Lightning blazed across the sky. The wild crash once again thundered from the heavens. A wind that had been gentle and calm that evening had now become an untamed gale howling into the night. Although it was not yet totally dark the countryside had become dim, cast in shadows. Beneath the iron grey clouds the snow swirled madly in the strong winds, landing in droves covering the rocky land, the evergreens, everything in a thick, white blanket.
Stealthily a shadowy figure made his was through the trees. His pace was agonizingly slow and every step he took was enough to make him stumble and stagger. The freezing cold wind nipped and bit at his exposed flesh. There were tears in the jumpsuit he wore along with a military emblem embroidered on the back.
Lightening electrified the sky once more and the man jumped. He had not heard the crashes of thunder before now. All concentration was hell-bent on escaping. every fibre screaming with every inch of animal instinct he possessed. As he continued to run he realized that he couldn't have heard the thunder over the "lubb-dupp" sound that echoed in his ears, his heartbeat racing furiously as he fled.
Knee-high in snow he fumbled once more and fell to the ground. Cursing again, he staggered to his feet and attempted to speed up. 'Damn it!'
From where he had fallen there shone something trespassing on the perfect white surface. It cried out scarlet as it soaked into the surrounding snow, the single sign of a mortal wound.
His breathing was ragged and with every breath the cold air hit his lungs like a thousand icy daggers. Weakened and running purely on what had now become life sustaining adrenaline, his body was numb to the wounds that marred his flesh.
Once again his mind was void of all that had taken place. All he knew right then was that what had happened had shook him to his core and terrified him. These bouts of terror and tiny flashbacks of what had happened occasionally entered his mind, rattling around for a few seconds before his body took control. Animal instinct surging over the memories and swallowing them up whole as he continued to run.
Suddenly loud voices boomed over the howling wind. German soldiers carrying heavy weaponry flooded through the trees, their black uniforms making them look like oil pouring over the alabaster surface.
Blind terror seized his body and his pace hastened in wild panic. He staggered, stumbled and fell to his knees, got back to his feet with great effort and pushed on once more. It became harder and harder to run as fear crippled his breathing and turned his already heavy limbs to lead.
Gunshots rang out. Trees and rocks all around him exploded into fragments and he ducked and dived through the crossfire. Eyes wide in terror he looked around. Seeing the distant shadows of the soldiers growing ever closer he sprang into action again.
One step stumbling over the next, each one taking him that bit farther away from the hunters and their guns, each one draining him that bit more.
Gunshots sounded again, then nothing. No yelling. No exhaustion. No pain in taking every breath, No more fear. For a few seconds he felt nothing at all. Complete clarity.
All to soon it hit him. Fiery knives stabbing into his back, tearing his flesh through the thin material covering. Incredible pain gripped him and it was over. he collapsed with a single gasp for breath.
"Logan..."
Silence.
"...Logan wake up."
Rogue tried to bring him out of the nightmare that held him captive again. After what had happened last time she thought it better to stay put in bed till Logan was actually awake. She looked over the edge of the bed onto where he slept on the floor.
Logan jumped. Breathing rapidly he looked up and saw Rogue watching him. Seeing her face above him, watching over him, he felt safer and his heart rate and breathing began to steady as the images from the nightmare faded. He closed his eyes trying to focus. When he opened them again she wasn't there. He was about to call out to her when he felt something cold brush his face. He turned in the direction it came from and saw her again, hand outstretched to his face.
She knelt on the floor beside him, pressing the wet face cloth to his head gently trying not to startle him again. His body was covered in beads of sweat and he had become entangled in the covers he'd slept in. The heat from his skin radiated through the thin cloth and Rogue could feel the shudder that ran through him at the contact with the coolness of the water.
"Mmm...thankyou." Logan whispered.
"Don't mention it." Rogue replied offering him a slight smile.
She drew the cloth over his cheek and down his neck to his chest. Pressing it to him softly, wiping off all the tiny beads before laying it on the floor and resting her gloved hands in her lap. It occurred to her that this was the first time she'd had to answer the demand in her head. Frowning she cleared her throat.
"D'you um, d'you remember any of it?" she asked awkwardly. "Ah mean, now that it's over."
Logan took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Closing his eyes again he spoke.
"Nothing..." he began, "...just,"
Trailing off he opened his eyes and looked up at her. He was Wolverine, this kind of stuff didn't come easy to and he was sure as long as he lived no other soul would hear him admit it.
"...just fear." he finished, sounding a little ashamed.
Rogue just sat and listened. She appreciated how hard it was for him to be saying this. Understanding his fear from the dreams she'd shared with him every night since he'd gone, she simply laid a hand on his shoulder to let him feel she was there.
He just gazed back up at her, not knowing what else to say. It dawned on him that she'd been likely to have went through his nightmares too. He prayed for her sake that she no longer did and he couldn't stop the question leaving his lips.
"Do you still have them?" he asked her, partly dreading the answer.
She nodded and nervously ran a hand through her hair pushing it behind one ear, the white shock falling back into her face almost immediately.
"Sometimes." her accent drawled.
Inside Logan something broke. To know that, because of him, her dreams were also plagued. Another reason for his promise of care to turn to dust before him.
Sitting up he pulled the covers from his entangled legs and sat them aside. He leaned back against the old oak bedstand. Sliding a hand up to where hers rested on his shoulder, her sign of comfort when he spoke of fear, he spoke again this time his voice wrought with guilt.
"Are you afraid?"
Rogue let his hand take hold of hers as she thought about his question. She was a little unsure as to whether he'd meant afraid of the dreams of afraid of him because of what she's seen of him in the dreams. Slowly she gripped his hand in her grasp and answered him.
"Ah'm not afraid of the dreams. They kept somethin' of you with me all the time you were gone."
Looking him in the eye, never breaking contact with him she continued.
"Ah was afraid of what they did to you. Ah saw how they hurt you, felt the terror and pain you felt. Ah hated not bein' able to make it easier for you. Ah wanted to be there with you. Maybe comfortin' you the way y'did me when ah was scared."
She stopped, beginning to be overcome at the memories of his pain and fear. Logan saw her eyes fill and he squeezed her hand in his.
"I'm sorry."
It was all he could say. All that had the smallest chance of making her feel better. To make it alright. He was still partly asleep, his eyes felt gritty and they were getting harder and harder to focus. He saw the concern on Rogue's face.
As if she took his apology as some kind of signal, Rogue gathered her thoughts together and took a deep breath. She stood up still holding Logan's hand and stepped across his outstretched legs. She released his hand slowly as she got into bed. Gathering the covers together and making herself comfy again she held up the end nearest Logan, offering him a more comfortable place to try and get some sleep. After all he looked exhausted.
"Forgiven" then she whispered "C'mon ah'll take care of you."
Logan thought better of the situation for a few seconds. He was never one to think everything through first anyway. And he was so tired, a comfy bed wasn't something he wanted to turn down right now.
He eased himself up off the floor and took the raised end of the quilt from her. He slipped under it keeping only the thin sheet that lay beneath it between them. Remembering the first time he'd uttered her last words to her he found that the role reversal amused him. Smiling he whispered to her softly.
"You promise?" He laid his head back on the soft pillow and waited for her answer.
"Ah promise." she answered sincerely.
Those words were the last Logan heard that night. Slipping away into a peaceful sleep, one that was not plagued by haunting images for once. Rogue propped herself up on her pillow next to him. She thought he looked really peaceful in his sleep. Completely innocent. 'When he ain't thrashin' around and groanin' anyway.'
His breathing was steady and deep. She watched intently as his chest rose and fell evenly under the covers. As Logan continued to dream Rogue lay and watched over him, running her gloved fingers through his soft hair until she too slipped away into a peaceful dream.
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Author's Chapter Notes:
This is part 4, well whadda ya know, I've made it beyond one. Yay me! Hope ya like!