**Revelations**
"You want me to tell you about it?" Scott asked.
"No. I trust you," Jean said smoothly. "You're still in one piece, so nothing must have happened," she added humorously.
"That's just not funny," Scott said as a chill caught him between the shoulder blades. He would not have wanted to come any closer to Logan's wrath than he had last night. Scott couldn't blame him. If he'd found Logan in a room with Jean like that, he'd be pretty pissed off too.
"You want to explain yourself out of guilt, but there's no reason to. I can read your feelings better than you can. You identify with her loss, and want to help. I understand," Jean said. "I know your feelings are just friendly."
"Thanks, Jean," he said. "I hope Logan is that understanding. I thought I was a goner for sure."
"Well, the shoe's on the other foot now, isn't it?" Jean said ironically. Men. Can't live with 'em, and can't kill 'em.
"Let's go to breakfast," Scott said, ignoring that last comment.
*****
Dani woke up to the familiar sight of Logan sleeping in that chair. She smiled at the memory of the last time she found him in that position. She actually had the upper hand, for a few seconds, anyway. She slowly sat up, trying not to wake him. She was poised above his feet, ready to strike, but was brought up short.
"Don't even think about it," Logan warned her sleepily.
"What? I was just getting up," she said innocently as she climbed off the bed on the other side.
"That looks drafty," Logan said, chuckling. She was wearing a hospital gown, and the back was barely fastened, and flapped open. She stopped dead, reached back to cover her …self, and orbed into the bathroom.
Logan laughed, "Hey, you're not supposed to use your powers."
The door to the bathroom closed, and he heard the shower.
I could use a shower, he thought. Logan never went back to his room last night. After finding Scott sitting there with Dani, he didn't dare leave her. It was obvious that Scott and Dani had been linked for a while, and Logan wanted to know what happened between them. Dani was a different person in her dreams, and Scott was hard to read. One-eye loved Jean, but how did he feel about Dani? Just friends or more?
Logan knew the fury he was feeling was motivated by jealousy. He wasn't angry with Danielle; she was unconscious at the time. But Scott waltzed right in here and touched her. Dick head left his scent on this chair. Logan growled. This room was Dani's, and Dani was his. Another man's scent in here was a violation.
The shower stopped, and he heard Dani singing. Wow. Not too good. Actually, it was pretty bad. Maybe she should stick with the piano. The door to the bathroom opened and revealed a clean, damp woman wrapped in a towel.
"Logan! You were supposed to leave, didn't you get the hint?" she demanded with her hands on her hips and a dramatic frown.
"We're overdue for a talk," Logan said seriously. "Neither one of us is leaving here until we have it out."
Dani narrowed her eyes and scrutinized him closely, "You're angry with me, why?"
"Put some clothes on, and we'll both answer each other's questions," Logan said firmly.
"Then turn around," Dani ordered.
Logan stood up, crossed the room and stood toe to toe with her. With feet planted firmly, Dani held her ground. Logan captured her gaze and held it fast. They were locked in a silent battle of wills. Logan was barely a breath away from her. She wasn't backing down, but she was losing steam. He could hear her heartbeat quicken, and smelled distinct changes in her body's scent. Her eyes were burning with determination and passion, her body was aroused, but she was terrified. Logan was grateful for his senses. She had a great poker face, but he could always see through it.
He wanted to rip that towel off and make love to her, but Logan decided that talking was more important right now. He gave her a provocative smile and slowly turned around. He cringed when he heard her towel hit the floor. His jaw clenched and he swore in his head. Why do I do this to myself? I keep dangling this carrot in front of me, just out of reach, Logan thought to himself.
"Okay, Logan, you can turn around now," Dani said nervously. She had dressed quickly in jeans and a lacy tank top. She started making her bed and picking up her room, to keep from fidgeting. She avoided looking at him. "So, you're mad at me?"
"No," he said quietly, as he sat back down in that chair.
"What did you want to talk to me about?" she prompted.
"You remember the other night, what you said to me?" he asked.
"When?" she asked nonchalantly.
"Don't be coy; you know what I'm talking about. You told me you loved me. Did you mean it?" Logan asked.
"I'd never lie about something like that, Logan. You ought to know, you can always tell when I'm lying," she added.
"So, why have you been running from me? Every time anything gets too personal, you just transport yourself 2000 miles away. Why?" he asked as he crossed his arms and put his feet up. He cocked a brow at her and his expression was stern.
"I don't know. I guess it's 'cause I'm scared," she confessed.
"Scared of what, me?" he asked. He knew he could be scary if he wanted to. He had years of practice, and was really good at putting fear into people with a look. But that wasn't the way he wanted Dani to see him. He hoped that wasn't how she saw him.
"No, just scared. Everyone I ever cared about is gone. In every case, I was the cause. I can't go through that again. I don't think I would survive another loss," she said as she fought her tears. "The way I feel about you is different than anyone else I ever cared about. I can't explain it, Logan, but to me, you are dangerous." She couldn't believe she was telling him this. She never talked openly like this to anyone. Well, Scott, maybe, but that was different. She didn't love Scott, he was just her friend.
Oh, was that all? "Come here," Logan said, smiling.
Dani stood in front of him, and he grabbed her and pulled her into his lap. He planted a very passionate kiss on her. "Baby, you know I'm practically indestructible. Besides, hiding from your feelings doesn't work, it just tears you up inside," Logan said.
"Logan, what am I to you?" she asked.
"You are the woman I love," Logan said seriously as he looked into her eyes. "Didn't you know you've had me tied in knots from the moment we met?"
Dani kissed him, as a tear ran down her face. Everything was finally out in the open, so now what?
*****
Hank was in his lab running a few tests on some blood samples from Danielle. One vial was in the refrigeration unit, and the cells had started breaking down. Blood can be kept in cold storage for weeks, and this sample had only been here twenty-four hours. The other vial he had placed under a sunlamp. The vial under the sunlamp glowed, and the cells were perfect. He was going to have to run a few more tests, but he believed that Danielle was going to have to make a routine of exposing herself to energy sources on a daily basis. Sunbathing would be good; the solar energy would do fine.
"What are you working on?" Jean asked as she strolled into the lab.
"Dani's blood sample," he said. "She needs to make sure and keep herself charged. That episode yesterday could have been fatal."
"Have you talked to Danielle or the professor about this?" she asked, concerned.
"Not yet, I was compiling my data to help explain my findings."
"I'll call a meeting with Danielle and Charles. This really can't wait." Jean said as she left the lab.
Charles we need to have a meeting with Danielle. She mentally paged Xavier. Hank has found some alarming data about her physiology that we need to address. I've been trying to locate her, can you page her?
Danielle and Logan are on another field trip. I'll meet you in front of Cerebro. Xavier replied a bit annoyed. She'd been warned against using her powers. She needed time to recover. He was rather surprised that Logan would permit her to transport after seeing how weak she was yesterday.
Charles did a long range scan for Danielle, but found her a bit closer than he'd expected. Logan was taking Danielle for a ride on his motorcycle. They were about fifty miles from the school, headed north.
*****
"Logan, did you hear that?" Dani asked.
"Yeah, Chuck wants us to come back. You tell him for me that you and I need to get away, and he can just cool his jets," Logan replied harshly over his shoulder.
It's not that I want to break up your romantic plans; it's about Dani's mutation. Hank has some important information. Unless you want to go through another day like yesterday, I suggest you return. Xavier said to Logan. He didn't want to worry Danielle, but the test results that Hank had so far were alarming.
"Sorry, darlin, we gotta go back. Chuck just gave me the word, it's important," he told her cryptically. "Hang on, I'll turn us around."
"If it's so important, I can get us there right now," Dani offered.
"No!"
No!
Xavier and Logan replied firmly, at the same time.
"Okay, that was just a little disturbing, professor. You need to find something else to do, so Logan and I can enjoy this ride home in privacy," she said politely, but firmly.
"I told ya, no fancy fireworks for you until Hank says. You gotta learn to listen to ol Hank and the Professor. They want to make sure you don't hurt yourself," Logan said.
"All right, I promise," Dani conceded grudgingly. "Unless it's life or death, I won't use my powers until Hank says its okay."
"Good," Logan said. "Now, as I was saying, before we were interrupted, the motorcycle is the best mode of transportation. It's the only vehicle that requires the passenger to wrap herself around the driver," Logan said playfully.
"Oh, you mean like this?" Dani asked as she carefully wrapped her legs around his waist. She hugged him tight and leaned a little closer to his ear, "I think I like the motorcycle too."
Oh, hell yeah. Fifty miles was too short a drive. Logan knew he had it all, the bike, the babe and speed. What more could he want?
*****
It was late afternoon when Logan and Dani drove up the driveway. Rogue, Kitty and Jubilee had three cars lined up and were once again drenched. Logan smiled to himself thinking about those three sneaking out. They never even found the party. Teenagers! Logan was glad he wasn't Xavier. He didn't have the patience to look after a mansion full of teenagers with special powers. They parked the bike in the garage, and headed up to Xavier's office.
"What's so important that it couldn't wait?" Dani asked. She was disappointed. Dani was looking forward to her trip with Logan. He had planned to take her to some quiet secluded cabin by a lake.
"Sorry about your plans, but you need to be aware of Hank's findings," Xavier said.
"What findings?" Logan asked. Don't tell me something's wrong with her, he thought.
"Danielle, you're dying," Hank said bluntly.
"WHAT?!" Logan roared.
"Calm down and let the man finish," Dani ordered.
"Thank you. Dani, your mutation is unique. You are dependent upon energy from your environment to stay alive. Your body doesn't need food for fuel, at least not as much. You need to feed on energy. Everyday you need to get a minimum amount of exposure to the sun, or electrical current. You have not been charging yourself since you came here, and you are slowly breaking down. That's why you've been sleeping so much," Hank explained.
"How did you recharge in that lab?" Jean asked, rather indelicately.
"I didn't know I had to," Dani said. "I was in a strange enclosure, with a constant forcefield."
"That's it, the forcefield. You drew your energy from it," Hank reasoned.
"No, that can't be right, it was there to keep me from transporting," she tried to explain.
"It was still a constant energy source. You need to recharge yourself daily, and I am being completely serious," Hank said.
"Okay, I believe you. How?" she asked.
They all stood up to leave, and Hank smiled broadly, "Come with me to my lab, and we'll run a few tests."
Danielle stopped dead in her tracks. She looked at Beast with a distrusting look that completely disarmed him. He realized immediately the impact his casual phrase had on her. How could he be so educated, and yet so stupid? Well, gee, victim of mad scientist, step into my lab. Yeah, he'd just swallowed his foot.
"He didn't mean it like that," Logan said quickly. "I'll be right there with ya, okay darlin?"
Dani didn't say a word. She was embarrassed by her distrusting reaction to a simple comment. She just started walking, and didn't look back. Tests. It was dirty word that always brought back unpleasant memories. Logan had no idea what that place had been like for her. She was remembering more and more about it, and she didn't like what she saw. Dani didn't like what she'd done.
*****
An hour later and twelve variations of the same idea, and Dani was tired, annoyed and hungry. They had tried sunlamps, low voltage exposed wires, and any number of other hair brained asinine ideas for drawing power. Dani was fed up.
"Look, this is getting us nowhere. If I stick my finger in that outlet, can I go to supper?" Dani asked sarcastically as she pointed to a wall outlet. Suddenly, a flash of bright white electricity flashed from the outlet to her hand, and the lights in the lab flickered. Dani was knocked back a couple of steps, but recovered her footing. She looked at her hand, bewildered.
"Dani, what were you thinking when the power jumped into you?" Xavier asked.
"I was thinking about getting out of here and getting something to eat."
Xavier thought for a moment. "How were you feeling?"
"Hungry, and annoyed. I just wanted to hurry up and get out of here," she said honestly.
"Try it again, and pay attention to what you're doing, so you can remember," Logan said.
Dani reached out toward the socket again, and a bolt of power surged across the room from three different outlets. Logan, Beast and Jean had to jump clear of two of them. The lights in the whole mansion flickered that time. Dani didn't lose her footing this time, and seemed to be handling the charge just fine.
"Wow, darlin. You okay?" Logan asked as he picked himself up off the floor.
Dani turned around, and her eyes were glowing bright violet. "I feel funny. I'm not used to so much at once," she said.
Hank took a few readings of her energy levels. "You may not be used to it, but you're finally in the safe range. I want you to check in with me twice a day to monitor your energy levels. We need to know how fast you use it."
"So she's gonna live, Doc?" Logan asked.
"She'll be fine. She knows how to recharge now," Hank said.
"Can I go now?" Dani asked Xavier.
"Yes Dani, you can go," Xavier said laughing.
"Hank, can I use my powers now?" she asked.
"Well, if we're going to monitor you properly, we should allow you to use them, to see how quickly it drains your energy supply," Hank said in his typically long winded scholarly fashion.
"So, that's a yes?" she clarified.
"Yes."
"Great!" Dani exclaimed as she grabbed Logan and orbed them into the garage.
"Hey, I thought you were hungry. What are you up to?" Logan asked her knowingly.
"Well, there's this guy I know that promised me a weekend by a secluded lake. I thought there might still be time to enjoy that if we take a little shortcut," Dani said.
"Come here," Logan said affectionately as he hugged her. He really loved this woman.
*****
Somewhere in the Badlands of Montana, a bizarre event was taking place. In a deserted research facility, there was an inexplicable power surge. Light bulbs were exploding in every room and corridor, and fires were breaking out from the showers of sparks. Every watt of electricity within the complex was massing in the rubble of a destroyed lab. There was a harsh laughter roaring. The energy took on the rough outline of a man, glowing with a green tint.
I'm Alive! Who am I? A flood of memory washed over him. My name is Gabriel. The form searched the complex for his outlet to the world. He found what he was looking for, a large power cable. It was routed directly from here to Wolf Point, an average sized town. From there he could transfer to other lines that route east. Yes, east, to New York. East to her! She will die. They all will die.
*****
The common room was often a gathering room for the X-men to unwind in the evenings. Sometimes they hosted a movie night, and Beast would make tons of popcorn. But other times, like tonight, they'd just watch the news and chatted. Some of the students were playing fuse ball, and air hockey. It seemed to be a typical quiet evening at the school.
"Breaking news, we have been receiving sketchy reports of power outages all over the upper Midwest. The first reports came from eastern Montana, about an hour ago. Some residents reported a strange power surge before the outage. Since that time, the outages seem to be occurring along the Interstate 94 corridor, heading east. Several fatalities from electrocution have been reported. Residents are cautioned to stay away from electrical outlets. This is CBS evening news…"
"Charles, should we be concerned?" Jean asked.
"I'm not sure, I think I'll go check Cerebro, just in case," Xavier said as he furrowed his brow, lost in thought.
"Where are Dani and Logan?" Scott asked.
"You mean where's Dani?" Jean asked, a little too quickly. Scott just looked at her. He thought she said she was fine with his friendship to Dani. Apparently they had some talking to do.
"Logan and Dani have left the mansion for a couple of days. If there is any danger, I'll alert them while I'm down in Cerebro," Xavier assured them. He chose to ignore Jean's jealous comment. He was afraid they may be dealing with Gabriel again. He was afraid that the power surge had consciousness, and was heading east for a purpose. Was there never to be peace in this house again?
*****
*snikt!* Logan poked the fire with a claw, and threw on another log. *snikt!* He and Dani were lying on the floor in front of the fireplace. Logan was on his back against a pillow, and he had Dani right beside him. They lay there quietly together, just watching the fire. Logan wasn't in a hurry, they had all night. It was Dani that made the move to change his mind. She got up and sat straddling his hips and looked into his eyes. She smiled that innocent smile at him that always gave him butterflies.
"Dani, I don't want you to feel like you have to…" Logan started to say, but was interrupted by her kiss.
He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to him, crushing her body against his. Her kiss had been gentle and teasing, but Logan demanded more. Their kiss quickly became heated and Dani orbed them into the bedroom. Logan stopped for a moment, and looked around. They were on the bed, but their clothes were still on the floor in front of the fireplace. He smiled wickedly and rolled them over, covering her.
"I really love that trick!" Logan said. Danielle giggled, and blushed. Damn, she was sexy when she blushed. He sat up so he could look at her, and she shyly looked away. "Dani, you're so beautiful, don't look away."
He gently stroked her cheek and then turned her face so he could see her eyes. "Baby, if you're not ready," he gave her one last chance.
"Logan, are you afraid of me now?" Dani asked suspiciously.
"Hell yeah, I'm scared!" Logan said. "This is the point of no return. We will never be 'just friends' after this. I just want us to be okay."
"Logan, we were never just friends, and you know it. I knew I loved you the day we met," Dani confessed.
Logan kissed her tenderly. She was right; their relationship went past friendship right away. He knew she was going to be his the moment he laid eyes on her. Finally they were away from the school, the kids, and the distractions. No meetings, no giggling teenagers, and no bad guys. Just the two of them…
Logan, I really hate to interrupt, I'm really sorry. Gabriel is alive, and he's on his way here. He doesn't just want to kill Dani; he wants to kill everyone at the school. Xavier informed him. Please, we need you both here immediately.
"Dani, we have to go back right now," Logan said as he jumped out of bed and started looking for his clothes.
"What's wrong?" she asked, sensing his panic. She orbed their clothes into her hands, and tossed him his jeans. She took a moment to get a good look at him. Whatever was going on better be important, she thought. She dressed quickly while she waited for him to answer.
"Grab your coat, we'll want to orb ourselves and the motorcycle directly to the garage," Logan said quickly as he grabbed her wrist and practically ran down the stairs. Logan was beginning to think he wasn't meant to sleep with Dani. Every time they were together, something happened to sabotage it.
They reached the motorcycle and Logan looked her in the eyes and said, "Gabriel is alive, and he's coming for all of us, including the kids."
Dani didn't say a word; she just orbed them back to the school. This time, she was going to make sure that ass hole is dead.
