Disclaimer: The X-Men don't belong to me in any way, shape, or form. Any other characters in this fic belong to me, and if you have a problem with that...too...damn...bad.
A/N: This isn't my usual short Logan/Jean at all, it's actually a more gritty short story than I normally write. Feedback would be greatly appreciated, and any constructive comments are welcome.
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Vengeance
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A baseball game played overhead on the t.v., unnoticed by the few patrons of the dingy bar that were either passed out drunk or getting there. All that is, except for Logan, who's healing factor made it nearly impossible for him to get intoxicated.
Finally deciding the company in the place was less than amusing, he got off his stool and tossed a ten on the bar. The gruff looking bartender nodded at him and continued cleaning off shot glasses as Logan walked out.
It was pretty late out, (or early, depending on how you look at it) at 4:45 a.m. The air was think with moisture and the dull grey rain clouds that hovered overhead. Logan took in a deep breath through his nostrils, filling his senses with smells like rain, old cigar smoke, liquor, salt, and ...blood? Wait, that wasn't right. Something was definetly wrong here.
Logan listened to the seemingly quiet morning, closing his eyes to take everything in. His sensitive hearing picked up something like a whimper or crying, mixed in with screaming? This wasn't normal screaming, he realized. It was the wail of a small child.
Logan followed the sound to an alleyway beside a dumpster where he met the youngster face to face (well, in a manner of speaking). The child was 2-3 years old, he guessed, not really having much experience with babies himself. It was a little girl, with curly brown locks, wearing nothing but pink pajamas with the feet sewn in the bottom, covered in blood?!
Logan ran over to the screaming babe, kneeling down and inspecting her for wounds as the child wailed, tears streaming down her already tear soaked face. He found no sign of injury on the child, the blood wasn't hers. It stained the feet of the pajamas as if she had been walking in it. Logan thought to bring the child to the authorities, but looking at the kid more closely, that probably wouldn't have been the best thing to do.
The little girl's eyes were slit like a cat's would be, only instead of a bright yellow or golden brown, they were blue like a new born kitten's. Besides that, she had long pointed ears and tiny, cat-like claws. She was obviously a mutant, but at such a young age? Probably born that way.
Looking past the girl, Logan saw a trail of footprints marked in the blood. If he could follow them, he could discover what happened and maybe find the child's parents. But maybe it was already too late for them. Despite Logan's itching curiosity to know what happened, he knew the child had to come first.
Logan scooped the little girl up in his arms, making sure no one was around, and tucked her into the inside of his jacket. She screamed, crying and clawing at him with needle sharp claws that cut through his shirt and broke the skin. Logan winced and tried humming softly to make her stop crying. "Shhh...c'mon kid, calm down. I ain't gonna hurt'cha." He soothed.
When Logan reached his motorcycle, he straddled the bike slowly, noticing the little girl had stopped struggling. He started up the bike, zipping his jacket halfway for a makeshift baby carrier. "Guess we'll jus' hafta make do with what we got, huh kiddo?" Logan rode off, driving carefully, en route to the x-mansion. "Cyke's prob'ly gonna lecture me on child safety fer this one." He grumbled to himself, somewhat amused at the thought of Scott freaking out seeing a baby in the arms of the Wolverine.
At just about every stop sign and street light, Logan would check the sleeping child to sure she was alright. A funny thought occured to him as it seemed that the low rumble of the motorcycle was keeping her asleep.
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Jean had been sleeping soundly, that is, until the rumble of a motorcycle and the sound of a the large door down in the foyer opening, had woken her from that peaceful slumber.
She angrily got out of bed, looking at the clock on the nightstand that read at a blindingly early 5:15 a.m. She sighed, reaching out toward the mind of the one who had just entered the mansion at such an ungodly hour. Jean had expected it to be one of the students sneaking back in from a late night of partying at the local clubs. An act that was prohibited here at the school since the curfew for the older students was eleven o'clock.
The mind she had discovered was one whom she somewhat expected, and also didn't. Jean knew that Logan had gone out earlier, but thought he'd returned much sooner. Well atleast, that's what Rogue had told her. The girl was probably just covering for him. Jean knew better than anyone how sweet Rogue was on Logan ever since he'd saved her back at the statue of liberty months ago.
When she threw on a robe and headed quietly out of her bedroom door, Jean immediately knew something was going on. She sensed great tension from Logan's mind, although it was fairly unreadable at the moment. She quickened her pace and hurried down the stairs.
Logan was standing at the bottom of the steps, huddling something inside his jacket close to his chest. His hands and jacket were almost dripping with a thick dark liquid, and as Jean got closer, she realized it was blood. "Logan..." She breathed out, not sure if he was able, or going to answer her.
Logan held the bundle in his arms closer. "Shh.." He whispered to Jean as calmly as he could.
Jean gave him an odd look, quirking an eyebrow at the buldge under his jacket. "What?" She asked back quietly, wanting to know why she had to whisper.
Logan gently unzipped his jacket part way, revealing the child in his arms. "Don't wake her."
Jean's eyes widened at the baby girl that Logan was carrying, more gently than she could ever have imagined the man capable of. "Is she?..Is that her blood?" She was in fear for the child, but Jean thought that if the baby were in any immediate danger, Logan would have been acting more frantically.
He shook his head. "She was walkin' through it. It's all over her pajamas. I think....I think this kid was there when a murder took place."
Jean let out a surprised gasp of a breath. She moved closer to Logan, gently moving his jacket to inspect the child. "Her parents?"
Logan shrugged slightly. "I dunno. I was gonna go follow the footprints the kid left behind, but..." He gestured toward the sleeping girl. "I figured this was the only safe place I could take her."
Jean also noticed the obvious mutations on the baby. She bit her lower lip as the baby began to stir when she tried prying her from Logan's arms. Jean looked at him, eyes serious and ordering. "You'll have to come with her Logan." She cocked a head toward the elevator. "Come on, let's get her to the med-lab."
Logan sighed. All he really felt like doing was either going after the murderer and checking the crime scene, or flopping down on his bed to get some sleep. Although this was unlike him, Logan had feelings for Jean and he felt obligated to protect the child now, so he dutifully obeyed, walking slowly toward the elevator.
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To be continued...
A/N: This isn't my usual short Logan/Jean at all, it's actually a more gritty short story than I normally write. Feedback would be greatly appreciated, and any constructive comments are welcome.
---------------
Vengeance
---------------
A baseball game played overhead on the t.v., unnoticed by the few patrons of the dingy bar that were either passed out drunk or getting there. All that is, except for Logan, who's healing factor made it nearly impossible for him to get intoxicated.
Finally deciding the company in the place was less than amusing, he got off his stool and tossed a ten on the bar. The gruff looking bartender nodded at him and continued cleaning off shot glasses as Logan walked out.
It was pretty late out, (or early, depending on how you look at it) at 4:45 a.m. The air was think with moisture and the dull grey rain clouds that hovered overhead. Logan took in a deep breath through his nostrils, filling his senses with smells like rain, old cigar smoke, liquor, salt, and ...blood? Wait, that wasn't right. Something was definetly wrong here.
Logan listened to the seemingly quiet morning, closing his eyes to take everything in. His sensitive hearing picked up something like a whimper or crying, mixed in with screaming? This wasn't normal screaming, he realized. It was the wail of a small child.
Logan followed the sound to an alleyway beside a dumpster where he met the youngster face to face (well, in a manner of speaking). The child was 2-3 years old, he guessed, not really having much experience with babies himself. It was a little girl, with curly brown locks, wearing nothing but pink pajamas with the feet sewn in the bottom, covered in blood?!
Logan ran over to the screaming babe, kneeling down and inspecting her for wounds as the child wailed, tears streaming down her already tear soaked face. He found no sign of injury on the child, the blood wasn't hers. It stained the feet of the pajamas as if she had been walking in it. Logan thought to bring the child to the authorities, but looking at the kid more closely, that probably wouldn't have been the best thing to do.
The little girl's eyes were slit like a cat's would be, only instead of a bright yellow or golden brown, they were blue like a new born kitten's. Besides that, she had long pointed ears and tiny, cat-like claws. She was obviously a mutant, but at such a young age? Probably born that way.
Looking past the girl, Logan saw a trail of footprints marked in the blood. If he could follow them, he could discover what happened and maybe find the child's parents. But maybe it was already too late for them. Despite Logan's itching curiosity to know what happened, he knew the child had to come first.
Logan scooped the little girl up in his arms, making sure no one was around, and tucked her into the inside of his jacket. She screamed, crying and clawing at him with needle sharp claws that cut through his shirt and broke the skin. Logan winced and tried humming softly to make her stop crying. "Shhh...c'mon kid, calm down. I ain't gonna hurt'cha." He soothed.
When Logan reached his motorcycle, he straddled the bike slowly, noticing the little girl had stopped struggling. He started up the bike, zipping his jacket halfway for a makeshift baby carrier. "Guess we'll jus' hafta make do with what we got, huh kiddo?" Logan rode off, driving carefully, en route to the x-mansion. "Cyke's prob'ly gonna lecture me on child safety fer this one." He grumbled to himself, somewhat amused at the thought of Scott freaking out seeing a baby in the arms of the Wolverine.
At just about every stop sign and street light, Logan would check the sleeping child to sure she was alright. A funny thought occured to him as it seemed that the low rumble of the motorcycle was keeping her asleep.
---------------
Jean had been sleeping soundly, that is, until the rumble of a motorcycle and the sound of a the large door down in the foyer opening, had woken her from that peaceful slumber.
She angrily got out of bed, looking at the clock on the nightstand that read at a blindingly early 5:15 a.m. She sighed, reaching out toward the mind of the one who had just entered the mansion at such an ungodly hour. Jean had expected it to be one of the students sneaking back in from a late night of partying at the local clubs. An act that was prohibited here at the school since the curfew for the older students was eleven o'clock.
The mind she had discovered was one whom she somewhat expected, and also didn't. Jean knew that Logan had gone out earlier, but thought he'd returned much sooner. Well atleast, that's what Rogue had told her. The girl was probably just covering for him. Jean knew better than anyone how sweet Rogue was on Logan ever since he'd saved her back at the statue of liberty months ago.
When she threw on a robe and headed quietly out of her bedroom door, Jean immediately knew something was going on. She sensed great tension from Logan's mind, although it was fairly unreadable at the moment. She quickened her pace and hurried down the stairs.
Logan was standing at the bottom of the steps, huddling something inside his jacket close to his chest. His hands and jacket were almost dripping with a thick dark liquid, and as Jean got closer, she realized it was blood. "Logan..." She breathed out, not sure if he was able, or going to answer her.
Logan held the bundle in his arms closer. "Shh.." He whispered to Jean as calmly as he could.
Jean gave him an odd look, quirking an eyebrow at the buldge under his jacket. "What?" She asked back quietly, wanting to know why she had to whisper.
Logan gently unzipped his jacket part way, revealing the child in his arms. "Don't wake her."
Jean's eyes widened at the baby girl that Logan was carrying, more gently than she could ever have imagined the man capable of. "Is she?..Is that her blood?" She was in fear for the child, but Jean thought that if the baby were in any immediate danger, Logan would have been acting more frantically.
He shook his head. "She was walkin' through it. It's all over her pajamas. I think....I think this kid was there when a murder took place."
Jean let out a surprised gasp of a breath. She moved closer to Logan, gently moving his jacket to inspect the child. "Her parents?"
Logan shrugged slightly. "I dunno. I was gonna go follow the footprints the kid left behind, but..." He gestured toward the sleeping girl. "I figured this was the only safe place I could take her."
Jean also noticed the obvious mutations on the baby. She bit her lower lip as the baby began to stir when she tried prying her from Logan's arms. Jean looked at him, eyes serious and ordering. "You'll have to come with her Logan." She cocked a head toward the elevator. "Come on, let's get her to the med-lab."
Logan sighed. All he really felt like doing was either going after the murderer and checking the crime scene, or flopping down on his bed to get some sleep. Although this was unlike him, Logan had feelings for Jean and he felt obligated to protect the child now, so he dutifully obeyed, walking slowly toward the elevator.
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To be continued...