Dory Shotgun: Well, it kinda makes you zone out once you're writing, in your own little world. Logan said mutant after the codes because the numbers spelt out mutant on a keypad. Look on your telephone.

Rebel Goddess: No doubt the X-Men will be wary, all his visits have been of the negative kind so far.

Oddisee: Thank you. I will keep on writing! Although this story is now drawing to a close!

Blood-Fangs: Off home he goes. Just depends how welcome he is when he gets there..

Blix: Reactions aren't probably going to be all too friendly.

Fanfiction Fanatic: Thank you. Glad you liked the chapter!

TricaLee: Well, Logan already knows to a certain extent that he's hurt people. See the bottom of Chapter 12.

Chapter 17

The doors to Cerebro opened for the fourth time that evening, and revealed Charles sat at the end of the metal walkway of Cerebro with his head dejectedly bowed as he replaced the helmet onto the pedestal. Through the opening doors, slipped Storm, closely followed by the rest of the X-Men. "Charles?" she said quietly as she strode down the walkway towards him.

All day he had been trying to find out where Logan was, looking for any trace. He slowly shook his head as the woman stopped besides him. He felt her hand on his arm and he looked up slowly with a sigh, "Nothing. Each time I try, it's the same.. just an undecipherable noise. I cannot pinpoint Logan or any other individual being."

"Well there is no use in overexerting yourself," said Scott quietly, "We can try again tomorrow."

"We don't have time," snapped Charles, a warning edge on his tone, "My telepath may have been off but I can tell something is about to happen. But I don't know what it is! I feel extremely unprepared."

"What is it you're sensing?" asked Rogue as she studied Charles worriedly.

Charles raised his head gently, his eyes finding Rogue's, "I wish I knew. All I know is that we're going to be very careful. Logan could be returning and we need to be.." he drifted off, leaving the surrounding X-Men looking puzzled for a moment. Scott opened his mouth to talk, but no sound came out. Together, both he and Charles looked up at the ceiling of Cerebro. They could hear something from outside.

"What is that?" asked Nightcrawler, his eyes also staring at the roof.

But then, the sounds of turning blades were obvious, "A helicopter!" cried Rogue, now looking alarmed.

"X-Men, let's go," said Scott quickly, nodding to Charles, "Wait here for us," he told the Professor who watched Scott sternly for a moment before he bowed his head. "Come on!" cried Scott, spinning round and sprinting out of Cerebro with his X-Men close behind him.

The rain still fell sharply from the rumbling nighttime skies as the gleaming helicopter lowered itself down upon the front lawn of the grounds. Surrounding trees billowed and shook in response to the spin of the blades, which slowly ceased their fast moving rotation. One of the doors was wrenched back as Logan hurriedly leapt out of the helicopter. He staggered across the rain-soaked grass, slipping slightly in the mud as he made his way to the front of the helicopter, staring up at the front of the mansion that loomed up at the top of the lawn. The thick black clouds above the roof rumbled threateningly before sharp crashes of lightening alighted the sky. Behind him, Logan heard the squelch of feet as Lorna made her way behind him. Wearing heeled shoes more suited to office surroundings, she was having difficult walking through the waterlogged mud of the lawn. The rain had never ceased its horrendous downpour over Westchester all day, thanks to Storm. Logan turned and steadied her, smirking slightly as she struggled to pull her foot out of the mud. As she did, the mud beneath made a rude noise before it gulped and bubbled sourly.

"What's the best way to get in, without alarming them?" asked Lorna as she ignored that her other foot was now sinking down into the oozing grass.

"Well, I'd say the front door. But that'll be locked. And I doubt they'll answer if we ring it. I can open a window and climb in."

"Yes, but that will alarm them," insisted Lorna as she looked over at the building. She then suddenly glared at her foot, yanking her leg out of the mud again with a sharp hiss of, "Oh, bloody hell!"

Logan took hold of her arms at the elbows and forcefully yanked the woman out of the mud before setting her on a drier patch of grass where sinking in would be a slower process though certainly not impossible. "Look, I can open a window pretty easily, it'll be fine."

"Alright then. Thanks," she added, to be rescued from the swamp-like mud.

"Come on then," he said, indicating onwards as he headed towards the front of the building. Lorna hurried on after him, the pair running across the waterlogged lawn towards the steps of the main entrance. Logan gestured her to follow him as he leapt off the steps and over a short wall where he reached one of the ground floor windows. He pressed his arm against the glass, shielding as the other hand raised to the edge of the frame and his struck it with his fist. The catch snapped, the window falling open as a few panes of glass shattered upon Logan's arm. He grabbed the stone wall around the window and hoisted himself in, slithering inside a little ungracefully as he slumped over a table beneath the window, scattering a few of the unbroken ornaments as he entered one of the rare intact corridors.

Once in, he dropped onto the floor, ignoring the fact he had smashed some of Xavier's prized ornaments. He had done a lot worse than that recently. He turned to help Lorna through, who had little expertise in shuffling through windows, especially when clothed in high heels and a skirt. "I've got you," said Logan as he held her across the table. She dropped down onto the floor noisily, blinking as she straightened her glasses.

"I thought you had destroyed this place?" she said conversationally as they walked down through the corridor together.

"Must have missed this corridor," replied Logan quietly as he slinked against the wall to peer around the corner.

Lorna followed his lead, stepping back against the walls also, "Why are we sneaking around?"

"Because I don't want to jump out unexpectedly and get a faceful of laser."

"Do you really think they're hunting you?"

"No doubt about it.."

Scott came to an abrupt halt as he heard the distant smashing of ornaments from a few corridors away. He turned around, staring worriedly at Storm. She returned his look before she walked on, gesturing the rest of the team to follow on. The mansion was still shrouded in entire darkness. No lamps had been lit since the attack on the students. Debris still lay untouched in the corridors Wolverine had visited, and it made stealth hard to apply as wreckage cracked and splintered beneath their feet.

"Do you think that vas him?" asked Nightcrawler as he crept slowly behind them, his glowing yellow eyes, flickering nervously as he studied the corridor.

"Must be," said Scott softly, "He's being rather quiet though.. before he was being loud."

Rogue looked startled, "This is making it harder for us!" she whispered worriedly.

In the distance shadows darted past the front of the window, causing Scott's eyes to focus upon the end of the long corridor. He flexed his hands nervously as he stepped closer. "Who's hunting whom.. ?"

Logan pulled Lorna on across the corridor, catching a glimpse of the X-Men as the pair streaked past quietly. Once out of sight, he glanced to Lorna, who was watching him worriedly. "Is that them?" she asked nervously, her English accent coming over a bit strong as she nervously continued to whisper, "Logan, they look really dangerous. What if they try and get us! I mean, I can't fight! Look at me!" she gestured her head wounds and varied bruises on her face were Drayson had struck her.

Logan shushed her gently, taking her hands as he lowered them from her face, "I won't let them hurt you. They should realise I am all right now. But, just in case anything goes wrong, get back to the helicopter and get out of here, alright? Promise me!"

"But – "

"Promise me!"

"Alright," sighed Lorna, letting her hands drop as Logan released them.

"Stay here," instructed Logan as he stepped out from behind the corridor. He strode down the corridor, of which was a ruined one. His boots crunched down upon the remains of a fallen vase, causing the X-Men at the other end to falter their strides. Logan clenched his fists gently, wishing he wouldn't feel so nervous about seeing them again. He knew what he had done, the deaths he had caused. But he kept telling himself that it wasn't his fault. He couldn't control his actions then. He only hoped that they felt the same way and that they wouldn't want him out of the team or even dead, controlled or not.

Scott was leading the X-Men, and he walked with his team closer to Logan. Soon they would be directly in front of each other and Scott feared the moment. What would Logan do? Attack? He hadn't yet shown any signs of violence, in fact, his claws weren't even out. But that still didn't stop a cold sweat running down his forehead. He knew his X-Men were close behind him, but if Logan was still controlled, they'd have no chance, not at close range.

Logan watched them just as carefully in return, bracing himself to dodge any possible attacks that may come forth. He came to a halt a few feet from Scott, the pair watching each other warily.

But it was Storm who moved closer, stepping around Scott, watching Logan with careful eyes, "Logan?"

Logan's eyes met hers, and she was relieved to see that there was no feral hatred in his eyes. There was guilt, fear, and most shockingly, humiliation. He remained quiet for a moment before he spoke with the same nervous edge to his tone as Storm had had, "Ororo.."

He could see the gleam of relief swell through her worried eyes. She span her head round to give a delighted gasp to Scott, a smile on her face. The X-Men visibly relaxed from their battle stances, exchanging looks and observing Logan.

"I don't know what to say," said Logan numbly, raising his hands and gesturing hopelessly.

"Oh! Don't say anything!" cried Storm, sounding quite tearful as she flung her arms around a startled looking Logan and embraced him tightly, "We thought we'd never see the real you again."

"Storm.. please, just tell me, what have I done?"

She pulled back slowly, staring at him with tear-filled eyes, "Oh.. Logan.. It's terrible. You came and you killed so many of our students. Some are still injured."

Logan bowed his head his hands shaking as they rose to grab his hair. His fingers ran through his hair slowly before he covered his face with loosely positioned hands. But then, a voice sounded from besides him, "Logan.." He slowly dropped his hands, turning his saddened eyes on Rogue who was looking up at him with such desperation in her face.

"I tried to kill you, didn't I? I remember." He shook his head, turning away, "God Damnit I almost killed you!" he exclaimed in a furious bellow, crying out angrily as he drove his fist into the wood panels of the nearby wall, which splintered and bucked under his fist. Rogue leapt back in alarm.

"Logan.. Logan," murmured Rogue soothing, moving closer again and pulling him back from the wall, "It wasn't your fault. It's alright, you're safe now, and you're home."

Just then, there was a scream from the end of the corridor and Logan and the X-Men spun around to see Lorna in the middle of the corridor, pointing to the gleaming rain-drenched window behind her, "Logan!" she cried, "They've followed us!"

"Who the hell's that?" snarled Scott, readying his visor.

"No, no!" barked Logan, yanking Scott's arm down, "Don't hurt her, she helped me escape!" He glared at the group before he ran down the corridor towards her, his eyes staring at the window, trying to see what is it she was pointing at, "Who's followed us? I thought I'd killed Drayson!"

"You killed Drayson. But Drayson has some close contacts in the Government.." Logan turned from her slowly, staring up out of the window to see a horde of black helicopters soaring through the air. Bright flashlights scanning the grounds and building. Light flared across their window, illuminating Lorna's terrified face. The light fixed there and the helicopters began to lower, doors opened and soldiers hung out with rifles aiming.

"My God.. RUN!"

We're nearing the end of this story, so I hope you're all enjoying it's final stages! Please review!