Jean had offered Teva a sedative along with the painkillers. She'd turned it down, not wanting to give up that much of her lucidity. Xavier came down to check on her and their newest residents.

The three girls had apparently decided that Teva was their savior, if the way they gathered around her was any indication. They'd been wary of anyone else until she'd told them it was okay.

The eldest was Rosie, an eleven-year-old telepath with telekinesis who had manifested recently. She'd been kidnapped off the street on her way home from school. She was unsure how her abductors had even know she was a mutant and they'd never revealed the reason. They'd effectively tortured her to find out she had younger twin sisters. The man hurting her had been very excited to find this out and began talking about testing them, too, seeing just how much of the X gene was hereditary. One day she'd woken up to find her sisters there and she hated herself for giving up that information.

The man had forced them to manifest, Rosie wasn't sure how. Sara and Cara were six years old and telepaths, too, and they spoke very little, choosing to communicate almost exclusively through telepathy or mere gestures. They seemed to have regressed because of what had been done to them to trigger their mutations.

Teva found herself in tears once she'd been released. The girls had been sedated so that they could rest more easily, though they fought it until Teva promised she'd come see them later. The thought of what had been done to them made her angry, rage boiling up inside and she knew for once how Logan felt, at least partially.

She'd promised him, too, that she'd come see him after, but she needed a shower first. Her clothing ended up in the trashcan, either ripped or blood soaked and beyond saving. She let the hot water run over her and had some difficulty in getting her hair washed, her right arm all but useless and her body reacting oddly with the painkiller in her system.

Finally she dressed again in yoga pants and a tank top, her hair back in a braid to keep it out of her face while it dried completely. Her heart started doing a jig when she stood outside Logan's door, her hand on the doorknob as she tried to get her breathing back under control. His words from the jet about falling for her were echoing in her head, along with everything else he'd said what seemed so long ago now.

Stop being a numpty , she told herself. Still, her hand shook as she opened the door. She found Logan sitting on his bed looking down at his hands, the fingers of one rubbing against the places where the claws came out. He was wearing faded jeans with more than a few holes in them and his hair looked darker, wet from a shower.

"Hey," she said from the doorway, waiting for him to look up.

His eyes met hers and she felt her breath catch as a smile slid into his eyes before it curled the corner of his mouth. "Hey," he said back, his hands dropping to his sides. "How are the girls?"

Teva closed the door and crossed the room on bare feet, sitting down on the edge of the bed next to him. "Jean sedated them, they're ... God, Logan, the things they did to those little girls ..." She folded in against him when he put his arm around her.

"I never get over seein' kids in places like that. Doesn't happen often but even once is too much." He touched the row of earrings marching up her right ear. "You were scared back there, but ya were so damn brave for 'em."

"Someone had to be," she replied. "They'll be happy here."

"Are you happy here?"

The question took her by surprise. She pulled away a little but took his hand so she could keep touching him. "I was'nae, at first," she finally said. "I was'nae sure I'd fit in, that this place would be the safe haven I needed to leave my past behind. I did'nae think I'd be here more than a few weeks, maybe long enough to deal with my powers. I did'nae think I'd end up feeling like I belong here." She touched his face, her palm tickled by his muttonchops rough against her skin. "I'm happy here. I'm happy with you."

"Ya got no idea how much it means to hear ya say that, darlin'."

"I do, a little. Ye fought against me, against what I thought ye felt for me. I did'nae understand that."

"I'd convinced myself I didn't need anyone, didn't need to get involved." He looked down, away. "Last time I let my heart tell me what it wanted, it ended real badly. Don't want that to happen again."

Teva could feel the pain from him, the heartache, but she could also feel what he hadn't allowed himself to feel in a very long time. "Ye did'nae want to fall in love with me." He shook his head. "I did'nae expect to fall in love with you, either."

Logan breathed out and she could sense the relief in him. His hand came up to cup her face, his thumb stroking along her cheekbone before he leaned in towards her. She shuddered as their lips met and their mouths fused together, gentle at first before need hit them both and their minds came that much closer to merging.

Teva heard his groan of surrender. They both knew this was it, that there was a choice to be made to complete this or let it break. Their eyes met, darkest brown and golden, and everything that she felt for him was reflected back.

"I need ya," he whispered, his voice rough as he clutched the back of her shirt. "The more I need ya the more I want ya." He kissed across her jaw until his mouth was next to her ear, his warm breath making her break out in gooseflesh. "An' the more I want ya, the more I have to keep touchin' ya."

"Then touch me, dammit," she said, eliciting a rough, deep laugh from him. "I think I might die if ye dinnae."

His hand splayed out between her shoulder blades, supporting her as his mouth worked lower until he had her laid out on the bed. He nibbled along her stomach, lifting her shirt a bit at a time, teasing her. When his tongue brushed the underside of her breasts she moaned softly, reveling in the feeling of his hot breath on her skin. She wriggled to get her top off and wasn't entirely prepared for the look that came into his eyes when her breasts were bared to him.

Teva pulled him towards her, needing to kiss him, to taste him. His body was heavy over hers, pushing her into the mattress almost to the point of making it hard to breathe but she didn't care. Her hands roamed his back, felt the play of his muscles beneath his skin that showed just how strong he was.

He left her mouth again, skimming across her jaw and then down her neck where he nipped at her skin, the pulse there that beat fast. "Ah, god," she breathed out when he set his teeth in her left shoulder, a soft sound of pain escaping her. "Please," she begged, not quite sure if she was asking him to stop or keep going.

"What do ya want?" he asked, a growl against her skin. His tongue darted out to soothe where he'd bitten. "Tell me, baby."

"Mark me," she whispered. "Please, Logan. I dinnae care if ye draw blood, I want-"

Logan bit down again and she cried out as she felt him break the skin, pain flaring but he let go almost immediately to lick at the wound. He growled low in his chest, a happy, satisfied sound. He kissed her again and she could taste her own blood in his mouth, feel the pleasure it gave him, before he moved down to her breasts. His tongue flicked out over one pinkish-brown tip, dragging a whimper from her as he took it in his mouth and suckled.

Her hands sank into his damp hair, her fingers curling in it against the pleasure floating through her. He used one hand to cup her other breast, his thumb rubbing alongside the nipple, and then it slid down her stomach under her pants to touch the center of her.

"Yer so wet, baby," he said, his eyes rolling to look up at her. "For me."

"No shit," she said, a little exasperated. She was struggling to hold on to their mind link, to keep it from snapping into place fully, still a little afraid of it.

He pinched one of her lips and chuckled when she gasped and her fingers tightened in his hair. "No need to get smart." He got his arms around her and rolled them both, feeding from her mouth again like he'd crawl inside and stay there. Even in that she could feel the power of him, the strength of his body.

Her legs straddled his hips which brought her right down on his erection, and she couldn't stop herself from rubbing against him, dragging a groan from him. His hands slid to cup her ass and keep her in place, craving the friction and the heat they both wanted.

Teva broke the kiss, breathing hard. When one of his rough hands reached up to tweak a nipple her body jerked, sensation washing down between her legs and making her throb. It was almost too much for her to handle.

"I need ye," she said, nipping at his lower lip and sucking on it. "I think I'm going to burn up if I dinnae have ye inside me soon."

His response was a growl as he crushed her to him, bruising her lips and making her moan against him. She could feel his fingers digging into her hips, his own rising off the bed now in response to her movement.

She pushed away from him, rolling off the bed long enough to get her pants off and then find herself pushed up against the wall with nothing between their bodies. He was rough, demanding, his head bent to capture her breast in his mouth as his hands slid low again to touch her core.

He threw back his head when she cupped him in her hand, the growl coming from his chest not entirely human. It sent need licking up her spine and emboldened her to stroke him, anticipating having that hot thickness pressed deep inside of her.

Teva had but a second to get her arms around his shoulders as he hauled her up, her legs around his waist and the length of him pressed between them. "Logan, please," she begged. He pumped his hips against her but didn't enter her. "Goddammit, I cannae hold on much longer."

"Hold on to what?" he asked, his voice gone growling deep, almost unintelligible.

She panted, eyes shut tight. "The link, I cannae ... it is'nae complete and I dinnae know if I can keep it like this."

"Don't." He kissed her, strangely gentle. "Look at me, baby. Let it go, let it fall. I wanna be inside ya all the way."

Her eyes had opened and she stared at him for a long moment, saw in his eyes the truth of his words. She gave a small, frantic nod of understanding, her breath coming out in one long exhale. She felt him lift her hips a fraction and then he was sliding inside of her, stretching her almost to the point of pain, and she lost her grip, and it really did feel like she was falling.

The link snapped into place, whole now as their bodies were. "Mine," he growled, his lips against her throat.

Her mouth opened in a cry that he captured with a kiss, his body pinning hers to the wall. She wanted to sob against the pleasure, the incredible rightness of being merged body and mind. She felt the same from him, both the animal and the man inside of him in perfect agreement for once.

Logan raised his head to look at her, lock eyes with her as he withdrew and then thrust back inside, wanting to see her reactions as he set the rhythm, the pace. He was relentless, his hips pushing him farther and farther into her until he was bumping the end of her.

Teva was so far gone that her pain and pleasure centers were confused, she didn't even hurt anymore. Her short, blunt fingernails dug in hard enough to draw blood from his shoulders as she fought to thrust back, fought to get closer, one hand clenched in his hair as she held him to her, kissing him deep. She was no longer able to hold herself up, trusting him to keep her there.

His pubic bone hit her just the right way with each thrust and she twisted her hips each time they met to get the friction she needed. She whimpered every time, feeling the orgasm building inside of her, threatening to consume her as the pleasure from both of them cycled back and forth over the link until she wasn't sure where it came from, she just knew she felt like she was going to burn up. She could feel his own impending end in the way his thrusts became uneven, the way his breathing grew ragged against her ear.

She went up and over the edge, her head thudding back against the wall as she cried out, his name on her lips as she fragmented. Logan growled, his head against her shoulder as he came, his hands tightening on her hips for a moment as he emptied himself within her.

They slid down the wall together, sweat-slicked legs and arms tangling, hearts pounding. Several minutes passed before either one stirred.

"Jesus Christ," Teva finally said, her head resting against his shoulder as her body twitched periodically. "I think I may have died there for a minute." She smacked his arm when he chuckled at her, completely arrogant. "Shut your mouth, Logan."

"Let's get ya into bed, darlin'." He lifted her easily, kept her from collapsing when her knees tried to buckle. "C'mon, sweetheart, easy does it." He laid her down, crawling over her before he pulled the covers up over the both of them. "Ya doin' okay? How's yer arm?"

"Hurts a bit," she said, burrowing in against his side. "Shit, I have painkillers but they're in my room." She protested when he tried to disengage.

He leaned down and kissed her forehead. "Yer comin' down off the endorphins an' I can feel how much pain yer in. Stay here an' I'll go get yer pills."

"They're on the dresser," she called after him, eyes still closed. She didn't want to move, caught somewhere between bliss and hell now that what Jean had given her earlier was wearing off. Her arm throbbed painfully, as did her shoulder and she touched the latter, her fingers coming away with blood. Seeing that almost made it hurt worse.

Logan came back in, still naked. He tossed the pills at her as he ducked into the bathroom, coming back out with a glass of water and a wet washcloth. "Sit up an' lemme see yer shoulder." He helped her, using her left arm to get her up.

She whimpered a little but made it, fumbling with the pill bottle before she got it open and shook out two pills, downing them with the water.

"Ya okay?" he asked as he dabbed at the bite marks on her shoulder. "I didn't hurt ya too bad, did I?"

"Asked ye to," she said, leaning against him. "Did'nae mind. I liked it."

He laughed softly. "I noticed, but now it hurts like a bitch. I've been bitten before, it's not pleasant."

"Ye just have'nae been bitten by the right people," she said. "And ye cannae complain as ye have that nifty healing factor to patch ye right up again."

"Yeah, I do, but that doesn't mean shit don't hurt. It heals me, it doesn't make the pain disappear." He tipped her chin up so he could look at her. "I don't remember what it's like to feel drugged, though, an' yer headed down that rabbit hole nice an' fast."

Teva nodded. "Nice hole but no bunnies. I think the snake ate them all."

Logan snorted. "Yer high, baby. Lay down again, I'm done with yer shoulder." He eased her back down, discarded the cloth in the hamper, then climbed back into bed with her. "C'mere."

She snuggled into him again, lying on her left side with his arm curved around her back. "A wee bit high." She giggled. "Okay, a lot high. Does'nae do much for the pain besides make me not care so much."

"I think that's kinda the point. Ya gonna hush sometime soon?"

"Busy snuggling. You're like a big hairy teddy bear." She giggled again, rubbing her cheek on his chest like a cat. "My big hairy teddy bear."

"No way in hell you'd say that if ya were sober."

Teva lifted her head and looked at him, one eyebrow raised. "The hell I would'nae."

He scrubbed a hand over his face and stared at her in exasperation. "Could ya turn off the link, babe? Yer startin' to make me feel loopy, too."

"Hmmm? Oh, sorry, I've no done this sort of thing before." It took a moment's concentration as she shut the door, so to speak, and while she could still feel him it was more like a lingering scent than having him right there with her. "Better?"

"Much."

"Are ye okay with this?" she asked. "With the link, I mean, with me being in your head."

Logan was silent a long moment and she tried very hard not to pry. His hand stroked along her shoulder, careful to avoid the wound on her arm. "I'm okay with it, Teva. It's a little weird but I'll get used to it."

"I was just ... mmmm, I'm no sure how to say it." She lay her hand flat on his chest, over his heart, the springy hairs there tickling her palm. "I ken people sometimes say things they dinnae mean in the heat of the moment."

She felt him take a breath in. "An' ya think that's what happened, when I told ya to merge the link."

Teva nodded, finding it difficult to keeping her eyes open. The painkillers were definitely doing their job.

"I meant it, Teva. All of it, even the things I didn't say."

"Ah." She let her eyes close. "I can feel it." It was warm and cozy, that feeling, like a favorite blanket in front of the fire after coming in out of the cold.

She could feel him drowsing, too, happy and sated, glad she was safe and in his arms.

"Tha gaol agam ort," she said quietly.

He was quiet for long enough she figured he hadn't understood her, but then he said, "Love ya, too, Tev."