What a fucked up day!
Logan tossed his jacket onto the counter and pulled the door to the refrigerator open praying there was a beer left in there somewhere, but not holding out any hope…After all the place was crawling with teenagers.
It pretty much guaranteed that any alcoholic beverage left unattended was quickly the focus of a concerted teen mutant mission which called for every stealthy and diversionary mutant’s participation. Rogue usually played the part of hapless southern bell when it was up to her crowd to pilfer the Molson’s.
Logan had caught on almost immediately the first time she’d used her wiles on him, but he could tell she was trying hard to fit in with the kids her age. So, Logan had played dumb and Marie had thanked him so fervently with her solemn eyes his chest hurt. The Professor may have gotten Rogue settled in the dorm ‘just like a normal mutant’ but he couldn’t make the girl friends. Besides, she had more than a fair share of his memories and with them a taste for a nice fat smoke and a bottle or two of the good stuff.
Slamming the door on the barren shelves he grabbed his jacked and turned to find Hank leaning against the door jamb with a bottle of 12 years old scotch and an envelope; it was kind of ominous really. Logan wasn’t sure which put the fear in him more the envelope or the fact that what was in it warranted 12 years old scotch. “Henry,” he growled.
Logan’s use of his name shocked the blue-furred man for a moment but only a moment, because Hank knew better than most that the caustic nicknames were a sign of semi-affection which would be denied unto death. The use of his given name was a sign that Logan understood that the situation was grave indeed.
“Logan,” Hank straightened and stepped into the room.
Logan turned and pulled two tumblers from the cabinet and plunked them down on the table. Both men stared pensively at the glasses for a moment before Hank spoke again. “It has been an unaccountably difficult decision…This,” he lifted the envelope for Logan to see. “However, when Charles came to me three days ago he told me that I would know when to give this to you.”
“And you think that now is the right time,” Logan asked as he pulled out a chair and dropped heavily into it making the wood creak under his weight. Reaching out he grasped the bottle of scotch and left Hank holding the envelope; pouring three fingers in both glasses as he watched the frown mare the blue furred face.
“I am quite sure that now is most assuredly the wrong time.” Placing the file on the table Hank grasped his glass and downed the contents in one go before setting it down and nudging it toward Logan for a refill. The second went the way of the first and then with an uncharacteristic shaking hand he placed the glass one the table and slide the envelope in front of Logan before he walked out of the kitchen.
Frowning, Logan took a deep steadying breathe absently fingering the glass of scotch before pushing it aside and wrapping his fingers around the thick envelope he pulled out a file that bore a US military seal. It was there right in front of him; his past all wrapped up in a governmental seal and Logan could not fathom ever wanting to know what it contained.
He’d almost worked up the nerve to lift the cover when giggling in the hall caught his attention. Taking a whiff he smelled the ice pop and the girlish scent belonging to the tittering laugh could come from only one person, Kitty Pride.
They were whispering as they left through one of the garden doors and Logan fought the urge to impale the dumb shit on the business end of his claws. That little fuck was going to hurt Marie; Logan had known that from the minute he’d set eyes on the frostbitten boy and Rogue nearly a year ago. He had also known that he couldn’t save her from this heart break without damaging the bond they shared and that was one thing Logan would protect as fiercely as he would protect Marie.
So, here he sat knowing that the otter pop and one of Marie’s supposed friends were out for a little moonlight…Whatever the hell kids called it now.
As a distraction he added another way to torture the ice cube when the idiot made the inevitable mistake of breaking Marie’s heart. He’d decided that he would flay the little ice prick’s skin off and then pour salt on him. Would that make his power stronger or weaker after all the addition to salt lowered the freezing point of water…Hmmm…Maybe vinegar would be a better choice.
“Hey,” Marie’s voice at the door pulled him from his musings and he glanced up to find her standing in the shadows, but he didn’t need to see her face to know that there were tears in her eyes and drying on her cheeks. “What’cha thinkin’ about?”
“I’m trying to decide if I should use vinegar or salt on my ice sculpture.” His comment surprised a burst of laughter from Marie that quickly twisted in her throat to sound like a pained moan. “Come ‘ere, kid.” Logan hooked his foot on the chair beside him and pulled it toward him, “Let’s have a drink.”
He watched her until she settled into the chair and then pulled it even closer. She’d fidgeted with her gloves all the way across the room and then sat stiffly on the edge of the chair as though afraid to touch him. In his mind he added a blow torch to his scenario.
“Logan,” she gasped when she saw the file in front of them.
“Charles left it for me,” he muttered, absently lifting his hand to her shoulder to finger the white strands that defined her. She’d only flinched a little bit and it ticked him off all the more because she’d been getting used to being touched casually. “Want to talk about it?”
“The file,” she murmured deliberately misunderstanding.
“No, darlin’, dumbass.” He growled, lowly.
“Bobby ain’t a dumbass,” she sighed. “I saw ‘im kissin’ Kitty.”
“Marie,” Logan growled softly as the pain she felt leeched into the air between them.
“He’s a normal boy and normal boys want things; things ah can’t give.”
“That’s no excuse, Marie.”
“Ah know,” she muttered in a tight voice. “I’ve been thinkin’ about all that stuff we talked about when the word about a cure first came out.”
“Well,” Logan nodded as he nudged to glass full of scotch toward her; she picked it up and took a deep swallow. He was perversely proud and dismayed that she didn’t seem fazed by the liquor’s bite.
“I ain’t decided yet,” she murmured as she handed the glass to him. “You opened it yet? It says James ‘Logan’ Howlett is that yer name?”
“Nope,” it was his turn to mutter as he finished off the amber liquid and put the glass down with a thud. “And I ain’t sure.”
Pulling her gloves off Marie let her fingers caress the smooth surface of the bottle and then picked it up and poured another draught into their shared glass.
“Only one way to find out,” her quiet words trembling out; Logan thought she sounded nearly as frightened as he was.
“Yeah,” he agreed as he picked up the glass and held it to Marie’s lips; meeting his gaze she opened her mouth accepting the drink. Logan tilted the glass and watched as she closed her eyes and drank another generous gulp.
When he moved it away a drop dribbled onto her lip and he watched as her pink little tongue slipped out and rescued the perilously perched droplet. Wolverine quickly downed the rest and set the glass aside. He didn’t put it to far away because he was pretty sure that this file would merit at least the rest of the bottle of scotch.
“Do the honors,” he gestured and was glad to see her bare fingers glide over the tattered cover.
“Ya sure,” she asked as her fingertips traced the edge to the upper right corner and grasped the thick card stock between two elegant digits.
“Yeah, darlin’,” he nodded. They both held their breath as she pulled it open and both seemed slightly disconcerted that nothing exploded upon the opening.
“James 'Logan' Howlett,” Marie read her finger tracing the words on the page as she did so. “Well, damn…1837. I gotta say ya look mighty fine fer ya age, Sugah”
Logan wanted to be able to laugh at the lightly teasing words but he felt as though his chest was being squeezed by a vice; could he have a heart attack? He knew his healing kept him pretty damn fit, but could shock induce a heart attack?
He’d assumed he was older than the professor, that wasn’t what caused his body to react so; it was what the file outlined mid-way down the page that had him shakily pouring another glass of scotch. It was fuckin’ useless because his body cleared it before the effects could be felt, but hell he could give intoxication his damnedest effort.
Marie had evidently found that line because she gasped, “Victor Creed; Logan ain’t that…”
“Sabertooth,” he growled as he emptied the glass.
“Y’all are half-brothers,” Marie stated what was staring them in the face in all its black and white glory.
“You sure you want to know what’s in here,” he asked gruffly, “Can’t imagine things gettin’ better from this point on.”
“Yes,” she scooted closer and placed a comforting hand on his knee. “I know ya, Logan. This pile o’ paper, it won’t change that and I would hope ya’d trust me to be there for ya, to help ya handle everythin’, yer mah friend, Logan...Me with my poisoned skin and you with your metal claws.”
“Thanks, darlin’!” Logan hugged her to him for a moment and then flipped the file closed and stood up startling Rogue with the abrupt movements. Giving her a sad sort of smile Logan picked up the file and pointed his chin at the bottle and glass. “Grab those,” he murmured quietly. “You’ve had your fill, but I might need the rest.”
“Where are we goin’,” she asked as she jogged to keep up with his longer, more powerful stride toward the garage.
“I ain’t decided yet,” he murmured as he stalked along the down stairs hall. “I’m guessin’ you won’t want to sleep in your room with the little home wrecker and I don’t particularly want to sit in Charles’ house at the moment.”
“It ain’t Kitty’s fault,” Rogue muttered. She nearly slammed into Logan’s back when he stopped suddenly in front of her. “Logan-“
“Marie, who is at fault if the Ice Prick isn’t and it ain’t the little Kitkat’s fault,” he growled as he turned to face her, “Who, might I ask, is?”
“Logan,” she sighed, closing her eyes and looking away from him.
“That’s what I thought,” Logan muttered as he turned away. “Let’s go!”
“Logan,” Marie called as she hurried to catch up.
“Not now,” he ground out as he wrenched open the door to the garage and quickly found the keys to the vehicle that he usually used when he wasn’t out to annoy Scooter.
With a flick of a button the car started and Logan was in the driver’s seat with Marie settling in beside him. He didn’t say a word as she put the bottle of scotch between her feet on the floorboard and fastened her seatbelt.
They were soon on the road with nothing but the sound of squealing tires and the rumble of the engine disturbing the quiet night.
Logan was still angry. He wasn’t sure if it was really the fact that Charles had known all along who and what he was and he’d kept it from him or if it was the fact that the bold megalomaniac, that’s what he was after all. By binding Jeannie’s mind and doling out peoples pasts like they were breadcrumbs he had proven he was not much different from Magneto or Stryker. Logan had to wonder if the man hadn’t deliberately set out to isolate Rogue.
He couldn’t fathom how she could possibly think she was at fault for the loose morals of two of the school’s most prized students. When they got back to the school Logan was going to go through every damned drawer, file and computer. If he found anything that could have been used to help Marie feel less like a prisoner of her own skin he was going to insure that anyone complicit in her seclusion paid, and paid dearly.
“Logan,” the quiet murmur of Marie’s voice cut across his rapidly darkening thoughts.
“Yeah,” he sighed.
“There’s a motel up ahead,” she sounded tired and her speech was still a little slurred. “Or are we gonna drive all night?” Glancing at her Logan could see that she wasn’t up for a twelve hour drive and he couldn’t put off reading that file any longer.
“Nah,” he answered as he let one of his hands fall from the wheel and find her silk covered fingers. “We’ll stop.”
“Okay,” she nodded, threading her fingers with his and tightening her grasp. “I think it’s time ya find out what Charles knew.”
The Wolverine & Rogue Fanfiction Archive
Barely Legal Since 2000
Story Notes:
First of all, I am actually Kia Mira, but because my e-mail address is still my bellsouth e-mail I can't sign in as my self. Second, if I could find a beta I would be thrilled.
This is a plot bunny that has been chewing my ear...I hope you enjoy the first chapter.
Sid aka Kia Mira
This is a plot bunny that has been chewing my ear...I hope you enjoy the first chapter.
Sid aka Kia Mira
Author's Chapter Notes:
To Touch the Moon: What Charles Knew
Author: Kia Mira
Disclaimer: X-men and Wolverine movies are not mine and I only borrowed them to shut my muse up for a while. He’ll be done gnawing on them in a few days and they can go back to their lives unharmed.
Summary: This is my AU of X-3…Don’t we all have X-3 AU’s floatin’ around in our heads? In this ‘verse Logan learns what Charles always knew and Rogue and he talk on the ride to the cure.
Rating: Adult
Tags: AU, X1-3 and Origin
Author’s Note: This has bugged me since I re-watched Origin. After watching it again I realized two things. 1) Charles was not justified in not telling Logan of his past in X1-3, and 2) As much as I hate the idea of Kayla Silverfox because her story about Kuekuatsu was all sorts of Logan and Rogue romantic.
Author: Kia Mira
Disclaimer: X-men and Wolverine movies are not mine and I only borrowed them to shut my muse up for a while. He’ll be done gnawing on them in a few days and they can go back to their lives unharmed.
Summary: This is my AU of X-3…Don’t we all have X-3 AU’s floatin’ around in our heads? In this ‘verse Logan learns what Charles always knew and Rogue and he talk on the ride to the cure.
Rating: Adult
Tags: AU, X1-3 and Origin
Author’s Note: This has bugged me since I re-watched Origin. After watching it again I realized two things. 1) Charles was not justified in not telling Logan of his past in X1-3, and 2) As much as I hate the idea of Kayla Silverfox because her story about Kuekuatsu was all sorts of Logan and Rogue romantic.
Chapter End Notes:
Not sure why the series keeps ending up Saturday Night...It is supposed to be To Touch the Moon