Chapter 8
Once the girls were back inside, and everyone was settled for the night, Logan settled in for a long and sleepless night.
Sighing tiredly, Logan shifted for the hundredth time that night. It had only been a couple of hours since everyone had turned in. Suddenly he became alert, as he heard the door to the camper open. He took a sniff, and relaxed when he smelt Rogue’s honeysuckle scent, figuring she had to use the toilet again. He kept his eyes on her though the side mirror of the truck as she stood at the camper door, looking over the campground. He figured she was doing the same thing Nate had been earlier. Keeping an eye out for the bad men, as Nate put it. Logan wished he thought to reassure her and Sally, but he had only been focusing on relieving Nate’s fear at the time.
Watching as Rogue silently moved around the camper, out of his line of sight, Logan was impressed with her ability to move without making a sound. If he hadn’t seen her move, he wouldn’t have heard her. He was both impressed and disturbed. He was the Wolverine, no one could sneak up on him. If he hadn’t smelled and seen her or heard the camper door, he wouldn’t have known she was there. He wondered how she learned to move without making a sound. Most people couldn’t stop from making some type of noise as they moved. He was so focused on watching for her to head toward the toilets that he was surprised when her scent grew stronger around him.
"Hey." Rogue’s soft drawl jerked Logan’s attention over to the passenger side door, where Rogue stood eyeing him. He just barely suppressed a growl from surprise.
"What are you doing still up? Figured you and the rugrats would be past out by now." The question asked gruffly from Logan’s surprise of being caught unaware.
Rogue didn’t seemed fazed by Logan’s abrupt words. She could tell that she had spooked him. "Nate’s afraid of the bad men getting him and Sally. He told me that you said that you would stay up all night and keep a watch out."
"Yeah. Didn’t want the little fellow thinking he has to be the only one keeping watch. I told the two of them, that I would help take care of them until we got to the school, and I’m a man of my word." Logan stated seriously, wanting her to understand that she as well as the kids could trust him.
Logan watched Rogue, as she eyed him silently with a serious and intense expression for a few moments before seemingly to come to a conclusion.
"I’m glad to hear it, so few people nowadays. Honor use to be something highly prized, now it’s nothing but ashes and hollow words." Rogue stated dispassionately.
"I agree with you there Darlin, but I ain’t just blowing smoke. If I tell you something, you can believe it."
Logan’s chest tightened surprisingly as Rogue’s pleased smile at his promise. He was thankful when she then turned to glance around the camp ground, before putting her attention back on him, giving him a moment to bring himself under control. Forcing his mind off of how beautiful he found Rogue’s eyes when they sparkled as she smiled, Logan focused his mind on more serious matters.
"Who exactly are these bad men that Nate and Sally are so afraid of?"
With the kids asleep in the back, Logan decided it was time for some answers. He hadn’t wanted to ask anything that might have upset them.
Logan quickly picked up on how Rogue’s scent spiking with hatred and anger, as her expression hardened.
"There was an experimental lab about fifty miles away from the store where you found us. Nate and Sally were quests there. The bad men are the soldiers and doctors that would hurt them."
Logan let out a low outraged growl at knowing those poor little kids had been captured and hurt for the sick pleasure of the humans’ curiosity. "If there’s a lab we need to call Chuck and have him and the others check it out. There could be others like Nate and Sally. Why didn’t you say something about this before?" Logan snapped out with heat.
"Because there isn’t anything left of the lab." Rogue stated again surprisingly unflustered by Logan’s angered tone.
"What?" Logan frowned back at her.
"I said there isn’t anything left of the lab. There isn’t anything left but a burned out structure, if even that remains. There was an explosion when the fire reached the large gas tanks that fueled the building. Trust me, there wasn’t anyone left inside that didn’t deserve to be blown straight to Hades." Rogue hissed out through her anger and hatred, but kept herself in check.
She knew she couldn’t let her emotions get to out of hand. "I better get back, just in case the kids wake up."
"Yeah," was all Logan could think of to say out of his shock. He watched as she made her way back around the camper, and again surveyed the area, before climbing back inside the camper with Nate and Sally.
Logan thought over what Rogue had told him, while he kept watch during the night. Understanding now why she had smelt of blood, fuel, and smoke when he had first found them.
His mind was whirling with just how exactly she had been able to take down an entire lab by herself, or if she had help.
"Darn, she’s someone Chuck needs on his team. She could teach ole One-eye a thing or two." Logan thought with a snicker.
The rest of the night was fairly quiet. The only noises beside the normal nighttime wildlife, was the sound of the camper door opening and closing every couple of hours. Logan watched as Rogue would stand by the door, survey the campground before walking around the area near the camper to make sure the place was secure, before she would head back inside with the kids. Logan found himself wishing she would stop and talk to him like she had earlier, but she never did.
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Author's Chapter Notes:
Disclaimer: I have no rights to any of the X-men or any of Marvel’s characters. All rights belong to Marvel, Mr. Stan Lee, Fox, and anyone else with rights. I have not nor will I ever receive compensation for this story.
Chapter End Notes:
I hope everyone enjoyed the new chapter. Thanks to everyone that has stuck with me, and not given up on this story.