Midafternoon found Cadie in a small town just in the foothills. *Dis mus' be where Jeannie was talkin bout. Seems like ever'body's watchin me, must be 'cause I'm a stranger here.*

She found a small restaurant and took a seat, ordering coffee, trying to bolster her nerve enough to take the next step. *Merde, Cadie, you come all dis way after de man, why y' gettin cold feet, hehn?*

She picked up her pack from where it rested at her feet and shouldered it, leaving a generous tip for the waitress, then headed out the door and out of town, on foot. *Hope dese d'rections are good, Jeannie. Course, once I get close nuff, I can track his scent. Wolverine ain' de only one got a strong nose.* The thought made her smile. Her powers were more like his than either of them had realized. The only differences between them were her lack of claws, and his lack of her empathy power. Plus she didn't heal as fast as he did, but she was usually agile enough to avoid injury. She trekked on, finding a road, little more than two ruts, and following it upward once she had cleared the outskirts of town.

Three hours' hard hiking later, she was within sight of a small cabin, and she paused, thinking. *Is dis really de right t'ing t' do? How is he gon' take me comin after him like dis?* She shook herself mentally and made herself move forward again. She saw his Jeep beside the cabin and stopped again. *Dammit, girl! Jeannie wouldn' o' tol' you where t' find him, she didn' t'ink it was a good t'ing. Go up dere an tell him you're here.*

She forced her feet a few steps closer to the cabin, and stopped once more. Before she could make up her mind to turn and leave, though, he took that choice away from her.

He came out onto the porch, his eyes scanning his surroundings. She knew she couldn't run without drawing him right to her. So she stood still, waiting for him to see her.

He didn't turn toward her, though, and she began to wonder if she'd been mistaken about his emergence from the cabin. *Surely he know I'm here. If I can scent him, I know he's got mine. So why he waitin, hehn?*

It was so quiet in the clearing. She could hear her heartbeat racing, and listening closer she could hear the sounds of the wildlife in the underbrush. He still didn't look toward her. She took a step back.

"Don' bother leavin, darlin," he said quietly. His words were loud to her in the peacefulness of the clearing. "You came up here to find me. What are you waitin for? Christmas?"

They sat together at the table, finishing up a late supper. Cadie couldn't even look in his direction without becoming agitated.

*Stupid, stupid girl. Why you come up here anyway? He lef' t' get 'way from you, why you t'ink comin' up here was such a good idea? He won' come back, not if you still dere. T'ink, girl, get yourself outta dis mess y' made.*

*She's nervous as hell. I scare her spitless. Why can't I just say something, put her at ease here? Not like me to be tongue-tied over a woman. 'Cept maybe Jean.* He rose from the table and carried his dishes to the sink, and began running water to wash up. "You can put your things in the bedroom. It's too late to catch the bus again tonight. I'll take you down in the morning."

She quickly turned her head so there wasn't any chance he could see the look in her eyes. *So, dere's your answer, Cadie girl. He don' want anyt'in t' do wit' you. Guess dat's better'n not knowin, anyway.* "If it all de same t' you, homme, I go 'head an walk back down now. Dere's a motel down dere, I saw it when we pulled in. I get a room an go back in de mornin." She fought hard to keep the tremor from her voice.

He grabbed her arm as she tried to lift her pack to her shoulders. "Trust me, darlin, you don't want to be out there alone at night. Wait til morning. I'll take you down then. All right?"

She nodded, hoping desperately that he couldn't feel the way her pulse had leapt at his touch. "All right. You win, mon ami. I stay here t'night, den. But I won' do you out of your bed, cher Wolverine. I sleep on de couch, non?"

He shrugged. "Suit yourself." He dropped his hand and went into the bedroom in search of blankets. "Gets cold up here at night, kid," he said as he returned carrying a big downy comforter. "You'll need this. You got the fire too, you get too cold, just stir it up some, add more wood. Hell you prob'ly already know all this."

She smiled at him and his heart tugged at him again. *Cool it, bub. She's just a girl, and a scared one at that. Don't get carried away.*

"I can take care o' m'self, mon ami. Y' should know dat by now." She indicated the pack and smiled again. "Didn' know if I was gon' be sleepin outside or not, so I brought a sleepin bag. Tough one, too." She retrieved the bag from inside the pack and shook it out. The thin material didn't look as though it promised much warmth, but he wasn't about to argue the point.

"I'll just leave this on the table then. If you want it, you can get at it. Now if you don't mind, sweetheart, it's dark, it's late, and I'm going to take my old carcass to bed. I'll try not to wake you when I get up."

"Huh. I try not t' wake you, den. G'night, Logan."