X-MEN: The Darkness and the Light

©2000 Erin Allen

Sex Content: NC-17 (hey, I had to step it up a few notches for the finale!)

Violence Content: R (ditto)

Language Content: NC-17

Characters: Original Female, X-MEN Characters

 

Disclaimer to all X-MEN puritans - I've totally hacked up Logan's whole history with the Clan Yashida. Just think of it this way, there are an infinite number of parallel universes in which every possibility is played out - this is just one of those alternate universes!

Hush now don't cry/ Wipe away the teardrop from your eye/ You're lying safe in bed/ It was all a bad dream/ Spinning in your head/ Your mind tricked you to feel the pain/ Of someone close to you leaving the game of life/ So here it is, another chance/ Wide awake you face the day/ Your dream is over...or has it just begun?

There's a place I like to hide/ A doorway that I run to in the night/ Relax child, you were there/ But only didn't realize it and you were scared/ It's a place where you will learn/ To face your fears, retrace the tears/ And ride the whims of your mind/ Commanding in another world/ Suddenly, you hear and see/ This magic new dimension

I-will be watching over you/ I-am gonna help you see it through/ I-will protect you in the night/ I-am smiling next to you...in silent lucidity

If you open your mind for me/ You won't rely on open eyes to see/ The walls you built within/ Come tumblng down, and a new world will begin/ Living twice at once you learn/ You're safe froom pain in the dream domain/ A soul set free to fly/ A round trip journey in your head/ Master of illusion, can you realize/ Your dream's alive, you can be the guide but...

I-will be watching over you/ I-am gonna help you see it through/ I-will protect you in the night/ I-am smiling next to you... - Silent Lucidity by Queensrÿche

 

Chapter 1

Much had happened to change Logan over the past year of his life. It had been the most significant year he could remember. He'd gone from being an onscure, inconsequential loner to having everything he never even dared to hope for. He couldn't yet reconcile that he deserved it all, but was grateful for every second of it.

A year ago he had only one change of clothes, a truck that constantly broke down, a dirt bike, and a barely livable camper. He'd also been so lonely that sometimes he didn't even speak aloud for a month, or even see another human being. He'd been in such despair that he'd come close to taking himself out, or the opposite and not being able to control his rage and nearly killing people who didn't deserve it - just cause you're and asshole, doesn't mean someone's got the right to off you.

Logan had been thrust into the world of Professor Charles Xavier's X-MEN, forced to battle against the Brotherhood. He'd made significant friends, friends who actually valued his life as much as their own. He'd learned a great deal about himself in that initial time too. He realized that he was a good person, a moral person and also a brave one. He didn't think much of himself before he'd come to know the X-MEN, and now he was one of them.

He'd also fallen in love, and that was so humoungous a thing he had to stop himself from time to time and reacess the whole situation. He'd been in lust before, he's been infatuated, but never truly in love until hEire. She was so beautiful, so incredibly beautiful that sometimes he'd catch himself just staring at her and realize an hour had passed. And she loved him, and that was even more amazing in his eyes. She was the first person, as far as he could remember, who loved him more than their own life. She touched his skin with such longing and let him touch her with such submission, such abandon, she trusted him completely. She listened to every word he said, she took him seriously when it mattered and made him laugh when he didn't expect it. She made him feel like a real man and he'd be in her debt till the day he died.

And then she told him he was going to be a father. In was in that instant that the agony and despair he carried in the pit of his soul, his mindless rage, suddenly went dormant. Finally something replaced his lost past. Logan wasn't a outwardly insightful or prolific man, but when he was quiet, alone and not under scrutiny, he thought deeply on the circumstances of his life. And life was the key. He loved a woman, and together they'd created a new life. The prospect of holding his son in his two hands overwhelmed Logan, so much so that he couldn't even tell hEire how it slayed him.

As hEire slept he would lay his head next to her stomach, just to be that much closer to his boy. And as his son grew inside her he would talk to him and lay his hand on her midsection. His instincts were very much hightened during this time, he felt very protective towards hEire and hated to leave her alone even for a day.

He was an active member of the X-MEN team and was often away on reconaissance with the others. hEire had chosen to bow out of active duty, under the circumstances, to teach at the school. She was versed in Religion and Theology; Art History and Music. When she sang to their son in utero the dulcid tones of her voice made him want to cry. Of course, she also had a penchant for performing Metallica and Nine Inch Nail covers with some of the students, so he knew his angel had a little bit of a devil in her.

hEire had also developed and seemingly instatiable lust for him. She explained that it was infact a 'side-effect' of her pregnancy, and perfectly normal occurance - a throw back to the cavemen days of female assuring her position with the male. Logan didn't really care for the reasons why, he loved the fact that he could at any minute be pulled into a corner, any room or behind a tree and ravished until he practically passed out.

Logan had bought her a ring, he hadn't asked her to marry him, but he gave the platinum and moonstone ring to her one night and she'd hadn't taken it off since. His life, it seemed, was perfect - and he begged God, or whoever was up in the skies, that the three of them would never be torn apart.

Jean Grey and Scott Summers had married. Jean looked amazing on her wedding day, and Logan finally understood how much those two belonged together. He'd even conceded that Scott was an okay guy. Jean and Scott had promised to be his son's godparents. He trusted them to look out for his boy, and guide him to be a moral and honest man. His extended family had become very important to him, especially Rogue. Rogue was like a sister to him, a real friend who supported him and he could do the same for her. He still sort of took care of her, listening to her problems, helping her even deal with issues like boyfriends and high school.

The path to the present had not been uneventful, or gone smoothly - far from it. One one occassion Logan had been having a particularily violent nightmare. It began as all his other had, he was being experimented on...but the dream shifted and the doctors were taking his unborn son from hEire. He woke to find that he'd impaled hEire thru her side. He'd had a breakdown at that point, unable to handle the thoughts of 'what if'. He'd not harmed the baby, but thank heavens for hEire's regenerative abilities, he'd eviscerated her liver and neighbouring organs. She had nearly died, but recovered completely in a couple of days. He'd barely been able to sleep for the following week and wouldn't even sleep in the same bed as hEire for over a month. The Professor privately helped Logan thru the ordreal and hEire's own capacity for understanding was incredible. From then on, she began to instruct and aid him in something she called 'lucid dreaming'. It was the ability to recognize when you were dreaming, and with practice, control the dream. Logan didn't have any unmanageable nightmares after that.

When the day of his son's arrival came, Logan was completely unprepared. When hEire had suddenly dropped to her knees in pain, Logan panicked. The delivery had been full of colourful language on hEire's part - as well as threats, promises and few things he'd hoped she was saying only because of her present state. Jean was the first to hold his son, as he came into the world, screaming like he'd expected a son of his to scream. Logan was so overjoyed to hold him, he was perfect - with Logan's dark hair and Logan's clear eyes.

 

Chapter 2

Jack Logan was a month old now, still strong, still perfect in his father's eyes. He and hEire had debated names for months before agreeing. hEire had wanted outrageous names like Aragorn or Steerpike - from the gothic novels she read. Logan just wanted something simple, like naming him after himself. hEire pointed out that Logan didn't have a first or last name, really, and Logan Logan was more than a little odd. They settled on Jack, it was sharp, simple and packed with attitude - just like his dad. hEire did however manage to sneak Steerpike in as the middle name. Logan didn't mind, it was a pretty auspicious name.

It was early, 5am or so, hEire was asleep, as perfect as ever. She'd recovered completely from her pregnancy, she was happy to have returned to previous her figure right away. Logan cradled Jack in his arms, just looking down and memorizing every feature on his face. The baby cooed and wriggled and Logan just stayed in the moment, hoping it would never end. Jack started to fidget and cry a little, instinctively, hEire woke up.

"He's probably hungry." yawned hEire. Logan passed Jack over hEire and the little guy immediately began to suckle eagerly, he had apparantly been very hungry. Logan leaned over and rested his head on hEire's shoulder, he just watched their son eat his fill and know that he was safe and content. It was moments like this that made Logan truly happy - and he didn't really feel guilty about it anymore, he deserved having a family of his own and he believed it now. Logan put the now sleeping Jack back in his crib, he'd sleep for at least another three hours before being up for the day. Logan draped himself around hEire and wrapped her up in the covers and pulled her tight to him. She interlaced her fingers in his and pulled his hands up close to her face.

"Can we try something?" whispered hEire. Logan arched an eyebrow.

"What did you have in mind?" he asked, as he began to kiss the back of her neck and glide on hand down her torso.

"It's called Dream Linking...better than sex, I promise." Now he was intrigued.

"I'll try just about anything twice..."

"You don't need to to anything except fall asleep, I'll take care of the rest...just remember the image of my ring, when you see it, that's when things will start happening."

"Sure thing, darlin'....but what's supposed to happen?"

"You'll see....I don't want to give away all my secrets."

"Fair enough.' said Logan as he moved his hand between her legs. hEire bit her lip and let a little groan escape her lips. She didn't really want to resist him, but as she'd said, what she had in mind was better than this. She took his hand away from her and held it close to her breast.

"Go to sleep, Logan." she ordered. He let out an exasperated sigh and curled up, he was tired enough to sleep, but he still would have rather done 'it'.

Logan didn't really ever remember his dreams, especially not his nightmares, just one or two vivid pictures and the sickening quesiness in hit gut. His good dreams faded within seconds of waking up - they at least left him feeling content and optimistic for the day. hEire spent so much time awake in that other world that it was second nature, she didn't even have to concentrate. Sometimes when Logan would find her in the middle of one of her astral projeciton sessions and he'd been scared, she looked dead. She explained that she was essentially in a self induced coma, she stopped doing it when he was around, he hated it.

Logan was dreaming now, but didn't realized it just yet. His moments of lucid dreaming were hard to come by, they at the least gave him the brief opportunity to shift his dream from being experimented on to being somewhere, anywhere else. Logan was in the snow, it was his first memory, he was usually frost bitten and naked...but no this time he was wearing some strange get-up. He wore a skin tight, full lenth black leather coat. His hair was slicked back and his face clean shaven. He wore skin tight gloves and thick soled engineer boots. The snow was swirling and blowing and everything shimmered around him. The sky fell black and the stars came. He was in a forest of black trunked trees and the faint sound of Uilleann pipes could be heard. Logan looked up at the moon, it was blue and pearlescant, like a stone. Then it occured to Logan...something hEire had said.

"My moonstone...you got it, congratulations!" spoke hEire, appearing on the scene,"I've been waiting for you...I feel asleep first, I guess." Logan didn't understand, he knew hEire, but he didn't realized where they were. hEire looked incredible, breath taking - her hair was filled with diamonds that sparkled and reflected light from the snow and back again; she wore a layered black ballgown skirt and and leather boustier with numerous and straps erratically intertwined around her arms and neck. Her face was pale and shimmering, in this strange world she was a goddess.

"Logan, you're dreaming...do you remember? I've brought you into my dream, we're linked."

"hEire...I can't believe it,"

"Of course you can, silly. Once you get used to it, the possibilities are infinite. Just remember none of this is real, I made it all, I made you look like that...you can try too."

"What do you mean?"

"Change something about how I look, just concentrate - it's all in your mind." Logan imagined hEire's blond hair to be red, and miraculously it changed."It's not hard at all is it?"

"Where do we go from here? And what about the baby, we can't leave him alone...."

"He's not alone, he's safe...we're in the bed right next to his crib, if there's a noise, we'll hear it here and wake up...it's no different than if we were having a regular dream. But as for what next, anything goes...but I imagine we can make amazing love here...time doesn't exist here...we have hours and days to ourselves. Don't worry...you'll get used to this eventually...."

"I don't think I'll ever get used to this..."

"Come on, follow me." hEire took his hand and led him thru the snowy night. Her realm was incredible - a blend of gothicism and faery tales.

"Why does it look like this? This is what you think?"

"It's my ideal place, yes. It's everything most beautiful to me, the place I feel the safest and most powerful. You're the only one I trust to see it...there's something inside each of us that you never tell another living soul, but I'm showing you mine, I trust you."

"What about my own place?"

"I don't know what your realm would look like...we can go there once you've learned to control it a little better........here's this is the place." They were still in her snowy forest, but in a clearing with blue fire flies dancing above. Instantaneously hEire clothing was gone and her nude body was open to his eyes."I think we should start with something familiar. Make love to me Logan..."

"In the snow? Isn't is freezing."

"No....come on...I need you inside me...take me Logan..." Logan undressed and hEire led him to the ground. The snow wasn't cold.....it felt like snow, but it didn't effect his skin the way it should have. hEire ran her hands all over his body, she slid her lips over his neck and chest, flicking his nipples with her tongue and sucking at his flesh. Her hands took up his shaft and began to stroke back and forth with a slow tender longing. She made him so hard he ached to bury himself deep into her. Logan cupped her face with his hands and looked into her eyes, she'd taken them to yet another level. The soft flesh of her large, round breasts were maleable and at his mercy. He moved his hands and his mouth over them, they swelled with the heat of his touch, and her nipples hardened as he nipped at them with his teeth. His hands worked over the soft folds of flesh between her legs. He teased her has he moved his fingers in and out of her inviting sex and over her throbbing clit, she was close to coming and they'd barely even begun.

"Please..........Logan," whispered hEire, sweat glistening over her entire body. Logan gently pushed hEire onto the snow, she lay back and spread her legs to him, she was moist and begging for him to enterher. Logan bent over her and slowly penetrated her delicate opening. He slid in slowly, allowing for them to enjoy every possible sensation. hEire moaned and her breathing increased. Logan gave one final thrust and buried himself completely into her. He pulled back half way and then in again entirely. He began moving slowly back and forth, allowing their ecstacy to rise slowly. He increased in pace and hEire grasped onto his arms and dug her nails into his muscles, the pain was negligeable and only added to the experience. hEire wrapped her legs around him and propelled her hips up to meet each thrust.

Logan cried out as hEire's first orgasm clentched around his penis. The intense pulsing of her inner muscles around his hot rod only made him feel harder and more aroused. His own body begged for release, but something allowed him to continue, something about this dream realm made him sustain himself.

It seemed like hours passed and Logan continued to drive in and out hEire like a factory piston. Innumerable orgasms had ripped thru her body as he'd pleasured her. It was incredible, indescribeable, every cell in his body was alive and helping him to keep his erection hard and relentless. He wanted to fill her with his liquid, like the afternoon when they'd conceived their son. Logan's body shuttered as he stopped pumping and emptied himself into hEire as her own final orgasm pulled on him, draining him. The heat inside her felt so good. Logan collapesed next to hEire in the snow, utterly exhausted, he couldn't move a muscle. hEire leaned over and whispered in his ear.

"Wake up Logan....."

Logan snapped awake, back in their room, in their bed - it was a dream?

"See? I told it would be great." said hEire

"That was amazing..." he could barely speak, he felt like all that had just been real and not in a dream.

"Bodies are great....but doing it you mind is way better.......I've been waiting since the day we met to try that!" continued hEire.

"Annnnnnnnyytime darlin'."

"Well actually.....it doesn't matter if you're on the other side of the world from me....we can still to that."

"Really? Awesome.."

 

Chapter 3

Jack stirred in his crib, Logan immediately got out of bed and picked his boy up and gave him a kiss on the forehead. They went thru their morning routine and got ready for the day. hEire had a morning seminar on Spanish Painters of the Renaissance to give...something totally foreign to Logan. The latter part of the morning they would spend teaching a groups of kids fighting skills - Logan's boxing, and hEire kung-fu. Jack would be spending that time with Jean (who hEire suspected would be wanting a child of her own sooner rather than later).

Logan was already sparring with a student when hEire and her group joined them on the lawn, her way of fighting was more fluid and philosophical than his - but both were effective. hEire watched Logan as her students went thru their stretches. He had a natural rapore with the guys he was teaching (girls weren't interested in the boxing with hEire's way available to them), he noticed hEire watching him and turned to give her a wink. She smiled at him, but suddenly noticed that the student was about to clock him with a harsh right. Logan moved his arm up to block and turn the punch. The student was seriously impressed, and so was hEire - that was definitely NOT a boxing move.

Hours later hEire was still fixated on the move Logan had pulled that morning. She replayed it in her mind sover and over, trying to determine the style of the block, it wasn't chinese, that was for certain. Logan was out walking around the grounds with Jack, something the two of them did often. hEire made use of the school's extensive libraries to search for something, any clue that would help her recognize the move. When hEire finally determined what it was, it filled her with and odd sense of dread. This might be a clue to his past, but in the same token, it might take him a little farther away from her. hEire stowed away this irrational fear - after all, they had Jack, no matter what his past, that perfect little boy would connect them forever.

As it turned out, the Professor had vast collection of authentic ancient weaponry. hEire found what she needed and of course consulted Charles first. This interventive move of hEire's would be a big shock to Logan, he'd have yet another life crisis on his hands, and she didn't really know where things would go from there, but she knew she'd follow him anywhere he needed to go.

When Logan came back up to the house, Jean told him that she'd take after Jack and that the 'others' needed to see him in the gymnasium. Logan was perplexed, but handed the baby over to Jean and proceeded towards the gym. Jean followed and went over to one corner of the gym and took a seat. On the opposite side of the room was the Professor and Scott. In the center of the room was hEire, facing away from him.

"hEire?" Logan started to ask. She turned around quickly and in one slick motion flung a long bladed katana at him. Logan turned and caught the hilt of the sword in his hand and turned the full 360° and was ready when hEire struck the first blow. She attacked him with all the skill and fluidity that a Shaolin possessed, but to his miraculous surprise he fended off each and every thrust and counter move. hEire stepped up her attack. She flipped back and over his head and went for kill slices, Logan's instincts took over and he began to retaliate. The katana became like another apendage, Logan knew how to use it. Their varied styles made the match formidable, but Logan stopped short and roughly snatched the sword from hEire's hand.

"Stop it..." he snapped.

"There - you've got proof." she spoke as she pointed to him.

"Proof?!" Logan was dumbstruck,"What the hell is going on here?"

"You're a sword master Logan...clearly a very great one." proclaimed the Professor, as he advanced his wheelchair.

"This is ridiculous!" protested Logan.

"Logan, look what just happened...look how you defended yourself with the katana...there's no denying it." explained Scott.

"It's a clue to your past, you can't deny it." said hEire. Logan looked into her eyes, for the first time she saw genuine anger directed at her. He dropped the swords and stormed out of the gym.

"Logan...come back!" hEire cried out. Jean came over and handed Jack to hEire.

"I'll go reason with him...he just didn't know handle this in front of everyone." offered Jean.

Jean caught up to Logan just before he was about to head out on the Titan motorcycle.

"You shouldn't have run out on hEire like that."

"I didn't appreciate being ambushed...I didn't want to yell at her, I thought it was better to leave."

"Maybe...but she couldn't think of another way to get you to reveal your hidden skills without thinking about it...she needed you to react and prove it to yourself."

"How the hell did she know?"

"When you were boxing earlier with the students...you blocked a punch with a move that you shouldn't have been able to use, especially with the skill you did it with."

"I never noticed."

"No...it's buried in your subconscious, but your body knew intinctively that it could do that...it was the same with the swords. She thinks you're a trained Japanese Samurai..."

"You've got to be kidding me!"

"Explain how you could use a sword like that then." Logan thought on it a moment, there was no reasonable explanation...maybe one as unreasonable as he was a Samurai would be something to consider."Go back and see hEire...you two have alot to work out now."

"Yeah....you're right, thanks Jean."

"Anytime Logan."

 

Chapter 4

Logan found hEire in their room. She was laying on the bed, nursing Jack and singing some 70s rock ballad to him. His distaste at the situation evaporated at the sight. He sighed and sat down across from her, resting a hand on her calf.

"You don't need to apologize Logan...I understand." Jack finished his meal and Logan picked him up and held him over his shoulder, patting him lightly on the back.

"No, I do...you put up with alot from me."

"I love you...I can deal with anything, as long as I'm helping you. There just wasn't an easier way."

"Yeah."

"We should see what you know about Japan, I think, find out all you can do."

"Doesn't a Samurai sound a little far fetched?"

"I don't think so...there aren't many people in the whole world who can use a blade like that...you're better than I'll ever be."

"It felt comfortable in my hands...like I'd held one before."

"Sometime ago you did, there's no doubt." hEire reached over to run a finger down his cheek, he kissed it as it brushed his lips,"I think Jack would like his nap now, he's been kept awake most of the day." Logan lay his son in his crib, he was already sleeping. Logan went back over to hEire and wrapped her in a hug, lifting her right up off the ground; she squeezed back.

"I don't even like sushi....at least I don't think I do."

"You don't seem the raw fish type, hun." Logan snickered at her comment,"I've got some research if you'd like to read it, the basic facts and so on."

"Maybe later...right now I think we should make up for pissin' each other off...I hate being angry at you, makes me sick." hEire kissed him on the chin, and ruffled his sideburns with her fingers.

"You don't need to worry about me. No matter how angry we get at each other, I'll always love you, very much, okay?"

"Same here."

"Hey, this could turn out great...being paired with a warrior from an ancient order probably has some perks!" hEire always knew how to lighten his mood. He kissed her perfect lips and moved his hands down her back.

 

Chapter 5

Logan was making his way back from town, when he noticed something odd on the side of the street up ahead. Bright flashes were coming from one guy, who seemed to be fending off four other guys - red necks if Logan had ever seen any. Logan pulled over to check out the situation, kicking up big coulds of dust in the process.

He hopped out of the Range Rover and made his way up to the scene.

"Hey!" called Logan.

"Get the fuckouttahereman....we've got one of the freaks here, you don't wanna mess with what were gonna do to him." spouted one of the men. Logan assessed the obvious mutant. He was taller than Logan, with red hair, dressed in a long brown leather coat, his eyes seemed to glow a little red from behind his sunglasses 'Oh great,' thought Logan,'Another one-eyed wonder boy.' But still, red laser beams from his eyes or not, this was a fellow mutant and Logan wasn't about these shmucks get the upper hand.

"I think you guys should get out of here, now." ordered Logan.

"Who the hell are you to tell us what to do." spat out the ugly one. Logan held his arms out and the *SNIKT* of his claws cut thru the air.

"A freak packin' a helluvalot more ammo than a bunch of mouth breathers like you." Logan held up his claws and raised an eyebrow. The four idiots bolted into their truck and sped off. Logan retracted his claws and went over to the mutant, who was kickin' at the remains of a motorcycle.

"Damn swamp rats ran m'off the road." said the man in the thickest Cajun accent Logan had ever heard,"Guess they don't like mutants op 'ere either, eh?"

"Geez, man, what shrimp boat did you go overboard from?" mused Logan, extending his hand to the cajun,"The name's Logan." The other mutant shook took his hand in a firm hand shake.

"You can call me Gambit ...fro'm Loooweezeeanna, for yo' info....tank's mon ami, for the help, I was down to m'last deck'a cards."

"That's a pretty cool light show you had going on."

"Tank's mon ami...I coulda fried'em like crawfish...but the last ting I need'd was the law on m'tail. I just fired up dem cards with m'energy...goes 'boom' when they hit sumptin'...but I gave 'em the low settin's."

"You need a ride somewhere?"

"Tank's again, friend. Damn bike's a write-off....you're a mutie...you know a place 'roun 'ere for guys like us? Run by un'old guy called Xavier?"

"Just heading there myself...I live there, actually."

"Ex-say-lent man...d'ere a lil' hottie d'ere with dark skin n' white hair like da'snow?"

"You know Storm?"

"Oh yeah...she n' I go back a ways. She toll me f'I ever needed a change o' pace to come un find 'er. I did, so 'ere I am." Logan had to admit he already liked this guy, he had an attitude and charm, hEire would love him, he knew that for sure. As they drove back, Gambit took off his sun glasses, his entire eye, iris' and whites glowed red.

"If you don' mind me asking....but what's with the eyes?" asked Logan.

"Dunno, friend, they've just always been dat way, ev' since I was a babe....what else you git 'sides dose killer skewers?"

"My body....it heals itself instantly...and well, because of that, I was experimented on, they covered my skeleton in an indestructable metal.......it's called adamantium."

"Dat's pretty harsh man...you get the bugger's who did it?"

"I don't remember who did it...I don't remember anything before 15 years ago...when I woke up naked in the snow."

"No m'idea o' fun."

"I'm gettin' over it."

"Dat's d'way d'Gambit lives his life...get over d'bad stuffs, get on to da good."

Logan parked the Range Rover and he had Gambit got out. Gambit slung his duffel bag over his head and slipped on his shades. He looked around, amazed at the scale of Xavier's School. hEire was on the lawn with her students, doing flips and kicks in the air. Remy lowered his glasses to rest on his nose.

"Who's da firecracker doin' da slick moves?" inquired Gambit.

"Watch it...that's my wife," retorted Logan, it suddenly flashed to Logan that he'd just called hEire his 'wife', which in truth she was, save for the lack of an official piece of paper.

"Wowieee.....you sure lucked out."

"I know." Rogue and Jubilee joined the group, carrying Jack in his baby carrier, hEire ended the class and took Jack up in her arms.

"Yer kid?" asked Gambit.

"Yeah, Jack's his name."

"Tell me 'bout da fox with the white streak and the lil' china doll......you ain't gonna tell me they's yo girlfriends,eh?"

"Her name's Rogue...and you better watch out around her too...she's kinda like a kid sister to me, got it? The other one's Jubilance Lee...watch out 'round her too, Cajun" Gambit held his hands up in protest.

"You don't gotta worry 'bout me Logan...I'm a nice guy."

"So am I...but I still know what you're thinkin'"

"Fair enough, mon ami. You gonna introduce us?" By that time, hEire, with Jack in tow, had come over to Logan and the new guy, Rogue and Jubilee trailed back a little. hEire gave Logan a hello kiss and waited to be introduced.

"hEire, this is Gambit...I picked him up on the side of the road, heading this way."

"This is getting to be habit.....bringing strays to Xavier's...nice to meet you Gambit." said hEire. Gambit took her extended hand and leaned over to kiss it.

"I'm honoured to meet to such a fine lady as yourself," he replied, the sentence oozing with old fashioned southern charm.

"Gambit, this is Rogue and Jubilee." introduced hEire. Gambit did the same with their hands, but hEire noted how he lingered with Rogue, looking into her eyes. Rogue even blushed, Logan inconspicuously rolled his eyes - the Cajun had singled handedly charmed three (suposedly intelligent) women inside of a minute. Storm came on the scene soon after, she ran over to Gambit and lept into his open arms.

"Hey, Lightnin', long time no see, eh?" spoke Gambit, releasing Storm from his arms. She kissed him on the cheek.

"Remy LeBeau, I thought I'd never see you again!"

"Shhh, honey, don't give 'way all m'secrets...Just call me by m'alias, eh? Anyways...you said I had n' open invitation to dis place, so I'm 'ere to take you up on it!"

"Of course, *Gambit*, it's great to have you here...you've met Logan and hEire...but let me introduce you to the Professor."

It seemed, as Logan found out, that Gambit was here to stay, for a while at least. He wasn't much use, as far as Logan could see, but hEire told him to give the guy a chance, reminding him how Scott felt about him in the beginning. One plus for Gambit, as all soon learned - he was a great chef. Logan was more than apprehensive about trying the dish Gambit had made (for the entire school no less) called Jumbalaya - but the thruth of it was it was delicious, all be it, he needed 4 beers just to get thru the meal, it was spicy as hell fire.

Hours later, hEire was putting Jack down for the night in his crib, even at just a couple of months old he was already aware that when it was dark, it was time to sleep. Jean had very high hopes for him, genetically speaking, given that both his parents were mutants with phenomenal regenerative powers - Jack would likely become even more special than his parents. Infact, he was already showing traits of a potential prodigy. Logan didn't really care, he loved Jack completely, he was without a doubt the best thing that had ever happened to him, hEire included of course.

hEire went and changed into a black slip nighty, and joined Logan, who was laying back, dozing somewhere between consciouness and his imagination. hEire cozied up to him under the covers, resting her head on his bare chest and taking hold of his hand. Logan stroked her long hair and massaged her shoulder. He kissed her forehead and breathed in her intoxicating scent.

"I think we should try our dream linking again, Logan." suggested hEire.

"What's wrong with old fashioned way? I mean...the dream thing was great, really great, but I'm pretty happy with the real world, you know?" he responded. hEire ran her fingers over his hairy chest.

"No...I meant to see if I could get any clues from you about your past, about the Samurai."

"I see..." he said, feeling very apprehensive.

"Do you trust me...I mean, do you trust me enought to let me in? I know that there are hidden secrets that a person doesn't let anyone else see..." her voice trailed off.

"You're the only one I trust to go needling around in my head...I guess I'm just afraid that you'll actually find something."

"I understand, but you can't just let this fall by the way side...I mean you've wanted something like this to happen for over 15 years."

"Yes, but before you and Jack, searching for my past was the only thing I had to keep me going...things have changed."

"Maybe so...but in the long run..."

"You're right, I know you are...but let's make a deal. After we're done on my side, can we go back to yours?"

"Howsibout we do it the old fashioned way instead?"

"Deal," he agreed. They kissed and tried to fall asleep.

 

Chapter 6

Logan came his senses first in hEire's world, looking very much like his normal self. hEire found him quick enough, this time dressed in a silvery body suit and thigh high leather boots - he very much approved of her visions of herself in this realm. She kissed him intensely, seeming to enfold his entire being with her mouth, consuming him and making him entirely hers.

Logan's eyes fluttered open when hEire released him from her kiss, he was still in the snow - it seemed to be a constant theme for the both of them. But it was daylight, thankfully hEire was still with him, but subdued - she lurked in the outskirts of his vision. He looked down at himself, he was dressed in a white judo gui, with a black sash around his waist. He had strange slippers on his feet and no hair on his face, he didn't feel like himself at all. There was something irksome, something elusive in this place that didn't quite seem natural.

Logan walked forward, something green ahead caught his eye. What it was was a frozen lake, jade green and looking more like it was in suspended animation rather than frozen. Hundreds of orange koi fish were also motionless just below the surface. Logan walked over a simple, arched wooden bridge, leading him to a pagoda temple, he wanted to go inside, but someone blocked his path. Logan recognized the figure, amazingly enough - Fudo, the immovable chastiser of evil - impassable. His face was grotesque and a cape of flames shot out around him. The another person appeared. This one was beautiful, sublime, a young lady. She was diminuative, and pretty - she wore a kimono with blue sea shells woven into the fine silk. She walked past Fudo and and came to stand just a few feet away from Logan. She withdrew two katanas, seemingly out of the air. She held them in front of her, forming and 'X'. Her soft face then turned angry - she sliced Logan across the chest in one perfectly executed motion.

Logan snapped awake and sat up, his claw began to instinctively come out from his knuckles.

"Shhhhh, Logan....you're awake. She's gone." cajoled hEire. Logan realized he was out of his dream, back in the real world. His claws snikted back in to his arms, he was drenched with sweat and utterly disturbed by the whole thing."Come here, let it fade...I'll remember."

"Oh God...that was horrible...did you see the look on her face?" he muttered. hEire pulled him close to her, kissing his neck, stroking his face. Her touch seemed to absorb the nightmare, calming and restoring him. He pulled her nightgown over her head and rested his face on her ample breastes. He clung to her, sinking into her skin like it was a warm bath. He kissed her pink flesh, tasting it, savouring it. Her body shuttered with excitment as he progressed lower, down her torso, over her stomach...and lower still.

 

Chapter 7

When Logan awoke the next morning, hEire was already up and seeing to Jack. He winced at the bright sunlight streaming in thru the window.

"Things seem less terrible in the daylight don't they?" asked hEire as she handed Jack over to his dad, for a morning hello. The little guy cooed and seemed to almost giggled as Logan kissed and hugged him.

"Especially when I get to wake up to your two faces."

"I'm going to spend the day down in the Ops room, I have alot of data to go thru."

"What sort of data?" asked Logan, intrigued.

"Clan emblems, crests, that sort of thing."

"Clan emblem? What do you mean?"

"On the back of your uniform, last night, there was a crest. I think that's the key to this whole mystery - if I can find the symbol, that gives us a starting point."

"Wow...I can't believe you remember something like that."

"It's just what I was looking for. We'll turn up something, don't worry."

"You know, part of me wishes that you don't find anything at all." spoke Logan. hEire squeezed his shoulder.

"I know, but we're here to support you...no matter what we find out, you don't have to do anything with it, not until you're ready."

"Thanks, by the way."

"Of course." she knelt over and kissed him, and went on about her business.

hEire eventually found what she was looking for, after blindingly scanning a thousand or so images. The crest was of a quadruple scimitar type katana formation, contained withing the curl of a wave - the Clan Yashida. The clan's origins were near the seaside town not too far from Tomakomai, near the Uchiura Bay on the northern island of Japan. It was a start, reasoned hEire, but who knows what he'd find there. If would prove to be his salvation or his doom.

hEire couldn't go with Logan, they weren't about to leave Jack without one of them nearby, and taking him along wasn't an option, so Logan would be without his main source of support and serenity. Scott couldn't go, tho willing to help his friend, was the leader of the X-MEN and tho the Professor was in charge, it was Scott who led all the missions - he was the strong right arm. And Jean was the only doctor available to the school, so she was ruled out.

So, therefore the only logical solution was for Storm to aid Logan, to watch his back and keep him in line if need be. It would also seem that it was Gambit's chance to get a first taste at working with the team. The Professor had cleared him, relying on Storm's approval and his own sense of the Cajun.

The X-Jet was the likely mode of transportation, but didn't seem to fit this mission. It wasn't really a mission, in the truest sense. The X-MEN were more or less helping out one of their own. It seemed an inconspicuous way of travel was called for. At the least, the trio were provided with first class airline tickest, from NYC to Tokyo, from there it was a train to Hachinohe and a chartered boat to Tomakomai. From there they would have to find their way to the tiny fishing village, and the seat of the Yashida clan - Oturu.

When hEire said goodbye to Logan, she felt very uneasy, almost like a part of her was being torn away. He kissed her warmly, she was his heart, the keeper of his soul and he hoped she knew just how vital she was to him. And then there was Jack, Logan would be thinking of him every second they were apart. His mornings would feel very empty, unable to be the first one his son saw in the morning, their walks, and so on. hEire had whispered in his ear before he'd left - 'See you in dreams...' At the least, the divide of the ocean would be tempered by coming together in their other realms.

 

Chapter 8

Upon arrival in Tokyo, the trio of X-MEN managed to make their way from the airport to their train. Both Logan and Gambit towered above just about everyone around them. They tried to be inconspicuous, but often failed miserably, due to their height and lack of maneuverability into the compact spaces that made up the Japanese way of life. Logan felt totally out of place, he was surrounded by people rushing around; cell phones constantly ringing; people talking at a mile a minute on head sets; the clacking of fingers on laptop keyboards; and the contant voices of people doing business. The whole place made him uncomfortable and was giving him an headache. Gambit pretty much agreed with Logan about the place, but was much more at ease with the culture shock. Storm was much more adept than both of them, she was all business on this trip - directing and organizing the two men. The train was packed to capacity, but they had reserved a compartment. Logan complained about the complete lack of leg and elbow room. Gambit put on his diskman and tuned everything out with his fave New Orleans music mix (NIN and Harry Connick Jr. ;).

Hours past and Logan was lost in a trance; he'd watched the city fade into landscape. They'd past industrial areas, shanty towns, parks and now just rolling hills and trees. This was more like it, thought Logan, open spaces. The boat ride to Tomakomai was calm and serene, Storm managed to push back the strong winds that opposed them and kept a swift one in the sail. Storm and Gambit let Logan alone with his thoughts, preferring to catch up on more old times. They'd met years earlier, during a time in which Storm wasn't sure if she wanted to stay on with the X-MEN, she and Gambit had literally ran into each other trying to pull the same heist. Storm had made no secrets that her past was not unblemished. She and Gambit had hung out for a while, and when she'd decided that she in fact did belong at Xavier's School, she'd made sure Remy LeBeau knew he was welcome to follow if need be.

Upon arrival at Tomakomai, they found themselves at a loss, their predetermined arrangements had ended and they found themselves stranded. There was no one in the area that spoke english and making their way to Oturu seemed difficult for the present. On the outskirts of the town they endeavoured to rent a car, a boat, even horses, anything that could carry them and their luggage to 50 or so miles they needed to go. The part of town they found themselves in was less than clean, reputable or safe for the average human being. Mutants on the other hand would have no problem, aside from the fact that it was almost night, and they had no where to sleep and nothing to eat.

"Keep y'eyes open, mes amis, and y'senses sharp, eh. We'z being followed." cautioned Gambit.

"I know, I caught wind of three of 'em, but there could be four, they ain't very old, just teenagers." responded Logan

"Yes, but teenagers who might cause enough commotion to get us to reveal ourselves." said Storm.

"Lightnin' we're about as revealed as the Grand Jambouri float on Mardi Gras...we don't exactly fit in 'round 'ere."

At that moment Logan reached around a corner and pulled a twelve or so year old boy up by the back of his shirt. The kid flailed about, but couldn't get loose from Logan's strong grip.

**Hey, let me go, I wasn't doing anything** cried the boy. (btw ** means japanese is being spoken)

**No, just spying on us, who sent you?** replied Logan, not realizing he was speaking Japanese back to the kid.

"Logan?!" explaimed Storm. He looked back at Storm, perplexed.

"What?" he asked.

"You spoke Japanese to the boy." she replied. Logan though back a moment - by god, he knew Japanese.

"Guess we'z in the right place then eh?" commented Gambit,"Give it another whirl...ask d'kid how we can get t'Oturu."

Logan decided it was worth a shot, he thought a moment, and then the words rolled off his tongue like second nature, suddenly the flood gates had been opened and the language poured out.

**We need to get to Oturu right away...think you and your friends in the shadows there can give us a hand...we've got money if that's an incentive.** asked Logan. The boy nodded and Logan put him on the ground. He called to his friends, two boys about the same age came out from the shadows.

**I know there's one more...come on out." called Logan into the distance. An older boy, about 17 or so came out from the shadows too. He was trying as had as he could to look tough, he was smoking a cigarette and dressed all in black.**What's your name kid?**

**Isas Yashida....why do you want to get to Oturu.**

**That's our business...you gonna help us or not?**

**You've got US dollars?**

**Yeah...how much is it gonna take?**

**$500**

Logan laughed out loud **You've got to be joking! I'd rather walk**

**At night, when you don't know the road? It isn't safe around here, especially for outsiders.**

**We can take care of ourselves**

**Yeah, but what's the point? You'd still be here and not in Oturu.**

"Storm, gimme a couple hundred dollar bills." asked Logan

"Two hundred, for what?" inquired Storm, not willing to give up their cash without a valid reason.

"He's getting us to Oturu tonight" She handed Logan the money.

**You'll get the rest when we get there. Don't pull anything kid, you'll live to regret it...now, where's our ride?**

**Right this way...we'll be there in less than an hour.** Isas led them to a motorboat, docked not to far from where the ferry had dropped them. The three yound boys had run off into the night to their usual activities - which was likely pick-pocketing and sneaking.

The water was choppy and the darkness was a little disconcerting, but the kid seemed to know what he was doing. Within less than an hour they were in Oturu.

 

Chapter 9

hEire felt a great absence in her heart, the invisible cord that connected her to Logan was stretched taut, and it caused a great ache inside her. Jack felt it too, tho he was unable to express it in any other way than to cry in the mornings when it was his mother that greeted him and not his father. Jack would eventually accept his mother's love and attention, but he *knew* that the time with her was later and that right now should be with his father. hEire was grateful she had Jack with her, he embodied so much of his father, in characteristics, physical features and manerisms that Logan didn't always seem quite as far away.

Nonetheless hEire was constantly uncomfortable, and the fear of the unknown preyed on her. Just as Logan was enduring his passage thru this trial of life, so must she.

***

For another $200 on top of the $500, Isas was willing to put the three of them up for the night in the guest rooms of his family's house. It seemed that there were few other options in the small village, so they begrudgingly accepted. Isas' house was infact contained within a property who's parameter was surrounded by a 12ft concrete wall. On the other side was a zen garden, a vast pond and a scattering of interconnected floating roofed rooms. The walls of the Yashida home were made with cherry wood beams and planks and innumerable rice paper screens. The household was asleep except for a middle aged man who seemed to be a valet. They were taken to three interconnecting rooms, each had a lamp, a futon and antiquated facilities. The valet brought them green tea, rice bowls and eel. They graciously accepted the food, such as it was. Logan wanted to give the eel back to the waters it came from, but after being encouraged by Storm to at least try it, he found that he didn't mind it.

Logan was the first to wake the next day, with the dawn sun streaming thru his open screen, for a moment he felt like he was at home, like he belonged here. But then he thought about how, this morning, like the past few, he wouldn't be the first one Jack saw when he opened his eyes. He wasn't going to be able to wipe the sleep from his son's eyes, to bath and change him and then watch as hEire nursed him. He felt a sudden pang of regret that he'd even bothered to come to Japan.

He shrugged off his sudden depression and washed and dressed. He wandered out across the bridges that connected the floating rooms together. The tireless valet from the night before bowed and bade Logan into the common room, saying that breakfast would be ready soon. Logan was, he realized, very comfortable in this place. The sensation of weightlessness from the water below his feet felt natural; the sounds of morning birds; the open airness of the Yashida home; the mountains in the distance and the entire perfect layout of the whole garden appeased his sensibilities.

Maybe he really had lived in this village once, maybe this was an intergral part of his past. Within ten minutes Isas and Storm came into the room, removed their shoes and took their seats, on the floor mats around a solid rectangular table. Soon two young women and two older women joined them. They had apparantly been previously informed that they had guests and didn't seem shaken by suddenly having three new people at the table. They bowed politely and waited to be introduced.

**This is my grandmother Tazu, first wife to grandfather Shiro. This is my mother Sumi, my father is deceased, and these are my two sisters - Nari - first born daughter and Anzu.** Logan bowed to them and translated for Storm. Gambit was the last to arrive.

"N'offense, but doze beds ain't much softer dan a pile a rocks. What's for breakfast...I just hope it ain't..." he began.

"Rice and fish, just eat it Gambit." snarled Logan. Gambit tried to sit comfortable, but his long legs just wouldn't let him. Logan sat instinctively in the lotus position, as did the rest of the Yashida family.

Things seemed to be going well, Logan was trying to think of the easiest way of broaching the subject of the family's past, their connection to the Order of Samurai, where he could find out if he'd onced lived in this part of the world. Near the end of the meal, another person showed themselves. He was an old man, a rather big man infact, but was stooped over and walked with a cane. Logan rose to greet the man and was met with the blade of a katana sword, Logan tumbled back and rolled on his back and stood up, ready to defend himself for a second swipe. When the man swung again, cutting the air with the swiftness of the stroke, and Logan's claws came out - he cut thru the blade and it fell into the table, standing up straight.

**Oathbreaker! You brought shame to this house!** yelled the old man. Gambit flung one of his playing cards at the man as he advanced again on Logan. The burst knocked the man out, but did no other harm.

The Yashida women by now had left the room and the valet had rushed in to aid his master. Isas confronted Logan.

**My grandfather called you 'Oathbreaker'...you are the one who shamed his father and this entire house...you will leave now...like you did before.** ordered Isas.

**Take it easy kid...we ain't going anywhere...not until I find out why the old man tried to kill me.**

**You don't know!? You dishonoured this house and my grandfather has cursed you his entire life!**

**There's just one problem kid...I don't remember it...I don't remember a goddamn thing before 15 years ago**.

 

Chapter 10

Isas was more willing to take Logan at his word than his grandfather Shiro was. Isas managed to find out from his grandfather that Shiro's father had taken Logan under his wind and train him along side Shiro, the only son not to die in WWII, as the next generation of Clan Yashida Samurai. Logan remembered that Jean had thought he could be older than even the Professor, but to have fought in WWII boggled his mind. Apparantly, after the war, Logan - a Canadian soldier - had chosen to settle in Oturu with the Yashide clan, he was supposed to marry Shiro's sister Sakura. The old man wouldn't say any more, but sent along with the information and sharp 12" inch bladed knife and a large bowl. I sudden wave of memories rushed over Logan like a tsunami.

"What the 'ell he expect you ta do wid'dat?" asked Gambit.

"I remember this blade," remarked Logan, stunned by the familiarity of the knife,"I held it once before, I know it....but I couldn't go thru with it."

"Go thru with what?" asked Storm.

"The hara-kiri...I was supposed to kill myself to save the Yashida's honour...that I remember...god, I can see myself, I can me holding the knife to my stomach....these are the only memories I've ever had from my past."

"What stopped you d'en,"asked Gambit.

"I knew it wouldn't do any good....the wound would just seal itself right back up...and I had no one to complete the ceremony if I chickened out...the back-up, they were supposed to decapitate me."

"Geez, mon ami, that's harsh."

"But Logan, there's got to be more...do you remember anything else?" asked Storm.

"No, I don't." **Isas...can't you get your grandfather to talk to me? Explain the situation?**

**I will try...but he sent you the knife so you could finish today what you could not the last time**

**It's not gonna happen kid....either he deals with me...or we leave.**

It was over an hour before Isas returned to the X-MEN, who'd been waiting patiently, alone.

**My grandfather will see you, but be warned...the words he has for you are harsh, and he would see you dead if he had the strength to do it.**

Logan sat in a chair across from the old man's bed. Gambit's stun had really knocked him for a loop, in addition to the rage he seemed to harbour against Logan. Shiro was the first to speak.

**My grandson has told be that you do not remember your past. That you do not know your time with the Yashida Clan...or the years of tutilige under my father. And that you also do not remember your oath or commitment to the Clan.**

**That's right.**

**If this be true, then I ask your forgiveness for my actions this morning. But you are not forgiven for the shame you brought on this house.**

**Listen, I can understand about this morning...but you've got to realize that I can't hold myself accountable for what I really I don't remember...if I can make it up to you and your family I will...but please, I need to know everything that happened in the past.**

**Alright Logan...I will tell you. When you came to the House of Yashida, you were very disillusioned. You would not speak of your past, or your family. You were haunted by your time in the war and very tired of living. You were already older than me at the time, but you look as you do now, unchanged - still young. During the war you ought to have died many times, but as you demonstrated, your body healed itself of all wounds. You helped me out of a bad situation, my father had incurred debts, and men had come to collect by beating me - as sign to my father that they were to be taken seriously. You stopped them, there is another story - you cleared my father's debt - but that does not matter for the time being.

We brought you into our home and my father loved you like you were his own son. We were brothers and my father adopted you as a son of the Clan Yashida - together he trained us as he had been by his father, into the Order of the Samurai. You stayed with us 11 years, you were at my wedding to Tazu and you were with the family at the birth of Isas' father.

You had been looking for many years for a center of balance, for inner peace, and you had found it in our home. You also promised to marry my sister, Sakura; you said you loved her. But you did not marry Sakura, you left our house without word or warning. My father died from his grief, and my sister - being unwed, was claimed by the gods. You came back a time later, wanting to mend your error, but the damage had already been done - as Clan leader I commanded you to take up the Yashida blade for the Hara-kiri Ritual....but again you left us, doubly shaming our house.

And that is why, Logan, you should die, it is the only honourable thing to do. This house has lived with the legacy of your slight for decades. My son could not be taught the ways of the samurai with the dark shadow of dishonour over our house, and Isas will not be taught either.**

**I wish I could remember more...but I don't. Shiro, I am sorry for the past, but I can't change it. And killing myself is definitely not an option. I came here to fine the pieces to my past, and I thank you for all you have told me...but I'm afraid I cannot do anything for your house today.**

**Never has one man brought so much shame to a Clan. You are no samurai Logan, I think you never were. The Samurai must live by the Seven Codes of the Way of the Warrior - Rectitude, Endurance, Frugality, Courage, Politeness, Veracity and above all Loyalty to Ruler and Country - you have none of these things.** Shiro reached into his bedside table and brought out a small stack of black and white photographs

.**Look at Sakura...how could you abandon one so lovely.** Logan looked at the photos, it was the woman from his nightmare, she was beautiful - her hair was ink black and her face was angelic.

**Shiro, I don't know what happened, I don't know why I left. There is no way I can repay your family?**

**There is one. One that would restore our honour.**

**Yes?**

**Nari, my granddaughter, she is of age, 16 - if you married her you would be a member of the family again. You could train Isas, and your own sons** Shiro's words stuck in Logan's throat. He couldn't even consider the old man's offer, it was outrageous.

**Shiro...I...I can't marry your granddaughter...we don't even know each other. There's other reasons too...**

**If you do not, the Gods will claim her as they did Sakura. If the daughters of this house...and all houses in valleys are not wed during the year they have come of age, they must be given up.**

**Wait a minute...you've lost me. What do you mean by 'the Gods' ? **

**They live in the moutains, they have come for our daughters for decades, ever since you brought about a curse by your dishonour. You agreed to marry Sakura, and the breakin of your oath awoke them.**

**Shiro...there's no such thing as Gods...at least not the kind that come down out of the mountains to claim people.**

**They will come in less than a month...you will see, Nari will be taken...and again you will allow it to happen.**

**Shiro, I won't let it happen. But I'm not marrying her, either.**

**Leave me Logan, I can no longer stand to look on you.**

 

Chapter 11

Logan told Storm and Gambit, along with Isas, all that Shiro had told him, but now he sat alone in his room, looking out over the calm waters of the lake. He was contemplating the precarious situation he found himself in. He felt connected to this place, and to it's peolple, tho he still didn't remember much about them at all. He felt obligated to them, to repay their kindness of the past, and to figure out what was going on in the present. He was sure Nari was a nice girl and everything, but he couldn't marry her - it wouldn't be fair to any them and it would solve any problems. Logan suddenly realized he was very tired. He layed back on his bed and tried to sleep.

Logan felt very cold, he was naked in the snow. He couldn't walk, or even move. Everything was black around him, save for the white of the cutting powder. He thought he saw a figure moving towards him. A woman came rushing to him, he caught her eyes, so deep a blue. She fell to her knees next to him and wrapped him up in her long black cloak. She cradled his face in her warm hands and bent down to kiss him, her lips were warm.

"hEire!?" Logan cried out as he sat up from his dream. Just a dream, hEire was far away. Logan caught a wiff of someone coming to his door. It was Nari, Shiro's granddaughter, she'd brought him food and tea.

**Did you sleep well, Master Logan?** she asked quietly.

**No...not really...nevermind. Thanks for the food.**

**Master Logan, may I ask you a question?**

**Sure...go ahead.**

**Am I beautiful to you?** she sat next to him and placed a hand on his arm.

**Yes you are Nari...but don't mistake me, we won't be getting married just cause your grandfather wants us to.** She leaned forward and began to kiss him, Logan didn't push her away until after he realized someone was standing in the doorway. Nari quickly ran past Gambit, feeling ashamed at her forward action at trying to seduce Logan.

"Mon ami, I don't care how cute dat lil' geisha eez, but she ain't worth messin' up whatchu got goin' on wid yo' girl back 'ome."

"That's not what was happening, Cajun. Her grandfather sent her in here to try convince me to marry...some strange family curse..."

"You talkin' 'bout da gods dat 'sposed to live up in d'mountains?"

"How do you know?"

"Storm's got one helluva mind in dat white haired head a her's...I think she's pretty muched learned d'whole language. She's been talkin' to d'kid. She tinks we should check it out."

"That's a good idea...I have half a mind that if there is something out there - they are probably mutants, and not gods at all."

"Dat sounds right on, mon ami. I could use a good fight, m'cards have been itching to explode!"

"I hear yah. I haven sliced anything in months."

"Well don' lets not let Lightnin' 'ear us talkin' like dis, she'll complain 'bout d'testosteron' or 'sumtin'." They laughed, realizing that women were probably right about men....pretty much nothing more than cavemen when you got right down to it.

Isas revealed more to Logan about these supposed 'gods' that claimed young women from the clans. They arrived unexpectedly, at night, one looked like a ball or fire, another of lightning, they were lead by a woman who was supposedly the goddess Izanami - the Darkness.

The X-MEN had come to find answers for Logan, but instead it seemed they were heading out for a big fight - suppposedly with Gods. Logan went around first, with Storm, Gambit and Isas, collecting stories from neighbouring villages and Clans. People didn't much trust outsiders in these rural parts, but somehow Logan's familiarity with their language and way of life made him trustworthy. For nearly 50 or so years, Izanami came and forced families to give up their daughters or face the wrath of Fudos and Raiden - her minions and consorts. The women were taken and never seen or heard from again. If a girl had been successfully wed, she was not taken, Izanami wanted her prisoners to be pure. The thought of whyever for sickened Logan. They didn't have the benefit of the Blackbird jet; X-Suits or any of the other X-MEN paraphenalia - they would have to rely on their own muscle power and gile.

 

Chapter 12

Logan's five senses were on overload, it all came on so strong that he didn't have time to prepare himself or warn anyone - the Gods had come. It had been the dead of night when he was wakened by the firing of his senses all at once. Izanami walked with reverence into the Yashida home - she was dressed in a white kimono and her face was covered by a white mask - even her hair was as white as Storm's; and ironic facade for the Goddess of Darkness. She was flanked on either side by her two henchmen - the Punisher by Fire - Fudo and the God of Thunder Raiden. The X-MEN were quick to react, but not quick enough - the 'Gods' seized Nari and stayed long enough for Logan to almost reach them before they were swept up in a torrent of wind and lightning. Storm tried to counter Raiden's display, but was too late in calling on nature herself to stop them.

Then entire household was in a dire panic in the aftermath of Nari's abduction. Logan tried to reassure the family that it wasn't a hopeless situation, but tho he'd already explained the fact of mutants to them, they refused to believe they were dealing with anything besides the wrath of genuine Gods. Thankfully Isas was willing to be reasonable.

**Kid do you know where they've taken her?** asked Logan.

**I don't know exactly, but I know the area. It's a deep part of the valley...they say there is a volcano there...but no one ever goes near there - they fear the Gods.**

**Let's get one thing straight - they ain't Gods...they're just mutants, like Storm, Gambit and I. Now, can you show me on a map?**

The place was about a three day hike from the Yashida home. It was difficult to decide on a way of getting there that would give the element of surprise. Storm could theoretically create the same effect as Raiden had done, but that would create a commotion that would have them be detect instantly. If they had an offroad vehicle available to them it would have been easy, but out amoung remote villages it was more than unlikely. Isas suggested finally an option that made Logan's stomach turn over. The mountains in the area were high, and one past time happened to be hang-gliding...on ancient gliders, ancient as in hundreds of years. They could have called Scott to come with the Blackbird; but that would take precious hours, where as with Storm's direction they could be there in a matter of a short few.

Shiro came to Logan before they left, he had with him two swords, as was the way of the samurai.

**Take my katanas, Logan, as a symbol of my forgiveness - you will earn the repect of the Gods if you fight them as a Samurai - there is great honour to be restored.** Logan took the swords and their sheaths and secured them on his back.

**Thanks, Shiro...we'll get your granddaughter back...and put these mutants out of business.**

Gambit and Logan kept their eyes firmly shut, and tried desperately to keep their stomachs inside their bodies as Storm lifted the sails of the gliders from the ground and off on a mercilessly fast flight. Logan swore he'd never complain again about Scott's flying again if he made it safely back onto solid ground. The dawn was coming and they were within sight of the valley. Storm set them down on the cusp of the valley, well out of sight of the other mutants.

They were met with a truly miraculous sight. There was no volcano, not in the least, but instead a red pagoda, so immense and sprawling that Logan could barely believe his eyes. The temple was covered in grotesque sculptures of sexual and violent depravity.

"What d'hell have you gotten us into, mon ami?" asked Gambit, suddenly wishing he'd stayed in the States. Logan turned around abruptly, suddenly aware of the presence of others. They'd been surrounded by a group of a dozen or so young girls. The X-MEN allowed themselves to be huddled down towards the temple, once there Izanami presented herself, along with Fodu and Raiden.

**We did no expect you so soon** began Izanami.

**We're full of surprises....where's Nari Yashida?** retored Logan.

**She, and the other new girls are inside...they'll soon be like these others.** Izanami held out her hand and it became apparant that they were now surrounded by nearly 100 women, in various stages of life.**They are my servants, I own their souls...and I suspect I will soon own yours and that of your friends...Yashida Samurai, Logan.**

**How the hell do you know my name!?**

**I know you very well.**

Fudo and Raiden stepped forward to challenge Gambit and Storm. Logan turned his attention back to Izanami, she motioned for him to follow her into the temple. He cautiously advanced. Directly thru the entrance was an open square, perfect for combat. The woman sent her servants away and the two of them were left alone. Izanami removed her white kimono, revealing beneath a white body suit. Logan took off his jacket and shirt.

They stood opposite each other and bowed. Instantly Izanami unleashed a hail of ninja stars at him. Seven little disks protruded out of Logan's torso - the shock to his system was immense, but he kept his whits and removed them as fast as he could, the wounds soon sealed back up.

Logan advanced and bare knuckled back handed Izanami across the face of her mask. The mask cracked in two and fell to the ground. A flash of remembrance hit him, he knew her face, he knew it well - it was Sakura, the woman he’d once loved, the woman who was almost his wife. His first instinct was to acknowledge her, to confront that fact that they had once been together, but then he realized all the havoc she’d wreaked and the lives she’d destroyed and that there was the reason he’d left her. The memory became more lucid to him.

He’d discovered that she had mutant powers, all those years ago when mutants were no where near as prevelant as they were today. He’d discovered that his bride to be was no innocent, she was proverse and derranged. She had within her an unnatural bloodlust, a need to kill and devour the life force of innocents. He remembered how he came upon her one night, hunched over the body of a young woman, her supposed friend, Sakura was sucking the life engery from her. The young woman’s eyes had gone dark, her life energy drained out of her, but the bodied remained alive, a mindless body - no concious, no free will, no life essence whatsoever. Logan realized Sakura’s power was similar to Rogue’s in a way, but Sakura had her’s under control, and her victims were left with a modicum of ‘life’ left.

Sakura had masterminded her own ‘abduction’, the first of it’s kind, in order to secure her power for generations to come. The Izanami wanted the essence of pure womens’ spirits, and with her new found companions, she could have them. Fear, the power of legend and isolation made the surronding villages perfect victims. At the time Logan had no idea what was instore for the people he’d become a part of, all he knew is that a woman he’d expected to spend the rest of his life with, the woman who would be the mother of his children, was evil and he wanted nothing more to do with her. He’d packed up his stuff and left, he’d never been one for commitement, and driven by heartbreak, he’s just left. What befell him after that was as much a mystery as everything else in his past. He didn't remember coming back as Shiro had said he had.

Not much made sense to Logan now except that Sakura had to be stopped, there wasn’t much of the real Sakura left, he now faced Izanami. She retaliated with a swirft punch to his gut, Logan recoiled, nearly sick from the force of the blow. She brought out her father’s stolen sword, the seat of power for the Yashida Clan - this was a fight for ancient honours and she intended to face her enemy in the style of the old ways. Logan unsheathed one of the two swords of Shiro he had fastened behind his back. Logan’s skills had returned to him fully and he demonstrated moves that came with years of dedicated practice and centering. She lunged at him and with two quick cuts to the air Logan blocked and turned her attack, he came around behind her and stuck her quick in the top left shoulder. Blood stained her white suit, a progressive creeping of red liquid spreading like the ocean over the shore. But she did not cry out in pain, she was too full of rage.

Logan on the other hand felt incredible calm. She retaliated with an upper cut to his neck, metal clashed and sparked, but he’d prevented her success on that move, but there was a sudden and intense burning in his calf - she’d slashed thru the skin, the muscles and tendons. He dropped to his knees, his wounded leg unable to support him - but he’d heal quickly enough. Sakura took advatage of his vulberability and cut into his sword arm - the din of the blade clanging against the adamantium of his forearm was deafening, as well as sickening. He released the sword. If it hadn’t been for the adamantium, she’d have cut off his arm. As it was the pain was so intense that Logan felt his head would explode.

Sakura ran the blade out slowly, cutting as much flesh as possible in the action. Logan could stand again and withdrew the second blade of Shiro’s. This slow and calculated fight was getting nowhere fast. The pair stood facing each other, staring each other down. They bowed again.

**Bring it on** spat out Logan. Sakura’s eyes we so full of hate, he’d never seen a darkness so pitiful. She spread her arms out wide and flung herself at her foe. Their blades clashed like a peal of white hot thunder, they attacked and blocked cuts and jabs. Moves and counter moves displayed at neck breaking speed, this was a fight for the real Gods to be proud of. Each sustained innuermable slashed and gouges, Logan’s advantage was clear, his wounds healed, Sakura’s did not.

But Sakura had not used her powers on him yet, she was fighting the way of honour, and she hated that she was losing. In one fortunate block, Sakura pinned Logan’s sword. She placed a hand in his chest and unleashed a torrent of pain and purest evil into him. This was nothing compared to Rogue’s touch, nothing between heaven and earth was as unbearble as this pain. Magneto, the Government that had tortured him, even the demon Daenoch did not have the malevolent will of Izanami - the Darkness. The beautiful and merciless darkness.

Without warning Logan found himself blind, deaf and mute. He was in suspended animation, caught in a void, he was in the Darkness - assaulted by her hideous mind crime. He heard one voice, barely a whisper....Sakura spoke to him....**Hell hath no fury, like a woman scourned.** (I know this isn't a likely thing for a Japanese woman to say under the circumstances....but hey, it works!)

She released him, his vision returned, just long enought to see her bring the blade around and cut in front of her. She’d meant to take his head off, still not understanding the adamantium that was fused to his skeleton, she succeed only in slashing the entire front half of his neck. He had no air in his lungs, his trachea was severed; his limbs were numb - no carotid arteries to carry blood; he couldn’t even bring up the nausea he felt, no esophagus. He slumped forward, life ebbing from him in a river of bright red blood.

Sukura kicked his ribs, turned him onto his back. Enough of his senses were alert to understand the words she spoke to him.

**I’ve seen into your soul Logan. I should have been the one for you. You didn’t give me chance, you wouldn’t understand that I couldn’t control my need for those girls’ lives. They keep me young and beautiful. I am still beautiful aren’t I? Don’t you still love me now?** Logan couldn’t speak, his life was fading. **That pale woman you claim to habour love for, I’m going to eat her heart out - she’ll feed me well, a mutant. And your son...oh yes, we will do sooooooooooo much to your son - you think you are in pain now, just wait till I get my hands on HIM! This is nothing compared to what I have in store for the soul of a child - the child that should have been mine.** Her final words fell on deaf ears, Logan was gone, his healing power just wasn’t fast enough, and his life essence already so depleted.

Things became clear to him, he was somewhere safe all of a sudden, Sakura a memory vague and fading, slow. This was hEire’s world, so serene and so peaceful. hEire was coming towards him, god she was beautiful, but very different somehow. Her hair was black, her skin purely white and irridescent; she was dressed in a leather body suit, adorned with a breastplate of shimmering silver. He smiled and opened his arms to take her up in them. She stormed towards him as loud sound permeated around him, like a hundred of the most vicious heavy metal bands all playing at once. She came right up to him, Logan was confused, she was angry. hEire punched him square in the jaw.

“WAAAAAAKE UUPPPPPPP!!!!!!!!” she yelled, so loud her entire realm shook and reverberated with the sound.

Logan’s eyes snapped open. He took air into his lungs and the feeling returned to his limbs. He got to his feet, completely healed and quickened by hEire’s forcefulness. Sakura was walking away from him, but turned when she realized he wasn’t actually dead. Her lip quivered in disgust that she’d failed.

**I remember why I walked out on you...you may be beautiful Sakura....but you ain’t nothin’ but a psychotic bitch!**

She raged forward, determined not to fail this time. Logan extended his arm and landed his fist between her eyes, her skull cracked and then:

*SNIKT*

He impaled her thru the brain with his claws. He retacted them and she fell to the ground, she was dead. Logan dropped to his knees, he held his head in his hands. This kill was something different, it wasn’t like when he’d delivered supposed death blows to Mytique or Sabretooth, he had real history with Sakura, but she was so much more evil than anyone in the Brotherhood. She never would have stopped, she would have gone after his family and killed many more young women - he’d had no choice.

“Logan!” cried Storm as she and Gambit joined him on the battlefield.”Are you alright?!”

“Yeah,” she spoke quietly,”Just gimme a minute. How’d you guys make out?”

“They’s be as dead as catfish in the belly of a gator.” cracked Gambit. Logan laughed at the statement, the Cajun never quit with the Louisiana metaphors. Logan stumbled to his feet.

 

Chapter 13

Two days had passed and things were back to normal at the Yashida house. Shiro had reinstated Logan as a Son of the Clan. The ceremony had been very cathartic for Logan, both sides could heal their old wounds now. The accounting of the final showdown with Sakura was hard for Shiro to take, but somehow he’d always know it to be the truth - his sister had been the embodiment of Izanami, since she’d been very young. Isas was very proud on this day too, he would soon begin his own training as a Samurai - he was the future of the Clan Yashida.

Another day passed and Scott arrived in the X-Jet, the Blackbird. The trip home would only take 5 or so hours in the stealth plane, Logan was somewhat sad to be leaving the place that had once been his home, he wondered if further time there would reveal more than the few fragmented memories he’d been allowed. But also during his time there, he’d realized a few more things about himself that he valued more than his elusive past.

An hour or so into the flight home Logan got the distinct impression that Scott was trying to tell him something.

“Scott? Is there something you need to say to me,” Logan asked.

“Yeah, I’m afraid so,” he reluctantly began,”It’s about hEire.” Logan felt the hair on his body rise.

“Spit it out.”

“I’m sorry, but she’d gone, she’s left Westchester.”

“What in the HELL? She took Jack?” he couldn’t believe it.

“Yes, Logan, she did. Something started happening after you left. She started having weird dreams, sleepwalking. Jean even insisted that she be monitored, for her’s and your son’ safety. Then she started having seizures in her sleep, Jean couldn’t make heads or tails of it. One night she must have gotten out of the lower levels and taken Jack and left....we didn’t even realize it until the next morning.”

“Why wasn’t I told?!”

“Logan, how could we? She didn’t get extreme until just a couple of days ago anyways. We know where they are, the Professor found them with Cerebro. I’ll take you to her soon after we get back to the School.”

“Fine.” Logan cut off the conversation and preferred to sit and stew. He was greatly disturbed by this news - he feared maybe Sakura’s arm of darkness stretched out further into his mind than he supposed, maybe he got to hEire thru him. He’d never forgive himself if he’d caused hEire pain and suffering.

Scott took Logan to the west coast of Ireland. Apparantly hEire had a cottage at her disposal on the Burren - a part of the land that was desolate and rocky with no tress and even fewer people. But Logan couldn’t help but stare in awe at the Cliffs of Moher, the aqua waters of the Atlantic and the majesty of the afternoon sky. hEire was a few miles outside of the village of Lahinch. The silent fluidity of the jet allowed Logan to inconspicuously be dropped off on the outskirts. He sat himself on a patch of grass and waited for people to start their afternoon routine and for the pub to open after the lunch hour.

Logan could definitely see why hEire would want to escape to a place like this. There was a mystical and timeless peace to the place. It was like real magic permeated every stone, every blade of grass and every breath a person inhaled. The pubs opened back up at 3pm, and Logan was amused at how already small droves of older men made their way thru the doors. He walked into the ‘Griffin’ and took a spot at the bar.

“What’ll yah have, m’love,” asked the barmaid, a middle aged woman with a large frame and just as big a smile. Logan smiled back at her.

“Actually...I’d really apprecite some directions...to a cottage, called ‘The Tearmann’, do you know it?” inquired Logan. The woman stiffened and immediately became suspicious.

“Eamon!,” called the woman to a man seated at the other end of the bar,”This American fella’s lookin’ to go to the Tearmann.”

“Canadian, actually,” corrected Logan, the woman eyed him more closely. Eamon came over to take to seat next to Logan.

“The name’s Eamon O’Riorden...and why should you be wanting to go to the Tearmann, eh?” asked the burly man.

“I’m Logan...I’m supposed to meet my wife there.”

“Logan eh? There’s a fine name if ever I heard one! But still...the young lass didnagh say anything ‘bout a husband...how can we trust you? We wouldn’t want to put the girl or her wee one in any danger, suppose she’s trying to not be found?”

“There’s nothing I can say, I suppose, you’ll just have to trust me. Her name is hEire, and our son is Jack...she has a ring on her finger - with a moonstone, I gave it to her...if that’s any reassurance.”

“Go on Eamon, take him up...stay around till the lass says it’s okay...he looks like a trustworth lad.”

Eamon drove Logan out of the village into the Burren. The cottage was quite lovely, white with a thatch roof, it wasn’t very big, but it had a loft and two chimneys. They parked a little ways back and got out of the car.

Logan saw hEire thru the small window, she was in the kitchen, making a dinner. He opened the door to the little cottage and walked on in. hEire immediately came into the front entrance and was stopped cold at the sight of him, the first time in nearly a month. He swung his bag off his shoulder and slumped it against the door. He extended his hand to hEire and she tentatively reached for it. Logan grabbed her and lifted her right off her feet and into his arms. They held each other so tight that they could barely breathe. Logan kissed her, tasting every inch of her mouth, remembering how much he loved her. Logan let her back down on her feet, but still held her.

The sound of Eamon in the doorway was heard with a clear *ahem*.

“I guess he wasn’t lying when he said he was your husband then.” spoke Eamon.

“Thank you for bringing him Eamon.” said hEire.

“Right...well, I’ll be off then.”

“Goodbye Eamon...we’ll see you and Angela at the Griffin tomorrow.”

“Night...you two young’ns have a nice evenin’.”

Logan turned back to hEire after Eamon closed “Why did you leave?” he asked. hEire couldn’t look him in the eye.

“It didn’t feel like home anymore, it was like the walls were watching me almost. I got scared, about us. My dreams became so horrible, I can’t bear to tell you. So I came to a place I knew that I could feel alright on my own. I guess I was afraid you wouldn’t come back.”

“hEire, how could you think that? Especially because of Jack.”

“I thought maybe you’d made a mistake...we happened so fast, suddenly we were living together, and then Jack - he was so unexpected.

“You’re an idiot, you know. So what if we got together within a few day of meeting each other? It didn’t mean it wasn’t genuine. I’d just spent 15 years not giving a damn about anyone, and I guess, in hind sight, I’d been waiting all that time for you. And you know what else, we let Jack happen, we wanted it to. There was plenty of opportunity not let it happen and we ignored it each and every time. I think we both needed him to happen - and I’ll never regret it, ever. I don’t regret you either - got it?” hEire nodded, feeling reassured, letting her doubts fade. Logan laid his hands over her face and neck, he just looked at her. She was so strong and fierce, but sometimes unbelievably insecure. He knew he was the same way, it was very very hard for either of them to completely trust someone. She was the only one he knew completely, the only one he’d let his guard down with. The distinct sound of Jack crying came from the loft upstairs.

“I got it...I haven’t seen him in a month either, you know.” said Logan.

“I don’t want to upset you...but it’s been very hard for him, he’s missed you every day.” Logan nodded solemny and went upstairs.

hEire went up to the loft after she’d set dinner in the oven. The sight she saw warmed her heart, Logan was asleep on the bed with Jack asleep on his chest. Her family was back together it seemd. She lay down next to them as gently as possible.

“Hey,” Logan whispered.

“I thought you were asleep.”

“Almost...hEire, something occured to me while I was gone. Now, take me seriously here...”

“Oh god, you’re not going to ask me to marry you are you?” she snorted. He playfully slapped her leg.

“I was actually...but hey, if you don’t think I’m good enough for you.”

“Logan, there’s nothing more I want in the whole world.”

“Good.” he smiled, taking her hand and kissing her fingers.

“No big wedding tho, nothing like Scott and Jean’s - that’s just not me...we can just find a judge and make it official. But I’d like to do something with just you and me, alone, okay?”

“Anything you want, darlin’. By the way...how long are we going to stay here?”

“A few more weeks...we need a break from the X-MEN, from the real world.”

“Agreed.” Logan put his arm around hEire’s shoulders and pulled her close. He swung the heap of blankets up over the three of them.

“I have to see to dinner you know. But we can defintely get back to this later.” she kissed him on the cheek and gave Jack a little snuggle and snuck back downstairs.

Rain had been falling hard non-stop for nearly two hours. Thankfully the thatch roof didn’t leak, but the cottage was cold. Logan started a fire in the hearth. Out on the Burren, the electricity was unreliable and they found themselves in the dark. But the warm glow from the fire place illuminated the cozy living room with a deep honey hue. Logan and hEire had eaten, and now it was Jack’s turn. Logan sat on the floor leaning against a leather armchair, in just a scruffy pair of jogging pants and he couldn’t help but smile at the two of them. Jack fell asleep soon after and hEire placed him in the basinette on the sofa.

She looked down at him and began to sing;

Where the river foams and surges to the sea/ Silver figures rise to find me/ Wise and as daring/ Following the heart’s cry/ I am that deep pool/ I am the dark spring/

Warm with a mystery/ I may reveal to you/ In time/ Time holds the heart’s key/ Key to everything is Love/ Love makes the heart flower/ Flowers into deep desire/ Passion in the heart’s fire/ Passion and desire/

See the eagle rise above the open plain/ Golden in the morning air/ Weaving and soaring/ Watchful and protecting/ I am your shelter/ I will enfold you/

Her lullaby ended and hEire lay down in front of the fire, resting her head in Logan’s lap. Her light robe fell open and her hair cascaded over his legs. He stroked her hair and stared into the flames, while the sound of rain surrounded them.

“Does it always rain like this?” he asked, questioning the structural integrity of the cottage, despite the fact that it had stood for nearly 200 years.

“And people still ask......why is it so green here? Yes...it rains, almost every day.” Logan flicked her ear in jest.

“I like it here. It tells alot about you.”

“It’s the one place I know I really belong, but anywhere you and Jack are is home.” A peal of thunder crashed thru the sky, Jack stirred, but Logan laid a hand on him and he soon settled.

“I have a few things to say to you, and I want you to let me finish. I know I’m not a very sensitive heart to hear kinda guy on the outside, but I’m honest. You’ll probably be able to say everything better than I could, but I know that you know it comes from the heart.

There’s alot inside me that I don’t understand and that I can’t control. I don’t know how long I’ve been alive, but somewhere along the way I was made into a good person. I may not know just who I am, but I’m still me - and I know inside who that person is. That person’s had alotta really horrible stuff done to them. I got back a little of it in Japan, but that taught me something huge. No matter what I get back, it won’t change the person I’ve become in the last fifteen years.

Until a year ago I was very angry, despressed and lonely - it was horrible, every damn second of it. Then Rogue happened, I can’t explain how she did it, but she got under my skin and I couldn’t ignore her. Something woke up in me, I wanted to help her and protect her. I think I saw myself in her, she was at the moment I was 15 years ago, just starting out as a mutant and I saw her heading down the same path as I was on. And then I met Jean, the Professor, Storm, Cyclops and the rest of them...I found purpose and stopped wandering like an idiot in the dark.

An then there was you.

I didn’t know I needed anyone until I had you. You eased my sorrow. You’ve opened my mind and my heart and I thank you for it. I love you so much and that doesn’t even compare to how much I love Jack. I am still in awe that we created him, that you made me a father, words will never come close saying how grateful I am.

But I want you to know this - I will always be there for you two, I’ll love you and protect you both until the day I die. Whatever wedding ceremony we have won’t have the same meaning as what I’m saying to you right now - you ARE my wife already. I feel it in my blood that in all the world there is no one who I belong to as much as you and you are mine. We’re going to love each other, make more children together, and make sure that the world is safe for them.” He’d finished all he needed to say and smiled down at her,”That’s your que.” She laughed and even snorted a little.

“I know...I just don’t think I could top that...”

“Bah, sure u’ could. I’m just a canuck hosier, yah know - eh?”

“Join the club...I think that’s one thing this place lacks...liquor stores (that are closed on Sundays :p ) with $10 Molson’s six packs and a Tim Hortons.”

“You’re breaking the mood...” he commented. hEire laughed. She sat up and looked him in the eyes - if it was possible, the rain came down even harder now and the wind outside howled like a Banshee. She put her arms on his shoulders and held his gaze. He supported her by wrapping an arm behind her, caressing her back.

“Logan...you are my immortal beloved.” He was amazed by her poetic beginning.”You are the harbourer of my soul, the hearth in which the embers of my love burn, and the body that nourishs my own. You are my husband and I love you from the depths to the heights, on the Natural Plain and over the infinity of the Otherworld.” A smile came over her face, the corners of her mouth turning upwards into a cute little smirk.”I also love that you never wash your jeans, that you chug your beer, I don’t even mind those wretched cigars anymore. I thank you for making me strong when I’m weak and vulnerable - and set me straight when I act like and idiot! And then there’s Jack - I couldn’t imagine having children without you as their father - you are the toughest, most feral and also the scruffiest guy I’ve ever met, but with him you are tender and genuine.

We are pefect together, at least as close as two people can come to perfection - we were made for each other. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that we seem to have lived parallel lives - fate has a way of making the right things happen and getting the right people together.”

“Fate is it then?”

“Without a doubt.”

He hugged her then, burying his face in her thick locks of hair. Her scent was divine, it sent every cell in his body into a multitude of sensations and arousals. He never loved anyone so much, but also never lusted after anyone like he did for hEire.

Jack slept soundly; the storm raged on in light, thunder and torrents; and Logan and hEire sealed their vows, a promise for eternity - in this life and when they are reborn.

 

The End