The Bitter Smell of Exposure

The week had started and Serena still wasn't allowed to go to school and was still confined to home schooling. She was doing the obstacle course for what she felt was the zillionth time. True, Logan would make some adjustments and modifications to make it more challenging for her, but it was still pretty easy. In fact she had once gone through the maze blindfolded just to make it more interesting. Needless to say, she made it out just fine and it had given her a thrill. Ever since then she started wearing a blindfold while doing the obstacle course. She was walking through being careful not to trip over any tree roots when she heard a noise up in one of the trees. She stood completely still. She heard the rustle of leaves and she sent a blast of water in the direction of the noise. The next thing she heard was a familiar yelp and someone falling out of the tree.

"Todd?" She said ripping off the blindfold. It was in fact Todd, now lying on the ground wet, with twigs in his hair.

"Yo! Could you give a toad a warning?"

"Sorry," Serena apologized. "I thought you were an enemy."

"That's okay." He said pulling the twigs out of his hair. "I was going to surprise you but I guess you ended up surprising me instead."

"What are you doing here anyway?" Serena asked

"I was suspended from school for a week yo." Todd reminded her.

Serena remembered. "Oh yeah for the whole destroying the school thing."

"No, it was actually for the whole destroying the principal's car thing."

"Geez, do you get away with murder too?" Serena asked him skeptically.

"You just got to know how to be sneaky." Todd told her. "But anyway, I was bored out of my wits so I thought I'd come and see you."

"Well, thank you." Serena said not knowing what else to say.

"Well let's go."

"Go?" She asked.

"Yeah, go. As in away from here." Todd emphasized.

"But I'm in the middle of training."

"No big deal." Todd waved.

"With Wolverine."

"Ooh," Todd winced. "I pity you."

"It's really not that bad." She told him. "I actually like training with Logan."

Serena wasn't lying. In fact she was being completely honest. Even though he was as tough as nails and a little scary at times, she couldn't help but admirer him. To her he was an entity of fear, awe, and speculation all in one. As an X-Man he was extremely devoted for his craft and his ambition and audacity certainly inspired her. But the thing she like the most about him was his paternal approach. Even though he hardly ever showed it Logan did have a softer side. True, he was very harsh to her and to all the other kids, but in a weird-loving type of way. In her eyes he was a cool guy and she respected him. But to everyone else…

"You must be crazy." Todd said shaking his head.

"I'm crazy, you're crazy, heck we're all a little crazy."

"Couldn't you just say you got lost or something?"

Serena rolled her eyes. "Oh come on, the maze isn't that big plus I've been through it several times."

"Well…" Todd thought. "You could say you knocked your head and passed out."

"Doubt it."

"Come on please? Just for a few minutes."

"Mmm, I don't know." She knew it was a bad idea to skip out on Logan's training session. Logan was not the kind of person you wanted to make angry. If you missed out on one of his classes, you would have to make it up in full.

"Pleeeeeeeeeease." He asked imploringly, blinking his huge yellow eyes.

"Oh no, not the frog eyes." She laughed. "Alright, but only for a little while."

Thirty-something minutes later…

Serena came out of the maze panting and tired looking. She didn't have to pretend either. She and Todd had just walk around and talked for the most part. She lost track of time listening to one of Todd's funny stories about living with the Brotherhood. When she looked at her watch and saw how long she had been gone she bid Todd farewell and rushed back as fast as she could.

"Have fun kid?" Logan asked.

"Sorry it took so long." She panted. "I was kind of held back by something."

"Something? Or someone?" She blanched. "Just what do you think you were doing with the Tadpole?"

"Uh, what do you mean?" she said trying not to sound guilty.

"I mean I can smell the runt's scent on you." He growled.

Serena felt like kicking herself. How could she forget about Logan's sense of smell? "Um... I can explain."

"Go ahead," Logan crossed his arms. "I can't wait to hear the excuse for this."

"Well I was wandering through the maze right? But then he jumps out of no where and tackles me. And then we fought and eventually I beat him and sent him home crying and… and you don't believe me do you?"

"Well there's two things wrong with your story." He told her. "The first one is I know for a fact that he would never attack you whether you two broke up or not. Second I know for a fact that if you two actually did fight you would be able to take him out in two seconds flat. Wait, actually there's three things wrong. The third is that nothing could've possibly held you back for over thirty minutes."

"What if I told you I was attacked by aliens?" she asked almost hopefully.

"Then I would consider you very idiotic to think I would actually believe that."

She sighed. "I figured."

"So are you going to be honest with me or am I gonna have to have the professor find out what you were doing?"

"He just… showed up…" she said.

"He?"

"Todd." She said. "He showed up and we started talking… and we went off somewhere for a couple minutes."

"So you were ditching."

She nodded shamefully. "Yeah, that's pretty much it."

"Do you have anything to say for yourself?" He asked.

"I'm sorry?" she said feebly. "Please don't tell anyone."

"About what?"

"You know, about me and him. I don't want anybody to find out, not even the professor."

"Kid, that's your business. Not mine."

She breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you."

"But I don't want you skipping anymore training sessions, got it?"

"Yes sir. I'll humbly accept my punishment."

"Good. Now let's get over to the danger room."

"The Danger room?" Serena asked anxiously.

"Call it make-up work."

"Okay, no problem."

"And no turning into water."

Serena gave a groan of despair. "You're very cruel you know that?"

"That's my job kid." Logan grunted.

"But I guess I can't say I don't deserve it."

"At least you're willing to take responsibility." Logan told her in a voice with a little less of a growl.

Though he hated to admit it, the little mermaid had grown on him. Though she was sometimes a pain she never meant to be. She always made an effort at anything she did. Like Rogue, she was an outcast of outcasts. There was something that set her apart from humans and mutants both. Logan knew the feeling all too well. He could tell that the kid had a hard life, harder than most anyway. But despite what happens she would just soldiered on hoping for improvement.

"Hey kid."

"Yes Mr. Logan?"

"Nothing." Logan grumbled. Serena smiled at him as they started heading over to the danger room.

(sniffs) There's nothing that touches me more than fluffy tender moments. Okay, so Logan knows now. Let's just hope no one else finds out.

A thanks to all you reviewers! I now have some really good ideas for future chapters. Stay tuned!