The Gift

disclaimer: Except for a couple OC's, all characters are the sole property of Marvel Comics. We expect to recieve no monetary benefit from this story and it is meant for entertainment purposes only.
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The Gift
by Dizi and Jaenelle Angelline


Chapter 4

Having slept fitfully for what little had been left of the night, Charles was earlier than usual getting out of bed. Finding Scott and Ororo, the usually early risers, sitting companionably in the kitchen, he avoided their askance glances as he got his first cup of coffee for the day. Looking down into his cup, he asked the wind-rider to wake and assist Freckles in getting dressed at whatever time she felt would be appropriate.

Assuming the troubled young woman was weighing on his mind, which was true enough, she nodded understanding and promised to do as he asked. When breakfast was almost ready and most everyone was up and about, Ororo decided it was time for Freckles to join them.

"Freckles," she called, knocking on the door. "It is time for breakfast." When she received no answer, she opened the door and almost stepped on the girl laying on the floor. "Bright Lady! What are you doing on the floor, child? Come, it is time to get up, you must dress."

"Yes, Ma'am." Obedient as always, she did as she was told, then followed the woman to the dining room.

She stayed standing in the doorway however, when the chair she sat in the night before was occupied by Warren. Once again not wanting an incident, Scott held out a chair for her, then gave her a bowl of oatmeal, silently indicating the spoon. He ignored the looks his actions generated, Freckles not understanding or perhaps not noticing as her attention was again divided between her Master, the bowl of food, and Scott.

It was a silent meal for the most part, with several people watching Freckles surreptitiously. A single chair remained empty until close to the end as Hank was late, which wasn't unusual for him.

"Salutations all." He said as he took his place gingerly. "Good morning, Freckles."

She looked up at him but remained silent as no one had indicated to her the correct response.

"You're certainly cheerful." Jean noted with a strained smile.

"Indeed," Hank replied brightly, filling his plate high. "Despite forgoing much of my beauty rest, I might add. However, I completed my tests and analyzed the data gathered last evening on Freckles here. If I might prevail upon your time, Professor, I suggest a meeting of all interested parties to review my report."

"That would be fine, Hank." Charles agreed. "Shortly after breakfast?"

"My thoughts precisely," Hank beamed, digging into his food.

"Remy, Logan, if you would be so kind I, I would appreciate your input as well." He requested. "Betsy, it might be of benefit as well if you would attend."

"I would prefer not to, if you don't mind, Charles." She refused to his surprise, while Logan and Remy nodded agreement. "I really don't think I would be of any extra help, and we have... plans for the day." She smiled at Warren.

"As you wish," he said, not wanting details and grateful she hadn't volunteered any.

Speaking up, Scott said to everyone's surprise, "I'd like to attend."

"You are, of course, welcome to join us." Charles responded carefully.

Jean, however, gave Scott a sharp look. For a couple minutes, it was obvious by their expressions they were having an internal mental argument. It didn't last long though, ending with him squeezing her hand when she murmured softly, "If that's how you feel, I understand."

"We could take Freckles shopping while you are busy," Ororo suggested. "She has an obvious need for clothes."

Charles frowned in thought, and Logan opened his mouth to speak, but Remy spoke up first. "Dat not a good idea, Stormy. Best she stay at de mansion."

She started to object but Logan cut her off. "The Cajun's right, 'Ro. Somethin' happens an' ya get separated she's helpless. Anyone's meat."

Looking to Charles to overrule them, she clamped her lips tightly when he shook his head, clearly unhappy with the decision.

"We can shop without her." Jean stepped in, eager to be away from the girl with such strange thoughts.

"If something don't fit rahght, we can exchange it latah." Rogue said, also wanting to get away. She'd seen the look in Remy's eyes every so often when he looked at the new girl and wanted a distraction herself.

By the time Hank had finished eating and they had the table cleared the two other women had talked Ororo into being excited about spending at least the morning shopping for the person they were trying to get away from.

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After the women left, the five men made their way to Charles's study with Freckles in tow.

Scott closed the door behind him carefully, making sure that what was said inside didn’t filter to the girl sitting down and waiting expressionlessly outside. He then took a seat in one of the chairs opposite Charles’ desk. Hank lowered his considerable bulk in the other available chair, and Remy, with the same graceful disregard for formality he usually displayed, leaned on the edge of the desk. Logan leaned a shoulder against the window, looking out and thinking while the others were getting comfortable.

Once they were settled, Charles asked to get started, "What did you learn, Hank?"

"Quite a bit but not nearly enough." He continued after referring to his notes. “Physically, she is normal, more so than any human being could be expected to be considering the circumstances with which she has been surrounded. Respiration, heart rate, blood pressure and all other vitals are within acceptable parameters, though in my professional opinion her weight is at the lower end of the acknowledged range for her height. This coupled with a blood sample I took last evening, proves Logan's theory to be fact in that Freckles's nutritional needs have not been sufficiently met for the amount of healing she has been forced to do. The situation can be rectified with a careful schedule of frequent, plentiful meals and injections of broad-spectrum vitamins which I shall give her when I look her over again today. Now she is being properly cared for, her injuries should be fully healed by evening. Then I expect to begin testing to establish the strength of her healing factor."

"That sounds reasonable." Charles approved. "It will be interesting to see the differences between Freckles and your abilities in that area, Logan."

"Indeed, I am quite looking forward to it." Hank enthused. "For example, I believe I noticed at breakfast her hair has grown since I last saw her. Yesterday when she arrived it was to her shoulders, now it is to her shoulderblades. I will want to see if this is the normal rate it takes to grow back after being cut or if her other injuries caused the growth rate to slow. I am assuming at this time it will stop growing at a genetically predetermined point. Like Logan here," he nodded to the other man, "she may be much older than she appears, or the stresses in her life coupled with not having her nutritional needs met may have caused her to apprear more aged than usual. If the latter is the case, her healing factor may cause her to begin appearing younger as it comes to it's full strength."

"That ain't necessarily a bad thing," Logan muttered, with an image in his mind of her looking even younger but still being at least eighteen.

"I did not mean to imply it was, simply explaining just a couple of the possible side effects of her coming to full strength." He looked at the man meaningfully. "I expect it to take a couple days for her system to start to normalize once she is fully healed."

Swearing under his breath at the implication, Logan knew he wouldn't be able to stay away from Freckles all that time, even if he was going to take it easy on her. "Let's get on with this then. Looks like Betsy ain't the only one with plans fer the day."

"Not satisfied last night?" Remy said in a low voice to him, with a smirk. "Remy said toys be no fun."

"She's got a sweet ass, though. Once she's healed she'll be able to take all I give her." Logan said just as low.

"You gon' wait dat long?" A doubtful tone was in his voice. "Remy don' t'ink you can."

"Shut up, Gumbo. We'll see how long you wait once you get a taste a her."

"To continue," Hank said loudly, interrupting them and consulting his notes again. "I am not a psychologist but there are several points that I found to be important when speaking to her. She seems emotionally and physically very controlled. Too controlled, in my opinion. I took the liberty of monitoring her vitals as I examined her, and also did several things calculated to cause some discomfort during the course of my examination. She did not, even once, display any sign that she felt the discomfort, nor did she have any adverse reactions to most of the questions I asked her. I am not sure whether to interpret that as having been desensitized to the pain, or if she was blocking or actively dissociating from it. That would be something I’m interested in, but have no way of ascertaining.”

"I have to admit I’m curious as to her complete lack of emotion and independent thought.” Charles interjected. "I definitely want to investigate it further."

“I believe that may have been a survival tactic,” Hank said thoughtfully, frowning slightly as he looked at Charles. “To judge from her reaction, her past must be so traumatic that she either blocked it out completely or she has withdrawn deeply into herself to escape the intolerable reality of her life, such as it was. It’s not unheard of, though trauma of this sort usually manifests itself as a multiple personality disorder. In order simply to survive she was compelled to subsume that part of her which makes her herself. She had to suppress or lock away her soul…her spirit, for lack of a better word…though I dislike using intangible words to describe a known concept."

"Not that yer a psychologist," Logan said dryly and Remy snorted.

"It is not my acknowledged field, though I do have some interest in it and did some research last night." Hank said with some dignity, adding enthusiastically, "Did you know--"

Scott cleared his throat, prompting Charles to say gently, "Let's try to stay on topic, Hank."

"Very well. Moving on, there were other points I found significant. She has no real knowledge of her age, which may coincide with her healing factor or have some other meaning entirely. Her sense of self may also be in question as she refers to herself as 'it'. Whether this is habit or in actuality how she thinks of herself, I would have no way to be certain myself. Ororo mentioned to me in passing that she had found Freckles asleep on the floor when she went in this morning."

“She slept on the floor!?” Charles exclaimed. "I thought she'd feel more at ease near me, but one of the main reasons I chose that room for her was because it has a soft mattress, I figured she'd need it with those ghastly welts."

"I'm sorry, Charles, but the most obvious explanation for this is that she was not permitted to sleep on a bed, and so did not think to do it here. You may have to order her to do so as she is not used to such niceties.” Hank said gently. "What I was actually working up to was I believe all of this has a direct correlation to how she relates to others, which is obviously not well. I was unable to make any real determination as to her intelligence because of these factors and am unwilling to take for granted the word of the... person who delivered her to our establishment."

"She smart," Remy inserted, "real smart."

"May I ask how you came to that conclusion?" Hank asked curiously.

"Remy watch, he listen. De fille, she learn quick how to eat right. She don' need be reminded how to act at de table dis morning. Last night she not know Bobby talking to her and she give de right answer. She starved but she know not to eat de food too fast so she don' get sick." Remy shrugged. "She smart, nobody do all dat and not be smart."
"Fascinating, I had not considered these events." Hank mused. "They could be considered signs of intelligence or more evidence of conditioning, learned survival skills if you will."
"Maybe she learn dese t'ings to survive, but if she not smart she still not learn dem quick and not so good." Remy insisted.
Charles interrupted before they could get further into a discussion on it. "I believe you're right, Remy. Perhaps the way she picks things up will work in our favor. She should be able to accept commands to change her distressing habits."
"Hold on, Chuck," Logan cautioned. "I agree with ya, but don't think ya can just give 'er an order and make her be a different person. Ya gotta do it gradual like, orders cain't change the way she thinks."
"If only it were that simple, but I do know that, Logan. But hopefully by instructing her in the way we expect her to act - which you said to do, by the way - she will perhaps start out by doing so to please us and end by it having become natural to her."
"Maybe," Logan said doubtfully. "But we'll hafta see."
Letting the others absorb the idea, Hank took off his glasses and began to clean them. Several moments passed before he said, "There is more but I hesitate as much of it may be considered indelicate."

Charles chose his words carefully. "I have always chosen not to interfere or look into your private lives. Not only is it not my business, but I did not in any way wish to be seen as judgmental of your preferences. However, as I'm sure you understand, I feel the need for advice which only you can provide so as to help Freckles as best I can."

"How blunt ya want us ta be, Chuck?" Logan asked consideringly.

"Unfortunately, I fear we will all need to speak plainly. This is a situation I feel completely out of my depth in." Charles sighed. It was also information he had never really wanted to know.

They all looked at Scott, who shrugged resignedly. "I need to know what's going on. I didn't expect it to be pretty. The situation, not Freckles."

"As you wish," Hank replaced his glasses and once again consulted his notes. "As I said, she should be fully healed by evening. Another side effect of her healing-factor seems to be that her hymen continually heals as well.
"What?" Scott's confusion was very evident. "There's no way she's... untouched."

"Loss of her virginity is a very small injury compared to others she suffered regularly. Most likely it would not take long for it to heal."

"That explains the blood," Charles muttered so low only Logan was able to hear him.

"You an' her, Chuck?" He raised one bushy brow sardonically. "Didn't know ya had it in ya. Anythin' ya wanna share with the group?"

Flushing, Charles clamped his lips shut, unwilling to respond, determinedly focusing his attention on Hank.

While the others continued to discuss it futher, Remy stepped to Logan's side, saying in an undertone, "She a virgin, mon ami? All de time?"

Logan smiled, a wide wolfish grin. "Yep. Was somethin' I never thoughta before, havin' never run across a woman with a healin' factor, but I felt it last night when I fucked her."

"Adds a bit of spice, non? Not dat Remy changed his mind, but he see de added attraction."

"Damn right it does. Don't tell me the thought o' screwin' a perpetual virgin don't make ya wanna fuck her like there's no tomorraw, Gumbo."

"Mais oui," Remy agreed. "What man wouldn't? Scotty dere goin' be t'inking 'bout it too, way she got de look of Jean."

Logan smirked wickedly. "He sure is, can smell it from here."

"Remy get to her sooner or later, just want it be later for now."

"We'll see, Gumbo. We'll see."

"... The time it takes for regrowth will be another good indication of the strength of her healing factor." Hank had continued his report ignoring the side conversation.

"Poor kid." Scott shook his head in sympathy.

"Indeed, the abuse I surmise she has been under would have ruined another person utterly. From what information I recieved last night, I believe her current injuries were created to displaying her attributes, so to speak."

"My impression of Dr. Gatlin is becoming worse all the time," Charles breathed. "The man is a monster for what he's done to her."

"I agree with ya on his character, Chuck. Guy's got a bad smell ta him." Logan agreed with a sneer. Gatlin had offended him on several levels. "But it ain't necessarily because o' that he done it. Got ta be honest with ya and say it's usual ta let a new Master know what a sub can handle. Sometimes it's done in just that way. Freckles said she's had lots'a different Masters so we cain't assume he's responsible fer what she is."

"As a professional in his field, I would have thought he would do his best to help her, not reinforce her problems." He sighed. "Her list of problems grows by the moment. How many are responsible for the horrific situation she is in?"
"The magnitude is multiplied when one takes into account her sexual activity began at age seven." Hank said it matter-of-factly and fell silent, waiting for the expected reactions.

Leaning forward, the expression in his eyes hidden behind those ever present ruby lenses but horror in his voice, Scott said disbelievingly, "SEVEN?"

"Affirmative." Hank answered heavily if calmly, having had all night to try and wrap his mind around the concept.

Remy made an unintelligible sound and strode to the far wall of the room in order to pace furiously by the bookshelves, his thoughts moving much faster. This was not what he had expected to hear.

"Seven," Charles murmured sadly. "She was still a child. She had a nightmare last night but... I never imagined her experience had been garnered so young."

With the others so preoccupied, Hank was the only one to see that Logan did not go into the rage which would have been usual for him, though he was visibly upset. He assumed he must have made the discovery the night before as well. "Because she bleeds each time she has intercourse, which previously seems to have been often, she is currently unaware of menstrual cycles and she did not understand my line of questioning into that area entirely. Or it is possible her body does not menstruate. Normal feminine activity of that nature may be suspended, so to speak, in the same manner as age. Any sign of menstrual activity needs to be reported immediately for my research."

"I can tell when a woman's body changes, I'll let ya know if I smell anythin'." Logan promised.

"She has been here less than twenty-four hours and we know intimate details about her body but not how to really help her." Charles moaned in horror. "What if Gatlin is right and some of the Genoshan mutates have been conditioned to be like this?"

"Not much chance o' it bein' as extreme as this 'un. She was started when she was a kid, an' the Genoshans waited 'til they manifested, sometimes that's late in life. Not ta mention, they may've been sexual playthings but that don't mean they was abused like they done ta Freckles. You'll just hafta take it a case at a time, or the Genoshan authorities will anyway."

"Do you think it makes that much of a difference?" Charles let hope infuse his voice. "I would think they would have kept the mutates submissive."

"There's a big difference between bein' submissive and bein' abused." Logan hitched a thigh on top of the desk. "Take Wings an' Betts fer example. She likes hearin' him cry out in pain an' he likes it so much it's a pleasure, the biggest there is fer him."

"Dey not serious, t'ough." Remy jumped in. "Dey playin' games."

"I ain't got that far yet." Logan gave him a scowl before going back to his explanation. "Wings is a sub but if he was ta decide ta make himself a slave he'd give over control o' everythin' ta Betts an let her do what she wants. That means all his financials and legal stuff, everythin'. I think he's been tempted ta do it, but he'd hafta give up bein' an X-Man and neither a 'em wants that. She'll push his limits and make him do stuff he's reluctant ta do, but she wouldn't take real advantage of him an' ain't gonna force him do somethin' he really don't wanna." Logan pointed a finger at Remy who had been about to speak. "Keep yer clap shut, I'm tellin' it!"

"Remy t'ink you takin' too long and you not tellin' it all." He scowled back at the other man, unwilling to back down.

"I'm gettin' to it." Logan rolled his eyes and turned back to the others waiting impatiently during the interruption. "Fer most inta that scene they like pain or havin' someone else in control, but fer Wings an' Betts it's 'bout sex. That's why Remy says they're playin'."
"Non, dey don' take it serious, wit' anyone else dat dangerous. Wit' someone like Freckles, it be very dangerous." Remy clarified. "Remy learn dat de hard way."
"Someone not treat ya right?" Logan's face had turned hard.
"De other way around, mon ami." There was pain in Remy's voice at the memory of what he had done, unintentional though it was. "It be hard to tell a toy's limits."
Nodding once in acknowledgement, Logan understood now Remy's reluctance towards the girl. Such a lesson would weigh on anyone. "An' that almost brings us ta Freckles. Subs're punished when they're bad an' rewarded when they're good. Toys don't care either way. Freckles ain't never even come."
Remy cursed loudly in French, while Charles and Scott were somewhat shocked and didn't speak.

"And how did you determine this?" Hank asked curiously.

"Comin' is a subs main reward." Logan shrugged. "Ta show her she been doin' a good job an' we're pleased with her progress I was gonna let her. But she ain't never done it so she didn't understand. Might be 'cause a her age, but mostly she was jus' used an' used hard."

"Den she be a toy from de beginning," Remy said softly, shaking his head sadly.

"Probably."

"Wait, I thought that was a given." Scott said in confusion. "Isn't that how someone becomes that way? From abuse?"

"Non." Remy answered before Logan had a chance. "Dere be toys out dere, but very few made dat way on purpose against dey will. Some want to be a t'ing not a person and it dey choice. Most been sub or slave too long. Dey desensitized and become a toy cause dey get dey don' feel not'hing but don' wanna stop, again it dey choice."

"Yeah, that's what I thought at first, that she'd been in the game too long. But if she was molested as a kid insteada startin' early then she's one'a the few deliberately forced ta be this way. It was an easy mistake ta make," he defended himself. "She looks young an' most of 'em that start too early burn out. Their pain threshold gets so high neither they nor a really good top can always tell when they've passed the point o' no return. With my heightened senses, I can tell better 'n most but it ain't 'cause they're scared or in pain, it's cause I can hear their heart slowin' down an' such. Main reason Remy here," he nodded to his teammate standing stiffly with his arms crossed, "says toys're no fun is cause ya gotta pay closer attention to 'em an' what yer doin'. If ya don't an' go too far, they can die. Either way they get that they don't do nothin' ya don't tell 'em to an' they're jus' like their namesake. A toy, a thing, somethin' that's jus' there."

"Perhaps it would be a good idea to stop all sexual contact for the foreseeable future," Charles said in a shaky voice, overwhelmed by all he'd been told.

"Sounds like it'd be best, don't it? But it ain't. I know I teased ya, Chuck, but it's like I told Jeannie last night, Freckles won't understand if nobody does nothin' ta her. She told me one a' her former masters said she's at least eighteen. That means she's been livin' this way fer eleven years minimum. It's become her way o' life, gotta change her gradual, remember?"

"Fascinating." Hank had been taking notes the entire time Logan had been talking. "Living in physical pain has become her natural state of being."

"Horrifying's more like it." Scott shuddered.

"More'n ya know. I, uh, didn't take the news 'bout her history very well." Logan sighed. "Hell, I freaked so bad I didn't take in how she was reactin'. She don’t like talkin’ bout the subject. She REALLY don’t like talkin’ ‘bout it. Thought fer a moment there she was gonna hyperventilate; her breathin’ rate hitched up, heart rate skyrocketed, started getting’ all tense… I got a little rough with her an' that snapped her outta it."

“Logan, you really shouldn’t have-” Scott began, shocked.

“Keep yer drawers on, Slim,” Logan said irritably. “I told ya, it's what she's used ta. After so long o’ experiencin’ it, pain's familiar, and what’s familiar is comfortin'. She ain't like most, gettin' rough with her put her back ta normal insteada makin' it worse."

While they took in this new concept, Remy initiated another side conversation. "How rough you get, homme?"

"Told ya I fucked her ass?" Logan waited for Remy's nod. "Well I was in the middle o' my second time screwin' her while I questioned her. Thought she'd squeeze my dick off when she didn't take ta the question o' her first time. When I realized she needed the pain, I really let her have it. Gotta have hurt, she's so damn tight. That healin' factor keeps her ass from stretchin' much. God, she felt good."

"And you gon' wait for more, huh?" Remy asked in amusement, disbelief evident.

"That's why I'm cuttin' out, so I don't give inta temptation," Logan answered wryly.

"...I called to talk to her after the conference and was told she was on an overseas trip for Frost Enterprises and wouldn’t be in the States for a few weeks." Charles was saying in response to something they had missed. "I’ll call the secretary again and ask her to have Emma call me when she gets back. You're correct that she might be of assistance. But you're most likely right that Freckles has subdued her true self, Hank, so I think any counseling should start from within. I am reluctant to enter so troubled a mind and will need some time to prepare before I try."

"Whatever you believe best, Professor. My tests will be more physical in nature." Hank was still writing his notes as he spoke.

"I suppose the only question we're left with is what to do with her in the meantime. She will not be with either of us all the time."

"Sadly, no. Much of my interim time will be passed reviewing data."

None of the other men noticed how Logan's eyes and thoughts had gone away while he listened to the exchange going on outside the study door...


*****to be continued*****

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after word: My co-author is having some personal issues so it might be a little while before chapter 5 is done. Sorry.