Logan had never been the type to give the kids attention unless he was teaching or doling out discipline, but as he watched the girls with Justin, he felt jealousy. This man, who didn't know their real names, was playing with them like they were his own. Maybe later he could try spending some time with them, not growling in annoyance. A pickup truck rumbled down the dirt road, and it wasn't the old man's. He saw Jubliee immediately grab a shotgun from the bed of Justin's truck.
"Our lucky day. Mom and Grandpa are out."
"Girls, inside."
Logan heard Kitty scream, and ran out the door without a second's thought. Justin was on the ground, struggling under the boot that was on the back of his neck, and Kitty was being muscled into the truck. To her credit, she was putting up one hell of a fight, gouging the man's face with her fingernails as she tried to kick him anywhere she could reach.
"Logan!"
Unleashing his claws would be the worst thing for Jean and the girls, so he settled on picking up the shotgun, but his finger barely touched the trigger when Jubliee shot the same man Jean did months before. Kitty dropped to the ground and scrambled over to Logan, burying her face in his chest. Jubliee dropped her gun and staggered over to them, dazed from using the weapon on a living person. Justin looked up as the Meyers drove off, his face covered in blood.
"You're Logan?"
"Get inside," he told the girls, giving Justin a hand up.
He stalked into the bathroom, looking for a first-aid kit.
"But you're that Mutant..." Justin spoke as Logan passed him by.
"Now isn't the time to put the pieces together, Justin," Kitty remarked.
"You okay, kid," Logan asked Jubliee, who was staring at her hands.
She shook her head, starting to look like she was gonna be sick.
"You did good," he smirked, cleaning up Kitty's face.
"If you hadn't been here, Logan..." Kitty's bottom lip quivered.
"But I was."
"How do you know Jean," Justin asked.
"She helped me when I broke out, we're old friends," Logan dabbed ointment onto the cut on Kitty's neck.
"You're the reason she had to run, you abandoned her to the-"
"If I stayed with them, they'd be dead," he growled at the young man. "Go clean up, Sakura's gettin queasy at the sight of ya."
Justin marched into the bathroom, scrubbing the blood from his face. "She said you abandoned her and the girls."
"It was less than ideal circumstan-why am I tellin' you this?"
"Unlike you, I've been protecting these girls for two years."
"Did they kick you a little too hard, because I'm the biggest target on the planet right now. Would I put my family on the line just to be with them?"
Jubliee and Kitty looked at each other at the mention of the word 'family'. Back at home, he would never have uttered that sentiment to anyone, and probably not even to himself. Something had certainly changed Jean and Logan, some for the better and some...they just weren't sure of yet. Justin seemed to have run out of arguments with Logan, so he settled on sitting in the armchair. He watched Logan interact with the girls; they had some sort of fear mixed in with awe in their eyes as he tended their hurts, all of them curious and unsure when he sat between them on the couch.

Justin jerked his head off the back of the chair hours later, the girls curled up on the couch with Logan, who sat there just as Justin had seen him when he nodded off.
"They're home," Justin muttered, heading out the door. "Ford!"
Jean turned around, her pleasant smile disappeared at the sight of Justin's bruised face.
"The girls, where are the girls?"
"With Logan."
Her knees trembled at the anger in his eyes. "Are they all right?"
"If Logan hadn't been hiding out here, the Meyers would have gotten them both."
"Are you okay," she swallowed hard as he brushed her hand away.
"You tell my uncle about him. If you don't, I will."
"I already have, on the way back. He saw Logan last night, knew I was lying."
"He has to leave."
"Mac said he's welcome, you take it up with your uncle," she stepped around Justin and ran into the house, coming upon the unusual sight of Logan carrying Kitty to her bed.
Joining him in the room, she tucked them in, taking note of every bruise and cut they had. Turning off the light, Logan took her by the arm and left the room.
"I'm gonna kill 'em."
"Logan, it's not your fight," she placed her hand on his chest.
He had his hand on the small of her back to draw her close when he remembered the conversation he and Justin had earlier.
"You told that baby-faced kid I abandoned you."
"I was angry and lonely, I felt like you just wanted me out of the way."
"I did want you out of the way, so I didn't have to worry that I'd get you killed!"
"I'm capable of taking care of myself!"
"That's why I had you take the girls, you could take care of them. I wouldn't be able to!"
"You could have at least given me the choice, Logan," she pushed past him, heading into the bedroom. "Maybe you shouldn't have come here."
"Don't try and get rid of me now, damnit."
"What have you been doing? Where is everyone else, Logan?"
He rubbed his jaw hard, staring off at nothing.
"Bobby and Jean-Paul just recently joined Storm in India, had a close call in Canada about three weeks ago. Hank is in South Africa, using his practice to get Mutants help to keep them undetected-"
"I saw Emma," Jean interrupted.
"Where?"
"In the city, just the other day. Said you worked together."
"When she wasn't making snide comments she was actually a help."
"So what does Charles have you doing next?"
"I didn't do this on Charles' orders, Jean."
"You organized this all on your own?"
"Don't sound so surprised," he smirked. "Even Charles had some faith in me."
"You know I didn't mean-" the words died in her throat as he waved the apology off.
"Jean, I need some sleep."
"You haven't told me about Rogue, or Theresa. Have you spoken to Kurt?"
"I've lost track of them," he sighed, stripping off his clothes.
Jean remained where she sat as Logan pulled the covers back and lay down.
"You comin' to bed?"
"I'm not tired yet," she replied, leaving him alone.
The redhead was tired, but her mind was spinning with thoughts and worries, attempting to leave herself behind by meditating on the floor. She had left the practice behind long ago, when it had once been part of her daily life. She lit a candle, placing it on the coffee table so she could sit on the floor, level with the flame.
Letting her eyes unfocus, the flame blurred at the edges, eyes drifting shut slowly. With her mind open, she kept the image of the flame at the front of her thoughts, letting the warmth from it dissolve the tension from her body like sinking into a bath. A strained sound drew her out of that peaceful place, opening her eyes to the candle nearly burnt completely down. The sound came again, and Jean unfolded her legs, padding softly into the bedroom.
Logan lay on his back, fists clenched into the blankets, the cords of his neck standing out as he struggled. He was having a nightmare.
"Logan."
He spoke harshly, words slurred together as he let the claws of his right hand loose. Barely able to whisper 'not again', she was slammed up against the wall, his hand around her throat and right arm drawn back to deliver a killing stab-
"Oh my God!"
They both looked to the door, Jubliee and Kitty standing there wide-eyed with terror. The tight slits of Logan's eyes widened to mirror theirs, and he backed away, collapsing onto the bed. Jean went to him, his whole body shaking under her hands.
"Jean..."
"It's all right, go back to bed," she reassured the girls, talking softly to Logan.
"Did I hurt you?"
"No."
He didn't trust the tone in her voice and pushed himself up, tugging her clothes away to make sure, looking over her skin frantically for signs that he had wounded her.
"Are you all right," she cupped his face in her hand, relieved that he sank into the comforting touch.
"C'mere," he grabbed her, laying down on the bed.
She wrapped her arms and legs around him as the shaking started again, stroking his skin slowly as he buried his face into her neck.