The medical bay was like a second home; he’d spent so much time in here over the last few years. Jean was waiting with her equipment set out and ready as they walked in. Lupa was scared and Logan knew it. Quickly handing Amber over to her godmother he went over to the raised table and patted it, “Up.” Lupa just did it without thinking, climbing up on the table he shivered looking around the strange room, at the equipment, at the strange woman with red hair and stranger eyes. Her smell unnerved him, there was something wrong with her, something hidden he didn’t trust.
Reaching out to Logan his fingers gripped his arm and the claws dug in lightly, just pricking the skin. Wide eyed he pulled Logan nearer, “Please don’t leave me alone.” His tone was full of fear, his eyes kept glancing at Jean and Amber, his eyes watching Jeans every movement. He was terrified of Jean, or was it the medical coat? He wondered if they could do this another time, he could feel Lupa’s heartbeat speeding up, his scent was deepening again. Then Amber was seated next to him and Lupa calmed, his arm reflexly wrapping protectively around her, hugging her close to him. Hearing her laugh as she snuggled into his shirt, her voice muffled by the material. “Lupa, Lupa, doggie Lupa. Lupa smell like Daddy.” Her dark eyes met his and she was quiet as Jean prepared to draw blood from them both. Coming over with the needle, she prepared Amber first.
“Seeing as she’s quiet we’ll do you first Amber, now hold still.” Amber calmly watched the needle enter her arm and the blood flow out into the tube.
“Red!”
“That’s right Amber it’s red, blood is red.” She looked up into Lupa’s eyes and winked “Well almost all the time.” The sample taken she wiped the area clean again and put a small plaster over the mark. “There all done. You want to see Lupa’s blood now?” At the mention of his blood, Lupa jumped and his grip on Logan’s arm deepened, the claws sinking in a little. Moving his arm around Lupa, he gently stroked the back of his shoulders, easing the tension there. His eyes finding his, the calmness he felt here moving through him and into Lupa. “I’m here, she won’t hurt you. I won’t let her.” Jeans eyes flicked up from the tray and met Logan’s, his gaze was all steel, he meant every word he’d said.
Jean quickly scanned the surface of Lupa’s mind, there was a figure stood over Lupa, white coated, needle in hand, a chain round Lupa’s own throat holding him tight. Straps covering his arms, fear, pain, anger and blood. Feeling the wash leave her she smiled and walked away to the drawers. Shrugging off her whites she pulled out a green surgeon disposable, putting everything on a tray she went back and held it in front of Lupa. Her every movement was watched by Logan and she threw a thought his way,
“Right Lupa, everything on here is what we’re going to use this morning. I need to take some blood from you so we can see what mutant genes you have and if you have anything wrong with you. I’ll be testing your heartbeat, your breathing and your fitness today. I’ll explain everything to you before you do it so if you don’t want to you don’t have to. Is that okay? Do you want to ask me anything?” Lupa glanced quickly from Jean to Logan.
“Your not going to hurt me are you?” Jean smiled and reached out for him but Lupa pulled away from her hand. The hurt that he moved away from her visible on her face as she replied.
“No Lupa I’m not going to hurt you, I’m not going to do anything you don’t want me to do and Logan is going to be here with you while we do this.” Lupa turned to look at Logan, feeling the rumble of the purr that came from him, soothing his nerves settling him. Amber was playing with Lupa’s hand touching the claws, feeling them, and testing them with her own fingers. Lupa looked at her, her small face trying to work out how they did what they did, her little voice bright and cheery in the sterile surroundings.
“Lupa has Hank hands.”
Logan answered her.“Yeah honey, Hank hands and Hank feet.” He pointed to the bare feet swinging off the edge of the table. Amber’s face screwed up and thought a while as Jean took her blood sample from Lupa.
“Why don’t I have Hank feet?” Her small face full of questions as she looked at the clawed feet.
“Because your not me Amber.” The voice was rich and deep and filled the room with its tone. Amber squeaked wriggling out of Lupa’s arm she dropped to the floor and ran to meet the stranger who’d just entered the room.
“Morning Hank.” Logan didn’t even turn his attention away from Jean or Lupa he knew Hank would come over and introduce himself.
Lupa was just watching Jean wrap the arm cuff around his arm when he heard his name being called. Turning his head his eyes met the amber gaze of Dr Hank McCoy and he felt his blood turn into fire. A strangled gasp released itself from his lips as the change took him, twisting his body across the table. Logan barked, “Get Amber out of here Hank, NOW!” Quickly picking up Amber Hank left the room.
Lupa’s face was twisted in fear, his bones reforming, twisting, breaking with audible snaps, his skin furring up, the hand gripping his arm digging in deeply, the nails gouging deep almost scoring the metal that covered his bones. Holding him tightly down to the table they both watched as his body reformed under their gaze, muscles moved, formed, tightened. The pain making Lupa cry out with it until he could no longer face it and blacked out.
His body still moving, still changing as nerves and skin moved. Finally finishing with a shape that both of them knew, but had only thought was legend. His face completely changed the fur still soft and downy on his skin, a dark soft covering slowly rising and falling with his breath. Jean caught Logan’s eye and held it.
“Well at least we know what he is now.” Her face was pale as she ran her hand over the dark fur. “We’ll need to run more tests Logan, better that he’s asleep while we do them. Any idea why he turned so quickly?” Logan looked right through her, his voice low and serious as he answered.
“Yeah I do but I’m going to have to talk to Hank first.” His face softened as he saw the muscles twitch on Lupa, the pain he knew he’d gone through and would go through again when he changed back. “Get the tests started Jean, be quick. He can’t take much more.” His hands rested on the now barrel chest of the boy he knew to be his family, if this was his family what did that make him?
The ground was flying under his feet, everything was alive with new scents, trees shone like never before. The sky was so bright it hurt to look on it, even the ground was alive, it buzzed under his feet, all four of them. The thought of him having four feet seemed wrong but the monumental overload of stimuli blocked the thought out, drowning it with the flow of information that was surging through him. Nerves fired and he could feel his tail moving as he ran, steadying him as he ran over the rough ground. Running for the sheer joy of it, feeling the air slide past him like water, knowing that animals were scattering because of him. Scenting their fear trails that lit up the air in front of him like beacons in the dark. Laughing as he ran, his tongue lolling to one side, his feet eating up the forest floor not wanting to stop, to think, just to ‘be’.
The voice interrupted him, making him skid into a pile of leaves. Shaking his ears clear he just sat and listened, raising his nose he sniffed the air and found nothing but the woods. About to move off again he found himself rooted to the ground. Fear sounded out of him his whines being lost in the trees as he struggled to be free.
Blinking he found it hard to keep his eyes open, the sunlight was so warm and he’d been running for ages. Tiredness worked through his body, making him slump forward onto his forepaws. Curling his tail round his nose Lupa let sleep take him, as the sun warmed the dark fur on his back, blending him into the forest floor.
Xavier’s hands were wrapped around Lupa’s head, the delicate fingers lost within the dark fur of his skull. Jean was getting the results from the tests she’d run on the samples she’d taken from him earlier. Lupa’s body was stretched out on the table, his form almost hanging off the end of it. Sleek fur covered his entire body; thin strong muscles twitched in sleep, his muzzle was open slightly, breath even and deep. Logan watched as Xavier released his hands from Lupa’s deep black fur, his face failing to hide the pain he’d felt from the child in front of him. Clearing his throat, he began.
“Lupa’s calm now, his mind is asleep. There’s so much inside him that’s alien to me; it’s as if his mind is split in two. There’s the human Lupa and there’s the other, this Lupa.” His hands waved to the sleeping form on the table. “He’s a mutant yes, but one that’s been around for many hundreds of years. Something we all thought were legend or medical curiosities, he is what he seems to be. It does make you wonder how the legends first started though and how long they’ve been hiding in the main population.”
Xavier’s cool grey eyes met Logan’s own. “It could account for why you have such abilities Logan, your ageing, your strength, your ability to heal, your rages.”
The statements rang home to him it did fit a few questions he’d asked himself over the years. Maybe the Adamantium on his bones had stopped him from changing, the damn stuff was unbreakable, maybe he’d been meant to change too or had he in the past before the metal had been put on his bones? There were still parts of his memory that were locked away from him, maybe Lupa would be able to help him unlock them. His eyes scanned the body in front of him, long lean legs, feet splayed and paw like, knees bent forward. Barrel chested, strong arms and hands, the power in his body obvious but his size was the main thing, he’d grown two feet in the change. He was six feet tall like this, normally Lupa was just over 4ft tall and he still had growing to do. What would he be like when he was a fully-grown adult?
Jean came over with her printout and stepped between the two of them her hands a little shaky and her voice a little shaky too. “I think you should see this.” Handing the results to them both Logan just saw the graphs and charts as nonsense but Xavier’s face paled a little and his lips tightened.
“What?” Logan’s tone was harsher than he’d wanted it to be but he felt frustrated at not knowing what to do. Xavier brought his gaze up from the paper and met his face.
“Lupa is older than 12 Logan, he’s twenty at least compared to a normal human child. His gene markers are very close to your own Logan, he’s a blood relative at least a child of a brother or sister. You share twenty markers in your blood including the mutant one, although Lupa has a set you don’t have. I’m betting that those are the ones that enable his changes.”
Jean interrupted. “The problem is this, every time he changes his body basically eats itself to reform itself into the new shape. That’s why he’s so small and his age hasn’t changed, the body can’t keep doing it on the diet he was getting. He’s showing at least three major vitamin deficiencies and his protein intake was nearly none existent. I think we should get someone else to go and see this place where he came from, someone with some authority.” Logan’s voice cut through the air like a heavy weight.
“It’s State run Jean.” The look he gave her said all he needed to say.
“Well, that being the case all we can do is support Lupa now, I can treat his deficiencies with some injections but he’s going to need regular meals Logan and I mean big regular meals. His body has a hell of a lot of needs and if they aren’t met, he’s only going to end up in the same cycle as before. Besides having a teenager usually means having to stock up the cupboards for world war three anyway. You should have seen the last grocery bill for the school.”
Looking at Xavier Logan spoke.
“You said his mind is split? Is he able to speak when he’s in this shape? Is his mind able to communicate?” Xavier caught his thoughts and where they were heading.
“We can try Logan, if we allow him to wake up slowly he may keep his rational mind enough to talk. Are you willing to let me try?” Logan nodded quickly; he had to know if Lupa was aware when he was like this, that he had something of himself inside like he had when he allowed the animal free.
Xavier gave the notes back to Jean wheeling himself around to Lupa’s head again and placed his hands into the depths of Lupa’s fur. Keeping the room silent they watched as Xavier brought Lupa back to the surface, back to reality and the people who were trying to help him.
Pain was the first thing that met him as he resurfaced from the floating sleep he’d been in, muscles were strained and painful, joints were screaming out and his skin itched fiercely. Concentrating on the voice that was calling to him, the one that rumbled across his ears, understanding the undertone of concern that was riding with each word. Sensing the concern and sharp tang of fear that was pervading the air, opening his eyes to the room he remembered.
Logan looked into his eyes, saw his gaze drop to his hand holding his own changed one. Moving slowly he watched Lupa lift his arm and see the extent of the change he’d undergone. Pulling aside the sheet, they’d laid over him, his whimper echoing around the sterile room as he saw the truth of himself. The sound almost snapping Logan’s heart in two as he saw Lupa’s mind try to grasp what had happened to him.
Tensing, ready for Lupa to react, he readied himself for the rage, the anger but it never came. Lupa curled up into a ball on the table, pulling his long legs under him trying to hide himself. Pulling his head down and away from Logan, his whimpering becoming almost like a cry. Tearing his hand away from Logan’s he turned his back to him, telling him to leave him alone, his scent even showing his hatred of himself. Logan was glad he’d asked Jean and Xavier to leave the room, what he was going to do could go wrong and if it did he was the only one who’d be able to walk out of the room afterward.
Forcefully he grabbed the sheet and ripped it away from Lupa, balling it up he threw it into the dark of the medical bay.
“Get up Lupa.” His voice was calm and quiet but he knew the tone would elicit some response from him. He caught the movement of his short dark muzzle, saw as his blue eyes met his, the challenge evident in their depths. “I said GET UP!” Lupa felt the tone of the air change that he meant what he said and wouldn’t take no for an answer. Slowly he uncurled himself, stretching the tendons and stiff muscles, feeling himself unknot as he did so. Shuffling off the end of the table he landed on his feet, a little unsteady and wobbly but he could match Logan’s gaze, eye to eye.
Keeping his breath even and controlled Logan put out his hand to Lupa, the palm open the fingers loose. Without knowing why Lupa just bent his head to the hand and breathed, the scent filling his world, throwing up pictures of the cabin, the room with the fireplace, the blanket and a bike. Lost in this internal world he didn’t feel Logan’s other hand on his head stroking his fur, smoothing out the kinks in it. Fingers brushing the old scars around his neck and hearing the low growl emit from Lupa’s chest. The reaction was pure instinct, and was followed by a whine and a dip in his stance; Lupa’s tongue darted out and quickly licked the skin of his hand. “I know.” His voice quiet and even, using his hands he lifted Lupa by the shoulders up to his full height. Lifting his head by his chin until his eyes were level with his. “Lupa, this is who you are. This is who ‘we’ are, who ‘I’ am. There’s nothing wrong with this, I know its frightening Lupa but we can learn together if you let us.”
Lupa looked straight through him, as if he could see inside his mind, into his heart and soul. After a few moments he nodded in response, smiling Logan touched his face. “Think you can try to talk to me Lupa?” A puzzled look crossed his face as he thought about it, as if he was re-arranging something in his throat, the muscles there shifted under his fur. When he spoke it was a little croaky but it was Lupa’s voice.
“Yes, I think so.”
“You upto seeing people? I can feel Marie coming and she’s been busting the speed limit to get here so she’s not in the mood to hear no. Your choice though.” Logan watched as the emotions flooded through him, the fear of Marie’s reaction to him to what he looked like. Looking down at his naked body he just whimpered a little and spoke.
“I wouldn’t mind if I could have something to cover myself up with though.” It almost seemed surreal to him; a body that was covered entirely with fur still wanted to be modest. Although he knew from experience that Hank didn’t always like to be ‘naked’, he’d wear what he could to hide his own modesty. Although it looked like they’d be sharing the same tailor for a while.
“Sure, give me a second.” Walking to the cabinet on the far wall he reached in and pulled out a surgical gown. Throwing it over to him he watched as Lupa struggled with it until he managed to get it on the right way round. It still looked odd but Lupa’s face registered a little more calm. Lupa’s stomach growled in the still air and he clutched his midsection. Logan was over to him in a second.
“What? What’s wrong?” He held Lupa up as the waves of hunger passed through him.
“It hurts.” Almost bending over with the cramps that wracked through his body he helped Lupa back up onto the table.
“Hang on I’ll go get you something to eat, something good.” His last vision was Lupa’s hands gripping the side of the table and hearing his nails scratching the surface.
Jean and Xavier were in the kitchen when Logan ran in, went straight to the large fridge opened it took out three quarts of ice cream and a joint of beef. He didn’t even wait to talk he just left juggling the raided contents as he ran back to the medical bay. Xavier turned to Jean and smiled, “Well at least we know they’re both still alive. Shall we go down and see them or shall we let them eat first?” Jean was still in half shock as she remembered that the joint had been tonight’s dinner for them all.
“I think we’ll let them finish eating,” out of the window she caught the flash of Marie’s white streak running past toward the main doors. “Although I think they’re not going to be alone for long, Marie’s home.” Xavier scanned the school lightly and could feel the apprehension filling her mind, the worry; the pain and he sent her a calming thought.
Xavier felt her reply as the warmth flooded his mind, now she was a determined spark racing to her destination, to see what had happened to her family.
Marie flew through the medical bay doors and the sight that met her eyes was something she’d remember for the rest of her born days. Logan was sat on the medical bay floor holding a joint of meat in both hands while Lupa was trying to tear pieces off with his mouth. The whole scene reminded her of the days when she’d had a dog at home, Lupa was lost in the game of ‘food’ and Logan was straining to keep a grip on the joint they were fighting over. Two empty containers of ice cream were rolling around their legs, the contents obviously eaten as she could see the streaks of white in Lupa’s fur. She just stopped her mental processes enough to take in the form of Lupa, Xavier had warned her about the change but she hadn’t expected this. Looking at his body what she could see of it, he was huge. Muscular, in a rangy type of way his fur was almost black and it covered all of him, his hands were like Hank’s but his feet were entirely different. Like a dog’s but bigger, then the image her brain had been searching for popped into her mind and she just blurted it out into the room.
“Jesus H Christ, Lupa’s a Werewolf!” At the sound of her voice both of them turned to her, Lupa had the beef joint in his mouth and Logan just had the sense enough to let go. The look in Lupa’s eyes was one of triumph as he set to devouring the rest of the joint. Logan just looked a little hurt at the statement her brain had come out with and he decided let her know about it.
“Yeah and an animal for a husband, not to mention a freak for a daughter.” She caught the undertone and she felt herself blush, as she understood what she’d said. Coming over slowly she bent down and touched Logan’s shoulder her face marvelling at the sight of Lupa.
“I’m sorry honey, I’ve just been across the town and broken every single speed limit to get back. I didn’t mean to hurt you, either of you.” Her hand went out to Lupa to touch him but a small growl left Lupa’s mouth as he was just finishing the meat in his hands. She paused in her approach for a second, allowing him to see it was her and then she touched his fur. Her fingers lost themselves in the soft fur, tracing the changes that had gone on under his skin. Tracing her fingers over his ears, feeling the new channels, touching the very points of them making Lupa pull away with her soft touch.
“Stop that it tickles.” Her eyes flew wider as she realised Lupa could speak, her eyes met his and he licked his lips clean as he’d finished the meat. She saw the doubt in there that she was afraid of him that she wouldn’t want to be near him. Her hand still near his head she flattened her palm against his face and smiled her face full of concern for him, for the pain he’d been through. She didn’t speak she just pulled him closer to her, holding him in her embrace, feeling his hands come round her back and grip her tightly. “I’m sorry, I just don’t know what happened. There was a smell and I just lost control of it, I couldn’t help it. Please don’t hate me.” His words were full of tears and they trailed down his muzzle, his mouth could form the words he wanted but he knew that he couldn’t explain everything to her. Only Logan could understand the whole of it, he knew that he could pick up everything he felt and he could explain it to her later.
But he just held onto her and cried, cried for the shape he was, for the pain, for being different in a world of normal people. For the rush of information that was clouding his brain, for the drives he could feel inside himself. As he held Marie close to him Lupa felt the first stir in his groin, pushing her away from him a little she saw the look in is eye and just smiled.
“It’s okay Lupa, I understand. It’s going to be difficult to come to terms with, I can say it was a little bit of a shock seeing you and Logan fighting over the joint. I can think of better ways of eating than that, can you tell me what happened?” Logan shuffled round to sit next to Lupa and put his arm round his broad shoulders.
“I can.”
He described the whole morning to her, the walk across to the school, the tests done by Jean, Amber’s reaction to him and the appearance of Hank, which seemed to trigger the change. Marie went back through what Logan relayed to her and found something that stood out.
“You said Amber called Lupa ‘Doggie’?” Logan nodded and Lupa answered.
“She called me it last night too.” Marie’s mind latched onto the fact that her daughter had known without being told what Lupa really was underneath the human body he wore.
“She didn’t upset you did she?” Marie’s face looked concerned as Lupa spoke. He grinned as he answered.
“No, she didn’t. I like Amber she’s nice. Besides she didn’t mean it, she only says what she’s thinking out loud like any baby does.” Logan touched Lupa’s back and Lupa turned his head and smiled at him, feeling secure and happy. The whole incident had brought up a question in Maries mind, if Amber had known what Lupa was how could she have known? Did she have her fathers sense of smell and just put the name to what she’d experienced before? Or was there something else to it?
“Did Jean get the blood sample from Amber today?” Logan nodded and continued to touch Lupa’s back, rubbing the fur gently settling Lupa into a quiet state. Taking a long look at them both she smiled, Logan was quiet and concerned showing his softer side. Something that no one else usually saw except around Amber, his body relaxed and his eyes sparkling.
“Jean’s outside the door.” His face turned from calm to concerned in a second, removing his hand from Lupa’s back he helped the young boy up from the floor. Marie got a full look at him now, his full height impressing her with his power. He was thin but he had a presence that she’d only ever seen in Logan, he was more confident with them both there. Now that he knew that she wasn’t upset by his new body or by his new face.
Getting up she put her hand on the table Lupa had been sat on, the heat of the room making the surface a little sticky. Jean walked into the medical bay still wearing her green’s, she looked at them all and smiled. Marie felt Lupa shudder a little at the sight of Jean and he reflexly moved a little closer to her for support. Reaching out to Lupa she grabbed his hand and squeezed it tightly. He looked at her quickly and lowered his gaze to the floor.
“Are you ready for me to continue our tests Lupa? Do you want to do them today or would you rather wait till tomorrow?” Logan had his arms crossed and was watching her every move; there was something there in the way he was just watching her, as if he didn’t trust her. But she’d always been nothing but kind to Logan, patching him up when he needed it. Maybe it was because it was Lupa’s first time here, feeling a little over protective. Watching as Lupa spoke to Jean, telling her he’d come back later today and have the rest of the tests done then. He just wanted a few hours to get used to his new body, a chance to see Amber and see if she was okay.
Logan was almost hostile to Jean when she came near them both and just checked Lupa’s eyes, asking him if he could see colour. She caught the quiet growl that reverberated through the quiet of the room and she snapped her head round to see Logan’s eyes narrowed and his stance tight. This was getting dangerous and she needed to know why Logan was reacting to Jean like this.
“Come on Lupa, lets get you something else apart from ice-cream and beef. Logan can you pick up the other carton please? We’ll replace the joint Jean for tonight, there’s some deer left in the larder at the cabin I’ll bring it down later.” With that, she moved Lupa out of the medical bay, helping him support his weight and gain confidence with each new step he took. Quickly looking back for Logan, she saw him snatch the last ice-cream container from the floor and give Jean the cold shoulder. He didn’t look back as Jean spoke to him about getting the results for Amber later that day. The look on his face was one of disdain as he left the room and caught up with them both. Turning the carton in his hands, he met her gaze and she knew he’d tell her later, at the moment they had enough to deal with.
Amber was playing horsey with Hank when she walked into the small lab; Lupa was outside not trusting himself yet to see the man who’d caused his change. Marie left Logan with him, knowing that he could cope with anything that might kick off in the hallways. Amber was engrossed in Hank so she didn’t see her mother until her hands came around her little face and went over her eyes. “Guess who?” Amber squeaked and turned round fully throwing her arms wide to her mother. Marie picked her up and squeezed her tightly to her, her eyes watching Hanks face split open with a huge smile. “Thanks Hank,” the unspoken trust evident in her tone.
“How is Lupa?” Moving Amber to her hip, she answered him.
“He’s outside with Logan, there’s something we need to ask you later Hank so if you could come up to the cabin later, around 8?” She noticed the curiosity lodge itself in his eyes. “We’ll feed you too and you’ll get the chance to meet Lupa.” She started to move back toward the door of the lab before she remembered something. “Oh yes, Hank do you have any spare shoes? The trainer type? We need to find something for Lupa to wear and seeing as you’re the only other man we know with claws could you see your way clear to letting him borrow a pair till I can get to the city?” Hank just smiled.
“Of course, is there anything else I should bring?”
“How about a decent cheesecake for dessert?” At the mention of cheesecake Hank’s pupils dilated and he grinned widely, he had a soft spot for the dessert; it had become one of his passions to find the best he possibly could. “See you at 8 Hank and thanks for looking after Amber.” Leaving Hank mumbling to himself as he flicked open his rolodex looking for a bakery number. Turning her gaze to Amber who was happily quiet in her mothers arms she wondered how she’d take to Lupa.
Lupa could smell Hank in the room and it made him angry and horny at the same time, the scent was mixed with Amber’s and it sent his body into tremors. Logan watched his every movement, concern evident in his body language and Lupa knew Logan would do anything he could to help him feel better. But when Marie had gone inside he couldn’t help but feel afraid for her and Amber. “They’re coming back.” His tone was awash with joy as the door opened and they both stepped out safely. Marie was speaking to Amber keeping her attention diverted to her until they were out of the room. He could see Logan tense up, he was torn between the two of them, of keeping his baby safe and making sure that he was okay too. Amber’s gaze flew round them all and locked onto Lupa’s own. She didn’t make a sound, didn’t move, didn’t do anything but put out her hand and reach for his face. Slowly, ever so slowly he moved forward, his nose filling with her scent, feeling it relax him as he knew she was safe. That nothing had happened to her while she’d been with Hank, Logan had his eyes trained on them both, watching every move and ready to step in if either of them made a wrong move. Amber’s little hand made contact with his fur and she giggled at the sensation, a low rumbling came from Lupa as he leaned into the touch. Feeling happy that she was okay with him, with his new shape. Amber giggled as she ran her fingers through the soft fur, “Doggy Lupa, nice doggy.”
Squirming she began to push her way out of her mothers grip until she had to put her down on the floor. The contact broken between them Lupa stopped the gentle rumble in his throat and looked at Logan. His eyes were cautious but he was allowing him to touch her to hold her. He looked at Marie who was still trying to hold Amber away from Lupa, her face was uncertain but she knew how much this needed to be done.
She let her go and Amber ran into Lupa’s bent form, his arms wrapping round her holding her solidly, listening to her laughter as she played with the fur on his head and neck. Her little fingers strayed to the scar line on his neck and he froze up for a second, Logan almost plucked her out of his arms. Amber’s fingers traced the line and she looked into Lupa’s face, “Lupa got a boo-boo? Poor Lupa, mummy will make it better, won't you?” Her little face found her mother’s and she held out her hand to her, “Mummy will make it better won’t you?” Marie found her voice finding it difficult to speak through the emotion crowding her throat.
“Yes honey Mummy will make it better.” She held her arms open for Amber to climb into and she let go of Lupa. Logan just watched the emotions run across Lupa, the pleasure at the simple acceptance of his pain and his new shape. As if it didn’t matter, as if he was the most normal thing in the world. Putting his hand on Lupa’s shoulder he squeezed it gently and brought him back up to his level.
“Come on lets go home, I think we’ve all had enough for one day.” His eyes caught Marie’s and he answered her before she could start to argue. “What’s more important Marie? Our family or a damn instructional course? They can do without you today.” Wiping a small tear away from her eye she just smiled and wrapped her spare arm around Lupa’s middle.
“Yeah you’re right.” Looking at Lupa just dressed in a medical robe her mind worked things over. “Perhaps we should drop by the gym as we go, we can pick up some sweats for you Lupa. I know the gown isn’t that bad but I don’t think you’d appreciate the whole school watching your furry butt walk home naked.” The realisation flitted across his features as he realised the back of the gown was wide open and his ears dropped a little. Logan chimed in and ruffled his fur.
“That’s nothing kid, I once walked to Rosie’s just wearing one of those.” Lupa turned to look at him and saw the smile in his eyes.
“Where’s Rosie’s?”
“It’s a bar in town, about seven miles away.” Lupa just gaped at the distance, that Logan had walked semi-naked all the way from the school through the crowded streets to a bar. Deciding to defend his actions, he answered.
“Well I was thirsty and no-one would drive me.” Marie chimed in.
“Yes that’s true but you were recovering from a concussion Logan, that’s why no-one would drive you.” A smirk covered her face as she remembered the fuss that had been made going to collect him from the bar. She’d never forget the look Peiter had given her when he’d dropped him off in their bedroom before the cabin had been finished. He’d grinned drunkenly and told her to remind him about the bar tab he’d left up at Rosie’s when he woke up. Then he’d wobbled out of the door and fallen against the wall only to be rescued by Damask who’d led her fiancée to bed.
Lupa’s steps were a little wobbly at first, his feet splaying wide to balance himself properly as they climbed the slope back home. The lunch crowd was just coming out as they were crossing the field and Logan hung back a little giving Lupa and Marie a little space. Amber was running ahead and around his feet playing at running through his legs as he walked. He loved her little ways of making him smile, she was nearly three and her personality was starting to solidify. She was a curious child, almost too curious, more than once Jubilee had had to rescue her from the classrooms near the nursery. He suspected that she was trying to find him he often went past the nursery during the day just to check on her. He hadn’t let her out of his sight the first nine months, every cough, every sneeze he’d been there checking on her. No one had wanted to tell him he was being overprotective until Scott had found him trying to fix a hole in the drywall with her strapped to his back. The drywall hadn’t been fixed but a few more holes had been made that afternoon. After the small ‘discussion’ he’d looked at Amber’s little face all screwed up covered in plaster and had admitted defeat. He couldn’t care for her and work at the same time, so he’d taken her to the nursery.
Watching as she ran in front of him, measuring the distance between Marie and him with her steps he remembered the first day he’d left her there. The nursery wasn’t somewhere he’d ever been into before, Marie had checked it out but he’d just figured he’d take care of her. He wasn’t going to leave his child in the hands of just anyone, not even here. Jubilee had almost died of shock when she saw him walk in with Amber. The rest of the kids were asleep having their morning nap after having their feeds and Jubilee was mixing up some kind of play dough for them for when they woke up. She hadn’t made a fuss; she’d just smiled and said, “Come to your senses at last then?” She’d taken Amber quickly and deftly and had had her settled in a crib before he’d even had the chance to speak, seeing him suddenly lost and without purpose, Jubilee had reeled off the new storage needs.
The shelves the nursery needed the new non-toxic paint job she’d been waiting for help with and a thousand other things. He’d spent the first month in the nursery with Amber as she’d begun to crawl around the soft carpeted room. No one had the nerve to say that he was tamed, at the beck and call of a baby, he’d have killed anyone who’d even whispered it. Although at the time he was, the strange thing was he loved every minute of it. Seeing Amber walk for the first time holding out a small teddy bear for Marie as she’d come to pick them both up. She’d just done it, just got up and walked, Jubilee was beside herself as they watched her toddle across the room. He hadn’t put her down the rest of that day except for her to show off to the rest of the school, which he must have done because by the afternoon everyone who mattered to him had known.
He saw Amber catch up with Marie and Lupa, Lupa was crouching down on his new legs turned toward her to catch hold of her small form. Amber ran without fear straight into him, her clear laughter audible over the field. Lupa’s gaze caught his and he stopped dead in his tracks, a scent drifted toward him from the wooded slope. Lupa had caught it too and his face was full of excitement, Lupa pushed Amber into Marie’s arms and took off into the woods. His feet barely touching the ground, his hands being used to pull him along in a graceful lope.
Logan’s eyes narrowed as the scent drifted closer to him, the rich spike and undertone telling him exactly what it was. Marie looking a little surprised held onto Amber as she tried to follow Lupa; Logan caught up with them quickly. “Get home, our visitor’s decided to come back.” Marie glanced out at the kids on the field enjoying the sunshine of the afternoon he caught her meaning. “They’ll be fine as long as their in groups, you know he likes things on their own.” He touched Maries face and kissed the top of Amber’s head, “See you in a while.” With that he went after Lupa.
The scent was intoxicating, it filled his senses entirely, making him lose all thought but to find where it was coming from. Where the source of this scent was hidden, it’s rich undertone and spice almost made him drool as he followed it over a rise. Using his hands to pull him along easily over the terrain he topped the rise and came face to face with the owner, a large male mountain lion. His coat sleek and shiny, his head already facing the noise that had been getting his attention, the large tail waving dangerously in the bright light. He took everything in as the cat bunched it’s muscles ready to jump toward him when he felt arms wrap around his middle and pull him off the top of the rise. Pulling him under the horizon line of the cats vision, there was a blur of golden fur as it passed over them both and he heard the cat bound away into the forest below. A near miss but a miss, the fear hit him as he realised how stupid he’d been, that he’d followed something so blindly that he’d almost gotten himself killed.
The strong arms wrapped around him shifted and he found Logan’s concerned face looking at him, his hands checking the grey top and trousers he wore for damage. “You okay?” Dumb Lupa just nodded. Sitting on his haunches Logan looked at the fear showing in his eyes and just patted him on the shoulder. “You’re lucky you had the sun behind you, god knows what he’d have made of you if you hadn’t. Cougars don’t usually attack what they’re afraid of but that one, I don’t know Lupa, he’s old and he’s even tried to sneak up on me once or twice.” Getting up he brushed the leaf mold from his jeans and held out his hand to Lupa. “Come on lets get home I could do with a drink. It’s been a looooong day.” Smiling he helped Lupa up from the forest floor and brushed the worst of the forest off him. Meeting his gaze, he just patted his shoulder, “Next time just wait for me to catch up with you before you take off after something okay?” Hanging his head down a little his ears displaying his own feelings of regret openly.
“Yes I’m sorry Logan but I couldn’t help it, I just had to follow it. As if I had a hook in my nose and he held the other end. Like with Hank.” Lupa had been pondering the whole reason why he’d changed so quickly when Hank had come into the room and the only thing he could remember was his smell. Logan just let Lupa think he could see he was tying to work something out and he wanted to know just as much as he did.
“What happened in the medical Lupa?” Lupa loped easily down the slope, his legs getting used to the strange gait he used. Holding onto a tree Lupa stopped and answered.
“I remember the smell of him from somewhere,” his hand went unconsciously to his neck where the scars were. “He has something to do with these, I don’t know why but he does Logan. I don’t trust him, he wants something from Amber too I can just ‘feel’ it.” Lupa’s voice was full of emotion and his body was beginning to tense up. Logan walked toward him and put his hands on his shoulders.
“It’s okay Lupa, we won’t let him hurt you but Hank has been here for nearly four years now. I don’t know how he could have done what you say he could’ve but there is way for us to find out if you want to.” Lupa’s face caught the line and pulled.
“How?”
“The Professor. He can open up the memories for you, have a look inside here,” he touched his skull. “But Lupa if you do you might remember other things too, like how you got this,” he touched the scar line that ran round his neck. Lupa shuddered as he touched it. “When did they chain you up Lupa? How long?” Lupa collapsed against the tree, it’s dappled light almost mingling him into the forest floor. Sitting down next to him Logan just waited.
The memory laid in his head like a canker, the first time he’d seen the chain wrapped around the janitors hand, the padlock swinging in the other. A rush of bile made him swallow hard.
“I was eight, after I hurt Mark. They took me upstairs to my ‘dorm’ and chained me to the beam. They left me there, just hanging for a day to see if I’d calm down, I don’t remember much of it, just waking up in the infirmary with this. The janitor had the chain made for the gates, to keep the kids in. He left last year, he got sacked for something that was hushed up at the orphanage.” Lupa’s voice had become almost a whisper. “I hated him.”
Logan was trying to keep himself calm; he was trying to understand the pain Lupa had gone through, to keep quiet until he had finished pouring the sourness out of him. Lupa caught his scent and he noticed the way he was clenching and unclenching his hands trying to keep the blades inside his arms.
“Lupa, I’m not angry at you, just at those that did this to you. Can you try to remember where you smelled Hank? Was it in the infirmary? When you were at the orphanage?” Lupa thought back, his mind sorting through the assorted images and memories. Finally shaking his head expelling a huge sigh with it.
“The orphanage didn’t have an infirmary, I was at the small cottage hospital. In a ward by myself, with padded walls.” That did it, Logan snapped and the blades snapped out of his hands, firing into the forest floor. He could feel them slice through the roots of the tree they were sat under and his body reacted to the stimulus making him growl deeply. Clenching his teeth Logan fought for control, allowing pictures of Amber’s smiling face to fill his mind, her scent, the memory of her laughter soothing the animal within which threatened to consume him. Snapping his eyes open when he felt fingers touching the blades as they came from his hand. Lupa was fascinated by them; he just ran his fingers up the small amount of blade that was sticking out. Logan carefully pulled the whole of the blades out of the ground, soil still clinging to parts. Watching his face for his reaction, for the revulsion to show on him. It never came but tears did, as well as a single word, ‘Mother’. Collapsing around Logan’s hand Lupa was lost to grief as memories flooded his mind.
Fire, there was fire everywhere. Thick smoke was pouring out of home; his mother had thrown him clear out of the vardo, making sure he landed on a bender tent outside. Feeling the wrecked mess under him and knowing that his back was injured he just lay there for a while, whimpering as he saw the shadows move around him. Feet passed by his head and he kept quiet and still hoping the darkness would hide him, the scent of cattle swamping him as they passed. Playing possum, he heard the catcalls and hoots as his home burned. Hearing the wood splinter, he caught the men’s surprise and then their anger, he knew who it was, it was his mother. Dark haired and dark eyed, brown skinned and beautiful she’d had enough of waiting for them to come and get her. He remembered her legs standing over him, the scent of burnt flesh in his nostrils slowly fading as she stood there over him. Hearing the words “Mutant Bitch!” enter his head, the venom dripping from each word as they approached her. His small hand reaching out to her boot but she moved away from him and into her attackers. He didn’t see the fight but heard it, the cries of men and the slow deliberate movements of his mother. Then the shot rang out, louder than anything he’d ever heard before, it had covered his world for a moment and he heard her fall. The darkness covering most of her but her hand was reaching toward him, her hand with three bone blades sticking through. Red with blood he watched as they retracted slowly back into her, his eyes not even registering the boots anymore that gathered around him. Losing himself to the pain in his body, he drifted away into darkness, the scent of wood smoke still in his nose.
The next connected memory was all steel, the stink of chemicals and the harsh light that burned into his eyes. Strapped down to a bed he recalled the harsh world he lived in, a needle in one arm drawing blood whenever they wanted it. A double catheter connected to him at all times, so he didn’t have to move. Head strapped solidly so he could only see something or someone who looked directly down on him. The fear radiated off him in waves and he felt his bladder release time after time as they came to him. Pulling his limbs, testing his skin, cutting the surface to watch it heal back up, checking his hands and arms constantly, x-raying his body with a portable machine that made his skin itch and burn. Being pinched, torn, pulled apart by hands covered in a latex skin that made his nose burn. He’d cried the first few times and they’d gagged him, the rubber making it hard to swallow or breathe. So the next time he’d been quiet as they’d sliced his bare feet open to look at the bones in there. Feeling the instruments slide into his feet and pull the tendons taught, listening to their voices as they discussed the implications of his anatomy.
The scent of men wasn’t something he’d grown to recognise there but a smell reached him in his steel room. Deep heady and rich, a spicy smell reminding him of his father, making his heart leap in anticipation but it wasn’t his father. He was on a small gurney being moved, the person moving him was the source of the smell, trying to move his head to see the man he didn’t succeed. The muscles too wasted to respond, all he could do was lay there and watch the ceiling go by. Retreating slowly into his mind again, back to the place they couldn’t reach with knives or machines. The memory of a pair of arms with bone claws holding him tightly and the scent of roses and rosemary.
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Author's Chapter Notes:
Lupa goes to see Jean and we find out a little more about the young man. Logan gets a wake-up call about his own heritage and Marie gets the surprise of her life.