Disclaimer: I don't anything anything, although I wouldn't mind owning Wolverine, so if Marvel is ever looking to give him a good home I've got a comfy place down south? Just a thought...

Sidenote: Again, more lyrics, in italics, at the bottom. Please enjoy!

"Jewel, may I have a word with you, please?" Professor Xavier asked me outside of the dining room the next day. We had just gotten through eating lunch.

"Yeah, sure," I said, following him into his office. He motioned for me to sit down in the chair in front of his desk.

"I don't usually get involved in this sort of thing, I know that it's none of my business but I thought that perhaps I should say a few words in this case," he began. "I've noticed how close you and Logan have become lately and I just wanted you to know that although I am happy for the both of you, it may not be like this in a few more days,"

"What do you mean?"

"If your father passes the Mutant Registration law then this school will be closed down and I'm afraid if that were to happen,"

"Logan won't want to speak to me?" I interrupted.

"Not quite, but he does believe you very strongly when you tell him that you don't think your father will pass the law,"

"But I don't think he will,"

"I wish we could all share in your optimism about it, but-"

"You think he'll pass it?" I cut him off.

"Yes,"

"Why?"

He sighed. "I don't know, but I do believe that there is a strong chance that he will,"

"But why would the shut the school down, I didn't think anyone knew what it was?"

"That was before Stryker's attack on the mansion. Your father somewhat knows about the school but choices to look the other way, after this week he may not be able to anymore,"

"You want me to go back," I said, more as a statement rather that a question.

"No, I believe that you should do what you feel is right,"

"I can't talk him out of passing a law, I'm technically not allowed to talk to him about them until after they're passed or dropped. If I go back now there's no impact that I could have on the decision."

"But I believe you could,"

"How, what am I supposed to do? Show up at the White House and say; 'I'm a mutant, could you not me a favor and not reinstate the registration act? Thanks,' First of all they would do so many tests on me to see where I've been, make sure that nothing's wrong with me and what happens if I start disappearing from all of the stress? What if they track me back to here and arrest you, Scott, Storm and Logan because they think that you've been keeping me here?"

"You can tell them the truth,"

"It doesn't work like that, no one listens to me. I can't just defend you. It's not that easy. Hardly anyone likes my father anymore, and they like me even less. I stayed out of the media and I lived in a state on the other side of the country, everyone thinks that I'm some rich snob. If I show up now screaming about mutant rights then everyone's going to laugh and think that all of this, these past few months, it was all just a publicity stunt so that I could have people listening to me and then what's going to happen to us? There will be more hostility than before. If I truly believed that I could help in some way, I promise you that I could, but from my view point all I see are dead ends,"

"You know your father and the men and woman that he is working with far better than any of us, and if you believe that this is the best decision then I will support you with it,"

"Alright," I said.

"You may leave now, if you wish,"

I nodded my head, stood from my seat, and walked to the door. However, before I opened it, I turned back to face him, "Thank you Professor, for everything. I had never met another mutant until I met Logan and I really appreciate you allowing me to live here with everyone else. This school means so much to all of them and I know that you are very proud of it and your students. Whatever it takes for me to repay you, I will one day," I said, then left. I shut his door behind me and began walking towards the front door. I needed some fresh air.

"Hey, where are you going?" I heard from behind me. I turned to see Scott walking towards me.

"Out for a walk, I need to clear my head,"

"Mind if I go with you?" he asked.

"No, not at all," I smiled. I was wiry of his intensions, I knew he didn't like me but I was happy that he was trying. The two of us quickly pulled on coats, scarves, hats and gloves before going out.

"So, where are we going?" he asked, looking at me.

"I don't know, down to the park, I guess," The first few minutes of our walk were a little awkward with neither of us talking, but setting a steady pace. "Sorry," I said, breaking our silence.

"For what?"

"I know that this hasn't been a good year for you and that my whole situation only adds to your problems but as soon as all of this blows over I'm going to try and get my things sorted out and maybe live on my own,"

"You know the Professor said that you could stay as long as you wanted,"

I smiled, "I know that's what he said but I don't think too many people would care if I left,"

"Logan would,"

"He'd be the only one,"

"Not everyone hates you, you know?"

"No, I didn't,"

"You're just sort of a hard person to talk to…with all of your lies that you're telling people and you don't let anyone get to you, except Logan."

"He understands me, he knows how I feel. I don't mean to be standoffish but when everyone's saying that I can fix this problem and I know I can't, I rather not talk to ya'll because I know that I disappoint you and I don't like to disappoint people,"

"Then that's your problem," he said.

"Oh, I just have one?" I asked with a laugh.

"That's your biggest. You're going to disappoint people no matter what, because everyone's going to want something different from you,"

"But Logan doesn't, he doesn't want anything from me,"

"Are you sure about that?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It just means that Logan's used to getting what he wants and he does whatever it takes to get it. It's all about saving his own skin,"

"He doesn't always get what he wants,"

"If he doesn't have it he's working on it, with no regards to anyone else,"

"Like with Jean?" I asked, immediately feeling the sting of my own words. "I'm sorry, that was mean,"

"No, you're right. He tried to get Jean but she wouldn't let him. Maybe that was the only thing he didn't get,"

"Maybe it was the only thing he wanted. I wasn't here when it all happened but maybe he wasn't just trying to piss you off, maybe he actually liked her,"

"I have no doubt that he liked her, and I don't ever blame him for that. Jean was, is, a beautiful person, but he went about it in the wrong way,"

"And what way was that?"

"Jean and I were together, he knew that and he still wouldn't let it go,"

"But if you trusted her then you shouldn't have worried about anything, should you?"

"It wasn't her that I didn't trust, it was him. I still don't trust him,"

"But why, because he's not the same as you? I know that the two of you are quite a bit different and that the two of you handle things differently but shouldn't the two of you…work together instead of fighting all that time?"

"This isn't a one sided fight, he hates me too, which is fine by me, but it's not my fault that he doesn't want to cooperate as a team,"

"But shouldn't you be able to over look his behavior because you know that's just how he acts?"

"No, there's no excuse for him to behave the way he does,"

"How does he act, arrogant and cocky? That's just how he is, he doesn't really think he's all that great but he puts up a front so that no one will mess with him,"

"And so he being an ignorant moron is just a cover, too?"

"It must be because I don't think he's stupid. Yeah, sometimes he's hard to get along with but your problem is that you're used to being the leader and in comes a guy who doesn't follow orders and now you're having to adjust to him and trying to work him into your plan, which you had already had figured out. Things don't always work out the way you plan them, but they always work out the way they are meant to. Maybe Logan is meant to be here for a reason other than to just piss you off,"

"And what do you know about things working out the way they're supposed to?"

"Do you actually think that I planned on being her? Hiding and lying about myself, changing how I look and act? I was a straight A student, I was going to a good college, I had a nice dorm room, I had family and friends, I had a life, do you think that I actually planned on just giving all of that up? I had it good and I knew it, but I had to make a decision to help someone else, to help the people that I loved. I gave up my life to give something to my parents, to other mutants, that they were going to take away. Do you think that I had an easy time doing that? Do you think that it was easy for me to just walk away and leave everything that I had and everyone that I loved? It was because it wasn't something that I had planned on doing. I know that I'm only twenty-two and I haven't been through as much as you have, and I'm honestly sorry that you lost your wife, but it happened. I'm sure she didn't plan on it but she knew that if it was meant for her to live she would, but she gave up something so that you could live, so that those students back at the school could have someone to give them a chance, give them hope and a life. I'm not going to pretend that my running away and your wife sacrificing herself for ya'll is anywhere near the same thing, but they were meant to happen for some reason,"

"Like what?"

"I don't know, I won't pretend I do about that, either. However, something makes me believe that she didn't give up her life just so that you and Logan could argue about everything, it was, it is, so much bigger than that. You have an opportunity to save those kids from a life that made them outcasts, from people that didn't understand them. All they need is a little bit of patients and acceptance, why is it any different for Logan?"

"Because he's not a kid,"

"No, but he still feels that way. That's his only home; he's found something there that he won't let go of,"

"You?"

"No, a chance to escape from this world. You may think that I had it easy, but you don't understand how well you guys have it here. This world is full of people who want to stop us, who hate us, who are scared of us, but when you step through that door of that school it's not a place that you have to worry about letting your guard down, or that you can't trust anyone. Logan may hate you but I truly believe that he trusts you and that if he had to he would give his own life to save yours. I never understood it until I got here and came to the school, but this is a family, albeit a dysfunctional one, it's still a family. And I know that the both of us are happy to be there,"

"And you believe that there's some deep reason for why you're here?"

"I don't know if it's a deep reason but I find it a little bit more than just a coincidence that your wife worked around my father, that Logan was in Canada in that same crappy bar as me just days after she died and found me and brought me here. Why else would the President's daughter have to go all the way out of the country just to be brought back to Westchester, New York? So yes Scott; I do believe that there is a reason for me being here." We had stopped walking; we were standing face to face talking. We weren't very far from the school and we hadn't quite gotten to the park yet.

"I just hope it's a good reason," he said, turning and leaving me. I debated whether to continue walking or to turn around and leave with Scott. My head wasn't going to get clear; I was only going to catch a cold. So I followed him and with a giant stride, walked past him. I stayed a few feet in front of him until we got back to the school. He then followed me up the stairs and in through the front door.

"Hey Scott, we need to talk," Logan said as the two of us walked in together.

"Don't worry Logan, I have more respect for woman than you do, I didn't touch her," Scott huffed, breezing by Logan as I glowered after him, still taking off my outdoor wear.

"What was that all about?" Logan asked me as I put away my things in the closet.

"Looks like your 'pal' has a bit of anger management problems and I don't seem to fit into any of his solutions,"

"I'm gonna' go talk to him,"

"No, it's fine, we both just need to cool off, I think. I'm going to go to my room and lie down. I'll talk to you later," I said, giving him a kiss on the cheek.

"Are you sure, darlin'?"

"Yeah, its fine, I just need to get some rest and clear my thoughts," I smiled.

"Alright," he said, pulling me to him and kissing me on top of my head. "If you need me you can come get me."

"I will," I told him as I hugged him, breathing him in. "You smell good, is that a different cologne?"

"Yeah, it's the stuff Rouge gave me," he said with an amused smile as I sniffed his neck.

"I like it," I told him, placing a kiss on his neck. "I'll see you later." I walked up to my room and fell onto my bed. My sleep hadn't been that good the night before and I felt tired from my argument with Scott. I hated living in a house that wasn't my own, with people who didn't like me. The only things that were keeping me there were Logan and my fear of having to live on my own again. I knew that if I had had to spend those months that I lived there on my own I probably would have given up sooner and went back to my family. For some reason I still felt heart broken and lost without them. Maybe it was because I could see them on TV but I couldn't talk to them. I couldn't even talk about them, not to anyone but Logan and because I knew that he had no family, I spared him my moans and complaints about mine. I fell asleep looking at my window and watching the snowfall and wondering if perhaps it was snowing at home and my mom and dad were watching it, thinking about me. I fell asleep but woke up later that night after I heard someone talking in another room. As I became more aware of myself, I realized that it was come from Logan's room.

'He must be having a bad dream,' I thought. I had heard what had happened to Rouge so I didn't dare go wake him. I wouldn't be able to survive as she had. Instead, I waited until he had stopped talking and then went to his room. I opened the door just a little bit to see him sitting up in his bed, his face buried in his hands. "Logan?" I said quietly, not wanting to startle him.

"Hey darlin', what are you doing awake?" he asked shakily, looking up at me.

"I heard you talking and thought you were having a bad dream, I wanted to check on you to make sure you were okay?" I said, still in a hushed voice.

"Yeah…I'm fine,"

"Are you sure?"

He looked at me from his bed, the only light coming from the moon outside of his window and the far away hall light that spilled in behind me. He was sweating and his bed was a mess, as if he had been tossing around it in. "Just more stuff I can't remember, that's all,"

I pushed the door open and slipped into the room, carefully closing the door behind me. I crossed the room to his bed and sat down behind him. I ran my hands across his bare back (I discovered that he was wearing a pair of sweatpants). "Let me hold you for a little bit," I said, pulling him to me. "My poor Wolverine, I hate that those dreams haunt you," I whispered into his ear. I ran my hands through his hair and then wrapped my arms around his waist; he held my arms to him.

'What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, right?" he said.

"That's not fair, though," I said, kissing his shoulder, "you can't die."

He turned around, facing me, and held my face with his hand. I kissed the palm of his hand. "There's a lot of things that ain't fair, it doesn't stop them from happening, you just have to deal with it,"

"Why are you bitter at everyone?"

"Because I used to be and I was the only one who knew it. They might have something I don't, but I've got something they don't have either,"

"What?"

"You,"

"No offense but I don't think anyone's really all that jealous about it, I'm hardly anyone's 'saving grace'."

He paused for a moment and then said; "Do you know how many times I'm put a gun to me head, in my mouth, or under my chin? Do you know how many times I've pulled the trigger? Do you know how many times I've opened my eyes to see the bullet lying by my head, to see the gun lying beside me in some motel room that I had only gotten to bring some nameless waitress to? Do you know how many times I've thought about trying it since I met you? Do you know how many times I day I think about holding you, wishing it was night so I could go to your room and just be with you? Do you know how many times I want to taste your kiss instead of a bullet? Do you know what you do to me?" he asked. He gently wiped the tears falling from my face away with his hand. He pulled me to him and held me.

We sat talking all night long and while we watched the sunrise together, his words plagued me. I meant something to him, I meant a lot to him and as he held me that night I found in him something that I had been starving for; a need for someone to want me as badly as I wanted them, a desire to have a connection between two souls beyond words. Written down on paper, Logan and I shouldn't have worked out, didn't work out. But together, or that made so much sense. We made sense, we worked and I believed that no one could tell me anything that would make me love him any less. I was young and even though I had loved so many people, thought that I had loved people, I had never experienced something so…pure and tainted, innocent and haunted, something that made me feel so strong but so weak. A love that had no limit to it, one that I couldn't see the end to, and believed whole-heartedly that there wouldn't be one. I found in him a home and a harbor for my heart, safety and protection and a sense of freedom that I had never known before. I had grown up with fairytales and being told that that was a way of life; let a Prince come and rescue you, take you off and marry you, and then the two of you live happily ever after. Logan was a far cry from a Prince, he was a animal, he was my animal, and although he had rescued me, heaven help me if I didn't put up a fight for myself and not just let some good looking hot-shot come in and save me. We would never get married, we couldn't, and that was fine by me. I didn't need a piece of paper to tell me that we were going to love each other. As for 'Happily Ever After', well, it wasn't something that I was going to throw out to him. Who lives like that? No one is always going to be happy, and for us, mutants, we weren't like everyone else. But Logan and I…well, we were special, we knew it and as far as I was concerned they could throw every fairytale at me, I didn't care, because it wasn't real. What was real was the feeling of his arms wrapped around my body, holding me close to him as we watched the bright orange sun rise from behind the trees as the snow continued to fall from the sky. Yes, in the sleep-deprived moment, I found my reason for being alive; to love an animal man who was seeking forgiveness of the deepest kind, for acts he could no longer remember. To take pain away from a broken soul, to heal invisible scars, to mend the damaged heart of someone who could never ask for what he needed, and I could find no greater purpose in life than that.

He's magic and myth,

As strong as what I believe

A tragedy with more damage

Than a soul should see

He's soft to the touch
But frayed at the end he breaks
He's never enough
And still he's more than I can take
Oh and I don't know
I don't know what he's after
But he's so beautiful
He's such a beautiful disaster
And if I could hold on
Through the tears and the laughter
Would it be beautiful?
Or just a beautiful disaster

He's beautiful
Lord he's beautiful
He's so beautiful