Disclaimer: Sigh… I don't own any of the X-men. Marvel owns them.(Someday… they will be mine!) I do however own Dom (SCORE!) and Astral and Nicole/Mindfire.
Please be gentle! This is my first X-men fanfic! Reviews welcome, no flames! I burn easy.
Sorry I've been slow on the postings. With school, work, and writer's block I just haven't had the time or energy. I'm glad everyone's liking it so far. THANK YOU! I love the feedback.
Bima- aren't they stubborn though? Glad you liked that chapter.
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Roganluvr- breathe! In and out…. Whoosh! Don't hyperventilate on me!
Mm4ever2gether- That's what everyone is telling me! LOL.
Shelaweena- yeah, who'd thought he died or something?
Wolvieluvr- I like the way you think!
Starbaby-210- you better be reading still girlie!
Four Years Later…
With a muted thud, he landed from the leap he had taken. He took off at a break neck speed, branches slapping him as he ran. With a growl, he cleared a fallen tree and burst into the open meadow. He stopped and watched his breath in the frosty air. That's when he caught sight of it again. A black jet was hovering the above the meadow. With a low growl, he slunk back into the forest.
"This place looks cold." Jubilee made a face as she stared out at the frozen landscape. This had been her first attempt at flying the new jet with Rogue, the more experienced pilot, and she had done well.
"That's why we're here. Skiing." Rogue gave a sleeping Logan a gentle shove. "Wake up, sugar. We're here."
Logan grumbled and opened his eyes. "Good. Where's Nicole?"
"Sulking with Kitty," Jubilee said, jerking her head in direction of the two girls staring out the window. "They wanted to go to Disney World, not Canada. Remember?"
Logan chuckled. "Too bad for them. Get your asses in gear! We're heading for the cabin."
Nicole rolled her eyes and picked up her backpack. "I wanted to go to Disney World. We could be meeting Mickey Mouse and staying warm."
"Get your ass in gear."
"Yes, daddy."
They gathered their bags and headed off into the forest towards the cabin that Xavier owned. A vacation was what they all had needed. With the pressures of school and being X-Men they had all been long overdue for some time off.
As they walked Nicole felt like she was being watched. She turned and stared off into the trees, trying to scan whatever was out there. With a shake of her head, she cleared her mind of such thoughts. It was probably an animal.
She didn't know how right she was.
Rogue giggled as Logan rubbed his unshaven faced against her neck. "Careful or you'll scratch me!"
"Have I told you that I love you?"
"Not lately. Aren't we here to be skiing?"
"Fuck skiing-"
"Alright, stop with the sex and chop us some firewood, fuzzy," Jubilee broke in.
Logan turned to the girl and growled. "Can't you go get lost in the woods or something?"
"She's right, sugar. We need to keep warm." Rogue loosened her grip on him.
Grumbling, Logan headed for the door to put on his boots.
"Thanks, Dad." Nicole giggled from the couch.
"Shut up." Logan stomped out the door and all the women erupted in laughter.
"Can you say, whipped?" Kitty giggled.
"Piotr and Remy act the same way." Nicole pointed out. "Only they are worse."
Rogue headed for the kitchen and started a pot of boiling water. "Logan asked me to marry him."
"Finally!" Nicole sighed and all the girls stared at her. "I had to go and help him pick out the damn ring and let him practice his damn speech on me!"
Rogue laughed. "It was very nice. I love the ring too. I want you girls to be in the wedding party for me."
"Of course. Have you set a date?" Jubilee asked.
"No."
"Why not?"
Rogue shrugged. "He said he wanted some time to straighten things out."
"Like what?" Kitty chirped. "His temper?"
Nicole chuckled softly. "Like that'll happen."
Logan lifted the axe and with a satisfying chop, he split the log. He was about to start on a second when he caught the scent of someone near him. He tensed and tightened his grip on the axe handle.
"Relax, it's only me," the voice sounded gruff, and a figure stepped from the shadows of the trees. He was covered in furs and there were twigs in his long, unruly hair. His beard was unkempt and bushy, and he looked the epitome of a mountain man.
"Jesus Christ in a side car! You look like-"
"An animal? Why are you here, Logan?"
"Vacation. What are you doing here, kid?"
"This was a good place to hide. Got any smokes?"
Logan chuckled and pulled a cigar from his pocket and held it out. The man snatched it and lit it with a handy match. He sucked in the smoke.
"That's good. Haven't had that for awhile."
"How've you been, kid?"
A shrug.
"She's here you know."
Another shrug. "I smelled her."
"She misses you."
Another shrug.
Logan grunted and split another log. "Marie and I are getting married."
"Bout damn time."
"I'd like for you to be there."
Shrug.
"Marie would want you there."
As if on cue, Rogue came around the corner. "It sure is taking you a long time to cho-"
She stopped abruptly and stared at the fur covered figure.
Logan sensed her fear. "Relax, darlin'. It's Dom."
"Dom?" Rogue launched herself into his arms. "I've been so worried! Look at you! All Grizzly Adams."
Dom chuckled. "I hear my father is going to make an honest woman out of you."
"Yeah… I want you to be there, Dom."
"Rogue, every one thinks I'm dead and I'm not about to change that."
"Just think about it.
Dom's eye flicked up towards the house. "She's coming."
Within an instant he had vanished into the woods. Nicole bounded out to her surrogate parents. "What's going on?"
Logan shook his head. "Nothin'."
Nicole raised an eyebrow. "Did I intrude on some alone time?"
"No, sugar. We were just talking."
"Okay, I was just wondering if you guys wanted any popcorn. Jubes and Kitty are putting in some movie."
Logan shook his head.
"Are you two okay?"
"Get in the house." Logan growled.
Nicole threw up her hands in defeat. "Yes, master."
Rogue waited until she heard the cabin door slam and turned to face Logan. "You knew where he was the whole time! That's why you insisted on skiing!"
"Chuck found him for me. I just wanted to check on him, Marie."
"What if Nicole sees him?"
Logan shrugged. "Maybe things would work themselves out."
"Do you really believe that?" Rogue asked.
Logan sighed. "No, but I was hoping it would."
Rogue wrapped her arms around him. "I love you, Logan."
"I love you too, Marie."
Jubilee adjusted her goggles on her face and smiled at Nicole. "Last one back to the cabin makes everyone hot chocolate."
Kitty giggled. "You are so on!"
Nicole bent to tighten her snowboard to her feet. With a hop, she started down the mountain. The other two girls weren't far behind. Nicole headed for a grove of trees, she knew they could get through and she heard Jubilee curse. Nicole dodged trees left and right, using her powers to balance herself. Then she caught a glimpse of something in the woods. Like an animal running to keep up with her. Hitting a rock, she went airborne. She tumbled down the hill and landed against a tree. She groaned and put a hand to her aching leg.
"I am never doing this again."
She felt a presence and opened her eyes. She almost screamed at the man standing over here, covered in furs. He had been running in the woods. She attempted to use her powers to cloud his thoughts, but instead, she caught one of his thoughts.
Mine…
"Who are you," she asked and squinted.
He growled a response and bent down to examine her leg.
"I think it's broken." She watched him.
He grunted and peeled off a glove. Fumbling in his pocket, he produced a knife. She gasped as he slit her pant leg.
"Don't touch me. My skin-"
Pocketing the knife, he examined her swelling leg.
"I'm staying in a cabin not far from here. If you could help me get there or-"
He held her clothed knee in one hand and grasped her ankle with a gloved hand. With a quick movement, he snapped the bone back into place. She howled in pain.
"What the hell did you do that for!" She growled.
He didn't answer. She watched as he tore strips of a piece of material and tied two sticks around her legs as a makeshift splint. Once done, he hoisted her to her feet. Bending down, he took her over his shoulders and began to walk.
"Uh, thanks. I appreciate this. My cabin isn't very far. My name's Nicole."
He gave her no answer, only kept walking. She sighed and remained silent. She amused herself with examining the furs on his coat. And maybe his butt. For a furry guy he certainly was built well.
"Um…. All of the blood is rushing to my head…. Could you carry me a different way?"
He let her down onto her good leg, gently and scooped her into his arms.
"So… you understand English?"
Silence.
"How did you know I was out here?"
Silence.
"Okay… There it is! There's my cabin!" Nicole could see Logan running towards them.
"What the hell happened?" Logan asked as furry guy deposited her on the ground.
"I fell and broke my leg. He, uh, helped me."
Logan stared at him. "Well?"
"Keep an eye on her," the guy barked. "I don't got the time to be setting her broken bones all the time."
Nicole stared at the guy. His voice was so familiar. It tugged at some memory lodged deep in her mind.
"It ain't like you got a lot to do around here, bub," Logan growled. "Did you touch her?"
"Logan! He was just helping-"
"No, I didn't. I'm not stupid. Keep an eye on yours." With that, he turned and went back into the woods.
"Who was he, Logan? Do you know him?"
"Never mind, kid."
"Logan!" Nicole placed her hands on her hips. "Don't make me read your mind for it!"
"He's just a hermit that lives around here."
Her eyes narrowed as she sat in the cold snow. "Liar."
"It doesn't matter who he is, kid. How's the leg?"
"He set it."
"Want to touch me for a quick fix?"
"No," she answered, quickly. "I don't ever want to touch anyone."
Logan grew quiet for a moment, wanting to scream out that the hermit was Dom, that she shouldn't fear touching, but he stayed silent. "I'm sorry."
"It's okay. Wanna help me inside so that we can get a cast done?" Nicole asked and smiled as Logan helped her up onto her good leg and took her up into his arms. "I told you we should have gone to Disney World."
Logan stared into the darkness and absently rubbed the platinum band on Rogue's finger. He thought back to when he proposed to her. Nicole had gone with him to pick out a ring and he practiced the speech on her for a week before he had gotten the guts to ask. He chuckled, remembering how Rogue had squealed and leapt into his arms. He tightened his hold on Rogue and breathed in her scent. A shadow passed over the skylight in their room and he stared up to see Dom wave at him before moving on. Logan snorted and moved so he could nuzzle at Rogue's neck. She moaned and slowly opened her eyes.
"Again, sugar?"
He nodded and caught her lips with his. His hand traveled to her thigh and he tugged up her nightgown.
Dom peered down into the skylight above Nicole's room. She was asleep in her bed, the blankets twisted around her legs. He watched her sleep, each movement of her chest rising and falling, captivated him. She began to awaken and he shrunk back from sight. Sitting up, Nicole yawned and stretched. She tucked a lock of her hair behind her head. She had let it grow since he had last seen her. She swung her cast covered leg over the edge of the bed and hobbled to the bathroom. When she emerged, she had a glass of water.
Dom knew he loved her. He wished he could tell her he was here. That he was still alive and wanted to love her. He wanted her to love him. Dom growled and jumped from the room and headed towards his home.
The next morning, Nicole hobbled out to the woods in her new cast and peered around. There was something funny about that so called hermit and she was determined to find out more about him. She had caught glimpses of him in the woods all day.
"Hey! Are you around, hermit guy?" She took a few cautious steps with her crutches. "I know you're around! I just wanna-"
She heard a low growl and turned so fast she fell. Looking up, she saw him and he just stared at her. He held out a gloved hand and helped her back to her feet.
"Hi. I was looking for you."
He stared.
"Thanks again for helping me out. It was nice of you."
He grumbled something.
"What?"
"Got any smokes?" he asked, hoarsely.
She shook her head. "Logan might have cigars in the house. Come inside with me and I could check."
The hermit shook his head.
"What's your name?"
He resorted to silence, just staring at her.
"Okay, well, I could do all of the talking, then. Like I said yesterday, my name is Nicole and I am a freak. Or a mutant I guess. I'm sure you've heard of mutants. Well my skin, it drains people's life away and I can read minds and move things with my mind. My skin still kills people and my death count is only at one so far. I take college classes in New York and have a foster dad who is animalistic as all get out and-"
He grunted and looked towards the house. Jubilee was standing at the door to the cabin, staring at them.
"Hey, is he the guy that fixed your leg?" Jubilee bounded to them. "Wanna come inside and get warmed up?"
"I offered. He said no."
"Are you sure? We've got coffee and hot chocolate. Maybe a shower?" Jubilee wrinkled her nose at his disheveled appearance.
The hermit gave a gruff snort and crosses his arms. He was reveling in being so close to Nicole. It had been a long time. He could even smell her perfume… Some sort of flower… Roses…
"Nice hot shower? Shave? Bubbly bath?" Jubilee prompted further. "Cookies?"
"Leave him alone, Jubilee," Nicole hissed.
Without a word, the hermit turned and walked away into the woods. Nicole tried to hobble after him, but fell in the snow.
"Wait! Oh crap. Way to go, Jubes. I was so close to getting him to come inside."
Jubilee snorted. "Not any closer than me. He was cute in a Jeremiah Johnson sort of way."
"I don't even know who he is. Logan does, but he won't tell me."
Jubilee shrugged. "I dunno. You up to watching me kick Kitty's ass at snow boarding?"
Nicole gave her friend a smile. "Always."
Scot helped his very pregnant wife down the ramp of the Blackbird and towards the girls, who were waiting for them. Jean had pestered him into joining on a vacation up north with everyone and he had finally agreed. Rogue went to hug them both.
"You still haven't had that baby?" Rogue laughed.
Jean nodded. "Scott didn't want me to come out here, but I told him I would be fine."
Nicole hobbled to them. "Hey, you two!"
"What happened to you?" Scott asked.
"Skiing accident-"
"And some hot hermit saved her," Kitty giggled.
Jean raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"
Nicole blushed. "He found me and set my leg. He's weird. Logan knows him."
Scott looked at Jean and then to Logan. "Really?"
Logan shrugged, "Met him when I was searching for my past."
Jean glared at Logan. "Well, let's go inside so I can warm up and we'll discuss this hermit."
Nicole looked confused. "What is there to discuss? He helped me and he's weird."
Jean shook her head. "I mean, Logan, Rogue, Scott, and I. Sorry girls. You need to sit this one out."
They all went inside and Jean led the aforementioned to another room. Kitty and Jubilee looked to one another.
"Of course we aren't going to take this sitting down are we?"
Kitty went to the wall and tried to phase her head through it.
"Get your ass back in the other room!" Logan growled.
Kitty fell back on the floor and glared at the wall. "He can be such an ass."
"I'm guessing the hermit is Dom?" Jean asked.
Rogue nodded. "Yeah. He's been keeping his distance though."
Logan snorted. "Bullshit. I saw him skulking around her the other night."
"I was not skulking. I was stalking," Dom spoke from the bed. He was laid back against the headboard chewing on a toothpick.
Jean stared at him. "You look like Jeremiah Johnson."
"Thanks, doll. You look pregnant."
Her hand went to her enlarged, belly. "Yep. A little boy."
He nodded. "That's hot."
"Thanks… I think. I thought you wanted to stay gone."
He shrugged. "I've been thinking."
"And?" Scott asked.
He shrugged.
"That doesn't count as an answer."
"Any of you got any smokes?"
"No. Now about this-"
"I ain't discussing it now." Dom rose and crossed to the door. "Besides you got eavesdroppers."
He opened it and all three girls fell into a heap at his feet. He glared down at them.
"Heya' hermit man," Jubilee grinned.
Dom raised an eyebrow. "Make yourself useful and get me some smokes."
Kitty untangled herself from the other two girls. "Are you staying?"
Dom glared at her. "Smokes. Now."
They scrambled to their feet and left. Nicole rose, slower, scowling at the team.
"I heard my name. What's going on?"
"Later, darlin'." Logan pushed her out the door, gently. "I promise."
Nicole glared at them and stalked away to her room. She slammed the door and howled in outrage. She hated when they kept secrets from her.
Dom grinned. "I think you pissed her off."
"What are you going to do?" Rogue asked.
"Shave."
Dom sat in the chair before Jean and Rogue. Rogue had a pair of scissors in one hand and a comb in the other. Jean had an old fashioned razor and a can of shaving cream.
"I can shave myself, you know. I'm not sure I trust you with that razor."
"Cute," Rogue snorted. "How much do you want off the top?"
"Cut it like before."
"Hold still," Jean ordered as she trimmed the beard to a shorter length before she was to start using the razor.
Rogue tipped his head forward and noticed something under his hair where his hairline met his neck. Peering through the, hair she saw it was a tattoo of some sort.
"What's this on your head, Dom?"
Dom's fingers went to the spot and he spoke automatically. "458-99-923."
"What?" Jean asked and she got images project from him of himself with his head shaved and held down on a table, while men tattooed the number on the back of his head. "An ID?"
"Like Logan's dog tags… only more permanent." Dom scratched the spot. "My identification number in case anything happened to me."
"Oh…" Rogue continued to cut his hair. "How much do you remember?"
"Everything. I was a killer."
"No, you were a slave." Jean gave him a sad look. "Your mom… She wasn't evil."
"My mom was a drone, by the time Logan killed her. He… He told me when she died she was herself… not the monster that Stryker created. I was glad for that."
Rogue stopped cutting. "I'm done."
Jean began to shave him. "If I cut you-"
"Relax, doll… I'll heal."
Dom rubbed his now smooth chin and raked a hand through his cut hair. He took a long drag off his cigarette and sighed, happily. Leaving the bathroom, he stared at his father.
"What are you going to do?"
Dom shrugged, a habit he was now forming.
"Are you going to tell her?"
"Thought about it."
"This is a small house. Can't hide for long."
"I know." Dom opened the bedroom door and headed for Nicole's room. He opened the door, slowly. He was nervous. She was asleep on her bed, her cast covered leg, propped up by pillows. He crossed to her and stood over the bed, drinking in the sight of her. Sitting on the edge of the bed, he let his hand go to her waist. She shifted, but stayed asleep. Dom let his hand travel up to her cheek and he leaned down to kiss her, He brushed his lips across hers and was satisfied when there was no pull. Slowly, her eyes opened and she looked up, dreamily.
"Dom?"
"Hey, doll."
"I like this dream…" she murmured and cupped his cheek with her gloved hand.
"It's not a dream. I'm here." Dom leaned back down and caught her lips with his. The kiss deepened and she tangled her fingers in his hair. Suddenly, she snapped out of her half awakened state and he felt the pull. Pushing him away, she stared at him with wide eyes.
"Dom? You're alive?"
Nicole drew back her hand and slapped him. Hard.