ANs: While this chapter contains no nudity or actual sex and I think it's still PG-13, there is some fairly feverish sexual tension. If that upsets you, skip it.

Personal ANs:

Elfe de Chocolat: I'm glad you liked what you read in chapter one, and I'm hopeful that you enjoyed the rest!

Lexi: Hey darlin'! I'm certainly not the Tom Clancy of research, but I do try to get it right when it's important. I'm an Animal Planet watcher mostly when in comes to nature documentaries, but no doubt some of their programs came from DC documentaries. By now DC has a ton of channels and major funding, I'm sure. Did you see the documentary comparing wolves and dogs? Very cool!

Pay-day1999: Hi bebe! Yep, they're together at last, but sometimes paradise is still rocky. Hopefully it's realistic. Someone will tell Buffy, I'm still working out whom and her reaction. Yes, Riley is gone. Imho, he never deserved her. Hello! He cheated on her with a skanky blood slut. She should have kicked him to the curb, not run after his helo. Oh well. Dawn will be there as background music like the Scoobies and X-Men. Unlike some people, I don't think of Dawn as a clone of Buffy. If that were true, they would look exactly alike. So I don't predict any Logan confusion. To me, Dawnie is Buffy's sister, made from a part of Buffy, yes, but not the part involved in the spell. That's my story and I'm sticking to it;)

Anna: I'm glad you're liking the story pace and progression so far. Giles did say that, and its true, but in order to actually be mates, they would have to have mated at least once. Logan is trying to hold out until they can be together permanently, but it's going to be a rough ride. Buffy will be upset about the secret, but I think that she get over it fairly quickly. I'm not sure if there will be a huge reckoning and Buffy runs away from Logan, or throws things in a tantrum-like manner and gets over it. shrugs We'll see where the keyboard takes me.

Prophetess of Hearts: She's bound to find out. That's what makes life interesting – the fireworks that don't happen on the 4th of July. But all will end happily I assure you, as the last chapter will most likely be scenes from the honeymoon.

Alex97: No Jean return in the films as of yet = no Jean return here. Darn it! That would be a perfect opportunity for Buffy to show her wolfie teeth. But, I was serious when I said at the beginning of chapter one that this story is based as closely as possible on canon established by Buffy 1-7 and the X-Men films. Good idea anyway;)

Queenfrizz30: I know! Are they the perfect couple or what? They are both so opinionated and yet, heroic. Plus, to date, neither of them are particularly lucky in love. Until now;) As for the amount I've written, it may all be complete crap, but I can't seem to put it down. Luckily I have a laptop, so I can take it with me around the house. Anyway, glad to hear that you like the story so far!

Molotov Volatile

Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters

June 25, 2000 8AM

Buffy woke to the scent of roses. Opening one eye, she stretched her arms above her head and her hands came into contact with piles of small, light, cool drifts of snow... Snow? No, not snow, she realized. Rolling over, she swept her arms wide over her pillows, gathered at least a hundred rose petals against her face, and inhaled the captivating scent.

"Heaven," she muttered aloud. This must be what heaven is like. Her entire room and bathroom were covered in tall piles of rose petals mixed in every imaginable color: red, white, peach, lavender, and pink. As she looked closer, she realized that there were several different variations of each color. The reds weren't just one red. They were titian, wine, vermilion, ruby, and cherry. The pinks were coral, blush, salmon, zinfandel, and bubblegum.

Stopping only to step into her lamb's wool slippers, pull her white terry cotton robe on over her petal-stained white pjs, and to stuff a handful of petals in the pocket of her robe, Buffy ran out of her room and down the stairs. Once she reached the foot of the stairs, she heard Logan and Scott talking in the kitchen.

As quietly as she could, she crept to the entrance hall and walked out the front door. Racing around to the back of the mansion, Buffy ran all the way to the back door. After opening and closing the door softly, she inched across the laundry room floor until she reached the kitchen.

Peering around the entrance, she was pleased to see that Logan was in his usual spot at the bar, with his back to her. Scott saw her, but his facial expression remained neutral and his eyes were hidden, so no giveaway there. Logan was still in the white tshirt he'd slept in and threadbare grey sweats. Sliding her hand into her pocket furtively, she pulled out a handful of petals as if she were about to shower Logan, when he said, "Points for the tiptoe, darlin', but I picked up your scent you as soon as you walked out of your bedroom door..."

He knew the minute she was within a half a mile of him in any direction, and more importantly, he felt confident that could track her in any weather, under any conditions.

Buffy dropped the petals on his head anyway as his hands snaked out, whirled her around, and jerked her onto his lap for a long, sweet kiss.

Interrupting the kiss, a disgusted look crossed Scott's face and he exclaimed, "Aw...God! It's bad enough... Do you have to do that here? In the kitchen... where people eat?"

Buffy waved nonchalantly, still looking at Logan. "Bye then."

Ignoring Scott completely, Logan nuzzled Buffy's ear and said, "He's just jealous."

"Buffy, your mom wouldn't..."

"Bye Scott," she interrupted, glaring at him with her closest approximation of Willow's 'resolved' face.

"Whatever." As he strode toward the door, he called over his shoulder, "We're finishing this discussion later."

"Mmm-hmm," Logan moaned as she placed a kiss in his palm and snuggled languidly against his chest.

"Did you know that there was a rose blizzard in my room last night?" Buffy purred, pressing her lips against his neck.

Logan felt himself begin to harden as the vibrating sensation at his throat hummed through his body and gathered in his lower stomach. The smell of Buffy and her burgeoning arousal, combined with the heat rising from her flushed skin, nearly shot him out of his seat.

Standing quickly, he lowered Buffy to the ground, "I-I'll help you clean up..."

Buffy turned around pulled him closer, wrapping her arms around his waist. Gazing up at him suggestively, she whispered, "I have an even better idea. Why don't we go upstairs to my room... I'll fill the tub with hot, steamy water... You can scoop up some flower parts from the floor... I'll wash your back. You'll wash mine. There'll be washings a plenty. Then we'll see what else comes up."

Logan hugged her tightly against him. "Buffy..."

Buffy stepped back, turned around, and sighed. "No big. No sugar yet... and apparently you're not backing down from that one."

"Buffy, I'm sorry."

She turned back and gently cupped his face, "No, don't be sorry. It's very gentlemanly... It's just not always easy."

Capturing her hands and wrapping them around his neck, he sighed, "It's tough for me, too."

Smiling again, Buffy teased, "You know, I wish that you'd told me you were a prude before you made me fall head over heels for you." Then she pressed her lips against his, and murmured, "If only you weren't so tempting."

Logan had to admit to himself that he was unprepared for the mental, emotional, and sensory assault of Buffy's undivided attention. In the past month, she'd stimulated, challenged, astonished, entertained, and for the brief hours they were apart at night, haunted him.

As she blistered his lips with the heat of hers, for a few unforeseen moments, he relaxed the control he had clamped over the beast, and allowed himself to feel every cell in his body screaming for him to merge with her. He jerked her tightly against him and penetrated her mouth, pouring every drop of his craving for her into his kiss. With his eyes still closed, he mindlessly lifted her off the ground and carried Buffy toward the stairs, her legs wrapped firmly around his hips in invitation and acceptance. Yes, he thought. Yes. Yes. Yes. Mine.

Astonished by his passionate invasion, Buffy's eyes shot open. His eyes were locked shut and his face was so beautiful and hungry and raw. Her eyes drifted closed again as he lifted her up, and she met his kiss with all of the urgency she possessed. She reveled in the feel of his hands on her. She loved his hands. They were powerful. There really wasn't any other word. Buffy returned his crushing embrace. A wave of frantic energy washed over her. She needed him to enter into her, fill the sprawling, chasmal void, and never ever leave.

Suddenly, they were climbing the stairs and Buffy was jolted. He didn't want this. He'd told her that he wasn't ready. She had to slow him down so he could think clearly. She broke the kiss. And for a fraction of a second the disoriented pain on his face was unbearable. Then it was gone.

He dropped her legs abruptly and gentled his embrace.

"Logan, I..."

"No," he rasped, kissing the top of her head. "No. This was my fault. It won't happen again. I just... But I can't do this. We can't."

"It's alright," she said, as her hands soothed him, stroking his back in slow circles. "We're together and that's the most important thing. The rest will work itself out."

"I love you, Buffy," he confessed against her hair. "You mean more to me than all of the people in this world combined."

"I love you, too," she confirmed. Then she sat on the stairs and pulled him down next to her.

After he'd seated himself, she took his hand and linked their fingers. A little sadly, Buffy continued, "I don't know how I'm going to survive nine months without you... and you still haven't met Dawn."

Cheered by the thought of her sister, Buffy smiled softly, "She's definitely going to want to meet you soon. I mean I can't exactly ask her to be Maid of Honor at our wedding..."

"Are you proposing to me?" he asked, apparently stunned.

"What gave me away?" she laughed.

"The first hint was 'our wedding'," Logan grinned wolfishly, leaned over and began nibbling her ear.

She shrugged lightly, coyly sliding away from him, "Maybe."

Leaning back, he rested his elbows on the step behind, and replied, "Good. I'm in - as long as you swear to obey and worship me."

His innocent comment hit a nerve. For the last month, he'd been loving and sweet, and yet, a part of her was unsettled by him. She had been emotionally vulnerable twice before and both times she'd been burned, but this was different. He wasn't exactly free flowing with information about his feelings. He loved her. She believed that. But Angel loved her, too. What good did it do? If Logan broke up with her, she wasn't sure she'd come back from it.

A voice in her head told her to run while she still had the chance.

Also, he was a predator, as dangerous as, or more so than she. Since becoming the Slayer, she'd never been with someone who could most likely, eventually, take her in a fight. All he had to do was wear her down and wait for her to make a mistake. It wasn't that she believed he would hurt her physically, exactly the opposite, but it was unnerving just the same.

Rolling her eyes, she retorted, "So not going to happen, cave dweller."

Logan was subtly and sometimes not-so subtly domineering. He seemed to nudge her and their relationship in the direction he wanted to take it. For example, why didn't she get a voice in the decision as to where and when they were going to make love for the first time? It bothered her more than she had admitted to him. Everything about him excited her. But when she tried to express that, he shut her down, which was confusing and rough on girl's self-esteem. She kicked herself mentally for stopping him earlier. He wanted her. He must! Every guy she knew would give his right hand...

He shrugged good-naturedly, "Then I guess you're screwed."

Logan licked his lower lip and tasted Buffy. He was the luckiest guy in the world to have her, especially right now. God, she was stunning when provoked. He's give his right hand willingly to touch her with his left.

"Not lately."

Shocked, he growled her name and reached for her. Shaking him off, she stood and headed up the stairs.

"If that bothers you, Logan, do something about it."

When she reached her room and opened the door, Buffy was shamed. Once again she was moved by his gesture and reminded of the things he did for her. This was just one of many. She knew she was being ridiculous and a coward, but pride would keep her from confessing it, at least for a while. She needed to clean up the room, and she needed some busy work to stop her from running back into his arms and begging for his forgiveness like a clingy little girl. This was the perfect time to get it done.

Pulling the flat sheet off of her bed, she laid it out on the floor began picking up piles of petals and depositing them on the sheet. Why was she so hung up on the sex thing? She had been willing to forgo sex to be with Angel two years ago, or so she'd thought at the time. But she knew the answer to that. She hadn't known what it was like to wake up in a lust- induced cold sweat, her belly cramping; the muscles fisted and twisting. She ached for Logan night and day. If he wanted her half as much as she wanted him, and yet could still hold out, then he was a man of deep conviction.

But why should either of them suffer?

She looked out the window and saw Bobby and Marie holding hands, sitting on the teak bench in the quad below. How horrible would it be to never be able to touch or be touched? Suddenly, her miniscule issues with Logan seemed so insignificant. She could live without touching most people, but to be in love with someone and never feel the pressure of their lips, the warmth of their skin beneath your hand, or their hand skimming yours, would be absolute torture.

Unexpectedly inspired, Buffy pushed open her window and removed the screen. Leaning out the window, she called, "Hey Love Bunnies!" and waved. They waved back, laughing at her silliness.

Because of the sheer bulk, Buffy had some trouble shoving the overstuffed folded sheet through the third story window. But once it was on the outside of the house, she leaned out, released two corners and shook the two corners still in her hands. A few petals fell like rain, others were caught in the trees, but most were stolen by the wind and slowly blown in a circle around the courtyard and the couple below.

Logan stood quietly gazing out the kitchen window at Marie, Bobby, and the patterned grey slate patio blanketed in rose petals. A handful were picked up here and there, stirred by the breeze, but most were carpeted beneath the feet of the swaying couple. They had no music and a layer of clothing between them, but they didn't seem to notice.

As soon as he'd heard Buffy shout, he'd gone into the kitchen and watched the petals falling on Bobby and Marie and their reaction. Somehow, in that moment, he knew that everything was going to be alright.

To no one in particular, Logan smiled and said, "That's my girl.

(end chapter)