Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters. Those go to Marvel. I do however own Faye and Sydney.
Once again a HUGE thank you to everyone that reads this and an even bigger one to those that read! I hope this helps make up for the last chapter being so incredibly short! Enjoy!
Once Upon a Dream Part VII
The following day was Sydney's last full day at the mansion.
Tears had already been shed and hugs given along with phone numbers and promises to call. Even Dr. Grey had let a few tears slide as she said goodbye to her pupil. Though her stay had been short, Sydney had found true friends as Xavier's.
Now everyone was in bed except for Sydney who was sitting outside under a tree, shivering slightly, watching the moonlight dance on the frozen lake.
A tear slid down her face followed by another and another. Soon, a waterfall of silent tears was cascading downward.
"Don't you know that pretty girls ain't supposed to cry?" Logan asked taking a seat beside her.
"I guess its okay for me to cry than." Sydney said, not looking at him. "I'm sure as hell not a pretty girl."
"Don't say things like that Sydney." Logan said softly. "You are pretty. Hell, you're prettier thank Faye. Don't you ever tell yourself otherwise." Logan reached over and gently wiped the tears away from her eyes.
"You think I'm pretty?" Sydney asked taking deep breaths to calm herself.
"Beautiful." He replied.
Reaching over, Logan dropped an arm over Sydney's shoulder who moved closer to him and laid her head against him.
"Want to know something weird?" Sydney asked after several minutes of silence. "I met you before all of this."
"Oh really?" Logan asked.
"Yeah." Sydney replied. "Once upon a dream."
"Funny" Logan chuckled, "I've had that some feeling."
Sydney smiled and snuggled closer to Logan for warmth.
"Show me you're claws Logan." Sydney said softly. "I've only heard about them and I want to see them."
Logan sighed but decided not to argue. He popped out his claws while Sydney ran her hands over them.
"Does it hurt when they come out?" she asked absorbed in running her fingers over his knuckles.
"Every damn time." He replied before pulling the claws back in.
"I wish I didn't have to leave." She mumbled.
"Why, because you'll miss me?" Logan teased.
"Well, that and I hate flying." Sydney replied giggling.
"Me too kid." Logan said. "Me too."
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
There were no tears or goodbye as Sydney climbed into the car, only "I'll see you later".
The ride back to Texas was long and boring. The fifth rolled around and Sydney was forced back into her old routine of going to school, being ignored, homework, food, dishes, TV, and finally sleep.
One night, about a month after returning home, the pain was too much for Sydney to hold in and the tears poured down.
"Damn it Logan I need you." She whispered curling up on her bed.
Somewhere in New York Logan awoke with a start. He had just gotten back from a mission, apparently there was new evil afoot and it wasn't Magneto. He felt that something was wrong, yet he couldn't place it. His thought then drifted to the young woman from Texas who inhabited his dreams. That was where he found his answers. He could feel that Sydney was hurting.
He reached for the phone beside his bed and then pulled open the many draws in the dresser searching for the number Sydney had written down for him. He dialed and patiently waited for her to pick up.
"Hello" came the soft voice he was looking for followed by a sniffle.
"You alright Darlin'?" he asked her concerned.
"Logan is that you?" Sydney asked in disbelief.
"Yeah I'm here." He replied. "Now what's wrong?"
"Nothing's wrong Logan." Sydney replied, but Logan knew better than that. He could sense the pain she was feeling.
"Don't lie to me Darlin," he said, "now tell me what's wrong."
"It's just" she began before bursting out sobbing, "I'm just so lonely. I miss New York and I miss Xavier's and I miss Faye but most of all I miss you."
"Hey calm down Darlin." He said wishing he could hold her in his arms and comfort her. "It's going to be alright. You only got three months of school left. Did you send in that application like Jean told you to?"
"Yes." She replied still sniffling.
"Then everything will be okay." He reassured her. "In no time at all you'll be back here. I promise."
"Really?" she asked. "Really." He replied.
"Thank you Logan." She said.
"You're welcome darlin'. Now get some sleep." He instructed.
Sydney hung up the phone and drifted off to sleep, Logan watching her in her dreams always there to protect her.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Just like Logan promised, time rolled on and soon Sydney found herself staring graduation in the face.
She had never expected Faye to be at the ceremony much less Logan, but there they were, Faye yelling a screaming in the stands with Logan below them, patiently smoking a cigar.
Faye nearly squeezed Sydney to death once the ceremony was over. Luckily, Logan came to the rescue, as always, and pried Faye off the poor graduate.
"I can't believe the two of you came." Sydney said once she caught her breath.
"Half pint over here wouldn't leave poor Chuck alone until he let her go." Logan said pointing at Faye.
"I understand why she's here, but what about you?" Sydney asked teasingly.
"If you want me to go I can leave." Logan replied beginning to walk away.
Sydney's eyes got huge and she grabbed his arm to stop him. "Don't even think about it you brute." She said making Faye laugh.
"Ahh darling you know I ain't going anywhere." He replied swinging his arm around her shoulder.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Within two weeks, Sydney had everything packed, ready to leave for New York. She had talked Logan into renting a U-haul and driving her things to New York instead of making her fly there with them.
Luckily, Sydney had talked Faye out of taking the drive with them, mentioning there would be very little space and the trip would be long and boring over and over again.
It didn't take but an hour for Logan to load up the u-haul and throw Sydney in the seat next to him before they were off.
"Logan, I'm worried about moving into my apartment." Sydney said, an hour into the drive.
Logan sighed and shook his head before replying. "First you refuse Chuck's offer to live in the mansion and now you're worried about the apartment. Sometimes you're as unclear as you're cousin."
"You know I turned down Professor Xavier's offer because I don't belong at the mansion." Sydney said staring out at the window, watching the trees go bye. "I ain't like the rest of you."
"Sydney you know that doesn't matter." Logan replied.
"Maybe not to you, but it does to me. I would feel too out of place." She responded.
"You seemed perfectly alright at Christmas." Logan said reaching into the bag beside him looking for a cigar.
"Well that's because there weren't as many people there as normal." She replied taking the bag from him and handing him a cigar along with a lighter.
"Look Darlin, I would feel better if you were at Xavier's. At least there I could keep an eye on you."
"Logan what would everyone else say?" Sydney asked, feigning shock. "You do actually have a heart."
"Oh shut it Australia or I'll turn around and take your butt right back." Logan replied.
"Australia?" Sydney asked raising her eyebrow.
"Yeah, you know, Sydney Australia." Logan replied with a shrug of his shoulders and a puff of his cigar.
"I've always wanted to go to Australia." Sydney said laying her head against the window.
"Maybe someday I'll take you there." Logan replied.
A small smile appeared on Sydney's face before sleep overtook her.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
When Sydney awoke it was dark outside and the U-haul had stopped moving. Sydney looked at the clock on the dashboard and saw it flashing ten at night. Their journey had stared at ten that morning. Had she really slept for almost twelve hours? That's what she hated most about long trips. She'd fall asleep and not wake up for hours thus meaning she would be up all night.
Sydney looked around and began to panic at not seeing Logan. The door suddenly opened and Logan pulled himself in.
"Here, I got you some food." He said tossing her a burger and a coke.
"Thanks" she replied twisting the top off the coke. "Are you going to be able to drive?"
"I'll be fine." He replied.
The duo was only half way into their trip and it was driving Sydney mad. Had she been Faye, Logan would already have sliced her open due to the nonstop "are we there yet?" but Sydney was not Faye and kept quiet, staring out the window, occasionally glancing at Logan.
After four more hours of being awake, Sydney had drifted back to sleep. When she woke up, she was no longer in the seat of the U-Haul but a bed. A bed with Faye staring down at her.
"It's about damn time you woke up." Faye said poking Sydney.
"You know I always sleep a lot on trips." Sydney replied sitting up and stretching. "Now can we get some food? I'm starved."
"Man I missed you." Faye replied laughing, leading her out of the room.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Logan was down in the danger room running through a sentinel program to get his frustration out.
"Damn woman just won't bloody listen." He snarled slicing the head off an oncoming robot.
"Won't move in for her own safety." He plunged his claws into two more robots followed closely by two more.
The simulation ended and the Wolverine exited the room popping his knocked and grumbling under his breath as he went.
He needed a shower, and certainly a change of clothes. Some sleep would do him some good too, but there would be time for that later. Right now he just wanted to convince Sydney to move into the mansion and not that blasted apartment.