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Ultimate Coverup	By : Polymer Category: X-men Comics > Het - Male/Female Views: 1569 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own X-Men comics, or any of the characters from it. I make no money from from the writing of this story.

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Chapter 9

"Is she here?" asked a voice. She blocked her thoughts, clamping down her psi shields. She could hear Lorna Dane and Jean Grey calling her name.

She moved as quietly as she could, away from the voices as she moved into the woods. It wouldn't be too hard to find her way back. Even though it was a five-mile hike she could see the stars overhead pointing the directions well enough. An inner guidance was giving her an oddly clear view of where to go, and the moonlight seemed bright enough to allow her to make her way through the otherwise pitch darkness.

Finally when she was outside the range of their voices she collapsed by a stream and began to cry. The babbling rush of water drowned out her sobs. She bent over double, hugging her knees and clenching her teeth as she let her anger drain from her.

~*"Michelle where ARE you?" ~* came Jean's mental query. ~*"We're worried SICK!"~*

"I needed to get away� I don't feel good�"

~*"Girl what is going on? Logan's worried sick! He's giving me nine shades of holy hell!" ~*

"He shouldn't' worry. I can take care of myself," Mariko telepathed back. "I can't�"

~*"Michelle, if you didn't want to go you should have told us�"~*

"I did� I mean I� oh I can't think anymore. Please� don't try to find me. I'm going to make my way back to the mansion�"

~*"Now you're nuts," ~* said Jean's acid reply. ~*"I'll come find you� Storm can track you with my guidance and fly you back�"~*

"Please I'm begging you don't� Jean� I can't stand to be around anyone now�"

~*"Michelle�"~* came Jean's sigh.

"Trust me on this Jean. I need to work through this alone. I promise when we're back at the mansion I'll explain. I'm sorry I ruined your night out�"

~*"If that's the way you want it� but if you change your mind�"~* Jean trailed off. Mariko willed the wall around her mind, cursing and hoping that she would leave her alone.

Curling up and hugging her knees, she buried her chin in them. Tearing at her hair and wishing she could tear out what had mingled with her blood. That part of her that was Logan's worst enemy. She couldn't stand to think of him being with her when Creed's blood flowed in her veins. He'd heard about it no doubt. Even if he was accepting it, she couldn't.

The cold wasn't too bad; she rationalized as she sat there under the tree. She sipped some of the water and pulled the leaves around to make some sort of a place to sit. It was cold, and slightly damp, but she welcomed the silence. Something seemed neutral about it. It wouldn't judge her unworthy.

A crackle through the trees caught her ears. She snapped to attention, adrenaline pounding. Something was there, and she could hear it. Even though it moved silently she knew something wasn't right. Call it a warrior's instinct or the byproduct of that factor she hated. Whatever it was it was moving quietly but still letting some noise be heard.

"It wants me to know it's looking for me," she said. If it was Logan she couldn't face him. Not after how she had humiliated and dishonored him before his friends.

Logan paused at the edge of the woods, shaking his head in disbelief. Did she honestly think the situation was bad enough to run away from? �Love to know what�s runnin� through that mind of yours Hon...� he thought to himself. He sighed and crouched low to the ground, picking up her scent immediately. He started into the woods, slowly and quietly. He didn�t want to startle her into fleeing deeper into the woods.

He picked up her scent getting stronger, and another scent along with it...blood. �Damn...she must have cut herself on somethin�...Hang on...I�m comin� � he pleaded mentally, hoping she hadn�t injured herself in anyway.

Mariko�s enhancements were coming to fruition now that she knew about them. She could actually see well enough in the dark without a flashlight. From tree to tree she wended her way, hoping she could reach the mansion five miles away.

Her feet were hurting, cut on the branches and she realized she must have been bleeding. "Great..."

Angrily she plunged further in till she reached a stream. She washed her feet off and saw that she was already healing. The alcohol was already metabolized.

"Damn can�t even get drunk," she said to herself. Why was she running? She had seen Wolverine flip out at Hank over something regarding Creed. Did he know? If he did... he would hate her. But if he had heard and was still acting like this... was it out of pity? Either way the logic made no sense. It was instinct.

He sped up, still moving quietly and thanked whatever powers that be when he saw her up ahead at a stream. He heard her say something to her self and chuckled. "You really oughta stop that habit of yours...talkin to yourself..." he spoke out loud.

She balked, and splashed forwards in the stream, instinct telling her to run. He couldn�t know. If he did, it would only serve to hurt him later. Every time she would kiss him or heal or send into a rage he�d remember it was because of Creed. And hate her for it.

"Hey!" he yelled jumping after her. "Hey calm down damnit! I�m not gonna hurt ya for cryin out loud!" He reached out to steady her and looked over her briefly. She seemed relatively fine except for the bruises and cuts on her feet and the fact that she was freaking out over something. She tripped and fell, giving up. He would hunt her down wherever she would go.

"Michelle," came his voice and she bit her lip, not wanting to answer. "I know you�re here� don�t run from me�"

Hearing the crack of twigs and the splash of water only ten feet away, she bit her lips, she let her tears flow freely. He knew she was there, and he was going to come and make her face how she had angered him. For his own good she had to tell him that she never wanted to see him again. How he was better off with someone else. Someone worthy of him. Not her. It hardly seemed rational, her brain told her. After all, he had killed too. But the secret she harbored was far too much for her to bear. Sooner or later it would fester and destroy the bond developing between them.

"Michelle, come on, it�s cold out here, and I know you�re not gonna want to spend the night out here without someone� and I�ll be damned if I�m gonna leave your ass out here�" Logan said distinctly.

"Don�t... please don�t... I�m not..." she trailed off.

"Hey...I�m not gonna hurt you. Please just calm down and get outta this freezin� water before you catch a cold. I just wanna talk..." he said soothingly. He felt the freezing water creeping up his jeans and soaking in... And he was only ankle deep, where as she�d fallen in.

She shivered on the rocks, sobbing. "I�m not... I�m not worth it!"

"What�s going on. Talk to me� I told you if you needed to talk, I�d be here! Here I am!"

"There is nothing to say. I can�t see you anymore Logan," she answered.

"Michelle, what the HELL is this about? What�s this coming from?" he asked. "You�re not talking sense! Is it because you�re ashamed to be with me? Because I�m not buying it! I know that�s bull� so why don�t you TRY again?"

"No," she sobbed as she heard the pain in his voice. It tore her heart out. <"I� it is I who is the unworthy one. I cannot be around you� because I have something inside me that will always remind you of your greatest foe� I care about you too much to shame you�"

"I�m sick n� tired of that, Michelle. You and I�ve gone through a lot of shit. And you owe me a better explanation than THAT�"

"Logan, I saw you screaming when Hank mentioned Creed in the infirmary�If you knew what I was... you�d run from me now."He leaned down in front of her so she was eye level. "Hey...Read my lips...I don�t give a shit about that. Creed�s a vindictive son of a bitch who gets his jollies outta torturin� me. You ain�t him so don�t worry." He stuck his hand out. "Now lets get you off those rocks..."

"No... You don�t UNDERSTAND Logan-san..." she said insistently. "He�s PART of me... His FILTH pollutes my body... how can you like me?"

"Listen...You ain�t him...that�s really all that matters right? You�re seein� yourself as a monster right now. But you know what I�m seein?"

"But... Beast... he found... my blood... my healing factor... all the things I didn�t question... I didn�t remember till now... he injected me... with his blood... and it changed me. I denied it... but half of my blood, my genetic heritage is from that bastard. Polluting me forever."

"He told me hon. I don�t care. I really don�t...all that�s changed is you gained a few nifty little abilities from him right? I ain�t buyin� the whole �I�m a monster� game. I�m seein� an attractive young woman shivering on a pile of rocks. So what do ya say we go sit somewhere a little more comfortable huh?"

"I... I�m not worthy... Logan-san, he violated me in a way worse than rape!" she choked.

He stood and offered his hand once more. "Cut the bullshit and come here will ya?"

She backs away and splashes into the stream, stumbling to the other side. A low growl sounded from her throat. "I can�t let you do this... feeling sorry for me... I..."

Logan took a breath, calming his temper down. "I�m gonna tell you this once. I don�t feel sorry for anyone got it? If I didn�t like you and I didn�t wanna be with you I wouldn�t have tracked you out here. I would have left you alone. Now you have a choice...come with me or I�ll drag you outta the damn water..."

Like a scared animal she stood across the rippling bands of silver. Her eyes were wide and regarded him as if he was the predator stalking her. Not daring to move, she was afraid to hurt him and run as well as afraid to go to him. Instead she waited for his next move.

He moved slowly, inching his way towards her. "Come on. Standin� in this stream sucks...I know you cant be comfortable." he muttered. Still she stood there, not moving and wide-eyed. "Your cold and shivering...come on."

He wrapped his hand gently around her arm, that way if she tried to bolt at least he�d have a grip on her. She dropped to her knees, crying as the rage leaves her. Her eyes lose the wild animal look and she is a woman again, sobbing.

"Woah...Calm down Hon..." He leaned down and awkwardly scooped her up. "Come on...lets go sit down...get you back together." He soothed as he headed towards a clearing.

Surrendering herself to him she sobbed, "I�m so sorry... so sorry... Dishonoring you in front of your friends..."

Images flooded her mind and she could no longer stop them. She remembered her reactions to Creed when she would dress up as geisha to please him, to stave off another night of the threat of sex. To help those who needed the favors that she could beg from him. Food, medicines... She is 2 people, victim/survivor, and warrior. He never touched her... but insisted she was with him... entertaining him... his servant, the feeder of the hard cases in the compound... Making plastics, fighting and killing those he told her deserved death.

"Shhh...Cut it out w/ that dishonorin� stuff. It ain�t like that ok? It ain�t that bad." He set her down on one of the fallen tree trunks and tossed her his leather jacket. "You might need that." he told her w/ a grin. "I can see right through your shirt."

She sniffled and pulled the coat around her. Now she became a woman who played the willing servant whose body creed could never have... under threat of being taken. The only means of fighting to stay alive was to be docile and stare back with eyes that reflected a spirit he could never break.

He sighed, the grin disappearing. "Your supposed to laugh...just shake the bad thoughts away. You�re stronger than that..."

"Strong enough to survive, but not strong enough to return to normal life... you say it doesn�t matter now, but it will� you�ll loathe what I represent�"

"Michelle� would you please listen to me a moment? I don't hate you� dammit� this isn't your fault�" Logan gritted in exasperation. He tore at his hair.

"I have killed people for him Logan. Formed a katana out of plastic that was almost hard as steel. Threw shuriken into enemies so they were riddled with them like a constellation... as well as making shielding for warriors... and..."

"You know that doesn't cut ice with me, darlin. You know I'm a killer too. If anything I understand you far more than ya realize�" She flinched at his hand clamping on her shoulder. He was directly in front of her now, crouched on one knee, his eyes glowing slightly in the darkness. Unable to look him in the face she averted her gaze. His hand stroked her cheek.

She pulled away, pushing his hand aside; "You remember what they did to make you what you are. So do I. I remember... that they had some sort of operations done... they injected me with some sort of genetic virus. With donated material� I remember Creed stroking my face over the operating table and lying down on a bed next to mine. I was bleeding, and Creed's blood was injected into my body�"

"So that's the hold he has on you� why he didn't wanna let you go," Logan shut his eyes. "Damn vicious, sadistic bastard."

"And do you want to know why he did it?"

"I can guess," Logan said as he felt his hair bristling. "But does it really matter? Does any of this friggin matter to me? No!"

Michelle shook her head, letting the story pour out of her, "You have to know it all� He did it because I was one of the few who didn't fear Sabretooth. And I suppose that's why he made me into a blood relative. So I was forever cursed to remember him�"

"Jesus Christ," muttered Logan. "This is just�"

"His healing factor had something of a lasting effect," she whispered, shivering. "And with the proper genetic tampering it bonded to my cells, increasing my and my cousin's abilities to the level of a highly trained ninja. It was so easy to learn to fight, to use our powers in a violent manner� increase my physical abilities... I'm stronger than I ever was and yet... I already have learned, and yet I feel as if I could snap at a moment's provocation..."

"You're like me then, don't you see? Is that why you're thinking your not worthy of me? Because I remind you of what you are?" Logan asked. "Cause that's even more crazy!"

"Because I remind you of your enemy, the worst parts of you that are the animal," she whispered.

"Michelle, I don't see that when I look at you. God, all the things you're saying are things I've thought. It's gonna tear ya up inside if you let it�" Logan said, agitated.

"That's why I can't be with you�"

"It don't matter, dammit!" Logan said quickly.

"It should�" Mariko bit her lip.

"Hey! You listen to me!" he said loudly, unable to keep his frustration out of his voice. "I've been abducted, tortured, starved, beaten, had half my life taken away from me...I cant freakin' remember my parents or what I got for my 7th birthday...I've been shot, stabbed, electrocuted...and you know what? The only thing that keeps me sane is not to think about it if I don't have to!" She regarded him in shock. His words cut into her stupor, angry harsh and true. He closed his eyes and sat down heavily next to her. "Shit...I'm sorry...I didn't mean to snap at ya..."

"You are right. I'm feeling sorry for myself. I shouldn't. I am better than this..." she said, glancing away in shame.

"You are...that's what I'm tryin' to say...The past doesn't matter anymore...you gotta move on...or ya lose it. Been there done that."

"So, you don't� hate me for having part of Sabretooth� inside me?" she asked once again.

"Hon, we've been OVER that! Not at all. His mistake. Cause he'll be embarrassed knowin' he helped create an X Man," Logan chuckled lightly.

"But it's so easy to say I'm going to live for now, and not so easy to just do it," she trailed off. "Can life be a fight? To live in the moment without a past? Is that what I must do? Make the NOW be what I live for?"

He looked at her, patting her hand. "I do it every damn day. I wake up after some horrid nightmare I can't remember...and go on livin' my life as it is now. Is it hard? Yeah...You gotta get through it."

Under the moonlight breaking through the trees she saw him as clearly as in day. She gripped his hand in desperation. It is the only thing real to her, along with the enhanced senses bombarding her with stimuli. Her fingernails dug into his flesh slightly, then she released him, apologizing, "Sorry... I don't know my own strength...""Hey, I'm not complainin, darlin," Wolverine chuckled. "If anything, I'm the right guy to be doing that to�"

"Why now of all times is it all coming to a head... the healing factor, the enhanced senses... my memories are Swiss cheesing..."

He shrugged. "I don't know...I guess it just picked a time to all pop up at once..." he gave her a half smile. "You just gotta get through it. And I'll help ya...you just gotta LET me..."

"Please Logan-chan... Help me or I'll go insane... I compartmentalized two people to survive... and now they're running together..." she gasped, feeling a wave of instinct wash over her. The fighting that she did the animal was released in controlled bursts and put away so the lady could entertain and be the scientist. Now the two merged into one organism. The wall is down, and there is no way to switch off one and be the other.

"Take it slow...just let it. Don't think about it. Distract yourself...Live your normal life and you'll see that it'll do it all for ya.... Trust me on that..." he whispered back, almost unconsciously leaning closer.

"I� didn't think of that� and here you got all dressed up to impress me� and I went and spoiled it all with my insecurities�""Hey, none of that or I'm gonna have to punish you! Ain't the first time, darlin' and sure as hell won't be the last," Logan said softly, stroking her cheek. His lips touched her cheek where the tears had slid, and she trembled. All resistance was weakening.

"Just think about it this way. If there's one thing Creed hates, its bein' embarrassed� with his pants around his ankles� and knowing that you beat him will be doing just that�"

She focussed on the sensory data her enhanced senses give her. Once only in combat did they fully awaken, but now they are on all the time... no wonder she is going crazy... hearing and seeing things not as well as Logan can, but twice as well as the average human. Her martial arts training made it easy to separate the animalized half with its instincts and turn it on only when needed.

Now she cannot flip the switch anymore. Now she is animal and woman 24 seven... it becomes clear now. Is this what Logan experienced all the time? Only during a fight could she smell her enemy. Now she can smell the musk off his body, hear his heartbeat... and the hissing of her own nerves and the sounds of the woods so loud it is maddening.

Logan stared at her, seeing a look of concentration come over her face. "You gonna make it?"

"I will survive," she whispered. "I know what's wrong Logan..."

"What would that be?"

"A martial arts master controls his body through willpower. Only when I was fighting did I let the senses... the healing factor, all you are all the time come out. And now, my body is no longer able to hold back the animal parts Creed put into me with his blood. I am now and forever... unable to..."

"You'll be able to control it after a while.... Though at times it can still be a little overwhelming...even for me...""I am... drunk on sensation," she gasped, embracing the changes that had subtly crept up till now they are part of her. "Now ya know how I feel around ya." He joked, though there was a lot of truth to that. Just the scent of her could get his blood boiling.

"Yes�" she gasped and inhaled deeply of him. Her eyes widened, and she focused on inhaling and the pounding of her heart with the fight-or-flight impulse. She could see him almost as well in darkness with night vision as she could in sunlight. Hear the cacophony of noises around her and she grits her teeth they are so loud... She breathed in his musk, discerning the subtile shift in his bodily scent, and slowly tries to make sense of it.

"He's like a drug," she thought.

"You can come a little closer...I don't bite," he said lazily. He leaned back against the tree trunk behind him, still upright but slouching. He silently willed his body to behave itself, as he smelled the adrenaline, pheromones and her own scent coming from her. 'She really has no clue what she does to me.' he thought, amused.

"I know..." she gasped slowly, then chuckled. "I just... it's all so new. I used to only use my senses to fight..."

"So what exactly are you sensing?" He asked amused.

"I hear your heart beating..." she whispered touching his chest. "I smell something... sort of like... wet leather... salt... and must... and something like evergreens..."

"Mmmm..." he agreed, feeling his heart rate jump at the contact of her hand.

"And I smell... I smell you being smug," she chuckled. "Does that make sense?"

"Makes sense..."

"You're enjoying seeing me out of my depth, not in a bad way..." she trailed off. She feels subtle changes in body heat, and sees the dilation of his pupils. Smells wove into a complex pattern from the scents of evergreen, salt, wet leather."

Logan sensed wildness present in the dark eyes, as if he shined light in them they'd glow like his. "Not in a bad way at all..." he agreed, cursing his body cause he knew that she could sense in one way or another that he was getting 'in the mood'. 'What the hell is wrong with you bub? Since when can't you control your hormones?' He sighed. There really wasn't any point in yelling at himself about it.

"You're smelling somewhat... I think it's you... like your... half between musk and something sour," she wrinkled her nose. "Is that like what you must be able to... smell emotions? My instinct tells me that is what confusion... almost... and anger... at yourself would smell like."

"Yeah...somethin' like that..." he agreed.

"Good god," she trailed off. "Who needs telepathy? I can sense others... not close, but about a half mile in that direction... I can't see them Logan but I know they are there... Oh god, is that how..."

"Yeah...Seems like we're not exactly that alone�"

"Damn, I don't want to be... interrupted..." she whispered, her voice lowering slightly.

"Yeah...damn is right..." he muttered under his breath. He looked up at her in surprise. "Why would that be Hon?"

She appeared equally surprised, and then smiled slightly. "I don't want someone interrupting what could happen... I want to be alone... with you... how can I explain it?" Leaning forward she kisses him gently. His arms went around her waist and he let out a breath he hadn't even realized he'd been holding.

"No need to explain..." He told her in between kisses. They were gentle...not his usual style...but he figured he'd take it slow and enjoy it. She pressed closer, inhaling his change in scent and feeling the sensations of his touch on her skin magnified as she embraces fully what is happening. Her whole concentration narrows to what she is doing, and it staggered her. Immersed in the taste of his skin, the feel of his body, she felt as if had been living in 2 d all her life till recently. Now everything is so much more REAL.

'SO much for my body behaving itself...' he thought, inhaling her scent. He pulled her down, closer to him, deepening the kiss. She dragged her fingers along his scalp, tunneling through his hair. Why were her nails seemed sharper lately, she wondered. Were they an odd side effect of the treatments asserting themselves? Somewhere, the back of his mind reminded him that there were people nearby. She heard and sensed his change in demeanor.

"I don't wanna stop Hon but I think we have to...." He told her, breaking apart for a minute.

"Damn, it was just getting interesting," she half growled, surprised at the sound.

"No kiddin'. Wonder who it is..." He glanced down at himself and sighed. 'Wonderful. Another frustrated night...' he growled mentally

"I agree," she muttered. "Where's your so called 'scoot' or motorcycle?"

"Bout five minutes thataway...going back to the mansion or�"

"Anywhere, as long as we get the hell outta here?" she nodded as she hugged him tightly.

"Not far away. On some wild goose chase," Logan chuckled as he kept his voice low

"C'mon� it's a bit rough till we get to the road," Logan said as he took her hand and helped her walk. "Christ where are your shoes?"

"I threw them away," She said.

"Dammit, woman," he snorted and picked her up, throwing her over his shoulder.

"Put me down, Logan," she half laughed.

"Not till we get to the 'scoot," he said as he whacked her bottom with a quick and flirtatious spank. "Am I gonna have to punish you?"

"You may do whatever you please," she laughed.
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Ultimate Coverup