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Chapter 20

A Civil Reprieve


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The members of the team who'd decided to remain in-house for the weekend gathered together for breakfast as they always did. It'd been three days since Logan's abrupt awakening in Ororo's loft and slowly the routine was returning to normal.

Even Logan, who would usually jump on his motorcycle and head north every chance he got, had decided to stay home this time... which was good, because the team would've done everything within their means to keep him there if he'd tried to go off on his own. He was showing more evidence of his slow return to normalcy every day that passed by.


Logan's usual, known activities on any given day would include practicing Tai Chi under the trees in the garden and smoking his cigar on the side steps leading out toward the pool area, pruning his collection of Bonsai trees while sitting in quiet reflection.... he even began prowling around the mansion in the middle of the night when he couldn't sleep. Scott, Ororo, as well as some of the others, had noticed that none of these interests had come back to him quickly, nor did the memory of these activities seem to stay with him from one moment to the next. This indicated to Dr. McCoy that Logan's memories were not only returning sporadically and unevenly, but he also couldn't seem to retain certain ones for long periods of time.

For instance, when Gambit mentioned martial arts training he and Wolverine ended up in a light-hearted sparring match and Logan showed them that he still knew it all, but twenty minutes after the session ended he couldn't remember that he'd just participated in the exercise. Although he'd retained the actual knowledge of hand-to-hand combat, Logan's mind seemed to completely erase any and all memory of the actual event within an hour of completing the exercise.

Now the team gathered together for their morning meal and it looked to be another beautiful day for late September. The talk around the table went in five different directions rather quickly, as it always does when you have a dozen or more people trying to voice what's on their minds before it was actually time to sit down to eat.

As the team members hustled about setting the table or preparing parts of the overall meal, Hank watched Logan quietly from the far end of the table. He was sitting away from the others who always gathered around the breakfast table; in his usual spot on the window seat, drinking his coffee and reading the paper.

Conversation around the table was light and as the topic turned to things that needed their attention today, Rogue mentioned that some supplies were getting low. Scott said he would inventory the stock and call in an order. Logan sipped his coffee, turned the page casually and replied without looking up. "Why don’t we just go get them?"

His deep, rumbling voice was unusual to hear amidst the hustling about and everyone got real quiet and turned their attention on him. He never spoke or really got involved in casual morning conversation and it was actually the sound of his voice, not the suggestion itself, that made everyone stop and stare. Only when he became aware of how quiet the room had become did Logan look up from his paper to see everyone looking at him amused. In return he scowled at them. "What?" he asked, not knowing what the big deal was.

"You want to go grocery shopping?" Rogue teased.

"I prefer to think of it as restockin' supplies. I have had to do it once or twice in my lifetime. It’s no big deal," he responded gruffly. Although he'd become more sociable over the past few years, there were still times when his more abrasive side came through... even when he didn’t mean it to. Perhaps he was beginning to feel cooped up. ‘

He needs to get out of here and relax,’ Ororo thought to herself and decided to invite him along on an outing.

"You know, I was thinking of going into the city today to run a few personal errands," she told him, sitting down on the seat beside him. He looked up at her briefly, then turned his attention back to his paper. She gave him a wistful smile knowing full well that dealing with him required alot of patience. "How would you like to be my escort for the day?"

Logan looked up from his paper again and caught her suggestive expression. But they were being watched so he pretended, unsuccessfully, to be a little put off by the suggestion. He folded the page back and, crossing one leg over the other, he made one small request.

"Just leave yer capes at home, ‘kay, Windrider?" Then he glanced up at her, a corner of his mouth pulled back, and his quirky expression made her giggle.

"I’ll try to find something less conspicuous," Storm promised as she stood up, giving him a slight curtsy that made him grin.

Rogue, who was in a real teasing mood this morning, nudged Jean with her elbow to get her attention. When Jean looked at her Rogue raised her eyebrows and tilted her head to hide her conniving expression. Jean had often mentioned to her that she thought Logan and Ororo should try to expand on their relationship, she just never mentioned her thoughts to Logan and Ororo. Rogue seemed to think this was a good time to try a little matchmaking and see how it pans out. Jean got the message and nodded with a smile.

"Uhh… we could help you find something to wear," Jean offered. "Something a little more appropriate."

"Oh yes," Rogue agreed a bit too enthusiastically. "We could help you put together something real nice. Something casual, but it should show off your… feminine wiles." Storm looked at Rogue and raised an eyebrow in amusement. Even Logan looked up again before returning once more to the morning paper.

"Oh, definitely," Jean said, smiling at Ororo. "Something comfortable, but… alluring."

‘Ro realized what her compatriots were up to and shook her head with a smile. Logan had opened himself up to the light-hearted harassment when he opened his mouth to make his suggestion. He never gave anybody the chance to yank his chain and Rogue simply couldn’t ignore the opportunity when it was put in front of her. They didn’t realize, however, that the ever-vigilant Wolverine had his ‘disaster sense’ aimed right at them and was more than prepared to strike back.

Scott and Hank were trying to finish their breakfast, paying slight attention to the goings on, while Bobby got up to put his plate in the sink. They all stopped what they were doing to watch the friendly banter. Bobby leaned against the counter to watch the exchange play out while Scott and Hank exchanged looks. They knew the women were treading on thin ice picking on Logan of all people and first thing in the morning too. It appeared that everyone in the room was aware of what Jean and Rogue were up to - except Logan, who continued to read the paper.

"Oh, it should be not just alluring," Ororo egged them on playfully, "It should attract the attention of every male within fifty yards."

That one got his attention. Logan blinked and shifted his eyes. Looking past the edge of the paper, he saw Hank and Scott looking at him as if wondering how long he was going to just sit there and take it. Then he purposely raised the paper up in front of his face, trying to ignore them and let out a sigh. Ororo smiled down at him. He was trying so hard to ignore them and temper his reaction the way Charles had taught him a long time ago, but this really was just too good and Ororo couldn’t resist. She leaned down close to him and fired a shot right through the paper that hit him center mass.

"It should be something… sexy," Ororo whispered in a low, satiny voice.

Logan folded the paper abruptly and dropped it onto the seat as he suddenly stood up. Ororo straightened her posture, hoping she hadn’t gone too far. Everyone, except Jean, stopped smiling as Logan moved very close to Ororo. Looking up at her, he eyed her closely.

"It ain’t the clothes that makes a woman sexy, darlin’," he told her in that deep, masculine voice. "You’d be ravishing wearing anything... or nothing at all."

That took the three femme fatales by surprise. Ororo wondered if he'd really meant that or had just had enough of their little game. ‘Be prepared if you’re gonna mess with the Wolverine,’ she could just hear him saying that too.

He moved as if to walk away, but turned back to her grinning like a wolf. Keeping his voice just loud enough so everyone in the room could hear, Logan told her what was the absolute truth, but she didn’t need to know that. "You could turn me on wearing a potato sack, sweetheart."

The ladies were stunned into silence and Logan glanced at each of them then turned to place his cup on the table. He met Scott’s gaze squarely, then looked at McCoy who was now looking at him over the rim of his glasses. Sometimes Henry McCoy could come across like a stuffy old college professor who could give you that one look that tells you, ‘You’re actions have been noted, young man. Don’t you think you went too far?’ Logan smiled at him.

"The victim… becomes the victor," he stated as if making his final winning move in a game of chess. Then he announced that he would bring the jeep around to the front. As he left the room, heading for the garage, he pulled a cigar from his shirt pocket and jammed it between his teeth.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


By the time the women came back down the men had finished their breakfast and now joined Logan outside. Scott gave him a list of the supplies they needed and they spoke briefly about some other matters that could use their attention on his return.

Bobby, Hank and Remy LeBeau were just milling around nearby. Hank mentioned to Bobby that he would like to have Kurt assist him in fixing a downspout on the corner of the main building and proceeded to show him exactly where the problem was. LeBeau just kind of hung back; leaning against Logan’s jeep, he rolled a cigarette as he waited for Rogue to come back down. He wanted to get started on her project as early as possible, hoping to have it done in a day.

When the female X-Men finally stepped out the front door, Rogue and Jean were beaming with pride. Jean kept plucking at Ororo’s hair and blouse like a mother who was sending her daughter out on her first date.

Gambit was in the process of moistening the edge of the rolling paper with his tongue to seal the makeshift cigarette when he glanced up to see the women standing there. He stopped in motion, his mouth hanging open with his tongue stuck to the paper. "Mon Dieu," he whispered in a brogue that came straight from the Louisiana bayou.

Remy LeBeau had quite a reputation for admiring the ladies. He was suave and debonair and it didn’t seem to matter to him that his southern belle was standing right there as he openly admired her handiwork. He stepped around Scott and Logan who were still discussing matters of a domestic nature. Both of them were too serious most of the time for Gambit’s taste. He absently dropped the half made cigarette on the ground as he walked toward the ladies.

"Madamoiselle, you look magnifique," he told Ororo as he climbed the stairs toward her. He took her hand in his and bowed to drop a kiss lightly on her delicate fingers. He was such a flatterer and Ororo couldn’t help but smile. Just then Hank and Bobby noticed her, too.

"You look awesome!" Bobby exclaimed and Ororo gave him a gracious smile.

"Thank you, Robert," she replied as she descended the stairs with Rogue and Jean close behind, still beaming.

"Doesn’t she look fantastic?" Rogue asked Gambit as she passed him on the stairs. Remy nodded, barely able to take his eyes off of Storm and Rogue laughed. Gambit turned as he watched them and finally followed her down the stairs.

Even dressed-down-casual, Storm was still breathtaking. Even more so actually, because it was so different than the way they usually saw her and
Scott was finally distracted enough by the others to turn around to see what all the hubbub was about. He took one look at her and smiled broadly in approval.

He crossed his arms in front of his chest then he noticed that Logan still hadn’t seen her. He was standing with his back to them, making notations on the list that he'd laid out on the hood of the jeep. He was still making suggestions about this or that when Scott gave him a quick, backhanded swat to get his attention.

When Logan looked at him as if to say, "What the hell’re ya hittin’ me for?" Scott gestured with a single nod for him to redirect his attention. Logan knitted his eyebrows at him, then turned around to see what was so important that he had to interrupt what he had been saying. When he saw the women coming toward them Logan quickly turned to grab the list from the hood, but as he did he shot another look quickly over his shoulder, stopping up short to stare at her. ‘God, she’s gorgeous,’ he thought, keeping the compliment to himself although his mouth was slightly agape. She really was the most beautiful woman Logan had ever rested his eyes upon.

Her hair was now pulled back away from her face, but left long and it flowed over her shoulders, gleaming in the sunlight and her pale blue eyes sparkled with humble appreciation. She was wearing a white cotton blouse with thin red stripes that crisscrossed in a checkered pattern diagonally. She wore the sleeves rolled up above the elbows and left it open at the throat to show off the bright silver chain she wore around her neck. Hanging from the chain was a circle shaped pendant with the letter ‘X’ inside. It was definitely supposed to be a point of focus as it rested against her dark skin, drawing one’s attention to her shapely chest. The shirt was tied around her waist, showing off her midriff and the white shorts she wore allowed a generous look at her long, shapely legs.

As she walked toward the jeep Logan had difficulty pulling his eyes away and Scott couldn’t help but smile at Wolverine's reaction. He could tell that Logan was trying to play it real cool, but was having a hell of a time taking his eyes off of her.

Bobby trotted around to the passenger side of the jeep and opened the door for her. As she approached him, he offered a dramatic bow. "Your chariot, My Lady," he offered with a smile as he straightened and Ororo bowed her head in return.

"Why thank you, Robert," she replied and they smiled at each other as she slid into the seat and secured her seat belt.

Jean walked over to Scott and put her arm around his waist. He smiled at her in approval and draped his arm around her shoulder. Rogue bounced up alongside Gambit and he put his arm around her as well. She couldn’t help giggling at his reaction as he stared at Ororo - he really knew how to appreciate beauty... and apparently, so did Wolverine.

Bobby was still waiting outside Ororo’s door looking at Logan on the other side and wondering why he was just standing there. They were all quite amused by Logan’s reaction. Not realizing it, he had slowly spun around in order to keep her in view as she'd walked to his vehicle. Now, he just stood there looking at Ororo through the windshield, with his mouth agape as she patiently waited for him to get in. Once again, Scott gave him a friendly swat on the arm to get his attention.

"Are you going with her or what?" he teased.

"Hnn?" Logan grunted at him, then pulled himself together. "Oh, yeah. Yeah." He grabbed the list off the hood, crumpling it in his fist as he shoved it into a pocket of his jeans then moved to the driver’s door.

Jean giggled and hugged Scott, looking up at him. His eyes were forever hidden from view by the visor he wore to control the energy blasts that emitted from them, but she imagined how they twinkled as he smiled back at her. There weren’t many things in this world that left a man like Logan stunned and Scott knew that Jean was pleased with herself for having taken part in creating a look for Storm that left the Wolverine speechless. Even Ororo couldn’t help but smile as he slid in beside her. Unable to help himself, Logan looked her up and down a couple of times as he started the ignition, and finally drove away.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~




Back at the mansion the rest of the X-Men went about taking care of matters of a domestic nature. Being a weekend, most of the younger students who resided at the school year round had gone home to spend time with their families. This was a rare moment for the X-Men and they cherished it - the estate was quiet and peaceful. Today, it wasn’t a school for gifted children and it wasn’t a sanctuary for persecuted mutants and it wasn’t a command center. Today... it was just home.

They each went about their work with light hearts and clear minds as life seemed to be returning to normal. Logan was finding his way back to himself and Ororo was enjoying her time spent with him. Rogue and Jean helped rake leaves and debris from the yard and weeded the gardens. Gambit, Cyclops and Beast were building the new barbeque pit out back by the pool. Kurt and Bobby were repairing the downspout that had broken loose during a thunderstorm months ago and Professor X was content to oversee the activities and lending a hand or giving instructions whenever necessary.

Charles watched his students as they finished their ‘chores’ and wished they could be like this more often. He wished the world were a different place where these men and women, and thousands just like them, could live in peace unmolested by society for being born different. He wished the world were a place where exploitation and experimentation on mutants was non-existent. A place in which they and their children would not have to live in fear of persecution, abuse, torture and manipulation.

But this world had a history of harboring bigotry. The class of people to be persecuted changed throughout history, but it always existed. Human beings seemed to have the need to hate and fear. He had often wondered if he had the right to ask his students to fight for that dream; his ideal world in which humans and mutants could live together without fear of one another. He never forced his students to become X-Men and he hoped they never felt obligated to fight the fight in exchange for sanctuary.

But Jean always reminded him that their lives, as individuals, would not have been much of a life without him. Telling him, that whenever he had doubts about the importance of his dream, to look at Wolverine and ask himself "What would’ve become of him?"

He had brought them together and taught them how to use and control their powers to benefit the world. He educated them with books, philosophy and experience. He counseled them through tough times and gave them a shoulder to cry on. He taught them discipline, showed them respect and gave them a place where they belong and fit in. He gave them a home and a family. He would give his life for them, every one of them and they would give theirs for him... and each other.

He loved them as if he were their father. When they hurt, he hurt. When they were out of his sight he worried and when there was strife amongst them he’d lose sleep over it. He just wanted them all to be happy... and safe.




*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~



(Later that afternoon)



The jeep drove down the quiet wooded road leading out of the city and back toward the country estate. The day had been a perfect one. The air was starting to cool down from the humidity they'd been subjected to this summer as the fall season headed in, but the sun was still shining brightly in a brilliant blue sky.

It was a wonderfully scenic drive with the leaves on the trees so abundant and dense. The long delicate branches, reaching across the road to their counterparts on the opposite side, created the illusion of a tunnel that blocked out the sun for long stretches of the road only to open up suddenly to a view of the rolling hillsides. They had to squint their eyes against the sudden brightness as the vehicle emerged from the shaded way.

Ororo sat quietly beside him and Logan was glad he had come along for the ride. When she'd mentioned that she needed to go into the city today to take care of a few personal errands, Ororo had smiled invitingly at him and asked if he would be interested in being her escort for the day. How could he refuse?

‘I may be crazy...’ he had thought to himself, ‘but I ain’t never been stupid.’

Normally Logan did his best to stay away from the hustle and bustle of the ‘Big Apple’, preferring the more peaceful surroundings of the countryside. He loved the freedom of the wilderness,;where he could indulge himself in his more animalistic nature and satisfy the needs of his wild side before returning to the more restrained routine expected of a civilized man.

As it turned out though, Ororo had shown him a pretty good time. They'd left the mansion early in the morning right after breakfast and they'd hoped to complete their errands quickly and return home to kick back and relax with the others. Some of the X-Men, like most of the students who resided at the school during semesters, liked to take off on weekends to visit family and friends as long as there was no 'pending business' which needed their immediate attention. This weekend though, most of the X-Men had decided to hang around and enjoy some of their down time at home and even Jubilee came home from the school in Massachusettes. Scott had called her to let her know of the things that had happened and he thought she'd like to be home during Logan's 'recovery' period and as soon as classes ended on Friday he had a car pick her up.

It was rare that they were able to actually enjoy the place they call home and as Rogue had been begging all summer for them to build a new barbeque pit out back by the pool Scott made plans to do just that. Rogue's theory, or her hope, was that it would give them a place to sit around and relax together, without always having to leave the estate when they needed a little down time from their ‘superhero’ lifestyle and, as far as Logan knew, the others were back at the estate doing just that.

They had invited Logan and Ororo to join them on their return, expecting them to be gone only a few hours, but once she'd gotten him into the city, Ororo had dragged him around from one shop and tourist spot to another until almost the entire day had passed.


~ * ~ * ~ * ~
They had gotten their errands done early as planned and Logan was more than ready to head back to the institute as soon as that was accomplished. He was not a man known for being easily intimidated, but he was a man known for being rigidly cautious around strangers and Manhattan was chock full of those. Ororo seemed to be in an unusually playful mood however and was quite thrilled to be in the city. He, on the other hand, was very much aware of the looks that he and Ororo were attracting.

Not everyone was happy, or even comfortable, sharing their world with mutants and Logan knew this all too well. Most average humans feared them and some just downright hated them. And Logan knew neither he nor his companion could ever truly succeed in passing themselves off as anything other than what they were – mutants.

Neither of them could go completely unnoticed individually, but together they really stood out in a crowd and Logan didn’t like drawing attention. Some people were even so rude as to outright stare. They looked quite the pair, he knew, and was constantly reminded of that fact every time he caught a glimpse of their reflections in the storefront windows although Ororo seemed oblivious to the situation.

Wolverine's reputation for always being on edge and never letting his guard down for an instant, especially around people he didn’t know, was well known. Everything and everyone as far as he was concerned was a potential threat – and today he had Ororo to look out for. They were just friends, but he had to admit that he couldn’t always understand why she seemed to like him so much. They did have a few things in common, but Logan still wondered about it and most of the time Ororo treated him as 'just a friend'. But there were moments over the years, when his instincts told him that perhaps she had a deeper fondness for him than she wanted to let on about... and today had been one of those days. Their excursion into the city had ended up feeling more like a first date than a chore.

Ororo had hung onto him every chance she got as she literally dragged him from shop to shop. She had taken him by the hand as they strolled through the park and Logan thought at the time that that was odd. Not that he didn’t enjoy every minute of it he had to admit, but he also wasn’t sure if he was expected to do anything about it. He had certainly weighed the thought of making the first move - many times in the past, oh, ten years or so - but he always chose not to take that step for his friendship with her was all too important to him. He didn’t want to ever do anything that would make her feel uncomfortable or might serve to ruin their friendship. She did, however, make it very difficult sometimes.

They did have a lot in common, including becoming members of the same ‘outlaw’ superhero team within days of each other. Since then they had become the best of friends. But, they also had their differences and it was in the polarity of their differences that made their friendship so amazing.

Ororo was a social person, who enjoyed the company of other people whenever possible; she loved children and taught classes at the institute between missions. Logan on the other hand, had always been a loner; a very private person who liked his solitude and would go off alone whenever he started to feel too crowded. Over the years his teammates had worked diligently, and succeeded, in turning him away from his violent, loner lifestyle into a trusted and valued member of the team. Although Logan was still incredibly stringent, believing everything was a matter of survival, Ororo always had a way of stripping away the brick wall that he'd built around himself - to uncover and embrace the truly caring and gentle man hidden within.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~


Logan maneuvered the jeep effortlessly through the winding twists and turns of Graymaulkin Lane trying to hold onto the memory of the glorious day they had just spent together. He felt at peace - calm - and he couldn’t remember ever feeling this happy before. Ororo had led him all over the city, they had walked through the park and even stopped for lunch at a sidewalk café. Actually, it all had been kind of romantic.

Looking back on it, he tried to remember exactly when the hordes of New Yorkers that surrounded them at every turn had simply disappeared, leaving him alone in the massive city with the most enchanting woman he had ever known. He knew they had not really been alone, but they might as well have been. Ororo had been so captivating that, for the first time in his life – at least the part of his life he could remember – Logan had let his guard down and allowed her to lure him away. That thought made him catch his breath. 'What if something had happened?' He would have been caught off guard... and that would’ve been a first. At least he thought it would be, he couldn't remember.

Ororo had always had a way of pulling him out from his defensive shell, just never quite like she had today and certainly never in public. Throughout the day Logan became more and more aware of how often she was able to get him to smile and a few times she even managed to make him laugh. Her exhilaration and almost child-like enthusiasm over everything they'd seen or experienced today completely enthralled him. At first he'd been taken aback by her behavior because she'd always carried herself with an air of nobility for as long as he'd known her; always demanding respect and discipline. But Logan had to admit he liked her this way too and felt extremely privileged that she felt comfortable enough around him to let her hair down and just let loose.

He couldn’t recall ever seeing her so carefree; the years of carrying the weight of the world seemed to have been lifted from her shoulders. She absolutely glowed with a youthful vitality and a sultry innocence that made his own spirit tingle. He'd even found himself having thoughts that made him extremely thankful that Ororo's mutant abilities were not telepathic in nature.

As the day passed with surprising speed, Logan found that she'd renewed in him a sense of wanting that he hadn’t felt in a very long time. It felt pretty good too. She'd succeeded in thoroughly enticing him: bringing forth stimulating thoughts and primal emotions that flooded his mind from time to time and he'd fought to restrain them. Her playful flirtations had piqued his interest and her almost constant physical closeness aroused him. He tried not to think about her in that way; she deserved better than him. Ororo Munroe was as close to perfection as mortal woman could get, but Logan couldn’t deny how she made him feel... especially today.

He'd felt an incredibly strong surge of what had once been referred to as ‘Alpha-prime’ - a sense of his own virility and an acknowledgement of his own needs and desires, which Logan realized he'd been ignoring for quite some time. Today though… Ororo had made it impossible for him to ignore it. Had she purposely been trying to seduce him? Or was he reading too much into it? He didn’t want to jump to any premature conclusions, but he also couldn’t shake the feeling that the events of the entire day had been premeditated. His instincts were very strong and they'd never failed him before.

She knew that he had strong animal-like tendencies that could overpower him sometimes and that his primal instincts were paramount and difficult for him to ignore. And right now they were screaming at him to reciprocate her perceived advances, but Logan was in complete control and able to suppress those urges; to maintain his own dignity, while protecting their friendship.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



Logan let out a sigh and leaned against the driver’s side door. He didn’t notice that Ororo had been watching him for some time.

"That was the sound of contentment if I have ever heard it," she said, startling him with her voice. Realizing too late that she was talking to him, Logan straightened a little and raised his eyebrows in an attempt to hide the fact that he'd been daydreaming.

"What?" he responded innocently and Ororo let out a soft laugh, then furrowed her brow in mock amazement.

"Were you smiling?" she teased.

"What if I was?" he asked with a smirk, as if he were challenging her. Ororo shifted in her seat in order to face him more directly.

"You should do it more often," she told him, her tone friendly and sincere and Logan smirked as he glanced over at her. She met his eyes with an even gaze and it was the sincerity in her expression that caught him off guard... again.

He tried to resist the urge to let his eyes wander, but he couldn’t. ‘God, she’s just so beautiful,’ Logan said to himself. He let his eyes drink in her beauty from her silvery white mane down her slender yet robust form. His eyes followed her long, sensuous legs all the way down to the delicate silver chain resting gently around her right ankle which was elegantly crossed over her left. He didn’t gawk at her though - ‘cause that would be rude - in fact, he tried to be as unassuming as possible and if she had blinked she would have missed his perusal entirely. But she didn’t, she'd noticed... she just didn’t let on that she had.

Ororo even felt quite flattered, as it was Jean and Rogue who had suggested the change of wardrobe for her trip into the city. They had even offered their assistance in putting together an ensemble that was more casual and ‘down-to-earth’ than the goddess-like robes she always wore. The blouse was airy and comfortable for another Indian Summer day and the shorts made her feel sexy and a bit dangerous. And, alright, perhaps they were a bit more dangerous than she'd prefer as they kept drawing Logan's attention away from the road ahead. Of course that was also the part that flattered her.



Ororo came out of her thoughts with a hint of a smile on her lovely face. The radio was playing Madonna’s ‘Rescue Me’ and as she listened to the words her mind lingered on Logan. She thought how the words sounded as though they could’ve been written just for him and her mind drifted back to the past....



*~*~* years ago *~*~*



When Wolverine had first come to the institute the only thing any of them had known about him was that he'd been a special agent for the Canadian government; a highly trained covert operative. The rumor worldwide was that the man known only as Wolverine was a fierce warrior, a mindless assassin and the most vicious killer the world had ever known and when she'd first met him, Ororo had no doubt that it was all true. She was certain, even back then, that he had lived a brutal and painful life. His attitude and demeanor had suggested to her that he'd suffered a violent and traumatic existence. Just how traumatic would only be learned years later. He'd been out of control back then; a real loose cannon, so full of anger that he’d go into a berserker rage at the slightest hint of danger and it had taken many years for him to gain some semblance of control.

Unlike most of Xavier’s new foundlings, Wolverine was much older than the others had been when they first came to live at the institute. He was way past the prime years of innocent discovery and Ororo was sure that anything Wolverine may have discovered about himself, or others for that matter, had nothing to do with innocent discovery. As it turned out, she'd been right.

The other team members felt that Wolverine was way too dangerous to be allowed to stay at the school, but Charles had told them that it was their duty to try and help Wolverine become part of their team. He had to remind them why the school had been founded in the first place. It was always meant to be a safe haven for mutants, those who would otherwise have lived a life of persecution in the outside world. Xavier felt that Wolverine had been exploited by the military and by the Canadian government and he informed the team that he had no intention of turning Wolverine away.

Warren, who had been an X-Man known as Angel for nearly ten years, argued so vehemently against Wolverine’s permanent placement on the team that he threatened to leave if Logan didn’t. Professor Xavier told Warren that if he were to leave it would be by his own choice and that he would not force Wolverine to leave in order to keep another. Angry and hurt that the professor was willing to let them all walk, in order to keep a roof over Wolverine’s head, Warren had packed his things and was gone. Just like that.

Ororo always wondered if Logan had felt even a little bit hurt that a member of the team had left his own home simply because of his presence. She found it difficult to believe that any man, even a man of Wolverine’s reputation, wouldn’t feel even a small twinge of pain in the face of that kind of rejection.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~

"Hey. You okay?" Ororo started as Logan's voice jolted her back to the present, but it took her a moment to focus. "Ro? You all right?" Logan asked with a concerned look. She saw the concern etched across his face and realized she must have been frowning when he'd looked her way. She kicked herself silently, then tried to reassure him.

"Yes, I’m fine," Ororo smiled and Logan furrowed his brow at her. His instincts were so strong and she never could hide her emotions from him, so she reached over to rest her hand on his arm. "Just thinking about an old friend."

Her touch made him relax visibly and she wondered at the power of it. It was such a small gesture and yet it could make all the difference in the world. It always intrigued her just how comforting the human touch could be.

They continued on their way content in each other’s company. Ororo's thoughts and feelings about Logan had occupied a great deal of her attention today. She really did enjoy being with him and he'd always had a way of surprising her.

Everything Logan had overcome over the years only served to prove to her his strength of will and his determination to be a better man today than he was yesterday. Few people could, or would even bother to try to, overcome the obstacles that had been placed in Logan’s path. He never gave up though and you just had to admire him for that.

Ororo leaned back in her seat feeling a little tired after their long day in the city. It was a good kind of tired though; the kind that left you feeling satisfied, as if something important had been accomplished. She couldn’t think of what that could be though and as she drifted off to sleep, with her hand still resting on his arm, an amused grin crept across her lips as the radio now began to play the country hit, ‘Hello, Darlin’.


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*



Rogue and Jean finished their duties then lent Bobby and Kurt a hand finishing up their repairs on the house. They helped clean up the tools and returned them to the workshop then joined the others near the pool. They weren’t surprised to see that the pit was almost complete; evidence of what can be accomplished with teamwork.

"Oh, wow! That looks great!" Rogue exclaimed. "Ah can’t wait for our first poolside barbeque. We used to barbeque a lot back home. Ah miss that." She walked over to Remy, who was putting another brick down, and wrapped her arms around his waist. She hugged him lovingly as she thought out loud. "Sitting around... under the stars… having a few beers, a few laughs. Enjoying the company of friends and family… without a care in the world."

"Not a single care, Chere?" Remy asked.

"Well, you know…" she shrugged.

"You really need to lighten up, Rogue," Scott teased, spreading another layer of mortar along the bricks Gambit had just positioned.

"Yeah, Chere. Ye’ always bringin’ Gambit down. Try t’ have some fun once in a while, eh?" Remy remarked, turning to put his arms around her.

"Oh stop," she scolded, giving him a light slap on the arm. "Ah can’t help mahself. Ah mean, we always say the X-men are family… well, this is what families do."

"We understand, Rogue, don’t let the boys rile you. We all feel the same way," Jean told her.

"Ja!" Kurt spouted from near the pool, his German accent still heavy after all the years. "Ve need more down time. Ve don’t get enough R&R between missions." They watched him step up onto the diving board; now that their job was finished, he and Bobby felt it was time to cool down a bit.

"You said it, ‘Crawler! Incoming!" Bobby shouted, as a large snowball splatted the back of Kurt’s head.

"Hey, no fair, Drake! Vasn’t looking!"

"Cannonball!!" Iceman yelled as he ran toward the edge of the pool pulling his tee-shirt over his head and dropping it on the ground.

Kurt, determined not to let Bobby beat him into the pool, ran down the diving board and launched himself into the air. Both X-Men pulled their knees up, curling into a ball, and Kurt hit the water a half second behind the Iceman. They made a tremendous splash that drenched the cement walkway encircling the pool and rained droplets down on Jean and the others.

Everyone laughed; even Charles couldn’t stop the chuckle that escaped his lips. As Bobby and Kurt breached the surface of the water they immediately started taunting each other as to which one had hit the water first, splashing each other as they tried to daunt the other’s claim. Charles turned his attention back to the ‘pit’ project with a grin. ‘This is exactly what Rogue had hoped for.’

"You’ve done a marvelous job, gentlemen. It would appear that just the presence of this barbeque pit has already begun to accomplish the goal Rogue had hoped for," he told them.

"Indeed, so it would appear," Hank said, with an amused grin. "Too bad Logan didn’t return in time to lend a hand. I think he would’ve been pleased to participate."

"Shouldn’t they have been back by now?" Charles asked, a little concerned.

"They should’ve been back hours ago," Scott replied as he stirred the mortar.

"Oh, I’m sure they’re having a great time all by themselves," Jean offered.

"At least that was the plan," Rogue smiled at her. Jean raised her eyebrows and gave her a conspiratorial smile.

"Well, I hope they won’t be too late," Charles said with a hint of worry in his voice.

"Relax, Charles. They’re all grown up now," Jean said with a smile, understanding that he worries. "They need some time out. I’m sure Ororo is showing Logan the sights and they’re having a great time."

"Yes, of course. I’m sure you’re right, Jean."

"Besides," she said, placing her hands on his shoulders, "you know how they look out for one another."

"I do," he replied with a nod, patting her hand on his shoulder. Satisfied that she'd sufficiently reassured him, Jean went back to help the others. Charles turned his eyes toward the sky with a slight frown and let out a worried sigh.



*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~



"Hey, look at that," Logan said, not realizing Ororo had dozed off. The sound of his voice brought her out of her peaceful slumber.

"What?" she asked.

"There. Look." Logan pointed toward a field of high grass on the other side of the road and Ororo leaned forward in her seat to look around him. She looked to where he was pointing, but she didn’t see anything.

Logan pulled the jeep onto the shoulder and stopped. Ororo continued to scan the field, but she couldn’t see what he was seeing. When he smiled at her she gave him a quizzical look. He realized because she didn’t have the same keen senses he had Ororo couldn’t see things at the same distances that he could.

"C’mon," Logan smiled, lifting the door handle and waited for her to do the same. She had no idea what he was up to, but he certainly had her curious and she found herself smiling back. Logan got out of the jeep and shut the door with barely a noise. Ororo followed suit and met him on the driver’s side.

"What is it?" she whispered as excitement grew inside her.

"C’mon, I’ll show ya'," he whispered, taking her hand. Then he smiled at her and put one finger against his lips suggesting she be as quiet as possible. Ororo’s eyes lit up and she nodded. Then he bent forward, keeping low as he crossed the road with Storm in tow and she followed his example.

Logan led her down a ten-foot slope and into the woods. They zigzagged their way through the trees and she marveled again at how quickly and quietly he could move. Not even a twig snapped beneath his feet. Then she became aware that he was holding her hand against his back; guiding her and forcing her to follow in his footsteps. They were moving as one, in step with one another. In her growing excitement and anticipation of the unknown Ororo tightened her grip on Logan’s hand. Without missing a step, he glanced back at her and smiled.

This seemed to be the reverse of what she had done to him in the city. Now on his own turf, Logan was going to show her sights she may never have realized were there. They continued on this way for a few minutes more, then in one graceful motion he stopped and, spinning on his toes to face her, he crouched down pulling her down next to him. Ororo was slightly out of breath; more from the excitement than the pace they were keeping and once she settled in next to him, Logan gave her a crooked smile.

"Look," he whispered, and reached out to slowly pull aside some brush so she could peer through. Ororo could see that he had brought them right up to the edge of a meadow. Then she saw them about fifty yards from where she and Logan were sitting; a small herd of white-tailed deer. The best she could make out were four does, one fawn, and one large buck.

Storm looked at them for a moment then shifted her eyes to Logan and watched him as he gazed at the deer. She thought again how wonderful he really was and how much she loved him. She always denied that she was in love with him, but she certainly loved him. He was her soul mate, her best friend. She knew that Logan felt the same way too, although he never spoke of his feelings aloud. Now she looked at him with a whole new affection as she realized Logan had brought her on a hunt.

Hunting was Logan’s favorite past time and it was something he always did alone. Once again, her thoughts drifted back in time to many years ago when Logan was still new to the X-men; when they first learned that he liked to hunt. He was still a wild card, untamed and out-of-control.


*~*~* Then *~*~*


The team had gone through back to back missions for weeks without a break. None of the missions had gone exactly as they had planned and Wolverine, who was not used to being part of such a close-knit team, was getting more and more agitated with every little mishap. It appeared to Wolverine that his first missions as a member of the X-Men were just a continuous series of humiliation. He became more offensive and more and more abrasive and everyone was ready to kick his ass, including her.

Charles saw his team falling apart under the stress and arranged for them to have a few days off for much needed rest. He hoped they could get back in touch with themselves and each other. Some of the team members were planning a camping trip in the woods upstate. They'd already felt calmer just knowing they were getting away and in an attempt to smooth things over with Wolverine they had asked him if he’d like to join them. But Wolverine knew they didn’t really want him to go; he knew that he was the reason they needed to get away. So he declined their offer, informing them that he intended to go hunting instead.

Now they had all watched him go berserk on the last couple of missions; killing when it was necessary and even going beyond that; continuing to slash his victims in a rabid, bloodthirsty frenzy long after his opponents had stopped moving.

They all realized that they were as much to blame for his unstable behavior as he was. While sessions with the Professor had focused on helping Logan to realize that he needed to learn to control his rage, continuing to send him out on dangerous missions at the same time would’ve been too much for anyone. Especially someone like him, who had been trained extensively and exclusively with the ‘kill or be killed’ ideology.

Add to that, the fact that he was an extreme loner by nature who no longer found much time to be alone, and the mistakes that were made on their missions would never have been tolerated by such a highly trained covert operative. Well, he was under a lot of stress and should have been pulled from active missions the moment it was made clear that he could not keep himself under control.

Anyway, when he announced his intentions to go hunting and knowing of Wolverine’s rages, Ororo had easily assumed that he was planning to take out his aggressions by killing innocent animals. She had turned on him viciously, calling him a murderer and a heartless monster who had no compassion. She accused him of being blind to the beauty that nature has to offer. Then she told him that he would never make it as an X-Man - for a man such as he knows nothing of mercy and shall never find peace in this lifetime because his heart was cold and empty.

Logan had listened to her insults without saying a word until she finished her verbal assault with tears streaming down her face. When he finally responded to her; keeping his voice level and seething through gritted teeth, his response had surprised them all.

"For a man like me to kill defenseless animals, for sport, is no test of skill," he told them. "The true test comes in the ability to move noiselessly through the woods and undergrowth, until ya’ can get close enough to a skittish little doe to reach out… and touch her without her panicking." Then he turned to walk away but turned back to her with a thought, to enlighten her, "To hunt, means… ‘to search for in an attempt to find, or pursue with the intent to capture’." Then his voice rose slightly with anger. "No where in that definition does it say anything about killing!"

He looked at each one of them for a moment as they sat staring at him in astonishment, then he looked up into Ororo's eyes. He spoke again, keeping his voice low so they would pay attention to his words and not his tone, but he couldn’t help the sarcasm that seeped through.

"Only civilized man kills for sport… and as you’re all so fond of reminding me, I’m not civilized." Then he did turn and storm away, angry and very much alone. Deeply hurt that the team still didn’t seem to understand him, nor did they appear to even try. Ororo felt horrible about how she had treated him and had moved quickly to try to stop him so she could apologize. She got around in front of him, blocking his way.

"Wolverine! Please… I am so sorry. I misjudged you," she openly admitted. Logan clenched his teeth, then he turned to look her in the eye.

"You’ve all been misjudging me since the day I arrived," he told her point-blank, then stepped around her and never looked back.

They all felt pretty bad about the way they were treating him and no one could say a word as they watched him walk away. Ororo felt very ashamed for having misjudged him and for having accused him unfairly and so viciously in front of everyone. ‘No wonder he won’t let us in,’ she remembers thinking to herself. It occurred to her then, that maybe Wolverine was sacrificing a lot more trying to become part of the team than they were. They were many and he was one. Yet he kept trying, against all odds... against their lack of tolerance and understanding… against their apparent unwillingness to give him a chance at gaining any kind of foothold in their gated community.Sure, he could’ve just given up and walked away, but he didn’t. He stood steadfast and determined and he worked hard and persevered.

His style of hunting had proved to her that he did have a compassionate heart and a true appreciation of nature and all its beauty; an appreciation that she shared. He was intriguing and mysterious and so full of contradictions. She was now determined. She was going to get to know this loner. There was much he kept hidden, she knew that now. The true man was buried deep within that hard, protective shell.

‘What had he endured to make him so hard and so angry?’ she wondered.

Whatever it was, she would show him that he wasn’t alone anymore. She would show him that he could depend on someone else, that he could trust someone else. She would soften his protective defenses by showing him friendship and compassion and understanding. Above and beyond that, she would show him patience no matter what. She would prove her loyalty to their friendship by never letting him push her away, no matter how much he may try. She promised herself that the harder he pushes, the tighter she will hold on.

Over the years, she had seen him… as a philosopher; capable of profound thoughts about one’s self and society as a whole… as a berserk psychotic; completely unable to control his inner darkness… as a savage and merciless killer of criminals, and a kind and gentle protector of children.

He was a breaker of rules who bound himself to his own code of honor. He was an enraged, uncontrollable beast… and a very lonely, gentle and loving man who learned, out of sheer necessity, to hide it all too well.

He’s a defender of a society that rejects him for what he is. And although he feels so uncomfortable in that society of so-called civilized man—he puts his life on the line to protect their way of life. He was a loner who trusted no one; but, if you did manage to gain his trust, his friendship and loyalty held no bounds.

He was a man of great polarity, a man of true contradictions. He was a shining example of the human species, with all its positives and negatives and they hated him for it. They say they fear him because he’s a mutant. Because, they say, his mutant abilities have made him the most dangerous killer the world has ever seen, but Ororo knew then, that that was not true. It wasn’t his powers that had turned him into a killer… an assassin. Man had done that. Using terror and torture to exploit his gifts for their own gain. And they call him the savage…



Now, here she was... on a hunt with Logan; with Wolverine. He finally turned to look at her and was surprised to see that she was looking at him instead of the deer. She seemed to be studying him, so he gave her a curious grin.

"Show me," Ororo whispered. Logan cocked his head to one side, not sure of what she was asking. "Touch her," she told him. "I want to see."

Logan looked at her a moment, then he winked with a grin. She could almost hear him say with that wink, "This one's for you, Darlin’," then he was gone and she waited with anticipation.

He emerged from the woods about forty feet from where he had left her. She watched him slink through the tall grass like a lion on the hunt. He kept low on hands and knees and moved slowly; aware of the movement of every blade of grass, of wind direction, and his distance to the target.

Ororo leaned forward to keep him in view as the tall grass enveloped him. She watched him in total awe as he closed the distance between himself and the herd. His movements were slow and deliberate; he became one with his surroundings. His motion was skilled and graceful and showed her a level of patience she never would’ve thought he had in him.When he got within twenty feet or so the large buck lifted its head and froze. So did Logan.

Ororo felt as though time was standing still as she watched and held her breath. She watched the buck sniff the air, his ears flicking this way and that. Logan remained motionless. Finally satisfied that there was no danger present, the buck relaxed and moved away to graze another spot.

Logan resumed his forward motion and Ororo let her breath out. Those minutes felt like an eternity, as she feared the buck may charge Logan and he’d have no choice but to defend himself against it.

She watched him slide right up beside the small spotted fawn and then he stopped. Ororo lifted her eyebrows, wondering what the fawn would do. To her amazement, the fawn turned its head and looked at Logan and he looked at it. Ororo couldn’t help but smile at the sight. Then the fawn stretched its little neck and touched its nose against Logan’s face. It sniffed his mouth, his nose, his eyelashes, then buried its little nose in his hair. As the fawn investigated him, Logan slowly brought one hand up and caressed the small deer’s throat with the back of his hand. The fawn wagged its tail, whipping it about like a little white flag.

One of the does began to walk toward her baby. Ororo watched as the doe paused, looking at Logan with her infant. Ororo feared the doe would send out an alarm that would bring the buck charging down on Logan, but to Storm’s surprise the doe continued quietly toward them. When the doe reached the spot where Logan was kneeling she also investigated him. Then she sniffed her fawn, then Logan again. As she did, Logan’s hand came up in a slow, fluid motion and he rested his palm on the doe’s withers.

A moment later the doe lost interest in him and she gently nudged her baby in the direction she wished him to go. The fawn let out a playful bleet and galloped away on spindly legs. The doe walked away in the direction her fawn had run and the herd moved on.

Logan turned around and left the field in the same manner he had entered. A few minutes later he was coming through the trees toward her and Ororo stood up to meet him.

"That was… the most extraordinary thing I’ve ever seen," she told him. "You do this all the time?"

"Used to," Logan shrugged. "Not a whole lot of time anymore... but when I can, yeah." He nodded nonchalantly as if it was no big deal while Ororo looked at him, shaking her head.

"You do realize… you’ve never ceased to amaze me, Logan," she said.

"Oh yeah?" Logan raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah," Ororo grinned, trying to imitate his droll grammar. He gave her a crooked smile, then their eyes locked and Logan was sure he saw that same spark in her eyes he had seen earlier in the day. That little sparkle that told him a lot more than her words were willing to. He took a step toward her, looking deep into her eyes; so deep, in fact, that Ororo suddenly felt as though her very soul was exposed.

She was locked in his gaze and a peculiar feeling swept through her; her face suddenly felt flushed and the warmth spread through her body settling low in her belly. Her heart began to pound and she consciously tried to slow its beat because she knew Logan would be able hear it. Then her body began to betray her. In response to her heart’s demand for oxygen her breathing became heavier and Logan sensed the rise in her body temperature. Taking his cue from her body’s language he stepped closer to her, still holding her in his gaze.

As Logan closed in on her Ororo noticed that, even as her own heart rate and respirations had quickened, Logan’s had slowed. He didn’t seem to breathe at all and then his head dipped forward slightly, just enough to give her the impression that he was stalking her. She felt suddenly vulnerable and at his mercy.

Storm knew that Logan’s most basic natural instincts were predatory in nature, but she never thought he could ever make her feel this way. She felt like prey; helpless and well over-matched. Ororo knew Logan would never harm her, so why was she so unnerved by his behavior? Then again, why was she so nervous about her own behavior?

Ororo suddenly caught the scent of musk. She hadn’t noticed it before or perhaps she was just used to it. She really loved it though, she realized quietly to herself. Then she suddenly jolted with the realization that Logan was just instinctively reacting to the signals she was transmitting to him, although she was not transmitting them by choice. His keen senses could pick up on every little change in a person’s physical response to any given situation. He, driven by instinct alone, was now acting upon hers. Ororo was enamored with him and she had unconsciously sent him that message. She was attracted to him and was telling him that in ways she had no control over, he was just responding to it.

He wasn’t stalking her, he was courting her; in a manner that comes naturally to his more primitive side. There was no denying it - if she were to size him up from an animalistic point of view - Logan was definitely what would typically be known as an Alpha male. And in a "pack" society, Ororo knew he would be considered prime breeding stock to the females within that pack and any other challengers would have little chance of proving themselves more worthy to sire offspring. Logan possessed all the virtues that any female would look for in a potential mate. He’s strong, fast, agile and fearless. He’s a skilled hunter, a ferocious defender, and a gentle, compassionate protector. He also had an impressive physique which served to advertise all of those virtues. He’s also loyal, loving and understanding. 'So what’s your problem?’ Ororo asked herself.

His musky scent suddenly became slightly stronger. It washed over her like a warm breeze and she felt perfectly at ease and peaceful in the face of his advances. She guessed that was the way it was supposed to work and probably had something to do with his own hormonal response to the situation. After all, she appeared to be asking for it. ‘Hormones…’ Ororo thought to herself. ‘Great.’

Professor Xavier had once explained to her and the others on the team that it would have to take a wide variety of hormones and enzymes, all working together at extremely high levels, to stimulate and activate Logan’s special healing process.

*~*~* Then *~*~*

"It would be a fair guess to say that he needs large quantities of both to heal as quickly and as completely as he does," he had told them. "Those hormones would most certainly have to include steroids; which is obvious by his muscle tone, mass and structure. Epinephrine would definitely have to be another; which would account for his high energy levels, by causing his adrenaline to surge to great heights. Epinephrine also inhibits the release of insulin; which would leave more glucose in his system and available to his brain, keeping him on alert at all times," Xavier explained, while Dr. McCoy sat nearby nodding his head in total agreement. "And because he has an extreme sensitivity to touch, certain pain killing hormones, called endorphins, would have to be supplied in great quantities to account for his high tolerance for pain."
"Our tests also show," Dr. McCoy added, "that he has above-average levels of the male hormone, testosterone, which is responsible for the growth of body and facial hair. It also happens to be responsible for aggressive behavior and sexual potency in human males," Hank mentioned then shook his head thoughtfully. "It really is no wonder why Logan has had such a difficult time maintaining control. If his hormones are generally over-stimulated by survival situations then that would account for his consistently unbalanced behavior."



(cont'd in next chapter due to word count limit, sorry)







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