Three

With some food in their bellies giving them all more energy to continue on their journey, they got back out on the river to travel another few miles to their next camp site. Ororo was glad when Logan had finally picked out a spot as it was starting to get dark.

Once they were off the rafts and got them unpacked and dragged onto dry land, Logan started giving everyone their marching orders. "Alright; Scott, Jean, you two are on latrine duty. Stripes an' Porcupine, you've got the camp fire, and Elf an' Half-Pint are in charge o' the water. 'Ro an' I will get the tents sent up."

"What about food?" Scott asked, taking out the camp shovels and handing one to Jean.

Logan glanced up at the sky through the trees. "It's gettin' too dark, an' I don't want any o' ya out in the woods right now. You could get hurt. There's plenty of MREs, so we'll start heatin' those up once the fire's goin'."

While the kids all dispersed to get to their duties, Ororo brought one of the tent bags over and began unpacking it. Logan joined her, and they worked silently in perfect synchronicity, he stretching out the tents while she fed the poles through.

This time, Ororo didn't bother to set up a tent for herself. She laid her bedroll and sleeping bag down close to where Rogue and Evan were working on the fire pit, and near the front of Logan's tent. The other tents they set up on the opposite side of the pit.

"You gonna be alright tonight, 'Ro?" Logan asked, tossing his bedroll and sleeping bag into his tent.

She smiled at his concern and nodded. "Yes, Logan, I believe so. I don't plan on staying inside a tent tonight."

He tipped his head in acknowledgment and gave her a crooked smile. Ororo decided she really liked Logan's smile, and figured he ought to do it more often.

"Okay, who's got my vegetarian meal?"

"Over heeeere, Kitty," Kurt's voice taunted, followed by the sound of imploding air as he teleported away.

"KURT! Get back here you fuzzy elf!"

"Come on you two," Jean's voice of reason.

"Pass it here, 'Crawler!"

"Evan! Don't encourage him!" Scott exclaimed in exasperation.

Ororo shared a look with Logan and laughed softly. "We'd better get over there before there's an incident."

"Yeah, probably." He snorted and joined her as they made their way toward the rowdy teens. "Alright you munchkins, settle down!" he barked, drawing everyone's attention and causing Kurt and Kitty to freeze.

Ororo smiled. She could be a force to be reckoned with in her own right, but when it came to getting the kids to stop dead in their tracks, she just couldn't quite get out the commanding growl like Logan could. It was a skill she figured she ought to ask him to teach her one day.

.

Having kept pretty much to himself that night while the others were all gathered around the fire telling stories and laughing, Logan wandered off into the dark woods, tracking along the edge of the river and just enjoying the quiet. He'd been gone maybe twenty minutes when a familiar scent caught his attention as the breeze shifted, and Logan turned around, looking up to see the team's beautiful Weather Goddess descending from the night sky. His lips quirked into a grin as she touched down beside him. "Heya, darlin'."

"Hello, Logan." Ororo gave him a warm smile and took a look around. "It's beautiful out here."

He grunted in agreement and sat back down on his rock, scooting over and motioning for her to take a seat. She did so with another smile. "Sure is. Smells like rain, though."

Ororo nodded. "I sense it as well, though not quite in the same way you do. The children are all preparing for bed now."

"Good. It's best they get their rest. We got a ways ta go tomorrow before we reach the pick up spot where Chuck's agreed ta meet us with the X-Van." Logan heaved a regretful sigh. "Wish we could spend s'more time with 'em out here, though. They still got a lot ta learn about survivin' in the wild."

"Perhaps." Ororo tipped her head in agreement. "But I believe they've already learned much on this trip thanks to you, Logan," she mused aloud, leaning slightly against his shoulder.

"Couldn't have done it without yer help, 'Ro." Logan nodded appreciatively at her, actually quite enjoying her close company, despite the fact that he'd come out to his current spot to be alone for a while.

She smiled warmly at him and smoothly rose to stand. Leaning down, she took his hand. "Come. We'll need our rest as well."

Logan got up from his rock, feeling slightly bereft when Ororo released his hand. He expected her to take to the skies, returning to camp the way she'd come, but instead she chose to walk alongside him through the trees.

.

As the first drops of rain hit the roof of his tent, Logan sat up, having not yet been able to sleep. He frowned, knowing Ororo was sleeping outside in the open air because of her fear of having another episode due to her claustrophobia. Crawling up from his bedroll, Logan left his tent and padded barefoot toward the fire pit where Ororo slept nearby. The chill night air prickled his skin, along with the cold drops of rain that hit his bare upper body.

"'Ro," he rumbled lowly, standing over her.

She sat up and ran a hand through her dampening hair as she peered up at him through the glow of firelight. "Logan?"

"It's rainin' in case ya haven't noticed yet, darlin'. You gonna do somethin' about that?" He waved a hand toward the sky.

"I was not planning on it." Ororo shook her head. "I'd prefer not to interfere with natural weather patterns for a significant period of time. The storm will pass."

Logan sighed. "Ya can't stay out here, 'Ro. Yer gonna get sick sleepin' in the rain." It started to pour harder, the water coming down in buckets. "C'mon." Making a decision for her, Logan gently encircled Ororo's delicate wrist with one large hand and tugged her to her feet, quickly leading her back into his tent with him.

Ororo chewed on her lower lip with uncertainty as she knelt inside the tent. "Logan, I—"

He held up a hand to stop her and offered a roguish grin. "I'll be a perfect gentleman, I promise. I'll even stay on my side o' the tent." Logan rolled out his extra bedroll for her, placing it alongside his while unzipping his sleeping bag to cover the both of them like a single blanket.

She sighed, still hesitating to lie down. "But Logan, my claustrophobia. I—"

"Jus' think of open spaces when you close yer eyes darlin'," Logan encouraged, sympathetic toward her concerns. "It'll be alright."

Breathing in deeply, Ororo released the air in her lungs slowly and continued taking calming breaths. Hearing the rain outside actually helped soothe her, and she smiled gratefully at Logan before lying down and tugging her section of the sleeping bag up to her shoulders. "Thank you. Goodnight again, Logan."

"'Night." Logan rolled onto his side with his back to her, trying to give her as much space as possible so she wouldn't feel closed in. He shut his eyes and found that he felt extremely relaxed just listening to the sounds of Ororo breathing, her natural scent a calming fragrance to him.

.

"Logan?" Ororo spoke in the darkness after several minutes of trying to drift off to sleep with no success.

"Hrm?"

She felt bad for bothering him, knowing Logan was on the verge of sleep himself. "Would you mind…" Ororo started, then trailed off, suddenly feeling uncertain.

He rolled over, facing her. "You need s'more space?" Logan started to move further away until she reached out and touched his shoulder.

"No." Steeling her resolve, Ororo spoke softly. "Actually, would you mind…lying closer?"

Logan sat up, giving her a puzzled look. "Ain't that gonna make yer claustrophobia worse?"

"For some reason, I do not believe so." Ororo smiled a little, sure that Logan could see it even in the darkness. "You have a very comforting presence."

He snorted. "If you say so, darlin'."

As he began to move toward her, Ororo turned on her side. She felt Logan lie down behind her, but he was barely touching her and she could tell that he didn't know where to put his arms. She smiled secretly in amusement and reached behind her, taking his right arm and pulling it over her. His upper body followed, and soon Logan's sturdy chest was pressed snugly against her back.

"Uh…this better?" he asked, his voice low and rough at the back of her neck.

Ororo nodded, breathing deeply and slowly. "Yes, thank you, Logan."

"Yer not gonna zap me in yer sleep, right?" he asked softly with a hint of genuine concern in his otherwise teasing tone.

"I do not believe so," she replied as honestly as she could.

"That's good enough fer me." Logan grunted, tightening his arm around her.

Ororo smiled to herself as she felt him relax at her back and focused on the pitter-patter of rain hitting the tent while she waited for sleep to come.

.