Wolverine paused, considering, taking a last look at the place he had come to think of as home. *I can't stay here, not now. I'm the last thing she needs. She's terrified, hurt, vulnerable. The last thing she needs is an old fool complicating her life.*

He'd pretended not to notice the effect she had on him. How his day brightened when she walked into the room, how her smile tugged at his heart. He'd kept himself aloof, apart, because he didn't want to push her. He wanted her to come to him. Then he'd screwed it up with that stunt in the gym.

The terror in her eyes would haunt him forever. Never mind that it hadn't been directed at him; he had caused it. But what was torturing him most was the fact that before she'd been afraid, she'd been responding to his closeness. She had been so soft, so beautiful. And when she began to realize what was happening, she had totally and completely lost her mind.

*Can't do that to her again. Won't. She deserves a real man in her life, not one who's half animal. Maybe more than half. And if I stay, I won't be able to keep away from her. She's too beautiful, too kind. Too damn good for someone like me.*

He put the jeep in gear and drove away, not looking back.

"He's done what?" Three voices rang out in unison, and Cadie flinched. Scott's voice continued over the babble in the Ready Room. "What do you mean, he's left? Where did he go? Why?"

She sighed again as she let the note fall onto the table. "Dat's what the note says, I got no idea, and again, I got no idea. All I know, mon ami, is dat fo' some reason, Wolverine t'ink he got t' get 'way from me. Prob'ly cause o' what happened dis mornin." Tears were welling up in her eyes as she spoke. "But I won' stay here now. Friends o' Humanity be damned. Assassin's Guild be damned. I'm leavin now. Cab be here in a few minutes, my bags packed an in de hall. I just wanted t' say goodbye."

"Cadie, child, why are you leaving?" Ororo Munroe, also known as Storm, slipped an arm around her shoulders, but she shrugged it off. "Child, are we not your friends as well?"

"Y' all my friends, y' know dat. Dat's why I'm goin. I've torn de team apart, Dat's what I've done. Y' need t' have y' wits t'gether, not be wonderin who I'm gon' hurt next. An y' jus keep y' lip zipped, swamp rat," she snarled, wheeling around to face Remy when he would have spoken. Rogue put her gloved hand on his arm to keep him seated. "Y' know what I could have done t' him. Y' all know. Y' can't keep me wit' de team, 'cause no one knows when dis'll get out o' control. Not even me. If I'd been jus one bit more terrified, I woulda killed him." Her voice sank to a whisper and she could meet no one's eyes. "Jus like I kill Vertigo. Kill ever't'ing sooner or later. So I jus go an y' don' have t' worry no more bout Cadie. I jus disappear."

"Cadie, Ah don' know ya real well, Hon, but it seems ta me ya might think bout somethin here," Rogue said from her seat next to Remy. "Ya know Remy'll miss ya. An ya know we're gonna worry no matter what ya say. Why not stay and see if he comes back? He might, when he's had a chance ta think things through. This ain' the first time Wolverine's done a disappearin act." Nods of agreement from around the table. "He'll come back when he's ready. An you, hon, you need someone ta look after ya an protect ya. It ain' bad nuff ya got Assassins on yer trail, now 'parently ya got FOH there too." Her voice softened as she reached across and lightly took Cadie's hand. "If ya really think we're yer friends, Cadie, stay here an let us help ya. Don' run from us."

"We are your friends, Cadie." Jean's voice was soft, persuasive. Cadie looked over and saw her sitting with Scott, and he was nodding agreement. She crumbled, and the tears that had threatened since she first saw the note finally found their way out. She lowered her head to the table, sobbing.

#Cadie.#

She didn't even protest what she normally would have seen as an invasion of privacy. #Oui, Jeannie?#

#I think I may know where Wolverine has gone, but you mustn't tell anyone. Including Remy.#

She kept her head lowered so the others wouldn't know she was "talking" to Jean. #Where? Tell me!#

The desperation behind the thought was so strong Jean almost flinched. She managed to control the urge before the others noticed, however, since they were all clustered around Cadie, talking to her, rubbing her back, trying all sorts of different ways to console the girl. #If I tell you, you have to promise me you won't try to go there before morning. It's dangerous up there. You'll need to be rested to make the trip.#

#I promise. Now where is he?#

#I'll show you. In the morning. It isn't something I really want Scott to know I know, if you can possibly understand that.#

Cadie allowed her mental tone a smile. #Course I understand. He still love you, Jeannie. An I t'ink, maybe, you love him too. Non?#

#Like a very dear friend, Cadie. More than a friend, much more, but I could never love him like I love Scott. Do you understand now?#

#Oui. Now get out my head, Red. I gon' stay, I promised. So quit playin head shrinker an get out. Please.#

Jean allowed herself a tiny mental smile and withdrew. Scott looked across the table at her, his eyebrow raised, and she shook her head slightly. Cadie rose and turned when the doorbell rang. Her eyes were red with tears, but they also held something the others hadn't seen in them for a long time.

Determination.