AN: Short 'n' sweet this time, but there's more to come...

**********

Rogue winced, hearing the thwap-bam-shnnnick of a large knife slamming into a hapless vegetable. She figured the best thing to do was avoid the kitchen at all costs, since the knife-wielder sounded like they believed vegetables weren't the only thing worth turning into hash.

WHAP.

She made a face, and hurried into the recreation room where, fortunately, the TV was on loud enough to mute the kitchen sound. She grinned when she saw Logan's form comfortably scrunched in the couch and plopped down beside him.

"Hey, Logan."

"Hey, kid." Logan turned half-way in his seat and hit 'pause' on the remote. "What's up?"

Rogue sighed and tugged at her gloves. "Nothin'. Bored, I guess. Jubes, Kitty, an' Bobby're at the mall, John's outta town visitin' his parents...y'know. Same ol' borin' Saturday."

"So?" Logan put a cigar in his mouth, and Rogue promptly plucked it from his lips. He made a face. "It ain't much, but after this movie you c'n watch the fights with me."

"Yuck! I'd rather be at the mall."

He chuckled, just when a loud SHHWACK cut through the sound of the television set.

"Whew, someone's mad," Rogue whispered, nibbling her lip. "Who's in the kitchen, anyway?"

"That'd be our resident weather goddess," Logan said, smirking. "She's got a temper on 'er, all right."

KWHAM.

Rogue's eyes went wide. "Ms. Munroe?! Gawd, Logan, she never gets mad. Someone musta pushed her buttons big time."

"Heh, heh." Logan grabbed the cigar from Rogue's hands and laid it between his lips. He slipped his hands beneath his head and snuggled back into the couch. "Yer lookin' at the king of elevator operators."

"Geez, Logan, you gotta death wish? What'd the heck you do, anyway?"

"Nothin' big." He shrugged and gestured with the remote to some paused actors in a police station. "Scott an' Jean made us see this stupid movie, and we got into a fight about it. I thought she looked like one of the characters, and she thought I looked like one of 'em. I riled 'er about it, and she got mad."

"Really?" Rogue rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "You two made a movie, huh? I'd love to see that."

Logan rolled his eyes. "It's not us, okay--? Well...Nah, I take it back. It's Ororo, that's for sure. Jean's right about that. This chick looks just like her."

"Ooh, cool! I wanna see it!"

"Fine," Logan sighed and handed the remote to Rogue. He never could say 'no' to the teen. He felt like an overindulgent father sometimes, but maybe it wasn't so bad since it kept him out of trouble. "You ever see the movie, Swordfish?"

Rogue shook her head. "Nope. I ain't inta all them shoot-em-up movies."

"Good. Maybe you can win the bet for 'Ro an' me. If neither of us looks like the two characters, then One-Eye and Red c'n leave us the hell alone." He growled softly and rose from the couch.

"Where're you goin'?"

"Kitchen. Time ta pay the piper."

"You gonna calm down Ms. Munroe?"

Logan shrugged. "Calm 'er down, let 'er use me as her own personal lightning rod...whatever works."

Rogue giggled and pressed the play button. "Okay. But I hope you practiced enough in the Danger Room, 'cause in the mood she's in, she'll find a way to ground ya...but good."

"That's what I'm afraid of," he muttered.

* * *

SHHUHNK

Ororo had determined that this was a good time to make vegetable soup. No, not a good time--a great time. She sliced through another potato and plopped the mashed pieced into a boiling vat of water. She wasn't mad. How could she be mad? Just because some trollop in a mini-dress had the audacity to mimic her, and it turned Logan on...well. That was simply not a reason to get angry. So, of course she wasn't angry. She was perfectly comfortable with the movie. It was just a silly movie, after all.

She slammed back the refrigerator door and grabbed a celery stalk, raising the meat cleaver high in the air.

K-CHUNK

"Uh, 'Ro?"

KSHWHUMPH

Came back, did he? Well. How nice. "Yes, Logan."

SHNNNOOK

"You, uh...seem a li'l ticked off."

"Me? I'm not angry. Why do you think I am angry?"

SMACK/WHAP/CRUNCH

"Uh, huh. I think the celery'll disagree with ya there."

"No, really. I am perfectly at ease."

SHHHOOOM

"Right. Gotcha." Logan carefully caught her hand in mid-air, just as she was about to turn the stalk into celery frappe. There was danger in her eyes, but he was brave enough to face it. "I'm sorry I teased ya so much. C'mon. See the rest of the movie with me."

She let her eyebrow raise a millimeter. "You still want to finish watching that atrocious thing?"

He shrugged and leaned back against the kitchen counter, arms folded. "It ain't all that bad."

Ororo imitated his pose. "Why? Because of the girl?"

"Yeah, she's hot," he said, smirking. "An' I c'n see ya modelin' that skimpy outfit. Or, maybe it's just a decent movie."

"Oh, of course, a decent movie." Fine, Logan. Two can play this game. "Well. I wouldn't mind seeing Stan's cute little bod, either." She purposely wet her lips and stared Logan up and down like a rare steak (or in her case, a raw carrot). When he unconsciously started growling, she knew she achieved the desired effect.

She took a step closer to him. Logan froze, stuck between grabbing her and hightailing it out of the kitchen.

"'Ro?"

She inched forward and was millimeters from his face. Wary and unsure of her new advances he began backing up and hit the kitchen wall. "Yes, Logan," she said breathily. She stuck out the tip of her tongue and ran it against her teeth. "You're so much like Stan that it turns me on. It excites me. Are you...excited?"

He swallowed. For the first time, she saw a little fear mixed with the lust in his eyes. He gestured to the front room. "Uh, Marie's watchin' that movie now. Maybe I should go watch it with her."

"Why?" She ran her fingers over his stomach, feeling the muscles contract. "We can have our own private show, right here."

Logan growled and grabbed her arms.

"Or maybe," Ororo sighed, peeling his fingers from her arms, "it's just a movie, and you're overreacting." She smiled prettily at him. "Now who's running with the big dogs?"

She whistled softly and ducked out from beneath his arms, leaving him stunned and furious in the kitchen.

Oooh--! You know Logan's gonna have to retaliate. Round Three comin' up soon--let's get ready to rrrrrrumble!