The Top Secret Birthday Maneuver

Summary:  It's Jubilee's birthday and Logan hijacks her under Rogue's orders.

Rating: R for language

Disclaimer:  Wish I owned them, but I don't.

Archive: Just ask.

Author's Notes: I couldn't resist the idea of Logan going to such lengths for Rogue.

~~~~~

I settled down on the couch in the rec room to celebrate my eighteenth birthday all by my lonesome with a long afternoon of "Angel" episodes.   I was the only one who really liked the show, so I'd grudgingly consented to let the others watch something else and tape the whole season instead.  I'd planned a blissful birthday afternoon of drooling over David B.  Just about everyone had gone home for the weekend and those that hadn't were off to the city with Ms. Munroe and Ms. Grey for two days of museums.

Ick.

If they'd said shopping or even a Broadway show, but...museums?

Oh, gag, like booooring.

So, of course Kitty and Rogue were the first to sign up and Bobby signed up because Kitty did.  I think he's trying to impress her with his intelligence or something, but Bobb-o's got a long way to go if that's his aim.

About the only other person around was the new guy, Remy something.  He was sulking in his room because Mr. Summers confiscated some staff thing Remy was showing off with.  The guy seemed to think he was Mr. Ninja waving it around and sort of hit one of the Prof.'s statues with it.  I'd never seen Mr. Summers turn that particular shade of red before, so dark it was almost purple....

But I digress.

I had the rec room to myself and I'm the sort of girl who's gonna take advantage of that.  I had a big bowl of buttered popcorn, a couple Surge sodas and a package of chocolate drops Kitty'd hidden under her bed behind some shoe boxes and a stack of historical romances with 'Logan' written on the inside cover.  I'd put the tape in the vcr and stretched out in nice couch potato manner when someone dumped a blanket over my face.

I admit, I sputtered and cursed and threatened dire consequences until I fought my way out of the tangle of fabric and saw who was leaning on the couch back staring down at me with a scary amused expression.

Logan.

Damn.

I'd conveniently forgotten he'd announced his intention to stick around for the weekend, since I hadn't seen him and had assumed that with Rogue gone he'd dump his dirty laundry and go off to some skanky biker bar to troll for willing women.  Either my assumption of his character was completely wrong or he'd already gotten tired of trolling for women.

"You're Jubilee, right?"

Scary smile, scary tone of voice.  It surprised me that he even knew my name, I mean, he didn't exactly strike me as the sociable type.  In fact, as I looked up at him, I wondered where he'd buried the bodies of the people who'd annoyed him, and was I next?  If his off-kilter, insane expression was any indication, I had a perfect right to be concerned.

I happen to like living.

Being dead would like, totally bum me out.

I nodded, afraid to speak.

Okay, let it be noted that, while the guy was too weird for words and scary, kind of crazy even, he's not bad looking.  Kitty's been rhapsodizing (way to sneak in a vocab. word from Mr. Summers English class, Jubes!) over the man's body all week, going on and on about a "rippling chest", "tight, perfect ass", and "amazing abs".  I just figured she'd been reading too many historical romances until Paige started in too.  I'd learned to ignore Rogue's sighs and giggles over him once he'd returned, but with Kitty and Paige also drooling day in and day out....

They get Logan for P.E.  I get stuck with Mr. Summers and his sadistic callisthenic regimen.

Logan's kind of handsome, I guess, in a rugged, extremely hairy way.  Maybe if he'd shave a little more of the hair off and trim it he'd be to die for, but...

"What are you watchin'?"

I struggled to work my mouth and speak under that gaze of his, finally succeeding after several moments.

"Angel."  A croak?  That was all I could manage?

"Mmmm.  An intellectual show if ever there was one."

Sniff, sniff.  Sarcasm.  Did I smell sarcasm?

"I get enough intellectual shit from Mr. Summers."  I cleared my throat and kicked the blanket off, raising up onto my elbows.

Yeah, that was a good idea, Jubes.  Draw attention to the fact you're braless.

Damn sensitive nipples.  Do they have to do that every time a guy glances at me?

Being as male as a guy can get, the Wolvster checked me out, which of course made them...perkier.  He raised one brow and his eyes drifted down me, fixated for a few excruciatingly long seconds, then returned.  His lips curved into the first genuine smile I'd seen from the guy, although it was tiny and barely there.

Damn.

Let me repeat.

D-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-mn!

In approximately four seconds, a raised brow and quirk of his lips, I finally got what it was about him that had all the other girls drooling over him.  My face flushed.  I actually felt it get hot and my palms began to perspire.  I'm talking flash flood here.

And he knew it, too.

"There's a man who knows nothing about fun."

Fun?  Huh?  Wha--?  Oh, Mr. Summers.

I nodded in agreement, then blinked rapidly in hopes of clearing my thoughts.

Mr. Stick-In-The-Mud Summers was so uptight that...No, I wouldn't repeat what Remy said even to myself.  It was way too rude.

"You like fun, Jubilee?"

His expression was back to scary amusement.

Fun?  What sort of fun?  Skewering people with adamantium claws fun or something a little less messy?

"Depends on what the definition of the word 'fun' is."

"That anything like the definition of the word 'is'?"

Hell if I'll let him know I know what he's referring to, so I stared at him warily.

"You like fun?" He repeated, not elaborating--to annoy me I was sure--, so I turned my tape on and tried to pretend it was more intriguing than whatever he thought was fun.

"That's what I thought."

"Huh?"

"You're scared."

That was low, I mean, really low.

 

"Am not!"

"Sure you are.  Big, hairy guy ask you if you like fun.  He's bigger than you, questionably sane at times and has these really nice claws that pop out of his hands."  He popped the claws for a few seconds.

"It's alright to be afraid of him and whatever he might consider fun."

Nice mind reading.  Predictably, (sigh, I know) I fell for the challenge, sitting up to face him.

"I am so not scared of you!"

"Sure you are."

"Am not!"

"Prove it."

Them there were fightin' words.

"How?"

I really don't weigh much, but did he have to pick me up and sling me over his shoulder so easily?  Now, I don't know how the guy usually behaves, but I suspect that slinging teenage girls caveman fashion over his shoulder wasn't it.  He bent down, snagged my shoes and carried me out the door.

I closed my eyes and hoped he wouldn't drop me in the fountain.

~~~~~

"Okay, mes Amis, dey gone!"  Remy LeBeau shouted as Logan and Jubilee pulled away from the mansion on Logan's bike.

Students and faculty, who'd somehow managed to remain quiet enough to fool Jubilee into thinking they were gone, came from the seldom-used ballroom with boxes and bags and prettily wrapped packages.

"Great idea, Rogue."  Bobby grinned at her.  "Jubes'll never guess she's getting a surprise party."

"That's the whole point of a surprise party, doofus."  Kitty set a stack of packages on a table.

Scott  helped Jean with a big box full of decorations.  "So, Rogue...what exactly is Logan going to do in an entire afternoon with Jubilee?  I mean, I think he'll crack in an hour."

"Which is precisely what she's supposed to think."  Marie handed a bag of balloons to Remy.  "Here, Remy, use up some of that hot air of yours."

Remy tried to look wounded.  "Cher, dat hurt."  But he did as she asked, moving to Bobby and betting he could blow up more balloons, faster, than Bobby could.

Jean smiled.  "Rogue, are you sure Logan's okay with this?"

"Of course he is."  Ororo carried a large vase of flowers over to what would later be the refreshment table.  "Do you think Logan would spend hours with Jubilee for anyone except Rogue?  I keep telling you, Jean, the man is bitten by the love bug.  He'll do anything for Rogue."

Marie blushed and looked around, but no one except the X-team was still standing there by her.  "He is not."

Jean, Scott and Ororo exchanged an amused glance.

She shrugged.  "Okay, maybe he's a little attracted...."

"A little!"  Scott shook his head.  "He practically has a sign on his forehead reading, 'Rogue's willing slave.'"

"And you take advantage..."  Jean began pulling decorations from the box at her feet.

"Ah do not."

"Goddess, Rogue, you do too!  I saw that hip waggle you did when you outlined this plan to him!  His eyes popped and started to glaze over!"

Marie looked away.  "C'mon, everyone, let's get moving!" She called out.  "We only have a few hours to get set up and ready!"

~~~~~

Oh.  My.  God.

Be cool Jubes.

Breathe.

You're in a tough-ass biker bar, so look tough.

I glanced at Logan and sighed.  On a scale of one to ten, with ten being the best, his smirk indicated I failed miserably in looking tough.  He towed me across the floor to the bar and sat me on a bar stool.  The bartender already had a glass and a bottle of Jack Daniels waiting.

"Catherine."

"Afternoon, Logan."

The bartender was a blond woman, wearing a leather halter and sporting a bleeding rose tattoo on her left breast.  She glanced at me, then back to Logan.

"She drinkin'?"

"You cardin'?"

"Boss is in."

"Soda, then."

"What kind?"

"Surprise her.  She likes surprises."

I do?

Catherine filled a glass and set it before me, then retreated to the other end of the bar.

Logan was quiet, drinking down several shots in a row before turning his stare onto me.  Vaguely, I wondered what he was thinking, then decided it was best I didn't know when his eyes narrowed thoughtfully.  I started wondering about mass graves of people who'd annoyed him.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"Huh?"

"Got a boyfriend?"

What was this pleasant chit-chat about?  Logan doing small talk?

"No."

"Why not?"

Several already drunken burly trucker stereotypes came in the door and sat at a table behind us.  Logan's eyes followed them in the mirror behind the bar and I caught a glimpse of what looked like anticipation in them.

"Because I don't put out."

He snorted.  "That's not what the wall in the boy's bathroom says."

"Hey waitress!  Bring us some beers!"  One of the drunks yelled.

Logan turned slightly on the bar stool.

"This is what you call fun, huh?"  I looked around, noticed two of the drunks checking me out, and quickly turned back to the bar.

"Hey, sweet thang, you lookin' fer a date?"

Logan drank another shot and slid the bottle away, tossing down several bills.

Catherine took them, counted the twenties, and sighed.  "One more time, Logan, and we're installing a cage."

"At least I'm paying ahead of time."

Paying?  What?  Cage?

Wait a minute, wasn't a cage where Rogue first saw him fighting....

Oh no.

"Hey, sweet thing."

A hand slid down my back.

"I asked you a question."

Logan raised that brow of his and waited.

"You want a date?"

"No, thank you."  My voice shook.  Was he just gonna sit there and watch the drunk molest me?

"Ooh, you're a polite one, are you?  Do you thank a man after he's fucked you, sweetie?"

"Please leave me alone."

Logan smiled.

"What's with hairy here?  He your pimp?"

I gulped.

"The lady said to leave her alone."

"What, I gotta deal with you, first?"

"If you want her, you do."

"How much'll you take for her?  Me an' all my buds want a turn at 'er."

"You couldn't afford her.  She's an expensive little tart."

I gasped in indignation.

Logan shrugged.  "Well, that's what it says, Jubes.  Go in some day and check it out yourself.  Looks kind of like Bobby Drake's handwriting."  He glanced at the drunk.  "She's not for sale asshole."

"Course she is."

"Hey, dickhead."  Logan stood up.  "She's not for sale.  Besides, she doesn't like pork."

My eyes widened.  "Logan, what're you doing?"  I hissed.

"What does it look like I'm doing?"

"Starting a fight with five redneck assholes."

"You're observant, Darlin'.  You always point out the obvious?"

"Pork!  Pork!  You callin' me a pig?"  The drunk said.

"Well, if the shoe fits..."

I sputtered, but he'd already thrown a punch.

I'd never realized the sound of ringing metal could be so sexy before.

I don't know how long the fight lasted, but I got to see first hand how Logan got to be "King of the Cage".  The man could move!  Seeing him in action was somehow far more exciting than watching him train.  I now fully understood why Rogue wanted him.  Not that I wanted him, well not for anything long lasting.  It might be interesting to do the bed-boogie with the guy, although I wasn't about to trash my friendship with Rogue over him.  She could have him.  After all, it was obvious he had a thing for her.

He looked at the bodies littering the floor.  "Woulda been better if they'd been sober."

There was blood on the floor and I was strangely touched.  It was my birthday and he'd started a fight for me.  How sweet.

One of the bodies stirred and while Logan drank the beer Catherine shoved at him,  the drunk stood and took up a chair.  Logan wasn't even phased when it hit him over the head.  He just set the glass down, punched the guy and shook the splinters off his shoulders.  I was impressed.

"Whoa, dude."

He grabbed my arm and began pulling me across the bar.

"Where are we going?"  I stumbled over two bodies and would have fallen if he hadn't lifted me up.

"For a drive."

A drive?  Logan doesn't go for drives.  He goes from point A to point B as fast as he can with little or no thought to the passing scenery.  He thinks speed limits are for sissies.

I settled behind him on the bike, barely wrapping my arms around his waist before he took off.  I held on for dear life.  Lord, don't let me die.

He broke speed limits and when a cop took off after us, he didn't stop.  Logan, you know.  He just went faster and eluded the old guy in the cop car.  There is something to be said for Mr. Summers' toys.  Logan loved that turbo thing and had bugged Mr. Summers (ie: taking his bike at every opportunity) until they'd upgraded Logan's bike to include it.

We pulled into the mall parking lot.

The mall?

He parked the bike and I climbed off.  "Dude.  Did you get hit in the head harder than I thought with that chair?"

"Why?"

He climbed off also and grabbed my arm again.  I was going to have a permanent mark from his hand if he didn't quite it.  He yanked me with him, occasionally shoving me to the ground behind cars and minivans.

"Because we're at the mall.  You hate the mall.  You avoid it like the plague."

"The fuzz won't think to look for us here."

He did that eyebrow raise, first with the left, then the right, glancing around suspiciously.  For the first time I wondered if he really was a little crazy.

"Uhh...fuzz, Logan?"

"Yeah.  Cops, pigs, policemen...."

We sprinted to the mall entrance, me having to expend serious energy to keep from falling and being dragged and him oblivious to the stares we were receiving.

"You're not James Bond."

He shoved me through the doors.

"How do you know?"

"Hello?  Fictional character."

"How do you know?"

"Because he's the character in like a zillion spy movies."

"How do you know?"

"Some guy created him."

"How do you know?"

"Well, I don't for sure, but James Bond is a well-known fictional character."

He nodded.  "Okay.  How do you know we're not fictional characters?"

"Because we're standing here talking."

"What if we're really made up characters that someone is writing a story about?"

I stared at him.  Damned if I'll discuss absurdism on my birthday.  "Logan?"

"Yeah?"

"Shut up."

He went to the mall directory and studied it.

"Where do you want to go?"  Being a mallrat, I could tell him where each store was from memory.

He pointed at one store on the list and moved his finger away so fast that I wasn't able to see which store he was looking for.  He started walking.

"Kids don't know how to dress these days."  He motioned to one girl with a skirt even shorter than the ones I usually wear.  "A century ago, she'd be stoned for wearing that."

I looked at the girl's face and snickered.  "Stoned is right."

"Stoned."  He confirmed, but I don't think he was on the same wave length I was.  "Ahh, here we go."

I glanced up and was mortified instantly.

Victoria's Secret.

Logan.

Those two just didn't mix well in my mind, especially when I saw the amused appraising expression on his face.  That expression was a challenge to me, so I marched right in the store.

Logan turned on the charm when the salesgirl came over, smiling at her.

She melted.  It was disgusting to watch.  When he turns on the charm, he's as lethal as Remy.  I frowned, staring at a purple see-through negligee.  How old was Remy anyway?  He can't be too much older than me....

When I came out of my fog, Logan had his arms and the salesgirls full of lingerie and was holding each piece up to me critically.

"Dude!"  I gasped, stepping back into a rack of silky robes.  "Didn't you get the message, the I.M., the email, the memo?  You're Rogue's!  Quite holding that shit up to me!"

He glanced at the salesgirl.  "She's right, Natalie; that purple isn't her color."  Taking the last items from her, he pointed at a rack.  "What about that red thing over there?  Got that in her size?"

Normally, I love that store and shopping in general, but I was not going to have it get back to Rogue that her six-foot doofus boyfriend was buying me lingerie.  "Logan!"  I stomped my foot.

"What?"

Now he was scrutinizing the thong table, holding up a bright blue pair, then glancing at me.  I hid behind that rack of robes.  "Do not look at me like that."

"Like what?"

That innocent act does not become him.

"Like I'm the main course, sides and dessert.  You're Rogue's, remember that!"

Ignoring me, he moved over to one of the bra walls, sneezing twice in a row as he did.  "You need a bra, J.?"

'J.'?  He called me 'J.'?  No one but my closest, bestest friends--Rogue and Kitty -- ever call me 'J.'  "No."

His gaze found my chest.  "You sure about that?"

I crossed my arms, covering 'the girls'.  "Of course I'm sure.  Why?"

"You never wear one."

"You've been looking at my chest?"

"Naturally, I assumed you didn't own one and I don't want you hurting yourself when Scooter starts you on long-distance running next week."

I wrinkled my nose.  Huh?  "Hurt myself?"

Logan gave me that scary, evil grin of his.  "Bouncy, bouncy."

Either the whole store had gone deaf, or my howl of indignation was a usual occurrence, since no one looked at us.  No one looked when I pushed him into a rack of next-to-nothings either.

I knew going in there was a bad idea.

Logan disentangled himself from the lingerie and followed me out of the store, grabbing ahold of me and steering me towards the food court.  "Let's eat."  There was a strange gleam in his eyes, and if I didn't know better, I'd swear he was enjoying himself.  He ordered food from four different places before handing me a ten.  "Get what you want."

Silly, misguided little Jubes.  I thought that maybe some of that food on the trays was for me, but apparently crazy Jubes was mistaken.  When I returned from buying pizza, he glanced up from chowing down on a sub sandwich.

"What are you looking at, kid?"

"Are you eating for two, Wolveroonie?"

"Yes.  Me, myself and my metabolism."

"That's three, can't you count?"

"Of course I can."  He popped his claws one at a time, counting them off as he did.  "One, two three, four, five and six.  Six claws ready to skewer the smart-ass punk snot nose kid in front of me.  Hasn't anyone ever told you not to piss off the guy with the built in Ginsu knives?"

"Sooorry."  I nibbled my pizza while he pulled the claws in.  No one had noticed us.  I watched him eat, and found myself fascinated in a gory-accident way by the sight.  He devoured two twelve inch subs, a super sized fries, a plate of spaghetti, four egg rolls, chicken-broccoli stir fry and a gyro, all washed down with the largest soda I'd ever seen.  I knew the guy could eat, but...geez Louise.  "So,"  I began, wiping my greasy hands on a napkin, "What's with you and Rogue anyway?"

He growled.

"Easy big guy, I'm just making conversation.  It's not a sore topic or anything, is it?"  I sipped my own soda thoughtfully.  "You're crazy about her, aren't you?"

Logan sighed.  "What male at that school isn't?"

"Mr. Summers, Bobby, St. John..."

"Scooter stares at her ass, not that I blame him, Bobby stares at her chest, and St. John looks at her like they're co-conspirators.  They talk quite a bit."

"They do?"

"Yup.  He's got...'issues' with guys."

"Huh?"  I thought about that, and about the way he'd said issues--slightly lisped and with a quirk of an eyebrow.  "Issues?"

Logan took his voice nearly an octave higher.  "Oh girl, you look divine!  You must tell me who does your hair!"

I stifled a giggle.  Logan in falsetto.  God, no one would believe me!

"Issues, Jubilee."  He shifted in the chair.  "That hurt."

"You mean St. John is gay?"

"No wonder you're flunking most of your classes if you're this quick on the draw all the time."

I finished my soda.  "Gay.  How did I not see this?"

"Maybe because you're a self-absorbed, spoiled brat who's oblivious to anything that doesn't directly concern her?"

"Logan!"  I set down my soda and missed the tray.  It hit the edge and toppled over.  Good thing I'd finished it.  "You don't know me!"

"Hey," He sat back and spread his arms, "I said maybe."

~~~~~~

Marie went into the rec room and surveyed the decorations.  Not bad.  A little over-done and flashy, but Jubilee would love it.  She'd once commented that she'd never had a surprise party.  It had been Marie's mission since that admission to give her one.  She wouldn't have thought a whole school could keep a secret from Jubilee, who made it her business to know everything that went on, but they had.

She saw Jean arranging the food table and went over to her.  There'd been some tension between the two of them once Logan had returned, but Marie had gathered her courage and confronted the older woman about Logan.  Jean had been understanding of her feelings and told her that she wanted nothing to do with Logan in a romantic way; Scott was her true love and she'd never cheat on him.  From that moment on, Marie had begun to see Jean as an older sister of sorts, someone she could go to for advise.  "That cake looks great, Jean."

"Jubilee's favorite.  It took me all day yesterday to bake enough.  Scott decided to help me decorate it and the poor dear mixed up the colors...."  Scott's red glasses made him see colors strangely and he had to be very careful when picking out his clothes.

The cake had a rainbow look to it.  Jubilee wouldn't care though; it was sugar and that was all that mattered.  Jubilee's sugar addiction was well-known, as was the fact that she could be bribed with a box of Girl-Scout cookies into doing just about anything.

Many of the younger kids kept cookies around just in case.

"You know Rogue, Logan would go to the moon for you if you told him you wanted a moon rock."

"Jean..."

"I know, your mutation, but you can't lead him around forever."

"Ah won't."

"He adores you, Rogue.  If you can't let yourself get close to him like he wants, tell him.  Talk to him."

"Ah will."

Jean turned to face her.  "Will you?  You're twenty now.  There's no need to wait until you can control your powers fully, Rogue.  There are ways around it."

"Ah know.  Ah've been wondering about that lately...."

"Go to him.  He's not going to turn you away, you know that."  Jean saw Bobby and Kitty walking towards them and re-arranged the relish trays.  "Don't make the mistake I did.  I almost lost Scott when we first started dating, before we linked, because I was too afraid to talk to him."

Marie leaned closer to hear the woman's whispered words.

"I thought that because I was older he couldn't possibly be attracted to me.  Just because you're younger than Logan, it doesn't mean you can't have a wonderful relationship."  With that, Jean moved off and Marie smiled at Bobby and Kitty, pondering Jean's words and not paying any attention to the conversation around her.

~~~~~

Upon leaving the food court, Logan dragged me down the mall, nearly mowing down a woman with a triple stroller and three howling babies.  He ignored the evil glare she sent towards us, finally stopping in front of the bulk candy store.  He slipped his arm around my shoulders.

"Hey little girl, want some candy?"  He growled.

The woman behind the cash register blanched.

"Should I be accepting candy from a stranger?"  I asked her.  I couldn't resist.  Really, I couldn't.

"Uhhh..."  Her mouth opened and closed several times.

"I'm not a stranger, snookums."  Logan grinned.

Snookums?

"No, but you're strange and that's just as bad."

The woman glanced at the phone and her face contorted, indicating either that she was constipated or that she wanted to know if I needed help.  I smiled at her and stepped on Logan's foot just as he goosed me.

It hurt.  A lot.  Just what I need: a bruise on my ass from Logan's fingers.

"My mama told me to stay away from guys like you."  I informed him, rubbing my bruised posterior before taking a plastic sack and perusing the candy bins.

"Guys like me?"

"Yeah.  Hairy, bike riding bad asses with attitude."

"Aren't you an orphan?"

"Uh-huh.  You buyin' big guy?"

"Sure."

I decided to stock up while someone was being generous, watching him out of the corner of my eye.  He kept grinning wildly at the clerk, who cringed in front of the cash register.  "So, what are we going to do next?"  He probably wouldn't tell me, but I figured it was worth a shot.

"I dunno."  He shrugged.  "What do you wanna do?"

"I dunno.  What do you want to do?"

"I dunno. What do you wanna do?"

"I dunno.  What..."  I stopped and set my bags of candy on the counter.  "Never mind."

He removed his stare from the cashier and turned it onto me.  I was starting to get used to that stare of his and I must admit, my opinion of him was changing.  He's not the asshole I thought he was.  In some ways he's worse.

"Twenty-four seventy-two please."

He frowned and pulled out his wallet.  "Twenty-five bucks for candy?  Jeez kid, this better last you awhile."

"At least I'm not on drugs."

"You are an expensive little tart."  He muttered, shoving the bag at me.

Back in the mall, he suddenly ducked to the ground.

"Logan, what are you doing?"

"Get down!"

"Why?"

Cautiously, he looked up.  "Okay, they're gone."

"What's gone?"

"Incoming!"  He dropped to the floor again.

I crossed my arms and tapped my foot.  "Do you act this way when you take Rogue somewhere?"

He scuttled to a plant and crouched beneath it for a moment.  "Don't you see them?"

"You did get hit hard didn't you?  Maybe we should get you back to the mansion so Dr. Grey can look at you."

"They're everywhere."

"Okay, big guy, I'm gonna find a phone."  I started towards the pay phones, but again Logan  grabbed my arm.

"They're gone now."

"I'm still finding a phone.  Let go Logan or I'll scream rape."  He looked at me, considering my threat.  "I mean it.  Ask Mr. Summers if I would."  I'd gotten in trouble at K-mart for screaming rape the year before.  Mr. Summers wouldn't let go of me, much like Logan was doing, so I'd yelled the first thing that came to mind.  Mr. Summers won't go shopping with me anymore.  So I'm a holy terror?  So what?

Logan let go of me and swept an arm towards the phones after checking his watch.  I went to one and dialed.

~~~~~

It was nearly four and Marie couldn't believe they weren't back yet.  What was Logan doing and why was she suddenly jealous that he was with Jubilee and not her?  It had been her idea, yet now she regretted it.  Letting out a sigh, Marie walked into the rec room, where Bobby and Remy had a pack of cigarettes on the table.  There was a pile of tobacco and a pile of pencil shavings and the cigarettes were set out in a row.

"What are you doing?"

Bobby grinned.  "Replacing the tobacco in Logan's cigarette's with pencil shavings."

"Why?"

"Childish."  Kitty announced and went to the other end of the room.

"Because Logan deserves a practical joke, Rogue.  He's practically begging for one."

"Bobby's right, Cher."

"Oh really.  What are pencil shavings supposed to do?"

Remy shifted uncomfortably.  "Burn de throat, singe de eyebrows..."

"Personal experience?"  She crossed her arms.  In the hall, the phone rang.

"You could say dat...."

"Rogue?"  Ororo beckoned her into the hall.  "Jubilee wants to talk to you."

Marie took the phone.  "Hey, J, what's up?"

"Your boyfriend is weirding out on me, chica.  Come and get me, I want to come home before he loses it completely and wipes out everyone at the mall."

Marie could hear Logan in the background, singing "Climb Every Mountain" from The Sound of Music at the top of his lungs.  "Okay, put him on."  As soon as Logan answered, she giggled.  "Good job, sugar."

"Thanks."

"You can come home now, everything's ready."

"Be there in ten."

The line clicked.

Ororo smiled.  "On their way?"

"Logan said ten."

Everyone scrambled to get in their places.

~~~~~

I wasn't expecting it.  I mean, who'd have thought Rogue could be so devious.  I sure as hell didn't.  Talk about heart attack....

I got everything I'd asked for for my birthday, but since I'd never expected anyone to actually look at the list, it was a little overwhelming.  Presents here and there and the biggest birthday cake I've ever seen.  Ms. Grey had put about two inches of icing on it, so it was perfect.

As soon as everyone settled down to dance and talk, I settled back with my fourth piece of cake to watch Logan and Rogue dance.

I know, Logan dance?  He's pretty good for an old guy.  He's perfect for Rogue, though.  Maybe some day she'll see it.  That wacky stuff he did today...all because she asked him too.  I don't know if that's love, but it's something.  He'll do anything for her.

Man, birthday depression setting in.  I'm eighteen years old with no boyfriend.  Sucks.

The cake didn't taste good anymore, so I went out the front door to look at the sky.  I'd only been out there a few minutes when Logan joined me.  He lit a cigarette from the pack Bobby and Remy had given him.  Half of it burned right away, the flame singing his eyebrows.  That didn't seem to concern him and they grew back as I watched.  He looked at the cigarette, took a few drags, then tossed it away.

"Shitty brand.  Remind me not to get this kind again; tastes like pencil shavings."  He stepped close.

I didn't even feel the need to take a step back when he invaded my personal space.  That was how comfortable I'd gotten with him in only a few hours.

His arm slid about my shoulders and he hugged me.

Logan hugged me.

He doesn't hug.

Not anyone besides Rogue, that is.

"Happy eighteenth, Jubilee.  You're a good kid."  He tipped my chin up a little.  "You're gonna be a asset to the team.  Congratulations."

His lips touched my forehead and then he was moving towards the door.  Rogue appeared, face all aglow.  He glanced back at me.  "Oh, and Jubilee?"

"Yeah?"

"Tell anyone I was nice and you'll learn to hate my self-defense class."

I nodded in understanding.  "Oh, I wouldn't dream of trying to knock your tough-guy image, Logan."

Rogue slipped her arm about his waist and giggled at something he whispered to her as they went inside.  Logan's hand settled on her ass.

I slid down the pillar and watched the night for a only moment before a voice startled me.

"Hello, P'tite."

"Oh, hi Remy."

"Thought Remy'd wish you a happy birthday and welcome to de team."

"Thanks."

"You have fun wit' Logan today?"

I shrugged.  "Oh, you know, guy's crazy.  Glad he's got a thing for Rogue and not me."

He leaned against the pillar and looked down at me, his expression...warm?  "Remy glad too."

"Oh?"  This was turning out to be the best birthday I'd ever had.  There'd been adventure, excitement, surprises...everything a girl could ask for.

"Mmm-hmm.  Remy very glad."

I smiled up at him.

Remy sat beside me, took my hand, and we watched the twinkling of the stars.

The End