Xavier was sitting in his office correcting some papers, opting to eat his lunch alone instead of with the school population and contemplating how to conduct the swiftly-called meeting for Monday. Finished with his food within half an hour, he waited for his visitor to come in. He sensed a strong presence nearby and braced himself for the worst, almost hearing the footsteps so heavy in his mind. When Danielle knocked though, he was relieved, although he knew it would be full of some grief. Already, he was alarmed by her pallor and how drained her energy levels were. Although he was sure Jay had been supplying her with power, he also deduced how she had been helping Logan and Jay had been her accomplice.

Danielle closed the door. "You busy, Professor?"

"Not really." Xavier waved the usual stack of papers. "The usual hurrying at the end of the year always has one running, but not at this hour. It doesn't take too much to see you're upset."

"Yeah." Danielle found a seat before the desk, feeling like an insecure student again. "I'm pretty sure you have an idea on who and why too."

"I wouldn't pry, but I would assume that this has to do with Logan." Xavier put his papers in a drawer in his desk, he hoped to be corrected later. "What has happened?"

"I had to tell Jay," Danielle confessed, as if it were the worst thing in the world. "He felt the power pull and he had to know what had conspired over the weekend. I felt like I had no choice."

"It's one more person privy to the issue," Xavier stated, as if this problem wasn't as bad as Danielle made it out to be. "I am sure Jay has kept many secrets worse than this before."

"Yes, Professor, and that's what's bothering me…and Logan, if you saw him at lunch just minutes ago." Danielle tried adjusted her red hair when it got in her face, but she realized that it was from the shaking. "We all know what this school is like when it comes to juicy stories. I'm afraid I just hit a nerve somewhere. I don't know what to do."

Xavier regarded Danielle with amusement. "There's more."

"Of course there is," Danielle admitted, "but that's for later. I'm more focused on Logan though. It's childish, I know, but I am lost what to do with him. He doesn't understand that I am doing all of this for him and he doesn't understand who we are anymore. Maybe in his other world there was much different theories and concepts that we don't know here."

"There is," Xavier confirmed. "What Logan wants revealed will be on his own time."

"How…much of it reflects us now?"

"I would assume some, like Logan has probably told you. The cast of characters are the same and the plot and conclusion seemed consistent. However, where in time he was when he came here was different, with different results and meetings, resulting in a story we cannot begin to imagine. People we know now died in horrible ways, wars were waged that we could not stop and that resulted in him coming back in time."

"To 1973, where it all began."

Xavier smiled. "His life as he knew it, after those days in 1973, was much different than now. From the day he woke up next to you, his life has changed and you feel it's your job to make it right. You feel that the job reacquainting him with the life he has now is important and I believed has made him less bewildered. I've seen the transformation already."

"He's quick to pick up on things, I've noticed."

"He always has. He's also very blunt and crass. He has no patience. Nothing about that has changed."

Danielle laughed. "I'm glad he didn't get too mad in the cafeteria and just exploded. I expected him to though. It just bothers me about –"

It was there that Danielle stopped, aware that she was starting to reveal a secret of her own. Xavier noticed this and waved his hand in encouragement, hoping that she would continue. He wasn't going to pry, since he knew Danielle to be so private and would pick her time to tell someone her secrets. However, he wasn't just curious about it. He needed her to say it, knowing that this was the essential piece of the problem. The childish conundrum of watching Logan stomp away wasn't what was on Danielle's mind the most. It was between her and Jay.

"I don't know how to describe it," Danielle finally admitted. "When I started pulling Logan back in time and showed him the memories, I did a lot of jumping and covered a few years at a time, maybe an incident an hour because of how much depth there is in each memory. However, for some reason, there's a major drain on me and Jay both. He noticed it and came to me, hence him knowing what happened to Logan. I had to own it up. However, I covered the same amount of hours even with help and we're both, quite honestly, feeling like hell warmed up."

"You haven't been using your powers that much in some time," Xavier reminded her.

"Generally, we don't," Danielle agreed. "However, the usage shouldn't make us this way. I've used my powers in more ways than this before, even without Jay around and for some years too, and I haven't been so sick before."

"Have you talked to Jean about it?"

"She has seen it and has chastised me about it already. I want to continue onward though, to see where it goes with Logan, and I'll talk with her more about it. I felt that I left off in a place that wasn't very pleasant, with both her and the memories."

"I'm sure those years had not been the greatest for everyone."

"No, especially when Fiona had been kidnapped after her car accident."

Xavier nodded, smiling as he folded his hands across the desk. "No, I would agree. Leaving Logan there wasn't a point I'd like to end. I also would not like you to end the conversation that way with Jean either."

"But do you know what's going on, Professor?" Danielle studied Xavier, to see if there was a reaction, but found none. There hadn't been one to begin with and her hopes seems to be dashed.

"No," Xavier admitted. "It would be under study and would be considered, once we have a little time to discuss it with Jay and Jean. However, I would be careful if I were you, Danielle. Going too far might not be a wise idea."

Not understanding what Xavier meant by the statement (because it meant too many things), Danielle stood up, to end the meeting herself. "I will be careful," she promised. "I think I have other things to do now."

Saying farewell to Xavier, Danielle left without another word, feeling utterly silly. She would have gone out the front doors if there was something in town that was attracting though, just to escape her embarrassment. However, following Logan's trail had been more interesting than meeting up with the townies. She went around to the back and passed the garage and stables and took a walk through the vast green fields. Xavier owned so much property and she found that it was easy to get lost, especially in the woods. However, the years spent here and her footing had been pretty sure. She knew that was where Logan had gone off to, to lick his wounds and plan ahead.

Danielle entered the lushest shade, trying her best not to trip over random branches and animal holes. She sensed ahead, almost seeing invisible footsteps ahead of her to copy. She stepped where Logan did, hoping to God that this was the right thing to do, and took the extra time to keep quiet and be as swift as the assassin she used to be. Although certain that Logan could smell and hear her a mile away, Danielle wasn't planning on rushing in with the added risk of being attacked. Best to be cautious and receive the same in return.

It did not take long to locate Logan. Some miles into the woods (maybe three or four), Danielle spotted him in a clearing. He was sitting on a log smoking a cigar and was in deep thought. Becoming invisible, Danielle studied him for a few minutes in that manner before he got his claws out, dropping the cigar in a hurry to see who was around. He soon retracted the claws, picking up the smoldering item and putting it out on the wood he was sitting on. He continued to be seated though, aware that he now had company and it wasn't going to be his way this time around.

Danielle soon reappeared, walking slowly towards Logan. When she felt that it was safe to, she sat down next to him on the left, taking his hand into hers. She rubbed it with her thumb, which relaxed Logan immediately, and channeled what was left of her power into him, to calm him down. Jay started screaming in her mind to stop the flow of power, but Danielle ignored it. She was more focused on Logan and needed him to talk, just as she did with Xavier. She had no time for childish playtime with her brother.

Jay, cut the shit out. Danielle was annoyed when she felt cut off from the additional energy and Logan just returned the favor of silent and loving movements for now. I found Logan. We're going to be talking.

I told you to leave him alone, kiddo. Jay felt the same as Danielle, trying to keep his strength for the upcoming daily tasks he now faced. He's going to need time and so do you. This needs to stop for the week.

Not where I left off. This is getting too heavy.

We're getting too heavy for this assignment. What did the Professor say?

How did –

I just know, little sister. I figured you went to the only person, other than Hank McCoy, who watched us grow. Tell me though. What did he say?

He doesn't know why we're like this. I wasn't going into his thoughts to see what he did. That wasn't fair and it wasn't right.

You should have. It would have made our lives a hell of a lot easier.

Fuckin' son of a bitch, Jay! I am not running our powers against one of the strongest telepaths there is. Most certainly, I am handling these next session alone and without your help. Go to hell, Jay, and take your opinionated assholery with you. I'll deal with you later.

Danielle cut the connection from Jay and turned to Logan, unsure of what to say. Logan just held her hand in return, feeling the same way too. One of them had to break the silence and it wasn't going to be the stubborn mutant that was almost two hundred years old. Danielle had to break down and speak. Sighing, she tried forming the words on her lips. Failing that, she moved closer to Logan, leaning her head on his shoulder, and linked their minds together. So long ago, Logan had given her permission to run their talks that way. Maybe it was time to just feel truly alone and without forming their words out loud.

I'm sorry. Danielle knew that Logan needed to hear that at least.

Logan turned towards Danielle, kissing her red head. I know, Love. I know you're sorry.

Jay had to be part of the inner circle. I can't do things like this without him understanding. I also can't leave you stranded either.

Yeah, we're both stuck between a rock and a hard place. It takes time to see that.

It's been like that for years. Nothing has changed. I'm sure it was the same where you came from. I'm sure we both had our ups and downs and could not get out of many situations.

You can say that. Logan's lips twisted weirdly, as if the memories were painful and he could not bear them. I think they were almost as bad as the ones you showed me.

I haven't even gotten to the worst, Logan. It's all been a prelude and that is passing into the first chapters too.

It's a tragedy, you mean. A long narrative with a good ending.

That too. It's all been one big, long story without an ending. I don't think our story will end though. It goes. This is just a stepping stone.

Towards what?

Danielle lifted her head up and kissed Logan on the forehead tenderly, finding her words finally. "Towards whatever we are seeking at the end of the tunnel we call life," she said out loud. "The ending is always the same. Each of us looks for death in our own way and we feel peace when it does come, whether we welcome it or not. We live to die and then, we live again and die again. It's a cycle that never ends."

"Don't you think it's difficult for the both of us though?" Logan asked, motioning to them both.

"It is," Danielle conceded, "however much we deny it. Life breathes in and out of us harshly and without warning. We long for death, although that is always out of reach."

"Not for you. It's worse for me."

"Perhaps, Logan, it is easier for me to die. However, it's much harder to achieve now than it was thirty years ago."

"Was it that long ago?" Logan seemed to tease Danielle. His eyes most certainly danced in a different light.

"I think that was about the time Teller took me on," Danielle admitted, shrugging her shoulders. "That's a memory for another time though. I think we have a few hours to ourselves. We can continue."

"The children?" Logan felt that they were leaving their teenaged children up to mischief, more so than they did in his other life.

"Busy." Danielle waved her hand in indifference. "You would not believe how independent they are. I think modeling themselves after you had been a plus. Daken hardly needs supervision and would only check in when he needs to, if he is not instigated by his sister. Celeste? Granted, she might cause some trouble and will always be Daddy' Girl, but she hasn't been interested in us for some time. They both have friends outside of our circle and have a life too. I just like making sure they're alive and we have an idea on what they're up to."

"That's not hard in a place like this," Logan observed.

"No, especially with sometime like Hank on them." Danielle smiled weakly, feeling her body beg her not to go for another round with her mind into the past. "Now, you ready for the next phase?"

"Do I have a choice?" Logan asked.

"Not if you want to bullshit your way through your life." Danielle kept the grin on her face, trying to keep it all together when she wanted to break away and sleep away her exhaustion. "Now, hold still. This next part is going to be trickier and tougher. You'll see."

Hey, everyone! I am sorry for the belated update. I've been moving and working on other things. I am trying to update this story more than I usually do and hope you do enjoy the new chapter. Thank you!