"Well, I can't do it." Jean's voice was explaining patiently. "Scott and I are stopping by the grocery for stuff we'll need for tonight."
"Might take us a while, too, if the menu you've got so far's any indication... Can't you go on one of your shopping sprees with her, Kitty?"
"I would, but I don't trust any of you to get the decorating right, you know? No offense, Rogue."
"None taken." Rogue had replied dryly. Logan could practically see the roll of her eyes.
"Well, perhaps we can get Herr Logan to do it for us?"
Hank turned to his friend in surprise and curiosity, wondering how and why his name suddenly came up in their conspiring, only to find that he was already halfway to the Rec Room. Hank sighed, shaking his head as he followed.
"Speak of the devil!" Kurt exclaimed from his perch on the hanging ceiling light. Logan felt his hackles rise at the excitement in his tone, glaring at the occupants of the room with a suspicious narrow of his eyes.
"What the hell're you kids up to?"
The kids blinked as one, but Jean spoke up, apparently totally unfazed by the gruffness of his tone.
"Logan, we need you to take Ororo out today."
He chose to ignore the surprised, hearty chuckle that came from Hank. "What."
"We're planning a surprise dinner for her tonight," Kitty said by way of explanation, "So we need her out of the house, but without suspecting anything."
The confusion must've shown on his face, despite best efforts to conceal it, for Hank cleared his throat next to him. "I believe what Ms. Pryde means, Logan, is that they've arranged to throw dear Ororo a little party in honor of the holiday." He smiled. "It is Mother's Day today, correct?"
"Right!" Kitty nodded eagerly.
"It was Scott's idea, sort of." Jean said, smiling fondly at Scott, the tenderness in her eyes making him flush. Kurt and Rogue mimed gagging behind them. "He overheard me greeting my own mom over the phone, earlier, and he mentioned something about Storm acting as den mother to us all without any of us really realizing..."
"And then I kinda overheard them, and was like: oh my gosh, that's totally true! So -"
"So you took the idea and ran with it." Logan interjected, before Kitty could continue. They'd never hear the end of it, if she had.
But she just grinned unabashedly, clearly too excited by the prospect of throwing a party for Storm.
"Well, I for one think it's a splendid idea." Hank said, clapping his hands together with a bright smile. "Heaven knows we owe it to Ororo, after all she's done for us."
Logan shrugged. He wasn't sure if 'Ro would be big on all this pomp and circumstance over some Hallmark holiday. He could already picture her brows drawing up the slightest bit, probably overwhelmed at all the sudden attention, but never letting such an obvious display of emotion come to surface. She'd appreciate all the effort that they'd go to, though. If anything, Ororo was always giving and unfailingly patient.
Still...
"All right, so throw her a party." He said, and that was about as close as they were going to get to an approval from him. "I don't get why you need me to take her out, though."
To his surprise, Kitty raised an eyebrow at him, in perfect imitation of what he'd deemed as Storm's Look.
"Duh? Because you're practically her boyfriend, and that's what boyfriends do?"
Logan promptly began to choke on air.
Rogue rolled her eyes. "S'not like it's a secret, geez. Everyone knows."
This time, Hank laughed long and hard.
Logan stalked through the corridor, growling to himself. He still wasn't quite sure how he was roped into this. Might've had something to do with the fact that he didn't feel all that comfortable hearing a bunch of kids gossip about his relationship with the resident weather goddess. Not when he himself had no idea what he had with her, anyway. True, they'd long been the victims of whispered and suggestive teasing - the rumours had been flying around them since day one (courtesy of the Professor, of all people). Been ignorin' them since day one. Well, he did most of the ignoring; Storm took it all with a faintly amused or embarrassed smile.
Of course, it only got worse after he'd taken her out for Valentine's. He sighed, ran a rough palm over one side of his face. Take a woman out on one date, and suddenly the whole mansion's stalking your every move. He hadn't even taken her out since and they both hadn't really spoken about it, so it wasn't much of a stretch to figure that she was as in the dark about their relationship as he was.
Still, if there was one thing he was sure of, it's that the pull of attraction was mutual. And on a really good day, if he was completely and totally honest with himself (i.e. not very often), he'd admit that maybe, there was something more'n attraction there, too.
He was hesitant to put a label on whatever it was they were, though. There was a connection there, sure. Wasn't so stupid that he'd miss something like that. But - boyfriend, girlfriend, or whatever... He scowled. They weren't teenagers for Chrissake. And frankly, 'girlfriend' seemed too superficial a term for someone like Ororo.
Besides, a relationship meant commitment. And as always, Logan's thoughts screeched to a full-stop at those words.
He was surprised to find the door to her room ajar when he came to it, robbing him of the chance to collect himself before he could speak up. Ororo had a perfect view of the doorway from where she stood in front of her vanity.
"Logan, good morning." She greeted warmly, meeting his reflection's gaze with a smile. Her platinum locks were swept over one shoulder as she put on a pair of black hoop earrings. And the rest of her outfit... Logan fought the urge to whistle low and long. She had on a royal purple dress, snug in all the right places. It had a modest neckline, as was characteristic of her, but it exposed her shoulders - which made him want to shrug off his leather bomber and cover her with it. What would've been a decent hem on an average woman threatened to be almost too short on 'Ro, who stood close to six feet. Speaking of feet, she decided on a pair of sleek stilettos that seemed to make her already long legs even longer.
It occurred to him that she looked like she was dressed for a date.
Maybe Jeannie told her ahead of time? He'd have to chew her out for that later, even if it spared him the trouble. Damn kids and their matchmaking, was the last thought he kept to himself even as he grinned.
"Goin' on a date, darlin'?" he drawled, leaning on the doorjamb.
"Something like that, yes." She smiled as shook her hair out so that hung in thick, lush waves down her back. "I'm meeting my sister for lunch, today."
He blinked and managed to catch his balance on the other side of the doorway. "What, really?"
She turned to him then, last touches of make-up carefully and skillfully applied. "Yes, really. It's Mother's Day, today. It's not exactly a most enjoyable holiday for her, since..."
Since Evan, his mind supplied.
"Huh."
She cleared her throat before continuing. "... And so I've taken to spending the day with her, these past few years. Brunch, some shopping, perhaps some coffee afterwards…"
"Huh." He repeated. And nodded, belatedly, to show that he was paying attention, contrary to his surprisingly intelligent comebacks.
"Yes." She'd picked up a clutch that rested on the edge of her dresser. "But enough about that; was there something you needed, Logan?"
The girls could not be bothered to hide their disappointment when Logan informed them that they didn't need him to keep Storm from the house after all. Kitty and Jubilee had made loud protests, and Rogue just threw her hands up in the air in disbelief. When Jean came back from her grocery run with Scott and heard the news, she had the audacity to hunt him down out on the back porch just to give him a severe 'this is all your fault and you have to fix it' look, before retreating back into the kitchen.
He had half a mind to hop on his bike and just disappear for a week, if he hadn't been accosted by Hank on his way to the garage.
"We are on cake duty." He said simply, cheerily, taking Logan's arm in one mighty, furry paw and dragging him into a corner of the kitchen that wasn't occupied by crazy teenager and/or young adult.
And that was how he found himself with a bowl of cake batter alongside Hank, who was chopping up some pistachios. He was considering how best to go about telling Logan that it probably wasn't a good idea to beat the cake so violently.
"Don't see what all the fuss's about." he was grumbling, glaring into his bowl. "It's just a damn holiday."
"Oh do hush your griping, my friend." Logan bristled at the overly genial tone that Hank took. "We both know that if you truly did not want to be here, you would be halfway across the state on that infernal bike of yours by now."
"And there's certainly no harm in indulging them, now, is there?" Hank finished with his pistachios, patiently waited for an opening when he could add them into Logan's bowl. "It's high time, I would think, given the role she's elected to play for these children."
Because that's what they were, children. For all their heroics and grandstanding and saving the world from terrorists and bigoted politicians, at the core, there were all so painfully young. Without being asked to, Storm had assumed the role of something of a den mother from the very beginning. True, most of the kids still had mothers, but the presence of an older woman was all manner of comforting for them all.
For the girls, she was the valuable older female figure that they needed to look to. She was Jean's confidante the moment she stepped into the mansion. She helped Kitty battle homesickness and shared the much younger girl's love for Jimmy Choos. Logan would be forever grateful he could turn Laura to her direction when she came to him with all sorts of womanly questions. And though Rogue would never, ever admit to it, Storm was something of a role model. Every girl in the mansion wishes they had at least some measure of Ororo's grace and beauty, but Rogue wished she might one day have the kind of control Ororo has over her own powers.
Even the boys respected her; Hank was easily popular among the kids and Logan was infamously hard on them all the time, but Storm commanded respect in a way only a mother (or a queen, or a goddess) could. Everyone was terrified of Logan's rage, but God have mercy on your soul if you ever get on the receiving end of Storm's disappointed gazes. A single, arched perfect eyebrow was enough to cow even Remy into a slew of guilty confessions.
Wolverine paused in stirring as Scott peeked into the kitchen to ask Jean for confirmation on something concerning the folding tables they were setting up outside. A memory came, unbidden, of a much younger Cyclops, the first of Charles Xavier's students, during his early days at the Institute. The Professor had become his mentor and legal guardian and respected father figure, sure, but in those first weeks, it had been Ororo who helped chase away nightmares with her ever-helpful cups of tea. The two had more in common than they ever let on; both orphaned at young ages, both initially uncomfortable at the unfamiliar safety that the opulent mansion's roof provided over their heads, a strong initiative to lead...
Hank (who had since taken the opportunity to add in his ingredients into the batter) followed his gaze to the young, straight-laced, fearless leader of the X-Men. He smiled as Scott snatched a pepper shaker from Gambit's hands before he could add it to whatever it was he had on the stove. He tossed a little bottle of cumin to him instead, telling him exactly how much of the spice Ororo liked in her food before heading back outside.
"I'd trust him if I were you," Beast called out to the young former thief. "He's been Ororo's loyal sous chef since before any of you young ones even stepped foot into this mansion."
Much later that day, after the sun had set and a lively dinner was over and done with, the students set up an impromptu dance floor by the poolside. Charles stopped his wheelchair just shy of the porch's edge, watching the scene with contentment. Ororo had been pleasantly surprised, and took to the festivities with an open happiness not often seen on her.
Currently, the eldest of his X-Women was being passed from man to man on the impromptu dance floor. Scott started it, talking her into an easy swing-step that surprised everyone except Ororo herself. Soon, Hank cut in to sweep her away into a graceful waltz that, at some prodding from Kitty, Piotr went to ask if he might cut in. Ororo was only happy to provide her Little Brother with a dance, until Kurt appeared to twirl her around the floor amidst her startled laughter.
It warmed his heart, seeing his X-Men this way. They didn't lead normal or safe lives at all, but to see them come together as a family like this never failed to make him happy.
Logan came to stand by him just as Remy was approaching the weather witch from the DJ booth that Ray and Roberto were manning. The music switched to an upbeat salsa, and Ororo rolled her eyes a little.
"Quite an interesting evening it's turned out to be hasn't it, old friend?" He said, steepling his fingers and leaning his elbows onto the arms of his chair. He didn't have to look up to know that Logan was now frowning at how Gambit seemed to be successfully coercing his padnat to salsa with him.
"Could call it that, yeah." He took a swig of his drink (beer filched from his private stash, since all the kids had served for the party was soda for themselves and prissy white wine for the adults; they knew Storm wouldn't approve of anything more).
Out of habit, his gaze did a cursory sweep of the area. The dance floor was quickly getting livelier, what with Tabby slyly tugging on an unassuming Piotr to teach him how to salsa. This prompted Kitty to grab the nearest boy (a clueless Bobby) so she could do the same, never mind that she was too busy glancing at Piotr and subtly frowning at Tabby to notice Bobby's growing horror. Jubilee waved merrily at him from the edge of the dance floor.
"You could simply ask for a dance, you know." Charles said, chuckling a little at the resulting scowl.
"Not exactly the dancin' type, Chuck." And anyway, more and more of the kids were heading into the floor by now. Logan could see that it wouldn't be long before it would start getting crowded… He stood a little straighter, watching Storm carefully.
"She'll be fine." assured Charles. Ororo had indeed tensed for a few moments, when the students started filling the space around and about her, but relaxed not seconds later. It was a different feeling, to be surrounded on all sides by people she loved.
Charles smiled.
They found themselves heading up to the teachers' wing at the same time.
"So," she said, smiling as they took the carpeted stairs up, "I'm told that you helped with the cake."
He slanted a smirk in her direction. "Only 'cause I wanted ta lick the bowl after the fact." He grinned at the face she struggled not to pull. "Nah, I'm just kiddin' ya. Hank blackmailed me."
"He did not!"
"Did so." He groused, rolling his eyes. "That so hard to believe?"
"Henry would never stoop to that level." At the glare she got, she amended: "Well, not often, I suppose. But the cake was delicious, Logan, and I was made aware that I had you to thank for that, as well."
"Yeah, well… yeah." He shrugged. "But the kids did most of it. If you should be thanking anyone…"
She smiled fondly. "I was surprised. I didn't think to ever expect something like this from them."
"Way you've been mothering them, I'd think it were way overdue."
"Funny," she murmured. "Vi said something similar to me, earlier."
He arched an eyebrow her way when she started shaking her head, smiling to herself.
"It's nothing, really. She made mention of how it must be like practice for the real thing, looking after everyone here at home."
For a split second, Logan imagined her with a tiny version of herself, maybe a daughter with her mother's hair, skin the color of coffee and eyes the color of the sky. Way he figured, it'd be a crime against nature if Storm never got the chance to be a real mother.
"... Logan?"
He blinked, realized too late that they'd made it to her door. She was looking at him curiously, a small smile playing at her lips. He hated when she did that, like she won a private bet with herself when he did something predictable (which he wasn't, damn it.)
"Thank you," she was saying, still smiling. "For staying to help, I mean. I know you didn't have to."
And before he could say anything else, she'd disappeared into her room, leaving him alone in the hallway.
... You know, that would've been the perfect time to kiss her good night-
He groaned, giving Jean a savage mental push out of his mind.
He went to bed, knowing his dreams would be peppered with images of kids that had Ororo's hair and eyes.
