Author's note: I'm back! I'm sorry that it took so long, but as I've written before I had by Bachelor of Arts oral exam in Anglistics at college and I had to read a lot for it. Now that I'm done with it, I have finally time to write again even if college has already started here. So, just two hints for this chapter:

Tom is the old man you've already met in Chapter 5. It's the guy who owns the shop in which Jean had bought her magazines and he'd reminded Logan of not even daring to come back with another girl on the next day.

Then I picked a name for the baby. Since Jake died in Changes I first wanted to pick this one and I had already typed it but changed my mind. I hope you like the name, too.

Okay, have fun reading and please review!! ; )

Love and Pain lie close together

When the first sunbeams touched his skin Logan pulled a face and turned around, instinctively wrapping his arm around Jean, while his hand rested on her belly. Still being half way in oblivion he stroked over it and smiled pleasantly as he felt a soft kick against his palm. He opened his eyes after a while and watched how the redhead next to him turned in his embrace and faced him. Smiling lovingly Logan reached out to trace her features gently before he leant in to kiss her softly. After stretching his muscles he got up and ran a hand through his tousled hair, before he closed the door behind him to walk over to one of the windows. He sighed since there was still no snowy owl visible in the air and by now it was nearly nine months ago since he'd called the Alpha Flight Team for help. Turning around he walked over to the hot water tank first to heat the water and to the stove next to prepare breakfast for them. He was aware o them running out of time more than quickly. He wondered why it too his friends so long to provide them with the papers. Maybe they'd been caught in preparing them and had been arrested. He hoped not. Soon they had to move down to the village, while by now he'd planned to be at least in Madripoor already. It angered him a lot that they were still so close to where the actual danger was…

"Morning."

Logan turned around when he heard the voice behind him and began to smile. "Mornin'," he greeted back and watched Jean coming closer. "How're the two of ya doin'?"

She came closer still smiling, her right hand on her belly, the other on her back as she looked down. "Good I think…"

"Ya think?" he chuckled and turned back to the stove to put out the fire. "Ya slept like a log'n Johnny already kicked me."

She looked up in surprise after she's sat down on a chair very slowly. "Johnny?" she asked.

"That's the name ya liked yesterday, ain't it?" he asked and put a plate and a cup in front of her before he got his own breakfast. "Or have ya changed your mind again?"

"No," Jean replied with a smile as he suddenly jumped up and made her frown. "What's wrong?"

"Have forgotten somethin'."

"And what?" she asked, but he only gave her a lopsided grin and kissed her.

"This," he smirked and returned to his seat.

"Idiot," Jean teased and shook her head.

They went on eating in silence for a while. When she rested on the sofa later and he put new logs into the fire, Jean stroked absently over her belly. "Do you think something happened to them?" she asked when he looked out of the window and turned her head to meet his gaze.

"I don't know," Logan shrugged. "I hope not…," he added mentally and sat down next to her. "Is he kickin' again?" he asked since she had this special look on her face again.

"Yeah," she nodded and placed his right hand on the spot. "He'll be a trouble maker later if he's already that active…," she added amused and he smiled, too. While he stroked over her belly again and could feel once more how the baby was kicking, he couldn't help but remember the first time she had felt movement inside of her. It had been somewhere around the fifth month of her pregnancy…

After taking a shower and getting ready for bed, Logan left the bathroom just to freeze on the spot since she stood at the wardrobe, one hand supported her against the door while the other was on her belly. He noticed the weird look on her face. "Somethin' wrong?" he asked and suddenly felt very worried. He knew the danger of living in the mountains while she was pregnant with their child. If something went seriously wrong, they were in more than a lot of trouble.

"No…," Jean replied with a brief look at him as he came closer.

"What is it then?" he asked and laid a hand on her shoulder.

"I don't know…" She shrugged and looked at her belly. "But it feels strange…"

"What's strange?"

She raised her head to meet his gaze again. "This feeling. It's weird…"

"Feelin'?" he asked with a cocked eyebrow. "What's it like?"

"I don't know," Jean replied and lowered her gaze again. "It feels like…" Her eyes traveled around the room in search for the right words. "It's like the movement of water. As if you touch the surface when it's still and it produces waves against your palm…"

"Waves, eh?" She nodded and allowed him to lead her over to the bed. "So…everything's fine? You're alright, right?" he asked insecurely and not really convinced.

Smiling, the redhead nodded. "Yeah. It's only the baby moving."

Logan lowered his eyes to her belly before he looked into her green pools again. "Ya sure?"

She laid down and nodded. "Yes. We're fine." She patted the side next to her. "Come on."

Smirking he moved over and laid down next to her. "Could never reject your requests, darlin'."

Jean smiled and switched the lamps off mentally before she wrapped her arms around his waist and was pulled close by him…

"What are you thinking about?" Jean suddenly asked while stroking through his hair and awoke him from his daydream.

"Nothin'," Logan waved off and changed his position into a straight one. "Ya know… We've to move down soon."

She nodded but held her eyes fixed on the ground. "I know…" She nodded again absently. "It's only four weeks left…"

"That's the point," Logan replied with a look at her. "The doc said it could also happen earlier… So we should think about leavin' in the next three days." Waiting for a reaction of her he reached out to touch her cheek. "So, what do ya think?"

"That you're right," Jean answered and looked into his eyes. "I was thinking about the same earlier."

"Tom offered us to stay in his apartment," he went on and paid brief attention to the fire in front of them. "He said we can come around whenever we want to, so…what do ya think?"

Heaving a deep sigh she ran both hands through her face. "I think we should leave in two days."

He nodded. "Good," Logan said and nodded at something in a corner behind her. "I heated the water for ya. So ya can go take a shower."

"You think about everything, hm?" she teased him and took the hand he offered her to help her up. He only smirked and kissed her softly.

As they'd decided, they left the cabin two days later to descend the mountain. Since it was way too exhausting for Jean to even stand longer than five minutes, they'd gotten a small wooden sledge on which she sat while he pulled it through the snow. Taking her time to look around the white landscape, Jean couldn't believe how fast time had passed. On the one hand it seemed to have happened yesterday that she'd come back from the dead, on the other hand it was more than a year ago. In a few weeks they'd be parents and maybe in a few more weeks afterwards they'd finally reach their target and could start a new life in Australia, far away from the danger on this continent. "Ya alright?" she heard Logan asking and turned her head quickly, just to see him giving her his casual cocked eyebrow, which could mean a lot, but in her case now it said that he was worried.

"Yes, I'm fine," she tried to soothe him. "Do you need a break?" she added after a moment, since he was already pulling the sledge for nearly three hours through the thick snow and with her, weighting more than usual, on it, but Logan only chuckled.

"A break?" he asked her rather amused. "Me?"

"It was just a thought," the redhead smiled and he turned around again to look at their way.

"Don't worry about me, darlin'," he smirked. "I'm perfectly fine."

"Good to hear that…"

Again he chuckled. "Why? Did ya make plans for me today?"

"Maybe…," she said amused and leant back a bit again to ease the pressure on her belly.

After two more hours they finally reached the village and stopped in front of the small shop in which the old Tom worked and where they usually bought wither snacks, sweets, drinks or something to read.

"I was already wondering when the two of you would show up," he greeted them with a smile and beckoned them to follow him to a backdoor. "I just made myself a hot tea. As frozen as you look like you should better drink something from it." Quickly filling two cups with the steaming liquid he handed each of the one.

"Thanks," Logan said and helped Jean to sit down on a stool.

"If you watch over the shop for…let's say 15 minutes, I'll go upstairs and prepare your rooms," Tom suggested and Jean couldn't help but giggle.

"Don't you need your customers anymore?" she asked and earned a cocked eyebrow from Logan.

"What's that supposed to mean?" this one asked her playfully outraged, but she waved off.

"Nothing. I'm only hinting to your good way with people."

Smiling Tom winked at her. "I haven't thought about this."

"Ts," Logan huffed and walked past him. "I'm gonna play guard-dog then," he grunted leant onto the counter while the old man excused himself and disappeared through another door.

"Be nice, Logan!" Jean reminded him as she heard the little bell above the door and couldn't hide her grin as she got a low growl back in response.

"Hey, d'ya guys sell Heineken?" she heard a man asking after a moment.

"Don't know," Logan grunted and eyed the customer suspiciously when this one came closer.

"What d'ya mean ya don't know?" this one asked him slightly angered.

"Ya can read, right? If nothin' says Heineken we don't have it!"

In the next room Jean buried her face in one hand and shook her head with a loud sigh.

"What kina figure are ya, man?" the man asked and crossed his arms while his eyes glared in the same way at Logan as he way staring back.

"I'm just the sub, bub," Logan grunted. "So buy somethin' and stop askin' stupid questions." After letting out a snort the man turned around and left.

"Whatever we're going to do in Australia for a living, Logan," Jean said and he looked at her as she stood at the door all of a sudden. "…remind me that we won't have a store and if…then you're not working in it!"

"Why not?" he asked with a grunt and crossed his arms. "This guy was stupid!"

Shaking her head sighing she turned as Tom reappeared. "Okay, your rooms are ready. I just filled the fridge yesterday, so in the case you're hungry just take what you need," he said and earned a smile and hug from Jean.

"Thank you so much."

He waved off. "See it as a reward for Logan," he smiled and patted the taller man's shoulder. "Let's say for listening to me and staying with you. Right?"

"Yeah, yeah," Logan waved off and joined the redhead. "I'd have stuck to her anyway."

"I hope so," the older man laughed. "And don't worry. If someone asks, I don't know the two of you."

"Thanks, mate," Logan nodded and led Jean upstairs where she sank onto the double bed exhausted.

"Don't get me wrong, but I'm happy when this is over," she sighed.

"Ah, come on," he mocked her playfully while getting dry clothes for them out of the duffle bag. "I know perfectly well that ya enjoy bein' babied by me."

"Busted," she smiled.

"Here, change your clothes."

She took the pants and shirt from him and allowed him to pull her up before she began to undress herself. "So after knowing Tom for nearly 10 years by now you finally made him happy, hm?" Jean asked and let the old clothing fall to the ground. "What do you do that he's so happy to see you being with me?"

He put hi sold clothing into a bag without turning around. "Ya don't wanna know…"

"Actually I do. I wouldn't be asking otherwise."

Logan turned around to get her clothes from the ground. "You'll have a bad impression afterwards, darlin'. Don't forget I'm the bad guy here."

Watching him, Jean sat down on the bed and went under the sheets. "You said I could be the good guy," she replied and he turned to give her a cocked eyebrow. "So you can't be the bad guy."

"Wrong," he corrected her. "I said I could be the good guy. Never said I was."

"Try me," Jean demanded when he walked over to the window.

"Well, what do ya wanna hear?" he asked in hope she would just leave it.

"The truth…," she said instead and he sighed, still scanning the snowy street for anything suspicious underneath them.

"Lots of drinkin', lots of fightin', lots of girls. Satisfied?"

Jean looked at his back for a while. The tone in which he's said it told her that he didn't like to talk about it. At the same time she felt confused. She's visited the Professor after reading Logan's mind for the first time and what she'd seen had disturbed her a lot. What had he said again? If you start reading minds, I suggest you begin with a safer one than Logan's. Before that she'd told him how much violence and blood had been in his memory. But the thing that had disturbed her the most was the strong contrast to this dark and dangerous side: she'd also sensed a great sense of honor and gentleness. Back then she couldn't understand how one and the same person could consist of such strong different poles. Now she did… "Well, I still don't understand what's so special about cage fights," Jean finally answered and frowned as she noticed the look he gave her. "What?"

"What did ya just say?!" he asked as if he was brain dead all of a sudden.

"Cage fights," she said once more. "What's so special about them?"

Giving a short laugh, Logan shook his head. "I tell ya about much alcohol and chicks and you're scolding me about cage fights?!" he asked in disbelief.

"It doesn't matter because you're not doing it anymore," she replied. "But still the cage fights…"

"Yeah, 'cause it's an easy way to make money quickly."

"But you get hurt and hurt others," she gave back. "So what's so special about it?"

Thinking about it for a moment, he sat down next to her. "It helps getting' rid of stress," was all he said for a moment. "And it helps me to keep Wolverine down. He sometimes needs to come out to play… It's just somethin' I need, okay?" Waiting for her to reply he was surprised when she smiled. "What?"

"As long as you're not taking Johnny with you…," Jean said and kneaded her hands briefly.

"Are ya kiddin'? He'll be my mascot!" Logan teased her and she giggled. "I won't. I promise," he added afterwards and kissed her. "Ya should sleep. I promised Tom to repair his car." Getting up he took his leather jacket from the ground. "Just call me if somethin's wrong, okay?"

"Yeah." Nodding she laid down and tried to get comfortable. After he was gone she summoned the remote control to come over to her and began to switch through the channels. While her eyes stared at the screen without really seeing anything for real, she kept on thinking about what he'd just told her. She knew he was used to this way of living. There hadn't been much in his life before except the previous mentions drinks, fights and girls and his constant restless moving from one place to the next. While her hand rested on her belly she sighed and wondered if he could ever get used to a normal life with a family and normal work. At least she wasn't willing to stay at home and take care of Johnny while he was out drinking and fighting. And she also didn't want him to change his life for her only. It wouldn't make him happy and probably destroy what they had. "We've to talk with your daddy, sweetheart," Jean sighed and patted her belly gently. "I'm convinced he's capable of making you his mascot while fighting…"

"What are those thoughts, darlin'?" she suddenly heard him asking mentally and blushed. She hadn't noticed that she hadn't blocked her thoughts.

"Did you hear everything?" she asked in hope that he hadn't, but he taught her otherwise.

"From the beginnin' to the end," he replied and she sighed. "Don't worry about me. I'm perfectly fine with how things are at the moment."

"You jus said it," Jean answered. "At the moment... But what about the near future and our family?" She waited for his response but it took a while before he answered.

"Let's talk about it later, darlin'. I can't concentrate on my work with you bein' in my head and all."

"Okay," she said rather disappointed since she'd heard the weird undertone in her mind. "I'll sleep a bit…"

"Good."

Switching off the television Jean laid down and pulled the sheets close. They really had a lot to talk about, she thought, and his response wasn't making it easier. With those thoughts in her mind, she closed her eyes and slowly drifted off to sleep.

That's it for today. As far as I planned yesterday there will be three more parts and then this story is done. I hope you can forgive me that you guys had to wait so long for an update. I'm also currently typing on Changes and by now I'm on page 19, so there should be an update at least next week, even if the chapter gives me a headache. I don't know why it's suddenly so hard to write on that story at all. : ( Anyway, I hope you enjoyed reading and will review on it! ; ) See ya!