Here ya go! Please R&R! I don't own X-men... blah blah blah... otherwise I'd RULE THE WORLD!

12

Over the next week, AJ continued meeting with Xavier on strengthening her new gifts. Now, AJ sat on her windowsill, legs kicked up on her dresser, looking out on the view she'd once become so accustomed to. She really did miss it here. But Magneto offered something that Xavier couldn't.

Revenge.

The knock on the door summoned her back from her trance.

"Come in."

The door opened slowly, and Logan stepped in, closing it behind him.

"Hi." She turned to face him, letting her feet fall off the dresser.

"This ain't a bad time…"

"Yeah. I'm really busy right now…" She smiled. "What's up?"

"I just wanted you t'know… I'm proud a'you kid."

"What? Why?"

He crossed his arms "You really stepped up to the plate, turned things around… again…"

She laughed. "Again."

"Well… we all screw up."

She pressed her lips together and stood up. "Yeah."

"Y'don't have t'be afraid of me kid."

She laughed. "I'm… I'm not afraid of you."

"You've been ignoring me all week."

"I haven't been ignoring you."

He stared at her.

"I haven't." She repeated.

"Look… if it's about the night back in New York…"

She shook her head. "Don't."

He squared his jaw. "You know nothin' happened right?"

"Are you upset about that?" She crossed her arms.

He let out a breath. "I'm tryin' t'talk to ya here kid."

"We don't need to talk." She said with a smile, walking over to him, running her hands down his strong arms.

"Everything has to be physical with you doesn't it." He grunted.

She pressed her lips together, taking a step back.

"Yer trying to distract me." He furrowed his brow.

She crossed her arms and looked away. "You make me feel uncomfortable."

Her brutal honesty took him back slightly. "Why?"

She stared at him. The look on her face was explanation enough, but she couldn't make the words come out. She couldn't let herself get emotionally attached, let alone express her feelings out loud.

She shook her head and looked away again, racking her brain for something to say.

Logan turned her chin towards him with an intense look that sent a shiver down her spine.

"Don't look at me like that." She frowned.

"Just so y'know kid, the feelin's mutual."

She pressed her lips together and nodded silently, letting herself get lost in his eyes before grabbing him by the belt and tugging him towards her fiercely, kissing him firmly and passionately.

He moved her backwards, leaning her against the desk behind her. She sat back on it, wrapping her legs around his waist, ripping her button up shirt off in a single fluid motion.

He kissed her neck, moving down slowly while his hands drifted around her back. She leaned backwards on her hands, tilting her head back with a small groan as he wandered down her collarbone.

She ran her hand through his hair before pulling his head back roughly, pulling his shirt up over his head slowly. She moved her hands down to his belt, biting his lip gently as she stood up, undoing the buckle with a smirk. She leaned forward, breathing captivatingly in his ear, ever so gently, causing him to utter a small groan.

The door opened quietly, he poked his head in slowly with a small smile. He could see her sleeping form from the light from the open window. The sheets were clutched up around her chest, but he could tell she was nude.

He tiptoed into the room, kneeling down next to her.

"Hey doll…"

She slowly opened her eyes to look at her. "Pyro? What… are you doing here?"

"You always sleep in the buff?"

She tightened her grip on the sheets, looking at the vacant spot next to her.

"Pyro, you need to leave. Now."

He grinned "I thought you'd like t'know they found 'im."

"'Him'?"

He nodded silently.

She pressed her lips together. "You know I'm staying here."

"You know he killed your-" She put her hand over his mouth.

"Shhh. I know. Just… don't leave yet. Okay? Give it some more thought. These people here… they really care about you."

"They're comin' tonight." His pressed his lips together. "There's somethin' else doll. I want you t'come with me. Even if we don't stick with Magneto… come with me."

She opened her mouth to say something, noticing his eyes drifting up to look past her.

The bathroom door behind her closed and she closed her eyes.

"Oh. I see." Pyro pressed his lips together as Logan crossed his arms with a frown. "Right. Didn't see that one comin'."

"John! Wait!" She stopped him, sitting up with the sheets wrapped around her. "Please… don't make it a big deal."

"It is a big deal t'me doll." He frowned. "Y'really had me goin'…"

She shook her head "John… I didn't-"

"Stop. Please." He squared his jaw. "I'll… leave you two alone."

He turned around and started back down the hall. "You really know how t'lead a bloke on…" he muttered.

Logan sat down next to her, sensing her tense up. "You alright?"

She looked over her shoulder at him with a frown.

"I'm angry."

Once again, she had another bought of pure honesty, voicing her emotions to him without hesitation.

"Angry?"

"For the first time in my life… I thought a man actually… wanted to be my friend."

"Pyro?"

She gritted her teeth uttering a grunt "See? This is why I don't…"

"Why you don't what?"

"Why I belong alone." She pulled her shirt on, giving her head a shake. She could feel the anger and emotion bursting from every vein, trying with everything she had to keep it down.

He cleared his throat. "You don't belong alone. No one does kid."

"Then why is it that I risk my life to save someone only to have them turn around and blame me for leading them on?" She let out a frustrated breath "I mean… what did he expect! What did he expect! I'm not just a thief, a con-artist or an assassin… I'm a goddamn stripper. Did you know that Logan? That's what I am! I get paid to lead men on. For the first time… I thought he really just liked being with me. In retrospect… I see all the lewd comments and flirtatious remarks. I just thought they were innocent. But you know what? There's no such thing. Nothing is innocent. Everyone has cruel intentions. Ulterior motives. I'd rather be alone then be subject to that."

"So what are you sayin'?" He crossed his arms over his bare chest with a frown.

She looked at him. Part of her wanted to tell him the truth. She wanted to open up and spill her guts about the whole thing, but she couldn't.

"I don't know yet." She looked at him again before pulling her pants on. "I need to get out and think."

"Get out?" He furrowed his brow, watching her move over to the window.

She climbed up the dresser and slipped out the window effortlessly.

So that's where she hid all the time.