The next few days passed uneventfully. Logan and Rogue focused on fixing up a few things around the cabin and worked on cleaning out the dorms. Although they didn’t have another webcam conference with the professor or Hank, Rogue noticed that Logan was having daily phone conversations with them.
Instead of feeling offended or worried that she wasn’t being included, all Rogue could really feel was relief. Her mind was…unsettled. It wasn’t anything she could pinpoint, certainly nothing like having a headache or just being distracted. It was more like things were shifting around, like tumblers realigning in a lock. And frustratingly, the voice refused to offer any explanation. She just said that everything would work itself out in time.
* * *
Logan sighed and ran his free hand through his hair. After yet another day spent cleaning out the dorms, he was sitting on the cabin porch steps talking to Xavier and Hank. Again. They had been talking on the phone every night after Rogue went to bed, and Logan finally felt like he had a complete picture of what Xavier had seen – or been shown – in Rogue’s mind.
Taking a swig of beer, Logan growled, “So you’re sayin’ she’s bein’ taken over?”
“No,” Xavier reassured him. “Just that her mutation seems to finally be developing fully.”
“See, that’s where I’m still havin’ some problems, Chuck. Other mutations are fully formed from the get-go. Why is Rogue’s different?”
Hank cleared his throat, startling Logan. He hated conference calls.
“We’ve already explained that we believe Rogue possesses two very strong mutations. It could be that one manifested later than the other. Or they could have manifested at the same time, but the…mental mutation is taking longer to develop.”
“Why?” Logan asked bluntly, stubbornly.
“That happens sometimes with mental mutations, Logan,” the professor said. “The mind is more complicated than anyone can ever know. Even I still don’t fully comprehend it, and you have to admit that I have an advantage in that area.”
“Did your telepathy develop gradually or was it all at once?”
After a few seconds of silence, Xavier finally admitted, “It was gradual. I think that if it had manifested fully developed, I would have gone insane in a matter of weeks.”
Stunned by the admission, Logan took another bracing sip of beer. “You think that’s a danger with Rogue?”
“No,” Xavier answered immediately, and Logan could picture him shaking his head for emphasis.
“You have any basis for that opinion, Chuck?”
“Well, no,” the professor said hesitantly. “It’s just that I’ve never encountered a mutation that becomes detrimental years after manifesting. Mutations are first and foremost adaptive, Logan. They provide some sort of benefit.”
“No offense, Hank,” Logan said, “but what does being blue and furry do for you?”
Clearing his throat again, Hank said, “I’ve done extensive research into my genetic genealogy, Logan, and it appears that several generations back, both sides of my family were from the northernmost Inuit cultures. I visited the region a few years back, and it turns out that my fur keeps me quite warm in that climate, and its color actually blends with the dark half of the year, making me incredibly hard to see. Of course, the other half of the year, when it’s light out, the blue probably serves no purpose. Unless, of course, it’s because dark colors absorb light and heat better. I didn’t stay for a full year, so I’m not positive. In any case, you can see that given my ancestry, my mutation is, in fact, beneficial. I just wasn’t born in the corresponding location.” Logan pictured Hank shrugging.
“Fine,” he growled. “Now what are we going to do about that skin sample you said you needed?"
“We’re still working on that,” the professor said. “We’re almost done testing out a theory with Kurt. For years, he’s been convinced that he needs to be able to see where he’s going, but when we asked him about the attack on the president, and when he went after Rogue when she fell out of the plane, he admitted that in those cases, he actually couldn’t see where he needed to be. We’ve determined that Stryker probably showed him a layout of the White House, so he knew mentally where everything was. We’re still not sure how he got to Rogue, but we’re not too concerned with that at the moment.”
“So, what? You’re showing him a map so he can get here?”
“Not exactly. After a few experiments, it seems that Kurt needs a little more detail than that. We’re compiling a series of satellite photos that he can use to make his way to you. Also, his ability is limited to a distance of several miles at a time, so we need to make sure that the photos we obtain are at the appropriate points.”
“If they’re satellite photos, that should be easy enough, right?”
“Again, not exactly. For example, heavily wooded areas are problematic since a slight miscalculation on Kurt’s part might very well end with him stuck in a tree trunk.”
Logan snorted at the image. “Yeah. Problematic,” he said, finishing his beer. He frowned suddenly. “Hey, Hank, you coming with him?”
“No, I’m scheduled to address a Senate committee on gestational versus developmental manifestations of mutations.”
“Then how the hell do you expect to get a skin sample without hurting Rogue?” Logan roared.
“Skin sampling hurts regardless of who does it. Kurt will be bringing a local anesthetic and a sampling device with him. The apparatus ensures the proper amount and depth of skin is taken. Unfortunately, we’ll need several samples from various locations.”
Logan growled.
“I’m sorry,” Hank continued, “but it’s necessary. We won’t be taking samples from her hands – too many nerves, you understand – so we’ll be taking from her arms and legs, as well as her back and stomach. It would be fascinating, of course, to have a sample from her hands or another nerve-concentrated area to see if the skin there absorbs more quickly, or if it absorbs different things. Fascinating. Fascinating indeed, but ultimately inhumane to conduct such tests.”
“Glad you realize that,” Logan said, his voice still a growl.
“I meant no offense, Logan,” Hank said hastily.
“I’m not offended!” he roared in response. “I’m…I don’t know what I am. But I don’t like any o’ this.”
“Impotent,” Xavier said suddenly.
“What?”
“You’re feeling impotent, Logan.”
“Uh, no, Chuck. Last time I checked, no problems there.”
Xavier laughed. “No, Logan. I mean you’re feeling powerless in this situation.”
Logan cleared his throat. “Oh. Right. I knew that.” He shifted uncomfortably on the step for a moment as he considered it. “Yeah, I think that’s it, Chuck,” he finally said with a sigh. “I mean, even after all this information you’ve given me, there’s still nothin’ I can do. And then you tell me that you’re gonna have Kurt stick Rogue with some apparatus instead o’ havin’ a doctor do it? What if somethin’ goes wrong? Shouldn’t a doctor or a nurse at least be here?”
“Logan, if anything goes ‘wrong’ with the sampling, you can just lend Rogue some of your healing. I suspect you’re going to do that regardless, yes?”
“No,” Logan muttered.
“Excuse me?” Hank asked, bewildered.
“She doesn’t like doin’ that, and I’m not gonna press the issue right now. We still don’t know exactly what happens when she absorbs me, right? I mean, are you sure I’m not what’s takin’ her over and not this alter-ego of hers?”
“That’s unlikely, Logan,” Xavier soothed.
“But not impossible.”
“No,” the professor conceded reluctantly, “not impossible.”
“So yeah,” Logan said, hefting the beer bottle for another sip before remembering it was already empty, “no absorbing, just regular pain and human-slow healin’ after the skin samplin’, dammit.”
“Logan, we’ll see what we can do,” Xavier promised quietly. “It might just be sending some painkillers that Rogue can use while she heals, but we’ll do everything we can.”
Logan sighed. “I know.” He stared out into the dark night for several silent seconds. “Tomorrow night?” he asked finally.
“Yes, I think Kurt can be ready by then. Expect him around this time, then. If anything changes, we’ll call you. Good night, Logan.”
“Night,” Logan replied, flipping the phone closed.
* * *
All through the next day, Logan wondered if he should tell Rogue that Kurt was coming that night. But as the hours dragged by, he kept thinking that he’d be getting a phone call postponing and so, logically and rationally, he figured there was no point in adding to Rogue’s stress when the visit and subsequent skin sampling might not take place.
Rogue, of course, saw that he was jumpy but respected his need for secrecy. With a mental shrug, one mirrored by the new resident in her head – new? she wondered briefly, feeling suddenly like the voice had always been with her – Rogue pushed her concern and curiosity to the back burner, knowing that, as always, Logan would talk when he was ready.
But he didn’t talk. He watched the clock a lot, though, and he watched her. Finally, despite her vow of patience and understanding, Rogue couldn’t take it anymore and a little before midnight slammed her mug of tea down on the kitchen table.
“What the hell’s goin’ on, Logan?” she growled. “Ya’ve been jumpier than a june bug in a skillet all damn day.”
Logan jumped in surprise, an action she would have laughed at on any other day, and turned away from the clock.
Before he could answer, a loud bamf cracked through the room and two figures collapsed next to the table. Rogue started in her chair and Logan jumped in front of her, his claws out.
“I think I’m going to be sick,” Rogue heard a male voice moan.
“Entschuldigung!” Kurt’s voice apologized. Logan’s claws slid smoothly back into place. “It is ze sulfur, and perhaps a bit of motion sickness, no? It happens to everybody ze first time zey travel wit me.”
“Do we have to go back right away?” the first voice asked. It was a little stronger, and Rogue leaned around Logan and tried to get a glimpse of his face, positive she knew that voice.
“Zat,” Kurt said, climbing to his feet and reaching a hand down to help his companion, “depends entirely on Logan and Rogue’s vishes.”
When the second man stood, Rogue's mouth dropped open in disbelief.
“Todd?” she squeaked.
Todd gave her a sick smile and waved weakly. “Hiya, Rogue.”
Logan growled, the claws shooting out again. He pointed them menacingly at Todd, who looked like he was going to faint.
“Explain,” he rasped curtly, jabbing a clawed hand for emphasis.
“Uh…I came with Kurt?” Todd offered, and Logan leapt toward him.
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Author's Chapter Notes:
Okay, I think I've taken a sufficient amount of time away from this one. I know where it's going and approximately how many scenes are required to get it there. Two pieces of bad news, though: chapters are going to be shorter - more manageable for me that way, especially since I'll be working on Last Chance at the same time - and the end of this monster is going to be a big old shock. I have an idea for a continuation (I hesitate to call it a sequel), but when and if I get to writing that depends on various things.