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A small yellow cab on it’s way back to the Mansion:

Ororo shoved a piece of Brent Cristopher a little further away from her. She had agreed to go house hunting with him, had somehow agreed to a dinner she didn’t want after, and found herself with a quickly drunk man laying on her shoulder on the cab back.
But she had pushed him away from her when he uncontrollably began morphing into different animal parts and people.
The cab driver had turned around in surprise, then had shrugged and kept on driving. He was close to the Mansion and he still had to get paid.

*Thank the Goddess, greed triumphs over fear in this city…*

She used her clutch to bat away an octopus arm wriggling towards the cabbie’s hat.
“Hey, lady, you can, uh, get that guy inside okay?”
“Trust me, I have friends inside who are adequately prepared to handle such a situation.”
He checked her out in the rear-view mirror, “I shoulda expected so.”
Brent morphed into a writhing her, in red lingerie, his leg propped seductively over Ororo’s right leg. She slapped him full in the face until he morphed partially into himself and his lower half became a bashful slug tail.

Finally they arrived. McKoy, Charles, Warren, and Scott were already outside, waiting on the front porch.

*Is all well, Ororo?*
*Be thankful, Charles, we have a very tolerant cabbie or we would be walking up this driveway…I think a sizeable tip is in order…*

McCoy immediately opened the car door with which Brent was leaning on and stuck a needle in his trembling arms. Brent murmured something unintelligible and allowed McCoy to drag his limp male body out and over his shoulder.
Charles and Scott were in hot conversation with the cab driver, reformulating memories and paying him huge wads of cash at the same time.

Warren was at the door when Ororo stepped, exhausted, into the mansion. She raised a hand to quell his apologies.
It didn’t work as he began.
“O, I cannot begin to tell you how sorry I am. I thought Brent would have had a lot more self control. I mean this just downright ridiculous. Geez, I’m really just sorry. It’s just Brent’s a cool guy until he actually goes out with a woman he really likes. Then all hell breaks loose, you know? He just freaked out, drank to overcompensate, and made a complete ass of himself. I’m really sorry. I didn’t know about Logan, as Jubz has been making me painfully aware, or I would never have encouraged him. He’s just a little idiot puppy eager to please…say something!”
“Well, now that I have a chance to speak I will,” Ororo frowned and thought back to some of her earlier personal thoughts in the cab. “I do forgive him. I do, he was simply over eager. I just hate to think that-”
“Think what, O?” Warren fell into easy step with her on the main stairs.
She turned to him, “That if the situation had been reversed, if I had made a complete fool of myself, would he be so easy to forgive me for such a truly annoying experience? I doubt it. And if he didn‘t feel there was a possibility of being forgiven by my easy nature, would he have done it? I doubt it. He would have been more careful, cautious, and as aware as I was that I, as a woman of good repute, am required to be…but never mind. Men never understand such things.”
Warren stood speechless on the stairs.

Ororo turned away from him and continued up the stairs and she was almost to her room when out of the shadows loomed a sizable, purple robed figure.
Ororo startled back with a small scream before she realized the shadow was Jubilee.
“How could you?”
“Excuse me, Jubilee, but I have no idea what you are talking about. It’s been a tiring night…”
“How could you just fall out of love with Logie so quick? I thought you really loved him. Now he’s gone.”
Ororo sat down on the stairs. “I am exhausted, Lee. I have just suffered the most annoying, possibly torturous night of my life that just won’t end…let me pass.”
Jubilee sat next to her.
“But Logie,” she whimpered. “You were why he stayed. Even I couldn’t get him to do that. Now he says he doesn’t know when he’s coming back.”
Ororo perked up. “You spoke with him? When?”
“AGES AGO,” quailed the young girl.
“There is a difference between a week ago, two days ago, and ages ago. Jub-jub, you’re a big girl now and you know that. Which is it?”
“Uggh, a week and a half a day ago. Where could he be, Ro? What if he’s hurt?”
“My child, I trust he is quite safe until he sends sign of otherwise-”
“By then it might be too late,” Jubilee interrupted emphatically.
“…Until then why don’t we share the same bed tonight: misery beckons.”
Jubilee looked up through her tear stained lashes.
“Mm-kay.”

They huddled together in the dark expanse of sheets.
“O? You asleep?” Jubilee hissed.
“No.”
“Do you ever at least worry about him?”
“Every moment.”
“Do you still kinda love him even though he left and all?”
“Yes I do.”
“Is it just because Brent turned out to be such an idiot? I mean, what a loser, you know?”
Ororo throatily chuckled, “No, I love him independently of Brent’s foolish ways.”
“Good otherwise I couldn’t tell you this. Back when he thought he hung up the phone when he called me but he didn’t. I could hear him crying cuz he thought you didn’t love him anymore…do you ever cry about him?”
“Child, please.”
Ororo snuggled in even closer with the girl as she allowed herself to cry again for the first time since Logan had left.

In Toronto, Canada:

Logan and Shaewn got on the RT to the TTC . They took the subway to the Downtown core without much comment between them. Shaewn could feel his stomach clenching and unclenching. He knew now he was a mutant. He wondered if he’d made speed his mutant ability by wanting to run away so bad all of the time.
“Let’s get ya somethin’ tah eat,” his uncle said.

*Thank God, I’m starved. *

It took a minute to realize he was never going to be beaten with hunger again. He smiled as the two of them walked into the Licks burger joint. That made him lose his smile again. He had to go back for Matt.

*Funny how just a few nights ago, it was better to be anyone but me and now I’m making plans on how to rescue others. Well, no one else should have to suffer what I did. Well, maybe except Chris. He could stand to lose the pounds.*

They ordered and when the food came Shaewn tore into it viciously. Logan ate more slowly, looking over the kid in wonder. It was crazy how alike they were.
Same crazy, black hair.
Same indefinable attitude.
Listening to the kid taunt the chipmunk cheeked boy was what he imagined him and Scott would have sounded like as kids.
He could see the places the kid still had left to fill out.
And even though he was only sixteen he clearly shaved every other day.
Logan smiled. Shaewn looked up to see his uncle staring at him and his food barely touched.

*Except his eyes are way bluer than mine. More like Ro’s.*

Logan sighed.
“You not hungry?” Shaewn asked. The more Logan looked on the more differences he saw. The kid was lean, the way a person was drawn to look lean with long fingers, arms and legs but not gangly. His voice was even and might be quick to laugh. He had a tiny scar along his mouth so he was without his healing factor, at least yet, if he ever was going to have one. His hair had obviously been self cut and meant to give a sort of accidental rocker look. His backpack was still on.
Logan shook his head no. “You want it?”
Shaewn took his plate and started in.
“God,” Logan stared in disbelief. Where was the kid putting his fourth burger and third helping of fries with another set to go. “When’s the last time you ate?”
Shaewn shrugged, his mouth full.
Logan put his hands under his chin, so like those last moments with Ororo, and asked the kid, “What’s in the bag? You said you didn‘t have anything to take except that.”
Shaewn looked up and swallowed before answering. “Well, I guess cause, and only cause, we’re family I can show you. It’s not even that good but I’ve had these awhile. The only things I’ve had forever,” he said as he pulled several binders out of his bag. He placed two in front of Logan and replaced the rest in his bag. “I don’t really show people this because a lot of it is of people I know. Or at least started with them but then it turned into something else. They might have thought I was making fun of them.”
Logan opened the book. Sketches.
People, dragons and unicorns, superheroes, some signed with the names of friends, buildings, two paintings of different girls…it was a sketch book.
“These are amazing,” Logan told him. “I mean, they’re real good.”
“Thanks,” he beamed. “Hey, check these out.” Shaewn pulled the pages to the back. Thousands of miniature dragons decorated the inside back cover. “These are my favourites.”
Logan nodded and continued to slowly go through each page.

Eventually he spoke again, “We’ll sign you up for art when we get to X.”
“X?”
“Ever hear of Charles Xavier’s School for the Gifted?”
“No.”
“It’s a school for mutants like ourselves. I’ve been there for awhile and that’s where we’re going to go. Except I’m fucked if I know how we’re going to get across the border.”
“I thought you said you were a secret agent,” Shaewn whispered. “Or did you make that up?”

*What if I’m following some crazy dude?*

Logan made his eyes connect with the kid’s. “Look there’s a lot we got to explain to each other. I don’t know nothing’ bout raising kids. And you haven’t been raised a whole lot in your life. And there’s a lot about me to learn. Ever hear of the X-men?
“Yeah, who hasn’t?” Shaewn said before it hit him. “You?”
“Yeah, and there’s a lot more to that story but not tonight. Listen, we need to get to our hotel and get some sleep. It’s been a long night for you.”
“Where can we go? It‘s too late to rent anywhere.”
“A friend of mine, one of the high up people I was telling you about, has a room over at the Hilton. We’re staying there.”
“Umm, wow, the Hilton’s kind of expensive. You don’t have to, well, not on my behalf, I guess,” Shaewn stuttered.
“It’s free,” Logan smiled. Something he hadn’t consciously done since leaving Ro. He did it now to try and put the kid at ease. “Besides, you’ll probably like it more than any of my other friend’s places in Toronto.”
“I have so many questions. Like starting with what do you want me to call you?” Shaewn said as Logan paid their tab.
“Logan is what everybody else calls me,” he said. He felt a stab in his gut. Juubz never called him anything besides one of her many versions of Logie. “And I got some questions of my own but let’s wait until morning. Then I gotta make some calls.”
“Okay.”

When the boy had finally stopped crowing about his suite in Warren’s penthouse and gone to bed, well actually passed out on his bed, Logan called Charles. It took all his mental strength to not dial Ororo’s extension instead.

“Chuck?”
“Logan, what a pleasant surprise. How is Canada treating you?”
“Look Chuck, I’m up to my elbows in it. I found the kid and he can’t stay with those fucking idiots he’s with. The night ended with the police being called.”
“Logan you didn’t-”
“Actually that family was so fucked up they imploded right in front of me and the kid. Shit, he made a promise to help somebody. But anyway first, we gotta figure out how to get across the border as fast you can get us out. Then I‘ll come back for the other one.”
“How long do you think you can stay at Warren’s? Wait, what other one?”
“It won’t even be a couple of days before the police are really out in force for this kid,” he sighed over the phone. “We gotta go, Chuck. Like now.”
Charles sighed, “I believe I have a solution but you must accept it as is. As fast as you need us, I don‘t see any other solution.”
“Anythin’ besides Sabretooth,” he joked.
“I could send Ororo and Jean to transport you across the border to a waiting car. The jet would be too obvious.” The breathe in Logan’s throat caught.

*Ororo…can’t think of myself. Or her. It’s gotta be about the kid now.*

“Yeah that sounds good. But the kid has some goods he can’t get wet.”
Charles paused before responding, “I’m sure the ladies can arrange something around a small thing like that. Logan,” he began before hesitating. “If I could be more discreet, I would.”
Logan nodded. “Yeah, I know you like to watch out for our feelings. Someone-”
The kid. The kid had snuck up and was listening in while he had been distracted.
“Logan? Are you alright?”
“Yeah, uh, someone’s gotta do it. Thanks.”
“They can be there by tomorrow evening, or actually the morning after,” Charles continued, oblivious to Logan’s distress.
“We’ll stay low.”
“Logan, I must say I am eagerly awaiting both you and your nephew’s arrival.”
“Yeah, thanks. We’ll be there soon. Y‘all meet him then.”
And he hung up.

“Hey, kid, get in here,” he said after a few minutes.
The kid came silently plodding in. “Sorry, I just wanted a -”
“Look it’s no good us lying to each other. You wanted to know what my mutant powers are? I have really sensitive senses. I can hear ya breathing in your suite.”
“Wow.”
“There’s more but that’s enough for tonight.”
“Yeah, I mean I guess we have to learn about each other as we go.”
“Yeah something’ like that.”
“Okay, that makes sense,” Shaewn paused. “Where are we going?”
“To Windsor. I’m going to have to borrow one of Warren’s cars to do that.”
“This Warren guy must be really rich.”
“Not as much as the guy I was just talking to.”
“How do I learn to make friends like yours?” Shaewn joked.
“First you make enemies with all the scum of the earth until the best people in the world take pity on you,” Logan answered, half serious. He sighed, “Good night kid. Get some sleep. We’ll need it.”
“Okay.” Shaewn turned back at the door to say, “And thanks for thinking of Matt and my stuff. It’s going to be hard for me, you know, not being on my own anymore.”
“Yeah, me too.”

~In the car~

Ororo stared out the window listlessly. She missed Jubilee. The girl had been in withdrawal ever since Logan had left and Ororo had enjoyed her company, even when it was sulky. A part of her thought Jubilee was making sure she saved Ororo for Logan. But the rest of her thought Jubilee just might enjoy Ororo’s company as well.
Jean had talked non stop since they left the mansion.

Ororo pulled her book out of her purse and, without warning, began ignoring Jean.
“Hey, are you listening to me?” Jean asked twenty minutes later.
Ororo didn’t even mumble.
“Ororo!” Jean screeched.
“Jean, what have you even been talking about for the past couple of hours?” Ororo and Jean were close in a way that always simmered rather than boiled. They had been the only two girls in the mansion in the beginning and had drawn together out of necessity rather than choice. “I hate it when you do that.”
“Do what?”
“Speak to hear your own voice.”
“Okay, here I am thinking I’m divulging my relationship issues but really I was just talking crap. Way to sympathize. I know you’re depressed because Logan left. But you had to expect that. He leaves everyone. His rages? He even leaves himself, Ororo, no exceptions. I cannot believe you did not expect that,” Jean was snapping by the end.
Ororo went back to ignoring Jean.
“Urg, sometimes you are so impossible. Get off your high horse, I mean really!” Jean muttered but drove on in silence.
Slowly some of what Jean had been saying began to sink into Ororo.

How could she already be dissatisfied with her husband? They’d been through so much. Scott was her rock, why would she let him slip away from her?

Perhaps Ororo had been too callus ignoring Jean.
“Jean,” she said.
Jean ignored her.
“Jean, tell me what’s the matter. I promise I’m listening this time. I worry for you and Scott. What could be wrong?”
“Well besides the fact that I never noticed how boring he was before. He’s so dull! Don’t tell anyone but sometimes I watch him and realize how much I despise his dry tedious attitude to life. And even worse, I haven’t had my period yet. I’ve never been regular but, what if I’m having his boring, tedious baby?”
“Goddess, Jean, what makes Scott so dull now? He’s very,” And Ororo faltered. She knew a person could care and not love. She had no words.
“Exactly. He’s, he’s, he’s so Scott.” Jean pushed a stubborn lock behind her ear. “You were lucky with Logan. He’s never dull. Did he ever make you do it in the kitchen? I almost died because you think someone is going to come in any second. Who knows if he’ll say anything…Ororo?” Jean stopped to look at her friend carefully. “Ororo? Are you okay?
“Jean, I never want to talk about Logan with you. Ever. Again. Do you understand?” It wasn’t a question.
“Yes, sure. Okay, fine. I just didn’t want to talk about Scott anymore.”
“Let’s not talk at all.”

The rest of the drive passed in silence.

In Toronto, at the same time:

“Wow.”
“Stop saying that.”
“WOW. I mean seriously, wow!”
“Shaewn cut it out. I mean it.”
“Okay,” Shaewn said. He stopped ogling the room service food menu for a few minutes before starting up again.
“Can I-”
“Shaewn,” Logan snapped. “Order anything you want! Order everything if you want. Just don’t make yourself sick.”
“Oh,” Shaewn cackled as he marched over to the phone. “I won’t.”

Logan rolled his eyes and went out on to the balcony to smoke his cigar. For the past two days he and the boy had remained shut ins except when Logan went to get supplies and take out. The sky had cleared up as he lit up his cigar.
Sighing he knew, he could feel her, coming closer. In between getting typical boy gear advice from Jubilee and talking to Charles’s lawyers he’d done well ignoring the fact that in a matter of hours he and the boy would pull on their new clothes, carry their new suitcases out of the Hilton, and come face to face with Ororo. He wondered if she’d changed since he’d last seen her. Perhaps…no, no excuses he told himself as he considered running to his cabin.

He turned when he heard Shaewn tap on the door. He nodded for him to approach.
“So what’s the plan again?” Shaewn asked. Logan looked at him. Everytime Logan reiterated the plan he appeared nervous. And yet, he begged often to hear it again and again.
“My friends come and pick us up in the car. We drive to Windsor timing for a nightime arrival. We cross over using their powers-”
“Tell me what their powers are again.”
“Jean, the redhead, is a very powerful telepath and telekinetic. That means she can read your mind and move things with her mind.”
“She’s the one who can be scary, right? That’s why you taught me those mind shielding techniques?”
“Yup. Then, ahem, Ororo-”
“Why do you get like that when you talk about her?”
“What are you talking about?”
Shaewn leaned his weight on the balcony railing as he enjoyed the view.
“Wistful. You sound wistful.”
“Kid, I coughed. Anyway, she can control the elements of nature. So she’s just as powerful but in a different way. You’ll like her. Lots of the kids do.”
“Uh huh.”
Logan looked at Shaewn. Well, the back of his head.
“I know you’re almost done high school here,” he continued as he decided to ignore Shaewn’s attitude about Ororo. “But Charles is going to give you some tests and figure out where you stand on his scale. You’ve got a lot to learn about your powers. And anyway sixteen is a bit young too go off to university.”
Shaewn laughed. “I’ve skipped a grade. And its weird.”
“What?”
“I’ve never had anybody get all mushy about me leaving before,” he cackled as he turned around. “And don’t pretend you’re not.”
Logan grinned. The kid could call him on his bullshit faster than anybody he knew except maybe Jubilee, who knew him better. The doorbell rang and the moment was broken as Shaewn dashed to go get his feast. Logan wrinkled his nose half in disgust and half in disbelief. The kid had ordered everything on the menu. Then he wondered if he’d manage to get any of it.

This is how Ororo and Jean found the two of them. Shaewn diligently making his way through a table of food and Logan looking on in disgust.
Jean unlocked the door with a key she produced from her pocket.
“Where did that come from?”
“Oh you know,” Jean shrugged off Ororo’s question. “Warren must have lent it to me at some point.”
Ororo said nothing but marched into the room. She smiled at the taller version of Logan stuffing his face and pointedly ignored Logan himself. Logan stood and walked toward Ororo, unsure of what he was going to do next.
Jean stepped forward and hugged him, in the interception of the year.
“Logan! It’s been too long since we last saw you. You’re missed at the house. But now you’re back, back, back!!!”
Logan peeled her off of him. “Uh yeah.”

“Hello, I’m Ororo,” Ororo said as she outstretched a hand to Shaewn’s back. Shaewn turned around and choked on his third frappicino and a chicken wing in his hand.
“No wonder,” he said out loud. He wiped his hands on his new pants leg absently before shaking the offered hand. “I mean, hi, I’m Shaewn, Logan’s uh-”
“Nephew,” Ororo supplied. “We’re happy to meet you. I’m glad you’re nearly ready because time is short.”
Shaewn nodded and put on his backpack. Logan raised his eyebrows. He’d never seen his nephew leave food on the table before. Jean quickly introduced herself and the three of them made their way downstairs through the private elevator. The elevator was small and Logan manoeuvred himself beside Ororo in the back of the tiny room.
He couldn’t speak but he stared at her, getting in her scent, and willed his hand not to caress her cheek. Ororo stared straight into Jean’s back as if drilling a hole there. Logan licked his lips as the bottom of his stomach churned. So she had forgotten him? Well, he deserved it. He looked forward to a four hour trip where he could sit by her before letting her go again.

Shaewn eagerly chatted with Jean but as the trip progressed the talk pattered out to silence. No one turned on the radio. The highway passed pleasantly outside their window. The scratches of Shaewn’s pen could be heard until eventually he fell asleep as all the food he’d consumed caught up with him.
Jean had already fallen asleep, at first faking it but she submitted to the ache in her bones from the long drive earlier and the boredom of the car.

Logan took a deep breathe before he opened his mouth to speak.
“Don’t.”
She said it so quietly even he thought he might have misheard. The sun was setting and the shadows lengthened and gathered. Her hands clutched the wheel so tightly her knuckles were red from the effort. Logan turned his body away from her so she couldn’t see his chest cave in. He assumed the billionaire had done his charming well but not only that, he himself was the one who had pushed her away so senselessly. The quiet of the car remained except now Logan could hear Ororo’s laboured breathing.

The trip across the Lake was uneventful and, except for Shaewn drawn out exclamations about the jet, the ride to the school was equally uneventful.





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