Chapter 4

"Michele Ashley Grey! Get back here this instant!" The five-year-old redheaded ball of energy halted immediately at the angry tone of her mother's voice. If there was one thing she knew it was that an angry Mommy was not a Mommy to be crossed.

"But Daddy's going to be back any minute," she whined as she stepped back into the bedroom she shared with her sister.

"And you look like a Raggedy Anne doll without your hair brushed," her mother replied, deftly securing Jane's hair into a simple ponytail.

"But Mommy…"

"Sit." Michele obeyed her mother's command, plopping to the chair in front of her.

"Where did Daddy go again?" Jane asked, fidgeting with the end of her t-shirt.

"Brazil."

"That's south, right?" Jane inquired, showing her mother's natural curiosity.

"Check the globe."

"Jean?" The door cracked open and a white-streaked head poked in.

"Aunt Marie! Is Daddy home yet?" Michele asked eagerly, wincing as her exuberance caused the brush to tug on her hair. Marie smiled.

"The plane just double-checked for landing. They should be down any minute." Both girls immediately turned practiced puppy dog eyes on their mother. Jean smiled.

"Go with Aunt Marie," she acquiesced. The girls raced out of the room, grabbing one of Marie's hands on their way out. Jean took a little bit more time, sensing Ororo on her way down the hall.

"Jean, you coming?" That was Ororo. With a large smile, Jean abandoned her straightening up and walked with Ororo down to the plane's hangar.

"You excited?" Ororo inquired unnecessarily as they waited outside the large metal doors.

Jean rolled her eyes. "Logan's been two months in Brazil, 'Ro. What do you think?" she replied with a wide grin. Truer words had never been spoken. Since the birth of Jane and Michele both Jean and Logan had cut back on the number of missions and the length of missions that they took. This Brazil mission had been the longest the family had been separated since Michele and Jane had become part of their lives.

The doors opened slowly and Jean couldn't help feeling like a military wife waiting for her warrior husband to return home. The situations were similar enough to make her shiver.

Bobby was the first one off the plane, scanning the crowd and throwing a smile to Marie before he was attacked by his girlfriend of two years, Kitty. He and Marie had broken up amicably and Bobby had pretty much dated Kitty since.

Remy was next off the plane, winking roguishly at Marie before submitting to Ororo's hug. The two had bonded since he'd become a permanent fixture in the mansion and since he didn't have a significant other – though, not from a lack of trying with Marie – Ororo had taken it upon herself to welcome him home.

Jean watched the jet power down, knowing the last person was the one she was waiting for.

Logan, she sing-songed over the psychic link that had developed and strengthened over the years.

I'm coming, he insisted and she could hear the exhaustion in his psychic voice. Sure enough, moments later he emerged from the plane looking absolutely exhausted and haggard. However, his face lit up as Michele and Jane attacked him with hugs and kisses, happy to have their father home again. Jean and Marie hung back, allowing the children to say their hellos before they did.

Logan hugged Marie next and Jean could feel the waves of relief radiating off of him at seeing his family again. Then he faced her and all of his stress lines dissipated. Jean wrapped her arms around him tightly, pulling him to her body. His arms wrapped strongly around her waist, squeezing her and refusing to let go.

Something, she realized, had disturbed him greatly.

"Hi," she whispered after a moment, wrapping her arms tighter around him.

"Hi back," he answered roughly, pulling her as close as their bodies would allow.

"Mommy! Daddy! Everybody's gone," Michele whined. Jean smiled at her oldest over Logan's shoulder.

"Well if we're here, then that's not everybody, is it?" she teased back.

"We should go," Logan murmured, not moving to let her go. "Chuck's going to want an update."

"I'll take the girls upstairs," Jean agreed, wrapping her arms tighter rather than releasing him.

"Mommy! Daddy!" Jane exclaimed with a smile. Finally, Logan reluctantly pulled away, holding Jean at arms length.

"I'll go to the briefing and then we'll say a proper hello," he promised, a low grumble to his voice. Jean smiled softly.

"I'll meet you upstairs," she agreed. Logan smiled wolfishly at her before crouching to envelop his daughters in another hug, placing a kiss on each of their cheeks.

"Daddy," Michele called shyly, just before his girls left. "I'm glad you're home."

Logan's mouth twitched in a tired smile. "I'm glad to be home, Princess," he replied.

-as

Logan hated briefings after missions, especially these long ones when his family was upstairs. Still, it was part of the routine and necessary so Logan figured he'd be able to suck it up for another few minutes.

"The Brotherhood's been gathering global support, from the looks of things," Bobby was saying when Logan zoned back into the conversation.

"In Brazil?" Ororo asked in surprise. "Why?"

"I don't believe dat is de worst of our worries," Remy interjected. "They were mentioning somet'ing 'bout a Phoenix, whatever dat is." As the only one who'd looked dark enough to be a potential Brotherhood member, Remy had been tasked with attending a few of the recruitment meetings. Logan slumped in his seat. Since Phoenix had been scarce at the mansion and the few missions Jean had been on had not involved Remy, the Cajun had no experience with the power that was Phoenix. All eyes were on him to explain.

"Not what," Logan said finally.

"Phoenix is not a weapon?" Remy asked, all ears.

"Could be with the right manipulation. Phoenix is a person, Cajun, not a thing," Logan answered flatly.

"A person? A mutant just comin' in to 'is power?"

"Jean Grey," Logan finally relented.

"Jean? Merde," Remy swore after getting over the shock of the announcement.

"The Brotherhood wants Jean," Ororo stated, her shoulders sagging much like Logan's had. Couldn't the two of them get any happiness for any extended period of time? "How do they know about the Phoenix?"

"Magneto," the professor volunteered. "He knows of the barriers."

"How did he find out they'd broken?" Ororo amended.

"Red's been in battle how many times? It wouldn't be surprisin' if they found out," Logan supplied.

"Magneto knew before that, of Phoenix," Xavier said. "They have met before."

"Does he know she can basically control it?" Ororo asked softly. "That it doesn't take Jean over anymore?"

"It doesn't matter," Logan interrupted, knowing what Ororo had said was true. Phoenix hadn't completely taken over Jean in years. "If he can find the right buttons to push, she'll collapse."

"Like what?" Bobby asked. But Logan didn't feel comfortable delving into Jean's issues, fears and worries.

"What isn't the point," Logan stated, avoiding the question. "Magneto is the master of manipulation."

"Right now the threat is minimal. Talk does not always mean action," Xavier soothed. "Jean is an intelligent woman, we all know that. She knows when something is real and when it isn't."

"So what? We wait, play it by ear?" Bobby asked in surprise. Kitty put a hand on his arm to calm him.

"We don't have a choice," Marie spoke up for the first time. "We can't do anythin' because we don't know what ta expect."

"Jean deserves to know," Ororo brought up.

"And add extra stress to her life?" Marie asked incredulously.

"'Ro's right," Logan replied, startling everyone in the room. "But not right now." All eyes were on him.

"Here she's safe. With her family and friends all around her, she's safe. We have a debriefing meeting at the end of the week right?" All heads nodded.

"We'll tell her then."

-as

Jean was childless when he stepped into their bedroom, reading. He crawled up beside her as she replaced her bookmark and closed the book.

"That bad, huh?" she asked rhetorically as he pillowed his head on her chest.

"I'm glad to be home," he answered, rolling on top of her fully and settling his weight comfortably against hers.

"Hiya stranger," she whispered when he stopped moving, her eyes wandering all over his face, checking for bruises she knew wouldn't be there.

"Hiya back," he murmured, kissing her soundly.

"I missed you," she breathed when they broke away.

"Mmm…" Logan managed, diving down to kiss her again. Eventually they broke apart and Logan buried his face in her neck.

"We did it, you know," she said softly after their breathing had calmed.

"Did what?"

"You were gone for two months," she prompted. "We're all still here."

"I never believed you wouldn't be," Logan responded.

"Could we do it again?" Jean asked softly, wiggling against the stubble on her neck.

"Do we have to?" Logan asked, looking up in alarm.

Jean giggled. "Not now, we don't," she promised. "But we might have to in the future."

"Can we cross that bridge when we get there?" Logan groaned. "I want to enjoy bein' home first."

Jean giggled again, pulling his head up to hers. "Sounds good."

-as

Strategy meetings were kept to the senior members of the X-men and consequently the senior members of the Institute's staff. Xavier, Jean, Logan, Hank and Ororo sat around the table in the War Room, ready to discuss not only the growing unrest in the country's mutant population, but also any school issues that popped up.

"We're going to start with a quick recap," Ororo started, as team leader the one charged with the opening to the meeting. "The Brotherhood's been gaining global strength."

"That would scare me if I was surprised," Jean quipped, having been the only member not present at the briefing. "Magneto strikes me as the type to try whatever it takes to get what he wants."

"What was your first clue?" Logan teased, turning serious immediately after. "We've still got ourselves a few problems."

Jean raised an eyebrow at him in mock surprise. "Really?"

"He wants you."

Jean had no response to that.

"I would have taken a more subtle approach," Ororo chastised, though the smile she shot Logan also softened the cutting remark.

Jean sagged back in her chair, the first sign of reaction she'd given. "I guess we should have known."

"He's never outright pursued a mutant, Jean. I don't believe you are in any immediate danger," Xavier stated calmly, the voice of reason.

"We're not going to step up on any sort of security either," Ororo added. "Quite frankly, we don't see the point since you're pretty good at taking care of yourself."

"And what about you guys?" Jean asked, thinking, as usual, outside the box. "If he's willing to do whatever it takes to get followers, wouldn't that ring true for his way of roping me into his schemes?"

"I do not believe we are in any more danger, Jean. The knowledge that it is possible is enough," the professor answered, still as calm as ever.

Easy for you to say, Jean thought to herself, knowing her shields were up and Xavier couldn't hear, you don't have children who rely on you.

For at the end of the day, that was where Jean's priority was. The idea that someone would be more than willing to do things to her little girls in order to gain her cooperation was absurd to most, but to Jean, it would fall into the category of a hellish day. This was the reason she'd wanted out after Michele and Jane were born. They didn't deserve to be wrapped up in this. And Jean didn't see the point in mentioning the danger to two children who wouldn't understand anyway.

"That's a general 'stay on your guard'." Logan stated unnecessarily. "Magneto's not one to cut to the chase, so let's not give him any openings."

It was the fastest Strategy meeting to date, barring those that had been cancelled for lack of information. The room emptied fairly quickly, each member having something to do. Logan, however, hung back, something Xavier noticed.

"Is there something wrong?"

Logan sighed, unsure of if he was willing to confide in the same man that had almost become the bane of Jean's existence. "I saw somethin' in Brazil that I wasn't impressed with Chuck," he finally decided on.

"And you're not sure if you should be telling Jean?" Xavier guessed, the information written on Logan's face rather than his mind.

"I don't want to bug her any more than she is, especially since I just got back."

"What is it?"

"There was one meetin' all of us managed to sneak in on. It wasn't the meetin' itself that was disturbin' but the people at the front of the room, and trust me, Chuck, I double checked."

"Who did you see?"

"I coulda sworn I saw Scooter up front."

Logan didn't need telepathy to see the surprise on Xavier's face, as subtle as it was. It was a piece of news no one had ever believed they'd be hearing. Scott? Their fearless leader and boy nextdoor on the Brotherhood's side? That just didn't make sense.

"Are you sure?"

"Look, I'm not sure, okay? I just… I was sure it was him when I was there, but we know Golden Boy wouldn't do that."

Xavier shrugged slightly, the first time Logan had ever seen him do such. "One can never be sure," was all he said before leaving Logan to ponder.

Logan fell to pacing, the only wandering he'd allowed himself to do with the exception of the Big Oak in the forest on the edge of the property since the twins were born.

He didn't even help me decide whether or not I was going to tell Jeannie, Logan thought to himself as he too left the War Room behind.

-as

I am so incredibly sorry this took so long to get up. I haven't had any internet access and I've been running around like a chicken with my head cut off trying to fit everything into 24 hours. I'll try and get 5 up by Thursday.

To everyone who's still with me, you guys are so patient and so awesome and I love you all. I hope you're enjoying this, no matter how long it's taking me to get it up. I promise it's almost all written, I just haven't either typed it, or separated it.