disclaimer: The X-Men don't belong to me and neither does any of the songs
I've used. I thought it sounded like a neat idea, anyway, this is my first
fan fic so please be kind, and enjoy.
~ Part Seven ~
The biggest problem she'd face, Lizzy found, was Mystique. Toad and Sabretooth didn't care either way. Of course, who'd care if a beautiful lady mutant was sleeping in an extra room in their house? Lizzy spent a lot of time with Magneto, getting to know him and the man he was. She learned his behavior, and why he was the way he was. The concentration camps, and the death, all caused by one man Adolph Hitler with the blessings of the Roman Catholic Church. A hatred like none she'd ever felt built in her as she lived, through her father's eyes, in the concentration camps. She pulled out of his mind and studied him. She'd simply been heart broken over Logan's pain, but her father's built an anger in her, not that she didn't feel his pain. She swallowed the pain, bitterness and rage that rose in her. She wasn't her father and she was not going to react as he had. She understood now that it was fear that drove him to behave the way he had. He wasn't mean and hateful at all, just scared of the past repeating itself, only with mutants instead of Jews. She noticed then the number tattooed on his forearm. "I understand now, but it will not change my mind. It was wrong and I will help you prevent it from happening again should someone decide to make a Hitler move against mutants, but I will not aid in you in trying to dominate the human race."
"No. I did not think you would," was his response.
Lizzy studied him. He was troubled about something, she could hear it in his voice and even sense it in his posture. "What is it, Magnus?"
He looked her in the eye. "I was just thinking of your mother. You are so much like her. I want you to understand something."
She cocked her head to the side. "Okay."
"I know you must wonder what I was doing with a woman that much younger than myself. After Magda's death, I never thought I would fall in love again. Your mother, as young as she was and as innocent, even as naive as she was, she was more than willing to love a worthless soul like mine."
Tears filled Lizzy's eyes as she thought of her mother, then of Logan. She closed her eyes, pulling her knees to her chest. "Go on."
"She gave me hope again. She loved me despite my faults, and they are many."
Lizzy began to shake as she sobbed with her tears. For the first time in her life, she felt close to her dead mother. And she hated that she was so much like her, loving a man with so much hurt. She wanted to scream. She thought she'd come to grips with losing Logan and the pain of her life, but apparently she hadn't.
Feeling helpless in this situation, as he didn't know how to react. A mix of emotions. He longed to take her in his arms and comfort her, but would she reject him if he did? Would she shun his attempt at being a father to her? He couldn't stand not doing anything. Standing he walked over to where she sat. He touched her shoulders, pulling her to her feet, and her arms wrapped around him. Slightly relieved, he wrapped his arms around her. "It will be all right, Elizabetta. Just let it go, let it all out."
She sobbed harder into his shirt. She hated it, hated being so broken apart by a past she couldn't change. She hated that one man could hurt her so much. She'd grown used to men letting her down, why did Logan have to still bother her so much?
Several moments after her tears slowed almost to a stop, he pulled away from her. He looked her in the eye, then pulled a hanky from his pocket. He presented it to her, then gently wiped the tears from her face. "There you are. Feel better?"
She nodded, giving him a watery smile. "Thank you."
He handed her the hanky. "I'm not a telepath by any means, but I'm empathic enough to know this wasn't over your mother."
Lizzy looked him in the eye. "I've just felt closer to her than I ever have. I've hardly cried over her, I never knew her. I'm just not ready to talk about it."
"All right. I'll have to accept that."
She leaned over and kissed his cheek. "Thanks, . . . Daddy." She turned then and left the room.
Magneto smiled touched as she walked away. He'd been accepted by her as her father.
Lizzy made her way from the office toward her room, but was stopped by Sabretooth. He glared at her, as he sniffed the air around her. He held up a shirt, that he'd taken from her room. "Your clothes stink of Wolverine!"
Lizzy looked him in the eye and snatched the shirt away from him. She hadn't washed or worn the shirt he held since having been wearing it while in Logan's arms. She'd never bothered with the shirt, though she carried it in her clothes.
"You're Wolverine's woman."
"Logan doesn't have a woman." She turned sideways to squeeze past him, but he grabbed her. She turned and looked down at his hand, which gripped her arm. "If you want to keep that hand, you'd better let go of me!"
He growled at her. "Wolverine doesn't let his women go so easily."
"Logan doesn't have a woman and he doesn't want one."
"Ooh, looks like someone got their heart broke."
"You better learn to mind your own business you furry-haired, fang-toothed, genetic misfire of an alley cat!"
Sabretooth growled again.
"Sabretooth," Magneto snapped. "Your vengence with Wolverine has no place here with MY DAUGHTER! Any ties she may or may not have to him are of no concern to you!"
Sabretooth growled, then walked away.
Lizzy glanced at her father, then headed for her room. She knew he was following her. "Thank you, but I could have handled it."
"I'm aware of that. It's a father's duty and right to protect his daughter," Magneto said. "I think I understand why it is that you were so broken up earlier."
Lizzy spun around and looked at him. "Really?"
"You don't have to be so ouchy with it. I'm sure there's a reason you're hurting, and I'm sure you have the right to be upset with him," Magneto said.
Lizzy looked blankly at him. "Father, what is between Logan and I will remain that way. I told you I don't wish to discuss it and I meant it. I'm not delusioned enough to think that you won't put two and two together, but I'm not giving you more information than you already have."
Magneto was disappointed at her sudden coldness, but it was apparent that Logan was a subject best left alone. "I understand. I won't ask about it, but I will tell you this, I will not sit idley by while he or any other man causes you pain."
Lizzy smiled then. She tossed the shirt on the bed, and turned to face him. "And I wouldn't ask you to. Just so long as we understand each other."
"Just as long," he agreed.
Lizzy smiled again. She was glad she'd found her father. It was good to have him in her life. She needed him in her life, especially at this point.
~ ~ ~
Lizzy sat in Magneto's office, reading a book. There was little else to do when he wasn't there. She shifted in her chair, then noticed Mystique standing in the doorway. She met her gaze momentarily then went back to reading her book not concerned with Mystique. She knew the woman didn't like her or trust her, but she didn't care. Mystique was the least of her concerns. She was here to build a relationship with her father. She did have to come to grips with the fact that Mystique had a relationship with her father. She hated the thought of that woman being with her father. She shifted in her seat again and continued reading her book. She knew Mystique wouldn't leave until she'd had her say but she wasn't going to be kissing her butt.
"What do you think you're doing?"
"What does it look like, Mystic?"
"This is Eric's office. You're not supposed to be in here."
"Says who? My father never said anything to me about it being off limits."
Mystique glared at her. "Just because you say he's your father, and just because you have Magnetic powers doesn't make him your father. You don't know who you're messing with."
Lizzy arched a brow. "My reasons for being here have nothing to do with you, only my father."
"So you say. We all know that you've spent the last couple of years with Xavier. How do we know that you aren't trying to destroy Magnus?"
Lizzy was on her feet and next to Mystique. "Trying to destroy him? He's my father, you blue scaly skinned Jezebel! I have no intentions what-so-ever of trying to cause him any kind of pain, or trying to destroy him! I came here to build a relationship with him, since I was denied it as a child! So you take your little attitude and check it at the door. I ain't leaving!"
"And you think I am?"
"I ain't even gonna ask you to leave. You love my father and that's something I have to learn to deal with, but you had better learn to deal with me. My father's just about all that I've got left in this world and I'm not gonna lose him."
"Even for Logan? . . . Sabretooth doesn't know how to keep his mouth shut."
Lizzy took a deep breath as she studied her. 'There comes a point when we have to come clean even with our enemies. Sometimes they're not as bad as we think. We all get confused and make some mistakes.' Kurt's words came at her like seeds of wisdom. "If I had to choose, Mystique, I'd choose my father. But if it cost me my own life, I wouldn't let them kill each other."
Mystique stared at her. "You really mean that."
"I do. There is nothing between Logan and I. admitedly we did have a . . . I can't even call it a relationship, but it's over."
"I'm sorry."
Lizzy cocked her head to the side. "For what?"
"Your broken heart. I know what it's like."
"Maybe you and I should get together and talk about it."
"Don't hold your breath, kid." Mystique turned then and walked out.
Lizzy stood there a moment staring at the empty space where the woman had been standing, then smiled. She turned and walked back over to the chair where she'd been sitting, and sat down.
~ ~ ~
Meanwhile in New York city, Magneto was engaged in a fierce battle with some of the Friends Of Humanity. As the alarm buzzer sounded through out the mansion, the X-Men came running. As they came into the war room, Xavier had the monitors on showing what was happening. Logan growled, he'd only come back for funds and some clean clothes, as he saw Magneto. "Let him take care of it!"
Xavier turned to Logan. He popped back in about every two months, then packed up and left again. "Though we may not agree with him, we will not destroy the man! He needs our help against one of our enemies!"
"We're on it, Professor," Scott said as he, Rogue, Jean, Storm, and some of the others headed out of the room.
Once the others left the room, Xavier looked at Logan. "You can't blame Magneto for problems you've had with my granddaughter! She left because she was hurting, and though I'd honestly like to blame you, it's as much my fault. I pushed the two of you together when she first arrived. If I had said something sooner, or not said anything at all."
"If I had gone with my own instincts we wouldn't be having this conversation!"
Evelyn stood in the doorway. She hadn't heard either man act that way about the situation. In fact Logan had been angry with Lizzy for a long time, until Rogue had blown up at him. And Charles had blamed Logan though he didn't say it to his face. He was glad when Logan left shortly after Lizzy had. She hated the thoughts of her granddaughter having fallen in love with Logan. It reminded her so much of the past, and what had happened with Isabella. But here for the first time she realized that it was real love that was driving Logan, when it came to Lizzy. She released a breath as she stood there. The two men continued with their conversation. If only they knew that Lizzy had contacted her just moments ago. She had heard almost monthly updates from Kurt on what was happening with Lizzy, but today for the first time in two years she heard from the girl. She was doing good and getting along well with her father. "Neither of you can take all the blame for this," Evelyn said.
Logan turned and looked at her. "What do you mean?"
"We all know that she had intentions of looking for her father eventually. I shouldn't have kept secrets from her. Now that the blame has been evenly laid out, I suggest we do our best to try and find her."
"Good luck, Lady. If the professor can't find her with Cerebro, and this nose can't. There ain't no finding her."
"You seem to forget something, Logan. I raised that girl from the time she was born. You don't have to help, but I intend to find out where she's hiding. I do know that she's no longer hiding out with Kurt."
"He wouldn't tell you that," Logan said. "How do you know?"
"Because I'm an old woman who uses her head. Now are you going to help me or not?"
~ Part Seven ~
The biggest problem she'd face, Lizzy found, was Mystique. Toad and Sabretooth didn't care either way. Of course, who'd care if a beautiful lady mutant was sleeping in an extra room in their house? Lizzy spent a lot of time with Magneto, getting to know him and the man he was. She learned his behavior, and why he was the way he was. The concentration camps, and the death, all caused by one man Adolph Hitler with the blessings of the Roman Catholic Church. A hatred like none she'd ever felt built in her as she lived, through her father's eyes, in the concentration camps. She pulled out of his mind and studied him. She'd simply been heart broken over Logan's pain, but her father's built an anger in her, not that she didn't feel his pain. She swallowed the pain, bitterness and rage that rose in her. She wasn't her father and she was not going to react as he had. She understood now that it was fear that drove him to behave the way he had. He wasn't mean and hateful at all, just scared of the past repeating itself, only with mutants instead of Jews. She noticed then the number tattooed on his forearm. "I understand now, but it will not change my mind. It was wrong and I will help you prevent it from happening again should someone decide to make a Hitler move against mutants, but I will not aid in you in trying to dominate the human race."
"No. I did not think you would," was his response.
Lizzy studied him. He was troubled about something, she could hear it in his voice and even sense it in his posture. "What is it, Magnus?"
He looked her in the eye. "I was just thinking of your mother. You are so much like her. I want you to understand something."
She cocked her head to the side. "Okay."
"I know you must wonder what I was doing with a woman that much younger than myself. After Magda's death, I never thought I would fall in love again. Your mother, as young as she was and as innocent, even as naive as she was, she was more than willing to love a worthless soul like mine."
Tears filled Lizzy's eyes as she thought of her mother, then of Logan. She closed her eyes, pulling her knees to her chest. "Go on."
"She gave me hope again. She loved me despite my faults, and they are many."
Lizzy began to shake as she sobbed with her tears. For the first time in her life, she felt close to her dead mother. And she hated that she was so much like her, loving a man with so much hurt. She wanted to scream. She thought she'd come to grips with losing Logan and the pain of her life, but apparently she hadn't.
Feeling helpless in this situation, as he didn't know how to react. A mix of emotions. He longed to take her in his arms and comfort her, but would she reject him if he did? Would she shun his attempt at being a father to her? He couldn't stand not doing anything. Standing he walked over to where she sat. He touched her shoulders, pulling her to her feet, and her arms wrapped around him. Slightly relieved, he wrapped his arms around her. "It will be all right, Elizabetta. Just let it go, let it all out."
She sobbed harder into his shirt. She hated it, hated being so broken apart by a past she couldn't change. She hated that one man could hurt her so much. She'd grown used to men letting her down, why did Logan have to still bother her so much?
Several moments after her tears slowed almost to a stop, he pulled away from her. He looked her in the eye, then pulled a hanky from his pocket. He presented it to her, then gently wiped the tears from her face. "There you are. Feel better?"
She nodded, giving him a watery smile. "Thank you."
He handed her the hanky. "I'm not a telepath by any means, but I'm empathic enough to know this wasn't over your mother."
Lizzy looked him in the eye. "I've just felt closer to her than I ever have. I've hardly cried over her, I never knew her. I'm just not ready to talk about it."
"All right. I'll have to accept that."
She leaned over and kissed his cheek. "Thanks, . . . Daddy." She turned then and left the room.
Magneto smiled touched as she walked away. He'd been accepted by her as her father.
Lizzy made her way from the office toward her room, but was stopped by Sabretooth. He glared at her, as he sniffed the air around her. He held up a shirt, that he'd taken from her room. "Your clothes stink of Wolverine!"
Lizzy looked him in the eye and snatched the shirt away from him. She hadn't washed or worn the shirt he held since having been wearing it while in Logan's arms. She'd never bothered with the shirt, though she carried it in her clothes.
"You're Wolverine's woman."
"Logan doesn't have a woman." She turned sideways to squeeze past him, but he grabbed her. She turned and looked down at his hand, which gripped her arm. "If you want to keep that hand, you'd better let go of me!"
He growled at her. "Wolverine doesn't let his women go so easily."
"Logan doesn't have a woman and he doesn't want one."
"Ooh, looks like someone got their heart broke."
"You better learn to mind your own business you furry-haired, fang-toothed, genetic misfire of an alley cat!"
Sabretooth growled again.
"Sabretooth," Magneto snapped. "Your vengence with Wolverine has no place here with MY DAUGHTER! Any ties she may or may not have to him are of no concern to you!"
Sabretooth growled, then walked away.
Lizzy glanced at her father, then headed for her room. She knew he was following her. "Thank you, but I could have handled it."
"I'm aware of that. It's a father's duty and right to protect his daughter," Magneto said. "I think I understand why it is that you were so broken up earlier."
Lizzy spun around and looked at him. "Really?"
"You don't have to be so ouchy with it. I'm sure there's a reason you're hurting, and I'm sure you have the right to be upset with him," Magneto said.
Lizzy looked blankly at him. "Father, what is between Logan and I will remain that way. I told you I don't wish to discuss it and I meant it. I'm not delusioned enough to think that you won't put two and two together, but I'm not giving you more information than you already have."
Magneto was disappointed at her sudden coldness, but it was apparent that Logan was a subject best left alone. "I understand. I won't ask about it, but I will tell you this, I will not sit idley by while he or any other man causes you pain."
Lizzy smiled then. She tossed the shirt on the bed, and turned to face him. "And I wouldn't ask you to. Just so long as we understand each other."
"Just as long," he agreed.
Lizzy smiled again. She was glad she'd found her father. It was good to have him in her life. She needed him in her life, especially at this point.
~ ~ ~
Lizzy sat in Magneto's office, reading a book. There was little else to do when he wasn't there. She shifted in her chair, then noticed Mystique standing in the doorway. She met her gaze momentarily then went back to reading her book not concerned with Mystique. She knew the woman didn't like her or trust her, but she didn't care. Mystique was the least of her concerns. She was here to build a relationship with her father. She did have to come to grips with the fact that Mystique had a relationship with her father. She hated the thought of that woman being with her father. She shifted in her seat again and continued reading her book. She knew Mystique wouldn't leave until she'd had her say but she wasn't going to be kissing her butt.
"What do you think you're doing?"
"What does it look like, Mystic?"
"This is Eric's office. You're not supposed to be in here."
"Says who? My father never said anything to me about it being off limits."
Mystique glared at her. "Just because you say he's your father, and just because you have Magnetic powers doesn't make him your father. You don't know who you're messing with."
Lizzy arched a brow. "My reasons for being here have nothing to do with you, only my father."
"So you say. We all know that you've spent the last couple of years with Xavier. How do we know that you aren't trying to destroy Magnus?"
Lizzy was on her feet and next to Mystique. "Trying to destroy him? He's my father, you blue scaly skinned Jezebel! I have no intentions what-so-ever of trying to cause him any kind of pain, or trying to destroy him! I came here to build a relationship with him, since I was denied it as a child! So you take your little attitude and check it at the door. I ain't leaving!"
"And you think I am?"
"I ain't even gonna ask you to leave. You love my father and that's something I have to learn to deal with, but you had better learn to deal with me. My father's just about all that I've got left in this world and I'm not gonna lose him."
"Even for Logan? . . . Sabretooth doesn't know how to keep his mouth shut."
Lizzy took a deep breath as she studied her. 'There comes a point when we have to come clean even with our enemies. Sometimes they're not as bad as we think. We all get confused and make some mistakes.' Kurt's words came at her like seeds of wisdom. "If I had to choose, Mystique, I'd choose my father. But if it cost me my own life, I wouldn't let them kill each other."
Mystique stared at her. "You really mean that."
"I do. There is nothing between Logan and I. admitedly we did have a . . . I can't even call it a relationship, but it's over."
"I'm sorry."
Lizzy cocked her head to the side. "For what?"
"Your broken heart. I know what it's like."
"Maybe you and I should get together and talk about it."
"Don't hold your breath, kid." Mystique turned then and walked out.
Lizzy stood there a moment staring at the empty space where the woman had been standing, then smiled. She turned and walked back over to the chair where she'd been sitting, and sat down.
~ ~ ~
Meanwhile in New York city, Magneto was engaged in a fierce battle with some of the Friends Of Humanity. As the alarm buzzer sounded through out the mansion, the X-Men came running. As they came into the war room, Xavier had the monitors on showing what was happening. Logan growled, he'd only come back for funds and some clean clothes, as he saw Magneto. "Let him take care of it!"
Xavier turned to Logan. He popped back in about every two months, then packed up and left again. "Though we may not agree with him, we will not destroy the man! He needs our help against one of our enemies!"
"We're on it, Professor," Scott said as he, Rogue, Jean, Storm, and some of the others headed out of the room.
Once the others left the room, Xavier looked at Logan. "You can't blame Magneto for problems you've had with my granddaughter! She left because she was hurting, and though I'd honestly like to blame you, it's as much my fault. I pushed the two of you together when she first arrived. If I had said something sooner, or not said anything at all."
"If I had gone with my own instincts we wouldn't be having this conversation!"
Evelyn stood in the doorway. She hadn't heard either man act that way about the situation. In fact Logan had been angry with Lizzy for a long time, until Rogue had blown up at him. And Charles had blamed Logan though he didn't say it to his face. He was glad when Logan left shortly after Lizzy had. She hated the thoughts of her granddaughter having fallen in love with Logan. It reminded her so much of the past, and what had happened with Isabella. But here for the first time she realized that it was real love that was driving Logan, when it came to Lizzy. She released a breath as she stood there. The two men continued with their conversation. If only they knew that Lizzy had contacted her just moments ago. She had heard almost monthly updates from Kurt on what was happening with Lizzy, but today for the first time in two years she heard from the girl. She was doing good and getting along well with her father. "Neither of you can take all the blame for this," Evelyn said.
Logan turned and looked at her. "What do you mean?"
"We all know that she had intentions of looking for her father eventually. I shouldn't have kept secrets from her. Now that the blame has been evenly laid out, I suggest we do our best to try and find her."
"Good luck, Lady. If the professor can't find her with Cerebro, and this nose can't. There ain't no finding her."
"You seem to forget something, Logan. I raised that girl from the time she was born. You don't have to help, but I intend to find out where she's hiding. I do know that she's no longer hiding out with Kurt."
"He wouldn't tell you that," Logan said. "How do you know?"
"Because I'm an old woman who uses her head. Now are you going to help me or not?"