SUPER GLUE
Bryn's heart raced, pumping vital blood to every starving muscle in her body. Her breath came quickly, panting as she ran, through the trees so quickly and blindly she had no time to swipe the branches from her path. The air was cold on her cheeks, moist with bloody scratches, white in the moonlight that filtered through the canopy. Her breath left a fading trail behind her, vehemently followed by urgent shouts and the rapid thud of heavy boots.
" Cut her off on the other side!" Barlow barked into his radio, his own breath creating hazy plumes against the cold night.
" Stop!" Bryn heard. " We will fire!"
This and other demands saturated Bryn's skin though she did not obey them - her mind was set on one thing only.
Escape.
Sharp cracks sounded all around her, momentarily drowning out the voices, sudden black dots on the silky white bark of the trees.
Bryn gasped, the air seemed razor sharp as she dragged in each lungful - then she exhaled, and could draw no more.
She had emerged from the trees, the hunters close behind her, to find a tight ring of unregistered humvees awaiting her, lights bright, but not so bright to prevent her from seeing the silhouettes of armed Templar Administration soldiers standing, leaning, sitting, their weapons aimed at her.
Bryn inhaled and lifted her arms, desperately concentrating of those obstacles - but nothing happened.
" What??" she cried, trying, again, and again, and again, to focus, to move them as she had moved cars before - nothing.
" You belong to me," Barlow declared smugly, stepping from the glare with that sickly grin splitting his face in two.
" No!" Bryn ejected, stepping back, but finding her shoulders roughly taken hold of. " No!" she repeated as she tried to struggle, but she could no more dislodge them than she could lift those cars with her mutant ability.
Barlow advanced, taking a syringe from his pocket.
" And you will do what you're told, or life will be very, very unpleasant," he leered, taking off the plastic cap.
" No! Don't! Let me go!"
" Bryn?"
" This will only sting a little," Barlow promised sarcastically.
" No!" Bryn shrieked, squirming even as one of the soldiers behind her forced her arm to extend in Barlow's direction.
" Bryn??"
" You are mine," Barlow hissed.
" Bryn???"
The syringe dove beneath her skin, its contents forced into her blood stream.
" Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!"
Bryn sat bolt up right and came face to face with Logan, who was crouched beside the mattress, one hand on her arm.
" Bryn it's ok, it was just a dream," he soothed quickly, his other hand moving to her right shoulder to steady the shakes that racked her body.
Her panting continued as she stared at him wide-eyed, a film of sweat bleeding into thin streams that trickled from her forehead and down the sides of her face.
" Nahh, haa, haa," she breathed, her lips quivering. " It was Barlow, and I couldn't use my power, and he..."
" Shhhhh," Logan exhaled, drawing her forward against his bare chest and wrapping his strong arms around her. " It was a nightmare darlin, nothin more," he whispered into her tangle of hair. " Barlow ain't gonna hurt you."
Bryn drew in some very long, very deep breaths, and slowly her heart began to resume its regular beat. There was sanctuary there, in that roguish voice, with her cheek pressing against the skin of his shoulder, with his hands firmly on her back.
" Logan!" came a sharp call, a bang on the outside of the garage door, and then a shudder as it rolled abruptly upward, spilling the pale light of early morning into the cabin.
Though he recognised the voice, Logan's arm instinctively tensed around Bryn, but both his head and hers turned to the figure that peered unceremoniously under the half raised door.
If they could have seen past Scott's sunglasses, they would have seen him blinking in surprise, but as it was, it was clearly evident by the sharp lifting of his eyes brows.
" Yeah?" Logan dropped in pointed question.
" Actually I came to tell you that Bryn was missing, but I see you found her," Scott replied, and his words emerged as if he had just swallowed something sour.
" She's fine," Logan declared caustically, and though Bryn had since looked away from the door and rest her chin on Logan's shoulder, the minefield between he and Scott was painfully obvious - what caused it she did not know.
" Sure she is," Scott responded icily. " Get to the Ready Room, we have a problem."
With that, Scott slammed the door down.
Bryn let out an explosive breath and she felt Logan's hands slide down her back and fall away.
" Sorry about that," he apologised as she sat back a little, removing her arms from him but still remaining close.
" For what?" she asked, wiping one cheek and looking sheepish. " I'm the one who should be sorry, I feel like a right baby."
" Don't," he was quick to say. " I know a little about nightmares."
A silence then settled as they just sat there for a few long moments, but it only became uncomfortable when Logan cleared his throat.
" Hah, do you want ta shower?" he asked, standing up.
" You saying I smell?" she perked with mock seriousness, but softened her face when Logan looked stricken.
" No, no of course not, I just thought..."
" I know," she grinned, dragging herself to her feet.
" Right," he exhaled, and it was his turned to look sheepish. " I'll ahh, find some clean clothes for you," he added as she shuffled toward the back section where a door led to a tiny bathroom.
" Here."
Logan threw her a towel, and Bryn disappeared.
When the door clicked such, Logan forced himself to relax, exhaling a long breath and running a hand through his hair.
Of all the people to just drop in at that moment it had to be Cyclops - but then again, Bryn was a beautiful woman, who didn't seem at all disturbed by his quirks, in fact she seemed comforted in his presence, why should he feel embarrassed because of that?
With this thought in mind, he set about locating some suitable attire.
Fifteen minutes later, he and Bryn pushed into the Ready Room beneath the mansion, to find everyone else waiting there.
Both Bryn and Logan stopped however, when they saw the projection on the white board.
It was a photo of Bryn, a recent one from the staff photos at her school, but that wasn't the problem - the real point was the information surrounding it.
Murder.
Assault.
Murder.
Weapons trafficking.
Murder.
" M, murder!" Bryn exclaimed with a fierce scowl. " What? No! Professor, I, I did not do that, I'm not..." she looked frantically around the room, searching each face for any sign that they believed what they saw. " You have to believe me!"
" We do," Xavier nodded sincerely - still however, she looked around, so he added. " We all do."
" Where the hell did that come from?" Logan questioned, feeding off Bryn's suddenly uptight emotional state and turning it into growling outrage.
" We were looking for profiles of Dylan Barlow and Julian Templar when Scott stumbled upon an Agent Barlow registered with the FBI, who is hunting down a skilled assassin illegally in the US."
" Agent Barlow?" Logan choked.
" Skilled assassin?" Bryn followed.
" This story would explain why Bryn has no papers, why there are no flight records and because there is no real investigation, there would be no noise about trial or conviction."
" I just disappear," Bryn concluded, sinking down onto a chair, but glaring at the screen like she wanted to crush it - she held back, clinging to rationality in this reality that seemed more and more unlike her life.
" Which is what, for the time being at least," Xavier said calmly. " I think you should do."
" What?" Bryn frowned, focusing back on him.
" We're going to infiltrate Templar HQ in Trenton," Storm explained. " We're going to get all the information about your condition that we can."
" But if Barlow starts nosin 'round an somehow tracks ya 'ere," Gambit went on. " Wit real police in tow..."
" It will put you in a compromising position," Bryn finished, nodding, gathering her thoughts. " You're right, I should, ahh, go, somewhere."
Logan opened his mouth but Xavier's first word was already spoken.
" Yes," he agreed. " And that's where Logan comes in."
" Wait a minute," Cyclops began, but Xavier continued because he knew that there was a high probability this oncoming protest had nothing to actually do with duty.
" Bryn's profile has no doubt been distributed to every facet of law enforcement in the area, if not the entire country, so you need to take Bryn as deep into unpatrolled country as you can."
Bryn sat listening to this, nodding her head, but her spine felt like jelly. As if sensing this, Logan placed his hand on her shoulder.
" When do you want us ta leave?" he asked.
" As soon as possible," Xavier answered.
" Professor," Scott whispered coarsely, leaning down so only Xavier could hear, though Logan's distinctly sharp hearing was the exception to that rule. " Do you really think it's wise to send Bryn out with Logan? Alone?"
" They'll never truly be alone," Xavier answered reasonably. " I shall watch their progress using Cerebro, and we'll keep in touch using the communicators."
" That isn't what I meant," Cyclops hissed, and Logan stepped forward, while Bryn watched curiously, her latest challenge momentarily forgotten.
" I know what your problem is bub," Wolverine began in a warning, but obviously restrained fashion. " And you need ta drop it."
" How about I drop you??" Scott snapped back.
" You really wanna invite that kinda pounding?" Logan retaliated, drawing closer - then Bryn intervened, by standing up.
" Hey!" she called bluntly, and everyone turned to look at her. " I don't mean to break up the imminent bitch fight or sound all me me me, but, perhaps we should get moving? Logan?" she perked.
Logan glared for a few seconds longer at Cyclops before backing down.
" Storm, Rogue, why don't you help Bryn pack some things, Gambit, prep the jet ad cross mark all co-ordinates," the Professor instructed, and Storm touched Bryn's arm, turning her away though she would have taken Logan with her.
When they were gone, Cyclops rounded on Logan.
" You don't waste any time..." he dropped acridly.
" Time doin what?" Logan charged.
" Come on, you're all over that girl!"
" She was scared, I comforted her," Logan spelt out.
" Oh she looked comfortable all right," Cyclops spat, and Logan could feel the adamantium claws splitting through the flesh of his knuckles.
" Enough!" Xavier barked uncharacteristically, silencing them both and forcing them to step away from each other. " This has gone on long enough," he elaborated. " This ridiculous rift is not about Bryn, nor is it about Logan's conduct..."
" It has everything to do with Logan's conduct!" Cyclops objected.
" She turned me down Scott," Logan declared, rolling his eyes. " For you, her dying? That was no more my fault than it was yours."
" Logan go," Xavier instructed. " Prepare to leave as soon as you can."
Logan did not hesitate, but did afford Cyclops one last withering glance before leaving.
" I don't appreciate being told off like a child, in front of the others," Scott said, quietly seething. " Especially not him."
" I can understand why you dislike Logan, Scott," Xavier said in a reasonable tone. " You were grieving for Jean and were angry that he pursued his feelings for her."
" Of course I'm angry!" Scott snapped. " She's my wife!"
There was a short silence - Scott realised his incorrect verb tense and looked to his feet.
" It was originally affecting only your relationship with Logan, but now it is having an effect on your leadership role within the X-men."
" I know," he admitted, and there was no shortage of bitterness there.
" The question is, how you choose to deal with it now."
" Logan'll look after you sugah," Rogue reassured, as she, Bryn and Storm came down the stairs with one full bag.
Bryn felt a little better about the idea of dropping off the map now, having been told how heroically Logan had acted to save Rogue when Magneto had threatened New York.
With a change of clothes and a bag full of others, she felt more comfortable and better prepared for what was to come, whatever that turned out to be.
Just outside the front door, Logan, Doctor McCoy, Gambit and the Professor were waiting for them.
" Your bike's ready for a road trip then?" she perked, skipping down the steps as they attached the small trailer.
" I don't think Cyclops would be too happy if I took his, again," Logan chuckled, taking her bag and tucking it into the trailer.
" We're going now yeah?" she swallowed.
" The open road awaits," he grinned, shutting the trailer door and locking it.
Bryn swallowed again, turning to the Professor.
" I'm not sure that anything I can say will be thanks enough what you've done, what you're doing for me," she said solemnly, looking into his face.
" Just keep Logan out of trouble," Xavier smiled warmly. " And I have the feeling you may yet have the opportunity to thank us."
" We'll never be far away," Storm promised, pressing a communicator into Bryn's palm. " Just a call away."
" Good luck in Trenton," Logan told them all. " I wish I was goin with you guys."
" Nah ya don't," Rogue said quietly as she hugged him, and Logan winked at her conspiratorially before straddling the bike.
Bryn guessed there were no helmets, just the seat behind him and the will to hang on, and so she did just that.
" Good bye," she sniffed, suddenly feeling the urge to cry. " Go," she spurred into Logan's ear, and the motorcycle's engine roared to life and they moved off down the drive.
Like magic the gates opened and they sped through and off the property, and Bryn rest her head against Logan's back, her arms wrapped around his middle firmly.
" You right back there??" he yelled against the rushing wind that whipped her hair around violently.
" Yeah!" she replied, trying to loosen her grip a little, but she was fearful of falling.
Before long however, Bryn became accustomed to the speed, to the openness and to the feeling of freedom that began to fill her, and eventually she could sit back with her hands just behind her own seat. Logan avoided all the major roads that might be patrolled and headed northwest along winding and badly kept streets, but Bryn didn't complain. She asked for nothing, neither food nor rest, Logan suspected it was because she didn't want to be a burden or feel any more like a child than she already did, so Logan made a point of stopping every few hours to stretch and refresh.
" Do you know exactly where we're heading?" Bryn asked at one such stop, six hours from the mansion and well out of Washington.
" Not exactly," Logan replied, which didn't sound reassuring. " Somewhere in the Canadian Rockies."
" I've never been very fond of camping you know," Bryn admitted.
" Well, I used to live out of a back pack so I suppose camping is a bit of a luxury."
" I'm sorry," Bryn responded, looking down at her boots from where she sat on a rock beside the road.
" It's not your fault," Logan told her quickly. " If anything it's made me more versatile, I mean Cyclops wouldn't last a night out on his own in the forest."
Bryn could have probed further about there relationship there, but felt that it was better she not upset Logan, seeing as he was now truly the only one with any influence over whether she was caught, or whether she lived or died.
They rode on until they reached the border, where Logan was forced to stop for gas and to make a final check over their supplies.
" There won't be many stores where we're goin," he told her as he shut the trailer.
" Ok, I'm just going to the bathroom one last time then," she nodded, and headed around to the side of the small border diner to where the toilets were.
They were as she expected, grotty, revolting, but still serviceable - still, she did her business quickly, fixed up her hair as best she could and then stepped outside.
Just as she rounded the corner of the one story building, a couple of uniforms caught her view on the far side of Logan's bike - where he was, she could not see. Instantly Bryn pulled herself back, flat against the rough wooden wall, her heart suddenly racing with alarm.
What if they had seen Barlow's alert?
What if someone has already coupled her with the bike?
Bryn peeked around the corner to find the pair of police officers peering in her direction because the gas station attendant was pointing that way.
" Shit!" she cursed, turning back again, then tentatively around the corner.
They were heading her way, with their hands each on one hip, the hip where their gun resided.
Bryn swallowed, her eyes darting about her wildly, but before she knew it her feet were moving, carrying her to the back of the building, behind gas tanks and a dormant generator to the other side, where several men turned to look at her from their picnic tables.
Through the window and out through front door of the store Bryn could see that the bike still stood alone.
" Logan?" she hissed through her teeth in frustration, and almost immediately two hands came up under her arms and took hold of them, moving her forward.
Bryn's first instinct was to struggle.
" Come on," came a hoarse whisper in her ear, and that was all she needed to comply, moving with Logan straight to the bike.
" Do they know?" she questioned as she climbed behind him and threw her arms around his waist.
" You wanna wait here and find out?" Logan inquired rhetorically, bringing the bike to roaring life and turning a tight circle to pull them back onto the road.
He wasted no more time, no more procrastinating, he hit the accelerator and did not slow until the winding of the road made it impossible to maintain such a high velocity. Bryn just hung on saying nothing, trusting that he knew best.
The border of the US and Canada was now behind them, though they had passed no checkpoint or barrier as Bryn had expected they might have to and figured only that Logan had taken a much less travelled route.
For a long stint they continued moving, three, maybe four hours, until Logan pulled off the road and began carefully to navigate through the trees.
Then he stopped.
" We walk from here," he declared, climbing off, opening the trailer and beginning to empty it.
" I just have to trust that you know what you're doing," Bryn said hesitantly as she looked around - they'd only gone maybe five minutes into the trees but she doubted she could have made it back to the road on her own. " I don't mean to doubt you Logan but, I'm already lost."
Logan paused to look at her seriously in the face.
" Trust me," he said firmly, and Bryn could but only nod - this did not satisfy Logan, who wanted to be sure.
He dropped the hiker's pack onto the pine needle strewn ground and drew closer to Bryn, gently taking her by the shoulders.
" I mean it," he impressed, trying to bore his way into her eyes that seemed to only cast back his own reflection. " Trust me."
" I trust you," Bryn said after a few seconds, curling her fingers around his right hand and removing it from her shoulder. For a split second there Logan caught a true glimpse of what lay beyond the fortifications defending those mahogany meres before all the guard snapped back into place.
Logan loaded up as much of the gear into his pack as would possibly fit, leaving Bryn to carry a minimal load and for that reason Bryn didn't have any trouble keeping pace. The deeper they went into the wilderness, the more safe Bryn felt, the more free, and the more she was able to appreciate the beauty of the Canadian environment.
They walked for near on two hours before the light made it too dangerous to proceed, and Logan was quick to throw camp, producing two super light weight tents from Bryn's pack and putting them both up in less than ten minutes. Meanwhile, Bryn gathered firewood and stacked it appropriately, and before long, a raging campfire and even a couple of suitable logs to sit on, took pride of place at the centre of their small camp.
" This is almost civilized," Bryn smiled as she rolled the sausages over in the frying pan.
" Better than the grub they serve at the mansion," Logan noted as he popped the top off a beer and offered it to her.
" No thanks,' she refused politely, sliding four sausages onto a tin plate, along with some instant mash potato from what she would have called a billy.
" Are you in any pain?" he asked, seemingly out of the blue. " Because the Professor gave me a crap load of drugs if..."
" I'm fine," she replied. " I just..."
She scratched the back of her neck.
" I'm confused," she admitted. " On the one hand I am afraid - I'm out here in the middle of nowhere with a man I hardly know, hiding out from gun totting maniacs, but, this place, it's so quiet, so beautiful, and, I feel like somehow I have known you longer than I truly have."
Logan smiled through the short pause that followed, that was broken when Bryn handed him his plate.
" I suppose," she began again, but restarted. " Have I thanked you today??" she finished, taking up her own plate and filling it.
" Only about ten times," Logan replied around a large chunk of sausage.
" Well I just want to be sure that you know," she smiled sheepishly, scraping her fork across her plate. " Even," she ventured. " Even if I'm not exactly sure why."
" Why you're thankful?"
" No, why you're helping me," she clarified, prodding her meal restlessly. " I've seen maybe a fraction of what the Templar Administration can do, what they're willing to do and I'm not seeing any immediate benefits for you to get in their way..."
During this little ramble Logan had put down his fork, and beer and finally stopped her with an almost cold look that made her back straighten instantly.
" Ahh," she murmured.
" When I was searching for my past," he began plainly. " When Magneto was tryin ta turn everyone inta mutants by killing Rogue, when, when Nightcrawler attacked the President and didn't know why, they helped, and their reasoning? Because they could, and because no one else could."
Bryn swallowed, feeling like maybe she had offended him, but he continued.
" I spent the best part of sixteen years caring about nothing and no one, but you've been fucked over, just like I was and I'll be damned if I let Barlow or anyone hurt you again."
It was when Bryn sniffed quietly that Logan realised Bryn's cheeks sparkled in the flickering firelight.
" Oh hey," Logan frowned, moving around the fire to sit down next to her, placing his hand tentatively on her knee.
" You should be pretty used to seeing me cry by now," she sniffed again, looking down at her plate, when the touch of his hand on her cheek made her look up.
" It ain't gettin any easier," he told her gently, brushing away the tears that clung to her skin, peering into her eyes.
Had Bryn not just met this man two days ago she might had said in that moment that she was in love, but her rational mind was well awake and told her that what she truly was experiencing in the hastening beat of her heart, was saviour syndrome - What she couldn't explain however, was what Logan was feeling.
" It is for me," she assured him, placing her hand over his that still rest against her cheek - part of her wanted him to kiss her, the part that craved closeness and familiarity, but she knew that if it came to it the part of her responsible for her survival and well being would cause her to pull away.
Logan felt torn - there was something drawing him to this woman, and yet he had met her only a short period of time ago - then there was the whole thing with Barlow, or maybe that was what made her so appealing.
" It's normal ta feel," he began, but found himself of two minds as what to say next - Bryn made up his mind.
" Tired?" she inquired, but she had the feeling he had been going to say something else entirely - Logan nodded.
" You're right, it's gettin late and we have a lot of ground to cover tomorrow."
Another few seconds passed before either of them moved, but it was Bryn that eventually shifted her position and began to gather up the cooking bits and pieces.
" Leave those," Logan urged. " You cooked, I'll clean up, just, go and get some rest."
" Are you sure?" Bryn frowned. " I'd hardly have called it cooking."
" It's fine," he insisted, gesturing toward her tent, and with a smile, she turned, then paused - Bryn pecked Logan on the cheek and ventured one last look into his face.
" Good night," she said soberly, and then disappeared into her tent for the night.
Logan stood there and watched her go, the tingling spreading from his face all over his body.
" Stop it," he grumbled to himself as he scraped the food scraps into a bag and tied it off. " Stupid."
Bryn listened to Logan pottering around for some time before exhaustion overwhelmed her, but she found no refuge there in the darkness. As if it was not bad enough that Barlow hunted her waking hours, so too did he chase her through her dreams.
When she woke it was still pitch black, her body vaulting forward through the cold air of the tent, her hands flinging out so quickly her fingernails squealed down the nylon of the tent.
" Heh, heh, haaa," she panted, trying to catch her breath, trying to force away Barlow's image hovering over her so hard it wasn't until the zip on her tent was falling that she noticed.
" Bryn?" Logan voice whispered softly, and the fear in her began to flee instantly.
Bryn rubbed her eyes, taking slow, deep breaths as Logan poked his head into the tent, the beam of a torch focused down.
" Another nightmare?" he concluded, and Bryn nodded.
" Yeah," she replied sheepishly. " I'm ok," she went on slowly, peering at him from beneath her sleeping bag. " But I, wouldn't mind some company."
Logan looked surprised by this comment for just a moment, before nodding, shuffling into the tent and zipping it up behind him.
" I just," Bryn began again, when there was an awkward silence with both of them sitting there.
" I know," he interrupted, and slid up beside her, laying down.
" You'll freeze to death," she whispered as Logan turned the torchlight out, but Bryn had already begun to pull the sleeping bag around him.
Tentatively Bryn rest her head against his side, but when she felt his arm move under her head and coil around her she felt comfortable enough to nestle against his chest.
" You go back inta that dream," Logan whispered against the top of Bryn's head. " And tell that bastard I'm watching him."
Bryn let out a small laugh, and Logan felt her relax against him.
This was a strange closeness that Logan had never really experienced before - of course he had been with women, but there was a distinct difference between physical pleasure and the depths of this protectiveness, or intimacy that was not about sex.
As sleep claimed them both, Logan wondered if it might have been that way with Jean if she had not chosen Scott - but that was just idle fancy - she was dead.
Bryn's eyes shot open - light was touching the world outside the tent, but everything was silent. There were no birds, no wind, not even the sound of Logan breathing beside her - but there was strangely no alarm. Peering around, Bryn gently lifted Logan's arm from around her waist and slipped from beneath the sleeping bag, pausing briefly to watch him shift, but remain asleep. The tent zip made no sound as Bryn lowered it, and pulled it up again from the other side, nor did her bare footfalls from the tent, into the trees.
In wonder Bryn watched as crystalline flakes of white began to fall from the sky and blanket the forest landscape. Though wearing only a t-shirt and her tracksuit pants Bryn did not feel the slightest bit cold, and continued into the forest until she came to a clearing that looked out over a vast expanse of deep water.
" It's beautiful here," she said out loud, the first sound for what seemed like a very long time.
" Isn't it?" came a female voice, and Bryn turned her head to the left to find a woman standing there beside her. She had short styled red hair and was wearing what knew was an X-men uniform, though she was not one that she had talked to at the mansion.
" I am Phoenix," she explained with a friendly smile.
" You're Jean Grey," Bryn said, a little perplexed - she had seen Doctor Grey's photograph at the school.
The woman nodded.
" You're dead," Bryn continued.
" Jean Grey is dead," she agreed. " But her memories, and her heart live on in this new form."
" Where are we?" Bryn inquired, changing the subject as she again looked around her.
" Above Alkalai Lake," Phoenix answered. " A place of many revelations and much hurt."
As they walked, Phoenix elaborated.
" But what am I doing here?" Bryn frowned, suddenly looking over her shoulder like she expected Barlow to come bursting from the bushes to tackle her.
" Logan will bring you here," Phoenix expounded. " To hide from the ones that pursue you."
" Is that the only reason?" Bryn questioned, looking sideways as the woman began to walk away.
" He loved me," Phoenix said, glancing back to ensure Bryn was following. " And he feels in part responsible for my death."
" He's looking for redemption?" Bryn concluded. " Using me as a substitute, for you."
" Not using you," Phoenix disagreed, always calm and even in tone, like a kind schoolmistress and her favourite pupil. " But he is driven to protect you from harm, with his own life if necessary."
" I believe that," Bryn smiled, and blushed when Phoenix caught her.
" And I am glad to see at least he has begun to move on with his life," she nodded.
" Has he?" Bryn perked. " If it is to here that he's come?"
" He likes you," Phoenix smiled, a radiating smile that again brought warmth to Bryn's cheeks.
" I like him," she responded. " But I doubt you're here to talk about that."
Bryn followed as Phoenix led down the side of the hill, through thick scrub now dusted with white, and stopped seemingly for no reason. Silently Phoenix indicated with her right hand, and Bryn leaned down to scrutinize what she realised was a well-concealed entrance to a cave.
" What?" Bryn began, turning around, but Phoenix was gone, and Barlow was in her face.
" Shit!" Bryn cursed, her eyes shooting open, her body tensing, but it was into Logan's startled face that she found herself staring.
" Good morning ta you too," he said with a wry half smile, which instantly relaxed her.
" Sorry," she apologised, blushing and suddenly awkward.
They lay facing each other, their ankles tangled, Logan's arm draped over her waist - it was warm and cosy, comfortable.
" This is, nice," he said, his fingers twitching against the skin just beneath the hem of her t-shirt.
" Yes it is," she agreed, forcing herself to make eye contact.
" Do ya think it would be takin advantage if I kissed ya?" he asked seriously, and Bryn felt her heart begin to pound.
" Yeah it would," she answered, matching his seriousness for a moment, before breaking into a smile. " But do it anyway."
With strong hands Logan pulled Bryn to him, until their bodies rests against each other, before touching his lips to hers gently, so gently that Bryn could hardly believe that it was in fact this rough Wolverine that was kissing her.
When they broke apart, Bryn rest her head beneath Logan's chin, breathing against his neck.
" I had another dream," she said quietly.
" Not a nightmare?" he rumbled.
" No," she replied, and then expanded, for she was sure he would want to know. " Jean Grey," she began. " I think she's still alive."
" What?" The exclamation came instantly and he was looking down at her.
" Are we anywhere near Alkalai Lake Logan?" she asked, and she observed him blink in consternation.
" How did ya know?" he frowned, propping himself up on his elbow and peering down at her.
" She told me," Bryn answered. " We walked to the edge of the valley and there it was."
" It was just a dream," he told her, a little more sternly than he had perhaps meant - inside he felt himself jumping at the possibility that Jean was still alive.
" It ended with Barlow in my face," she continued. " Logan I have a feeling he knows where we are."
" It was just a dr..." he began to say, but stopped, and Bryn thought she actually saw his ears perk up.
" What?" Bryn frowned, also trying to listen, but she couldn't hear anything and he didn't answer.
" What?" she repeated with more urgency. " Logan?"
" Grab your clothes," he commanded, all but jumping out from under the sleeping bag. " Warm, quickly."
" Logan?" Bryn barked, for he still had not told her what it was he heard.
" Horses," he declared.
That put a panic through Bryn, and sent her also flinging from the covers and throwing on her clothes. When she burst from the tent, Logan was rushing around grabbing various things - the last thing was her hand.
" What about the food??" Bryn cried as he dragged her into the trees.
" We don't need it," he assured her, forcing her into a run.
The shrubs scratched her cheeks, her unprotected hands, but as they ran, the sky began to fall.
" It's snowing!" Bryn hissed, pulled along as she stumbled.
It was then she finally heard it - the rhythmic thud of hooves getting louder.
" They're gaining!" she panted, her eyes trying to focus on the rush of green and white on the downhill slope - then she realised where they were.
" Logan slow down," she urged.
" No, come on," he insisted.
" Logan, stop!" she barked, dragging him back until he stopped.
" What?" he glowered.
" She showed me a place to hide," Bryn panted.
" Who did?"
" Jean Grey," Bryn answered, scanning the trees for familiar landmarks. " There!"
She pointed, and began through the scrub, with Logan close behind her.
" Bryn!" he dropped, hearing the horses draw closer still, but his eyes grew wider when she indicated the narrow mouth of the concealed cave.
" All right," he conceded, pushing away the creepers and entering the cave first, before he helped Bryn through and pulled her down.
" It was real," Bryn whispered, her fingers tightly gripping Logan's thick jacket, the both of them peering out through the tiny gaps in the foliage. " She showed me."
" Shhh," Logan soothed, as the thumping grew louder.
" Fan out!" a shout came, and though Bryn had only heard his voice for a short period of time, she definitely recognised it as Barlow's - it sent a shudder down her spine that Logan also felt.
" They're splittin up," Logan whispered.
" They won't find us here," Bryn replied, recoiling from the entrance and tucking herself against the cold back wall of the cave. " She wouldn't have shown me otherwise."
" Bryn," Logan breathed, peeling her off the wall long enough to put himself behind her and rest her back, sitting between his legs. " I watched the water crash down," he explained into her ear.
" It doesn't matter now," Bryn smiled, though she was terribly afraid - she still had a deep sense that they would not be discovered in their little hidey-hole.
The day passed slowly and mostly in silence, and by the time the sun began to sink Bryn's stomach was growling and both her feet were asleep.
It had been quickly determined that Logan had left the communicator in a backpack at their camp, and that meant going back under the cover of darkness to retrieve it.
This time, with Bryn resting in his arms, Logan had time to think about what she had said, what she had dreamt. It seemed strange that Bryn could have found so concealed a cave without some guidance, but Jean visiting her in a dream? It stirred a sadness in him, a memory of the love, the very first love he could actually remember as something more than flesh and the agony of losing it, not only to death, but never actually having it - her heart had always belonged to Scott, he knew that.
He wondered why here had been the instinctual place for him to take Bryn, and it occurred to him that it had perhaps not been the most intelligent of locations, if Barlow knew that Stryker's base had been out there.
" I'm sorry darlin," he whispered into Bryn's hair, and shifted, looking up into his face, and though it was no more than a few centimetres away she could barely see it now for the lack of light.
" Sorry for what?" she inquired honestly - she certainly didn't blame him for anything.
" Bringin ya here," he replied. " It's possible Barlow knew that I might come 'ere."
" Because of Stryker's base?" she ventured.
" How did you know about that?" he frowned.
" Jean told me, about what you came looking for here, what you found, what you walked away from," Bryn smiled soberly, curling her fingers around his in a reassuring way. " And it doesn't matter why we're here, we're here now, so we deal."
" I'm goin ta go and get the communicator," he told her, able to see her face clearly, even through the darkness. " I want you ta wait here."
" No," she hissed. " I'm coming with you."
" If..."
" If nothing Logan," Bryn insisted. " If worst comes to worst I take the chance and blast them all into next week and you carry me out."
" Bry..."
" No more arguments," she grumped, pulling him forward, but waiting for him to go first. " You lead, I can't see a damned thing."
Logan didn't argue, leading her out of the cave by the hand and back through the trees. As they crept through the darkness, Bryn could hear voices, some close and some more distant and fear grew inside her until her whole body ached. She still didn't understand how they could have found them, even if the police at the rest stop had seen and recognised them from the FBI release, how could they possibly have known exactly where they had camped.
When they drew close to the camp, Bryn could see several figures around the campfire, and others wandering around with, and one of those voices belonged to Barlow. It was like a sharp, stabbing fear that made her stop in her tracks.
" You stay here," he whispered, giving her hand a squeeze before letting it go.
" No," she hissed. " You can't sneak in there, they'll see you, you have to let me get it."
" Out of the question," he said quickly but definitely.
" If you get caught by Barlow then I haven't got a hope out here alone," she pointed out, taking his arm. " We need horses."
" You can't use ya powers," he pressed. " You..."
" It'll take me all of five seconds to get the back pack," she insisted. " And neither of us get caught."
" Bry..."
" You're still arguing Logan," she dropped. " I need to be a little more proactive about this on the run business, so let me ok? Just point out which pack it's in."
Logan sighed and narrowed his vision through the trees until he located the appropriate pack.
" There," he pointed, and Bryn fixed her eyes on it.
" Think you can get us some horses?" she whispered, breathing in slowly and preparing herself for the inevitable physical backlash of even a small amount of channeling her power.
" Piece a cake," he declared. " Just stay down right?"
" No problem," Bryn exhaled, and Logan slipped from her side and was consumed by the dark waving scrub.
Swallowing, Bryn focused back in, forcing away everything else in her mind - the pack lay several metres behind the group around the camp fire, and that meant she had to move it around behind obstacles in order to prevent them from seeing it.
Twenty seconds she judged, if she didn't run into any snags.
The motion began, and instantly Bryn felt a rush of energy pulse through her body - using her hand as a focal point, she channeled this inexplicable force out through her fingertips, ensnaring the backpack and lifting it from the ground. It moved effortlessly, behind a tent, around a couple of trees, floating along as if held up by invisible strings.
When the rough fabric touched Bryn's fingertips relief filled her, but already there was evidence of strain, a dull ache in the pit of her stomach and ringing in her ears - she ignored it, and began backing away from the camp.
" The horses are down this way," Logan's whispered penetrated the darkness before his hazy breath appeared in the dimness. " Are you all right?"
He took the pack from her and slung it over his shoulder.
" I'm fine," Bryn replied quietly, swallowing hard.
Logan led her down a slope through the trees to where two dark shapes lingered - snow had begun to fall again but the clouds had parted just enough to allow some moonlight to shine through the canopy.
Bryn had had dreams like this before, running from bad guys through the forest on horseback, but never had it felt so real.
" Mount up," he instructed, but waited until she was in the saddle before swinging up himself, and digging the communicator from the pack. " Let's go."
Logan flipped the communicator open as they began to walk through the trees.
" Xavier you read me?" he said quietly into the bottom section of it.
" Logan?" came Beast's voice several long, long seconds later.
" Hank," Logan smiled in relief. " We've had some company up 'ere, Barlow and his goons are tramplin through the forest on our tail."
" That would explain Scott's report of the Trenton base being deserted."
" Deserted?" Bryn exclaimed in a hiss.
A shout rose up into the night from the camp behind them.
" Where are they now?" Logan asked urgently.
" Still on their way back," Beast replied.
" Track the communicator," he instructed. " Or get Chuck in Cerebro, we could use a hand out 'ere."
" Of course," Beast responded.
" We're gonna be out of a touch for a while," he declared. " Things are about ta get interesting."
With that, Logan flicked the communicator shut and tucked it into the pack, which was now safely secured over his shoulder.
" They've discovered the horses," Bryn concluded, swallowing hard, gripping the reins, her knuckles white.
" Then we'd better get the hell outta here," Logan suggested. " They're goin ta be an hour at least."
Logan's mount leapt forward through the darkness, and Bryn's followed - all she could do was try to move with the shaking and uneven rhythm of the canter, focusing on her breathing as a wave of nausea flushed her body with heat.
Even above the noise, Bryn could soon hear the sound of hooves behind them, pounding like her heart. Several times she had to bite down on a cry as her horse slipped on the ground, that was now covered with a thin layer of snow, that seemed now to glow, lighting the forest and all those in it. The surreal nature of this place, of dodging trees on horse back to evade evil scientists - it was something straight out of a James Bond film, but the sharp jarring of Bryn's body against the saddle made it clear it was all real.
Logan divided his time between leading them on a safe and swift path through the dense forest, and looking back over his shoulder to ensure Bryn was all right. Beams of light split through the trees like lasers tearing their way through the dimness in search of their prey. A net became apparent, lights criss-crossed the path behind and suddenly ahead, like they had been waiting for the pair to make such a move.
" This way!" Logan urged, and dragged his horse to the left and down a steep embankment. The animal let out a shrill cry as its hooves slid through the icy dirt, closely followed by Bryn who clung to the saddle horn to keep from being thrown off.
The lights disappeared overhead as the terrain flattened out and once more the fleeing pair were consumed by the heavy veil of night. The clouds shifted across the partial moon, plunging them into a wall of pitch - but they moved still, in a trot, for the horses seemed to know the way.
" Logan?" Bryn panted, dizzy for the lack of breath.
" We have ta keep moving," he insisted - all Bryn could do was hang on.
The snow continued to fall, even as the light of dawn awoke the rest of the frosty world.
The horses ambled in a tired walk, and Bryn had long since slumped against the neck of her mount, with barely enough energy to stay on.
" The fresh snow will cover our tracks," Logan declared, still bright and awake.
" Logan, I need to rest," Bryn whispered, and as if in agreement, her horse stopped too.
There had been no sign of the jet, and no further communications during the night.
Logan stopped, dismounted, and carefully pulled Bryn from the saddle.
" You hurt?"
" A little," she murmured. " I need to sleep, where the hell is the jet?"
The lethargy also dulled the fear of being caught - Bryn might have given herself up for a clean, warm bed.
Logan sat in the snow, with Bryn cradled across his lap, and moved to dig the communicator from the pack he'd dropped down beside him.
" Shit," he cursed, and even in her daze Bryn rolled her head to look up at him.
" What?"
" There's a hole in the pack," he answered.
" The communicator?"
" Gone."
Bryn wanted to cry, but she was too cold and too tired.
" What do we do now?" she exhaled numbly.
" Can't build a fire," he noted.
" They're going to find us," Bryn concluded in a resigned tone.
" I'll build a shelter," he declared, moving her into the small hollow he had created.
" Where the hell is Phoenix when you need her?"
" What?" Logan frowned, as he trudged through the snow a little way and began to dig out a shelter.
" The Phoenix," Bryn breathed. " Jean Grey.'
" She's dead Bryn."
Bryn closed her eyes, trying to drown out the discord in her body with the sounds of the forest.
Branches snapped and crackled as the cold caused the wood to contract, birds hopping around caused lines of snow to drop from above, the horses nearby, as exhausted as Bryn was, nosing absently for something to eat. It was peaceful there, a natural lullaby that was pulling her towards sleep, that and the cold of the snow sapping the remains of her energy, energy that it seemed Logan still had in spades.
" Stay awake," Logan prodded, lifting her to her feet again.
" I can hear a helicopter," Bryn mumbled, looking to the sky.
" They'll havta come through me," he growled, stowing her safely in the snow shelter.
The thunder of hooves returned, it seemed their night on the run had done nothing to discourage their pursuers.
Logan readied himself, slapping the horses into motion, hoping that maybe Barlow would follow them instead.
He didn't.
Barlow and his cohort reined in, in an impressive spray of snow.
For a moment there was silence, and a sick smile of satisfaction spread across Barlow's face, despite the savage stare and defensive stance Logan held. He could feel the anger rising up inside him, tugging at his self-control, baiting him to just leap forward and tear Barlow into bloody pieces. He exhaled slowly, not sure how long he could hold back, or even if he wanted to.
" Wolverine?" he inquired with a chuckle. " Well, you're certainly the last person I expected to see out here with my little fugitive."
" I'm not your anything," Bryn spat, dragging herself to her feet and standing behind Logan, suddenly with more energy than she thought.
" Though I am reassured," Barlow continued, still peering at Logan. " I'd hate to think that just anyone could evade me out here for so long."
" Com'on bub," Logan growled. " You were always a bit of a lab geek."
" True," Barlow agreed. " Stryker always gave you the best assignments, which is why I left, and, as you've no doubt discovered, my little triumph is quite powerful."
" She'll break ya in half," Logan pointed out, ready at any moment to shoot out his claws and attack.
" Not if she hopes to see out this year alive," Barlow dropped coldly, looking now to Bryn. " You've run enough now," he went on. " Your condition will only deteriorate without treatment."
" You can fix me?" she questioned curtly.
" Of course," Barlow frowned, as if this had been his intention all along. " We've invested a great deal of money in your development, that's true, but we're not completely insensitive to your situation, your health is of great concern."
Logan was unable to suppress an incredulous growl from rising in his throat.
For Bryn however, the outcome of the situation had already been decided. The X-men had found nothing in Trenton that could help cure her condition, and the man before her now was quite possibly her only chance at living.
" Come on Wolverine," Barlow chided. " I know my methods differed from Stryker's, but you understand what I've tried to achieve here and look at her, she's almost perfect."
Bryn stepped forward, but Logan flung his arm out to prevent her going any further.
" I could implode him," she said plainly. " But the truth is, I need what only he can give me."
She swallowed, as Logan looked into her face with a stricken frown.
" You heard Beast," she whispered. " They found nothing. He's my only chance."
She turned her head, and looked up at Barlow coldly.
" I'll go with you Barlow, you will fix what you fucked up, or, I'll rip you to pieces."
Bryn was surprised at how convincing she sounded, and how the aching seemed to fade into the background as she stared, holding what ground she had, as best she could under the circumstances.
" What do you say Wolverine?" Barlow perked as he dismounted and slowly approached Bryn, who now stood a little in front of Logan. " Templar can always use good men, particularly ones with your talents."
" I wanna see how this pans out," Logan answered with a curt nod - he wasn't stupid, Bryn had all but told him what role to play, and she was right, it was the only role that was going to let him stay with her. " If Templar pays nearly as well as Stryker, it might be worth sticking around."
" Excellent," Barlow grinned conspiratorially, fluidly taking Bryn's wrists, and clicking a couple of cold metal bands around them.
" What the hell?" Bryn frowned - they weren't handcuffs, just a pair of flat metal bracelets, perhaps two millimetres thick and one centimetre wide with no visible locks.
" So you can't tear me to pieces," Barlow smirked, and instantly Bryn felt panic - she reached for her power, but it slipped through her fingers like smoke. The only defence she had had was now gone.
" Take her to the helicopter," Barlow commanded, and Bryn did not struggle when she was led away from Logan, and so he took his cue from her, and remained calm.
" Where'd you pick her up?" Barlow inquired, like he and Wolverine were old mates.
" Side of the road couple of hours shy of the border," Logan replied gruffly, relaxing into his part, but watching Bryn disappear into the trees. " Was heading up here cause I'd heard Stryker'd trashed the base and she offers me a couple of grand to make her disappear - beautiful single woman, what are you gonna do?"
Barlow chuckled and slapped Logan on the back.
" She didn't tell you why?" Barlow probed.
" She said someone had fucked with her royally, mutated her, I thought maybe Stryker, never thought of you."
" That's the idea," he declared. " Shame about Stryker, the old man was good cover, poor competition though."
The walked to a small clearing, where one helicopter was lifting off and another hovered near by waiting to land.
" So what do you say Wolverine? Join the party?" Barlow questioned as the helicopter touched down and the door was opened for him.
" What else have I got ta do?" Logan grinned, climbing in beside Barlow.
( Chapters already written, just going over them for proof reading - hey if you've gotten this far, what do you think?)
Bryn's heart raced, pumping vital blood to every starving muscle in her body. Her breath came quickly, panting as she ran, through the trees so quickly and blindly she had no time to swipe the branches from her path. The air was cold on her cheeks, moist with bloody scratches, white in the moonlight that filtered through the canopy. Her breath left a fading trail behind her, vehemently followed by urgent shouts and the rapid thud of heavy boots.
" Cut her off on the other side!" Barlow barked into his radio, his own breath creating hazy plumes against the cold night.
" Stop!" Bryn heard. " We will fire!"
This and other demands saturated Bryn's skin though she did not obey them - her mind was set on one thing only.
Escape.
Sharp cracks sounded all around her, momentarily drowning out the voices, sudden black dots on the silky white bark of the trees.
Bryn gasped, the air seemed razor sharp as she dragged in each lungful - then she exhaled, and could draw no more.
She had emerged from the trees, the hunters close behind her, to find a tight ring of unregistered humvees awaiting her, lights bright, but not so bright to prevent her from seeing the silhouettes of armed Templar Administration soldiers standing, leaning, sitting, their weapons aimed at her.
Bryn inhaled and lifted her arms, desperately concentrating of those obstacles - but nothing happened.
" What??" she cried, trying, again, and again, and again, to focus, to move them as she had moved cars before - nothing.
" You belong to me," Barlow declared smugly, stepping from the glare with that sickly grin splitting his face in two.
" No!" Bryn ejected, stepping back, but finding her shoulders roughly taken hold of. " No!" she repeated as she tried to struggle, but she could no more dislodge them than she could lift those cars with her mutant ability.
Barlow advanced, taking a syringe from his pocket.
" And you will do what you're told, or life will be very, very unpleasant," he leered, taking off the plastic cap.
" No! Don't! Let me go!"
" Bryn?"
" This will only sting a little," Barlow promised sarcastically.
" No!" Bryn shrieked, squirming even as one of the soldiers behind her forced her arm to extend in Barlow's direction.
" Bryn??"
" You are mine," Barlow hissed.
" Bryn???"
The syringe dove beneath her skin, its contents forced into her blood stream.
" Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!"
Bryn sat bolt up right and came face to face with Logan, who was crouched beside the mattress, one hand on her arm.
" Bryn it's ok, it was just a dream," he soothed quickly, his other hand moving to her right shoulder to steady the shakes that racked her body.
Her panting continued as she stared at him wide-eyed, a film of sweat bleeding into thin streams that trickled from her forehead and down the sides of her face.
" Nahh, haa, haa," she breathed, her lips quivering. " It was Barlow, and I couldn't use my power, and he..."
" Shhhhh," Logan exhaled, drawing her forward against his bare chest and wrapping his strong arms around her. " It was a nightmare darlin, nothin more," he whispered into her tangle of hair. " Barlow ain't gonna hurt you."
Bryn drew in some very long, very deep breaths, and slowly her heart began to resume its regular beat. There was sanctuary there, in that roguish voice, with her cheek pressing against the skin of his shoulder, with his hands firmly on her back.
" Logan!" came a sharp call, a bang on the outside of the garage door, and then a shudder as it rolled abruptly upward, spilling the pale light of early morning into the cabin.
Though he recognised the voice, Logan's arm instinctively tensed around Bryn, but both his head and hers turned to the figure that peered unceremoniously under the half raised door.
If they could have seen past Scott's sunglasses, they would have seen him blinking in surprise, but as it was, it was clearly evident by the sharp lifting of his eyes brows.
" Yeah?" Logan dropped in pointed question.
" Actually I came to tell you that Bryn was missing, but I see you found her," Scott replied, and his words emerged as if he had just swallowed something sour.
" She's fine," Logan declared caustically, and though Bryn had since looked away from the door and rest her chin on Logan's shoulder, the minefield between he and Scott was painfully obvious - what caused it she did not know.
" Sure she is," Scott responded icily. " Get to the Ready Room, we have a problem."
With that, Scott slammed the door down.
Bryn let out an explosive breath and she felt Logan's hands slide down her back and fall away.
" Sorry about that," he apologised as she sat back a little, removing her arms from him but still remaining close.
" For what?" she asked, wiping one cheek and looking sheepish. " I'm the one who should be sorry, I feel like a right baby."
" Don't," he was quick to say. " I know a little about nightmares."
A silence then settled as they just sat there for a few long moments, but it only became uncomfortable when Logan cleared his throat.
" Hah, do you want ta shower?" he asked, standing up.
" You saying I smell?" she perked with mock seriousness, but softened her face when Logan looked stricken.
" No, no of course not, I just thought..."
" I know," she grinned, dragging herself to her feet.
" Right," he exhaled, and it was his turned to look sheepish. " I'll ahh, find some clean clothes for you," he added as she shuffled toward the back section where a door led to a tiny bathroom.
" Here."
Logan threw her a towel, and Bryn disappeared.
When the door clicked such, Logan forced himself to relax, exhaling a long breath and running a hand through his hair.
Of all the people to just drop in at that moment it had to be Cyclops - but then again, Bryn was a beautiful woman, who didn't seem at all disturbed by his quirks, in fact she seemed comforted in his presence, why should he feel embarrassed because of that?
With this thought in mind, he set about locating some suitable attire.
Fifteen minutes later, he and Bryn pushed into the Ready Room beneath the mansion, to find everyone else waiting there.
Both Bryn and Logan stopped however, when they saw the projection on the white board.
It was a photo of Bryn, a recent one from the staff photos at her school, but that wasn't the problem - the real point was the information surrounding it.
Murder.
Assault.
Murder.
Weapons trafficking.
Murder.
" M, murder!" Bryn exclaimed with a fierce scowl. " What? No! Professor, I, I did not do that, I'm not..." she looked frantically around the room, searching each face for any sign that they believed what they saw. " You have to believe me!"
" We do," Xavier nodded sincerely - still however, she looked around, so he added. " We all do."
" Where the hell did that come from?" Logan questioned, feeding off Bryn's suddenly uptight emotional state and turning it into growling outrage.
" We were looking for profiles of Dylan Barlow and Julian Templar when Scott stumbled upon an Agent Barlow registered with the FBI, who is hunting down a skilled assassin illegally in the US."
" Agent Barlow?" Logan choked.
" Skilled assassin?" Bryn followed.
" This story would explain why Bryn has no papers, why there are no flight records and because there is no real investigation, there would be no noise about trial or conviction."
" I just disappear," Bryn concluded, sinking down onto a chair, but glaring at the screen like she wanted to crush it - she held back, clinging to rationality in this reality that seemed more and more unlike her life.
" Which is what, for the time being at least," Xavier said calmly. " I think you should do."
" What?" Bryn frowned, focusing back on him.
" We're going to infiltrate Templar HQ in Trenton," Storm explained. " We're going to get all the information about your condition that we can."
" But if Barlow starts nosin 'round an somehow tracks ya 'ere," Gambit went on. " Wit real police in tow..."
" It will put you in a compromising position," Bryn finished, nodding, gathering her thoughts. " You're right, I should, ahh, go, somewhere."
Logan opened his mouth but Xavier's first word was already spoken.
" Yes," he agreed. " And that's where Logan comes in."
" Wait a minute," Cyclops began, but Xavier continued because he knew that there was a high probability this oncoming protest had nothing to actually do with duty.
" Bryn's profile has no doubt been distributed to every facet of law enforcement in the area, if not the entire country, so you need to take Bryn as deep into unpatrolled country as you can."
Bryn sat listening to this, nodding her head, but her spine felt like jelly. As if sensing this, Logan placed his hand on her shoulder.
" When do you want us ta leave?" he asked.
" As soon as possible," Xavier answered.
" Professor," Scott whispered coarsely, leaning down so only Xavier could hear, though Logan's distinctly sharp hearing was the exception to that rule. " Do you really think it's wise to send Bryn out with Logan? Alone?"
" They'll never truly be alone," Xavier answered reasonably. " I shall watch their progress using Cerebro, and we'll keep in touch using the communicators."
" That isn't what I meant," Cyclops hissed, and Logan stepped forward, while Bryn watched curiously, her latest challenge momentarily forgotten.
" I know what your problem is bub," Wolverine began in a warning, but obviously restrained fashion. " And you need ta drop it."
" How about I drop you??" Scott snapped back.
" You really wanna invite that kinda pounding?" Logan retaliated, drawing closer - then Bryn intervened, by standing up.
" Hey!" she called bluntly, and everyone turned to look at her. " I don't mean to break up the imminent bitch fight or sound all me me me, but, perhaps we should get moving? Logan?" she perked.
Logan glared for a few seconds longer at Cyclops before backing down.
" Storm, Rogue, why don't you help Bryn pack some things, Gambit, prep the jet ad cross mark all co-ordinates," the Professor instructed, and Storm touched Bryn's arm, turning her away though she would have taken Logan with her.
When they were gone, Cyclops rounded on Logan.
" You don't waste any time..." he dropped acridly.
" Time doin what?" Logan charged.
" Come on, you're all over that girl!"
" She was scared, I comforted her," Logan spelt out.
" Oh she looked comfortable all right," Cyclops spat, and Logan could feel the adamantium claws splitting through the flesh of his knuckles.
" Enough!" Xavier barked uncharacteristically, silencing them both and forcing them to step away from each other. " This has gone on long enough," he elaborated. " This ridiculous rift is not about Bryn, nor is it about Logan's conduct..."
" It has everything to do with Logan's conduct!" Cyclops objected.
" She turned me down Scott," Logan declared, rolling his eyes. " For you, her dying? That was no more my fault than it was yours."
" Logan go," Xavier instructed. " Prepare to leave as soon as you can."
Logan did not hesitate, but did afford Cyclops one last withering glance before leaving.
" I don't appreciate being told off like a child, in front of the others," Scott said, quietly seething. " Especially not him."
" I can understand why you dislike Logan, Scott," Xavier said in a reasonable tone. " You were grieving for Jean and were angry that he pursued his feelings for her."
" Of course I'm angry!" Scott snapped. " She's my wife!"
There was a short silence - Scott realised his incorrect verb tense and looked to his feet.
" It was originally affecting only your relationship with Logan, but now it is having an effect on your leadership role within the X-men."
" I know," he admitted, and there was no shortage of bitterness there.
" The question is, how you choose to deal with it now."
" Logan'll look after you sugah," Rogue reassured, as she, Bryn and Storm came down the stairs with one full bag.
Bryn felt a little better about the idea of dropping off the map now, having been told how heroically Logan had acted to save Rogue when Magneto had threatened New York.
With a change of clothes and a bag full of others, she felt more comfortable and better prepared for what was to come, whatever that turned out to be.
Just outside the front door, Logan, Doctor McCoy, Gambit and the Professor were waiting for them.
" Your bike's ready for a road trip then?" she perked, skipping down the steps as they attached the small trailer.
" I don't think Cyclops would be too happy if I took his, again," Logan chuckled, taking her bag and tucking it into the trailer.
" We're going now yeah?" she swallowed.
" The open road awaits," he grinned, shutting the trailer door and locking it.
Bryn swallowed again, turning to the Professor.
" I'm not sure that anything I can say will be thanks enough what you've done, what you're doing for me," she said solemnly, looking into his face.
" Just keep Logan out of trouble," Xavier smiled warmly. " And I have the feeling you may yet have the opportunity to thank us."
" We'll never be far away," Storm promised, pressing a communicator into Bryn's palm. " Just a call away."
" Good luck in Trenton," Logan told them all. " I wish I was goin with you guys."
" Nah ya don't," Rogue said quietly as she hugged him, and Logan winked at her conspiratorially before straddling the bike.
Bryn guessed there were no helmets, just the seat behind him and the will to hang on, and so she did just that.
" Good bye," she sniffed, suddenly feeling the urge to cry. " Go," she spurred into Logan's ear, and the motorcycle's engine roared to life and they moved off down the drive.
Like magic the gates opened and they sped through and off the property, and Bryn rest her head against Logan's back, her arms wrapped around his middle firmly.
" You right back there??" he yelled against the rushing wind that whipped her hair around violently.
" Yeah!" she replied, trying to loosen her grip a little, but she was fearful of falling.
Before long however, Bryn became accustomed to the speed, to the openness and to the feeling of freedom that began to fill her, and eventually she could sit back with her hands just behind her own seat. Logan avoided all the major roads that might be patrolled and headed northwest along winding and badly kept streets, but Bryn didn't complain. She asked for nothing, neither food nor rest, Logan suspected it was because she didn't want to be a burden or feel any more like a child than she already did, so Logan made a point of stopping every few hours to stretch and refresh.
" Do you know exactly where we're heading?" Bryn asked at one such stop, six hours from the mansion and well out of Washington.
" Not exactly," Logan replied, which didn't sound reassuring. " Somewhere in the Canadian Rockies."
" I've never been very fond of camping you know," Bryn admitted.
" Well, I used to live out of a back pack so I suppose camping is a bit of a luxury."
" I'm sorry," Bryn responded, looking down at her boots from where she sat on a rock beside the road.
" It's not your fault," Logan told her quickly. " If anything it's made me more versatile, I mean Cyclops wouldn't last a night out on his own in the forest."
Bryn could have probed further about there relationship there, but felt that it was better she not upset Logan, seeing as he was now truly the only one with any influence over whether she was caught, or whether she lived or died.
They rode on until they reached the border, where Logan was forced to stop for gas and to make a final check over their supplies.
" There won't be many stores where we're goin," he told her as he shut the trailer.
" Ok, I'm just going to the bathroom one last time then," she nodded, and headed around to the side of the small border diner to where the toilets were.
They were as she expected, grotty, revolting, but still serviceable - still, she did her business quickly, fixed up her hair as best she could and then stepped outside.
Just as she rounded the corner of the one story building, a couple of uniforms caught her view on the far side of Logan's bike - where he was, she could not see. Instantly Bryn pulled herself back, flat against the rough wooden wall, her heart suddenly racing with alarm.
What if they had seen Barlow's alert?
What if someone has already coupled her with the bike?
Bryn peeked around the corner to find the pair of police officers peering in her direction because the gas station attendant was pointing that way.
" Shit!" she cursed, turning back again, then tentatively around the corner.
They were heading her way, with their hands each on one hip, the hip where their gun resided.
Bryn swallowed, her eyes darting about her wildly, but before she knew it her feet were moving, carrying her to the back of the building, behind gas tanks and a dormant generator to the other side, where several men turned to look at her from their picnic tables.
Through the window and out through front door of the store Bryn could see that the bike still stood alone.
" Logan?" she hissed through her teeth in frustration, and almost immediately two hands came up under her arms and took hold of them, moving her forward.
Bryn's first instinct was to struggle.
" Come on," came a hoarse whisper in her ear, and that was all she needed to comply, moving with Logan straight to the bike.
" Do they know?" she questioned as she climbed behind him and threw her arms around his waist.
" You wanna wait here and find out?" Logan inquired rhetorically, bringing the bike to roaring life and turning a tight circle to pull them back onto the road.
He wasted no more time, no more procrastinating, he hit the accelerator and did not slow until the winding of the road made it impossible to maintain such a high velocity. Bryn just hung on saying nothing, trusting that he knew best.
The border of the US and Canada was now behind them, though they had passed no checkpoint or barrier as Bryn had expected they might have to and figured only that Logan had taken a much less travelled route.
For a long stint they continued moving, three, maybe four hours, until Logan pulled off the road and began carefully to navigate through the trees.
Then he stopped.
" We walk from here," he declared, climbing off, opening the trailer and beginning to empty it.
" I just have to trust that you know what you're doing," Bryn said hesitantly as she looked around - they'd only gone maybe five minutes into the trees but she doubted she could have made it back to the road on her own. " I don't mean to doubt you Logan but, I'm already lost."
Logan paused to look at her seriously in the face.
" Trust me," he said firmly, and Bryn could but only nod - this did not satisfy Logan, who wanted to be sure.
He dropped the hiker's pack onto the pine needle strewn ground and drew closer to Bryn, gently taking her by the shoulders.
" I mean it," he impressed, trying to bore his way into her eyes that seemed to only cast back his own reflection. " Trust me."
" I trust you," Bryn said after a few seconds, curling her fingers around his right hand and removing it from her shoulder. For a split second there Logan caught a true glimpse of what lay beyond the fortifications defending those mahogany meres before all the guard snapped back into place.
Logan loaded up as much of the gear into his pack as would possibly fit, leaving Bryn to carry a minimal load and for that reason Bryn didn't have any trouble keeping pace. The deeper they went into the wilderness, the more safe Bryn felt, the more free, and the more she was able to appreciate the beauty of the Canadian environment.
They walked for near on two hours before the light made it too dangerous to proceed, and Logan was quick to throw camp, producing two super light weight tents from Bryn's pack and putting them both up in less than ten minutes. Meanwhile, Bryn gathered firewood and stacked it appropriately, and before long, a raging campfire and even a couple of suitable logs to sit on, took pride of place at the centre of their small camp.
" This is almost civilized," Bryn smiled as she rolled the sausages over in the frying pan.
" Better than the grub they serve at the mansion," Logan noted as he popped the top off a beer and offered it to her.
" No thanks,' she refused politely, sliding four sausages onto a tin plate, along with some instant mash potato from what she would have called a billy.
" Are you in any pain?" he asked, seemingly out of the blue. " Because the Professor gave me a crap load of drugs if..."
" I'm fine," she replied. " I just..."
She scratched the back of her neck.
" I'm confused," she admitted. " On the one hand I am afraid - I'm out here in the middle of nowhere with a man I hardly know, hiding out from gun totting maniacs, but, this place, it's so quiet, so beautiful, and, I feel like somehow I have known you longer than I truly have."
Logan smiled through the short pause that followed, that was broken when Bryn handed him his plate.
" I suppose," she began again, but restarted. " Have I thanked you today??" she finished, taking up her own plate and filling it.
" Only about ten times," Logan replied around a large chunk of sausage.
" Well I just want to be sure that you know," she smiled sheepishly, scraping her fork across her plate. " Even," she ventured. " Even if I'm not exactly sure why."
" Why you're thankful?"
" No, why you're helping me," she clarified, prodding her meal restlessly. " I've seen maybe a fraction of what the Templar Administration can do, what they're willing to do and I'm not seeing any immediate benefits for you to get in their way..."
During this little ramble Logan had put down his fork, and beer and finally stopped her with an almost cold look that made her back straighten instantly.
" Ahh," she murmured.
" When I was searching for my past," he began plainly. " When Magneto was tryin ta turn everyone inta mutants by killing Rogue, when, when Nightcrawler attacked the President and didn't know why, they helped, and their reasoning? Because they could, and because no one else could."
Bryn swallowed, feeling like maybe she had offended him, but he continued.
" I spent the best part of sixteen years caring about nothing and no one, but you've been fucked over, just like I was and I'll be damned if I let Barlow or anyone hurt you again."
It was when Bryn sniffed quietly that Logan realised Bryn's cheeks sparkled in the flickering firelight.
" Oh hey," Logan frowned, moving around the fire to sit down next to her, placing his hand tentatively on her knee.
" You should be pretty used to seeing me cry by now," she sniffed again, looking down at her plate, when the touch of his hand on her cheek made her look up.
" It ain't gettin any easier," he told her gently, brushing away the tears that clung to her skin, peering into her eyes.
Had Bryn not just met this man two days ago she might had said in that moment that she was in love, but her rational mind was well awake and told her that what she truly was experiencing in the hastening beat of her heart, was saviour syndrome - What she couldn't explain however, was what Logan was feeling.
" It is for me," she assured him, placing her hand over his that still rest against her cheek - part of her wanted him to kiss her, the part that craved closeness and familiarity, but she knew that if it came to it the part of her responsible for her survival and well being would cause her to pull away.
Logan felt torn - there was something drawing him to this woman, and yet he had met her only a short period of time ago - then there was the whole thing with Barlow, or maybe that was what made her so appealing.
" It's normal ta feel," he began, but found himself of two minds as what to say next - Bryn made up his mind.
" Tired?" she inquired, but she had the feeling he had been going to say something else entirely - Logan nodded.
" You're right, it's gettin late and we have a lot of ground to cover tomorrow."
Another few seconds passed before either of them moved, but it was Bryn that eventually shifted her position and began to gather up the cooking bits and pieces.
" Leave those," Logan urged. " You cooked, I'll clean up, just, go and get some rest."
" Are you sure?" Bryn frowned. " I'd hardly have called it cooking."
" It's fine," he insisted, gesturing toward her tent, and with a smile, she turned, then paused - Bryn pecked Logan on the cheek and ventured one last look into his face.
" Good night," she said soberly, and then disappeared into her tent for the night.
Logan stood there and watched her go, the tingling spreading from his face all over his body.
" Stop it," he grumbled to himself as he scraped the food scraps into a bag and tied it off. " Stupid."
Bryn listened to Logan pottering around for some time before exhaustion overwhelmed her, but she found no refuge there in the darkness. As if it was not bad enough that Barlow hunted her waking hours, so too did he chase her through her dreams.
When she woke it was still pitch black, her body vaulting forward through the cold air of the tent, her hands flinging out so quickly her fingernails squealed down the nylon of the tent.
" Heh, heh, haaa," she panted, trying to catch her breath, trying to force away Barlow's image hovering over her so hard it wasn't until the zip on her tent was falling that she noticed.
" Bryn?" Logan voice whispered softly, and the fear in her began to flee instantly.
Bryn rubbed her eyes, taking slow, deep breaths as Logan poked his head into the tent, the beam of a torch focused down.
" Another nightmare?" he concluded, and Bryn nodded.
" Yeah," she replied sheepishly. " I'm ok," she went on slowly, peering at him from beneath her sleeping bag. " But I, wouldn't mind some company."
Logan looked surprised by this comment for just a moment, before nodding, shuffling into the tent and zipping it up behind him.
" I just," Bryn began again, when there was an awkward silence with both of them sitting there.
" I know," he interrupted, and slid up beside her, laying down.
" You'll freeze to death," she whispered as Logan turned the torchlight out, but Bryn had already begun to pull the sleeping bag around him.
Tentatively Bryn rest her head against his side, but when she felt his arm move under her head and coil around her she felt comfortable enough to nestle against his chest.
" You go back inta that dream," Logan whispered against the top of Bryn's head. " And tell that bastard I'm watching him."
Bryn let out a small laugh, and Logan felt her relax against him.
This was a strange closeness that Logan had never really experienced before - of course he had been with women, but there was a distinct difference between physical pleasure and the depths of this protectiveness, or intimacy that was not about sex.
As sleep claimed them both, Logan wondered if it might have been that way with Jean if she had not chosen Scott - but that was just idle fancy - she was dead.
Bryn's eyes shot open - light was touching the world outside the tent, but everything was silent. There were no birds, no wind, not even the sound of Logan breathing beside her - but there was strangely no alarm. Peering around, Bryn gently lifted Logan's arm from around her waist and slipped from beneath the sleeping bag, pausing briefly to watch him shift, but remain asleep. The tent zip made no sound as Bryn lowered it, and pulled it up again from the other side, nor did her bare footfalls from the tent, into the trees.
In wonder Bryn watched as crystalline flakes of white began to fall from the sky and blanket the forest landscape. Though wearing only a t-shirt and her tracksuit pants Bryn did not feel the slightest bit cold, and continued into the forest until she came to a clearing that looked out over a vast expanse of deep water.
" It's beautiful here," she said out loud, the first sound for what seemed like a very long time.
" Isn't it?" came a female voice, and Bryn turned her head to the left to find a woman standing there beside her. She had short styled red hair and was wearing what knew was an X-men uniform, though she was not one that she had talked to at the mansion.
" I am Phoenix," she explained with a friendly smile.
" You're Jean Grey," Bryn said, a little perplexed - she had seen Doctor Grey's photograph at the school.
The woman nodded.
" You're dead," Bryn continued.
" Jean Grey is dead," she agreed. " But her memories, and her heart live on in this new form."
" Where are we?" Bryn inquired, changing the subject as she again looked around her.
" Above Alkalai Lake," Phoenix answered. " A place of many revelations and much hurt."
As they walked, Phoenix elaborated.
" But what am I doing here?" Bryn frowned, suddenly looking over her shoulder like she expected Barlow to come bursting from the bushes to tackle her.
" Logan will bring you here," Phoenix expounded. " To hide from the ones that pursue you."
" Is that the only reason?" Bryn questioned, looking sideways as the woman began to walk away.
" He loved me," Phoenix said, glancing back to ensure Bryn was following. " And he feels in part responsible for my death."
" He's looking for redemption?" Bryn concluded. " Using me as a substitute, for you."
" Not using you," Phoenix disagreed, always calm and even in tone, like a kind schoolmistress and her favourite pupil. " But he is driven to protect you from harm, with his own life if necessary."
" I believe that," Bryn smiled, and blushed when Phoenix caught her.
" And I am glad to see at least he has begun to move on with his life," she nodded.
" Has he?" Bryn perked. " If it is to here that he's come?"
" He likes you," Phoenix smiled, a radiating smile that again brought warmth to Bryn's cheeks.
" I like him," she responded. " But I doubt you're here to talk about that."
Bryn followed as Phoenix led down the side of the hill, through thick scrub now dusted with white, and stopped seemingly for no reason. Silently Phoenix indicated with her right hand, and Bryn leaned down to scrutinize what she realised was a well-concealed entrance to a cave.
" What?" Bryn began, turning around, but Phoenix was gone, and Barlow was in her face.
" Shit!" Bryn cursed, her eyes shooting open, her body tensing, but it was into Logan's startled face that she found herself staring.
" Good morning ta you too," he said with a wry half smile, which instantly relaxed her.
" Sorry," she apologised, blushing and suddenly awkward.
They lay facing each other, their ankles tangled, Logan's arm draped over her waist - it was warm and cosy, comfortable.
" This is, nice," he said, his fingers twitching against the skin just beneath the hem of her t-shirt.
" Yes it is," she agreed, forcing herself to make eye contact.
" Do ya think it would be takin advantage if I kissed ya?" he asked seriously, and Bryn felt her heart begin to pound.
" Yeah it would," she answered, matching his seriousness for a moment, before breaking into a smile. " But do it anyway."
With strong hands Logan pulled Bryn to him, until their bodies rests against each other, before touching his lips to hers gently, so gently that Bryn could hardly believe that it was in fact this rough Wolverine that was kissing her.
When they broke apart, Bryn rest her head beneath Logan's chin, breathing against his neck.
" I had another dream," she said quietly.
" Not a nightmare?" he rumbled.
" No," she replied, and then expanded, for she was sure he would want to know. " Jean Grey," she began. " I think she's still alive."
" What?" The exclamation came instantly and he was looking down at her.
" Are we anywhere near Alkalai Lake Logan?" she asked, and she observed him blink in consternation.
" How did ya know?" he frowned, propping himself up on his elbow and peering down at her.
" She told me," Bryn answered. " We walked to the edge of the valley and there it was."
" It was just a dream," he told her, a little more sternly than he had perhaps meant - inside he felt himself jumping at the possibility that Jean was still alive.
" It ended with Barlow in my face," she continued. " Logan I have a feeling he knows where we are."
" It was just a dr..." he began to say, but stopped, and Bryn thought she actually saw his ears perk up.
" What?" Bryn frowned, also trying to listen, but she couldn't hear anything and he didn't answer.
" What?" she repeated with more urgency. " Logan?"
" Grab your clothes," he commanded, all but jumping out from under the sleeping bag. " Warm, quickly."
" Logan?" Bryn barked, for he still had not told her what it was he heard.
" Horses," he declared.
That put a panic through Bryn, and sent her also flinging from the covers and throwing on her clothes. When she burst from the tent, Logan was rushing around grabbing various things - the last thing was her hand.
" What about the food??" Bryn cried as he dragged her into the trees.
" We don't need it," he assured her, forcing her into a run.
The shrubs scratched her cheeks, her unprotected hands, but as they ran, the sky began to fall.
" It's snowing!" Bryn hissed, pulled along as she stumbled.
It was then she finally heard it - the rhythmic thud of hooves getting louder.
" They're gaining!" she panted, her eyes trying to focus on the rush of green and white on the downhill slope - then she realised where they were.
" Logan slow down," she urged.
" No, come on," he insisted.
" Logan, stop!" she barked, dragging him back until he stopped.
" What?" he glowered.
" She showed me a place to hide," Bryn panted.
" Who did?"
" Jean Grey," Bryn answered, scanning the trees for familiar landmarks. " There!"
She pointed, and began through the scrub, with Logan close behind her.
" Bryn!" he dropped, hearing the horses draw closer still, but his eyes grew wider when she indicated the narrow mouth of the concealed cave.
" All right," he conceded, pushing away the creepers and entering the cave first, before he helped Bryn through and pulled her down.
" It was real," Bryn whispered, her fingers tightly gripping Logan's thick jacket, the both of them peering out through the tiny gaps in the foliage. " She showed me."
" Shhh," Logan soothed, as the thumping grew louder.
" Fan out!" a shout came, and though Bryn had only heard his voice for a short period of time, she definitely recognised it as Barlow's - it sent a shudder down her spine that Logan also felt.
" They're splittin up," Logan whispered.
" They won't find us here," Bryn replied, recoiling from the entrance and tucking herself against the cold back wall of the cave. " She wouldn't have shown me otherwise."
" Bryn," Logan breathed, peeling her off the wall long enough to put himself behind her and rest her back, sitting between his legs. " I watched the water crash down," he explained into her ear.
" It doesn't matter now," Bryn smiled, though she was terribly afraid - she still had a deep sense that they would not be discovered in their little hidey-hole.
The day passed slowly and mostly in silence, and by the time the sun began to sink Bryn's stomach was growling and both her feet were asleep.
It had been quickly determined that Logan had left the communicator in a backpack at their camp, and that meant going back under the cover of darkness to retrieve it.
This time, with Bryn resting in his arms, Logan had time to think about what she had said, what she had dreamt. It seemed strange that Bryn could have found so concealed a cave without some guidance, but Jean visiting her in a dream? It stirred a sadness in him, a memory of the love, the very first love he could actually remember as something more than flesh and the agony of losing it, not only to death, but never actually having it - her heart had always belonged to Scott, he knew that.
He wondered why here had been the instinctual place for him to take Bryn, and it occurred to him that it had perhaps not been the most intelligent of locations, if Barlow knew that Stryker's base had been out there.
" I'm sorry darlin," he whispered into Bryn's hair, and shifted, looking up into his face, and though it was no more than a few centimetres away she could barely see it now for the lack of light.
" Sorry for what?" she inquired honestly - she certainly didn't blame him for anything.
" Bringin ya here," he replied. " It's possible Barlow knew that I might come 'ere."
" Because of Stryker's base?" she ventured.
" How did you know about that?" he frowned.
" Jean told me, about what you came looking for here, what you found, what you walked away from," Bryn smiled soberly, curling her fingers around his in a reassuring way. " And it doesn't matter why we're here, we're here now, so we deal."
" I'm goin ta go and get the communicator," he told her, able to see her face clearly, even through the darkness. " I want you ta wait here."
" No," she hissed. " I'm coming with you."
" If..."
" If nothing Logan," Bryn insisted. " If worst comes to worst I take the chance and blast them all into next week and you carry me out."
" Bry..."
" No more arguments," she grumped, pulling him forward, but waiting for him to go first. " You lead, I can't see a damned thing."
Logan didn't argue, leading her out of the cave by the hand and back through the trees. As they crept through the darkness, Bryn could hear voices, some close and some more distant and fear grew inside her until her whole body ached. She still didn't understand how they could have found them, even if the police at the rest stop had seen and recognised them from the FBI release, how could they possibly have known exactly where they had camped.
When they drew close to the camp, Bryn could see several figures around the campfire, and others wandering around with, and one of those voices belonged to Barlow. It was like a sharp, stabbing fear that made her stop in her tracks.
" You stay here," he whispered, giving her hand a squeeze before letting it go.
" No," she hissed. " You can't sneak in there, they'll see you, you have to let me get it."
" Out of the question," he said quickly but definitely.
" If you get caught by Barlow then I haven't got a hope out here alone," she pointed out, taking his arm. " We need horses."
" You can't use ya powers," he pressed. " You..."
" It'll take me all of five seconds to get the back pack," she insisted. " And neither of us get caught."
" Bry..."
" You're still arguing Logan," she dropped. " I need to be a little more proactive about this on the run business, so let me ok? Just point out which pack it's in."
Logan sighed and narrowed his vision through the trees until he located the appropriate pack.
" There," he pointed, and Bryn fixed her eyes on it.
" Think you can get us some horses?" she whispered, breathing in slowly and preparing herself for the inevitable physical backlash of even a small amount of channeling her power.
" Piece a cake," he declared. " Just stay down right?"
" No problem," Bryn exhaled, and Logan slipped from her side and was consumed by the dark waving scrub.
Swallowing, Bryn focused back in, forcing away everything else in her mind - the pack lay several metres behind the group around the camp fire, and that meant she had to move it around behind obstacles in order to prevent them from seeing it.
Twenty seconds she judged, if she didn't run into any snags.
The motion began, and instantly Bryn felt a rush of energy pulse through her body - using her hand as a focal point, she channeled this inexplicable force out through her fingertips, ensnaring the backpack and lifting it from the ground. It moved effortlessly, behind a tent, around a couple of trees, floating along as if held up by invisible strings.
When the rough fabric touched Bryn's fingertips relief filled her, but already there was evidence of strain, a dull ache in the pit of her stomach and ringing in her ears - she ignored it, and began backing away from the camp.
" The horses are down this way," Logan's whispered penetrated the darkness before his hazy breath appeared in the dimness. " Are you all right?"
He took the pack from her and slung it over his shoulder.
" I'm fine," Bryn replied quietly, swallowing hard.
Logan led her down a slope through the trees to where two dark shapes lingered - snow had begun to fall again but the clouds had parted just enough to allow some moonlight to shine through the canopy.
Bryn had had dreams like this before, running from bad guys through the forest on horseback, but never had it felt so real.
" Mount up," he instructed, but waited until she was in the saddle before swinging up himself, and digging the communicator from the pack. " Let's go."
Logan flipped the communicator open as they began to walk through the trees.
" Xavier you read me?" he said quietly into the bottom section of it.
" Logan?" came Beast's voice several long, long seconds later.
" Hank," Logan smiled in relief. " We've had some company up 'ere, Barlow and his goons are tramplin through the forest on our tail."
" That would explain Scott's report of the Trenton base being deserted."
" Deserted?" Bryn exclaimed in a hiss.
A shout rose up into the night from the camp behind them.
" Where are they now?" Logan asked urgently.
" Still on their way back," Beast replied.
" Track the communicator," he instructed. " Or get Chuck in Cerebro, we could use a hand out 'ere."
" Of course," Beast responded.
" We're gonna be out of a touch for a while," he declared. " Things are about ta get interesting."
With that, Logan flicked the communicator shut and tucked it into the pack, which was now safely secured over his shoulder.
" They've discovered the horses," Bryn concluded, swallowing hard, gripping the reins, her knuckles white.
" Then we'd better get the hell outta here," Logan suggested. " They're goin ta be an hour at least."
Logan's mount leapt forward through the darkness, and Bryn's followed - all she could do was try to move with the shaking and uneven rhythm of the canter, focusing on her breathing as a wave of nausea flushed her body with heat.
Even above the noise, Bryn could soon hear the sound of hooves behind them, pounding like her heart. Several times she had to bite down on a cry as her horse slipped on the ground, that was now covered with a thin layer of snow, that seemed now to glow, lighting the forest and all those in it. The surreal nature of this place, of dodging trees on horse back to evade evil scientists - it was something straight out of a James Bond film, but the sharp jarring of Bryn's body against the saddle made it clear it was all real.
Logan divided his time between leading them on a safe and swift path through the dense forest, and looking back over his shoulder to ensure Bryn was all right. Beams of light split through the trees like lasers tearing their way through the dimness in search of their prey. A net became apparent, lights criss-crossed the path behind and suddenly ahead, like they had been waiting for the pair to make such a move.
" This way!" Logan urged, and dragged his horse to the left and down a steep embankment. The animal let out a shrill cry as its hooves slid through the icy dirt, closely followed by Bryn who clung to the saddle horn to keep from being thrown off.
The lights disappeared overhead as the terrain flattened out and once more the fleeing pair were consumed by the heavy veil of night. The clouds shifted across the partial moon, plunging them into a wall of pitch - but they moved still, in a trot, for the horses seemed to know the way.
" Logan?" Bryn panted, dizzy for the lack of breath.
" We have ta keep moving," he insisted - all Bryn could do was hang on.
The snow continued to fall, even as the light of dawn awoke the rest of the frosty world.
The horses ambled in a tired walk, and Bryn had long since slumped against the neck of her mount, with barely enough energy to stay on.
" The fresh snow will cover our tracks," Logan declared, still bright and awake.
" Logan, I need to rest," Bryn whispered, and as if in agreement, her horse stopped too.
There had been no sign of the jet, and no further communications during the night.
Logan stopped, dismounted, and carefully pulled Bryn from the saddle.
" You hurt?"
" A little," she murmured. " I need to sleep, where the hell is the jet?"
The lethargy also dulled the fear of being caught - Bryn might have given herself up for a clean, warm bed.
Logan sat in the snow, with Bryn cradled across his lap, and moved to dig the communicator from the pack he'd dropped down beside him.
" Shit," he cursed, and even in her daze Bryn rolled her head to look up at him.
" What?"
" There's a hole in the pack," he answered.
" The communicator?"
" Gone."
Bryn wanted to cry, but she was too cold and too tired.
" What do we do now?" she exhaled numbly.
" Can't build a fire," he noted.
" They're going to find us," Bryn concluded in a resigned tone.
" I'll build a shelter," he declared, moving her into the small hollow he had created.
" Where the hell is Phoenix when you need her?"
" What?" Logan frowned, as he trudged through the snow a little way and began to dig out a shelter.
" The Phoenix," Bryn breathed. " Jean Grey.'
" She's dead Bryn."
Bryn closed her eyes, trying to drown out the discord in her body with the sounds of the forest.
Branches snapped and crackled as the cold caused the wood to contract, birds hopping around caused lines of snow to drop from above, the horses nearby, as exhausted as Bryn was, nosing absently for something to eat. It was peaceful there, a natural lullaby that was pulling her towards sleep, that and the cold of the snow sapping the remains of her energy, energy that it seemed Logan still had in spades.
" Stay awake," Logan prodded, lifting her to her feet again.
" I can hear a helicopter," Bryn mumbled, looking to the sky.
" They'll havta come through me," he growled, stowing her safely in the snow shelter.
The thunder of hooves returned, it seemed their night on the run had done nothing to discourage their pursuers.
Logan readied himself, slapping the horses into motion, hoping that maybe Barlow would follow them instead.
He didn't.
Barlow and his cohort reined in, in an impressive spray of snow.
For a moment there was silence, and a sick smile of satisfaction spread across Barlow's face, despite the savage stare and defensive stance Logan held. He could feel the anger rising up inside him, tugging at his self-control, baiting him to just leap forward and tear Barlow into bloody pieces. He exhaled slowly, not sure how long he could hold back, or even if he wanted to.
" Wolverine?" he inquired with a chuckle. " Well, you're certainly the last person I expected to see out here with my little fugitive."
" I'm not your anything," Bryn spat, dragging herself to her feet and standing behind Logan, suddenly with more energy than she thought.
" Though I am reassured," Barlow continued, still peering at Logan. " I'd hate to think that just anyone could evade me out here for so long."
" Com'on bub," Logan growled. " You were always a bit of a lab geek."
" True," Barlow agreed. " Stryker always gave you the best assignments, which is why I left, and, as you've no doubt discovered, my little triumph is quite powerful."
" She'll break ya in half," Logan pointed out, ready at any moment to shoot out his claws and attack.
" Not if she hopes to see out this year alive," Barlow dropped coldly, looking now to Bryn. " You've run enough now," he went on. " Your condition will only deteriorate without treatment."
" You can fix me?" she questioned curtly.
" Of course," Barlow frowned, as if this had been his intention all along. " We've invested a great deal of money in your development, that's true, but we're not completely insensitive to your situation, your health is of great concern."
Logan was unable to suppress an incredulous growl from rising in his throat.
For Bryn however, the outcome of the situation had already been decided. The X-men had found nothing in Trenton that could help cure her condition, and the man before her now was quite possibly her only chance at living.
" Come on Wolverine," Barlow chided. " I know my methods differed from Stryker's, but you understand what I've tried to achieve here and look at her, she's almost perfect."
Bryn stepped forward, but Logan flung his arm out to prevent her going any further.
" I could implode him," she said plainly. " But the truth is, I need what only he can give me."
She swallowed, as Logan looked into her face with a stricken frown.
" You heard Beast," she whispered. " They found nothing. He's my only chance."
She turned her head, and looked up at Barlow coldly.
" I'll go with you Barlow, you will fix what you fucked up, or, I'll rip you to pieces."
Bryn was surprised at how convincing she sounded, and how the aching seemed to fade into the background as she stared, holding what ground she had, as best she could under the circumstances.
" What do you say Wolverine?" Barlow perked as he dismounted and slowly approached Bryn, who now stood a little in front of Logan. " Templar can always use good men, particularly ones with your talents."
" I wanna see how this pans out," Logan answered with a curt nod - he wasn't stupid, Bryn had all but told him what role to play, and she was right, it was the only role that was going to let him stay with her. " If Templar pays nearly as well as Stryker, it might be worth sticking around."
" Excellent," Barlow grinned conspiratorially, fluidly taking Bryn's wrists, and clicking a couple of cold metal bands around them.
" What the hell?" Bryn frowned - they weren't handcuffs, just a pair of flat metal bracelets, perhaps two millimetres thick and one centimetre wide with no visible locks.
" So you can't tear me to pieces," Barlow smirked, and instantly Bryn felt panic - she reached for her power, but it slipped through her fingers like smoke. The only defence she had had was now gone.
" Take her to the helicopter," Barlow commanded, and Bryn did not struggle when she was led away from Logan, and so he took his cue from her, and remained calm.
" Where'd you pick her up?" Barlow inquired, like he and Wolverine were old mates.
" Side of the road couple of hours shy of the border," Logan replied gruffly, relaxing into his part, but watching Bryn disappear into the trees. " Was heading up here cause I'd heard Stryker'd trashed the base and she offers me a couple of grand to make her disappear - beautiful single woman, what are you gonna do?"
Barlow chuckled and slapped Logan on the back.
" She didn't tell you why?" Barlow probed.
" She said someone had fucked with her royally, mutated her, I thought maybe Stryker, never thought of you."
" That's the idea," he declared. " Shame about Stryker, the old man was good cover, poor competition though."
The walked to a small clearing, where one helicopter was lifting off and another hovered near by waiting to land.
" So what do you say Wolverine? Join the party?" Barlow questioned as the helicopter touched down and the door was opened for him.
" What else have I got ta do?" Logan grinned, climbing in beside Barlow.
( Chapters already written, just going over them for proof reading - hey if you've gotten this far, what do you think?)