A/N: I realize in my first chapter I had Ororo say that Mariko had been dead a year when Forge proposed to her. Well, I know that I screwed up the timeline there since that issue of Unc X-Men was really close to the Wolvie issue where he killed Mariko. But, even though I messed it up a bit, I'm going to stick with that timeframe for this chapter.

So, that being said, I'm going to say this incident happens about a month after chapter 1. Even though it's been a year, I'm saying that Logan hasn't been back to Japan yet because the events are still very fresh in his mind. Since I focused on Ororo's problems last chapter, I decided to switch sides and toss some Logan angst into the mix. Hope y'all don't mind!

Logan sat on the roof of the mansion, a bottle of whiskey in his hand. A second bottle sat next to him, waiting to be opened. Betsy, Gambit and Hank had left for Japan earlier that day with that Kwannon woman. He almost went with them, but the Professor had talked him out of it. Being Japan, so soon after Mariko's death, would only distract him and, if it were possible, make him even more upset. But the very thought of going to Japan that morning had triggered a cascade of painful memories.

Jubilee had tried to cheer him up as usual, but he snapped at her more harshly than ever and she got the picture. He had left her downstairs, almost in tears, but Logan couldn't bring himself to apologize just yet. It was nearly ten o'clock at night now and he had already finished one bottle of Jack Daniels. He was half-way into the second and he could feel his senses dulling.

He pulled a cigar out from his inside pocket and easily lit it with the lighter Gambit had given him last Christmas. He twirled the silver Zippo in his fingers for a moment and then slid it back into his pocket. Thinking of Remy also brought images of Japan to his mind and Logan quickly put the bottle to his lips.

The wind changed and Logan felt a cool breeze blow up from the below him. He swigged from the bottle again just as Ororo came into view. She carefully landed next to him and looked at her teammate with white eyes. She knew why he was here and it bothered her that he couldn't seem to move beyond this pain. Knowing she had to choose her words carefully, she decided on stating the obvious to see how he would respond.

"Logan, you've been drinking." She said simply, looking at the bottle in his hand.

"Yup." He replied shortly, talking another long drink.

Well, Ororo thought, he's not yelling, so that's a plus.

"You left Jubilee in quite a state." Ororo said after a pause. She turned her eyes to the grounds of the mansion, not wanting to look at Logan's reaction.

"She's tough." Logan said with a shrug. "She'll get over it."

"Even so, there was no need to yell at her."

"Look, if you've come up here to lecture me, save yer breath, Windrider." He said sharply. "I ain't in the mood."

Looking at him with an angry scowl on her face, Ororo opened her mouth to speak. Upon seeing the haunted look in his eyes, she stopped and quickly felt the anger leave her body.

"I am sorry."

Logan grunted in response and offered her the bottle. Knowing she could not refuse, Ororo gingerly held the bottle in her hand and smelled the contents. Her nose scrunched up in disgust but she put the bottle to her lips anyways. Closing her eyes, Ororo took a long swig from the dark bottle. Coughing harshly, Ororo passed the bottle back to Logan.

She could tell it had been a challenge of sorts when he handed that bottle to her. Ororo could tell, without really know how, that he wouldn't talk unless she had a drink with him.

Logan let out a deep laugh and patted her back.

"This stuff ain't for the feint of heart, babe." He said, drinking from the bottle again. He was pleasantly surprised to find the rim tasted sweet, like he imaged Ororo's mouth did.

"Then by all means, hand it over again." She said, rising to his challenge.

With raised eyebrows, Logan passed the bottle back to his leader. Taking a deep breath, Ororo tilted the bottle back again and took a longer drink. She suppressed the need to cough this time and handed it back.

They sat in silence for a few minutes while Logan drained the contents of the bottle and opened the next. Ororo, who had been drunk after three glasses of wine the month before, wondered how quickly this alcohol would hit her. She had easily taken five shots in those two swigs and the liquor had burned her throat in a way wine never did.

"How strong is that stuff?" She finally asked.

"Eighty proof." Logan replied. She could've sworn his speech had been slurred. "Yer wine is usually only twenty or so."

"Goddess."

Logan smiled again and pulled from his trusty J.D. again.

"How come yer up here, darlin'? I thought you were goin' out with Rogue tonight."

"We've already gone and come back." She answered, playing with a bangle she had on her wrist. "It's past ten."

Surprised, Logan glanced at Ororo. She laughed at his expression and pulled the bottle from his hands again.

"Be careful, 'Ro." Logan warned, feeling his vision blurring. He really enjoyed being drunk and it took a lot of alcohol for him to reach this stage. Closing his eyes for a moment, he relished how he couldn't hear what was happening on the grounds. He couldn't smell his teammates. It was a liberating experience for someone who was always so in tune with his surroundings.

Ororo shrugged off Logan's words and sipped the strong alcohol again. Passing the bottle back, she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.

They sat in silence again, the bottle making the only noise as its contents swished around whenever Logan drank from it. Not one to experience quiet very often, Logan found himself enjoying the sensation. He looked at Ororo and noticed her cheeks flushed with color, no doubt from the alcohol. He vaguely wondered if he looked the same.

"It is hard to believe Kwannon and Betsy are the same person." Ororo finally said.

"The same, but dif'rent." Logan said. His tongue felt thick and he drank again. "I doubt they're gonna get any answers."

Ororo nodded in agreement, feeling her control over nature slipping away. Her eyes were blue now and she couldn't easily call upon her powers.

"I do believe you've got me drunk." Ororo announced, looking at her hands.

"I do believe ya got yerself drunk." Logan retorted, amused.

"Perhaps." She said, smiling. "But you supplied the alcohol."

Logan flashed her a devilish grin and winked. Laughing, Ororo leaned back and found she couldn't get back up on her own.

"Help!" She said, laughing at herself. Logan pulled her up and was pleased when he found his reflexes were slower. Being drunk was the best way to numb his pain and he was well on his way to that goal.

"We should do this more often." Logan said, somewhat quietly.

Ororo looked at him and tried to think of a good response. She wanted to say drinking wasn't the answer to any problems. Besides, what would happen if an alarm went off right now? They were both useless. But instead, the words that came out of her mouth surprised them both.

"You are absolutely right." She said, nodding her head.

"Yer drunk." He said, glancing at her sideways.

"So are you."

"No arguments here."

Ororo leaned back on her elbows and looked up at the sky. It was a beautiful night and the stars were shining brightly.

Logan followed her gaze and turned his eyes to the heavens. Logan pointed to a bright star and leaned down next to Ororo to show her where he pointed.

"That one's Vega." He said simply. His hand moved slightly. "That one there is Deneb and the other one there is Altair."

Ororo looked at him and smiled. "That is Spica." She said, pointing to another. "And there is Regulus."

Logan chuckled, more to himself than aloud. Of course she knew the stars. She was a flyer.

"Sorry." He said, leaning back on his elbows. "I fergot you'd know those."

"No need to apologize, my friend." Ororo said gently. "I was unaware you knew the stars so well."

"Yeah, I used to point out the stars to M'iko." Logan said without thinking. Realizing what he said, Logan shot forward into a sitting position and didn't look at Ororo.

"Oh?" Ororo replied. "Did she enjoy the night sky?"

Normally, Ororo would've let the subject drop based on Logan's body language. But words were pouring out of her mouth before her brain had time to sensor them. She was certain he would walk away, angry at being questioned like this, but he didn't move.

"Yeah, she liked to…yeah, she did." He replied, running his hands through his hair.

Ororo took this as a good sign and glanced back up to the sky.

"She was also fond of gardens, was she not?"

Logan simply nodded, looking out to the mansion gardens that Ororo took care of.

"Mariko always loved the gardens here." He said after the silence had drawn out for a few minutes. "She didn't know all the plants. I think that's why she liked 'em so much."

"She was only here a few times." Ororo remarked.

"Yeah. She didn't like to fly."

"I remember visiting Tokyo." She said with a fond sigh.

Logan smiled slightly and nodded. "You guys brought Rogue."

"Perhaps not the best idea at first, but things worked out."

"M'iko was so angry with me." Logan recalled. "Said I needed to be nicer."

Ororo laughed softly. "You were always rather over-protective of her."

"She was so small." He replied, drinking again. "She knew how to hold a sword, but not use it. And she had a lot of enemies in the underworld."

"I was not referring to that." She said, sitting up. "I recall you yelling at Kurt for trying to kiss her under mistletoe."

Logan coughed slightly, trying to hide his laughter. He drank again, saying nothing in response.

"When was the last time you really talked about her like this?" Ororo's voice was soft and gentle. Despite being drunk, she knew it was a delicate question.

"Never have." He responded. Ororo noted his voice was thick and more gravelly than usual.

Logan suddenly felt her hand on his shoulder. It was warm, like she had been in the sun all day. He took a deep breath, trying to steady himself, but it didn't really work. It had been a long time since he had thought about Mariko like this. It hurt to remember all of the good things since they were gone from him forever.

"Did I ever show you these?" He asked, reaching into his pocket. In his hand sat a small pouch and he placed it in Ororo's hand.

Carefully opening it, Ororo poured the contents on her palm. Two beautiful yet simple gold bands fell out with a third, obviously the engagement ring. A perfect diamond sat in its settings and she picked each up in turn. The bands had engravings on the inside, but they were written in Japanese.

"I kept them, waitin' fer Mariko to tell me she was ready." He explained. "She had to restore the honor to her clan before we could get married. Remember that day? Our wedding?"

"Yes, I do." Ororo replied, carefully placing the rings back into the pouch. "I have never seen you happier."

"It was a great day…until the very end, o'course."

"On the day that she…that I killed her, she had done it." He said, caressing the pouch between his fingers. "She restored that honor and told me she would've been free to finally get hitched. But she was dyin'." He paused, his breath shakey. "She asked me t'do it. I couldn't deny her anythin'. Not even that."

Logan suddenly stood up and threw the half-empty bottle of whiskey down onto the pavement below.

"I sliced open her throat, 'Ro. She asked me t'kill her and I did. There was so much blood…" Logan's voice trailed off there and he glanced back at Ororo. Unshed tears glistened in her eyes. Feeling a tear trail down his own cheek, Logan turned away from her and looked down to the ground.

"I'm turnin' in." And with that, Logan leapt from the roof and landed on the ground with a hard thud. Ororo jumped up and looked down to see his figure retreat into the house.

Two hours passed by while Ororo sat on the roof, trying to sober up. It wasn't going as quickly as she would have liked. Sighing in annoyance, Ororo floated herself down to the door that led into the kitchen. She opened it and was surprised to find Jubilee sitting at the table with a mug in her hand.

"Hello, child." Ororo greeted. She walked to the cabinet and retrieved a glass. Perhaps water would help speed things up, she mused.

"Hey, Storm." Jubilee said, a glum look on her face.

"Are you still upset with Logan?" Ororo asked, sitting down across from her.

"No, he came and apologized." She said, sipping her cocoa.

"Good." The older woman replied. "I was hoping he would come to his senses about that."

"Yeah." Jubilation said, looking at Ororo with a quizzical expression. "Oh no."

"What?" Ororo asked, somewhat alarmed.
"He got you drunk!"

"He did no such thing." Ororo replied, waving her hand.

"Uh-huh." Jubilee raised an eyebrow, a habit no doubt learned from the feral mutant himself.

"I did it to myself." Storm finally admitted. "I found him drinking alone on the roof."

"Yeah, I saw him." Jubilee replied, an odd expression on her face. "He didn't look so hot."

"I am sure he is fine by now."

"Oh yeah he is." The firecracker said. "He was sober when he left my room."

"How long have you been down here?"

"About thirty minutes." Jubilee said, glancing at her watch. "He went t'bed about forty-five minutes ago, I'd say."

"Was he speaking with you for an hour?" Ororo asked, surprised.

"Yeah, more or less."

Ororo nodded, sipping her water. She couldn't help but be curious about what they talked about. Normally, she never thought about private conversations between teammates. But, now, she couldn't help it. Blaming the alcohol, Ororo tried to ignore her curiosity and drank her water.

Jubilee watched Ororo with amusement twinkling in her eyes. If it was one thing Jubilation had learned growing up in Beverly Hills, it was when someone was dying to hear the latest gossip. She knew Ororo wouldn't ask, but she was still amused that the older woman wanted to know. Jubilee was used to the look from Rogue and Hank, but it was a new experience seeing it on Ororo's face.

"He was ok." Jubilee said, glancing at Ororo. "He just talked a bit and apologized for being an ass."

"Language." Ororo said out of habit.

"Pah-lease." Jubilee said, rolling her eyes. "If you wanna know what we talked about, you just have to ask."

"I have no such desire, Jubilation." Ororo replied, slightly annoyed at being caught by someone so young. Jubilee had the unnerving ability to see through a person's façade.

"Yeah you do." Jubilee said plainly. "I'd know that look a million miles away."

Ororo shook her head. "You are mistaken."

"Shooor."

"So why are you up so late, Jubilation? Don't you have a class with Henry tomorrow?"

"Nice subject change." Jubilee said. "But no, I don't. He's in Japan, remember?"

"Of course." Ororo replied. "I'm surprised I forgot so easily."

"I'd blame the whiskey if I were you."

Ororo looked up at Jubilee and could tell the girl was trying hard not to laugh. Ororo smiled and Jubilee cracked up.

"Wolvie seemed pretty upset when he came t'my room." Jubilee said after she finished laughing. "Said he was talkin' to you on the roof for a while."

"We were." Ororo said, confirming Jubilee's statement.

"He said it was about Mariko."

Again, Ororo nodded to confirm it.

"Yeah, and then he gave me something." Jubilee said, hesitantly. "I dunno if I should keep it."

"What was it?" Ororo asked, watching Jubilee carefully.

"These." Jubilee put two long sticks on the table. They were two hair sticks and Ororo recognized them immediately. They were the ones Mariko had worn the day of their wedding. They were beautifully decorated with gold and each had a sapphire gem on the top.

"If he gave those to you, Jubilation, then he would want you to keep them."

"Yeah, but what are they?" She asked confused. "And don't tell me hair stuff, I know that."

"They were Mariko's." Ororo replied slowly. "She wore them on their wedding day."

"Wedding day?!" Jubilee exclaimed.

"Yes." Ororo said smoothly. "You really should read the files on your teammates, Jubilation."

Jubilee looked down at the hair sticks again and felt her chest tighten with emotion. Logan wasn't one to give gifts normally. She picked them up and held them close to her chest.

"Right. I'll do that…I think I'm gonna get some shut-eye." Jubilee announced, standing up. "G'night, Storm."

"Goodnight, Jubilee."

Ororo approached Logan's door, unsure why she was there. As a team leader, her presence in the men's dorm would go unquestioned. However, she couldn't help but feel overwhelmed by doubt. She shouldn't be here. She should be in bed, sleeping off the alcohol.

Instead, Ororo raised her hand to Logan's door only to have it open before she could knock.

"C'mon in." Logan said, standing aside. He was perfectly sober again but looked tired.

Ororo slid past him and entered his room. She had only been in here a few times and nothing had really changed. It was a spartan room, the only decoration being the katana blade on the wall. A picture of Mariko was under it on a chest, surrounded by small pieces of Logan's past. A hair comb and the pouch sat there, along with some incense. His bed was low to the ground and Ororo assumed it was done to match the other Japanese images in his room. She saw a few pictures of Kitty and Jubilee tucked into the mirror on his bureau. Otherwise, the room had very little personal belongings and could've easily belonged to anyone.

"How're you feelin'?" Logan asked, leaning against his bureau.

"I am fine." Ororo replied, looking at the katana blade closely. "I believe the water has helped."

Logan nodded and crossed the room to take the blade from the wall. She watched as he slid the blade out from its casing. Ororo knew it wasn't the Honor Sword, since the casing was too new.

"Is that new?" Ororo asked as he held the sword in his hand.

"Yeah." He replied. "Have you ever held one?"

Ororo shook her head and was surprised when he flipped the blade so she could take the handle. Expecting it to be heavy, Ororo clasped her hand around the hilt.

"It isn't heavy." Logan said, watching her body language. "Good swords shouldn't be a burden to wield."

Nodding, she carefully swept the sword up and was amazed at how easy it was to move.

"I can teach you to use it, if you want." Logan offered. His voice was quiet as he watched Ororo move the blade through the air.

"Perhaps." She said simply and then handed the blade back to its owner. Logan took it and, with a speed that surprised Ororo, placed it back in its casing and onto the wall.

"So what brings ya down here, Storm?" Logan asked, walking towards his bathroom.

"I came to see if you were alright." She replied honestly. Logan was in his bathroom with the door open. Ororo sat on the side of his bed and waited for his response.

"Yeah…I'm fine." He replied after spitting out a mouthful of peppermint Scope. "How're you holding up?"

Ororo knew he was referring to Forge's proposal and smiled slightly.

"Better than yesterday."

"That's my girl." Logan said with a lop-sided grin. He was standing in the doorway, watching Ororo. She hadn't turned yet and was looking at the picture on his nightstand.

"Look, I'm sorry fer unloadin' on ya, 'Ro." Logan said, stepping into the room.

"Nonsense." Ororo said, smiling over her shoulder at him. "What are friends for?"

He nodded and knew she meant it.

"Let's get some sleep." Logan suggested.

He waited, hoping she would understand what he meant. He didn't want her to leave. It had been a bad day and he knew his nightmares would haunt him if he slept alone that night. Whenever they shared a bed, it seemed to put his mind at ease. Ever since he stayed the night last month, they had made it a regular thing. Of course, it had always been up in the loft. He wasn't sure if she would be comfortable staying down here where someone could see her leave in the morning.

Upon hearing his words, Ororo smiled and stood up to undress. Logan was relieved that she didn't leave. He followed suit and they both climbed under the sheets. He reached over and turned off the light just as Ororo slid up close to him.

"I'm glad you apologized to Jubilee." She said as his arm casually wrapped around her shoulders. He inhaled deeply and noted the scent of bubblegum and cocoa lingering around Ororo.

"When did you see her?" He asked, closing his eyes. The scent was still somewhat fresh, so he knew it hadn't been long ago.

"Just a little while ago in the kitchen."

Logan didn't say anything in response. He knew Ororo had more to say so he waited for her to finish.

"She had the hair sticks with her."

"I just thought they'd look nice in her hair." Logan admitted, feeling the need to explain himself. "Y'know, especially since she's growing it out now."

"You do not need to explain." Ororo said in a soothing tone. "She was pleased with the gift. That is all that matters."

Logan nodded, and fell silent. They laid together for a long time without saying anything. Ororo twirled her fingers around his chest hair, making small circles. Sighing in contentment, Logan ran his hand down her back slowly.

It was strange for Logan to have such a close relationship with a woman that didn't involve sex. At first, it had been unsettling. But now, he was glad for the companionship. She was truly his best friend. Ororo wanted to be held and Logan just wanted someone to hold. There were no other expectations, no other desires. It amazed him whenever he thought about it.

That was his last thought before drifting off to sleep, Ororo close behind. When they woke the next morning, they stayed in bed together until late in the morning, simply holding on to one another.

So far, this has gone in chronological order...I dunno if I'll keep going with that, but we'll see. I have some ideas around the Austrailia timeframe and such...anyways, what did you think? Please R&R!

PAF!

Jubes