Christmas dinner, unlike Thanksgiving went off without a hitch, and without the main course exploding. Of course that might have been because anytime Remy made an appearance in the kitchen, he found Logan growling, claws unsheathed as he stood in the doorway. After the first couple of attempts, Remy wisely turned his attentions to tormenting others.
Everyone enjoyed the variety of dishes that had been prepared by their fellow teammates. Despite the eclectic collection of food, it all blended well. Hank had prepared a cheesy potato dish, Jean and Scott had collaborated to make the yams, Kurt had contributed a German dish that was greatly enjoyed at the monastery, while Bobby and Kitty had provided the vegetables. Xavier and Ororo had provided all the desserts and Remy had made a pot of his gumbo, which Scott and Hank wisely avoided. Even Rogue had contributed, making the rolls from scratch.
Logan was glad to see her come out of her room and join them for dinner. He had been watching her closely for any sign of improvement. He was hoping that her willingness to come to dinner with the rest of her surrogate family meant that she was taking the first steps toward forgiving herself. But he’d simply wait and see for sure.
The rest of the day passed in relative peace as people moved from room to room entertaining themselves, eating, laughing and simply enjoying the chance to spend time with each other.
Logan and Ororo spent a great deal of the day together. It was rare that they were able to spend so much time with each other in one day and they planned to take advantage of it. Once the holidays were past, they both knew that things would likely get hectic again very quickly.
Everyone was in high spirits and spent the day playing cards, shooting pool, watching football, eating and drinking and just being together as a family. There was even another snowball fight between most of the adults in the mansion. Although this time, Ororo and Logan decided to be on the same team rather than against each other.
The two of them even played several card games with Scott and Jean. But Scott decided that he didn’t want to play against Logan when they realized that the feral mutant could smell someone bluffing a mile away.
Logan pointed out that Jean was a telepath and could easily look at everyone’s cards. Everyone knew that she wouldn’t, but she still could. The revelation didn’t mollify Scott and they decided to have a nice friendly game of pool instead.
The friendly game did little to improve Scott’s mood as it quickly turned from friendly to cutthroat. After beating him for the third time, Scott walked away, muttering under his breath.
Ororo simply laughed, teasing him while Jean simply shrugged her shoulders and continued playing. Everyone knew that Scott was just a little bit competitive and sometimes couldn’t hide his disappointment when he lost. Scott’s bad mood did little to hinder the rest of them from having a wonderful day and most of the others ignored him.
Logan even swallowed his anger and played with Remy and Bobby. But there was still an obvious tension between the two and their anger hung heavy in the air. No one commented on it, but everyone noticed it, and everyone but Jean wondered at its source.
They residents of the mansion stayed up late into the night, not wishing to give up the feeling of normalcy that pervaded the mansion that day. For that brief moment in time they were able to forget what they were, what they had chosen to do. They could forget about the enemies they had around the world, both human and mutant. And simply enjoy and relish in the presence of their family.
But it could not last forever. Slowly, they began to drift away, alone or in pairs, seeking their beds and sleep. Slowly choruses of “Good night” and “Merry Christmas” dwindled from less and less people as their group slowly shrank. Finally, only Logan and Ororo were left downstairs.
They were snuggled up on the sofa. Logan was lying back against the arm of the couch, Ororo draped across him, her head resting on his chest.
She sighed as his hand fell down to her back, stroking lazy patterns across it as they watched an old black and white movie together.
Logan wasn’t even really paying attention to the movie. It was nothing more than a minor distraction taking his attention from the woman in his arms. He was focused on the feel of her lying against him as she laughed quietly at the plot of the movie. He took a deep breath, drawing in her unique scent and felt a wave of contentment wash over him. It had been a very good day.
“It was a wonderful day.” Her voice was quiet, slightly muffled because she hadn’t taken her eyes off the movie as she spoke.
Logan grunted softly.
Ororo turned her attention from the movie and turned her face to look up him. “Did you enjoy yourself today Logan?”
Logan thought on the day for a moment wondering how to answer it. He realized he had felt very content for the first time in a long time. He had given a very special gift to a very special person in his life. He had cooked for and spent time with a group of people that had long ago become like family to him. And he had enjoyed a holiday that normally drove him into hiding. And he also realized Ororo was responsible for all of it.
“Yeah, I had a good time.”
She smiled, kissing him softly before she turned her attention back to the movie. A few moments later, the movie finished and the credits began rolling across the screen.
Logan sighed loudly as he shut off the TV. He had been enjoying himself, simply holding her against him. “It’s gettin’ late, we should probably head up to bed ourselves.”
Ororo stood, letting him up, a strange look in her eye. “I am not really tired yet. I had another idea.”
Logan stood, feeling the look in her eyes pull at something inside of him. He could feel his beast waking up slightly. It was still quiet and it did not rise, but he could feel it watching and waiting. “And what was yer idea darlin’?”
She reached out to touch him, splaying her hands across his chest stroking her way across it as she leaned into him. “There is fresh snowfall outside.”
Logan chuckled, the sparkle in his eyes unmistakable. “Yeah, I noticed that. As I recall, this one’s all you.”
Ororo chuckled slightly, wrapping her arms around his neck. “If I remember correctly that is because someone was doing wicked things with his mouth and hands.”
Logan reached up to wrap his arms around her, pulling her close, her scent washing over him as he remembered the night before; the feel of her, the smell of her, the sound of her as she came apart in his arms. The memories alone could have given a saint pause.
“Ya started that one darlin’. Ya were wicked first. Propositioning me right in the kitchen. Man, what would the students think if they’d seen ya last night? I didn’t even know ya could dance like that. Why didn’t ya ever tell me ya were so uninhibited?”
She giggled, even as Logan smiled. “If you liked that suggestion Logan, you will absolutely love this one.”
Logan’s eyebrows shot up, even as he felt his beast rise slightly in him. “I’m all ears.”
“I was thinking that it might be nice to take a stroll in the woods in the new fallen snow.”
Logan couldn’t seem to hide his disappointment. “Sounds kinda innocent darlin’.”
She dropped her arms and turned from to walk towards the doorway. She turned to look back at him, her smile seductive and innocent all at the same time. “Did I forget to mention that clothing is forbidden on this little stroll?”
He chuckled even as he followed her out of the room. “Yeah, ya forgot to mention that part.”
They reached the door, and she stopped, her hand on the knob as he came up behind her. She turned her head slightly to look at him out of the corner of her eye. “Is that wicked enough for you Logan?”
He put his hand on the door, preventing her from opening it. He leaned against her, trapping her against the door. His breath washed across her neck and ear and he felt her shiver. “It will be, when I’ve got ya against a tree, havin’ my way with ya.”
She wrenched the door open and ran out into the night, calling a challenge over her shoulder. “Promises, promises.”
Logan smiled as he followed her, towards the tree line behind the gardens. He came around a hedge and watched her duck into the woods, shedding her clothing as she went. He smiled and followed suite. It had been a really good day.
A sense of peace and contentment fell over the mansion and all those that lived there for the next few days. The students who had stayed behind were all smiles and were seen spending time with each other without any bickering. In fact, they seemed to be getting along without any effort at all.
And this sense of peace didn’t stop with the adults either. Scott and Jean were seen walking hand in hand around the gardens several times laughing and talking quietly. Logan and Ororo were seen meditating together and even Warren and Betsy were much more affectionate with each other.
But no matter how much they wanted it to, the peace could not last and the outside world once again intruded on them. Five days after Christmas, Xavier called a meeting in his office for his four senior members.
“You needed to see us Professor?”
Xavier looked up as Jean, Scott, Ororo and Logan filed into the room. “Yes Scott. I have a minor mission for the four of you.” He waved his hand for everyone to take a seat.
“Retrieval?”
Xavier shook his head as everyone sat down. “No, not this time. This one is more along the lines of protective duty.”
Logan sat on the edge of the desk. “We’re gonna be a bunch of glorified body guards?”
“This time yes. A mutant rights rally is being held in Central Park today. I would like you to go there and insure that the protestors to this rally do not get out of hand and hurt someone.”
Ororo stood next to Logan, her face puzzled. “You have never asked this of us before. Why is this rally so very important?”
“Because it is being led by a former colleague of mine who is in fact hiding that he himself is a mutant. I would very much like to insure that he is not injured or exposed if a riot should ensue.”
Logan snorted. “What do ya mean if? These things seem to attract rioters like carrion attracts vultures.”
Ororo slapped his shoulder lightly. “What an apt description Logan.”
He gave her sly smile. “Thanks darlin’.”
Scott spoke up, his mind as always on the mission; no matter the form of it. “Are we going in under cover?”
Xavier nodded. “Yes, no uniforms.”
Logan couldn’t hide his sarcasm. “Damn I was looking forward to the leather jumpsuit.”
Xavier’s reply was dry. “Sorry to disappoint you Logan. The rally starts in a few hours; you should have plenty of time to get there and get under cover. I am sure I have no need to remind you to be discrete. Do not reveal your presence unless you have no other choice. Good luck, and return safely.”
During the short flight to Central Park, the four members of the team decided that it would be safer to split up. They would be able to cover more of the crowd that way but still stay within visual range of each other. They were equipped with com links but were only to use them in an emergency.
Scott managed to land the jet in a secluded area near enough to the rally but still far enough away so as not to draw attention.
Logan waited for the others to leave the jet first, Jean, then Scott and finally Ororo filed out of the blackbird a few minutes apart. He followed nearly twenty minutes behind her and approached the growing crowd directly.
He glanced around, seeing Scott near the stage, Jean was off to the north and Ororo was just south of her. The crowd continued to grow until finally the speaker appeared. Logan paid him or the words that he said little mind, his eyes continuously scanning the crowd for threats.
He stood there for over twenty minutes before he slowly began mingling further into the crowd. Others were moving in and out as well, their interest wavering while the speaker droned on. He crossed his arms over his chest fighting a wave of boredom when a new scent wafted across his nose.
He stilled, his arms falling to his sides, ready for action at a moments notice. He turned in a slow circle, acting as if he were searching for someone. He caught sight of Ororo nearby and headed for her just as the scent wafted to him again. His nostrils flared slightly.
There was something strange about the scent. It was sickeningly sweet, cloying and he had no trouble recognizing it. Someone in the audience was nervous and sweating like a pig. His nostrils flared again and the smell grew stronger as its source approached him.
He reached Ororo, touching her lightly.
She turned to him, a questioning look on her face.
“Play along darlin’. I think someone’s tryin’ ta spook us.”
She smiled then at him and wrapped her arms around him, drawing him close.
Logan turned back to the stage, his arm draped around her waist, his senses on high alert. Then another scent, similar to the first and with traces of the first underlying it reached his nose. His nostrils flared as the two scents slowly circled him. He looked around again and saw two heads moving around, paying absolutely no attention to the crowd.
“They’re circling us, slowly. And there’s more of them. Dammit this thing is going south on us. We’ve been made.” He touched his wrist, speaking softly as Ororo kissed his face, using her hair to hide it as he spoke. “Cyclops, pull back. The rioters are targeting us.”
Logan saw Scott slowly make his way to the edge of the crowd and Jean did the same in the opposite direction.
Scott’s soft reply came back a second later. “Copy that Logan. Everyone split up and regroup back at the blackbird.”
Logan pulled back from Ororo, a fake smile pasted on his face. “Storm, head north and then circle around to the jet. I’ll lead these guys off, away from us.”
“All right. I will see you back at the jet. Be safe.” She kissed him quickly and disappeared into the crowd.
Logan watched her leave for a few moments, keeping close track of the men as they tightened the circle. He moved towards the stage hurriedly trying to create a distraction. He reached the stage and pushed against it, eyeing security as they approached him.
He smiled at them, and slid along the stage, away from the rally. He wasn’t surprised when the group followed him closer, trying to contain him. He reached the edge of the stage and moved even further away and security fell back.
Logan left the rally at a slow jog. Glancing back he noticed six men leaving the crowd from different locations and beginning to follow him. Smiling wolfishly, he began a cat and mouse game, leading them further and further away from both the rally and the hidden jet.
Ten minutes later, he had managed to lose most of them in the depths of the park and was circling back around to where Scott had landed the jet. Suddenly he felt Jean inside his head, her mental projection filled with pain and fear. He winced, grabbing his head at the intensity and surprise of it, stumbling slightly. Then, it was gone, her voice suddenly silent.
In the next instant Scott’s voice sounded in his ear, clipped and precise. “Code Red. Everyone get back now.”
Logan started jogging again directly towards the jet, not bothering to hide what he’d done. “What happened ta Jean, Cyclops?”
Scott’s reply was tense and angered. “Get your ass back here Wolverine or we’re leaving you behind.”
Logan recognized the tone and shook his head, irritated and unable to resist a dig at their leader. “Don’t get yer panties twisted Scooter, I’m nearly there.”
Logan raced into the clearing, smelling two of the rioters coming up behind him. The jet was ready for takeoff, Ororo standing at the rear door, watching for him.
He raced up the ramp, shielding her as he shoved her into the plane. He hadn’t smelled gunpowder on the men; but then he hadn’t gotten close enough to be sure either. He didn’t want to take any chances on whether or not they were armed and no wish to give them a target either.
He reached out, slamming the button to raise the door, shouting at Scott. “Get us the hell outta here Scooter.” The jet began lifting off the ground. “Can ya cover us darlin’?”
She nodded, her eyes whitening as a bank of fog suddenly formed around the plain and a large portion of the park. A moment later, she stepped over to Jean, who lay on a medical gurney.
Logan stepped over to Ororo who was tending Jean who was still unconscious. He gazed at her pale, still form, the worry in his face. “What happened ‘Ro?”
Ororo removed the gauze from a wound on Jean’s side, to check if the bleeding had stopped. “I am not sure. But, from what I gathered from Jean’s projection, she and Scott had met up just outside the crowd. They returned to the jet together. They were just outside the tree line when two men jumped out at them. One of them got lucky and managed to wound Jean with a knife. It is merely a flesh wound and I have already stopped the bleeding. I do not believe they were rioters; just a couple of punks looking for trouble.”
“So why’s she unconscious?”
Ororo shrugged, as she bandaged the wound. “I do not know. The professor and Hank will need to examine her.”
Logan touched her arm lightly, feeling her tremble slightly. “Are ya all right darlin’?”
“Yes, I had no problems arriving here unseen.”
Logan let his hand drop. That hadn’t been what he’d been asking about and they both knew it. But if she didn’t want to talk about right then, he wouldn’t push.
“Good ta hear.”
The jet gave a sudden jerk as it finished ascending and Scott jammed the throttle forward. The sudden acceleration threw them all backward, causing them to lose their footing. Logan wrapped his arms around Ororo, taking the brunt of her fall against him.
He cursed loudly as he got to his feet and helped her up as well. “I will stay with Jean. Go up front and try to calm him down. This will not help us reach the mansion in one piece.”
Logan nodded and walked towards the cockpit. He threw himself into the co-pilot seat and eyed Scott.
Scott sat in the pilot’s seat ignoring him, his gaze intent on flying them home as fast as possible.
“Ease up would ya Scott? Ya nearly threw us outta the back of the damn jet.”
Scott looked at him and Logan mentally flinched.
Logan couldn’t see the other man’s eyes but he knew that fierce set to his jaw. He’d had that look on his face a few weeks ago when Ororo had been injured in the car accident. He felt for the younger man, he really did. So he did the only thing he knew would get through to him; he tried understanding.
He reached out and touched Scott’s shoulder, gripping it firmly. “She ain’t hurt bad; the bleeding’s already stopped. Ororo said it’s just a flesh wound. She’s gonna be fine. But if you want to be a cowboy up here, she might end up hurt after all. You don’t want that do ya?”
Scott shook his head.
“Good, then take us home, nice and easy.”
Jean regained consciousness moments before they landed. She seemed coherent and didn’t appear to be hurt but she had no idea why she’d passed out.
Scott landed the jet in the hangar and didn’t even wait for the engines to finish powering down before he raced to Jean’s side.
“Are you all right?” His voice was full of concern and worry. His eyes rested on the large white bandage that Ororo had taped to her side. He touched it gently as he looked at her.
“I’m fine Scott; embarrassed, but fine.”
“You could’ve been killed. Why’d you throw yourself in front of him like that?”
“I didn’t see the knife and I didn’t want you to use your powers against them, they weren’t rioters.”
“I could’ve handled it.”
“I know, and I’m sorry. I just reacted.”
Scott opened his mouth as if to say something more when Logan came up to him.
“Look, this ain’t helpin’ anybody. Let’s get her out of the jet and into Hank and Chuck’s hands before you decide to ream her ass out for doing somethin’ reckless.”
Scott’s mouth tightened slightly but he nodded and reached down to help Jean down the ramp to where Hank and Charles were waiting.
Inside the jet, Ororo turned to Logan and he wordlessly wrapped his arms around her and simply held her.
“Logan, I need your help.”
Logan looked up at Scott as he walked into the garage, wiping his hands on a nearby grease rag.
A few hours had passed since their return and Hank and the Professor had begun running tests on Jean. Since then, Ororo had opted to sit with Scott while they waited for word as to why she had passed out like she had.
Logan had encouraged her to go, knowing that Scott would greatly appreciate it. And it would make Ororo feel useful as well. Logan in the mean time had decided to seek refuge in the garage, puttering around with a car that no one could seem to get running.
“There’s a first, you askin’ me for help.”
Scott sighed as he walked up to the car that Logan was working on, glancing at the engine. “You aren’t going to make this easy for me are you?”
Logan snorted, throwing the rag down as he began putting away the tools he’d been using. “No, I’m a pain in the ass that way. Whattcha need?”
Scott ran his hands through his hair, suddenly nervous. “I’m going to ask Jean to marry me.”
Logan waited, wondering just what that had to do with him. “And?”
Scott couldn’t seem to hide his surprise. “You’re not upset about this?”
“What did ya think I would be?”
“Well, yeah. I mean you said you loved her not that long ago. Hell, you’ve spent every waking moment since we’ve met trying to seduce her away from me.”
Logan met his eyes unflinchingly. He would never apologize for loving Jean; it was something he’d had no control over; something as vital to his well being as breathing. And he wouldn’t feel guilty about flirting with her either; it was his way. Something he did with women who were important to him and were part of his life.
But Scott had never understood that and had in fact felt threatened by it. And that reaction had caused Logan to push the boundaries even further in an effort to jerk his chain and piss him off. He’d been unable to resist; it had just been far too easy.
But no matter how intense and suggestive the flirting had been, there had been one constant in his relationship with Jean: Scott. No matter what Logan had done, no matter what he promised or the sexual buttons he’d pushed she had always turned back to Scott.
“Yeah, and she still chose you every time.”
Scott thought for a few moments and nodded. “Yeah, she did.”
“Besides, I ain’t in love with her anymore. At least not like that. I still care about her and I want to see that she’s happy. But what I felt before, it ain’t there anymore."
A strange look came over Scott’s face as he looked at Logan. “You’re in love with Ororo aren’t you?”
Logan sighed, wondering just who else might have guessed how he really felt about her. “Yeah I am.”
Scott’s voice wasquiet as he asked. “Have you told her?”
Logan shook his head. “No, I haven’t, so keep it ta yerself.”
“Thanks for being honest about it.”
Logan tossed the grease rag back onto the table and leaned into the car. “Can’t lie bout it forever.”
“You’re going to have to tell her sometime.”
Logan turned around, closing down as he stared at the younger man. The last thing that he needed was advice on his love life from Scott. “Didn’t ya come in here for somethin’?”
Scott smiled at the annoyance in his voice. “Yeah I did.”
“Well spit it out Scooter yer wasin’ my life away here.” Logan growled.
“Look this is going to sound stupid, but I’ve been thinking about asking Jean for a while now. I even bought a ring awhile ago but never got around to popping the question.”
Something in his tone of voice clicked inside of Logan. There was doubt in his mind, but not about asking Jean to marry him. “And now you don’t think its good enough.”
Scott nodded. “Yeah. I thought it was when I bought it but now I’m not so sure.”
“So what do ya want me to do, hold yer hand while you pick another one out?”
“No. But I don’t know any jewelers that could give me something good enough for her. I want something unique and everything I see isn’t. I saw the earrings you gave Ororo; they were perfect for her. I want something that’s perfect for Jean.”
Now Logan began to understand. “Yer talkin’ about the guy that did Ororo’s Christmas present aren’t ya?”
“Yeah, I am.”
Logan sighed, grabbing his jacket from its hook. “He’s a bit expensive, ya sure ‘bout this?”
“Were you sure when you bought the earrings?”
Logan sighed, nodding. “Come on, I’ll take ya down there and we’ll talk to him. And grab a picture of Jean, would ya?”
All of the tension seemed to leave him as he followed Logan out of the garage. “Thanks Logan.”
Logan snorted. “Don’t mention it. And I really mean that.”
“Ah mousier Logan, ‘ow good to see you again. Tell me, did madam Ororo love ‘er gift?”
Logan walked up to the jewelry counter, leaning against it. “Yeah she did, thanks.”
“Zhen ‘ow may I ‘elp you today?”
“I need an engagement ring.”
“Really?” There was a light of astonishment in his eyes.
“It ain’t for Ororo, it’s for a friend of mine.” He turned and waved Scott over. “This is Scott.”
Again there was a strange light in Jean Pierre’s eyes and Logan couldn’t quite place it. But for some reason, the look didn’t make him feel very good.
“Mousier Logan you are quite zhe devil. Does madam Ororo know of zhis?”
Scott’s mouth dropped open at his words.
Logan stood there, hanging his head while he resisted the urge to reach across the counter and strangle the Frenchman.
He looked back up at Jean Pierre and snapped. “It ain’t for us. It’s for his girlfriend.”
Jean Pierre chuckled, smiling. “Ah, so sorry. I ‘ave forgotten that Americans are not as…open minded as zhe French are.” He turned to Scott, a strange smirk on his face.
Logan realized that Jean Pierre had simply been yanking his chain.
Jean Pierre turned to Scott, his face and tone suddenly all business. “What exactly are you looking for?”
Scott picked out a lovely ring and left it to be engraved.
Logan watched in fascination while Jean Pierre worked his magic and like him, Scott simply pulled out his credit card without argument. He mentally chuckled at the flabbergasted look on his face.
Charles and Hank were waiting for the two of them when they returned. Some of the preliminary test results on Jean had already come back. The results were a bit baffling.
“Her mutation is, for lack of a better word, evolving.”
Scott looked confused. “What do you mean, ‘evolving’?”
Charles waved at Hank to explain.
“Mutation as rule manifests itself at the onset of puberty. There are several theories that the sudden hormonal change within young teenagers triggers some latent genes inside our DNA, activating them and causing them to become dominant. And this is true of nearly 99% of the mutant population.”
Again Scott couldn’t hide his confusion. “What about the other 1%?”
Hank adjusted his glasses, studying some of the papers on his lap. “There are rare cases where the mutation activates much sooner than puberty; likely due to some great stress. Ororo’s mutation would be a prime example of just such an occurrence.”
“What’s this got to do with Jean?”
“Jean came into her powers also at a young age, and she came into them through a very devastating trauma.”
Charles spoke up. “She witnessed her best friend get struck by a car and killed. In essence, Jean was linked with the girl when she died.”
Scott didn’t show any surprise at the revelation; being Jean’s boyfriend he’d probably known for awhile.
Logan on the other hand couldn’t hide his surprise. “How old was she?”
“Eight years old.”
Scott interrupted, growing impatient. “But what’s this got to do with what happened?”
“Ah, I am getting to that. In normal cases, where the mutation manifests during puberty, it is stable. It undergoes no changes and there are no sudden growth spurts of power or capability. But this is not often the case with those whose powers manifested much earlier or due to a severely traumatic incident.
“In nearly all cases studied on this phenomenon, there is a change in both the strength and nature of the abilities of the mutant. Often new abilities that stem from the old are gained. And the old abilities become stronger, more potent.” Henry took off his glasses, meeting the eyes of every man in the room. “In other words gentlemen, Jean is becoming a much more powerful mutant.”
“That’s why she passed out.”
“Precisely.”
“Will she be alright?”
“I am going to run some more tests, but I see no reason why she should not be. All the preliminary tests I’ve run show only a slight increase in her abilities.”
Logan watched all of the tension simply flow out the man. He reached up to grab his shoulder, fearing that Scott might simply collapse at his feet in relief. “Are ya finished with her Hank?”
“Yes, for now, and she would like to see you Scott.”
Jean was released later that day with the order to report back to Hank if she felt even the slightest bit strange. The cut she had received was indeed minor and required only four stitches. Having been cleared, she ran off with Ororo to her greenhouse where they barred the door and refused to let anyone in for the next couple of hours.
Scott had wanted to be with her but Jean had simply shook her head and told him to go play with Logan. He’d stood in the hallway, speechless for several minutes before walking away, muttering to himself.
Logan waited on the patio, smoking a few of the cigars Ororo had given him for Christmas. He acted like he was simply out enjoying the crisp winter air and a good smoke. But the truth of it was, he was doing some simple recon on the girls.
He knew that by herself, Ororo could be cunning, sly, manipulative, devious and just plain sneaky. It was an aspect of her personality that he just loved to see at work; so long as it wasn’t directed his way. But he also knew that together with Jean, those same attributes became disturbingly sinister to him and everyone around him. More often then not, pointing directly at him and Scott.
He didn’t give a damn about Scott; it was a dog eat dog world and the man could look after himself. But Logan wasn’t about to walk blindly into the fray with those two sirens; not without some clue as to what they might be planning. So he sat and made a pretense of smoking and he waited to see what was going on.
Inside the greenhouse, Jean and Ororo were sharing some quiet time after the stress of the mission and Jean’s injuries. Of course, quiet time was a relative term. They were at that moment helplessly laughing at some shared memory.
Ororo was laughing so hard that she had been forced to set one of her plants aside for fear that she might cause it injury.
“I don’t see how you could blame any of it on me. I wasn’t even there at the time.”
“Yes, well the idea was originally yours. And as I recall, at the time your leaving was a strange coincidence.”
“Coincidence?”
“Do not play innocent with me Miss Grey. I know your devious mind too well for that to work.”
“When it comes to being devious I’ve got nothing on you.”
“And how did you come to that conclusion?”
“I had a conversation with Logan. Him calling you devious is very rare praise.”
“Indeed it is.”
There was a moment of silence between the two friends as Ororo finished with the final plant and brushed dirt off her hands. She turned back to Jean, a thoughtful look on her face.
As if reading her mind, Jean reached out and grabbed her hand.
Then Ororo chuckled as she realized that with their link, Jean probably had read her mind.
“Do you want to talk about it?” Her voice was quiet and there was no doubt that she knew what was going through Ororo’s mind.
“You gave us quite a scare Jean.”
Jean smiled slightly, squeezing her hand firmly. “I’m sorry about that.”
“This is very silly. You were not badly injured and yet both Scott and I are reacting as if the injuries were life threatening. Did you react this way when I had my accident?”
Jean shook her head. “No, but then I’ve got an advantage. I have a link with you and with Scott that allows me to not only sense you but get an idea of your general well being. So when you had your accident, I knew that you were all right before I even left the mansion.”
Ororo chuckled. “Some would call that cheating Jean.”
“Yeah well it worked. I kept the men folk from panicking didn’t I?”
“Yes you did. But all joking aside, I was still worried.”
Jean smiled taking her other hand. “Of course you were. You wouldn’t be like a sister to me if you didn’t worry when I did something stupid. But I’m all right now; at least physically. Mentally, I’m never too sure about.”
Ororo chuckled again. “For that I am extremely grateful. I am not sure what we would do without you.” Her eyes grew glossy as she fought the urge to cry. Outside the weather became overcast and gloomy, the air heavy with the promise of rain.
Jean reached out and drew her close, embracing her firmly as Ororo did the same. “I’m not leaving you guys anytime soon ‘Ro. Lord knows this place would fall apart without me.”
Ororo chuckled as they pulled apart, wiping the unshed tears from her eyes as they weather changed once more to the bright and sunny day it had been.
Jean let her hands drop as she stood suddenly. “Enough of this soul searching today. I feel like going out and celebrating. Let’s celebrate New Year’s in style this year.”
“What do you have in mind?”
“We haven’t gone dancing in awhile. What do you say to that?”
“I say yes. But do think we can convince the men to go with us?”
Jean chuckled as they turned and headed for the door. “I think that should be no problem. Especially if Betsy gets Warren to come. Let’s go talk to her right now.”
“And you called me devious.”
They exited the greenhouse laughing. They noticed Logan on the patio, smoking and watching them with a scowl on his face. For some reason this made them laugh even harder as they approached the house.
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