He knew she was nearing her threshold of conversation, they'd been inside for what felt like months. The first snows had been harsh, piling up outisde the shelter's door like nothing else on earth. At first they'd both dug a little snow ledge out of the drift, so they at least had some free flowing air for the fire. It had been hard to keep a fire going in the frigid air, Marie was sat huddled in a fur looking at the small meagre fire they had. Her eyes telling of her discomfort and he felt a twinge of guilt for dragging her out here. She needed somewhere warm, somewhere where they had plumbing, somewhere she would be safe away from him and his temper.
"Logan just sit down an talk to me, the snow'll stop eventually and we'll be able to get out and get a bit of space. Ya not the only one needing a bit of freedom ya know." He almost smiled as she let out a tiny growl that sounded so like his own he forgot the frustration that was eating at his nerves.
Wiping his hands he came over and sat across from her, the fire between them, putting some more brushwood on the small flames he saw her hands dart out to seek the warmth being given out. Her finger ends were blotchy, the redness in them almost solid, anger quickly replaced his calm and he reached over the fire pit. Her skin sucking instantly as he touched her bare skin, her arm pulled out of the fur he could see the cool skin and the thread marks of frostbite on her. He held on long enough for her to heal, his anger keeping him conscious, biting out his words to her over the buzzing in his ears. "Are you an idiot or just suicidal?"
Snatching her hand back Marie rubbed her skin as the blood returned to her body, she felt as if she'd been put inside a heater. Her colour finally coming back to her, shuddering she pulled the larger fur around her body, her teeth beginning to clatter as the heat forced itself through her veins. "Why are you bein' so pissy Logan? Ah kept the fire low, ah ate a cold dinner like ya asked, hell ah even did the damn weaving you showed me! What have ah done to piss you off now?"
He just looked at her, shock showing on his features, he'd *never* told her, he hadn't told her anything about the *cold*. She'd been brought up in the south, where the coldest she probably ever got was a good breezy day in New York. His anger quickly shifted into shame, he'd almost killed her by his desire to train her in the wilderness without telling her about the subtle dangers all around her. Moving over to her side he pulled her covered form into his own warmth, piling more wood onto the fire he began. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to snap at you." He played with her now pink fingers, bringing them upto his lips he kissed them quickly before her skin got to react. "Frostbite's a killer Marie, so's the cold. Shivering is good, it's when you stop feelin the cold an the shivers stop is when your dyin." He pulled her around so she could see his face and the remorse he had in his gaze as he continued; "You stopped shiverin an hour ago."
The reality hit her, hard. She'd been dying of cold, the slow creeping fug that she'd thought was sleep wasn't, it had been her body shutting down capillaries withdrawing blood to her vital organs. Sacrificing fingers and toes so she could survive longer, letting herself snuggle deeper into Logan's side as she listened to the snow howl outside the shelter. She'd survive, she knew that, Logan would bring her back from the dead if he had to but she had to be aware of everything he'd told her. It was then she realised that they'd been concentrating on her fighting that the lessons about survival had been lost. It had been this that had almost killed her and she could feel the tension in Logan's body because of it. Moving so she could see his face she pinched him, making him wince and look down into her eyes.
"Talk to me, tell me what to look for, teach me."
Logan had been lost in his own world of thoughts and recriminations until her pinch brought him out of it. Listening to her and looking out at the snow pile outside the shelter it was the best thing he could do right now. So he talked to her, told her how to survive in winter, how to find food, water, how to make fire with wet wood, how to follow predators to kills. How to construct a snow shelter, which meat to eat first in a carcass, the way fat tasted and what she could eat raw, how to strip bark to gain access to sugars and medicine. As he talked the information he was giving her unfolded in her mind, as the words entered she could see his hands doing the actions inside her skull. It was when he told her about a fish trap he'd made and was trying to use a piece of pine as a hook that she interrupted him. "Ya didn't use pine, ya used a gorse thorn last time."
He just looked through her then the light shone in his smile and face, understanding flowing through his features.
"My memories?" She just nodded giving herself over to another bout of shivering, a possibility coming to the front of his mind. If she could recall his memories then could she recall the way to do it as well? Taking a piece of string he threw it to her, "Tie a sheep-shank."
Marie looked at him as if he was speaking dutch but her fingers worked anyway. Her hands were working without her knowledge and as she waved the piece of string under his nose about to tell him she had no clue how to even start, her eyes caught the sight of the knot in front of her.
Both of them looked at the small piece of string, a smile breaking out over Logan's face leaving Marie playing catch up for once.
"Don't you see, you've got *my* memories in there," he tapped her skull quickly. "All we need to do is bring them out and hone them so your body knows the movements by heart, muscle memory."
For the first time in a long time Marie was thankful for her mutation, everything she'd ever need to know was already downloaded into her mind. All Logan had to do was put her through the paces of it so she'd remember it and adapt it to suit her way of fighting. Thing was there was also Wolverine in her head, he was the one that had made her ansty and angry about being cooped up in here with the snow outside. She'd wanted to go out into it but she didn't really have that many layers to keep warm, well not yet anyway. The bear hide had been added to, there were at least another four tanning in the cold, all that was needed was to make them into something. As she thought a pattern made itself known in her mind, even the cutting impliment made from flint, as well as the needle made from a salmon bone, using sinew to sew with.
Smiling she concentrated on her skin, feeling the hum in it turn to a small tingle, reaching out to his smiling face next to her. Kissing the soft mouth that would never lose any attraction for her, letting herself linger as her skin resisted taking any more from Logan. He hadn't moved away, didn't shift as her hand stroked the skin of his face. The textures something she'd never tire of, the sleekness of his hair and the wiry touch of his sideburns on her finger ends. Making sure she had his full attention she pulled away from him slightly, her eyes glowing with pride and love for the man who'd just given her everything he was.
"No matter what Logan, ah love you, ah always did, always will. You kept your promise sugar, you did even when you didn't know you were doin it."
His hand slid down her hand, tracing her forearm, Marie noticed something was wrong when he didn't move his hand away from her forearm. His face was confused as he touched her muscle there, his fingers reading the shift of her anatomy. Tearing his eyes away from her face he looked at her arm, seeing the muscles bunch as her hand flexed. She wanted to ask him why he looked so serious but he beat her to it, "Feel's like it isn't just memories I've given to you," his fingers traced over her elbow until there was a sharp stabbing pain in her knuckles.
"Shit Logan!" She tore her arm out of his grip her skin flaring to life with her anger, but it was her bleeding knuckles that made her eyes go wide. In between her delicate fingers were three bone points, she could trace the form of them through her stretched skin over the back of her hand. Finally tearing her eyes away from them when she felt Logan shift closer to her, seeing the regret in his eyes, the darkness that seemed to ooze out of him, eating his soul alive. He'd turned her into him and that was something he could never forgive himself for, but all she could do was stare at the three bone points and wonder what else was in store for her out her with him.
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Author's Chapter Notes:
When the snow is six feet deep outside all you can do is talk....