Jean awoke in pain and nausea. Where was she? She tried to sit up, but discovered she was tied to the table with restraints. Her thoughts and her vision were fuzzy. She tried to release the restraints with her mind, but the effort brought a sharp, searing pain in her head. Slowly, she remembered the trip to Dallas with the Professor, the ambush. Her leg hurt. It was cut, that much she knew, how badly she couldn't see. She guessed it was pretty serious; the pain was excruciating. She couldn't even remember how she hurt it. Memories continued to filter back, memories of needles, of pain. She opened her eyes again and the room rolled before she sunk back into darkness.

The next time she awoke she felt slightly better. She still couldn't get her eyes to focus and her leg was throbbing. She had no idea where she was or how much time had passed. During the next few hours (days?) she caught snatches of conversation down the hallway. The words she could identify included "drugs, testing, psi-factors, telepathy, telekinesis, neutralization, and mutant control," but her thoughts were too clouded to process any of the information. She fitfully dozed in and out.

The next time she awoke she realized there was an IV attached to her arm. She tried to mentally contact the Professor and was again met with serious pain. She wondered if the pain was in her mind or her head itself? She finally decided it was both. She felt the icy fluid from the IV increasing its flow into her veins. She passed out.

She had vague memories of white-coated men and women coming in and out of the room, poking and prodding her. They never said much and what they did say seemed to blur together in her hazy state of consciousness. She was so cold and sick to her stomach. How long had she been here--days, weeks, months? She could barely think. It hurt her head too much.

She was dreaming of screams and shouts, of gunfire and explosions. There was a white-coated man in the room with her. His sudden yell turned into a dying gurgle. Jean heard voices and opened her eyes to see two blurry figures leaning over her, one a white-haired woman in white and the other wearing a familiar blue and yellow mask.

She tried to talk, but nothing came out.

"Is she okay?" Logan asked anxiously, quickly slitting the restraints that bound Jean to the table.

"She's been heavily drugged like the others. Her leg looks bad. Jean, can you hear me?" Jean tried to focus.

"Ororo? Logan? Oh, god..." she moaned.

"Shhh, darlin', we're gonna get ya outta here." Logan and Ororo's voices were calm and soothing as they struggled to get Jean upright and get their arms around her. Just standing was a major effort.

"Don't put any weight on your leg," Storm instructed her. Jean was dizzy and disoriented. She stood up and looked across the floor to see the bloody remains of the disemboweled lab assistant. She immediately vomited. Luckily, most of it hit the floor.

Storm gently wiped her face with a clean dressing that was lying on an adjacent table.

"Oh god, Logan, look what you made me do," Jean said weakly.

"Sorry, darlin', I didn't have a choice," was all he said as they made their way down the hallway and met the others. Jean was overjoyed to see the Professor who didn't look nearly as worse for wear as she did.

Jean's recovery was slow but steady. She went through withdrawal from the drugs that had been used on her by the terrorist anti-mutant group that had kidnapped Charles and her. She was quite certain that if she never threw up again it would be too soon. Her leg was healing, but it was sore and stiff and she was still only able to walk on it for short periods of time.

She was anxious to go outside, and finally convinced Dr. McCoy to let her go for a walk around the mansion grounds, but only if she was accompanied. That didn't seem to be a problem; Logan had hovered around her like a mother hen ever since she had arrived back at the mansion.

Jean leaned on his arm as they slowly made their way outside. The breeze in the orchard was cool, but the sun was warm. Jean had always enjoyed walking the grounds surrounding the mansion. Its beauty and serenity always seemed to comfort her when she most needed it. She busied herself inspecting the turning leaves on the branches of the tree under which they had stopped.

"It's hard to believe it's fall again already," she said dreamily.

"Yeah," said Logan, for lack of anything better to say. After all the years of friendship and depending on one another for their lives, it was funny how even after recent events, they both sometimes felt nervous and awkward alone together.

Logan helped Jean get seated, and then sat down with his back against the tree just close enough to brush against her shoulder.

A rabbit crossed in front of them, doubled back and then bounded off across the grass.

"Ah, that's the life!" sighed Jean. "No worries."

"No worries except eatin' and getting eaten," said Logan.

"You're such a pessimist," she teased.

"No, just a realist. Know what ya mean, tho'. Sometimes our lives are just too interestin'. Nice to take a break sometimes. But I get restless if things stay quiet too long." He didn't know what to do with his hands. He wanted to light a cigar, but he knew Jean probably wouldn't appreciate it. He finally put his hand on her thigh.

Instinctively, she put her hand on top of his. She looked at their fingers clasped together. His fingers weren't much longer than hers, although her hand felt small next to his. She thought about those deadly claws underneath his skin, and how in contrast they were to how relaxed and calm the man next to her appeared to be.

She knew all too well about the other side of him, the berserker, the rages, the savagery. But he was different from others she knew possessing the same animalistic nature. She'd seen him be ruthless and even brutal, but she'd never seen him be cruel.

Logan had a heart and a soul underneath the rough exterior. She marveled at how he channeled all that into trying to make things "right" in the world.

They sat quietly together for a few minutes. She looked at him, and leaned over and kissed him. She'd almost caught him off-guard, but he didn't hesitate.

They were so caught up with one another, that they didn't even notice Jubilee walking in their direction. Once she caught sight of them, she quickly turned and headed back to the mansion, praying that she wasn't seen.

She stormed into the kitchen, and began loudly banging silverware and dishes around, in the guise of fixing herself a snack. "Ooh, I can't believe her! I can't believe him, either!" she muttered under her breath.

Rogue looked at Storm. "What's got into her?"

"I have no idea." Storm turned to address Jubilee. "Jubilation, what's wrong?"

"Oh, nothing. Oh, everything!" Jubilee was plainly seething. "Oh, I guess it's none of my business, but it just burns me up!"

"What?" asking Rogue and Storm in unison.

"Wolvie and Jean!" Jubilee burst in exasperation. "Scott's only been dead a year and those two are out there in the orchard, kissing! And I don't mean a peck on the cheek, either. She didn't even give Cyclops time to get cold! And I thought she loved him!" she exclaimed disapprovingly.

Storm and Rogue exchanged knowing glances. Storm spoke carefully. "Jubilee, Jean has endured a terrible loss. We must be careful not to judge her too harshly."

Rogue leaned back in her chair and put her hands behind her head and smiled. "Those two have had their eyes on each other for years. Nothing ever came of it because Jean was in love with Cyclops. Ya'd have to be blind, gal, not to know how Wolverine feels about Jean."

"I know," Jubilee sighed, sounding disappointed. "I guess you're right."

Rogue winked at her. "Ya sure ya ain't just jealous?" she teased.

"Oh, get real!" sneered Jubilee, and suddenly realized her flushed face was betraying her. "Gotta go," she mumbled, forgetting her snack.

"Guess ah hit a nerve," Rogue said to Storm.

Jean broke away for a moment.

"What is it, darlin'?"

"Jubilee. She was here. I'm sure she saw us," Jean said, sounding concerned.

"Does that bother you?" he asked. They both knew that sooner or later, the other people living in the house were going to put two and two together and come up with a passionate love affair in the making.

"No, I just don't want her to be hurt. You know she thinks the world of you, and you two haven't been spending as much time together lately."

"Jube's a good kid. She understands me. I'll talk to her." He kissed Jean again.

"Ororo knows. I hope you don't mind."

Logan shook his head. "You can tell the whole world for all I care."

"She thinks it's great. She's been no help at all, actually! In fact, she's been encouraging me," Jean laughed.

"Storm's a smart lady. And what do you think, Jeannie?"

"You have to ask?" she laughed, and kissed him some more. Things were getting hot in the orchard. As if on cue, Jean suddenly broke away from him.

"I'm starving," she said, looking for an excuse.

"How 'bout we steal one of Chuck's wheelchairs and go out on the town?" They had a nice evening eating and talking and drinking. They seemed to value each other's company even more since Jean's abduction.

Logan noticed Jean was still a little skittish every time things got physical between them, but he hoped she would get over it soon. He found it more than a little maddening; she would kiss him with such unbridled passion, yet the minute he would make a move to go any further, she would push him away or make up some excuse to leave.

Jean's leg had healed nicely in the past few weeks and she only had slight residual pain and weakness in it. Swimming was one of the exercises that had been prescribed for her physical therapy and she swam every afternoon. Logan had volunteered to go with her that afternoon. It was the middle of the week and they had the pool to themselves. Logan swam laps while Jean performed her exercises. Then Jean started a splashing contest, and Logan chased her down and caught her.

He drew closer to kiss her and within moments embraced her tightly. The pool and their swimming attire allowed them a level of physical intimacy they had not previously shared. Jean almost trembled as she felt the rippled muscles of his abdomen against her stomach, his thighs against hers, his more fleshy parts in between nestled just below her pubic bone.

Each of their tongues hungrily sought out the other's, and within seconds Jean felt the flesh beneath Logan's swim trunks growing hard and erect against her, confirming what she had previously suspected; that like him, this particular extremity was rather on the short side. This revelation did nothing to diminish the hot tingling sensation that was burning throughout her body, particularly between her thighs.

They stopped kissing momentarily. Logan instinctively reached out a hand to stroke her hair. He turned his head until she felt his breath against her ear. They were already holding each other as tightly as they could, but he managed to give her what passed for a small hug. Her bathing suit was quite thin; he could feel the curve of her breasts, her nipples prominently straining against the material, and the warmth building in the lower part of their bodies.

"Jeannie," he whispered, "I never thought I'd get to hold you like this." He kissed her neck and she felt the sharp points of his teeth brush gently against her skin, and then he stopped and came eye to eye with her. Their faces were so close they had to keep from bumping noses.

His arms slowly dropped from her waist to her hips. He pulled her closer, pushing the stiffness between his legs even more suggestively between hers. What he lacked in length he definitely made up for in girth. She gasped slightly.

His smile bared his teeth. "You like it?" All she could do was smile guiltily and nod. He pressed against her again. "It ain't a lot," he said modestly, "but I can make ya feel real good with it."

"You already are," she sighed, her small gasps turning into soft moans as her fingernails dug into his shoulders. The sharp points of her nails on his skin felt good to Logan. He could feel her every curve pressed against him and he was fighting to retain control. He began slowly moving his hips against hers again, further stimulating her with each movement. He knew he was driving her crazy and he had to admit he liked that idea very much.

This was the most erotic sexual experience Jean had ever had without actually having sex, which she knew they weren't far from doing. She yearned to take it to that point. Instinctively, she opened her mind as she pressed her body even closer to his.

She was nearly knocked off balance from the mental impact. She had momentarily forgotten this was Logan she was dealing with. She was totally unaccustomed to the rawness, the intensity, and the force of his thoughts and emotions. They weren't like anything she'd felt from him before. She momentarily panicked and backed away.

Meanwhile, he had noticed nothing but a slight tickle in his brain and had misinterpreted her sudden halt of affection. He reached for her hand. "I think we better take this upstairs, don't you?" he asked with a slight wink.

"No. I...can't."

He looked at her with shock and disbelief, not believing his ears. He tried to play it off.

"Ah, c'mon. I won't bite...Much." She didn't even crack a smile. He was puzzled. He couldn't figure out what it was he had done wrong. "Please, Jeannie, just let me show ya how much I love you."

She just shook her head and bit her lip. Logan was just about as frustrated as he could get. He had a brief fleeting thought. onfiltered=snikt= of one claw was all it would take to slit her swim suit and he could take what he wanted....He was imagining what she would look like naked, how she would act, how good it would feel to finally make love to her. He was rudely interrupted from his supposedly private little daydream by Jean's palm across the side of his face.

"Don't you even try it, buster!" She gave him a horrified look and she moved to the side of the pool and started to climb out. It took him exactly two seconds to figure out what had happened.

He grabbed her arm, his eyes flashing angrily at her. "That was unfair and uncalled for," he growled.

She looked away. "Just because I thought it doesn't mean I'd ever do it!" he exploded.

"Oh, really?" was all she managed to choke out. "I don't want--"

He tightened his grip on her arm. "Maybe," he said between clenched teeth, "You should spend less time in my head and a little more in your own until you figure out exactly what it is you do want. What's is gonna be, darlin'? Do you want me or don't ya?" He released her and watched her as she limped slowly out.

Logan sat on the side of the pool and tried to collect his thoughts and figure out exactly what had just happened. Damn, I lost my temper with her. No, he reasoned, she was definitely the one being unfair. She's probably been leadin' me on all this time because she's lonely. After all, she's been without the man she loved for over a year now. She wants company and comfort, but maybe that's all she wants. It's probably my fault, takin' advantage of her grief, because I'm just as lonely and horny as she is.

He figured he was just about as sexually frustrated as he could get and his feelings were hurt, too. He had really hoped that things were going to work out between Jean and him this time. He didn't want to even think about losing her. I really gotta to do something to work this off, he thought, heading for the Danger Room.

Damn! Jean flopped across her bed and punched the pillow viciously. What in the world is wrong with me? She knew very well what was wrong. She had no right to intrude on Logan's thoughts. He had every right to be angry with her and she had been fooling herself. Her relationship with Logan could never be like her relationship with Scott had been.

At the thought of Scott, her eyes welled up with tears. How she had missed him! How many times had she called out to him in her mind and not found him there. That's I miss the most, she admitted to herself. Always having him in her thoughts was comforting. It had become her security blanket, a blanket that had been pulled out from underneath her and left her feeling lost.

She wondered if she and Logan could ever be that way. His mind was so different; his emotions were so different; his thoughts full of chaotic imagery of a past that even he could not interpret. But underneath those emotions was a brilliant mind, she told herself. Despite the rough exterior, she knew Logan was actually a lot more intelligent and sensitive than he ever let on. And he loved her. She had to admit she couldn't tell herself otherwise. And she knew in her heart that she loved him.

I can't let him go, she thought to herself. She knew what she had to do. She would have to get a tighter rein on her telepathy. She would try to have a "normal" non-telepathic relationship with Logan, but she would have that relationship no matter what. She would go to him and give herself to him, with no holding back.

Jean overrode the lock on the door to the Danger Room. She stood quietly by, waiting for Logan to notice her. He smelled her immediately and nearly got knocked in the head by a piece of the machinery. Shutting down the program, he walked over to her. His brow was gleaming with perspiration, his hair was wet, and he was breathing heavily. He didn't smile; he didn't speak. He just looked at her. She saw the hurt in his eyes immediately.

She gathered up her courage. "Can we talk?" she asked in a small voice. He nodded at her, still not speaking.

"I've made my decision," she said with as little emotion as possible. Well, here it comes, he thought. He closed his eyes briefly and opened them. She smiled at him hesitatingly.

"I'm sorry, Logan. You were right and I was wrong. Will you forgive me--and let me take you to dinner?"

He nearly had to pick his jaw up off the floor. "Well, I guess that depends on where yer takin' me, darlin'," he quipped, quickly recovering as a smile slowly spread across his face.

They met again after changing into something more dressier. For Wolverine, that meant a quick shower and a change into a nice shirt with his boots and jeans, but Jean wore a dress and a sweater. Logan noticed Jean's whole attitude was different. She seemed to be positively glowing. She actually seemed happy.

They went for dinner and a movie, and a walk. Things seemed uncharacteristically quiet in the city. It was almost too perfect. In fact, everything was almost too perfect, Logan thought, reflecting. It was the first time in a long time that everything seemed to be going his way.

They strolled hand in hand, stopping to kiss in front of a lighted fountain. Jean thought Logan kissed her a little less intensely than normal, although it seemed to have the same effect on her as it always did.

After a few moments he stopped kissing her and she opened her eyes.

He had a mischievous look in his eye. "So, Ms. Grey, are you ready to get serious?"

She smiled at him, equally mischievously. "Could be," she said. Logan wasn't sure, but he thought his heart skipped a beat.

When they got back to his room, Logan kicked off his boots, took off his shirt, and flopped down on the unmade bed. There wasn't a chair, so Jean took off her shoes and sat on the other side of the bed.

The room was dark, except for the faint light of the small lamp on the nightstand. A warm breeze fluttered the curtains.

"I love this kind of weather. It makes everything seem kind of magical," Jean said, looking out the window. She heard the faint sound of music playing somewhere.

"I had a real nice time, tonight, Jean." Logan rolled over and propped his head up on one elbow.

"Me, too," she said smiling at him. "One of the best ever." So far, so good, she encouraged herself.

"It can get even better," he said. "C'mere, darlin'." He patted the sheet next to him. Come on, she thought. This is your chance. Don't mess it up this time.

She clamped a lid shut on her telepathic abilities. She wouldn't read his thoughts; she wouldn't send him any. She could do this. This is how it is for everybody else all the time, she told herself.

She stretched out next to him, and started to feel the by now familiar attraction. He gathered her close, and then rolled over, pulling her on top of him. They lay together kissing, treasuring the emotions and physical sensations, each of them becoming more aroused with each passionate kiss.

Jean began to run her fingers through the hair on his chest. As she did, she heard him make a low growling noise in his throat. He moved his hands from her shoulders and waist and started unbuttoning the front of her dress. She had half expected him to tear the buttons off. She was surprised that his touch was actually quite gentle.

Her skin was so soft and she was so beautiful. Logan found his breath coming shorter and shorter. Gotta slow down and take it easy, buddy, he told himself. He was having difficulty taking his own advice. She excited him like no one else.

Jean was excited too. She couldn't help it. She wanted more. She found herself reaching out to him with her mind as well as her body. She felt the sudden rush of his raw emotions entering her head and tried to tone down her own receptivity to it. His physical desire for her was almost overpowering. But underneath that she sensed his love for her, a love that she knew was strong and true.

Logan felt that warm tickling sensation again in the back of his brain. It felt oddly comforting and disconcerting at the same time. He rolled over again, guiding her underneath him, still kissing her with that unmistakable hunger. She felt good against him. His jeans were rapidly becoming too tight and he couldn't keep from rubbing himself against her. He felt her pressing hard against him, encouraging him to continue. He started pulling her dress up with one hand. Her skin was as soft as he had imagined it, and her thigh felt hot against his hand.

He groaned in anticipation, but it sounded more like a growl. Her eyelids suddenly snapped open and she stared wide-eyed at him. He moved his hand to caress the side of her face. "Aw, Jeannie, I ain't gonna hurt ya," he whispered to her. There was a brief moment of uncertainty, replaced by her smile.

"I know," she whispered. He kissed her again. He still felt that strange warm feeling in the back of his mind. Her response made him quite aware of her desire for him. It nearly doubled his own desire. He took his weight off her, fumbled quickly with his belt buckle and started unbuttoning his jeans. Her dress was almost up to her hips already; it was gonna be so easy, so sweet... Before he reached the last button, he felt something snap in his mind. He was momentarily thrown off balance, as Jean shot up and sat there breathing hard. He hit the mattress with a heavy sigh and a clenched fist.

"Logan." It was a single word. He didn't want to look at her. He forced himself to sit up. Her face didn't show any emotion for a moment. She turned to him.

"Logan, we've got to talk," she said with a troubled look.

He suddenly got off the bed, went over to the dresser and started rifling through the drawers.

"I shoulda done this right the first time," he mumbled. He finally plopped back on the bed. He had something in his hand that Jean couldn't see.

He took her hand and started pulling off her wedding and engagement ring. She opened her mouth to protest, but he put a finger to his lips and shook his head. He slipped them on the finger of her other hand. He took her left hand in his again.

He looked in her eyes and almost down to her soul as he slipped the ring on her finger. She looked down. It was an antique band, made of white and pink gold, with tiny flowers engraved on it. She looked at him in amazement.

"I bought this for you a while ago. I was just kinda waitin' til the time was right. I want us to be together for the rest of our lives, however long that might be. I really love you, Jeannie." He was holding her hand tightly. His grip was almost crushing it.

"So, what d'ya say?" She felt his anxiety and she realized he was really afraid she was going to deny him. If he only knew her hesitation resulted from other fears!

"Yes," she finally said, with tears in her eyes and reached out to him.

He held onto her, finally feeling like she wasn't beyond his grasp. Their eyes finally met again.

He smiled at her mischievously and ran his eyes over her body. Her dress was still hiked up to reveal her shapely thighs and he could plainly see her breasts against her lacy bra. "Are you gonna let me make love to you tonight or what?" He kissed her lips and then her neck. His hair tickled her face. "I'm gonna go completely nuts if you don't. You know I'm the best at what I do," he growled at her playfully. And then much more seriously he added, "And I promise I ain't gonna hurt ya."

But Jean broke away from him and still looked troubled. "It's not me I'm worried about," she said softly. "It's you."

"Me?" He looked at her incredulously. "I hate to disappoint ya, darlin', but after 80-some years, I'm hardly a virgin."

"Be serious for a change!" she exclaimed.

"My god, Jean, what IS it?" She felt his concern and it warmed her heart.

She sighed. "It's me. Most people think telepathy is a wonderful gift, but the hardest part about it is notreading other people's thoughts or projecting your own. It takes a lot of concentration. It's something I can't maintain...in certain situations. I especially have a hard time when I'm with you, when we're--" She looked terribly embarrassed.

"I thought I felt something a couple of times before and just now," he said. "It ain't so bad."

"That's just the tip of the iceberg," she explained.

"Oh," he said, for lack of anything else to say.

She looked and felt so vulnerable. She was usually such a strong person, which was one of the reasons Logan was so attracted to her. He wanted to tell her everything was going to be all right, but he couldn't yet.

"Now, darlin', you know walkin' through my head ain't exactly a picnic in the park. There's a lot of ugliness in there you don't wanna see. Trust me. My mind's so messed up, I don't even know which memories and real and which aren't." He looked down, wishing it wasn't true.

"I know, " she said. "I was afraid you'd feel it was a violation of privacy. I didn't want to force anything on you. But, damn it, Logan, I need it as much as the physical, maybe even more. I can't have a "normal" relationship. I'd always want more." So I've finally admitted it to myself, she thought.

He looked down for a moment, thinking, and then raised his head and looked her squarely in the eyes.

"Darlin', is that what's been buggin' ya all this time?"

She nodded, and hung her head as the tears overflowed her eyes and rolled down her cheeks. She was actually almost laughing with relief at the same time. To her surprise, Logan just laughed. "It isn't funny!" she protested, as she continued to laugh and cry at the same time.

"Do you know what I thought?" he finally asked her. "Of course you do."

"That I didn't love you?" she answered.

"Yeah," he said, suddenly very serious. "I thought maybe you were just hangin' with me because ya were so lonesome."

"I do love you, Logan." It was the first time she'd said it. "And I have for a long time."

He grinned at her. "Well, I should hope so. You just agreed to marry me." He took her hand and drew it very slowly to his brow. His statement turned serious. "I'm all yours, darlin'". She knew exactly what he meant, and let out a deep breath of relief.

"I just wish I didn't have to put all this on you." She looked only slightly less miserable than before.

He smiled faintly at her. "Well, maybe you should think about what you're gettin' into as well," he said.

She laughed. "I'm not afraid of you, Logan. If you get out of line, I'll just knock you across the street."

He laughed. "That ain't what I'm talking about, Jean. In case ya forgot, I'm a mutant, too." He cleared his throat. "I am the best at what I do," he smiled nervously, "but I think you should know my plumbing ain't exactly standard issue." He paused for a moment and looked down. "It's not like I've had a lotta complaints, but you should know it probably ain't what yer used to."

"Now there's a surprise," Jean deadpanned. She noticed the tips of his ears were turning pink and she realized he was actually embarrassed.

He half-chuckled. "And once I get started, it's hard to stop," he said with just tinge of pride, "so if you get tired darlin', just let me know, eh?"

"Just shut up and kiss me," she giggled and kissed him. He returned her kiss, relieved. They clung to each other with a renewed passion.

From the start, Logan felt Jean's presence in his mind. It started out as the same faint tickle as they laid back down on the bed. Logan unbuttoned Jean's dress the rest of the way and slid it off her. He thought her body looked beautiful and felt even better. He quickly got rid of his jeans and threw them on the floor. There was soon nothing but thin material between them, and their bodies felt like they were burning against each other.

They explored each other. He quickly unhooked her bra and tossed it across the room. Her breasts were large and firm and her skin was soft to the touch. She responded to his touch and kissed him so hard it almost hurt, which turned him on even more.

He felt her hand trace his chest, then his stomach, as it disappeared under the waistband of his briefs.

She felt him tense up and momentarily hesitated as his hand stopped hers. Funny, he thought to himself, he'd never worried about being "different" before. If any of his past partners had had their doubts, he was certain his subsequent performance had taken care of them.

But Jean was different. He didn't want her to be disappointed or, worse yet, repulsed by him. He slowly took her hand and moved it downwards. What she found was only slightly out of the ordinary. Totally erect, his penis couldn't have measured more than four and a half inches long, but it was very thick and very hard. She noticed immediately that he wasn't circumcised; she realized it probably would have been impossible with his healing factor. The entire shaft of his penis was covered with soft, baby-fine hairs, which didn't surprise her considering the thick, coarse hair covering the rest of his body. He groaned as she gently began to massage him.

Moments later, he moved her hand and pulled the fleshy foreskin back from the head of his penis. Well, he definitely is different, Jean reflected as she stroked the smooth, wet flesh beneath, which came more to a tapered, point rather than a normal, rounded head.

Her touch was driving him crazy. He stopped her again as he pulled his underwear off and peeled her lacy panties down as well. He gathered her close once again, feeling her erect nipples and her warm breasts against his chest. His hand reached between her legs and he felt her wetness and warmth. He was grateful for his years of experience; he knew exactly what buttons to push and how. He felt Jean begin to moan and writhe with his touch and he knew she was ready for him.

Soon Logan was on top of her. Jean felt a welcome pressure between her legs as he penetrated her. He groaned so loudly she was afraid he would come right there and then.

As their bodies merged, their minds rushed to meet each other and the trickle Logan felt earlier turned into a waterfall of emotions and images. He thought it was the strangest sensation he had ever felt but he rather enjoyed it; the other sensations he was feeling were definitely far from unpleasant.

Inside Logan's mind, Jean felt for the first time the full extent of his powerful sexual hunger and almost insatiable desire. She saw that, for most of his life, those desires had gone unsatisfied. She knew he could have easily ripped her to shreds with his overwhelming passion. Instead, he controlled the animalistic nature inside him and just loved her from his heart.

With her, he was almost gentle and although he was extremely passionate, she thought he was even tender. Funny, she had never before imagined that Logan could ever be tender to anyone doing anything. The way he moved inside her drove her crazy. He definitely lacked nothing in his ability to please her and seemed to be reading her mind when it came to what to do.

But he was not quiet. With almost every movement, he either groaned or growled, and Jean was moaning quite loudly as well, arching her back, and acting like a wild thing herself. She'd never felt like this with anyone, not even with Scott, well, especially not with Scott.

When they finally came together, Logan absolutely roared and Jean heard something ripping and tearing. She realized the claws on his right hand had come out and torn through the pillow, the sheet, the mattress, and part of the bedsprings. His other hand was still gently clutching her shoulder. They were both gasping for breath.

He raised up and surveyed the damage. "Well," he said, sheepishly, "I ain't never done that before." She looked at him and giggled. He was grinning, relieved that she wasn't shocked.

The sound of the phone in his room woke Logan. Squinting in the sunlight, he reached over and flipped the ringer off. He definitely did not want to be disturbed. On the other side of the bed, Jean murmured and turned over. He scooted closer to her, and put his arm around her, marvelling at his good fortune to wake up with the woman of his dreams still in his bed. He laid there listening to her uneven breathing, smiling to himself.

Suddenly he heard a loud thumping on his door. Cursing under his breath, he pulled on a pair of sweats and carefully opened the door a crack to see Gambit in the hallway.

"Get lost, Gumbo," he growled.

"Don' tell me, tell 'Roro. You got your phone turned off or somethin'?" Gambit started to push his way into the room, but Logan was immovable.

"What gives, mon ami?"

"I got company," Logan said just as gruffly as before, jerking his head toward the bed.

"Ah..." Remy winked knowingly at Logan as he stepped back. "Sorry to interrupt, but Stormy wants you ASAP."

"Fine, I'll be there. Now get lost."

Remy told himself he didn't mean to be nosy, but he did have the advantage of height and he couldn't resist glancing over Logan's head at the sleeping figure in the bed. He saw the long mane of red hair, and at that particular moment, the woman in the bed rolled over towards the door.

"Mon Dieu! Is that Jean Gr--" His exclamation was cut short by the ever so slight pressure of three very sharp claws beneath his chin. He didn't move.

"You tell anybody and you're gonna be breathing out yer neck, Cajun. Do I make myself clear?"

"Absolutely," Gambit gulped. "Your secret's safe wit' me. I'll tell Storm you be along shortly, no?" Remy hurried down the hall, shaking his head and smiling to himself.

Logan closed the door and turned around to find Jean sitting up with the blankets nestled around her, smiling at him.

"Defending my honor, were you?" she laughed. "I'm a grown woman, Logan. I couldn't care less what Remy thinks. It's not like he has any room to talk."

Logan just shrugged his shoulders at her. All he said was, "You heard the man. I gotta go to work." He headed towards the shower. Jean sat in the bed, thinking and smiling to herself as she heard the sound of water running. Last night had started a whole new phase of her life, a phase that she felt very much at peace with now that certain issues between Logan and her had finally been resolved.

She was still smiling when Logan emerged from the shower. She continued smiling at him as she watched him pull on the familiar blue and gold uniform. It was starting to unnerve Logan.

"Well, don't you just look like the cat that swallowed the canary?"

"I'm happy," she explained simply. He sat down on the edge of the bed. He patted the blanket where her knees were sticking up.

"I'm happy, too, Jeannie," he said quietly. "Real happy." She thought she saw a new sparkle in his eyes.

"I love you, Logan."

"I love you, too, Jean." The kiss was brief, but the sensation lingered.

"Sorry, darlin', I gotta go to work. Make yourself at home and I'll see ya when I get back." He leaned over and gave her another quick kiss before he headed out the door.