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25. Tracking

“She….left”
“With Warren”

Ororo Monroe was having that feeling again. The feeling that made the hair on the back of her neck stand – that someone was watching her. She wasn’t afraid for her own safety, she was more than able to defend herself. It was who she was with she was worried about.

“Come on kids, let go inside” she said, clapping her hands and pointing towards the house.
She was met with ‘boos’ and denials as the toddlers reluctantly left their games and walked towards the house. Today was such a great day to be outside. Bright sun, cool breeze, so many people to throw sand on and they were being made to back inside like they were jail inmates.

“Come on, come one” urged Ororo. “I’ll tell you a story if you hurry and get in.” ‘That got the little angels to flap their wings’ she thought with a smile as they picked up speed.

As soon as the children were inside, Ororo followed them. She stopped at the door and looked back, her brows furrowed. ‘There was that feeling again.’ Shaking her head as if to clear the feeling away, she turned around and entered the house, closing and locking the door for security.

---

Logan sighed as he came out from behind the tree. ‘Almost got caught there – twice,’ he cursed himself. Seeing her so close after all this time, made him lose his control. He wanted to reach out and run a hand through her soft flowing hair. It was longer than what he remembered. He used to love caressing them and the reaction it would generate from her, especially her cat-like purr when he gently massaged her roots.

He had finally managed to track her down. ‘And all because of Marie’, he thought, once again thanking the demure Southern beauty. She was the one who gave him the lead about Ororo’s whereabouts.

---

Earlier,

A few days ago (Xavier’s Institute for Gifted Youngsters)

Logan was sitting silently by the lakeside, his cane lying by his side. He used to spend almost all of his free time here. It made him feel closer to her, as if she had ridden the winds and come to his side, her long white hair washing over his face like a cooling rain, her deep melodious laughter filling his, her deep blue eyes full of mischief.

He looked at the object in his hand. It sparkled as it caught the sun’s rays. Closing his hand around it, he brought it to his heart, wishing it were her hand.

His reverie was interrupted by a rustle in the bushes behind him. From the perfume, he immediately knew that it was a woman – a particular woman.
“What dya want Red?” he asked gruffly after a couple of minutes of waiting for her to make the move.
“How did you know it was me?” asked Jean Grey-Summers, stepping forward and sitting down beside him, her red hair billowing over her face as a gust of wind caught her in the face.
“I’d know ya anywhere darlin’” he answered easily before stiffening and repeating himself. “What dya want?”
“I just want to talk and wondered if you wouldn’t mind some company,” she answered smiling as she straightening her hair.

“I ain’t much in the mood ta talk,” he answered bluntly, the weariness in his voice not lost to the woman next to him. “And won’t yer HUSBAND mind yer talking ta me” he said, with a mock jibe. “I’m sure it’d have his panties in a bunch.”

Jean smiled at her his half-hearted attempt to turn her away.
“Scott knows I am here – with you,” she informed him. “And I can assure you he doesn’t have his panties or rather briefs *in a bunch*.”

“You’ve changed” she spoke after a moment’s silence.
Logan nodded his head. “Coming back from the dead will do that ta ya” he spoke quietly, his eyes never leaving the lake.

It had been two weeks since Logan had returned to the institute – a changed man, not only in his weakened physical state, which he was rapidly recovering from, but also in his behavior. He was silent as ever, maybe even more so sometimes. However, where once there had been barely contained anger, was a sense of peace and calm. It was as if he had faced his demons and overcome them.

They sat there, silently watching the lake, before Jean spoke again.
“You come here to remember her; don’t you?” It was more of a statement than a question. Logan merely nodded his hand, running his hand over the soft grass as if trying to find some trace of her on it. “We had some good times here.”

They were silent again, each lost in their thoughts of the past and of their friend and love.
“Logan…..I am sorry” Jean finally spoke.
Logan finally looked at her, his forehead creased, confusion in his eyes. “Sorry?” “What fer?”
“For everything – for Ororo leaving, for what happened to you….but most of all for what I did to you all those years ago” she ended her voice cracking towards the end, her eyes lowering unable to meet his heated gaze.

Logan laid a hand on her shoulder, squeezing it gently.
“Jeannie” he called out softly, causing her to raise her tear filled eyes once again. Where she had expected anger and sadness, she found a calm understanding.
“Ya don’t have nothin’ ta be sorry about. What happened to me and Ororo was sad, but it ain’t yer fault, so stop beating yerself over it.” “And fer the rest…..its all water under the bridge.”
Jean managed a small smile at his words. Taking it as a good omen, he continued. “It’s true that I was angry with ya and blamed ya fer all that happened between us. But that’s just ‘cause I wouldn’t see what you saw so clearly. You and me, we were too much alike to work together – too emotional, too immature…too hardheaded. Things would’ve never worked out between us….not like they are between you and Scoo…..Scott.”
“Or between you and Ororo” added Jean, getting a sad smile from the man next to her.

She laid her head on his shoulder. “I am sorry for your loss.”
Logan knew which *loss* she was talking about. “You and me both darlin’….you and me both.”

They were interrupted when someone cleared their throat behind them. Jean tried to get away to see who was it, but was stopped by Logan’s arm around her shoulder.
“I thought I told you to stay away from my wife.”
“Fuck you Scooter” Logan said, lifting his middle finger towards the man standing behind them. “I was wondering when ya’d decide ta bring yer sorry ass forward.”

Scott Summers made his way to where the couple was sitting and plonked down next to his wife, who smiled at him snuggling to him as Logan let her go with a wink and a smile. Scott and Logan had finally managed to make their peace a few days ago, but still verbally *tickled* each other.

“So when are you leaving?” asked Scott.

Everyone one in the mansion knew that Logan would leave to find Ororo. He had just been waiting for his strength to come back and it was returning, his leg muscles becoming stronger each day. He was up to two hours standing and a full thirty minutes of brisk walking. It would be a long time before he got back to his original shape and strength, but knowing him, no one doubted that one day he would and that day would come sooner than what the doctor predicted.

“Soon” answered Logan.

“Where will you look?” asked Jean. “No one knows where she went. How will you find her?”
“I will” Logan answered firmly.


“WOLVIE!!” a call rang out from within the trees, bringing a easy smile to Logan’s lips. ‘Jubilee’

He was happy that things had worked out between him and Jubilee. All the hurt, the pain and the bitterness she had felt for his *apparently* running out on her was gone and things were back to normal. She was once again his Jubes and he was her Wolvie. Even if he never admitted it, he had missed her sweet lilting voice calling him that.

“Here” he called back.

A few moments later, Jubilee broke out through the tree covering, laughing and giggling at her companion, who took one look at Logan and wished everyone there goodbye and hurried away. He was still getting used to Jubilee’s de facto ‘DAD’ and was a little scared of the man.

Logan’s eyes narrowed, following the *boy* who had been walking next to Jubilee. He was another immigrant student, ‘Roberto’ – that’s what is name was. His was from Brazil. Jubilee and he had been dating for almost three months now. ‘But she’s just a kid’, was his first thought. Later, he had realized that Jubilee had reached an age where it was normal and acceptable for her to meet and out with boys. She was going to be eighteen soon. The fact that he accepted it didn’t mean that he liked it.

It seemed that only yesterday had he tracked down and brought the spunky kid back from Japan. He still didn’t know why did what he did. It had been a routine job – an international kidnapping. He had had several of those over the years, but this was different about this one. He became emotionally involved and the young ‘woman’ standing in front of him was the reason for that.

He was proud of her, proud like a father was of his daughter, a coach of his star athlete or like an artist was of his prized masterpiece. He was proud of having done at least one thing right in his life. If he had to live his life all over again, he would take all the hurt and pain just to have her with him.

“Wolvie…” Jubilee said, snapping her fingers in front of his face. “Earth to Wolvie!!”
“Wolvieeeeeeee…..” she shrieked getting closer to his ear.
“Jeez kid. Why did ya do that fer?” grunted Logan, clutching his ear. “One of these days ya gonna bust my ear.”
“Good” she huffed, crossing her arms. “Maybe then you’ll get as hearing aid and listen to me when I am talking to you.”
Logan merely shook his head at her childish antics. She always managed to brighten his day. “Will ya always be like this?” he asked, pushing himself up on his legs.
“Like what?”
“Like this….all loud and jumpy, like yer on a sugar high or something. Which ya probably are, with that damn bubblegum in yer mouth 24/7.”
“For your information it is ‘Sugar Free Gum’,” she said blowing a complementary bubble and waiting for him to straighten up before hugging him. “And with you….I’ll always be like this…..just for you” she said slowly so that only he could hear.
“Good” he smiled back at her, ruffling her hair.
“HEY…don’t harm the do….DUDE,” she cried out, pulling out a brush and running it through her shoulder length hair.
Logan chuckled and started walking away, with Jubilee on his heels, before bidding farewell to Scott and Jean.

---

Marie had found Logan sitting alone in the greenhouse. It was his second spot to come and be alone with his memories. There were so few and so important – and all he had left now.

He had been thinking of leaving for a week now. His right leg had almost fully recovered, but the left still had some problems. He was poring over a map, deciding on which city to start with, when Marie coughed lightly, drawing his attention to her.

“Sorry, didn’t mean tah disturbh yah” she said, her accent thick with nervousness. She had something important to say to him.
“Na darlin’, no disturbance. Just lookin’, deciding to where to start from.”

Marie knew what he meant by ‘to start from’. He was planning to go after Ororo and was ready to search the whole continent and beyond if necessary.
“Maybe Ah cahn help yah” she offered, gaining a raised eyebrow from him.
“Help” “What do ya mean Marie? Do ya know?” he asked hopefully.
“Ah’m not sure, but a coupla years ago there was a card in tha mail foh the Professor. And it looked to me to be from Ororo.”
“Ya sure?” asked Logan. ‘Chuck didn’t tell me about this’ he thought, frowning at the Professor.
“No” “Ahm not sure. But the card came the Professor left *alone* and when he came back, he didn’t tell where he had gone. But fer some odd reason he looked unusually happy, and didn’t talk about Ororo after thaht. It was thaht thaht got me thinkin’.” “But Ah didn’t tell anyone – until now” she ended quietly. “Not even ta Remy.”

Marie and Remy had finally started dating *officially* about two years ago and were planning on getting married in the coming winter. ‘A Christmas Wedding’ – that had been Marie’s idea and the Cajun was more than happy to do whatever she wanted.

“Thanks kid” Logan said, standing up, a hopeful smile on his face. “Ya have been a great help.” “And tell the Cajun – if he ever hurts ya, I’ll be the last thing he sees.”

----

Present,

Marie’s information had been on the dot. He had finally left the mansion as soon as he was fit enough to drive. Scooter had managed to get him a deal on a new mid-sized truck. Getting all his gear into the truck, he finally left one night. No one knew of his plan – No one except Jubilee. He had told her about his plan to track Ororo down and about the information Marie had given him. She had immediately wanted to come with him, but he had stopped her, telling her that this was something he needed to do alone and also reminding her that she needed to finish her last school term and get ready for college.

Reaching here, he had started to check al the houses numbered 1173, 1713, 1731 and 1137. Marie had remembered the four digits and that the first digit was ‘1’. It had taken him almost three weeks, but standing here in front of house no. 1713, made it all worthwhile.

Taking a deep breath, he opened the wooden gate and stepped onto the path leading to the house.

----

Ororo had finally managed to get the kids to sleep when there was a knock on the door.

Thinking it was some door-to-door salesperson, she opened the door to send him away. But what she saw stunned her. Standing before her was…..

“Hey darlin’” “Miss me?”





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