Steph sighed, looking at Little Steph sadly. She still couldn't accept that her birth parents were dead and now she was responsible for this kid. She was so... helpless. The silent medbay seemed too bright for her mood, too bright for her little sister's sleeping form, the lights illuminating her burns and scrapes. The bubble around the tiny girl made Steph uneasy, because one look at the child and you could tell they were sisters. Both of them were the image of their mother, only Little Steph had straight black hair instead of Steph's wild orange.

There was a soft snuffle from behind her and she turned in her chair to see Ruhko looking at her, sympathy shining in her black eyes, and Steph ached again at the thought of how long it had been since she'd heard this other little sister speak.

Steph walked over to Ruhko and kneeled down in front of the small girl, trying to smile. "You gonna talk to me today?" she asked like she had started to soon after Ruhko's lapse into silence. But like usual she got no reply. This, even more than the finding of her birth sister and deaths of her parents, hurt Steph. Even when her mutation was uncontrollable she could talk to Ruhko, and get a reply. But now there was nothing, and it was like a loneliness that would never go away, a loss of a part of her, even with Ruhko right in front of her.

Ruhko took her hand and squeezed it gently, then turned to look at the softly beeping bubble with a sigh, her eyes going far away again. Behind her, Bucky pushed her way out of the heating vent and stood up, brushing off dust bunnies. "Ruhko? Are we gonna play some more? Oh...." Her ready grin bloomed. "Hi, Stephy!"

Steph smiled at Bucky, then put on a mock-stern face. "Were you two climbing around in there again? Last week Scott almost called the exterminator because he thought you were mice up there!" She smiled at them and pulled them into a quick hug, then sighed and stood up. "Run along now, 'fore dad finds out you're up there again." With a nod both girls raced back into the vent and Steph listened for a moment, then sighed.

Little Steph was her charge now, she was over eighteen and the feds wanted to keep mutants out of the foster homes and orphanages, they were more than happy to give her to her older sister. Steph was not sure how to feel about this. Years ago she was angry with the girl for replacing her, both in presence and name, but now she was a mutant too, and Steph could have never turned her away after she heard her birth parents had died.

Her troubled musings were broken by a teasing male voice. "Hey, Steph. Kitty said you were down here."

Steph scowled when she looked up and saw Mark enter the room, his usual flirty look as annoying in Steph's eyes as his pumped up stride and assumption that every girl under the sun was in love with him. "Yeah?" She grunted. 'The blond's too thick to realize I want to be left alone' she growled to herself. 'it's bad enough having to deal with my family being turned upside down without his smart-aleck face being stuck in everything'.

Mark gave her a heartbreaker grin as he leaned on the life support console. "So, Kitty was telling me that you and Hank aren't a number, so I was wondering if you'd like to go to that new French place in the city." He leaned toward her, big blue eyes fixed intently on her face.

Steph pulled away while grabbing his collar and pulling him off the console. "Don't touch that," she said. Mark blinked but then smiled as her hand accidentally touched the back of his neck.

"So will you come?" he asked. Steph knew that she was supposed to keep her temper with him, but he was such a dunce! He bothered her in the medbay where her younger sister could die at any moment while her other little sister had turned into a mute just in time for her mother to marry a close friend while her father tried to keep up with everything happening at once, so that this stupid boy could ask her out?! Steph turned away, but he put a hand on her shoulder, which made her flinch. She didn't like anyone touching her there, well, except one....

"Did Miss Monroe give her consent for you to touch her in that manner?" asked a smooth baritone from behind Mark.

The blond man turned to frown at Hank. "This doesn't concern you, McCoy. You said yourself you and Steph weren't a couple, so quit interfering with her love life."

Hank's normally good-natured face took on a set expression. "Steph, have you asked Mark to touch you?" Steph shook her head and glared at the hand still on her shoulder.

"I see." The words held a trace of a growl. "Mark, leave."

"I don't have to." The wannabe Casanova growled back. "Mind your own business."

Hank took a deep breath, big hands flexing as though they longed to wrap around the smaller man's neck.

"Get outta here, Garlon," growled Logan from the door.

Mark jumped, face going white, then spun on his heel and did as told.

Steph sighed in relief, bowing her head as one hand went up to it, touching the migraine that had been there for a while. After a moment she looked up and smiled at Hank and Logan.

"Thanks," she said. "The git's never gonna get a clue, is he?"

"Doubt it." Logan pushed off the doorjamb and walked over to look down at Little Steph, his gruff face inscrutable.

"Are you well, sweet Stephanie?" Hank's big paws gently massaged the tense muscles in her neck.

Steph closed her eyes and sighed again. "Not really, but much better off when you're around," she said. Logan's eyebrows raised, and Steph rolled her eyes. "Accourse I meant you too, daddy," she said. Logan smirked but nodded.

Then he looked down at the tiny eight-year-old in the bubble, ignoring Hank as the blue doctor continued to rub Steph's neck. "How's she doin?"

Hank could feel Steph's muscles tense up again as she looked over at the bubble and its occupant. "Same," she said in a quiet voice. "Always the same."

Logan closed his eyes for a moment, then straightened and came to Steph, putting his arms around her and holding her close as though she were a little kid, instead of a woman over a head taller than him. "Don't give up, darlin'," he whispered gruffly. "We'll beat all this yet."

"Yeah," Steph said, nodding as she hugged Logan back. "You know what I really need to do?"

"What?" Logan and Hank asked. Steph smiled.

"Blow off some steam..." she said, rubbing her knuckles apprehensively. "Where'd the git go? Maybe he's just what I need right now."

"No." Logan shook his head as he released her and reached into his pocket for a cigar. "Chuck needs him ta go do somethin' in town." He glanced toward the heating vent. "Whyn't ya git those two outta the pipes 'n I'll take ya all ta town fer ice cream?"

Steph sighed as her plans for getting a new punching bag were ruined, then smiled at her father's answer, like she was a kid. 'Oh well,' she thought. 'Never to old for ice cream'. She began to walk over to the pipes, but Bucky and Ruhko, having heard the magic words, bounced out, filthy and grinning from ear to ear.

"Ice cream!" Bucky cried. Steph picked her up and then grabbed Ruhko, looking over at Hank.

"You coming?" she asked hopefully, smiling. "I bet they'll have Twinkie flavor."

Hank shook his head regretfully. "I would not like to intrude on family... time!" His words ended in a yelp as Logan casually bounced his image inducer off the back of his head.

"Shut up, Blue 'n hurry. We don't got all day." Logan took his youngest daughter from her elder sister and paused to kiss Ruhko on the cheek. "Good ta see ya smilin', darlin'," he told her, voice so soft that Steph could barely make out the words, though Ruhko had no trouble.

Steph smiled as she put Bucky on her shoulders, then she took Hank's arm as he put his image inducer on. "You are part of the family anyway," she said, as Bucky giggled. "But if ya want more proof, Dad can adopt ya!" She laughed and Hank chuckled as well, and Logan, having overheard the remark just shook his head.

"There's more n' one way t' get inta a family," he said, laughing as he ignored Steph's hit on the shoulder.

The joking and laughing continued as they made their way to the garage and got into the jeep, Logan swatting at Steph as she tried to poke him in the ribs as he strapped Bucky in and adjusted her booster, but an easy silence fell over the occupants of the vehicle as it pulled out and began the journey toward Salem.

Hank, sitting on the on the other side of Bucky, leaned over and studied Steph closely. "How are you fairing, sweet Stephanie? Methinks that the weight of thine thoughts perhaps becomes a burden?"

"It's just..." Steph sighed. "Mom's gotten married to Kurt, Kurt! I mean, he's great and I love him, but married? And Mark has been following me around for days, and Ruhko isn't herself and dad's going crazy just tryin' to keep us all in check and did I mention how much I hate Mrs. Summers? She does everything in her power to make me loath her so much I just wanna- not to mention Little Steph-" Steph broke off, putting her head in her hands. "Where the heck did normalcy go?"

Once more the big blue paw gently rubbed the back of her neck. "Ah, normalcy...." She glanced up to see him shaking his head. "I cannot answer that question, Stephanie. I only know the old adage that 'that which does not kill us makes us strong'." His hand tenderly cupped the back of her head. "And you do not need to bear the burden alone." His brown eyes studied hers. "There are many who would most willingly help you carry it."

Steph turned her head so that her cheek was resting against Hank's palm. "I know," she sighed, then looked Hank directly in the eye. "You watch it, you're the only reason pops n' the others haven't driven me batty yet."

"Hey," Logan said from the front. Steph ignored him.

Hank smiled slightly, his thumb gently rubbing her cheek, then glanced out the window as Logan pulled the SUV to a stop in the Baskin Robbins parking lot. "It seems we have arrived."

Steph smiled and reluctantly lifted her head. "Come on you hidden fur ball, let's get some Twinkie ice cream cones."

"No!" Bucky yelled as Steph helped Logan get her out of the car. "Valatines!"

"Valintines," Logan corrected. Bucky stuck her tongue out at him.

"Valatines Valatines VALATINES!!!" she replied impatiently. "I want the Valatines flavor."

"Ya keep that up 'n all yer gettin's plain yogurt," growled Logan. "You never pulled crap like this before."

"You're mean!" Bucky started to cry, but stopped as Ruhko gave a whimper and patted her cheek, eyes wide in distress.

Logan scooped one little girl in each arm and cuddled them close as he turned to haul them into the ice cream parlor, murmuring softly in Japanese.

Hank watched, then glanced down at Steph and soberly offered his arm. "Shall we?"

Steph smiled. "Whyever not?" she replied.