Title: Ghost
Author: Lornadane (Email)
Rating: NC-17!!!
Pairing/main characters: Gambit, Wolverine, Sabertooth
Series/Sequel: unfinished, parts 1-5
Summary: Ever wonder why Gambit saved Sabertooth's life by helping him get his adamantium back? Ever wonder what Logan would have done if he found out Gambit saved Sabertooth's life?
Disclaimer: These are Marvels characters except for Lauren. The poor woman is all mine. May she rest in peace. And I don't really think the higher ups at Marvel would care too much for this story.
Date: März 2001
Warning: Really really violent and really really graphic. Rape and murder. Don't read if you can't tolerate this stuff or if you're underage in your area. I was trying to squick myself one day and this is what came out.
It almost had me. 'The Devil's Due' got me more.Notes: As always, feedback is necessary. This story comes to an ending of sorts. But I could write more, if I was encouraged. :)
Ever wonder why Gambit saved Sabertooth's life by helping him get his adamantium back? Well, this doesn't really explain it adequately, but there's a theory, albeit a lame one.
Ever wonder what Logan would have done if he found out Gambit saved Sabertooth's life? Here's one explanation.
All the events mentioned here are in canon. Either in the X-men core books or in Gambit.
This ain't your pantywaist Sabertooth character hinted at violence by Marvel. This is your out and out sick and twisted psychopath Sabertooth. A mutant who'd slaughtered a whole bunch of other mutants and enjoyed it. A nut job that needs taking down. IMHO. (Sorry all you Sabertooth fans.)____________________________________________________
Ghost 1
By Lornadane
Logan stood at the edge of the lake on the Xavier Institute of Higher Learning property. The property was teeming with hidden cameras and alarms and yet the distant figures on the opposite shore of the lake did not register on the cameras, nor trigger the alarms. He scowled. The figures weren't close enough to clearly make out, yet his sensitive hearing could pick up the high pitched melodious laughter of a young woman and the gruff excited bark of her dog. Trespassers. Not intentionally causing a problem like most of the intruders who chose to step onto the property, but still, they didn't belong here.
*Well* the notoriously acerbic X-man thought, *gotta tell 'er ta go. Might spot somethin' she doesn't need ta see.*
He made his way quickly around the lake, keeping an ear out for her continual laughter. It was a sweet sound, like a gentle breeze against a tinkling wind chime on a clear September night. It sort of made him sad he'd have to ask
her to leave. Her laughter reminded him of better days and better times. It reminded him of Mariko when they had first met and how the delicate Asian woman had tamed much of the beast within him. It reminded him of the
beautiful hue of Jean Grey's hair as it danced in the sunlight and the wind on the days the X-men relaxed by the pool or played their signature game of baseball. And it reminded him of the nights he and Kurt had spent at Harry's
bar arguing philosophy and life. Visions and feelings of warmth and kindness swam through his head. But there was too much she might see that could hurt them, or her.
He moved carefully through the forest until he spotted the woman through an opening in the trees. Her long blonde hair shimmered in the daylight, a golden aura surrounding her face and swaying as she moved to pick up the
multicolored toy ball the dog had dropped at her feet. He could see her profile, smooth alabaster skin, dusty rose lips full, yet innocent of seduction, simply loving and pure; eyes shining and bright and he knew instantly they had to be blue. Long slender fingers with perfectly rounded nails reached for the ball and she laughed again. His pulse quickened. Her waifish figure was clothed in a floral sun dress, mostly yellow with tiny pink and purple flowers. The material was thin, nearly transparent and as she raised one arm or another to throw the ball the outline of her body was revealed in the light. Logan blinked several times at the vision with some odd sense of disorientation. After a moment he looked toward the woman's canine companion to clear the strange sensation from his head.
The dog was a border collie, black and white, dancing in joy and anticipation as the woman picked up his favorite toy. She threw it far out into the lake and he lunged into the water. He reached the ball in no time and was back
within moments to drop it obediently at her feet, beginning his little dance again, barking his delight. And yet in spite of the swim his coat remained dry and fluffed, the black deeper than the blackest night, the white more
pure than the freshest snow. As he watched the two, Logan couldn't imagine having seen any beings more perfect and he shivered slightly in spite of the summer heat.
Suddenly the wind shifted and he caught the woman's scent for the first time. She smelled of lilacs and jasmine. And she smelled of Mariko, too. And Jean Grey, and Storm and every woman he had ever been close to. His heart skipped a beat. The smell of the dog wafted by his nose also. An earthy smell of canine that might have displeased anyone who wasn't a dog lover. But Logan was and it instantly reminded of the dog he'd had as a child. He couldn't
remember ever being a child or having had a childhood. But he knew with absolute certainty that he'd had a dog and he'd loved that dog more than anything else in the world.
An odd sense of reality washed over him as he realized that he'd come to tell the woman that she was trespassing and she'd have to leave, all the while feeling as if this was just some elusive dream from which he'd wake in a
moment lying on the other side of the lake, having fallen asleep in the noon day sun. With a feeling of regret he stepped out of the trees toward the woman. She'd just thrown the ball again and was watching her pet swim eagerly
out after it, when she looked around at him without fear as if she'd been aware of his presence all along. She smiled at him radiating a purity that almost burned into his brain. He blinked and she and the dog vanished.
"What the...?" Logan shook his head and looked around the clearing. Her scent still filled his nostrils and her laughter still rang in his ears but the woman and her dog were nowhere to be seen. He narrowed his eyes in
frustration, but what could he do? With a half growl, half sigh he headed back around to the mansion.
Entering through the back door he walked into the kitchen to grab a beer.
Rogue was there dicing onions and celery for tuna fish. "Hey, Wolvie. How's it going, sugah?"
"Fine." He answered with a slight smile. He popped the top on the can of Bud and turned to look at her wondering if he should tell her what he'd seen.
Thinking better of it, feeling she'd only think he was losing it again after the Death fiasco, he asked, "You makin' dinner tonight?"
"Yeah," she answered. "Nothin' much. Just tuna fish and egg salad. Hank, Remy, and Storm called to say they'll be late gettin' back from New York. And Kitty and Neil headed into town to catch a flick. I think it'll just be you, me, Nightcrawler and Betsy."
"Sounds good," Logan said. "Ya need any help?" He asked politely, hoping she'd say no. He wanted to head up to his room to sort out what he'd seen and try to decide if he *was* losing it. No such luck as she turned and smiled.
"Yeah. Couldja cut up the eggs for me, hon?" She pointed to the dish of hard-boiled eggs sitting on the opposite counter.
He popped a claw and grinned. "No problem."
The rest of the afternoon was spent in a comparatively comfortable silence in the kitchen with Rogue as she took his offer of help to heart and had him perform other culinary feats for the upcoming meal. When the four sat down to
dinner, Logan's vision was far from his mind. The four X-men chatted amiably with each other about the day and how quiet it had been lately. No missions had come up for a week. And no evil mutants had come banging at their door. When Logan finally remembered the occurrence he glanced a few times at Kurt wondering if he ought to pull his furry friend aside and tell him what had happened. Kurt would be more understanding due to their long close
friendship. But before he could ask the elf to meet him later, Kurt had teleported away excusing himself, saying he had to get back to the Blackbird. There were modifications he was making that he wanted to finish tonight. Logan knew he could have followed his friend to the hangar, but decided disturbing Kurt while he worked would only get him a few nods of concern, Nightcrawler being too distracted by his work.
Logan finished his meal quickly after that and began helping Rogue clear the table, not noticing the concerned looks he received from Betsy. He nearly jumped when he heard her say, "Don't worry about that, luv. Rogue and I'll
finish up."
He started to protest, but then thinking better of it he smiled and left. Rogue looked at Betsy quizzically.
"Somethin' wrong, sugah?"
"I'm not sure." The Asian featured mutant answered. "I may not have my telepathy anymore, but I can still read a person's face. And something tells me Logan's got trouble on his mind."
Rogue frowned in concern. "You think we oughta say somethin'. I mean he just got over all that mind controlling by Apocalypse. Ah'd hate to see him go off tha deep end."
Betsy looked at her thoughtfully. "Not yet. He's troubled by something, but you know how he can be when you confront him, especially when it's something he doesn't want to talk about. At least to us. I saw him looking at Kurt. Maybe he'll open up to him."
Rogue nodded. "We can just keep an eye out. Ah'd hate to think he hadn't gotten over that Death programmin'."
Betsy shuddered inwardly. She'd been in Logan's head when Warren, Kurt, Jubilee and Kitty had fought to save him from Apocalypse's control. It had been dark and murderous. A war had been waged between past loyalties and a new sense of being, a belief long suppressed that had been dragged to the surface of Logan's mind. And Betsy had sensed the complete and overwhelming relief he felt of knowing exactly what he was: a killer, Death. The beast had
taken over and reveled in its release. Even Sabertooth couldn't have matched his ferocity. She thanked God once more that his loyalty to the four mutants had won out. Only she had know how close to slaughter they had been. "Me too," she said quietly. "Me too."