Summary: Jean's got a little surprise for the rest of the X-Men. A little
addition to the school could be just what they need.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything and I don't pretend to. Everything belongs to Marvel and whoever else, I'm not really sure.
Rating: PG-13
Author's notes: Just a quick 'thank you' to everyone who has reviewed thus far. And a little semi-warning, this part has a lot of S/J fluff, so if you don't like that stuff-then why are you reading this story? Also the part about Scott and Ororo's past is completely from my imagination, but if some of the stuff did happen then.go me! And there's a little bit of Logan/Ororo in this chapter so enjoy!
Scott was tired; in fact, tired didn't even begin to describe the immense fatigue that racked his body. Every muscle ached, refusing to bend or move in any way. His head felt like someone had driven a Mac truck over it, then backed up and did it again. By the time that his morning classes rolled around, he could barely keep his eyes open.
"You look beat Mr. Summers," Bobby commented taking his seat.
"Yeah," John agreed, "your eyes are all red." The few students who were already in the room laughed.
Scott also laughed, enjoying the momentary comfort. He thanked the higher powers that this class was one of his smaller ones, having only ten or twelve students total. "Abby has an ear infection," he explained, "she cried most of the night. I got maybe three hours of sleep between rocking and feeding and giving her medicine."
"Yeah we could like hear her from our room," Kitty said. She too looked a little tired as did Rogue and Jubilee. Scott felt pity for the girls having the room next to his and Jean's.
"The joys of parenting," Rogue smiled sympathetically.
"Well since you're so tired maybe we shouldn't have class," John suggested. "You should be with your family." He had picked up his books and was nearly home free before Mr. Summers called him back.
"Nice try, John. Have a seat. We've still got lessons to do and there will be a test on Friday." The students groaned audibly. 'Oh yea I haven't heard enough whining already.'
"I don't know how much more I cant take of this, Ro." Jean complained. Both women were in Jean and Scott's room, Jean held Abby in her arms while the infant cried and whimpered. She was doing everything she could think of to soothe her, but Abby just wasn't happy.
"You knew that being a mother would be difficult," Ororo sympathized with her friend deeply. She'd only been accompanying the two for an hour, but the tiny girl hadn't stopped crying once.
"Yes," Jean smiled faintly as Abby's cries became softer, "I now have a much greater respect for my mother." Both women laughed, but the joy was short lived once the girl's whimpers turned into screaming.
"Would you like me to take her for a while?" Ororo offered, "You could catch up on your sleep."
"Are you sure?" Jean asked, her voice hopeful.
"Absolutely," Ororo assured her. Gently, she took the crying child from her mother. Carrying the bundle in her arms, she left Jean in her room. 'Get some sleep Jean,' she thought, knowing that her friend would hear her. Before reaching the end of the hallway Ororo noticed that baby Abby's cries had settled. Looking down, she saw that the girl was nearly asleep. "Yes," she cooed softly, "sleep my sweetheart, sleep."
"Are you sure about this?"
"Jean," Scott groaned, flopping down on to the bed, "she's almost five months old, the kids are offering to baby-sit and we haven't been out for.five months."
"I know, it's just that-" Jean was at a loss of words. Scott made a valid point, it's been a while since they'd been out together and the baby was old enough to stay with other people. Plus they could really use the alone time.
"Is that a yes I see?" he asked, noting the contemplative look on his wife's face.
Jean thought for a moment, a long moment. As much as it pained her to be away from her child for much longer than a minute, she needed to be alone with Scott. It'd been far too long since they'd had time to just talk without crying babies or students to interrupt them. Finally she answered, "Well I suppose if Ororo and the Professor will be here-"
Without letting her finish, Scott jumped off the bed and picked Jean up, twirling her small figure in the air. He caught her off guard, however, and both went tumbling to the floor with a thud.
Lying on top of her husband, Jean stiffened and perked her ears up. 'Please don't wake up,' she pleaded silently. A small whimper sounded from the crib above their heads caused both mutants' pulses to race. But as quickly as it startled, the sound was lost.
**She's still asleep,** Scott telepathed. With what Jean would call his "sexy, irresistible grin", his lips attacked her, his tongue battling with hers.
**It's been so long since we've done this,** she thought as her hands caressed the smooth skin of his face. **Been too long since I've touched you like this.** Her hands slid slowly down Scott's torso and up under his shirt. His muscles rippled underneath her touch and Jean delighted in the feeling. Using her powers she lifted Scott's shirt over his head while her fingers traced the outlines of his abs.
Scott was in heaven; he couldn't remember how long it had been since he and Jean had been this close. He loved his daughter with ever fiber of his being, but there were times when he was willing to let just about anyone watch her so he and Jean could have some alone time. Her hands felt like silk running along his skin, tracing his body like a map, slowing in places to feel the delicate contours of muscle.
Scott's own hands ventured down Jean's sides, halting momentarily to tickle the soft flesh exposed by her risen shirt. The sound that she made drove Scott wild. Moving of their own will, his hands slid up under Jean's shirt to caress her smooth skin, moving around her body until his palms rested against the bare expanse of her stomach. **I miss your baby bump,** he sent her with a chuckle.
Jean broke the kiss and stared down at him. Her face was expressionless for a moment before a tiny smile spread across her lips. With a devilish look in her eye, Jean gave Scott a good smack on the chest. She'd meant it to be playful, but didn't know her own strength.
"Ow!" Scott shouted and immediately regretted it. A small sob sounded from above them, followed by a loud cry.
"Now look what you've done," Jean teased, rising to her feet and making her way over to the crib.
"I'll get her," Scott offered, rushing over to the crib and gently picking his daughter up. He held the tiny girl against his chest and bounced her lightly, soothing her cries. "What's the matter?" he asked her, "Is daddy's girl upset?"
Jean stared at the sight before her and felt her heart melt. She'd known since the first time she met Scott that he'd be a great father; he was so caring and disciplined, trustworthy and committed. And she was right. Once Abby was born, Scott had shared equally in the 2 a.m. feedings and late night walks.
"What?" Scott asked, noticing Jean's faraway look.
"Oh nothing," she smiled.
Scott continued to bounce the baby humming softly in her ear.
'I'm the luckiest woman on Earth,' she thought smugly. She walked over and kissed both Scott and Abby on the cheek before changing into her nightclothes.
"Ok everything you need is in the diaper bag, bottles, diapers, pacifier-"
"Jean,"
"There's more bottles in the fridge if you need them and the formula is in the top right cupboard-"
"Jean, they'll be fine."
"Yes," Ororo assured her friend, "don't worry. Everything will be wonderful."
"Are you sure?" Jean was a little wary about leaving her daughter alone. Even if it was with the people she considered family.
"We'll all be perfectly fine," the professor assured her.
Scott hooked his arm through Jean's and pulled her towards the front door. Kitty and Rogue waved as their teachers disappeared through the door and they were left behind with the baby.
"This should be like fun." Kitty gushed.
"Yeah," Rogue agreed, "Ah just hope that she doesn't cry all night."
"Don't worry girls," Storm carried the infant into the den, "I have a feeling that tonight will be a learning experience." Bobby and John were sitting on the couch fighting over whether to watch basketball or an old action movie. Logan, being the problem solver, took the remote from the boys and changed the channel to wrestling. "Yes this will definitely be an adventure."
At the restaurant, Jean and Scott got a table out on the patio where they could admire the stars. Though he did receive quite a few stares from the patrons of the restaurant for wearing sunglasses at night, but he was used to the stares and brushed them off. But still it did unnerve him that people he didn't even know were talking about him.
Jean picked up on his discomfort. "Are you alright, Scott?"
"Hmm? Yeah I'm fine." He stared down at his menu, trying to tune out the whispers. This night was about one thing: a romantic outing with his wife, and nothing was going to spoil that.
The waiter came and took their orders and brought a bottle of white wine to their table. Pouring the wonderful drink into two glasses and passing one to Jean, Scott rose his glass in toast. "To us."
"To us and our wonderful family." Jean added. The two drank, smiling at one another over the rims of their glasses. Dinner arrived shortly after and they ate in comfortable silence. Small conversation was made, mainly about how well some of the kids were doing in training or how both Jean and Scott felt that there was a strong connection between Ororo and Logan.
"I'm just saying," Scott argued, downing the rest of his wine, "that Logan isn't the type to be in a serious relationship. Ro is like a sister to me and I don't want to see her get hurt."
"Neither do I, Scott. But I think that Logan would be good for her." She eyed her partner, noting the mix of expressions that crossed his face. Jean was familiar with Scott and Ororo's relationship. They'd dated for a while just after Scott had come to the Institution, but decided that they would make better friends. They'd always been close, like brother and sister, and fought like it too.
"Logan isn't the most stable guy, not to mention the easiest to get along with." Scott poured himself another glass of wine and looked to Jean, surprised to see her staring back at him.
"Actually he's very easy to get along with," at his confused look she continued, "if you're not you, of course."
Scott laugh, it was true that he and Logan ad never gotten along very well, and for life of him Scott didn't know why. The only thing that he could figure out was that he had Jean and Logan wanted her. This made Scott's blood boil, he trusted Jean but not Logan.
Taking his wife's hand over the table, Scott kissed her open palm. "He's just jealous of everything I have," he admitted while kissing each and every fingertip on her left hand. He did the same to her right hand, his eyes never leaving hers.
After a moment of silence, comforting silence, Jean inquired, "Do you think Abby is all right?"
"She's fine," Scott assured her, "The X-men are capable of saving the world, I think they can handle babysitting for a few hours."
Logan always thought of himself as a strong guy; there was no one in the world that posed a threat to him. He was invincible to no end. But after an hour with baby Abby he was ready to hang up his uniform and call it quits.
Rogue sat in the rocking chair across the den, wearing her elbow length gloves, and rocking the crying baby. Bobby was pacing the length of the floor behind her. "Ah don't know what to do," she told Storm who was watching the pair from the couch.
Ororo watched the children closely. Though she had no intention of putting her best friends' daughter in danger, she had decided to turn the evening's events into a learning experience. "Well what have you tried?"
"I've been rocking her for ten minutes, she didn't want a bottle," Rogue explained.
"She's probably tired," Bobby interrupted, "I mean it is nearly 9:30."
"But she like just took a nap at six," Kitty stood in the doorway between the den and the hallway looking confused and tired.
"Baby's sleep much more often than adults, Kitty." Ororo said.
"Yeah, I remember my little brother sleeping a lot," Bobby added with a smile. "I always wanted to play with him but all he did was sleep and eat." The others laughed.
"Maybe her diaper needs changed." Jubilee suggested. A collective look of disgust spread from student to student.
"It's a possibility," Storm quipped, "Who's going to volunteer?"
Each student took three steps away from the chair where Rogue held the whimpering infant. "Ah think it's Logan's turn to do something," she suggested.
Wolverine's head snapped up. He hadn't been paying much attention to the conversation, but he's picked up something about changing diapers and his name. Noticing that all eye were on him, he was quick to discard to idea. "Don't even think about it," he told the group in general, "I don't work well with babies."
"Do you work well with anyone?" John asked coming in from the kitchen with a soda in his hand. Logan shot him a glare.
Ororo took Abby from Rogue's arms. "All right, I think you've all done enough for one night. You're free to go." As the kids were making their way out of the den she called after them. "But remember curfew is ten o'clock."
"Oh come on," John cried, "That only gives us half an hour."
"Yes that's right," Storm nodded, "being a parent means making sacrifices." A few more moans were heard before the students were too far away to hear much of anything.
"You're a really good teacher," Logan commented causing Ororo to turn and face him, a slight blush on her cheeks.
"Thank you, Logan." She smiled and bounced the girl in her arms. "It's really very easy when you have such a good assistant. Isn't that right Ms. Abby?" The tiny girl giggled audibly and relaxed into Ororo's embrace.
"Must really like kids," Logan found himself trying to make small talk with a woman that he found to be both beautiful and intelligent, qualities he thought only a certain red head possessed.
"I do," she admitted. "Would you care to help me put Ms. Summers here to bed?"
Logan stopped, not quite sure what to do. "I don't know," he ran a nervous hand through his mane of dark hair, "I'm not all that great with kids, especially the little ones."
Ororo laughed, "Oh come on, it'll be fine." Without checking to see if he was following, but knowing that he would, she turned and climbed the steps to Jean and Scott's room.
Logan stood in the doorway, awkwardly, while Ororo gathered the baby's night things and headed to the adjoined bathroom. She stopped in the doorway, "Well are you coming?" With a huff of resignation, Logan followed.
Giving Abby a bath turned out to be more interesting than Ororo had imagined. Not only because the little girl was so animated that she kicked and splashed in the water, but also because she had gotten to see a side of Logan that not many people had seen at the Institute. He had shown a much gentler nature, talking to the child and making faces, succeeding in getting her to laugh.
Once her bath was done, Logan helped Ororo get her into her pajamas and settled into her crib. They had made sure that she was safely asleep before slipping silently out of the room, closing the door behind them.
"You were great up there," Storm commented once they were back down in the lounge.
"Really?"
"Yes, you are a natural."
Scott and Jean arrived home nearly an hour later, finding Logan and Ororo in the lounge watching an old movie on TV.
"So how'd everything go?" Scott asked hanging his and Jean's coats on the hooks near the door.
"It was fine," Ororo commented.
"Where's Abby?" Jean asked.
"She's upstairs sleeping," Logan told her, "Put her there myself."
"You got her to go to sleep?" Scott asked with a look of surprise. He'd never pictured Logan as the parenting type.
"Hey don't be so surprised bub," Logan pointed a claw at him, "I happen to be a natural with kids." He offered a wink to Ororo who smiled.
"Ok," Jean said warily, eye both Logan and Ororo suspiciously, "is there something going on here we should know about?"
Wolverine and Storm shared a knowing look. They'd gotten to talking in the last hour and both felt that they had made a genuine connection with the other. "It's been and interesting night, Jean." She said glancing at her two best friends.
Both Jean and Scott looked at each other before taking seats on the couch. Together both couples recalled some of the more interesting facts of the night and shared a good laugh. It was the prefect ending to a perfect night.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything and I don't pretend to. Everything belongs to Marvel and whoever else, I'm not really sure.
Rating: PG-13
Author's notes: Just a quick 'thank you' to everyone who has reviewed thus far. And a little semi-warning, this part has a lot of S/J fluff, so if you don't like that stuff-then why are you reading this story? Also the part about Scott and Ororo's past is completely from my imagination, but if some of the stuff did happen then.go me! And there's a little bit of Logan/Ororo in this chapter so enjoy!
Scott was tired; in fact, tired didn't even begin to describe the immense fatigue that racked his body. Every muscle ached, refusing to bend or move in any way. His head felt like someone had driven a Mac truck over it, then backed up and did it again. By the time that his morning classes rolled around, he could barely keep his eyes open.
"You look beat Mr. Summers," Bobby commented taking his seat.
"Yeah," John agreed, "your eyes are all red." The few students who were already in the room laughed.
Scott also laughed, enjoying the momentary comfort. He thanked the higher powers that this class was one of his smaller ones, having only ten or twelve students total. "Abby has an ear infection," he explained, "she cried most of the night. I got maybe three hours of sleep between rocking and feeding and giving her medicine."
"Yeah we could like hear her from our room," Kitty said. She too looked a little tired as did Rogue and Jubilee. Scott felt pity for the girls having the room next to his and Jean's.
"The joys of parenting," Rogue smiled sympathetically.
"Well since you're so tired maybe we shouldn't have class," John suggested. "You should be with your family." He had picked up his books and was nearly home free before Mr. Summers called him back.
"Nice try, John. Have a seat. We've still got lessons to do and there will be a test on Friday." The students groaned audibly. 'Oh yea I haven't heard enough whining already.'
"I don't know how much more I cant take of this, Ro." Jean complained. Both women were in Jean and Scott's room, Jean held Abby in her arms while the infant cried and whimpered. She was doing everything she could think of to soothe her, but Abby just wasn't happy.
"You knew that being a mother would be difficult," Ororo sympathized with her friend deeply. She'd only been accompanying the two for an hour, but the tiny girl hadn't stopped crying once.
"Yes," Jean smiled faintly as Abby's cries became softer, "I now have a much greater respect for my mother." Both women laughed, but the joy was short lived once the girl's whimpers turned into screaming.
"Would you like me to take her for a while?" Ororo offered, "You could catch up on your sleep."
"Are you sure?" Jean asked, her voice hopeful.
"Absolutely," Ororo assured her. Gently, she took the crying child from her mother. Carrying the bundle in her arms, she left Jean in her room. 'Get some sleep Jean,' she thought, knowing that her friend would hear her. Before reaching the end of the hallway Ororo noticed that baby Abby's cries had settled. Looking down, she saw that the girl was nearly asleep. "Yes," she cooed softly, "sleep my sweetheart, sleep."
"Are you sure about this?"
"Jean," Scott groaned, flopping down on to the bed, "she's almost five months old, the kids are offering to baby-sit and we haven't been out for.five months."
"I know, it's just that-" Jean was at a loss of words. Scott made a valid point, it's been a while since they'd been out together and the baby was old enough to stay with other people. Plus they could really use the alone time.
"Is that a yes I see?" he asked, noting the contemplative look on his wife's face.
Jean thought for a moment, a long moment. As much as it pained her to be away from her child for much longer than a minute, she needed to be alone with Scott. It'd been far too long since they'd had time to just talk without crying babies or students to interrupt them. Finally she answered, "Well I suppose if Ororo and the Professor will be here-"
Without letting her finish, Scott jumped off the bed and picked Jean up, twirling her small figure in the air. He caught her off guard, however, and both went tumbling to the floor with a thud.
Lying on top of her husband, Jean stiffened and perked her ears up. 'Please don't wake up,' she pleaded silently. A small whimper sounded from the crib above their heads caused both mutants' pulses to race. But as quickly as it startled, the sound was lost.
**She's still asleep,** Scott telepathed. With what Jean would call his "sexy, irresistible grin", his lips attacked her, his tongue battling with hers.
**It's been so long since we've done this,** she thought as her hands caressed the smooth skin of his face. **Been too long since I've touched you like this.** Her hands slid slowly down Scott's torso and up under his shirt. His muscles rippled underneath her touch and Jean delighted in the feeling. Using her powers she lifted Scott's shirt over his head while her fingers traced the outlines of his abs.
Scott was in heaven; he couldn't remember how long it had been since he and Jean had been this close. He loved his daughter with ever fiber of his being, but there were times when he was willing to let just about anyone watch her so he and Jean could have some alone time. Her hands felt like silk running along his skin, tracing his body like a map, slowing in places to feel the delicate contours of muscle.
Scott's own hands ventured down Jean's sides, halting momentarily to tickle the soft flesh exposed by her risen shirt. The sound that she made drove Scott wild. Moving of their own will, his hands slid up under Jean's shirt to caress her smooth skin, moving around her body until his palms rested against the bare expanse of her stomach. **I miss your baby bump,** he sent her with a chuckle.
Jean broke the kiss and stared down at him. Her face was expressionless for a moment before a tiny smile spread across her lips. With a devilish look in her eye, Jean gave Scott a good smack on the chest. She'd meant it to be playful, but didn't know her own strength.
"Ow!" Scott shouted and immediately regretted it. A small sob sounded from above them, followed by a loud cry.
"Now look what you've done," Jean teased, rising to her feet and making her way over to the crib.
"I'll get her," Scott offered, rushing over to the crib and gently picking his daughter up. He held the tiny girl against his chest and bounced her lightly, soothing her cries. "What's the matter?" he asked her, "Is daddy's girl upset?"
Jean stared at the sight before her and felt her heart melt. She'd known since the first time she met Scott that he'd be a great father; he was so caring and disciplined, trustworthy and committed. And she was right. Once Abby was born, Scott had shared equally in the 2 a.m. feedings and late night walks.
"What?" Scott asked, noticing Jean's faraway look.
"Oh nothing," she smiled.
Scott continued to bounce the baby humming softly in her ear.
'I'm the luckiest woman on Earth,' she thought smugly. She walked over and kissed both Scott and Abby on the cheek before changing into her nightclothes.
"Ok everything you need is in the diaper bag, bottles, diapers, pacifier-"
"Jean,"
"There's more bottles in the fridge if you need them and the formula is in the top right cupboard-"
"Jean, they'll be fine."
"Yes," Ororo assured her friend, "don't worry. Everything will be wonderful."
"Are you sure?" Jean was a little wary about leaving her daughter alone. Even if it was with the people she considered family.
"We'll all be perfectly fine," the professor assured her.
Scott hooked his arm through Jean's and pulled her towards the front door. Kitty and Rogue waved as their teachers disappeared through the door and they were left behind with the baby.
"This should be like fun." Kitty gushed.
"Yeah," Rogue agreed, "Ah just hope that she doesn't cry all night."
"Don't worry girls," Storm carried the infant into the den, "I have a feeling that tonight will be a learning experience." Bobby and John were sitting on the couch fighting over whether to watch basketball or an old action movie. Logan, being the problem solver, took the remote from the boys and changed the channel to wrestling. "Yes this will definitely be an adventure."
At the restaurant, Jean and Scott got a table out on the patio where they could admire the stars. Though he did receive quite a few stares from the patrons of the restaurant for wearing sunglasses at night, but he was used to the stares and brushed them off. But still it did unnerve him that people he didn't even know were talking about him.
Jean picked up on his discomfort. "Are you alright, Scott?"
"Hmm? Yeah I'm fine." He stared down at his menu, trying to tune out the whispers. This night was about one thing: a romantic outing with his wife, and nothing was going to spoil that.
The waiter came and took their orders and brought a bottle of white wine to their table. Pouring the wonderful drink into two glasses and passing one to Jean, Scott rose his glass in toast. "To us."
"To us and our wonderful family." Jean added. The two drank, smiling at one another over the rims of their glasses. Dinner arrived shortly after and they ate in comfortable silence. Small conversation was made, mainly about how well some of the kids were doing in training or how both Jean and Scott felt that there was a strong connection between Ororo and Logan.
"I'm just saying," Scott argued, downing the rest of his wine, "that Logan isn't the type to be in a serious relationship. Ro is like a sister to me and I don't want to see her get hurt."
"Neither do I, Scott. But I think that Logan would be good for her." She eyed her partner, noting the mix of expressions that crossed his face. Jean was familiar with Scott and Ororo's relationship. They'd dated for a while just after Scott had come to the Institution, but decided that they would make better friends. They'd always been close, like brother and sister, and fought like it too.
"Logan isn't the most stable guy, not to mention the easiest to get along with." Scott poured himself another glass of wine and looked to Jean, surprised to see her staring back at him.
"Actually he's very easy to get along with," at his confused look she continued, "if you're not you, of course."
Scott laugh, it was true that he and Logan ad never gotten along very well, and for life of him Scott didn't know why. The only thing that he could figure out was that he had Jean and Logan wanted her. This made Scott's blood boil, he trusted Jean but not Logan.
Taking his wife's hand over the table, Scott kissed her open palm. "He's just jealous of everything I have," he admitted while kissing each and every fingertip on her left hand. He did the same to her right hand, his eyes never leaving hers.
After a moment of silence, comforting silence, Jean inquired, "Do you think Abby is all right?"
"She's fine," Scott assured her, "The X-men are capable of saving the world, I think they can handle babysitting for a few hours."
Logan always thought of himself as a strong guy; there was no one in the world that posed a threat to him. He was invincible to no end. But after an hour with baby Abby he was ready to hang up his uniform and call it quits.
Rogue sat in the rocking chair across the den, wearing her elbow length gloves, and rocking the crying baby. Bobby was pacing the length of the floor behind her. "Ah don't know what to do," she told Storm who was watching the pair from the couch.
Ororo watched the children closely. Though she had no intention of putting her best friends' daughter in danger, she had decided to turn the evening's events into a learning experience. "Well what have you tried?"
"I've been rocking her for ten minutes, she didn't want a bottle," Rogue explained.
"She's probably tired," Bobby interrupted, "I mean it is nearly 9:30."
"But she like just took a nap at six," Kitty stood in the doorway between the den and the hallway looking confused and tired.
"Baby's sleep much more often than adults, Kitty." Ororo said.
"Yeah, I remember my little brother sleeping a lot," Bobby added with a smile. "I always wanted to play with him but all he did was sleep and eat." The others laughed.
"Maybe her diaper needs changed." Jubilee suggested. A collective look of disgust spread from student to student.
"It's a possibility," Storm quipped, "Who's going to volunteer?"
Each student took three steps away from the chair where Rogue held the whimpering infant. "Ah think it's Logan's turn to do something," she suggested.
Wolverine's head snapped up. He hadn't been paying much attention to the conversation, but he's picked up something about changing diapers and his name. Noticing that all eye were on him, he was quick to discard to idea. "Don't even think about it," he told the group in general, "I don't work well with babies."
"Do you work well with anyone?" John asked coming in from the kitchen with a soda in his hand. Logan shot him a glare.
Ororo took Abby from Rogue's arms. "All right, I think you've all done enough for one night. You're free to go." As the kids were making their way out of the den she called after them. "But remember curfew is ten o'clock."
"Oh come on," John cried, "That only gives us half an hour."
"Yes that's right," Storm nodded, "being a parent means making sacrifices." A few more moans were heard before the students were too far away to hear much of anything.
"You're a really good teacher," Logan commented causing Ororo to turn and face him, a slight blush on her cheeks.
"Thank you, Logan." She smiled and bounced the girl in her arms. "It's really very easy when you have such a good assistant. Isn't that right Ms. Abby?" The tiny girl giggled audibly and relaxed into Ororo's embrace.
"Must really like kids," Logan found himself trying to make small talk with a woman that he found to be both beautiful and intelligent, qualities he thought only a certain red head possessed.
"I do," she admitted. "Would you care to help me put Ms. Summers here to bed?"
Logan stopped, not quite sure what to do. "I don't know," he ran a nervous hand through his mane of dark hair, "I'm not all that great with kids, especially the little ones."
Ororo laughed, "Oh come on, it'll be fine." Without checking to see if he was following, but knowing that he would, she turned and climbed the steps to Jean and Scott's room.
Logan stood in the doorway, awkwardly, while Ororo gathered the baby's night things and headed to the adjoined bathroom. She stopped in the doorway, "Well are you coming?" With a huff of resignation, Logan followed.
Giving Abby a bath turned out to be more interesting than Ororo had imagined. Not only because the little girl was so animated that she kicked and splashed in the water, but also because she had gotten to see a side of Logan that not many people had seen at the Institute. He had shown a much gentler nature, talking to the child and making faces, succeeding in getting her to laugh.
Once her bath was done, Logan helped Ororo get her into her pajamas and settled into her crib. They had made sure that she was safely asleep before slipping silently out of the room, closing the door behind them.
"You were great up there," Storm commented once they were back down in the lounge.
"Really?"
"Yes, you are a natural."
Scott and Jean arrived home nearly an hour later, finding Logan and Ororo in the lounge watching an old movie on TV.
"So how'd everything go?" Scott asked hanging his and Jean's coats on the hooks near the door.
"It was fine," Ororo commented.
"Where's Abby?" Jean asked.
"She's upstairs sleeping," Logan told her, "Put her there myself."
"You got her to go to sleep?" Scott asked with a look of surprise. He'd never pictured Logan as the parenting type.
"Hey don't be so surprised bub," Logan pointed a claw at him, "I happen to be a natural with kids." He offered a wink to Ororo who smiled.
"Ok," Jean said warily, eye both Logan and Ororo suspiciously, "is there something going on here we should know about?"
Wolverine and Storm shared a knowing look. They'd gotten to talking in the last hour and both felt that they had made a genuine connection with the other. "It's been and interesting night, Jean." She said glancing at her two best friends.
Both Jean and Scott looked at each other before taking seats on the couch. Together both couples recalled some of the more interesting facts of the night and shared a good laugh. It was the prefect ending to a perfect night.
