Skye: Back again…lol. Chapter 4. Also, this is set between X1 and X2 but I'm still going with the Ellen Page Kitty Pryde. Láska is dedicated to our friend PaigeyLou, whose 11 year old sister killed herself on the 5th July 2009. Her name was Sarah. Paige is 14 now and she's still upset about it. If you guys have problems, I would PM her. She's amazing to talk to. She always seems to know what to say. What Logan thinks about Láska is actually what Paige felt and still feels now.

Chapter 4: Getting To Know Her

"So, John is your cousin?" Kitty asked her for the millionth time.

"Is there something wrong with your brain that whenever I say 'yes', you have to ask the question over again?"

Rogue laughed.

The three of them were sitting in the garden on a bench and the sun was setting. John had been put in detention for nearly killing Bobby and Bobby was in the infirmary, his wounds being treated by Dr. Jean Grey.

Elska had talked with Xavier (while having something to eat) and they had decided that she was too old to participate in lessons but hadn't learnt enough to teach the children, so she would have private sessions with him to help her master her powers. She was also to attend the weekly danger room sessions with either, Logan, Storm or Scott.

"Yes, Kitty, John is my cousin," she said.

"So, have you met his family? He says that they're nice people," Kitty persisted.

Elska felt her stomach drop. Their families were certainly not nice people, but she understood why John would want to pretend that they were.

"I've met them, yeah," she said absently.

"And? How are they?"

"What's with all these questions?!" Elska shouted. Her outburst had startled even herself. She stood up. "I'm going inside."

She felt Kitty's eyes drill into the back of her skull.

"Elska-"

"Forget it, Rogue," she said. In truth, she had had no idea what Rogue was about to say, but she didn't want her following her. And if she was going to ask if she was OK? That would have been crap. Because Elska would say 'Yes' but it would have been lying…and she was sick of telling everyone she was fine when she wasn't.

She found a deserted common room with a small TV in it and a couple of sofas, so she settled herself in one and stared at the wall.

Elska, you cannot blame your friends. They don't know and John would never tell them.

But professor, I'm tired of living like this.

Then perhaps you SHOULD tell them. Let them understand, and if not, you should at least tell Logan.

Why?

Because he wants to know what's wrong and he's standing in the doorway.

Elska felt the light weight in her head lift as the professor stopped reading her and she jerked around to face Logan. She looked away quickly again. Wasn't the floor an interesting one?

"I want to know what's wrong," he said flatly. "I want to know what that cut on your wrist is, I want to know why you just freaked out at Kitty and Rogue."

The sofa bounced her upwards as he sat next to her. She looked in the opposite direction.

"You can trust me, kid," he said.

Then she broke. He had called her 'kid' so endearingly, with care and kindness. She had to tell him. She had to tell someone. Anyone. And Logan was there to listen, and as she began, she realised that he would always be there to listen.

Tears flushed from her eyes and she turned around to face him. He pulled her closer and wrapped his arms around her.

"You wanna know what's wrong?" she asked. "It's everything."

And so she began. She told him everything.

"My dad and my older brothers weren't the nicest of people. And my mom died when I was ten. After that, things got bad. My dad and brothers would do stuff to me and my sister, Láska. Then when I was thirteen, my sister killed herself. She was only eleven."

Elska sobbed.

"What did she look like?"

"Well…she had blonde hair…only it wasn't all blonde, it was like it was mousy brown underneath. And she had baby blue eyes and all these freckles. She was so pretty. But she couldn't handle it and she hanged herself. She talked to me about it. I didn't take her seriously…but at least she's safe now. But I loved her so much! If I could do anything in the world, I would bring her back…whatever it took.

So my brothers and father just got worse after that. I thought about killing myself too…but I couldn't. I was too scared. Then when I was fifteen…my oldest brother…he…"

"I understand," Logan said, sounding totally disgusted.

"I was pregnant…but they told me to get an abortion. I said no so they forced me to have a miscarriage. And it just kept on going on…and the only person I could talk to was John. His parents were the same…abusive, always drunk. But none of them touched him. He did his best…but eventually, my dad banned him from seeing me. So I cut myself…then today, I decided I'd had enough. And I ran away…and now I'm here and…"

She subsided into sobs. Logan massaged her back gently but she couldn't believe herself. She had just revealed everything to a total stranger…and she wondered if she would regret it.

Logan couldn't believe it. The poor girl had been through so much. It sounded as though she had never had that chance to be a normal teenager. Her mother had died when she was young, then three years later, her little sister had killed herself. He couldn't imagine how that must have felt, maybe like her soul had been ripped apart, like she had lost a part of herself in losing her sister. Maybe, she felt as if her sister had been missing for a while, and that if she reached out hard enough, Láska would come back. Maybe she felt angry, regretful, guilty. Maybe her heart ached with sorrow.

Logan wondered what this eleven year old was thinking when she committed such an act. Her life had been difficult, yes, but had she even thought about Elska?

"Sounds like you've had it rough," he said, not knowing what else to say. But then it came to him. "But I want you to know that I'm always here for you. Everyone is."

She gave him a watery smile and sat up.

"Thanks…it's just…I've never spoken about it properly before. And when Kitty was asking me all those questions…I just-"

He put a finger on her mouth.

"You don't have to explain it."

He stood up and helped her to her feet.

"Thanks for this, Logan…I don't know what I'd-"

He hugged her then released her.

"You should go to bed, you'll be tired."

She smiled to him thankfully and he ruffled her hair. He stared at her as she left and he couldn't help but think what a strong girl she was.

Thank you, Logan.

Whatever, professor. When you said, find out what she's hiding, I didn't think it would be something like that.

Neither did I, Logan, neither did I.

Skye: I know…how depressing am I? Anyway, review and I'll update sooner!