"I did warn you."
"Yes, I know uncle. But I'm all right now."
"What you did was very dangerous. You could have killed both of you."
"I know, I'm sorry."
"And hopefully you'll listen to me next time when I tell you to be patient."
Emma sighed and rested her aching head on her hand. "Don't worry, I won't forget *this* headache in a hurry."
"Logan's outside. Shall I send him in?"
She nodded, and instantly regretted it. At present she was in a lower level of the institute, in the medical facility. She'd had spent the night there, although she didn't remember actually getting there. She was told that Logan had brought her down. He certainly was the caring man she had sensed he was. Emma could shake the lingering sense of him in her mind, but it wasn't a sensation she entirely disliked. She could feel his strength inside her, wrapped around her like a warm blanket.
She opened her eyes slightly as he entered. He looked like he hadn't slept. She closed them again "You look like hell."
"Yeah, you look great too."
"Always with the compliments, aren't we?" She heard him sit down.
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I will be. It's my own fault though, so I guess deserve this pounding migraine." She laughed shortly and somewhat bitterly.
"What... What did you see?" He sounded hesitant, whether of reminding her or himself of the horrific incident, she wasn't sure.
"Are you sure you want to know?" There was a long silence. But after a time he spoke, and sounded sure.
"Yes. As long as it's not too painful for you." A shiver flew down Emma's spine, but she couldn't quite tell if it was at the prospect of retelling the vision, or from the tone of his voice. The pain in her head was making everything confusing.
"I... I saw men, and you. On a table, you I mean, and they were standing around you. They..." She paused for a moment. "They were cutting into you. Like an operation." She took a deep shuddering breath. "But you were awake through it. You were screaming, and they just..." She stopped as her voice broke. The chair shifted and she felt his arm circle around her. Emma wrapped herself in his strength, drawing upon it so that she could finish.
"No matter how much you screamed, they kept going. And then, it was like I became you, and I could feel them cutting me, I could feel the pain..." Her voice became a whisper as she trailed off. Her free hand traced a line down her thigh.
"I can still feel it."
********** Her psionic powers returned slowly, but as they did Emma discovered that they'd grown much more powerful. //Gee, if it wasn't for the blinding four day headache I got after, I'd do it all the time.//
She and Logan had also become much closer. They would often train together in the early hours of the morning. He was still quiet, but she knew what he was thinking. The effect had not been one way. Logan confessed that he felt a certain connection with her. They surmised that it was because of her probing. Because of this, Emma quickly became a much better fighter, as she had gained some of his instinctual skills.
She didn't know what he'd gotten out of the transfer, but Emma didn't imagine that it could have been anything terribly useful. He seemed the same as always, if a little friendlier. But she did wonder. Sometimes she would catch him looking at her, with a strange expression on her face. Something she didn't quite recognise.
It was fairly late, but she and Logan were still awake. This had become common practice, in either his or her room. They would talk for long hours, about anything that crossed their minds. They were in her room this evening, she lying across the top of her bed while he sat on the edge at the foot.
"No way, the Yankees have got it in the bag!" She scoffed at him.
"The Yankees? They're the worst team that ever played!"
"Nuh uh..." There was a short silence, and Logan sighed.
"Well, I guess I'd better go. Gotta be up early for training." He stood, and Emma sat up. He leant down and kissed her lightly on the cheek. "Good night." Before he could leave, she reached out and grabbed his wrist.
He looked at her questioningly.
"Stay." Her voice was soft, her eyes staring into his. "Please, stay." She let go of his wrist as he slowly sat back down.
"Stay?"
She nodded, tracing her soft fingers down his cheek, along his jaw. Then, slowly, carefully, she leant forward, placing her lips gently on his. They stayed like that for a moment, neither moving, before she pulled back.
No more words were spoken. He looked at her, *into* her through her green eyes and smiled slightly. He reached forward with his hand and guided her lips back to his.
"Yes, I know uncle. But I'm all right now."
"What you did was very dangerous. You could have killed both of you."
"I know, I'm sorry."
"And hopefully you'll listen to me next time when I tell you to be patient."
Emma sighed and rested her aching head on her hand. "Don't worry, I won't forget *this* headache in a hurry."
"Logan's outside. Shall I send him in?"
She nodded, and instantly regretted it. At present she was in a lower level of the institute, in the medical facility. She'd had spent the night there, although she didn't remember actually getting there. She was told that Logan had brought her down. He certainly was the caring man she had sensed he was. Emma could shake the lingering sense of him in her mind, but it wasn't a sensation she entirely disliked. She could feel his strength inside her, wrapped around her like a warm blanket.
She opened her eyes slightly as he entered. He looked like he hadn't slept. She closed them again "You look like hell."
"Yeah, you look great too."
"Always with the compliments, aren't we?" She heard him sit down.
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I will be. It's my own fault though, so I guess deserve this pounding migraine." She laughed shortly and somewhat bitterly.
"What... What did you see?" He sounded hesitant, whether of reminding her or himself of the horrific incident, she wasn't sure.
"Are you sure you want to know?" There was a long silence. But after a time he spoke, and sounded sure.
"Yes. As long as it's not too painful for you." A shiver flew down Emma's spine, but she couldn't quite tell if it was at the prospect of retelling the vision, or from the tone of his voice. The pain in her head was making everything confusing.
"I... I saw men, and you. On a table, you I mean, and they were standing around you. They..." She paused for a moment. "They were cutting into you. Like an operation." She took a deep shuddering breath. "But you were awake through it. You were screaming, and they just..." She stopped as her voice broke. The chair shifted and she felt his arm circle around her. Emma wrapped herself in his strength, drawing upon it so that she could finish.
"No matter how much you screamed, they kept going. And then, it was like I became you, and I could feel them cutting me, I could feel the pain..." Her voice became a whisper as she trailed off. Her free hand traced a line down her thigh.
"I can still feel it."
********** Her psionic powers returned slowly, but as they did Emma discovered that they'd grown much more powerful. //Gee, if it wasn't for the blinding four day headache I got after, I'd do it all the time.//
She and Logan had also become much closer. They would often train together in the early hours of the morning. He was still quiet, but she knew what he was thinking. The effect had not been one way. Logan confessed that he felt a certain connection with her. They surmised that it was because of her probing. Because of this, Emma quickly became a much better fighter, as she had gained some of his instinctual skills.
She didn't know what he'd gotten out of the transfer, but Emma didn't imagine that it could have been anything terribly useful. He seemed the same as always, if a little friendlier. But she did wonder. Sometimes she would catch him looking at her, with a strange expression on her face. Something she didn't quite recognise.
It was fairly late, but she and Logan were still awake. This had become common practice, in either his or her room. They would talk for long hours, about anything that crossed their minds. They were in her room this evening, she lying across the top of her bed while he sat on the edge at the foot.
"No way, the Yankees have got it in the bag!" She scoffed at him.
"The Yankees? They're the worst team that ever played!"
"Nuh uh..." There was a short silence, and Logan sighed.
"Well, I guess I'd better go. Gotta be up early for training." He stood, and Emma sat up. He leant down and kissed her lightly on the cheek. "Good night." Before he could leave, she reached out and grabbed his wrist.
He looked at her questioningly.
"Stay." Her voice was soft, her eyes staring into his. "Please, stay." She let go of his wrist as he slowly sat back down.
"Stay?"
She nodded, tracing her soft fingers down his cheek, along his jaw. Then, slowly, carefully, she leant forward, placing her lips gently on his. They stayed like that for a moment, neither moving, before she pulled back.
No more words were spoken. He looked at her, *into* her through her green eyes and smiled slightly. He reached forward with his hand and guided her lips back to his.