'Memory is a minefield for people like me,
You think it's all beauty and hope....
Then 'BAM',
Your in the middle of a war you can't get out of,
Because it's inside your mind,
An you *can't* wake up....'
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They travelled by night, always by night, the stars were their only companions. The truck had been repainted, things were strapped to it now as they worked their way across land to the sea.
He had a plan to leave the US permenantly, they'd look for them in the Continental US. But where they were heading for no one would even think that he'd go there.
St Kilda.
A little piece of rock in the middle of the Atlantic, there used to be a community on there but they were moved off years ago. There'd still be housing up there made of stone and it wouldn't take much to restart a home there.
Weather'd be a lot like Alberta but a little more extreme being an island but hell Marie would cope. She'd come this far to get him and besides he'd make sure they were left alone.
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The stars were their constant companions as he drove through the country, always avoiding the large cities or settlements. He sent word to their last home, through the family grapevine, knowing that someone would know soon where they were heading for and why.
Sleep when it did come was filled with the powerlessness he'd felt at Xaviers, the only thing keeping his claws sheathed had been the scent of his son. When Marie had slept in the front with him one night he'd woken from a daymare and stabbed the ceiling of the truck. Giving it an impromptu sunroof, he'd patched the damn thing but hey they'd had good weather so far.
His dreams were filled with the smiling face of that fucker, the way his words had been trying to sooth his anger. That he was 'doing the best he could for the world by being there', by 'giving his gift so others who didn't have it could live'.
Yeah keeping him strapped down, doped up, infected and milked like a prize cow. All so his little team could do the world a fucking favour, well he was gone and he'd be back to sort out the rest when he was sure his family was safe.
Underneath his anger was forming into a plan, Wolverine was nothing but practical, he had an order to things, to sort out in order then he'd get what he thought he was owed.
But for now he was using every trick he knew to keep them off the radar an away from the eye of Xavier. Shit he must have been desperate to use him like that, surely he knew the consequences. Xavier *knew* his history, but he'd just done the same to him. It had taken him nearly fifteen years to track the names down originally but he'd found them. Killed them all, even down to the slops man who emptied his bucket. All of them had been guilty and now Xavier had just damned his own hide.
Shaking his head at the road in front of him he sneaked a look at Marie, she was alseep with their son wrapped in her arms and she looked like heaven to him. She'd changed too in the two weeks he'd been missing, but it hadn't been on the surface. Her living out in the world had done her good, she'd coped and she'd had enough about her to come after him.
She'd pressed a little digital recorder into his hands the first night they'd been away from Xaviers. Her smile had been enough to tell him she'd kept a record for him, of her thoughts, her feelings. She'd driven as he'd listened to her words, her face concentrating on the dark road while he could see perfectly. Only correcting her when she really needed it, he'd heard her, the words reaching him like her old messages did. The way her words wove into his skin, telling him where she was, what she was feeling and why. Always honest, open and all Marie, their son's gurgles had been captured too and he could see her coping with him on her own and it made his stomach clench. That would never happen again, he'd be there, for everything.
When he'd finished the recordings they'd stopped for the day and settled their son down in his bed. They'd spent the night outdoors, getting to know each other again, two weeks can feel like a year. Every touch, every kiss was something to cherish and hold dear, they didn't get much sleep that day but it had been worth it.
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Flicking his gaze over to her, he could see her checking off the list of things he'd told her to make. They were appraoching the dockside and they needed to load up while they were here. She'd grabbed his papers so they shouldn't be any problem travelling, it was just the passage for the truck and them. The seas this far north were never really safe and he did wonder about flying but he never liked it. The sea was safer, if things went wrong Marie would be in the lifeboat along with their son, he'd have to manage the best he could.
The stars were so close when they finally set out, they'd hitched a lift with a small freighter, he was heading out to Iceland, via Greenland. From there they should be able to get a boat to Scotland or the Hebrides. The amount of money they had was enough to get everything they needed to set up home. It was only time that stopped them from getting everything sorted out *now*.
If he acted now, while they were expecting him it'd most likely end in his death, and that wasn't an option. So he'd wait, let them forget about him, there was always some costumed freak out there that wanted their attention more. So let them have it, let them forget about them both, hell they didn't even look for Marie when she went missing. Left the cops to it, even though it looked like she'd been snatched by the military. She hadn't of course but they hadn't checked either. Looked like it was a case of out of sight, out of mind.
Well soon he'd be out of sight alright, but they wouldn't be out of his mind, not yet.
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Stars twinkled above their heads, the ship that had dropped off their goods was there in the small harbour but not for long. The sea was always rough here, and the things they'd managed to wangle with enough money had been welcomed. Their home was somewhere no one really wanted to come to anymore, stood on an outcrop of rock with the wild sheep all around. The small stone house on 'the street' was going to be their home for now until the new supplies came in in a week's time.
Marie held her husband close to her, the trip had been difficult but they were safe now. Logan had found them a home where no one would disturb them, they were free here. The cries of their son made Marie leave him for a moment, bringing him back out to see the dark skies above him. The clearness of the sky enough for her to point out the Milky Way for his young gaze, her voice telling him the story she'd heard from the people they'd been forced to leave a month ago.
Logan just wrapped himself around them both, the star strewn path covering the sky, a band of light that was soon going to lead them into a new life. One where they were free from hatred and concern from others, here he could be a man, not a mutant or a beast. This was the right place to bring them to, a place where they could grow as a family. The radio they had would keep them in contact with the mainland and the small fishers who used the harbour daily would do runs for things if asked.
Turning his back on the stars Logan pulled his family back inside the small stone house, tomorrow they'd be up in the sunshine. Working and building a new home here, yesterday was forgotten for now, it would always be there but for now there were more important things to do.
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Author's Chapter Notes:
We get Logan's perspective on their journey home...