Chapter 10
.
Wolverine and Cyclops had never gotten along, not even before Wolverine admitted he was in love with Jean. Their personalities were just too different for them to get along on a regular basis. Cyclops followed the rules, Wolverine usually didn't. Still, they had been able to work together at times, and they always kept the lines of communication open. Both men were willing to work together when they had to, and had a common goal. This was one such time, so Cyclops called Wolverine, and hoped he hadn't disconnected the number.
.
Wolverine: What do you want?
Cyclops: I need your help. Jean's been kidnapped. I hoped you...
Wolverine: Ofcourse I'll help. Where did it happen?
Cyclops: Genosha. I'm at the airport now.
Wolverine: Text me her last location, I'll go to the airport now.
.
Wolverine flew to Genosha to help Cyclops rescue Jean. Cyclops and Wolverine might not have liked each other, but they both loved Jean and wanted to save her. Wolverine also called Avalanche. He hoped the young man would be willing to help in order to impress Kitty. Having fought in more wars than he wanted to remember, Wolverine had seen a number of young men who enlisted, at least partially, to impress a girl. More than a few never made it back, and Wolverine had no idea how those girls felt about the young soldier who had died for them. But he wasn't above using that to get Jean back now. Once he got to the hotel where she had been abducted Wolverine was able to pick up on her scent. Xavier had tried to pick up Jean's psychic essence, but had no success. Whatever the Raft had used to dampen mutants' powers was now likely being used by Jean's abductors. Xavier stayed to help mediate an end to the civil war, and to make inqueries about Jean. It wasn't unusual for the Genoshan government to abduct mutants, but it did seem unusual that the government would attack diplomats. But there was always some local vigilantie who tried to make extra money by abducting foreign mutants. Wolverine, Avalanche, and Cyclops followed Jean's scent into the jungle. And it was here that they encountered sentinals. Sentinals were robots programmed to kill or capture mutants. Some people believed that sentinals were as tall as skyscrapers. These ones were between seven and eight feet tall, but not as tall as buildings. It made sense, smaller robots allowed their creators to build more with fewer resources, thus making them more expendable. The three of them fought well, and destroyed the sentinels. But they feared that they had already alerted their master, whoever they were.
.
Sinister saw the three of them coming, but there seemed little he could do. He couldn't risk using the machine to dampen their powers, it would risk damaging these experiments. It seemed that the local government wouldn't be able to protect him, not from Wolverine. Sinister just had to flee while he still could. Before he left Sinister made certain that the cameras were still functioning. He had to know how this experiment turned out.
.
As Wolverine, Cyclops, and Avalanche made it closer to the lab, it was eerily quiet. Professor Xavier's sources said that both the government troops and the rebels stayed away from this area. Whatever was here, a lot of people were afraid of it. And yet, no security, no sentinels, barely any cameras. And yet, Wolverine could smell Jean, and one other person. The three of them just walker right in, and met no resistance whatsoever. Finally they found Jean, standing over an incubator, noone seemed to be in this incubator. She looked more distraught than any of them had ever seen her. She didn't seem to neccessarily be in her right mind, but after what she would tell them they could understand.
.
Jean: She's in here.
Cyclops: Who?
Jean: My baby.
Cyclops: What did they do to you?
Jean: Sinister, he impregnated me. Then he tried to abort it, but she survived.
Wolverine: She's right, I can smell someone in that incubator.
Avalanche: I don't see anyone.
Jean: She's so tiny, but she's there. It's your baby Logan. Sinister used your DNA, that's why she survived.
Cyclops: I will kill Sinister for what he did to you.
Jean: I want him dead too. But this child didn't ask for any of this. I have to take care of her. I can't move her out of here, not until I'm sure she can survive.
Cyclops: I understand. We'll stay here with you, all of us, to protect you.
.
When Cyclops promised they would all protect Jean he meant it. Only later did he realize that Avalanche might not be so eager to stay. The three men spoke in private.
.
Cyclops: If you want to leave Avalanche, I'll understand.
Avalanche: I'll stay. She might need all of our protection.
Wolverine: Thank you.
Avalanche: Just make sure Kitty knows I stayed to help.
Wolverine: I can't guarantee she'll ever want to reconcile with you.
Avalanche: I know, but I want to be the kind of man who is worthy of her love, even if I never get it. I helped Rogue didn't I?
Cyclops: As I recall you chased after Rogue and tried to bring her to her death.
Avalanche: I made mistakes. But in the end, when Wolverine was fighting Magneto, I helped knock Magneto out so he could save her.
Cyclops: Is that that Wolverine?
Wolverine: Everything was happening so fast, it's possible.
Cyclops: You and I have some things to discuss. The irony is Jean and I wanted children, but we couldn't. I understand how Jean could never just abandon a child, but I don't know if she'll want to raise this child. For better or worse, fair or not, this is your child.
Wolverine: I know. I always thought I'd be a lousy father.
Cyclops: Agreed.
Wolverine: So what now, the three of us raise this child?
Cyclops: I don't know. I guess that when Jean calms down, the three of us have some things to discuss.
.
Wolverine called Rogue and informed her what had happened.
.
Rogue: So you're a father now?
Wolverine: Apparently. I never thought it would happen, and I'm probably the last person who should be raising a child.
Rogue: What do you think you've been doing with me these last few months?
Wolverine: Ripping off entitled jerks, hiding from the law.
Rogue: And taking care of me. You've been more of a father to me than my own father ever was.
Wolverine: I just couldn't abandon you. But this kid, maybe she'll have Scott and Jean, or maybe some foster family.
Rogue: And maybe the kid needs to know her father. Could you abandon her?
Wolverine: No, probably not.
.
Hank Mccoy came to Genosha to help take care of the baby in the incubator. At first she was so tiny that they needed the machines to determine she was really there. But over time she was more visible. As a doctor Hank was amazed that she had inherited enough of Wolverine's healing ability to survive an attempted abortion. Jean saw her baby grow, and came to love her. The baby was actually recovering, it seemed she would survive.
.
Over the next month Jean and her protectors watched her daughter grow inside the incubator. At one point they had a baby shower of sorts. Danielle and her wife Rahne had a baby shower at the X mansion, and had a video conference with Jean at the laboratory in Genosha. Cyclops and the others were able to get a cake, make it seem like a three person baby shower. Jean was grateful for this, she was finally allowed to celebrate her pregnancy, even if it was belated. It seemed clear that she was moving towards raising the child, to being a mother. But ofcourse this presented its own unique challenges.
.
Jean: I've decided to raise this child.
Cyclops: Yeah, I figured you were leaning in that direction.
Jean: Are you okay with this? Raising Logan's child with me?
Cyclops: It might not be ideal, but when is it ever? Yes, I am willing to raise this child with you, biology be damned.
Jean: You do know that Logan will be part of this child's life.
Cyclops: I know.
.
Jean spoke with Wolverine in private.
.
Jean: I want to reiterate that you and I will never be together again.
Wolverine: That's just my bad fortune.
Jean: But I am going to raise this child, me and Scott.
Wolverine: He's okay with this?
Jean: He accepts that this child isn't responsible for what happened, and he doesn't blame you either, well not for this. Do you want to be part of this child's life?
Wolverine: I'm still a fugitive. Even if I could go back, I can't abandon Rogue.
Jean: It's ironic. You're being a good father to her, means you can't be a regular part of our daughter's life.
Wolverine: I want to be there for her too, I just don't know how possible that will be.
Jean: I guess we'll all just have to figure out how to do this as we go. Millions of parenting books and I doubt any of them say how to handle this situation.
Wolverine: If the kid really needs me, I will be there for her.
Jean: Thank you.
.
During his month in Genosha Avalanche was contacted by his beloved Kitty. She called him on her smartphone and they were able to talk.
.
Kitty: I wanted to thank you for everything you did for Jean.
Avalanche: No problem. I'm glad you're okay. I'm sorry, for everything.
Kitty: Wolverine says you saved Rogue, is that true?
Avalanche: Yeah, I knocked out Magneto so Wolverine could save her. Ofcourse I brought her into this situation, so I'm not sure it counts. But in that moment, when I saw her, I saw you. That's why I couldn't let her die.
Kitty: That's sweet, I think.
Avalanche: If I go back to the U.S., I'll be a fugitive. But I'll risk it if there's a chance you would want to see me.
Kitty: You shouldn't risk your life for me.
Avalanche: Wouldn't be much better here in Genosha, the peace talks fell apart.
Kitty: I heard. Just be careful, whatever you decide.
.
Shortly before the child was able to leave the incubator Kurt came down with his girlfriend Amanda. Kurt was a devout catholic, Jean wanted him to perform the baptism. Jean probably could have found a local priest willing to perform the ceremony, but Jean felt this was a way of making her daughter part of the extended family. The ceremony was witnessed by Jean, Scott, Wolverine, Amanda, Avalanche, and professor Xavier. This family might be a little dysfunctional, but it was this girl's family. It was here that Jean gave her daughter a name. Sinister's files referred to her as just "X23." To him this baby was nothing more than a lab rat, a number. It was dehumanizing, and Jean didn't want that for her child. She named her Laura.