Consolation...

~ Ororo’s POV ~

Xavier’s Mansion, 7:45 P.M.


It had been only a day since we lost Warren to Sinister, and I had been a wreck. To see Angel so changed, so…evil, I couldn’t bear it. Discovering that he no longer had his wings was hard enough. Later, finding out that Warren sought out Sinister in desperation and attempted to kill his father out of hatred was another thing. He had been so mad, driven, and consumed by the anger Sinister produced, it ruined who he was. I had no choice, but to stop him by force. He would have killed his father and the rest of his heart to go with it. That I would not stand to see.

Yesterday, when I was outside near the cliff, watching the birds fly, Logan tried to reassure me that we would get him back, but I still can’t help think that we’ve lost him. For good. What Sinister had done was most likely irreversible and even if we did manage to get Angel back, the emotional trauma would be impossible beyond repair.

The sun was just barely setting, the last rays of its warm, orange light gleamed through my windows. I hadn’t been downstairs since that night, except for dinner, but I never talked. I didn’t have any need to - just simply listened to the others as they discussed the latest updates on the Danger Room or another news report about the MRD taking away more mutants.

Now, tending to my flowers on my knees, I rebuke myself every time I want to stand up and go over to my window, hoping to see Warren still sitting there on that bench.

“Ororo? You in there?” Logan called my name as he knocked on my door.

“I’m here,” I spoke out softly, concentrating on a small rain cloud over one of my plants. I heard my door click closed quietly as Logan walked into my room.

“What is it?” I asked him after complete silence. I looked to him, losing control over the rain cloud and it quickly dispersed. I turned back and watched it disappear as I sighed.

“You doin’ alright?” Logan asked.

“I’m fine,” I lied to him, “Why do you ask?”

Accepting the hand he lent out, I grasped it and he tugged me up.

“C’mon, Ororo, you know why,” he said knowingly. Of course, his sense of smell detects lies and emotions. But I wasn’t so sure he even needed it to tell him that I was in pain.

“Why are you asking me? Why not go to Kitty or Hank or Scott and see how they’re doing,” I said in a frustrated tone.

“Because,” Logan began, “I know how you felt about him, ‘Ro.”

Losing all eye contact with the man, I looked out my window and to the sky.

“No, Logan…you don’t. You don’t how it is to feel the currents of the wind at your fingertips, or the endless freedom of the sky and share that with the only person around who could join me in the clouds,” I explained to him sadly.

“No, maybe I don’t,” he urged me to look at him and gripped my forearms, “but I know what its like to lose something you love and what Warren went through…”

“Don’t remind me. I know what happened,” it was taking all of my will power to keep the weather patterns at bay, to not let my emotions slip past my control.

“…but you can’t change the past, ‘Ro, it won’t do you any good,” Logan finished patiently, despite that I had cut him off, “all you’ll do is make the pain worse.”

I looked down, penetrated with the truth of his words, “I know, but…”

For the third time since I returned to the mansion so many weeks ago, Logan pulled me into an embrace, “But…”

I wrapped my arms around his upper torso and buried my face in the crook of his neck while his hand ran down my back, the other in my white hair. I could feel my heart pulsing against my chest as I took in a deep breath.

“But what if it’s too hard? We’ll never get him back, Logan. I can’t see how the others have that kind of hope…”

“Right now, ‘Ro, hope’s the only thing we got. The others can’t help it, ‘cause Warren’s our friend and you know they’d jump at any chance to get him back.”

“I know, I know…” my voice trailed off distantly. I wasn’t really in the mood to talk anymore, but Logan pressed on.

“Would you?”

Clinging tightly to the material of his shirt, I whispered, “Yes, of course I would.”

I could feel his body move against mine as he nodded slowly and I relaxed my own muscles, closing my eyes. We stayed like that for a few more minutes, or what we thought was that long, waiting until the moonlight finally gleamed through my windows. In this position, neither of us felt the urge to speak anymore, but just wait in silence until it was late enough for us to go to bed.

Despite the fact that I was standing, I could feel the pull of sleep dragging me closer to Logan.

The warmth of his chest was almost painful to leave as Logan finally pulled back, “I’m gonna head to my room,” he had to touch my face to get me to open my eyes which were feeling heavier by the second, “You look pretty tired yourself, ’Ro.”

I nodded drowsily and insisted that I walk with him out the door. He stood on the other side of the door way and completely let go of the embrace.

“Try to get some sleep, you’re gonna wanna need it tomorrow,” he said after taking a few steps away, but I stopped him quickly.

I pulled him into a quick hug, suddenly not wanting it to end and whispered into his ear, “Thanks, Logan. I…appreciate what you did for me.”

I could almost picture the smile on his face as his arms wrapped around my back, “Anytime, ‘Ro, just ask and I’ll be there,” he separated us at arms’ length after a few more seconds, “Now go get some rest.”

I looked at him and nodded. My legs were on autopilot now as I slowly dragged myself back to my room.

“Night, ‘Ro,” I heard Logan call before he shut his door. I was too tired to answer until I finally landed on my bed.

Willing my eyes to close, I managed to murmur out before falling to sleep, “G’night, Logan.”





You must login () to review.