knock on wood | howlett

xi. him

when i was a boy ; electric light orchestra

he looked at her. who was she?

he knew her, in the pit of his stomach he knew, but he couldn't place a name, a story, an origin.

she knew his old name. he hadn't been called by it since... since his childhood.

she must've been from that blurry time period: his childhood.

"logan, do you know this woman?" he looked over at the professor. he stared dumbly at the man.

"yes," he muttered. "yes."

"do you know her name?" the woman did not move her eyes from her friend's face. she did not look to the professor.

"no," poison festered in her stomach at his word.

he couldn't look at her.

"you don't remember me?" her voice caught, "you saved my life. you were my friend, my... hope."

she studied every peak and valley of his face. time was an odd thing. he looked the same deep down, and she could see through to the memories that sat behind walls of tests she hadn't been told about. she didn't need to be told.

"i'm sorry, i just don't know you anymore," he turned to leave and she looked at his shoulder.

"the scar," her words caused him to stop. "your grandfather pulled an apple cutter on you. you said it wasn't so scary because he's just a man and it was just a weapon..."

he walked away.

she followed, leaving scott and the professor in the room.

"you used to bring me apples at the fence. i would draw pictures of you. you would tell me about the outside world. you were my everything and one day you vanished. without warning, without saying goodbye. you just," he stopped and looked at her; she slammed on her brakes. "left."

"i don't remember that," he stated.

"yes, you do."

"bits and pieces," he admitted under his breath. "what's your name?"

"rebecca meijer," she stated.

something clicked:

"beck."

she smiled, "james."

he rushed towards her. he felt something so indescribable in that moment. he knew her, deep down in his bones, he knew her. he couldn't attach any other specific memories, but the mention of her name was enough to bring that feeling.

he held her face in his hands, examining it. he looked at the scars on her neck from the childhood burns he'd nursed. he looked at her, deep in the eyes.

they were dark, but they were happy that he knew her. he wrapped his arms around her, hugging her close.

"it's logan now," he chuckled deeply. she smiled in his keep.

"logan," she tested the name. "i like it."

•••

"what happened when you were at the factory?" professor xavier questioned.

she couldn't look at logan at the moment.

"i was tested on."

"in what way?"

"medical testing. they cut you open and tampered with your body and sewed you up again."

"who's 'they'?"

"the nurses; the doctor."

"what's his name?" she shrugged. "what procedures did he execute on you?"

"the first one was on my stomach," she lifted her shirt to reveal a jagged, vertical scar just above her belly bottom. "next was the heart."

she pulled her shirt down just enough to see the small, crude incision.

"then he messed with my head," she parted her hair so they could see. "that's when i had the episode and he froze me."

"froze you?" the professor asked. she nodded.

"i was in trauma and he didn't know what to do. he pushed passed the scientists and froze me before they could get their 2-cent in."

"cryogenic freeze," he suggested. she nodded. "so what's your power?"

"you know it. you're the son of the great charles xavier, the telepath. you tell me."

"psionic abilities."

"what's that?" logan questioned. she looked at him.

"emotion and memory manipulation," professor answered for her. she nodded. "it's rare."

"frowned upon by your dad. where is the old man?"

"six feet under. you realize it is 2017, right?"

she hesitated and nodded sadly.

"can you demonstrate your ability for me?" professor xavier asked her.

"i'd rather not. there's no way to better memories, i can only make them worse. besides, it may have grown even more horrible since i was taken to the factory. i haven't done it since before the tests."

"okay. when you're ready, you'll show me?" she nodded. "we'll find a way for you to better memories. i promise."

she hesitated, unsure if she could trust him due to her history with his family. she simply nodded and said, "thank you."