A Hard Day's Night

[russ]

What was the mantra for a guy who had just watched his old friend saunter off willingly with the beast after his new friend? Fuck!.... Fuck, fuck, fuck… SHIT!… Oh, I’ve fucked up. Such was the nature of his routine of hitting the steering wheel of his rental POS, glancing into his rearview mirror as though he had the good fortune of pursuit and knowing where Cassidy was, and looking hopefully at the pay-to-go phone in the passanger’s seat. The phone innocently taunted him. Any moment it could ring and it refused. It knew where Cassidy was and it wasn’t telling. As terrified as he was of the next step (at least what he hoped was ‘the next step’), he hoped it would ring. Prayed that it would ring.

Of course, with the image of Cassidy’s classic, over-the-shoulder-don’t-you-care-that-I’m-with-another-guy, as she snidely flaunted her way into the clutches of a monster, it was a little hard to think about what was going to befall him. Yes, he knew Logan and Helena would be pissed at him for disobeying direct orders to stay on the cabin grounds for his own safety, but it never crossed his mind just how pissed one of them would be. And it was that one that had Russ imagine no other place to run back to. Logan could help. Logan knew about this stuff and had spent years fighting it. He was a paranoid son of a bitch, but he was an experienced paranoid son of a bitch.

Entering the code at the rock at the corner of ‘Fort Knox’, Russ sped up the road to the cabin and came to a screeching halt and sent up a cloud of dust. He knew that with the cameras hidden all over the place, Logan would know that it was him coming, but as he slammed the car door and started jogging for the front door, he had no idea that being Russell James Salem was the last person on earth he wanted to be right now… and if Cassidy was off playing pool with gangsters right now, well, he would gladly trade places with her.


Location: Logan’s Cabin, Mississippi
Tag: Logan Moretti / Helena Nicodeau
Continued From: Yellow Submarine

[logan]

The cabin was oddly quiet, Logan thought with a frown. Sitting in front of an array of video screens, he idly played with the handle of his coffee mug and considered whether or not it was a good sign. Ever since he’d made the little safe spot, he’d come there when he was looking for some peace and calm in his normally shitty life. He liked the solitude that the cabin provided…as well as the fact that he could test his toys on the morons who dared trespass on his land. It was a break from the outside world; a vacation from normal, every day life.

But that morning, he knew that the quiet was a bad omen; he could feel it in his bones. As usual, he’d gotten some sleep in the lead-lined safe room in the back of his kitchen, but the niggling feeling persisted. He’d checked the house, the locks, the traps around the drive. It was only when he got to Helena’s room that he paused, and felt the sudden urge to growl.

He’d put a good amount of time into training her new ‘friend’ to be something other than a pansy. When they’d first come to his place, he’d been wary of the guy; he was a stranger, an unknown. Who the hell knew if he were batting for the demonic team, and the crazy asshole currently wearing his friend’s father’s body? He’d found nothing suspicious when he’d checked into the young man’s background, and after slipping him some holy water with dinner later that night, he was a bit less tense that the kid was going to start spitting up pea soup and attack them.

In all reality, it was really because of his doctor friend that he’d toned down his usual paranoia. He’d known Helena for a long time…God, ever since he’d been discharged from the army. She’d been his primary surgeon when he’d been shipped back from that Godforsaken country overseas; had taken care of his wounds and offered him friendship when he was healed enough to move on his own. They’d lost touch for a while, but after meeting her during a hunt and finding out that she was as immersed in his new world as he was…well, it brought them closer, he supposed. She was one of his closest friends, and as such, it warmed his heart to see her so happy. He would let the kid live and toughen him up a bit, because his friend seemed to really like him.

So, color him pissed the FUCK off, when Russ up and disappeared, leaving Helena to curse herself and hide in her room in shame.

With a sigh, Logan shook his head. Yup, that was why he didn’t do the ‘care for people too much’ thing. Helena had confessed that Russ had probably become too put off by the danger surrounding her and had left to live his life. She’d said that it was for the best, that she wasn’t safe to be around, and the sadness in her eyes had made him see red. When she’d gone upstairs, he’d considered putting a hit out on the kid, if only for his own peace of mind.

With a shrill beep, the ex-soldier’s attention jerked to the console under his fingers. Someone had shut off the driveway traps, he saw with a frown. Those needed a code, and he’d changed them once Helena and Russ had arrived. As far as he knew, they were the only ones who knew the new password. Had someone managed to sneak passed his defenses? Were they listening in on his conversations somehow? Bugged the cabin?

He got his answer a moment later, when he spotted a familiar car putter up to the front, and that lanky form unfold itself from the front seat. So, the little shit had come back, had he? It was really too bad that Helena wasn’t there to keep his paranoia in check, because HELL if it wasn’t going stir crazy.

When Russ reached the front door, Logan was waiting, shotgun in hand and a scowl on his face. The door swung open, and the hunter had both barrels pointed at that youthful face. He pushed down both safeties, set his sights in the scope and set his feet.

”Well, look who decided to show back up. Where you been, Russ? And why shouldn’t I fucking shoot your goddamn head off?”

[/blockquote][/blockquote]

TAGGING RUSS !
WORDS lots !
WEARING Army fatigues !
NOTES Ignore the length, man! Logan was just growling in my head and I couldn't help myself. XD DON'T MATCH MAH POST, JUST WRITE. <3!
LYRICS BAD REPUTATION BY JOAN JETT !
CREDIT R A W R IT’S E M M A ! OF CAUTION ![/COLOR][/FONT]

[russ]

[I’m pretty sure this is total crap because I kept getting distracted.]

Granted, if Russ was in Cassidy’s place with Gabe, he would probably not be afforded the same liberties that Cassidy’s foolish sensuality might gain her with the man who took her. On his drive, it had occurred to him that he still didn’t know Gabe’s name, but at this point it hardly mattered. Russ was headed back to the cabin for two reasons. One, because it was never his intention to skip out on Helena, no matter what her crazed mind was telling her due to past experience and two) to grab Logan and go kill that son of a bitch and get Cassidy back. It might have seemed a little dark for the student on hiatus, but that was what Logan’s type did, right? Russ might have been a masterful escapist, with the ability to convince himself of all sorts of things, but he was not so stupid that he could not piece things together. His great-grandfather had been one of these types, and Russ had heard enough stories in boyhood to know just what had to be done. At least, what he hoped to be done. Because by-george, that Gabe guy had really pissed him off now.

Russ may not have been near trained enough by Logan to even face a large pack of hungry dogs at this fresh point, but damn it, he was guilty enough for getting Cassidy into this mess to run in on his heels. Maybe he could hold the “Go Lo, Tear ‘Im To Pieces!” banner. Granted, even he doubted Eastwood would appreciate that nickname. If only he had had the sense to doubt Logan’s pleased expression to see him back. Maybe if it even crossed his mind how Logan might react to him coming back, it would have given him hesitation to open that door and find his nose nearly colliding with two long metal barrels.

Stopping short, his hand still on the doorknob, Russ frowned. It took a moment to register Logan’s words, but really – a shotgun in his face again could not have conveyed Logan’s feelings better. Taking a deep breath, Russ was still under the impression that Logan may not shoot him. May, being the operative word. Eyes focused on those two round holes that could be the last thing he saw, he edged to the side slightly to try and get out of the line of fire subtly as he responded. [white] “I know I shouldn’t have left… but… I, uh, need your help.”[/white] Swallowing and furrowing his brow at the barrels, Russ should have gotten the golden star for figuring out the obvious. Too bad he needed a friend to get kidnapped by a madman to have it dawn on him.

[logan]

The shocked, innocent look on Russ’ face made Logan twitch. His mind was wheeling, flipping through scenario after scenario as he kept the shotgun level. What if the kid had snuck off to make a deal with the monsters after the doc? What if he was in on it from the beginning? What if he got possessed himself, and had come back to murder them both? He’d faced worse whackadoo’s in his lifetime, and HELL if a kid he’d started to take a shine to would be the one to put him down.

Nope, Logan Moretti was going to die in a blaze of smoke and body parts. Not at the hands of a possessed Russ. Fuck that, man.

When Russ moved, the shotgun moved with him. Growling now, the hunter stood his ground and glared. ”Keep on moving, kid. This gun ain’t going nowhere but in your face. Now, move slowly into the living room and keep your hands where I can see them. Then we’ll talk about your ‘needing my help.’”

Damn, but he hated it when this happened; when he started to like a person, and they turned out to be a cheating schmo. He used his hip to nudge the front door closed and prayed that Helena would stay upstairs for the time being. She was too forgiving, that woman. He’d have to make sure of what side little Salem was on, before he could let the guy anywhere near his friend.

Once they had moved into the living room, he nodded at a couch. ”Take a seat. See that flask on the table? I want you to take a sip and swallow. It’s holy water, so don’t go making faces.” As he continued to keep his gun on the younger man, Logan moved to the fireplace across the room and nudged one of the pokers on the side into the fire.

”Now…let’s talk about why you left, before you go asking anything of me. It looks real suspicious, don’t you think? You and Helena come here because there are guys after her…and then poof, you’re gone. What’ve you been doing, Russ? Who’re you working for?”

[/blockquote][/blockquote]

TAGGING RUSS !
WORDS lots !
WEARING Army fatigues !
NOTES Ignore the length, man! Logan was just growling in my head and I couldn't help myself. XD DON'T MATCH MAH POST, JUST WRITE. <3!
LYRICS BAD REPUTATION BY JOAN JETT !
CREDIT R A W R IT’S E M M A ! OF CAUTION ![/COLOR][/FONT]

[russ]

Russ needed anything but Logan informing him that gun was on him like his skull was made of magnets. It was gradually unnerving, especially considering he had technically done nothing wrong. At least, not for Logan to have a gun on him. With that knowledge, it could only mean that Logan was out of his mind, and there was nothing less trustworthy than a crazy person. There was no telling what they would do; whether they liked you or not.

Walking backwards into the living room, as though keeping an eye on that shotgun was going to make one bit of difference in whether or not the shot within took his head clean off, he stumbled back onto the couch, staring up at Logan and attempting to keep a calm façade. After all, he did not want to spook the wildly paranoid individual who would probably take more pleasure in giving him a head start just so he could have a running target. Russ was quickly losing faith that Helena’s friend would not shoot him. Shit, at this rate, Tank Man had shown himself as less of a threat. Of course, he knew this was not true. Why else would he be willing to ask a nutso for help?

Swallowing and watching the door close, his eyes glancing up and his longing to call for Helena as he was cut off from the rest of the house, he redirected his attention to the indicated flask. From his peripheral vision he was painfully aware of that poker at the flame’s edge. Wetting his lips and taking a deep breath, he reached for the holy water and glanced up at Logan. He knew there was nothing off about himself, but his anxiety probably made him look hesitant. And to tell the truth, he was. Just because Logan said it was holy water, didn’t mean that it was. It could be poison for all he knew, intent to make him fall to the ground in a writhing mess before he died for the beastly man’s enjoyment.

Well, poison was one of the least offensive ways he imagined he could go at this man’s hands, so he took a large gulp just to prove to Logan that he was doing so in earnest. Nothing happened, though Russ was not sure what he was anticipating to happen, and he looked at the gun again, setting the flask aside. [white] “What are you talking about? You know I’ve got nothing steady on the line. I just went out. I had to get out of here. You’ve had me cooped up for ages.”[/white] And it was true. Logan might have been content never seeing the outside world, but Russ had been suffering from the worst bout of cabin fever he had ever known.

[logan]

Logan found his shoulders easing slightly when the holy water went down the kid’s throat with ease. So far, he’d passed three out of the four tests; he’d made it through the wards around the front door without an invitation, had managed to sit in a chair laden with silver without screaming and had downed the holy water without choking. On any normal day, that would have warranted some trust to creep back into the relationship and the gun to go back to the little cubby hole he normally hid it in.

But then again, he did have a friend asleep upstairs. There was a reason why Logan Moretti absolutely HATED getting close to anyone; the sense of obligation that he felt towards them were always so damn annoying. He had to make sure that Russ was really Russ, and that the kid wasn’t working for Daddy Demon. He had to keep his friends safe.

Goddammit, he really should just go out back and shoot himself already. Gah.

A frown pulled at the Hunter’s mouth as Russ began to speak. Fuck, the kid did have a point…as insulting as it might be. He didn’t enjoy being cooped up…it was just safer to be on his own, in a familiar environment that he’d boobey trapped than out in the world. Hell, if Russ had been through half the shit he’d had, the kid would NOT be going into that happy territory. Glancing over his shoulder, he checked on the poker in the fire, which was slowly turning a dull pink.

”And you choose right now to leave the cabin? Without telling me? Boy, I know you gotta brain in that head of yours; just think about what you’re saying. You got yourself involved in this thing…so you’re gonna leave a secure compound and what? Nobody’s gonna follow you back here? No demons are gonna try to kidnap you, or worse?” With a disgusted shake of his head, he took a step back toward the fireplace. The poke was smoking as he pulled it out of the flames and eyed the now smoking branding iron at the other end.

There was one way to really make sure that the kid was still himself…and it wasn’t going to be very pleasant.

Before Russ could make a move, Logan was on him; pinning him against the couch with the neck of his gun, while he straddled his legs to keep him from wiggling around too much. ”Just hold still…this’ll only hurt for a second,” he growled. It was a bit of a juggling match, but he managed to grab hold of the collar, tug it to the side and position the brand right where he wanted it—

”LOGAN! OH MY GOD, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?”

Like a shot, Helena’s voice rang out through the room. Great, now he was going to have an audience…and a self righteous one at that. Wonderful. Before he could finish his little ‘test,’ however, he felt a pair of slim arms slide around his own and tugged him backwards with a strength that surprised him. Now off balance, he fell back onto his ass, the poker sliding off to the side.

”What the hell was that?” He snarled up at the doctor, who was bending over Russ with obvious concern. ”I was making sure he was clean!”

Helena turned to glower down at her friend. Good God…when she’d heard the racket downstairs, she’d merely thought that Logan was having some fun testing out a few new toys, but never this! Panting herself in front of Russ- her heart did a little jump at seeing him, right before her stomach fell- she glared at the hunter. ”How? By shoving a hot poker on him? Logan, you’ve gone too far this time. Too far! I appreciate your help, but not this.”

Turning back to Russ, she nodded at the stairs. ”I’d go up if I were you…unless you want to leave again. Either way…I’d do it now, before Lo finds his poker.”

[/blockquote]

[russ]

Fuck. All he wanted was a day out of this prison. Was that too much to ask? He would have taken Helena with him if he thought it was safe, if he thought she would even let him go once she turned him down. What was he supposed to do, just hole himself up for the rest of his life because he was ‘in this’ now and wait for the end of the world? Thanks Logan, but no thanks. If he tried doing that, he would be as insane as Logan within the period of a month. That’s just what his dear little friend wanted and needed from him. Another wacko to add to her long list of out-of-control men.

Okay, so he’d messed up. He knew that before he even got back. And yeah, maybe now he knew why he was encouraged to stay in the safety of the cabin’s borders. So he wished he had listened and not gotten Cassidy wrapped up in all this. She was just supposed to show up for the afternoon and remind him of what things were like before all this, anyway. He just needed a break. And now, in punishment, it seemed very likely that he would be broken. He did not like that frown on Logan’s face one bit. And though his growl was familiar now, Russ could not help the growing sense of anxiety building up in his gut as he turned to the flames.

And for good reason too. Apparently these tests he did not know he was going through were not enough, and before he could even think how a crazy person might and imagine what Logan was preparing to do, he was pinned beneath the monster and squirming like an energetic puppy determined to get free. Clutching to the monsters arm and trying to stretch as far away as possible from the poker, radiating heat and actually making his neck break out into sweat, he foolishly made his skin that much more accessible as he kicked his foot in vain to try and get the man off him.[white] “Are you fucking nuts??”[/white] He cried out in response, which really went without saying. He sincerely doubted that it would only hurt for a second, and he would be praising Helena later that he did not have to find out.

As Logan was torn off him, Russ scrambled back a little into the couch, his mind abuzz and vaguely trying to conceive how turning him into cattle was going to make sure he was ‘clean’, his eyes were feral and darting between them as Helena appeared in front of him. If it was not for the fact that he had laid the qualm slightly to rest that she might be as crazy as him, Russ would have taken this opportunity to sprint out of there. Instead, he watched her back as she wheeled around on the hunter still on the ground. Russ had to say, he much preferred him down there. He looked an ounce less intimidating. But only a smidgen. But no where near so as Helena when she suddenly took control of the situation with force that he did not think her capable of. In any other setting it would have been hot.

Raising slowly to his feet, but making sure to stay partly behind Helena, he looked into her eyes as she directed him to go upstairs for his own good. And how much he would really like to. He would love to get out of there and dismiss the fact that he really did need Logan’s help. And even if Helena had psychological control over them right now, he was still pretty sure she would not be able to do what Logan could. Shaking his head slowly, with an apologetic expression. [white] “I can’t. I have to get her back. And I can’t do it alone.”[/white] Looking to Logan,[white] “So do what you have to do; I can’t have her getting hurt on my conscience.”[/white] It terrified him to think what it might take to achieve this, what he would have to go through for Logan to do this for him, and he swallowed thickly with a slightly worried expression. But if there was one thing Russ had proven to be by this point, it was he was stupidly brave when someone needed him. Because if Cassidy was taken out of this equation, he would probably be in tears having to stay in the same room as Logan right now. Damn that guy was crazy...

[helena]

Warily, Helena watched her friend as he slowly rose from the carpet. Logan was one of the fiercest hunters she’d ever come across, and the most unforgiving. It had taken her almost two years to even learn his last name, and given the scene she’d just stumbled in on…it was anyone’s guess how he was going to take her interference. There was probably a psychological term for whatever plagued the older man- PTSD, paranoid schizophrenia, something- and not being able to finish one of his many ‘tests’ was probably driving him insane. She didn’t think that he’d resort to physical harm against her, she wasn’t sure if they’d be allowed to stay in the cabin after this.

A ball of anger and guilt fell into her stomach and made it roil. God…when Russ had left the cabin without a word, she’d been both hurt and understanding. For weeks, they’d been cooped up in the cabin with only Logan and basic cable for company; any person would go insane. She was used to it, given that her ‘father’ had been hunting her for long enough and her schedule back in Texas didn’t allow for much movement. But Russ? A man who was used to moving around, being on his own and listening to no one’s orders, save his own? It had to have been torture.

And Logan had made it no easier, with his ‘routines’ and ideas about making the young man into some kind of semi-Hunter. It was actually kind of amusing to watch the ex-soldier run Russ through exercises and show him his gun collections, both to intimidate and educate. He wasn’t exactly the show-and-tell kind of guy, and so soon after their meeting…he must have seen something in Russ that he’d liked. Now, however…now it was up in the air how he’d react.

With a feral grace, Logan rose from where he’d fallen on his ass, eyes glued to the man behind the doctor. Stupid little pup…there he’d thought the kid had had brains; some kind of potential. But he was clinging to the doc’s skirts like some kind of two year old! AND…what was he babbling? Something about someone getting hurt? What the fuck did he care if one of his friends got hurt because he was an idiot? Wasn’t any skin off his ass.

…Though, given the look of concern on Helena’s face as she whirled around to face Russ, she obviously didn’t feel the same way. Women.

”Just calm the fuck down, you pansy ass piece of turd, before I come over there and brand your forehead for shits and giggles.” He snarled.

Helena turned to glare at him and bit back a smirk as he made a show of righting his clothes. Her friend was grumpy, paranoid and quite the belligerent hermit…but he was a good man. Turning back to Russ, she put a hand on his arm.
”Russ, what are you talking about? Get who back? Is someone in trouble?”

A small blush of jealousy threatened to creep onto her cheeks, but she pushed them back. Just because they’d had sex didn’t mean they were dedicated to one another, socially; she told herself. He had to have gotten some cabin sickness and had hooked up with an old friend! That was normal!

…Even though his going out threatened himself, his friend, her and Logan, a mean little voice in her head whispered. And don’t forget that he left without a word…to meet a ‘her.’

Damn, she wanted to go back to that night in the bar, or the other day spent in bed with him. Clenching her jaw to keep the questions in, she motioned for him to calm down.

[/blockquote]

[russ]

With baited breath, Russ watched Logan rise to his feet. He resisted the urge to take a step back, but only barely. The desire shot through him in separate directions, as though Logan really had hit him with one of those slugs. One direction to his legs to act upon instinct, and another direction to cue his brain to think properly. Fortunately, Russ’s stupidity was the only thing that made him brave and his rational mind refused to work and send him fleeing from all of this. Surely, if he let them all behind, even Cassidy, Gabe would leave him alone. Right? No. Probably not. Pure insanity seemed to surround this otherwise anchored woman, and by all fricken rights he was clinging to her skirts. It was the only place that he would avoid doing something dumb.

He was sick of the routines. Sick of being terrorized. It was not that he didn’t work out, but doing so in tedious repetitions had never been him. Living around Logan was like living under some sort of drill sergeant, and he was tired of it. His body screamed to move on, to get away and back to his safe drifting and meaninglessly entertaining exploits. Helena took that from him when she instilled reason in him, and for that he both blamed and thanked her. It was the focus that she provoked, and Logan drilled, that seized his natural determination and gave him the proper sense not to run away from this terrible reality. Russ was no kind of hunter, as he came to learn Logan was called. He was a lover, not a fighter. But beneath his peaceable personality, was the bloodline of someone who had once been one of these fighters. Maybe that was what Logan had seen and tried to bring to the surface, despite Russ fighting him tooth and nail. Though, that was not to account for the first time he fired off a shotgun and nearly got knocked back on his ass.

After a moment, it seemed as though Logan would not lunge at him again like an animal and Russ’s nerves calmed slightly. It actually helped when he was snarled at and threatened, because it brought a glare to his serious eyes to join Helena’s in response. For being such an actively paranoid hunter, this Logan guy did not seem to be doing a hell of a lot of good just sitting around making sure nothing got him. One should think he would take his badassness outside the boarders and kick some ass. At this rate, Russ feared that his pathetic training over the last couple weeks would do more good. It was a little disappointing, to say the least. And Russ thought he was the pathetic one.

Shaking his head slightly and looking back to Helena as she returned her attention to him and put her hand on his arm, she successfully distracted him. With a sigh, Russ tried to concentrate his attention on her. In any other situation, he would have seriously had to rethink some things when he was technically talking for some gruff old man to listen, while staring at a beautiful woman. And perhaps, specifically for that reason, he leaned towards thankful for what she had done for him. What she offered. A chance to not run away, to focus on what was really important. She was a gateway into earnest he had never experienced, while gently providing him the escapes he needed when it got to be too hard. If only they had not had to come here. If only he had not been left to Logan and pushed so hard that he reverted back to his old ways in defiance. Yeah… he definitely liked blaming Logan over himself.

[white]“That… thing that attacked us, Helen… it took her.”[/white] Face contorting in frustration and looking away, because he knew full well that he was the one to invite Cassidy to meet him, he took a deep breath and ground his teeth, wishing only that he had had more time to be ‘whipped into shape’ by Logan so he could do something about it without having to admit to anyone that he had gotten his friend in trouble. Looking back, focusing on those captivating eyes, he shook his head and whispered throatily,[white] “I’m sorry.”[/white] Taking a step back, his lashes fluttering as his stomach flipped, he looked down at the poker on the ground. Though it had lost it’s flesh-searing capabilities at this point, he looked back to Logan. [white] “Just…”[/white] Looking away with an expression that appropriately conveyed that he was about ready to throw up at the thought of what Logan wanted to do. What he was preparing to let him do. [white] “Just do it. Cassidy needs you. I need you.”[/white]

[helena]

There was a myriad of emotions that flew on and off of Russ’s face, and Helena had a hard time pinpointing them all. She could see fear and anger clearly, but it was obvious that the poor man’s mind was spinning in about a hundred different directions. He was probably going insane with worry over his friend- shut up, green monster!- and Logan’s snarling was probably not doing anything positive for him. When he finally look at her, she forced a reassuring smile on her face.

”What thing? You mean the man who was at my townhouse in New Orleans?” Fear skidded through her chest, and the hairs on the back of her neck rose. She didn’t know who ‘Cassidy’ was, but was certain that her being with the unnaturally strong man who’d attacked them in Louisiana didn’t bode well.

When he apologized, she just shook her head and offered him another small smile. It wasn’t his fault; needing to get out and away from the entire situation. If anything, it should be HER apologizing to HIM about dragging him into all this! He’d been a sweet, handsome young man living a normal life…and with one conversation in the park, all of that had been snatched away. She’d been so selfish; accepting his offer for a drink. She should have just let him be on his way.

While Helena was mentally berating herself and sliding her hand into Russ’, Logan was content to watch and glare. He’d really liked the kid; had seen a lot of himself in him, with all that fire. He’d never been one to settle down either, though he’d had reason to in the form of a drunken father. He’d seen fire in the kid; steely determination and a strong will…and that was just what he’d need, if he planned on sticking around Helena.

Crossing his arms over his chest, he met Russ’ eyes when he finally turned his attention from the doctor. The ex-SEAL felt something, then; some twinge of remorse or compassion at what he saw in the other man’s eyes. But, with a ruthlessness that made him as bad ass as Russ thought, he squelched it and glared.

Fuck, but the squelching didn’t last long. It was the humility and the asking for help that got to the Hunter in the end. With a martyred sigh, Logan cursed and turned around to put the poker back in its holder with the others. He cursed under his breath as his knees cracked and groaned, and finally, with a rather loud ‘FUCK,’ he turned back to them.

”You’ve got balls for coming back here, I gotta give you that,” He grumbled, eyeing the kid. Ignoring Helena’s frown, he moved over to them and put a hand on Russ’ shoulder with yet another sigh.

”Tell me what happened, and I’ll help you get your friend back. Now, stop fuckin’ babbling and get on with it, so I can kick some ass.”

[/blockquote]