1A/N: The recipe for Grasshoppers is as follows (mentioned later): Two scoops of ice cream, about ½ a cup of milk, and just a splash of Creme-De-Mint (this IS slightly alcoholic, so get a parent's permission, first), no more then a tablespoon or so. Put into a blender, and mix. This should serve 2-3 people. Enjoy! -So simple, a child could do it. Except children shouldn't have alcohol, so shhh...
Chapter Eight
The bell above the door rang when Logan and I entered the dusty little bookshop where my Mom was part owner with one of her best friends from High School. She was sitting on a stool behind the cash register, reading from one of the musty novels the store was home too.
"Mom?" I tipped her book forward.
She jumped up, "Joanna, I didn't expect to see you today!"
"Spur of the moment trip." I shrugged, as she came around the counter, with minuscule tears in her eyes. "How are you?" She hugged me tight.
"I'm just fine, but how are you?" She sized me up, "And who is this?" She motioned to Logan who was brooding behind me.
"This is Logan." I introduced him. "He's...a friend. Logan, this is my Mom."
"A friend, or 'friend'? Oh, and call me Christy, dear. Everyone does." My mother said, going up to him to size him up as well.
"A 'friend'." I looked away from Logan's unamused stare as my Mother dusted invisible lint from his shoulders as her way of feeling him up. "Mom!"
"Oh right." She went back behind the counter. "So, what are you up to in the city, today?"
"Just came to see you and Dad."
"Have you already seen your father?" She asked.
"Yea, I just spent an hour with him." I rolled my eyes.
My mother laughed, "And I suppose you met him as well...Logan, was it?"
"Yea, I did have that pleasure, ...Christy." His voice rumbled.
"Why the beast does speak."
"Mom." I warned her.
"Sorry dear, I can't help but tease your friends, you know that."
Logan grunted, "I'm gonna go look around." He told me.
"He seems...interesting. What did your father think of him?" My Mother asked, leaning on the counter. "Did he do one of his 'father-moments'?"
"Of course." I nodded, leaning on the counter as well. "How's business, Mom?"
"Business is fine." She shrugged. "My divorce from Daniel is almost through."
"That's good to hear." I nodded. "It's about time."
"He's not really a bad person, Joey. He's just...misinformed."
"He's a jackass, Mom, and you know it." I told her, pointedly, "I told you when you married him it was a bad idea."
"What normal thirty-something woman listens to her thirteen year old daughter on her wedding day, Joey? I'm sorry." She stroked my face. "I really should have listened to you better. It was one of my many mistakes. Including Daniel talking me into abandoning you...I don't even understand how he could have done that... but I will agree with you that leaving him was the best decision I ever made."
I took her hands in mine, "Look Mom, it's in the past. Just...put it behind you. I know I have."
"I would love for you to come home, Jo." She tried to coax. "We can start over."
"No." I shook my head. "There is way to much going on for me to come back here. It wouldn't be safe for either of us."
"What are you talking about? Daniel is gone, where's the danger?"
"It's not that kind of danger, Mom. There's a lot you don't know, yet." I shook my head. "And way to much for me to tell you right now. The short version, I'm not your little girl anymore. There are some people who are after me, because of what I can do. Professor Xavier, and the X-Men...they can help me. They can protect me at the Institute, and in Bayville. If I'm here, I'm just looking for trouble, and I'm bring trouble to you and Dad. I don't want to do that. It's better if I stay there. When that threat is gone, I'll come home."
"Whose after you, darling? What reason?"
"His name is Magneto. He wants me to join his Brotherhood of Mutants, or something. But I've already chosen my side, with the X-Men."
"What is this X-Men nonsense?" My Mother was growing confused.
"It's this group started by Professor Xavier to help humans accept mutant-kind. We help mutants in need, and try and stop the bad ones that decide to take liberation into their own hands."
"This is all very confusing... I shall have to have you explain it all to me some day." She looked up as Logan entered the front again. "Did you find anything that interested you, Logan?"
"Not today." He crossed his arms. "I think we should get going, kid. Not to cut your visit short or anything."
"What's wrong?" I asked.
"Just a hunch, but I think I smelled some company." He crossed his arms.
I pushed up on the counter, and a jolted premonition swept over. Logan's hand was on my shoulder when I opened my eyes.
"What is it?"
"Let's go." I took his hand. "Sorry Mom, we've got to go. You might want to lock up and go home as soon as we leave. I'll call you, I promise."
"What did you see?" Logan asked, once we were already speeding down the street.
"Something I don't want happening." I looked over my shoulder at my Mom's shop. "As long as we're out of the shop, everything should be OK."
"But if it doesn't happen today, whose to say it couldn't happen the next time we go? Mystique was lurking around that shop. I smelled her, but I didn't see her." Logan threw his own glance over his shoulder.
"Just relax. We have to get to the Institute, and ask Professor Xavier if there is anything we can do to protect my parents. I wouldn't put it past Magneto to kidnap one of them for a trade."
"Lets just hope he's not in the mood for that sort of thing today."
"How did your chat with the Professor go?" Logan asked when I saw him later after we had gotten back, when I was sitting in my room reading a book. Rogue was off some where with the others.
"It went fine. He suggested that I keep my contact with my parents to a minimum for the time being." I shrugged.
Logan sat down on the edge of the bed, his hand on my knee, "And what do you think of that?"
"I think it's crap. This whole thing sucks." I put my book down on the side table. "That's probably the most immature thing you've ever heard me say, isn't it?"
"You're allowed to use your kid-vocabulary once in awhile." A smile crossed his lips. "And it does suck. I know I wouldn't want to be separate from my parents. You've dealt with this very well."
"Well you'd learn to deal with it too if your mother threw you from a car to die."
"And yet you've patched things up with her rather quickly, haven't you?" He asked.
"I know it wasn't her fault. It was Daniel's."
"And she's divorcing him now, isn't she?"
"That doesn't mean anything. Yea, he's separated from me and my family, but what's to say he doesn't find another woman, or other mutants he tries to get rid of?"
"Then we'll find them, and help them out, the same way we did with you." Logan's hands on my arms pulled me forward, into his lap. "Alright?"
I smiled, "Any special reason you paid me this visit?"
"I gotta go away on some business... I won't be back for a couple of days."
I got out of his lap, "When will you be back?" I asked.
"Hopefully before your birthday next week."
"Promise?" I asked.
"I'll try my best."
"Promise me."
"I don't make promises, I can't keep, kid."
"You'll keep this one." I put my leg over his, and kissed his cheek.
"I'd glad you see such a ray of sunshine in me, Kid."
"When are you leaving?" I asked.
"Tonight."
"...Do you have to?"
"Yea, I do." He nodded.
"It can't even wait until tomorrow morning?"
"Afraid not, Jo." Logan shook his head. "But you won't even miss me."
"I already do." I looked pitifully at him, "Do you really have to go? You were just out on business."
Logan looked at me just as pitifully, "Yes, I do."
"I guess I better let you go then, huh?" I sat back down on the bed.
"I got some time." Logan teased, kissing me. His hands pulled back through my hair.
"How can I make out with you, when you're going to leave me here, all by myself." I asked.
"You've got Rogue to keep you company...and Kurt, and Kitty, and Jubilee, and the Faerie."
"He's not a faerie, Logan."
"I know that...I just like the look you get on your face every time I call 'im that." He kissed me again.
"Your little soul kisses aren't doing anything for me, sorry." I pushed him away. "But really, have a nice trip. I'll see you when you get back. Buy me something pretty."
"Will do, you little Imp." He let his hand slide down my arm as I got off of the couch. He accepted my kiss of forgiveness as I left my room.
Logan's POV
I left a little later then I had planned. I felt awful for leaving Joanna alone, again, but I couldn't let my feelings for her keep me from giving myself the space that I craved. One day, I might bring her along with me on one of my 'quests'. Mostly what this consisted of was driving to Canada, and sitting in a bar playing pool with one of buddies. This week, it was Kevin Morgan. Kev was a good guy I met quite a while back. He knew a little to much about me, so I kept him a little closer then I would most of my friends. He met me back in my cage-fighting days, in a seedy little bar near the Alaskan boarder. I'd almost beat the crap out of him one night, and he decided he liked me.
Kevin was already in a game with his brother, John, when I arrived at our rendevous point.
"About time, Logan. We'd almost given up hope on ye." Kevin handed me a pool stick. "The missus giving ye problems?"
"I ain't married to the girl yet, Kev." I reminded him. "But yeah, in a matter of speaking, she was a little weary to let me go. She probably had a point."
Kevin clapped me on the back, "How old is this broad, anyway?"
I raised an eyebrow at him.
"Well?" John prompted from where he sat on a stool, next to the pool table. "I'm interested in knowin' as well, over here."
"She's seventeen." I moved to pocket the seven ball.
"A regular San Quentin pigeon" Kevin smacked the back of my shoulder. "That's good shit, that is!"
"Stop being crude, Kev." I leaned against the table, and on the pool stick. "And besides, she's eighteen next week."
"Have you boffed her yet?"
"Christ, Kevin! Why would you even ask that?" I spit the beer that John had just handed me back out at him.
"I'm worried about you, Logan." Kevin racked the pool balls in the triangle, handing me the cue ball. "I've never known you have a girlfriend -and certainly not one for this long."
"People change, Kev." I set the cue ball down on the table to break.
"You could blame it on that if you want... I think you're going soft on us, old boy." Kevin leaned next to his brother. "What do you think, Johnny?"
"I say leave the poor guy alone, so we can play pool." John hit Kev in the leg with the end of his pool stick. "What do you say?"
I was staying in my favorite little hotel, near the bar. My room was simple, and cheap, just the way I liked it. Kevin and John had walked to the little house they shared, a couple of blocks away, laughing and leaning on each other for support, through their drunken haze. The beer I had drunk felt foreign, and the cigar I had smoked left a bitter taste in my mouth. Working in a school, and dating Joanna had done something to me.
I flipped on the television, and thought about picking up the phone to call Joanna. The news offered nothing of interest, so I flipped it back off again. I was getting to accustomed to hanging around the Institute, late nights with Jo, and all of the others, watching movies, and joking around with all of them. Maybe I was growing soft. But I could still kick some serious ass if I had to.
The trip was well spent, and I felt refreshed when I pulled the jalopy back into the garage. My bag was heavier then it had been when I left, and I was careful not to drop it when Joanna jumped up into my arms.
"You're just in time." She told me, her legs wrapping tightly around my hips, my arms cradling her south side. "Warren just brought out the cake."
"But your birthday isn't until tomorrow." I looked at her confused.
"Professor Xavier suggested you and I go see my parents tomorrow, so we're celebrating today."
"Nice of him to inform me of this little plan...who was going to go with you if I didn't show?"
"Scott."
"Figures." I kissed her. "C' mon, lets not leave your adoring crowd waiting." I let her slide down me, placing her feet back on the ground. She took my hand, and after I grabbed my bag, we walked out to the kitchen.
"Was your trip productive?" Joanna asked, when we lay on my bed later that afternoon, after cake with ice cream, and Grasshopper malts.
"Yea, it was." I nodded, "Did you miss me?"
"Yea, I did." She smiled.
"Good." I kissed her, my hand moving over her hip, pulling her closer to me. She pushed me onto my back, her hair falling in front of her face. My hands moved up to brush it away, holding back behind her ears.
"You weren't really away on any kind of business, were you?" She asked.
"What do you mean?"
"What do you really do when you go away?"
I was quiet, "What do you know?"
"I had a premonition...of you in a bar, with a couple of guys."
"Then my little secret is out."
"It's not much of a little secret, Logan." She leaned back on, straddling my hips with her knees. "I just wish you could have told me you were going away to get plastered."
"I wasn't getting plastered." I told her. "In fact, I drank very little. I played pool mostly..."
"And who were the guys?"
"Just some people I know... Kevin and John Morgan. I met them when I was traveling a few years back. We like to get together once in a while."
She shook her head, "I have some things I need to do." She swung her leg over mine, and I caught her before she left the bed.
"I don't mean anything by leaving, Jo. I'm just used to having my own agenda, and not having to think about other people. I'm sorry."
"It's OK." She shrugged. "I just wish you wouldn't lied to me." She pressed a kiss to my cheek, and walked away.
Joanna and I left the institute early the next morning, just after sunrise. My jeep wasn't appreciating all of the long trips I had been taking lately, so after an hour or so on the road, I pulled over at a gas station to fill up with the expensive, premium gas, and put in a quart of the good oil.
"You want anything, kid?" I offered to Joanna.
"No, I'm good."
"You positive?" I coaxed.
"Yea." She nodded.
Women, I'll never understand them.
When I got back into the jeep, I sat with my fingers on the keys for a couple of seconds, "Are you still mad at me? About the trip?"
"No, why do you ask?" She clipped her seatbelt back into place, and looked at me expectantly.
"I don't know. You don't seem yourself."
"I'm just tired." She leaned back in her seat, and closed her eyes. End of discussion.
It was another hour and a half, due mostly to road construction that had cropped up, until I parked next to the curb in front of her Father's house. Christy's car was parked behind Stephan's SUV in the driveway.
"Are you coming?" Joanna waited for me on the sidewalk, with her hand outstretched for mine. After locking up the jeep, and sliding the keys into my back pocket, I took her hand, and we walked up the steps together.
The visit with her parents was uneventful. The animal in me just wouldn't shut off. Crazy smells of the people next door, and the cars whizzing by outside... Not to mention Christy's perfume. The whole experience was noxious. I was expecting an attack, that never came. I tried to be pretty quiet, and drink my coffee in silence while Joanna visited with her parents, celebrating her 18th birthday as best as possible. Her mother's flirtation with me however drew out my conversation. Joanna was embarrassed, I could tell. She insisted we leave a little after noon and I was only to happy to comply.
"I'm sorry about my Mom. She flirts with everyone, I swear. I told you she was a twit."
"Well at least she wasn't groping me, like last time." I said, pulling the jeep away from the curb.
"She wasn't groping you!" She scoffed.
"Pretty damn close.:
Joanna laughed, leaning against the door, "Trust me, if my Mother wanted to molest you, she would."
"I'll stay on my toes then, when she's around."
"That's probably for the best." She nodded.
"Are you hungry?" I asked, as we passed by a McDonald's. "Or would you rather wait until we get back to the Institute?"
"Lets wait until we get back." She suggested, leaning back in her seat, and closing her eyes. "I think we've taken a big enough chance just letting me out of the house today. Lets not risk anything."
Something else I was more then happy to comply with.
It was nearly four o'clock when we got back to the Institute. I smelled a barbeque before I even pulled in to the drive.
"Oh yummy, my favorite." Joanna went to hang on Rogue's shoulder, who was instructing Scott Summer's how to cook on an open flame. I sat down near the Professor, who was underneath an umbrella reading a book.
"You're supposed to enjoy the sun, when you're outside, Professor. Not catch up on your homework." I tapped the back of his book, and raised an eyebrow at him.
"Oh, you're back. I'm ever so glad." He closed the cover. "All went well, I hope."
"Well besides Jo's Mom being a twit -her word, not mine, all was pretty uneventful. Maybe the danger is past -in this case anyway."
"No...He must be waiting for something...but I can't think of what." Professor Xavier pondered for a moment.
"Well it's her birthday, all guards are down...this would be the perfect opportunity."
"Not all guards are down, Logan. He knows this is what we suspect."
"Reverse psychology?" I asked.
"Something like that. I've been reading up on some things." He motioned to his book. "On how serial-crimes are organized, and how the minds of the criminals work. It's actually quite interesting."
"Sounds like a real thriller." I picked up the book, and paged through. No pictures, it just figured.
"Hank believes that Magneto will strike some place crowded, with a lot of people. Some place where a shriek wouldn't be noticed."
I thought, leaning back in my chair, "The Bayville Summer Carnival is in three weeks. Giggling kids, screaming on rides... a terror stricken shriek wouldn't be hard to miss. Might turn a few heads, but no one would go after it."
"Exactly what I was thinking, Logan."
"So what do we do? Set a trap? Use Jo as bait?"
"No, no...nothing quite that drastic. I'm sure that if we all put our heads together, we can come up with a plausible plan before the carnival."
"Are you two having a nice little chat?" Joanna came over to sit on my lap. It was surprising to say the least. Joanna didn't typically go for public-displays. Then again, she was perfect legal now, and wasn't holding back.
"You could say that." The Professor leaned on the arm of his chair. "How are your parents?"
"Oh just fine. Not to mention totally oblivious to the real world." Joanna shrugged, "My Mom doesn't seem to understand how much danger I can put them in. She just wants me to come home. I don't know why, but...I don't trust her. She seems different."
"Well, you should always trust your instincts. Although, she is your mother... You may just want to cut back on your time with her." Professor Xavier suggested.
"You know..." I turned to her. "Your Mom...she smelled different today."
"Her perfume was really strong." She shrugged, "Stronger then ususal."
"Like she wanted to cover up something." I whispered, "Jo, go call your Dad, and see if everything is OK."
"Mystique?" She asked.
"Anything is possible."
Joanna got off of my lap, and jogged into the house.
"You really think she could have covered her scent that well?" The Professor asked.
"I don't know, Professor."