Author: Restive Nature
Rating: up to NC-17
Disclaimer- I in no way, shape or form own the characters of Dark Angel or X-Men or anything related to them. I simply like to play with them for a short while.
Summary: Max is once again on the run. But this time a safe haven awaits her in the form of Professor Xavier’s School for Gifted Children.
Pairing: M/L
Chapter Fourteen
Max sat at the edge of the bed, watching as Logan’s eyes fluttered back and forth, under his eyelids. It was a definite sign that he was in R.E.M. She smiled once again to herself. He was definitely still dreaming. She’d noticed immediately when he’d fallen asleep the first time, a lot earlier in the night. And she hadn’t the heart to wake him. So she had finished watching the movie. When he’d moved closer to her prone body, she’d quickly dismissed it as the natural instinct to search out body heat.
And so it had seemed for a while. He seemed simply content to be near her. But when the movie had ended, she reluctantly shifted away from him, trying not to disturb him so that she could switch movies. But even that slight motion had woken him. He’d come awake quickly, blinking and suddenly grinning sheepishly. It was strange to see. As if he didn’t smile all that much. Or maybe even have reason to. She’d teased him, and then asked if he still wanted to watch the other movie. He acquiesced quickly.
It took him a little longer to fall asleep the second time around. And by then, Max was in no mood to move at all. She’d dozed off as well. When she’d woken, about ten minutes ago, she was content to watch him still. She wondered briefly what he could be dreaming about. As little as she knew about him, it could be a myriad of possibilities. The only fact she could really count on was that whatever it was, it hadn’t prompted him to take advantage of her in her own drowsy state. And she wasn’t sure whether that reassured her or not.
The long grey corridor of the hallway he was in was so damn familiar. Logan understood on an instinctual level that he was dreaming. But an easy dream like this had been so far, was too tempting for him. He stayed in it, wondering where his subconscious would lead him.
Somehow, his mind had allowed him to roam the dream, picking up clues to file away, to be examined later. He knew that he looked different, without needing a mirror to be shown that fact. He could feel it in every motion. Carefree and confident as he strolled about. He could see the military uniformness of the outfit he wore. His mind told him that they were the commonplace fatigues of the Canadian Militia. He felt the dog tags, his link with that previous life, like a familiar, comforting weight around his neck. They jangled only when he moved suddenly, which wasn’t often right now. But he knew they were there nonetheless.
As he came to the end of the great institutional hallway, grey, not beige, indicating a military stronghold and not a medical facility, he pushed open the access door. He found himself in the great outdoors once more. He marveled that this operation was so remote from other facilities. The hundreds of acres, planted in the center of a forest were cut off from surrounding population of citizens, who barely had an idea that the place even existed. If it weren’t for the need for provisions, they’d have no idea at all. But perhaps that’s what the commanders wanted.
Even after being here for the time that he had, and he knew in his gut he’d been here at least a few weeks, he could see that this was no ordinary air force base, as he’d initially been told. But it didn’t matter. The routine of it was enough in it’s familiarity to comfort him. He sighed in pleasure as the wind picked up and drove through his hair with a light wave.
Max grinned and tried to suppress a giggle as Logan sighed in pleasure, his features lighting up in enjoyment. If he was enjoying himself in his dream, then she certainly didn’t want to distract him from it. Or did she?
Logan didn’t need to see his crop of stylishly cut light brown hair, to know that it was there. A strange moment came, and he could almost see himself as he was at present, against who he had been. And he finally began to understand why once in a while, people in his present would stop and glance at him for a moment, shake their head and continue on. The similarities between his past self and present self were almost superficial at best. His old self had very few worry lines. His old self was clean shaven, his face almost boyish. His brown eyes sparkled as he sometimes found amusement in the scurrying nature of those inhabiting the world. His frame, though, was most different of all. Long and lean, wiry with a suppressed strength that often caught others by surprise.
The understanding of his physical self came quickly and instantaneously to Logan. For even in dream, he had a purpose and a duty to fulfill. And he found it when he caught sight of one of the few civilians connected to this base. He found himself jogging to catch up to the man, the doctor, since he was nearly all the way across the open compound. Logan knew the doctor was heading towards the med lab, to ready another round of testing. Testing of which Logan had been ordered to undergo.
But given his dislike of all things medical related, as he really had no need of it, Logan didn’t mind this doctor. The old man, with his sparkling white hair, immaculate dress and easy going manner had struck a chord deep within Logan. His quirk of carrying a long black cane with the curiously shaped handle amused Logan where it annoyed others, for the doctor rarely needed it. In all, he supposed that it was because the man actually talked to him, took his opinion and didn’t press overly hard on Logan that impressed him most. He never went beyond the testing he’d requested. He always told Logan what he’d discovered and theories that he had. And he treated Logan like a person, not some freak of nature. In truth, Logan respected the doctor, because the doctor respected him.
The doctor paused at the door, and looked around, catching sight of his patient coming up behind him. He smiled broadly and Logan felt an answering smile cross his face. “Ah, Corporal,” the doctor greeted him easily, holding the door open for them both to walk through. “I’m glad to see you’re on time.”
“As requested sir,” Logan came back, a little sass dripping from his tones. But the doctor didn’t mind. He motioned for Logan to follow him and it was with interest that the mutant did. He’d never before been in this wing of the compound. It wasn’t that he’d been forbidden, just that his business here at this foreign military operation had never taken him there.
Once they were inside, the doctor took the lead, his steps measured. “I understand that you’ve received your next assignment?” he questioned gently.
Logan nodded. “The militia wants me back at Alkali Base as soon as possible,” he sighed. There at least, he knew that things wouldn’t be as easygoing for him as they’d been here. “With deference to you, of course sir.”
The doctor laughed. “Of course,” he agreed. “Yes, yes, must humor the old coot, hmm?”
Logan’s lips twitched as he fought an answering smile. He could tell from the slashing tones of the handwritten orders he’d received from his own government that they were anxious to get him back onto home soil. But a promise was a promise and they had promised Logan for as long as the doctor needed him. “Do you know how much longer you’ll be?” he asked quietly, wondering what he hoped the answer might be. In truth, he was very much enjoying his rather relaxed mission abroad. This time around, at least. “Then I can let them know.”
The doctor paused in his steps to regard the mutant contemplatively. Logan could see his mind at work as he went over what he alone knew had to be done. The doctor stroked at his cheek, a familiar gesture that Logan had come to know well. “I think, yes, about another week will do. I was about ready to move into the next to last phase immediately.” He turned to look Logan full in the face, his eyes searching. “Would your commander be willing to let you come back, once your next mission is complete?”
“I’m sure if you requested it, then it could be arranged,” Logan assured him, confident in the old man’s ability to properly manipulate those that needed it. He’d done so to get Logan to his facility in the first place.
“Yes, yes,” the doctor chuckled, without humor, this time. “Ask and you shall receive, hmm?”
“Something like that sir.”
“Well, no matter,” the doctor shrugged and then continued walking. “I’ll work something out in the end.” He turned at his first left, taking them through another broad corridor, same as all the rest. But there were differences here. Logan could hear the low hum of high-pitched voices here. It took him a moment only to recognize the sound. Children. There were children in this wing. He frowned for a moment, wondering if the compound provided daycare or some such for working parents. He shrugged to himself. As he wasn’t a parent, it didn’t matter much at all to him. But the doctor seemed to be headed straight for a specific room.
The older looking man stopped before a door, where a soldier was posted. The young private saluted, and then stepped aside. “She’s inside sir,” he informed the doctor, who nodded, expecting as much. Then the private’s gaze slid to the Canadian enigma, questioning.
“He’s with me today Private,” the doctor spoke easily, but with an authority that Logan rarely heard from him. It made him wonder. He knew so little about the white haired man, aside from his obvious genius on a medical level and his profound respect for all of life. Perhaps the old man had a child, or grandchild staying with him at the compound. But as Logan noticed the doctor beckon him inside the room, he figured he’d soon find out.
He couldn’t see anything beyond the normality of the room, a stark bedroom, much like his own. But here, there were no personal artifacts strewn about. No pictures of home or of loved ones. No clothes filling the locker at the foot of the bed. But soon enough, the doctor’s voice broke into his thoughts.
“There she is,” he crooned in a soft, reassuring voice. “There’s my special little one.”
Logan watched as the old man stooped to pick up a child. He cocked his head to the side as he watched the scene, something striking at him as beyond odd. The little girl, at least he assumed it was a girl, since that was what the Private had indicated, looked like no other child he’d ever seen. She was wearing a long grey gown, the same color as the walls, making her blend in well. Her hair was shorn away, much in the style of a military buzz cut. But her eyes…
Logan stared at the little girl who was staring back at him from over the doctor’s shoulder. Her eyes, luminous and huge, the brown orbs so deep that one could almost drown in them, held nothing. There was no emotion there, no spark. Logan felt his heart tighten painfully, as he wondered what afflicted this special child of the doctor’s. Was she a patient? Was she family? What was wrong with her? Could she be mentally retarded? Or perhaps an accident that had robbed her of her mind? A trauma that had taken the light of life from her eyes. And then it hit him.
Of course it should have been obvious from the start. No wonder the doctor had wanted him specifically. With his healing mutation, it all made sense. The doctor was trying to discover how to heal this special child. And with a silent vow, Logan promised to himself, that before he was completely done at this base, the doctor would have his wish.
He realized that the doctor had turned toward him, still holding the child, who had squirmed in the older man’s grasp so that Logan would also remain in her eye line. “Can you say hello to the Corporal?” Logan grinned as she ducked her head close to the doctor’s shoulder and then squirmed a little more. The doctor obligingly set her down and the little girl snapped to attention.
The salute that she snapped off surprised Logan. Not only that she’d learned to do so perfectly, but that she was completely at ease doing so. As if she’d done so every day of her short life. He was so surprised that he responded automatically, his heels coming together with a smack as he responded with his own salute. The doctor’s chuckle brought them out of their military induced moment and Logan took the opportunity to drop to one knee.
He winked as he held out his hand. The little girl stared at him for a moment, before turning her head to the doctor. Logan glanced at him as well to see the doctor make encouraging gestures to the girl. A little hesitant, as if not many people were inclined to make physical gestures towards her, the girl reached out her own tiny hand and settled it in his. Logan could feel the slight tremble in her limb and correctly assigned it to mild nervousness.
“What’s your name, sweetheart,” he asked in low, reassuring tones. Tones that one used on wild animals set to bolt. He could see it in her, only because he was so used to recognizing it in himself. And the question itself drew a startling change in the girl. Her eyes widened, as if in shock and then a pleasure settled in her eyes, making them sparkle. Logan was enchanted in spite of himself. The change came so quickly that he dismissed automatically the idea that there was something mentally wrong with this child. Her eyes held intelligence and amazingly a wonder that he himself had long lost. Her mouth opened to reply, but the moment was lost when the door opened and the Private who’d been assigned to the door interrupted.
“I’m sorry sir," he spoke deferentially to the doctor, “but Colonel Lydecker needs her back now.”
The doctor nodded. “Yes, of course.” He turned to the child. “Off you go. I’ll come by to see you later.”
The girl nodded and pulled her hand from Logan’s. The mutant rose, feeling slightly disappointed that the child was leaving, before he could get any answers. But he glanced towards the doctor. Perhaps the old man would be in the mood to answer while he worked on the aforementioned next to last phase. He moved to watch as the girl followed the soldier from the room. But as she made it to the doorway, she quickly turned her head back and gave him a wide, engaging smile, and winked, exactly as he had done earlier. And then she was gone.
Logan sat upright, disturbed from his slumber, by what he didn’t know. But the images that had played in his mind stayed with him. Even as his body quickly attuned itself to where he was. He looked up, startled to see that the little girl from his dream was staring down at him, that wide smile on her carnelian lips enchanting him still.
“Hey sleepyhead,” she chuckled. “You gonna sleep the whole day away?”
Logan’s throat went momentarily dry as the dream girl faded, to be replaced by Max. He glanced around the room, realizing with his mind what his body already knew. He was safely ensconced in Max’s room, next door to his own. Where he’d fallen asleep after watching movies. He pushed himself up further, taking in the disorientation that he wasn’t used to.
This wave of importance stemming from his dream threatened to overwhelm him. Had it been just a dream? He dismissed that immediately. It was more than that. It was a memory. And not just a flash, like the past haunting him. It was a full recognizable chunk of his life. It had occurred. And he needed to remember it fully, tell someone. Charles, his mind screamed. Tell Charles.
Max was stunned when Logan scrambled from the bed, his hand running through his wild hair as his eyes searched her room. She was about to ask if he was okay, when the man started suddenly for the door.
“Sorry,” he grunted peremptorily as he disappeared through the doorway.
Max gazed at the open door, her mouth slightly agape. Well, that just was not the reaction she was expecting at all. She scrambled off the bed, determined to discover what had him so wild eyed and nervous. She flew into the corridor, just in time to see Logan jumping down the stairs, taking them two at a time or more. And she had to admit, his reckless flight away from her, was …
Yeah it hurt.
Chapter Fifteen
No comments:
Post a Comment