Chapter 2

They were all finally back in the Healing Gardens on Krokoa, the mysterious red headed woman laid out on one of the organic 'beds' with plant tendrils that grew from the bed attached to her, to aid in her stabilization and recovery, attended by former Morlock known only as Healer. Whist Logan had his reservations regarding the island, he couldn't deny the advanced medical capabilities the living island provided, and trusted in the Healer's own healing abilities. The tendrils and growth had also served to provide the woman with a degree of dignity by providing a degree of cover over her current state of undress.

'She's fine,' Healer finally said, 'just seems exhausted, with rest and fluids she should be up in no time.'

Logan breathed out a sigh he hadn't be aware he was holding, his anxiety lessening somewhat.

Logan was the aware the others were watching him carefully, he could sense they were cautious and tense, uncertain whether he'd been compromised mentally, he couldn't blame them really given their fears of the return of the Phoenix Entity.

Back in the field out in Canada they'd called for him to back away, to tell them what had happened and who the woman was that he seemed to know. Logan however had demanded they get the woman back to the Healing Gardens to make sure she was fine before answering any questions, and after an initial reluctance they had acquiesced after assuring themselves she wasn't a current threat, particularly when Jean indicated after scanning the woman that the Phoenix Entity did not seem present at the moment.

Via a Krokoan portal formed by a Krokoan plant they'd brought with them, the team had arrived directly in the Healing Gardens, securing a section of it off the house the unknown woman seemingly restored from an old grave, and had been waiting on Healer's assessment of her condition.

'Well Logan,' Scott said, 'we've done as you've asked. Now we need some answers. What happened out there? You know something about this woman is, who is she, and why does she look exactly like Jean?'

Logan sighed, he was calmer now having found out she was fine, 'Okay, okay, Silm.' Running his hand through his hair, Logan collected his agitated thoughts for a moment before continuing, 'yeah, I went out there when Sage showed me the location because I know who she is, at least who she seems to be,' he amended. 'The minute I saw where the Phoenix like energy was coming from, that old abandoned mining settlement' he spat the word,' I thought it was possible she might be the one Phoenix could resurrect. And yes, it cause she looks and smells like Jeannie,' looking at Jean, Logan then furthered, 'or Jeannie looks just like her I guess you could say, like Rose.'

'Is that her name,' Jean asked softly continuing to look at the woman with astonishment and a little uncertainty. The last time she'd seen this close a likeness to her had been when she'd been face to face with her clone Madelyne Pryor, and that event hadn't gone well.

'Yeah,' Logan responded wearily, 'Rose O'Hara. It was just a possibility but I had to get out there in case. I arrived outside the ol' cemetery, and felt something draw me in, to her grave, I knew it was hers as I got there, then everythin' went crazy. Anythin' not tied down rose up and whipped into a whirlwind around me, then stopped as the grave exploded into form of the burning Phoenix.'

'So it was that Phoenix,' Ororo said sadly, looking back at the woman warily.

'I'm not sure,' Jean replied, 'I definitely sensed the power of the Phoenix but I don't currently sense the presence of the Phoenix Entity within her. Of course with Phoenix we can never be certain, but while it seems the Phoenix had some involvement in her restoration I'm not so sure she is a new vessel that it has chosen.'

'Okay,' Scott replied, 'well that's probably a relief. We'll just have to be careful and monitor things carefully. But Logan, you know who she is, this Rose? Why does she look like Jean?'

Logan looked away, and took a while to respond, 'yeah, I know her. As for why she and Jean look alike, I have no clue. For most of my live I'd forgotten her, an' everything around her, only with M-Day did it come back to me. As you probably guessed from the town an' graveyard, she comes from a while back, long before Jeannie or any of you were even born. I did look into her background once, and there wasn't any connection between Rose and any of Jeannie's ancestors I could find. So the likeness is a mystery to me, and she,' Logan paused and clenching his fists, went on, 'was dead, so it didn't feel like it was anythin' I needed to address any time soon, if ever.'

Turning to look at his friends and team-mates, 'to be honest, it was somethin' I'd rather forget, and had for so long. But, now she's here, I guess it just ain't my business anymore, an' at least might involve you Jeannie. Easier if you linked us into my head an' I showed you all.'

'Are you sure Logan?' Jean asked cautiously, knowing how much Logan hated people poking around in his head.

'Yeah,' Logan replied. 'Easiest way, besides not sure if I could talk about it right now anyway.'

'Very well,' Jean replied, lifting her hand to her head, and in the next second they were all in the astral landscape on Logan's mind, united in Jean's mind-link. 'Okay Logan, take us where we need to go.'

'Right,' Logan's astral form replied. 'To know who Rose is, we have to go all the way back to beginning. You all know now that my real name is James Howlett, I haven't told you much more about who that person was, and where I came from… '