Disclaimer: As stated in the first chapter, the X-MEN don't belong to me, never have probably never will. The song lyrics don't belong to me either. Oh yeah, and I aint making money off of this.

Dragon's Milk:

Chapter 2

by Egypt

"In other news the fourth victim of what appears to be a string of kidnappings is still missing. Each victim has been between the ages of twenty and thirty and is usually missing for about a month before they return home with absolutely no memory of what happened during the time they were gone. Police have yet to come up with an explanation and have very little evidence. The latest victim, twenty-five year old Regina Creed, is still missing. Patty Louis has the latest. Patty."

"Thanks Mary. I'm here outside the night club known as the White Tiger which is owned by Miss Creed. Business here seems to be the same as usual but there is an undertone of concern that no one can ignore..."

The reporter's voice faded back into the hum of activity all around him as he tuned it out, not wanting to hear anymore. He came here to get away from his problems, not to hear them blasted all over the news. He had already been chased out of one bar tonight because of his bad temper, he didn't need to make it two.

He picked up his mug and downed the last of his beer, then signaled the bartender for another. The large man walked down the bar and shook his head as he refilled the man's glass and set it back on the bar. He looked at the man and fought the urge to ask him what it was that he was trying to drown. However, like most people would in this kind of situation, curiosity got the better of him.

"Ya wanna talk about it?" he asked, that curiosity coming through in his voice.

"If I wanted to talk about it I wouldn't be here, bub."

The man's voice was strong and firm with not even the slightest hint of a slur, despite that being his fifth beer. He had seen allot of people in his time as a bartender, but never one who seemed to radiate such a feeling of hopelessness. He watched as the man looked back up at the TV screen and a frown crossed his face. The bartender followed his line of vision , finding himself staring at a picture of the latest kidnapping victim. She was a beautiful young woman with long blonde hair and stunning green eyes.

"Ya think they'll find her?" he was trying to pull the man into a conversation, anything to get his mind off his troubles.

The man just sat there staring at the picture, his eyes filled with an emotion that the bartender knew all to well. Loss. Too many times he had seen that look in a man's eyes as he tried to drown his sorrows in a few beers. However, for this man the beer seemed to be of no use. No matter how many he drank it didn't seem to drown anything. His eyes were just as clear as ever.

He watched him for a moment longer, then realizing he was not going to answer he moved on. There were other customers that needed his attention and he didn't need to waste his time on this one.

Logan felt the man leave but he didn't seem to care. His eyes were still focused on the TV where the picture had once been. The frown on his face seemed to deepen as the feelings he had been trying to hide bubbled back up again. A low growl issued from his throat as he pushed those feelings back down again, refusing to acknowledge them. Instead he turned his attention back to his beer, downing it in one gulp and then signaling for another. Sometimes he really hated having this healing factor. He couldn't even get drunk when he wanted to, and right now he really wanted to. He wanted to feel numb, to not care about what happened or how it happened. To not care that they had done everything they could and still couldn't find her.

He remembered the night he had gotten the call from Mike. He had been on his way to bed when Mike had called in a panic yelling about her car still sitting in the parking lot but her not being anywhere. Logan had rushed down to the club along with Gambit to see what had happened. They had found her car in the parking lot with the keys in the door and the contents of her purse strewn across the ground. Logan had picked up two scents that night. One had been hers, the other was unknown to him. He had memorized that scent, cataloging it in his brain and keeping it right on top so that if he ever smelt it again he would know exactly where it had come from. There was no guarantee that it belonged to her kidnapper, but he was sure that it was someone who at least knew what had happened.

He shook his head as he started on the next beer. "Six people trained in finding the obscure and none of us can find her." he mumbled, a low growl underlying his voice.

Logan, the touch was light, but still unwelcome just as it almost always was.

Ya don't wanna be in my head right now Chuck, he sent back, It aint a pretty sight.

There was a bit of a mental sigh, but the presence didn't leave. It lingered, as if trying to decide what to do, or how to say something.

We found her Logan, the words were simple and direct, the mental voice filled with both relief and anxiety.

It took a moment for the mental message to sink in, but once it did Logan was on his feet and half way to the door before anyone even realized he had moved. The 5'3" man stepped out of the bar and over to a Harley that was parked at the curb. A myriad of emotions were coursing through him at the moment, but one was much stronger than all the others. The urge to get back to the mansion.

I'm on my way. with that final message Logan shoved Professor Xavier from his mind and pulled the Harley into traffic on his way home.

The world around her swirled and coalesced into several different shades, then faded back to black. There was nothing in her mind, nothing but pain and sorrow coupled with rage and hatred. She had never known joy, at least not that she remembered, so the only color that she could focus on was black. Black represented the only life she could remember. It was a color she was beginning to hate.

The darkness started to clear, and to her amazement she found herself back in the cabin standing in the living room. She didn't understand it. This wasn't suppose to be happening. It was then that the first punch hit her right between the shoulders. She fell forward, catching herself with her hands before she fell on her face.

No, she thought, This can't be happening. I got away. The man in the forest…he killed Josh. I saw him die.

The next punch hit her in the back of the head and she fell to the floor, a shock of pain radiating behind her eyes.

I can't live like this again. I won't live with this. He's gonna kill me, I know he is.

He reached down and grabbed her by the hair, pulling her up and around to look at him just before he landed a third punch to her left cheek sending her sprawling across the room. By this time she was crying, red hot tears falling down her face as she grabbed at her cheek.

No more. Please, no more. I didn't do anything. No more.

He strode over to where she lay, his large frame towering over her as his dark eyes stared down at her, his hands clenched into fists at his sides. She tried to scoot out of his way but he followed her, that sneering grin looming toward her as step by step he got closer.

She felt the couch against her back and knew she couldn't go any further. The fear in her eyes was evident as she watched him kneel down, his legs straddling her as he pulled back his left fist and swung again. She braced for the blow, feeling the pain shoot through her right cheek this time, then another through her left again. Another closer to her eyes. Another on her chin. Another on the bridge of her nose.

It took her a moment to realize he was going at her with both fists, each blow striking another place on her face. She could feel the bruises and taste the blood in her mouth as she strove to get away from him but to no avail. His legs held her firm giving her no chance to escape and no way of defending herself.

NO! her mind roared, NO MORE. I got away. I'm not here anymore. This can't be happening. I GOT AWAY!

But the blows kept coming and the pain kept shooting through her face and now down to her neck. Each blow now hit a part of her face that had already been brutalized, adding bruises on top of bruises. If she didn't do something soon he would beat her to death.

There's something inside me that pulls beneath the surface

Consuming, confusing

This lack of self control I fear is never ending

Controlling, I can't seem

To find myself again, my walls are closing in.

Somewhere inside her something snapped into place. All her pain and anguish, her fear, her hatred. It all came bubbling up to the same spot. With one gasp she reached in and pulled all of those emotions together, pushing them into something that she didn't quite understand but that she knew would help. She took a deep breath and pushed it all out, her voice for the first time giving sound to what she could only think before.

"NO!!!!!"

Inside the Med Lab at the Xavier Mansion the dormant figure of Regina Creed that floated inside the healing tank suddenly lurched, her back arching as her eyes flew open and a single high pitched noise emanated from her. Everyone in the room grabbed their ears and fell to the floor just as the glass tank she was in shattered, spilling yellow healing fluid onto the tile floor and dropping her body into what was once the base of the tank. The black mask that had supplied her with oxygen was still strapped to her face as her body curled in on itself, her legs being drawn up to her chest in a fetal position.

Logan was the first to recover. Rushing to the tank he stepped over the broken glass and into the base where she lay.

"Gina," he whispered as he knelt down and pushed the wet hair away from her face, "Gina, can ya hear me?"

There was no response, only the soft sound of crying as Regina lay there, fresh tears cascading down her cheeks.

TO BE CONTINUED...