Hannah looked at the clock and realized she had only 15 minutes to meet Logan downstairs. She over slept. Her bag was already packed, thank goodness, but she quickly jumped out of bed and knew she didn't have time to shower. She grabbed her jeans and a tshirt and saw the note laying by her backpack. A cellphone, a bottle of 50 proof sunscreen and a100 dollar bill laying next to it.

...My darling, Hannah,

I cannot say I am pleased with this little expedition of yours but I understand your need for freedom and making your own choices. I am your father and I want you to know I will always be at the other end of a phone whenever you need me. I love you. And I worry about you. That is what fathers do. Take care of yourself. Your loving father...

She smiled as she tied her hair up in a ponytail and threw the sunscreen and phone into her bag, before running out of the room.

Logan had the Jeep running when she darted through the front door of the mansion. He looked at his watch as she tossed her bag into the back. "Cutting it pretty close there, Masterson. 40 seconds and I would have been history."

"Sorry to disappoint you, Logan. You're stuck with me for the next week."

"We'll see."

She buckled her seatbelt and gave him a glare, "What do you mean by that?"

He pulled out of the drive, "I don't think you'll make it through the first day and you'll be crying for your nice soft bed."

She gave him a snide smile. It was definitely going to be a long drive and he was going to try and make her life as miserable as possible, but she wasn't about to fold. Hannah was there solely to have some alone time with him and get some answers and she was going to get them, no matter what.

The scenery kept her interest for a few hours then the monotony set in and Hannah found another interest. The jeep's radio. The reception went in and out but anything was better than the silent treatment Logan was giving her. For a few minutes Kenny Chesney would be coming through only to be lost, and as she turned the knob she found the Eagles. Not one song seemed to finish before the static took over the airwaves.

Logan had put up with the disturbance for awhile and finally he had enough. He gave her hand a slap as she turned the dial.

"You can stop that right now."

"I'm trying to find a station."

"Which you've been trying to do for the last hour. We're not picking up anything. Give it up. It's making me crazy."

"The silence is doing the same for me." She wasn't about to let him get the last word.

"I didn't ask you to come."

He was right and she found her old ways... Always getting what she wanted... showing through. Easily defeated this time she sighed and sat back into her seat rubbing her hand where he had slapped it. A red mark beginning to show, "I know. And I should just be as quiet as a mouse so you don't know I'm here."

He couldn't help but notice the mark. He didn't mean to hurt her. He tried to soften up, "I know you're here. Nothing you can do will change that. Just hold off on the radio til we get closer to a city and some decent reception."

She looked over at him. "So tell me about this place we're going."

"Just some woods outside of Banff."

"Have you been there before?"

"Yeah, I have."

"Well, what is it like? You don't offer very much information, do you? It makes it extremely hard to talk to you. did you know that?"

"So I've been told. At least I'm talkin. It's not my strong suit. So get used to it."

"It's a long drive, isn't it?"

"Fairly, about 3000 miles but I'm driving straight through."

"Don't you need sleep?" She leaned closer to him, trying to get him to look at her, but he kept his eyes on the road, not even giving her a glance.

"I can deal with no sleep. Don't worry about me. You know you ask a lot of questions." He felt the stares and found them very disrupting. Why did this woman have this effect on him? He really had no answers and he had felt he could handle being alone with her but now he wasn't so sure. He fidgeted in his seat feeling her getting under his skin. Something he didn't' care for.

"I'm just getting started."

"Yeah, I bet you are."

"And I seriously believe you don't mind me being here as much as you say."

He furrowed his brow and glared at her. And she smiled.

"I should have invited Rogue and Kitty as well and we could have all had a slumber party." He said sarcastically.

This comment didn't sit well with her and she turned her head towards the window. Logan noticed her sullenness, "I was just joking, Hannah."

"So that's what you think of me? I'm just another annoying teenager?"

"You're hardly a teenager."

"But that's what I act like, is what you're saying."

"You're memory has been wiped out, Hannah. I, of all people, understand that. The last things you remember were when you were a teenager. So It's understandable you have that quality about you."

"But is it normal for me to relate more to Rogue and Kitty, over Jean and Ororo?"

"That's more to do with you being sheltered. They have life experiences, something that was kept from you. You got a lot of life experience ahead of you, I don't doubt that. You'll catch up."

"Surely I've had some. Maybe I was in love. It's nice to think maybe I was. But I suppose that's highly unlikely the way Brian had such control over me for most of my

life. " She wished she could let go of that time in her life. Forget about the things that had occurred, but that wasn't so easy. Feeling melancholy she once again turned towards the window and took a deep sigh.

"You're getting way to deep for the first few hours of this trip. Cool it for awhile." He didn't want to talk about this now. He knew their night in New York was bound to come up and he also knew somehow he was going to have to talk to her about it, but not now, not today and probably not tomorrow. He just wasn't good at that kind of thing.

" You're right, you know, I don't mind you here as much as I let on. Now stop sulking, we got a long trip ahead of us."

"Now you're just trying to make me feel better."

"Nah, that's something I don't do. So take the damn complement."

She was silent for awhile and then turned to him, "So I'm not a real nuisance to you?"

"Not much of one."

"That's good."

"That is good. Now what do you say, I get a little peace and quiet for the next hundred miles."

"I can't promise anything but I'll try." Settling back in her seat she felt she had broken through,just a tad and that was enough for now.

The long drive was much more trying on Hannah than she had figured. She wasn't accustomed to sleeping in a car and some of the dives Logan stopped at were way out of her league. Her body ached and she didn't care for the greasy food or the scruffy men who eyed her on the way to the bathroom at their various stopping points, but Logan felt comfortable at these places. People left him alone, he blended in. Whereas Hannah stuck out like a sore thumb.

Nearing their final destination Logan made one last stop at small store to pick up a few supplies and let Hannah have one last use of a real toilet. Before she got out of the jeep he grabbed hold of her arm, "This is it. Last chance at civilization as you know it. So enjoy. And watch out for the local boys. They might see something they like. And I wouldn't want to lose you after what we've already been through" He gave her a wink.

"I think you would quite like to lose me."

"There's always the woods for that, darlin." He commented playfully. Spending the last few days in such close proximity with her he had found a way to deal with the uncomfortable feelings he was experiencing. Teasing her was easy and they had fallen into a rapor that was bearable.

She grabbed his hat from his head and placed it on her own getting out of the car as he tried grabbing it back. "It looks better on me," she stated as she turned and smiled at him. Then headed for the bathroom.

Logan stared after her. That morning in New York. It was almost the same. The words, the smile. A feeling of apprehension grew over him. He lost her seconds after that moment. He quickly got out of the car and ran to her.

She was surprised when he showed up by her side opening the creaking screen door of the shop for her. She gave him a leery look, "Well, well, well, there is a gentlemen in there somewhere. Are you alright?" Placing a palm on his forehead, checking for a temperature.

He pulled away from her, "I'm fine. Like I said, the local boys around here..."

"Are you protecting me, Logan? That's very gallant of you."

"I"m not doing any such thing. I don't want any trouble that's all. This wouldn't be the first time I've gotten you out of a scrape with the local boys."

"Really? In Salem City? What did I do? You mean I really have had some life experiences then?"

He nodded his head, "It's a great campfire story, remind me to tell you all about it." He then headed over to the counter and began conversing with the store owner, who he obviously was already acquainted with.

As Hannah headed to the bathroom she realized he was starting to open up. Maybe she would get some answers this week. It was a start anyhow.

Logan took the jeep as far as he could, off roading it. He loaded a backpack up with the basics he had brought with him and started hiking up a hill, Hannah stood at the base.

He turned back at her, "Are you coming or what?"

"What's wrong with right here. It's lovely. Lots of trees."

"I've already got a place and it's a fair hike so we need to get a move on. I'd like to get there in daylight."

"What do you mean by a fair hike?"

"Hannah, don't become a nuisance." He turned back towards the hill and moved forward. Hannah slipped on her backpack and followed him.

The hill turned into a mountain. And Hannah lagged behind. Logan didn't want to worry about her, but as he continually looked back he saw how fatigued she was. He stopped and leaned against a rock waiting for her. As she approached, he looked concerned, "You need to rest?"

She didn't want to hold him up. And definitely didn't want to become a nuisance. She had been the one that insisted on her joining him. Somehow she would make it to wherever they were going without complaining, "I"m fine."

"I don't expect you to keep up. I'm used to this kind of thing, you're not."

"I'm fine, Logan. Keep going, I'm right behind you." But she was far from fine. Her feet felt blistered, her joints ached and the high altitude began to effect her breathing. What was she thinking joining him. This was just crazy.

He moved over to her handing her a bottle of water, "You're doing good. This isn't an easy hike."

She almost felt like breaking down and crying as she took a swig of water. She couldn't look him in the eye. All she wanted was him to accept her and she didn't want to be a weak female, not in front of him. He reached for her backpack and she pushed his hand away, "I told you I'm fine."

"I can carry it. It's no big deal."

"Maybe it is to me." She stood up and moved in front of him looking up towards the peak. She swallowed hard, she was going to make it. "That way?" She pointed up.

"Actually, no. It's down hill from here." He had to say something, before they went another step. She was ready to break and he knew it.

"Well, let's go," she said out of breath.

"Hannah, we're resting now. Sit down. And while you're at it, hand me your backpack. I'm carrying it the rest of the way." His voice was firm.

She turned around and met his gaze. His brow furrowed. She didn't fight. She sank to the ground where she was standing, removing the backpack she threw it on the ground then buried her head in her hands. She couldn't hold it back.

Logan moved towards her picking up the backpack and sitting down beside her.

"Go away." She sobbed into her hands.

"I'm not going anywhere."

"You wanted to get away from it all and that isn't going to happen with me here. I should never have come."

"I told you what to expect." As soon as he said it, he knew it was the wrong thing.

"Fine. I'll just hike back down and hitch a ride back to New York. That should sit well with my father." Defiantly she began to stand up and he put his hand on her shoulder, gently pushing her back down.

"You're something else. You invite yourself along, you try to act all tough like none of this is phasing you, which I know isn't the case and then you throw dear old daddy into the mix like I'm going to get into trouble for bringing his sweet innocent daughter on this trip. You're here Hannah and the old man isn't going to come and rescue you. He knows this is your doing. You defied him, don't act like I coerced you into coming with me."

The sobs continued and Logan let out a sigh, he knew he wasn't making matters any better and her crying was only making him more frustrated. He gently pulled her hands away from her face, lifting her chin so she had to look at him. Taking a deep breath he spoke calmly, "You're tired and once we get down to the valley you can sleep the whole day away without a care in the world. It's worth it, believe me and you'll wonder why you spent so much time crying up here on this mountain wanting to go home, because where I'm taking you is the closest place you're ever going to find to heaven, darlin. Trust me."

The sobbing let up and she took a few deep breaths. "It's not much farther?"

"About an hour."

"About my father..."

"I think keeping him out of all conversations in the future might be advisable."

"He spoke to you didn't he?" She sounded a bit annoyed.

"Do you blame him, Hannah? He only just got you back into his life and you decide you're taking a camping trip with the likes of me. Your his daughter, he wants to protect you."

"From you?"

This conversation was going to end right here. Logan stood up and reached for her hand, helping her up. When their eyes met she tried to figure out what he was thinking. Logan wasn't about to budge, "Those looks have no effect on me, get it? I don't like questions...of any kind." He turned away from her and started heading down the path.

"Don't you think I have a right to know what is said about me?"

"No." he said abruptly.

"You are a horrid person, Logan, you know that?"

"Well, you got that right."

He was only making her more mad, "4 days. I have 4 days. And you will have to talk at some point." she shouted to him.

"Really? Who made that rule." He stated, never looking back at her. "Now stop babbling and get your ass moving."

She caught up with him, walking a few steps behind . He smiled to himself. He wasn't going to let her get the best of him. He still had control. And that was the way he planned to keep things.

As they approached the valley, Hannah forgot about her aches and pains. The crystal blue lake shimmering with the late afternoon's sun and the tree lined peaks surrounding it took her breath away. It was everything Logan had said it was. He tossed the backpacks onto the ground and took a deep breath savoring the clean crisp air. Not wasting any time he headed towards the lake's edge and stripped. Before his clothes had hit the ground he had already broke the water's surface with a perfect dive.

As his head resurfaced he pushed his hair back off his face and managed a smile at Hannah, who's mouth was wide open in awe of what she had just witnessed, "You should come in, the water's great."

She stammered, "No...I...uh..don't think so. I'm..well...I'm not much of a swimmer, actually."

"Suit yourself. So what do you think?"

Hannah's mind was racing. What did he mean? What did she think? She glared at him in shock, "Think?...It was a lovely dive..."

Her embarrassment and blushing, gave her away and Logan realized for the second time in a week, Hannah was taken aback by his naked body. He laughed, "I meant the scenery, this place..not me."

"Oh" feeling silly she quickly averted her eyes up towards the mountains, "It's beautiful. I can see why you love it so."

"There is no place like it on earth. I've traveled the world and I always come back here." He often wondered why. What the draw was. Sure it was beautiful and peaceful but something else brought him here time and time again but he had yet to figure it out.

Hannah sat on a rock and removed her boots, the blisters red and swollen and throbbing she cringed as she rubbed them. Logan seeing them from the water immediately stood up and began walking towards her, "Let me have a look at those. Why didn't you tell me you had blisters?"

Hannah's concern now was solely on this man walking towards her, "No, please...go back in the water. This isn't proper, I mean...Logan...this isn't right." She covered her eyes as he leaned down into his bag and found a towel, wrapping it around his waist.

"You have to get used to this. This place makes me feel free, and shedding my clothes is just part of that freedom. You know it probably wouldn't hurt you to give it a go. You seem a bit uptight."

"Where I come from, men don't parade around in their birthday suits in front of impressionable young women or try and persuade them to remove their clothing."

He laughed, "Darlin, if you think seeing another gangly pasty English woman in the buff is my idea of a turn on, then you've got me pegged all wrong."

"Seen a lot of naked English women then I take it."

"Does that shock you?"

She ignored the comment and looked back down at her foot.

He knelt next to her taking her foot in his hands, "That's nasty."

"Thank you, doctor for that assessment." she said sarcastically.

"A dip in the lake wouldn't do it any harm, otherwise I suggest staying off it and letting it air. Those new boots were a mistake."

"I realize that now." She felt so vulnerable around him. This wasn't the way she wanted him to see her.

He sensed her agitation and thought it was strange that his remark about her boots could make her so upset. "I'm only trying to help."

"You're so condescending. Do you like making me feel totally stupid or do you act this way around all your gangly pasty English women?"

Now it made sense. The comment about the women was upsetting her. "Only 1 gangly pasty English woman actually."

"That makes me feel so much better." She got up and limped towards the water's edge, sitting on the edge she placed her foot in the cool water, feeling the relief, trying to block out Logan, but of course that wasn't so easy.

Logan scratched his head. So much for the humor, she wasn't having any of it. "Hannah, I meant there was only 1 gangly pasty English woman. Just one."

She turned to face him, "Why do you think I care about that?"

"Not sure really, but it seems you do."

"I'm not interested in you, Logan. I'm not jealous of your women and I'm sure there are hundreds of them. It's just like you said I'm tired and my whole body aches and you were right. I cried the first day here and I do want my comfortable bed, but I'm here and I am going to get through this whether you think I can or not. So go do your thing..get naked..run through the woods, hunt your prey or whatever it is you do and I'll be fine here, soaking my foot and keeping off it like you said."

He knew when to leave her alone. He saw so much of himself in her. Her frustration about her memory loss was a major factor in her behavior. He had been there and still relapsed to that state every so often. He went to his backpack and found the extra blankets he brought. He found a nice place in the shade of a pine. Clearing the needles and leaves from the area he laid them out and then moved back over to her.

"I laid out some blankets over there so you could lie down. Get some rest. I'll just go find us some dinner and If you need me just holler, I'll hear you. I won't be far."

Before he moved away she reached up and took hold of his hand. Expecting him to pull it away she was surprised when he didn't and looked down at her. "I really will be fine, Logan. I know you're concerned. And it's not fair to you. Me being a nuisance."

"You're not much of one. You're tired and hungry and we'll take care of both of those things. And I think I promised you a campfire story about your run in with the local boys in Salem City. I got a bottle of wine, and the stars will be out and you'll forget the blisters. That's one thing I can do, I can make you forget the blisters."

She managed a smile. Then realized they were still holding hands. She quickly pulled hers away, averting his gaze. She had lied to him. She was interested. And there was something there. Not just on her side. And it confused her.

Logan had lost the control in those few moments holding her hand. Every minute he was with her seemed to make the situation worse instead of better. What was it he wanted? He had allowed her to come on this trip, but why? A few days ago he was ready to walk away with a clean slate. She would never have been the wiser about what had transpired in New York and that suited him fine, or so he said. He clenched his eyes tight fighting every feeling that was now jolting through his body.

Hannah heard him groan and refocused on him, his eyes and fists clenched tightly. "Logan, are you alright?"

He opened his eyes wide, embarrassed by the invasion, "Yeah...hungry. I'm hungry. I'll just be off. I won't be far. You can holler if you need me."

"You already said that."

"Right. Well, then...I'll be off." he let the towel drop and ran off into the woods. Nothing like a hunt and a good killing to distract him. And boy, did he need a distraction right about now. He let out a guttural howl as he made his way through the pines, intently listening for the rustling of a creature in the bushes, sniffing the air following the track of a deer. Nothing more exciting than the thrill of a hunt and stalking a prey, but the image of Hannah lying in his bed only a few short days ago was still emblazoned in the back of his mind.

The soft sweet sounds of her humming drifted through the trees and Logan stopped in his tracks, turning towards the camp. Hannah was humming a tune. One he didn't' recognize, probably something classical, but it was haunting and beautiful. And at that moment he felt the only prey he was remotely interested in was calling him back. It was so tempting. Then from the north the gentle rustle of leaves brought him back to the task he had set out to accomplish. Food. Taking a deep breath, he tuned out the melody and refocused on the prey up ahead. This was safer, he told himself. He quietly made his way through the thicket and with the SNIKT of his blades, was ready to attack.

"