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Logan didn't know if it would be better to kill Kuhio as soon as the jet touched down, or wait until after he checked on Ororo. Bobby had just called him that Storm had been attacked by Kuhio, the latter being held downstairs in the Danger Room as to not be able to escape. The younger X-Men were under strict instructions not to speak to the man in case he was able to lie his way to freedom.

Right now Hank was talking Kitty and Rogue through inserting an IV to help sedate Storm, who seemed to be in a state of shock. None of them seemed to know what exactly happened. Not that Wolverine needed a reason to kill Kuhio when he got back. Clearly he had done something to hurt Ororo and that was all the excuse Wolverine needed to commit murder. And the damn plane could not go fast enough for the Wolverine's liking.

"Kitty, if you don't stop yelling I will make you put Rogue on the phone instead." Hank shook his head in frustration. "No, no, no...the splint would be in the medicine cabinet on the back wall. The gauze is by the sink in the blue container."

Logan tried to block out what the blue man was saying patiently into the phone. How could he be so relaxed, so calm in a moment like this? Ororo was in pain, hurting, and alone. His strong weather-witch needed him and he wasn't there to hold her. Kuhio was going to die.

"Mr. Logan?" Wolverine almost jumped at the voice. To be honest, after they got the call about Ororo, he had completely forgotten that Malaka was on the jet with them. "I-I just want to make certain that Ororo is going to be...ok."

"Its just Logan and she's a strong woman- she'll pull through."

"Yes. That is how me...I remember her." Malaka was looking straight at him with confidence that did not reflect his inability to speak proper English. "She was headstrong and full of fire..." His eyes gleamed with the memory.

"She still is," grunted Logan, studying the man hard. Would Ororo be living a different life with this man if she had never become an X-Man? He was her best friend- is it possible that they could have grown to be more than that?

"You love her, yes?" Hank nearly dropped the phone when Malaka asked the question; even Logan’s face showed a bit of shock. "Sorry, too personal?"

"Sorta, but it doesn't matter at this point." he shrugged it off. "I do love her...more than anything else in the world. And if he hurt her..."

"Hold on, Rogue," muttered Hank, Logan noticed that he was no longer talking to Kitty. He placed a furry hand over the mouth piece and turned to look at him. "Have you told her?"

"Yeah. We've talked about it." The Beast turned back to his conversation with a small smile on his lips. Up front, Peter prayed for the jet to go faster, but even he couldn't help but smile at the new development.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Ororo's eyes fluttered open tenderly as they adjusted to the light. The beeping machines around her were steady and controlled. Her deep breath brought Logan's attention to her. The man had been sitting by her side ever since the plane touched down an hour ago.

"Ororo?" he whispered, touching a finger to her cheek. "Wake up, darlin'."

"You're back," came a weak reply. Storm must have noticed how pathetic it sounded, because she cleared her throat and said it again, this time in a stronger voice.

"Got back an hour ago." Logan reached down and kissed her forehead, like he had done many times over the past sixty minutes. Ororo sat up with his help in arranging the pillows. Her left arm was in a sling and bruises lined her forearms, neck, and various other parts of her body. Her back ached, as did her hip from falling to the floor. "The Furball has you on some sort of painkiller, but he wasn't sure if it was working or not."

"It is for the most part. My back hurts, but the rest of me is fine." She couldn't help but look away when he tried to make eye contact with her.

"What the hell happened, 'Ro?"

"Logan...do we have to do this now?"

"We need to know, darlin'." He cupped her chin in his hand and held her eyes. Bright blue and full of tears. "I need to know."

"I should have known," she muttered. "I should have recognized him."

"Maybe we should start with the beginning," said Wolverine, trying to ease her into it.

"The beginning I've already partly told you." She traced her cast with a finger, trying not to look in his eyes. "The reason I left Malaka...I couldn't tell you before. Actually, I've never told anyone but Charles."

"You knew Kuhio?" Nodding, Ororo blinked back tears. For once, Wolverine waited, waited with a patience most did not know he had. "What happened?"

"He raped me." Blunt and straightforward, Storm laid it all out for him. "He raped me when I was twelve years old. The scars on his face are from me- I struck him with lightning in my attempt to escape. He raped me and I could not face Malaka."

"What?!" Logan stood up in outrage.

"Logan, sit down." Ororo reached out for his arm, but he ripped it away and headed for the door. "Logan, where are you going?"

"I'm gonna kill him...I'm gonna rip his-"

"Logan!" He whirled around with a wild look in his eyes, the animalistic look that scared her. Logan was lost behind the Wolverine. "Please don't leave me."

"Ororo, I can't..."

"You can't what, Logan?" She shouted back. "You can't just listen? You can't just stay?"

"He..." Logan whirled back around and knelt by her side. He grasped the hand of the unbroken arm. "He...did that to you."

"Yes. Yes, he did," she said calmly back. "And it’s easier to think about when I'm not alone. I can’t be alone, Logan.” Wolverine looked torn between going down the hall and ripping Kuhio to shreds or staying with the woman desperately in need of him. Slowly he climbed up next to her in the bed, wrapping his arms around her waist; her head lay gently against his chest listening to the rapid beat of his heart.

“You know I’m going to kill him, right?” he asked gruffly. Storm let out a small sigh.

“I know, Logan.”

“And you know the only reason I’m not down there right now is because I love you, right?”

“I know, Logan.” Ororo looked up into his eyes with pride. “Kitty told me you brought Malaka home.”

“Yeah. We got ‘im. He’s with his daughter.” She felt him tense up in her arms. Reaching up, Ororo placed a kiss on his lips.

“I don’t love him, Logan.”

“You…don’t?” he stared back at her, clearly confused. She shook her long white hair.

“Malaka was my best friend growing up, Logan. What Kuhio did to me ended any possibilities with Malaka. When Charles found me I could not stand to be alone with a man…I did not trust anyone. But Charles introduced me to Jean, who in turn, helped show me that not all men were like Kuhio. Charles restored that trust…the trust I was able to place in you.”

“So…you don’t think about what could have happened?”

“Of course I do. But I know what is happening is so much more important that the past.” She closed her eyes again. “I’ve tried to put the past behind me…I tried to put Kuhio behind me…but yesterday, it all came down on top of me and I can’t get over it alone.”

“I’m always gonna be here, ‘Ro.”

“I know, Logan.”





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