AN: Finally, a new chapter!

Disclaimer: This chapter has direct quotes from a scene in X-Men Origins: Wolverine.

Chapter 7: Restituere Memoria

November 23, 1994: "How does this work again?" asked Logan, eyeing Regina's raised wand with wary eyes.

"You get to lay back and relax, I wave my wand, say a few words in Latin, and presto, we've got a pathway into your brain," explained Regina, trying to simplify the process so that Logan was sure to understand.

"I still say it sounds kinda fishy," grumbled Logan, lying back on the padded metal table.

Regina rolled her eyes. "Look, grumbling I understand," she said, "but in all seriousness, I'm not going to go on with the procedure without your consent. So, speak now or forever hold your peace."

"Let's get this party started, Doc."

Regina smiled grimly and tapped her wand sharply twice against Logan's temple. "Restituere memoria," she said clearly, her voice crisp and precise. Logan instantly felt his awareness receding as he sunk into the depths of his own mind.

XXXX

Logan found himself standing in a dull, grey, empty space. "What is this place?" he said aloud, his voice echoing strangely.

"This is your mind, Logan."

Logan whirled around, hands out defensively, and found himself facing Regina. "What're you doing here?" he asked, wary. His claws had slipped out defensively.

"I'm your guide, Logan," she said. "I'm here to help you, so why don't you put those things away?"

Logan glanced down and did a double take when he saw that his claws were not metal, but bone. "What the hell is going on here?" he snarled.

Regina shrugged, her scarlet robes a bright splash of color against the dreary landscape. "It's your mind; you tell me," she said, tucking her wand into a pocket on the inside of her robes.

He grunted and took another look around the barren place. "What am I supposed to do now?" he asked.

"It's always best in situations like this to take the first step," she said solemnly. "Which way would you like to go, Logan? This is your journey, not mine. Like I said before, I'm just along for the ride."

Logan surveyed his surroundings with a predator's eye and took a slight step to the left. A door, severely out of place in this barren place, appeared out of thin air just inches from his foot. It was a plain door, made of the sort of wood-plastic combination that could be found in most modern apartment complexes. It was painted an eggshell white and bore large silver numbers proclaiming it 57A. Logan glared at the door and turned the knob sharply. The door opened with an oddly familiar creak and he and Regina stepped inside.

XXXX

June 12, 1965: The room was small, but decorated with love and care. Knick-knacks and picture frames filled the shelves that lined the walls in a sort of mismatched frenzy that somehow worked. Pacing across the far side of the room, muttering quietly, Logan saw…himself. He looked much the same as he did now, with a certain ease of self that he no longer possessed. "What is this?" Logan questioned aloud.

"If I had to guess, I'd say this was a memory," said Regina, stepping up beside him. "Your memory."

Logan fixed his gaze on the younger him as the man stilled and turned to face the apartment door. The sound of keys turning in the lock made Logan turn as well. "Jimmy, I'm home!" a blonde woman called out as she stepped inside. "I stopped by the market and picked up that beer you like. I was thinking we could call out for Chinese tonight, does that sound good?"

Logan shivered as the woman stepped through him like he was a ghost. "That sounds perfect, Lex," said Jimmy, smiling brightly and stepping forward to kiss the petite woman on the cheek. "How was your day?"

"Same old same," said Lex, handing Jimmy the pack of beer before throwing herself on the couch with a sigh. "One of the other reporters was giving me crap again about how female reporters are worse than useless." She gave a frustrated sigh. "Some days I just wanna punch them all in their smug faces."

Jimmy walked around so that he stood behind Alex and began to rub her shoulders. "I know babe," he said. "You know I'll be right there with you when you decide to bust some heads down at the paper."

"I know," she said, tilting her head back for a kiss. "That's what I love about you. You're always there for me, no matter what."

"Nowhere else I'd rather be, Lex," he said. "In fact, I've been thinking of makin' our arrangement permanent. Whaddya say, Alex; wanna be my Mrs. Howlett?" He pulled a small black box from his jeans pocket and offered it to her. Lex gasped and raised her hands to her mouth. Her crystal blue eyes stared at Jimmy in wonder. He fidgeted nervously as the seconds ticked by in silence. "Well, whaddya say, Lex? I kinda need a yes or no here."

"Yes, of course I'll marry you, you idiot," she said, affection ringing clear in her voice. "Did you really think I'd say no?" She held out her left hand and he slipped the diamond ring on her thin finger.

"Well, your pause had me wonderin' there, darlin'," he drawled with a smile.

Lex rolled her eyes and flung herself across the back of the couch into his arms. "Never change, Jimmy Howlett," she said, burying her head in his strong shoulder.

"Anythin' for you, Lex Lupin," he promised.

XXXX

Present Day: The memory slowly faded out and Logan found himself once again standing in the dreary dreamscape of his subconscious mind with only Regina the Healer for company. "Was that for real?" he asked the dark skinned woman, his voice gruff and tight.

"Of course it's real, Logan," said Regina, taking a step closer and clenching her hands as if she had to resist touching him. "It was one of your memories that's been hidden from your for far too long. Would you like to see more?"

In lieu of a response, Logan took a step backward and turned to face the door that appeared. It was a simple, lopsided wooden thing that looked like it belonged to an old-fashioned log cabin. The surly brunette stepped up to the door without hesitation and pushed it open.

XXXX

December 25, 1846: "Merry Christmas, Jimmy." The blonde teenage boy who spoke was large and dangerous looking, but his eyes held nothing but fondness as he handed the slighter brunette boy a small package poorly wrapped with brown paper and twine.

Jimmy took the package reverently and gazed at the older boy in awe. "This is for me?" he asked.

"Who else would I be givin' presents to, kid?" the blonde boy said, ruffling Jimmy's brown curls fondly. "You're the only brother I got."

The young boy grinned brightly at his big brother, his teeth gleaming white in the dim light of the ramshackle cabin. "Can I open it, Victor? Please?" he asked.

"Why else would I be givin' it to you, kid? It ain't just fer lookin' at."

Jimmy beamed and tore into the package. Inside was a beautiful silver carving knife. "Victor…"

"I'mma teach you ta carve, Jimmy," said Victor, grinning toothily. "Yer old enough now."

"Oh Victor, thank you!" cried Jimmy, jumping up to give his brother a hug. "I can't wait!"

"Alright, kid, calm down," said Victor, peeling the younger boy off of himself, embarrassed. "We'll start lessons tomorrow."

XXXX

Present Day: "What the hell was that?" snapped Logan as the young boys faded back into memory.

"Why are you asking me?" said Regina, arching an eyebrow. "It's your brain, not mine."

"Thought you were the expert here, Doc."

"The human mind is uncharted territory, even for those who claim expertise." The glare Logan gave her would have scared most people off. Regina was not most people; she'd spent the better part of seven years with a girl who could out glare anyone. "Now cut your manly-posturing and open the next damn door, Logan."

Logan narrowed his eyes at Regina, but turned to the wood door that had appeared on their left and tugged on the brass knob. "It's stuck," he grunted.

"Put your back into it, tough guy," taunted Regina with a smirk, arms crossed over her chest.

Logan growled and yanked the knob nearly hard enough to break the door off its hinges. "Got it," he grunted, stepping through, paying no heed as to whether Regina was following him or not.

XXXX

April 20, 1979: "Do you know why the moon is so lonely?" asked a beautiful woman with long, silky hair that was so dark it was almost black. Her pale skin glowed in the bright moonlight that streamed through the cabin window across the woman and the man whose arm she stroked with long, gentle fingers.

"Why?" asked the man, rolling over to face her. Logan realized instantly that it was him.

"Because she used to have a lover," she said, smiling mysteriously at him.

"You tell this to the kids?" asked past Logan, giving her a warm smile back.

"No," she said. Logan laughed playfully. "His name was Kuekuatsu and they lived in the spirit world together," she continued, smiling gently at his laughter.

"Oh, this is a true story," teased past Logan.

"Mm-hm," she said, laying her head against his chest with her ear against his heart. "And every night they would wander the skies together; but one of the other spirits was jealous. Trickster wanted the Moon for himself, so he told Kuekuatsu that the Moon had asked for flowers; he told him to come to our world and pick her some wild roses. But Kuekuatsu didn't know that once you leave the spirit world, you can never go back. And every night he looks up in the sky and sees the Moon and howls her name, but…he can never touch her again."

"Wow," said past Logan, his face serious. "Koo-koo-ka-choo got screwed."

The woman gently smacked him on the chest. "Kuekuatsu," she said reproachingly. "It means the wolverine."

"Okay, okay, I'll stop makin' fun of your stories, Kayla," past Logan said.

"Thank you," said Kayla primly. "Now I think it's your turn to tell me a story, Logan."

"Me?" said past Logan. "I don't tell tales half as good as you do darlin.'"

"I don't care about that, Logan. Just tell me a story that means something to you."

Past Logan seemed lost in thought for a moment before he began to speak. "Once there was a little boy," he said, eyes gazing off into the distance. "He was an only child, but he was never lonely. He grew up out in the county with his mother and father who both loved him dearly; there wasn't anything that they wouldn't do for their precious son.

"But everything changed when the child was attacked. One night when the moon was full, a vicious werewolf named Fenrir Greyback planted himself close to the house of the small family. He had vowed revenge against the mother for an article she had written that had led to his arrest. He'd managed to escape in transit to the prison where he was to be executed and he'd spent days simply watching the small family, looking for the best way to hurt the woman who'd ruined his life. He saw that chance in her four-year-old son. Once the full moon rose in the sky, the man transformed into a vicious beast and lured the small boy out of the house where he attacked; not to kill, but to turn the boy into a creature like himself.

"From that day on, the boy's life was forever changed. To protect him from prejudice and fear, his parents moved even farther from civilization and there raised their boy to be a loving, kind, and gentle person, despite what had been done to him. When the boy turned eleven, he was invited to attend his mother's alma mater, much to his joy. Things continued to improve for the family, until that Christmas. Father and son went out to the nearest village on Christmas Eve when they were attacked. In order to protect his precious son, the father stepped in front of him to save his life; he never saw his boy again."

"Do you miss your son, Logan?" asked Kayla, catching on quickly to the story.

"More than anything in the world."

XXXX

Present Day: Logan opened his mouth to speak, but Regina beat him to the punch. "I can tell you with absolute certainty that that story you told there was Remus' story. Congratulations, Logan; you're a dad."

Logan growled and clenched his hands into fists, feeling his bone claws beginning to poke through the skin of his knuckles. He knew Regina was right, but that didn't mean he had to like it. "Let's just get on with this, Doc," he snapped.

"I've said it before and I'll say it again; this is your brain, Logan. You're the one in charge here, not me."

Logan grumbled, but stepped slightly to the right anyway. A sterile, white door (the kind you might find in a hospital) appeared and he turned the metal handle. Nothing happened. "It's locked," he said.

"Try again," said Regina, stepping closer.

Logan tugged and jiggled the handle. "Still locked," he said.

"Let me try something," said Regina, gently pushing Logan out of the way. She pulled her wand from the inner pocket of her Healer's robe and pointed it at the door handle. "Alohomora," she said. Again, nothing happened. "That's all I've got," she said, shrugging. "You know how to pick locks?"

"I can give it a try," said Logan, unsheathing a single claw on his right hand and studying the lock intently.

"I wouldn't try that if I were you…which I am."

Logan and Regina whirled around to find themselves face to face with a slightly less scruffy version of Logan. Logan narrowed his eyes at his doppelganger. "Who are you?" he snarled, fists held ready to release his claws should the need arise.

"I thought that was obvious," the doppelganger said, stepping closer. "I'm you, Logan—a part of you, at least. You can call me Jimmy."

"Why are you here?" asked Logan, still wary.

"I'm a guardian," said Jimmy. "I protect your most precious memory and make sure that it's never destroyed."

"Is that why the door's locked?" asked Regina curiously.

"Sharp thinkin' there, Doc," said Jimmy, winking cheekily. "Only the best protections for our most precious memory."

"So how do I get in?" asked Logan.

"Just say please," said Jimmy, a mischievous smile on his face.

Logan narrowed his eyes. "Please," he grit out.

Jimmy laughed, his head thrown back and his stubbled throat exposed. From the back pocket of his jeans, he pulled a small, silver key that matched the door handle. He inserted the key and turned it. "It's all yours, Logan," he said, bowing slightly and sweeping his arm out in a dramatic gesture. Logan glared at his doppelganger as he shoved past him and pushed down on the handle.

XXXX

March 10, 1966: "Isn't he just perfect, Jimmy?"

Logan watched his past self smile down at the small bundle cradled tenderly in the arms of a familiar blonde woman. "The most perfect baby ever," said Jimmy, running his large thumb tenderly across the infant's temple. "You did a great job, Alex."

"Give yourself some credit, Jimmy," said Alex, smiling up at him. "We did a great job."

Jimmy's smile brightened. "Yeah, we really did. So, any ideas on what we're gonna name the kid?"

"Well, there's an old Lupin family tradition I'd like to follow," said Alex slowly. "My parents skipped it because they only had me and my sister, but…I was thinking Remus."

"Remus," said Jimmy, testing out the name. "It's strange, but I think I like it. How about John for a middle name? I've always liked the name."

"Remus John Howlett," said Alex. "I like it."

"Remus John Lupin," said Logan. "I want the kid to have your name, Alex. He's gonna grow up in the Wizarding World; I want him to have a name that's respected there."

"Are you sure?" asked Alex. "I thought we were gonna use your last name."

"We talked about it, yeah, but I think Lupin's a better choice. 'Sides, I think Remus John Lupin sounds better than Remus John Howlett anyway."

"Okay, Lupin it is then," said Alex. "Would you like to hold our son, Jimmy?"

Jimmy developed a very deer-in-the-headlights look as Alex gently held up little Remus for him to take. "M-me?" he stuttered. "You want me to hold him?"

Alex rolled her blue eyes. "Yes, Jimmy," she said. "You are his father after all, and I have no plans to do this whole parenting thing all by my lonesome. Just take your son, James."

With trembling hands, Jimmy took Remus from his blonde partner in the hospital bed. He cradled the infant with great care, his care-worn hands dwarfing the tiny child. "He's so small," he said, his voice filled with awe.

Alex chuckled and smiled tiredly. "Babies generally are, Jimmy."

James watched his younger self carefully, amazed by the wonder and joy in his eyes as he stared down at the precious bundle in his arms. "That's really me," said Logan, truth dawning across his face. "The kid was telling the truth after all."

"Remus is funny like that," said Regina. "He tends to do that most of the time nowadays…at least for the important things." The pair watched as the small family slowly faded back to the blank canvas of Logan's mind.

XXXX

Present Day: "Well, I think that's enough for today," said the healer brusquely. "Are you ready to re-join the real world, Logan?"

"Yeah," replied the man gruffly, eyes still fixed on the spot where only moments before he had watched himself hold his tiny son so carefully. "Let's get out of here, Doc."

Regina drew her wand and once again tapped Logan's temple. "Exsuscitare."

Exsuscitare is Latin for awaken (according to my Latin to English dictionary).

Take a second and leave a review (but don't flame me, please).