Chapter 4
"Do ya still remember? The memories…" Logan said.
"Yes, all of them," Jean said.
"Thank you for giving them back to me."
"You're welcome. I'm glad I was able to help," Jean smiled. "So how do you know the professor?" she continued. "He found me when I was in a bad place. He told me he could use someone like me and that he would help me find my purpose in life."
"And then you came here?"
"No, first I told him to go f…well, let's say I turned him down," he said with a guilty smile.
Jean laughed. "What made you change your mind?" she asked.
"I have a high regard for telepaths," he said boldly, making her blush.
Logan felt like he knew her before, but she wasn't anywhere in his memories that got returned to him. Perhaps she couldn't reach all of them at the time?
"Well, Red, ya know all 'bout me and I know nothin' 'bout ya," Logan said.
"Alright, what would you like to know?" Jean said.
"Anythin'. Whateva ya feel like tellin' me."
"Okay, let's see… I am telekinetic. I can move any objects anywhere I please. It came of use when the school exploded and I helped rebuild it. That was shortly before we met. Well, the explosion was shortly before we met, we rebuilt it afterwards…" Jean rambled. Her awkwardness made Logan smile. He wanted to squeeze her arm and tell her it's alright, she could relax, but he wasn't sure he'd be able to control himself so close to her. Her scent intoxicating, and she was just so damn beautiful.
"And then there's telepathy. Professor had to block it from me for a while." Jean said.
"Why's that?"
"At a very young age, my good friend got hit by a car right in front of me. Our minds linked when she was dying. I tried to bring her back but instead I ended up going with her. I was in a coma for some time…" It still pained her to talk about it, Logan could tell. "I want to hold her, comfort her…" he thought.
"But now I can control it much better, as you see," Jean tried to return to a happier subject.
"I sure do. So what made ya come to that godforsaken place when we met?"
"They kidnapped our friends. You already met one of them – the fuzzy Hank. We got spotted and we had to hurry. I sensed you in one of the rooms and I let you out."
"So ya used me to get rid of them bastards, huh?" Logan joked.
"Yes, I suppose we used you…I'm sorry!"
"Anytime, Red," he winked. "What happened next?"
"After I gave you back your memories, we got our friends and hurried to get to the professor. He was a prisoner of Apocalypse. It took eight of us to stop him from destroying the world. We could have used you some more, actually," Jean smiled.
"Sorry, I wasn't in a good place at the time…or most of my life, really..."
"That was the first time I truly unleashed my powers," Jean recalled. "Professor called for me when he was battling Apocalypse in his mind. He asked me for help, he told me to unleash my powers. I was scared, not only of Apocalypse, but of my own powers. I wasn't sure I'd be able to stop it from hurting everyone else. But he asked me to let go, so I did. There was all this…fire inside me. I unleashed it. All of it. Not even Apocalypse could survive it."
Logan stared open mouthed. Fire. It all made sense now. He knew her. He remembered the alternate timeline, the one he changed along with Charles and Raven. She wasn't able to give him back those memories, because it has never happened to her. Not in this timeline. He remembered being attracted to her from the very first moment they met. He remembered her being happy with Scott until he came along. He remembered her incredible power that consumed her, and he had no choice but to kill her. She meant so much to him; he was able to recall a whole another timeline even after they messed with his brain for so long.
"Logan? Are you alright?" Jean said with a concerned look on her face. No answer. He seemed to stare at nothing, his mouth half open. His eyes watery. "My God, Logan, what's the matter?" Jean came closer to him. Close enough to see his chest rise up down, close enough to feel the air he was exhaling on her cheeks. She touched his face, just like the first time they met. "Logan, do you hear me?" she said. Jean's touch sent electricity through Logan's body and he finally looked at her. "Jean Grey…" he whispered quietly. There was remorse and sadness in his voice, but also hope. Hope that this would never happen to them, to her. Logan spoke her name with so much love and tenderness that Jean didn't have to be a mind reader to know how much he cared for her. "Logan…" she said while caressing his face. Jean's lips parted and brushed against his lightly. Logan sighed before he tasted Jean's full lips. Her scent drove him mad. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close to him, feeling her slim waist with his rough hands. Jean's hand slid down his chest, feeling his heart race, kissing him passionately. They enjoyed the kiss so much, they both forgot to breathe. Jean broke away to inhale sharply. Logan smiled at her, breathing heavily. He couldn't believe she was in his arms, they got a second chance. "You know me. How?" Jean asked as her hands touched his muscular back. "That's a long story, Jeannie. I'll tell ya later…" he said as he touched her hair, and his lips found hers again.