Logan looked at the pack of teenagers. They were starting to pick on each other again. If they had enough energy to tease each other, than they had enough energy to continue. He folded the map and shoved it back in his pocket. "All right, everybody up," Logan spoke in a raised voice. "Let's git goin'."

The group rose, a little sluggishly for Logan's liking, but they did not complain. They quickly replaced their canteens as Logan resumed his place at the front of the group. Scott shadowed him like a faithful dog as they started moving. "Can I be honest with you for a minute?" he asked, and Logan thought he sounded uncomfortable.

"Sure," Logan replied as he stepped over a fallen branch.

Scott avoid the branch without the grace that Logan had. "I just wanted to tell you that I might have liked observing your class before this."

"Why's that?"

"Because I see the way they look up to you. I guess I just always thought that your class wasn't 'real' or it wasn't as important as mine." Logan look sharply at Scott. "But I think I'm beginning to understand that these kids gained a whole different kind of knowledge from you. I'm a little impressed."

Logan shook his head and rubbed his ear. "Who paid you to say that?"

"Nobody," Scott sighed. "I've seen the way Rogue looks at you, like you're her night in shining armor. You're her rock." Scott kicked a rock absently and Logan watched it bounce down the trail before them. "I wish I was a rock."

"You're Jean's rock."

"Who's a rock?" Jubilee threw hers arms around the two X-men as they walked, startling Logan. He hadn't been paying attention. The sensation was new and unwelcome. Jubilee took a couple awkward steps before releasing them. "What are we talking about? Are we there yet?"

"We're not talking about anything that concerns you," Scott said, but without the bitterness his words implied.

Logan cocked his head, listening to the earth. The symphony of singing birds was hard to listen past, but once his sensitive hearing filtered through their overlapping calls, he heard the faint sound of running water. "We're almost there," he announced, returning his attention to his immediate surroundings. The summer heat was just beginning to taper off and shadows were bleeding over the ground.

"Thank God," Jubilee sighed as she slowed her pace to resume her spot next to Marie and Kitty.

Logan and Scott walked the rest of the way in silence. The mood for emotional pondering was gone now, and Logan didn't feel comfortable giving Scott any advice in bettering his relationship with Jean. In fact, that was pretty much opposite of what he wanted to do. But what he wanted to do and what he should do were two completely separate things. Jean deserved to be happy, with whomever man she chose. Logan could respect that. He would respect that.

Cross River looked like something off the cover of a wildlife magazine. The forest had graciously parted upon the river's banks, spotlighting the water's majestic grace. The only litter here consisted of large boulders which lay haphazardly throughout the wide river as if the creator Himself had sprinkled them as a finishing touch on an earthly portrait. The water flowed freely and sparkled brilliantly as only fresh water can as it flowed to an unknown destination. Logan felt the temperature drop as the group approached the large river. Although it was not by any means cold, he felt the hair on his arms begin to stand on edge. Were his senses that acute, or was it simply a reaction to nature's display of grandeur?

"Wow..." he heard a female voice taper off in awe.

"This is beautiful." Logan recognized Marie's voice, thick with a soft southern accent and amazement.

Logan had to agree. Maybe he was getting soft in his age, but the untouched, raw beauty of the clearing demanded respect. He searched the trees, always the sentinel, and met the piercing gaze of a well-fed hawk. The bird blinked once, then turned its head in search of some prey that Logan could not see.

Scott stepped forward and dropped his pack, followed by the fishing poles. "Are we pitching tents now?"

Bobby elbowed Pyro with a snort before the guys erupted in laughter. Logan grinned. Scott was no poetic, that was for sure. But someone had to answer him, and perverted teenage minds were obviously not functioning at the moment. "No, we are not 'pitching tents' right now."

Scott looked either dumbfounded or innocent, Logan couldn't tell through the red quartz that concealed Scott's eyes. They stood for a few dramatic moments, studying each other, sizing each other up. "Fine," Scott sighed finally, "you're the leader of this happy little expedition. What's the next 'assignment'?"

Logan's gaze dropped to the fishing poles at Scott's feet. "Catchin' dinner," he replied. He suddenly wished that the forest wasn't under government protection, so he could show these kids how to really hunt. He would love sinking his claws into a warm rabbit right now. Maybe it would curb his urge to do the same to One Eye. But like it or not, rules were rules, and Logan had never been one to break laws without a damn good reason. He sighed, resigning himself to the old-folk sport of fly fishing and picked up the poles.

"Catch," he warned as he tossed a pole at Bobby.

Bobby easily caught the flying object even though it obviously startled him. "All right, I love fishing!"

Of course he does. "Good. While you and Pyro take care of dinner, the rest of us will scout the area and build a fire." He looked at Scott. "Right?"

Scott's face remained emotionless. "Whatever you say."

Logan grinned. 'Whatever I say. I could get used to that.' He signaled with a raised hand for the remaining teenagers to cluster and follow him. They obeyed, murmuring amongst themselves as they trailed behind. Once again, Scott appeared beside him.

"So, what are we doing?"

"We're scouting."

"I know that's what you said, but don't you think you could explain a little?" He looked a tad embarrassed as he continued, "The kids might not know what you're doing."

Logan translated Scott's rambling into meaning 'I've never done this before and have no idea what's going on.' Logan sighed. This was beginning to feel like work. "Okay, I can narrate." The small group of teenagers were silenced by the statement and walked a little faster to keep up. "Right now I'm smellin' the air. Finding out what animals are nearby. If any people have been here recently."

"We can't do that."

"I know. I'm also listenin' for trouble. Angry bears and such."

"Bears?"

Logan had a good memory. "Angry ones."

"What do you see?" This time the question had a southern accent and Logan visibly relaxed as if it were a welcome touch.

"I see a whole lot of undisturbed wilderness. There's an owl sleeping in the tree to your right," he emphasized with a pointed finger, "and the bush up ahead is a favorite of the local deer."

A jealous silence hung in the air, broken only by crunching footsteps. Logan walked a little straighter, uncomfortable with feeling so envied. He couldn't even remember the last time anyone looked up to him. Then Logan corrected himself; Marie was always awed by his masculine power. Logan shook his head. Marie was like the daughter he might never have, and didn't most children respect their parents that way? She was the one person whose view of him meant something, which is why he was at the school in the first place, teaching her that it's good to face your fears.

Logan's sharp eyes targeted on something in the bush on his left. He changed his direction suddenly, interrupting the group's steady gait.

"What is it?" Scott asked, his tone of voice suspecting danger.

Logan was subconsciously aware of the teenagers huddled so close to his back that he could feel their heat. "Berries," he observed, reaching out to cup a cluster of the dark berries that dripped off the branch.

"What kind?" One of the girls, Logan thought her name was Allison, asked.

Logan let the berries hang by their own weight and grabbed a leaf. "Doesn't matter." He plucked it from the thin elastic branch and held it up to the group. "See the bite taken off the tip? The deer were after this bush."

"So the berries are safe?" Jubilee questioned.

"Sure are," Logan replied with a hint of pride. His teaching skills must be improving. Even Scott looks like he understands.

The kids advanced on the bush and began picking berries to take back to camp. Logan stepped back with Scott. "I never pictured you as a 'fruit' guy," Scott said.

"When you're on your own, you adapt."

"Point taken."

"All right guys, leave some for the deer." Logan raised his voice and his hand. "Let's keep moving. Start gathering wood for a fire."

The teens each pocketed their handful of berries and followed Logan in a loose group, occasionally darting off the unmarked trail to pick up a fallen branch. Logan noted the songbirds as they fluttered from tree to tree and how he had never really listened to the cheerful songs they sung. The whole forest was a symphony, if you cared about crap like that, and Logan was feeling in-charge enough to let himself get lost in the sounds for a moment. He led the group in a wide circle around the area he had chosen to set up camp and just concentrated on the magnified sounds his boots made against the forest floor. The dead leaves provided enough crunch to satisfy, while the soft dirt was yielding enough to forgive. Logan heard the rasping sounds of a small salamander as it darted for cover a few feet away.

"Logan!"

Logan focused on Scott. "What?"

Scott looked at Logan though the placid quartz would not show his emotion. "Do they have enough firewood?"

Oh. Logan turned as he walked and quickly scanned the group's collection. "That'll do. Let's head back." Logan cleared his throat and changed direction, leading the group back to the campsite. Behind him, Scott watched with doubt.