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6. Daring

“NOOOooooo” yelled out Ororo, her clear blue eyes widening and clouding over.

“Stormy” Gambit cried out, jerking up in his bed.
“Rem….my” came the sleepy voice from right side of the bed, a gloved hand on his shoulder. “What happened?” asked Rogue, as she sat up, rubbing her sleep filled eyes.
“Somethin’s wrong wit’ Stormy” responded Remy, jumping of the bed. His suspicion confirmed as another lighting bolt struck the side of the mansion, shattering some of the first floor class windows.
Within moments, he was out in the corridor, racing towards the front door, three cards clasped within the fingers of one hand, his stick firmly grasped in the other, Rogue at his side.

*BAMF*

Kurt appeared before them, a telltale yellow-purple sulfurous cloud of teleportation swirling around him.
“Medlab Now!” he exclaimed before ‘porting off again.

Minutes later the doors of the infirmary slid open as Gambit, Rouge and Kitty rushed in. In front of them, they saw two people lying on the beds, each of them being attended by one the mansion’s two resident doctors.

---

Minutes before, Holding cell 3

“Oh shit” Cyclops muttered, throwing himself on Jean, knocking her down as both of them hit the floor.

A second later, the control room was filled with bright lighting and loud cries from Forge as their cybernetic teammate was literally knocked into the wall, electric charge surging through his body, his arm and leg sizzling as circuits shorted out in them. The lighting attack ended as soon as it had begun. Instead, its direction changed, the target becoming clear at the sound of glass shattering reached their ears.

Peering over the broken window’s sill, Scott, Jean and Henry observed Ororo rise in the air and fly towards their unconscious *guest*. His body was still twitching as the residual electricity left his his body. Smell of burnt muscle and flesh filled the room, as huge blisters appeared all over his skin.
“Is…he…..dead” muttered Scott.
Within a second, Henry sprang into action, pulling the door open; he rushed towards the gaping hole in the holding cell’s plexiglass window.

Ororo was kneeling next to Wolverine, her eyes once again clear, were stuck at his hands – his knuckles. She couldn’t believe what she had seen – his claws…..METAL claws. ‘What was that?’

“Ororo…we need to get him to the infirmary?” Henry spoke softly, trying to calm her down and get her to listen to him.
“Uh…Yes” she came out of her haze and tried to move him, while avoiding his still healing skin.
“I’ll do it” offered Henry.
“Uhmmmph” muttered Henry, his muscles straining as he lifted the stocky mutant into his arms. “He’s….heavy?” he commented, getting a better grip and moving towards the glass opening.

**Jean…Please transport Forge to the infirmary** he telepathically called out to Jean.
**Already on our way** replied Jean, as she used her TK to lift Forge, taking care not to touch his cybernetic leg, which still sizzled every few seconds.

---

“Stormy” Remy called out softly, surprised to see Ororo hovering over Wolverine’s bed, her facial expressions full of worry and pain, her smooth cheeks glistening with still moist tears.

However, Ororo couldn’t hear anything except for the beeping of the heart monitor, her gaze limited to the rapidly healing mutant in front of her, his hand firmly grasped within hers.

Reaching the infirmary, Henry had laid Wolverine flat on the bed and set about attaching the various sensors. In the five minutes it had taken him to reach the infirmary and stick the sensors, Wolverine’s skin had all but healed, but he was still unconscious.

“What did he do now?” demanded Gambit, reaching Storm’s side. He placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, but she jerked it away, stunning him. Ororo had never been like this. Something *bad* had happened. Any further thought was interrupted by a groan from the bed.

“’Ro….”

Gambit’s eyes widened at Ororo's reaction to the half words-half grunt from the hairy mutant. Pushing him out of the way, she was at Wolverine’s side in a second, running her free hand over his hairy and sweaty face, the difference in their skin color only adding to their *contrast*. Her next word stunned him even further, his cards falling away from his hands.

“Logan…” Ororo whispered, a hopeful smile forming on her lips even as fresh tears appeared in her eyes.

‘Logan’ Remy thought. ‘THAT be Logan’ he couldn’t believe his own ears, but the emotional exchange taking place in front of him, left no doubt in his mind. Ororo was acting like a gushing teenager. She had never been like this, not even with him. True, she let herself go when they were alone, but never….like THIS…so happy…so sad…so emotional.

Suddenly Logan stiffened, the smell of medicines and medical disinfectant twitching his nostrils. ‘It’s a hallucination…It ain’t real’ he mind cried out, causing him to jerk his hand free from Ororo's grasp.

“Logan….” was all Ororo could say, before the Professor’s voice rang out on the intercom.

**Get him outside the mansion immediately** Charles sounded urgent.

“Outside….but he has not recovered from…” Henry tried, only to be cut off by a snarl from Wolverine and a stern order from the professor.

**NOW**

“Kurt” Ororo called out to her teammate. “Teleport him to the mansion grounds….in the open. Then come and get us.”
“Ja” Kurt replied, grabbing hold of Wolverine’s shoulders and…* BAMF* he was gone. He returned a moment later transporting Ororo, Henry, Remy and Rogue outdoors. By that time, Kitty had phased through the mansion and joined them outside, leaving Scott and Jean to take care of Forge.

---

Outdoors,

The small crowd observed from a distance as Wolverine slowly raised himself to his knees. Kurt’s teleportation smoke disoriented his *smell* sense for a few seconds. As the smoke dissipated, he sniffed around lightly. Catching the scent he wanted, he raised his hands, his claws coming out with a loud *SNIKT*. Throwing his head back, he let out a loud, deafening roar.

“Wow” Kitty wondered. “What a……roar.”

Henry started to step forward but was stopped by a hand on his arm.
“No” Ororo shook her head. “You don’t want to go near him just yet?”
“But I need to check his wounds and the status of his recovery” reasoned the doctor.
“Gambit tink’ he recovered” retorted Remy, his grip tightening around his stick, ready to act in case Wolverine made any untoward move.
“Remy…NO” Ororo scolded, sensing her brother’s impatience. Remy stepped back, his eyes never leaving Wolverine, who let out another roar.
“His roar is as bad as ‘Roro’s thunder,” commented Rogue, gaining a smirk from Ororo.

----

“Stormy….” Gambit stepped forward to grab Ororo as she started towards the *roaring* mutant.
Ororo held up a hand, to silence him. “No one move or say anything,” she commanded, resuming her walk towards Wolverine.
“We should help the fraulein” offered Kurt. “He could harm her.”
“No” responded Henry, remembering the earlier display he had witnessed. “He won’t.”

As they watched, Ororo stalked towards Wolverine, whose roars grew lower with each step she took towards her. By the time she reached near him, they were merely deep growls.

She stopped two feet from him and lowered herself on to her knees. Her eyes clouding over, she let out a burst of lighting and thunder, which Wolverine answered with a roar of his own. This interaction took place a few more times, its intensity first increasing and then decreasing, as the *elemental* and the *feral* mutants moved closer to each other.

“What are they doing?” inquired young Kitty, the youngest among the x-men at fifteen years and four months.
“They are…*daring* each other,” tried Henry, at loss for words. He had never seen anything like the way the two people in front of him were acting towards each other.
“Daring?” questioned Kitty. She had once seen something like this on Animal Planet, but those were wild animals, not humans or mutants.
“They wanta’ get it on,” Rogue clarified, a grin plastered on her face.

Gambit snorted at her remark. “My Stormy and…..that ting’” he pointed towards Wolverine. “Never”
“You forget sugah, *your Stormy* has been pining for that *thing* for longer than you know her” responded Rogue, her eyes never leaving the interplay going on in front of her. “He’s her…Logan” she ended with a mock sigh, the back of her hand resting on her forehead. Kitty giggled at her dramatic actions.
“Hmph” grunted Gambit, his red-black eyes, glittering with anger and…a hint of fascination. He too had never seen Storm acting like this. True had seen her angry, happy, sad, even crying, but this….this was as if all of them rolled together and multiplied ten fold. She was letting the weather loose, a fact that was only confirmed by the torrential rain shower, which began pounding the ground.

----

Wolverine had finally managed to vent out some of his rage and the immense joy the animal in him felt from his freedom and at being reunited with his mate.

“Logan” whispered Ororo, her eyes clearing again. She ran her delicate fingers along his rough stubble, caressing his jaw lightly. Logan leaned into her hand, tears mixing with the rainwater dripping from his shaggy hair.
“’Ro” he grunted, his throat muscles struggling to form words after years of bestial grunts, growls and roars that his captors allowed him.

“Leave” she called out to her teammates.
Heeding her order, they started to move away slowly, so as not to startle Wolverine, who had his arms firmly around Ororo’s waist.

“Grrr…” Logan growled at the red-black-eyed man, who hadn’t moved a step from his position and was staring right at them, his posture tense.
“You too Remy” she stressed, knowing that he would not leave so easily. “And don’t hide behind a tree.”
“Hmph” Remy grunted in disagreement before skulking off behind his fellow teammates.

----

Three hours later,

Ororo entered the foyer of the mansion, a calmer but wary Wolverine following her closely.

Her *welcoming* committee was waiting for her – Professor Xavier, Scott, Jean, Remy, Rogue, Kitty, Kurt, Piotr. Henry was in the infirmary, having relieved Jean from her vigil over Forge.

Logan scanned the room and its occupants, taking every single detail in. He had already seen the mansion outdoors and the indoors were just as *snobbish* - to much for his taste. ‘Taste’ he chuckled at himself, he had very little taste to start with and whatever was there had been taken away by those fuckin’ lab freaks.

Sensing his growing *nervousness* Ororo laid a calming hand on his shoulder, instantly getting the desired affect. His features cleared and his shoulders sagged a little as his clenched fists loosened – a fact that did not go unnoticed by their observers, most of whom had seen a similar *interaction* earlier – both in the holding cell and later on the mansion grounds.

Taking the room in, Logan turned his keen eye to the people in front of him.

There were Red and One-eye. He knew them from earlier. ‘Red’ she got into his head. He let out a low threatening growl causing Jean to step back in fear. ‘Good’ he almost smirked at the fear rolling off her. ‘Let her be afraid….Let all of them be afraid.’

Next, his eyes fell on the behemoth standing behind the wheel chair. ‘Hmm…looks like a foreigner’ he thought. ‘Sure bub, ya are one to be talking about foreigners.’

On either side of him were two *kids* - a girl and boy. The girl looked as if she still had her milk teeth, while the boy….there was something odd about the boy. Not dangerous odd but the smell wasn’t normal. Deciding that there was no danger from him, he moved his eyes to the other couple in the room. The freaky eyed one and the no visible skin one. Feelings of anger and resentment were overflowing from the man….Remy, that’s what ‘Ro had called him. Earlier he had thought that this Remy had *wrong* intentions towards what was *his*. However, seeing him now with the white-streaked *clothed* wonder, laid those doubts to rest. Whatever feelings the other man had towards Ororo, were not ones, which would get him gutted….probably.

Finally, his eyes came to rest on the man in the wheel chair. He looked to be in his mid fifties and their leader. ‘Cue Ball’ he smirked, but the next moment he stopped right in his tracks as a voice sounded in his head.

**Fifty seven and the name is Charles Francis Xavier…not cue ball**

“GRRRR….” Logan snarled, his lips curled revealing his fangs clearly.
“Logan” Ororo arched a cloudy eyebrow at his sudden outburst.
“Stay outta my head,” he pointed a fist at Xavier, his claws popping out. Following his line of sight Ororo looked at Xavier.
“Professor?”
“I am sorry Logan, I don’t have any intention to harm you…or anger you.”

“Wolverine” he grunted. “My name is Wolverine.”
“But isn’t you name Logan” Scott spoke out.
“Fer her…yes” Logan nodded towards the weather goddess. “Not fer any of ya.” “To ya, I’m Wolverine.”
Turning towards Jean, he voiced his earlier threat. “You….never try that again,” he grunted, taking a step forward to make himself clearer.
“Don’t threaten her” Scott interjected, a frown on his face. Logan disregarded his threat, winking at Ororo.

**What did you do?** he asked Jean telepathically.
**I don’t know** came the puzzled answer.

“She got into my head” Logan clarified, causing both Jean and Scott’s mouths to fall open. “Never try that again.”
“You…you…how did you know?” Jean finally blurted out.
“I sensed ya in my head, just before I passed out” Logan explained. “And now….you and yer boyfriend looked like ya were bumping minds together.”
“How did ya know Cyke’s Jean’s boyfriend?” came the southern drawl from the other end of the line.
Logan stayed silent at her question. He didn’t want to let out his secret. However, Ororo’s gentle squeeze on his shoulder and the twinkle in her eyes egged him on.

“Can smell him all over her,” Logan pointed towards his nose. “Just like I smell, the Cajun and his cheap perfume all over ya” he smirked, causing Rogue to blush profusely. Kitty let out a suppressed giggle, her own cheeks red at the graphic and blunt reply from Wolverine.
“Did you have to be so…crass?” Scott sneered, trying to hide his own embarrassment.
Logan snorted at him.

---

“Wolverine” Xavier cut in. “We have arranged a room for you. Please get settled in and join us for breakfast. We will have formal introductions there.” “Jean will show you to your room.”
“Not her” Logan shook his head. “Her” he jerked his finger towards the Ororo.
“Mon ami, we don’ care for what YOU want” Gambit spoke for the first time. His voice cold and dripping venom. Not even a day and the hairball was trying to get his paws on *his* Stormy.
“Grr…” growled Wolverine, using the best form of *communication* he had. “You gonna stop me.”

“Logan….Remy” Ororo spoke coolly, her goddess persona and her emotional control back on. “I have work with the Professor” Xavier had mentally *requested* Ororo to stay behind. “I’ll come later” she whispered under her breath, so that only Logan could hear her.
“Kitty will show you to your room,” Xavier mediated, signaling Kitty to step forward. “Is that agreeable?”
Instead of answering, Logan gave one parting look to Ororo, turned and walked towards a still nervous but giggling Kitty. “Come on half-pint” he signaled to her to follow him. “Show me where my room is.”

----

As soon as Kitty and Wolverine were out of hearing distance, or so they thought, Xavier looked up at Ororo.
“Ororo please join us in my office” his hover-chair moving out of the room.





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