“I’m not some fucking Swiss army knife!” Marie heard Logan’s angry voice from garage. She peeked in and saw him standing there with Scott. Scott was holding a bundle of wires, staring at Logan, and Logan looked at him with positively murderous glare on his face.
“I just asked if you could help me with these…” Scott started but rest of his sentence was cut off when claws oozed out from Logan’s hands.
“Fuck it… Give them to me,” Logan grunted, took wires from him and started to cut knotted parts away.
“We have wire cutters, you know…” Scott said and pointed to wall where all his tools hung neatly organized. Logan smirked sheepishly.
“Sorry about that, Scooter.”
“Never mind. Guess we take too much of you for granted.” Either of men hadn’t yet noticed Rogue, and she crept closer to study the situation. She had never seen Logan and Scott behaving this polite towards each other.

“It sometimes gets me. This whole situation. My life,” Logan said sitting to a workbench, still twirling the tangled mess of wires on his hands.
“Yeah?” Scott said urging him to continue.
“I don’t know who I was before they turned me to an expensive meat grinder. They made me an object to study and to use. Oh, for Christ sakes!”
“You okay?” Scott asked.
“Yeah, just nicked my finger a bit. Back then, when I got out, I decided nobody would use me, ever again.”
“Do you think we’re using you?” Scott asked.
“Yes and no. In good days things are clear to me. Everything I do I do because I want to. Hey, I got this sorted out!”
“Good. What about bad days?” Scott asked taking the wires from him. Logan frowned.
“I’ll leave. Those days I’m not fit for a company. Go for a ride.”
“Why do you feel like you have to hide that side of you from us?”
“My frustration is something you don’t need to deal with. You don’t want to deal with. Ever watch those nature shows on Discovery?”
“Yeah? What’s that got to do with this?” Scott asked wrinkling his brow.
“Animals tend to hide their discomfort from others.”
“You’re not an animal.”
“You should pray you don’t have to witness that side of me, ever. Believe when I tell you it’s not a pretty sight.” Marie could see from Logan’s expression he didn’t want to continue the trail conversation had taken.

“Ok. Let’s change topic,” Scott stated abruptly. Logan glanced him surprised.
“Okay…?”
“What do you think about Rogue?” Now, this was something she had to hear. She scooted even closer and prayed stench of gasoline would mask her scent from Logan.
“Why?” Logan barked, clearly annoyed.
“Just a thought. How many times you already have given your life for her?”
“She’s a good kid.”
“Right,” Scott smirked.
“Stop it, Scooter!”
“She’s legal. Good looking. And head over heels for you.”
“And pretty fucking young and innocent. She doesn’t need me messing up her life,” Logan muttered. Scott sat next to Logan, fiddling with some obscure block of steel and wires.
“Hold this, will you,” he said, extending a wire to Logan. Logan grabbed it.
“She’s young. But don’t forget she’s gotten quite a few hits from your experience, as from Magneto and professor too. I don’t think she’s as innocent as you seem to picture her.”
“Scooter…” warning was clear.
“Listen to me now. Pull that head of yours out from your ass and take a good look around you. The way things are developing; you’re here with us for the long haul. I know you’re interested about her. She’s interested about you. By the time you finally realize it on your own, she will be eighty, or in grave. And that’s something I don’t want to happen. There, you can let go now.” Logan dropped the wire he was holding and stood up.
“Let’s pretend I’m interested about her in a way you seem to think. What should I do about it?” He asked. Scott shrugged his shoulders.
“What people usually do. Take her out, give her flowers…” Logan’s laughter echoed in garage.

Muscle spasm started to develop to her thighs. Not good. She couldn’t move and risk to get caught. She tried to ease the pressure on her legs by sitting down.

“Scooter. I’m not suicidal. Any closer relationship with her is lethal.”
“And I thought you were the smart one… There are ways round her skin, you know…”
“I know them all. You can call me weird, but to me fucking through cloth and rubber isn’t enough.”
“Callous much?”
“No, Scott. You didn’t understand.”
“Explain it to me then.”
“Mating habits of a Wolverine… Shit. How ever I’m going to explain this, you’re going to think I’m a world class asshole.”
“I already think you are one, you don’t have to worry about that,” Scott snorted.
“Well, I love you too, Scooter…”
“Sorry. I’m spoken for. Go after somebody free. And explain.”
“Serious relationship to me is all about ownership. I own her, and in return she owns me. I need bare skin. I need to smell my scent on her, and her scent on me. Now, I know that sounds pretty fucked up…”
“No. It makes perfect sense with your mutation. Crap!” Scott kicked a piece of twisted metal. It skittered over the floor and ended up to corner with a loud bang.
“What?”
“I thought I could finally get us all laid. Guess that plan is doomed.”
“Whu… Er… You what…?” Expression on Logan’s face was priceless. Scott hadn’t seen him as confused ever.
“Jean and professor have had troubles sleeping for months now. You and Rogue both have interesting imagination, and quite a vivid dream life, and both of you are broadcasting it to our telepaths on nightly basis. I figured if I could get you two to sleep together, professor would be more relaxed and I could get some myself instead of Jean telling me to back off because she has had more than enough.”
“Sorry.” At least Logan looked apologetic, even if his voice betrayed a hint of amusement.
“Yeah. Well… I have to go. I promised to take Jean out tonight. Give her a break from…”
“No need to draw a picture, Scott. I got it from the first time,” Logan chuckled.

“I think it’s safe to come out now. Big bad Scott went away,” she heard Logan calling. Shit. Busted. She stood up slowly, grimacing when pins and needles started to run up and down her cramped legs.
“Nobody told you it’s rude to eavesdrop?” Logan asked, twirling a coin, jumping it over his knuckles.
“Sorry. I heard you shout to Scott, and came to see what was going on. I didn’t want to interrupt anything important…” She apologized. Logan harrumphed and stared at the toes of his boots.
“I… I didn’t hear that much…”
“Cut the crap. I know you heard every word. And I don’t want you to get any ideas. I think we have pretty good deal going on in here. Few weeks more and Scooter will book us to that Caribbean cruise you have been talking about…”