Thinking was dangerous, especially when one was thinking along the lines he currently was. Thinking about the decisions he had already made since that fateful afternoon were worsening his already sour mood by the minute. Logan was livid and had been in said state for the week since his blow up with Ororo. He had to get away from the mansion because an angry Wolverine was a deadly Wolverine and someone at the mansion was liable to get hurt if they so much as looked at him or continued to whisper behind his back.

He mentally kicked and cursed himself as he zoomed away from the mansion and her. Ororo. He growled, still disbelieving that he had let her get the best of him. The nerve of her and her high and mighty attitude. Who the flamin' hell did she think she was? He had to give it to her though. The woman was as shrewd as General Patton. Never before had he caved to someone so easily. He had folded like a deck of cards by this mere slip of a woman who had stood toe to toe with him. But deep inside, he was in awe of her and her apparent lack of fear of him. She was a worthy mate indeed and his beast concurred with its desire to claim her once and for all.

Not only had she gotten him to promise that he will desist from making advances towards Jean and giving her and Scooter a stress free path to happiness, but she had also goaded him into admitting things he had sworn she and no one else would never be privy too. In one fell swoop, she had provoked him into betraying himself and revealing too much. And instead of staring her down and facing the music, he had done what he did best. Run. He gunned the bike's engine at the thought of that. He was no coward, but truth be told, he had acted like one when he realized how close he was to losing control and to hell with the consequences. He tried telling himself that he had to leave for her own protection, but who the hell was he kidding? He was thoroughly disgusted with himself, disgusted that he had taken the coward's way out and ran. He marveled at the power she held over him. The woman had him by the…He growled, refusing to complete that thought.

What he had told her was the truth. Jean was safe from him. He would no longer pursue her. She had always been safe from him because she was never a challenge for him. Her shameless smiles and reception of his flirtations told him all he needed to know and he had long ago pegged her as a shallow and vapid woman, who thought her looks and mutant abilities were her ticket to anything and anyone she wanted. As he had told Ororo, Jean wasn't as innocent as she portrayed to them. Frankly, he was already getting bored playing the same song and dance with the redhead and he had long ago decided that he would stop wasting his time chasing after something that will never materialize. Jean did not possess the fire, the essence and the depth he craved and deemed vital to his existence. What he yearned for was absolutely not to be found in Jean, but most definitely in Ororo. The weather manipulator possessed the very things and so much more, he hungered for in a lifelong partner. But as he had revealed to her, everyone had labeled her as the forbidden fruit, and had indicated to him in not so many words to back off their Goddess.

He thought over their heated discussion and the few times he had sensed that he had hurt her and scented her arousal. This had completely baffled him. His senses and his mind must have been playing tricks on him, or it was quite possible that his yearning for her had somehow screwed with his mind and he had failed to make a distinction between his scent and hers. There was no other explanation, his mind argued. However, his argument failed because his beast was never wrong and there was no way someone with his enhanced senses could mistake the aroma of desire on an aroused female. He had almost succumbed to the beast then and there, but he had refused to trust his instincts, quite sure he had been mistaken. Was it possible? Did Ororo feel something for him? The woman had his already addled mind twisted and it was crazy and stupid to put himself through this torment, so he made the decision to deny himself the possibility of something meaningful with her and to suppress everything he felt for her.

Deep down, he believed he wasn't worthy of her. His tainted hands were not fit to touch her, hold her. The bottom line was, he didn't deserve anything good and Ororo symbolized everything that was good. He was the Wolverine and nothing good ever happened to him, and even if it did, it never lasted. Everything he touched and everyone he got close too always seemed to disappear, perish. Underneath his gruff exterior, he had cautiously hoped that this time around, fate would for once smile on him and extend an olive branch, offering him some semblance of happiness. But once again, he was left to agonize over the constant elusiveness of happiness in his cursed life. So, it was best that he maintained his distance and squelch any and all feelings he held for her.

Just thinking about his decision pained him considerably. He had already sacrificed so much in his life, so what was one more thing? What was sacrificing his feelings? His heart couldn't and wouldn't bleed forever. At least that was the nonsense he chose to believe. Anything, he kept telling himself, to get the weather witch and her spell out of his system. He had no choice but to accept fate as it was. She wasn't his and she would never be his. She had made it clear that she didn't want him and anything he had to offer her. It was a tough pill to swallow, but swallow it he had too, if he stood a chance of regaining control of his chaotic life. He consoled himself by reiterating that he will survive this, just as he had survived all the curve balls life had thrown at him. It wasn't the first time he had been down only to scrape, claw and maim his way back up again. And experience has taught him that it sure as hell wouldn't be the last time either. Like all the previous times, he will pick himself up, dust himself off and keep moving on. As a solitary being, he itched to return to the Canadian wild, to his roots, to all that was familiar, but his responsibilities to Charles and his band of merry men and women held him back. As much as he would love to up and disappear, he denied his very nature. This honor shit always seemed to get him in trouble, he thought.

He swore softly as he maneuvered his motorcycle into the parking lot of a dingy watering hole somewhere on the outskirts of the border of New York and Vermont. What he needed to forget the entire depressing saga was to get stinking drunk, or as drunk as his healing factor would allow. Hell, maybe he would start a bar brawl just for the hell of it, and then empty his frustrations between the thighs of some sleazy broad. He had already sent out a mental heads up to Charles, letting him know not to expect him back for the duration of the Memorial Day holiday weekend. He knew Charles more than likely was aware of the clash between him and Ororo. Hell, he wouldn't be surprised if the baldheaded mind fixer knew of his feelings for his adoptive daughter. The man wasn't the greatest telepath in the world for nothing.

As by force of habit, Logan allowed his hyper senses to do their job as he entered the bar. The variety of scents that greeted him was like a hard kick to the gut. As a knee jerked reaction he growled, as his mind catalogued the scents. He was on high alert as he made his way over to the bar itself, being that this was his first time at this particular watering hole. He looked around, taking in the unsavory crowd. Yep, it was definitely his kind of scene. A few tattooed, pierced wannabe tough guys eyeballed Logan, thinking that the newbie was an easy target. Hell, he even saw one cracked his knuckles. Logan unflinchingly held their stares and issued the challenge by grinning ferally, his canines flashing.

Hell! The getting stinking drunk part of the evening he had plan would just have to wait.


The gloom that surrounded her was so raw, so pure that it threatened to devour her. She felt drained thinking about Logan, their fight and how in the Goddess' name they had arrived to where they were now. She had her choice of tending to her babies in the greenhouse or taking flight and solace in the freedom the winds offered her. She ruled out the greenhouse because she was not in the frame of mind that was required to render tender loving care to her plants. So, she took to the skies, welcoming the cool spring air onto her face and the reassurance offered to her by being in her natural element.

Ororo was attempting to forget the showdown that occurred a week ago in the garage. Try as she might, the scene was like a broken record stuck in her mind, repeating itself over and over again. So far, Logan had lived up to his promise, refraining from showering Jean with his innuendos and advances. The mansion's residents were stunned at the sudden halt of his flirtations with the beautiful Mrs. Grey-Summers. They whispered their speculations of what could have brought this on, but their speculations were way off base. Only Ororo knew the truth and she had no intentions of revealing any of it and she doubted Logan would too. Since then, it was obvious that Logan had gone out of his way to avoid her, even more so than before. He refused to acknowledge her, whenever they happened to see each other or be in the same space. His disdain for her was evident. And it broke her heart.

The old adage be careful what you wish for, had never rang truer for her. During their argument, she had chosen to ignore the nagging voice in her head that encouraged her to leave him after he had given her what she wanted, to leave him be and stop provoking him. But she had disregarded that voice of reason and she had ended up with more than what she bargained for. Hindsight was indeed twenty-twenty and now that she was able to evaluate her choice more clearly, she could readily admit to herself why she had chosen to do what she did. She had purposefully provoked Logan with the insane notion that he would admit his real reasons for ignoring her as a woman. Whether it was her pride or plain stupidity, she had an overwhelming need to know. Yes, she wanted him to leave Jean and Scott alone, but underlying all of that was her ridiculous need to know why she seemed invisible to him. It was the real reason she went to chew his ass out, as he had so aptly put it.

Her heart had leaped in joy when he had all but admitted he wanted to get closer to her, but the actions of her friends and family and herself had prevented him from doing so. She knew that she didn't imagine the desperate look of longing that flashed briefly in his eyes when he raged at her to leave him alone. In that one brief moment, she saw it all in his magnificent eyes. Fear, need, lust, want. Could it be that the big bad Wolverine desired and wanted her as much as she did him?

As she soared through the sky, Ororo couldn't shake the distinct feeling then that she had completely driven him away. And that she had given him all the more reason to shut himself off from her. Without thinking, she had flown directly to hover over the lake's deck, where she knew he came quite often to be alone. She sighed as she did a few somersaults in the air and slowly descend to sit on the deck, dangling her bare feet in the chilly water. She closed her eyes, attempting to forget the look on his face when he told her that she can go back to hating him and feeling disgusted with him. She saw and heard his dejection plainly. The look on his face before he stormed off had told her that the door on any chance she may have had with him was shut. It remains to be seen if that door would ever be opened again. Oh Logan, she thought, if you only knew the truth.

She heaved a tired sigh. His glumness had dealt a devastating blow to her psyche and soul. And deep down, she knew she needed to fix it. It was very important that she set things right between them. There was no escaping and denying the affection she held for him. There was no turning back from it, as it was permanently imbedded in her heart. And the fact that he had reveal some measure of his true feelings towards her as well was her wake up call to do something for herself for a change. The results of her constantly ensuring everyone's happiness and security, but her own, were evident. It was a heavy price to pay and she was tired of paying it, only to be left in the dust feeling alone and unhappy. It was high time she was selfish and work at securing her contentment. No one was volunteering to do it for her and if she wasn't careful, she would never capture that happiness that seem to elude her. There was only one person she wanted to capture it with and she knew with sudden clarity what she had to do.

Now, knowing that there was a chance to act on her very own feelings to get what she wanted most, Ororo made her decision. It was unlike anything she had ever done before. It was completely out of character for her and quite possibly the biggest gamble she was about to undertake. It was a decision that was bound to have repercussions throughout the mansion and change the landscape of many lives forever. She knew it wouldn't be easy, especially knowing the man she was dealing with and knowing that there were many layers of negativity that surrounded him and had solidified over the years, that had to be peeled away. She was going after Logan. She was going after her man.


The hairs on the back of her slender neck stood on end, as if electrified and her heart rate began pounding erratically. Only one person was responsible for inciting such a reaction in her. Logan. She was pleased that he had made his way back after being concerned that she had driven him away to parts unknown. Her fear throughout the entire holiday weekend was that she had forced him to leave and he would never return. An absent Wolverine would most definitely void her plans to make him hers. Ororo took a few deep breaths, in a wasted attempt to calm herself from her bending position in front of the opened refrigerator door. She sighed softly and gathered her ingredients for her late night snack in her arms and bumped the refrigerator door closed with her behind. She turned and placed the items on the kitchen island counter and looked over to where he stood, seemingly in a trance staring at her and greeted him.

"Hello, Logan."

Damn her! Why the hell did she have to look so ravishing, especially at this time of night? He had thought that he would have been able to get to his room unseen, to get some rest before his first class in the morning, but the sight that welcomed him as he stomped into the kitchen, dispelled any thoughts about having a decent night's rest. Noticing her enticing position before the refrigerator, he had taken a minute to admire her perfectly rounded backside. The tantalizing part of her anatomy called out to him and he stood there like an idiot in a stupor. He hoped that his tongue wasn't hanging out like a lovesick fool. The very woman that he had wanted to evade greeted him. He gathered his wits enough to grumble a reply.

"Miss Munroe."

His formality caused her to cringe inwardly. Well, at least, he was acknowledging me, she thought. One step at a time, Ororo, she reminded herself. Her delicate eyebrows shot up as she got a good look at his tattered clothing. She shivered delicately, knowing of his predilection for brawls and cage fights. "I am glad you made it back in one piece."

He saw her barely noticeable shiver and he had to bite back a groan when her scent assaulted him. Christ! She smelled delicious. "Did I break curfew?"

Ororo chose to ignore his sarcasm. "No. But you did miss our annual Memorial Day celebration. It is an important day for us here at the mansion."

Logan snickered. "Didn't care ta be 'round people who find me repulsive."

"Logan," she sighed. "That is not true."

He grunted. "Yeah, so ya say."

"Why do you have to make everything so difficult?"

Against his better judgment, he replied, "Make what difficult?"

Ororo sighed. "I am trying to have a conversation with you. Can you please refrain from biting my head off?"

"Christ woman. What's wid ya and conversations?" He tilted his head slightly, eyeing her with suspicion. Years of distrust was a hard habit to break. "Why ya wanna have a conversation wid me? Didn't ya ream me out enough?"

Because I want you, you bullheaded mountain man, she silently shouted. Wordlessly, she prepared her snack, all the while feeling his penetrating gaze on her.

"Are ya gonna answer me?"

Ororo's throat suddenly went dry. She went to the overhead cabinet to grab a glass, filling it with water from the sink's tap. Turning to meet his gaze head on, she drank the water trying to assuage the dryness of her throat. You do not scare me, Wolverine. "I have been thinking that maybe you and I can start over."

Logan grunted his disbelief. "Hell musta frozen over."

She gave him a hesitant smile in hopes that he will recognize her sincerity and bravely tried not to wither under his intense stare. She needed to play her cards right, as the next few minutes had the potential to either make or break her plans and quite possibly her future.

She saw him take a few steps towards her, his steely grays still resting on her. The desire that was simmering since he walked into the kitchen suddenly flared full blown to life, as she felt the power radiating off of him as he approached her. Coupled with his manly scent of leather, tobacco and the outdoors, she had no doubts he scented the wetness coating her panties.

Stopping a foot or so before her, his nostrils flared and he grinned maniacally. Her delicious aroma prompted the beast to surge within him. He took a deeper whiff and growled appreciatively in response. Common sense soon prevailed and he took a few measured steps back. He had to get the hell away from her, else his decision to deny himself of her would go up in smoke.

There was no hiding the noticeable bulge in his jeans. When he saw her eyes widening as she stared at his crotch, he smirked smugly. "Like what ya see, Goddess?" He asked, his voice a low growl.

Ororo feigned disgust at his cockiness, all the while fighting to crush the need to feel his hard muscled body press against hers. She quickly restocked the items in the refrigerator and rinsed out the glass she used earlier.

Turning to him, she sighed and took a deep breath. "Have a goodnight, Logan. Sleep well."

She grabbed her snack and quietly floated out of the kitchen. If she had look back, she would have been puzzled at the look that was a mixture of sheer anguish and carnal lust on his ruggedly handsome face.