Rogue had spent almost 10 years covered up, with layer upon layer of protective clothing on her body. Not to keep her safe, but to protect others from her deadly skin that manifested itself as part of her mutation. Because of this, she had sweltered, sweat and been generally uncomfortable when the weather was warm for nearly a decade before she had learned to control her skin.

Nothing had prepared her for the human blast furnace she had become since getting pregnant. She fluctuated between "uncomfortably warm" to "somewhere in the middle of hell" in terms of how she felt. No matter what, she was hot and uncomfortable. It seemed to get worse with each passing day. She'd been shedding clothes and felt most physically comfortable in her and Logan's mansion suite because there she wore as little as possible. Smiling to herslef, she realized it was also where she felt generally most comfortable because it was where she was totally, completely and utterly accepted and cherished for herself.

Currently she was wearing a bra and boy shorts, sprawled in a chair with her feet resting on the air conditioning vent and two oscillatng fans on each side of her, blowing on high directly onto her body. One hand trailed over the arm of the chair, fingertips grazing the floor. The other held a tall glass filled with ice cubes and lemonade.

She turned her head as Logan entered their room. "Hey sugah. Can ya turn down the AC a few degrees?"

Logan gaped at her. "Marie, seriously? It's frigging *freezing* in here!" He walked over to the thermostat and glanced at the setting. "It's 62 degrees in here right now."

He felt like the biggest jerk in the world when her limpid brown eyes filled with tears. He rushed across the room and knelt beside her just as she broke into sobs. "But Ah'm so *hot* and sweaty and Ah feel so sticky and ugly...." She buried her face in her hands and wept.

Taking her into his arms, he remembered Hank mentioning extreme mood swings as something to be expected during pregnancy. Hormones surges or something along those lines, as he recalled. And now here he was, making his sweet Marie cry when she didn't feel right as it was.

Brushing kisses into her hair as she hiccupped and snuffled against his chest, he murmured "Shhhh, hush now, darlin'. Don't you cry, I'll make it better for ya."

With a final caress he called over his shoulder as he headed for the door. "Put on some clothes. I'll be back in a minute."

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Logan stalked into the game room, his hazel eyes sweeping the room until he saw Bobby Drake sitting on a couch, talking with Jubilee and Kitty. He headed over there.

Jubilee saw him first and waggled her fingers at him in a wave. "Hey, Wolf Poppa......whassup?"

He rolled his eyes and ignored her. Pointing a finger at Bobby, he growled. "Drake. I need your help."

Despite several years having passed since he and Rogue had broken up, something in Bobby still couldn't quite like Logan. He respected him as a member of the team and begrudingly admitted that he made Rogue happy. That didn't mean he had to do him any favors between missions when he was on his own time. "Piss off, Logan."

SNIKT

Logan hauled Bobby over the back of the couch by his shirtfront with one hand as his other brought his claws to rest just under the younger man's chin. "See here, Snowflake, I don't give a shit whether you want to help *me* or not, you *will* help Rogue unless you want me to pull your guts out through your nose."

Kitty and Jubilee leaned toward Logan once he mentioned Rogue and started talking over one another. "Is she okay? Is there something wrong with the baby? Can we help?"

With a glance at Bobby, whose feet were just off the floor, Logan explained that his wife just couldn't seem to cool off and was feeling the worse for wear. Jubilee, who was bright as the sparks of her mutation, grinned and clapped her hands. "Wolvie, I've got the perfect idea to cool her off and make her feel better!"


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Several hours later, Logan led a blindfolded Rogue into their suite, then scooped her into his arms as he sat on their couch. He settled her across his lap and clasped his hands around her waist. "If you're comfy, Marie, ya can take off your blindfold and see your suprise."

Rogue removed the scarf that obstructed her vision and gasped softly as her vision adjusted.

The room has been strung with thousands of clear and white faerie lights that twinkled on and off. Swaths of sheer white fabric had been draped across most surfaces and tealight candles in crystal votives were scattered about. Rogue was delighted. "It looks like a winter wonderland!"

"You ain't seen nothing yet, darlin."

He held his wife in his arms as soft, fluffy snowflakes drifted down from the ceiling. One caught on Rogue's eyelashes which he kissed away. "Like it?"

She nodded. "Ah love it. Sugah, how did ya......"

He shrugged. "Kitty and Jubilee got Ro and Hank to help them with the decorating and Bobby contributed the snow."

Rogue hugged him around the neck. "Thank you!"

Logan held her tighter and patted her rounded belly as his teeth chattered. "Anything my girl needs, my girl gets."