"It's freezing out here!" St. John's teeth were chattering. He sneezed and flicked a flame, cradling it in his hands to warm his fingers.

"Well, duh. It is December, you know. Watch this." Bobby reached down and touched off a beautiful arc of ice that formed a bridge over the frozen pond. It sparkled in the early morning sun. "What do you think?"

St. John smiled. "Wow. That's pretty cool. Your control with larger objects is really getting good."

"Thanks! Now I want to try an experiment. Can you heat it up just enough to start a melt? I'm going to try to refreeze it and see if I can get a clearer ice."

"I don't know. It looks pretty clear now." St. John frowned.

"Yeah, but I want to see if I can get it to look more like crystal."

St. John concentrated. His hands glowed and the flame became larger and more intense. He spread his hands apart and it moved toward the bridge. He sneezed and started to shiver again, losing control as the ball of fire was under the arc. It enlarged and erupted, melting the bridge entirely. The water crashed into the now melted pond. Even the snow around the pond was disappearing. He looked over at Bobby.

"Oops. I guess I need to work on that."

Bobby laughed. "I guess you do. If we can pull it off, we could create a crystal wonderland for the younger kids to play in after finals."

"That is one of your best ideas yet. I can see ice slides, snow forts, and ice statues. Oh man this could be really good. I know I can do it, I just need some more practice. You want to try again this afternoon?"

"Sure. Let me know when you're done with your afternoon lab."

St. John nodded and they went back in the mansion.

A small grass snake, all of five inches long, slithered through the still warm grass around the pond and up to the door of the mansion. Finding a small hole, it made its way in.

---

Logan entered the break room with a duffel bag slung over his shoulder and snow in his hair. Ororo looked up.

"Hello, stranger! Just get back?"

He reached for the coffee to warm his throat. "Yeah," he growled. He drank a cup and cleared his throat. "Anything happen while I was out?"

"Not really. Where did you go this weekend, anyway?"

"I just hiked around mostly." He shrugged. "I needed some time alone."

"It wouldn't have anything to do with the upcoming holidays, would it? You've done this for the past two years now."

He paused. "I have? I guess I didn't notice. I'm going to crash in my room for a little while. Are you coming to my class this afternoon?"

"Need me for a demo?"

"I might. I was going to review some basic Aikido techniques and I know you've been studying it. It'll give them a break away from study halls."

"Sure. Are you going to give a final?"

"No. If they don't know this stuff by now, I haven't done my job. How would I test them on self-defense, anyway, throw them in a street brawl and see if they survive?"

He headed for the door and stopped. Turning, he sniffed the air and frowned.

She cocked an eyebrow at him. "Something wrong?"

He shook his head. "I must be more tired than I thought. I'm imagining things. Those are usually not very active this time of year." He closed the door behind him as he left.

Logan entered his room in the dormitory wing and fell on the bed, dozing off almost immediately. He was too far away and too sound asleep to hear the yell and crash in the break room.

---

Marie looked out the van window in disbelief.

"Ah cannot believe you dragged me out of bed to visit the dog pound this early in the morning."

"It isn't a dog pound, girl, it's an animal shelter. You have to be politically correct about these things," said Jubilee as she turned off the motor. "Come on, I need your help."

Following her around to the back of the van, Marie discovered it was loaded with six bags of dog food and four bags of cat food. She looked at Jubilee and cocked an eyebrow.

"I was supposed to deliver it Saturday. Who knew they closed early? This was part of my punishment from the professor. I had to buy this stuff with my lab assistant allowance." Marie still kept looking at her. "My punishment? For the goat incident? Hello?"

Marie started to chuckle. "Ah had forgotten about that."

"Yeah, well the professor didn't."

Jubilee and Marie carried all the food in to the shelter, making several trips and delighting several volunteers. One of the volunteers wasn't so happy, however. She was seated behind the counter, holding a rather shaggy puppy. She looked up at the girls as they started for the door for the last time.

"You two wouldn't want a puppy, would you?"

"Uh, no. Not really," said Jubilee.

Marie, on the other hand, wanted a closer look. He was adorable. Smart black eyes and a cute black nose framed by two fuzzy ears that blended into his hairy gray/black coat. When the lady held him up, Marie was surprised to see he had huge feet.

"How old is he?" she asked as she took him and held him. He licked her cheek and she laughed. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Jubilee's shock. "What?" She hissed.

"I didn't think you could be touched," Jubilee whispered.

"Ah don't have any affect on animals," she whispered back.

A curious gleam appeared in Jubilee's eyes and she started to smile smugly.

"He's eight weeks old. It's his last day here," said the lady behind the counter.

"Oh. He's been adopted."

"No. He hasn't."

"You mean…"

"I'm afraid so."

Jubilee and Marie looked at each other.

"We have to," said Jubilee.

"We have no choice," said Marie.

"He's mostly otterhound and will grow to be quite large so he will need a large place to run around. They are great with children and are very affectionate and loyal. This kind of dog will 'talk' to you and they are known for their playfulness. Make a wise decision. Can you really handle all that? A dog is a big responsibility." The lady looked at them hopefully.

"He'll have quite a few acres to play on and more children than even he can handle. He can be the school mascot. Right?"

"Right," said the rogue at her side.

---

Kitty frowned. Megan was not reading the review material in the English study lab. Normally she was a bright, cheerful presence in the classroom. This morning she was rather quiet and looked out the window a lot.

"Megan? Have you been staying up too late? You seem a little tired."

Big yellow eyes looked up at her. "No, Kitty. I just had a bad dream last night."

"Have you talked to your parents about it?"

"Not yet. They'll be back tomorrow. It's okay, really. It was just a dream."

"Everybody has them. It's normal."

"I wish there was a way to chase them away. I hate it when I have dreams like that. I have a hard time getting back to sleep 'cause I keep thinking about them." She sighed. "Logan wasn't here last night. Do you know if he's back yet?"

"Oh, I get it. No one told you a story last night."

"No. Well, actually Jubilee did read me a story, but it was from a romance novel and it didn't work very well. She kept having to skip over parts that she couldn't read to me and then the story didn't make sense."

Kitty stifled a smile. "Tell you what, I'll see if I can't come up with some way of chasing away a bad dream if you will concentrate on your studies. You have done so well this semester, I would hate to see your grades slip because of a bad dream."

"Okay. Talk to Jubilee about reading some better books, too. I recommended Harry Potter, but she said she didn't think that was for her."

"No. Those books are far too sensible for her. I'll see what I can do, but I can't promise anything on that."

---

"Chica, I have got to get back. My lab starts in less than an hour and we still have to study for our political science and chemistry finals."

"This will only take a minute. Bring the puppy." Marie jumped out of the van and ran to the front door of the little house. It looked cheery, despite being run down a bit. She knocked on the door.

"Who is it?"

"Princess," Marie answered.

The door opened in a hurry. "Princess! Come on in girl. Don't stand there freezing. I see you brought a couple of friends. Bring them in, too."

Marie walked in to the warm little home followed by a hesitant Jubilee.

The petite older woman was dressed in sweats. She ran fingers through her short mop of hair and smiled.

"How's Handsome? You two finally getting something going?"

Marie blushed and nodded. "He recovered just fine. We're dating. How are you doing, Amber? Ah'm sorry, this is my friend Jubilee."

"You're quite a fashion statement, honey." She eyed the furball in Jubilee's arms. "Just let him go. No telling what he'll find around here to play with."

Jubilee let the squirming puppy down and he pounced on a stray feather boa, dragging it around.

"Do you still…um." Marie blushed again.

"You are looking at a professional photographer, Princess. People come to my house and dress up as fictional or fantasy characters and I take pictures of them." She winked. "I turned my living room into a studio. With the money Handsome gave me I was able to outfit a whole new line of work and, I must say, it's a blast and I'm making a living at it."

Jubilee eyed the costumes on the rack against the wall. "Wow. You have some really cool stuff here. I might be interested in doing this."

"Suit yourself. What did you need, Princess? Something blew you my way. What was it?"

"Ah need to hire you to watch the puppy for a couple of days. Jubilee and Ah would like to give the puppy to the school as a mascot Friday morning, but the kids are in the middle of finals this week and…"

"They don't need to be distracted by a living toy. Got it." She laughed as the puppy started to drag the boa around the house. "Sure, no charge. Do you mind if I use him in some of the shots?" She saw the look Marie gave her and laughed. "I wouldn't do anything that would ruin his reputation. No bear skin rug shots, I promise."

Marie laughed, too. "You are something, Amber. We'll have someone drop by some food and a collar and other stuff later today." She gave the woman her phone number. "Call me if you need me. We should pick him up Thursday night after all the tests are done."

"Good luck on your finals. Handsome said you were taking college courses there. You two get going. I can handle this little guy. Does he have a name?"

Marie and Jubilee headed out the door. "Not yet. Try some on him and see if you come up with anything."

"Will do." Amber waved to the young women as they drove off. She looked down at the mess the puppy began to make at her feet. "I can see you and I have a few things to discuss about what you do indoors and what you do outdoors."

---

"You have a break after this, don't you?"

Kitty looked up. Jubilee had just dashed in, breathless as ever and late for her chemistry lab. Rogue followed closely on her heels.

"Jubilee! Where have you been?" She noticed that the two were smiling in a devious manner.

Jubilee leaned in closer and whispered, "We picked up a puppy at the dog pound."

"Animal shelter," Marie corrected.

"Whatever. Can you run by the mall and pick up a few things for it? We want to give it to the students as a mascot for the school."

Kitty's eyes sparkled. "Oh! What a wonderful idea!" Several students looked up, including Megan.

"Keep it down, chica," hissed Jubilee. "Can you do it or not?"

"Sure." She glanced at her watch. "I should have time before my next study hall in history. Where is it now?"

Marie handed her a piece of paper she had been scribbling on. "A friend is taking care of it for a few days until finals are over. Grab a large puppy collar, some food, and a toy or two and deliver them to this address. Do you need some money?"

"No, I've got it covered. Besides, I want to help contribute to the 'present.' See you guys in a little bit. Oh, wait. What color collar should I buy?"

"Yellow, of course."

"No, green or blue."

"How about purple?"

They looked down at the third voice. Megan grinned back up at them.

Jubilee looked at Marie, who started to laugh. "We're sunk aren't we?"

---

Scott was setting up the displays in the hanger for his mechanics class. Their final was first and was going to involve labeling the different parts of certain engines. As he finished the last setup, he had a strange tickling sensation on his ankle and shook his foot. A snake dropped out of his pant leg.

"What the...?" He jumped around trying to avoid it and step on it at the same time.

"New dance, Scott?"

Scott spun around to find Logan watching him.

"No, I…" He quickly looked around but did not see it on the floor anymore. "Did you see that?"

"See what?" The older man approached and looked over the engines. He stopped and sniffed the air. "It smells like a snake over here."

"There was a snake over here." The team leader was now down on the floor, looking under the workbench. Logan picked up a string from the table and dropped it on the back of Scott's neck. Scott jerked around, trying to remove whatever was on him. When he found the string, he glared up at Logan.

"That was not funny."

"Maybe not to you." He grinned and helped Scott up off the floor.

"Why are you in here, anyway?" Scott asked as he double-checked the engines to make sure Logan had not moved anything

"The engine on the jeep I took was clacking because the oil was a little low. I was going to check the records to see if I should add a quart or change it." He sniffed the air. "Hmmm."

"I'll check the records later. Right now I have a group coming in for their final. Wait a minute." Scott cocked his head. "Hmmm, what?"

"The snake headed for the labs."

"I better tell Jean."

"Why not let her find it for herself?"

"That would be mean."

"It would be funny."

They looked at each other for a moment. Logan shrugged and walked away. Scott watched the door close behind him and began to smile.

"I guess it would at that."

---

"Jubilee, you look like the cat that swallowed the proverbial canary. What is the occasion for such a devious smile?"

Jubilee stopped daydreaming out the window and turned to see Professor McCoy right behind her, looking at her reflection in the panes of glass. The study hall had been dismissed for lunch and she had been waiting in the classroom for Kitty to return from her 'errand.'

"Nothing, professor."

"Ah, if I had a dollar for every time you have said that in my presence, I would be a rich man. Come, now, what were you thinking of so merrily?"

Her brain leaped on an idea he would believe but would not be the whole truth.

"I was thinking of getting a pet for Rogue."

"She cannot hold it or pet it, Jubilee." He frowned at her over his glasses. "That would only serve to remind her of her misfortune."

Her eyes twinkled. "Ah, but she can pet it. She told me she does not have an effect on animals."

The reaction was better than expected. McCoy stood there open-mouthed with the strangest look on his face.

"She truly believes this?"

"I saw her hold a puppy and let it lick her. So, yeah, I believe it, too."

Kitty poked her head in the door of the classroom. "Ready?"

"Sure. 'Bye, professor," said Jubilee and she raced out the door before he could figure out she was not telling him everything.

Hank walked slowly back to the chemistry lab, unaware of the greetings that hailed him. The mystery had been solved. Now he finally knew what had happened in that Canadian meadow and why, but how on earth was he going to prove it?

---

Kitty was rushing to her next study hall when she literally bumped into Megan.

"Megan! Just the person I was looking for. I may have solved your problem."

Megan looked up from the pile of books and notebooks in her arms. "You have?"

When Kitty went through the checkout line at the pet store, the cute clerk had been giving away promotional items and she had snagged one from him, realizing it's potential for Megan. She had tried it outside the store and carefully watched the spotted puppies in the window. They had not reacted, so she assumed it was a cheap one that didn't really work and that was fine with her. All she had to do was get Megan to believe it worked and she would be one up on the nightmares.

"Here. Take this whistle. Blow it when you have a nightmare and only when you have a nightmare and it will be chased away."

"Won't it wake up other people?"

"It's a special whistle. Nothing will be able to hear it except for nightmares."

"I don't know," came the skeptical reply.

"I guarantee it will help. You won't be able to hear it when you blow it, but it will help chase away the bad dreams. I promise."

"You promise? Really?" Megan's face brightened. "It must be some whistle. I'll keep it on my bedside table and use it tonight. If I have to, of course."

"I understand. You know, just having the whistle may keep them away. They don't like the noise it makes."

Megan smiled brightly. "So, what color collar did you buy for the puppy?"

"You know what color I bought because you wouldn't have kept quiet otherwise, you little scamp." Kitty winked.

"I really haven't said a word, you know."

"I know. You always keep your promises." Kitty gave the girl a quick hug. "I've gotta run, now."

Megan held up the whistle. "You keep your promises, too. I'm glad you gave me this. When can I see the puppy?"

"We're sneaking him in Thursday night. When he gets here, we'll smuggle you into Rogue's room, if you're still awake, so you can see him."

"Oh, no. Don't hide the puppy there!" Megan frowned. "He's supposed to be a secret from everyone, right?"

"Right."

"Logan will know if you put him there. It's too close. He'll smell it." She pointed to her own nose. "He has a better nose than I do, remember?"

Kitty gave a low whistle. "You're absolutely right. We hadn't thought of that. We'll find another spot." She looked down at Megan. "You're a pretty sharp cookie, you know?"

"I know." Megan giggled. "That's what Logan says."

"He's back, you know. I think he's in the training room if you want to say hi to him."

Megan grinned. "I'll have to be quick. My math hall is starting in a few minutes. I guess I'd better run, too." She gave Kitty a wink and held up the whistle. "Thanks again, Kitty."

The day was looking up. Logan was back, Rogue and Jubilee had a puppy, her parents would be back soon, and now she had something to use to chase away monsters at night. She hurried away to go say hi to Logan before the study hall started.

Kitty watched her go and was very pleased. She didn't feel she was lying, because if Megan truly believed the whistle would help her, then her mind would make it come true and the nightmares would be chased away. Satisfied with her exploration into child psychology, she continued on to her lab.

---

Hank was deep in thought. For once he was not preoccupied with school or the seasonal events. This was not to say that he didn't love teaching, he did. In fact, he loved finals. They served to show him if he was teaching effectively. The upcoming holiday season usually brought on a depression caused by self-loathing. This year, however, he was with 'family' and even had a girlfriend he was looking forward to showing off at the dance on Friday night. No, Hank was deep in thought about something other than the usual events of the year and it involved a little bottle on the back shelf of the quarantine area of the lab.

Scott walked into the Lair and strode toward Hank like a man with a mission. McCoy was always impressed by the way Scott conducted himself. Here was a man who was still very young, possibly mid to late twenties, shouldered with the awesome responsibility of knowing he could destroy almost anything or anyone with just a look, yet he had the humility and inner strength to know he had to govern that power fiercely.

"Something I can help you with, Cyclops?"

"You wouldn't happen to have some of these supplies on hand, would you?" Scott held out a short list in Jean's handwriting.

Hank took a look at the basic chemicals on the list and nodded cheerfully. "Sure. I'll get them." He reached into his metal supply cabinets and started a small collection of bottles on the corner of a table. "May I ask why she doesn't have them? Jean's lab is usually is well supplied."

Scott blushed. "It's my fault, actually. She saw a snake in the lab and it surprised her. Some things were broken in her…attempt to catch it."

"Perhaps I am not following you. How would seeing a snake be your fault?"

Scott grinned. "Logan told me the snake was heading down the corridor toward her lab and I didn't warn her. I guess it would be his fault, then. He was the one who convinced me it would be funny to see what would happen."

McCoy chuckled, knowing full well how much Logan could influence people's actions with just a few choice words. "And was it?"

Scott grinned even wider, the little boy in him coming out as he remembered the way Jean had jumped into his arms. "Yeah, it was."

Beast's face grew thoughtful. "Speaking of Logan, I have a question for you. Have you ever known Logan to lie?"

Scott sat down on that one. Lie? Logan? "No, not that I know of. Why?"

"Well, usually people lie if they are afraid of retribution, or afraid of the person they are speaking with, or they wish to influence someone with false information. Do you think Logan is capable of lying?"

Scott scratched his chin. "Logan isn't afraid of retribution, he's been through a living nightmare already. What could be worse? I've never known him to be afraid of anyone, either. As far as feeding someone false information, Logan will either tell you what you want to know or he won't tell you anything, depending on his mood. No, I don't think he lies. What are you implying, Hank? Has he done something or said something that has made you suspicious?"

"No, no, nothing like that. I was simply curious. I do not believe he would ever lie to us, either." Hank had a faraway look in his eyes. "Therein lies the problem."

"What problem?"

"I was hoping to convince him to tell someone a lie in order to produce a very positive reaction. However I am of the opinion he would not go along with it."

Scott frowned. "Just what are you up to, Hank?"

"Nothing, I'm afraid. That's the problem."

Scott shook his head and gathered up the chemicals. "Whatever it is, just remember, if it involves Logan, watch out for his temper. Thanks for the supplies," he said as he left.

"Prudent advice, I agree," mused McCoy.

---

He was on the floor doing pushups when the hair on the back of his neck prickled. He continued without a break in his movements, testing the air for a clue as to whom was stalking him. His ears detected a faint giggle and he smiled. He went down flat on the floor and rolled at the last second. The next thing he knew, he was hit with about sixty pounds worth of trouble, right in the stomach.

"Oof. You really need to cut that out. One of these days you're going to hit me off guard and cause me some grief, squirt."

Megan giggled. "Welcome back, Logan. Bring me anything?"

"Now if I brought something back for you, I'd have to bring back something for everyone and I'm not gonna do that." He watched her face fall. "I did have an idea for something to do after finals you and the other kids can have a hand in."

"Tell me."

"Nope, not yet. I want it to be a surprise."

"I can keep secrets, you know."

"I know. I just want this to be a surprise for you, too." He ruffled her hair. "Off, kitten, I need to get up."

"Nope. I'll keep you here until you tell me your secret." She tweaked his nose. He growled and she suddenly knew she was in trouble.

He powered himself over in a backward summersault, rolling her over with him and then throwing her high in the air. She tumbled and twisted, never losing equilibrium and landed on her feet a couple of yards away, giggling.

"Nice work. You've been training more with McCoy, I see." He looked at his watch. "Scoot. You have a study hall in a couple of minutes."

She gathered up her books. "Do you know where everyone is supposed to be?"

"Pretty much."

She smiled smugly. "You don't know everything that goes on, though."

He cocked an eyebrow. "You know something I don't?"

She giggled. "I know how to keep a secret."

A wicked grin came to his face. "I know how to make you tell." Fingers outstretched for tickling, Logan made a fake lunge for her.

Squealing, she ran for her study hall.

---

"What do you mean Dalmatians are mostly deaf?" Kitty was beside herself.

"I read somewhere that it's inherent in the breed." Jubilee wolfed down another cookie. During finals week, the staff and students were supplied with afternoon cookie breaks as a treat. "Why were you testing a dog whistle on those spotted puppies anyway? Where's the whistle now? Did you want to train our puppy with it?"

"Um. Well, I gave the whistle to Megan to use if she had bad dreams."

Marie stopped chewing. Jubilee choked and had to swallow some juice.

"You realize if she uses that whistle, Logan and McCoy are going to hear it, right?" Marie started to giggle. "They'll chase away the nightmares alright. They'll also find out who gave it to her. You might have some explaining to do."

"See if you can get it back," coughed Jubilee. "If they find out about the whistle, they'll start asking you why you went to a pet store in the first place and then our surprise is ruined."

"I can't! I gave it to her and promised her she could use it. How would it look if I took it back now? Okay. What's the worst that can happen? She blows the whistle and what? Logan and McCoy come rushing to her bedroom. How angry could they get after helping a little girl fight her monsters? Right? They would understand. I know they would."

"You just keep telling yourself that, chica. I'm sure they won't mind if Megan disturbs their sleep, especially Logan. Why, he can get sleep any time he wants." Jubilee winked at Marie and they stood up to attend the last study lab of the day.

"Ah'm sure it will be fine, Kitty," said Marie. "How much harm can a little whistle do?"

Kitty bit her lip as they walked off. This was so not a good thing.

---

By Thursday morning, Kitty was a nervous wreck. The finals for the last two days were nothing compared to this. Three nights had passed and Megan had not blown the whistle. She was almost tempted to grab it and blow it herself, wishing the suspense would just end. A quick check of Megan's room revealed that not everyone stuck to the old adage of 'a place for everything and everything in its place.' She did not have a clue where to begin looking in that mess and, besides, she would be stealing it if she did find it and Kitty was not one to steal anything.

Marie was also having a hard time on Thursday. She was bouncing on air. It was the last day of finals, she would be picking up the puppy this evening, the presents would be handed out tomorrow morning (the puppy was sure to be a big hit), and the dance tomorrow night would follow. She was so looking forward to this dance. Holidays at the mansion had taken on a new glow, now that she had a bona fide boy friend. She dreamily planned how it would be to dance all night long with Logan, conveniently forgetting that she still had to find a way to hide a puppy for ten hours in a mansion filled with talented mutants.

Jubilee sat between the two at breakfast, wondering what had become of her friends. One was too keyed up to eat and the other had forgotten she had a plate in front of her. She reached into the book bag she had left on the floor and pulled out a book. On the book was a tiny snake. Jubilee did not notice this until it was even with her nose.

"Aaaauurrrrggggghhhhh!"

The book was promptly dropped, hitting a fork, which spun up and came down straight in a younger student's milk glass. For the already stressed out student body, no other invitation was needed.

"Food fight!"

---

Finals were over. An hour later than expected due to this morning's clean up, maybe, but over nonetheless. Their brains fried, most students lounged in the media room or in the gaming room while the teachers graded their efforts. Since Logan did not have finals to grade, he solved the problem of the children having time on their hands while waiting for their marks. When the grades were finally posted, the teachers looked around and found no students to pour over them.

Tracking down the gleeful laughter to the kitchen, they found an enormous mess in progress with Logan at the helm. Old nylon stockings had been confiscated and were being filled with tiny birdseed for small songbirds. Peanut butter was smeared into pinecones, which were then rolled in coarser birdseed for larger birds. Popcorn was strung on yards of thread, apples pilfered and sliced, and nuts were gathered, all in preparation for heading outdoors to decorate some Christmas trees for the animals. Pretty soon the entire school made a foray into the woods behind the mansion and the festivities commenced. Feeling sure their efforts would be better appreciated if they weren't there to bother the animals, the children left to go check out their grades, followed by some very anxious older students and some goofily grinning adults.

Dinner that night was an extravaganza. The professor had it catered in honor of the day. Most of the students were worn out from the days events but were too keyed up to go to sleep, knowing that tomorrow morning was the day for presents. Although Christmas was actually next week, Xavier had students that visited family and friends during that day and he wanted to set a time aside just for the 'family' at the mansion. The media and gaming rooms were filled with laughter and speculation and also quite a few yawns. The teachers were still in the dining room, lounging at the table and indulging in small talk. Logan went to go ask Rogue something and Xavier took a phone call in his office. That left the others to do most of the chatting.

Ororo leaned back and sighed, her hunger satisfied. "What a week."

"I'll say," said Jean. "Finals are bad enough without other stresses on top of them, especially when they are slimy and slithery and attack you without warning."

"What stress? It was tiny and never even got close to you." Scott did not appreciate that he was being yet again reminded of the reptile fiasco in the lab. "Besides, you were fairly happy about the results."

Jean smiled, then laughed. "You're right. Anything to wind up in your arms. But please don't try that tactic again."

He grinned back. "Don't worry. I have others."

Hank leaned forward on the table and touched Ororo's arm. "Do you have any idea what they are talking about?" Her eyes gazed dreamily into his and he blushed. "No, not that. I mean at first."

Ororo looked over. "What are you two going on about? Something attack you, Jean?"

"Yes. A snake."

Ororo gasped. "You saw it, too?"

"When did you see it?"

"Right after Logan came back on Monday morning. It was in the break room."

Hank and Scott exchanged glances. Hank piped up, "Do you think Logan had something to do with it?"

"Something to do with what?" Came a voice from behind. They all jumped.

"Don't do that!" said Ororo as Logan sat back down at the table. "You'll give me gray hair."

"Now that's funny, not. You didn't answer my question." Logan got out a cigar and everyone groaned. "What? I wasn't going to smoke it. Yet." He clamped it in his teeth and tried not to look too happy.

"Something's up your sleeve." Scott smirked. "You and Rogue going walking outside, later?"

Logan shot him a steely look. Scott cocked an eyebrow back at him. Finally Logan grinned in defeat and the rest of the teachers relaxed into smiles.

Logan looked around the table. "So you guys think I planted a snake in the mansion, huh?"

McCoy chuckled, "No."

"Yes," piped up Ororo. "It was in the break room first."

"That's where I first smelled it. I haven't seen it yet. What kind is it? Grass?"

"Can you tell by smell?" Jean was now scientifically curious.

"Sort of. Some snakes do have a signature smell. This one smells more like a common grass snake or something like it."

"Non poisonous?" This was from Scott.

"Yeah."

Scott gave a smug smile of superiority to Jean who pretended to be annoyed but it didn't fool anyone.

"Just how sensitive is your nose, anyway?" Hank was curious now.

"More sensitive than yours. I don't know how you put up with that smell in the Lair. It makes my eyes water after a while."

"Do you think you could track down the snake?"

Logan looked at Ororo before he answered her question with one of his own. "You want me to hunt it down and kill it?" His face had become impassive.

Ororo read it all with her big brown eyes. "No, Logan," she said quietly. "I just want it put back where it belongs." She shivered and grinned. "I don't like the thought that it could crawl under the covers with me at night." The others laughed.

Logan's face softened and he winked at her. "You need a bigger animal to protect you, then. I recommend something in fur." Scott snorted and Hank blushed. Logan got up from the table. "If you kiddies will pardon me, I need to go."

Catcalls of "Don't do anything I wouldn't do," "Who are you calling a kid?," and "Have fun," followed Logan out the door.

"He's a lot more fun than he used to be," said Jean.

"I don't know. I think he's always had a sense of humor. He's just comfortable enough with us now to let us see it," replied Ororo.

---

The wisps of their breath intermingled in the wind and they walked hand in hand together toward the garden.

"I want to show you something," Logan growled in her ear.

Chills ran up Marie's spine and she laughed. "You sure know how to give a girl goose bumps." She looked up into his dark eyes, her own twinkling with amusement.

"You're not a girl, Marie." He pulled her to him, making walking in the snow a lot more difficult.

In a flash of inspiration, she pulled him off balance and down they tumbled in the snow. She grabbed a handful of the icy stuff and shoved it down the back of his shirt. Squealing, she scrambled to get away as a playfully growling Wolverine bore down on top of her, rolling her over and pinning her down. She struggled but could not get free because she was laughing too hard to really try.

"Ah give up!"

He sat up and she scooped both hands in the powder and let him have it in the face. He grabbed a handful and made sure most of it went down the front of her shirt.

"Logan!"

He made it down the path and to the entrance of the garden before she caught up with him. Logan wrapped her up in his arms and, before she could make too much of a protest, turned her so she could see the garden in all of its glory.

She gasped and he loosened his grip so she could see it better. "Oh, Logan. It's beautiful!"

There wasn't much daylight left, but Bobby and St. John were still hard at work, freezing, melting, and refreezing the ice until it shone like crystal in the last feeble light of the day. They turned and waved to the couple watching them.

Castles, slides, forts, statues, and sculptures that invited looking, touching, and playing on littered the garden and made it into the most beautiful winter wonderland Marie had ever seen. She looked back at Logan.

"It's their gift to the kids tomorrow morning. When I found out, I made them promise to save the first ride on the slide for you."

She blinked back tears and gave him a fierce hug before she went flying off to try the slide. He watched the joy on her face as she sailed down the ice, unaware that his face shone just as brightly.

---

Logan came into the kitchen covered in snow and shook himself.

"Hey!"

Logan looked up and grinned at Scott and Hank. He shucked his coat and joined them at the island counter.

"What's up?" he asked as he grabbed an apple and began to munch.

"We were discussing Christmas presents," intoned McCoy. "Care to offer an opinion?"

Logan snorted. "What would I know about presents?"

"You know, I've always wanted to ask you about that," said Scott. "Why don't you like presents?"

"It's not that I don't like them. Things just don't mean a lot to me."

Hank cleared his throat. "I happen to know you have a very beautiful gallery of art in your room. Those pictures must mean a lot to you."

Logan blushed. Half a dozen drawings made by various children at the mansion and offered to him at impulsive moments had been carefully framed and placed on his wall as a tribute to the givers.

"The artists mean more than the pictures," he growled. "So, what are you going to give your ladies for Christmas?" He continued to lazily demolish the apple.

Hank hung his head. "I would not presume to purchase any clothing, because Ororo would then be obligated to wear it. Her fragrance is too specific and her taste is exquisite. I am out of ideas."

"I know what you mean," said Scott. "This year I'm coming up dry." He looked over at Logan. "What present do you have in mind for Rogue?"

Logan shrugged. "None."

They looked at him in disbelief.

"None?" Scott shook his head. "Nothing for Christmas?"

"I didn't say that. I plan to do something for her, not give her a present."

"What do you plan to do?" asked McCoy.

"I noticed Rogue's shoulder and back have been sore lately in self-defense so I got a book from the library and read up on massages. I plan to give her one." He got up and threw the apple core away. "It's something simple and I know she will appreciate it."

Scott's eyebrows rose. "Wow. That's a pretty thoughtful gift. Add some candles and it could be pretty romantic." He looked up at Logan. "Mind if I try a variation on your idea?"

"The book's in the library."

"Perhaps some cooking lessons are in order," mused Hank. He noticed their puzzled expressions. "For me, of course. Ororo has to eat, doesn't she?"

---

Later that night, Marie sat in a cozy little house and played absently with the puppy in her lap.

"Amber?"

"Hmmm?"

"Do you believe in fairy-tale romances?" Marie looked up from the puppy and focused on the woman who sat opposite her on the floor.

"I swear you and Handsome have a habit of asking the most interesting questions, Princess. I know you'll find this surprising, but, yeah, I do. It's what happens afterward that bothers me."

"What do you mean?"

"I know for a fact that love can be true and deep and powerful, just like in those fairy tales. The problems start when real life comes knocking at your door and things aren't perfect and the sunshine fades a bit." She shifted her position and lay down on the floor. The puppy promptly attacked her by jumping off Marie's lap and jumping on her stomach. "Ouch, you little cat-bait. Cut that out!" She scratched him behind the ears and went on.

"I've heard lots of stories and excuses and whining about relationships that went wrong, believe me. What people seem to forget is that love is always a work in progress and it's not just a physical thing. Take Handsome, for example. He loves you. What does he do about it? He does everything he can to learn how to talk to you and please you. He's a deep one and doesn't say much, but I bet when he told you he loved you, he spelled it out that he wasn't perfect and that he wanted to work on a relationship with you. I'll bet he thinks of it as work, too, a very pleasant kind of work with lots of challenges. He's not one for the easy road. He wouldn't have just swept you off your feet with one big kiss and expected you to fall head-over-heels." She rolled over on her side and looked at Marie. "Is that what's bothering you, Princess? Your Prince Charming is a realist?"

Marie blushed. "I guess it was all those silly romance novels of Jubilee's. I get this funny feeling in the pit of my stomach and my heart does flips sometimes and I never get tired of looking at him, knowing he's mine, but, well, I've never heard thunder or felt the earth shake." She stood up and started gathering the puppy's things in a bag. "It's silly of me, I know." A hand closed over her gloved wrist and she looked up to see a wistful smile on Amber's face.

"Don't believe that stuff. It won't last. What you have is the real fairy-tale romance. Your prince is gonna love you until the day he dies. And I'm betting you feel the same for him." Marie nodded sheepishly, a beautiful blush gracing her cheeks. "Fireworks are fine for the fourth of July, but they don't last. It's all pretty glitter and show. If you get goose bumps thinking about just being in the same room with someone, that's probably infatuation. Real love is when you let your heart go and someone else's comes back with it. You can't ask for more than a chance to learn to love someone and grow with them through life. Now if a man can be with you for twenty years and still give you goose bumps when he's in the same room with you, then get down on your knees and thank God for that." She winked and Marie began to laugh.

A small yip caught their attention. The puppy was looking up at them expectantly. They were bound to play with him, now that he had their attention.

"Would you look at that furball? Such a polite little man. Just wants to play and is asking as nicely as he can. He's smart as a whip, too. He's already got the gist of going outside to make a mess." She whispered knowingly, "He likes to have his belly scratched as a reward."

"Got it," Marie whispered back.

---

"Okay. Let me get this straight. You think the military drug had nothing to do with Logan being able to touch Rogue?"

"Exactly."

"And you think you can prove this if you can find a way to let Rogue think Logan has been injected with it again?" Ororo looked at Hank with disbelief. "Sweetheart, how on earth are you going to do that? One, making her think that Logan was off the deep end again would involve getting Logan to go along with this and he's not going to, trust me. Two, Rogue can kill anything with a touch."

"Not anything. She can't kill something she thinks she has no effect on." He sighed. Convincing his girlfriend to help him was turning out to be more difficult than he had imagined. "Rogue told Jubilee she didn't have any effect on animals and Jubilee actually saw her hold a puppy and let it lick her and nothing happened. Rogue must have truly believed that Logan was an animal in Canada. Her power did not harm him when he touched her just like her power did not harm the puppy she held. There was nothing in the drug that could have protected him, so it's the only plausible explanation."

"So she is actually controlling her power when it comes to animals?"

"Subconsciously, she must be." He watched Ororo shake her head. "I'll admit, it's a theory and a long-shot at best."

"And you think if you can prove to her that it's all in her head, she can just learn to switch it on and off at will? Hank, sweetheart, you're messing with someone's mind here. Have you thought about going to the professor with this?"

He nodded. "Charles agrees it is a valid theory but even he admits it would be hard to prove to her. He did caution that she may reject the idea and close her mind to it."

"Maybe you had better leave this alone, then. I would hate to see anything jeopardize their little romance."

They were lying on top of his massive bed, still visually watching the movie he had muted when he launched into his explanations and theories on Rogue and Logan. He was reclined on pillows and Ororo was using him as one for herself with her head resting on his shoulder. Hank squeezed her in a soft hug and she leaned closer into his chest. He reached down and tilted her head up gently, caressing her brow with a kiss. She smiled. He took a breath.

"Ororo, I have always hesitated to touch someone since I disfigured myself in this way. You have allowed me the opportunity to express my love for you in these and other special moments together and it means the world to me. I cannot help but feel sad that Logan and Rogue do not have this kind of freedom. Don't you think, if there is even a small chance that I'm right, they should be given the opportunity to find out and maybe even have the chance to express their love like we do?"

"You are asking for a miracle, there, lover."

"Well, it will be Christmas next week. Miracles have been known to happen."

---

Megan was curled up in one of the soft armchairs in the media room, a contented puppy sleeping on her lap.

"He is so cute! I can't wait until tomorrow morning," she said as she lovingly stroked his furry little head.

Jubilee glanced up at the clock on the wall. It showed ten o'clock. "You won't have to wait too much longer. Come on. You need to go back to bed."

Marie chuckled as Megan grumbled and eased out from under the puppy, leaving him in the chair as she stood up. She held out her gloved hand and Megan skipped over, ready to be smuggled back into her room.

"I can't believe I let you talk me into this," whined Jubilee as she made a hasty bed out of armchair cushions and pillows.

"Hey, I'll be in here with you," retorted Kitty. "Megan's right. Logan would smell the puppy if it got anywhere near the dormitory wing. And Rogue has to sleep in her bed or he will know something's up." She ducked as a pillow was thrown at her. "Goodnight, Megan. Goodnight Rogue. Scrooge and I will see you in the morning, bright and early."

Megan laughed as Jubilee stuck out her tongue and made a silly face. She and Rogue slipped back into her room in the dorm wing and she hopped into her bed and let Rogue tuck her in.

"Goodnight, Rogue. I think the puppy is going to be a big hit tomorrow."

"Goodnight, Megan. Ah think so, too. You need to get some sleep, kitten. Tomorrow's a big day."

Megan's eyes twinkled. "Are you going to dance with Logan tomorrow night?"

Rogue tried hard to look indignant. "Why?"

"Can I dance with him, too?"

Marie smiled. "Well, Ah'll share, but only with you, got it?"

"Got it." She rolled over in bed and closed her eyes, making pretend snoring noises.

Marie stifled a laugh. "You're not fooling anybody."

A muffled giggle came from the bed.

"Sweet dreams, kitten."

---

It was loud and it was irritating and it hurt his sensitive ears. Logan opened his eyes with a growl. Someone was in real trouble, in more ways than one. As he ran down the hall wearing his pajama bottoms, Beast joined him with a pained and curious expression, clad in a similar manner. They stopped at Megan's door. The shrill whistle had ceased, but Logan detected sniffling and fear within. He shouldered the door open as he and McCoy burst into the room. Megan was standing on her bed, a whistle in her hand. She was staring at the floor as if it would attack her.

"What on earth?" Logan reached out his hand. "Megan, what's wrong?" He watched her put the whistle to her lips again. "No! Don't blow it anymore, please."

"I have to. It might come back."

"What might come back, Megan? What is it that frightened you?" Hank edged closer to her and sat on the bed.

"I had a bad dream. The floor came alive with snakes and the bed started to sink. I woke up and blew the whistle so the dream would go away."

Logan and Hank looked at each other.

"Megan, a whistle won't…" started Hank.

"Wait." Logan took a sniff. "The snake was in here. Megan, you were dreaming and smelled the snake. The floor won't turn into snakes and your bed is just fine. Your brain knew there was a snake in the room and tried to tell you. That's all." He reached up and she took his hand and stepped down. She walked around on the floor. "See? It's okay."

She smiled tentatively up at him.

"Little one, where did you get the notion that the whistle would make the snakes go away?"

She looked over at McCoy but thought carefully before she answered. "Someone gave it to me and said it would help chase away bad dreams. It worked, too. You guys came." She hugged them, hoping they wouldn't ask anymore questions.

Hank and Logan looked at each other over her head. Hank cocked an eyebrow and Logan shook his head.

"Alright, squirt, back in bed," Logan growled. She looked at him with pleading yellow eyes. "McCoy and I will find the snake. No more bad dreams tonight."

"Promise?"

Hank shook his head. "We can promise to look for the snake, Megan, but the dreams are up to you. You have to try to make your dreams pleasant by starting off with pleasant thoughts. What about thinking of all the wonderful things that will happen tomorrow?"

To their surprise, Megan's face brightened tremendously. Her mouth curved into a delicious grin, the spitting image of Jubilee's 'I have done nothing' look.

Logan's eyes narrowed. "Alright. Give. What's up? You still have a secret, don't you?"

"Oh, no." She crawled into her bed. "I'm not going to spoil it. I'm going to sleep. Tuck me in?" She batted her lovely lashes over her glowing yellow eyes. "Know any stories?"
She giggled.

"Not at the moment. Get some sleep." He ruffled her hair and winked and she pulled the covers up to her chin. "Goodnight, squirt."

Hank got up and walked to the door. "I'll get Scott to help us. The three of us should be able to track down one little snake."

Megan sat up. "Little? How little?"

"Approximately six inches long, so I'm told." Hank left.

"Logan, can we keep it?"

"First it scared you, now you want to keep it. Next thing you know, you'll want to hunt it yourself." He shook his finger at her. "Get some sleep or you'll snooze through the party tomorrow and I'll have to wake you up the hard way. Don't blow the whistle again, got it?"

"Got it." She rolled over and began to assault his ears with pretend snoring noises.

He rolled his eyes and grinned as he left the room.

---

Jubilee headed down the hall. She couldn't whistle or call because someone, especially Logan, might hear her. She had awakened in the night only to find the chair where the puppy had been empty. She did not see it curled up with Kitty on her 'bed'. When Jubilee left the media room, he had curiously followed on padded paws. Desperately she strained her eyes in the dim light, trying to find a gray puppy in all these shadows, not knowing it was right behind her. She heard a slight sound ahead and ran forward on her toes, making as little noise as possible. Rounding the corner, Jubilee realized she was headed in the direction of the labs now. A large figure was at the end of the hall, stooping as if looking for something. Her heart rate doubled. It was Logan and he was on the scent of the puppy, she was sure of it. She watched as he entered Hank's Lair.

He never did like the smells of the chemical lab, but he could tell this was where his prey was and he would not disappoint a ten-year-old little girl by losing the tiny snake now. He crept forward, ignoring the prickling on the back of his neck. Someone was behind him. He caught a whiff of Jubilee's perfume and relaxed about what lay behind. Instead he concentrated his senses on what lay before him, zeroing in on the five-inch reptile as it tried to hide behind one of the tables.

"Now I've got you, bub. Time to say goodbye."

"No! Don't hurt him! He hasn't done anything!" Jubilee was dismayed at Logan's tone. They never thought he would hunt down and kill the puppy. She immediately came to its defense.

Logan did not take his eyes off the snake. "What are you talking about? I'm either going to put it outside or kill it. There's not another choice here."

"How could you?" Her fingers splayed wide, she fired off globules of light, aiming them for his eyes. "He's our present to the kids! You can't kill him! Rogue would never forgive you!"

He ducked and twisted. In trying to avoid the lights, he lost sight of his quarry. Angry, he yelled. "What are you rambling on about? It's just a snake!"

She was stunned. A snake? He was after that snake? She lost control of her lights and some of them crashed into the chemicals on the table near Logan. Flames and small explosions went off in a series of bursts and the room rapidly filled with a choking, acrid smoke. Logan ripped the fire extinguisher off the wall.

"Go get Hank! Close the door so this won't spread!"

She wheeled around, catching the door as she ran out. As she fled down the hall in search of McCoy, she caught sight of a small furball running back toward the media room. He had followed her the whole time. Forgetting all about Logan, she sprinted down the hall, intent on the puppy.

---

Five minutes later, the fires were finally out. The smoke was so thick, though, he became disoriented. He had no idea where the vent controls were now and the world was starting to go fuzzy. Figuring he could not count on Jubilee to tell Hank, Logan hit the red button on his watch. Blackness started to invade his vision and he gave in to it at last.

---

The fearless leader was hunting through the vast expanse of the hanger in his pajamas, armed with a flashlight and mumbling about women. McCoy had come to his door with news of the snake and Jean had insisted he help find it. He had no illusions about his inability to catch such a tiny thing and wondered if Beast or Wolverine was having better luck. When Scott felt the vibration on his wrist he was surprised. No one was out on a mission. What kind of emergency could it be? The watch relayed the number of the signal. Logan?

He climbed into the jet. Tracking said the source was in the mansion, in Hank's chemistry lab of all places. Chemicals and Logan? His stomach gave a lurch and he ran to go get McCoy, figuring he'd need some expert backup on this one.

---

Hank opened the door to the Lair. A purplish blue smoke began to billow out and he quickly slammed it shut, coughing as the acrid fumes met his sensitive nose. He turned to Scott.

"There must be a fire inside. Are you sure Logan's in there?"

Scott nodded and raced for some equipment.

Later, sporting oxygen masks furnished from the jet, Hank and Scott entered the lab with fire extinguishers and shut the door behind them. They did not see any flames. The smoke was so thick, though, it took a minute for Hank to find the switch for the internal fan system. As the room cleared, they found Logan on the floor still holding the fire extinguisher he had used to put out the fires Jubilee had started. A quick check of the pulse confirmed that their friend was simply out cold. Scott pulled off his mask and headed for the door.

"I'll go get some oxygen. Even his lungs are going to need help to recover from breathing in all that crud."

Hank looked down at Logan. Smoke, lungs, vocal chords; it all clicked and a sudden idea flashed through his insightful brain. He grabbed a small bottle off a shelf and whispered a quick apology as he opened Logan's eyes and dumped the liquid in them.

Scott was just reaching for a bottle of oxygen in the Lab when the hoarse cry of pain echoed down the hall. It was followed by a tremendous crash. Quickly he sprinted toward the chemical lab. He was greeted with the sight of Hank sprawled on his back in his pajama bottoms in the middle of the hall surrounded by what was left of the door to the Lair. A hacking cough and some extremely deep growls were coming from the interior of Hank's lab and Scott began to fear the worst.

"You did get rid of all that military drug, didn't you?" he asked as he helped Beast to his feet. Hank didn't say anything. "Oh, no, don't tell me. I'm going to hate this, aren't I?"

Rogue and Jubilee came rushing down the hall.

"Jubilee said she left Logan in the lab and forgot to get you. Is he alright?" Rogue stopped when she heard the growls.

To say Logan was angry was putting it mildly. Not only did his throat and lungs hurt so badly he could barely speak, he had awakened to find Hank washing his eyes out with what felt like acid. He had instinctively lashed out and kicked Hank away. Now he was on the warpath. His eyes felt like someone had embedded glass in them and he could barely see. Logan was going to find Hank and do some serious damage, friend or no friend. He groped his way toward the rectangle of light that should be the way to the hall, voicing his anger in the only way he could at the moment.

"Get out of the hallway!" yelled Scott. Jubilee backed up but Rogue moved forward.

"Logan!" Marie yelled the name but did not get a response other than more growls.

He made it to the door. Surely he could spot something large and blue to kick. His eyes were tearing up with the light from the hall but he forced them open to let him know where the culprit was.

Marie saw Logan's eyes first. They were almost completely black. "Oh no..."

Scott reached up to his visor, not wanting to take a chance that Logan would literally rip someone apart. He felt a firm grip on his arm and looked over at Jean who had walked up behind him. She sent him a mental plea not to fire.

(Wait, Scott. I don't believe Logan has any intentions of killing. In fact, I'm getting a curious mental image from Hank. I think he's trying an experiment of some kind.)

Hank chose that moment to move further away from Logan and Logan zeroed in on the big blue target even his eyes couldn't fail to see. A low growl emanated from his chest and he moved forward, only to find his way blocked.

Marie looked up into those strange eyes. She felt an irresistible urge to touch the animal, to tame it. She wanted so badly to touch someone and he was safe. Tentatively she reached up and gently pulled his head down. Surprisingly, he let her do it. She brushed her lips against his, hoping he wouldn't attack her.

He did not expect her scent right in front of him and he stopped his advance. He wanted to kick Hank for pulling such a stunt but he could not shove Marie aside just for that. He thought she wanted to look at his eyes and was extremely surprised when she initiated a kiss. His animal instincts in full mode anyway, he responded to the kiss before the rational part of him could back away from her mutation. Although it hurt like crazy, he did not fear the pull because he knew she wouldn't kill him. But he could not contain the pent up emotions he had held so long in check and he gave the kiss all he had in a powerful display of the fierce love he felt for her. Finally he broke off, his breathing ragged, as he struggled to make sure he didn't go farther than she was capable of going. He rested his forehead against hers and tried to stop shaking.

Fire seemed to course through her and her skin shivered with goose bumps. A strange sensation in the lower pit of her stomach made her feel scared and excited at the same time. Gone was the feeble memory of the last kiss she had ever known. Nothing could compare to this kind of affection and she greedily wanted more. Oh, God, she wanted love like this. When he broke off, she started to fear that he would leave her again. This was not Logan, after all. When he rested his head against hers, she reveled in the touch until she remembered that it wasn't real. He didn't know her. She couldn't reach him. The kiss might not mean anything to him but it meant the world to her. She began to tear up, realizing that she wanted the best of both worlds and could not have it.

Something was wrong. He could sense it. Logan tried to speak but ended up coughing again. He blearily tried to focus his poor eyes on hers and thought she was crying. Now what had he done?

"I caught it! I caught it!" Megan slipped past Jean and Scott and raced straight for Logan with daredevil speed. In her joy, she flipped and launched herself straight for Logan's chest.

There was no way he could have seen her coming. Her voice had been the only warning and Logan barely had time to shove Marie away as the child shot into his arms, throwing him off balance. He curled around her protectively which meant he had nothing to catch himself with and his head hit the lab door, which lay on the floor. The distinctive sound of metal hitting metal rang in the air. Logan tasted the familiar coppery tang of blood in his mouth and closed his eyes to try to keep a hold of his consciousness. He lay still, taking an assessment of the damage to his skull. It felt like nothing was broken. He sighed. Small hands clutched his cheeks.

"Logan?"

He heard Scott's voice. "Is he out? Do we need to get anything?"

Jean responded. "I'll go get some ice."

Logan swallowed. His throat finally felt a little better, so did his eyes. He opened them and found two yellow ones looking back at him, full of concern.

"I'm sorry." Megan's voice quavered.

Another face came quickly into view, a beautiful one. He smiled. Marie smiled back.

"Logan? Is it you? Are you back?" Marie pulled Megan off Logan's chest.

His brow furrowed. He cleared his throat. "Back?"

Logan slowly rolled over and got to his knees. He felt the back of his head and his fingers came back with blood on them. He held them up and looked at Megan.

"I warned you, squirt."

She lowered her head. "I'm sorry. I was just so excited about catching the snake."

Something fell to the floor behind them and they turned and found Jean had dropped the bag of ice she held.

"Snake? Where is it?" Jean began to desperately search the floor.

Everyone else looked around. Logan looked at Megan.

She looked shocked and dismayed. "I must have dropped it when we fell."

He gave her a quick hug. "We'll find it later." He glanced up and saw Ororo coming down the hall from the direction of the dorms.

"I was looking for a few missing students and…What on earth is going here?"

Logan stood and looked around, realizing how strange the situation must appear. He began with, "Well…"

"Do you remember what happened?" Scott looked concerned.

Again Logan became confused. Remember? He opened his mouth and Hank spoke up.

"You were out cold in the Lair when we found you. Scott said you triggered your watch alarm."

Logan looked around and found Jubilee's eyes. He gave a low growl and she quickly ducked her head.

"I was going to get them, I just…" she stammered to a halt.

"She came and got me," Marie offered. "We came rushing back and saw you coming out of the lab and you weren't yourself." She remembered the kiss and felt her skin flush with heat. "Do you remember what happened?" She couldn't hide the anxiety in her eyes.

Logan was more confused than ever. He happened to look over at Hank and saw the strangest expression on his friend's face. Then he remembered what Hank had done to his eyes. A dangerous growl escaped him and he took a step forward, much to everyone's surprise.

"I believe I have some explaining to do," Hank quietly responded.

"Do tell." The professor had wheeled up behind them. "I'd love to hear this one."

---

The meeting did not last long. Megan had been put back to bed, but everyone else who had been there attended as Hank gave an explanation as to what had happened. The problem was, Logan didn't believe what Hank was saying. He listened as McCoy went on about the small sample of military formula he had saved and how it must have gone up in smoke, which in turn produced an effect on Logan. The problem was, Logan knew exactly what had happened and it didn't mesh with what he was being told. He was going to deflate Hank's little tale until he realized why Hank was lying. He watched as Hank carefully kept Marie in his sights as he explained everything in a logical manner and Logan watched a dispirited Marie nod dully in understanding. When the meeting broke up, Logan cornered McCoy.

"Hold up, fuzzbutt," he said in a low voice so as not to attract Marie's attention. "What you said may be fine for the others, but you and I know you have some more explaining to do. Spill it."

"Not here. Come with me to the Lair."

---

Logan had changed from pajama bottoms to a pair of comfortable sweatpants and a T-shirt. He put on socks, but held off on the shoes, not wanting to tread on any bare toes in the library during the party. He had already showered, washing the blood from his hair so the last traces of last night's mishaps were gone, save putting a new door on the Lair. He and Hank had cleaned everything else up as Hank had explained his theories and confessed to putting a dilating agent in Logan's eyes.

He understood Hank's motive, but he wondered if it had done more harm than good. Ororo and Chuck were the only other ones that knew Hank's weird theory about Marie's ability to switch her power on and off. Logan didn't know quite what to make of it. Did it mean Marie wanted to kiss an animal just because she could, or was she really trying to kiss him, through the animal? He shook his head. It was all too confusing. He had come down hard on Hank, explaining that he should take his theory straight to Rogue and let her be the judge of whether to run with it or not. Hank just shook his head and looked at him with those sad eyes, which irritated Logan all the more. They underestimated her, all of them.

He heard a soft knock at his door and actually moved to open it, instead of offering his usual grunt. There she stood, the object of his thoughts.

"Logan, we need to talk."

He ushered her into his room and closed the door. They sat together on the end of the bed.

"Logan, Ah know you don't remember what happened in the hall, but Ah need to tell you that Ah kissed you while you were out of it. Ah also need to tell you why Ah did that." She looked up at him and was surprised to see him smiling. "What?"

"Nothing. Go on."

"Well, Ah kissed you because Ah wanted to know what it felt like, but it wasn't what Ah wanted because Ah really wasn't kissing you." She shook her head. "Ah'm not saying this right. Ah mean that it wasn't enough to kiss you, Ah wanted to know that you were kissing me back and that didn't happen." Marie started to tear up. "When Ah can touch you, Ah can't reach you, and when Ah can reach you, Ah can't touch you. Ah just want this thing between us to work and Ah don't know what to do."

He sighed. Should he believe Hank's theory that she was more in control of her mutation than she thought? Should he believe, like Charles, that she would reject the possibility that she could control her mutation? He looked into those beautiful brown eyes and decided to believe in her.

"You remember what you told me? About how you wanted a relationship even though you knew it wasn't going to be perfect?"

She nodded.

"I don't have any answers for you. All I can tell you is that I do remember that kiss and it meant more to me than I can say." She stared at him in disbelief. "It was the first time I can remember that a woman kissed me who actually loved me."

"You remember it? But how?"

"Who knows? I can tell you some theories later, but for the moment I think I just prefer to let things happen as they happen."

"Theories? What do you…Wait a minute. That was the first time you can remember that a woman kissed you who actually loved you?"

He grinned. "It was also the first time I know of that I kissed a woman that I actually love."

She looked in his eyes and began to smile in amazement, forgetting all the questions she had. "Wow."

"Yeah, wow. I have an idea. Hold that thought for just a second." He left and went out the door, returning a few minutes later and closing the door behind him again. "Put this on."

He handed her a lipstick from her makeup tray. As she put it on he turned his back for a moment. When he turned around she saw that he had put on some of the lip balm she also kept in the tray.

"Trust me?"

She nodded. He sat down beside her and gently moved his head closer. She felt drawn to him and, before she knew it, their lips were touching again. Between the lipstick and the lip balm, there was enough protection for them to forget about the consequences and simply enjoy a beautiful, gentle kiss. When they broke apart, they were both breathing hard. They looked into each other's eyes and laughed.

"No drugs, no theories, nothing perfect, but everything right. Yes?"

"Yes," she dreamily nodded. Then she began to giggle. "Go look at yourself in the mirror."

Curious, he padded into the bathroom and beheld his reflection. Lipstick was smeared all over his mouth and he began to chuckle. She walked in behind him and grinned.

"Ah like that color on you."

"Hey, I don't mind looking like a clown if it makes you happy." He began to wipe it off with a towel.

"Does it make you happy?"

He smiled. "More than you know, darlin'."

"Then be prepared to look like a clown a lot more often. Mind if Ah give you a case of lip balm for Christmas?"

"That's a present I could really use." He turned and hugged her to him. "One step at a time, Marie. Don't worry, what we have isn't going anywhere."

She snuggled her face against his shirt. "We should get to the library. They'll be unwrapping everything soon." Shivers ran up her spine as he chuckled darkly and nuzzled her ear through her hair. She pulled back to look up at him. "Ah do believe you are an animal, Logan."

"That's what I keep telling you."

---

The library was now empty. All the wrapping paper was cleaned up and all the presents put away. The students were all outside along with most of the teachers, playing in the crystal wonderland so generously made by Bobby and St. John. The puppy had been a tremendous hit and was the life of the party. It now romped out in the snow with everyone else. Two figures watched from one of the library windows as the screams, shouts, and laughter filtered through the glass.

"I still think my theory is valid."

Charles looked up at his friend and smiled. "We'll find out soon enough."

"You believe Logan will tell her everything?" McCoy shook his head. "You said that may not be a good idea."

"I didn't think it would be a good idea if we told her, no. You and I would explain it to her from the point of view of a scientist approaching a problem. We would want to fix something that is broken. Logan will tell her from a very different point of view. For him, nothing is broken so he can take his time and tell her gradually, introducing her to the idea at her own pace with no pressure."

They watched as an impromptu game of war started. Snowballs began to fly and one pelted Logan by accident. Instantly the game took on a whole new meaning as children began squealing and flying everywhere in an attempt to avoid the devastating rain of snowballs that followed. One managed to hit Rogue in the chest, some of it going down her shirt. An innocent look greeted her, but he didn't realize all the children behind him pointed his way. She went at him with a flying tackle and they both ended up rolling in the snow. A small streak of gray fur jumped them both and the children laughed as the puppy ended up on Logan's back, pulling on his coat.

Hank chuckled. "So you think she has tamed the Wolverine?"

Logan growled and the puppy let go, cocking its head. Rogue laughed and Logan turned a feral grin her way, lunging forward and grabbing her foot before she could get a way. She began to laugh and squeal, too. The puppy pounced on Logan again and he turned and wrestled with it.

"No, Henry. I don't think anyone will ever tame the Wolverine but Logan. He has given her his heart, though." Charles sighed and smiled. "Ah, love. It has been too long."

---

All the doors were closed. The puppy padded down the hall looking for playmates. He found one door open and walked in, tail wagging. Logan rounded the corner from the bathroom and saw the furball. He growled playfully and the puppy yipped back, crouching down as if to spring forward. He bent down and scooped the puppy up, tossing it on the bed.

"What's the matter? Everybody getting ready for the dance and you're out in the cold, huh?" Logan chuckled.

The dance theme this year was 'hat and gloves.' You had to wear gloves and a hat that matched each other. Logan finished putting on his boots and stood up. He was wearing jeans and a black T-shirt to go with his gloves and hat. He picked up the old Stetson he had won in a card game the previous weekend and the leather gloves to match. Marie had once said she would like to see him in a cowboy hat and he didn't want to disappoint her. He picked up the puppy and tucked him under his arm as he headed for the dining hall for the dance.

"We need to give you a name, furball. How about 'Trouble?'"

---

As more and more students and staff filed in for the dance, it was apparent that the theme had been a big hit. Hank wore a top hat with gloves. Ororo wore a fur Russian cap with fur gloves, fake fur, of course. Charles wore a baseball cap with batting gloves. Scott and Jean came in a matching forties ensemble, fedora and black gloves for him and a pale blue pillbox hat with matching gloves for her. The biggest hit of the party was Megan's choice: a Mickey Mouse ear hat with matching white gloves complete with the traditional three seams on the back of the hand.

Samuel and Remy drew near the adult's punch bowl and, as Logan watched out of the corner of his eye, spiked the punch with a small amount of liquor. He chuckled for he knew there was already some alcohol in it, having spiked it earlier. He continued dancing with Marie, though, as if nothing had happened. She was wearing a black French cap called a Beret and had pulled up her hair in a bun, showing off her lovely neck. Logan's eyes brightened as he thought about kissing her there.

The puppy wandered aimlessly through the maze of feet, trying not to get stepped on. When it came to the table where the punch bowl resided, however, a low puppy growl came from its throat. Something was under the table and it wasn't anything it had smelled before. Curious, it stuck its nose under the tablecloth and found the snake. It pounced and the snake made a run for it in the opposite direction, straight for the dancers. The puppy followed, but found itself caught on the tablecloth. Tugging furiously, the puppy pulled free bringing everything on the table down on the floor in the process. As the snake, puppy, and tablecloth made a trail through the dancers, the punch bowl hit the floor with a crash and created a small lake. Remy had made a dive for the bowl and missed, landing on the table, his cup flying out of his hand. In his excitement, he had charged the cup and watched helplessly as it arced in the air, ready to explode.

"Incoming!" He ducked his head under an arm as people scrambled to get out of the way.

Logan saw the cup and he saw the lake of punch and realized he and Marie were standing in it. He bent swiftly and scooped her up in his arms just as the cup exploded on the floor, igniting the alcohol in the punch. Blue flames licked his boots and jeans. Before he could make a run for it, though, ice flooded the floor and encased his feet. The flames were out but he was pinned in place. As others ran up to see if they were all right, the ice under their feet made them slide and fall. Hysterical laughter followed, as it became clear the dance had turned into a skating party.

"Wanna make a break for it?" Logan whispered in Marie's ear.

"Can we?" Her eyes twinkled in response.

Grunting, he broke free of the ice and gingerly made his way to the door, still carrying her.

"I wanted to give you your Christmas present early, anyway," he growled softly.

---

Marie sat on the edge of her bed, brushing her hair. She had not slept that well in weeks. Logan had started to give her the most wonderful massage, easing the pain she had in her shoulder and neck she had acquired about a week ago. His strong fingers had worked magic, too much magic, in fact. She had become so relaxed, she must have fallen asleep. She grinned ruefully. Time to go and find him and apologize. It was still fairly early in the morning and she ran out the door, intending to find him in the break room, drinking his morning coffee after finishing his run around the mansion grounds.

She paused when she passed by his room and the door was not quite closed. Puzzled, she opened it all the way and looked inside. As her eyes became adjusted to the dim interior, she began to smile. Sprawled on the bed lay Logan, peacefully sleeping. Curled protectively against him lay the snoozing puppy, its head on his chest. Not wanting to startle them, she gently closed the door.

She continued toward the dining room, intending to pick up something so she could treat Logan to breakfast in bed. She ran into Xavier as he wheeled in the same direction.

"Good morning, Rogue."

"Good morning, professor. Beautiful morning, isn't it?"

He smiled at the radiant look on her face. "I didn't see Logan pass my window this morning. Everything all right?"

"He's sleeping in this morning." She saw the surprised look on his face and laughed. "The puppy must have crawled in bed with him last night. Ah don't think Ah have ever seen him sleep so peacefully." He followed her into the dining room. "Ah'll just grab a little something to surprise him with for breakfast." Her eyes twinkled.

Charles snorted softly. "We need to find a name for that puppy. Any suggestions?"

"Are you asking for suggestions on naming that little ball of trouble?" Scott came up behind them. "I think I busted my tailbone last night." He chuckled.

"Well I think he's cute. Just like someone else I know." Jean pinched Scott as she passed him and he grinned and followed her.

Hank and Ororo looked up from the table where they had finished eating.

"It is practical to name a dog something that is short and easy for the dog to recognize," Hank began.

"Naming a dog is never practical, sweetheart." Ororo batted her lashes at him from across the table."

"It has to be something you won't get tired of hearing. I have a feeling we'll be yelling it a lot." Scott scratched his chin. "How about 'Butch?'"

"Too masculine. 'Fluffy,' perhaps?"

"Jean, it is a male. Masculine is okay."

"Perhaps we should consider the type of dog. What is it?" Charles looked at Rogue.

"He's mostly otterhound. Jubilee read up on them. They love to play and swim and are great with kids." She continued to gather up some coffee, juice, and fruit for her, debating about what to choose for Logan.

"How about 'Flopsy?'"

"It's not a rabbit, Jean. 'Rover?'"

"Too common, Scott. Perhaps 'Milton?'"

"If you're talking Milton Thales, that's too mathematic. Try again, Hank. I still like 'Butch.'"

"He'll grow up with a complex, honey, always thinking he has to prove his toughness." Jean grinned and they all laughed at her joke, even Scott. "I knew someone once who had a dog named 'Princess.' Maybe we could name him 'Prince?'" She blushed as eyes rolled. "Maybe not."

"We could name him 'The dog formerly known as Prince,'" Rogue offered.

That brought even more laughs.

"How about 'Dutch?'"

They turned and found Logan in the doorway. He was dressed and held a still sleeping puppy in his arms.

Ororo rushed over. "He's so cute. Let me hold him." She stole him away and began to cuddle the soft ball of fur.

"Dutch?" Hank looked puzzled.

"As in 'Dutch treat.' Since he's going to belong to everyone, everyone has to have a share in being responsible for him." Logan joined Marie in choosing a breakfast from the items on the table.

"You looked so peaceful, Ah didn't have the heart to wake you," she said as she watched him pour some coffee.

"I didn't wake up until I heard the door close. I haven't slept like that in a long time. Speaking of which…" He playfully grinned at her.

She blushed back. "Ah haven't slept like that in a long time, either."

"I think 'Dutch' is an excellent name, Logan." Charles rolled up behind them. "Sleep well?" He winked at Rogue.

"Yeah."

"He seems to suit you." Charles turned and watched the now awake puppy squirming to be let down on the floor.

"No you don't, Chuck. I'm not adopting him. That was a one-time shot. It's too dangerous for him to keep sleeping with me." He turned and grabbed a bagel, missing Marie's wink back at the professor.

"Oh, look. He's after something," called out Jean.

They watched the puppy scramble across the floor, paws going everywhere. It stopped and picked up something off the floor.

"Let's see how smart he is. Come here, Dutch!" Scott gave a little whistle and the puppy responded by running back as fast as it could.

It sat at Scott and Jean's feet and wagged its tail furiously.

Jean reached down. "Let me have it, Dutch." The snake dropped into her hand and began to wiggle in an attempt to get away.

During the shrieking and pandemonium that followed, Logan calmly ate his bagel.

"Seems pretty darn smart to me," he said between bites.