Disclaimor: I do not own the X-Men, so don't sue me, but i do own Zero, she's all mine so don't even think about it. ;-)
Summary: AU story, after a while of living in the mansion, Logan and his daughter try to work on the family they've got, and Logan decides she's in need of a mother. Storm just so happens to fit that description.
Light In The Dark chp3
Storm turned around to see, a very much dirt covered Zero, and Logan come around from the side of the cabin.
Storm smiled. "Hello Zero, Logan."
Logan and Zero both walked over to Storm. She gave Logan a hug and in return he kissed her on the cheek. "Good ta see ya 'Ro."
Zero half-smiled. "I would give you a hug, but..." She gestured toward her appearance. "I'm kinda dirty at the moment."
Storm laughed. "It's alright child." She paused for a second. "All of us at the mansion miss you both."
Logan grinned. He had always had feelings towards Storm but never really said anything about it. She had no idea how much he had truly missed her. Zero had missed Ororo as well. She had been one of the adults at the mansion to bring her up from when she was little and Zero felt like she was her family.
Storm looked at Zero again. "What happened to get you so completly filthy?" She laughed.
Zero quirked a smile. "Well me an' Dad were trainin' out back an-"
"It was a flamin' poacher's trap." Logan growled.
Storm clasped a hand over her mouth. "My goddess, are you alright?"
"Yeah, I'm fine." Zero replied. "Just a little bruised and dirty."
Logan grunted. "Why don't we all head inside."
Ororo and Zero nodded and they made their way inside, going up the porch stairs. Once inside, Logan and Storm sat down at the small kitchen table to talk. Zero went in her room to grab some clean clothes and came back through the kitchen.
"I'm gonna go take a shower."
Logan turned around. "Alright darlin'." He then turned and faced Storm, his normal gruff expression turning grim.
Storm spoke up. "So, you have poacher's around here Logan?"
Logan scoffed. "Apparently we do. I gotta do somethin' about this, it ain't safe if she's gonna be goin' out inta the woods. I was tellin' her how lucky we were that it wasn't a steel trap."
Storm sat back in her chair and looked down. "Hmm. Can't you just tell Zero to stay out of the woods?"
Logan chuckled softly. "That girl? Naw, you know her 'Ro, could we ever keep her from goin' in woods an' climbin' trees back at the mansion?"
Storm smiled. "No, definetly not. She was always much too curious. Even after she almost slid all the way down that cliff at the end of the property. She's still go down there."
Logan grinned. "That's my girl." He looked back at Storm. "Y'want some coffee or somethin'? That musta been a pretty long ride up here."
Storm looked back at him. "Sure, if you have any."
Logan got up from the table and started looking through the cupboards. "I think we got some. Z went ta get groceries this mornin', so we're all stocked up." He found a box with coffee in it that looked like tea bags. Holding up the box he looked at Storm. "Well we only got this instant stuff."
Storm laughed. "That's fine. I didn't think you had a coffee maker anyway."
Logan started putting some water on the stove. "Nope, I don't think we do."
"We don't Dad." Zero came out from around the corner, all clean and dressed, drying her wet hair with a towel. "That's why I got the instant stuff. It's not too bad."
Ororo looked at her. "Well it's nice to see you recognizable again."
"Heh, gimme a sec and I'll have my hair the way it always is too. All messed up and sticking out in nearly every direction." Zero grinned.
Storm smiled and within a few minutes, Logan brought over the two hot cups of coffee.
Zero popped back in the kitchen wearing Logan's old bomber jacket and holding a motorcycle helmet under her left arm.
Logan stopped talking with Storm for a moment and looked over at her. "What ya plan on doin' with that Z?"
"I was jus' gonna ride around and take a look and this place. Can I Dad?"
Storm looked out the window and back at Zero. "Isn't it getting a bit dark out?"
Zero rolled her eyes. "Aw c'mon, pleeeaaaase??? I won't be too long, and it's not that dark. The bike's got headlights ya know."
Logan sighed when she looked at him with big puppy-dog eyes. "Ok, but don't go too far and be careful."
Zero gave him and wink and smiled. "Always." She pulled on a pair of combat boots and went out the door.
Storm shook her head. "That girl, she's a wild one Logan. You sure you can handle her?"
Logan took a drink from his coffee. "Course I can." He grinned and started following the ring from the coffee mug on the table with his finger. "So, what brings you our way Storm?"
"I just thought I'd pay you two a visit." She paused. "Logan, would you mind if I stayed here for a few days?"
"Course not 'Ro. Y'don't even gotta ask. As long as the Prof. don't need ya back at the mansion."
Storm sipped her coffee. "He was the one who suggested that I take a break. It is summer after all and most of the students have gone to spend some time with their families."
Logan nodded. He was curious why she would rather be in Canada than with her sister in New York, but decided not to bring it up.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Zero roared down the street on Logan's Harley, with the headlights on since it was getting dark. When she reached a 4-way intersection, she paused for a moment, looking around to see no other vehicles in sight. She took off her helmet and let the cool night breeze whip around her short messy hair. The red light turned green and she put her helmet back on and took a right.
Driving down the dark road on the rumbling bike, she glanced at the gas gauge noticing it was almost empty. She knew that the gas station was just down the street. although she wasn't too thrilled to go there, since that creepy Greg guy worked there. 'Maybe he's not working tonight.' she thought hopefully. She thought about finding another station, but she didn't know her way around very well and didn't feel like explaining being late to Ororo and her Dad.
A few minutes later she saw the bright neon lights to the station and pulled in. It was self serve, which she was grateful for. She wasn't in the mood for interacting with some strangers. Zero cut the engine and filled up the tank. She reached in her pocket and pulled out some Canadian money that Logan had given her before. When she walked in to pay for the gas she shuddered to find that Greg was there. He looked smug as ever when she walked in and handed him the money.
"Hey there little lady." He smiled.
Zero gave him an annoyed look and walked out. She had just stepped out the door when she heard Greg talking to another man. She quietly snuck over to the side of the building and stood on the tips of her toes to peer into a dirty window. She saw Greg talking to a portly man, around mid-40's with dark brown hair, an old mesh baseball cap and a bushy mustache. They were talking about hunting and traps.
"So ya catch anythin' in them traps o' yers yet Greg?" The portly man asked.
Zero perked her ears to listen. "Damn, those guys gotta be the poacher's that set the traps out in the woods!" She thought to herself. She looked through the window again and listened.
"Well I did have somethin' I'm pretty sure. The damn animal got outta the hole some how." Greg replied to the man.
Zero heard the other man laughing at Greg. She cursed at the men silently and hurried over to the Harley. She got on the bike, put on her helmet and started it up. Just as she took off, she turned around to see the fat man standing in the doorway, watching her go down the street.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Zero pulled in the driveway and hopped off the motorcycle. She contemplated whether she should tell her dad about the poacher thing yet. She shook her head and decided she should maybe wait until morning. "He's got enough to worry about." She thought. "I don't want him gettin' all worked up about this." She checked her watch as she made her way up the steps to the porch. "It's only 9." She thought aloud. "I hope he doesn't kill me."
Zero carefully stepped in the door to see Ororo and Logan were now sitting on the couch talking, instead of at the table. Both turned to look at her as she closed the door behind herself.
Zero smiled and gave a wave. "Hey."
"How was yer ride?" Logan asked.
"Eh, it was kinda boring actually, not much ta see but trees. It was nice though I guess."
Zero took off her jacket and threw it, along with the helmet, on the kitchen table. As she walked by Logan, he smelled the lingering scent of gasoline on her clothes. She went over and sat on the chair near the couch. Logan looked at her curiously. "Y'hadta get some gas?"
Zero snapped her head up suddenly and a nervous feeling rose in her stomach. "Uh, yeah it was gettin' low so I stopped and got some gas."
Logan nodded. He could sense that she was nervous and was curious why. Logan turned to Storm, changing the subject. "You must be beat 'Ro. I'll set up a place for ya ta sleep."
Ororo yawned and smiled. "Yes, thank you. I am quite tired."
Zero reached for the television remote and turned it on. "Storm, you c'n sleep in my room an' I'll take the couch if you want."
"Thank you Zero but I wouldn't want to cause any trouble."
"Oh it's ok, I was gonna watch some t.v. before goin' ta bed anyway an' I wouldn't wanna bother you." Zero continued flipping through the channels.
"Alright then." Storm smiled. "I just have to get my things from the car."
Logan stood up and looked at Zero. "Is yer room a disaster area Squirt?"
She shook her head. "Nope, I fixed it all earlier. It's all done."
"Alright." Logan winked at her and went outside to see if Storm needed any help bringing in her bags.
A little while later, Storm had gone to bed and fell fast asleep. Logan had been watching t.v. with Zero and it was now around 11p.m. He stood up from the couch and stretched, cracking his back. Zero looked up at him.
"Goin' ta bed Dad?"
Logan yawned. "Yep. I'm gonna have more ta fix up in the mornin' so I better get ta sleep."
"Ok, g'night Dad."
Logan leaned over and kissed her on the forehead. "G'night darlin'. Don't stay up too late."
Zero smiled. "I won't."
Logan went in his room at the other end of the cabin and shut the door.
After finishing the movie she was watching on t.v., Zero shut it off to get ready for bed. She went over to the closet and pulled out some blankets and an extra pillow. She forgot about having to go back in her room to get pajamas. Not wanting to wake Storm, she quietly opened the door and walked over to her dresser and pulled out some sweat pants and a t-shirt. Zero then slowly went out and shut the door carefully. After putting her pajamas on, she laid down on the couch and went to sleep.
Author's Note: Please review n' tell me what ya think so far. Thanks! *BAMF*
Summary: AU story, after a while of living in the mansion, Logan and his daughter try to work on the family they've got, and Logan decides she's in need of a mother. Storm just so happens to fit that description.
Light In The Dark chp3
Storm turned around to see, a very much dirt covered Zero, and Logan come around from the side of the cabin.
Storm smiled. "Hello Zero, Logan."
Logan and Zero both walked over to Storm. She gave Logan a hug and in return he kissed her on the cheek. "Good ta see ya 'Ro."
Zero half-smiled. "I would give you a hug, but..." She gestured toward her appearance. "I'm kinda dirty at the moment."
Storm laughed. "It's alright child." She paused for a second. "All of us at the mansion miss you both."
Logan grinned. He had always had feelings towards Storm but never really said anything about it. She had no idea how much he had truly missed her. Zero had missed Ororo as well. She had been one of the adults at the mansion to bring her up from when she was little and Zero felt like she was her family.
Storm looked at Zero again. "What happened to get you so completly filthy?" She laughed.
Zero quirked a smile. "Well me an' Dad were trainin' out back an-"
"It was a flamin' poacher's trap." Logan growled.
Storm clasped a hand over her mouth. "My goddess, are you alright?"
"Yeah, I'm fine." Zero replied. "Just a little bruised and dirty."
Logan grunted. "Why don't we all head inside."
Ororo and Zero nodded and they made their way inside, going up the porch stairs. Once inside, Logan and Storm sat down at the small kitchen table to talk. Zero went in her room to grab some clean clothes and came back through the kitchen.
"I'm gonna go take a shower."
Logan turned around. "Alright darlin'." He then turned and faced Storm, his normal gruff expression turning grim.
Storm spoke up. "So, you have poacher's around here Logan?"
Logan scoffed. "Apparently we do. I gotta do somethin' about this, it ain't safe if she's gonna be goin' out inta the woods. I was tellin' her how lucky we were that it wasn't a steel trap."
Storm sat back in her chair and looked down. "Hmm. Can't you just tell Zero to stay out of the woods?"
Logan chuckled softly. "That girl? Naw, you know her 'Ro, could we ever keep her from goin' in woods an' climbin' trees back at the mansion?"
Storm smiled. "No, definetly not. She was always much too curious. Even after she almost slid all the way down that cliff at the end of the property. She's still go down there."
Logan grinned. "That's my girl." He looked back at Storm. "Y'want some coffee or somethin'? That musta been a pretty long ride up here."
Storm looked back at him. "Sure, if you have any."
Logan got up from the table and started looking through the cupboards. "I think we got some. Z went ta get groceries this mornin', so we're all stocked up." He found a box with coffee in it that looked like tea bags. Holding up the box he looked at Storm. "Well we only got this instant stuff."
Storm laughed. "That's fine. I didn't think you had a coffee maker anyway."
Logan started putting some water on the stove. "Nope, I don't think we do."
"We don't Dad." Zero came out from around the corner, all clean and dressed, drying her wet hair with a towel. "That's why I got the instant stuff. It's not too bad."
Ororo looked at her. "Well it's nice to see you recognizable again."
"Heh, gimme a sec and I'll have my hair the way it always is too. All messed up and sticking out in nearly every direction." Zero grinned.
Storm smiled and within a few minutes, Logan brought over the two hot cups of coffee.
Zero popped back in the kitchen wearing Logan's old bomber jacket and holding a motorcycle helmet under her left arm.
Logan stopped talking with Storm for a moment and looked over at her. "What ya plan on doin' with that Z?"
"I was jus' gonna ride around and take a look and this place. Can I Dad?"
Storm looked out the window and back at Zero. "Isn't it getting a bit dark out?"
Zero rolled her eyes. "Aw c'mon, pleeeaaaase??? I won't be too long, and it's not that dark. The bike's got headlights ya know."
Logan sighed when she looked at him with big puppy-dog eyes. "Ok, but don't go too far and be careful."
Zero gave him and wink and smiled. "Always." She pulled on a pair of combat boots and went out the door.
Storm shook her head. "That girl, she's a wild one Logan. You sure you can handle her?"
Logan took a drink from his coffee. "Course I can." He grinned and started following the ring from the coffee mug on the table with his finger. "So, what brings you our way Storm?"
"I just thought I'd pay you two a visit." She paused. "Logan, would you mind if I stayed here for a few days?"
"Course not 'Ro. Y'don't even gotta ask. As long as the Prof. don't need ya back at the mansion."
Storm sipped her coffee. "He was the one who suggested that I take a break. It is summer after all and most of the students have gone to spend some time with their families."
Logan nodded. He was curious why she would rather be in Canada than with her sister in New York, but decided not to bring it up.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Zero roared down the street on Logan's Harley, with the headlights on since it was getting dark. When she reached a 4-way intersection, she paused for a moment, looking around to see no other vehicles in sight. She took off her helmet and let the cool night breeze whip around her short messy hair. The red light turned green and she put her helmet back on and took a right.
Driving down the dark road on the rumbling bike, she glanced at the gas gauge noticing it was almost empty. She knew that the gas station was just down the street. although she wasn't too thrilled to go there, since that creepy Greg guy worked there. 'Maybe he's not working tonight.' she thought hopefully. She thought about finding another station, but she didn't know her way around very well and didn't feel like explaining being late to Ororo and her Dad.
A few minutes later she saw the bright neon lights to the station and pulled in. It was self serve, which she was grateful for. She wasn't in the mood for interacting with some strangers. Zero cut the engine and filled up the tank. She reached in her pocket and pulled out some Canadian money that Logan had given her before. When she walked in to pay for the gas she shuddered to find that Greg was there. He looked smug as ever when she walked in and handed him the money.
"Hey there little lady." He smiled.
Zero gave him an annoyed look and walked out. She had just stepped out the door when she heard Greg talking to another man. She quietly snuck over to the side of the building and stood on the tips of her toes to peer into a dirty window. She saw Greg talking to a portly man, around mid-40's with dark brown hair, an old mesh baseball cap and a bushy mustache. They were talking about hunting and traps.
"So ya catch anythin' in them traps o' yers yet Greg?" The portly man asked.
Zero perked her ears to listen. "Damn, those guys gotta be the poacher's that set the traps out in the woods!" She thought to herself. She looked through the window again and listened.
"Well I did have somethin' I'm pretty sure. The damn animal got outta the hole some how." Greg replied to the man.
Zero heard the other man laughing at Greg. She cursed at the men silently and hurried over to the Harley. She got on the bike, put on her helmet and started it up. Just as she took off, she turned around to see the fat man standing in the doorway, watching her go down the street.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Zero pulled in the driveway and hopped off the motorcycle. She contemplated whether she should tell her dad about the poacher thing yet. She shook her head and decided she should maybe wait until morning. "He's got enough to worry about." She thought. "I don't want him gettin' all worked up about this." She checked her watch as she made her way up the steps to the porch. "It's only 9." She thought aloud. "I hope he doesn't kill me."
Zero carefully stepped in the door to see Ororo and Logan were now sitting on the couch talking, instead of at the table. Both turned to look at her as she closed the door behind herself.
Zero smiled and gave a wave. "Hey."
"How was yer ride?" Logan asked.
"Eh, it was kinda boring actually, not much ta see but trees. It was nice though I guess."
Zero took off her jacket and threw it, along with the helmet, on the kitchen table. As she walked by Logan, he smelled the lingering scent of gasoline on her clothes. She went over and sat on the chair near the couch. Logan looked at her curiously. "Y'hadta get some gas?"
Zero snapped her head up suddenly and a nervous feeling rose in her stomach. "Uh, yeah it was gettin' low so I stopped and got some gas."
Logan nodded. He could sense that she was nervous and was curious why. Logan turned to Storm, changing the subject. "You must be beat 'Ro. I'll set up a place for ya ta sleep."
Ororo yawned and smiled. "Yes, thank you. I am quite tired."
Zero reached for the television remote and turned it on. "Storm, you c'n sleep in my room an' I'll take the couch if you want."
"Thank you Zero but I wouldn't want to cause any trouble."
"Oh it's ok, I was gonna watch some t.v. before goin' ta bed anyway an' I wouldn't wanna bother you." Zero continued flipping through the channels.
"Alright then." Storm smiled. "I just have to get my things from the car."
Logan stood up and looked at Zero. "Is yer room a disaster area Squirt?"
She shook her head. "Nope, I fixed it all earlier. It's all done."
"Alright." Logan winked at her and went outside to see if Storm needed any help bringing in her bags.
A little while later, Storm had gone to bed and fell fast asleep. Logan had been watching t.v. with Zero and it was now around 11p.m. He stood up from the couch and stretched, cracking his back. Zero looked up at him.
"Goin' ta bed Dad?"
Logan yawned. "Yep. I'm gonna have more ta fix up in the mornin' so I better get ta sleep."
"Ok, g'night Dad."
Logan leaned over and kissed her on the forehead. "G'night darlin'. Don't stay up too late."
Zero smiled. "I won't."
Logan went in his room at the other end of the cabin and shut the door.
After finishing the movie she was watching on t.v., Zero shut it off to get ready for bed. She went over to the closet and pulled out some blankets and an extra pillow. She forgot about having to go back in her room to get pajamas. Not wanting to wake Storm, she quietly opened the door and walked over to her dresser and pulled out some sweat pants and a t-shirt. Zero then slowly went out and shut the door carefully. After putting her pajamas on, she laid down on the couch and went to sleep.
Author's Note: Please review n' tell me what ya think so far. Thanks! *BAMF*