Jean walked into the kitchen to find Logan and Scott sitting on opposite ends of the table, Logan nursing a beer and Scott a soda. “Logan,” she greeted with a nod.

“Hey, Honey,” she smiled at Scott and kissed the top of his head before sitting in the chair next to him. “What’s up boys? You’re awfully quiet, especially for you two.”

“Jus’ tired,” Logan slurred over his beer. Him, Scott, and Colossus left at exactly 12 am early that morning on a surprise stake out mission and got back just before 6. It was the worst kind of mission: painfully boring and stuck in a small, confined space with Summers. As soon as they landed on Xavier’s floor he and Scott were going to the Danger Room, eager to beat the crap out of each other. Which now left them tired AND sore; hind sight is twenty-twenty.

“Well, I came to ask you a favor,” Jean stated to Logan.

That made him perk his ears up and he smirk at Scott before turning to Jean. “Anything for you, Jeanie.”

She rolled her eyes and bluntly took Scott’s hand in her on the top of the table. “I think you should talk to Rogue. I would do it but I don’t want her to think—,” she sighed and tried to think of how she could phrase it, but nothing came to mind. “I just think it would be better coming from you.”

“Something wrong?” Scott asked concerned since Logan’s mouth was busy down gulp after gulp of his beer.

Jean shook her head and smiled. “No, no, it’s nothing like that! I just—hm,” she looked between the two of them again and thought about her words. “One of Rogue’s chores is to make sure the wind shield of the jet is cleaned after every mission.”

Logan’s eye brow quirked up. “So?”

Jean went on, “Twice last week I saw Bobby doing it. And I went in there today and Peter was cleaning it.”

“Peter?” Scott asked surprised. “He went with us last night. I sent him to bed.”

“Well he didn’t stay.” Jean adjusted her glasses on her nose. “I just don’t think it’s fair to the others if Rogue is pushing her chores off onto everyone else. The whole point of the chores is so they learn responsibility. Would you please talk to her, Logan?”

Logan took another loud gulp of his beer and grunted a harsh, “No.”

Jean’s face visible went into shock as she gawked at him. “What? Why not? Please, Logan. If I say something to her about it I’ll just end up sounding like a bitch.”

Logan shrugged his shoulders. “It ain’t gonna happen, Jeanie. Tell Summers to do it, he’s the fearless leader.”

“Oh, no!” Scott quickly chimed in, dropping Jean’s hand a scooting back from the table. “I’m not doing it.”

“What is with you two?” Jean snapped. “You act like you’re scared of her or something!” Both men hung their head and looked down to their restive bottles.

“This is ridiculous!” She shoved her chair back and jumped to her feet. “Scott Summers you are not going to let that girl take advantage of her team members!” And with that she stomped out of the kitchen, the sound of sharp stilettos ringing in her wake.

Logan waited till he was sure Jean was out of ear shot before he asked Scott, “So? You gonna talk to her?”

“Of course I’m going to talk to her!” Scott yelled then rubbed his forehead. “I have responsibilities to ensure the welfare of my team. Pete should have stayed in bed, he was exhausted---”

“Hmpf,” Logan huffed and made his way to the fridge. “What are you gonna say? He got out of that bed more than willingly.”

“I know,” Scott groaned and buried his face in his hands. “She has ever male in the place wrapped around her little gloved finger.”

Logan deliberated on his words as he opened his second bottle. Suddenly the image of him standing in a Santa costume and Marie pushing him in front of a bunch of kids jumped into his mind. “She has to be stopped,” he said breathlessly.

Scott looked at him skeptically. “How? I never can bring myself to punish her. And you--- you’re just lost without any hope.”

“No,” Logan said determined and all but ran back to the table. “We can do this. We *have* to do this. If not for us, for the next generation! How are Peter and Bobby and John or any of them suppose to have hope if *we* don’t set an example?! Come on, Summer, we’re *men*!”

Scott rolled his eyes. “You’re an animal.”

“And you’re a prick. But that’s beside the point,” Logan sat down and pointed the opening of the bottle at him. “We’re *bigger* than her! We can’t keep letting her push us around. The cute stops here!”

“Don’t you think you’re being just a little dramatic?” Scott asked.

Logan took a big drag from his beer before answering him. “How late was she to your class yesterday? Or the day before that?”

Scott stared at him for a second before clenching his eyes shut. “She has to be stopped,” he agreed with a nod.

“Right!” Logan slapped his shoulder, maybe a bit harder than necessary. “We’re gonna be strong. No southern drawl, no little hair twirl, no big brown eyes or full pouty lips are gonna take us down, right?”

Scott remained silent, starring at the table. “Right?” Logan growled.

“Right, right,” Scott grumbled, no too enthusiastically.

“Come on, One-Eye!” Logan seized him by the front of his shirt. “This isn’t some bar fly or second rate daddy’s girl we’re dealing with here! She’s an unnatural force, a professional! You have to be committed, determined!”

“Fine!” Scott knocked his hands away. “Fine, alright? Jeez.”

“Alright,” Logan nodded, sitting back. “Mission Off-Her-Little-Finger is a-go.”







A few hours later Scott and Logan ran into each other again. This time Logan was walking towards him, with Rogue gibbering away happily beside him.

“Hey,” he greeted them.

“Hey Scott!” Rogue beamed at him and gave him a quick careful hug.

He stepped back and smiled at her. “What’s up?”

“Oh!” Rogue’s face suddenly got very exciting and she grabbed hold of Logan’s arm. “Logan’s gonna take me ta tha new Winona Rida movie in town. An’ then out for icecream, ain’t that right, sugah?”

Logan looked down into the innocent smiling face and nodded. “Sure is, darlin’.”

She giggled and hugged herself to his side tightly. He wrapped his arm around her and gave her a firm squeeze back.

“Hey, I’ll meet you out there is a sec’, okay?” Logan said as he slowly unwrapped her from around him.

“Sure, ah’ll see ya later, Scott!”

“Yeah, have fun, Rogue!” He called after her. When she was gone he crossed his arms over his chest and glared at Logan. “Chick flick and ice cream? Yeah, way to get off her finger.”

Logan growled, but kept the claws in. “How’d the talk go?”

Scott’s arms dropped and he sighed loudly. “She got an extra two days on a late assignment.”

Logan snorted. “Okay, Mission Off-Her-Little-Finger starts tomorrow.”

“Agreed.” Scott nodded, but when Logan walked off he snapped his fingers. “Wait, make it Monday. I’m supposed to begin her flying lessons tomorrow.”

“You have to have two years training before--” Logan stopped himself and sighed. “We’re pathetic.”