Chapter Nine

No one even tried to stop him from going into the danger room anymore. Some because they felt sorry, but mostly cause when he was in a bad mood he was one scary mother fucker.

Logan grunted as the simulation disappeared. He took in a deep breath. Using his claws against the fake scientists and soldiers made him feel better for limited amount of time, and that time was getting shorter eveytime he did it. He needed real action, hell his body was demanding it. He was keeping Wolverine at bay, just barely. Marie was the only person Wolverine listened to all the time and she wasn't here to rein him in. He was about to go pound a punching bag when Victor came in. "You really think this stuff is gonna fix your bloodlust?" He stood in front of Logan. "Come on." He dropped to a fighting stance. "Or did they neuter you as well?"

Logan growled. "What are you getting at?"

Victor smirked. "We've been brothers all our lives. Long before this shit." He motioned around them. "Best way to train was to fight someone who can't go down for long. Doesn't hurt if it takes a while to go down in the first place."

Logan lifted a brow. "I have an advantage." His claws came out. "Pretty sure you don't have metal."

Victor slashed Logan's face. "Bring it dickless…"

Scott was on his way to the Danger Room when he saw a group of students blocking the door. Looked like a third of the school was watching.

"Ten on Logan."

"Twenty on Sabretooth!"

"Are you crazy? Logan's got knives, Sabretooth has fingernails!"

Scott rolled his eyes behind his visor. 'Logan, why am I not surprised?' Scott walked into the observation deck and gave a stern look to the students. "There is no gambling on Danger Room fights. Now all of you back to it." Once he steered out the last of them he turned to watch Logan and Victor. It didn't look like Logan was holding back at all. It earnestly did look like he was trying to kill Victor. Scott hoped the Wolverine wasn't out. He was about to interrupt when Charles spoke to him telepathically. "It would be to his and our benefit to let them finish. This is the best way of letting Logan vent his feelings." Scott snorted. Even his venting was violent. But he left observation to wait for them to leave.

Logan laid out on the floor of the Danger Room. He hadn't felt this calm in ages. The beast inside was to tired to do much of anything.

"Told ya." Victor smirked above his brother. "The animal needs to feel the blood spray his face, he needs to be able to read it's victims scent and adjust to it. Fake just doesn't work for animals like us." Victor fell to the ground as Logan swept his leg s out from under.

Logan grinned at the glare leveled at him, "And they say I'm cocky."

Victor snorted."Whatever you say dickless." He got up. "I have some dinner to catch." Victor liked to hunt his dinner. He said he was used to it after living like that for so long. When he was young it was the rule that if you wanted to eat, you had to kill for it. Just like he preferred to live in the woods on the property instead of inside the school, but that could also be the noise, smells, and general cramped feeling of living in a space with that many people. Kids at that.

Logan laid there for another minute then got up and went to the men's locker room. Scott was there all ready to go. "So were you actually trying to kill him?"

Logan felt the urge to light a cigar or have a shot of whiskey. "It's a feral thing. It's not like we can kill each other. Look, room's all yours." He made his way to the showers. 'Saved the guy's life and he tries to pick fights.'

Logan headed straight for his bed. He knew right now getting some sleep would be good for him. Sure he could function without it, but he thought better when rested, his senses were sharper. Immediately he smelled the air of his room. Even with all the time that had passed he could still smell Marie. He took off his clothes and put on a pair of sweatpants and climbed into bed. He grabbed Marie's pillow and sniffed it deeply. If Victor saw this he'd never hear the end of it.

.: The Lab :.

Marie gripped her fists at her sides as the tests escalated. Now instead of a little bit of pain, it was a large amount that took longer to stop. The latest one was her arm being lased completely open, from shoulder to wrist. It took about 30 minutes to come back together and heal. It seemed like they had given her a little of Logan's healing. They did the same test 5 minutes after she healed and it only took 26 minutes. She didn't know what was going on with her. She could barely think at all. Who knows what kind of drugs were in her food. She just knew she wanted Logan, Logan always saved her. 'Where is he?' When the light went out she turned on her side facing the opposite side of where the lab coats usually stood. A single tear trailed down her face.

.: Danger Room :.

Scott's visor was swiped off his face forcing him to close his eyes. "Are you sure he's ready Wheels?" Victor said smugly, swinging Scott's visor around his finger. "Cause if they had him, they know his mutation and they know how to get around it."

Storm grabbed the visor from Victor to give to Scott. "We work as a team." Ororo glared at Victor. "We watch each other's backs."

Victor smirked. "Awww, did I make mother nature here angry?" He advanced on her to which she stood proud. "Whats the matter, did I upset your boyfriend?"

Ororo slapped Victor and a thunderbolt escaped her hand knocking Victor into a wall. Scott walked out. Logan helped Victor up. "Scott's fiancee was killed 2 years ago today. You really have shit timing." Logan patted his shoulder before walking back.

Charles was just about to cancel their training when Scott came back in. He held up his hand when they tried to speak. "The longer we wait, the more time they have to plan a defense."

This was one of the times where he realized why Scott was the team leader. He thought Scott was a bit of a pansy sometimes, but there were times like this. He knew Victor was thinking the same as he walked back. It wasn't that he was sorry, because Victor was never sorry. And it wasn't that he felt bad, regret wasn't one of his qualities, but rather Victor respected strength.

Ororo gave Scott a look before averting her eyes and continuing. "So if we …"

.: The Lab :.

Marie laid there completely cut off. She couldn't register the shrill alarms or the red lights strobing. She was dead to the world. Her body pinned down. Her mind was in a foggy haze from the drugs they had given her. When she was awake, when the drugs wore off, she wondered if this is why Sabretooth looked so hollow. But right now she laid there staring at nothing. She didn't even hear the screams. There was just her laying down listening to her own heartbeat. Suddenly she saw Logan's face. Was she dying? He looked horrified. She felt a tear run down her cheek and realized it was her tear. "Logan." She mouthed more than spoke, but it seemed to snap him out of it. "I'm gonna get you outta here." He leaned down and kissed her forehead then used his claws to cut the bars holding her down. "Hold onto me."

Marie couldn't get her arms to stay after they had lased her arm five times that morning. "My arm."

Logan looked at her arm and could see the faded lines that were still an angry red. "I need you to touch me with your mutation on, just enough to heal yourself." Marie shook her head. "Please Darlin', we need to get out of here." Marie was weak as a baby kitten, if she turned her mutation on she wouldn't be able to turn it off in time. Instead she arranged her arms around his neck to hold on. She tried to keep the pain off her face as he got them out. He buckled her into the jet. "Stay here, I'll be back." He kissed her gently and went back down the ramp. Marie was a little startled to see Sabretooth enter the jet a several minutes later.

"Friend my ass." He said after sniffing the air. He set down the 2 mutants he was bringing into the jet. "I'll say this, he does like him some brunettes." Marie had no idea what He was on about but she was exhausted and her eyes closed a moment later.

Logan didn't want to leave Marie in the jet. Ororo was there ready to fly at a moments notice. When he saw Victor heading back to the jet he felt relief. He made his way to the labs and ran into Jubilee. "Is she?" Jubilee was scared for her friend. She had been pissed when she found out that not only was Logan sent alone to get Scott, but that they had prior knowledge of an attack on the school.

Logan nodded. "She's in the jet."

Jubilee grinned. "Then lets light em' up!" Sparks came from her fingertips and hit the soldiers in front of them. Beside her Gambits was using his cards to attack anyone who came at them.

Scott was the last back to the jet. He carried the last of the 12 mutants they broke out counting Rogue. He was sweating quite a bit, he really was out of shape. And he hated to admit it but Sabretooth had been right, they went for his visors several times. Scott always thought Logan was an arrogant cocky son of a bitch, but having met Sabretooth, Logan wasn't so bad. Not that he'd ever tell him that. Ever. Scott buckled in the mutant as Ororo took off. He made his way to the front where he sat next to Ororo. Logan had unbuckled Marie and sat down with her in his lap and buckled them back in. It didn't take a genius to figure it out. Scott was a little startled at finding out though. He looked at Ororo. "How long has that been going on?"

Ororo kept her eyes focused on her task. "They became close after you left. He helped her get control. I'm not sure when it became more than friends." She glanced at them then back to the instruments. "I think they compliment each other."

.: The Mansion :.

Logan looked at Victor in shock. How had he not noticed? "You smell it now don't ya?" Logan ran a hand through his hair.

Marie was asleep on soft sheets. That was the first thing she noticed. Then came her hazy memories of seeing Logan rescuing her. Her arm didn't hurt anymore, in fact none of the test they did could be felt. Did I absorb Logan? Then something hit her full force. She had been healing on her own! How is that possible? I never retain the powers for longer than a month! Suddenly she was having trouble breathing…

Logan found her in front of the toilet on her knees. After seeing she was okay he got a washcloth, wet it and rubbed her back lightly. When she was done he handed her the washcloth.

Marie was very pale. "Logan, I think there's something really wrong with me." She finished brushing her teeth.

Logan pulled her into his lap. "Trust me, you're just fine."

Marie shook her head. "I healed Logan… Several times… Without touching you." She wanted to hit him when he didn't respond. "Logan, I don't have a healing factor… except when I touch you."

Logan was stroking her hair. "Still don't."

Marie launched out of his lap. "If you know whats fucking wrong could you let me in on it before I zap your ass?!" She felt furious.

Logan smiled. "Only in you come back here and sit." After she sat near him, he pulled her so she was sitting on his lap and his mouth was next to her ear. "You're pregnant." And then the world went black…