A/N: This chapter's for Trunksblue! thanks for reviewin' even though it's been so long. i'm so sorry but it was a real bad case o' writer's block. erg... - I will be continuing this story an' hopefully finishin' it up without too many delays. thanks fer the support!

Chapter 12: Withdrawal



It was 11:30 at night, the summer air was warm, with just enough of a breeze. Logan was down in the mansion's kitchen, sitting at the table eating ice cream. He had the window wide open to allow the breeze to come through, barely catching his wife's scent as she quietly enterered the room.

Without saying a thing, Jean pulled up a chair beside her husband, resting her head against her elbow. Her green eyes were showing a glint of concern. "You're still up." She said, still staring at him as he ate the ice cream straight out of the container, well aware that she was stating the obvious.

"Couldn't sleep." Logan murmured around the spoon that was in his mouth before he pulled it out to scoop up more ice cream.

"Couldn't sleep or haven't tried?" Jean asked skeptically with a mild smirk.

Logan sighed, looking to her as she easily stole the spoon from his hand and started eating the ice cream. "I-uh.....well," He rubbed the back of his neck, sighing again as he mimicked Jean's position and rested his head in his hand, elbow propped up on the table.

"Are you afraid to try and sleep?" Jean shifted, dropping the spoon back into the ice cream container and reaching her hand around to gently rub her husband's back.

Rubbing his neck again, Logan grimaced before trying to effectively change the subject. "You get Jack ta sleep?"

"Yeah," Jean gave in, allowing him to think she wasn't going to go back to her original question. She smiled faintly. "Took a while though. Apparently he was hanging around Hank in the lab and got ahold of his Twinkie stash."

"Hmph." Logan offered a soft chuckle.

Jean picked up the ice cream container, taking out the spoon and clamping on the lid. She stood up, walking toward the freezer to put the cold dessert back in it's place. Turning back to Logan, she stood beside him and frowned. "You look tired."

"Yeah." He was tired, but he was too worried about terrible memories coming up in his dreams for him to sleep.

"C'mon, come to bed." Jean nudged his bare shoulder and he reluctantly got up, trudging slowly out into the hall toward the stairs. She couldn't help but laugh a little as she watched him walk away. Logan wasn't at all shameful about roaming around in just his boxers, no matter who was around. Granted, it was nearly midnight and no one else was up, unless Remy had gone out to a bar and was planning on coming back late.



Later in the night, the bedroom door suddenly creaked open, alerting Jean to another's presence. She sat up, glancing once to her left where Logan was jerking slightly in his sleep, brows furrowed and face twisted in anger and pain. "Jack?" She called out softly toward the open door, peering in the dim light.

The little boy padded softly toward the bed, then stopped and stood at the end, staring through the dark at his mother.

"Did you have a bad dream honey?" Jean asked her son gently, shifting her position a little.

"No." Jack shook his head and smiled. "I jus' wanna sweep wif' you an' Daddy."

"Okay," Jean said a little reluctantly. She reached out her arms and gestured for her son to come forward. "Come on up."

Smiling, Jack hopped up on the bed and began crawling toward the middle.

Jean glanced sideways at Logan a moment, noticing him begin to thrash around rather violently. She reached out quickly and suddenly snatched Jack up in her arms as Logan's claws were released and he lashed out, striking where their son had once been. She gasped, holding Jack close to her, the little boy not even aware of the danger he was in.

"What's wrong Mommy?" Jack's soft green eyes turned on her before he looked back at his father, not understanding what his mother looked so worried about.

Logan continued thrashing, though it lessened in intensity and he suddenly opened his eyes. His chest heaved as he breathed in and out heavily and his eyes were wide and haunted. "Jean?" He called out with barely any breath, hands shaking before him as he suddenly realized his claws were out, then retracted them.

"It's alright Logan, I'm right here." Jean assured him once she had found her breath. She reached out and gently put a hand on his back, absently stroking Jack's soft brown hair with the other.

Logan harshly ran a hand over his face, still breathing pretty heavily as he remained sitting up, looking to the side at Jean. He saw the fearful look leaving her face, then his eyes drifted to Jack, clutched in her arms and staring at him happily. "God, did I-?" He froze, looking back at Jean, his eyes returning to that haunted look.

Jean's brows creased and she frowned slightly, removing her hand from his back and still stroking Jack's hair. "It was close. We're ok though." She shifted their son in her arms.

Logan sat there a moment, just shaking his head before he threw back the bed sheets and swung his feet over the side of the bed.

"I'm sorry Mommy...I waked Daddy?" Jack pouted, looking up at his mother.

"No baby." Jean shook her head, then got up with Jack in her arms as she started for the door. She stopped in the doorway and looked back at Logan who was still sitting there shaking. "Logan...I'll be right back ok? I'm bringing Jack back to his room."

Jack frowned and began tugging at Jean's pajama top. "Mommy you said I could sweep here wif' you an' Daddy." He pouted as she carried him back into his room.

"I know Jack, not tonight ok?" Jean smiled at him tightly as she walked into the room and laid him down in bed. "Daddy's having trouble sleeping, so I want you to stay in your own room tonight alright baby?" She said, knowing he wouldn't understand what was really going on.

Jack smiled back sleepily, then sat up and kissed his mother's cheek as she hugged him and pulled up his sheets. "Ok Mommy."

Jean turned to leave the room, putting on his night-light before walking out. As she entered her room again, Logan was still sitting on the side of the bed, elbows on his knees and head in his hands. She walked in front of him and took his hand, noticing the trembling and looking at him with concerned eyes. "Logan?"

"I'm fine." He mumbled shakily, pulling his hand away and wiping at his sweaty forehead.

Jean frowned, still looking at him worriedly. "You're going through withdrawal from the medication. It's okay, Hank told me what to do and he said to get him if it gets bad, but I think we're okay." She continued staring at him, even as he turned away from her. "Do you feel nauseous?"

Logan grunted. "A little."

She smiled reassuringly and patted his shoulder. "C'mon, we better do this in the med lab."

Logan sighed as he wobbily got up and began following Jean out of the room after she grabbed her robe. His hands were still shaking, he was sweating, and he felt about to throw up. All in all not a good feeling.



Turning on the lights in the med lab, Jean lead Logan by the elbow toward one of the beds. After he sat down reluctantly, she began attaching things to his chest to monitor heartbeats.

Logan laid back, glancing at his left hand by his side, then to his right. He was still trembling, even as he closed his eyes a moment and tried willing his body to relax.

Jean frowned as she watched him, then looked to the machine beside the bed as it beeped steadily for every beat of his heart.

.....Beep..Beep..Beep..Beep..Beep..Beep..Beep.....

She knew it was a little fast, but Hank had assured her that could happen from the withdrawal. Sighing, Jean walked toward the med lab's bathroom to get her husband some water.

Logan was still reeling from his nightmare as Jean handed him the glass of water. He sat up but his hands were shaking so bad he nearly dropped the glass. "Dammit, I'm sorry darlin'." He said softly, suddenly growling at himself.

"It's not your fault." Jean smiled tightly wrapping a hand around his and helping to steady the glass. She tipped it toward his mouth and he drank slowly, then let go and laid back against the bed.

Logan frowned, watching through half-closed lids as Jean set down the glass, then hopped up on the bed and drew closer to him. "I don't wanna hurt you." He said worriedly as she turned sideways, laying her head on his shoulder and taking his hand lovingly.

"I'm not afraid of you hurting me Logan." She told him gently, tracing her fingers lightly over his rough hand. "It was just that Jack was there.....He shouldn't have been there. I knew what could happen and I shouldn't have let him come up on the bed." Jean paused, chewing her lower lip a moment. "It scared me when Jack almost got hurt..." She knew her voice was shaky, but she couldn't help it.

"I never wanna hurt you, or Jack." Logan mumbled back as his voice cracked, hands continuing to tremble even as Jean held them.

Jean curled her fingers around his, smiling when he squeezed her hand back, however weak it was. Before she knew it she was falling asleep, although her entire purpose right then was to make sure that he got back to sleep alright. Despite her best efforts, Jean soon lost her battle with the Sandman.

Logan felt his wife relax into sleep against him, and as he took in a slow, shaky breath. He knew sleep for him wouldn't come as easy. And he didn't want it to. How could he fall asleep when he was so worried about hurting Jean? She may not be afraid of him hurting her but he was.