It didn't take as long as Nikkola expected to bury Victor, but it was still several hours before she took one last look at his grave and turned away. Hoisting the old backpack onto her shoulders she set her face towards Xavier's and started to walk. The night had no moon and she felt at home in the almost pitch black. Her cats eyes let her see as well as she did in the day time, and her internal compass led her unerringly towards the mansion on Graymalkin Lane.
Nicole hadn't walked for very long before she caught the familiar scent of freshly cut grass and wind, and shook her head slightly.
"Did you not think I could find Xavier's on my own, Logan?" A shadow disengaged itself from a nearby tree and white teeth flashed in a smile.
"What I thought was that you might like some company, Cat." Logan was soon close enough to see Nicole's eyes still puffy from crying, although that was quickly mending itself. He gently grasped her hand and looked at her fingertips, noticing the dirt under the broken nails, and the shredded fingertips that were also healing rapidly. His gaze was open but probed hers deeply. Nikkola shrugged.
"I took his life with my hands. The least I could do would be to bury him with them." Logan shook his head slightly and was about to say something when he was suddenly seeing Victor through Nicole's eyes.
The big man had come upon her unexpectedly, even though she had been tracking him for the last several days. Before she had time to react, he had grabbed her by the arm and swung her against a large tree. Stars danced through her head as she felt her arm snap, and she felt into a dazed heap. Sabertooth stood triumphantly over her, gloating. He reached down and grabbed her necklace, snapping it off her neck as if it were nothing. Nikkola tried to make a grab for it, but her hand weakly swung wide of its mark.
Showing a display of strength that would have floored anybody else, Sabertooth reached over her and ripped the tree up out of the ground, roots and all. As he stood there with the large willow balanced precariously over his head, he took one last minute to grin cruelly at her, gloating at the fact that he was about to finish her off and she could do nothing. That one moment was all she needed however, to get herself under control, and when he heaved the willow over his head, she rolled out of the way at the last second and came up swinging her good arm, claws extended. Her injured arm was held closely to her side until it finished healing, but she managed to get a few good hits in before Sabertooth could react.
The next few minutes were a flurry of blows taken and given on both sides, and soon the tiny glade was splashed with blood. In a final surge of energy, Sabertooth tore his claws across her stomach with his left hand, and with his right carved a deep slice out of her thigh. Nikkola screamed, but still managed to kick him hard enough in the ribs to break several. They both recoiled in pain, but Nicole recovered first and came at Sabertooth with claws flying, tearing at his chest and arms. One blow was overthrown on her part, and as her body twisted away from him in the follow-through he reached up with his left hand and dragged his claws across her back. She spun around immediately, her right claws catching him across the ribs, then ran as fast as she could, only slowing to a walk when she could no longer hear him.
Logan snapped back to reality to see Nikkola looking at him with an unreadable expression.
"Do you see? I killed my brother. One of the only people who ever loved me." Logan shook his head, letting her hand drop to her side.
"No, Nicole. You did the world a favor and killed Sabertooth. You gave Victor a much deserved rest." Nicole looked up at him with pain in her eyes, but instead of replying, she turned and started to walk again. Logan silently fell into step beside her. After a few minutes, Nicole hesitantly reached for Logan's hand and gave it a squeeze, then let it go.
"Thank you, Logan." He didn't reply, but a small smile curled at the corner of his mouth. The rest of their silent journey seemed to fly by, and soon they were walking into the main entrance of Xavier's school, then down the hall to Nicole's room. Nicole opened the door and took a step inside to set down her backpack, then turned to look at Logan.
"Goodnight, Logan." Her companion scrutinized her face for a moment as if trying to decide something about her. Finally he blinked and took a deep breath.
"Goodnight, Nikka." Nikkola froze at the sound of her nickname and looked at Logan, her mouth slightly open. After twenty years of yearning to hear that name, her body couldn't remember how to operate once she did hear it. With her mind buzzing, all she could do was stare at Logan who was looking back at her with a solemn expression on his face.
Nikkola's limbs slowly regained life and she blinked owlishly. Then all of a sudden, without thinking about it, she was in Logan's arms and kissing him.
Somewhere in the back of her mind, she was telling herself that this was a bad idea, that she would pay for this later, that she had no right to kiss him after failing to rescue him, that someone could see them. But all her inner protests faded to nothing at the sensation of his lips on hers, his muscles moving beneath her hands, his arms around her, and him kissing her back?
Logan was caught by surprise when she first kissed him, but his astonishment quickly turned to an overwhelming sense of rightness and he kissed her in return, his arms slipping around her and holding her close.
Then, the memories started to pour in.
The first time he looked at her as something more than a friend.
The first time he hesitantly reached for her hand, and the way he felt when she grasped his back.
The long talks they would have as they sat by a river or walked.
The way she would look at him after he jumped between her and Sabertooth to defend her.
The way her eyes glistened in the moonlight after their first kiss.
The way both their hearts leapt when he told her he loved her, and when she told him the same in return.
The secret looks she would give him when he did something that made her feel loved.
The first time they made love; Nikkola hesitant and shy, Logan tender and gentle, chasing away every memory of her brother's evil side. Afterwards, holding her in his arms as she wept for her past.
That day by the green mountain lake, Nikkola's smouldering looks and his own desire. The time was special...
But why it was special, he couldn't remember. And frustrated by his lack of complete memory, he forgot his own strength and crushed Nikkola's lips, stopping only when he heard her whimper. He straightened in alarm, and was about to apologize but Nicole beat him to it, stepping away hurriedly. One hand flitted up to her bruised mouth, and he winced at the panicked look in her eyes.
"Logan, I am so sorry..." Logan took a step towards her in confusion, but she scurried away from him again. He followed anyway.
"Nikkola, I hurt you. I'm the one who's sorry." She shook her head frantically, backing into a wall.
"I kissed you, Logan. I should not have done that." Logan shook his head back at her and stood only inches away, bracing his arms on either side of her to block any escape route.
"I got some memories back. We obviously meant something to each other, Nikka..." Her small hands fisted in the material of his shirt and pulled him in until they were almost nose to nose.
"But you don't remember what! And because you don't remember, I feel like I took advantage of you!" Logan raised his eyebrows in surprise, and smiled at her.
"Well, I certainly don't feel like I was taken advantage of." Nikkola shook her head in despair and ducked under one arm, only looking back at him when she was safely on the other side of the bed.
"Nikkola, don't beat yourself up about it. It's fine!" When she just shook her head Logan sighed in despair and walked towards the door. Turning back before he reached the hallway, he sighed again at the crestfallen look on her face. Nikkola's entire body looked dejected, and her hands twisted timidly in front of her as she watched his face to see what he would do. Finally he took a deep breath and shrugged.
"So, if it's such a big thing, what were we to each other?" Nikkola swallowed nervously, her eyes growing wide. She cleared her throat, her hands working faster than before. When she finally spoke, her voice was low and hesitant.
"I...did not introduce myself properly before. My full name...is Nikkola Anastasia Pietrovich Creed Logan. And I have been widowed these twenty years."