Disclaimer: See previous chapter, i'm too tired to be clever right now...

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Chapter 7.

(Angela)

I came around like I always do, one sense at a time. Hearing is usually first, followed by touch, smell, taste and sight in that order. So, the first thing I heard was Logan's breathing followed by the patter of raindrops on the ground. The profound sense of relief I felt at hearing that simply cannot be described. He was all right, that's all that mattered. The next thing I noticed was I was not in a tent. I could feel sticks, small rocks and other forest litter digging into my back, which was not of the good. After that, I could smell blood, which was probably Logan's, in my clothes. I could also smell the rain and the damp earth, which was comforting in it's own way. Next came the taste of blood; some of it mine, most of it Logan's. A small corner of my mind promised to kill Totem for slashing his throat. I never wanted to see that much blood come out of him again.

Finally, I opened my eyes. It took a minute for them to focus, but the first thing I saw was Logan sitting next to me, smiling. I smiled weakly back. "Hey lover. You're a sight for sore eyes."

"Welcome back, darlin'." He replied, brushing my hair out of my eyes. He put his arm around my shoulders and helped me sit up, not that I needed it. Once I'm completely recovered from an untimely demise, I feel better than ever. I took a look around me and I stiffened when I saw Totem sitting next to a campfire, neat as you please. I tensed to spring and Logan tightened his hold on me. "Easy darlin'. We've come to…an understanding."

"I hope it involves you holding him down while I kill him." I replied, rage building inside me.

"Sorry, not today." He said but didn't let me go. "If it's at all possible, his mind's more fucked up than mine is."

I looked at him as though he'd grown another head. "Who are you and what have you done with the real Logan?"

"I swear it's really me. This guy," he said, gesturing with his thumb, "he don't remember anythin'. And what he does remember, I don't think we can trust."

I sighed and ran my fingers through my hair, grimacing when I came to a huge clot of dried blood in the back. "So I can't kill him? Can I wound him?"

"Not for long. He heals like we do. Better than you, not as good as me, but he'll get better."

"Fuck." I spat bitterly. "This sucks. Why did I decide to be a good guy? It was easier the other way."

"But not better, for either of us. You know I'm right."

I nodded. "Yeah. Doesn't mean I have to like it."

"I know darlin', believe me." He replied with a chuckle. "C'mon, we have to get him back to the Professor."

"Great, just what I always wanted. A three-day hike with someone who thinks I'm his mate that I really want to kill." I stood up and stretched. "You sure know how to treat a girl."

"I try."

We made our way over to the campfire and Totem's eyes widened when he saw me. I gave him a cold smile and sat down across from him, considering him carefully. He looked different from the day before, less feral somehow. I looked closer and saw that he no longer had the tail or claws that I remembered. Before I could ask him about it, he spoke.

"How is this possible?" He asked, looking at me with wonder.

"I have nine lives." I said evenly. "Get used to it. And get used to the rules, because I have plenty. You violate any of them and I'll cut your fucking heart out, you understand?" He nodded. "Good. Number one, I am not now nor will I ever be your mate. You touch me for any reason and you're meat for the wolves. Number two, you do whatever Logan or I tell you to do, no matter what it is. Number three, if you ever do anything that puts me or Logan in jeopardy again, I'll kill you so slow you'll beg for death. Got it?" He nodded again, eyes wide with fear now. "Good. Now, I ask you answer. What's your real name?"

He lowered his eyes. "I do not remember. There is much I do not remember."

I nodded. "Doesn't surprise me. Stryker was never one to let his 'projects' have anything they could call their own. Were you at Alkali Lake?"

"Yes. I was…changed there. Fath…he gave me the metal there."

I nodded. "How long were you there?"

"Until three months before it was destroyed and Fath…he died."

"Why did he move you?"

"He said it was time for me to claim my mate and kill Wolverine."

"Why did he want Wolverine dead?"

"Father did not like the fact that Wolverine escaped. He considered him a failure for breaking control."

"So what was supposed to happen to me when you found me and took me back?"

"You were to be my mate and we would have many children that I could raise in my image."

I looked away, sickened by that thought. I took a moment to compose myself before continuing. "Did it ever occur to you that maybe I have my own free will and might want to choose a mate on my own?"

"Father told me it would not matter. He would make you love me."

I clenched my teeth, biting back the rage that continued to burn in my gut. It took every ounce of willpower that I had to resist gutting him right then and there. I closed my eyes and counted to ten, then opened them slowly to fix him with a steely gaze. "If you ever had even one shred of humanity in you, you would know how wrong that truly is. No one has the right to force anyone to do something they don't want to do." He looked at me as though unable to comprehend what I was saying, which only pissed me off more. I took a deep breath and continued. "William Stryker was a madman. I'd bet anything I've ever owned that he was going to have someone get inside my head and fuck with my mind until I believed the same things you believe right now. He would have stripped my mind of everything that makes me who I really am. He wouldn't have given you a willing mate; he would have given you a mindless toy. And if he couldn't succeed, he would have tested me to destruction." He looked at me in confusion again. "Totem, he would have killed me. Slowly, one test at a time until he finally did something that even I can't come back from."

Totem finally had the courtesy to look shocked. I don't think he realized until then just what a monster he'd been calling "Father" all this time. "Father lied to me?" He asked, looking wounded.

"Yes, he did." Logan replied. "He lied to all of us. He created us to do terrible things for him. And nothin' you say will ever change that."

"I…I would like to think about these things, alone if I may." Logan looked at me and I nodded. Totem walked quietly to the edge of the forest, just out of range of the light given off by the fire. I sighed and sat back on my heels, suddenly very tired.

Logan sat next to me and I leaned against him, his arm sliding around my shoulders. "Gods above, I hate interrogating people."

"I know, darlin'. But we have to remember that he's as much a victim here as we are. We have to get him back to Chuck."

"I know, I know. But we were also more or less given permission to…deal with him if we had to."

"Do you really think it'll come to that?"

"I don't know, Logan. I don't trust him. I know how I was trained, what I was trained to do. I have no reason to believe they'd train him any less." I closed my eyes and sighed. "Much as I hate to do this, I think we'll have to keep a watch until we get back to the mansion. He's programmed to kill you and take me back there. I will not go back there. I'll kill myself first."

Logan wrapped both arms around me and held me so tight it took my breath away. "Darlin', I won't let that happen." He kissed the top of my head and relaxed his hold on me. "Why don't you go ahead and sleep? I'll keep an eye on him."

I was too weary to argue with him, so I just nodded. I gave him a quick but firm kiss, and then went back to the little nest he'd made for me the day before. I smiled to myself at the sweetness of the gesture before curling up in the blankets and drifting into an uneasy sleep.

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Flashing lights in a myriad of colors streak around you, pools of red, purple, blue and green swirling over your body and those of the people dancing around you. A thin sheen of sweat covers your face and neck, tendrils of black and bright blue hair sticking to your forehead. Music pounds through the speakers in the club (my club), the bass pounding hard enough to be felt even in your unbreakable bones. You recognize the song as "Getting Closer" by Nitzer Ebb, one of your favorites. You've heard this song a thousand times, but tonight the words fill you with a sense of unease.

"One step, two steps

Getting closer, getting closer

Let them believe me

Let them wonder if I lied…"

You cease moving, scanning the crowd around you. The flashing lights are no longer beautiful to you, but disorienting, as though they are conspiring with an enemy you can't see to camouflage something that should be obvious to you. You fight your way through the crush of bodies, trying to get to the more open areas of the club around the bar and the tables, trying to get into a better position to defend yourself.

"I know what you buy

But I'm not selling

I know what you buy

I'm not gonna try…"

You finally make your way past the throng and quickly scan the crowd for something, anything that explains your feelings. Nothing jumps out at you right away, it looks like the same crowd of 20something people who are always at this club (this is MY club, RnR. Why am I here?). You make your way towards the front door, hoping that whoever or whatever it is that's got your hackles up will show itself, but nothing happens. You continue to peer intently at the scene in front of you, searching for the one clue that's eluding you.

"You never take

You think that you're just right

You never did that

Just right

Is it good

Done for you

You're gonna miss out

Done for you…"

You catch something moving furtively through the shadows underneath the stairs that lead to one of the booths that overhang the dance floor. Just as you turn to move that way, you catch the same scurrying movement near the bar. Your body tenses, claws sliding out of their own accord and you take a firm step towards the new figure. Yet as you turn, something else catches your eye and you move your head slowly towards the dance floor. Your eyes widen as you see yourself out there, dancing with someone. You stare for a moment, mesmerized by the sight, until the person you're dancing with turns your way. A white rage fills you as you see that it's Totem. You begin to move to the dance floor with firm, angry steps, but a prickling on the back of your neck alerts you to danger.

You turn to face the new enemy, but before you have a chance to size up the opponent, excruciating pain races through your body. You look down and see a fist pressed against your midsection, blood dripping to the floor at your feet. You raise your head and you see that it's Logan, feral rage contorting his features into a horrifying visage. He pulls the three blades out of your stomach and you lurch forward a step. You try to reach for him, but he backs away, sheathing his claws. You fall to your knees trying to stanch the flow of blood, but it's a futile effort. As you begin to slip away, you find the strength to ask "Why?"

"Listen to the music, darlin'." He says and walks away.

You strain your ears. You listen to the music.

"I've got to say that it hurts

I've got say that it hurts

I've got to say that…"

You don't know what hurts more right now, the wounds in your stomach or your heart as it breaks.

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I came awake with a scream dying on my lips. I fought my way to my knees from the tangled blankets, hands clenched to my stomach as the phantom pains receded from my consciousness. Logan was at my side a heartbeat later, a frantic look in his eyes, with his claws out. Instinctively, I fell back and shuffled away from him, strangling another scream. His eyes widened in shock at my reaction and he retracted his claws, holding his hand out to me with his palm up to show that it was empty.

"Angela, it's ok." He said in a soothing tone. "It was just a dream."

I relaxed, collapsing to the ground and gasping for air. "Holy shit, that was bad." I said, covering my eyes with my forearm. I heard Logan creep over to me and managed not to flinch as he gently took my other hand. I looked at him and smiled weakly. "Sorry about that."

"It's ok, darlin'. More Bad Old Days?"

I shook my head. "No, this one was purely symbolic." I sat up and recited the dream to him. His face went through every emotion from confusion to anger to horror in the end. "I have NO idea where that came from." I finished.

"Me either." He said, looking away as he gained control of his emotions. When he looked back, his eyes held a note of fear and pain. "You know I would never hurt you, right?"

"Logan, we've been through this. I trust you completely. I know it wasn't real, no matter how it felt at the time."

"It's just…I've seen you wake up freaked before. But you've never woken up lookin' scared o' me." He sighed. "Can't say I liked it."

I sat up and pressed my forehead to his, placing my hands firmly on his shoulders. "Lover, it was just a bad dream. I'll figure it out soon enough. Why don't you get a nap and I'll keep an eye on him for a bit, ok?"

He nodded. "Yeah sure. If you think you'll be all right with him."

"Oh, we'll be fine. And I'm sure you'll wake right up if there's a scuffle. I've never known you to sleep through a fight." I smiled and winked at him.

"Damn straight. Don't want you havin' all the fun!" He smiled back and kissed me. I stood up and stretched, scratching my head to get rid of the last flakes of dried blood that were still stuck to my scalp. I blew Logan a kiss once he got settled into the blankets before making my way to the fire. Totem was there, curled up on a blanket and apparently asleep. I sighed and poked at the fire, looking over at our new traveling companion. I didn't trust him. I really didn't like him. But there was something about him. My dream was trying to tell me as much.

I just wish I knew what it was.

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AN take two: Uh oh, what does this mean? Hehehehe...i know and so do my beta readers...the rest of you have to wait...:) Speaking of beta readers, a big thanks to Zac and Turiel Tincdaniel for all their hard work...very big thanks to DBK(tm) for his terrier-like begging for more chapters...it's really all his fault that i get these done as fast as i do...:) Very big thanks to everyone who reviewed...i appreciate that you took the time to give me feedback...Last, but not least, Huge thanks to the readers...sure, i wrote this and my other story for my own amusement, but it makes me happy to know that other people are enjoying themselves as well!

Now click the "submit review" button down below...I promise, it's painless and your feedback helps me to be a better writer...:) Good reviews get happy dances...flames will be met with a snifter of brandy and a cigar...:)