A/N: Hello lovelies. I'm not doing so hot right now and that's why it's taking me forever to get projects done. They keep adding up and I'm getting buried. I am stressed out and I really need to catch up. This update is really, really short, but I felt like I owed you something after my long hiatus. Please accept it as penance. Enjoy.

OOOOOOOOO

Scarlet grumbled as she sat on the examination table and let Jean run tests on her. She hated that she was back in the infirmary, but at least she couldn't see Logan on the table anymore. The sight of him broken and bloody was the last thing she wanted to see and unfortunately, it was stuck in her head.

"You're running a fever," Jean commented, making a note on a tablet. "And your color is off. I don't like how weak you've become either, Maria…" Jean shook her head. "You may have used too much of your power at once and it's catching up to you."

"Bleh," Scarlet said, making a face. "I don't run out of mojo juice, Red. I can handle using my powers over and over again. This is just a fluke."

"Maybe, but you never know. I want to keep you here regardless for some more tests and for you to rest."

"Hell no!" Scarlet exclaimed, sitting up and letting out a low hiss as her balance was thrown off. "I don't want to stay here and do shit. I can go somewhere else and relax."

Jean shook her head. "Maria, you need to trust me."

"Well, I don't and I hate your husband."

"Maria…"

Scarlet scooted the edge of the examination table and pushed herself off of it. She let out a small curse when her legs tried to give out on her, but she managed to stay upright. The dark-haired mutant gave Jean a look.

"I'm leaving," she announced, pushing herself away from the table.

"Maria, don't make me get Logan to keep you here," Jean said, setting her tablet aside and putting her hands on her hips.

"Logan can't do anything if he's not here," Scarlet stated, sticking her chin out defiantly. "And I'll be out of this room before you can get his ass down here, Red. Bye."

"Logan!" Jean called out, looking beyond Scarlet. "We have a situation here!"

Dammit, Scarlet thought, turning her head and seeing Logan come walking out of a backroom to the infirmary, dressed in gray sweats and a black muscle shirt. Now would be a really good time for me to poof out of here…C'mon poof.

Logan crossed over to the two women and his dark eyes turned to Jean for a moment. "What's the situation, Red?"

"Maria refuses to stay here for medical treatment," Jean said, gesturing at Scarlet, who stuck her tongue out at the redhead. "She's weakened herself and she keeps falling down according to Piotr. I'd like to assess the damage and get her to rest, but she's being stubborn."

Scarlet felt Logan's eyes on her and lowered hers to the ground, feeling cold. "Maria, you need to stay here," he said, moving closer to her. "Let Red have a look at you, see what's wrong with you, darling."

"I don't wanna," Scarlet muttered, shaking her head. "I can sleep whatever this is off in my room."

"No," Logan said, grabbing her and lifting her back onto the table. He put his hands on her thighs and looked at her face. "Why won't you stay here?"

"I don't do hospitals," Scarlet told him quietly, not meeting his gaze. "And both she and Scooter are against me. They always have been, Logan."

"What if I stay right here with you?" Logan offered, rubbing his thumbs over her skin. "Make sure she doesn't pull anything funny?"

Jean made a small sound, but Scarlet ignored her as she stared at Logan's chest.

"Like you really want to stay with me," she mumbled.

"Hey princess," Logan growled gently. "Look at me."

Scarlet's gaze flickered up to meet his and she saw his soft hazel gaze. Logan offered her a small smirk.

"I ain't just going to leave you alone when you need me," Logan promised, holding her stare. "You didn't leave me when I needed you and I made a promise to be there for you, so I'm staying." He poked her stomach. "You just need to stay here and let Red take a look at you. Figure out what's got you messed up so bad."

Probably a bit of everything that I don't want to think about, Scarlet thought, but she nodded. "Okay, Funny Hair. I'll stay and let Red run whatever tests she wants on me, but I don't want to stay here after that. I can't stand hospitals of any sort and I have a feeling that Scooter is going to show up. I don't want to see that ugly mug."

"Does anyone?" Logan asked with a small chuckle as he helped ease Scarlet back into a resting position.

"Hey you two," Jean warned, stepping over. "Scott is my husband."

"I'm sorry for your loss," Scarlet said with a small smirk.

"I know some good dumping zones," Logan told the redhead.

"Damn, I could have used some of those," Scarlet said, smacking him on the arm. "Where were you two months ago?"

Jean shook her head and started her exam. "You two are going to be the reason I get gray hair…"

OOOOOOOOOO

Logan walked with Scarlet through the halls of the mansion hours later, his arm wrapped around her for support. Even after a bit of rest during the testing, her legs were still a bit wobbly and Jean said it was because Scarlet's body had used too much energy in the past two days while trying to assimilate the new influx of powers. It was evolving, but Scarlet wasn't handling it as well. Logan mentally cursed himself and Magneto for causing Scarlet to use her powers like she had to help him out.

"Logan..." Scarlet sighed, resting her head against his shoulder. "Thanks for staying with me back there."

"Anytime, darling," Logan said, smoothing his fingers over her shoulder. He glanced at her. "I meant what I said earlier, I did plan on getting you to talk to me about what was up with your mood and silent treatment towards me."

Scarlet made a small sound and looked ahead, biting her bottom lip. Logan pulled her to a stop and looked down at her. The girl swayed and caught herself against his chest, curling her fingers in the fabric of his muscle shirt.

"Darling, what was up this morning?" Logan asked, watching her.

"You made me mad," Scarlet told him quietly. "You and Scooter made me mad…you two talked about me like I wasn't even there and you let him call me dangerous without stopping him."

"Maria, you didn't stay long enough for me to do anything," Logan said, putting his hands at her elbows. "I didn't like how he called you dangerous because you aren't."

"Yeah, I am."

"You ain't dangerous," Logan said firmly. "You're a bit wild at times, but that's not your fault." The older mutant reached up and cupped her chin with his hand, lifting it so he could look into her scarlet eyes. "You had a fucked-up childhood and you've got a lot of shit going through your system all the time. It's not your fault that your powers get a bit wild at times, darling."

"Meh," Scarlet grumbled, frowning at him.

"Don't make me bend you over my knee for that," Logan warned, giving her a stern look. "I don't like that word. Especially from you."

Scarlet made another sound. "I don't like you not doing anything about Scooter calling me dangerous. He ruined everything."

"I slammed my fist in his face, Maria. He had no right to call you out like that. I'd have beaten him more but Hank showed up and…" Logan shook his head. "I ain't gonna let anyone mess with you without having my say, all right?"

Scarlet closed her eyes and nodded. Logan's eyes lowered to her lips for a second and he wondered what would happen if he touched them. He shook himself mentally and looked back at her eyes as they opened.

"Logan, I'm tired," she whispered, gripping his shirt a bit tighter.

"You look it," Logan said, lowering his hand from her chin. "C'mon, I'll take you to your room and let you get some sleep."

Scarlet's fingers curled deeper in his shirt and he felt her pull on his skeleton with her powers, something that he knew she shouldn't be doing. He watched the energy drain in her eyes and she leaned heavily against him.

"I don't wanna go back to my room," she mumbled, lowering her gaze again. "The girls are there and they've probably already heard something from Pete about what's going on with me. I'm going to be treated like glass or pounced on or all the above. I don't want that."

Logan sighed and thought for a moment. "You can stay with me in my room, Maria."

"Logan…"

"It's not a problem," Logan told her, steering her around and guiding her in the direction of his room. "It'll actually let me keep an eye on you. Make sure you don't do anything stupid with yourself."

"When do I do anything stupid with myself?" Scarlet asked, wrapping her arm around her stomach.

"More than you think, Maria." Logan pushed the door open to his room and ushered her inside before closing and locking the door behind him. He watched her eye the big bed in the middle of the room. "You've got no problem sharing a bed with me, do you, darling?"

Scarlet shook her head as she kicked her boots off and moved to one side of the bed. "Just not used to sharing beds…"

I'd share a bed with you any day if it kept you safe and close, Logan thought, watching her lay down as he climbed onto the bed.

Scarlet turned her back on him and let her breath out in a low hiss. Logan stared at her for a moment before reaching out and running his hand over her back. The teen shivered and turned her head slightly to look at him.

"Come here," Logan ordered gently, offering her his arm.

Those scarlet eyes held his for a moment and Logan thought she was going to argue with him, turn her face away and fall asleep without letting him get close. Scarlet rolled over and put herself against him, resting her cheek against his chest and sighed. Logan smirked and wrapped his arm around her middle, holding her close.

"No funny business," Scarlet muttered, closing her eyes.

"I'm just going to hold you," Logan promised, stroking his thumb against her side. "Best medicine, I heard somewhere."

"I thought that was whiskey," Scarlet said sleepily.

"That too."

Scarlet nuzzled her face against his chest and breathed in slower, letting her arm drape around him. Logan listened to her soft breathing for a few minutes and realized how natural it felt to hold this scared girl in his arms, have her next to him in the dark. He closed his eyes and breathed in slowly, wishing that these thoughts didn't make him feel like a dirty old man…

OOOOOOOOO

A/N: I feel meh about this and life right now. I have to get back to my mountain of projects and keep going on my ongoing projects. One in particular is bugging me and needs to be wrapped up soon before it drives me completely insane. I hope you're still interested in this story because I still have plans for it. Just little motivation to get things done lately. Leave a review if you want. I'm meh on that too. Thank you and much love! -Scarlet