Kitku sat next to Logan in his jeep. He really was not supposed to be out of the mansion yet but Kurt decided not to argue the point after Logan had growled at him and informed Kurt that he was going over whoever's dead body got in his way.

She snuck a glance at the gruff man beside her. He stared straight ahead at the road. She wondered if this was it. Was he taking her to an orphanage? Or dump her on the streets where he found her? Or maybe they were just going to grab a burger. Kitku decided to be optimistic and choose the burger route. After all, she was a bit hungry and fries sounded really good.

She watched out the window of the jeep and swung her dangling legs side to side as they made their way closer and closer to New York. It was a pleasant enough drive, they were comfortable in their silence and only made a comment now and then on whether or not they liked a song and, more often than not, at half-witted drivers.

When he finally brought the jeep to a halt, it was in her old neighborhood. Kitku's heart sank and tears burned her eyes, threatening to spill over. She pursed her lips tightly and willed herself to not cry.

"If this is how he wanted it, so be it," she thought to herself. "But he won't see me cry."

"Come on, kid," Wolverine said as he got out.

Slowly, Kitku climbed out of the jeep, her head hung down. Wolverine took her hand as they crossed the street and down the alley to where she used to live. Logan moved the garbage can back from the hole in the wall and crawled through the opening. He pulled a flashlight from his jacket and turned it on.

Kitku followed without a sound, her throat tight and pained from trying not to cry. She swallowed hard as she sat down on the stacked, dirty mattresses that had served as her bed for five years. She watched Wolverine, who appeared to be searching for something. She wanted to burst in to tears, bawl until there were no more tears to cry. She wanted to jump on Wolverine's back and beat him with her baseball bat for giving her a taste of what family was like and then rip from her. She wanted to tear his heart out like he was doing to hers right now.

"Here it is," his rough voice broke into her thoughts and anger.

She glared up at him to see what he was holding. Her baseball mitt.

"Here, kid," Wolverine said as he handed it to her.

Her anger slipped from her as she took the glove from him. Her mitt. She had forgotten about it in all the excitement. Kitku hugged it to her chest and the tears that had been threatening to overflow the brims of her eyes, did just that.

Wolverine slid up next to her and put an arm around her shoulder. He said nothing, just held her.

She leaned against him as her crying subsided. "I forgot it."

"Happens."

"But I thought ... " she hesitated. "Never mind."

"What?"

"I thought, well, that," her head dropped, her black hair falling across her cherub face as she murmured out the rest, "you were going to leave me here."

Kitku could feel Wolverine's arm tense followed by a sharp release of air from his lips as if someone had punched him in the gut. She ventured a glimpse at him. His eyes were closed and he was shaking his head.

"No," he replied quietly. "No, I wouldn't do that ta ya."

He turned her towards him and with a finger nudged her chin up so she could look him directly in the eyes. "Why would you think that?"

She shrugged. "Guess 'cause I don't know if I'm staying with you or not."

It was Logan's turn to lower his head and not look at her. "I guess I ain't very good at this kind o' stuff. It's hard fer me ta think that ... Anyway, don't matter what I think, thing is, kiddo, is what do you want. Yer more than welcome ta stay at the school, if that's what ya want."

Kitku slipped from his grasp and off the bed. "I guess it doesn't matter to you, huh? Whether I stay or go, does it?"

Logan's head snapped up at the soft, desperation in her voice. ""Course it does."

She looked at him with the need to be convinced.

Wolverine sighed, stood up and knelt down in front of her. He put his hand on her shoulder and gazed her straight in the eyes. "I give you my word that I want you to stay at the school. I give ya my word that I want you to stay there with me. As a matter of fact, kiddo, I am so serious, that I double promise."

Kitku threw her arms around his neck and held him tight, as tight and as choking as only a ten-year-old child could do. He wrapped his muscular arms around the tiny girl and held her close. After a few moments, he released her and she, reluctantly, let go of him. Finally, she was going to get almost what she wanted, but it was a step in the right direction. She was going to have a family, of sorts. Of sorts, was better than none, she decided.

"Anything else you need?"

Kitku nodded and scurried off into a dark corner, where she pulled out a loose brick and removed two small books and a small photo album. She brought them back over to Logan and then gave the room one more look. "I think that's it."

Wolverine smiled and led her out of the dark hovel of her past and into the bright outside to her future.

Jasmine joined Jean out of the porch in the breezy, cold night air. She handed the redhead a cup of hot chocolate before she settled down with her own lap blanket and hot coffee opposite of the other woman. They sat for sometime in silence, which Jasmine noted was a miracle for her. Nugent wandered out after someone from inside had opened the door for him.

Jasmine turned sharply to catch who it was so she could thank them but whoever it was had disappeared. She would have to find out whom later so she could thank them.

"It was Warren," Jean answered aloud, over the brim of her hot drink.

"Thank him for me, would you?" Jasmine said just before she took a drink. It was so strange how this woman would just suddenly answer questions out of thin air. Of course, Jasmine knew Jean was a telepath, but it was bizarre. Most people would be unnerved, but not Jasmine. She was very fond of the bizarre and some would even put her in that category.

"Not bizarre, perhaps," Jean said. "Eccentric, but not bizarre."

This time, Jean caught herself. "Oh, uh, sorry. Even after all these years, sometimes it sounds like someone is talking to me and really they're thinking it. You were thinking, right?"

"Wasn't talking, musta been thinking it." Jasmine smiled quickly and nodded. "No sweat. I talk to myself and Nugent for so many years, that half the time I'm not sure if I'm talking out loud or thinking it."

Jean smiled a thank you and stared out at the winter sky. The full moon's light danced across the trees and reflected brightly on the recent snowfall.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Jasmine said softly. "God's paintings are the best."

Jean tilted her head to Jasmine and nodded. "Yes, I suppose so."

"Hell, I can't get color like that," Jasmine snorted.

Jean laughed out loud. "I guess not."

"Well, I can get close, but an artist can only get so close to the perfection and imperfections of nature or that of beings or animals. It's hard. Very hard." She paused suddenly and put her hand on Jean's arm. "Hey, I really appreciate you letting me borrow Scott tomorrow, so I can get my art together and stuff."

"No problem," Jean assured her. She thought it was strange at first that Jasmine thanked her for the 'use of' Scott but after some thought understood. It was more of a thanking for their helpfulness than letting Scott help her. Jean patted Jasmine's hand and smiled warmly.

Jasmine gave her arm a squeeze and then settled back in her chair. "Guess Logan's bonding with Kitku. They've been gone all afternoon."

"Maybe we got through to the stubborn fool," agreed Jean.

"Maybe," Jasmine snorted, not too convinced. "I'll tell you something, that man has his moments of such insight and wisdom and other times ... "

"You couldn't pound it past his andimantium laced skull," Jean finished.

"Precisely." Jasmine nodded, her mouth pursed tight with irritation. "I swear he is just so ... "

"Irritating?" Jean offered.

"And obnoxious." Jasmine shook her head as if she could rattle loose an answer. "I don't understand him sometimes, and he pissed me off faster than anything. But other times," her voice began to fill with a fervor as she went on, "he makes me laugh and he's so passionate. So, full of life and, well, death but it's so intertwined, it just makes him more impassioned."

Jasmine's voice lowered but the zeal was still there, as she continued, "I've never known a more honorable man or a man who tried so hard to follow such an impossible path. But then," her tone changed to that of exasperation, "he becomes such a pain in the ass and challenges every little thing, argues at the drop of the hat, gets that annoying smirk on his face, and I just don't get why I can't ... "

Jean let the sentence stay unfinished for several long moments before she softly, finished it, "Stop loving him?"

"Yeah," she said with a soft chuckle. She lowered her eyes to her coffee and sipped at it.

"Isn't that the way it always is?" Jean nodded in understanding. "Take Scott for instance. He's a perfectionist – which isn't all that bad, at least his neat and picks up after himself."

"That's always a plus."

"He is overly loyal to his job, a workaholic, carries the world on his shoulders and part of the universe, keeps his feeling bottled up and takes everything that happens to anyone on this team so personally, you'd think it had happened to him."

"Ouch."

"Yeah, but," she smiled as she thought about his good points. "But, he is different when we're alone. He's shy, gentle, romantic, very physical as long as it's just the two of us, he can say more in a squeeze of his hand on mine than a Shakespeare Sonnet, and given the chance, he can be quite sexy."

Jasmine grinned, "Do tell, girl."

Jean shook her head and laughed. "No, he'd kill me."

The women paused and considered the two men in their lives. Although, they would like to exchange some of their traits with the other, both decided that they were not going to let go of their loves anytime soon.

"So are you just going to check out your place or are you staying in Montana?" Jean inquired.

"I think ... I'm not sure. Probably, I'll come back here after my art is secured and stay for a while or at least until I'm sure that Kitku gets what she wants."

"Well, count me in. I'll help where I can."

"Thanks."

The women stopped their conversation as they saw Logan's jeep approach. He stopped by the porch stairs, climbed out, reached into the back of his jeep and pulled out a sleeping bag bundle that looked vaguely human shaped. Jasmine, with a flick of her power, silently opened the front door. Logan nodded his thanks and she smiled at him. He carried the bundle through the door and Jasmine closed it softly behind him.

The two women sighed at the same time, exchanged a look and then giggled.

"Oh, yeah," Jasmine said with exaggerated self-importance. "Yeah, we did good, girlfriend, we did good."