The X-Men: New Additions - Part 24 - End B

Author:  Stacy Ricco

Note:  Well it's finally here. The end of the story. I couldn't make up my mind how to end it, so I wrote two endings.

 
     The sun shone brightly and the air was rather warm. The blooming flowers filled the air with their sweet perfume and the trees were bringing forth new leaves. Everywhere new life was beginning and nature was rejoicing that spring had finally arrived. The slight breeze sent ripples over the surface of the lake. The warm spring day made it hard for anyone to be sad or mad.
    Anyone, except the lone figure that stood over a newly covered grave. The grave was near a rather good size lake that sat on the property owned by Charles Xavier. He stood as still as a statue. His head was hung and his hands were pushed into the pockets of a leather jacket. The leather jacket was probably too heavy to be worn in the warm weather, but the he didn't notice or care.
    Woverine, a member of the X-Men and a new father to twin girls, stared at the newly covered grave. "Alex," he said softly, still trying to accept the fact that she was dead and in the grave he was staring at.
"I'm sorry I didn't come when they buried you. I couldn't do it. I don't know why, but I couldn't. That's why I'm here now. I still can't believe you're gone. You were one of the toughest people I know. You survived more then most people would have. But that doesn't matter because you didn't survive this. Why didn't you tell me it was that serious? The impression that I had was that it was just a slight problem and that things would be fine."
Logan didn't realize how serious it was until he heard Alex had collapsed or when he finally saw her in the hospital. He stood next to her body as it lay there on the table in the operating room waiting for someone to come and take it to the morgue. She looked like she was all skin and bones and it reminded Logan of an anorexic person. He couldn't believe his eyes when he saw it. How did he not notice when she was down on the weekends?
"The girls are doing fine. Whatever you did to help them worked. The doctors said they never saw babies who were two months premature like them. They didn't need any special care. They were as fine as a baby who was carried to term, just a little tiny. They're still tiny, but they're getting bigger everyday. They weighed about four pounds each when they were born, but they're gaining weight rapidly. Storm's helping me with them. Actually she's doing most of the work, but I'll eventually get this 'dad' thing down. Rogue and Jean help out a little too. I wish you were here though."
He stopped for a few moments. His voice was thick with emotion and he wanted to collect himself before going on. He came down here by himself because he wanted to say goodbye to her in private. He wouldn't have been able to do it with the other X-Men around. Rogue, Jean and Storm had tried endlessly to get him to go to the funeral with everyone else.
"I miss you Ace. I miss you a lot. We all do. Jubes is going to keep Meph. Guess she got attached to him too. He misses you. Jubes says that all he does is stand at her door meowing. Probably expecting you to come walking through it. I know I expect you to come walking through a door sometimes. I'm sorry. I'm sorry for all the fights we had. I know living with me wasn't the easiest thing in the universe. Hell, I can't even live with myself sometimes."
He removed a hand from a pocket and ran it through his hair. He removed his other hand from the other pocket and drew out an envelope. It had his name printed on it. The handwriting was neat and crisp, exactly the type of handwriting you would find on military reports. He tore open the envelope and pulled out the paper that was folded neatly inside.
"Jubes said she found this in your room while she was packing up your things. I guess now is a good time as any to read it."
Logan took a deep breath and began to read it.

    Logan,

If you're reading this then something must have happened to me that even I couldn't survive. To be honest I never expected to reach my twenty sixth birthday. Surprising enough I did. Hopefully I died honorably and not some senseless death.

Logan wanted to scream. She hadn't died a senseless death. She had died trying to have their babies. But it was not the way she should have died. She shouldn't have died at all. He started reading again, even though it was painful to read the words she had written.

There are so many things I want to say to you but I don't know how. Hopefully I would have found the courage to tell you, but incase I didn't I will tell you now.
I love you Logan. I don't remember the exact moment when I started, nor do I remember finally admitting it, but I do. I love you. I really hope I took the chance to tell you when I had it.
Please take care of our babies, if they survived whatever has befallen me. Tell them their momma loved them, even if she didn't get a chance to hold them in her arms. If there is something more after death, I will always be watching over you and them. There are no other people I love more. Please tell Charles that I loved him. I loved him as I loved my father. Please tell him thank you for everything. Please tell the X-Men thank you. I have never really known what it was like to have a family for most of my life, but they have shown me what it is like. I hope that they know that they all meant a lot to me. Please thank them for allowing me to become a member of their family. Please take care of Meph, or find him a good home. I loved him because he was mine, but I loved him more because you had given him to me.

Well, it's getting late and I must get to bed. I have classes to teach tomorrow and I must get all the rest I can. Hank keeps telling me that I'm pushing myself too hard. But you know doctors.

I love you Logan. I always will.

    Alex

   No Longer mourn for me when I am dead
   Than you shall hear the surly sullen bell
   Give warning to the world that I am fled
   From this vile world, with vilest worms to dwell:
   Nay, if you read this line, remember not
   The hand that writ it: for I love you so
   That I in your sweet thoughts would be forgot
   If thinking on me then should make you woe.

   O, if, I say, you look upon this verse
   When I perhaps compounded with clay,
   Do not so much as my poor name rehearse,
   But let your love even with my life decay,
   Lest the wise world should look into your moan
   And mock you with me after I am gone.

   -   Shakespeare  -

A single tear silently escaped from one of Logan's eyes and gently rolled down
his cheek. The date at the top said she had written it two days ago. He gently folded up the paper and placed it back inside of the envelope. He placed the envelope along with both of his hands back inside of his pockets.
"I love you Alex." Four simple words. Four simple words that were the hardest things for him to say until now. "I'm sorry I never got the chance to tell you that. Sometimes this ol' Cancklehead doesn't say things that he should. I'm sorry. I will always love you."
He was silent after that and just continued to stare down at the grave.

Logan didn't know how long he had been standing there just staring at Alex's grave, before he heard someone approaching from behind. He didn't turn to look. He didn't need to. He knew it was Storm from the scent that was carried on the slight breeze.
Storm stopped next to him and didn't say a word. He didn't look at her either. He continued to stare down at the grave thinking about how much it hurt.
They stood there for a while before Storm spoke. "She's not really dead. She lives on in the two beautiful daughters that you have."
"I know Storm. But it doesn't make it hurt any less."
"It's not supposed to Logan."
"I can't believe she's gone."
"It's hard for all of us Logan. We all loved her in our own way."
"I know Storm. I loved her most of all."
"I know Logan. We all know. Come. Your daughters need you."
Logan looked at her and nodded. He turned back to the grave. "Goodbye Alex. I love you."
Storm slid her hand underneath his elbow and linked arms with him. Together they slowly walked back to the mansion.

The End.