Would you Ride?

Chapter 1: Nobody Ever Said

Logan Howlett wiped the dust off of his hands and looked at his finished work. 10 in the morning and all his work was finished, it scared him to think he had nothing left to do for the holiday, he had nervously arose at 3 that morning unable to sleep from the seasonal anxiety of the holiday season, starting with Thanksgiving. He cracked his stiff neck and trudged back to the house where he removed his boots before entering from the back door. Mrs. Summers stood in the kitchen looking as pleasant as any woman could her red hair pulled up in a high pony tail and an apron tied tight around her waist showing off her fantastic figure.

"I didn't see you at breakfast today Logan, up early again?"

Logan flashed her a short smile and nodded silently, he found her attractive, but she had always been off limits, she had been Mr. Summers' girlfriend from before Logan had even started working for Scott. Scott came into the kitchen soon after and blinked at Logan, "I thought you would be gone most of the day again."

"I can make myself scares if that's what'dja like Slim," Logan murmured looking out the back door and wondering if he could make it all the way to the back fence before sunset if he started this early. Jean giggled and set a glass of water next to the man's arm and smiled at his cheeky answer, "Well I'm sure you're done early hoping to be off to see you own family for the holiday," She said sweetly leaning on the counter and looking at Logan the way she often did when she wanted to know his secret life.

Logan caved to her inquiry, he couldn't stand up to her green eyes when they were fixed on him like that, he shook his head again and looked at the far right corner of the ceiling, "I ain't got a family to go to."

Jean straitened and hit Scott playfully, "I told you! I knew it, I was just telling Scott last night that I didn't think that you really went anywhere for the holidays you just wondered off for three or four days and came back pretending you had gone somewhere."

Logan raised an eyebrow and glanced at Scott, whom in his own turn blinked at Jean and shook his head walking out on to the porch and motioning for Logan to fallow him, when Logan joined him on the concrete slab Scott shut the door behind them and looked at the barn Logan had finished that morning, "Logan, I know you're not the sort of man that likes to stay in one place for any sort of time, and I'm thankful I've had your helping hand for as long as I have, but if you'd like, you're more than welcome to stay around here for Thanksgiving, I've got some family coming in and it would be nice to have you around."

Logan didn't answer right off instead he considered Scott's words as he looked off into the distance than sighed heavily, "I haven't celebrated a Thanksgiving for a long time Scott. I don't know that I'd be quite as useful as I should be."

Scott smiled easily and clapped him on his back, "You don't need to be useful; it's a holiday."

Logan nodded and looked shiftily at his dirty fingernails, "Is there anything you need me to do before your folks get here?"

"Well if you could pick up my younger cousin from the airport-" Scott trailed off letting Logan consider the offer and when the other man nodded and picked up his boots from beside the door Scott smiled, "Thanks Logan."

Logan started to walk towards his small apartment when he stopped and turned to look at Scott, "how will I now her?"

Scott pulled out his wallet and tossed it to Logan. Logan dropped his bots and caught the wallet opening it and looking at the pictures inside, there was Jean and an elderly man and then a gorgeous girl with brown hair down her back and a sweet southern smile, "Take the photo!" Scott said and motioned for Logan to toss back the wallet Logan grinned wickedly and pulled out the photo then a twenty dollar bill and held it up for Scott to see.

"For gas," Logan said then tossed the wallet back and picked up his boots again and trudged in his socks across the yard to his apartment. He set his boots down just inside the door and stripped himself of his socks carrying them to the small basket in the corner of his room dropping them unceremoniously into the small pile then he unbuttoned his work shirt tossing it in the basket, then his wife beater after that then he walked to the bathroom starting the water running he pulled off his jeans and stepped gingerly into the cold water. He scrubbed quickly with soap and uttered several curses that the repair man had not come out to fix Scott's water heater yet. Finally he pronounced himself clean and stepped out of the shower and draped a towel over his dripping shoulders, scooped up his pants and walked back into his room where he dumped those as well into the basket. The best part about Montana Logan thought to himself was the dryness of the air. He really never had to dry his body after a shower, only his hair. He set about rubbing his head with the towel and then when he was satisfied tossed the towel on his bed opening a drawer and pulling out a fresh undershirt. Then a new pair of jeans, an old pair that were comfortable and full of holes. After pulling on his new over shirt he walked down the stairs of his apartment to the small garage, he hadn't bothered to put on shoes relishing rather in the coolness of the concrete on the soles of his tired feet. He was in need of a goodnight's sleep and would be happy when he returned with Scott's gorgeous cousin to simply come back to his dim apartment and sleep for the rest of the day. He started the engine of his old red pickup truck and pulled out of the open air garage. He pulled away from the apartment and moved slowly towards the main gate; Scott's dogs jumped up from the front porch when they heard Logan's truck and barked happily when they saw him. Logan smirked as the three dogs made a large commotion over his entry, Scott stuck his head outside of the front door and waved at Logan, "I called Mari to let her know you would be picking her up."

Logan nodded and hit the gas driving off down the country road just as fast as he pleased. It felt good to have the wind on his face. The air smelled of fall and the coming winter, it also smelled of hickory smoke from the smokers on a nearby farm, and of the pines on another. Logan breathed deep and pressed in the power button on his radio and let the oldie rock start to play as he drove.

The airport was a bustling intersection if noise and movement Logan pulled up to the curb and put his truck in neutral looking through the crowd of people for the same gorgeous girl in the photo. An airport cop came and stuck his head in Logan's window, "you need to move along Sir, you can't park here."

Logan turned his face from the doors and fixed the man with a death glare, "lucky for me I ain't parked. See the little letter lit up there it's an 'N' not a 'P' and last time I checked N stood for neutral."

"Now listen here buddy you can't just sit outside the airport you have to go back and make another round of it."

Logan glanced back at the people then back at the cop, "No you listen to me, I can't let her wait, look at this girl," He took out the picture and showed it to the man, "no really look at her, that's not the kind of girl you make wait."

"Listen, the rules say you can't park-"

"I'm not parking Logan said exasperatedly and looked once more for the girl he was supposed to be picking up and there she was standing and looking around trying to find her ride, Logan changed the shifter and smiled smarmily at the cop, "Now it's in park." Then waved a hand for the man to step away from the truck and got out taking the girl's bag for her.

Mari gazed at the man her cousin had sent to pick her up, Scott had told her he looked like a bit of a wild man but she hadn't expected such muscles or those uncommonly clear blue eyes, She let him take her back and set it gently into the truck bed then open the door for her and walk back around the truck. The cop stood his arms crossed at the driver's side door and Logan made a threatening jester to clear the man off and then climbed in and started the engine. They pulled away and drove in silence for a while; Mari smiled at him from under her brown curls and picked at a loose string on her glove.

"So you work for Scott do ya?"

Logan nodded and checked his mirrors, "Have been for a few years now,"

"It's funny, he barely ever talks about you so I thought maybe you had quit and then he called me today and told me you were coming to pick me up, well it was a surprise."

Logan smirked and glanced at Mari, "Logan," he said extending a hand to her.

"Mari," she said taking his and shaking firmly, "So are you sticking around for Thanksgiving or are you heading out to visit a Mrs. Logan"

Logan laughed in the back of his throat at being asked that for the second time that day, "Naw, I only visit Mrs. Logan on Easter and Labor Day."

Mari smiled at Logan's snarky answer and settled into her seat looking at the sensory. Logan glanced at her once or twice admiring her beauty; she didn't seem to mind the wind in her hair or the notice of the road she just rode silently in the passenger seat gazing at the farmland with a soft smile on her lips.

Most people felt uncomfortable with Logan the first time they met him. He was a muscular man that looked like he could kill a grizzly, and probably had at some point, with his bare hands. His silence was by far however the most intimidating part about him. Where most people felt it necessary to fill the void if talk with nervous chatter; Logan had little to say and didn't say anything if nothing crossed his mind. He attributed it to his long years of solitude, he had wondered alone for so long and gotten so used to not saying anything to anyone it was now hard for him to make conversation. At any rate the things that crossed his mind were for the most part things he didn't care to share with others, things as simple as how the air smelled were not good talking points. Mari however relished the silence; she was so used to the hustle and bustle of an office that it was nice to just be able to enjoy the sound of the air rushing past a car. There was so much to do in her life it was nice not to have anything and to just relax, just to let the whole world pass her by.

They pulled up to the main house and Logan parked his truck and climbed out of the truck and pulling Mari's things out of the bed of the truck smiled at Jean whom had rushed out of the house and engulfed Mari in a hug, "I have the best news ever Mari!" she said gleefully and winked at Logan whom stood awkwardly holding the girl's things, "Logan could you take those up to the second floor and set them on the first guest room on the right?"

Logan nodded and padded softly across the grass in his bare feet and then up the stairs setting the bags down in the room. Scott came down the hall and smiled at him, "Mari's here then"

"Yeah, you're wife and her are planning some satanic woman ritual from what I can tell."

Scott laughed and nodded, "we'll have to hide the black candles and tampons."

They walked down the stairs and Scott grabbed Mari pulling her tight into a hug, "I never thought I'd see my big fashion designing cousin again."

So that's what she did, Logan said to himself moving towards the kitchen where Jean had returned to with her young daughter rambling on about the school day she had just come home from. Logan patted Susan on the head and sat at the large kitchen table, the little girl squealed and grabbed Logan's pant leg, "Guess what! Guess what!"

"What?" Logan asked sitting forward taking the child's hands and grinning back at her.

"I made you something at school today! Boy I am I glad you haven't left yet."

Logan laughed and glanced up as Scott and Mari entered the room, "What'ja make me?"

"I made you this!" Susan said fishing out a necklace from her pocket, it was several strands of beads that were made to look like shaved bone and some feather's held together with leather string.

"A Native American tribal necklace," Logan said looking at Susan for confirmation and the girl nodded and clapped her hands.

"YES! Because your Apache right?"

Logan looked at Susan and raised his eyebrows then shrugged, "why not?"

Mari laughed and Susan looked at her sharply, "careful white girl, he might scalp you!"

Logan choked back a laugh and looked at Jean for help, Jean laughed and knelt down next to Susan, "That's enough about scalping Susan, you have to be nice to Mari; she is your cousin you know."

Susan hung her head and looked at Mari ashamed of herself, "I'm sorry Mari."

Mari smiled graciously and touched the tip of Susan's nose playfully, "Don't worry about it, I shouldn't have laughed at such a powerful brave any way."

Susan laughed and clapped her hands again, then looked back at Logan, "I know that you don't want to celebrate Thanksgiving because it makes the beginning of the end of your great and powerful civilization but… won't you stay this year?"

Logan nodded and slipped the necklace into his pocket, "I'll stay, but only because you asked me too." Susan grinned again and hugged Logan's lower leg then wandered off after the dogs to play catch.

Logan watched her go and stood nodding at Jean then going out the back door and walking around the house to move his truck back to his apartment. Once he had gone Mari sat at the table and sighed, "I can't believe he's single."

Jean nodded sagely and looked out her window at Susan whom was now sitting sedately with the dogs as often Logan would do in the late evenings with her right hand placed calmly on their elderly dog's side, "he's good with kids too," she murmured.

Scott picked up his hat and walked to the door thinking to himself that what they were doing was far worse then any satanic woman ritual could ever be. They were plotting to cage a wild animal with love.

***

Author's note:

So yeah VERY AU… basically let me lay it out for you, there is no X-men but there is an Xavier's school for gifted youngsters. Logan and Scott do not hate each other and somehow… and I'm not sure how Mari and Scott are now genetically related…. I mean they're cousins but took some serious mental acrobats to get that to work I my head. The little girl is an OC obviously… I usually abhor using them… but she's cute and therefore she stays.