"No, you can't get out of this. Logan, you're acting like a little kid."
For some reason that kind of insult just didn't bother him anymore.
"Don't tell me you're doing this on purpose. It won't help you, you know; the kid won't think any less of you. If you were to act like an adult, on the other hand, he might decide that he prefers to have a father now instead of being mad at you over the past eight or nine years."
"That's what I don't want, Jeannie."
"Logan, you can't pretend he doesn't exist. Think of the kids here at the school. Most of them had at least one parent who refused to accept them because of their mutations. In a way this is worse, if you won't even accept his existence."
"I just don't see how his existence has anything to do with me."
Jeannie chuckled.
"You know what I mean." He paused. "Let him be mad at me at home in Saskatoon."
"I don't understand how you can not care about him. He's your son."
A shiver ran down Logan's spine.
"They are inside now. Would you like to meet them downstairs or would you like them to meet you in your room?"
There was no easy escape upstairs, so that was no solution. "I'll go down to meet 'em."
"Good."
Unfortunately, she decided to follow him closely. Eventually they ended up in the great room, where he saw a girl he instantly recognized. "Leanna." He was amazed at how young she looked. She could easily have been 21 or 22.
"Hi, Wolverine. It's been a long time."
"Yeah."
Leanna held her hands out, as if to show that there was no one next to her. "See? I even managed to get rid of John. My bodyguard, I guess you could say. He thinks he is, at least."
Logan just looked at her. He was glad that her son wasn't with her, but he still had nothing to say to her.
"Not that he could lay a finger on you if you did something to me, eh?" She sounded…nostalgic.
"So, how's the cult leader gig?"
Leanna blushed a little. "I'm going to hell fore sure, aren't I? At the time it was all I could think of to do. Better than everybody thinkin' I'm a whore."
Maybe talking about that wasn't such a good idea. "At least you have your own plane now."
Leanna nodded. "But I feel really bad about it, though. I don't know many thousands of dollars I got in donations. I'd rather have stayed with you." She smiled.
Incredibly, Logan was not creeped out. Something about the way she said it; it was more sad than anything else. Like she wished it could have happened but also accepted that it hadn't and never would.
"I can understand, though. You didn't need some stupid little girl hanging off of you."
"And there was no way you knew you were pregnant that fast."
She laughed. "You'd think so, eh? But I did, somehow. I was right."
"Look…" he said, then stopped. He couldn't say it.
"Look at what?"
"I…I…I'm sorry." He was surprised to hear the words actually come out. "For threatening you."
She shrugged. "It was killing you, the fighting. I could tell. I thought I could help you. You never had anybody fight for you."
Another shiver ran down Logan's spine, and he felt his blood run a little hotter. What did that mean? Of course no one had fought for him; he was the Wolverine. He didn't need anyone to fight for him.
"Anyway, I still want you to meet my son. Just a second." She walked out, and Logan let out a puff of breath.
"Thank you," said Jeannie from behind him, scaring the hell out of him. He had somehow managed to forget she was there. Maybe he was getting used to her scent.
"For what?" he asked, in more of a grunt than actual words.
"For apologizing. I can tell it means a lot to her."
Before Logan could come up with a response, Leanna was back, and she wasn't alone. She had a boy with her, one who was sickeningly familiar. The boy was staring at him as he walked in the room and he didn't stop even when Leanna spoke. "This is Nick. Look at that resemblance, eh?"
The boy was still staring at him. He felt the need to say something, just to stop the brat from staring. "Hi there, kid."
The boy blinked, then took a step forward. Logan watched carefully as the boy looked him up and down, then pulled back his fist and punched Logan in the gut and ran. It didn't hurt, not compared to his claws coming out, for example, but it was a little surprising. "Uh…"
"Go after him," said Jean.
"Sorry about that," said Leanna, "And after I finally got John to leave." She started toward the door in the direction that her son went off in. Logan glanced at Jean and followed.
Ettie appeared in the doorway before Leanna could make it out. She looked from Logan to Leanna to Jean, and then back to Leanna. "Who's this?" the question was directed to Logan, but she had to look around Leanna to do it.
Logan froze. Any kind of fight would be the last straw. Horrible visions flashed through his mind of hundreds of women and children all pulling on him from different sides. Then Jeannie appeared behind him and pushed him gently forward. "Ettie, come in. Leanna, why don't you let Logan go talk to Nick?"
There was a long pause, and then both women turned and walked to Logan, who went directly around them and out the door. Amazingly enough, no one followed him as he made his way to the nearest side door.
He felt a rush of relief to be in the fresh air, in the sunlight. He wondered if he wouldn't be better off just getting out of there and starting over. He could probably sneak in through a different door to collect his stuff and get out.
He forced himself not to hurry, so he wouldn't be suspicious. On any given Monday afternoon there would a mass of the younger kids outside playing.
He made it all the way to the first corner of the Mansion when he was forced to stop. Around the corner, about 40 feet away, was Nick. From the back he didn't look quite as much like Logan, but there was still something too familiar about him.
He was watching seven of the younger kids playing basketball. He was standing on the sidelines, motionless.
Logan didn't even think of leaving, of going around the Mansion the other way. He stood and watched as Nick stood and watched the game.
It happened so quickly. One of the other boys walked up to Nick and within seconds he was on court and playing also. Logan managed to continue to watch for ten or twenty seconds, until Nick got the ball and started dribbling. Then Logan went into an uncontrollable coughing fit and fell back against the wall, his head spinning.
The boy was at the Mansion, playing with the others. When he closed his eyes the whole Mansion was overrun with them, all looking like him.
It had begun.
He released his claws, just so that the pain would cut through his dizziness. He felt it working, so he did it again.
"Is something wrong?" he heard someone call. It was one of the younger girls, Heather.
He looked in the direction of the call and saw three girls staring at him with wide eyes. "Nope. Fine." He pulled his claws back in again and gave them a little wave to make them go away.
"So there you are," said another voice, a much more menacing one, as its owner came around the corner where he was probably still playing.
"What do you want, Jubilee?"
"I thought you were coming out here to set things right with your son, not yell at the younger students." She had her most annoying smile on her face.
"Right now I think I'd rather wipe that smile off your face."
"Well, why don't you come inside first; your girlfriends want to talk to you."
He stared at her. It was a joke. Just another stupid Jubilee joke to make him nervous.
"Come on." She motioned for him to follow her.
"Get out of here."
"No, I'm serious. Both of them want to talk to you. It was funny, actually. At first they were just kind of talking, but after a couple of minutes…" She trailed off, then made a hissing noise and swiping motion with her hand. Then she laughed. "Funny."
Logan just stood there. No way it was true.
"Rogue tried to help. She brought out the version of you in her head, from when you touched her those times, and she started talking to them."
"Now you're just making crap up. She wouldn't."
Jubilee smiled evilly. "Yes she would. She explained to Ettie that you had forgotten all about her." She paused. "Oh yeah, and she explained to Leanna that you have thought of her ever since and proclaimed your eternal love for her."
Logan's heart was racing now. It wasn't true. He slowly turned and walked back to the side door. He would check. It wasn't true, but he would check anyway.
When he got back to the great room the only ones left were Marie and Kitty. "Rogue, what did you say to Ettie and Leanna?"
She looked surprised. "I just told them what you remembered about them."
Logan could feel his body temperature rising. His claws felt hot. "Why?" he asked, his teeth completely clenched.
"Ettie was being a bitch." She shrugged.
Images started playing across his vision. Violent images, most of which featured his claws slashing through milky white flesh. "And what exactly did you say to Leanna?"
"Like I said, I told her what you remembered about her. She said she was happy to hear it."
Logan stormed out, and it was a good thing; there was no way he would have lasted much longer without destroying something. And if that thing was Marie he would not have able to live with himself.
What she said to Ettie wasn't that bad; if he was lucky she would get completely pissed at him and he'd never have to deal with her again. But what she said to Leanna? He couldn't forgive that. Not to mention the fact that she got the two of them hating each other, most likely.
"Logan," said Jeannie, as she caught up to him in the hallway.
"No. No more."
"Did you find Nick?"
"No."
"Too bad. I managed to get Ettie and Leanna talking while you were out. Ettie was getting very jealous. She saw both of us as threats."
Logan's expression must have said something to the good doctor, because she looked at him and immediately continued.
"They were perfectly civil, until Rogue came in. She was only trying to help. Well, maybe. She likes Leanna. So do the others."
"They're probably the same age," he muttered.
"She's not much older, it's true. She's 24."
"You weren't supposed to be able to hear that."
"Telepathy. What can I say?"
"Can I leave now?"
"Not before you find Nick."
Logan let out a low growl.
"He obviously has emotional issues that he needs to get over and you have to be the one to help him."
"He looked fine to me," he growled.
"Logan, help him."
"They're just leaving again anyway. Then they'll be all the way over there in Saskatchewan. I won't have to go near them ever again."
Jeannie looked at him hard. "Until you retrace your cage circuit."
"Bye, Jeannie." He turned to walk away.
"Don't do this, Logan. Don't make me bring the others into this."
He whirled back around to look at her.
She looked like she was about to cry. "You're a good man, Logan. I know you are. Do this for his sake."
"Now don't start trying that shit on me."
He walked away, muttering that he should never have gotten himself involved with women in the first place.
Just before he finally got back to the basketball court where he had last seen Nick, he had an unshakable feeling that he had entered a new phase of his life, one that would last the rest of his life. And there was no telling how long that would be.
When he turned the corner, Nick was lying on his back on the pavement, panting. Three of the other boys were panting too. It looked like they had been in a fight.
Then Logan heard a shocking sound. Nick laughed at loud. "That's the first time I ever been beat. You guys are pretty good."
"Thanks," said Zach Mench sarcastically, "that means a lot coming from a six-year-old."
He stood up and dusted himself off. "I'm eight. And not just any eight-year-old."
"Yeah, you're a mini Mr. Logan."
Logan froze. Zach was right. The brat was so much like him. Everything about him. Everything except the claws.
The brat puffed. "I don't need that jerk. You shoulda heard my mom talking about him, like he's so great. So he could beat people up. I could take him."
The boys all around him laughed and made fun of him. That reassured Logan.
"He's right over there, you know," said Will Connelly, pointing straight at Logan, "Prove it."
"Fine."
Logan put a hand to his forehead. Was this kid serious? He walked over to the basketball court. "Settle down, kid."
The brat stared at him with cold hatred.
"Look, don't even try it." He released his claws, just to give the kid a scare.
Apparently it worked. His mouth fell open and he tripped over backwards. He stared for a long time. When he finally spoke he stuttered. "Th…th…that's so…crazy. How…?"
"And you hafta see him usin' 'em!" shouted one boy exuberantly.
"They can cut through anything!" shouted another.
"But…whoa," muttered Nick. He stood up, his eyes never leaving the claws. Then a huge smile broke out slowly over his face. "That's so cool! I have to tell John about those!" He turned and ran off.
"John?" asked Zach.
"Ah crap," said Logan.
As it turned out, Nick didn't know where John was, so he ended up chasing the brat all around the Mansion grounds. They finally found the man on the bank of the pond, talking to Ororo.
"John, John, you have to see this!" yelled Nick as they approached.
"My dad has claws!"
Logan tripped and fell on his face.
"What is going on?" asked Ororo.
"My question exactly!" asked a voice Logan had to assume belonged to John.
"You have to see him do it!" insisted Nick. Logan picked himself up and found that Nick was pulling on the man's arm and pointing. "They're made of metal and they're like a foot long! They come out of the back of his hand!"
John's expression was of confusion at first, but slowly it changed, and Logan didn't like where it ended up. It was an expression of hatred. "Is it true? Are you a mutant?"
Logan seriously considered mentioning that Nick was also, but instead he settled for releasing his claws.
In answer John reached into his shirt, pulled out a small handgun, and pointed it at Logan. "Demon, what have you done to my Lady?"
"There is no need to do this," said Ororo from John's side. Her eyes weren't going white, however. "No one need be harmed here."
"Someone has already been harmed by your foul tricks!" said John, staring at Logan.
"What are you doing?" asked Nick.
"Quiet! You are no more than the seed of this creature! My Lady told me!"
That apparently made Nick mad. He stepped forward and punched John in the stomach, knocking the gun aside. Logan utilized this break, stepped forward, and sliced through the barrel of the gun, barely missing the man's fingers. The man screamed and ran.
"That was pretty good. You okay?" Logan said to Nick as the figure of John got smaller and smaller.
"Course," he said with puff. Then he looked back at Logan's claws, which were still out. "Those are so cool. Am I gonna get those some day?" he asked hopefully.
Logan pulled the claws back in and frowned. "No. And you wouldn't want to."
"Fine," said Nick, frowning deeply. "I don't need you anyway."
"Damn brat," muttered Logan.
"He is merely at that age," said Ororo, "later…" She did not finish her sentence.
Later he would become a man, and his siblings would be teenagers. And Ettie's children would also be teenagers. And the 16 kids of that other woman, Marcie.
"Is there something wrong?" asked Ororo, "You look ill."