**Enemies Revealed**

Dani awoke to the sight of Logan sleeping.  He was lying back in that big chair, with his feet on her bed.  She thought he looked rather handsome when he was asleep.  Of course, he didn't look half-bad when he was awake either.  He really was a good guy, he just hadn't discovered the fact that she could take care of herself.  His protective nature was endearing, but annoying.  He seemed to think that just because he was the one who found her, and helped her escape, that he was forever responsible for her.  Maybe she shouldn't stay here.  If what Logan said is right, then she was the reason for the attack on the way home from the mall.  If she stayed, someone might get hurt because of her. 

She thought about her drawing of that man.  She closed her eyes and pictured him.  He was in his forties, blonde but going gray.  He had a scar on his right cheek that went in a perfectly straight horizontal line from the bridge if his nose to his ear.  His eyes were gray, cold and calculating.  And Danielle knew he was alive.  She tried to think of what Stryker had called him.  Her memory was still fuzzy about many details, but this was one she had to remember.  Her head ached as she tried to call up the memory at will.  In her mind she replayed one of her nightmares.  Stryker and the man were bombarding her with questions.  'Who are you?  What was your mother's name?  Who was your father?  What is your power?'  Stryker had lost his temper, but the other man just smiled...

'Call her Violet, after her eyes,' the man had said. 'Violet is going to do great things for us, William.  Don't worry about her history, just her future.  Stick with our arrangement.'

'Gabe, you have no idea what this creature can do.  Containment is difficult.  She doesn't respond to our usual techniques.'  Stryker didn't like this new project, or its subject. 

'You don't scratch my back, and I'll stop scratching yours,' Gabe said.

'You have been lying to me, Gabriel, you know a lot more about this one than you told me,' Stryker accused.

Gabriel just smiled at him and looked at Violet.  That was the moment that Danielle had looked into his eyes.  Danielle saw everything she imagined evil to be.  Gabriel was evil...

Logan was walking in the woods behind the mansion, holding hands with Danielle.  His Dani.  She was the most beautiful and amazing woman he had ever met.  The sun was setting, and her hair was reflecting the fiery colors that painted the sky.  She looked at him and smiled warmly.  He loved that smile of hers.  It was always genuine.  It lit up her face and made her eyes dance.  He smiled back at her, and breathed in her sweet scent.  It reminded him of the forest after a rain, and wildflowers.  He couldn't keep her at arm's length another second.  He abruptly stopped and pulled her into his arms.  She braced herself against his chest and looked up into his eyes questioningly.   He felt butterflies in his stomach.  She was so beautiful!  She was blushing, and looked down shyly, biting her lower lip.  He never knew such an innocent gesture could be so sexy.  When she looked into his eyes again, he kissed her.  It was gentle, yet full of emotion.  He brought his hand up, laced his fingers through her hair and supported her head gently.  She wrapped her arms around him and accepted his kiss without a hint of protest.  An overwhelming feeling of joy filled his entire being when he realized she was kissing him back!  He had thought about kissing her from the first moment they met.  His imagination never came close to this.  He was falling for her!  He was ...falling on his back?

Gabriel...Danielle remembered his first name.  That had to be of some help.  She was about to jump out of bed when she remembered Logan.  He was still peacefully dozing in that chair.  He had a smile on his face, and she wondered what he was dreaming about. 

She looked at his feet.  So, tough guys wear white tube socks.  She wondered if tough guys were ticklish.  She smiled wickedly.  Oh, yes!  She was going to do it!  Dani knew she was going to have to time this right; he had some pretty quick reflexes.  She slowly rose up to sit on her knees right in front of his feet.  She looked at him.  Good, still sleeping.  She grabbed both his ankles and pulled just enough to make his back slide down onto the seat cushion.  He woke with a start and yelped, but couldn't get up.  Now that he was stuck, she tickled the bottoms of his feet relentlessly. 

"What the...?  Dani!  Hey, no fair!"  Logan felt like a turtle on its back, flailing his arms helplessly.  The arms of the chair kept him from getting up as long as she had hold of his feet.  He realized he was laughing uncontrollably between protests.  Dani was laughing at him, and he didn't care.  Her laughter was like music.  He would have liked to finish that dream, though. 

Oh, well.  She was playing with him!  He was enjoying every second of this attention, but he decided it was time to go on the offensive.  He surprised her by jerking his feet away.   He tucked his knees against his chest and rolled forward off the chair, landing on his feet.  Then he sprang straight up, grabbed her wrists and pinned her to the mattress.  He was on his knees, straddling her hips, and looking down at her with an eyebrow cocked and a smirk.

"So, little Violet wants to take on the big bad Wolverine today," he said as his smirk turned into a wickedly playful grin.  She looked up at him with those big violet eyes, and blushed.  He was reminded of his dream.  He felt those butterflies again.  Maybe this was his moment...

That was the exact moment that Storm chose to investigate the noisy peals of laughter coming from the room.  She opened the door, "Just what is going on in here, I heard screaming, and....am I interrupting something?" she asked as she caught sight of Logan practically laying on top of Danielle.

"Not yet, but I was hoping..."  Logan said suggestively as he looked back at Dani.  She gave him a dirty look, orbed herself into the bathroom, and slammed the door.  Logan sighed as he climbed off the now too empty bed.  "Your timing is great, Ro," he said sarcastically.  "Anyone find out anything yet?"  Logan asked as he walked out the door with Storm.  He noticed an odd smell on her clothes.  It reminded him of sulfur.

"Sorry, Logan.  I didn't mean to..." Storm tried to apologize.

"Forget it.  We were just playing …er, tickling," Logan tried to explain.  "She's just not ready for," he paused thoughtfully, "....we're just friends," he finished lamely.

Storm didn't see it that way.  They were friends, but Danielle had feelings for him, too.  They just needed more time.  Good relationships don't happen overnight.   -Bampf-   Kurt suddenly appeared next to Storm in a wisp of black smoke.  Storm gave him a broad smile, and then blushed.  Most good relationships don't happen overnight.

"Good morning."  He said in his thick German accent, "I thought I'd walk you to breakfast."

"Hi, Elf, did you sleep well last night?"  Logan smiled knowingly.  Kurt's black smoke smelled like sulfur.  How convenient to be able to rendezvous without being seen.  Logan chuckled, "See you two at breakfast, I'm gonna go grab a shower."  Logan went to his room.

*****

Logan tried to stop thinking about the position he had just been in with Dani.  He stepped in the shower and turned on the cold water.  Storm had horrible timing.  But then again, maybe he had just been saved by the bell.  He would have kissed Dani, if Storm hadn't shown up.  He wouldn't have regretted it for a second.  He just wasn't sure Dani felt the same about him.  He never thought he would care so much about what someone else thought of him.  His interest in women had always been completely selfish.  His only relationships had been the occasional one night stand.  Sure, he had his friends now, but that was different.  Somehow, in only a few short days, Dani had become the most important person in his life.  Her thoughts and feelings mattered to him.  And right now, the only thing that had kept his behavior gentlemanly was Storm's timing.  Thank God for this cold water.

Danielle heard them leave and let out a sigh.  That was fun, but she hadn't expected to be so embarrassed.  She remembered the look on Logan's face when he had her pinned.  His eyes were full of mischief, and he was grinning like a Cheshire cat.  She wasn't quite sure what he had planned to do before they were interrupted.  She wasn't sure that tickling had been the plan. 

That thought sent a shiver of excitement racing up her spine.  No, she was just imagining it.  Logan had just wanted to get even for the way she woke him up.  She should stop trying to read into things.  She just needed a shower and a good breakfast.  She hoped there was some hot water left. Logan had been in the shower for a while. 

She thought about her memory of the infamous man in her drawing.  Gabriel.  She needed to go talk to the professor.  She was worried about the students.  She couldn't explain how she could have drawn people she had never met, but it was no coincidence.  Gabriel had used mutants before; he would certainly do it again.  Where was he?  What were his plans?  And just what did that old guy in the helicopter want?

She climbed out of the shower and dried off.  As she dried her right leg, she ran into her tag.  Why hadn't she noticed before?  She put her robe on and wrapped her hair in a towel.  She sat on the bed and tried breaking the chain.  No good, the whole thing was made of adamantium.  She was stuck with it.  She looked at it as a flood of emotions overwhelmed her and cried.

Logan was walking past Dani's door when he heard her crying.  It was very quiet, but his ears didn't miss much.  He quietly knocked.  "Dani, it's me, can I come in?"

"Go away," she just wanted to feel sorry for herself for a while, "you'll miss breakfast."

Her words said go away, but her voice told him to ignore them.  He opened the door, and was met with the most fetching sight he had ever seen.  Dani was sitting on the edge of the bed with one knee tucked up to her chest.  She was just wearing a bathrobe, and it had been parted to free her leg for that position.  Everything else was still covered, but that was one sexy leg.  Her hands were around her ankle and her eyes were red from crying.  She looked up at him.

"It won't come off, it's made of adamantium," she moved her hands and he saw what had upset her, her tag.

He couldn't blame her for that.  He walked over and sat next to her.  "Let me look," Logan said.  He examined the chain.  It was a snug fit.  Just enough room to keep from cutting off the circulation.  He would cut her pretty bad if he tried using a claw to break it.  Then he got an idea.  "Dani, why don't you just transport out of it?" 

"I tried that before, it touches my skin, so it goes with me, just like my clothes," she sounded depressed. 

Logan put an arm around her shoulder, "You transported right out from under me just a while ago, and I was holding your wrists." he said with a grin on his face.  "Why not try, and concentrate on transporting just yourself, and nothing else." Logan encouraged.  "Close your eyes, and focus."

He was right, she could try it again.  She closed her eyes.  She pictured herself moving without the ankle chain.  Logan kept his arm around her shoulder, and it felt comforting.  She focused, and transported.

Logan saw the glow, and purple lights like fireflies swirling around her.  Then she disappeared, but her tag, her robe, and her towel fell on the bed.  She did it all right!  He saw her glow a few feet from him, and the quickest flash of her face and shoulders before she disappeared again.  Then he saw a glow in the bathroom.  He laughed out loud.

She peeked her head around the door, carefully keeping everything else hidden.  "All right, you had your fun.  Now get out," she said, trying hard to look angry.  She couldn't be mad at him, it had worked.  Besides, he was so cute when he laughed like that.

"But you were crying, I have to stay and comfort you," he said trying to keep a straight face. "That's what friends do." His stoic facade broke as he looked at her robe in a heap on the bed next to him.  He picked it up, "Here, I think you dropped this," he said laughing, but didn't move to hand it to her.  "Why don't you come and get it?" he said with a wolfish grin.

The robe suddenly orbed right out of his hand.  "In your dreams, Wolverine," she said sweetly as she closed the door.

Oh, yeah, she'd definitely be in his dreams, he thought.  "I'll wait in the hall for you," he called as he walked out the door.

*****

By the time Logan and Dani got to breakfast, it was nearly over.  Some of the students were giggling when they saw them come into the dining room not only together, but also late.  Jean and Scott were still sitting at one of the tables, and Scott waved them over. 

"How are you feeling this morning, Danielle?" Scott asked.  He thought she looked better. 

"I'm fine, thank you, Scott.  Good morning Jean," Danielle said.

"Have we found out anything about our mystery man yet?" Logan asked Scott. 

"Not yet, but the professor and Hank are looking into another source now," Scott informed him.  Then to Danielle, "Your drawings are very good, by the way.  You must be a very artistic person, Dani, what with your music and ..."

"That's Danielle to you, Bub," Logan interrupted.  That One-eye was getting to be a little too friendly with Dani. 

Jean felt a distinct pang of jealousy seeing these two fighting over a different woman.  She was not an ego driven person, but she was not used to being invisible.  She knew that Scott's interest in Danielle was merely friendly, and nothing to be jealous of.  She and Scott had a solid relationship, even if it had seemed a little strained when Logan was around.  She hated to admit that she enjoyed the banter between them.  Every woman liked to be fought over a little.  She had been nearly disarmed by Logan's intense flirting when he first arrived.  He had a magnetism of some sort that she had found attractive.  But she had to let him down, Scott was her man.  But now, Logan barely talked to her anymore.  He only had eyes for Danielle.  Jean finally realized that his flirting had been just that, flirting.  Jean knew she had a good man.  She should stop thinking of Logan as anything but part of the team.

Danielle felt a little uncomfortable, like she walked in on a private conversation.  There was some sort of history with the three of them that she was not privy to.   She ate quietly, and tried not to draw attention to herself.  Jean and Scott excused themselves leaving Logan and Dani alone.

"You gonna tell me what's on your mind?" Logan asked.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Dani said.

"You are lying," Logan said, and pointed to his nose, "I can always tell when something is bothering you."

"You and your 'super sniffer' have a vivid imagination..." she stated firmly.  His habit for confronting her was starting to get annoying.

He just looked at her expectantly.  She would tell him sooner or later.  She was upset before, but her signs of anxiety had increased.  Her pulse sped up, and her hands started to sweat.  He had hit the mark.  Something was really bothering her.  She was looking everywhere but at him.  He decided she had enough time to dodge.

"Spill it," he said sternly.

She hung her head in defeat. "I remembered something about the man in my drawing," she said quietly.

Logan could see it was upsetting her, but they needed the information.  He tried not to sound too eager.  "What do you remember?"

"His name is Gabriel," she said.

"Do you remember anything else?" Logan prompted.  She didn't answer him.  She just closed her eyes, and blocked him out.  She remembered something, but it was obviously painful.  "Come on, let's go talk to the professor," he said, grabbing her hand and dragging her out of the dining room.

*****

In Xavier's office Danielle felt a little self-conscious.  Everyone was there; Jean and Scott, Storm and Kurt, Beast, Logan and the professor.  She was sitting on the couch, and the professor was going to read her mind again.  She looked around nervously.  She didn't like the idea of sharing her memories with the entire team.  Logan sat down next to her.

"Don't worry about them," Logan whispered. "Just relax and let the professor help you remember.  I'm right here."

She looked at Logan, and he gave her a smile.  He always seemed to know what to say to make her feel better.

"Danielle, are you ready?" Xavier asked.  He was sitting in front of her, patiently waiting.

"Yes, professor, I'm ready." She said, and closed her eyes.

Xavier held his hands out on either side of her head to help himself focus.  He closed his eyes and probed for any memories of Gabriel.  He could tell that she was trying to keep herself open, but this time she was trying to keep some control over what he saw.  Xavier was standing in her cell.  Logan had been right about the security.  The term overkill came to mind.  Danielle looked about fifteen, probably just after she was taken.  He saw Stryker and Gabriel arguing about her.  Gabriel told Stryker to stop the interrogations and just get on with the experiments.  He hadn't learned anything from this memory, and as he tried to find another, he found himself standing in her little sanctuary again.  She was blocking him.  Something important was there, and she wouldn't let him see it.  He confronted her in the forest.

Danielle, Xavier said, what is so terrifying that you can't let me see it?

Danielle stepped out from behind a tree.  You don't understand... I trust you, I really do.  Maybe I don't want to see it. 

Dani, whatever we find, we'll help you get through it.  You have friends here who care about you.  Let us help you. Xavier hoped she would believe that.  It would hurt her if he tried to find the memory without her cooperation.  That was simply not an option.

She slumped down against the tree.  All right professor, I'll trust you.

He found himself in the lab again, only she was obviously older this time.  Gabriel was standing in front of the cage.  She looked like she was recovering from one of the experiments.  Gabriel spoke to her.

'You don't remember me do you?'  Gabriel asked with a wicked twinkle in his eye, 'I remember you.  You were a beautiful baby.  I knew the moment I saw you that you were everything I'd hoped.  Your mother was protective of you from the start.  She didn't trust anyone with you.  I should have taken you then, before she disappeared with you.  You were mine!  I made you'

'Who are you?' Danielle demanded.

'I'm the man that made you what you are today.  I was your mother's Fertility Specialist.  Your mother thought it was her husband's sperm, but your father was actually several hand chosen mutant donors.  You are a wonder of modern genetics.  You have no idea the amount of money and effort that has gone into creating you.  The day your mother came to my office I knew I had the right surrogate mother for my little miracle.'

'You lie!  What you're saying isn't even possible,' she screamed defiantly.

'It is very possible, my dear, with a little genetic engineering.  I am very good at what I do.  You are my creation, Violet, as sure as your name is Danielle Anastasia Mason.  The 'Anastasia' you got from your mother.  The 'Danielle Mason' you got from that wimp, Daniel, your mother married.  But now I give you your real name, Viciera-Violet Viciera.'

'Why are you doing this to me?' she sobbed.  She was in shock.  He had known all along who she was.  He had been toying with her all this time. 

Gabriel just laughed as he left the room.

That had been the last time Danielle had spoken until she came to the institute.  Xavier thought he was going to be ill.  This was one memory that might have been better left buried.  Danielle was going to have a hard time dealing with this.  She had been subconsciously suppressing that memory for a long time.  At least they knew the name of the mystery man and Danielle's name as well. 

He tried to speak to her, Danielle, Xavier called, Danielle!  He was falling through space.  He had completely lost control this time.  He pulled his mind away from hers and opened his eyes.

Everyone was looking at him eagerly.  His face was flush, and his breathing was erratic.  Searching Danielle's memories was exhausting.  She and Logan were two of a kind in that respect.  He looked at Danielle, and her expression was pained.  He pulled his hands away from her, and she collapsed, unconscious.  Logan gently laid her head in his lap and glared at Xavier.

"What the hell did you do to her?" he accused roughly.  If looks could kill, Xavier would have been a bloody mess on the floor.

"She is just in shock," Xavier said quickly, "She remembered our mystery man and the experience was... upsetting.  His name is Gabriel Viciera. She should come to in a couple minutes."  Xavier assured him.

"Gabriel Viciera, I've read some of his research on genetic engineering.  He was very big in the scientific community about twenty years ago.  He dropped out of sight some time ago.  Let me see what I can find out about his work," Hank said as he left. 

Logan was watching Dani.  He brushed her hair back from her face.  "Did you find out anything else?" Logan asked him.

"Danielle Anastasia Mason," Xavier said. "That's her name." 

Logan looked up at Xavier.  "She couldn't remember that before.  What else?" Logan asked.  He wanted to know every detail.

"Her time at Alkali Lake was different than yours, Logan.  I believe that they had serious plans for her.  Gabriel told her that she was engineered." Xavier paused to let that sink in, "That was the reason she stopped talking and suppressed her memories.  She will need time to deal with this.  Don't push her, Logan," Xavier warned.

Logan went pale.  Engineered?  Was that even possible?  What did they want from her?  Everyone in the room looked at her with sympathy.

"Jean, Scott, see if you can find out anything about her." Xavier said, "There may not be many records, her mother kept her hidden from a very early age.  Her mother's name was Anastasia, and her father's name was Daniel Mason."

"We'll get on that," Scott said.  He stood up with Jean and paused to look at Dani.  He felt sorry for her.  He hoped they could find a way to help her. "She'll be fine, Logan," he said, and put a hand on his shoulder for a moment before leaving.  Jean gave Logan a smile as well before following Scott.

Dani started to wake up just as they left.  She looked at Xavier.  She was not a happy camper, and it showed.  "I think I'm going to be sick.  Why did you make me remember?" Dani demanded as Logan helped her sit up.

"You needed to remember.  If you keep hiding from unpleasant memories, you'll never work through them," Xavier said.  "I'm going down to Cerebro.  The repairs are nearly complete, and we need it back on line as soon as possible."  Xavier gave Storm and Kurt a look.  Keep a close eye on the students, he told them.  Kurt promptly grabbed Storm's hand and they teleported out of the room.  Xavier left Logan and Dani alone in his office.  He knew they needed to talk.

"You want to tell me about it?" Logan asked quietly.

"It isn't a very nice story," she dodged.

"Nothing could be so bad you can't talk to me about it.  C'mon, I'm not going anywhere," Logan said as he put his arm around her.  She sighed as he waited patiently for her to begin.  No doubt Xavier had already told them.  Once again Logan offered her his shoulder to cry on, but she was sick of that.  No more crying, at least in front of Logan, anyway.  She couldn't stay here now.  This was definitely the last straw.

"No, Logan, not this time."  Dani said, and orbed right out of his arms.

"Damned stubborn woman!"  Logan swore as he stormed out of the office.  She probably went to her room to hide.  That wasn't going to work.  It was time for her to stop hiding from him.  And it was time for him to tell her how he felt about her.  She didn't need to be alone, she needed him, whether she knew it or not.  Hell, he needed her too.

*****

Downstairs, Xavier wheeled into the control room.  Hank was there searching for anything he could find on Gabriel.  He had been able to download a lot of information on his genetic engineering theories and techniques.  However, he was having trouble finding him.  In fact, Hank could not establish Gabriel's whereabouts for the past fifteen years.  

Xavier looked over the information Hank had been compiling.  "His technique for combining DNA is very innovative.  He appears to have had a great deal of success," he commented.

"He was shunned by the scientific community for his views on mutants, and willingness to use humans as subjects.  He disappeared right around that time, between fifteen and sixteen years ago," Hank said.  "Interestingly enough, it was only a few months later that Logan escaped from Alkali Lake."

That was interesting.  Stryker had behaved like the 'Big Chief,' but perhaps he was only one of the 'Little Indians.' 

Just then, Scott and Jean walked into the control room with a freshly compiled file.

"Have you completed your search on Danielle and her parents yet?"  Xavier inquired.

"Yes, Charles, and her family is pretty elusive.  Her parents had gone to a fertility clinic in Daly City, California about twenty-three years ago.  Her father was killed in a car accident two weeks before she was born.  According to the police report, the circumstances were questionable, but nothing had been proven.  Two days after she was born, Danielle and her mother vanished.  Her mother was a very clever woman, and did a very good job of staying anonymous.  There is a news article on a mysterious cabin fire in the Northern California Redwoods about seven years ago.  The time and location fit the information we have from Logan and Dani."  Scott summarized for Xavier.

"Oh, incidentally," Jean added, "she will turn twenty-two in four days."

"It all confirms what I saw in her memories.  I am very concerned about our new menace, Gabriel.  I would like to know more about his motives and associations," Xavier said.  "Hank, Jean, will you help me recalibrate Cerebro?  I want it on line by tonight.  It may be our only link to finding him, and keeping our family safe."  He thought of the students and his X-men team as his family.  He was very protective of them, and he felt helpless without Cerebro. 

Cerebro was a huge, spherical room that amplified his telepathic brain waves. He could use it to locate people over great distances, and read their thoughts.   He always took this ability very seriously, and never abused it.  Moral responsibility was one of the most important things he tried to teach his students.  Cerebro was an amazing feat of engineering, and he could not have built it without the help of his friend, Eric.  But over the years, Eric had grown bitter, and he became the mutant nemesis Magneto.   Thanks to Magneto and his obsession with Mutant domination of the world, Cerebro had been nearly destroyed.  The major repairs were complete, well ahead of Xavier's original assessment.  But getting the computer recalibrated for his brainwave pattern was not an easy task.  He and Jean had a long day ahead of them.

Logan walked into the control room.  He looked terrified, and Xavier got a sickening feeling in the pit of his stomach.  Logan never showed fear for himself, only those he cares about.  Xavier closed his eyes and waited.

"I can't find her, she's gone," Logan said shakily. "I've tried tracking her, but she just disappeared.  Charles, please tell me you know where she is."

Xavier concentrated on the school.  He scanned the mansion and grounds, and found no trace of her.  When Xavier opened his eyes, he was confronted with the sight of Logan's hopeful stare.  He wished he could give the man good news.  "She's not on the grounds," he said.

"Cerebro?" Logan asked.

"Soon.  We were about to recalibrate the computer. It will be a few hours."  Xavier said.  "Where do you think she would go?"

"I don't know," Logan said softly.

"Logan, it's getting late.  Why don't you go get something to eat and try to rest?  We'll get Cerebro on line and let you know." Hank suggested.  The guy looked sick with worry.  

Logan was a man of action, not used to sitting around.  But in this case, he knew that Cerebro was his only chance to find her.  She could jump thousands of miles!  How would he ever find her on his own?  Where in the world would she go when she's upset?  Why couldn't she come to him?  Logan let out grunt and turned to leave.  He stopped at the door and said over his shoulder, "The second it's on line, I want to know," then he stormed out.

"Let's get to work," Xavier said, "That is one man I don't want to disappoint."

"No kidding," Scott agreed, chuckling.  The man was obviously smitten.  He could laugh at Logan, but he was worried about Dani.  She could be anywhere, which meant she could be in trouble.  Scott liked her.  He didn't like thinking about what could happen to her if Gabriel found her again.

*****

Danielle sat hugging her knees up to her chest.  She finally stopped crying.  She was sitting on a large rock that sat in the middle of five redwood trees that had grown together in a circle.  It made a sort of natural fort.  She remembered this place from her childhood.  She used to come here to play, and sometimes to sulk.  This time she was sulking.  She was feeling sorry for herself. 

Engineered!   She was a freak.  It's one thing to be a mutant if you inherited it honestly, but she was the product of a test tube.  Some crazy scientist decided to play God, and here she was.  It was wrong.  It was sickening.  How could she face her friends now?  Everything about her was unnatural.  She was ashamed.  When she woke up with her memory, she realized they all knew.  Logan was kind, but what could she say to him?  'Hi Logan, guess what, I was a test tube baby.'  She laughed.  That was so absurd, she couldn't help it. 

Logan was the one she was going to miss the most.  Logan had saved her in more ways than one.  Sure he let her out of that cell, but he also helped her live again.  After shutting out the world, she had become a little like a zombie.  Logan made her want to live, if for no other reason than to be with him.  Danielle realized her feelings for Logan went beyond friendship.  She loved him.  She didn't really know what to do about it.  It's hard to adjust to feelings like that when you went through puberty locked in a cage.  She really had no frame of reference.  She was probably just infatuated with him, he did rescue her.  How pathetic is that?  She did not like being the damsel in distress.  It just did not sit well with her sensible, independent personality. 

She needed to get over her time with the X-men and move on.  She was nothing but trouble for them.  She would draw Gabriel to the school, and he would think it was Christmas morning when he saw all those impressionable young mutants there. The very thought made her nauseous!  And Logan was one of the first mutants Gabriel experimented on.  He would probably love to get him back.  She could not be the cause of any of them being hurt.  She had to stay away, from all of them. 

Danielle tried to think of what she was going to do next.  The house was gone.  She didn't know anyone.  Her mother had been her only family, and now, she realized, her only true link with humanity.  She could go anywhere, but where do you go when you have nothing, no ID, no money, no clothes and no clue?  She remembered a radio commercial she heard when they went shopping, 'I'm going to Vegas, baby!'  Hmmmm.  Vegas.

*****

"You're a pathetic loser, Eric!  What the hell were you thinking?"  Gabriel was fuming.  "Oh, gee, I think I'll sneak up on the amazingly powerful teleporting mutant with a god damned HELICOPTER?!?" 

The sarcasm was not lost on Magneto.  He realized his error in sending Mystique into the mall to observe the subject up close.  Wolverine was part bloodhound, and never forgot a scent.  No doubt about it, he'd screwed up.  This was face the music time.  His new partner was a handful, but his resources were limitless.  "They are confused.  Charles has no idea what's going on.  They don't know who you are, or that we are working together, Gabe," Eric tried to reassure him.

"You fall a bit short of your reputation, Magneto.  I thought you and your team would prove to be more useful to the cause, but now I'm not so sure.  I'm going to give you another chance to prove yourself.  Violet has left them.  She went home to California.  Bring her to me unharmed, and all will be forgiven,"    Gabriel tilted his head towards the door.  "Go, and take your carnival rejects with you."

Magneto left the office in a huff.  Mystique, Sabertooth, and Pyro followed him down the hall after he emerged from the office.  This new alliance was shaky at best.  Gabriel was not to be trusted.  Eric couldn't wait to dissolve this partnership.  Working with Gabriel Viciera was like dancing with the devil.  Sooner or later he was going to get burned.  He planned to be the one doing the burning, when the time is right.

Gabriel sat down at his desk and started sorted through a few files.  He needed to catch up on the abilities of some of these X-men. He had a feeling he would have to deal with them.  Violet was out of their protection for the moment, but they would be looking for her.  Xavier was no fool.  He would want her powers as an ally, not an enemy.  Violet was still learning the extent of her abilities.  She hadn't even begun to tap into that energy she carried.  He smiled at the thought of the raw power.  She was his daughter, and he wanted her back.  He wanted to show Violet her true heritage, and the destiny he wanted to share with her.  He was a powerful mutant himself, but his initial tests on her had shown her powers were off the charts. 

His own DNA carried a mutant gene for directing energy into destructive bursts.  He smiled to himself as he looked at the tip of his index finger lit with a green glow.  It sparked and brightened, and he took out a cigar and lit it with his finger.  He took a couple puffs, and let the energy go out again.  The other two donors had been mutants as well.  One boy was telekinetic, and telepathic.  That kid was a handful.  Gabriel felt a slight tinge of regret at the untimely loss of that subject.  Thankfully, he had enough of his DNA in cold storage.  The other mutant could heal people.  His time in the lab was short lived as well.  Stryker had tried to use him to duplicate his weapon-X creation, Wolverine.  The boy didn't survive.  Gabriel congratulated himself one more time for his success with Violet.  He had tried the procedure with twelve different women.  Violet and her mother were the only ones to survive full term.  All of the women died during childbirth, or before.  The fetuses had all been deformed, except Violet.

Violet was his little miracle.  He wasn't a sentimental guy, but she made him feel a little fatherly pride.  Scientifically, she was a valuable subject, but she was also a sweet girl.  Her mother got all the credit for that.  Anastasia disappeared with Violet less than forty-eight hours after she was born.  He had originally planned on leaving the girl with her mother for a year or two, and then take her.  It had taken him fifteen years to find her!  He had lost so much time.  Violet had her own mind about things, and she hated him.  Hated him!  Her own father.  He would find a way to make her do what he wanted.  She was only alive because of him, and she would serve him, one way or another.

*****

"All right Charles, try that," Hank said as he adjusted a couple of settings.  "See if you can pick up anything."

Xavier put the helmet on and concentrated.  He searched for the thoughts of a troubled young woman who had so quickly become a part of this family.  He caught a glimpse of something familiar, and focused on it.  She was in the forest, in an odd sort of place.  It looked natural, but strange.  She was asleep in the middle of a circle of trees that had all grown together at their bases to make a sort of hidden room.  It was somewhere in northern California.  Of course, it made perfect sense.  She probably played here as a child, and came here to think, in a familiar place. 

She was in the middle of nowhere, all alone.  They needed to get to her before someone else did.  He scanned her area, and could sense a helicopter headed in her direction.  He recognized Mystique, Pyro and Sabertooth.  He knew that Magneto would be there, but his helmet prevented Xavier from reading him.  They would be there soon, but would have to go in on foot.  The trees were her defense, for now.  Xavier needed a plan. 

He took off his helmet.  "Hank, get Logan and the others.  Danielle is in trouble."  Hank left, and Xavier decided to search for Gabriel.

*****

Danielle woke with a start.  Something was wrong.  She had been dreaming about, well, Logan.  She blushed.  But her dream was interrupted by images of a helicopter, and Gabriel.  She thought she heard the professor's voice, and then she woke up.  She sat up and brushed herself off.  She looked around and didn't see anything out of the ordinary, but the place didn't feel right.  It was too quiet.  She needed to leave, now.  Where would she go?  Oh, yeah, Sin City.  In a flash, she was gone.

*****

Gabriel was an enigma.  He couldn't be found.  Xavier didn't like that one bit.  As Xavier wheeled out of Cerebro nearly an hour later, everyone was waiting for him.  Logan stood there like a statue, as if bracing himself for bad news. 

Scott could feel the waves of tension radiating from the man he had never really called his friend.  His opinion of Logan was changing.  He realized that he wasn't as bad as his first impression led him to believe.  Logan was a man who would walk through fire for his friends.  Watching him take care of Rogue had shown him that.  It also didn't hurt that Logan had finally stopped flirting with Jean. 

"Danielle, is she okay?" Scott asked.

"She was in the forest near her old house, but Magneto was closing in on her location.  He'll have to go in on foot.  I believe she will easily get away, but she could go anywhere.  I don't know that she'll return to us if there is trouble.  She seemed determined to make it on her own," Xavier said.

"She was worried about us.  She knew they were after her, and didn't want any of us getting hurt, especially the students," Logan explained.  "Finding out about Gabriel was enough to push her out the door."  Logan was trying to process all his feelings.  He was angry, no furious.  She left.  He was angry with her for leaving, but furious at all the things that happened to her, that drove her away.  And Logan was terrified.  Terrified that someone would find her and he wouldn't be there to protect her.  What would he do if something happened to her?

"She is telepathic; can't you use Cerebro to talk to her?"  Jean asked.

"I already tried that, she doesn't want to talk to me.  I was shut out before I could warn her."  Charles was frustrated.  If he sent his team to get her, she could be gone before they arrived.  They could be on a wild goose chase.  She might talk to Logan, but he couldn't use Cerebro.  Wait, maybe he could.  "Logan, come with me," Xavier said as he wheeled back in Cerebro.

Logan followed.  He didn't know what to expect, but he would do anything to get Dani back.  Xavier put on his helmet.  "Stand right behind me, and don't move.  I'm going to see if I can get Danielle's attention, and get you two talking.  Maybe you can convince her to come back."  Xavier said.

"You can do that?"  Logan asked.

"We're about to find out.  We both visited her dream before; I don't see why this won't work.  Now wait quietly until I tell you," Xavier said.

The walls seemed to get farther away as the professor concentrated.  He focused on the redwood forest, but she was gone.  Magneto and his team had been searching for her, but were returning to their helicopter.  He scanned for Danielle, and finally found her, in Las Vegas.  She was in a casino, and she was winning. 

The image came up in front of Logan, and he gasped. Dani was wearing a black cocktail dress, and shooting craps.  Her hair was up in a mass of curls on top of her head, with several wayward curls framing her face.  She looked gorgeous.  She must work fast, too because she had a respectable pile of chips in front of her.  Logan wondered what her method was.  He smiled to himself at the thought of spending time in Vegas with her.  With his experience and her talent, they could clean up in that town.

"Logan, try talking to her," Xavier said quietly.  He was concentrating on maintaining a connection between them.

"Dani, it's me, Logan.  Can you hear me darlin'?" Logan waited and watched.  She passed the dice, receiving protests from the other gamblers who had been riding her wave.  She gathered her chips and went to the counter to cash out.  Logan took that as a sign. "Dani, talk to me."

What do you want Logan?  I can take care of myself, you don't need to worry about me anymore, she answered in telepathy.  She put her winnings in her purse and headed to the lounge.

"Dani, please come back. Magneto has been tracking you.  He nearly caught you in California just now.  I think that's why he attacked us at the mall.  He wanted you to leave, so you'd be alone where he could get to you."  Logan hoped she'd listen to reason.

I knew he was coming.  I left in plenty of time.  This is a great plan.  While he is chasing me around, he's leaving you alone.  The students will be safe, and so will you.  Dani replied.  I brought the trouble to you, and I will take care of it.

"Dani, no!  Baby, please.  Sooner or later he will get lucky.  He can't get to you here, he knows that.  That's why he drove you away.  It's the same way he caught Rogue.  Dani, come back so we can at least talk about this."  Logan hoped he was getting through.  Logan nearly lost it.  She had no idea what Magneto was capable of. 

Dani felt a lump in her throat.  Logan sounded desperate.  She knew she could take care of herself and wanted to prove it.  But Logan was wearing down her resolve.  She wanted to be with him, even if it was only as a friend.  He sounded sincere. Did he just call her baby?  Maybe she should go back.  Just then, the waitress brought a drink over.

"From an admirer," she said as she set down a glass of champagne.

"Who?" Dani asked her, blushing.

"He was too embarrassed to come over, he just wanted to send you this," she said with a smile. 

Logan watched the exchange, seething.  He wanted to go find the guy and rip him apart.  She was about to take a drink when Xavier shouted at her, "Danielle, no, don't drink that!  Transport yourself back here right now, Gabriel is in that lounge!  Don't wait to find a place out of sight, just get back here!"  

She put the glass down and looked around.  No one looked familiar.  No one seemed to be watching her.  Her heart was racing.  She pretended to drop her purse, and then bent down to get it.  She ducked under the table and orbed herself to her bedroom at the institute.  She felt like a coward.  Xavier told her that Gabriel was there, and she was terrified.  So much for her brave plan.  She sat on the bed, and tried to calm down.

Logan watched her orb.  "Charles?"

"Dani, baby, is in her room," Xavier said with a smirk.

Logan ignored the man's ridicule, "Which one is Gabriel?"  Logan asked harshly.

"He's not there, but it worked didn't it?"  Xavier said flatly.

"Damn Chuck, a lie?  You surprise me.  I thought I already had her convinced," Logan said chuckling.

"You did, but she needed a nudge." Xavier said as he wheeled out the door.  "She's home," He told everyone who had been waiting.