A/N: Hi there! So, not many of you are happy with me for leaving you with that really bad cliffhanger. I'm sorry, but I had to. I am picking up where I left it though, but this is a short update and rather choppy, in my opinion. Two scenes. So, you have been warned. And Scooter makes an appearance. Yay! Not. Enjoy!

OOOOOOOOO

"Logan, stop!" Scarlet's voice rang out in the silent restaurant, but Logan ignored her.

He could only see red as he pummeled the bastard's face into the floor. How could the bastard think about laying a hand on Scarlet or call her a bitch? And right in front of him? It made Logan's blood boil irrationally and he was going to make him pay for it in the only way that Logan knew how.

Warm arms slid around his neck and strong legs wrapped around his middle and he felt Scarlet's cheek rest against his. His body relaxed against hers and he panted as he held his fist back away from the bleeding man's face. Everything seemed frozen in time. No one moved, but him and Scarlet.

"Logan, stop," Scarlet whispered, her breathing soft and her chest rose and fell gently against his back. "Please, just stop. You don't have to do this. Not for me. Just…stop."

Logan closed his eyes and breathed in slowly through his nose. His hand loosened on the man's shirt and he straightened, taking Scarlet up with him. Scarlet slid a hand along the back of his neck, stroking his neck with light fingertips. Logan bowed his head slightly, feeling his anger leave him as his eyes returned to their normal dark brown. The feral anger fled away under the warm touch of the girl wrapped so closely around his hard body.

"Logan, open your eyes."

The mutant opened his eyes and found himself standing out in the parking lot of the restaurant with Scarlet still on his back. The restaurant was dark and silent. Scarlet made a small shushing sound when he opened his mouth to say something.

"They're fine, Logan. I made them forget what you did back there," Scarlet told him quietly, still stroking his neck like she was afraid that he was going to go back in there and finish the job. Like he really wanted to. "Why did you do it, Logan? Why did you do something so stupid?"

"Because…" Logan shook his head, knowing he might as well admit it to her since she could probably read his mind. "Because he put his hands on you, Maria."

"Oh, is that all?"

He didn't like the sound of the smile in her voice as she slid off of his back. And he didn't like the absence of her touch on him. Logan turned to look at her as she leaned back against her truck, crossing her legs at the ankles. She tilted her face up at him as he put his hands on her arms.

"No one should ever put their hands on you, Maria!" Logan snapped, glaring down at her. "You're a woman and no one ever has the right to put their hands on a woman, if she doesn't want them to."

Scarlet frowned at him. "Logan, I've been dealing with this kind of thing long before you came into my life. I've dealt with it ever since I've hit puberty. I'm used to it. I can fend for myself. So, I don't need you to fly off the handle every time some jerk puts his hands on me."

Logan shook his head and slid his hands along her arms. "I'm not going to just stand by and let it happen, Maria. That's not who I am."

"Oh, so you're a gentleman now?" She lifted an eyebrow at him and pointed towards the darkened restaurant. "That's not what I saw in there. You were like a wild animal in there, beating the shit out of that man like you wanted to kill him."

Logan looked into her eyes, silent.

"Did you want to kill him, Logan?"

"Maybe."

"Logan!" She sighed and reached up, putting her hand around the back of his neck, touching her fingertips to his skin. "You can't do that. You can't kill people over me for merely touching me. Please, if you're gone, what am I going to do? Who am I going to turn to when I need someone to talk to? To train with?" She lowered her voice as if she were ashamed to voice it. "To dance with?"

Logan smirked down at her and lifted a hand, cupping her chin with it. He tilted her face up so that he could look her in the eye. "I'm not going anywhere, darling. I'm just not going to let anyone mess with you."

Scarlet stared up at him with her red eyes and Logan thought for a second time that night that she had some pretty eyes. Even if they were a strange color. He could get lost in them if he wanted to. Not that she'd let him look into them for long.

"Logan, people are going to mess with me forever and there's nothing you can do about it," Scarlet told him flatly, rubbing her fingers against the back of his neck, stirring strange sensations through his body. "I just wish that you would learn to deal with that fact. I have. It's annoying, but it's a fact of life that everyone has to get used to."

Logan shook his head and ran his fingers over her skin, watching her eyelids flutter at the contact. He sometimes wondered what went through the girl's dark mind, but she'd never fully let him in. She'd never let anyone in. Not even Chuck.

"Maria, no. I'm not going to let anyone mess with you again. We're friends and that's not what friends let other friends go through." He pulled her close to him. "And I don't let men put their hands on women. Not without having my say."

Scarlet put her other hand on his chest. "Do you want me to say something like 'oh, my big strong hero', Logan? For what you did for me? And then swoon in your arms?"

Logan smirked down at her. "It couldn't hurt, darling."

Scarlet tapped her fingers against his chest, right over his heart and smirked up at him. "Don't count on it, buddy. I'm not happy with you for making me use my powers like that. You almost ruined our evening together. Almost."

She shook her hair out and looked up at him again. That's when Logan noticed that she was trembling slightly. He frowned at her and drew her closer to his body, wrapping his arms around her. Scarlet made a small noise deep in her throat, but her fingers continued to stroke the back of his neck.

"Are you cold, Maria?" he asked her, even though he never knew the girl to ever get cold.

"No," Scarlet said, shaking her head. "I just…I just didn't expect to have to freeze everyone and wipe so many memories and replace them all at once tonight…It's draining." She offered him a small smile. "I'll be fine." She trembled a little more in his arms. "Eventually."

Logan shook his head and released her for just a moment. He slid his jacket off of his body and pulled it onto her. Scarlet stared up at him as he lifted her hair out from under the collar and fanned it out around her shoulders before settling his hands on her hips again, an amused smile on her face.

"There," he said, smirking at her. "I think my jacket looks better on you than on me, darling."

"Leather looks good on most people, Logan," Scarlet said, sliding her hands on his chest, the tips of her nails grazing his skin through the fabric of his shirt. "But I'm going to argue about the fact that it looks better on me than you. Because you look much better in leather than me."

"Good to know," Logan replied. "Maybe I'll buy more leather and wear it around you."

"Uh-huh. Don't do that." Scarlet leaned her face briefly against his chest and sighed. "I really don't want to go back to the mansion. There are people there that I don't want to see. But I promised that I wouldn't run away unless I did something really, really bad."

Logan tightened his grip on her. "You don't have to run away, ever, Maria." I never want you to run away.

Scarlet shook her head and breathed in deeply. "I might. One day. But I don't want to think about it. I have friends now. Like Leticia, Jubilee, Rogue, Kat, Bobbie, and Pete." She lifted her face away from his chest and looked up into his eyes. "And you."

"And that's not going to change, darling. You're just going to keep making more friends and you're going to stay in the mansion until you can find someone to love and get married."

Scarlet rolled her eyes. "What are the chances of that? I'm not very loveable or cuddly. Nor have I had a boyfriend before. I don't even know what to do with one."

"It's not hard to learn what to do with one." I could teach you. Okay, cool it, Logan! She's just a friend and your student. Nothing more. "You'll find out soon enough."

Scarlet sighed. "Maybe." She looked away from them and frowned. "I think I left a present behind. Again."

Logan's gaze turned away from hers and saw that a bunch of scarlet flowers of some kind were blossoming on the grass around the restaurant. He vaguely remembered the Professor talking about how Scarlet had a habit of leaving a reminder of herself in places that she left and shook his head.

"Don't think about it," he told her gently, turning her face away from the strange flowers. "It makes the place look better."

"It's weird," Scarlet muttered, shaking her head. "I shouldn't leave forget-me-nots around the places that I make people forget things. But it happens." She sighed. "We need to get back to the mansion, Logan. I, unfortunately, have a test in the morning that I have to take."

Logan smirked at her and reached down. His hand sneaked into one of her denim shorts' pockets and she made a small sound of surprise. But Logan wasn't interested in feeling her up. His fingers hooked onto her keys and withdrew them, spinning them around one finger.

"I'm driving, princess," he told her, smirking at her shocked expression. "And don't argue with me."

Scarlet made a face at him, but he ignored that and pulled over to the driver's side of the truck. He lifted her into the truck and then climbed in after her. She perched herself in the middle of the front seat, straddling the clutch and looked over at him with a smug smile on her face. Logan rolled his eyes at her and buckled himself in. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and held her close to his side, since she wasn't going to strap herself in, he was going to hold onto her.

"You're going to have to shift, Maria," he told her as he backed her truck out of the parking lot.

OOOOOOOOO

Scarlet had to admit that she was happy that she was wrapped in Logan's jacket and that she was being held by the strong mutant rather than the crummy seatbelt as he drove her truck back to the mansion. She wouldn't openly admit it, but she was. She reached between her thighs and shifted when she knew she had to, one hand on the clutch and the other resting lightly on Logan's thigh. Scarlet knew that she was playing a dangerous game here. She knew that she shouldn't be getting herself involved like this with the older mutant. That she shouldn't be exposing herself or her heart to this kind of torture.

He's still Red's, Scarlet told herself as Logan's hand rubbed against her arm. He's always going to be Red's, but why does he make me feel this way? And why did he jump to my defense like that when Perv put his hands on me? How could my touch make him relax so fast? And why is he holding me like this? This is really strange. I can't let something happen between us and yet, I want it to happen. I want it so bad that it hurts. But is this love? I don't even know what love is. I've never experienced it before. No one has ever showed it to me. I'm unlovable. A monster.

Scarlet shook her head to clear away her thoughts and rested her cheek against Logan's bare shoulder. He was warm, but not overly so. She didn't mind it. Her body was still trembling from the sudden, unexpected use of powers, but Logan felt strong and steady against her. And it was nice to be held for once in her life.

I could get used to this. But I won't because it will hurt if I can't do it again.

"Maria, we're almost there," Logan announced as she shifted gears again.

"And Scooter is going to be there to jump my ass," Scarlet mumbled, narrowing her eyes. "I'm past curfew."

Logan let out a small growl. "He can try. But he knows better than to mess with me."

"My hero," Scarlet said sarcastically, squeezing his thigh.

Logan's eyes glinted as he looked over at her. Scarlet smirked at him and gestured with eyes towards the road.

"Pay attention to where you're driving, Funny Hair," she ordered softly. "I know I'm beautiful, but I'd rather you not crash my even prettier truck."

Logan rolled his eyes and looked back at the road. "You're something, Maria. You really are."

"Yeah, I'm a bitch. You can say it."

"No."

Scarlet pouted and ran her hand up his thigh. Logan's breath caught for a second and Scarlet lowered her hand again, resting it back in its original position. She had no idea why she was messing with like this, but she was enjoying it.

Logan pulled the truck up to the mansion and killed the engine and the lights. Scarlet scooted to the edge of the seat as Logan climbed out and he grabbed her by the hips, lifting her out of it. Her body rubbed against his as he lowered her onto the ground and her red eyes met his as she looked up at him.

What would happen if I tried kissing him right now? Scarlet wondered, staring at his lips for just a moment. Probably something devasting. To me. Not to him.

"We should get you inside," Logan said softly, tucking his arm around her waist. "Get you into bed before you really get cranky on me."

"I am not cranky," Scarlet told him, leaning her head against his shoulder. "I'm feisty. There's a difference. A big one. Learn it."

Logan chuckled and escorted her into the mansion. They hadn't made it far into the hall before a bright light hit Scarlet in the face, temporarily blinding her. She lifted a hand and shielded her eyes, squinting against the light. Logan let out a small growl.

"Scooter, what the hell do you think you're doing?" Logan demanded, tightening his grip on Scarlet.

"I should have known that she was with you," Scott's voice said from somewhere behind the bright light. "Don't you know that it's past her curfew, Logan?"

Scarlet got irritated with the bright light in her face and made the light short out. Scott tapped his hand against his flashlight and made a small sound when it didn't turn back on.

"It's not going to work anymore, Scooter," she told him flatly. "You shouldn't point it in people's faces like that. It pisses them off."

Scott made a frustrated sound and tossed his busted flashlight aside. He pointed a finger in Scarlet's face and frowned at her. "You need to get in your room and go to bed, Maria. You're just lucky that I'm not putting you in detention for running off and staying out past curfew."

Scarlet pushed his finger out of her face. "You're not my parent, Scooter. You can't tell me what to do."

"I'm your teacher and you have to listen to me." His red-shielded gaze turned to Logan. "And you smell like alcohol. Don't tell me you took her to a bar?"

Logan let out a small growl. "And if I did? She didn't take a drink of it, so it shouldn't matter. Maria deserves a reward for the progress she's made, Scooter. But you wouldn't know that because you're too busy trying to beat her down."

"She's dangerous, Logan."

"She is not!"

"Will you two please just shut up?!" Scarlet snapped, pulling herself out of Logan's grip. She wrenched his jacket off of her body and slapped it against his chest. "Thank you very much, Funny Hair, for taking me out for the night. It was fun. Now, I'm going to go be a good girl and go to bed. You can both talk all about me behind my back once I'm upstairs. Okay? Goodnight!"

"Maria…" Logan began, taking a step after her.

"Don't. Just…don't." Scarlet waved him off and stormed away, heading up the stairs.

Scarlet walked quickly down the hall and then slid against the wall, feeling unexpected tears sting her eyes. She choked back a sob and wrapped an arm around her knees.

I am so stupid!

OOOOOOOOO

A/N: I'm beginning to have fun messing with Logan and Scarlet's relationship here. I'm not sure if you are. But I am. Let me know what you think, please. With frosting on top of that cupcake. That's nice if you do. And mean, if you don't. Please be nice. And thanks for supporting this story and me, it's author. Thanks! And much love! -Scarlet