Chapter 25)

Rogue felt recovered enough to fly down after Victor literally jumped out of the plane down to the clearing. Logan shook his head and she grinned, wrapped her arms around him and popped him down to the ground. "Coulda done that for you Vic, if you'd given me the chance." She looked at the heavy imprint Sabretooth had left on the ground.

"All that metal…" Victor rumbled. "Couldn't stand it anymore."

"Too much like Alkali." She could understand that. The first few months after she'd gotten out even the cab of a truck felt too enclosed despite the windows and she wasn't a feral. Victor keeping control of himself long enough to get to the estate was a feat of willpower. "Well the tent is the furthest from stone and steel walls as we can get." She checked the inside and was pleased to see a sleeping bag and extra blankets along with a pillow.

"Xavier'll let me stay?" Sabretooth was looking around and breathing deeply. She could appreciate why. The air was redolent with pine and oak, earth and sawdust underfoot with a hint of smoke. The only jarring note was the Blackbird and its exhaust. It was nothing like Alkali

"If he don't then we'll find a place we can stay." Wolverine was firm on that. When his brother looked disbelieving Wolverine shrugged. "Ask Beautiful if you don't believe me."

"We were talkin' about it before we came to get you." Rogue agreed as she cleared the fire pit of debris that would smother any flames. "Just needed to talk to you about where. Wolverine's got an idea for a house for us all even."

Sabretooth grunted but it was obvious he wasn't sure that was the stone cold truth. Rogue laughed at him and flew over to inspect the drying logs while Wolverine watched his brother. "I remembered…everything up until Stryker shot me in the head with adamantium bullets." He told the larger feral. "I remember how you always looked out for me. How it was so much harder for you to find the balance between the animal and the man."

"He remembered you, but he forgot me." Rogue landed on the ground and walked up to Victor looking him in the eye. "He's getting' the last twenty or so years back but its slow." She offered her hand hopefully. "Victor, I don't want him to lose you. You're always gonna be his brother. And I can't lose him. So let's not make it harder on him okay? He's your Jimmy. He's my Logan. But he's our Wolverine."

It was too much, too soon. On the heels of an escape fraught with worry and adrenaline the last thing the feral wanted was more confusion. Sabretooth's face twisted with pain and rage, the animal demanding freedom without compromise.

The roar was almost deafening. And then he was gone.

Rogue took a deep breath and looked over at Logan. "Well that coulda gone better."

"Nah. He heard you. He'll think about it while he runs. He'll kill a bear or somethin', bring the meat back, tan the hide and come back with his thoughts all in order." Wolverine didn't seem concerned. "How long it'll take is the question. Vic tends to forget that most people think in terms of hours and days. Not weeks. But as long as he's been locked up? And most likely tortured just like you...he's gonna be a little...erratic for a while."

She nodded her understanding, "You'll have to make sure you come out and keep him company, so he knows you're really his brother again, got your memories back. Her sigh vibrated through the air as she looked towards the mansion. "I suppose we'd better go back before there's an all-out war. From what I've heard Mystique and the Professor don't always get along."

She was right. It had wisely been decided that dragging everyone down to the infirmary for examinations was the wrong approach with this group. When she and Wolverine reached the mansion the newcomers were in a small group in the cafeteria finally eating a decent meal. The team that had performed the rescue sat among them, eating and talking. Answering a lot of questions. A few of the younger ones were showing off or explaining what they could do. The older ones were watchful, guarded eyes on every other body in the room. Erik and his children, along with Mystique and Gambit had situated themselves in the outermost circle. A slender man with sandy blond hair sat beside a black man with an edgy look about him. Another blond man with lighter hair and a chiseled jaw that clenched at every loud noise sat near Mystique.

Rogue smiled as she saw the refugees and walked towards them Logan following her. "Erik." She pulled a chair from another table and brought it near his. "I wanted to thank you."

"It is I who should be thanking you my dear." The older man was always polite. She'd admired that about him. There was no excuse for rudeness. Rude actions perhaps, but not discourtesy.

"No, I meant..." She touched his hand to demonstrate. "You were the first they..." Rogue took a deep breath and swallowed before she continued. "You could have hated me. Been angry with me. But you never were. Even when they forced you into me until you blacked out...you didn't hate me. You made me..." She could feel the tears welling up in her eyes. "I don't just absorb powers. I absorb energy, thoughts and memory." His understanding lit those cool eyes and he nodded as she continued. "Your thoughts, and your memories...you were a great help to me. It was your mind in mine that helped me get control. I would still be there, insane and tortured, if you hadn't been good enough to realize that I was no more at fault that you were."

"How could I hate you?" His voice was thick, as if he too was fighting his emotions back. "You were barely more than a child. Younger than my children. Younger than all of us there. It was easy to see that you didn't wish to harm any of us. The pleading for mercy, for them not to make you..." He stopped and shook his head. "I beg your pardon."

"It's all right. They should know." She couldn't explain it well enough out loud. "You, your memories told me, ' true focus lies somewhere between rage and serenity'. You've helped me over and over again. To control my mind. To escape. To gain control of the absorbed mutations and control over my skin. I...just wanted to say that I'm sorry you had to go through that. But thank you for...helping me even when they were making me hurt you."

"I think, since you and your...partner stood up for us and came to our rescue that we are very much even." Erik smiled at her and looked up at the Wolverine who was surveying the newcomers thoughtfully. "They brought most of the younger ones in after you'd escaped. But I believe you've met John and Chris as well as Remy."

"I have," Rogue nodded at them while the Wolverine stared.

"So Stryker decided to lock up the old team. Thought Sabretooth said he killed you all?" Wolverine shook his head as he looked at John and Chris.

"Nah, acted like he was gonna. Roughed us up." Chris shrugged. "Said Stryker told him that there was one last thing and we'd all be done."

"Zero killed Dukes while you and I went to look for Remy," John offered quietly. "And we all know what happened to Wade. Sabretooth showed up while I was watchin' the back. Told me what had happened. Said he'd make it look like I was dead. We could do the one last thing Stryker wanted and then we'd all be done. Man, never seen him look like that. Never seen Victor tired."

"I wanted to kill him at the time," Wolverine explained. "You remember how pissed I was."

"Yeah you had a real mad on." The black man's smile was tinged with amused memory. "Stryker was real good at manipulating all of us. Made you think Kayla was dead. Made Victor think that if he got the gang back together for the job that we'd be free afterwards. Messed with Vic's mind real good, enough that he was half crazy…crazy enough that you left. Just about killed him when you took off."

"Yeah he was a real son of a bitch." Chris agreed.

"Well he's a dead son of a bitch now." Logan's voice was rife with satisfaction as he came to stand behind Rogue's chair. "He gave me this adamantium skeleton. Maybe he shoulda thought of what I would do with it if I ever figured out it was him that took my memories."

"He's really dead?" One of the girls asked desperately.

"Really and truly all the way dead." Logan nodded and the girl burst into tears.

Rogue must have looked a bit confused because the blond man who'd been so quiet explained. "Her father was in the lab. He was a mutant too. Stryker took him away and we don't know where he ended up. He nearly went insane when they brought Siryn in."

"What was his name?" Rogue asked quietly. "There are some people that are in my memories but they weren't at the base. If Stryker took him then maybe the Professor can-"

"We came with you because you cared enough to come find us." The man's eyes were hard and implacable. "But Sean and I gave up on the Professor coming for us a long time ago."

"I thought when I got you out of the...barracks that you'd be safe." Mystique sounded forlorn. "Morty would have had a harder time blending in but-"

"It wasn't your fault." The man shook his head. "We didn't realize that he'd be looking for us. Not like that. Sean went home. So did I or I tried to. But..." He shrugged. "By the way, you're lookin' good Mystique."

"So are you," She chuckled teasingly. "What'd they do give you some type of de-aging serum?"

"Same as they gave Chris and me, and Gambit too." John spoke up. "Stryker didn't want us dying of old age. He wanted his 'subjects' to live a long time. Long enough to see the end of the 'mutant problem'."

"He gave it to most of us." Pietro explained. "As I understand it, he synthesized it from Victor's blood." His sister made a face at the mention of the feral.

"Don't like him much?" Rogue couldn't help the curiosity.

"He's just...crude." Wanda rolled her eyes. "And he can't smell a woman without propositioning her."

"For Vic that's polite." Wolverine laughed. "He don't take to the modern notions of sweet talk. Honest interest is what you get."

Rogue chuckled and stood. "Well I'd better see about making sure you all have a place to lay your head tonight." She turned with the chair and it bumped into Jubilee. The other mutant scowled and one of her hands lit up with her fireworks. Rogue stiffened and felt her skin turn on in self defense. she was too edgy after the mission to keep it from flicking on. "Sorry about that." She apologized and slid the chair over to the table where it belonged.

"Just stay away from me you skanky leech." Jubilee pushed past her hard, her fireworks setting off sparks on Rogue's clothes.

"Shit," Rogue swore and backed up, only to bump into someone else. Trying to keep her footing as the other person moved only resulted in the both going down in a heap. Invulnerable skin didn't mean she couldn't feel impact and her dignity was certainly bruised. "Gawd, sorry..."

Her skin came into contact with a hand and the influx of thoughts was paralyzing. 'Ohmigod ohmigod no. No. Not her. She can't see. Make her stop. Don't let her see. No!'

Wolverine was growling at Chatty Kathy when Rogue and Prissy went down with a crash. The smell of terror and pain was like hot oil in the air. He grabbed for Marie and yanked her away from the dark haired girl but Marie struggled out of his grip.

"Oh god, Kitty I'm so sorry." She wrapped her arms around Prissy and hugged her, rocking the other girl the way she would a child. "It'll be all right."

"What did you do to her you bitch!" Kathy's strident tones had him turning to glare and growl in fury at her.

"Back off you little brat." It was the least profane thing he could say in a cafeteria full of kids. Blanca and Cookie were hurrying forward along with half of the refugees. Even the stoic Mystique looked troubled.

Red came into the room, obviously drawn by the commotion and made straight for Marie and Prissy. "Sweetheart, what happened?" Her gentle hand on Marie's hair made obvious to whom she was speaking.

"Tired an' clumsy," Marie murmured. Her voice was low enough that only another feral would hear it. "Jubilee sparked up, my skin turned on...and I crashed into Kitty. I absorbed her...but longer than last time..." Her voice, quiet though it was, held unshed tears. "Jean we've gotta help her...she thinks it's all her fault."

Whatever Red heard in Marie's mind was not a good thing because the redhead went pale and she had to take a deep shaking breath before she spoke. "All right. Kitty, you're coming with me. Rogue, you too please. We need to see Xavier."

Wolverine took a step to follow them but Marie held her hand up for him to wait. "Jean I'll be there in half a tic." She told the telepath. "Sugar...I'm sorry but I've got to help Kitty...I'll meet you in our room when I'm done. All right?"

"Yeah that's good." He nodded and kissed her gently. She was tired the same as he was, but if something needed to be done then his woman did it, regardless of her own comfort. He turned to the refugees and saw one, a dark haired woman who looked to be Wanda's contemporary, narrowing her eyes at Marie's back.

His glare must have tipped Gambit off because the Cajun shrugged. "Not alla us are as...enlightened as Erik or as compassionate as Bolt or Siryn." He glanced at the dark haired woman, "Betsy ain't thrilled to be in your girl's company."

"She can be pissed all she wants," Wolverine eyed the woman malevolently. "But Rogue don't like havin' mutations forced on her any more than ya'll like 'em bein' taken. You ain't seen what it does to her."

"I've…felt it." The voice was quiet, almost serene despite the hesitation and came from a quiet woman with silvery hair. "Ever since they forced her to take my mutation there's been…a connection between us. For as long as she was at the lab what she felt, I felt."

"You're the empath then?" Wolverine tilted his head. The woman was…odd in his nose. She had a scent like running water, teasing with all the power of the ocean, as if the might of a tempest was contained inside her. Her eyes were a dark blue green and even her skin had a faint blue undertone.

"No…not entirely." She shook her head. "They call me Manannán mac Lir. Lira for short. Empathy is something I've always had but I control water."

Gambit rubbed the back of his head ruefully. "The petite probably got a bit from me too. Always known how folks felt. Part a why cards are so easy."

Wolverine scowled and looked at the mess of people, all of them needing help of some sort, most of them angry or upset and shook his head in irritation. "Maybe you oughta think about the fact that if it weren't for Rogue you'd still be stuck at Alkali." His words were underscored with a growl as he glared impartially at the refugees. "And whatever they mighta done to you? You can be sure they did it to her and worse." He had a memory of her asking if her past made a difference to him. 'I was a toy for anyone with a condom' echoed through his mind and he snarled his fury. "If you think her skin protected her you'd better think again."

The woman, Lira, nodded her agreement. "We have been abused in the most terrible of ways. But so has she. And when she refused what they asked…she was tortured. By the Viper and by humans."

"'S how I met her." Sabretooth's rumble of a voice preceded his large body as he strode towards them. "Think she got those scars on her thighs for fun? They threw her in with him an' me and she landed on his side of the cell. He had a lotta fun poisoning her before I lost my temper. Had to lance every fuckin' wound he made on her thighs to get that shit out of her." He was furious and the animal side barely under the human's control but he didn't seem like he was going to go on a rampage. Logan inhaled and smelt his big brother's curiosity, irritation and hunger. He must have been drawn by the scent of his pack and the food.

"The scars are from your claws…" Wolverine realized. "Shit." He looked at his brother. "How'd you manage to stay conscious?"

"Claws ain't skin." Victor shrugged and picked up someone's abandoned tray, absently popping chicken tenders into his mouth. "Little Magnolia kept sayin' how sorry she was. Like she was weak for cryin'." He grinned evilly at Wolverine. "Now if they'd left her with me a little longer she'd have been in decent shape. Mighta gotten to show her what a real man was like. But they didn't let mutants use her like that. 'Cept for Viper."

"See?" Wanda's voice wasn't quiet enough. "He's disgusting."

"Honest." Sabretooth growled at her with all the superiority of a cat whose prey is beneath it. "I'da been happy to show her a good time. Ain't my fault women seem to bite off more'n they can chew."

"Subtle Vic, real subtle." Wolverine shook his head, grateful it wasn't worse, and looked over the motley crew of refugees. Beast and Storm were finishing their meal, quietly listening to everything being discussed. "Blanca, you got any idea where Rogue was gonna put folks?"

Before she could answer Xavier rolled into the cafeteria. Thankfully it had mostly emptied of students after Marie and Prissy's collision, only a few of them brave enough to stay in a room with people they didn't know once the Wolverine started growling. One ballsy kid actually sidled up to Sabretooth and offered him more chicken and some cookies before he darted off. And a little girl floated over to Erik on gossamer wings and gave the older man a seed which sprouted into a flower when he held it in his hands.

"We call her Sylvan." Xavier offered as the little girl giggled, kissed Erik's check and called him 'Pawpaw' before she flew away, green and pink hair fluttering behind her.

"She's certainly charming enough to be faery." The patrician man conceded with a half smile. His son and daughters were concealing their amusement badly and Wolverine couldn't help but chuckle himself.

"Usually our resident ferals are her favorites." Xavier explained.

"She said it's 'cause we smell like the outside." Wolverine offered. "Wheels we gotta get these folks some beds now that they've eaten. They're gonna keel over soon."

"Absolutely." Xavier looked at Mystique and Erik. "Raven, your room is as you left it. Erik, Alex, your rooms are also untouched. That wing of the house is…off limits to the students. There should be plenty of room for all of you to rest."

"My name is Mystique." The woman in question was like ice her voice was so chilly. "But I can show everyone to the rooms."

"I'll get fresh bedding and some of the kids to help me make the beds." Storm offered with a friendly smile.

"Are…Cutie, Torch and Fluffy all right?" Lorna asked quietly. "We haven't seen them since…"

"Jean, the red haired woman you saw earlier, is our primary medic," Beast explained. "She was probably coming to let us know how they were when Kitty and Rogue collided. I can check on them and let you know."

He was losing patience with all this domestic shit. All he wanted was his woman in bed next to him. He wanted to bathe those scars with his tongue until she forgot how painful they'd been and only thought about how good he made her feel.

He was growling without realizing it and everyone around him was backing up warily. Beast huffed slightly, his own animal nature challenged and Victor stood up and snarled loudly. "Jimmy shut the fuck up." The big male threw a carrot at his brother before he continued. "C'mon. Gotta deer outside."

A big hand came down on his shoulder and began steering him towards the door.

After dealing with the buck Victor had killed and hung to drain Wolverine looked at him curiously. "You really comin' back to yourself or is this just a breather between runnin' around gettin' your 'Tooth on?" Victor seemed a lot calmer than he should have been this soon, but maybe it was due to Logan's presence.

"I doubt I could stand bein' in that asylum for longer'n it takes me to eat and wash," Sabretooth admitted with a feral grin, the animal was lurking just beneath the surface ready to burst free. "But I got a whiff of Magnolia in pain an' figured somethin' was really wrong. Takes a lot to change that woman's scent. Plus she's yours so…I gotta responsibility."

"Yeah." Logan could understand that. He was itching to go find her but he doubted she'd be thrilled with the caveman routine when she was doing her best to help someone. Even if that someone was Prissy. He took his frustration out on the tree next to him. Victor could probably use more firewood anyway.

His big brother's chuckling was both amused and understanding. "Harder when your woman suits up too?"

"Nah, it ain't that." He'd forgotten that there were times Victor was a very good listener. "It's…you know what they did to her in the lab."

"I had to listen to it didn't I?" Sabretooth's snarl was ugly. It was a pointed reminder that the animal was still half rabid with everything that had been done to him. Seeing, hearing and smelling an innocent kit being raped would have been worse than being tortured himself. Victor had never taken to hurting kids no matter how much he might enjoy torturing adults. To his mind kits or cubs hadn't lived long enough to deserve what he'd do to an adult.

"Well she told me, before the bullets came out, Marie told me everything. But now I can't remember it." His frustration was evident. "I mean I know she's had therapy. She said it went on for years and she still goes back sometimes."

"So you don't know what to do that won't scare her to death or freak her out?" Victor looked at him like he was an idiot. "Geez Jimmy. You forget who the fuck you are? You were always the nicer of the two of us. Just pay attention to her scent and you'll be fine."

"I just don't want her to think I'm after a fuck an' nothin' else." He felt like an idiot. And from Victor's snort of derision he sounded like one too.

"You're her mate aren't ya? And she's yours. Ain't denyin' it from what I hear." Sabretooth's raspy chuckle was wickedly amused. "Shoulda seen how her hand rested on your thigh when you were sleepin' on the plane. She was talkin' to me, sweet as you please, tryin' to make it easier on me. But she made sure to claim you in front a God 'n everybody. Didn't want any a those women to get ideas."

"Heh," Wolverine smirked. He liked that she was ballsy enough to claim him. "What about you?"

"What the fuck about me?" Sabretooth gave him a look that implied he had no idea what Logan meant. "I've been locked up...almost since Three Mile Island."

"None a those women got a claim on you? Or you on them?" Logan was pretty sure Victor hadn't had the pleasure of a female's company in a long damn time but it was kinda fun ribbing his brother about it.

"Hell no," Victor's denial was accompanied by an expression of distaste. "They're all skinny little bitches or barely more than kids. None of 'em could handle me even if I wanted 'em to." He rolled his eyes at Logan's barely concealed amusement. "Ha fuckin' ha." The growl was as automatic as the eye roll. "If you knew the answer why'd you ask the fuckin' question?"

"Couldn't think of any other reason you'd come up to the school, seein' as it's filled to the brim with whiny brats and skinny bitches." Wolverine chuckled as his brother rolled his eyes again.

"Told you, smelt Magnolia," Victor was frowning. "Somethin' else too. You guys got a feral up there…a girl. Got an interestin' scent to her."

"I'll ask around but unless she's new…" Wolverine shook his head. "Dunno."

"The girl Magnolia was holdin'." Sabretooth told him. "Their scents were blendin' they were so close. Guess your mate got an influx of her when they touched. The girl smelt like a feral."

"Prissy?" He couldn't have been more shocked if Sabretooth had told him Xavier was feral. "You gotta be wrong Vic. That girl couldn't be less like us if she tried. Nose in the air, thinks she's too good for everybody, and chilly as a river in January."

"Uh huh." The other feral just shrugged. "Why'd you think that is? Huh? What'd make Magnolia go from defensive to protective so damn fast? What coulda happened to that girl to make her so cold?"

"Shit." Wolverine dropped the wood he'd been carrying. "I gotta get back to Marie."

"I'll come with ya, least for a while 'fore I gotta get outa there," Sabretooth finished stretching the hide over the makeshift frame he'd built and looked at the carcass. "It needs to drain before we can butcher anyway. Just haul it up so scavengers don't get it." He began to do the same to the hide and Wolverine forced himself to do as Victor suggested. Venison was good eating and if Xavier's cooks didn't know what to do with it he and Vic did.

By the time it was done he was chomping at the bit to see his woman. He didn't want to think about what Prissy's memories mighta done to Marie.

Note: So I know a lot of you were looking forward to a confrontation between Cyclops and either Victor or Logan. Let's just say that there is something coming up but its not going to be as huge as you might like. I don't see Victor taking shit from anyone but nobody in that mansion is helpless so... Well you'll just have to wait and see.

In regards to our rescued prisoners...I really thought about it and I didn't want everyone to be grateful or understanding about Rogue. Or even getting along amongst themselves. It seemed a little unrealistic.

Anyway, hope you enjoyed and I'll see you soon with another update.