The next day, Jean gave her approval for Ororo to finally leave the medlab...for good. Ororo's wounds had healed well; Jean was able to remove the gauze, and she was able to get by with simple adhesive bandages which allowed for much more freedom of movement. The stiffness in her arms had disappeared as well, and except for some minor aches and pains, she was able to walk on her own without stumbling.
"Ohhhh," she groaned. "I'm so glad I can finally get out of here...no offense, Jean."
"None taken," Jean laughed. "You've been in here over four days. That would be enough to drive anyone crazy."
"It almost did it to me," Ororo said. She had dressed herself without any problems in gray sweatpants and a light tanktop, and now she looked down at herself with a small frown. "Not exactly making any fashion statements today, am I?"
"You look fine," Jean sighed in mock exasperation. "Honestly, 'Ro...you're such a clothes horse."
"I guess I am," she laughed. "Oh well, this will be fine for today. I just want to be comfortable."
"Exactly." Jean started stripping the blankets from the bed, waving Ororo away when she tried to help. "No, you don't. I want you to get out and get some fresh air today. You haven't had any since before the mission."
Ororo smiled and kept her silence, knowing full well that she'd had plenty of fresh air only two days ago, when Logan had smuggled her out of the mansion for ice cream...of course, Jean wasn't supposed to know about that. Instead, she nodded and slipped her feet into a pair of soft loafers. "Are you sure you don't need any help?" she asked.
"Nope. Get out of here." Jean looked up at her and grinned. "Besides, I'm sure Logan is looking for you."
Her heart sped up, but she kept her voice level. "You think so?"
"I know so," Jean replied. She picked up the armful of bedclothes and dumped them in a laundry bag beside the office door. "He's been prowling around the mansion all morning, looking fit to kill someone and asking me every five minutes if you were out yet. You had better go find him before he rips up something."
Ororo laughed. "Okay. I'll go see if I can 'soothe the savage beast.'" She turned to leave again, but the look on Jean's face stopped her. "What is it?" she asked.
Jean looked at her a moment longer, then smiled and shrugged. "I was just thinking...how funny it is that you and Logan have become such good friends." Ororo said nothing, and Jean went on. "I remember you saying only a few months ago that you weren't sure if you liked him."
Ororo blushed. "Yes, but I didn't really know him then, either. I thought...I don't know...that he was rude, and bad-tempered." She smiled. "But he's not."
Jean laughed. "He IS rude and bad-tempered," she said. "Except with you."
Ororo smiled and looked away. "I don't think he means to be so...angry...all the time," she said softly. "I think he's had a hard life, and a lot of bad memories."
"He has," Jean said, remembering the one time she had seen into the darkness of Logan's mind. She shivered a little at the memory, Ororo looking up at her curiously.
"I'm sorry," Ororo said. "I forgot that you looked into his mind once."
"It's okay," Jean said, forcing a smile. "It just wasn't a very pleasant experience."
"Sometimes I wish I had your power, Jean, or the professor's," Ororo said. "Maybe if I could see what happened to him...maybe then I would know how to help him."
Jean studied her for a long moment.
"Do you love him?" she asked abruptly.
Ororo felt as if she had been slapped. "Wh-what?"
"Do you love him?" Jean asked again.
"I..." Ororo swallowed hard, unable to look away from Jean's face. "I don't know," she said softly.
Jean smiled gently. "I think you do know, 'Ro, but you're not ready to say it...not yet." She moved closer and gave Ororo a warm hug. "Go find Logan...when the time comes, you'll know how to help him. I'm sure of it."
Ororo looked at Jean, seeing in her eyes that she already knew everything, then she returned Jean's embrace tightly. "Thank you, Jean," she whispered against her shoulder. "Just don't say anything to anyone, okay?"
Jean sighed. "Don't worry, 'Ro, I won't," she said, patting Ororo's back. "I've become quite good at keeping secrets."
* * * * *
Ororo took the elevator up to the second floor of the mansion, then stepped cautiously into the upstairs hall. Her legs still felt a little wobbly, but so far she seemed to be doing okay, and it was only a few more steps to her room, where she could finally take a real shower and relax on her own bed for a while.
"Miss Monroe!"
She turned to see Rogue and Kitty coming toward her, their faces bright with smiles. Rogue threw her arms around Ororo and hugged her tightly.
"Oh, Ah'm so glad you're better!" Rogue exclaimed. "Ah take it that Jean never found out 'bout y'all's little outing?"
Ororo shook her head and smiled. "I don't think so, but you never know." She looked over the girl's head and saw a figure in the shadows at the end of the hall, sitting slumped in a chair. "Who's that?" she asked.
Kitty looked back and shrugged. "Oh, that's just Logan. He was waiting for you to come up, so we just waited with him." She leaned closer to Ororo and whispered conspiratorially, "He's really grumpy today, by the way."
"Thanks for the heads up," Ororo whispered back, smiling.
"Are you still planning on DJing for us at the dance?" Rogue asked.
"I don't see why not," Ororo replied.
"Great!" both girls said together. "Well, we've got to get going," said Kitty. "Homework...I hope you're planning on teaching the Literature class again, Miss Monroe. The professor has been giving us TONS of homework...much more than you give us."
"I told the professor that I would be able to start again on Monday," Ororo said.
"Cool," said Kitty. "See you then...and I'm really glad you're better, Miss Monroe."
"Me too," piped Rogue, then the two girls headed for the elevator. Rogue waved a gloved hand at Logan's dark shape down the hall. "See ya, Logan."
There was no answer from him, but they didn't wait for one, the elevator door closing smoothly behind them and humming on its way down. Ororo watched Logan stand up. Her pulse quickened as he moved towards her, his footsteps muffled on the thick pile of the hall runner.
"Hey," he said softly, the low timbre of his voice sending a thrill through her.
"Hey," she said back, standing still as he came close and looked down at her. The only light in the hall came from a small, mullioned window about halfway down, and the muted sunlight outlined his dark hair in gold. "It was nice of you to wait for me."
He nodded toward the small bandage on her bare shoulder. "How's that healing?" he asked.
"Very well. It should be completely healed in a couple of weeks." She watched him curiously, then gestured toward her door. "Would you like to come in?"
Logan looked away. "Uh, no..." he said, running his hand through his hair. "I mean...I've got some things I need to do. Downstairs."
He looked a little like a deer caught in headlights. "Is anything the matter?" she asked.
"No. No, I'm fine," he replied. He met her eyes with what appeared to be a forced smile. "Just busy...I'm glad you're better, 'Ro."
"Thanks." Dear God, what had she done now? Maybe she shouldn't have asked if he wanted to come in.
"Have I done something wrong?"
"What?" Logan asked, surprised. "What makes you think that?"
Ororo said nothing, and Logan frowned. "Look, you haven't done anything, okay? I've just got a lot to do...and I'm not in the best mood today."
"I see."
He searched her face, then looked away and headed for the elevator. " I'd better get going," he said. "I'll see you later."
"Okay." She watched him get on the elevator without a look back, then she sighed and unlocked her bedroom door. How had she managed to screw up that little conversation so quickly? Why had he waited for her, only to act like he couldn't get away fast enough once she arrived? The lock snicked and she pushed the door open on silent hinges, shaking her head. Would she ever figure that man out?
Probably not. Ororo raised her head and looked into her room, then let out a little gasp and dropped her keys on the floor. What in the world...?
Orchids...her room was filled with orchids. Vases full of purple blooms, dipping and bobbing in the sunlight from her window...on the dresser, on the nightstand, on her desk...there was even a big bouquet of them in the middle of her bed. Ororo walked slowly into the room, her hands over her mouth in shock. Where had they all come from...and who...? She searched among the ones on her dresser for a card, but there was nothing.
"Good grief!" said a voice from the doorway. She whirled to see Scott standing there, staring at the room in amazement. He gave a low whistle. "Where did all these come from?"
"I...I don't know," she replied. She burst into delighted laughter and gathered a few of the blossoms in her hands, burying her face in them. "But aren't they beautiful?"
"Yeah, but who sent them?" Scott poked around those on the desk. "There's no card." He looked around the room with his hands on his hips. "Well, I wanted to be the first to tell you 'Welcome back,' but it looks like someone beat me to it."
Ororo smiled at him over the orchids. "Logan saw me first, anyway. In the hall." Suddenly she froze, her eyes widening as she realized what she had just said. She'd never told anyone that orchids were her favorite flowers...
Except Logan.
"The professor probably sent them," Scott was saying. Ororo looked at him and shook her head.
"Xavier didn't send them," she said. "Logan did."
Scott stared at her as if she were crazy. "What? You're kidding, right?"
"No, I'm not," she replied. "It was him. I'm sure of it."
Scott looked around at the flowers, his brow furrowed. "Just what exactly is going on between you two?" he asked.
"Nothing." She picked up one of the vases and moved it to the windowsill, the sunlight glimmering on the lavender petals. "He's just a friend."
"Yeah, well, he's my friend, too," Scott said with a touch of sarcasm. "But I don't see him leaving flowers in MY room."
"Are you jealous, Scott?" she asked him teasingly.
His lips tightened. "I just think it's a little out of character for him, that's all."
"I don't," she said. "Logan can be very nice when he wants to be."
Scott snorted. "Well, I haven't seen it yet." He looked around the room again, then shrugged. "He has been spending an awful lot of time with you lately."
Ororo didn't answer. She touched one of the blossoms with trembling fingers, realizing that there was some truth to what Scott was saying. Sure, Logan was nice sometimes...but taking someone out for ice cream was quite different from flooding their room with flowers. She closed her eyes, the memory of two days ago rushing back...sitting in the car, Logan's face close to hers, how desperately she had wanted him to kiss her, and how she had almost thought he might...
"Are you all right?" Scott asked.
She blinked and looked at him, startled from her thoughts. "Oh, I'm fine," she said with a soft smile. "Just thinking."
Scott stared at her for a moment, then he suddenly scowled. "Jesus," he said, wrinkling his nose in disgust. "There IS something going on between you two!"
"There is not!" she snapped, suddenly angry. After all, what business was it of Scott's? "I told you, he's just a very good friend!"
"Look, 'Ro, let me tell you a little fact about guys," Scott retorted. "Guys do not give a truckload of flowers to a girl that is 'just a friend.'"
"Ohhhh..." She brought her fingers to her temples and rubbed...why was Scott being so frustrating? "Look, Scott, I really don't want to talk about this right now. What I really want is to take a shower, then go find Logan and thank him."
"Fine. I'm sorry."
Ororo sighed. "No, I'm sorry...I can't seem to say anything right today." First Logan, now Scott...she was really on a roll so far.
Scott spread his hands and shrugged. "I wasn't trying to give you a hard time."
"I know." She gave him a quick hug, and he relaxed and returned the embrace. "I didn't mean to snap at you, either."
"Don't worry about it." He held her at arms length, then smiled apologetically. "I'll see you later, okay?"
"Okay."
Scott left and she closed the door behind him. She undressed slowly, enthralled in the scent of the flowers...flowers from Logan. She smiled to herself...maybe that's why Logan had acted so strangely about coming in her room. He hadn't wanted to be there when she saw the flowers. But why? Unless...
Ororo froze halfway out of her clothing. What if Scott was right? What if this was more than just friendship for Logan? Her heart began to beat faster...it simply wasn't possible. Not her. Not Logan...but suddenly every time they had been together in the past few days replayed over in her head. He WAS acting differently...touching her more, watching her when he thought she wasn't looking...
Had she simply been too blind to see it...too sure that he could never look at her that way? And how to find out for sure? A wild hope sprang up inside her, and she brought a trembling hand up to her lips.
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