Hot Date

Dani woke early only to find Logan already nearly dressed. He glanced over at her as he buttoned his black shirt and gave her a rakish smile.

"Mornin baby," he said. "I gotta run into town this morning, but I'll be back by the time you're done with training."

Dani smiled at the thought of getting back into the swing of mansion life. "So, will you meet me for lunch?"

"Count on it," Logan said as he walked over to the bed and kissed her. "Later, Dani." And he backed away towards the door, staring at her longingly. Finally he turned and left with thoughts of proposals in his head. He couldn't wait for their evening. He had plans of making it really special.

Dani stared at the door a minute and then sighed. Her first class was in about a half hour and she was the oldest beginner in the group. That was slightly embarrassing, but she knew everyone understood. She had trained a little whenever she visited Mr. Li in San Francisco, but not that much. Maybe she could call up a few memories of fighting skills from before and surprise them. Scott was always a little bit annoying as a teacher. She would prefer to be in Logan's class, but he was the advanced teacher. She'd spend all her time on her falling on her ass if she was in that class.


Scott stood at the head of his hand to hand combat class and surveyed his students standing in neat rows. Their white karate uniforms only differed in the belt colors that marked their level of expertise. Dani stood at the far end wearing a white belt. He nodded approvingly at her presence and started their warm ups. The rest of the students all knew the moves well, but Dani was a fraction of a second behind, having to see everything before executing Scott's commands. Once she saw the move, she recognized it even if the names meant little. Then they broke up into groups for pair ups, each according to level, leaving no one to spar with Dani who was the only white belt present. Scott took pity on her and decided to see what she remembered, if anything. He left the class in Remy's hands and took Dani aside.

"All right, we need to see what you know so we know how best to approach your training. First, I want to practice some easy tumbles. I don't want you falling wrong and getting hurt," Scott said seriously.

Dani just smirked at the thought. She would heal from any wrong tumble before she had time to get up, but she didn't argue. He demonstrated, and then she copied. After a few minutes he gave her a light toss, and she rolled perfectly and jumped to her feet. Scott gave her a smile.

"Good," he said, "Now how about this?"

He grabbed her arm to give her another toss, but she shrugged out of it and spun around, swinging her foot and kicking him off his feet. Scott wasn't ready for a move like that from a beginner and was surprised as he fell flat on his back. The pair suddenly had the full attention of the rest of the class.

Scott got up and looked at her smug expression with a smirk. She was really enjoying that small victory, but it was very small. He decided to see if she remembered how to block a hit, and threw a respectable punch at her face. She dodged it and laded a punch of her own at his kidney before diving away and turning to face him. Scott decided that she wasn't a beginner at all and gave her a full test. He went after her with all the skill he had, and she blocked him every time, even getting in a few punches of her own. Scott was impressed, and quit pulling punches as he normally did with the kids.

Remy watched rather surprised by her skill and could see the sweat beading up on Scott's face as they tossed each other around the mat. The class was at a stand still until finally Scott halted the match.

"Enough," Scott rasped between breaths. "Did you remember that from before, or are you holding out on us?"

"Well, you see whenever I visited Mr. Li, I would train a little…" she said.

"That's the apothecary in Chinatown?" Scott clarified.

"Well, that's what he does now, he used to teach Aikido and has full master standing," Dani said. "He said I learn fast, but I didn't learn this much."

The class all tried not to laugh, because Scott could be a pain in the ass when he was embarrassed, but Remy laughed out loud.

"Da petit had you dead to rights. I think it was an even match," Remy said.

"No, he was holding back," Dani said seriously. "I can see what Hank meant. You forget I heal fast. I can take a little training."

"Fine, then take on Remy," Scott said as he grabbed his towel. "Why not give him the real thing, though, like before. Use your powers with your punches."

"You spar with her if you want her to zap her punches!" Remy said quickly.

"Oh, shut up both of you," Dani said quickly. "I don't remember playing that rough in training, so forget it. Sometimes I have a hard time keeping those jolts harmless, so no way."

Remy smiled mischievously, "Then let's spar."

Scott shook his head in annoyance but stepped back with the rest of the class to watch them. Remy was surprisingly fast and agile for a tall lanky fellow. He was more acrobatic than most of the team and could turn other people's energy against them easily. But Dani used her small size to an advantage, drawing him in and then letting him have it in the most sensitive places. In a few minutes time, Remy got in three respectable hits, but Dani nailed him in the solar plexus, the kidneys, the stomach, the jaw and the… oh, ouch.

Scott and all the other guys in the room just cringed at the low blow and Dani just gasped and apologized.

"God, Remy, I'm so sorry! You… uh, moved," she stuttered and then offered to heal him, but he quickly covered his groin and frowned.

"No! Uh, no thanks…" he said, blushing and glancing over at Rogue who was biting her lip to keep from laughing at his avid protests.

Dani looked down at the mat, blushing bright red and Scott just sighed.

"You are obviously an advanced student, Dani. You'll be in Logan's class… good luck," Scott said. He turned back to the kids and just said, "No one said this was a spectator's class!"

The class resumed and Dani was dismissed. She smiled at her accomplishment, feeling a little better about herself and about being here. If she could hold her own with those two, she couldn't be too bad.


Logan found the woman behind the counter irritating, but held his temper. She continued to search through her files for the ring he'd ordered and finally found the right envelope. She sighed with relief and dumped its contents out on the velvet pad on the counter. Two rings tumbled out, one with a huge solitaire diamond and a circle of rich deep amethysts, and a second band of amethysts. He put them together, testing how they'd look in his pinky and smiled. He didn't care about the ridiculous bill that went with it, it was perfect.

"That'll do," he said gruffly, handing it back to her so she could wrap it.

The saleswoman put it into a velvet box and then wrapped it up. She gave him the box with his band as well and he settled the bill. With that errand done, he made a stop at his favorite fancy Italian restaurant. He made a reservation and spoke with Jacques, the host.

"I want one of those little chocolate cakes for dessert tonight, and I want it to read 'will you marry me?'" Logan said.

Jacques, ever the romantic, smiled at the rough looking man, "That is easy to arrange. Are there any other requests for such an important evening?"

Logan suddenly blushed, but shook his head. That would have to do. It wasn't the most creative proposal idea, but it was nice. He didn't have time to be fussy. He wanted to tie the knot soon, not only so she could still fit the dress, but because he didn't like the idea of her carrying his child without carrying his name.


With training over, and Logan still gone, Dani decided to shower and find something to do. After freshening up and putting on clean clothes, she straightened her room. Logan still had most of his things in his own room, but she knew he'd be moving in more permanently soon.

Satisfied with the clean up, she retrieved her painting things and found a quiet spot out on the lawn again. There was more activity today, but everyone could see she was busy and gave her a little space. She worked on the painting, almost driven to complete it. She couldn't place the scene, or the people in it very well, she only knew that she dreamed about this picture a lot. She closed her eyes and focused on the dream. Screaming was the first thing, then faces… and then she fell into darkness. But the last thing she saw was always Logan, reaching for her. His face was set in worry, anger, concern and love. In many ways it was how she saw him, strong and protective. The anger was never directed at his friends, though they did see it sometimes. No, the anger was for everyone else and the wrath as well. That he saved for anyone that threatened his family, the Xmen and the kids. Scott might be the leader here, and Xavier the mentor, but Logan was the backbone. There wouldn't be much of a team without him.

So her hands worked, and soon brush strokes took shape and detail and there was a face, Logan's. He was surrounded by bight colors, a strange array of lights, and she smiled. There was only the detail to finish now, like the hair and a few highlights in the eyes. And then she paused, and somewhere in the background, she saw it… the faintest outline of a sentinel. Her heart stopped, this was a memory, and it wasn't a good one. She stared in horror as the scene played out in her mind but was interrupted by a sexy voice.

"Hey, darlin, how's the painting coming?" Logan asked.

Dani's head shot up as she looked at him in surprise and then he saw her quickly recover. "Oh, it's… well, I don't know. It's not what I intended…"

Logan was good at sniffing out trouble, and he knew there was trouble brewing in her head. "Can I look?" he asked.

Dani gulped and nodded, and as he stepped around, he tried to keep his expression unreadable. He was staring at himself, and it was damned strange, but it was a good likeness. She captured his pissed off look rather well, but there was more to it than that.

"So, what inspired this?" he asked, strangely disturbed by it.

"I think it's the day I died, before," she whispered. "I'm not sure though."

Logan pulled her into a hug and tried not to take the painting so personally, but he did. He was there, and couldn't save her. The thought was disturbing. "If you can't be sure, then it could be anything," he offered. "But it's good, whatever it was."

Dani just enjoyed the feel of his arms around her and accepted his simple explanation, desperate for any explanation other than the one she'd come up with. Finally she sighed and said, "Sit down, I can use a model to finish up a few details."

Logan released her and smiled as he sat for her. She first changed the background a little to mask her original design. Now it simply looked like a portrait. She made few minor adjustments in his expression; softening the glare in the eyes and making him look more like the lover that shared her bed. With a few highlights in the hair and details in his sideburns, she was satisfied. She looked at him and smiled.

"Come and see," she said.

Logan liked this one better. He didn't look like an ass hole anymore. "I look horny," he said with a smirk.

"I paint what I see," she said with a cocked brow.

Logan grinned and helped her pack up the paints. They carried her things back to the mansion and stowed them in the art room and then went upstairs to put the painting away. On their way through the hall, Rogue caught a look at the portrait and cocked a brow.

"Well, if that isn't a picture for the girl's wing, I don't know what is," she said. "He looks like he's ready to pounce."

Logan shook his head as he led Dani past her, "I get that look for one woman, and you ain't her, kid. Go find your Cajun; I hear he is nursing an injury. I'm sure he'd love for you to make him feel better."

Dani suddenly blushed. "You heard about that? It was an accident."

Logan just smirked as he opened the door to her room. "Too bad, I'd have been real proud of that one, accident or not. Obnoxious prick needs to be taken down a notch every now and then."

He looked around the room for a spot to hang the painting but Dani just shook her head. "It'd be weird having you watch us."

Logan propped it up on the dresser and then grabbed her, kissing her passionately in front of his rakish gaze. He glanced up and began undressing her. Then he paused and looked down at her. "It's kind of a turn on," he said.

Dani looked back at her painting and gasped as she felt Logan sucking her left nipple. He was right, it was a turn on. The look on his face was definitely a bedroom expression. It was probably her imagination that it seemed to smolder even more when he was standing here ravishing her breasts. Logan lifted his mouth just long enough to make a request.

"Do that trick, Dani, you know the one," he said and promptly latched on to her other breast. At his command their clothes were removed and relocated to the floor. He loved that, and wasted no time in laying her on the bed. He would never get his fill of her, never. After spending the morning retrieving their wedding rings, he was horny as hell. He needed her, had to fill her and claim her as his again. He slipped his fingers between her nether lips and stroked her as she writhed beneath him. She was already slick and wet, and the scent of her arousal went to his head.

She looked up at him with fire in her violet eyes and all she said was, "Hurry."

Logan sat back and gazed at her. His eyes were intensely hot as he looked her naked body up and down. She reached for him but he leaned back out of her grasp and shook his head at her. She sat up, but he backed off the bed and stalked around her like a cat hunting its prey. Dani found this game exciting and sat up on her knees, following him around the room with her eyes. Logan seemed to be calm and relaxed, but every muscle was taut and straining against his willful control. His erect penis was standing proudly and the tip was weeping as he made one last circuit of the bed and then lunged for her.

Dani shrieked from surprise, but didn't struggle as he caught her around the waist from behind. He rested on his knees and pulled her against him, burying himself to the hilt in her hot wet entrance. She reached her arms out wide and grabbed the covers, balling her hands up in them as he began a vigorously insistent rhythm of thrusting. She moved with him, backing herself against him with all her force, using the bed for leverage as much as possible. Logan helped a little, hands firmly gripping her hips and pulling her into each stroke, harder and faster until finally he felt his release come as waves of pleasure hit him with every pulse of his ejaculation. Her sex throbbed around him, tightening, and drawing him even deeper, milking him relentlessly until finally their bodies began to still. Logan glanced up at the painting looking down at him and it seemed to have an almost satisfied look on its face. She was right, it was weird. He wrapped his arms around her and fell back against the pillows and rolled them to the side to cuddle.

"You're staring at me," she said softly, pointing up to the painting.

Logan chuckled, "Embarrassed?"

"No," she said, turning her head to look at him.

Logan kissed her, "I'm going to turn it around. If I want to watch myself make love to you, I'll get a couple of mirrors."

Dani smiled as he hopped off the bed and padded over to the dresser. In a moment he was back and she rolled to her back and spread her legs out wide for him. "So, up for round two?"

Logan growled as the scent of their mingled body fluids hit his nostrils. It was like throwing gasoline on a fire, and he quickly mounted her, though this time there was less urgency. He loved her gently and slowly this time, in no rush to have this intimacy end. Just as they were about to climax, he heard her stomach growl and he laughed as they came.

"Hungry?" he asked.

"It's been an active day," she said with a smirk.

"Let's grab a shower and go into town," Logan said lightly. "I know this great place to eat."

"You just got back, you sure?" Dani asked.

"Oh, yeah."


Logan parked the jeep in the parking lot of the very posh Vinacelli's Bistro. He walked around the car and opened the half door for her. He was greeted by the sight of her sexy legs, and he watched appreciatively as she swung around to climb out. Her lavender dress was very nice, snug in all the right places, and just long enough to keep him from killing every man that looked at her. And damn, if they weren't already looking. Dani reached up to straighten the collar of his black shirt. He looked good in his black jeans and shirt and black cowboy boots. It was a sexy combination, and he offered her his arm to lead her into the restaurant.

The hostess at the counter looked at them smugly as if they were not worthy of her attention, but Jacques joined them and quickly showed them to a fine table, semi private, near the string quartet. He gave Logan a wink and left them alone with their menus.

"What do you recommend?" Dani asked Logan.

"I like the Seafood Lasagna," Logan said, "but everything is good."

They made their orders and ate, enjoying the atmosphere. The music was nice without being intrusive, and Dani was feeling rather relaxed. Logan, however, was getting more nervous by the minute. It was almost time for desert, and that meant proposal time. The waiter took their plates, and Jacques casually stopped by to see if they needed anything. Dani asked for a refill on her drink, and Logan just cleared his throat and asked if Jacques had anything interesting for dessert. Jacques smiled and left leaving Logan only a few moments to think of what he would say. The waiter set the cake in front of Dani so she could read the words and she looked at Logan with a shocked look and a blush.

"Dani, I know I asked you to marry me before, but it was an emotional moment for both of us. I wanted to give you some time before mentioning it again, but with the baby and all, I don't want to wait too long either. I love you, Dani. I loved you then, but more importantly, I love you now. Neither of us is the same, and that's the fun of it. We get to learn to love each other all over again. I'm asking you, the woman you are right now, today, to marry me, the man I am today. What do you say?" Logan held his breath and waited.

Dani seemed to ponder the cake a moment, staring at the words written there and a tear slipped down her cheek. "Yes, Logan, I will marry you. I loved you then and I love you now. I'll always love you, Logan."

Logan pulled the ring out of his pocket and opened the velvet box for her. He took it out and put it on her ring finger and then kissed her hand. "It belongs there, just like we belong together," he said and then suddenly turned his head and sniffed. He smelled fire, and it was spreading fast. Dani, the kitchen's on fire, get outside and wait for me."

"Not a chance, they're going to need help getting everyone out of here," Dani said quickly.

Smoke billowed into the dining room from the kitchen and Jacques ran in and called everyone to attention, "Please, Ladies and gentlemen, we have a small fire in the kitchen. We need you all to take your coats and purses and proceed calmly to the front door. No panic is necessary, there is more smoke than fire here…"

Well, he tried to sound calm, but the screaming quickly ensued and the panic followed. Jacques' small kitchen fire was a blazing inferno. The sprinklers kicked in, but it didn't seem to do a thing to retard the advance of the flames. Logan and Dani immediately took charge of calming people and directing them safely to the exits. Finally outside, the entire restaurant was engulfed in flames as the fire crews arrived. But one woman was running through the crowd shouting in panic.

"Jason? Jason? Oh, god, my son is still inside!" she shouted.

Logan was about to go in but the fire chief caught his arm. "Oh, no cowboy! Let the professionals handle this."

Logan growled at the man but spun on his heels when he saw the reflection of a flash of white light in the puddles on the asphalt. Dani had gone in, and he couldn't stop her. He stared at he building, waiting for any signs, but nothing happened. The fire burned out of control as if it had a will of its own, and Logan realized that there was nothing natural about this fire. He went to Jacques.

"How'd this start?" Logan asked.

"A small grease fire, it just spread so fast. Not even our extinguishers would stop it, it just…" his face paled. "The fire rose up and looked at me," he said under his breath. "I thought it was even laughing."

Logan looked around for the frantic mother, but she was gone. Figures! Logan scowled and grabbed his cell phone out of his pocket. He hit the quick dial number for the mansion and waited. He needed back up for this one.

"Xavier's school… Logan what's wrong?" Jean's voice answered.

"Damn I hate it when you do that Jeannie," Logan said quickly. "Even over the phone it's creepy. Dani's been taken. This time it was Pyro and probably Mystique. They set fire to the restaurant and then lured her back inside to save a kid, but there wasn't any kid… get it?"

"I understand, can you tell where they went?"

"No, all the smoke is messing with my nose," Logan admitted gruffly. "I'm sure that was part of the plan. I need help."

Xavier suddenly spoke up from another line, "Logan, I'm sending Scott and Remy to join you. They should be there in about twenty minutes."

"Thanks," Logan said and then hung up. He knew they were likely long gone by now, but he had a look around anyway. He'd been here and couldn't stop this. He should have seen it as a trap right away. He was such an idiot!