Memories

Conversations with the Dead

Disclaimer: I don't own the X-Men or any of their characters. Tora and Weapon X-ii are my own though.

His fingers dug into the earth and then he reached out and touched the catnip planted next to the gravestone. He had a feeling Kurt had done that. Tora would have thought that was funny. He knew 'Ro was responsible for the different types mint surrounding the grave. But the catnip was pure Kurt. He liked the gesture. He didn't have cut flowers. She hated those. A family friend had brought them in France and she'd got riled up about it. So instead, people had planted flowers over the grave. Etana had brought some exotic plant that came from one obscure valley in an obscure country and it had taken root and started to spread. 'Ro had taken most of them to cultivate. But the grave was a mass of teeming flowers. Foxglove, hollyhock, lavender, heather. Wild flowers mainly. Beast had told him about the nitrogen in her body being used by the plants. It seemed oddly fitting that this sea of colour was a part of her. He reached out again and dug his fingers into the earth.

"I want you back. Even if you were ignoring me again, I want you back. I just want to see you again. Not some impostor. The real you with your eyes and smile and scars. To hear your voice and see you standing up for the kids on the street, or the woman in the bar. I want you standing beside me, with that warning hand on my arm. I want the you that planned the Bastille fireworks for Eloise. I'd do anything to have you back."

A low cough made him turn round. Kurt was standing there looking worried.

"You better see this."

His tone made it obvious this was important. Logan followed him after a whispered goodbye. It stood to reason everyone knew about his nighttime prowls. He lived with two of the world's best telepaths. They could sense the pain rolling off him all the time. And a couple of times he'd sensed Jean standing behind him, watching as he knelt beside the simple grey marble stone. He let her stay and let her hear him telling Tora about what had happened. He stepped into the mansion hall and saw the others looking worried.

"What?"

"They were searching for ex-guards. Three were reported dead. Within eight hours of each other. Stabbed. Exactly the same way. And DNA evidence points to it being Tora who did it. It was the night before…you know…she died. Her healing halters were diagnosed as poison by the coroner."

Logan couldn't believe what he was hearing. Tora, a murderer? No. He couldn't, wouldn't believe it. And anyway, it was impossible for her to have been away that night. He somehow remembered every second of it. She'd been with the others until ten, first playing chess with Charles, then joining him, Cap and Remy for the poker which she had won. Again. Then she'd gone upstairs and he'd followed five minutes later, to join her in the shower. She couldn't have left at all in the night. Etana and Storm both wandered a lot in the night and both would have heard Tora moving. Or not… She was light on her feet and could easily jump out of a window if required. But he had woken up a few times and she'd been curled up next to him. It was impossible for her to have killed them. And she wouldn't have been so stupid as to use her own claws to kill someone. No, she'd have used a knife or a bullet if she thought there was the slightest chance of being caught. But he knew if she had to, she'd use her own claws. It gave them a chance to fight her off, a chance to escape. Not a big chance, but a chance none the less. Why was he thinking like this? Tora would never kill anyone. Ever. And even thinking that she would, that was the worst thing he could do. Etana tilted her head back.

"She's not guilty."

No one doubted the statement. Etana had been right about things before. She's even been able to predict exactly what Sue Richards would be wearing on the day of the wedding. Down to the shoes. Which was impressive seeing as she had changed her mind eighteen times beforehand. And she'd sent a letter of consolation that had been posted three days before Tora's death. She kept saying she wasn't a precog but she definitely had prior warning to important events. And not so important events, like Jubilee roller-skating down the stairs and ending up being held up by Eloise, who now seemed to be gaining telekinetic powers. At any rate, Etana had been there with a camera, to get the look on Jubes' face. At least they'd had something to smile about just now. Smiles were hard to come by. Eloise was simply going through the motions, not really bothering with her powers and relying on her shields to keep the pain out. Jean, Rogue and Ororo were spending a lot of time sitting in the attic together, often taking up three coffees and an herbal tea, just for 'old times sake'. Everyone knew they used to talk together up there. About what, no one really knew. 'Just stuff' was all the three would answer. Kitty seemed to miss having someone to talk computers with and everyone knew Hank had been crying in the library over the books she had made a note in 'Give to Hank in case of death'. No one mentioned the deep-set pain in their hearts. Could a year and a half really be long enough for someone to become the glue which held the X-Men together? Yes. That quiet voice of reason, that ear that listened. She was important to them. Had been important to them. It was so hard to think of her in the past tense. There was something –present about her. The image of her in the group photo, which had seemed to be hiding, now seemed the most prominent figure there. Standing behind the Professor, a slight smile on her face. Hand linked with Logan's, head tilted slightly to one side. Taken two weeks before the wedding. She couldn't be dead, not Tora, not the consummate survivor. People kept asking what she thought of things, or what she was going to do. Then an awkward silence when they realized no one would ever answer.

Far away, a woman completely covered in plain armour rose from her crossed-legged position on the mat to walk over to the window. The carved eyes, the only things that suggested there was a human inside, glowed softly with a faint green light. Inside the helmet, data readouts flickered. Even Iron Man's most advanced armour wasn't up to this level of tech. However, it couldn't fly and it didn't have repulsor cannons. But it gave her all round protection and a level of anonymity unheard of before. And inside her adamantium shell, the woman shuddered. She had a mission to complete. Then she could live again.

"Can we skip ahead to September? When Luke came?"

"Of course."

The waters swirled once more.