Ain't No Sense in Sugar-Coating It

Chapter 1

"Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving."
― Albert Einstein

"Look, I don't wanna be -" Logan sighed, digging around inside his jacket pocket for his trusty cigar and catching sight of the Professor's face. "I ain't gonna light it in here, Chuck. Now where was I?" he grumbled to the man, trying to drag his thoughts up close and personal again.

The Professor steeped his fingers together and watched the feral mutant carefully. He knew what this conversation was leading to, he knew why the brawler had made his decision, and he wouldn't stand in his way.

"You're going to leave us, Logan," he replied, his eyes twinkling with warmth. "And we'll all miss you."

Logan was uncomfortable with the comments and cleared his throat. "Yeah, well," he grunted, shrugging his shoulders. "I was never one to be tied down."

"Marie will take this badly you know," Charles commented sagely, thinking of the poor child. "She's become very attached to you."

"No idea why," the feral snorted, shaking his head. "I'm an asshole, Chuck. She's a little girl, a kid, and she wants to be friends with the likes of me. Hell, she don't need it in her life. Marie's seven and ready to head on out and find brats her own age."

"She's six, Logan," the telepathic man pointed out with a wry smile.

He slipped the unlit cigar between his lips. "I was close, Wheels. Real close."

Sighing, Charles' unwavering gaze never left the feral's face. "You found her by the highway and brought her here to live with us. She trusts you, she likes you, she even tells you off for smoking," he chuckled and soon became serious again. "You're the only person she isn't shy around, Logan. This will break her heart and most likely destroy her trust in everybody here."

Stalking for the door, Logan was done talking. It wasn't his problem to take care of the kid and he'd keep telling his ass that. Anyway, it was time to hit the road and go meet up with his brother. The guy was a dick, but he was still family and they had business to take care of.

Stepping out the study, he came face-to-face with a tearful Marie and quickly chomped down on his cigar. "Hell," he muttered under his breath.

"Ya leavin'?" Marie asked, her bottom lip wobbling.

"Yeah, kid, I am," he answered honestly, not one for beating around the bush. "Ain't too sure I'm gonna be coming back any time soon either."

Tears gushed down her pale cheeks and she pulled at his flannel shirt. "Ah don't want ya tah go!" she whined, close to sobbing her heart out. "Ya mah friend, Logan. Ya have tah stay here with meh."

"Kid, you gotta be reasonable here," Logan grunted, gently brushing her hands away from his shirt and looking down at her. "I'm not leaving because I don't like you. I've got things I gotta do out there. This ain't about whether I like you or not, 'kay?" She cried even harder and he sighed. "C'mon, stop crying, Marie."

The girl turned on her heels and fled to her bedroom. She didn't want Logan to leave! Who was she going to tell not to smoke because it was naughty? And who'd watch cartoons with her and growl every time she sang in their ear? She wanted him to stay with her. Logan was her best, best, best friend.

Logan watched the girl leave and frowned. "Shit," he grumbled, eyeing her running up the stairs.

He made his way out to the garage and lit his cigar as he hauled his ass to the truck. The kid would be fine without him and it weren't like they were joined at the hip or anything. And anyway, Christmas was for chumps and he was gonna head out to Canada and do what he always did around this time of year: drink beer with his brother until they kicked off and started tearing lumps out of each other. It was a family tradition.

Sliding into the front seat, he stuck the keys in the ignition and leaned back as he inhaled the heavy smoke. If that wolf of his brother's took a chunk out of his leg again he'd boot it into next year. The damn animal was too loyal to Victor for his liking. Weren't no fighting to be had when a wolf was ready to rip you apart and Sabretooth's claws were bearing down on you, that was for sure.

Then he got to thinking about the kid again. She was crying because of him and his asshole ways. He guessed she wanted him to hang back for her first Christmas here and he felt rotten to the fucking core. Hell, she was up there right now hugging her bear and sobbing into her pillow, he knew she was. The little girl's routine was as serious as a heart attack when she was upset.

Logan snatched the keys from the truck and shook his head. The kid would probably enjoy being able to play in ten foot snow drifts up north. She'd get to loving that damn wolf, too. Marie had a thing for animals, especially dogs. He might not have remembered her age, but he did know that.

"Here's hoping Vic don't scar her for life," he snorted, snuffing out his cigar and going to break the news to Marie.

She was gonna be spending Christmas in Canada with two growling ferals and a messed up wolf. Here's hoping she wasn't expecting to be fed turkey and all the trimmings on Xmas day. They usually ate chips, canned beans and a slab of bloody steak. Shit was sure gonna get crazy when he reached the cabin.

Logan made his way inside her room and looked down at her bed, watching her hugging all the sheeting, pillows and bear she could. He was right, he was always right, she was crying a river in here and she'd soon flood the place if she weren't careful.

"Hey," he called to her, stooping down and patting her back. "There's been a change of plans, kid." The man frowned when she made no move to answer him. "C'mon, you're gonna catch sick if you keep dropping tears like that," he added, picking her up and setting her down in front of him.

Marie gazed up at Logan tearfully and looked ready to fall apart. She wanted to keep her best friend with her. "Ah – Ah don't want ya goin' away," she sniffled sadly.

"Darlin'," Logan said, patting her head and jerking a thumb toward her closet. "Get packing. We're running late and it's a long drive. You get what I'm saying?"

She shook her head.

"You're coming with me," he explained, taking a seat on the edge of the bed. "Now get to packing," he told her, glancing at his watch. "We don't have all day."

Her tears started to dry and there was a spring in her step as Marie skipped to the closet in search of her dark green duffle bag. "Ah'm goin' tah Canada Land!" she sang excitedly, sliding the doors open and dragging her bag out to the bed.

She settled her teddy bear, Mr Bojangles, on Logan's knee and beamed. "Santa lives in Canada Land an' Ah have tah write him a letter or he won't be able tah find meh."

He watched her walk for her small desk in the corner and he sighed with irritation. "No, we don't have time for that now," he grumbled, sending her off to her closet with a gentle push.

Then he frowned when he registered all that talk about Santa. Hell, he wasn't expected to go along with that was he? Scratching his facial hair, he remained silent and dug around for another cigar. He sure needed the kick it gave him.

A disappointed Marie dropped Logan's wrapped present, a fairy wand, a pair of Rudolph socks and a colouring book into her bag with a small pout. She didn't know how Santa would find her and it made her feel very sad. What if he put her on the naughty list because she didn't tell him where she was going?

An oblivious Logan was too busy searching for his lighter to notice the kid's lack of skills when it came to knowing the difference between clothes and junk. He grunted in satisfaction when she looked ready to head on out to the truck and stood, knocking the bear to the carpet and grabbing her coat.

"Mr Bojangles!" she gasped, picking up her other best friend and tucking him under her arm tightly.

Logan rolled his eyes and zipped up her duffle as he watched her apologising to the bear for the 'silly man'. He snorted and picked up the bag, waiting to get going. "Kid, the bear's fine. Put this on because we're leaving now," he told her, holding out her coat.

She slipped her coat on without an argument and he was damn thankful for that.

"Let's get outta here," he rumbled to his little shadow, leading her out of the room and down the hall. "We got a cabin to get to."

Marie sang the best Christmas song again and again and again. She loved it and so did Logan! He always growled and made doggy noises when he was happy. She cuddled her teddy bear, Mr Bojangles, to her chest tightly. Santa loved Jingle Bells because his reindeer did. They probably ate them with their carrots and then farted broken bells everywhere. She told Logan that and he looked at her for a really long time.

Opening her mouth as wide as it would go; she kicked her legs and started to sing the only lines she thought she knew. "Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way. Jingle bells with carrots an' they're farted all the way tah Canada Land! Jingle bells, Canada Land, jingle bells!"

The man beside her gripped the steering wheel tightly and sighed under his breath. He might have been allergic to Christmas but he damn well knew that wasn't the way the song went.

"Kid, maybe you should take a break," he suggested, ready to slice and dice the next car that cut him off his chosen path through the interstate.

They were already heading over the border and he couldn't wait to grab himself a beer and go butcher a tree for fire wood. He was tense and the kid's singing was giving him a headache. She sure had talents but singing wasn't one of them.

"Logan," Marie said sweetly, strapped in beside him on the long, battered, leather bench.

"What?" he asked her, smirking as he flipped the finger when he overtook the bastard who cut him off earlier.

She listened to a car honking behind them and stared up at him with a stern look. "Ya goin' tah be on Santa's naughty list 'cause ya really, really naughty an' fart jingle bells all the time."

Logan rewarded her with a snort and she started singing again. This was going to be a long drive.

Wolverine couldn't remember a time he'd been relieved to reach the cabin, but he was, even though the kid had finally fallen asleep and quit singing. He pulled the truck to a stop in the driveway and opened the door, a rush of frozen air hitting him.

His boots crunched in the snow as he made his way to the girl's side and opened her door. Not wanting to wake her or start her up singing again, he gently pulled her into his arms and scooped her up.

"C'mon, Marie," he whispered to her, holding her in one arm and grabbing her duffle bag with the other. "It's time to meet an asshole," he added, kicking the door shut with his foot.

He could already hear the wolf barking away and bouncing off the walls as he walked to the front porch. There was no knocking or waiting for Logan, he let himself in and instantly caught sight of a giant wolf bounding towards him.

"Victor," he grunted, stepping into the warm cabin and shooting a glare his brother's way. "Call it off."

Victor smirked when his brother popped his claws and whistled shrilly to the wolf. He clicked his fingers to a spot beside him and the great beast with the coal sprinkled fur trotted back to its master. But the older feral's eyes settled on his brother again and he scowled.

"What the fuck is that?" Victor growled, staring down the pup in his kin's arms.

Logan raised an eyebrow and shut the cabin door quietly behind him. "It's a kid," he answered, giving his brother a look. "What the hell do you think it is?"

Sniffing the air, a wave of understanding, a punch of shock and a bark of laughter came from Victor, the older of the two brothers. "A mistake. Should've bought a condom, Jimmy."

Wolverine curled Marie closer to him and a growl ripped through his throat as he sheathed his claws. "Can it, Victor."

"I'm serious," he smirked, patting his wolf's head. "She'd be long gone in a rubber grave if you'd worn a fucking condom." He sniffed the girl's scent again and shook his head. "Stupid motherfucker."

Logan's muscles tensed and if he hadn't been holding Marie shit would have flown and bones would have been snapped. "Enough," he warned, making his way over to the kitchenette.

"Thought I'd taught your ass better than that, little brother," the older feral taunted, lighting a cigarette and scratching behind the wolf's ear.

Marie started to stir awake and Logan ignored his asshole of a brother. "Hey, kid," he greeted, throwing her bag on the couch and sitting her down on the counter top "Hungry?"

The little girl rubbed the sleep from her eyes and glanced over at the other man. He was really tall and big and his hair was like short, messy sunshine. When she saw him looking at her, she tried to bury her face against Logan's flannel shirt.

Logan snorted and picked her up again. "See that guy over there?"

She nodded quietly, resting her head on his shoulder.

"That there's your uncle," he said to her, grinning when he caught sight of Sabretooth's face.

"Now wait a minute -" Victor snarled, settling down on the couch.

Marie felt a little braver now Logan was holding her and she leaned closer to whisper in his ear. "He's mean an' he's on Santa's naughty list."

"Yeah, I'm the mean one," Sabretooth grumbled, eyeing the two. "You wanna fill the pup in on your past, Jimmy? If not, pass me a fucking beer and tape her mouth shut."

Logan's eye twitched and he sniffed out the beer in the fridge. "Marie," he said to the girl gruffly. "You're not to copy anything your uncle says. He's a dick. That goes for me, too."

The small girl with the tangled brown hair was confused and sleepy. "Ya a dick an' so is he," she agreed, smiling when she spotted the really big doggy.

Victor barked out another laugh and Logan dropped a bottle of beer on his lap, drawing a snarl from the former. "Kid, that's strike one," he told his young charge. "Now stay out of trouble while I go searching for food."

Happy to be set on the couch, Marie climbed off the leather and wandered closer to the wolf, a little nervous, but more than curious too. She reached out a hand to touch his fur and was delighted when the wolf licked her.

Logan listened to the kid giggle as he opened a random cupboard and sniffed the contents. He knew the goddamn animal wouldn't attack the girl otherwise he'd never have brought Marie here in the first place. Finding nothing of use except chilli sauce and a can of beans, he sighed and went to fetch himself a beer.

"Pizza it is then," he announced, rubbing the back of his neck. "And Uncle Victor's paying."

Chapter 2 has already been written, chapter 3 is in the works and Albert Einstein has nothing to do with the plot.

I hope you enjoyed this!

PS. Can you RP as Wolverine or Sabretooth? If so, please contact me!