Author's note : In one scene with Laura I refer to a scene of the comic "X23: Lost Innocence"! Oh and Chichi is Japanese for father!
Oh and stupid me has forgotten about something: Reviewer 50 can wish again for something! ; )
Changes Sequel – II. Covenant Part 7
The first sunbeams fell gently through the red curtains and began to spread in the dim room. With his pillow in a firm grip Logan lay on his belly and was still deeply asleep. But somehow, while he slowly awoke, he could tell that something wasn't quiet right. He could smell her and felt the light pressure on his shoulder and arm, but his subconscious still told him that she couldn't be here… Heaving a deep breath, he began to stir and slowly opened one eye just to look at dark and not red hair. He raised his head a bit and figured that it was Laura, who had cuddled up to him and was deeply asleep, but still he could smell Jean nearby. When he turned his head, he found the redhead sitting with her arms crossed at the edge on the end of the bed. "What's that?" Logan grunted and nodded at the girl who held his arm in a firm grip.
"Well, she couldn't sleep and wanted to sleep by her daddy…," she replied still in a chilly tone, since she was still angry with him.
"I ain't her daddy!" he growled and tried to pull his arm away when his wife gave a snort and a shake of her head before she got up.
"Explain that to a child who obviously loves you," Jean spat and opened the door. "Breakfast's ready!"
Growling in anger he tried to get up, but the girl let out a whimper and tightened her already firm grip on his arm. "Damn it, get off me!" he hissed and pushed her from his shoulder a bit. Being awoken by the impact since he just got up, Laura opened her eyes drowsily and looked around in confusion. "Don't ya ever dare to do this again, got that?" she heard him growling, but couldn't understand what he meant and watched hoe he pulled a shirt and jeans on before he left the room. The girl frowned and remained on her place for a moment before she quickly followed him and found him sitting on his casual stool and glaring at his breakfast. She could tell that he was ignoring her.
"Laura, come here, you can sit on my lap," Jean offered, but the girl shook her head beckoned Logan instead to pull her up. Watching it for sometime, the others could tell that the redhead wasn't only close to explode. Especially Ororo gave the porcelain in the cupboard a frightened look. It wouldn't be the first time that they had to buy completely new one…
"Chichi?" the girl asked and Jean let out a half snarl.
"Would you please do something?!" she snapped at him and received a glare only.
"'n what?" he asked her provocatively and would have bet that her eyes had sparkled for less than a second, still he wouldn't be the one to give in.
"Jeez, I don't believe that! Thank God I don't have a child that isn't yours," she said and was thankful that her children were already sitting in their math class with Scott. Otherwise they would have been forced to watch how their mother strangled their father. At least that's what she wanted to do now since his stubbornness pissed her more than off.
"That would be a different thing!" he growled back and she cocked a skeptical eyebrow.
"Would it?"
"Yeah," was all he said before he went on eating and tried hard to ignore the hand that was pulling on his jeans. "You'd be the mother…"
"Right…," Jean nodded darkly. "Well then ask a tank or green liquid to pull her up, maybe they do it as her parents!" Slamming her serviette angrily onto the counter she got up and left, leaving Ororo and Hank back who began to glare at their team leader this time.
"She's right," the weather goddess said. "You're cruel!"
"Fine. Then I am, Logan grunted and let out an annoyed ground next.
"Up!" Laura said a bit louder this time and returned the glare he gave her. "Please!"
"Jeez, Logan!" Ororo exploded and electricity sparkled from her hands. "She hasn't got any disease!"
Snorting dismissively, he grabbed the girl roughly and pulled her up. "Satisfied?" he shot back and began to growl as the girl wrapped her arms around his waist and leant against him. "What did I say about not touchin' me?!"
"Jesus!" Hank said and couldn't hold back his opinion anymore. "If you treat her like shit now, you could have just killed her at the cabin. Would have been better if you ask me…" For that comment he only received a glare. "And don't even dare to look at me like that, boy!"
"Do you even know how much you hurt Jean with your behavior? She was crying while we prepared the breakfast, because she never thought you could be so cruel to an innocent child!" Ororo added and made Logan cock an eyebrow.
"Innocent?!" he spat.
"Yes, innocent!" she nodded angrily. "Look at her and then tell me she's some kind of monster. She has the same gentleness that you normally have, but lack completely in the past days!"
"Shut up!" he growled and pulled Laura away from him to leave the kitchen fuming.
"What has gotten into him?" Hank asked and looked at Ororo, but she could only shrug.
"Don't ask me," she replied and turned her head a bit to look at the confused little girl. "Sweety, do you want top eat something? You must be hungry…" Shaking her head, the girl pointed at the door and made her sigh in frustration when the girl left. "Jean said he would become soft on her anyway, but I highly doubt it by now…"
"Well, maybe it has something to do with Wolverine that he reacts that way," Hank suggested. "We can't tell, can we? You know that Logan loves children."
"Yeah, but could you love a child knowing that she is you?" she asked and made him think hard. "Especially if you have his senses. I mean we don't know what he picks up from her."
"If it was because of the senses, 'Ro, she would react the same way to him as he does to her. And you've seen that this isn't the case."
Heaving a deep sigh in frustration, the woman good up. "Well, I have to go. My classes start in ten minutes. Thanks again that you and Moira watch over the children this time, Hank!"
"No problem, my dear," he winked and left the room with her as she suddenly smiled at him.
"What about a little Hank by the way?" she teased him with a soft nudge. "Or a wedding? The two of you are a couple for nearly a year by now."
Blushing slightly he cleared hi throat. "Well…"
"Come on, the two of you get along so well. I haven't seen you arguing only once, you have the same interests," Ororo laughed. "And the two of you would make great parents!"
"Can you keep a secret?" he asked after a while and she nodded.
"You know I can."
"Logan has asked me the same a few weeks ago," Hank told her.
"And?" she asked with a frown before she stopped next to her classroom.
"The rings are hidden in my drawer, I just don't know when or how to ask her," he admitted calmly and she clapped her hands together in joy before she hugged him.
"That's great Hank!" she cheered with a smile. "I promise I'll decorate the garden as good as I did on Jean's and Logan's wedding, and Kitty's and Peter's of course, too."
"'Ro," he cut her off with a look. "I have to ask her first and it doesn't mean that she'll say yes."
"Oh come on, Hank!" Ororo scolded him playfully. "Of course she will! And now excuse me, but my students will be here soon." Smiling again, she entered the room and didn't see how he heaved a deep sigh before he went upstairs.
There, he entered his room he shared with Moira and smiled, since the woman was laying on the bed and acted all childish while she played with Tommy. "Hey," he greeted and sat down next to her to place a kiss on her cheek.
"Hi," she smiled and went on making the small boy laugh. "He's feeling better."
"That's good to hear. Where's Jamie?" he asked and looked around.
"Oh, actually I am still waiting for Logan to bring him," Moira replied and shrugged.
"That explains a lot," he mumbled in a low voice and waved off when she gave him a confused look. Hearing the boy laugh aloud all of a sudden he smiled. "Someone's really feeling better, hm?" Hank asked and stroked over the boy's black hair while he looked into his blue eyes. He still tried to find a suitable description for the boy's skin color. Right now, it wasn't Ororo's color, but also not really Kurt's dark blue. The funny thing was that it seemed to change constantly depending on the light. In the shadows the skin was darker than Kurt's, but as soon as the boy was in the sun it was more Ororo's soft mocca skin color.
"What are you thinking about?" Moira asked him after a moment and he awoke out of his daydream.
"Oh, it's nothing," he said." I was only thinking about a suitable word for his skin color, you know. It's funny how it always seems to be a different one."
"Yes, that's true," she nodded as it knocked on their door. "I'll open." Getting up she found a more than stressed redhead in front of it. "I thought Logan…," Moira began when Jean snorted.
"Don't even mention that name!" the other woman hissed and handed her Jamie. "Thanks again for watching over him. Just one thing," she said and nodded at Laura. "Could you watch over her, too? I don't want her to be alone the whole day through until dinner…"
"Of course," Hank said and beckoned the girl to come inside. "Where is the Alpha Flight team by the way? I haven't seen them so far."
"They had a meeting with Charles first and now they wanted to take part in Mr. Insufferable's class," Jean replied.
"That bad?" Moira asked her in surprise, referring to her description of Logan and Jean nodded.
"Yeah." She bent over to give her son a kiss and stroked over Laura's hair briefly with a smile. "I've got to go. Thanks again!"
Closing the door behind her, Moira put the boy down on the bed, next to his older friend, who turned his head to look at Jamie. "No fights, okay?" she smiled at them before she turned to the girl, who still stood at the door and looked around curiously, before she walked over to the bookshelf. "Do we have any books that she can read?" she asked Hank but he shook his head and watched how the girl sat down on the ground with a book in her lap. "Do you need help with that?" she asked her but Laura shook her head and began to read. "How come she can read it but barely speaks at all?"
"Maybe because she doesn't use what she's learned. Logan told me that she can read by now without problems, knows what those words mean, but since she hasn't any contact to others, she isn't used of using language," Hank explained.
"What has Logan done by the way that Jean calls him Mr. Insufferable?" Moira asked him with a raised eyebrow but he only sighed.
"Don't ask!"
"You don't really mean that!" Rogue said and gave the man in front of him a glare.
"Why not, chérie?" Remy asked and shrugged rather helplessly. "Remy dinks it is a good name, non?"
"I can't even spell that name," she cried and crossed her arms over her very pregnant belly, while she went on looking for baby stuff in the store. "What about…Michael?"
"Non," he shook his head more or less disgusted. "Guillaume?"
"Definitely not!" she instantly said. "Don't even think about that!"
"Jean?" he asked next and put two packages with diapers in the cart when she laughed.
"That's a girls name here, Remy! Even if it's pronounced differently in French!"
"Remy likes dat name," he snapped and heard her sighing. "And Remy wants a prénom français for his fils."
"Then pick one that sounds nice, not weird and which I can spell and pronounce," Rogue shot back slightly angered about his stubbornness. "We still need baby food and some boy clothing." With that she just turned around the next corner and left him frustrated and annoyed behind her, while his hand, which was in his jacket pocket, still played with a small box.
It was night and Logan roamed the mansion due to a heavy thunderstorm that was raging on the outside. He had his hands in his sweatpants pockets and walked through the corridors to make sure everything was alright. He couldn't sleep by this noise anyway, especially not since every lightning bolt made the windows vibrate heavily. He heard that most students were sleeping as he went through the dormitory corridor, while those, who were awake, were talking with each other quietly. As he reached the last door on the corridor his sensitive ears picked up on suppressed whimpers and sobs. Logan remained at the door and waited for them to stop, but as another loud roar on the outside made the windows vibrate again, he heard a frightened shriek. Sighing, he grabbed the doorknob and opened the door to go inside. His hand searched for the light switch and soon the room was illuminated a bit. His eyes searched through the bedroom with a frown, but couldn't find the source of the sobs and whimpers before he walked over to the bed. Behind it in a corner sat Laura with her legs pulled close while her arms tried to cover her head. He could tell why she was so scared. In Sinister's facility she'd been isolated from the world, something like thunderstorms were unknown to her and with her hearing abilities she was probably even more scared than a normal child would be. Logan stopped in front of her and watched her for a moment, meeting her gaze when she looked up sniffing. "It's only thunderstorm, kid. Nothin' can happen to ya…," he said calmly as another bolt stroke and made her jump at his legs in fear. Sighing in frustration he suddenly had to frown as he noticed the blood and deep scratches on her arms. Confused and with furrowed brows he kneeled down on the ground next to her and took her arms into his hands to examine them further. "What happened to your arms, kid?" he asked and looked at the deep cuts. "Did you do that?" he asked since he knew too well what cuts looked like if they were caused by his claws. Especially on his own arms… She nodded. "Why?!" Logan asked shocked and made her look down. Trying to calm down a bit since he felt that she was scared, he got up. "Come on. Let's clean your arm." With her on his hand he walked over to the bathroom and took a cloth before he began to clean the wounds. Afterwards he couldn't help but stare at them. He just couldn't understand why she did it. "Why did ya do that?" he asked her and held her arms up so that she had to look at it.
"Punishment," she said after a moment and Logan cocked an eyebrow at her.
"Punishment for what?"
"Being a bad girl…"
"What makes ya think ya were a bad girl?!" he asked incredulously.
"Daddy hates me…," she said barely audible and had her eyes fixed on her arms.
Only staring at her Logan looked down, too. "I don't hate ya, kid and ya weren't a bad girl," he said calmly and met her gaze when she raised her head again. He nodded at the cuts. "This is wrong, do ya understand? I don't wanna see that ever again, got that?!" he said sternly and she nodded slowly, just to let out a shriek next as another bolt stroke. Somehow, Logan thought, he wouldn't be surprised if this was Ororo's doing. Sighing he looked at the girl, who clung to him whimpering, in thought and got up which obviously startled her.
"No!" Laura shrieked and held onto his hand.
"Get your things, kid," Logan said and she frowned. "Come on, hurry up!" He left the room and waited at the door, while she followed him and stopped at her bed. She obviously didn't know what to do, but figured that he was waiting for her so she grabbed her blanket from the bed and walked over to him. "Only the blanket?" he asked while he switched the lights off and she nodded. "'Kay." Shrugging he pulled her up and walked back to his rooms again. "Be quiet!" he whispered and closed the front door to walk over to the bedroom. Reaching it, he could only shake his head, since the twins and Rachel lay in the middle of the bed next to Jean and were deeply asleep, while Miloh rested at the end of the bed. Logan dropped Laura to the ground and laid carefully down next to his children, realizing that the girl just stood there. "Come here, kid and sleep," he said barely audible and pulled the sheets up for her. Next to him, Jack sighed and rolled over to cuddle up to his left arm while he pulled the sheets over the girl "And now sleep…," he said and tried to get comfortable in this limited space as she clung to his other arm due to another lightning bolt. Sighing, Logan could only shake his head in frustration and closed his eyes tiredly.
When he woke up later he noticed that it was still dark on the outside but that somehow the light was switched on. With a frown he turned his head just to look directly into Jean's dogmatic face. He knew what follow next, but he decided to just wait and see. The redhead was staring at him, one hand supporting her head while she laid on her left side and suddenly she raised an eyebrow. "No feelings for her, hm?" she asked in her best I was right, you were wrong-voice and nodded at the sleeping girl next to Logan who had her hand on his chest. "I told you that you are a bad liar!"
Only shrugging he tried to find a way out of this endless discussion. "We need a bigger bed…," he only said and made her frown.
"Why?"
"Well as soon as Jamie can walk it will become pretty crowded with five kids and a wolf during a thunderstorm, don't you think?" Logan asked innocently and nodded at Miloh, who still slept at the end of the bed.
"Five kids?" Jean asked and gave him a look, but he only nodded.
"Yeah…"
Just let me think… I remember someone saying She ain't my kid so she's not stayin' here with my kids…," Jean repeated and received an annoyed look from him since she'd imitated his voice. "And this someone looked surprisingly like you…," she added and had again this dogmatic look on her face.
"We also need clothes and a bed for her…," he tried again to just end this discussion but knew it was too late when she sighed heavily.
"Logan…," Jean said warningly and he rolled his eyes.
"Yeah, alright! I was a bastard and an asshole and you've been right the whole time through and I'm sorry," he quickly said with a look. "Satisfied?! 'Cause I ain't going down on my knees!"
"So we adopt her?" she only asked and he shrugged before he turned to the girl.
"How old is she anyway?"
"From the way she looks she could be as old as the twins…maybe older. But from the way she behaves three or four. If you ask me her behavior is an aftereffect of the way she was isolated. She has to catch up with a lot." He nodded and noticed the look on her face again. "But you still didn't answer my question!"
"We've to discuss it with the kids first," Logan grunted.
Letting out an annoyed groan she shook her head. "Can you just answer it? Would you adopt her yes or no??
"Would she sleep on me if not?" he shot back not minder annoyed.
"Told you so," she smirked. "Bad liar! I told 'Ro from the beginning that you would get soft on her anyway. Still you were a bastard, Logan!" she scolded him afterwards.
"That means?" he sighed and ran a hand through his face.
"No fun for you in the next four weeks!" she only replied and he would have sit up in a rush if the girl wasn't sleeping.
"Four weeks? Now you're cruel!"
"It's the right punishment for you!" Jean gave back and laid back down. "I'd say five but…"
"But what?" Logan asked with a cocked eyebrow.
"Well, let's say I know you'll punish me if I said it," she shrugged with a winning smile.
Only snorting he gave her a glare. "I'll punish ya for four, too. Mark my words!"
"We'll see," she yawned. "At least you finally have a heart again," Jean added and heard him growling.
"How many more times do ya want me to say I'm sorry?" Logan asked and tried to keep his voice low because of the children.
"You can't apologize often enough for what you've done!" she gave back and switched the lights off again to go back to sleep.
Suddenly he chuckled since he knew a way to get to her. "We'll see, darlin'," he only replied and closed his eyes again with a smug grin on his face.
On the next morning Logan stood in the kitchen to prepare a tray to take it back upstairs with him. Watching him for a while, Hank knew what this was supposed to mean. "Someone either has to do breakfast or tries to apologize with breakfast in bed, hm?" he teased his friend while Jubilee grinned.
"You sure ya can make it before the coffee's cold, Wolvie?"
"Jubes…," Logan grunted with a growl but she only wobbled her eyebrows, just to turn her head to the door as Ororo stormed into the kitchen.
"What's wrong?!" Scott asked her worriedly since she looked to and fro between them in panic.
"Is she here?" the woman asked and he frowned.
"Who?" Hank asked.
"Laura! She's gone," the weather goddess only mumbled and looked up when Scott suddenly jumped off his stool.
"What?!"
"And I'd bet this is your fault, Logan!" Ororo continued angrily and turned to the man at the stove. "You treated her like shit and now she ran off!"
Sighing, he gave her a look. "'Ro…," Logan began but was cut off by her.
"No! Put the pan down, get onto your bike and find her!" she demanded and received a look from him. Not impressed by it she crossed her arms.
"'Ro…," he tried once more when she became even louder.
"Logan! Go and look for her and better hope that she isn't hurt or I swear to good that…"
"Would ya just shut up and listen?!" he asked as loud as she was talking to him, but angered her the more.
"Listen to what?!"
"She's upstairs," he explained and she shook her head.
"No, she's not! I've been there to bring her down for breakfast and she was gone and this is all your fault!" Ororo went on angrily and he could have bet that she would start crying soon.
"Great, Logan," Scott suddenly said from behind the counter. "Well done!"
"I told you that…," now Hank began and was cut off.
"She's upstairs!" Logan nearly yelled in anger since no one was listening to him.
"She is NOT!" Ororo gave back in the same voice and watched how he turned back to the pan again with a shake of his head. "How can you just go on cooking if she's somewhere out there and all alone?!" she demanded to know completely outraged by now and was about to grab his arm when he turned to give her a glare.
"'cause I know that she'd been upstairs sleepin' in Ray's room and is now in the gym for her first day of classes," he hisses annoyed and saw how she closed her eyes to heave a deep breath as if she had to calm down before she would start choking him.
"Logan…I'm telling you again she's not up…," the woman began and suddenly frowned. "Did you just say Ray's room?!"
"No, I said I flushed her down the toilet…," he grunted and rolled his eyes.
"What do you mean with Ray's room?" she asked and still had her brows furrowed.
Putting the pancakes onto a plate, Logan turned to look at the wall clock before he gave her a look again. "That she's stayin' with us from now on…"
"Did he just say she's staying with them?!" Hank asked and looked to and fro between them as the Asian woman entered. Seeing Logan, while he just ignored her, she only smiled and went over to him to touch his shoulder.
"Hey," Yukio said softly and made him turn his head for a brief moment. She caught him by surprise and pulled him down into a hungry kiss that made the jaws of the other drop in shock. Still, she didn't reckon with him pushing her roughly away and against the fridge in the next second, just to wipe his mouth in disgust with the back of his hand. While she looked rather surprised, he was more than pissed off. "What?!" the woman asked confused.
"Do that again and you'll fly through that window!" Logan growled warningly and packed the rest onto the tray, still she smiled.
"I'd rather thought you'll make breakfast for me…," she purred and played with her long black hair, enjoying the perplex stares of the others when he only snorted and looked away.
"Why should I make breakfast for ya?"
"Right… We never made it to sit down on a table anyway," she smiled and received a glare.
"Cut it off!"
"For whom is it?" Yukio asked and nodded at the tray when he picked it up and walked over to the door.
"My wife…," Logan grunted and she laughed.
"Wife?! You?!" she asked in disbelief and rather amused. "What kind of drug did you take?"
"Not some illusion brining ones as ya obviously did," he shot back and watched how she leant back against the counter, still with an amused smile on her lips.
"Is she that good in bed?" Yukio spat in a scornful voice and crossed her arms. "You can't tell me some kid is any better than me…"
"Actually…," Logan replied and turned around with an arrogant smile. "…ya ain't any good at all!" He enjoyed seeing her fuming with anger before he left.
"Never attack his wife!" Jubilee mocked. "It's your own fault…"
"Really?" the woman asked her. "And who are you to talk to me?"
"Woah, calm down, girl!" Ororo intervened not bothering to hide his disgust for that woman. Only giving a short snort she grabbed an apple and left the kitchen again. "What the hell was that?"
"Dunno…," Jubilee shrugged. "But I'd bet something's about to happen…"
Upstairs, Logan opened the door to the bedroom calmly and entered. He put the tray carefully onto the bedside table before he sat down on the edge and pulled a strand out of Jean's face. Smiling and hoping that his plan would work, he bent down and placed a soft kiss on her neck. Sighing, she began to stir in her sleep and heaved a deep breath. He couldn't help but smirk and kiss her again. "Jeannie…"
"Hm?" she made sleepily and opened one eye a bit.
"Time to get up, darlin'."
"Why do you have to say that?!" Jean groaned playfully and buried her face in her pillow.
Chuckling he pulled on her blanket. "Come on, get up or your coffee will be cold soon."
Hearing the magic word, the redhead raised her head in surprise. "You made breakfast?" she asked and sat up, smiling happily when she saw the tray next to her. "I know what you're up to!" she added knowingly when he handed her a cup and moved over to sit down next to her. Despite their fight on the day before she kissed him before she began to examine her breakfast. "Scrambled eggs with ham and buttered toast…," Jean nodded and turned her head with a smirk. "Usually that means you want something, hon, and since you've already apologized about five times by now, I think you want something else. Am I right?"
"Maybe," Logan smirked and began to eat.
"And what?" she asked and took her plate into her hands.
"Is it okay if I go out today? The guys and I wanted to show James the city a bit," he explained and she shrugged.
"Sure. You don't have to ask…," she said and smiled suddenly. "Then the girl and I have finally some time to relax."
"I see…" He nodded playfully with a cocked eyebrow. "Maybe I should stay away for a few days so that ya have some more time to relax, huh?"
"Don't even dare!" Jean gave back and sipped on her coffee.
"Oh, then ya gonna miss me, eh?"
"You know that perfectly well!"
"Right…" She noticed that he suddenly became serious after they were done eating. "Do ya promise not to freak out?" Logan asked her carefully and Jean became instantly suspicious.
"Why?" she asked with a frown.
"Well, before someone else tells ya, I better do it…"
"Logan, what happened?" the redhead asked and sat up a bit, immediately thinking that he had treated Laura wrong again and the girl was now crying somewhere.
"When I made breakfast Yukio came in the kitchen and kissed me…," Logan quickly said and watched how she let her cup sink in a way that would put slow motion to shame. Knowing her he knew that he had three seconds before she would probably explode. "Jean, I swear I didn't do anythin'! She did! Ask Hank or Jubes!"
"Why did she kiss you?" Jean asked instead and crossed her arms, knowing full well that there was more behind it than he offered her now.
"How am I supposed to know?" he gave back.
"Logan, I doubt she just kissed you out of fun! What's the story between you and her?!" she demanded to know with a more than threatening and warning look in her eyes.
Seeing it he sighed. "We never were a couple if ya mean that…," he admitted after a moment.
"But?!"
"It was only a fling. Nothing more. There are no feelings or anything like that, so ya don't have to worry about it," Logan went on but she only made a face. "Jean, ya know I love ya and that there's no reason at all for me to have a thing with someone else…"
Seeing the look he gave her she shook her head. "I'm mad with her, not with you."
"Well, she already hit the fridge…," Logan mumbled and noticed the slight change from black to fiery in her eyes that was visible for less than a second.
"And if she ever touches you again it wasn't the last thing she hit!" Jean hissed and made him smirk. "What?" she asked angrily and wiped her mouth with a serviette before she put the tray onto the ground. Hearing him chuckling next she couldn't help but glare. "What?!" she snarled.
Slowly straddling her he began to kiss her neck. "I love it when you're jealous, baby," Logan growled playfully and made her shiver.
"I doubt you'd love it if I'd seen it!" she gave back but he only shrugged with a smirk.
"Depends on if you'd hit me or her, gorgeous… What about a shower?" he asked and wobbled his head. "I could apologize by scrubbing your back…," he offered and kissed her neck once more. "Or clean other parts…"
Giving a short laugh, Jean shook her head and pushed him away a bit. "As far as I know, my dear, we've to be downstairs for our classes in 20 minutes. And I know that if we shower together I'm not coming out of it so fast. And the children have to get ready, too." About to get up she noticed his grin.
"Actually, the children are already downstairs and ready and I moved your watch forwards by 30 minutes, so… We've plenty of time," Logan smirked.
"You manipulated my watch?" she asked and looked at it before she turned her head to look at his. "So that means I actually still had 30 minutes to sleep?!"
"Hm….yeah," he nodded and received a slap against his chest.
"You bastard!" Jean cried and got up. "No shower for you with me!"
Getting up he caught her around her waist quickly. "Too bad, darlin'!" he purred. "I haven't taken a shower so far and by now it's too late, so… We have to shower together," he added with a victorious grin and heard her groaning playfully.
"You are such a manipulative thing sometimes, you know that by the way?" Jean asked and walked over to the drawer and wardrobe to get fresh clothes out of it, while he did the same and held the door open for her afterwards with a smug grin on his face.
"Yeah! I do."
Later the day during a break from classes Logan and Jean were sitting in the living room with their three children to talk with them about the decision they'd made earlier that day. Explaining the situation to them and what they were planning to do, Jack only looked to and fro between them and jumped off the couch. "No!" he protested, remembering too well what the girl already did to him before.
"Jack," Jean sighed but the boy shook his head.
"No! I don't want her here!"
"Why not?" the redhead asked and noticed the look in her son's eyes.
"I don't like her," was all this one said before he crossed his arms.
"Have you ever talked with her?" Jean asked him and he shook his head. "See? How can you say you don't like someone if you haven't talked with that person only for once? It's wrong to have prejudices against another person without even bothering to get to know that one for real. And you know that! It's not what your daddy and I taught you…"
"She attacked me, mommy! And daddy hates her, too!" the boy defended himself and looked at his father in hope to get any support, but was rather shocked when this one shook his head.
"I don't hate her," Logan replied. "I judged her hastily and I was wrong."
"But I don't want her in my room!"
"It's not your room, Jack, but Lily's and your room," his father corrected him with a warning look, but saw that the boy became even angrier.
"She doesn't want her either," Jack gave back and turned to his sister. "Right?!"
Looking down, Lily shrugged. "She was never mean to me…," she said calmly and heard him growling as suddenly Rachel pulled on her father's shirt.
"She can stay in my room, daddy…," the girl said calmly and startled a bit when her brother turned towards her.
"Are you crazy?!"
"Jack, would ya cut it off?" Logan asked him aloud and angered, making the boy turn around and going to his room.
"I don't like her!" he said again and closed the door when Jean quickly touched Logan's arm to stop him from saying anything else.
"He's only jealous…," she tried to soothe him. "You know that he only wants to protect his sister's…"
"I don't mind her being here," Lily suddenly said. "But don't tell Jack!" she quickly added and made Logan smile.
"So it's okay for you then?" he asked his daughters and they nodded. "Good… No hurry up, or you'll be late for history." Nodding again, they quickly ran over to their rooms to get their books, Lily even managed to shove her still fuming brother towards the door and they headed down to their class room. Sighing, Logan leant back into the sofa and rubbed his eyes. "That'll mean fun…
"He'll get used to it," Jean said and looked at him. "Hurry up or you'll be late for your class, mister."
Chuckling he gave her a look and touched her cheek. "What's that suppose to mean, huh?"
"Well, if you're too late, you can start sniffing out your students again because they'll think they don't have classes today because you're not there…," she smiled. "And it happened once, don't forget that!"
"That was on my first day, Red!" he gave back and got up to get his sports bag. "So, you're watching over Jamie while I have my class, and then I'll come upstairs and watch over him while you've your class, right?"
"Right, have fun!" she teased him an he growled before he kissed her briefly. "Bye!"
"He needs a new diaper," Logan quickly said with a grin before he closed the door behind him.
"Nice," Jean mocked and good up to go over to her son's room.
After all classes were over, Logan brought Laura up to Rachel's room. "You're sleepin' here from now on, okay?" he asked the girl, who only nodded at him. "Ray lives in this room, too. I don't want to see ya ever attacking her or the others or even growlin' at them, got that?"
"Yeah…"
"Good! Wait here, she'll be back from her classes soon," he added and stopped at the door briefly. "And don't be afraid of the wolf. He won't attack ya." Waiting for her to nod again he left her alone.
Looking around the unfamiliar room, Laura went over to a shelf and began to look at the books in it first. She then took a cuddly toy from the ground and looked at it curiously from all sides. With it in her hands she went on examining the room for a while until her eyes caught some pictures on the wall. Climbing onto the bed she looked at them. One of them was a family picture, probably taken somewhere around Christmas while the other showed the children with the wolf only at the pool in summer. "Hi…," a voice suddenly said behind her and made her turn around quickly. Looking at the redhead in the doorway, who looked back, she watched how the girl entered the room and dropped her school bag next to the desk at the window. Realizing that she still held the cuddly toy in her hand as Rachel looked at it, Laura quickly dropped it onto the bed. Climbing onto the bed, too, the redhead took the yellow Carebear into her hands. "Aunt Jubes gave it to me on my last birthday," she explained and reached the toy over to the other girl. "You can borrow it until you have one of your own…"
Laura looked at the toy in her opposite hands first and finally took it to pull it close. "Do you want to play a game?" Rachel asked her after a moment.
"Play?" Laura asked with a frown since the word was new to her.
"A game or something like that…," the redhead went on. "I can do my homework later. So, do you want to play a game?" she asked again and her opposite nodded. "How about playing catch?" she offered and received a shrug. "Come on!" Jumping of the bed, she took Laura by her hand who dropped the bear on the bed quickly, to drag her over to the door and then downstairs. "I'll catch you first, okay?" Rachel asked her.
"Okay," Laura replied with a frown.
Waiting for a while, the redhead tilted her head a bit. "Well, you have to run away first…"
"Hm?" the other girl made in confusion.
"You have to run away and I have to try and catch you…," Rachel explained and noticed after a moment that the girl had no idea what she was talking about. "Did you play that before?!"
"No…"
Staring at her opposite in complete disbelief, the redhead didn't know what to say first. "Okay… I'll show you," she offered and began to explain it again.
Some of the X-Men and James went to a bar later the day after showing the man from Canada the city a bit. Already sitting in it for about three hours and talking about different things, Logan began to look around and asked them if someone wanted another beer. Receiving only no's, he shrugged and got up to go over to the barman to get another drink for himself. By doing it, he was carefully watched by James, who still had his problems to cope with his friend's new behavior which was completely unusual in his eyes. He watched, while the others kept on talking, how Logan leant against the counter, waiting for his drink and kept on looking around. One thing, as James new, which would obviously never change. He remembered him doing it every time they went to public places. It was his way of making sure that everything was alright and that there was no danger at all. "At least some things never change…," he mumbled and made the others turn towards him.
"What?" Scott asked and saw how the man nodded towards a blonde, very good-looking woman that stood next to Logan and asked him if he could light her cigarette.
James began to frown since his friend only shook his head and looked away, just to take his new coke next and come back to their table. "Okay…," he said and nodded his head slowly, earning a cocked eyebrow from Logan. "I just don't know which of the three things bothers me the most…"
"Which three things?" Logan grunted.
"First, you don't drink any beer, then a hell of a woman begins to flirt with you and you just ignore her and then…I haven't seen you smoking once while we're at the mansion!" James listed and shook his head. "What the hell is wrong with you?!"
Sipping on his beer Scott shrugged. "He's married…," he commented but still James shook his head while he looked at Logan.
"Logan?" Bobby suddenly asked after a moment and grinned rather embarrassed at Logan, who'd just emptied his coke. "Sorry, but…," he held up his empty bottle and received a glare from the man. "…you sit on the edge, you know…"
"I just asked," Logan growled and rolled his eyes when Bobby shrugged.
"Sorry…"
Sighing he got up again to get another drink for the younger man. "Is he really that different?" Scott asked after a moment with his eyes on Logan. To him the man hadn't changed at all…
"You bet!" James nodded and had his eyes fixed on the man, too. "Is he happy?" he asked after a moment and sounded rather concerned.
"He's moody today," Peter shrugged.
"And he'll kill you if you empty that bottle now, Pete," Bobby warned him and nodded at the drink in his friend's hand.
"No, I mean… Is he really happy with Jean?" James corrected himself and looked around, earning only looks that practically screamed Are you crazy at him.
"Are you kidding?!" Scott asked. "The two of them can't stay away from each other for longer than a week." Remembering something he grinned. "Jean was on a mission once for a week…," he began when Bobby cut him off.
"Five days!" the man corrected him and Scott nodded.
"Right! And he was so grumpy that there were more fights in the school within those five days than we usually have within a month!"
"It's just strange that he does without things he usually loves," James said in thoughts. "I don't know him that way…"
Coming back with a new bottle in his hands, Logan reached it over to Bobby. "Thanks!" this one said, still sounding slightly embarrassed, since he noticed the look the older ma still gave him.
"I'm off then," Logan only grunted and took his jacket.
"Where're you going?" James asked him in confusion and made his friend freeze.
"Home?!" this one said as if the other man was completely brain dead and saw how he looked at his watch.
"It's 11:40 only…"
"And?"
"Well for you it's still way too early…," James shrugged. "Why do you have to go?"
"Ehm…'cause I have four kids and a baby at home?!" Logan gave back in the same strange undertone, just to receive a stare.
"You really drive back home now?" James asked still thinking that his opposite was joking. "Seriously?!"
"Ehm…yeah?!" Logan replied with a cocked eyebrow while he searched his pockets for money and put a note down on the table. "So, see ya later!" he added and searched for his keys next. As he turned around the blonde woman touched his shoulder smiling.
"Can you give me a ride home?" she asked with a seductive smile.
"No…I can't," he grunted in annoyance and nodded at the others. "Ask one of them!" Just letting her stand there he left the bar, making James jaw drop.
"Have you seen that?!" he asked the others. "What have you guys done to him?!"
"Nothing," Scott shrugged.
"He never stays away for longer than 11 p.m.," Peter explained. "It's already late for him actually…"
"No beers, no cigars?" James asked.
"Well, it's not that he doesn't drink or smoke at all anymore," Bobby replied and Peter nodded.
"She really has him under her thumb, huh?"
"No, he does it voluntarily," Scott said with a shake of his head. "Jean would never forbid him anything. He can do what he wants as long as she can do what she wants. She knows that he needs his freedom." Only whistling James sipped on his drink again.
Feeling how the bed moved Jean switched the light on in surprise. "You're already back?" she asked sleepily and looked at her watch on the bedside table. "It's midnight only…"
"Did I wake ya?" Logan asked as he pulled the sheets over him, but she shook her head.
"No… Why are you already back?!" she asked and sat up a bit to rub her eyes.
"Do ya want me to go again?" he teased her. "You know that I'm always back before midnight."
"Yes, but I thought you might have wanted a bit fun with your friends…," she replied with a yawn. As he pulled his pillow over to her side and nuzzled her neck.
"Nah…"
Switching the light off again, she laid back down and closed her eyes tiredly. "You don't have to come back earlier because of me," Jean mumbled. "You can stay away as long as you want, you know that…"
Cuddling up to her, he kissed her neck softly. "I know. But I don't want to…" Kissing her again, he leant his head against her shoulder. "Night…"
Smiling, Jean heaved a deep breath. "Night."
On the next morning, Kitty and Jubilee came down, looking more than sour and froze at the door to the kitchen. "You're already up?!" Kitty shrieked and gave the man at the counter, who was occupied with eating breakfast, a shocked look.
"Why shouldn't I be up?!" Logan asked perplexed and handed his son the bottle with syrup for the pancakes.
"'Cause you guys came back at 7 a.m.?" Jubilee asked in disbelief. "How come ya look so awake after two hours of sleep, Wolvie?"
"He was back at midnight, that's why," Jean said and went over from the stove to the counter to put more cakes onto the plate.
Only snorting, Kitty rolled her eyes. "Great! And Peter's snoring upstairs and I bet he has a hangover." Sitting down on a stool she began to pile pancakes onto her plate, looking sour than ever.
"Same goes for Popsicle," Jubilee added with a growl, making Logan chuckle.
"Why didn't you tell them to leave, too?" Kitty demanded to know and received a look.
"Why should I?" he asked with a cocked eyebrow. "They're grown-ups and don't need to be babied anymore. Ya want them to come home earlier then tell them!" Getting up he put hi dishes into the dishwasher and kissed Jean briefly. "I'm upstairs to shower…"
"Okay," she smiled and watched him leaving before she had to turn her head to Rachel, who was poking into her side.
"Can we go out and play?" she asked.
"Sure, but put your dirty dishes away first and get your warm clothes from upstairs."
"Why isn't it snowing this year?" Jack pouted and walked towards the door. "Can't Aunt 'Roro make it snow?"
"Sorry, my dear but I don't manipulate the weather just for fun," Ororo winked. "But I can assure you it will snow sooner or later this year. Don't worry." Sighing she looked at her daughter, who had given her puppy-dog eyes looks the whole time through. "And yes, you can go outside, too, but before you do you get warmer clothes from upstairs!" Cheering the girl jumped off her stool. "And, young lady, the same goes to you!" TJ's mother added and held up her daughter's dirty plate. Groaning the girl took it and put it into the dishwasher, before she headed of with Isa on her hand. "Can you imagine what will happen as soon as Tommy, Alex and Jamie join them? And Rogue's boy?" she added with a playful groan and leant her head on her arms that rested in the table. "I don't even want to think about it…"
Laughing, Jean shook her head. "We wanted it that way, 'Ro!"
"I know, I know…"
"Where's Mrs. Prettyface by the way?" Mystique asked and kept an attentive eye on the baby monitor next to her.
"Oh, I hope that woman keeps away from here," Ororo immediately added and heard Jean's snort. Nevertheless, she didn't tell her what she actually wanted to say.
"The only thing I know is that she will regret it if she ever lays her hand on Logan again," the redhead hissed darkly and her eyes glowed for a brief moment.
"You know?!" Mystique asked her in shock, since she herself hadn't seen and only heard about it from Scott.
"Yes I do…"
"How?!"
"Logan told me," Jean replied with a look.
"Logan told you that she kissed him?!" Ororo asked her incredulously. "He tells you about such things?"
"Of course," the redhead said with a shrug. "He always tells me if a woman tried to flirt with him… Why shouldn't he do it?"
"Wow," Mystique made. "I wouldn't tell Scott. That's for sure…"
"Why not?"
"Because it only means trouble," the blue woman replied and sipped on her coffee when Moira, Hank and Heather, followed by Narya entered and wished them a Good Morning.
"I think it only means trouble if you don't tell your partner and this one finds out about it," Jean said after a moment. "That's why we agreed on no secrets at all."
"You know his history with Yukio then?" Heather asked her and was surprised to see the redhead nodding. "Everything?!"
"He told me that it meant nothing to him and that he has no feeling for her. That's all I need to know," came the rather chilly reply and it didn't take long for Jean to narrow her eyes as Yukio entered the room.
"Good morning," the woman greeted and took a cup to pour herself some tea. Noticing the look the redhead gave her she smiled. "So…you really believe that he's your man, huh?" she asked. "Let me tell you one thing about Logan, honey. He never had one girl only. He doesn't share his girls but he also doesn't care that we have to share him." Ignoring the looks of the others, she enjoyed the fuming view of the redhead. Beginning to smile arrogantly, she sipped on her tea briefly. "I bet he'd only married you so that you're his nice little housewife, who takes care of his home and children. Or it must be the sex, but I doubt that there's anything else. He can have any woman he likes, so why should he pick you out of everyone, huh?" she asked and watched how Jean put her cup down very slowly, but didn't see the warning look Ororo gave the others, since she knew what would come if the woman went on like that. "You've a pretty face, a nice figure…," Yukio went on and scanned the redhead from head to toe. "But other than that…you're just an ordinary girl…"
"Someone's really frustrated, hm?" Jean gave back with a purring undertone and felt her negative slowly taking over. "Or pissed because he showed you the cold shoulder maybe?"
Coming closer with a smile, Yukio held her gaze. "He came back home late, didn't he? Never asked yourself where he was that long or…who was with him?"
Giving her the same arrogant smile, Jean narrowed her eyes warningly. "I know where he was, honey… So don't even try that shit on me!"
Giggling her opposite shook her head. "He always came to me, no matter if he had a girl or not. So what makes you think it's any different with you?" she snapped.
"Jean…," Ororo tried to intervene and closed her eyes tightly as Yukio's cup hit the wall loudly.
"Bitch," the redhead snarled and her eyes began to change their color.
"What's happening?" Narya asked and stared at the woman panicky as she picked up the suddenly coldness that was radiated by Jean. Her eyes widened as she watched how the skin of the woman darkened and her eyes began to blacken while her hair turned suddenly into a fiery red. Staring at it, too, Yukio still tried to figure out what was happening as she was suddenly raised in the air.
"Jean, please calm down again!" Hank tried it, but was silenced with one look only. "You can change into a bird, can't you?" he turned to Narya. "Can you fly up to Logan's room and…," he went on as the man reached the room bare-chested and his hair still wet from showering.
"Jean!" Logan said and went quickly over to his fuming wife to touch her shoulder while the others had backed off after a sign of Ororo and were staring at them in shock. "Come on, let her go!" he pleaded and was pushed against the counter by the furious Phoenix.
"Oh, so you do care for her?!" she asked him in her demonic voice and with a more than low hiss.
"No, but I do care for ya and know that you'll feel bad afterwards again," he said as calm as possible and heard the windows vibrating under her strong power while the cupboards began to tremble. "So put her down and just ignore her, c'mon!"
Just staring at each other for a while, Phoenix finally dropped Yukio back onto the ground but still held her in her grip. "It's my last warning, bitch!" she hissed. "Leave me man alone or you'll fit into a matchbox!" Carelessly pushing her away with a psychic wave she pushed her negative back into her cage and blinked briefly.
Looking into her emerald eyes, Logan touched her cheek to make her look at him. "What did she say or do to piss ya off that much?!" he demanded to know and heard how the other came slowly closer again.
"Nothing!" Jean hissed through clenched teeth with a glare at Yukio. "Make sure that bitch stays away from me and you or something ugly will happen!"
"We'll see," Yukio snorted angrily and straightened her clothes as Logan turned towards her in a rush with black eyes.
"Shut up!" he roared and received a raised eyebrow from her as he pushed Wolverine back.
"What do you want with a psycho like her?" she asked him with a look.
"Yukio, it's enough!" Heather warned her since Logan began to growl.
"One more word and I'll forget that you're a woman!" he snarled and saw how she was about to say something. "ONE…more word!"
With a short derisive snort Yukio turned around to leave. "As if such a psycho-slut like her is any good for an animal like you," she hissed and heard Ororo shrieking as the woman beckoned the others to back off quickly. Turning around she directly looked into four pitch-black eyes.
"Animal?" Phoenix asked in a low snarl and made a step forward, while Wolverine clenched his fists.
"Slut?!" he'd asked at the same time and narrowed his eyes in fury.
"That's bad…," Jubilee whispered and tried to hide behind Hank's broad shoulder.
"That's more than bad…," Kitty corrected her and looked at Ororo for help.
"What's wrong all of a sudden?" Narya asked them since she didn't know why everyone was so afraid all of a sudden. "What's wrong with them?"
"Their negatives…," Hank briefly explained and looked outside the window to make sure that none of the children were on their way back inside.
"That means?"
"Their dark sides," Ororo said. "I thought you knew Logan…"
"Yes, but I have never seen him like that," Narya said and watched how the weather goddess made a careful step forward.
"Logan?" she asked and received a growl and glare from him. She knew what she'd done wrong in an instant. "Wolverine…"
"What?!" he snarled and Phoenix turned her head too while she began to lean against him.
"Could the two of you please calm down again… And change back?" Ororo asked as friendly as possible and made Phoenix laugh.
"Stay out of it!" the woman hissed next and gave her a good few on the flames which slowly began to cover her body.
"No, I won't!" Ororo shook her head. "Jean, please, change back…"
"Jean isn't here now, girl!" Phoenix smiled. "And I said keep out of it!" With an easy movement of her hand Ororo hit the counter hard.
"Wow…," Narya made impressed but also scared by now.
Turning to Wolverine, Phoenix smiled at him before she nodded at Yukio who was again in her firm grip and kept on looking to and fro between her opposites. "I'm sick of her…"
"Hey!" Hank intervened while he helped Ororo up again. "What are you going to do?!"
Ignoring him she laid a hand on his cheek and met his dark eyes with a strange smile. "Darling, I'm really sick of her…," Phoenix purred. "Why don't you do me a favor and get rid of her?"
"Logan, don't!" Mystique said alarmed.
"Ignore them!" Phoenix hissed.
Looking at her first then at the other Wolverine closed his eyes with an angry snarl. "Change back!" he said and looked at his wife with hazel eyes.
"What?!" this one hissed and backed off a bit.
"Step back," he demanded again and ignored the furious glare she gave him, just to cock an eyebrow next when the woman suddenly came closer with narrowed eyes. He knew she was beyond anger by now.
"Do you give me orders?" Phoenix asked and pushed him against the counter again. "Who are you to give me orders?!"
Not impressed by it he met her gaze. "Your husband," Logan growled before he sighed. "Come on, you got your revenge, everyone is scared now let Jean control it again…" With a nod at the garden he gave her a look. "Think about the kids…," he added more softly and watched how she'd followed his gaze before she fixed it again on the woman.
"Why is it not working?" Mystique asked Hank and Ororo. "I thought he can control her?"
"I don't know…," the man shrugged when Logan spoke up again.
"C'mon, Red," Logan went on and reached out to touch her cheek. "She ain't a danger for us… And you know that. Now let her go…"
Pausing for a moment Phoenix sighed and closed her eyes briefly. When she opened them again, Jean began to shake her head and looked around in confusion. "What…?" she began and tried to figure out what bothered her. "What happened?" she asked him and noticed the looks of the others. Looking at each of them her eyes widened when she saw how Ororo held her shoulder. "Oh my God, 'Ro, I am so sorry…," Jean gasped and covered her mouth with her hand in shock. "I didn't mean to do that…"
"Can someone please explain to me what is wrong?" a voice suddenly said and the Professor entered the room. "I picked up on a very strong rage inside this room. What happened?" he asked slightly angered and noticed how Jean stared at the ground in shame. "Jean?"
"I'm sorry," the woman stuttered. "I…I became angry and lost it…"
"Why?"
"Because of her," Logan growled and nodded at Yukio. "I don't know what she said but obviously it was enough to make Jeannie furious." Pulling his wife close to protect her while she was shaking in shock about her loss of control he heard how Mystique came closer.
"That woman wanted it that way," she explained and glared at the woman behind Charles. "She didn't stop even after she was warned. It's her own fault…"
"Is everyone alright?" the Professor asked after a moment and squeezed the back of his nose with a sigh.
"Yes, everyone is fine," Ororo said and looked at Jean when the woman raised her head in surprise.
"You okay?" Logan asked Jean and stroked her hair back.
"I'm really sorry Logan… I really didn't mean for this to happen," she cried and bit her lip.
"Hey I lost it, too," he shrugged with a wink and kissed her before he went over to grab Yukio's arm roughly. "And the two of us will have a nice talk now!" he snarled and forced her to follow him.
Still standing rather lost in the middle of the room, Jean felt the stares on her. Especially the still scared ones of Narya and Heather. Feeling exactly the same as back then when she had returned from the dead, she was about to run away when she felt a hand on her shoulder.
"Honestly, I'd hope you would roast her," Mystique smiled and Ororo nodded.
"That woman really is a bitch."
"'Ro, I'm…," Jean began when the weather goddess waved off.
"Don't worry. I'm fine," the woman smiled. "Professor, is there anything else?"
"Yes, I actually came to tell you that Forge finally managed to create a uniform that makes use of the technology of our enemies. He only made one prototype so far and wants to tests if this one works properly, before he goes on to produce more. He said he would be here within a week," Charles told her. "Jean, I know you are aware of your fault, but please… Next time you feel that you're getting too furious try to keep control and just go away. You are in a school with children!"
"I'm sorry," Jean mumbled and looked at the ground ashamed.
Only sighing the Professor exited when Logan came back. Seeing the picture of misery he pulled her against his bare chest again. "Nothin' happened, darlin'," he tried to soothe her when she wrapped her arms around his waist and leant against him.
"But something could have happened," the redhead gave back.
"But it didn't…," he smiled and kissed her again. "Now come on, ya owe me a shower…"
"I don't feel like showering now, Logan," Jean sighed when he dragged her over to the door.
"How about a bath then," he smirked. "Because of ya the whole floor is flooded and I'm not really in for cleaning the bathroom again…" Trying to cheer her up somehow and intending to get her away from all the looks he pulled her with him. "So let's flood the floor a bit more, shall we?"
"I said no fun for you within the next four weeks," Jean scolded him as a reminder when he stopped at the door to hold it open for her.
"Who said I wanna have that fun? I only wanna have a shower or bath," he teased. "And you're not keeping to four weeks anyway, darlin'!"
Exchanging looks in the kitchen, Mystique could only shrug while Ororo cocked an eyebrow. "She's not keeping to it?" she said knowingly. "It's him who'll get frustrated after two weeks…"
The kitchen was crowded like never before after dinner. Even with the children being already in bed and the adults sitting together and talking, it was barely room left with both groups together. Peter and Bobby did their best to ignore the angry looks of their wife and girlfriend while they waited for the Aspirin to take effect, while Ororo tried to persuade Hank with her looks that this evening could be perfect to ask Moira. Jubilee on the other hand took her time to announce the next X-Girls evening for next week and invited Heather and Narya to the party, too. Since she was more or less tired the whole day through by now, Rogue went upstairs first with Remy on her hand whereas Mystique still tried to figure out why Scott hadn't had a hangover. Getting up, Jean got another beer from the fridge to hand it over to Logan and sat down opposite of him again as he suddenly froze while he wanted to sip on the beer. Frowning she watched how he had his eyes fixed on the counter and began to narrow his eyes as if he was concentrating on something. "What's wrong?" she asked and was about to get up since she thought Jamie was crying, but figured that it was something else since he didn't reply. By now also the others were looking at him in confusion when Logan turned his head only a bit, just to meet Jean's gaze next and tap the side of his head. She nodded whereas the others only exchanged more than confused glances with each other. "What's wrong?" she asked again this time through their mental link and he put the beer down slowly.
"They're here…," was all he said and she noticed the alarmed look on his face…
Yeah, cliffie time again. ; ) Hadn't had it in a while. LOL Hope you guys liked it and I am curious to read your guesses of Who is there! ; ) Thanks to all reviewers again and I hope you review to this one here, too. See ya!!!