AN: I'm a nasty, knock down dirty liar. Remember the whole "two chapters left" deal? Uh, no. It's going to take three.
Remy never really considered himself much of a phone person. It was hard to work charms on someone who could much more easily be distracted by outside influences. So, when he heard the phone tone its shrill ring, he ignored it, looking around for someone else to answer. Spotting Logan, Remy was about to yell out, but then quickly decided against it. Wolverine had been in a piss-poor mood ever since he had returned from his trip, Remy mused, and Remy had no intentions of bothering an irate, testy wolf.
Rolling his eyes in annoyance, Gambit picked up the receiver and cradled it against his shoulder to keep his hands free. "Bonjour?"
"Cajun?" a feminine voice questioned, not sounding happy with the arrangement.
Remy paused. Who else, aside from Logan, called him Cajun? Oh. He nodded his head. Someone Logan would have an influence on, no matter how much she despised it. "Yukio?" That you?"
"Yeah, can you give the phone to someone I actually want to talk to?"
Remy smiled. Perhaps the phone wasn't as bad as he perceived it to be. "Hmmm. 'Ro's not here. Want to speak to Logan? And 'sides, what's wrong wit' me?" Don' you like me?"
A growl pushed its way through the fiber optics, eliciting a smile from Remy. "Listen here, you little cuntflea, I called to warn you all."
"What about? You have Stormy get ano'ter mohawk? I've seen pictures." It was if Remy could feel Yukio roll her eyes.
"No, I called to tell you that Storm's different. She's not the same placid Ororo that left."
"So you called to warn us? T'anks, I think we'll be alright." Removing the phone from his ear, Remy set the phone back down on the cradle, and promptly forgot about the conversation. After all, how different could his padnat be?
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Approximately a month after Remy's conversation, the entire mansion was sniping at each other over petty issues. It all started with the Professor and Jean's knowing smiles and glances, as if they knew something that no one else did. So, of course, everyone assumed that it was for the worst, and accused everyone else of doing something horrid. Rogue was on Bobby's case because she "knew he had done something stupid," Remy was accusing Henry of "some sort of scientific prank," and so on down the line. And still, Jean and Xavier smiled, just waiting.
After lunch had finished, Jean turned to Remy, unable to contain herself any longer. "Remy, there's someone outside you should see."
"The Publisher's Clearing House Man?"
Jean rolled her eyes with a smile. "Just go."
Grumbling, Remy pushed his chair away from the table and stepped to the side door. Turning the knob, he strode outside, halfway expecting to see Sinister. A blur of white hair running at him gave a different story, however. "Stormy!" Colliding into each other, Ororo knocked Remy down, and they tumbled to the grass, locked in a hug.
"Do not call me that!" They both laughed at the familiar banter, slipping easily back into their former friendship. "Oh, it is so good to see you, Remy," Storm gushed, emotions spilling out of her like a tidal wave.
Craning his neck up a bit, Gambit placed a tender kiss on Ororo's forehead. "I've missed you, padnat."
"And as much as it pains me to say it," Ororo smirked, "I have missed you, also." Extricating herself from Remy's long arms and legs, she stood and lowered a hand to help her dear friend up. "Come, I wish to see more than just you."
Taking the proffered hand, Remy hoisted himself up. "More than just me, Stormy?" Remy placed a hand to his chest in mock indignation. "I'm shocked."
Laughing, Storm began walking to the mansion. Remy slipped an arm around her shoulder, leading her to the door. Before Ororo could turn the knob, Remy let go and backed up. He didn't want to be crushed. The doorknob clicked, and Ororo slowly eased the door open. Rogue was the first to notice. "Storm? Storm!" Jumping out of her seat, she rushed over and grabbed her in a large hug, followed by the other X-Men, all crushing and mobbing the former goddess.
Well, all except for one. Wolverine stood to give Storm a hug, also, when he felt the first wave. Gasping, he gripped the counter's edge, eyes darting around. Pulses of power were crashing into him like a heartbeat. Steady, constant, and strong. Thud, thud, thud. Swallowing hard, Logan shakily looked over at the perceived source. Concentrating, he tuned in. Yes, there it was. Every time Ororo's heart beat, she sent out a pulse of blood and energy coursing through her veins.
Shit. Logan couldn't even get close. To him, it was as if Nature herself had taken up residence in Ororo's ribcage, conducting business from inside. It both called to his wild, feral side and shoved him away with the force of it.
As the laughter and warm greetings faded, the welcoming committee and Ororo left the kitchen and airily strode over to the parlor room, chattering amongst themselves. Taking a deep, calming breath, Logan concentrated and blocked out the power flowing off Storm. He still had to pay her back.
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"Computer, terminate program. Override: Munroe 259."
"Program terminated." As the whirring slowed down and dropped to a low hum, Wolverine turned, fiercely angry at having his toy taken away. Growling, he dropped into a half crouch, exposing one sharp canine tooth in a show of aggression.
Leaning against the chilled metal of the Danger Room wall, Ororo raised a single eyebrow at Logan's display. Dressed in a hooded sweatshirt and short cutoffs, she looked as if she were ready to fight.
"What the fuck was that for, 'Ro?" Logan spat out, snarling.
A sadistic, twisted smile slid its way across Ororo's full lips, slanting them. "I thought you would rather fight the real me." She shrugged. "However, if you would rather not…"
"I thought you'd never ask." Leaping forward, Wolverine lashed out at Storm, claws stabbing forward towards her midsection. Slipping off at the last second, Storm stared in wonderment as Logan attempted to remove his claws from how they were now embedded in the wall. It seemed that he was not playing around. She smirked. Good.
Logan yanked his claws free, and whipped around to face Ororo. His lip curled back in primal assault, intent clear. She held his eyes with her own, and then brought her hands up in between them. He noticed her eyes whiting over, then the familiar electric claws crackled to life on the backs of her smooth palms. Good. He wanted this to be all-out.
Rushing at each other, the combatants slipped, dodged and parried their way through the fight. Neither would concede an inch in position, nor leave themselves vulnerable. Finally, Ororo found an opening, and went on the aggressive, spinning around and pressing every opening she could find. She backed him up, yelling her intent as he roared his back. Backed into a corner, Logan tucked his head in and tackled Ororo to the floor, effectively pinning her under his weight.
He felt the static electricity build as Ororo prepared to strike him with a bolt of searing electricity. Growling at her aggressiveness, he looked directly into her eyes, challenging her. She smiled back, allowing the rumbling thunder to speak for her. As Logan held her eyes, he moved one hand up by her face, using his palm to support his body mass before suddenly leaning down and claiming her lips.
Fighting back a moan, Logan pressed more insistently against Ororo's soft lips, coaxing her to part them to allow his tongue entrance. He felt a sharp intake of air, and then Ororo's lips opening as she darted her tongue against his. Snarling, he wound one hand deep into her long silky hair as he deepened the kiss. Sliding one hand brazenly under the edge of her shirt, Logan slipped his hand along her stomach and ribs, feeling how soft the skin is there.
He tore his mouth away, and began pressing his lips down her neck as his hand worked its way further up her body. Growling at the heat of her skin, he reached her breast with his palm, and grinned with dark intent as she arched up towards him. Allowing his hand to continue, he kissed back up to claim her mouth again, groaning as he felt her wind her legs around his. Damn, she's gotten ripped, he thought idly as her toned legs brushed against his denim covered ones. He almost lost all control as she opened her legs, allowing him to position himself in between her appendages. She brought her knees up, and ankles in, completing the leg lock on Logan's lower body.
Snarling as he could feel her heat, he kissed her more insistently. Then, his legs were brought out from under him as Ororo suddenly spread hers wide. His breath came out in a rush as he was thrown down onto her chest from losing his balance. Before he could recover, Ororo rolled them both on one side, her legs still intertwined with her knees bent. Her lip curled, and she kicked straight out, taking his leg with hers, and violently ripping his leg from the hip socket.
Howling in pain, Logan clutched at his leg and growled as Ororo untangled herself and stood. Without a word, she stepped over his rapidly healing form and left the room.
Logan stumbled to an upright position, balanced himself, and slammed his leg back into place against the hard floor with a hiss of pain. He chuckled, and smiled in retrospect. Maybe she had changed for the better. And maybe, just maybe, he'd better apologize.
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AN2: No more MSTs on ff.net? There went my true specialty…
Ninamonkey: My gosh, that's a compliment coming from you. Thanks! And I don't do bodice-rippers. You go through so much money that way… ;)
Stormlover: Thanks!
Scififreak: That work for ya?
Rhapsody: Now it's two chapters left. Restart the countdown!
Stormfreak: Yes, yes I am. Got a problem with that? Really? I'm sorry, I can only handle complaints on days without vowels in their name.