Title: A Special Kind Of Mission.

Chapter 1.

The class heard her customised wheels approaching long before she arrived and the newest addition to the mansion (so far only known as Jake something or other, sent here because he’s trouble with a capitol T apparently,) got off to a far from perfect start if the looks on the rest of the class were anything to go by. Not only had he stared with a mix of awe, admiration and approval which by all accounts was bad enough but he’d also muttered what was apparently the ultimate sin by letting the word ‘cool’ slip from his mouth as those wheels came into view.

The boy sat in front of Jake shifted his seat around - threw his hands up and made air quote marks while quietly pointing out that Mr Logan always said - ‘something that looked like it’d been through an explosion in a paint factory could never be considered cool’, this was followed by another greatly exaggerated hand gesture to signal the end of the quote. Jake took one quick glance around the room and seeing the others all nod in agreement quickly decided he’d been given a heads up and that whoever the hell Mr Logan was it was probably best to agree with him. Maybe he was just like Mr Collins, his old head teacher and no finer example of a complete and utter bastard were you ever likely to find. Just his luck he thought as he sat quietly trying to take it all in, this place was supposed to be better and already it was looking like all teachers no matter where you go are all the same. It was the only explanation he could come up with as to why no-one else thought that the unique multicoloured custom wheelchair that just came in the room wasn’t the coolest thing they’d ever seen.

“Good morning class.”

Good lord above, the teacher must have been 90 on a damn good day Jake thought, probably couldn’t remember what happened yesterday let alone recall all the relevant information needed for a history class. Maybe there was a sickness bug at the mansion or something and the old lady had been the only person well enough (or though that was probably debateable given her age) to sit in with them today.

Credit where credit was due though, to be that old and have the balls to ride in a chair like that – or then again maybe she’d totally lost her marbles and she and he had missed out on some kind of practical joke.

“Good morning Miss Lee” came a chorus of kids from all around the room. They were all smiling Jake noted, maybe they were about to get given a free pass to ‘study on their own,’ after all, it probably took all her energy to get to the classroom let alone trying to control a whole class of kids for a few hours.

“Lets just get one thing straight before we begin shall we? Whether I’m sitting back there with you or sitting up here at the front its Jubilee or Jubes, either or, I’m not that fussed but you can all drop this Miss Lee twaddle right now.”

The girl sitting to Jake’s left shot her hand up in the air so fast that he thought he was loosing it, the ‘teacher’ and at that thought Jake couldn’t help but smile, (teacher in the loosest possible sense) had only just said good morning, when were the questions? Was the lesson conducted telepathically?

“Yes Sasha?”

“Have you seen Mr Logan this morning?”

Ahh Jake thought, good for you, keep track of the bastard before he can sneak up on you. Smart girl. Be prepared, God they must all be really worried in case he’s taking over from the already-decaying-OAP-who-doesn’t-want-to-be-called-Miss-sitting-in-the-not-allowed-to-be-cool-because-Mr-bastard-Logan-said-so-chair.

“I have.”

Short and sweet. Straight in there with a truthful yet useless statement. Definitely not enough of an explanation there, lacking the relevant details required, is he running late? Is he relieving her at all or is he sick? Better still is he on his last legs? Leaving?

“Why’s he just sitting out there? It’s snowing, wont he catch cold or freeze to death or something?”

“He’ll be just fine Sasha, you know very well he’s a healer and so far nature’s only ever come up with one thing stronger than him and able to knock him on his ass. A little bit of snow won’t hurt him, hell, if a great big avalanche fell on top of him he’d just dust himself off and walk away, that’s not to say he wouldn’t moan like a stuck pig about it mind you. The big old fool is, well he’s..........

I tell you what, stuff the lesson plan, why don’t we do a different kind of history class today.”

Jake knew it, bastards were bastards the world over and this one just happened to be a mutant healer. To top it all, history class was now officially in session with Grandma Julie/Judy/Jubey or whatever her name was probably about to reminisce or something. He wouldn’t be surprised if an old photo album thingy or two came out. Still pictures, Jesus, how boring. Thank god for the evolution of technology – Christ this place was the pits.

Chapter 2.

Jake was surprised at how everyone else seemed excited. There was no talking, no messing about, they were all attentive, all sitting forward patiently waiting for Miss Lee to start her so called ‘lesson’. She would have been such an easy target but he didn’t have much of a choice but to go with the flow, he was the new boy and much as it seemed this place was just about as crap as the last one, it was back to Mr Collins or stay here and Hell itself would have to freeze over before he would go back.

“Well let’s see, it started a long time ago.......”

“A long, long, *long* time ago.”

“Yes, thank you for that Peter, my legs may not work too well anymore but surprisingly enough my hearing is still pretty damn good. But you’re right; it was a long, long time ago. I was young.....” she quickly shot a warning glance around the room “.....and before you say a word, yes, I know it seems hard to imagine, but you’ll just have to trust me on this – The old woman sat before you was once young. I didn’t always look like this you know. My hair wasn’t always grey, my legs worked just fine and I sure as hell didn’t have any of these wrinkles.

Anyway, so we’ve established that I was young, but my life had been, hmm, well to put it bluntly it was fucking awful” there were more than a few gasps and shocked expressions floating around the room, Jake in particular looked like he’d swallowed a few flies “Oh give over, I know full well there’s no words I can say that will shock any of you, I could probably learn a few of the more trendy ones from you lot and this old dog is certainly up for learning a few new tricks! I may look like I’m knocking on deaths door but I wasn’t always this way – get used to it, this old girl can swear and to this day probably drink most of the mansions inhabitants under the table. I do what I want when I want to do it and there isn’t a damn thing anyone can do about it. I did not grow old gracefully I just grew old. Got it?” she threw them a wink and a smirk and a slightly deeper appreciation for anyone over pensionable age was seen in the eye’s of all those around her. “Now let me concentrate, this old brain’s on it’s last legs and shrinking by the minute you know” letting the giggles die down she continued “So my life was shit - emphasis on the s the h the i and the t, but the Professor found me and brought me back here to the mansion and it didn’t take long before this place became home.

Back then, things were a lot different, you’ve all studied history, you know all about human/mutant conflicts, the registration act and the war - well I’ve lived through all of it, and let me tell you, some of it was about as far from pleasant as you can get. When I was young I thought it was just how things were – people just hated mutants and that was that. When I came here, the Professor preached his dream of one day living in a world where humans and mutants lived in peace, and it did sometimes seem just like a dream - especially when the war came, but we kept on fighting, kept on believing in that dream, and, well, with only a few flaws left here we are.

“What was it like to be an x-man?”

No way thought Jake, no way in hell was this woman ever an x-man/woman/person/whatever, just no way.

“Was Mr Logan one?”

God forbid he quickly added to his thoughts.

“Yes Nathan he was. And Sophie?” She paused for a moment, how to explain that one, what was it like?

“It was like being in Heaven and Hell at the same time, but that’s not what I need to tell you about today.

Back then this place was a safe haven for mutants, somewhere they could stay and be safe - or as relatively safe as the world would allow. Not just a school, not just somewhere to learn control of your gifts but a sanctuary for those lost, abused or thrown away. You have to remember that back then mutants were outcasts – a lot of families sold, hurt or threw away their own flesh and blood just because they were different.

That’s sort of how I first came to know my best friend Rogue, well her and the old fool sitting out there in the snow.

I’d been here about a year when the biggest meanest mother of them all arrived. We had a guy here at the time called Colossus and he was absolutely huge” Jubes spotted two of the girls giggling and couldn’t help but smile “That was his code name girls not his measure in other departments, although thinking about it.....” at some horrified looks from a few of the boys in the class Jubes decided to leave that particular part of the story well alone. Certain facts did not need to be recorded for this type of history lesson, though if certain parties were to remember certain facts then that was all well and good, and for the record, he had nothing compared to.........well enough was enough, after all it wasn’t remembrance day, a sex education lesson, or a ‘which x-man had the biggest penis’ competition.

Although maybe it was remembrance day after all; she couldn’t help but giggle out loud as her mind constructed the perfect picture of the competition winner, naked as the day he was born, standing proudly with a specially designed medal that didn’t hang around his neck.

To the highly observant there was still a glint in her old eyes as she continued “Anyway as I was saying, Piotr or Colossus as he was known, was a giant, he stood 6 foot 6 which is about two meters to you lot and was built like a brick privy, that’s a.....well never mind lets just say he was a big guy, especially when he armoured up – he could turn himself into living organic metal making him look even bigger, damn handy in a fight but generally he was a pussy cat, it was written all over him, quiet, shy and just a big old gentle giant. The new guy however was a totally different kettle of fish. He screamed mean, evil badass from any angle. He was well built, with muscles to make any girl swoon, nowhere near as tall as Piotr so you wouldn’t think he looked that threatening but you’d be dead wrong, he just had a certain look that made everyone want to run a mile and every time you took another look he seemed to be able to take it to another level.

His name was Logan. Codename Wolverine”

Yep, Jake thought, here we go, the life and times of the soon to be his teacher more commonly known as the mean evil badass bastard. He had a sneaky suspicion that Mr Collins was loosing the championship title belt he’d won ever year – this years winner of the ‘bastard who screws up my life’ belt could well be going elsewhere.

Chapter 3.

“It was the middle of the night when we next saw Logan. He was in a heap, convulsing on his bedroom floor. Of course we were all about as usless as tits on a bull, we all stood there just staring, not knowing what to do. Rogue was there, and that just brought up all kinds of questions, and as she fled the room, well we all got the hell out of the way. You see Rogue’s gift was her skin, although she flatly refused to call it a gift on account of the fact that whenever she touched someone she absorbed their life-force along with their memories and thoughts and in the case of mutants their gifts too and she had no control whatsoever, so you can see why a) we all got out of her way and b) why there were questions as to why Logan had been touched in the middle of the night?”

Yeah not only a mean evil bastard but a perverted one too. How did this creep get to be a teacher for Christ’s sake? Let alone an x-man?

Unfortunately for Jake he’d not only thought it but said it out loud and Jubilee had heard it all.

“Jake, he *is* a mean evil bastard when he needs to be and I’ve been plenty grateful over the years that he has been. He’s saved my life on many an occasion. He’s not just good at what he does, he’s the best. The world that you live in is here because of him and others who fought alongside him. The war may be over but there are still a few things and people you need protecting from, you of all people should know that, and Mr Logan well, nobody does protection quite like him. He is as I already said - the best there is. As for the rest, well I can’t blame you for thinking what we all did, but I haven’t finished this lesson yet and you should always wait until you’ve heard the whole story before you make judgements. Just like we did, you have a lot to learn.

Logan was down in the med lab, out for the count for about three days. Rogue was bunking in with me and my friend Katherine code name Shadow cat, or as we called her - Kitty”

“Great Grandma Kit?”

“Yes Sam your great grandma. Rogue was real quiet but Kitty and I decided enough was enough, well to tell you the truth it was driving us crazy, we just had to know what the hell she was doing in the mean but definitely drop dead gorgeous hunks room in the middle of the night. – Rumour was that it was Logan that had brought her here and they’d been on the road together for years. Well when she finally opened up we found out that most of that was the typical mansion rumour mill getting away with itself again. She’d been on the road for eight months having had no choice but to run away from home, but she had only just met Logan, stowed away in his trailer by all accounts until he found her and dumped her at the side of the road.

Sense prevailed and he gave her a ride, gave her some food and let her warm herself on the heater in his truck, the way she told it you’d think he’d given her the moon but I guess you had to have been there. They hadn’t been on the road long when a crazy mutant called Sabertooth attacked them, The X-men came to their rescue and they ended up here.

As for being in his room in the middle of the night, well it was all boringly innocent, she’d heard him having a nightmare and because he sounded like he was in pain she’d tried to wake him from it with disastrous results. To this day if any of you ever hear Mr Logan whilst he’s sleeping – do not under any circumstances attempt to wake him up. He wakes up scared and still locked in his nightmares trying to escape it all with his claws ready for action and landing in any flesh within distance. That’s exactly what happened to Rogue, stabbed straight threw the chest with 9 inch adamantium blades. She was dying so she touched him and absorbed his healing.”

Claws? Blades? Just how much of an arsenal was this guy packing? A bastard with nothing to stop him because he’s a healer and now deathly blades had been added to the list, this place was getting worse by the minute. He was obviously being punished for something he’d done in a previous life Jake thought as he slumped slightly in his chair.

“Course she thought she’d killed him, and I hasten to add she very nearly did. You remember I told you nature has only come up with one thing strong enough to put him down – well nature designed Rogue. She also thought that everyone was angry with her, so she ran, but Logan up and followed. Cutting a very long story short, you’ve heard the story of Lady Liberty, the night Magneto tried to change all of the human population? – well it was Rogue who was strapped in the machine, Rogue who was being killed by it, and Mr Logan who even though he knew it would probably kill him, flatly refused to let her die, grabbed hold of her and wouldn’t let her go until her skin drained nearly every drop of life he had. Even then if I remember correctly it was Rogue who woke up and had to pry him away to break their connection. Kitty and me, well we thought it was just the most romantic thing, I mean a man like that does not just willingly give his life for you having not long met you with no ulterior motive. We figured that motive was love.

We didn’t count on Mr Logan being as thick as two short planks, or the fact that he’d leave.

But he was, and he did, and we had to deal with the aftermath.

Chapter 4.

Mr Logan doesn’t remember his past. Well, his past that was back then. It’s been........christ about 75 years since he first came here, so I suppose he’s got a lifetimes memories now, but with his healing who knows how long he’s been on the planet? The man could well be older than dirt.

Before we’d ever met him, he’d had his memories ripped away from him. He was taken and used as a government experiment, tortured and abused, some of which was just for their idea of fun and entertainment. The real experiment though was to make him more invincible than he already was. He had red hot molten metal poured into his body and grafted on to his bones - while he was awake I might add. They tried to make him into a killing machine, and I don’t care what he say’s they failed big time. Don’t get me wrong, if you came up in a fight with him, you’d loose big style but it’s his instinct’s and his strong senses that make him good at what he does and he used them and every dirty trick in the book to save us and fight for the world we have now. That is not what they wanted. They wanted the machine - someone without a conscience to kill at their beck and call. Someone who’d do all their dirty work without any questions. They failed.

What he went through is way beyond comparison to anything I know and I’ve seen some evil in my time. The nightmares that he suffers reveal the only memories he was left with. He re-lives all of it over and over in his dreams. Yet despite what he went through he came out with the knowledge of right and wrong even if he couldn’t remember anything else.

He may have been no angel, a loner who’s priority was number one which was understandable given everything he’d been through but he never let them win. Later on I think Rogue helped him a lot but he was and is a good man. Just don’t ever let on to him that I told you that. He’s a big softie really but I don’t say it to his face – I like to let him keep the illusion of badass.”

Jake had read all about the laboratories. How mutants were taken against their will, the horrors they’d faced and how so many of them had been tortured and killed. It was hard to read, especially the survivor’s detailed tales of day to day events, but there’s a certain distance from reality he supposed when you’re just reading about it and hadn’t been there. No wonder the bastard was a bastard; at least he had an excuse, unlike Mr Collins who was more like the Government Dr’s, he enjoyed being not only a bastard but a sick twisted sadistic one at that. He got off on the power it gave him, and he didn’t care what he had to do or who he had to tread on in the process to keep it.

“The one thing Mr Logan did have from his past was a set of dog tags and I think he clung to them like they were his lifeline, but the day he left here he gave them to Rogue. Of course the Jackass didn’t listen when she told him she didn’t want him to leave, but he gave her the tags and told her he’d be back for them.

We all found out later that the Professor had found a clue to his past and that’s why he’d gone. He’d been searching for the 15 years since his escape and I suppose it was hard to break the habit of his remembered lifetime.

He may have gone looking for a past he couldn’t remember, but Kitty and I knew we were right, He had two lifelines now, his tags and Rogue and he’d given up one and entrusted it with the other. There was no other explanation for leaving her with his only link to himself. Definitely L with an O a V and a very big E. The past be damned, for the first time he had a future, we just had to get his very cute yet stubborn little ass to admit it.

He came back, always said hi and hugged Rogue, they’d talk for hours on end and I never did find out about what, although not from lack of trying. He’d stay for a few days or weeks and then leave again but Rogue always seemed to know he’d be back. That knowledge didn’t stop her heart breaking each time he left, and Kitty and I had to deal with the consequences of his leaving over and over again and believe me it’s not a pretty sight seeing your best friend heartbroken.

It was about two years later when I finally snapped, decided to try and knock some sense into him, told him what he was doing to her, how much he was hurting her and the way he stormed off into the night I seriously thought I’d blown it and that would be the last we ever saw of the Idiot.

I couldn’t have been more wrong though, come morning Rogue was M.I.A. and when I finally found her, well I’d rather not dwell on the images that *that* particular memory brings forth so lets just say I was right, Mr Logan and Rogue were destined to be together, and together they finally were.

“You mean they were..........”

Interrupting the small voice that came from the back of the class before she went forth with her sentence Jubes quickly replied “Yes Jade they were.” Going at it like a pair of Duracell bunnies high on Viagra she thought but refrained from adding.

But the same voice carried on regardless “I thought she couldn’t touch?”

“No Jade she couldn’t but Mr Logan was a very clever, very imaginative man and trust me they were managing just fine.”

A damn sight more than fine as she recalled.

Chapter 5.

“What you have to understand is she was the first person never to be scared of him, the first person he ever learned to trust but because of what he’d been through and the way he was because of it, he thought he wasn’t good enough for her, thought she deserved better and didn’t want to chance loosing the only good thing he said had ever happened to him. Turns out stupidity was a longstanding inbuilt trait, – well once she finally beat aforementioned stupidity out of him with the teeniest bit of help from yours truly, there was no stopping them. I even saw him smile once or twice and I’ll tell you the first time I saw it I almost fell off my chair. I was smiling at the same time though, he deserved to be happy and so did she.

Mr Logan always thought her mutation was the best gift of all.” There were a few frowns in her audience at that statement so she tried to explain. “They were meant to be in more ways than one – If ever Rogue was hurt, Mr Logan knew he could touch her and save her. She would try and stop him ‘cause according to him it hurt like a bitch, she knew it, and the last thing she ever wanted to do was hurt him, like I said – it was L.o.v.e. sweet really although sometimes annoying as hell. I mean we all knew he was as tough as old boots but she never once treated him that way. He however, as we’ve already covered is stubborn when he wants to be and she always lost. Mr Logan didn’t care, being able to give her his healing no matter what the cost was ok with him.

She was right you know. Just because he heals, well he’d already had government dr’s take full advantage of that fact. He didn’t need us doing it too. He *is* tough but he’s still flesh and blood and he feels pain just like anyone else.

They got married, here at the mansion and Kitty and I were bridesmaids, damn fine looking ones at that even if I do say so myself. The big Loaf was even suited and booted for the occasion which believe me happens only once in a blue moon, such a rarity is Mr Logan in a suit that we took extra pictures just to prove it did really happen.

Its good job denim’s still around though because that man would not survive long without a pair of Jeans glued tightly across his mighty fine backside.

They were nothing but happy, for a while anyway.

She was so many things, his friend, in a way his saviour I think, his lover, his wife, and the only one to give him peace.

She was and is his life.

That’s why he’s out there. He feels closer to her out there. Today’s their anniversary and each and every year you’ll see him sitting out there come hell or high water. Over and over he’ll trace the letters etched in the marble he’s sitting in front of - 5 letters, one word, but to him it reads so much more. One name with a hell of a lot of meanings wrapped up in it - especially for him.

It’s the only headstone away from the rest. It stands alone with room at its side so when the time eventually comes he can be with her again.”

“But that one just say’s Marie?”

“Yes Sophie Rogue’s real name was Marie.

Like so many others, too many, she died during the war and most of Mr Logan died with her.

They were all thinking it but surprisingly Jake was the one who spoke up “Why didn’t he touch her and save her?”

“They called it ‘M.G.S.’, their last ditch effort at the end of the war. It was a highly unstable untested drug, not that they cared. It negated a mutant’s power, that’s what it was designed to do anyway, neuter us, make us 'safe'. She was hit with two darts and just fell like a stone. Mr Logan tried but her skin wouldn’t take the life he was trying to give it. He kept hold of her, desperately hoping her skin would react, refused to let her go long after her body shut down, poisoned by the same drug.

He got left behind with a lot of life left to live.

When I go, I’ll be buried out there with all the other x-men, and that’ll leave only one. There’s a lot more to him than you may think, he’s been through more than anyone should ever have to but he’s still fighting when he could have easily given up. He’ll stay and he’ll look out for you - you kids will be all he has left, so it’s up to you to look out for him and keep him on his toes. Maybe remind him once in a while that he fought and they failed. Of course you could try and kick his butt every now and again but I wouldn’t recommend it!”

“Did you ever get married?”

“Not because of a lack of offers but no sweetheart I didn’t. I did however, have a hell of a lot of fun!”

“Ewwwww” was the single statement echoed around the room from all corners.

Jubes just smiled, she may be old but was still able to shock the hell out of a bunch of kids. Today was a good day.

“Jubilation Lee what the hell are you doin’ takin’ classes?” everyone jumped at the deep rough voice of the man leaning in the doorframe as he bellowed out his question.

Jake sat and couldn’t help but stare. Jubilee was obviously smart – she also told the truth – there was only one person the man in the doorway could be and Mr Logan really did look like one mean son of a bitch.

“Worried about me Wolvie?, I’m touched!”

Well maybe not so smart, Wolvie? Death wish maybe.

“That’s Logan, Mr Logan or Wolverine to you, now off with ya, leave these poor kids alone, this class is officially dismissed. Go terrorise someone else, I hear the art class wants another go at that butt ugly chair of yours.”

“It’s gorgeous and you know it.”

“Stunning, come on I’ll give ya a push.”

“Mechanics class tweaked and supercharged the power cells last week - I’ll give you a race.”

“You ever gonna grow up?”

“Good God no!”

“Just checking, you want a head start?”

“Go!”

A mean looking badass and a wheelchair ridden pensioner racing down the corridor. There were no words, it was the most surreal thing any of them had ever seen. The room was filled with nothing but gaping mouths and silence.

Chapter 6.


“It’s time Logan.”

“What makes you say that?”

“I can feel it and I know damn well you can too.”

“Mmm Maybe.”

“You know as well as I do there isn’t any maybe about it. You know I hate to admit it but I’m gonna miss you.”

“Nah you wont, don’t be goin’ all mushy on me ‘cause I sure as hell aint gonna miss you.”

“And I never said thanks.”

“What for?”

“I guess everything just about sums it up.”

“Your welcome kid.”

“Got nothing to pay you back with, although I could leave you my chair, you never know you may need it one day!”

“I wouldn’t be seen dead in it and you know it. I’ll stick it down in the art room, you never know, without your influence one day they may come up with a decent paint scheme for it! and you don’t owe me nothin’ kid but I do have one favour.”

“What?”

“Tell her I miss her and I’ll see her soon?”

“I’ll tell her about you’re grey hair!”

“It’s only one........or maybe two.”

“It’s a start.”

“Yeah it is.”


Having spotted the new ultra cool paint job on the chair sitting outside the rec room and having gone to inspect, Jake had unintentionally overheard. A little while later he watched in silence as Mr Logan carried Jubilee out of the room. It had only been a few days ago when she’d been laughing and joking, swearing like a sailor and telling her story, not to mention racing down the corridor.

Only yesterday she had caught up with him, nearly running him over in the process. She told him that she and Mr Logan were aware of the type of person Mr Collins was, how they’d seen people like that all their lives, how they’d spent a lifetime ridding the world of people like that and how it was a such a shame they weren’t technically allowed to do that anymore. She’d emphasised the word technically and winked at him – he’d been trying to work out what that meant ever since. She told him in no uncertain terms of the high hopes she had for him and as he just stood there with a confused look on his face she had smiled, old haggard eye’s had definitely been sparkling with hints of mischief Jake thought. She went on to explain that the Mansion Prank Underground was seriously in need of some new blood. The kids were getting boring and way too predictable. She told him of some ‘classics’ as she called them and some that Jake could only describe as ingenious. “You’ll be fine Jake; the old place will grow on you as will the people in it. Oh and don’t forget” she shouted as she whizzed away “He’s seen it all before - you have to be damn sneaky and unique!”

She was as full of life as he’d ever seen anyone of any age be, but now she was gone and if he wasn’t mistaken the so called bastard gently cradling her frail frame had tears in his eyes.


~ ~ ~ ~ ~


The snow that had been constantly falling the last few days had finally stopped and it was a bright if far from warm day. The sun was low in the sky but appropriately shone various shades of amber through the trees. Most had come dressed in an array of bright colours, and a lone, custom painted, very cool wheelchair stood proudly front and centre. It was quite a sight. Jake sat and waited patiently for the crowd to disperse before he walked forward and laid the handmade multicoloured posy on to her grave but as he turned to leave someone caught his arm and stopped him in his tracks.

With his heart hammering and about to stop at any minute, Jake tried desperately not to show any fear. Against his wishes (if he’d actually been given a choice), he suddenly found himself toe to toe with one mean looking badass who was way to close for comfort - if he was honest with himself he was probably failing miserably in the lack of showing any fear department. Jubilee had been right when it came to him having a certain kind of look that made you want to run and as the mean looking badass moved to close what was already what Jake could only describe as a non existent gap between the two of them, he knew there was no longer any probably about it.

“Hideous arrangement of flowers kid.”

Like a rabbit caught in the headlights, he couldn’t even seem to blink and his heart had now definitely stopped. He’d tried his best but funnily enough flower arranging hadn’t ever been high on his list of priorities in the past, it just seemed like something you were supposed to do on these kind of occasions. At least he’d made an effort, Mr Logan he noticed was holding just one single flower. Should he run now? Probably a good idea - if only his legs didn’t suddenly feel four times the weight they used to be and about ready to collapse him to a heap on the ground.

If he hadn’t been so worried about his legs giving way he may have noticed the smirk appearing earlier than he did, it caught him by surprise and somehow he thought looked a little strange and unnatural on the imposing scary figure that was Mr Logan.

“You did good, she’d love ‘em, damn fool woman never had any taste........ Oh and Jake?......... He aint ever gonna hurt you or anyone else again. Those bruises you’re tryin’ so hard to hide? They get to heal and disappear for good here. You get a problem from now on ya come to me ok?

How the fuck did he know? Is he telepathic too? “Erm.......Yes Sir.”

“Relax kid, you’re safe here, just do me a favour and quit with the Sir - just Logan or Mr Logan ‘ll do just fine.

Ya know you reminded her of how she was at your age so I guess that means your gonna be as much of a pain in my ass as she was. Oh, and just so ya know - even though she said it was, and I quote, ‘Sooo worth it’, in all her years of plannin’ and schemin’ she only ever got me twice – but bring it on kid, feel free to let the games begin!”

Rooted to the spot and seemingly still unable to make his legs move, Jake watched Mr Logan stride away, noticed him stop briefly to lay a solitary rose stem on a distant grave before disappearing out of sight as he walked off into the woods.

Taking a deep breath to get his heart started again, Jake took one last look at the grave in front of him, she’d been alright. About as weird as they come but definitely alright. Maybe she was right about Mr Logan; maybe he was a different kind of bastard and this place wouldn’t be so bad after all.

The End.