Every Breath You Take

Author’s Note/Disclaimer: I’ll be going down some very dark paths in this fic. I love Kurt. And we always hurt the ones we love. Don’t we? “Every Breath You Take” is a song by the Police from the eighties. I used to love the song. More than a decade later I listen to the lyrics and realize just how creepy they are. I think it’s perfect for this story.

BTW: This Kurt Wagner is the Nightcrawler from XMen Evolution and hasn’t had quite the rough life his comic book counterpart had. At least up until now.

Please rate and review. I don't know it sucks if you don't tell me.

05/24/2007 – I just found a major error on my part that had made all the character’s internal thoughts invisible when posted online. I usually refrain from pulling up my own stories so as not to inflate the hit counter, but apparently I need to proofread online.

{This means character’s internal thoughts.}
**This means projected thoughts, as in telepathy.**

Chapter Thirteen: I Keep Crying Baby, Baby, Please...

As Adrienne and Kurt slept in their separate beds. The XMan called Wolverine was prowling the grounds, planning the route for his next group of trainees when he came across something odd. First he caught a whiff of scent. A scent that shouldn’t be there.

Then he found footprints, medium-small and bare. Nearby he found the marks that could have been made by only one man. He followed the marks, noted the pools of scent here and there, listening to the story they told his keen senses. He didn’t like what he heard. He didn’t like it at all.

He searched long enough to be sure that neither party still lurked on the grounds before returning to the mansion. He stalked past Kurt’s room and listened carefully at the door until he was certain he heard the younger man’s snores.

“She’d better be in one piece, kid.” He muttered under his breath before stalking off to collect his class of sleepy teens.

{Damn. I wish Chuck hadn’t taken off on that trip to Washington. Don’t think this rates calling him home. Yet.}


Adrienne rose stiffly from her bed in the morning, confused. It was nearly noon and she hurt all over. She felt dirty and something was snarled in her hair. The terror of the previous night had seemed like a nightmare until she spotted the twig on her nightstand and when she threw back the covers, there were dirt and leaves between her sheets.

{Oh God! It was real.}

Her heart began to race and she felt her resolve to stick things out waver. She stumbled out of bed and headed for the shower, locking the bathroom door behind her.

{As if that could stop him.}

She let the hot water wash over her body, easing some of the aches and pains and took the time to examine herself. Her legs were scraped and bruised and welts were still visible on her hips and thighs. There were no marks on her upper body that she could see and she was surprised. She had expected bruises, he’d gripped her so hard.

{Guess I won’t be wearing shorts for a few days.}

When she’d finished, she swallowed a couple of Tylenol before changing her sheets and heading downstairs to the kitchen. She was just finishing up a bowl of cereal when the phone rang. She looked at it for a moment before answering, almost fearing it might be Kurt.

“Hello?”

“Hello there. This Adrienne?”

“Yes. Who is this?”

“Logan. Remember? From the bookstore?”

“Yes. How’d you get my number?” She knew she hadn’t given it to him. Hell, she hadn’t even learned her own number yet.

“Information… Sorry about taking off the other day. I meant to offer to take ya ‘round. Show ya the sights here.”

“That’s O.K. Really. I wasn’t offended.”

“Well how about it? I can pick ya up in an hour or two.”

“Look…Um…Logan…I don’t really think I should. I’m sort of …involved.”

“I’m not looking for anything, kid. You just struck me as someone needin’ a friend. Someone to talk to mebbe.”

“Makes me sound pretty pathetic.”

“I’ll pick you up in about an hour. Wear somethin’ ta cover yer arms ‘n legs. We’ll be taking the bike.” *Click.*

She stared at the phone in her hand a moment. What was this? Another stalker or something else?

“Guess you got my address from information, too?”

Adrienne finished her breakfast and went back upstairs to change into jeans and a t-shirt. She found a light-weight jacket in her closet and pulled it out. Then she headed back downstairs to wait.

True to his word, Logan pulled up in the driveway in just a little over an hour. It was bad luck that Kurt chose that moment to ‘port into the guestroom upstairs. He’d tentatively decided to ask for her help, only to find her climbing onto the back of Wolverine’s motorcycle. His tail lashed the air behind him and he snarled as he watched them pull out.

“Bamf.”

Rather than risk a confrontation with the unpredictable Kurt, Adrienne had met Logan outside. She nodded a greeting and climbed aboard without a word, wrapping her arms around his waist. She closed her eyes and leaned against him as her gift reached out, slowly absorbing the warm living energy. So much more satisfying than the trees she had been making do with.

Logan was mildly surprised at the way she clung to him, but decided not to read anything into it. She had obviously done this before and he relaxed, enjoying the ride. If he hadn’t read those files, he might have been tempted to make a move. But for now he let the companionship loosen her up a bit.

They skirted the outer edges of Bayville, passing through some of the more scenic areas before he turned his bike into town. Here and there he pointed out some landmark or feature. Finally, he pulled into a park, one of his favorite spots. He parked his bike and helped her off.

“Time to stretch our legs.”

“Yeah. I’m kinda stiff. Haven’t ridden like that in a while.” She looked around at the trees and the small lake where ducks swam back and forth.

“Some benches over that way. We can watch the ducks, mebbe see a boat or two.” He led her down the trail next to the water. He noticed she moved stiffly as she walked beside him.

“This is pretty.”

“Yeah.” How to start this conversation without revealing he knew more than he should? He guided her to a bench with a hand on her arm and sat down next to her. They watched the ducks in silence for a few minutes.

“I was wondering, what do you mean by ‘sort of involved?’”

“I don’t really know myself. It’s kind of confusing.” Her eyes rose to follow a passing airplane.

{That’s true enough.}

“How so? You’re either with somebody or you’re not. ‘Least that’s how I’ve always thought of it.” He glanced at her, waiting for her answer.

“I guess we were never exactly ‘together’ so now we’re not exactly ‘apart’ either. Sort of thrown together by circumstance, I guess.” Her gaze dropped back to the ducks on the water.

“You afraid of this guy?”

“What?” She stiffened beside him and looked at him. “I never said anything like that.”

“You seem kinda…I don’t know…nervous, jumpy. Remind me of someone I knew before. She had that sort of problem.”

“Is that why you brought me out here?” He had her full attention now.

“Well, yeah.” He waited for her to respond, but she just stared at him. “Are you afraid of this guy?”

“I don’t need rescuing if that’s what you’re asking. This is something I have to sort out on my own.”

He could tell he’d hit home, but she wasn’t going to admit it. He was going to have to have it out with Kurt. Whatever she had done before, they weren’t going to be responsible for the kid abusing her. He didn’t know how exactly how Kurt had gotten past her powers, but he could think of a few possibilities himself. There was always a way.

“Look. I’m serious, call me if you need anything. Anytime day or night.”

“I have you on speed dial.” She patted her pocket and winked at him.

He dropped the subject and after a few more minutes they left the park. He took her on a tour of the city. He couldn’t help but notice the difference in her posture. There was a tension that hadn’t been there before. He insisted on treating her to dinner, overruling her objections. He needed time to think before he took her back home.

{I wish the Professor hadn’t vetoed telling her who we are. Makes this a lot more complicated.}

He kept the conversation carefully neutral during dinner and she gradually began to relax. They talked mostly about places around Bayville she might like to visit, along with carefully edited stories of his students at the Institute.

{I’ll talk to the kid later. If I don’t like his answers I’m putting him under lock and key until Chuck gets home.}

It was well after dark when they started back and Logan could feel the girl’s tension building as they got closer and closer to the cottage. He almost turned around and took her straight to the mansion, but instead delivered her to her door as promised.


Kurt had returned shortly before dark. Finding her still gone, he’d become more and more angry as time passed. His mind played the image of her wrapping her arms around the other man’s body again and again.

{How dare he? She’s mine!}

How dare Logan come and take her away? How could she touch him? She belonged here. Where he had given her everything she needed. Where he could come to her whenever he wished.

As the sun set and she still hadn’t returned, he began to form a plan and started making preparations. He listened in the back of his mind for the roar of Logan’s motorcycle as he worked.

{She’s mine. She’ll never question that again after tonight.}


Adrienne climbed off the bike and paused before climbing the porch steps, studying the windows, looking for some sign of a hidden watcher.

“You sure you’re O.K there, darlin’?” Logan sniffed deeply of the night air but picked up no hint of a lurker. If he was here, he was already inside.

“Yeah. I’m fine. Thanks for getting me out of the house.”

“Pleasure’s all mine.” He watched her go inside and shut the door before he turned his bike around and started back the way he came.

Adrienne stepped through the front door, flipping on the light as she entered, eyes scanning the room. *He* was there, staring at the retreating bike from behind the blinds. He glared at her and stepped towards her.

“Whore!” He spat and vanished, leaving a cloud of foul smoke behind.

She locked the door behind her with shaking hands, then pulled a beer from the fridge and sat down with it. He would be back. She knew it.

************************************************************************

Logan had nearly reached the gate when Kurt suddenly appeared in front of him. He had to swerve to miss the kid, toppling his bike and falling into a skid that tore the skin from one leg. More pissed over the bike than the leg, he rose cursing.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing Wagner!”

“You stay away from her! She’s mine.” The boy balled up his fists and for a moment, Logan thought the kid was going to hit him.

“A woman’s not a piece of property, kid.”

“You keep your hands off of her!”

“I haven’t touched her. She’s made it clear she’s spoken for, already.”

“She is.”

“Besides, she’s a bit young for me, don’t you think.” Logan raised a bushy eyebrow, hoping to diffuse the situation with a joke. It fell flat, but the boy relaxed a bit.

“Just being neighborly, getting her out of the house. You should try it sometime.” He picked up the bike and climbed back on it. He’d give the boy some time to cool off before sitting him down for a little chat. Then he took off, hoping he’d done the right thing.


Kurt returned to the mansion, making sure several people saw him there before heading to his room. He even went to bed and slept for a few hours. He didn’t stir when Logan cracked open the door to check on him. He had the whole night ahead of him.