I don't know if telling Scott that Jean had made her choice was the right move, but it was something I felt I had to do. Just like I felt I had to take the Professor's easy out. He needed someone to go with Storm to round up a few of the kids who had managed to make it out the night of the raid. I jumped on the chance so that I wouldn't have to watch Scott grieve and so that no one would wonder why I wasn't using my claws to destroy everything in sight.

Jean had made her choice, and seeing Marie in the Oval Office standing so proudly behind the Professor made me realize that Jean had made the right choice for all of us. She must have sensed my love for Marie buried behind my promise to keep her safe. Almost losing Marie and really losing Jean had helped me to sort it all out.

I just had one more thing to do before I loaded my stuff into the truck and took off, again.

I spent a good hour trying to track Marie down before giving up and heading back to my room. With the smell of Stryker's invasion and the mansion's recovery still hanging in the air, my senses were a little on the fritz, so I was shocked to find the object of my hunt crying on my bed. Her head was laying on the bag that Chuck had had someone pack for me, and she was so upset that she didn't even notice my presence until I was sitting next to her on the bed.

"I'm sorry, Logan," she sobs as I gather her into my arms. "I'm so sorry that I killed her."

"Killed who, kid?" I ask knowing that she can only mean Jean. "The last time I checked you hadn't killed anyone. Hell, you haven't even been allowed to go on a real mission, yet."

"I know what everyone is thinking," Marie says as she tries to pull away, but I just hold on tighter and kick the bag off the bed.

"Really?" I ask trying to get the bottom of this. If anyone has dared to say something to her face, I'm going have to delay my departure just long enough to track them down and issue a few threats.

"No one has said anything," she tells me before sobbing harder as I sigh in relief, "but I know y'all are thinking that I shouldn't have tried flying the Blackbird. It was messed up bad enough from the missile, and I just made it worse by crash landing it."

"Let me set you straight on this, the team is very proud of you for crash landing the Blackbird," I tell her, which only makes her cry harder.

"Yeah, right. If I blow up the house, I guess y'all can just appoint me team leader," she scoffs as I pull on the gloves that I started keeping in my back pockets after meeting her.

"Listen to me," I say as I tilt her chin up. "You did what you had to do. I don't know what went on in the jet while we were taking out Stryker, but I know you're the one who came to the rescue."

There's a look of disbelief in her eyes. I wipe a tear from her cheek before settling her head back onto my chest.

"Pyro, the little shit, decided it would be more fun to work for Magnet-Head, a man who's almost killed both of us, and Bobby . . . ."

"Bobby didn't do anything," she tries to defend her Iceprick of a boyfriend.

"That's right, Bobby didn't do anything," I continue. "You did. You took the situation into your own hands and made sure the rest of us had a way out of Alakli Lake. No one's blaming Jean's death on your flying abilities, and if they do they'll have to answer to me."

"Jean got us out of Alakli Lake and ended up giving up her life. I crash landed a very expensive high tech airplane, and y'all gave me a leather uniform," Marie explains. "How does that make sense?"

"It doesn't," I agree. "We're a team, though, we all do what we have to do. Jean just made a tougher choice than we've been asked to make.

"You did a fine job over the last few days, kid. You kept Pyro from totally destroying a town, and you got some on the job training with the jet. You earned that uniform—Drake on the other hand . . ."

"Logan, you're just saying that . . ."

"I'm saying it because it's true. You earned your uniform; I just hope you don't get a chance to use it until Storm and I get back from rounding up the munchkins. Even then, I don't want you using it much."

"I thought you just said that I had earned my uniform," Marie points out as she pushes against me and I let her sit up on the bed next to me.

"You did, but . . . I just don't want anything to happen to you. It'll be kinda hard keeping my promise if you're always rushing into danger."

"Logan," I hear Storm's call a moment before she knocks on the door. "I'll meet you at the truck in ten minutes."

"Sure, `Ro," I answer back, "I'll be there."

"I guess I'd better let you finish packing," Marie says as she gets up from the bed and walks to the door.

"Chuck had someone else pack for me. I don't even know what's in this bag. I didn't think that I had left any clothes here," I say as I grab the bag and step in front of the door to keep her from leaving.

"I left my tag at the Lake . . ." I begin.

"Right, for Jean," she nods solemnly.

"No for me," I correct her. "I left my tag in my past. I don't need it anymore because I finally have a future."

I know that I've confused her but I'm hoping what I do next will help her figure it all out.

"I'll be back for this," I say right before I brush a kiss against her lips. The connection's open for only a second, but this time I feel her thoughts flowing back to me. She's confused and thrilled, and I'd bet good money that she's going to be breaking Bobby's heart pretty soon.

I leave Marie leaning against the door in my room at the mansion; knowing that she's got a little more of me in her head, and this time I've even gotten some of her.

As I walk out to meet Storm, I look over my shoulder and see Marie standing in my window. My heart skips a beat, and the rush I've only just begun to understand every time I see her hits me again.

I wave to Marie before climbing in behind the wheel and smirk with delight as she blows me a kiss. I don't know if she understands how much I love her, but I plan on showing her as soon as I get back.