Everything hurt. Slowly Ororo's senses returned to her...there was bright light behind her closed eyes, and she could smell disinfectant in the air around her. She could hear people talking in low voices somewhere close by, but it was impossible to tell who was speaking and what it was they were saying.
She kept her eyes closed for the moment, trying to orient herself to her surroundings and remember what had happened. Sabretooth...her skin crawled when she remembered the feel of his claws and stinking breath against her skin, the white hot pain when he had sunk his teeth into her over and over...the sharpness of the pain was gone now, replaced by a dull, burning ache in her shoulders and waist. Cautiously she lifted her arm and reached across to the opposite shoulder, her fingers coming in contact with the rough surface of a bandage.
"Ororo?" a soft voice said. She opened her eyes slowly, blinking groggily in the bright light, and saw Jean's face hovering over her own.
"Hello," she croaked. "Where am I?"
"In the medlab at the mansion," Jean replied, her face breaking into a relieved smile. "How do you feel?"
"Awful," Ororo said, smiling weakly. "Carmen and her family...did we...?"
"They're safe," Jean assured her. "They're staying with us for now, and Xavier is helping them find a new place to live...far from here, where they can start over."
"Scott...and Logan?"
"They're fine, too," Jean said. She looked up and across the room with a smile. "In fact, there's someone here who's been waiting to see you."
Ororo followed Jean's eyes, her face lighting up as Logan's tall form came into her view.
"Logan!"
"Hey, darlin'," he said, his lips quirking in a small grin that was heart-stopping. He pulled up a stool and sat down beside her, taking her hand in his. "Good to see you smilin' again."
Ororo gave him a tired laugh, the pain of her wounds temporarily forgotten by the warmth of his touch. "It's good to have something to smile about," she said. A sudden flood of memories came back to her...Logan snarling, leaping through the air and knocking Sabretooth off of her...and she looked up at him in wonder. "You...you saved my life."
He shook his head. "No, Jean saved your life." He looked up at the redhead, his expression serious. "Jeannie was the one that patched you up again once we got you to the Blackbird."
"Mm...and who was it that got Ororo to the Blackbird in the first place?" Jean asked. Ororo looked at her in confusion...she could not remember how she got to the jet, but Jean saw her expression and shook her head. "I'll let Logan fill you in on those details," she said with a grin. "Now that you're awake, I can relieve Scott...he's been teaching my classes for me since we returned."
Ororo nodded and Jean squeezed her hand gently before exiting the room, the door sliding shut behind her. Ororo watched her go, then turned her attention back to Logan.
"How long was I asleep?" she asked him.
"About two days," he replied. "Jean had to give you some heavy painkillers once we got back to the mansion...they made you sleep longer than usual."
She shifted her weight on the bed and groaned a little. "Two days...it feels like it." She blushed and laughed ruefully. "My rear is beginning to hurt from lying in bed for so long."
He laughed with her. "Well, maybe Jean will let you out soon." He ran a finger along the edge of her shoulder bandage, sending a shiver down her spine as he brushed her bare skin. "These are healing well...Jean said you shouldn't have any scars."
"That's good," she said, hoping he couldn't see what his touch did to her. He couldn't know, anyway...to him, he was just being friendly and concerned. How could he know that his every touch to her skin set her on fire?
An odd expression crossed Logan's face, and she looked at him curiously. "What is it?" she asked.
He stared at her a moment longer, then shook his head. "Nothing...so, what do you want to do when Jean lets you go?"
She laughed and relaxed against the pillows. "I don't suppose you would take me out for ice cream?"
He grinned at her. "Jesus...you and your damn rum raisin," he said. "Ice cream it is, darlin'. It's a date."
* * * * *
Logan stayed to talk with her for almost an hour, their conversation about nothing in particular, until Jean came in after her class and shooed him out. Ororo needed her rest, she said, and told Logan he could come back tomorrow, since she would probably let Ororo leave the medlab sometime the next day to return to her own room.
She slept well that night, although her body was increasing in soreness from the long hours in bed, and the next morning she was awake and ready to leave when Jean came in to check on her.
"How do you feel this morning?" Jean asked.
"Much better," Ororo replied. "My shoulders are still a little sore, but I can move my arms without too much trouble."
"Well, let's see how your wounds are holding up under that movement." Jean gently unwrapped her bandages, probing the injured areas with careful fingers. "These look good," she said. "Just be careful not to move too much, or you'll open them up again."
"I'll be careful," Ororo replied. "Does this mean I can get up now?"
Jean smiled. "I don't see why not." She took fresh gauze from one of the storage shelves and began to cover the wounds again. "You'll need to come back to the medlab at least once every day so I can check your dressings, but other than that, you're free to go."
"Wonderful," Ororo sighed. She waited until Jean was finished, then she swung her legs over the side of the bed and gingerly lowered herself to the floor. To her surprise, her knees almost buckled, and she had to grab Jean to keep herself from falling.
"Uh-oh, hang on," Jean laughed, catching Ororo under the arms and steadying her on her feet. "You need to take it a little slower...it's an aftereffect of the painkillers I gave you. You might be slightly weak for a few days."
Ororo grinned shakily. "Now you tell me." She wobbled slightly, then when she thought she had regained her balance, she pushed away from Jean gently and tried to walk again. Almost immediately, her legs turned to rubber beneath her and she collapsed to the floor.
"Ororo!" Jean tried to stop her fall, but she moved too late. "My God...are you all right?"
"Help me up," Ororo said, reaching toward Jean. She caught Ororo's hands and pulled her gradually back to a standing position, making Ororo grimace at the dull pain that shot through her arms.
"Get back in the bed," Jean commanded, and Ororo didn't feel like arguing. By the time she was lying down on the pillows again, her heart was pounding and a cold sweat had broken out on her forehead. Jean eyed her critically, then took her pulse, shaking her head.
"I'm sorry, 'Ro, but you're not ready to get out of bed yet," Jean said. Ororo felt a surge of disappointment, but she could only nod.
"I had no idea that I was so...weak, after everything that happened," she murmured.
"Well, you did suffer quite a bit of blood loss...I should have known better," Jean replied. Just then the door to the medlab slid open and Logan came in, wearing his faded leather jacket.
"Hey," he said, then he stopped short when he saw Ororo's face. "Shit...what happened?"
"I'm fine, Logan," Ororo said.
"I thought she was ready to leave the medlab this morning, but we found out differently when she tried to walk," Jean replied. "The large amount of blood loss, coupled with the aftereffects of the painkillers I gave her...she's simply too weak to leave her bed as of yet."
"Well, damn," Logan said softly, pulling up a stool and sitting down beside Ororo. "I'm sorry." He studied her face for a moment, reaching up and brushing her hair away from her eyes. "I know you were looking forward to getting out."
Ororo didn't reply, wanting to enjoy the sensation of his hand against her hair. Jean watched them both with a small smile on her face, then patted Ororo's arm.
"I'm sorry too, Ororo. I need to go to my first class, but I'll be back to check on you in a few hours." She nodded to Logan. "You'll stay with her, won't you?"
"No problem," Logan said. Jean nodded and left the room, leaving the two of them alone again. He looked at her for a moment, thinking, then he lightly touched one of her bandages. "How do these feel?" he asked.
"I'm sore, but it's nothing serious," she replied. "My injuries are healing...it's just my legs that are choosing to betray me," she said with a laugh.
"So, except for walking, you're okay to go out?" Logan asked, cocking his eyebrow.
"Yes, but..." She looked at him suspiciously, a small smile playing on her lips. "What did you have in mind?" she asked.
He stood up and shoved his hands into his jacket pockets. "Well, you wanted ice cream, didn't you?" He looked around the medlab, then back at her. "We'll need to find you some clothes, though. I don't think you want to go out in that hospital gown."
Ororo shook her head, amazed. "I am not riding that motorcycle, Logan...thank you, but I don't think that would be a good idea."
"Neither do I," he replied. "We'll take one of the cars."
She stared at him, a slow smile spreading across her face. "You're serious, aren't you?"
"Yep."
"How do you propose getting me to the car?" she challenged.
"I'll carry you," he said with a shrug.
Ororo blushed. "I'm too heavy."
Logan lowered his head and looked at her, the side of his mouth quirking slightly. "Who do you think carried you to the Blackbird, darlin"?" he asked, his voice a low growl. "Scott?"
"You did?" she asked, surprised. When he didn't answer, she lowered her gaze and picked aimlessly at the blanket. "It seems I have much to thank you for."
"Don't mention it...you'd have done the same for me," he replied.
That made her laugh. "Saving your life, yes...carrying you out, no." She thought about it, then laughed again. "Dragging you out by your hair, maybe."
He grinned at her. "Remind me not to get knocked out when you're around." He looked around the room again. "Well, you're probably going to need some help getting dressed, and someone needs to get some clothes for you from your room." He cocked his head toward the door. "I saw Rogue in the kitchen as I came up. Want me to see if she's still around?"
She nodded, smiling. "That would be fine."
Logan surprised her by winking. "I'll be right back."
* * * * *
"Jean is sooo going to kill you guys."
Ororo looked up as the door to the medlab slid open and Logan came back in, closely followed by Rogue. The girl was carrying a small stack of folded clothes, a pair of Ororo's sneakers resting on top. She saw Ororo and brought the clothes over to her bed, shaking her head and grinning.
"Ah can't believe ya'll are doing this...if Jean finds out..." she began, but Logan cut her off with a growl.
"She won't find out if you don't tell her."
Rogue rolled her eyes at him. "Don't be silly, Logan. You know Ah'm not going to say anythin'." She put the clothes down beside Ororo and lifted up the sneakers. "Ah hope these'll be okay, Ororo. Ah didn't know where you kept everythin', but Ah thought you'd be comfortable in these."
"Thank you, Rogue," Ororo said, picking up the clothes in the pile. Jeans, socks, and a roomy pink button-up shirt that would go over her bandages nicely. A bra and panties were tucked discreetly in-between the shirt and the jeans, and Ororo lifted her head and smiled at Rogue. "These are perfect...you thought of everything."
"Ah'm glad," Rogue replied. "Ah still think ya'll are crazy, but..." She shrugged, then turned to Logan and pointed at the door. "You...out."
Logan spread his hands and moved to leave. "I'm going," he said. "Let me know when she's ready."
"Ah will. Now git." Rogue waited until the door slid shut behind him, then turned back to Ororo. "Now, let's see," she said, her hands on her hips. "Ah hope we can do this without you fallin' on your head."
"Me too." They laughed, then Rogue went to work.
* * * * *
After a good ten minutes of giggling, Rogue finally managed to get Ororo into her clothes. "You can come in now, Logan!" Rogue called, and when the door opened Logan found her tying Ororo's shoes.
"If I'd known you were going to have that much fun, I wouldn't have left," Logan snorted. "What in the hell were you doing in here, anyway?"
"Getting dressed, silly," Rogue teased. "You know it takes women longer."
Logan grunted, and Rogue laughed before giving Ororo a quick hug. "Ah've got to get to class," she said. "Promise me ya'll be careful."
"Get to class, kid," Logan said. "I'll bring her back in one piece."
"You do that, Logan," Rogue replied. "Or Ah'll be forced to hurt you." She grinned and walked out the door.
"Thank you, Rogue," Ororo called after her. Rogue responded with a wave over her shoulder, then the door closed behind her and they were alone.
Logan was studying her intently. "You ready?" he asked.
"I think so." Her heartbeat sped up as he moved closer to her, the faint, spicy scent of leather and tobacco surrounding him. "Are you sure about this?" she asked him softly.
"Why? You want to back out?" he asked with a wicked grin. "You can't be good all the time."
She lifted her chin defiantly. "What makes you think I can't be bad?"
He raised his eyebrows. "Hmm...I haven't seen it yet, but you might surprise me." Before she could react, he slipped one arm beneath her legs and put the other around her waist gently. "Put your arms around my neck," he said.
She did as he instructed, and then he lifted her off the bed and into his arms. She gasped a little at the quickness of his movement...he lifted her as if she weighed nothing at all.
"Are you okay?" he asked her, looking down into her face with concern.
"I'm fine," she replied, but in reality she was anything but. He said he'd carried her like this on their rescue mission, but she couldn't remember it, and the feel of his hard chest pressed against her body now was making it hard to think clearly. "I'm...not too heavy, am I?"
He shook his head. "Nope. Not at all." He walked to the door and the motion sensor opened and closed it behind them. "Let me know if I hurt you, okay?" he said, moving down the hall toward the elevators.
"I will, don't worry." Trying to seem casual, she let her fingers touch the hair at the base of his neck, enjoying the warmth of his skin beneath her hands.
He suddenly growled and glanced down at her. "Careful there, darlin'," he said, and stepped into the elevator with her. She moved her hands away, blushing.
"I'm sorry," she said.
"Don't be," he said gruffly. "It just tickles...I don't want to drop you."
"Oh." The elevator began to move up and she settled her weight comfortably against his shoulder, allowing herself to enjoy the smell of his shirt and the heat of his body against her cheek. After a few seconds the elevator came to a stop and the door opened again, revealing the paneled front hall of the mansion.
Logan looked cautiously down both sides of the hall, then, satisfied that they were alone, stepped from the elevator and moved toward the side door into the garage. He managed to get the door open without dropping Ororo, taking the steps into the garage carefully as he looked from one car to the next, trying to decide which one he wanted to take.
"What do you think, 'Ro?" he asked. "Which car to you want to go in?"
"One with good shock absorbers."
That made them both laugh, and he nodded his head. "How about the Mustang?" he asked.
"That sounds fine," she said.
Logan walked next to the gleaming red car and fumbled open the door, keeping her balanced in his arms. Once the door was open, he leaned in and placed her gently on the seat. "There," he said, turning to look at her, his face inches from her own. "How's that?"
Ororo couldn't answer. She'd never been this close to his face before, and she felt herself drowning in those dark eyes, unable to breathe. Something in her face must have caught his attention as well, for he suddenly froze and stared at her, the intensity of his gaze frightening.
"What is it?" she asked softly.
He leaned closer, inhaling deeply, and she watched as his eyes roamed her face, finally coming to rest on her lips. Dear God...he looked as if he wanted to kiss her...she held her breath, terrified yet hoping against hope that he would do just that.
Instead, he blinked once, then shook his head as if trying to clear it. "Nothing," he said finally, backing away from her and standing up. "You...you smell good, that's all."
He shut the door and moved around the car to the driver's side, and Ororo released her breath shakily. A wave of something like disappointment swept over her, but she made sure she didn't show it to Logan as he opened the door on his side and sat down beside her.
"Thank you, Logan," she said, hoping her voice sounded casual.
"For what?"
"For doing this," she replied, watching as he put the key in the ignition and started the car. "For spending time with me, when I know you probably have other things you'd rather be doing."
The car roared to life, and he looked over at her. "I like spending time with you, 'Ro," he said seriously. He put his hand on the steering wheel and revved the engine experimentally.
"Why?"
She didn't expect him to think about the question, but he did, and it was a long while before he spoke. "It's the way you look at me, I guess," he said finally. "Like you know everything there is to know about me...but you like me anyway."
She couldn't help but laugh. "There's a lot about you to like, Logan."
He gave her a funny look, but then he joined in her laughter. "I think ol' One-Eye might disagree with you on that one, darlin'."
"Oh, who cares about his opinion, anyway?" she said, and Logan laughed again, shaking his head and shifting the car into gear.
"Hang on," he said, and then they were roaring through the garage door and into the yellow sunshine.
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