As the Blackbird came to rest inside the hangar the X-Men waited patiently as
the engines were cut and whined down. The jet wash swirling inside the enclosed
bay ruffled their hair and clothes as the loading ramp lowered with a hiss.

Logan looked out the cockpit window as he secured the aircraft to scan those
gathered below. Most of them had serious expressions, concerned for the new
arrival and, Logan was sure, thinking through the possible problems her arrival
was going to cause. Logan understood, they were all realists and understood the
consequences of bringing Alisa to the mansion. So did he.

He unbuckled his safety harness and left the cockpit to join Remy and Alisa in
the passenger compartment. Remy was already gathering up his sister's coloring
books and crayons and re-depositing them back into the 'activity box' Alisa
carried with her on long trips. He looked up as Logan entered.

"Home, sweet, home." Logan stated as he met his boy's worried gaze. "It'll be
fine, Rem. Trust me." He assured the Cajun, and Remy nodded.

Alisa looked up as she continued to shovel fistfuls of brightly colored crayons
into the box and smiled at him.

"We home, Unca Logan?" she asked excitedly.

"We are home, darlin'." He answered with a big, toothy grin as he dragged her
luggage from the storage compartment. Alisa jumped up, leaving Remy to finish
closing the box and skipped over to Logan.

"I live wit' you now, raight?" she asked bouncing on her toes, and Logan looked
at her with a chuckle.

"Yeah, sweetpea, ya' live with me now." He answered, resting one hand on the
back of her neck and she bounced toward him and threw her arms around his neck.

Remy watched them and Logan looked over Alisa's shoulder at him. Logan
shrugged, looking a bit out of sorts at the open show of affection and Remy
laughed. It was a genuine happy laugh and Logan stilled for a moment at the
sound.

He stared lovingly at Remy and the Cajun could see that Logan was really
touched to know he'd made his lover happy again. The smile disappeared from
LeBeau's face as he came face to face with the depth of the emotion Logan
really held for him.

Remy swallowed the lump in his throat, and with a forced breath of laughter
smiled huge for Logan. Logan smiled back, and now with the moment passed, he
pulled gently away from the girl to look her in the eyes.

"Ya' ready ta go meet yer new family?" He asked with a tone that suggested she
hold her head high and with courage.

Alisa looked uncertain for a moment then looked at him, scrunching her face
into a scowl in imitation of Logan's stern expression and gave him a crisp
sharp nod.

"Oui." She replied through the false frown, lowering her voice to sound like
the Wolverine, which made Logan laugh and shake his head.

Remy stood from the bench, reaching for his cane.
"Alisa.." he said and she turned to him to see him holding out the box for her
to take.

She bounced over to him, snagging the colorful box from his hand and scooped up
Mister Kitty Head lying nearby. She ran to the hatch and waited at the top of
the ramp for the two men to escort her down.

Logan carried the luggage and went down the ramp first, giving Alisa a smirk
and a wink as he passed by her and she smiled back, squeezing her stuffed cat
with excitement.

Her brother walked up beside her and she took his hand, looking up at him with
a smile. He tried to give her a genuine smile back, but his worry and concern
got in the way.

"It be awlraight, brodder." she offered. "We to-get-her again," she sputtered
at the long word, and Remy smiled at her accomplishment. "We a fam'ly again.
Smile."

And with that, Remy couldn't help but smile. So wise for such a young one, but
she was right. As long as they were together - and they had Logan now - nothing
else mattered. Everything else could be taken care of as it came forth. For now
they were happy, they were together, they were a family.

* * * *

After the brief introductions in the hangar, and lots of hugs and well-wishes
from their teammates, Logan picked up the bags and followed Remy toward the
elevator.

Bobby ran up alongside him and fell in step beside him.

"I can help you with those if you want." he offered Logan.

"That's okay, kid I can handle it." Logan replied.

"Oh." Bobby said as he deflated. "Okay."

Logan looked at the young X-Man and realized Bobby's offer was an attempt to
show his support and begin smoothing things out with Remy and the new family.
Pursing his lips together, Logan stopped in his tracks and Bobby stopped short
looking at him.

"Ya really wanna help, kid?" Logan asked. Bobby nodded with a glint of hope.
"Okay. Here." Logan said handing him one of the bags. Bobby smiled and grabbed
the piece of luggage and left Logan in the dust as he trotted to the elevator
where Remy was holding the door open.

Remy looked slightly confused as Bobby entered the lift and looked out at Logan
who smiled and shrugged. Remy smiled and lowered his head shyly, glancing
nervously at Iceman.

"Merci, Bobby." Remy offered feeling a bit odd toward Drake's sudden
willingness to accept him and his sister, but his heart filled with joy. Bobby
glanced back at him, also looking a bit shy and timid.

"My pleasure." he replied softly and the two looked at each other with a new
understanding. As Logan stepped in and pushed the button to the main level, he
could feel the slight tension in the small compartment but knew things were
looking up. It was a start... a new beginning, not only for Alisa and Remy, but
for the entire X-Men family.

He turned his head slightly toward Bobby, and when Drake realized that Logan
was waiting for his attention he gave it to him. Bobby swallowed with a deep
breath and waited. Logan smirked at him and gave him a nod, and Bobby's face
lit up. He was welcome. The tension in the small space lifted and the four rode
in comfortable silence to the main floor.

* * * *

When the doors opened into the main hall of the Xavier Institute the professor
was waiting for them.

"Welcome home Logan, Remy..." he greeted as they each stepped from the
elevator. Alisa was clinging to Remy's free arm, peering shyly around him at
the man in the wheelchair. He looked familiar but she wasn't quite sure if
she'd ever met him before.

"Welcome to your new home, Alisa." He greeted the young girl with a gentle
smile. He lifted the bouquet of flowers from his lap and offered it to her. "We
are very pleased to have you here with us."

Alisa's scarlet eyes widened in glee at the sight of the beautiful flowers and
she smiled widely up at her brother.

"Fuh me?" she asked him and Remy nodded with a grin.

"G' ahead, take dem. Dey fuh you." he told her.

She slowly slid out from the protection of her brother's arm and stepped up to
the professor. She glanced at Logan and he nodded to reassure her. She reached
out and took the bouquet from Xavier and put them to her nose.

"Merci." Alisa replied quietly with a smile as she stared at the colorful
flowers. Charles smiled at her shyness then turned to address Logan.

"You should find everything you need at the cottage." He informed him and Logan
looked at him questioningly as Alisa tried to show him the flowers. "Some of
the others went shopping and stocked the shelves and refrigerator, and I
believe Jean and Ororo spent the entire day tidying up... dusting and scrubbing
and what-not. You should be comfortable there for now, until the three of you
can settle in and make it your own."

Logan quirked an eyebrow in surprise and looked at Remy, who was staring at him
with shocked surprise written all over his face. Logan smiled at him, and as
Remy's eyes began to glisten with held back tears Logan reached out and gave
his elbow a gentle squeeze.

"Thanks, Chuck." Logan replied, picking up the bag he was toting. "Let's go,
got alot ta do before tonight." He told his new family and they started out the
front door.

Charles grinned and turning his chair toward the door he called out in his
authoritative tone. "And, Logan... do not call me Chuck."

Logan ushered his charges out the front door and turned toward Xavier with a
smirk. "Sure. Sorry, Charlie."

The professor tried not to grin as he shook his head at Logan's toothy
"I-know-I'm-a-smartass" smile. Bobby giggled as he moved past the professor and
followed the three down the path to the cottage.

* * * *

Down at the cottage, Remy and Logan stood in stunned amazement in the living
room. Each one scanning the room in silent awe at the new decor and the fresh
scents of cleaning solutions that still drifted through the air.

Both men had kept it in mind that there was alot of work to be done if they
were going to give their new charge a fitting home. They never expected that
they'd receive help in doing so.

While they were on their trip to pick up Alisa and bring her back with them.
Jean and Ororo had taken it upon themselves to clean and redecorate the
cottage. It was no longer jjust a cottage... it was a home.

Remy broke the silence, his voice barely louder than a whisper and hitching
with emotion.

"Stormy and Jeannie outdone demselves dis time, homme." he said and Logan
nodded in reply.

"Where's my room?" Alisa asked excitedly as she skipped around the couch and
placed Mr. Kitty Head comfortably against a pillow. The sound of her voice
broke them from their silent reverie.

Getting his wits about him Logan pointed toward the stairs leading up to the
loft area as he picked up the bags and moved in that direction.

"There's two small rooms upstairs, darlin'. You can have whichever one ya'
like. We'll take the one down here, okay?" He said, being mindful that his
lover's condition would make it difficult for him to climb the stairs everyday,
all day long.

"Okay!" Alisa replied, running toward and up the stairs. Logan turned to Remy,
giving him a tender smile.

"I'll move our stuff down here as soon as she's settled in." He offered,
referring to their belongings which had slowly accumulated through their times
spent here in private away from the others. Remy nodded and limped his way
toward the downstairs bedroom. Logan watched him for a moment then Alisa's
voice drifted down from above.

"Unca Logan! I want dis one!! Unca Logan, dis one I want!!" she yelled
excitedly. Remy turned toward Logan with a questioning look. She sounded so
excited and he couldn't imagine that any room in the cottage could cause her
such elation.

"I'm comin', darlin', hold on." Logan replied with a chuckle. "Guess I'll go
see what's got her all excited." Remy nodded and Logan hoisted the bags.

Upstairs Logan found Alisa in the bedroom farthest from the stairs. Both
windows had a wonderful view of the lake and he couldn't help but smile as he
entered. The entire room had been decorated in pinks and pastels, with lacy
curtains on the windows that fluttered in the breeze from the open sashes.

The bed was laid out with an entire array of stuffed animals and dolls. There
was a small white desk in one corner with a matching chair with pink cushions
and a small vanity where Alisa could play "grown up".

He placed her bags on the foot of the bed, shakin' his head with a smile. The
ladies really out-did themselves. He opened her luggage and handed some clothes
to Alisa.

"Why dont ya' find a place fer these." He said, pointing toward the dresser.
"And I'll hang up yer dresses." Logan moved to the closet as Alisa dumped her
folded shirts into a drawer. "We'll go out a little later and get ya' a whole
new wardrobe, 'kay, darlin'? After we get all settled in."

"Okay, Unca Logan." she replied as she turned to watch him open the closet
door. When he opened the door Logan froze. Alisa squealed and started jumping
up and down.

Logan just blinked at the dozen-or-so dresses hanging neatly inside the cleaned
out closet. There were dresses of all kinds in there, and just Alisa's size
too. There were sundresses for romping around the estate, and casual dresses
for dinner and even a couple of really fancy "dining out" dresses.

"Oh, Unca Logan, are dose fuh me?" Alisa asked as she bounced excitedly beside
him, looking at the dresses as if they were gold treasure. "Are dose fuh me?
Are dey mine?"

"Yeah, darlin'." He finally answered, completely awe-struck by the attention
his two female teammates put into making Alisa feel comfortable in her new
home. "They're fer you, baby girl."

Alisa jumped at Logan, throwing her arms around his neck as she bounced on her
tiptoes squealing like a banshee. Logan winced as she screamed in his ear. Then
she let go and dove into the closet to look at each and every dress, every
button, every bow, every piece of lace.

Logan sighed. He turned and placed her "old" dresses on the bed and headed
downstairs. Remy heard him descending the stairs and came out of the bedroom to
ask what was going on up there.

Logan started to explain about the bedroom and the desk and everything else a
teenaged girl would want or need in her room, when Alisa came racing down the
hall - a couple of dresses in hand - and descended the stairs at a near run
making Remy nervous as he watched.

She hit the last rung and threw herself at her brother, showing him a few of
the dresses she'd found in her closet. As she rambled on excitedly, barely
taking a breath, Remy looked at Logan in question. Was she telling the truth?
All of these things were waiting for her? Logan smiled and nodded.

"Alisa," Logan said, trying to get her attention, "why dont'cha go on outside
an' play. Look around a little... yer brother an' me need ta talk fer a bit,
okay?"

Alisa smiled at him and put her dresses neatly across the back of a chair.
"Okay!" she replied. She couldn't believe she had her own yard. Her own place
to play and explore. She grabbed her doll from the couch, gave Logan a hug and
then her brother and skipped toward the door.

"Don' go neah duh boat dock, 'lisa!" Remy said loudly as she headed out the
door. "Stay close!"

"I won', big broder!" she answered as she disappeared down the steps.
 

* * * *

As Remy and Logan talked in the living room, Alisa explored the area
immediately around the cottage then sat down in the grass telling Mr. Kitty
Head how much they would enjoy their new home.

She was so pre-occupied with her doll she was unaware that someone was
approaching until his shadow fell across her. She looked up to see who it was
and squinted against the sun peeking over his shoulder.

He swayed slightly to his left to block the sun and Alisa saw him for the first
time. Her mouth fell open in amazement and her eyes grew wide as she looked him
over quickly.

"Ahr you an angel?" she asked in wonder.

Warren looked down at the young Cajun girl with steely cold eyes, his jaw
muscles working hard as he tried to hold back the resentment he felt about the
girl's very presence. As long as she was here, Gambit would never leave. And
her presence... her residence at the mansion meant the professor had no
intentions of sending the Cajun away.

"Yeah, I'm an angel alright." He replied, seething through gritted teeth.

"I nevah seen an angel befo'." Alisa told him. She seemed so innocent and
Warren narrowed his eyes at her.

"Are you a whore like your brother?" He asked trying to upset the young girl.
But Alisa didnt understand the question and her brows came together for a
moment even as she smiled at him.

Warren'd noticed the scars on the girl's arms and face and now, as she smiled
at him, he also noticed that one side of her mouth did not move.

"How'd you get those scars?" He asked, sounding more like an interrogator, but
Alisa had already returned her attention to her doll.

"Your brother is a whore, you know." He stated. Alisa looked back up at him
briefly with a polite smile. She didn't understand the term he used so she
couldnt take offense at it. And of course, he was an angel so he must've come
in peace and friendship.

"What are you deaf? Or just stupid?" Warren asked, putting his hands on his
hips and curling his lip in disgust at her. Alisa looked up at him again, still
manipulating her dolls arms and legs in play. She grinned at him again as one
would to a foreigner speaking a different language.

"Your brother is a faggot... and a whore." Warren told her, his anger beginning
to show. But Alisa just glanced up quickly with a smile, trying to be polite.
"Do you know what that means, retarded girl? It means he sleeps around."

"My broder sleep downstayahs wit' Unca Logan." she replied innocently.

"Yeah, exactly." Warren grunted. "He don't just sleep with "Uncle" Logan,
missy." he told her rudely and crouched down in front of her. "Your faggot
brother fucks Uncle Logan... and he lets Logan fuck him."

Alisa smiled again and Warren could see that she didnt understand. Fed up with
her, he grabbed her doll from her lap making Alisa jump with a start. Warren
held the doll in his hands looking at it, deep in hateful thought.

"You know what that means? To fuck?" Warren asked quietly with an evil glint in
his eyes as he stared unfocused at the doll, then he raised his eyes to look at
her. "Of course you do. You're a whore just like your faggot brother, arent
you?"

Alisa watched him as his hands tightened around her doll. She watched him,
becoming nervous as his hands began to twist the arms and legs without thought
as he talked.

"Tell me, whore child... do they fuck you too?" He asked and his voice sounded
strange... quiet and without emotion."Do they make you suck them? Fuck them? Do
you take one in your mouth while the other one bends you over from behind? Hmm?
Do you watch your brother as he sucks Logan's cock? Do you hear your brother
scream in pleasure when Logan shoves his dick up his ass?"

Alisa's forehead creased as the angel spoke. He sounded angry and she didnt
like the words he used. She didnt quite understand what he was asking her but
she was no longer completely comfortable with him. She reached out to take her
doll from his hands and he pulled away.

Making his judgement about the young girl he stood up abruptly, looming over
her and forcing Alisa to shield her sensitive eyes from the sun.

"You're a fucking slut just like your brother. You dont belong here." Warren
told her, and to make his point clear he tore the head off her doll and threw
the pieces to the ground in front of her.

Blinded momentarily by the glaring afternoon sun, Alisa could just make out the
throw down motion and instinctively looked to the ground as she blinked away
the spots in her vision.

It took her a moment to understand what'd happened when she finally focused on
the decapitated doll beside her. She gasped in fear and grief, snatching the
torn Kitty from the grass.

"Non!" she cried, staring in disbelief at her favorite doll. "Non, non, non."
She hugged the pieces to her chest and looked up at the angel before her. "Why,
m'sieur?" she sobbed.

"You're a fucking whore... just like your brother. You dont belong here. And
neither does he." The menacing Angel told her. "I want you gone! Both of you!
And you can take that fucking animal with you!" He told her referring to the
Wolverine, but Alisa was lost in the conversation.

It was supposed to be safe here. A place where she and her brother could be
happy and safe. But it wasnt. There were no safe places for her to go. She
began to sob uncontrollably and images of Sabretooth flashed in her mind as
this large, winged creature stood over her.

* * * *

Logan sat with Remy in the living room telling him about the wonderful room
Jean and Ororo had put together for Alisa - the toys, the desk, the dresses,
when.....

Logan's head snapped up at the same time Remy's empathy picked up on Alisa's
distress. Remy felt the movement of the couch as Logan vaulted over the back of
it, a loud angry growl coming from his throat.

'Hurry, Logan.' Remy called silently, grabbing his cane and rising from the
couch to follow Wolverine out the door.

* * * *

Warren was so involved with his torment of the young Cajun girl that he'd
forgotten to keep alert for any sign that the girl's guardians may be aware of
his presence. By the time he'd heard the snikt, and the growl which curdled his
blood, he was set upon by the feral X-Man.

With a loud *phwap* Warren snapped his large wings out for emergency take off,
but the Angel barely got his wings stretched for flight when something of
solid, heavy mass hit him square in the chest.

"You sonuvabitch!" Wolverine growled out as he took Angel to the ground.

On knee and foot he straddled the blonde angel's chest, and grabbing him by the
collar pulled his face close.With a loud snakt Logan retracted his deadly claws
and peeled his lips back to reveal his deadly one-inch fangs. Warren felt his
blood freeze in his veins as he stared at the jagged over-sized teeth that he
knew could easily rip out his throat. And he knew how much Wolverine liked the
taste of blood.

Worthington'd never liked Gambit. Nor was he fond of having an animal like
Wolverine living in his home. It'd been more than twelve years since the
professor brought Logan to the X-Men, but Warren could never bring himself to
accept him.

Dr. McCoy believed that the bad feelings Logan and Warren held for one another
had much to do with their natural "animalistic" qualities. Wolverine being the
predator and Warren the "winged prey". That was why Warren never felt
comfortable with Logan in the mansion, on the estate, or even on the team.

<>

Alisa scrambled to her feet as quickly as she could, to get out of the way as
the two men hit the ground hard. She clutched her doll tightly as she moved
backward toward the cottage.

Remy descended the stairs and made his way toward his sister, leaning heavily
on his cane and watching as Wolverine and Angel fought some twenty feet away.

"Alisa!" Remy hissed urgently and as she turned toward him he gestured for her
to come to him quickly. She did, and as he put an arm around her to keep her
safely nearby, she showed him the pieces of her torn doll.

"Okay, punkin... we fix 'im, cherie." Remy consoled her, keeping a worried eye
on Logan and Warren.

He knew how much the two men hated each other and Remy feared that Logan'd
finally had enough. Remy feared that Wolverine may kill the other X-Man in a
feral rage... and it would be his fault. He may be blamed again, or worse...
they may blame Alisa.

Warren was one of the original five... if he were killed by Wolverine because
of him, they'd all be expelled from the team and the estate. Well, that may not
be exactly true. He and his sister may be exiled from the X-Men, but the
professor would never just let Wolverine go free after killing one of his
teammates.

'Non!' Remy's thoughts shouted silently as he realized...

The professor may decide that Remy and Alisa were more trouble than they were
worth to the team. He may expel THEM... but Logan would be locked up. Kept in a
holding cell in the institute's sub-levels... perhaps isolated from even having
visitors like the last time. 'Dieu, non.'

Wolverine'd been locked up there before, in the past, during times of feral
uncontrolled rage. He'd hated being caged, having his freedom taken away... who
wouldnt? But for a 'wild thing' to have its freedom taken from it... the
incarceration had nearly driven Wolverine insane.

"Logan! Stop!" Remy shouted to him as he rolled in the dirt fighting with
Warren. Pristine wings batted at Logan's face as he pummelled Worthington with
heavy metal-laced fists.

The two men growled insults at one another, threatening each other as Remy
watched from nearer the porch to keep Alisa out of harm's way.

"Get off me you fucking animal!!" Warren shouted in anger and fear as Wolverine
pinned him under his weight.

Logan was straddling Angel's torso as he grabbed him by the collar pulling the
taller man's face up to meet his. Twisting his mouth into a dangerous snarl
Logan spoke in a gravelly low voice.

<>

"You ever... come near... my family... again... I will... kill you." He
growled, staring into Angel's frightened blue eyes.

"Get... off...of...me... you...ANIMAL!! " Warren's quiet tone ended in an angry
shout which was meant to hide his terror, but Wolverine could smell fear.

The human side of Logan's brain was whispering to him that he really didnt want
to kill this man in front of the young girl, even though his feral brain was
screaming for the chance to taste the winged man's blood. He stared into
Warren's eyes for a moment, then slowly rose up to a standing position
releasing the front of his shirt.

"They're not your family, Logan." Warren told him as the feral rose from his
position atop his chest. "They're whores, both of them. They are useless to
the team and unnecessary burdens. You..."

Before Warren could finish his statement Logan whirled around and was atop him
again. With a loud snikt from Logan's right fist - and a surprised gasp from
Worthington - the gleaming blades came around in a high arc.

"Lo-ga-a-a-n!" Remy shouted, as Wolverine's fist came down on it's target.

Warren screamed in terror, and with a quick flick of his wrist Logan sheared
off a three foot length of feathers at the outer edge of Angel's left wing.

"NO-O-O-O!!" Warren screamed in shock as his own feathers fluttered down around
him like snowflakes from heaven. "You animal!!" he shrieked at Logan as the
grinning feral finally got off of him.

Warren propped himself up on his elbows to watch Wolverine's retreating back as
he marched, quite satisfied, toward his small family.

"You bastard!!" Warren screamed at him. "You fucking bastard!! How'm I supposed
to fly now? Huh? You asshole!! You cut off my flight feathers!!"

With that, Logan turned toward him with a dark smirk as he encouraged Remy with
a nudge to take Alisa into the house.

"How does it feel to be useless to the team?" Logan asked him in a low growl
and Warren's mouth fell open. He stared at the Wolverine as the Canadian
continued. "How's that for a li'l poetic justice, huh, Angel?" Logan smirked,
hatred glaring in his eyes. "Maybe you should be thrown off the team now. Ya'
wanna live on the streets, Warren? By yer own judgement we should throw you off
the team. Shit, by yer own words ya' should be stripped o' yer uniform and
escorted off the estate, right?"

Before Warren had a chance to reply they heard the professor's voice ringing in
their heads.

~~ "Logan! Warren! I want to see both of you in my office immediately!!"~~

Logan quirked an eyebrow at Warren with that evil smirk fixed into his
features. Worthington sneered back at him.

"I think the 'Teach' knows we aint playin' nice. Hnh." Logan offered, watching
from the little porch as Warren picked himself up out of the dirt and began
limping away, brushing dirt and debris from his clothes.

~~ "Now Logan." ~~ The professor's voice came back to him, urging Logan to
comply with the request, and most likely sensing Wolverine's primal
rebelliousness threatening to flare.

~~ "I'll be with YOU, Chuck 'soon as I check on my family!" ~~ Logan growled in
thought at the professor, making it quite clear that his first priority is and
always will be Remy and Alisa. Then he closed the cottage door behind him.
 

* * * *

After Logan made sure his new family was safe, secure and calmed down he
proceeded to Xavier's study as requested. Warren had already gone straight
there and, no doubt was already trying to make Wolverine look like the bad guy
in all of this. But Logan was sure that Charles was quite aware of all the
goings on that involved Warren Worthington the Third.

Alisa was still a bit shaken as she sat on the couch cradling her dismembered
doll, as Remy made his way slowly back to her with the sewing box.

"We fix 'im, Punkin. Don' cry." Remy soothed as he set the box on the coffee
table and sat down beside her. She nodded with a sniffle as Remy took the doll,
and its severed head from her arms. He inspected it briefly and saw that it had
been torn on the original seam. Once he sewed the head back on they wouldn't be
able to tell anything had even happened and he explained that to her.

"Really? You make Kitty all bettah, big broder?" Alisa asked with another
sniffle then reached for the tissue box on the side table beside the couch.

"Oui, Cherie. He be fine. I promise, okay?" Remy assured her and she tried to
smile through her tears for him.

While Alisa watched her older brother mending her favorite toy they talked
quietly about the incident with Warren. Alisa asked many questions and Remy
reassured her over and over again that they would be safe in their new home,
and that Logan and the other X-Men would do their best to keep them both safe
from any and all enemies... including those from within their own team.

By the time he finished mending Mr. Kitty Head, Alisa was in need of a nap. The
long trip back from New Orleans along with the exitement and anxiety of meeting
the entire team and seeing her new home, coupling with the scare caused by the
Angel was taking its toll on her.

Remy gave the newly repaired doll back to Alisa and was rewarded with a huge
hug and the biggest smile his baby sister could produce. He then walked her to
her new bedroom to settle her in for a nap. He hadn't had the chance to see the
room yet and thought it would be nice to wait there for Logan to return and he
could read Alisa a story while she fell asleep.

They slowly ascended the stairs hand in hand as Remy listened to his sister
talk of walks in the woods and picnics by the lake.
 

* * * *
 

Warren sat quietly in the chair in front of the professor's desk looking much
like a child who'd been sent to the principal's office and who'd also been
shushed silent while trying desperately to defend his own actions before the
other offender arrived.

Charles watched him silently, blinking passively over steepled fingers. His
former student sat heavily slumped in the chair opposite him, his elbows
resting on the armrests, his fingers woven together tightly in front of him. He
stared at the floor deep in thought, his jaw jutting out in silent defiance.
But the white knuckles, pursed lips, flaring nostrils and wide unblinking stare
told Xavier that Worthington was geared for a fight. His anger toward Gambit,
apparently unrelenting and stronger than ever now that LeBeau had a protector.

The door opened abruptly, swinging wide as Logan stormed into the study. The
door slammed against the wall and nearly swung shut again with the force as a
snarling Wolverine marched with purpose toward Xavier's desk, not giving
attention to the other X-Man present until he was face to face with his mentor.

Wolverine leaned over the desk on the knuckles of one fisted hand to snarl at
the professor. The other arm shot out straight toward the sulking Angel,
stabbing an accusatory finger at him.

"If he... EVER... comes near... my family again.... I... will...kill...him."
The Wolverine growled at Xavier, a golden hue behind his dilated pupils
alerting the professor to the seriousness of the confrontation between the two.
"This is the only time I warn you..." Logan informed Charles, then turned his
head to glare at the other, "...and the LAST time I warn you." He snarled, then
turned and strode heavily toward the door.

"Logan..." Charles started to say in an authoritative tone and Logan turned
once more to address him.

"Keep him away from my family, Chuck." Logan said quietly. And that was his
final statement before leaving the room, slamming the door behind him.

Xavier's eyes shifted to Warren who was still staring at the floor. He could
feel the rage building within the angelic looking X-Man. Even his body language
screamed of the anger he was suppressing right now.

The two men sat in silence for a few moments as Xavier studied Warren's
behavior. He could sense the nearly psychotic intentions that seethed inside
him, growing stronger each day. He worried for him. And he worried because of
him.

Warren unthreaded his fingers slowly and stood from the chair and Xavier
watched intently. Angel turned, moving slowly around the chair toward the door
still deep in his own dark thoughts.

"Warren?" Xavier called to him quietly and very cautiously. Warren stopped and
stilled, his back to the professor. "Where are you going?" The professor asked.

"Out." Angel replied.

"Would you like to talk about this?" Charles asked, his voice calm and
consoling hoping to defuse some of Warren's anger. He watched as his X-Man
turned his head slightly to the side as if in question, then answered instead.

"No. I'm going out for a while."

"Off the grounds?" Charles asked specifically.

"Yeah. I could use a drink.... or a dozen." Then he continued his egress toward
the door.

"Warren.." the professor started to say.

"Dont wait up." Warren replied coldly and left the room without another word.

Charles was left alone in his study to contemplate. Logan's warning would not
be the end to this.

Warren had no intention what-so-ever of heeding Wolverine's rage. The situation
was becoming explosive and the professor knew that the next time the two men
meet.... will be a free-for-all.
 
 

TBC