Disclaimer: don't own them, just playin'.

Thank-you reviewers once again. Now for chapter four.

Logan had said little to Ororo on hearing her revelation. After a lengthy silence he'd mumbled something about needing to go clear his head and didn't come back until late that evening.

When he'd gathered himself together enough to go back to their room he'd discovered a very empty bed. So he'd followed the lingering stream of her scent and wasn't surprised to find her asleep, at the side of Catherine's bed, slumped in a chair.

He'd considered waking her but then thought better of it, leaving the room as silently as he'd entered.

He went back up to their room hoping a good nights sleep would do what the walk didn't.

* * *

Logan let his head loll to the side idly on the pillow. The garish red of the digital clock on the bedside table came slowly into focus, its brightness causing havoc with his sensitive eyes. Peering at the offending object through a squint, he could just about make out the time at six thirty.

"Great." He grumbled. It was five minutes later than the last time he'd looked. And ten minutes since the time before that. He'd been doing this all night----not a single wink of sleep.

Logan lent up lazily on his elbows, the white bed sheet falling down around his midriff. Suddenly his attention snapped to the door, he could have sworn he'd heard movement. And sure enough there it was, the sound of soft footfall coming carefully up the attic stairwell.

Then her scent drifted to him, so comforting as always. After all the sense of smell is the strongest trigger of memory and all her scent ever brought him were good ones. Also a great feeling of peace----serenity even. For a second he was lost in it, forgetting the events of the previous day.

"Good morning." Ororo smiled sweetly at him as she came through the door, still dressed in yesterdays clothes. Her hair was dishevelled from sleeping in the chair and her eyelids seemed heavy. But even so, she still carried a preternatural beauty about her.

Logan said nothing as he watched her come towards him and sit at his side on the bed. She ran her hand over his bare abdomen, letting it rest there as she lent in and kissed his lips softly.

Still he maintained his silence, nor did he return the kiss, he simply watched her actions in the hazy, bluish grey morning light.

Eventually Logan shifted position, pushing himself into a more upright, resting his back on the stylish wrought iron headboard.

Ororo let her hand fall from his body as he moved. Running her fingertips lightly along the edge of the sheet at his waist, she asked, "Sleep well?"

Logan regarded her for a little while longer, with a gaze that was becoming a tad too cold for her liking before he replied to the question with one of his own.

"Why'd you never tell me 'Ro?" To Ororo's relief he didn't sound particularly angry, more curious.

She sighed, turning her attention down to her bare foot as she traced her toes along the join of two floorboards, considering her response.

"You know how traumatised I was by everything that happened-----how I've only ever been able to tell you the barest of details-----because I have blocked out most of what happened."

Ororo stopped as she climbed on to the bed, enveloping his torso with her long, slender arms. She rested her head on his chest, closing her eyes as she relished the sound and the feel of his steady heartbeat on the side of her face. He was so warm, being so close to him made her feel safe. It made her feel she could cope with this, if he was by her side.

He brought his arms up around her slowly. Clasping his hands together at her shoulder, he let his cheek rest on the top of her head.

"I know it was hard but----but that still doesn't explain why you never told me about all this." His tone became increasingly agitated as he spoke. "I mean-----there's a whole part of you that I don't know about.---- It's thrown me darlin'."

Ororo turned her face up to see him, making Logan pull his head back. Looking directly into his eyes, she said, "I thought she was dead Logan. I thought Catherine was dead." The words came out in barely a whisper.

That seemed to stop him in his tracks, he looked startled for a second. But then he gained his wits and pulled her tighter to him.

Planting a soft kiss on her forehead he then asked, "What about your sister? What happened to her?"

Ororo laid her head back down on his chest and screwed her eyes shut tight. She pursed her lips together to stop the tortured sound that she just knew was going to escape her mouth if she tried to answer.

Logan felt her entire body go rigid, making him instantly regret asking the question. She didn't need to reply, her body's reaction and the sudden change in her scent told him the answer.

"God 'Ro----I'm sorry."

Ororo turned her face fully into Logan's body as she gripped him tighter, but there were no tears. Her voice was muffled against his skin as she said, "I found her in Cairo. She died in my arms Logan,-----she died in my arms."

Logan closed his eyes as his brow furrowed, those words stung him----they really did. He brought his hand up into her hair, cradling her head as he began to slowly rock her from side to side.

"I'm sorry baby, I'm so sorry."

* * *

Marie struggled to balance the breakfast tray between her raised knee and left-hand as she knocked on the guest room door.

She waited patiently for a response as she lowered her leg and gripped the tray safely with both hands again.

There was a rustling of sheets and one or two groans of bedsprings before the rooms occupant called, with a sleep induced croaky voice, "Come in."

Marie managed to nudge the door handle down with her elbow, before pushing the door open with her body.

"Ah've brought you some breakfast."

"Thank-you." She said as she climbed out of bed.

"Ah'll just put it on here for you." She set the tray down on the desk opposite the bed as Catherine went into the bathroom.

Marie was about to leave, but she was too curious. So she sat on the bed and waited for the girl to come out of the shower.

After around five minutes she heard the squeaking of metal knobs and the sound of rushing water ceased.

"So, what's yaw name?" Marie called in the direction of the bathroom.

At that moment she came back into the room wearing a thick creamy coloured bathrobe and wrapping her hair in a large white towel. Arranging it on her head like a turban.

"Catherine."

"Oh, right. Ah'm Marie." Marie's eyes wondered around the room as she tried to think of something to talk to her about.

Catherine sat at the desk, tucking into the food hastily. Marie looked on in mild shock, she couldn't fit the stuff into her mouth fast enough!

Averting her eyes, she asked, "Err, so you know Ms. Mun---, ah mean, Ororo?"

Catherine nodded her head in reply as she continued to shovel more food into her mouth. Swallowing down a rather large mouthful she said, " Well I do not know her properly yet, but we are related." Picking up her glass she took several fast gulps of her orange juice.

"Related!" Despite the obvious physical similarities, now that she thought about it, she was still genuinely surprised. "I thought Ororo's family wuz-- - ya know---" She shrugged her shoulders as her voice trailed off.

Catherine instantly stopped eating, turning her head slowly to look at Marie. Her face held an odd expression, one that Marie couldn't quite put her finger on. But she did get the impression that she'd hit a raw nerve.

Catherine said nothing and turned back to her breakfast, but she didn't continue with it. She started to push the scrambled eggs around her plate with her fork absently.

#Think, think, think stupid!# Marie tried desperately to think of a way to steer the conversation in a different direction.

"Where-where's that accent from then?" She stuttered.

"Cairo." She replied quietly, setting her fork down on her plate.

"Right. Ororo lived there for a while didn't she? I don't really no all that much about her past." Marie gave a small laugh, almost to herself. "Ya'll find that most people round here don't often talk about their pasts."

"Really? Why is that?" She turned the swivel chair around so she could face Marie.

"Ya'll do know what kinda place this is-----don't ya?" She asked hesitantly.

"It is a haven, yes? For mutants?"

Marie smiled, "Yep, that's right." She tugged up the edges of her long, green gloves before adding, "If ya don't mind me askin', are you a mutant?"

Catherine shrugged her shoulders, "I don't think so.----At least, nothing has changed in me yet."

Marie nodded, tucking her white fringe behind her ears as she stood from the bed, "Anyways, ah'll leave ya alone now. Let you finish yaw breakfast."

"Thank-you, for the food I mean."

"Ya'll welcome Catherine." As Marie departed the room she picked up the tray that still sat on the dresser from the day before.

As soon as the door closed Catherine suddenly brought her hand up to her forehead, rubbing her fingers across her knitted brow. Her head was throbbing, a migraine the size of China was brewing in there, she just knew it.

Getting up from the chair, she almost stumbled as she made her way back over to the bed.

Maybe she needed just a little more rest.

* * *

At that moment, in Xavier's office----

"O. K Jean, here are this weeks science class lesson plans. Thank-you again for covering for me at such short notice." Professor Xavier handed Dr. Jean Grey a brown, card folder containing the plans across the desk.

"Thanks Charles, it really isn't a bother." She said as she placed the folder in her brief case that held all her work papers pertaining to her teaching position at the institute.

"Oh, that reminds me Professor, I was going to ask you if---ARGH!" Jean's hands shot up to grasp at her head as she doubled over in obvious agony.

"JEAN!" The Professor was about to pull out from beneath his desk when the same pain that had befallen Dr. Grey hit him also. It was so sharp and so sudden that it made him lurch to the side, sending him tumbling to the floor.

Then, just as quickly as it came, it vanished.

Gaining her whereabouts swiftly, Jean scrambled around the desk to Xavier, who was struggling to push himself upright.

"Are you O. K Charles?" She asked frantically as she helped him into a sitting position.

Leaning back on his overturned wheelchair, Xavier tried to order his thoughts after such an invasive shock.

His breathing was rather laboured as he tried to reassure Jean, "I'm fine Jean, it's alright."

"What was that? I felt as if someone had rammed a white hot poker into my mind!"

"I'm not sure Jean.----I'll have to go to Cerebro to try and find out."

Charles was playing dumb but he had his suspicions about what it was that had just 'attacked' them. If that trace of consciousness was whom he thought it was then they were in for trouble. More precisely Ororo was.

Internally, he hoped to god that he was mistaken.

* * *

It was now eleven thirty and Ororo Munroe had taken it upon herself to go and rouse her niece.

She had gone to see her after Marie had told her she'd already taken her some breakfast at nine o'clock. But when she'd gotten there she was dismayed to find she was asleep once more.

Ororo knocked on the door first but didn't wait for an answer before she entered.

Catherine was stood by the window, looking down onto the front lawn, from which the soft laughter and playful shouting of children emanated.

She certainly looked much better than she did when she'd arrived, now dressed in a pair of simple pale jeans and a black polo necked top. Her thick hair was pulled back form her face, fastened loosely at the nape of her neck with a slim blue clip.

"Everybody seems very happy here." She said, not taking her attention away from the scenes below.

Ororo smiled, "Yes, I think they are. Here they are excepted for who they are, no fear, no hate." She went over to the bed that she noted had been immaculately remade. Sitting at its foot she called, "Catherine."

Slowly she pulled her gaze away from the window to see Ororo patting the space next to her, beckoning her to come over. She took one last glance out of the window before she did just that.

Ororo watched her for a moment, sitting at her side. She was fiddling with the cuffs of her top, just like she had the day before with her coat.

"Can I ask you a question?" Catherine said quickly with a nervous glance in Ororo's direction.

She ran her hand affectionately over the girl's hair, "Of course you can."

Her eyebrows knitted as if she were deliberating over whether or not to go ahead with her request. But clearing her throat as if to ready herself she then asked, "Are you----- my mother?"

As soon as she'd spoken the words she looked up at Ororo, her dark eyes wide with hope, fear----innocence.

Ororo smiled at Catherine but her eyes betrayed the gesture and for a second all she could do was return the girls gaze.

Eventually she began to shake her head gently, her loose hair failing about her shoulders. "I'm sorry Catherine, but no,----- I'm not your mother." She spoke with genuine regret.

Catherine couldn't stop her disappointment from showing, she'd let herself believe it for so long. That this Goddess, this mutant that lived in America was her mother, Ororo's answer almost crushed what was left of her spirit.

Ororo sensed this, she wrapped her arm around her and pulled her close.

Softly she said, "I may not be your mother Catherine but you were right to come and find me."

"Oh?" Catherine turned hr face back up to Ororo, the spark of hope flashing in her eyes once more.

"Yes, I'm your aunt. Your mother was my elder sister."

Catherine stood up from the bed, wrenching herself from Ororo's embrace. She paced aimlessly for a minute, not sure how to feel.

"Then----then where is she? Why did she leave me at that place?" She was pleading for answers now. Answers to the questions that had plagued her her entire life.

Ororo held her hand out to the girl, "Come back here and sit, please. What I'm about to tell you----isn't pleasant."

-TBC-

Next up, what happened to 'Ro's sister?R'n'R, please!