Title: Can't Fight The Moonlight
Author: Duchess Curry
Fandom: X-Men
Pairing: Implied Wolverine/Nightcrawler
Beta: Elrina
Summary: The corruption of a flamethrower. The human side of a bitch.
Archive: Starting it here. But if you can't find it, e-mail me at Duchess_Curry@yahoo.com and I'll send it to you.
Rating: M (currently) for language, sexual situations, and violence Parts: 9 of ?
Status: Work In Progress
Series/Sequel: Sequel to "Because of This"
Disclaimer: All original X-Men characters belong to the Marvel Entertainment Group. I do not own them, I am just borrowing them for amusement purposes. I do, however, own all original characters which I have made up for the sake of the story (won't list them all, because there's a lot).
Warnings: Bad language, Violence, Kidnapping, angst.

Authors notes: This chapter is meant to be a little confusing. Wolverine doesn't really know what is going on, so neither should the reader.

Chapter 9

Logan's head felt worse than the world's worst hangover as he started to wake up. He hated the feeling. `I don't want to open my eyes, the light will just make it worse.' Logan thought, and realized that his feet weren't on the ground. Exhaling deeply, he kept his head facing down as it had been, and cracked open his eyes. He saw his feet, bound to the wall with metal strips. He was about a foot off the ground.

Wolverine opened his eyes all the way, and lifted his head. The hangover feeling also disappeared. It was very strange, but a massive relief. The room was very dimly lit, a few small lights on the metal walls letting him see clearly. He looked up at the ceiling. There were more light fixtures there, but they weren't on. It confused him slightly, and he couldn't figure out where he was. Logan sniffed the air. There were several familiar scents there, most very faint; but one seemed to be dominant and lingering. Logan sniffed again. Pyro. He looked around the room, and realized that it was rather large. And there was the person of his seeking. John lay, still unconscious on a table; he too bound with metal straps on his ankles and wrists.
"John." He called out; his voice quieter than usual. There was no response from the unconscious young man. Logan shook his head, and looked down at his chest.
Wolverine finally noticed his own situation. His shoulders were bound to the wall, and his hands and arms behind him, his wrists bent so he couldn't unleash his claws. And even if he could, in this position, they would just run right through him. Logan also realized that there was another heavy piece of metal around his bare torso. Wolverine tried to move, but could barely shift himself three centimeters, the metal cutting into his skin a little.
He glared at the offending room; getting lost in the misery of his situation. Almost totally alone. Without weapons, or any way of fighting. Away from his daughter. That alone was the next thing to torture. Being without the one earthly being that seemed to comfort him.
There was a large booming noise and the sound of loud footsteps in the silent room. Logan stopped thinking and listened … one … two … three people. The strong overhead lights all came on with an electric snap; making Logan wince, and bring his head down to his chest to try to shield his sensitive eyes. The footsteps seemed to split in two; two of them heading in John's direction, and one coming toward him.
"How much longer do you think he'll be out?" Logan recognized the voice. `Remembrance' his mind growled.
"Not much longer now." A voice that he didn't recognise.
Logan opened his eyes a little, letting them get used to the light.
He saw the dark-haired boy who had been with her earlier.
"Hey! This one's awake."
"Got a problem with that, Punk?" Wolverine growled.
"It's to be expected," Remembrance shifted her position from where she was looking down at John so she half posed on the table and could see Logan. "He's got accelerated healing, so he would wake up sooner." She smiled a little. "That's why Narcissus had to drain him more than he did our little Pyro." The dark haired boy's malicious smile made Logan want to tear him to shreds. But he just struggled against the metal fastenings.
The dark haired boy laughed and stood right in from of his face. "I'd like to see you try it, old man. See, I know you're just a runt."
Logan let out an subhuman growl that barked into the man's face. Nightwish laughed in his face. "See? Just like the little dog you really are." Wolverine glared at him. "I only need one word, and you're dead. But the question is, will it be in th
e blink of an eye;" his wicked grin spread "or slow and painful."
Logan banged his body against the bonds.
"Knock it off." Mem commanded. "You keep baiting him like that, and he will find a way out of that contraption to rip you into little pieces."
"You'd be next." Wolverine growled.
"Me?" Mem smiled and almost flirted. "And I haven't even done anything." Her last word made his stomach drop like a stone. "Yet."
Wolverine growled again. Nightwish snapped into his face. "You threaten her one more time …"
"Knock it off." Mem half yelled.
"Why?"
"Because I say so." Magneto's voice boomed as he floated into the room on a circle.
The younger man seemed to pale and sink back. It made Logan smile. Magneto floated over to him.
"Comfortable Logan?"
Logan glared at him. "Just fantastic."
Magneto turned from him. "I'm afraid that this is necessary for the current moment. I don't want my current plans put into upheaval as I am sure that you would make them." Magneto floated over to Remembrance who was still staring at Nightwish. His touch made him look at her. "Are you going to focus hard enough to pull this off?"
"Of course." Her voice was a little cool toward him. "I know my part better than you ever could have planned it out. Why? Are you scared that I'm going to turn on you?"
Magneto seemed to straiten a little under her gaze. "It's been known to happen."
"If I was going to I wouldn't be here now."
"You have also been known to lie to people …"
"Have I ever lied to you?" She cut him off.
"Not to my knowledge."
"Then what are you worried about?"
Logan interrupted, speaking what Magneto seemed to troubled to say. "What you might do."
Mem turned and looked at him, almost sizing him up. "Or are you?" Their eyes met, and Logan felt something stirring in his brain; though he couldn't figure out what.
Pyro, still laying on the table behind Remembrance started to wake up. Everyone's attention turned to him as his eyes flickered open.
"What the …" His voice trailed off as Magneto floated over him, almost god-like on his metal disc.
"Welcome to my house. I once helped you discover your name. And at once when I saw your singular and unique talent I knew that you belonged with us. You are a god among insects, much like us. We are above the rest who are contained at Xavier's school.
Though many consider us to be the bad guys, we indeed are the ones who save the world, and make life better for all mutants.
I offer you now the opportunity to join us in our quest. You are free to choose whether you want to be with us or not. I wil never hold it against you if you choose not to. Those of us who are as powerful as we are, are entitled the right to choose our own destinies."
Magneto hovered backward a little, and turned.
"I'm in." John said immediately. Magneto turned back to him, smiling like a proud father looking at his son. "There's nothing for me with Xavier that you can't give me better. And here there's no one to hold me back." He looked up at Mem, smiling. "No!" Logan yelled. "John, don't!"
Nightwish turned and ran to him, pulling out a knife, and stopping only when it was digging into Wolverine's throat.
"Just say the word gramps, and you'll be outta my hair."
"Nightwish." Mem's voice was cold. The angry young man turned to his girlfriend. "It's not your turn." Logan heard metal snapping back as she lit a cigarette. John sat up on the table, and slid to the floor next to her. "Let's see what he can do."
Remembrance blew out pale smoke as her left hand held the metallic lighter to John.
His eyes gleaming like a little boy's on Christmas morning, Pyro approached Wolverine's bound form. He flicked the top of the lighter up and down, up and down.
Click, snap. Click, snap. Click, snap.
Logan found himself breathing faster, not wanting them to see that he was scared. Nightwish moved his arm down, cutting open Wolverine's chest. He could feel the warm blood seep down his front. It made him want to shiver, but he wouldn't let them see him so weak.
Click, snap. Click, snap. Click … Pyro was two yards away from him now. He'd stopped walking, and stopped snapping closed the lighter. He swiped the igniter, and a little flame showed up. He shifted it to one hand, letting it grow bigger.
Logan knew that the burn was going to come before it actually came. He kept his eyes open, and stared his deadly fate in the face, his pale blue eyes showing no fear as he watched Pyro's every move.
John moved the flame up a little, letting it get bigger still. Logan just wanted it to be over, to have the pain and then have nothing.
`I just wish I could have held my daughter one last time …' "Don't worry, I won't let them kill you." Mem's voice interrupted his thoughts in a whisper. "Don't worry."
The fame hit Wolverine hard, and square in his cut chest.
It hurt worse than it should have, as the fire seared his wound.
The pain was intense, and Nightwish drawing his blade over the blistering, charred skin only made it worse. Wolverine let out a little yell and passed out, thinking only of his daughter.

Logan felt something cool wiping his forehead. He tried to move before opening his eyes. His chest ached beyond measure, and he found that he couldn't really shift positions as he was still bound in the same way. Only this time, he somehow knew that he was laying down. Opening his eyes, and looking at his feet confirmed Logan's suspicions.
"I told you I wouldn't let them kill you." Her cool voice almost resounded in his ears.
Logan glared at her, but saw a genuine light almost glowing about her.
"Thanks I guess."
"You had a daughter. I didn't know …" She trailed off, looking down at him.
"Yeah. Thanks for that too I guess."
Mem shrugged. "Yeah, whatever." She seemed distracted.
Logan looked around the room. Another bare room, lit by fluorescent lights. A few small tables around the room … Everything made out of metal. Made sense, it was Magneto's house. Logan leaned his head back, feeling a pillow under it. Odd.
Remembrance looked down at Logan, brushing hair out of his face. "I have a lot to tell you, but very little time to do it. Do you know what happened to me when I was in my father's psychic room?"
That was even more odd. Wolverine couldn't see where she was going with this, but figured he could do nothing but play along. "You mean Cerebro?"
"Whatever you call it. Do you remember?"
Logan's mind suddenly seemed to open. "You walked it, and Cerebro was red. Everyone seemed to be floating in it, all looking like they were in pain. And there was this ball …" Wolverine trailed off, remembering the pain of his thoughts as the doors slid closed. He started to get lost in the thoughts … the sound of those brutal men's voices and the harsh smell of iodine. The pain of the men ripping the child from him, and the helpless feeling.
The sound of water dripping into itself brought him back to reality. Wolverine turned his head and saw Remembrance wringing out a washcloth. She moved slowly back to him and wiped the sweat off his face.
"Thanks."
She nodded, and wrung out the washcloth again. As she turned back to him and gently washed the dried blood off his chest, she started speaking again.
"What else do you remember?"
"From then?" She nodded. "Nothing."
Mem sighed. "Your mind betrays you. You remember panic, and fear. You worried for your friends, and you worried for me.
You kept having those wild thoughts; your worst nightmare at the time. I didn't realize then that it would get worse." Wolverine looked up at her, and caught her staring into the distance her eyes looking dead. "Do you want to know what else happened in there?" Logan said nothing.
"Your mind betrays you again. Even without realizing it, you have thought about it. You wonder how I survived." She looked down at him. "You also wonder how I lived after what happened in the caves." She looked Logan in the eye, her eyes more pale that he could ever remember, and almost creepy.
"The thing of it is, Mr. Logan, my father could have survived in there too. Anyone could have. But no one else would have walked in there. I'm the only one that stupid to."
This made Logan blink and stop thinking. One of the few people that Logan thought felt that they were perfect had just admitted that she wasn't.
"That's the thing about me, I don't care if I live or die. I'm worth nothing to anybody."
"Proteus cares about you."
Mem sighed, her eyes no longer dead but starting to grow with fire. "He cares about me a little too much. He doesn't know how to let go." She gently massaged his burning bruises with the cold cloth. "He's not what I came here to talk to you about though. I want you to know what everyone deep in that museum has been thinking."
`And she's back to the bitch that I know' Logan thought.
"I know that none admit it, but I've been in their heads. Before they fall asleep at night it comes into their heads. Yours too."
`Okay, this is a little creepy.'
"So, do you want to?"
"Do I want to what?"
"Do you want to see what really happened in there?"
Logan said nothing, almost every ounce in him wanting to say yes, but his mind telling him that he really didn't want to. "Yes."
Mem moved around the bed, and positioned herself at his head. She put her hands at his temples as the Prof had so many times when he had helped release Logan's memories.

Logan heard Cerebro's doors slide shut behind him. He looked behind him, and saw the reddish, foggy, swirling figures in agony. Logan turned around again and saw his hands … Mem's hands.
He realized that he was in her memory … For the moment he was Remembrance.
A step forward. Another step forward. Fear and uncertainty were coursing through her veins. Mem's steps were shaky as she kept moving forward. Her thoughts popped into Logan's head. `What the fuck am I doing? How the hell am I going to stop this thing?' She was standing right in front of the pearly orb, her hands hovering over it, unable to touch. A new image was fighting to get into her head. Mem closed her eyes, and let it in.
The image that entered was of Proteus bent over, clutching his head in pain.
"Mem, Mem I'm sorry" his softly accented voice echoed through her mind.
"Hold on. I'm helping" She said, her voice holding confidence that Logan now knew that she didn't feel.
"Mem …"
She kicked Kevin out of her mind. It felt clear again. It was strange for Logan to experience. He'd felt people in his mind before, but never had the ability to control them coming in and out. Her hands hovered over that ball again. And again she pulled them back. `What the hell am I going to do? Even if I can stop the red … the psychic … the whatever it is that it's doing, then what do I do?'
Logan looked up and around the room through Remembrance's eyes. A thought popped into her mind, spoken in the Professor's voice.
"The fate of so many often depends on just one. Someday you will be that one, but how will you act? Will you act as you so often do, and think just for yourself? Or will you act for those who at that moment cannot act for themselves?"
Mem's breath accelerated in her chest, and Logan felt the warm tears run out of her eyes. She moved her hands back over the pearly ball, then with a little too much force pushed her hands onto it.
The orb itself didn't seem to react at all to her, it's smooth surface almost metallic. But the feeling that had started to move through her was amazing. Logan felt Remembrance's hands grow warm. She shifted them father under the ball, getting a better grasp on it. With a deep breath she lifted the ball out of it's holder. It was heavy, and her hands started to tingle a little. Slowly she lifted it out of the holder, her arms straining against the weight a little.
The red figures floating around the room didn't disappear though, as she'd thought they would have.
But the feeling was suddenly amazing. All of the Prof's psychic power was in that ball, and at that moment, all of it was starting to course through Mem. The power of two. It forced it's way through her, almost making her blood run faster. Adrenaline and pure power rushed through her.
But Logan realized that this was pleasurable to her. Mem breathed out, and fell into the feeling. The thought suddenly occurred to her `If you smash the ball, then they'll be released.'
Mem let herself fall into the feeling a little more, and took a step forward, her feet now at the edge of the platform. Her hands still out in front of her. She tried to drop the orb, but found that she couldn't. Getting angry, Mem tried to throw the pearl ball against the wall, but had forgotten how heavy it really was.
It seemed that she couldn't let go. The force from her attempted throw couldn't be stopped, and the ball sailed over the edge … Taking Mem with it.
Logan experienced her falling feeling. The power coursing through her numbing the crash. She felt no pain, and every thought that came in her mind seemed to come with each heartbeat that pounded through her head.
The ball had landed on her chest, almost crushing and hurting her. `But I'm a self healer, so it'll be okay.' Heartbeat.
`There was still the reddish figures floating around the room.' Heartbeat.
`The ball hasn't been destroyed yet.'
Heartbeat.
`Wait … It doesn't have to be destroyed, it just has to stop it's connection.'
Heartbeat.
Mem tried to move, but her fall had left her splayed legged, and in pain when she tried to sit.
Heartbeat.
`I'm tired … I'm running out of time for consciousness.' Heartbeat.
`Just gotta …' Mem shifted the ball to her right hand, and it was way to heavy. Her right hand crashed to the ground. Heartbeat.
The force of its fall made the ball roll out of Mem's hand, it's psychic energy going inert.
Heartbeat.
All of the images sought out the one psychic being that was still active in the chamber, and rushed down, and into Mem's mind. Heartbeat.
She blinked, images of darkness trying to pull her into unconsciousness.
Heartbeat.
There was a loud cracking sound, and Mem watched through slightly blurry eyes as some of Cerbero's panels came off the walls. Heartbeat.
Logan felt her give in, and as her eyes closed felt her fall into the screaming images that rioted through her head.

With a gasp, Logan felt Remembrance's memories leave his mind, like a vacuum. He was breathing heavily, almost panting. He looked up, and saw first her eyes, then the rest of her face.
"How the fuck did you survive that?"
"I don't know. But if you want to survive this, and get out in time to help, you've gotta let me do this."
"Do what?"
"I'm going to hypnotize you. You're going to sleep. As you sleep, your breathing will decrease, until the rest of them think that you're dying. They'll dump you not far from the mansion, believing that you'll die there, and be found by the X-Men soon after you pass. In reality, you'll wake up within twenty four hours. You have to get back to the mansion by then, and within twelve hours after you wake up you've got to have them ready to fight. Remember, we're going after Omega Red; and you'll want to stop us."
"But why …"
"Logan, I can explain everything later. Now, do you want to be able to save every one, and stop the bad guys, or do you want to say here, bound and helpless?"
Logan was silent for a moment. "Do it."
He heard her voice, soft, monotone, hypnotizing; and after a few words, he was gone. "Logan, you are tired. You can barely keep your eyes open. Your breathing is even, but once you're asleep you'll breath very shallowly. You will remember everything that I've shown you when you wake up. And you will wake up, rested and thoroughly healed in just 24 hours. And you will remember. Logan, you are tired. You can barely keep your …"

Chapter 10

It was cold. And wet. Logan breathed in, and felt his chest burning. He groaned a little, and opened his eyes. He was in a field but the woods that were close to the mansion. He knew the site, since it was one of those that he would escape to when life at the mansion got to be too much for him.
Everything flashed back to him in an instant, and the acid in his stomach. Remembrance's voice echoed in his head.
"In reality, you'll wake up within twenty four hours. You have to get back to the mansion by then, and within twelve hours after you wake up you've got to have them ready to fight."
Wolverine knew that he didn't have any time to lay around.
He turned over onto his chest, and immediately regretted it.
Wincing through the pain, trying not to cry out, he buried his hands in the soft, damp grass, and struggled to pull his knees under him. Dizzy and still trying to keep from screaming, Logan staggered to his feet.
`There could still be one of them around here. Better put on a good show.' Wolverine thought, and with a light groan continued to stagger even though his legs felt solid under him. On and on he staggered. Though he knew it was just an act, it was starting not to feel like it. With every breath, Logan's chest was aching and throbbing more and more. He didn't want to look down and see how bad it really looked. It was almost painful to keep moving, the dizziness that he had originally felt not leaving him.
His staggering movements no longer a show, Logan realized that his target was in sight. The heavy, iron gate that marked their invisible security field were right in front of him. He lurched forward, and ended up leaning on it. Almost panting, but now seeing the mansion; Wolverine used the posts as staffs, and pulled his way forward. Foot by foot, until he was at the start of the path up to the house. This little drive had never seemed longer; but Logan also knew that it was the last stretch. Summoning up all of his remaining strength; Wolverine half sprinted, half lunged to the gigantic doors. Panting and more sore than ever Logan turned the knob, and stood at the threshold.
Kevin was walking down the main stairs, and saw Logan there. He stood still, not understanding what was wrong with the man. Wolverine took one step forward, and tripped on his own exhausted feet. Kevin rushed forward and pulled Logan's head off the floor, his brow furrowed in concentration; trying physicly to get Logan to wake up. It worked. Logan found himself staring into the face of the boy who had scared him a little since they had first met.
"I need to see Charles. Now." He growled.

Half an hour later, Wolverine was lying on a bed in the infirmary; with Hank scanning his chest and the Prof next to him taking everything in.
"So you're saying that Remembrance helped you escape?"
"Yeah."
Charles sighed, and rubbed his forehead. "This does not makes sense. But then she seems to have a soft spot for helping you." Charles sighed again, and looked back at Logan. "Could you repeat what she told you?"
"Which part?"
"The end. Right before she … Well she helped you get out of there."
"They'll dump you not far from the mansion, believing that you'll die there, and be found by the X-Men soon after you pass. In reality, you'll wake up within twenty four hours. You have to get back to the mansion by then, and within twelve hours after you wake up you've got to have them ready to fight. Remember, we're going after Omega Red; and you'll want to stop us."
"About twenty four hours, then about twelve hours. I'll have to assume that we've lost an hour. Eleven more hours to go. It's now exactly …" Charles looked up at a luminous clock on the wall "quarter to eleven in the morning. We'll have to plan in at least an hour for travel. Hank, how long until you can have Logan on his feet again?"
Beast didn't look up from his work with ointments and gauze. "Give me another half an hour and you'll be ready to move; though not to fight yet. You need a little more time to heal before that."
"How long Hank?" Logan growled.
"At least one more day."
"Don't got that."
"I'm going to have you come with us anyway." The Prof interrupted. "We're going to need everyone who can fight with us.
If they have Omega Red on their side we're going to be up against an almost unstoppable force."
"Even me?"
All three men looked to the doorway. Skye was standing there, his eyes a little wider than usual; cradling Wolverine's daughter. It was easy to forget that he was the youngest active member.
"Even you." Charles nodded, wheeling toward the door. "Logan, meet me in the war room when Hank says you're ready. Hank, I expect you to follow him up shortly." He stopped next to Syke and looked into the young man's eyes. "Don't worry. You'll do fine." With that he wheeled away to plan.
Skye walked in, and stood next to Logan. The injured man reached up, and stroked the baby's soft cheek. "She missed you."
"Yeah. I missed her too." He looked to Hank, who quickly shook his head.
"No Logan, you can't hold her right now. I need full access to your chest; and these burns can't take the pressure from her."
"Fine." Wolverine growled, letting the baby grasp his finger as her blue eyes, still rimmed in yellow blinked at him. "Did you find her?" Skye asked, his voice a little malicious.
"Yeah."
"Did you kill her?"
"What?" Logan's disbelief at Skye's question showed in his voice and on his face.
"Did you kill her?"
"I thought you like Remembrance."
Skye looked at his feet. "She disserted us. She said she'd never leave me, that she'd be my family." He shook his head. "It sucks. I hate her."
"I've never heard you swear before." Logan commented. Skye looked at him a little awkwardly.
Logan felt like the Prof at the moment, as he squeezed Skye's shoulder. "Look, the whole hating thing isn't you. You're just mad at Mem. And it hurts that she left." Skye looked into his eyes, and swallowed. Logan knew that he was hitting the right notes. "You know she wouldn't have left willingly. And that she's probably worried about you. It's okay. Be mad, but don't let the feeling take you over. It's not you." Logan smiled. "Hurt her back if you want. But forgive her. She was taken, she didn't leave."
The baby made a little bawling noise, and both looked to her. Skye shifted her a little and she was quiet again. "I'm gonna take her up for a nap, then meet you with the Professor."
"Okay."
As Skye left, Hank finished placing small gauze pads on Wolverine's chest.
"Logan, I want you to sit up, so I can wrap your entire chest with gauze."
"Kay."
Wolverine sat up, wincing just a little and raised his arms over his head so the good doctor could move the large gauze roll around him.
"That was good advice that you gave him."
"Thanks."
"I don't know if I would have told him that he could hurt her back, but from you it worked." This made Logan laugh, and made him happy even though it hurt too. "Well," Hank took a step back "I believe that you are set. Before we leave later I want to check these dressings, but you can go to the war room with no problems."
"Thanks Hank." Logan said sliding off the bed and carefully pulling a white shirt over his head.


The war room was too crowded for Wolverine, yet everyone seemed to have a space around the large round table. Charles sat at the head of the oval table, facing the blank wall. As Logan sat, the lights dimmed and a holographic image appeared for all to see and the Professor started to speak.
"I am glad that you have all come here so quickly. As you all know by now, our family has been threatened. Wolverine was captured four days ago, and while held he was tortured, then helped to escape by someone who even now I am not sure if is an ally or not. In ten and one half hours we will face Magneto and his allies. Whether we are walking into a trap or not I do not know.
All I know is that we have to stop Magneto from reawakening Omega Red. As many of you know from previous encounters with Omega Red, he is a very powerful and very dangerous man made mutant. He will stop at nothing to achieve his goal; and if he can be swayed to take on a quest which another desires; that force will be almost unstoppable." The Professor turned and looked at them all as a group; though Wolverine felt that he was looking only at him. He finished his speech with the force that showed his trepidation over the situation. "We cannot fail."

8:45 PM
Logan found himself crouching behind a pile of trash cans and abandoned wooden boxes in another dark, dirty ally. He was silently listening.
"Ya think this is bull shit?"
Logan turned his head to Kevin who was waiting close to him. "Not sure."
Kevin stared hard at him. "I think Skye was right."
Wolverine raised a questioning eyebrow. "I was talking to him, and he thinks this is a trap."
Exhaling a little Wolverine turned back to his previous stance. "Don't know."
"How much longer will we have to wait?"
Trying not to get annoyed Wolverine didn't answer, hoping that Kevin would get the hint. It worked for a few more minutes, until a question that Logan didn't want to hear much less have to answer reached his mind.
"Logan, I know you don't like me in your head but Aye gotta ask you this. What is Mem doing? Aye can't get into her head, and Aye donnot want to think she's bad … So …"
BBBRRRAAAAWWWW
The unearthy crashing, yawling noise interrupted Kevin's thoughts in Wolverine's head.
"Wolverine, status report." The Professor's voice spoke through the small walkie talkie that everyone had on their uniforms. Logan took a few steps forward, looking around. "Wolverine!"
Logan raised his hand and touched the X on his shoulder. "I don't know yet. I'm going in to investigate."
Bam! Both men jumped a little and turned to see a door continue to slam shut little by little; each little noise echoing through Logan's head. Slam, slam, slam, slam, slam.
"Be careful Wolverine."
"Got it."
With Kevin close behind him, Logan pulled the heavy metal door open and peered inside.

Chapter 11
"Stay silent." Wolverine hissed to Kevin as they snuck into the warehouse. Logan carefully sniffed the air. It smelled … stale and dusty; like there had been no one there for a long time. Quietly they pressed forward. Logan looked to the ground. The cold concrete had a thin layer of dust on it. No one had been here for a long time. It was odd … And creepy. Wolverine's eyes moved from side to side. `There's something wrong here; but I can't figure out what.'

A tiny beep emanated from his shoulder. "What have you found Wolverine?" The Prof's voice came out in almost a whisper.

"Nothing yet. But I know that there's something here."

"Alright, then keep at it. But be warned that there are now other teams in the building."

"Got it." Logan said, touching his shoulder so the little red light that the badge emanated disappeared, and he and Kevin were once again plunged into semidarkness. "Can you see?" He whispered. No answer. "Proteus?" Still no answer. Logan looked behind him. There was Kevin, following him like a shadow. "What, you can't answer me?"

"You told me to be quiet."

Wolverine had to stifle a laugh. He turned back and kept creeping down the corridor. Logan listened, but there was nothing to hear. That was it, what was making it so creepy. There was no noise. Wolverine stopped and stood still for a moment. There was no buzz from a distant florescent lamp, no foot steps of a patrolling guard, no gentle hum of a heating unit. Logan blinked. He knew that he was missing something, but had no idea what exactly it was. There still was something missing that he knew should have been there; though right at that moment he couldn't place it.

"Wolverine?"

Logan shook his head. "It's nothing. Let's keep moving."

They kept their pace, moving through corridor after corridor. They still didn't run into anything. It was starting to wear on Wolverine's nerves. `There's fucking got to be something here. Maybe this is a trap. But if it is, then …'

"You never answered my question."

"What?" Logan asked quietly. He quickly looked back at Kevin, who seemed troubled.

"You never answered my question about what Mem was doing."

Wolverine felt conflicted. He knew that Kevin really wanted to know whether or not Mem was with another guy … But Logan also knew that the answer wasn't what Kevin wanted to hear right now. He chose to op out with the lame answer.

"Well, she was kinda busy saving me from being burned to death, so I didn't have time to ask her how her personal life was goin."

Kevin smirked at him. "Yeah, but you know Mem; and I know that you'd know if … Well if she was with someone."

Logan didn't know how to answer this. He looked forward into the semi-darkness. He saw the corridor ending with another corner to turn. `I thought we'd find Omega Red's containment unit by now. If it's not around the next corner then I'll have to consider pulling out. Maybe this is a trap.'

"Logan?" He looked back to Proteus's fretful face. "Could you answer my question?"

Just as Wolverine was opening his mouth to splutter another non-answer a creaking noise diverted both men's attentions. Adrenaline started coursing through Wolverine's body as he and Proteus slowly crept toward the looming corner. He knew that every step brought them closer to the dangerous unknown. His breath caught in his chest a little as he tried to keep silent. It made the burns and cuts on his chest ache. Wolverine tried not to think about them, focusing for more noises; because there were more noises. Footsteps, and hushed whispers that he couldn't make out. `I know this rhythm' Wolverine though as he listened to the footsteps `but I can't figure out whose they are.'

Flattened against the wall, Logan listened again and this time heard nothing. He dared a quick glance to Kevin, who was watching him intently. Logan blinked and silently sniffed the air. There was a very familiar smell hanging on the nearby air, though Logan still couldn't recognize it. His arms strait, prepped for the danger approaching; Logan's conscious kicked in. `What the hell have I gotten myself into. And what the fuck have I led Kevin into. I might not like him, but I don't want him hurt unless I do the hurting.'

Exhaling deeply and pushing the thoughts from his mind, Wolverine spun around the corner, expelling his claws as he went. He ran into something soft that made an oofing noise as he ran into it.

"Honestly mon ami, I know dat yor' made a' medal, but dat doesn' mean dat you should roll `im ober like a steam roller!"

"Gambit shush!" Scott's harsh tone made Wolverine want to laugh. He smiled as he growled at his friends.

"What the hell are ya doin' in here Psych?"

Scott's tone remained formal and cold. "The Professor thought that you might need some help."

Logan sneered. "I don't need help Boy Scout."

Scott glared at him from behind his visor. "Of course not. You have your glowing orange body guard with you."

"Hey!" Kevin said a little too loudly as he started to emit the glowing orange light that he always did before he morphed into the creature that inspired fear into Wolverine.

"Would you all knock it off?" A female voice interrupted. "You know I could hear you all the way down the hall." Logan realized who the slightly sexy voice belonged to, and whirled around to see Remembrance standing about three yards away wearing another tight black leather and lace outfit. She saw that she had all of their attentions ahe smiled, then turned and bolted.

Not thinking, Wolverine rushed after her. `Gotta get to her. Gotta figure out what the hell's goin' on.' Logan thought. He felt something very large push past him, and two seconds later saw Proteus in full orange form almost flying in form of him. Logan tried to get past him, but Kevin seemed to be fueled by something more. He followed the glowing figure for a while longer, then lost him in the darkness and confusion of the labyrinthine corridors. Wolverine stopped where the corridor split into two.

Gambit and Cyclops ran up behind him. "Which way Wolverine?" Scott queried. Logan sniffed the air, but there were too many different scents and he couldn't trace them.

"If you think that I'm going to answer that then you're psycho. I can't even believe that you have the audacity to ask me …" Remembrance's angry shrieks filled the air, and pointed Wolverine's way.

"Mem, Aye just want to know if …" Kevin's voice half pleaded, though she interrupted him again.

"Kevin, why the hell can't you just trust me? If I'd cheated on you you'd already know." Wolverine ran into a large room with brick walls. Remembrance and Proteus stood facing each other, the girl dwarfed by the enormous glowing orange figure; though she yelled with more vehemence than he did. Logan was stunned. They were standing in the singular pool of light in the room, in the dead center of it. "And furthermore if you continue to mistrust me, then I won't be able to help you in five minutes."

"Why the hell do you think you'd need to help me in five minutes?" Kevin roared back.

"You'll need her help to get through everything that I plan to do to you." Magneto's menacing voice rang out.

Lights flashed on, an other voices rang out. Wolverine winced a little when the lights came on but when he heard Cyclops's voice call out to fight, Logan crouched, ready to spring. He saw his adversary.

Nightwish stood opposite him, his black hair pulled off his face and a wicked smile on his lips. He mimicked Logan's position, raising one hand beckoning Wolverine to him with two fingers. Wolverine's extra-sensitive hearing picked up Nightwish whispering "Come on gramps" which made him more riled up. Anger bubbled up in Wolverine as he raced toward the punk. Time seemed to stand still as they raced toward each other. Logan straitened his wrists, and the Snickt sound clung in the air for far longer than usual. He saw Nightwish elaborately cross his arms in front of him and pull a knife out of either side of his black leather jacket.

The rest of the world slipped away as the two men seemed to hang on the air. They landed snarling at each other. As they forcefully charged at each other, their respective metal blades clashed against each other. Sparks flew as they clashed again and again until the banged into each other with enough force to throw each other back. Logan glared at Nightwish from the ground as the younger man got up. Nightwish pounced on him, and it took all of Logan's weaning strength to keep the knives from plunging into him. Nightwish grinned and cackled wickedly as he flew into a brick wall when Wolverine threw him off of him.

"What the hell type of knives can stand up to my claws?" Logan spat out as he shakily stood, wiping blood off a scratch on his face.

Still bearing his sinister grin, Nightwish stood too. "Adamantion, old man." He said, swinging the knives like a ninja as he stalked toward the still slightly panting Wolverine. He swung at Nightwish, loosing his balance as the carefully wrapped bandages came undone and one of the deeper burns rubbed against his uniform, making Wolverine cringe. Noticing this, Nightwish showed no mercy, and played the tip of one of his knives along Wolverine's unhealed burns. Logan winced and cried out.

"Say goodbye, old man." Nightwish chuckled, raising his other knife high.

Incensed by his pain and rage that had been building in him for what felt like ages now Logan pushed the younger man off of him, and sprang up. While Nightwish was dazed, Logan sliced at his abdomen then shoved him against the wall. Nightwish's dark haired head fell limp against his shoulder as he slumped onto the ground.

"Goodbye" Logan said sarcastically, then turned to survey the havoc around him. All around the warehouse room people fought in twos and threes; except for Mem who stood alone looking more like a statue than someone who was ready to fight. Wolverine saw Hank and Pyro fighting with each other in front of her. "How stupid of them, they`re probably still at it because of Bobby." Logan muttered, as he ran over to Remembrance to pull her away from the flying fire.

"What are you stupid?" He yelled at her. "Or have you never seen a real fight going on?"

Almost as though she was coming out of a trance, Mem looked at him. "Oh, hey." She said lightly. "Did you beat him up yet?"

"Him who?" Wolverine was confused, and starting to get a little creeped out by how odd Mem was acting.

"Nightwish." Her voice was so light that only Wolverine could have heard her clearly because of the ruckus behind him.

"Yeah, he's over there." Logan gestured behind him. "Are you okay?"

Mem reached over, and pushed Wolverine away from her. "Get out! And take the others with you." She yelled, turning away from him, and heading toward a brick wall that had obviously been hit by several blasts of fire, ice, and people. Logan ran after her.

"Mem, what the hell are you up to? Whose side are you on anyway?"

Logan watched her face as Mem's eyebrows moved up as she realized something that no one else apparently did. "Remembrance, which fucking side are you really …" But Wolverine couldn't finish his sentence. Remembrance had levitated himself and was hovering now a foot over Wolverine's head. He growled a little and ran after her as she moved away from him, raising her arms. "What the fuck are you …?"

"I can't explain now." She yelled down to him. "Just get everyone away from this wall."

"What the hell is goin' on?"

Mem seemed to be panting a little as she looked down at Wolverine. He looked up at her and realized that she looked like she was about to cry. Her voice was breathy. "I can explain later. Just get them outta here. Please."

Something in her look made Logan believe her; plus he couldn't remember the last time that she'd said please to him. Looking around him, Wolverine backed away. Almost all of the fighting was happening on the other side of the room; just Beast and Pyro were battling nearby. Logan jogged over to them. `How ironic. With my luck they'll still be fighting over Iceman.' He thought. And he wasn't far off.

"I don't care what you think that you had with Bobby, he chose to be with me. John, you have to let it go."

"I don't have to let go of anything!" Pyro yelled back, fire shooting out of his hands and the fire of his passion flaring from his eyes. Hank backed up a little. "I know what I had with him, and that's enough to know that what I had was real." As flames shot out of his hands, Hank flipped backward to avoid them. Unfortunately Hank flipped into the wall behind him crushing his shoulder.

Wolverine watched as Pyro stood over Beast, fire discharging from his hands creating an inferno around him. Logan knew the look in his eyes, and at that moment, his only thoughts were for his friend.

"I hold the power now." Johnny muttered.

Wolverine ran and pounced, knocking Pyro to the floor and out of it. Logan stood and held out his hand to his friend. Hank smiled up at him, and took the assistance to get up. The two men smiled at each other for a moment.

"Don't think I'll always have have your back Blue."

Hank laughed. "I'll remember that. And thank you." They started to walk across the room.

"How's your shoulder?"

"It's been better." Beast said. "I want to get to my lab and set it so the injury doesn't have any lasting repercussions."

A small noise that was very out of place caught Logan's attention. He whirled around. Behind him, Johnny was slowly staggering to his feet, his head in his hands. But Pyro wasn't who caught his attention. Floating on the air at the center of the wall, not too far away from John, was Mem. An odd light seemed to emanate from her. Her hands were still up over her head, almost as though she was pushing something away from her. Wolverine looked beyond her, and saw huge cracks forming in the stone … And she wasn't creating them.

"Fuck" Wolverine muttered as he heard more cracks forming. He turned again and urged Hank to move faster. "Come on Blue, let's get a move on."

"Why? Logan, what's going on?"

The cracking noises got louder, and louder. Logan knew that Remembrance couldn't control it any more. Her voice softly echoed through his head. "Mr. Logan I'm sorry. Keep safe. Keep all of them safe. Forget about me. I'm so sorry."

Wolverine turned and saw the light around Mem grow brighter and brighter as the splits in the bricks got bigger and a rolling cracking sound came to his ears.

"Duck!" Wolverine roared, spinning around and covering Hank's body with his.

A thunderous crash reverberated through the room, it's intensity was too much for Wolverine's ears making him temporarily deaf. He closed his eyes. With two of his senses now disabled his others raised up. Wolverine found himself choking a little on the dust from the wall collapsing and made himself breath slowly so he would stop. Time seemed to go slower than usual. It seemed like an eternity passed as he felt fragments of brick and mortar smack his back. Wolverine felt Hank shuddering under his chest. An odd wave of parentelness washed over him.

`Man, I really want to hold my daughter close right now. When I get out of this …' His train of thought stopped as the rubble stopped falling.

Logan was the first to stand. His hearing had come back, though it was fuzzy, like when you leave a loud concert. He surveyed the damage that had been done. All of the villains seemed to have fled. He felt Hank stand next to him. Logan looked around the room. The rest of his comrades were slowly standing. But the wall … The predawn light filtered through the cavernous mouth where it once had stood.

"Is everyone alright?" Cyclops's voice rang through the emptiness.

Murmured words to the affirmative cycled throughout the room. "Ohhh, Gambit's not." Logan had to stifle a laugh at his friend's dramatics.

"Count me in on dat too." Dion's voice also cut through the others.

Logan let out a small sigh of relief. `If one of them does something, the other has to do it better.' He thought, and took a step toward the rest of them. Wolverine saw Iceman rushing toward them. `Man, I wish I had someone so worried about me as he is about Hank.' But Bobby ran past them, toward the pile of rubble. There were clattering noises and Logan turned to see Bobby desperately shifting rubble off of Pyro's prostrated form.

"John, John you okay?" Iceman's normally cool domineer had been shattered, and he sounded as though he was pleading for his life.

There was a faint noise from the fallen form, which made the rest of the X-Men run to help Bobby. Wolverine held back though, unable to forget the burn marks that still scarred his chest. Sensing something off, he turned around and saw that Kevin had shrunk back into his human form, and now had stopped, as though there was something in the air that only he could sense. Logan walked toward him wanting to ask what was up, but before he could open his mouth, he found that he was pushed past again.

"What the hell?" He muttered. He turned again, and saw the now slightly glowing orange young man digging franticly through a huge pile of dark bricks and light mortar. Wolverine trotted over. "Kevin, what are you …?"

"She's under here."

"Who?"

"Mem!"

Logan looked at him disbelievingly.

"She's alive."

"Kevin, there's no way that …"

"I am. Just help me." A faint voice that Wolverine knew a little too well popped into his head. Still not believing it, he dug into the bricks with one of his least favorite people on the Earth. After a few minutes of digging through the steep pile, Logan found himself looking into a bruising female face.

"Are you lucky …" He said.

Mem exhaled deeply, tears unconsciously weeping from her eyes. Her voice was barely louder than a whisper and full of pain. "If you could feel what I do right now, then you wouldn't feel lucky at all."

A ball of bile and compassion rose into Logan's throat. He shook his head a little, a wave of parenting washing over him again. "Aww Kid, we gotta get you outta there."

She gave him a tiny smile. "No shit."

That little bit of sarcasm made Logan feel infinitely better, since it made him know that Mem was going to be alright. He looked over to Kevin. "Could you use your mind power to shift all this off a her?"

Proteus looked at him, terribly concerned. "Aye could, but Aye wouldn' dare to." Logan looked at him puzzled. "If Aye loose concentration for even one second, then I could drop it all, an' kill `er." He shook his head. "Aye don wan' to take the risk."

"But if I shifted this, I would not falter." Both men turned around and saw Professor Xavier sitting in his wheelchair watching them.

"Professor, I don't think that that would be a good idea." Hank had walked over to them. "Far be it from me to not aid a fellow mutant who's life is in danger, but she is dangerous. She has already hurt many of our fellows, and there is not telling what dangers she could bring to us bring the future. She came with Magneto, so let Magneto dig her out."

"No!" Kevin yelled out.

"Hank, you know that …" Logan started to say, but the Professor held up his hand.

"There are many things that can be said about the past; but I always have felt that we must look to the future." He looked at them all. "As well there is one other thing to remember before you make your next remark. She is my daughter."

They all looked from one to each other. Hank was the first to speak. "I am sorry. If you all can get Remembrance out then I will treat her to the best of my ability. Though I must admit that I am still hesitant since I know what she is capable of."

"At the moment I'm not capable of much, now am I?" Mem's voice called out faint and shaky.

The Professor wheeled over. "If I free you, do you promise to conduct yourself with the utmost solemnity and restraint that you can while you stay with us?"

Logan looked down and saw Mem sigh as more tears washed down to her hair. "I don't think that I have much choice. I agree to whatever you want me to do, just Get This Off Of Me!" Her voice gained volume in the end, though Wolverine watched her wheeze after she said it.

"Alright. Logan, Kevin, would you both move aside so I have a clear path for the debris?"

Wolverine kept watching the pained face of the young woman whom he both despised and felt undescribable compassion toward as the bricks moved away from the rest of her now mutilated body.

Chapter 12

Wolverine stood in the infirmary doorway, an unlit cigar in his mouth, staring at the unconscious young woman who was lying on one of the infirmary beds. It was hard for him to believe how major she had become in his life, especially since he was so close to hating her. He watched Mem sleeping, her chest rising up and down. She couldn't move because of her legs healing but even if she tried, Hank had decided to use some very heavy restraints so she couldn't even hover anywhere. Logan watched a tired looking Hank, whose big arm stood out in the white sling it rested in, check some of the monitors that were hooked up to Remembrance, then shaking his head walk toward him. Logan moved his head, acknowledging Hank as he stood before him.

"You sedate her?"

"It was the only human thing to do with the amount of pain she must be in since both of her legs have multiple fractures. Though I will admit that I was hesitant to since she kept loosing consciousness on her own." There was something in Hank's voice that made Wolverine know that there was more that he wanted to say if he had to opening to.

"What's up Blue?"

"I just cannot understand it."

Logan sighed, realizing that he was in for one of those conversations where Beast forgot that he knew very little about actual medicine other than it's practical applications. "Can't understand what?"

"Why she would do this to herself." The answer took Logan by surprise. "Remembrance is beyond bright, she must have known that if she helped create the fight in that warehouse that the wall would collapse, so why do it?"

A random memory popped into Logan's head, as he remembered Mem saying to him `I don't do noble things, they always backfire on me.' He shook his head trying to clear it. It was creepy to be looking at her, bruised, broken, and unconscious; and to hear her voice in his head at the same time.

"It was a noble thing Hank. It doesn't make sense to you because she isn't normally noble. By letting this be done to herself, Mem stopped the fight; possibly saving the rest of us from some fate that only she could foresee."

There was silence between the two men again. Logan watched her, the pale lights of the infirmary at night making the visible bruises on her head and arms look worse than they did earlier. Logan heard another noise, and shifted his gaze away from her to the foot of the bed. There, sleeping with his head on his arms, his arms on the mattress, was Kevin. Logan was only a little surprised to see him there.

Hank had followed his gaze. "He blames himself for what happened to her."

"But if she was going to do this anyway then there's no way he could have stopped her. Unless Remembrance didn't know that the wall was going to fall on her …" Logan's words trailed off.

"If I may?" Logan and Hank turned at the sound of the Professor's voice; neither apparently had realized that he was behind them when they were talking. "I believe that my daughter did know what was going to happen, and that she knew that she would survive; or she wouldn't have acted as she did." "But why?" Hank and Logan asked together.
"That I do not know. But I believe that we are now playing a game, where Remembrance already knows the outcome; and only she knows the rules."

Logan sat on the steps at the back of the mansion blowing smoke into the late night air. The Professor's words were resting uneasily on him. His thoughts wandered. `If this is a game and she knows what happens next, why won't she tell anyone? And if she doesn't; then what the hell is going on? And what happens next?'

Logan smelled something different at that moment. Incense, and wine, and sweat … He knew it; but he couldn't recognize it. His cigar still in his hand, he straitened his wrists; ready at any moment to unleash his claws if the visitor was not wanted. The dark form of a man came closer toward him; his clothes almost billowing in the light night breeze. Logan knew who it was; but couldn't remember. The pattern of the man's footsteps … His smell … His clothes. Wolverine's eyes narrowed as the man approached and sat next to him. Logan let him; though was still ready to skewer the man at any moment.
"I am sorry zhat I vas avay for zo long."
Logan looked strait ahead; refusing to make eye contact with the mutant next to him.
"I had to go. I had to make my peace vith my life; as it iz now."
Logan kept staring into the darkness.
"It vas just too hard. I vanted to stay vith you. Oh how very much I vanted zhat … But I keep feeling zhat by staying vith you I vas denying God, and a part of myself zhat still vas strong in me. And …"
Logan tried to keep the loathing that had spread through him in the past months within him.
"And I vas afraid." He paused for a moment. "I have never had to take care of anyone, other zhan myself. I vas getting zo close to you … I vas forgetting my vows … I vas … I vas falling in love vith you."
A bubble was rising in Wolverine's throat.
"And I vanted to love you. But I felt zo confused. Vhat I vas feeling went against everything that I have grown to believe. It went against my faith and my life … But I vanted it. I vanted to love you and to be loved by you more zhan anything. It made me feel zo conflicted."
Logan felt the bubble rising higher. His eyes started to itch.

"I had to go and make peace vith God. I had to go and make peace vithin myself."

Wolverine remained silent; trying to hold back the tears that were threatening his eyes. His breathing was a little more ragged than usual. Kurt sat there for a moment; almost waiting for Logan to say something. But he got no response. Almost sadly he got up from the step and started to walk away.

"I had a baby."

Kurt stopped on the path, and said softly "You vhat?"

"I had a baby."

Chapter 13

Kurt was standing as still as a statue, though Wolverine could hear him almost hyperventilating. A wicked grin spreading over his face, Logan twisted the invisible knife that he'd just planted into Nightcrawler.

"And she's defiantly yours."

"A child … The hope for the future … A child … My daughter …"

"My daughter." Logan rumbled.

Kurt turned to look at him. "But you just said zhat …"

"I know what I said Kurt. But she's my daughter; not yours." Logan growled.

"But you said zhat …"

"You left." The two words seemed to echo through time and space as the Wolverine's fierce growl resonated through Nightcrawler's mind and heart.

"I told you vhy I had to go."

Logan glared at him. "Doesn't mean I have to forgive you for it." Turning away from Nightcrawler he went into the mansion and walked far away from the outside; deep into the bowels of the control center. Logan walked into the infirmary again. He saw Hank sleeping in a little office, almost as though he was waiting for an alarm to sound. Logan looked around the familiar room; at the beds which were now about half full of his healing comrades. At the pristine shelves and immaculate floor. And finally at Kevin; who was staring at him.

"It's not your fault." Kevin blinked at him; almost as though he was coming out of a trance.

"What?"

"It's not your fault that Mem's hurt."

Kevin ran his hands through his hair. "Yeah, I know. But I want to do something to help her; ya know? She means so much to me, and to see her laying here, just … Just waiting to live …" Kevin trailed off too wrapped up in his emotions to really speak them.

Logan walked over to him and put a hand on the young man's shoulder. It wasn't enough, but it was the only thing that he could think of to do. They stayed like that, watching Remembrance's beaten, unconscious form sleeping as the monstrous bruises slowly faded before their eyes.

Logan felt Kevin's form relax under his hand, and looked down at him, just to realize that the young man had fallen asleep. For the first time Wolverine noticed the dark bruises that had appeared on Proteus's arms. Logan realized how hard Kevin must have fought earlier, and now how hard he must have been fighting against whatever he felt for Remembrance. At the moment, Logan himself felt the mingled emotions of wanting to strangle her, and cradle her broken body in his arms and tell her that she was going to be alright.

He let go of Kevin's shoulder and moved to the chair that Hank had sat at as he administered meds to her. Logan looked at her pale, impassive face and watched a light bruise under her left eye shrink more. He started to wonder what had gone through her mind earlier. Had Mem really known that the wall was going to tumble onto her? He remembered the expression he had seen on her face when he had run up to her and tried to figure out what side she had been on … After he'd found out that she'd told Nightwish about the adamantium … After he'd wrecked the younger man … What had she really seen then? Wolverine shook his head. "Who's fucking side are you on anyway?" He muttered.

"My own." Came the whispered answer.

Blinking hard Logan looked at her face again, and saw that she was turning her head and looking back at him. "Hey." She whispered.

"Hey." Logan whispered disbelievingly back. Mem smiled up at him, then watched him look toward Hank's office. "Please don't, I'm alright for the moment." Her voice came out slow and was as soft as a rose petal, and hearing her made Logan almost want to cry. He watched her soft smile. "Don't worry, I'm gonna be okay."

Logan felt a rush of sympathy toward her, almost as though she was his daughter. The months of anguish that he had felt because of her ebbed away as he saw her eyes get watery. "You sure you're okay?"

Mem laughed lightly. "No. In all honesty I hurt all over." She smiled a little, which made a huge shining black bruise on her right cheek seem bigger. "I don' wanna talk about that though. How's your baby?"

Wolverine smiled. "She's gorgeous."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. And she's getting big. She's about thirteen pounds now. And her head's full of black curly hair." "Aww." Mem said softly, yawning a little. "She sounds so cute."

"Yeah, she is."

Smiling serenely, Mem blinked sleepily. "Logan, could you do just one thing for me?"

"Yeah, of course." Wolverine said very quickly. "What is it?"

"Forgive Kurt. He care's for you so greatly … and I know that" she yawned "that deep in your heart, you really love him too."

Wolverine looked away, unable to respond to this request which was the last thing that he had expected her to ask of him.

"Forgive him Logan." Mem whispered as the medicine that dripped into her through an IV kicked in, making her fall asleep again.

Wolverine felt his breath catch in his chest. "That wasn't what I expected." He said softly. Wolverine stared at the girl before him, watching her face as her labored breathing made her chest rise and fall.

Thoughts beyond normal passed through Logan's mind, cycling again and again. Mem … his baby … the cause of his baby … Nightcrawler … how he had treated Nightcrawler earlier … How had Remembrance known about what he had done earlier? … Had she really known? … Mem. She seemed to have changed so much in the last few hours; helping him, hurting then saving many, and now? Now he was unable to make out what Mem really was doing.

She shifted a little in her sleep, bringing his thoughts almost totally back to Earth. Smiling a little, Logan gently brushed some locks of hair away that had fallen onto her face. He sighed looking at her pained face. "Who are you, really?"

Wolverine stayed in the infirmary a little longer, then got up. He walked through the silent house not looking around at all, not trying to sense anything. It was as though his feet were on some predestined path, and he had almost no control over them. Upstairs, down a hall, up another flight of stairs, around a corner. Right, left, right. Wolverine stopped at a door on his left. He didn't have to look at where the door met the floor to know that a dim light was on in the room. And he didn't have to knock to know that the room's occupant was still awake.

Without hesitation, Logan lifted his right hand and turned the knob. He stopped at the doorway, standing still as a statue looking in. Inside the fairly bare room, Nightcrawler stood up from his prayers and stood in the same position as Wolverine. They stood there, blinking at each other for a few minutes.

Then it was as though some invisible force was pushing them to each other. At the same time Logan and Kurt lunged at each other. Their arms entangled in the other's, as without thought or shame their lips crashed into each others.

The door swung closed, sealing their love away from the rest of the world's thoughts and judgments.

Chapter 14

Logan found himself more content than he had in a long time. Though things were still slightly awkward between himself and Kurt, they were defiantly improving. Mem was getting better, though she still seemed meek and helpless as a child. It was a dramatic change from before, but a good one. She hadn't said much to Wolverine since that night. But life was good once again.

He was walking through the mansion one night about a week later, and his perfect world was shattered. They'd been having small fights that whole week, and now it was blowing up right in front of him.

"I don't care. Kevin if you can't trust me …"

"Aye do trust you, Aye just want to know what exactly you were doing with that guy."

"I've told you over and over that Nightwish and I …"

"How am I supposed to believe you when you're dressed like that?"

"What's wrong with these clothes?"

"You look like a slut!"

"You seemed to like them earlier, when I would wear them when no one other than you was around!"

"That was totally different!"

"So just because I'm showing the rest of the world that I'm hot …"

"They already know! You don't have to dress like some …"

"Like some what? You know if you were half a man you'd have found me and taken me away from everything there …"

"Oh yeah, that's right. Blame this all on me."

"Fine I will."

"How the fuck could it be my fault? Aye …"

"I don't know! I told you, I was passed out when they took me!"

"But you didn't try to leave …"

"How the fuck would you know? You …"

Wolverine groaned. He'd been waiting for this, but did it have to happen up by his baby's room?

"And if you accuse me of cheating on you one more time, then …" Mem's voice almost was shrill. Logan vaulted the last few stairs.

"Hey, hey!" He jumped between them. "Will you two cut it out before you …" An earsplitting wail emitted from the baby's room. Logan sighed and finished his sentence. "wake the baby."

"Look, Aye wouldn't have said anything if she'd just …"

"I told you before …"

"Stop it!" Wolverine roared. The two fell silent again, though the baby cried on. Logan whirled to Mem. "You aren't supposed to be standing yet. Hank's orders."

"And I'm not."

"You're not laying down."

"No, I'm levitating myself."

Wolverine visibly restrained himself from arguing further. "Just go in there" he pointed to the baby's room, and I'll deal with you in a minute." Breathing heavily and evidently pissed off, Mem complied. He turned to the glowing orange Kevin. "You leave her alone."

"How can I? I love her."

Logan was stunned. "Does Mem know this?"

Proteus shrugged. "I guess so."

"You guess so? Haven't you told her this?"

"No." He was still glowing orange.

"Why not?" Kevin shrugged. "So instead of talking, you two yell at each other."

"She fucking shouldn' have left."

"She didn't."

"I don't believe that."

Again, Wolverine had to visibly restrain himself. "Fine, don't believe it. But stop fighting with her."

"Why?" Proteus growled.

"Because neither of you needs to be yelled at right now."

"Who are you, my father?"

"No, thank gods. If I was then I'd never have let the two of you even meet."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that you two shouldn't be together."

"Yes we should." Kevin said, almost shocked at the way the conversation had turned.

"Then show it." Wolverine growled, then turned and went into his daughter's room. He saw Mem levitating herself horizontally, staring into the crib. Logan realized that his daughter had stopped crying. "How'd you do it?"

"I asked her to be quiet, and she was." Mem's voice was halfway to a whisper. Wolverine was almost shocked by the change in her, and walked around the crib. He crouched a little so he could look in her eyes, and realized that tears were trailing down her cheeks.

"What's wrong?"

Remembrance looked up at him. "You wouldn't understand. Your path is not to walk alone."

"I have for most of my life. I think I could get it."

She shook her head. "But you've had her" she gestured toward the baby "for months now. And you will have her for a very long time. You've had your team here for many years now. They wouldn't desert you. They wouldn't hurt you. Emotionally. Or physically."

"Kevin doesn't mean to hurt you. But you've …"

"But I've changed." She sighed after finishing his sentence. "I've seen what happens next."

"And?"

"And you really don't know what comes next. You won't like it." The baby cooed. "But I want you to know that it's not my fault." Mem looked down at the little girl. "And I want you to make sure that on Saturday she's not in this museum."

"Why?"

She didn't meet Logan's gaze. "If I told you that then you would try to stop it. It has to happen. But I want her to be safe. What's her name anyway?"

Wolverine smiled. "Isabella Remembrance."

Mem looked up at him, her voice showing her disbelief. "You named your daughter after me?"

"You just saved my life, and I thought you were dieing."

"Fair deal." Mem smiled. "Bell."

"Isabella." Logan liked the full name better than any of those cutesy pet names.

"She'll remember me when she's older. Make sure if it."

Wolverine smirked. "Planning on going somewhere?"

Mem looked up at him. "You can't know what tomorrow brings, but I can."

"And?"

She sighed again. "And I don't like it."

That night Wolverine found himself wandering around the mansion. He found himself outside the rebuilt Cerebro core. The door inside was open, and the Professor was just leaving.

"Logan" he sounded a little surprised. "I thought that you were spending time with Kurt tonight."

"Was" Wolverine answered. "But then I couldn't sleep."

"Ah." It was a knowing noise. "You are worried about my daughter."

"Yeah. Mem's always been trouble, but now …" Logan trailed off.

"Now that she is acting differently you do not know what to expect from her."

"Yeah." They walked and rolled down the hall. "She said something weird to me today."

"About making sure that your little Isabella was away from here next Saturday?"

"How did you know?"

"Surprisingly enough, she told me the same thing."

"Well?"

"Well what Wolverine?"

"Well why does she want her out of the house?"

The Professor sighed. Like father like daughter. "If I could figure out what goes through Remembrance's mind, then I would have been able to keep her here when she was younger."

"What do you mean?"

"Both Remembrance's maternal mother and her adoptive father died in an industrial accident when she was six. She also was in that accident, and though she survived her mutant abilities kicked in early." The Prof exhaled deeply. "I believe that her accelerated healing also stems from that accident. Because she had few other relatives, her older brother sent her here." The Professor looked deliberately at Logan. "He also exhibited psychic abilities."

"But I thought that the father is the one who passes on the mutant …" The Professor's look told Logan all that he needed to know. For some reason he found it odd that the Professor would have had two children with the same woman … and not have married her.

"She was here, and at that time there were few X-Men on the scene. Scott was the only one who had seen her then, and I doubt that he would remember her as the little girl with the staring eyes who clutched at her bear and has haunted his dreams ever since."

"How?"

"Even then she managed to get into his head. She found what made Scott feel insecure, and brought it forward into his mind. I believe that back then she didn't mean to be malicious. I believe that she was trying to help him not feel hurt the way that she did then. But since her abilities were new to her, she stopped a little short of actually helping him." Logan realized that they had stopped moving. "I believe that in the past Remembrance did try to help people. But after a few people hurt her, and after she had failed a few times, she just gave up; the way that many people gave up on her, and wrote her off as just another spoiled, selfish little rich girl who could do whatever, and get whatever she wanted." The Professor turned directly to Logan. "And before you ask me, do not ask me to look into her mind as I have done so many times before for you. Remembrance will let the universe fall to pieces before she will let me get into her mind. Goodnight Logan."

Chapter 15

That Friday Wolverine found himself standing in the doorway of the living room, watching Mem who was laying against Kevin, intertwining and separating her hand from his; the cholata ring that Kevin had given her when she had lain still, half dead after helping Logan with birth glinting in the light. He had been watching them for over an hour.

"Logan, will you please find something more interesting to do?" Remembrance sighed. "I'm not going to tell you what is going to happen, so you might as well."

Wolverine shifted his gaze up a little, but Proteus shook his head too. "Don' look at me, she won' let me in far enough for me to see what's deep in her mind."

Wolverine glared at Remembrance for a few more minutes, then felt the inexplicable need to check on Isabella. A half hour later he remembered what he had been doing and started cursing himself for letting Mem get into his head and distract him. It felt like the need to understand what was going to happen had been playing across his mind forever. It was starting to become ominous … like music in a horror movie. He talked to his baby as she lay in her crib looking up at him.

"What the hell is going on around me? I mean … I don't really like Remembrance, but she's almost like … like a daughter by now. Fuck, but that's weird to say … or even think. She's just started to turn around. Okay so she's been good all along, I just haven't wanted to see it. But I just … I just don't want her to get hurt again." Wolverine blinked and looked into Isabella's blue eyes. "I don't want to lose her again."

"I don't either." Logan stood and turned in one agile move. Skye was leaning against the doorway, looking sulky.

"I thought that you were mad at her."

"Yeah, well I am … But she's still my Mem, and I want her here."

Wolverine had to smile. Inwardly Logan thought that Skye could act so cool and grown up so well, just to say something that was so childish that it reminded Logan that Skye was just a teenager. Outwardly, he just nodded. Skye sauntered off.

That night Logan lay in bed alone. He wasn't really tired, and though he and Kurt had been getting alone rather well lately he still liked to spend time alone when he couldn't sleep. It was nice, peaceful. And he liked having a slightly large bed with cool sheets all to himself. He liked the feeling of the coolness against his skin.

Wolverine sighed and tried to clear his mind enough to sleep. His door swung open, and he sat up suddenly, ready for a fight. Remembrance floated in the doorway looking tired. "May I come in?"

"Sure." Wolverine was quiet, and almost discomfited. She floated in and closed the door. "Why are you floating?"

"Dr. McCoy says that my legs aren't fully healed yet, so I've got to take it easy on walking."

"Dr. McCoy?" Wolverine was amazed. "You've changed."

"I know." She floated down, and lay on the bed on her stomach so she could still look at him. "Sorry, but it's just hard for me to sit so …"

"Don' worry about it." Logan interrupted, then went silent. He sensed that Remembrance wanted to tell him something, but that she needed to warm up to him about it. She lay there studying his face and bare chest until Logan felt almost uncomfortable.

"It's not that I don't want to tell you, it's just that sometimes knowing the future is the worst possible thing that can happen to a person. Then you try to stop things that shouldn't be stopped … things that have to happen …" She sighed, closed her eyes, and buried her head in her arms.

Logan reached over and gently rubbed her hair. "You don't have to tell me …"

"But I want to!" She said quickly, lifting her head and showing a tear stained face. "I want you to know … I want you to stop it … I don't want to …When it's just gonna happen all over again … And it's not worth it with so many people hating me … And I'm not … Gods I just want to stop it …" She exhaled deeply and let her head fall again.

"Want to stop what?" Logan urged gently, though his only answer was Remembrance shaking her head. He put his arm on her back, between the straps of her tank top feeling highly paternal toward her, but not knowing what else to do.

Logan let Remembrance fall asleep like that, and slept next to her with his hand still on her back. He woke up to a ray of sunlight playing across his face. Wolverine blinked his eyes a couple times, then turned over and saw Mem laying there. Her head had turned toward him as she had slept, and he had to smile at the small streaks of mascara that tinged the pale skin under her eyes. But something about her lacked the tranquility that he'd felt from her before. An noise drew his attention to the door, where Kevin stood waiting. The younger man put a finger to his lips, and in response Logan nodded, and silently got up.

"Everything okay?"

"Yeah" Logan said, blinking sleep out of his eyes. "Why?"

Kevin half made a face. "Well, you're not exactly her favorite person, so …" He left the statement unfinished.

"Yeah. She's worried about somethin' but what she's not sayin'."

Proteus sighed "I just wish that …" He stopped speaking as the house started shaking.

It felt like an earthquake was rocking the mansion grounds over and over. "What the hell?" Logan swore as he staggered into the hall wall. He looked to Kevin who looked as shocked as he did. "Go see what it is, I want to check on Isabella." He half yelled as he wove his way down the hall, the quiet screams of a frightened child egging him on.

He got into the room, and cradled the little girl in his arms. A voice rang through his head. `make sure that on Saturday she's not in this museum.' Wolverine's eyes widened a little. "Fuck. It's Saturday" he muttered. The mansion kept shaking and with the baby's cries echoing through his head, Logan couldn't think strait.

The smell of sulfur invaded his noise, and the sound of Nightcrawler appearing added to the echo.

"Volverine, vhat is happening?"

"End of the world."

"Vhat?" Kurt didn't understand Logan's sarcasm. Logan looked at his confused lover, and suddenly an idea popped into his head.

"Elf, you gotta do me a favor."

"Name it." He'd been looking for a way to get permanently back onto Logan's good side.

"Take her." He held out Isabella, and Nightcrawler looked stunned. "Take her and go to your monastery or wherever, just make it far away from here. I don't know what's going on, but I don't want her hurt."

Wordlessly, Nightcrawler lifted his daughter out of Wolverine's outstretched arms, then took a step back. "I'll bring her back tonight." As he poofed away, Logan felt a pang in his stomach. He didn't want his daughter out of his sight, but he knew that Nightcrawler was the right person to give her to.

Turning to the next problem, he ran out of the room and down the main stairs. It seemed that all of the X Men and their friends had gathered there and were spilling onto the front porch and steps.

"What's going on?"

"Magneto's attacking us." Skye answered him. "And we're gonna fight back."

Logan smiled and stood by him, waiting for a signal from Scott or the Professor to move. "Ya scared?"

"No." Skye answered defiantly.

"You should be." Wolverine looked looked around the room, still waiting. "Where's Remembrance?" As though cued, the wall crashed in before them, momentarily blinding Wolverine with the dust and debris. He turned his head toward the right, his eyes closed fight as he fought off the desire to cough and moved his wrists strait, unsheaving his deadly blades.

"Well, well, well." Magneto's voice boomed. "If it isn't Xavier's insipid warriors, ready to fight injustice again. But Logan was looking past him, to that slimy, odious, evil creature who called himself Nightwish. Not far away from him, he felt Kevin seething, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw him start to glow. "You have someone who belongs with me. And we have come to fetch them."

"Mem belongs here." Proteus growled.

"Remembrance?" Magneto looked amused, then laughed. "Oh no, I do not mean little Remembrance. She shall choose her path soon enough. I meant the little Pyro."

Wolverine felt Bobby stiffen, though he didn't see it. It was also at this moment that he realized that he'd been so wrapped up in his own life and problems that he hadn't realized that Bobby had brought John back with him after the last fight; and that Hank had probably been treating him all along … `Poor Hank.'

"You just gonna stare or you gonna fight me, old man?" Logan's thinking had meant that he had not been paying attention. The others were now locked in combat with Magneto's force. Before him stood the vile one, his black clothes looking sleek and showing his muscular form in a natural way. Wolverine cracked his knuckles under his claws, and rolled his neck. Nightwish raised an eyebrow, then darted at him drawing his lethal knives as he moved. Sparks flew as they clashed again and again until they banged into each other with enough force to throw each other back. Logan glared at Nightwish from the ground as the younger man got up. Nightwish pounced on him, and it took all of Logan's strength to keep the knives from plunging into him. Nightwish grinned and cackled wickedly as he flew into a brick wall when Wolverine threw him off of him. He swung at Nightwish, and unlike their last fight, he hit his target. The young, dark haired man staggered back. Logan swung again, cutting Nightwish across his chest. Nightwish's face was disfigured with his pain and disgust. He was only now realizing that he'd been underestimating his opponent. Logan swung again, slashing both Nightwish's arms, leaving deep, bleeding gashes. The younger dropped his blades, staggering a little again, before looking up and charging at Wolverine who easily sidestepped the attack.

Nightwish spun around with incredible grace for the pain which he was in. Wolverine knew that he should have had compassion, but the memory of the burns and pain which the man had helped inflict upon him plagued his memory. Logan retracted his right claws, and pummeled his adversary's face.

"No." The command was quiet, but firm. Logan looked up and saw Remembrance standing there, wearing a long pearl gray skirt and a tight black corset.

"It's not your fight." Wolverine growled.

"He's not worth it." Logan looked up again, just to see her cool gaze looking into Nightwish's face. "He's not worth anything." Wolverine looked down again in time to see the man's face contort with a different type of pain. Mem walked away, and he got off Nightwish, staring at him; but the man just lay there, stunned.

Wolverine turned and looked around for another fight. He saw Remembrance walking through, looking for something that he couldn't place. "Damn, I under estimated her." He said to himself, smiling a little at the thought of her seducing Nightwish just for fun. Out of nowhere, Logan felt himself hit hard and found himself flung to the floor.

"Sorry `bout dat." Logan glared at Dion LeBeau as the younger Cajun brother darted away from him.

"No problem" he growled and got up. Logan looked around. `This is turning into a zoo.' A familiar scream made him turn around.

"How dare you accuse me of sleeping with that arrogant little piece of pond scum!" Logan winched a little as Remembrance's voice got louder, then outtly closed his eyes when Kevin's heavy accent matched her volume.

"Aye wouldn't be accusin' ya if ya didn' give me reason to. Standin' over him an' sayin' that he's worth nothin' means that once he was worth somethin'."

"I've told you at least a dozen times that …."

Logan winced a little more, and wandered away, slashing randomly at fights as he went. He reached the basketball courts outside of the mansion, and realized that he was wandering very far from the action of the fight. He turned back toward the gaping hole that now stood before him in the mansion. He watched the towering figure of Proteus chasing Nightwish out of the building. The sight made him smile. Logan moved back toward the mansion, realizing that almost everyone was equally matched in their fights, even Charles, as he and Magneto stared each other down.

Soft rain started falling from the gray sky as Wolverine walked slowly through the battlefield, ignoring the wounded both friend and foe. It was as though he was hypnotized, as though a magnetic force was dragging him back to the ruined wall. For a moment Logan watched John and Beast fighting, near the building as they were. He smiled again, realizing that it was a grudge match for the sake of love. Logan looked into the building, but couldn't see anything in the darkness, though he knew that Remembrance alone was still in there. Wolverine heard a rumbling noise, and felt more than he saw the building shake. He turned and took a few steps back, so he was about ten feet from it.

Wolverine retracted his claws, as her voice echoed through his head. She sounded so calm, so tired, and yet resolute.

"I know what I am doing, and it is okay. It is inevitable. Sometimes you cannot escape what you have been put in this world to do … No matter how much you hate the thought of it." It mirrored so much that had been said before. Wolverine straitened up a little more, and whirled around. For one brief moment the sun broke through the sky and a single ray went through the mansion hole. For that moment he saw Remembrance floating there, in that great room, her arms up, supporting it until the last person had cleared away. She looked down, her eyes meeting his, and nodded. "Goodbye." Logan watched this small movement, then watched her close her eyes, and lower her hands.

A loud crashing noise followed.

It was as though Wolverine was psychic at that moment. From the back of his mind he felt searing pain through his arms, legs, back, and chest. He heard more of the loud crashing noises of stone and metal falling in on itself, then felt a pit in the bottom of his stomach roar open and swallow, so Wolverine felt as though he was falling down a deep hole.

There was another crashing noise as the thick stone wall tumbled to it's base. Logan heard a crunching noise in his head … then nothing.

Time and the world stood still at that moment, as a black hole opened and sucked the psychic energy back out of him.

Logan felt weak, and fell onto his knees. Skye rushed behind him and propped him up a little. Logan just nodded, his mind unable to adjust to the void that had suddenly opened and closed in his head. Blinking, Logan tried to steady himself. He heard Scott's voice.

"Is everyone alright?"

"Yes, I believe so." Hank's voice sounded hollow. Wolverine looked at him, and followed his gaze. There was Bobby, half cradling Pyro on his lap, with his shirt off using it to dab blood away from John's shoulder.

"Poor Hank." Logan muttered.

"You okay?" Skye asked him quietly.

"Yeah." Logan said, standing up. "I just felt this weird … I don't know what it was." Skye nodded, his eyes showing that he was trying to understand what was impossible to.

"Where's Mem?" Kevin's voice showed only a little of the panic that he was feeling. They all looked at each other, the second feeling like eons until Logan spoke.

"She was in the building. She held it up so we all could get out." He watched Proteus's eyes begin to glow pale orange. "I thought that she'd …"

Kevin didn't listen anymore. He ran to the pile of rubble, shape-shifting into his glowing orange form as he did. Piles of broken bricks, drywall, and debris flew away from his form. `So he's finally learned that he can't accomplish anything by just using his abilities. Just because he thinks something doesn't mean that it's going to stick that way.' Logan thought. He took a few steps toward the ruined mansion. He heard the others walking with him, making a bizarre formation over the crunching gravel. Wolverine stopped when he saw Kevin stop shifting rubble.

Everything went slowly, though Logan already knew what was happening. Time slipped by, Wolverine heard nothing but the beat of his heart.

Beat.

Proteus leaned down.

Beat.

Kevin morphed back into his human form.

Beat.

Logan watched Kevin's back start shaking as he picked something up.

Beat.

Like a rag doll, the limp form hung from Kevin's arms.

Beat.

Wolverine felt Skye shaking next to him, and held out his arm. Skye fell into him, and Logan pulled him into his chest; feeling wetness from tears on his skin.

Beat.

Logan watched Kevin clutching her, and sobbing. Logan knew that the others were there, watching and not knowing what to do, the way that he was. Wolverine wrapped one arm around Skye in a half hug, holding the younger man up more than anything else. The sound of Skye's sobs brought Logan back to this world. He heard himself breathing heavily, and felt numb. `I never really thought that … I thought that I hated her, but I never wanted her to be … She was just turning around, she was quiet and … and noble. Remembrance always said that she didn't do noble … I guess this is why. Why? Why her? How can she be dead?' The thoughts pierced through his heart like the sound of Isabella crying. Wolverine closed his eyes, Skye still clutching him, and tried to block out the feelings that were now surgeing through him.

Skye spoke quietly, so only Logan could hear. "Everybody had her figured as a bitch; but she really wore a halo. She's the one who took me in after my dad beat me. She showed me that being a mutant wasn't a bad thing. Kevin found her, and he was always glowing and growling, snapping over everything. Then she started going into his mind. When she first did it, he did terrible things to her … Making Mem melt, or twist, or beating her up with his mind. But she kept trying, until she got threw to him."

"How long did that take?" Logan murmured.

"Almost a year."

"Fuck" Logan whispered, remembering the first time he'd seen them together, sitting on a leather couch when everyone had been introduced, the first day he was at that bloody other school. He remembered how comfortable they both had been, sitting there with Kevin's arm over her knees, talking with each other telepathically as they ignored Bobby talking.

"She learned how to get into his mind without him knowing it … I always thought they were in love … if not …" Skye shook silently. Logan realized that the boy had had a crush on Remembrance, which explained everything that Skye had said and felt in the past few weeks. Logan pulled his arm a little tighter around him, and watched the silhouette of a young man sobbing as he held his now lost love.

Chapter 16

Wolverine saw Hank walk over to Kevin. He watched Hank's blue, furry hand go to Remembrance's neck, and gently touch it. The thought of the touch made Logan wince, and a pain shoot through his neck.

"That isn't right" he whispered to himself, his eyes showing his pensiveness, the realization coming at the same time as Hank's statement.

"She's alive, but only just." Kevin's tear soaked face turned up to him. "Get her down to the infirmary immediately. There's just a small chance that I can … But there's that chance."

Kevin immediately morphed his surroundings to include a large staircase, which he ran down, still clutching her. Hank quickly followed after. Skye pulled away, wiping his eyes and seemingly embarrassed by his outbreak. Logan didn't say anything, but watched him move, staggeringly, away. The others started to move away too. From what felt like far away, he heard the Professor urging the others to scatter to other jobs. But his senses were still numb. Logan just kept staring and staring at the ruined mansion. The back of his mind still felt odd. It was as though the black hole that had sucked out all of the thoughts had missed some.

"Logan?" The Professor's voice came from right next to him, bringing Wolverine's thoughts back to Earth. "Logan, are you alright?"

"No." His voice was hard, but came out softly. "She … She was in my mind when the building collapsed …" Wolverine's voice failed again.

"I am sorry for that Logan."

"Don't be." He felt the honest truth pour out of him. "I didn't mind it, but it … it's left … it felt like a gaping hole was open then shut … It's made me feel weak."

"When did you feel that?"

"When she … When the building collapsed and she was …" His voice failed again.

"When Remembrance was knocked unconscious."

Logan nodded. They stood there, staring at the wreckage for a few minutes, neither saying anything. It was as though they both knew what could have happened, and what probably would happen shortly. Wolverine still felt numb as it started sinking it.

"So what do we do now?"

"We rebuild" the Professor said "as we have many times before."

"What about Remembrance?" The Professor sighed, and turned from the mansion to look at the crimson sky. "Charles?" Logan looked at him, and saw the pain that was running through the Prof's face. "I'm sorry Charles."

"Don't be Logan. Remembrance may be my daughter, but from the time she was very little she always ran her own path. When she was little, she truly loved the man who she thought was her father, and the life that she had with him. Even now I don't think that she's forgiven him for dieing when he did." Logan shivered a little. "Did she ever tell you that she chose to leave the mansion?" Logan slightly shook his head. The Prof's mouth moved into a small smile. "She did. She was nine, and had been here for two years. She came into my office and told me that she knew it was her destiny to leave here, but that some day she'd care enough to come back."

"Harsh." Logan muttered.

"Oh no." Charles replied softly. "No, no. Even then, Remembrance had full control over her abilities. It was almost startling how she did. And she's only gotten stronger since then." His words flowed more quickly than before just then, almost as though he no longer had to think about what he was saying, because now the words were just a fact that everyone seemed to know. "She's always known what was going to happen next to her, which is why she's always surprised me when she chooses to do something so very noble. This is the third time that she has saved many, and it's defiantly taken it's toll on her."

"Fourth."

Charles looked up at Logan, the small smile still there. "Fourth" he agreed.

"Do you think that she's going to live?"

"Oh I have no doubt." Logan felt a little relieved at the Professor's words. "You see Logan, even if Remembrance dies, her memory will linger; and that's enough to shape the future for many people, almost as though she were here herself."

It was dusk before the large SUV pulled up outside the remaining part of the mansion. Wolverine watched through a side window as the man walked out of it, then stood next to the Professor, conversing for a moment before they both walked into the mansion. Logan walked to a doorway and stared at them from it.

"Logan, I would like you to meet Derrik, Remembrance's older brother."

This rang a bell in Logan's head as he vaguely remembered the Professor telling him previously that he'd had another child. Wolverine looked the guy over, amused by his dark hair that was tipped with bright red that stood up without being spiked; though something deep down tugged at his heart as he saw that Derrik had a lot of the same facial features as Remembrance. Logan nodded a little toward him, and Derrick nodded back before he spoke to Charles.

"I have everything set up. She's going to have twenty-four hour care, and fewer people buzzing around her. I want her back." His last sentence he spoke more to Logan than Charles.

"I know the feeling." Logan said to him. "What are you going to do about Proteus?"

"Who?"

"The boyfriend."

Derrick seemed to exhale deeply. "I don't know. I've got to reason with him."

"Have you met Kevin?" Logan scoffed.

"Yes, a few summers ago, just after they started going steady." Derrik sighed. "This is not going to be easy."

"If you will allow me," the Professor said "I will talk with him and help him see that there is nothing more that he can do for her at this moment. I will tell him how she needs more care, and that he will not be able to help Doctor Richards for the first few days."

"Doctor Richards?"

"Yes Logan. Reed Richards. One of his partners and I are old friends, and I'm calling in a favor." Derrik smiled roguishly. "He's the best."

"I thought he only did experimental research."

"Mostly, but he's just heading a team of doctors that I've got to take care of her. Money is no cost for my little sister."

Logan had to smile at this. `This guy's serious … she'll be alright.' He thought.

Wolverine followed the two men down to the infirmary. He watched the Prof touch Kevin's shoulder, then take him away from where he'd been sitting next to Remembrance's bedside. Logan watched Derrik gently stroke Remembrance's purple and gray cheek, only a little away from the strap that was holding a mask onto her face that was making her breath. Something welled up inside him, and Wolverine found himself choking back a sob. He turned and headed out of the infirmary and back upstairs again. Logan went up to his room, and lay down on his bed after what seemed like the longest day ever. He didn't turn the lights on, but moonlight streamed through the window, bathing the room in slivery blue light. He shuddered a little, repressing a sob again, staring out the window into the inky sky, punctuated by sliver stars and that big, almost blue moon. But in the back of his mind he heard Remembrance singing the song she had that night in that bar …

"You think that you won't fall, but just wait until till the sun goes down. Underneath the starlight, the starlight you'll be lost in a rhythm so right. It'll steal your heart tonight. You can try to resist, try to hide from my kiss. But you can't fight the moonlight. No. You can't fight it. It's gonna get to your heart."

Logan woke up early the next day while it was still dark outside. He looked at his clock. Five thirteen in the morning. Sighing a little as all that had happened the day before washed over him again, Logan stood up, and realizing that he had slept in his clothes headed downstairs. The door was closed to the Professor's study, but light crept out under it. Wolverine looked around, but decided not to knock and headed toward the kitchen. Sitting on a tall stood at the island counter was Kevin, looking very gray and as though he hadn't slept. His arms were folded on the counter and he stared blankly in front of him. Wolverine looked through the cupboards and the refrigerator, but found nothing that he wanted. He closed the refrigerator door, and heard a phone ring far away as he leaned against it, staring at nothing. Wolverine blinked as a noise disturbed him. At the same time, he and Proteus looked to the doorway where the Professor now sat. His face showed deep pain, which spoke what he could not. Wolverine watched Kevin's face crumple and him burry it in his arms. The sound of his anguish filled the room. The Professor's voice broke through.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."

Wolverine felt himself start to shake a little, and his breath became ragged. He couldn't cry … it wouldn't come … but felt it … and knew it …

Remembrance had died.

:::You think that you won't fall, but just wait until till the sun goes down. Underneath the star light, the star light you'll be lost in the rhythm so right. Feel it steal your heart tonight. You can try to resist try to hide from my kiss but you know but you know that you can't fight the moonlight … No. You can't fight it. It's gonna get to your heart.:::

Fin