"Mom." Kat's voice sounded far away but it was enough to snap Alex out of her dream.
Alex sat up slowly. She glanced at LeAnna, she hadn't moved.
"You need to get some sleep, Mom."
"I have been sleeping," Alex said, sitting up.
Kat crossed her arms and shook her head, "No, real sleep."
"But-"
"No 'buts'," Kat interrupted her.
Alex stretched her arms above her head before looking at her daughter, "You're getting awfully pushy."
"I learned from the best," she said standing up.
"Yeah," Alex said, "Maranda."
Kat held out her hand to help her mom up, "Not hardly.
"Look," Kat continued when Alex was on her feet, "I need sleep to, and, believe it or not, I'm not going to sleep with you sitting here."
"Okay, okay, okay," Alex said raising her hands in defeat, "But remember, my rooms right across the hall if you need me."
"Yes, Mother," Kat said dutifully.
"And I want to know exactly when she wakes up."
"Yes, Mother."
"Or if anything changes."
"Yes, Mother."
"And remember-"
"Mom!" Kat interrupted, "Go to bed."
Alex smiled and gave her daughter a quick hug. Leaning over LeAnna, she brushed a quick kiss over her forehead before making leaving the room.
She made her way quickly across the hall, gratefully shutting the door to her own room. Leaning against it, she made a quick note that someone had left a bag of her things on the floor by the bed. At this point, she doubted she'd have the energy to change her clothes, but it was a nice thought anyway.
Suddenly the door to her bathroom opened, and Logan walked out, rubbing a towel over his wet hair. He stopped mid-stroke when he looked up and saw her standing there. After a moment of looking as shocked as she felt, a grin of masculine satisfaction spread across his face, "To what do I owe the pleasure?"
Alex's mouth was too dry to say anything. As mouthwatering as he was in just his boxers, as sexy as he had looked in dress pants and a silk shirt, as powerful as he had looked in molded leather, there was something about him in low-slung sweatpants, no shirt, and wet hair, that left her breathless. Maybe it had something to do with the thought of him in the shower...
Desperately trying to pull herself together, she said the first thing that popped into her mind.
"Why are you in my room?"
Logan looked at Alex, bemused. "I hate to till you this, Lady, but you are in my room.
Alex blinked once, then turned around, and opened the door. Logan's brows knitted together, that was too easy.
A moment later, Jean appeared in the doorway.
"Why is he in my room?" Alex asked, hooking a thumb over her shoulder a Logan.
"I'm sorry," Jean apologized, "When he was here last, we put him in this room."
"Okay," Alex said, sounding overly calm, "Now put him in a different room."
"I can't" Jean said. Alex went absolutely still. Logan almost chuckled.
"Why not?" Alex asked very slowly. It almost sounded like she was afraid of the answer.
"There are no more rooms."
Alex made no response, so Jean continued, "All the rooms have been turned into dorms. With over a hundred new kids we're packed in pretty tight."
"Maranda?" Alex asked.
"Staying with Trisha," Jean replied, then guessing Alex's next question, "And Peter and Gambit are in a room together. And Ororo's room has been turned into a dorm. I really am sorry Alex, but there isn't so much as a cot to spare."
With that, Jean slipped silently out of the room, closing the door behind her.
Alex stood there unmoving; her head down, her shoulders slumped. Shaking his head, Logan came up behind her and pulled a pillow from the bed. After tossing it on the floor, he went to the closet and pulled out an extra blanket. He could feel her eyes on him as he shook out the blanked and knelt to spread it out into a makeshift bed.
"What do you think you are doing?"
Logan looked up at her, "Getting ready for bed?"
She blinked at him.
He shrugged, "I would sleep in the tub, but it's a bit small, and a little bit wet at the moment."
"So you're going to sleep on the floor?"
Logan looked down at the plush carpeting, then back up at Alex, "I've slept on harder beds."
"You can't-"
"Look," he said standing up, "When was the last time you got some sleep?"
"About five minutes ago."
Logan snorted, "Three hours in a chair doesn't count. When was the last time you got any real sleep?"
She closed her eyes and rubbed her forehead. It looked like she was trying to come up with the tenth digit of pi.
"Too long," he answered for her, "Get some sleep."
Alex opened her eyes reluctantly. She leaned over the pillow and tossed it back on the bed. Before Logan could ask what the hell she was doing, she answered, "I won't get any sleep knowing you're on the floor. I'm assuming you can stay on your side of the bed?"
Logan sincerely doubted her comment about not being able to sleep, she looked tired enough to fall asleep before her head hit the pillow. She walked around him, moving to the other side of the bed.
"Shouldn't you change?" he asked as she pulled down the covers, "Leather isn't the most comfortable thing to sleep in."
She looked down at herself then back up at him, "And you would know this from personal experience?"
Logan didn't respond. She sighed and closed her eyes. As Logan watched, her sleeves disappeared, merging into the skin of her arms. He blinked and realized that the rest of her suet had turned into a fine fur.
"What, not much better?" Alex asked, and Logan realized he was staring.
She picked up her bag and walked into the bathroom. Logan tried to breathe and deal with the fact that since she had gone to change for the rescue she had technically been naked. It would definitely explain why he hadn't smelt any leather around her.
A moment later, the bathroom door opened and any progress Logan had made to thinking rationally vanished. She stood there in a long, dark green chemise that brought out more than the red of her hair. The low neck line held up by spaghetti straps made his mouth water. Almost as much as the slits up both sides.
"Better?" she asked as she made her way towards him.
Logan barely made out what she said, and just managed to get out a guttural response, "Not really."
She smiled and slid into the bed, her back to him. The knowledge that the back was cut lower than the front didn't help Logan out at all.
He balled his hands into fists. He decided it was best if he found somewhere else to sleep. Maybe the sitting room. Or one of the cars in the garage.
"Alex," he said.
She didn't respond. It took him a moment to realize why. She was fast asleep.
Logan's muttering woke Alex up. Agitated and sweating, he was lurching spasmodically, gripped in the clutches of a dream. The arm close to her was thrown over his eyes, he sounded like he was being tortured.
She rolled towards him, getting close enough to make using his wicked claws awkward. Her hand in his chest, she leaned over him.
"Michael, Michael," she whispered, "I'm here. It's all right. Your safe."
Alex wasn't sure if it was her presence, her voice, or what she said, but he settled down almost immediately.
She stayed there for a moment. Even with the halfhearted attempt at a beard, he looked good. Strong. With a sad smile, she shifted to roll away.
Lightening quick, his far hand caught her wrist, gently but firmly trapping her hand to his chest. He let out a deep breath, "Red."
Alex bit back a curse. She could pull away, but that could make him agitated again. And Alex didn't want to have to deal with his claws. She wasn't left with a hell of a lot of options.
Giving up, she put her head down on his shoulder and made herself comfortable. It took depressingly little effort. Logan sighed as she settled herself. He stretched the arm closest to her across the pillows and released her wrist to rest his hand on her hip.
The remaining tension left Logan, and Alex's last clear thought was that she should roll away. But she just didn't seem to have the energy.
Alex sat up slowly. She glanced at LeAnna, she hadn't moved.
"You need to get some sleep, Mom."
"I have been sleeping," Alex said, sitting up.
Kat crossed her arms and shook her head, "No, real sleep."
"But-"
"No 'buts'," Kat interrupted her.
Alex stretched her arms above her head before looking at her daughter, "You're getting awfully pushy."
"I learned from the best," she said standing up.
"Yeah," Alex said, "Maranda."
Kat held out her hand to help her mom up, "Not hardly.
"Look," Kat continued when Alex was on her feet, "I need sleep to, and, believe it or not, I'm not going to sleep with you sitting here."
"Okay, okay, okay," Alex said raising her hands in defeat, "But remember, my rooms right across the hall if you need me."
"Yes, Mother," Kat said dutifully.
"And I want to know exactly when she wakes up."
"Yes, Mother."
"Or if anything changes."
"Yes, Mother."
"And remember-"
"Mom!" Kat interrupted, "Go to bed."
Alex smiled and gave her daughter a quick hug. Leaning over LeAnna, she brushed a quick kiss over her forehead before making leaving the room.
She made her way quickly across the hall, gratefully shutting the door to her own room. Leaning against it, she made a quick note that someone had left a bag of her things on the floor by the bed. At this point, she doubted she'd have the energy to change her clothes, but it was a nice thought anyway.
Suddenly the door to her bathroom opened, and Logan walked out, rubbing a towel over his wet hair. He stopped mid-stroke when he looked up and saw her standing there. After a moment of looking as shocked as she felt, a grin of masculine satisfaction spread across his face, "To what do I owe the pleasure?"
Alex's mouth was too dry to say anything. As mouthwatering as he was in just his boxers, as sexy as he had looked in dress pants and a silk shirt, as powerful as he had looked in molded leather, there was something about him in low-slung sweatpants, no shirt, and wet hair, that left her breathless. Maybe it had something to do with the thought of him in the shower...
Desperately trying to pull herself together, she said the first thing that popped into her mind.
"Why are you in my room?"
Logan looked at Alex, bemused. "I hate to till you this, Lady, but you are in my room.
Alex blinked once, then turned around, and opened the door. Logan's brows knitted together, that was too easy.
A moment later, Jean appeared in the doorway.
"Why is he in my room?" Alex asked, hooking a thumb over her shoulder a Logan.
"I'm sorry," Jean apologized, "When he was here last, we put him in this room."
"Okay," Alex said, sounding overly calm, "Now put him in a different room."
"I can't" Jean said. Alex went absolutely still. Logan almost chuckled.
"Why not?" Alex asked very slowly. It almost sounded like she was afraid of the answer.
"There are no more rooms."
Alex made no response, so Jean continued, "All the rooms have been turned into dorms. With over a hundred new kids we're packed in pretty tight."
"Maranda?" Alex asked.
"Staying with Trisha," Jean replied, then guessing Alex's next question, "And Peter and Gambit are in a room together. And Ororo's room has been turned into a dorm. I really am sorry Alex, but there isn't so much as a cot to spare."
With that, Jean slipped silently out of the room, closing the door behind her.
Alex stood there unmoving; her head down, her shoulders slumped. Shaking his head, Logan came up behind her and pulled a pillow from the bed. After tossing it on the floor, he went to the closet and pulled out an extra blanket. He could feel her eyes on him as he shook out the blanked and knelt to spread it out into a makeshift bed.
"What do you think you are doing?"
Logan looked up at her, "Getting ready for bed?"
She blinked at him.
He shrugged, "I would sleep in the tub, but it's a bit small, and a little bit wet at the moment."
"So you're going to sleep on the floor?"
Logan looked down at the plush carpeting, then back up at Alex, "I've slept on harder beds."
"You can't-"
"Look," he said standing up, "When was the last time you got some sleep?"
"About five minutes ago."
Logan snorted, "Three hours in a chair doesn't count. When was the last time you got any real sleep?"
She closed her eyes and rubbed her forehead. It looked like she was trying to come up with the tenth digit of pi.
"Too long," he answered for her, "Get some sleep."
Alex opened her eyes reluctantly. She leaned over the pillow and tossed it back on the bed. Before Logan could ask what the hell she was doing, she answered, "I won't get any sleep knowing you're on the floor. I'm assuming you can stay on your side of the bed?"
Logan sincerely doubted her comment about not being able to sleep, she looked tired enough to fall asleep before her head hit the pillow. She walked around him, moving to the other side of the bed.
"Shouldn't you change?" he asked as she pulled down the covers, "Leather isn't the most comfortable thing to sleep in."
She looked down at herself then back up at him, "And you would know this from personal experience?"
Logan didn't respond. She sighed and closed her eyes. As Logan watched, her sleeves disappeared, merging into the skin of her arms. He blinked and realized that the rest of her suet had turned into a fine fur.
"What, not much better?" Alex asked, and Logan realized he was staring.
She picked up her bag and walked into the bathroom. Logan tried to breathe and deal with the fact that since she had gone to change for the rescue she had technically been naked. It would definitely explain why he hadn't smelt any leather around her.
A moment later, the bathroom door opened and any progress Logan had made to thinking rationally vanished. She stood there in a long, dark green chemise that brought out more than the red of her hair. The low neck line held up by spaghetti straps made his mouth water. Almost as much as the slits up both sides.
"Better?" she asked as she made her way towards him.
Logan barely made out what she said, and just managed to get out a guttural response, "Not really."
She smiled and slid into the bed, her back to him. The knowledge that the back was cut lower than the front didn't help Logan out at all.
He balled his hands into fists. He decided it was best if he found somewhere else to sleep. Maybe the sitting room. Or one of the cars in the garage.
"Alex," he said.
She didn't respond. It took him a moment to realize why. She was fast asleep.
Logan's muttering woke Alex up. Agitated and sweating, he was lurching spasmodically, gripped in the clutches of a dream. The arm close to her was thrown over his eyes, he sounded like he was being tortured.
She rolled towards him, getting close enough to make using his wicked claws awkward. Her hand in his chest, she leaned over him.
"Michael, Michael," she whispered, "I'm here. It's all right. Your safe."
Alex wasn't sure if it was her presence, her voice, or what she said, but he settled down almost immediately.
She stayed there for a moment. Even with the halfhearted attempt at a beard, he looked good. Strong. With a sad smile, she shifted to roll away.
Lightening quick, his far hand caught her wrist, gently but firmly trapping her hand to his chest. He let out a deep breath, "Red."
Alex bit back a curse. She could pull away, but that could make him agitated again. And Alex didn't want to have to deal with his claws. She wasn't left with a hell of a lot of options.
Giving up, she put her head down on his shoulder and made herself comfortable. It took depressingly little effort. Logan sighed as she settled herself. He stretched the arm closest to her across the pillows and released her wrist to rest his hand on her hip.
The remaining tension left Logan, and Alex's last clear thought was that she should roll away. But she just didn't seem to have the energy.