Chapter one.

Disclaimer: Not mine, nuhu... No one of them... Well, maybe some minor characters, but no more.
Author notes: AU, just that. Read if you wanna know more. And rewiew, please.



“Pari, girlie, slow down, could you?” Logan said, looking up from his guitar, frowning at his manager. She was the best, but sometimes she could talk about things he didn’t give a heck about, and waited him to understand her. “Repeat, please, you want me to go where and sing with who?”
“Such a good butt and so little brain...” Pari sighed. “I want you... well, I really no, the concert patrociners, but I agree with them, to go to this year AIDS’ Charity Concert in New York, to sing some songs from ‘Still the Wolverine’ and sing ‘Bitter World’ with RoRo... Do you remember RoRo, don’t you?”
“Did I fu...” He started to say, but Pari stopped him with a raised hand.
“No, you didn’t. You never met her. She’s the R&B singer who asked for permision to do a version of ‘Bitter World’. We had a discussion about that almost a year ago, I was able to convice you... Do you remember now?”
“Oh, yeah, that posh girl... Did you let her have my song? What the fuck why?” He growled. “You know I don’t like some stupid girl to touch my songs... Are personal, Pari, shit.”
“Cause you let me, Logan! And RoRo isn’t a posh girl, and she did a good job.”
“Did I let you? Fuck, Pari, what did I tell you about getting me drunk to sign things? Call whoever you need to talk to and tell them she can’t sing nothing by me.” He dismissed her with a hand gesture.
“Oh, no, mister! I’m not gonna to. That girl did a good job with the song, and you would know if you listened to it. And you weren’t drunk! Just being an asshole over some bitch who didn’t deserve it, again! Third time that year, shit!”
“Pari...” He growled.
“Don’t growl at me! You know I’m not scared! I’m the only manager who’s able to keep up with all your shit, Logan! But even my patience have limits! The concert is a charity one, shit, and it’s a good way to let more people to know you! Like letting others do versions of your songs!” She yelled, face mere inches from his, gesturing a lot with her hands.
“Ok, ok, do you want to make me more known? Do it, fuck, that’s your job, but don’t go into my personal life, do you hear me?” He said, getting up and going to the kitchen. He grabbed a beer from the fridge and leaned against the counter.
“Oh, yes, I hear you... Like that time, when you and that bitch were yelling at each other... Just dump her already, the whole ‘I write my songs with a heartache’ it’s getting old. And it isn’t good for you.”
“I’m not gonna to. No need for that. She did it. No good enough for her, she said.” Logan sipped half the bottle of beer. “No good enough... Shit, I’m making more money that any other country singer, aren’t I, Pari?”
“Yeah, you are. And that’s the problem. You’re a country singer, not a pop or rock singer... In USA and Canada lots of people loves you, but in the rest of the world few people knows about you... Country isn’t so popular as pop or rock... And Jean wanted you to be a rock start, so she could be in the lights...” Pari sit in a stool by the isle. “When did she dump you?”
“Last night. Think she was going back to her old high school sweetheart... Hear he’s going into politics.” He ended his beer and tossed the bottle into the bin. “Maybe she ends being First Lady, she would like that.”
“And you were alone all night? Damn, Logan, knowing you like I do, you must have been up, out in the open, drinking and smoking. No wonder you look like shit. Why didn’t you call me? Did you eat something, at least?”
“See? That’s why I didn’t call you. No need for you to fuss over me. I’m fine. And I wrote some songs, too. Your next paycheck, are you happy?”
“No, I’m not. Logan, do you forget I was here almost since the begginins of your relation with Jean? I know this must be hard for you, and please, you can save your ‘I’m a though man’ act. That doesn’t work for me. Now, go and fix yourself something to eat. And, for my health, try and really ‘cook’ it, ok?”
Logan snorted, but turned around and opened his fridge again. He managed to put up a mask of ‘I’m not doing it because you ordered it, it was just that you ordered what was in my mind, nothing more’, that Pari didn’t even make the effort to aknowledge. Trut to be told, she was busy cheking his ass.
“Supose I could go...” Came his voice from inside the fridge. “When’s that? Maybe I could take the girls, if I call the child’s refuge with time... They would like New York.”
“That’s the spirit! But Jubes could ruin you in less than an afternoon, though.”
“Yep, she could.” He rummaged a little more into the fridge. “Like what you see, darlin?”
“Trut to be told, yes. As do all the women who go to your concerts... Why do you think you’re so famous?”
“Cause I sing?” He took out some meat and two more beers and turned around, smirking. “I sell CD’s, not calendars.” He started to cook the meat.
“Maybe you should sell calendars. No big difference between it and your booklets.” She get up, looked at her watch and stretched. “Gotta go back to the office... You’re going to go to the concert?”
“Yes.”
“You’re going to eat that and call the kids’ refuge?”
“Yup.” He put the half done meat in a dish and grabbed the beers, sitting in another stool.
“Geez, you’re so communicative sometimes...” She kissed his cheek softly. “If you need something, you know my number, ok? See you tomorrow, you need to start rehearsing for the concert. Go to the study at a normal hour, ok?” She remembered last time she told her to “go early”. He was at the study’s doors at four o’clock in the morning. He waved to her when she went out the door.

Chapter 2.

A/N: * * mean thoughts.


Logan looked around the hotel hall and then frowned at Pari. The hotel was good, it was one of the best in New York, but... Why it was so... shinny? And... elegant? And, why, oh, why, it was in 5th Avenue? At first, Jubes, Kitty and Amiko were looking around the hotel in awe, but now Jubes had that glint in her eye... And she was whispering with the other two girls, and that only meant one thing: problems. Sure, there they came, Pari in row... The four of them looked at him with their best puppy face, Amiko and Jubes even grabbed his arms, and Jubes started.

“Logan... You’re going to go out, rehearsing... And we’re going to be sooooo bored.... Could we, you know... go shopping? Pleeeeeeeaaaaasssseeeee?” Jubes could prolong one word until infinity, if she needed to.

Trying to get distracted, Logan looked at Pari, who was also pouting. “What the Hell you’re doing, Pari? You have your own credit card, and you’re coming with me to the rehearsal.”

“Yes, yes, I know... But girls need to stick together... You know, moral support. Are you gonna let them?”

“Is either that or have them mad at me for the rest of my life.” He sighed and took out his wallet. “Kitty, here you are. Please, be responsible, ok?” He gave one of his credit cards to the older girl, and was rewarded by a squeal of delight for Jubes’ part, and a kiss from Amiko. Kitty only smiled and nodded, surely thinking how to keep the card out of Jubes’ reach.

The three girls smiled at each other, linked arms and walked away. Logan was a little preocupied about let them alone in NY... not about them, mind you, the three knew how to defend themselves, but about NY... the poor city didn’t know what was going to hit it. Well, at least he had remembered to give them the credit card with the lower limit... hadn’t he? He shrugged, well, Kitty was the one with the card and, even if Jubes managed to take it from her, the girls deserved it. He turned to Pari, motioning for her to take him to the rehearsal.

When they reached the concert hall they listened to the music coming from the stage. When they got near enough to see it, Logan stopped dead in his tracks, mouth hanging like readying to catch flies in it. His eyes were locked in the stage, where an extremely beautiful woman was singing and dancing, all by herself. Her pure white hair was pull in a high ponytail and she was dressed with leggins and a blue t-shirt, knotted just below her breasts, showing her middrift. Hew voice was sweet and strong at the same time, and she was dancing sensually but not over sexually. He just could stand there and stare forever. That is, until Pari smacked his arm and he grunted.

“Hey, Earth to Logan... Com’on, pay attention to me...”

“Go away. No talk. Busy.”

“Yeah, busy ogling her. Ok, wait.” Pari turned towards the stage and waved an arm, whistling. “RoRo! Hey, girl! It’s Pari, remember me?”

The woman stopped and looked at them, smiling and waving back. She went down the stage and walked towards them. She stopped in front of Logan and looked at him with a sweet smile. Logan looked to the ground, trying to convice himself that he wasn’t a lovesick teenager, and that ogling a woman wasn’t something he wanted to do. Not even this one. Pari rolled her eyes and started the introductions.

“Logan, she’s Ororo Munroe, most known as RoRo. Ororo, he’s Logan...”

“People call me Wolverine.” He interrumted Pari, glancing at Ororo, wanting to see her reaction to his nickname. She only nodded, as if it was normal for someone to have a nickname based in some wild animal. He glanced back at the ground, trying not to make a fool out of himself.

*Wow, he’s even better face to face... Well, if he looked at me for more that one second, that’s it... Maybe he doesn’t like my version of his song... Maybe I should have sent him a copy before putting it in my CD...* Ororo thought, fidgeting with one of her white locks, a little nervous. “It’s nice to meet you, Logan. I love your music, your songs are so... real, so breathtaking...”
Logan tried not to look at the way she was playing with her hair. It should make her look nervous, but instead it made her look sexy as hell. “Yeah, thanks. They’re personal.” *Shit, that didn’t sound right... She’s gonna think I didn’t like her version... Ok, ok, so at first I didn’t like the idea of some version of my songs, but now... Now what? The girl who did it is as hot as the Sun, and suddenly all’s ok?...* He fought with himself.

“Well, I know, but I think I did a good version of your song... I didn’t change anything, only the title and the rhythm, a little... It’s still a ballad, but it’s less country and more R&B...” She tried to explain. *Oh, yes, he didn’t like your version... well, it’s a beautiful song, and you see yourself reflected in it, and what? He said it, it was personal, you hadn’t right to make a version... But he gave his permission, so...*

“Yeah, yeah, whatever.” He mumbled. “I’m gonna sing it my way, I don’t
know nothing about R&B, not my kind of music.” He realized something
and looked at her. “Did you change the title? Who gave you permision?”
He almost shouted. One thing was letting her sing it, change a little
the rhythm, but the title? No way, he didn’t agree to that.

Ororo took a step back, blushing and looking at the ground. “Well, you
see... I liked the title, I really did, but there is no reference to a
bitter world in the lyrics, so I thought that maybe calling it ‘The
Storm’ would make more sense...” She kicked some invisible pebbles with
her feet, feeling the weight of Logan’s eyes on her.

“Maybe. But I called it ‘Bitter World’ ‘cause... Well, ‘cause it’s
called it.” Logan took advantage of her low eyes to look at her from
head to toe, again. Oh, yes, it was a good body...

“Well, the title isn’t important, I saw RoRo’s CD and she says
that ‘The Storm’ is a version of ‘Bitter World’, so all’s good... The
problem that I see is if you two want to sing it in your own
versions...” Pari said, before things went out of control.

Ororo looked deflated. “Of... of course... We need to think in a way to
combine the R&B and the country... Maybe if we only use your guitar and
our voices, without any other instrument, that could sound good... You
sing the verses and I sing the chorus, and the last one we do as a
duet... That could work, if we rehearsal a lot.”

Logan tried to wake himself from a good daydreaming about what he could
do with those shapely legs... and the rest of her body, of
course. “Yeah, I can’t wait to do it with you.”