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By the Midnight Sun
CHAPTER ELEVEN


Morning; Xavier Institute for Gifted Youngsters…
As the sun seemed to struggle over the horizon, a solemn and more than slightly-uncomfortable group of people sat around one of the kitchen tables, each trying (mostly unsuccessfully) to bury him- or herself in their own thoughts as much as in their breakfasts.

Remy LeBeau sat hunched over a mixing bowl filled with more than his share of Fruit Loops and watched the artificially-flavored rings drown in a sea of milk, sabotaging their attempts to stay afloat with his spoon. Usually he would have no problems devouring such a large amount at breakfast, but this time his heart”nor his stomach”was in it.

To his immediate left, Rogue mirrored his posture, except her concentration was centered on covering a thick half of a Lender’s bagel, slathering it down with cream cheese. Every few moments or so, her sparkling gaze would lift to glare at the figure across the short table.

Jean Grey delicately scooped the last of her peach yogurt from the little Yoplait container, bringing it to her lips like she was modeling for the commercials. She was more irritated than she would let on; having to forcefully block the mental daggers Rogue was undoubtedly aware she was tossing across the table.

Beside her, at the head of the table, Scott Summers appeared immersed in the morning edition of the Times, the remnants of his grapefruit half and bowl of Grape Nuts pushed aside so he could spread the paper out before his face. Behind it, however, his ruby-quartz shaded eyes nearly bore holes through the pages, as he barely held from throwing the paper down and yelling at all of them. He was tired of the ill feelings circulating around the Mansion, especially among those gathered in this very room. It frustrated him that he didn’t seem to have the same impact on them as the Professor surely would have, to get all this nonsense to stop. As he sighed under his breath, he felt Jean’s thoughts push to enter his mind, curious as to what was wrong. Without so much as a second thought, he firmly drew up a few mental blocks the Professor had taught him, and kept reading the paper. He suspected she still didn’t know he knew about her “visit” to Hell’s Kitchen a few days back, and he wanted it to stay that way. He’d deal with her later…

Sitting opposite to him, Sage robotically finished her plain oatmeal, and then went to the dishwasher to dutifully deposit the used items before wordlessly washing her hands and leaving. Far from a spectator to this internal turmoil among certain team members, she had better things to do, heading to the Med-lab.

Bobby Drake met her on his way in as she left, grinning but receiving only a curt nod in return. Shrugging (that was Sage, after all, Love her or leave her), he opened the refrigerator door, window-shopping for a few moments before turning to the pantry and dragging out his stash of Soft Batch double-chocolate chip cookies, a bag of chili-cheese Bugles and an unopened six-pack of Yoo-Hoo. Coming to sit in Sage’s vacated seat, he spread his “breakfast” before him, looking up to smile at the group, but his bright beam faltered at the icy response. ‘Shit, and I thought I knew what cold was…’ Shrugging, Drake opened the noisy bags, deciding he’d likely have better conversation with the bottles of Yoo-Hoo.

As he popped the first fistful of Bugles into his cavernous mouth, they could hear the front door suddenly open and slam shut, then opened again and shut, then once more. Jubilation Lee raced past the kitchen door, following Shadowcat and a fast-paced Colossus.

Scott’s paper never moved as his voice called out, “Slow down, Jubilee..!”
He heard her sneakers on the polished floor of the foyer skid to a halt, then back- track toward the kitchen. Even before she reached the door her excitement was palpable. “Guys! Guys! He’s back!”

“Whomb?” Bobby tried not to spit Bugles and cookie everywhere.

The teen hopped with uncontained joy, already backing away from the kitchen door. “Wolvie! Wolvie’s back!!”

Looks were exchanged all around the table, and the New York Times was quietly laid to rest on the counter top.


---


Outside, along the steep road approaching the Mansion…
Logan slid the gate opener back into one of the small compartments on the side of the Harley, then leaned up to look behind him at Ororo. He smiled at her, and patted her knee with some reassurance. “Well, here we are. Ready?”

She smiled at him through the dark sunglasses she’d thought to bring with her, and squeezed his hand as it rested on her knee. “As I’ll ever be, I suppose.”

They rode up the steep, winding incline to the back of the Mansion, where the garage would open up for him to park the bike. Before they could do that, however…

“Oh, my goodness…” her eyes widened at the ugly, pitiful sight before them as they came up to the garage entrance. Logan didn’t say anything, slowly riding past the mangled, broken shell of what used to be a Dodge Viper. The Chrome wheels had been stripped; the red paint buried under layers of dried mud and permanent spray-paint (the kids must’ve used it as a practice canvas); the leather interior looked as though the cow had lost the battle to reclaim it; and the sound system that Scott had paid for with his own money…well, it was assumed the pieces were somewhere in car audio heaven by the looks of the gutted dashboard and trunk of the automobile.

Logan pointedly ignored the sad sight as he parked the motorcycle next to the other cars. He knew it was there only until he returned, probably Scooter’s idea of a message. He thought the kids might bang it up a little, but he couldn’t have imagined in his wildest dreams that they’d find it looking like the metal skeleton from a cannibal’s barbeque.

“I hope no one was driving that.” Ororo began to unpack her bags from the back of the Harley.

Barely containing a snicker, Logan muttered, “Fer sure, no one will again…”

The entrance leading to the house opened then, and before he could think twice, Logan found himself smothered by Jubilee, who did her best to crush him in a hug. “Wolviiieee!!! Omigod, I’m sooo glad you’re back! We missed you so much..!”

Chuckling despite himself, Logan wound an arm around the girl’s waist, pinning her to his side, and lifted her off the ground in a tight embrace. “Same here, JuBees.”

She laughed at the playfully crushing hug, squealing as she wound her arms about his neck. Behind them, Ororo couldn’t help but smile at the tender scene. She’d learned how compassionate the rough-edged Wolverine could be, when he wanted, and wasn’t surprised to see this again with the way he treated the young teen. She suspected the relationship between the two was as big a factor in his decision to come back as her illness.

Setting her down, Logan turned toward Ororo, pressing Jubilee forward as he began the introductions. “Hey, I want you to meet someone, Jubes. She’s gonna be stickin’ around fer awhile…this is Ororo Munroe. ‘Ro, Jubilation Lee.”

The young girl surprised her, immediately coming forward and extending a welcoming hand, a genuine smile on her face. She glanced back at Logan once or twice, evidently a silent communication not lost upon ‘Ro, and then turned to beam at the woman. The look she gave her was both welcoming as well as slightly knowing. “Nice t’meet ‘cha, Ms. Munroe. Are you joining the team?”

Ororo laughed at that, glancing at Logan briefly, before taking the girl’s hand warmly. “Uh, I don’t think so, Jubilation.”

“She’s just here to meet with the Professor,” Logan explained, coming to stand beside ‘Ro and laying a reassuring hand on her back, “to see if he and Hank can help her. Is he back, yet?”

“Naw, not yet.” Jubilation’s inquisitive nature knew better than to prod when Logan gave vague answers such as that, though she did eye Ororo for a moment. “But the last I heard, he was planning to return sometime next week. Scott would know for sure…”

“Yeah, I bet he would.” Logan bent to gather Ororo’s bags, and turned to the two as he indicated the garage entrance to the mansion. “Anyhow, ‘Ro, if ya wanna follow me, I’ll take ya upstairs. I’m sure the rest o’ the team will wanna meet ya, and you’ll prob’ly have t’meet Scott at some point. Might as well get it over with.”

“Who’s Scott?” she followed them toward the door.

“Mr. Summers, he’s Team Leader and in charge when the Professor’s away,” Jubilee took her by the hand, dragging her toward Logan and the door. Under her breath, she muttered, “He can be a dick sometimes, but the Professor trusts him while he’s gone.”

“Jubes…” Logan began, and then paused, shrugging. “Ah hell, it’s the truth.”

Jubilee giggled, turning to ‘Ro and smiling. Ororo liked the girl already, with her welcoming smile and Loganesque attitude. ‘It seems as though I’ve been adopted’, she thought, inwardly laughing. Her heart still fluttered though, as they traversed the long hall leading up to the mansion’s interior. Logan didn’t seem the least bit concerned, but she had to notice when he didn’t tell Jubilee the exact reason she was there. She wondered whether the girl would still be holding her hand, if she knew…

“Ah, ‘Home Sweet Home’…and all that shit.” Logan led them off the lift and into the wide foyer of the mansion, where, of course, a noticeable entourage had gathered.

“Hey, Logan, welcome back.” Iceman grinned, still holding his bag of Bugles.

Ororo watched as Logan’s posture suddenly stiffened. He nodded toward the young man, though his eyes scanned the small crowd as if watching for an attack. “Drake.”

Ororo came to stand beside him, trying to take some comfort in their physical proximity, as she felt the stares. Jubilee came up and grabbed her hand, smiling up at her silently, then turning to someone in the gathering and glaring. Ororo tried to see who she was giving the daggers, but then a man stepped up to her from the pack, his eyes hidden by red-tinted glasses. Upon seeing him, Ororo recognized his face from television and the papers, and could only assume he was this supposed hard-ass, Scott.

Summers stopped a few feet away from them, watching Logan. “Wolverine, I see you’ve brought us a guest. Care to introduce us?”

Ororo heard a barely perceptible growl from Logan, as his flint-colored eyes roved over the younger man carefully. Baring teeth in what could only be perceived as a threat (it was nowhere close to a smile), he said coolly, “Sure, Cykes. This here’s Ororo Munroe. She’ll need to see Chuck as soon as he gets back from D.C. Hank, you may wanna take a look at her, too, later. She’ll need yer help.”

At that, the blue-furred Doctor came forward, adjusting his specs as if to get a better look at her. An appreciative smile came to his face when he saw the slightest bit of recognition in Ororo’s eyes. He took her outstretched hand, and promptly turned it over palm-down, kissing it. “It’s an extreme pleasure, Ms. Munroe. Henry McCoy, at your assistance.”

She smiled, slightly embarrassed, but said, “The pleasure’s mine, Dr. McCoy. I have to admit, your true appearance is somewhat of a shock. I’m used to seeing you on television. I’ve admired your work for sometime.” Now she recalled Logan mentioning him to her before. It’d thrown her off, however, seeing him with the blue fur, but she thought he looked more attractive with it.

McCoy smiled sheepishly, as Bobby chimed in, “You actually understand him?”

“Don’t mind Chilly, over there,” Logan smirked at Drake, then gestured to him. “’Ro, Robert Drake…”

She nodded. “I remember seeing you. Your mutation has some similarities to my own.”

“Which is..?” Scott still stood with his arms crossed, the slight mistrust coming through his ruby glasses.

She turned to him. “Weather manipulation mostly…Mr. Summers, I believe it is? A pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

Somewhat softened by her politeness, Scott extended his hand and they shook. He was caught off guard by the way she seemed to look past his glasses, as if she could meet his gaze through them. The look of confidence he saw there impressed him. “Likewise, Ms. Munroe. I hope the X-Men can help you.”

Hank nodded eagerly. “If you would like, we can initiate a preliminary consultation and some testing prior to Professor Xavier’s return from his Conference. Dr. Grey, if you’d lend your expert assistance in the Professor’s absence, I’m sure we could obtain a marvelous ‘head-start’, if you will.”

‘Ro smiled at the gentle doctor, as he turned to the group and addressed one of them. Her eyes followed his, scanning the faces of which she was somewhat vaguely familiar with, but then her smile faltered, as she landed on one she knew she’d never
forget.

Jean stepped from behind Rogue and Remy, the stiff smile on her face firmly in place. She watched Ororo for a moment, inwardly puzzled at the momentarily startled look on her face. She could sense the woman recognized her in some capacity, but assumed it was because Logan had explained who she was prior to their arrival. As Ororo’s gaze lowered quickly and a confused expression covered her features for a moment, Jean wondered just what had Wolverine said..? Maybe she could find out. “Of course, Hank, I’d be more than happy to lend a hand.”

Logan stepped in front of ‘Ro, his eyes the only indication he thought that was bullshit. “Actually, I thought I’d show Ororo to her room. We’ve been ridin’ all night, and I’m sure she’s tired.”

‘Ro couldn’t have thanked Logan enough for that ‘Out’, and her expression told him so as he turned to look at her. He could sense her distress and confusion, but didn’t automatically associate it with Jean. “Yes, I have to admit, I am rather fatigued.”

Scott nodded, as if the decision had been his, and began to back away, returning to the kitchen. “Well, welcome to the Xavier Institute, Ms. Munroe--“

“Please, call me Ororo.”

“Ororo, then. If you’ll excuse me, I’m sure Logan can show you around.”

As most of the others came up and quickly introduced themselves”the quiet and aloof Sage; the somewhat reserved but curious Lucas Bishop; the gentle giant Peter Rasputin and his young girlfriend Kathryn Pryde; the winged Adonis Warren Worthington III and Elizabeth Braddock; followed by mysterious yet attentive Kurt Wagner”Scott and Jean disappeared back into the kitchen, the latter giving Logan and then Ororo one last once over.

Jubilee didn’t miss the exchange between the two women, and raised an eyebrow at Rogue, who also seemed to sense something amiss. Remy and the Belle stayed as the others departed, leaving the quartet alone in the foyer. Jubilee squeezed ‘Ro’s hand once before following Peter and Kitty back out the front door, where they’d been in the middle of a game of poker on the front patio.

“Ororo, glad you decided t’meet our lit’l rag-tag group, chere,” Gambit gave her a dazzling smile, then turned to Rogue.

The other woman gave ‘Ro a cautious smile, extending a gloved hand. “Hope ya know what yer gettin’ inta here, Sugah. ‘Much as ah love it here, sometimes the place feels like one big Reality T.V. show.”

‘Ro laughed, appreciating the humor as much as the sarcastic warning. She smiled at the two; obviously in love if Remy’s close proximity and Rogue’s arm low around his waist was any indication. “Well, I’d appreciate a sneak preview, if you’d be willing…”

“Oh, merci, where’re Remy’s manners…Ororo, dis is Rogue…”

The Southerner dipped her head, then amended, “You can call me by muh given name, if ya like: Marie. ‘Sides, any friend a’ Logan’s…”

‘Ro smiled as Wolverine hefted her things over his shoulder, indicating they were about to leave. “Marie…that’s a beautiful name. Nice to meet you. And good to see you again, Remy.”

They came along as Logan headed up the central stairway, making small talk. Ororo told Rogue about the club, which Gambit had evidently mentioned to her, and promised to take her there sometime in the future. As Logan stopped outside the bedroom, which was just down the hall from his, the other two politely made their exit, disappearing into Rogue’s bedroom.

As he led the way in, placing her bags near the vacant vanity dresser nearby, Ororo followed silently, watching him as her mind reeled. She wanted to know why the hell this Jean chick was there, and why she and Logan were acting as if they didn’t know one another, when only about a week before, it was blatantly apparent to her that they did. Especially in the Biblical sense. Confusion marred her features as she tried to piece together what she knew, what Logan had told her earlier that morning at the hotel after they’d kissed, and what she’d just seen.

“Hey, are you alright?”

She looked up then, meeting his gaze. She realized she must’ve zoned out for a moment there. “Hm? Sorry?”

“I’ve been talkin’ to ya fer like, five minutes, an’ ya ain’t said jack. You okay?” he came to stand before her, a look of concern there.

Ororo walked past him, picking up one of her bags and unzipping it, unpacking it into the vanity dresser. With her back to him, she said, “It’s nothing, really. I…just didn’t realize when you told me this morning that you had just gotten out of a relationship that She’d be here.”

There was a moment of silence while he digested that. She turned to see the obvious confusion in his face. How did she know it was Jean?? “Did she say somethin’ to ya? Telepathically, I mean.”

Oh, shit the woman was a telepath? This just got better and better… “No, at least I don’t think so.”

“Then how’d you know she was here?” he came to stand behind her, close enough ‘Ro could feel his body heat.

“I saw her. At your apartment.” Her voice was quiet, though she knew he could probably hear the quiver in it as well as she could. She hadn’t planned on telling Logan what she’d seen that night, but considering what’d happened at the hotel, she knew she couldn’t go much further into an affair with him (if this was going that far) without coming clean with it.

Logan was speechless for several moments, as his mind went back to that night, searching for anything that could’ve alerted him to ‘Ro’s presence. All he could remember was the sound of glass breaking, and suddenly he put two and two together. As he searched for some explanation, the sound of the spilled beer, the broken bottles, reverberated in his mind. “’Ro, darlin’ I didn’t know that was you.”

She smiled somewhat grimly, “Obviously. No, really, I wasn’t there long. I’d seen enough.”

He stopped her nervous hands from moving the clothes around the dresser drawer, looking at her profile. “You know there’s nothin’ goin’ on there anymore. This mornin’ wouldn’a happened if there was still a ‘Me and Jean’.”

Ororo wanted to believe him, but deep down she was now glad they hadn’t gone any farther that morning at the hotel. This put a whole different spin on her stay here at the mansion; one she wasn’t really comfortable with. “That’s why you were in Hell’s Kitchen. That’s why you didn’t want to talk about why you and Remy had gone there.”

He turned her around to face him, feeling still that he needed to convince her she had nothing to worry about. Logan realized Ororo had some feelings for him, just as he did for her, and he’d be damned if a relationship that was over before he’d even met her was going to fuck this up now. “That’s right. Sometimes ya just need some time away…but that’s not what’s botherin’ ya, darlin’. C’mon, you can tell me.”

She shook her head, not wanting to voice it, but she knew he could tell already what fears she was trying not to express. This new thing they had was so fragile, and though neither of them had placed any expectations on it, she still hoped it would go somewhere. First, though, she had to know… “What happened?”

“Nothin’.” He met her questioning gaze head-on, daring her to find some untruth. “When I heard the crash outside that was it. She left soon after that.” Ororo was quiet. He watched her for a minute before saying, “Do ya believe that?”

She nodded, still looking at the clothes in her hand. It wasn’t that she didn’t believe him, but how was she going to get this treatment she needed from these people, if she couldn’t stand to even look at one of them? She knew every time she saw Jean Grey from then on, she’d see her as she had in Logan’s apartment. She was sure the woman probably didn’t want to hear that they’d had an audience. “Well, this is going to be interesting.”

He shook his head at her thin attempt at levity, rubbing her back reassuringly. Loan hadn’t expected to find himself in this sort of situation, but he knew no matter what, ‘Ro couldn’t get the impression in her head that business wasn’t finished between him and Jean. “I’m glad you can make jokes about this, darlin’. It’s not like I’m stuck in an awkward spot here, right?”

“Well, you are the one who asked.”

He smirked, as she turned then and gave him a light peck on the cheek. His brows rose at that, and he pulled her closer, landing a heavy, languid one on her lips. Afterward, he said simply, “Get used to that.”

As he left her to finish unpacking, Ororo grinned to herself. If he kissed her like that every time, she doubted it would be a problem.


---


At that moment, in the kitchen…
Scott folded the paper neatly, and set it aside as Jean finished clearing the table from breakfast. She chastised Remy and Rogue in her mind, just knowing they’d left the remnants of their respective meals there on purpose knowing how she couldn’t stand an untidy kitchen. “Jean?”

She looked up at him, wiping the table with a damp sponge. “Hm?”

“You’ve been awfully quiet since he came back.”

She shrugged. “Not much to say, I suppose.”

“Well, what do you think about the ‘friend’ he brought with him?” Scott watched her reaction closely.

Without thinking, Jean spouted, “What am I supposed to think? You know Logan as well as I do, Scott. It’s just like him to bring home charity cases when he’s feeling badly about himself. He did it with Jubilee and Remy, after all. It makes him feel more like a hero I guess. Someone’s White Knight, so to speak.”

Continuing to watch her responses, Scott nodded, adding, “And you think that’s all this is? A charity case?”

It was then that Jean stopped the obsessive, sweeping wipes across the counter top, and gave him a caustic glare. “If there’s something on your mind, Scott, I’d prefer you just come out with it.”

He cursed himself, realizing he may have inadvertently broadcast his suspicions too ‘loudly’. “Alright, then. How about this: I can’t believe you’re the only one that was in that room that didn’t notice something was going on between them. For God’s sake, the man looked like her watch dog ready to strike if one of us got too close.”

“So he’s protective. Logan acts the same way around Jubilee, or Kitty…”

“Uh, sweetie, in case you didn’t notice, we’re not talking about a teenage girl, here.” Scott grinned sarcastically, unsure whether she was just being intentionally dense for his sake, or if she really believed that.

“You think Logan and this Ororo woman are together? Please, Scott, let’s not jump to absurd conclusions.” She chided him, turning to place the sponge on the back of the sink.

“You think it’s absurd because I’ve only seen them together for all of five minutes, or because you think Logan’s interests are somewhere else?”

She kept her back to him for a couple seconds when he said that, then turned to give him an icy glare. He stood up, coming around the table to stand against her back, looking down at her with a frighteningly reserved expression. He could feel her mind reach out to his, but he kept the block up. Scott wasn’t about to give her any help there. Quietly, he continued, “Where are they then, Jean? Do you know?”

She kept silent, facing forward stubbornly. She realized exactly what he was getting at, and it was also safe for her to assume he knew about her trip to Hell’s Kitchen. How he’d found that out with her careful planning and well constructed half-truths, innuendoes and blatant lies, was anyone’s guess. Apparently it never occurred to her that Scott wasn’t as naïve and trusting as he seemed, or that Rogue”who’d no doubt wrangled the info from Remy (who had briefly confronted Jean after the fact)”would go directly to him, not passing Go, or collecting $200.

“Well, I’m waiting.”

“Oh, ‘Cuse me…” The two looked up then, as Logan was already backing out of the door.

“Oh, don’t bother, Wolverine, there aren’t any secrets among friends, right?” Scott still looked at Jean, though he backed away from her a step.

He didn’t really care about what he’d walked in on, but Logan wasn’t really in the mood for it. All he’d wanted was a beer, not a peek into the next episode of The Young & the Restless. However, he raised a wiry brow at the reference to them being friends. He knew as well as Scooter that it’d been a long time, indeed, since they’d called one another that. When Charles Xavier had recruited his first two students, they had developed quite the friendship”despite their obvious differences”bordering on a brotherhood. Logan”the older of course”took a young Scotty Summers under his wing, and considered him as close to a sibling as he dared, unable at the time to recall any of his own past. It wasn’t until Jean made three, that the brotherhood had begun to break, as a friendly rivalry morphed into so much more…“Yeah, whatever…”

He side-stepped the two of them, going to the fridge and searching for the bottles he knew he’d left there. Withdrawing one, he popped the cap himself and headed back out the way he’d come. Scott let him get as far as the threshold before he called after him, “I didn’t want to ask in front of the others…”

Logan paused, turning only his head.

“…what kind of help, exactly, are we supposed to be giving this friend of yours? I know you may not think it’s any of my business”and I’m not making any assumptions about Ororo’s integrity”but as Team Leader in Charles’ absence, I feel it’s my responsibility to protect the group. You understand.”

Taking a long swig, Logan nodded briefly, “Yer right. It’s none of yer business”, and continued out the door.

Although Scott wasn’t finished with Jean, he immediately tailed Logan out the door; Wolverine slowed, his shoulders slumping irritably when he heard the footfalls behind him. “Look Logan, considering the kind of trouble you’re probably already going to be in once Charles returns, I wouldn’t be going around with such a cavalier attitude. Especially where the potential safety of the team’s concerned.”

Evaluating the thickness of the beer bottle and whether or not it may be a suitable
weapon for bludgeoning, Wolverine turned slightly to stare him down. He thought on some level this was just Scott’s way of asserting some authority he’d seemingly lost with the whole Viper-thing, but it had been many years since Logan had indulged the man so, and he really wasn’t about to pick that up again. “Yeah, well somethin’ tells me Chuck’ll be just as concerned with why I did what I did to get into that ‘trouble’. Don’t you think?”

Jean came up behind Scott, her eyes playing tennis between the two men. She knew full well Logan wouldn’t think twice before spelling it out to Xavier, and that was something she wouldn’t stand for. She couldn’t have Charles looking down at her. The rest of the team was one thing, but Xavier was completely different. “You two stop it already, okay? God, things aren’t tense enough around here without the two of you feeding the flames??”

Pulling a long gulp from the bottle, Logan nodded then, glaring at her. “Ya know, Jeannie, yer right. So, if’n you’ll excuse me, I’ll letcha get back t’ explainin’ to Scooter where ya think my ‘interests’ are…”

The two gawked at him, as he smirked devilishly and turned, whistling on his way back upstairs. There were times he really enjoyed having the sensitive audio range; it still managed to surprise him sometimes with its usefulness.


Upstairs, in Ororo’s new room…
Having quickly unpacked her few things she’d brought, ‘Ro toured her spacious living quarters briefly, wondering just what kind of man this Charles Xavier was to be able to afford such a place. She couldn’t be sure how many bedrooms were in the Mansion but, she mused, they wouldn’t call it a “mansion” for nothing.

The room itself was quite impressive, though a bit on the confining side for her tastes. It was nothing like the renovated Brownstone she’d called home for several years, which she’d tailored to her own specifications and added more wide windows and a short terrace off of the bedroom. Shaking her head quickly, Ororo wouldn’t let her claustrophobic fears arise. It was silly, anyway, that she seemed to have little to no problem among the patrons of the Xile, with the tight ebbs and flows of dancing bodies, but with the cold concrete, or confining wood of interior spaces…

Knock. Knock.

The light rap on her door mercifully brought Ororo out of that train of thought, and she raked a nervous hand through her still-tussled hair, going to the door. She sighed in some relief to see Logan standing at the threshold. “Can I come in?”

“Of course.” She stepped aside for him, and gave him a bright smile despite the flip in her gut. She couldn’t say for sure it was only her previous thoughts that caused it, or his presence.

Immediately he sensed something was up. “You alright, ‘Ro?”

She gave him a slightly surprised look, then brushed it off. “I’m fine. Just tired, I guess.”

He came up to her, giving what he hoped was a reassuring smile (when was the last time Logan gave anyone one of those? He wasn’t sure himself what it would look like) and reached for her hand. The damp, clammy feeling was all he needed to confirm what his other senses were already screaming to him. “No, yer not. Lemme tell ya somethin, darlin’, you don’t have ta put on the Show fer me. If somethin’s the matter, just come on out with it.”

“How do you seem to know when there’s something on my mind??” she couldn’t help but wonder.

He lightly tapped his nose with his free hand, grinning slightly. “Never lies.”

She smiled, but inwardly couldn’t help but add, ‘Duly noted…’ “Well, it’s just the room…”

“Not to yer fancy? Well, there’re others, but I thought maybe ya’d wanna be closer to me…” he smirked, sliding next to her briefly before continuing, “If ya wanna pick yer own, I won’t take it too badly.”

She appreciated his humor in all of this, but still the smile she gave had a tinge of sadness to it. “That’s good to know.”

“What is it?” he lightly tugged on her hand.

“It’s…I think it’s too small. There aren’t enough windows. I really haven’t been…able to breath right, since I came in. It just gets worse the longer I’m in here, the more I think about it, the smaller it gets. Which I’m trying not to, even now.” She laughed weakly.

His eyes warmed as he looked her over, noting the shallow breathing and nervous movements she was trying so hard to control. When a distant rumble of thunder came to his ears, Logan knew all joking aside, she needed Out of that room. “Come on, then, we’ll find somethin’ else…”


---


After about an hour, touring the different levels of the mansion”all of which seemed exactly the same as her own room”‘Ro and Logan stopped outside one of the Professor’s study rooms on the top floor, resting against the wall.

Logan cracked his back and grunted before chuckling, “Shit, I never realized how many damn rooms this place has. None o’ em looked any good to ya?”

She frowned, shaking her head. “I don’t want to be any trouble, Logan. Why don’t we go back downstairs; I’ll just learn to deal with it. Goodness, I don’t want to be the uptight guest.”

He waved that concern away, and then scratched his wild head in thought. Suddenly he beamed, snapping his fingers and looking up at her. “Hold that thought, ‘Ro. Come on, I got one more place. It should be”“


“”Perfect..!” Ororo sighed in delight, turning 360 degrees several times to get a greater feel of the room’s airiness. It smelled like a grandmother’s hope chest, but she couldn’t have cared less at that moment. Decorating ideas were already floating around her head, but for the moment, all she wanted to do was stand there.

Logan grunted in agreement to his find as well as her reaction. It shouldn’t be that big of a deal to let her stay there; no one used the loft for anything more than another storage room, and he was sure he could just move all the unused boxes of Holiday decorations, folded cardboard boxes and all the rest of the junk somewhere else. If it’d make ‘Ro happy, he thought, he’d move a lot more…

‘Damn, slow down, Casanova…’ he chided himself, wondering where the hell a thought like that came from. All kinds of defensive barriers geared to raise themselves, but he tried to push against the reaction that came when she turned and gave him a smile that spoke volumes of her thanks. It wasn’t ‘Ro’s fault he had the Trust Issues, but if he wasn’t careful she may end up paying for them.

“Logan…” she glanced from him to the high ceiling overhead, the late morning sunlight warming her face through the row of long windows slanted across the dip in the roof’s architecture. It was the east side of the mansion, so of course it made perfect sense to the architects to put a wide wall of windows there to greet the coming dawns. For Ororo, it was perfect. “…thank you…so much. Are you positive no one will mind?”

He shrugged, moving over to a stack of boxes that hid dust-covered French Doors. “I’ll clear it with Chuck, if that’ll make ya feel better, but I doubt there’s anythin’ ta worry ‘bout…” As he picked away at the cubed cardboard coating, he revealed another surprise to her, as she peered through the doors to discover there was an impressive terrace beyond, reminding her so much of Home.

Moving past him, she unlatched the doors, and forced their ancient, unused hinges open, stepping out onto the semi-circle of concrete and wood, breathing the still-cool air of morning and relishing the sunshine on her face. She was so close to the sky, she almost called up a gust of wind to carry her up into the clouds, if Logan’s voice hadn’t interrupted.

“So, I take it ya like this one?”

Turning, she nodded, appearing much younger with her enthusiasm. “When can I move in?”

“No time like the present.”

Continuing to nod, she looked around the room once more as he led the way back down the stairs and back into the mansion proper. Suddenly, the future wasn’t looking all that bad, either.



TBC…





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