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Chapter Ten

Buffy met up with Logan the next morning for breakfast. She was still slightly embarrassed by the way she had cried on his shoulder, yet again, the night before. She was thankful that he didn’t mention it.

When they reached the dining room, Buffy looked around for Kurt. She spied him sitting at one end of a table with Fred and Wesley. Fred was talking excitedly and Kurt was hanging one every word.

The slayer smiled softly. She should have known that the kind-hearted Texan would take an instant liking to the shy mutant. She dragged Logan over with her and sat down with cheerful hello. She sighed, however, when Logan placed a plate filled with food in front of her.

Buffy shot him a look and he grinned. “You didn’t eat dinner last night,” he said in way of explanation.

He looked up to see Fred staring at him in awe, again. He realized she must have been the one who researched his past. He was sorely tempted to ask her if what was in the folder was good or bad. But she suddenly smiled at him and said, “Morning.” Then she turned her attention back to Kurt. The information couldn’t be too bad if she knew his past and yet was still friendly toward him.

Before long other people joined them at the table, including Scott and Jean. The conversation quickly turned to the spell Fred and Wesley were going to perform to check for the hellmouth.

“Do I really need to be there when you do the spell?” Buffy asked.

Wesley shook his head. “It shouldn’t be necessary; it’s a quite simple spell.”

Buffy grinned and said, “Good.”

“Why don’t you want to be there?” Logan asked curiously.

She shrugged. “Magic has a tendency to go wonky sometimes and I prefer not to be around when it does.”

He raised an eyebrow at her use of the word wonky, but didn’t comment.

“Would it be all right if I accompanied you?” Jean asked.

“Sure, the more the merrier,” Fred replied with a grin.

“Why do you want to go? I thought you didn’t believe in magic,” Buffy asked Jean.

“Like I told you last night, I am by nature a scientist. So I am curious to see what will happen.”

Well at least she’s willing to explore that something outside her neat, ordered, logical world might exist, Buffy thought as she nodded her head.

They idly chatted through the rest of breakfast. Wesley answered questions about their work in L.A. and asked questions of his own about the school.

After breakfast Logan excused himself and went back to his room. He sat down on his unmade bed and pulled the envelope off of the nightstand. He drew in a shaky breath and opened it. With a shaking hand, he pulled out a stack of papers. Figuring the girl placed things in some sort of order, he started at the top.

Buffy wandered aimlessly about the mansion. Fred, Jean, and Wesley had left to do the spell and Logan was presumably reading the info she had given him. She was bored to tears. Luckily, she ran into Storm who was on her way to the lower levels to work out.

“Is there a punching bag down there? Cause I didn’t get enough aggression out last night,” Buffy asked.

“Yes, there is. But you may want to try the danger room,” Ororo said as the door to the elevator closed.

“That simulation room?”

“Yes. You could run one of our programs or create one of your own,” Ororo suggested.

“That sounds like fun.”

Ororo went with her to show her how to use the controls for the room. She had just finished explaining when the doors opened to reveal the professor, who was just finishing up the tour for Angel, Gunn, and Lorne.

“Trying out the facilities I see,” Xavier said with a smile.

“Wolvie’s busy, so I’m a little bored.”

The professor’s smile got bigger at her nickname for Logan. “Was there any particular scenario you were planning on trying?”

“Hadn’t decided yet.”

“We could spar,” Angel said hesitantly.

Buffy narrowed her eyes and studied him for a moment. Things had become rather strained between them during her month long stay in L.A. This could be the opportune moment for her to get her frustrations out and for them to talk things over. “Sure, sounds like fun. ‘Ro any setting will be fine, but no other fighters.”

The two made their way out of the control room and into the actual danger room.

“I’ve got a bad feelin’ about this,” Lorne said.

“Should be a good show though,” Gunn said with a chuckle. He turned to the professor. “Might want to gather your own team down here. It’s not everyday you get to watch a slayer and a master vamp go at it. Could help show your group what to expect.”

“I believe you are correct, Mr. Gunn,” the professor said. His eyes grew distant for a moment as he called to his X-men and several older students.

Shortly after Buffy and Angel entered the nondescript room, the air around them shimmered and became a graveyard at night.

“How familiar,” Buffy muttered dryly. She could sense a growing number of mutants in the control room. “Great, an audience. Got to love those.”

“Ready Buffy?” Angel asked.

“As I’ll ever be,” she replied.

It had been some time since the last time they had sparred so the two fighters circled each other warily. Their minds went through known strength and weaknesses and possible new ones.

Buffy lashed out first with a swift kick to Angel’s head. He narrowly ducked and swept his leg out to knock her off her feet. But she was prepared and jumped on top of a nearby tombstone. She kicked out with her foot again and this time she connected with his jaw.

Angel stumbled back a few steps but recovered in time to block a punch to his stomach. He slammed the palm of his hand into her chest sending her flying against the side of a mausoleum. She ducked as he swung at her causing his fist to hit the mausoleum instead. The concrete cracked around his hand.

“My god! They’re gonna kill each other,” Rogue exclaimed.

“Nah, they’re just playin’,” Gunn assured her. “He hasn’t even brought out his game face yet.”

“This is truly remarkable,” Xavier said as he watched the two fighters below them.

“You should have seen her against twenty vampires with her scythe,” Scott said.

“It is a beautiful weapon,” Gunn said.

“I didn’t know people could move that fast,” Bobby breathed, as he couldn’t tear his eyes off the seemingly intricate dance below, neither getting the upper hand.

“They can’t,” Kurt said. “Her speed and strength are a gift from God. While his soul may give him a conscience, his powers come from the devil.”

“But isn’t how you use any gift that is important?” Ororo asked.

“Of course it is gorgeous,” Lorne told her. “For most of us it’s our day to day actions that count. But for a selected few, they fight for the big picture, but they try to not forget about helping individuals. It’s a line those two walk everyday.”

“They aren’t the only ones,” Scott said softly.

Back in the danger room, Buffy narrowed her eyes and said, “You’re holding back.”

“So are you,” Angel retorted as he landed a kick to her side.

“Let’s say we stop.”

“Fine by me.”

Buffy punched Angel so hard he saw stars. He could have sworn he felt something crack in his jaw. He let his demon come forth and said, “What the hell is your problem?”

“What do you care?” Buffy asked before vaulting over him then kicking him in the back.

“What’s that suppose to mean?” He asked as he whirled around and stopped her fist. She brought her knee up to his groin and he let go. “You make decisions for me and everyone else without thinking or asking how we’d feel about it.”

“What?”

“Funny thing about being the last slayer. Seems that spells that affected my memory have been lifted.”

Angel stopped fighting and stared at her in horror as he realized what she meant. “You remember,” he choked out.

“Yes, I remember out perfect day together when you became human. I remember my life with and without Dawn. I even remember your son Connor.”

“How long?”

“While I was in L.A. pieces started to comeback. I was confused for a while until I remembered the end of our day together and what you had told me.”

“That’s why you turned cold towards me.”

“Hell yes that’s why! You never let others make the decisions! You broke up with me! You left me! You decided not to stay human! You decided to give Connor up!” Buffy’s voice became progressively louder.

Up in the control room the professor turned off the audio. “I don’t think we need to hear this.”

Gunn leaned over and whispered to Lorne, “Who’s Connor?”

“All you ever do is push people away and make their decisions! Did it ever occur to you to try and find a way to make the soul permanent? Hell even Spike knew to do that.”

“Don’t you dare bring him into this.”

“Why not? His demon loved me so much that he fought for his soul so he could love me better.”

“That’s a lie!”

“No, it’s not! His demon loved me more than you with your soul ever did!”

“I was trying to do what was best for you!”

“By making my decisions for me? How am I supposed to learn if you don’t let me?”

“Buffy....”

“And did Cordy even know you loved her?”

“I don’t kn....”

“You do, too. I’m surprised you let her become half demon.”

“I didn’t have a say in it.”

“And why did she do it?”

“So she could stay and help me,” he said sullenly.

“See. It is possible to make a decision to help someone and still be with them. Call me when you start fighting for your own happiness.” She turned to walk out the door.

“What about your happiness?”

She stopped but didn’t turn around. “I am happy.”

“Really? Then why haven’t you settled in a city? Why haven’t you made new friends? Why are the nightmares still coming?”

Buffy whipped around. “How did you know?”

“Heard your cries last night. Saw how he comforted you.”

She strode up to him and slammed her fist in his face. “I am no longer your concern. And neither is Logan.” She stormed out of the room. The furious slayer brushed passed Logan as he stood in the hallway outside the door.

Logan had been in the middle of a document when the professor had informed everyone about the sparring session. He had decided to finish reading it before heading down to the danger room.

He could hear the yelling as he walked to the control room and he had stopped to listen. He couldn't help but smile in grim satisfaction as he listened to her tear into her former boyfriend.

He could smell her anger and pain as she rushed out and he felt a growl begin deep in his chest. He didn’t have the faintest clue where the urge to protect her came from, nor did he care. It wasn’t a need to physically protect her since she could do that herself, but to emotionally protect her. She had suffered enough that she didn’t need that vampire causing her more pain. With that in mind he walked into the danger room.

“Uh oh,” Scott said as he recognized the figure entering the room below them.

“Should we stop him?” Rogue asked.

“No, not yet,” the professor answered. “This is a personal matter and we shouldn’t interfere. They need to work this out on their own.”

“Angel could rip him to shreds,” Gunn pointed out.

“But there is more to Logan than what meets the eye,” the professor told him. “He’s a rather unique mutant.”

All those in the control room watched in silence as the scene unfolded below them.

“Not too tired are you, bub?” Logan asked when Angel saw him.

“You really don’t want to do this,” Angel said with his teeth clenched.

“Do what? Spar? Kind of bored, it would be an easy way to pass the time.”

“Not as easy as you think.”

“If I could hold my own against Buffy for an hour, I’m sure I’d be fine.”

Angel’s eyebrow quirked in surprise. Logan could see bruises forming along his jaw from where he supposed Buffy had punched him.

“I don’t think Buffy would appreciate me beating up her new boyfriend,” Angel growled.

“Not that it’s any of your business, but I’m not her boyfriend. Plus, you’d have to hit me first.”

“Let me try this another way,” Angel said. “I’m not in the mood to spar with you.”

A feral smile appeared on Logan’s face. “I really don’t give a shit.”

“Do you always pick fights with those who have been weakened.”

Wolverine raked his eyes over Angel. “From what I can see you have no broken bones or major injuries, just a few cuts and bruises. Nothing that could keep you from sparring.” He paused before saying, “Unless, of course, you’re afraid.”

“I’m not afraid,” Angel snarled before leaping at Logan.

Logan let himself fall back with the attack and used the momentum to throw Angel off of him. They both leapt to their feet and eyed each other cautiously.

Angel swung at Logan’s head, who barely ducked in time. Logan landed a quick punch to Angel’s stomach then caught the vampire’s jaw with a quick uppercut. Angel staggered back a few steps and stared at Logan in shock. “How did you do that?”

“Let’s say there’s more to me than what meets the eye.”

Realizing this fight wouldn’t be as easy as he thought it would be, Angel released his demon. The two began to tear into each other.

“Angel is gonna end up breaking most of his bones if they keep that up,” Gunn said as they watched the two fight below them.

“No, he won’t,” Scott told him.

“Why not?”

“Because his skeleton is lined with adamantium.”

“Adamana-what?”

“Adamantium,” Xavier supplied. “It can only be applied in a liquefied state. Once it hardens it is indestructible.”

“And it lines his entire skeleton?” Gunn asked, disbelieving.

At Scott’s nod Lorne let out a low whistle and said, “Talk about your hard head.”

In the danger room, Logan had Angel pressed up against a mausoleum.

“What are you gonna do?” Angel asked. “Tell me to stay away from Buffy?”

“Nah, she told you that herself.”

“Then what was this about?”

“For me. I don’t like you.”

Angel snorted. “Really? Couldn’t tell.”

“You’ve hurt her in the past. You still hurt her, I can smell it. Just wanted to make sure you could feel pain since you are so good at dishing it out.” Wolverine growled before he extended his claws and shoved them into Angel’s stomach. As Angel gasped in surprise and pain, Logan whispered in his ear, “This is what she feels every time you’re around. Back off and let her live her life and maybe one day you can be friends again.”

“I thought you said this was for yourself?” Angel choked out as he slid to the ground after Logan released him.

“It is. I’ve wanted to beat the shit out of you since the moment I saw you. Letting you know how Buffy feels is just an added bonus.” Then he stalked out of the room.

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