AN:  Yeah, last chappie was short…kinda an intentional deal, so I could set this puppy up.  This little section was inspired by Stormfreak's story title "Give it Up, Turn it Loose."  Stuck a song in my head, and away we go…

Why don't you turn it loose?

"Wild One?" 

"Easy, Windrider.  Lay back here for a moment."  Plump pillows lay under Storm's head, and buffeting her body, protecting her from moving too much.  "You must have had some nightmare, girl.  You were causing all sorts of noise, and threw yourself off the bed."  Eyes dancing, Yukio turned away to gather a few small needles, and called over her shoulder, "You're too heavy for me to be lifting you around.  Sure that Cajun friend of yours hasn't been feeding you too much?"

Storm laughed.  "Are you calling me fat, Yukio?"

Yukio turned back around, lighter and small glass globe in hand.  "Turn over, and take off your shirt.  I need to cup your back." 

Doing as she was told, Ororo tried to relax as Yukio spread the flame-retardant gel approximately a palm below Storm's right shoulder blade.  "Now, lean to your right."  Shrugging, Ororo bent her body up, exposing her left ribs.  "Hmmm."

"What?  What is the matter?"

Yukio poked Ororo's right side.  "Yup, got a bit of a roll there.  Sheesh, you leave here and get all soft on me."

Flinging her head around, Storm almost smacked Yukio in the face with her long white hair.  "There is not a 'roll' there, and I am…"  Yukio's howling laughter gave her pause, as she realized she had been taken.  "Oh, just fix me."  Laying flat on her stomach, Storm could hear the lighter catch, and smell the sulfur in the air.  When she heard a bit of a flare up, she tried not to tense, as the paper was thrown into the glass globe, and then the open-mouthed globe was placed on Storm's smooth back.  The gel and lack of oxygen extinguished the flame, and created a vacuum, drawing layers of Storm's skin convexly up into the glass cup. 

"So, how do you feel, 'Ro?"  While the cup sat, drawing all the stagnation to the surface, Yukio questioned her friend. 

Still facing the floor, Storm sighed.  "It is odd, knowing that I must fully sever the emotional connection to my powers before restructuring it.  I fear that I have a long way to go, and the anger is exhausting."

Yukio fiddled with the cup currently on Storm's back, and spread more gel for another to be placed near her kidney.  "Well, that's why we don't make you angry all the time."

Even though Yukio could not see the creases, she could feel her friend's slight frown.  "And what else could there be that creates such a dramatic shift?  I cannot foresee myself stopping the sun from shining brighter because I am extremely happy."

Another burst of light, and another glass cup applied.  "An orgasm."

Perhaps Yukio was doing more than just curing Storm's stagnated blood, because if it weren't for the cups on her back, Ororo would have been out the window, face burning.  "You…you cannot be serious."

With a sucking noise, followed by a pop, Yukio pulled off the top glass, and frowned at the results.  "You're showing it pretty well, Windrider.  You've got a lot caught in there.  Too much stagnated energy.  I'm gonna have to use a few needles."  While Yukio had never been fully trained as an acupuncturist, she picked up bits and pieces in order to treat herself while in her periods of hiding.  Storm nodded her consent, and Yukio got off the bed to gather her fine needles.  "Anyway, Storm, an orgasm is an involuntary reaction, right?  So, wouldn't it make sense for you to learn how to control yourself from making the weather go nuts, even in bed?"

"Well…I guess."

"Good."

"But, I am hardly in control over my anger yet.  I must complete that before moving on."

"OK then."

__________________

Handing the taxi driver a few bills, Logan stepped onto the clean sidewalk.  He knew that Yukio lived in this building, luckily on the end with a balcony.  So, naturally, Logan climbed the stairs of the next building, and perched on the balcony of the adjoining building.  Peering in, he thanked whoever above that Storm was in there, and she looked well.  Trying to balance such as not to creak the metal below him, Wolverine mentally debated going over and seeing how she was doing up close.

He shook his head at the notion; he was here to observe, and far be it from him to somehow interfere in 'Ro's progress.  Squinting, he could see her smile, and laugh at something Yukio must have said.  That brought a smile to his face.  It had been too long since he saw a sincere, involuntary smile come across his dear friend's face.  Too damn long to be healthy.  And damned if he hadn't been helping her right along into depression.  Dumping more responsibilities on, assuming that they wouldn't be a problem.  Damn.  For all his exacting senses, he was utterly blind to Ororo's sadness.  Damn.

______________________

"Put your arms by your sides, and relax."  Yukio felt along Storm's lean arm, found her point, and tapped a delicate needle in with a flick of the fingernail.  "So, what's your goal, 'Ro?"

"I…I do not really know.  And that is what scares me.  I just want out of this helpless feeling."

Another needle tapped into another line, and Storm's muscles involuntarily contracted as the electric feeling ran across her triceps.  Straddling Storm's lower back, Yukio reached up, felt along the outside of Ororo's ear, and carefully placed another needle into the cartilage.  "Hmmm.  You're hardly helpless, Windrider.  Even if you can't use your powers, you're pretty damned good with a knife or gun."

Yukio pulled the cup off Ororo's area over her kidney, and massaged it a bit.  "Yukio, that is hardly the point.  I know that I am one of the strongest mutants alive, and that I can street fight.  But that did not prevent my failure, nor does it buffet me from the other things I must face."

"Girl, you've got some serious stuff backed up.  It's rare I can see the stagnation through the skin, but it's black as night back here.  Hold on."  Yukio swung one leg over, and got up off the bed.  Rummaging through a drawer, she produced a small handheld mirror.  Leaning it against Storm's skin, she allowed Ororo to look over her shoulder, and see the ugly bruise that had formed on her skin.  It was as if an octopus had attacked her, a perfectly dark and ugly circle springing up to mar her otherwise chocolate flesh tone.  Once again astride the goddesses' back, Yukio lit what looked like a fleshy stick, and produced a pungent smell.  "So, what are you going to do about it?  What you wanna accomplish?"

"I…I…wish to be aggressive." 

Leaning down, Yukio held the smoking herbs over one of the needles in Ororo's arm.  "Tell me when you can feel the heat in your muscle."  Storm nodded, and took a deep breath.  "Aggressive?  Since when?"

"Since I decided that passivity was not getting me anywhere."

"And when did you decide that?"

"About the same time I decided to come visit you."

"So, you associate me mentally with aggressiveness?"  Yukio chuckled.  "Excellent."

Ororo suddenly twitched, and drew away.  "I can feel it." 

"Good."  Yukio drew the smoldering aromatic plant away, and blew on it.  She twirled the needle, and placed the herb near the needle's top once more.  "One more time, 'Ro."

"I feel it."  Yukio pulled the herb away, and placed it in the glass cup she had used previously.  She then extracted each of the needles from Ororo's arm and ear, and bode her to redress.  "So, we start again tommrow?"

"Yes."  Pulling her shirt down over her head, Ororo drew the curtain of her hair out from her back. 

Yukio raised an eyebrow.  "You sure you're ready to be aggressive, girl?"

"I must learn how to be the aggressor before I learn how to be passive without harming my chances."

"OK.  Your call."

_________________

Logan hopped down to the ground below, and walked toward the nearest hotel.  He would watch and bide his time.  Let 'Ro do what she feels she has to do, and he'll keep watching.  That is, until he feels he has to interfere. 

AN2: OK, I promised a confrontation.  So, I lied.  Ah well.  They will all meet, I promise.  I just needed a bit more set up to form my what's gonna go down.  That will happen next chapter.  Really.  Ah, quit looking at me like that. 

Stormfreak:  Yeah, that would.  So, you go write it.  I can barely write a kiss without blushing. :P

Rhiannon:  A little force, a little coercion…it's all a good mix!

Ninamonkey: She ain't done controlling it.  Time to swing the pendulum the other way!

Rhapsody:  "Night Train."  Again and again and again….oh, Yukio and Logan will make nice.  It just ain't Storm who can play well with others… ;)