Chapter 8: Katya

Scott sat across from Professor Xavier's desk, leaning forward. "You think they were connected, Professor?"

"I can't be certain. There's simply too little information at the moment. Nevertheless, Henry's descriptions match your own."

Logan stood in the corner leaning against a wall, his arms folded. "What do we do now?"

The Professor glanced up. "We wait."

"What? I ain't gonna sit aroun' here bidin' my time. Look Chuck, you didn't see what me and Cyke saw—"

"Logan, you forget I am a telepath. I have seen everything you have. But there is nothing we can do until Jean scans Henry."

"So what're we waitin' for? He's up, ain't he?"

Scott spun around to face Logan. "Seriously? The man just came back from the dead. Give him some time to—"

"We don't have time," Logan bit back before leaving the room, slamming the door behind him.

Scott immediately stood up and began to leave the room. "Wolverine!"

"Scott, let him go."

"Professor, he's being unreasonable."

"These have been trying times for all of us, but especially Logan."

" 'Especially Logan?' What's that supposed to mean?"

"Perhaps the recent events in the mutant world are not the only disruptions in Logan's life."

Logan stood over a metal table in the War Room. Files were spread out across the surface, some opened, others closed.

He leaned forward, his hands flat on the table, propping him up. His eyes scanned the papers – subject numbers, case notes, status. It has ta fit.

Frustrated, he let a small growl escape his lips.

He knew she was there before she spoke.

"That doesn't sound good." Ororo walked up to him, leaning into his side.

"It just doesn't make sense 'Ro."

He stood straight, draping an arm around her shoulders.

"I talked to Kitty. She's asking Peter."

Logan looked at Ororo and frowned. "No. I ain't puttin' Petey through that. I won't let 'im."

She smiled slightly. "Logan, he's a grown man now. Maybe he wants to help. Maybe he's the piece we need to solve this puzzle."

Neither said anything for a while. Finally, Logan sighed, taking a last look at the files sprawled across the table. "You hungry, darlin'?"

"I do not know, Kitty." He sat on the end of his bed, his elbows on his knees.

She scooted closer to him, placing a hand on his back. "Peter, I know it's hard. I won't even pretend to understand how it feels, but you could help so many people."

"Could I? Do we even know? Perhaps there are no more."

"Peter—"

"I mean it. Perhaps these events are singular."

She leaned forward, trying to meet his eyes. "Do you really believe that?"

"Another question I can not answer, my Katya." He looked up to see tears welling in her eyes. He turned his body to face hers, his hand cupping her cheek. "What is wrong?"

She smiled. "You called me Katya. I haven't heard that in years."

He grazed a thumb across her mouth, wiping away a stray tear, before touching his lips to her own.

"I've missed you," she whispered against his mouth.

I suppose it could be worse. Your optimism surprises me. Most men in your position would, well, still be dead. In fact, roughly ninety-nine percent. Possibly higher. But, all things considered, you're doing pretty well. Monitor looks stable. Breathing is regular. Fur returning to its original luster. Talking to yourself—

A gentle knock interrupted his thoughts. The door opened slightly, enough for Ororo to poke her head into the room. "Can I come in?"

He raised his eyebrows, a little surprised. "Of course."

She walked in, shutting the door softly behind her.

"Wait."

She stopped.

"You won't hit me again, will you?"

She frowned. "Hank, about that. I'm sorry, I—"

He raised a hand to quiet her, a slight smile on his face. "No need. Jean told me you were fairly upset."

Ororo let out a small laugh at the understatement. She came closer, sitting at the foot of his med lab bed. "So."

"So."

The tension grew in the silence.

"I hear Jean's going to scan your mind."

"Yeah, eventually. Her and the Professor say it's still unsafe."

"Oh."

Again, it was quiet.

"They seem to think I'll be able to leave the medical lab soon though. Another day or two, perhaps."

"Well, that's good. It'll be nice to be in your own bed again, I'm sure."

"I never thought it would happen." He reached forward, taking her hand in his own. "I never thought I'd see you again, Ororo."

She looked down at their entwined hands. "Henry, we don't have to talk about this."

"No, I want to." His eyes pleaded.

"I'm not the same person I was five years ago."

"Neither am I. Ororo, I—"

Startled, she looked up to meet his gaze. "You left."

"I know. It was a mistake."

She pulled her hand away. Looking down again, she focused on the grain of her jeans. "You never even said goodbye."

"Ororo, I tried. I didn't know what to say to you. I knew you'd try to keep me here—"

"Is that so terrible? Was the mansion really that bad of a place to be?"

"You know that I didn't leave because of the mansion. Emma Frost and the Professor had two different ideas of what mutants should be doing. I chose Miss Frost."

"So that's it? You just gave up everything we fought for – everything we'd been through – on a gamble? Seems to me you needed to check your loyalties. You abandoned us, Henry. We cared for you, loved you, and you just left us."

Again, he took her hand, holding it tightly, willing her to look at him. She complied. "Ororo, I never stopped loving you."

Her heart pounded. She could feel the knot in her stomach, swallowed down the lump in her throat.

Finally, "I did."

"What?"

"I stopped loving you. I-I've moved on. I have a boyfriend now…"

He turned his head away from her, loosening his grip on her hand.

"How long?"

"Almost a year."

"Who?" He didn't want to know.

"Logan."

He snatched his hand away quickly, as if she were a disease.

"Henry—"

"I don't want to hear this."

"That's not fair Henry."

He jerked his head to face her again. He practically growled. "Fair? Are you serious? God, Storm, you really haven't grown up, have you? Still whining--"

Shocked at his sudden viciousness, she jumped to her feet. "Whining? Henry McCoy DIED. I saw HIM. I held him in my arms!"

"You know, you're certainly one to talk about loyalties. You barely mourned my death!"

She couldn't believe he was saying this. "You don't think I mourned? Half of Westchester County was out of power for three weeks because of lightening storms! Don't you dare tell me that I didn't mourn! It felt like I was dead, Henry. It was painful and it was hard and it was every single day for four years!"

"Just leave. Get out."

"Gladly," she threw back at him before stomping out of the room. The entire hall shook as she slammed the door behind her.