AN: I am so utterly sorry about the delay in posting with this story. For a while it seemed that my inspiration for this story left me...but it's back now with a vengeance.
Chapter Five: Bring Me To Life
Logan had driven for most of the night, and into early morning without stopping longer then five minutes. Thanks to the Motorcycle and it's "special features" he easily sped across Canada and towards Westchester with no problem. The only thoughts on the man's mind were about his Marie and how he could help his Marie. He hadn't stayed on the phone long enough for Ororo to tell him exactly what was wrong, but that didn't matter, because Marie was hurt.
Marie was...what was she to him? A friend? A daughter? A mate? Even Logan didn't know the answer to that. He had feelings for Jean, lusty feelings. He didn't have the same feelings towards Marie though, but then again his entire relationship with Marie was different then his relationship with anyone else. He had nearly died for her, twice. Each time he figured that his death would be worth it, to save her.
His Marie.
He pressed on, the Motorcycle being pushed to it's limits once more as he entered New York state, if he kept the speed he was going up he would be at Marie's side in the next hour. The wind tore at his body, the cold fall air was almost too much to handle at the speeds he was going. He didn't want to slow down though, he wanted to get there.
Logan mentally coursed at himself, why had he left in the first place? To search for a past that was washed away with Stryker. What was so important about his past anyway? He was so stupid...he shouldn't have left her there alone, without him. Was it Magneto? That question crossed his mind millions of times during the drive, Magneto had been the one to nearly -- no, he did kill her last time...Logan was just lucky enough to be there for her.
It was killing him. He should have listened to what Ororo had to say on the phone, he should of asked more questions, but instead he rushed off...
"No, no...it's not right. She won't like the bed there, under the window maybe?" Scott asked Remy. They both stood in a formerly empty room in the teachers wing, right in between Scott's room and another Guest room. Boxes were stacked in a corner, and currently the two men were working on putting a full size bed in place somewhere that Rogue would approve of.
The previous night, around the midnight hour Hank had quite literally picked Scott up out of his chair next to Rogues bed, and plopped him out in the hall simply saying that "Gazing at her all night will not get the teen to awake from her current state."
Ever since Scott not only tried to fall asleep, but he also found Remy out back, and the two of them together decided to pack up Rogues things and move them into a room in the teachers wing. Might as well do it now then later right? It had taken them only a few short hours to pack up the girls belongings into boxes, Scott was surprised over how many books the girl actually owned.
Remy's voice snapped him out of his thoughts, "Remy don't tink so, unless the bed goes lengthwise...'den it may work..."
Scott nodded, watching as Remy pushed the bed under the window. It was odd, at least in Scott's opinion that Remy seemed to care so much. He only arrived at the institute weeks ago and yet the young Cajun was acting a lot like Scott was. Like a chicken with his head cut off. Scott grimaced at that thought...was he acting like Remy? The one that was currently fussing over the angle the bed should be at under the window? The one that barely knew Rogue?
Glancing down around him Scott had to nod, he was acting like Remy. For the past half hour he had been debating on which side to put her book case. Was it really that important? They had even went so far to paint the room a shade of army green, one of Rogues favourite colours. Why was he doing this?
Because he loved her, brotherly, fatherly, who knew...he loved her and this kept him occupied while she lay down in the med-lab...
"Why are you helping me with this Remy?" Scott asked finally, dragging himself out of his thoughts as he went to help the younger man make Rogues bed.
Remy shrugged, wiping his brow before trying to figure out how the Hell to put the tan fitted sheet onto the bed. "Remy's not sure about that one 'imself. 'De petite jus' seems so..."
"Helpless." Scott finished, and Remy gave a nod. After a moment of silence Scott grabbed the fitted sheet from Remy who seemed to be a tad clueless about it. "I really wish I could have done something...I thought I was getting though to her."
"Don't be to hard on yourself --"
"How can you say that! I'm her friend, I'm her damned teacher! I should have...I should have..." Scott was near the breaking point, hours without sleep, hours without food even, not to mention the constant worry about Rogue...
Remy was far too insightful then a man his age should be, but then again that was just the way he was. Empathy was an interesting thing, and he could feel the sorrow and anger coming off Scott in waves. "S'not what you should have...it's what you can do now..."
Scott sighed, the guy did have a point. Just because he failed Rogue didn't mean he had to fail her again right? He would watch out for her this time, be there for her every step of the way...he would save her.
Logan pulled into the institutes driveway only a few minutes after his watch proclaimed it was noon. His stomach had grumbled then, but he could go without for awhile longer. After all the driving he had completed in the past day once he made sure that his Marie was okay, he would indulge himself -- steak, a large baked potatoes complete with enough butter to clog an average mans arteries...his mouth was watering at the thought of it.
He parked, shaking his head...now was not the time to be thinking about food. Now was the time to be thinking about Marie who was...hurt. That was all he knew, she was hurt, and he had driven a day away just to get to her...
He left his bag with the motorcycle, he could come back and get it later. He noted a few students out and about in the yards, but they were few and far between. It was a weekday after all, class would be in session, or at least he thought it would. A few more steps and he found himself at the door, to be greeted by none other then Charles Xavier.
"Chuck." Logan said simply in greeting. The telepath must have seen or heard...or whatever it was he did, Logan coming.
"I have asked you repeatedly not to call me that, and yet you still do. Why?" The bald man gave a grin that could only be described as grim -- as the bearer of bad news. Logan almost growled.
"Rogue?" Not like he needed to ask, the telepath knew, Chuck always knew. His wheelchair backed up allowing Logan to step into the slightly eerie quite of the mansion.
"I suppose you would like to go see her then?" Before Logan could answer, the man was already leading him down the hall towards the hidden elevator that lead down into the lower levels of the school. It felt strange being back, Logan was always on edge here. So many students. So many things haunting his memory -- Jean. The attack on the mansion. His one true shot at finding his past...
"What happened?" Logan asked, not bothering to be polite about it. After all, Rogue was hurt, Logan had the right to blame the school. Right?
"The situation at hand is very, Logan you need to understand that there was nothing anyone could do at the time. I didn't know until recently --"
"Didn't know what?"
Xavier sighed, as the elevator door sprung open to let them in. The white of the inside was almost blinding to Logan's hyper-sensitive eyes. "I respect my students privacy, therefore I don't pry into their mind. If I did we might have been able to prevent things from going so far. Rogue, she..."
"Spit. It. Out."
"Her mutation isn't as we thought, we know that essentially she 'sucks' the life-force out of a person and gains for a short period of time the persons attributes...including mutations. What we didn't know, was that...apparently the persona of that person stays in her mind..."
"You mean she has everyone she's ever touched in her head?" Logan asked with slight disbelief, if that was the case that meant...he was in her head. But, why would that cause her to be hurt?
"I'm afraid so Logan." As the elevator came to a stop in the lower levels Logan was prepared to run towards the med lab. He could already smell her, already sense her..."She, you have to understand Logan that it's much akin to schizophrenia, she hears voices...only these are the voices of those she has touched. You, Magneto, Cody, and a few others...are all in her head at any given moment of any given day."
Logan frowned for a moment, "But you said you respected the students privacy, how would you know all of this if you didn't go lookin' around in the kids head?"
"I had to. She-she tried to kill herself Logan." Xavier continued to speak, but Logan didn't hear a word he said, it was like all of his blood rushed towards his ears, blocking out sound, blocking out rational thought as he took off towards the med-lab. His cowboy boots thudding against the floor, his heart beating against his chest...
She was there, in a bed, her hair fanned our around her, arms bandaged up...
"Logan. Logan."
"What?" He snapped, growling this time as he stalked towards his Marie, laying there...looking...dead. "Why isn't she awake?"
"She's lost a lot of blood Logan. Scott, lucky enough has the same type."
"One eye?"
"Yes, that would be the only Scott at the school Logan." Xavier gave a sigh, watching as Logan looked rather helplessly at Rogue, reaching out for a moment in hesitation.
"I can heal her." He stated, and Xavier shook his head, coming closer.
"If you do that, then the psychic wall I've built up for her will be shattered. It's fragile enough as it is, it will crumble down the moment she wakes...she needs peace for now."
"How come you didn't know?" Logan asked finally, looking up towards the man he had trusted with Marie's safety.
"Because she is an excellent actor. She faced everything head on, no one knew what she was doing..."
"Wait--what do you mean, what she was doing? Has she hurt herself before now?"
Xavier gave a grim nod, and Logan growled.
"Go." While this was Xavier's home, his school, the professor knew enough about the love Logan felt. He didn't need to say anything more as his wheelchair left the med-lab, leaving Wolverine alone with his young counterpart.
As Xavier left, Logan dropped himself into the chair next to Marie's bed. The chair smelled too much of Scott, but he wasn't about to go off and say anything about it. At least Marie had someone there that sat by her side. If he sniffed the air just right he could smell the blood that lingered around her, looking down he sighed...
"Why did you do this Marie? Why couldn't you have said something..." Logan whispered, sighing into his hands.
"Lo-logan?" Came the reply he hadn't been expecting. Marie's voice, so soft, so weak...
He picked his head up from his hands, and grit his teeth, green eyes looked back at him...green eyes that looked so...hallow.
AN: Am I evil? I left it there, but don't worry I promise I won't take forever to update again. I got some really good inspiration this time around. As for all of your lovely reviews, thank you so much...if it wasn't for your kind words I probably wouldn't have continued this.
Next Up:Logan and Rogue talk, Logan and Scott talk, Remy watches Rogue, and Rogue discovers the set back of trying to kill herself, namely having three very overprotective men around her all the time.