Chapter 14.
We both lie silently still
In the dead of the night
Although we both lie close together
We feel miles apart inside
Was it something I said or something I did
Did my words not come out right
Though I tried not to hurt you
Though I tried
But I guess that's why they say
Every rose has it's thorn
Just like every night has it's dawn
Just like every cowboy sings his sad, sad song
Every rose has it's thorn
Yeah it does
I listen to our favorite song
Playing on the radio
Hear the DJ say loves a game of easy come and easy go
But I wonder does he know
Has he ever felt like this
And I know that you'd be here right now
If I could have let you know somehow
I guess
Every rose has it's thorn
Just like every night has it's dawn
Just like every cowboy sings his sad, sad song
Every rose has it's thorn
Though it's been a while now
I can still feel so much pain
Like a knife that cuts you the wound heals
But the scar, that scar remains
I know I could have saved a love that night
If I'd known what to say
Instead of makin' love
We both made our separate ways
But now I hear you found somebody new
And that I never meant that much to you
To hear that tears me up inside
And to see you cuts me like a knife
I guess
Every rose has it's thorn
Just like every night has it's dawn
Just like every cowboy sings his sad, sad song
Every rose has it's thorn
"BIRDY!!!"
Victor waited a moment. No answer. He growled. "BIRDY, get yer skinny ass in here!"
Birdy's blonde head poked in through the door. "Yes, boss?"
"Get me somethin' ta drink, woman. Somethin' strong."
"Make your own damn drink," Birdy snapped.
Victor stood to his full height. "I said get me a drink!"
Birdy scurried from the room.
Victor slammed his hand down on his desk. He felt like he was stuck in a rut. The damn bloodlust had gotten too much for him, and now he had his little "assistant" make them go away.
She was an asset when he needed the Glow. Beyond that…
Victor growled. He needed to go out. He needed fresh air and bloodshed.
"Here's your drink, boss."
Victor knocked it out of Birdy's hand. "I don't want it." He started for the door.
"Where ya goin', boss?"
"Out. Just be ready to give me the Glow when I get back."
"Yes, boss," Birdy said, her voice holding a tinge of sarcasm.
She sat down on the couch and began reading the latest issue of Vogue.
"Whatcha got, Rogue?" Rogue grinned at Logan.
"Read 'em and weep, gals." She set down a straight. Kitty and Storm grumbled and threw their cards down. Logan just grinned right back and put down a straight flush of hearts. "Gosh darn it!" Rogue threw her hand at Logan.
"Now now, there's no call for that kind of language," said Kitty in a smarmy tone that eerily mimicked Jean's. The other three women at the card table burst out laughing.
"Who's deal is it?" Logan asked. Storm took the deck and began to shuffle. Logan took a sip of her beer and fiddled with her chips.
"Hey," said Kitty, who had the smallest pile. "Have you guys every played truth or dare poker?"
"We're not seventeen, Kitty," said Rogue. Kitty shot her a look.
"Fine then, you can go join the AARP while we play." Logan snickered.
"I think maybe you've had enough beer, Kit."
"What is truth or dare poker?" said Storm, dealing.
"Losers tell the truth or take a dare from the winner," said Kitty. She picked up her cards. "So are you in?"
"Sure, what the hell," said Logan.
Kitty grinned. "Deal us in, 'Ro."
Logan couldn't believe of all her dumb luck, this would've been the time she got nothing better than a pair of deuces. And the gleam in Kitty's eyes made Logan nervous.
She turned to Logan first. "All right, Wolvie, truth or dare?"
Logan pondered the question for a moment. She had a sudden mental montage of all the possible dares Kitty could come up with. She decided a truth would be safer. Maybe it would be something that would let her claim amnesia.
"Truth."
Kitty's grin made her look like the Cheshire Cat. "If you could do any man in the mansion, who would it be?"
Logan balked. Rogue and Storm gasped. "Can I take a pass?"
"Nope. You took the truth. Or do you want me to tell Remy who really put those extra miles on his precious baby?"
"You wouldn't!"
"Try me."
"I'm not answerin' the question, Pryde."
"You are such a wuss," said Kitty. "Fine…I'll just go down the list, and you say yes or no."
"This should be interesting…" said Storm. Logan glared at her before turning back to Kitty.
"I'm gonna get you for this, Shadowcat."
"Whatever, Logan. Bobby?"
"Uh…he's a little immature for me, Kitty."
"Beast?"
"God, no. You're a freak, Pryde." Kitty rolled her eyes.
"You should talk. Remy?" Logan saw Rogue's suddenly homicidal look and quickly averted her eyes.
"Nope." Kitty's mouth dropped open.
"Ohmigod. Scott?!" Logan didn't reply, but the redness creeping into her cheeks answered for her. "Oh my god!" Kitty shrieked again. "I don't believe it!"
"I didn't say yes!"
"You didn't have to, sugah," said Rogue, giggling. "You're turnin' reddern' a maple leaf." Even Storm was struggling not to laugh.
"Well…I suppose there are worse choices, Logan."
"Shut up, Ororo!"
"D'you know what Jean would do to you if she knew?" said Rogue.
"Never mind Logan—what about poor Cyclops?" said Kitty. Logan put her head in her hands.
"If you guys tell anyone I'll kill you." Storm patted her hand.
"Your secret is safe with us, Logan."
"Yeah, we won't tell on ya," Rogue assured her. "Scott needs t'cut loose." She grinned wickedly. "Maybe you can help him."
Logan wished she had taken the dare.
Unaware of the secrets being divulged a floor above their heads, the males of the X-Men gathered in the rec room, watching a football game. The Saints were playing. Remy was happy, albeit a bit in denial, believing being behind 21 points in the last two minutes of the fourth quarter wasn't the kiss of death.
"I'm surprised Jean hasn't come to fetch you yet, Scott," Bobby said, leaning back on the couch. "Usually by now she'll come down and tell you it's passed your bedtime."
Even with his glasses, it was apparent Scott was glaring at Bobby. "Just because she wants me with her when she goes to sleep doesn't make her some sort of shrew, Drake."
"Whatever, man." Bobby smirked. "You know who I'd like with me when I sleep? Logan."
Remy looked over at him. "I t'ought you loved Kitty. Five minutes ago she was de woman of your dreams."
"Yeah, but Logan's really, really hot. I mean, have you seen her ass in her uniform? Makes it really hard to concentrate in battle."
"You shouldn't talk about Wolverine that way," Scott scolded. "She's your teammate and deserves respect."
"Like you aren't thinking it, too," Bobby said. "I've seen you try to look down her shirt in training sims."
Scott's face began to match his glasses. "I do not!"
The game over, Remy focused on the conversation. "Y'know, mon ami, it's pretty obvious. You t'ink we believe it's 'accidental' all dose time you brush up against her?"
"I wouldn't do that to Logan!"
Beast looked up from his newspaper. "You did with Jean back in the early days of the team. Maybe it is a behavior pattern with you, Scott."
"You're not against me, too, Hank?!"
Hank shrugged. "I'm just stating the obvious, my friend."
"C'mon, Scottie, admit it," Bobby said, a gleam in his eye. "You think Logan's one hot mama."
"You are so immature, Drake."
"LOGAN AND SCOTTIE SITTING IN A TREE…"
"Knock it off, Drake!" Scott said in his Fearless Leader Voice.
"K-I-S-S-I-N-G! FIRST COMES…"
"All right, fine! I think she's cute! Just be quiet about it already."
The four men in the rec room turned when someone in the hallway cleared her throat. Scott felt his stomach drop. "Uh, hey, Jean."
"Scott, can I talk to you in our room?" she asked crisply.
"Yeah." Scott stood up. "Night, guys."
"Night," the others replied in unison.
"Man, I wouldn't want to be him tonight," Bobby said when Scott and Jean were gone.
"I wouldn't want to be you," Hank said.
"Why not?"
"Because," Remy replied, "What would you do to de guy who made you get in trouble wit your fiancée if you were Scott?"
Bobby sighed and put his chin in his hands.
"Well, I guess I better get ready for some six a.m. Danger Room sessions."
Birdy glared at Victor as she picked up his bloody clothes from the floor of his bedroom, where he had dropped them. He grinned back at her. "Waitin' on ya, Birdy," he drawled. Birdy shoved his suit into the closet and padded to the foot of the bed, preparing to give him the Glow.
"Not there," he said. Birdy sighed.
"I need to be able to work, Mr. Creed." He growled.
"You do what I tell ya, Birdy—or did you forget that already?" He patted a spot on the bed next to his naked body. "C'mere, frail." Birdy sniffed and sat primly on the spot. If she hadn't been sure he'd break her jaw if she said 'no', she would have told him to fuck off and find his own damn Glow. She took a deep breath, and hit him with it.
Inside Victor's mind, she bypassed the usual bloody images from his latest hit and went to the pulsating source of his rage and lust to kill. She had to soothe it, like an angry wound, or Victor wouldn't rest until he'd killed again. Birdy looked at what was in front of her. A cabin, surrounded by tall, forbidding evergreen trees. Birdy stepped forward, making herself a part of the scene.
Immediately, she found herself indoors, poised over a handsome man with dark skin and long black hair. Bloody claw marks ran down his face, and Birdy was nearly overcome by the sense of hatred that raged around this particular part of Creed's mind. It wasn't his usual base bloodlust—Victor had well and truly despised this man.
Using all her telepathic strength, Birdy forced the image back into the recesses of Victor's subconscious. It was harder than ever before, and she felt her own skull nearly splitting with the effort. Dimly, she heard Victor moan and knew she was making progress. She pushed again, using the last of her strength, and the image faded almost wholly. She hadn't gotten all of it, but it would hold him. She'd just have to book a new hit ASAP.
Birdy came back to reality, shuddering in a ball on the floor of Creed's room. She'd fallen off the bed. He could have cared less.
"Get outta here," he said. "You did good." Birdy made her way out of the room on shaky legs and collapsed on her own bed, wondering in spite of herself who the man in Victor's head had been, and why he had merited such hatred.
Birdy looked behind her to see if Victor was in the hallway, then put down her feather duster. She hated doing Creed's housework, but at least it gave her the occasional chance to snoop. She was hopelessly curious.
She opened a drawer in his desk and found it filled with old pictures, papers, and small trinkets. Most of it looked older than Birdy's parents. She picked up the picture on the top. It was an old, dog-eared, black and white photo, set in jungle scenery that Birdy figured was Vietnam. Victor was standing, heavily loaded with artillery, next to a woman similarly outfitted. He had his arm around her, and they both were smiling. She was surprised to see it was a genuine smile on Victor's face, not his usual maniacal grin.
"Didn't ya ever hear what curiosity did to the cat—or rather what the cat did to the curious…"
Birdy jumped in the air, dropping the picture to the ground. Victor snatched it off the ground. "Boss!"
Victor hit her, knocking her to the ground. "That's private, Birdy."
Birdy rubbed her jaw, shakily pulling herself to her feet. "Who is she, boss?"
"None of yer goddam business."
"You two look really happy…"
Victor's eyes grew dark, and he lunged at Birdy, picking her up and throwing her in the hallway. "You don't know nothin' about that!" he yelled at her, slamming and locking the door.
Birdy got up, dusted herself off, and went down the hall.
Birdy knew as soon as Victor came in the room, he was mad. She looked up, trying to smile. "You need something, boss."
"Just strip and shut up."
Birdy decided not to argue. She wasn't even sure she wanted to.
"Turn around. I don't want to look at yer face."
"You're such a romantic, Mr. Creed."
Victor growled low in his throat. "Don't make me wanna gut yer sarcastic little ass."
"Yes, boss," Birdy said with a sigh.
Victor undid his fly as he watched her undress. He wished her hair wasn't so damn blonde. The woman he wanted now had black hair. But he didn't have the energy to find a suitable replacement for the woman of his fantasies. Besides, Birdy was the one who'd gotten him in this state anyway, pulling out that old picture from his Team X days.
She'd help him push back a different kind of urge now, something that couldn't be driven away by the Glow.
Logan cursed as she dropped her wrench and it slid away from her. She stood up.
"Drop this?"
She gave Scott a half smile and took the wrench. "Thanks, Cyke."
"Working on your bike again?"
"Yeah. Here to work on your car?"
"Yeah."
"You know, you were in here working on it yesterday, and it was running just fine."
Scott sighed. "I know. It just calms me, you know. You put the parts in a car, and it works. No complications, no shades of gray."
"You and Jean having problems?"
"No. Well, not really. I'm sorta in the doghouse, but it's no big deal."
"Wanna talk about it?"
Logan could've sword she saw Scott blush a little. "No."
"All right." Logan went back to her motorcycle, and Scott to his car. It was an unspoken agreement between the two of them. In the garage, they'd put any tension from the team behind them, neither upsetting the sense of zen the fine art of mechanics gave them.
Birdy noticed something different in Creed that night. It was like he was in another world. She was in his arms physically, but not mentally.
"Are you all right, boss."
Victor growled as he re-zipped his pants. He wasn't in the mood for Birdy to be mouthy.
"I'm just asking 'cause you weren't acting like you usually do tonight. Is it because of that girl in the picture?"
"You don't know when to shut yer yap, do ya, girlie?"
"You didn't act like you were with me tonight, Mr. Creed. It was like you were with someone else. Was it her?"
Victor didn't even have the energy to take his anger out on her. "Yer stupid, frail. One of these days, it's gonna get ya in trouble."
"Mr. Creed…"
"Shut it if ya wanna keep it, Birdy!" Victor yelled as he left the room.
Birdy slumped in a chair and pouted.
"Boss, after this job is over, can we go shopping?"
"No, Birdy."
"But you promised!"
"Well, I fuckin' lied to ya then."
Birdy wondered why she bothered with Victor Creed. He took her to New York, made her wander through sewers, and she couldn't even have a good shopping spree at Bloomingdale's or Saks.
She looked over at him, taking in his rippling muscles. Suddenly, she remembered why she stuck around.
"Why you so nervous, Cajun?"
Remy's eyes shifted from shadow to shadow. "I don' like sewers, Wolverine chère. Bad mem'ries."
"Everyone quiet," hissed Scott. "We don't want to be detected by the enemy."
"And who is that, exactly?" asked Kitty.
"We don't know that, Katherine," said Jean imperiously. "The Professor didn't relay that information." Logan stopped and sniffed.
"Someone in this tunnel here. Two of them, actually." Scott pointed at Shadowcat.
"Go check it out, Kitty." Kitty nodded and phased silently through the tunnel wall. Jean put a hand to her forehead.
"I sense a strong mental signal from one of them, Scott—one with blocks in place." Scott frowned.
"Everyone be ready." He turned up the setting on his visor and Remy gave his staff a twirl.
"Ohmigod," said Kitty, phasing back through the wall. "It's Sabretooth!" Scott glowered from under his visor.
"Great."
"What's he doing here?" Jean demanded. Kitty spread her hands.
"Don't ask me, Phoenix. He's up the tunnel with a blond chick." Logan turned to Remy.
"Who's Sabretooth?" It was a little hard to tell in the dim light, but she thought Remy had gone paler than usual.
"Uh…I dunno, chère. Ain't been wit' de team long enough to memorize de rogue's gallery." Cyclops motioned his team into various shadows.
"Be ready at my signal," he whispered. Logan pressed herself back against the curving tunnel wall, ready to unsheathe her claws if something nasty should come around the corner. Somehow she didn't think a guy named Sabretooth would be the most pleasant person on earth.
Voices approached from down the tunnel, a male's and a female's. The woman seemed to be complaining about something, and he was telling her to shut the hell up.
As soon as the tall, blond man stepped into view, Logan froze. Her memories didn't return very often but now was one was rushing back and it wasn't pleasant. If she could just think… The man also stopped short, sniffing the air.
"Smells like X-geek in here, Birdy." The blonde clung closer to him.
"Whaddaya mean, Mr. Creed?"
Creed.
"Creed!" said Scott sharply, stepping out in front of the man. "I should have guessed we'd find you down here." The other X-Men also showed themselves, surrounding their two foes. Creed heaved a mock-frustrated sigh.
"Well shit, ya got me." He turned slowly, regarding the other mutants. "Looks like the gang's all here, huh Cyclops?" He leered at Jean. "Howya doin', red?" She narrowed her eyes.
"Why did you come back to the tunnels, Creed?"
"That's fer me ta know and you to find out, gorgeous." Logan shivered at his gravelly voice—he was so familiar and yet she didn't know why. It was enough to drive her crazy. "Well well, looks like some new blood," he said, looking down at Kitty. "Aren't you kinda small ta be playin' with the big kids, girlie?"
"Bite me," snapped Kitty.
"Leave her alone, homme, or I'm gonna burn off dat ugly face," said Remy, stepping in front of Kitty. Creed grinned wider.
"Hell, Remy. Haven't seen you in a dog's age." He frowned. "Since when are you playin' fer the angel's team?"
"You better shut de hell up, Creed." Jean and Scott were watching the exchanged with puzzled expressions.
"You won't get the drop on me this time, bayou boy," Creed snarled at Remy, making a move towards him.
"Touch him and pull back a stump," Logan growled, stepping to Remy's shoulder. She didn't really expect the man to stop—someone that big always had a false sense of superiority—but to her great surprise he did, almost rearing back. The shock quickly faded, and he started to laugh.
"I'll be damned. Not one but two of my dear old friends." He smiled at her, in what Logan could have sworn was an affectionate manner. "Howya doin', Wolverine?"
Suddenly, like she'd been hit by a city bus, Logan remembered.
They call me Sabretooth.
They call me Wolverine.
Aren't those little snarly things that run around the Canadian wilderness?
They can rip a man apart.
So can I, frail.
Sabretooth…blood…blood on his claws, blood from Silver Fox staining the floor and the walls. Silver Fox was dead. Creed had killed him. All because…
"Creed," Logan snarled, her claws popping out. "I remember you!" she shouted as she leapt at him. Sabretooth never had a chance to defend—Logan's attack caught him completely off guard. He hit the ground with Logan on top, her claws bent on ripping him to shreds.
"Merde!" Remy shouted, jumping out of the way.
"Wolverine, stand down!" Scott ordered her. Logan heard neither of them. She was back in the red place, the part of her that she tried to hard to keep hidden and buried. The last time it had surfaced she had killed Shingen Yashida.
And now she was going to kill Creed.
Logan's head rang as he batted her off him and into a wall, claw marks down her cheek already healing.
"Guess you're still a little ticked with me, huh runt?" he chuckled as he advanced on her. Logan prepared to assault him again, but Cyclops hit Sabretooth with an optic beam, knocking him flat.
"Boss!" the blonde screamed, whipping out an oversized gun. Jean grabbed it with her telekinesis while Remy pinned the woman's arms behind her back. "Boss!" she shrieked again. Sabretooth had already shaken off the blast and now he turned on Remy, fangs beared.
"Let her go, Gumbo." Remy charged a card and held it to Birdy's throat.
"I ain't doin' not'in' like dat, Creed." Creed growled, and then suddenly spun, a massive hand reaching out and snagging Jean by her neck.
"Then I'll gut yer frail while you singe mine. Fair?"
"Jean!" Scott shouted. "Don't hurt her," he said to Sabretooth.
"Well, frankly I'd like that, Scottie, but you give me back what's mine and I'll let yer woman go." Scott turned to Remy.
"Let her go!"
"No way, homme," said Remy tightly, his eyes still on Victor.
"DO IT!" Scott bellowed, his visor flaring. Remy's eyes also flashed red, but then he dropped the card to the damp tunnel floor, where it sizzled out. The blonde backed quickly away from him.
"Dickhead." Sabretooth tossed Jean aside and grabbed her by the arm.
"Yer an idiot, Birdy! Come on!" The two of them moved quickly into the shadows before any of the X-Men could react.
"Logan, why didn't you mention your past with Sabretooth?" Jean asked once they were on the Blackbird.
Remy sunk lower in his seat, hoping he wasn't asked the same question. Logan narrowed her eyes. "I don't remember my past, red."
"You seemed to know him back there in the Morlock tunnels."
"Well it all came flooding back!"
"What did, exactly?"
Scott looked over at his wife from the pilot's seat. "Jean, Logan looks a little upset right now. Why don't you let her breathe a little? We can discus all this later."
Jean gave Scott a less than pleasant look, but stopped the line of questions.
When the Blackbird landed at the mansion, Logan remained in her seat, letting the other X-Men file out without her. Remy stopped, but she looked away quickly, and he got the message.
A few minutes later, Logan heard Scott's voice.
"Uh, sorry, I didn't know you were still on the Blackbird."
Logan looked up. "Yeah, felt like being alone for a while."
"I was going to run a few checks on the plane, make sure it's last flight didn't cause any damage, but it can wait."
"No, I'll just go. I have my own room to mope around in." Logan got up, and started to walk off the plane.
Scott put a hand on her shoulder. "I know you like to be somewhat of a loner, but the X-Men are your family now. We're here if you need us."
"Thanks, Scott."
Scott patted her shoulder, almost nervously. He was stiff and uncertain, like a teenaged boy. Logan founded it surprisingly endearing.
She wasn't sure why she did what she did next, although later she'd explain it by saying that Creed's reemergence in her life had clouded her judgment. She raised herself up on her toes, gently kissing Scott on the lips.
Scott looked at her, his expression conveying his shock. "Logan, what was that for?"
Logan backed up. "Scott, I'm sorry. I didn't mean…"
Scott silenced her, kissing her with a passion that surprised Logan, seeing as where it was coming from. He picked her up off the ground, and she wrapped her legs around his waist, clinging to him desperately.
After a moment, Scott put her back down. He struggled to catch his breath. "Logan, I can't. I love Jean."
Logan gave him a sad smile. She was glad Scott was the man she thought he was, even if the rejection hurt. He wasn't like Mac—he was someone she could still respect. "Jean's a lucky woman."
Scott tucked a stray piece of hair behind Logan's ear. "I'm still here if you need anyone to talk to."
"I know. Thank you."
Scott kissed her chastely on the forehead, then left the Blackbird.
Logan leaned against the wall of the plane, grateful she hadn't made the same mistake she had on Alpha Flight.
"Hey, boss, that girl back in New York, that was that girl from that picture, wasn't she."
Victor glared down at his blonde companion. "Yeah, she was."
"She seemed like she didn't like you too much, boss."
Victor didn't say anything.
"Did you do something to make her mad, boss?"
Victor tried to tune her out. Otherwise, he was afraid he might hurt her, and he didn't want to lose the Glow.
"Were you in love with her?"
Victor had enough then. He pushed Birdy out of the way and stormed into his office, locking the door behind him.
"BIRDY!"
Birdy rolled over in her bed. She wasn't in the mood for this now. She was too tired.
"BIRDY!"
She groaned. Didn't the man ever sleep?
"BIRDY, NOW! BEFORE I GUT YA!"
Birdy sighed and pushed herself off the bed, shuffling into Victor's room. She opened his door. "Yes, boss?"
"Give me the Glow, Birdy. I need it now."
Birdy caught the look in Victor's eyes, and decided this wouldn't be the best time to voice her resentment—that he was all caught up in his old flame, and didn't even care that some psycho had threatened to kill her. Instead, she just did what he asked. She did what assured her that he'd never let her go like his other women.
She gave him the Glow.