Disclaimer: I do not own the X-Men or their world, and am making no money
from this story. Corrinth owns Dr Ilehana Xavier. I own Blaze.
A/N: Reviews are gold dust, and duly appreciated.
11
Nothing made sense. She couldn't work out what had happened to her. She didn't remember getting her arm sliced up, or her other palm for that matter. Made driving the car tricky with only one hand that could only kind of grip the wheel. Neither did she remember arriving at that weird mansion. Maybe she had been drugged. Maybe she still was. It would explain what that boring scientist she'd been with earlier had been spiking her drinks with. She'd hoped whatever it was might just plain kill her. But no, this was a much more interesting kind of torture. She wondered if she could just stop breathing? How easy would it be to drive this car into a wall and just stop?
A car swerved into view behind her, a familiar figure driving was the man from the bar. Remy's stunning blonde friend was sat next to him. Gambit himself was in the back, visible to her leaning forward between the two front seats. If their car stopped suddenly, he'd shoot straight through the windscreen. Blaze thought about pulling an emergency stop. But, no, she didn't hate him that much. Blaze didn't wish death on people casually. Not even herself. She sped up.
Ilehana concentrated, and then was in Blaze's mind. It was tricky, the speed of the two cars a distraction. And she didn't want to panic the redhead even more. Slowly, like tendrils of frost across a pane of glass, she eased herself through Blaze's motor functions. Ilehana, through Blaze's body, slowed the car. Logan matched the speed, concentrating. Gambit held his breath. Finally, certain of no resistance, Ilehana bid Blaze to stop the car completely and put the hand break on. Vixen felt the pain as a hand ripped to ribbons tensed to tug the stiff lever, and with a gasp of breath she was back in her own body.
Gambit had been out of the car before it had even stopped, sprinting to open the driver's door of Blaze's car. The window was smashed where she'd gained entry to the stolen vehicle. The door creaked as it opened, and Blaze slipped right out into his arms. Her eyes were open, but vacant. She was Ilehana's puppet again as he picked her up like a child and carried her back to the other car. He wouldn't let himself think about what she might be when she woke up.
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"If only.........." If only was not a very wolfish thought, not one of Ilehana's usual philosophies, but as she sat with Logan's arm around her in her room, it was the only one to spring to mind. "If only I hadn't woken her, she would have gone through her memories naturally, and woken up herself eventually........."
"You didn't know that babe." He told her quietly, breathing in her scent, his face very close to hers. "And she was a long way from home, with who knows what kinda hell to cross first. At least now your dad's here, she won't have to fight her way back alone."
"And if she doesn't want to come back?" Ilehana turned and look at him. "If she decides she doesn't believe us and leaves again? We can't force her."
"No." Logan agreed. "I know." He held Ilehana tightly, feeling her tenseness. He wished he had more comfort to offer her. He didn't. "I know."
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"Am I a prisoner here?" "Of course not, Laura." The older man she spoke to had an air of kindness about him, sat in his wheelchair and looking concerned. She didn't know how he knew her name. "This school is your home, your place of work........."
"I know, you told me already." She was standing with her arms folded defensively across her chest. "But I don't remember. You say I've been here about five years, but I don't remember any of that. I don't know who you people are."
"You do know, Blaze." He was insistent. "Your memories aren't lost, you are just displaced within them. I can help you find your way back to where you are now, if you'll let me?"
"Why should I?" Blaze shook her head and refused to meet the Professor's eyes. "Because you have told me this is the truth? On your assurance that you are and I am who you say we are? What if I don't like the path you set before me? Even if what you say is true, why shouldn't I go out there and make myself a new path? Take this opportunity and go and start again?"
"You could." Xavier agreed slowly. "Your friends, your family here would understand if you wanted to try that. No one will try and force you, and I will not hide from you that the path back to now will not be an easy one. I can help you, but you will have to navigate the rest of your memories from where you are now to where you should be."
"Five plus years worth! Won't that take, um, five years?" Blaze didn't mean to raise her voice, but it was difficult not to.
"No, you are skipping between memories your mind thinks are more important than the rest. With my help, it may only take you a few hours."
"Huh, my life's that exciting is it?" She scoffed uncomfortably. "This is nuts, and I'm leaving."
"Blaze." Xavier wished he hadn't had to play this card, but he couldn't just let her walk out the door like she was threatening to without telling her the absolute true cost of forgetting. "You have a child now."
A/N: Reviews are gold dust, and duly appreciated.
11
Nothing made sense. She couldn't work out what had happened to her. She didn't remember getting her arm sliced up, or her other palm for that matter. Made driving the car tricky with only one hand that could only kind of grip the wheel. Neither did she remember arriving at that weird mansion. Maybe she had been drugged. Maybe she still was. It would explain what that boring scientist she'd been with earlier had been spiking her drinks with. She'd hoped whatever it was might just plain kill her. But no, this was a much more interesting kind of torture. She wondered if she could just stop breathing? How easy would it be to drive this car into a wall and just stop?
A car swerved into view behind her, a familiar figure driving was the man from the bar. Remy's stunning blonde friend was sat next to him. Gambit himself was in the back, visible to her leaning forward between the two front seats. If their car stopped suddenly, he'd shoot straight through the windscreen. Blaze thought about pulling an emergency stop. But, no, she didn't hate him that much. Blaze didn't wish death on people casually. Not even herself. She sped up.
Ilehana concentrated, and then was in Blaze's mind. It was tricky, the speed of the two cars a distraction. And she didn't want to panic the redhead even more. Slowly, like tendrils of frost across a pane of glass, she eased herself through Blaze's motor functions. Ilehana, through Blaze's body, slowed the car. Logan matched the speed, concentrating. Gambit held his breath. Finally, certain of no resistance, Ilehana bid Blaze to stop the car completely and put the hand break on. Vixen felt the pain as a hand ripped to ribbons tensed to tug the stiff lever, and with a gasp of breath she was back in her own body.
Gambit had been out of the car before it had even stopped, sprinting to open the driver's door of Blaze's car. The window was smashed where she'd gained entry to the stolen vehicle. The door creaked as it opened, and Blaze slipped right out into his arms. Her eyes were open, but vacant. She was Ilehana's puppet again as he picked her up like a child and carried her back to the other car. He wouldn't let himself think about what she might be when she woke up.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"If only.........." If only was not a very wolfish thought, not one of Ilehana's usual philosophies, but as she sat with Logan's arm around her in her room, it was the only one to spring to mind. "If only I hadn't woken her, she would have gone through her memories naturally, and woken up herself eventually........."
"You didn't know that babe." He told her quietly, breathing in her scent, his face very close to hers. "And she was a long way from home, with who knows what kinda hell to cross first. At least now your dad's here, she won't have to fight her way back alone."
"And if she doesn't want to come back?" Ilehana turned and look at him. "If she decides she doesn't believe us and leaves again? We can't force her."
"No." Logan agreed. "I know." He held Ilehana tightly, feeling her tenseness. He wished he had more comfort to offer her. He didn't. "I know."
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"Am I a prisoner here?" "Of course not, Laura." The older man she spoke to had an air of kindness about him, sat in his wheelchair and looking concerned. She didn't know how he knew her name. "This school is your home, your place of work........."
"I know, you told me already." She was standing with her arms folded defensively across her chest. "But I don't remember. You say I've been here about five years, but I don't remember any of that. I don't know who you people are."
"You do know, Blaze." He was insistent. "Your memories aren't lost, you are just displaced within them. I can help you find your way back to where you are now, if you'll let me?"
"Why should I?" Blaze shook her head and refused to meet the Professor's eyes. "Because you have told me this is the truth? On your assurance that you are and I am who you say we are? What if I don't like the path you set before me? Even if what you say is true, why shouldn't I go out there and make myself a new path? Take this opportunity and go and start again?"
"You could." Xavier agreed slowly. "Your friends, your family here would understand if you wanted to try that. No one will try and force you, and I will not hide from you that the path back to now will not be an easy one. I can help you, but you will have to navigate the rest of your memories from where you are now to where you should be."
"Five plus years worth! Won't that take, um, five years?" Blaze didn't mean to raise her voice, but it was difficult not to.
"No, you are skipping between memories your mind thinks are more important than the rest. With my help, it may only take you a few hours."
"Huh, my life's that exciting is it?" She scoffed uncomfortably. "This is nuts, and I'm leaving."
"Blaze." Xavier wished he hadn't had to play this card, but he couldn't just let her walk out the door like she was threatening to without telling her the absolute true cost of forgetting. "You have a child now."