A.N.: Hey y'all! Watched X-em movie today, then fell asleep & dreamt about it while it played on my television. Hope ya'll enjoy this one.

Disclaimer: Do NOT own X-men. Only own story Idea, Ruse, & Zany. Also, Ruse means Trick; Zany means Crazy. Rogue means Scoundrel.

Warning: Spankging involved. If it makes you uncomfortable, please do not read & then flame me. Thank-you.


X-men:

Wolverine (Logan) – healing & steel throughout his body. Blades come out of his hands.

Rogue (Marie) – takes on other mutant's powers – absorbs energy

Storm – can control weather – mentioned briefly

Cyclops (Scott) – shoots lasers with his eyes

Jean – can read ones mind & can move things with her mind

Professor Xavier – can read & control minds

Ice Man (Bobby) – can turn things to ice

Pyro (John) – plays with fire

New X-men:

Ruse (Lenore) – healing, invisibility, steel throughout body (blades come out of her hands), bit of telepathy

Zany (Alex) – teleportation


"Wolvie!" Ruse shrieked delightedly, upon spotting Wolverine.

Logan stopped walking, when he heard the seven-year-old child call his name. He scooped her up, once she had reached him, after having had disobediently run down the hall. "Hey, Imp," he smiled. "You been good?"

"Uh-huh!" Ruse nodded, though she had gotten in a bit of trouble while he'd been gone.

"I sense that to be a lie," Logan told her firmly. He eyed her warily. "And what have I told you about lies?"

"Not that bad," Ruse admitted sheepishly. "Nothin' big. Just got caught daydreamin' in a class."

"Alright," Logan replied. "But that had better be it."

Ruse nodded, wrapping her small arms about his neck and hugging him tightly. "Missed you!"

Logan gave her head a quick kiss, after having had not sensed anyone near by. "Same here, Kid."

Ruse giggled as he set her back down upon the floor. "We're havin' free-time!" She told him, as though it were the most important thing in the world. "I'm a playin' with Pyro!"

"Pyro, eh?" Logan said, raising his eyebrows.

"Uh-huh. Bobby an' Rogue makin' kissy-face, an' Storm a not likin' it 'cause Rogue is takin' Bobby powers!"

"Rogue's kissing Bobby?" Logan repeated, not liking the thought of that one bit. "She can't have human contact!"

"They be careful!" Ruse informed him. "Rogue promise not to hurt Bobby!"

"Ruse!" They heard Pyro call out then. "You're s'pose to be hiding, not yammering to Logan!"

"Whoops!" Ruse giggled, quickly making herself invisible as her and Logan entered the room where the table soccer was.

Pyro gave Logan a brief nod. "Yah haven't seen a lil' Imp 'round here, have yah?"

Logan stared steadily at him. "Do I look like I've seen an Imp lately?"

Rogue and Bobby looked up from their spot on the couch, upon hearing Logan speak.

"Logan!" Rogue exclaimed looking and sounding surprised all at once. She quickly began to straighten her shirt, as Bobby straightened his. "I didn't know you were coming back today!"

"Only the Professor knew," Logan answered, eyeing the two teenagers with a look of displeasure. "And mind you, when a child is in the room, to not do what it appears."

Rogue blushed, as Bobby looked down at his feet. "She's not in here, Logan."

"Are you sure about that, Marie?" Logan queried. He only used their actual names if they were trying his patience. Well, with the exception of Bobby. "The little Imp could be anywhere she wants to be right about now."

Rogue looked at him confused. "She's off hiding on John. They're not using their abilities. We'd know if she was here."

"And when has she ever followed the rules of the game?" Logan argued slightly.

John, also know as Pyro, stared at Logan then. "She's cheating again, isn't she?"

Logan shrugged. "As I said before, I haven't seen any little Imps tonight."

John moved closer to Logan, and was soon pretty much at his side. He reached out then, and tickled what seemed to be thin air. He'd known that Rogue and Bobby hadn't noticed that Logan's one hand was swinging on its own.

A shrill shriek of laughter was heard then. "Aha haha! Pyro!" Ruse laughed heartily. "Thats tickles!"

Rogue and Bobby's eyes went wide, as the thin air suddenly took on the form of the small child who loved to talk them into causing mischief. They hadn't known she was there – and if she was in the room now, there was no telling just how many other times she had snuck in on them.

John scooped her up and swung her about. "I GOT RUSE!" He called out.

"Who else yah lookin' for?" Logan asked.

"Zany!" Ruse managed to get out through giggles. "We was hidin' together! Buts I saw you, Wolvie, and gots out!"

"Was wondering what all the noise was about," a voice said suddenly.

Logan turned, only to find Scott watching them all. "At least they know how to have fun and not act like a dick."

Ruse giggled, then shouted, "SCOTT'S A DICK!" She went silent when Logan gave her a stern look.

"Ah…Let's go find Zany," John told her, carrying her out of the room rather quickly. He didn't want for the female child to get in trouble so soon after Logan's arrival.

"Nice thing to teach her," Scott replicated warily. "Like she doesn't gives us a hard enough time as it is."

"Your problem, not mine," Logan rejoined with a shrug.

"Oh, but you see, it is your problem, Logan," Scott stated. "She listens to you better than anyone else – including the Professor."

"And that makes it my problem, how?" Logan challenged.

"Ask the Professor. He'll tell you," Scott answered, then eyed the teenaged couple still sitting upon the couch. "I believe you still have some homework you need to see too."

Both teenagers nodded, and quickly got up, leaving the room hand-in-hand, only clothed and one not. They hurried upstairs to get their books, so that they could converge in the kitchen to study.

Logan eyed Scott for a long moment, before heading for the Professor's study. He tried to ignore the fact that Scott was now following him.

"Ah, welcome back Logan," the Professor greeted warmly. "I have been awaiting your arrival."

"What exactly is this about Ruse being in my charge?" Logan demanded, not beating around the bush.

"I have decided it to be what is best for the child," Professor Xavier informed him. "She will not listen to the rest of us. She appears to obey you better than anyone else. Though, she does listen to John every so often, she seems to have taken a liking to you."

"What is with the girls taking a liking to me?" Logan muttered.

"My question exactly," Scott piped up.

Logan shot him a glare, then looked back to the Professor. "For how long will she be in my charge?"

"Until she is old enough to decide things on her own," Professor Xavier replied. "She is a child – a child that needs a loving parent more than she would like to think. And because that is what she craves, it appears she has chosen you as that person of comfort."

"Joy," Logan grumbled. "Another brat to look after."

"Logan, you and I both know you have taken a liking to the child as well," Professor Xavier stated. "The same with Rogue."

"And what happens if I decide not to take charge of the Imp?" Logan queried.

"She will not be kicked out, if that's what you are thinking," Professor Xavier told him. "All children are welcome here. But – should you decide not to take charge of her, then Scott and Jean shall take over her upbringing."

"No way in bloody hell!" Logan snapped, his eyes darkening some. "He takes her and she'll wind up like him – someone with a dick up their ass."

"You can't talk like that in front of her!" Scott reminded him. "You saw how she repeated you earlier."

"And you saw that I took care of it," Logan retorted. "Now, either back off, or I'm gonna ram yah into that wall yah leanin' against."

"That'll be enough!" Professor Xavier ordered. "You are both dismissed."

Both X-men left the Professor's study then, both wondering just how Logan was going to be able to take care of the seven-year-old Imp.

Meanwhile, John and Ruse had finally found Zany, her best friend. Zany was eight-years-old and tended to look after Ruse as best he could. He had deemed himself her protector. While Ruse was small for her age, Zany was almost a whole head taller than her. Zany was a teleporter, while Ruse was telepathic, could make herself invisible, and could heal herself like Logan could. Also, she too had metal throughout her body, though no one over eight knew that, as she never let Jean get close enough to do a full examination; she also never used that power in front of anyone except Zany. Ruse had shoulder-length brown hair that had natural blond highlights, which looked like streaks; she also had piercing green eyes. And – though she was called an imp – she was not one in the physical sense. She was a normal child, except for her mutant powers. Zany, on the other hand, had dark brown hair and chocolate brown eyes. He too was human and appeared to be a normal child. Also, Ruse's real name was Lenore, and Zany's was Alexander – Alex for short.

"Finally!" John exclaimed, having had found Zany hiding in the back of a hall closet. "I was beginning to think we'd never find you!"

Zany laughed. "Ruse knew where I was. I don't cheat an' use powers, like she does."

"I don't cheat!" Ruse pouted, crossing her arms over her chest.

John smiled and kissed her cheek. "Don't worry about it, Kiddo."

Ruse scowled down at her best friend. She was not at all amused.

"I was just kiddin'. Yeesh!" Zany told her. "Somebody needs a nap."

"I do not need nap!" Ruse argued, slowly beginning to grow angry. "I'm a not sleepy!"

"Well, you're cranky," Zany replicated, starting to lose patience with her. They may've been best friends, and him her protector, but they were still just children – and children did tend to argue and tease. "I don't wanna play no more."

"Fine! Don't play!" Ruse shouted after him, as he began to walk down the hall. "Dick!"

Zany turned on his heel to face her and John once more. "I am not a dick!" He shouted down the hall at her. "You're bein' mean!"

"No! You're bein' mean!" Ruse screamed. "You're nothin but a big ole dick!"

"I may be a dick, but least I'm not mean!" Zany snapped.

Ruse grew angry then, and let her middle blade come out of her hand to give him the finger – she had seen Logan do this to Scott numerous times.

Scott and Logan had just entered the hall where all the shouting was, when Ruse surprised them by having a blade come out of her one hand – the blade they assumed to be the middle one.

"I'm tellin' the Professor!" Zany cried. "You're not 'llowed to do that!"

"No need to tell him," Logan spoke up. "I'll take care of it."

Ruse's eyes went wide, and she quickly made her blade disappear. She was angry that she had let her secret slip out like that.

"But -!"

"Zany, I'd advise you to get to bed," Scott told him. "It's late."

"Yes, Sir," Zany replied glumly.

"I'll take the Imp off your hands now, John," Logan told him, retrieving the child from the teen. "You'd best go about your business, if yah know what's best for yah."

John nodded, kissed Ruse's head, then vacated the area quickly. He did not want Logan to get mad at him – he'd had that happen before, and wasn't in a hurry to have it happen again.

Logan eyed Scott a moment, then carried Ruse upstairs to her room. Once there, he closed and locked the door behind him – though the child didn't know he'd locked her door. He set her down upon the bed and looked down at her. "Yah care to explain why you were being so rude to Zany?"

"I don't cheat!" Ruse answered firmly.

"All this 'cause he said you were cheatin'?" Logan demanded. He watched her nod, then continued. "You know well enough not to name call like that!"

"He was mean," Ruse stated simply.

"No. You were mean, Imp," Logan rejoined. "How many times do you have to be told to be nice to people? You have got to learn to control yah anger."

"Got no anger!" Ruse argued, folding her arms over her small chest. "You got anger!"

"Damn right I got anger!" Logan snapped. "I get angry when a little girl misbehaves and treats someone wrongly because she's in a foul mood."

"Nots cranky!" Ruse shrieked. "I'm nots!"

"Lower your voice!" Logan growled. "You will not raise yah voice to me, little girl!"

Ruse's eyes went wide and she looked ready to cry, as Logan hardly ever growled at her. She fidgeted about on the bed slightly, feeling a bit nervous for some reason, though still very angry.

"Now, so you know, I am in charge of you," Logan told her. "Professor Xavier thinks it'll be the best if I look after yah. And Kid, if I'm to look after yah, we're gonna have some rules you're gonna follow or suffer the consequences."

Ruse glowered up at him, once she'd lifted her head up slightly.

"Don't yah give me that look. Yah brought this on yah self," Logan began. "Now, for one, no name callin' like yah were earlier. For two, no raisin' that middle blade of yours to anyone. For three, you're gonna start goin' to bed at a set time; I'm sick of yah bein' cranky towards everyone. For four, punishment will be dealt out soon as yah do somethin' wrong. An' for five, you'll do as told by anyone of us X-men or wind up in more trouble than yah can handle."

Ruse gave him an icy glare, then deliberately stuck her one middle blade up as she had done earlier to Zany. Suddenly, the next thing she knew, she was being lifted up and placed over Logan's lap and held down tightly. She'd never been in this position before, and began to try and struggle free.

Logan had had enough of her impish attitude. He was going to teach her a lesson – one he knew she wouldn't soon forget. He held her down as she struggled, and deftly removed the pants she wore.

Ruse kept trying to squirm out of his grasp, but he was just too damned strong. Her eyes went wide when she felt him removes her panties, so that her bottom was now bared and upright.

Logan shifted her, so that her bottom would be pointed upwards a bit more, so that he'd have easier access to it. He then raised his hand and brought it down on the small squirming bottom as hard as he dared.

Ruse yelped loudly, upon contact. After the second smack, her tears began to stream steadily down her small face. "OW!"

Logan kept spanking the little bottom over his lap, flattening each cheek in turn. He was determined to get his point across to her. "You will not smack call people smacknames! You will not smack stick that blade up smack at any smack one! smack You will not smack raise your smack voice smack to any smack X-man! smack smack You will smack learn to smack listen! smack I smack mean smack it, Lenore!"

Ruse wailed, as Logan kept smacking her jiggling bottom. She was sore and scared, and of course, quite upset.

Logan kept at her bottom, now having a steady rhythm of spanks going.

"Wolvie!" Ruse cried. "Wolvie! Stop! Please! Wolvie!"

Logan ignored her cries, and kept spanking the naughty bottom over his knee.

"It hurts! Wolvie! It hurts!" Ruse screamed, once more trying to get away, or to at least avoid the hard spanks that reigned down on every part of her little bottom.

Logan began to smack the tender spot then, right where the bottom and thighs connect. He made sure to smack her thighs a few times as well, picking up his pace.

"OW! OWWW!" Ruse shrieked through her sobs. "OW! WOLVIE! OW!"

Logan shifted her a bit more, so he'd have better access to her tender spot. He reigned down a few more hard smacks.

"Ow…" Ruse whimpered, now having had stopped struggling. She was lying limp over his lap. "W-Wolvie…"

Logan stopped immediately, when he heard her voice crack upon saying his name. He felt horrible for having had to spank her, and just hoped he hadn't gotten carried away and taken it too far. He let her lie there for a few moments, as he rubbed her back in an attempt to calm her down.

Ruse hiccupped through her tears, choking on her sobs every so often.

Logan very carefully sat her up on his knee after a few more moments had passed. He kept his hand on her back, still rubbing it softly. "Are you going to listen to me now?"

Ruse nodded slightly, rubbing her eyes with little fists. Right then, she was willing to agree to anything, just so she could get off his lap and find a place to hide.

"Now, I've a couple more rules," Logan said, not once stopping his hand that rubbed her back. "No making yourself invisible to spy on people. No lying. And no repeating the bad words I say. Understood?"

Ruse nodded again. "C'n I go now?"

"Go where?" Logan questioned, wondering where she wanted to go.

"Pyro," Ruse whimpered. "Wanna story."

"Alright," Logan agreed. "But, you have to come back here right afterwards. And only one story, Imp."

Ruse nodded for the third time, and with a whimper, slid out of his lap. Once she'd quickly yanked her panties up and put her pants back on, she hurried out of her room. Soon as she was out of her room, she went invisible, so nobody would be able to see her crying.

Logan shook his head. "Little Imp is gonna drive me crazy." He got up and went downstairs to the kitchen to get a snack.

John had been playing around with his lighter, when he heard a soft knock on his door. "Who is it?" He called, frowning when he got no answer. He got up and opened the door. "What the…?" He slammed his door shut, after having not seen anyone standing outside. He turned around, and jumped – startled – as Ruse was now standing next to his bed, tears streaming down her small face.

"Ruse? What are you doing here?" John wanted to know. "You're supposed to be in bed."

Ruse gave a small whimper in response.

John frowned. Something wasn't right. He went over and kneeled before the small child. "What's wrong, Kiddo?"

"Wolvie…" Ruse managed to get out, as she flung herself into John's arms.

"What? What about Wolvie?" John asked, now worried. "What did Wolvie do?"

"Ow…" Ruse cried softly, burying her face into his neck.

John furrowed his brow, not understanding exactly what she meant. "Ow what?"

Ruse pulled back from him long enough to rub her bottom frantically. "Ow…"

"Oh!" John said, suddenly understanding. "Wolvie gave you a spanking, huh?"

Ruse nodded through her tears. "Owie…"

John sighed and pulled her into a hug. "Shh. It's okay Kiddo. It's okay."

Ruse sobbed into his shoulder. "Don' like Wolvie no more."

"Aww. C'mon. This hurt him more than you," John told her gently.

"Scary," Ruse blubbered. "Wolvie scary."

"Wolvie's scary, huh?"

Ruse clung to John tightly, seeking his protection and the safety his arms around her brought.

John carefully picked her up and paced the room with her in his arms. He kissed her head and rubbed her back affectionately. "Damned Moron scared the shit outta her," he thought bitterly. "Doesn't he know she's just a little kid! She doesn't get why her Wolvie hurt her!"

Ruse calmed down about a half hour later – well, enough to be read her story and to be put to bed by John – Pyro to her.

John shook his head, after having tucked the small girl in. He couldn't believe after an hour, she was still extremely upset and scared. He returned to his own room, awaiting Bobby's arrival, as they shared a room; Bobby was saying goodnight to Rogue at the moment.

A short while later, Ruse got up to go get a glass of milk. Scared she'd get in trouble for leaving her room in the middle of the night, she went into invisible mode, and snuck downstairs to the kitchen. She stopped just outside of it, when she heard voices.

"She really has blades?" Jean asked, eyeing both Logan and Scott skeptically. "If so, why didn't she ever tell us?"

"You know she's not that fond of your Jean," Scott replied. "Telling, would mean a trip to the infirmary and having to let you poke her and scan her. You know how much she hates the infirmary."

"If she's hidin' her blades from everyone, just what else is she hidin', I wonder," Logan piped up. "I mean, she lied about only bein' able to go invisible, as we found out not long ago she can read minds too."

Jean and Scott both shrugged.

"We should probably talk to the Professor about this," Jean told them. "I mean, he needs to know about her blades. She seems to like him well enough."

Ruse frowned, but shrugged their comments off. She quietly entered the kitchen, still in invisible mode. She was thirsty, so to her, their conversation was of no importance.

"Hold up," Logan said suddenly, sniffing the air. "Someone's here."

Scott and Jean both frowned.

"Lights out was ten minutes ago," Scott replicated.

"Don't mean everybody's gone to bed," Logan rejoined.

"Well, I don't see anyone," Jean shrugged.

"Just 'cause yah can't see 'em, don't mean they're not here," Logan retorted, sniffing the air again.

Ruse was halfway to the fridge, when she froze. Her own wolverine senses kicking in; she could feel Logan getting closer, though her back was to him. She suddenly felt scared, and wished she hadn't come down for milk.

"Should be right about…Here!" Logan said, swinging his hand and making a firm contact with Ruse's small bottom.

"OW!" Ruse yelped, jumping and making herself visible in the process.

"Lenore! I thought I told you not to spy on people like that!" Logan snapped.

Ruse stared up at him through teary eyes, as she rubbed her bottom. She hadn't been spying – she'd come down for a drink. What was the problem?

"Well?" Logan pressed. "I expect an answer."

Ruse was too scared to speak, thus resulting in another sharp smack to her already sore backside. She yelped again, her tears falling now.

Jean and Scott watched silently, as Logan took charge of the child who'd disobeyed yet again.

"Answer me!" Logan growled, trying to keep his temper in tact.

Ruse instead turned and ran for the stairs, wanting to go back up to her room and hide under the covers.

In two great strides, Logan had her under his arm, her bottom facing frontward. He smacked her bottom on the way up to her room.; once inside her room, he set her upon the floor. "Grounded," he informed her firmly. "No T.V., No bedtime stories, and no junk food for a week!"

Ruse took a step back as he took one forward.

"Now, I said earlier punishment would follow a misdeed immediately," Logan began, advancing towards her. "And I intend on keeping my word."

"Wolvie! No!" Ruse cried, hands going to her bottom. "I –I – sorry!"

"Not gonna work, Kid," Logan answered, picking her up and swatting her bottom firmly a few times. He then lifted her shirt up and took her panties down. Once they were down, he sat upon her bed and laid her over his lap once more. He began to spank her bottom a bit harder than he had earlier – but made sure he didn't increase his smacks too much. He didn't want to bruise the child.

Ruse screamed and kicked as her bottom was spanked once more. She didn't understand why she was being punished when she hadn't broken a rule – she'd only been too scared to answer him.

Logan was still spanking the naughty bottom, when he felt a sharp pain in his leg. He looked down only to find that Ruse had let her blades come out and right into his one leg. He grew angrier, and brought his hand down quicker. "I told smack you smack not smack to use smack your blades smack on any smack one smack or there would smack be trouble! smack smack And I smack meant smack that!"

Ruse wailed, trying to squirm away, but unable to do so, as not only was he holding her down, but her blades were stuck in his leg. She finally managed to get her blades out of his leg, and lay limp over his lap, as he smacked the tender spot where her thighs and bottom connected. She stared at the blades coming out of her right hand, utterly disgusted that she now had his blood on them.

Logan soon finished and stood her up abruptly. "Now, get into bed!"

Ruse quickly ran from him, her nightgown falling back down to cover her blistered bottom – not that he'd actually hit her hard enough for her to blister – she was just mostly red and sore – and scared.

"Lenore! Now!" Logan shouted.

Ruse panicked and backed herself against a wall, flattening herself out against it. Once she'd flattened herself against it, she let her blades on both hands come out, and stood there like a small, terrified deer caught in headlights.

Logan advanced towards her, only to have her scream hysterically.

"JOHN!"

John had been asleep down the hall in his room, when he'd heard a small voice screech his actual name – which was something she had never done before – ever! He quickly jumped out of bed and ran down the hall to her room, where he found a crowd of students – students in which he had to push his way through, as the child kept screaming shrilly for him. He froze momentarily, upon seeing Logan advancing towards the extremely frightened child.

"GET SCOTT! He ordered, as he dodged in between Logan and Ruse. He stared icily at Logan, as if daring him to try something. "QUIT IT, MAN! YOU'RE SCARING HER!"

Logan froze, upon hearing that last line. He hadn't realized he was scaring his little charge. He quickly backed off, giving the two of them as much distance as he could without actually vacating the room.

John turned to Ruse then, and crouched down to her height. "Kiddo, you're okay," he told her softly. "Wolvie's not gonna hurt you."

Ruse stared at John wide-eyed still. She was frozen with fear, and couldn't have moved even if she had wanted to – but, of course, she didn't want to right then.

"What's going on here?" Scott demanded, eyeing the scene. He raised his eyebrows, and looked at Logan, who looked scared a bit himself. "John?"

"Excuse my language Scott," John started. "But a certain asshole forgot to make sure someone wasn't afraid of him after he'd spanked them. Now, that someone is terrified beyond belief – obviously – that Wolvie will hurt them."

"Wh – " Scott tried, only to be cut off by Zany.

"Ruse! What's wrong!" Zany cried worriedly. "Are you okay?" He rushed forward, only to be stopped by John.

"Give her a moment," John told him. "She needs a little space."

Zany nodded, though he looked ready to cry at the sight of his best friend looking the way she did.

Ruse stared at John and Zany – not seeming to see anybody else that was in her room or standing in her doorway. She eventually got her breathing under control and let her blades disappear into her fists once more. She stared a moment longer, before finally letting John reach out to pull her into a hug. Once in his arms, she clung to him desperately, as Zany latched onto her from behind. She sobbed loudly and endlessly – still obviously a bit frightened.

A little while later, John, Zany, Ruse, Logan, Scott, and Jean, were all in the Professor's study. He had awoken when he heard Ruse's silent pleas for help. Everyone else had been sent back to bed – Bobby and Rogue included.

"Now, what is the meaning of all this?" Professor Xavier demanded.

"Logan spanked Ruse earlier, and didn't think to make sure he hadn't scared her," John answered flatly. "After the first time, she came to my room for a story. But, it took me a half hour to calm her down enough so that she'd be able to hear me read it. She was still upset when I put her to bed another half hour later. As for right now, all I know is that I woke up to her screaming for me."

Zany glared at Logan. "Bastard!" He yelled, only to receive a sharp swat from Scott.

"Quiet!" Scott ordered firmly, thus the reason why the young boy quickly obeyed.

"Ruse? Will you tell me what happened?" Professor Xavier asked gently.

Ruse squirmed out of John's arms, and ran around the Professor's desk, so she could be next to him. Once next to him, she crawled into his lap, which he allowed. She was still sore, but didn't care – no one could touch her if she was sitting with the Professor. "Milk," she told him softly.

"Milk?" Professor Xavier asked her telepathically.

Ruse nodded, and answered him back using her own telepathy. "Thirsty. Invisible. Didn' mean to listen. Thirsty. Trouble. Thirsty."

Professor Xavier nodded now. "I see," he said aloud. "She came down to get milk. She was thirsty. If I'm reading her thoughts correctly, she wasn't spying, but trying to stay out of trouble for coming down after bedtime."

Logan felt horrible upon hearing that. "Kid, I – I'm sorry," he apologized. "I didn't know. I – I thought you were just – disobeying me again."

Ruse shook her head no. She hadn't been disobedient, just scared.

Logan came around to kneel before her. "I am sorry, Ruse. I didn't know I'd scared yah. If I'd known, I would of held yah 'till yah felt better."

Ruse sniffled, and rubbed at her eyes tiredly. "No more scare?"

"I won't scare yah no more," Logan assured her. "And if I start to, tell somebody, so I'll know and stop, alright?"

Ruse nodded slightly. She didn't want to be afraid of her Wolvie.

"You gonna be okay now?" Logan asked, still a bit worried.

Ruse gave him a small smile, which made everyone else in the room smile as well. "Love Wolvie!" She exclaimed, throwing her arms about his neck as she hopped down out of the Professor's lap. "My Wolvie!"

Logan chuckled softly, and held her close, giving her head a kiss. "Love you," he whispered in her ear. "But, shh…"

Ruse giggled, and gave him a kiss. "Milk?"

Logan nodded. "Sure. We can get some."

Everyone watched then, as Logan carried Ruse off to get her glass of milk. They laughed though, when Zany quickly hurried after them to keep an eye on his best friend. A few moments later, everyone else headed off to bed, as it was late and they were all tired.


A.N.: Well...? Did yah like? Plz R&R! Thank-you!