The Field Trip

"Careful, you're gonna smudge the glass."

Logan watched as his daughter pressed her face against the large aquarium, hands resting on either side as she gazed at the fish and plant life within with the utmost unwavering attention. Even the smallest, less impressive creature captured her fascination. Even though he'd never admit to it, her reaction to all of this made it almost worth agreeing to be a chaperone for her class's field trip.

"What's that?" She asked, pointing towards a long, flat gray thing with a tail as long as either of their claws.

"Stingray," he replied, slightly surprised that he knew that.

"And that?" Laura gestured towards a group of fish, one standing out in particular with its spike-like scales.

In a way, it reminded him a knight's chainmail. Or, and he tried to push the thoughts back into his head, one of the mutants that had found refuge at the Xavier School. He, like the others, no longer needed that. Gone. Their existences and memories buried underneath the rubble of the great mansion in Westchester.

"Pufferfish," he answered, suddenly coming back to reality when his eyes met his daughter's, her stare concerned by his silence. "They puff up and make their spikes stick out when they're threatened. It's a defense mechanism."

"Like our claws?" She questioned, eyes flickering from her hand to his.

"Yeah," he nodded. "Like our claws."

She nodded, her attention turning back to the fish tank. While her other classmates seemed to roam about, many taking more interest in the gift shop than the actual aquarium, Laura seemed content to remain in this spot. Unlike the other children, after all, she had not been given such access and freedom to explore the world.

"I want a fish," she said suddenly. "One I can keep in my room."

Pets were not in Logan's favorite possessions. Centuries ago, when he was a young boy, his family owned a dog. A mutt, nothing impressive. He got along with it just fine-though, it seemed to take a liking more to his brother than him for some odd reason. Then there were the pigs, chickens, and cattle, those being more for work and eating purposes.

His own exposure to animals hadn't been that bad now that he considered things. But an animal was another thing to take care of and unlike Laura, they couldn't be trained to use the bathroom or clean up messes or things of that nature. Hell, he was still teaching Laura to this day how to have some semblance of manners-not that he was one to talk.

"Maybe," he muttered. "We'll see. But it's not gonna be like anything you see her. You can have a goldfish at most. In a bowl, no big tank, and you'll have to take care of it, not me."

She nodded, "Okay."

Not too far from where they stood, the muffled sound of the teacher calling her students reached both of the mutants' ears. It was lunchtime and they were to have it together. Thankfully it was heavily suggested that everyone pack their own lunch, meaning Logan didn't have to spend an entire paycheck on buying shitty, expensive food from the overcrowded cafe.

"Let's go, kid," he said, Laura's fingers wrapping around his wrist. "I wanna have a good pick of the picnic table seats."

Without another word, they began to walk towards the teacher and the children who buzzed energetically without even having consumed whatever sugary crap they had surely brought with them. His eyes flickered down at Laura, her own focus more fixed on the task at hand. And for a moment, as many do often find him, his own amazement at the mere aspect of having her. Having a daughter. And much like she was experiencing, this was an entirely new world opening up to him. One that, much like hers, was absolutely captivating.

"Dad?"

The pressure on his wrist caused him to refocus, gaze turning downwards to see Laura's fingers wrapped tightly around him, face eyeing him curiously.

"Sorry," he mumbled. "Got distracted."

"About my fish?" She inquired.

"Something like that," he replied before catching himself. "If we're even gonna buying one of those damn-those things."

Seemingly satisfied with his answer, they continued on, Laura contently walking towards the slew of kids gathered around chattering louder than Logan cared to hear. But when the young mutant's fingers released their grip on him as she went to join the others, he couldn't help but allow the smallest of smiles to grace across is old, worn features.

She was, after all, far more amazing than the entirety of the world's oceans and the lives thriving within them. And because of this, and so much more, perhaps he'd give in to her demands. She was his world now and he'd vowed to be what no one had ever been to him up until this point. A family. Something he would not allow to slip away from him as so much had before.

And with that in mind, the idea of a goldfish came into his thoughts. After all, compared with everything they had dealt with and what is and was to come, something so small, so silly didn't seem like such an outrageous idea.

Until it died of course.

But he was not going to worry about it now. Day by day. Step by step. He would enjoy every moment of it, just like Charles had begged him to. Exhaling, he followed behind the class, his eyes never leaving Laura as she engaged with the other children, oblivious to the world and troubling thoughts. And for a second, for the time he spent here now, he allowed himself too.

"This is what it feels like," Charles's words circling within his mind.

This is what it feels like.