A/N: So here's another long-awaited chapter. Sorry it took so long...4 kids and a husband keeps ya busy! Anyway, hope you enjoy the next 3 chapters....they're the last ones!!! R&R as usual, and I look forward to any comments/criticism.

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Chapter 17

Logan and Raven searched each of Sonya's favorite hiding places, but came up empty. They'd stopped every kid at the school and asked if they'd seen her, but no one had. Out of ideas, Logan turned desperate eyes on Raven.

"Where would she be?" He asked, hoping she might be able to think of something he'd missed.

"I don't know," she replied, dashing those hopes. She gazed at the treetops, her mind racing, and then stomped her foot as she realized something.

"Bobby!" she nearly shouted.

"Huh?" Logan asked.

Rather than waste time replying, she grabbed his hand once more and led him back to the mansion, through the halls, and down to the Lab where Bobby was recuperating. When they entered the room, Rogue stood up from her seat, instantly reading the worry on their faces.

"What's wrong?" she asked, looking straight at Logan, but he merely shook his head, begging her not to get in the way.

Raven stood beside Bobby and gazed down at him.

"Bobby, Sonya's missing again. Do you know where she might've gone?"

He thought about it for a moment, then nodded.

"Sure. The stables."

"No. We were already there," Logan replied.

"Okay. What about the old shed at the back of the property?"

"What shed?" Logan asked. He'd thought he'd explored every inch of the school's grounds; he'd never found a shed.

Bobby leaned up on his left elbow, since it didn't hurt quite as much as the right one. "It's pretty hidden, in the roots of a couple huge maple trees, about an acre before the fence. I told her about it maybe a month ago, and she made me promise to take her there sometime. She must've decided to go by herself, instead."

"Thank you, Bobby," Raven said, patting his hand, and he nodded.

"Anytime."

"Come on," Logan said over his shoulder, already stalking out of the room. Raven gave Rogue a quick hug before she followed him back outside.

"So, how do you wanna do this?" she asked when they reached the back lawn.

"Whattya mean?"

"Maybe only one of us should go. We could scare her even more if we both show up."

Logan shook his head. "No. I might need your help. If she's hurt…" he trailed off, unwilling to finish the thought.

"Okay. You lead the way."

Logan set off through the trees on the back edge of the property, searching for Sonya's tracks, and evidence that she'd been that way. He found her shoeprints a short way in, and followed them all the way to the edge of a small pond, where they ended.

"She didn't swim across that," Raven murmured, staring uneasily at the brackish water. "Please tell me she didn't swim."

Logan put his hands on his hips and looked around for a moment, then replied, "No. She went over it."

"Over?" She asked, confused. Logan pointed upward, and she followed his gaze to a tangle of green vines hanging over the pond. Finally understanding, she said, "Gotcha."

"Let's go around," he said, but she had already grabbed hold of one of the vines and taken a few steps back. His jaw set in a firm line, he warned, "Raven, don't."

With a mischievous grin, she teased, "What? You never did this as a kid?"

"I don't remember being a 'kid'. But I'm sure that I'd still think it was dangerous."

"For God's sake, Wolverine," she scoffed, "we don't have long before it gets dark. You go the long way if you want, but I'm takin' the shortcut."

Before he could say any more, she took off running and then jumped at the edge of the pond, letting the vine swing her over the dark water. When she reached the other side, she let go of the vine and landed on her feet. She turned around and gave him a triumphant grin, as the vine swung back toward him. He caught the same vine, took a breath, and swung himself over to her. He dropped down, landing in a crouch, and Raven chuckled at him.

"That wouldn't have happened if you got a running start," she laughed, but when he held up a hand to quiet her, her smile faded quickly.

"Someone else is here," he warned, inhaling deeply. Jumping to his feet, he started to move off through the woods at a near-run. Raven would've had trouble keeping up with him if she hadn't spent so much time in forests like this when she was growing up.

"Who is it?" she called to him after a while.

"Dunno, but something feels wrong."

They kept going for another ten minutes, and then something caught Raven's eye. She stopped running, and had to yell ahead to Logan.

"Hey, Logan?!"

"What?!" He yelled back, frustrated. He wanted to find Sonya before anyone else did.

"I found it!"

He rushed back over to her, puzzled. He hadn't seen anything there before. Raven stepped toward a clump of trees, and pointed to a well-hidden door wedged between the trunks. Logan was impressed, and he gestured for her to go first.

Raven leaned into the door, and it groaned loudly before slowly swinging open. She instantly wished that Logan had gone first; his eyes adjusted to the dark much more quickly than hers. When she could finally see through the gloom, she could only see junk piled around the tiny interior of the shed. Cobwebs hung down so far that she had to duck to prevent them from tangling in her hair, and dust and soil thickly coated every surface.

She stepped forward to make room for Logan, whose keen senses found Sonya instantly. He strode over to a drop-leaf table with a broken hinge, dropped to one knee, and lifted the creaking leaf. Tucked far into the corner, her face streaked with dirt and dried tears, was Sonya.

"Hey, kiddo," Logan soothed. "Gave us quite a scare, runnin' off like that."

"Leave me alone, Logan," she sobbed, pulling farther back into the corner. As she moved, he noticed a rip in her jeans, and a small gash in her leg underneath.

Shooting a look of consternation at Raven, he slid forward a little, reaching out his hand to the frightened girl.

"Sonya, we've gotta go now. Just gimme your hand and come outta there."

When she shook her head, he decided to try a different approach.

"Sonya," he commanded gruffly, "get out here!"

Raven came over and knelt beside Logan, irking him even more, though he said nothing.

"Sonya," Raven began, "Logan is only trying to help you. We both are. Come on out, okay? I won't let anything hurt you."

Finally, slowly, Sonya inched out from her hiding place, until she was clear of the table. Logan carefully let the leaf back down and stood up, brushing himself off; he was too upset and yet relieved to speak. Raven helped the girl stand and swept a few cobwebs from her dark hair, and she was startled when Sonya flung her arms around her and began to sob uncontrollably. She looked at Logan, unsure of what to do, but he just pushed past her and walked out of the shed.

"Come on, Sonya," she murmured, taking the girl's hand and leading her outside. Though the trees blocked most of the sunlight, they still had to shield their eyes from the sudden brightness. Logan had already begun making his way back to the mansion, though he stayed just close enough that they wouldn't lose sight of him and get lost. Every once in a while, he would stop and listen to the air around him, then continue moving again.

"Are they still out here?" Raven called to him once, but he merely grunted and shook his head.

At last, they broke through the trees and found themselves on the mansion's back lawn. Logan wordlessly stalked toward the house, and though Raven figured his dark mood had something to do with Sonya's refusal to come out of hiding, she was still puzzled by it. She wanted to go after him, to try and get him to talk, but she knew that was most likely impossible. At the moment, she needed to tend to Sonya's wound. It didn't look serious, but Raven knew that even the smallest cut could become badly infected.

Raven led Sonya into the kitchen, which was thankfully empty, and helped her jump up onto the countertop.

"I'll be right back," she said, and the girl only nodded.

As Raven was rifling through a closet for a first-aid kit, she felt as if someone was suddenly standing right behind her, and she spun around to see Logan standing there.

"Damn it, Logan. Don't do that," she gasped, her hand on her chest as if to physically stop her heart from beating wildly against her ribs.

"Sorry," he replied, sarcasm dripping in his voice.

"I just came to find some bandages or something for Sonya's leg." She held up the first-aid kit.

"Okay."

Raven narrowed her eyes at him. "Logan, what's wrong with you? Ever since the shed, you've been acting…I don't know…weird."

He just shrugged. "Nothing's wrong. I'm fine."

"Bull!" Again, there was no response from him. She angrily slammed the closet door. "You know, I realize that you're very damaged and all, but the least you could to is go apologize to her."

Logan snorted. "Apologize? For what?"

"For yelling at her. She was just scared."

"Oh, and I wasn't? I was terrified, Raven! I didn't know if she'd been hurt, or if the Brotherhood had grabbed her. And then, when we finally find her, she refuses to let me help her!"

So there it is, Raven said to herself. He's upset because Sonya came to me instead of him.

"No, Logan," she said flatly.

"No, what?"

"You're not mad because she ran away and all that. You're jealous that she chose me over you."

"The hell I am, Raven!" he shouted, and she reflexively shut her eyes, feeling that she'd pushed him too far again. Logan forced himself to calm down, then said, "I don't care about that. I was just so glad to see her safe. But she wasn't glad to see me."

"Okay," Raven replied with a nod, "but why do you care so much? I mean, I know the two of you connected in some way, and you've become attached to her. But, Logan, it's not like you're her father or something."

"Yes, he is," a small, timid voice said from the doorway. Logan and Raven both turned toward Sonya, who stood there holding a washcloth to her wounded leg.

Logan blinked rapidly, trying to decide whether he'd heard correctly. "I'm sorry," he rumbled, "I thought – "

"I saw it in her mind," she interrupted, lifting her chin to indicate Raven. "The Brotherhood used your…genetic material…to make me."

Raven suggested then, "Let's all go back into the kitchen and get you cleaned up."

"Okay," Sonya agreed, and hobbled back into the kitchen, closely followed by Logan and then Raven. Not one to give up easily, Logan held out his arms, and Sonya let him boost her up onto the counter again. Raven rinsed out the washcloth and used it to wash the dirt from the girl's face and arms, then carefully wiped out the inch-long gash on her leg.

"So, why'd you run away?" Logan asked, to keep her mind occupied as Raven tended to her wound.

The girl shrugged. "I guess I just kinda freaked out. I thought that if you knew, well…I didn't think you'd want me as a daughter."

Logan stepped forward and took her hand, and she looked up into his eyes. "Why? Why would you think that?"

At first, she didn't respond, instead watching Raven place a bandage over her cut. Then, she murmured, "Because I'm nothing like you."

Hearing this, Raven's eyes filled with tears. She recalled that same feeling all too well – the feeling that you were different from the rest of your family – although she was completely human. She had vowed long ago, that she would try to make sure that no child, human or otherwise, would ever feel that way. It was one of the most painful feelings she'd ever had; of that there was no doubt in her mind.

Logan opened his mouth to speak, but no words came. He felt sure that this time, his heart had broken into shards as soon as Sonya had uttered those five words. He closed his mouth again, and Raven could see his jaw working, trying to control his emotions. She could also see that he was quickly losing the fight.

"Kiddo," he finally managed, "I wouldn't care if you had no abilities, or if you were the most powerful mutant on the planet." He blinked as the tears escaped his eyes and slid quickly down his face. "I love you because you're Sonya, and that's all."

Sonya gazed up at him, and when she saw his tears, her lip began to tremble. "You do?" she whispered.

Logan lowered his head until his forehead was touching hers, and closed his eyes. "Yeah, I do."

Sonya wrapped her arms around his neck, burying her face in his shoulder, and he held her tightly against him, more silent tears tracking down his stubbled cheeks. Feeling very much like an unwanted spectator, Raven started to back out of the kitchen, figuring she'd go back down to visit Bobby. Logan saw her move, however, and his arm shot out and grabbed hold of her jacket.

"Oh, no you don't, Miss Raven. C'mere."

Reluctantly, Raven stepped over to them and let Logan pull her into the hug. Though she was in an awkward position, crushed against his side, she didn't really mind. All that mattered was that she was wanted.

XXXXX

"Can I come in?" Logan asked Storm, leaning around the door frame to her office.

She glanced up from the pile of papers she was grading, and noticed his calm expression. For once, the wrinkles in his forehead had ironed out, and a contented grin played on his lips. Storm smiled genuinely in return, and beckoned for him to enter. He still strode into the room as if he were on a mission, she noticed, but his demeanor didn't change.

"Did I miss something?" She asked him, quizzically raising her eyebrows.

"Uh, quite a bit, actually, but it couldn't be helped."

"Where are Raven and Sonya? Did everything go all right?"

Logan sat down in the chair across from her, resting his right ankle on his left knee.

"Well," he said, unsure of how to phrase his reply without upsetting her, "We hit a slight snag. But it worked itself out."

"Logan," Storm replied, her curiosity clear on her exotic features, "your cryptic replies are absolutely killing me."

He couldn't suppress a chuckle at her frustrated expression. Leaning forward slightly, he murmured in a conspiratorial tone, "We found out who Sonya's father is."

This piqued her even further. "Who?"

Still leaning toward her, he replied, "You're lookin' at him."

The revelation sent a wave of shock through her body, and she fell back against her leather chair. Her voice full of warning, she said, "Logan, if you are playing some kind of joke – "

Logan laughed outright, confusing her more than she ever thought possible. When his laughter finally subsided, he shook his head.

"Trust me, I would never joke about this. Apparently, they used Sonya's birth mother's DNA, mixed it with mine, and…" he trailed off, knowing she would finish the thought in her own head.

"And you…" Storm began, then decided to rephrase what she was about to say. "How do you feel about all of this?"

Though his face still held a trace of a smile, his tone was serious. "Y'know, a few years ago, I probably would've felt…well, I'd probably run away. I was never a very responsible person. No ties and all that."

Storm nodded in understanding, then waited for him to continue.

"But now, especially after coming here," he gestured around the room, indicating the entire school, "I realize that these kids need me. And, I need them."

Storm would've normally been surprised at the softness in his voice. But she knew the special spot some of the children held in his heart, so she merely smiled at him.

"And what about Raven? After this is all over, what will happen to her?" She folded her hands over her half-graded reports.

Logan shrugged. "It's up to her, I guess. If she did decide to stay, though –"

"It would be a pleasure to have her here," Storm interrupted, and he inclined his head slightly to thank her. Logan stood up to leave, but then turned back.

"Oh, I almost forgot. Raven and I wanted to take the jet again, if that's okay."

"Of course. But where are you going?"

"To find the doctor who did this to Sonya – well, to us, actually. We're hoping he's got a cure for this virus."

"And if he doesn't?" Storm asked, concerned, but he only shrugged.

"We'll have to go to Plan B."

"Which is?"

"I'll figure that out if and when we need it."

She shot him another warning look, but didn't respond.

"Can you find someone to keep a close eye on Sonya while we're gone? They might still try to get to her," he asked.

Storm nodded wearily. Sometimes talking to Logan was like trying to keep up with a marathon runner, she thought.

"I'm sure Peter wouldn't mind, especially after his guard duty with Bobby. Compared to that, watching her will be a walk in the park," she joked lightly.

"Okay, then," Logan said, and swung around the door. Then, he peered back around the corner and said, "Thanks, Storm. And, yeah, I'll be careful."

When he was gone, Storm stood up and walked over to her wide bay window, gazing down at the lawn below. A large group of children was playing kickball, running around the bases and laughing. She smiled softly as she watched them. They all seemed so happy, oblivious to the harsh world outside the school, and she wished that she could feel the same joy they did, instead of the bitterness that had become tangled within herself, threatening to imprison her forever.

The Professor would not approve of your attitude, she scolded herself. He would tell you to see the beauty the world still held in it.

Pushing away from the window, Storm sat back down at her desk and went back to grading her kids' papers. There was no time to brood over her painful past, not when there was so much to do.

XXXXX

From Storm's office, Logan went down to pay Bobby a long-overdue visit. When he walked into the room, Logan was glad to see that Bobby was sitting up, though a cast covered his left leg. Bobby noticed him come through the doorway, and greeted him with a smile.

"Hey, Logan. Making sure you didn't actually kill me?"

Recognizing the joking tone in Bobby's voice, Logan grinned and joked back, "Nah. Just wanted to make sure you weren't gonna escape and wreak havoc throughout the school."

"Funny," Bobby replied, still smiling. "So, how's things upstairs? I feel like the deformed kid they locked up in the basement and tried to forget about."

Logan waved dismissively. "Ah, not too much. Y'know, the usual stuff – discover a plot to kill off every mutant that isn't in league with the Brotherhood, find out I'm someone's 'dad', try and stop the evil plot and save the world – nothing new."

Bobby's eyes widened. "Wait. You're a dad? Whose?"

Logan chuckled. "Don't sweat it right now. I'll have time to fill ya in on everything later. I just came down to see how you were doin', and to bring you somethin' to keep ya busy."

A hundred questions filled Bobby's mind, but he let them go unanswered. He could see that Logan was in somewhat of a hurry. Instead, he asked, "What'd you bring me?"

Logan opened the paper bag he'd been holding, and began to pull things out of it as he explained, "Well, I figured you'd be bored outta your skull down here, so I brought down some comic books – take it easy with them, they're my first editions – " he cautioned as he set them down on a nearby table, "and a few DVD's I thought you'd like. When you're done with these, I can always bring down some more."

"Sweet!" Bobby exclaimed as he read the movie titles Logan had handed him. "Thanks, Logan."

"Aah," Logan replied with another wave of his hand, "It's the least I could do after bustin' ya up. You just relax and get better. I gotta get my ass movin', but I'll be back soon."

"Maybe when you come back to my 'dungeon', we can both watch this one," Bobby said, holding up one of the DVD cases.

Logan read the title and nodded appreciatively.

"Boondock Saints. One of my personal favorites. Most definitely." He walked to the doorway, then waved to Bobby. "See ya later, kid."

"Bye, Logan," Bobby replied, then grabbed the first comic book on top of the stack and opened it to the first page.

XXXXX

Raven sat at the controls on the jet, carefully watching a radar screen and occasionally checking a few other systems. She and Logan had flown in near-silence for almost an hour, with her asking him questions and him responding in one word sentences. His silence didn't bother her now; she realized that he was as tense as she was, but he preferred to deal with it through quiet reflection, while she felt she had to break the silence with idle chatter. She had just given up any hope of a conversation when he suddenly asked her a question.

"Do you think I could be a good father? I mean, you know more about me than anyone else. Including me."

Raven looked up from the radar screen and gazed at him openly. He wasn't usually one to seek approval from anyone, so for him to ask such a question was rare.

"Logan," she began, "I think that out of anyone I've met – human or mutant – you would make the best father anyone could have."

He seemed to accept her compliment, but his gaze was still troubled. Raven decided to press him a little further, but was prepared to drop the subject if it irritated him too much.

"What's bothering you?" she asked, and he shrugged.

"I dunno. I guess…we go on all these missions to 'save the world', and a lot of them have been pretty close calls."

Understanding what he was trying to say, Raven replied, "You're worried that one of these times, you might not come back, and Sonya will have lost her dad all over again."

"Yeah."

She blew out a deep breath. "I don't know what to tell you, Logan, except this; Sonya knew what you did – saving the world, as you put it – before she knew who you were to her, and still loved you. I don't think that anything has changed."

"Except that I'm her father," he reminded her.

"Yeah," she replied with a dismissive wave, "biologically. But she hasn't had a father in her life since she was small, and she got along fine. I'm not saying that it wouldn't matter to her if something happened to you. I'm just saying that you mean as much to her as you did when you were just 'Logan'."

He thought about that for a while. What Raven said made perfect sense to him, and yet he couldn't help feeling like he was making the wrong decision by staying with the X-Men. He was about to say as much to Raven, when she pointed to a spot on the map in front of them.

"We're here, I think," she told him.

"You 'think'?"

"Well, these are the coordinates Sonya gave me – from my mind- so it must be the right place."

Logan peered past the map and down at the ground below them.

"Where are we gonna land, Raven?" he asked. "We're in the middle of a city."

"I can see that, Logan," she replied, searching the map for someplace a little more discreet. Though it was dark outside, she wasn't sure she could find a place to land a jet the size of a basketball court. Finally, she spotted a hayfield that had just been cleared, and set the jet down in the middle of it.

"We'd better do this fast," she said to him, unstrapping herself from the cockpit. "Someone is bound to find this monster sooner or later."

"Let's hope it's later," he remarked as he opened the lower hatch and started down the ladder.

"No kidding," Raven replied, all too aware that time was growing short.