Rhian spent the better part of two days picking out a date for Rogue. It was her intent to prove to Logan that if he didn't move soon Rogue would be stolen by another. She finally settled on a new student in her class. The suave cajun wonder everyone seemed to call Remy. He'd turned those red on black eyes her way a few times but when she'd threatened to send him on an astral tour of hell he'd left her alone. She arranged the date and told Rogue who was skeptical. "Ah don't even know the guy Rhian."
"That's half the point of dating Rogue." Rhian had remarked and handed her an outfit. "Just because Logan is being thick doesn't mean you have to deny yourself the fun of going out on a date."
"Ah guess." Rogue had replied and gotten dressed.
Logan had watched Rogue and Remy leave the mansion. He went to find Rhian who was flipping through slides for her class the next day. "Tryin' to make me jealous?" He asked.
"Is it working?" Rhian asked clicking through the slides.
He grabbed the remote and set it on the desk out of her reach. "Just stop."
Rhian raised an eyebrow. "Stop what? Stop being Rogues friend? Or stop making you think about what you're giving up?"
"This is some kind of game to you isn't it?" Logan asked angrily. "You show up and decided that you know what two people need to be happy. You don't know the first thing about us."
Rhian waited until he was finished. "This is no game to me Logan." She finally replied and he could smell her anger, he also thought he could smell an undercurrent of pain. "See I don't know what will make two people happy. Not for sure but I do know what could make You happy. I do know what could make Rogue happy and seeing you waste the gift by pushing it away is infuriating."
"Waste the gift? I ain't wasting it Rhian. I'm tryin' to protect it. I'm an animal. I'm a dangerous weapon and someone as good and decent as Rogue should have to live with that." Logan was practically shouting by now but Rhian had stopped listening.
**I'm an animal you stupid woman. I could rip you apart and not care. Why the fuck do you care so much? Get away from me before I do rip you up."** She blinked pushing the memory away and focused her eyes on Logan.
"You're an idiot Logan. Instead of assuming that she's not capable of accepting you as you are why don't you give her the choice." She shoved past him her anger clouding her eyes and filling her gut with hot coals.
Logan followed her. "Where are you going?"
"To the woods, to meditate. To get away from you. You aren't an animal Logan. Animals don't push their mates away. Animals don't make dumb assumptions based on societal norms. Animals don't ignore what's right in front of..." The report of a gun stopped her words in midflow and she stared at the man before them.
He was dressed in camouflage clothing carrying a rifle. A terrified young boy was trying to get away from him but was caught between the mans side and elbow. "Quit squirming you filthy little shit." The man barked.
Rhian pressed her hands to her stomach trying to hide the blood from both Logan and the boy. "What are you doing? Let him go."
"I ain't gonna let my ex-wife bleed me dry in support money so her mutie brat can go to some fancy school." The man replied viciously.
Logan took a step forward but the man pointed his gun at Rhian. "I'll shoot her again. We're gettin' out of here. You can't stop us."
Logan cast his mind out seeking the Professor but remembered that the Professor was in Washington DC with Jean and Scott. He was going to have to deal with this guy on his own. Rhian cleared her throat. "Look, it's clear you don't even want the kid so just let him go. I'm sure you can work something out with the boys mother."
"She don't want to work nothing out. Says I'm gonna pay fer the kid to learn to use his powers. Calls it retribution fer being a lousy husband. I ain't never done nothing wrong to her. Not my fault I got lousy luck."
Rhian was having a hard time focusing through the pain and blood loss. She ruthlessly shoved it aside and tried to think of a way around the situation. "Look, please just let the kid go. You're hurting him."
Logan tried to get closer but the man tightened his grip in the gun. "I said stay back mister."
He looked back at Rhian. "I ain't paying fer him to be here any more. You send him back to his mama you hear? I ain't gonna pay another cent fer trash like him."
"We'll take care of it." Rhian said calmly.
"No, you'll kick his ass out!" The man yelled and the gun went off again. Rhian couldn't focus enough to turn sideways from the world and the bullet tore through her abdomen. She managed to stay on her feet but the kid screamed. Logan roared and sprang forward gabbing the gun man. He got him pinned to the ground and screamed for help as Rhian swayed on her feet and collapsed.
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Victor knew something was wrong. His gut burned and he was nearly overwhelmed with anxiety for Rhia. He paced back and forth in the woods trying to calm down when all he really wanted to do was run to the mansion and make sure she was ok. He paced a path into the forest floor until after dawn.
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Jean and the Professor had left early when Logan called them. Jean was frantically trying to repair the damage to Rhian's abdomen caused by the bullets and Rhian's own stubbornness. Rogue was sitting in the waiting room with Logan. Remy had left hours ago. Rogue wasn't looking at Logan but from time to time Logan glanced over at her. She was still wearing her date cloths. He was thinking about what she'd said before the gun man had shown up and shot her. He was also thinking about how the security system needed to be upgraded, overhauled, completely replaced. **"You're not an animal. Animals don't push their mates away."**
He sighed and shoved a hand through his hair. She'd spoken so forcefully he could almost taste the fury in her voice. Like she'd said those words before to someone else. Rogue shifted in her chair and he glanced over at her again. She'd returned from her date just as the police were picking up the shooter. They'd brought him outside and claimed that he hadn't made it inside but taken pot shots at the front of the mansion. He was being tried for carrying a gun without a permit and for vandalism and reckless endangerment. Logan wished he was being tried for attempted murder but they couldn't reveal that Rhian was injured or too many questions would have been asked.
He cleared his throat. "She'll make it. Rhian's tough."
She nodded. "Yeah."
Logan finally just gave up and turned to look at her. "Look I'm tryin' to keep you safe kid. I'm tryin' to make sure you don't get stuck with someone who'll make ya miserable."
"By making meh miserable?" Rogue asked waspishly.
He was startled by the bold statement. Before Rhian had become her friend she was timid and often didn't fight back. "Yes, no. Hell I don't know kid."
"Ah am not a kid Logan. Ah am twenty one and you're gonna remember it. You can't keep meh safe forever. Eventually Ah'm gonna get hurt. Hell Ah am getting hurt right now. You're hurting meh."
She crossed her leg and leaned back in her chair which did interesting things to her figure. He stared at her her words ringing in his ears. "I'm sorry." He finally muttered.
The door opened and Jean came out. "She's stable. In rough shape but stable. I'd be willing to be that as soon as she heals a little she'll be able to gather her will and finish the healing process without external aids. Right now she's on a respirator though."
Rogue covered her mouth and choked back a sob. "Oh thank God."
Logan slipped out of the waiting room. He needed to get out and think for a while. He left the mansion and started running through the woods. He was so busy thinking, just running on instinct he didn't notice the figure in his path until he ran into it. He and Sabertooth went sprawling on the ground. Logan sprang up his claws unsheathing. "What're you doing here?" He snarled.
"Could ask you the same." Sabertooth snarled back his anxiety for Rhia preventing him from making sane decisions. He needed to relieve the pressure and a good fight with Wolverine would do just fine.
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Author's Chapter Notes:
Persistent little bunny. Just won't let me do my work!
** indicate memories.
** indicate memories.
Chapter End Notes:
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