Author's note: Okay, once more a scene I wrote as a homage to The Fountain. ; ) Those of you who know the movie will recognize it. ; ) Enjoy!
CORRECTED VERSION (Dec 8)!!!
Changes Sequel – I. Darkness Part 20
Sitting behind his desk, Charles had his hands folded in front of his face while his elbows rested on the armrests of his wheelchair. He had listened to Logan for the past hour and after hearing the demand from the mutant, he was deeply lost in thoughts. The demand wasn't a surprise for him. Not after everything that had happened, but still, Charles regretted it. Logan and Jean were the strongest mutants in battles and also the most lethal ones and due to his knowledge and abilities, he was also a strong and good leader.
Looking up, while Logan was waiting for a reply patiently, he sighed and finally nodded; even if it was hard for him to accept it. "I'm sorry to hear that, Logan, but of course I do understand your wish to step back after everything that happened to you and Jean," the Professor said calmly and lowered his hands. "It's just…the two of you are a great loss for the team."
"I know," Logan nodded and crossed his arms. "But it was Jeannie's wish and I'm willing to fulfill it. I can't and won't risk that something like the past months happens again. So there's no way that we join the team again… Except of course something very big happens…"
Nodding again, it was obvious how sad it made Charles. Nevertheless, he accepted it. "I understand. But I am grateful that you still agree to train the X-Men and continue with the teaching. The children really missed you after what I've heard."
Smirking slightly, his opposite gave him a sly grin. "Not so difficult with One Eye as the teacher, eh?"
Smiling and shaking his head, the Professor leant forward a bit and supported himself with his arms on the desk. "So, how are you feeling?"
"Good," was all Logan gave him as a reply and saw how his opposite's look changed.
"Logan,…I'm sorry for…"
"Chuck, leave it!" the mutant immediately cut him off and gave him a warning glare. "It's a thing between Jeannie and me and I'm not talking to anyone else about it… It happened and can't be changed anymore."
Nodding his agreement, Charles briefly looked out of the window. "How is Jean dealing with teaching again?"
Shrugging, Logan broke eye contact and fixed his eyes on the floor. "Good. It helps her to have a normal life again."
"I can't tell you how glad I am that you came back to the right time," the Professor said and looked onto his hands in thoughts. "We were so worried about her. I am glad that she has her old weight back and looks better again…"
"Not only you, Chuck. Not only you…" Not saying anything else, Logan thought about the past three months and how he and Jean had slowly gotten back to a normal life together. After celebrating their children's birthday a bit too late and spending as much time together as possible, his heart had made a jump when he had gotten the first real laugh from her two months ago. He had known from then on that they were on the right path… "So, if you'll excuse me, but I have to kick the Boyscout out of my gym." Getting up smirking, Logan made his way to the door.
"Good luck," he heard Charles saying and nodded to the man once more before he went to his first day of teaching his old classes again. During the past months he had stepped back to give Jean the time to get used to a normal routine again, while he'd watched over Rachel and TJ till classes were over. Now, he couldn't wait to see the faces of his students when he would enter the gym to give Scott a good kick in the butt. It had amused him a lot to hear Jubilee's and Kitty's complaints about their teacher and how much they'd begged him to come back. Entering the teacher's changing stall, he got rid of his grayish sweatshirt and changed into black sweatpants and a grey wife-beater before he stopped at the door to the gym and listened to Scott's advices. Cocking an eyebrow while he crossed his arms, Logan smirked and shook his head. "Way to go, Boyscout!"
In the gym, the X-Men and younger team members were gathered and listened to the man in front of them, who was walking up and down. Turning around, Bobby gave Jubilee and Kitty a look. "Hey, what about the bet, huh? You lost, remember?" he asked them and also Peter had to grin.
"Did we?" Kitty gave back and folded her arms in front of her chest.
"Of course you did," Peter said calmly and made sure Scott didn't notice it. "You bet that Logan would go back to teaching and that was in June. Now we have October, girls… Or do you want to wait one more year, huh?"
"Ah, crap!" Jubilee protested and acted as if she was paying attention when Scott gave the four of them a short look.
"So, we practice multiple attacks today. One of you takes position on the mat while three others attack one after the next. Use everything you've learned in the past lessons, got that?" Scott asked and looked to and fro between them.
"Ya sure ya could even deal with one adversary, Boyscout?" a voice suddenly said and everyone turned their heads towards the opposite wall where Logan was leaning with his arms crossed.
"What are you doing here?" Scott spat and narrowed his eyes when his nemesis came closer.
"Goin' back t'teachin'…"
"Yay! Who loosed now, huh?" Jubilee asked the two men in front of her grinning. "I told ya Wolvie would come back. So, who's the loser here?" Smiling happily, she exchanged a look with Kitty, who was as delighted as she was.
"Oh really?" Scott asked his opposite and crossed his arms. "A bit too late, don't you think? Class began as far as I can remember 30 minutes ago."
Only shrugging, Logan held his opposite's gaze. "Had a talk with Chuck."
"Don't care, Logan. You haven't been here in the past months, so you don't know what I'm teaching them currently," Scott gave back and only heard a low chuckle from the man in front of him.
"What? Teaching them to defend themselves against more than one adversary?" Logan replied and smirked. "Just let me think about who taught you this…. Oh, right, wasn't that me?"
"Alpha-male fight?" Hank whispered to Ororo, who could only nod. "God, how I missed that…"
"Not only you!" the woman winked and saw how Logan walked past Scott.
Seeing it, Scott's nostrils flared in anger. "So, you think you learned anything at all during your absence, Logan?"
"Try me!" this one replied and gave him a provocative look and smirk. "I really wanna now what a sissy like ya taught my students, here…" Seeing how his opposite clenched his fists firmly, Logan became even more amused. He had missed to see what kind of effect he had on that man. One look often was enough to make his blood boil and he knew Scott was close to explode.
Suddenly smiling, Scott came slowly closer, but still glared at Logan through his visor. "Okay…," he sneered. "Then let's see what the sissy can teach the dumb animal." Looking closely at his opposite, he couldn't see the tiniest reaction, but he knew that he had hit Logan with it. "Hank, Peter,…Bobby…Kurt, get up!" he demanded and stopped right in front of Logan. "The others step back a bit and you guys take a position around him." Cracking his knuckles in anger, he glared once more at the man in front of him. "Everything counts?" he asked him and saw his opposite shrugging.
"If you want to wake up in the infirmary…fine with me," Logan replied and cracked his joints and neck.
"God, is there someone else on this planet that is as arrogant as you, Wolverine…?" Scott asked him in disbelief and took position, while Logan only smirked and took his casual deep crouch in defense.
"Ehm…," Kurt suddenly made and raised his right hand to get their attention. "If you don't mind, but I don't want to fight against him…" Seeing the look on Scott's face he only shrugged apologetically and sat down next to Ororo again.
"Why not?" she asked him calmly and took his hand.
"Because he will win," he told her calmly. "I watched him while he trained yesterday and he is much better than before…"
"Well, look at his body," Kitty whispered behind them. "Does anyone know how much he can lift?"
"500 pounds," Kurt replied without seeing the dropped jaws next to him. "At least that's what I saw…"
"That's 100 more than Peter," Kitty said and looked to and fro between both men on the mat. "Oh, someone will be pissed when he hears that." Giggling, she noticed that Scott wanted to begin.
"Ready?" the man asked the others, who only nodded. Fixing his gaze on Logan again, who still remained in his crouched position, he only snorted. "Go!"
Hearing how Peter jumped at him, Logan quickly rolled aside and sent him with a quick roundhouse kick to the ground before he grabbed Bobby's arm in the next moment and twisted it with a quick turn. Holding him tight against his body, he grinned at Hank, who wanted to attack but couldn't since Bobby covered Logan's body completely. "What now, Furball?" the man asked him and heard a noise behind him. Ducking, he let go of Bobby, who landed with a loud "Ouch!" on the ground when Peter crashed against him. Seeing it, Logan noticed Hank moving quickly and saw that also Scott was on his move. Making a forward dive, he rolled away and stood on his feet in the next second, while Scott barely managed to stop and collided with Hank. "Come on, guys. Get up! You have to be way faster!" he grunted and shook his head. "Think about what ya want t'achieve before ya attack and stop doing ballet or whatever that is ya doing right now." He saw how Scott came quickly closer and evaded his fist, before he grabbed his arm quickly.
"No way," Scott hissed and got hold of Logan's shirt, while Hank grabbed this one's free hand and tried to pin it onto his back.
"No!" Jubilee cried and had her hands in front of her face. "Wolvie's losing…"
"You don't really believe that, do you?" Ororo asked her with a cocked eyebrow.
Kitty nodded. "Right! If he was, he wouldn't be smirking so evilly."
"So, and what have ya forgotten?" Logan asked both men when they had managed to get a firm hold on his arms. Cocking a questioning eyebrow at him, Scott only yelped when Logan kicked his feet away first and threw Hank over his head against him in the next second. Landing on the ground hard, the air left his lungs instantly.
"Get off!" Scott hissed and had to cough heavily while he held his rips. "Damn you, Logan…"
"What?" that one only asked and crossed his arms. "Who said everything counts, huh? In a real fight, you'd been dead way before, bub. Mark my words!" He turned and sat down next to Ororo and Kurt.
"Same old Logan, huh?" she smiled at him and he winked.
"Same old sissy," he smirked and saw how she only shook her head smiling. "Hey, look. Can ya do me a favor?"
"Sure, you don't have to ask," she replied and turned a bit to face him.
"Can you take the kids later for let's say three hours or so?"
"Planned something, huh?" she smiled and nodded. "Sure, I can do that. When?"
"Around 4 p.m.?" he asked her and saw another nod before he smiled. "Thanks, 'Ro!"
"You gonna tell me what you have planned?" Ororo asked him with a wide smile.
"Nope, girl!" Logan gave back. "And I'll make sure Jeannie won't tell ya, too!"
Hours later, Jean came upstairs after her classes and stopped at the door in surprise. The light in the usually light living room was dim and small candles were leading the way to the bathroom. Frowning, she slowly closed the door behind her and put her things onto the table next to the sofas. She couldn't hear the tiniest noise within the apartment and wondered where everyone was. Following the candles, she smiled widely when she looked into the bathroom. Here, small candles were lit, too, while the bathtub was filled with her favorite bubble bath and red rose leaves were laying everywhere. Biting her lip smiling, she gasped in the next moment when she was pulled close all of a sudden from behind. "Like it?" Logan asked right next to her ear and sent shivers down her spine.
Jean turned around in his embrace and kissed him lightly. "You really have to ask?" she asked back happily. "What's it for?"
He shrugged playfully and wobbled his head. "Haven't been here for our anniversary, have I?" Seeing her smiling widely made his heart jump. "Don't even think about telling anyone, girl!"
"Why not? Your rep is already destroyed anyway… So there can't be much more damaged, can it?" she replied and heard him growling playfully, before he shoved her into the bathroom.
"Get rid of your clothes before the water cools down," he said softly and watched her undressing herself, when she gave him a look.
"Where are the kids?"
"Out with 'Ro, Kitty and Jubes for at least three hours," Logan replied smirking and helped her into the tub.
"You're not coming in?" she asked rather disappointed when he kneeled down next to the tub and took a sponge into his hand.
"Nope. Your time to relax…," he said and plunged it into the hot water before he let it travel over her arms. Hearing her sighing satisfied, he smiled when she leant back and closed her eyes, while he took care of her.
"Do I get a kiss, then?" Jean asked after a while and opened her eyes a bit.
"Only one?" Logan replied smirking and put the sponge away to sit down on the edge of the tub. Bending over he kissed her softly, while she placed her right hand on his neck to pull him closer. Deepening the kiss after a moment, she smiled suddenly and he landed in the tub fully clothed in the next second.
"Oh, Jean…," Logan groaned while she had to giggle and pulled him further into the tub; kissing him slowly again and stroking through his damp hair. Meeting her gaze, he reached out and pulled her head closer for a soft kiss this time, just to turn around in the tub to deepen it when she grabbed his neck again. Caressing her mouth and lips with his tongue, Logan felt how she was pulling on his shirt impatiently and leant back to get rid off it quickly, before he leant into her embrace again. Kissing her passionately, Jean moaned softly into his mouth and tried to get his soaked pants off with her hands; realizing in frustration that it was nearly impossible to move them at all. Using her teke to do the job in the end, she pulled him as close as possible, while Logan supported himself on the edge of the tub and went on kissing her passionately before he moved into position…
On the next day, Scott sat in the kitchen with a grim look on his face and a stolen beer in his hand. He knew Logan would be pissed, but he couldn't care less right now. The news he'd heard had released a strong urge for alcohol in him and now he held the bottle in his hands for nearly an hour without having sipped on it once. "Oh, someone's in a good mood, huh?" Hank asked him when he entered the kitchen and gave Scott a look when he realized that the man was in fact in more than a bad mood. "What happened to you?"
Snorting, Scott shook his head and rand both hands through his hair, before he held his head lowered with his hands on the back of his neck. "Don't even ask…"
Sitting down next to him worriedly, the older man looked at him while drinking his coffee. "Come on. You're not still pissed because Logan beat you yesterday, huh? He beat Bobby, Peter and me, too, so what? It was obvious he would win…" Shaking his head, since he really couldn't understand that both men were still fighting against each other this obviously endless battle of I'm-better-than-you-and-in-the-end-Logan-wins-anyway. He really asked himself what he'd missed before he'd come to the school again. Suddenly, Hank turned his head when he heard a muttering from the man next to him. "Sorry, but you have to open your mouth while talking, you know? What did you just say?"
"She's pregnant," Scott said aloud and looked up before he sighed again and rested his head against his right hand.
"Who? I doubt Logan would risk that Jean would become pregnant so fast again…"
"Not Jean, damn it!" the man next to him cried. "Raven…"
"Mystique's pregnant?" Hank asked him in surprise and nearly let his cup drop to the ground. "Wow, that's news… So, who is responsible for it?" Seeing the look on the other man's face, it hit him. "Oh, boy… So, what are you going to do?"
"What I'm going to do?" Scott asked him aloud. "Nothing! This was a unique thing and it's not gonna happen again."
"Well, then you should have thought about possible consequences before you slept with her," Hank gave back and shook his head in disbelief about the reaction of his friend. "You can't just ignore it, Scott. It's your child she's carrying…"
Shaking his head, the man finally sipped on his beer and stared on the counter bitterly. "I'm not starting a thing with her just because of a child…"
Hearing it, Hank had to give a loud derisive laugh. "And you lecture Logan about being responsible? He's more responsible than you, my friend. Sorry, if I say that!"
Switching his head towards the man, Scott glared at him. "What do you want me to do?" he asked him angrily. "That I start a relationship with her because she accidentally got pregnant? I'd betray her and myself with it…"
Returning the look on the same way, Hank put his cup down. "Well, there must have been something about her which had made you act the way you did," he gave back bluntly and his nose caught a familiar scent. "And I honestly don't know why you react like this. The two of you got a long so well the whole time through. And now something happened that you haven't planned in and you become all hostile again," he began his sermon while Scott only looked at the bottle in his hands. "She's expecting your baby! I'd call that something!"
Snorting and stubborn as he was, Scott shook his head. "Still it's no reason for me to start acting as if she means anything to me…," he gave back before he could stop himself in anger, while on the outside, Mystique stood next to the door and had heard everything.
Offended, she turned and began to run down the corridor towards the elevator.
In the lab, Jean was occupied with sorting new medical equipment into several cupboards when she heard how the double door went aside. Turning around, she saw how Mystique entered and gave her a smile. "Hi. What can I do for you?" she asked her and saw when the woman came closer that she must have cried. Knowing since the morning about her condition, the redhead still saw the pain in the woman's eyes and became worried. "What's wrong?"
"I want you to get rid of it," Mystique replied and put as much hate as possible in the demand.
"Of what?" Jean asked her confused since she didn't realize immediately what the woman meant, before her face became shocked. "Your baby? But why?" she asked her aloud and put the tray away, just to step closer in the next moment. Looking at her opposite that had her arms wrapped around her body, she sensed that something was wrong. When she had done the test in the morning after Mystique had come to her, the woman had been shocked first, but Jean had also picked up happiness after a while. Therefore, she was sure that something was wrong here. "Come on, what is it? You know you can tell me…"
"I just don't want it, okay? Just get rid of it!" Mystique spat and stepped back when the redhead had tried to reach out.
"No," Jean replied and shook her head. "Something's wrong here, I can sense that. You don't have to tell me the reason, but I want you to think about it again." Looking at her, her opposite was avoiding her gaze as good as she could. "This is your baby, Raven. It's a part of you and I don't want you to regret it if you rush things…," she tried again and saw how the woman bit her lip and looked down. Trying it once more, Jean walked over and laid a hand on Mystique's shoulder. "I don't know what happened that made you act like this, but believe me…you'll regret it!" she said calmly and briefly had to think about her son. "Promise me to think about it again, will you?" After a while, Mystique nodded and left, while Jean could only stare at the door in confusion; asking herself what had happened that the woman suddenly changed so much. Shortly afterwards the door opened again and Logan entered with his hands in his jeans pockets, while he wore his casual wife beater with a blue jeans shirt over it. "Hey! What's wrong with her?" he asked and nodded towards the door while coming closer. "She bumped into me without even noticing it…" Stopping in front of her, he kissed her briefly and figured instantly that she was worried. "What is it, darlin'?"
"You picked it up, didn't you?" she asked him, not knowing if he knew about it or not.
"That she's sad, nervous, confused, angry and doing her baby no favor with it?" he asked back and nodded. "Yeah…I picked it up. Wasn't difficult at all…"
Sighing, Jean leant against the wall while he did the same against the counter. "Do you know who the father is?"
"Ehm…no… I ain't keeping record on who's pregnant from whom. Got other hobbies, ya know! Why?"
"You're not telling anyone?" she asked him pleadingly and could tell that he realized how serious it was.
"Promised," Logan assured her and crossed his arms, waiting for her to begin.
"She wanted an abortion."
Frowning, he cocked an eyebrow at her. That was really news to him, since in the morning he'd sensed the happiness Mystique had radiated constantly. "Why?"
Jean shook her head and only shrugged. "I think it had something to do with the father. Maybe he'd abandoned her after she told him."
Tilting his head briefly while he thought about it, Logan looked around the room. "Well, she never leaves the mansion. So the father must be from here," he said and made her look up.
"But who?"
Thinking, he quickly sorted out the possibilities. "Let's see…," he began and Jean turned more towards him while watching him curiously. She knew he knew more about current relationships than anyone else. His senses always gave him an advantage, not only in battle. "The only singles around here are Scott, Hank, Bobby and Chuck. Forget Chuck, he's not the type for it. Bobby neither. I can smell Jubes on him lately…"
"But Hank and Scott wouldn't do it either," she suggested and saw him smirking.
"Hank has no interest in Mystique. His eyes are on someone else," he replied and grinned.
"Who is she?" Jean demanded to know smirking and poked into his side with her elbow to encourage him to tell her.
But Logan only grinned and wobbled his head. "You haven't noticed?"
"What? Come on, tell me!" she begged and poked into his side again.
"Well, the Furball goes all love sick when Taggy's around," he told her and heard her gasping.
"Moira? Really?" Jean asked aloud and giggled. "I knew it…"
"Oh really?" he asked teasingly. "Why do I have t'tell ya then, huh?"
Jean only gave him her best smile, but became serious shortly afterwards again when she realized the last option that was left. "Then it's only Scott who's left. But he…"
"…was with Mystique most of the time lately. I've seen them often together," Logan cut her off and finished her sentence with a look that spoke volumes.
"But…he would never abandon a woman who's pregnant with his child!" she protested. "That's not like him!"
He only shrugged but kept his thoughts to himself. "Who knows…"
"No, Logan! He wouldn't do that!" Jean gave back since she'd heard the undertone in his voice.
"Well, there ain't someone else left, ain't it?" he said and gave her a look. "And if it was a unique thing for him…," he began when Jean shot a deadly look at him and cut him off.
"If it was a one nightstand with us back then and I got pregnant," she began in a chilly voice while he looked at her. "Would you have told me to get rid of the twins?"
"What?" he asked aloud and stared at her in shock. "'f course not! What makes you even think that?"
Glaring at him she snorted. "Because you just sounded as if it was a normal thing to do…"
Logan shook his head. "Never said that! My problem if I impregnate a woman, ain't it? So I have t'deal with it afterwards," he replied and felt that she calmed down again. "Still, I think it was him."
Sighing aloud, Jean looked at the tray on the desk. "Could you talk to her?" she asked him after a moment and saw how he immediately cocked an eyebrow at her.
"Me? Why me?"
"Well, because you're still our leader," she said and he snorted.
"And? Does that make me a therapist?" Logan gave back and crossed his arms again when she turned to him.
"She trusts you. Please, Logan! She will regret it. I know that!"
Sighing in annoyance, he ran a hand through his hair and looked away. "Stop giving me that look, Red!" he warned her, but Jean only bit her lip and pouted even more. "Fine, I'll do it…," Logan gave in and saw her smiling happily before she wrapped her arms around him and kissed him tenderly. "You really are a vixen, you know that? Can't believe I married such a manipulative thing like you…"
Hearing it, Jean slapped him playfully against the chest. "What's that supposed to mean?" she protested and he smirked. "It's your own fault that you're such a softie, mister!"
"Softie, eh?" he growled and quickly pulled her close to bite into her neck softly; ignoring her squeaking protest. "It was you who destroyed my rep, darlin'. So it's your own fault!"
"Uhu…," she made and quickly turned to a mirror when he smirked at her devilishly. Seeing the scarlet spot on her neck, she glared at him. "Damn you, Logan! You know perfectly well that no makeup of the world can hide your love bites…," Jean said and he chuckled before he walked towards the door.
"I'm off doing chick-talk then," he said and left her searching her desk for powder.
"That's the right punishment for you now," she called and heard another chuckle from him before she walked over to the mirror.
On the outside, Mystique was sitting at the pond and stared into the water lost in thoughts. She didn't even hear how Logan came closer with his hands buried in his pockets and stopped right next to her. "Hey…," he said calmly and made her look up at him with her yellow eyes. "Do you mind?" he asked her and nodded at the empty spot next to her. She shook her head and he sat down to take a look around the garden. It was sunny today and surprisingly warm for October. Turning his head, he looked at her for a while, seeing that she was staring at the water again. "So, what did the Boyscout say that made you change your mind, eh?"
Surprised, her eyes grew wide and she stared at him in shock. "How do you…," she began when Logan pointed to his nose and she nodded in understanding.
"So?" he asked again and she sighed.
"Why do you want to know?"
"If you really wanted to get rid of your kid, you wouldn't be sitting around like a picture of misery. I can smell that you cried. So he must have said somethin'," he said and looked at her from aside while she looked at the water again. "That guy ain't exactly a genius, ya know," he went on, knowing that she was listening. "Especially not when it comes to women…" Hearing it, Mystique looked up frowning while it was Logan this time that looked around again. "He has one, he loves that one but he doesn't know what he has," he explained. "That guy was completely blind to realize what he had with Jeannie." Saying so, he turned towards the woman next to him and met her gaze directly. "So, don't give much on what that idiot says…"
"Well, he had made perfectly clear that I don't mean anything to him…," she mumbled calmly and heard him snorting.
"See? He's a dick!" Logan crossed his arms in front of his chest and shook his head about such stubbornness. One day he would really smash this guy's head. "Just because he says so, doesn't mean that you don't care about the cub."
Switching her gaze towards him, Mystique gave him an angry glare. "You don't know what it's like," she hissed and stared at the water again. "My whole life I met hostility and rejection. My father left after what he saw what I am, my mother blamed me for it and my family even tried to kill me. I had to live on the streets all alone and had no one to take care of me. So you don't know anything at all."
"I do," Logan nodded while his voice was soft. "Believe me, I do…"
Biting her lip, the woman felt new tears coming up but suppressed them as good as she could. "Then Eric came and saved me, just to abandon me after everything I've done for him and when I needed him the most," she went on while he could not only sense but also hear her sorrow. "I'm never lucky. Have never been and will never be. So what kind of mother would I be? What can I offer my child if the father doesn't even care?" she hissed in anger and glared at the man next to her again only to see sympathy and understanding in his eyes. She knew that of all people of the mansion he knew and understood her best. She had always known how much alike they were, how much they both had been through in their lives and it had hurt her deeply after he'd rejected her at Alkali Lake. "You can easily walk around on the outside. People don't look at you as if you were the offspring of the devil himself just because you look like one… And I don't want my child to endure the same…"
Looking into her eyes closely, Logan saw the pain clearly. Noticing it, Mystique quickly turned her head again to look away. She wasn't a weak woman, so she wouldn't give him the expression now. "You're really asking what you can offer your kid?" he said after a moment. "You can offer it a home with people who are like it. And you already love your kid, Raven. You can't deny that!"
But she only shook her head. "I'm not raising a child alone, Logan…"
"You ain't alone here, girl! There are people who will help ya," he gave back and gave her a serious look. "I told ya if you're one of us, then you're one of us. You chose t'stay, so you're part of the family now." Looking at her from aside closely, Logan bent forward a bit. "Look, I know becoming a parent is terrifying. I can't even tell ya how scared I was when the Furball told be that my girl was pregnant," he told her and she turned her head again to look at him. "But it's the best thing that can happen to you in your entire life, believe me! And if this jerk wants to miss it, fine, his problem! But that doesn't mean that you have t'get rid of it, just because its father is a complete asshole." Mystique looked down on her hands crying silently when he reached out to touch her shoulder. "Believe me, you'll regret it… I'd give anything t'have my son back. So think about it, 'kay?" Logan asked and wiped her tears away before he got up. When he was about to leave, she began to speak again.
"She's lucky to have you on her side…"
Burying his hands in his pockets, Logan tilted his head briefly. "Actually I'm lucky to have her."
Snorting, Mystique shook her head and watched the gentle waves of the water in the pond again. "Easy for you to say. You both look normal…"
"If someone judges you because of the way you look, he ain't worth it!" Logan replied and began to walk back to the mansion. "And if someone like me has found a partner, you'll find someone, too…"
Watching him leaving, a weak smile appeared on the woman's blue lips. "Thank you…," she said in a whisper, but still Logan heard it and smirked.
Back inside the mansion, he found Scott in the kitchen together with Ororo, Kurt and TJ, who sat on Hank's lap laughing. "Hey, dickhead!" he said and Scott turned his head clearly annoyed. "Got to talk with ya, so move your butt!"
"What do you want, Logan?" the other man asked angrily and glared at him through his visor.
"Move your butt over here and you'll see, One Eye," Logan gave back and didn't care about the looks the others gave him.
Turning around again, Scott only shrugged. "If you've got to say something, say it…"
Snorting, Logan walked over and grabbed him by the collar. Pulling him off the chair, while Scott protested and cursed aloud, he dragged him down the corridor until they reached an empty spot. Angrily, Scott pushed his opposite roughly away and his visor glowed red for a second. "What is this?" he demanded to know aloud and watched how Logan crossed his arms to look at him piercingly.
"You already know it!" was all he said and gave his opposite time to think about it.
Crossing his arms, too, Scott gave him a deadly look. "So? Enlighten me!"
Chuckling low, Logan shook his head with an arrogant smirk on his lips. "Lecturing me about responsibility and climbing down if your one-nightstand accidentally gets pregnant, eh? So Mr. Infallibility isn't so perfect in the end, huh?"
Hearing it, Scott's blood began to boil in anger and he stepped slowly closer while his jaw tensed dangerously. "This is nothing of your concern, Logan!" he hissed but his opposite held his gaze.
"Well, actually it is, because everyone comes to me telling me you're the leader so deal with it."
"Good. So you dealt with it, now do whatever you've done before and piss off!" Scott spat and turned around to walk back to the kitchen, but Logan followed him, not willing to give up.
"You're such a dick, do you know that?"
Giving a short derisive laugh, Scott gave him a short glare. "Says the animal, huh?" he hissed, when Logan grabbed him angrily and slammed him against the wall.
"At least it's not me who sleeps around lately, so who's the animal here, Boyscout?" he shot back and was pushed away by his opposite when this one's visor glowed again. Growling in return, Logan came slowly closer again, while he heard a familiar bamf out of the kitchen and knew Kurt had taken TJ back upstairs. It didn't take long before Hank and Ororo came out of the room since they'd sensed a fight. "You can be lucky you didn't impregnate Jean, bub!" Logan hissed and saw in the next second how the man in front of him smiled provocatively.
"That would have pissed you off, huh?" Scott asked him bluntly. Furiously, his opposite slammed both hands against the wall right next to his head.
"Guys, stop it!" Ororo said aloud and came closer with Hank right next to her to intervene if necessary.
"That would have really hit you, wouldn't it?" Scott added and only chuckled when Logan began to growl menacingly.
"I would have killed you…," was all that this one hissed and narrowed his eyes in hate. Even if he'd been away for some time, he hadn't forgotten and he wouldn't forgive the man.
Seeing that the man in front of him was on the edge of his patience, Scott could only smirk. Obviously, it was still as easy to provoke him as before, so he gave a short derisive laugh. "Still want to see you trying it, Wolverine…" Growling, Logan grabbed his collar and slammed him against the wall, head first before he pinned him to it.
"Logan!" Hank yelled and tried to get him away from Scott, but it was completely useless. Due to the training, his friend was way stronger and deadlier than before. Still, he tried to hold onto one arm.
"I know about the stuff you told her back then," Logan hissed into the ear of the man in front of him.
"And it was the truth!" Scott shot back in anger; recalling what he'd said to Jean in the bar.
"Just with the small exception that it wasn't me, bub!"
"Too bad!"
Growling again, he turned him in mid air, just to slam him with the back against the wall this time. Seeing it, Ororo grabbed the other arm and tried to soothe him again. "Leave it!" she begged, knowing how ugly this could become.
"You'll go to Mystique and talk to her, got that? This kid is your responsibility and it's your own stupidity that you let it happen. So deal with it!" Logan hissed and slammed Scott against the wall once more before he turned around to leave.
"Fuck you!" was all the other man barked and pulled his arm away from Hank just to head into the opposite direction.
"Jeez," Ororo said and buried one hand in her hair. "I had hoped the mood between them had calmed down a bit with Logan gone for 10 months…" Looking up at Hank, this one could only shrug.
"I'm only waiting for the big fight, 'Ro," he answered darkly. "And believe me that one will come…" Exchanging one more glance, she could only shake her head.
Later the evening after the kids were already in bed, Logan sat on the sofa together with Jean in his arms and was watching a movie. But due to his enhanced hearing, his concentration was on the edge. Even if they lived on the other side of the mansion, he could hear Bobby shouting at Rogue as if they were right here in the room with him. And it caused him a headache. Noticing, how he sighed, Jean turned her face to give him a worried look. "What's wrong?"
"Nothin', only that Popsiclehead and Rogue are biting each others heads off for an hour now," he grunted and ran a hand through his face in stress.
"You can actually hear that?" she asked him in surprise and sat up a bit. "I can tell that they are on the complete other side of the mansion… And there is more than only one wall and door between us and them."
"Enhanced hearing, baby. Call it a curse sometimes," he replied and sighed.
Running a hand through his face first and hair afterwards, she kissed him tenderly. "So, what can we do about it? Maybe I can block the noises somehow..."
"Nope, it's okay," Logan said and shook his head before he pulled her close. "They just stopped." Sighing, he stroked through her hair absently.
"What did Raven say?" Jean asked after a while and looked at the screen again.
"I don't think she'll ask ya again to get rid of it," he answered and went over to stroke up and down her ribs and waist on the right side.
"Good, because I can't understand it," she mumbled and fell silent for a while. Feeling scared all of a sudden, she began to play on his shirt which she wore. Thinking about her thoughts for some time, she suddenly heaved a deep breath. "Because I still want to have a fourth one…," she added barely audible and noticed that he immediately stopped his caressing.
Just when Logan was about to reply, it knocked on their door and she moved around to open it; noticing his odd look only briefly.
"Hey, is Logan here?" Bobby asked her after she'd opened and looked at the man when he came closer.
"Done biting your heads off?" he asked the younger man, who looked at him panicky.
"You have to help me, Logan!" Bobby begged and gave him a pleading look.
"Jeez, what's wrong, kid?" Logan asked and crossed his arms, when he noticed that Bobby was close to start crying.
"Rogue just told me that she and Remy want to move to France," he told him heavily breathing and saw how the man cocked an eyebrow at him. "And she wants to take Isa with her. Please, you have to help me…"
Okay, I was a bit quicker. LOL So, maybe it's another update over the weekend, but I don't know what the next chapter will be about. ; ) Thanks to all reviewers again!!! You guys are my heroes, honestly: ) The scene between Hank and Scott in the kitchen and the whole talk between Jean/Raven, Jean/Logan, Logan/Mystique and Logan/Scott was what I wanted to add in the last chapter, but at the end I thought it just didn't fit. So I left it for this one here. But it actually messed up my plans, so I have to make changes to the storyline. Well, don't mind. LOL So, hope ya enjoyed reading! Please review and see ya!!!