Chapter Two
Logan:
I was standing there, in sort of a trance, watching her go, when Ororo broke through my train of thought.
"Well, well, well. Look who's back," she said, coming down the stairs toward me. "And just in time, too." She came up and hugged me. "Welcome back, Logan."
I smiled. "Thanks." Then, I looked at her suspiciously. "Just in time for what?"
"We need a baby-sitter," Jean answered before Ororo could. Now she was coming down the stairs, and was probably going to hug me, too. Was everybody in this damn mansion going to give me a hug? I soon saw that the answer was yes. I scowled inwardly. I didn't enjoy hugs all that much. Then, remembering how Rogue hugged me just moments before, I altered my opinion slightly. I didn't enjoy most people's hugs all that much.
"A baby-sitter for who?" I asked, not liking the sound of this at all. What did I look like, that Nanny person with the horrible, nasal voice from that annoying TV show?
"For the mansion," Jean answered. "Ororo and I are going to Boston tonight in Blackbird, to see if we can bring back that attempted White House assassin."
"So it was a mutant?" I asked, curious. I hadn't watched much TV on my adventure, and what I did see came from TVs in bars.
They both nodded.
"So, we're going to need you to watch the kids for tonight," Ororo said. "Do you think you can handle that, Logan?"
I shrugged. "Like I have a choice."
They turned to go, and Scott met them at the door. He saw me, and his mouth, which had been curved upward in a smile, twitched downward slightly. Nice to see you, too, Scooter, I thought. He quickly recovered and said, "Back, Logan? Did you find what you were looking for?"
I shrugged again. "A little bit, I guess." I threw him the keys to his motorcycle. "I think your bike needs some gas."
He caught them and said, "Thanks," sarcastically, before turning and leaving. All alone in the foyer again, I decided to go up to my room and start unpacking.
I was surprised at how good I felt, throwing my old, falling-apart duffel bag on the floor and stretching out on the bed for the first time in three years. I hadn't realised how much I'd missed the place. I was still tired from driving most of the day, so I turned over on my stomach, planning on taking a nap before dinner. When I did, with my face was pressed against the mattress, I noticed something odd. I sat up, sniffing the air. Rogue's scent was all over the room. And I mean, all over, especially on the bed, and really strong, like she'd been in here a lot. Why would Rogue come in my room so much? I asked myself. Then, I smelled something else very familiar. Cigar smoke. I went over to my dresser, and pulled open the bottom drawer, where I'd accidentally left a large stash of cigars when I'd left. Well, that stash was a lot smaller from what I remembered. Rogue? Smoking cigars? It didn't make sense. I shrugged, puzzled. I sat on the edge of the bed, thinking, about nothing in particular, for a long time. I decided to skip the nap and start unpacking, which would take me all of five minutes.
I was nearing the end of those five minutes when someone knocked on my door. I knew it was Rogue, because I'd heard her walk down the hall. The sound of her familiar shuffle made me happy. I frowned. Why am I thinking like this? I thought angrily. She's Rogue, dammit. I pushed the irking thoughts out of my head and said, "It's open."
She came inside and watched me finish putting socks in my dresser drawer. When I turned around, she said, "Didn't get to talk to you that much before, so just thought I'd come in and talk to you now."
I nodded. "Has Ice Man recovered from our little talk?" I grinned when she giggled.
"He's still a little scared. I told him you must have been just joking around with him, but he's still sort of freaked," she stopped giggling. "I missed you."
"I missed you, too, Kid," I said. Remembering my recent discovery, I put my hands in my pockets and said nonchalantly, "You wouldn't know where all my cigars have gone, would you?"
She blushed and looked away. "Um, no. Why would I now about that?"
I shrugged. "Well, you've been in here a lot."
She looked at me sharply. "How would you know that?"
"You're scents all over this place, Kid," I said, looking at her curiously. I wanted to ask her why, but decided against it when she blushed again. I looked at her, cocking my head to side. She'd grown up a lot in the three years I'd been away, soul-searching, or whatever the Hell it was called. Perhaps she wasn't a kid anymore.
She saw me staring at her thoughtfully, so I quickly looked at the floor. "So, you and Bobby," I asked, curiously. "How do you… you know…"
She giggled again. "We're kind of still working on it, actually." She frowned. "I feel bad sometimes, you know, because I know he wants to kiss me, but he can't. I told him to give it up and find someone he could actually be with, but he said he didn't want to. He'll probably change his mind sooner or later."
I was surprised to see that she didn't seem too upset at that last prospect.
"He's a really nice guy," she said, looking at me, obviously silently asking my opinion.
I shrugged. "Looks kind of prissy to me, but I suppose he's all right."
She smiled. "Yeah, he is."
Logan:
I was standing there, in sort of a trance, watching her go, when Ororo broke through my train of thought.
"Well, well, well. Look who's back," she said, coming down the stairs toward me. "And just in time, too." She came up and hugged me. "Welcome back, Logan."
I smiled. "Thanks." Then, I looked at her suspiciously. "Just in time for what?"
"We need a baby-sitter," Jean answered before Ororo could. Now she was coming down the stairs, and was probably going to hug me, too. Was everybody in this damn mansion going to give me a hug? I soon saw that the answer was yes. I scowled inwardly. I didn't enjoy hugs all that much. Then, remembering how Rogue hugged me just moments before, I altered my opinion slightly. I didn't enjoy most people's hugs all that much.
"A baby-sitter for who?" I asked, not liking the sound of this at all. What did I look like, that Nanny person with the horrible, nasal voice from that annoying TV show?
"For the mansion," Jean answered. "Ororo and I are going to Boston tonight in Blackbird, to see if we can bring back that attempted White House assassin."
"So it was a mutant?" I asked, curious. I hadn't watched much TV on my adventure, and what I did see came from TVs in bars.
They both nodded.
"So, we're going to need you to watch the kids for tonight," Ororo said. "Do you think you can handle that, Logan?"
I shrugged. "Like I have a choice."
They turned to go, and Scott met them at the door. He saw me, and his mouth, which had been curved upward in a smile, twitched downward slightly. Nice to see you, too, Scooter, I thought. He quickly recovered and said, "Back, Logan? Did you find what you were looking for?"
I shrugged again. "A little bit, I guess." I threw him the keys to his motorcycle. "I think your bike needs some gas."
He caught them and said, "Thanks," sarcastically, before turning and leaving. All alone in the foyer again, I decided to go up to my room and start unpacking.
I was surprised at how good I felt, throwing my old, falling-apart duffel bag on the floor and stretching out on the bed for the first time in three years. I hadn't realised how much I'd missed the place. I was still tired from driving most of the day, so I turned over on my stomach, planning on taking a nap before dinner. When I did, with my face was pressed against the mattress, I noticed something odd. I sat up, sniffing the air. Rogue's scent was all over the room. And I mean, all over, especially on the bed, and really strong, like she'd been in here a lot. Why would Rogue come in my room so much? I asked myself. Then, I smelled something else very familiar. Cigar smoke. I went over to my dresser, and pulled open the bottom drawer, where I'd accidentally left a large stash of cigars when I'd left. Well, that stash was a lot smaller from what I remembered. Rogue? Smoking cigars? It didn't make sense. I shrugged, puzzled. I sat on the edge of the bed, thinking, about nothing in particular, for a long time. I decided to skip the nap and start unpacking, which would take me all of five minutes.
I was nearing the end of those five minutes when someone knocked on my door. I knew it was Rogue, because I'd heard her walk down the hall. The sound of her familiar shuffle made me happy. I frowned. Why am I thinking like this? I thought angrily. She's Rogue, dammit. I pushed the irking thoughts out of my head and said, "It's open."
She came inside and watched me finish putting socks in my dresser drawer. When I turned around, she said, "Didn't get to talk to you that much before, so just thought I'd come in and talk to you now."
I nodded. "Has Ice Man recovered from our little talk?" I grinned when she giggled.
"He's still a little scared. I told him you must have been just joking around with him, but he's still sort of freaked," she stopped giggling. "I missed you."
"I missed you, too, Kid," I said. Remembering my recent discovery, I put my hands in my pockets and said nonchalantly, "You wouldn't know where all my cigars have gone, would you?"
She blushed and looked away. "Um, no. Why would I now about that?"
I shrugged. "Well, you've been in here a lot."
She looked at me sharply. "How would you know that?"
"You're scents all over this place, Kid," I said, looking at her curiously. I wanted to ask her why, but decided against it when she blushed again. I looked at her, cocking my head to side. She'd grown up a lot in the three years I'd been away, soul-searching, or whatever the Hell it was called. Perhaps she wasn't a kid anymore.
She saw me staring at her thoughtfully, so I quickly looked at the floor. "So, you and Bobby," I asked, curiously. "How do you… you know…"
She giggled again. "We're kind of still working on it, actually." She frowned. "I feel bad sometimes, you know, because I know he wants to kiss me, but he can't. I told him to give it up and find someone he could actually be with, but he said he didn't want to. He'll probably change his mind sooner or later."
I was surprised to see that she didn't seem too upset at that last prospect.
"He's a really nice guy," she said, looking at me, obviously silently asking my opinion.
I shrugged. "Looks kind of prissy to me, but I suppose he's all right."
She smiled. "Yeah, he is."
