Why on earth Jubilee chose to ride by car the whole way to the mansion, he'll never know.  They've been on the road for hours, with countless more ahead of them.  The car slows down and pulls into the parking lot of an old motel, close to a truck stop diner.

"Ugh, I am so glad we are turning in for the night.  I don't think I can feel my ass any more," Jubilee complains.  Seth opens the door and gently helps her get out of the car, deftly lifting her up as if she weighed no more than a feather.

"Is there a reason you decided to drag me across the country on four wheels instead of taking the Blackbird?" Logan grunts as he stands up and stretches, cracking his neck.  He's pretty sure he can't feel his ass any more, either.

"I thought you liked road trips, Wolvie.  You were always on the road, sometimes for months at a time."  She peers at him over her shoulder, "Never bothered you then."

He stops and throws her a glare, which she completely ignores as she hobbles away, her small, wrinkled hand hooked on Seth's huge arm.  There she goes again, casually needling him in her annoying, nonchalant way.  The comment sounds innocent enough, but it feels like a jab, per her usual.  "What's that supposed to mean?" He growls, to which she doesn't reply.

He had his reasons, and he doesn't have to explain them to her.

He watches as she produces a set of keys from her purse and unlocks the door.  Seth takes her bag inside, then takes the keys and opens the door next to it, gesturing to Logan that this is his room.     

"Life is not about the destination, Logan, it's about the journey.  You should learn how to enjoy the ride."

"Hmph."  She was always like that, he remembers; sticking her nose in other people's business, dishing out comments, opinions and/or advice, whether they were wanted or not.  The only thing that has changed these days is that she no longer cracks her bubble gum while dispensing said unsolicited advice.  "Depends on the company," he shoots back.

She rests her hand on the doorknob and pauses, quirking an eyebrow at him.  "Yes it does," she returns with a smirk, closing the door in his face.

-----

He can't sleep.  Stupid diner sign, shining in through the damn crack in the curtain that wouldn't cover the whole window, no matter how many times he yanked it shut.  One of the letters is flickering.  He can hear it buzzing weakly, like a dying fly trying to escape through the glass on a hot summer day.

His mind is buzzing, too; all the memories he has tried to bury, memories of her, climbing to the surface.  Wondering how her life turned out.  Wondering if she ever thought of him while she was getting married and having babies and moving on to a better life.

It's no use wondering that now, but still.  He can't help it, and he hates that he can't help it.

He lies there for as long as he can, staring at the ceiling, until he can't take it any more.  If he's going to be up, he might as well be doing something productive with his time.  He's going to get something to eat.

A short walk across the lot and he's there, taking a whiff as the door opens.  Smells decent enough.  Not that he's real picky, but he won't eat at a place that has spoiled food, or a cook with B.O.  That kind of stink clings to everything, including the meal.

"Logan," he hears a young man call out from the back corner booth.  Seth raises his hand and smiles.

It's unexpected, seeing Seth here at this hour, but Logan supposes the company could be worse. He strolls down to the end and drops into the spot across from the burly kid, who nearly fills his entire side of the booth.

"Couldn't sleep," Seth explains, handing Logan the menu.  "Hungry for pancakes.  You?"

"I could eat."  He scans the menu and orders the steak and eggs.

"I'll have two orders of pancakes, two orders of bacon, sausage, hash browns, four eggs--sunny side up, and...toast.  That's all," Seth says with a nod.  "Wait, on second thought, I better add a slice of apple pie, with whipped cream, too.  Oh, and a glass of milk.  Thanks."

Logan just sits there, one eyebrow raised at Seth as the waitress scribbles everything down and heads to the kitchen.

"I'm really hungry," Seth explains with a sheepish smile.

"You don't say," Logan replies dryly, which makes Seth smile even bigger.  He takes a sip from his cup and sighs; the coffee is good at least.

"It seems like I'm always hungry.  It takes a lot to keep this going," Seth gestures towards his body with a wave of his hands.  "My parents always had a hard time keeping the fridge stocked when I was growing up.  My dad would buy a gallon of milk and a loaf of bread in the morning, and by the time he got home in the afternoon they would be gone," he chuckles.

"Yeah, Piotr was a big eater, too, from what I remember," Logan says with a faint smile.  "The Professor always had a hard time keeping the school fridge stocked when he was around.  Meal times were a sight to see."

Seth's face lights up.  "Piotr?  My grandfather?"

"Yeah.  He was a good friend of mine, back when we were X-men."

"You were an X-man?  At the same time as my grandfather?"  Seth looks at him in wonder.  "That was years ago, before the war.  But...you look like you're only 30."

Logan shifts uncomfortably.  "Healing factor.  I don't age." 

"Awesome," Seth breathes, his voice laced with admiration.

"Yeah.  Real awesome," Logan grumbles.  A scowl darkens his face as he stares at his coffee, feeling bitter and irritated.  Why do people think it's so awesome to live forever?  Moments later, he looks up, and Seth still has a big, stupid grin on his face.  "What?  You think it's so great?"

"Well, yeah," he says with a huff.  "I mean, that must change your whole outlook on life, knowing that you can do whatever you want and not die.  You stay young and healthy forever.  Just think of the possibilities."

"Hmph.  Believe me, it's not all it's cracked up to be."

"You kind of get to see the past and the future, in a way," Seth continues, becoming more animated.  "The way people dress, the transportation they take; how cool would that be, to see technology change over time?  You don't have to wonder what the future will be like, because you know you'll get to see it eventually." 

Logan clenches his jaw and stares at the young man, who remains unperturbed by the death glare being shot at him from across the table.  There is a certain disarming kind of innocence about the Seth that makes Logan like the boy, in spite of himself.  Still, his enthusiasm in the face of a very imminent ass-clawing is annoying.

"How old are you, kid?"

"Almost twenty-one."

"Almost twenty-one.  Got any plans for the future?"

Seth nods, practically puffing up his chest.  "I'm training to be a pilot.  Soon I'll be flying the X-jet."

"Pilot, huh?  I didn't know the school still used the X-jet."

"It's not the original of course; that one was retired way back when.  This one's probably like version ten or something."

"Probably.  Got any friends?"

"Well, yeah.  I've got friends; mostly kids I grew up with at Xavier's school.  We're still close."

"Got a girlfriend?"

Seth's face turns a little pink.  "Um, yeah; we've been together for a few months."  He pulls out his brown leather wallet and hands over a picture.

"Very nice," Logan murmurs.  He gives back the photo.  "And do you love her?"

"Well, it's kind of early yet..." Seth stammers, "but, yeah; I think I'm starting to.  I think...she might actually be the one."

"The one?  That's a pretty bold statement there.  She must be somethin' special."

"Yeah, she is," Seth says with a growing smile.

"Do you want to marry this girl?  Buy a nice little house in the suburbs, have 1.5 children and live the dream?"

Seth thinks about it for a moment.  "I do want to get married eventually.  Not sure about kids; we haven't talked about it yet.  We might live in a house in the suburbs, or maybe at Xavier's school, or we might just travel.  I don't know what the future holds, but as long as we have each other, it won't matter.  We'll figure it out."

"I'm sure you will," Logan nods.  "So, you're young and your life is just beginning.  You've got excellent career prospects, you're surrounded by good friends, and you've got a lovely girl who might just be the one. Sounds like you've got pretty good thing going on."

Seth smiles.  "I think I do."

"Hmm."  Logan reaches into the inner pocket of his jacket and pulls out a flask.  He pours some amber-looking liquid into the coffee and downs the rest, wiping his mouth on his sleeve.  "That's real nice.  Talk to me when you're a couple centuries old and everyone you've ever cared about is dead."

Seth sits frozen in stunned silence. 

"I told you, it's not all it's cracked up to be," he grumbles.

"I...I'm sorry," Seth says quietly, his face falling.

Logan glares at him for a moment, but he sighs and the glare fades. That was kind of mean, setting him up and then knocking him down like that.  He seems like a good kid; not an ounce of wile or insincerity in him.  He's so much like his grandfather.

"S'alright, kid.  You didn't know."

Seth nods in understanding, but he looks down at his place setting dejectedly.  A somber silence hangs over the table, and although Logan has never been one to feel obligated to fill awkward silences, for some reason he wants to say something now.

"So..."  Logan clears his throat.  "What do you think the world is going to be like a century from now?"

Seth cringes at the question, his eyes still fixed on his placemat.  "Look, Logan, I'm real sorry I said anything.  I didn't mean--"

"I'm not tryin' to bust your balls, kid," Logan cuts him off.  "I'm asking a real question."

Seth looks up, surprised.  He searches Logan's face to see if he's really sincere, or just setting him up again.

"Odds are I'm still going to be alive in a hundred years; might as well place your bets now.  I'll compare notes when I get there," Logan says dryly, though he wears a little smirk when he says it.

Seth stares at him for a moment; then slowly, that big, goofy grin makes its appearance again.  Logan's not sure why, but his shoulders feel a little less heavy after that.

"So?" He looks at Seth expectantly.

"Ok, well, umm..." Seth thinks for a moment.  "I think vehicles are all going to run on solar power.  Or maybe hydrogen.  And they won't have wheels anymore; they'll have some kind of anti-gravity capability, like a hovercraft."

"Oh yeah?  Interesting.  What about motorcycles?"

"Oh, they'll have hoverbikes, too.  It'll be so cool.  You'll be able to drive on land or water if you want."

"Sounds like fun."

Seth nods.  "Medical care is going to be as simple as walking to a kiosk and getting a body scan.  The computer will know how to treat you without any human intervention, and the machines will fix you right up."

"Hmph.  Not sure I like that, but ok," Logan replies, taking a sip of his coffee.

"Food is going to come in pill form--but you won't be swallowing your meals," Seth rushes to add when Logan makes a face.  "You'll load the pill into some kind of appliance that will rearrange the molecules and poof, a full course dinner materializes as if you cooked it yourself."

Logan cocks an eyebrow at Seth.  Neither of them speak for a moment, then they both break into a chuckle.

"Ok, maybe that's a bit far-fetched," Seth says sheepishly.

"Kid, we've got that ability right now.  You go to a diner, order from a menu, and poof, food materializes in front of you, as if you had cooked it yourself."  Just then, the waitress appears with their order.  "See what I mean?"

Seth's face lights up at the smorgasbord of food being laid out before him.  "Ha!  You know what, you're right!" He says, grinning from ear to ear.

Logan pretends to ignore him as he digs into his steak and eggs, but he sneaks a glance at Seth, who is tearing up his food like there's no tomorrow.  He shakes his head and goes back to his meal, but he can't suppress the little twitch of amusement at the corner of his mouth.  Just like Piotr, he thinks.

. . .