Disclaimer: All X-Men belong to Marvel and Kai belongs to Kaylee (used with permission). The story however is mine. Enjoy…Please send comments to Wolvester@aol.com they are wanted (and really needed). This is my first fan fiction piece so be gentle. Flames will be ignored. "Trap 3/?" By Wolvester (Wolvester@aol.com) I watched Hank examine Logan with one of the wolverines in my lap. I had taken to calling this one Grey Coat. She had a tendency not to go too far from my side for any length of time. Her mate Grey Eyes stayed close to Logan. Scott was blabbing about strategy and movement plans for tomorrow. I was more concerned with what Hank was doing. Nearly three full days I had wanted to get Logan to Hank and now that he was here, I was feeling a little better about the situation. Hank had managed to hang on to a medical kit from Matsuo's lab. He was grounding up an anti toxin and mixing it with water. "All right people, he is the plan. In the morning we'll continue heading toward the Blackbird's last known location. I'll take first watch and Gambit, you'll will the second watch," Scott said, while feeding the fire. Hank glanced up from working on the anti toxin, "Excellent plan, fearless leader, however, I should remain awake to ensure that this medicine does its job in Logan's bloodstream. It would appear that Matsuo used a much stronger version of the chemicals he put in Betsy's blood, to the point that they have nulled his healing factor. We will not know to what degree Matsuo introduced the mind-altering vapors into Logan's body until he awakens. Until that has been determined I strongly recommend that we keep him bound. Kai when is the last time you have gotten him to eat any food and hold it down?" "I feed him some deer meat in a soup, last night. He only got a little down, probably less than a pound, but he didn't throw it up later in the night," I said while stroking the wolverine's coat. "Will this anti toxin get his breathing back to normal? Right now he's working hard for his air." "To be honest, I don't know. The mixture you gave him did get his fever down, but without his healing factor it's temporary; the anti toxin should be a bit more permanent. It should be effective for at least two to three days. Once we get to the Blackbird, I'll be able to conduct a much more thorough examination of his blood chemistry. For now we'll have to keep his fever down, get food and liquids into him and monitor his breathing closely." Hank absently scratched the back of his head. "If he had stopped breathing prior to now, I would be far more concerned. Rogue had found information relating to the gas used on Logan and Betsy. Its function was to make them very agreeable to mental suggestions on the astral plane, while the Hand's head telepath created a reality where they were Hand assassins." By this time I was no longer leaning against the wall, I was sitting up. "Hank, when we were washed down stream from Matsuo's base, Logan *did * stop breathing for about five minutes. He coughed up some water and has been breathing ever since, but it's been sounding really labored." "Oh, dear. How many days travel are we from the Blackbird?" asked Hank "By my estimate, we should be there in three days. That is assuming we continue at our current pace and don't run into too many Hand patrols. By now Matsuo has got to know where we are heading." Scott looked around the fire. "Hank? What's going on?" "I can't know for sure, but the gas is designed to impede the mental functions so its victim could be properly brainwashed, however they maybe a more serious side effect relating to respiratory functions if Kai's observation is correct. It would explain Betsy's sudden 'hayfever' to the local plant life. Since Logan was exposed to a concentrated dose at a higher level, his breathing would be effected more. Now, Logan may have simply inhaled too much water on the way out of Matsuo's lab or the gas is turning into liquid in his lungs," explained Hank. "We could elevate Logan a little, that would help ease his breathing until we know if we have a problem." On that cheerful note old fearless leader got up stretching. "All right folks, let get to bed. We have a long day ahead of us. Beast, you'll take the first watch, Gambit you got second. We'll move out at dawn." I laid down, wrapped in a deerskin, with Grey Coat at my feet. I watched the fire and thought warm thoughts, but I couldn't fall asleep. Logan's breathing was still very labored but we had just given him the anti toxin and Hank had just raised him off the stretcher with a rolled up deer hide. As the night dragged on I started thinking. This situation is so typical me it's not funny. I finally meet a man who can keep up with me physically, puts up with my shit, and can who stomach my cooking and what happens? Matsuo poisons him for me. That guy was *really* beginning to piss me off. After we got to the plane and fixed up Logan and Betsy, Matsuo and I were going to have us a little heart to heart. I would have his heart real close to mine, since I would be leaning over his body as I cut it out. Yep, that would make me feel better at this point. After about four hours, Hank was getting ready to wake up Gambit. I rolled over slowly so I would awaken Grey Coat at my feet. "Hank? I'll take the rest of the watch. I can't sleep anyway." Hank stopped moving towards Gambit and found a place close the fire on the floor. He looked in my direction. "Okay my dear, but if he awakens, you must swear by all that you hold dear, that you will ensure he gets some food and water into his system. If anything new occurs, wake me?" I nodded and moved to lean against the wall where Logan was lying. Grey Eyes was by his side and looked up at me as I sat down and then closed his eyes again. These animals had me stumped. Logan and I seemed to have our own personal traveling companions. Remy was well on his way to being adopted by a wolverine that came near him every time he said "Chere." Since Chere was a female, I was finding this laughable. It looks like Remy's charm worked on animals as well. The other two male wolverines, I had started to think of as the Yin and Yang. They balanced each other and made the perfect hunting team. They had been the two that were bringing home most of the kills. Grey Coat and Grey Eyes were the other hunting party. Chere would go out with either group or she would hunt alone, but she always brought home a rabbit. Yin and Yang were starting to stick close to Beast, who was about as comfortable with the situation as Remy was a day ago when Chere became his shadow. None of the wolverines were fond of Scott and would lay their ears back and remind him of how sharp their teeth were when he got too close. Scott had gotten the point when he had come too close to Chere and she had almost taken a hand off. He didn't go near the rest of the pack. Rogue was free to walk wherever she wanted, but only Chere would let Rogue touch her. All of the pack was protective of Logan. I wasn't sure where Betsy stood with them. My internal clock was telling me it was around 4:00am, when Logan started to wake up. I wiped some water across his forehead with the cloth. His eyes open and he looked at me. There was no recognition in his eyes. I brought the water skin to his lips, but he wouldn't drink it. I slowly moved it to my own lips, got some water and then brought it back to his lips. This time he did take a little water. He was watching my every move and I could smell that he really didn't trust me fully, but he didn't distrust me either. The fact that he was tied up wasn't helping him trust me either. I started moving towards the restraints, I was going to take off the vines that Remy and I had used the other night when his fever had gotten so bad. His words stopped me cold. He was speaking Japanese. "Who are you? You were with me the last time I woke up," he whispered. WHO am I? Hello? I'm the woman that's been sharing your life for about six months now! Wonderful, just fucking wonderful, Matsuo definitely messed with his memories, and Logan is NOT a very trusting person. "I'm Kai. You're safe and among friends." You know the one who you spend your days and nights with regularly in between missions. Is any of this ringing a bell in that thick head of your? Come on remember, make this easy on me. I finished taking off the bonds while speaking. I decided that the hand restraints were staying for the time being. The last thing I wanted was him to go claw city on us, but taking off the vines that were tying him down might gain a little trust from him. Y'know, it was a good thing Sensei taught me Japanese or there would be a problem right about know. "Where am I? And how did I get here?" Logan weakly inquired. "You're in the woods, we just escaped from Hand strong hold. You were injured so we carried you. During, our escape from the Hand you got a little banged up, so don't worry if you can't remember everything right away. It will come back to you." I hope! I helped him sit up a little against the cavern wall. By this time, Grey Eyes was watching both of us. He got up and returned with some of the remaining deer meat that was left from earlier in the night. He put the food down by my hand and waited. Taking the hint, I picked up the meat and offered some to Logan. "Here eat some of this. You must be hungry after such a ordeal," I said in a quiet voice with as much elegance as I could muster. I was beginning to remember to why the Japanese language wasn't one of my favorites. Way too many pleasantries were imbedded in the language. "No thank you. You have already done me a great service. I do not wish to trouble you further," he replied with equal politeness. He doesn't trust me! Great. "It is no trouble Logan-san. In fact it would do me a great honor to assist you. You are my teammate, an X-Man, and that means I have both duty and obligation towards you at all times." Not to mention, I'm your lover and you should not have to put up stupid macho fronts of strength in front of me. Just once, I would like you to rely on me and let me shoulder the burden. His reply to this was in English. "X-Man? I don't know what an X-Man is, babe, and I'm certainly not one of them." His voice was getting stronger but what was coming out of his mouth was less than reassuring. He still was speaking much louder than a whisper. "I would take a good look at my clothes before I made that statement, bub." Oh yeah, that's the way to win him over you idiot! "You could have put these on before I woke up, frail. I ain't stupid. Now who the hell are ya and how did I get here?" "I already told you, my name is Kai, we escaped from Matsuo, you were hurt, you are an X-Man, and you need to eat something." "OK...Kai, what are you to me?" Logan leaned against the wall with his arms crossed. <(Don' a man have a right t' know where he stand wit' a woman?)> Ok. Decision, decision. Do I tell him I'm his girlfriend and lover or do I just act like I'm just a teammate? I really hate moments of truth like this. One the one hand, he doesn't have all of his memories back, so he probably won't believe anything I say anyway. On the other hand, a little honesty will go a long way in getting him to trust us and I can always deny anything said right now and blame it on Logan's bad memory. Deep breath Kai, just tell him. "I'm your girlfriend and one of the X-Men. You're a mutant, just like almost everyone else on the team. Our mission is to fight for peaceful co-existence with Humans and to protect and help mutants learn how to use their powers." He turned his head to look at me and the look on his face was a cross between amusement and real anger. "Ya know frail, ya was spinning a good yarn until ya said ya was my woman. Silver Fox is my lady and ya ain't even in her league. Now be a good broad and tell me who ya really are?" "Broad? Oh I'll give you a broad you arrogant little macho asshole! You know I'm telling the truth. Both of us can smell a lie faster than we can smell our way to the city dump. I *was* your woman and if Silver Fox was half the woman I am she would still be alive today and not one of Creed's slash victims! And…huh?" GRRR.. I looked down and found myself face to face with all of Grey Eyes' teeth. He was sitting on my lap and Grey Coat was right behind him looking equally displeased with my behavior. I looked down at Grey Eyes and leaned against the wall. He got off my lap but his snarl was still showing all his teeth and his ears were still laid back. I heard a sound from Logan and I glanced over at him. What I saw made me sit right back up. He was holding his head and his breathing was really labored. I started to move towards Logan but Grey Eyes and Grey Coat got in the way. Taking a deep breath. I got the water bag and tried again. They let me by on the third try, but both of them had their ears laid back. I could almost hear the unsaid warning. "Hurt him again and we hurt you." I laid my hands on his shoulders. He didn't pull away from me, but I wasn't sure he was physically able to do it if he had wanted too. He was still weak, which just made me feel like more of a bitch for losing my temper with him. He did tense up under my hands. I started to massage his shoulders. After about five minutes, he began to loosen up. I moved around to face him and handed him the water as a peace offering. Apologies have never been my strong suit, but I definitely was in the wrong here. "Logan, I know you're confused right now, but I am your girlfriend, you are an X-Man, and I was really out of line a minute ago. I shouldn't have said what I did and you have every right to be pissed at me, but know this. I care for you very deeply and I'll be here for you in any way I can." He didn't say anything, he just looked at me. His eyes burned into mine and the pain I saw in them made my heart ache. The worse part was I didn't know if I had caused the pain. A little while back in a fight gone wrong and after a nice long talk with Remy and myself, I had to admit to that Logan meant more to me than I really wanted to say and my feeling for him were really deep. Deep enough to be that ugly L word. I wasn't willing to admit that to anyone but myself. It scared me to death that I had these feeling about someone, the last person I loved had wrapped his car around a tree. Logan had a place in my heart and I had a locket around my neck proving it. Seeing the look of pain in his eyes, I knew I would walk through hell get rid of it and there was going to be hell to pay by the Hand for ever causing the events that had led up to this moment of truth. Grey Eyes chose to bring the deer meat over to Logan. Logan looked and the animal and took the food. He slowly began to eat. I was sure he noticed the wood on his hands, but for now filling his stomach was his top priority. He took the water and began to drink. I sat by him the whole time and waited for him to say something. If there was one thing I had learned about Logan, it was he would talk about things when he was ready. Not before, only when he is really to talk about them. If he wants my company, he'll come to me, all I have to do is make myself available. Whose side are you on? Your suppose to be MY subconscious not his. I really hate my mind sometimes, particularly when it's right. "Logan? Could you let me see your hands?" He put down the water and food and gave me his hands. I quickly untied the hand restraints and tossed them into the fire. Grey Coat came over and laid her head in my lap again. Logan looked down at his hands and then at us. "Thanks," was all that was said. He finished eating without another word to me and by the time he finished his eyes were becoming heavy again. "Why don't you get some rest?" I suggested. "It's been a long night." He nodded and I helped him lay down on the bearskin. I covered him with a deerskin and slipped the rolled up one under his back to raise him a little. END PART 3