Something strange Something new

Hope you like my little RoLo story. Here's chapter 2. Please review.

Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel or it's characters. This is a work of fiction and I only own my characters and no other. I make no money from this. Damn it all!

Chapter 2

Ororo was lightly sleeping in her bath. She had fallen asleep in the now very lukewarm water. She came awake fast with the sound of a thump on her balcony. She listened keeping still, wondering who or what it was as she silently got out of the tub. She used her abilities to float out of the water and dry herself off. Grabbing her robe and wrapping it tightly around her. Ororo smelled it then, the faint odor of cigars and beer.

'Logan.' She inwardly cursed as she floated out of her bathroom window and came around to the balcony. Logan was seated in her chair by the corner looking at the pictures on her wall. Studying one of her as a young girl when Charles had picked her up front the airport. He never turned to look at her. A lot of pictures showed Ororo, Jean, Scott and Hank as they were in their teens and younger days. Smiling and happy.

"I take it that these are all pictures of you and the gang back when ya first came here?" Ororo stared at Logan. He seemed to be a little off to her. He seemed very peaceful to her though. Very strange for Logan.

"Logan why are you in my room?" Ororo almost was afraid too ask. Logan just sat staring at the pictures for some time before he finally spoke.

"Chuck's back." Ororo looked at him as if he were crazy. Some strange Logan joke. She rolled her eyes. His back was still facing her until he turned. His eyes when he stared at her finally told her he was very serious.

"He's in his office and wants to see you." Ororo put her hand to her mouth and Logan could see that she was shaking.

"How…how is this possible? We both saw him die when Jean….Jean…" She was stuttering and nearly fell on to the floor. Logan was up fast and quick as he grabbed her and held her. She shook and couldn't seem to stop. Her heartbeat was racing. He just held her tighter rubbing her back and holding her still as the shock ran through her. Ororo was still trembling. After a while her body calmed down. Slowly he sat her down and told her to get dressed.

He would take her to see the man who was like a father to her. Ororo could only nod her head as Logan went outside her door and waited for a very shell shocked Ororo. She got dressed like a robot on automatic, pulling on underwear, jeans, tee shirt and soft slippers. Then she opened the door. Logan stood just outside. He could hear every sound Ororo had made inside getting dressed. He could hear her heartbeat. Much more steady now then when she had first gotten the news. Logan took her hand leading her to the professor's office.

The sun shone brighter this morning Ororo noted as she awoke. She was still laying in her bed after spending half the night crying tears of joy at seeing the professor back. Charles Xavier had reappeared like an angel sent from heaven to his school. The children seeming to awaken in groups of six or more, all coming down last night to find their late mentor alive again. Everyone had seemed as if in a daze.

His tale was amazing. Just a split second before what the Phoenix crazed Jean Grey planned to do to him, Charles Xavier had left his mortal body and jumped via the astral plane into the body of Moira's patient zero in Scotland. There he stayed with Moira until he could control the body of his brain dead twin and return back to his school and students. The effort had taken a lot longer then either one of them thought.

Charles' twin had a body that had never walked or controlled any of it's motor skills. He had to teach himself to walk and talk as well as feed himself and get dressed. This body unlike his old one had problems with walking, thus the wheelchair. It seems the spinal cord of his twin had been badly damaged during birth. It was far too late to correct the problem as well.

Although his mind took over the body. It was like working with silly putty. The body he now occupied had to learn everything that most babies took for granted. Even feeding himself took great effort. Charles was amazed and humbled that it took so long to master control of the body he now inhabited. So much for being the world's greatest telepath. The human body still proved itself to be the greatest machine on Earth.

The professor stated that he could sense the war going on in Jeans mind. Right before he fled his own body. He knew that if he hadn't he would have been disbursed into the universe with one single thought by Jean's alter ego. The Phoenix was fighting Jean for complete control and Jean was losing the battle. He had no time to alert either Ororo or Logan before he fled his own body. That had pained him greatly but the effort to gain access to his brain dead twin had nearly killed him. He had used more power then he ever knew. Attempting to construct the dead cells into a functioning living brain was a feat unlike anything Charles Xavier had ever encountered. It made him see the true power of the universe was beyond man or mutant kind.

He had taken a full year before he could use the body to move or speak verbally to Moira. One call of her name mentally was what had alerted her to his presence prior to his ability to use the mouth of his twin. That alone had put him into a coma like state for some time before he awakened. Nearly giving Moira a heart attack when he called her name verbally months later.

The road back to his old life had been painful but worth it. The mansion had felt like home again. The smiles that framed all the faces were real. Everyone including Charles felt like they could now face another day without the empty dread they'd all carried. It was good to be at the school again. Ororo had Thanked her Goddess several times last night.

Ororo just felt a great sense of relief to have her mentor back. Now she had an anchor again. One who wouldn't ride off on his bike when things got heavy and leave her with all the mess. One who would talk to her and not growl if he didn't wish to be bothered. She was glad to have Charles back if only for the company of a man who would acknowledge her.

Hank had been too busy going back and forth to D.C. Tying up his loose ends before settling down to the school full-time. Poor Hank had been like a whirlwind. Mourning his family and friends, finishing up his work in Washington and trying to aid her as best he could as she took over the school. If not for Hank's weekly calls and talks she would have gone mad. Logan could have cared less.

She sighed smiling happily. No more paperwork with her having to spend hours locked in Charles' office going over applications, tax forms, bills or even letters from his lawyers. No more unending phone calls from worried parents. Many fearful that their children would have to return home. Most because they either didn't want people to know about their mutant child or they didn't want their child uneducated. Many non-mutant schools would not take them still. Ororo breathed deeply. She felt content. That feeling had been missing forever. She felt alive again.

She lifted up off her bed and floated to her bathroom. Something she seldom did. But today felt like it was a blessing from the Goddess. Charles' return certainly was. She was pleased and happy until she saw her reflection in the mirror. 'Great. I'm still young.' Ororo sighed as she washed up to get ready for her day.

Since the Nanny incident, today was the first time she actually felt like leaving her room, aside from last night. Everyone was too caught up with Charles' return to notice her. She put on a pair of brown slacks and white blouse with some soft flats. Luckily Ororo still had some clothes in her wardrobe from her fuller figured days.

The Goddess had blessed her with the insight to leave clothes from her younger days alone. Several suits, dresses, jeans and assorted clothing still sat in her large walk-in closet from those days. She put her hair in a ponytail with some tendrils of lose hair that caressed her face. She signed when she saw herself.

"I still look like a child." Ororo checked out her figure. She half turned to check out her backside. Her once size zero figure was up to her teenaged size nine. It made Ororo want to hide.

"I damn near look like Mae West." She spoke out loud looking at her fuller behind, larger boobs and shrugging. She heard the sound of someone clearing their throat. She turned towards the sound.

"Ahhmm." Logan stood at her open balcony doors.

"Did you forget to knock at my door? And did you also forget to stop appearing on my balcony?" Logan smirked. A sly grin slide across his face.

"I think your figures fine. Nothing was ever wrong with Mae West in my book." Ororo frowned. She folded her arms under her now larger breasts.

"Get out now. Please." Logan grinned full on as he winked at her.

"Ya did say please Darlin." He moved to walk out her front door. Ororo stared at him as he grunted out.

"Ya did say to use your front door." Ororo rolled her eyes.

"Yes I did and stop making fun of everything I say too. I don't go hanging out in your room." Logan gave her a predatory grin.

"Wouldn't mind one bit if you did Darlin." He winked at her again as he left. Ororo huffed speaking to herself as she caught her appearance in her mirror again.

"I am losing this extra weight." She heard Logan growl out.

"Not on my watch Darlin." Ororo threw a shoe at her door.

"Stop listening to my private conversations!" She yelled before hearing a knock on her door. Kitty stuck her head through the door.

"Who are you talking too Ro?" Ororo just sat down in a huff on her bed.

"Nobody Kitten just yelling to test my lungs." Kitty grinned.

"Okay. All right. We'll forgive all strange behavior because the professor's back." Ororo smiled and got up to follow Kitty outside her door heading downstairs for breakfast. Ororo still felt some fear about going out but Charles had told her last night. His return from the grave would garner most if not all of the attention. She felt better already.

'The breakfast had been wonderful.' Ororo though it had reminded her of the days when Scott and Jean were alive. But they weren't, instead the professor had acquired Moira Cassidy plus the new non-mutant student teacher Ms. Geri Randall.

She had been an exchange student from America working with Moira. Apparently she was above and beyond her peers in her field. She was a brain that showed no hatred or malice towards mutants. That was plain to see from the way she smiled at each person she met. Her smile met her eyes. She was also a nerd of the highest order and clumsy wouldn't begin to describe her. She tripped three times over her own two feet. But Ororo noted she had a heart as wide as the ocean.

That was clear to see when little Lizzie, a five year old mutant who looked more like a bird then a human; with her beak like nose and mouth, had fallen and hurt her small hand. Geri had been right there holding and comforting the girl not even weirded out as the kids put it by Lizzie's less then human appearance. To Geri all she saw was a small child who needed aid and care. She gave that, not even knowing that Ororo had seen them out in the hallway by the back stairwell outside the kitchen.

Geri was holding a crying Lizzie in her arms as the little one quieted down and hugged her back. Geri rocked her speaking words of comfort as she rubbed the booboo on Lizzie's tiny hand. Making Lizzie giggle in that sing-songie voice she had. She was smiling as much as her face allowed by the time Geri entered the kitchen with her. Lizzie giving her hugs and hellos' before running out to play with the other kids.

Ororo knew then the professor still could glean which non-mutants to trust. Even the wary Wolverine seemed to give Geri a thumbs up having sniffed the air surrounding the woman when he though no one noticed him. Ororo did. She said nothing sipping her tea and eating her toast and eggs. She had forgotten all about her diet. She was too busy laughing and talking to Kitty, Moira and Geri when she joined them. Never even noticing the appreciative looks that the majority of the males were giving her.

Most of the young male teen students were not at the school when Ororo was younger. Thus the more fuller figured woman at the table had them mesmerized. Ororo wasn't even aware that many were gawking at her as they pretended to eat. One young man actually burned his hand attempting to get a cup of coffee. Another was pouring salt into his cereal and a third was buttering his toast with whipped cream. Never seeing what tub he had in front of him.

They were all too enchanted with the Goddess that was seated a few feet from them. Even Marie had to help one young man who was warming his bacon to a blackened state because he couldn't tear his eyes from Ororo. He couldn't move from staring at her face and figure. Many were too caught-up with how her longer hair shined in the kitchen skylight. Or how perfect her body looked in the brown slacks that hugged her larger butt. How her blouse accented her larger breasts.

The small show of cleavage nearly made one teen walk into the door jam. Logan had to steer him towards the opening. Her small wasp waist and the sway of her fuller hips were making the hormone level raise in the kitchen. How her chest shook when she laughed. Even the scent of her was like a spell being cast on them.

The spring season wasn't helping matters either. The scent of interest and arousal was growing. Logan watched each male the whole time. His beast growing madder by the second. It was driving him up the wall. It took a lot to keep his claws from popping out. He was inhaling all of the musk being thrown off of these teens and he was not liking it. His face grew darker as did his eyes.

One low growl of warning from Logan had made them all back off a safe distance from her. Charles sat quietly sipping his coffee and never said a word. He knew he didn't have too. It took Moira to compliment Ororo on having a figure she wished she could have for Ororo to realize maybe the diet should be damned. After all even if she looked younger inside she was still a woman of an age who knew her mind and to hell with others who didn't get her.

Hell she was well past learning to love herself. So why not see her return to youth as a blessing. The Goddess always knew what was best for her. With a happy bounce to her walk after breakfast she strode purposely towards her green house this morning. Clad in her old jean cut offs and tank top. Barefoot as well. School was cancelled. Her plants awaited her.

Classes were to resume next week the children getting a week's vacation so that a welcome home party could be done for the professor. Also allowing Hank time to craft some plausible way of explaining his return from the dead. Not only to the parents but also the various government agencies that worked with the school. Nick Fury would no doubt be involved. He was good at coming up with plausible excuses.

Not to mention having to deal with the parents of those students, who were still involved in their mutant children's lives. Those that gave monetary gifts to the school. As well as the favored patrons. Many of them extremely wealthy friends of Charles. They deserved an explanation as to Xavier's return from the dead. Ororo shivered. This was going to be a busy week for all.

Geri Randall was already making friends with the students. Jubilee and Marie were following her as she helped to man the preparations for the party taking place this Friday in honor of Charles's return. They were taking measurements of the grand hall. Going over what things they would need for food and entertainment. Despite Geri having knocked over several vases and walking into some walls, her glasses were not working as well as the bottle-sized rims should be, Marie was expertly becoming a seeing-eye mutant for the clumsy and nearly blind young woman.

Both Jubilee and Marie just seemed to take a liking to Geri. She was just a few years older then Marie. About two really but Marie seemed older then Geri. Ororo smiled. Geri was more like a big kid with a brain but sweet and kind hearted. She was very joyful showing the girls how she would decorate the hall for the party. Her joy was making the two mutants laugh as Ororo watched from the large windows as she walked to her greenhouse.

The professor had whispered to Ororo that he would have Hank working on some contacts for her eyes which were showing signs of glaucoma in it's very early stages. Hank had already been working with Worthington labs since leaving his government job. He was working on cures for various illness, some of which were just hitting the market now.

Many were proving a god sent to millions. The money that the patents to these cures he created was helping to fill the coffers of the school and the X-men. Not to mention the great joy it gave Hank to help mutants and non-mutants. Charles saw it as another way to defuse anti-mutant hatred.

Ororo was humming to herself as she watered and potted plants. Bringing sunshine into her large greenhouse and causing a bright beautiful day for the entire county. No one was complaining as the students were all around the estate enjoying their mini vacation from school this week. Her vegetables had been neglected for too long.

Her carrots, celery and cherry tomatoes looked a little thin. Ororo was giving them extra attention. Then came her dwarf trees. She had gotten the dwarf fruit trees from Warren as a birthday gift two years ago. They were thriving. Her lemons, oranges and bananas were growing well. It pleased her to see life being grown. Even her rare roses, a treat she'd grown for Jean, were flourishing. Hank had said her rare dark blue roses were the best he'd ever seen. Of course he was biased.

Ororo was nearly at her last plant when she noted a shift in the wind. The faint odor of beer and cigars hit her nose. 'Logan' she though as she turned to see the Wolverine. He was standing near her doorway just staring at her. His eyes almost looked like the alternate's.

They were dark and had what she though was a faint glow. Glow? She was no doubt imagining that. She put her plant in the soil bed then looked back. He was still staring at her. Was this some new habit of his? Seek out Ororo. Startle her. When had that happened? She looked hard at him.

He was leaning now, against the open doorway of her greenhouse.

"Are you lost Wolverine?" Ororo asked still working on her plants.

Logan grinned. He had been watching her as she worked in her soil with her plants. She had been joyfully placing one plant after another into the soil beds as she laid down the numerous plants. Tending to them all like she did the students. These were her children too. She didn't even sense him near. Her plants seemed to bring her peace. He'd inhaled the environment. He could understand it. He slowly walked over to her stopping to inhale one of the largest and deepest blue colored roses he'd ever seen.

"You grow this yourself?" Ororo glanced up at him stunned to see Logan enjoying a flower like any other person would.

"Of course. This is my greenhouse." Logan grunted. Ororo stopped as she planted the last plant in her soil bed and rose dusting off her hands as she went towards her makeshift sink and made a small raincloud to wash her hands and arms.

"So Wolverine what brings you to my greenhouse, besides my very large roses." Logan grinned slyly, he could answer that question with something bold but decided against it.

"I forgot I got something to show ya." With that he pulled out a small photograph that Ororo took after air-drying her hands.

As she looked at it she saw in the picture two people who resembled Logan and herself. They were holding two of the cutest babies that she had ever seen. The picture she realized was of the alternate world Wolverine and Storm with their twin babies. The twins were the spitting images of their parents. Ororo stared open mouthed at the picture of two very happy people holding two very happy and very beautiful children.

She nearly fell back onto the workbench she was standing in front of. Logan caught her as she sat down hard. Slowly her eyes looked up at him. Logan was trying to read her face. Her heartbeat was rapid.

"This is why he was so crazy to get home." She nearly whispered the words but Logan heard her.

"Yeah, I figure if any man had that he would be hell bent on getting back to them." Ororo looked at him.

"How did you get this picture?" Logan smiled showing his teeth.

"The other Stor..Ro gave it to me. She felt that maybe you'd like to see it." Ororo felt her face flush as she stood on shaky legs. She needed to put distance between herself and Logan. The picture gave her a very odd feeling in her stomach. It was a strange feeling. She couldn't identify it.

"They make a lovely family." She stated standing a little awkwardly and giving Logan back the picture. Logan heard her heartbeat speed up faster. Hell she was nervous too. Ororo was moving away from him like she needed distance. She was trying to make a hasty exit as Logan blocked her way.

"Why are you in a hurry to get away from me?" Ororo glared at him. She bit her lip before speaking.

"I'm not. Besides when have you ever wanted to be near me before the unexpected change?" She stared at Logan with cold eyes. She looked mad but her pulse was rapid. She was faking her anger. Trying to fool him. Something else was bugging her. He smelled fear and shock.

"When did I ever run from ya when we were fighting to save our lives, the kids or the world's?" Ororo folded her arms in front of her chest. Her face had faltered a bit, Logan noticed. He heard her pulse quicken then get steady as she was willing herself to calm down.

"What game are you playing Logan? Jean's gone so now Ororo will do. Or did your trip to the other one's world cause this attention to me? Please don't flatter me. Go find someone else to level this attention on or what ever it is." Logan stared at her as if she'd gone mad.

"Ya think I'm paying you attention because Jean's dead? The other Ororo didn't have anything to do with ya. You two are as different as night and day. Hell we barely talked like we do. Jeanie was never mine. She belonged to Scooter. That's what you think it's all about Jean or some other version of you?" Ororo sighed deeply and looked Logan right in the eyes.

"Explain this then." Ororo gestured to his presence in her greenhouse. He never entered her oasis. Just as she never entered the danger room was he was in it. They had always kept their distance. Logan was floored and then he spoke.

"How insecure are you? What has no man ever paid you any attention before? Ya gotta think it's cause Jean's dead that I notice ya?"

The shock of what he said hit her slowly at first. Then she stared at him as if she'd never seen him before. He heard her heart beating like a drum growing louder with each breath. Her blue eyes were slowly turning whiter. Then he smelled the scent of ozone in the air. Her expression wasn't pretty. Ororo felt like she wanted to shot a lighting bolt up his ass.

"What." she choked the word out. It sounded like a sixty pound stone hitting a wooden floor. The coldness in it froze him. She placed her hands on her hips as she glared at him.

"You're calling me insecure? You have the gall to bring up Jean to my face! Me! I'm not the one who runs after someone else's fiancée so I can feel like I've won a prize. Logan." Her voice was like ice.

"I am also not the one who has to make snide remarks to people all the time Logan. I don't label people with dumb nicknames to get attention either Logan. Or perhaps I don't give them nicknames simply because I can be bothered to remember their real names. Logan." Ororo was riled up. Her heartbeat let Logan know she was beyond pissed. He could smell the ozone better now. Lighting was even flashing. Did he hear thunder?

"And as for Jean. Yes I have every right to bring her up. When did you ever pay me any attention prior to your trip to another world. For two years since Jean and Scott died I was wallpaper to you! You wouldn't have known if I had stopped breathing for the way you moped around Jeans grave site. Every night Logan you sat there and brooded. You acted as if no one else was in pain!" The fact that she yelled at him stunned Logan speechless. Ororo was losing that calm façade she wore all the time. The sky was leaking big raindrops outside.

"You never noticed how Marie or Jubilee were hurting. You didn't pay any attention to Kitty or Peter having their growing pains. You ignored Bobby when he had to deal with his parents leaving the country in a letter that came to him three months after they left." Ro was just warming up.

"As for your other world Ororo. As I understand it the Logan she knew was nothing like you. He apparently had made plain his intentions towards her from day one. Let me recall. You never bothered to thank either Scott or myself for your rescue from Sabretooth. Ah Yes Marie thanked us. You never bothered."

She spoke each word like she wanted him to know just how angry pissed off and tired she was of Logan and his ways. For the past couple of years Ororo had to do everything by herself. Hank had taken two years to get here for good. Logan had left it all in her hands.

"Ring a bell for you. Ignore everything and everyone so long as you are given what you want. Jean was your goal but you had to kill her after she turned into the entity. Now that she's gone what else is there? Ahh yes a new Ororo to use as another goal. Oh yes to hell with everyone and everything else again. Reminds me once again of the last few years. When you ignored the school, the bills the trauma everyone went through for your own pain. You call me insecure? Logan. Insecure, insecure! Well I'm calling you selfish! The most self-centered selfish ass that ever lived! You selfish ego manic! Selfish! Look it up in the dictionary Logan." She said his name like it was a bad aftertaste in her mouth. The rain was pouring down in the dark and extremely stormy sky.

"You'll find your picture right next to the word. You.." She was pointing that long slender right hand finger in his stunned face. The word she wanted stuck in her throat. But she started again. Calmer now but still peeved.

"The attention hound of the X-men. The man who doesn't seem to realize that your quest for attention is the sign of someone so grossly insecure and selfish that you can't function unless someone pays you any kind of attention be it good or bad!" Ororo was yelling at the top of her lungs at him.

He though she was gonna hit him but instead she stormed off and out of the greenhouse. Moving like the wind to avoid being near him.

The sky was darker now with storm clouds sending down biting rain. Harsh lighting and thunder covering the sky. It shook the greenhouse as the heavy rain fell down in buckets. Logan all but felt the mental summons of professor X. It too sounded like a shout in his head.

"Women." Logan grunted lighting up a stogie as he walked out into the pouring rain towards the garage. Wet or not he was smoking it. He would see the Professor after his smoke and a cold one. Maybe.

Kitty and Peter were upstairs in his room after seeing Logan enter the greenhouse and then hearing the shouts that had taken place. They both stared at each other grinning.

"I think he likes her." Peter said to his petite girlfriend. Kitty laughed sitting contently on Peter's lap.

"Oh I've no doubt, but he's just so bad about trying to get with her. I'm amazed. I thought the great Wolverine had women falling all over him." Peter laughed holding his gut and hugging Kitty.

"Maybe that's the problem. Storm will not fall all over him nor giggle like Dr. Grey did when he flirted with her." Kitty snuggled into Peter's arms.

"No way not Ro. Wolive's gonna have to try more finesse to get Ro. She's nothing like Dr. Grey and she thinks he has the manners of a dog." Peter laughed out loud. He could barely speak from laughter.

"Maybe we should help them Katya." Kitty grinned as she looked up into Peter's dark brown eyes.

"You maybe right. But we'll need help with those two. After all they are two of the most bullheaded people I've ever seen." Peter grunted rubbing her arm and murmured a "Da." As he held Kitty in his massive arms watching the rain fall down.

Five days had passed since the incident in the greenhouse. Charles had tactfully delayed the party until next Friday. Delighting the students with a lighter school agenda. Half days were the week's norm. He wanted the children to be left out of the drama between his two adult children.

Ororo and Logan were avoiding each other. Although they had had several sighing's of one another. Mostly with Logan stumbling's upon Ororo in the woods or the kitchen. They ended with her fleeing from his stony stare or his huffing as he made an raging retreat from her presence.

It was making everyone uneasy around the mansion. Moira and Hank felt as if they were walking on egg shells. Ororo was hiding out in her room more. Logan barely left the garage. The situation was bleak. The students were placing bets on when the next blow-up was going to happen.

Ororo had heard about the pool and came to see Charles. She was upset and not happy. He felt her hurt, confusion and an emotion she was trying to suppress when she came to his office today. She was clearly unsettled by Logan's new found attention. Charles also suspected some other feeling was going through her but Ororo clamped down on her mind when she felt him probing.

Logan hadn't come to him the day he called him. He though it best to leave him be for awhile. But after Ororo left he made Logan come to his office. Mostly by a stronger summons that nearly brought out the Wolverine.

Charles Xavier sat in his wheelchair rubbing his temples as his most feral member of the X-men exited his office. Ororo had already requested that she be allowed to move to the small boat house on the far side of the estate. Mainly because she couldn't and wouldn't deal with Logan's unwanted attention anymore.

The house was in disrepair. But Ororo insisted that she couldn't take anymore of Logan's endless attention or what ever his problem was. She even told Charles that she would repair it herself. Charles sighed. He could see there was something strong and viable between Logan and Ororo. The two strong personalities were butting heads instead of communicating. Logan was confused about his feeling for Ororo. That was apparent.

He came into the office and told Charles he didn't understand what her problem was. So he was paying her some attention. Hell they lived in the same house for years. Why not. Charles had to slap his face on that one.

Logan pretended he didn't have a clue as to why Ororo wanted him to leave her alone. She was fearful after the week long encounter with the more feral Logan and he was intrigued after his experience on the alternate world.

Both were reacting to what Charles suspected could be long buried feelings for one another after all these years.

Charles found it curious that both always fought each other about almost everything. The love-hate relationship was there for most anyone to see but the two people involved. He sat at his desk not believing that two grown people were so unaware of the denied attraction they both had for one another. It baffled him as to why they had both closed their eyes and their hearts to what was happening to them.

For the mere five years Logan had been with the X-men prior to Jean Grey's death he'd believed that he was in love with her and after her death the first time, he had mourned her almost as much as Scott. Then with the return of Jean and her showing him the interest that he'd always wanted, he was confused again when he felt Jean's mind in the last moments before she died crying out for Scott.

Logan had always known on some level that he never had a chance with Jean. His feral side never claimed Jean and Logan knew this as well. If Jean had seriously been the woman for him, the Wolverine would have come out to claim her. But it hadn't. It came out when he confronted Ororo and on more then one occasion. That alone had shaken Logan. Because he knew. He knew on the most primal level that the Wolf knew it's mate.

Now with the recent event of his alternate world jump no matter how brief it was. Logan had gotten a glimpse of what he could've had or even could have with Ororo. His primal side was pulling him towards the woman it knew as it's mate. Logan couldn't fight the beast within even if he tried.

Knowing now about his past and having no further need to find those answers already provided to him. Logan had asked Charles to see if these memories were true. After a long three hour and a half hour session Charles found out that they were. Jean was just a memory to Logan of his long lost Rose whose death he still felt guilty about. Logan now understood he was just redirecting his unfounded guilt to Jean whose red hair and pale skin were so like his long lost Rose from so many years ago.

All of his unresolved feelings were transferred to Jean as Scott had became the catalyst that Logan used as the barrier to them being together. Scott had been the one thing that was keeping his Rose/Jean from him or so he thought. Logan was in ruins after the long session. He was shaking and sweating as he fought back the tears he never truly shed for Rose. He understood now that Jean was a child to him. One whose appearance favored Rose but who in reality was truly nothing like Rose at all.

True Jean could be warm and loving but only with her mental blocks on to hold back the Phoenix. That entity who once released showed a cold, callous nature unlike anything Rose ever had. Logan had a hard time with this session. He was feeling all the past pain from his childhood and overly long time as an adult.

He had never felt love like he had felt for Rose before. She was his first love, unrequited as it was. He did have a short and fatal love affair with a young Japanese woman but her death had ended the romance quickly. That was painful for him as well. Love that he relished denied to him again because of death once more. It was a theme in his life. Leaving Logan feeling empty and alone once again. That was the bane of his existence. He was forever alone.

Living for over two hundred years with only a half brother turned enemy named Victor Creed or Sabretooth, a sworn enemy of the X-men, as his equal. It was a half-life at best. Logan was a man who needed others despite all of his protests. He wanted what every other man could have. Family and love. He would never admit it but it was there. Like a cancer in his heart, he needed and longed for love. The beast inside demanded it's mate and Charles realized that Ororo was no doubt that mate. Not only to Logan but to the Wolverine as well.

His life had been turned upside down with his past now revealed. Although on the outside Logan looked like himself, inside he was in pieces. He had to somehow cope with the trauma and death that his life seemed to have as it's thread. Every women he had ever loved or though he did had died. He was always alone. He hated his empty life.

The trip to the alternate world had shown him he could change all that. He wanted family. He had fallen in love with those babies and with Ororo. She was the beacon that could give him that life. Ororo shined in Logan's eyes and most especially in the Wolverine's. Logan had left the office needing sleep and rest. Ororo on the other hand had her own demons.

Charles knew she had a very complex way of seeing things. Ororo despite her partnership with nature, was a woman who looked twice and sometimes thrice at everything including love. She could not accept Logan or the Wolverine now having any interest towards her. She was fearful of being hurt and betrayed again.

Life for Ororo had made her close her heart to love of that nature. Pain of rejection could kill her and many others if she were to feel that hurt again. Her past experience had caused a storm unseen like any in the county when Forge had mistreated her. Ororo had vowed to never go through that again.

Jonathan Forge had been a mistake for Ororo to love. He was much older then a teenaged Ororo. Charles had always felt he was in love more with the way she looked then who she was. His instincts had been right of course but try telling that to a teenager who thinks this is true love.

He knew it would not end well between the two. Ororo was of one mind and Forge was of another. The two did not have the same life goals in mind. Ororo had planted her feet in the Xavier estate. Forge preferred wandering. Never a good match when two people don't have the same goals. It ended very badly as far as Charles was concerned. Forge had made him think of killing after he had to comfort a heartbroken Ororo.

She was a child still to him and Forge an adult who should have known better. He had deflowered her and left her. It had angered Charles to a striking point. One he nearly crossed. Thank God for Moira coming to the school just to be a woman for Ororo to bond with. That alone had saved him from committing murder. Forge was no longer welcome at the mansion after that. Now here was Logan.

The very man who had run after Jean as if she had wings and a halo. He often shoved Ororo and everyone else out of his way in his pursuit of Jean. His disturbing her while the mental blocks were being put in place was the final straw. The entity inside her was almost in complete control. Logan had awoken it's most primal urges. He'd paid Charles no mind in seeking out his then obsession. Ororo was ignored by Logan when he ran after Jean. How could she feel anything for him? Or even believe he felt anything for her?

Not after his behavior towards her left her feeling as if she never existed while only Jean mattered for so many years. Ororo was not about to allow Logan into her heart or her life outside of a working relationship. Not if it meant being hurt. And the Goddess would never allow any man to see her as the sloppy second to any other woman.

Ororo had been hurt too much in the past. Forge was the main reason but not the only one. He had taught Ororo not to trust so openly as she once had when she had first come here from Africa. Thanks to his cold and cool treatment of Ororo, Forge was to blame for Ororo's closed heart. But the way in which even he himself had ignored or taken her for granted while tending to Jean and others was his own fault.

True Moira had come for a short stay. But Xavier had the school and other things to attend too. Ororo's calm demeanor hide her troubled soul until the drastic weight loss. That had even worried Scott. It had disturbed Henry to where he wanted to monitor her. That was when Charles knew he had failed to aid her properly and was disgusted at his inability to see what was happening to her. Thank God Hank and Jean had kept her spirits up.

Ororo had withdrawn into herself them. Teaching and her greenhouse had taken the place of love and closer bonds. She would still interact with her family. But there was distance. He felt it and tried to give her space. It hurt him then as it did now. Ororo kept things to herself. Ororo often stayed in the background. It was safer for her that way. She avoided getting hurt. It was no longer worth it when you had to deal with people who showed you that they never really cared.

It was a wake up call for Charles. Her hiding from them all while in plain site. It sobered him and broke his heart at the same time. Even Charles Xavier knew the Goddess deserved better. It had taken years to reopen her heart just a little to allow him back in. Gaining her trust had taken some time. But it was worth it.

He thought about Logan and how changed he seemed upon learning about his past, just knowing that he had one. Logan had changed. Not enough for anyone to see on the outside but inside he was changing with every breath he took. He now knew his past. He knew who he was.

That one fact which he didn't have for so many years, he now reclaimed. What had once been stolen from him belonged to him again. Ororo was changed too, not only because of the Nanny's gun but with the revelations of finding out about her alternate having a family with Logan.

That had been a revelation to her. Charles knew it frightened her. Her alternate had made a life with Logan. This man who treated her like she never mattered and never would. It was impossible for her to conceive that Logan would even see her as a person. For all these years she had been background to him. Logan had ignored her as he went on the hunt for the red headed doctor. Ororo had kept her distance.

She still wanted too. It was scary to her. The two of them together. She could never wrap her head around it. How could she. Logan had always been gruff and rough when he spoke to Ororo. It was as if he couldn't even tolerate her. His reaction was always so powerful to her like a whirlwind.

He never realized it was the beast yelling at him to recognize it's mate. He had never been so physical with Jean or any other women as he often was with Ororo. He had left bruises on her when she had tried to stop him from hunting Jean down. Right after he himself had awoken the Phoenix. It sobered him to learn that the beast knew what he wouldn't or couldn't see. It's mate was in front of him all the time.

It was going to be interesting watching his two grown children cope in the coming months. Ororo would no doubt fight any attraction she felt for Logan and Logan would without failure choose to ignore her objections to his attentions. The Wolverine would howl inside of him until he did what it demanded. Claim it's mate.

The two mutants of nature were going to be entertaining to watch.

Charles grinned it was going to be very interesting at the school now. Not only had he come back from his death but now he would see how two of his strongest team members would fight their own natures to avoid falling in love. It was going to be a battle worth watching.