I don't own the X-men nor have I made one dime by writting these stories. Enjoy.
A Moment Between Strangers
"Hey Chris, can a thursty man get a beer?"
"Hey Logan, one beer, Canadian, coming up."
Logan scanned the faces in the bar; a few college kids who didn't knew they weren't welcome at the pool tables, the two red heads that seemed to live there, and Chris the new bartender talking to Connie the waitress. A slow night, too bad, Logan had wanted a little action, still those college kids could be a prospect for some fun, later.
The bell on the door clanged announcing a new guest to this rather dead party. Logan looked up from his Moulson peering through narrow eyes at the perfect creature that had entered the bar. A buckskin cowboy hat pushed down on a head of long flowing ebony china silk hair that framed a sweet mischievious face home to a pair of saphire blue eyes. She was Asian with a coloring of european in her features and was tall, very tall, at least six feet but he was sure four of those inches were curtesy of her high heeled boots. Her tight black jeans and fitted white t-shirt hugged her dangerous curves like a second skin.
The college boys in the back cat-called and whistled, she ignored them completely taking a seat next to Logan at the bar. Chris looked over at her smiling, Logan returned to his beer. As interesting as she was he wasn't looking for company.
"What ya drink Doll," Chris asked? She peeked over at Logan smirking at the smell of the beer.
"I'll have tequila, lime. Kill the salt." She removed her hat and placed it on the bar to her left. Logan noticed but didn't look at her. She downed the drink like it was a shot and then ordered a Miller.
"Excuse me," she asked turning her seat to Logan,"do you know how to get to Loch Raven from here?"
Logan glanced up,"Maps for sale next door."
"Sorry," she apologized and returned to her beer. Logan could hear a ruckus from the pool tables, the college boys were up to something, *Good* he thought. One of them, the big one, it was always the big one, broke away from the group and staggered over to the woman next to Logan. He slide between her and Logan leaning on the bar. He reached across her recoving her hat then placing it on his head so low it covered his eyes.
"You know Sweety, I just love ridin'...ponies," he smuggly said looking her body over like it as a steak and he was hungry.
"Take it off," she grunted.
"Why don't you come and get it," the young man backed away from the bar with his index finger beckoning her.
She shook her head, "They never learn," she whispered. Logan smiled, this could get interesting. The young woman stood and crossed the room over to the man now wearing her prized hat. She smiled seductively, nuzzling close to his ear she whispered,"Now that wasn't very nice, Sugah," then kneed him in the nuts. As he tumbled over, the hat slipped off his head, she reached out recapturing her possession with only two fingers. A roar of laughter erupted from the pool tables as she returned to her seat.
"Whatever," she muttered and sipped her beer. Logan looked over at her smiling slightly. She looked at him with intense eyes and returned the smile.
"You can take Main, turn left onto Greymalkin Lane after the second light, go about three miles and make a right onto Loch Raven Road. It's a one way." After raddling off the directions Logan returned to his beer.
"Thanks friend," she pushed her beer aside and looked at the man. "I've seen you in here before, you like to fight."
Logan peered over at her again, "Yeah what of it?"
"Nothing," her eyes turned sad. He noticed, a pain hit his normally unsympathic heart. He could tell she was lonesome, she wanted to talk, but knew better than to try forcing a conversation with him.
"You buying another," Logan pointed to her empty mug?
"Only a Pepsi, I havta drive and all," she looked up at him sober as a nightmare. The beer and tequila had not set in yet.
"Hey Chris get the lady a pop," Logan ordered, Chris filled a stein with the dark liquid and slide it to him. Logan reached up with a passive hand haulting the motion of the drink and forcefully passed it to the young woman. She smiled her thanks and sipped. "So you got business in town or is this a social visit," she'd won a fight she didn't know she had started, Logan could feel pain in her. She was cool, he could tell, if all she wanted was conversation, he could be a gentleman.
"Family stuff, actually..." she looked up at him with a distant longing in her eyes,"yeah, just family stuff. How about you, you live in this burg, right, or just visit alot?"
"I live here, up the road a piece," Logan explained, "at a school."
"Xavier's or the University?" Logan looked at her, she was nursing her pepsi like it was a beer.
"Xavier's," Logan winced at his admition. He hadn't planned on talking about himself.
"I see, you a scientist or somethin' I hear the place is more research than school?"
"I am...security."
"Cushy, got any family?"
"Sort of, I'm kinda adopted."
"Really, me too. My Aunt and Uncle took me in, actually they were friends of my folks. Mom and Dad passed away."
"Sorry to hear that kiddo," Logan looked at her pained face. The only thing on Loch Raven Road was a cementary and the church. He guessed her 'family businees' was a visit to the folks.
"No worries.... they are together, that's all that matters."
Logan nodded, "I'm glad you're at peace with it, 'kinda thing can sour ya."
"It did," she admited spinning her now empty stein,"until I started coming here. They lived here for a little while, Auntie says this burg was the only home they'd known before they got married and all."
"So they 'here', out on Loch Raven?"
"Nope, but Auntie just told me that the church they got married in was out there. I was hoping to connect with something of them there, I never had the chance to before."
"Why, you didn't get along with them before...they passed away?"
"No, my Dad was killed a few hours after I was born, my Mom died the next day from complications, or at least that was what I was told. Never got to talk to'em, that's why I'm here, I wanna say my peace."
"Sorry, didn't mean to ..."
"It's fine, like I said they are together that's all that matters."
Logan and the girl sat in silence for a while, she sneaked a few glances at him, but remained quiet. Logan removed his pinching wallet and keys from his back pocket, sitting them in the bar. After a second or two his leather wallet unfolded, in the space where his driver's license should have been was a picture.
"Well now she's a pretty sight," the woman whispered with a smile. Logan glanced at his wallet and smirked a satisified smile when he realized the woman was talking about Jubilee.
"Yeah, she's a handful too."
"I can imagine, anything that darn cute has a tendency to be a bit much?"
Logan's eyes danced with a smile,"You got that right. She's a good friend, my partner if you will."
"Your partner, in crime, probably. She go to that school you work at?"
"She used too, transfered up to the Massachuetts Academy." She noted the sadness starting to fill his face, he lifted his beer to his mouth pausing in a thought before taking a drink.
"You miss her, you should visit her."
"Can't, she has schooling and her life. The last thing she needs is this ol' Chucklehead bringing her trouble. 'Sides her friends and teachers ain't crazy about me coming up there."
She took up the wallet, the wavy rises in the picture were tell tale signs that there was writing on the back. "May I read what she wrote," the young beauty looked up at Logan who hestitated, he finally nodded a yes. She slowly removed the photo as not to damage it and flipped it over to the back.
"Dear Wolvie," she started to quietly read," I hate this picture because I am smiling like a flaming idiot (I know watch my mouth). But you wanted one so here you go. So the next time you run off or feel bad just take a peek and remember me with this dorky grin, if that don't make you smile nothing will. Jubes." She laughted a little and returned the picture to the slot where it had been resting.
"Go visit her, she needs ya. Schools hard enough, especially some snobby private one. Trust me life's too short to worry about her friends or teachers, screw'em." The woman rose from her seat wiggling her hat in place. She said nothing else only patted Logan on the back. A second later the bell rang as she vanished out of the door.
Logan got up, tossed a ten on the bar and left out behind her. He should have been able to see her, getting in her car or walking off, but there was nothing. No dust from a recently departed car, nobody walking, nothing. She'd vanished, he didn't even get her name.
He fingered his wallet, the young woman's words lingering in his mind. She was right, it had been almost four months since he'd seen his Jubilee. He looked at his watch, it was about two in the morning, if he left now, he could make it to the Academy by six. Smiling, he mounted his hog and took off for the highway.
A Moment Between Strangers
"Hey Chris, can a thursty man get a beer?"
"Hey Logan, one beer, Canadian, coming up."
Logan scanned the faces in the bar; a few college kids who didn't knew they weren't welcome at the pool tables, the two red heads that seemed to live there, and Chris the new bartender talking to Connie the waitress. A slow night, too bad, Logan had wanted a little action, still those college kids could be a prospect for some fun, later.
The bell on the door clanged announcing a new guest to this rather dead party. Logan looked up from his Moulson peering through narrow eyes at the perfect creature that had entered the bar. A buckskin cowboy hat pushed down on a head of long flowing ebony china silk hair that framed a sweet mischievious face home to a pair of saphire blue eyes. She was Asian with a coloring of european in her features and was tall, very tall, at least six feet but he was sure four of those inches were curtesy of her high heeled boots. Her tight black jeans and fitted white t-shirt hugged her dangerous curves like a second skin.
The college boys in the back cat-called and whistled, she ignored them completely taking a seat next to Logan at the bar. Chris looked over at her smiling, Logan returned to his beer. As interesting as she was he wasn't looking for company.
"What ya drink Doll," Chris asked? She peeked over at Logan smirking at the smell of the beer.
"I'll have tequila, lime. Kill the salt." She removed her hat and placed it on the bar to her left. Logan noticed but didn't look at her. She downed the drink like it was a shot and then ordered a Miller.
"Excuse me," she asked turning her seat to Logan,"do you know how to get to Loch Raven from here?"
Logan glanced up,"Maps for sale next door."
"Sorry," she apologized and returned to her beer. Logan could hear a ruckus from the pool tables, the college boys were up to something, *Good* he thought. One of them, the big one, it was always the big one, broke away from the group and staggered over to the woman next to Logan. He slide between her and Logan leaning on the bar. He reached across her recoving her hat then placing it on his head so low it covered his eyes.
"You know Sweety, I just love ridin'...ponies," he smuggly said looking her body over like it as a steak and he was hungry.
"Take it off," she grunted.
"Why don't you come and get it," the young man backed away from the bar with his index finger beckoning her.
She shook her head, "They never learn," she whispered. Logan smiled, this could get interesting. The young woman stood and crossed the room over to the man now wearing her prized hat. She smiled seductively, nuzzling close to his ear she whispered,"Now that wasn't very nice, Sugah," then kneed him in the nuts. As he tumbled over, the hat slipped off his head, she reached out recapturing her possession with only two fingers. A roar of laughter erupted from the pool tables as she returned to her seat.
"Whatever," she muttered and sipped her beer. Logan looked over at her smiling slightly. She looked at him with intense eyes and returned the smile.
"You can take Main, turn left onto Greymalkin Lane after the second light, go about three miles and make a right onto Loch Raven Road. It's a one way." After raddling off the directions Logan returned to his beer.
"Thanks friend," she pushed her beer aside and looked at the man. "I've seen you in here before, you like to fight."
Logan peered over at her again, "Yeah what of it?"
"Nothing," her eyes turned sad. He noticed, a pain hit his normally unsympathic heart. He could tell she was lonesome, she wanted to talk, but knew better than to try forcing a conversation with him.
"You buying another," Logan pointed to her empty mug?
"Only a Pepsi, I havta drive and all," she looked up at him sober as a nightmare. The beer and tequila had not set in yet.
"Hey Chris get the lady a pop," Logan ordered, Chris filled a stein with the dark liquid and slide it to him. Logan reached up with a passive hand haulting the motion of the drink and forcefully passed it to the young woman. She smiled her thanks and sipped. "So you got business in town or is this a social visit," she'd won a fight she didn't know she had started, Logan could feel pain in her. She was cool, he could tell, if all she wanted was conversation, he could be a gentleman.
"Family stuff, actually..." she looked up at him with a distant longing in her eyes,"yeah, just family stuff. How about you, you live in this burg, right, or just visit alot?"
"I live here, up the road a piece," Logan explained, "at a school."
"Xavier's or the University?" Logan looked at her, she was nursing her pepsi like it was a beer.
"Xavier's," Logan winced at his admition. He hadn't planned on talking about himself.
"I see, you a scientist or somethin' I hear the place is more research than school?"
"I am...security."
"Cushy, got any family?"
"Sort of, I'm kinda adopted."
"Really, me too. My Aunt and Uncle took me in, actually they were friends of my folks. Mom and Dad passed away."
"Sorry to hear that kiddo," Logan looked at her pained face. The only thing on Loch Raven Road was a cementary and the church. He guessed her 'family businees' was a visit to the folks.
"No worries.... they are together, that's all that matters."
Logan nodded, "I'm glad you're at peace with it, 'kinda thing can sour ya."
"It did," she admited spinning her now empty stein,"until I started coming here. They lived here for a little while, Auntie says this burg was the only home they'd known before they got married and all."
"So they 'here', out on Loch Raven?"
"Nope, but Auntie just told me that the church they got married in was out there. I was hoping to connect with something of them there, I never had the chance to before."
"Why, you didn't get along with them before...they passed away?"
"No, my Dad was killed a few hours after I was born, my Mom died the next day from complications, or at least that was what I was told. Never got to talk to'em, that's why I'm here, I wanna say my peace."
"Sorry, didn't mean to ..."
"It's fine, like I said they are together that's all that matters."
Logan and the girl sat in silence for a while, she sneaked a few glances at him, but remained quiet. Logan removed his pinching wallet and keys from his back pocket, sitting them in the bar. After a second or two his leather wallet unfolded, in the space where his driver's license should have been was a picture.
"Well now she's a pretty sight," the woman whispered with a smile. Logan glanced at his wallet and smirked a satisified smile when he realized the woman was talking about Jubilee.
"Yeah, she's a handful too."
"I can imagine, anything that darn cute has a tendency to be a bit much?"
Logan's eyes danced with a smile,"You got that right. She's a good friend, my partner if you will."
"Your partner, in crime, probably. She go to that school you work at?"
"She used too, transfered up to the Massachuetts Academy." She noted the sadness starting to fill his face, he lifted his beer to his mouth pausing in a thought before taking a drink.
"You miss her, you should visit her."
"Can't, she has schooling and her life. The last thing she needs is this ol' Chucklehead bringing her trouble. 'Sides her friends and teachers ain't crazy about me coming up there."
She took up the wallet, the wavy rises in the picture were tell tale signs that there was writing on the back. "May I read what she wrote," the young beauty looked up at Logan who hestitated, he finally nodded a yes. She slowly removed the photo as not to damage it and flipped it over to the back.
"Dear Wolvie," she started to quietly read," I hate this picture because I am smiling like a flaming idiot (I know watch my mouth). But you wanted one so here you go. So the next time you run off or feel bad just take a peek and remember me with this dorky grin, if that don't make you smile nothing will. Jubes." She laughted a little and returned the picture to the slot where it had been resting.
"Go visit her, she needs ya. Schools hard enough, especially some snobby private one. Trust me life's too short to worry about her friends or teachers, screw'em." The woman rose from her seat wiggling her hat in place. She said nothing else only patted Logan on the back. A second later the bell rang as she vanished out of the door.
Logan got up, tossed a ten on the bar and left out behind her. He should have been able to see her, getting in her car or walking off, but there was nothing. No dust from a recently departed car, nobody walking, nothing. She'd vanished, he didn't even get her name.
He fingered his wallet, the young woman's words lingering in his mind. She was right, it had been almost four months since he'd seen his Jubilee. He looked at his watch, it was about two in the morning, if he left now, he could make it to the Academy by six. Smiling, he mounted his hog and took off for the highway.
