Added 12.3.06

"Logan what the hell do you think you're playing at?"

Jean was yelling as she advanced on them and Max could tell that she'd worked herself up into a fine red rage. She looked over at Logan who was curling his lip in distaste.

"Fuckin' snitch." he muttered under his breath as the redhead strode up and got in his face.

"Scott's going to need at least a day to recuperate from what you did to him." she snapped, placing her hands on her hips. Jean's eyes glittered with anger as she glared at him.

Max raised an eyebrow, waiting for Logan to respond. What the hell had happened? Had she missed something?

"Look, red." Logan replied, setting his jaw. "The kid needed to decompress. I just.."

She took a step towards him, almost hissing now. "You just beat the holy hell out of him. That was supposed to help?"

Logan advanced a step forward, unwilling to concede ground to her. He had to crane his neck to look up at her. For a brief moment Max was reminded of a mother scolding a particularly petulant child. Jean backpedaled as he growled, "Look, you psychotic harpy, he gave as good as he got. I actually went a little light on him."

"Are you kidding me?" she screeched. "Have you seen him?"

Logan presented her with a sharp toothed grin, his tone nasty. "Does he still have all his internal organs?"

Jean frowned for a moment, nodding. "Yeah."

"Then consider him lucky." he spat, pushing past her.

Jean spun to say something but Max intervened and murmured, "He's right."

Jean gaped back at her and she quickly added, "If Logan really wanted to hurt him, there would've been nothing left of him."

"You're just defending him because you're fucking him." Jean snapped dismissively, her tone nasty and her face glowing with that beautiful fury that frustrated Max to no end. She really could be a bitch when she put her mind to it. Max was used to the woman's temper by now, and knew how to back her down.

"Jean. Just because he's my mate doesn't mean I'd defend him if he really fucked up and argued that he'd done right. I hope you'd know me better than that." Max kept her tone even and non-confrontational. Jean would only get herself worked up if Max provided her with the conversational kindling to do so.

Jean looked flustered, irritated that she was being provided with rational dialogue. Jean opened her mouth to respond and Max quietly asked, "Did Scott tell you what happened outright, or did you have to push his buttons until he gave it up?"

Jean's eyes narrowed, the crisp green of her irises sharp as she muttered, "That doesn't make what he did right."

Witnessing the interaction between Scott and Jean in the last couple of months had sped up Max's social understanding of a great many things. The situation had been a very effective teacher. "You know he was rattled at what happened back at that facility." Max breathed, gently touching Jean's arm, reassuring her.

"I've been trying to help him, but he's been distancing himself lately." she let out a pained sigh.

"Scott? Distant? Imagine that." Max quipped, watching Jean's lips curl into a tiny smile. "Did he seem in better spirits this morning?" she asked, looking up into the woman's eyes.

Jean frowned, thinking about it for a moment before quietly replying, "Yeah. Actually, he did."

"So, you just went apeshit over how he looked.." Max trailed off softly and Jean actually looked embarrassed. Max watched Jean's gaze flicker over to Logan who was waiting over by the stairs, his expression hard as he stared back at her. They really were like pouty, scrappy siblings.

"Why would you think that Logan would just tear into him for no reason?" Max asked, taking her hand off Jean's arm.

Jean gave her a pained look, her tone aggrieved as she replied, "You're right. When it comes to him, I'm competely irrational."

She gave Logan a last fleeting look, then turned and walked back to the Professor's office. Logan frowned, wondering what the hell that was all about.

"Crazy bitch." he muttered to himself as he watched her walk into Charlie's office. How the hell did anybody put up with her? Sure, she was extremely easy on the eyes, but the personality? He'd rather jam a marlin spike through his side. He didn't know how Summers did it.

Max let out a soft sigh, watching her friend retreat. She wished that there was something she could do to help, but this was something Jean had to sort out on her own.

She walked back over to Logan who quirked an eyebrow back at her and asked, "You gonna translate what just happened for me?"

Max took his hand and said, "We gotta talk."

--

Logan couldn't have looked any more startled than if Max had slapped him outright.

He blinked as he looked out at the lake, stunned. It took several moments before he was able to speak.

"You really thought I'd come back here and wanna fuck her? Get into a relationship with her?" he stammered, shaking his head. The very idea. He cringed. The woman made his teeth itch.

Max threw her arms up in the air and snapped back, "I don't know! I had no idea what was going through your head when you left. I figured that you weren't exactly a one woman kinda guy at that point and wanted to give you a little lattitude."

He looked back at her with a sour expression. "And now?"

Max growled, "If you touch her, I'll gut you."

He relaxed a little, letting out a breath he hadn't known he'd been holding. "Christ, Max - why'd you have to talk about it with her?"

"I don't know if you remember, but you were gone for quite some time. I had no idea where you were, or when you were coming back. She and I became really close in the interim. She kept needling me about you and I finally broke down and confronted her about her attraction to you."

Max frowned as she remembered the final snapping point.

"Jean, just because you want to fuck him, don't take it out on me." Max growled, finally having had enough of the woman's verbal jabs about Logan.

Jean gaped, then let out a nervous laugh as she replied, "Is that what you think..?"

For somebody who could read minds, she was a shitty liar - but then Max had a fairly large advantage in that particular department. People's scent changed strongly when they lied. It was always a dead giveaway.

"Jean, I can smell it on you. And the way you look at him kinda gives it away." Max murmured, looking away from her friend. "You need to figure out what you're going to do about it."

Jean's expression closed down, her tone cold as she grated, "You have no idea what you're talking about."

The conversation had gone rapidly downhill from there. Max wrapped her arms around her knees as she continued, "At first, she lost her shit and wouldn't speak to me for a week. When she finally pulled her head out of her ass, we talked about it. Really talked about it. It really messes her up that she's into you. She doesn't want to screw up what she has with Scott."

"And this is my fault how?" Logan growled, eyes flashing with irritation.

"It's nobody's fault. She's just..understandably sketchy about you." Max explained, looking over at him.

"Scooter doesn't fuckin' know, does he?" That would be just perfect. Nothing would fuck the kid up more at this point. Logan winced in distaste.

"No. I'm not that stupid." Max muttered, feeling awful now.

Logan lay back and watched several small clouds chase each other across a cerulean blue sky. He took a deep breath and let it out, wondering how he'd gotten himself wedged firmly in the middle of this entire mess. Life was so much easier being alone and on the run. Now complications were setting in that he just didn't want to deal with. The redhead was going to make his life hell while he and Max were here - he was sure of it.

"Did I fuck up?" Max asked, her voice sounding smaller than she wanted it to.

Logan turned towards her and touched her arm. "No. You didn't fuck up. Just - don't talk to her about me anymore. I got enough drama in my life without her constantly rollin' up on me like super cunt."

Max laughed, looking back at him. "Deal."

Logan paused for a moment then quickly leapt up, grabbing her around the waist. He hefted her over his shoulder and started walking out to the dock.

"HEY!" Max yelped, smacking at him. "What the hell?"

"And now - the punishment." he rumbled before running to the edge of the dock and tossing her into the water.

Max spluttered as she went under. When she resurfaced, Logan was howling with laughter.

"You PRICK!" she shouted, trying to splash him and failing miserably. She settled for just glaring at him as she floated, trying her best to will the dock to break apart and sink.

Logan started laughing harder. The man actually had tears in the corners of his eyes, he was laughing so hard.

You just wait, little man. she grumbled quietly to herself. Payback's a bitch.

--

Max was squeezing the water out of her hair as she asked, "So - why'd you beat him up, anyway?"

Logan sat on the dock next to her, leaning back on his hands. "Kid needed a distraction. He was letting his head fuck him up."

"Howso?" she looked over at him, dubious.

"Just - trust me on this one. Worked out, didn't it?" he replied, looking back towards the mansion.

"What is it?" Max looked around him, trying to see what had captured his attention. She couldn't see anything out of the ordinary.

"Max.." he began, looking back over at her. "You need to understand something."

Max frowned, wondering what was wrong. "Okay." She turned to face him, wrapping a leg around his waist.

"I'll admit that Jean's a looker." He paused, as if searching for the right words. "But I don't see anybody else but you."

That was unexpected. She never really thought he'd actually come out and say it - especially like this. Max smiled and murmured, "It's ok, Logan."

"No." His eyes glittered as he repeated, "I don't see anybody but you."

Max cocked her head as he continued, "When I was in that fuckin' pen, I kept seein' you. You were the only one who ever showed up in my head, out of all the others."

A Man like him had to have a whole lot of others. It meant something, this declaration. She respected it, but wasn't entirely sure now what he was trying to say. He sounded like he was wrestling with it himself. He looked over at her, almost as if he was willing her to get it.

He sighed, then murmured, "I don't get close to many people - anybody, really." he explained, looking back out at the lake. "These other kids? I could honestly give a fuck - but Max..you matter." he growled, looking back at her with an intensity that made her shiver.

Now she got it. Max nodded, feeling a strong surge of emotion. "I feel the same about you, Logan."

She leaned against him and he put an arm around her, gently nuzzling the top of her head with his cheek - his voice a soft whisper.

"Good."

--

"Wait, you want us to go where?"

Xavier patiently explained, "The Ust-Ordynski Collective in Siberia."

"Siberia. As in Russia." Jean murmured, floored.

Xavier nodded and continued, "I know that Scott is currently recuperating - again" Max watched the Professor glance briefly at Logan who simply crossed his arms. "..and so will be unable to lead the mission, but this is a particularly time sensitive retrieval."

Jean frowned and asked, "Who do you expect to lead the team?"

With the 'fearless leader' out of commission, the only other person that Max could think of would be Ororo. She looked over to see the woman watching the proceedings with the same quiet, inscrutable expression that she wore the majority of the time. She seemed to be damn near unflappable. Max wondered if she'd ever witness the woman lose her temper. She then sorely hoped that she never would.

"I believe that Miss Munroe is more than well equipped to lead a mission of this nature." Professor Xavier gave Ororo a respectful nod.

Max watched the woman's eyes widen briefly. The announcement had surprised her.

"Why am I here?" Logan asked, leaning back against a bookshelf.

Xavier looked over at him and explained, "I'd like you and Max to accompany Jean and Ororo in case they run into trouble, however, we want to avoid the possibility of an international incident."

Logan raised an eyebrow and met the professor's gaze, his tone mild as he rumbled, "Yeah, why the hell not. Better'n sittin' around waitin' for answers." He stepped away from the bookshelf, uncrossing his arms and sliding his hands into his front pockets.

Max looked over at him with a wary expression as Xavier handed Ororo a folder. Jean watched the exchange with interest as she stood on the side of the room opposite from Logan. She didn't look pleased. Whether it was over Logan going with them or Ororo being chosen to lead in Scott's place, it was hard to tell. At least she was staying quiet - a rare thing indeed.

"I'd like to give Ororo some time to review the scope of the mission before she decides how she's going to proceed with it. I do, however, want you in the air and on your way within the next hour." The professor gave Ororo another single, respectful nod as the rest of them began filing out of his office.

Logan followed behind Max, placing her between him and Jean. "This should be fun, eh?" he mused with a sour expression.
"Christ, I need a beer."

--

Max walked up to Scott and Jean's room, gently rapping on the door. She wanted to check in with him before they headed out - mostly because she wanted to see how badly Logan had jacked him up. Surely it couldn't be..

Max gasped as Scott opened the door, wincing and holding his hand against his ribs.

"Oh my god." she murmured. The man looked as if he'd decided to let somebody use him as a club to beat the crap out of somebody else. His face and arms were covered in ugly black, purple and greenish-yellow bruising, and the side of his cheek near his eye was swelling to an alarming degree.

Scott responded with a weak laugh and nodded. "Yeah. Pretty bad, huh?"

Max winced and said, "No wonder Jean lost her shit."

Scott gave a pained look and groaned, "Please tell me she didn't.."

Max nodded, her expression apologetic as she replied, "I'm afraid so."

He sighed and opened the door so that she could come inside. "How bad was it? I tried to explain - to tell her that she wouldn't understand."

Max's brow pinched as he took a step back and let out a groan. "Is there anything I can get for you?" she asked, wanting to help him somehow. Pinks were so very fragile.

Scott smiled and shook his head slowly. "Nah. It looks worse than it is, actually."

Max helped him over to a chair and said, "Yeah. Looks worse than it is. You kinda suck with the bullshit."

Scott laughed, then winced in pain, again holding his arm to his side. "Believe it or not, it helped." His expression turned serious for a moment as he murmured, "He's a good man, Max. He can just be a ballsy prick about it. It kinda gives people the wrong impression. I think I understand him a little better now."

Max chuckled and replied, "Getting your ass handed to you tends to give you a strange sense of clarity that few other things do."
"Strange but true."

"Do you see?" Max turned to find Jean standing in the doorway, her expression bitter. "Do you see now what he did?"

"Jean.." Scott started, but she quickly cut him off.

"He's a goddamned animal." she hissed, her eyes flashing.

Max felt her expression grow empty and her breathing slow as she looked back at Jean and said, "Do not ever say that in front of me again. Not if you expect us to remain friends."

The woman balked for a moment, then lowered her head. "Fuck, Max. I'm sorry. I'm just...I'm so agitated I don't know what I'm saying." she murmured. When she met Max's gaze again, she looked so lost.

"I know 'dee." Max murmured. Jean was Tweedledee and she was Tweedledum. Scott had started calling them that shortly after they'd started hanging out so often together, and the nicks had stuck since.

Jean gave her an apologetic smile then said, "Friends again, 'dum?"

Max smiled and nodded. "Friends always. Just..ease up. It'll be okay."

Max hugged the taller woman briefly before giving Scott a quick wave and popping back out into the hallway. Jean needed to rein that shit in now if Logan was going to start going on missions with them. If they started that infantile bickering in the middle of a firefight, somebody was going to get seriously injured - if not killed.

Logan seemed to be adopting the stance of 'the further away I am from that loony bitch, the better I'll be'. Max wondered if the professor had any idea about what was going on. Apart from being a telepath, she got the feeling that he was pretty sharp about these kinds of things. If it got out of hand, he'd likely step in - in the same way he had when she and Jean had started getting crazy with their pranks. The man might seem easygoing, but he only tolerated so much bullshit in his house before he started bringing down the hammer. Still, he gave people plenty of rope to hang themselves with in the meantime.

Max wondered if he found any of the drama entertaining or merely irritating.

--

"Wow, you really fucked slim up." Max murmured as she came into their room, flopping down on the bed beside Logan.

"Yep." he replied, his arms behind his head. He sounded indifferent about it.

"He sounds better, though." she wrapped an arm around his stomach, resting her head on his shoulder. He moved to slide an arm around her waist.

"Yep." he gave her a gentle squeeze and Max smiled. Ah, chatty as usual.

"We should head down to the locker room and get changed soon."

Logan paused for a moment, frowning. "You don't wear one of those candy ass uniforms now, do you?"

Max laughed and looked up at him, meeting hazel eyes that made her grin wider.

"Hank developed a special suit for me that shifts with me when I 'beast out', as it were. I still have to take it off to run on four legs, but I don't wreck as much clothing this way." she explained, adding, "And those 'candy ass ' uniforms are outfitted with a special kevlar plating as well as being temperature adaptable. They're actually pretty handy."

"Says you." Logan grunted, then laughed when she poked him in the side.

Max sat up and straddled him. "C'mon. It's more fun than you think."

"I doubt that." he replied, his expression mild.

She grinned and laughed as he looked up at her and asked, "You're really into this, aren't you?"

Max frowned and placed her hands on his chest. "Into what?"

Logan rested his hands on her upper thighs, squeezing gently. "Into the whole thing - going out and pickin' kids up. Helpin' 'em out."

"Not at first, really - but it does kinda grow on you after you've done it a few times." she explained, placing her hands on his. "Besides, who'd ever thought that I would've been able to go to Russia? Even briefly? It's exciting."

"You and your quest for adventure." he murmured, threading his fingers through hers. "You sure that's it?"

Max pulled him up into a sitting postion, wrapping her legs around his waist. "This is the first time since I was a teenager that I can remember feeling like part of a pack - a family." She looked down at their joined hands and whispered, "I miss it."

Logan gently placed a knuckle under her chin, pulling her into a kiss. She was all the family he was sure he'd ever need. He could definitely understand the desire for such a thing. If it was what she wanted - something she needed, he'd stay here for her so that she could feel it. No matter how much it irritated the shit out of him, otherwise.

Max gently pulled away, smiling and trailing a hand through his hair.

"Just how tight is this..suit he made for you, anyway?" he asked, tightening his grip around her waist.

Max chuckled and replied, "That would be telling."

Go back to Chapter 15 - Go to chapter 17

To reiterate: MARVEL owns the rights to most of the elements in this story. Max, and her subsequent backstory, is my own creation, but everything else is either sub-canon, or warped canon yanked from the X-Men storyline.