Logan:
We sat there not moving. I watched her bruised face as it went from open to closed in the matter of seconds. I realized that she had pulled herself together. I had watched her go from a badass-kill-you-for-looking-at-me-wrong woman to a sad-lonely girl. At the end of her story she was so cold so distant. It made me what to find a way to bring her back. So I tried to show and tell her she wasn’t alone, by showing my claws and telling her about being in the lab. It shocked me when she showed me the tattoo on her hip bone. I felt my anger grow at Stryker and I knew the next time I saw him I would kill him. When she had spoken his name my hands had itched and I was horrified. She was eight. I also knew she was holding something back.
“Rogue- “Why the hell is my phone ringing? I walked to my jacket and pulled out my phone. The caller ID read: Chuck. Wonder want he wants, “Hello.”
“Logan how fast do you think you could be back here?”
“Why?”
“I need your help.”
“With what?”
“Logan I would rather not speak about this over the phone.”
“Fine. Give me a day.”
I hung up. I watched her, her head was down and she refused to look at me. I wasn’t going to get any more personal with her or I might scare or piss her off. From what she said that was the worse thing to do, so instead I decided to ignore her and let her put all the pieces back together. I sat my bag on the bed and started checking it. I pulled shirts and jeans out and sniffed them to see if I needed to do laundry. I heard her move but I didn’t look at her. She had started to remind me of a kicked puppy with the way she shied away from me. It hurt I hadn’t done those things to her but the guilt had eaten away at her last night. I figured it had been a while since she had felt that and didn’t know how to make up for it. So she shared her nightmare. I shook my head.
“Logan, where are you going?” I turned to look at her, while I had thought about what I would do to those sons of bitches she had changed. Not just her clothing but her facial expression. She now looked like the woman I had met the first night the only difference was her face which was now looking a little better. I then realized why, she was trying to cover it with make-up. “Um they need me at home.”
She nodded and walked to the chair in the corner by the window and pulled on her boots. I asked, “Where are you going?” She sighed, “Um I don’t really know. The safest place is Alaska.” She laughed. “Why don’t you come with me?” Whoa what the hell Logan? Before I could finish asking her she shook her head, “I can’t.” “Why the hell not Rogue? You ain’t got anywhere else to go and I could help.”
“No Logan. Ok no I just can’t ok.”
“Why? Tell me why and I will leave you alone.”
“Because you make me weak, I’ve never told that damn story to any one and you came a long and I spit that shit out.” She was looking me in the eyes now.
“What’s wrong with a little weakness?” I asked but I knew exactly what was wrong with that. You get hurt and then it’s harder to close the wound.
She cocked her head to the side, “I think you know what’s wrong with it.” I walked toward her and said, “You can’t drive any way. Your eye is swollen.” She thought about it and she finally sighed. I knew I had won and winning was a hard thing with a woman like her, so my ego grew just a little. “Fine but I can leave when I want to.” “Agreed.” She stuck her tongue out at me.
“Come on we have to head out.” I grabbed her bag which was by the door and we went to the car.
After two hours of her staring out of the window she fell asleep. I pulled her down so that her head was resting on my leg, once she was comfortable I heard a sigh. I smiled and we rode like that for a few more miles until I had to stop for gas. I pulled up beside a pump, “Rogue,” I shook her, “I need to pump the gas.” She rose up, wiped her mouth and groggily said, “Ok.” She sat back in her seat and started looking around, “I got it. Do you anything to drink?” she nodded. I went in the store for two reasons: Her face and I needed to get my mind off the kid.
When I came back out of the store I opened the door and handed her a Dr. Pepper. She mumbled thanks. As I pumped gas I watched the back of her head and although I couldn’t smell her I could tell she was depressed. I finished and got in the car, “Rogue we gotta talk.” She looked at me now and I felt like I was drowning looking in her eyes. “About?” “About what you told me.” She nodded.
“Look Rogue, I was used too by those labs. I know some of what you went through. And I can understand needing to tell someone, even a stranger, but I accept it and you need to understand that you shouldn’t be ashamed. It’s not your fault any of it. Look at me Rogue.” She looked at me and I tried to put my feelings behind my eyes. She searched them for a long time then nodded. I cranked the car and we got back on the road.
One gas station, two McDonalds and eight hours later
we reached the mansion and I felt anxious. I looked down at Rogue her forehead was creased. I knew I had to prepare her for the people within but I didn’t want to wake her. She looked so relaxed so I pulled into the garage and glanced at the clock on the radio it was midnight. I sighed, “Rogue. Darlin’ we’re here.” She stirred and sat up rubbing her eyes. She winced. I would have offered to help but her and my memories would not have been a great combination. “You awake yet?”
“Yeah, what’s wrong?”
“Just need to fill you in a little about some of the people here.” She just looked at me.
“Um okay shoot.”
“There are two telepaths here,” her eyes locked with mine I saw panic there and her jaw was tense, “you’ll be fine. But the guy in the wheelchair is Professor Charles Xavier and the redhead woman is Jean Gray.”
Suddenly I saw anger in those vivid greens eye and they started to get stormy. Then as quickly as it appeared it disappeared even from her scent. Interesting. “Ready?” She nodded and we got out of the car. I grabbed her and my bags. We walked through the garage my eyes landed on my motorcycle that I had won from Scooter almost a year ago. It felt good to know there was a reminder of me in this place. I lead us into the kitchen and wouldn’t you know the two people I didn’t want to see tonight were setting at the kitchen island.