Xavier Mansion- 1 week later
Logan walked around the garden looking for Diana. Life had most certainly changed around the mansion with her around. The tension between her and Jean was getting more evident everyday. He'd asked Jean what the problem was, and she simply replied that she didn't trust Diana. Logan couldn't understand why. He'd trusted her the first time he seen her. Even when he'd thought she was just some strange wolf, he'd trusted her. Why shouldn't Jean and the others trust her, too?
Logan turned a corner and found Diana sitting on a bench watching some of the kids play. She was beautiful, he thought. Like Jean, except maybe a little more exotic. She sat with her back to him, her left knee pulled up close to her, with her head on it. A bird screeched above. Her head popped up to look at the sky. She seemed to be studying something.
"Diana?" Logan asked softly.
She turned, surprised. For an instant she looked like she might leap into some automatic defensive response. But that faded rather quickly. Her gray cat eyes lost the shock of being surprised. Logan made a mental note not to startle her again.
"What?" she asked softly, her voice just barely audible.
"I was looking for you."
"Why?" she stood and came towards him slightly.
"You disappeared," Logan replied.
"I had to find a place to think," Diana said turning slightly back towards the children. "But it's hard to find a place alone here."
"Yeah, it is."
"So, the only reason you came looking for me was because I'd disappeared," she turned back towards him.
A breeze blew through the nearby tree, and a shaft of sunlight fell across her face. Logan's breath seemed to be ripped from his throat. The light made her eyes glow strangely, but it was a glow he remembered somehow. A memory that came from the same place that his nightmares had, but this memory was pleasant.
"Hello, Earth to Wolverine."
Diana's voice brought Logan back to the present. "What?"
"Are you alright?"
"Yeah," Logan shook his head trying to regain his thoughts.
Diana tilted her head slightly to side, as if she was trying to decide if he was telling the truth. She stepped past him, towards the path and the house. For an instant, he considered reaching for her wrist to stop her, but he let her walk by. He turned and followed her all the way to the mansion.
Jean stood at a window watching Logan follow Cor back to the house. Something inside of her seethed as she saw the woman stop and turn. Logan practically ran right into her. Cor put her hand on Logan's chest to stop him. They seemed to stare at each other a moment before Cor shook her head and came into the house.
Jean had to keep the way she felt about Logan buried. She had tried to deny it. But she couldn't, all she could do was keep it hidden. Keep reminding herself of her feelings for Scott, and try to not end up alone with Logan. Maybe it was the fact that if Diana had feelings for Logan, she wouldn't have to hide them. Maybe Jean was simply jealous. Or maybe she really was lying to them. No matter the reason, Jean's dislike of the woman with the cat eyes and the claws was growing every day.
Although Logan had had to ask Jean if she trusted Diana or not, she had simply told Scott during one of their late night talks. Scott, however, hadn't really decided on the subject himself. Diana was like Logan, in more ways than one. But she seemed, if not, more in control than Logan, then at least more stable.
The apprehension between the two women seemed to be starting to make everyone uneasy. But from what Scott could tell it was all one sided. Diana didn't seem to feel the same way about Jean, as Jean felt towards her. Scott had never seen Jean act this way, but, he was sorry to say, it reminded him of the same way he acted towards Logan.
Meals were becoming interesting. Diana would sit either next to Rogue, who didn't seem to like eating with the other kids, or the professor. She'd talk to all of them. But after a few days of Jean's short and curt responses, Diana had stopped trying to hold a conversation with her.
And now tonight, Diana has stopped talking all together. Conversations, had hit a total stand still, nobody wanted to accidentally set Jean off. Not that Scott blamed them. She could get rather nasty if she was pushed. And given her similarities to Logan, he was sure Diana could be just as bad.
"So, Diana," Scott said trying to break the silence, but the look he saw Jean give him out of the corner of his eye told him to shut up.
Diana put her napkin on the table and stood up. "This is ridiculous. If you have a problem with me, Grey," her cat eyes focused on Jean. "Then I recommend you either tell me what it is, or stay out of my way."
Jean glared back at her. "I don't like your attitude."
"Really," Diana all but sneered. "Well, I don't think I'm the one who needs an adjustment." And with that she stormed out of the room.
All eyes fell on Jean. She sat there incensed. Ororo shook her head, stood, and took off after Diana.
Ororo found Diana in her room, throwing things into a small duffle bag.
"You're just going to leave?" Ororo asked.
Diana turned, the bag in her hand. Her eyes were narrowed with rage. Suddenly, her shoulders slumped and she threw the bag halfway across the room. She twisted slightly and sat on the bed.
"I can't leave. Not now that they know where you all are, where he is. I'm supposed to take her to a meeting point. Return her to the project. She's not stable."
"Not everyone here is sure if you're stable."
"Grey can think whatever she wants," Diana retorted. "As soon as I have Tigera, then I'm leaving."
"Just like that. You pop into our lives and then right back out."
"That's my plan," Diana stood and went over to where she had thrown the bag.
"I know someone else who was planning on doing the exact same thing, and he came back."
Diana twisted and stared at her. Ororo didn't say anything else. She simply turned and left the room.
Rogue sat in the sill of the window looking up at the stars. She sighed as the events of the past few days came back to her. That evenings dinner especially. They way Diana has stood up to Jean. It was about time someone did. They'd all been walking on eggshells around the red haired doctor. And while the out burst from Diana had made her shut up, well, life was going to get even crazier. Of that Rogue was sure.
She personally liked Diana. There was a sense of confidence unlike any of the others at the mansion. It wasn't arrogance at all. Just confidence. And Rogue admired her for it. Plus the woman was stunningly gorgeous and could fight like nobodies business. She sighed again. She only wished she could be more like her.
For the first time Rogue noticed she was playing with Logan's tags. She took them off and looked at them. She probably ought to give them back. He'd need them to get into that installation. But she didn't really want to give them back. He was the only one here she really felt connected too, and for more than the obvious reason that she'd had part of his mind in her brain for awhile. The tags were a part of that connection. She'd defiantly give them back if he asked for them, but until then she'd hang on to them.
Logan walked around the garden looking for Diana. Life had most certainly changed around the mansion with her around. The tension between her and Jean was getting more evident everyday. He'd asked Jean what the problem was, and she simply replied that she didn't trust Diana. Logan couldn't understand why. He'd trusted her the first time he seen her. Even when he'd thought she was just some strange wolf, he'd trusted her. Why shouldn't Jean and the others trust her, too?
Logan turned a corner and found Diana sitting on a bench watching some of the kids play. She was beautiful, he thought. Like Jean, except maybe a little more exotic. She sat with her back to him, her left knee pulled up close to her, with her head on it. A bird screeched above. Her head popped up to look at the sky. She seemed to be studying something.
"Diana?" Logan asked softly.
She turned, surprised. For an instant she looked like she might leap into some automatic defensive response. But that faded rather quickly. Her gray cat eyes lost the shock of being surprised. Logan made a mental note not to startle her again.
"What?" she asked softly, her voice just barely audible.
"I was looking for you."
"Why?" she stood and came towards him slightly.
"You disappeared," Logan replied.
"I had to find a place to think," Diana said turning slightly back towards the children. "But it's hard to find a place alone here."
"Yeah, it is."
"So, the only reason you came looking for me was because I'd disappeared," she turned back towards him.
A breeze blew through the nearby tree, and a shaft of sunlight fell across her face. Logan's breath seemed to be ripped from his throat. The light made her eyes glow strangely, but it was a glow he remembered somehow. A memory that came from the same place that his nightmares had, but this memory was pleasant.
"Hello, Earth to Wolverine."
Diana's voice brought Logan back to the present. "What?"
"Are you alright?"
"Yeah," Logan shook his head trying to regain his thoughts.
Diana tilted her head slightly to side, as if she was trying to decide if he was telling the truth. She stepped past him, towards the path and the house. For an instant, he considered reaching for her wrist to stop her, but he let her walk by. He turned and followed her all the way to the mansion.
Jean stood at a window watching Logan follow Cor back to the house. Something inside of her seethed as she saw the woman stop and turn. Logan practically ran right into her. Cor put her hand on Logan's chest to stop him. They seemed to stare at each other a moment before Cor shook her head and came into the house.
Jean had to keep the way she felt about Logan buried. She had tried to deny it. But she couldn't, all she could do was keep it hidden. Keep reminding herself of her feelings for Scott, and try to not end up alone with Logan. Maybe it was the fact that if Diana had feelings for Logan, she wouldn't have to hide them. Maybe Jean was simply jealous. Or maybe she really was lying to them. No matter the reason, Jean's dislike of the woman with the cat eyes and the claws was growing every day.
Although Logan had had to ask Jean if she trusted Diana or not, she had simply told Scott during one of their late night talks. Scott, however, hadn't really decided on the subject himself. Diana was like Logan, in more ways than one. But she seemed, if not, more in control than Logan, then at least more stable.
The apprehension between the two women seemed to be starting to make everyone uneasy. But from what Scott could tell it was all one sided. Diana didn't seem to feel the same way about Jean, as Jean felt towards her. Scott had never seen Jean act this way, but, he was sorry to say, it reminded him of the same way he acted towards Logan.
Meals were becoming interesting. Diana would sit either next to Rogue, who didn't seem to like eating with the other kids, or the professor. She'd talk to all of them. But after a few days of Jean's short and curt responses, Diana had stopped trying to hold a conversation with her.
And now tonight, Diana has stopped talking all together. Conversations, had hit a total stand still, nobody wanted to accidentally set Jean off. Not that Scott blamed them. She could get rather nasty if she was pushed. And given her similarities to Logan, he was sure Diana could be just as bad.
"So, Diana," Scott said trying to break the silence, but the look he saw Jean give him out of the corner of his eye told him to shut up.
Diana put her napkin on the table and stood up. "This is ridiculous. If you have a problem with me, Grey," her cat eyes focused on Jean. "Then I recommend you either tell me what it is, or stay out of my way."
Jean glared back at her. "I don't like your attitude."
"Really," Diana all but sneered. "Well, I don't think I'm the one who needs an adjustment." And with that she stormed out of the room.
All eyes fell on Jean. She sat there incensed. Ororo shook her head, stood, and took off after Diana.
Ororo found Diana in her room, throwing things into a small duffle bag.
"You're just going to leave?" Ororo asked.
Diana turned, the bag in her hand. Her eyes were narrowed with rage. Suddenly, her shoulders slumped and she threw the bag halfway across the room. She twisted slightly and sat on the bed.
"I can't leave. Not now that they know where you all are, where he is. I'm supposed to take her to a meeting point. Return her to the project. She's not stable."
"Not everyone here is sure if you're stable."
"Grey can think whatever she wants," Diana retorted. "As soon as I have Tigera, then I'm leaving."
"Just like that. You pop into our lives and then right back out."
"That's my plan," Diana stood and went over to where she had thrown the bag.
"I know someone else who was planning on doing the exact same thing, and he came back."
Diana twisted and stared at her. Ororo didn't say anything else. She simply turned and left the room.
Rogue sat in the sill of the window looking up at the stars. She sighed as the events of the past few days came back to her. That evenings dinner especially. They way Diana has stood up to Jean. It was about time someone did. They'd all been walking on eggshells around the red haired doctor. And while the out burst from Diana had made her shut up, well, life was going to get even crazier. Of that Rogue was sure.
She personally liked Diana. There was a sense of confidence unlike any of the others at the mansion. It wasn't arrogance at all. Just confidence. And Rogue admired her for it. Plus the woman was stunningly gorgeous and could fight like nobodies business. She sighed again. She only wished she could be more like her.
For the first time Rogue noticed she was playing with Logan's tags. She took them off and looked at them. She probably ought to give them back. He'd need them to get into that installation. But she didn't really want to give them back. He was the only one here she really felt connected too, and for more than the obvious reason that she'd had part of his mind in her brain for awhile. The tags were a part of that connection. She'd defiantly give them back if he asked for them, but until then she'd hang on to them.