10 = Bare Your Soul

Amidst the forging of battle plans for the following day, Logan had stormed out, a fresh bottle from Remy's collection in hand. When Nina peeked out later, she found he had put together a fire tucked in some trees. The Void was actually rather peaceful at night. Maybe it was just this night.

"Hey, hey, I'm not looking for company," he grumbled as she approached.

"Oh, that's okay, neither am I, really. I just came out here to enjoy the fire, and the stars." She sat down on the farthest side of the log from him to give him his space. She tipped back her head and gazed up - the stars were really rather clear out here. "May I have a sip?" she asked after a long stretch of silence, nodding to the bottle in his hand.

He raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

"Yeah."

He shrugged and passed over the bottle. She took it and took a swig, immediately choking it back up.

"That happens every time," he remarked, taking back the bottle.

"I know, some things never change." She spluttered a few more times, but then the coughs subsided. "She's gone, isn't she. Your Nina."

"Just say she's dead."

"I'm very sorry for your loss." A Nina without a Logan, and a Logan without a Nina. "I know it feels like no one will understand, and I know people say time heals all wounds but it's hard to believe that when you're in the floodgates of grief. I mean, it's been years and it still hurts so fucking much, every day, like my entire soul has been ripped out. But would I give up all the time we spent together just to not have this pain? No fucking way."

If she had been expecting him to respond - she hadn't - he didn't, just took another long, deep gulp from the bottle in hand.

Crunching leaves and sticks signaled another approach - it was Laura.

"Hey, come join us," Nina called.

"Ugh, Jesus," Logan sighed as Laura sat down alongside them. Their family, each from a different universe, but reunited in a way, all the same.

"You remind me of him," Laura said, not looking at the man in question. "Angry, drunk, mean-"

"-Sounds like a great guy-"

"-Wasn't finished," she cut him off. Now she looked at him. "Showed up when it mattered most. Couldn't help it. You might not know it, but you're a good man, Logan."

Nina smiled - she may not know this Laura, but she sure was proud of her.

But Logan just chuckled darkly. "Well, you might not know it, but apparently I'm the worst Logan."

"Only according to a few," Nina was quick to say.

"Oh, a lot more than a few, Sweetheart."

"I got to grow up because of you, what you and Mami did for me and the other kids. I got to have a life because of you. A lot of kids did."

"A lot of kids didn't grow up because of me. Trust me, I'm no hero."

"That suit says different."

"Huh, you like it? Scott used to beg me to wear it. So did Storm, Jean, Beast. And Nina of course. All of them. They wanted me to be part of the team but I wouldn't - I told them they all looked fucking ridiculous. I mean, I couldn't have them thinking I wanted to be there. And then one day when I was off on my own, the humans came, and went mutant hunting."

"We can guess the rest-"

"No, no, let me - let me say it. I need to say it." And so they sat there quietly, in support, while he found the words to match his pain. "By the time I stumbled home shitfaced from the bar it was too late. They were dead, every-" He broke off, a sob catching in his throat behind his words. "-My friends, my wife. My family. And this suit's all I got to remember them by, to remind me of who they were, and what I did."

Before he could say anything else, he drowned any remaining words, confessions, or tears with a big gulp of liquor.

Nina desperately wanted to say something, wanted to do something, anything. But what to say or do? Nothing felt right.

Laura spoke. "We're headed to Cassandra's at sunup."

"Have fun, not my fight."

"We won't pull this off without you." Laura stood and began heading back to the hut.

"Hey, whoever you think I am, you've got the wrong guy."

Laura didn't hesitate. "You were always the wrong guy."

"Until you weren't," Nina finished.

Laura nodded. "Until you weren't."

Thank you SO MUCH for the 3000+ reads :D Shorter chapter because I wanted this scene to have it's own part.

Thank you so much for reading and I hope you enjoyed! :)