Author's note: Obviously the service was down, so I didn't receive a message if Chapter 14 was posted, also not about your reviews. Thanks to all reviewers!! I hope that the problem at gets fixed soon. : ) I wrote the beginning and the first scene between Hank/Scott/Mystique in the train on y way to college, while a small girl was babbling and singing the same words non stop next to me. So…I hope the scenes make sense. LOL Enjoy!

Oh, and before I forget about it: This chapter and probably the next one, too, contains scenes from the book: Wolverine: Origins and Endings!

And (…) indicates that a foreign language is spoken!!! Wasn't used in scenes where it's obvious!!!

Changes Sequel – I. Darkness Part 15

The jet's engines still roared when the X-Wing aimed for its fourth destination, France. While Nightcrawler and Storm had the command and were flying the jet, Rogue and Gambit sat right behind them. The whole flight through before everyone had thought about the same thing, but no one had dared to speak about it aloud.

"So, uhm…," Rogue began and the others knew what she would ask. "What happened between Jean and Logan, huh?"

"Long story!" was all Storm answered.

"Too long for the rest of the flight?"

"Ask them about it," the weather witch replied. "The whole truth knows probably Logan only. Hank might be right that there's far more behind it than he tells us."

"But he's in a très bad mood, non?" Gambit asked after a while. "Gambit hasn't seen him like dis before…"

"Believe me his mood can be far worse!" Storm said with a short laugh when she recalled in what kind of mood Logan had been after Jean's death. "You have never seen him really pissed off. And believe me…you won't!"

"But it comes close," Nightcrawler added and she had to nod. Checking the computer, he turned towards the others. "Fasten the seatbelts. We're there, soon!"

"Just one more thing!" Rogue asked. "Did you know that Jean was on board, Storm?"

Giving the young woman a short look, the weather witch winked at her. "I only hope he doesn't kill me or her for it…"

As he'd thought before, he had been right in the end. Just as they'd reached the path which let to the small village in the mountains it had begun to snow. By now, they were still surrounded by a wood, but still, the white stuff made the ascent very hard. Not for him, though, since he was used to it. Briefly switching his eyes to the redhead behind him, Logan noticed that Jean had quiet some trouble to prevent herself from falling. Hearing a loud shriek all of a sudden, he had less than a second to react when she lost her hold and was falling backwards. Jumping, he grabbed her hand quickly and pulled her up easily as if she weighted nothing with her backpack.

Opening her eyes again, Jean noticed his cocked eyebrow, which practically said told ya so, and gave him a look on her own. "I thought you don't give a shit when I break my bones," she said dryly and kept on walking through the woods; relieved that the ground was even now, when he suddenly grabbed her arm roughly again. Thinking that she pissed him off, she prepared herself for another sermon, when she realized that he had his eyes fixed on a spot in the wood. Switching her attention towards it, she couldn't see a thing. Still, she could be more than sure that he either heard or saw something she didn't. "What's wrong?" Jean asked him worriedly when he walked past her with narrowed eyes and gave her a sign to stay behind him.

Logan heard the noise hoofs made in the snow and quickly counted that there were at least 5 horses that headed right into their direction. Sniffing, he caught the smell of at least 10 men additionally. Still not being able to see them, he was suddenly hit by something and landed on the back.

"Logan!" Jean shrieked and was about to help him, when he'd already gotten up and shoved her to a thick bush right next to a tree. Watching how he pulled a thick arrow out of his right shoulder, she saw how the wound quickly closed and only left a small hole in his thick jacket.

"Stay here!" he hissed and extracted his claws before he climbed up the tree as if it was a normal thing to do.

Watching him doing so, the redhead risked a look towards where the arrow came from. Gasping, she saw how shadows became visible from afar and soon realized that it were 5 riders and 5 men next to them with strange looking armor that reminded her of a book she'd seen Logan reading. Looking up again, she noticed that he had already jumped at another tree and was now waiting for them to come closer. Knowing that he could handle them, she still prepared herself for an attack of her own. She couldn't risk that he got injured and they had to stay here until his wounds had completely healed. Suddenly, she heard him roaring angrily and watched how the men began to shriek when he jumped of the tree, claws first, and attacked them from behind. Jean saw that he quickly got rid of two riders. Concentrating on three armed men who were about to attack the growling Logan from behind, she sent them backwards crashing against a tree, when he had already knocked out two others and was now jumping at another rider, as suddenly…

"(Stop!)"

Turning around to an approaching man on a black horse, Logan growled at him threatening, while he quickly knocked another man out, which only left two riders that aimed their weapons at him. The man in armor looked at the raging mutant closely and suddenly pulled off his samurai helmet; revealing a man of about 50 with a bald head and brown eyes that appeared nearly black. Narrowing his eyes, while Logan was still prepared to strike if necessary, he tilted his head a bit. "(Logan-san?)" the man said and frowned in obvious surprise. "(Is that really you?)"

Retracting his claws, Logan gave him an odd look, when the other men stopped pointing their weapons at him and turned towards Jean who came slowly closer. Stopping next to her husband, she gave the strange looking men suspicious looks; unable to understand what was going on all of a sudden. "(Who are you?)" Logan asked and the redhead gave him an odd look since she'd never heard him speaking Japanese before.

"(You forgot about us, my friend?)" the man replied and got off his horse. "(It took you long to find your way back…)"

Getting more and more confused with every second, Logan noticed the look Jean gave him. He heard how the man on the ground slowly got up groaning and switched his eyes to them; making sure that they wouldn't attack them. "(I don't understand. I'm sorry!)" he finally replied and saw how the man in front of him, who smiled kindly at him, gave one rider a sign. This one came over and handed Logan the reins of another huge black horse. Frowning, the mutant cocked an eyebrow at his opposite, who told his injured men not to attack and instead get ready to ride back home.

"(Follow me, Logan-san!)" the man said and turned his horse that began to move slowly forward.

"What's going on?" Jean asked him slightly scared since she didn't understand anything at all. "Why are they not attacking anymore?" Only shrugging, Logan jumped on the back of the horse and held a hand towards her, to pull her up. Moving her backpack to the front, she gave him a look. "Can I sit on the front?" she asked him, still thinking that one of the strange men would probably stab her from behind. Sighing, he just grabbed her hand and placed her in front of him, before Logan gave the horse a soft kick to tell him to move. Still eyeing the man on the front, he slowly began to recall the scent of him. While following him and his men, the mutant kept on thinking about what the name of their leader was…

"Great!" Scott cursed. "Of course he had to send me into a moody jungle…"

"Well, not exactly," Hank corrected him. "In fact he sent us and this is not about taking revenge on you, since Mystique and I didn't piss Logan off, remember?"

"Whatever," the other man said and kept on pushing branches and leaves out of his way, while the ground was muddy and made it hard to walk. "Where do we have to go anyway?"

"We'll reach a river soon," Mystique replied and kept on looking onto a map. "We need to follow it for some time, heading west."

"How can he send us off without even knowing what we are looking for anyway?" Scott cursed and didn't react fast enough when one branch swung back and hit the back of his head with a loud zud. Rubbing the spot of head, while the two mutants behind him grinned, he briefly turned his head towards them, just to get a leaf square into his face when he switched his gaze to the front again. "I hate him… If I hadn't already hated him before, now I do with all my heart!"

Shaking his head, Hank gave Mystique and annoyed look. "I bet he says right now the same about you in Japan. How the two of you managed to live in coexistence for four years without any testosterone fights is still a miracle to me…"

"That's right!" the woman nodded and pointed to the left since Scott had led them a bit off the original path. "And what do you expect Logan to do anyway? We only had those papers, he translated them and checked them three times before calling in a meeting." She said a bit annoyed.

"You are a woman, you don't understand this!" Scott spat and cursed again when he nearly fell over a fallen tree. "I hope a rock hits his head right now!"

"Yeah, all men of the mansion hate Logan," Hank nodded and rolled his eyes. "That's why he's respected and our leader."

Reaching the river, they stopped briefly while Mystique checked the map again. Heading to the left, they followed her for some time. "Keep your eyes open," she warned. "Who know what dangers are waiting here…"

"If someone wants to eat you, complaints have to be sent to Japan," Cyclops hissed and kept on looking two and fro between both sides of the river.

"Scott, you have no reason at all to be pissed off, okay?" Hank scolded him. "As far as I recall you are the main reason why Logan's mad."

"No reason to yell at Jean for me!" the other man gave back without turning around. "One bastard left, another one follows…"

Sighing, the other X-Man gave up and looked at his computer briefly which showed the world map with four blinking dots. Just now a fifth began to glow. "Everyone reached their target. Let's hope we'll find what we came for…"

"Okay, guys," Jubilee said and stood in front of the others. "I say we go….that way!" She pointed towards a pretty deserted looking area.

"Uhm, Jubes," Peter said and took the map out of her hand while Kitty had the computer in hers. "As far as I recall Logan said that I lead the group, you know."

Pouting, she crossed her arms. "Yeah, because you're his Dangeroom-buddy…"

"No, actually because he's not so childish," Bobby mumbled and looked away quickly when her piercing gaze hit him.

Kitty sighed and kept on looking around. "Gosh, here is really nothing… I thought Australia had some…Kangaroos or so. Why are we here anyway?"

"Probably because Logan wanted to see Scott fighting his way through a jungle," Bobby shrugged grinning when Peter looked up.

"Okay, we need to go into that direction. Since we wear our casual stuff, we shouldn't be too conspicuous to others." Leading the way, the others followed him.

"No, of course not," Jubilee said and crossed her arms behind her head while she walked next to Bobby. "If someone gets suspicious that four young people run through a deserted area, we just say…oh, we need to bring the one and only ring to Sauron. I'm Frodo and that tin man over there is Wolvie's best pal Gollum…"

"Besides the fact that Lord of the Ring was shot in New Zeeland, girl," Kitty sighed and shook her head. "As Logan said…you're dumb!" Grinning at Peter, she took his hand.

"And you're a housewife!" the other girl replied and linked arms with Bobby, who looked rather surprised at her. "Who's watching over your kid, now that Jean has decided to test how far Wolvie's patience can be overstrained before he turns into a cold blooded killer…?"

"Uhm…," the young man next to her made and suddenly realized that he had no idea. "Hey, can I have the communicator for a second?"

Shielding his eyes against the bright sun, Kurt blinked a bit and looked at Ororo again, who checked the coordinates. "Do you know where we have to go to?" he asked her and joined her side.

"As far as I know, we need to head that way," she replied and pointed towards some houses. "But doubt it's such a good idea to take the direct way…"

"Why?" he asked her confused and she turned her head away from where she was staring at.

"You know…in some parts of my country there's still some hostility against foreigners. And since some places have their own language… I don't know. My feeling's telling me to take a way around."

Pulling her close, Nightcrawler kissed her tenderly and stroked over her cheek. "Then we take a way around…" Smiling up at him, she nodded and held on to him tightly when he began to teleport from one roof to the next…

It was already dark and freezing cold on the outside when Logan and Jean finally arrived at the small village Jasmine Falls, which was hidden and protected by mountains. Noticing the strange looks of the inhabitants when they followed the man and his group up to a large house, Logan's gaze fell on a huge waterfall, illuminated by soft moonlight, to which a small path led. Narrowing his eyes, he was sure that he had seen this place before. The scents he picked up were too familiar to him to be just coincidence. Seeing that the man came to a halt, he told his horse to stop and helped Jean down first, before he, too, jumped off and waited for the man to come to him while the rest of the men bowed to him briefly. Knowing the culture and customs, the mutant did the same and watched them disappearing when the man bowed to him, too.

"(Logan-san, it would be an honor for me and my wife if you would stay at our home)," he said and made an inviting gesture to the house behind him. "(It's already very late and you need to change your clothes. Otherwise you'll get sick, my friend.)"

Making their way to a door, Jean could only frown and recalled the movie Lost in Translation she'd seen with Ororo. Lost was the perfect word that described her situation right now and Translation was unimaginable, too. She watched how the man and Logan got rid off their shoes in front of the door and did the same before she entered. Looking around in interest she had to admit that her and their culture couldn't be more different. It didn't take long and a small woman with long black hair that was tied to a knot she'd seen on many old Japanese pictures appeared. Meeting her gaze first, she noticed that the woman stood stock still when her gaze fell on Logan. Obviously, as far as the redhead could tell, she was very surprised to see him and hugged the, not minder, completely confused Logan.

"(It's so good to see you again, Logan-san,)" the woman said and bowed to him, which Logan imitated. "(It's been so many years.)"

"(I'm sorry, but I really have no idea who you are or why you know me,") the mutant replied politely and to show that he really felt sorry about it, he bowed again until he felt the man's hand on his shoulder.

"(My friend, there's no need to bow to us that deep,") he said and Logan cocked an eyebrow at him. "(I don't know why you don't remember us and it hurts me really, but let me introduce myself to you again, Logan-san. My name is Ken Kawashima and this is my wife Yuri.")

The woman bowed to Logan, before she disappeared just to reappear with clothing in her hands. "(Give me your wet clothes and bags. I'll hang them up and wash the dirty ones.")

Giving her his bag and Jean a sign to do the same, he took the clothing from her and bowed briefly. "(Thank you.)"

"(You can sleep in this room,)" Mr. Kawashima said and opened a door for them. "(Rest for now, my friend and we talk about everything tomorrow.)" Bowing briefly he left, too and Logan closed the door, which was built in the same old Japanese style as the house and the whole village.

Running a hand through his face, when he felt a headache coming up, since he tried to remember why those people knew him and why the village was so familiar. Shaking his head sighing, he laid the clothes briefly on the ground and took the carefully rolled up beds from an edge of the room. Jean watched him with a raised eyebrow how he easily put up two beds, after he took sheets out of a wardrobe on the other side of the room. Beginning to shake slightly since her clothes were soaked with snow, her eyes still kept on looking around the room in interest. Hearing a carefully knock on the door, she turned her head around when she heard Logan saying something. It didn't take long and Mrs. Kawashima, who kneeled on the ground, appeared and nodded politely. "(You can throw the wet clothes into the basket,") she said and nodded once more before she closed the door again.

Hearing how Logan got rid off his clothes and quickly changed into a dry and warm dark blue Kimono, Jean looked at the clothing rather helpless. Feeling how the cold began to eat her up from within, she undressed herself, too and turned to him with the dark green Kimono in her hands. Knowing that he was still angry with her, especially after disobeying his orders, she took her time to eye him closely in the unfamiliar appearance, before she spoke up. "How…how do I wear it?" she asked him barely audible and watched him turning around to her, while he gave her a look. Without saying anything, Logan took the Kimono out of her hands and began to dress her in it, whereas Jean looked up at him from time to time. As soon as he was finished, he turned away again. "Thanks…" Looking down on herself, she thought that she felt strange in those clothes. Still, she had to admit that, as strange as it was, they suited him well. Seeing towels in the basket, she took them and began to dry her hair, while Logan had already put the wet clothes into it and put the basket on the corridor out of their room. Curiously, Jean eyed the bed on the floor and sat down on it, while her green eyes still couldn't get enough of the room and pictures. Finally, she understood why he loved the culture so much.

Logan in the meanwhile had taken the computer into his hand and checked if the others were alright. Sending a brief message to each group, he waited for a confirmation before he read through the information Mystique had saved on each computer. Sitting cross-legged on his bed, he was deeply lost in thoughts and didn't notice first that Jean offered him another towel. Taking it without saying anything, he put the computer away and dried his hair briefly.

"Found anything?" she asked him calmly, but he shook his head and laid the towel away. "Logan…," Jean said and shook her head sighing while she felt a thick lump in her throat. "…tell me what you want me to do…" Waiting for a reaction, she fought back her tears of disappointment and anger. "Yell at me, hit me or do whatever you want with me, but please stop it…" Hearing him snorting, when he laid down with his back to her and pulled the sheets over him, she carefully reached out and touched his shoulder. "Logan, please…"

Turning around, Logan only glared at her and pulled her hand away from him roughly. "Lay down and sleep," he grunted and turned away again, leaving her biting her lip until she finally obeyed. Trying to get used to the unfamiliar bed, she closed her eyes; feeling suddenly very tired.

Since they had the same time in Australia than Jean and Logan, the younger X-Men had already pitched up two tents when it became too dark to keep walking. Right now they stood on the outside and checked their surroundings again; making sure no danger was close by. By now, the air had cooled down a lot and they'd to put sweatshirts from the school over their shirts. Looking at her husband, Kitty winked at him and took his hand. "Okay, we go to sleep then. Good night!" Quickly, she shoved him over to one tent and pulled the zipper of it down.

"What?" Jubilee shrieked and gave Bobby, whose chin had dropped, a look. "Hey, you can't do that! That ain't fair!" Hearing giggles from within, she rolled her eyes and turned towards her teammate. "You! Say something!"

"And what?" Bobby asked when the lamp within the tent was switched off.

"Threaten them to freeze the tent or something like that!" she demanded and crossed her arms.

"Come on, guys!" Peter said while Kitty held back a laugh. "Go to bed!"

Groaning aloud, Jubilee disappeared in the second tent and pointed a finger at Bobby. "You sleep on the outside, mister!"

"What?" he replied aloud and heard a 'Hush' from his friends, before he pushed her aside and closed the door. "Forget it! If you've got a problem, you can sleep on the outside!" Laying down on his sleeping bag, he ignored her pouting, when Kitty suddenly giggled aloud. "And you over there stop giving us a peepshow!"

"Envious?" Kitty shot back.

"Definitely not!" Jubilee gave back and pulled the zipper of her own sleeping bag up. "Why are those tents so small anyway?" Turning to her sleeping-side, she gave Bobby a warning look. "Don't even think about beginning to snore and keep your fingers by yourself!"

Snorting, Bobby switched of the lamp and tried to get into a comfortable position. "Night guys!" he called before he slowly drifted off to sleep…"

In France it was 4:15 p.m. at the same time and Rogue and Gambit walked along the coast; looking at the ocean from afar. Holding on tight to each other, the woman smiled up at her partner briefly, before she switched her gaze to the long and beautiful beach. "It's so great here," she said and stopped to have a better look at the scenery. "I've never seen something like this before. Isa would love it!"

Embracing her from behind, Gambit rested his head in hers; also staring at the blue ocean and beautiful weather. "Remy thinks we could show her, non?" he asked and Rogue nodded.

"Yeah, when her school has holidays and I get some days off,…we could," she agreed. "As long as Bobby doesn't allow it again."

Walking again, he still had his arm around her waist. "Remy thinks dat Bobby wouldn't say no to his daughter having some fun. Just ask him, mon chérie."

Sighing, Rogue leant her head against his shoulder. "I will. So, the map says we reached our target, but… I don't see anything that looks like a seal. Do you?"

Looking around for some time, Gambit shook his head after a while. "Non," he replied and pointed to a small café. "Let's sit down for a while." Walking over to it, he ordered them something to eat and drink; smiling about Rogue, who still stared at the ocean. "Remy thinks that Marie is quiet taken with l'océan, non?" Smiling, he took her hand into his.

"Yeah, I haven't seen something like this before," she answered and her eyes looked at the shop window of the small café. Frowning, she gave a small, weird looking wooden statue in it a look. Not thinking about it further, she turned her attention to the waiter who brought their meal and gave the ocean another dreamy look.

Being awoken by a loud clap of thunder, Logan opened his eyes and the room was illuminated by another lightning bold again. Due to the different method of construction, the noise the storm made was way louder than it would have been back home. To him it appeared strange that it happened when it'd been freezing cold on the outside before. He didn't have to sniff to smell Jean's stress. He knew about her fear of lightning, as long as Ororo wasn't the one controlling it. When another, even louder bolt struck, he heard her shrieking a bit. To him it was a complete miracle how the most powerful mutant of the planet could be scared of something as simple and natural as lightning.

Smelling that her scent became salty, Logan sighed aloud and turned around; looking at her quivering form in the dark. Hearing another whimper, he sighed again in frustration; trying as good as possible to control his negative that still wanted its revenge. Reaching out, he pulled her over to him in one swift move, while he covered both of them with his sheet once more. Closing his eyes again, Logan pulled her close with one arm, as he always did during a storm like this, whereupon Jean clung to him tightly and still shaking. Resting her head against his chest, she listened to his steady breathing and heartbeat, which calmed her nerves a bit again. She felt ashamed that she behaved so childish, but since some incidents in her childhood she was terribly scared of thunderstorms. Feeling him moving, while he sighed, she realized that he was already deeply asleep again. Looking up, Jean slowly reached out and touched his cheek briefly. Stroking over it gently, he suddenly snorted and pulled a face, which made her withdraw her hand again. She knew touching him when he was angry was the worst thing she could do, still she missed it. Cuddling up to him again, Jean closed her eyes and due to the comfortable feeling, she finally drifted off into oblivion.

On the next morning, she was awoken by soft light that touched her skin. Pulling a face, she heaved a deep sigh and blinked against the light just to close her eyes again. Trying to move, Jean noticed the pressure on her legs, waist and shoulder and finally opened her eyes a bit. She realized that during their sleep, the two of them must have moved so much that they were now tightly wrapped around each other; whereas Logan rested his head on her shoulder while he had his hand firmly around her waist and one leg half around her waist. Smiling, she enjoyed it and was about to cuddle up to him again, when Logan pushed her away all of a sudden. Jean looked at him in complete confusion and watched him getting up first, just to leave in the next moment. She couldn't help but stare at the door for a while. Thinking about his behavior towards her, the redhead didn't know what to think anymore. If he hated her, he wouldn't have comforted her, she knew that, but still his actions didn't make the slightest sense to her. Biting her lip, she ran a hand through her face and just sat on the bed for a while when she had an idea. Concentrating, she reached out to the man who probably knew the whole truth…

Outside, Logan had run into Mr. Kawashima. In the need of distraction, the mutant had joined the man gladly when this one had offered to show him around. By doing so, he could probably find out about where the seal was hidden. Walking for some time, Logan turned his head towards the other man, nodding briefly to some woman who bowed to him. "So, how come you know me?" he asked him and Ken looked up; looking very surprised but also confused.

"What? What do you mean, Logan-san?" he asked in return and frowned while his arms were crossed behind his back.

"I'm sorry, but… I lost my memory 23 years ago. So I don't remember anything that happened before 1987…," the mutant explained briefly and attentively kept his gaze switching from one spot of the village to the next.

"I see, I'm very sorry to hear this, my friend." Making an inviting gesture, Kawashima led Logan up a path through thick snow. Even if it was freezing cold on the outside, it was not snowing right now. Still the snow on the ground slowed down the movement a lot.

"Can you tell me when I arrived here and how long I stayed?" the X-Man asked politely and briefly looked into the sky. His nose caught the barely noticeable change of smell in the air. It would snow again soon, that was for sure…

"Of course," Ken nodded. "Let's walk a bit more, shall we?" Leading the mutant further up the path, they soon reached even ground and stopped in front of a gravestone. Seeing Logan frowning in confusion, Kawashima switched his gaze to the stone; drifting back within his mind to years that had long past. "You arrived here in 1970, Logan-san," he began and Logan immediately switched his eyes to him; paying fullest attention to the man. "You cam here to look for redemption and Bundo Suboro. You told him your sensei, master Ogun sent you to seek Suboro-sensei out."

Thinking hard after hearing those names, the X-Man closed his eyes briefly. "Sensei Ogun…," he mumbled and tried to find a face to that name within his head.

"Do you remember him?" Kawashima asked hopefully and Logan nodded after a while.

"Yes… He taught me everything I know about your culture. I learned to read and write Japanese from him, but also all forms of armed and unarmed fighting styles…," Logan said after he recalled that part of his past all of a sudden. Still everything appeared blurred to him.

Ken nodded. "Well, Suboro-san allowed you to stay. He wanted to teach you further in the way of the Samurai. He showed you the place of your home and you began to build it."

"The house you showed me before?"

"Yes. You built it with your own hands as it is tradition here. That's the first think Suboro-sensei taught us. Instead of destruction, each lost soul that had found its way to this village learned how to create something," he explained further and again Logan was brooding about his words.

"So,…this house still belongs to me?" he asked his opposite after a while and saw another nod.

"It does, my friend. It belongs to you and your wife," Kawashima explained and nodded towards the small, black gravestone in front of them.

"Itsu…," Logan read the name aloud when he suddenly noticed what Ken meant. "My wife?!"

"Yes. You had taken her as your wife in your forth year of training. Shortly afterwards she honored you by carrying your child…," Kawashima explained, sounding sad by doing so.

With a complete blank face, the mutant stared at him; his heart was practically bursting through his chest. "What?" he asked shocked and stepped back a bit. "I have a child here?"

Shaking his head, Ken sighed. "Unfortunately no. But let me explain, Logan-san," he said kindly. "To celebrate when a woman honors a man with a child, we make a ceremony. A test of worthiness, strength and honor. Men attack the husband of that woman. Together they fight, but it is more a dance, you know? While they attack, the man evades, he never strikes back. That's why it is more a dance," he explained and watched how Logan closed his eyes; obviously trying to recall it. "Everything went well for you until there was an explosion. Something happened…"

"My claws…," the X-Man said like in trance and stared down on his opened hands.

"Yes. As a reflex, you extracted them and injured one of the men…"

Nodding, Logan began to remember. "And dishonored my family and clan… I failed Itsu and wasn't worthy of raising my own child anymore." Clenching his fists in anger when the memory returned to him, he felt the shame and embarrassment again.

"You knew that by being dishonored, the task of raising your child was left to the other, more honorable men of the village," Kawashima went on. "As far as I was told, you decided to leave the village and only return when you were worthy of the blessings heaped on you again. But you wanted to say goodbye… You found her dead in your house. She was shot by a bullet. After we buried her, you left in 1975. We haven't seen you since then…"

Staring at the gravestone in front of him and touching it briefly, Logan remembered it. Now he knew why the waterfall had been so familiar to him. He had stood there and had looked up at the moon after the ceremony. He'd made the decision to leave since he couldn't endure to look at his wife in shame again. So, he'd gone back to his house, but had smiled her blood from a mile away… "Muramasa… He'd caused the explosion. I went after him after I'd found Itsu. He wanted me to come with him and purify what is inside of me, then forge it into something stronger," he said more to himself, since right now he didn't even noticed the other man who watched him closely. "I remember that he began a process and they left me in the snow… I think we were attacked by someone, but…I don't remember what happened then." Clenching his fists again, he sighed. "What about Suboro-sensei?"

"He dies in December of 1999. He is buried close by." Beckoning him to follow him, he led him back down the path to the village, he watched how his wife led Jean back from the hot sources to his house. "The woman you came with. Who is she, if I might ask?"

Seeing the redhead, too, Logan kept on looking for the seal again. "Her name is Jean. She's my wife."

"I see. Does she speak our language, too?" Ken asked him, but saw his friend shaking his head.

"No. I couldn't remember being able to speak it, too, before I figures out about it a few years ago."

"How can I communicate with her? My English is still not well."

Smirking, since he'd gotten the true question behind it, Logan cocked an eyebrow at him. "Why are you not asking me to translate?"

Kawashima smiled and nodded in appreciation. "It is no secret to me, Logan-san, that you are angry with your wife. No, not angry, rather…disappointed."

"Is it that obvious?" Logan snorted and noticed that they would soon reach the house again. "Yes it is," Ken said. "What have you done in the past years since you left here? I mean, from what you remember?" Beginning to tell him about the most important things, Logan's main attention was still on finding what he came for. But up to now there was nothing strange or Maya-like looking in his surrounding. "How old are your children, my friend?" Kawashima asked him after the mutant had finished.

"The twins turn 6 on May 10th and my baby girl turns 4 on February 15th," Logan replied and noticed the look he was given. "I know it's against your rules to have children before one is married. But the twins just happened…"

The other man waved off and they reached the house again. "It's time to eat. Be my guest, Logan-san and eat with my wife and me."

Seeing his opposite bowing, Logan bowed back politely. "It'll be an honor, Kawashima, san."

"And if I can help you with those seals you told me about, please let me know!" Ken said and they entered.

"I will," the mutant replied and bowed again. "Thank you for your kindness." Seeing a nod of his opposite, Logan walked over to the room where he'd spent the night and opened the door. Jean, who was looking at the computer for more information, looked up when she heard the noise and saw him tilting his head quickly; beckoning her with it to follow him. Doing so, she stopped at another door and looked at Mr. and Mrs. Kawashima who already kneeled on the ground in front of a small table. Logan had kneeled down by now, too, and she decided to join his side, while Mrs. Kawashima handed him a bowl with rice.

"(Thank you)," Logan said and nodded briefly when Yuri smiled at him, just to hand the redhead next to him a bowl, too.

Repeating what she thought Logan had said on Japanese, she watched them beginning to eat with chopsticks. Looking at her husband from aside, Jean saw that he did it without any problem at all while she had never managed to eat with them. Meeting her gaze, Logan noticed that she was lost and put his bowl and sticks aside. Taking her right hand into his, he put with his free hand the chopsticks correctly into hers and nodded towards her bowl. Trying it, Jean was surprised that it worked this time and smiled at him briefly, even if he was already eating again. "Thank you," she said barely audible and ate in silence for the rest of the time.

Being twelve hours behind the Japan and Australia group, Hank, Scott and Mystique had decided to go to sleep early at 9 p.m.. About to put up their tents, Scott cursed all of a sudden and narrowed his eyes. "Why is there a hole in my tent?" he asked aloud and gave his teammates a look.

"Don't even start thinking about accusing Logan of it!" Hank immediately said. "He's not that childish, Scott. You probably caught an old one." Keeping on pitching up his tent, he looked at his work satisfied. "So, sleep well and let me know if something important happens," he added and disappeared into it; hiding the big grin on his face by doing so.

"Great! Thanks four your help, Mr. Diplomat," Scott hissed and threw his tent to the ground sighing.

Mystique, who had pitched up her tent first, was placing her sleeping bag into it and switched on the lamp within. "You can sleep here if you want," she said and nodded inside. "It's enough room for two."

Turning his head to Hank's tent, Scott hesitated for a moment. He had no other choice that was for sure and he definitely didn't want to sleep on the outside and be stung by whatever. Taking his sleeping bag from the ground he gave her a short smile. "Thanks."

"Don't mention it," she said and laid down in her bag, while he closed the door and straightened his own bag on the ground; laying down in the next second. "Any news of the others so far?" she asked after a while and turned around to have a better look on him.

Scott checked the computer briefly but shook his head. "No. Storm wrote that they'd found something, but in the end it wasn't what we are looking for. The kids have sent a good-night-everyone and Rogue that everything was fine at the mansion… If Jean has found something, dunno." Laying the computer aside again, he noticed her odd look and frowned. "What?"

Shaking her head, Mystique waved off. "Nothing. Good night." Watching her for some time with a raised eyebrow, Scott finally switched off the lamp and made himself comfortable on the ground.

After being away from the house for the whole day, Logan returned from his search for the seal. He hadn't found anything that looked like something from the Maya culture at all and had some doubts that those things really existed. After spending some time at the hot springs and the waterfall until it was dark on the outside again, he hadn't dared to enter the house which he belonged to him. Something about it made him feel uncomfortable. Deciding that he could also go into it tomorrow, he had finally returned to the Kawashima's house and entered after he'd sent a message to his children via the computer. Inside, he noticed that already all lights were turned off and his senses told him that everyone was sleeping.

Therefore, he carefully opened the door to his room and saw in the dark that Jean was laying in the bed on the ground. Logan closed the door behind him as calm as possible and walked over to his bed next, when he noticed that she blanket didn't covered her. Kneeling down, he took it into his left hand and was about to tuck her into it, when her right hand shot forward and held his wrist in a firm painful grip. It almost reminded him of how she'd woken up in the infirmary as Dark Phoenix before Alcatraz. Cocking an eyebrow at her, he watched how a candle was lit on its own and switched his gaze to her; hearing his inner alarm kicking into high gear.

Sitting up with flushed cheeks and an odd expression in her eyes, Jean moved closer to him; feeling nearly instantly how he tried to pull back and fought against her telekinesis that stopped him from doing so. While her heart was racing in her chest, she began to pull her kimono off slowly; ignoring the warning look he gave her when he still tried to get free. Pulling it down to her waist completely without wearing anything underneath it, Jean reached out and touched his cheek, whereupon Logan began to growl warningly. "Just do whatever you want…," she said in whisper and felt the heat on her flushed skin. "But please stop behaving like this."

Closing his eyes, Logan turned his head quickly away from her. Beginning to shake slightly when Wolverine fought against him to step aside so that he could take over, he felt how she let go of him with her powers. Clenching his fists while breathing hard, he battled his negative mercilessly for dominance and was suddenly completely calm again. Watching how Logan turned his head back to her, she gasped when she directly looked into cold pitch-black eyes. Beginning to back off to bring enough space between him and her, Jean prepared herself for a fight when she suddenly heard him growling angrily. Only seeing how the candle went out and covered the room in darkness, she reached out with her mind to be alarmed of him, when Wolverine suddenly leapt at her from behind and pinned her forcefully to the ground. Concentrating on him for an attack, while he straddled her back, she felt his warm breath next to her in the next second. Knowing that he could see her perfectly, while she didn't see a thing in the darkness, Jean couldn't help but start panting. She was stronger, she knew that, but he could kill her way faster before she could even take him out and he definitely had an advantage in the dark. Hearing the low angry growl right next to her ear, she shivered slightly when he sent shivers down her spine.

"Submit!" Wolverine growled furiously and pushed her even more to the ground…

Yeah, I made it. Can't believe it again. LOL Strange thing that obviously the server here is down again. I didn't get any email and was informed about your reviews, nor was I informed about story updates either. : ( Hope they'll fix it soon. Thanks a lot to all reviewers!!! You're all my heroes: ) Hope ya liked this chapter here, too. Next one has a cliffie you guys might not have expected. ; ) So, see ya!!