Disclaimer: Several new characters are mine, including the plot. X-Men belongs to Marvel and Fox.

Chapter 3

The summer months were well upon the school for mutants in Westchester. The mansion had been rebuilt over the past week using the mutations to speedily construct. With the grand corridors once back to their former glory, and the classrooms reconstructed, the lessons were on as normal. But as the final bell of the day had just chimed the corridors were madly full of students pursuing to their rooms to dump belongings in order to get out into the stunning weather.

And sure enough, within the next few minutes the glorious lawns of Xavier's mansion were dotted with many figures of students as they meandered out into the warm sunshine. However, Logan strayed away from the grouping at the rear of the mansion and headed to the outdoors situated at the front of the mansion. Armed with a cigar and a beer, Logan was sat on the stonewall beside the main entrance. He glanced over the lawns surrounding the driveway and watched them calmly, enjoying the beating of the sun against his face and the breeze through his hair. His jacket had been discarded and was left in his room, his shirt was unbuttoned and he made full use of the staggering weather. His back leant against the cool pillar behind him that supported the archway of the entrance. His eyes lazily drooped and he took a gentle swig of beer.

His eyes turned slightly as the front door opened gently and closed. Quiet footsteps came his way, this tone well-known by the Wolverine.

"Hey darlin'" Wolverine muttered gently, a rough drone to his words. He was not looking to the person but just staring out at the horizon of green.

The newcomer came towards the Wolverine, who remained stretched out across the stone wall, booted ankles idly crossed, "Shying away from the others, Logan?" Teased a gentle voice before the body took a seat on a space on the wall beside Logan.

"You know me Aurora. A bashful one." Logan said softly, snaking an arm around the waist of the woman.

Aurora chuckled softly, leaning into the hug, "Sure you are." She gently chided, a hand lifting to tuck a few strands of black behind an ear.

The chuckle was shared gently, the pair continuing to lean into each other for a few minutes. The air was quiet, but gleeful shouts shrilly joined every couple of seconds. But they felt far from annoyed. It was pleasant, and satisfying to know that the troubles of the past few weeks and of life in general were calming. A gentle crush of gravel sounded from the driveway and both Aurora and Logan looked up expectantly to see a ruby shade-wearing man travel round the corner of the mansion wheeling a motorbike.

Logan raised his beer to the man, a jeer escaping his lips in a rough drone, "'Ey up Cyclops. Stayin' away from Adrienne?"

Scott rose stiffly and kept his expression firm to the taunts, "Siren entered the wrong room. That's all."

Logan grinned broadly, gesturing his beer, "Aye, I heard she didn't leave for a while."

A twitch of lips proved that the anger was building behind the stern front, "I'll have you know Logan that nothing happened. It's just rumours contaminating your mind."

"Well, Siren did seem somewhat quiet this morning." Chipped in Aurora, "So did you let her down?"

"I did absolutely nothing!" Cried Scott over the hearty laughter from Logan, "I don't know where all these rumours are coming from!" He spluttered.

"Oh! Come on Scott! You know you went all gooey-eyed over Siren." Logan cried amongst his hearty laughter.

"How likely do you think I am going to go near her? She's a thief, a violent woman.."

"Not that she's got lethal skin?" Asked Aurora slyly.

"Well.. That too." Scott admitted quietly.

Both Aurora and Logan burst in laughter at this and Scott had to keep his hands firmly on his beloved bike to stop them from shaking.

Scott gave a quiet growl, "I don't remember me mocking when you arrived with Rogue."

The laughter was sliced to a cold halt as Logan fixed a dark glare at Scott, "Me an' Rogue are friends, that's completely different." His hand instinctively tightened around Aurora's waist.

"Hm.." Sneered Scott sarcastically before he turned and continued to wheel his gleaming bike away, he turned the next corner and disappeared from view. Logan growled softly, in his anger he involuntary crushed his empty beer bottle. Logan gave a quiet wince and threw the broken bottle from his hand, blood now heavily seeping from his palm. He shook his hand gently, allowing the glass pieces to tumble free.

"Are you alright Logan?" Asked Aurora quietly, watching him gently as she saw the anger flickering in his eyes.

"Fine." Growled Logan, glancing to her as he felt her weight lift free as she disappeared inside. She returned within a few seconds with a damp cloth. She returned to his side, pressing the warm cloth to his palm and mopping up the blood. Logan managed to share a genuine smile to her before he glanced down to his palm, now healed and blood free, "Thanks darlin'.." He muttered, lifting his cigar back to his lips to take a well-needed draw.

Aurora smiled gently, leaning in to place a kiss to his temple before she disappeared inside to dispose of the bloodied cloth. Now alone, Logan fixed his eyes back over the lawn, eyes following over the stone wall at the bottom, the borderline of the grounds. His eyes scanned right up to the large double gates at the bottom of the driveway.. where he saw a figure walking in. He frowned gently, lifting free from the wall and to his feet as he squinted his eyes in that direction.

He inhaled gently at the passing breeze; something began to tick away at the back of his mind. The cigar that was perched jauntily at his lips toppled out gently as his jaw lowered in a mix of shock and surprise as his eyes fixated upon the shimmering silver tresses that blew behind the oncoming figure. Behind him the door opened and closed as Aurora returned. She gently came to his side with a frown, glancing to the fallen cigar and to the stunned expression on his face.

"Logan?" She softly asked, looking to the person he was staring out who was still quite a distance away, journeying up the gravelled driveway.

"My God.." He whispered, not taking his eyes off the figure, "It's her."

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