Chapter 5

Title: Shadow's are darker when you can't see them

Author: Revelation
E-Mail: stealthyminx hotmail .com

Rating: NC-15 for now, to be on the safe side, will involve violence and sex later on

Song inspiration: Hootie and the Blowfish:- Let Her Cry

>Telepathic communications.
Thought's

From a chair encased by shadow a figure lent back staring at the monitor crossing their arms "Poor child" shaking their head mockingly before turning off the screen "No one should have to be forced to remember such awful times.." They smirked picking up the com link from the desk,

"Return to base, the lost child has become a liability."

By the time Logan left the mansion it had been dark for hours, speeding down the highway towards Harry's in Salem Center, Harry had a beer waiting for him as he opened the door, it felt good to be so welcomed, this place was definitely a home away from home, just being able walk in and have a cold glass waiting.

"Thank Harry." Logan said taking his normal seat at the far end of the bar.

"No problems, heard your bike comin'." Harry joked flipping his tea towel over his shoulder, Logan smirked, he was putting Harry's kids through college with the amount of money he'd drop in this place a night. Logan looked around there was a few more people in the place for a mid weeknight, but they were all enjoying the new sports channel Harry had recently had put in the bar.

Each sip of his uninterrupted drink made the tension in Logan shoulder's ease, today had been so incredibly frustrating, the meeting with Xavier, Scott being all high and mighty, what did he know he wasn't the one that had made the promise to look out for the kid, it wouldn't have been Scott explaining Jade's disappearance if.. The cheers to another point of the football match playing interrupted his thoughts. Logan stopped thinking and just went back to drinking and smoking his cigar and enjoyed the game; he came here to relax not to think. It wasn't until his fourth beer that Logan was distracted again, a scent, he ignored it, it disappeared faster then it came, it was nothing, he imagined it, near the end of the same drink he caught it again, this time it stuck. Logan finished his drink and called Harry over, who wasn't all that happy about being pulled away from the now showing highlights of the past year baseball season. Harry grabbed the bottle of whiskey, Logan was getting to predictable with is drinking habit, Harry put the glass in front of Logan and went back to the inning.

"How long have you been serving minors.." Logan asked casually

"Ever since I introduced the don't ask don't tell policy.." Harry stated with equal ease, as if he'd been expecting this conversation before this point. "I didn't feel a need to ask for ID from someone with her connections.." Logan looked curiously at Harry, who shrugged "She came in asking for you one night… "

Harry said leaning against the back of the bar "She's round the back, left her there with a bottle of Jack and Johnie."

"You left her with entire bottles?" Logan was surprised, one thing to let an underage girl in, let alone leave her with bottles.

"I didn't want to have to go back there every few minutes to fill her up." Logan stood up "Brave man.. Not many can say they've seen a girl drink a local college QB under the table.." Logan almost laughed, he would've paid to see that one. "By the time we scraped his face off the floor he was too drunk to remember Jade ever being here." Logan nodded

"How long was she hear for.." he asked heading towards the small backroom.

"Ever since it was dark enough for her to get near here with out any questions." he didn't hear Harry's remaining comments, he was too angry, hours, she'd been hear for hours, she'd taken off over twenty-four hours ago and she'd been sitting in his bar. By the time Logan laid eyes on her he was livid, he'd give her a lecture that would ring in her ears for months, then he laid eyes on her, the anger faded, he saw the room, no wonder Harry didn't want to go back here, chairs, tables were all turned upside down, but there was no sign of damage to them, she laid them carefully, deliberately, following the density of chairs to the darkest most distant spot from the door head on the table was Jade, one empty bottle the other almost empty, she was dozing, why she'd set up a defence, Logan watched, her breathing was even, she was asleep, slowly he picked up chairs, setting the tables right, closing the distance, she looked awful, like she'd been dragged through a forest backwards, he'd expected to be faced with the attitude, instead he was looking at a beaten up rag. Logan was less then five meters, had a chair in hand when the silence broke, a loud crush sound seemed to echo through the room, he looked at his feet, pretzels, smart girl.. he looked up, she was staring at him, how long had seen been crying to do that to her face, her eyes were completely bloodshot, puffy and her face was all splotchy. Slowly Logan put the remaining chair right and took a seat, he was close enough to be considered a possible treat so he would keep her attention but far enough away from comfort.

"What.. do you.. want." She was barley able to speak, the voice came out broken and raspy, it was clear it hurt her to talk.

"There's 'lot of people worried about ya kid." Jade took a sip from the bottle of Jack and coughed "I think you've had enough." She snarled, but coughed again. "Why you take off for?" she was showing spark, better to strike while he had a spark to work with.

"Felt like a holiday.." smart arse he thought.

"Most people give warning before they do that."

"You don't." she was right, he never did.

"Yes I do, people just don't listen." He could argue that point if he needed to.

"That's not what people say." She swigged again and winced as it hit her raw throat.

"People are dicks." He muttered, "It's time to go back home now Jade.." she stiffened like a dear in the head lights, what was wrong with this girl?

"Harry needs to close up soon, better to leave before you get questions." She nodded, an excuse she could stomach, something was definitely up she wasn't fighting anymore. Logan watched as she stood up, he took in the damage, top torn, no jacket, she didn't have any shoes either, what had made her take off so fast that shoes and jacket were neglected. Jade picked up a blanket wrapping it around her shoulders reaching out for the bottle, then left it following Logan out of the backroom, he went out the back door leaving money on one of the back table for Harry, he wasn't going to walk Jade out in the state she was in. Logan held open backdoor in the kitchen for Jade, she was hunched over holding herself and stood waiting at Logan's bike while he made sure the door was shut properly,

"I.. I told him not to call… he wanted to.. I asked him not to.." Jade said weakly as Logan got onto the bike, he stopped and took off his jacket.

"Here, you can't ride with your wings showing like that…" Jade tried to force her wings to hide, but she became paler with effort. "Take the jacket Jade." She obeyed; Logan took the blanket rolling it up and put it in front of him to carry before driving off. He found it disturbing how tightly Jade held onto his flannel shirt, the way she twisted the fabric between her figures, Xavier had been a fool not to go find her, she was in bad shape. Pulling up to the mansion Logan looked at Jade in his mirrors, she was crying again silently, he wondered if he hadn't gone to get her if she would have ever come back, or if Harry would've ever called, parking the bike Jade silently dismounted leaving Logan's jacket she made a mad dash for the inside, disappearing from sight before Logan had both legs over the bike. He wasn't sure if she was hiding or fast... He sighed picking up the blanket, it unrolled, Logan inspected it, blood, she hadn't appeared hurt, it was old blood, Logan sniffed and stormed after Jade, the entire mansion was asleep, it was after three am as he threw open Jade's door slamming it shut throwing the blanket at Jade, it landed at her feet.

"WHAT DID HE DO TO YOU!" Logan roared, lucky for those next door to Jade's room the walls were sound proof. Logan stopped, and took in the situation around him. He looked at Jade, clothes in hand to the bag on the bed, half full. "What the fuck do you think your doing?"

"I have to leave…" She spat back, she was crying again, moving to put clothes in the bag. "Its not safe.."

"What do you mean its not safe, there's nowhere safer then here.." Jade didn't seem to agree, she wasn't stopping.

"Not safe." She repeated, though Logan could be sure it was to her self not him.

"Creed can't get you here." Jade inhaled sharply, he'd hit the right cord, she stopped, closing her eyes, she choked out a sob, dropping to her knees. Logan didn't know what to do, he was so torn.

"What did the slime bag do to you?" no point ranting at a mess like this.

"I don't want to remember don't make me remember!" Jade was bent over hands over her head rocking back and forth. "I cant make it stop, all of it, it's in my head it wont stop.." Logan watched as Jade curled up tighter and tighter. Logan walked over to the ball of sobbing child, Jade grabbed onto his legs and cried into his jeans almost knocking him over "Make it stop, please, I'll be a good girl, please just make him stop.." Logan looked down at Jade's begging with wide eyes, what the hell was going on? Jade finally stopped holding onto his legs and crumbled back onto the floor. Logan sat down and pulled her into him.

"Its okay kid." He muttered just holding her; this was a bit out of his league.

"They wouldn't stop, I made them, he helped me, then he wouldn't stop.." none of this made any sense, Jade stopped trying to talk and just cried, then the door opened, Scott and Jean were standing there, Logan should of guessed that Jade's distress would of woken the two most powerful psychics.

"What's going on here Logan." Jade looked up and pulled away from Logan and scrambled away from the light that flooded in from the hall, away from people, Logan got to his feet hands up.

"Back off Summers, she cant handle people.." Logan made slow steps towards Jade who suddenly hit the floor, hands on her head, she screamed.

"JEANNIE! NO!" Scott yelled whipped his head around to see Jean, slowly open her eyes, dropping her hands from her temples.

"I thought.." she sounded lost under Logan glared

"You thought wrong." Logan growled back, Scott looked shocked, Logan had never said a cross word to Jean the entire time they'd known each other. Scott put his arm around his wife and pulled her from the room, they couldn't help Jade now, but he trusted Logan to handle this.

"She's so confused, I wanted to help.." Jean confessed, "I only just brushed.." Scott nodded.

"I know Jean, but.."

"But." Charles was waiting at the end of the hall; two of the younger psychics were with him looking scared. "She's too fragile, right now, I've told Logan to try and sedate her so we can all get some sleep." Charles placed a caring hand on the scared child's shoulder.

"Its okay Evan, Ms Nightingale's just a little worked up that's all." Evan looked shaken, Jade's distressed had woken other emphatic mutants, most were gathered on the stairs near the third level. "Back to bed children, Mr Logan's got everything under control." Scott followed Xavier's lead and ushered the younger mutants back up to bed.

Logan followed the professors mental instruction, he couldn't go immediately to get the medication, she was still crying but not as violent and the staggered words weren't flowing out anymore once Jade had calmed down enough for him to be able to move about the room with out her getting the idea that he was leaving. Finally he was able to get to her bedside table, opening the top draw rummaging through the empty bottle, he looked at dates.

"Someone needs to explain to her these ain't candy.." Logan shook his head taking the half empty bottle; he then opened the bottom draw and pulled out a small bottle of vodka. "Couldn't hurt.." he headed back headed back over to Jade, she was shaking in the corner, once again oblivious to the world, Logan squatted next to her and sighed, "Jade.." no response "Jade." Logan clicked at her, as if he was coaxing a animal out from under the couch, quietly glad no one was hear to witness this moment, "Jade, come on kido." He slowly shook the bottle, opening it he took a swig and held it out to her, slowly, Jade sniffed the air and sat up, "Good girl, now take the pills." He handed six instead of the three, double the amount Xavier had suggested, Logan looked at the bottle and the pills and took two and a swig. Jade was back in the far corner, she still had tears running down her face, Logan wondered if he was going to have to call Jean back to deal with Jade passing out from dehydration, finally either the meds started to take their effect or Jade had exhausted herself, she slowly she seem to slip into unconsciousness, Logan picked her up and put her on the bed, he was tempted to stay, but decided that when she woke up his presence would not be so welcome. Logan got up off the bed staying only a little while longer to make sure she didn't wake up again before he left and went to his room. Sitting on the bed Logan stared at the roof, beer in his hand. He wouldn't sleep tonight not with Jade's words echoing themselves in his head.

"What did you do to her Creed that would make beg her you to stop like that.." Logan he could only imagine what Creed had done to Jade, and what he would need a blanket for after..