The shield wouldn’t have been necessary. The explosion was actually an implosion. When they had recovered from their temporary blindness, Breanna was no where to be seen. There were two dark marks on the pavement where her feet had rested. Tatiana closed her eyes. Tears trickled from the corners.

“I couldn’t find her,” she whispered. “Even if I wouldn’t read her thoughts, I always knew where she was. And she’s nowhere.” Tatiana fell to her knees and covered her mouth with her hands, stifling the scream of a mother’s grief. Wolverine was too stunned to do anything but kneel beside her and envelope her in his arms.

He hadn’t wanted it to end like that, even though he knew it would one way or the other. It was easier this way, sort of. The loss of Breanna didn’t affect him as powerfully as Jean’s had. Then again, he hadn’t killed Breanna nor had he loved her. Tatiana had though.

“I never really got to know her,” she whispered. Her hands gripped folds of his shirt like they were a lifeline that would pull her out of the chaos. He rubbed her back and gently rocked back and forth. “She-“

“Shh,” he said. “Shh… It was for the best that way. She was sick darling, very sick. This world would have never had a place for her, not her. And you have two other daughters who need you very much…”

She didn’t speak and the sobbing subsided. No doubt her throat was raw from the sobs, to say nothing of that scream. He never wanted to hear that again. Tatiana still shed tears and he didn’t doubt that she would continue to do so for several days. He respected her grief by remaining silent as they navigated their way back home.

Their path was clear when they entered the mansion. No one else was in sight. Thank you, Professor, he thought, hoping that Chuck would hear it. He steered them towards their room, supporting her with an arm around the waist. Their two daughters were sleeping peacefully.

“Look, Logan,” she whispered. They paused so they could stare at their children. She didn’t smile but some of the despair evanesced from her face and the tears stopped flowing. He wasn’t a telepath but he knew what she was thinking. It would be different with them. Tiana and Laura had a very bright future ahead of them. And neither their mother nor father was going to miss a moment of it.