Primal Urges

Part One

It’s a bright morning at the Xavier Institute for Gifted Children in West Chester. Children wandering around the grounds laughing and talking about the usual teen-age stuff, or even childish interests like cartoons and toys…all in all, a normal day at this school for special students. A warm pair of eyes stare out over the safe haven that was created for them...watching them interact with each other, preparing for the day that they can finally go out into the world and contribute like any other normal human being…

But, these children are far from normal…

The eyes watch as one child seems to phase through a pillar to avoid hitting it as she was talking to a friend…another child playing basketball with others, speeds up to a velocity that blurs his movements to the eye…making him almost invisible.

Yes, these children are far from normal…they are considered mutants, muties, whatever the regular population deems to call them. The warm eyes know what it is like to try to make it in the world of the normal human being, and failing miserably. They keep up the fight so that all people can be considered equal…almost like the civil rights movement in the 60’s.

Sighing, the eyes move away from the window and back over to a desk, the wheels of the motorized wheelchair humming softly. Charles Xavier, owner of the spacious mansion that houses this special school, slides under the desk and looks over the papers that have piled up on the corner of his desk. Being the headmaster and Sociology/English teacher can be a daunting task at times…but he wouldn’t change it for the world. In his own small way, he is contributing to the world outside by sending well-controlled, educated young people out into it to make their mark. Now, some have a harder time adjusting, especially those that have a more…extreme…mutation. Mutants that are more beast than human, or have other physical mutations have the roughest time outside the grounds and usually don’t leave for very long…but the effort is still made.

The elder mutant smiles when he thinks about the mutants that fall under that category…lifting up his files to pull out the one that contains the names of these special mutants. He flips through names such as Kurt Warner and Henry Phillip McCoy, the latter being the most vocal for mutant rights. Being a doctor and biochemist lifts his status with Washington. He, along with Jean Grey, have been beating Congress down to pass more laws for mutant rights. Some progress has been made as far as the laws are concerned, but not enough...not enough to make the world seem more hospitable for them. Still smiling, he places the file down and looks at the file that has been conspicuously placed in a blue file folder. His smile changes and he looks inside to read over the reports that have been placed there since the arrival of this particular mutant. Not surprisingly, the file is a lot thicker than all the others and has been a constant reminder of the one that almost got away. Since Cerebro was built, he has diligently watched over as many mutants that he could…trying to find those in need to bring them here and help in the best way that they can. He usually tries to rescue the children…but every once in a while an adult appears on the radar and this was one of them. Xavier flips through the papers, skimming over the various reports and observations made by different members of the house. He stares at the name on the top of the file…Logan (aka Wolverine).

When he arrived here, he was unconscious and extremely hurt. He was brought in with a young girl named Marie, whom Charles had found to have powers that prevented her from touching anyone without absorbing their life force, or mutant powers. Logan wasn’t the real target of the attack as they soon found out...Marie was. After the fight at the Statue of Liberty, the man named Logan decided to look some more into his missing past…something that Charles had found he was searching for. His memories only go back as far as fifteen years and it has been bothering him. The nightmares of drowning and extreme pain have been haunting him to the point that he almost killed Marie, or Rogue, after waking up violently from a bad dream. She never hated him for it, in fact she had a little crush on him for some time before their relationship progressed into a father-daughter one. Whenever she needed someone, she always turned to him and in his gruff way; he took her under his wing and kept her as safe as he could keep her. His comings and goings were still random...Logan took off when he felt he needed to and he has had his share of relationships…none serious.

Except for Jean…

Ever since he saw her on that first day, Logan was smitten and never bothered to bite his tongue and let her know it…to the dismay of her boyfriend Scott Summers, aka Cyclops. They never really got along, but when it came down to it, they did work well together…if Logan kept from flirting with Jean and stopped calling Scott One-Eye or “Dick”, which was his favorite nick name. Logan became an X-Man reluctantly, but fit in very well...regardless of what Scott thought. Logan’s love for Jean never wavered either…haunting him as well as the nightmares. He tried to keep the feelings at bay, but there have been times where the both of them have given into temptation and shared a kiss…being a telepath tellsXavier when they start kicking themselves for falling for it. Jean does love Scott, but there is something about Logan that is magnetic...completely drawing her to him. She had to stop the teasing… and it hurt them both. Logan didn’t take it very well and he disappeared for quite some time after that took place…determined to keep whatever feelings he had to himself for as long as he can. When Jean had seemed to die and come back as the Phoenix…Logan was the one that had to take her out.

In that horrible battle, they had lost Cyclops, Jean, and himself. But, the one thing that they hadn’t known was that Jean still had some control over that power when she attacked Xavier...she had sent him and Scott to a parallel dimension for their safety, as well as a part of herself to be reconstituted…hopefully at a later date. With the technology created by Forge, Jean was returned, him and Scott were made whole…Logan wasn’t around to receive his mental healing while Jean slowly found her way back to Scott. Now, they are to be married…something else that Logan doesn’t know.

Now, some six months later, Logan has not been seen or heard from and trying to find him has always been next to impossible. Charles always felt that Logan would find his way back here, still feels that way…but a lot of time has past...more than usual. Rogue has almost stopped waiting for him, occasionally asking him if he has made any kind of contact only to be told that Cerebro can’t find him. Part of Logan’s mutant abilities is his ability to block any telepathic readings; no one can read his mind clearly unless he lets them. This made it near impossible to find him, so Rogue had stopped asking…forced to just wish that he would come back safely.

Charles sighs, upset that he can’t completely help Logan in the way that he needs. Frustrated, he places the file back down on the desk and moves back over to the window. The classes should be in session now, so the grounds are pretty much clear if only for a few little stragglers. It is a beautiful day…



Another set of eyes are looking out over the grounds…these are a brilliant blue and inquiring. They watch as the clouds roll through the sky, wishing that they were out there to join in the fun. As it is…teaching a bunch of children can be stressful, but rewarding at the end of the day. Her class hasn’t started yet, so she takes time to be a little wistful about her freedom that she takes every once in a while…in the dark of night of course. Taking a deep, cleansing breath, she turns away from the window and heads over to her chalkboard to write out the day’s lesson. Her specialties are History and Philosophy, so she writes out the pages in their history book that they have to read for the start of the lesson. The past year has been pretty traumatic for many people around the mansion, and surprisingly she has been one of them.

She was one of the team when they went against Magneto at the Statue of Liberty…having that horrendous Sabertooth threaten her with something that bordered on the tawdry. Then they had to team with Magneto to stop Colonel Stryker at Alkali Lake, the place they found out Logan was “created” at. Then finally against Jean…as Dark Phoenix. After that one, she wasn’t sure that any of them would survive the aftermath; Scott and the Professor were gone and Logan didn’t want to hang around. The crazy thing is that she was actually worried about Logan…even knowing that he was in love with Jean. He always came across as a hard-ass, but that one thing showed her how truly complex he was. But he didn’t stay around long enough for her to find out more about him. Sighing, she thinks about him yet again...wishing that he would come back intact. She had said some pretty harsh words to him when he first got here, but he has gradually proved himself to the team and to her. A small smile creeps on her lips as she recalls his features; hard jaw line and aquiline nose, wild black hair and bushy sideburns that were surprisingly soft to the touch. His muscular body was covered in hair, but not overly so…he was built like a Greek God and a tingle runs through her as she remembers that hard body shirtless.

Never before had anyone attracted her like he did…her relationship with Forge was a gentle one, not anywhere near as chaotic as the feelings that have been dredged up by being around Logan. She has never had the time to find out more about him with him leaving like he did…leaving her to miss him. She keeps this to herself, but as each day passes, her heart worries a little more. Who would have thought that Ororo Munroe; former Weather Goddess in Africa, petty thief, and now X-Man would have a strong attraction to someone so feral as Wolverine?

It’s not shocking, though.

The animalistic urges inside Logan call out to her primal side. Her night romps in nature and being in her natural form, she can understand when the beast calls out to him...when he must be who he is and run in the wild. His primal sensibilities parallel hers and he is the only one that can understand her. But, it is this very same wildness that calls to her in a more…intimate way…

She wants him…

Oh, Goddess...how she wants him, but she doesn’t want to succumb to that lustful desire. Love has always been what Ororo has always wanted…and strangely enough she wants it from him, no one else will do. But, none of this matters as long as he is away from here, so she concentrates on the lessons that she has planned out for the day…gently filing away her feelings deep in her heart for now. A group of loud voices head in her direction and Ororo smiles…knowing that her class is arriving. Giddy teenagers enter the room and quickly take their seats, glancing at the chalkboard and moaning pitifully. “Alright, alright…it’s time to settle down. Your morning lesson is already on the board, please get your books out an copy it down so we can begin.”
“Awwww, Ms. Munroe…do we have’ta?” asks Bobby. This young man can manipulate the water in the air and create ice…thus the nickname Iceman. A few of the girls in the class titter at the thought, but a stern look from the teacher and they quickly do as asked.

Ororo looks at Bobby and smiles, “Isn’t it important to be a well-educated young man rather than a young man that want to play at being well-educated?” The titter starts up again and Bobby blushes, promptly being put in his place for the time in being. The white-haired woman pats him on the shoulder to reassure him and gives him a wink…he is suddenly feeling better. “Okay…let’s get to work.”

All the heads in the class bend down to their papers and Ororo makes her way back to her desk…but there is a click at the door, causing her to look up and see what is going on. She observes a young woman sliding in the door and silently making her way to the last open chair in the class. The girl next to her whispers, “Where have you been? Kitty and I tried to wait for you after Shop, but you were taking too long.”

“I…had something I had to do…”

“And what would that be, Rogue?”

Brown eyes shoot up into blue ones and a dark flush covers her face. “You know that class starts at exactly ten o’clock, you’re ten minutes late. Where have you been?”

Ororo notices that stern tightening of the jaw and realizes that she isn’t going to get anything out of her right now. “After class, Rogue…I would like for you to hang behind. This isn’t the first time you have been late to my class and I would like to know what is going on before I have to report you to the Professor.” The young girl nods curtly and gets out her notebook to take her notes. Shaking her head, the weather goddess moves back over to her desk and turns the next page in her lesson for the day.
Once the class ends, she looks pointedly at Rogue as the rest of the class quickly gathers their belongings and head out the door. Kitty and the young girl that was speaking to her earlier, Jubilee stop to whisper to her. “We’ll wait for you…good luck!” They both pat her on the back and walk out the room. The girl with the silver streaks in her auburn hair moves slowly up to the desk with her head down. Ororo smiles gently at her and stands, “Now, do you think you can tell me what has you coming into my class late for the past few weeks?”

Rogue lowers her head and remains silent. The woman known as Storm comes around the desk and gently lifts her chin up so that she looks her in the eye. She sees sadness and her throat clenches a bit. “What’s the matter, child?”

“I’m sorry that I have been late, but I was busy with…another project…”

“And what would that be?”

There is an extended silence and Ororo decides to push her a little more, “I am not upset…but I see that you are. What is it and can I help?”

“Only if you can bring…never mind. Can I go?” she asks and Storm finally gets the idea. Not wanting to push her any further, she nods. “Sure, go catch up with the others.” The girl smiles briefly and runs out the room. Logan… she thinks as she walks over to the window once again. He did tell her good-bye before he left, but he had become her lifeline here.

Oh, Logan…do you know how much you are
missed…?

Part Two

Late afternoon…and a familiar humming comes up the driveway to the gates. It has been six months and those gates have never looked better to the rider of the cycle. The solitary figure on the back of a screaming Harley looks at the sign posted on the wall next to the gate and smiles.

Time to pay the piper…

The motorcycle hums loudly as he presses the secret code into the gate’s security system. The huge iron gates swing open, letting the rider on the cycle motor their way up to the front door. Ororo is walking down the hall when she hears the roar of the cycle’s engine pull up to the garage area. Her heart skips a beat as she hurries to the front doors, almost being run over by Rogue heading in the same direction. The young girl swings open the doors and screams as she watches the rider put away the cycle, gather his things, and head toward the front doors, “Logan! Logan! You’re back!”

The tall figure steps into view and Ororo stops in her tracks before she heads to the door…

Why should she even be here?

She has never had any real close relationship with him and he’s too damn good at smelling out the truth. Being slightly insecure almost has her turning away and making her way to her attic hideaway, but she has to see him…make sure that he is okay and really here. Smiling at the ecstatic teen, she watches him try to remove the girl from around his neck…a gentile smile on his face…

He really can be handsome when he smiles…

Her thoughts begin to betray her, so she straightens her posture and stares at them. Rogue hasn’t stopped pawing at him, asking a question every half second. Patiently, he waits for her to begin to run out of gas before he speaks, “It’s good to see you too, kid…but ya’ think I can get in the door first before knockin’ me over?”

Blushing, Marie backs off, “Sorry, Ah just been waiting for ya’ for a long time, Logan. Where ya’ been?”

His face changes as he lowers his gaze, “I had some things I had’ta work out, kid. I know it took a long time…”

“Too damn long!” she yells and hits him on his chest…pretty damn hard, too. He grimaces slightly, rubbing the spot before speaking again, “Sorry, kid…didn’t mean to make ya’ worry.”

“Well, Ah wasn’t the only one worried…” she starts and Ororo steps up then, not wanting her to run down the names of all those that were on that list.

“Welcome back, Logan,” she whispers as she steps into his line of sight. Still the same…she observes. He is still wearing the same leather jacket he had when he left, but a different flannel shirt and jeans.

His stare can still be fearsome when he wants it to be, but now it’s soft…almost gentle. He doesn’t speak for a minute, but then the gruff rumbling answers her, “Thanks…didn’t expect a welcoming party.”

Smiling, Ororo moves in closer to him…almost involuntarily. “Well, I wouldn’t exactly call this a welcoming party.” Her eyes stay poised on his, trying to read something in them, like if he is in the slightest bit happy that she is here to see him.

Damn girl…you really need to stop this!

Absently clearing her throat, the beautiful African stares at the ground…somehow feeling his gaze on her. Logan decides to let her off the hook by tweaking Rogue’s cheek, “Don’t you think you should get ta’ bed or somethin’?”

Rogue giggles “It’s too early for all of that, Logan…but I do have some homework that I gotta get done, see ya’ later?”

“Sure…” he responds and the teen places a kiss to his cheek. “I’m so glad yer home…” she murmurs and runs back down the hall to the stairway, leaving Storm alone with the one person that she can’t seem to control herself around. An awkward silence takes over the vestibule, until Logan finally speaks, “Well, do I still have the same room…or did ya’ throw my stuff out?”

She laughs, “Your room is exactly the same as you left it.”

“Damn, couldn’t have cleaned it or anythin’?”

She laughs a little harder, waving her arm to the stairs, “I think you can find your way…second door on the left.” She watches as he picks up a bag from outside the door, probably dropped there when Rogue attacked him. Closing the door behind him, he turns to the stairs and heads on up. As an afterthought, Ororo tells him, “I will let the Professor
know that you’re back…”

“You know he already knows that…wait, Xavier’s alive?” Logan states, pausing half way up the stairs. He looks back down on her…wondering what other shit she may be hiding. How in the hell is Xavier alive? Jean killed him…damn, Jean...he thinks. This wasn’t what he wanted to think about now, but something tells him that he won’t be able to escape dealing with it…by the look in Storm’s eyes. He can smell her nervousness…

“What else is there, Storm?” he asks and watches as she swallows hard. “First, yes…he’s alive and there have been a lot more things going on since you’ve been gone…but I think that the Professor should tell you about it. I’m heading to his office now, so I’ll meet you there?”

Nodding, he answers, “Be there in a minute…wait there while I put these things in my room. I’ll be right back.” He bounds the rest of the way up the stairs as she waits for him…contemplating Logan’s reaction to the happenings in the mansion since his sabbatical. Within a few minutes, she hears a door close and she looks up the stairs, watching him run down them. “Well, let’s not keep Chuck waiting…” he says, the both of the heading down the hallway to the headmaster’s office.



As they approach the door, they can feel a presence in their minds speaking to them,

Logan, Storm…please enter…

Ororo opens the door to a smiling Professor Xavier, who has wheeled himself around his desk to greet them. “Ororo, Logan…it is so good to see that you are doing well, and came back safe and sound.” He puts out his hand to Logan in greeting.

“Thanks…good ta’ be back.” Logan says as he takes the Professor’s hand, shaking firmly. After they break, Xavier wheels over to the sofa area in his office and gestures for them to come with him, “You have been away for quite some time and there have been quite a few changes around here that you need to be made aware of…” He waits for them to take their seats before he continues his speech. Ororo, of course, knows everything that he is about to tell him, but it is still a hard pill to swallow.

“It’s not necessary…” the former Weapon X starts as he gets comfortable on the sofa, with Ororo sitting next to him, but Charles cuts him off. “Logan, when you left I was seemingly dead…Scott gone, and Jean…well, the Jean that had returned to us had to be stopped. I heard about what you did when I came back and I’m so sorry…”

A quick wave of the hand cuts him off, “Don’t sweat it, Chuck...old news.”

“Well, it seems that our Jean still had some power over the Dark Phoenix and transported Scott and myself to another dimension for our safety…letting the Phoenix think she had destroyed us. She was able to convince you to stop her...so all her faculties weren’t lost.” Xavier watches as Logan clenches his jaw…a sparkling of tears enters his eyes. Ororo sees this as well, and compulsively grabs his hand in comfort. He looks down at her hand for a moment, but doesn’t disengage her grip. He tries valiantly to clear his mind of the anguish he felt when his adamantium claw ran her through, but his jaw just tightens…he has shown enough weakness to these people.

“Logan, no one blames you for what happened…you need to stop blaming yourself…”

And just as suddenly, Logan jumps up and starts to pace the room, “I KILLED HER, dammit!” His claws make that distinctive *snickt* as they emerge to prove his point. “I ran her through as if she were nothin’…like the fuckin’ killin’ machine they made me inta’!” His outburst should have startled Storm, but she knew this was coming…knew it had to come for him to heal. But to watch him pace like a tiger in a cage was almost primal, very close to being inhuman. A pull within her wanted to comfort him, but she knows he has to let this out. Xavier senses the same and lets him vent, “Logan, you were the only one that could do it, the only one that she would let do it. No one blames you…”

Unable to feed his anger anymore, he flops back down in his seat, holding his head in his hands. “Now, that ya’ve made me remember that, what the hell else do ya’ wanna tell me?”

“Logan…”

He whips his head around at the soft voice to the doorway and almost passes out. There, standing there with her arms at her sides is Jean Grey…her long red hair flowing down her back and a soft smile on her lips. Too stunned to speak, Logan just stares at her...unable to form any words. Right behind her steps another familiar face…

“Cyclops? What the fuck is goin’ on here? How in the hell…?” he stammers and Ororo grips his hand again…tighter this time. Xavier waves them to come in the room to stand by him. “As I mentioned, Scott was in the dimension with me, and so was our Jean. Her personality had split, leaving the Jean we know with us…to keep us safe from the nasty images that was left with us by Dark Phoenix. Dr. McCoy was able to get in contact with a mutant named Forge to build an inter-dimensional gate to bring us back. When you killed “Jean”, you set the last part of her free…leaving only the Phoenix to be consumed. Forge was able to reconstitute all of us and here we are.”

“But, but…” stammers Logan again, thunderstruck. Ororo can’t help but wish that all of this was over to spare him anymore pain, but everything had to be said, so she holds on to calm him. Logan is completely speechless…everyone is back; Jean, Chuck, even Dickhead. How was this all possible? He looked over at Storm and noticed a sad look in her eyes when the name “Forge” was mentioned.

What happened here?

He keeps silent for now, still trying to assimilate everything that he has been made aware of. He can’t look Jean in the eye, and she senses why. Coming over to him, she takes his chin in her hand to make him look at her. “Stop blaming yourself, Logan. You did what I needed you to do and I thank you for it. It saved us all.” She bends down and kisses him lightly on the lips before pulling back. Scott bristles a little, hurriedly putting his arm around her waist when she returns to his side. Smirking at the reflex, Logan has to get his shot in, “See, One-Eye? She can’t keep her hands off me!”

Storm giggles, Jean blushes while Xavier clears his throat, “Yes, well…I think that this has been quite enough for one man to handle in one night. You can re-familiarize yourself with the mansion. Oh, we have added some new programs to the Danger Room as well…I’m sure you’ll love the new additions.”

A sneaky smile forms on Logan’s face as he stands
and shakes Xavier’s hand again, “Ya’ always knew what I liked, didn’t ya’?” Ororo still hasn’t let go of his other hand yet as she stands with him. Jean takes note of the grip, as well as Xavier…but neither says anything. As he starts to move to the door, she lets him go…but follows close behind him as they leave the room. The three that are left stare after them…

“Did you have to do that?” Scott asks Jean, frowning at the smile that she has on her face. “Scott, he saved us…whether or not you like that fact. It was nothing…” and she plants a longer, more heated kiss on his lips to prove her point. “I love you…not him. Please know that.”

Shaking his head, he looks at the Professor and frowns again at the somber look that the Professor has. “What is it? Regretting that he came back?”
“Don’t be silly…I am overjoyed that he has returned. No, I am more worried about how he’s going to take all of this. Logan has blamed himself for everything that has happened here six months ago…now to find out that it has all been undone. It would drive a normal person crazy…”

“I think we can all agree that Logan is as far from normal as they come…” says Scott and Jean hits him. “Look, I know you don’t really appreciate him being here, but he’s here and you better get used to it,” she says. A very disgusted snort escapes him as Xavier shakes his head. “He will need some time to get used to all of this again, and he’s going to need all of us to do it…that includes you, Cyclops.”

He nods reluctantly as he pulls Jean closer. Any thought of her spending any time with that…beast makes him nervous. But the next words out of his girlfriend’s mouth ease him a bit. “Professor, did you see what I saw...I mean between Logan and Ororo?”

“Yes, I did…but let’s not jump to conclusions as of yet. She still has been having a hard time getting over Forge.”

“Maybe, Logan will be the one to break her out of it…”

“WHAT?!” asks Scott. “How in the hell can he do that?!”

“If you have to ask, then we are definitely doing something wrong!” Jean replies as she gently nips his ear. Blushing profusely, Scott finally has nothing left to say and Xavier smiles at him. “Right now, we have more to worry about than our dear friend’s love life…Jean, please accompany me to Cerebro.”

“What’s up, Professor?”

“I don’t know yet, Scott…but I have a feeling that we are heading into another battle of sorts, and soon.”
That didn’t bode well, but since Scott doesn’t have telepathic abilities, he has to back off until he is told exactly what is going on. One thing is true…when the Professor is worried, everyone should be worried.