The X-Men had at last been contacted, and were on their way to Muir island to join Wolverine. He and Nightcrawler had returned to the lab to look for any clue as to where Star may have gone. They had no luck, and Wolverine's mood was more morose than ever. Moira and Kitty cleaned up the med-lab as they waited for the arrival of the X-Men.

"Moira, I don't understand how he can be so upset after what that woman did to him."

"Ye dinnae understand a lot o' things, girl," Moira replied. "Ye made judgments aboot her withoot havin' all the facts."

"She cheated on him, Moira!"

"She was raped, Kitty," a quite voice said behind them.

"Wolvie!"

"An' I couldn't do a damn thing about it." He stood in the doorway to the med-lab, his hands clenched into fists at his side.

"Wolvie, I ... I didn't know."

"No, you didn't. But you condemned her anyway." He turned and stalked silently away.

"Wolvie!"

"Leave him be, Kitty."

"But ..."

"But nothin'. The best thing ye can do is tae leave him be. And pray that the girl comes back tae him."


Much later, Kitty approached Moira in the makeshift kitchen they had set up.

"Moira?"

"Yes, Kitty?" Moira looked up from the cup of coffee she held.

"Um, I was looking through Star's files ..." Moira said nothing.

"Yeah, I know. I said I was sorry. I'd tell her if I could just find her. I thought, maybe, there'd be something there, some hint of where she might have gone."

"And was there?"

"No. But there was something else I found." Moira waited. Kitty sighed. "Uh, according to the tests you ran, the baby is Wolverine's."

"Aye," Moira replied. "And yer point is?"

"Well, shouldn't we tell him?"

"It's nae our business, girl."

"But..."

"Do ye really think that tellin' him his wife was driven away from him because his friend as much as called her a whore fer thinkin' the child in her belly wasnae his, when it really is, is goin' tae make him feel better?" Moira stood, putting her coffee cup down with a bang. "Leave it alone. Ye've done harm enough." Kitty watched her go, and wondered what she could do to make amends for the terrible thing she had done.


Wolverine stood, looking out over the ocean as the sun set. The members of Excalibur gave him the privacy he obviously wanted, and left him alone. When Star appeared silently behind him there was no one to witness the expression of joy and relief that lit his face as he turned and saw her. She waited, still uncertain of her reception, until he rushed toward her and swept her up in his arms, spinning her around. The baby squalled in protest, and he put them down carefully.

He stared at Star's face as if he still could not quite believe that she was there. Finally, he looked down at the tiny girl held in her mother's arms. He took one of her tiny hands in his, and grinned with delight when she clasped her fingers about one of his.

"She's beautiful, Star." He bent down and kissed the baby on the forehead. "Have you given her a name?"

"Not yet, but I have considered Galadraelle." She paused. "Logan, the baby..."

"Is the most beautiful creature in the world, Star. Next to her mother, that is." He looked up at her. "And that's the only thing that matters, girl. I'll do my best ta be a good father to her." He took the baby and put his free arm around Star. Together, they turned to watch the sunset.


Despite what Moira had said, Kitty was determined to speak to Wolverine. She had no intention of eavesdropping, but when she saw that Star had returned she phased rather than interrupt the reunion. She nearly gave herself away by laughing when Wolverine suddenly looked down at the infant and said,

"Why, you little terror."

"What is it, Logan?" Star asked.

"I guess this makes it official, Star. 'Ella has 'anointed' me her dad."

Star saw the spreading stain on Wolverine's shirt and began to laugh. He kissed her and they turned back to the sunset.

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