**Wake up.**
**Wake the fuck up! Now!**
She flinched and tried to take a deep breath, but couldn’t. His body still lay on top of her, even heavier in death. She groaned and crawled from under him, falling to the cold floor. She was going to be sick.
**That’s better. Just let it all out.**
“I don’t want you in my fucking head!” She screamed and kicked his corpse for good measure.
**I don’t fucking care. I like it up here. You better get used to it. I’m going to stick around.**
“We’ll see about that…” She had spent considerable amount of time in her mind, searching the switch that allowed her to turn her skin on and off. While in that task she had gotten to know herself, every twist and turn, to extent only few telepaths reached. She created a mental image of her surroundings. Then she just stood there, waiting. It didn’t take long before image started to blur, to turn slightly different. He was approaching. Then he was there, cold and bitter rush of darkness, claws pressing against her throat and juncture of her thighs from behind, teeth clasping over her jugular.
“You said you weren’t going to hurt me.”
**I won’t. As long as you let me be. Try anything and you’ll bleed to death under a minute…**
“You can’t hurt me here. This is my territory.”
**Wanna bet on it?** Claws were digging deeper. Ones on her throat nicked her skin slightly, and she could feel something warm and eager dribbling down her skin. Blood.
**You’re mine now, Marie…**
“Yours? What do you mean?” She knew it was a stupid question when claws disappeared and his hands grasped her hips, pulling her buttocks against his crotch. There was a slight hitch on his breath.
**Mine...**
She woke up screaming.
Nightmare wouldn’t leave her alone. Every night she fought against the possessive beast. Every day she spent avoiding Logan. Creature that had lodged in to her mind had driven a wedge between them, making it impossible to explore the friendship that had been budding before the touch, that everybody else referred the Liberty Incident.
“Shit. Shitshitshit… Fuck!” She had been reaching for a small cardboard box from the top shelf of her closet and wobbly chair had crumbled under her. She had closed her eyes preparing for the inevitable. It never happened. Instead of the hard floor she fell against something warm. Something alive.
“Careful, kid.” Triple-shit. She knew that voice. She knew those hands holding her. She knew the warmth pressing against her backside. She froze.
“You alright?” Logan asked, lowering her to the floor, keeping his hands still on her shoulders. Touch made her cringe in revulsion. Not now. Not here.
“Let me go!” She squeaked and lunged away from him, retreating to the furthest corner of her room. Logan backed to the doorstep, showing his palms in surrender.
“I’ll go. Don’t worry. I won’t touch you.” She refused to look at him and didn’t open her eyes before she heard the door closing.
She was running. Running through the woods, avoiding branches and thick undergrowth that tried to grasp her. It was hard to breathe. Feet hurt. Lungs were on fire. She had to keep going, because if she stopped he would catch her. She could hear dry branches bristling and snapping all around her. He was getting closer. She dared a quick glance to her side, and suddenly she was falling. Ground had disappeared and her feet found only thin air. She let out a scream. Strong fingers curled around her wrist.
“Oh, God… No! No!” She tried to squirm loose when hand started to pull her up. Anything was better than the faith that waited at the edge of the ravine she had nearly fallen to.
**Oh, yes… Wouldn’t want you to get hurt…**
“No!” She was scratching the back of the hand that held her, but deep furrows healed instantly. Hand wouldn’t budge.
“Let me go! I don’t want this! I don’t want! I didn’t ask for this!”
**It doesn’t matter. You belong to me, Marie…**
She rose over the edge and was hauled against hard and muscular body, hands anchoring her against him.
**Mine…**
Jean had told her that dreams about running and falling, sometimes even flying were quite normal. Mind’s way of coping stress, anxiety and problematic situations. She hadn’t told her why she was running. From who she tried to escape every night. Jean already thought that she had developed an unhealthy fixation to Logan. Telling her she was trying to avoid getting raped by the Wolverine in her dreams would only cement doctor’s point of view.
“Like I was some starry-eyed twit following him around…” She muttered and shivered. Logan had gotten a fan club of sorts after his return. Half of the mansion’s female population did exactly what Jean had accused her of. Followed every move Logan made, dripping drool on his heels. All she wanted to do was to curl up and die when he came in to view. Like now.
Pool house had felt safe haven. Secure place to spend long hours of darkness after she had woken from yet another nightmare. She had counted upon his fear of water, and up until now it had worked. Now she was trapped. She was at the far end of the pool, hidden behind a barrier of thick bushes of greenery Ororo had brought from the garden to keep them warm over the winter. Logan was sitting at the other end of the pool, dangling his feet in the water. She could only hope he wouldn’t catch her scent.
After a moment it became apparent he wouldn’t have noticed her even if she were prancing in front of him buck-naked and singing show tunes from the top of her lungs. He was still partially immersed to his own dreamscape. Muscles twitching, thin sheen of perspiration covering his half naked body.
“Just water. Just fucking water…” He was muttering. Suddenly he lunged forward, diving in. He stayed under the surface for few seconds and came up for air with a loud roar. His hands grasped the ledge of the pool and he pulled himself away from the water, every muscle rigid, whole body trembling like a leaf. He cast last disgusted glance towards the blue surface of the pool and left, leaving wet trail behind him.
She let out a breath she had been holding and relaxed against the wall behind her. She would have to find a new place to hide.
Professor hadn’t questioned her when she had asked to be moved to the safe wing of the mansion. Place reserved for those who had so severe and uncontrollable mutations that they posed a serious hazard to their surroundings. Room she chose was metal lined, more like a vault than actual bedroom. It was one of the few places in the whole mansion Logan couldn’t get in on his own. Not that he had even especially tried to seek her company, but she wanted a place she could be absolutely sure was Logan-proof.
Wolverine was getting closer. His presence felt more real, more tangible every night. She had woken with small nicks and scars from his claws riddling her body. They were easy to hide from everybody else, but Logan was a different matter. He could smell the blood on her.
“What have you been up to?” She was shivering. He was too close. Sturdy stone wall of the mansion behind her back, his hands braced on both sides of her, face only inches from hers.
“Why do I smell blood on you? What has happened?” Logan. It was just Logan. She tried to get convinced that there was no danger. It was just Logan.
“Nothing…” She whispered past the lump in her throat and wrapped her cloak tighter around her.
“Bullshit, kid…” Logan groaned, grabbed her arm and tugged the sleeve of her cloak higher, revealing the scars. Small nicks and slashes, three in a set.
“I sure as hell haven’t been close enough to do this. Who the fuck…”
“You don’t want to know, okay? Just let me go!” She nearly screamed. Logan shook his head.
“Not this time, kid. Not before you tell me what’s going on.”
Something inside of her snapped. She gave in to her sudden urge and bared her teeth, letting out a low growl.
“Back off, fucker…”
“Cute. That attitude doesn’t suit you, kid,” Logan snorted, but backed off and let her go.
**I don’t really appreciate your behavior… Letting him get his hands on you? Unacceptable…**
Wolverine had captured her between his body and a wall behind her back. He was nibbling and licking her earlobe, rubbing against her suggestively.
**I should teach you some manners… Leading me on like that and then letting another man grope you.**
“Why can’t you just let me go? I don’t want you in my head!” She cried when his hands started to roam over her body, tearing off clothes and caressing the skin underneath.
**You belong to me!**
Sharp teeth lodged to the crook of her neck, drawing blood, leaving a mark.
She woke up screaming, voice echoing from the smooth metal surfaces of her cell. Something warm was spreading to the front of her nightgown. She knew what she would find when she stood up and walked to the bathroom. Mirror revealed angry looking row of teeth marks, still bleeding, black bruising spreading around them.
She decided not to sleep. Since Wolverine appeared only in her dreams, taking them out of the equation should work.
Three long days, and even longer nights passed. She was ready to pass out from sheer exhaustion. She was wandering aimlessly around the mansion, not daring to stop. Her swaying feet would betray her and she wouldn’t get back up again if she sat down to the comfortable looking couches in the rec room. But she could rest for a moment. Just lean her head to the wooden paneling on the wall. Let her stinging eyes drift shut for a brief moment. Just a moment…
She never felt the hands that caught her when she started to slide down.
She nearly woke up when something warm and solid wrapped around her. Instinctively she burrowed closer to that warmth, nestling against it and letting out a contended sigh. Small echoes around her told her she was in her room, in her vault. Safe. She could feel the key card to the door between her fingers. Safe.
**Get away from him, you filthy slut!**
Voice drew her out from the slumber. She sat up and scooted away from the bed when she realized she wasn’t alone. Logan was there with her. In her room. In her bed.
**What do you think you’re doing? You belong to me! To me!**
Now she could hear Wolverine when she was awake. She could feel his fingers, curling around her throat.
“No… Don’t… Let me go…” She whimpered when his grip tightened.
**If I can’t have you, then nobody can! I’m going to make sure of it!**
Fingers were curling tighter and tighter, until she could no longer breathe. Logan stirred in his sleep, turning on his side. His eyes blinked once, then twice.
“Marie?” She lay on the floor, scratching desperately her throat, trying to untangle Wolverine’s hands.
“Help…” She managed to croak.
“Tell me what to do,” Logan asked, crouching next to her. Tell him? Was he fucking kidding? She was choking here, and he wanted her to speak?
“Fuck this. I’ll touch you. Is that okay?” Logan asked. She managed to nod. Maybe this way she could get something… Something to fight off the Wolverine.
When Logan had touched her at the Statue Of The Liberty Wolverine had invaded her mind almost violently, contaminating her whole being. Logan that now entered was much more calmer and cautious. He was sneaking in almost timidly, hesitating for a moment when he saw the twisted landscape of her mind.
“Help…” She could breathe again. As soon as Wolverine had realized what they had done, it had let go of her and retreated. Most likely to ambush Logan.
Furious growl, teeth and claws clashing together. Two beings struggling for dominance. She had been right. As soon as Logan had started to relax, Wolverine had struck. Now they were battling over her.
**Bitch is mine!**
‘Fuck off. She belongs to nobody.’
Where Wolverine sounded possessive and furious, Logan was calm and collected. Calculating.
**You gave her to me!**
‘How could I do that? She wasn’t mine to give.’
**You gave her to me when we claimed her and you gave her up! Get out! Get out! She’s mine!**
'We didn’t claim her. You claimed her. And now it’s time to give up that claim. She doesn’t want us. Let go.'
Two creatures circling each other, trading blows and insults. Finally Logan managed to get an upper hand, pinning wolverine down. Both sets of claws piercing the beast’s upper torso. With a howl it dissolved.
It was gone. Finally gone. She could feel Logan in her mind, prowling around, nudging gently a strain that seemed to be out of place.
“It’s over…” She whispered, relaxing for the first time in months. Logan was fading fast. Soon he was gone, too. His touch had been brief enough not to leave permanent imprint of him to her mind.
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Author's Chapter Notes:
One of those what ifs that wouldn't leave me alone.