Dinner was what Mrs. Stone, Xavier's cook, liked to call the "TGIF buffet." Since she never had an accurate count of who was staying and who was going out on Friday, she opted for pizzas, salads, or finger foods. After a week of well-prepared, healthy food, she figured she could lighten up. Those students who were to young to go out on Friday nights got to relax and eat junk food in front of the TV. Traditionally, either students or staff, or both, pitched in to help prepare the TGIF. Any leftovers could be stored and revisited at a midnight when the staff and older teens trickled back into the mansion from their various outings.
Tonight, Logan was mixing pork and beans with cocktail weenies. Jubilee and Rogue were topping a pizza.
"Couldn't yah think of anything fancier than cocktail weiners, Logan?" asked Rogue.
"Wasn't that easy," Logan deadpanned. "Took me a long time to harvest 'em all."
"Ewww, Wolvie, that's gross," Jubilee complained. Mrs. Stone just smacked him on the back of the head.
"Just remember, Logan, yah are what yah eat, hon," Rogue quipped.
"Now I'm insulted. Stoney, how come she didn't get slapped for that one?"
"Because she most likely learned it from your bad example, Mr. Logan." Despite her respectful address, Mrs. Stone was not in the least intimidated by the Wolverine, and he liked it that way.
Keye picked that moment to walk in, with a huge black dog at her heels. Mrs. Stone's face lit up with a smile, and she rushed across the dining area to give her a hug. "Kiki, we've surely missed you around here," she said. She reached down and gave Newfie a pat on the head. "You, too, you furry garbage disposal." Newfie's tail wagged furiously; she had fond memories of many a table scrap slipped to her by Mrs. Stone.
"Oh, Mrs. S, I've missed you, too. Summers just haven't been the same."
Mrs. Stone pulled her over and introduced her to Rogue and Jubilee, telling them, "Kiki used to come out for every summer session when she was younger. She and Dr. Grey and Dr. McCoy were always up to something. Mr. Summers was the getaway driver. Don't suppose I should be telling tales out of school, though, and it's Dr. Alo'aleki now, isn't it."
Logan was having trouble picturing the prissy Barbie Doll getting up to anything, let alone with stick-up-his-ass Summers. Newfie wandered over and began sniffing Logan's boots and pant legs carefully. She finished and sat back, solemnly looking at his face. At least the freakin' mutt didn't sniff my crotch, he thought, but he couldn't help the feeling that he'd just been given the doggie third-degree.
"Is Storm around today?" Keye was asking. "I'm anxious to see her again."
Rogue answered, "She and Mr. Wagner are meeting with some parents in Idaho. They won't be back until tomorrow. The parents wanted to make sure this is a good school before they send their kid here." Keye heard a note of wistfulness in Rogue's voice as she spoke. She saw Logan look over at Rogue just then, and knew that he'd picked up on it, too. "Ah think this pizza has enough stuff on it, Jubilee--let's get it in th' oven," Rogue concluded.
So, the jerk seems to at least be aware of Rogue's feelings, Keye thought. She remembered Jean mentioning Logan and Rogue's bond in one of her last emails before her . . .death? Keye was having a hard time accepting that Jean was gone. As a psychologist, she knew she ought to have accepted it by now. Something didn't seem quite right about it, though. Maybe because she hadn't been able to attend the memorial service? She made a note to visit Jean's marker tomorrow, and try to come to grips with it.
"That's a cool suit you have on, Dr. Kiki, um, I mean, Alo'aleki," Jubilee said. "Is it Jones New York?"
"More like Aunt Sadie Queens," Keye answered. "But you've got a good eye--she knocked off a Jones New York."
Logan snorted in disgust. Unless the aunt had really killed a guy in New York, he figured it must be girl code. Time to go. Logan turned the heat down under his beans, looked over at a now-napping Newfie and muttered, "Gotta be the fattest, ugliest damned dog I've seen. I'm gonna go find Katie."
Keye suppressed a grin. Lots of people underestimated Newfie. It came in handy sometimes. "Katie was with Kitty a minute ago--they were going to braid Katie's hair."
Logan just grunted and walked off. Mrs. Stone chuckled. "He feels a little outnumbered sometimes." Keye noticed he slipped Newfie a weenie on the way out. Newfie raised her head long enough to eat the weenie and wag her tail, and promptly fall asleep again.
Keye went to her guest room to wash up for supper.