It wasn't the way she scrunched up her nose or pursed her lips as if she was about to cry. It wasn't how her eyes got this sheen that hinted at tears. It wasn't even how she started to twist her hair around a finger, chewing on the ends, that was his downfall.

Nope.

It was two little words.

"But, Daddy…"

Those two little words turned him into jello as quick as you could say 'I used to be a real man'. Of course, he still growled. He even threatened, although he threatened Scott, not her.

But when Carrie pleaded, Logan generally caved.

It was a sad day for clawed, feral, ass-kicking men.

There was little he wouldn't do, and apparently, the list no longer included wandering about the neighborhood, watching his child demand candy from virtual strangers.

Tonight he would take his four-year-old daughter Trick or Treating.

The first thing he noticed when he came up from the classroom levels of the mansion was that there were clothes laid out for him on the bed. That wasn't unusual. On most formal occasions Marie would put out exactly what he was to wear. While he was capable of dressing himself, the one occasion in which a plaid shirt had replaced the white one was never to be lived down. Logan still wasn't quite sure of the problem; after all, it hadn't been a flannel plaid shirt.

The outfit on the bed was all black, so at least it wasn't something too weird. Upon closer inspection, Logan noticed there was a leather sash, a plastic sword, and dear god… an eyepatch.

"Oh, good, you're back. We need to get moving if you're going to take Carrie out before the party."

"I thought we weren't going?"

"Logan, we have to at least make some kind of appearance. We go, we drink, we eat little pieces of meat and cheese off toothpicks, we leave."

He growled, but the expression of tempered amusement on her face left him nothing to do but to end the growl on a sigh and head for the showers.

Twenty minutes later, he had just finished dressing in his costume when Marie came back from Carrie's room. She was still wearing jeans and a sweatshirt, but she was now decorated with streaks of pink make-up on her face and neck.

"Marie, don't you think these pants are a little tight?"

She turned from the bureau, where she was rooting around in her jewelry box and looked at him thoughtfully, taking in the open black shirt, the close fitting black pants. "I don't think so, sugar. The guy at the costume store told me that it was your size." She moved over to where he stood in front of the mirror and took the eyepatch from him, helping him to get it in position, then flipped it up so he could see. "You look great."

"I feel like an idiot."

"Pirates are fierce and manly, not idiotic."

"I'm Canadian. We don't have pirates."

She giggled and went back to rooting around, finally finding a piece of tacky plastic jewelry. She headed back to Carrie's room, talking over her shoulder. "Carrie should be ready in a few minutes, sugar. Why don't you call over and see if Scott and Charlie are ready to go?"

Logan headed to the phone, more than ready to get this night over with as soon as possible.

---

"Daddy! Daddy! I got another popcorn ball!"

"That's great, baby. Why don't we put it back in your bucket, and you can eat it when we get home?"

Carrie gave him a look that definitely belied the Angel Princess costume she was wearing. He began to get the feeling this was what Marie was talking about when the words 'like father like daughter' came up. But she put the popcorn ball back in the almost overflowing bucket. Charlie was behind her, dressed in a Dracula outfit that looked amazingly like the one his father was wearing, clutching his own popcorn ball tightly. As Carrie took his hand and Charlie took his father's, Logan sniggered softly. He had been ribbing Scooter for the last hour or so about the matching costumes. That had been his only real entertainment; snacks provided by the people who liked to give the adults escorts a sympathy bribe of candy.

Scott looked up and gave him a look that was clearly understandable, despite the ruby quartz shades he wore.

As they walked back to the car, Logan was certain, in the two hours they had been at this, they had hit every house in Salem Center. Sliding behind the steering wheel, Logan left Scott to make sure everyone was belted in and started the car. Pulling away, he smiled quickly at the sight of his daughter's wings, dancing around in the rearview mirror.

Returning to the Mansion, the first stop was the medlab, where the candy was quickly run through the X-Ray machine while Charlie and Carrie squirmed impatiently. After that, the Summers and the Logans parted ways. Returning to their suite, Logan heard Marie in the bathroom. He watched in amusement as Carrie dumped out her bucket of treats in the center of the family room floor. Stepping carefully to avoid the various sweets, Logan crossed to the little fridge in the corner, grabbing a bottle of beer.

"You can have two things tonight, Carrie."

"But Daddy…"

The idea of years of dental appointments was enough for Logan to stand his ground on this one.

"Two, Carrie."

Moving the candy around, she looked at it, choosing an item, then putting it back. Finally, she took one of the popcorn balls, then after careful consideration, one of the little candy bars. Armed with her choices, she climbed onto the sofa next to Logan. She handed him the items and he opened them, dusting the popcorn off his pants when half of the popcorn ball collapsed. Turning on the TV, he and Carrie watched the hockey game, Logan drinking his beer as Carrie quickly devoured the sweets.

"Well, what do you think?" Marie's voice floated over them, and father and daughter turned to look.

"Mommy! You're a princess too," exclaimed Carrie.

Logan had to agree. Her long hair was curled up in ringlets, a tiara resting on her head. The style of the dress was most likely 18th century, long and silky, the bodice cut low, her breasts pressed upwards and outwards by whatever it was she wore beneath the dress.

"Thank you, sweetie. You ready for bed?"

"No," their daughter protested, but her eyelids were already looking heavy, even beneath the pink and white and chocolate covering. Luckily, she hadn't had enough sugar to get truly wired.

"Come on, let's wash this off, okay, sugar?"

Carrie nodded agreeably, something she tended to do for her mother, and Marie picked her up, resting Carrie on a hip. "I'll just be a few minutes," she whispered.

"Can't wait," Logan replied, the eyeful of cleavage he was privy to not completely making up for having to go to one of Xavier's parties. Marie winked at him, and he watched as his two princesses disappeared into Carrie's room.

---

An hour later, bored out of his mind, Logan was wondering if Magneto might be available for a rematch. He took another sip of his whiskey, catching Marie's eye as she turned from where she was talking to a one of the endless people with money that Xavier usually invited to these things. Marie excused herself and headed in his direction.

"You look like you're about to explode, sugar," she said, her eyes twinkling.

"I'm bored," he said, an eyebrow raising above the eyepatch.

"You could mingle, you know. Talk to people."

He stared at her. "I'd be more bored. Might even be tempted to impale someone," he replied, waiving his plastic pirate sword half-heartedly at her

She gave him an amused look, sliding her arm through his. "Come on, Mr. Canadian Pirate, let's go."

He looked down at the long silky gloves she wore. Looking up at her face, he noticed her eyebrow was quirked, and that look he knew held promise was in her eyes. Things were looking up.

The quiet of the elevator was a relief after the constant noise of the ballroom. As Logan pressed the button for the residence floor, he felt silk covered hands slid up his back, as Marie's satin covered body pressed against him.

Her hands traced his shoulders, down his arms, wrapping herself around him, finally letting her hands fall to where the already tight pants were getting tighter by the second. Logan stepped back, then again, until he knew she was pressed against the rear wall of the elevator. Turning in her arms, he was face to face with her in a split second, his lips lowering to hers. His hands slid around until he could pull her closer, deepening the kiss as he did. Her mouth was warm and tasted like the champagne punch she had been drinking all night.

The elevator pinged insistently, waiting for them to exit. Marie pushed him backward, not breaking the kiss, and he moved. They were halfway down the hall before they broke for breath. Logan pressed against her, and Marie looked down, grinning up at him as she saw his erection straining against the pirate pants. Turning back down the hall, she grabbed his hand, pulling him along behind her.

Entering their room, Marie walked in front of Logan, stopping inside the family room. Emily, their babysitter, on the sofa doing her homework for Ororo's history class.

Emily gave them a smile. "She's still asleep, Miss Rogue, Mr Logan. She woke up once for some water, but she's been quiet since."

"Thanks, Emily," Marie said, not moving from her position in front of Logan. Grabbing her books, Emily left the room, heading back to the student wing. That was one nice thing about living in a house full of teenagers, Logan thought. There was always a babysitter around.

When the door closed behind Emily, Marie turned around. Smiling at him, she ran her fingers through his hair as he pulled her close. Logan growled as he once again lost himself in the taste and feel of his wife, letting the passion grow.

Marie was ready for him, pressing her body against his. A silk-coverered hand moving between them to rub against him. A murmuring from the direction of Carrie's room made its way into Logan's consciousness, and he raised his head, looking in the direction of Carrie's room. Turning to look in that direction, Marie let him go with a whimper, heading to Carrie's room. Logan waited in the family room in an uncomfortable state of arousal, tossing eyepatch and sword on the desk, relieved when Marie returned in a few seconds.

"Just talking in her sleep. I tucked her in again, and she didn't wake."

He nodded and followed her into their room, shutting the door tightly when they were inside. He turned around to see her looking at him. He raised an eyebrow.

"You look very piratey. Even if you did take off the eyepatch," she giggled.

"You look… quite ravishable, Madame Marie," he replied, stalking toward her.

She giggled harder, then tried to make a straight face. "Are you planning to ravish me, oh fierce pirate of Canada?"

"I was thinking about it, but I'm not going to if you keep up with the Canada cracks," he told her, walking over to the bed and sitting down.

She snorted, putting on a serious expression. She walked over and stood in front of him, looking down at him. Her silk covered fingers slid into his hair, then down to lift up his chin. Her lips hovered above his. "Then I guess I'll have to ravish you, my pirate," she whispered. And her lips moved onto his, sealing her promise.

She pushed him back onto the bed as her tongue traced his lips, then slid to war with his. Logan shuddered at the feel of body-warmed silk tracing patterns into the skin of his chest through the deep V of the open black silk shirt. Slipping free of his mouth, Marie kissed down his neck to his chest. She kissed and licked until she finally slid off the bed, her eyes level with his erection. Logan bolted upright as he felt her kiss him through the fabric, then felt her warm breath on him as she teased him through the fabric.

Marie smiled tightly up at him, passion making her needy and determined. She started to undo the buttons of the fly, and Logan was thankful that two years of undoing button flies with gloves on had given his wife this skill. When the fly was open, she grinned at him.

"Worried about a pantyline, were we?" she asked, not waiting for an answer, her tongue tracing him.

When she took him in her mouth, Logan growled. Her tongue slid over him, her teeth gently nipped. Silk-encased fingers lifted him, caressing up and down the warm skin of the shaft as her tongue swirled around the head. He was hard and ready and needy, and he could feel the warmth in her, hear how her blood was pounding.

Sliding a hand into her hair, knocking the tiara askew, not that either noticed, Logan pulled her from him, carefully, but firmly. Her full lips made a moue of disappointment, but when Logan pulled her upright, then fell to his knees on the floor in front of her, she moaned in anticipation.

Logan flipped up what seemed like a thousand skirts, his hands finally encountering her legs, bare of hose. Looking up in the dark under her skirts, he could tell there were no panties in his way. A growling chuckle started deep in his throat as her scent surrounded him in the tent created by her skirts.

One hand went around to hold her steady, cupping the soft weight of her rear as the other hand caressed the backs of her knees, sliding up and down the soft skin of her thighs. He heard her moan, and moved closer, letting a finger slide between the sable curls between her legs.

Marie cried out as Logan did things that she couldn't see, could only feel, the knot inside her grew as his finger, then two, slid along the outer lips. Her knees weakened as he slid one finger deeper, curling around to hit her g-spot.

Logan knew she couldn't stand much longer, so he lifted her, moving until she fell back onto the bed, never moving from beneath her skirts. Once he no longer had to support her, he used both hands to open her, his tongue finally finding and tormenting her clitoris, licking softly, then sucking gently.

Feeling her tense, Logan stopped, needing to be with her. He fought his way free of the skirts, moving to stand over her. Bending, he watched her as he unbuttoned a few of the pearl buttons at the bodice of her dress, her breasts falling out, the cut of the dress still pressing them up. Her nipples were tight and hard as he lowered his lips, letting one hand stray back down under the skirts as he laved and nipped.

Marie was ready to throw him down on the bed when he stepped back. They were both panting hard, and Marie took a quick gasp of air as her drying nipples felt the air and she saw Logan's expression of need, his penis dark and engorged.

She opened her arms, and he looked at her, then looked down at himself.

"Let's do this the piratey way," he said, his voice rough with passion. Extending a hand to her, he pulled her up, watching in regret as her skirts fell again. He stacked a few pillows at the end of the bed, then moved to stand behind her. Marie leaned over, resting her arms against the pillows, a shiver running through her as Logan lifted her skirts from behind.

One large hand caressed her as it moved around her hips to cup her, tilt her. Logan was close, and a second later and a deep thrust, and she was pulling him closer. They both sighed in relief.

The time for slow was long since over, and Logan began to thrust, sliding inside her, the muscles under that soft and wet skin pulling him deeper, tightening around him. The bed shook as he pushed forward, then slid back, his fingers seeking and finding the knot of nerves inside her.

Marie gasped at the first stroke of his fingers, and when his fingers slid on her in cadence with the rhythm of his thrusts, she pushed backwards, drawing him tighter, closer. Their movements became more and more erratic, until Logan felt her pull him deeper, her muscles all around him, grasping him until he came, her name low and rough, the only thing he could remember that mattered in his world.

---

He woke when she moved, mainly because he was lying on top of her, and she was rubbing her rear against him. He was still inside her, so he noticed right away when she was able to move again. Flipping himself over, he broke the intimate connection unwillingly, smiling when she slid over him, resting her knees on either side of his hips.

He returned her kiss, following her back up as she tried to break the connection. Finally, he broke off, arousal already singing in his veins; the steady pounding of blood as it relocated from one head to another.

Marie looked down at her dress and sighed, "Well, this one's ruined…"

Logan blinked, then smiled.

"The Lady and the pirate. You planned this," he accused, amused by the outraged expression on her face, completely at odds with the desire that danced in her eyes.

"Well, I assumed that a Canadian pirate would be more gentlemanly…" she began, cut off when Logan reached up, a claw sliding out. Staring into her eyes, he slid the blade between her breasts, then down, keeping it a hairsbreadth from her skin, but cutting the elaborate dress from her.

Marie quivered but didn't dare move, not until he was done, and the claw slid back beneath his skin. A moan came unbidden as he slid the dress from her like a coat, sitting up so the hairs of his chest, quite accessible through the open shirt, tormented her sensitized breasts. His lips were at her throat, then down, returning to suckle, then sliding upward again, returning taste and drink from her lips.

Her hands scrabbled at the shirt, pulling it out of the pants, ripping it. Her fingers, still covered in silk, fumbled at the leather sash. Finally getting the buckle open, and she threw it over her head, not caring where it landed. Standing, she kicked off her shoes, then pulled his boots off.

It was a good thing she still had the gloves on when she started on the pants, Logan figured, because her nails could have done some damage if she hadn't. When he was nude, and she was dressed only in the gloves, she climbed back onto the bed, straddling him again. Their hands were busy on each other, playing with sensitive nerves and skin. Logan kissed his way down her cheeks, then licked her neck, biting gently, then kissing to make it better.

Marie was being carried away as he tasted her skin, rubbing herself against him, making sure her breasts stroked his skin. Her hand slid between them and she fondled him, reaching below to trace the soft skin that covered his balls, moving to the underside of this cock, never letting him be untouched. When he thrust against her hand, she pressed her body down on his, wedging them tighter, feeling a shudder move through him.

Pulling her hand free, Marie moved her leg, wincing at the stiffness, wrapping it around his hips, then repeating the procedure on the other side, until she was curled around him. Their eyes met as he lifted her, and slowly and gently, as lips met, he lowered her onto him. They both sighed as he slid inside, as Marie shifted to take him deeper.

Her hands were twisted around his back, his hands were holding her rear, and they started to move, undulating, striving. Marie pulled the gloves from her arms, throwing them to the side, not wanting anything between them, skin to skin, from head to toe. They were wrapped around and in each other, whispering words of love and lust and need softly into each other's ears.

This time, when the explosion came, it was that rare time when they were perfectly attuned, when they went over the summit together, muscles clenching and straining, slick and warm, powerful bodies united in a powerful act of mating.

The aftershocks slid through them like lightening, leaving them quivering and convulsing as they came down from the high. Logan moved until he was on his back, Marie atop him, bodies still connected, nerves still humming. Marie whispered teasing words in his ear, telling him he'd make a wonderful pirate, even in swashbuckling places like Alberta. Logan swatted her on the rear, snorting since he refused to laugh.

Not long after that, Marie stole out to the family room, returning with a handful of Carrie's miniature candy bars. They ate the sweets while still teasing each other, feeding each other bits of chocolate.

Finally, they fell asleep, pulling the covers around them, nestling deep in the warmth of their bed.

---

Logan always knew when someone was watching him when he woke up. This morning was no different. He looked over Marie's naked shoulder to see Carrie standing at the side of the bed, a look of disapproval in her hazel eyes. Well, eye actually, for her left eye was covered by the eyepatch. She was wearing her wings and had Marie's tiara resting on her dark hair. Logan idly wondered when and where it had fallen off.

She held up the candy wrappers that they had let fall to the floor the night before.

"You were only supposed to eat two, Daddy."