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6. Secret’s Out

Logan had been working at the school for a month and had become quite comfortable with his surroundings. He had a set daily schedule. On weekdays, he was up before sunrise and after a ten mile run and about an hour’s exercise, had his bath and was ready by 730 AM. He usually made it a point to be early for breakfast so that by the time rest of the people arrived, he was finished and on his way to his office. His seldom took lunch breaks and the few days he had lunch, he used to grab a couple of sandwiches from the kitchen and move to his cabin, where he could enjoy peacefully with a cold ‘Canadian’ beer. After lunch he worked till after 5:30. This gave him enough time for an hour in the gym before he hit the showers and got ready for dinner. After dinner, depending on his mood he took off to the city, usually to Harry’s or just explored the forest area near the mansion. Weekends he used to lounge around, waking late and basically doing the other activities he didn’t get time to do during the week, most important being getting his beer and laundry.

At the same time he had been observing the other residents. He found that Scott ‘Scooter’ and Jean were almost always together, as if they were attached at the hip. Marie and Remy, the French Guy seemed to be getting closer. Logan wasn’t too impressed with that. Although he was a good enough person and Logan had even shared a couple of drinks with him, his ‘fake’ French accent and the fact that he hit on everything with breasts and two legs, caused Logan concern about the young and demure Marie. Logan had come to know her quite well and had become protective towards her.

He was still waiting for Sage to check in. ‘I’ll give her another week and then contact her again.’ In the mean time he had talked to Charles about admitting a new student into the school. He wasn’t quite sure as to how Charles would react, but Charles had been very receptive and had told him that he would look over the girl’s documents and let him after discussing with the other senior teachers, namely Liliandra, Scott, Jean and Ororo. They were meeting today and would let him know latest by dinner time. If everything worked out she would be able to transfer from her current school without any loss of time or studies. Logan had talked to her and although she wasn’t happy with leaving LA being next to him more than made up for it.

That morning, Charles Xavier’s Office,

“Are you sure Professor this is a good idea?” asked Scott, “She isn’t like the students we usually admit to the school.”
“I agree Scott, but I believe she has untapped potential. If nurtured properly she will do wonders in the future.”
“Scott, if the professor believes in her, she must be good.”
“I agree Jean. And Professor it says in her file that she has been in boarding schools since she was ten years old. So she should be able to adjust easily at the institute.”
“Yes Ororo. So, if there are no objections I would like to confirm her acceptance and make arrangements for transferring her here.”

Everyone answered in the negative.
Charles smiled “Great. If everything works out she should be here by next week.”
With that everyone got up and left. Charles picked up the phone and pressed Logan’s extension.
“Yeah” was the gruff response.
“Logan, please meet me in my office as soon as possible.”
“What happened Chuck? Any emergency.”
“No, nothing serious. I’d like to get the paper work done for the young lady’s admission to the institute.”
Logan smiled at the other end, “Thanks Chuck. I’ll be there immediately.”
“Before you hang up, I also wanted to ask if she will be staying with you in the cabin or with the other girls here in the mansion.”
“Na, not with me. She should stay with people her own age. If she wants she could spend a night or two with me but only after informing you guys.”
“Very well, I’ll inform Ororo to make arrangements for her.”
“Thanks Chuck. I’ll be there in a minute.”
“You are welcome.”

The paper work was done soon enough and Logan eagerly waited for the next week. ‘Maybe I should get some stuff for her to get settled in. And get some things for the cabin too. It’s OK for me but not a young girl or for any female for that matter.’

With the good news buoying him up, Logan was feeling quite upbeat.

Sage called him on Wednesday and provided him with the information he had asked for. After a preliminary study he put it off for the weekend. He didn’t want to get bogged down just yet.

One night after dinner he was busy smoking a cigar when he noticed Scott and Jean standing in the foyer, kissing each other. It immediately fouled his mood. ‘That should have been me’ he thought bitterly. It had taken him a long time to get over Jean and seeing her after so many years had brought many memories back including the last one, the letter she had left for him. He had burned that letter along with all of her cards, letters and postcards he had received from her. It was his way of closure. ‘Good riddance to bad trash, he had thought.’ It wasn’t that Jean had been trashy, but he had been hurting and called her all sorts of names during many of his drunken stupors.

As Logan stepped out of the shadows and started to walk towards his cabin Jean’s eye fell on him and she immediately withdrew from Scott’s embrace.
“Huh…what happened Jean?”
“Nothing Scott, I am tired. Let’s just go to bed” with that she turned around and started walking towards their room.
Sensing that something or someone had caused her sudden mood change Scott turned around to find Logan walking away.

Scott followed Jean into their room.
“What is the matter? Ever since Logan arrived you have been troubled. I had thought that things had finally started improving after the last couple of weeks. But it seems that I was wrong. Has he said or done something to you?”
“No Scott.”
“Then what? Please tell me.”
He pulled Jean to him and kissed her softly on the forehead.
“Please”
“It’s nothing. Remember the first day he came here and I had to show him to his office and around the school.”
“Yes” answered Scott tightening his fists. “Did he do something to you? Did he touch you?” He was starting to get angry.
“No, its nothing like that. It was me.”
“You” Scott was shocked by his wife’s confession.
“Yes. I approached him to see if we could be friends as we would be working in close quarters.”
“And….What did he say?” asked Scott somewhat relieved.
“He got angry and asked me to asked me leave him room immediately.” Tears had started to flow down Jean’s face.

“Serves you right” Said Scott lightly.
Jean jerked her head at Scott’s comment. He continued “You were asking a unemotional jackass like Logan to be your friend.”
Jean shook her head “No he wasn’t like that.”
“He ‘wasn’t’ is a thing of the past. From what I have seen in the past one month, I don’t think he has any thing close to love in him. And I am glad you dumped him when you did. Look at me. You took a step up and in the right direction.”
Jean smiled at Scott’s effort to raise her mood. However she was still troubled with about Logan.

She thought ten years would have been enough for him to cool down, but she had been wrong. He was still angry and wanted nothing to do with her. In fact he avoided her as much as he could. The only time they were both in the same room was during dinner.

Jean had often thought about Logan in the last ten years as to where would he be and what was he doing, if he had married and had children. Logan had been laid back and content with his life unlike Scott who was methodical and had a set life plan and this attracted Jean to him in the first place. Both of them had gotten closer during Logan’s absence and when they were approached by Xavier with an offer to sponsor their studies and a permanent job in his institute, they had taken it up immediately. As everything was being provided by Xavier, Jean gathered her basic clothing and left with Scott, leaving a letter for Logan explaining herself in as few words as possible.

She hadn’t actually dumped Logan and seeing him after all these years brought back many feelings which had been buried deep over the years.

Early next morning,
Logan had a fitful night’s sleep and woke up feeling a rage build inside him. He decided to forgo the usual run and meditate and perform few ‘tai chi’ exercises in order to calm himself.

He was half way through when he sensed someone nearby. He ended his current sequence and then spoke to the wind, addressing no one in particular.
“I know you are there. Come out.”
He watched as Ororo Monroe stepped out from behind some bushes.
“You know it’s not nice to spy on people.”
“Good Morning to you too” answered Ororo calmly.

Logan immediately noticed her attire. She had black shorts and a grey colored sleeveless sweat tee over a black sports bra. Her long white hair had been braided in a ponytail. ‘Looks good even in this.’ He thought to himself. He then noticed that Ororo was observing him just as he was observing her.

Ororo had been on her morning job when she noticed Logan perfuming some marital arts moves. Intrigued, she had hid and watched him. However, now standing so near to him she was mesmerized the man in front of her. He was muscular had been clear the first time she had seen him. But now she was able to see every sinewy muscle up close and personal.
“Like what you see” said Logan causing her to blush.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to stare.”
“Don’t worry about it. Gave me the time to stare at you” answered Logan winking at her.
“No I mean your exercise routine, not your body” she blurted out ‘Well not too much at the body’ she thought at the same time.
“Of course, I understand.”

Gathering herself Ororo spoke again “Where did you learn that? I haven’t seen you do it before.”
“So you admit you spy on me.”
“Yes..I mean No…its just that you have almost the same jogging path and time as me.”
“Well maybe we could do it sometime together. And as for the tai chi routine, spent some time in Japan. Learnt it during my stay there.”
“It seems interesting.”
“Best way to calm down besides meditating.”

Ororo was shocked “You mediate?”
“Why is there some rule against it?”
“No I didn’t mean it like that. It’s just that….”
“I don’t look like the guy who meditates and Tai chi. I look more like a cigar smoking, beer drinking, boxing and wrestling kinda’ guy.”
“Yes……I am sorry” said Ororo softly, slightly lowering her head.
“Hey nothing to be sorry about. Its enjoy my cigars and beer and as boxing, I have had my share of cage fights.”
“Cage fights. But that’s,,,,”
“What, animalistic? Why do you think I meditate and perform Tai Chi? It helps soothe the savage beast.”

Ororo smiled and turned around and started waling away. Suddenly she stopped and turned towards Logan.
“I like you better this way.”
“What…topless?” he smirked.
Ororo blushed again but spoke calmly, “No, I mean, now in the morning. You are very calm and peaceful, easy to talk with.”
“Yeah, unlike the times o’ day when I am rabid dog.”
“I didn’t say that” she frowned and put her hands on her hips.

Logan held up his hands in mock defeat, “Hey just joking. Sorry if I offended you.”
Ororo gave a small smile “Apology accepted.”

As she started walking away, Logan spoke again “If you want we can we can do this again sometime.”
Without looking back Ororo answered “I’d like that.” With that she jogged away.

Logan ran his hand through his sweaty hair, thinking ‘What was that about? Why did I ask if we could do this again?’ shaking his head he picked up his t-shirt and started walking towards his cabin.

Over the weekend Logan made preparation for the new arrival apart from his usual activities. He also called Sage and thanked her for her help. Saturday night was spent with a beer in one hand and the file in the other. Sunday was spent cleaning the cabin.

Finally Monday was here. She was coming today. Charles and Liliandra had gone to LA to get her. They were supposed to arrive by 1 PM. That left him enough time to make a run to the city.

The large black limousine stopped at the steps of the Xavier institute. Three people got out and make their way to the institute door. Xavier had called ahead and the senior teachers were waiting in the lobby.

As the three crossed through the door, the four people present got up and went forward to receive them. Once all the luggage had been brought in they turned to face the new arrival.
“Good Afternoon Professor. I hope the journey was comfortable.”
“Yes Jean.”

Turning to face the girl he spoke,
“I would like to introduce our senior teaching staff. This is…..” he was interrupted by the deep thumping of a motorcycle in the background.

The girl’s eyes lit up in recognition and turning towards the door she ran outside. The rest of the people followed her and what they saw shocked the three teachers.

“WOLVIEEEE……” shouted the girl, jumping into Logan arms, hugging him tightly while crossing her legs around his waist, practically climbing onto him.
“Jubilee.” He laughed almost falling down.





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