Two weeks had passed like a breeze, they’d shared each others beds for most of the time, or that’s how it had seemed to him. December was here and the first snows had yet to come down fully, the skies that had greeted him in the north had followed him home. Looking out at the grey mountains of cloud that towered over the school he wondered if the winter would be a hard one, but this time he had something to keep him warm. Marie.
The kids had started to leave for the holidays, sitting at breakfast watching the yellow school bus fill with borders whose families still wanted to see them, who still loved them no matter what their mutation. Looking around the dining room noticing the few kids that studiously avoided the scene in front of the windows, there were at least fifteen kids this year, more than last year if Ororo was to be relied on.
Marie had eaten her breakfast and gone by the time he’d made it into the room, a smile played at the edges of her mouth as she’d passed him in the hall. Purring as she’d passed him, watching his reaction to her obvious sexual advances. He’d had to concentrate on the jobs ahead of him when he’d walked into the hall, almost running into Colossus who was just leaving the dining hall.
The tall Russian had just blushed and moved aside for him, maybe he should get something done about the soundproofing in his room. He couldn’t keep avoiding the sound issue, although it hadn’t really mattered when he’d been in the middle of nowhere. The thought opened in his head as he forked bacon into his system, feeling as if he hadn’t eaten for a week. Mind you good sex always did that to him. Just as he was finishing Ororo walked over with his work sheet for the day scanning the page he found he was out on the slopes of the forest that day, clearing an area for the assault course.
“What do you want me to do with the logs?” Ororo looked as if he’d just asked her to make it snow indoors. He helped her out. “When the grounds cleared we’ll have a surplus of logs, what do you want me to do with them, any plans? Do you want them put to one side for spring? For the building of the assault course?” At last he saw some understanding shine through.
“No, I’ve already talked to the Professor we’ll be having a contractor coming in to build it. So what ever we have to clear we can leave in the forest to rot down.” At hearing the new details of the plans he wrinkled his nose at the waste of it.
“What? We’re just going to leave it to rot out there?” Looking again at the size of the course there’d be at least fifty good size trees coming down, enough to build a decent sized house. He decided to push his luck. “Any objections to me using it? The wood I mean, I’ve a need to get out from under people’s feet in here.”
Looking around the emptying dining room and outside at the rapidly filling school bus. “Might make use of it to make a little cabin for myself out in the woods. All this soft living is putting weight on me and I don’t need any more of that on these bones.” Ororo smiled as the truth sank into her mind, smiling she put a hand on his arm.
“I understand Logan, you need your space and I’m sure Xavier wouldn’t mind if you used the wood you clear out.” Moving her hand from his arm she caught his eye, “Maybe you should add a couple of extra rooms too, you never know it might come in useful for your survival classes.” Smiling she began to walk away, just before she left she turned back, “You really do have a nice growl Logan, pity we don’t hear it that often.” Grinning like a Cheshire cat she left him, blushing like a schoolboy who’d been caught masturbating. Deciding that work was better than this he shoved out of the seat and got moving, maybe work could take his mind off the nights events but he seriously doubted it.
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The air was cold and fresh on his skin as he watched the school bus pull away out of the grounds, sending the students home for a few weeks of normalcy back in the world that feared and hated them. Walking over to the garage to pick up tools for the mornings work he heard the voices of Cyc and Hank, something was strained in Cyc’s tone and he could smell the annoyance from where he was. Rounding the corner he came upon the two men, Cyc was holding a set of keys close to his chest and was defending the large blue suv in the garage. Hank noticed him first and spoke, “Good morning Logan, I trust you slept well?” Searching for a hint of malice in his cultured tone, he replied when he found none.
“Yeah like a baby. What’s going on? Cyc?”
Scott turned to him and looked exasperated.
“Could you please explain our policy on the vehicles here to Dr McCoy.” He raised his eyebrows at the formality of the sentence, obviously he’d wound Cyc up more than he’d thought. Maybe he’d get to like the blue furball. Turning to face the Doctor he spoke.
“Well I use a vehicle whenever I can and always leave it gassed up afterward, let them know where I’m going and when I’m expected back. Although that hasn’t been the case with me, but those are the *rules*.” Scott smiled smugly at the frustrated doctor and watched as his large hands opened and closed. He could feel the air in the garage change, the doc was winding up and he obviously needed the suv for some reason but Cyc was being an asshole as usual.
“If you want to get out of here for a while you can come with me to the local hardware store, there’s some equipment I need to rent out for the day.” The relief that flooded his face was almost tangible as he walked upto Scott and put his hand out for the keys he held. “That is unless you want me to take down four acres of trees with nothing but my bare hands?” He slid out a few inches of blade and Scott looked at him through his ruby visor and found nothing but the truth gazing back at him. Reluctantly he handed over the keys to him and moved aside.
“Remember to gas it this time Logan, we need it back for the holiday shopping run. Ororo wants us to get everything as early as we can, there’s a snow front moving down from Canada. She doesn’t know if she can keep the thing away from us for the whole week.”
Waving as Cyc walked away back to his room to catch up on sleep. When he was out of view he faced the large bulk of Hank, “Okay where are we going?”
“You don’t need to go to the store?”
“Nope. So where can I take you? We don’t have much time so we’d better get going.” Pressing the automatic locking he opened the drivers door and got in. Hank eased himself into the passenger seat, taking up both of them. He seemed lost for words for a few moments as if he was making up his mind if he should reveal his true purpose for wanting the vehicle. Keeping his voice even and level he answered. “I need to check on someone, a technician who worked for me at the institute. She was,” he paused searching for the right word. “Injured before the raid and I want to check on her progress. She lives alone and her condition is somewhat reliant on someone being there. I just want to check that she’s doing all right. I didn’t want it to be an issue.” He could smell his uncertainty about sharing the information with him, that he still didn’t trust him. Well that was mutual, maybe he could find a little out about him too. Over the past two weeks he’d seen Hank taking classes, reading, teaching but it was something he was good at, he still hadn’t caught the big man off guard yet, or seen under his immaculate surface.
“Okay lets go, where are we going anyway?” he turned the engine on and felt the rumble under his feet as he pulled out of the garage and into the cool winter air. Noticing that the frost had come, picking out the last few dead roses on the bushes in the garden. Framing their crystalline beauty, reminding him of Jean, who would be laid under the frozen water of Alkali Lake. Pulling his attention back to the road in front of him, forcing the memory down and away. Blinking back the vision of Jean, feeling a need to fill the silence that had grown between them.
“So how was your night? Room good enough? Walls thick enough?” He left that opener for him, wondering if their nightly efforts had reached his room yet. Hank shifted in his seat, trying to make himself more comfortable. His annoyance spreading out in the scent that quickly filled the small interior, dressed in a large sweat suit he could have passed for normal from the rear but his eyes and furry face wouldn’t. Watching the large man settle down in the front seat he couldn’t help but get the image of a cat settling down to sleep from his mind. Inside he hoped he didn’t have the same tendencies to climb trees, that’d be a shock for the fire service.
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Smiling as he pulled onto the main highway, stopping at the junction awaiting his orders from Hank.
“Go left. I need to get to Narraganset, Rhode Island.” They were all the directions he gave, leaving him feeling exposed and vulnerable by the lack of detail. Deciding that he wasn’t going to volunteer any more information just yet, he set the suv on the road into the weak morning sun.
About an hour into the trip they entered Rhode Island and Hank directed him to the place he wanted to go, his mood hadn’t improved with the placard signs they’d both noticed along the highway. The F.O.H had been out campaigning for the good of humanity again, the signs were bland and used the common denominator as their line, ‘Who’s teaching your kids?’ and ‘Do you really want a Mutant as President? They were the tame ones and seemed to be the ones that wound Hank as tight as a spring.
Keeping his cards close to his chest, Hank remained silent he directed with hand signals off the main road and into a small hamlet. The town was run down, almost dead when they pulled up to the small store. Hank spoke.
“This is a small community Logan, they know me here but they are afraid of strangers. So please let me do the talking.” Curious now he just nodded and watched as Hank pulled himself out of the suv. The smell that hit him as the door opened reminded him of somewhere he’d been before, somewhere familiar but he couldn’t remember exactly where. The air was crisp and the struggling trees had already shed the few scanty leaves they’d had. Pitted tarmac, cracked pavements and no sign of streetlights told him everything he needed to know. He had it confirmed when he heard the voice sounding out of the small store.
“You lost? There’s nothing here for people like you, we have nothing left; you took everything the last time you were here.” The voice was old, rich and mellow with a hint of sadness but still strong in spirit. The body that followed it would’ve been impressive in its youth but now it was old and broken sat in a beaten up old wheelchair. Skin weathered by nature, features proud and strong he still wore his native shirt and the bag of quills in his lap spoke volumes. Hank turned and the man’s face broke open into a smile.
“Hank, long time no see my friend. How has the white man been treating you?” Hank walked over to the man, his bulk obscuring him completely. The change that came over Hank was amazing, he softened his mood opening up to the old man. Deciding to hang back and let Hank introduce him, he listened to their exchange. The social niceties were ignored and they spoke about real things, the problems that they had for the coming winter. The local F.O.H coming and beating up the remaining young men here, police hounding them for hunting without permits again.
After a few minutes of catching up Hank moved and motioned to him. “This is Logan, he’s from the school I’m teaching at now, we’re only an hour away from you. So if you need help.” He left the sentence open for him and the old man nodded as he weighed him up.
“Logan is it?” There was something in his eyes that made his skin itch, as if he was looking under it, scanning what he found there and understanding it without question. “You’d better come in if your going to see her, she won’t be long she’s just gone out to the field.” Hank turned to him and waved him to follow him, several people had appeared from the small hovels that surrounded the store and watched them both enter.
Inside it smelled of old flour and cloth, the floorboards creaked ominously with their combined weight. A small counter with a few half-empty shelves sat next to an old iron stove, which barely heated the room. Hank sat on the floor next to the stove looking at the back door of the store a thing that didn’t pass the old mans attention. “Don’t worry Hank she’ll be pleased to see you. She always was wasn’t she? Why should it change now?” The look of sadness that filled Hanks eyes almost broke his heart when he saw its depth.
“A lot of things have changed Titus, especially me.” Moving his bulk, trying to make himself as small as he could in the room. The mixed scent of pain and disappointment filled the room, thickest around Hank and spreading out with the heat of the stove.
Titus turned to face him now.
“So why does a school need a warrior like you then?” Titus’s words hit home and he pulled no punches. He opened his mouth to answer when someone answered for him.
“Because they need men like him to defend people like me father,” Hank shot up off the floor at the sound of the voice. She was small, delicate, almost ethereal. She moved across the floor in certain quick steps and yet there was something wrong in the movement. Then he noticed it, her feet they were cloven like a deer, skin scarred in several places, one large one across her face which had cost her an eye and the sight in the other. She was a mutant, like him and Hank.
She put the wood down that she’d been collecting next to the stove and reached out for Hank. He backed away quickly and almost fell over himself in the rush to get away from her small hands. She touched him and he could see his fear at her reaction to her feeling his skin. He was disappointed. “Oh Hank is that you?” He could tell from her scent she knew who he was but this was their moment so he went outside to watch the birds picking the last few windblown seeds from the ruined macadam.
Titus followed him. “You have good work at this school? Work that keeps you happy?” He thought about the question.
“Yeah its good, hard physical labour sometimes but it’s not worth it if it’s easy.” Looking around at the dilapidated houses and the hopeless eyes all around he had an idea, looking at Titus he spoke. “Do you have a head man here?” The old man shrugged.
“I’m it as elders go, the rest gave up and moved away when the trouble started. We have problems with the police. No money, no food, no medicine when the children get sick, many moved away when the children were born with gifts. Many took it as a sign that we were being cursed by god but a few stayed faithful to the old way. That their children were special, chosen by the Spirit to do great things. Then the white men came and told them to give them into their care, convinced them that they were not normal and so had to be helped. Hank helped me to hide my daughter from them, they’ve been friends since.”
The story sank in he’d been here before. Not here, but a place much like it, up north, a small mining town, whose population hadn’t been mixed too often. So mutant births were becoming common, they’d asked for help from the government and they’d sent the scientists who’d tested the water, the food, the animals, everything. They ended up taking the children away to do further testing, nothing was heard from them ever again. He’d helped a family to get away to the south, to hide from the searching helicopters but the memory was hazy, confused. He’d be damned if he’d let this happen again.
“I need some help doing some forestry work at the school, do you know of anyone who’d be interested in it? I’ll need at least ten good men.” Titus looked at him square on, looking for the barb.
“What about women? They’re just as capable and strong, money is money and work is work. Give me a few minutes then I’ll let you know.” With that he wheeled off the small wooden porch toward the group of people who were talking amongst themselves. Even with the small amount of work ahead of him, he could ease the coming winter for them. There were deer aplenty on the grounds and it would do the herd some good if it thinned out for the winter. Otherwise they’d have starving deer coming down to the school and nothing was as sad as watching a deer trying to eat dead wood.
Watching as Titus spoke to the group bringing back three men and one woman, all of them were watching him closely. As if he’d try to trick them, get them to do something dangerous for a pittance. It had happened before why shouldn’t it happen again? Squaring off to face them all he waited for their questions. It was over quite quickly, price per hour, what the work entailed and duration, when he added the hunting rights for thirty deer the faces looked shocked, as if he’d just told them they were sweepstake winners. He gave them directions and the group went to get ready for work, at least he’d be finished before Christmas. Maybe he’d get his own house finished before New Year with help.
Smiling he went back to the suv and climbed inside, switching on the engine he waited for Hank to appear. Ten minutes later he walked over to the suv and climbed in without looking back once, he looked calm and serene. As if a burden had been lifted from him, looking at Hank he noticed a small plait behind his ear, interwoven with his own dark fur was a piece of brown hair. Smiling he caught his eye, “Ready to go home now?” Hank just nodded, his features calm and relaxed.
“What about your tools?” Looking at Titus as he swung the suv back out onto the highway he answered.
“Somehow I think it’s not going to be a problem, mind you Ororo is going to have quite a few dinner guests.” The realisation sank in and Hank smiled at the news.
“Thank you Logan, you didn’t have to do that.” Bristling a little at the compliment being aimed at him, he answered.
“Yeah well, I don’t want to be out there all winter freezing my ass off. If the school is willing to pay contractors who’ll do a half-assed job, we might as well pay someone who’ll do the job right the first time round. What they don’t know they’ll learn and maybe they’ll get more work, maybe start up their own business afterward. Helping is about helping them help themselves not being another hand out.”
He glanced over at Hank and wished he could wipe the grin off his face. Growling his displeasure as Hank laughed as he discovered his vulnerability.
“Don’t worry Logan, if Cyclops asks me who hired the workers I’ll say it was my idea. I won’t blow your image.”
“Yeah you do that.” He wondered all the way back to the school what had exactly happened back there in the store with the girl and Hank. He’d been snared by Marie when he’d least expected it and he’d seen the huge man brought low by a slip of a girl. Seen the depth of his pain when she’d touched him and it had been uncomfortable to watch. Not because it was none of his business but it had hurt to realise that that was how he’d been when he’d met Damask, hurting and wanting to go home. They drove back in silence, each of them going through the mornings events and wondering what the rest of the day held.
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That afternoon as the light began to fade from the east three trucks pulled up with at least twenty able bodied men and women, all ready to start work. He’d given Ororo a heads up when they’d returned from their little trip about the new help coming and she’d smiled as he’d laid out the new work plans now he knew he had extra help coming. They’d have the forest cleared and sorted by mid December, if everything went to plan. Hank had gone to class and was making headway into the winter classes for the borders.
He’d gotten started on the lower slope when he’d heard the noise of people coming, turning to watch them climb the slope he could smell the nerves from where he was. Looking them over he could see that he’d have to go slow for a while, they had to get back to full strength and there were a few drinkers too if his nose was right. Well he liked a drink as much as the next man but he’d have a sober workforce here, forestry and drink didn’t mix.
The group halted just in front of him and they stood there expectantly, a few faces regarded him with outright suspicion others just waited for the instructions of the day. This would take time, so he explained what was required of them, to be here at 8am when the sun was up. They’d work through to 1pm when they’d get a hot lunch, then they’d do the trimming work on the trees they’d brought down that morning. They’d be paid at the end of each day, which put a few smiles on faces and he explained that if he smelled alcohol on anyone they’d be going home that morning and they’d lose a days pay. The tools they’d brought were mainly hand axes and a few old lumber saws but they managed to get three trees down that afternoon and trim them. They were paid by Cyc in cash at the end of the day $75 each, enough to buy decent food, a new set of blankets and good boots for the next days work. They left smiling, he could tell that the work wasn’t to some of their liking but he knew at least half who’d come back tomorrow.
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The work had come along slowly, each tree being dug out as it was felled. The workers had noticed the children and their mutations but hadn’t mentioned anything. One woman had been helped by Bobby who’d just smiled as he’d covered the logs underside with ice to make it easier to move. The bruises and cuts were healing on him and Logan felt the boy had grown up some since the death at his hands. He was still light hearted but there was an age in his eyes now, one that didn’t belong there but it was something they all had to face eventually. Looking at the nearly bare hillside the logs stacked up and ready to be moved, the workers had been prompt and worked like he did.
Everyday at lunch Hank would come out with Jubilee and they’d feed everyone with something warm. It was a good time, he had a purpose and he had Marie, there wasn’t much else he really needed. His eyes strayed to Scott who was talking to the foreman about the plans he’d drawn up for the construction in the new year. Scott still showed his pain occasionally, the haunted looks that he threw around the kitchen when the kids were playing around. As if he was still expecting to hear her voice chime in with everyone else’s. Logan had stopped holding Marie in front of him, yesterday he’d caught the look he’d given them both and the guilt he’d felt had washed out any comfort he’d gained from Marie. He'd told her then and she’d understood, her wishes for everyone to be comfortable not upsetting her own.
She’d kissed him then and the warmth he’d basked in made the day feel like midsummer in Florida, she loved him and trusted him and that was all he’d ever needed to know. Now the dark was coming and the workers were heading home, leaving him to look at the starlit sky and the snow covered ground. Thoughts of Marie filled his head and his eyes drifted to the kitchen where she was on duty tonight. Sighing he watched his breath plume in the cold, praying the stars would keep them safe.
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Author's Chapter Notes:
Logan makes a new friend and gets to find out about their new doctor.