Author's note: As I promised yesterday, here it is. ; ) Thanks to all reviewers!!

Love and Pain lie close together

"Logan…," Rogue gasped and stared at the couple in shock. She turned her head when she heard the others coming closer. "You've to run!" she said and switched her gaze back to them.

"What're ya doin' here?!" Logan growled low and stepped in front of Jean and their baby for protection. "How did ya find us?!"

"We didn't," the girl explained while her heart was racing in her chest and quickly turned her head as she heard the voices over her headset. "God, I can't believe that…" She ran a hand through her face.

"Rogue!" he grunted and felt how Jean pressed into his back. "Who told ya we're here?!"

"It was an accident, Logan! We didn't know you were really here," the girl tried to explain. "Mrs. Munroe had the idea that if you were here at least Jean would need a doctor. So she asked one."

"Fuck!" Logan cursed before he switched his gaze to a spot behind her.

"It's my fault…," Jean whispered. "I'm sorry, Logan… This is my fault." She pulled the still sleeping baby closer and stared at the snowy ground.

Giving her a look he shook his head. "No it ain't…," he replied calmly and turned when Rogue touched his arm.

"Logan, you have to leave!" she reminded him. "Those soldiers have the order to kill both of you…"

While Jean's head shot up and she gave her a frightened look, he looked rather unimpressed. "Kill us?!" Logan asked indifferent. "How? She'll blast them if I don't get my claws on them first."

But Rogue shook her head. "They have weapons to kill you, believe me. They made a guy named Forge create something to destroy the adamantium within you. I don't know what it is, but I heard them say it would work," she replied before she began to push him after turning around again. "Please go!"

"How many of them are here?" he asked while he began to pull Jean with him.

"6 X-Men and 15 soldiers," Rogue said and gave him another sign to go. "Please, Logan, just go! The two of you have to go!" With tears in her eyes she beckoned them to leave. "Please be careful…"

He nodded and gave her a brief smile, knowing full well that it would be the last time they would see each other. While she watched them leaving, she heard someone approaching again and turned around. "Bobby!" Rogue called as the young man became visible between the trees, followed by Kitty and Peter.

"What's wrong?" he asked as they stopped next to her. "We were looking for you. What…"

"You have to take care of their traces," she cut him off and pointed at the clearly visible footprints in the snow. "Quickly, before the others are here!" Confused, since he didn't understand what had gotten into her all of a sudden, Bobby exchanged a look with his remaining two friends. "Bobby!" Rogue said again and grabbed his arm. "Please, they will kill them!"

"They are really here?" Kitty asked surprised. "You saw them?"

"Bobby, please!" the other girl went on, just ignoring her friend's question. "We've to help them!"

"Rogue, you've heard what Mrs. Munroe said," the addressed replied calmly. "You know the consequences if we help them…"

"He's right," Peter nodded. "We can't…"

"They have a baby!" Rogue intervened with tears in her eyes and the others looked at her in shock. "Please, Bobby! They will kill them…," she pleaded once more and stared at him in despair. Looking back, clearly feeling uncomfortable, the young man finally reached out and covered the visible traces with ice. He stopped just in time to see Ororo and Hank stopping next to them.

"Have you seen them?" she asked but the younger X-Men shook their heads. "Damn it. They already become more than impatient." With her gloved hands on her hips she sighed while taking a look around.

"Maybe the doctor was wrong," Kitty suggested with a shrug.

"No, he wasn't. I've seen the file," Hank said.

"But maybe she only visited him one and they are already somewhere else," Rogue added in hope they could buy some time somehow. "It's possible, isn't it?"

"Marie…," Ororo said in a rather strict voice and looked into her eyes. "I asked you before we left if you know about the consequences and you said yes. I then asked you if you could deal with the whole situation, since he's your friend, and you said yes…"

"And I can!" Rogue gave back slightly angered. "But this doesn't change the fact that this whole hunt is completely pointless! They've done nothing wrong!"

Stepping forward the taller woman stared at her. "You know the consequences for us!"

"But she's right!" Kitty intervened. "Neither Logan or Mrs. Grey have done anything wrong…"

Hank steppe forward and between them. "You've been there, Kitty! You've seen what she's done! The law exists only because of what she and the Brotherhood did."

"Still it is unfair!" the girl snapped and turned away from him.

Not saying anything first, Peter exchanged a look with Bobby, who still felt uncomfortable. "How exactly do they want to kill them anyway?" he asked out of curiosity, since he and his friends didn't know and looked to and fro between them. "I mean Mrs. Grey can't be touched that easily and Logan is impossible to be killed."

Hank walked past him without looking at them. "They have their ways…," was all he said as his headset cracked. He touched it with his fingers and sighed.

"What's wrong?" Ororo instantly asked and joined his side.

"They've found footprints of two persons," he replied grimly. "Let's go!"

"Damn it," Logan cursed and disappeared behind the tree again. "They're cutting our way off." He exchanged a short glance with Jean, who still held their baby tight.

"Is there another way around?" she asked but he shook his head.

"Too far away… We'd have to surround the whole lake." Cursing under his breath he looked at the 8 soldiers again, feeling how Jean stepped a bit closer. "I know what you're thinkin'," he went on with a short look at her. "But there are more of them close by. Attackin' them would only raise the attention of the others."

"But what can we do then?" she asked concerned. "We can't wait forever for them to go away…"

He furrowed his brows and switched his attention to his left. "Storm and the others are coming from there," he told her and she followed his eyes. "We've no other choice but go that way…" He pointed into the opposite direction.

Thinking about it for a moment, Jean gave him a look. "Take him."

He cocked an eyebrow at her. "Why?!"

"Take him back to the cabin…"

"And what exactly do ya intend to do?!" Logan asked frowning and gave her a confused look.

Jean, with her eyes fixed on the soldiers, avoided his gaze. "I'll stop them…"

"Forget it, Jean!" he instantly said and shook his head. "Not gonna happen!"

She turned her face into his direction with a determined look on it, one that he definitely didn't like. "I can't use my powers with him on my arms. If she takes over I might hurt him."

"Same here!" Logan gave back. "I can't use my claws while carryin' him either. And besides I ain't gonna let ya fight here!"

Sighing, she briefly turned away. "Logan,…this is not about us right now!" Jean replied and held his glare. "All that matters is Johnny. Not us… He needs at least one of us to survive…"

With a grim look on his face he stepped closer, unwilling to give in to her demand. "Then take him and go!"

She shook her hand. "Logan, I can't provide him with anything. You can… You know where to go, you can find your way back to the cabin from here. I can't!"

"Jean…," he tried to protest but his resistance already became weaker. He knew she was right. Still he wasn't willing to give in so easily. He'd sworn to protect both of them and he would keep it.

Jean reached out and touched his cheek. "Logan, please… Take him and go back to the cabin to get our things," she begged him once more and he lowered his head in defeat. "I know you want to protect me. But what matters is him." She nodded at their son. "Let me deal with them…"

Logan turned his head as he heard the X-Men coming closer and quickly checked on the soldiers that where approaching, too. He could tell that someone must have noticed their traces in the snow and obviously they planned to regroup. If they stayed here for longer than maybe two minutes all three of them would be caught. His eyes stopped on hers. She was right, he knew that. With her powers she could get rid of them all at once. The only problem was that she hadn't used her powers in over a year by now. "Logan…," Jean awoke him from his thoughts and he noticed that she held their baby into his direction. Reluctantly, he took the boy and pulled him close before he closed his jacket again to protect him from the cold.

"We meet at Tom's later…," she said when he came a bit closer again.

After kissing her deeply he stared at her for a moment longer. "Don't dare not to show up, ya hear me?" he grunted, feeling that the whole thing was wrong. He shouldn't go. He should stay here.

Jean gave him a weak smile. "Be careful…"

He gave a short snort before he began to walk backwards. "This is wrong…"

"I know. But necessary." She noticed that he stopped again. "Go!"

"I love ya," Logan said, not knowing why but thinking that he had to. The gut feeling he had was just too weird to help him making any decision.

"And me you," Jean replied calmly, but with an odd smile. "Now go!"

Going two more steps backwards while his eyes were fixed on her as if to memorize something, eh suddenly turned around and disappeared into the thicket. He didn't see how Jean's eyes dropped to the ground as she leant back against the tree. She heard how the soldiers approached and it didn't take long for her to see the X-Men, who came closer from the other side. She knew she had to act, but also that she couldn't rely on the powerful source she'd used on Alcatraz. The part she'd banned into the farthest corner of her mind. If she did, she would cause more damage than she wanted to. She couldn't loose control over her actions and her rational way of thinking. Her heart pounded strongly in her chest when she looked aside. It would end soon, she reminded herself before she reached out to Logan through their bond. "Promise me to proceed as planned," she told him mentally and shut their link down before he could reply. Then, she stepped out of her hiding place to face the armed soldiers right in front of her…

He was jumping over a fallen tree as he could hear her in his head. The message was one thing, but the meaning he thought hidden behind it was another. Stopping instantly, Logan turned his head panting, his breath being reflected in the cold air and looked at the side of the lake where he knew she was. His mind was as much racing by now as his heart was. Both kept on telling him to turn around and head back, but then he recalled her words. She was right that their son mattered and not them. If it wasn't for the baby that rested against his chest, he wouldn't have run away. He'd always been a fighter, one that never gave up even if it was useless to go on with a battle. So what was he doing right now? Sighing, he turned his head and looked up the path they usually took to ascend the mountain in their way back to the cabin. If he chose that way he would reach it in about an hour and a half if he kept on running. If he went back her could stand at her side within a few minutes. "Damn it," Logan cursed and turned half around his axis, not knowing what to do. Both his hands pressed against the bulge in his leather jacket that the baby caused and he looked down on him, while he tried to decide what to do. If he got their things and Jean managed to kill those soldiers, they could take the next plane or ship out of here, but then again… He had no confirmation that Narya had made it and brought the necessary papers they needed to even get through an airport. If she'd been caught or even killed, they'd be stuck here anyway. He sighed and looked once more over the snowy landscape towards the spot between the trees where the lake was. The cloudy sky was already darkening. Soon, he knew, it would be too dark for any of them, except him, to see anything at all. By then it would also cool down too much for his son. Completely frustrated by now, Logan ran a hand through his damp hair. He'd never been that lost in his whole life. He always did what he thought was right. But then again, back then his decision had only affected him. Now it was a complete different situation. "Tell me what t'do, kiddo…," he said more to himself than the baby and was about to look down as he heard a giant explosion not far from him, which even made the earth shake to the spot where he was standing. When he looked up again, he only saw snow, almost like an avalanche, raising into the air and falling down again, while a red light glowed through the trees and thicket. With furrowed brows Logan switched his attention to the sky again and noticed that it was suddenly quickly darkening…

Jean saw the explosion coming. Far in the back of her head she heard the voice again that had led her on Alcatraz and promised power, felt the Phoenix' amusement about those soldiers that really tried to kill her with casual weapons. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw one young soldier throwing a grenade at her and held up her hand to block the upcoming explosion. Soon afterwards she had to close her eyes as the loud sound echoed in her ears, before it sent snow raising high into the air. It was then that she noticed how the sky began to darken. She knew the source of it… With a last glare at the three soldiers on her right she sent them backwards through the wood until she heard a satisfying thud, as they hit a tree somewhere. When she turned around again her eyes fell on the six X-Men that took position on her left side, while the remaining soldiers pointed their weapons at her from her right.

"Where's Logan?" Storm demanded to know, her eyes shining white as she began to control the weather. T didn't take long and a thunderstorm was raging above their heads. "Where is he?!"

"What is it to you?" the redhead thought and narrowed her eyes to block another explosion behind her. She was aware of the fact that Logan would see and hear it. He only hoped he would just keep on running.

"Give up, Jean!" Beast barked to drown out the heavy storm. "It doesn't have to end this way… I can talk to the president!"

"This is ridiculous!" Shadowcat hissed with a look at Iceman, Rogue and Colossus.

"I wonder where Logan is…," Rogue mumbled and tried to see him somewhere in the thicket.

"Leave us alone!" Jean demanded suddenly and they felt how the earth began to shake before the water in the lake right behind the soldiers rose into the air.

Just give up!" Storm yelled and rose onto the air, too, to have better control over the thunderstorm. "You're outnumbered, Jean! It's useless!"

Feeling how the voice in her head became louder, Jean narrowed her eyes even more. "We'll see…," she hissed and spread her arms. The soldiers behind her gasped in surprise as they noticed how not only the water, but suddenly also snow, stones and other things around them began to float in the air. Some of them, mostly younger ones stumbled backwards in fear as the woman, they were supposed to kill, began to glow in a fiery light. All of a sudden they weren't so sure that it was really her that would die. "You!" Phoenix said and pointed at Rogue. "Go!" The younger X-Men exchanged a look, unsure of what to do. "I've no business with you, so leave!" they heard her hissing again and began to retreat.

"What are you doing?" Beast asked them angrily.

"Doing what is right," Rogue replied. "They are not my enemies!"

"And this whole thing is pointless," Shadowcat added.

Turning back to the woman in front of him, Beast began to snarl as he was suddenly blinded by light. Above him Storm had summoned her powers and struck with lighting wherever she could, but Jean blocked it, just to send a strong psychic wave of her own, which caught Storm off guard and made her fall to the ground. "Are you alright?" he asked and went over to help her. "We can't beat her that easily."

Holding her arm Storm got up. "She's not using her full power. She doesn't want to kill us."

"Fire!" one of the soldiers barked and they quickly jumped aside as bullets began to hit the spots on which they've stood before.

"Enough!" Phoenix hissed in anger and turned around to face them with fiery eyes.

"Surrender, woman!" one of the man barked and she noticed the strange looking weapon in his hands. Her eyes followed the yellow liquid that dropped slowly out of it and saw how it burned a hole into the ground. Becoming suspicious because of it, she reached out and touched the man's mind. Seeing what this liquid was and what it would do, or better for whom it was meant, her eyes grew wide first, just to narrow next. "This is not going to happen!" she hissed and raised her hand. Too late the soldiers saw how a giant wave of the lake splashed over and caught them off guard. Beast quickly took Storm into his arm and jumped at a tree to evade the attack that sent the soldiers crashing against the trees, while he saw that the younger X-Men were purposely guarded by Phoenix. His one made sure that all soldiers were taken out before she gave him and Storm a last glare, just to disappear through the thicket next.

"Damn it!" Beast cursed and released Storm after they stood on solid ground again. "What now?"

Only shaking her head and looking at him in despair, Storm ran a hand through her face. "We have to catch them… You've heard what else they'll do if we fail."

"I know," he replied grimly and lowered his head to look into the remains of the water. He felt how something hit his leg and bent down to get the odd looking weapon with the yellow liquid in it out of the muddy and cold water. He was about to look at Storm as a shot tore the air apart…

Hearing the shot, Logan froze on the spot and quickly began to try to locate the source. He'd listened to his gut feeling and was on his way back through the wood, but the darkness and dozen different smells made it the harder for him to find his way back. Especially since he knew that the fight hadn't taken place on once spot only. During it the participants had moved and he knew that he was still a few meters away from them. Above him the sky began to clear up, which was a sign for him that obviously either Storm had been hit or they were about to move and needed light to find their way. While walking, Logan began to wonder if it was Jean's doing that the boy remain calm and didn't start crying. He hoped so, since he couldn't afford to draw the attention on him now. His heartbeat was still out of control as he shoved branched out of his way. He concentrated on her scent while he noticed that he approached the lake again. His eyes took notice of the moon that became visible now and he cursed his former friends for picking the worst moment to locate them. If he ever got his hands on the doctor that had told them about their whereabouts… Logan shoved another branch out of his way to step into the open again and froze. Once more his brain seemed to have stopped working as fear began to accompany his suddenly even faster beating heart and he began to run, just to stop at the shore. As if everything was happening in slow motion all of a sudden, Logan began to kneel down, unable to look at anything else but the woman on the ground, whose empty eyes stared back at him without seeing him at all. Just then, the loud click of a loaded weapon could be heard behind him…

Just in case you guys intend to kill me, but the endings of the last, this and the next chapter, plus the epilogue were planned right after you guys asked for more after reading chapter 1. ; ) Hope you enjoyed reading and I'll start typing the next chapter now. So hopefully it should be up tomorrow. Please review and see ya!!