"Donna." Logan said gently, "I can see you're in a lot of pain, but the contractions are only six minutes apart. We've got a long way to go."

"It… hurts." Donna groaned, squeezing tighter as she panted.

"I can see that." Logan said, gently rubbing her shoulder, trying to calm her down. "But the boy's already fainted about five times, I think you need to give him a break."

Donna unclenched her hands, letting Daken's body drop to the floor. Daken's leg twitched for a little, before he started to breathe again. Not very well, considering this was the sixth time in two hours Donna had tried to strangle him, but his lungs were trying and that's what mattered.

After the third time Donna had choked out Daken, Connor and I had started clinging to each other like if we let go, we would be next on Donna's hit list. We were probably right.

Connor whispered into my ear so low only those with super human hearing could hear, "If she gets bored of him, are we next?"

"Yeah." I whispered back.

"Should we run away?"

"No, then she'll remember we're here." I answered, "Then, the hunt is on."

Donna screamed in pain again, and Daken managed to slump to his knees, and struggled through a sentence. "I'm here- here babe. You n- need to hold my neck again?"

"Damn he's whipped." I snickered. I would be lying if I said I didn't love this. The man who had tortured me from birth was practically Donna's neutered bitch.

Logan looked at his watch, "Five minutes, close enough. Get in the car!"

Connor stood up triumphantly, tossing me to the ground in the process. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the car keys, practically holding them above his head in victory. What he said next was probably the equivalent of every great screech of victory, or battle cry. "Remember the Alamo!" "This is Sparta!" "They will never forget what we do here today!"

Connor's eyes gleamed as he said, "I'm driving."

Logan snatched the keys from his hand, "Not today, boy."

Connor's shoulders slumped as Daken stood shakily to his feet, before falling flat on his face. I sighed, looking at Connor. "You get Donna, I'll get Daken."

Connor started to gently help Donna up from her chair, before lifting her painstakingly carefully into a bridal style carry. "I've got you Donna."

"You better not drop me like you did your girlfriend." Donna hissed.

"I'll be careful… I'm more afraid of you anyway." Connor said, chuckling.

I grabbed Daken by the collar of his trench coat, jerking him up into a slightly slumped standing position. I managed to drag him out the door, down the hall, and then promptly threw him down the steps.

He growled as he hit the bottom, nursing worn out lungs, a few broken ribs, and a lot of brand new bruises.

I laughed at him, jogging down the stairs and hauling him to his feet as he cursed at me. "Come on, let's get to the car."

"I really hate you right now." Daken complained as I yanked open the backseat car door.

"You've always hated me." I said dryly.

Logan started the engine as Connor slid Donna into the passenger seat. She groaned slightly, and Daken leaned forward, to wrap his arms around her shoulders and nestle his head into the crook of her neck. "It'll all be over soon Donna. I promise."

We rode to the hospital mostly in silence, with the occasional scream or groan from Donna. Once we got to the hospital it was nearly complete chaos. People were rushing everywhere, screaming, crying, and the overwhelming smell of ammonia. It nearly made me choke.

One of the nurses took one look at Donna, and screamed to one of the other nurses about the maternity ward. Donna was given a wheelchair, and they started running her down the hall. Me, Connor, Daken, and Logan were all running after her, dodging nurses, janitors, and dying people. From the smell of most of them, they weren't gonna live much longer.

Eventually, we reached our destination. It was a small room at the end of the hallway, no windows, the bed looked like it hadn't been given a thorough scrub down in months.

Daken turned to glare at the only nurse who had stayed to help Donna into the bed. "This is where you expect my child to be born!?"

"Sir, this is the only room available at the moment. So shut your mouth, or you can wheel her into the parking lot to have your child." She sassed.

Daken looked like he was ready to tear her head off, but was interrupted when Donna's hand wrapped around his throat, "STOP ARGUING WITH PEOPLE!"

"Ok." He managed to choke out.

The nurse walked around, setting up a few monitors, and sticking an IV into Donna's arm. "I'd ask you to put on a hospital gown, but it doesn't seem necessary." She said, pulling up the end of Donna's bathrobe to look at whatever was going on down there. I didn't look, because I didn't want to give my brain an excuse to give me more nightmares.

Donna screamed again, this time instead of going for Daken's throat, she grabbed the one that was closer to her. Mine.

She wrapped her hands around my throat, her thumbs immediately crushing my windpipe. Blood dribbled out of my mouth as I tried to pull away from her, but she just yanked me closer to the bed. "I WANT MY EPIDERAL!"

Connor turned to the nurse, "Lady, please, please give her the pain meds before she kills my girlfriend!"

The nurse nodded, hooking up the IV. My vision was starting to go black as an intense throb started in my head. I barely registered the nurse placing a needle into Donna's arm, but about five seconds later, Donna's grip loosened enough for my windpipe to heal so I could suck in a much needed breath. I scrambled away from Donna, shoving Daken out of my way as I flattened myself against the opposite wall.

"I'll go get the doctor, make sure he's aware of how far along you are." The nurse said, rushing out of the room.

I looked back at Donna, to see her staring at her hand. She moved it back and forth slowly, her eyes moving along with it.

I tilted my head to the side as I watched her, "What the hell?"

Daken snorted, "Babe, you're high as a kite, aren't you?"

"The ceiling is made of dreams!" Donna whispered excitedly.

Daken poked his head out the door, "Uh, nurse? Could I get one of those?"

"Are you in labor?"

"No."

"Then shut the hell up."

I snickered, "Damn, everyone's busting your balls to day."

Daken glared at me, "Watch your mouth cub."

I glared right back at him, "Don't call me that."

"What's wrong cub?" He smirked, "Don't like it?"

Something about what he said, it wasn't his voice I remembered, but every word struck against something in my head. A pain I had become too familiar with ripped through my mind, and I felt another memory burst free.

I was ten.

My birthday was today, and I knew my dad would be coming sometime to drop off my next present. I couldn't wait to talk to him in Russian, after reading that book of Russian children's stories I had picked up the language very easily. It helped that it was a very simple language.

Mom was inside, getting lunch ready and I was waging an epic war with our donkey, trying to get him to stop knocking over his bucket of feed.

"Goddamn it, do you not want food, you pathetic creature?" I snarled. I had stopped speaking Japanese a long time ago. My Mother and Grandmother both spoke perfect English, and I didn't like the idea of anyone in town understanding what I said since I hated them all.

Wait, I stopped speaking Japanese? Remembering that made a deep regret wash over me. I like speaking Japanese now, because it helps remind me of my heritage. Why did I shrug it off so easily?

This wasn't the first time I felt disgusted with myself when I discovered a lost memory, but it was definitely the most I had ever been disgusted with myself.

If I ever stumble across time travel, I definitely want to go back in time to kick the ass of my younger self.

"So, this is the wayward cub?"

I whirled around, expecting to see my father, but instead, there was a towering, giant of a man standing there. His hair was black and white, tied up in a knot. His scent was animalistic, somewhat like my fathers, but with my father I could smell a human underneath. With him, there was only an animal.

"Uh, who- who are you?" I asked, taking an involuntary step back. I could smell danger all over this guy, there was no reason he should be here with me, be within ten miles of my house.

"You father never told you of me?" He asked, stepping closer to me, his expression one of curiosity. Before I could say anything, he reached out, grabbing me under my arms and lifting me into the air so we were eye to eye. There was a stare down for a few minutes, and I was to terrified to look away.

Eventually, he broke the staring contest by pulling my body against his massive chest. I felt his nose touch the top of my head, and heard him take a deep breath in, smelling me. I probably smelled kind of gross, considering I had been working out in a hot barn all day.

He pulled away, smirking, "I see much of your father in you."

I cleared my throat, not wanting my voice to break when I spoke to him. "Um, thank you."

He wrapped one of his huge hands around both of my ankles, letting go of me with his other. He was so tall (or maybe because I was to short) I didn't hit the floor, I just dangled from his grip as he walked towards my house. "Hey!"

"Silence." He didn't yell, didn't threaten, and didn't even seem angry. But something underneath his tone, the way he just expected me to obey made me fear what would happen if I didn't. So I did.

He carried me towards my house, tossing open the door with ease to reveal the kitchen. My mother looked up from the oven and screamed.

He smirked at her, "Kenta Fukui. It's been a long time. Nearly ten years now, since you ran off with this little backup plan."

My mother was shaking with fear, but that didn't show in her voice. "Lord Romulus, do not call my daughter a backup plan."

Lord Romulus let out a big snort, "I can see why Daken didn't wanna kill you. Feisty. I like that."

He threw me into the wall, and I screamed when I heard several things inside me snap. Romulus busted out laughing as my mother ran from the room. He thought she was trying to run away. But I knew what she was really after.

Romulus crouched down next to my broken body, smirking. "I feel pretty damn sorry for you, little bastard. Seeing your mother running away like that, neither one of your parents care much about you, do they?"

"Get away from her!"

My mother threw herself at Romulus with a fierceness I had never seen in her eyes. Her sword moved like lightning as she sliced through the major vein in each of his arms, then the femoral artery in his left thigh. I had never seem my mother attack anything before. She had

She had taught me to target veins as well, but Romulus didn't see very fazed by her attacks. With horror in my eyes I watched as his bleeding stopped and his lacerations healed. He was just like father.

Romulus growled, and the next time my mother charged at him, he grabbed the sword from her, and shoved in threw her stomach.

"MOMMY!" I screeched, rushing past Romulus, my pain fading away as my healing factor kicked in. I kneeled next to her as she fell to the floor, her hands grasping at the handle of her sword, as if she was contemplating trying to pull it out, or just leave it in.

"M-Mio…"

"I'm right here mommy." I whispered, tears streaming down my face.

She smiled up at me, and brushed my tears away. "Mio, remember what I taught you, hold your head high."

Before I could say anything else, Romulus grabbed me by the back of my shirt, and lifted me off the ground simply to dangle me in the air.

"Adorable." He smirked as I struggled. "Relax little one, you're father is here."

True to his words, my father burst in the door. I had never seen such hatred and anger on his face before. My father had always been calm and collected around me. But now his words sounded more like dogs barking, and his claws were fully extended.

"ROMULUS! PUT HER DOWN!"

Romulus shook me a little by the back of my shirt, "What's wrong Daken? I told you what happens when you form bonds, they make you weak."

"GIVE ME BACK MY DAUGHTER!" I could practically see him foaming at the mouth. His was livid, and it even scared me, even though it wasn't me he was angry at.

"Why? She's useless. Never even lifted a hand to save her mother." At that, the tears started flowing again. I looked back at my mother's body, but there was no more life in her eyes. She was gone.

"Your daughter? I don't think you ever understood the plan Daken, from the beginning, she was always meant to die. I own her, I always have and I always will."

Daken's anger seemed to dissolve as Romulus lifted his other hand to my throat, the claws scratching at my throat. "I let you keep her for this long, because I found it humorous. The joke is over now."

Daken dropped to his knees, his claws going back into his hands, "Wait, please! Romulus, just listen to me."

Romulus raised an eyebrow, "Begging Daken?"

"She's not weak, she can fight, and she's a feral. She could be useful later on." Daken explained.

Romulus lowered his claws, and I felt myself let go of a breath I didn't realize I had been holding. "Go on."

Daken looked at me, then back to Romulus. "Look, I know, she's young, but the younger the better. She's got a lifetime to learn more, and she learns fast. I promise, she could be great one day. A great tool for you to use."

"She's already ruined." Romulus argued. "She's known love and morals. She won't forget that. The moment she had a chance to run she would. Regardless of how much she loves you, Wolverine would only need five minutes to talk to her, she would go to his side."

Daken took a deep breath, "Then… then let's ruin her mind. You have a telepath working for you, he could swap out her memories. Give her an entirely different life, so she wouldn't know anything but pain, and loss."

"And then?" Romulus asked.

Daken didn't miss a beat. "Then we drop her off at Hydra. We both know what they'll do to her. She wouldn't be able to erase that kind of damage, even if she should ever remember what happened. She'll be perfect after a few years in there. You could pretend to break in, rescue her, and then she's putty in your hands."

Romulus dropped me to the floor and I didn't even register the pain of hitting the ground. I just crawled over to my mother's body, curling up next to it in a tiny ball. "Very well, she better turn out strong."

Romulus walked out of the house, and I felt Daken stand up, "She will, I promise."

"If she doesn't, I'll kill her myself." Romulus said as he walked away.

After a few minutes, when Romulus' footsteps faded away, I heard Daken walk over, and felt him put a hand on my shoulder, gently pulling me away from Mom's dead body. "Mio-"

"W-why weren't you here?" I sobbed.

He scooped me up, carrying me out of the room as I cried into his shoulder.

"Why weren't you here to stop him!?" I screamed.

I snapped back into reality, to hear myself and Donna screaming at the same time. Connor was holding me upright in his arms, Donna was breaking Daken's hand inside her fist. My eyes searched wildly around the room, and the second I located the trashcan, I was bent over it, puking my guts out.

Connor stood behind me, rubbing little circles into my back, "Mio, are you sick?"

"No… I just puke whenever…" No, don't do this now, Donna is having a baby, you aren't bringing your drama into this.

The doctor walked into the room, nestling himself in-between Donna's legs as he took a look, "Well, this one's ready to fly out, huh?"

He looked up at Logan, seeing as he was the only one in the room who wasn't having a nervous breakdown. "How many months along is she again? Nine?"

Logan put a comforting hand on Donna's shoulder, "Seven."

His eyes bulged, "Only seven months!?"

"Why are you freaking out man?" Connor asked, "Didn't you read the book?"

The doctor looked back up at him, "What?"

"The book said that if either one of the parents had a child previously who was premature, there's a greater chance it'll happen to the next one." Connor explained. "Mio was three months premature, and Daken was never carried to full term. It might just be something that runs in the family."

I smirked as I wiped my mouth off on my sleeve, "That's right people, my man is smart."

Logan raised an eyebrow "You were three months premature?"

"Yeah." I mumbled, "I was. That scared the hell out of my mom."

The doctor shrugged, "It may run in the family, but there's still risk of it not surviving."

"Don't worry, it'll live." Daken said to Donna. He turned to the doctor, glaring at him, "That kid inside her it already tougher than you. It's got my blood in it, and the blood of the strongest woman I've ever met. I suggest you put some gloves on, and get it out of her. Now."

The doctor nodded, a bit scared, and went to work with Donna.

"Connor, let's get out of here." I mumbled, pain still pulsating from my brain. "We'll be in waiting room, Donna."

"Wait, Mio don't leave." Donna said, pleading with her eyes. "You promised you'd be here, you said you wouldn't leave me."

I swallowed the lump in my throat, realizing that to Donna, I was breaking my promise. But I couldn't stay in here with Daken, not knowing the truth for the first time of what had really happened to my mother. "It'll be okay Donna, Daken is right here with you."