Closed off from love, I didn't need the pain
Once or twice was enough and it was all in vain
Time starts to pass before you know it you're frozen

But something happened for the very first time with you
My heart melted to the ground, found something true
And everyone's looking 'round thinking I'm going crazy...

Rain poured down on the mansion's estate, cleansing everything in its wake. However, cleansing was not the weather's intentions; sadness was. Curled up on her bed, Ororo's shoulder's shook while tears streamed down her face. It had been only a few weeks since Alkali Lake, and just roughly a couple days after Jean's funeral. The loss of the closest person she had to a sister was devastating to Ororo, the rain outside a pure outward sign of her grief.

It was late at night, the only time Ororo would have the nerve to let her emotions run a little wild in certain predicaments. This was definitely one of those times.

Hugging her pillow closer to her chest, Ororo let out another wrack of sobs. Nothing could ever compare to the grief that was taking over her. Slowly, it had been eating away at her soul, taking a little bit away from her in the short weeks of Jean's death. It wasn't fair, she felt guilty for not responding quicker to her "sister's" actions...

You should've done something...You should've saved her...

Those words wouldn't stop haunting her, the cruel truth ripped through her every time she thought about it...

A harsh knock on the door made Ororo's head snap up from her pillow. She threw the pillow to the side and hastened to wipe away the tears that were still streaming down her face. She would never let anyone see her so broken down. A tear or two of hers were shed on the day of the funeral, but she never went on a full-fledged sob. Not her. She was too strong for that.

"'Ro?" the husky voice belonged to Logan, which confused Ororo. Shouldn't he have been in his own room, followed by nightmares of his past and caring about himself? Ororo came to the conclusion that it was probably some late night mission the Professor had assigned them on and Logan was just sent to get her out of bed.

He knocked again, "Hey, 'Ro, you in there?"

"Come--," she cleared her throat, "Come in, Logan."

She tried to appear calm as Logan walked in, attempting to hide everything under an emotional mask.

Making his way up to the foot of her bed, he noted her tear stained cheeks, but didn't say anything. He wasn't good in any situations like this...

Ororo wiped her eyes, "What did you want?"

He stood there in silence for a few moments, now completely at a loss for words. What was he thinking? Getting up from his room because he heard sobbing coming from her room, although the torrential rain was an obvious factor that the weather witch was not in her happiest mood. And now he expected himself to give her soothing words? Well, he couldn't exactly walk out on her, that would just complicate things further. What to do, what to do...

Logan scratched the back of his neck awkwardly, "Heard ya cryin' in here...thought ya were hurt or somethin'..."

She looked down, hiding a sad sort of smile from Logan's sight, "Well, I am hurting...just not in a physical sense..."

Ororo sighed thoughtfully, her voice breaking again as she told him the source of her sorrow, "I--I just...Jean's death...losing her is like losing a sister..." A choked sound escaped her throat, a sign that she was on the brink of another breakdown. Logan did the only thing he thought was appropriate for the moment and enveloped her in a strong embrace. More tears flowed from Ororo's eyes as she openly welcomed the kind gesture, sobbing into his chest.

Surprisingly, Logan found no awkward feelings or reactions from the woman, or himself, when he wrapped his arms around her tightly, murmuring low words of reassurance and comfort. It almost felt right to be holding her this way, the beginning of a friendship with Ororo forming before his very eyes.

About ten minutes passed before all of her tears were cried, grief replaced by comfort from the man who was holding her. She felt safe, warm, and almost...cherished.

In an acquaintance way, of course... she thought seriously.

Logan kissed the top of her head and rubbed her arms soothingly.

Never mind...

She rested her case with the term: friendship...

...at the same time, she felt a tingling of sorts in the pit of her stomach...something she could never explain...

But I don't care what they say, I'm in love with you
They try to pull me away, but they don't know the truth
My heart's crippled by the vein that I keep on closing

You cut me open
And I keep bleeding, keep, keep bleeding love
I keep bleeding, I keep, keep bleeding love
Keep bleeding, keep, keep bleeding love
You cut me open...

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

...at the same time, she felt a tingling of sorts in the pit of her stomach...something she could never explain...

Chapter 2: Keep Bleeding...

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A few months later...

Clicking heels made their way down the long halls of the lower levels of the mansion. Ororo sighed and brushed some white hair from her face. Charles had told her to go check on Logan, for he had sensed immense restlessness with the man. Ororo had agreed to go, but it was for her own personal reasons that she was encouraged to walk slightly faster than necessary. There was no way she was going to let him do anything impulsive with Jean...or what appeared to be Jean. Ororo still had a hard time coping with that, ever since she had found the scarlet-haired woman laying unconscious on the rocky surface of Alkali Lake.

But before that incident, she and Logan seemed to have developed an ever-growing friendship. Oh, they had been well acquainted before, but it was after Jean's death when only did they seek each other out for support. Like the first night Logan came to comfort her.

Now, that seemed like a forever ago...

Since then, they had had many more nights similar to that...sometimes in the kitchen when the subject of Jean was brought up and they both felt obligated to hold one another, or the one time she remembered waking up to him in his bed...they didn't do anything, but still...

Small moments like had drawn her to him, and she would never admit that to anyone else or Logan...she had time, right?

He was over Jean anyways, wasn't he?

That thought alone made her pace quicken...

Brushing her bangs to the side a little, Ororo turned a corner, nearing the infirmary door. Coming a bit closer to her objective, her hands lightly straightened out her shirt of any wrinkles that might be present. A few more steps and she was now standing face to face with the infirmary entrance while a nervous feeling swept over her.

Deep breaths, Ororo...Deep breaths... Ororo mentally counted to herself to ten before she finally had the courage to take that final step to activate the doors.

A low swish was heard as Ororo walked in...

...but nothing could have prepared her for what she saw...and her heart was broken in two.

There they were, Logan firmly on top of Jean, kissing her senseless with his belt buckle telekinetically half undone. Ororo, staying very silent and still because she knew of Logan's enhanced senses, swallowed the small lump that had formed in her throat. Unbearable tears soon glossed over her deep brown eyes and her fists clenched. She was too late...this wasn't fair. Ororo could have sworn there was something between herself and Logan, but now that she had seen the two...she didn't know what to think...it still broke her heart anyways.

The faint thud of raindrops was soon heard, expressing the emotions that welled through the weather witch's soul. She took quiet steps backwards, wanting nothing more than to just run away and lock herself in her room undetected. Too bad Logan heard her...

His glance switched from Ororo to the woman beneath him...something was wrong here...

Logan quickly got off of Phoenix and righted his belt buckle, still unsure of who to keep eye contact with or what to say. A lazy smile crept up on "Jean's" face as she realized what was going on. She sensed Ororo's feelings.

Ororo hastened to run away right then and there, but Logan caught her by the wrists.

Each and every one of her words were punctuated with sorrow and enmity, "Leave me alone, Logan."

She wrestled to free her hands from his grasp, but Logan would not let go, "'Ro...I--"

"Save it." Ororo turned her face away, she wouldn't let him see her tears.

Neither of them noticed Phoenix watching them intently, eyes turning as black as night. Her hands gripped the edge of the infirmary table, where she was seated. Bolts unscrewed themselves from the medical tables, cabinets shook, and the monitors were going haywire. Both Ororo and Logan turned to the red haired woman, temporarily forgetting their current predicament. Ororo's eyes met Logan's in confusion as they slowly walked towards the woman. They weren't fast enough to get to her when she screamed with fury and threw them back into the wall with her telekinesis, effectively knocking them out.

Phoenix got off the table and slowly walked over to the two limp forms. Her eyes did a quick scan around the room, looking for something to delay the two, should they awake soon. She found nothing that could suppress them for long, so she simply demolecularized the wall behind them just enough so it would crumble and fall. Dust clouded the room and Phoenix proceeded her way to the infirmary exit, not bothering to open it as her telekinesis pushed it forcefully open and knocked into the opposite wall.

Her work was done here.

Chapter 3: Aftershock

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But nothing's greater
Than the rush that comes with your embrace
And in this world of loneliness
I see your face
Yet everyone around me
Thinks that I'm going crazy, maybe, maybe

Trying hard not to hear
But they talk so loud
Their piercing sounds fill my ears
Try to fill me with doubt
Yet I know that the goal
Is to keep me from falling

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…Phoenix got off the table and slowly walked over to the two limp forms. Her eyes did a quick scan around the room, looking for something to delay the two, should they awake soon. She found nothing that could suppress them for long, so she simply demolecularized the wall behind them just enough so it would crumble and fall. Dust clouded the room and Phoenix proceeded her way to the infirmary exit, not bothering to open it as her telekinesis pushed it forcefully open and knocked into the opposite wall.

Her work was done here…

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About 30 years ago…
Cairo, Egypt
9:53 p.m.
Munroe Residence

"Mommy!! Stop that! Mommy! It tickles!" Ororo giggled as N'Dare tickled her daughter mercilessly.

"Oh no! Not until you finish your dinner!"

"Okay! Okay! Mommy! Just stop! Pwease!" Her mother ceased the tickling as Ororo ran to the dining table, and eagerly gulped down her Muamba Nsusu. The soup met her throat warmly and traveled down her throat, feeling like silk.

Just as she was about to reach for her milk, a loud airplane's engines roared through the skies. Ororo looked at her mother questioningly. N'Dare shrugged and prompted Ororo to finish her milk. When her fragile hand met the glass, the roar of the airplane ceased and the building shook. Ororo’s eyes met her mother’s. They were both confused. Droplets of milk splashed onto Ororo’s hand as the little white-haired girl glanced at her cup. Little pieces of debris bobbed in her drink. Her eyes peered up at the ceiling, which was slowly cracking and crumbling.

The house shook again, this time more forcefully.

"MOMMY!!" She screamed out frightfully.

"Ororo! Hurry! Get over here!" N'Dare shouted to her daughter as she saw the ceiling crumble dangerously above the small child. Ororo quickly jumped off her chair and ran across the room. Her tiny legs scurried to her mother faster when she heard a loud CRACK sound behind her. N’Dare’s eyes widened as she saw the table her daughter was previously sitting at, become demolished instantly.

"What's wrong? Why is the house shaking? Where is daddy?" She clung to her mother like a magnet, crying out her questions innocently. N'Dare hushed her by singing a soft lullaby in her native language, calming the child. She was wondering the same things, but she would never let Ororo know what the possible answers were. After her crying had stopped, N'Dare knelt down to the child’s level.

"Listen. Whatever happens, I'll always be with you in here..." N'Dare put her hand on Ororo's heart. Ororo mimicked her by placing her tiny hand on her mother's heart.

"I love you, Ororo." A tear ran down Ororo's face as N'Dare stroked her long, wavy white hair.

The house shook again, threatening to collapse. N'Dare looked up at the ceiling as she continued fingering her daughter's hair. Another loud CRACK and she quickly picked up her daughter and ran over to one of the corners in the living room. She placed Ororo down in the farthest corner and walked away to look for David, her husband.

Ororo watched with a petrified expression as the ceiling collapsed above her mother. N'Dare couldn't react fast enough as the ceiling collapsed around her and her daughter. The yelling of a man had alerted that David had also been caught in the ceiling when he had rushed down the stairs to try and ensure the safety of his family.

A large piece of the ceiling trapped Ororo between the corners, but she could still see her mothers face from a small space where the ceiling slanted onto the wall.

Ororo tried to move around the rubble and her mother managed to crawl towards her. She was unable to move the piece of ceiling that encased her daughter because it was too heavy.

"David?"

No response.

"David!"

Nothing.

"DAVID, NO!" N'Dare screamed. Ororo stuck her little brown hand through the small crack and joined it with her mother’s.

“Mommy? Why are you--” Ororo coughed the dust out of her lungs, “why are you crying?”

The small child heard her mothers weeping, but didn’t understand. Where was daddy? Why was mommy crying? When would they all be safe?

Ororo peered out the hole and saw her mother's weeping bloodied face. It scared her.

Petrified, little cinnamon brown knees squeezed against Ororo’s chest as she cried into them with her mother.

The house shook once more.

It completely collapsed around her, the wedge of the ceiling protecting Ororo. But N'Dare's head had been hit. Hard. Killing her.

"Mommy..." Ororo saw her mother's face etched with pain as she uttered her last words to her daughter. Tears that were welled within the child's eyes rolled down her cheeks and dripped from her chin and nose.

"I love you, Ororo…" Then she was gone.

"Mommy? MOMMY! Wake up, mommy! I'm scared!"

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The here and the now...

“NO!!”

The shriek of Ororo’s scream abruptly forced Logan out of his semi-unconscious state, although his healing factor was also to thank. The overpowering smell of panic, sandalwood, and rain was enough to alert him that something was wrong.

Very wrong.

And it wasn’t just the fact that Jean had escaped the mansion and was most likely wreaking havoc on the rest of the New York state.

The pounds and pounds of rubble made it impossibly difficult for Logan to breathe as he managed to dig himself out, but he didn’t care. He could hear groans and screams coming from the crumbled wall. Groans and screams coming from the one woman he would never in a million years imagine emitting.

His hands began their work at the fallen wall, frantically searching out the snow-capped, cinnamon tinted woman. Every sob, every scream, pierced him through the heart and stitched out and around his gut as he fought to free her. His eyes caught sight of her finely manicured hand and he breathed again.

Quickly clearing out the rest of the rocks and debris, he managed to get a clear view of her arm and torso.

“Ororo!” he yelled out, trying to get her to snap out of it as she continued weeping out for reasons that were beyond his comprehension.

Ororo’s face finally came into view. Her eyes were rounded with tears and there were two fine long streams of salt and water running down the curve of her cheeks. To stop her worried moans and cries, Logan quickly pulled her up from the rubble so she could breathe.

Logan held her by the shoulders as she doubled over and coughed, “Ororo?”

But she didn’t respond, still busy with trying to suck in sweet oxygen, so he gave her a moment. Still, Logan couldn’t help but notice the unrelenting tremors governing Ororo’s body.

“What--what happened to her?" Ororo finally asked, referring to Phoenix.

Logan looked away, “I don’t know,” he answered regretfully.

Suddenly, he felt a small, mental prick in the back of his mind, signaling that Xavier was on his way down.

Logan’s stare veered off to the far wall as Ororo busied herself keeping her powers -as well as her phobia- under control.

“Are you alright?” he finally asked her in concern. The way she was shaking; it was as if she were about to fall apart.

“I’m fine,” she lied and looked down to hide her tear filled eyes, “We should go get Phoenix…”

“You mean Jean,” he thought he was correcting her, but Ororo shook her head, “No. I said Phoenix.”

Ororo gave him a disapproving look and added, “I know what I meant, Logan,” she said in a clipped tone. Claustrophobia and haunting memories of her past forgotten, Ororo returned to the present.

“No, you don’t, Storm,” he challenged. Her head snapped up to look him in the eyes.

“I’m smart enough to know whether or not the woman you were with wasn’t my friend Jean. Or at least the Jean I know.”

Ororo paused before letting her mouth run impulsively, “Jean wouldn’t cheat on Scott. Jean wouldn’t try to have sex with the man I thought I lo--” she choked on the last word, finally realizing her faux pas.

Logan’s eyes widened as his grip on her upper arms tightened, “Is that what you…‘Ro, I--”

Logan was not cut off by her, he just could not think of how to talk to Ororo after seeing the emotional devastated look in her eyes. Had he been blind the entire time? Had he not seen the beauty right in front of him?

“Logan…I…I-I love y--” Ororo’s trembling confession was interrupted as the Professor suddenly wheeled in. The two turned their heads sharply to the man as he approached them closer.

“Logan, Ororo,” Xavier said in a serious tone, “I’ve located Jean. We need to return her to the mansion before the worst is to come.”

Ororo's heart broke. Would she ever get the chance to confess her true feelings for Logan? Even if she did, would she?

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But I don't care what they say
I'm in love with you
They try to pull me away
But they don't know the truth
My heart's crippled by the vein
That I keep on closing
You cut me open and I....

Keep bleeding
Keep, keep bleeding love
I keep bleeding
I keep, keep bleeding love
Keep bleeding
Keep, keep bleeding love
You cut me open


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Endnotes: I’m probably going to get flamed for this, but I’m leaving it there. For the readers that are most likely cussing me out right now, just know that writing through the entire movie would have been rather tedious. This short - three chapter - piece of fiction was just an interpretation of what I thought a certain scene of The Last Stand could have been. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed reading! Also, please leave a revie--no…wait a second…

*puts on full-body flame depressant suit*

There, I’m ready…

PLEASE, LEAVE A REVIEW! ^-^'