Logan pulls up to the institute gates and cuts the engine on his bike. It had now been four years since he left

Xavier's institute for Gifted Youngesters. He was finally back from the useless leads that had done nothing in his

search for his past. Well at least people will be glad I returned,he thinks walking through the gates and stopping

as he caught sight of where the beautiful institute had once stood. Now all that that remained there were a few

blackened walls, some burnt places, and a tired older man sitting in a wheelchair. Logan stares at the man for a

moment, then walks to him, but stops at his side staying silent. "Hello, Logan...so nice of you to return,"he tells him

finally looking up at him with eyes full of pain. "What happened, Xavier?"Logan questions looking around the

blackened mass that surrounded them,"Where's the institute?" "Gone...all this is gone, but we're rebuilding....

There's a new institute." "What happened, Xavier?"he demands again wondering what had happened to the others

that he'd met the years before when he first arrived. Xavier turns away, then then speaks,"Anti-Mutan riot the year

after you left. They burned the institute. My X-Men tried to fight it, but we lost. Jean and Scott never recovered after

she lost the baby...." "Baby? What baby?"Logan asks kneeling by him. "She was pregnant that year, Logan.....she

lost the baby. Scott was devastated and they lef the institute.....we hear from them from time to time..." "What about

Storm and Rogue?" He stood slowly thinking about the beautiful Jean he had once known and of the Scott he'd

gotten such joy out of mocking. A baby? "Ororo left the next year once the new institute was complete. Talked of a

nephew that needed her; Rogue teaches and is in control of one of our new alliances,"Xavier explains,"It's time to

return to the new institute. You may come if you wish." Logan hesitates, then nods and begins following

him...moving away from the wreckage that had once been the institute that had taught him so much and brought him

everything........

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The new institute was more set off, then the old and also smaller. "Is the brotherhood in this kinda of condition or

did it withstand?"Logan couldn't stop himself from asking as they reached the door. "It still exists if that's what you

mean, Logan,"Xavier answers pushing in some numbers on a key pad and the door opens. The institute was

destroyed, but the brotherood was unaffected? The thought causes a flash of anger in Logan, but he covers it

following Xavier further into the building. The halls were empty and their footsteps echoed as they approached an

office like room. Xavier moves over to the desk and appears to wait. Logan knew he was calling someone so he waits

as well not saying anything. "You called Professor?"a new voice asks from the door pulling his attention away from

they very silent Xavier. The woman that stood there was not much shorter then him with dark brown hair pulled back

and white streaks framing her face. She was dressed in tight blue jeans, long-sleeved purple shirt, and black gloves.

"Marie?"Logan says her name quietly staring at her. His eyes move down taking in all the changes in her and stop

on the chain around her neck, a chain he'd given her. "Logan.....so nice of you to return at last,"Rogue tells him, but

her voice and face were cold as ice to him,"You haven't changed a bit. What did you want, Professor?" "Show Logan

to a spare room, then take him around, ok?" Though Xavier's words were spoken to them he didn't even seem to

notice them as he stared out the window. Rogue nods briefly and turns on her heel and walks out leaving him to

stay there with the silent Xavier or fall her into the silent halls. "Is Xavier ok, Marie?"he asks catching up to her and

walking beside her. "No, Logan....he's not. He hadn't been okay since we lost the first institute. He tried to reach you,

to bring you back, but you never answered,"Rogue explains continuing to walk away from him. Logan shakes his

head,"I never got any message. I'm sorry....the leads were all fakes." "How nice for you,"she replies as coldly as

before opening the door to a room,"Here's your room and these are yours." He watches as she removes the chain

with his tags from around her neck and places it in his hand. He tries to give them back,"Keep 'em." "I'd rather not....

after all I'm now engaged,"Rogue tells him walking out of his room. "Engaged? Since when? TO WHO?"he asks

dropping his stuff and following her back into the hall. "Six month and Bobby..do you want the tour now?" She

had turned her back on him. His anger deepens at this and he forces her to face him again. "Why are you treating me

as if I deserted the institute?" "It's what you did, wasn't it? Now, do you want the damn tour or not?"her voice is now

low and angry, but he could hear that she was not as happy to see him as he'd thought. "Sure......" ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "This is one of our curren alliance groups...."Rogue points out walking into the gym,"Landon Keller, Jax,

Nanaki Creed, Tara Woolfe, and Kristal Blade." "The first two and the last two are ok, but Creed?"he asks studying

them. "Saber's neice...she doesn't know...." "Where'd you find them all?"he wonders aloud watching them. The one

she'd referred to as Jax sat off all alone away from the others. Landon and Tara were standing together and appeared

in conversation, while Kristal and Nanaki just looked as if they were still in training. "Kristal, Jax, and Nanaki found

us....Landon and Tara are ex-brotherhood members,"she explains moving over to speak to them. "Ex-brotherhood

members, now?"he asks wondering why it sounded wrong. "Yes, Logan....."she answers stopping not quiet to them

yet,"Alot's changed since you left. More than you'll ever know. We're not the people you left behind and forgot

about.........."