Disclaimers: I don't own the X Men. I'm just playing with the for a while. I'll return them in time for dinner.
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Chapter 1
Dust and exhaust clouded the air as he climbed out of the truck in front of the diner. Nothing changes, he thought. The diner he stood in front of was familiar to him. Good food, strong coffee and most important, no nosy people. He could get a meal in peace here. That's why he came.
A soft tinkle of a bell sounded in the diner as he opened the door. The odor of good food billowed out of the door. Steak and eggs sounded good. And coffee … lots of coffee.
"Logan," a cry came from the counter. "When did you get back?"
A tall female figure flew from the center of the room and latched onto his neck, cutting off his air. The scent of French fries followed her.
"Nancy, darlin," he gasped out. "I can't breathe."
She let him go, embarrassed. "Sorry Logan, it's been too long. Sit down. I'll get you some coffee and a menu."
He made his way to a table in the back of the diner. Nancy had tried to make the place look a little more upscale by adding white table clothes to the decor. It was still a diner. Nothing would change that fact. His usual table in the back of the room was taken. It had a clear view of the door and most of the diner. Growling, he sat at the next table.
She placed a cup of coffee and the promised menu in front of him. "So, how long are you staying this time?"
"Don't know yet, darlin." he replied. "I needed to take some time off."
She looked at him closely. Sadness was reflected in his eyes. Too much death, too much pain, too many lost friends.
"Oh Logan" she said quietly. "You've been through so much. I'm here if you need me."
She reached down and squeezed his hand. She had known Logan for a long time and knew that he wouldn't call her. She looked down at the top of his head and sighed. She left him to look the menu over.
It hadn't changed. He looked at the menu, deciding on his meal. He wasn't paying that much attention to the card in his hand. A new odor reached his nose. A very familiar scent: fear.
Glancing around, he tried to isolate the source. It wasn't strong but it was definitely fear. He knew most of the people in the diner. He'd owned a cabin ten miles from here for almost five years. The small town nearby was like most other small towns. Everyone knew everyone else. There was only one stranger in the place. She was almost an elf. Tiny, round face surrounded by red waves. She wasn't beautiful, she was stunning. The fear was coming from her. She hid it well. If it wasn't for his nose, he would swear she was unconcerned about what was going on around her.
Nancy returned to take his order and refill his coffee. He ordered a New York strip, rare and three eggs over easy. That should hold him until morning.
His attention returned to the beauty at the next table. She was reading a book, looking for all the world like she was totally engrossed in the story. Her eyes, however, gave her away. They never stopped for long on the page. She sipped her coffee, closing the book.
Nancy placed a plate in front of him and he began to eat. The scent of fear kept his alertness high. He found himself doing the same thing she was doing, scanning the room repeatedly.
Stop, he told himself. You're being paranoid.
Suddenly, the scent changed. It wasn't fear anymore, it was terror. It was so powerful, it made him nauseous. He felt something brush by his ankle. The combination of scent and touch was nearly enough to jump up and attack. He looked around to see what the threat was. Two men were coming through the door. They were threat enough. Well fitting, expensive suits that covered well used, expensive guns. Shit, he thought.
He glanced back at the table behind him. Empty. The girl was gone.
The two pairs of eyes glared around the diner, looking at everyone. One man passed by Logan's' table on the way to the restrooms in the back. The other went to the counter to talk to Nancy. She shook her head at the questions he asked. The one in the front was relaxed and not likely to cause trouble. The one in the back, however, radiated anger like a beacon. He slammed open the ladies room door and walked in.
"Hey" Nancy called, "You're not allowed in there."
"Shut-up bitch" he growled. "I'll look where I need to."
Logan made to get up and confront the goon when he felt a tug on his jeans.
"Don't" the whispered plea floated up to him from under the table.
Logan growled as the second man passed by the table. He marked the man's face in his leaky memory. Payback's a bitch, bub. I'll find you later. He glared at the back of both men as they left the diner, promising himself that he would deal with them later.
She had never been so frightened. They never got this close before. Four days without sleep had made her stupid and slow. She had been surviving on coffee, carbohydrates and adrenaline. She dove under the first table she came to when she saw them outside. She had seen the man at the table when he came in. The waitress knew him very well, so he was a local. That made him safer than a trucker or other transient. She sat now, on the floor under the table, trembling with fear. She couldn't stay now. She would have to flee to protect these people She heard the men leave and made to get off the floor. A rough hand landed on the top of her head, holding her down.
"Stay down, girl," he whispered in a rough voice. "They're still outside."
The trembling lessened with the touch. She didn't know what it was with this man but she knew he wouldn't hurt her. How she knew that, she couldn't say but she knew.
"How many are after ya, girl?"
He knew, she thought.
"Come on, girl. I don't have all day," he growled
"Four," she whispered.
"Feds," he asked?
"No"
"OK. When I say, get up and head for the back door through the kitchens. Stay in front of me and don't look back. Don't let your coat flap. I'll get you out. Try to tone down yer fear. The scent is turnin' my stomach."
She waited a tense few minutes while he ate his meal. She tried to control her fear with limited success. He finished his dinner and got up.
"Come on, girl," he said in a low voice. "Get in front and lets get out of here."
She scrambled out from under the table and took a position in front of him. He dropped a bill on the table to pay for his food.
"Let's go." He placed a hand on the small of her back and lightly pushed her forward.
They quickly left the diner and headed out to the alley behind the building.
"Head for the trees."
They were quickly swallowed up by the trees as the entered the forest. A clearing opened up about on hundred yards from the road.
"Stay here," he told her. "I'm going to get the Jeep and come back for you."
With this, he disappeared into the darkness. It didn't take him long to retrieve his car and return to the clearing, only to find her gone.
"Damn it," he growled. "I told you to stay here."
He sniffed the air, turning in a circle.
There you are, he thought. Been running a while. Her body odor told him she hadn't bathed in days. The ground showed little of her passing. If it weren't for his senses, he wouldn't know where she had gone.
Yer good, darlin, he thought, but not that good.
Her scent trail was easy to follow. It took him ten minutes to find her. She jumped as her came up behind her.
"I told you to stay put."
She whirled around and faced him with her fists out, balanced on the balls of her feet.
"Don't make me laugh, girl."
"It's not a joke," she replied. "I've had twenty years of Tai Kwan Do. I can take care of myself."
"I can see that. But it won't help you here. Not enough room to maneuver."
She glanced around. They were hemmed in by trees. He was right. There was no room. She could get one , maybe two good blows, then she was trapped. He could kill her easily and no one would ever find her body. The fear returned with a rush.
"Now you see it, eh. I'm not going to hurt you, girl. I aim to help you."
"How do I know you're not with them?"
"Ya don't," he said simply. "Yer gonna have to trust someone eventually."
"I've been doing OK." she said, defensively.
"Sure ya have."
He looked at her closely.
"How long has it been since ya slept," he asked quietly. "A few days, a week?"
"Four days," she said quietly. "I'll be OK for another day."
"Under normal stress, maybe, but this is ain't normal stress, girl."
She had to give him that but could she trust him. She'd been used to keeping her thoughts to herself and protecting herself that giving up that control was hard. He was right, though. She needed to trust someone. But was he the one to trust?
"I'll do everything I can to get you outta this."
"You can't," she said, defeated. "I don't have an out."
The sound of voices reached his ears. "Lets go, darlin. We have company commin' and I don't feel much like entertainin' tonight."
She hesitated. "I have a place in the woods," he explained. "No one visits cause it's so hard to find. You'll be safe there for a while."
"I don't want to involve anyone else," she said. "People die because of me." She hoped he would pause at what she said. She would rather leave him alive but clueless about her problems.
"Don't worry about me, girl," he told her. "I'm hard to kill."
She looked at him as if he'd lost his mind.
"Come on, kid. Let's go."
She was still unsure if she should trust him, but he was right. She needed to start trusting someone. She decided to give him limited trust and go with him.
The took the long route back to the Jeep, passing within yards of her pursuers. She was amazed that they didn't see them. Logan was very good in the woods, better than her. It was as if he could sense them from a distance. What was it about him that made her look to him for help?
The drive to the cabin was silent. Both were busy with their own thoughts. Logan noticed that her fear was less, but not gone. She didn't trust him. That was OK. He didn't trust her, either. He knew why he was helping her; he was a sucker for a beaten dog. He couldn't help himself. She needed as much help as she could get.
He looked at her out of the corners of his eyes. She couldn't be more than twenty five. Few people had his healing factor to keep them young looking. She was tiny; not much over five feet tall. She was swathed in layers of clothing in a vain attempt to stay warm in the early winter weather.
The cabin was as far from civilization as you could get and still be on the planet. It was small, but cozy. Two rooms, a latrine out back. Logan had built it many years ago. Every time he needed to recharge his batteries, this is where he came. Even when he was recovering from the rages he was subject to, he always knew where this place was. It was a part of him that he never forgot, no matter how bad it got. It was here he came to recover his humanity after the rage took over. This was the first time he had ever shared this part of him. He still wasn't comfortable with it.
"Come on," he told her. " let's get you inside and into bed."
She trudged in without seeing where she was going. She was too tired to care. The drive to the cabin had lulled her into a stupor. She felt his hands on her shoulders, guiding her to the bedroom. He sat her down on the bed and removed her shoes.
"You know how to use a gun?" he asked.
She looked up at him and attempted to focus.
"Stay with me, girl. Do ya know how to use a gun?"
She nodded, focusing on his face.
H placed the gun on the table next to the bed. "I'll check you out on it when you wake up. Go to sleep now."
She toppled over onto the pillow and fell asleep. He tucked the quilt around her, turned the wick down on the lamp, and left the room.
This would complicate things. His last mission had left him with large holes in his memories that needed filling. He had come here to try to find the lost parts of himself. Now he had to baby sit a little girl who had some big goons after her. Who the hell was she? Why were these guys after her? Why should he care?
Questions. Always questions. Grabbing a pillow off the couch, he made a bed on the flood in front of the fire. Questions tonight. Answers tomorrow. With that, he lay down to sleep.
The next morning, he woke to the smell of coffee. Confused, he looked around through slitted eyes. Oh, yeah, he thought, the girl.
Stretching, he got up off the floor. A cup of coffee appeared before his bleary eyes.
"Good morning," a soft voice said. " wasn't sure when you'd wake so the coffee may be a little strong."
He took a cautious sip. Strong, but not bitter. Just the way he liked it.
"Good." he said, taking a longer sip.
"Breakfast will be a little while," she said. "You might want to clean up a little before we eat. I hope you like hot cakes."
"They'll do," he said getting up off the floor. He realized that some women need domestic chores to regain their balance. She was probably one of them.
Grabbing a towel from the cupboard, he left the cabin and went to the river to bathe. He was still recovering from the last mission he was on. His healing factor was dealing with the severe injuries he sustained in the conflict. Later today, he would be back to normal except for his memory. That, generally took a little longer.
Every time his rage exploded, the animal part of him took over. And every time this happened, large holes appeared in his memories. The longer the rage lasted, the larger the holes. The larger the holes, the longer it took for him to recover the memories. Some never came back. Portions of the past will forever remain a mystery to him, no matter how long he waited. The holes this time weren't big. He should be fine in a few days but he really needed time to himself. Several teammates had been hurt in the last battle and he felt guilty for failing to protect them. In the last few days at the mansion, he had become very difficult to live with. Cyclops had finally had enough and ordered him off the grounds to regain his temper, or as Cyke called it, his "Balance".
He bathed in the icy stream. This would become uncomfortable as the weather got colder. He would have to set up something in the cabin for the winter if he was to remain here. It wouldn't cause any permanent damage to him but it sure would be painful. He was not afraid of pain, but he wasn't a big fan either.
He finished quickly and returned to the cabin. The scent of bacon and hot cakes. His stomach gurgled in response. He hadn't realized how hungry he was. He found the girl dishing up breakfast for them.
He sat down at the table with his coffee and she placed a plate in front of him.
"Eat up," she said.
He sniffed the plate. He was immune to poison but it could be very painful if the food was poisoned. His senses didn't detect anything and she wasn't smelling of duplicity, so he ate.
They passed the meal in silence. She still smelled nervous.
As they finished, he made a decision.
"I can't keep callin you girl. What's yer name?"
"Kate," she said without looking at him. "Kate Dempsey."
"Logan," he said.
"I know."
"What are you running from?"
She didn't answer.
"I can help, Kate."
"You will die, like everyone else who tried to help."
"I'm very hard to kill, darlin."
She looked over at him. He wasn't tall, but he was powerfully built. His hair was swept back away from his face in two peaks. His sideburns were long and shaggy, framing his face. His eyes were what held her. They were old. Older than they should be. He had seen much and that was reflected in his eyes. He was a warrior, born and bred. That thought was both comforting and frightening. What was held in her mind could ignite a was that would destroy everything. She was afraid of what this man could do in that war.
The scent of fear was increasing.
What the hell was going on here? He thought. What has frightened her now?
The more she thought, the more afraid she became. Her thoughts were stuck in a terrifying loop of war and destruction. She was no longer aware of Logan of the cabin. The visions swarmed around like an angry storm.
The odor of terror filled the air. Logan gritted his teeth against the instinct to fight. He grabbed her shoulders and shook her.
"Stop," he cried. "Yer broadcasting."
Her eyes cleared and she became aware of her surroundings again. She looked at him and paled.
"Oh God," she whimpered. "I so sorry, Logan."
He struggled to control himself. He needed to get out of here before he lost it.
"I need to leave. Air out the cabin and I'll be OK."
With that, he bolted.