Hey, everyone! Welcome to another chapter!

Logan's Wolverettes: Once again, major kudos to my band of faithful followers - immiD, Sniktchick, nileena, FrozenVoices, Sarra Ambrai, Laudine and a big 'Hello' to guest reviewer Sabertooth1973!

This chapter sees the end of all the fluffy stuff! Next chapter we head into the main story at full speed! But, for now, there's music and and fun and romance ... let's dance!

ooXoo

9. Trip the Light Fantastic

Logan took a satisfying gulp of beer from the half empty bottle in his hand and belched manfully, skilfully ignoring the disgusted glances of the patrons standing beside him at the bar. Placing the bottle on the shiny counter top, he leaned back and let his eyes rove across the dancers on the dance floor, searching for one woman out of many and quickly finding her strutting her stuff not far away, surrounded by Jubilee and several of her friends. She sensed her mate's scrutiny and spun gracefully on the ball of her foot, tossing him a cheery wave before swinging back around and wiggling her hips, suggestively. Logan growled, trying to tell himself that he was merely admiring her footwork, but was unable to tear his eyes away from the hypnotic sway of her youthful body.

He groped behind him for his beer bottle with one hand, bringing it to his lips and draining the remaining liquid with one gulp, all without taking his eyes from his mate. It was only his second beer of the evening, but he had already developed a quite pleasant buzz and he was quickly becoming addicted to the unfamiliar feeling. The culprit wasn't the beer – he was deliberately curbing his intake for Kristi's sake. With the bond transferring the effects of everything he drank directly to his bondmate, he had no desire to get her drunk for a second time. He was already in her mother's bad books and he didn't want to add to his list of felonies by dragging her daughter home under the influence of too much alcohol in the early hours of the morning. So the two beers he had slowly consumed were just enough to give his mate a merry buzz, but the six vodka and cokes he had so far persuaded her to consume on his behalf were reacting quite nicely with his pleasantly relaxed brain, giving him the first genuine feeling of intoxication he could recall having for quite some time. He briefly wondered if he could persuade her onto the stronger stuff, but dismissed that thought fairly quickly. His mate would probably draw the line at going home smelling like a brewery and he didn't want to go too far and knock himself out completely. Far better to start slow and work up to the hard stuff later, preferably when they were back at the mansion where less damage could be caused if things got out of hand.

Logan grinned wolfishly and turned back to face the bar, crooking his finger at the barman to attract his attention. "Set 'em up," he ordered, gruffly, and patted his pockets for a cigar as the man scurried off to carry out his bidding. In the unfamiliar recesses of the dinner jacket, his cigars and matches proved elusive and he cursed the absence of his leather jacket with its reassuring familiarity and user-friendly storage capacity. Finally concluding that he must have accidentally left his smokes and matches in the other jacket when he changed, he caught the barman's arm as he placed another beer and a vodka and coke in front of him and, a short while later, he was puffing contentedly on a smooth Havana, allowing clouds of blue smoke to billow around him as he savoured the taste. Relaxed and at ease for the first time in two days, he was unaware as his shields began to crumble one by one, allowing his mate's influence to dominate his mind …

oooOOOooo

"Check it out!"

Jubilee put her hands in the air and swayed her body seductively in time to the music, giggling as she attracted the attention of two young guys dancing nearby. Tossing caution to the wind, she winked and danced slower, outlining her body suggestively with her hands. Nikki clapped delightedly, cheering her on, but Kristi reprimanded both of them with a swift frown.

"Stop that, you two! Are you trying to bring Logan storming over here?"

Jubilee snorted and glanced quickly at the bar. "Aw heck, Kris, he isn't even watching. Besides, we're only having some fun."

"That sort of fun will only bring out his possessive side," argued Kristi, pointedly. "You, of all people, should know that, Jubes."

The young firecracker pouted and then blew a large pink bubble, which totally destroyed the image. She danced around her team-mate, pulling Nikki along with her, her blue eyes twinkling, mischievously. "Maybe that's just what you need to spice up your love life, Kris!" she enthused. "Get him all hot under the collar, thinking that you've caught the eye of some young upstart and you'll have a night you'll never forget!"

"You live a dangerous life sometimes, Jubes, did you know that?" Kristi tried to look cross, but failed miserably, unable to hold back the smile that touched her lips. She could also feel a blush tingeing her cheeks and she ducked her head, hoping her companions wouldn't notice her embarrassment. As much as she hated to admit it, Jubilee's words had touched a nerve. She didn't mind her sister and Jubilee knowing that she was still a virgin, but there was no way she could allow Saskia and Keisha to suspect that. Despite the uneasy truce that currently existed between them, Kristi knew that she and Logan were being scrutinised like bugs under a microscope, their every move dissected and pored over for further discussion. She had no desire to give them cause for further speculation and mirth at her expense. Not when her brother had gone to so much effort to portray her mate in such a good light.

The song they were dancing to blended seamlessly into the next – Untouched by The Veronicas – and Kristi threw herself into the moment, wanting to forget all about nightmares and hateful friends and boyfriends who wanted to mate, and just have a good time. The song was a particular favourite of hers and she closed her eyes and gave herself over to the beat, letting the music flow over and through her, telling her body how to move. Lost in the melody's thrall, she didn't notice Jubilee do a double-take at the bar, but jerked around, startled, as her young friend poked her sharply in the ribs.

"Ow, Jubes! You trying to do me a damage or something?"

The firecracker was unrepentant. Tossing a quick glance at Nikki and the others to make sure they hadn't drawn attention to themselves, she pulled Kristi around to face the bar. "Look!"

Expecting that nothing short of a major invasion by an army of Sentinels could have pulled Jubilee out of her dancing fervour, Kristi looked, only to see nothing more threatening than Logan propping up the bar with a beer in one hand and a cigar in the other. As this was a stance he had adopted quite early in the evening and was a familiar one to all who held even a passing acquaintance with the surly feral, she couldn't see what the problem was and said so to Jubilee.

"No," Jubilee insisted. "Look!"

So she looked again, first scanning his immediate neighbours just to make sure there were no enemies lurking incognito in the crowd and then turning her attention to her mate himself, letting her eyes linger appreciatively on his broad shoulders, the soft luxury of his hair and ….. "Oh my god!"

Jubilee blew a satisfied bubble. "You see what I mean? What have you done to the big guy, Kris?"

"I don't know ….." Kristi bit her lip uncertainly and looked back at her mate, wondering if someone had sneaked in and replaced him with a doppelganger whilst she hadn't been watching. Because, whilst leaning so nonchalantly against the bar with his customary cigar in hand and his bottle of beer in front of him, he was tapping his foot in time to the music and moving his hips and shoulders in a way that made Kristi's mouth go instantly dry. He was totally oblivious to what he was doing, but his every move had the grace of the feral that was the core of his nature and it was as sexy as hell.

Kristi suddenly realised she had forgotten how to breathe …

Gulping in air like a stranded fish, she reached out for her mate's mind, finding it unprotected and completely open to her. She understood immediately what was happening …

His shields were down and she was transmitting …

"It's the bond!" she hissed as Jubilee, pulling her friend around so that her sister wouldn't hear. "Oh god, Jubes, I'm transmitting my love of the music to him!"

Jubilee's face broke into a delighted grin. "Then go to him, girl!" She gave her friend a push towards the bar. "What are you waiting for? Ask him to dance, you idiot!"

"But he'll kill me, Jubes!" Despite Kristi's best efforts to resist, Jubilee gave her another shove that sent her stumbling off the dance floor just as Logan turned around to check out the clubbers once more. Their eyes locked and Kristi sucked in a shaky breath as his icy blue orbs seemed to pierce her to her very soul, examining her deepest secrets and desires and baring her before him. A shiver went through her as she felt his mind touch hers briefly, heavy with desire and the promise of what he would do once he had her at his mercy and she blushed, unable to tear her eyes away from his. Then, as quickly as it had come, his open presence in her mind was gone and he retreated, pulling back behind hastily erected shields and leaving her feeling strangely abandoned. He took a drag from his cigar and blew out a lazy cloud of smoke, still eyeing her through the drifting haze.

It had all happened so fast that Kristi could have sworn she'd imagined it, but for a series of images in her head that were far too X-rated to pass off as her own flights of fantasy. Covering her embarrassment with a discrete cough and squaring her shoulders, she stepped towards her mate with as much predatory menace as she could muster, determined not to let him see how much those images, whether deliberately planted or not, had shocked her. If he thought she was just going to fall into his arms like a silly awestruck schoolgirl, then he had another think coming.

"Hey, Logan." Kristi swung her hips and sauntered confidently towards her mate, letting her eyes rove across his chest, hungrily. Give him a taste of how it feels to be hunted, she thought, determinedly. Out loud, she asked "How're you doing?"

"M'okay," he grunted back. "Music's too loud, though. It hurts my ears an' makes my sinuses pound."

"But other than that, you're having a great time, huh?" Kristi slid in beside him and his nearest neighbour, helping herself to a handful of peanuts from the dish on the bar. "Want some?"

Logan shook his head. "Nah. They've probably been sneezed on by at least six different people. Not to mention manhandled by guys who didn't wash their hands after going to the john."

"Geez!" Torn between spitting the peanuts out and swallowing them quickly, Kristi ended up inhaling one the wrong way and she choked on it, her eyes tearing as she wheezed for breath. Logan thumped her helpfully on the back and then pushed a glass of vodka and coke towards her as her coughing spasm finally eased.

"Here. Drink some o' that. It'll help."

"You really know how to show a lady a good time, don't you, Logan?" Kristi sipped delicately at the cooling liquid and then instantly regretted her choice of words as her mate's face darkened.

"This place ain't my idea of a good time, Kris," the feral growled, glaring around at his nearest neighbours as though they were personally going out of their way to annoy him. "Too crowded, too damn loud an' too full of itself fer my tastes."

"I know, Logan, and I appreciate you coming with us this evening, really I do. I know you'd much rather be beating the snot out of some poor guy in a cage fight somewhere."

"It's not that, Kris …."

"Sure it is, Logan. We're from two different worlds, you and I, yet somehow your feral nature saw fit to bond us together. And while I admit I was shocked and traumatised at the time, I've come to realise that it's these very differences that make us strong." Kristi reached out to cover the feral's hand with her own. "You've made a huge effort to be part of my evening and I love you for that."

"An' here I thought ya loved me fer my sparklin' personality." Logan's face slipped into a rare smile and Kristi's stomach flopped at the sight. The feral was handsome under normal circumstances, but with a smile gracing his features he positively oozed sexual danger.

"That too!" Kristi grinned as his hand turned to enfold hers, feeling warm and protective against her palm. "You know what I'd really love right now, Logan?"

"What's that, darlin'?"

"I'd like you to dance with me."

Logan's face turned instantly dark and he let go of her hand. "I don't dance, Kris. Ya know that."

"But ….."

Logan held up a finger to forestall her objection. "Don't go there, Kris. I've attended ya little shindig for ya, worn a suit for ya an' had my ears tortured for ya. I've even put up with the sarcastic digs from yer jealous friends over there. But I draw the line at gettin' on that dance floor for ya." He pushed away from the bar. "If ya want me, I'll be outside gettin' some fresh air."

Kristi frowned as Logan stalked away, disappearing quickly into the crowd. She honestly couldn't blame him for not wanting to dance but, after transmitting to him so strongly, she'd hoped he'd be more amenable. Obviously, this wasn't the case. Logan was a creature of habit and, as the saying went, it was difficult to teach an old dog new tricks.

Lost in her musings, she jumped as she felt someone brush against her shoulder and she turned to find David sliding in beside her. She grinned. "Hey."

"Hey yourself. Boyfriend trouble?" he asked, without preamble, nodding his head in the direction Logan had just taken.

Kristi shook her head. "No, not really. Logan just doesn't like this sort of venue. He's more at home surrounded by trees and wild things."

"I figured as much, the way he growled when we tried to force him into a three piece suit." David signalled the barman and fixed his sister with a steady gaze. "The way he studies everyone around him with those sharp eyes of his – like he's expecting trouble at any moment – makes me really not want to know what his mutation is."

"What makes you think he's a mutant?" asked Kristi, defensively.

David inclined his head. "Come on, Kris, credit me with some intelligence, will you? You're attending a school for mutants – it stands to reason that 90% of the people you know there are going to be mutants."

Kristi conceded, gracefully. "Okay. Point taken."

"You don't have to go into details if you don't want to," continued David. "And I'm not going to judge. I'm not mom. But it's obvious that he's years older than you, Kris, and I just wonder if you know what you're getting yourself into."

"I wonder that myself, sometimes," agreed Kristi, with a rueful grin. "But what Logan and I share is far stronger than age, or background, or any other argument my mother could come up with to split us up. I can't explain it right now, David, but one day you'll understand."

David nodded as the barman slid his drink across the counter top. "So how did you two meet anyway?"

Kristi considered this, carefully. How on Earth could she explain that they had met for the first time outside the Danger Room? That they had bonded while in the clutches of a madman?

In a flash of inspiration, she boiled it all down to its simplest form.

"It was love at first sight," she smiled, radiantly …..

oooOOOooo

David had come and gone. Jubilee and Nikki had put in a brief appearance a short while ago, but were now back on the dance floor, strutting their stuff and having a grand time. Kristi hadn't seen Logan for some time, but she had spotted Remy and Sarah heading for the exit several minutes before and had a feeling they were making out in the parking lot. She hoped her friend wouldn't be enchanted by the Cajun's charm. In the short time she'd known the handsome mutant, she'd come to realise that he was totally incapable of committing to a one woman relationship. As long as Sarah understood this, there would be no hearts broken this night.

Kristi's hand reached unconsciously for the peanuts before she recalled Logan's words from earlier in the evening and dragged it back with a grunt. She picked up her glass instead and took a long drink, savouring the taste on her tongue. She'd lost count of how many she'd already consumed, but she may as well have been drinking water for all the effect the alcohol had on her. The same probably couldn't be said for Logan. Their bond had the strange side effect of transmitting the results whatever she drank to her mate, and vice versa. Judging by her apparent lack of inebriation, it seemed as though Logan was going easy on the beer for once. She guessed this was entirely for her sake and another thing she had to be grateful for. Although if she found out later that it was simply because her mate didn't want to be lumbered with a silly girlfriend for another night, she was going to have words!

Another song began to play and Kristi tapped her foot with the beat, recognising the distinctive tones of Nelly Furtado singing Maneater. Settling in to enjoy it, she jumped as a rough voice growled in her ear.

"May I have this dance, darlin'?"

"Logan?" She looked down in confusion at the hand he was holding out to her. "Dance? But I …..?"

"Ya wanna dance or not?" Logan was clearly not in the mood to negotiate. "Make up yer mind. I ain't got all night."

Wordlessly, Kristi reached out to take his offered hand, allowing him to lead her onto the dance floor, where he turned her to face him, resting his hands lightly on her shoulders. She felt giddy and more than a little light headed at the prospect of what they were about to do. She had never seen Logan dance – she guessed not many people had – but if his impromptu shuffle at the bar was anything to go by she knew she was in for a rare treat.

She frowned as he slipped a hand around her waist, his touch sending tingles of anticipation and desire down her spine despite her confusion. His icy blue eyes were ablaze with feral fire as he slowly drew her into a close embrace and, when he took her hand in a Tango hold she thought her heart was going to burst with excitement. This was something totally unexpected. No one had told her the Wolverine knew how to dance formally. Perhaps no one knew. Could it be that she was the first to ever take to his arms?

And then there was no time for further thought as his feet began to lead her through the steps with perfect precision.

Kristi had danced the Tango many times, both as a student and in later years as a competitor, but never had she danced it like this, with someone who had learned the art not for showmanship, but from those who had grown to adulthood with the Tango in their blood. It was in their heart and soul – they lived and breathed it, much the way being a mutant was at the core of Kristi's soul – and it was in the Wolverine also, evident in the effortless way he moved, the way he led Kristi across the floor and in the sure way he held her in his arms. He was grace and animal magnetism personified, all wrapped up in one dangerous package, and he took her breath away.

She was dimly aware that the dancers around them were beginning to draw back, giving them room to perform, clapping and cheering them on. A sudden dip at the end of a promenade brought Nikki and Jubilee into view and she grinned at their astounded faces before being swept away into a dazzling turn.

The music came to an end with a flourish and Logan dropped her into a deep backward sway, her hair almost brushing the dance floor. Tumultuous applause greeted their dramatic finish and Kristi blushed as Logan gently set her back on her feet, his eyes twinkling with amusement.

"My god, Logan ….." Kristi was flushed and could hardly breathe.

"What?" He mate huffed and shrugged his broad shoulders, irritably. "What's the problem? I thought you wanted to dance ….?"

oooOOOooo

"Geez, my feet hurt!" Nikki leaned against the door of the taxi as her brother paid the driver, slipping a shoe off and lifting her foot to massage her aching toes. "Oooh, I'll never walk again!"

"Said the girl who's been dancing all night!" Kristi grinned at her sister as she helped a widely yawning Jubilee out of the back of the car. "I don't think you sat down for more than fifteen minutes – max!"

"Well, speaking of tripping the light fantastic, what about you and growly man over there?" Nikki gestured with her shoe at Logan, who raised a slightly drunken eyebrow at her. "Did you see Saskia's face? I thought she was going to swallow her own tongue at one point!"

"That thing you did was awesome, Kris!" Jubilee yawned widely, emitting a plainly audible crack from her jaw. "Ow! That hurt! I never thought I'd hear myself saying this, but I need to get to bed. Don't anybody dare wake me 'till morning!"

"It is morning, Jubes!" Nikki grinned at her friend as the taxi pulled away and drove slowly down the drive. "The sun will be up in a couple of hours. We've partied all night, dude!"

Jubilee groaned, feelingly.

David led the way to the front door, where he produced his keys and glanced around at his companions as he reached for the lock. "I trust you all know how to be quiet? I didn't intend for us to stay out this long and there'll be the devil to pay if we wake mom and dad on our way upstairs."

Jubilee nodded and yawned again. "We're the embodiment of silence, my good man. Now open the damn door an' let me get to bed, before I fall asleep on the doorstep."

David sighed and allowed the door to open, stepping back as everyone trooped inside, Nikki giggling like a loon and making exaggerated shushing noises. Rolling his eyes and praying that his parents were not waiting up for them, he motioned everyone to precede him up the stairs. He wasn't worried for himself and Kristi – they were both over eighteen and could do as they pleased, within reason. Logan was also out of their jurisdiction. He had the look of a seasoned drinker, however, and David doubted he could have curbed his intake if he'd tried – at least, not if he wanted to keep life and limb intact. The older man's eyes had the strange look of someone who had reached his limit and passed it some time ago, but credit due, at least he wasn't a belligerent or noisy drunk. He seemed content to hang on to Kristi's arm, and his sister was doing her level best to keep him upright as they proceeded up the stairs. How she was able to keep herself from being overcome by his obviously superior weight was a complete mystery to David.

So it wasn't himself and his sister he was worried for. Or Logan, because he had a feeling the older man could look out for himself. But he was worried on behalf of Nikki and Jubilee. He was supposed to be a responsible adult and he had unwittingly kept two underage minors out partying until the small hours of the morning and he had a feeling that this wouldn't go down too well with his parents. Add to this the fact that one of their number was missing – Remy and Sarah had conspicuously not returned to the club that evening – and he was seriously hoping that their arrival home would go unnoticed.

Disaster struck half way up the stairs when Nikki dropped a shoe, which bounced back down the steps she had just trudged up with all the subtlety of a brick. Everyone froze, fearing the worst, but it seemed as though they'd got away with it and an apologetic Nikki scampered back down the stairs on bare feet to reclaim her errant footwear. David tossed her a look that the youngster knew only too well and she took Jubilee's arm, supporting herself as much as her tired friend as they climbed the rest of the stairs without mishap.

At the top, everyone separated to seek out their own rooms, but Kristi found herself being followed by Logan, who peeled off his dinner jacket, tossed it over her dresser and flopped down on the bed with a loud sigh, clearly making himself at home. He spreadeagled himself across the covers and Kristi moved quickly to the side of the bed, intending to evict her bondmate before he made himself too comfortable.

"You can't stop, Logan. Mom will go mad if you do."

"I ain't leavin', Kris, so yer mom'll jus' have ta put up with it." Logan's voice was slightly slurred, clear evidence of just how many drinks he'd managed to ply Kristi with during the evening. To her credit, she felt slightly guilty – she knew what he'd been doing and why, but the club was hot and the drinks cooling. She hadn't been able to stop herself.

Kristi sat on the edge of the bed and pushed ineffectually at her mate's body. "You've got to go, Logan. I'll get into trouble if you stay. And you will, too."

"Don't care." Logan snorted, petulantly, and opened one eye to gaze blearily up at her, batting at her annoying hands. "Quit pushin' me. Ya wanna make me heave? Christ, ain't that a thought? Don't think I've ever thrown up before, an' never in front of a skirt."

Kristi quickly removed her hands, ignoring the unladylike term he had used in favour of lowering the chances of having to indulge in a spot of late-night cleaning. Sitting back, she studied her options. She could force Logan to leave her room and risk waking her parents in the process, or she could let him stay and hope he could sneak out early in the morning.

It was no contest.

"If you're going to stay then at least take your shoes off and get under the covers." Kristi stood and kicked off her sandals, pushing them aside with her bare foot. "I'm going to get changed. Try not to make any noise while I'm gone."

Logan snorted loudly through his nose as she disappeared into the en-suite bathroom, closing the door softly behind her. For a brief moment, he was tempted to keep his shoes on, just to annoy her, but then figured that he was only robbing himself of the opportunity to be more comfortable. So he rolled off the bed and stood, finding the way his head swam with the movement a novel experience. It was a long time since he'd felt so intoxicated – it normally took enough beer to sink a battleship to get even the slightest buzz yet, thanks to Kristi, he was currently nursing one hell of a high. Not enough to make him falling down drunk, but just enough to make him feel relaxed, drowsy and satisfied. And strangely content.

He finished stripping and had just slipped under the covers when Kristi reappeared, wearing a short blue nightie with a motif of two kittens tangled in a ball of wool on the front. He smiled at the irony of it – here she was, matebonded to the biggest badass on the planet, and she still liked small fluffy kittens!

Kristi caught his smile and threw him a suspicious frown. "What're you grinning at?"

"Nothin'." Logan raised an innocent eyebrow and placed his hands behind his head, stretching out his chest and showing an indecent amount of bare flesh. His mate's cheeks flushed pink. He knew the effect his body had on her and he would have liked nothing more than to show her what else it could do, but a promise was a promise and so he rolled over and patted the vacant pillow next to him. "Ya coming or not?"

"I'm coming, but no funny stuff, you hear?" Kristi turned out the light and climbed into bed, snuggling down under the covers and feeling the familiar press of her mate's body against hers as he moved into his customary position at her back. One hand rested lightly on her hip and she took it in hers, pulling it around her and tucking it under her breast. She felt her mate purr appreciatively against her back.

She waited a few moments until his breathing evened out and he was almost asleep. "Thank you, Logan," she whispered, softly.

"What for?" The feral's voice was drowsy with sleep and she briefly regretted rousing him.

"For dancing with me tonight." Kristi hugged his hand closer to her body and sighed, deeply. "It was ….. nice."

"You're welcome." She felt Logan stir against her. "Ya wanna let me sleep now?"

"The song was perfect," Kristi persisted. "The right tempo and everything. "

"Yeah, well I bribed the guy on the sound to play it, didn't I?"

"You did?"

Logan snorted and nudged her in the back. "Kris, it's late. Ya wanna gab then go find yer sister. Lemme sleep."

Kristi grinned and raised his hand to her lips. "Goodnight, Logan."

"…Nite ….."

Kristi closed her eyes, listening to the sound of her mate's breathing grow rough as he dropped into a deep sleep. The next thing she knew, the early morning sunlight was shining on her face through curtains she had mistakenly left open and her mother was screaming hysterically at a confused and thoroughly hungover feral …..

NEXT: The fluffy and fun stuff comes to an end! Next chapter it all hits the fan when the mist rolls in!