat with the music. Mary was beside her, laughing while she clapped along with her. They were rather far-gone in drink, lost in the smoke and music of Dottie’s.

Red-haired Kenny was on stage, guitar slung over his shoulder while he played several cover songs. Currently, he was belting out Mary’s favorite Brooks and Dunn tune. She and Ororo, half a bottle of whiskey vanished between them, were singing word for word while dancing in their chairs.

When a lanky stranger passing through Henry paused at the table, openly leering at Ororo, she smiled sweetly.

“Not interested.�

He frowned, but shrugged one shoulder as he passed the table.

She continued singing with Mary, watching as Kenny’s nimble fingers manipulated the guitar.

“Bartender asks me, say son what’ll it be? I wanna shot at that red head yonder lookin’ at me! The dance floor’s hoppin’ and it’s hotter than the Fourth of July!�

Mary and Ororo screamed the line in unison. Kenny grinned in their direction, winking to his fiancé. The girls glanced at one another, then kicked off their boots. Clasping their hands together, they took off for the dance floor. Falling in line with the others, they quickly caught the rhythm.

Ororo pulled up the hem of her long skirt, keeping beside Mary as they threw themselves into the line dance. Both girls were laughing merrily, even when they drunkenly stumbled. Storm crashed into the Sheriff, who gave her a long suffering, if slightly amused smirk.

The song ended, making Ororo and Mary stumble back toward the table. Dottie’s was packed to maximum capacity. A slow song Ororo knew was aimed at her darling friend drifted into the room as several pairs of dancers coupled together. Travis Tritt’s “Drift Off To Dream� began in Kenny’s melodic and masculine voice.

While Mary stared at her fiancé, adoration in her dark eyes, Ororo found herself smiling sadly. She wanted, so desperately, for Logan to be here now. If she looked to the dance floor, she could see him there, Stetson askew, holding his hand out to her. When she blinked, the image was blown away with the swirling smoke.

Alison had missed her flight, though Mary assured Storm that it was a quick X-Men mission and she would come soon enough. Ororo had wondered to herself if Logan was with her. Was he all right?

She told herself, more than once, that Wolverine would bring everyone home in one piece. His loyalty and overprotective nature always brought them all through.

“Mary?�

“Uh-huh?�

The girl had her chin in her palm, her elbow propped on the table beside the half-empty bottle of whiskey. In those lovely eyes was eternity, contentment so real Ororo thought she could reach out and hold it in her hand.

“How did you know Ken was the one?�

Her eyes closed and she swayed to the music. “He can listen to me ramble on for hours about the proper way to fold a napkin. I can sit perfectly still while he rants about improper aircraft care. He makes me so mad I could honestly murder him some nights, I swear. Other times, he’s so damn honest and tender, I think my heart can’t take it. Even when we fight, I can tell he loves me. I just know, ‘Roro. I’d crack the sky and bring down the Lights if he asked me to.�

Ororo blinked the tears from her eyes quickly. It was not every day Mary admitted how much Kenny touched her. Love was written all over her face now and Ororo realized she had seen that expression before.

That night she danced with Logan.

Her heart suddenly clenched. Far off, lost in the sound of Kenny’s voice, she thought she heard an enraged cry. Something inside of her snapped and she jumped out of her chair as though something had bit her.

“I have to go.�

Mary called her name, but Ororo rushed out of the bar, forgetting about her boots in the mad dash to get outside. She knocked a young woman over, stuttering an apology even as she bolted for the truck waiting in the parking lot.

The keys were still in the ignition. Ororo slammed the car door and roared the truck to life. Mary was in the entrance to the bar, confusion written all over her lovely face as Storm hit the gas. Her truck kicked up gravel and earth as she shot onto the highway.

She was crazy, she had to be. Whatever had kicked to life inside of her was undeniable, no matter how she tried to talk herself out of it. So many times, her resolve had worn down. She would find herself in the Anchorage airport, contemplating a ticket in the general direction of New York.

This time, though, she wouldn’t change her mind at the ticket counter. Ororo yanked the cellular phone from her glove compartment and punched in the airport’s number. When the ticket agent answered, she exhaled sharply.

“I need a direct flight from Anchorage to New York City. When?� she let a hollow laugh escape her lips. “Six months ago. No, I mean tomorrow. Tonight. Anything.�

She listened while the ticket agent punched in the information. A moment later the young man told her he had one seat on one flight that would leave Anchorage in four hours with a stop in Chicago.�

“Yes, hold that for me.�

“Yes, ma’am.�

Ororo switched the phone off after giving the man her information. Tossing the slender plastic device onto the passenger seat, she pulled into her driveway.

Mary and Kenny had caught up with her two hours after she left the bar. Ororo, already running late, quickly explained that she was going to New York. To Logan. Kenny fell into her sofa, sighing dramatically. Mary squealed in that decibel only dolphins can hear, then hurried to help her friend pack.

Taking the young couple up on their offer to a ride to her little blue plane, she let Kenny take her single suitcase while Mary loaded the dogs up. Realizing she had forgotten something, Ororo rushed back into the house. She grabbed the photograph off of the freezer door and clutched it in a clammy palm.

The dogs were coming with her, already stowed with others in rented kennels. She worried for them, but the moment she said she was going to Logan, they went wild. There was no way she could leave them both behind.

It was insane, irrational, and completely unlike her. She was going to crawl back to Logan if she had to. What Mary and Kenny had she wanted with everything in her body. When she sent Logan back to the X-Men, the life she willingly abandoned, with him went her heart. Hope and contentment were wherever he was.

“Now boarding flight 813, Anchorage to Chicago rows 1 through 5.�

Ororo stood up, slinging her single overnight bag over one shoulder. Mary and Kenny had remained in Henry, giving her warm wishes as she took to the air in her private plane. She had to do the rest of this alone.

Terrified, of rejection, of being just a little too late, she swallowed hard. The ticket agent smiled when she handed him her boarding pass.

“Welcome to Alaskan Airlines, I hope you have a nice trip.�

“I truly hope so.�

The boarding ramp seemed enormous and tiny at the same time. It took every ounce of strength she had to take the first, fateful steps down it. Once she realized what she was doing, she stopped.

A bright smile erupted over her face and she raced down the walk.

~**~

Xavier’s Institute for Higher Learning
14 hours and 38 minutes later

The cab driver must have been utterly perplexed by the woman who flagged him down at the airport. She was grinning, though the dark circles under her eyes said she’d had little sleep. She had two dogs with her, but promised they would not make a mess.

He drove her to Westchester, peeking at her in the rear view mirror to find her bouncing in her seat.

“Seein’ family or something?�

She beamed at him. “A man.�

“Ahh,� he smiled at her. “Boyfriend?�

“Love of my life, but I was too stupid to see it until last night. I am here to grovel, beg, and otherwise make an idiot out of myself until he forgives me.�

The driver’s eyes went wide. He glanced at this fare again, to find she was staring out of the windows as he pulled up to the address she had given him.

“Lucky man.�

“If he wants me, I am the lucky one.�

When the cab stopped, she bounded out of the door, her dogs in tow. She tossed the driver several bills, which more than covered the fare.

“Thank you.�

With that, she turned to the huge iron gates of what the sign said was a school. Shaking his head, confused and mildly amused, the cab driver pulled away. Ororo rushed to the gate, only after ensuring both Huskies were snapped onto their leashes. Once they saw the grounds, she was sure they would rush off to inspect it.

To her surprise, her code still worked on the gate.

Her courage had not failed her during the long flight, the layover in Chicago and it stayed with her as she reached the mansion’s massive front doors. It was summer now, so she only heard a few children laughing somewhere behind the house.

Without bothering to knock, she pushed one heavy door open and stuck her head inside.

“Logan?�

Silence.

Ororo took a moment to fashion a quick dog run by tying the handles of long leashes to the bike rack on the grass. Neither dog seemed fussed by it, so Storm walked fully into the house she had abandoned.

Sounds of teenage boys playing with video games – well, she supposed they could have been adults – went ignored as she moved through the foyer. Everything was exactly as she remembered it, down the smell of lunch drifting in from the kitchen.

“Logan?�

Though she could hear some of the students speak as they realized someone was in the mansion, she simply moved up the stairs. If she remembered correctly, Logan’s room was on the third floor of the east wing.

Marie and Bobby screamed when they saw her, but she brushed past them. Ororo’s old room was across from the one Logan had overtaken.

“Down two more,� Marie called. “He moved a while ago.�

Tossing a thank you over her shoulder, Ororo jogged the next two meters. Outside his door, she paused. If he was home, if he was with someone…she exhaled sharply. That was the price she would pay for being stubborn. She was going to tell him, come hell or high water.

“He is not there.�

Ororo stiffened instantly. Her eyes drifted closed. She had not even heard the whine of his wheelchair approach. Knowing him, he had placed himself there when he felt her coming. A telepath usually did things like that without thinking about it.

It took her an age to turn around. She had to force her body to move, to face the man she thought dead. Charles was in his wheelchair, dressed in a pressed gray suit. He looked older than she remembered, but in his eyes was the same benevolent smile she had come to adore.

“Ororo.�

“Charles.�

They stared at one another for a long time, neither making any attempt to speak. Ororo wanted to see Logan, Charles was a side effect. She had spared him no thought during the long flight, consumed with a million scenarios, things she wanted to say to the man she loved.

“I…�

“Don’t.� She stopped her former mentor. “I do not care how you survived or why you kept it from me. I was – I am – angry with you, but I cannot dwell on that now, Charles.�

“I understand,� he said quietly. “I wanted to say that I have missed you.�

His simple, honest words made Ororo rush to him. She kneeled, enveloping the man in a strong embrace. He returned it, rubbing her back slightly. When they pulled away, he cleared his throat quickly.

“As for the object of your search,� he offered, pointing to the door. “He is not here.�

Ororo frowned. “But he is on an X-Men mission.�

Charles said nothing.

Panic clutching at her heart, Ororo turned toward the door. “Charles, Alison told her friends that she was on a mission.�

“For all I know, they are. I was in Washington when they left. I located Beast, Shadowcat, Dazzler and Wolverine in Australia, but I am hesitant to contact them.�

Further confused, Ororo blinked at him. “Why?�

“Perhaps you should open that door. I believe it will answer several questions.�

She did not need to be told twice. In three steps, she grabbed the doorknob and pushed the bedroom door open. “By the Goddess.�

One trembling hand came up to her mouth. Though the room was clean, the walls were papered with pictures and notations. Ororo saw photographs of every victim of the kidnappings she knew of and scores more of those she did not. Slowly, reverently, she walked toward one of the walls.

Mixed in with tacked up photos and crime scene reports were Post-It notes. Many of them were simply notes that went with his “case�, but others, she noticed immediately, were personal. Two bore lyrics from that song she loved. Another commented on her humming skin. Yet another mentioned how her eyes lit up when she laughed.

Tears were close to the surface, even as Charles wheeled into the doorway.

“You, my dear girl, have become his life.� His voice was soft, soothing. “I have often worried that he was descending into madness. This case, this mystery, was consuming him.�

“I…I do not understand.� Her fingers lingered over a Post-It note that said, quite simply “I still want her�.

“I believe he located information on the man responsible for the abductions. His reluctance to tell me and the theft of the Blackbird…�

Turning sharply to Charles, she halted his words when he caught her laughing.

“He stole the Blackbird?�

Even the bald telepath had to smile. “Oh, yes.�

When she reached Logan’s file-laden desk, she gently ran her fingers over a stack of unopened mail. What had he discovered? Was he all right? When would he be home?

“I will leave you to get comfortable. Peter will care for your dogs.�

Charles closed the door behind him, leaving Ororo alone in Logan’s room. She could smell faint cigar smoke, the tang of something that belonged to her Wolverine alone. Charles said that Logan’s quest consumed him, but the notes on the walls spoke to her on a more personal level. He wanted vengeance, justice for her as he promised during the long nights in Alaska.

Deciding that she would keep to her promise, to ensure she told him what she needed to, Ororo curled up on Logan’s bed. The sheets were clean, which made her frown. The pillow did not smell of him, as she hoped.

She found a flannel shirt in a ball beside the bed and brought it to her face. Inhaling the scent of her love, she fell asleep surrounded by his things. When he came home, she would tell him everything she needed to.

Chapter Sixteen: Touch

When you meet that certain someone
You've been searchin’ hard to find
It's a new love full of passion
That can sometimes make you blind
I don't mind being swept away
If I know right from the start
So before we go much further, girl
Can I trust you with my heart?
~Travis Tritt


Sydney, Australia


The animal within was calming, though Logan could feel it clawing at his tentative control. He wanted to raze the entire building to the ground. So far gone had he been that it frightened him. To his great surprise, just one look at that corridor was enough to bring the beast up short.

Hank came rushing toward him, followed by much more tentative footsteps. Neither girl had ever seen him really lose it. Sure, over the course of their time together he had gotten more than a little angry, but the bezerker was still someone a mystery.

Until now.

“What is it, Logan?� the blue mutant doctor questioned.

“That say “Cryogenic Storage� or my eyes goin’ bad?�

Without waiting for a reply, Logan moved toward the corridor. The lack of security on this level was strange. Either Essex was stupid or cocky. Not that it mattered very much. The second Wolverine got his hands on the masochistic doctor he was dog food.

He noticed that Kitty had pulled a bag from her uniform, obviously prepared for any situation. Both girls tucked Ororo’s files and videotapes into the bag while Hank moved toward the storage area.

“Why don’t ya look up Betsy’s files, too? She might want those.�

“Sure,� Shadowcat replied cautiously.

“Her number’s 6720904.�

“You remember numbers like that a lot?� Alison questioned as she zipped the bag carefully.

Logan shrugged. Confident that the girls could handle any trouble that might arise, he jogged in the general direction Hank had gone in. If the stolen ovum were indeed kept here, he would have to trust Beast knew what he was doing. Logan’s heart rate sped a little as he met up with his friend.

There were doors on either side of the corridor, like something out of a supermarket. Logan looked over Beast’s shoulder, noting the dozens of little chambers through the thick glass. They were numbered, as the filing cabinets were, but the look on Beast’s face did not herald good news.

“They are empty.�

His heart rate dropped so fast, Logan wondered if it stopped altogether. Hank threw one of the doors open and grabbed at the rack, seemingly unafraid of the frigid metal inside. A scowl the likes of which Wolverine had never seen on his friend’s face appeared a split second before a growl.

Each row of numbered racks had tiny holes in it, reminding Logan of Beast’s test tube container back in New York. Every rack they pulled out was completely empty.

“They moved the stored ovum. I believe, my friend, that we are still several steps behind Mr. Sinister.�

There was a deadly edge to Beast’s voice. Raising a dark brow, Logan tentatively reached out to touch his shoulder.

Apparently, that was all Beast needed.

With strength that momentarily stunned Logan, Hank put his hands on either side of the empty storage container and yanked it from the wall. Wolverine jumped back, narrowing avoiding what would have been a very long recovery period. The unit crashed to the tile floor, denting it as the sound resonated like a gunshot.

“Hey, man, breathe.�

Beast’s blue eyes were wild as he turned to Wolverine.

“What sort of monster does this?� He roared in a voice that was somewhat alien to the usually docile mutant.

“Ya finally caught up with the rest of us?� Wolverine offered with a slight smile.

“I tried to deny it,� Beast said shakily. “I thought, perhaps, that the missing ovum were simply a side effect. But what I saw on that tape... They did this to my sweet Ororo intentionally.�

Swallowing thickly, Logan nodded. “Yeah, man. They did.�

“No person with such lacking morals, with such distaste for human life should carry the doctor title. This…this is in violation of every oath we must take. It is an abomination! An atrocity the likes of which mutant kind has never seen! How? How could anyone with a soul do this?�

Startled by Beast’s emotion, Wolverine shrugged one shoulder. “I dunno, bub. But we ain’t leavin’ empty handed. Kitten got shit from the computer, we have hard files. Somethin’ in there oughta help.�

Beast turned to Logan again, despair and hopelessness still radiating from his normally soft eyes. For some reason, the often-feral mutant felt for his gentle friend’s loss. Illusions were being shattered left and right, which wasn’t easy for anyone.

Unfortunately, the girls came rushing into the corridor like the demons of hell were on their tails before he could say anything more. The bag they had was filled to bursting now. Logan could see the zipper straining.

“Cops. Lots of ‘em,� Alison said quickly.

“Hank!� Kitty practically whined. She stomped to the rather impressive hole he had left in the wall, pointing to several buzzing wires. “You dorkass.�

Beast had the grace to blush.

“Anyone got an exit plan that starts like…now?� Dazzler said quickly as Logan heard the sirens outside.

Snikt! He flashed a smile as the sound of his claws releasing resonated through the room.

“Actually, I’ve got a better idea,� Beast said softly. He pointed one long, blue finger toward a far window.

“No fuckin’ way.� Alison and Wolverine said in unison.

Kitty shrugged and made a beeline for the window washer’s apparatus hanging innocently outside. From the sirens, Logan surmised that the police were coming right through the front door of the building several stories below. The window faced east, leaving the mutants a diagonal escape route, if they managed to get down before the police surrounded the building.

Beast followed agile Shadowcat as she flipped the full bag over her shoulder so it rested against her leather-covered back. In lieu of fighting with the window lock, she merely phased through it. She popped a hand out, bringing Beast through with barely a pause.

“Man,� Dazzler groaned. “This is gonna suck.�

Wolverine grabbed her arm as the elevator dinged behind them. “Yeah, but no choice now, darlin’.�

He pushed her to the window, relieved when Kitty yanked her through the solid glass quickly. A glance over his shoulder and carefully trained ears said that the police were moving cautiously through the rows of filing cabinets.

It was a tough choice. He wanted to remain behind and eviscerate several officers. Did they know who they were protecting? He thought not, but the urge to kill was so strong in him that he could almost taste blood. Scents of fear drifted toward him like ambrosia.

A whooshing sound preceded Kitty’s head and arm reaching through the glass. Without so much as a warning, the slender girl pulled him onto the platform outside.

“Sorry,� she said quietly.

“S’ok,� he replied as Beast grabbed the apparatus controls. “Fergot I was an X-Man for a minute.�

“Yeah,� the young brunette nodded as they began a sharp decent. “I would, too, if I was in your shoes.�

He didn’t want to think about what she meant as they dropped fifty floors in fifteen seconds. While the police upstairs scratched their heads, wondering where the intruders had gone, four mutant burglars slipped unseen into the Australian night.

~**~

Xavier’s Institute for Higher Learning
24 hours later

By the time Beast and Shadowcat landed the Blackbird beneath the mansion’s basketball court, the entire team was exhausted. They snapped at one another the entire way, lack of sleep, food, and proper bathing pushing them to the brink of all out war.

Amid the bickering and “Who farted?� there was an underlying tension. They all knew they would have to explain themselves to the other teammates, and what they had found was going to be hard to go through again. Logan didn’t want to contemplate what some of the other X-Men would say when they realized how badly Storm had been treated.

It was a relief to step out of the Blackbird. His duffel over one shoulder and their collected “evidence� on the other, he was first off the plane. They had only spent enough time in Sydney after the robbery to grab their bags. Should the hotel manager become suspicious, they did not want to be caught in a foreign country without the Professor’s long arm.

Wolverine didn’t want them to chance losing what had been found.

He waited impatiently for the elevator that would take him to the mansion levels, shifting the bags over his shoulders. A bath, food, and then he would sleep for a week. The others on his crusade had silently agreed that Logan should look everything over first. It was, after all, his crusade.

When the elevator doors parted, he groaned.

“Aww, ya couldn’t wait ten hours ta corner me?�

“I apologize, Logan, but I must speak with you.� Charles wheeled his chair back to make room, allowing his X-Men inside.

“Look, Dad,� Wolverine practically snarled. “I’m sorry I took the car without asking, but I didn’t crash it.�

Charles wanted to scowl at him, Logan could smell it on him. Instead, the patient mutant simply nodded. “Thank you. But that is not what I wish to speak with you about.�

“Can’t it wait? I’ve been gone three days, two of those days spent on a plane with cranky girls and a furry guy. I’m tired. I’m hungry. And I’m startin’ ta smell myself, which is never a good sign.�

“Unfortunately, it cannot.�

“Yeah, it can.� Logan snapped, stepping out of the elevator before the doors were opened completely.

He ignored Chuck’s call, brushing past several students who tried to say hello. He did wave at Artie, knowing the young amphibian would take it as a personal slight if he didn’t. Logan liked the kid, and he knew when to stay back.

As Wolverine made his way to the eastern wing and up the stairs, he found yet another waiting for him on the second landing.

“Come on, already!� He growled to no one in particular.

“We have to talk, Logan.� Betsy said as she rushed down to walk with him.

“It can wait.�

“No, it can’t,� she countered. He saw her sniff a little and grimace.

“Yeah, it will.� He told her as he marched up the remaining stairs.

“Just stop for a moment!�

“NO!� He shouted, turning to growl in the young telepath’s face. “Look, I’m fuckin’ tired. I’m really fuckin’ hungry, an’ I stink. Can’t this damn place run on it’s own for two fuckin’ days without people ambushing me the second my damn foot is inside the goddamn door?�

“Well!� Betsy crossed her arms over her chest and scowled at him.

“Bets, ya know I love ya, but back the fuck off. If somethin’ in yer house done broke, wait a few hours or call a fuckin’ repairman.�

He noticed Chuck at the foot of the stairs. “Ya wanna verbally ass ream me fer goin’ off on an unofficial mission, wait till tomorrow.�

“As fer the rest of ya,� he shouted to any and all listening. “Leave me the fuck alone or I will actually start killin’ people.�

With his point made, he turned sharply to go down the hall. Every footstep felt like an eternity. He only wanted to be left alone, in his obsession-covered Cave, to recover from the mission. The beast inside of him was roaring for a good fight.

“Logan?�

“Did I not make myself clear?� He snapped at Rogue as she peered out of her bedroom door.

“Let him go, Marie.�

Betsy’s soft tone stopped the young mutant as Logan stomped toward his bedroom. He just wanted some alone time. In this house, he knew, it could be a tall order. This was insanity, though. Normally the occupants of the school gave a snarling Wolverine wide berth. It was somewhat surprising that they were so damned insistent on stopping him.

As Logan threw open his bedroom door, he dimly wondered what was so important that they couldn’t give him a little breathing room.

~**~

Ororo stepped out of the shower and toweled quickly. Someone was shouting in the hall, but she couldn’t hear exactly what was being said. Assuming it was merely students arguing over the television or a borrowed sweater, she went back to readying for bed.

No one questioned her as she returned for the last two nights to Logan’s bed. She caught up with her friends and cared for her dogs, but nighttime was spent in Logan’s private space. The Professor was still oddly formal, tension between them would take much more time to abate. She did, however, enjoy the tour through the Worthington home, sipping ice-cold beer on the back porch while watching the children play football.

She was reminded of the things she loved about this place and the people within it. Though she knew she had been happy here, she missed Alaska already. It did not help that every time she entered a room, her vision would turn hazy and she could swear Jean or Scott were smiling a greeting.

That pain was something she would never be free of.

Donning a pair of black yoga pants and a gray t-shirt, she brushed her hair quickly. Jet lag was killing her, but tonight she would likely get on the right schedule. As soon as she fed the dogs, she would tuck herself into Logan’s bed.

The last time she saw him, she had said she would lose so much of her life waiting for him. That still terrified her, the very idea that should his wanderlust kick into high gear he might drift into the night. She did not want to be alone. But time had been lost already. Perhaps, if she managed to find a shred of hope, it would not end so badly as she thought.

Placing the wet towel on the rack to dry, Ororo opened the bathroom door in time to see the one leading to the hall slam open. Her breath caught in her throat as a burly, snarling man closed it so loudly behind him that she thought the wall might crack.

He dropped two black bags to the floor, leaning his hands on the door while he tried to catch his breath. Ororo could not so much as inhale, afraid she was hallucinating again. But a heartbeat later, Logan sniffed quickly, as though he had finally scented her.

It seemed to take an age for him to turn. Her heart ached at how lost and hollow he looked. His hair was longer, falling into his eyes. He had grown a beard sometime in the last several months. Old clothing was rumpled and he seemed unable to move.

Ororo had thought of a million things she would say to him the instant he appeared. She had rehearsed lines like a professional actress, thought up the various ways this scenario would play out. But as he stood in his bedroom, staring at her across the short distance separating their bodies, her mind betrayed her.

Nothing sprang from her lips. Carefully composed apologies, pleas were lost as he simply stared at her with those dark, naked eyes. The emotion swirling in those ebony pools was too much for her to pick out what he was feeling. She managed to glance at his hands, finding them balled into fists. Was he angry that she was here? Did he want to touch her?

“Logan.�

Her love said nothing. He continued staring at her, hard and unblinking. She wished for Jean’s power for the first time, wanting to know what was going on inside his beautiful mind. Unable to do anything else, Ororo cleared her throat, trying to swallow over the tense lump now forming there.

“I can go if you want me to.� She said when her voice returned.

Logan’s jaw set. She could see one side twitch. Finally, he slowly shook his head.

“Come. Here.�

Ororo, always a bright woman, did not have to be told twice. She practically flew across the room as his arms opened. One quick hop as she neared him launched her into his waiting arms. She wrapped one of her legs around his hip to balance them as her arms wrapped around his neck.

They didn’t kiss, or even speak again for several seconds. Logan buried his face in her wet hair, his massive hands flattening over her back to hold her close. Ororo rested her chin on his shoulder; squeezing him so tightly her arms ached. His embrace was so familiar, so long pined for, that it momentarily knocked her senseless.

Wetness dropped onto her neck and shoulder, dampening her t-shirt. She had caught him off guard, with the armor he depended on down. Knowing this, she chose to not exploit it. Instead, she simply held him more tightly, gently kissing his neck.

“I’m sorry,� she whispered at last. “I’m sorry, Logan.�

“Don’t,� he choked into her hair. “It’s ok.�

“No, it’s not,� she went on, emotion flooding her voice. “I was stubborn and prideful and it has taken me far too long to realize it.�

“I don’t care,� he answered, shifting her against his chest. “I really don’t right now.�

“Shh.� Ororo soothed, running her hand through the long hair grazing the nape of his neck.

“I should tell ya,� he continued. “What happened an’ all.�

“Later,� she replied quietly. “Time for that later.�

Logan’s grip relaxed slightly. Taking her cue, Ororo slowly lowered herself to the floor, keeping her hands on Logan as she did so. His fingers found the swell of her hips and rested there, even as their foreheads met.

He was looking at her as though she would vanish if he blinked and that was his greatest fear. Ororo leaned up to kiss his lips quickly, tenderly, a silent promise that she was not going anywhere. Logan’s hands flew up to cup her cheeks, holding her in place for several more seconds.

“Yer here.� His whisper was filled with a sort of wonder.

“I am.� She replied, brushing the long locks from his eyes. “I will be wherever you are.�

He smiled softly. “We sound like one of those books Kitten’s always reading.�

Ororo chuckled. “Mmm. We cannot have that.�

“Funny,� Logan grunted as his lips brushed hers. “I don’t give a shit right now.�

Smiling into his kiss, she buried her hands back in his hair, pulling him down so he was forced to come closer. His answering smile made her heart nearly burst.

“I’d love ta continue this,� he broke off quickly. “But I stink.�

Dizzy from his tender kiss, Ororo had to shake her head to clear the fog from it. She raised a brow, then leaned forward to sniff at him quickly. Not bothered by the scent of a very sweaty man, she shrugged both shoulders.

“You smell fine to me.�

“Uh-huh, sure I do.� He cupped her face again, wrapping her in another toe-curling kiss. “Give me five minutes, ok? Don’t go nowhere.�

Ororo nodded, releasing him only when he was too far away for her hands to reach. He backed toward the bathroom, watching her until he was forced to turn away. Alone now, Ororo giggled to herself, somewhat giddy by his welcome.

Her eyebrow shot up when she spotted the shadow of two pairs of feet beneath the doorway. Hearing the water turn on in the bathroom, she quickly opened the door, startling a pair of young mutants waiting on the other side.

Marie and Bobby looked downright ashamed.

“Sorry,� Iceman said instantly.

“We brought food,� Marie offered, handing Ororo a covered tray. Bobby provided two unopened beers.

“Good. Now, run along and stop eavesdropping.� She chided them, making a shooing motion with her hand.

Both mutants took off down the hall. From their whispering, Ororo was certain they were about to run all over the mansion, telling everyone they found that Wolverine was letting Storm stay in his room.

Not bothered by the X-Men rumor mill – which easily rivaled a knitting circle – she put the tray of food on the bed, setting the beers on the nightstand. She stretched her arms above her head, popping her neck from side to side.

Concerned that the dogs would not get their dinner, she used the mansion’s intercom system to ask if Peter would mind taking care of them. Perhaps it was just her imagination, but she could have sworn the serious man was smirking when he readily agreed. Rogue and Iceman obviously moved fast.

“Ya brought the kids?�

Logan’s voice made her smile. She turned quickly, raising a brow. “Yes, your children have missed you.�

His eyes were dancing with mischief, but Ororo tilted her head to openly gape at him. His hair was wet, his body covered in steam-induced sweat. A towel was slung loosely over his slender hips. Ororo could not help but appreciate the view, especially as he ran a hand through that hair. Watching his muscles clench and release made desire thud through her veins with the power of a shotgun blast.

“Don’t go gettin’ any ideas just yet.� Logan told her as he moved back into the bathroom.

Struck with inspiration, Ororo dove for her makeup case. She removed a pair of trimming scissors and an electric razor before sliding into the bathroom with Logan. He was cleaning his ears in front of the cloudy mirror.

“What’s goin’ on?� he asked as she pushed him away from the sink.

Ororo hopped onto the counter, thankful that the space between the edge and the sink was wide enough for her backside. She crooked a finger at Logan, making him step up between her thighs. She grabbed his chin, turning his head from side to side. His hands rested on her thighs, his thumbs rubbing slow circles over her clothing.

“Do you trust me?�

At her question, he met her eyes again. He had absolutely no reason to trust her after the way she treated him. She hoped he had not lost all faith in her. The loss would be too much for her to bear.

“Yeah,� he grunted a moment later.

She held up the scissors, which earned her a raised brow. “I like the beard.�

“Do ya?� he checked his reflection in the mirror. “S’all right I guess.�

“Mmm,� Ororo waggled her eyebrows. “It looks good on you.�

She set to work trimming his beard while he tugged on a wet lock of white before twisting it with one of his irresistible fingers. Ororo wrapped her leg around his hip again, squeezing so he would stop. It was difficult to concentrate when he was touching her like that.

Half an hour later, her backside was numb, but Logan’s beard was neat. He washed his face, admiring her work in the mirror over her shoulder.

“Not bad,� Logan admitted before kissing her again.

She hummed against his lips, wrapping her arms about his neck. It seemed too easy, too right for him to have just let her back in. She supposed it had something to do with the haunted look in his eyes. Something had happened in Australia that lowered his infamous emotional armor.

Being in his room at that precise moment was something like fate.

“I need food,� Logan growled against her lips. “And sleep. But yer not goin’ anywhere.�

“No, I am not,� she agreed. “Come, I shall feed you and put you to bed, now.�

With hands linked together, Ororo led him back into the bedroom and did just that.

~**~

Something was tickling his face. Groggy, Logan brushed at the silk that was currently irritating him out of sleep. He did not open his eyes, but a quick inhale brought comforting scent. He knew that smell, but the exhaustion lingered, keeping his mind from connecting the dots.

A warm, pliable body was beside his. Something heavy was making his arm numb, but when he shifted, the heavy object scooted closer.

’Ro.

His eyes snapped open, heart threatening to beat out of his chest. Beneath his soft cotton blanket was a lithe body, outlined in the deep blue duvet. Long, white hair erupted from the top, trailing over until it covered his face.

Brushing at the hair, he pulled the blanket back carefully. Ororo was asleep on his arm, her entire body molded against his. Blinking, remembering the previous night in a rush, he flopped back down against the pillows.

Not a dream. She was really here, lying in his bed. A slow, content smile crossed his lips. Gently, he pulled his arm from under her head, laying her on the pillow. When she whimpered at the loss of contact, he shifted closer, lying on his side. She folded that humming body closer, her nose almost pressing into his.

One of his hands snaked under the blanket, resting on her lycra-covered hip. Propped up on one arm, as he had a night so many months before, Logan looked down at her. He watched the steady rise and fall of her chest as she slept, wondering how in the world things had changed so dramatically.

They had not explained themselves the night before. His weary mind and body could not handle it and she seemed hell bent on taking care of him. After watching him inhale his dinner, she turned out the lights, lying with him on the bed that smelled of her. She put her buzzing hands on his skin, luring him into sleep.

Nothing could have prepared him for opening the door after such a terrible few days, to see her standing in his room. Well, perhaps that was what Chuck and Bets had been trying to tell him. He didn’t really care. The surprise was exactly what he needed.

Exhaustion – physical and emotional – made him easily cast away every reason to send her out on her ass. He didn’t want to. He had ached and grieved for this woman for far too long to simply play the mule. If she had come here for him, she was ready to crawl. He knew, without a doubt, that he could have reduced her to tearful groveling if he wanted to.

It wasn’t worth it. For those long moments when all he could do was stare, he’d been convincing himself that it was a dream. A trick his tired mind was playing on him. Of all the things in the world, he wanted her back and here she was.

Only when she spoke did the reality cave in on him. She was too far away. She was supposed to be in his arms. That first, desperate embrace made his world spin right off it’s axis, sending him into a spiral he hadn’t known was possible. Fear that she would vanish was replaced by that warm, sated feeling she always gave him.

Still, he was afraid. He wanted to just reach out and hand her his heart, to trust her to care for it. Uncertainty and pain were his only constants, making him more than a little gun-shy. When she woke up, they would have to talk about everything that had happened in the months spent apart.

The woman in question grunted in her sleep, muttering something under her breath.

“What’s that, darlin’?� Logan whispered, nudging her cheek with his nose.

She cuddled closer, her breathing becoming shallower as she struggled toward waking.

“Want Logan.� Her murmured words made him grin.

“Right here, darlin’,� he replied. “Just gotta open yer eyes.�

As though he had shouted, two cerulean eyes popped open. She sat bolt upright in bed, almost tossing him to the floor. Unable to help himself, Logan laughed.

“LOGAN!�

She squealed. Logan laughed harder. He hadn’t actually laughed this way in so long, he felt as though a damn had burst. A heartbeat later, he wound up with an armful of Ororo. She flattened him to the bed, kissing his still-smiling lips as though her life depended on it.

“Hi,� he teased when she pulled back.

Her long, lean body was completely on top of his, ensuring they touched from head to toe. She wiggled her arms under his back to pull him closer to her. Her nose nuzzled his gently.

“Good morning,� she answered. “You are home.�

“Yeah,� he raised a brow. “Thought we covered that part last night.�

Ororo melted into him, letting his hands find their way to her back. She was humming louder than usual, like a completely contented cat. Her hair was a mess from twisting in against the pillows and her face was puffy from sleep. She was the single most beautiful thing he had ever seen.

Unable to help himself, he brought one hand from her back to her face. He brushed his thumb over one sleep swollen cheek, his eyes tracing every line of the face he had missed so long.

“Before we say or do anythin’,� he whispered. She frowned slightly. “I gotta know somethin’.�

As though she read his mind, Ororo swallowed hard. “I love you. I waited here for two days trying to find a way to tell you that. We can live here or Alaska or the dark side of the moon, I do not care. I want to wake up like this as often as I can for as long as you want me.�

“Whoa,� he breathed when she finished.

Ororo smiled softly, brushing hair from his face. “I love you.� She repeated this twice, never blinking as she held his gaze.

He felt the walls around his heart, what little of them remained, crumble at the honesty in her voice.

She was watching him carefully. Logan exhaled very slowly, trying to get his emotions under control. It wasn’t like him to be so weak, so vulnerable to a woman. But he wanted this one. Her and no other.

“I love ya,� he whispered at last, earning him one of those 1000-watt smiles. “I’ll love ya fer a good, long time.�

Everything suddenly clicked into place. Ororo kissed him eagerly, shifting that long body against his. He couldn’t resist the siren call of her buzzing skin any longer. A good night’s sleep, letting his mutation repair any damage, left him energized and awake.

He smoothed his hands down her back again, easily flipping them over. Her delectable lips parted, leaving him ample opportunity to slide his tongue inside. Her taste was familiar, bringing him back to the last times he’d held her in his arms.

Unlike those nights, this one wouldn’t end with him leaving. He was staying right here, with this woman, until the world came down around their ears. No lying, no dead professors, no overwhelming fears. In this bed, at this moment, it was just them.

Trailing wet kisses down her throat, he let his hands come up. The stretchy material was brought up to reveal a wealth of smooth cocoa skin. Logan bent his head, licking his way up over the ripple of her ribcage. Ororo arched her back, making him groan, as she pulled the shirt from her body.

He took both suddenly bare breasts into his hands, rolling the dark nipples between his fingers until they hardened. The room’s temperature jumped up several notches, which made the desire already pounding through his body scream for more. Goosebumps raced over Ororo’s skin, which gleamed in the sunlight pouring from his windows.

She gasped when he took one hard peak into his mouth, rolling his tongue over it languidly. Her legs opened, giving him room to settle there. Though he already ached with arousal, he refused to hurry himself. He wanted to remember and explore her just right.

Lavishing both of her breasts with attention, he released them to continue working his way down. Ororo fidgeted against the bed, the scent of her arousal sending a jolt through his system. He found she was ticklish on her ribcage, but nipping at her smooth, flat belly made her groan. Heat flooded the room around him, making sweat bead on his forehead.

His hands hooked in the waistband of her pants so he could drag them down. He revealed her to him inch by inch, leaving no bare flesh untouched. The garment was tossed carelessly over his back, landing somewhere in the vicinity of his desk along with her panties.

Taking his time was quickly driving her insane. He wondered, not for the first time, if she had anyone else in their time apart. His own aborted attempts weighed heavily on his mind for only seconds. As soon as she gasped again, he was somehow certain there were no other women on the face of the earth.

Searching lips traced the line of her thigh, over her knee and down her calf before he moved to the other one. She was pleading with him without words. Her body twitched and quivered wherever he touched, a quiet plea for more of his attention. Giving no thought to the beast inside of him that screamed to claim her or the erection tenting his boxers, he scooted up her body until he could capture her flushed lips.

“Logan,� she whimpered when he released her, scrambling back down her body. “What are you doing?�

“Havin’ breakfast,� he answered simply as he settled between her thighs.

He heard her startled gasp, felt when she propped up on her elbows to stare at him, but he was intent on his task now. Sniffing like a canine after prey, he dipped his fingers into the patch of white covering her center. Slowly, torturously Logan leaned forward until he could taste her.

Resolve snapped in an instant. Her taste, which he had indulged in only once that first night in her bed, was more addicting than her humming flesh. He flicked his tongue over her swollen clit, rewarded when her hands gripped his hair. Setting to work on her, Logan watched her face over the swells of her breasts.

Ororo was biting her lip, arching sharply up, as though offering herself to him. Logan was forced to close his eyes when he slid a thick finger inside of her, only to have her inner walls clamp down. He wanted to be inside of her, but first he would make her shatter.

Following his instincts and her reactions, Logan moved his mouth over her expertly. Her hands fisted in his hair, pulling with every grunt and gasp that left her throat. She panted his name, begging him to take her higher. His hand worked her quickly while his tongue laved at her clit.

Part of his male pride inflated when it took scant moments to bring her to climax. He was certain, now, that she’d had no other. Logan didn’t know why, but that made him deliriously happy.

As she came down from her high, Logan suckled and nipped at her flesh, drinking her in until he felt her shivers begin to subside. Her hand fell limply from his hair as she gasped for stolen breath. Logan licked his lips as he shimmied back up her body.

“By the Goddess,� she stammered against his lips. Ororo kissed him eagerly, her tongue doing things to his mouth that made him shiver.

He wasn’t quite sure how, but a moment later she had worked his boxers off. Smiling against her mouth, Logan smoothed his hands over her legs. His lust-filled body would allow no more delays. Ororo arched her back again, shifting her hips until her soaking core met his aching arousal.

They groaned in unison, even as Logan dropped his weight onto his elbows. He deepened their kiss, letting her hands slide between them. His moan was lost in her mouth as she wrapped one delicate hand around his cock and gently pulled him closer.

Once she positioned them both to her liking, Logan thrust sharply. He entered her in one stroke, groaning her name until it was one long syllable. Ororo locked her legs around his waist, her heels digging into his backside.

Their kiss only broke when air became necessity. Logan let himself fall into her, the bliss of being inside her again too much for his brain to handle. He set a slow pace, enjoying every flutter of her muscles, every gasp, every shiver she rewarded him with. As he had wished he had six months ago, he loved her body with every move he made. She responded eagerly, her hands smoothing over every inch of skin she could reach.

Nothing felt this good. Her distinctive hum resonated through him, surrounding him until the sound and feel were reality. Her wet center brought pleasure to heights he could not remember reaching before. She took his breath away, replacing it with something else entirely.

Their languorous pace did not last very long. Soon, lust overrode love and Logan found himself unable to keep their lovemaking from escalating. The man was satisfied, but the beast wanted to claim his territory.

The searing kiss was broken when he pulled his hips back, slamming into her with enough force to scoot the bed nearly an inch. Ororo thrashed against the pillows, groaning his name. Her hands gripped his hips, urging him on when her nails bit into his flesh.

It was hard to breathe in the superheated room, but Logan didn’t feel a need to. He thrust hard into her again and again, until she was mindless from it. He snarled, nipping at her throat while she cried out. He growled her name, the animal within rejoicing when she whimpered submissively.

Tension was coiling in his belly, tighter and tighter until he thought he would snap. Ororo’s responsive body melted against his, letting him take until he broke. He climaxed unexpectedly, burying his face in the tender flesh of her neck while his body was drawn taut.

For a moment, he feared he would lose consciousness, but Ororo’s frantic breathing kept him tethered to the real world. His head was spinning, even as he limply rolled to the side to avoid crushing her under his weight.

“Wow,� said the woman beside him. “I can’t feel my legs.�

Logan chuckled. “Take a breather. I ain’t done with ya yet.�

“I was hoping you would say that.�

He was not expecting her to quickly straddle him. Though he could barely move, he returned her mischievous smile with a single raised brow. His lover flattened her palms on his chest.

“How fast is your recovery time again?�

The only answer she received was his hands on her hips, guiding her back on him. She took him inside her, smiling down at him.

“Never mind.�

Chapter Seventeen: Revelations

I wanna walk and not run
I wanna skip and not fall
I wanna look at the horizon
And not see a building standing tall
I wanna be the only one
For miles and miles
Except for maybe you
And your simple smile
~Dixie Chicks



Sydney, Australia

He moved into the decimated office floor with a passive expression. Clasping his hands behind his back, he surveyed the damage without betraying any emotion. It was, after all, only a matter of time before Xavier and his band of merry mutants discovered what he was up to.

That, of course, was the cause for his abrupt departure in Alaska. It was dismaying to find that the girls carefully disposed of were recovered. More to the point, had that blasted woman not escaped in the first place, he might have had limitless time in which to conduct his work.

Stepping carefully over shredded files and broken glass, he shook his head. That man was going to have to learn to control his temper. Such high levels of stress could affect a person – mutant or not – quite badly. One day, he would take the time to explain this to the reckless Wolverine.

“They downloaded everything,� his companion said before swearing violently.

“Language, my dear Vertigo,� he chided gently. “They know only what was kept here. Our experiments remain safe.�

The silver haired woman sighed dramatically, gesturing to the piles of paper on the floor. “The Wolverine is getting more violent.�

“Yes,� Sinister nodded. “And more dangerous.�

“We couldn’t predict her escape,� Vertigo went on, staring at the destroyed chair. “Or the connection forged between the weather manipulator and he.�

“Oh no,� Essex said with a small, amused smile. “That was quite a surprise.�

They moved together around the offices, inspecting the damage the raging animal had left in his wake. It was really quite amazing, how much damage one man could evoke when one pushed his buttons just right. Just destructive power was fascinating.

“Could you imagine,� Essex asked of his companion as she stared at the hole in her storage area. “What children they would have?�

She tossed him a curious glance. “What are you thinking, Doctor?�

He shrugged, still mulling over the entire ordeal. Kidnapping an X-Woman was not an overly cautious move. But her power was nearly unmatched in the world. Such force of nature was irresistible. Just looking at her DNA was akin to a religious experience for a geneticist.

In his quest, there would be unwilling mothers and fathers. He would create a race of mutants beyond anything the natural world could create on it’s own. Where his predecessors, great men like the now powerless Magneto, had failed he would succeed. They concentrated on subverting adult and adolescent mutants.

Those Sinister created would remain loyal to their father. He would teach them the things Xavier preached against. There would be a reign of mutants over the world, if only he had the time. Patience was running thin, even amongst his followers.

Of the ovum he extracted, there was amazing promise. He needed only to find a suitable male donor to begin his work in earnest. The mutant gene was handed down through the paternal line. The maternal would provide stronger protections, perfect mixture for mutants.

Most of the males he tested were found lacking. For some reason the mutant gene was weaker in a male, as though they were merely carriers. Female genes were stronger, bred more stable strains.

Perhaps he should move his timetable up. Locating a suitable male would be difficult, but not impossible. For the last decade, he had meticulously collected female genes, stockpiling for his future. Males, with their regenerative reproductive system would be much easier to harvest. A male, he thought smugly, could produce viable sperm for eternity.

“We will abandon these offices now,� he told his companion. “The final site is still secure.�

“Yes,� Vertigo agreed. “I would feel better if you surrounded yourself with more security. These offices were vulnerable.�

“Whatever you wish, my dear,� he agreed. “Take Arclight and Prism to New York.�

Her silvery brow rose in question. Sinister reached out to touch her shoulder gently. She would not like this assignment, but her loyalty was indestructible.

“I want you to watch the Wolverine. Get me a thorough report on his mutations.�

“You want him tested?�

“Yes.�

One of her hands came up to touch his, her face filled with grim determination. “It will not be easy, especially if he is still tied to the weather witch.�

“I have no doubt in your ability to get me the information I need.�

Vertigo shot him a quick, sinister smile. She was already calling for her subordinates when she exited the destroyed offices.

Essex clasped his hands behind his back again. He moved with cultured grace toward the Elite area, where Storm’s files had been kept. Peering into the opened cabinet, he shook his head. Yes, that man would need to control his temper. Such high blood pressure was good for no one.

When Riptide came in to check on his leader, Essex waved a hand nonchalantly.

“Burn it.�

The mutant nodded quickly. One day soon, Sinister would have to face off with Xavier’s schoolteachers. He did not yearn for that day. Storm was to be one mother of this new race; killing so strong a mutant would bring him no joy. The woman had, it would seem, looked into the face of Death and come out victorious.

Such strength was not easily destroyed. He would have to kill her, end her crusade before she became uncontrollable. Once Wolverine was in his custody, it would be easy to lead her into a trap. Love made anyone weak.

Deciding he needed a cup of tea, he left the offices quickly. The explosion behind him rocked the city for seven blocks. He merely smiled as it erupted behind him. He still had hope.

His dream was still hidden from Xavier and so it would remain until nothing could stop it.

~**~

Xavier’s Institute for Higher Learning

Ororo watched out of the Professor’s office window as Andine and Eliar played with Peter and Bobby in the warm sunlight. Both boys had Frisbees in their hands, tossing them for the eagerly waiting Huskies. The dogs chased the flying plastic, barking excitedly only to repeat the process again and again.

Behind her, lounging in various positions on the sofas and chairs were the elder X-Men. They had gathered together the day after Logan’s team returned home. She had spent the morning wrapped in a bubble, or so it felt. Locked in Logan’s bedroom, lying with him as the day woke up outside, nothing seemed insurmountable.

She could feel Logan’s gaze, hard and heavy on her back. While Henry and Logan quickly explained all that had transpired in Australia, she remained silent. The hard part was coming up, something she dreaded.

After several rounds, lying naked in Logan’s arms, he had explained their findings to her. She listened cautiously, noticing how he held her a little tighter. It was shocking to learn that her captors had video taped the ordeal. When he asked if she wanted to watch them, she shook her head mutely.

No, she didn’t want to relive it. Not yet. Logan held her close and soothed her worries away with feather-light kisses. They made plans to go over her files together, once the meeting with Xavier was over.

“Storm?�

Hearing her codename, she turned from the window. Leaning against the wide sill, she gripped the edge and used it as a makeshift seat.

“Yes, Professor?�

“What are your thoughts? Do you have any indication in your memories as to what end Sinister will pursue this?�

She glanced, without really meaning to, at Psylocke. The young telepath met her eyes, an understanding drifting between them.

“I fear I must agree with Henry and Logan,� she said flatly. “Essex is taking great pains to protect the stolen ova. I believe he endeavors to create life or alter it somehow.�

“Your memories of the abduction?�

“Are unreliable,� she replied quickly. “I have only flashes, bits and pieces that fail to make up a cohesive whole.�

“I understand,� Charles said before turning to the others.

“With this information linking Dr. Essex to the abductions, I believe we can safely implicate him. However, because the files and tapes in our possession were stolen, there is little the police can do to help.�

As though he expected the sharp inhalations of breath and unspoken arguments, he held a single hand up.

“That is not to say that we will be ignoring this atrocity,� Charles explained patiently. “Only that we must do so outside of the law.�

“Fine with me,� Logan practically snarled.

“For now, I will say that we must wait. Whatever Sinister’s next move is, we have no idea where he will hide. Henry and I are due in Washington this evening where we will attempt to extract information from contacts there.�

Ororo flashed her big, furry friend a thankful smile. He tenderly blew her a kiss, smiling slightly.

“Storm, would it be an imposition to ask you to remain here in New York, until we know more?�

She looked to Logan. Almost imperceptibly, he shrugged one shoulder; silently telling her it was her choice. They had not talked about where they would live yet, so she shook her head.

“I must contact a few people in Alaska, but I foresee no problem.�

“Thank you,� her mentor smiled quickly. “Hopefully, Henry and I will find something useful in Washington.�

“Logan, Ororo, please let me know of anything useful you may find in the stolen files. Wolverine knows where he can reach me.�

The meeting was adjourned then. Many of the mutants left the room quietly, each going off to take care of whatever chores they had. Alison and Kitty were off to the mall, again, so they waved at Ororo as they left. Henry went to prepare the Blackbird while Betsy and Warren shot one another smoldering looks.

Several seconds later, Ororo and Logan were alone with the Professor.

“Logan?� The Professor said his name quietly as he folded his hands into his lap.

“Ya gonna tell me not ta gut the bastard like a trout, ya got another thing comin’.�

“No,� Charles chuckled softly. “I was going to ask if you were planning on resigning from the X-Men as well.�

Not surprised by the question, Ororo remained where she was at the window. Had he wanted Logan alone, he would have nudged her out of the door. Obviously, this was not something he wanted kept from her.

Logan sat back in his chair, crossing one ankle over the opposite knee and weaving his arms over his chest. He looked to Storm, speaking to Charles while meeting her eyes.

“Dunno yet,� he said honestly. “Ain’t thought about it much.�

“In that case, I will extend Ororo the offer of donning her uniform again,� he said in his dulcet tones. “However, I will harbor no resentment if you both choose to return to Alaska.�

Storm and Wolverine kept their eyes on one another, not betraying anything outwardly. She knew he loved his position as both a teacher and an X-Man, but her heart was no longer in it. She wanted to go back to the Northern Lights, her cottage on the riverbank, where her life made complete sense.

“We’ll think about it,� she answered for both of them. “But, for now, I will need a uniform. I would like to help the X-Men in this particular mission.�

“Of course,� Charles said, a smile in his voice. “Logan will make the arrangements. I have a plane to catch.�

They both bid the X-Men’s benefactor goodbye, not watching as he wheeled out of the room. It occurred to Ororo that just three years ago, Logan had come into this room, not knowing that his life had just changed. She had seen him when she entered with Cyclops, standing as though ready to bolt at the slightest sign of danger.

“Storm.� He said with a sardonic smile, pointing at her and making a clicking sound with his tongue.

“I was just thinking about that day,� she admitted with a smile.

“I thought ya were hot,� he raised a dark brow.

�Oh,� she put a hand over her heart. “But you only had eyes for Jean.�

His surprise came over that handsome face when she laughed.

“You were all she could talk about,� Ororo went on. “How brash and rude you were. But you got under her skin. I did not understand it until you came to Alaska.�

Because he was still scowling, she hopped down from her perch on the windowsill and moved across the room to him. As though by instinct, he dropped his foot to the ground and opened his arms so she could slide onto his lap.

“Yer not…I dunno, angry bout that?� He questioned when she was settled.

She shook her head.

“Huh.� He grunted. “That’s good.�

“I loved Jean very much,� Ororo explained, nudging his nose with hers. “I had no feelings for you then, so it would be foolish to be angry over something in the past now.�

“I knew I loved ya fer a reason,� he murmured against her mouth. “Though yer downright sexy when yer all jealous an’ shit.�

Scowling at him playfully, she pulled on the hair at his nape, shifting on his lap to get more comfortable.

“That, by the way, was not funny.� Ororo said as primly as she could. “You made me jealous.�

“Uh-huh,� Logan smirked at her, smacking her bottom. “I was goin’ nuts, I wanted ya so bad. Didn’t wanna be lonely that night. The jealousy part was just a bonus.�

“Mmm,� she hummed. “I wanted to beat that poor woman senseless.�

“Hey, I’d pay fer that kinda entertainment.�

She laughed against his mouth, wrapping him in her arms so she could hold him. He smiled against her neck, inhaling deeply while his hands flattened against her back. He squeezed her ever so slightly, making her smile.

Their kiss was languid, so slow she thought it would last forever. His tongue explored her mouth thoroughly, so deep and complete that when he finally pulled away she had no secrets left. Dizzy from his attentions, she gave him a lazy smile.

“We gotta get ta work,� he said, not moving as he nipped at her lips.

“Mmm.�

Ororo ran her hands through his hair, lightly tickling his neck with her nails. He shivered, his hands tightening on her back. Logan cleared his throat, leaning up for another kiss.

“Not that I’m in a hurry.�

~**~

There wasn’t anything better. At least, that Logan could think of off hand. Ororo had dragged him out of the Batcave, carrying the bag filled with files and a blanket. She led him out onto the grounds, past the children playing with the unusual comfort of two dogs.

Under a thick willow, his lover spread the blanket and plopped onto it. She beckoned him down so he sat beside her. They dove into their files, occasionally commenting to one another as they marked down tidbits that might prove useful.

It was early evening now. Marie had brought her portable stereo at some point, so Ororo clicked on the country station. Music drifted around them, caught on the warm summer wind that smelled like Storm’s doing.

He couldn’t stop staring at her. She had changed out of the sleep garb she’d worn to Xavier’s meeting into a light blue sundress. It whispered around her calves when she walked, the square neckline and thin straps revealing her slender shoulders. Her hair was down, dancing on the breeze.

Really, it just wasn’t right for something to be so beautiful.

“These medical records are thorough,� she was saying.

Logan, still locked in his staring stupor, did not respond.

“There are references here to childhood visits that I know for a fact I gave an alias for. I wonder how he managed to get them out of Cairo.�

He grunted. “Sinister’s got friends all over.�

She hummed thoughtfully, leaning over her carefully folded legs to mark something on the legal pad in front of her. One of those tiny straps holding her dress up slid down, making Logan tilt his head.

“Logan!�

Her sharp call of his name jolted him out of already forming fantasies that involved her ability to create fog. Anywhere. Looking over at his own personal goddess, he pulled an innocent expression onto his face.

“What?�

Those beautiful lips twitched as though she were fighting a smile. “Are you working?�

“Nope.�

“Then, what are you doing?�

Concentrating on her elegant hands, he didn’t bother raising his eyes to hers. Addicted. He was addicted to her. The touch, taste, look, and smell of her. She encompassed all of his heightened senses in a way that was both thrilling and terrifying.

“Watchin’ you work.�

Before she could tell him exactly what he could see forming in her mind – likely a telling off that would beat anything before it – Artie bounded up to them. Logan, seeing him coming, scooted into a sitting position from his lounging one. The kid was in a summer school program to rush him through tenth grade, so he often came to a teacher for help.

“Hey, Wolverine.� The boy said breathlessly a beat before he turned to Ororo shyly. “Hi, Storm.�

“Good evening, Artie,� she replied. Logan noted she carefully and quickly covered the crime scene pictures.

“S’up, Art?�

“Got a sec?� he asked quickly, holding out his math book. “I’m stumped.�

“Yer savin’ me from the slave driver,� Logan nodded, motioning for the boy to sit beside him on the blanket. “Hit me.�

Artie held open his book, determinedly not looking in Storm’s direction. Apparently, he was not immune to the stunning beauty. Logan caught his student’s eye and winked, silently saying that it was all right to be a little tongue-tied.

“Well,� Artie began. “It’s my Geometry homework. I have to turn it in tomorrow.�

“Yuck,� Logan pulled a disgusted face for his benefit. “Lets see whatcha got.�

He pulled the book into his lap, glancing at Ororo out of the corner of his eye. She was concentrating on a medical file in front of her, her brow furrowed in thought. Confident that she wouldn’t need his input for a few minutes, he pointed to Artie’s untidy scrawl.

“Now, ya got a big problem here.� He said patiently. “Yer angles are all wrong. Got yer protractor?�

For nearly an hour, Logan explained the complicated Geometry to his student. The boy was easily frustrated, but he soon seemed to grasp the concept. Logan scribbled on a legal pad pilfered from Ororo’s stack. When he was sure there was nothing about the abductions on the papers, he drew out several more problems for his student.

Artie was mastering the intricate system for solving his math homework by the time Kitty called everyone in for dinner. He jumped up from his place on the blanket, thanked Logan profusely and blushed at Storm.

Once he scampered off to the house, Ororo spoke again.

“You are a wonderful teacher.�

Finding he was nearly blushing himself at her honest praise, he cleared his throat. “It’s just math.�

“No,� she countered, shaking her head. “You are patient, understanding, and well spoken. I mean no offense, but I did not think that of you.�

Not particularly offended, he shrugged. “S’just math. I understand it, that’s all.�

“Mmm,� Ororo hummed, looking at him thoughtfully. “As you like.�

There was no sarcasm to her tone, but she was flippant. Nothing he could say was going to change her opinion. Logan stared at her as though she had suddenly grown another head and spouted love poems to Magneto. No person on earth had ever told him he was good at anything other than killing.

Even Hank shied from praising his teaching.

“I think there is something here,� Ororo said, effortlessly getting back on topic. “Though he catalogued my entire DNA sequence, he matched it with others.�

“Huh?� Logan shifted to sit beside her, careful to not breathe too deeply. If he inhaled too much, her scent would distract him.

“Look,� she explained, holding a folder open to him. “That is my DNA.�

“It’s a buncha dots, but I see the pattern.� He told her, squinting at the page.

“Here is another. It is unmarked.� The flimsy sheet was placed over the first. Logan immediately noticed that the pages did not match.

“Maybe it’s another victim’s? Coulda been misfiled.�

But Ororo was shaking her head when he glanced at her. “Logan, this DNA sequence is male.�

“What?�

His voice was a snarl and he yanked the page from her. Several things clicked in his mind and he reached for another set of files. Without explaining himself to her, he tore out several more pages with confusing dots.

“These ones male, too?�

Her bright eyes darted over the strange patterns. “Yes. Each is a separate male.�

“He’s lookin’ fer a match,� Logan said. “Lookin’ fer a match ta you.�

“So he can breed me.�

Snikt!

Ororo dodged his fist easily, as though she had expected it. Six adamantium claws erupted from his skin, the narrow cuts between his knuckles healing almost instantaneously. He wanted to rage, to tear something apart until he exhausted himself.

All of his fears relating to what Sinister’s master plan was were staring him in the face. He felt Ororo snatch the clear pages of DNA maps from his hands, though he smelled not even a hint of fear from her.

“Logan?�

“Gimme a sec.� He was growling, though he hated snapping at her.

She fell silent as he closed his eyes, taking several deep breaths. He could feel the relentless beast inside of him screaming for release. Everything in his body wanted blood, the lust for it so strong it was terrifying.

Surprised, he opened his eyes a moment later. Ororo was sitting beside him, one delicate hand raised while a swift eastern wind whipped around them. It circled Logan completely, carrying the scent of her body and mutation. Involuntarily, he inhaled the scent until it was almost a living thing inside of him. The beast grumbled back to its dormant position, allowing the man to retract his claws.

Still, Ororo kept her wind flowing freely.

“I’m ok.� He said at last, his tone more gentle. “Its all right.�

Not questioning him, she slowly lowered her hand, sending that sweet-smelling wind back on its merry way. Logan turned to the woman quickly, pulling her into his lap. Papers and files were crushed between them, but Wolverine scarcely cared.

“That was pretty smart,� he told her quietly. “How’d ya know yer scent would shut it down?�

She shrugged. “My skin brings you comfort, I thought perhaps my scent would as well. Animal behavior 101.� The last was added with a teasing smile.

Logan allowed himself a slightly hollow chuckle. Damn but she could always make him laugh.

He leaned his head forward, resting his forehead on her collarbone. She was humming, as usual, the feel of it acting like a tranquilizer. His breathing almost instantly regulated.

“Scares me,� Logan admitted, his voice muffled by her flesh. “That someone hurt ya so bad. Makes it uncontrollable.�

Ororo did not ask what he was referring to. She wrapped her arms around his neck.

“It frightens me as well,� her soft reply was whispered in his ear. “This evil is continuing, trying to create the perfect mutant. I fear what my blood might create.�

Rough hands found her cheeks, pulling her back until he could meet her eyes. She was open to him, letting him see everything inside her. Raw, naked that way, he barely breathed. Nothing would come between him and this woman again. If he had to charge into hell and fight the devil himself, he would do so gladly.

“Ain’t no one makin’ evil out of ya, darlin’,� he promised. “Not so long as I’m here.�

Her smile was content, lazy. “You do say the nicest things.�

Logan swatted her bottom. Dusk was falling around them, taking the light while stars peeked out from behind the curtain of night. They looked up, as though realizing it at the same moment. He frowned, however, when part of him expected the seductive swirl of Northern Lights.

“I wanna go home,� he said quietly, not truly realizing he had spoken until she shifted against him.

“You are home, Logan,� Ororo countered softly.

“No,� he shook his head, looking down into her eyes again. “I want the wild, the Lights.�

Hope sprang into those cerulean eyes, though he could tell she was trying to hide it.

“Do you?�

“Yeah.� A smile crept over his lips. “Once Sinister’s history, I say we go back to Alaska. Ya know Mary can’t plan her weddin’ without ya.�

Unpainted lips parted, as though to agree, but she halted. Scowling, though Logan was bewildered as to why, she put her hands on her hips. The change in balance almost sent her into a heap on the blanket, but Logan quickly shifted his hands on her back to support her. He noted, somewhere in the back of his mind, that she trusted him to catch her.

“How did you know Mary and Kenny are getting married?�

Busted. Logan cleared his throat. “Well…I mighta gotten a call from Ken coupla weeks back. He mighta asked me how ta go about it. I mighta given him some pointers.�

Ororo’s scowl vanished in a heartbeat. “You told him to do what felt natural, to just wait for the right moment.�

It was Logan’s turn to be confused. “How’d ya know that?�

She laughed. “I will tell you later.�

~**~

“MARIE!�

Kitty and Alison bolted into the rec room, where Rouge was leaning over the billiard table. Bobby and Peter looked surprised when both young women pushed past them. They were squealing, for some reason, and grabbing at Marie’s hands so that she dropped the pool cue onto the felt with an undignified clatter.

“What?� The Southern former-mutant was blinking in shock.

“You have got to see this. You’re gonna DIE!� Ali said as they tugged the girl from the room.

Curiosity got the better of the boys and they followed quickly.

Kitty, who could not seem to form a coherent sentence, led the strange group out of the mansion. They raced across the lawn, heeding Dazzler’s hushed whispered to stay as quiet as they could. It was dark out, well past dinner, as they rounded the pool and crept toward the large willow on the end of the property.

Three girls crouched behind one tree while the boys hid behind another.

“Look!� Kitty whispered girlishly.

Marie and the two boys peered around their hiding spots, straining to see in the darkness. A slow, romantic song was drifting on the cool breeze. Marie recognized it from the compilation compact disc she had left in her player when Logan asked to borrow it.

Her breath caught in her throat when she noted two figures swaying softly at the tree line. Logan was holding Storm close, his left hand keeping her right against his chest. The white haired mutant’s free arm was around his shoulder, her fingers tracing the line of his beard.

For his part, Logan’s other hand rested innocently on the woman’s back, keeping her flush against him as they danced barefoot on the grass. Her head rested on his shoulder, his chin in the crook of her neck.

Marie felt tears sting her eyes, even as Bobby and Peter groaned in dismay. It was so romantic, so simply sweet that it was like something out of the movies. She began to hum the song without thinking about it, making Alison and Kitty look at her.

She mouthed the words so they would understand the soft music.

“She’s the sunset shadows. She’s like Rembrandt’s light. She’s the history that’s made at night. She’s my lost companion. She’s my dreamin’ tree, together in this brief eternity. Summer days, winter snow. She’s all things to behold. She’s my kinda rain. Like love from a drunken sky.�

Alison and Kitty were in floods. Their faces wet with dramatic tears. Marie feared they would all swoon, especially when all eyes turned back to the couple dancing in the dark. Logan was tucking a lock of Storm’s hair away. Her answering smile could have lit up the night.

As though they all realized they were intruding on something best left private, all three girls backed away quickly. They made little noise, hoping to not distract the couple from what teenage females considered the holy grail of romance.

Peter and Bobby, however, just looked confused. The instant the five-some was inside the mansion, Bobby spoke up.

“Ok, I don’t get it.�

“I agree. Why were you three crying?� Peter chimed in.

The first answer they got was all three women sighing in dismay. Marie elected herself spokesperson, on behalf of women everywhere.

“You two should take notes.� She said haughtily. “That right there was the ultimate in romance.�

The shorter of the two male mutants threw his hands up. “Why?�

“When ya grow up, maybe ya’ll figure it out.�

Marie huffed and stomped away, quickly followed by her two female compatriots. Both boys received dirty looks as the girls headed upstairs. Bewildered, Bobby and Peter merely shrugged.

“There goes Wolverine again, always making us look bad.�

They decided a game of Grand Theft Auto was in order and spared not another thought to the couple alone outdoors.

Chapter Eighteen: Wrath

One minute you’re on top
The next you’re not, watch it drop
Making your heart stop
Just before you hit the floor
One minute you’re on top
The next you’re not, missed your shot
Making your heart stop
You think you've won
And then it's all gone
~Linkin Park

Xavier’s Institute for Higher Learning

“Ok, so I come running down the stairs and there’s Wolverine, standing in the kitchen in front of my parents, my brother, and the cat. He’s got a beer in his hand and a look on his face like he just got caught scamming on a girl in his dad’s car.�

The surrounding adolescent mutants dissolved into laughter. Logan, peering at them from beneath his Stetson, continued his idle drawing. They weren’t doing anything particularly annoying aside from just being kids. He remembered that moment clearly; Drake wasn’t embellishing enough to be flat out lying, so it didn’t bother him.

Content to allow them their amusement, he fought a grin himself. He would ruin it if they caught him laughing. Watching kids be, well kids, was worth holding back. It was a comfort.

“I just stood there for a sec,� Iceman said through laughter. Alison – for whom the story was being retold – held her sides as she laughed.

“So, I tell my parents he’s a teacher. We end up going into the sitting room, I’m so not excited to tell them I’m a mutant. Anyway, Wolverine cuts in when my mom mentions the “mutant problem�.� The boy scoffed, using his hands for quotation marks.

“Wolverine says in his growly voice “What mutant problem?� My mom looks ready to die and dad says “Just what are you the professor of.�

This was Logan’s favorite part. Every time Bobby told this story, he could see how much it meant to the kid that an adult had bothered to stand up for him. The reason this particular anecdote was repeated again and again was that it was the moment Bobby realized he was happy as a mutant. Logan had just been there to ensure his own parents understood he had someone to go to.

“I swear to God,� Drake was saying. “Without missing a beat, Wolverine goes “Art�.�

That did it. The gathering of a half-dozen teenagers promptly went hysterical. Biting back a smirk at how they gripped one another to howl with mirth, Logan peeked at them again. Bobby was holding Rogue, whom had been there and heard the story a million times and still loved it, as they slapped their knees.

Dazzler fell from her perch. She nearly crashed into the floor, saved at the last moment by a quick thinking Colossus. Even the serious young man was chuckling helplessly. Kitty had her hands over her mouth, laughing into them until Logan thought she might bust a blood vessel.

“Wait, wait,� Marie cut in, still shaking with humor. “But before that, we get inta Cyclops’ car. John – Pyro – says “This is Cyclops’ car�.�

“Wolverine goes snikt,� Iceman chimed in. Logan was almost in stitches himself when he realized the boy had a hand motion and sound effect for his claws. “And he says “Oh yeah?� He stole the car with a claw!�

For some reason, the kids just laughed harder. Careful they did not notice he was paying attention, Logan looked back down at his blueprints. He shifted papers until he could add something to the sketch accompanying it.

“Oh! Oh!� Kitty nudged Peter, but she could not seem to get a hold of herself long enough to explain herself.

Ever patient, Peter watched her as she fought to control her giggles. “What is it, Kit-Kat?�

Boy’s whipped. Logan smirked to himself.

“Tell the one about the time Storm electrocuted him!�

“Yeah!� Bobby and Marie encouraged quickly.

“Oooh,� Dazzler was rubbing her hands together gleefully. “That’s a good one.�

Peter cleared his throat. “All right, so we are watching Storm go a little crazy because there is a blizzard and she could not warn her friend. As she decides to go rushing out into the storm, Wolverine steps between her and the door.�

“Oh my God, he didn’t!� Marie gushed.

“They are trading barbs as though in a verbal Ultimate Fighting Championship game. Captain Britain sides with Storm, Beast with Wolverine. The rest of us are intelligent enough to stay out of it completely. All of the sudden, out of nowhere, they stop talking. A second later, lightning appears out of thin air and Wolverine’s on the floor.�

He didn’t exactly know why that was funny, possibly because no one ever challenged him and it was common knowledge that Storm often threatened to electrocute people.

“Wait,� Peter cut into the laughter. “He wakes up some time later and the first thing he says is “Did that bitch just shove a lightning bolt up my ass?�

This time, Kitty and Alison both fell from the sofa, rolling around on the floor. Marie was in tears, Bobby red-faced from the constant laughter. They were all fighting for breath, making Logan chuckle at them soundlessly.

Just three years ago sitting in a living room while a bunch of kids told stories about him would have had his hackles up. Now, he was proud to bring them some measure of comfort.

When Bobby launched back into the mansion battle some time ago, Logan scented rain on the air. He glanced up to the hall that led to the staircase. A heartbeat later, Ororo appeared. She came into the room, seemingly looking for him.

She spotted the howling children and raised a solitary brow. Obvious confusion was quickly replaced by amusement. He waited patiently, pretending to not look up at her. The whisper of her sundress – white with blue trim today – told him she was coming closer.

“What are they laughing at?� Ororo asked when she was close to him.

“Me.�

That made her giggle soundlessly. “Trading Wolverine stories yet again?�

“Always.�

Though he carefully tried to hide what he was working on, his quick hands were not fast enough for her thief’s eyes. She peered down, leaning slightly so that her hair fell forward. For a second, Logan was distracted by the wealth of chocolate breast peeking at him.

“What is that?�

“Nothin’.� He attempted to hide it from her.

He should have known better. What happened next became fodder for Wolverine stories for the next ten years. Though the younger mutants had witnessed it, they could not really believe it.

In one smooth motion, Storm had snatched the papers from him. And his hat. She dunked his hat onto her head and ran. Amid cheers from the children, she vaulted onto the sofa and with gymnast balance, walked quickly along the back of it.

Logan snarled, jumping up after her. She was fast and agile; easily avoiding him the second he was near enough to make a grab for her. The slender mutant leapt in a graceful flutter of thin cotton and long white hair from the back of one sofa to the other. Had Colossus not grabbed both Kitty and Alison to shove their heads down, it might have ended the game right then and there.

“Woman!� Wolverine barked. She only threw him a “come get me� look over her shoulder. “Bring that back here, or so help me…�

The empty threat was left hanging. Peter’s hand came up to steady her as she ran back and forth on the thin lip where the upholstery met on the couch back. Logan jumped around Bobby and Marie, trying in vain to capture his teasing weather witch.

Delicate hands were flipping through the pages as though they contained the answers to the meaning of life. Logan finally got into position while she was distracted and shot a hand out to capture her.

Ororo was prepared. She lashed a hand out, flattening it to his forehead. Her long arms kept him out of reach as her bright blue eyes danced over the papers. Admitting defeat, Logan stopped attempting to capture his drawings. Her humming skin just wasn’t fair sometimes.

“Logan.�

It was then that he realized the room was dead quiet. All eyes were on the woman standing on the back of the sofa. In her eyes were unshed tears. Not really understanding, he let her go when she jumped down between Kitty and Alison.

“It’s my house,� she said in a choked voice.

Logan divested her of his hat, clearing his throat uneasily. He settled it back on his head with a hearty pat while Ororo showed off the drawing.

“The house in Alaska?� Alison was peering over her shoulder. Marie came across the coffee table, peeking with Kitty.

“Yes,� Ororo’s voice was breathless. “But with improvements. Look at the irrigation system for the garden. Another two rooms…a deck that encompasses the hot tub.�

Her last comment made both Peter and Bobby look sharply to Logan. The youngest gave him a quick thumbs up. Logan tossed them a coy smirk.

“Blueprints,� Ororo was telling her young friends. “He has it completely mapped out. How…?�

Aware that she had turned her head to look at him, Logan shrugged. “Musta had construction trainin’ somewhere. Comes natural.�

Ororo was over the sofa in a heartbeat. He barely had time to anticipate her leap into his arms, even with advanced instincts. She was suddenly wrapped around him, capturing his lips in a very serious manner.

Several feminine sighs reminded him a few moments later that they had an audience. Lost in the feel of his woman around him, it took him a lot longer than usual to pull away. The girls were watching with moony eyes while both boys looked ready to throw up.

Typical kids.

“Will you build that for me?� Ororo asked in a whisper meant for his ears alone.

“I’d planned on buildin’ it fer us.�

That earned him another of her scorching kisses. Finally, it looked like Wolverine had done something right.

~**~


New York City, New York


Logan had one arm slung over her shoulders as though they had walked this way for years instead of days. Ororo leaned into his embrace, one of her hands entwining with his. The way he kept her close at all times was something akin to a dream come true.

The last few days taught her much about Wolverine. He was overly tactile by nature. There was scarcely a moment when he did not have his hands on her. While she expected him to remain somewhat standoffish in the presence of others, he proved her very wrong.

He would idly hold her hand, kiss her for no reason at all, keep her in the comfortable circle of his arms. She knew that the girls in the mansion were jealous, if not because he was Logan but the younger men were still too immature to understand the benefits of public displays of affection. The little details melted a woman’s heart faster than diamonds. She would have to explain it to them soon.

Reminded of their moonlit dance, Ororo wrapped her arm around his waist, so they walked completely interlinked. They eased down the busy New York street, peering into windows whenever something struck them. Life with Wolverine would be anything but boring.

When he’d switched the songs on the player – Ororo recognized the disc as a ballad mix she would never cop to owning – he had silently held her hand out to him. The simplicity of his romantic request nearly made her swoon. He never did anything he did not want to, had he not told her that in Fairbanks?

How long they remained that way, dancing under the moon, she wasn’t sure. They made love in the dark, lost in a world that consisted of only them.

“Hey, now,� Logan said, suddenly bringing her back to the present. “C’mon.�

Confused as Logan unwrapped her from his arms and tugged on the hands he joined instantly, she had little choice but to follow. They ducked into a quiet shop that had large belt buckles, sturdy jeans and flannel shirts. Ororo followed Logan wordlessly, pausing only long enough to inspect a pretty, feminine belt.

He released her hand, muttering for her to stay put a minute. Ororo slipped back a few steps, taking the belt from the stand. It was made of soft black leather. The buckle, which immediately caught her fancy, was silver with four little turquoise stones creating a simple circular pattern.

Deciding she would buy it for herself, she checked the price tag and then looked around for Logan. He was in the rear of the shop, moving around as he looked at something along the wall. Shrugging, Ororo made her way to the register. The young girl was obviously distracted by the man who just walked by.

Ororo was slightly smug at her jealous glare while ringing up the mutant’s purchase. She wanted to taunt the woman like a child while declaring “MINE!� for everyone to hear.

Logan appeared a moment later, telling her to close her eyes as he hid something behind his back. Complying, Ororo resisted the urge to peek as Logan purchased something. His “Naw, she’ll wear it out� made curiosity almost too much to bear.

A moment later, she felt something on her head. Logan was fixing it quickly.

“There, that’s downright sexy.�

“May I open my eyes now?� Ororo asked with an inkling of what he had bought.

“Yep.�

Regaining her sight, she glanced at a nearby mirror. On her head was a brand new woman’s Stetson in his signature black. It was something like a claim, a statement that she belonged to him alone. She nearly swooned again.

He had moved the Stetson low over her eyes, giving her a mysterious look. Her white hair was shocking against the black color.

“You bought me a hat,� she grinned at his reflection.

“Maybe now you’ll quit snatchin’ mine.�

Ororo laughed, wrapping her arms around his neck, kissing him noisily. He tugged her out of the shop quickly, asking to see what she had bought. When she produced the belt from her shopping bag, he immediately decided she had to wear both to Harry’s that night.

Thrilled at the idea that he wanted to show her off, she was busy planning her outfit when they rounded the street corner. Logan had her wrapped in his arms again. They were on their way to a restaurant a few blocks away, which her love swore up and down made the best steak this side of the Mississippi.

Teasing him that he was spending too much time around Rogue, she never noticed the three mutants tailing them.

It was not until Logan turned, pushing her protectively behind him, that she even realized something was wrong. Ororo flattened to the wall, trying to figure out what was happening. Logan had unsheathed his claws, standing between a tall, lanky man reflecting blinding light and an Asian woman who seemed to have no problems fending Wolverine off hand-to-hand.

Pedestrians were running. Ororo’s X-Man button clicked on in her scattered mind and she shouted at them all to find safety. Wolverine was snarling, attempting to catch the strange mutant laughing at him. Ororo let her eyes glow white and she gathered wind to thrust herself into the air.

She lost her balance almost immediately, several feet above the street. Something was affecting her equilibrium and she crashed to the dirty New York sidewalk. Pain erupted all over her body from the impact. The wind was knocked from Storm’s lungs. She gasped for air desperately; the urge to blackout was so strong it momentarily stunned her.

In the battle, Logan was busy with his two demons. Ororo scanned the area for her own when she regained control of her breathing. A silvery haired woman was standing above her, one hand pointed negligently at the fallen weather manipulator.

She was watching Logan fight. Storm let loose a snarl worthy of the man she loved. Before the woman could react, Ororo flipped her legs around, catching the woman below the knee so she crashed to the street as well. The thud of a body hitting pavement was rewarding, making her smile wickedly.

“I know you,� Storm gasped when she scrambled to her feet. Her balance was still shaky, but her memory was sharp.

“Her DNA mapping, Doctor.�

“Excellent, my dear. Isn’t it fascinating? Her very flesh contains millions of electric volts. �

“Who are you?� Storm demanded.

The woman clamped her mouth shut. Noticing that her hands were twitching, Ororo pressed her high heel into the woman’s throat.

“Try it, bitch, and I will spill your blood right here.�

Her tone was deadly serious, her expression one of fury. This woman was one of Sinister’s minions. What did they want with her? Was nothing sacred? Had they not taken enough from her already?

“You are an X-Man,� the silver-haired mutant said icily. “You do not kill.�

Unable to resist, Ororo dug her heel harder into the woman’s flesh. “Try me.�

“Vertigo,� the mutant offered a beat later. “My name is Vertigo.�

“Good girl,� Storm said in a sugary-sweet tone.

Hearing Logan swear, she addressed him without looking up. “All right, honey?�

“Peachy, darlin’. You?�

Adamantium striking metal made her smile. They were fine for now. Capturing a few of Sinister’s lackeys could prove useful.

“Just fine, love.�

Vertigo was whimpering under Ororo’s heel, but the X-Woman was still slightly dizzy. Judging from the woman’s name, she assumed the mutant had affected her balance. It would take her a few minutes to fly without fear of falling.

Deciding to help Logan, she covered the area with rain. The sky darkened above, heeding the call of the elemental mistress. Logan preferred fighting when wet. He felt it gave him the upper hand against trained fighters that only practiced in controlled environments.

Her momentary distraction proved lethal. Ororo heard Vertigo shout.

“ARCLIGHT!�

A beat later, before Storm could turn to defend herself, the Asian woman was on her. The slight mutant grabbed her by the hair and the back of her dress, lifting her effortlessly over her head. The Stetson tumbled from her head, plopping into the wet gutter.

Panicking, Ororo tried to bring down lightning. But Vertigo was free. She pulsed her unusual mutation toward the struggling woman. Instantly, Ororo’s world spun and she had control over nothing.

The mutant called Arclight tossed her as a dog would a chew toy. Ororo heard Logan scream her name, the sound filled with raw rage and fear. She briefly noticed the male attacker blinding Logan as he attempted to rush to her aid.

Immense pain slammed through her body when she hit a wall across the street. Falling limply to the ground, her prone form sent more bystanders screaming in fear. Ororo could barely open her eyes, Wolverine’s animalistic wrath echoing through the suddenly empty street. Debris fell around her, the dust choking her already labored breathing. Everything in her body was screaming.

But the sound changed a moment later. Instead of roaring in rage, he was crying for help.

“STORM!�

“Logan?�

Her voice sounded weak even to her ringing ears. Shaky arms attempted to support her battered body when she flipped from her back to her stomach, but she fell a heartbeat later. Watery eyes opened in time to see Logan fall in the wet street. Several of what looked to be darts stuck out of his neck and back. Glassy eyes met hers across the scarce meters that separated them.

It struck her then. They were not after her. They wanted Wolverine. A sob was lost in her dry throat as Arclight took Logan into her arms and tossed him into the back of an unmarked van. Gritting her teeth, Ororo got a good look at the plates.

She flopped back onto her back, trying to breathe as she repeated the plate number in her head.

DFC-901.

~**~

Xavier’s Institute for Higher Learning

In her many years, no matter the injustices and injuries inflicted on her, Ororo had always carefully controlled her temper. She could endure a beating at the hands of her thief leader in Cairo without betraying emotion at all.

But when she awoke to Henry’s relieved eyes and gathered X-Men, an F-5 tornado tore through the grounds. There was no consoling her. She could tell that Charles seriously contemplated shutting her mind down, if only to protect the children.

“They have Logan,� was all she offered in explanation.

“My dear, the tornado?�

At Beast’s gentle reminder, she closed her eyes. The fight inside of her was something she could lose herself in. Energy of the elements was clawing at her for release. Someone was going to pay for hurting her again. The primal nature she tried to keep under wraps at all times nearly consumed her.

Quieting the force of nature took almost all of the energy she had left.

Collapsing against Beast from the effort, she let him pat her back soothingly. It was explained, in quick and quiet tones that a bystander had leapt to her aid. After the other mutants vanished, a middle-aged father of four had jumped in before the police could interfere.

He’d scooped up her hat and shopping bag, learning from a half-comatose Ororo that she lived in Westchester. He recognized her as one of the mutant vigilantes responsible for saving hundreds of lives on Alcatraz and delivered her in his minivan to the gates of the school.

Ororo vowed to thank her Good Samaritan some day. As soon as she got Logan back, eviscerated Vertigo, stabbed that bitch Archlight, and tore Sinister limb from limb.

“Wolverine is a terrible influence on you,� the Professor said with something like amusement in his tone.

“Did you discover why they wanted Wolverine?� Beast was asking.

Her head was still spinning. Falling into the med-lab examination bed, she gripped her temples and tried desperately to find a shred of placidity. As though sensing her distress, Betsy and Charles placed one of their hands over hers.

A moment later, her world came sharply into focus.

“Thank you.�

They answered with small, understanding smile. Taking a moment to catch her breath, she shifted various muscles. Her back ached terribly. There was a nasty cut on her arm that Beast was quickly bandaging.

“They want Logan,� Ororo said after a moment. It was all she could say. Remembering the way he called to her, asking for her help was making her heart hurt.

“I think I know why,� Shadowcat interrupted. “Hank?�

“I transferred everything here.� He indicated to the computer on the small desk.

Kitty rushed over, turning the monitor so everyone could see what she was doing. After several seconds of the girl typing furiously, she brought up several DNA sequence maps.

“I pulled these off of the disk Beast and I made in Sydney,� she explained. “These are all DNA strains from mutant males.�

“Logan and Ororo reported something similar to me this morning via phone,� Charles nodded.

“Right, but look at this.� Kitty typed something into the computer’s keyboard and the DNA sequences began to shift. “Male mutants carry the strain that gives us our powers, but it’s real weak. A male is more like a carrier.�

“Yes,� Beast answered as he finished with Storm’s arm. “Female mutants have a strong mutant gene.�

“Ok, everyone with us?� Kitty glanced around the room. More images flitted onto the screen.

“This is Storm,� she pointed to the left side of the screen and then to the right. “And this is Betsy.�

Beast smiled at his young student. She had taken a crash course in advanced genetics the previous evening, from what he whispered to Ororo. The girl had wanted to understand what she was looking at.

“Ok, now these…� she trailed off, pulling two more images up. They changed every few seconds. “Are what Betsy and ‘Roro’s kids would look like, depending on the male.�

Aghast, no one spoke. Kitty rushed on. “This doesn’t mean there are little Storms and Psylockes running around. It’s more like a computer program that matches it up.�

“The catch, Kitty?� Beast prompted her.

“Oh, right.� The girl frowned, pointing to some of the dots on the screen. “None of these matched up sequences would produce a viable mutant.�

“For every two homo sapiens that mate, they have a 15 percent chance of producing a mutant. For every two mutants that reproduce, the chance jumps to 60 percent,� the girl was on a roll now. “But for a mutant to be born, certain conditions have to be right.�

“In the last thirty years, many have thought the mutant strain was completely random. However, Mr. Sinister’s research completely undermines that ideology.� Beast motioned for Kitty to continue as he fell silent again.

“If certain DNA strains are just right, the conditions perfect, you can produce a mutant. For DNA that matches perfectly, the probability for giving birth to a mutant is 98.789 percent. Now, you can’t predict the mutation, but the more powerful the parents…�

“The more “elite� the mutation,� Betsy chimed in as though she caught on.

Ororo swallowed hard. “Henry?�

“Yes, my dear?�

“You have Logan’s DNA mapping on file, do you not?�

“Well, yes. Kitty, it is in the Project: Valiant file, under his codename.�

Ororo slid from the bed, moving toward the computer as Shadowcat brought up the requested file. “Good. Kitty, can you map my DNA to Logan’s and then to Betsy’s?�

“Um, I think so,� the girl said. She concentrated on her computer screen for several seconds, her brow furrowed and tongue caught between her teeth as she worked.

The pattern on the screen shifted, finally melting into a single, cohesive whole. A prompt box at the top of the screen popped up, flashing “Match� eagerly. Kitty gasped, then repeated the process with Betsy’s information.

That flashing box appeared again.

“No way,� Kitty breathed.

As the girl continued comparing Logan’s genome to several recovered from Sinister’s file, Ororo turned to the assembled X-Men. They were watching her cautiously, as though wondering if another tornado was going to erupt. Perhaps a hurricane. Or a blizzard.

Storm, however, was completely composed. “Logan’s healing factor.�

“Oh my stars,� Beast cut in as he stared at the computer screen in wonder. “It shifts to compensate for any weaknesses. With Logan, and the human male ability to continue producing sperm almost endlessly, Sinister has the perfect control factor.�

“He can create this army of mutants.� Charles, for the first time, sounded as though he wanted to rage.

Ororo exhaled slowly. “They cannot know this yet. Logan will have to be tested and mapped by his captors.�

“The process takes several hours, perhaps days if the equipment is not hospital quality.� Beast offered gently.

“It is safe to say that they do not know how Logan’s mutation works quite yet. They did know to pump him full of enough drugs to take out a herd of elephants, so they will have prepared to hold him.� She glanced around the room.

“We’ve got a little time,� Iceman said coolly. Storm could almost see his anger taking over. If he were not careful, he would “ice-up� without thinking about it.

“I managed to take a look at the license plate, but I have a feeling I know where we are going to find Sinister,� Storm said quickly. “Henry, there is a genetics lab in Albany, correct?�

“Yes, but it is run by government…oh, wait!� Beast snapped his fingers, grabbing his forehead. “A pharmaceutical company bought the building last year.�

“Why do you…?� Alison questioned quietly.

“The woman that attacked me, Vertigo, she worked there. Henry and I met her four years ago when he visited for a conference.�

“Oh,� a few of them said in unison. Beast cast Ororo a heartbroken look. She offered him a small smile, her mind already working out a quick and decisive offensive.

“Ororo?� Charles asked carefully. “What are you planning to do?�

She met his blue gaze with one of glowing white. The room was deathly quiet, as though everyone in it was holding his or her breath. Storm knew, without a doubt, that while she may have wanted to retrieve Logan alone, there was no way his family would stay behind. Where she had pulled away from the team, he had become an integral part of it.

Kitty, Henry, Bobby, Peter, Warren and even Alison were going to help her, whether she wanted them to or not. Inhaling deeply, Ororo lowered her voice until it nearly matched that of Logan.

“I am going to get my Wolverine back.�

Chapter Nineteen: Human Frailty

Feel I’ve been beaten down by the words
Of men who have no ground
Can’t sleep beneath the tree of wisdom
When your axe has cut the roots that feed them
Forked tongues in bitter mouths
Can drive a man to bleed from inside out
What if you did?
What if you lied?
What if I avenge?
What if eye for an eye?
~Creed

Somewhere north of Albany, New York
Twelve and a half hours later


Violation.

There was no other word for what he was made to endure now. Nightmares of pain and needles and men in masks were no match for this. They gave him no peace from the depravity, the inhumanity of it all.

Unlike the female victims, the lone male strapped to the operating table was wide awake. They fed him enough muscle relaxers to down a dinosaur. Limp and lifeless, he could only watch the horror he was powerless to stop. He was strapped to the bed by what smelled like adamantium. It held his wrists, chest, belly and legs motionless.

Helpless.

Groggy from the medications continually pumped intravenously through his rapid-healing veins, Logan would not give them the satisfaction of hearing him scream. Every tug and pull at his naked body was shoved aside. He could only concentrate on vengeance, on the reckoning he would exact in the name of justice.

They were speaking all around him, easy words he could not understand. Had they lost their souls in this cold-blooded quest? Did they not see that they were raping him as surely as they had raped the women before him?

Violation. It was one word slipping constantly past his emotional roadblocks. Try as he might to drown it out, his healing factor provided them with ample opportunity. He was hardened, pumped, and milked as though he were nothing more than a bull in the breeding shed.

The desecration of his body hit him harder than he thought it would. First, a man on another doomed crusade tore him apart, laced his skeleton with something alien. Now, they removed life from him just as heartlessly, just as cruelly.

No reprieve. No remorse. No excuses.

He could only lie prone and naked on the examination table.

Senses alert for any telltale sign of rescue, he picked up an acrid scent that reminded him of a cesspool which could only belong to his captor. Logan tilted his head slightly, coming face to face with pale skin, gleaming red eyes, and – to his horror – a pitying smile.

“Are the girls not treating you well?�

Logan tasted bile at the back of his throat when he felt them start again. He could not look. He did not want to see what they were doing to him.

“You should relax, Wolverine,� the man said as he came around to Logan’s side.

“Let me up,� he rasped in response. “An’ I’ll show ya how I relax.�

“Tut, tut,� Sinister chided. “You should be proud. Today, you become a father.�

He wanted to scream, kill someone, and throw up until he saw his own toenails.

“We have your DNA mapped out here, Wolverine,� Sinister continued as though his captive was sitting down to tea. “And as it turns out, you are the answer to all my prayers.�

“Yeah?� Logan grunted, closing his eyes when he hit that point again. It was quickly becoming painful along with the disgusting feel of being taken against his will.

“Your DNA is fascinating.� The pale-faced mutant sounded like a kid at Christmas. “Beautiful. Poetic. I have never seen anything quite like it.�

“I betcha say that ta all the girls.�

“Oh, no.� Essex’s face turned deadly and maniacal in an instant. “I never had the pleasure of talking to my girls. It was easier for them to not remember the ordeal. Why give them a horrifying death when they could be gifted with peace? I was, however, tempted to wake your weather manipulator.�

Don’t talk about her. Don’t talk about her. Get her outta yer mind. Logan’s defensive thought process gave Sinister the time to laugh. The sound was high pitched, reminding Wolverine of the cartoons his students watched in their nightclothes on Saturday mornings.

“She is a hypnotizing creature. It is no wonder your primitive nature sought her out,� Essex continued. “I risked everything to get my hands on her ova. Imagine the children, the mutants, I will be able to breed from her.�

“Over my dead body,� Logan ground out.

The females in white uniforms were moving around at the foot of the bed again. Logan braced himself.

“I am not going to kill you, Wolverine. You are an endless source of life essence that will father a generation of mutants unlike anything ever seen before. I will need you to produce these children.�

“What’s the problem? Can’t get laid on yer own?�

“I see I must thoroughly explain myself to you.� Sinister sighed, requesting a chair from one of the nurses in the room.

Talking was keeping Logan’s mind off of the abuse of his body. Entertaining thoughts of death, destruction and all-out violence were a tether to reality. Fear of losing his mind was very real inside of him, with the animal trying to break free. He wanted to revert to that feral state and stay there, as a child curling up in a parent’s bed after a nightmare.

Ororo kept him from falling too swiftly into ferocity. When she came for him – and he had no doubt that she would – he did not want her to find him broken.

“You see, Wolverine,� Sinister was speaking again. “Men like Magneto wish for mutants to control the earth, as we rightly should. We are the next step of evolution. This process of changing one thing to another can now be manipulated.�

“By taking this egg,� he held up a clear paper. Logan recognized it immediately as Storm. “And your sperm I can create this.�

After showing Logan his own DNA sequence, Sinister brought one up that looked curiously like a mixture of the two. His stomach churned, threatening to empty on the clean white sheets beneath him when he realized what he was looking at.

“Isn’t it beautiful?�

It could have been, Logan mused. A child was something created by two people, usually a man and woman that loved one another. That child, whether brought to life by medical intervention or not, would have parents to welcome it into the world. The parents would fill the blank mind with love or hope…even indifference or hatred.

No child was to be created in a lab for the sole purpose of war. That was not a thing of beauty. Any child he had with his ‘Ro would not be the product of this madman.

“Your DNA is unique, Wolverine,� the scientist was saying, even as Logan tried to drown him out. “No matter how damaged or unstable an ova is, your healing factor repairs it. You bring life where there should be none.�

“That gonna repair the insides ya ripped outta Storm? Psylocke? The other women?�

Sinister shrugged. “Necessary losses in the battle to save our kind. It is a shame that poor Storm had to escape. I can only imagine what horrors wake her in the middle of the night. I wonder does she reach for you? Does she tell you about the emptiness in her womb? How it grieves her?�

Logan strained against the buckles holding him down. How dare this son of a bitch talk about Storm that way? “You did this ta her! I’m gonna tear ya apart.�

“Of course I did this to her,� Sinister replied as though speaking to an unruly child. “Her will to survive was simply too strong. She should have died, as all the rest.�

Crimson flooded Logan’s vision, a coppery taste flooding the back of his mouth. Just when he wanted to scream, to curse the very air this maniac breathed, the nurses started on him again. He deflated, closing his eyes against the torture.

“Then again,� mused his captor. “If she had not escaped, I may not have discovered your abilities. You are making all of this possible now. I could not have begun in earnest without your…help.� He glanced down Logan’s nude body as he said the last word, which dripped with amusement.

“She’s comin’ fer me, bub,� Logan said without thinking. “An’ hell’s comin’ with her.�

Sinister leaned down, close to Logan’s face. Inwardly grimacing from his terrible smell, he barely noticed the man’s sinister smirk.

“I would expect nothing less of a goddess.�

The pale mutant was gone a moment later. Logan was left with his torturers and more thoughts than he ever wanted to alone with. He tried to think of something, anything else. Violence was no longer helping.

Images of Ororo’s body flying across the New York street made his jaw clench. She had looked so frail, and yet she tried to help him. He promised to protect her but he needed her aid this time. She was coming for him, with her own army of mutants in tow.

He knew it. He could feel it. A storm is uncontrollable by nature, a force that could wipe out anything that got in its way. He saw no difference between the fury of nature and the mutant who reveled in it.

Sinister had no idea what he was in for.

~**~

Outside of the Johnson’s Pharmaceutical Complex

Storm felt every moment that slipped by her as another nail in her beloved’s coffin. She gripped the steering wheel tightly, glancing at Henry as he pressed buttons on the communication equipment that linked the cavalry to the mansion.

“You are close.� Charles was saying over the crackle of static. “He is inside the building.�

Ororo felt her knuckles pop as she clenched her fingers in anticipation.

She would have been here sooner, had her exhausted and battered body not given out on her completely. While she began to command the troops, so to speak, her dizzy brain and worn out body just stopped.

From what Kitty said – with more than a hint of admiration in her tone – Peter had jumped forward, narrowly saving Ororo from cracking her skull on the counter. He’d insisted that all plans immediately stop until they gave their exhausted teammate some much-needed rest.

Had they left without her, she might have destroyed the school in a rage.

With the aid of a powerful sedative, Ororo tumbled into a dreamless sleep for over eight hours. When she woke, she picked back up nearly mid-sentence. Everyone jumped into action leading the team to arrive on Sinister’s proverbial doorstep, crammed into two borrowed military Humvees.

Ororo did not want to contemplate how many favors Henry called in to get them the equipment, but as she glared at the high fence keeping her from Logan, she was glad he had. Shadowcat, Iceman, and Colossus were with she and Beast in the first Humvee with Colossus, Psylocke, Angel, and Dazzler in the other.

“Godspeed, my X-Men.�

Knowing Charles was no longer linked to them, Storm pulled the two-way radio to her lips.

“Colossus?�

“Storm.�

“Go around to the back gate. Enter by any means necessary. If Shadowcat’s information is correct, they are holding Logan in the sub-basement. You have two minutes from now to meet me at the elevator banks. Are you clear?�

“Yes, ma’am.�

“Go.�

She heard the stoic young mutant squeal the tires of his Humvee as he flipped around. From the rearview mirror, she watched him go off road in his quest to complete her orders as asked.
One thing her darling, sweet Peter could not stand was someone experimenting on mutants. For some time now, she thought that it was his determination to wipe out such experiments that kept him from Russia and created his bond with the Wolverine. If he had to lift the entire building with his super-strength to save his teammate, he would not even bat an eyelash.

Kitty was typing on a laptop in the backseat with Iceman holding up another monitor like a faithful lapdog while she worked.

“The blueprints here are pretty clear. Everything on the top levels is empty from what I can see here,� she frowned at her Heat Sensory screen, another borrowed item from the Army.

“Remind me to thank Logan for teaching me how to read blueprints, kay guys?� The girl added in a low tone.

“Where am I going, Shadowcat?� Storm’s tone was curt. She wanted to get her hands on Logan, to ensure he was all right.

“Um, if you give me a minute, I can get the front gate open. That’s where I’d go in.�

“Perfect. Hold on.� Impatience had finally outgunned her rational side.

Storm roared the engine to life, slammed her foot on the gas and shifted the gear into drive. Startled cries from her teammates fell on deaf ears, even as the click of seatbelts sounded all around her. She drove, at fifty miles per hour, directly through the steel gate.

The resounding crash was music to her ears. Violence. She craved violence. This bastard had taken her unborn children, nearly taken her life, and was intent to robbing her of Logan as well. Nothing would satisfy her until every last one of them paid for their actions.

Right at that moment, she truly understood what the term “bloodlust� meant.

Both hands gripping the steering wheel as the gate twisted and fell before the might of her vehicle, Ororo contemplated for another moment.

“Beast?�

“Yes, (gulp) Storm?�

“Tell your friend the General that he can bill me.�

“What do you--�

Without so much as a warning this time, Storm drove the Humvee directly into the front door of the building. Her passengers screamed at the contact, as concrete and glass showered the powerful Humvee. She slammed on the brakes, creating an enormous block for the door. No one could get in or out.

Alarms went off all over, even as Beast began to laugh in the seat beside her. Seconds later, Bobby let out a loud whoop and shoved the backdoor open. Kitty began to giggle a little hysterically.

“In all my years at your side,� Beast was saying as the weight of what she had just done hit Storm in the face. “I have never seen such a thing.�

“Perhaps Wolverine is a bad influence on me,� she replied with a small, almost shy smile.

“If he is,� Kitty chirped from the back as she exited with Bobby. “Lets go get him so he can corrupt you some more.�

“She’s fun when she loses it, isn’t she? Tornados, mowing down fences, buildings. It’s like an ultimate survival TV show.�

Chortling at Bobby’s comment, glad that she could relax a fraction, Ororo climbed out of the driver’s side window. Her door, to her dismay, was pinned by a massive hunk of concrete and a mangled pole that she thought might have been part of the revolving door.

Amid the sirens and smoke, four mutants in matching leather strode into the decimated lobby. Colossus spoke up from the two-way in her belt, saying that they were inside. Storm let a wide, almost feral grin overtake her lips when her team came upon a group of gray-uniformed security guards with automatic weapons.

“Haven’t I kicked your asses somewhere before?� She tossed off as she walked right toward them.

For years to come, Bobby Drake would regale young mutants with hopes of becoming X-Men with this day’s events. He watched in a sort of awe as their former history teacher opened a can of serious whoop ass.

Shadowcat, Iceman, and Beast merely stood back at first, unable to move from the shock to their systems.

Storm, in her black leather and cape glory, marched directly into the fray. Her startled foes opened fire, only to have their bullets deflected by a sharp wind. And then, Storm got started.

She used every hand-to-hand technique taught at Xavier’s. Men were punched, kicked, and avoided as she darted between them. Even when the other three mutants managed to pick their jaws up from the floor and rush to help, they were a little afraid of the powerful woman.

While Kitty phased through the floor, playing an excellent decoy, Storm and Beast tossed opponents over their shoulders like dog toys. After he iced-up, the frosty young X-Man glided around, slicking the floor with his mutation. Several of the security guards were sent on their backs, flying across the room in a heap.

Ororo silently thanked all the gods she could think of that Beast outfitted the X-Men’s boots with special non-skid soles. The last thing they needed was someone sliding away and knocking themselves unconscious on the nearby walls.

In minutes, they had detained their counterparts. They piled them into a storage closet before Kitty phased through the lock. She pulled out the pins, making it impossible to pick from the inside. That, Storm thought with more than a little pride, was a trick she had taught her young friend.

They made their way toward the elevators again, ignoring the sirens and buzzing cameras. Around another corner, following Kitty’s directions, they came upon the rest of the X-Men.

Colossus, decked out in his full-metallic flesh, nodded to Storm. “We detained a security team.�

“So did we,� Iceman cut in. “Storm went all Chuck Norris on their asses.� He karate-chopped the air for emphasis with the appropriate yell.

“Bobby, shut up.� Storm ordered quickly. He immediately fell silent.

Psylocke, her glowing psi-blades still protruding from her hands, nodded toward the elevators. “He is down there. He is not happy, but alive.�

Ororo breathed a sigh of relief. “Opposition?�

“Seven nurses, six armed guards and the big bad. Sinister’s here. No sign of his freaky friends.�

Storm nodded. “Good. Our objective is to retrieve Wolverine and destroy the lab. Angel, with me, Colossus, and Beast. The rest of you, detain the staff.�

When everyone was ready, they piled into the elevators. The plan was to hit the expectant staff on both sides, hoping to divide them. Though Storm wanted to murder Sinister with her bare hands, she knew that if it came down to getting Logan out alive or exacting revenge, Logan would win every time.

Impatiently tapping her foot in the cramped elevator, she barely heard Colossus speak.

“Was that cut on Shadowcat’s arm bad, Beast? Will she need medical attention?�

Storm and Beast, despite the dire situation, shared an amused, knowing glance before her furry friend assured the other man that the girl would be fine.

The elevator dinged. Ororo readied herself for battle as the doors slid open.

~**~

Logan was laughing. Hysterically and filled with genuine mirth.

“Ya only sent twenty? Are ya fuckin’ retarded?�

Sinister was prowling around his table, where most of the staff had gathered. From what Logan understood of the man’s “plan�, his minions were to protect Wolverine and the stolen ovum at all costs.

“I’d be running fer the hills, Essex. Yer in fer a world of hurt an’ then I’ll start on ya.�

“Shut up!� Sinister roared weakly, which only made his captive laugh harder.

For some reason, the idiot had sent his mutant friends away for a few hours, leaving him more than a little vulnerable. Because Storm and the X-Men were causing a ruckus upstairs, they had ceased their torture of him. Which was a very large mistake on Sinister’s part.

Logan concentrated on moving his arm until he caught the IV tube on his arm restraint. Once it was out, his body began to heal, driving out the effects of the drugs they used on him. Not only did Sinister have the common sense of a rock, he was arrogant as hell.

He would wait now, patiently. Ororo’s scent was already drifting to him, promising relief. She would free him and once released, Sinister was going to have a very hard, very painful death.

The sound of automatic weaponry briefly frightened Logan. He closed his eyes, repeating over and over “Don’t get hit, ‘Ro. Don’t get hit.�

“Cheers, ya barmy wankers!�

Hi, Bets.

A not-so-docile growl. Nice ta hear ya, Hank.

Other sounds melded into one as Logan remained strapped to the table. He heard the resonating of metal on metal and allowed himself to grin. Wolverine had seen Colossus ticked off; it would terrify the devil into confession.

Several of his female guards were tossed negligently aside. Someone was standing behind him, though in the myriad of familiar scents of his friends, fear, and mutations, it was difficult to see who was rescuing him.

The metal holding him to his private torture chamber released, allowing Logan to sit up for the first time in nearly a day. He stretched his muscles, glad that his body had time to recover before his rescuers burst into the room.

“Wolverine.�

At his name, he turned to his savior.

“Angel.�

The blonde, angelic mutant thrust his wings out quickly. Logan ducked instinctively, though Angel’s feathers shielded him from the flying debris. In fact, they shielded him from everything. He could not see his captors nor the mutants come to liberate him. He needed to be out there, in the battle, exacting vengeance of his own.

Warren quickly pulled a pair of pants from his open uniform top, handing them to Logan without a word. There was no pity on the young man’s face, only cold, hard determination. Grateful that it wasn’t one of the women, whom would likely cry all over him, Wolverine covered himself and hopped off the bed.

“Son of a bitch!�

Dazzler was yelling at someone.

“You sick, twisted jerkoff.� Ah, Kitten.

“It’s so nice to be surrounded by people that love ya,� Logan said jokingly to Angel.

“Yeah? Well, I’m so ticked off that I mottled on the way over.�

Wolverine raised a brow when his friend revealed several balding spots on his shuddering wings. It was a rare thing indeed to see Angel so worked up. He could be as bad as the Elf with his pacifist attitude.

“Aww, Angelcake. I didn’t know ya cared.�

“Oh hush. I should get Colossus. He took a mean knock to the head with a storage cabinet in his fleshy form.

“Take care of the Tin-Man. I’m goin’ fer Sinister.�

Angel paused, worry creasing his brow. “You should hurry then. Storm and Psylocke were cornering him last I saw. My wife said on no uncertain terms for me to keep my shiny halo out of it.�

Logan was off the table and tearing through the lab before his friend finished speaking. He darted around empty lab tables, bubbling chemistry kits and cryogenic chambers. He spotted Dazzler and Shadowcat working as a flawless tag team on the two security guards. Iceman was giving the malicious nurses something to think about before they went raping mutants again.

Glancing at the cyro chamber, he halted himself. If he knew Storm, she would destroy the lab without thinking. As soon as she found him, she’d be on his ass to get out. Only when the team was out and the lab destroyed would she realize what she had done.

His beautiful Windrider would simply accept it as her fate. But Logan wasn’t going to.

He searched the thick glass doors for signs of her telltale number. He heard someone scream, but determined quickly that it wasn’t one of his own. He raced down long rows of storage chambers, trying to not think about what Ororo was doing wherever she and Betsy had run off to.

With a sharp cry of triumph, he found the door. Popping the lock with a single claw, he wrenched it open. Paying no mind to the cold, which might damage his already exhausted body, he reached in to pull the drawer out. He grit his teeth through the pain.

Lying innocently in three marked test tubes were Ororo’s eggs, her hope as she had told him that wintry night in Alaska. Logan took them out carefully, wrapping his hand around the thin glass and hoping he wouldn’t break it.

When Logan was off again, trying to locate his lover amid the dying battle, he came face to face with Beast. Seeing his friend as a savior, he gently, almost reverently dropped the three slender tubes into his furry palm.

“Don’t drop those.�

Beast’s eyes welled with tears. Realization dawned on the blue mutant’s face. He covered the tubes with both hands. “I would sooner rip my own heart out.�

Understand swelled between the two men for an instant. “Get the kids outta here. All of ‘em.�

“What about Storm and Psylocke? Sinister?�

Wolverine carefully unsheathed his claws, a feral growl leaving his throat.

“Leave ‘em ta me. We’ve gotta score ta settle.�

~**~

Locating two women and a sinister madman was not as hard as he thought it would be. Wolverine came around a corner of filling cabinets to see Psylocke on Sinister’s back.

And Storm in a heap on the floor.

She was moving, he could hear the ragged breath leaving her lips, but still rage overtook him. Even as Psylocke jammed a high voltage psi-blade into the back of Sinister’s neck, Logan roared.

The sound ricocheted on the walls until he thought it would shatter glass. A startled Sinister and Psylocke paused mid-battle to turn on him. Sinister thrust his hands out, a bright bolt of something that just smelled mean came directly at the snarling Wolverine.

Rushing across the room, Wolverine pounced on the man responsible for so much pain. Psylocke leapt from his back, rushing across the room to Ororo. But Logan’s sole concern was the evil before him.

“I told ya she’d come with hell.�

Sinister did not look afraid or even amused. Logan growled.

“Do you think you can kill me, Wolverine?� he said mildly. “I have accumulated powers unlike any you have seen.�

“Oh yeah?� Wolverine rasped, allowing the beast to come to the surface. “Ya ain’t seen nothin’, bub.�

At the first flash of adamantium, he heard Ororo call his name. He didn’t know what Sinister had done to her this time, but the rage it created was Wolverine’s weapon. Crimson over his vision, Wolverine fell on his captor.

“Ya like guttin’ women? Rapin’ ‘em of somethin’ ain’t yers? Ya picked the wrong mutants, asshole!�

“Wolverine!�

“Kinda busy, Bets!�

Sinister dodged Logan’s claws for several seconds, but the animal was alive inside of the feral. He was all instinct, all millions of years of survival. He sliced through Sinister’s forearm quickly, watching as blood poured from the wound.

To his horror, the wound stitched up faster than Logan’s healing factor.

“What the…?�

He was jolted across the room by the same beam he’d avoided earlier. It felt like pure chaos, ripping through him like an electric bolt.

Landing in a heap beside the girls, Logan opened his eyes to find Storm over him.

“Hey, darlin’.�

“Hi, baby,� she smiled softly. He smelled no blood from her and the way her eyes flashed ensured him that she was all right.

“He repairs at the molecular level,� Psylocke said as Sinister laughed manically.

“Why do the villains gotta do that?� Wolverine asked no on in particular.

“Logan, take his head off.� Storm said quietly making the other two stare at her. “Nothing with higher brain function can live without thought. Even if he does repair himself…�

“Without a head, there isn’t much he can do.� Psylocke finished.

“Feelin’ frisky, ‘Ro?� Logan asked, raising a brow.

She mirrored his expression. “How frisky?�

“Offensive Pattern Delta.�

Both women smirked at the exact same moment, their eyes gleaming wickedly.

“Bets, take point. ‘Ro, yer bait. I’ll finish the job.�

They broke apart quickly. Psylocke and Wolverine went opposite directions, claws and blades gleaming from their hands as they stalked their prey. Storm stood shakily as ozone filled the air. When Wolverine glanced at her, he saw she was channeling lightning into her already charged body, her glowing eyes fixed on Sinister with hatred.

“I normally abhor murder,� she said in a ringing tone. “But you are not human enough to warrant mercy.�

Her deliberately taunting words drew Sinister’s attention to her. Psylocke brought up one of her most deadly blade, evidenced by the shivering aura of it.

Never, in all his life, had Logan believed the old adage “Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.� He didn’t know if it completely applied here, but he was suddenly certain that not even all the demons of hell would want to come face to face with these two.

Rage was etched into their bodies, radiating from every move of their muscles. Though neither of them was particularly fond of killing, they knew what had to be done.

Three victims faced their tormentor without fear, without pain. There was only fury, only vengeance and the need to exact it on those who could not. Logan nodded slowly to Psylocke and the agile woman leapt onto Sinister’s back.

Her war cry would have been amusing had it not scared Wolverine shitless for a moment. Her blade plunged into Sinister’s neck, the jolt sending him into immediate seizure. Without so much as missing a beat, a flash of lightning like the wrath of God came down on the man, narrowly missing Psylocke as she jumped out of the way.

Now, it was Logan’s turn.

As Sinister fell onto his back, shaking and frothing at the mouth as his body was ravaged by the mental and electrical attacks, Wolverine advanced. He stepped onto the sadistic bastard’s chest, his claws gleaming in the dim light.

“Yer gonna remember us in hell, you son of a bitch.�

There was genuine, mortal fear in Sinister’s eyes as Logan’s claws swept sharply downward. He made no sound when the severed head flopped away from the still-seizing body.

All was quiet. Like gentle night, there was little sound around them now. Occasional whimpers came from the immediate area, along with falling debris and groaning metal. Slowly, Logan turned to the two women who shared his kill.

There was no remorse or regret in their eyes. Release from the horror was palpable, even when his eyes met the flashing blue of Storm’s.

Without saying a word, he reached out. She moved to him with a limp, stepping carefully over the body on the ground. Psylocke came up to Logan’s other side as Ororo’s fingers threaded with his.

Together, they walked out of the lab in silence and left their demons behind.

Chapter Twenty: Aftershock

Not a moment too soon
Without a minute to spare
You touched my heart
When I didn't have a prayer
In my darkest hour
With my world filled with gloom
Your sweet love saved me
Not a moment too soon
~Tim MCGraw

Xavier’s Institute for Higher Learning

Her body ached all over. She wanted to cuddle up to Logan and sleep for several days, perhaps a week. At least until breathing stopped hurting. Ororo, having given the Professor as full an account as she could, entered their bedroom with a heavy heart. The military had moved on Henry’s order, cleaning up the mess left by the mutant vigilantes. Cover story was in place, suspects tossed into military prison.

Henry had remained behind specifically to ensure Sinister had not cheated death. It seemed as though Logan’s beheading of him was, in fact, fatal. She had carried little doubt. Her Wolverine rarely failed.

Hearing the water still going in the shower, Storm knew something was wrong. Without changing out of her uniform, though she did stop to unclip her cape, she knocked on the bathroom door.

“Logan?�

Nothing. Not even a snarl or a “In a sec, darlin’�. Now she was certain something was amiss. There was no steam coming from the bottom of the bathroom door. Logan’s showers were always scalding. He could steam mirrors three floors down.

Her hand reached for the knob, finding it locked. Now close to panic, Ororo banged on the door until her palm hurt.

“Logan!�

No answer.

Ororo turned onto her side and tried to shoulder the door open. When all she received for her trouble was a sore joint, she did the only thing she could think of.

“PETER!�

As though he had flown from his room down the hall, Colossus stepped through the still open door scarcely a heartbeat later. Kitty was hot on his heels, coming to an abrupt halt as Colossus covered himself in that signature metal. His head wound was bandaged, but he looked ready to beat on whatever caused her to scream his name.

“Open.� Ororo commanded brokenly.

Like the good, honest fellow he was, Peter gently shouldered her out of the way and with one hand, slammed the door from its hinge. Impulsively, Ororo reached up and kissed his cheek.

She could have sworn Kitty made a noise like an angry cat from somewhere near the hall.

Ororo noticed two things when the door was open. Logan’s uniform was in shreds on the bathroom floor and there were blood splatters on the mirror. Horror and realization hit her at once. Logan had borne none of the same symptoms as the other kidnapping victims, save the muscle relaxers.

According to Angel, however, there were several jars of seminal fluid in a refrigeration unit near where the winged mutant had found him. The sudden, terrible comprehension filled Ororo with dread and consuming sorrow.

“Go,� she pleaded with a now flesh-colored Peter and startled Kitty. “Leave him to me.�

She was not sure if either of her former students understood what was happening, but they left without a word, closing the door softly behind them. Ororo fought tears and a thunderstorm the likes of which Westchester had not seen since Jean’s death. It took her several moments to gain control of herself.

Not worried that Logan had tried to off himself, she took her time controlling her emotions. Losing her cool now would help no one. With a great deep breath, she steeled herself for the worst and eased into the bathroom.

The long, dark blue shower curtain was pulled back easily. Ororo’s heart splintered into pieces when she saw her beloved feral sitting on the shower floor. Ice-cold water was soaking him, making his hair fall over his face while he shivered under the spray.

Not wanting to startle him, she kneeled carefully, ensuring that a soft breeze brought him her scent.

“My love?�

Logan shuddered violently.

“It’s ‘Ro,� she offered, turning one hand to the water.

Drawing on feelings of lust and love, she gently heated the entire room with a miniscule warm front. He was in obvious shock, which because of its mental properties, his healing factor could not abate. His health was not in danger, per se, but his mind was.

“Do you know where you are?� Her question was soft, even as she noted the pink flesh all over his arms and thighs. He had been trying to scrub the feeling away, scratching at his flesh until he drew blood.

“Ain’t home,� Logan stammered, speaking at last. “Ain’t hell.�

“You’re in the mansion. Xavier’s,� she clarified. “Do you know who I am?�

He still did not look at her, his hands gripping the knees he pulled to his chest.

“M-Mine. ‘Ro.�

“Yes,� she answered with a smile. “Can you stand?�

He shook his head violently. “Not clean. Gotta get clean.�

Ororo, feeling her very soul cry out in acute pain, reached to touch his shoulder.

Logan flinched, drawing as far away from her as he could in the tiny shower stall. Trying to not feel hurt by his withdrawal, she nodded while drawing her hand back. He was still shaking, still trapped in whatever his mind was trying so desperately to forget.

“Logan? My love, look at me. I would never harm you.�

“’Ro came fer me.� He said, finally turning dark, tortured eyes to her. “My ‘Ro. My mate. Ain’t no one gettin’ through her. No, sir.�

Tears flowing freely down her cheeks undermined her smile. “That is very right.�

For another minute or so, she left Logan alone. Fetching him a towel, she held it open, offering him to soft warmth that his body must crave. He blinked rapidly, looking up at her as though seeing her for the first time.

“Darlin’?�

“Are you all right?� her question was still in that same soft, soothing tone.

“Nuh-uh,� he grunted honestly. “But I’m real fuckin’ cold.�

Giving a slight chuckle, she reached over to turn the water on. Careful to not touch him in any way, she handed him the towel. Logan looked at her curiously, but she merely turned her back so he could dry himself.

Aware that he could see her in the mirror’s reflection, she kept her face as impassive as she could. When Logan stepped out of the shower stall, she wrapped him in a blanket and beckoned him to follow her toward the bed.

He sat, still mildly skittish. She kept distance between their bodies, no matter how she wanted to hold him, to soothe his worries away. Patience borne of years working with children told her to sit on his desk and wait. Logan had a mind stronger than any she had ever known.

She trusted him to come back down to earth, back to her, all on his own.

“Hit me fast,� he said suddenly. “Hard. Couldn’t get my head right. Everythin’ was just…off.�

“Logan?�

“I’m here, more or less.� Wolverine offered her a small, but toothy smile. “Dunno what happened. Little confused.�

“Post-Traumatic Shock,� she said, clearing her throat to keep the tears out of her voice.

“From…them…� He struggled to speak. Ororo met his eyes, unflinching, to tell him she understood.

He exhaled slowly, drawing the blanket more closely around him. “Ya know, I’ve seen pornos with plots like that. Ain’t like it is in the movies.�

Ororo could not help but chuckle. “Thank you for sharing that tidbit.�

“Oh, ya can ask Sparkler all bout my porn collection,� he said more lightly, though he still shivered uncontrollably. “She’s got more theories than Popsicle’s got stories.�

They sat in silence for a long moment, their eyes locked together. She could see the emotion in his gaze, knowing how it must mirror what she felt when he pulled her into his arms that night in Alaska. She knew the helplessness, the mind-boggling fear, the violation.

“When ya started talkin’,� Logan sighed. “Did it help? Even a little?�

Ororo considered her answer for only a heartbeat. “When I talked to you, yes.�

She saw his Adam’s Apple bob as he swallowed hard. A moment later, he opened his blanket, a silent invitation for her to come closer. She did so, only after shrugging out of her uniform. Keeping the Lycra under-suit that protected her skin from the leather on, she cautiously slipped into his embrace.

Warm, strong arms encircled her, bringing the blanket with them. He scooted them both against the headboard, holding her so tightly she had to shift to breathe properly.

Logan surprised her by releasing the blanket. His hands wiggled under the top half of her under-suit, lying flat and innocent on her abdomen. Knowing his affection for her “buzz�, Ororo channeled a few more volts of electricity through her body.

His shivering began to slowly subside.

“It hurt.�

Ororo felt tears sting at her eyes.

“They kept…I couldn’t move. I was wide the fuck awake, but I couldn’t move. They’d put their hands on me, makin’ me hard even though I didn’t want ‘em to.�

She had to control the hitch to her breathing by sheer force of will.

“Over and over.� Her love sighed shakily. “Woulda been better if it’d been men. Knowin’ it was women made it worse fer some reason. Every coupla seconds, they were back fer more. Felt like an animal, a rat ta be tested on.�

Storm inhaled and exhaled slowly, closing her eyes so that she could regulate her breathing. She could almost hear the floodgates open as Logan continued to speak. Perhaps he was comfortable because of her skin, or because he loved her, but not looking directly at her was helping as well.

A man never wants to admit to being debased any more than a woman.

“I wouldn’t let ‘em see me break, but, ‘Ro, I was dyin’ inside. I kept thinkin’ how I was gonna kill ‘em, how you were comin’ ta get me. But it wasn’t enough. I wanted them ta stop, wanted to plead.�

He paused. His hands flexed against her belly. His voice dropped to a predatory growl.

“An’ then Sinister showed up.�

“Oh, God.� Storm’s voice was a whimper and to her great surprise, he soothed her fear with a gentle kiss to her temple.

“You ok?�

“Yes,� she nodded against his shoulder. “Go on.�

“He starts tellin’ me how I’m gonna be a father ta his little mutant army. How he was gonna use my DNA to make all these babies. I wanted to toss up my toenails, baby. He showed me…� Logan swallowed audibly.

“Tell me.� Her request was low, tinged with tears.

�He showed me what our kid’s DNA would look like. It shoulda been beautiful, ‘Ro. An’ it was, but hearin’ him talk bout it. Bout how our kids would be so powerful, so beautiful down ta their atoms made me sick. He was gonna use us, use me ta fight a war I already chose the other side on.�

“Trying to breed evil from your blood.� She whispered the words remembering their talk under the willow.

“Mixed in with the hurt, the humiliation, one thing didn’t change.�

She waited, feeling him shift until he laid his chin on her shoulder. His words were spoken in her ear, like a lover’s caress.

“I never thought, not fer a second, that ya weren’t comin’ fer me. It’s the only thing that kept me sane, kept me from givin’ in to the feral just so I wouldn’t feel what they were doin’ anymore.�

Ororo turned, then, just enough to see his eyes.

“Ya saved me, darlin’. I might be fucked up bout what happened fer a while, I’m not stupid enough ta think I’m just gonna get over it after some good sex an’ a good night’s sleep. But I want ya to remember: I had faith in ya, more faith than I’ve ever had in anyone.�

She reached up, touching his cheek so she could see more of his face when he turned. He leaned into her touch, a soft, somewhat content smile spreading over those beautiful lips.

“I will always come for you, Logan. And your faith humbles me.�

He kissed her then, as innocently and sweetly as he had the night he left Alaska. This time, however, it was filled with promise and no hint of goodbye.

“I won’t be able ta…� he cleared his throat and she thought she saw him color, just a little.

“I do not hold it against you,� Ororo assured him. “Do not think I believe you are anything less than the man I love, even for a moment. If you do, so help me, I will shove another lightning bolt up your ass so fast…�

She had to stop her threat halfway through the building tirade because Logan was laughing himself to tears.

~**~

Xavier’s Institute for Higher Learning
One week later

It was, to any who might have seen it, the picture of serenity. Children in various stages of adolescence were playing in bright, warm sunlight. Their laughter and playful jibes accompanied the sound of two dogs barking happily over the football the children were trying to use. When the dogs disrupted the game to try and make off with the poor pigskin, there was good-natured groaning before the game started again.

The mansion’s grounds had recovered from the freak tornado, leaving everything as pristine and beautiful as always. Walking along the lakeshore were a stoic Russian and bubbly American, both leaning closer as though they wanted to hold hands, only to part again before actually accomplishing such a feat. One could almost see them blushing as the first flush of love began to wash over them.

Inside the shimmering lake was another couple, this one further along in the openly affectionate romance department. A former-mutant once condemned to a life without human contact squealed as her boyfriend lifted and tossed her into the water. Their laughter mingled with the cool breeze.

On the porch were four elder mutants, each keeping a careful eye on the football game or romantic antics while lost in their own endeavors.

One was a wheelchair bound man, thought dead for a year. He, above all others, delighted in the sounds of childlike laughter, of the freedom and contentment it represented.

Another happened to be enormous and covered in thick blue fur. This man, fondly called Furball by another, was lounging on a lawn chair, sipping at a glass of iced tea while his brilliant mind dwelled on new projects he could work on when his students returned.

As for the other occupants of the wide, shaded porch, they took up the expanse of a rocker, gliding effortlessly in a preternatural breeze. The man, with his permanent scowl and rather abrupt attitude, tolerated the long, slender form of a woman atop him. She was stretched out, lying completely on top of him with her head on his chest and her feet dangling with his over the armrest of the glider.

Both of these mutants held sketchpads and drawing pencils. The male wore a battered black Stetson. Neither of them were wearing shoes.

Charles Xavier made a good show of not watching them, when in fact his eyes were drawn to the cuddling pair often. He smiled softly, enjoying the easy comfort of two lovers wrapped in a world that consisted of no others.

Had he known, that fateful day three years ago, that they would match one another like sides of the same coin, he might have played things out differently. Even with his impressive powers of the mind, he had not foreseen what a sight they would make together. A love that would destroy an evil too horrible for this world.

“Yer starin’.�

Not surprised to be caught at his leisurely perusal of the couple gliding back and forth, Charles shrugged one shoulder.

“I am happy for the two of you.�

“As am I,� came a slightly slurred voice from a stretched out lawn chair. “Happy as can be.�

It was then Charles wondered if, perhaps, their beloved Furball had spiked his own tea.

“Just don’t stare at my girl too long,� the feral mutant known as Wolverine said, raising his eyes carefully. Charles could see the mirth reflected there, overcoming the pain he had endured slowly but surely.

Nothing could break this man, this feral mutant that had lived through so much. The woman now sharing his life seemed to add more to that solid bedrock. A lifeline through the worst fate could throw at him.

“He does get rather jealous,� said the woman lying so carelessly on his chest.

With her dark skin and white hair, she made a beautiful picture in her flowing skirt and thin-strapped tank top. Really, Charles mused, it was no wonder that she had been worshipped on the plains of Africa.

And when placed beside the man she loved with all her heart, he could understand the connection there. Natural, uninhibited, wild. They understood the world in a way he felt no others could.

“I’ve seen her get jealous, too,� Logan continued with his usual half-serious humor. “So I wouldn’t stare too long at me.�

“A truly difficult order,� said the tipsy Beast from his chair.

“No more tea for him.� The woman named Ororo flashed her friends a brilliant smile.

Even Charles felt his knees go weak. Or he would have, had he any feeling in them.

“Are you two anticipating the return to Alaska?� the elder questioned, still amused by his own inward joke.

“I am ready to go home,� admitted Storm. “I do love it here, but…�

“Alaska’s home.� Wolverine finished, not looking up from his drawing.

Charles watched as the once lost man turned his sketchpad around to show the woman now in possession of his heart what he had done. She smiled, leaning up for a kiss. It was so tender, that for a moment, Charles longed for what they shared.

“May I?� the telepath asked, curiosity getting the better of him.

Logan wordlessly handed over the sketchpad, mindful to not drop his beautiful mate from her precarious perch.

Charles took the book, laying it in his lap so he could look at it properly. The top page was a sketch of the home he knew his former pupil had bought in the wilds she loved. A simple, solitary cottage on the banks of a river.

When he turned the page, however, he was momentarily stunned. While Logan’s artistic talent was, indeed, wonderful in the first true-to-life drawing, his rendering of what was being fondly termed “Ro and Lo’s Place� took his breath away.

Improvements to the home, which already looked plucked from a postcard, would be remodeled into heaven on earth. Charles noted that his soon-to-be-former X-Man intended to add to the house itself. The porch would be wider, more rooms built in.

Details like new shutters, support beams that resembled a Victorian design he could not name at the moment, seemed too perfect for words.

“Here.�

Without looking up, Charles took another page from Ororo. He noted it was a clear sheet, one to fit over the drawing he already held. Logan’s work was on the home itself, but Ororo had apparently decided to landscape the entire thing.

Huge trees would adorn the cobblestone walk Logan wanted. Flowerbeds and shrubs would provide vivid imagery that matched the wilds surrounding it.

The home would be exactly as intended: where Ororo and Logan would start and live their life together, reflections of what was in their hearts. Forever.

“This…� Charles said, looking to his friends in complete awe. “I have scarcely the words. I have rarely seen something so beautiful.�

Both had the maturity to give him thankful smiles without blushing profusely over the praise.

“Ooh,� the drunkard of a scientist said as he peeked over Charles’ shoulder. “Can I come live with you?�

“Hell, no!� Logan swatted at his friend, smiling broadly. “You can visit though.�

“Only if he stays out of the vodka,� Ororo muttered lowly, earning her a pinch on the side from her beloved.

Charles handed the sketchpad back. “If you two ever need anything, you know where we are.�

“Aw, Jesus, ‘Ro,� Wolverine said dropping his head forward in dismay. “He’s talkin’ like he’s never gonna see us again. Again.�

“Charles,� the more serious mutant said sternly. “We will be back for Christmas or risk death at the hands of Psylocke.�

“Seen her in action, don’t look like fun.� Wolverine chimed in for no reason at all.

“If I had that piece of heaven, I would find myself too lost in it to care about the outside world.�

He could see that they were startled by his admission, so he softened it with a rare, loving smile. Thinking on all he had lost, including his surrogate children, to this battle, it warmed his heart to see two of his pupils bowing out of the fight. They would have many years together, without the threat of death every single day.

Charles believed in his dream, but he had wishes and hopes for each of his children. Logan and Ororo were the first to pass the torch onto the younger X-Men, the first – he hoped – of many.

“We will be there, as well,� Ororo said quietly. “If you need our help, never feel guilty for calling on us.�

“Unless it’s like twice in a week, cause that’s just rude.�

The woman on his lap, swatted him on the head firmly. This, for some reason, made the drunken Beast roar with laughter until he landed in an undignified heap on the deck floor.

Charles, feeling impish for perhaps the third time in his life, sighed deeply.

“You are leaving me alone with him?� He jabbed a thumb in the direction of the giggling Furball.

This caused the assembled mutants to laugh as carefree and openly as the children currently trouncing one another in a football game.

Almost as one, the mutants not far-gone in an afternoon drink, turned to the children. Charles noted that a handholding newlywed couple was making their way over, the husband with wings gleaming in the sunlight.

“You’ll have the Worthingtons,� Logan supplied. “Sic Bets on Hank there an’ he’ll know no peace.�

“And I have very high hopes for the young ones,� Storm chimed in. “Dazzler, Colossus, Iceman, Shadowcat, and even darling Artie will carry the X-Men name proudly.�

“Of that, I have no doubt,� Charles said with emotion thick in his voice. “They have had the best educators, mentors, and friends any person – mutant or not – could hope for.�

With that, Logan shifted his lover up and stood abruptly. “I’m outta here before people start cryin’.�

Ororo was laughing heartily when he grabbed a football from the ball bin beside the rocker. “Yo! Halo, boy! Go long!�

At once, the angelic mutant extended his wings and took to the air. Wolverine leapt from the porch, tossing his Stetson back toward his girl. She caught it effortlessly, placing it on her head as Logan shouted “Not that long, ya idiot!� to Angel.

Psylocke arrived scant seconds later, taking up the seat Logan vacated. Ororo, seemingly not caring who acted as her pillow, rested her head in her friend’s lap. The violet-eyed mutant ran her hands idly through long, white locks.

“Why’d the wild man take off?�

“Charles is being emotional over our move.� Ororo supplied before Charles could stop her.

“Ah,� the telepath named Betsy grinned at him. “You’ve still got me and Warren. We hate moving too much to resign just yet.�

This, of course, made the furry man still lying on the floor laugh all over again.

Charles sighed, his own laughter bubbling to the surface. He had done well with these mutants, this strange band of people drawn together by events that were out of their control. They were loyal, loving, positive people with fighter’s spirits.

Yes, thought Charles with a look around his home, his family, again. The X-Men have not gone. We have hundreds of miles to go yet.