'The first time ever I saw your face.'
Logan opened his eyes to the sound of a familiar song. Of course, he couldn't place its name. It had been so long since he'd heard music, so long since he'd felt the warmth of the bed he was in, and so long since he had felt the warmth of another person wrapped around his body the way this woman in the bed was. He emerged from the bed and glanced out of the window, stifling a gasp and instead muttering a 'holy shit.' The world was as it had been before. He wished more than anything that he could just stay in this time, cherish the human contact, the wonderful atmosphere in the world outside and wished beyond hope to just start everything over the way it was. But this was a mission, and Logan had Charles Xavier and Erik Lehnsherr to find.
Upon arriving to the house, he instantly knew that there would be a lost man within the walls. He could tell by the way the weeds had overgrown and the way it had not been dealt with the same care that the professor he knew dealt it with. He pictured the way it used to look. He pictured the children outside reading and playing sport, he pictured Rogue and Iceman sitting on a bench, trying to have as much contact without touching each other that they possibly could. He pictured Jean, but he pictured her alongside Scott rather than himself. Because that's how it always was, it was always Scott, he was always going to be her choice. He was the good pictured the professor in his study, reading and yet still listening to the sound of his students.
Logan then pictured Storm. He pictured her in a number of places. Teaching her students, eating during the lunch breaks, helping him on missions, he could picture the way she was before the war. Happy, always so care-free and always smiling. Even when in distress or during the hard times, she would always try to find way to make everyone feel that much better. She was one of the few people he knew who could accept everyone for who they were, she may not forgive easily, but she was accepting. That's one of the many things he loved about Storm. Her acceptance of Logan. Of what he was, of what he'd done in his past, who he had once been. He shook the pictures out of his head and walked on. He couldn't focus too much on sentiment and friendship, he was here to make things right. Only when that happened could he go back to where he was and see Storm for who she had once been. And maybe, she could see him for so much more than he was. Not just a mutant, not just an ally, and not even just a friend. How he wanted to be more to her, because she was so much more to him. But not now, he couldn't think of that now.
Upon meeting Charles the way he had, Logan knew that Charles held a similar sort of sentiment, in the way he spoke about everyone. He, like Logan, pictured people in the school, happy and alive the way they should still be. He could see the hurt, the affection that Charles held for Mystique and the way that he spoke about her, the way only a brother and a best friend could speak about a person. He truly did love her, but she wasn't the sole point of his affections. There was also Erik. Logan had known they were friends earlier on in life, but the way Charles would look whenever he spoke about him was different. He would have fury and hate in his voice, but his eyes held hope. Hope that he could make Erik a better person, hope to make Erik see what his cause is doing. He also had hope to have his old friend back.
Logan had seen the way Charles and Erik had worked and fought together during the war, as if being together was as natural to them as their own powers. He felt, all of a sudden, that this mission shouldn't just be about stopping Mystique from killing Trask, but he felt he should also create a better future for Erik and Charles. A life and future where they can stay side by side, friends and allies. He knew how much they meant each other, seeing them risk their lives for one another although and seeing the way they were with each other, though here in 1973, it looked like it may take some time to get them on each other's side once again.
"Charles?" Erik had said, clearly surprised to see him here, in the pentagon, helping to break him out. Erik barely noted the presence of Logan, and had even forgotten about the presence of the Maximoff kid. Logan could tell that Erik did not know what to do, however Charles did and before anyone could even blink he had punched Erik in the jaw.
"Good to see you too, old friend." Erik said, and even though it sounded sarcastic, Logan could see the truth behind what he had said. Erik truly was glad to see his old friend again.
'Great,' Logan thought, 'that did not at all go disastrously.' Him, Charles and Hank were back in the mansion after coming back from a failed mission, no, not even a mission, a failed rescue. They had been so close, and Erik allowed her to get away. Even though all seemed well, Logan couldn't help but think that it was all over. Logan gave up hope in thinking that he could ever save the future now that they didn't know where Erik or Mystique were. No, he told himself, don't give up. Think of all you're letting go.
Think of everyone back where he came from. He told himself to think of Kitty, who is so selflessly putting herself in harm's way just to make sure he stays in the past. Think of Iceman, a boy who has already lost so much and does not deserve to lose even more. Think of Colossus, a man who had been so brave and fought through many battles with them before. Think of Charles and Erik, two men who even though had already lived long lives still deserved to carry on living. Think of all the new mutants he had met, Blink, Warpath, Sunspot and Bishop.
And lastly, think of Storm. She would no doubt be out there with them, protecting them, putting herself on the front line. He knew he couldn't protect her, and she didn't need his protection, but he wanted to be there with her. She was one of the only people he wanted by his side throughout this war, both because they fought and survived so well together, but also because of all she means to him. He could not bear to let her go. He chose not to dwell on this thought too much, after all, he needed to keep peaceful thoughts.
Logan bent down towards Charles' wheelchair, knowing who the only person was to convince Charles was Charles himself.
"Look into my mind." He said in a confident voice, showing Charles that he was not afraid to have him inside his head.
"You saw what I did to cerebro. You don't want me inside your head." Charles said desperately, looking directly at Logan, making his point.
"There's no damage you could do that hasn't already been done, trust me." Logan's mind briefly turned to Jean and the pain it had caused him to lose her, to love her. He tried to put that thought at the very back of his mind, trying to forget. But Charles had already lifted his hand to Logan's head and seen her. He had seen Logan transforming into the beast he was in the future, he had seen when he first met Jean, and had further seen Jean for what she became, and saw Logan kill her. Logan flinched at the memories that flooded both his and Charles' mind. He wanted nothing more than to put Jean back at the back of his mind.
"You poor, poor man." Charles uttered, clearly wanting no more.
"Look past me."
"No, I don't want your suffering, I don't want your future!" He shouted, keeping his hands where they were.
"Look past my future, look for your future." And Logan pushed everything forward and guided it to Charles with ease.
They were in Washington DC, looking for Mystique. Logan really could not stand her power, she was so easily concealed. Then a thought crossed his mind. Was Charles also looking for Erik? He was taking a while finding her, maybe he was finding more than one mutant. Trying to find both her and Erik.
These people were here to witness the sentinel programme, to applaud these machines which someday would kill so many of both mutant and human kind alike. How much he himself wanted to kill Trask for what he has done, but he knew he could not. That was not going to solve any of the problems, or the judgments, for mutants. Soon the sentinels were unveiled and his mind flashed with so many visions and memories of him seeing people die because of these things.
He thought of the X-Men, the students he had watched grow up. He then thought of Storm. Was she alive at this very moment years from now? Was she still fighting? He thought of her face, he thought of how she had a little moment of happiness after seeing Bobby and Kitty still alive. He longed to see her smile the way she had then. His mind came back to where they were now when Charles pointed out Mystique to him and Hank. Show time.
Erik was forcing and twisting the metal deep into Logan's skin. This was worse than when his bones were made of ademantium. At least then he was being controlled, whereas now…now he could feel metal twisting into him, sealing itself into him. Logan stretched his mind out to Charles as far as he could, shouting in his mind for Charles to give Erik a chance to become better.
'Tell him what it will do to you, Charles! I've seen your pain in the future, what it is like for him to not be there by your side! Don't let him go. Don't lose him like I lost Jean or the others. Find him, Charles!' he grimaced and let out a shout of agony.
'I am so sorry, Logan,' he heard a voice in his mind. Charles' voice. 'I will try. Only if you try, my friend. If this works, in the future do not go after Jean, if she is still alive. I saw it in your mind, you know she would not choose you. But I know who will choose you, Logan.' Logan's mind could not focus on anything but Charles' words and the pain.
"So much for being a survivor." Erik said, and then pushed the metal away, taking Logan with it. Taking a last look at Erik, Logan hoped it wasn't too late to not only save the future, but to also to save them. To save Charles, Erik and Mystique.
He felt the water envelope him, and could feel his inside fill up with water. He tried to fight against it. He couldn't die now. He mustn't die now. He thought of what Charles had told him. He then thought of Storm. Is that who he meant? Is that who will choose him? The last thing Logan saw was the sun glazing upon the surface of the water above him, and his last thought before the darkness was Storm, and he thought of how much he loved and missed her in that very. Then the darkness encased him.
'The first time ever I saw your face.'
Logan opened his eyes to the sound of a familiar song. Of course, he still couldn't place its name. He looked at his surroundings. He recognized the walls, the shape and size of the room. He felt sunlight beaming through the windows. Suddenly, a noise sounded from outside the door, which sounded very much like laughter. Children. He opened his door and saw children carrying books and bags through long hallways. Yes, he definitely recognized where he was. Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters. He saw Hank walk past him,
"Morning, Logan. Early start." And he chuckled at his own little joke.
Logan looked to his left and the breath was almost taken form him upon seeing a very much alive Rogue emerge from her own room, holding Bobby's hand, and looking briefly at Logan with a smile. He could not bring himself to smile back, for he was still in shock. He walked more around the building, seeing both familiar faces, like Kitty and Colossus, and unfamiliar faces of students. He walked down the stairs and saw a sight that he could have sworn literally did take his very breath away.
"Storm." He uttered, staring at the white haired mutant before him, who was helping some students and had not noticed him walking down the stairs. 'Would she really choose me?' he thought. Because he knew that, looking at her now, happy and being her usual helpful self, he knew that he had chosen her.
He looked at the professor's office and saw the back of a familiar looking person. A woman, red-headed and slim, standing against the doorway looking in the office.
"Jean." He said, in shock to see that she really was alive, that nothing in Alkali Lake ever happened, and that the war with the brotherhood had never happened.
"Hey Logan." She said, turning to him with a smile on her face. She looked exactly the same as she had years ago. Or, what had been to him, years ago.
"Jean." He repeated,
"You okay?"
"You're here." He replied, still in shock,
"Where else would I be?" she questioned, looking at him worriedly and yet with amusement at the same time. He reached out to her, making sure she wasn't some sort of figment of his imagination. Suddenly a hand reached to stop his own.
"Whoa." The owner of the hand said. Scott. "Easy pal." It was Scott. Logan could not contain his belief, Scott and Jean were here. Alive. They were both alive.
"Well some things never change. Good to see you, Scott." He said, putting his hand on his shoulder in a friendly gesture. It really was good to see him.
"Uh-huh…" Scott said back, unamused and confused at why Logan was acting the way he was. "See you later, Jean." He walked out of the office. Logan looked in.
"Professor." He stated.
"Logan, is everything all right?" Jean asked. Logan thought of Storm, thought of Mystique, and the past.
"Yeah." He answered, because it was. Everything really was all right.
He spoke with the professor, and knew that, judging by the fact that everyone was alive and nothing had every truly happened, Charles had listened to him. He had managed to find Erik. He had also managed to save him. Logan wondered where Erik was now. Probably with Mystique. No matter what time stream Logan was in, he knew that they would always find each other. Magneto and Mystique, two of them against the world. Although, in this time line, it looked like they were less against the world than before.
"What's the last thing you remember?" Charles asked, gleefully fascinated and curious. Logan wanted to say Storm, wanted to say how she had been the last and only thing on his mind before he woke up. But he knew that it wasn't that useful, so he tried remembering where he was when thinking of Storm. In a river. Filled with metal. Glaring up at the sun through the surface of the water. That's what he remembered.
"Drowning." He answered. But, for once in his life, he did not wish to know about his past. He did not wish to fill the hole that had been emptied. He also did not wish to know what Striker did to him. He learnt that these things are all in the past. And once again, his mind went to Storm, and the professor saw that and nodded enthusiastically at Logan. He was right. Charles was always right. Logan will choose Storm. And Storm will choose Logan.
"Oh, and Logan?" Charles said before Logan went to leave his office.
"Yeah?"
"The song is called 'The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face.'" He said, going back to his desk. Logan chuckled and walked along, heading to the History class he had to teach.