I don't own the X-Men, I did however make up Alexandria Munroe.
This is a story that's connected with my other X-Men stories, only this one takes place three years or so before "The Past Revisited". So it happens before Logan's "death" in that story. It's also a story that was created around a song, "Streets of Heaven" by Sherrie Austin. This is my first song fic.
The lights in the room were dim but that didn't do a very good job at hiding the stark white, sterile ness of the place, and it only seemed to make the soft beeping of the medical equipment sound ten times louder. The only movement in the room was that of a large slightly hairy hand with warm skin as it gently moved over a tiny arm. The soft touch calmed the tiny being who laid on the bed trying to fight the drug that would help her sleep, while the other drugs tried to make her better.
Logan sat alone next to his daughter's med-lab bed with an unusually soft expressing on his weathered face. The illness had hit suddenly and Hank wasn't having any luck in finding out what it was. All the large furry blue doctor could tell Logan and Ororo was that it wasn't the Legacy virus, which had taken a very small amount of worry off their tired shoulders.
That had been a week ago, and the small child who's hand Logan now held in his much larger hand, was only getting worse. Hank had tried everything he could think of and had promised not to rest until he'd found out what was making Alexandria so sick so he could make her better. Logan had offered to give the kid some of his blood and Hank had agreed. They were hoping beyond hope that Logan's healing factor would kick in and cure whatever it was that was making his little girl so sick. He didn't know what else to do for her.
He brushed some of her long white hair from her forhead and marveled once again at how much she looked like her mother. Logan took in a deep breath as he looked up from his daughter's sleeping face to the small window across the room. He listened carefully, and sniffed the air to make sure they were alone. He'd sent Ororo up to their attic apartment to get some sleep while he sat with their daughter and while Jean took care of Logan Jr.
Once Logan was sure no one could hear him he started speaking in a hushed, growl of a voice.
"Hello God, it's me again, two a.m. room three oh four. Visitin' hours are over. Time for our bedside tug o' war. This sleepin' child between us may not make it through the night. I'm fightin' back the tears, as she fights for her life." Logan looked down into the pale face of his little girl as he went on.
"Well, it must be kind of crowded on the streets of heaven, so tell me, what do you need her for? Don't you know one day she'll be your little girl forever, but right now I need her so much more. She's much to young to be on her own, barely just turn seven. So who will hold her hand when she crosses the streets of heaven."
Alexandria scrunched her nose a little which normally meant she was in some kind of pain. Pain that Logan could feel tearing at his own heart. The rough and tough Wolverine wasn't so rough and tough when it came to his family, and as the thought of losing his little girl crept into his mind, he could feel himself becoming angry.
"Tell me God, do you remember the wishes that she made when she blew out the candles on her last birthday cake. She wants to ride a Harley when she's big enough, she wants to marry her daddy when she's all grown up." Logan's voice cracked and he could feel his throat begin to tighten. He paused a moment to get himself in check.
His voice became softer and he could no longer keep the tears out of his eyes. A single tear rolled down his face as he looked back towards the window. The sun was coming up. "Lord don't you know she's my angel, you've got plenty of your own. And I know you hold a place for her, but she's already got a home. Well, I don't know if your listenin' but prayin's all that's left to do, so I ask you Lord have mercy, you lost a son once too."
"It must be kind of crowded on the streets of heaven, so tell me what do you need her for? Don't you know one day she'll be your little girl forever but right now I need her so much more."
Days without sleep and days of holding back raw emotions were starting to wear on the seasoned warrior. He'd had this conversation with whoever was out there listening every night since Alexandria was brought in. He was starting to think that if there was a God out there he must not listen to or have the time for mutants.
"Lord I know once you've made up you mind there's no use in beggin', so if you take her with you today, will you make sure she looks both ways, and would you hold her hand when she crosses the streets of heaven."
The morning sun came though the small med-lab window in one long strip of light that ended right in the middle of Alexandria's body. Logan still sat beside the hospital bed, but he was no longer alone. Ororo had come back down as soon as she'd gotten up and then checked on the baby. She still looked tired and Logan was betting that she'd only slept maybe an hour or two.
"She looks so small and pale laying there." Ororo said softly as she adjusted the blankets.
Logan stood up and walked up behind Ororo. He put his arms around her waist and pulled her close to him. "I don't know 'Ro, there's a little more color in her cheeks."
The two parents stayed right there in their daughter's room while Hank started the second go at giving Alexandria her father's blood. Logan leaned against the wall across from the foot of the bed and listened as Ororo sang softly to their little girl. Even now with all that's happened, they were still the most beautiful creatures Logan had ever seen. Getting 'Ro and the kids had be the best thing to happen to him, but it was starting to look as if his luck had finally run out.
Ororo sighed heavily as she hung her head, her hand wrapped around Alexandria's. Logan knew without having to see her amazing face that his wife was crying. He watched her for a few long moments and then turned to look out the window. Sure enough, it was starting to rain.
As evening started to settle in the last of the X-family members had come and gone. Everyone from Rogue and Remy to the Professor himself came down once a day to check in on Alexandria. The visits both energized and drained Logan and Ororo, but they wouldn't have it any other way.
"Darlin' you really should go upstairs with Jeannie and get somethin' to eat." Logan said as he looked over at Ororo.
Ororo shook her head. "You go up, Logan. Get something to eat and play with the baby for a while. I want to sit with Alexandria a while longer."
Jean placed a hand on her best friend's shoulder and squeezed it lovingly. "Why don't both of you go up and do that, 'Ro. I'll stay with Lexie."
"I can't." Ororo said softly.
Logan and Jean exchanged worried glances and then Jean sighed. "Then how about I go and get you both some dinner and bring it down, and then I'll have Scott bring the baby down." Both Logan and Ororo nodded their OKs, and it made Jean smile a little. It was a small victory but at least it was a step towards the two of them taking care of themselves. "So what do you want to eat?"
"Chili." Answered a soft, sleep laced, little voice.
Three heads jerked up and three sets of eyes focused on the little girl in the bed. Alexandria tried to blink away the sleep in her eyes but it really didn't help, so she tried to lift her hand to rub them but there was something in her arm. "My arm hurts."
Ororo couldn't believe her eyes. Alexandria was awake and she'd just asked for chili. She didn't know wither to laugh or cry, so she did a little of both. "There's an IV in it, child, don't move it."
Alexandria looked down at her arm and followed the tube up to a bag of what looked like blood. "Gross." Ororo and Jean both laughed. Alexandria looked at them oddly and then looked over at her father. "Daddy I'm hungry will you make me some chili?"
Logan smiled big and bright. "Sure will lil' darlin' as soon as ol' Hank says you can have it."
The small girl blinked as she tried to sit up a little more. "Why does Uncle Hank have to say ok?" Then she looked around the room a little more. "Why am I here?"
Ororo sat on the side of the bed and wrapped her arms around her daughter. "You were ill, Alexandria."
Alexandria just blinked again and then said, "Oh. Am I better now? I don't feel sick."
Jean smiled down at her goddaughter with unshed tears in her eyes. "I'll go get Hank and we'll find out."
Alexandria looked at her aunt and her mother again and then asked. "Why are you and Aunt Jeannie crying, Mommy?"
Ororo hugged her daughter tighter. "You were asleep for a long time, child, and you scared us."
Looking over at her father she could see he was feeling the same as her mother. "Did I scare you to, Daddy?"
Logan nodded. "Yeap."
Alexandria frowned. "I'm sorry."
While Hank checked over Alexandria who was now sitting up completely in bed and gabbing on about wanting some chili, Ororo stood next to Logan. He had his arm around her and she was snuggled into his side, which made for an odd sight given their heights. The smile on their fuzzy blue friend's face told them that he thought Alexandria was going to be ok. They both felt a large weight lifting off their souls.
"She's still weak but it appears that Logan's blood did just what we wanted it to do." Hank said as he came over to them. "I'm still going to run some tests to see what made her sick, but she's no longer in any danger."
Ororo hugged him. "Thank you Henry." Hank smiled at his friend and then made his way over to his lab. Ororo and Logan stood there a moment longer just looking at their little girl. Then when Logan moved to head back over to her bed, Ororo pulled him back to her and kissed him. She then whispered in his ear, "He must have heard you after all my love."
Logan stood there with a dumb look on his face as he watched his smiling wife head back over to their little girl. She'd heard him, but how? He hadn't sensed her. He stood there a second longer and then shrugged. It didn't matter that she'd heard. She was right, he had been heard. Logan looked over at the small window and in a low whisper said, "Thank you."