“WHERE IS SHE!?”
She found her voice caught in her throat as the obtrusive voice bellowed. Her cries for Nathan falling silent as she stood up suddenly, her body becoming frozen. Was it fear that gripped her heart she wondered? Whatever, the feeling was it was immediate to whoever was suddenly upon them.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about…” she could hear Nathan stutter, he sounded confused and surprisingly calm.
She was surprised that Scott stood just as still as she did. Why wasn’t he going out and checking on his son she wondered, when clearly they had an intruder.
There was a small crash as though a body had been thrown against a wall followed by heavy and fast-paced footsteps. An unknown man charged into the room, his build taking up most of the doorway. She found her mouth gaping open in surprise at the sheer size of him, his body was lined with muscles bigger then even Nathan or Scott, his tanned skin stretching across them. She could tell from the way his chest heaved with deep breaths that his stomach was just as ripped, the lines of his muscles contracting against his dirty white undershirt. Torn jeans that looked like they had been poured on covered his strong legs. A beat up leather jacket covered the top of him. His body was hunched, his hands flexing as he breathed deeply in what she could only assume was rage, his face a twisted mask of feral animalism. He looked more animal then man as he stood before them, his wild hair sticking up all over the place and the stubble that lined his strong face. Hazel eyes bore into her until she felt naked under his fierce gaze, his eyes an almost gleaming gold in the dim light.
But as he took a small step into the room, almost a stumble, everything immediately softened about him. The tension slipping out of his body as he stood straight, his hands at his sides almost like he didn’t know what to do with them, every second or so it seemed like they would move forward like he wanted to reach out and touch something so desperately. The rise and fall of his chest slowed down as his eyes softened and a bare smile twitched at his lips as though he couldn’t remember how to smile. He took another step closer and she vaguely noticed Nathan appeared quietly behind him unharmed but her eyes never moved from the man before her. And that’s what he was a man. He suddenly looked so handsome to her, so strong and she felt no fear.
Noticing the way his hands twitched, she had a unexpected feeling of wanting his large hands running all over her bare skin, the pads of his fingers caressing her as his strong grip landed on her hips. For the first time ever she wanted to reach out and touch somebody first. She wanted to follow the trail of the veins in his arms. She wanted to feel the strong pressure of his hips against hers. With no idea as to where her impulsive thoughts were coming from she stood rooted to the spot. She noticed him sniff the air and a low growl vibrated so quietly between them she wasn’t sure the other two men were even aware of it. She felt her body respond to his scent. The reaction was so immediate she felt a small headache coming on as the flare of their two scents engulfed her. She noticed vaguely that there was an itching below the surface of her skin by her knuckles.
She was broken out of her haze when he stepped forward again. “Marie,” he breathed an almost full smile on his face, desperation clear in his shiny eyes.
She took a step back, not liking the sudden intensity of his gaze.
Scott appeared out of nowhere as he stood between the two of them; she had almost forgotten he was even in the room. His hard back blocked her view of the other man and she found herself releasing a breath she hadn’t realized she had been holding.
“Logan,” Scott stressed.
She heard a trickle of a growl again but this time in warning.
“Get out of my way, Scooter,” Logan growled.
With realization, she knew that the man before her was the Uncle Logan, Nathan had mentioned various times. It was funny she noted he looked nothing like Scott, perhaps he was related to his mother she wondered. In fact, she noticed he was extremely younger then Scott, she placed him at his mid thirties, it was hard to tell behind the scruffy look but his skin looked smooth and young and no spots of grey in his hair.
“Logan,” Scott spoke again. “This is Sam Spence,” his voice was measured and slow. “She’s from in town, she’s…” he paused. “She’s Nathan’s girlfriend.”
“Like hell,” Logan snarled. “She’s m….”
“Logan!” Scott yelled suddenly. “Please.”
She wasn’t sure what he was begging but the itching beneath her knuckles grew.
“Dad?” Nathan called behind Logan.
Logan’s head spun around and glared at the young man.
“And I thought Dad’s reaction to her was going to be the tops,” Nathan laughed suddenly, a nervous tone filtering through.
No one else laughed and unexpectedly she found herself a bit irritated by him. She was irritated by the whole situation; she didn’t understand what was going on, why these reactions kept happening to her. Her head spun and she found herself reaching for the edge of the couch.
“I don’t understand,” she muttered.
Scott turned and gave her a comforting smile but she knew it was only for show, he appeared just as tense as Logan. “It’s alright, Logan was supposed to come for dinner, and it’s my fault and…”
“Are you saying he’s acting this way because you didn’t invite him to dinner?” she abruptly snapped in clear disbelief.
She heard Logan snort behind Scott.
“Because he was asking about ‘she’ and seeing as how I’m the only girl here I’d like to know what the hell is going on,” she yelled. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Logan’s nostrils flare again and there was a tightening in her body as it called to something primal inside of her. She glanced away and scrunched her eyes up reaching for head.
“I need some air,” she whispered. “When you boys figure out what the hell is going on let me know please.”
She took a wide arc around Logan and headed out the front door but she could still hear them and she knew the feral man’s eyes were on her without even looking back.
“Nathan go and see if she’s alright,” Scott spoke.
“No,” Logan growled.
“Why not?” Nathan spoke up. “She’s right you know I’d like to know what the hell is going on too.”
“It’s none of your damn business,” Logan snarled.
She could hear his sudden heavy footsteps coming towards the door she had just left through.
“Logan!” Scott yelled. “Please just leave her be for now.”
“I can’t believe you just asked me that One-eye, after all these years, decades…”
“I know,” Scott whispered. “But for her, please?”
There was silence for a moment and then his footsteps retreated and she heard the slamming of the back door.
“Nathan,” Scott started.
“Dad what’s going on?”
“Let me speak to Logan first.”
“But?”
“Please, go and attend to Sam, you two should get some rest.”
“You shouldn’t be alone with him when he’s like this, whatever it is that’s got him so wound up.”
“I’ll be fine.”
“Yeah, well your neck says otherwise.”
“You have no say on things you have no idea about,” Scott spat a darkness laced his words and for the first time she felt true anger from the kind older man.
Nathan was silent as the back door slammed again.
Quietly, she passed by the upstairs’ bathroom door, hearing the water run as Nathan got ready for bed. She knew the two men were still outside talking so she slinked along the darkened hallways and came to what she assumed was Scott’s bedroom and crept along towards the window where strained voices filtered through. The white cottony drape blew in the humid air billowing around her as it hid her shape. Closing her eyes she slowed her breathing, somehow keying into how susceptible Logan appeared to be to her presence, not wanting to tip him off.
“When the fuck were you goin’ to tell me?” Logan snarled.
“Logan, keep your voice down.”
She could tell Logan had started to pace.
“I had no idea. I was just as shocked as you were when she arrived today. I almost had a heart attack and unfortunately like you I don’t easily heal from such things.”
“And Nathan?”
“Has no idea. We’ve never spoken about it in front of him, he’s never seen pictures. He says he met her at Suzie and George’s diner; she’s been a waitress there for the past few months.”
“What else does he say?”
“Nothing other then the things he likes about her.”
There was sharp growl as Logan became more agitated.
“He got really annoyed and agitated when I started asking him questions about her, it seems she had a feeling she would be grilled when they got here and he’s protecting her.”
“But what does she have to hide?” Logan murmured his voice gravely.
“At first I thought maybe she was sent here by them.”
“You mean as an assassin?”
Scott shrugged.
“No, they wouldn’t try that again.”
“Maybe she’s a clone.”
“No,” Logan grunted. “Those never lasted long you know that. The copying of the mutation strand never stuck, it was too unpredictable and besides I could always tell the difference with their scent and they could never get the powers down, never the healing. You said she has both the absorption and healing, right?”
Scott nodded and then there was silence between the two men for a moment.
“Scott, it’s her. Even if I didn’t see her with my own eyes, her scent…I’d never forget it. There’s no way in being able to cover that up or copying it. She’s real,” he gasped his voice cracking. “She’s been alive this whole time, alone and…and I left her…I gave up.”
“It’s not your fault Logan; we all thought she was dead, and believe me the one thing you never did when it came to her was give up.”
Logan sighed. “She doesn’t remember us though.”
“You think she’s lying?”
“No, her scent is all confused, something must have happened to her memory.”
“Those bastards,” Scott hissed.
“She remembers me though; I know she does a part of her at least. Her scent spiked when she saw me, there’s something there.”
“I hope you’re right.”
“She must remember you too somehow; why else would she fall for a guy like Nathan. No offense Scooter, but you and I both know Nathan is not her type of guy.”
Scott sighed. “I know, you let me handle that okay.”
Logan nodded. “You know I’d protect both you and him but if he gets in the way…”
“I know,” Scott whispered deathly quiet. “Give it all a bit of time though; it is no longer just your decision. She has no idea what’s going on, we need to let her make her way. Perhaps even without her memories will see advancements, I mean like you say she was always attracted to certain men and maybe history will repeat itself.”
“And you’re okay with that even with the cost of your own son’s happiness?”
“He doesn’t understand yet, but it’s not just his happiness it’s hers as well. I owe the both of you.”
“You surprise me, Scooter.”
“You shouldn’t be surprised about this one thing, Logan.”
“No I suppose not,” the other man muttered.
“You don’t think she’s a danger?”
“No,” Logan answered. “You?”
“No,” Scott paused. “You know I always thought with such a reunion we’d all be happy but it seems they took even that away from us.”
“I never thought there’d be a reunion,” Logan whispered.
There was such emotion passing between the two of them she thought maybe they would hug each other but instead they both stood away from one another, Logan’s back slightly turned.
“For now we have to pretend like she is who she says she is, agreed?”
“Agreed,” Logan answered heavily. “For now and it be good if you didn’t forget that part.”
With those words, she saw Logan’s back disappear into the darkness as he walked off. Her eyes drawn to his form as he melted into the shadows, for a brief second she felt like maybe she’d never see him again and she realized she was afraid.
“Here you are,” Nathan spoke behind her.
She gave a small jump realizing she had let him sneak up on her.
“Sorry,” she murmured. “I was just looking around.”
“It’s alright,” he smiled at her as he pulled her towards him, she tensed. “Sorry about all this I don’t know what’s gotten into my dad and Logan,” he spoke as they walked towards their room.
“It’s okay,” she muttered, her head felt heavy. “You warned me they both had their baggage.”
“Yes, but that still doesn’t excuse their behaviour towards you.”
“How close are your father and Logan?”
Nathan’s jaw clenched. “They fought beside each other long before the war and through it. Logan helped make sure my family survived, he did the best he could. He isn’t related to me by blood. He may not be the most friendliest or civilized person and I wasn’t always his favourite guy but he protected me, taught me how to take care of myself. I trust him if that’s what you’re getting at.”
“Even though he threw you against the wall tonight?”
“You learn to pick your fights with him.”
“Wait, you said before the war but he looks like he’s only a little bit older then you.”
“Yeah, I’m sure that pisses my dad off,” he smirked. “Logan has healing powers and senses just like you; small world huh?” he winked at her.
She was silent the rest of the way and silent as they got into bed. So many questions running through her head that it was hard to fall asleep with the headache that was forming. Scott and Logan spoke as though they knew her, knew her better then herself, but was that really possible she questioned. Or perhaps they were both caught up in the idea of whoever it was they had loved before and had died, casting her in the place of that honoured ghost. Whatever it was she didn’t feel like leaving in fear, in fact she felt as just as interested as the two of them had sounded. They said they’d wait to see what happened and she found herself agreeing. She’d wait and see, because there was no denying how her body reacted to Logan even if her mind refused to open up. She could play the game as well.