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A Summer of Sunsets
Chapter #17 “Reunion, pt. 5”

The loft was quiet, except for the occasional lazy gust of warm wind from outside, and the sounds of breathing from the rumpled bed within.

Grey eyes staring off into space”somewhere between the balcony doors and the Impressionistic painting of a desert vista on the nearby wall”Logan rested his exhausted, sweat drenched head against the lovely pillow of her breasts. Lying on his stomach between her legs, he seemed lulled into a peaceful trance by the rhythmic beat of her heart and the delicious afterglow of their lovemaking. However, inside the most-times complicated and always secret place that was his mind, Logan was at war with himself, his thoughts in utter chaos.

‘What the flamin’ hell did you just do?’

There was a nagging, gut-wrenching feeling that he refused to recognize as guilt swimming around inside him, fighting the absolute joy that he had been feeling for almost 20 minutes now. It was the same bleak, depressed sensation Logan had been all too familiar with over the past few years after his home life had turned to shit in the form of a ruined marriage and a fatally sick child. He never wanted that feeling to even remotely be associated with these he had for Ro, but here he was…

‘And just what are ya feelin’..?’ He let himself ask the question, but there was a part of his brain he had been unpleased with (for quite awhile) that had been trained not to ‘go’ such places, and his thoughts switched”almost automatically”somewhere else.


---


Below him, a happily exhausted Ororo lay with her head firmly cushioned against pillows, staring up at the room’s ceiling with a mixture of awe and just a dab of puzzled surprise. Her body was still quite giddy, and trembled just a little every time his fingers unconsciously stroked her bare collarbone, smoothing a damp lock of her hair between his fingers.

She was in some awe, because she’d never really had such an intense sexual encounter before. Her past relationships had always seen her sexual expression somewhat restrained, she realized now. Having grown up with the constant knowledge that if she let ‘things’ (i.e. her emotions) get out of control it would spell bad news for anyone around her, and so Ororo had become much more reserved than her more spirited sisters. Always she felt like there was something just waiting to escape; some part of her that was waiting for just the right time…or just the right man?

Her gaze fell just a little to rest on the top of Logan’s head, and she smiled a little, caressing the glistening muscles on his back.

…And then, she was also puzzled, because she never remembered Logan mentioning before that he knew any Swahili…

When she sighed lightly, he shifted a little, grunting quietly in question.

“Nothing.” She lied, but was unsure where to start.

“Ya got somethin’ on yer mind, darlin’.” It was not a question.

“No”yes”I mean…Logan…” She waited until he moved to meet her eyes. “…I didn’t know you knew Swahili.”

Something in his expression told her he expected that question, but he chuckled anyway, dodging, “That’s the first thing ya gotta say t’me? I must be losin’ my touch.”

Swatting at him, she ‘tsked’, laughing along, “The man and his ego. We’ll get to that in a moment, I promise.”

He lifted one shoulder, still keeping her gaze, and said easily, “Well, it’s just somethin’ I’ve picked up over the years. One of many languages, actually.”

“Really?” this piqued her interest. “How many can you speak?”

“Japanese, German, Russian, Italian. Swahili you know. I can read well enough in a couple others.” He thought he’d better stop there, as he watched her eyes get larger with every named language.

“On the job training, or on your own time?” she asked suddenly.

“Both.”

“Well, your Swahili is very impressive. Most Westerners seem to find it difficult in comparison to Latin-based languages. Your accent is nearly flawless.”

He felt like a complete idiot at the tone of pride in her voice. “Thanks, darlin.”

“Have you spent much time in Africa?” she asked.

“No. Not really.” He shifted again, and then cursed himself inwardly, getting angry that he was showing so many telltale signs of lying. “The Job takes me a lot of different places. Sometimes you pick things up.”

“But you’ve been to east Africa before. Where?” her eyes searched his innocently.

“Ethiopia, Egypt, Tanzania…Kenya. A little all over, I guess. I mean, if ya stop for a piss break, does that count as a ‘visit’?” he chuckled a little tightly.

She didn’t laugh immediately, seemingly deep in thought before raising her eyes to him again. “Logan?”

“Hm?”

“May I ask what sort of work you did there?” she was almost afraid to, but something had begun to nag at her, and it wasn’t letting go.

He chose his response carefully, and hoped that it didn’t sound as rehearsed as he knew it was. “United Nations, mostly. Some hunger-relief convoy assignments when I was younger. That sort of thing.”

The quick pass of relief that flashed over her face almost made him cringe at his half-truth. He hadn’t out-right lied, but that gov’t-assisted humanitarian effort wasn’t the full extent of his missions on the continent. Logan couldn’t bring himself to go deeper into explanation, however; not looking at her now, beautiful and naked and completely trusting him.

‘Yer such a fucking asshole.’

“You know, you and my father would probably have some pretty interesting stories to exchange,” she smiled, running her fingers through his hair, out of his eyes.

‘You have NO idea.’ “Yeah, you told me he was with the reserves when he was a kid.”

“Yes, and later, with the Embassy…around the time we came into each other’s lives.” Her eyes clouded over a little with the memory. There was a sad sort of smile there, and Logan wanted to ask where it came from, but he didn’t.

He already knew.

Coming out of her reverie, Ororo looked at him, smiling broadly before she touched his face. “Anyway, enough walking down memory lane. To answer your other question from before…”

Logan grunted in satisfaction and lust when she leaned in close to kiss him, her toes massaging up and down his leg. “What question?” he murmured against her mouth, his unease and guilt kissed into oblivion by her soft lips.

Unable to stop giggling, Ororo pressed her body closer to his, and received a throaty groan at her erotic gesture as he leaned up on his elbows above her. “Well, it’s been about half an hour…ready for ‘Round 2’?”

Kissing her neck he grinned, grumbling, “I thought I was waitin’ on you.”

She wrapped her arms about his neck, pulling him down onto her with a mischievous grin, and the wind suddenly picked up outside blowing a now cooler breeze over their warm bodies.


---

A Few Hours Later…
Sean and a small group of students sat around the kitchen’s island counter, finishing refreshing bowls of ice cold Rocky Road; a pleasant dessert after their afternoon out. He was listening with some paternal fondness as they debated the merits of Dodgeball; only 20 minutes into the movie, he’d made a silent pact with them never to tell Charles he’d let them stay in the theater.

Now, as he chuckled at their excitement and humorous reflections, a sudden shift in the formerly quiet wind brought his gaze out of his half-eaten bowl of ice cream. He should have known better than to react, for his action garnered more attention than the reason he had looked up.

Several of the students paused at the alert look on his face. The lights in the kitchen flickered a little, and thunder rumbled just overhead.

Sean met several inquisitive gazes, but only replied with a slightly self-conscious smile, willing his face to stop blushing as he returned to the ice cream in vain hopes of keeping his mind off the sudden change in weather.

---

Late into the night, where it is warm…

He’d always been a pretty light sleeper.

Different night sounds and a strange bed even further complicated his designs on a peaceful night’s rest.

However, it was the sounds of distress over his shoulder that finally made Logan’s eyes pop open in the dark.

Alert with a slightly irregular heartbeat as adrenaline coursed through his body, he was just able to recall where he was and why before his claws popped out. Still slightly groggy, he rolled over on the cool space of sheets between his body and hers, and reached a hand out to lay on her arm.

Even at his first touch, she didn’t awaken. Logan could feel the slight trembles coursing through her body, and the whispered, anguished moans that escaped her made him pause. Only his perceptive ears could tell that she was speaking, even though the foreign language was slurred and interrupted with occasional English.

“Mama…kesha mama*”“

“Ororo.”

He slid up against the headboard, pulling her against his chest and stroking her cheek lightly to wake her. It took several moments before her eyes opened up to his, her expression still a lingering ghost of whatever torment had plagued her dream. A look of anguish flashed across his face before he could even hope that it was too dark for her to notice, as his memory chose just that moment to cross-reference with their complicated past…

She was, of course confused at first, blinking several times at his concerned expression, before licking her lips, gulping back the sob that had begun in her tormented nightmare. For a few seconds she just stared up at him initially as if he were a stranger, but then the recognition came, and she rested her head against his chest, hugging him tightly.

Logan slowly let out the breath he’d been holding, his arms wrapped about her still shaking form. He just couldn’t shake the look she’d given him; it was too close to one he remembered from years passed, on the debris-covered, tortured face of a little girl buried alive with the dead bodies of her parents.

“Hey, it’s gonna be alright…It’ll be alright.” He had said to her then; and echoed out of his lips now.

Just as she had almost 25 yrs ago, Ororo clung to him for dear life, and he held onto her until the pale images of traumas past faded with the night into dawn.

---

July 26th, 2004
Southampton, NY
8:12 a.m.

The rumble of Logan’s motorcycle reverberated inside the garage as he came to a rest beside the Jeep. He sat on the leather seat for several moments, just staring at the wall, as his mind did a RW and FF of the weekend.

He and Ororo had spent the rest of the warm weekend up in her room, mostly talking. She hadn’t wanted to get into her nightmare right away and he’d respected that, waiting until she felt comfortable in coming out with it to him. He felt guilty when it became clear to him that she had not remembered anything new; that she hadn’t placed him in her troubled past. He had been so afraid that his face might have been among those in her nightmares.

His fist squeezed the handle bar of the motorcycle, remembering the content, utterly safe look on her face as she lay in his embrace, telling him the fractured memories of that day that lived now only in her night terrors. Ororo recounted with some ire but mostly resignation her father’s decision not to use his powers to help open her memories from that day.

Logan remembered looking down at her as she was lost in thought at the prospect that maybe her mind was finally ready to let her remember…

‘And just what’re ya going to say to her if she does?’ He thought, his knuckles itching furiously. He could’ve maintained his original excuse”that he didn’t want to hurt her”had he not agreed to take their relationship to the Next Step. How could Logan look her in the eye now, though; after he’d held her in his arms, made sweet, sweet love to her, and given her the hope that what they had was completely pure, honest and real?

“It is real.” He said out loud, with determination. “It is real.”

‘Yeah, a Real Mess.’ His mind countered, reminding him”as if he’d forgotten”that he’d just that morning, a little over an hour ago, agreed to come to her family’s reunion.

Logan shook his head at himself, realizing that it wasn’t the prospect of meeting her people in general, that had him now on edge. It was meeting her father, in particular. Just what was he going to say to Charles Xavier when Ororo presented him as her new beau?

Logan’s only comfort was that he had almost a week to figure that out.


---

About an Hour Ago…

Down the beach at the Xavier Estate, Ororo was greeted by the smells of breakfast as she came in the front door, her small luggage bag slung over her shoulder. She could just make out sounds of conversation from the large kitchen, and smiled; she realized that her family hadn’t changed so much from her youth”they still liked to eat breakfast in the kitchen, gathered around smaller counters, rather than spread out in the dining room.

She had intended to stop off at her room to freshen up, but suddenly decided that it could wait; her excitement and general good mood had put a little bounce in her step, a twinkle in her bright eyes, and she couldn’t wait to see it mirrored in her sisters’ faces…

However, not even two paces into her changed direction, and she saw Beth suddenly emerge from the kitchen, her lovely lavender eyes searching the wide foyer and zeroing in on her almost immediately. Behind her, Marie followed, still chewing Belgian waffle furiously as she almost stepped on her sister’s heels.

Raising a hand in greeting, Ororo smiled, momentarily unaware of their frantic behavior. “Morning. Sorry I’m kind of late getting back…”

“Ororo”“ Beth stopped her from going into the kitchen with a hand on her elbow.

“I know I’m projecting pretty loudly, Beth, but can it wait until after breakfast? I promise you two will get some details.” She smirked, letting her knowing grin speak volumes.

Distracted, Marie blinked, swallowing hard. “What?? Details? What kinda details?? Ah thought ya were just goin’ to scope out the School…”

“Marie.” Beth gave her sister a look, and then turned back to Ororo. “Hon, we can’t wait to hear about your weekend, but right now, there’s something you ought to know”“

“O-roro!”

Her skin immediately crawled at that high-pitched, falsely-feminine slight mispronunciation of her name.

All emotion drained from her face as Ororo became rigidly still, her marvelous blue eyes narrowing ever so slightly as she watched the woman standing in the kitchen’s doorway.

“Emma.”

Emma Frost. Or more precisely, Emma Frost-Shaw-Pierce, now Frost once more.

The two remaining Xavier sisters stood between the former friends-turned-foes, unable to move save their eyes, which traveled back and forth between the opposing females expectantly. Both Beth and Marie were silently waiting for the sounds of thunder overhead, or maybe a flicker of the hallway lights.

However, nothing happened to the summer morning’s atmosphere, as Charles’ daughter kept her emotions”and her thoughts”strictly in check.

“Well, don’t stand there like we’re strangers, dear. Come here!” Emma rushed forward, her arms wide and “embraced” Ororo, their bodies barely coming in physical contact. Behind them, Marie openly gaped, cringing for her sister, and Beth merely shook her head at Emma’s spectacle.

Leaning back away from the corn silk-haired beauty, Ororo was just barely able to keep the disdain off of her face. She hadn’t seen Emma in close to 6 yrs now; not since the ugly break-up with Scott, of which Emma’s involvement was more than key.

Even though Frost had been a graduating member of the School, she had chosen not to participate in the annual gatherings, always able to come up with some thinly-veiled excuse. Ororo knew that it wasn’t embarrassment or discomfort over teenage antics that kept Emma away all these years. Rather, it was her wish to disassociate herself from everything ‘mutant’ in her past; even if that included the only people on the face of the Earth that she could even come close to calling family.

“I’m surprised to see you here,” was all Ororo said, letting her unspoken words slip through for her.

“And vexed, I’m sure.” Emma’s eyes twinkled, and her haughty laughter was like fingernails on a chalkboard. “But I couldn’t stay away. Not this year.”

“Oh?” Ororo immediately wished she’d stayed quiet.

“Well, we’ll probably never all be together like this quite ever again.” And of course, Emma delivered, making Ororo wish she’d not walked right into that one.

Before Ororo could even blink, Elizabeth had swooped in, taking her sister by the arm and moving her past Emma’s aura and toward the kitchen. “Well, that’s enough catching up for now, eh? Breakfast is still warm, Ororo.”

Emma’s eyes followed the three sisters until they disappeared around the corner; a sly smile was still stuck on her face. She was inwardly a little disappointed by her reception, however. Imagining Ororo’s chagrin and disgust had, unfortunately, turned out to be more fun than the real experience, as the ‘little princess’ (Emma’s pet name for her rival) refused to even show an ounce of contempt.

Turning to follow them back into the kitchen, Emma smiled broadly for a moment; after all, she had the whole week to work on Ororo, didn’t she?



TBC…

(*) “stay awake” (Translated from Swahili)

NOTE: This is as good of a stopping point as any. Sorry for the insanely long breach btw updates…I kinda got a little down from all this Storm/BP nonsense, but I’m BACK now, Baby!! RoLo4Evah’!

-I can’t wait to post the next couple of chapters”they’re gonna be doozies…





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