Disclaimer - I do not own X-Men. It belongs to Stan Lee and Marvel.

LOGAN'S POV

I walked down to the kitchen area. I didn't get any sleep the night before. Cyke and Storm were sitting in their civilian clothes, chatting.

"I'm just saying that she should have found a mentor that didn't teach her to skip drills and t-" Scott stopped dead when he realized I had been standing in the door way. "Um."

"Naw, finish. I'd love to hear how that sentence ends." I stated bluntly.

"Listen, Logan. We all love Leah. We do." He protested.

"But?"

"But she's too irrational. Too unpredictable. It's like dealing with a female you."

"That's weird." I said. "She's nothing like me."

"Personality-wise, you are right." Storm said. "It's just that-"

"She's as unreliable as you are." Cyke cut her off. "Where is she now, for example? She disappears for days, doesn't tell anyone where she is or who she's with."

"She's a free spirit. What, do you want me ta put a bell on the girl?"

"Couldn't hurt."

I just smiled. "Leah loves this team and wouldn't do anything to hurt it. So leave her alone."

"By letting her hang out with the Brotherhood?"

"That kid is not going to hurt her or us. Leave them be." I repeated, grabbing a soda from the fridge. "Listen, when she actually does something wrong, I will take care of it."

Scott sighed. "I don't want to wait till she does something."

I closed the fridge and took a deep breath. Then I turned to him and said very calmly, "If you do anything, and I mean anything, to hurt or upset her without reasonable cause, I will rip your guts out. Got it, bub?"

He stared at me. "Fine. If she screws up, Logan, it's on you. Got it?"

I growled and walked out, not looking back.

LEAH'S POV

I sat on the couch, reading a book called Hood. I found it at the mall a few months before and hadn't yet finished it. It was almost three in the morning and Logan hadn't shown up for the briefing or the encounter with the MRD that day and I was worried. He didn't tell me he was leaving and I tried to call him several times through out the day.

I was almost finished with the chapter I was reading when I heard the front door open and click shut Logan walked (more like stumbled) by the living area.

"Well where were you?" I asked out loud, hoping to grab his attention.

His footsteps stopped for a moment and he walked back, looking in. "Didn't see you there." He said, walking in and plopping himself next to me.

My nose itched as he sat down, the strong smell of alcohol wafting over to me. "Whatchyoo doin' up this late?" He asked, looking at me.

I put the book down after dog-earing my page. "I was worried about you. We went up against an MRD raid of Mutant Town and we really needed you there."

"Y'don't need me."

"Yes, we did. I tried calling you and you weren't picking up."

"Went out for a drink." He chuckled, looking down at his hands. "Well, a few drinks. I got a little drunk."

"Drunk's not the word I'd use."

"What'd you use?"

"Hammered, sloshed, crunked, smashed, exedra..."

"Crunked?" He asked before falling into a fit of giggles. He slumped over onto my shoulder before calming down a little.

I sighed and looked down at his head, placing my hand on his black hair. I always admired his hair. Always thick and soft. Matt had beautiful hair, too. It was a weakness, I guess.

He looked up at me. "Hey."

"Hi."

"Y'know, you're pretty."

"What?" I asked, chuckling.

"You're pretty. In your own funky way. No matter how silly your hairstyle is, you alway pulled it off."

"When I was in high school, I almost shaved my head."

He sat up quickly, face serious. "No! Don't do that!"

"I didn't say I w-"

"Shush! You're hair is perfect. Don't get rid of it. Promise me."

"Logain, I-"

"Promise me!"

"Fine. I promise."

He looked at me, skeptically.

I placed my hand over my heart ad raised the other one. "Cross my heart."

He relaxed and laid his head back on my shoulder, hugging me around the midsection.

I pet his hair a few times before leaning over and saying quietly, "You need help getting upstairs? It's late."

"Nnnn." He responded.

"That wasn't english." I commented.

"Stairs bad. M'comfy here."

I sighed and reached over him, grabbing the blanket on the couch. I draped it over him and made to get up but his arms didn't budge.

"No. Stay."

"Logan, I c-"

"Please?"

His voice sounded so meek and so sad, I couldn't bring myself to say no. So I propped the throw pillow on the arm of the couch and leaned my back and head against it. Closing my eyes, I slowly fell asleep. But not before hearing a muffled

"I love you."