Days, Nights and the Stuff In Between
by
Hunter
DISCLAIMER: Nope. Nothings mine. Still, I'll let you know if things change when I take over the world.
DEDICATION: To anyone who has had to leave their home for another land.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: This started of as a serious piece of fiction and quickly disintegrated into a piece of happy fluff. I'm a South African who wondered what it would be like to live in the same country as the Team and maybe the consequences there of. Castle Lager (the best damn beer in the world), Rhodesian Ridge Backs, Cape Town, and South Africans with curly hair brown hair do really exist. A 'Braai' is what we call a BBQ.
Anyway, I wrote this story listening to some local talent. If the reader feels so inclined, try to find them. They are worth it (I do not work for our export bureau.) Thanks to the groups of local boys: Just Jinger, Tree 63, The Springbok Nude Girls, Fetish, Sugar Drive. . . And the international talent of where-the-world-would-be-nowhere: U2, RadioHead, Bush, Collective Soul, and Moby. Did I mention U2???
BETA NOTE: Thanks Kat for an exciting and fun piece! I worked on this while drinking Sierra Nevada Big Foot, Anchor Foghorn (Best two microbreweries in the West Coast!) and miscellaneous lagers from the German deli down the road. The music was my collections of 80's party, Millennium Soul Party and Millennium Funk Party (Get yer groove thang on!) Cheers, Leylue
Magneto watched as the Blackbird made its way through the sky until clouds and the sun blocked his view. Toad hobbled over to him clutching his side and groaning.
Without breaking eye contact with the sky, Magneto asked. "Is it done?"
"Yes, but that African bitch gave me something for my efforts," Toad complained, clutching his side a little harder. His English accent implied class where there was none.
Magneto finally lowered his eyes as the Blackbird's vapor trail disappeared into the sky. Stalking back to his own awaiting transport, he said, "Your self pity will not inspire any sympathy from me, Toad."
Toad followed behind the white-haired man. They came upon Sabretooth who was busy trashing a few cars nearby. He was venting out his frustration at not being able to fully let himself go in a fight that had just occurred. Magneto had ordered him to distract the X-Men, not destroy them, while Toad had gone to work.
"How long did you set the timer for?" Magneto asked without breaking stride.
"About twenty minutes," replied Toad.
Magneto's answer was his silence. He cast a commanding glance towards Sabretooth's direction which promptly stop that mutant from compacting a Volvo. The tall blond followed behind Magneto and Toad to the transport.
Twenty minutes and Xavier's X-Men would no longer be a problem.
***
He hated this. This constant fluttering of his muscles caused by anxiousness. He felt an apprehension, a wariness over something, but what? Logan sat in the back of the Blackbird and stared into the distance. His creased brow and the folded arms across his chest indicated to anyone who knew anything about body language that the Wolverine did not want to be disturbed.
Logan did not consider that pitiful fight with Sabretooth a few minutes ago a challenge. It left him wanting. Wanting to ram his razor-sharp adamantium covered claws into something. Just what Sabretooth had been up to was beyond him. And the not knowing bothered Logan.
Earlier that day Professor Xavier had alerted the team to mutant activity near the Canadian border. Logan had decided to join the others even though he had already been packed to leave the school for one of his 'vacations.'
The more Logan thought about his encounter with the big, blond brute, the stranger it seemed to him. It wasn't Creed's style to just up and run away in the middle of a good beating. The X-Men had just stood by as Logan had one-on-one'd with Sabretooth until the guy retreated snarling epithets in his wake.
"Did that freak call me a sawed-off, hairy, little runt?!?"
Wolverine had been just about to give chase when the fearless leader had stopped him.
"The Professor wants us back," said Scott. " There's something not right about this situation." All the normal crap that usually happened whenever something was going his way.
"Change. That's what he needed. Change." Logan contemplated the various changes he could make.
Rearrange his room? Nahhh, he could recruit one of the school's numerous females to do that, though it could prove to be a threat to his masculinity. Bright breezy curtains, cheerful furniture accompanied by some interesting decor.
Logan grinned inwardly at the thought.
Get something new? Change something? Do something different?
His mental grin changed quickly into a grimace. He had been listening to Marie natter on and on about too many Teen magazines lately. No, all he really needed was to beat the living hell outta someone.
His enhanced hearing picked up the sounds of soft voices intruding on his thoughts. Blinking, Logan's eyes adjusted their focus. Single words drifted into complete conversations. One caught his ear.
"What did you just say!?" Logan asked sharply, snapping his head left to face the two women talking to one another.
"What?" Ororo asked. Turning her head from Jean, she looked questioningly at Logan.
"Just now. What you just said to Jean. Something about Toad?"
"Oh. I was just telling Jean that Toad was out there, too. When you where busy pounding Sabretooth, I found Toad by the Blackbird." Storm gave him a tight smile. "I don't think he enjoyed our little liaison."
Jean laughed softly at Ororo's little implication. Logan's mind raced and changed gears abruptly. His sharply honed instincts distilled what his senses had been trying to tell him.
"He planted a bomb," Logan said almost causally as he jumped out of his seat. "I can hear it outside."
Everyone in the Blackbird turned and stared at him as if he had just turned into a seven foot cockroach. Scott began to take the jet down in a sharp arc. He pounded furiously at the various buttons and levers on the jet's control panel.
"There's nowhere to land!" Scott shouted. "Jean, can you remove it?"
The redhead closed her eyes to focus her mind. "I'll try," she said.
"Better do more den try or we all soon be little bitties, cherie!" moaned Gambit.
"The damn thing's under the wing," Logan directed, "near the fuselage!"
Gambit stared out the window as Jean's face tightened with control. A small black shape flew out from under the wing
"You got it, cherie!" Gambit gleefully whooped.
Jean began to move the bomb away from the jet. Logan's ears followed the ticking as it grew further away. Jean was breathing hard with her exertion. Storm, sitting next to Jean let out the breath she had been holding. Scott smiled, and Logan froze.
Everything seemed to freeze when Logan heard the ticking stop. Gambit's face fell as the bomb exploded next to the jet tail. A muted "WHOOMP" filled the back of the cabin with fire as the tail was torn away. Sirens blared on board as the Blackbird tumbled to the earth.
***
Robyn stared opened-mouthed as a plane fell from the clouds. Only a minute ago it had been part of the serene view of the forest below. Smoke spewed out from the plane's back. It twisted in the sky like some kind of sick air show until the tree line and hill hid the crash.
"Oh, shit!" Robyn said to no one in particular, except for maybe her dog, Acacia.
"Oh, shit," she repeated softer as what she had just seen hit home. Running to her campsite she grabbed the first aid kit and slammed it in to her backpack.
"Come on, lets go." she shouted to Acacia as she slapped the side of her thigh to bring him to heel.
"I knew something like this was gonna happen!" The large Rhodesian Ridgeback ran after his mistress even though the scent of a nearby bear was much more exciting.
Robyn felt like she was in an episode of the "Twilight Zone." Her legs came skidding to a halt as the trees suddenly gave way to an unnatural clearing. There lay the broken jet. Smoke still poured out of the gapping mess that had once been a tail, and a few flames flicked the side of a wing. It lay slightly to one side showing Robyn its underbelly. Not a bad landing all things considering.
Robyn picked her way through the broken trees. She had never seen anything like this plane before. True, she was no genius when it came to plane designs, but she was no dummy either. It was definitely a jet, definitely stealth, definitely very expensive, and definitely crashed. Movement caught her eye. There where people inside! And they were alive!
"I'm coming!" Robyn yelled.
Pulling herself up through the hole in the side of the cabin, Robyn coughed slightly, and looked around. Two women lay in a heap on two passenger chairs like strewn dolls with limbs akimbo and heads lolling back. Two men were still fastened in their chairs. One was swearing in French, at least it sounded like that. The other man who was obviously the pilot was still out. They all looked young and all were dressed in some kind of black, leather uniform. Military? A rock band? Leftovers from Madonna's newest video? Robyn blew out her breath in a long controlled sigh and slowly started checking the passengers for vital signs.
She dragged the passengers out of the plane one by one, and laid them in a neat organized line. They had all made it through the crash, though she couldn't tell what the extent of their injuries were. All of them had bad cuts and bruises. Time would tell about internal problems. The one man who had been awake in the plane had fainted when she had tried to move him. He had probably broken something.
Unceremoniously dropping the pilot on the ground, Robyn collapsed next to him in exhaustion. A small puff of dust rose out from underneath her and settled on his already dirty uniform. He moaned softly as she fought for her breath. She didn't have the best of lungs in the world and lugging four people out of a plane did not help.
They should be far enough from the plane if for some reason it decided to blow. Robyn wondered how long it would be before these guys got missed. Giving them some sort of medical attention should be her next step. Better start with the one closet to her, the pilot.
"Boy, did this guy have funky glasses," she thought.
A long gash ran across his forehead running blood into his hair. Robyn traced a finger along the wound. The Pilot's visor blocked some of the blood, but the skin could be torn under it. She was impressed that these shades had not broken and gotten glass into his eyes. He could've lost his sight.
Sitting up, Robyn looked at his face trying to see how the glasses were attached. Moving closer until her head was nearer his, she pulled them off slowly from his eyes. Putting them into her pocket gently, Robyn studied his face. Useful facts gleamed from years of reading and ER viewing provided a dim knowledge on what to do next. Number one, check for concussion. Robyn lifted his eyelid to inspect his pupil. A searing beam of intense red light shot out of his eye heavenward. It barely missed her hand. Scrambling back, Robyn half gasped and yelped kicking up sand and dust towards the prone man.
"What the hell was that!" she cried.
Adrenaline pumped into her veins from the shock and it made her alert to a sound coming from behind her. Her dog, Acacia. He was growling at the trees. By the time he started braying, the bear had already moved into the clearing.
"Oh, fuck!"
***
With one last grimace and a curse, Logan finally managed to pull out the pine branch that had run itself through his side. Falling back into the pine needles he tossed the branch aside and waited for his healing factor to kick in. It sealed off the wound and the pain began to subside. Lucky for Toad that branch had only impaled him and not ripped or punctured anything. If it had, Logan would have really been ticked off.
Logan looked upwards into the trees he had just plummeted through on his downward journey from the Blackbird. The blast had sucked him out along with the back end of the jet. Unlike him, that was now happily strewn all around the forest. Again, lucky for Toad he was not under anything either.
Grunting, Logan got up and checked his uniform. Other than a large tear along his side that let in the autumn twilight cold, Logan could see no other damage.
"Yeah, sit Scott down with a needle and some thread, and we might be able to save this one."
Catching the breeze, Logan savored the smells. . . pine, earth, animals, hikers, burning jet. . . and turning towards the north, .the smell of blood, too. Logan started to run in the direction of where his friends were. He only hoped that he would find someone to help. . . before the other inhabitants of the woods did.
***
The large black bear whumphed onto the ground as he swaggered into view. He headed for the jet that had noisily disturbed him from the last of his autumn gathering. A large brown dog darted back and forth in front of the bear. The dog's snarling, braying, teeth bearing made an impressive show, but the bear was not concerned. He knew his strength. What interested him was the smell of blood that was coming from the prone bodies that lay before him. The large male had stalked prey before, but here was an easy meal, a fast kill with a minimum of effort.
Robyn screamed for her dog, "ACACIA! Come here!" She began pleading with her dog's saner side, calling for him and then tried to whistle him in. Nothing could break her dog's attention from the large bear lumbering into the clearing. Acacia was her best friend, her protector, her companion, and Robyn was not about to let a bear hurt him. Picking up her backpack, she flung it at the bear. It stopped heading for the injured passengers, and dazedly looked into her direction as if to ponder what insect could try to stop it. The bear made deep noises in its throat, and as it's large claws dug into the earth, it looked over in Robyn's direction.
The bear's mean little eyes picked out Robyn just as Acacia lunged for its shoulders. Roaring, the bear rose on its back legs and reaching to his shoulder with a huge paw, it flung the dog to the ground. Acacia yelped. Robyn screamed, "NOOOO!" Running to her dog's side, Robyn tried to cut the bear off from the passengers. The bear was again trying to reach them. Looking around desperately, Robyn picked up a large rock and threw it at the bear's face. That stopped the bear from moving toward the injured people, but before the rock dropped back to the ground, it turned towards Robyn. Standing her ground, Robyn held up a sharp branch towards the charging mass of muscle that now wanted to destroy her.
***
The acrid burning smell was strong as Logan weaved amongst the trees. He finally cleared a small rise to see the Jet lying amid the broken forest below. Black gray smoke rose steadily out from the back of the jet. Logan's eyes tore away from the destruction to see his four teammates lying in a neat row some distance from the plane. He cocked an eyebrow as a peculiar sight caught his eye.
A woman and a huge dog were standing down a bear. The dog attacked it, and was flung to the ground for its troubles. Throwing a rock at the bear's head as it ambled over to his teammates, the woman started to run towards Logan's direction. She stopped to pick up a large branch, and used it to try to hold off the bear. Logan quickly made his way down to her side.
***
"Don't move," a voice whispered into Robyn's ear.
She almost dropped the branch as a hand held her steady. "Don't move," Robyn's mind echoed.
A body followed the hand moving from Robyn's left side to reveal a man wearing the same type of uniform as the people she had pulled from the crash. The bear had slowed. It was swaggering and ambling rather than charging towards them. The man moved a step forward standing directly in front of the bear's line of sight. The brute stopped and roared in defiance exhibiting huge canines.
With her heart in her throat, Robyn watched the man and bear stop five feet from one another. Sound stopped, breathing stopped, and rearing up to its full height, the bear roared once more. A huge paw raked across the man's shoulder and chest. He staggered from the force, but held straight and continued to face the bear down. It stood there whumphing at the man until it grew bored. Turning, it headed back to the trees.
Robyn was numb inside, the adrenaline already draining from her system. Dropping the branch from her white-fisted hands, she stumbled forward to her dog who was lying still. Logan waited until the bear disappeared and then ran to his friends. His chest still hurt from the deep cuts the bears claws had torn. Checking each pulse, Logan laughed as he found all of his teammates to be alive and basically, in one piece.
He suddenly remembered the girl. Turning around, he saw at her. She wore jeans, a white top, and black sneakers. Curly brown hair tied into a ponytail with escaping tendrils was topped off with a dusty hand streak across her face. She had obviously tried to wipe sweat from her eyes. It was cold, but Logan realized that she must have moved all of the x-Men by herself. No wonder she had sweated. Logan heard the woman's pleas to her dog. Getting up, he walked quietly towards her.
***
"Acacia. Please, boy. Come on, Acacia. Please!" she cried, tears streaking her dusty face.
She sounded foreign. Logan knelt down beside her, and put his hand over the dog's blood-sticky fur. A strong pulse thumped into his fingers.
"He's fine. Don't worry. Just a bit stunned," Logan moved his hand, and stroked the fur.
The small whine that came from the dog's throat reassured Robyn that this man was right. Getting to his feet unsteadily, the dog gave his owner a small lick on the nose. Robyn laughed as tears came down her cheeks. Acacia began licking them in a frantic doggy dance. Cradling her dog into her lap, Robyn hugged him. Logan grinned.
Getting up, he walked back to the jet. Searching the cockpit, Logan found what he was looking for. Hitting the crisis button sent a strong steady signal to the school, which indicated an emergency, the jet's location, and to send help immediately. Stepping back, Logan looked around at the mess in the cockpit. Some of Scott's blood was on the controls. That reminded him. . .
Logan blinked his eyes in the sunlight as he left the cockpit, and jumped down off the wing. Scott's visor was missing. He searched the ground. Watching the woman from the corner of his eyes, a ruby glimmer caught his attention. Huge dog in lap, the woman was leaning against a tree and Scott's visor peeked out off her pocket. Looking up from stroking the dog, she caught Logan looking at her.
"Oh. . . you looking for these," she said tugging the strange glasses out from her pocket. The man didn't say anything, but he cocked his eyebrow as he took them from her outstretched hand.
"Here you go, Cyke," Logan said softly clipping the red visor back in place. The sun was beginning to set giving the crash site a surreal feel. Logan sat down next to the girl, and watched over his friends. He hoped help would arrive soon.
***
Logan felt a whisper of air against his head. Robyn's face dropped her smile when he turned and looked at her. Weakly, she held out a pine needle.
"It was in your hair," she smiled.
"Ah. . . thanks." Plucking the needle from her hand, he twirled it in between his fingers.
"There's a lot more there," she added helpfully. Logan burst out laughing.
"I'm pretty sure there is, darlin'!"
She grinned back, "I'm Robyn." She stuck out her hand.
"Logan."
He shook the offered hand, and looked at the now sleeping dog whose his head was resting in the woman's lap.
"That's a brave dog. Like it's owner. What's his name?"
Robyn blushed slightly, "Acacia." Logan smiled at that.
"You blush nicely. Nothing to be ashamed of," he added quickly as the blush deepened. "Not many people would face down a bear like that."
Robyn kept silent because of modesty and not knowing what else to say. Logan looked back at his friends.
"They your friends?" Robyn finally asked.
"Yes. . . " Logan answered after awhile, "More like family."
He flicked the pine needle away, and shifted his weight to face her more directly.
"You have an interesting accent Where you from? Australia?"
Robyn burst out laughing
"Not when I last checked," she laughed and grinned. "I'm from South Africa."
"Oh," Logan said, like everything now made sense. She smiled.
It was now getting dark and cold quickly. Working together, Robyn and Logan moved the X-Men closer, and spread out thermal blankets over that they had found in the Blackbird over them. They were still unconscious, except for Gambit who floated in and out. It had only been two hours since the crash.
"They've slipped from unconsciousness into healing sleep." Robyn commented dropping back down under a pine tree as Logan finished checking on them. Acacia patrolled the area until she called him back.
"Jean would have slapped a Band-Aid on them, and they would all been fine by now," Logan muttered.
"Jean is. . . ?" Robyn started.
"The one with the red hair," Logan finished.
Robyn rearranged her dog's ears, and sighed. "I have to ask. When I took the glasses off your friend. . . "
"Red light came out," Logan continued for her cutting her off before she could say more. "Scott's a mutant, so's Jean, Ororo, and Remy."
Logan looked at her to gauge her reaction.
"So am I," he said in an almost blasé way.
"Figures," Robyn smiled. "I don't think it's an everyday thing for guys to shoot out disco shows through their eyes."
Logan chuckled, "You should meet some of the others."
"Can I ask why you're a mutant?" She asked gently.
Logan hadn't expected that for some reason. He was quiet for awhile.
"I heal real fast."
"Explains how come you're not lying there with your friends."
Logan didn't know why he was talking so openly with Robyn, but it was not like he had anything else to do. Besides, he kinda liked talking to her. She looked good, too.
"Stop it, Logan," he mentally rebuked himself, "Don't go there."
"I also have really good senses," he added tapping the side of his nose.
"Cool," she smiled. Logan was quiet for awhile so Robyn started to speak.
"I. . . " He continued interrupting her again. "And I have these. . . "
He moved his hand a little away from her, and extended his claws. The sharp "SNIKT" filled the night air startling both the human and the dog. Acacia raised his head, saw nothing interesting and fell back asleep. Robyn blinked wide-eyed as the claws slid back into their housings in his forearm.
"Explains why the bear left so quickly," she said quietly as Logan's dark eyes locked on to hers. He stared at her and when he started to laugh, she joined in. Acacia wagged his tail in his sleep.
***
They talked as it got darker sharing stories; Logan spoke about the others, Robyn spoke about her life in America.
"So what's an Acacia?" Logan asked as the dog put a large paw on his knee and spread his dewclaw into his uniform. He gently removed the claw and stroked the paw.
"It's a thorn tree from my country. They can survive almost anything, you know. I thought it was a good name, his kind being bred to hunt lions once," Robyn answered unconsciously rubbing her exposed arm.
Logan watched as Robyn's skin goose-fleshed.
"You want to come closer," He reached a arm towards her and she visibly shrunk away
"You're cold. . . body heat. . . closer together. . . "
"Oh," Robyn said feebly, "okay." She shuffled closer to Logan as he put an arm around her pulling her to his side and feeling her stiffen.
"What about you? Your uniform. . . " She moved her head down to peer at the torn leather.
"I'm fine. Used to the cold." Logan saw her looking at the tears and he quickly used his free hand to pull the material back together as best he could.
Finally, Robyn relaxed and sighed as his body warmth started to warm her up. She put an arm around his waist and snuggled her head into the crook of his arm. Every now and then Logan felt a small tremor run across her body from the cold.
"I'm still not used to this weather," she said sleepily. Her head was falling heavier onto his chest, and her other arm was now resting across his abdomen.
"I thought I would be by now."
Robyn's hand around Logan's waist played with the torn fabric on his side pulling the material closer together as she started to drift away. Acacia moved in closer.
The slow rhythm of her breathing told Logan that she was asleep. Holding her body against his with his back propped against a pine tree and a large dog now resting it's head almost on top of his crotch. . . well, at least Scott was still unconscious. A short time later, Logan watched as Xavier's help arrived. After Beast assured Logan that everyone was fine, he sat down with the dog and kept vigil over his sleeping friends as they sped towards Westchester.
***
As sleep left, Robyn's mind witnessed her surroundings in bits, absorbing one thing at a time. The light filtered through the curtains, the feeling of the bed covers against her skin, the color of the walls.
"Where on earth was she?"
Robyn thought about what had happened yesterday.
"Logan. . . oh," She sighed mentally. Twisted around to lie on her stomach in the bed, Robyn pulled her wits together. Time to get up and figure out what's up.
***
A familiar voice echoed in Logan's head. "Logan, may I see you when you're finished with your breakfast, please."
"Dammit, Chuck! I thought I told you to stop that!" Logan snapped almost dropping his fork load of bacon back onto his plate.
"Wha'. . . ?" asked Remy groggily. His hair was disheveled; his chest bandaged from broken ribs and his arm was bandaged tight against him.
"The Prof," Logan answered curtly tapping his temple.
"Who?"
Logan noted that Gambit didn't respond well to painkillers as once again the Cajun's spoon went plopping back onto his breakfast plate.
"Never mind," Logan threw down the last of his coffee.
Storm and Jean walked into the dining area and headed for the food. Storm was still a bit tender from yesterday, but had gotten up early this morning like she always did. She had waited for Jean to finish with the Professor before joining her friend for breakfast.
Considering that only fourteen hours ago they had crashed a jet, the X-Men had been checked-in and discharged from the med-lab after a thorough check-up by Beast. Hardly anyone had anything serious. Hardly anyone Storm reminded herself as she looked at Jean and nodded towards Gambit lolling in his seat next to Logan.
Logan watched as the two women headed his way. Each balanced plates and glasses of juice. He prodded Gambit aside for Storm as she sat down. He moved aside for Jean as she almost spilled orange juice on top of his plate.
"Mornin'" Logan said in his most cheerful voice.
Good morning. . . I'm sorry. Let me get that," Jean grabbed the nearest napkin and started dabbing the orange drops.
"Don't worry about that. I'm sure Logan doesn't mind," Storm said helpfully starting to slice into a grapefruit.
"Not at all. Adds flavor, I suppose," Logan pulled a face at Storm and then smiled at Jean. "So, how you and the others feeling?"
"Well, other than the intense pain and lovely bruises, just fine, I suppose."
"It all distraction. Magneto t'inks he clever," Gambit mumbled as he chased a mushroom around his plate. "C'est tres horrible!" he added. Logan spluttered into his second cup of coffee as he laughed.
"That's his first coherent thought of the day!"
Logan watched the Cajun from the corner of his eye as Remy once again threatened to collapse into his breakfast. Rocking once or twice, Gambit shook his head as if to clear it and then proceeded to once again stare mournfully into his plate.
"Gambit too hurt to eat," he moaned pitifully.
"Here, let me eat it for you," Logan grunted around a mouthful of bacon as he reached over to grab the Cajun's plate. Remy looked horrified. Pushing his plate closer and out of Wolverine's reach, he begun to chase his mushrooms in earnest again.
Logan laughed.
"Stop teasing him, Logan," said Storm as she helped Remy pierce the rebel mushroom.
Logan grinned and then remembered a very quiet Jean sitting next to him. She nibbled quietly on an apple.
"How's Scott?" He asked in his most sincere voice.
Jean stopped chewing and swallowed
"Fine, I guess. He woke up briefly for about an hour. He's now sleeping off the worst of a very bad headache. Hank has him drugged up for the pain. . . and the guilt," she added. "He blames himself."
"Jean, we all know that there was no way Scott could've known about the sabotage. In fact, if anyone is to blame, it is I. I should've checked to see what Toad was up to." Storm was about to continue when Logan cut in.
"Scott saved our lives. If anyone else had been flying the Blackbird, ten to one, we would all be spread out in various pieces around the trees," Logan said, waving his fork around to dramatic effect.
For Logan to compliment anything about Scott was a minor miracle and Jean appreciated his words.
"It be a trap, cherie," Gambit added to the conversation. The atmosphere around the table was beginning to turn grim so Jean quickly tried to turn the mood.
"I hear that it's not only Scott we have to thank for saving our various body parts," Jean looked pointedly at Logan who looked pointedly back at her.
"Yeah, so how's the little robin doing?"
Jean coughed and cleared her throat. She began to nibble on her apple again.
"She's great. Up early this morning. Marie and Kitty took her down for breakfast, showed her around, and after checking that her dog was fine, I took her up to see the Professor."
"Where was I?" Logan asked.
"Asleep," Jean answered.
"Oh," he said sheepishly looking at his watch. It was already 11:00 in the morning.
"Wolverine no be a morning per. . . " Gambit begun to say until Logan kicked him hard under the table.
"OW!" Remy shouted indignantly.
"We noticed," Jean muttered under her breath as she sipped her juice as Storm snickered. "But I wasn't only referring to her."
Logan promptly got very interested in his bacon.
"Yes, I do recall Robyn and I discussing your little adventure on our way up to the Professor," Jean turned and grinned at Logan.
"Something about a bear?"
Logan hated attention.
"Smokey obviously thought Cyke looked like a picnic basket," Logan grumbled into his coffee.
"Oh, for once, Logan, please take a compliment!" Jean moaned. She then smiled warmly as she took his hand to get his attention.
"Thanks, Logan," Storm smiled with Jean. Her smile split into a grin as Jean said, "But did you have to get so close to Smokey? Scott is going to freak when he sees you've managed to shred another uniform."
Then she scooted closer to Gambit to help him catch his second mushroom.
***
"She is not a mutant."
Xavier sat in his office and watched the mansion's front entrance from his window. The huge dog bounded up to where Ororo had just joined Marie and Robyn out on the front steps. He deposited a gob-slimed ball onto their laps. When the girls picked up the ball to toss it once again for the over-eager dog, Xavier smiled as squeals of disgust reached his window.
Logan fidgeted in his chair and ran a hand through one half of his hair managing to flatten one point slightly.
"Whadda you mean, 'not a mutant'? You just said she had powers."
Logan was confused. Though she hadn't a clue to what the Professor meant either, Jean had to stifle a small laugh. Logan's facial expressions and eyebrows conveyed every thought that his words did not.
"Dreams of the future, guiding instincts, deja vu, ghosts, the sixth sense," Xavier answered turning his wheelchair around from the window to face the perplexed Canadian.
"If she were a mutant, her powers would be psychic "
Logan made a humphing noise in the back of his throat, and flattened his other point as he again ran a hand through his hair.
"Ghosts!!! You're. . . kidding me." Logan would have said 'fucking,' but he was trying not to swear in front of the Professor.
Jean looked amazed. "I've heard of it before. Gypsies have always claimed those powers. Some families are supposed to have spiritual connections that a mother passes on to a daughter or son, but I never really considered it before. Until now."
Logan could see Jean starting to sink into her 'doctor' mode
"And she says she has these abilities. And she's not a mutant. Amazing," Jean began to mumble some obscure material to herself.
"Come on, Jean," said Logan. "Ghosts? We're talking hocus-pocus here." Logan liked Robyn, but this was getting too weird for him.
"And just what do you call reading minds?" Jean snapped back.
Logan looked rebuked, but still grumbled. "Ghosts. And you people say I drink too much in the mornings."
***
Logan sat on the stairs with Marie. He had waited for the Professor to call Storm and Robyn back inside for one last discussion before he had made his way down. Wondering for a moment about where Gambit was, Logan decided that Remy was probably still asleep at the table.
It had turned out to be a stunning day with the sun dappled by clouds. Most of the school's occupants were outside under the trees or lying in the grass relaxing.
"I love Sundays," Marie sighed. She took the gob-soaked ball from Acacia's mouth and tossed it again across the grounds.
"And then tomorrow is Monday," Logan sighed dramatically.
"You are such a pessimist," Marie wiped her hands on her jeans. "Lord, Ah didn't know that dogs could exude so much slobber!"
She wiped the remainder of the dog slobber on Logan's shirt. Hearing footsteps from the doorway, Logan turned his head to see Robyn, Jean and Storm finally coming down. They stopped and spoke a bit to each other. Jean and Storm looked at Logan and Marie. They waved to the pair and walked back inside the building. Robyn stepped lightly down to join the pair on the steps.
"Hi, mind if I join you?"
"Sure," Marie wiggled closer to Logan to make room for Robyn. At that moment, Acacia came charging back when he saw his mistress. He jumped over all of them doing a doggy dance of joy.
"I'm glad to see you too, boy," Robyn slapped his sides and ruffled his fur. The dog finally calmed down and happily sat at her feet to chew on the ball. He crunched it in and out making little puffy noises.
"Oh, dear. I think my dog has chewed up your ball," Robyn looked mournfully at the two halves of the tennis ball that Acacia was now poking his nose at.
"We have plenty. No problem," Logan produced another ball from his pocket
"That's the third one this last hour," he said. "So far, he's tired out four kids, eaten breakfast, lunch, supper and tea in one go, and played fetch until he ran a trench in the rose garden!"
Logan began laughing when Robyn got a very stern expression on her face and started to apologize.
"He's just pulling you're leg, Robyn. It was only two balls!"
Logan grinned as Marie spoke with a straight face, and then she finally broke down into a huge grin
"You're too polite for your own good. Ignore Logan. Everyone does," Marie looked closely at Robyn. They were almost the same age.
"Logan told me about how you helped the team," Marie said. Robyn nodded shyly.
"Modest, too," Logan added making a mock bow. "The galaxy is eternally grateful to you for saving Scott's ass." They all laughed.
Robyn had just been to see the Professor with Jean and Storm. He had explained everything to her; the X-Men, who everyone was and what everyone was. All the answers she had asked for and other answers he had volunteered. He had thanked her for everything. He promised on behalf of the school, that if she ever needed anything, she was to just asked.
Modesty had prevailed and Robyn insisted that Logan would have been there anyway to save them the team, but the Professor insisted. He said that Logan might not have been there in time to stop the bear. That made sense. There were thanks given all around and good wishes for the future. Robyn could now gather her stuff and go home and in any transport she wanted as a gift from the X-Men. The Professor did make one request; would she mind hanging around a little longer for some tests?
Robyn ended up staying two more weeks at the school. She spent the mornings with the Professor and Jean who ran tests, talked to her, and marveled at her claims. Her evenings were spent outside, watching the night with Logan who smoked his cigars. Robyn hadn't meant to tell the Professor about her family's heritage, but he had a way with words and a presence that made all her stories gush out in one sitting.
***
Robyn lay in her bed, daydreaming, but at night. The mansion was quiet and she could hear its sounds around her. The wind outside, people sleeping inside, the mansion's creaking as it settled into the evening from the day's heat.
Heat. How she missed the heat of home. African sun in African skies, soaking into your bones. What they called heat here was like her coldest winters. How Ororo could stand being here for so long was amazing. Robyn sighed and rolled onto her back and fluffed up the pillows.
"Try to sleep," she commanded herself. She would be going home tomorrow. The two weeks here had been an eye opener. She had only been in the States for just over a month and still hadn't really met anyone who she deemed worthy of making friends with. She room-mated with an Australian named Corri. Well, her whole name was Corriander, but Robyn pitied anyone who called the fiery Aussie by her full title.
Just over a month and look at what she has gotten herself into already. Her friends and family back in Cape Town would never believe it. A mutant school, teams of avenging super humans, jets crashing in the woods, confrontations with bears, and Logan. No, she wouldn't mention that one. Keep the biggest surprises for last. Robyn snickered in the dark. Her, interested in a guy. And what a guy! Won't her mom be proud? Logan surprised her though. She had always heard of Canadians back home as polite, kind, and good-natured. Robyn laughed aloud at that one and quickly shut her mouth in case she woke someone up. Acacia whined next to her bed.
"Sorry boy," She said. He thumped his tail a few times and fell back asleep.
Robyn sighed and remembered the day she had walked into the TV lounge and found Logan watching a hockey game. She had said something sarcastic. It was along the lines of her thinking that only Canadians watched hockey and shouldn't he be watching football or basketball or baseball or something?
At that precise moment Scott had walked in and had answered her. "But he is Canadian." He had seen Logan tense up and when Robyn had started to change the conversation to hide Logan's awkwardness, Scott continued. "Oh. . . and he also likes Maple syrup and. . . "
Scott then proceeded to rattle off a whole list that eventually had Robyn slapping herself in laughter. Logan extending his middle claw (only) and threw an empty beer can at Scott. He only hooted more in laughter and threw the can back at Logan's head, but not before he proudly showing Robyn the label, "Canadian Gold."
Before Logan could decapitate him with the beer can, Scott had charged out the door laughing so hard that Robyn thought he would fall over. He was obviously well over his concussion, or was he. What where the side affects of being knocked hard on the head?
Later that day, after searching the telephone book and asking Marie, Kitty and their friends (who were a little young for her age, but good company none the less) to take her to the local mall, Robyn managed to track Logan down outside the large house. He was brooding over a rather pungent cigar.
Logan watched her walk across the patio towards him. She was obviously hiding something behind her back. She had the most amazingly curly hair.
"Stop it, " he growled to himself. He cocked an eyebrow at her as she spoke.
"Pick a hand," Robyn announced, not caring if it sounded a bit childish.
"What?" Logan's face tightened in amusement
"Pick one. . . a hand," she added helpfully.
"You're kidding me," Logan started smiling. She was a brash as Marie. Not many people would ask the Wolverine to pick a hand. Then again, not many people had spent a night tucked under his arm.
"Come on. . . pick one," Robyn insisted. She moved her shoulders as if to show him that her hands where attached to her arms.
"Left," He grinned.
"Surprise!" Robin crowed in happiness. She flung her arm from behind her back to reveal a six pack of beer and dangled in front of his nose.
"Huh?" Logan retrieved the beer and glanced at the unfamiliar label. Looking back at Robyn he waited for an explanation, not that he really cared. He was actually shocked that any girl, well, that Robyn, would buy him alcohol.
"It's Castle Lager. Beer from South Africa. I looked up a store in the mall that sold stuff from home, and I thought that maybe, since you like beer, that you would like to try something different."
Logan opened his mouth to speak, but the only thing to emerge ended up as a lame, "Thanks."
"Pleasure. Anything to improve the exports from home." Robyn replied twirling away and heading back inside the mansion.
"Consider it a 'thanks-for-saving-me-from-being-eaten-by-a-large-carnivor-and-keeping-me-warm' gift," she added over her shoulder when she reached the door.
Logan laughed to himself and opened a beer from the six pack. "Damn her accent was sexy."
Later that evening Logan caught Robyn in the dinning hall. "You were right. That was one of the best brews I've ever had."
Robyn smiled and replied, "That was nothing. You should try our wine."
Now that the house had stopped its creaking, Robyn felt sleep drag itself over her tired body.
***
Logan heard Scott coming down the corridor and quickly turned his head away from the hockey game on the TV to focus his full attention on Gambit. They sat cross-legged on the lounge floor playing cards on the coffee table. Logan had already won all of Gambit's earnings for the next four years, his favorite card deck, the remote control, some chips, and a bottle cap that Gambit had found under the table. Logan didn't know how that had gotten there.
Scott walked in just as Logan put down his last card in a dramatic flourish.
"Full House," Logan announced. He looked up to see Scott watching a very unstable Gambit.
"I'm now the proud owner of some prime swamp real estate." Logan said to Scott.
Gambit moaned in dismay. Grabbing the offending cards, he began reshuffling them.
"Still medicated, huh?" Scott asked wearily.
"Ya' can tell Beast that I'm thoroughly enjoying my babysitting stint," Logan replied. Whether he was in jest or not, Scott couldn't tell.
"When is Beast going to cut his medication?"
"Hopefully not before I've won his Bourbon supply." Logan mumbled. Logan strained to see what Scott was carrying in his hands. Tearing his eyes from the overly drugged Cajun, Scott coughed and cleared his throat.
"This is for you," He tossed a mottled blue envelope at Logan and then started to toss one to Gambit, but had second thoughts. He neatly tucked Gambit's into his shirt pocket.
"We all got one; Jean, myself, Ororo, Gambit, Marie, Kitty, Jubilee, Beast and you," Scott counted, ticking the names off on his fingers. "They came in the post this morning."
Logan looked at the envelope as Scott started to leave. "I'm going to talk to Beast about Gambit. You better tell Jean if you're going or not so she can confirm."
Logan waited for Scott's footsteps to fade before he looked back at the TV screen. He swore lightly when he realized he'd missed a score. Fingering the envelope he extended a claw and tore it open along the top. Gambit mumbled something about Logan cheating and began to play solitaire.
It was an invite. . . from Robyn. Strange to say, but he had sorta missed the girl.
The invitation was written on silver-blue paper in black with a hand forced into neatness. Logan smiled at the effort. Reading past the time, date and place, which was a week away at Robyn's new house, Logan lifted his eyebrow at the last detail. It was a 'Braai' party????
"A what?" Logan uncurled himself. Getting up, he flicked the channel to a nature documentary for Gambit on gators and strode away to find Jean.
***
Robyn knelt down by the counter cupboards and moved various appliances aside. Two pairs of bare legs, probably belonging to Kitty and Jubes, charged past her leaving soggy trails behind. A few seconds later a large splash came from the pool followed by shrieks, laughter, and a loud "HEY! Watch it!!" from Logan. This was followed by even more laughter.
Another pair of wet legs wandered into her line of vision as she closed the doors and started to stand up. Corri stood in front of her dripping water everywhere and grinning like a fool.
"This was a fantastic idea, Rob," she said offering her hand to help Robyn up.
When they had bought this house just over a week ago, using their combined money, they had instantly agreed on the idea of a house warming. Later they had almost cried in frustration and home sickness when they had concluded that there was no way on earth that they would invite their stuck up and stuffy office co-workers into their home for a celebration.
Then Robyn suggested inviting the X-Men. Of course, she hadn't worded it like that. It was more along the lines of the people she had met from the air crash. Corri had agreed that it was a great idea. She already knew from Robyn's stories that they were a bunch of twenty-something mutants (some maybe a bit older.) Wait until the new neighbors heard.
Robyn truthfully hadn't expected a response like the one she received. She didn't know that the X-Men did not get invites for political balls and save-the-earth-showdowns. And of course, they had never been invited to a house warming/pool party/BBQ given by non-mutants. Those types of events were usually private family events on Xavier's estate. So, of course, they jumped at the chance to come.
Robyn grinned back at Corri and looked out the sliding doors to the pool. It was full of bobbing heads and flailing limbs. On the patio were sun tanning bodies and a very large, blue, hairy guy who insisted that he would clog the filter if he so much as looked in to the water. Scott had then replied that if Logan could get in the pool then why couldn't Beast?" Beast then immediately ended up being the first one in the pool as Logan grinned from ear to ear.
Corri looked at Robyn, "Still haven't found the forks, huh?"
Robyn looked sheepish, and she turned away from the organized chaos outside as Storm made a funnel of water to shoot Gambit into the pool.
"I just don't know where they are. Think we maybe forgot them back in the apartment?"
"Please!" said Corri holding up her hand. "Don't get another paranoia attack. We left NOTHING behind, especially the marshmallow forks. Way too important to be forgotten."
"You're right, but what we do now for desert? The fire will die down soon if we don't get hold of some forks."
Marie had just walked past the two roommates and paused to listen in. Robyn stopped talking and smiled at her. She couldn't notice the body stocking. One thing she had been worried about was Marie not swimming and feeling left out, but apparently, Logan had persuaded her into taking Jean and Storm's advice. Marie wore a two-piece bathing suit over a skin-like body glove.
"What's the problem?" Marie asked.
"We can't find the marshmallow forks."
"Oh. . . " Marie looked outside to watch Logan's hand sneak out of the pool and grab Jean's ankle dragging her back in the water. Jean yelped in indignity so Scott dived in and dragged Logan under the water. Logan's head shot out of the water and as he pushed Scott under Gambit and Kitty jumped in to join the fray.
"Ya' know, Ah never thought he would be able to do that."
Corri looked confused. "Do what?"
"Swim," Marie answered.
"Who can't swim?" asked Robyn as her mind drifted back into the conversation after admiring the X- Men bathing suits. . . and contents there of.
"Logan. Well, apparently he can swim, but Ah always figured he would be too heavy to actually swim, you know," Marie replied.
"Well, he does keep away from the deep end," Corri observed. She took a double take at Marie and looked confused again. "What do you mean, too heavy?"
"Oh! You don't know. . . ahhh, well. . . It goes sorta like this. . . " Marie explained Logan to the two girls. Robyn now fully understood Logan's claws and Corri oh-ing and really-ing like a kid in school. Just as Marie got to an interesting bit about Logan's self defense classes, the man himself walked in.
Marie spluttered in mid-sentence and changed the topic into the bathroom tiles that were a "Oh so stunning blue."' The three young women tried to ignore the dripping Logan standing in the kitchen.
Logan instantly categorized Robyn's Aussie roommate into 'Kitty, Jubilee and other assorted annoyances,' as she stared at him unabashedly from the corner of her eye.
He pointed at the fridge. "I just came to getta beer."
Now it was Robyn's turn to stare at him. Black baggy shorts, hair slicked back by the water, body glistening and dripping all over the bricks outside on the patio. The funniest thing was that he didn't come in to the house because he was too polite to get the floor wet.
"You can come in. Don't worry about the water," Corri broke her stare as she invited him in.
He strolled in casting a puzzled look at the girls. Opening the fridge, he grabbed two beers and some ice. He opened one beer immediately and after taking a long gulp, he went right back out again. Gambit, who was lying in the sun on the grass, began screaming in French which instantly informed the girls what Logan had done with the ice.
Watching the doorway where he had just passed, Marie was gripped all of a sudden by one of the funniest ideas she had ever had.
***
Logan awoke under the tree with a dog's head in his lap and three young ladies staring at him. He opened one eye wearily and then the next. He cocked an eyebrow when the three just continued to stand there and stare.
"Enjoying the view?"
Marie burst out laughing as the other two girls had the decency to look away. Robyn actually blushed slightly.
On the other side of the pool, Kitty, Jubes and Gambit watched as the three girls surrounded Logan and woke him up. By the end of their brief conversation, Jean, Storm and Beast who had been lying nearby the tree were laughing in hysteria as the three girls seemed to be pleading with Logan. Scott walked up to Gambit and knelt down.
"What dey up to, mon ami?" Remy asked.
Just at that moment Logan jumped up and banged his head on a low branch and his indignant yelp of "OWWWW!" was heard on the other side of the pool.
"Gambit don' know wha' Marie up to, but Logan sure be looking worried," the Cajun observed.
***
As evening fell, the X-Men sat around the patio enjoying the night, the stars, the moon and the sight of the once proud Wolverine toasting marshmallows on the end of his claws.
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