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Chapter 19: No More than You Can Bear


Rested but hungry, Logan and Ororo left the hotel room and headed to the diner where Logan got their dinner. Happy to find that the diner served breakfast all day, Ororo enjoyed her short stack of pancakes, bacon, eggs and fruit, while Logan had the hungry man special, a large stack of pancakes, 4 slices of bacon, 4 eggs, grits, hash browns, and at the behest of Ororo, some fruit, that was pretty tasty on his pancakes.

Full to bursting, they decided to take the scenic route back to the mansion. They stopped several places and did some site seeing, walking off that huge meal.

“I’m going to need to do a few DR sessions to work off those pancakes,” she told him as they stood looking out over a ridge. She looked at him questioningly when he didn’t reply. She watched as his face became a mask of rage and almost immediately relaxed again.

“Logan?” she asked touching his arm.

He looked down at her with a sad expression. Silently, he took her hand in his and led her to the bike. “We need to get back to the mansion,” he replied, handing her a helmet and hopping on the bike. He held out his hand for her and looked up when she didn’t take it.

“What’s wrong?” she asked.

“I’ll tell ya when we get to the mansion,” he replied.

“No. Something’s wrong and I want you to tell me now,” she requested, crossing her arms in front of her chest, refusing to move.

Sighing, Logan got off the bike and leaned against it, looking at her intently.

“Ororo, baby, we don’t have time for this,” he told her, “We really need to get to the mansion.”

She looked at him for a moment and took in the serious look on his face. She had a bad feeling that something had happened to Anna and she needed to know now. “Something’s very wrong. You only say my name when it’s something serious. I’m not leaving until you tell me,” she told him.

“Dammit Ro, we ain’t got time for this,” he replied angrily, his patience already being stretched thin under the weight of the information Chuck had shared with him.

“Then tell me what the hell is going on then we can go,” she countered stubbornly.

He looked at her, the intensity in her eyes, matching his own. He was reminded that she could be a stubborn as him when she set her mind to it.

“Ya have to promise me that after I tell ya, ya will ride the bike back to the mansion,” he replied, causing her to tilt her head, looking at him questioningly.

“Logan,” she said exasperated, tired of the back and forth.

“Promise me,” he demanded, closing the distance between them in a blink of an eye and grasping her upper arms in his crushing hold.

“I”I promise,” she stammered, her eyes losing a bit of their defiance as she gazed up at him.

Shit, he thought, loosening his hold on her. “Sorry,” he mumbled, lowering his eyes before looking back at her. Taking a deep breath, he lowered his hands and took hers in his.

“Anna’s in a coma in the infirmary,” he told her and felt her grip tighten, causing him to suppress a winch. He watched as her eyes turned white as she gazed at him, struggling to find words, “She and Emma…” the temperature dropped suddenly as the winds picked up and thunder boomed.

“What happened?” her voice sounding much like a rumbling peal of thunder.

“They were doing a Danger Room session and things got out of hand,” he replied, sensing that Charles was helping him keep the beast at bay, so he could focus his attention on Ororo who was quickly losing control.

“Baby, yer gonna have to calm down so we can ride back to the mansion,” he told her, cradling her face and trying to get her to focus on him.

“Let’s go,” she told him, her voice void of emotion as the weather changed abruptly, returning to the sunny skies. She walked around him and put on the helmet, waiting for him to get on the bike so she could get on behind him.

Without another word, Logan hopped on. As soon as she got on, he started the bike and sped down the road. They arrived at the mansion in record time. Stopping at the main entrance, Ororo was off the bike before it came to a full stop, racing inside.

“Shit,” Logan cursed, turning off the bike and setting down the kick stand before chasing after her. He reached her just as the elevator doors opened. She stood away from him, her face devoid of emotion.

He could smell the anxiousness and fear rolling off her and it pissed him off. He made a move to get closer to her, but she shook her head, her eyes never leaving the door. Dejected, he maintained his distance. He hurried after her as she raced to the infirmary.

The eerie silence of the room unnerved Logan when he stepped through the door. He looked around the room and took note of sad looks on the face of their teammates. Three faces were missing from the crowd, Remy, Jibril, and Emma.

Ororo collapsed when she saw Anna’s face. Hank was there and caught her before she dropped to the floor.

Emma had done a number on her. She had visible bruises all over her swollen face. Her right arm was up in traction encased in a cast as was her left leg.

Logan knew that it was a good thing that the Professor was assisting him with keeping the Beast at bay. Even so, he felt the Beast stir, straining against the mental holding cell as he gazed down into Anna’s face.

Ororo stepped away from Hank’s embrace, nodding her thanks to him. He had put his arm around her trembling shoulders as she gazed down at her sister’s battered body. She started when he touched her but calmed when she looked into his worried eyes, her’s fading from the solid white to blue.

Feeling her boyfriend next to her, she looked at him as he stared down at her sister. Emotionally drained for the drama filled night, she watched as he turned angrily and headed to Scott, snatching him up in the air before anyone could stop him.

“Luckily for ya, Chuck is holding the Beast back but that doesn’t mean I can’t do some damage on my own,” he began, holding Scott a few inches off the floor, “What the fuck happened?”

“I. Don’t. Know,” Scott said through clenched teeth, “The Danger Room was reserved for Alpha but somehow Anna ended up in there with Emma. If you put me down, I can finish telling you what I know.”

After a minute, Logan dropped him and Scott landed like a load of potatoes, his back hitting the wall. He looked up at Logan with a flash of red going across his goggles.

“Whenever ya ready, boy scout,” Logan growled menacing, the claws on his right hand extending slowly.

“Enough,” Beast growled loudly, not wanting anything to endanger his patient, “Scott, finish telling us what happen. Logan, back off and let the man speak.” Logan growled in response but acquiesced, taking a few steps back.

He felt a hand on his arm and turned to see Ro. Her touch, normally calming, caused him to be more agitated as he felt the anger rolling off of her and the defiant look in her eyes. She needed to hear what happened so that she could go and get retribution.

He put his arms around her and she closed her eyes, trying hard to allow the peace that she normally felt in his arms calm her troubled mind but it wasn’t working. The damage of the events had been done and she knew it was only a matter of time before she would need to leave to release the pent up emotions rolling like a tidal wave throughout her body.

They both looked over at Scott as he continued his story with Jean by his side.

“When we realized what was going on, Emma had already beaten her unconscious and was standing over her with a triumphant look on her face. I told her she needed to leave and when she headed to the door, she turned back and said that she was done with the school and was leaving.”

“Where did she go?” Logan asked.

“We’re not sure,” the Professor replied.

“How can ya not be sure?” Rogue asked angrily.

“As with any telepath, they have the ability to block the access to their thoughts. In Emma’s case, she can do so in whatever form she decides to take, making it much more difficult to locate her,” the Professor explained, moving his chair in front of Logan and Ororo and taking her hands, “We will do everything we can for Anna. Don’t worry, this act of aggression will not go unaddressed.”

“No, it will not,” she replied, patting his hand and shrugging out of Logan’s hold, “Now if you will excuse me.” Ororo glanced back at her sister and up at Logan before heading toward the door. She stopped in front of Jean. “Thank you for keeping the storm at bay but in the future, do not enter my mind without my permission.”

Jean, not offended by the request, nodded and released her hold on the storm that raged within Ororo. Suddenly, they heard thunder, so strong that the earth shuddered, causing things to tremble in the medical lab. Ororo lifted off the ground and started floating out the room.

“Do not follow me if you want to live,” she said over her shoulder before the doors closed. Logan, sensing she was not to be played with, looked around and asked the other question on his mind, “Where’s Remy and Jibril?”

“In da Danger Room, working off their frustration,” Rogue replied, going to stand by Logan and touching his shoulder, “Are ya gonna let ‘er go out by ‘erself?”

“It’s too dangerous for anyone to attempt to follow her,” the Professor replied, his hand at his temple, “She has experienced a great deal of emotional stress and is planning to release that pent up energy in a safe place. She will need us when she’s done so Omega Team, suit up and head to the Blackbird. Alpha team will monitor her movements from the War Room.” The Professor’s face showed his weariness as he moved toward the exit.

Logan, you’re on your own, the Professor told him mentally, releasing his hold on the Beast.

Thanks, Chuck.

Take care of her. She’s going to need you all to help her and Anna get pass this, he projected tiredly.

“Omega Team, ya heard Chuck, suit up. Scott, do ya mind if Jean comes along? I think we might need ‘er on this one,” Logan asked, looking the man in the eye.

Scott looked at Jean who nodded and walked toward the doors. “Take care of her,” Scott told him and Logan nodded. “Take care of Anna,” Logan countered.

Scott nodded. “I’ll be right here waiting for you to come back with Ro,” Scott replied, holding his hand out to Logan who took it without hesitation.

“Logan, where in da hell ya goin’?” Rogue called after him when he ran in the opposite direction of the Blackbird hangar.

“To get the rest of my team,” Logan shot back, not stopping, heading directly to the Danger Room. He entered through the observation deck and saw Remy and Jibril recklessly fighting various foes. He saw the session timer and saw they had been at it for a couple of hours.

“Terminate program,” Logan commanded.

“Request confirmed. Program terminated.” The two combatants glared up at the control room to see who was foolish enough to end their session. The main doors slid open and Logan stepped inside, looking at the two men who were breathing hard, their eyes filled with anger.

“Time to go, Ro needs to blow off steam and we need to be there when she calms down,” he told them, the reprimand dying in his throat when he took in the bloodied clothes and angry looks of his colleagues. He felt the Beast respond, wanting to join in the anger, only to be restrained by Logan.

“Come on and get cleaned up. We leaving and I’m gonna need ya by my side for this,” Logan replied, a plea in his voice. The men nodded and followed him out the door.

“Logan, I,” Remy began and Logan shook his head.

“Don’t matter. We’ll deal wit it later. Now, we got to focus on making sure Ro’s okay,” Logan replied, glancing at Remy before looking back forward.

Remy nodded and along with Jibril followed Logan into the men’s dressing room.

Twenty minutes later, the team was up in the Blackbird, making their way to the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.

They lost their connection with Ororo. Kitty, thinking fast, pulled up satellite imagery, thinking that if she created a large storm, the satellites would show where she was. Kitty spotted on one about 600 miles east of the coast of Bermuda. She sent the coordinates to the Blackbird.

“So what’s de plan when we get there?” Remy asked, seated beside Logan in the cockpit.

“Same as before,” he told Remy, looking at him with a smirk at the shared memory, “Be honest with ‘er, talk to ‘er, and get ‘er home in one piece.”

“Yeah, but if the storm’s as big as Kitty say it is, how we suppose to get close to ‘er?” Rogue asked. The Omega Team plus Jean hurtled through the sky on the Blackbird, reaching the coast of Bermuda in record time. Jibril was the only team member not present, deciding to stay behind by his girlfriend’s side in case she woke before they got back.

“We’ll get Jean to reach out to ‘er to see if she can talk ‘er down,” Logan replied, spotting the storm in the distance.

“Mon Dieu,” Remy said, drawing the attention of the rest of the team. They watched in awe at the swirling mass of wind and water before them. It looked as if the sky and the sea were one, connect by a funnel that rotated slowly. The controls on the Blackbird recorded the speed of the winds at nearly 200 mph.

Logan, wishing they could get closer, called out to Jean and asked her to see if she could reach Ororo.

“Logan, I can but she’s shut herself behind a wall of electricity. I think you stand a better chance of reaching her than I do,” Jean replied, looking up at him.

“How?”

“Just think of me as a telephone line, connecting your minds,” she said with a slight smile.

“Rogue,” Logan said.

“Got it sugah,” she said, taking his place at the controls as he moved to sit in the chair across from Jean.

“Just relax and concentrate on her,” Jean replied, holding her hands on either side of his head. Both of them jerked a bit when the connection was made.

Ro, Logan called out. He felt as if he was in the vortex, surrounded by the howling wind, swirling water, pounding thunder, and bright lightning. All of a sudden, he felt an overwhelming sense of hopelessness and despair.

We’re connected, Jean said, struggling to deal with the emotional tidal wave overcoming them.

Ro!!! Logan yelled just as a visage of Ororo came into view.

Logan? Is that you? she asked as his astral self approached hers.

Yeah. I need ya to stop the storm, baby, and come home.

It hurts, she said, her eyes filling with tears.

I know baby and we can get through this. Let us help you.

I let Anna down, she cried, her astral self falling to her knees, the tears falling faster.

Logan, sensing that he was losing her, decided to try one more thing.

Ororo, Logan said, kneeling next to her, Dance with me.

Looking up at him through her tears, Ororo smiled slightly and took his hand, allowing him to pull her into his arms. He guided them through a slow dance, whispering in her ear.

Logan, we need to go, Jean broke in.

He looked back at her and nodded. Kissing Ororo’s forehead, he said, I love you.

Jean pulled them out and promptly fell back in her chair, her nose bleeding slightly.

Logan, struggling to stand, staggered toward the cockpit. Rogue guided the Blackbird through the clearing skies to the spot where Ororo hovered.

“She’s weakening,” Jean said, now on her feet, “We need to get her now or she’s going to fall into the water.”

Rogue got to her feet and threw Logan a look and he nodded, hitting the button to open the hatch. Rogue flew out. The team watched as she closed the distance between her and Ororo. Before she could reach her, Ororo dropped, falling fast.

Rogue dived and pushed herself through the air and was able to grab the unconscious girl a few feet above the ocean’s surface. Cradling her in her arms, Rogue took to the skies and headed to the opened ramp where Logan stood waiting.

Logan had Rogue lay her on the cot they kept on the jet for the injured. When she was settled, he laid a cool cloth on her forehead.

Feeling the coolness, Ororo opened her eyes and her gaze meeting his.

“Welcome back,” he said softly, caressing her cheek.

The tears were sudden and he knelt by her side and took her in his arms as she sobbed, clinging tightly to him.

“Shh, I’m here,” he whispered to her as he gathered her into his arms and sat on the cot, cradling her, her face in his neck as she cried. He rubbed her back soothingly, whispering to her. Ten minutes later, she was asleep, worn out from the ordeal. When Rogue approached to help him lay her down, he refused, wanting to keep her close.

He held her for the duration of the flight. Remy and Rogue got them home in record time and soon, they were landing the jet and opening the cargo door. Jibril climbed aboard and told them that Anna had woken up and asked for Ro.

“Ro,” Logan said, shaking her gently.

“Huh,” she said sleepily, not opening her eyes.

“Anna’s asking for ya,” he replied and she opened her eyes, making him smile, “Come on. Let’s go see ‘er.”





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