Title: Silent Scream
Author: Tanya Miller
Email: roguemarie@usa.netRating: R for violence and language
Summary: On the run from Hunters, a girl seeks help from our heros.
Disclaimer: Not mine. Never going to be mine.
A figure ran through the woods, bare-footed and swift. Hands brushed branches aside, feet jumping logs that crossed their path. A noise from behind made the runner turn and look back. A mistake. An unseen log caused the runner to fall painfully to the ground. The Hunter, hearing its prey fall, increased his speed. Looming over the fallen figure, he reached out a hand to grab at the mane of hair.
Pulling his prey around by the hair, he smiled. "Gotcha."
Defiante eyes raised to meet his. The girl had guts. She never even flinched at the pain of her hair being pulled.
"Come on. Scream for me. Your sister had such a sweet scream. Let's hear if you sound like her." The man laughed at the girl's rage at his words. "Oh yeah! That's right. You can't scream can you? So what kind of mutant are you, huh?"
The girl spit in his face. Screaming in rage, he released her hair to wipe the spit off. Without wasting a moment, the girl turn and ran. Seeing a break in the trees, she speeds up her dash as she hears the Hunter chasing after her. Running out onto the roadway, she hears the car horn and turns in time to see the jeep as it hits her.
Flying into the air, she is tossed around like a rag doll before landing on the windshield. She sees a young girl and man in the car before the darkness claims her.
~*~
Rogue screamed a warning to Logan when she saw the girl. She had come out of nowhere, running onto the roadway from the trees. Logan cursed and blew the horn, unable to stop the impending collision. The sickening sound of metal hitting flesh echoed through the air. Both were out of the car the second it stopped. Rogue gasped at the blood that covered the girl's face and hair.
"Marie! Call Jean. Tell her to get here right away. Move!" Logan yelled when shock cemented her feet to the ground.
Reaching into the car, Rogue grabbed the cell phone and called the mansion. Speaking swiftly to Scott, she explained the situation. He told her that they were on their way and to make sure not to move the girl.
Turning back to Logan, Rogue noticed that his face was pasty white. "Logan...Ah think that ya better sit down. Ya look kinda sick."
"I hit her. I hit her."
"Logan, it was an accident. Ya didn't mean to. She ran out on ta the road. Ya couldn't help it."
Hearing a car coming, Logan turned and looked back. It was Jean and Scott. Jean was out of the car before Scott had even completely stopped.
"What happened?"
Logan quickly explained what had happened with Rogue inserting only a few details. Quickly assessing the girl for any broken bones, Jean determined that it was safe to move her. Using her telepathy to prevent placing any pressure, she moved the girl into the back of the car. Both cars raced back to the mansion, not noticing the eyes staring at them from the trees, the eyes of the Hunter.
Sounds echoed painfully in her head. Her eyes felt like lead weights when she tried to open them. Indistinct voices surrounded her. A man's voice, panicked and sharp, cut into her head like a knife. A woman, soft and gentle, trying to soothe him fell upon her ears. Trying to turn her head toward the sounds only made her head spin. Swallowing the bile that threatened to overwelm her, she struggled to open her eyes.
Slowly light filtered in. Adjusting to the brightness, she was alarmed to see that she was in a lab of some sort. Fear filling her veins, she struggled to move.... to run.... to 'get away' a voice screamed in her head. Feeling the cold tile under her bare feet, she dropped to her knees, hoping to be able to stay out of sight while she got her bearings and managed to locate some clothing other then the hospital gown she was wearing.
Hearing the voices approaching, she gave up the search for clothes and decided to make a run for it. Racing to the door, she heard the man's voice yelling at her to stop. Pushing the door open, she rushed blindly into the hall. Noticing a door sliding open she stopped and did an abrupt turn to her left, only to be met by a man with sunglasses on.
"Whoa! It's ok. We're not going to hurt you. We just want to help." Scott held out his hands in a non-threatening manner.
The girl backed up, casting looks quickly around. Seeing Logan and Jean coming from the direction of the lab and Scott standing in front of her, she turned to run in the other direction, only to see that that way was blocked too by a boy and girl who had come out of the door that she had heard open. Fear evident in her face she continued to back up until her back met the wall.
Jean, voice soothing as she moved toward the panicked girl, silently told the others to stay where they were and not move. Not wanting to frighten the girl, she stopped and lowered herself to a crouching postion, hoping that it would help to make the girl more comfortable if she wasn't as threatening.
Reaching out a hand, Jean calmly continued to talk. "We are here to help you. You were hurt. I am a doctor and fixed your injuries. We don't want to hurt you. We only want to help." She noticed that the girl started to shake even more, not with fear but with sobs.
Crying openly, the girl slowly slid down the wall until she was just a small ball. Sobs shook her body as she wrapped her arms around herself. Jean slowly moved forward until she sat next to the girl. Reaching out, she wrapped an arm around her. Arms quickly wrapped themselves around her, as the girl grabbed and hugged her fiercly. Whispering soothing sounds, Jean rocked her as she cried.
~*~
"Jean..."
"Shush, Logan. You'll wake her. Wait till we are in my office."
Tucking the blanket around the exgausted girl, Jean smoothed back the hair from her face. Seeing the bruises that mared the girl's features, she frowned and turned toward Logan and Scott. Gesturing for them to follow her, she lead the way into her office.
Scott spoke as soon as they were in the office. "What happened to her, Jeannie? Why is she so scared?"
"I don't know, Scott."
"Can't you just peek in there and check?" Logan asked. His face was blank but his face belied the fact that he was worried about the girl in the other room.
"You know I can't do that, Logan. And besides, right now if she hears or feels me in her head she is likely to run again. The fear rolling off of her is impossible to miss."
"Yeah, I noticed. The smell of fear is all around her." Logan said gruffly.
"I think that it would be best that we let her rest and question her in the morning. I will watch her for awhile tonight." Jean said from her chair.
Both guys said goodnight and left Jean alone with her patient. Staring across the room at the sleeping form, Jean quietly spoke. "What are you so afraid of?"
The next morning, Jean was roused from her sleep by Rogue. She had come down with some clothing for their guest. Walking over to the bed, Rogue called softly to the girl. "Mornin'. Ah brought ya somethin' to wear. Figured ya wouldn't want ta be walkin' around with yer backend stickin' out." she said with a smile.
The girl sat up slowly, her eyes never leaving Rogue's face. Reaching out a hand to take the clothes that Rogue held out, she quickly grabbed them and held them against her chest.
"Yer welcome." Rogue said with a smile. Seeing the girl still staring at her made Rogue uncomfortable. Figuring that she remembered her from the car, Rogue quickly felt a stab of guilt. "Ah'm sorry that Logan hit ya with the car. We didn't mean ta. Ya ran out of the trees too fast for us ta stop. Why were you running?"
A flash of fear quickly filled the girl's face. Reaching out, she grabbed Rogue's hand. Rogue jumped back quickly, worried about the girl accidentally touching her skin. "Careful. Ya have ta be careful 'cause my skin.... well....it can hurt ya."
The girl looked down at her hand holding Rogue's glove covered one. Slowly her eyes took in the clothing that covered almost every inch of Rogue's skin. Her eyes filled with tears, one slowly slipping down her cheek.
"Hey! Don't cry. It's ok." Rogue quickly reassured her. Jean came out the door, feeling the saddness, and saw the girl crying.
"Rogue, what happened?" she demanded as she rushed over.
"Ah don't know Jean! She grabbed my hand and when Ah told her ta careful 'cause of my skin she started ta cry. Ah didn't touch her!" Rogue quickly stated.
Jean reached out and wiped the tear from the girl's cheek. "Are you ok? What's wrong? Can you tell me what's wrong?" The girl just cried harder and shook her head. "Come on. It's ok. You can tell us. We just want to help you." Jean said reassuringly.
The girl lifted angry eyes at Jean. Shaking her head once more, she pressed a hand to her throat and then to her mouth. Rogue was the first to realise what she was trying to say.
"Jean she can't talk. Is that right?"
The girl sadly nodded her head. Rogue felt a rush of protective feeling. Her inner Logan was growling softly at the news. Reaching out her other hand she brushed the girl's hair back. "It's ok. Everything is going to be fine."
Throwing her arms around Rogue, the girl hugged her fiercely. After the initial shock, Rogue wrapped her arms around her, holding her as she cried.
"Well, she seems to be in good health other then the bruising that the accident caused. There are other bruises and marks that couldn't possibly have been caused by the impact." Jean's voice trailed off.
"You said she just ran out onto the roadway?" the Professor questioned Logan.
"Ya. Just ran out like something was chasing her."
"Well, maybe whoever was chasing her is the cause of the other bruises." Scott suggested.
Logan growled at the thought of someone hurting this girl. He barely knew her, didn't even know her name, but he felt protective of her already. The look in her eyes just before he hit her and when she had run from the lab were familar to him. That hunted look. He saw it in the mirror after one of his nightmares.
Rogue's voice broke into his thoughts. "Professor, she is so scared. And the fact that she can't tell us what is scaring her angers her."
"Ah yes. Have you determined the cause of her inablility to speak?" he questioned Jean.
"No. From what I can see everything is fine. Nothing appears to be damaged in anyway."
The Professor steepled his fingers as he lost himself in thought. "Have you approached her about letting you read her?"
Jean shook her head. "Not yet. I didn't want to frighten her. I thought that she might be more comfortable with you."
The Professor simply nodded his head in response. "Fine. Rogue, why don't you go get her? She seems to have become attached to you. She might be calmer if you were with her."
"Sure, Professor. Ah'll go down to the Med Lab and get her." Rogue stood and left the room.
As soon as the door closed behind her, the Professor turned to Jean. "I could tell that you were uncomfortable about those other bruises. Now that Rogue is out of the room why don't you fill us in."
Jean's eyes closed for a moment and she took a deep breath before opening them again. "The marks indicate a violent nature. Some of them are at least a week old. Whatever happened to her was going on for awhile. There are marks that look like they were done by a whip of some sort on her back and legs. She has burns on her stomach and... It looks like she has been assaulted. Repeatedly."
Logan stood quickly and started to pace the room as his anger welled up. Scott's jaw tightened and his hand shook slightly as he reached out to place a hand on Jean's to give her strength to continue.
"From the looks of these marks I would have to say that these weren't done in the heat of anger. She was tortured. Some of the burns have healed. I would have to say that the burning started at least a month ago."
A growl and crash sounded from behind them. They turned to see Logan, claws out, and table flipped over. "What kind of sickos would do that to her? I'll kill em'."
A door softly opening grabbed their attention. There the girl stood, looking at the claws that extended from Logan's hands. Logan felt a deep shame come over him, but before he could retract his claws, she reached out and took his hand. Her other hand gently stroked the back of his, her fingers tracing the length of the claws. She lifted her head to gaze into Logan's eyes. Tears filled her eyes and a single tear fell unto the skin that was torn open by the claws. He retracted the claws, ashamed to have them out. Slowly, she lifted his hand and kissed the skin between his knuckles.
Rogue stepped forward. "Ah think she is tryin' to say thank ya and that she isn't scared of ya. Am Ah right?"
The girl smiled and nodded. Turning, she noticed Scott. Frowning slightly, she walked over and touched his sunglasses. Raising his hand to stop her from removing them, Scott softly explained. "I have to keep them on. Like Rogue and her gloves." The girl tilted her head to the side and looked from Rogue to Scott.
Jean spoke up. "Neither Rogue or Scott can control their mutations. Scott wears the sunglasses to protect others from his mutation just like Rogue wears gloves to protect others from touching her skin."
The Professor spoke up. "Jean and I are mutants too. Actually, everyone here is a mutant of some sort. Jean can move things with her mind and can sometimes read others minds. That is what I do. My mutation is that I can read someone's mind, see inside." Pausing to see if the girl showed any panic at the thought, the Professor pressed on when she merely continued to look at him. "Would you let me look in your mind so that we can see what happened and why you were so scared?"
A tiny nod followed his request. The girl stepped forward until she was in front of his wheelchair. With a soft smile she kneeled in front of him. Closing her eyes, she prepared for him to enter her mind.
Astonished at how calm she was, the Professor reached out and placed a hand on her head. "Now I want you to just be calm. I am going to look. Don't worry, nothing will hurt you." Closing his eyes, he entered her mind. The entire group was surprised when tears started to run down the Professor's face. Removing his hand, he ended the session. The girl looked up and wiped his tears.
Raising his head, he addressed the others. "Her name is Emily and she is running from someone she calls The Hunter." Placing his hand in Emily's, he went on. "He killed her sister."
"What do you mean she got away? How did she get away?"
The Hunter that had chased Emily into the street, stood before his boss. "Well sir, I caught her but then when she spit in my face...she... she got away while I was wiping it off. She ran out onto the road and got hit by a car. There was a man and girl in it. They called someone and two more people showed up, a man and a woman. The woman is a mutant, sir. She moved the girl using her mind. I am not sure about the others but I think that they were mutants too, sir."
"So you let her get away. Let her escape and be found by other mutants. Sometimes I wonder why I keep you around, Michael." The Hunter Michael stood silent, waiting for him to continue. "Very well. We have to get her back. Do you understand?"
"Yes, sir. I won't disappoint you, sir." The Hunter Michael quickly said. Turning he left the room.
"Too late for that." the man said. Pushing a button on his desk, he called in another man. "Simon. I am sending you out on a recall. The girl, Emily, that got away from Michael. She is in the company of other mutants. This will me a dangerous assignment. I need you to find her and bring her back."
"Yes, sir!" The Hunter Simon replied. Turning to leave, he was stopped.
"Oh and Simon? Terminate Michael."
"Yes, sir."
~*~
"And this is the Games Room." Rogue was taking Emily on a tour of the mansion. Noticing Bobby, St.John, Kitty and Jubes in the room, she walked forward. "Hey guys."
Bobby turned and smiled at Rogue. Noticeing the girl by her side, he smiled wider. "Hey Rogue. Who's your friend?"
"Guys this is Emily. Emily, this is Bobby, St.John, Kitty and Jubilation Lee but we just call her Jubilee or Jubes."
Emily cast them all a shy smile and gave a slight wave. Bobby came over and stood by Emily. "So, Emily. Cat got your tongue?"
Rogue quickly spoke up before Bobby put his foot in his mouth any further. "Er...Bobby. Emily can't talk. She's mute."
Blushing and stammering, Bobby quickly apologized. Emily simply smiled and shook her head. Noticing a chalkboard used for keeping track of scores, she quickly walked over. "It's ok. Don't worry about it." she wrote. Bobby smiled, glad that he hadn't hurt her feelings.
"We were just about to go outside to see the rest of the place. You guys feel like comin' with us?" Rogue asked the group. All of four of them nodded and joined Rogue and Emily. Walking around outside, the group told Emily all about the mansion. Rogue noticed that Bobby made a point of standing near Emily every chance he got. The boys were up to their typical behavior, showing off like they did the first time they met Rogue. She watched as Emily smiled at St.John's flame act and Bobby in turn freezing things. Kitty rolled her eyes and walked through the door of the greenhouse they were approaching. Emily's eyes widened at the sight.
"If you think walking through walls, making ice or playing with fire is weird watch this." Jubes said around her smacking gum. Holding up her finger she make sparks dance. Emily laughed at the sight. It seemed natural already to see her laughing with no sound. "So what can you do, Emmy? What is your mutation?" Jubes asked, already giving the girl a nickname.
Suddenly, Emily's face lost her smile. Looking around, she seemed to stop and focus on a spot in the trees. Stepping forward, so that she stood between the trees and her new friends, she continued to stare. Rogue stepped forward placing a hand on Emily's arm. "Emily? What is it?"
Turning, Emily pushed Rogue away. She gestured to the group to run. The kids never moved. Bobby spoke up. "No, Emily. We won't run. We'll protect you." Suddenly there was a shot and Bobby dropped, a tranquilizer dart in his shoulder.
Rogue's screams brought Logan running. Seeing Bobby on the ground, a dart sticking out of his shoulder, Logan grabbed Rogue around the waist, pulling her down, yelling at the rest of the kids to get down.
"Logan! Get Emily!" Rogue yelled.
Seeing Emily still standing, Logan reached out a hand to pull her down. But before he could reach her, she was running toward the trees.
"Emily! Stop!!!" Logan yelled after her. She never even slowed in reaction. Logan cursed and ran after her. Feeling something whiz by his head, he barely missed being hit with a dart.
"Emily!!! Get back here!!!" he screamed after her.
Another dart, this time aimed at Emily, missed its target. Seeing the flash of light reflecting, Logan caught sight of the Hunter. 'The sunlight on the scope' Logan thought. Altering his course he started running toward the trees, and the spot that he had seen the attacker. He was halfway there when he heard Jubes and Rogue screaming Emily's name.
Everything seemed to slow down. It seemed that she took forever to fall. Rushing to her side, Logan pulled the dart from her neck. Lifting her into his arms, he started to run back to the mansion. Hearing the Hunter fire again, Logan felt the sting of a dart in his neck. Not stopping to pull it out, he continued to run. Again another shot fired and another dart made its mark. The effects of the two darts were enough to slow him down. One more and he dropped to his knees. Seeing a masked man walk up to them, Logan was unable to do anything more then growl. As everything around him started to fade into darkness, Logan felt Emily being lifted from his arms.
"Did you really think you could save her?" the Hunter laughed.
~*~
Logan came to in the med lab. "Where is she?" Jean's face told him the answer without saying a word. Cursing, Logan pushed himself up. "Dammit, I should have been able to save her."
"Logan, it isn't your fault. You took three shots of a tranquilizer strong enough to knock out a horse." Jean tried to reassure him.
"That doesn't matter Jeannie." Logan growled as he made his way to the door. "I gotta find her. They have her."
Pushing through the door, Logan was met by Scott, 'Ro, Rogue, Jubes, St. John, and Kitty. "What is this, a convention?"
Rogue spoke up for the group. "We want to help. Scott doesn't think that we should go, that we are too young but the Professor thinks we can help and besides Emily is our friend. Not only that but Bobby is still out cold from whatever they shot him up with."
"Never thought I would say this but One-Eye's right." Logan said with a grimace. "Wheels must be off his rocker if he thinks that I am going to let you guys tag along."
Jubes quickly interrupted. "Let us? Who said anything about you having a choice?" Sparks danced on her finger tips. "Wolfman you got to deal with the fact that we are going weither you like it or not!"
Seeing the determination in their eyes, Logan gave a sigh. "Fine. But you get in the way or cause any kind of trouble and you are out of there. Got that?" The four teens smiled in response. "Good. Now go get dressed. We have a mission to do."
The mood on the jet was bleak. They knew that they could all be on a mission that could result in any one of them being hurt or killed. They may also already be too late to save Emily. Her captures could have decided that she was too much of a risk to keep. The four teens steeled themselves to face the possiblity that when they did find Emily that she may already be dead.
Rogue left her seat and made her way to where Logan sat brooding. Resting a hand on his arm, she noticed that his muscles jumped at the contact. She had surprised him, not an easy task when it was the Wolverine that you are talking about. "Logan, there wasn't anythin' you could've done, sugar." she said softly
"Dammit, Marie, I should have been more careful. If I hadn't decided to try to attack him, I might of got to her before the dart." Logan growled
"Logan. Stop this right now! We need ya to stop thinkin' of what ya shoulda done and think about what we're gonna do when we get there." Rogue said, giving him a slight shake.
A slight smile stretched across Logan's features for a moment. "You sure know how to kick my butt when I need it."
"Part of the job, Sugar!" Rogue said with a smile before turning to return to her seat.
~*~
Noise was the first thing that filtered into Emily's conciousness. That and pain. Opening her eyes, she found herself surrounded by darkness. Moving her feet slightly, she heard the sounds of chains, a sound she recognised. She was back in shackles. Fighting down the panic that filled her, she concentrated on trying to move. Moving slowly, so as not to rouse their attention, Emily tried to get an idea of her surroundings. After about five feet the chain pulled tight and she couldn't move any further. With hands outstretched, she felt along the chain until she came to the ring that was bolted to the floor. Pulling with all her strength, Emily tried to get the chain or ring to give, even if it was just a little. Her hands slipped, palms tearing on the rough links. Falling to the floor, she gave into her tears.
Light spilled in through a door that opened. The harsh light blinded her and she raised her hand to cover her eyes. Feeling hands grab at her, she tried to struggle but it was pointless. Her shackle was removed only to be replaced by chains that bound her feet together, only giving her enough movement to shuffle. She was dragged from the room by her arms, the guards uncaring that they were hurting her. Another door was opened and she was shoved in. Before she could turn the door was slammed closed and she once again fell to the floor in dispair.
"Emily, so glad that you could join us." a disembodied voice echoed in the room. The sound of it made Emily flinch, her mind recognizing it instantly. "What trouble you give us young lady. Really what are we going to do with you? I suppose we are just going to have to remind you of what happens to those that run." No sound warned Emily of the men behind her. Their hands reached out and grabbed at her arms. Lifting her, they carried her over to a tub and dropped her in. Moving quickly, hands pushed on her stomach to keep her from rising. Unable to breath, Emily thrashed, mouth open, trying to get air. As her movements slowed, she was pulled from the water. Coughing and retching up the water that she had breathed in, Emily lay gasping on the floor. "Now, Emily, you know I hate having to punish you. I would really rather not. So tell me. Are we going to have any more problems? Well, answer me young lady."
Lifting her eyes to where she knew the camera was located, Emily shook her head.
"Now you know, Emily, we are going to have to work on your behavior. You know the rules. Answer my question. Are we going to have any more problems?"
Eyes lowered to the floor, a soft voice echoed through the room. "No.....Father."
"Ok gang, listen up." Scott addressed the group as they prepared to land. "The area is heavily guarded so we are landing a fair distance away. We are going to move in on foot. Stay in pairs and stay alert. We are here to rescue Emily from them not add to the number of hostages. They are going to be armed so the element of surprise is important."
"Yeah. Try to get close before you take 'em out. Try to do it quietly if possible." Logan inserted.
"Ok gang, let's move." Opening the cargo door, Scott led the group off the jet. "Storm, take to the air and scout ahead. The rest of you, stay low."
Watching Storm rise to the sky, Rogue was momentarily distracted. Logan's hand on her arm brought her attention back to her surroundings. "Marie. No daydreamin' ok? And stay close, you're staying with me where I can keep an eye on you."
"Logan..." Rogue started to protest.
"Don't want to hear it. Kitty and One-Eye are together and so are Sparky and Torch."
"Don't let Jubes hear ya callin' her Sparky." Rogue said with a smile.
Logan just grinned and gestured for her to follow. Moving through the trees, they silently made their way toward the building that Storm had spotted. Once they were in sight of the building, Logan gestured for everyone to stay still. Seeing a door open, Rogue noticed a man come out. He was dressed just like the man that had attacked them. Another man followed the first one out. Pulling out cigarettes and lighting them up, the two men settled against the building. Their voices floated up to where the group was hidden.
"Subject 17.....she's kinda pretty....what the boss call her?"
"Emily. He called her Emily when he was talking to her."
"Yeah...that's it. She sure don't talk much. Even with what we did, she never made a sound."
Rogue felt Logan stiffen beside her. Placing a hand on his arm, she silently urged him to not do anything. It was hard stopping him when she wanted to go up and hurt them both herself.
"Something to do with her voice. Has something to do with her mutation. She can talk. I've heard her. On tape only of course. She never talks when someone is physically around her. When boss first found her she had just changed, talked all the time. If someone was in the room when she did....well, let's just say it wasn't pretty. So Boss talks to her through a camera so that it can't hurt him."
"Wasn't there a sister?"
"Yeah. Subject 18. Anne. Not a mutant. Not that we could tell that is. The only one Emily's voice didn't affect. Boss used Anne as incentive to get Emily to cooperate. Guess Emily didn't love her sister very much. Boss had Anne terminated. Right in front of Emily. That was the day before she ran."
"How did she get out? What about the Hunter in charge of her?"
"Michael. Good Hunter. He was terminated by the Hunter sent out on the recall. He was surprised that she didn't use her voice on him. Couldn't figure out why she didn't."
Logan couldn't take anymore. Gesturing to Scott, he silently made his way forward. Once he was just a couple of feet from the Hunters, he leaped forward, punching one out and slamming the other against the building. Fist raised, he pinned the Hunter against the wall with a claw on either side of his throat. Slowly, his middle claw slid out, the tip barely touching the man's Adam's Apple. "Where is she?"
Sweat popped out on the Hunter's forehead. "She who?"
Logan growled and extended the claw just a bit further so that the tip drew blood. "Emily. Where is she?"
"She.....she...." The Hunter stammered then started to cry.
Logan, smelling something, looked down. The man had pissed himself he was so scared. Giving a slight laugh, he turned to address the group that had fallen into place behind him. "Big, tough Hunter guy pissed himself."
"What's the matter? Scared of him? Well, if you don't answer his question, we get to play with you." Jubilee laughed, holding up a hand that had sparks dancing from each finger tip.
St. John stepped forward with a flameball in his hand. "Yeah you don't want to play with us. He can only cut you. We can burn you."
Scott frowned at the viciousness the kids were displaying but said nothing. Looking up, he gestured for Storm to come down. The Hunter looked like he was likely to piss himself again when he saw Storm practically drop out of the sky. His attention was brought back to Logan when he raised his other hand with three fully extended claws.
"I'm only going to ask one more time and then you are getting a belly full of metal. Where is she?"
"Second floor. She's in Reprogramming."
"Reprogramming?" Rogue questioned with a frown.
"It is the room where ...where they are taught to behave." he stuttered.
"You mean tortured." Logan growled. Claws were retracted from his fist and he knocked the Hunter out. "We better get moving." He didn't bother adding that they may already be too late.
Emily could barely keep her eyes open. Pain lanced through every part of her body. Turning her head to the side, she could see herself in the two-way mirror set into the wall. She barely recognized herself. A voice filled the room, startling her.
"Emily, are you going to cooperate now? I really hate doing this to you."
Staring straight into the mirror, knowing that he was behind it, Emily gave a slight smile. "Do they know?" When no response came, she called out again. "Well, do they know, Father? Do they know that you have a mutant for a child? Would they listen then, Father?"
"Don't call me that!" the voice yelled, moments before pain once again lashed her body. The electricity arched her body so hard that Emily was sure that she would snap in two. The chair she was in was very well engineered. It allowed him to just flip a switch and ....ZAP! Nothing as powerful as the Electric Chair, but the current was great enough that she was starting to burn in places. The acrid scent of burnt flesh waffed up to her, acting as a type of smelling salts.
The current was stopped and Emily slumped once more in her chair. Even as she struggled to stay concious she continued to berate him. "Do they know that you killed your own child, Father? Do they know that not only do you persecute mutants but you like to kill little babies, Father? Well? Do they?"
"Emily I am warning you!"
"Warning me ?!?! No I am warning you FATHER!!!" The name was said with utter contempt. "Anne wasn't killed as a warning to me. No. She was killed because she stood up to you. Because she refused to hide the dirty little secret that you told her to hide. That after you and Momma got married that there was another baby. That you saw that he was different, that you killed him. That you drowned him in the tub like you tried to drown me last night. You killed a baby!!!!!"
"I said SHUT UP!!" he yelled at her through the microphone. The power was turned on once more and this time Emily could feel her spine crack. Arching, silently screaming, Emily felt her flesh fry.
~*~
"Logan what is it?"
Logan had stopped, sniffing at the air. Growling, he gestured for Rogue and the others to stay back. Running forward, he burst through the door, eyes wide at the sight that lay before him. Emily, covered in blood and burned badly, lay slumped in a chair. Moving forward slowly, Logan called out softly. "Emily. It's ok. We're here to help you."
A single eye, so bloodshot that it looked like it had ruptured, opened at the sound of his voice. With tender hands, Logan started to undo the straps that held her in place. A gasp sounded behind him, and he turned, claws at ready. But it was only the rest of the team. Marie, sweet, tenderhearted Marie, was walking forward with tears in her eyes at the sight of the girl. Jubilee was for once silent, horror evident on her face.
Scott was the first to speak. "Logan I don't know if she should be moved...."
Growling low in his throat, Logan turned back to his task. "I am NOT leaving her here."
Between the two of them Logan and Rogue managed to undo the straps carefully. Slowly peeling them back, the two gasped at the sound of charred flesh tearing away from where it had actually stuck to the straps. Rogue turned and gestured St. John, Kitty and Jubilee forward. "Grab them sheets over there and wet them in that tub. Wet them real good ok?"
The three teens nodded before turning to their tasks, unaware that they were using the water that just hours before Emily had nearly drowned in. Once the sheets were good and wet, they hoisted the heavy load and brought them over to where Logan and Rogue were attempting to lift Emily as carefully as possible. Even though she must have been in immense pain she never uttered a sound, constantly mindful of the fact that her voice could hurt those whose only thought was to help her. They laid her carefully on the sheets, wrapping her as carefully as you would a newborn babe. Lifting her carefully between them, St. John and Logan started to carry her out. When they started to pass the mirror, Emily's eyes got wide and she started to try to get her arm out.
"Emily! Careful! We are just trying to get you out of here." Jubilee quickly assured her. But Emily wouldn't stop. She looked pointedly at each of them and then at the mirror. Kitty was the first to figure it out. Acting on a hunch, she walked forward and phased her head through the mirror.
Pulling back quickly, she screamed to Logan and Scott. "There's someone in there."
Stepping forward, Scott moved to shoot the mirror but Storm placed a hand on his arm to stop him. "It will only reflect."
Rogue looked back and forth between them, before yelling at them to get out of her way. Lifting a chain and shackle, she swung at the mirror, shattering it. The man in the room backed up as far as he could, pure terror in his eyes. "Ah think that we just found 'The Boss', am Ah right, Emily?"
Nodding, Emily pushed with her hands at those close to her, trying to get them away. Jubilee, finally finding her voice again, translated for the group. "I think she wants us out of here."
Logan looked down into Emily's eyes and saw something that he recognised. Ushering everyone out, against Scott's protest, he closed the door behind them. "I suggest you all cover your ears." he growled, lifting his hands to cover his own.
The soft click of the door latch echoed heavily throught the room. Emily, her eyes never wavering, watched as her father started to beg. Hands outstretched, he walked toward her.
"Emily, you don't want to do this! You don't want to hurt me. You promised Anne that you would never hurt anyone remember?"
Emily felt her rage build at his attempt to stop her with guilt. Keeping her voice low, so as to only have a slight effect, she answered him. "You don't know what I want." She watched as a trickle of blood ran from his nose.
He wiped at it, staring at the redness on his hand as though it was something amazing, that he should be bleeding. He pleaded with her once more. "Emily! Please! What would Anne say if she could see you right now, hurting someone on purpose?"
A tear slipped down her cheek at the mention of her sister's name. "She'd say to talk.....LOUDER!"
His hands went ot his head at the sound of her voice, unfiltered. "AHHH!" He screamed, falling to his knees. Blood flowed freely now from his nose and both ears. One eye ruptured right in front of her as she spoke. "Emily....Anne....alive....."
Dropping her voice back down to a whisper, Emily asked with a frown. "What?"
"Anne...Alive...Faked it...." he gasped out, pleading with his voice for her to stop.
"Where is she?" her voice was barely a whisper, her voice revealing her hope.
"Basement" was all he could say before collapsing. He lifted his eyes to meet hers. In his face was the knowledge that he was dying. If she stopped now he would linger in pain for days, maybe even weeks. "Finish it....Please." he begged.
Nodding, with tears in her eyes, Emily opened her mouth and screamed. "FATHER!!"
He fell forward, blood flowing from his ears, nose and eyes. His skin turned purple from blood vessels and veins bursting. His heart exploded in his chest at her scream.
Closing her eyes to the sight, Emily cried. For her father, for everyone he hurt and for herself. For when she killed him, she had killed a part of herself. Never again would she be an innocent.
Logan causiously opened the door to the room. Seeing Emily crying, he crouched close to her. "Emily? It's going to be ok now. You're safe." Carefully lifting her in his arms, he turned to leave, his eyes sweeping over the body of the man that Emily had killed.
The man that Emily killed. His mind had trouble excepting the fact that this girl, who seemed so gentle, so like his Marie, was a killer. Feeling Emily place a hand on his chest, he looked into her tear streaked face. Seeing the knowledge that she had killed someone reflect in her eyes, he tried to reassure her. "You didn't do anything wrong. He was a bad man who had hurt you." The last sentence was said with a growl. "I would have done it if you hadn't."
Rogue and the rest of the group came into the room. Logan noticed them look over at the body. Only Rogue had no trouble looking at Emily after. Scott cleared his throat and addressed the group. "We better get moving. There might be others that have been alerted to our presence."
Emily started shaking her head vigorously. Logan spoke for her. "I don't think that Emily wants to leave yet. Am I right?" Emily nodded.
"Emily, we have to leave before reinforcements show up." Scott tried to explain. Emily just kept shaking her head.
"Maybe there is something here...." Logan started, interrupted by Emily's nodding. "What is it?" Emily shook her head.
Rogue spoke up. "No....What isn't right....is it a person? Is there someone here? Someone who needs help?" Emily smiled and nodded quickly.
"Ok. Do you know where they are?" Scott asked. Emily nodded once more. "Can you show us?" Nodding, Emily pointed out the door.
One by one they all filed out the door, with Emily in Logan's arms leading the way. Using gestures to point the way, Emily lead them down to the basement.
Logan, noticing that she had stopped, asked her softly. "Do you know which room?" A sad shake of her head met his question. Turning to the group, Logan gave orders to check each room in pairs. "Watch your back. They may not be the bad guys but they may not be friendly either. Some of them might be violent because of what was done to them. So be careful." The group split up in pairs and started to search the rooms one by one.
Rogue and Kitty walked down the hall and entered a room marked with a yellow sticker with the words 'Restricted Access'. Seeing a figure huddled in a corner of a darkened room, chained to a ring in the floor, she spoke softly. "It's all right. Ah ain't gonna hurt ya. Ah'm here ta help."
"Help?" came a soft voice.
"Ya. Just wait a minute and Ah'll get someone to cut that chain." Turning to address Kitty, Rogue told her to go get Scott.
"Rogue, you know we're not suppose to split up."
"Kitty, she's chained. Ah don't think she is going to hurt me. Now go."
Once Kitty left the room, Rogue turned back to the young woman. Walking forward slowly, she held out her hands in a non-threatening manner. When she got about halfway into the room, the girl moved quickly over to the other corner. "It's ok. We're here ta help."
"That is what they said before."
"Before when?" Rogue asked softly.
"Before they took us. Before they hurt us, testing us. Before they....Before they killed her."
"Before they killed who?"
"My sister. Emily"
Rogue started to smile. "You're Emily's sister?"
Rogue was surprised at how quickly the girl could move. Within seconds a hand was latched around her throat and she was on her back on the floor. "How do you know Emily? You are one of them!!!"
Rogue tried to speak but all that came out was a strangled gurgle. Rogue started to gasp, her hands clawing at the hand that was almost crushing her throat. An angered growl filled the room. 'Logan!' Rogue thought. A flash of movement and she could breath again. Rolling over onto her side she started coughing, trying to talk. Her eyes moved over to where she could see Logan holding the girl, pinned against the wall, his claws out. "Logan....don't..." she managed to gasp.
Logan growled. His eyes never leaving the girl that he held, he spoke gruffly. "Why not? She was trying to kill you!"
Rogue managed to get to her feet. Stumbling over to Logan she placed a hand on his arm. "It's ok. She thought I was one of them. Logan, she's Emily's sister."
Logan felt the shock of that statement hit him. "Emily's sister? But I thought she was dead. The Professor said that Emily's told him that she was dead."
The girl in his grip struggled. "You can't trick me! I know that Emily is dead. Don't pretend!"
Logan face softened. "It isn't a trick. She is alive, hurt but alive."
Tears filled the girl's eyes. She shook her head "You're lying. Why are you hurting me like this? Haven't you done enough?"
Rogue turned and left the room quickly. When she returned she was followed by Scott who was carrying Emily. Using a flashlight, she illuminated Emily's face so that her sister could see that they were telling the truth. Logan released his grip and the girl ran to Emily's side.
"You're alive. They told me that they killed you. Showed me a body that was burned too badly to tell for sure but I believed them. I should have known it was a lie. If it was true then they wouldn't have needed me and they would have just killed me. The fact that Father kept me alive should have told me."
"Father?" Rogue asked.
"The man that did this, the one that was in charge, he was our father."
The group was silent as they contemplated the idea of a father doing this to his own children. Logan was the first to break the silence. "I smell company. We better get moving."
Logan led the group out of the building with Scott bring up the rear to make sure that no one was left behind. Moving swiftly, they dispatched anyone that crossed there path swiftly to the land of slumber. Rogue led Anne while Bobby and St.John carried Emily once more wrapped in the sheet. Anne's eyes, unaccustomed to the brightness of the sunlight, kept her eyes tightly closed. She wasn't sure what was going on when she heard noises around her but Rogue told her so that she wouldn't be scared.
"Don't worry. We're almost to the jet." A sudden blast of sound startled Anne, making her jump. Rogue was quick to reassure her. "It's ok. That was Jubes. Just scaring off some bad guys."
Anne's hands clamped on even harder onto Rogue's arm. Feeling the gloves that covered the girl's hands and lower arms, Anne frowned. Deciding to ask later she let Rogue lead her forward. When they made it to Blackbird, she slowly eased them open and gasped at the sight of the plane.
Rogue smiled at her surprise. "Emily got to know some pretty important people lately."
"I'd say so!" she spat out in shock.
Once they were all on board and secure, Scott got them up in the air and on their way back to the mansion. Anne and Rogue set about getting Emily strapped in carefully. While they were working, Anne's eyes once again fell on the gloves that covered Rogue's hands and arms. In fact, her whole body was covered.
Biting her lip, hoping not to hurt Rogue with words, Anne quietly asked what had been on her mind for about an hour. "Why do you wear those gloves? Are you marked?"
Rogue smiled a sad smile. "It's my mutation. If I touch someone they can get hurt. That's why I stay all covered up so that I can't hurt anyone." She said quickly to reassure Anne that she was safe.
Anne smiled softly. "Don't worry. I'm not scared of you. I've been around Emily, remember?"
Rogue smiled and nodded. "She's lucky to have a sister like you. Wish there were more 'normal' people that were as understanding as you are." she said before turning away. She never saw Anne's smile fade and a frown cover her face.
Logan turned and his gaze swept over the group. The kids had done good, he grudingly admitted to himself. They hadn't panicked under fire and actually helped out with a few. His gaze rested on Emily and Anne. Rogue was helping Anne to make Emily comfortable. What would happen to them now, he wondered. He caught Rogue smiling. She had seen him watching them all. Logan quickly pasted a scowl on his face and turned back to face the front of the plane , but it only made her smile more.
Coming up to sit in her seat across the aisle from him, Rogue turned to face him. Leaning in close, she whispered softly. "Ya know Logan, it's ok to care about them."
"Don't know what you're talkin' about, kid."
"Sure you don't." Rogue said with a grin before pulling back, resting her head back on her seat. Logan noticed that the white in her hair was tousled through her hair before shaking his head. 'Dammit! She's Marie. A kid!' he berated himself. But he couldn't help his eyes drifting back to her face. She looked so....beautiful.
Anne's eyes were carefully watching the exchange between the man called Logan and Rogue. She noticed that Rogue seemed to lean a bit longer then she needed to, that her body seemed to unconciously reach out for Logan. And, by the look on Logan's face, he wasn't about to complain about the view. A slow smile creeped its way across her face. "Hhmmmm.....I wonder...."
Once they group had gotten back to the mansion, Emily and Anne were taken down to the medlab to be treated. Jean gave Anne a clean bill of health and allowed Rogue to show her to a dorm room that she and Emily would use. Emily would be fine but it would take a few days for the burns to heal and for Jean to be satisfied that there wasn't any infection as a result of the things that she had gone through. Anne visited her everyday but since there was always someone around they couldn't really talk. The Professor met with Anne to discuss her and Emily's plans a few days after they came to the mansion.
"Anne, I want you to know that you can stay here with Emily as long as you want. You are both welcome here. I know that some of the older children became friends with Emily and would hate to see her leave. And I know that Rogue is very fond of you both."
Anne smiled "Thank you Professor. I would like very much to stay here and I know that Emily would too. She told me of her friends here and the fact that they went through so much to get her back show how good of friends they are. Especially Bobby. He was the one that got shot when they came for Emily wasn't he?"
"Yes. He's feeling much better. Back to his old self....unfortunately." Anne gave a smile at that. She had noticed the ice around. The Professor went on "This mansion is also a school, so if you wish, you can continue your education. Hopefully you won't feel out of place in a school filled with mutants, I am sure the children will welcome you." He said kindly.
Anne's face slipped into a slight frown before her smile replaced it quickly. "I am sure that everything will be fine." she said before slipping out to find Emily.
When the meeting was over, the Professor summoned Jean to his office. "Jean, what do you think of Anne?"
"She seems nice. She is certainly devoted to Emily and she appears to get along with many of the students."
"But...." the Professor prompted with a smile.
"But I don't get anything from her. No stray thoughts like I normally would."
"I noticed the same thing myself. She has amazing self-control and shields in place for a non-mutant"
"Perhaps it is a result of her ordeal" Jean said, wanting to give Anne the benefit of the doubt.
"Perhaps." The Professor said thoughtfully. "Still, keep an eye on her. I get the feeling that there is more to it then that."
"Of course, Professor." Jean said before turning to leave.
~*~
"I think that they suspect something, Emily." Anne said quickly.
"Why would they, Anne? I didn't tell them anything, and you told me that they can't get it from you so ....How could they know?"
"I don't know. But I get the feeling that they suspect. The Professor is strong and Dr. Jean is too. It's only a matter of time." Anne said as she paced their room. Emily had been brought up earlier.
"Anne, would it really be so bad if they knew?...." Emily started
"Emily don't ask me that! If they know, they will use me, not quite like Father did, but they will still use me."
"Anne they would never do that! They are not like Father!" Emily practically screamed.
"Emily, I can't tell them. I can't take that chance." Anne said with tears in her eyes as she turned and left the room.
Rogue saw Anne coming out of the room with tears on her cheeks. Something made her stay quiet. Once Rogue heard Anne's footsteps on the stairs, she went and knocked on Emily's door. The door opened to reveal Emily's upset gaze. "Emily...Are you ok?"
Emily gave a slight nod before tears started to spill and she buried her face in her hands. Rogue wrapped her arms around her, careful not to touch her skin.
"Emily...shhhh....It'll be ok. Do ya want to tell me about it? We could use Jubes computer."
Emily pulled back and gave a small smile. Shaking her head to show that she didn't want to talk, she pulled away.
"Ok. Do ya want me ta stay with ya though?" Rogue gently asked.
Shaking her head once more, Emily stepped back into her room and waved to Rogue before closing the door. Rogue walked away, her mind filled with worry over what she had just seen. What was going on with Emily and Anne?
Days went by and the kids welcomed Emily and Anne. Emily blossomed under the knowledge that she could be a kid again among them. No one thought it strange that she never talked. No one asked her 'Cat got your tongue'. She wasn't teased by the kids, except Jubes who teased her about her fashion sense before taking her shopping. Emily smiled almost every day and Anne could see that she was happy there.
Anne was something else entirely. The longer they stayed, the more she withdrew from them. Rogue had talked to Kitty and Jubes about it.
"I think that she is just feeling lonely. Like she's a freak." Kitty said thoughtfully.
"She isn't a freak!!" Jubes quickly defended.
"I know that Jubes, but she is the only normal one here. You know what it's like when we go out. We feel like freaks when we're alone out there in the normal world. That could be what she is feeling is all I am saying." Kitty quickly defended. But Rogue wasn't so sure that was the problem.
One day she decided that enough was enough and searched out Anne. She found her in the library, reading. "Anne. What are you doing in here? Why aren't you out with Emily and the rest of us on this beautiful sunny day?" Rogue saw that Anne hadn't heard her come into the library.
She jumped and slammed her book shut. "Rogue! I didn't hear you."
"Ah can see that!" Rogue teased with a smile. "Come on! It's too nice out to stay inside. Everyone is in t-shirts."
"I don't know...." Anne hedged.
Rogue's face lost it's smile. "Anne, what's the matter?"
"Nothing. Nothing is the matter." She couldn't meet Rogue's eyes.
"Anne..." Rogue started to say.
"Leave me alone!!" Anne screamed, standing quickly, her hands reaching out and grabbing Rogue's arms.
"Anne!!" Rogue yelled.
"No!! Just leave me alone!!!" And with that Anne shoved Rogue away, running from the room.
Rogue couldn't follow. She stood stunned at what had just happened. No matter how long she stood there, it didn't make what just happened change. Anne had grabbed her and pushed her away. Rogue's hands rubbed over her arms where Anne had grabbed her. Her bare arms.
Emily ran into their room, slamming the door behind her. Her eyes took in the mess that was all over the place. "Anne, what's going on? I ran into Rogue and she looked like she was in shock. She just kept saying 'Anne' over and over." Anne came out of the bathroom carrying some things, throwing them into a bag that Emily hadn't noticed. "Anne!!! Talk to me!!!"
"Pack up, Emily. We got to go." Anne said, panic filling her words.
Emily looked at her like she was crazy. "I'm not going anywhere! I like it here!!"
Anne stopped packing to look at her then. "Maybe you should stay here then. It might be better anyway. They can protect you and take care of you better then I can." She went back to grabbing clothes and stuffing them into the bag on the bed.
"Anne!!! STOP THIS!!!" Emily screamed. Unfazed, Anne zipped up her bag and threw it over her shoulder. "Please, Anne. Don't go."
"I have to, Emily. They will figure it out for sure now." Tears were shining bright in Anne's eyes. Turning, she walked out the door, closing it behind her.
Emily dropped to her knees on the floor, crying.
~*~
Anne made her way quietly down the hall. Slowly creeping down the stairs, she hoped not to run into anyone. She was almost to the door when her luck ran out.
"Hey, Anne!! Where are you going?"
Turning, she saw Bobby come running toward her. Cursing her bad luck, Anne gave a small smile. "Time to go. Feeling a bit...." she paused, searching for the right word.
"Left out?" Bobby guessed.
"Yeah." Anne said quickly, hoping to get out faster by agreeing.
"Kitty said that she thought you might. But there is no reason to. You got friends here that don't care that you don't have any special powers. We like you for you."
Anne felt her smile slip. Tears once again filled her eyes at the knowledge that they liked her. Giving herself a mental shake, she shifted her bag on her back once more. Seeing Jean and the Professor coming down the hall, Rogue right behind them, Anne knew that her time was up. "I'm sorry, Bobby, but I got to go." Turning she opened the door. She heard Jean call out to Bobby to stop her.
Bobby put out a hand to grab her and she started to run. When he realised that he couldn't reach her physically, he shot a bit of ice, trying to freeze her feet to keep her still. The ice hit her from the ankle down and for a second it looked like it was going to hold her. Bobby watched in shock as it just melted. Anne was running as fast as her legs would take her. She felt the Professor's mind call out to her and instantly a mental door slammed in his face. The four of them watched as Anne's figure disappeared down the lane.
~*~
The mood was grim in the Professor's office. The team was there as well as Emily, Bobby and Rogue. The Professor sat behind his desk, trying to figure out what had happened. "Rogue, you said that she touched you?"
"Yes, Professor. I asked her to come outside with us, trying to get her to join in some. She got mad and told me to leave her alone. She grabbed my arms and moved me out of her way."
"She touched your bare skin and nothing happened?" Jean asked, a touch of wonder in her voice.
"Nothin'. And she was holdin' on long enough too. Wasn't like it was fast." Rogue explained.
"And you Bobby?" The Professor asked.
"I shot her with ice. Should of froze her feet solid. The ice did hit her. I saw it wrap around her feet. Looked like it was going to hold too and then it just melted. I don't know what happened."
Emily sat in her chair, her knees drawn up with her arms wrapped around them. She had her face hidden behind her knees as the rest of them talked. Now they were all looking at her.
"Emily, do you know what happened?" The Professor asked gently. A single nod met his question. "Can you tell us?" A sob and violent shaking of her head was her reply.
Jean stepped forward and laid a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Emily. It's ok. No one here is mad at Anne for what happened. We just want to know what's going on." Again she shook her head.
Logan stepped forward. "If Emily doesn't want to tell then leave it."
"But Logan..." Jean started to interrupt
"But nothing. Anne is Emily's sister and looks to me like what she's doing is trying to protect her."
The Professor, sensing the change in Emily's posture, didn't interrupt. 'Perhaps Logan is right, Jean.' he said silently. Jean gave a small nod. "Logan why don't you take Emily up to her room. She looks exhausted from this stress." the Professor said quietly.
"Ok Professor. Rogue give me a hand will you?" Bending, he gently lifted Emily into his arms, her head falling to rest on his chest. Rogue walked ahead to open the door for him. The Professor told Bobby that he could go and turned his attention to the remaining members of the team.
Jean was the first to speak. "So...Anne is a mutant after all."
"Appears to be. And if what has happened so far is any indication she is immune to other mutants' powers."
"You mean that no mutant power would hurt her, sir?" Scott questioned.
"I don't think so. She blocked Jean and I naturally. Didn't even seem to think about it. And she melted Bobby's ice. We should have realised sooner what with the way that Emily's voice didn't hurt her but then again that could have been just because she was her sister." the Professor explained.
Scott thought of the girl who seemed so ordinary and delicate that probably wouldn't blink at his optic blasts. It was amazing. "Why would she run?"
Ororo was the one to answer his question. "What else can we expect? She was used by her own father to control her sister. Luckily he didn't realise her gift. Can you imagine what some people would do with a mutant that can resist all others?"
"Exactly, Storm. Anne's experience has taught her to hide her nature, that people would hurt her to use her." The Professor said
"We can't leave her out there alone. We should go look for her." Scott quickly said. The thought of Anne, alone and frightened, made his blood run cold.
"We will. Once Logan comes back down, you and he will take the car and start looking for her. I will go speak with Emily." And with that the Professor excused the team
~*~
Logan and Rogue saw Emily to her room and managed to get her to lie down. Logan turned to leave when Emily grabbed his arm. The look in her eyes held Logan rooted to the spot. Not taking his eyes from Emily's, Logan told Rogue to leave them alone.
Realizing what Logan was thinking, Rogue protested. "Logan, no. You don't know if you can survive her voice."
"If I can survive you, kid, I can survive Em's voice."
"Logan...." But Rogue never got to finish. Logan just picked her up and set her outside the door before shutting it in her face. Rogue stood there stunned. Not by the fact that Logan had just shut the door in her face, but by the fact that she was almost positive he had purposely touched her ass.
~*~
"Ok. She's out of the room. What did you want to tell me?"
"Anne's powers tire her out. She's used them at least five times today. Once with Bobby, once with Rogue, once with the Professor and twice with me." Seeing Logan wince, Emily asked "Are you sure you want to do this?" meaning listen to her.
"It's not so bad. Just don't yell, ok?" he replied, trying to ease her mind with a bit of humor.
A small smile met his comment before Emily continued. "The more she uses it the harder it is on her. First she gets tired and then if she continues to use it, she becomes....lost. It is like she becomes hollow....empty. She doesn't notice things going on around her. She may not be all there when you find her. She may not recognize you."
"Don't worry, Emily. We'll find her." Logan stood and left the room. Once he was outside the door, he allowed his face to grimace from the pain. Rogue, watching silently, handed him a kleenex. When he threw it in the garbage, it was almost completely red from the blood.
~*~
"Can't this thing go any faster?"
"Logan, if we go too fast we might pass right by her." Scott said quietly. He was just as worried as Logan but didn't want to let it show. His eyes scanned the sides of the road as they drove. He nearly jumped out of his skin when Logan yelled out for him to stop the car.
Opening the door, Logan took a sniff of the air. "She's close." Getting out, he started to follow the scent. They had actually driven past her somehow. Scott pulled over and got out to follow Logan. Suddenly, Logan started to run. "Go back and get the car. We're going to need the first aid kit!!"
Scott ran back quickly, worry making his throat close over. 'She's hurt.' He though silently. Jumping in and turning the car around, he drove down to where he could see Logan running along the side of the road. Seeing Logan slow down, Scott pulled over once more and grabbed the first aid kit. Getting out, he made his way to where Logan was crouched over. Coming closer, he could see that it was Anne, and there was blood. He kneeled down next to Logan, listening to what was being said.
"Anne? Can you hear me?" Logan said, his voice rough from worry.
"I fell." she replied softly.
"It's ok. We're here now and we're going to make it better." Logan quietly said, as he reached out a hand to lift her chin.
"Don't!! Don't touch me!!" she screamed, backing up quickly.
Scott was shocked at the fear in her voice. "Anne..."
But Logan cut him off. "Ok. We won't touch you. Can you stand up?" Logan could smell the salty tears that she was crying but didn't make any move to try to touch her.
"I'm not a freak. I'm not a freak." she kept saying over and over.
"We know. It's ok. Come on. Emily is waiting." Logan whispered.
"Emily?" Her face finally rising to meet theirs. When Logan saw her face he had to fight back a growl. Her eyes were both blackened and her face was scrapped down all one side. He could see the little rocks buried in her skin.
"How did you fall, Anne?" Scott asked softly.
"A car. A man was angry. Said that freaks shouldn't be here. Hit me with a board as he drove by. I tried to run." she mumbled.
At her words, Logan couldn't fight the growl that bubbled up. That or his claws popping out. Anne gasped at the sight. Logan, thinking that he had frightened her, was about to pop them back in when she took his hand. Mimicing Emily's action earlier, Anne reached out and took Logan's hands in hers. But she didn't kiss his knuckles like Emily. Instead she raised her eyes to meet his.
"I know you." she said quietly. Not giving him a chance to answer, she continued "She loves you. And you love her." Then she dropped his hand and stood slowly. "Can we go home now?"
Logan carried Anne down to the MedLab where Jean was waiting to check her over. Emily and Rogue were already down there waiting. Jean had called them when she had been told by the Professor that Logan and Scott had found Anne. Jean quickly worked to clean up the cuts and scrapes that covered Anne's face, carefully removing bits of gravel. She would be scarred. Plastic surgery would get rid of some, but there were a couple of cuts that were so deep and so close to the eye that it would be dangerous to attempt to repair them.
After she had bandaged Anne as best she could, Jean ordered her to rest. As Logan and Rogue turned to leave, Anne called softly to them to wait. Looking Emily in the eye, Anne gave a slight nod. Nothing prepared Logan and Rogue for what happened next.
"Anne can help."
Three words said normally.
Emily had spoken and nothing had happen. Logan wasn't flinching and Rogue wasn't gasping in pain. Logan and Rogue were fine.
"What the....?" Logan and Rogue both started to ask at the same time
~*~
After what seemed like forever, Logan and Rogue finally understood what was going on. Sort of.
"So Emily's mutation can't hurt anyone as long as you are in the same room?" Logan said with a bit of a frown.
"Exactly." Anne replied.
"But what about me? Ya touched me and nothin' happened? How?"
"My body just naturally compensates for a mutation. My mind closes on a telepath, my ears plug in a way when I listen to Emily, and for you....well....Like touching like doesn't hurt. So my skin adjusted to your mutation."
"So it only works if you are in contact with her?" Logan asked suddenly.
"Well, to be honest I am not sure. Never tested out my mutation to see its limits. I was more concerned with hiding what I was, then learning more about it."
"But if we can listen to Emily talk while you are in the room, then maybe the same thing would happen with Rogue." Logan said, a note of hope in is voice it seemed. Deciding to take a leap of faith Logan reached out and touched Rogue's cheek. She jumped back quickly, afraid that she would hurt him. But Logan wouldn't let her get away that easily. His hand followed and rested on her cheek. Wide eyes met wide eyes. Nothing was happening. No pull, no pain and even though Rogue was crying, they were tears fo joy.
Emily softly cleared her throat. "I'll just leave now." As she passed the couple, she saw that they were too wrapped up in the sensation of touch to hear her words or notice her leaving. Smiling slightly, she left the MedLab and headed up to her room.
Anne was glad that she had been able to do something to help them, even if it was just a small touch while she watched. Deciding that it was time to air some secrets, she softly called to them to get their attention. When they finally turned toward her, she smiled at the look on their faces. Wonder. That was the only way to discribe it.
"So, you guys going to admit it or do I have to say it?"
"Say what, Anne?" Rogue asked, her voice scratchy from emotion.
"That you love each other."
The silence and shocked looks made it obvious that they hadn't expected her to say that. Look from one to the other, Anne waited for some comment. When none came, she continued. "Logan, I see the way you look at Rogue when you think she isn't looking. Don't bother to argue, you know it's true." She said quickly when Logan opened his mouth. "And Rogue, I know that you sometimes sit outside his room at night to make sure that he is ok. So go on. Just admit that you love each other and let's move on."
Logan turned to Rogue. "You sit outside my room?"
Stammering and blushing brightly, Rogue replied softly. "Just want to make sure that you don't have any nightmares and if so, then I can wake you so that you don't have to be in them too long and stop looking at me like that!"
"Like what?"
"Like that....that 'Isn't that cute' look."
"But it is cute. I love it. I...I love you....Marie."
Tears once more spilling down her cheeks, Rogue wrapped her arms around Logan in a fierce hug. "Ah love ya too, sugah." Logan tipped his head and kissed her softly.
In the background, Anne turned over to give them a bit of privacy. "Looks like my work is done." she said with a smile.
The End