AN. I am truely sorry for not updating this story sooner, but I had a lot going on in my live, and simply didn't feel like writing (or much else for that matter ' ) But here it is. There will only be a short epilogue wich I will upload probably by the end of the week or so.

Chapter 8

During dinner Jubilee could barely keep her eyes open any longer. She had been awake for over 48 hours by then, and was on the brink of exhaustion.

"Go to sleep kid, we'll talk tomorrow." Wolverine suggested.

Grateful she got to her feet, and he brought her to a spare room in the house.

She fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.

Wolverine halted to look down at her for a moment. When he softly walked back to the door he heard her mumble in her sleep.

"I'm glad I found you Wolvie.." she mumbled already half asleep.

"Me too kid…me too…" he said past the sudden lump in his throat, and he knew then that he really meant it.

The mere fact that she had taken this much risks and trouble just to find him, touched him more than he cared to admit.

When Wolverine came back to the living room Yuriko already had tea ready.

He somehow felt restless on the inside. He had left the X-men in hopes of outrunning his troubled feelings, but he started to realise that that didn't help, and that only made him feel even more restless.

"She's a sweet child." Yuriko said.

"Yeah she really is." He said softly.

His face softened when thinking about her.

"Although she was a wrack by the time we found her, she got over it pretty well… She learned to trust us, and even learned how to smile again…" he said.

"Poor child. So young…" Yukio said sincerely compassionate.

"Yeah, but she's very witty and smart for her age!" he said proudness slipping in his voice.

Yuriko smiled "Yes, she has to be if she came all the way over here alone!"

Wolverine had to laugh as well.

"Yeah, sometimes she can be a really scamp!" he admitted.

"…"

"She cares a lot about you…" Yuriko stated carefully.

For a moment he looked at her. "Yeah, maybe more than is good for her…" he added softly.

Yuriko looked at him sympathetically. She had felt that there must have happened something bad, for he wouldn't have come back to Japan if there hadn't. But she also knew that the X-men could offer him more than Japan ever could. She had seen the restlessness in his eyes for a few days now, and she knew that he already missed them.

"Is she the reason you left?" she asked.

"Yes..NO…Maybe…I don't know…" Wolverine sighed.

Yuriko didn't completely understood but didn't want to push him either.

But he started talking out of his own account about what had happened.

"She doesn't seem to hold any of it against you though…" Yuriko said thoughtfully thinking about the cheerful way she had seen the girl greet Logan.

"She wouldn't have gone through all this trouble to find you either." she added.

Wolverine shook his head. "That's not it…I…I almost killed her… And who says something like that won't happen in the future!" he said sadly.

"You have also saved her live many times before…" Yuriko helped him remember.

But to Wolverine that made no difference. He hated himself for what happened, and couldn't let go of it.

"You are not a violent person Logan. And this wasn't you either. You said yourself that you had been drugged." Yuriko tried. But it still didn't got through to him.

"You know, there is this old Japanese saying that says 'Don't blame yourself, if others do not either'" Yuriko said.

"Are you going back with her?" she asked changing the subject.

Wolverine was surprised. "Back!"

When he left the X-men this time, he had never even thought of ever going back.

"Don't deny it Logan. You miss the action…you miss your friends…" Yuriko said.

…Could that be it?... he wondered confused.

"This is my home Yuriko. This is where I feel calm. Here I am no danger to anyone else…" he added beaten.

"Yes, Japan has peace. But that is not what you are looking for Logan. I can see it in your eyes, in the way you act. You can't sit still for a minute and exhaust yourself with unnecessary chores to chase away the silence you claim you want…" she said.

"Yuriko..I.." he tried, but her finger against his lips silenced him.

"Shhh. Fate follows it's own path Logan; You just have to follow it, and it will lead you to your destiny…" she said.

"But how do I know which path to choose?" he asked almost desperate.

"Just follow your hart Logan…Follow your hart…" she said.

Then she got up, gave him a peck on his cheek and left the room, leaving Wolverine alone with his troubled mind.

The next day he showed Jubilee the surrounding land. They walked and talked a lot.

She seemed to enjoy every moment she was with him, and much to his surprise it felt really good. He felt more at ease than he had been in a long time and he knew that that had nothing to do with the fresh air.

After a week though Jubilee seemed to get a bit more down and restless. She called back to home more frequently, and he knew that she missed the others. Cautiously he offered to book her a flight back.

The evening before she would return home they both sat in the garden.

"Wolvie, will you come back one day?" she suddenly asked hesitant.

"Who knows kid. There are still a lot of things that I need to deal with though..." Wolverine said avoiding.

Jubilee knew that probably meant a 'no'.

"But you'll always be welcome here kid" he said sincere.

"Only you have to promise me not to land in a rice field any more, okay?" he said in an attempt to cheer her up somewhat.

She laughed with him.

"How was I supposed to know what those blinking lights were for!" she said quasi indignant.

The both had to laugh.

"And next time, let the others know you're going to visit okay! Although Cykes face must have been priceless!" he added smirking.

Jubilee too had to laugh at the mere thought of it. But then her face soured.

"He will probably kill me when he sees me again.." she groaned worried.

"Nah he won't. He'll just give you a three hour lecture!" he said deadpan.

At that Jubilee's face soured even more. "Oh no! I'd rather he'd kill me instead. At least that way I have a swift death!" she groaned causing Wolverine to laugh even harder.

"The Cajun is coming to pick you up from the airport, so you have somewhat stay of execution…" he said consolingly.

When the went back into the house she suddenly hugged him.

"I'm glad I found you Wolvie! And I really liked it here!" she said sincere.

Unaccustomed he hugged her back. "Me too kid, and remember, you're always welcome here."

AN Please don't fortget to leave a review! Good or bad I would really like to know what you think of it. Wich part did you like? wich parts did you not like?