Disclaimer: The X-Men belong to Marvel – I'm just taking them for a spin. Lana is mine and a small tribute - in name alone - to actress, Lana Condor, who's playing the firecracker in the next X-film. Mr Buns, is a reference to Somogyi's classic fic, A Friend in Need, which is a must read for all Jean, Scott and Jubes fans.

This is a semi one-shot that's been brewing in the back of my mind for awhile. There might be more chapters in the future – I've a pretty good idea where this is heading. For now, it's fine as an amuse-bouche. I might chip away at it between chapters of my main fic, Branches and Roots.

Among Wandering Stars

Logan

She has this thing about tuckin' the kids in at night. Never misses an evenin'. Even when she's forced to work cases that take her to the other side of the solar system, she still sends 'em a message.

Jubilee calls it "mommy cuddle time". Lana loves havin' her busy mom's attention for an hour. Shogo, kid's only ten, pretends he's too old for something as babyish as a bedtime story.

The two are snuggled up next to Jubes in the boy's bed, Lana is startin' to nod off and Shogo's tryin' his darndest to stay awake.

Don't know what she's readin' them tonight. Most likely somethin' with a dragon or a panda. Shogo's into eastern culture right now. Jubes thinks he's tryin' to find some connection to his roots. She never had that problem - firecracker's as American as the 4th of July and Kraft canned cheese.

God, I love seein' 'em like this. Seein' her like this. She's nothin' fancy right now. Not a drop of makeup on her, no designer dress, gone are those high heels she loves so much. Just some flannel pajamas, hair up in a messy ponytail, and a pair of frozen feet. I'm probably gonna have to warm those later - heaven knows why she can't just wear slippers.

I'd never admit it, but the badass Wolverine gets all emotional watchin' his wife readin' to a buncha ankle biters.

The best part? Those hands. I love her hands. Lana might be asleep, but that doesn't stop Jubes signin'. Graceful movements, interpretin' and relayin' the world to her deaf daughter.

Shogo starts and stops another yawn, and Jubes declares cuddle time over. Squirt tries to haggle with her for another chapter, but she's havin' none of it. Just ruffles his hair and pecks him on the forehead and cheek.

Grown up as he pretends to be, he squirms out from under Jubilee's hold. She just ignores him and squeezes harder.

'Mooommmm...' He's rollin' his eyes at her now. Kid's startin' to talk back - testing her limits. Ten or not, he still has to respect her. Maybe it's time for a man-to-man talk.

Jubes doesn't seem to mind, though. Both kids got her wrapped around their little fingers. She won't let them get away with the serious shit, but she still lets 'em off way too easy.

We're different kinds of parents. I like 'em to know where the boundaries are. Jubes believes in lettin'em find those boundaries on their own and then havin' a heartfelt chat about it afterwards.

Jubilee claims our parenting styles, while different, are "complementary".

'Logan?' She's finally decided Shogo's got enough blankets on him and needs Lana moved to her own room.

I'm standin' in the shadows, but she knows I'm here. Knows I like watchin'. Keeps at me that I should come in. I've admitted that I'd feel like an intruder.

'You're not, you know,' she prods. 'This is your house.'

'Our house,' I remind her.

'And they're OUR children,' she reminds me.

'Logan?' Jubes calls again softly, tryin' not to wake Lana.

As I walked into Shogo's room. I can't help but feel out of place. I'm pretty sure I never had any of this - never had a mother like Jubilee.

Too freakin' distracted, I miss the pile of Lego. My foot slips and I choke down a few choice words. Can't curse in front of the kids. I don't fall on my ass. Good. Jubes would never let me live that down. The Wolverine felled by kids' buildin' blocks.

As it is, those gorgeous eyes of hers are tearing up with smothered laughter. Luckily for me, she decides gettin' Lana to bed is more important than mockin' my lack of ninja finesse.

Shogo, though he's sleepy, knows he's in trouble and when I reach his bed, his voice is small and all apologetic.

'So… sor-ry Logan, I'll pick up everything in the morning...' He knows I hate that their bedrooms are always so messy. They get that from Jubilee.

'It's OK kid, nothin' broken,' I hear myself sayin'. 'Now get some shut-eye. Busy day tomorrow.'

Damn it, I'm gettin' soft. That and I don't like remindin' the kid of his last asshole of a stepdad.

Jubes beams up at me like I'm father of the year.

I gently lift Lana from her warm spot and she sleepily fusses until Jubilee tucks Mr Buns into her arms. The ugly stuffed rabbit was her mother's – we found it in some boxes when we were clearin' out the mansion attic and now Lana refuses to let the thing go. Jubes says it's a security thing after what happened and that we shouldn't push it.

I avoid any more brick landmines and carry Lana into her luminous green room across from her brother's. Most girls love pink, but even at two, Lana insisted her room be painted in her favourite colour.

'Green!' she'd signed determinedly to me and Jubes. 'I want it like me...green!'

And as much as I hate to admit it, I would've painted the whole damn house lime green if Jubes and the kids wanted it. Anything to see them happy and safe.

Jubilee left Lana's night light on, so there's no fear of me makin' a fool of myself again – the light shines millions of tiny stars onto the walls.

I carefully place Lana in her princess bed and pull the covers up around the rabbit and her.

This girl is my angel. On days when I feel the sins of the past creep up on me, Jubes might be the one that shakes me from my funk, but it's Lana, with her easy smile and quick hugs, that reminds me why I'm never gonna go back there. Why I'm tryin' to be a better father and husband.

As I turn to leave, there's a slight but firm tug on my pant leg. I look down to find Lana starin' at me – the stars from her night light reflecting in her one pupilless, orb-like black eye.

She signs 'I love you Daddy' and 'Night, Daddy' in quick succession and then closes her eye again, not bothering to wait for a response. She knows I love her, she just wants me to know she still loves me as well.

Still, I can't help signin' back, 'I love you too Angel' and kissin' her goodnight.

I turn around to find my wife of three-and-a-half years standing in the door.

'And I love both of you too,' she signs, before huggin' me and then kneelin' by Lana's bed.

She lovingly sweeps the little girl's dark auburn hair from her cheek, as she whispers something to our sleepin' angel. Even with my hearin' I can't make out what she sayin' – in four years I never have and neither has Lana.

Since the day she found Lana, ignored and completely cut off from everyone in a South Ossetian orphanage, Jubilee has become her link to the outside world. Jubes signs non-stop from the second Lana wakes up till we tuck her in, but for a few minutes every night Jubes will just sit by her bed whisperin'. Jubes knows Lana can't hear, but for a few moments my wife lets herself believe the impossible is possible.

This is the time of night when I feel most like an outsider. This is Jubes' special time with her daughter and I don't wanna get in the way.

Our room is freezin'. The wood-burnin' stove in the corner has gone out again. Damn thing has never really worked properly since it was moved from the my cabin into the big house, but I like havin' it in the corner as a reminder of where I came from.

I asked Jubes if she wanted to replace it with something more reliable when she moved in, but she said she prefered it to the smokiness of a fireplace or the constant buzzin' of an electric heater.

I still don't know why I decided to build this place. After 'Ro I felt like a fool. Never believed I'd have anyone to fill it again. Heaven knows, it was big enough to hold a family. Four bedrooms upstairs and loads of room downstairs.

It's not the mansion, but it's plenty big enough for us.

I like to believe it was fate. That some part of me always knew Jubilee and the kids would end up here, if only just as guests. Back then, I never imagined Jubes and I would shacked up.

In two weeks it'll be four years to the night when I got the call. Shogo beggin' me to come get them.

If I close my eyes I can still hear the kid's scared voice. It sends an icy chill crawlin' down my spine: 'Mom's hurt… it's really bad… David's gone… Please Logan...'

Jubes would've never called. She was too proud, too convinced she had to make it work somehow. Too busy pretending everything was fine.

I was on a plane to DC two hours later.