Chapter 19
"Sugar, are you sure we're safer here?" Marie asked quietly. They were being escorted back to their room, just as they'd been guided to the dining room. The pretense of courtesy, presumably not wanting them to get lost in what was essentially a mansion, wore on Marie as much as the thinly veiled suspicion (if not outright hostility) at dinner.
"Yeah darlin'," Logan sighed. "We actually are. Even if it doesn't exactly feel safe at the moment."
Victor had his arm wrapped around her and she could feel the tension gripping him. He and Marie were the strangers here, and for all that Logan was an integral part of their pack, it felt as if they were being separated. Victor didn't give a damn about the opinions of the school's inhabitants and neither did Marie truthfully. Part of her wondered if Logan would come to see her as the others at the table had. And the feral part of her knew Victor feared the same thing. He wouldn't have offered even a tenth of the explanation he had if he wasn't trying to make clear that Logan was important to him. Wouldn't have come with if protecting her wasn't of paramount importance to both of them.
"He ain't gonna turn his back on us sweetness," Victor murmured. "Jimmy's loyal. As loyal as we are. Twisted I might have been but I never forgot he was my brother." And she knew he was saying it as much for himself as for her.
Logan stopped in the middle of the hall and stared at the two of them, "Is that what you two think? Five minutes of insults and people who don't even know you lookin' down their noses, and I'll give up on this?"
"No," Marie shook her head. She could smell the anger and hurt rising from her mate. "No sugar. It's just…these people are your friends. You like them. And they don't like us, not one little bit."
"Neither of us wants you to feel like you've gotta choose is all Jimmy," Victor added quietly. "I'm used to people thinking I'm a vicious bastard."
"And lord knows I've had 'good, church-goin' ladies' sneer and call me a whore more times than I can count," Marie added. "It just…wasn't ever in front of you sugar. And part of me wonders if they're right."
"They're not," Logan snarled the denial. "Christ darlin', you're barely twenty years old, got thrown out on your fine ass when you were fifteen. It's a damn miracle that you're alive. And you've managed to make a living without us for three years on your own. Nobody has the right to look down on you. Especially someone who's never known a day's hunger in her life."
Victor looked at their escort, a profoundly embarrassed Storm and growled, scooping Marie up into his arms. "C'mon Jimmy. Let's quit pretending we don't know where we're goin' and just get there already."
He stalked past the astonished woman, Logan at his side and headed for the guest room.
The two of them did their best to make her scream, slow and sweet, with promises of always between the three of them. And she slept deeply, but not dreamlessly.
As if seeing Xavier had stirred everything up again, Erik's nightmares swirled through her mind, Logan's memories of the adamantium procedure, Victor's childhood confined to a cellar and something else. A malevolent presence like a stirring rod in a cauldron, pulling up all the worst memories of the people Marie had absorbed with her own terrifying past like a dollop of evil cream on top of a sundae of misfortune.
She woke with a strangled cry, struggling to break free of Erik's machine and scrambled off the bed. Her men still slept, like the dead, which wasn't normal. Whenever she had a nightmare Victor and Logan could smell her fear, they always woke. Always.
Something was going on and she sat down on the edge of the bed, going to the mental room where Emma Frost lived and opening the door. The woman had a streak of arrogance and a definite attitude of 'take what I want and be damned to anyone in the way' but there was no denying her skill (or her pragmatism) and she actually found Marie somewhat interesting.
Emma agreed that something was holding Logan and Victor in sleep, like a weighted blanket over the entire school, the dark presence pressed down on their minds. A mental reach, tiptoeing under that weight. Xavier's mind…easy to locate, strongly guarded even in sleep and Marie gently gave him a mental shake, 'Professor, something's wrong.'
She had to give him credit, it didn't take much to wake him, mentally cautioning him to remain quiet and simply asking him to feel what she did. That sensation of being smothered under some mental shadow.
'Rogue, have you ever felt this before?' His mind felt hushed, mindful of her warning and apparently agreeing with her.
'Never,' She whispered back. 'This is the first time.'
'Let us say nothing for now,' He advised.
'I can't lie to Logan and Victor,' She mentally shook her head.
'Then tomorrow, come to my office and tell them there,' Xavier conceded. 'I will help them conceal the information in their minds. For now, try to rest.'
'Yes sir,' Marie nodded and climbed back into bed, cuddling against Victor and half smiling as his arms wrapped around her instinctively.
She'd woken at about two in the morning and by five Victor was stirring, nuzzling her and propping himself up on one elbow to look down at her face with a concerned frown, "Sweetness, you're not normally the first one awake."
"Woke up and couldn't get back to sleep honey," She leaned up and pressed a kiss to his cheek. "We need to talk to Xavier first thing this morning."
"Somethin' to do with why you couldn't sleep?" He traced a careful claw tip down her cheek.
"Hmm…" she snuggled against him. "Love you honey."
"Love you back Marie," Victor kissed her and rolled her onto her back, taking her mouth and purring his pleasure against her lips.
Well, if he wanted to pass the time waiting for Logan to wake up with pleasing each other she certainly wasn't going to argue. He'd brought them both to moaning, shaking completion at least three times before his brother stirred from sleep. Logan growled hungrily at the sight of a flushed and panting Marie, tugging her against his side and spooning up behind her.
One hand under her side, pressing to her belly, rough fingertips teasing her clit while his mouth sucked sweet lovemarks into her shoulder and neck. His other hand tugged her leg back, draping it over his hip, spreading her open before he palmed a breast and began to roll and pinch her nipple gently. "How many times darlin'," He muttered as she writhed against him.
She knew exactly what he meant, how many times had Victor come in her, how many times had she orgasmed. He would fill her just as much, until she was dripping with both of them. "Unghh…three…for Victor… me…five… Logan…please…"
Marie would have thought she was spent, exhausted, but somehow Logan made her just as hungry for him as she'd been for Victor. His mouth found the mark he'd given her, sucked hard on it and his cock began to slide inside her. "Soo good darlin'…come for me Marie," His voice rolled over her skin, her body ready to obey him almost immediately and she cried out his name as she came.
It was closer to nine when the bucket of cold water hit them. Xavier's voice, gentle in her mind, 'Rogue, we really should talk.'
Marie took a moment to be grateful he'd waited until Logan's turn was completed and sighed, pressing a kiss to her younger (slightly) mate's jaw. "Professor Xavier wants to see us this mornin' sugar," She patted his shoulder. "First thing."
"Somebody come by while I was asleep," Logan obviously hadn't begun to use his big brain just yet.
"No sugar," Marie tapped her temple. "C'mon. We need to shower. And it's not big enough for all three of us."
"Another reason to get our own place," Victor had rolled out of bed when Logan had begun his third round with her and lounged in the bathroom doorway freshly showered. "The damn shower head is at the height of my neck."
"You are awfully tall honey," Marie pointed out as she climbed out of the bed and headed for the shower. "Will you pick me out some clothes?"
"Comfort or impressive," He asked, and she could hear the wicked grin on his face.
"Both," She smirked as she started the water and climbed in.
"A challenge," Victor muttered, amusement coloring his voice, and she ducked her head under the spray (just the right height for her thankfully) and began to hurry through her morning ablutions.
Logan was waiting as she climbed out of the shower, pressed a kiss to her mouth and patted her ass while she got dried off. Her hair would have to air dry and if she was lucky, it wouldn't look awful since they really didn't have time for her to style it.
Victor had pulled out her skinny stretch jeans and green heels along with the long green tweed Chanel jacket mean to go over a matching sheath dress. Instead of the dress he'd grabbed a white camisole and some of her prettiest La Perla. "I figure we want to practice after, I put a teeshirt and some of your workout gear in the weekend bag," He told her with a smirk.
"I'm never gonna figure out how you manage to pick out clothes that make me look like a lady and sexy," Marie told him as she got dressed and watched him pull on a pair of jeans and a long sleeve waffle knit shirt.
"You are sexy, and you are a lady," Victor shrugged. "The clothes are just window dressing sweetness."
"And it shows off my marks and the tags," She grinned at him.
"Well yeah," Socks, boots, laced up tightly, jeans pulled down over them, and her man smirked back at her before he yelled, "Jimmy get the lead out."
"I ain't deaf," Logan emerged from the bathroom, drying himself off with a towel and headed for his own bag of clothes. In less than two minutes he was dressed and making sure his own tags and mark were visible.
"No, just slow," Victor smirked.
"Bite me," His brother retorted.
"Boys," Marie rolled her eyes. "Let's not keep Xavier waiting."
The office doors opened without anyone touching them when the three of them came close. More than a little unnerving, Marie shook her head as they entered Xavier's office and the doors shut behind them.
"Logan, Rogue, Mr. Creed," Xavier greeted them and rolled out from behind his desk to the small sitting area. "Please, seat yourselves."
When they'd done as he suggested, the three of them on the elegant Victorian style couch that had to be a lot sturdier than it looked to hold the weight of her, Victor and Logan (with his metal skeleton), Xavier steepled his hands together with a sigh. "I asked the three of you here today because last night Rogue woke me, telepathically, and brought something to my attention."
She gripped their hands tightly, "He asked me to keep it to myself until he could be with us, to help hide what it was in your minds." Victor nodded but Logan frowned thoughtfully.
"This have anything to do with the nightmares? I mean, I get 'em but this was like…a constant barrage."
"Yeah, I didn't exactly dream of puppies and rainbows," Victor agreed.
"It was the nightmares that woke me," Marie told them quietly. "And when I woke up and ya'll stayed asleep, I knew somethin' wasn't right." She looked at Xavier, "They know the people in my head, when I sleep, I see their memories in dreams, nightmares. They can smell my fear, panic and adrenaline, and they've always woken up with me. Always."
"Rogue noticed a…presence," Xavier elaborated. "Like a blanket, smothering us in sleep."
"A shadow pressing down," She nodded. "Nothing tangible, but…a mental shadow."
"I did not have nightmares, though I did sleep more deeply," The telepath spread his hands. "I…plan to use the tools at my disposal to look for this mind. But Rogue did not want to keep this from you, or lie to you, so with your permission, I'll put the information in a box, so that it cannot be seen by anyone but yourselves."
"Yeah," Victor was the first to nod. "If this is a threat, better that whatever it is thinks nobody noticed."
"You comprehend my point quite well," Professor X smiled. "This may feel…odd."
Victor stiffened, but nodded slowly and smirked, pressing a kiss to her temple before he looked at his brother, "Let him do it Jimmy. We can't count on that metal skull of yours to block everyone out."
"Okay Chuck, go on," Logan's eyes narrowed for a few minutes, and he sighed finally. "Damn I hate that."
"Even when Rogue touches your mind," Xavier asked curiously.
"Nah, she's…it's like feeling her hand in mine," Logan shrugged. "Can't explain it. She doesn't feel like an invasion."
Victor nodded, "Same with me. She don't do it often, just when its needed. But it's a light touch."
Xavier nodded and regarded her, "Rogue, I'd like to look into your mind if you'll allow it. Perhaps together we will see something in your memories that will give us a clue."
"All right," She took a deep breath and relaxed the mental walls Emma had helped her build, opening a wrought iron gate for him and holding the curtain of ivy aside to allow him in.
Strange to see him standing, younger, with a charming smile on his face rather than the serious expression he wore whenever she'd seen him. Her mental landscape was a little odd (based roughly on the ending of a movie she'd seen as a child), an Escher room of doors and stairs, a field of soft grass in one area, forest and mountains elsewhere. Doors with windows set in them, securely locked. And books. Sitting on the steps, stacked on the landings, even on the upside-down stairs. She'd made shelves for them, to keep on the landings or next to the stairs but they weren't filled just yet.
"Welcome," She smiled slightly. "My mind palace."
"Very well organized," Xavier looked towards a door made of clear plastic. "And where are your memories Rogue?"
"The books," She pointed at the meadow and the tall trees around it. "We can sit and open a book, and I'll show you what I saw and felt last night." So odd, to show someone else around her own mind. But she picked up the right book and guided him to the meadow. "I'm sorry, but it starts out with the nightmares. I haven't had time to separate them yet."
"Quite understandable," He nodded and sat down tailor style beside her. And she picked up the heavy leatherbound book and opened the steel clasp that held it shut.
Marie inhaled deeply as the Professor left her mind and opened her eyes. Professor Xavier was sitting in his chair, regarding her with extremely thoughtful blue eyes. "You're quite intelligent aren't you Rogue," He murmured. "Very few people even realize what a mind palace is. Much less have the mental discipline to create one and maintain it so well."
She shrugged, "I read about the possibility and decided that if I was going to live with other people in my head then they would have to stay where I put them."
"Extremely intelligent," Xavier looked at her mates. "Most people, when I speak in their minds, have a frozen image of themselves. They look like an idealized version of their physical person. Younger or older, however they truly want themselves to be. I myself am much younger, carefree, with a full head of hair and I'm able to walk."
"Figures," Victor's hand was stroking through her hair. "People generally tell themselves all sorts of lies to deal with life."
"Yes, quite right," Xavier looked pleased as if Victor had made his point for him. "And yet Rogue, who has more reason than most to portray herself differently, looks in her mind, exactly as she does in the physical world. Hair, age, even the way she moves." He regarded her with those intense blue eyes, "Your mate, your woman, as you so lovingly refer to her, knows herself. She has no illusions about herself. No pretty lies to comfort her."
"Professor, for nearly five years I've live with enemies locked in my head. People who've tried to kill me. People who know how," Marie half smiled. "And they'd love to take over, push me back in a corner and do what they will with this body and my mutation." She lifted one shoulder in a half shrug, "Have you ever read 'The Art of War'?"
"Know yourself," Victor murmured, and Xavier gave them both an astonished glance.
"I never got to finish high school," She said quietly. "And when I was on my own, I didn't have much money. I couldn't buy books. But I could go to the library and read. The library was free. So, I read as much as I could. Sun Tzu says, 'If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.' So I have to know myself sir. Or I will quite literally lose my mind."
"My dear, you are wiser than many who are twice your age," Xavier smiled. "I will do my best to discover what this shadow is. In the meantime, I suggest you have some breakfast."
"Not before we practice," Marie shook her head. "But thank you."
"Sparring on a full stomach is asking for trouble," Victor stood and helped her up from the couch with the courtly manners that came to him automatically. She wondered when he'd learned since he'd admitted his childhood held no such niceties.
"Don't always get our druthers in the field but if we can help it, food afterwards," She agreed as Logan stood.
"Please, make use of the dojo and the dance studio if you wish," Xavier seemed much more relaxed about her now that he'd seen into her mind. He'd looked towards the forest Logan and Victor shared in her head often, only to find their shadows simply watching, as if to guard her from harm as much as they could.
"Thanks Chuck, see you later probably," Logan nodded to his friend as they left the office. His arm wrapped around her waist, and he tugged her close playfully kissing her cheek. "You impressed him darlin'," He grinned down at her.
"My goal in life sugar," She giggled as he led she and Victor down a hallway towards the opposite side of the school.
"That's what I thought," He chuckled and dodged Victor's palm headed towards the back of his skull. "Here we are," He indicated several sets of double doors. "This is more for…martial arts, classes, that sort of thing," He explained as he removed his boots. "There's a bathroom between the dojo and the studio," He pointed at the door in the left side wall. "You probably would want to avoid the locker rooms on the other side of the hallway."
Victor smirked as he took his boots off, "Didn't I hear you say somethin' about teachin' phys ed Jimmy?"
Marie shook her head at the two of them and headed into the bathroom to change out of her jacket, camisole and pretty underthings. She could fight in them if she needed to, but why wreck her clothes if it wasn't a real fight. That was the only exception Victor and Logan would make for her. No putting her hair up, no wearing yoga pants… she could change into a sports bra and a tee-shirt but that was it. If she couldn't fight as she was then she couldn't fight, and they needed to up her training.
Normally she'd use her mutations, anything and everything, because Victor and Logan taught her to fight dirty. But they weren't outdoors here, and despite it being called a dojo, it was still a beautiful room. The perimeter of the wood floor around the mats was parquet. She slipped off her heels and carried them with her clothing over to the weekender bag. "Logan, you think it's okay to use the mutations here?" She looked at the plaster ceiling and the carved wooden pocket doors before glancing at he and Victor.
"Well," Apparently, he hadn't considered just how rough the three of them could get during their spars. "I wouldn't use that electricity one…"
"Fire might be a bad idea too," Victor agreed, not that she had a lighter to get a flame started at the moment. She really needed to start carrying one constantly.
"Let's just have a straight up fight," Logan suggested. "Then we'll work on using the mutations if the weather clears enough to go outside." He'd noticed what Marie hadn't, that it had begun to snow, turning the world outside the window (even more) white.
"Sounds good," Marie nodded and set her heels down next to her bag. "You ready sugar?" He gave her a boyish grin and Victor chuckled. Really, when the two of them got like this they reminded her of two teenage boys, horsing around and showing off. The two of them would come at her with everything they had, and she would do her best to avoid their blows, hit back when she could and in general do whatever she needed to in order to survive. It had only been two years' worth (give or take a couple of weeks) of training after all and in a purely physical sense, even with feral strength, she was outmatched. Their goal was capture or kill, hers was evade, hit and escape.
That had set her fuming at first. That they didn't want her fighting back, trying to take down her opponent. Like they thought she was too weak to do anything but run. She still didn't like it much, didn't like always being on the defense. But Logan had pointed out that until she could get away from anyone, she couldn't fight back. The goal wasn't to win a fight. The goal was survival. She had plenty of time to study up on tactics and how to attack a fortified position or sneak in under the enemy guard. But she had to survive in order to do that. She'd capitulated but she still found it a little irritating at times.
And then she'd do something that one or both of them found erotic and she could put them on their backs easily if she could take advantage quickly enough. The first time she'd done it Victor had laughed and said that they all had their weaknesses.
The sparring sessions began with only one of them attacking, and at some point, occasionally when she believed she'd won, nearly reaching the safety of the established boundary, the other would jump into the fight and she'd have to escape the two of them. You couldn't always count on the enemy's numbers remaining consistent, Sabretooth's voice reminded her as she leapt over Logan's sweeping leg. And you couldn't depend upon a downed enemy combatant remaining down for the rest of the fight, Wolverine added to his brother's tutoring.
At some point the battle would shift, she and Victor would team up to beat Logan, she and Logan would ally to defeat Victor. They'd change and change and change again until someone didn't evade a blow and, depending on who'd hit who, they'd be forced to stop while that person healed. This time it was Logan, Victor's claws cutting deep into his belly and time was called.
Marie had been peripherally aware of a growing noise; murmuring became talking became exclamations. And part of her mind had kept a mental eye on the situation in the hallway in case the people (students?) there decided to interfere in the fight. The fight had ended with her back positioned to the doors and she glanced at Victor, "Honey? We got a problem?"
"Can't be sure exactly," He shook his head. "Jimmy?" One big hand under his brother's elbow helped the Wolverine to his feet.
Logan grinned at the two of them, "That was good. You're gettin' better an' better darlin'." He stripped off his sliced and bloody shirt, using the remains of it to wipe the blood from his abdomen.
Marie smiled at him and fished the elastic band out of her pocket, bending over to sweep her hair up in a pony-tail. Victor, never one to miss an opportunity, gave one ass cheek a squeeze, and she swatted his hand away. "Behave honey," She admonished him before tugging him down for a kiss.
"Hey, where's mine," Logan griped. One big hand slid around her neck and gripped when she came close enough, his mouth coming down on hers in a hungry kiss.
"Sugar for my sugar," She purred up at him before giving Victor a smile. "Can ya'll stand yourselves while I get some practice in?"
"Means we get to watch you bein' all bendy, hell yeah," Victor chuckled. "Studio through there Jimmy?"
Logan nodded, "Connects with a little hallway, got a bench for the kids to put their shoes on."
Marie grabbed her shoes and the bag, fishing out the plastic shopping bag and holding it out for their shirts. "C'mon, both of ya'll, give 'em up."
Victor pulled his off and frowned as he saw the blood stains on the back, "Sweetness did you see Jimmy catch me in the kidneys?"
"Wondered when you'd notice," Logan smirked at him as Victor used his shirt to towel off.
"Couldn't have been too bad or I'd've felt it," His big brother snarked back as the two of them followed Marie into the dance studio.
"It's a nice setup," Marie glanced at the French doors to the hallway, a crowd of students visible through the glass. Two of the walls were mirrored while the one opposite the hall led outside with more French doors. "Not really suited for anything more than PG rated though."
"Can always practice your show in the room," Logan grinned at her.
"Yeah, you know you've got an appreciative audience," Victor seconded, and she rolled her eyes.
"Ya'll are just adorable," She shook her head at them. "Now you two old men get some rest while I work."
She'd finished with the basics and was taking the opportunity of the barre and mirrors to work on some of the more advanced steps when she heard a louder voice admonishing the kids lingering in the hallway to get moving. The whispers of the girls over her mates had competed with whispers of both genders speculating on her relationship with the Wolverine and the other man they'd seen kissing her.
"I heard that's the Sabretooth," Someone obviously thought they were being discreet as they were chivvied along.
"No way," Another scoffed. "Professor Xavier wouldn't ever let someone like that in the school with us."
"Logan, I should have known you were the reason half the students were late to breakfast or class," Storm stood in the doorway.
"Not just him," Marie shook her head as she finished her practice and mopped off her face with her teeshirt. The sports bra was more than enough coverage, though it got a shocked look from Cyclops as he came to join Storm.
"If your skin is dangerous shouldn't you keep it covered," He frowned.
"Your eyes are dangerous," Marie retorted. "Do you go around with them closed?"
"Of course not, I wear glasses," He shook his head.
"Because you can't control your mutation," She smiled sweetly. "But I can control mine. My skin is only on if I want it to be." Maybe she was being contrary but why should she have to conform to his prudish notions of appropriate attire?
"The three of you half naked isn't appropriate for a school," He changed tactics.
"Coulda sworn I heard somethin' about a pool, phys ed, that sorta thing," Victor straightened from his relaxed position, he and Logan leaning against the wall watching her dance. "You get this concerned about what the kids wear?"
Storm hushed him, "Scott they're not doing any harm. The Professor suggested they use the dojo and dance studio."
"It sets a bad example," Cyclops shook his head.
"Blow it out your ass Summers," Logan rolled his eyes. "Chuck says something we'll take it seriously." Marie sighed and slipped her feet into her heels, "Darlin' you ready for breakfast?"
"Starved," She admitted cheerfully. "Here." She threw him the clean shirt and did the same for Victor.
"The cafeteria is still serving breakfast," Storm told them cheerfully as Marie pulled her own shirt over her head.
"Hope they've got bacon," Victor picked up the bag and took Marie's hand while Logan slung his arm over her shoulders.
As they left the studio Marie caught a glimpse of more than one student spying from around the corners and in doorways. "Lovely," She sighed. "I always wondered what it felt like to be an animal at the zoo."
"Interest will die down eventually, it always does," Storm told her kindly.
"So… something to look forward to," Victor quipped.
They were given a tour of the school's public spaces before being brought down to the infirmary where Doctor McCoy insisted on starting a medical chart for Marie. And one for Victor too. His fascination with her mutation would be a little spooky if he wasn't such a kind, polite, man. Logan and Victor had reason to be wary of doctors and anything resembling a lab, and Marie had to admit being underground and without windows wasn't her favorite thing either.
They'd passed Jean Grey on their way out and Marie remembered Logan mentioning that the redhead was also a doctor. Jean gave Logan a sweet smile and somehow managed to ignore the presence of Marie and Victor. Logan's reaction to that had been to tug Marie closer to his side as if to protect her from the nasty looks.
Her dreams that night were odd…the sensation of a shadow over her mind, a weight pressing down until she couldn't breathe. And her memories, like someone else's hands, rifling through her mind, examining everything.
She jerked out of sleep with a gasp, sitting up to see Logan caught in the throes of some night terror of his own. Victor groaned as he woke, sitting up with her and pressing his mouth to her neck in silent support. She knew better than to try and wake Logan when he had a nightmare, he was all too prone to attacking whatever it was tormenting his dreams. He'd cautioned her against shaking him or even touching him when he got like this. Victor's dreams could be just as violent, but his nightmares came when he was alone in bed.
Even as she had the thought of using Emma's telepathy to wake him Logan reared up with a roar of fury and pain. His claws had already come out, slashing through the air. Victor growled, pulling her away and then both of them were gasping for breath.
Logan's knuckles pressed to her chest, the pure expanse of skin above her breast, spreading over her shoulder, and she couldn't breathe. Behind her Victor growled again and Marie shuddered as he pulled them both away. "Jimmy! God damnit wake up!"
Blood, hot rich, so close to the lungs and heart, filling the air, and she gasped his name, pushing into his mind with her borrowed telepathy, "Logan."
"What the—" He jerked out of the nightmare and she was sure the scene in front of him would fuel more night terrors for years to come. Blood pulsing from the wounds on her chest and back, Victor bleeding where the claws had gone through her into him. "Darlin'!"
Vague impressions of the door being flung open, the lights turned on, Victor guiding her hand to Logan's cheek. Her skin, flaring on and drawing both of them in until they were gasping, and she wrenched her hand away, black spots swimming in her vision. "Victor, honey," She tried to look at him and felt his breath on her neck.
"S'okay," He assured her tiredly.
"M'rie," Logan sounded exhausted.
She was so tired, all she wanted was sleep.
"Jean, I swear to Christ if you don't get the hell out of my way—"
Logan sounded really pissed, Marie sighed as she began to wake up. What could be makin' him so mad this early in the morning?
"Don't you threaten her—" Scott Summers, highly irate, her mind identified the voice automatically.
"I'm certain he didn't mean it as a threat," Professor Xavier, calm.
"She's dangerous, he can't—" Jean Grey, cool, proper.
"If you don't get out of my way Jean, I might just break my rule about hitting women that haven't hit me first," Logan's furious growl, coming closer, why wasn't he with her in bed? Where was Victor?
Marie struggled awake, trying to move and couldn't. Eyelids heavy, lashes sticky with sleep, open, open, damnit open! Finally, fuzzy vision, white walls, glass, tubes, beeping machines…pressure on her chest, legs…ankles… and wrists… White straps, no buckles… Velcro… Cold…flimsy paper gown…barely covering her. Victor, on a bed across the room, strapped down while an IV ran into his arm.
She was vaguely aware of the argument outside the room continuing, voices rising in volume, and dismissed the noise as unimportant for the moment. Erik's power wouldn't work on Velcro, it would have to be Bryan's, pull the straps apart and reach for the IV, pull it out. Sticky circles and wires stuck to her skin, peel them off. Swing her legs over the side of the hospital bed and slide down. Weak, shaky, food would be a good idea…when she was more awake.
Pull the straps off of her mate, use the metal of the gurney to leverage herself up with Erik's mutation. Lie down next to her man and revel in his warmth, feel his body relax slightly with her presence as he breathed in her scent. Blankets under the hospital bed, grab one with Bryan's mutation, spread it over she and Victor. Close her eyes and listen.
"Wolverine!" Appalled, angry, weak voices. Nothing to the rage in her mate's voice as he cursed them and finally came through the doors.
Marie opened her eyes with an effort and looked at her worried mate, "Hey sugar."
"Darlin'," He took her hand and let them both rest on Victor's abdomen. "Scared me."
"What happened," She frowned trying to remember exactly. What a jumble of memories. She'd have to go through them, meditate and get them in order.
"Had a nightmare," He sighed. "Couldn't wake up, couldn't break out of it…you an' Vic…"
"S'okay sugar," Marie smiled at him, as reassuring as she could be when she felt so tired. "We'll be fine." She squeezed his hand, "My skin turned on…you're all right?"
"I'm fine baby," Logan dragged a stool over with his foot and sat down beside the bed. "Seein' you an' Vic both go down like that… Shit."
"It's all right. We're all right," Marie rubbed her thumb over his knuckles. "Just stay with us."
"Not goin' anywhere," Hazel eyes fixed on Marie and Victor. "If it'd been up to me I'd've been here when you woke up."
She smiled, fatigue pulling her back to sleep. As if from far away she heard the cacophony of voices begin again.
"Yeah she's sleepin'," Logan's voice, quietly furious. "She needs rest. Food and rest." She could almost feel the glare he was giving whoever he was speaking with.
"She's not safe," How someone with red hair (supposedly indication of a passionate nature) could sound so cold, Marie couldn't understand. "Her skin—"
"Is off." Her mate was losing patience, she could hear it. "If it wasn't off she'd be awake."
"I must concur," Doctor McCoy's deep voice, a rumbly murmur. "Positioned as she is, Sabretooth would be in considerable pain if her skin was defending her."
"And I'm fine," Victor, the sound of his snarl under her ear. Angry enough to pop claws if she wasn't sleeping against him. "What I wanna know, is why Jimmy said our woman was strapped to a bed."
"And not in a sexy way," Marie muttered as she forced her eyes open. The needle was back in her arm, and a quick look showed the IV tubes connected to it. Victor snorted a half laugh and she felt his big palm rub up and down her spine.
"She had to be restrained so that she couldn't touch anyone and hurt them," Jean Grey. Again. Why was she even here? Oh yeah, doctor. Sure, real caring personality there.
"Y'know a real easy way to deal with that," Marie carefully pushed herself up and made sure she wasn't exposing more skin than was polite outside of a club or her bedroom. "Gloves." She gave Jean a look she was pretty sure expressed her opinion of the woman. In return she received a disdainful expression and a sniff as if the woman smelt something rotten.
"Rogue," Doctor McCoy drew her attention with a gentle touch on her blanket covered ankle at the foot of the bed. He and Professor Xavier had stationed themselves there. Logan hadn't budged from his stool at their bedside while Jean and Summers (Scott, not Alex) were both a few feet away.
"I'm sorry Doctor McCoy," Marie interrupted quietly. "Can I ask exactly what Mister Summers is doin' in here? Or do ya'll just not care 'bout patient confidentiality or HIPAA laws?" She might not have a high school diploma but even she'd heard of HIPAA laws.
"When a mutation is dangerous to the student body and staff, we have a right to know about it," Summers blustered.
"Uh huh," She rolled her eyes. "Forget about the mutation bein' attached to a naked twenty-year-old woman." Marie stared at him, "You ain't a doctor, you ain't my guardian an' you ain't supposed to be in the room."
"She is quite right Scott," Professor Xavier seconded her firmly. "Out in the hallway as a support to Jean, was fine, but even there, you were privy to information that you should not have been. Leave now. I don't have to tell you that nothing you've seen or heard here should be discussed."
Marie watched as the tall man left and turned her attention to McCoy and Xavier, "I apologize for interruptin'."
"Quite understandable," McCoy nodded. "We wanted to speak with you regarding the events of last night."
"I get that you need to talk to our woman," Victor helped her sit up against him, tucking the blanket around her so she didn't flash the room. At some point the paper gown had torn to near indecency. "But an IV isn't going to do it. All three of us need food, protein and complex carbs. It keeps our healing going," His hand gently tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. "And sweetness needs at least a little time to get her head together."
"Ah," Xavier got that before McCoy or Jean did. "Rogue, my apologies, I should have realized you have had no chance to meditate since you woke up." He turned to Jean and Marie barely kept from smirking as the stuck-up woman was treated as a glorified waitress. "Jean, I'd like you to inform the kitchen that we need three large breakfasts of steak and eggs with all the trimmings." He gave Marie a smile as the redhead stalked out of the infirmary, "It will be at least a half an hour, will you be able to make a start on the meditation?"
"I got my men in my head already," Marie smiled at him. "Shouldn't take more'n that to get them organized." She was aware of McCoy's quizzical look and took a deep breath, closing her eyes and sinking into her mind.
That shadow…pressing upon Logan, on Victor to a lesser extent, and on her… "Professor," she murmured. "It's back." Immediately she felt him join her in her mind and gave his mental image a distracted smile, "See?" She pointed out the smudge, like a smog, overlaying the memories she'd absorbed from her mates. "It was…almost researching? And it made Logan's nightmares so bad he came out of them fighting, stabbing Victor and I."
"Oh dear," Xavier frowned as he observed her memories. "Yes, I believe you're correct."
Marie focused on him, on that thoughtful expression, tinged with regret, sorrow and not a little bit of trepidation. "You know about this…you've seen it, before I came here even." His frown deepened and he withdrew from her mind.
She frowned and concentrated on cleaning up the absorbed memories in her mind, filing her own away as another set of books and shelving them before she created a locked cabinet with a multitude of little five by four drawers. The library she'd grown up using didn't have a fancy computerized catalog system. Murphysboro of Caldecott County used an old-fashioned card catalog. She doubted many people would even recognize the cabinet. In the next few days, she'd work on cross referencing and mentally labeling her memories and mutations with the mutants she'd absorbed as she filled the empty shelves with the books scattered around.
Food, the smell of steak and eggs, and Marie opened her eyes as her stomach growled, she'd have to address Xavier's avoidance after food and McCoy's questions.
Professor Xavier had a school to run, and thus couldn't spend all his time in the infirmary. Doctor McCoy, however, spent most of his days either there or in his adjoining lab where he analyzed the results of various tests. "I believe I can handle the medical concerns of our guests Jean," He smiled the gentle dismissal and the other doctor, rather reluctantly, left the infirmary for her own office and lab.
"Now that we have a relative amount of privacy," McCoy gave the three of them a smile. "Are there any medical questions you weren't comfortable asking with an audience?" Those dark kind eyes moved to Marie, "And would you prefer Doctor Grey perform any exams?"
Marie shuddered, "I'd prefer for you to take care of anything, thank you." She looked at Victor and Logan, "I don't know how ya'll feel 'bout a male doctor touchin' me, but I don't think I could keep my skin off around Doctor Grey."
"You don't feel safe with her," Logan glanced at the doors.
Victor, always more tactile when he was uncomfortable, rubbed her back, "Because she doesn't like you or because she doesn't feel safe?"
"It's a little of both," Marie admitted. "Can ya'll handle me bein' touched by a male doctor?"
"Hank's good people," Logan gave his brother a half smile. "I feel better about him lookin' after darlin' than anyone else here. Includin' Chuck if it came to that."
Victor nodded, clearly bowing to Logan's superior knowledge of the man, "Then I'm good with it."
McCoy smiled, "Thank you Logan. I am honored to have your trust." He nodded at Marie, "Rogue, you have questions?"
"Mostly," She looked down at her hand for her ring and blinked in alarm. "Sugar, honey, the tags, my ring—"
"I got it darlin'," Logan fished it out of his pocket. "Couldn't have any metal on you for some of the scans." Victor took her hand and held it while Logan slid the ring onto her left ring finger. Victor pulled the tags they'd given her out of his pocket and put them around her neck.
"Thank you sugar," Marie gave them a relieved smile and addressed McCoy. "We're plannin' on marryin', if we can figure out a ceremony. And for me, and from what I've heard them discussin' when they think I'm asleep, for my men also," She gave her mates a teasing glare. "Bein' committed to someone, mates, means babies."
She had to give McCoy credit, he was quick, "You want to be sure that your mutation won't impact any pregnancy negatively."
"Exactly," Marie nodded. "I'm on the pill, have been for about four years, but in a year or so, when we're safe an' settled…" Lord her southern really came out when she was nervous, "I'd really like to know gettin' pregnant ain't gonna be more of a bad thing than a good one."
McCoy nodded, "I see." He held up the sticky pads she'd pulled off when she moved to Victor's hospital bed. "Unfortunately, these only monitor your heart rate and your breathing," He looked at her men, "I'll need your help to run a little experiment if you're willing."
"Long's it doesn't hurt her," Victor nodded, and Logan echoed the motion.
"Then I believe we have a simple way of testing your mutation, in a rudimentary fashion," McCoy smiled.
Author's Note: So a little foreshadowing. Questions, comments? Great thoughts?