Never Let Go

Logan settled the boy on the bed with tenderness. Ororo stood passively at the side, taking in some of Logan's room as the big man laid his young lover on the comforter. The room was neat but not obsessively so.

The shelves held books and pictures from Logan's time with the X-men. Well read fraying covers of favored books and framed pictures of the team, Jean and Scott, Storm and Remy. The images he kept around him spoke volumes of his true heart. She smiled softly knowing this glimpse of the gruff man was rare and privileged.

Logan smoothed Remy's hair back with a tender hand and Storm was touched by how gentle he was with the boy. She sat on the edge of the bed and took Remy's hand.

"I will stay with him, Logan." she said serinely. "Are you certain on your course?" she asked, one snowy brow raising in question. Logan scowled and stood up straight. His hands fisted at his sides he looked at her, huffing a little.

"The only thing I'm certain of is that Remy has suffered at bastard's hands enough. I won't let em keep hurtin' the kid." his gruff voice was full of emotions unspoken. She nodded silently and then reached her other hand out to grasp one of his tight fists.

"Watch your self, my friend." her beautiful face showing her support of him. "My brother will need to have you here to rant at when he wakes up." she said smirking a little. She knew that Remy would be ripping mad when he came too. She just hoped she wouldn't have bad news for him.

Logan gave a shy smile and then quickly bent again to place a soft kiss on Remy's head.

"Love ya, Rems." he whispered into the copper silk. He slipped out of the room before he could second guess himself.

If he didn't settle this now, if he didn't either get Creed to fess up or put him down, the boy would be haunted by 'what if's' forever. Logan too. The pondering of whether or not he and Creed were brothers, sharing the same blood, the same family heritage, and possibly the same insanity, would destroy them.

He stalked down the hall toward the Danger Room, flanked by grim faced team members, all trying to get him to stop and think or tell them what he planned. Shaking his head, he ignored them and kept walking. He reached the door and looked at Scott as the team leader held a stoic expression, one hand over the key pad.

"Gotta do this, Slim." Logan said gruffly. Scott nodded stiffly. As he moved his hand from the key pad, he reached out and grasped Logan's wrist in a firm grip. The clasp was both to show his support and his respect for the older mutant.

"I will be watching, If I deem it necessary I will put a stop it it." he said and the set to his jaw let Logan know the young man was not going to sway on this. "Do what you need to, Logan. However, I will not lose one of my best men if it can be helped."

The feral nodded his head in understanding, he would do the same in Scott's shoes. He looked at the door then paused to look back at Scott.

"Tell Remy--" he started but Scott cut him off.

"No way, you tell him yourself." Scott said refusing to let the man say goodbye. Logan nodded again.

"Jus' look after him." he said as he typed his code and went through the door. He glanced back at the faces as the door closed. Despite their quirks and flaws he did care for them all. They were his family, and like blood family they ere both infuriating and dear to him.

Shaking off the strong emotions, Logan turned and faced the slumped figure of Creed. He was bound by the inhibitor cuffs and held to the floor. A thick and dirty sounding chuckle filled the echoing space.

"So, it comes ta this does it, lil brother?" he growled as he looked through the long tangle of his hair. Logan answered with a growl of his own.

"Don'cha fuckin' call me yer brother." he punched a few keys and then the key pad closed into the wall and Creed's bindings released. "Git up so I can kill ya and be done with this." he snapped and circled the still crouched mutant. Creed continued to laugh.

"All this so the Swamp Rat don't fear ya? Ya've gone soft, Jimmy." he taunted. "Ya want me ta tell ya that it come from the old man but yer mam were bat shit crazy too. So, seein as ya got it on both sides, I'd say yer fucked." he said as he rose to his considerable height. He watched Logan as the man circled and heard the soft snikt as the blades slipped from Logan's knuckles.

"Ya look like him, ya know?" Victor said and flexed his hands, letting his claws extend. "More so then I ever did, ain't that a bitch?" There was a sudden shift and Creed launched himself at Logan.

They hit each other like two mac trucks with a snarling and snapping of teeth. They slashed and grasped for a hold on the other. Blood spattered the floor and they broke apart glaring and panting. Creed grinned and licked the blood from one hand.

"Ya can do better then that, Jimmy." he taunted. Logan roared as he lunged again hitting Victor's midsection and taking him to the floor.

"Stop callin' me that!" he bellowed and slashed at the other feral. With a deep and painful growl, Logan took Creed to the ground, bashing the back of the blonde feral's head on the steel floor. Faces inches apart both sets of eyes flickered to gold and the fight was on. No punches pulled, no strike too vicious. Brother fought brother in a fight that could only have on out come.

Scott stood in the control room watching with rapt attention as the others fussed and paced around him.

Hank protested over and over that this was folly. Rogue demanded to be allowed to back Logan up, stating there was nothing the filthy bastard could do against her mutation. Jubilee alternated between crying and raging that this was bullshit. Bobby stared down at the bloody fight with wide eyes feeling a growing panic that this was not going to end in Logan's favor.

Jean could sense Scott's fraying patients and she silenced them. "Enough, your feelings on the subject have been noted, but this is not ours to decide." she said her voice echoing with the tone of The Phoenix.

The X-Men fell quite and stood shoulder to shoulder at the viewing window, each praying their own way for Logan's victory.

----

Remy tossed on the bed his hands clutching at the bedding as he fought something in his sleep. Storm bent over him trying to calm his thrashing lest he hurt himself.

"Remy. love, I'm here." she said her gentle tone tinged with worry. His hands let go the comforter and reached out to grasp her shoulders in a strong grip. Red and black eyes opened as a soul wrenching scream ripped from his lungs.

"NO!" He sat bolt up right and tossed his head. "LOGAN!" He fought to free himself from Storm's grasp. He stumbled from the bed, going to his knees as his injured leg buckled. The cry of pain was stifled as he pushed up and climbed to his feet.

" 'Ro, he can't do dis!" Remy pleaded and tried to moved past her. He could feel it all through their link, Logan's pain, his rage, his fear and his blinding desperation. "I can't lose him,Ro. Not when I jus got him." he begged his eyes glassy with unshed tears.

"Remy, you must calm down, please love get back in the bed." she said trying to bring the boy back to the bed and keep him from what she knew would be a ghastly fight. Remy shook his head pushing at her hands.

"No, Chere, Remy can't do dat." he said and with deep regret, he turn to his sister and did something he had never done to her, he used his charm. He pushed her emotions with his gift, making her calm instead and gave her a sense of relaxation.

In a matter of seconds the Weather Goddess was placid as a spring day. With gentle hands, Remy eased her into the chair by the window and handed her a book.

"Read this Chere, Remy be back soon." he whispered, the guilt in his voice almost enough to break her trance. He kissed her forehead as she smiled at him beatifically. With a heavy heart, Remy limped from the room and headed for the lift.

"Hope Stormy will for'give dis boy for trickin' her, but der ain't no help for it." he grumbled as he punched the button and headed back down.

He leaned on the all panting with fear and trepidation. "Please, Logan, hang on." he whispered as the doors swished open and he moved down the hall.

"Don' let go, mon amore."