Changes Sequel – I. Darkness Part 7
For the first time in days it was a dreamless night. Finally able to give her body the deserved rest, Jean turned around in bed; releasing a deep satisfied sigh when some sunbeams made their way through the red curtains and touched her face gently. Grimacing after a while, she pulled the pillow closer and reached out to the other side of the bed…touching emptiness…
Immediately, Jean sat up and stared at the empty space next to her. In an instant she was out of bed and ran towards the door. Barely able to keep up with her racing heart, she panted in fear when her hand grabbed the doorknob panicky. She didn't know what to believe… Her mind was convinced she'd fallen asleep and had dreamed everything. Her heart on the contrary refused to believe it. She had seen him walking out of the jet the evening before, had fallen asleep next to him and touched his skin… It couldn't have been a dream only. Not again, it just couldn't…
Opening the door in a rush and running around the corner quickly, she suddenly bumped into something, felt the air leaving her lungs all at once and fell backwards. Shrieking, she closed her eyes tightly and already prepared herself for hitting the floor, when her fall suddenly stopped. Jean opened her eyes slowly and realized that she was standing on her own two feet again. Switching her gaze towards her opposite who only shook his head briefly in confusion, she began to breathe hard and embraced him tightly, while Logan coked an eyebrow at her. Letting the hand sink in which he held a towel that he'd used to dry his wet hair, he listened to her relieved sounding sobs for a while. Locking around rather helpless, he shoved her over to the bed and made her sit down. Holding her shaking form until she finally calmed down enough to look up, he heard her taking a deep breath. Jean wiped away her tears, sniffing slightly and met his still more than confused looking eyes.
"God, please don't do this again," she begged him despaired and took his free hand into hers.
Again he shook his head in confusion and laid the towel away. "I only took a shower, darlin'."
"Logan, you scared me to death, really!" Sending new tears down her already wet cheeks, Jean ran a hand through her face. "I thought that it was only a dream again…"
Wiping away her tears and pulling a strand out of her still exhausted looking face, Logan tilted his head a bit. "I'm here…it ain't a dream, Red."
Shaking her head all of a sudden, Jean wrapped her arms around his neck tightly and straddled him. She buried her face on his neck, heaving a deep breath and closed her eyes. Feeling his hands on her back, she inhaled his scent deeply. Even if she heard his steady breathing, felt the warmth of him on her skin and was able to see, hear and feel him, she still refused to believe it was real. Too deep and painful had her shock been as that she could just accept it and return to normal life as if nothing had happened. Leaning back, while she still held onto him, Jean fixed her emerald green eyes on his hazel ones. Cupping his face, she began to caress his cheeks lovingly before she gave him a tender kiss. "What happened to you?" she asked him calmly and watched how he waved off.
Breaking eye contact, Logan stared at the wooden wardrobe next to the door. "I don't know…"
Frowning but also clearly worried, she touched his cheek gently so that he had to turn his head again. "What's the last thing you remember?"
Shrugging, Logan sighed. "Getting on that plane is pretty much the last I can come up with…"
Jean nodded in understanding and ran a hand through his still damp hair, watching how it stuck up a bit. "Well, the main thing is that you're back…," she said barely audible and a single tear ran down her cheek. Shaking her head, she looked around the room to stop more tears from falling. Still, she couldn't hold back a sob. "It was so terrible without you, Logan," Jean sobbed aloud and clung to him again. "Knowing that I would never see you again… It was so horrible…"
Pulling her close, he let her cry on his shoulder for some time. "I'm sorry…," Logan said calmly when he could only hear single sobs from her anymore.
Looking up all of a sudden, Jean ran a hand through her hair with a shocked expression on her face. The whole time through she hadn't even thought about the possibly hardest situation, which was still ahead of them. "Gosh, how are we going to explain this to the kids?" She buried her face in her hand while she sighed deeply. Right now it felt like as if a whole world was crashing down on her at once. There were so many things going on in her mind at the same time that she didn't know where to start. Thinking about telling her children that their father was alive after they had to believe that he was dead for over a week…she was just about to give them the next big shock in their young lives… What if they couldn't cope with it? What if this new situation would cause their powers to evolve even further? She didn't even dare to imagine…
"You tell them," Jean heard him saying and looked up at him frightened. "I can't just walk into their room, can I?"
"But Jack won't listen to me… And then…" Closing her eyes once more, Jean heaved a deep breath to calm her nerves somehow. "God, Logan… There are so many things we have to discuss. So much has happened…"
"Can I get dressed first?" he asked her bluntly and watched her frown.
Noticing that he had only wrapped a white towel around his hip, she got off his lap slowly. "Sure. Sorry!" Watching how he walked over to the drawer first and then to the wardrobe before the towel fell to the ground afterwards, Jean got up and walked towards the door. "I'll shower and then we can go downstairs for breakfast," she suggested when he put a jeans on. "The kids will still be asleep for at least two hours. So we can think about how to tell them…"
"Okay," Logan grunted and put a white t-shirt on, followed by a blue jeans shirt. Hearing how the door was closed by her, he gave it a piercing look.
Watching the cakes in the pan, Ororo leant against the counter deeply lost in thoughts. The whole time through, since Kurt had told her about what they've found, she had to think about his words. Of course she had seen the videos and pictures which had been sent over from Mexico to the computer room. She couldn't even tell how often she had visited Mystique there. Had hoped as much as the other woman that they would find at least one of them alive… Had looked with her through the data until it was time to take care of the kids again. And now here she was, standing in the kitchen and making breakfast, knowing that finally one more stool would be occupied again. Still, she couldn't believe it…
"Hey, 'Ro!"
Startling a bit due to the unexpected interruption, she laid a hand on her chest to calm her racing heart again. "Hy Bobby," she greeted back and watched him taking his seat. "Is Isa still sleeping?"
"Rogue has taken her with her yesterday," he replied sounding not so pleased with it.
"Oh…" Nodding, Ororo put the finished pancakes onto the pile next to her and gave new dough into the pan. In the meanwhile, Bobby had watched her first before he'd switched his eyes to the table.
"Do we have a guest? There is one plate too much here…," he asked carefully.
Turning her head in surprise, she met his blue eyes with her own. "So you don't know?"
"Know what?!" he asked her back in confusion and crossed his arms in front of his chest.
"They've found Logan. He's alive."
Keeping himself from falling of the stool, Bobby quickly grabbed the edge of the table. "They've what?" he asked aloud with a shocked look on his face. "They really found him?"
"Yeah," Ororo smiled at him slightly and turned the cakes.
"But… This is great, I mean," the young man stuttered and jumped off his chair. "Does Jubes know already? Or Rogue? Gosh, they will be over the moon when they hear the news!"
"No, they don't so far. Scott and the others arrived back here pretty late," she explained and put some plates with pancakes on the table. "I pretty much had 35 minutes myself to realize it."
"Be right back!" she heard him only saying before her eyes could even take notice that he had stormed out of the kitchen.
"Whoa, boy, watch it!"
Not needing to turn around to see who had nearly bumped into the excited man, Ororo smiled at the door. "Morning Hank!"
"Morning," the man replied and shook his head while pointing to the door. "What was that? Did you mix laxatives into the breakfast?"
Laughing, Ororo hugged him briefly. "No. I just told him about Logan and he's probably on his way to tell Jubes and Marie about it."
"Oh, I see," he nodded and sat down. "No ones up, yet?"
Pouring him some coffee before she sat down next to him, she shook her head. "No. Kurt and TJ were still fast asleep and I thought he could need it." He nodded and swallowed some of the hot liquid.
"Morning!" a voice suddenly said rather sleepily. Walking into the kitchen while he ran a hand through his unusually messy hair, Scott took a big cup and poured himself some coffee. Swallowing it nearly all at once, while Hank and Ororo exchanged confused looks, he heaved a deep sigh.
"What has gotten into you?" Hank asked him with a slight smirk. "Have you been chased and hit by a truck at night?"
"No," Scott grunted in reply and sat down. "Couldn't sleep for one second…"
"How come?" Ororo asked him and poured him new coffee.
"Don't ask me. There were so many things going on in my head that I couldn't find sleep."
"For example?" the blue mutant asked him even if he already knew what one of the things was.
"What do you think?" Scott gave back and put the cup down.
"You can't expect that Logan behaves normally after what has happened to them," Ororo told him bluntly and gave him an angry look. "Give him time!"
Suddenly seeing how Hank turned his head, Ororo and Scott followed his gaze towards the door. Seeing how Jean stood in the doorway, dressed into blue jeans and a black shirt, their eyes switched to the tall dark haired man next to her, who looked at them rather expressionless. "Morning," the red head said calmly and pulled her husband with her on her way to their stools. Sitting down next to each other while the others still watched them, she handed him a cup, while placing another in front of her and poured in both some coffee.
"How are you doing?" Hank asked Logan who only gave him a short look in response.
"Good."
Turning towards the blue mutant and the weather goddess, Scott's look spoke volumes. Only rolling her eyes in annoyance, Ororo sat down and told the others to start eating already, since it would probably tale some time before the others would show up.
Eating in silence, while Scott looked at the married couple from time to time, Logan suddenly got up and walked towards the door. Watching him in confusion and noticing that the others were looking at her, Jean began to frown worriedly. "You haven't eaten anything…"
"Ain't hungry," was all he said before he disappeared through the door.
Still staring at it, the red head didn't know what to think. Of course she hadn't expected that the whole accident wouldn't have an impact on him, but it never happened, no matter how bad he felt, that he didn't eat. "Jean." Hank said in a complete serious voice and she turned around to look at him. "He should do sessions with Charles. Honestly! I mean, he can take a lot but this clearly bothers him…"
"Told you he's weird," Scott only said and sipped on his coffee. "And Charles wants to talk to him anyway. We need him to tell us what happened."
"Damn it, give him time," Ororo hissed and glared at him angrily. "Just because you didn't sleep well you have no right to put pressure on him!"
Putting the cup down, Jean got up, too, and left the kitchen without saying anything. Turning to the right, she walked down the corridor until she reached the door that led to her rooms. Quickly, she climbed up the stairs and entered her small apartment. It didn't tale her long to figure out where he was, so she directly moved over to the bedroom and closed the door behind her. "Are you alright?" Jean asked Logan calmly, who was standing at the window and looked out. Since he didn't react, she slowly came closer and touched his shoulder carefully. "Stop pushing yourself…"
"I ain't pushing myself," he grunted as a reply as suddenly a door was closed.
Turning her head quickly, Jean's heart began to hammer in her chest. "The kids are awake," she gasped frightened and heard how Lily was calling her. Meeting his eyes briefly, she began to walk to the door. "Wait here," she said scared to death, her voice being barely more than a whisper. Entering the living room, Jean found Lily and Rachel on the sofa. Both girls immediately looked up when her mother appeared who nervously pulled a strand out of her face and tried to give them a smile.
"Who were you talking to?" Lily asked her curiously and pulled her legs close. Few strands of her dark shoulder length hair fell into her face.
"Ehm…is Jack already awake, too?" Jean asked her instead and felt an incredible heat rising within her, while she felt cold at the same time. She was more than scared, so close to freak out that she even wondered how her circulation could keep up with it…
"Yeah, I think so," her oldest daughter replied. "I'll get him!" Seeing how she jumped off the sofa and ran towards her room door, the grown up felt even more sick. Sitting down next to Rachel, who immediately cuddled up to her on her lap, she pulled her daughter close and gave her a kiss on the forehead.
"Is something wrong?" the girl asked her and looked at her mother closely with her green eyes.
"You'll see, honey!" Jean replied as calm as possible and watched how Lily returned with Jack, who glared at his mother instantly. "Could you sit down here, please? I have to tell you something."
"What's wrong, mommy?" Lily asked her worriedly and sat down next to her, while her brother stood next to the table and watched them.
Realizing that he wouldn't join them, Jean took a very deep breath; noticing the looks her daughters gave her she began to shake slightly in fear. By now her heart was hammering so fast that she felt a nausea coming up. "Look," she began and kneaded her hands nervously; her eyes looked down to the ground. "I've told you that Uncle Scott, Hank and Kurt had left to find daddy and the others, right?"
"Got they hurt, too?" Rachel asked her immediately and Jean saw the fear in her eyes.
"No, no they are fine," the red head soothed her and stroked over her head gently. "They came back very late at night…and they've found your father…" Pausing, she looked to and fro between them. Within, she prepared herself for the worst already.
"So?" Jack asked her, arms folded and looking everywhere but at her.
Jean felt how teats came up again when she realized once more the whole situation and lowered her gaze. Trying to speak, her voice failed her first and she had to swallow hard. Shaking her head when the tears finally began to flow, she bit her lip and looked at her children who were clearly confused. "He's alive…," she managed to say before she had to sob. "He's here…"
Through the deadly silence the noise of a door being opened was heard. Jean looked up and met his gaze. The eyes of all three children were fixed on that door and the man standing there, who looked at them. No one of them moved or made a sound. They were frozen in shock, completely incapable to understand what had happened just now… "Daddy!" Suddenly, Lily jumped off the sofa and ran to her father heavily crying; wrapping her arms around his neck and clinging to him as if she was drowning. It didn't take long for Jack and Rachel to join her.
Watching her children crying so heavily in relief, Jean buried her face in her hands and didn't hold back her tears anymore, too.
Minutes passed and she didn't know for how long she was crying already, as all of a sudden a hand was laid on her shoulder. Looking up with a tear-stained face, emerald green eyes met hazel ones. Surprised, Jean gasped when her son embraced her tightly and sobbed into her neck. "I'm so sorry…," was all she could understand, before she pulled him as close as possible and closed her eyes crying.
"It's okay," Jean said soothingly and stroked through the unruly hair. Watching how Logan sat on the floor and had pulled his daughter tight, she smiled sadly and wiped her tears away with her free hand. Still, she knew that another problem was right around the corner. If the twins already displayed power, they had to find out about them and make plans how to teach them to deal with it. Kissing Jack on the forehead, she let him go when he joined his father again.
"Please don't go again," Lily sobbed and clung to Logan even tighter. "I don't want you to go again…"
"We'll see," he replied and exchanged a short glance with Jean who had heard her daughter's plea obviously. He knew what she was thinking. Looking at his children, he got up a bit and wiped away their tears. "Come on, time to eat."
"You coming with us?" Jack asked and refused to let go of his hand.
"Yeah," Logan replied and walked with them to the door.
"Eat something, too, okay?" Jean asked him and he nodded slightly. "I'll stay here."
Watching how they left, she waited for the door to close, before she let herself fall on the sofa. Running a hand through her face, she covered it with them and heaved a deep sigh.
Reaching the kitchen downstairs, Logan was greeted by a crying Jubilee who hugged him tightly and kept on cursing him for being such a drama queen. Afterwards it was Kitty who was also more than happy to see him again, followed by Bobby, Peter and TJ who finally let go off him after an eternity. Giving them only a short look, Logan helped Rachel on a stool, while Ororo had already made breakfast for them.
"You're not planning to do this again, Wolvie, are ya?" Jubilee asked him and sucked on her straw. "Because if then I kick your pretty butt for it! Mark my words!"
Not repeating to it, he turned when Scott looked into the room. "There you are. Charles wants to see you, come on!"
"What did I say?" Ororo asked him aloud and nearly slammed a plate on the table.
"Hey, it's him who sent me, not me who drags him to him, okay?" Scott shot back and gave Logan a sign to follow him. Sighing in annoyance, this one moved and kept walking behind Cyclops, who gave him looks from time to time over his shoulder.
"What?!" Logan growled after a while and Scott stopped, facing him.
"What's wrong with you, huh?" he asked him and buried his hands in his pocket.
"Nothin'," his opposite shot back and walked past him towards Charles' office door, as all of a sudden Emma came around the corner and bumped into him.
Cursing first, surprise was mirrored in her eyes when she looked up. "So it's true then…," she said smiling and scanned his body from head to toe. "Show me anyone else who survives a plane crash and still looks so good afterwards."
"Hi Emma," Scott said, but she only nodded towards him briefly, while her eyes still rested on Logan. Narrowing his eyes, when she touched her opposite's chest smirking, Scott moved forward and nudged Logan to make him walk down the corridor again. "Come on, he's waiting!" Walking past them, he heard how Emma slowly disappeared into the other direction, but that his fellow X-Men still wasn't moving an inch. Stopping, Scott turned around and watched how Logan followed her with a look and smirk on his face. "Logan!"
"What?"
"I said Charles' waiting!" Scott said through clenched teeth and gave him a warning look. He knew this look in his opposite's eyes. It was the same out-for-a-hunt-look he had given Jean when they all had met for the first time in Xavier's office, after they had brought Logan to the mansion. And he hated this look…
Sighing, Logan began to move again and followed him to the office. Knocking at the door, Scott waited for Charles to tell them to come in, before he opened the door.
"Hello, Logan," Charles greeted him politely and moved around his desk. "How was your night?"
"Good…," the addressed answered and crossed his arms in front of his chest, while his eyes were staring at his opposite in an odd way.
"That's good to hear," the Professor said and pointed to the chairs. "Don't you want to sit down?"
"Nope."
Shaking his head, Scott walked past him and took a seat. Exchanging a short glance with his mentor, Charles turned to Logan again. "I just wanted to ask you if you remember anything by now again?"
"No," this one only answered clearly annoyed and tilted his head a bit. "Anything else?"
"Yes," his opposite nodded and folded his hands in front of him. "I wanted to ask you if you would mind if I take a look. Maybe I can help you getting your memories back."
Snorting, Logan shook his word. "Not gonna happen!"
"Why, are you hiding something?" Scott asked him provocative and heard a low growl from his teammate. "He only tried to help you. This thing is bothering you, we all can see that."
"My head, my memories, so stay outta it!" Logan hissed and turned around to leave.
Hearing how the door was shut loudly, Scott folded his arms in front of his chest. "I'm telling you, he's weird. That's not the Logan who had left here before…"
Looking down on the ground for some time, Charles was deeply in thoughts. In his mind he tried to piece some things together which he had come up with before and finally turned towards his former student. "Get Ororo, Hank, Mystique and Kurt together. We meet in thirty minutes in the conference room!"
"Why is he dangerous?" Scott asked him worriedly and got up.
"No, but I have a theory and we need to discuss it," his opposite said and moved towards the door. "You'll see later, Scott. Just get them together quickly!"
Frowning even more, Scott watched how the Professor disappeared through the door. Shaking his head, he buried his hands in his pockets again and heaved a deep sigh before he, too, left.
Sorry for the delay, but I had a hard time writing this one here and was stuck. : ( I have prewritten a lots of scenes so far, but I still don't know when which one will appear and if I will use them. Oh, and I promise I will never ever pre-write the dialogue only and write short orders, like Jean gets up and…, in the present tense above it. I really didn't notice that I accidentally wrote in present tense at the end of the last chapter. I hope I have found all mistakes I made last time. Thanks for all the nice reviews again!!! You're all my heroes. : ) I promise the next one will be up sooner, even if I write on Return to Weapon X at the same time. So, hope ya liked this one here and see ya next time again I hope!