The enormous house was quiet as night fell. Rogue looked up from her book every few minutes to check on her charge. After an hour or so, she looked up, only to find that she was being regarded in turn. Her heart in her throat at being caught off guard, she put her book down and said,

"Well, hello, sugah. You feelin' okay?"

"I killed him, didn't I," the girl said, her voice completely flat.

"Killed him? Who? You mean Wolverine?" Rogue laughed shakily, "He's a mite harder to kill than most, honey, believe me. At most, you might 'a bruised his ego. An' he's got plenty of that to go around."

"He's not...?" A hint of desperate hope entered the girl's voice.

"No way, sugah. He's still down in the kitchen drinking a brew with Gambit, if I know anything at all bout those two. She picked up the syringe and sat down on the edge of the bed.

"Now, Storm said she wanted you to sleep as much as possible, and she said I was to give this to you as soon as you woke up, okay?" The girl nodded, and didn't resist as Rogue injected her with the sedative.

"By the way, folks call me Rogue. That reminds me, Wolverine said you didn't have a proper name so he thought one up for you. What do ya say being called 'Star' around here? That sound good to you?" The girl looked at her, her silver eyes glittering in the light of the room.

"Star," she murmured, "I like that. Star." Her eyes closed and she slept. Rogue heaved a sigh of relief and moved to the intercom.

"Storm?"

"Yes, Rogue. Are you all right?" Came the immediate reply.

"I'm fine, gal. But do you have anything stronger we can give this little thing? She scared me outta half a year's growth, just by looking at me."

"She is awake?'

"Not any more."

"I will see what I can come up with."

"You do that." Rogue stood by the intercom for a moment, then triggered it again.

"Wolverine?"

"Yeah, Rogue." Wolverine's voice answered after a moment.

"The little gal likes the name you picked for her. And tell Gambit to sit back down. She's sleepin'."

Wolverine turned and grinned at Gambit, who had spilled his beer in his haste to get to his feet. He turned back to the intercom.

"You okay?"

"Sure, no problems a'tall."

"You need anything?"

"Come to think of it, one o' y'all could spell me for a bit, so I can stretch ma legs."

"Be right there." Without a work, Wolverine helped Gambit clean up the spilled beer, then both turned to the door.


Storm and Beast hung an IV bottle from the rack behind the bed. The line ran to a needle in Star's arm.

"With a steady trickle of the sedative, she should sleep the rest of the night," Beast said as Storm checked the tape holding the needle in place.

"I certainly hope so." She stepped back and looked down at Star. "Perhaps the crisis has passed."

"I don't know, Storm. That little gal was awful low," Rogue said doubtfully.

"Well, we shall she how she does in the morning." Storm yawned. "I will be in my room, if I am needed." She and Beast passed Wolverine and Gambit in the hall outside Star's room. Wolverine stepped inside.

"I'll keep an eye on her tonight, Rogue."

"You sure?"

"Yeah, I'm sure. Go on, get outta here." Gambit held his hand out to Rogue from the hallway. She took it willingly, then turned back to Wolverine.

"Good night, Logan." Wolverine just nodded as he pulled the chair away from the wall. Rogue closed the door behind her. Wolverine turned the lights all the way down, then moved the chair closer to the bed. He sat down and propped his feet on the bed rail. Crossing his arms over his chest, he waited, watching the sleeping girl. After a while, he dozed.


The clock read a little after three when he was awakened by a frightened cry. He stood and reached for the bed.

"You okay, kid?" His hand brushed hers and she clutched it convulsively.

"I...I can't see anything."

"Hang on, I'll get the light," he started to move away, but she clung to his hand.

"No! Don't leave me here!"

"Wait a sec. I think I can reach the blinds." After a moment, the room brightened, starlight flowing in. Star gasped again.

"What are those?" she whispered.

"What?" From her tone, Wolverine half expected to see a three headed monster on the lawn.

"Those lights."

"The stars? You've never seen the stars?"

"Is that the sky, then?"

"You've never seen the sky, either." Wolverine's voice was low.

"Only in other people's memories."

"When I find that 'Doctor' of yours, I am gonna skin him alive." There was no mistaking the fury he felt.

"Why?"

"Why? What kind o' question is that?" he snarled. Star cringed. "You were treated like an animal."

"I am an animal. A lab animal."

"Not any more, you're not." He struggled with his anger, knowing he was just frightening her. He moved around to the window side of the bed.

"You're a person, now."

"Why?"

"Just because you are, okay? Now, c'mere. I want ta show you somethin'." He adjusted the bed so that she was sitting up, and opened the window. Then he sat down on the bed next to her, put his arm around her shoulders, and started pointing out the constellations. They watched the stars move across the sky until dawn. When the sun rose, she asked him what it was.

"That's the sun. Our own personal star."

"It's pretty."

"Yeah, it is." As they watched the sun rise, he realized that he had taken it for granted too long. She put her head on his shoulder, and drifted off to sleep.


Storm quietly opened the door about an hour later. If she was surprised at Wolverine's position, she made no indication of it. She paused for a moment, watching Star sleep in the crook of his arm, then said,

"Did she have a quiet night?"

"She's afraid o' the dark," Wolverine answered, offering no other explanation.

"Can she see, then?" He shrugged.

"She knew it was dark."

Star stirred against him, abruptly opening her eyes. She looked up at him, then turned her gaze to Storm. She sat up in the bed and Wolverine got to his feet behind her.

"Is she okay?" Star asked. Storm blinked at her for a moment, then said,

"Who?"

Star looked over her should to Wolverine.

"Your friend. Her name is Jean? Is she all right? I didn't mean to hurt her." She looked sharply at Storm. "I hurt you, too. You were trying to help him, and I hurt you." Her voice was becoming shrill. Wolverine put a hand on her shoulder.

"Take it easy, kid. I really don't wanna do this again." Star shuddered, then took a deep breath, visibly calming herself. Storm stepped forward and took her hand.

"Jean is fine. I just came from there. She will be going down to breakfast soon." Storm looked past Star's tense face and said to Wolverine, "Why do you not go get something to eat. Ask someone to bring a tray for Star." Wolverine nodded and, with a final reassuring squeeze for Star, he moved around the bed and out the door. Star watched him anxiously. Storm cupped Star's chin with her hand, turning her attention away from the door.

"As for myself, I have a few bruises, which will heal soon."

"What about him?"

"Wolverine heals very quickly, child."

"Then I did hurt him."

"Yes. But he knows it was unintentional. As do Jean and I."

"I tried to kill him." Star had begun to cry, but with none of the hysteria which indicated a tip toward madness. Storm drew her close, and held her while she cried.

"He does not blame you."

"Why didn't he kill me?" Star sobbed, heedless of Storm's words. Shocked, Storm pulled away, holding Star at arm's length.

"We do not kill unnecessarily. Star. Stop this. Right now." Star sobbed, but met Storm's gaze. "We want to help you," Storm continued. Star nodded.

"I know. But if you can't, if the madness returns, will he be able to do it? It's still there. I can feel it, boiling just below the surface, looking for a crack to seep through, to engulf me again." She took a deep, shuddering breath, "Next time, I might kill him."

"Professor Xavier will be here soon. He should be able to help you deal with the madness." With a final, gentle shake, Storm said "Now, let us talk no more of killing. Can you tell me how you came to be in that laboratory?"

Star shrugged and shook her head.

"I was always there, every since I can remember."

"What did you do there?'

"Like I was telling Logan, I..."

"He prefers to be called Wolverine," Storm interrupted.

"Why? He thinks of himself as Logan." Now it was Storm's turn to shrug.

"I do not know. He just prefers it that way."

"Okay."

"I am sorry I interrupted. Please go on." Star leaned back against the bed, as Storm found a more comfortable position.

"I was telling Lo..., uh, Wolverine, I'm just a lab animal. They taught me to read minds without being caught. And how to move things without touching them. Stuff like that."

"And at the end?"

"I ... I wasn't strong enough for what the Doctor wanted. He wanted me to be stronger. But he didn't tell me it was going to be so dark, and so ... so ... alone. I tried. I really did. But I could feel my mind going to pieces, looking for a way out." She looked down at her hands. "Now I'm not even a lab animal. I'm just another failed experiment, past due for temination."

"'Another'? You were not the only mutant in the lab?"

"No. But I was the last. He'll have to start over with another batch."

"Not if we can find him first. He must be stopped."

"Why? We were all mutations, not people."

"Star, everyone you have met here is a mutant. And we are very definitely people. Come, let me remove the needle. It does not seem to have done its job in any case. Then we will set you up with a room of your own."

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