Logan carried Ava up to Rogue's room, the suite the Professor had promised him was being cleaned but even so Logan wasn't on the right frame of mind for anything new right now. Storm promised to keep an eye on James, so Ava could sleep while Rogue watched over her, Logan making her promise not to approach Ava until she knew she was awake, if the girl had any more nightmares.

As soon as Logan left, Rogue climbed into bed beside the little girl, who scented her in her sleep before cuddling up to her, without waking. After a brief nap of her own, Rogue pulled out a book, and sat on the bed, reading, while Ava slept, her head resting on Rogue's thigh as she gently, smoothed a hand over her head. She hadn't had a chance yet to get the girl in the shower and wash her hair, it would have to wait a while, especially in light of this newest information.

It was after lunch before they were disturbed, Ororo softly tapping on the door before she slowly opened it. She had to remind James to be quiet and walk slowly because his sister was sleeping but the little boy still jumped onto the bed with force, jostling Ava awake.

"Sorry," Ororo apologized, "He wouldn't stay away any longer, he wouldn't believe me you were still here without seeing you but we brought you both lunch." She set down the varied spread on the bed next to Rogue, reminding James he had already had his lunch when he tried to snatch away a slice of salami. It seemed he was developing unsurprising food preferences.

Rogue assured her it was okay, and that James should stay as it was almost time for his nap anyway, so Ororo left them to it. Ava and Rogue eating, James covertly slipping extras when he thought no one was watching him, before he yawned widely and asked for a story. By the time Rogue had finished reading the book he chose, he was asleep, Ava wasn't however, so Rogue suggested taking the opportunity for her to get clean.

Ava readily agreed and followed Rogue into the bathroom, her eyes got wide as she saw the bathtub and she excitedly asked if she could have a bath instead of a shower.

"You can have a bath but you'll have to shower too to clean your hair, why don't we do the hair shower first, that way the conditioner can sit while you have a bath?" Rogue suggested.

Ava nodded happily, and quickly stripped off and jumped into the bath to start the shower. Rogue pulled out her range of fragrance options for shampoo and conditioner, all were light enough that they shouldn't overpower Ava's senses, that was why Rogue had picked them. Ava selected the vanilla and lime option and Rogue set about gently, un-braiding, damping, and sudsing her thick hair. It took two washes before Rogue was satisfied it was clean, and she started the bath filling while Ava stood under the warm shower spray while Rogue combed conditioner through her hair before clipping it all up on top of her head.

Once the bath was filled, and the hair sorted, Ava soaked in the bubble filled tub, alternating between scrubbing at herself and playing. Rogue helped when and where asked, letting Ava guide how much physical contact there was between them, before Ava suddenly asked if she was going to get in.

"No sweetie, I won't, I'd have to be dressed so my skin doesn't touch you but all my body suits are in the laundry, how about next time?" she added, when the little girls face fell.

"Sure," Ava replied, "Will you play with me though?" she asked.

Rogue laughed. "If course, what are we playing?" They played for a while, before Ava announced she was finished now. Rogue gave her an extra scrub to make sure she hadn't missed any dirt, before she drained the tub, and Ava jumped up to rinse her hair. Once her hair was conditioner free, Rogue pulled out her hair dryer. The bathroom door flew open a moment later, startling Ava as James burst onto the room.

"What dat?" he asked, pointing in the direction of the whirring hair dryer, the noise must have woken him up.

Ava started to cry, in response to her fright, and Rogue turned off the dryer while she consoled her. She pulled herself together a moment later, and hugged Rogue as she assured her she was okay now. Then Rogue turned to James.

"James, sweetie, I know you wanted to know what the noise was but you gave Ava a fright, you need to move slower, okay, and when the door is closed you have to knock, like this," Rogue took James outside the bathroom and shut the door, before knocking and waiting for Ava to open the door.

"Like this?" James repeated, pulling the door shut on Ava before he knocked and she reopened the door.

"Just like that!" Rogue congratulated him, Ava herself looking calmer, and happy with how Rogue explained away her fear to her little brother. For a few minutes they practised knocking on the closed door with James, who thought it was a fun new game, until Rogue picked up the hair dryer again. James suddenly remembered he knew it was, and asked Rogue to blow the warm air on him. "Once Ava's hair is dry, then we can do you, okay?" she placated him as Ava came to stand back in front of her to have her hair dried.

Logan found them that way about ten minutes later, the hair dryer alternating between blowing on Ava's almost dry locks, and blowing in James' face because he liked it. He watched the scene from the open bathroom doorway, unseen by anyone inside for several minutes until James sniffed and looked right up at him, grinning broadly before pointing and announcing, "Dada needs hair dry."

Ava and James both ran to him, hugging him and pulling him into the room, Ava pushed him to sit on the closed lid of the toilet before she climbed onto his knee and asked Rogue for the hair dryer. He usually didn't dry his hair but he indulged the kids, not least of all because it made Rogue smile too. She deserved a little fun at his expense after everything that had been thrown at her lately, all thanks to him. He played along until James got his hands on a hairbrush and managed to tangle it into his hair, before he called enough.

"Okay, dry enough, time for dinner now, who's hungry?" he asked, causing both kids to whoop and run out into the bedroom to get ready. Rogue helped him untangle the hairbrush, giggling as she did, before they followed the noisy duo.

After dinner in the cafeteria, Ava's first time surrounded by the general buzz of the mansion’s resident population, they headed upstairs to the suite. The whole thing was comfortably furnished, with two single beds in each of the smaller bedrooms, and a large king size in the suite's master. The master had its own ensuite, and the two other bedrooms shared a bathroom. The living area had a lounge suite, small dining table, kitchenette, and a huge flat screen TV.

While Rogue sat with the kids as they ate popcorn and watched a movie, Logan packed and moved up all their belongings. None of them had much, he hadn't even had a chance to go shopping for James, and now Ava needed stuff too, sometime in the next couple of days he'd have to go shopping. Once he was done, he joined the small group on the living room floor until the movie was finished, before announcing it was bed time.

The pair did complain this time but neither he or Rogue gave in as they got them ready for bed. Logan figured it was time for him to start picking up some of the things Rogue had been doing, so he read the kids their bedtime story. Neither child was asleep by the time he finished the story about three little pigs and a scary growly wolf, both had spent far too much of the story telling the 'wolf' to growl louder. They were surprisingly sadistic too, by the end of the story both were calling for the wolf to eat the little pigs, obligingly he slightly modified the end of the story so the wolf got his bacon.

After tucking James into bed, and moving Ava to her room and tucking her in too, Logan and Rogue were finally free.

"You realise the wolf is supposed to be the bad guy, right?" Rogue teased, as he handed her a drink while she reclined on the couch.

"Specie-al profiling, poor guy's just trying to get himself dinner, can't fault that," Logan replied, with a chuckle, as he took a seat next to her.

They chatted for a while, and Logan considered asking her to stay; he'd actually considered asking her to move in with him. If James hadn't been here when he'd gotten back, he would have asked in a heartbeat but now, after everything that had happened, he didn't only have himself to think about here, anything he did would affect the kids too. While he knew they both liked Rogue, James still called her mama, two kids would be a lot for Rogue to take on if she was with him, she was only seventeen after all.

When Rogue yawned widely Logan decided, she needed a night of undisturbed sleep at the very least. "Come on you, time for you to go to bed too, I'd offer to walk you back to your room but I don't want to leave the kids alone," he added, as he helped her to her feet.

Rogue looked momentarily upset, maybe she had been expecting him to ask her to stay, but she covered by asking, "Are you sure you'll be alright on your own?"

"I'll do my best; besides, you need a full night’s sleep for a change," he said, hoping she understood, he wasn't sending her away because he didn't want her there, he just wanted what was best for her. He placed a quick kiss, too quick for her skin to react, on her forehead before he led her to the door, her hand in his.

"Alright, I can take a hint, the Wolverine wants to prove he's tough enough not to be beat by a couple of kids," she teased, earning another good natured growl from him, "But seriously, if you need anything come and get me, I can always catch up on sleep later." She hugged him, apparently oblivious to the effect her, admittedly innocent, offhand comment had on him. He wanted nothing more than to 'come and get her', but not for anything to do with the kids. Bidding her goodnight instead he watched her walk away until she was out of sight.

--

James woke him first, crawling into his bed at a little after two in the morning.

"James, this isn't your bed," he murmured softly, trying not to let his amusement show.

"I know," the little boy replied, as he crawled under the covers, "My bed is alone-ly, this one smells safer... but not like mama," he added sadly, as he drifted off back to sleep.

His comment gave Logan an idea and, once he was sure the little boy was deep asleep, he got up and fished out the shirt he had been wearing that day. It had both his and Marie's scents on it. Gently he eased James up, wrapping him in the shirt before carrying him back to his own bed. As the little boy snuggled back into the thick warm flannel, inhaling the mix of scents in his sleep, a little contented smile settled on his face. Hopefully that would do the trick to keep him in his own bed.

As he softly shut the bedroom door behind him, he heard a whimper from Ava's room. If he could he should head that nightmare off before it had a chance to go bad, or, worse. He tapped lightly on the door as he pushed it further open, Ava had asked for it not to be closed the whole way, which Logan respected.

"Ava, wake up sweetheart, it's just a bad dream," he said softly, as he kneeled down beside her bed. It wasn't enough to rouse her fully but she did that herself moments later when, with a sob, she jumped up in bed before scooting herself into the corner. "It's alright, sweetie, you're safe, it was just a bad dream," Logan tried again.

"Daddy?" Ava whispered, remaining in the corner, "No, not daddy, I need Rogue," she said determinedly.

"Sorry sweetheart, Rogue's sleeping in her room, it's just me up here," Logan said, he offered her a hug but her eyes welled with tears and she shook her head with a scowl before demanding Rogue again. They argued back and forward for a few minutes before Logan gave up, Ava was starting to get worked up because he wouldn't let her see Rogue. He promised to call Rogue if Ava would come out of the corner, which she immediately did, wrapping her arms around his neck, and her legs around his waist as he stood.

He picked up the cordless phone off the kitchen counter and dialled Rogue's extension. It was answered before it had a chance to ring twice, Rogue's sleepy concerned voice filtered down the line. "Logan? Is everything okay?"

Ava had immediately brightened when she heard Rogue's voice. "Ava had a nightmare and apparently I'm not good enough to make everything better, she's asking for you..."

"I'll be there in two shakes of a kitten's tail," Rogue answered before he could even finish his sentence, the phone clicked as the line went dead. Moments later the suite door opened with a soft rap, as Rogue let herself in. Ava reached for her as soon as she saw her as she began to sob again as she wrapped her arms around Rogue.

"I dreamed I hurt you 'gain, and daddy wasn't there to save you," Ava whispered, into her hair as she clung to her. "You were gone away and I could never hug you again," Ava said, explaining why she needed to see Rogue so badly.

"It's okay sweetie, I'm here," Rogue reassured her as she returned her hug warmly, "It was just a bad dream." After a few minutes of hugs Ava yawned and snuggled down into her arms as Rogue carried her back to bed.

Logan watched from the doorway as Rogue tucked the girl back into bed and sat with her until she fell back asleep. He hugged her himself when she came back out, he remembered nightmares like those, he'd had them himself for weeks after he had stabbed her the first time. "Stay?" he asked softly, as Rogue made a move to disentangle herself to head back to her own room.

"I wondered how long it would take for you to ask," she replied with a smile. He opened his mouth to respond, a worried frown on his face, whatever he wanted to say was too serious for this hour of the morning though so Rogue shushed him. "I'll take the couch," she said, releasing his hand to reach for one of the discarded blankets from the kids’ movie time.

"Nuh uh, nope, you take the bed, or we both take the bed, no woman is sleeping on my couch," Logan informed her, directing her toward the bedroom, "Besides, we've pretty much been sharing a bed since I got back, anyway, gotta admit, I kinda missed it tonight."

"Me too," Rogue replied, letting out a startled squeak when Logan picked her up and dropped her into the middle of the bed with a chuckle.
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