Title: Missing 5/? Author: sharonmjl47
Rating: NC-17
Category: Movieverse.
Disclaimer: I own nothing, and no one. Sad, isn’t it!
Feedback: Please, bad or good. If no one tells me it’s bad, I won’t know!
**********************
EIGHT MONTHS LATER……
“…the Neanderthal was a species of the Homo genus that inhabited Europe and parts of western Asia. The first proto-Neanderthal traits appeared in …”
Liam leaned in close to Louise and whispered. “Are you bored yet?”
“…although they did not reach extinction in Europe until 33,000 to 24,000 years ago, perhaps 15,000 years after Homo Sapiens had…”
She smothered a chuckle. “Oh, I was bored the moment she opened her mouth!” She whispered back, her arms still crossed over her chest as they stood behind the group of teenagers listening to the tour guide.
“…such as large braincase, short but robust builds, and large noses — traits selected by nature in cold climates. Their brain sizes have…”
“You agreed that we would help ‘Ro with the museum trip.”
She turned to look at him, disgust on her face. “I agreed to look out for the kids. I *did not* agree to stand and listen to a robotic tour guide that looks like Barbie with a tanning addiction.”
“…although such estimates have not been adjusted for their more robust builds. On average, Neanderthal males stood about 1.65 m tall…”
“I think she’s pretty.”
Louise rolled her eyes.
“…tools in the Middle Paleolithic is called the Mousterian Culture, after a prominent archaeological site …”
“How do you know if she’s pretty or not? Your eyes haven’t gone above her neck!” she hissed at him.
“Near the end of the time of the Neanderthals, they created the Châtelperronian tool style, considered more advanced than…”
“Jealous much!”
“…either invented the Châtelperronian themselves or borrowed elements from the incoming modern humans who are thought to have created the…”
“Of what - looking as brown as a breakfast waffle! God, I just hope she listened when the bell rang and someone shouted ‘Brown on one side, then turn over!’” Liam tried to smother his chuckle at her joke.
“Now onto ritual behaviour. Intentional burial and the inclusion of grave goods is the most typical representation of ritual…”
“No, jealous of the size of her…”
“Ok, this conversation is getting more than a little weird.”
“They’re only breasts.”
“…Croatia and Grota Guattari in Italy have all been cited as bearing cut marks made by stone tools. However, results of technological tests…”
“A subject not typically discussed with your *sister*!”
“…comparisons to contemporary butchered animal remains and recent ethnographic cases of excarnation mortuary practises have…”
“I can’t very well talk to one of the students about it now, can I!”
“They’re fifteen years old, Liam. You can guarantee a couple of them are talking about the woman’s breasts. If you’re that desperate, you can talk to Logan about them when you get home.”
“…the apparently purposefully widened base of the skull, for access to the brains, has been shown to be caused by carnivore action, with hyena tooth marks…”
“When are you gonna call him dad?”
“…fragments of bones from Krapina show marks that are similar to those seen on bones from secondary burials at a Michigan ossuary, 14th century AD, and are indicative of removing the flesh…”
She sighed and carried on watching the children in front of her, most scribbling notes while others drew pictures of the model Neanderthals in front of them. “When mom tells me I can.”
“…the marks on the bones found at Krapina are indicative of cannibalism, although whether this was for nutritional or ritual purposes cannot be determined with certainty.”
He frowned. “Why? Do you think she’ll mind?”
“…cannibalism was practised here. Cut marks are concentrated in places expected in the case of butchery, instead of defleshing. Additionally the…”
“No, I think that once the whole *other woman* situation gets explained, I don’t think she’ll mind.”
“But?”
“…treatment of the bones was similar to that of roe deer bones, assumed to be food remains, found in the same…”
“But, in her mind, he cheated on her, betrayed her and I don’t feel comfortable calling him dad and forgiving him when she should be the one to do it and can’t. Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure she will, but, at the moment, she just can’t.”
“And if you would like to follow me through to the next section, we’ll be discussing the Native American: habitats, traits, traditions and…”
Liam held her arm as the group slowly started to follow the tour guide. “Do you mind that I do?”
She smiled at him and rubbed his arm. “No, I love it that you do. You calling him dad, getting so close to him, getting close to anyone, is great. It means we did the right thing. I mean, I know Clara and Fred weren’t too happy about us moving into Xavier’s, but if we’re honest, we’ve never really gotten that close to them either.”
They started to follow the group. Liam nodded and smiled. “Everyone at a distance.” They stopped again, and the tour guide stood in front of a display of tepees and Native American statues.
“It’s just safer that way.” Liam chuckled at her. “What?”
“And here we find the Native American. The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-European inhabitants of the Americas. Their…”
“Something dad said the first day we saw mom. He said that these people wouldn’t let us get away with not getting close, and that it was a good thing. He was right.”
“Yeah, he was. The last eight months we’ve been living there has been, I dunno…”
“Right.”
She smiled at him. “Yeah, right.” She watched the kids as they fidgeted with their pads and pens, trying to concentrate on the tour guide, but now getting bored as their young attention spans began to wander. “Like that’s were we should have been all along.”
“…hundreds of culturally distinct nations and tribes. According to the oral histories of many of the indigenous peoples of the Americas, they have been...”
“I get why she did it though.”
“Application of the term "Indian" originated with Columbus, who thought that he had arrived in the East Indies. This has served…”
“Yeah, me too. Doesn’t make it any easier though, does it?”
“We’re lucky, Louise. We live in the most amazing and famous school in the world. You’re taking correspondence teaching degree , and I’m doing part-time media at Purchase Uni. Our mentors are the X-Men. How frigging cool is our life?”
“…was codified in law, religion, and politics. The unitary idea of "Indians" was not originally shared by indigenous peoples, but many now embrace the identity.”
She chuckled. “Pretty frigging cool.”
“One day it will be even cooler.” They both smiled, knowing that the other was thinking of their mother.
“…world is a testament to their time and work in reshaping, taming, and cultivating the flora indigenous to the Americas. Some societies depended heavily on agriculture while…”
Louise rolled her eyes at the tour guide, coughed, and said ‘Bimbo’ at the same time. A couple of students turned to look at her while trying to hide their giggles. If the tour guide noticed, she showed no sign and carried on with her speech about the Native American. Liam put his arm around her shoulders, and she leaned on him, giggling quietly.
*********
Louise sat in the pale glow of the stasis camber, her legs stretched out on the floor, her History Teacher’s Guide in her lap partially covered by her almost full notebook and her ipod plugged into the small radio in the room.
She had been studying there for the past three hours, the soothing sound of bubbles floating to the top of the chamber to regulate the temperature, somehow mixed in with her dance music and made it easy to concentrate. She cast the chamber a glance every now and then, but its appearance never changed. Neither did the appearance of the occupant.
The chamber room door slid open, but Louise didn’t notice. She kept on scribbling notes and frowning at her textbook. Logan stood in the doorway, waiting for her to notice him. Once he realised that she was too engrossed in her books, he stepped into the room.
He ran his hand lightly over the glass of the chamber and sighed, then turned to Louise. Leaning back against the chamber, he folded his arms over his chest and watched her.
“How long have you been in here?”
She jumped, dropped her pen, and clutched her book to her chest with a yelp. “GOD! Are you trying to give me a heart attack?”
He chuckled. “What ya up to?” He moved over to her and slid down the wall to sit next to her.
“Trying to write a History paper.” She put on a pompous voice. “‘How best to demonstrate the key elements of the civil war and make learning it fun’.” She sighed. “I have to write 5000 words, but so far, I’m on about 400, and my mind has now gone completely blank.”
“You could always suggest a fight re-enactment.”
She laughed. “I don’t think I could fight my way out of a paper bag.”
She watched him frown. “Can you? Fight, I mean?”
“Um, no. Aunt Clara always wanted us to go to self-defence classes, but I didn’t. Liam did. I’ve never had the need. My school and where we grew up was quite quiet, you know, considering its redneck country.”
“Would you like to?”
She raised her eyebrows at him. “Learn how to fight? Hitting people?”
He chuckled again. “There’s no need to look so horrified. Being able to protect yourself is always a good thing.”
“Well I guess, but it’s not really me, you know. I have an extremely bad attitude sometimes. I’m the first to admit it, and I don’t deal well with people in authority, but fighting? It’s just not me. I’d rather talk my way out of it, you know.”
He raised his eyebrow and chuckled. “I asked your brother if…”
“Oh, he’ll be straight in there!”
They both smiled. “Yep, he was. Um, I wouldn’t be the one teaching you if that makes any difference.”
“Why would that make a difference?”
“I don’t know. In case you felt uncomfortable with it being me.” He looked straight ahead at his outstretched legs.
“Logan, I don’t have a problem with you.”
He nodded. “Ok.”
She sighed, realising what it was about. “Is this about calling you dad?”
He shrugged and frowned. She knew full well that that is what it as all about. Liam called him dad, and she didn’t. They had never discussed it before, but she had a feeling they were about to, and she was glad. She didn’t want him to feel bad about it, because it wasn’t anything bad.
“Give me your hand.” She held out hers, waiting for him to put his in it. He did, and she held it in her lap. “Let out your claws.”
He pulled his hand away, but she stopped him. “No, Louise. I could cut you.”
“And I would heal. Please, for me.” She watched him sigh and knew she had him with that.
He held his hand away from her and let his claw slid out very slowly. She watched as they broke the skin and eased out. The first time he had showed them to her and Liam and explained about what had happened to him, they had both been more than a little shocked, but as far as they were concerned, it was just another part of their father.
She reached for his hand, and he pulled back a little. Frowning at him, she held his wrist and turned his hand over, placing it gently in her lap, the dull edges of his claws on her legs.
“Look, me and Liam… our mother *died* when we were seven, so we grew up, really quick and we grew up not trusting most people, but I… I trust you.” She watched him smile as her words sunk in. “I just think that when I call you dad for the first time, mom should be there too.” She looked at his hand and shrugged, unable to meet his gaze. “Like it would have been if we’d have lived here from start. You both would have seen stuff together, first steps, first words, everything.”
He took his hand away and put his claws back in. Then he stroked her dark hair as small tears began to slip down her cheeks. Logan hated to see her so upset and pulled her to him for a hug. She went easily, pressing her face into his shoulder while he stroked her hair slowly.
“She’ll come out of this.” Hearing his words, Louise wrapped her arms around his waist and began to sob in earnest.
Logan looked up as the door opened, and Scott walked in. Scott put his hands up and mouthed ‘Sorry, it’s important.’ Logan nodded and untangled his daughter. She wiped her eyes as he pulled away, and she smiled briefly at Scott, then went about picking up her book and putting them back in her backpack.
Logan joined him in the corridor. “What’s up?”
“We have a mutant in Xavier’s office. She...”
“The whole place is full of mutants, Scott, or hadn’t you noticed?” He chuckled.
“This is serious. She, uh, she had been taken prisoner for about a week she thinks, but has managed to escape. She needs some minor medical attention, so Hank’s up there with her.”
“Where was she?”
“Ohio, some abandoned chemical plant. The Professor’s checked it out. It’s all genuine, so he wants us to take the jet for a look around once he’s finished talking to her. The others are teaching, and Remy, Bobby and Jubilee went on a pick-up this morning, so that leaves you and me. Apparently, it’s quite a large facility so we’ll need more. Xavier suggested we take Liam and Louise with us.”
“Liam yeah, not Louise. I don’t think it’s her thing.”
“We need the manpower on this one. Two or three of us aren’t going to be able to search safely, especially if we split up to cover more ground. Ask her.”
“I don’t know.”
Scott smirked. “Daddy’s little girl, huh? It’s only a look-around Logan.”
Logan harrumphed. “Fine, I’ll ask her, but if she doesn’t want to go, then she doesn’t go.”
“Ok.” Scott didn’t go anywhere or do anything, and Logan noticed how he looked slightly guilty. “Was there anything else?”
“Um, yeah. This woman, it’s, um, it’s Jean.”
“No way! She needs medical attention? Tell her to find a vet! I don’t want that bitch anywhere near this place!”
“Logan, I know, but…”
“But nothing, Scott. She ruined my life. She ruined *your* life. How can you stand there and say you’re going to help her?” He paced in the corridor, unable to even comprehend seeing Jean again.
“She thinks that they wanted her for information on the Mansion, tortured for it. By the sounds of it, someone could have been planning an attack on us.” He shrugged. “She’s pretty beat up, Logan. We need to know what she knows. She’s too weak to keep a hold on any of her mental blocks. The Professor has everything under control. God, you think I want to see her again? I don’t!”
Logan shook his head. “She never finds out about Marie. She *never* goes in that room, and she never goes anywhere near my kids. You got that, Scooter?”
“Yes, I got it.”
“Chuck better keep her in check, or I’ll… I’ll…”
“I know, Logan. Get in line.”
***********************END OF PART FIVE
The Wolverine & Rogue Fanfiction Archive
Barely Legal Since 2000
Author's Chapter Notes:
Again bete by Gamma. Gotta love you.