Angel Eyes

Author: Logans_Girl

X-men

Logan/original character

Summary: Logan finds...someone from his past.

Author's note: I would like to thank my big brother Chuck for all his help in writing this story. I have bugged him endlessly with questions about the X-men. Let's see is there anything else? Oh, yes. My Logan is tall. Sorry if you don't like some of the things I have him do or have done to him, that's just the way I have always thought of him. Where this goes, I don't know. Hope you enjoy. Oh, one more thing :: means telepathic communication.

Disclaimer: Marvel owns all things X-men. I own everything else.

Rating: PG-13

Archive: Yes.

Angel Eyes
By Logans_Girl

Chapter One: Someone To Watch Over Me

It was one of those days. You know the kind, where nothing goes the way you want it to. Well Logan had had enough of those days to last six or seven lifetimes. Everywhere he went he felt someone or something watching his every move. He was ready to attack the first person who looked at him wrong, be they friend or foe; he really did not care at this point. The day had gotten that bad.

"Hey, Remy. You sense anything unusual?" He asked his friend as they left Harry's Bar.

"Non, mon amie. You smell somet'ing?"

"Not sure. I feel as though someone's staring at me."

"You someone lotsa people stare at, homme."

"Different kind of staring."

"How so?"

"Like I'm what's for dinner. And not in a good way."

"Oh, too bad. Gambit like t'at kind of staring. Do lotsa t'at hisself. Hehe."

Logan growled at that.

"I can't shake it, Cajun. Is Sabertooth in town?"

"Not t'at Gambit's aware of. Let's ask Scotty, hmm?"

"Yeah, like he'd give a straight answer to that question. He'd probably send the freak an engraved
invite to take my head off. Man, you'd think that after two years of wedded bliss he would have
forgotten about my affair with Jean. But, no. Not our man Scotty."

"Didja say you was sorry?"

A snort was his only answer. Remy should have known, Logan apologized to no one. That was part of his charm. Now if they could only find a lovely lady who didn't mind the other side of Logan's personality, they would be in business.

She watched him exit the bar with his friend and saw him stop and smell the air. When he just continued to walk down the sidewalk, she started breathing again.

Just as she started to cross the street a very beautiful redhead approached him and gave him a very friendly hug. One that Logan had never refused before and true to form, Logan returned the hug with relish.

Almost like she was his mate.

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Screams. Bloodcurdling screams. Why wouldn't she wake up? The hell her life had been before no longer existed and yet she still had these damn nightmares!

He was shaking her so hard he was afraid that he might break her neck. Every night for the first few weeks after he found her, he awoke to her screams. This was the first one in over a month. He had hoped that the nightmares were gone for good. But they weren't. Logan awoke with a start. He hadn't had that particular dream in years. He couldn't figure out why he was having it now. It must have something to do with the feeling that someone was staring at him that he'd had earlier that day. Not for the first time in the last twelve years he wondered what had happened to
the kid he had been dreaming about. He needed to talk to someone about this. He wished he could talk to Jeanie, but Scott was still so touchy about his relationship with her, so it had to be the Professor.

"Sorry for wakin' ya, Prof. Had to talk to someone."

"That's okay, Logan. Tell me about your dream."

Logan was no longer surprised when the Professor or Jean knew what he was thinking or feeling. Luckily for Jean, she couldn't tell all the time how he felt about her.

"Seventeen years ago I saved a little girl from a burnin' car. Couldn't save her parents. The car
exploded as soon as I got her out. I took care of her for the next five years. And then one day I came back from the store and found the hotel room where we were stayin' ransacked. She was gone. I stayed for a couplea months, but nothin'. No ransom note, no phone call, nothin'. I figured they was after me. Guess not. I've looked for her in every town and city I come to, but nothin'. It's like she disappeared off the face of the Earth."

"You feel guilty about her disappearance?"

"'Course, I do. I promised to protect her. I did a real bang up job, didn't I?"

"How could you have known?"

"They had been watchin' us for sometime. I had just confirmed that someone was following us. I knew they were there and still I walked out. Do ya think she still hates me? We said some pretty ugly things to one another that day. She told me she hated me."

Logan sighed. He turned away to look out the window.

Professor Xavier had never seen Logan like this before. Wolverine was one of the most confident men he knew, and yet... the thought of a fourteen year old girl hating him to adulthood had him torn up inside.

Charles wondered what Logan's feelings for the girl were. Was it possible that he loved her? That was so out of character for him that Charles was startled.

Could that be the reason for these feelings of someone watching him that Logan had been experiencing that day? Was the woman the girl had become in town looking for Logan? If so, why? Could she have feelings for him as well?

"Wolverine, did she have any powers that you know of?"

"Well, she could disappear in the blink of an eye and sometimes I thought she was reading my mind. She sometimes knew what I wanted before I did."

"Explain, please."

"If there was a woman I found attractive, she would just disappear so I could try to pick her up. Sometimes Melissa would ask if I was ready to eat about three seconds before my stomach would growl. That kind of stuff."

"Sounds like Melissa was a telepath. The disappearing... I've never heard of that. We need to
find her. Magneto could use her disappearing power for all kinds of evil."

"You think I haven't looked? I just told..."

"Logan, maybe she's here." Charles interrupted.

"Watching you. Were the two of you close?"

"Pretty much, yeah. Had to be. All we had was each other."

"Then try contacting her with your mind. She just might respond."

"Thanks, Prof. I'll go meditate and see if I can contact her."

As Logan left the Professor's study he wondered again what his Angel eyes was like as an adult. Would she even remember him? Who had taken her, and why? If some son of a bitch had experimented on her like they had on him, then they were going to be begging for death before he was through with them. Wolverine was very loyal and protective of what he thought of as his. And he still thought of Melissa as his.

Just thinking about her brought back so many memories.

Like how she always smelled like honey. He always thought that was ironic. Her smelling like honey and her name being Greek for honey bee. Man, he really missed her. She may have just been a kid, but she brought meaning to his life. Someone to look out for.

She always said that their song should be "Someone to Watch Over Me". He thought so too. Where the hell could she be?

Logan sighed as he entered his room and started looking for the picture that he would use to meditate.

It was taken the last summer that he and Melissa had spent together. They had been on the West coast of America. She insisted that they go to the beach. He hated the beach. Sand always got where he didn't want or need it. But, he had promised her.

Once he had the desired picture in hand the memories came fast and furious. The day had been perfect. The last perfect day they had spent together. The following six months had been nothing but pure hell for the two of them. But he couldn't think about that, right now he had to concentrate on the good times they had that day. He had learned in the Orient that non-telepaths could sometimes get a telepath to respond by thinking about that person.

"Logan! Come on! You promised! Let's go. All the best spots will be taken if we don't get there early. Hurry up!"

"You tellin' me what to do, kid?" He snarled at her.

"Of course I am. Now let's go, please!"

"Slow down, Doll face. The beach will still be there when we get there." Logan laughed at the look that name always produced from the girl at his side. She was always telling him that she was too old for a nickname like Doll face or Angel eyes, but he didn't care. He liked to tease her. He never thought that he would be a man to tease someone, but with her... it just seemed natural.

The day was almost too beautiful. The sun was shining, the sky was the exact shade of blue as
Melissa's eyes and there wasn't a cloud in sight.

::Logan? Is that you? Where are you? I need you. Logan!::

Chapter two: Devil with an angel's face

Author's note: It got too hard to write Remy's accent, so since everyone knows how he talks, I'm just going to write his lines without the accent.

Melissa's voice in his head after twelve years of silence startled him so that he almost fell off the
chair he was sitting on.

"Melissa? What's wrong?"

::I need you! Can I see you?::

"Now?"

::No tonight, when it's safe.::

"Safe from what?"

::I'll tell you when I see you. Where can we meet?::

"Harry's Bar at seven."

::Seven. Logan, thank you.::

"Melissa? Melissa!" Logan felt empty after she quit communicating with him.

He sighed as he prepared to face the dawn. His favorite time of the day. He always said that morning was a time for new beginnings.

On the other side of town Melissa was thinking almost the same thing. Only she wished this meeting with Logan could be the kind of new beginning she so desperately wanted and needed with him.

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"So your friend contacted you?" Logan was a little surprised at the professor's question later that morning.

"Yeah, how'd ya know?"

"Cerebro detected a mutant power. Are you meeting with her today?"

"Tonight at Harry's"

"Why not here?"

"And scare her off before I find out where she's been? Nah, Chuck, I need the time alone with her. To reunite an' all that. It has been twelve years."

"Of course. I understand. Be careful."

"Always."

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At exactly seven that night Melissa walked into Harry's and searched for Logan. She had dressed with extra care that evening. She hadn't seen the man in twelve years. She had chosen her best "demoiselle in distress" outfit. A pair of three inch heels, a black sheath dress that barely reached her knees, and a black knit sweater tied in a knot at her waist. Her hair was flowing down her back in a riot of midnight curls.

Logan was already there. He had tried to tell himself that he had promised Remy a game of pool, but he didn't believe that. He wanted to be there when she walked through the door.

Just as he was lining up a shot for the win, she walked in. Man, but she looked good! He was so distracted he missed the shot.

"Man, oh man! I can't believe my eyes!" Remy exclaimed. "The great and mighty Logan missed a shot. An easy shot!"

"Shut up, Gumbo, or I'll shut you up!" Logan snarled as Melissa headed their way.

"Logan. It's been along time. How have you been?" Her voice was cool.

Logan wondered how she could be so calm on the outside when he could sense her nervousness. He wanted to toss her over his shoulder and run as fast as he could back to the manor. He never wanted to let her go again.

"Bon jour, my name's Remy LeBeaux. I'm an... acquaintance of Logan's. An' you are?"

"Melissa Adams. I am an old friend of Logan." Melissa responded in perfectly accented French.

Just as Remy was reaching for her hand to kiss it Logan remembered the desperation and fear in her voice from that morning.

"I wouldn't if I were you, Cajun. The woman's here to see me. Ain't that right, Angel eyes?"

Just as Logan had hoped, she reacted to the hated nickname. Only it wasn't the reaction he was used to. She smiled! God, her smile was so beautiful. With two perfect dimples.

"I sure missed hearing you call me that. Can we talk alone?"

"Sure, Doll face." And he turned to walk a few feet away.

Logan was dressed in his usual attire: plaid flannel shirt with a black tee underneath, jean jacket,
leather jacket, old faded blue jeans that molded to his butt and thighs very nicely and a pair of old cowboy boots. Melissa admired all this while wondering, like she always had, why his hair made those points just behind his ears. She also noticed that he had more facial hair than when she had last seen him. The man was almost too good looking for his own good and hers.

"Okay, I'm listening." Logan propped one hip on a bar stool and crossed his arms over his chest. Lord, but he didn't think he'd ever get tired of looking at her. He'd known she would be beautiful, but nothing like what was standing before him.

"Well, hmm. Where to begin?"

"The beginning?" Logan's mouth curved in what for him was a smile, but for others a sneer.

"Well, I trashed the room. I was really mad at you that day. I didn't think you would get into any
trouble. You didn't, did you?"

"Nope. Just told to keep moving. Didn't though. What'd they do with ya?"

"Put me in a juvenile detention center for a couplea nights. Then a foster home. They adopted me a couplea years later."

"That explains the new last name. Was afraid ya'd gone an' gotten married or some stupid thing like that."

"Yes, well... I really don't want to talk about that right now. Lucy needs your help. Lucy is the
daughter of the family that adopted me. She's really messed up this time. Seems that the guy she's been seein' thinks she stole some money from him. Now why he thinks she would steal three thousand dollars when I pay her more than that in one week, is beyond me."

"What do ya do?"

"I'm a freelance photographer. Lucy's my assistant."

"So this guy says Lucy owes him three thousand dollars? How does he know she took the money?"

"Some of his goons say she did. I told her not to get involved with this guy! Does she listen to me? No! She never does. Please help. He says he'll kill her unless I can give the money back."

"Right. Always want to kill someone. Why can't the bad guys just hurt someone really bad? Why kill them?" Again Logan smiled.

"You always did have a wicked sense of humor, Wolvie."

" I may need help from some... acquaintances of mine. That okay, Angel eyes?"

"Sure. As long as they don't try to call me Doll face or Angel eyes. Still have a hard time with those names."

"Gotcha. You play pool?" Logan got an evil look in his eyes, just hoping she said she played some, but not all that well. He used to try to beat her at video games, but usually let her win instead. Now that she was all grown up, she was on her own.

"Yep. Wanna play?" Melissa's smile was just as wicked. Logan was in for a real surprise if he
thought he could run the table on her.

Logan couldn't believe just how good she really was. He made the mistake of letting her break and she ended up running the table. He never got a single shot.

"Eight ball in the corner pocket," she pointed to the corner next to where she was standing "with two banks." She lined up her shot and made it! Logan was floored. Never had he seen anyone run the table on him from start to finish.

"Good game."

"Sorry. Guess letting me win at video games made me strive to always be the best."

"You knew?"

"Logan, I'm a telepath. Of course I knew. You were so easy to read back then. I've noticed that's changed, though."

"Yea, kinda had to learn. Really long story. I'm not going into it right now." He said as she started to open her mouth to ask for details.

"Okay, so I won't ask. Tell me what you've been up to these past twelve years."

"Another long story. Actually, the same long story. Not gonna talk about it right now." Before she could protest that last statement, his favorite Hank Williams song came on the jukebox. "Wanna dance?" He asked as he held out his hand.

"Sure." she replied as she took his hand. "You'll excuse us, Remy?" she asked again in perfect French.

"Of course." Remy replied also in French.

Melissa smiled at Remy as Logan led her to the dance floor. The dance was a slow one. Melissa was glad Logan didn't seem inclined to try any of the fancy twists and turns the other couples were trying. He did, however, spin her out a few times just so she would bump into him when he spun her back in. On one such move she accidentally bumped into this really tough looking guy.

"Sorry." Melissa quickly apologized.

"No deal, honey." the goon snarled as he reached for her. The next thing Melissa saw was Logan's claws as they came between him and her.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." Logan warned.

"Well, then I'm glad you're not me." With that the two men started going at each other. Before long everyone in the bar was involved.

"Damn!" Melissa muttered as they were all shoved out onto the sidewalk. "I broke a heel. My best shoes, too."

Logan let her lean on his arm so she could remove her shoes. When she finished and stood up straight he was amazed at how small she was. Her head barely reached his chin.

"Did ya quit growing?"

"What? Oh, my size. Nope. Just really short. But then you are really tall. You're what six feet?" she had her head tilted all the way back so that she could maintain eye contact.

"Six three." Logan replied.

"You wish." Remy snickered.

"Shut up! Man, I really do not know why I brought you."

"Wanted someone to beat up if she didn't show."

"All right you two. Knock it off. I really must go now. I'll be in touch, Logan." Melissa turned to
leave.

"Wait." Logan grabbed her arm and pulled her into his. "I've been wanting to do this since you walked through the door." And he lowered his head and kissed her. At first she was unresponsive, but as he moved his lips over hers she slowly began to relax. She opened her mouth for his tongue. As she did so Logan groaned, she tasted like honey. She smelled like honey, her name meant honey and she tasted like honey. He thought he was going to die. Melissa was as lost to the kiss as Logan was until his hand found the smooth skin of her thigh under her dress.

"No, Logan. Stop!" Melissa began to fight him.

"What's wrong Doll face?"

"Don't do that! Logan!" And with that Melissa slapped him as hard as she could across the face.

"What the hell? Why'd ya slap me?"

"Why didn't you stop when I asked you to?"

"Okay, so ya don't like that kind of kissing in public. Come home with me."

"I can't. I have to tend to Lucy."

"Fine." Logan's voice was hard.

"I'll contact you when I can get away again."

"I'll be open for you."

"Thank you, Logan. I really mean that."

"'Bye."

"Good-bye, Remy."

"It was a pleasure meeting you, cheré." Remy managed to kiss Melissa's hand this time.

------------------------------

"Just where the hell have you been?" Was growled at Melissa as she walked in the door.

"Trying to keep your goons from ruining everything! Next time you decide they should follow me, remind them to keep their distance!"

"Bitch!" was growled at her just as Jerintex backhanded her into the wall. "How many times must I tell you that the way you treat me is the way I treat your sister?" Melissa couldn't answer, she was unconscious from the blows raining down on her.

Chapter three: The Bigger They Are...

As Logan pulled into a gas station in New York almost five weeks later, Melissa wondered if she should just disappear. No, she couldn't do that. Lucy was depending on her. If only Jerintex hadn't beaten her so badly. She had only regained consciousness two weeks earlier. Her ribs still hurt every time she breathed.

Logan was a little surprised to find Melissa already there. He noticed right away that she appeared to be thinking about disappearing. He was not going to let her get away this time. If she needed to return to Lucy, then he was going to go with her. The past five weeks had been hell for him. Not knowing what she was doing or what was being done to her. If the creep who had Lucy had hurt either one of them in any way... again, Logan was surprised at the depth of the rage that filled him whenever he thought about Melissa being hurt. He didn't want to examine his feelings too deeply, he was afraid that he cared too much. Caring for a woman like Melissa could be his downfall.

As he brought the powerful motorcycle to a stop in front of her, Melissa sighed brokenly and looked up at his angry face.

"Logan, please understand. I couldn't contact you right away. Lucy..."

"Save it, Doll face." Logan talked over her. "I'm just glad you finally did call. Are you okay? You look very tired."

Trying not to laugh, because it hurt too much, Melissa replied "Yeah, I'm fine. Lucy's not, though." As soon as Melissa had regained consciousness she'd been told, by a very smug Jerintex, that Lucy was in a coma. When Melissa passed out from the blows she'd received, Jerintex turned to Lucy to rid himself of his anger at having to wait for Logan's suspicious nature to be fooled by Melissa's, very obvious, sensual charms. He was counting on Logan being just like every other red blooded male on the planet, wanting a woman that called to the very maleness of his nature. How Melissa hoped she could be the one to kill Jerintex, when the time came. "We need to move this along very quickly. Jerintex has told me that I now have one month, instead of two, to get him his money."

"I take it, that that's going to be extremely difficult?"

"Yeah, the three thousand dollars were in Civil War bonds. Confederate War bonds. They weren't worth the paper they were printed on back in 1862. They are definitely not worth anything now. Have you talked to your business associates about this?"

"No. Thought they might have some questions that I couldn't answer. I would have gone ahead and then made them wait for you, but since I didn't know when I'd see ya again..." Logan gave a little one shouldered shrug.

"Again, I'm sorry. Jerintex beat Lucy so badly, she was in a coma until yesterday. She'll be all right, I think. Logan, this has got to end now!" Melissa exclaimed with tears in her eyes and a stomp of her foot.

Logan looked at the face of the woman before him, and wished he could just take her away from all the bad things in life. He wanted to slay dragons for her, which was something that none of his other women had ever been able to make him want to do. He was falling in love with this five foot nothing of a woman so fast that his head was spinning. "Okay, Angel eyes. Let's go meet the team."

As Logan drove out of the city, he began to wish that he had at least told Jean about her. Jean could be a very good ally against Scott, sometimes. He just hoped that everyone understood about Melissa. He would allow no one to hurt her. That included the X-men. If they so much as looked at her cross-eyed... he didn't know what he'd do. The one that he really had to worry about hurting Melissa, though, was Jubilee. He had a feeling that she had a crush on him.

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When they arrived at the manor, the house was dark.

"Have they all gone to bed?"

"Nope. Probably out back at the pool. They like to be outside as much as possible."

After parking the Harley in the garage, Logan led Melissa out to the pool. As they rounded the corner, a blue streak flew passed them, almost knocking her off her feet.

"Hey! Watch it, Elf! Next time look before you turn a corner that fast."

"Sorry, Logan. Didn't see you. Hello, I'm Kurt Warner. And you are?"

"Melissa Adams. I don't think I've ever seen a mutant like you before."

"Yeah, pretty unusual. Uh-oh. Gotta go." And with that he disappeared in a puff of smoke, just before a girl wearing the smallest bikini Melissa had ever seen, came tearing around the corner.

"Wolvie! When'd you get back?" She asked as she threw herself at Logan. He seriously thought about not catching her, then decided that he couldn't let her hurt herself. "What no kiss?" That got her dropped to the grass at his feet.

"Jubes, I'd like you to meet Melissa Adams. She's an old friend. Be nice."

As Jubilee got to her feet, she eyed the other woman. "Hmm, she couldn't possibly please him for long. Too small, too skinny." She thought.

"I don't think I'm skinny." Despite the pain, Melissa had to laugh at the look of utter outrage on the
younger woman's face. "Did I not mention that I'm a telepath?"

"Okay, Melissa. Enough. Let's meet the rest of the team." Logan had a twinkle in his eye that only
someone who knew him well would have recognized as humor. Still chuckling softly, Melissa allowed Logan to lead her around the still sputtering teenager and around the corner where sounds of merriment could be heard. As soon as they were visible to the people frolicking in and around the pool, silence dropped like a bomb.

"Everyone, this is my friend Melissa Adams. She needs our help. Scott, can we have a meeting first thing tomorrow morning? Melissa needs to sleep."

"Uh, sure. Logan, after you get her settled, come see me." As a request it sure had a lot of bite. Melissa was sure that Logan would take offense at the tone of the younger man, but all he did was nod his head.

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It was a little after two in the morning when Logan heard a sound that he could have lived the rest of his life without ever hearing again, Melissa's scream. She was having another nightmare. He wondered if it was the same as the ones she used to have twelve years ago, or a new horror brought on by the kidnapping and beating of her sister.

As Logan ran to the room he had given to Melissa, he noticed that everyone else had also been awakened by her screams. Jean and Scott were already in her room, as their room was right next to hers.

"Logan? What's going on?" Jean asked as soon as she saw him.

"Nightmares. Used to have one or two every night. Was kinda hopin' she'd out grow 'em. Guess not, huh?"

As Logan approached the bed, Melissa sprang out of it and ran to hide in a corner. She was shaking so hard her teeth were chattering. "Wolverine, help! He's killing her! Make him stop! Make him stop!" Melissa sobbed over and over the same heart breaking words. He didn't know how to help her out of the grip of this nightmare. Every time he reached for her, she flinched away from him. Finally, she slumped to the floor in exhaustion. He hesitated only a moment before carrying her out of the room and into his. He knew from experience that she would sleep better with the warmth of his body next to hers.

He'd been right. The next morning Melissa awoke feeling a little better than she had in five months. In fact the last time she could remember waking up feeling almost normal, was the day Lucy had called and delivered Jerintex's warning. She shivered as she remembered the hopeless rage she'd felt as the words she had hoped to never hear were spoken by her hysterical sister.

"Are you cold?" Asked a sleep roughened voice that made the pillow under her head bounce. She lifted her head to discover that what she'd thought was a very hard pillow, had in fact been Logan's stomach. She had one hand tucked under his hips and the other clenched in a fist on his upper thigh. When she realized all this, she sat up so fast all the blood ran from her head, making her dizzy. He sat up and caught her shoulders as she started to sway. "Hey, you okay? Angel eyes?"

"Oh, would you stop calling me that stupid name? You know how I hate it!" She managed to slip from his grip and the bed.

"Do you remember anything about last night?"

"Yeah, you put me in a different room. What happened? You decide to move me in here while I slept, thinking that I wouldn't bitch about it?"

"No, you had a nightmare. You called me Wolverine, something you only did when you were really scared. I need to know about the last twelve years, Melissa. Everything. I couldn't even touch you, you were so frightened." As he spoke Logan got out of the bed and began getting dressed. Even though Melissa had seen more of him before, than he showed while putting on his clothes, she still turned her back.

"You know I never remember my nightmares upon waking."

"Bullshit, Melissa! You think I can't tell your lying? Dammit! I wanna help, but not if you lie to
me. You know how I feel about liars. The truth, Melissa. Now!" Logan had never yelled at her like that before. The arguments they'd had those last six months had been nothing compared to the rage building inside of him now. Melissa wished for the umpteenth time that she could tell him the truth, but if she did... he would hate her. There was no way she could live knowing that he hated her. So she smiled and gave him the lie that she had made herself believe as the truth.

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"Do you have any idea why this Jerintex says that Lucy stole these bonds?" Scott was the first to ask questions after Melissa finished repeating the story she had told Logan just minutes before.

"Because one of his men says he saw her take them from the safe. He believes everything they tell him. These bonds were the only ones to survive the Civil War. There is no way to replace them. I offered to buy him an equal number of U.S. bonds, but he says that his great grandfather gave them to him. Kinda makes them irreplaceable. Can you help?"

"Sure. But first, I want Hank to examine your abilities. I like to know who and what I have
fighting beside me."

"No need for that, Summers. She ain't fightin' with us. She'll stay here with the professor."

"You're crazy if you think that you can get into Jerintex's hideout without me. I'll comply with
whatever you need, Scott."

"Melissa..."

"Back off, Wolverine. Did you forget that I can be just as stubborn as you? You need me to get you in. Besides, I'm not going to let you go in there blind. I know Jerintex. I can get you around all his security. And I want to make sure that Lucy's protected." Melissa and Logan were standing nose to nose yelling at each other. "Either you do this my way or I walk out again. So what's it to be, Wolvie? Include me or never see me again?"

Logan knew he had no choice. Melissa mad was a force to be reckoned with. He hadn't see her this angry since that last day twelve years ago. The thought of that day still had the power to make him shiver. "Fine! But you stick to me like glue. If I can't see you, I can't protect you. Do you understand?" Melissa did, but the others were a little confused. Logan was showing feelings for this woman. None of them thought he ever cared about someone the way he obviously cared for Melissa. As they made up, his face softened. It didn't actually lose any of its hardness, but Melissa obviously softened the rough edges of Logan's personality.

Chapter 4: ... The Harder They Fall

Two weeks later Logan was again awakened by a sound he could live with never hearing, the perimeter alarm.

That meant that someone was trying to break in. Or, as he found out when he rolled over, someone was trying to break out.

"Melissa!" he yelled. Why would she try to leave without him?

"Son of a bitch! Get your stinking hands off me, Summers!" Logan heard as he rounded the corner of the house to find Melissa and Scott struggling in front of the back gate.

"You sound just like Logan. I think you spent too much time in his company over the years."

"I suggest you do as the lady says and do it now, Cyclops."

"Why should I? Last time I checked, I was team leader. You do as I say not the other way around."

"Only on missions, One-eye. Now unhand her."

"Fine. My wife's givin' me dirty looks, anyway."

Scott said as he pushed Melissa away from him and into Logan.

"She shouldn't be your wife." Logan mumbled.

"I don't believe you!" Melissa shoved Logan but he didn't budge. "You treat me like you want something more but you also do your damnedest to let the whole world know that you have feelings for Jean! I'm not going to stay here and watch you make a fool of yourself over a married woman." she said as she tried to walk around him.

"You're jealous! There's nothing going on between me and Jean." he said for what felt like the millionth time as he grabbed her arm as she passed.

"Of course I'm no..." her "not" was covered up by his kiss.

Logan couldn't remember feeling this way about a woman before. She was everything to him in that moment. As he deepened the kiss, he wondered why she was trying to leave him and if she'd let this turn into something more.

"Lucy needs me." she said as he kissed the underside of her neck.

"Fine. Just give me five minutes and I'll be ready."

"No, Logan. I have to go alone."

"No way, Doll face. I'm not letting you outta my sight ever again."

"That's not nice, Logan. Please... Don't... Stop."

"Which is it? Don't stop, or stop?" as soon as the question left his mouth he regretted it. He was pretty sure that Melissa would chose to walk away. Finding her trying to leave was all it should have taken for him to realize that she didn't really want him.

"Don't stop. That feels so good." He loved the way her breath broke when he nibbled her earlobe.

"Just to be safe, you are saying you want to have sex with me, right?"

"You must be kidding. Are you trying to sober me up? Of course I want to have sex with you! But, dammit, Logan! Lucy needs me. Please let me go into the city." She cried as she pounded her fists against his chest.

"No. I told you. You're not going anywhere near that wacko without me."

"I can't take you with me. It'll ruin everything. You have to trust me."

"You want my trust? Then tell me what in the hell's goin' on!" Logan yelled as he shoved Melissa away from him.

"I don't...."

"And don't try to deny it. I know you've been lying ta me since you walked into Harry's last month. Now spill."

"Alright. I have been lying, but with good reason.

Is there somewhere we can go to be alone? This is really something I’d rather you heard alone first."

"Fine. Meet me in the stables in ten minutes. You do know how to ride, don't ya?"

"Yeah, I know how to ride." she sniffed as she turned her back and began to walk away.

"Ten minutes!" Logan shouted at her back.

-------------------------------------------

"Jean, can I talk to you for a minute?" Melissa asked as she entered the older woman's study.

"Sure. But don't you have to meet Logan?"

"Not for" Melissa checked her watch "seven more minutes."

"Would you like something to drink?" Jean asked as she directed Melissa to take the chair across from her.

"No. I'm fine, thank you."

As the room filled with an awkward silence Jean studied the young woman before her. She had lovely black hair that was pulled back into a ponytail at the back of her head, the most beautiful skin Jean had ever seen and blue eyes so light in color as to be almost colorless. Jean also admired Melissa's sense of style, wishing she could be as carefree in her choice of clothes. The hip hugging boot cut jeans and midriff baring shirt would just look silly on her boyish body, but on Melissa they hugged every cure and showed them all to perfection. No wonder Logan couldn't get her out of his mind. The woman was stunning.

"What would you like to talk about?"

"I'm going to be telling Logan something he might not like hearing and I was wondering if maybe... you'd...

" Melissa sighed. Why was this so hard? she wondered.

Just ask the damn question. "know how best to tell him. You know the man he is today. All I know is the man he was twelve years ago."

"Just tell it straight. Don't apologize for anything that you did. Logan tries to hide it, but he really
is a very loving and forgiving man. Give him a chance. May I ask what you're going to tell him?"

"I'm sorry, but I really think Logan should hear it first. Now I've got to run." And with that Melissa
sprinted out the door heading for the stables.

---------------------------

Just over ten minutes after their confrontation in front of half the X-men, Melissa came flying around the corner of the stable just as Logan decided to go look for her.

"You’re late." He snapped.

"By only a few seconds!" she snapped back.

Logan’s eyes narrowed as he stared at her flushed face. He couldn’t make up his mind if he should put her over his knee and give her the spanking he never thought to give her twelve years ago or take her to bed and see if there was a way to improve her attitude towards him. For some reason he didn’t think either option would improve her attitude as it was at that moment.

She was starting to remind him of the fourteen-year-old girl who had on several occasions
managed to make him come very close to losing his temper. There had been many times that he had been tempted to just hand her over to the local authorities and wash his hands of her, but something always made him stay. Even that last day. Despite how angry he was at hearing her say she hated him, he couldn’t stay away for long. He’d been gone maybe twenty minutes before something told him to go back for her. But it had been too late. She was gone by the time he got
back.

He wondered what would have happened twelve years ago if he’d spanked her instead of slamming out of the room in anger. Could he have made her change her attitude towards him? Somehow, he didn’t think so.

There had been something about her even then. He had a hard time picturing himself harming her in anyway. Yes, she probably needed a spanking way back when she’d been nine and had first yelled back at him, but there was no way on earth he could have lifted a finger against her. And she knew it. She knew the power she had over him. He had been wrapped so tightly around her little finger that all she ever had to do was look at him and she’d gotten whatever it was she wanted.

"Need help?" Logan asked as Melissa mounted the horse he’d selected for her to ride.

"What? Didn’t think I could do that? You know better than to assume anything about me, Logan." She said coolly.

He was getting tired of that tone in her voice. She’d been using it for the past two weeks. At first he’d thought it had been because he’d decided that she should sleep with him instead of on of her own. She didn’t seem to care that sleeping next to him kept the nightmares at bay. All he saw and heard was that she didn’t want to sleep in the same room with him. But less than twenty minutes ago she had expressed a desire to make love with him. Of course, Scott and Jean were watching, so that could have been for their benefit. But, God, he hoped not. He’d been in a constant state of semi to full arousal ever since seeing her at Harry’s. He had to get some relief and soon.

"Let’s go." He fairly growled as he leaped atop his own mount.

Logan didn’t know it but Melissa’s thoughts were very close to his. She was so aroused that she didn’t think she’d be able to ride for long without having an orgasm. It had happened before. She wanted Logan so very badly, that she was afraid he could smell her arousal.

Luckily, for them both the ride to the meadow was only twenty minutes at a fast trot. As they exited the forest, Melissa looked around at the beautiful wildflowers and emerald green grass. Her
photographer’s eye saw the meadow as the perfect place for wedding pictures. Before Jerintex decided to turn her world upside down, Melissa had started taking wedding pictures for her friends. Damn Jerintex for not learning his lesson sooner! Why did he have to use Lucy to get her to do this? Of course she knew why. She’d never do what they wanted her to do without some form of coercion.

"Oh, Wolvie, it’s beautiful!" Melissa said on a sigh as she tried to forget just for the moment that her sister was in mortal danger from a man that wanted to kill her.

"Thanks. Charlie gave it to me two years ago when it became apparent that I was gonna stay. I’m building a cabin over there." He said as he pointed to the southwest corner of the meadow where a mostly finished cabin stood. "Usually all the team members have to live in the manor house, but Charlie noticed how much I hated living there so he decided to break one of the rules so that I’d stay."

"Wow, I think that’s the most you’ve said to me in the past two weeks." Melissa said sarcastically.

"Alright, that does it!" Logan exclaimed as he leaped off his horse and stalked Melissa where she sat upon hers.

"What do you think you’re doing?" she asked as her horse nervously pranced away form him.

"I’m doing what I should have done seven weeks ago." He growled as he pulled Melissa from her horse and into his arms.

Melissa didn’t know what to expect as he swept her up into his embrace and carried her like a child into the cabin. As soon as he kicked the door shut with his foot, he dropped the arm holding her knees and let her body slide slowly and sensuously down his. Before she could do more than take a breath his lips claimed hers in a kiss that stole the very air from her lungs. As his tongue parted her lips and swept the inside of her mouth she thought she’d died and gone to heaven. He
tasted of whiskey and tobacco. He smelled of man and horses, cigar smoke and the outdoors. His smell and taste were intoxicating. When he finally lifted his head to stare down into her eyes she could only gulp in air and hang on to him for dear life.

"I’m going to make love with and to you, now. If you don’t want to do this say so. Because once I get started I won’t be able to stop." He said breathlessly.

"I don’t want you to stop, Logan. I love you. Please."

That was all he needed to hear. His mouth crashed down on hers hungrily, demandingly. And she responded just as hungrily. He turned so that her back was pressed against the door. As he ground his body into hers Melissa raised her legs to wrap around his waist so that the bulge in his pants was right were she needed it most.

"Logan, there’s something you need to know." She whispered as he kissed his way along her jaw to her ear.

"No talking." He growled.

"But…"

"No buts. I said no talking!"

As his mouth descended to hers once again, Melissa gave a mental shrug. He’d find out soon enough what she wanted to tell him. And then it happened. She felt one of her legs grow cold as she lost control over the quicksilver.

"What’s goin’ on?" Logan asked feeling the cold as well.

"When I’m distracted I lose control over my visibility."

"Was that what ya wanted to tell me?"

"Sorta. Yeah." She sighed. "Can I tell you the rest now?"

"No. I haven’t gotten enough yet." He replied as he pulled her shirt off over her head and made quick work of the front clasp of her bra.

As Logan tested the weight of each of her breasts she couldn’t hold back a moan of pleasure. He had a very wicked gleam in his eye as he bent his head to flick first one nipple then the other with the tip of his tongue. Melissa’s hands were fisted in his hair and try as she might she couldn’t budge him from his slow exploration of her breasts.

"Logan!" his name was a plea.

"Yeah?" he chuckled at her distress.

"Please! I don’t think I can take anymore."

"Don’t worry Doll face. I’ll know when you’ve had enough." He then lowered her legs from around his waist but kept her pressed to the door so that she wouldn’t fall. Melissa was having difficulty breathing. It seemed that every nerve in her body was centered where ever his hands and mouth were. He suckled first one breast and then the other. Then he tormented her further by licking his way down her body only to stop at the top of her jeans and work his way back up.

"No! Logan, please! No more!" she sobbed but he didn’t seem inclined to grant her request.

As he kissed his way back down her body his fingers were busy opening the fly of her jeans. Before she knew it she was standing there before him completely naked. "My God you’re beautiful." He breathed as he sat back on his heels to look at her. Her breasts were firm and high. The nipples a pale dusty pink and erect from his earlier attentions. Her waist was so small he knew he could wrap both hands around it. As he sat there looking his fill he knew that the battle was lost. This woman meant more to him than anyone ever had. He was never going to let her go. He refused to admit why he felt that way but he did. And no one, not even her, was going to separate them ever again.

"What now?" Melissa finally asked.

Instead of answering her Logan leaned forward and began to taste that most intimate part of her. He used his teeth and tongue and lips to bring her to pleasure. As he felt her thighs begin to quiver in response to the contractions of her inner muscles, he sat back and looked up to see her staring at him. Knowing that Melissa had watched him loving her with his mouth, made his penis grow even harder. He was having a really hard time keeping his inner beast under control. All he could think about was making her his in every sense of the word.

Wordlessly he stood and picked her up to carry her across the room to a blanket he had laid out earlier in the week. After he laid her down on the blanket, Logan stepped back and began to remove his clothes.

When he was dressed in only his boxers he stopped.

"Why’d ya stop?" Melissa asked.

"I… uh… well, I’ve been told that my size can be a little frightening." He stammered as a flush crept up his neck.

Melissa chuckled. "That’s certainly true. But seeing as how I’ve seen you naked and aroused before, I don’t think I’ll be scared."

"What!?" Logan was having a hard time grasping what she was saying.

Melissa sighed as she leaned up on her elbows. "When I was ten I got curious. So I snuck into your room and watched." She shrugged.

"Watched… what, exactly?"

"You. With different women… and alone."

"And you never said anything? Do you know how wrong that was?" If he didn’t calm down soon the mood would be ruined and he’d have to start all over. While bringing her to arousal was certainly no hardship, he didn’t think she would allow him near her again so soon after yelling at her for something that happened over twelve years ago..

"What would you have done had you known? Would you have allowed me to continue to watch or would you have started locking your door? Hmmm?"

"I have no idea what I would have done. You never gave me a chance to find out for sure, now did ya? Hmmm?" he mimicked.

"Sorry." She mumbled. "Do you think we could get back to what we were doing?"

In answer to her question, Logan stepped out of his boxers and dropped to his knees beside her. He knew in his gut that he had to go slowly. It was the hardest thing he’d ever done to allow her time to adjust to his passion. He place one hand on her flat belly and stretched his fingers to her pubic bone. "You’re so small." He hadn’t thought about that.

About how small she was compared to him. Would she be able to take him without pain? He really hoped so. There was no way he could stop now.

As they lay there looking at each other, he realized that she had lost the edge to her passion during their short conversation. So he slipped his fingers down to find her. As he slipped one finger inside she couldn’t help the small gasp that passed her lips. He stilled upon hearing that small sound trying to determine if it was from pain or in pleasure.

"No, don’t stop. I swear if you do, I’ll kill you." she said breathlessly.

"You like that?" he asked. Her response was to lift her hips. "Okay, how about this." He chuckled at the look on her face as he slipped a second finger inside her. She had her head thrown back and was moaning loudly now. Both of her hands were wrapped around his wrist almost as if she were afraid he was going to remove it and walk away. As Logan watched her learning about the pleasures of being a woman, mainly his woman, his inner beast began to purr. It had always seemed to know when Melissa needed the soothing sound. And while she might not be aware of it right now, she did need the familiar sound of him purring to help her stay visible.

As she climaxed for the second time in mere minutes, Logan rolled over on top of her. He spread her thighs with his knees and slowly entered her. She was so small that Logan was afraid he’d hurt her if he went too fast, so he stopped with just the head of his penis inside her.

"What’s wrong now?" she asked.

"You’re so small. I’m afraid I’ll hurt you if I go too fast."

"Of course you’ll have to hurt me Logan. I’ve never done this before."

"Is that the other thing you wanted to tell me?"

"Yes. Now, please come on inside." Melissa said as she raised her hips to take more of him in.

Logan couldn’t hold back any longer. He entered her and stopped when he felt the thin membrane that marked her a virgin. As he fastened his mouth to hers to capture any scream, he withdrew a little and then surged forward until he touched her womb. Melissa did indeed scream when he finally entered her completely, but in pleasure, not pain. As her inner muscles began to massage him, Logan tried to retain control. But it was too much. It was the most wonderful climax he had
ever had. He was breathing as harshly as Melissa was when it was over. He dropped his head to rest on her shoulder and waited for his heart to stop pounding.

"Uh, Logan? Do ya think ya could move just a little?"

"Am I crushing you?"

"No, I have a cramp."

"Where?" Logan asked as he rolled off her and sat up.

"Here." Melissa started massaging her upper thigh.

"There. Better?" he asked several minutes later.

"Yeah."

"Good. Start talking."

"Now?" Melissa sat up to frown at him.

"Yeah, now. You got a problem with now?" Logan frowned right back.

"Well, I was feeling kinda content and sleepy." She yawned for good measure.

"Too bad. I brought you here to get the truth and now I want the truth!" he jumped up and began jerking on his jeans.

"Alright, alright. Let me get dressed." But as she stood up to get her clothes, Logan just couldn’t help himself from grabbing her and kissing her. "If you want me to explain you really must stop doing things like that."

"Things like what?" he asked with one of his sneer/smiles.

"Oh, you big oaf! If you’ll wait just a few minutes, then if you don’t hate me, we can do that again." Melissa chuckled as she punched him lightly on the shoulder.

"Why would I hate you?"

"Please let me get dressed then I’ll explain everything. I swear."

"Alright." Logan sighed and let her go.

After Melissa had gotten dressed she began to pace.

After several minutes of trying to get her thoughts in order she made the mistake of looking at Logan. He’d only put on his jeans and was sitting in the very spot where they had just made love with his arms braced on his upraised knees.

"Ummm… Well. Okay. You know that some scientists have developed cloning, right?" she asked as she turned away to resume her pacing.

"Yeah. What’s that got to do with anything?"

"Well, I’m the result of all those experiments."

"How so?"

"I’m genetically engineered."

"What?"

"I don’t know all the scientific jargon but suffice it to say that I’m related to no one on this planet.
Please let me finish before you start in with tons of questions that Hank will want the answers to as well, okay?" she asked as she held up a hand to forestall him from interrupting. "They, one of several groups dedicated to the betterment of mankind, created me from the sub-atomic level up. I’m not sure what my purpose with them would have been, because I was stolen from them when I was just a few days old. The group who stole me was military in their thoughts.

They were trying to build weapons out of people. They discovered that I had been given an X-gene and was a telepath, which is what they needed. I was being trained to hunt down other mutants and return them for experimentation. I was trained to kill just incase I had to." Melissa paused and looked to see how Logan was taking this news. And was surprised to find that he didn’t appear angry, merely interested. She had, of course, expected him to be angry. After all she
was telling him that there was a possibility that she’d known he was a mutant from the beginning.

"Okay, so if you have no genetic relatives then how where you born?"

"They had developed an artificial womb and grew me in it. It takes less time than in a human."

"How did you end up on that road when you were nine?"

"When I was six they started telling me the life history of some of the mutants I was going to go after and one of the stories was so sad, I just knew I’d never be able to harm that person. So I stopped cooperating with them. I got whipped every time I refused to do anything. Around that time I was given two new "parents". That’s what they called my handlers, the people in charge of my non-military training. They were tenderhearted people who didn’t care if someone was a mutant or not. They would have to clean me up after each beating. The woman would cry for hours and I’d end up comforting her. She decided that I’d had enough and talked her husband
into rescuing me. I suppose the higher-ups found out and had the car tampered with."

"But you could have died as well."

"Yeah, well, I’d already broken my conditioning so what did they need with a telepathic mutant that could turn invisible?"

"Is that a mutation of your X-gene?"

"No. It’s a bio-synthetic gland that was surgically attached to my adrenal gland. That’s why when I’m aroused or very angry I have to concentrate to stay visible."

"So the purring helped?" again with the sneer/smile.

"Oh, yeah. That’s a sound I really missed. I remember how scared I was that first night and as you held me you started purring. Fell right to sleep."

"Yeah, couldn’t get ya to go to sleep any other way for months." Logan grumbled. He might have been able to maintain the "no one can get under my skin"

attitude if they hadn’t just been as intimate as two people can be. Melissa saw right through his façade. She knew him better than he knew himself. While he’d had to live twelve years without her presence in his mind, Melissa had had Logan in hers everyday. She knew she should probably tell him about their psi-link, but just couldn’t do it. If knowing that she had been trained to hunt her own kind hadn’t made him angry, then telling him about the link would surely push him over the edge.

"Okay, enough digressing. What about Lucy and Jerintex?"

"Jerintex works for the military group that raised me. He was sent after me to bring me home. When he confronted me and I kicked his ass, he decided to kidnap Lucy to force the issue. I should have killed him then."

"Yeah, guess ya should have. So, did Summers corner ya while I was gone last week?"

"Nope. I think Charles or Jean told him to back off until you could be present for the tests."

"Alright, then. I guess when we get back to the manor we’ll let Hank have his way. I think he’s gonna cum in his pants when he hears about your gland."

"Hmmm. Maybe. I think he’ll be more interested in how they created me. Logan?" Melissa had stopped pacing and was facing the door.

"What?"

"Are you mad that I didn’t tell you any of this twelve years ago?"

"Nope. Although I do wish ya could have trusted me way back then." He replied as he turned her to face him.

"Sorry. I didn’t know how you’d take it. I was so scared that you’d just decide to dump me somewhere and never come back. I didn’t want to give you a reason to."

"I guess I didn’t make that any easier for you. I should have told you that there were times I thought about doing just that, but something always made me stick it out a little longer. It was like a voice in my head telling me that we needed each other."

"We did and we still do." Melissa replied as she pulled his face down for a kiss that made them both forget what they had been talking about and had them returning to the manor just before dark.

END PART 4