Papa

Hey you all! Another edition to my list of stories yeaaaa!!! I know what you're thinking, when am I going to finish the other ones and I promise, all in due time but in the mean time, this story has been in my head forever and I had to get it down so please as always, reviews are more than Welcome to tell me what you think!!!

Thanks a hoot!

Disclaimer- Do not own X-men at all. I am but a poor high school student.

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Finishing up the last swig of his beer, Logan sighed to himself as he flung the bottle off the back porch and into the freshly mowed grass.

Another predictable Friday night spent fighting with his so called "friends". Nothing out f the ordinary though, they always nit picked at him for something and it wound up turning into a verbal brawl. Most of the time it was he and Scott doing the disagreeing and tonight was no different, other than the fact that Jean and Ororo decided to throw their two cents in as well.

He was such a loner they said. He spent all his free time drinking and smoking and he wasn't setting a good example for the kids in the mansion.

That really pissed Logan off.

What the hell did they care about his personal life? He tolerated everyone around the mansion, even the ones who irked him the most, and he took care of all his chores and responsibilities, wasn't that enough?

"Apparently not." He thought to himself with a weak sigh, grabbing another bear that was sitting on the table beside him and popping it open, taking the first refreshing swig.

They just didn't understand. They didn't understand what it was like for him, living alone all these years and they didn't understand why he preferred to be that way.

It was sheer ignorance that blinded them from really looking into what he's really been though and it aggravated him when they tried to pretend like they knew everything about him, and tell him what to do with his life.

Especially Scott.

That little tight ass, stick in the mud was known for acting like he knew it all and he was the main one testing the waters with Logan, and seeing how far he could push him to the edge. Sometimes it just made Logan want to chop him up to itty-bitty shreds until there was nothing left to do but ground the pieces into dust. And other times it just made him want to punch him square in the face and watch his nose bleed until it couldn't bleed anymore.

Most of the time it was the latter of the two but tonight the urge to chop him into bite size pieces was arising again only because he absolutely loathed the fact that people were constantly telling him what to do with his life.

"You're too lonely" they said. "You need someone to keep you company"

To hell if he needed company, he was all the company he's got and he sure as hell enjoyed it.

He was the only one who completely understood Logan and completely understood Wolverine and all the mood wings, tyrants and tantrums that came along with the dual personality. No one else could get it, because no one else has been though what he's been.

Sure he's had the occasional sympathy and understanding from Rogue, which is why he enjoyed the girl so much. That and because he grew a soft spot for her and he was like her father type figure.

But even she didn't tell him what to do with his life. For the most part she just butted out.

And that's what he preferred. For people to just leave him the hell alone.

But no, the precious little X-men just couldn't get that through their thick little skulls.

Logan sighed again, his theory once again being proven correct as he watched Scott make his way across the lawn, picking up the bottle that Logan had chucked earlier and steeping up on the porch.

"You know if the professor found this, he'd pour your little stash right down the drain." Scott noted, disposing of the bottle in a recycling can labeled, glass, on the far end of the porch.

"No matter" Logan responded taking another swig of his fresh beer. "I'd just buy another stash, I've got enough money."

"Let me guess, from cage fights and poker games?"

Logan glared. There he goes, judging him again. "First of all, poker is a little boys game, real men play black jack." Scott rolled his eyes. "And second of all, is there anything you needed in particular, because I didn't ask for your company"

Rolling his eyes once more, thankful Logan couldn't see him do it, Scott heaved a heavy sigh. "I came here to……….a…..apo………I came here to apologize" he struggled. Saying you're sorry to the Wolverine wasn't the easiest of things to do.

Logan lazily raised his brow at this. Somehow this didn't exactly feel genuine. But then again if it was him in the situation and he had to apologize to Scott, he was sure that it wouldn't sound to heart felt either. "Go on" Logan questioned more than requested.

"Well you see I was………………wrong…………for judging you and I shouldn't have………..done it. I'm sure what ever reasons you have for being the way you are and doing the things you do, are…………..justifiable." he said, nodding his head to assure himself more than Logan and plastering on a fake smile as he did so.

Despite the circumstances, this made for a mildly humorous situation and Logan couldn't help but chuckle at poor little pathetic Scott. At least he had made an effort.

"Red put you up to this didn't she?" he asked, holding back the laughter that was about to take over. He suspected apologizing to an angered man with claws for a skeleton was hard enough, he didn't want to embarrass him too.

"Does it show?" Scott asked.

"The fake smile and the gaps in the sentences were a dead giveaway Scooter. You should really work on your acting."

Scott shrugged. "Well I tired right" he replied nonchalantly and Logan laughed this time, still envisioning Scott's pathetic apology in his head.

"No but seriously Logan" Cyclops said in all seriousness. "I really am sorry. You were right; I shouldn't be prying into your personal life. I guess if it was me in the situation I would want you knowing my business either"

"So why do you do it?" he asked plain and simple, swigging at his beer again.

"We're just concerned, that's all" he replied and Logan threw him an eyebrow so high, it was about to rise off his face. "Ok, ok, Jean and Storm are concerned" he corrected. "I could personally care less. I just wish you'd stop drinking for the sake of the kids."

Now it was Logan's turn to roll his eyes.

"But that doesn't mean that I don't think that you should be doing something productive in your life"

"And drinking and smoking by myself is……….."

"Far from it" Cyclops finished. "Look I'm not asking you to go out there and get married or anything because Lord only knows if the world is ready for the Wolverine to wed someone but, I'm just asking that you do something worth while you know, something that you enjoy and that the kids can look up to. Drinking and smoking all the time and snapping at everyone who crosses your path, doesn't exactly scream role model you know?"

"And who said I wanted to be a role model?"

"Uh, you did. When you decided to live here."

"Well there's some fine print for ya" he grumbled, finishing his beer and tossing it in the recycling bin this time.

"Look Logan, bottom line is, you can't just sit here, wallowing in your depression every night, drinking and smoking. It's not a good example for the kids and most importantly, it's not good for you."

"Thanks for the health tip Dr. Scooter, but I think I'm ok"

Scott sighed a hard sigh. "You're not listening to a word I'm saying are you?"

"And he finally understands, ladies and gentlemen give him an applause. It only took him 3 years to figure it out!"

Scott frowned. "You know I really don't appreciate the sarcasm" he said.

"Ya well I don't really appreciate you telling me what to do with my life and yet, here we stand"

Scott sighed again. "Alright, alright, I can tell when I'm not wanted" he said standing up properly from his place against the porch fence. "Just think about what I said ok? Maybe someday you'll find something that makes you happy, and you'll be ten times better."

Logan rolled his eyes again. "Thanks for the advice" he said. "Now I'll just log that away and head into town to a bar or something"

Scott sighed once more. "That's not what I meant" Scott called after him.

"Hey" Logan said, turning around to face him while still walking away. "It makes me feel better"

…………………………

It was around midnight now and Logan had collected nearly four grand with his bets and winnings from his fights in the cage and as of now he was to say the least a fairly happy man. Not only had he received nearly double the amount that he was expecting that evening, but he had filled up on his quota of alcohol and had even gotten lucky with some sleezy blonde who'd been eyeing his rippling pectorals all evening.

Scott was right; he had found something that had made him happy. And not only did it make him feel better but it was productive to boot. Anything that earned you nearly four grand in one night (legally) was bound to be productive, and it's not like he was doing any of this in front of the children so yea, Logan would have to admit, it was pretty damn productive.

Grinning to himself from ear to ear as he made his way back over to his bike (or rather, Scott's bike that Logan had dubbed as his own), Logan thought about how many days out of the week he could get away with doing this. It wasn't often he got a triple score like this. Money, alcohol, and a good lay; no, these nights were rare.

As he swung his leg around the bike and adjusted himself on the seat, gloating to himself about what a lucky man he was, a faint cry and a rustle in the bushes a few yards away from him, caught his attention, dragging him back to reality.

"Great" he thought, glancing over to the bushes and stopping his little admiration towards his good luck, focusing in for a better hear. "Who the hell is ruining my night this time." This always seemed to happen to him. Every time he got the slightest bit of pleasure it was always yanked away by someone or something.

Another faint cry was heard behind the bushes followed but a few more rustling, that brought Logan up to his feet to investigate.

Any other person probably would have thought it was just some wild animal, going in for the kill on it's prey but due to Logan's X-men training and experience, he knew it was something far from the murder of Mickey Mouse. And with his luck, it'd be a mutant behind there in search for help from professor Xavier, and he'd have to make room on his motorcycle to take them there.

"Great, just great" Logan thought, inching closer to the bushes quietly. There goes any chance he had at scoring a second time with that blonde.

This time the rustling escalated into scuffling and now the shout of, "She's one of them guys, get er'!" was heard, followed by the sheathing of a few pocketknives being opened.

Logan rolled his eyes. Well at least he was right about the mutant part. And by the sound of the culprit's voice, he figured it must have been some lame teenager with nothing better to do on his Friday night.

"Well at least it won't be too hard" he thought, sheathing his own claws and cracking his neck, preparing for a little scuffle of his own.

But before he could even get a chance at scaring the little brats off, a small little something popped out from behind the bushes, crying to herself as she trudged helplessly through the snow.

She wore beat up, tattered clothing that weren't even close to suitable for the whether outside and her shoes were probably five sizes too big, slowing her down from getting away from her terrorizers. She had slightly pointed ears and piercing hazel eyes, similar to a cat and her long brown hair was matted and dirty, leading to her little porcelain face which was covered in a mixture of dirt, tears and two sets of slash marks; one for each cheek.

But despite her worn out, broken down appearance, that's not what Logan found surprising about her.

What really caused him to give her a double look was the set of shiny metal claws, jetting out from her knuckles, just like his only in a smaller frame.

Seeing her with the baffling similarity defiantly caught him off guard and it defiantly put a few seconds in delay before he could react to the three looser teenagers, jumping out from behind the bush and closing in on the defenseless girl like a pack of cheetahs on a wildebeest.

He watched as the little girl backed up as quickly as she could with those humongous shoes of hers and awkwardly tripped and fell in the snow watching helplessly as the boys to chuckled, grasping their pocket knives tighter.

"Oh, yeah, she's defiantly one of them" a brunette haired boy said.

"We're gonna' have fun guttin' you little one" the blonde haired one said, obviously the leader since he was standing in the middle of the three.

"Mama" the little girl cried faintly, still watching the boys in terror.

"You're mama can't help you now little one"

"Ya, no one is out here to hear you scream." Said the blonde one, laughing amongst his pack of friends.

"I am" interrupted Logan now, regaining his composure and stepping into the little brawl.

The boys looked up from their prey, turning to face Logan and upon looking at him, they each began to doubt if doing this was such a good idea. Not only was the man, tall, ripped and mean looking, but he had a set of knives in his hand, just like the girl did. And by the looks of all the muscle, pouring from out of his shirt, he looked like he was not to be messed with.

"That's probably her father dude" the brunette whispered to his blonde friend who abruptly shushed him.

"Shut-up bro." he whispered harshly before giving Logan his undivided attention. "And just what do you plan to do about it, old man?" he challenged, twirling his pocketknife in a fancy manner, showing off for his friends and his hopeful opponent.

"You have three seconds to get out of here before I rip you a knew one and use it to string you over a fire and cook you rotisserie style kid" he said, standing his ground and tightening his knuckles, allowing his claws to glow in the full moon.

Apparently the threat proved to be too much for the kids to handle for they fled the scene faster than Superman colleague Flash would do if he were in a hurry calling out, "You can have her bro" as they left.

Logan only rolled his eyes, retracting his claws and shaking his head in dismay. "Wimps" he mumbled to himself, looking around to make sure the coast was clear before turning around to face the girl.

She had a look of pure fear plastered on her innocent young face and tears were still pouring out her red puffy eyes, with a quivering lip to accompany her sorrow.

"Now look kid," Logan began to reason. "I aint' gonna' hurt ya, so don't so screamin' when I try to……….."

"Mama!" she wailed, crying in that poor little battered shirt of hers and letting even more of the salty solution pour out of her eyes. "Mama, Mama! Where's my mama!" she cried again, rubbing her little eyes with her tiny hands which only caused scratches on her delicate face from the claws that were jetting out her knuckles.

"Hey, hey, hey kid" Logan said, kneeling next to her and gently placing her hands away from her face. "You'll poke an eye out" he cautioned. "Literally"

As he got a closer look at her Logan realized that the girl was fairly smaller than he had realized, and she looked to be about three to four years old. That's probably why she kept wailing for her mother and wasn't really bothered by a strange man being so close to her.

Logan sighed again. He could already tell this was going to be a long night. "Bye, bye blondie" he thought to himself, taking off his leather jacket and placing it around the girl's tiny frame.

Upon feeling a warm and cozy jacket, grace itself around her body, the young girl paused from her crying, turning to face the big man in front of her. She didn't know much about him but so far he seemed pretty nice. He was big and scary looking but he offered her a jacket, and he wasn't trying to hurt her like those other guys were. "Mama?" she asks him, briefly hoping that she'd found some sort of relief.

"No, I aint' ya mama kid. But I bet wherever she is, she's lookin' for ya" he said, helping securing the jacket tightly around her. "I should take you back to the mansion. Xavier will know where to find your……….." he paused when another astounding similarity caught his attention.

As if the young girl having his claws just like his wasn't enough to freak him out, as Logan was ranting to the little toddler (who probably didn't even know just what the hell he was rambling about), the cuts on her face were beginning to heal, just like he did when he was injured. In a matter of seconds her porcelain face was clear as day (save the dirt and tears) and she was cut free.

Logan again had to do a double take. Closing his eyes and rubbing them a bit then going back to inspecting her skin to make sure he saw correctly.

Yep, he defiantly saw it; her face was clear.

The girl stared back at him with curious eyes, tempted to ask him if he was her mama once more, but she was more concentrated on his own facial features to let the two-syllable word fall out her mouth.

"Weird" Logan said to himself, shaking his head in confusion. "Really, really, weird."

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