**Dreams**

Logan got his dinner tray and sat at an empty table.  He didn't really feel like talking to anyone, he just came for the food.  It was meatloaf night, not very exciting.  There was something sort of comforting about meatloaf.  It always makes you think of home, and family.  He liked this crazy place.  He liked the X-men and he liked the students.  He liked what they stood for, and how they took care of each other.  Yeah, he even liked meatloaf.

Jean walked over and set down her tray.  "Can I join you?" she asked.

"Sure, Red, knock yourself out," he replied casually.

"You okay?" she inquired.  "A lot has happened the past few days, and I just thought you might like someone to talk to."

Oh, great.  She's going all psycho analysis on me.  "No," Logan answered firmly.  "Why don't you go talk to Scooter about his feelings?" he countered.

"Scott had something to do.  He doesn't want to talk to me about this," she said flatly.

"Trouble in paradise, eh?" Logan said, smirking. "Don't worry, Jeannie.  The poor sap worships the ground you walk on.  He'll come around," he added seriously.

"Thanks, Logan.  I think he just needed some time to himself," Jean said.  "He didn't like using his power this morning.  He was afraid of hurting Dani."

"I was pretty scared of that myself, but he did the right thing, and I'm grateful," Logan said under his breath.  "And if you tell him I said that, I'll cut off your pony tale!" he added, and popped a claw for emphasis. *snikt*

"All right, Logan, I promise I won't tell," she said laughing.  "Scout's honor."

"So what's ol Scooter up to anyway?" Logan asked.

"I don't know," she lied.

*****

He was insane.  He was stepping into another man's territory, and he would probably regret it.  But Scott couldn't stay away, despite all reason.  He had to check on Dani.  Beast had checked on her every hour, and the report was the same.  'Dani's sleeping like the dead, its how her body recovers.'  Scott knew she must be fine, but needed to see for himself. 

Scott opened her door and peeked in.  Dani was still asleep.  He came in and closed the door.  He quietly pulled a chair over next to her bed and sat down.  She was resting, but not peacefully.  She was dreaming, and her expression was grim.  He thought about waking her, but thought it might do more harm than good.  She needed this sleep to recover.  Scott reached out to hold her hand.  He thought it might give her some comfort.  Suddenly he felt a surge of electricity pass through him.  Scott lost all sense of reality and found himself falling through space.  What the…?

Scott suddenly found himself standing in a redwood forest.  The colors were so vibrant!  He realized he wasn't wearing his visor, his eyes were normal again.  What was this place?  He looked around, and it seemed real enough, but it couldn't be.  He heard something, like humming, and followed the sound to its source.  In a clearing, not too far ahead he saw Dani.  She looked so different here.  She was bare foot and wearing a white cotton sundress.  She was sitting on an old log, looking at a large book.  She really was beautiful.  He walked over to her and realized she was crying.  She didn't seem to notice him; she just kept looking in the book. 

"Danielle," he said, but she didn't respond.  He stood right in front of her, sat on his haunches, and looked up at her. "Dani, what's wrong?" he asked softly.

Dani was so startled, she dropped the book and stood up.  "Scott?  What are you doing here?" she demanded as she turned her back on him.

"I was worried, so I came to check on you.  You've been sleeping all day.  I just wanted to make sure you were okay," he said.  "I'm sorry, I barged in on your dreams," he added quickly.

"That's not your fault.  It just happens sometimes.  At least since I've been here, anyway," Dani said.

"You want to talk about it?"  Scott asked softly as he put his hands on her shoulders.

"Talk about what?" she asked defensively.

"Whatever it was that caused the waterworks," Scott said.

"I'm fine," she lied.

Dani hadn't looked at him once.  She was fidgeting, and looking around for an escape route.  She thought about just kicking him out of her dream, but she didn't.  Dani tried walking away from him, but Scott held her.  He turned her to face him, holding both arms to keep her from leaving.  She just stared at the ground.

"Why do you run away from everyone?  Why don't you trust us?" Scott asked.

"Scott," she started to answer, but stopped.

 "Dani, look at me," Scott said firmly. 

She looked at him, and was nearly blown away by the most beautiful set of blue eyes she had ever seen.   Finally she could see what she wanted that night he came to talk to her.  Dani searched his eyes and saw the depths of a tortured soul.  Scott was a walking contradiction.  He projected confidence and strong leadership.  His mutation was a dangerous weapon that required constant control.  That control had become so integrated into his personality that no one saw anything else.  He seemed to be this reserved callous man, but he wasn't.  He was sensitive, caring, strong, and often insecure.  Those protective shades he wore were like his prison, isolating him emotionally.  Few people really tried to get to know him, and that fact was painful for him.  She could see a lot of hurt there as well.  He had been through his own personal hell, and the scars were still visible, if anyone took the time to look.

Scott waited for her answer to his questions.  His expression was stern, but kind.  He wasn't confronting the way Logan had, he was trying to help.  She didn't know why, but she felt a connection with him.  His eyes told her she could trust him, and she always trusted the truth in people's eyes.

Scott felt a chill when she looked into his eyes.  It might have just been the fact that no one has been able to do that for years.  No, he knew there was more to it than that.  It was her.  Dani.  When she looked into your eyes, it was like she could see all of you.  Violet eyes were such a rare color.  They were quite striking. Was that even natural, or part of her mutation?  As he returned her gaze, he tried to see some part of her, the way she saw him.  She seemed to have this way of bonding with people without even speaking.  He felt a kinship to her that was baffling.  He needed to break this spell, he was getting very uncomfortable.

"Why were you crying?" he asked softly, releasing her.

"Memories hurt.  My scrapbook always makes me cry," she answered as she stepped back and retrieved her book.

"Don't you have any happy memories, from before?" he asked as they sat on the log together.

"The happy ones make me cry, too.  They just remind me of how much I've lost," she said sadly.  "I'm sure you have memories that make you cry too.  It's no big deal."

"I lost my parents and brother in a plane crash.  I bounced around from foster home to foster home for a while.  Then I came here, and Professor Xavier became my mentor.  Everyone here is my family.  I've lost a lot, but now I have a lot more," Scott explained.  "It could be the same for you here.  But you need to stop running away."

"I don't know, Scott.  I have been locked up for so long, it's hard to relate sometimes.  I'm not used to anybody caring about me.  They only cared if I was healthy enough to experiment on," she said harshly.

Scott's blood ran cold when he heard that.  Sometimes you don't remember the grisly reality of what had happened to her.  Seven years is a long time.  She seemed to be lost in thought, and he suddenly heard screaming.  That was the most ear piercing, blood curdling sound of pain he had ever heard.   It was faint at first, but kept getting louder.  He stood up and looked around for the source. 

"What?" Dani asked, as if she didn't hear it.

"The screaming, don't you hear it?"  Scott asked bewildered.

"Oh, yeah.  I don't even notice that anymore.  It's just a nightmare trying to take over.  I think it'll stop soon," she said nonchalantly.  "You maybe ought to go just in case.  The professor nearly lost his breakfast when he had a look at some of my dreams."

"That bad, huh?" Scott asked.

"You shouldn't ask so many questions, Scott.  You may not like the answers," she warned.

"I think you try too hard to be mysterious, Dani.  You just don't want to let yourself get close to anybody," Scott accused.

"I'm close to Logan, doesn't he count?" she said defensively.

"No, you're not.  You two obviously have feelings for each other, but you're not close.  You keep disappearing on him.  The man really cares about you, Dani, and you won't even give him a chance," Scott said truthfully.  He never thought he'd hear himself sticking up for Logan, but it was true.  Dani needed someone, and Logan was the one.  Everyone could see it but her.

"I'm not a good talker, I'm out of practice," she conceded.

"So practice."

"You and Jean, are you still okay?  She's not going to be mad at you for talking to me this way, is she?" Dani asked, changing the subject.

"She knows I was going to check on you, we trust each other.  You think Logan will be mad?" he replied.

"Logan is not my boyfriend," she stated firmly.

"Isn't he?" Scott asked with a smirk.

"I thought you and Logan didn't get along," she said.

Scott smiled broadly. "We don't, but I think he might be the guy for you.  You do love him, don't you?"  

"I sort of told him that last night, but I sort of slipped into a coma right after that.  I really don't know where we stand," she confided.  "I really don't know what to even do about it."

"Just trust your heart, Dani, it won't steer you wrong."

"My heart doesn't have much experience," she said honestly.  "Logan is the first guy I ever kissed."  Dani was blushing.  She didn't know why she had told him that.  She felt that Scott was here as a friend, and wouldn't break her confidence.  She liked having someone other than Logan to talk to.

Scott found that surprising.  Well, maybe not, seven years… would have made her fifteen when she was taken.  No wonder poor Logan was so tied up in knots.  He obviously knew how innocent Dani was.  Logan was in love with her, and he was being really careful.  So much of what Scott had seen the last couple days made a lot more sense.  Logan faced an age old dilemma.  Logan, as a man of the world, was probably attracted to Dani's innocence.  But if Logan takes that from her, will she lose her attraction?  Scott suddenly felt sorry for Logan. 

"Jean was my first kiss too," Scott said.  "I've never kissed another girl."

"Really?" Dani asked.  "You must love her very much."

"I can't adequately express how much I love her," Scott admitted. 

Lucky Jean. Dani thought.

Scott felt a rush of wind wash over him, and saw soft violet lights swirl around him.  The next thing he knew he was back in her room, right where he'd been.  He released Dani's hand, and let out along sigh.  She was still asleep.  Then he got a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach when he realized someone was in the room with him.

*snikt*

Oh My God!  Logan!

"What The Hell Do You Think You're Doin?" Logan asked him harshly.  The room was full of tension, and Logan's expression was beyond angry.  The man was jealous.

"Just came to check on her, and fell down a rabbit hole," he said, trying to lighten the mood.

"Yeah, well Alice," Logan said gruffly, "stay away from my girl."  He opened the door, and stepped aside.  He made a sweeping gesture towards the door with his clawed hand.

Scott knew a standoff when he saw one.  Logan was really pissed.  Scott decided that wisdom was the better part of valor and just left.  It was the only thing to do.

Logan closed the door and took the seat by Dani.  He brushed that same curl from her face and looked at her peacefully resting.  Dani please wake up soon, I miss you.