DISCLAIMER: As you should know, I do not own the X-Men. They are the sole property of Marvel Comics Group. However, I do claim assorted OC's and will generally share if asked politely.

Lost, Then Found
by Dizi

Chapter 1

"Your heart isn't in it tonight," Jenny said, picking up the empty beer glass. "Why don't you just go home?"

"Maybe yer right." Logan sighed, looking around the room. Harry's was hopping, business was good, but Logan just couldn't seem to get into his usual entertainment. Like Jenny had said, his heart wasn't in it. Nothing was out of the ordinary, he was just... something. "See ya later."

On it's springed hinge, the door shut behind him automatically as he walked outside. A gust of wind almost blew his battered cowboy hat off his head, it was so strong. Logan frowned.

The leaves on the trees hadn't moved.

He shrugged it off, got into his jeep, and drove back to the mansion.

A week later...

A group of thirteen children ranging in age from about ten to seventeen were following Jean Grey-Summers on a tour of the mansion. Seeing them coming, Logan paused to lean against the wall of the main hallway so they could pass by. He didn't feel the need to meet them before he saw any of them in training.

Jean had other ideas. She stopped the group to introduce him. "Boys and girls, this is Logan. He's a trainer and will work with all of you at one point or another. His specialty is self-defense, but helps with the training of your mutant powers too."

They all looked at him curiously. He didn't encourage them, only nodding in acknowledgement with a scowl on his face.

Taking the hint, Jean motioned for them to continue following her and the group moved on.

At the back of the pack was one of the younger children. A small girl who was probably tall for her age with blond Shirley Temple curls in her hair and green eyes with deep shadows under them. As the others hurried along, she stopped in front of Logan.

Giving him a sweet friendly smile, she stayed a safe distance away and said, "Hi. My name's Melody."

"Huh." Looking at her assessingly, Logan wondered what had happened to her that she seemed so run-down. He didn't have any doubt one of the women would take care of her though. "Ya oughtta stay with the others, Melody."

"Okay," she said a little sadly, and turned to run after the group.

Continuing on his way, Logan put her from his mind. Until a minute later when a thought struck him. He hadn't gotten a scent off her. Not a whiff, and everyone had a unique scent.

Turning slightly, he looked back over his shoulder. He could still see the group but not the girl.

Shaking his head, he assumed she was obscured by some of the larger kids.

Two months later...

He decided there were too many damn kids in the place. There was nowhere he could go without tripping over one of them.

Most often Melody.

Logan wasn't sure what it was about her that caught at his mind. He had gotten used to her not having a scent, figured it was something to do with her mutation. She wasn't in any of his classes, but that wasn't unusual because she was so young.

It wasn't like she invaded his space. He saw her in crowds, in the cafeteria, outside with the other kids. She was just there. But then, so was about a hundred others.

One of the things that probably bothered him most was she always seemed to be alone, even in a crowd. Melody didn't talk to people. Or when she did, they ignored her. She also still had that essence of sadness around her.

However, Melody wasn't his student - yet - and he was sure either Jean, Ororo, or maybe even Emma was watching over her.

Four months later...

Unable to sleep, Logan went to the kitchen for a beer. There had been a refrigerator for personal items since Jenny's time in the mansion but now there was an industrial sized one for school use. Also, a small fridge was in each of the rec rooms for the students to put their snacks since they weren't allowed in the kitchen after hours.

Popping the top, he strolled through the school leisurely on his way back to his room.

On the second floor was there was a corridor separating the girls and boys dorms which held the stairs leading to the adult level. There were some teachers who stayed in the dorms to watch the children but most of them were on the third floor. Himself, he kept his rooms on the adult level because he didn't want to be around kids twenty-four hours a day.

More for decoration than anything else as it was hardly ever used, there was a bench in the corridor. Logan stopped abruptly when he saw it was occupied.

"What're ya doin' up?" he asked Melody in his usual gruff tone. "It's almost midnight an' ya got class tomorraw."

The little girl shrugged.

"Ya havin' trouble sleepin'?"

The sadness almost pouring off her when she looked up at him brought out his protective instincts. "What's the matter, sweetheart?"

"I miss my Mommy. She doesn't talk to me like she used to."

Keeping a little space between them, Logan sat on the bench beside her. "Maybe she's busy. Yer here an' she's there. Ya don't know what's goin' on with her. Probably ain't nothin' ta worry about."

The child didn't look convinced.

"Have ya talked ta yer teachers 'bout it?"

Her head hung down so he couldn't see her face, and he took it for a 'no'. "They'll help ya all they can."

Hope tinged her voice when she whispered again, "Really?"

"Sure. Now ya go on inta the dorm an' talk ta them in the mornin', 'kay?" Standing, he opened the door to the girl's wing for her.

Melody slowly made her way inside, her footsteps so light even he couldn't hear them. But before he could close the door, she turned and gave him a small smile. "I'll try to do what you say."

"Jist try, sweetheart. That's all any of us can do." He closed the door and continued to his room without finishing his beer.

Five months later...

His duffle bag packed with a few belongings, Logan was just waiting for Jubes so they could go on their little vacation to his cabin up north. They didn't get to spend as much time together as he would like. Though Spring Break for the school and the college she was going to didn't coincide, he was taking some time so they could catch up. Besides, they both needed a break.

But he had enough time to smoke a cigar while she was talking to Jean and Emma. Opening his window, so no one - meaning Scott - would complain about the smoke, he saw some of the kids playing kickball on the back lawn. One of them was Melody.

An older girl landed a solid kick, sending the ball flying into the outfield. Melody ran after it, but one of the boys dashed ahead and grabbed it before she could get hold of the ball. Slowly walking back into her position, she stopped and looked up at him.

From the rather large distance three stories down, she shouldn't have been able to see him. Logan got the feeling she could though. Not for the first time, he wondered what her mutant powers were. She didn't have a scent and, judging by how she was acting now, she had enhanced vision, but that could be part of any number of mutations. When Kitty was 'phasing' she could lose her scent and Warren had the sight of a hawk. Many combinations were possible.

He didn't know why he hadn't asked. For some reason, he had never thought of it when anyone was around that would know. Which was unlike him when he wanted to know about something.

Over the last several months, Logan had seen Melody around the school as he had before. It had taken her a long time, but she seemed to have finally started to adjust to school life. Many times he'd seen her at night and spoken to her, always sending her to her bed after doing his best to reassure her. She didn't look as sad anymore.

The door to his room opened, startling him from his thoughts.

Waving a hand to disperse the smoke, Jubilee warned, "Scott's going to have a fit, you know. Jean said he put some kids on suspension for smoking in their room. He wants the teachers to set an example."

"Too bad fer him, I ain't a student," Logan replied with a smirk.

"What are you looking at?" She came over to stand beside him and looked out the window.

"Just some kids playin'."

Three weeks later...

In the small TV room, Logan flipped channels trying to find something to watch, but there was slim pickings on a Wednesday afternoon.

"You were gone again."

He didn't jump at the sound of Melody's accusing voice, having gotten used to not hearing or smelling her approach. "We've talked 'bout that. I went on vacation. Even I need a break sometimes."

"No, you went away two days ago," she clarified. "I couldn't find you. I don't like it when you leave."

"Ya might be too young ta understand, but we don't jist teach here. We also go out an' help mutants that need us," Logan tried to explain for what seemed like the hundredth time.

"I don't like it," she said stubbornly. "I need you, so you should stay where I can find you."

"Were ya sad again?" he asked in concern. For such a little girl to get depressed so much was unusual and he couldn't help wondering why Emma or Chuck hadn't caught on. Jean was pregnant so her powers were acting all weird, the hazards of a mutant having whacked hormones.

"My Mommy still doesn't talk to me." Her eyes glazed with tears he had never seen her shed.

"What's yer teacher say? Ya promised me ya'd talk ta 'em," Logan reminded her.

"They don't hear me. Only you do."

Melody had said this before but then had looked happier within a couple days, so he hadn't worried about it. Enough was enough, this had been going on for way too long. "I'll take care o' this. We're goin' ta see the Professor."

"He doesn't listen either," she said miserably.

"How hard did ya try? Chuck wouldn't turned ya away." He frowned at her when she looked away with a guilty expression.

"Logan?" Jean asked tentatively, just inside the room.

Turning away from Melody, he looked at Jean in the opposite direction. "Yeah?"

"Who are you talking to?" Her eyes were wide, staring at him.

Thinking she and certain others really needed to start paying more attention to the students, Logan gestured beside him without looking. "Melody."

Jean was quiet for a moment, her hand rubbing her slightly swollen belly. Finally she said, "But there's no one there."

Turning to face where he knew Melody was, Logan became utterly still and chill ran down his spine.

She was right. No one was there.

to be continued.

note: And so begins my ghost story! I was watching "Ghost Hunters" on the Sci-Fi channel and the whole thing came to me. I got the it all written in about two weeks. Being as I'm very happy with it, I hope you all like it too. This one is eight chapters and I expect to post the last chapter on Halloween. This means somewhere in there I'll have to post outside of my usual schedule but I'll post it on my bio and let you know in the author's note.

As always, please tell me what you think. If you don't feel comfortable leaving a review, my email address is still on my bio. Remember if you don't log in and you would like a response then you have to put your email address in. I'm a little behind in responses due to internet connectivity issues but I do respond to each and every one.

Thanks for reading and the support,
Dizi