Some things to consider before you start the story…

…I gave X a doctorate. It seemed appropriate. So sometimes you'll see him addressed or identified as "Prof. Xavier" and sometimes it's "Dr. Xavier" instead. Sue me.

…I have a deep and abiding love for these characters that fueled some spark in my imagination. I'm not a huge comic guru & only went to see X-Men Origins: Wolverine as transportation for youth who weren't old enough to drive when they came out. Life altering!

…I've never honestly made it all the way through any of the rest of the X-Men movies. Again, love the characters, love the concepts. I say this as a warning: the idea of the Mansion sunk into my brain and it may not be an accurate (movie cannon) portrayal. Use your imagination and judge not harshly.

…My eldest grandson's name is Vincent. Somewhere in my brain Victor & Vincent became the same person, so if you catch one of those sing out! (It'll also help if you say, "Oh, gee, in Chapter 5 you called the poor man the wrong name again," as you go so I can find the mistake fairly easily.)

…You'll see some elvish influence. Of course I had to pay homage to Legolas. See if you catch it!

… If Tolkein's elves are the only ones with which you're familiar, broaden your horizon! There's rich and varied source material out there! The other credit for Jaran's character truly goes to Thorarinn Gunnarsson. Some girls wanted to be Cinderella and Snow White. I wanted to be Dalvenjah.

…The character Loden's story is told in my Logan-centric tale RENEWALS. She's a whole 'nuther kind of elf. Both of these work just fine as stand-alones, but you'll have the added insight if you do read it. That one's not a romance. It's a tale of friendship and healing instead.

…The Gaelic/Elvish origins (you'll know it when you get there) are pure fiction. Don't spend a whole lot of time researching that. (One of mine decided it would make a neat term paper. Still not sure if she's aware of the difference between fact and fiction. Still not sure I want to enlighten her!)

I do hope you enjoy…