We got to Bobby's house by mid morning the next day. Parking the car in the driveway we followed him into the house.

"Mom, Dad? Ronnie? Is anybody home?" Bobby called as we walked into the entrance-way of the house. When he got no response the young mutant turned to us. "I'll try find us some clothes."

I grabbed John's wrist. He had been flicking the lighter in his hand for hours and it was getting on my last nerve. "Enough."

Bobby glanced at him. "Don't burn anything." Before walking further into the house.

I caught Remy's arm when he walked passed me knowing the Cajun was too nosey for his own good. "Don't blow anything up." I warned him.

He flashed me a grin before locking eyes with Rogue and then disappearing down the hall looking into each room as he went.

Rogue seemed mesmerised for a moment before she shook it off and followed John up the stairs at the end of the hall.

Not wanting to be left alone with Logan I moved through the house easily finding the kitchen. I jumped as Bobby spoke from the doorway.

"I found you and Rogue some clothes." He said holding out a folded pair of bell bottom jeans, sandals and a floaty shirt to me. "They're pretty old but it's all I could find." He apologized as I took the items. "The bathroom's down the hall first door on your left if you wanna go change."

"Thank you, Bobby." I said grateful to be getting out of my dirty sweat pants and shirt.

I found the bathroom easily and changed thankful that the clothes hadn't been worn very much and that their echoes were fading. I stepped out of the bathroom only to start when I saw Logan leaning against the wall opposite the bathroom. He had changed into a white t-shirt that Bobby must have given him to wear.

"So," he raised his hazel eyes to my aqua gaze. "You gonna tell me why you were so scared back at the mansion or do I have t' ask your red eyed friend?"

I swallowed hard and went to walk past him. "It's nothing -"

Logan caught my arm stopping me. "Didn't seem like nothin', kid."

I pulled my arm from his grasp scared for his safety and the safety of everyone I cared about if they knew my past. "Just leave it, Logan. And don't call me kid." I snapped before walking back to the kitchen praying he wouldn't follow me but knowing deep down that he wouldn't give up that easily.

He followed me. "You knew Stryker."

It was an accusation rather than a question but I answered anyway. "No." I leaned my hands on the edge of the sink unable to fully block out the memories, my memories. "But I knew one of his mentors."

Unsatisfied with my vague answer Logan grabbed my arm and turned me to look at him. "That's not all of it."

Fighting back my tears and not wanting to look weak in his eyes I was about to lie when Remy spoke from the doorway that led to the lounge. I hadn't even realised he was there. "Them scientists hurt her, mon ami." He told Logan whose eyes were still on me. "Never seen anyone hurt like they hurt yah, Cheri."

"Stop it!" I cried hating the nightmares his words dredged up.

Logan studied me for a moment before his grip on my arm gentled. "That's not all of it." He said again and my startled gaze flew back to his face.

"That's all you need to know." I told him trying to twist out of his hold but even if it was gentler than before I still couldn't get free.

But the large mutant wasn't listening. "Jenna," when he said my name I stilled staring up at him. "Who's Doctor Mortimer?"

My lungs froze at the sound of that name a painful sob slipping from between my lips.

"Jenna." Logan said again shaking me slightly and speaking more forcefully. "Who's Doctor Mortimer?"

I glanced at Remy as he stood, still in the doorway, his tall frame ringed in the light thrown across the room from the windows in the lounge. My gaze then flicked unseeingly from his worried face to Logan's chest as the faces of those I loved filled my mind before I allowed myself to look up at the man whose face had plagued me for so long. "He's…evil."

Logan's eyes flicked over my face and I knew he was making sure I was telling the truth. Finally, with a stiff nod he let go of me and stepped back. I glanced at Remy only getting a look that I couldn't read from him before he turned and left me alone with Logan again.

Logan glanced at me but, deciding the conversation was over he pulled out the cell phone he had taken from Cyclops' car. He studied it for a moment before pushing on the sides. The phone extended and Logan put it to his ear. "Hello?" he said into it. "Hello?" when he got no answer he looked at the cell again. "Jean." He muttered. "Where are you?"

Running a hand through his dishevelled hair the feral mutant muttered, "I need a beer."

Sifting through the echoes I had read when I had entered the room I nodded to the fridge. "There's beer in there." I told him my voice still unsteady but strengthening with every word.

His dark gaze collided with mine and I bit my lip and turned away, suddenly needing a drink as well.

Giving up on trying to contact anyone for the moment, Logan put the cell back in his pocket and went to the fridge. "You wanna drink?" he asked when he found the beer I had told him was there.

Smiling weakly I shook my head. "I'm fine."

He gave me a look as if to say 'suit yourself' before he grabbed a beer from the fridge and twisted off the cap. Watching him gulp it down out of the corner of my eye, I tensed when he stopped and turned quickly unsheathing his claws at the cat that had made its way stealthily onto the kitchen bench. The feline looked up at him as I tried to stifle a giggle before it started licking one of his claws.

I was tempted to laugh out loud until I saw Logan's face. His scowl softened as his predator side recognised the feline as a fellow animal.

The moment was interrupted when we heard the back door open. Logan sheathed his claws and then stepped in front of me turning to face whoever or whatever was coming inside.

I recognised Bobby's parents and younger brother from the pictures on the wall as his mom quickly picked up the cat and his father stepped forward.

"Who the hell are you?" he demanded of Logan.

Bobby ran down the stairs as Remy stepped into the kitchen as well and Rogue and John followed Bobby.

"Honey, aren't you supposed to be at school?" Bobby's mom asked him.

Before Bobby could answer his dad asked, "Bobby, who are these people?"

"Ahhh." Bobby glanced at us over his shoulder and I stepped out from behind Logan annoyed that he thought I needed protecting.

"This is Professor Logan, Professor Hughes and Professor Lebeau." Bobby lied and I shot Remy a glare as he grinned, thankful that his hair was hiding his eyes for the most part and that Bobby had given him a shirt and sweatpants to wear. "There's something I need to tell you." The young mutant added and I realised he meant to tell his family about his abilities.

His mom glanced at everyone in her kitchen and tried to deal as best she could. "How about we all go and sit in the lounge?" she asked with a forced smile. "Who would like some tea?" she added as we made our way to the lounge.

We all declined but she made some for herself before settling down on the couch, Ronnie, Bobby's brother, beside her and Bobby's dad sitting on the lip of the elevated fire place. Bobby and Rogue sat on the couch as well with John leaning against a sideboard behind them and Remy, Logan and I standing near the kitchen doorway.

Bobby came out with it and then there was a tense silence as his family tried to process that their son and brother was a mutant.

Bobby's mom was the first to speak. "So, ah, when did you first know that you were a…"

"A mutant?" John asked enjoying the antagonism that the word was causing.

"Would you cut that out?" Bobby's mom said to him glancing at the lighter he had flicked on and off since the conversation had started.

"You have to understand." Bobby's dad finally spoke up. "We thought Bobby was going to a school for the gifted."

Rogue was quick to defend her boyfriend. "Bobby is gifted."

"We know that." The man amended. "We just didn't realise-"

His wife cut him off and turned to their son. "We still love you Bobby. It's just this mutant problem is a little…"

"What mutant problem?" Logan asked clearly and rightly defensive.

"Complicated." The woman said to him.

Bobby's dad finally asked, "What exactly are you professor of Mr. Logan?"

Leaning against the doorway Logan deadpanned. "Art."

With a startled look Bobby's dad then turned to look at Remy and I, "Mr. Lebeau and Mrs. Hughes?"

Remy mirrored Logan's stance and leaned against the opposite side of the door. "Cooking 'nd etiquette." He said loftily and I had a hard time keeping a straight face as I gave the only truthful answer. "Classical studies, Languages and Philosophy. And it's Miss Hughes." I added with a small smile to take the sting out of the comment.

Mr Drake nodded and then Rogue spoke up. "Well, you should see what Bobby can do."

Reaching out Bobby touched the tea cup in his mothers hand and froze the brown liquid inside it.

With a gasp the woman turned the frozen dome of tea out onto the cup's saucer and put both the saucer and cup onto the coffee table in front of her. The cat jumped up onto the table and proceeded to lick at the ice.

Bobby's younger brother who had sat silent and angry ever since Bobby had revealed his abilities was suddenly on his feet. He crossed the room and pushed passed me before running up the stairs.

I glanced at Remy when I felt echoes of the young boy's anger and feelings of betrayal when he brushed past me.

"This is all my fault." Mrs. Drake said rubbing her palms over her knees in distress.

"Actually, they discovered that males are the ones that carry the mutant gene and pass it on." John spoke up, again stirring the pot. "So, it's his fault." He pointed at Bobby's dad.

"John." I hissed getting his attention and glaring at him. "Stop it."

He clenched his jaw and turned back to studying his lighter and I knew he was itching to use it.

The uncomfortable silence was broken as a beeping sound started up. We all turned to Logan who took a moment to realise it was the cell phone in his pocket that was going off.

"Oh. God." He said pulling it out of his pocket. "It's for me." He walked swiftly to the sliding doors on the opposite side of the room and stepped outside.

"Bobby." Mrs. Drake said turning to her son and smiling desperately. "Have you tried…not being a mutant?"

I understood that these people were trying to come to terms with their son's confession and not colour him with the same animosity that the media had told them too, but that comment sent me over the edge.

Pushing back my hair I stepped forward and let them see my eyes properly. "With all due respect Mr. and Mrs. Drake, this isn't a question of your son being a mutant or not." I said gently. "This is a question of whether you can accept Bobby for who he is, not define him by what he is."

The couple looked at me clearly terrified by the strangeness of my eyes and angry because I had questioned their love for their son.

"We will love Bobby no matter what." Mr. Drake said. "And you have no right to come into our home and ask us otherwise."

I searched both their faces before I nodded. "I'm sorry but I have seen enough of this society to know that people may say one thing and mean another."

Whatever the couple were about to say to me was cut off as Logan stalked back into the house. "We have to go. Now!" He told us as Remy and I straightened recognising the urgency in his voice.

The three younger and untrained mutants didn't. "Why?" Rogue asked.

"Now!" Was Logan's only answer as he led us out the front door, unsheathing his claws as he did.

There were three police cars on the lawn and officers taking cover behind their doors, their guns trained on us as I pushed Rogue, Bobby and John behind me a little so that if need be Remy, Logan and I could fight.

"Drop the knives and put your hands in the air." One officer said as he and his partner came up on either side of the porch their guns drawn and aimed at us.

I grabbed Remy's arm as he tightened his hold on his staff knowing he wanted to fight but I couldn't let him risk the kid's lives.

"What's goin' on here?" Logan asked.

I was the only one to hear Bobby's answer. "Ronnie."

"I said drop the knives." The officer told Logan again.

We heard breaking glass and Bobby's mom scream inside the house as the police came in the back.

"This is just a misunderstanding." Logan said calmly trying to defuse the situation.

But the officer wasn't listening. "Put the knives down!" he told Logan a third time and I saw that Logan was coming to the end of his patience as was Remy.

"I can't." Logan said and I watched as he lifted his arms out on either side to show the officer. "Look."

The sound of the adamantium claws snick-ing back into Logan's arms and the officer's gun going off happened almost simultaneously.

Rogue screamed as Logan dropped to the ground a bullet hole in his head

"All right, the rest of you! On the ground! Now!" The officer ordered us.

I forced Remy to drop to his stomach with the rest of us knowing that Logan was okay and that it was safer if the rest of us just did as the police said. I glanced up as John stayed on his feet. "John." I warned but my voice was drowned out by the officer.

"Look kid, I said on the ground, now."

"We don't want to hurt you kid." The officer's partner added but John didn't listen.

He lifted his lighter flicking it on. "You know all those dangerous mutants you hear about on the news?" he asked and my stomach sunk at his next words. "I'm the worst one."

Using his ability to control fire John sent a fire ball at each officer and then through the house behind us.

Unable to see anyone get hurt I stood up as John made two cop cars explode.

"Stop it." I ordered him grabbing his arm.

He glanced at me before shaking his head. "Sorry, Miss Hughes. They've gotta learn."

I gasped as he moved as if to push me away, a fire ball hit me in the chest and I flew backwards, landing on the grass and blacking out for a moment.

I woke up to a hand on my cheek. I stiffened only to read the echoes from that hand and realise it was Remy.

"Yah all right, Cheri?" he asked as I opened my eyes and he helped me to my feet.

I nodded. "Remind me to teach John not to throw fire balls and antagonize a situation when this is over." I said wiping the soot from my skin as Logan and the three kids hurried over to me.

"Get in line, amore." Remy told me with a dark glare at John as he walked passed. "Let's get t' the jet." He added wrapping an arm around my waist as we followed the others to the large black X-Men jet that must have landed on the road when I was unconscious.

We made it up the steps and into the large interior of the jet in time to see Logan turn on John and grab him by the front of the shirt dragging him close.

"Don't do that again." He growled in the freaked out kid's face. "Understand?" At John's shaky nodding Logan snarled. "You use your powers on her again and I'll use my claws on you. Got it?"

"Logan." I stepped forward and put my hand on his arm trying to calm him as he let John go. Our eyes locked and it was as if there was no one else around us. "I'm fine." I managed to say even though my brain was telling me that it was dangerous to be this close to a feral mutant like him with or without the centuries of echoes that were imprinted on his skin.

I jumped as Remy cleared his throat meaningfully behind us and instantly I was blushing. Stepping passed Logan I was so intent on trying to cool the blush on my cheeks and find a seat that at first I didn't realise Logan had caught my wrist until he tightened his grip a little.

I stared down at his hand on the naked skin of my wrist and it took a moment for me to process the fact that my mind wasn't being hammered by his echoes. He seemed to take a moment to realise the same thing and then Storm was telling us to sit down as she prepared the jet for take off.

"Later." Was all Logan said gruffly before he let me go and led the way to our seats.

"Gutentag." We were greeted by the mutant whom the Professor had been tracking the day before as we sat in our seats.

"Who the hell is this?" Logan asked obviously having forgotten that Jean and Storm were looking for the mutant who had attacked the President.

The mutant answered him. "Kurt Wagner. But in the Munich Circus I was known as the Incredible Nightcrawler."

Logan wasn't in the mood to hear what he could tell was going to be a long life story. "Yeah, save it. Storm!" He snapped before turning back to doing up his belt.

"We're out of here." Storm told him as she fired up the jet engines.

The take off was rough and for the first time I saw Logan scared of something. Remy smirked as the feral mutant grabbed his arm rests quickly when the jet lifted off from the ground.

I was more concerned with the fact that Bobby was upset by what had happened. Getting his attention I said, "They still love you, Bobby. Just give them time. Okay?"

He forced as smile that we both knew was fake, and nodded.

A few minutes after we had started our flight back to the mansion, I watched as Logan got out of his seat and walked up to the front of the cabin intent on talking to Storm and Jean.

I had heard about his flirtation with Jean, but seeing the way they moved around each other hurt in ways I never thought they would.

"How far are we?" he asked her as he leaned an arm on the back of her chair.

I looked away ignoring both Remy's eyes on my back and Rogue's glance back at me.

I only tuned back into the conversation when a loud and persistent beeping sounded.

"We've got four signals approaching." Storm told Jean and Logan. "Coming in fast."

A woman's voice came over the comm. in the jet. "Unidentified aircraft, you are ordered to descend to twenty thousand feet. Return with our escort to Hanscom Air Force Base. You have ten seconds to comply." The transmission cut off and Storm, Jean and Logan shared a worried look. "Wow, somebody's angry." Storm said annoyed.

Logan turned a glare onto John where he sat in the seat behind Jean. "And I wonder why." He said with dry humour.

I tightened my grip on the handles of my seat worried that the situation was about to get much, much worse.

The voice was back to inform us that, "We are coming up beside you to escort you to Hanscom Air Force Base. Lower your altitude now. Repeat. Lower your altitude, now. This is your last warning."

I couldn't understand why Storm or Jean weren't doing anything. Remy leaned forward in the seat behind me and put a calming hand to my shoulder.

Everyone waited with bated breath as Storm informed us that the four aircraft were falling back.

Suddenly, a loud wailing siren started up on the jet's control panel.

"They're marking us." Storm said shocked.

"What?" Logan asked his nostrils flaring at the scent of Jean and Storm's worry.

"They're gonna fire." Storm told him before she turned to the rest of the people in the jet. "Hang on." She ordered us before jumping into action.

The jet sped up and Logan fell against a wall before throwing himself into his chair and doing up his seat belt like everyone else.

Seeing that Rogue was having trouble with her belt because of her long gloves, I manipulated the belts so that they clicked into place by themselves around her. She shot me a grateful smile that quickly turned into a grimace as Storm turned the jet so that it rolled.

"Please don't do that again." John asked her looking a bit green.

Logan glanced at him before he added. "I agree." Looking decidedly green as well, he then snapped, obviously hating being in the jet. "Don't we have any weapons in this heap?"

The weather outside started to darken as he said it. I knew Storm was using her mutation and realised that even with the strength of her powers, we would still need more.

I lowered my head and closed my eyes, concentrating on the fighter plane furthest from the jet. My mind wandered over its controls until I found what I was looking for.

"What the hell!?" I heard the pilot of the small plane curse as his visor dropped down in front of his eyes, his hand was forced from the plane's controls and the emergency handle came up. I let go of my control over him and the plane when his parachute opened. I repeated my actions with one of the other planes. Coming back to awareness in the jet, I looked up as Storm's tornadoes took out one of the remaining planes before the fourth and final fighter jet fell back.

The sky cleared almost immediately and everyone seemed to relax. "Everybody okay back there?" Jean asked.

There were a few nods and some shaky yes's, one of which came from Remy, and Logan responded with a snapped 'no'.

"You're bleeding."

I looked over at Bobby and saw his concerned face. Lifting a hand to my upper lip I realised my nose was badly bleeding, something that hadn't happened since Logan had forced me to read his echoes.

And then that hated bleeping started up again.

"Oh my god, there's two of them." Storm said as two missiles appeared on the screen in front of her, locked onto the jet's heat signature.

Jean quickly disabled one of them, making it blow up in mid air. And then she gasped and I knew she didn't have enough strength to stop the other.

"No." I muttered, as the other missile made it to the plane. I slipped from the straps around me and used my powers to keep me from being sucked out of the jet. Moving quickly, I controlled the blast forcing the fire from the explosion away from the jet and, even as my vision began to blur and darken, I tried to fix the hole in the jet's body and its controls. The last thing I heard before my body gave out was a shouted 'NO!' and then strong warm arms wrapped around my body and I was thrown to the floor.

I was woken by a jolt. My eyes snapped open and all I could see was a white clad shoulder and the roof of the jet above me. I moved slightly, turning my head to see a pair of dark hazel eyes staring down at me.

Every breath I took reminded me of how close Logan's body was to mine. The snik of his claws sliding back into his arms made me jump before he pushed himself up off me and helped me to my feet. The plane was on the ground and everyone was starting to un-strap themselves from their seats and move toward the exit ramp at the rear of the plane.

A pair of arms wrapped around me and I was jolted off my feet and into the arms of my adoptive brother.

"Yah ain't ever to do that again, Cheri. Yah hear?" he muttered into my hair. "If I ever have to see yah sacrifice yah-self like that again, I'll throttle yah." He added pulling back to search my face.

"I'm fine." I told him hardly believing the words I said even though my heart beat reassured me I wasn't dead.

Remy just shook his head before he turned to Logan and held out his hand to him. "My thanks, mon ami." He told him.

Logan looked a bit wary of the long haired mutant's motives but shook his hand anyway.

With one last look at me, Remy turned to help Bobby assist a visibly shaking Rogue out of the jet, despite the teenage boy's baleful glare.

I turned to Logan. "What happened?"

He studied me for a moment before answering. "Yah stopped the blast from killing us, tried to fix the damage to the plane and nearly died doin' it."

I rubbed my wrist, embarrassed and confused at the look in his eyes. "I-."

"Magneto's here. He stopped the plane falling." He interrupted me and then wrapped an arm around my waist and led me out of the jet.

Once down on solid ground I tried to walk but my legs didn't seem to want to cooperate.

"Whoa." Logan caught me against his chest as my knees gave way. "You okay?" he asked.

A blush spread across my cheeks at his touch and I nodded quickly, putting distance between our bodies. "Yes, I just need to sit down." I murmured my eyes on the dog tags around his neck rather than his face, scared that I'd see the pity I knew he must be feeling for me, or worse yet, scorn.

I moved fully out of his touch and slowly lowered myself to the ground. Feeling the grass rasp against my palms I turned them over and studied the slowly fading burns that were still on them.

Logan hunkered down beside me. "You gonna heal alright?" he asked.

I swallowed and closed my fingers over the wounds. "Yeah. Just a little burnt out but I will be fine after a good night's rest." I assured him.

"Logan."

At the sound of Jean's call, the feral mutant raised his eyes to her.

"Go." I told him knowing he was reluctant to leave my side because he thought I was still hurt. "I'll be fine."

He glanced over me once more, checking for any other wounds before he nodded stiffly and left me to wallow in my own self pity.

"Jen, you okay?" I looked up to see Rogue trying to hide how frightened she was by worrying about me.

I smiled at her. "Yes." I nodded before I held out a hand to her. "As long as you don't mind helping me up off this grass so that I can pretend to be alright like you're doing."

Rogue pulled me from the ground and into a hug. "If you hadn't fixed my belt I woulda been sucked outta that hole in the jet." She said. "So I just wanted to thank yah for that."

I smiled and hugged her back. "You're not as weak as you think you are, Marie." I told her. "Not even close."