“We’re never gonna find them.”

I think, for once, you’re right, Scott. I don’t like this, there are far too many people in here. I’ll never be able to pick up on their scents - I don’t have enough of Logan’s senses left. I do, however, have enough left for Scott not to have to shout. This is so incredibly frightening, and they wonder why I don’t go clubbing.

On a Sunday night, we normally all do stuff together. It’s one of the little things that the Professor had insisted on - those of us who made an appearance in the Oval Office nearly three years ago should make an effort to spend time together. It apparently makes for a better team, and for the kids, a united front among the teachers.

That Sunday, I went to the cinema with ‘Ro and Scott while Kitty, Jubes, Bobby and Pete went clubbing. They had begged me to come too, but now I know I made the right choice. Hank, Kurt and Logan stayed at the mansion with the Professor and the kids.

“They were supposed to meet us outside at twelve, it’s only ten past so they have got to be in here somewhere.” And if they’re not, I’m gonna kill Jubilee for making me walk in here to find them, I vowed. We could have waited outside for longer, but Scott “Mr Punctuality” Summers insisted we find them before they got into trouble. ‘Ro is outside waiting in the minibus, just in case they find it first. Why didn’t we think this through better, and have ME wait out there? God, I’m about seven fucking shades past freaked out by now. Hate this, hate this, hate this!!

“What?” He shouts and I roll my eyes. Scott gestures for me to go left toward the bar and look for them. He goes right and into the crowd. Brilliant - now I’ve lost him. The only hope I have is to spot a flash of yellow, or Pete’s huge back.

I lean up against the bar where there aren’t many people and scan the crowd. There must a thousand people in here - how the hell are we going to find them?

A pair of ruby-lensed sunglasses make their way back towards me. Wonderful, there’s nothing worse than a pissed off Scott. “Lets go back out to the bus, we’re never gonna find them,” he barks. I manage to restrain the I-told-you-so that’s been festering. I love Scott like a brother, but he really needs to loosen up.

I climb into the back of the bus and Scott settles in the driver’s seat. “I take it you didn’t find them?” ‘Ro asks. Scott just shakes his head. “They’ll come out soon enough, they know we’re waiting.”

As if they had been waiting for ‘Ro to say that, here they come. Jubes races to the bus and throws the sliding door open and Pete follows her, Bobby and Kitty hang back snuggling into one another. Bobby and I didn’t last two months after Alkali Lake, he resented the support I gave Logan after Jean died and I resented the fact that he resented it! We split up but it was a mutual thing - no hard feelings or sniping, just simple understanding. He has been with Kitty for about eight months now and two weeks ago, they moved into a larger room in the teacher’s wing.

“You’re late.” Oh, here we go. “When we say meet you at twelve, we mean twelve. Not twenty past.” Scott turns in his seat and puts his belt on, starting the engine and waiting for Kitty to sort her seatbelt out before he sets off.

“Scott, I know we’re late but its not like we did a runner or anything, we’re all here safe, happy and well. And if you’ll notice, sober!” Jubes giggles and we all smile at her, even Scott. He hits the indicator and turns onto the main road.

He runs his hand through his hair and rubs the back of his neck. “I know, sorry. I just like knowing where everyone is, that’s all.” Yep, because when you turn your back, you never know when someone you care about will sacrifice themselves for everyone else. ‘Ro looks out her window but reaches to place a hand on his arm. I elbow Jubes and frown at her.

“Sorry dude, we won’t do it again.” He smiles at her in the rear-view mirror.

“It’s fine. Jubilee, I guess I am a tightass.” Good man, keep going, you have to keep going.

“I’m telling Logan you said that.” Everyone laughs and Scott turns round briefly to wave a finger at me.

“You tell him that and I’ll tell him you let him out of your head during the movie.” Ooh, that’s not fair.

“Oh for gods sake, I cleared my throat that’s all!” It’s not my fault if Logan gets in touch with my hormones.

“What? What did she do?” Jubes is bouncing up and down in her seat and the others are all laughing and waiting for ‘Ro and Scott to tell them my embarrassment.

“She growled during the love scene.” ‘Ro is laughing as she talks and its making the others start off again.

“No way.” Bobby is killing himself.

“It was kind of a sexy film, she sat in between us and when it got to the love scene, she started growling. It was so funny - the guy sitting behind us asked her to be quiet. Then she sank down in the seat and started coughing.” ‘Ro’s shoulders are still going up and down and her short white hair is shaking with her laughter as Scott tells his tale.

“I was clearing my THROAT!” They all burst out laughing again when I shout, they are laughing so hard, they’re crying.

“Well, I guess Logan is the kinda guy who likes to watch!” I roll my eyes at them.

“Ok, ok. So I growled, it doesn’t mean anything.” I fold my arms across my chest and huff at my so-called friends.

“Rogue you need to get some women in your head to balance it out. You have way too much testosterone floating around in there.” Kitty is leaning on Bobby and her laughing is making him shake, or maybe it’s him.

“Ahm gonna start with the three woman in this car if y’all don’t shut the hell up!” I hate that my accent gets thicker when I’m snappy.

“I can’t wait to tell Logan, he’ll laugh his ass off.”

“Colossus if you tell Logan I’ll… I’ll… I don’t know what I’ll do but it won’t be pretty, mister!”

They carry on teasing me and by time we pull into the mansion garage just after 1am, I’m laughing too. We walk into the mansion and quietly head off to bed.

*****

After sniggering my way through breakfast with Jubes, we get on with Monday.

Kitty is doing her teacher training at the local college, and the Professor has offered her a Geography position once she qualifies. She is set to graduate by Christmas, and as its already October, she and Bobby have already been given a room in the teacher’s wing. Bobby took vehicle studies and is a car mechanic for the garage in town, and Pete has been at another college in New York playing football on a scholarship and re-taking his English. He’s currently the cook at Pizza Planet, which comes in handy for the pizza fans among us.

I did a couple of correspondence courses in English Literature, Media and Film studies from home and got my teacher’s diploma two months ago. Now I teach the older kids. Jubes never bothered going to college, and stepped right into the role of school secretary on graduating high school. She’s a surprisingly good organiser, and no one knows the school like Jubes, so it worked out really well. All we have to do is hide our snickers when we hear her telling off some of the younger kids for their wilder pranks. They couldn’t know strict Miss Jubilee caught them every time because she had been the lead prankster at Mutant High for so many years.

We all still live at the mansion, apart from Pete who lives in the gatehouse, a one up, one down and that gives him the extra space such a big guy needs. Jubes and I are living in the teachers’ wing, we share one huge room with an ensuite, but I’m hoping we can get separate ones eventually.

As we are all members of the Junior X team, we all agreed with Scott and the Professor that we would stay close by. The rest of our year went on to other colleges, or to jobs and some even went home to their families.

They say there is a war on the way, Magneto and his little band of idiots (St John included) certainly think so, but this is a school. With a population ranging from 8 to 18, there is no time to think too much about mutant politics or nasty concepts like genocide. Their minds are on other things.

The younger ones just want to learn and look up to their superhero teachers. The older boys are thinking about what girls like them, how they can get away with cherrybombing the girls locker room, how to use their powers in public without their teachers finding out, and whether or not their combat instructor really is trying to kill them.

And the girls, well they are concerned with what boys like them, what to wear and where to shop, and whether or not their combat instructor will be wearing a shirt during class tomorrow. I have to admit the last one interests me rather a lot, too.

By midday I have got completely bored in the school library looking through texts and researching Hitchcock for my latest class, so I return to the room I share with Jubes and carry on studying on the internet. The information is more widely spread and you get a wider spectrum of opinions, not just the one from whoever wrote your textbook. Looking at one crazy-ass site, though, I make a note to warn my class about the need to examine the credentials of web sites. There are a lot of loons out there – and their opinions on Hitchcock are about as reliable as their opinions on everything else.

I’m trying not to think too much about the Danger Room session we have at six with Logan and Scott. It should be fun as long as my friends have forgotten about the growling incident last night. But then again, I don’t have that much luck.

I really don’t want any of them to tell Logan, we have become really close lately. I have to say, I think its slowly turning into something else. Time will tell if I’m wishful thinking myself into an awkward situation, or whether I really am reading his signals right.

After Jean died, he went off for about a week, without telling anyone but me that he was leaving . The others kept asking me when he was coming back, or where he had gone, but I couldn’t answer, I only knew that he had left, and said he would be back in a while - once he had sorted through his head.

He came back and we started spending time together, building our friendship. If I’m honest, Logan is the reason Bobby and I split up: he took up most of my time, and I just left Bobby to fend for himself. We would spend one evening a week watching ice hockey and would walk through the woods most mornings, drinking coffee and talking about everything and nothing.

After a while, he kinda got back to his old self, joking with the Professor, baiting Scott and Bobby, and hanging out with me. He has a lot of respect for Pete and gets along with him nicely, even if he does call him Tin-man. He has found two other fantastic friends in Kurt and Hank. They usually play cards a couple times a week and sometimes he sits with them while they talk about God and philosophy. I secretly think Logan joins in but he will never admit it, he always tells me he would never talk about anything that could potentially make him sound gay!

Scott, on the other hand, has taken a lot more time to recover. It’s only really the last year he has started acting like ‘Stick Up His Butt Scott’ again, and surprisingly enough, it was Logan who snapped him out of his doom and gloom.

It was Scott’s birthday; we had a little gathering, just us adults and the Professor. Scott seemed happy enough but it was when Logan gave him his present that his last bit of misery fell away. Scott unwrapped the present and sat there looking at the rectangular box. We all started snickering immediately, and after about five minutes of Scott sitting there saying “What?” we were rolling with laughter, especially Logan. In the end he had to explain it. It was a jigsaw puzzle but the simple picture of a poodle was marked out in a red quartz inlay and reacted to his glasses. To Scott, the box and the puzzle bits inside looked blank!

After a few minutes of swearing at Logan and pointing out it wasn’t fair to mock the afflicted, Scott started laughing. He and Logan shook hands, and he has been good old Scott Summers ever since.

I’m snapped out of my mental rambling by Jubes, bouncing into the room as per usual.

“Hey babe, are you ready for Wolverine and Cyclops special?”

“Yep ‘cause if I have to spend any more time staring at this computer screen I’m gonna kill myself.” She laughs at me as she’s getting her sweats out of the closet. Mine are already on my bed, so I start to change as well - we will put our uniforms on when we get to the lower levels, the Professor doesn’t like us to wear them in front of the kids. He says they all know who their teachers are, but it’s best not to flaunt it.

Jubes is standing in just her underwear when she stands on her bed to reach her new running shoes on the top shelf – I keep saying, why put stuff up there, but she complains about too many clothes and not enough shelves. I turn my back to take off my bra and search my drawers for my sports one, because push up bras do not go under uniforms!

“Shit!”

Jubilee is falling, and she’s falling right onto me. Oh, God, too much skin. NO NO NO!

But nothing happens. We’re laying there in a nearly naked heap, and nothing is happening. Jesus, I can’t process this. I wanted it off and all of a sudden its just happened, too easy. What’s the catch?

“Oh god, dude, you turned it off!”

“MOVE, Jubes move!” I panic and push her away, but we stay on the floor, just staring at each other. “I don’t understand,” I keep repeating. Jubilee is beginning to smile.

“Try it again.” She reaches out her hand towards me and nods for me to take it. I shake my head violently. “Come on girl, you can do it.” I tentatively reach out, in my mind I’m bringing up all the thoughts from a moment ago, and pleading to whatever triggered the change to make it happen again. I screw my eyes shut and touch her.

“Shit!” Our fingers are touching and there’s no pull.. “Haaa haa OH MY GAWD!” We jump up and start hugging each other, screaming.

“What the fuck, chica? This is insane, just like that it’s off, babe, it’s off.” I sit down on the edge of her bed and stare at my hands. “Are you ok?” I look up at her, I’m speechless. My mouth is hanging open and I start to cry.

“I just can’t….. gawd Jubilee, this is huge. I can touch. I. CAN. TOUCH!” I’m full out sobbing now and Jubes sits next to me on the bed and puts her arms around me. She is still in her bra and panties and I’m still only in my sweats and no top at all.

“Come on, let’s go tell people.” I pull her arm back, and at the same time stare at my naked hand on her equally naked arm.

“No, I don’t want to. What if it’s just a fluke? If after a couple of hours I can’t do it anymore? I couldn’t take that. I would rather I never had touch than to have it taken away from me again.” I can’t stop crying. She’s hugging me so tight.

“Look we’ve got another twenty minutes or so, lets go down and see Hank before the DR session. Maybe he can help, and if you still don’t want to tell anyone then don’t. Me and the furry dude can keep a secret.” Sometimes, Jubes makes sense. Good sense.

“Ok. Ok, lets go.” I stand up and she shakes her head at me and laughs. “What?”

“Clothes would be good chica.” Oh shit. She starts laughing at me.

“Fuck off, I’m having a moment here!” I hastily put my bra and sweatshirt on, and we head off out the door, me pulling on my gloves as we run.

In the med lab, I explain everything to Hank, and Jubes jumps up and down and claps her hands together when I touch her again as a demo. Once again nothing happens. He runs a series of quick tests and then gives me his conclusions.

“Well, my dear, I do believe you’ve cracked it. Judging by the results of your blood tests and the other results, they show you’re a perfectly normal mutant. Your skin is still the same and your mutation is still present and active, but you have the amazing ability to turn it off at will. How exciting.”

“You don’t think its temporary?” Because if it is, I’m going to cry again.

“No, I don’t. If it were, I think it would have come back on by now. No, you’re definitely doing it yourself. Well done, very well done my dear. Are you planning on telling everyone?”

“No. No, not yet. I think I want to wait until I’m sure. Do you mind keeping it a secret?”

“Of course not, whatever you would prefer.” I hug him and give him a kiss on his furry cheek. “Oh my, really well, yes, ha ha, must be getting along.” Guess I’m not the only one around here who blushes.

I put my gloves back on and we walk out of the med lab. “So your really not gonna tell anyone?”

“I just wanna wait. I can’t believe this is happening. Its my birthday in two weeks, I think I might announce it then as long as it stays the same.”

“As long as what stays the same?” Bobby, Pete and Kit come out of the changing rooms fully suited up.

“Nothing, so we all ready to kick butt?”

“We are, you two aren’t. Hurry up guys.” Me and Jubes look at ourselves and run off to the changing room.

We get suited up and dash into the DR just as Scott is giving out instructions. We walk straight into the holographic scene - it night on the top of a skyscraper.

“You two are late, you can both spend an extra 30 minutes doing laps when we’re done.” We groan and listen to him.

He runs through the plan again. It’s a simple escape and evade, there is a group of holographic bad guys chasing us, we start at the top and have to use our skills to get out the front door at the bottom. There are only two rules: no elevators, and Kitty is not allowed to phase us all straight though to the bottom.

“Everyone clear?” We all nod in unison.

It’s Logan’s turn to give the instructions now. He looks absolutely dreamy in the tight leather uniform, it accentuates every muscle and hard place on his body.

“Good. Cyclops is in the observation room, Iceman you take point, Jubilee follow him, then Shadowcat, then Colossus, Rogue, you’re last and I’m at your rear.” At that last comment Scott sniggers and looks at his feet. Oh god, guys, don’t do this to me now, I pray. “What? I say something funny?”

“No. Not at all. Keep the growling to a minimum this time.” He smiles straight at me. Stop it!

“Who, Logan or Rogue?” Pete, you son of a bitch! I blush and it probably shows up even more against the black leather suit.

“What’s going on?” Logan looks confused and a little pissed. All of them are sniggering and trying to hide it very badly.

Bobby pipes up: “Rogue had a ‘Logan’ moment last night.” You bastard. They’re laughing out loud now and I hate them all!

Logan raises his eyebrows and stares at me. “Let’s get on with this shall we, we’re not getting any younger just standing here gawking at me.” They all get into formation by the roof door and slowly stop sniggering.

Before I move to join them, Logan leans in close, his mouth inches from my right ear “We’ll talk about this later.” I turn and smile at him while my blush deepens. His eyes are all sparkly and scream mischief.

Later lasts one DR session, my extra laps with Jubes, a shower, and worried chat about my skin. As we exit the showers, I’m feeling grateful for her reassurance and support, and that’s when Logan nabs me. Or perhaps – I nab him. His hair is all wet from his shower and he looks almost edible.

“So you wanna fill me in on your ‘Logan’ moment?” he asks, his voice low and growly and more sexy than any man has a right to be.

Jubes immediately starts laughing and runs off to the elevator.

“See you later dudes I’m outta this conversation.” I hear the elevator go up, which means I’m trapped on the lower level with Logan until it comes back down. I move to it and start frantically pushing the call button when I feel Logan behind me.

“Marie, you running or you talking?” He places his hands against the wall either side of my head. I’m still not facing him but I know I’m going to have to turn around eventually. My mouth has run dry and I feel incredibly hot.

I turn slowly and look him in the eye, then immediately look down at my feet. “It wasn’t anything bad.” My voice is almost a whisper and I have to be bright red, I just know it.

“So tell me, darlin’.”

My eyes shoot back up to his. He just called me darlin’. His voice is a whisper too, and his is smiling at me - not smirking, but smiling genuinely.

“We, um, went to see a movie. It’s an old Zalman King film from the ‘80s, they are showing re-runs of all his films this week. And, um, I kinda, um, growled during it.” This is so embarrassing. I want to die right now, no more embarrassed Marie.

“What’s it called?” He is still in the same position but I’m sure he’s moved even closer.

“Two Moon Junction.” I may as well tell him, its not like he would have ever seen it, so I’m safe.

“Not a bad movie.” Shit. “What part got you growling darlin’?”

I’m just staring at him, my chest is heaving up and down, I’m so turned on.

“Was it the bit in the motel room or maybe at Two Moon Junction on the old sacks? No, no, no….” he shakes his head and is smirking at me now, with a feral look in his eyes - I’m sure that’s the look he gets right before he kills someone “… I bet I know what it was, the first time, in the house when he records it and she can see herself on TV screen? I’m right aren’t I?”

“Yes.” A breathy whisper. His lips are so close to mine and his breath is hot on my face. His body heat is radiating towards me with such intensity I want to pass out.

“Would you like that? To see yourself like that?” His words ring in my head, and I think my heart just stopped.

“Are you offering?” I can’t believe that this conversation is happening, let alone that I’m participating in it. His eyes glint at me and his smirk gets wider.

“Would you accept if I did?”

“Stop answering a question with a question!” I can’t take all this beating around the bush.

“You started it, darlin’.” He frowns slightly, like he’s thinking. “Seriously, would you? With an old dog like me?” This isn’t happening. It isn’t. Please god, let it be happening.

I nod and give him my best sexy smile. “Maybe I could teach you some new tricks.” His hand comes up but he doesn’t touch me. Maybe I should tell him he could. Instead, he leans his body up against mine and I can feel every inch of him. Every damn inch.

He traces the outline of my lips but never makes contact. His eyes follow every movement his hands make. The sentiment alone makes me shiver. “I’ll be the one doing the teaching, baby.”

*DING*

I visibly jump and the arrival of the elevator seems to snap him to his senses and he backs off. “What are you saying?” Because if it’s what I think you are, then count me in, handsome!

“I’m saying maybe we should go out for a drink or a burger or a movie. Or skip the preliminaries and just have sex, whatever you want.” He puts his hands in his pockets like a little boy. “I don’t know about you, but I’ve kinda noticed that we’ve been changing lately, you know ‘US’.” He makes quotation marks with his fingers and laughs at himself doing something so un-Logan like.

“I like the idea. Of us changing. Of you and me being us.” He is staring at me intently, as if trying to read my reaction from my face. As if my scent can’t tell him how much I like the idea too.

We are about three steps apart and I know my mouth is working but there is nothing coming out. “Yes,” I whisper and run both my gloved hands through my hair. “Yes, I would like that.”

His dirty smirk is back on his lips. “Which one?”

I roll my eyes because the man doesn’t have a one track mind - he simply just can’t help himself. “All of the above sugar, but lets start with the drink shall we?”

“Ok, so Friday night then, about eight? Meet you in the garage.” Somebody pinch me!

“Sure, it’s a date!” I turn around and walk into the elevator; he follows me and the door slides shut.
We press the button to head up, and I stand in the middle of the elevator with my arms folded over my chest, while Logan leans against the back wall. It seems to take forever. I look back at him and he is staring at me with dangerously hooded eyes. My heart skips a beat and I turn back to the front.

Focus on the door, focus on the door! A split second later I feel his fingers move my damp hair away from the side of my neck, and his presence prickles as he leans close. I’m sure he’s about to kiss me when the door slides open to reveal the mansion corridor. He lets go of my hair, strides past me, turns, winks, and is gone without a word.

I want to sink to the floor in the back of the elevator but instead I walk slowly to my room, trying to process the last five minutes. I breathe a prayer of thanks when the room is empty, Jubes already having changed and headed down to the dining room.

Ok, focus. I have Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday to plan what to wear. I throw open my closet and look at the contents. Not much, but we’ll see what we can do with it. I close the closet and go down to dinner.

Logan is already in the dining hall siting next to ‘Ro. I grab a tray and get my dinner, pasta salad and yoghurt. I sit in between Jubes and Hank. Pete, Bobby and Kitty are opposite us, and Logan is three seats up from them, facing ‘Ro. I can hear his conversation.

“So ‘Ro, I’ve got this new girl in toe and was wonderin’ if you knew any place nice to go for a quiet drink?” He shoots me a quick look and smirks at his plate.

Jubes spins her head to look at me with a mournful look and mouths “You ok?” I nod, and carry on eating. Poor girl has no idea what I’m gonna spring on her when we get back upstairs.

“Is it anyone I know?” YES. YES, IT’S ME! Yelling in my head? I must be going crazy.

“Not yet, but if it works out you’ll know soon enough, she ain’t the quiet type.” I nearly choke on my cherry tomato. I get a few looks from my friends but no one pays any real attention except Hank, who thumps me on the back. Logan chuckles. Bastard!

“Been there already, have we?” No, he certainly has not!

“Let’s just say she’s a screamer!” I try hard not to dwell on that thought, and concentrate on the ways I’m going to make him pay for that comment.

“Logan, you’re terrible. If you want somewhere different, McCoy’s is nice, it’s a country and western bar about four miles out of town. They have live music every Friday. They do food too, nothing fancy just chicken-in-a-basket kind of stuff,” ‘Ro offers.

Well, at least I know what I’m wearing.

“Perfect, I’m seeing her then.” This is getting bad; I need to get out of here.

“What’s her name then?” Logan smirks again but doesn’t look my way.

“What’s whose name?” Scott joins the table next to Logan.

“Logan’s got a new girl and he’s taking her out Friday night.” ‘Ro merrily fills him in while I sit and rub my temples, staring at my plate.

“Wow. She must be important if you’re taking her out, don’t you normally just take them home?” Scott chuckles at his own joke and drinks his coffee.

“Very funny, Scooter.” He shoots another look my way.

“Come on, what’s she like?” Ok, maybe I’ll stay and hear this.

“Nice. Lots of hair, bit of an attitude, good mind, nice ass. She smells damn good too. She’s, you know, different.” So he likes my hair, my mind and my ass. And it’s good to know I smell nice.

“You mean she’s not a stripper.” Logan glares at him. Scott, you’re treading a fine line mister!

“SOOO, what’s her name?” ‘Ro really is a gossip queen.

“Marie.” This time it’s Jubes who chokes on her dinner. She’s the only other person I told my real name, and Logan knows it.

“You ok, Jubilee?” Scott asks her from across the table while Logan is chuckling to himself.

“Fine, um, come on Rogue we have that, um, thing to finish!” She grabs my arm and we head off from the table.

“See ya guys.” I wave as I’m dragged off. When we get to the stairs we break into a run and fly through the door to our room.

“And when exactly were you planning on telling me that you and Logan had a date? A date! You have a fucking date with LOGAN!” She shouts her words at me excitedly.

“I was going to tell you when we got back up here after dinner, I never expected Logan to make a whole thing out of it.” We sit down on my bed and she hugs me.

“Did you tell him about your skin?”

“No and I kinda feel a bit guilty about it. I want to tell him but at the same time I want to surprise everyone one with it. Plus I want to give it a serious amount of time to make sure it’s not a fluke.”

“He’ll understand, you know what Wolvie’s like when it comes to you. You get away with murder.”

“Guess so. I’m hitting the shower, then I’m going to bed.”

She puts on a little baby voice “Aaaahh, so that you can have iddy biddy Wolverine dreams?” I flick my shoe off and kick it at her. She catches it and falls back on the bed laughing her ass off.

*******

Before I know it Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday have been and gone, my classes are over and assignments have been set. I don’t have any classes on a Friday, which is a good thing, because I need all the time I can get to get ready for my big date.

The last three days have been complete hell, I have been so caught up in my classes that I haven’t really had any time to see Logan very much. He has had combat classes with the older kids, and then he and Scott were despatched to pick up a new student yesterday.

I caught him in the library yesterday morning but I only got a wink and a dirty smirk before he walked out. I then had to listen to three of the female students sigh as he walked past. The effect he has on everyone is sickening - truly sickening.

At breakfast and dinner we sat at the same table and talked, but because the others were there, nothing of any import has been said. It’s not like we are trying to deliberately hide the fact we have a date, it’s just that I think we both would like to try this without the others making a fuss about it. It’s not that they wouldn’t approve, they would just try and help!

Friday afternoon, and I’m stood in front of my closet staring at my clothes. What do you wear when you want to go Country? I need Jubes. It’s her day off and she went into town to do a bit of shopping. She was going to meet Kitty after college and then catch a ride home with Pete. I frowned – they should have been back by now, as we had another DR session with Scott and ‘Ro at 4pm. I shake my head in annoyance at her tardiness – my date is at eight, and I need to be rescued from my wardrobe nightmare NOW!

Ten minutes later Pete and Bobby come bounding into the room with Jubilee propped up between them. I fly into panic mode.

“Oh my god, you let her get drunk! We’ve got a DR session in half and hour ‘Ro is going to go crazy, not to mention what Scott will say.” They plonk her down on the bed and she instantly slumps backwards.

“Its not our fault, we met her and Kitty on the college steps and she was just there in a heap.” They both looked pissed off with her and I can’t blame them, this is going to get us into so much trouble.

“Where is Kitty?”

“She ran straight off to get some text book that she can’t live without from the library.”

“Man, your girlfriend has some serious issues about studying.” Pete has a point.

Jubes is rambling incoherently and trying to roll over. “Where could she have got this drunk?” I pick up her head in my hands and look her in the eyes. She doesn’t smell like alcohol, just sick, and her eyes are funny. “Has she been sick?”

“Yeah, in the back of my fucking van!” Nice.

“What colour was it?”

“Rogue, that’s disgusting.” Bobby is screwing his face up like a big girl.

“It was kinda yellow with bits in. She can tell you when she cleans it up, she wants to get drunk and throw up its her fault.” I can’t blame him for being pissed, but the situation doesn’t seem right – there is something else happening here. I search my amped-up memories, and strangely it’s me – Marie – who knows what is going on.

“We have to get her to Hank; she’s not drunk. My Dad was diabetic and if he had too much sugar or insulin or not enough or whatever, he would throw up yellow sick with black bits and go all incoherent and ramble. She’s not drunk, she’s sick.” As I finish the sentence both guys move forward, Pete picks her up and we are all out the door running for Hank.

We fly into the medlab and Pete lays her on the exam table. I take off her jacket and put a pillow under her head to make her a bit more comfortable. “Hang on, babe they’re coming.” Bobby has disappeared and comes back a second later with Hank.

“….and she was sick, yes?” He is filling Hank in on what’s happened.

As Hank walks up to the exam table with his stethoscope at the ready, Jubes rolls his way and throws up all over his blue furry legs. All three of us take a step back, Pete covers his mouth trying not to laugh as do I, but all the colour has drained from Bobby’s face and he is really pale.

Hank looks down at himself and smiles at us. “Well, yellow doesn’t go with blue now, does it. Lets get you sorted out Jubilation because I don’t really want you to do that again. If the three of you would excuse us, maybe informing Scott of the situation? I understand you all have a session?” We leave in a sniggering group and head across the hall to the Danger Room, where Scott and ‘Ro meet us coming the other way.

“Where are the other two?” As if on cue, the elevator opens and out walks Kitty.

“Jubes is in the med lab with Hank. She’s really ill.” I turn around and look at the med lab door, I wanna go back in there. Pete and I quickly run through what’s happened with her while Bobby just stands there, looking ill.

“I’ll go check and see what’s up with her.” ‘Ro walks into the med lab and I follow her. “Hank what’s the situation here?”

“Well, she is definitely diabetic.” Scott, Pete, Bobby and Kitty walk in behind us. Jubilee is laying on her side with a drip in her arm and an oxygen hose up her nose, but she’s awake and puts her hand up in a wave. “But it’s nothing too bad, a slight change of diet and regular medication and she will have nothing to worry about. Right now she needs to rest.”

“Ok, I’m cancelling the DR session, we’ll put in an extra one mid week next week.” Pete and Bobby silently hi-five each other behind Scott’s back. Kitty rolls her eyes at them. Children!

“Can I stay with her a while?”

“Of course you can but only 10 minutes or so. I want her to rest as much as possible. And may I say well done for spotting that she wasn’t intoxicated, I dread to think what would have happened had you not.”

Pete agrees with him. “Yeah Rogue, good call.” And Bobby chimes in “Excellent.” Blinking and shaking my head I ignore the ‘Bill and Ted’ moment and turn to my best friend.

“Hey babe.” I walk over to the bed and take her hand in mine. The others say their goodbyes and get well soons and filter out of the room.

“Sorry man. Didn’t mean to scare anyone.” She sounds really weak.

“Its ok, honey, don’t worry about it. Just rest.” Poor girl looks awful.

“Is that what your wearing on your date?” Shit. I forgot about my date with Logan.

“It doesn’t matter at the moment.” She tries to sit up and can’t quite make it.

“Yes it does. You’re going on your date and that’s final. If you don’t go I’ll tell everyone about it and they will make you go.”

“Ok, but I don’t know what to wear.” I really, really don’t.

“Stay in the jeans you’ve got on and wear your black vest and snug. You can borrow my knee highs if you want.” She is really drowsy, her eyes are getting heavy. “Don’t shave your legs.”

“Why?” She must still be delirious.

“That way you won’t let it go too far!” Very funny.

“Thank you, honey. I love you, go on, go to sleep.” She instantly closes her eyes. Hank walks up behind me and puts his hands on my shoulders.

“Let her rest now. She will be back on her feet by tomorrow.”

Back in my room I shower, put on my best sexy bra and panties set – green silk, of course - and then pull my jeans back on. I put my hair in a French twist and leave a couple of strands loose. My white streak is up in the twist and looks very bright against all the brown.

I feel a bit guilty about going out while Jubes is ill, but she said to go and I know that if it were the other way around she would go.

I am laying my top out on the bed and flicking lint off of it when my door opens. I’m only wearing my bra and my jeans so I snatch up my top and hold it in front of me.

“Sorry, darlin’ guess I should have knocked.” His eyes look me up and down and I can see them darken. “Scott told me about Whizz-Bang. We don’t have to go.”

“I want to, she doesn’t mind, she even lent me her boots.” I smile at him and he returns it. “Do you still want to go?”

“Yeah, darlin’ I do.” He takes a couple of steps and is in front of me. He takes my top from my hands and looks his fill. Goosebumps break out over my skin and I can’t help but moan. He throws my top on the bed and I stare at it longingly, wishing I had never let it go.

“Can I touch you?” His voice is quiet but assertive.

I look down at his hands to check for gloves. He is wearing black ones, and I think they’re the ones I bought him for Christmas last year. Even though he doesn’t need them anymore, I am determined to keep this a secret for as long as possible. I nod, because I can’t quite remember how to speak at the moment, let alone how to say no, and I can feel the dampness between my legs already. He reaches up to my face.

His gloves are soft and his touch sends chills down my spine as he trails his hand down to my neck. Then he slowly sweeps it across my throat and down again towards my breasts, coming to a stop over my right breast. He holds his hand still for a beat or two, then he winds his hand around my back pulling me towards him gently. His other hand slides to my bottom, and seems to want to keep going, but he forces it to stop.

“Sorry. Can’t seem to help myself when you’re around.” He rests his chin on the top of my head and I snuggle into his chest. He’s wearing a dark blue shirt with a black vest underneath, and smells like fresh lemons and cigars. An odd but strangely calming combination, particularly when topped off with a big dose of masculinity.

I move out of his embrace and retrieve my top, slipping it over my head to cover myself. “I don’t mind you touching me. Let’s have a date first though, ok?”

“So how many dates do we have before I get to touch you.” He has taken a step back and is out of arms reach. Good. His scent was making me dizzy. I don’t think I have ever told him that I have a small dose of his senses left.

“I think the rule is three dates. Can you cope with that?” He crosses his arms in front of his chest, and I catch his nostrils flare as he takes in my aroused scent, and smirks.

“Can you?” I roll my eyes at him; he is a very naughty boy.

“Go away! I’ll meet you in a little while.” I walk off to the bathroom and finish my make up. I put on my snug to cover my arms and top my outfit off with a sheer black scarf and matching gloves.

After a quick run downstairs to check on Jubes, I make my way to the garage to meet my date. I still can’t quite believe this is happening.

I walk into the garage and see him sitting on the hood of his truck smoking a cigar. He’s still wearing the navy blue shirt and has his leather jacket on over the top. The dark blue jeans are illegally tight, and he looks utterly fantastic.

I walk up to him as he raises his head and looks me up and down. I stand still, raise my arms and twirl around for his approval. “Like what you see, sugar?”

He hops off the hood, pulls me to him and presses me against the side of the driver’s door. “Yeah darlin’, I like what I see.” He picks up my scarf and puts it to my lips. I want to tell him, I really do, but I want it to be a surprise.

He leans in and kisses me firmly, his hand comes up and lowers my chin to let his tongue into my mouth. The kiss deepens and he presses himself against me, holy fucking god in heaven, I don’t have much experience but I know that’s not his keys! His hand has slipped onto the back of my neck and his other one is on my thigh. It slips underneath, and I gasp as he wraps my leg around him, pulling me even tighter against him. He breaks the kiss and stares into my eyes.

I’m firmly wedged against the side of the truck and his ‘keys’ are getting bigger by the moment. With even the slightest movement, he rubs against me and I can’t help but moan. He swaps his hands so he can raise my other thigh; I can’t help but lock my ankles behind him. He nuzzles into my neck and breathes me in. “Logan, we have to stop or we’re gonna end up doing it on the truck.”

“That a problem baby?” No. Not at all. No… Yes! I’m not losing my virginity against a dirty old truck.

“Not a problem, exactly. More of a preference for it not to be against the truck.” I let my legs down to the floor and reluctantly push against his chest. He rights himself and we untangle. He looks at me, sighs, and rubs his hand over his face.

“Marie, get in the fucking truck before I do something really inappropriate for a first date!” I laugh and move round to the other side.

********

We ride along in the truck not really saying anything. I think we are both still trying to calm our bodies down. I fiddle with the radio and after ten solid minutes of channel flicking, Logan growls and looks at me with his trademark eyebrow.

“Sorry.” I turn off the radio and enjoy the rest of the ride.

We pull into McCoy’s and Logan parks the truck. As he turns off the engine he hits the steering wheel and I jump. “I don’t fucking believe it!”

“What?” He points his finger out of my window at a car on the other side of the car park. No, he’s lost me. I shake my head “What?”

“The blue sedan.” I look again, and I get it. There must be hundreds of blue sedans in the world but there’s only one with the registration plate that reads “X R O 1.”

“ ‘Ro. She wants a peek at your new girlfriend.” Just perfect. I giggle as Logan turns the engine back on and starts to back out of the space.

“Well, she ain’t getting one before I do. Come on, I gotta a better idea.” He sounds pissed off but I think he knows ‘Ro would never ruin anything for him on purpose.

We drive in silence for another mile or so and pull up outside a Chinese take away.

He winks at me “Stay here.” After 15 minutes or so he comes back out with a bag full of great-smelling food. We drive off again and another 15 minutes or so we are parked at the end of a dirt track looking out over a small lake.

The moonlight hitting the lake is very romantic, but it also looks like a scene from one of those cheap teen horror movies. The ones where two teenagers are making out in the truck just as some big guy in a slicker with a hook for a hand decides to kill them both!

He dishes out the food cartons on the dash and hands me a plastic fork. “Dig in beautiful.” It smells good and I don’t need to be told twice. There’s House Special Fried Rice, which is my favourite, and House Special Chow Main which I know is Logan’s, there’s also a large bag of Prawn Crackers and a small tub of Sweet and Sour sauce.

We eat our food and chat about ‘Ro, after a while Logan finds it funny and declares war on his friend.

“You ever been here before? It looks nice.” I finish the last of my food and put the carton in the bag, then put the bag in the back behind my seat. Logan finished his ages ago and has already put his rubbish in the bag. The crackers are still on the dash and I think we’ll share them later.

“Not as good as you do. Come here.” He pulls me to him by my hand and picks up my scarf to kiss me again. I can’t keep doing this to him. My heart sinks. I take my hand away, lean forward and bash my head against the dash three or four times

“I can’t keep doing this to you. I can’t keep lying.” I keep my head against the dash.

“Lying about what Marie? What the fuck’s going on? Are you playing with me here? Is that what this is, some kinda joke you and your little whizz-bang friend cooked up to make me look like a idiot? ‘Cause if it is I…..” I whipped my head up to look at him.

“NO! No! It’s nothing like that. I was trying to keep it a secret until my birthday next week but I can’t not tell you anymore, especially seeing as you keep touching me like that.” My words come out in a rush as I panic.

I steady my nerves, take a deep breath and let it out again. He is looking at me with pure rage in his eyes, but this is me, so I know he will keep his anger in check. At least, I hope he will. I take off my glove and hold out my hand for him. He looks at my hand then back to my face. His eyebrows knit together like he’s trying to figure something out and then a slow smile slides onto his face, his eyes softening as his anger ebbs away.

“You’re kidding?” I shake my head and can’t stop myself from smiling like a child who has just been given sweets. “Darlin’ you been holding out on me. Come here, now!” He grabs my hand and roughly pulls me into his lap.

****************
Logan settles me on his lap, and then rips his gloves off with his teeth to put his bare hands on my face. They are shaking, bless him, but then, so am I.

“Wow, this is great baby.” His hands sink into my hair, he pulls the clip out of my hair, throws it on the floor and pulls my face down for a kiss. The taste of him is just like I imagined - masculine, fresh and a slight hint of cigars. And sweet-and-sour sauce.

I take the time to enjoy his lips – how can they be soft and strong at the same time? – before surrendering to the moment. Our tongues are wrapping themselves around each other like they are fighting. Oh god, what a battle. His fingers slide to the front of my top and he unties my snug. Pushing it off my shoulders, he brings his hands round to cup my breasts.

Our kissing has become frantic and my hands are in his thick, unruly hair. His hands go under my vest to push it up, but he stops as he gets to my breasts. “Do you wanna?” He is breathing heavily and so am I. I should say no, because we’re in the truck, but…

I nod. “Yeah, I wanna.” His hands instantly slide the rest of the way up, taking my top with them. He tosses it on the seat and kisses me again. I’m working the buttons on his shirt and he has to lean forward to allow me to push it off him. His vest lasts two seconds before landing on the seat with mine.

“I hope we don’t get mixed up later, mine won’t fit you.” He chuckles and kisses me again. Fuck, why do nerves always make you say really stupid things? And was I really panting like that?

He stops everything and stares at me with utter panic all over his handsome face. “I don’t have any condoms.”

“Don’t worry, I’m fixed, I’m on the pill.” I notice his annoyed expression and blush. Shrugging my shoulders I explain “Wishful thinking!”

I squeak as he suddenly pushes me off his lap and onto the seat, chuckling again at my girlish behaviour. He pulls my boots off, then kicks his off as well. Yanking me up by the waist of my jeans, I’m momentarily airborne before landing in his lap again.

I run my hands over his enormous chest, smiling when he growls at me. I love it when he growls at me and the feel of his hard muscles under my fingers is like running your hands over solid blocks of ice. But warm. As my hands are busy trying to figure out how to undo his belt buckle, he undoes my bra.

I instantly sit up and cover my breasts with my hands, clinging to the silky green material. I blush, realising this isn’t a big deal next to THE big deal. Which is going to happen very, very soon. “Sorry, I guess I’m being silly.” I slowly lower my hands and take the bra with it. I’m shaking, but forget my shyness when his hands slide across my back around to my breasts. He takes them in his hands and squeezes gently. I lean back down to kiss him and he rubs them harder.

Again I’m arguing with his belt buckle and after fumbling around because his hands are making me forget basic motor functions, I give up. “What’s with this damn wolf’s head? Does it not come off or something?”

“Yeah darlin’. Let me do it.” With a laugh he unhooks it with one hand, not willing to take both off my breasts, then he is back to dedicate both hands to rubbing and rolling my nipples between his fingers. I can’t help but wonder if I am this responsive because it’s my first time, or because it’s him.

I open his jeans just as he begins to do the same with mine. I slide back onto the seat and push my jeans off. We look at what each other is doing and I swear on my life that my heart speeds up when I see his erection. “Why Logan, no underwear? You do surprise me.” My voice is thick with sarcasm as he pulls me back into his lap.

“You may not be surprised, darlin’, but imagine how I feel. You never struck me as the silky, sexy type.”

“So what do I strike you as?” Forget the sex for a second, just a second mind you, ‘cause I’m interested in this.

He shrugs and watches his hands groping my breasts, “simple white cotton ones, I suppose.” How interesting.

“Well, I’m just full of surprises, sugar.” I put my hands on his face and kiss him, licking his lower lip gets me a growl, so I nip instead. That gets a bigger growl. I grind myself down on his erection and his grip on my breasts tightens.

He moves his right hand down around my bottom and hooks his fist in the silky material. His other hand is in my hair and as he kisses me harder he yanks my panties and rips them off in a single motion. I jump and squeak into his mouth.

“They were expensive.” I raise my eyebrows and try and act like I’m annoyed. Secretly? I love it that he is so impatient.

“So I’ll buy you some more, lots more, just for me. You’re for my eyes only now, Marie.”

“Sugar, you’re the only one that’s ever seen me without my clothes on.” He smiles that dangerous, feral smile that I’m beginning to love. “Unless you count Jubes, of course.”

“Something you’re telling me there darlin’?” He slips his hand in between my legs and begins to stroke my clit through my delicate public hair. “God, baby, the smell of you is making me insane.” I kiss him and it soon turns from passionate to needy. He is stroking me slowly but he is applying a lot of pressure. I’ve done this to myself and that’s exactly how I like it. God, I’m so wet already and we haven’t really done anything major.

“Please Logan….. I want you now, please.” He nods and puts his hands on my hips, positioning me above his cock. I place my hands on his shoulders to steady myself and grip him like my life depends on it.

He opens his mouth to say something but I put my hand over his lips and shake my head. He’s going to ask me if I want to stop and I’m stupid enough to say yes, so no talking. Sinking slowly onto his swollen flesh, I screw my eyes up, and bite my lip so hard I break the skin.

His eyes close and his head tips back. I sink a bit lower and he growls and jerks his hips up, impaling me and breaking through my virginity. He is white with the effort of not moving, and grinds out the obligatory question.

“Sorry, darlin’. Did I hurt you?”

“Would you be pissed off if I said yes? It’s ok, I knew it would to start with.” He puts his hand in my hair again and pulls my head down onto his shoulder. “Just give me a minute.”

The sting has gone and I feel completely full and stretched as much as I’m gonna get, so I move my hips as a test.

“Shit!” He grabs my hips and moves me again, I look him in the eyes and he brings his hand up to hold my cheek. “I love you.” I smile at him and move a bit quicker. We kiss and he grabs both my hips again, moving up to meet me. I break the kiss but keep my face close to his, breathing him in.

“I can smell you too, you know? I never lost it.” He smiles at me as we make love with what I’m sure is male pride flashing in those perfect hazel eyes.

I can feel my orgasm building and it’s not going to take me very long. My knees are gripping him at the sides and instead of grinding on top of him, he’s raising me up and down his length pumping hard. I never expected it to feel like this. I close my eyes as our world explodes.

“AAAHH.” I put my arms up to push against the roof of the truck so I can slam down on him harder, he leans forward and takes my left nipple in his mouth as I throw my head back and scream. “AAHH GAWD LOGAN YEAH!” As I’m coming down he goes harder, and I’m gonna have a perfect blue hand print on each hip. Even though I lose any kind of concentration I might have had, my mutation lays silent and I’m thankful.

“GGGRRRR… aaahhh.” He growls into my breast as he comes, and I collapse on him in a big sweaty, heaving mess.

“Mmmmm.” I absently note that I really want to do that again. He chuckles into my chest.

“See….. screamer!” I sit up and raise my hand like I’m gonna slap him, he puts his hands up in defence but keeps laughing.

“We still haven’t discussed that yet, you nearly killed me with a cherry tomato, not to mention the heart attack you gave Jubilee.” He laughs and rubs his hands up and down my sides. I place a chaste kiss on his lips. “I love you.”

“I feel like I know you completely now. Do I? Anything else you’re keeping from me?”

“I think you and Jubes know me the best.”

“Anything she knows that I don’t?” He picks his jacket up off the seat and wraps it around my shoulders. I look down and try to hide my eyes. There is that one other little thing…

“That’s a yes then. Come on, what is it?”

“You won’t like it.” He really, really won’t.

“Marie!” He’s gonna find out anyway, so I may as well get it over with.

“I have a tattoo. Well, two.” He opens his jacket and looks at every inch of visible skin. I can’t help but blush, especially seeing as his faded erection is still inside me and starting to show signs of life again.

“I’m looking at a lot of skin here, darlin’. Where is it? And what is it? If some tattoist had to go some place intimate I’m gonna have to kill him, you know.”

I giggle at him. “On my lower back, just above my ass. The tattoo guy was great - I explained about my skin and he double gloved and just got on with it.” He moves his hands behind me and feels in the place above my ass. “You won’t feel it, will you.”

“Show me,” he commands.

I take a deep breath. I slowly climb off his lap and move next to him to kneel with my back to him. He moves behind me so he’s standing in the footwell and he puts his hand up and slips his jacket off me.

“Jesus fucking Christ! You had that done intentionally?” Shit. I knew he would hate it.

“I got them after the Statue of Liberty, while you were away. It just seemed right. Like I’m marked just for you.”

He traces his fingers over the tattoos. Two sets of three 4 ½ inch slashes, one either side of the base of my spine, as if they were put there by six adamantium claws. He carries on tracing his fingers over the inked slashes and kisses my shoulder.

“Some guy did a tattoo on a 17-year-old girl.” He was shaking his head at that when something else occurred to him. “Hey, wait a minute, you were seeing Bobby when I came back. Didn’t these piss him off?”

“Firstly, if you’re paying the guy, he’s not going to argue with how old you are. As for Bobby, we kissed twice and that was it. The only other person who has seen them is Jubes, because she came with me to get them and we share a room.” I turn slightly to look at him “Don’t you like them?” He leans to cover me from behind, runs his hands over my skin and cups my breasts.

I can feel his erection pressing against my bottom and that now-familiar tingle in my stomach begins to prickle. Leaning back slightly, he guides himself into me, it’s easier than before and instantly feels so, so good. He pumps a couple of times, his lips are against my skin and I can feel him smile. “Yeah, I like ‘em.”

He stops and slides out of me, he gently turns me around and kisses me. “Put your boots back on.” He watches me intensely as I do as he asks, once they are on and zipped up, he kisses me again.

When our kiss turns frenzied, he props me half against the door and half against the back of the seat. Spreading my legs wider than I thought they could go, he enters me again, towering overhead with one hand on the door and the other on the back of the seat. In any other situation, it would be really intimidating. In this one, his dominating presence makes me wet.

Looking down between us, I can see him moving in and out of me. I shudder at the sight, and when I look back up into his face, he smirks at me. He increases his pace and I start to moan at every slight movement. Seeing my feet in the shiny black leather and spread so wide looks really smutty and makes me even hotter. I touch his face and trail my hand down his firm body to finally reach where we’re joined. He traces one hand over the leather of my boot and holds me by the ankle.

He looks down and licks his lips at the sight of my hand running over his cock as it slides into me, the feeling of my orgasm creeping up on me has started again and it wont be long before I’m plunged into the black abyss. “Touch yourself.” His voice is gruff and demanding, his breathing is coming in short pants and his eyes are glinting dangerously. I guess it won’t be long for him either.

When I obviously take too long for his liking he growls a warning at me and thrusts really hard. Running my hand over myself, I begin to rub against my clit, my fingers slippery from my own juices and what’s left from his first orgasm. I work my hand quicker, and he stares, hips starting to jerk uncontrollably.

“FUCK!” He’s coming and so am I.

“Aaarrrh. LOGAN!” His head is on my shoulder and he raises it to kiss me gently. Nipping at my lips, he starts to chuckle. “Will you stop laughing, you smug bastard,” I grump.

“You keep proving me right every time darlin’. Screamer!” I laugh myself and he moves away from me and starts to pull his jeans back on.

“You shut your mouth bub or I might just flip my skin on and teach you a lesson!” I forget about my bra and put my vest back on. I pick up what left of my panties and glare at him. They really WERE expensive.

“You get your clothes back on or I’ll be teaching you another lesson, girl.”

I pause as I’m picking up my jeans. “Three times? You can’t do that can you?” Guys can’t just keep going like that, surely!

He raises his right eyebrow and leans over me again like I’m prey. “Baby, one whiff of that cinnamon scented deadly skin, and I could have this truck bouncing and rocking all fucking night!” He smirks and carries on dressing.

I blush the colour of blood, quickly finish dressing and put what’s left of my panties in my jeans pocket. “Speaking of your skin, you were gonna tell everyone on your birthday?”

“Yeah, at the Halloween ball next Saturday. Why?” I turn in my seat to face him.

“Lets keep us under wraps until then as well, then they can all have a double surprise. Scooter’s face will be worth a week of sneaking around and I think I can just about cope with Whizz-bang knowing.” He is truly evil when it comes to Scott.

“I wish you wouldn’t call her that, she’s a really good friend.” He checks me up and down to make sure I’m ready to go and he starts the engine.

“Am I still in your head?” That’s a little out of the blue.

“Yeah.”

“Anyone else?”

“Um, not really, David, the first boy I kissed, faded ages ago, Magneto has mostly faded away, every now and then I get the odd bit of him. The quick touch from St John has left nothing at all and Bobby faded almost right away. Got a few choice memories, though.”

“Yeah, anything good?”

“He wet himself on his first day of junior high.” He starts laughing really hard and struggled to concentrate on the road.

“That’s fucking brilliant!” Evil, evil man.

I snuggle up against him as he’s driving and he puts his arm around me. So much for my will power, one quick kiss and I tell him everything, including the tattoos, which I swore I would never tell anyone. Next Saturday should be interesting.

“Do you have a costume for the ball?” He would look pretty good as James Bond or Prince Charming … or naked.

“Yeah, I’m going as a big scary mutant guy with metal claws, in a clean shirt. You?”

“Very funny sugar. I have something in mind but it’s not definite yet.” We’ll see how much brass I have at the time.

I think I must have drifted off to sleep because the next thing I know were in the garage and Logan is sitting me up. “Hey sleepy, we’re home.”

I rub my face and look at him. “What?” Yep, definitely fell asleep.

“Come on beautiful, out.” He helps me out of his side of the truck and instantly kisses me. “Mmmm you still taste like Chinese.” He runs his thumb over my bottom lip where I bit myself. “Flip your skin on, let me fix it.”

“No, I’ll live.” Now I’ve got it off, I’m not putting it back on unless its life or death. “What are you up to this weekend?” I’m running my hands up his back from under his shirt, his skin still feels hot, and his body oh so hard.

“I was planning on locking myself in a my room with a sassy little brunette and seeing how many different ways I can make her scream. What about you?” I look at him in shock.

“We can’t do that here, if someone hears us it’ll ruin my big surprise.” I pout at him and he sighs and frowns at me.

“Marie, I can’t go a whole week without touching you, I’ll go crazy. Not to mention homicidal.”

“Well, tomorrow after breakfast, I’m going to the cash and carry with ‘Ro and Pete. We’re getting decorations, food and drinks for the ball, so were be gone most of the day. Sunday I have to prepare a lesson plan, but Sunday night we could, um, do something.”

“Fucking Sunday night!?!” He glowered in disbelief, and shook his head. “I have to make an appointment with my own fucking girlfriend.” I start to giggle and can’t help myself - I point at him.

“You said girlfriend.” I have my own smug grin now.

“Good night Marie.” He shoos me off and I’m happily walking to my room when the Professor catches me.

“A pleasant evening, Rogue?” He wheels into the corridor a bit further and smiles at me; he is wearing pyjamas and a robe so I presume he is just off to bed. What time is it, for heaven sake?

“Yes thank you, yourself?”

“Very good night, my dear. I suppose Logan will come in when he has waited a sufficient amount of time? I wanted a quick word.” Well, you try to get anything past him.

“He’ll be right in. Night, Sir.” I can’t help my smile. Charles certainly is an amazing telepath, guess the skin won’t be much of a surprise either.

Entering my room I turn the light on and see Jubes in her bed, she must have persuaded Hank to let her back up here. I turn the light back off and go into the bathroom. Throwing my clothes into the laundry bin, I contemplate jumping in the shower. I decide that I like the smell of Logan on me and want it to last a bit longer, so I jump into my shorts and baggy t-shirt and go back out to the bedroom. I give Jubes a quick kiss on the cheek and jump into my bed.


“Hey naked person, wake up and dish the dirt girl.” Jubilee shakes me through the sheet and I turn around and sit up, pulling the sheet around me.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I yawn and rub my face.

“Time to tell me about your date. Come on, chica - dish.”

“Well, it was really nice, we had Chinese in the truck by a little fishing lake, very romantic, then we, uh …” I think my blush is giving me away.

“OH LORDY you fucked him didn’t you? DIDN’T YOU?!”

“Keep your voice down! Yes, we had sex in the truck. Twice!” She bounces over onto my bed and sits next to me.

“Oh my god, is his body a nice on the lower half as on the top? Is he any good? Did it hurt the first time? Is he really hot? Oh my god, tell me, tell me, tell.” Her words come out in a rush.

“Yep. Yep. DEFINITELY and hello!” I reply cheerfully. “It was utterly un-fucking-believable.”

“I am so fucking stoked for you, but are you sure? I mean, up until recently I thought Logan was a self-obsessed narcissist who thinks that the sun rises out of his rectum and then sets again in his groin. And he only cares about what happens in between the two. I mean, Jesus, you gotta wonder how long he can keep burning that penis at both ends.” My mind boggles at how hers works.

“Yes, I’m sure.”

“Wow. So the Wolvmeister is totally a hottie in bed, guess that figures. Are you gonna tell everyone about you?” I take her hands in mine, still looks funny with no gloves on.

“No, we’re keeping it a surprise until the ball next week, can you do that for me?”

“Course, chica, my lips are well and truly sealed. We need to go shopping for a costume for you.”

“I’ve seen one on the net, the shop’s in town. They’re open until 4pm today - will you come?”

“Get dressed, we’re going NOW!” I jump out of bed and get dressed: jeans, a baby-blue t-shirt, long opera gloves and Jubes’ boots. I’m not planning on telling her Logan has a thing about them.

By half past five we are back and I stash my ‘costume’ in the bottom of my closet and we head downstairs for dinner.

Scott, Kitty, Pete and ‘Ro are sitting next to each other, Logan, Hank, Kurt and Bobby are all opposite them with the Professor at the head of the table. As we walk into the dinning hall I notice Logan look up and he looks down at the boots, a knowing smirk covering his face. I instantly blush.

We sit down, me next to Scott and Jubes next to Logan. If I could have sat further away, I would have, because my blushes were already uncontrollable.

“Rogue, Logan won’t tell us anything else about this girl of his. You’re his sidekick what do you know?” Ro’s question is out before I am properly sat down. I can’t help an internal snicker. Sidekick? Honey, if only you knew!

I turn to look at ‘Ro, bless her, she is dying to know. “Not much, really, just that he’s bringing her to the ball on Saturday.” I realise that revenge is sweet when Logan looks at me with surprise, then his eyes glaze slightly. He is obviously on board with my little game.

“You just can’t keep your mouth shut can you!” Logan points his fork at me as he talks, but I know what he’s really getting at. I stick my tongue out at him and everyone at the table laughs. Come Saturday, they’ll get the joke too.

“I’ll make sure I have a camera, Logan with a steady woman - who would have thought.” Scott finishes his lasagne and pushes his plate away, picking up his coffee.

“Well, I say congratulations to Logan and his lady friend, it’s very hard to find someone in this world, let alone among the chaos of late.” Hank raises his mug to Logan and I smile to myself. He is so sweet, and such an amazing friend to Logan.

I notice Jubes gives him a really flirty smile. Well, well, what’s this, a soft spot for our furry doctor? I may have to investigate that later.

“Logan, I’m dying here, what’s her surname? Where does she live? What does she do for a living? Come on.” ‘Ro pleads with him and we all laugh at her need for gossip, she’s practically begging.

“Yeah, Logan. Come on, tell us about her, we’re your friends and we want to know.” Now Kitty was on his case. He shoots me a look, then smiles and looks back to Kitty and ‘Ro.

“Ok, I don’t know her surname…” he looks back at me up the table again, “she hasn’t told me yet. She lives in New York, really close by, she works with kids, not sure doing what. She’s smart, mouthy, and I dunno, nice. That enough for ya?”

“It’ll do for now but I’m the first person you introduce her to.”

Logan picks up his plate and moves away from the table. “That’s a promise ‘Ro,” he laughs, and heads out of the dining room. The majority of the female students in the hall heave a collective sigh as he walks – no, swaggers – past, and I restrain my annoyance. I’m sure he knows he has that effect on women and girls alike.

We all finish, and flutter away chatting about idle things and what we’re wearing on Saturday, then head off to do what ever we’re doing tonight. ‘Ro, Scott, Bobby, Kitty, Pete and Kurt are off to the movies again.

I notice Jubes follows Hank towards the lab and smile to myself. Interrogation required.

I find Logan in the rec room and snuggle next to him to watch a hockey game, once I’m settled I poke him in the stomach. “Mouthy?”

I feel him chuckle next to me. “Screamer.” There are students in the room playing pool so there is no chance of a little sofa sex, so we simply watch the game in silence with knowing smiles, and the odd unnoticeable caress.

After the game, the students seem to be into the pool for the long haul, so I say goodnight and head off to bed. He looks disappointed, not to mention pissed off, but there’s not a lot I can do about it. I want to whisper “it’s a secret, doofus” but I suspect he wouldn’t take it well.

I get back to my room and find Jubes missing. Ok, this is silly - I have to know what she’s up to. I mean - she knows what I’m up to. I head off down stairs again to the lower levels.

Walking towards the med lab I can hear giggling, using all of the stealth that I can muster and whatever senses and skills I have left over from Logan, I creep up to the door and peek through the glass window.

Jubes and Hank are sitting on an exam table having a glass of wine each and chatting. They look really relaxed in each other’s company, and then I notice that he is holding her hand as they sit there. Leaving them to their little romantic tryst I go back to bed. I never did get on with my lesson plan today, so tomorrow I’m winging it.


On our way down to breakfast Jubes spills everything about her and Hank, apparently the lovely doctor has asked her to “go steady”, which I think is really sweet. She joked and said she might not be having hot sex in a dirty old truck but she’s going to be getting blue fur out of her hair for a very long time!

We arrive and Jubes immediately goes to sit next to Hank, he leans forward and kisses her on the cheek, after about a minute or two of wolf whistles and cat calls, things settle down and the pair are congratulated by their fellow teachers and teammates.

Logan smiles at me and then winks as he heads off to his first combat class. How I envy those girls this morning - he looks like he’s in the mood for a no-shirt morning.

As he walks out, two of the said girls walk in and chime in perfect unison “Morning Mr Logan.” He smiles his sexy smile, the one that I call the “I’m Wolverine, You swoon” smile. He nods and simply says “Girls.” They heave a collective sigh, lean on each other for support and rush to sit with their friends and discuss what a dish my man is.

Rolling my eyes I resist the temptation to throw my face forward and drown myself in Almond and Banana flavoured milk but I forget about my muesli-based suicide and concentrate on blagging my way though my class.

I miss him at lunch, but first period after I’m in class, said man knocks on the door. “Miss, can I have a word please?” I rise to my feet and address the class.

“Carry on reading chapter 12 while I step outside with Mr Logan, no moving around.” I follow Logan outside the classroom, he immediately slams me against the wall and kisses me roughly. After about a minute of seriously swoon worthy kissing from my seriously swoon worthy man, he pulls away and just WALKS OFF!

He turns and smirks at me. “Just needed a hit, see ya later, darlin’.” Bastard! I’m calling him that a lot lately. But in a good way, I allow, as I try to wipe the dazed smile off my face.

I re-enter my classroom feeling a little flushed. Unable to concentrate, I make the poor kids read another two chapters in silence while my mind plays with interesting images of Logan. I hope there are no hidden telepaths in this class or I’m in deep trouble.

The rest of the day passes without any Logan interludes, and after dinner I go back to my room. There is a plain white envelope on my pillow. I open it while looking around the room for Jubes, its probably some kind of a joke but she’s been with Hank for the last hour.

Opening the envelope I recognise the handwriting as Logan’s.

Meet me at the lake NOW! I can’t wait!

I put the note under my pillow and dash off out the door to the lake. Making my way out the mansion, no one sees me as I reach the jetty. Logan is sat at the end of it and I can just make out his back in the gloom.

“So what’s up sugar?” He stands up and turns towards me, pulling me into his embrace. I think I can smell his arousal already, and wonder briefly if he is always in that state. We smile at each other and I play my fingers over his chest.

“I was feeling a little frustrated and wondering if you’d gimme a blow job?”

I can’t help but crack up. “You asshole.” Laughing, I push him really hard. He’s not expecting it and he falls backwards into the lake. There’s a lot of splashing and growling before he finally stands up. I’m stood there on the jetty with my hands over my mouth laughing hysterically, then I notice his body language. I shut up instantly.

He looks at me with hooded eyes. I think there’s danger darting in them, as well as something else I can’t place. He walks slowly through the water towards the jetty and I instinctively begin to back up. A quick hop and he’s on the jetty. He is massive in the darkness, his face is shadowed and I realise, for the first time since I met him, just how dangerous he truly is.

“You scared of me, Marie?” He must be able to smell it. I am, but I’m also incredibly hot for him. His male adrenaline, his masculinity, his power - it’s intoxicating.

“What, generally? Or just right now?” I try and lighten things up, but he’s not moving so I guess I’m screwed. I know I’m shaking, not from fear, but from excitement and anticipation. I glance back to the house.

“You wouldn’t make it.” Fuck. His voice is quiet and calm and very, very, scary. I am so fucking screwed. I smile and give a nervous giggle.

“Logan… I didn’t mean to get you wet, sugar.” My heart is hammering in my chest and he doesn’t move, but I carry on taking steps backwards.

“You’re in a lot of trouble for sweet little thing.” Oh my dear god in heaven. I glance at the house again, I bet I could make it, before I do something stupid like have sex with him in the mansion grounds where anyone, fuck that, EVERYONE could see us. “Wanna run Marie?” Fuck-a-doodle-do!

Yes! I turn and bolt for the mansion, my mind is racing as fast as my feet are. I’m young, I’m fit thanks to my X-training, I’m wearing trainers and I don’t have an extra 300lbs of adamantium slowing me down, so in theory , I should make it. I don’t look back, I just run for my life. I reach the door and turn sharply for the staircase.

I hear his boots hit the wooden floor – shit! - he is right behind me. Then I hear a squeak of wet leather on wood, and turn just in time to see Logan slide across the wooden floor like a puppy chasing a ball. He slides into a side table knocking over a small plastic pot with a hideous purple bush thing in it.

Laying on the floor in a wet, muddy, purple bush mess, he throws me a murderous glare. I laugh, turn again and make for the stairs. As I m running up in a panic, Scott is coming the other way.

“What are you running from?” He almost looks concerned.

“Logan, I dunked him in the lake and I think he’s going to kill me!” I breathlessly keep running and as I hit the corridor for the teacher’s wing I hear Scott shout.

“No running in the house!” Bless him, he’s probably always wanted to say that.

I race down the corridor again, not bothering to look behind me. I reach my door and as my hand closes over the door knob, a vice-like arm swings around my torso. A firm hand is clamped over my mouth before I have time to shout.

Logan carries me off down the hall towards his room. I’m struggling as much as I can, but there’s no way I’m gonna get away from him.

Somehow he manages to get his door open and kicks it shut once we are inside. He lugs me through to the bathroom.

OH SHIT, he’s going to flush me! “MMPPHPPHH!” I’m shouting into his hand but its clamped over my mouth so hard, the sound is completely muffled.

He opens up the shower door. I spend a moment being thankful it wasn’t the toilet, before he turns on the water, full blast and very, very cold. “Your turn!” Fuck!

“LOGAN PLEASE NO! I’LL FREEZE!” I’m struggling to get out but he pushes me back in.

He walks back into his room, I turn off the water and stand there looking at my clothes. I hear country music start and then the shower door opens again.

He leans his arms on either side of the door frame. “Don’t play games you can’t win Marie.” He takes a step into the shower and kisses me firmly, pushing his tongue into my mouth. It immediately turns frantic and full of need.

We begin to tear each others clothes off. He makes short work of my top and bra, having a good grope of my breasts as he goes. I have his jacket, shirt and vest off in no time but once again I’m having trouble with that damn belt buckle. He notices my predicament and again unhooks it for me with one hand.

I kick off my trainers and notice he is barefoot, he must have done that earlier. I get his jeans past his hips and he has done the same with me, pushing them off with our feet we begin kissing again and my hands are in his hair and on his chest.

He hits the shower button and this time it’s warm. Letting the water rush over us we kiss and explore each other with out hands, as he pushes our clothes out of the shower door and closes it.

Kissing down my face and onto my neck he bites the soft spot just behind my ear. I grab his air and cry out. “Logan.” That’ll leave a mark. He carries on kissing and nipping his way down my body.

He kneels in front of me and begins to kiss my pubic area through my panties, he gently removes then and flings them over he top of the shower door. Gently licking at my clit he pushes his tongue inside of me and then goes back to my clit. He is sliding his tongue in long sweeps over the whole area, and causing me to jump each time he hits my swollen and over-sensitive clit.

Increasing the pressure, I’m soon bucking against his mouth, but he is merciless, clamping a hand over each buttcheek to hold me to his mouth. I scream and come into his mouth when he growls on my clit. The world melts into nothing and I am momentarily certain my whole body is going to explode, starting with my groin. Afterwards, I am limp and washed out. Just the thought makes me smile as I collapse against the shower wall.

He straightens to take one of my nipples in his mouth, nipping and licking the hard nub. “Every inch of you tastes so fucking good, Marie.”

He raises my thigh up to his hip just like he did against the truck on Friday night. This time, we get enjoy the pose to its fullest. As he raises the other leg, he nudges his huge cock into me. He starts off as he means to go on, fast and hard, and I’m pushing my hips to meet his and moaning his name over and over again, like some kind of kinky prayer.

He kisses me roughly while I wind my arms around is neck. He breaks the heated kiss and puts his hand over my mouth, smiling he says “No screaming or someone’s gonna hear.” His other hand is on my ass and gripping really hard. “GOD DAMN!” Our orgasms creep up on us and explode into blackness. Wave upon wave hits me, stealing what might well be my last breath. Logan is growling into my neck as I’m moaning into his hand.

Panting like some old dog, he leans on me for support. Wordlessly, we untangle and wash each other. Stepping out of the shower he wraps me in a big towel and carries me to his bed. Laying next to me, he stares at me with a playful smile on his lips.

“You know I wouldn’t really hurt you, don’t you.”

“Yeah sugar I know, I did however for a split second think you were gonna flush my head down the toilet. I preferred this option a lot more.” I giggle and reach for his face. He pulls me towards him and we lay for a minute or two in silence.

He moves away and I sit up. He chucks on some dry jeans and starts to laugh while collecting my soaked clothes. “I can’t wait to see you sneak back to your room in a towel.”

I get off the bed and hit him on the arm. After a passionate and far too short kiss outside his room I silently pad down the corridor and I slip into my room. Jubes is once again missing.
At breakfast ‘Ro tells me that Scott, Bobby and Logan were called out on another pickup during the night - somewhere in England, of all places. They took off at first light.

I know it will take them a while so I go about the day as best I can and hope for some news tomorrow morning. Even though it’s only a routine pick up, I can’t help but be worried - after all, I was a routine pick up, and look how that turned out. Logan through the windscreen, Sabretooth trying to kill us, and then there’s the Magneto-machine-of-death incident. Hey. Details.


Wednesday morning brings no news, only an ETA of around nine that night. The students are on edge when members of the team are away, so classes are relaxed and easy to get on with while their minds are on other things. I think us adults use it as an excuse for us to worry in silence without having to worry about teaching.

The day passes and the whirring noise of the Blackbird signals the arrival of our returning heroes. All members of the team, and the Professor, meet them in the hangar.

I get a simple “Hey” from Logan as he exits the jet. All attention moves to the new kid, who is about fourteen years old and has a scarf wrapped around his throat and over his mouth. Kitty takes him off to settle him in.

In the briefing room, we discover that Jonathan Starsmore – or Chamber, as he likes to be called, was being abused by his father and kept in the basement of the family home. Logan, Scott and Bobby had to render the father unconscious while the mother begged them to take her son away.

Chamber’s body acts as a storehouse for vast amounts of psychic energy. He could project the psionic energy as a standard energy bolt, and like so many of us, this had led to disaster when he first manifested. The bolts erupted with enough force to destroy his lower face and upper chest, resulting in a horrific disfigurement.

Hank said that the full range, extent, and nature of Chamber’s psychic abilities couldn’t be determined, but he speculated that as he matured, the boy would be able to communicate telepathically (including projecting destructive mind blasts) and perform limited telekinesis. I didn’t really understand it all, but I got the gist: he’s dangerous and needs a little time, help and care. Just like all the rest.

The other kids let him settle in without too much fuss and another day in the world of weird came to an end.

The X-men sit up late into the night having a quiet drink and talking about the supposed coming war. Most of us think it’s all just to scare us into hiding but Logan and Scott recognise it as a real threat. The professor has his usual ‘things will go where they’re supposed too’ head on, so the conversation turns back to our new arrival.

Apparently Logan, Scott and Bobby had trouble with a couple of Magneto’s idiots to deal with as well. Our arch enemy is obviously seeking out the useful mutants with strong and dangerous powers that he can manipulate easily, like Pyro. And on that note we all excused ourselves and went to bed.


The next two days followed just much as the previous, classes continued as normal and the older students gave Jonathan a day to settle in before all the teenage boy bravado started. The trouble was reasonably limited, and he made some good friends quickly. Just what a troubled boy needs.

On Friday evening, the official Halloween committee - Jubes, Kitty, ‘Ro and myself - have the ballroom looking like a scene from Night Of The Living Dead, complete with old shop mannequins dressed up like evil zombies.

We are sitting in the middle of the dancefloor having a quiet beer when our men join us. Logan, Hank, the Professor, Scott, Bobby, Pete and Kurt all sit down with us. Scott has brought another small batch of beer and we all sit together and enjoy the moment.

“Looks kinda nightmareish, not gonna scare the younger ones is it?” Sweet of Logan to think of them.

“It should be fine. We’re starting it all off at five for any student 14 and under. Apple bobbing, games and a small disco, then at nine the over 15’s can join if the want or leave it until ten when we send the younger ones off to bed, lower the lights and start he party for real.”

“Vat is ze theme of ze dress? Just zombis or anyting scary?”

“Ah yes, I wished to know this?” The Professor is gonna dress up?

“Anything goes, what did you two have in mind?” Kurt smiles and shows his fangs.

“I vas thinking along ze lines of ze mighty Dracula, it vill be easy you see.” Another flash of fangs.

“Kojak, obvious but easy.” He taps the wheelchair.

“Good one, I’ve just swiped a colander from the kitchens, gonna stick it on my head and wear just my sports shorts.” We all look at Pete for a minute wondering what the hell he means. He sighs, flips his mutation on, then off again and we all give a collective “OH”. Tinman.

“Miss Munro, what about you?” Pete can call her Storm on a mission but has trouble with her real name. Sweet.

“Catwoman, but I’m not wearing it until after the kids go off at ten, it’s a bit racey. Kitty what have you got planned?” The guys just look us over like were mad women.

“Princess Leia, you know, the golden bikini. Jubes?” Bobby chokes on his beer and Pete has to bash him on the back a couple of times. I think she has made all his little boy dreams come true in one sentence.

“That’s why you said for me to dress like Skywalker? Cool!” We all look at Jubilee.

“A victim from The Birds. I’ve got this plastic bird to stick to my head and fake blood and everything…” she nudges Hank “...you?”

“I have one of those skull cap things with a helicopter on the top, one of the students commented, in jest I might add, that I looked not unlike a character called Taz.” We all laugh and he seems very pleased with his choice of costume.

“What about you, Logan?” I can’t help but tease him.

“Like I told you before darlin’, a big scary mutant guy with metal claws, in a clean shirt. You never told me yours?” I wonder if the others noticed he called me darlin’, but then tell myself not to stress - the secret will be out soon enough, anyway.

“Cruella De Ville. The hair – it’s easy.” I glance at Jubes and she smiles at her feet, obviously trying not to give me away. “And I won’t have to change because of the kids either. Scott. you’re the last. Let me guess, ummmm - Captain America!” He shakes his head and sniggers as I take a swig of my beer. I’m not the only one feeling the effect of our impromptu celebration. I just hope no one wants us too early in the morning.

“No, I’m not sure. I have to admit I kind of just left it.” He looks disappointed.

“I have something that will be perfect and will fit you, but you have to keep an open mind.” ‘Ro obviously has something up her sleeve.

After another round of beers the Professor heads off to bed and leaves us to it. The rest off us start talking about what scares us, as it is Halloween!

When its Bobby’s turn, he simply says “Snakes, now they’re scary.” I see Logan smirk out off the corner of my eye, and just know he is about to drop me in it any second.

“Scary like what Bobsicle, Junior High?” Logan, I am going to kill you. The beer is making me laugh behind my hand, so I lean over and bury my head in Pete’s shoulder but it doesn’t stop Bobby from glaring at me.

“You told him?” I nod and laugh at the same time.

“WHAT?” Once again, ‘Ro can’t help herself.

“Bobby wet himself his first day of Junior High!” I know I shouldn’t have said that, but hey, we’re all drunk. Chances are, we won’t remember.

As everyone wets themselves laughing, Bobby grumbles about going to bed and pulls Kitty up with him. We all take our cue from them and head off to bed. Logan hangs back as we walk to our rooms. At our door, Jubes kisses Hank and heads inside, while I linger, trying not to make it too obvious that I am waiting for Logan.

Logan takes my arm and gives me a quick kiss before anyone sees then he says a loud goodnight to everyone and disappears into his room. I shrug, disappointed, and then head to bed.

Later, I am dragged from sleep with a lurch. As I register the warm hand over my mouth, my eyes open to find a dark room and go wide with fear. I immediately flip on my skin. The pull takes in my attacker in super quick time and in a flash I know who has come for me.

“Logan! What the fuck are you doing I could mmmpphhhh….” He puts his hand back over my mouth, weakened but still conscious. My new control was proving more refined than I had ever expected – I had been able to stop the pull immediately I realised it was Logan. His thoughts told me exactly what he was doing here: he wanted another kiss but couldn’t wake me up. He had decided to shake me awake, but to keep me quiet to as not to wake “Whizz-bang” as he calls her. He also thought I looked like a sweet, innocent little girl all asleep like that. Aarrgh! A sweet innocent little girl who could kill you, fool!

“Sshh, come on.” He pulls me up and takes me into the bathroom. We sit on the floor with our backs resting up against the door and cuddle up. After a minute or two of silence I ask him something that has literally just come to me.

“If Jean hadn’t of died would this, us, be happening?” I feel him tense ever so slightly then he relaxes again.

“If I level with you will you promise to put the Jean thing to rest?”

“Yes.” What else can I say?

“Just before Alkali Lake, you remember, we camped out with Magneto?” I nod. “I made a pass at Jean.” I turn to glare at him but his solid calm stare makes me turn back and listen to him.

“I kissed her.” This had better be good, very good. “You know what she said? I may flirt with danger but I don’t take it home with me.” Bitch! Logan is not dangerous, well not like that anyway.

“She made her choice right there and then, no question, it was Scott. I went off to my tent to sulk and then something really weird happened. In she walks and starts to kiss me - but its not her, it’s that blue bitch and she switches from Jean to herself, then ‘Ro, then you.” No wonder he never told me this.

“It wasn’t till I saw you right above me in that position that something about you clicked into place. I think that was the first part of me moving on from Jean, accepting we weren’t going to be together. And finding that there was someone else that I cared for as much. And in time, more.” His arms instinctively tighten around me.

“I’ll never lie to you. I cared for her a lot and when she died the next fucking day it was too much. But you’re the one, so I think if she hadn’t have died then yeah, I would have gotten over it and fallen in love with you like I have now.”

The silence falls back into place, there’s nothing to add to that. He has admitted how he felt and that, in a way he regrets never having time to really try with Jean, but he wants me. I hold his arms tighter.

“I love you, Logan.” I wipe a tear from my eye, it’s so overwhelming, he really loves me. “Who have thought, confessions on a bathroom floor!”

“That reminds me, after tomorrow night I wanna ask Whizz-bang to take my room so I can move into this one with you, if ….if you wanted that, I mean.” He stutters like a little boy, so I turn in his lap and kiss him.

“Of course I want that.” He gives me that smile again. “I have one request though, that smile? It’s for me only.”

“What smile?” I poke his face with my finger.

“That smile, the ‘Me Wolverine, You Swoon’ smile.” He starts to laugh at me and I blush down to the roots of my hair. He leans up and kisses me tenderly.

“All this is yours baby, just yours.” Woo Hoo!

We kiss for ages and finally his erection becomes comical and I start to giggle. “Doesn’t that hurt after a while?”

He shifts his position and stands us up.“Yes! Go back to bed, you’re nothing but trouble.” A quick chaste peck on the forehead and he slips silently back to his own room, crawling back into bed I can’t escape the warm feeling that I have Logan, truly, and for always.


Saturday morning brings nothing but a headache and the sounds of Jubilee murdering Robbie Williams in our shower. “Jubilation, Angels will be offering you a smack upside the head if you don’t shut up.” Soon to be mine and Logan’s shower. Now that brings a smile, considering I know what he likes to do in them.

I tell Jubes what Logan said last night and she jumps up and down squeaking like a deranged guinea pig on heat. That’s just coming down from a bad acid trip. But the guinea pig in question agrees, so we’re all happy.

Surprisingly, within an hour or two her stuff is packed and ready to move. I get in the shower and when I come back out her stuff is gone. Looking out into the hall I see Logan sneaking down the hall with a duffel bag and a box. It seems that Jubes went to tell him and he decided do it now and tell everyone later.

We hear everyone head off for breakfast and as quietly as possible swap the beds over. Both beds fit in Jubes new room but they are pushed together. We have more trouble getting Logan’s king size in our room, because by this time Jubilee and I are finding it hard to do anything without laughing. It’s that same old story - some guy tells you you have to be really quiet, so the first thing that pops into your head is to laugh!

When were done we collapse on our new bed and snuggle up together while Jubes goes in search of her blue beau. After about ten minutes of idle chat we fall asleep.

I am woken up by a rough male hand kneading my breast. “Its just after three, you wanna get up or stay here with me darlin’?” Three.

“THREE! I gotta go - I have to get ready we’re doing the kids party.” I jump off the bed and he simply shakes his head at me. I dive in the shower again and start getting ready. “Sorry sugar you need to leave, woman on a mission here!” I can still hear him laughing as he closes the door.

I’m ready in my De Ville coat, its thin and light and buttons from my neck to my toes so you can’t see underneath. I put my brown hair up in a high messy top bun and the white streaks on one side and back comb them so they stick up. I put on long gloves and slip on a perfectly De Ville ring, add an extra long cigarette holder and … Perfect!

The kids party goes perfectly and at nine, they head off to bed without a fuss. Hank and Logan oversee them going off, and unsurprisingly, none of them want to argue.

I nip upstairs with Jubes and add something a little extra to my outfit then slip back down again without anyone noticing.

The more adult party is in full swing. The mansion residents of 15 years and older are more like friends than teachers and pupils, so it’s an easy night.

All our costumes are a hit and we laugh and joke and drink with ease. ‘Ro brings in Scott who is wearing an inflatable pumpkin costume and we all laugh till me and Jubes and Kitty have to sit down for fear of falling over. He laughs too and tells Logan that his visor will slip if he says one word!

At half ten I whisper in Logan’s ear, “I’m gonna do it now.” He winks at me and smiles. He is wearing a black suit with a black shirt and looks really, really good. As in sexy, hot, intoxicating, mind numbingly dangerous, and so many other sex-laden comments that my mind can’t keep track of when I look at him. I vow to myself that I will rip his clothes off with my teeth later.

I walk up to the DJ stand and ask for a microphone. Standing slightly raised from everyone else in the room I start. “Excuse me everyone, can I have your attention.” Oh god, I can’t breath. They all stop and turn towards me. “I have a small announcement to make.” Logan smiles at me and I’m suddenly reassured, if he’s here, it’s all going to be fine.

“Sorry, I’m not good at this but I’m gonna have to get good at it. About a week ago I made a little breakthrough, ” I take off one glove and wiggle my fingers at the room “this kinda breakthrough. I can touch and I can feel and I have no need for protection anymore.”

Everyone cheers and claps and the DJ plays a quick congratulations beat. I wave my hands to calm them down again. “There is one other thing I wanted to tell everyone but I have a special way I want to do it.” I look at Logan, then I give the mic back to the DJ and remove my other glove.

Dropping both the gloves on the floor I start to unbutton my coat, I’m staring at Logan, who has a slight look of panic on his face. I smile my sexiest smile and carry on unbuttoning the coat.

I slip it off my shoulders and there is a collective gasp and someone, I don’t know who, choked on their beer. It slides to the floor to reveal my little outfit adjustment.

I’m wearing a black silk, sleeveless halter dress with a slit neckline that plunges low enough to show off my bellybutton. I step off the platform and the thigh high split reveals nearly all of my left leg complete with Jubes’s boots. I’ve gone from Cruella to sexy vamp in one stroke.

As I walk towards him, the crowd parts. Maybe because there’s a lot of skin on show, or perhaps I simply have presence, I’m not sure. I can see his eyes and they are glistening black pools of pure onyx. Everyone who is now behind me can see that the back of the dress is completely open, and you can see all of my back, including the claw marks tattooed on either side of my spine.

As I slowly reach him he puts his hand up to my face and kisses me, gently at first and then it gets heated. Everyone whistles and cheers and we stop and grin at each other and everyone else.

The music starts and plays a slow love song, everyone takes the dance floor around us. “You know darlin’, we are leaving any minute, ‘cause you look fucking unbelievable.”

His hands are all over my back making my pale skin hot. “We’re not going anywhere until the party is over, I want to enjoy it.” My voice is a sexy whisper and my lips are so close to his.

“You’re a little witch, you know that?”

“I know, sugar!” I smile and he nips his tongue out to touch my lips. The party seems to go devilishly slow after that - I spend a lot of time walking around talking to people and avoiding Logan’s wandering hands.

When the lights finally go up we are so ready to leave, it’s insane. I’m saying goodnights to all of our friends and getting final congratulations from them, and Logan is practically man-handling me out of the room.

We kiss and fumble our way to our room and gently tumble onto the bed. We don’t need to talk anymore, everything we want to say is all right here at our fingertips.

He feels his way up my thigh and shock registers on his face as he discovers I have no panties on. I simply smile, and bring his face down for a hot and breathless kiss.

He slips the dress over my head and rubs his hands over my breasts, rolling my nipples between his fingers. I moan and tip my head backwards letting him remove the dress completely from my hot and anticipation-ridden body.

I sit up and move towards him, taking the lapels of his jacket and slipping it off his muscular shoulders. Distracted, I have to kiss him hard enough to get him to growl. Next, I can’t help myself but rip his shirt open. He is practically snarling into my mouth as the buttons hit the floor. His belt buckle is next and he can’t suppress a chuckle when I unhook the fucking lone wolf with one hand. He kicks his shoes off and I go to unzip my boots. I reconsider when he gives me a hot, hot look, and I leave them on with a smile.

We are kissing again and his hands are on my backside, lifting me up and across the bed. It’s feverish and desperate and needy, everything it should be when you can’t wait for a person to be completely with you in mind, body and soul.

He nips at my neck and enters me, stretching and tingling every nerve ending in my body to the point of explosion. My wetness makes it easy for him to slide in and fill me completely. He goes slowly but it’s hard, our kisses are heated and combined with soft touches and rubbing hands we are soon panting into each other faces.

“You’re amazing darlin’.” We are wrapped in each others arms and closing in on the conclusion with cataclysmic bliss. It’s slow, lingering heaven.

“Aahh yeah Logan, please.” He re-positions me so that my left leg is over his shoulder and the leather of my boot is creaking slightly as the muscles in his shoulder flex. He carries on grinding into me with the force that you would expect from an amazing man like Logan. Pumping in and out, he increases his speed and grips my hips. More handprints tomorrow.

“FUCK MARIE!” He’s gone over the edge and I throw my head back and let out a gasp, followed by a continuous moan that could be his name but I’m not sure, as I follow him seconds later.

We lay there, wrapped in nothing but warm skin and our love. I snuggle into his chest and play with the light hairs there. “You’re a little vixen, you know that? I was completely fucked when you took that coat off, first off I thought you were naked!”

“I toyed with the idea but decided I didn’t want you to escort me too my room too soon!” He holds me a little tighter and then he pulls the sheets up around us and we snuggle in. “Love you.”

“I know.” I swat him on the side of the head.

“Shut up you smug bastard!” He laughs and traces his hand over my thigh, and I get the feeling I’m not going to sleep anytime soon. “You know I still have my boots on?”

“I. KNOW.” Yep, definitely no sleep yet!

END