The next two days had passed quickly. While Danielle visited Riley during the day and sat with Logan at night (with the children sleeping unawares in the other room), Xavier had the others in classes or trying to figure out the riddle. Most of them were following the normal schedule of the former to keep suspicion from the students away from the danger. While Xavier sent Logan out again to see what else could be found on the property, nothing had been found. No word had yet been sent from Senator Ellis nor had the next move been made. Every time Logan thought about it, he seethed, especially when he had to deal with Scott and add him to his problems, mutant and otherwise. Inwardly, he blamed the senator for their troubles, but in part had to thank him for Danielle…well, Xavier too, he had to concede.

That, in truth, had been his mission too. Logan felt that he had to find out more about Danielle. While she was away especially was the best time to investigate. The best person he thought to talk to was Jean, but he had been keen on staying away from her. The burn of rejection from recently still shone inside of him and to see another redhead, especially one that pushed him away (and one he had to see during meetings), was a little too much to bear for the moment. That left Xavier to talk to, who knew her just as well as Jean did, or so he thought.

After calculating when his class afternoon class was finished, Logan waited until all of the students left. All of them eyed him with suspicion, since he was associated with someone most considered a traitor, but he didn't care. He crossed his arms, waiting for the others leave, but was caught off guard when Rogue stopped in front of him.

"Have you seen your girlfriend lately?" she asked Logan flippantly, one foot about to leave and the other staying.

She's conflicted. She wants to stay and chat, but the questions she's asking make her want to jump.

"Danielle is visiting her youngest son, as far as I know," Logan revealed stiffly. "Why?"

"Well, it's complicated, you see," Rogue replied awkwardly in the usual teenaged manner, one that matched her attitude too. "She and I were supposed to talk about something that happened a few days ago and I haven't heard anything since. If you see her, let her know that I'm willing to keep my promise. That ok now, Logan?"

Rogue had always been a sweetheart to Logan, but he did not realize that Danielle had talked with her and had become friends. Those two might have had something conspiring, but Logan was not about to stick his head in the middle of it. As far as he was concerned, women were women and anything they had between the other was best left to each other. He had enough women in his life that he can remember that fought over trivial things and bitch slapped the hell out of each other before fighting like cats. The best thing to do was to keep out of it and not to play messenger.

However, Rogue was special. He promised to take care of her on that train and he meant it. If this involved something important to her, Logan was willing to assist.

"Sure, I'll remind her," Logan promised, not knowing if Danielle would be up to dealing with Rogue.

"Tell her to meet me in the kitchen tomorrow morning around eight," Rogue called out as she started to walk away. "I'll be there to talk."

Logan had been so involved in accommodating Rogue that he forgot why he had come to see the Professor for. When Xavier cleared his throat from his desk, Logan turned around.

"Is something the matter, Logan?" Xavier asked him, slightly amused by the exchange between him and Rogue.

"Well, more like I have a few questions," Logan started, unsure of where to go.

"You want to talk about Danielle, don't you?"

"How do you know?"

"I'm psychic, remember? Now, ask away."

Logan was at a loss, but regained his momentum. "I'm honestly more confused than ever before, Professor. I don't know who she is and what she's about, yet there she is. I don't know where she came from or why she is the way she is either."

Xavier indicated that Logan take a chair from one of the desks and sit down. When Logan obeyed Xavier, the latter said, "Danielle is a complex person to deal with, Logan. She's tough, responsible, loyal, caring and loving. She's also just as fastidious, jumpy, impatient, sexually promiscuous and sometimes cocky, although I think the last was rubbed onto her from her brother, Jayden."

Logan saw that Xavier was smiling, as if the memories themselves were special. Both Mitchell siblings must have been just as special, he reasoned.

"I don't see her as that," Logan replied. "Maybe I'm not seeing her right…?"

"Oh, no, I don't think so." Xavier's smile disappeared and a stern face replaced it. "Danielle has been shaped from the experiences of her life. From the complicated childhood to a tremendously horrific adolescence, Danielle has been a person in which most people would think a failure. And perhaps she was, in some ways, but those failures made her who she is today. She's more mature then she had been five years ago and most certainly not the person I knew from then either. After all, she had been keeping in touch with me alone during her exiled marriage and knew that she was never alone, but she had kept herself that way in order for us to be safe."

"Five years? Why does that time frame keep coming up?"

"Because that was the turning point in her life, the time in which Jayden died and her marriage to Senator Ellis was made."

"Who killed her brother?"

Xavier looked at Logan severely. "Who told you he was killed?"

"Logical reasoning, I suppose," Logan replied stiffly, aware that he was being read into. "Danielle mentioned to me that he was dead, or she said so indirectly. Five years ago…if that time was when everything changed, then it had to have been when someone was killed and she was forced to marry her husband. Who else was there to protect her? The protector must be killed first to reach the target."

Xavier had said nothing in return concerning the analysis, keeping his mouth shut and appearing to be angry, Logan noticed fearfully. "There are many faces to each person, Logan. It's up to you to decide whether or not each one is that sincere. I can't say much about Danielle concerning this, but it would be wise to sit and wait before deciding on what you want to do."

Logan saw that the interview was over. While Xavier had been intelligent enough and almost curt in not revealing any more information than what was necessary, Logan felt that something was deliberately being hidden from him. Whether or not it was supposedly for protection or that Xavier wished to protect privacy and not dig up old wounds, he did not know. However, the almost eerie savageness of Xavier's face when Logan mentioned murder was strange. The advice, however, was typical of Xavier.

If only there weren't so many secrets to hide. Xavier was thinking of what else to say to Logan, but couldn't think of anything more. He also believed that he riled up suspicions in him.

To make things seem normal, Xavier wheeled himself to where Logan was sitting. "Logan, my guess is as good as yours. I don't know as much about Danielle as, per say, Jean or Storm maybe. Why don't you ask them?"

Logan was hoping to avoid that. Xavier saw through the mask of curiosity and smiled.

"I'm sure Jean has a lot to say," he offered hopefully to Logan. "Storm, I'm not so sure about, but you can try."

"Professor, why all the secrecy?" Logan asked. "Why isn't there a straight answer?"

"Because there never is any when it concerns Danielle, I suppose," Xavier replied, hoping to get off topic and get Logan to Storm or Jean, who could scorch his inane inquisitiveness with their answers. "There was too much complication in her life that everything does get confusing."

Logan knew he was trapped. There wasn't going to be any answers from Xavier other than ones that made him want to know more. Instead of answering Xavier, he got up, mumbling a farewell before going in search of the next person who might be able to give him something, something more than what he had learned in town.

Except, there had been nobody who could say anything. When Logan approached Ororo quietly at a corner in one of the hallways, she muttered apologizes and claimed to know less than Xavier.

"You know, I was better friends with her brother," Ororo admitted with hesitation, saying it quietly, but stating nothing about the mysterious Jayden Mitchell. "But he's been dead for some time now."

Logan saw regret line Ororo's face, but it was quickly squashed.

"I know that Jay and Danielle were into Edgar Allen Poe and could quote his poetry very well," Ororo added in a small voice. "The two had nicknames for each other that they only used and if one of us used them, the two got annoyed. Danielle always called Jay 'Raven' and Jay would call Danielle 'Bluejay'. They had tattoo pictures of each other's pet names on their shoulders."

"I guess that would explain that tattoo," Logan replied as his face fell with the realization that the whole truth was not told. "Danielle didn't talk about it, only said she liked Poe's poetry."

"Well, she told you the truth, Logan." Ororo put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "Danielle isn't one of those people who likes to be rehashing old stories or telling others about herself. She likes keeping to herself and being a loner. She plans things herself and surprises people with them, like coming here. But like I said, I don't know too much about her other than that. Talk with Jean. She could tell you more."

Logan was hoping to avoid Jean altogether still, but he saw that he had no choice now (except for Scott, but Logan was always trying to stay out of his way too). Little pieces were slowly coming together for him, but the puzzle was not complete and might not be maybe. When he left Ororo with that in mind, a thought struck him. Perhaps, he reasoned, this had something to do with what was happening now. Perhaps, this had something to do with Danielle's past and how it was now affecting the present.

Of course, Xavier had said that Senator Ellis had been involved with this fully and how he had his help from Chameleon, but Xavier did not say who Chameleon was (although he seems close to Danielle and Jayden). However, the year 1997 kept repeating itself, like it was a turning point in something concerning the bomb and Ellis. It was the year that Jayden Mitchell was killed (confirmed by an off guard Xavier), the year Danielle was married and the start of her exile from the mansion. Danielle had said she and Jayden were trying to combat the issue…

It was too much thinking. Logan shook his head, passing Scott in the hallway on his way to Jean on the basement floors, in her lab.

"Looking for my girl?" Scott had to sneer as the two stopped simultaneously, each eying the other with more distrust than hate. It was the start to a grudging relationship, Logan had to admit.

"As a matter of fact, yes," Logan answered confidently. "Not for what you think though."

"If it's not for staring, then what?"

"Questions that need to be answered. That's all you need to know."

Scott had an idea as to what Logan was referring to and had to speak his peace. "You're not going to get much out of anyone, Jean especially," he pointed out honestly (kindly even…for once), like he had been there when Logan talked with Xavier and Ororo. "That woman may be a menace to society, but she has everyone wrapped around her fingers with her privacy. You'll get trivial things, like her brother being dead and her liking Poe."

"Everybody's gotta right to it," Logan said gruffly, walking away with disgust.

"You know I'm right, Logan!" Scott called out as Logan walked to an elevator, the doors closing on Scott before any more words could be heard. "You'll know later!"

And the sad part of it was that Scott was right. Much as Logan would grumble about it and deny it later, the bastard was right. Jean wasn't letting up anything. She listened to his reasoning as she worked in the medical lab, of course, about his need to understand Danielle better, but Jean could sense the undertone of the mission. Logan was just as curious as he was about his own past. It was only a matter of quelling it.

"I don't have much to say either, Logan," Jean said in an encouraging tone, like she genuinely was saddened by the realization. "I'm sorry."

When Jean saw Logan's crestfallen face, she amended as she put her breaker down on the counter, "Logan, everybody will tell you different things about Danielle and more so about her brother. You either love her or you hate her. It can't be both way, although I've seen only one person conflicted and it wasn't you. And all I can really tell you is that I've never felt a person so loving and hateful towards one person before.

"Logan, there are many aspects to Danielle that I can't tell you where to start. However, she's a private person and I'd be wrong to be telling you everything I can about her. What I can say, however, is that you need to be patient, as I'm sure she's told you before. The truth will come out eventually, especially these days, when Danielle is willing to pop out and say something and tell the truth about her situation, especially to me, who she has not seen in five years. Already, we've found out much more than we anticipated and it wasn't only you and Scott who helped."

"What is the one thing you can clue me in on?" Logan asked, leaning toward and smelling Jean's familiar scent, now closed off to him forever…and thankfully, in his mind.

"Well," Jean said after some hesitation, "Danielle's life wasn't a fairy tale and she'll be blunt about saying that she's not a princess. She'll be offended. She had to endure many trials, but she will never show her inner turmoil to anyone, not even to me. I don't think I've ever seen her cry either, except for once. And it's not something you can easily forget."

The haunted look in Jean's eyes was all Logan needed to stop asking his questions. Whatever it was, it was taboo at the mansion. Whatever it was, it was worse than he thought, painful from what brought up. And Danielle was surely someone who had helped in causing those feelings. Whether it was intention or not, it did not matter to Logan (and seemed to be the latter). The case was closed…for now.

Jean has said no more. When Logan felt that she had said enough and would remain silent, he turned to leave her to her work. Instead of feeling more enlightened, he was more confused than ever before…and was willing to test the waters and ask Danielle herself when she came back, her feelings be damned for now.