Changes Chapter 25
Logan walked down the corridor, his hands buried deep in his jeans pockets. It was far past 9:30 p.m. and the Professor had asked him to do the night duty, which he had introduced so that always one of the adults was watching over the others in case of an attack. Only few students walked past him from time to time. He always took a closer look on them, making sure that no younger student was still running around. He didn't know since when he was overprotective and so supportive, but he also didn't care. He slowly walked past the large TV room.
"Hey, Logan!"
He smiled. "Hey kid!" Logan walked over to Rogue and her friends after checking the hallway again. "How ya doin'?"
"Good!", she smiled.
"Doing the night duty, eh?", Bobby asked, while he wrapped his arms around Rogue.
"Yeah…", Logan answered. "What about you? What are you guys doing?"
"Just sitting around", Rogue said. "There wasn't anything interesting on TV…"
"I see…"
"How long do you have to stay up?", Jubilee asked.
He shrugged. "6 or 8 a.m. probably…"
She smirked and winked. "Well, if you get bored, I'll bet you find something to kill time…"
Logan only gave her a look. Suddenly, he turned his head. "Hold on a second!"
Confused the three of them watched him leave. Curious as she was, Jubilee smiled at them, jumped off the sofa and walked towards the huge doorway. Smirking, she turned her head towards her friends and beckoned over them. Bobby gave Rogue a look and finally they joined her. "What is it?", Rogue asked, but Jubilee only pointed down the hall.
XXX
"Hey, Luke!", Logan called after the small boy who walked down the hallway. The boy stopped immediately and turned around slowly. By only looking at him one could tell that he had a lots of respect for the man in front of him, as nearly all of the kids had. Logan stopped in front of him. "What are you doing?"
"Well, I…", the boy stuttered and looked to the ground.
The grown up smirked slightly and kneeled down to look at the boy on eye level. "You should be lying in bed by now, you know that?", he asked more softly.
Slowly, the boy looked up, looking at Logan was his big blue eyes. "I was thirsty…", he said shyly. "But I got lost…"
Logan smiled. "You're new here, ain't ya?" The boy nodded intimidated. The grown up got up, still one hand buried in his pocket. "Come on, I'll show you." The boy instinctively took his free hand. Surprised, Logan looked down at him. Still he had to smile. If his bad boy image hadn't already suffered before, it would have been destroyed completely by now. He walked with the boy on his hand down the corridor towards the kitchen. Surprised he stopped. "Hey…"
"Hey!", Jean greeted back, while going on to cut vegetables. "Hi Luke!" She smiled when she saw how the two of them entered the kitchen.
Logan pulled Luke up so that the boy was now sitting on the counter. "So what do you wanna drink?", he asked the boy and opened the fridge. "Juice?" Luke just nodded. He opened a bottle with orange juice for him and handed it over to the boy. "Here ya go!"
"Thanks!", Luke said and smiled.
"Do you know the way back?", Logan asked him after he had emptied the bottle.
"No...", ashamed he looked down.
"'Kay. I'll take you back. But then you'll sleep!", he winked.
"Yeah!", Luke nodded sleepily and Jean had to smile, since the boy stretched out his arms. Logan raised an eyebrow and gave her a look, which made her grin. Finally, he took the boy in his arms and carried him back to his rooms.
XXX
Jubilee grinned widely at him when he walked past them on his way back to the kitchen. Logan gave her a look, knowing that she once again found something to tease him with. "Aw, Wolvie! That was too cute!", she purred and watched him coming over to them, while he narrowed his eyes. "Nah, ya ain't threatening me with that anymore!", Jubilee waved off. "Ya ain't the baddy here anymore, but the cutie!" She winked again.
Slowly, Logan supported himself with his arms on the seat back of the sofa. He didn't take the eyes of the three. "And the cutie tells the three of ya now to go off to bed, before the baddy reappears!"
Bobby helped up Rogue and walked towards the doorway, while Jubilee followed them.
"Night, Logan!", Rogue and Bobby said.
"Night, kids!"
"Do you carry me, too?", Jubilee asked smirking.
"One more time and I kick you up the stairs!", Logan grunted.
She laughed. "Night!"
He sighed and ran a hand through his face. He had such a feeling that this was going to be a very long night… Suddenly, his ears heard some noise in the kitchen and he began to smirk.
Logan returned to the kitchen where Jean was still standing at the range and cooking something. Curiously, he leant against the doorway, folded his arms and watched her smirking. "What are ya doing?"
Jean smiled and turned her head to look at him briefly. "Cooking a meal…?"
He chuckled. "Yeah, I see that." He came closer. "And what?"
She stirred the thick mass in the pan. Chicken Enchiladas."
"What?", he asked frowning and she smirked.
"Never ate Mexican stuff, huh?"
He stopped next to her and bent forwards. "Canadian, remember?", he whispered into her ears and made her shiver. Logan looked into the pan. "So, who's the company you're cooking for? Got a rendezvous?"
"Uhu…", Jean answered and grabbed the salt.
He nodded playfully. "I see… Someone I know?"
She smirked. "Yeah. I think so…" She tasted the mass in the pan again. Finally she took a ladle into her hand and the tortillas into the other.
Logan watched her further. "Do I have to be jealous?"
"Oh, yeah, Jean said and opened the oven to finish her dish. "You definitely have to be!"
Logan tilted his head and nodded speculatively. "Tell me about him!", he said and raised an eyebrow while watching her in amusement.
Jean smirked again and leant opposite of him against the counter. "Well, he can be nice if he wants to be, is stubborn like hell, incredible sexy in his tank shirts…", she listed. "…and responsible for me looking like a whale…" Logan chuckled. "You think that's funny?", she asked him pretending to be angry and slapped him against the chest. "Men…"
He grabbed her and pulled her close while pressing a kiss on her neck. "You're not looking like a whale…"
"Ah, stop making a fool out of me! Even your clothes are too small…", she cried and leant against him.
"I'm not!", Logan said softly and caressed her neck gently. "You're beautiful…"
Jean blushed and smiled softly, while she turned around in his arms to face him. "Softie…", she teased him.
He shrugged playfully. "Well, actually I thought I was stubborn like hell…" He raised an eyebrow at her jokingly.
"You are!", Jean said. "Not in the last days, but you can be very stubborn!"
"So, and you actually like that guy so much that you cook dinner for him at night, even if he made you look like a whale?", Logan teased her back.
"So I do look like one?", she asked in return and eyed him suspiciously.
"Even if you did, you're still mine…", he said and kissed her neck passionately. "And no, you don't!"
"Uhu…", Jean nodded playfully. "You're getting entangled in contradictions, hon'…"
He smirked. "Nah, I don't!" Quickly, he'd lifted her up and dropped her on the counter. Immediately, he pulled her close and kissed her again. Jean closed her eyes and gasped for air when he licked her neck. "Logan…" She was barely able to say anything. "Someone could catch us…"
He only grunted and silenced her by closing her lips with his. His hands steadied her hip, while she automatically placed both legs on each side of him. Logan heard her moan against him as his tongue touched hers. Feeling the heat rising within him, his hands wandered under her shirt and up her back.
"Just ignore me!", they suddenly heard someone saying and separated immediately. Jubilee only grinned and closed the fridge again, while opening the bottle. "I'll be gone now and the two of you can go on!", she winked and smirked at Logan, whose look told her to shut up and piss off. "See? I'm gone! Feel free to go on!" Suddenly, she stopped and looked towards him. "Besides…", Jubilee said smirking. "You're drooling, cutie!" With that she left, leaving Jean blushed and Logan frustrated.
"Told you so!", she said calmly and looked down, feeling embarrassed.
Logan looked at her and could tell that her blushing wasn't because of the interruption. It didn't take him long to change plans. "How long does the stuff still need?", he suddenly asked. Frowning, Jean looked up, still feeling him hard against her. "About ten minutes, why?"
Logan lifted her off the counter and took her hand in his. He headed towards the door. "That's just enough…"
XXX
"I know that it was wrong, Hank…"
He watched Ororo walking up and down the room and wondered how long it would still take until there'd be a hole in the ground. "I still don't get why you did it, 'Ro."
She sighed and finally stopped just to sit down on the bed next to him. "Me neither…" Storm paused for a brief moment. "The worst thing is the look he gives me…"
"Does he not always look at others like that?", Hank asked frowning.
"What? The I seize you up for a coffin look?", she shook her head. "No that one's left for me lately…" Hank didn't say anything. "I really don't know what to do, Hank… After all the fights we had, everything went well again…" Storm bent her head down. "And then I come and destroy everything again…"
Hank laid a hand on her shoulder and squeezed it softly. "Did you try to talk to him?"
She snorted. "To Logan?", Ororo asked sarcastically. "Did you ever try to talk to him when he's pissed off at you!" She shook her head. "If he hates you, he hates you with all his heart!"
"I doubt that he hates you, 'Ro…", Hank said. "He might be angry with you, but he doesn't hate you…"
Storm looked at him. "I doubt that…"
He took her hand in his. "Believe me, he doesn't! I speak from experience that men act like kids if you hurt their ego! The more manly a guy is, the more he behaves like a hurt child!" He winked. "You only have to get him to talk to you."
She laughed bitterly. "That's impossible, believe me! Logan is one hundred percent complete testosterone!"
XXX
"And?", Jean asked cautiously and watched Logan eating. "Do you like it?"
He swallowed. "Yeah!"
"Really?", she asked and put her fork aside.
Logan smiled at her. "It tastes great, Jeannie. Really!"
Relieved, she smiled back. "Good, because I've never tried to cook it before…"
Logan had a sip pf his beer. "Thanks for doing it!"
"You're welcome", she said happily. "So how's the night duty going?"
"Boring, before I came into the kitchen."
Jean smiled and put the dishes together. "Did Luke get lost?"
"Yeah…", Logan answered and put the beer down again. "How old is he anyway?"
"Why? Because he wanted to be carried?", she asked amused. "He's five."
"Five? Pretty young for a student here, isn't it?", he said surprised.
Jean nodded. "Both his parents are mutants. He's here because he's highly intelligent. He already read books on physics when he was just three years old…"
Logan was truly impressed. "Smart boy…"
"Yeah, he truly is." Jean looked at him closely. "I was thinking…"
"About what?", he asked and returned her look.
"If you're not too tired later…could we drive to the next mall? It's about time to buy baby stuff…", she explained calmly and waited for his reaction.
"Isn't it too dangerous? I mean, Magneto might be waiting for such an opportunity…"
"The Professor said he highly doubts that we would be attacked… And we can't keep on waiting for him to make a start forever…"
Logan nodded. "When do you want to leave?"
"After you got enough sleep…"
"Fine with me!" He stood up and took the dishes towards the dishwasher.
Jean smiled and got off her chair, too. She still couldn't get used to her slower movements. "Do you mind if Bobby and Rogue join us?"
"No, I don't!", he said and turned around. "As long as you two girls don't plan to buy the whole mall…"
She laughed. "Don't worry, just the half one!"
"Good!", he smirked and kissed her. "Thanks again for the dinner…"
Jean smiled. "No problem. I got hungry anyway." Suddenly, Logan turned his head. "What's wrong?"
"Ssh!" He let go of her to concentrate harder on the sounds he heard. "Someone's at the door…"
Jean frowned and followed him as he left the kitchen. Slowly, he walked towards the main entrance. He popped his claws on one hand, while he signaled Jean to stay behind him with the other. His hand reached out and touched the doorknob. Logan frowned as he heard a jangling noise and sniffed.
"What?", she asked as he retracted the claws again, turned the keys around and opened the door.
Staring rather pissed at his opposite, Logan raised an eyebrow. "Do you know how late it is, bub? It's far past midnight!"
Warren smiled vaguely. "Sorry, Logan…I had a meeting with my father. I've not looked at my watch…"
Logan scanned the grounds before he locked the door again. "Yeah, yeah…forget it!"
Warren nodded towards Jean, before he headed towards the dormitories.
"Kids…", Logan grunted.
"Well, you can start getting used to it…", she said in amusement, when he gave her a not gonna happen with mine look. She yawned. "Well, I'm better off to bed, too…"
Together they walked down the corridor and up the stairs. Logan looked up as he heard voices and soon Ororo and Hank came into view. Both mutants were under consideration and didn't take notice of them. Jean and Logan had nearly reached the next floor, when Ororo turned her head and took notice of them. She shrieked as she missed the first step and fell right into Jean's direction. Logan jumped and pushed Jean out of the way into Hanks arms, before Storm slammed hard against him. Hank took hold of Jean and both of them had to watch as the other two mutants fell down the staircase…
While falling, Logan instinctively grabbed Ororo and pulled her close trying to protect her. They hit the wooden banister hard. Because of Logan's adamantium skeleton's weight, they broke straight through it. He kept her on top as good as he could, so that he was the first to hit the floor… Nevertheless, they turned around in the air…
A loud crash echoed through the mansion, as Logan's shoulder hit the ground hard, while he'd turned her around just in time, before he'd have slammed into her. She yelled in pain as the rest of him landed on her right foot. "Logan!", Jean shrieked loudly and headed down the stairs, followed by Hank who supported her. Just as they'd reached them, the ceiling lights were turned on. Scott and the Professor, followed by Moira and a few other students had arrived above them and looked at the scenery on the lower level in shock.
Logan laid face down on the ground, while Storm laid on his back. He grimaced in pain and turned around, taking her with him. He raised his head a bit, but groaned immediately as a sharp pain rushed through his shoulder and back. He felt a thick liquid running down his cheek and closed his eyes again. "Logan!", Jean said breathlessly and kneeled down beside him, while Hank did the same on the other side. "Are you alright?"
"'Ro?", Hank asked and laid a hand on her shoulder, since she wasn't moving. Immediately, she winced and breathed in sharply.
"What happened?", Scott asked and stopped next to them, followed by Moira who took a closer look in both mutants.
"What happened!", Logan grunted and got up slowly, ignoring the stars in front of his eyes, while the wound above his right eye healed.
"Easy!", Jean said worriedly and laud a hand on his leg. She pulled a handkerchief out of her pocket and wiped away the blood from his face. Her heart was still racing in shock. If he hadn't reacted so fast…
"She nearly kicked Jean down the staircase, that happened!", he continued angrily and looked at Storm who was still lying on his legs and groaned. "Damn it, get her off me!"
"It was an accident!", Hank said and gave him a look, while he helped Moira to turn Ororo slowly around.
Logan shot a deadly look at him and got up slowly and limping with his hand on his shoulder. He was too furious right now. "There will be another accident if you do not get her out of my face very quickly!", he hissed and turned to Jean. "You okay?"
"Yeah…besides the shock", she said with a scared look in her eyes. "But what about you? You don't look fine…" She laid a hand on his, which Scott noticed.
"Will be in a minute…". He growled and turned hi head as the Professor appeared next to them.
"You should lay down, Logan. Just in case…", he said and looked first at him, then down to Ororo. "Scott, could you take over the night duty, please?"
Scott nodded slowly while he was still watching Jean and Logan. "Sure…"
Moira eyed Logan suspiciously. "You'll come with us!"
"What!", the mutant grunted and narrowed his eyes.
"From your body language, I can tell that you're more seriously wounded. So you'll come with us down to the lab!"
"I said I'll be fine in a minute!", he protested.
"Yeah, you said it a minute ago and you still do not look fine."
Jean took his hand. "Go with her…"
He snorted and noticed the worried look on her face. "Fine…"
Hank helped Storm to her feet, but she immediately yelled. "Wait, I'll lift you up…", he said softly and she groaned when he pulled her into his arms…
