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Guest Reviews:
Liss: Thank you. Glad you like it.
Guest 1: Thanks!
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Mona: Thank you so much. I'm glad you like the idea of a Logan/Liz pairing.
Guest 2: Thank you so much. And I hope that this next chapter lies up to your expectations.
CHAPTER TWO of THREE
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THEN
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Logan kicked in the wall, and the chunk of concrete fell to the ground with a loud thud. It echoed down a dark hallway that was only faintly lit with flickering lights. "The kid was right," he murmured, narrowing at the passage. It was narrow and thin, but he could make out a door in the distance.
As he stepped through the hole, Bobby gave him a look. "I'm right here," he stated, with a huff. "And I'm not a kid."
Rogue smiled at her boyfriend, and patted him on the shoulder lightly as she followed Logan into the hallway. Bobby sighed heavily, and shook his head. "No respect. I get no respect." He followed them into the hallways. He glanced over his shoulder to see large locked holding the wall in place, and securing it. Bobby then looked forward, and posed a question, "What do you think is back here?"
"Something worth hidin', I guess," Rogue shrugged, lightly.
"But this place is already hidden? What is worth hiding in a hidden place?" Bobby asked, with a tone of confusion in his voice. "I mean, is it some kind of weapon? Or something worse?"
"What's worse than a weapon?" Rogue asked.
"Can you two both be quiet?" Logan shot back, gruffly. He reached the door, and his hands wrapped around the handle. It was locked which was no great surprise. He grunted, stabbing his claws through the door and sliced around the door handle and locks. With a harsh shove, he slammed the door open and stepped into a room where there was a mattress on the floor with a little blond haired boy. A chain wrapped around his ankle, and an older woman in a silvery blue suit with a needle pointed at his neck. "Now, this is an unpleasant surprise," the older woman stated, in a put upon tone of her voice. "I had warned Stryker about his…fascination with you. That will only lead him to ruin. Such a foolish man craving a power he couldn't hope to comprehend."
Logan didn't like this woman. Not only was she obvious holding a child hostage, there was a cold soulless to the woman's eyes that immediately put him on edge. "Who are you?"
"Oh, I have been called many things, but you may have the privilege of calling me Helena," the woman said, with a large wicked smile. "I suspect we shall be getting to know each other quite well in these next few moments."
Logan glared.
"Personally I'd rather not," Rogue stated, deadpanned.
Helena just gave the girl a look. "I'd rather not have all my hard work fall to pieces, and yet here we stand. Ah, ah, ah, Mr. Howlett," she clucked her tongue when Logan went to make a move and she pressed the needle tighter against the boy's neck. The little boy made a noise, his eyes filled with fearful tears. "One more step and I'm afraid that I'll be forced to take drastic measures. Surely you would not want the blood of a child upon your hands. You already have so many other's coating them red."
Logan bit back a snarl, staring stonily at the woman. "What is your game?" He demanded, darkly. This woman reminded him of Stryker only she was worse. Much, much worse.
"My game? Why, Mr. Howlett, you offend me."
"That is not my name."
"Not one your remember," Helena stated, with a mysterious smile. "But it is your name nonetheless, and far more dignified than Logan. Such a common and unfortunate name you have chosen for yourself."
Logan scowled. "I'm not here to make nice…"
"When have you ever made nice?" Bobby asked.
Logan spared him a quick glare before he returned his gaze back on Helena. "I'm here to stop people like you, now let the boy go," he said, sharply.
Helena bristled ever so slightly. "I'm afraid I cannot oblige you on that request."
"It was not a request."
"I care not for orders from lower bred whelps," Helena gave him a look that could make the artic feel warm. "The boy is a key role in my revenge, and it has been several years in the making. I will not let this chance slip right out from between my fingers. You may think that you have me back in a corner, Mr. Howlett, but no matter how many times I have been taken down, I have gotten back up. No matter how many times I have died, I have came back."
Logan realized there was no reasoning with this insane woman. He tilted his head slightly, so he caught Bobby's eyes and he made a gesture with his hand, a slight twitch. Bobby immediately sprang into action, his hand shot out and a ball of ice flew straight at Helena. The older woman screamed as her hand and the needle were incased in two inches of ice. She stumbled back, pain on her face and the little boy flung himself onto the mattress to get away from the woman.
Helena snarled, and grabbed a gun. She pointed at the boy, and fired. Logan was faster and he flung herself in front of the bullet, taking it straight into the stomach. Logan then rushed forward with a yell, and plunged his claws straight into Helena's chest. He stared her straight in her eyes, and twisted the claws viciously. "Come back from that," he said, and he let her body hit the ground.
He let out a long breath, and turned around to see Rogue shielding the child the best she could from the violence. His hazel eyes clashed with blue and he said, "It's okay now. You're going to be alright. You're safe."
The little boy broke out into sobs.
NOW
"Wha…what happened?" Elizabeth asked, faintly. She woke up on her couch, staring up at the ceiling with a painful throbbing in her skull. She vaguely recalled Cam going to school, looking at Aiden and then…her eyes flew wide open and she struggled to sit up.
"Whoa, take it easy," a hand helped steady her when she wobbled. "You hit your head pretty hard."
Elizabeth grasped her head, and peered at the man in front of her. Her heart pounded in her chest because he sat on the edge of the table, so close that she could feel the heat radiate off of him like a furnace. It also didn't help that he was extremely gorgeous. Swallowing thickly, she croaked out, "Jake?"
"Asleep in the chair," the man stated, nodding.
Elizabeth looked over in the chair, and true to his word, there was her baby boy. He was wrapped in the quilt that Audrey had given her, and was sound asleep. Her heart twisted into her chest, and she let out a broken sob before she pressed her hand to her mouth. How many times had she prayed? How many times had she asked for her child to be brought back? How many days had she looked down at her arms and they ached to hold Jake once again? She loved Cameron and Aiden, they helped her get through the worst times. But it couldn't fill the hole left there in her heart. She never thought she would get a miracle. It had hurt so bad to see other get their miracles and to start to believe that Jake was never coming back.
But he was back. Elizabeth drew in a long breath, and turned her teary eyes on the man in front of her. She stared at him for several moments, unable to comprehend him at all. This stranger who came onto her door with an impossible miracle. "Who are you?" She finally asked.
Logan had expected many things when that door opened.
Elizabeth Webber was none of the things he had been prepared for. She looked like an angel, with her snow white skin and her wide expressive blue eyes. Her long brunette hair hung down around her face in messy waves, and there was such an exhaustion, the kind of exhaustion that was only born from profound loss, on her face that made her look so young. Logan stared steadily into those that looked at him in mute confusion, and found them a pair of eyes that a man could gladly get lost in.
She was so small and delicate, the completely opposite of him in everyway. Her confusion turned into surprise, and a pained shock when she looked at the boy in his arms. Instead of revulsion or horror that Logan expected, she looked at Jake with heartbreaking hope. He was taken so off guard by her reaction, he hadn't been able to catch her before she fell. He stared down at her prone body, and let out a sigh before looking down at Jake. "I have that effect on people," he told the sleeping boy, wryly. He stepped into the house, and settled Jake into the chair before he took care of Elizabeth.
He had lifted her with ease and set her down on the couch. As he checked her for wounds, he marveled at how slight she was compared to him. He leaned down, and he was hit by her scent of strawberries and honey. A deep rumble of approval came from the back of his throat before he could help himself, and he pulled back with his hands were clenched tightly.
He had never had such a profound reaction to a woman before. Not like this, not even Jean had made him feel this primal burn in the pit of his stomach. He swallowed thickly.
It was only a few minutes later, that she awoke and now here they sat at the dining room table. Her on one side, and he on the other as the children slept on blissfully unaware of the tension in the air. Logan felt out of place in the house, it was so neat and put together. So far from his element that he stuck out like a sore thumb with his gruff looks and leather jacket. "Did you know your son was a mutant?" Logan told her, not touching the tea that she had made. He was more of a beer man than a tea drinker like Charles.
"Yes…" Elizabeth said, her voice trembling. "Ever since he was a baby…if there were things he wanted to grab or to get ahold of them, he would get this little scowl on his face and suddenly they would float towards him." The memory of that horrible night, of seeing Jake in the middle of the road was one that would always haunt her. "I had thought…the night that he died, or I-I had thought he died, that he used them to open the door. I knew I had locked it, I always locked it and…"
Logan watched the emotions cross her face and knew that the older woman had been lying just like he suspected. "The people that had Jake said you gave him up. That you didn't want a freak in your home," Logan told her, bluntly.
Elizabeth looked outrage. "That is a lie!"
"I know," Logan said, with a nod. "But I had to be sure. Not all folks are welcoming to the mutant kind."
She gave him a scathing look as she forced her anger to subside. "I'm not most people," Elizabeth stated, simply. Her arms were folded in front of her on the table, her posture faked being relax rather well.
Logan's lips quirked upward. "I'm beginning to understand that."
Elizabeth gave him a look, an uncertain smile on her face. Was he trying to flirt with her? Even if not, it still felt nice to get a compliment when most days she was called such horrible things. Running her hands through her hair, she looked at him and pursed her lips. "Who had my son? Who took him away from me?" Her voice was demand, or a command. Rather it was a plea, one that couldn't be ignored.
"The facility was one developed by William Stryker," Logan divulged, he had already spoken to the Professor about how much to tell and what not. "He experimented on mutants, turned them into weapons."
"Oh, God," Elizabeth breathed out, all the blood draining from her face as tears sprung into her eyes. "Did they…? To Jake, did they…?" She couldn't even say it outloud. The very thought of her baby having to go through that was almost more than she could bear. If she ever got her hands on the person that was capable of doing this, then she would kill them. She wasn't sure if she could be reasoned with when it came to her children.
"No. Not from what we found. He was being held prisoner in a different sector from the rest and by a woman named Helena Cassadine," Logan informed, and he raised an eyebrow when Elizabeth's expression went artic cold. "You know her."
"Oh, I know her," Elizabeth's voice was icy. "She is a horrible monster. She is a soulless witch. Why can't she ever stay dead?"
"She will this time," Logan commented. The memory was still fresh in his mind, and one he wouldn't soon forget. Something about that woman had unnerved on a level he thought only Stryker could.
"What?" Elizabeth blinked.
"I killed her," he stated, curious to see how she would handle that. There was a difference between thinking about something, and going through with it. How would this woman feel knowing she sat across from a murderer, no matter how justified it might have been?
"Good." Elizabeth said, a grim satisfaction in her voice. She wasn't normally a vengeful person, but if there is one person the world would better off without it is Helena Cassadine. "Good."
Logan felt his lips quirked upward. Once again, Elizabeth Webber surprised him. He hadn't expected to see such a fire burn in her gaze, and he was pleased to see it there. "I take it you and her weren't the best of buds?"
"Let's just say that Jake isn't the first child Helena has taken from me," Elizabeth whispered out, her voice strained. Out of all the things Helena had ever done to her this was the worst by far. There was a terrible ache there in her eyes, and she glanced over at the play pen where Aiden still laid blissfully unaware. She knew the laws in this state, and they were not in her favor. Aiden would go into foster care if his parents weren't found, and Elizabeth couldn't bear the thought of that. Helena might be dead, but whose to say one of her goons wouldn't snatch him up? It was a terrible thought.
Logan had to admit he had been curious about that. He could smell a person's scent, each one unique though he had noticed over the years that family members, parents, siblings, all had a similar note in their smells. He could tell from Aiden's scent that Elizabeth was not his mother, and he didn't know who his mother was.
But he knew the father.
"He's not yours, is he?" Logan stated. He had never been one with tact, usually taking the blunt path.
Elizabeth's eyes widened. "H-how?" Her voice trembled.
Logan tapped his nose. "Strong sense of smell. Part of the mutant package," he stated, gruffly. He shifted a bit uncomfortably in his seat, because he was not usually good at handling the Q&A situations. However, he couldn't regret the view from where he was sitting.
Elizabeth's heart sank. It was one thing to know it, and quietly remind herself. It was another t have it said for her. She swallowed thickly, and tried to change the subject because she did not want to get into Aiden's parentage. It was too sore of a subject. "So…super smelling? That's your mutant power?" She said, mustering up a slow teasing smile.
"Enhanced senses, accelerated healing," Logan nodded, "and this." He flexed his hands, and his claws shot out.
Elizabeth jumped back, startled. Her hand going to her chest as if to keep her heart where it should be if it decided to take another leap like that. "Impressive," Elizabeth managed to say, with a small breathless laugh. There were impressive, and very deadly.
"Stryker thought so, too," Logan commented, then immediately grimaced. He hadn't known why he had just said that, and he regretted it the instant her eyes seemed to laser focus on his face.
"You were…?" She left the question hanging in the air.
"Experimented on, yes," he said, shortly.
Compassion filled her eyes, and she reached over. Her fingers mindful of the claws that slid back underneath his skin, and she placed her small hand over his. "I'm sorry that you had to go through that," she said, genuine sympathy in her voice. She couldn't image what he went through, and she suddenly she had more than words to help. There was a darkness in those intelligent hazel eyes, a wariness like an animal that did not like to be caged and did not know how to react except to attack. Yet she recalled the way he held Jake, gently and secured.
"It's fine," Logan stated, gruffly. He was never quite sure how to deal with kindness, even more so with this woman. "I've had plenty of years to get over it."
Elizabeth paused. "The way you say that makes me think that you are talking about a lot of years," she commented, her brows furrowed. He didn't look that old, at least not until she looked him in the eyes. His eyes were old, and haunted in ways that Elizabeth could barely understand. He had seen many years, too many years.
"Let's just say I'm like a fine wine, I've aged well," Logan smirked.
"I can tell," Elizabeth giggled, then she promptly choked on her giggle when Logan arched an eyebrow. Two red blotches stained her cheeks, and she tried to back pedal. "What I mean is…that you, you know, look…good. You look good," she settled for, and mentally she slammed her forehead over and over on the table top. She had never felt so flustered in her entire life and she ran her fingers down her neck, not noticing how Logan's eyes traced that path. "Um, can we…just get back to…the discussion? You know the one before the claws, and me putting my foot into my mouth?"
Logan nodded his head, with a half smile. At least, he wasn't the only one suffering here.
Elizabeth took a deep breath, and folded her hands in front of her. She looked up at him with serious blue eyes, and an uncertain frown on her face. "Is there anything else? I mean, did you find anything else in that lab? Anything of Helena's that might have indicated why she took Jake? What plans she had for him? What…Oh, God," she breathed out, horrified when a sudden realization hit her.
"What is it?" Logan tensed.
"I donated Jake's organ. I mean, the doctor's told me that he was brain dead, and Jocelyn needed a transplant, so I agree to have his organs donated to Jocelyn. But it wasn't Jake," Elizabeth said, her voice cracked. Her stomach twisted into violent knots, and she felt violently ill. "I had another person's child cut up. I…oh, God!" She shoved herself up out of the chair, and leaned on the table to keep herself upright because she didn't entirely trust her legs to do it for her. "I cut up another person's baby."
"Hey, hey," Logan could feel the panic spike in her scent, and he heard her heart begin to race. He stood up abruptly and walked towards her, his first instinct to keep her calm. However before he could get to her, there was a panicked voice that came from living room, "Logan!"
Everything froze. Elizabeth froze, and Logan froze. The mother of three, or two as it were, stood there rooted to the spot as she heard her baby's voice. A sound that she never thought she would hear again, and she almost crumbled to the ground. Logan shot her a glance, before he reached out to touch her arm for a split second. A quick reassurance before he marched into the living room when Jake called out again, a hysterical note to his voice.
"Hey, bud," Logan came around the corner and saw Jake curled into a tight ball in the chair, as if he were too afraid to get down. "I'm right here."
Jake had tears in his eyes, and he gave a slight hiccupped. "I-I twought you had g-gone away," Jake stuttered, out, clutching the blanket with a knuckle white grip.
Logan smiled, kneeling down in front of him until he was eye level with Jake. "You can't get rid of me that easy, kid," he told him, before he ruffled his hair lightly.
Elizabeth watched the scene from a distance, her heart in throat. She was too afraid to move forward, too afraid of breaking the moment, but the mother in her wanted nothing more than to scoop up her baby, to hold him so tight. Her heart was pounding in her chest, and her breath hitched when Jake looked past Logan and saw her standing there.
"Momma?" Jake leaned up slightly.
Elizabeth put a hand over her mouth, to keep herself from bursting into sobs.
"Momma!" Jake's eyes lit up and he flew off the chair. He ran as fast as he could with a big smile spread across his face, and Elizabeth collapsed to her knees to wrap her arms around him.
"My baby," Elizabeth felt the tears pour down her face, and she pulled him close. That pain, the hole that had been in her chest, she could feel it close up. She sniffled, and kissed the crown of his head. "I have missed you so much," she whispered out, her voice choked with emotions. "I am so happy that you are home."
Logan stood up, and knew that all his worries about Elizabeth Webber's character were for nothing. She was a woman who loved her children with a fierceness that he had never seen before. She looked up at him over Jake's head, and she smiled. "Thank you," she mouthed at him.
Elizabeth was still in disbelief.
She had to keep reassuring herself that this was really real, and not some figment of her imagination. Not long after Jake had woken up, Aiden soon followed. She hurriedly made a bottle because Aiden's face scrunched up as he fussed like he always did when he was hungry. She sat down on the couch, with Aiden curled into her side and Jake on her other side.
"I missed you a lot mommy," Jake told her, as he played with the yellow motorcycle. Elizabeth hadn't the heart to throw it away. It was…had been the only thing she had left of Jake after Steven had practically forced her to get rid of all Jake's things.
"We missed you, baby," she said, softly. "Cameron is going to be so happy you are home."
Jake nodded, excitedly. "I missed Cameron, too. I had no one to play hide and seek with the mean lady around all the time. She said bad things about you, mommy. I didn't like her."
"You wanna know a secret?" Elizabeth leaned forward after Jake nodded. "Mommy didn't like her much, either."
Jake giggled, finding this funny. His face then fell into his signature little scowl and his blue eyes looked over at Logan. "Mwister Logan? Are you goin' be staying with us?" He said, with a slight pout.
"Uh," Logan shifted in his chair, unsure how to answer.
"You can if you want, or if you need to," Elizabeth extended the invitation. Normally she would have had reservations about letting a stranger in her home, but this man had her trust. He brought Jake home to her, and he got rid of Helena once and for all. Besides it was obvious Jake was very attached to the other man, and if he made Jake feel safe, then Elizabeth had no qualms about letting him stay. Hell, he could move in if wanted to.
Although that last bit my be her libido talking because she had not been in a relationship for nearly a year, and the woman in her could appreciate the rough and rugged man across from her. No, no, don't think like that right. Just focus on your kids. You can think about the hunky eye candy in your living room later, Elizabeth thought, her cheeks stained red.
"Pwease?" Jake's eyes lit up.
Ah, hell. Logan made the toughest badass around, but even he had a soft spot for kids. The puppy eyes just wasn't fair. "If it's alright with your mom, I'll stay," Logan heaved a sigh, and looked at Elizabeth who looked infinitely amused. "I'll have to call in with my team. They are staying at a local hotel."
"The Metro Court?" Elizabeth guessed.
"Yeah," Logan squinted. "How did you know?"
"It's the only hotel worth anything in Port Charles," she shrugged. "So," she looked down at Jake with a smile, "what do you want for supper? I could order some pizza, or get something from Kelly's?"
"Oh, pizza!" Jake smiled. "Me and Logan eats lots of pizza."
"Oh, really?" Elizabeth glanced at Logan.
Logan shrugged. "In my defense it does have all the basic food groups," he told her, pointedly.
Elizabeth bit her lips, shaking her head with a smile. "Pizza it is then," she said, cradling Aiden closer to her where he contently sucked on his bottle, his eyes focused on Logan.
Logan just quirked up an eyebrow at the baby, and the baby grinned. Logan fought down a smile, and internally sighed. He didn't know how to broach the subject of Aiden's parentage. He didn't know how Elizabeth would take it if she knew he knew who the baby's father was. Hell, I'm not even sure how Cyclops is going to take it, he thought with a heavy sigh.
Elizabeth closed her eyes, trying to sort through all of her emotions, the good ones and the bad ones, when she heard a car pull up. She sat up slight, but from where she was sitting she didn't have a clear view out the window. "That must be Steve," Elizabeth said, picked up Aiden and putting him in his playpen.
"Boyfriend?" Logan asked.
She shot him a look. "Brother," she corrected, with the hint of smile on her face.
"Is Cameron with him?" Jake perked up.
"Yes, sweetie," Elizabeth told her son, with a hesitant smile. "But I need go talk to them really quick, okay? Can you stay here and be a good boy for Mr. Logan?"
"Just Logan. I've never been a mister anything," Logan told her, crossing his arms over his chest.
Elizabeth gave him a half smile. "Can you do that?" She asked Jake who had been quiet.
Jake had a deep frown on his face, as if he were contemplating. "…then Cameron and I can play video games? And eat cookies?" Jake bargained, with such a serious little face.
Elizabeth's smile grew bigger. "You play all the video games, and have all the cookies in the world if you want," Elizabeth promised him.
"Okay," Jake agreed, and slide off the couch. He walked over to Logan and proceed to show him his toy motorcycle. "Look, Mwister Logan, it's like yours 'cept its yellow and yours is blue."
"It is, isn't it," Logan knelt down.
Elizabeth stared at the pair for a long moment, before she made her way outside to intercept her brother and her son. Her heart was pounding in her chest as she watched Cameron crawl out of the car, and she tired to figure out what she was going to say. She drew in a deep breath and stepped off the porch, and walked towards them. "Hey, Steven," Elizabeth put a smile on her face and hoped that he couldn't see through it. "Thank you so much for helping with Cameron. I really appreciate it."
"It's no problem," Steven reassured her.
Elizabeth grabbed Cameron's shoulder before he could duck past her. "Hey, buddy, how was school today?" She inquired, with a smile.
"Good," Cameron said, meekly. Ever since Jake's death, he just hadn't been the same kid. He had been more withdrawn than ever, and Elizabeth's heart ached.
She held onto him, while she looked up at her brother. "Olivia called earlier. Said something about telling you not to be late again for your date, or…well, she threatened a few body parts. Ones I don't think you'd be fond of losing."
"And with that, I need to get going," Steven laughed, though there was a trace of worry on his face. "See you later, squirt."
Elizabeth kept her smile in place until he was out of sight, and sighed heavily. She let the fake smile drop off her face, and looked down at her son. Cameron stared up at her with a little confused frown on his face, and she ran her hand through his little curls. She knelt down, and looked in him in the eye as she clasped his small hands in hers. "Cameron, there is something very important I need to tell you," Elizabeth said, softly. "Do you remember what I told you about Uncle Nic's grandmother?"
"That she was a very bad person, and to stay away from her?" Cameron asked, uncertainly.
"Yes, that's what I said," Elizabeth nodded, lightly. "Well, she did some very bad things to hurt a lot of people, and she wanted to hurt us, too. You remember how I explained that she took Lucky and made everyone think he was dead?"
"Cuz she didn't like grandpa Luke," Cameron remembered. The little boy was confused, he didn't understand why mommy was telling him this.
Elizabeth let out a long breath. "Baby, she did that again, except this time she did it to Jake," she told him, giving his hands a comforting squeeze. "Except a very good person stopped her before she could hurt Jake. Do you understand what I'm trying to say?"
Cameron's bottom lip trembled, and his brown eyes flickered up towards the house before they looked back down at his mommy. "Jake…Jake is home?" His voice quaked, and tears filled up his eyes. "He's not with the angels?"
Elizabeth cursed Helena again. If the woman wasn't already dead, Elizabeth would have killed her with her bare hands. "Yes, sweetie," she managed to find her voice after a moment, and she wiped away the tears before they could fall. "Jake is home."
Cameron let out a little sob, his entire body shakng. "He's really home? He's not going away again?" The seven year old asked, with a loud sniffle.
Elizabeth nodded. "He's really home. He's isn't going away. Never again," she promised, and she would make good on that promise. She had lost too much because she 'owed' people, and the price had been to high. "Do you want to go see him?" She asked, knowing that this was a big shock.
"I can see him?" Cameron cried.
"Yeah, you can see him," Elizabeth whispered out, after pulling him into a quick hug. "You ready? He's inside with Logan right now. Logan is the man who saved him."
"I want to see him," Cameron stood a little straighter, with a determined little pout on his face. Holding his mommy's hand, they both walked back into the house. Her little boy was trembling, but he put one foot in front of the other and as they crossed the threshold, Cameron froze. His brown eyes stared at Jake who was rolling his motorcycle across the floor. "J-Jake?"
Jake's head snapped up. A brilliant smile crossed his face, and he yelled, "Cam! Cam! You's home! You's home!" He was on his feet and hugging his brother in the next instant.
Cameron started crying. His arms wrapped around Jake tightly as if he would never let go. "Jake, you really home. Mommy said you were home, and you really are," Cameron wiped his running nose on the back of his sleeve. Tears were running down his face, and he whispered, "I missed you, Jakey."
Elizabeth was barely holding it together. "Um…Cam," her voice wobbled. "Jake…said he wanted to play some games with you. So why don't you go bring you Wii down into the living room?"
Both boys gasped. "In the living room?" They asked, in unison. Mommy didn't allow video games in the living room because someone could trip on the cords.
"Yes," Elizabeth giggled, through her tears. "In the living room."
"Alright!" Jake cried out, happily. The two boys raced up the stairs, and Elizabeth didn't have the heart to get after them for running. Not in this moment. With a shaky breath, she made her way into the kitchen. Her lungs felt tight in her chest, and it took everything in her not to break down. She couldn't breakdown right now. She needed to keep strong for boys right now, all three of them.
"You're brother left quickly," Logan had followed her. His hazel watched her as she busied herself with cleaning up.
"I wanted him to," Elizabeth said, quietly. "I didn't tell him that Jake was alive. I hate…I hate to even think it, but Steven was one of the last people to see Jake alive. Helena had to have help in taking Jake away from me, and Steven has never liked Jake's father."
"You think he could have done something like this?" Logan commented, quietly.
"I think he could have been forced to," Elizabeth nodded after a moment. She ran her hand through her hair, and it took everything inside of her not to rip them out by the roots. "I hate it. I hate that I just got this miracle, but I know that's its far from over. There is still so much left answered, and I…I have to protect my family. I will do whatever it takes to protect them."
"As you should," Logan inclined his head. He leaned against the wall, his arms crossed over his broad chest. He watched her for a long moment. "What are you going to do about Aiden? Now that you know he isn't your son?"
A pained expression crossed Elizabeth's face. "I don't know. If I tell everyone he is not mine, then he ends up in foster care. How can I do that to a baby? Babies need love and care to survive and I know how rare that is to find in the foster care system. I've seen so many cases in my years at General Hospital," she shook her head, sadly. "Even though he isn't mine, I carried him for months. I felt him grow, I felt his first kick, I was there when his first eyes opened. Even if I do find his family, Aiden is always going to have a special piece of my heart just like Jake and Cameron."
"What…if I told you I could help you find Aiden's real family?" Logan commented, carefully. He watched surprise flash across Elizabeth face, and she turned to look at him. "You remember when I told you how I knew that Aiden wasn't yours?"
"Yes," she whispered out.
There was several moment of silence before Logan tunneled his fingers through his hand in an aggravated motion because he knew what he said next would not be taken well. After a deep sigh, he admitted, "I think I know who his father is."
Elizabeth paled slightly. "You do?" She asked, her voice barely more than a whisper. It felt like she had been stabbed. She always knew she was going to lose him, but that didn't stop the pain that rippled through her.
"I believe so, yes."
"How can…how can you be sure?" She asked, blinking hard. "Is there…is there some where we could have a test done?"
"The Xavier's Institute has a lab where we could run a secure test if you want," Logan told her, his hand twitched. He had the inane urge to reach out and to smooth away the anguish upon her face.
"Xavier's Institute? What is that?"
"It's a school for mutants," he told her. "A safe haven where mutants can live and learn how to control their abilities. It's run by a good man named Charles Xavier. He's the one that helped locate you after we recovered Jake from the lab."
"Oh," Elizabeth murmured. "This school…Jake would need a place like that, wouldn't he? I mean, I heard that mutants get there abilities during puberty or a moment of stress, but Jake has had his ability since he was so tiny."
"Means he's powerful," Logan told her, bluntly. He couldn't lie about that. It was one of the Professor's main concerns. "His powers will continue grow just as he does, and if he doesn't learn to control them…"
"Then the more likely that he'll be discovered and persecuted," Elizabeth finished the thought. It had always been one of her worries. She had heard of a young boy beaten to death just for having scales on his body. With the hypocrites roaming around Port Charles that she knew were capable of horrible things, terrible things that even on her worst day she didn't even come close to, Elizabeth had always feared for Jake. "You think he needs to go."
"I didn't say that," Logan said, his face blank.
"You didn't have to," Elizabeth picked the pizza menu off the fridge and held it in her hands idly. "A school for mutants. A place where my son could be safe…it crossed my mind, too. How couldn't it? And yet there's the self part of me that can't bear the thought of losing him again."
"You don't have to lose him," Logan told her, sharply. "You're a nurse, right? The Xavier Institute is in severe need of a nurse right now."
Elizabeth was taken aback by the offer. "You mean…take a job there? Me?" She asked, her brows furrowed. "I…I can't. I have so much here. I have…" Her voice trailed off, because she wasn't sure exactly what she had here. She didn't have family, not one that would support her after Jake's secret was found out. She had her grandmother on more than one occasion speak against mutants, and her brother Steven had similar views. The Spencers were written out of her life because Elizabeth had wasted too much of her life on them already. It had taken Jake's 'death' for her to see that.
As for Jason…he had cut her out his life and Elizabeth stopped wanting anything to do with him when he went straight back into Sam McCall's arms. If he had moved on with anyone else, Elizabeth wouldn't have been as hurt. But to go back to the woman who hurt his own child while he openly went after Claudia Zacchara after she hurt Michael? The Jason she had loved was long gone. Even with Jake alive, she saw not place in her future for the man.
The Quartermaines…well, she might considered them if it hadn't been for Monica's attacks on her. The woman believed all of Sam's little lies, and had become out right vicious to her. She blamed Elizabeth for keeping Jake from her, when Jason had played a part in that decision, too. So…Elizabeth really had nothing that was keeping her here. Just years of history, of broken promises, of lies and pain behind her. Some she had done, and some that had been done to her.
"It's something to consider," Logan commented, after she fell silent. Quietly, he hoped the tiny brunette would come to the Institute. They could really use someone like her, someone who was compassionate and warm. Logan could use someone like her, too.
Nothing more had been said about Aiden's parentage, or Jake's schooling, or even the job offer. It still lingered in the air like a dark thunderous cloud as they had all settled down to eat pizza. Elizabeth noted with much surprise how easily Logan adjusted to the situation, with Jake practically glued to his side and Cameron had something akin to hero worship in his eyes for the man who brought his little brother home. Even little Aiden was staring intently at Logan.
Elizabeth had to admit to some staring to. She was definitely drawn to Logan, there was something about him that made her want to trust him in ways she had never trusted anyone else. Not Lucky. Not even Jason. However, she smashed that impulse to pieces because she had barely known the man for a day. The fact that she wanted to trust him so quickly after all the mistakes and lies that she had been through and kept startled her deep down in her soul. It frightened her, and left her floundering for what to do.
She moved around the living room picking up the drinks, and toys. All three of the boys knackered out. Aiden was sleeping soundly in his playpen with his arms wrapped around his favorite stuffed giraffe, and Jake was curled up by Cameron, the pair asleep on the couch. She smiled softly at all of them, her heart swelling in her chest. She would hold onto this moment for as long as she could because she knew that it could very well be fleeting. After throwing away the trash, she moved to pick up Jake.
"Need a hand?" Logan offered.
"It would be appreciated," Elizabeth said, with a half smile.
Logan nodded, and picked up Cameron easily. The two of them walked up the stairs in silence, and she led him to Cameron's room. Pulling back the blanket, she settled Jake down onto the bed. Logan placed Cameron right at Jake's side.
Jake's eyes opened ever so slightly. "Mommy?" he murmured, sleepily.
"Yes, baby?" She whispered, quietly.
"I was…wonderin' somefing…"
"And what was that?" She asked, while she tucked her boys in.
"Is the other lady gone, too?" Jake asked on a yawn.
Elizabeth frowned, and looked over at Logan. The man seemed just as confused as she was. She looked down at her son, a churning sensation in the pit of her stomach. "What other lady?" Elizabeth asked, running her fingers through Jake's hair gently. She kept her tone light, and calm. She was afraid that if she let her emotions get to her than it would only make Jake upset, and she didn't want that.
"The stinky lady…daddy Lucky used to hang out with, but… now Mwister Jason hangs out with," Jake's eyes slid closed, and he let out another tiny yawn before he rolled over towards Cameron.
Her blood ran cold. Elizabeth paused, her entire body stilled and realization flickered in her eyes. After a moment, she took a deep breath cleansing breath and asked slowly for clarification, "Jake…That lady visited you? When you were...were not here?"
"Mhmm," Jake nodded, sleepily.
"Did she say anything to you?" Elizabeth swallowed down the anger boiling inside of her. She felt like she needed to scream, like she could breath.
Jake's eyes opened, and he looked back up at his mommy before he nodded. "She said…eweryone was happier that I was gone. That no one would miss me, not even you mommy," the little boy said, his bottom lip trembling violently.
It took everything in Elizabeth not to react. It took everything in her to keep her face perfectly composed, and she pulled the blanket up to wrap gently around Jake's shoulders. "Well, she lied," Elizabeth told him, simply. "Mommy missed you. Cameron missed you. Aiden missed you. We all missed you, sweetie, and that mean lady that told you that…she is never going to get near you again. I promise, okay?"
"Otay," Jake relaxed, and his eyes closed once more.
Elizabeth stood there for several moments, watching until she was certain both her boys were asleep before she quietly made her way out of the room. She shut the door carefully behind her and Logan, then expelled a long breath. "Did you know about her?" She had to ask.
"No. Jake never said anything," Logan stated, seriously. "You know her?"
"Oh, I know her," Elizabeth said, through clenched teeth. Determination coiled through her, jagged and whitehot, as she marched down the stairs of her house. She came to halt beside the playpen to stare down at Aiden's angelic face, committing it to memory before she drew in a deep breath to steel herself. She raised her gaze and looked up at Logan. "The test…for Aiden. Set it up," she said, her voice raw with emotions.
"You're certain?" Logan had to ask.
"Yes. I have never been more certain in my life than I am right in this moment," Elizabeth said, her voice quivering. It was not with grief or pain. It was shaking with an untold amount of anger. She walked over and picked up the phone off the hook, her finger dialing a familiar number. "My children have suffered because of the choices I've made. The people I chose to let into my life, and that is going to change. I'm doing what I should have done years ago."
"And that is?" Logan asked.
"Protecting my family by any means necessary."
END OF CHAPTER!
Hoped you enjoyed!
Rrs are appreciated.
