Chapter 14 -The Gloves come Off
She'd never known such power.
She held it in the palm of her hands and she'd never even realized it was there. Waiting. Growing. Learning. Reaching. Taking.
She stepped into the hallway for the first time that day without gloves. She stood just outside her door, wanting to retreat. Coward. She took a deep breath and pushed forward.
It was cold. That's one of the first things she noticed. Four years of walking around wrapped up like a mummy had accustomed her body to high temperatures. Having been born and bred in the humidity of Mississippi hadn't helped either. Now, as she walked into the dining hall for breakfast, she could feel the air conditioning hit her bare arms and she was weirded out by the sensation of goosebumps.
It took a few moments for the first students and adults to die down into silence. Slowly, the silence fell over each table as their attention focused on her -- on her bare skin.
She'd been pretty private about starting to control the pull completely. Up until today, she'd still worn her layers and her gloves. Logan's nightly sessions had been practice, seductive practice, but just practice.
She woke up each morning with a splitting headache from the strain and exertion. Exhaustion claimed her early each night before the students even went to sleep. Logan would lie with her as she let the fatigue whisk her away into slumber.
She hadn't been able to walk around casually, afraid of an accidental brush when she wasn’t concentrating. She had to concentrate to control the pull, physically force it off. She was trying to re-train her skin. It should have been the opposite. It should have been a strain to turn it on, not the other way around. Slowly, she worked to creep to her goal.
Today.
The others didn't know this. Didn't know just how hard she'd been working. So it wasn't too surprising when they stared at her in shock, wondering why she was so uncovered in their presence. It was time they found out.
In jeans and a soft cotton t-shirt, she felt naked. Exposed. And she was suddenly unsure of herself. She took a small step back, ready to retreat.
His gentle hand twined in with hers. Warmth. There were a few surprised gasps and whispers. Some even pointed. She looked down to see his fingers interlacing with her own bare hand. She slowly brought her eyes up to see him there. She smiled softly at him. How did he always know when she needed him the most?
His finger brushed over her knuckles and squeezed gently. He leaned down and whispered into her ear, “Happy Birthday, Marie.”
XXX
She slammed face first into the wall, her arm twisted behind her. Damn. He’d gotten her again. She twisted down and under, unwinding her arm so he wouldn’t pull it out of its socket. She didn’t count on his knee coming up into her back and wrenching her arm up harder.
“Go again,” Logan growled as he released her and let her stand. “Start from the same position, but this time, don’t second guess yourself when you come up from the leg swipe. You lost focus and it was over from there.”
She was panting and sweating. Usually, not a bad combination with Logan. But geez, he was kicking her ass today. She nodded, wiping some of the dampness from her brow.
She wore only a pair of track pants and a cut-off shirt. He’d ordered her to start coming to morning sessions wearing clothing that left a lot of skin exposed. He’d been dead serious. She, on the other hand, wasn’t as on board with the idea.
She had good control when she wasn’t occupied with other thoughts or concerns. He knew that. Trying to figure out how to keep her mutation turned off while trying not to get the shit beat out of her was pretty complicated. More complicated than even the intimacies they shared each day.
On top of everything else, she was so sexually frustrated that she found herself in a fairly foul mood lately. She wasn’t learning to hold off her mutation fast enough. She wanted to be touched by Logan without having to spend half her energy keeping the pull switched off.
She felt like she might actually implode.
With all the frustration and painful headaches she was already feeling trying to be intimate with him, now he was insisting that she also do it while they trained. She’d never been under so much strain in her life.
He came at her and she weaved down and around, trying to accomplish another combination without tripping over her own feet when he grabbed her bare shoulder. She failed. In two seconds, she found herself face down on the mat, arm once again pulled up behind her. Damn, damn, damn!
She was so angry with herself that she felt tears of frustration start to sting her eyes.
He let go and sighed. “Again, Marie.”
She clamped down on the tears and pushed to a standing position. “I’m tryin’.” She got back into position and started with him again.
She didn’t last any longer this time around, or the next. With an embarrassing flop, she landed on her back. She felt the tears leak out the sides of her eyes.
She stood up and shoved loose platinum hair away from her face. He getting into position again, but she’d had enough. She walked past him and straight to the door.
“Where the hell do ya think you’re goin’?” He looked almost shocked.
She was too angry for words. She almost reached the hallway before he grabbed her hand and pulled her around.
“Marie, what the hell?”
She shouldn’t be surprised at his confusion. In the four years she’d been at the mansion, training with him and the others, she’d never once left in the middle of practice. She’d never given up. But then she hadn’t thought she’d ever be able to have what she could have now.
She had to be patient, and she didn’t want to be anymore.
“Ah’m tired of gettin’ the shit beat out of me.” She pulled her hand away from him and turned to leave.
Suddenly he grabbed her around the waist and shoved her up against the wall. She shoved hard at his chest, pissed that she couldn’t go hide out and pout over her frustration.
“Logan! I’m sick of ending up face first on the mat.”
He growled and grabbed at her pushing hands, pinning them above her head. He pressed his body into her, holding her in place. Even now, in the midst of being truly pissed off, she could appreciate his hard muscles. The man was indescribably sexy.
He pushed up against her, and growled. “You think ‘cause I’m in love with you that I’m gonna go easy on you in here?”
She stopped breathing.
He took a deep breath and went on. “Nothing’s changed in this practice room. I expect you to work your ass off even when it fuckin’ hurts, even when you’re so damn exhausted you can barely keep your eyes open.”
He gentled his words. “Even when you're fighting to keep control of your mutation at the same time and it slows you down.” He let one of his hands fall to her face. “I know it’s a strain. But you can’t give up. You have to learn to do both.”
The hand he released fell to her side in utter defeat. “I don’t know if I can.” She wanted to cry again. “Everything’s going so slow. Just trying to let you touch me is so exhausting...”
“Why do you think I’m waitin’ with you?” he asked. “You think I don’t see you strugglin’? You have any idea what it’s like to want to touch you as much as I do?”
He cupped her cheek and kissed her softly, biting gently on her lip. When he pulled away she could feel his hot breath move to her neck and ear as he softly growled.
“You wanted it to be touch. So I’m not takin’ you until I know you’re going to feel every last touch, every last caress...” She felt his hardness when he pressed his groin into her belly.
“...Every last thrust.” She clenched her eyes when she felt his teeth once again bite into the curve of her neck, marking her.
When he lifted his head and looked back at her, his eyes blazed into hers. She cleared her throat. “You have more patience than I do, then.”
He smiled. “That’s because I have my eye on the ball.”
She returned his smile slyly. “And because you’re in love with me.”
He quirked a grin. “Yeah. That too.” He kissed her again.
XXX
Class One – Passives: Mutations wherein the individual’s body has physically altered in some way -- internally or externally -- that renders the individual more capable of surviving hostile environments.
Class Two – Defensives: Mutations that provide protection to an individual’s physical or mental well-being through physical or internal manifestations.
Class Three – Aggressives: Mutations that permit physical changes in the surrounding environment by way of either intentional or unintentional action.
Class Four – Strategics: Mutations that allow individuals to effectively change their surrounding environment with differentiation in levels and forms of use.
Class Five – Intrusives: Mutations that can control, with obsessive characteristics, their physical and mental surroundings.
Marie stared at the large screen at the front of the mansion’s conference room and shifted uncomfortably.
Storm had requested that Dr. MacTaggert give a two hour lecture to the entire team. Although a geneticist by training, Moira had a broader understanding of mutant affairs. Storm decided that they all needed to become better acquainted with the science underlying mutations.
Marie sat between Logan and Kitty, but the large oval table made it difficult to hide any embarrassment she might be feeling at the moment. This was unnerving for her.
“...As you may already know...” Moira continued, daintily pushing at her glasses with her fingers, “...the scientific community has broken up the different classifications of mutations. There are several reasons for this. First, genetically, the mutant gene is very volatile. It manifests in countless ways. Sometimes the resulting mutation can be so insignificant a person may go their entire lives without realizing they carry the gene. At other times it may create such a strong physical manifestation as to be startling.” She smiled kindly at Hank. “This in no way affects the humanity of the individual, only appearances.”
She cleared her throat. “Second, as regards any treatment or special requirements an individual may need, it's important to be able to classify severity in each case.” She went on before anyone could protest. “Before you jump to conclusions, no, this is not an attempt to declare or even insinuate that mutation is a disease, but rather a physical difference that might require assistance in dealing with its outcomes emotionally and physically.”
Jubilee bristled. “That sure sounds like a disease. Why would we need special assistance? It's not a learning disability, Moira.”
The doctor turned to her, her eyes kind. “No. Jubilation, it's not. But that doesn't mean that there are not individuals out there who need modifications to access community or educational environments.”
“They give modifications to Special Ed. students though,” Bobby groused.
Moira sighed patiently. “Yes, but it's no different than a left-handed student needing a different set of scissors in elementary school. Or a different desk in high school. These things that make us different, make us individuals....unique, they don't always work out so well in a society not prepared for it.”
Hank nodded. “That's what the firm Moira works for is trying to accomplish. They want to better educate society.”
Moira continued. “There are tests available now, I'm sure you've heard, that allow us to tell us not only if a person carries the mutant gene, but also their classification. There have been so many advances recent advances in genomics.”
She switched the screen and came to a picture of the a gene readout for a 'patient Q'. “This individual carries the mutant gene.” She pointed to the mutation. “From the test you see, we can determine that this mutation is a Class Three.”
She clicked to the next slide. “While we haven't yet been able to create or delete the gene, we are learning more and more every day. For example, this slide shows a close up...there...of an individual with varying creases. This manifests itself ninety-eight percent of the time as multiple mutations.”
“Huh?” Kitty asked.
Hank stepped in. “An example would be Logan, Kitty. He regenerates and is a feral.”
Marie sat, mouth gaping slightly. She was glued to the screen and Moira's every word. “So...can you tell what a mutation will be?”
Moira sighed. “Not as of yet. And probably, we'll never be able to tell. The possibilities are limitless. But...” she turned with a smile. “We can better educate those most in need. Parents, for example, dealing with the shock and confusion that occurs when a child manifests.”
Angel quietly asked, “Could they not test earlier, so that parents can prepare?”
Moira tensed. “We don't really want that. It's a slippery slope.”
“Why not?” Jubes.
“Well, it brings up a number of ethical dilemmas.” She pushed at her glasses again. “If we start offering the tests to parents of young children, we have no way to control what happens. What if the parents don't want a child with the mutant genes? We'd see an increase in child abandonment.”
Jubes turned red. “Better they don't remember the jerks than find out when it’s too late.”
Marie grimaced sympathetically. Jubes’s foster parents hadn't taken her mutation all that much better than her parents had. She hadn't been physically assaulted, but she had found herself sleeping in the mall parking lot the next day.
“I understand...” Moira replied, “...that there are different situations for every individual. But think of it this way. If we offer the test to young children, what's to stop parents from requesting the test through amniocentesis? If they have negative feelings towards a mutant child, we run the risk of elective abortions. We don't want that.”
Jubes grumbled and sank into her chair, arms crossed petulantly.
“How's the classification system work without all the gene shit?”
Marie looked to her side. She would never have expected Logan to ask any questions, but he was looking at the screen with deep concentration and interest. “Those are some fancy-ass words,” he continued. “But what's it mean to a random guy walking on the street? What's it mean to us?”
When Marie looked around, she discovered just about everyone in the room was as surprised as she was.
“I'm so glad you asked that, Logan.” Moira smiled brightly. “As teachers and former students of a school specifically for the education of children with mutations, it would serve us well to be able to accurately describe the science behind the whole mutant gene. As I said earlier, parents who want the best for their children will want to be better educated.”
Storm chimed in. “We find ourselves on missions all the time to go and find the runaways and cast-outs. They're just children and young adults. They're confused and frightened. We need to be able to tell them what's going on with their bodies and what they can expect.”
“With a list like that?” Logan pointed to the screen which was now set back to the Class definitions. “What the hell are you gonna tell a kid who doesn't understand jack to begin with? Can anyone here look at that and put it laymen's terms?”
Moira smiled. “I'll be happy to go through them with you.”
“Please, do.” Storm responded.
Moira cleared her throat. “Well...” She looked at the screen. “The first thing we all have to understand is that these are general guidelines. We've found that there is a lot of gray area. But we'll get to that shortly. Class One or Passive individuals are pretty self-explanatory. Their mutations manifest in ways they in no way control. A man, for example, who has reptilian skin, making him much more resistant to high temperatures. A useful mutation in many cases, but otherwise completely benign in nature. In short, it doesn't do anything else.” She looked around to see if everyone understood.
“Class Twos or Defensives are more active mutation. Healers, Regenerators, Teleporters, Shapeshifters...all these mutations fall under this category.”
“So wait...” Bobby interjected. “Logan's a Class Two?” He smiled a bit too much for Marie’s taste.
“Well...no,” Moira stumbled. “This is where we start to encounter those gray areas. Logan carries multiple mutations. In such cases, the individual is classified under the most potent manifestation.”
“Oh.” Bobby’s happiness deflated and he shrugged.
Marie peeked over at Logan and noticed him smirking. Was there no end to the surprises?
Moira continued. “Defensives have active mutations but they are...well...defensive in nature. Changing one's shape, teleporting from one location to another, healing quickly...they all serve as a defense mechanism. They are also the largest group of classification -- the most commonly occurring mutation type.”
“Class Threes are known as Aggressives. These mutations require action and are offensive in nature. Back to Bobby's question, Logan's healing, his heightened senses, they are Class Two manifestations. But his claws, and feral instincts are Class Three. Wolverine is a hunter, pure and simple.”
Rogue looked over at him. He looked smug! Of course, anyone being described in those words had reason to be proud. For goodness sakes, those words made her shiver in erotic ways. She tried to take a deep breath but couldn't help the overwhelming arousal that was taking hold.
She noticed his head snap over in her direction. She refused to look at him, bringing her hand up to shield her crimsoning face from his view. Damnit. She just knew he was smellin' that all over her.
“Something wrong, Rogue?”
She jerked her head around to look at Moira, who looked a bit concerned. “Huh?”
“You’re all flushed. You’re not feeling ill, are you?”
Oh, God. “Um, no. Just, it’s a bit stuffy in here, don’t you think?” She would not look at Logan. She would not look at Logan. She would not look...
Logan’s low voice rumbled suggestively at her side. “You do look...hot, darlin’.” She couldn’t help it -- her eyes snapped to his, and the smoldering look in his hazel eyes bumped her temperature up another notch.
“The thermostat’s set to 72.” Bobby helpfully contributed.
“Then take it down to 68,” she snapped.
She heard Logan let out a snort. Damn. The man had the nerve to look downright pleased with himself. She’d get him back for this.
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Author's Chapter Notes:
This was a really fun chapter to write. It's a bit lengthy (which I'm sure no one will object to) and complicated. So keep up if you can! LOL. Enjoy!
Chapter End Notes:
BETA'd by the fantastic doctorg! Hope you enjoy it! Review...pleeeeease!