Naomi's Big Secret

by librarypriestess

Logan was married a year ago, and after the Mansion exploded he divorces her and she leaves. He wants her back, but she is hiding something from him and all of her friends. A secret that could cost her her life and Logan's.

Disclaimer: I don't own the X-Men, plan and simple. However, Naomi and several of the students who will appear here are of my own making. I hope you all enjoy. I would love to hear your opinions.

You will find that this is not entirely like Wolverine and the X-men, but much of it is like the show.

Wolverine and the X-men

Naomi's Big Secret

"The Clues"

1 of 10

Beast approached the door and knocked. Hearing the dog, he waited. Half a minute later, she came to the door. He saw her as he did a year back. She looked much better. She was wearing brighter colors. Nothing neon, but the colors she chose were very becoming for her. Earth and sunshine tones brought out the darkness of her hair, which changed when she did.

"Naomi, you look wonderful!" Beast exclaimed.

"It is good to see you too, Hank. Won't you come in?" she asked kindly.

"I'd be delighted."

He walked in and looked around the house.

"You'll have to pardon the mess," she said to first thing he noticed when she lead him into the living room was the blue blanket on the couch. There wasn't much to it. It was a sky blue blanket. What caught his eye was the bear on the corner.

"Please have a seat, make yourself at home."

"Thank you."

He sat down as did she on the couch across from him.

"How have you been?" he asked after a long silence.

"I've had better days. Logan's visit has shaken up my home quite a bit."

"Have you…gotten angry recently?"

"No, not for a long time. I've mostly been crying the last few months."

"Why crying?"

"I'm not sure I should say. You are too close to Logan. I expect he told you."

"Told me what?"

"In all this time, we've still been married."

"Still married? How? Didn't you get the divorce papers?"

"Yes, but there was a reason I wanted to stay married to him. Other than I still love him."

"Tell me. If it is Logan you're worried about, no one can keep a secret from him like I can."

"First, I feel like Logan is right. It may be safe on Genosha right now, but the security is slowly diminishing. If the MRD point their guns at Genosha I won't last."

"What can I do?"

"Three months ago, Magneto gave me citizenship exclusively to Genosha, and a Genoshan citizen—"

"Can't leave Genosha. How long is it for? Indefinite?"

"No, he gave me five years. He said that after five years he wouldn't want to leave."

"Who?"

She took a breath as if to decide. "Ashley."

"The dog?"

"No that's Anthony." Beast was about to ask who "Ashley" was, but Naomi spoke before he got a chance. "Oh, please, don't leave, I'll be right back."

Henry waited as Naomi went into another room. He started to worry. If she knew that she was still married she couldn't have remarried. The possibility of a one night stand came to mind. The more he thought about the more he realized that this Ashley person was not what he was expecting at all. The blue blanket was starting make sense though. When she came back into the room his suspicions were confirmed.

"Hank, meet Ashley, my son." She lay the boy in his arms. He lay sleeping till he settled. His eyes opened and he beheld two baby blue eyes.

"Son?"

She nodded while smiling proudly.

"He's beautiful. How old is he?"

"Two and a half months."

"Just by the look I would have bet anything that he was Logan's son, but the time isn't right."

"I met his father after I came to Genosha. We were together just once. Dated for a week. Then we had a fight and I told him to leave."

"Why don't you tell Logan? I don't think he'll love you less for having another man's child, or the child for that matter. He looks so much like Logan that you could probably lie to them both."

"I can't, not yet. If anyone knows that I've left Genosha we could both be in danger."

"How so?"

"It is no mystery that the MRD in after Logan. If they knew I was back with him or just back, I wouldn't be safe, I'm alright with that, I can take care of myself, which was why Logan and I were such a good match. He didn't have to worry about me, but now that Ashley is part of the picture…no risk is worth taking if it puts my child in danger."

"What can I do?"

"Can you sneak us to New York?"

"I don't know. If Magneto ever found out, he could force you back. Your son is a natural born citizen. Maybe the only one. Magneto would not want his only natural born citizen to flee to New York. He could have the MRD after you and that could lead them to Logan. We can't risk that. Not while he's the leader."

"The leader? Who did that?"

"The professor. Logan has been his voice since we brought him back from here."

Naomi didn't know that Xavier was on Genosha, but it didn't matter to her. What mattered was getting off this island.

"Henry, I need you. It isn't safe here anymore. Or it won't be soon enough. There are safer places to live in New York than here. I have to risk being brought back here a million times before I can risk leaving my son in a place that is like a target."

"Does the dog have to go?"

"Anthony goes. Just tell Logan I gave you the dog."

"Why?"

"Because for the last year, that wolf has been the only thing that has made me feel safe. It is hard to raise a child here without a man." He looked at her a moment. "Don't worry, Anthony is a mutant. Chooses to be a wolf. Anthony!" After her call, a large wolf appeared around the corner. It was midnight black and more than two times the size of a domestic dog.

At first the wolf growled at Beast, who, at the time, was holding the baby.

"Not to worry, Anthony. Beast is an old friend. Henry McCoy, meet Anthony DeMoncre, Anthony, Henry McCoy." The wolf puffed a bit of air from his stomach which caused his upper lips to flap.

"How did you two meet?"

"During my pregnancy, I couldn't use my powers. Stumbled on Anthony coming off a boat from France. Offered to give me a hand in return for food and shelter."

"Hard to find a mutant with a power similar to your own."

"Anthony, will you come here." The wolf turned from Beast and went to Naomi. "Anthony, this man is going to try and sneak Ashley and me back to New York." The animal gave a little growl. "Now, now. I want you to go to New York with us. Will you?" The wolf answered with an excited bark and a wagging tail. "Wonderful. My next question is how do you want to go with them; on foot or on the leash?" Anthony whined. "Those are the choices I'm afraid." Anthony walked away and stopped at the front door, pulling the leash off the coat rack on the wall, and put it on Beast's leg.

"Looks like it's the leash."

Beast all the sudden had an idea.

"I have a plan. Pack, we're going to New York. We have to go to Russia and Africa, but I have an idea to get us home one way."

"Thank you."

"We have to hurry."

"Village Conflict"

2 of 10

"What are you doing here?" My anger was growing with each steady breath the mad man took. I wanted him dead, but like me he had the factor. I didn't know how to kill him.

"The same could be asked about you, old friend."

"Get this straight, we were never friends."

"That really hurts, honestly."

"Yeah right. You kill people I care about just because you think you can." He took no ready stance, but I knew better. I tried to be ready, especially when he was around.

"You give me too much credit."

"What I should give you is a good ass kicking."

"Careful, Wolverine, Wildcat might not enjoy that kind of talk."

"Quit yappin' and let's start dancing."

"As much as I would like to solve our differences, Genosha has a law that prevents enemies from fighting here."

"Nice to know. Guess I'll go about my business."

"Just a second, Wolverine."

"What?" I was tired of looking at him, just thinking about what he'd done to my friends made me want to walk up to him and cut out all his teeth.

"You should know, I've been keeping a close eye on the lovely Wildcat."

"You leave her out of this. I let you get away with saying her name the first time. Don't think I will let you to continue to say it."

"She's only gotten more beautiful with your absence, hasn't she?"

His mentioning her Naomi made me angry. Even though he was using her code it was the same to me. His continuing conversation about her make me want to catch on fire. I had a better thought to calm myself.

"Funny how you can't attack me directly. You always have to come from behind, attacking everyone I am trying to protect."

"Can you blame me?"

"As a matter-of-fact, I can and do. You don't even have the courage to attack me directly."

"Come now, Wolverine. After all the good times we've had."

"The only time I remember were my good ones and you right behind me to screw them up."

"You make it too easy for me. If you stop acting like an animal maybe you'd stop smelling like one."

"Likewise." I think that ended that with a win on my side, and I didn't even have to use my claws. It was a win worth having. "I'm leaving, I got better things to do, and better to look at."

It felt goos to get away from that jerk. He always knew how to push my buttons.

I almost killed him once. I was really close, but that was the day I found Naomi, or rather, she found me.

I had been a long winter, and Sabertooth had done his best to piss me off. He attacked a village for helping me out when I was sick. It got me going enough to beat him half to death. I was about to finish him when a great big white tiger jumped me from the left.

My first thought was defense. This cat meant to eat me. I wouldn't blame it if it won, but I'm sure Sabertooth would if he didn't get to be the one to take me out.

I got lucky though. A few seconds of this and the tiger left an open spot where I plunged my left claws into its side. Just far enough to hurt it, not kill it.

It fell back in surprise, then walked, stumbling, away. I turned to go back to Sabertooth, but he was long gone and the quietly falling snow was slowly covering his tracks.

It was only after I decided not to go after him that I realized that white tigers were not snow animals, nor were they native to the area.

"Help!" I heard and ran in the direction the tiger had went in.

That's when I saw her. Deep black hair, perfectly white skin. Beautiful. I also noticed that she was naked and bleeding from her side. Her hand was over it, but I knew the wound in nature.

"You're a mutant," I said.

"So are you," she countered.

"Sorry." I tossed her my jacket. "If I had known—"

"You'd laid still and let me eat you? I don't think so, Mr.?"

"Logan, just Logan. You?"

"Naomi Walker," she answered then stood up. She was so beautiful. Her skin was almost as white as the snow around us. Her left hand was still covering the wound I'd made, but it was now covered with my jacket.

"Well, Naomi, do you always go around eating people?"

"Sorry. It's been a hard winter, and food is kind of hard to come by, especially here. When I'm a cat, food is food. Thought I wouldn't care if everyone thought it was a cat. I could have gotten away with it for awhile."

"Why do you live like this?"

"There aren't a lot of places for mutants to go to be safe."

"I know of one. Will you come?"

"What will I have to do?"

"Just hop on my bike and we're on our way. You'll need to get that looked at anyway, and it's my guess that you would like some clothes."

"I will be fine. You didn't go that deep. It's already stopped bleeding, and isn't often I embrace this form. It is easier to live in a harsh environment if I am suited for it."

"I didn't mean to. Look, I didn't want to kill you. I just didn't want you to eat my face."

"I'm a picky eater. I wouldn't have eaten your face." She started circling me, just looking, not touching. "Where are your wounds?"

"I'm a fast healer."

"Interesting." She brought her hand to her face and on her finger tips was blood. At first I thought it might have been her own, but the hand that bore her own blood was still over her wound. It was my blood. Then to my surprise she put her pointer finger in her mouth and lapped up the blood. As odd as it sounds, I was strangely aroused by this woman licking her fingers clean of my blood. "Mmm. Oh, you'll be the fun one."

"What?"

"A beast for the beast. What is your real name?"

I knew exactly what she was talking about. "Wolverine."

She got right up to me and pressed her body against mine. She was warm, warmer than I was and that only succeeded in further arousal. I'm sure she could tell what she was doing to me. It was strange how warm she was considering she was wearing less than me.

"I'm Wildcat." She brought the hand that she'd used to cover her wound up to my face and said, "Have you a taste for blood, Wolverine?"

I had never tasted the blood of a human before other than my own, and that was so few an far between. The blood on her hand was bright and beautiful. I could see that it was still fresh despite the cold and slight wind surrounding us.

I took the hand and kissed the blood, taking bits of it up with my lips. Once the first taste was had, I had to have more. It was like this little Wildcat had just turned me into a vampire, but not just any vampire seeking any blood. I wanted hers. I think I almost bit her.

When the blood was cleaned off of her hand she looked at me. She was shorter than me by a foot or so. She grabbed me by the shirt collar and pulled me down to my knees. The cold of the snow melting into my jeans made me shiver a little, but when she started to kiss me and lap the leavings from around my mouth I forgot all about the cold in my legs.

The taste of blood on her tongue made me want more. I brushed my jacket off of her, then I rubbed her wound with my right hand then wiped it down her face to her shoulder so that I could lap it up as she had done on my face, and that's what I did. There was no stopping it now. I wanted her. Only known her five minutes, but I wanted her.

While I was on her shoulder she scratched my neck and was quick to wipe the blood before it dried away. It was the best pain I'd felt in a long time.

We didn't say another word that whole time. She would scratch and take in her badly needed sustenance as did I. Right there in the snow. When we left there was more blood in the snow than was on either of us.

She was tearing into my neck and nicked an artery. I bled out for half a second then it healed up and we got back to what we were doing. She was a little freaked out, thinking that she'd killed me, but I thought it was a good feeling, bleeding like that.

Blood became the mortar on which we built our relationship. She liked causing me pain, and I liked being in pain if she was the one causing it. I couldn't do her like she did me. If I scratched or cut her too much she could have bled to death and I didn't want that to happen.

I took her to live with me at the mansion. When I went away, I took her with me and we'd have our little blood letting. A year and twelve pints a piece later, we got married. Two years after that, the mansion…Charles…you know the story. Now, we could be getting back together. I wanted that. We had fun, and I miss it.

Before any of that though, we had to go to Africa and get Storm, or try to convince her to come back.

"Living a Dream"

3 of 10

After ditching that jerk Sabertooth, I thought that maybe it was time to go. I was hoping, as I was walking back to the Jet, that Beast had convinced Naomi to come back to New York. He was there waiting with Bobby and Kitty and a big wolf.

"What's that?" I asked pointing down at the dog.

"This is Anthony, Naomi's wolf," Beast explained.

I immediately started to feel happy. "So she's coming back?"

"No, she can't leave. She's a citizen of Genosha. Magneto won't let her leave. She has to stay for five years.""Why didn't she tell me?" I felt flattened.

"She didn't want you to know." That just hurt.

"So why do you have her dog?"

"She gave him to me…sort of."

"Sort of?"

"He's a mutant. Naomi hired him to protect her."

"Interesting."

"The thing is, he's a citizen too, but no one knows him like this. We can sneak him out."

"Fine, but he has to stay in the back."

"Where do you think he was going to be, the pilot seat?"

Beast was always one to very blunt.

We had a good turn out, though. Kitty managed to find Jubilee, and she agreed to help us, but her citizenship wasn't up till the end of the month. That was okay. It was only two weeks. She'd be fine.

So we left for Africa. There waited Storm. A good and faithful friend.

I think that she is the key in all this. I couldn't get Scott, but maybe if I get Storm people would be more apt to join us. Maybe even Scott the snot would back and be a part of things like he used to. He was a strong fighter. We needed him if we were ever going to win this war.

"Dream State: Logan"

The room they shared, the window curtains open, the sun pouring in, the smile on his face as he watched her looking out was all that he needed to make himself happy. Her at least.

"What are you thinking about, Naomi?" Logan asked.

"The day we met," she answered, not looking away from the window.

"How come?"

"A lot happened that day. I tried to eat you, you stabbed me, ending my super model career." She meant that as a joke, looking away from the window long enough to see his reaction, then turned backed. "We shared blood, shared each other's body, you brought me back here, and now we are married."

"You sound like that's a bad thing."

"It isn't, by any means, but…our lives are about to change forever."

"What do you mean?"

She gave a sigh and said, "I'm pregnant."

"You're what?" He wasn't angry, but Naomi thought it came across a little angrily.

She looked away from the window to repeat herself. "I'm pregnant. I'm going to have a little you playing football in my body."

"Are you upset about it?"

"No, but you seem to be."

"I'm definitely not upset."

"Then why don't you say something other than the three unhappy sentences you have already said?"

"I'm not sure what to say."

"Say anything. I know we weren't planning on having kids, but if you'd listened when I told you—"

"Naomi, calm down. I never said anything about not wanting kids. We never talked about it."

"I can't calm down. I need to know that you are okay with this."

"You'll have to try to calm down. We don't want anything to happen."

"We?" she asked with a smile.

"Yes, we. You…and me."

"Then you want it?"

"Of course, I do. How couldn't I? I am probably the only guy in the history of probable mutant birth who is pro life…in every sense of the word."

"Well, like you said, we never talked about having kids, and thought that since you never mentioned them you didn't want them."

"Well, I thought that you didn't want them either, just sex…and blood."

"If I just wanted sex, I wouldn't have agree to marry you."

"The thought had occurred."

"But there is something, Logan."

"What?"

"I don't want anyone to know."

"Why? This is good news."

"I don't want to stop going on the missions. They're too much fun."

"Only when we win."

"That's true. Losing makes me angry."

"I know, that last time we lost, you were a jaguar for a week."

"You liked it, shut up."

"Maybe I did, but it was hard going to bed for seven days with a big black cat that was supposed to be my wife."

"It is your choice not to get freaky when I'm a cat."

"It isn't that."

"Than what is it?"

"Have you ever tried to cuddle with a porcupine."

"I'm not a porcupine."

"No, but did you know that you swing in your sleep?"

"I do not."

"Do so. I'd show you the scratch marks, but…you know."

"I'll try to control myself."

"How did we get into this conversation?"

"I want to keep working."

"Oh, yes…no."

"Who are you to stop me?"

"Your husband, the bread winner. Are there other analogies I can use?"

"So, everyone knows that married women are taking more and more of their independence back from their husbands."

"Not this one."

"Especially this one."

He wanted to put his foot down, but he knew that would be like stepping on the cat's tail and not getting off.

"Alright, if it means that much, but only till you gain your first five pounds."

"You mean till I start to show?"

That isn't what he meant, but this was a discussion of terms and that was fair he thought. "Sure."

"You drive a hard bargain, Mr. Logan."

"So do you, Mrs. Logan."

Just then the door to their room exploded. The splinters flew all over the place. When the madness cleared the chaos began when they saw Sabertooth. The man who had brought them together.

Before Wolverine could act, Wildcat charged at him. With no effort at all he shoved her back. She hit the window shattering it and falling out.

Wolverine charged and drove his claws into Sabertooth's chest. He grabbed Logan's throat and threw him to the other side of the room. He just barely stopped himself from falling out the window too. When he looked behind him for Wildcat she was holding on to the siding with all her life.

"I'll be right back," he said.

"Hurry."

He charged at him again, this time his strike was right where it needed to be. He stuck st Sabertooth's throat and hit it causing blood to spray all over the room as he grabbed the wound and ran out the door.

With Sabertooth gone, Wolverine ran to the window to catch his wife before she fell.

After reaching the sill he reached out to her. He grabbed her wrists.

"Logan, I can't hold on."

"You have to. I can pull you up."

"I can't."

Logan only had a grip on her finger tips and they were slipping quicker than he would have wanted.

"Can you change into a cat? You'd land on your feet that way?"

"This is no time to joke." She knew there was no way out of this. "We had fun didn't we?"

"Don't you let go! Don't you do it!"

"Don't let anyone tell you that we have choices in this world. We don't in the end the choices we make were the ones the future had for us."

"Naomi!"

"I love you." She let go and Logan couldn't hold her. She slipped and he watched her fall to her death on the grounds of the mansion's front yard.

"No!!!"

(The Black Bird, Logan still sleeping)

It was dark, the Black Bird on auto-pilot, everyone slept peacefully. Logan tossed a little from his dream, but didn't wake. In the back, Anthony lay in front of a larger sized locker, but not asleep.

After a moment, the locker started to open. Anthony perked up, turning to look. Naomi was the one who came out holding her baby. Not surprising really. Beast had a plan to help her, so thanks to Beast and a spell from Dr. Strange that made Ashley's cries noticeable by Naomi, she was off Genosha.

She risked this venture to see what was going happening on the jet. She suspected that Logan was asleep. She could hear him snoring. As she moved toward the front, she saw the two familiar faces of youth she remembered from the mansion.

"Oh, Bobby, dearest Kitty. I wish the two of you could just have a normal childhood. So wish that you didn't have to get mixed up in this, and I wish I was in a position to help you."

She went all the way to the front and saw Logan in the right seat. Peculiar for him to be on the right side being left handed, at least that's what she thought.

At that second, she couldn't believe that she had left Genosha. She had though and there was no changing that. She didn't want to go back; she wouldn't go back.

She looked down at her baby. His sleeping face almost brought tears to her eyes. Hank was right, Ashley did look just like Logan. So strange for Hank to look on the child and see the similarities and a relation not exist. The time frame fit; however, and Hank never thought for a moment that Naomi had any doubt.

Naomi looked down at Logan leaned and kissed his lips. "Have happy dreams, Logan, and thank you for still wanting me."

In her head she longed to wake him and tell him she was there and that he was could be a father if he wanted to be, but she still wasn't sure she was ready. She couldn't risk her son becoming an orphan just to see Logan happy. Nor could she risk Ashley's safety. If either the Brotherhood or Logan's little fan club at the MRD knew about her or Ashley they would be a target, and targets seem to die in these little stories.

"I'm sorry that I can't tell you I'm here yet, Logan, but targets get hurt, and I can't risk our son, or my son if you choose not to accept him. I can't."

That was when she went back to the locker. When the door was shut, Anthony started to whine.

"I'm alright, Anthony. Just wishing things could be different."

"A Change of Pace"

4 of 10

That morning, I was up and working while the others continued to sleep. My dreams last night were not ones that I'd had before, and not ones that I would like to repeat. Naomi died and there was nothing I could do. We've been jams before like what happened in my dream, but I was always there to save the day.

Thinking about the dream made me want to see her more than ever. I missed her and the fun we had. The time we met was the best of all. Our one year anniversary of knowing one another was celebrated in that same spot doing that same thing. That's the day we were married and where we spent our honeymoon. Every years since we went there to celebrate. Every year but last. I did something special that day though.

In mid-thought, Hank woke up. Thoughts were gone. That's what I needed.

"Mornin', Hank," I said.

"You're up early."

"Had a crazy idea."

"Which was?"

"I think we should go home before we go to Africa."

"Why?"

"We may need Emma and Scott."

"There is something else. You're not the type to waist a trip like this."

"I'm feelin' a little home sick, but if you tell the kids you're a fur coat."

"You're secrets safe with me." He paused for a moment. "Are you alright? You've been acting strange since we left Genosha. I haven't seen you act this way since the accident."

"First of all it wasn't an accident. Second of all, I think it might be because I saw Naomi. I can't stop thinking about her. I miss her. She brought out a lot of things in me. Good things."

"I have to admit, when you brought her home, you were very different. Changed for the better. When you married her you seemed to be the happiest man alive."

"I was. She was the greatest thing in my life, and hopefully will be again."

"I have to ask, why did you leave her if you love her so much?"

"Because I love her. I didn't want anything to happen to her."

"Is that what you told her?"

"I'd never tell a lie to her."

"Yet she finds it so easy to lie to you."

"It's fin though, catching her in them. I'd always make her answer for them though."

"Not something to be discussed with children in the back seat."

"I didn't make it obvious, besides they're asleep. They are far from children. Bobby's had to have seen some action."

"I can't listen to this."

I always loved picking on my blue friend. He was always so modest and my sex life was anything but. The very mentions of sex made him turn red…I bet. Can't really tell under the fur.

Getting home felt like forever, but it only took five hours. Since Forge put her together, the Black Bird was getting quite a bit of mileage.

It felt really good to get back and see the mansion, the new mansion, looking just as the last one. It also felt good to see kids playing on the basketball court, swimming in the pool, and playing tennis. Three things that I thought, a year ago, were a waste of time. Now they seemed so important.

I was a little anxious to get a progress report from Emma on how things were along. Did she have enough teachers. Were all the students getting there Danger Room hours in. I was not headmaster material, but Emma was. I told her that as long as she did things my way she could stay and have the job.

Scott never liked the thought of me being in charge, but he would listen to the professor. I asked to help where he could. Protect the kids, make sure Emma does things the way Charles did, that king of thing. He'd be good at that.

The first face I saw when I got off the jet was Emma's

"Wolverine, you're home before I thought you'd be."

"You know I'd be back."

"I did. It is good that you did though. I need you to approve a teacher."

"I put you in charge so I wouldn't have to deal with the school. I need to focus on getting the X-Men back together."

"I'm aware of that."

"Obviously not."

"This is a special case. I would never take her on without your permission."

"An old foe I take it?"

"Yes, but Cyclops isn't completely against it."

"If you're trying to tell me to be reasonable you're off to a real bad start."

"You will have to keep an open mind about it. Keep you mind on the students. She could be highly beneficial to them."

"Then it must be someone real bad, if you're telling me that."

"Logan, time have changed."

"And loyalties have changed with them, I've heard it all already. If she wants to work for us fine, but tell her one toe out of like and she's gone."

"You don't want to know her name?"

"Would you if you were me?"

"I suppose not."

"Then it's settled." I started walking away from her.

"Where are you going?"

"To check things out."

I was more than half way to the door when she shouted, "Do not attack any of my teachers, Wolverine?" I only smiled. I found her definition of me so very humorous. She had me all figured out. At least that is what she thought.

I didn't know who she hired, but if it was part of Magneto's crew, I think the last thing they would do would be to jeopardies the school. It was too important to risk.

As I walked through the halls of the school I was surprised at who I saw there. Boom Boom, quite a few of the Morlocks, and some kids I didn't know.

I passed a girl going up the stairs. She had her book pressed against her chest, and her head down. As I passed her, however, she looked at me and smiled a very big smile. She kept that smile till she bumped into someone in front of her. I had to laugh under her breath.

After I was settled into my room I left to inquire about some of the students. When I closed my door and turned around I saw that wolf, Anthony sitting in front of the door across from mine. He looked anxious for me to do something to piss him off.

I just left and went back down stairs to find Emma. She was in the Headmaster's office.

"Looks like we have some knew faces."

"And more on the way. Why do you mention them? Meet one in particular?"

"Yeah. A girl. Never met her before. She was coming down stairs as I was going up. At first, I thought something was wrong. She was looking down till she passed me. She looked at me and smiled."

"Oh, yes, Ashton Graddy."

"What's her power?"

"She knows things about people that they don't know."

"So she knows things about me that I don't? That I don't. Is it voluntary?"

"No, but you haven't heard anything yet. She's a twin. Her brother, Elkanah, knows things about people that they don't want anyone to know. He is going to be a problem. He has already caused quite a bit of trouble with his teachers."

"Do you think he has the potential to join the brotherhood?"

"If he isn't pointed in the right direction, he will get bored with us and move on."

"There isn't a lot we can do about the choices the kid makes if we don't help is there?"

"If we don't try, we're going to lose them all. The biggest thing about Ashton and Elkanah is that if Elkanah decides to leave he will take Ashton with him. That would be a great loss for us. In both respects."

"How so?"

"With her powers we could know when attacks would take place, and who. With the boy we could weed out spies. They would be highly beneficial to our team if properly trained."

"I guess you are trying to get me to talk to him."

"How'd you guess?" She was holding a piece on paper on one finger. A sticky note.

"Kids name and room number I hope."

"Yes. Two ten. That's where our new teacher is, so remember yourself. Remember, you are in charge now."

"Thanks for the heads up."

I walked out of the office and started down the hall looking for room two ten. As I walked, I thought about the boy. What am I going to say? What is he going to say? Should I try to scare him into staying? Should I tell him the facts-of-life? If I was a dad, I might know better about what to do.

(20 months ago…)

They'd finally told everyone they happy news about Naomi's being pregnant. It had only been a secret nine days. Naomi was surprised Logan made it that long without telling.

That was one of the last days they were happy.

X-Men report to the War Room for assignment.

The assignment was when it happened. The professor wouldn't let her go. Her anger made her turn into a panther, but she got over it. She stayed a panther till Logan came home. She was too glad to see him to be up set.

"Logan, I'm glad you're alright," she said jumping into his arms.

"And why wouldn't I be?"

"No reason."

"How is everyone?" he asked thinking of the baby.

"I suppose everything is alright."

"You mean your motherly instincts haven't kicked yet?"

"I'm not a mother yet." At that moment she grabbed her stomach and sat on the bed. Logan could tell by the look on her face something was wrong.

"Naomi what's wrong?"

"I think it's just a cramp, but it isn't going away."

"Let's go see Jean." She tried to get up, but the pain only quickened.

"I can't. It hurts."

Logan looked at her a moment then took her up quickly in his arms. When she did he saw a blood stain on the bed where she was sitting. He didn't understand.

(Present…)

Naomi's miscarriage hit her harder than it did me. I was sad for a while, threw out some stuff, and I was angry at the world, but she cried for weeks. There was nothing I could do for her because I couldn't help myself.

It turned out that the few hours she was a cat effected the baby's development. That was worst to hear than anything. Easy to hear that "some things just happen" speech; hard to hear that something terrible happened because of something that was actually done wrong.

I remember she was so angry at herself she sore she would never change into a cat again. I told her that all I would have to do would be to ask her that question and she would change. She begged me not to. Of course, I didn't.

A week later, she was back to herself and she was ready to go back to work. The next month she was ready to start trying again. Year and a half later though was when the explosion happened and I filed for divorce. It was stupid of me, but I would do it again because I still think did it for the right reasons.

Five years…it seems like forever just from the sounds. I didn't like the thought, just the thought of her being so distant so long.

When I got to room two ten and I opened the door, who should I find there, but my dear old enemy…

"The Little Blue Bear"

5 of 10

"Truce," Henry said and Anthony calmed down enough to let him into the door. When he was he saw that the room was empty. "Naomi?" he called out just about normal speech volume.

"Hank! Is that you?"

"Yes, my dear, I have some useful things for you."

"Oh, thank you," she said coming out of the bathroom.

"Where is the baby?"

"I put him in the closet. It's big enough to be another room. I'd ask for a crib, but I'm not sure that would be a good idea."

"Indeed not. That would give someone away. Not necessarily you, but someone."

"I shouldn't risk it. Ash will be fine. As long as he is warm and safe, a crib is not vital." Henry watched as she took the box he'd brought with him. "Formula, however, is," she said taking it out of the box.

"Thought it might be."

In the box were diapers, formula, baby wipes, powder, wash cloths, baby soap, a bath float for bathing the baby, and some other odds and ends.

"Thanks so much, Hank."

Naomi left everything in Genosha. She didn't even get any of Ashley's toys.

As she got to the bottom of the box she found there a small, blue soft bear. Naomi took it out and realized that she recognized it.

"Hank, this is…"

"It is."

"The bear Logan bought when I told him I was pregnant. He went right out and bought it. When I lost the baby, I saw him throw it away. Where did you find it?"

"Nightcrawler said he found it in the trash. He was going to give it back to you, but I told him it might not be a good idea, so I took it and hid it in my desk. Thought you might need it again."

"Thank you so much. Logan was so proud when he brought it home. I thought he would burst." She brought the stuffed animal to her face and breathed deep. "It even smells like Logan. Ashley will love this. It will be like meeting his father for the first time. Whether he be his father or not."

"Why don't you tell Logan you're here? He could be helpful."

"I can't. We are getting back together. Whether I lied and told him Ashley was his son or not, he will only process my wife has a child, both of which I must protect. He will stop taking the risks he already does to win. He will end up getting himself killed. I will not widow myself and orphan my already orphaned child just to satisfy myself and everyone else."

"What do you mean 'already orphaned'?"

"When I found out I was pregnant I tried to find him. Found out that he was killed after returning to Brazil. He was the victim of a hate crime."

"At least tell him you're here."

"Believe me, the thought has occurred. I long for him to hold me in his arms. I miss him so much, but I could never keep Ashley a secret if we reconciled. Him know I was here would make him think that. Let things settle down a little bit, then I'll tell him everything."

"Suit yourself. I'll let you get settled. Later I'll sneak you out and we'll go shopping for you and Ashley." He said starting to leave.

"Thanks for everything you are doing. You have no idea how much it means to me."

"We may not fight together anymore, but we are still family."

When Hank was on the other side of the door, Naomi was quiet with reflection. A second later, she heard her son waking up and starting to get upset. She grabbed the bear and ran to the closet. Opening the door and turning on the light made her see the little bed at the back of the closet.

She took him up in her arms and put the bear where his hands could grab it. He did and immediately was quiet and started to suck his thumb.

It was precious. In her arms, while she sit on her ankles on the floor of the closet, he fell back to sleep.

"No Child Left Behind"

6 of 10

"Raven Darkholme, I didn't expect to see you here."

"Emma hired me not an hour ago. Was there something you needed?"

"I need to barrow Elkanah Graddy for a few minutes."

"Mr. Graddy, will you go with Mr. Logan, please."

"Who is he?" he asked without getting up. He was in a back row in the far corner.

"Don't be rude," she told him. "And don't question just go, please."

"Yes, ma'am."

The boy got up and went to the door where I was waiting for him. I closed the door when the boy came out and we started to walk down the hall.

"How have you been, Elkanah, if you don't mind me calling you that?"

"I'm okay. You're the guy who owns this place, aren't you?"

"I don't own it, but I'm in charge. You can call me Logan."

"What do you want?"

"I've been told that you're a bit of a trouble maker."

"Only when the teacher is acting stupid."

"Which teacher was that?"

"That guy, Mr. Summers."

I tried not to laugh. It kind of wasn't funny, but in a way it was.

"Under normal circumstances, I'd agree with you…"

"But these aren't normal?"

"'Fraid not. Do you know what happened here last year?"

"The place blew up, right?"

"Yeah, it did. In that explosion, Mr. Summers's wife disappeared. Since then he's been kind of down."

"He loved her?"

"Very much. He deserves a break."

"Why doesn't he go find her?"

"Because he understands that there are some things more important than his own problems."

"I still think that he could take it easy."

"What I really want to talk to you about is both you and your sister…and your powers."

"Why?"

"Ms. Frost seems to think that, at your age you have the potential to turn against us. I don't want to see that happen."

"What do you care?"

"Kids deserve a chance to be important, to be needed. Not infamous and hunted."

"What do you know about it?"

"Before I came here, I lived in Canada. Did nightly bar cage fights to live. It was easy for me to hide the fact that I was a mutant, but I couldn't hide it forever. I was picked up by Scott…I mean Mr. Summers, and brought me here. I pushed for a while, and they let me, but I started to feel accepted, and realized that whenever I tried to push them away the closer we got. We shared an enemy, we shared a goal…to be accepted."

"I wish I could hide as easily as you have. I and my sister ruined our parents' marriage."

"How?"

"My sister found out that our mom cheated on our did by standing next to him. I found that did wasn't our dad by standing by mom. We were angry with mom so much that we told dad. He didn't believe us. When he caught her though, he believed us, and he was worried we were mutants. When it was confirmed he smuggled us here to avoid the registration, and so we could go to school here."

"Is your dad okay with you two being mutants?"

"He's pretty cool with it. Not every parent would up root from the place where they were born for their kids."

"You two are in a small crowd."

"What crowd is that?"

"Do you know how many of the kids here have a lousy relationship with their parents because they're mutants?"

"How many?"

"Don't know for sure, but I can safely say that one out of every one hundred mutants has a good relationship withe their parents."

"Must be rough to plat dad for all us kids."

"I've never thought of myself as a universal dad, but I guess I kinda am."

Elkanah just looked at me a minute. "I like you, you remind me of my dad. Can I and my sister trust you, come to if we need anything?"

"Within reason, buddy," I said putting my arm around his shoulder. The thought made me think of Rogue and the reasons why she wasn't with us anymore. It was my fault. I wasn't there when she wanted me to be. She said I was more like family to her than anyone else. The fact that I treated Naomi, who I didn't know as well as Rogue, more like family than Rogue hurt. I did my best. I loved her like my own kid, but she needed to be in school and I needed "me and Naomi" time to sort of get my calm in and anger out. Not even Naomi can calm that sometimes. "I'll give you fair warning though. I'm not always here."

"Yeah, I know, the X-Men thing."

"I was about to tell him about the time I leave just for the sake of leaving, but Rogue had a valid point. If I'm the leader now, I have to be here. There was no way around it. Not anymore.

"Yeah, that."

"You leave a lot, don't you? By yourself."

"His power caught me, I knew it, I didn't lie. I told the truth.

"I used to, but I have to be here when I can. There aren't a lit of people to help us anymore."

"I know."

"I know you know. So, how about doing me a favor and giving your teachers a break every once and a while."

"I'll try."

"That's all any of us can do anymore."

I left him at the door to his classroom and walked away. When I was half way down the hall I heard him call me.

"Mr. Logan!"

I turned around to see him. "I promise, I'm not going to betray the X-Men…now that I have a friend…I want to stay."

"You know what…me too."

"Found Out"

7 of 10

A few days went by and the kid started to do better, and through the "power improvement" classes his sister started to smile more. Finding one's powers can be controlled help a lot.

The dog, Anthony, has a strange way about him. Most of the day all he does is sit in front of the door across from mine and growls when I walk by. Very hard to get used to.

Finally, I decided to find out when that miserable dog was up to.

I went into my room and waited. Looking every few minutes to see if the wolf had left his post. I had to wait a total of five hours. He stood up with whine and ran down the hall.

That was when I took the opportunity to go to the mysterious guarded room. I didn't think the door was locked and it wasn't, so when I opened the door and looked around I thought the room was empty. Once I fully entered the room and closed the door, I heard someone in the bathroom.

I couldn't help but notice something was familiar about this room. Something I couldn't quite put my finger on, but it was there. I was going to open the bathroom door, but I suddenly knew where the familiarity was coming from. Naomi and my room.

Was Naomi here? Did Hank manage to sneak her over? There was only one way to tell. When Naomi left me, she took only one thing with her…her wedding dress. I went to look in the closet. I was bout to open the door when…

"Logan?"

I turned around and saw her wrapped in a towel. "You are here," I said in amazement.

"Hank hid me in the back of the Black Bird."

"Did he purposefully put your room across the hall from mine?"

"I didn't know you were across from me, he must have."

"Do you need anything? What sis you bring from Genosha?"

"I need a few things, Hank has been helping me get back on my feet. I left everything in Genosha."

"Your wedding dress?"

"It was actually stolen a few weeks ago. I told the officials on Genosha, then I went to Magneto personally, but he said there was nothing he could do."

"Can I buy you another one?"

"No, no, please don't. The dress doesn't mean as much as what it stood for. Having another that looked just like it would not be the same."

"So, are we a family again?" I was so hopeful for her to say yes that I might have said it myself.

"I would like to be a family, but I have to tell you something first, something very important."

"What, you can tell me anything."

She was about to tell me, but Emma's voice came out over our heads. We both looked up

X-Men, report to the war room for assignment.

She looked back at me smiling and said, "Duty calls."

I smiled back at her. "Why don't you take all of your stuff across the hall. I'll see you when I get back and we can talk till we're blue in the face. Like we used to."

She laughed. It was wonderful to hear that laugh again.

"I'll think about it."

I wanted to kiss her, but it didn't seem right. I kissed her forehead instead.

"I hope I see you…when I get back."

"You'll see me. You better go, or they'll leave without you."

"I guess you're right."

I started to walk out the door. "Wait Logan." She sounded worried that I was going to forget something.

"What's wrong?"

"I just didn't want you to go without knowing that…I still love you."

I couldn't help myself at that moment. I stepped up to her and drove my lips into hers. I know she wanted it as much as I did. She wrapped her arms around my neck pulling me to her.

I could only imagine what the others were thinking about my not being there. Actually, I couldn't imagine anything. I was way to busy getting Naomi's dark purple lipstick all over my face.

When we stopped, "Uh," Naomi started. "Don't stop, don't stop."

"We need to. I have to go."

"No, no, don't go. Stay with me."

"I have to, but while I'm gone playing fearless leader, you can take your stuff across the hall and play house."

She smile and let me go. I started for the door and this time got farther than last time.

"Hey, Logan."

I looked at her with a smile. "Yeah?"

"You better, uh, wipe your face before you go down."

"If you don't mind I'll keep it there. I kind of miss the smiles from everyone when they realized that I was late because I was 'busy'."

She laughed. "Go on."

"I went downstairs and got ready. I got all the smiles I wanted from everyone I wanted…except for Scott and Hank. Hank followed me into the locker room.

"I guess you know that Naomi is here."

"How can you tell, is it written on my face somewhere," I was trying to be sarcastic.

"How did you find out?"

"I waited for that creepy wolf to take a break and went into the room. She was getting out of the shower when I came in."

"Hmm, I bet you perked up at that."

"To be honest, I was just so glad to see her here I couldn't do much else," I explained wiping the lipstick from my face.

"Has she taken you back then?"

"Not sure, tonguing means so little nowadays."

"At least your sarcasm has made a blooming recovery. Did you ask her to move into your room with you?"

"Wouldn't you/ I have a year of stupidity to make up for. When we get back she and I are going to talk."

"I'm glad that everything is going well for you, Logan."

"Let's just go."

"That was when we went to Africa to save Storm…and Africa.

"Finding Out About Baby"

8 of 10

When we got back home with Storm I took her to see Charles, then tried to show her to her room, but as soon as the door opened there was Hank, Emma, and Forge. I could tell they were worried about something.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"It's Naomi…" Emma started.

I couldn't think of what the statement would be. The only thing I could guess was that she'd finished signing the papers and we were officially divorced. Something I definitely didn't want.

"The MRD came and took her," Forge said.

"Took them," Hank finished.

"Them? What do you mean?"

He took me to my room, and that's when I knew. Henry was tho only one who went with me. He was the only person who knew that Naomi herself told. Emma knew, but she can't keep her mind shut.

When I opened the door I knew right away what was being kept a secret from me.

On the far side of the room, in front of the window was something I recognized very easily. It was the crib I bought when Naomi told me she was pregnant.

"Is she pregnant again?" I asked stepping up to it.

"No."

"How long ago?"

"Two months."

"Boy or girl?"

"A boy she named Ashley."

"Ashley? Not mine?"

"No. Someone from Genosha. She left him after a fight. He died; victim of a hate crime. It was right after she moved to Genosha, but, Logan, he looks just like you. She might have lied to me to protect him. With the MRD chasing you every chance they get, I'm not surprised."

"Mine or not, Naomi is my wife. Any child of hers is a child of mine."

"She knew you'd say that."

In the crib were some blankets and brightly colored toys, but one that stuck out was a blue teddy bear that I knew all to well.

"I threw this away. When Naomi lost our baby I threw it in the trash."

"And I took out."

"This crib…this is the one I bough too. I put it in storage."

"Let's just say don't pay your storage bill this month. I had it all brought in today while we were gone."

Just then something hit me. The Mardies took my wife and my son.

"I'm going after them."

"I'm going with you."

That wasn't Hank, and it only took us half a second to realize that. We didn't know the voice, so we both turned around to see who it was.

"Who are you?" I asked.

"Thaonie. I am a friend of Naomi's and I want to help."

The accent the tall woman had was obviously French.

"When did you get here?"

"Just today, Monsieur Logan. When I heard that the institute had been rebuilt I though she might come here, but now I here that she has been taken by the MRD, and she has a child. I want to help you get her back.

"We could use all the help we can get, Logan," Hank said.

"Alright, get her a suit. We leave in five minutes."

"I don't need a suit, monsieur, I can handle myself."

"Fine, just call me Logan. Let's go!"

(MRD Hidden Base)

The room was dark save for bright light in the center. It was bright enough to hurt Naomi's eyes when she came around

"Ashley," she said unconsciously. There was a horrid copper taste in her mouth that she couldn't thinking about.

When she'd come around enough, she studied her surroundings.

Under the light was a long silver table, a tray with things she couldn't identify, strategically placed on it. There were two other table-like stands around, but Naomi couldn't quite say what they were either. The room seemed crowded. That was when she realized she was in a cage.

The bars were thick and just far enough a part so that she couldn't get through. The space was large for a human, but the height was that of a child of four or six. After trying to stand, she struck her head.

"Nice to see you awake, Mrs. Logan."

She never noticed someone was there. She still couldn't see the man who spoke.

"Who's there? Where's my son?"

Suddenly, a few more lights came on and Naomi recognized everything. The whole room was lighted. She was in a lab.

The man that was speaking to her was sitting in a chair in front of her cage. He was young, and blond headed. She guessed he was tall, but couldn't be sure by his sitting there.

"I'm a big fan of you, Wildcat."

"Where's my son?"

"He's safe."

"But for how long? Why did you bring us here?"

"The MRD has been after your husband for some time now."

"That's his problem. Not mine and definitely not my son's."

"Wolverine has a big weakness that has stuck out and that has been you. It took us a while, but we finally sound you, and what else do we find…Wolverine's beautiful son."

"He is beautiful, thank you, but he isn't Logan's son. I found out I was pregnant with Ashley three months after I moved to Genosha. Logan doesn't even know he exists yet."

"I cannot believe that. The boy is the spitting image of Wolverine."

"Logan is not his father. I'd bet my life on it."

He got up and went closer to the cage "I still don't believe you. Logan is the father and I'm going to prove it." Then her started to walk away.

"You hurt my son and you'll regret the day you were born!"

"When your son is old enough to realize that he is a mutant he will be the one regretting his birth."

Naomi watched him leave that room. Her anger grew and grew till, for the first time in a year, she turned into a wildcat. She became a mountain lion.

Her angry cat screams could be heard on the outside of the base.

It went one till her voice could handle it no more.

(The Black Bird)

We were lucky. The MRD's base where Naomi was being kept was a secret. Even its existence was a secret. I was sure the guy chasing me was going to be there waiting for my dynamic rescue attempt.

The reason we were lucky was because Emma was able to find Naomi using Cerebro. I would have suggested they would have guarded against that kind of thing.

"Logan, are you alright?" Beast asked me. We were half way there and up until now the two of us had been quiet. In the back Storm, Shadowcat, and Iceman were catching up. In the far back Emma and Thaonie were sitting quietly.

"Yeah, Hank, I'll make it," I told him.

"I tried to convince her to tell you, at least that she was at the mansion. She was worried about all three of you."

"She was right to worry. How did they know she was here? She didn't leave?"

"No, anything she needed I brought her." When he said that to me I felt good that he was taking care of her.

"And you didn't tell anyone?"

"Of course not. What are you thinking?"

"I wonder if the mansion isn't bugged." It was an honest thought. Something I worried about from the beginning.

"Bugged?" He sounded appalled.

"It's the only explanation I can come up with to explain how the MRD knew she was here."

"Magneto?"

"The though had occurred, but the Mardies are legally obligated to send any citizens of Genosha back to the island. I don't think they would risk having Magneto here just to get at me," I explained.

"He has to know know she's gone by now. Do you really think he hasn't told the MRD by now?"

"Then why didn't he come to us in the first place? He wouldn't try to cause us trouble with Charles in our basement. He has to know that she came to us. No, this is an attack directed at me." At least you brought us along this time."

"Yeah, that's something new."

"How does it feel to be a daddy? However technical it is?"

"Under the circumstances pretty lousy."

"I can understand."

"It's okay though. Tomorrow this will all be over and Naomi, her son, and I will be a family."

"Positive thinking…it becomes you," Beast told me.

Being positive was only a side effect of being angry, I think. Getting angry was how I dealt with things. Being positive wasn't normal for me.

Once we found the location of the secret base, we tried to come up with a plan of action. Mine was bust in, save the day, the usual. Storm, however, thought that we should try our best not to get caught.

"We can't do anything about them taking Wildcat, but they can do something about us destroying their base," she so graciously pointed out.

I was about to respond when we heard the sounds of screaming. Or at least that's what it sounded like. I, on the other hand, knew the sound very well. Heard it before.

"That's Naomi," I almost shouted hopefully.

"I hope not," Emma started. "I can only find part of her mind and it is filled with anger and fear. Could it be the child?"

"No, it's her. She'd turned into a cougar. They probably have separated her from the boy. She had a dream like that once; nearly clawed my face off."

"What a loss. What I meant was could the child be why she's angry and fearful."

Emma could get under my skin sometimes, but she was right. "If they've done anything to hurt that kid, I'll kill them myself."

"You can be first in line if you promise to save some for the rest of us," Beast said next to me. When I turned to look at him my eye caught everyone behind him. They all had a serious look on their faces. I knew they agreed with him.

"What's it to all of you?"

"He's just a baby," Shadowcat said.

"No one has the right to hurt a child," Storm told me in that soft voice she has.

Beast and Emma seemed to agree with Storm and Iceman agreed with Shadowcat. Scott said nothing and did nothing.

"Okay, let's see what we can find to get in there without getting caught."

With luck, we found an open window. On the other side there wasn't much. We'd come through to a hall way.

The screaming from Wildcat's cougar form had stopped, which worried me. If she thought we were coming she wouldn't have stopped.

"Something's wrong. She's not calling anymore. Emma?"

"Still just anger and fear."

"Can you tell if she's awake."

"Yes, she is."

I thought that maybe they were torturing her with words. Saying things about the boy, what they were going to do or had already done to him.

"Emma, can you find the boy? Can you see what he sees?"

"I can try."

We all watched as Emma used her powers to find Ashley. When I saw her smile, but not break the link I knew she found him and had solved that age old question of what a baby thinks. But the smile faded.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"There is someone in the room with him."

"Who is it?"

"I don't know. He is wearing a white coat. He has to be a doctor. He has a needle."

"What room, Emma? Get the room."

"The door's open." There was a pause. "210, he's in room 210." She looked tired. Beast caught her before she fell. "Go, Wolverine," she told me. "I don't know if there is anything in that needle or not."

"I'll be right back," I told them then ran down the hall, counting numbers as I went. I could hear the faint cry of the baby.

When I came to the door I saw it at the last minute, slid past it, stumble back and went in seeing the guy standing in front of a computer. Ashley's cried were so loud, I probably could have sneaked in and killed the guy. I had a better plan.

I walked in and grabbed the guy putting my claws to his throat.

"Looking fer me, bub?"

"Wolverine, so nice to see you."

"Wish, I could say the same. What are you doin' with that kid?"

"Running a little test."

"What kind of test?"

"Paternity. We're going to see if he's yours or if your wife is right."

"Why is it so important?"

"The names of the parents are required for the registration papers."

I poked a claw into his neck without piercing the skin. "You register that kid and I'll kill you where you stand. If you ever attack me through my family again I'll kill you, and if I ever find out you had anything to do with the explosion I'll wipe you all out."

"You don't have what it takes to kill like that."

"Try me and find out."

I pushed the guy away from me, the baby, and the computer. Before I took up my son I took out the computer and all the equipment on the table.

"What are you doing?"

I answered him as I took up my child. "Securing this kid's future."

"Any child of yours is cursed."

"We'll just have to see. Just don't be surprised in a few years your kid will be beggin' mine for mercy."

I walked out and he was shouting something. I blocked him out when I looked down at the boy for the first time.

The tears he'd been crying were drying on his face and he was looking up at me in wonderment. I saw the similarities in him to me. The brown eyes, the dark hair. A lot of people, however, have dark hair and eyes.

I started thinking about his future. How would life be with me as his father? What powers would he have? Would he have any powers at all? If Naomi met him on Genosha and was a victim of a hate crime the likelihood of the father being a mutant is high which means that he will more than likely be a mutant too. I couldn't help but see a future with this boy as mine. It was a lovely life I saw.

It was just time to get him safe. When I caught up with the others they were fawning over Ashley. I was smiling, of course, 'cause he was pretty cute.

After I let the cuteness carry itself as far as I was willing to let it go, I gave the baby to Shadowcat and told her and Iceman to go back to the Black Bird and guard him with their lives. They left with haste.

Meantime, Beast, Emma, Thaonie, and I moved on to look for Naomi.

(The Lab)

Naomi had not stopped being a cougar, but she did stop being worried. She knew Logan must know about the child by now, and he would be there to save them both.

She'd laid down and waited for anyone to come back to see her. To tell her what she already knew about her son.

She was getting tired and wanted to sleep, but she was sure something would happen soon. In her calm tired state she turned back into herself.

Seconds from sleep, she heard a noise and jerked to life. When she saw the two men she started to lose her temper again. One was wearing a white coat; she recognized him from before, and the other was wearing army camouflage and was practically bald.

"Where's my son?! What did you do to him?"

The man in the white coat, from before, spoke first. "He went through some tests, then was disposed of."

"You kill…you killed him!?"

"It was for the best."

"When I get out of here, I will stop when I'm picking my teeth with your bones." She lost herself. "Oh, God, my son! Ashley." She was crying, to be expected.

"Colonel Moss here wants to ask you a few questions, via special method."

"Nothing you could do to me could possibly be any worse than what you've already done."

"We shall see." He turned to Moss. "I'll leave you two alone. When you're done kill her."

"I'm sure she wants that now."

"Make her earn it." The scientist walked out and the colonel dragged Naomi out of the cage and threw her on the silver table in the middle of the room.

He strapped her down tight to the table. He tied her tight enough to break many of the blood vessels in her wrists and ankles. There was one around her waist and neck as well.

She looked at him seeing plainly the three marks across his nose to the left side of his face.

"I can see that you have been a victim of Wolverine's ill temper. You're not the only one. Want to see mine? At least mine isn't a reminder of failure when I look in the mirror."

He brought out a knife and put it next to her cheek. She didn't flinch. She didn't think she'd gone too far. She wanted to make him angry so he would kill her faster. Mostly because of the loss of her son, but also because she'd given up on Logan coming.

"Where's Wolverine living now?"

"What's it matter, he'll be here eventually." She didn't believe that, and she didn't understand why.

"What is he planning?"

"He's trying to help the people you hate."

"He honestly thinks he can win," he made the comment to himself, but Naomi had something to say.

"He is obviously doing a better job helping them than you are at hurting them. He is a natural leader."

"Is Xavier back at the institute?"

"I don't know. I haven't seen or heard from him since…for a year."

"Are you still Wolverine's wife? It went around for a while that you divorced."

"That also does not matter. I won't be anyone's anything before long."

"You really don't care, do you?"

"You have taken everything in my life worth caring about."

"One last question, and this is the big one, but it is also an easy one. All you have to do is say yes. Was the boy Wolverine's son?"

"Why do you care so much if he was Logan's son?"

"I'll just keep that to myself. Now answer."

"No. Logan has no children. Not from me at least. I can't speak for anyone before me."

"You're lying."

"No."

The colonel left her side for just a moment. Upon his return he started to introduce a new line of questions.

"You've had shots, blood taken, haven't you?"

"Of course," she started. "Logan and I's relationship centered around blood letting. As if you didn't know that."

"Where are some of the worst area of the body to be pierced do you think?"

"I'm not sure."

"Over my years in the service. I learned some of the greatest most painful tortures. All methods I've used and none have lasted long. All accept this method." He held up a large needle so that she could see. It was thick and simple to see.

She looked over at him, tears in her eyes and said, "Do your worst. There is no pain you could you could inflict on me that will change the fact that Logan is not a father."

He walked, with the needle in hand, to her bare feet and forced it into the arch of her foot. She screamed. He walked back while she was still screaming.

"Say the ward, very easy. Three letters. Was that child Wolverine's?" Now he was holding a larger needle.

"No!" she screamed through the sting in her foot.

He drove this needle into the soft flesh of the under side of her upper arm. A pierce going in and coming out the other side. She started screaming again.

"God help you!" she shouted. "God help you." She took a deep breath and screamed again as he put in another just below the last.

"You can make all this stop right now, all you have to say is yes. Next time there will be three of these." He held up the largest needle she'd ever seen in her life. Larger than any needle her or Logan had ever used during their intimate times. "Was Wolverine the father of that child?"

More tears fell from her face. She sobbed, crying out with the terrible truth. She longed to bring her hands to her face to hide her shame, but she was bound too tightly.

In a final desperate attempt to stop the torture and to make him believe her, she used every once of sorrow and pain and said, "No. God forgive me, no. When Ashley was born I thought he looked like Logan, everything about him reminded me that I missed Logan, that Logan was no part of him. I hated myself for having Ashley, for loving and caring for him. I grew to hope that someday Logan would come back to me and accept my son. When he came back I kept Ashley a secret because I knew the MRD was after him. I couldn't risk him, but I did."

"Don't mourn your child. You'll be joining him soon enough. But first." He grabbed her face between his thumb and fingers and brought the needle to the skin below her eyes, her screaming the whole time, and plunged it into the skin.

Her screams were louder now then they had been. Each time she blinked, new waves of pain ran over her. She couldn't handle it.

"Please stop!"

"Only two left."

"No, please, I can't. Just…just stop…stop please. I've told you the truth."

"And I believer you, but Wolverine is a thorn on a bush I've wanted to kill for years. It would kill him to know that before I did his wife a favor and drove a knife into her belly for a slow painful death, I tortured her till she begged for it."

He took hold of her face again and plunged the needle in slowly. She screamed even more. She tried to move around, but she was tried far too tight.

He said nothing before he put the last large needle into the soft skin under her eye. Her first thought when she was through creaming was he's finally finished. Now he can kill me and end all this. God please take me quick. Please forgive my sins and welcome me into Heaven…

He had already gotten his knife and was about to bring it down on her middle.

"Amen," she said out loud, and he started to bring it down.

Just a second before it hit her a large black wolf jumped on him and started to attack.

At first, Naomi was confused. "Anthony!" That's who it was, and after another second, Wolverine, Beast, and Emma were in the room. Naturally, Wolverine went right up to Naomi.

"Did he do this to you?"

"Yes." He was about to take the needle out of her eye when she stopped him. "No, take the one in my foot out first."

Wolverine thought the foot? This guy must not be very good, but then he saw where it was on her foot and cringed.

When he pulled it out she barely moved. After, she directed him to the two in her arm. Taking those out hurt her a little. Once finished he moved on to the ones in her eye he started to get scared.

I couldn't believe that it had happened to her. There were three needles under her eye. I didn't know what to do. I thought that if I tried to pull them out I would blind her.

"Just pull them out, it will be alright."

Things were really quiet. Anthony, who had come out of nowhere, had the colonel by the throat in the corner. Somewhere I would like to be at that moment, but I had more important concerns.

"Anthony, when I give the word, close your mouth around that jerk's throat." He made a noise of confirmation and I looked at the colonel. "If I pull these out will it hurt her eyes?"

When he spoke he made a gurgling sound, but I could still understand.

"If you pull them out straight she'll be fine."

I turned back to Naomi, and pinched the first needle and started to pull. I knew she tried to be brave, but I know how sensitive a spot that is. I started with the next and she started to yell at me.

"This is all your fault! If you had only left me alone none of this would have happened. I'd be at home feeding my son, ow, ow, ow." I'd started on the last needle. "Instead of here mourning him."

"There." I'd finally finished. Then Beast, Emma, and I started to unstrap her. "What do you mean?"

"They killed him. He's gone."

"Who told you that?"

"Him," she said sitting up and motioning towards the colonel. "And some doctor."

"Young guy, blond hair?"

"Yeah, but how did you know?"

"That's the guy I told to leave my family alone right before I took our baby and destroyed all his toys."

"He's alive?" she asked with hope in her eyes.

"He's alive and safe. I sent him to the Black Bird with Kitty and Bobby."

"Oh, thank you, Logan," she cried wrapping her arms around my neck.

"Hey," I started kindly and gently. "He's my son too."

She pulled away. "Then you'll accept him?"

"Of course I will. He may not be my son biologically but you are still my wife and any son of yours is a son of mine."

She hugged me again. She seemed relaxed so I took her up in my arms and we started to leave.

"Anthony, spit that out, you don't know where it's been."

He let go and followed us. I let everyone go ahead of me and when they were gone I turned to the colonel.

"I'll give you the same warning I gave your little doctor friend. If you come after me through my family again, I'll kill you." Then I left.

"All Secrets Out"

10 of 10

It felt good to get out of there. The open air, the practically perfect location. The base was hidden in a blind spot of the Grande Canyon. It was a great idea, and a secret we would be keeping to ourselves. If the wrong mutants knew about it they would only succeed in making things worse on the rest of us.

When we got back to the jet we all witnessed a heart warming reunion between mother and child and started for home. With the boy screaming the whole way.

"Logan, I've tried everything. He won't nurse. His diaper is clean surprisingly, but he won't stop."

What do you want me to do about it? You know about this baby thing. I'm a one day dad."

"Anything, Logan."

I looked over at Hank. "Can you take over?"

"Of course. Enjoy it. It's your first family crisis."

"No, family crisis will come when he's sixteen."

I heard Hank laughing as I headed for the back. I wasn't worried about the boy. The worst I saw wrong with him was a nick on the bottom of his foot. From when they took his blood for the paternity test.

Kitty got up from her seat next to Naomi so I could sit down next to her. I took the baby from Naomi.

"Come to daddy," I said. It felt natural. I'd often heard that on TV and at restaurants and what not. It felt good to say for myself though.

I held him in my arms and rocked him gently. It only took a few seconds, but he stopped. He put his thumb in his mouth and started to sleep.

"Isn't that strange," Naomi commented.

"Why did you name him Ashley? That's a girl's name."

"Actually it's a unisex name. I called him Ashley for the nickname Ash. It reminded me of you."

"Ash…I like it."

Just then Thaonie came from the back. She was holding the first aid kit.

"Thaonie," Naomi began. "Long time no see."

"Indeed."

"Where were you?" I asked.

Naomi looked at me. "What fo you mean? She was there. She was there before you were."

"They don't know," Thaonie said.

"They don't know you are—"

"I'm surprised they aren't curious how he even got here."

"He?" She laughed. "Oh, my, that's delightful."

"Mind letting me in on this little joke," I said.

"Logan, I'm not sure what Thaonie told you, but the truth is that I met her Genosha I hired her to protect me and Ashley. Thaonie is a changer like me. Her real name is Anthony."

"Anthony…the black wolf?"

"Yep."

"Then what was with all the growling?" I asked the woman.

"I'm sorry, monsieur, but you must understand Naomi has been my only friend since I left France. I was doing my job to protect her secret from the person she wanted to keep it from most," she explained as she started to bandage Naomi's eye.

"Me?" I already knew the answer was yes, but I humored myself.

"Oui, monsieur, though I don't think she meant it to hurt you. More to protect Ashley."

She was cutting pieces of tape when Naomi said, "She's right, Logan. My only concern has been for our son."

"Well, now I'll be the one to protect you."

"Okay," Naomi said smiling a little.

"And Thaonie. You were very helpful today. It would be great if you could join the X-Men."

Thaonie had just finished with Naomi's eye and turned around to look at me.

"Joining the X-Men would be my honor."

(The Secret Base)

The colonel and the doctor were trying to recover from the unexpected visit from Wolverine.

"Why did those crazy doctors create a monster like that and not make something to kill it?" the doctor asked.

"Why didn't they kill him when they had the chance?" the colonel went on.

"Did you get any where with the Wildcat?"

"Wolverine isn't the father. Some dead beat mutant in Genosha."

"Well, it's almost guaranteed that the boy will be mutant."

"If we go after them again, Wolverine won't be as forgiving as he was this time," the colonel explained.

"Perhaps we should give it some time and plan batter."

"Till then we'll increase the amount of MRD officers looking for him. Maybe they will find him before we have to risk ourselves to take him out."

"For him…you should have an entire task force."

"Believe me, I've thought about."

Just then the doctor picked up a piece of paper. He read it, tapped the colonel, and handed him the paper. Once he'd read it, he looked at the doctor. "She lied."

(Home)

So the secrets were out. Everyone knew everything. I was a dad, Anthony was a woman, which made me feel better cause when I found out that Naomi had a baby I thought Anthony was the dad, but it turned out that the father died in Brazil; and Naomi and I were back together.

Getting home was perhaps the greatest feeling I'd had in a long time. When I put Ash in his crib he grabbed on to the blue bear stuck his thumb in his mouth and passed out.

She and I stared down at the precious bundle. She was the most beautiful baby I'd ever seen. For a first time dad, that might not seem like much, but to a first time dad that's everything.

"Logan," Naomi whispered after a moment.

"Hmm?" I asked smiling at the baby still.

"Are you happy?"

"Yes, for the first time in a long time."

"I love you," she said wrapping her arms around my waist and laying her head on my chest.

"I love you too."

"Hank told me that Charles was here."

"Yeah, do you want to see him?"

"Very much."

I took her hand and lead her down to the sub-basement. I'm pretty sure it was the first time she'd been down there since the mansion was rebuilt.

"Didn't stray far from Charles's plans in remodeling, did you?"

"You know me. I'm not really big on change. Remember when Charles moved that school picture from the downstairs sitting room to the wall opposite the stairs on the second floor?"

"Yes, you were angry for a week."

"Thing here have changed though. There's been quite a bit I've had to get used to." We stopped right outside the door behind which Charles slept. "And this is one." I opened the door and she went in. I followed.

"Oh, no." She only stared a moment. "The day Magneto found him, he came to me and told me, but he wouldn't let me see. He said that I had already lost enough sleep with a new baby and the last thing I needed was the image of my father in a state.

"He's right. Even I find it hard to come down ere sometimes. He's good about keeping in touch though."

"What do you mean?"

"He can contact us from where he is twenty years in the future. Tells us what happened to hurt thing there."

"Has he told you what happened?"

"Only that it is nothing we want to see. He calls me down here every once and a while to tell me about something needin' to be handled."

There was quiet for awhile. I sort of hoped that Charles would come right then so she could talk to him and I could tell him that I was a daddy. I wanted to tell everyone, but I really had to be careful who I told. If I told the wrong person it would come on worse for Naomi and Ash.

"Logan, since we're here and alone there is something I want to talk to you about. Something very serious."

"Anything." I was looking at her honestly.

"It's about Ashley."

"What about him?"

"I've been lying about him."

"How?" I didn't understand what she could possibly be lying about. As far as what she told me, it all made sense.

"His real father isn't dead, I didn't meet him in Genosha, and Ashley isn't two months old."

I took a deep frightened breath and asked, "How old is he, where did you meet him, and if he isn't dead where is he?"

"He's three months old, I met him in Canada." She stopped smiling and took a breath. "Ashley's real father, his biological father is…standing right in front of me."

My heart instantly stopped. My breathing ended. It was one thing to be the father of another man's child, another to find out that it's you child."

"Logan, are you alright?"

"I'm better than alright."

"I'm surprised I made you all believe me considering how much he looks like you. The fact that I carried him is the only thing I had to do with him."

"I wrapped my arms around her. Pulling her close.

"Why did you want to tell me down here?"

"The two people who made me feel strong and confident are in this room."

"What about the one upstairs?"

She whined a little. "That one just makes my boob hurt."

I laughed out loud. "Let's just go upstairs to bed. Who knows the next time we're going to get a full nights sleep."

"Like you sleep all night any how."

We walked side by side, her in my arms. All the way back upstairs. We were quiet. I was thinking about the future that lay ahead of me. I, I had a child to think about. Not to mention running this school and saving the world from the people in it. I was worried about finding "father" time and "leader" time. I had to make it work for both or I was going to loose one or both.

I wanted to talk about all these things with Naomi, but it had definitely been a long hard day and the last thing she needed to here were worries of mine. When things calm down a little bit maybe.

Getting back to our room she turned down the bed the way she always used to before the explosion., while I changed into a pair of sweat pants. At the end all the technicalities, we went to sleep, for the first time in a year, as an honest to God family.

"Fin..."