Disclaimer: Unfortunately I don't, or ever will, own the X-Men. All this much to my dissatisfaction. Blah! That was mature. x-0 Hahaha.
Summary: Alt. Reality/Ultimate-verse. A long war of man against mutant had ravaged the country, leaving many mutants and humans dead. Logan and Ororo come back to the mansion once the fighting has died down.
Note: The song in this fic is from 'The Promise' by The Cure. Man, I've been listenin' to this cd way too much and it inspired me ta write this short fic. Hope someone enjoys it I suppose. Or hate it, either way, I'll be happy if someone reads this. Ha. My muse will comfort me if no one cares. hehe. Please Review!
Your Heart Can't Bleed Forever
Now time will heal
Make me forget
You promised me
Time will heal
Make me forget
You promised me
Love will save us all
And time will heal
You promised me. . .
How love will save
Make me forget
You promised me
Love will save
Make me forget
You promised me
Time will heal us all
And love will save
- - - - -
"You look tired."
It was a simple statement, not a question. The voice was so soft and caring, but weathered. Weathered from everything; from the years and the hate, and the war, and the dying, and the crying, and the mourning.
Logan turned with an equally weathered face, eyes so tired that had seen so much they just might have stopped caring. He tried to smile, but it was too much work. He couldn't smile, didn't feel he had the right to smile. Besides all that, he didn't feel like smiling, and he wasn't going to. "Don't I always?" he replied somberly to the person standing behind him.
She smiled partly and sat down beside him on the old concrete step. A step that had once been the entrance to a warm place, a comforting place where those with love in their hearts lived. It was now just a plain old step, a step with memories, littered with ashes.
"What happened 'Ro?" he asked lowly, head bowed and elbows resting on his knees as he held a flimsy old photo in one calloused hand.
Ororo sighed, features turning to a frown, causing her smooth face to gain deep wrinkle lines. She turned, a burnt old building behind her, drenched in memories of good and bad times. "The armies came...The fire, it - it destroyed everything. You know what happened Logan, we were both there. I still can't believe we survived.." she trailed off, choking back tears for those that didn't make it.
"That's not what I meant," he let out a heavy sigh, tracing his thumb over the withering photograph and trying to wipe away some of the ash. It was a picture of all the X-Men together, just outside the mansion one summer day when they were having a barbeque. Him, Ororo, Scott, Kurt, Warren, Jean, Kitty, Rogue, Bobby, Peter, and even the Professor. It was after Hank had died, about a year later, before everything went to hell. "What happened to all of us?" Logan asked softly, his voice strained as he turned to her. "The rest of us..." he added, barely above a whisper.
"I'm not quite sure," she answered sadly, leaning her head against his shoulder and looking at the picture in his hand. Ororo remembered that day clearly; it was a sunny day, everyone helped out getting things prepared for the barbeque. Logan and Scott had finished cooking the food when Kitty told everyone to group together for a 'family photo'. "It's been, what? A year since..." she gestured to the destruction behind them.
Logan nodded, gazing off distantly toward the setting sun that he could see through broken trees. "What about that promise 'Ro? Not much has changed." he said suddenly, gazing at her.
"It still stands." she smiled tightly as she lifted her head from his shoulder. "It'll get better..." Ororo stared off into the distance, not sure she believed her own words but saying them anyways. "We need more time."
"Time ta forget." Logan muttered, glancing down at his feet and clenching his eyes shut. He just wanted it to all go away, everything from the past year or so. But glancing at Ororo he knew that wasn't all true. He didn't want everything to go away.
- - - - -
Four Years Later. . .
Logan walked brusquely down the littered sidewalk, one thing and one thing only on his mind: to get home. Home was once a word so foreign to the man with no past, but then he'd found a home with Professor Xavier and the X-Men. Then that home was lost in one regretful evening and he thought he'd never have that again. But things were different now. The war was over, he had Ororo. Things changed, but he still couldn't forget, he was still bitter toward the world. Not much was worth fighting for these days, nothing but family.
Clutching the brown paper bag of groceries tightly to his chest, Logan barely noticed the man walking toward him, accidentally brushing against the stranger and nearly dropping his belongings. "Hey, watch it," he grumbled, not thinking much of it and quickening his pace.
"Sorry," the man that had knocked into him quickly apologized. He kept on his own way, then stopped suddenly and turned around with wide blue eyes. "Logan?"
Spinning around at the mention of his name, Logan's brows furrowed dangerously as he scowled at the person. He knew that scent, but it'd been so long. Was his mind playing tricks on him?
The young man stepped forward without caution toward the gruff man. He pulled off the old green ski cap that came down past his brows, revealing a mop of blonde/brown hair and a young, but worn face. "It's me, Bobby."
Logan's mouth gaped open and he nearly dropped his grocery bag. Clutching the bag in one hand he ran the other over his scruffy face. "Hey," he said dumbly, too shocked to say anything else. He hadn't seen the kid since the disaster at the mansion, and he looked much older now.
Bobby smiled, glad that he'd been remembered. He adjusted the collar on his coat, then stuffed his hands into the pockets of his jeans. "You look the same way I remember you." he laughed, not forced, but genuine.
"Ha," Logan chuckled, a partial smile on his face, the rare gesture that was usually saved for his wife. "You sure don't."
"Heh, yeh." Bobby nodded, looking over himself. "Yeh, I grew up."
"Sure did." adjusting the grocery bag in his arms, Logan jerked his head to the side. "I gotta get this stuff back home. Uh, if ya don't got anywhere ta be right this second...uh, wanna come up? I bet 'Ro will be glad as hell ta see ya."
Bobby's brow quirked a moment and he tilted his head to the side. "Ororo? You an' her..."
Logan chuckled, amused at the young man's confusion. "Yep, we got hitched."
"Uh," Bobby stumbled for a moment, still trying to come to grips with the situation. "Yeh, uh, sure, I'd love to come."
- - - - -
Ororo sat in the small, dingy apartment, preparing coffee and waiting for Logan to come home with the groceries so they could get dinner started. She heard heavy footsteps in the hall, then the door creaked open loudly. Without turning from the coffee pot she said, "Logan you better have a good excuse for being late." her voice was stern, but teasing.
"Oh I do darlin'," he grabbed Ororo's shoulder and spun her. "Look who I found."
Mouth gaping open as Logan's had, she gasped softly. "Bobby?" tears running down her cheeks as the young man nodded, Ororo flung herself forward and hugged him fiercely. "It's been so long!"
"It's real good to see you again too Storm." he grinned widely at her as she pulled away.
"Here, have a seat," Ororo pulled out a rickety old chair from the little wooden table just big enough for two.
Bobby sat down, resting his hands on the table as she sat across from him. He watched Logan put away the groceries, then turned his attention back to Ororo. "So, how've you two been?"
"We've been getting along," she answered a little sadly. "What about you? Do you live around here? In New York I mean?"
"Oh, no," Bobby shook his head, glancing up at Logan as he leaned against the doorframe with his arms crossed over his chest. He fiddled with the cap in his hands and smiled. "I know some people who live around here, I'm just passing through actually."
Logan turned back to the counter, reaching into the cupboards that were nearly falling apart and taking out three coffee mugs. He began pouring the hot liquid, then without turning he asked, "How ya like yer coffee kid?"
"Um, black's fine." Bobby smiled again. He hadn't been called 'kid' in a long time, by anyone.
With his usual grunt, Logan fixed the coffees, already knowing Ororo liked hers with two milks and one sugar. Setting the mugs on the table, Logan took his and leaned against the counter. "So, what're you doin' passin' through New York then?" he asked casually before taking a sip of his own black coffee.
Staring into his mug, Bobby absently scratched the side of his neck. He laughed softly. "Well, believe it or not, I've been tracking down the old gang for about two years now."
"Really?" Ororo leaned forward in her seat, eager to hear what he had to say. "Have you found anyone? I mean, besides us just now."
Logan listened intently, also eager to hear if Bobby had seen or heard from any of the remaining X-Men.
"Well," Bobby started, looking sad a moment as he thought back before smiling. He'd tell them the good news first. "I found Kurt and Rogue in Mississippi, they're together now. Both are doing pretty good considering."
Logan and Ororo both seemed to sigh in relief. It was good to hear that they were alright.
Bobby continued. "Kitty's living with her mom and going to college where they don't know she's a mutant, and well...I haven't heard anything about Warren." he frowned, trailing off.
"What about Scott an' Jean?" Logan asked lowly, almost fearing what he was going to hear.
Ororo was already just about to burst into tears, knowing what was coming next. The Professor and Peter had been killed during the mansion disaster, but Scott and Jean...where they - ??
"Uh," Bobby let out an uncomfortable sigh as he bit his lower lip and stared further into his coffee mug. "They were both killed trying to prevent a bunch of mutant kids at a hospital from being killed by anti-mutant protestors.
Logan frowned angrily, moving quickly to Ororo's side and wrapping his arms around her as she began crying. His jaw clenched and he sighed, looking towards Bobby. "Thanks fer tellin' us kid, no matter how much it hurts. It's better'n not knowin'."
Bobby nodded slowly, trying to prevent himself from remembering all over again before he broke down in tears.
- - - - -
You promised me. . .
I trusted you
I wanted your words
Believed in you
I needed your words
Time will heal
Make me forget
And love will save us all
You promised me another wish
Another way
You promised me another dream
Another day
You promised me another time
You promised me another life
- - - - -
After Bobby had left, neither Logan or Ororo felt much like eating dinner. They both sat in the little area where the couch and television were.
Staring blankly at the t.v. that was turned to the news, Logan frowned suddenly and ran a hand through his hair. "I thought it was gonna get better 'Ro. I wish I could just forget..."
Sighing, Ororo lifted her feet onto the couch and curled up with her head in his lap. She'd stopped crying a while ago, but the hurt and sadness was still there. "Maybe we're not supposed to forget Logan, but we have to keep the memories of those we love. I miss Peter and Jean, and Scott, and Charles too, but your heart can't bleed forever Logan. It just can't. We can't let that happen and die inside."
He frowned, gently running his fingers through her hair. "I know that darlin', but...all that's happened." Logan shook his head, frustrated. "It shouldn't have happened, this is all wrong. These ain't the lives we were s'posed ta have."
Sitting up slowly, Ororo looked deeply into his eyes, seeing all the pain, the hate, the frustration, and finding the love that was still there. She leaned forward, hugging him tightly as she buried her face into his neck. "But we have eachother, and if we can have that...well I say there's still hope."
- - - - -
You promised me. . .
So I swallowed the shame and I waited
I buried the blame and I waited
Choked back years of memories. . .
I pushed down the pain and I waited
Trying to forget. . .
You promised me another wish
Another way
You promised me another dream
Another day
You promised me another time
You promised me. . .
Another lie
Oh you promised me. . .
You promised me. . .
You promised me. . .
And I waited. . .
And I waited. . .
And I waited. . .
And I'm still waiting. . .
You promised me. . .
- - - - - The End - - - - -