She followed her nose; her keen sense of smell picking out the freshest scent with practiced ease as her cat-like eyes led her down the dark hallway. The crack of light under the kitchen door confirmed what she already knew: Logan was awake.

Pushing gently on the door, not because she expected to startle him - he was already aware she was there, she knew - but because nighttime was the time for quiet movements, Megan entered the room.

Logan was there all right, in his usual pair of jeans and nothing else. He didn’t look up. "Can't sleep, huh?"

She smiled. For a grown-up he acted pretty cool, like not being overly concerned just because she didn't feel like sleeping.

"Nope. The moon was just too bright tonight for sleeping." She walked over and leaned against the kitchen island. "I thought we weren't supposed to sit on the island. Dr. Grey said it was 'unsanitary' or something."

Logan gave her one of those quirky grins that meant she had said something funny. "I won't tell if you won't," he said in a deep, rumbly voice. "Hop up."

"Just a second." Excited that she could get away with staying up, she ran over to the refrigerator and opened up the freezer. She pulled out a small carton and then grabbed a spoon from the drawer as she slammed the door shut and raced back to the island. She plopped her goods on the counter, then hopped up on it, tugging on her long nightshirt so she could sit cross-legged opposite him before she attacked the carton with her fingernails. Logan was the only grown-up that wouldn't tell if she ate ice cream late at night, possibly because he didn’t know it was something kids usually weren't allowed to do.

"Whatcha doin'?" Megan asked as she got the top off and proceeded to attack the contents with the spoon.

"Crossword. I thought that was Rogue's," he commented, still not looking up from the paper, his pen hovering over the square needing to be filled in.

"She bought it for me last time she went to the store." Megan put another spoonful in her mouth and winced as a cold-rush made her mouth freeze. She began to fan her face with the spoon to do something while the feeling slowly went away. He looked up and cocked an eyebrow at her, which made her start to giggle. "Haven't you ever eaten too big a bite of ice cream and had it freeze your brain?"

"Nope."

He looked back down at the crossword and she shrugged her shoulders. "That's weird." She scooped a huge chunk onto the spoon and offered it. "Want some? It's chocolate-chip cookie dough." Logan absently opened his mouth and she shoveled it in. He muttered something and she cocked her head. "What?"

"I said that's a weird flavor."

"Oh. I like it." She scooped more and conversed between bites. "So, I overheard Rogue saying that tomorrow's she and your anniversary of when you met and stuff. She's betting you forgot. You'd better do something, you know. Girls like it when they get stuff for anniversaries and birthdays. My dad said so," she advised with the sublime solemnity of an eleven-year-old.

"Hmmm," Logan rumbled as he filled in more squares.

She stared. "Logan! You have to do something!"

Logan looked up and grinned. "What makes you think I haven't?"

Megan dropped the carton and the spoon. "Ooh do I get to see it first?" She hopped down. "Where is it? Where is it?" She sniffed the air expectantly. "Flowers? Candy?"

"Check the refrigerator."

Megan skipped over and opened the door. Inside was a small vase with a perfect yellow rose in it, graced with a purple ribbon and some baby's breath. Next to it was a bag from the bakery down the road. She grinned and turned around.

"Breakfast in bed?"

"Yep," he replied.

"My dad's big on that one, too." She closed the door and walked back over to the island. "I'd better get to bed. I want to be up early to hear her reaction." She put the top back on the carton and hid it in the back of the freezer so other eyes wouldn't be quick to spot it.

"She may sleep late, you know."

"Yeah, come to think of it, my mom and dad sleep late on their anniversaries, too." She reached up on tiptoe and patted his shoulder. "'I'll go to bed anyway. I don't want to get yelled at again. 'Night, Logan."

He leaned over and gave her a half-hug. "'Night, kitten. Need me to tuck you in?"

"Nah, I'm good."

She padded off and, for a while, all was silent as Logan finished the crossword. Then he checked his watch, sighed, and jumped gracefully off the island. He spotted Megan’s spoon and picked it up, then eyed the refrigerator. It only took a minute for him to find the hidden carton at the back of the freezer and scoop out another spoonful. Putting the spoon in his mouth, he closed the appliance door and turned, only to find Megan standing at the doorway.

“I forgot my spoon,” she began to say, when she saw what was in his mouth. “Hey!”

He took it out and licked it clean. “Thought I’d give it one more try.”

She cocked her head. “And?”

“Still weird. Think Rogue would like it, though?”

At that, she beamed. “Oh, yes. She told me she does. Are you going to go get her some?”

“Maybe for her birthday next month,” he offered as he went over to the sink to deposit the spoon. “Come on. Let’s get you in bed.” He turned her around and steered her out the door.

Yellow eyes pleaded in the dark hall. “I could help set up the tray, you know. Jubilee says I’m good at setting the table.”

“Uh huh, you are.”

Her bottom lip started to protrude in a pout. “I don’t get to stay up and help, do I?”

“Nope.” They reached the bedroom door and he playfully pushed her toward her bed. “There’s some things a man has to do by himself.”

Megan nodded as she climbed between the sheets. “I guess so.” Then she started to grin. “Can you surprise me sometime? Hey, it’s your turn to do breakfast. Can you make it pizza?””

“Pizza for breakfast?” A skeptical eyebrow rose as he tucked the covers around her. “There’s not a rule against that?”

“Not that I know of,” she said in a purely innocent voice.

He grunted. “Well, it would give me something to do while I wait for her to wake up. I guess so.”

“Cool!” He frowned at her excitement, and she grinned back. “I mean, it’s going to be a very cool anniversary. Rogue’ll love it.”

“’Night, kitten.”

“’Night, Logan. Give Rogue a good-morning hug for me.”

“Will do.”

He went back to the kitchen and mixed the dough, then started a pot simmering with pizza sauce before he prowled the house and grounds. By the time he had finished setting the tray and arranging the microwaved pastries on a plate, the kitchen was filled with the wonderful aroma of rising bread and Italian spices.

Logan carefully opened the door to Marie's room and set the tray on her bedside table. He sat gingerly on the side of her bed and began to trace a fingertip against her cheek. If she had any nightmares, the chances were her skin had become active, but she sighed happily and he realized all was safe. He leaned over and gently kissed her on the lips. When they parted, he deepened the kiss until she responded in kind. Soon her arms were around his neck and she drew him down on top of her.

"Mornin', sugar. You smell delicious, like pizza." Then she frowned and licked her lips. "But you taste like cookie dough."

"Anything wrong with that?" he asked as he leaned in and kissed her neck.

"Not that Ah can think of," she groaned in response.

"Happy anniversary, darlin'," he said with a grin. "I brought you breakfast in bed."

"You sure did. Ah hope you brought food, too," she said as she pulled him closer for another kiss.