X X X X X

CHAPTER 46

The next morning, her third at the mansion, Laura woke next to the big growly man, most of the older children seemed to fear, though she couldn't really understand why. Fine, he screamed and shouted orders – those things did also Kimura and some of the doctors back at her old home – but Daddy had never hit anyone of the children or had locked them into an empty room. Sure, his scowl and growls were terrifying and at first Laura had been scared that Daddy would hurt Becca, when she kept crawling after him, but the little girl could feel him caring a lot about the baby and also herself.

Rogue had explained to her that she hadn't meant to snap at Daddy, but she just had felt so tiered and was worried about her and therefore it had been too much for her when the man had knocked the powder over her carpet. Maybe it had been the same with Daddy, when she wouldn't eat – that banana didn't taste good – and Becca wouldn't obey him?

Anyways, Laura was confident enough that she wouldn't be punished badly if she would dare to leave the bed now and do a little exploring of that room, she was assigned to since she didn't feel good. But maybe she was allowed back to the other room now, since she felt a lot better this morning?

She carefully crawled from under the blanket and stilled for a moment when she heard him groan. Her bare feet touched the carpet and she stealthily walked over to the desk and peeked over the top to see empty plates, two mugs and bottles gathered next to pencils, a picture frame and a sheet of paper – nothing interesting so far. Laura approached the dresser and pulled the lowest drawer open to find socks big enough to cover her whole legs. Bored, the girl let her eyes travel over the room and stopped at the TV.

She was tempted to push the button on the front, but the sound would surely wake Daddy and he wouldn't be happy. So she walked over to the small fridge and was surprised that it was also cool in there like it had been in that huge grey box in the kitchen. The toddler was thirsty and saw the brown bottles Daddy was always drinking. She lifted one up with some difficulty and tried to open the cap.

Behind her, unknown to the child Logan had been spying on her the entire time and was now anxious that Marie would enter the room and freak out as soon as she saw the toddler with a bottle of beer. The feral was positive that the child wouldn't be able to open the bottle, so he didn't see a point in interrupting her exploration. Though he lifted his eyebrow when he saw her place the beer back and fetch one of Becca's bottles, immediately drinking the milk. Logan was speechless, but the animal in him was purring approvingly that the kit was accepting his mate's milk so easily.

Laura emptied the small bottle and picked up the other one. She sucked on it while standing up – leaving the fridge-door open – and contemplating her options. The room was boring without the TV running, and the room with Rogue and the baby seemed to be off limits to her at the moment and Laura didn't want to make the nice people here angry at her. So she approached the other door and opened it with some difficulty.

Her bare feet stepped onto the wooden floor and her large eyes darted from one end of the corridor to the other. Both looked almost identical, except for the large window at the one end and more corridors stretching into eternity on the other end. Laura first approached the window and looked out, seeing birds gather at the little fountain beyond and drinking the water while she was chewing on the soft plastic nipple, enlarging the hole. Soon it got boring and the girl walked down the empty hallway, passing by a large vase on a small pedestal.

Logan was carefully stalking his clone like a predator would his prey, and watched amused the toddler peeked over the rim of an antique vase that was as tall as the girl. He was ready to dash forward and help the child, but luckily she decided to leave the vase alone - before it could fall over - and walked further down the corridor.

Laura was curious about what might be behind the many other doors, but she knew from her old home that opening other peoples' doors was a bad thing, so she walked down the large stairs and saw an open door and a TV running. At first she remained in the doorframe and let her gaze travel over the weird large armchairs – that was what Daddy called that stool in his room – and the table in front of them. To her right were two other tables, one smaller with metal sticks on its sides and a large one with a cave-like hole at its end. The toddler neared the metal sticks and stretched up and with a little jump she caught the stick and pulled herself up, like she had practiced at her old home.

It wasn't easy to climb to the top, but the little girl mastered it and stood between the metal-bars proudly, grasping the bottle that was hanging from her mouth and taking a sip.

Jones had turned around on the couch and looked over the back, staring at the in pink clad toddler, kicking one of the plastic men on the foosball table with her toes. "What are you doing?" The girl, rumors said to be the Wolverine's lovechild, froze and looked at him with fearful eyes. The boy stood up and approached the child, scaring her further and Laura wanted to take a step back, but tripped over one bar and fell onto her bottom and one of the men's heads.

Logan sprinted from his watching point on the other end of the foyer and stopped in the doorway, when he noticed that the girl wasn't really harmed – or what he had feared, had fallen head-forward to the hard floor - and that the boy was already next to her, looking rather helpless at the crying girl. The Canadian decided to watch for the moment.

Jones felt a shiver ran down his spine at the thought that Wolverine would blame him for making his daughter cry. "Shh. I won't hurt you!" He tried to help her up. "Are you hurt?" But to his dismay the child flinched away from his hand and started to cry harder. What should he do? 'I'm so dead! Wolverine goes already crazy when Becca cries and she isn't his kid!'

"C'mon. Please stop crying." He turned towards the TV. "Hey, do you want to watch Ben 10?" Jones blinked once and the TV screen changed to a mouthy boy in a green-white jacket. But the tears continued to flow down the toddler's cheeks, so he blinked again. "Hey, the Flintstones! Look they're funny." He tried and watched Fred give BamBam the little finger, with the usual outcome – Fred being tossed around.

Laura whimpered, but let the words the boy said sink in and she watched the cartoon and saw him giggle.

Jones sighed relieved that the tears had stopped, but saw that her gaze was blank. "No Flintstones? Maybe Pokemon?" He blinked again and the channel changed.

Laura stared at the odd boy. Daddy and Rogue needed a little box with buttons on it to make the program change. "How you do tat?" She asked in a tiny voice.

Jones looked at her clueless. "What do you mean?" She lifted her index finger and pointed to the TV and it dawned on him what she meant and he blinked again and again. "That's my gift."

Laura watched him with her mouth hanging open and then decided to also try it, but nothing happened.

Jones feared that the toddler would cry again so he tried to explain. "That's my gift. Only I can do this."

"Why?"

"Dunno." The boy thought it time to try again and get her off the foosball table. "I'll help you down, OK?" Laura thought a moment and then nodded, clutching her bottle in one hand. "I'm Jones. What's your name?"

"X- Laura." The girl followed him to the couch, not noticing her father watching them from the doorway. "Do it again!"

Jones blinked and the lamp behind Laura turned on. "Again!" Light out and radio on. "Again!" The TV flickered from one program to the next.

Logan smiled softly as the girl seemed to enjoy ordering the boy around and after a few more moments of watching, he walked away and approached the kitchen.

X X X X X

The mansion was slowly waking up and Logan left the kitchen with a tray of pancakes and orange juice, passing by a few of the younger students on his way back to the rec room. There he found Laura sitting – still sucking on the bottle – on the pool-table with Jones, Michiru and Kelly gathered around it and she rolled the blue ball at two others, banking the yellow one. "Yeah!"

"Now is my turn," said Kelly and lifted the black ball and rolled it towards Laura's blue one, making it bounce back.

Laura giggled and crawled towards her ball and rolled it at Kelly's black one, bringing it closer to a pocket.

"Havin' fun, kiddo?" Logan approached the children and Laura jumped to her feet a little surprised.

"Daddy?" The toddler saw the feral smile and was glad that he wasn't angry with her.

The Canadian held the tray in one hand and reached with the other for the girl, picking her up. "Let's bring the breakfast to Rogue."

Laura slung her legs around her father's waist. "OK."

Logan didn't miss the stares of the older children. 'I'll never get away from that Papa-bear image now…' He turned to leave, but whispered into the girl's ear. "Tell your friends 'bye'."

"Bye."

"Bye, Laura!"

X X X X X

Logan decided that it might be the right time to have lunch in the dining hall with everybody else. Laura had immediately chosen a smaller table next to the windows and was now staring at the students file in and fetch their lunch.

"Tail?" The toddler pointed towards a teenage girl with a fluffy tail and then her eyes widened as she saw Artie's lizard-like tongue. "Daddy, look!"

At first the feral didn't know how to react and muttered an 'I know.', but when the toddler stuck her tongue out he remembered this morning and what Jones had told her. "That's his gift."

"This is a special school, Laura. Everybody here has a gift." Marie was surprised to find her family in the dining hall, but she went over to them immediately and placed Becca in her seat onto the tabletop. "Hi." She added and watched Jubilee, Kitty, Pete, Bobby and John leave their usual table and move to the one next to Logan's – earning them a snarl.

"That's not nice, Wolvie. We just wanna keep Rogue company." Jubilee was still chewing her gum and Kitty waved at the toddler. "Hi, Laura."

The girl slid a little closer to her father – so much attention and so many people and noise were a little scary. She watched Becca squeal and wave her arms above her head and Logan's features soften as he picked the baby up.

The Canadian smiled while holding his little daughter in front of his face and planted a kiss onto her tiny nose. "Hey, seems like you missed me, lil' skunk." Becca laughed as she was cradled against her father's chest and he stroked the white patch of hair on her forehead with his thumb.

Kitty observed the interaction of her teacher and the baby and couldn't get off the feeling that Becca looked a lot like the big bad Wolverine – especially the eyes.

Laura's gaze travelled through the room, most students were looking at her father and the baby, and she noticed a girl with yellow eyes. Then her attention returned to the teenager sitting across from her. "Do you has a gift, Rogue?"

Marie was about to leave and fetch her food, but she sank back down on her chair and smiled. "Yes, sweetie."

Her green eyes widened. "Daddy, too?"

Logan stopped tickling his daughter and sat Becca onto his lap. "Yes."

Laura began to scrutinize the man from head to toe and then frowned. "What's your gift?"

The feral locked eyes with his mate and she nodded encouragingly. His hazel gaze centered on his young clone and his features became gentler. "I won't hurt you, Laura, so don't be scared." He lifted his hand and let his three Adamantium claws slide slowly out from between his knuckles.

Scenting the air, Logan confirmed his suspicion that the sight of his deadly mutation frightened the child. Laura stared like frozen at the sharp weapons and swallowed, while Becca first clapped her hands giggling and then she reached for the shiny metal.

Marie rolled her eyes and leaned over the table, touching carefully Logan's claws with her fingertips while the whole room watched fascinated.

Slowly Laura's eyes met her father's expectant and anxious gaze. "You're hurt, Daddy."

Logan smiled – her words reminded him at his first meeting with his Marie – and he retracted the blades, making Becca pout.

The toddler's eyes widened even further as the small wounds knitted themselves back together. She reached out and touched the freshly healed tissue. After a moment she met her father's gaze. "Do I have a gift?"

Logan contemplated his answers and saw her hopeful expression. "Maybe." Her face fell and he quickly added. "We'll see when you're older. But the odds are good."

"Really?"

'She's most likely the only kid on this planet wishing to be a mutant.' Marie smiled down at the child. "Yep, babygirl." The brunette rose. "Ah better fetch mah lunch 'fore nothing is left."

X X X X X

Scott frowned about his girlfriend's grim expression as they watched Rogue slide a second steak from her plate onto Logan's – obviously without being asked to bring him any seconds. The feral sent her a wolfish grin in thanks and continued to tap his foot – Becca enjoying her horse-ride on his lap.

The X-men-leader mistook Jean's reaction as worry about Rogue acting willingly like a slave. "I think they're fine." The redhead faced him startled, as did Storm. "I wouldn't believe it if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, but Logan truly tries his best to support Rogue and their girls."

Ororo stared at her friend like he'd grown a second head. "Did Logan hit you on your head one time too much or are you sick?"

"Am I the only one noticing how happy Rogue is since his return? We feared the last months the situation would be too much for the insecure and introverted Rogue, we all learned to know when he wasn't around. Or that he would take advantage of her." His gaze switched from one woman to the other. "But the opposite happened and Rogue crawled from her shell and even enjoys hitting the clubs once a month now."

"They are good for each other." Storm added glad that Scott finally seemed to overcome his prejudices concerning the feral. "You can't deny that Logan is more reliable and happier than a year ago."

Scott chuckled, remembering this morning in the kitchen. "The bloodthirsty Wolverine even makes pancakes in the form of a bunny-face."

Jean joined in the laughter with a few pressed chuckles. 'That little bitch twists everybody around her little finger! And I have to play along!' The doctor put her fork down and faked a smile. "I forgot I have a test running at the lab." 'I have to get outta here!' She felt a powerful surge of adrenalin rush through her veins, her fury burn in her stomach.

"Now, Jean?"

"I'm sorry, Scott, but I'll have to repeat it if I won't return now." She swiftly stood up and left her half finished food for Scott to clean up. "See you later."

Scott watched bewildered his girlfriend leave. "Umm, yeah."

When Jean finally reached her lab – her fists balled - her anger eventually overwhelmed her, causing the shelves to shake and the light bubble above her head to explode. The redhead blinked shocked and held her breath. The glass raining down on her made her realize that it was indeed her powers fuelled by her rage being out of control.

Her breathing accelerated, a shiver running down her spine, her hands shaking uncontrollably. 'Oh God!' The shock was huge, settling into her bones and a single tear rolled down her pale cheek. The usually perfect woman swore that she would never lose control again. "Rogue isn't worth it." She muttered eventually, scared half to death by her own abilities.