Spring Showers – by Darlin

Disclaimer – No profit here just pure mindless entertainment.

A/N – I wrote this way back in May of 2005 but didn't like the ending so I never posted it. When I wanted to go over it I couldn't find it anywhere but fortunately I just found it on a site where I was backing up my documents then. I've added some more to it and hope it gives a little enjoyment. This is part of my Early Years seasonal stories when they were still new to each other and way before anyone knew Wolverine's name.

-xox-

It had been raining almost non stop for several days and those that had opted to remain at 1407 Greymalkin Lane for the weekend were getting just a little bit stir crazy. Jean and Scott had gone into the city where Jean kept an apartment with her room mate Misty Knight while Sean and the Professor were at a conference in D.C. with Mrs. MacTaggert which left Kurt, Wolverine, Peter and Ororo squirreled away together. Only Ororo in her solitary seemed not to mind the dark grey skies and the dull hush that had taken over the huge mansion.

"It has been an awful weekend," Kurt moaned as he stood by a window in the living room watching rivulets of water stream down the pane.

"It is not so bad, just spring showers," Peter said from his position near the fireplace, a huge book of Michelangelo Buonarroti's art work in his lap.

"You were jus' complaining an' hour ago, Russkie," Wolverine said. He was sitting quite comfortably by himself on the couch, feet propped up on the coffee table.

"That was an hour ago," Peter stated defiantly.

"Still, you were complaining same as the Elf."

"And so were you just five minutes ago because you did not want to go out in the rain for your beer," Peter retorted.

"Never said I wasn't complaining," Wolverine replied.

"What good is complaining when it is not going to change anything?" Kurt mumbled.

"I say we stop belly achin' an' get the crazy broad upstairs to fix it."

"You had better not be referring to Ororo," Peter said, standing suddenly, his book falling to the floor. "I have told you before not to address her that way."

"Yeah, yeah. Storm, okay? I say we get Storm ta make it stop rainin', that better, Petey?"

"It will do."

Wolverine chuckled. "You really got a thing for her, don't ya?" he asked.

"I do not know what you mean," Peter replied still standing and eying the Wolverine.

"It is only proper to treat a lady as she deserves," Kurt said, coming to Peter's defense.

"Can't deny that, Elf," Wolverine said. "You gonna sit down or what, Petey?"

Without a word Peter stooped down, retrieved his book then seated himself in his arm chair again.

"Were you serious about asking Storm to change the weather?" Kurt asked after a minute of silence.

"Why not? What's the harm?"

"It does not seem . . . right."

"What's right about us bein' the way we are, huh? You ever think about that? We got all this power an' we can't use it fer somethin' good fer ourselves?"

"But . . ."

"But nothin', if she's got the power ta change the weather then why can't she now? It's rained enough for the whole flamin' month!"

Both Kurt and Peter looked a little bewildered at Wolverine's logic.

"All I'm sayin' is what's the harm in askin'?"

"Perhaps," Kurt muttered.

"So then you gonna go up an' ask her?" Wolverine asked as he placed both hands behind his head.

"Me?" Kurt asked indignantly. "Why should I be the one to ask her to do such a thing?"

"You were the one complaining the most."

"That is not a good reason, Wolverine."

Wolverine merely shrugged. "So how's 'bout we take a vote?"

Kurt and Peter looked at Wolverine uncertainly.

"Who's fer Kurt goin' up there an' gettin' the weather goddess to do her stuff? That wasn't too disrespectful now was it, Petey Pure-heart?" Wolverine said with a rakish grin but Peter merely stared, too astonished by the suggestion to muster a reply.

However Kurt was a step ahead of Logan . "I think Peter and I have decided that you should be the one to ask Ororo," he said.

"Huh?"

"Da. It is agreed. You said we should vote and we have," Peter said with a grin of his own.

"Me?"

"Ja."

For a second they thought he would refuse. As he looked from one to the other they saw hesitation flicker over his face but it was quickly followed by one of resolution.

"Yeah? Well, alright I'll just go up there an' ask her then."

"We will be waiting by the window for sunshine and a clear sky," Kurt said, winking at Peter.

"And a warm wind would be nice too," Peter threw in for good measure.

Wolverine ignored the two as he left the room although they were certain they heard him harrumphing under his breath. Nevertheless away he went and the two couldn't avoid laughing at his expense once they thought he was out of ear shot.

"What do you think she will do to him?" Kurt asked.

"Perhaps he will be polite and she will do nothing to hurt him," Peter suggested.

"But we are talking about Wolverine."

"Yes, you are right, Kurt. He does nothing polite."

"Certain doom then do you think, my friend?"

"She is too much of a lady . . . but . . . yes – certain doom."

A great deal of time passed without a sign of the courageous Wolverine. Peter absently thumbed through his art book wondering how his parents and little sister were doing in Russia . Kurt was putting another log on the fire and wondering what was going on upstairs. As he was stoking the fire he heard a great thunder clap and the building seemed to shake to the very foundation.

"Lenin's ghost!"

"Mein Gott! What . . . ?" Kurt's question died on his lips as he jumped, startled by the crashing sound of something hard pounding against the windows.

"Hail!" Peter exclaimed.

"It is a thunderstorm," Kurt said. The wind howled mournfully as it battered the windows.

Peter nodded. It was a fierce spring storm full of lightning that dazzled the sky with deep booming thunder that rocked them to their toes and hail that threatened to break every window in the mansion. The storm waged long and hard and Kurt and Peter drew their chairs closer to the fire glad for the homey warmth. It seemed a long time before the hail storm ended and when it did the silence took them by surprise.

"Should we see if he is still alive do you think?"

"I am not sure," Peter said, having no desire to face the wrath of Storm.

"You are right. It is best to wait. We should wait right here. I am sure everything will be fine as long as we wait it out, ja?"

"Surely how could it not be?"

"But it is Wolverine . . ." Kurt murmured pensively.

"True."

"It is not as if he does not deserve whatever Ororo does to him," Kurt said.

"True."

"And yet . . . do you think?"

"Nyet! Ororo would not harm him."

They said nothing, merely glanced at each other wondering if what Peter had said was true for what did they know of Ororo's past? Professor Xavier had told them very little about each other and what Ororo had mentioned in passing was not very reassuring – orphaned at an early age fending for herself on the streets until she was taken in by a thief. She'd laughed over how she'd picked the Professor's pocket when she was a young street urchin but did the wild little girl have worse deeds in her past?

A particularly loud crash of lightning startled them both and they looked at each other nervously.

"She would not of course, you are right. She is so collected," Kurt murmured.

"And decent. She is very decent."

"Yes. And collected."

"And good. She is a very good woman."

"And how do you say? Well tempered, ja?"

"And regal," Peter mused.

Kurt glanced at Peter who was looking off at nothing in particular as if he were envisioning the lady whom they were speaking of in such complimentary terms.

"She is a princess's daughter," Kurt said.

"True. She is of royalty. She has honor."

Kurt nodded.

"And she is very strong. Not just in mind but in body too."

"Beautiful too, ja?" Kurt asked with a quick look at the Russian youth.

A splash of color spread over Peter's cheeks and he pulled his large book up to his face so that it sufficiently covered him from view. Kurt grinned as he heard Peter turning through the pages as if his very life depended upon it. After a short while Peter turned the book towards Kurt revealing a lovely picture of a sculptured woman holding a man in her arms.

"Magnificent," Kurt said.

"That is Storm."

"A Pieta?" Kurt asked curiously.

"The Pieta means compassion or mercy. That is Ororo," Peter said as he peeked out from behind the book.

Kurt nodded though he looked a little uncertain at the comparison. "I have always wished to go to St Peter's Basilica and to see the Sistine Chapel," he countered, easily changing the subject.

"Da. To see the Pieta and Moses, the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, the walls that Michelangelo painted, it would be a dream come true for me."

Kurt did nothing to steer the subject back to Ororo's many fine attributes and they each returned to their own thoughts. Much later they heard loud stomping outside the living room mingled with a slew of vehement swears and soon Wolverine appeared. He was dripping wet, his trademark hairstyle hanging down in an unrecognizable soggy mess.

Like a dog he shook his head several times shedding water everywhere and then he stomped in and placed a large wet brown paper bag on the coffee table and tossed a smaller bag onto the couch. The smaller bag, soaked through, as it made contact and several videos spilled out. The frown on Logan 's face was enough to keep either of his teammates from commenting. They watched him as he stood by the fire rubbing his arms for warmth.

"You have . . . been out?" Kurt finally worked up the nerve to ask the obvious.

"Thought we could use a few beers maybe watch a few movies. We got that new Beta video thing rigged up so I got some movies."

"But were you not going to see Ororo?" Peter asked.

The look that Wolverine gave them was unexpected. It was almost meek, even sheepish. He ran a thick hand through is soaked hair, his mouth twisting to one side as if he were thinking of what to tell them. Peter and Kurt exchanged smiles. Even the Wolverine had some sense after all it appeared. Either that or he was trying to save face.

"You ever seen the Godfather? I got Alien too," Wolverine said.

"So Ororo did not like your idea?" Peter asked bravely going where few men had gone before.

"Shut up an' have a beer why don't ya."

"So will Ororo be joining us for the movies?" Kurt couldn't resist asking.

"Stuff a movie in that contraption an' stop askin' so many questions."

"It is a good thing we did not make a wager as you so often like to do," Peter said with what actually looked like a smirk on his usually innocent face.

"Hey, did I ever tell you about the time when I met real Leprechauns?" Kurt said quickly when Logan took a step towards Peter. "We were in Scotland , remember?"

"We were there, Kurt!" Wolverine and Peter chorused, the former rolling his eyes.

"I will pop some corn," Peter added and he beat a hasty retreat.

"I'm gonna go change," Wolverine said.

"While you are up there ask Ororo to join us," Kurt said with a chuckle but Wolverine was gone and with him the mystery of the storm, the beer and the movies.

Kurt took a six pack from the larger bag and as he opened a can he moved to the window. It was raining pleasantly now if such a thing could be said. He smiled. Spring showers were not so bad compared to spring storms. But it wasn't too much later when the house shook violently again causing Kurt to start. Thunder, lightning, rain pounding, but no hail. Was this the storm's natural course or was it Ororo? He wondered if he should go upstairs to check on her not knowing Wolverine had changed and was checking in on her right at that very moment.

"If you have come once more to ask me to change the weather for your satisfaction, Wolverine I swear by the gods of the earth and air that I will . . ."

"Hold up fer a minute, Storm there ain't no need ta zap me again I just came ta ask if ya wanted to watch a movie with us."

"A movie?"

"Yeah, you know those moving figures inside the little box downstairs."

"I know what a movie, is Wolverine."

"Just havin' some fun with ya, Storm."

"Your sarcasm is not appreciated."

"You need ta laugh more."

"Do I?"

Wolverine shrugged and grinned. "It wasn't exactly nice of ya, blastin' me with that hail an' lightning on my way to the garage darlin'."

"I gave you a head start," she said, smiling. "The weather is not a toy."

"Lesson learned. So why don't ya come an' hang out with us?"

"A movie," she murmured to herself.

"Got Guys an' Dolls, thought ya might like that or Singing in the Rain. Got the Godfather, Alien, Shaft, take yer pick."

"Singing in the Rain?" she asked.

"Thought it might make ya smile," he said and was actually rewarded with one however begrudging.

"I do not know which movie I would like," she said, hastily banishing the smile.

"See, that's the fun of being in America , they got everything you could ever wish for – blood, gore, guts, monsters, plenty of killin' an' plenty of singin' an' dancin'."

Ororo lips curled upwards despite herself. "That would not exactly be my thoughts on America ."

"Well, yer a dame."

"A dame." She shook her head for Jean had given her several definitions of what a dame was but his slang was so new to her that she wasn't always sure of his meaning.

"Come on, why don't ya get off yer high horse an' hang out with us?"

"I am afraid I do not understand what you mean by high horse though I doubt it to be a compliment coming from one such as you."

"He means we would be honored to have your company this evening, Ororo," Kurt said.

Ororo looked at Kurt and smiled. He gave her an elaborate bow before entering her room.

"So how 'bout it?" Wolverine asked.

"Since you have put it so eloquently I accept your offer, Kurt."

Kurt gave Wolverine a smug look and he held out his arm to Ororo.

"We have missed you this weekend," he said when Ororo slipped a hand into the crook of his arm. "You have been cooped up in your room while we've had only each other for company. It has grown as tiring as this horrendous weather."

"Watch it, bub," Wolverine muttered as he followed them.

The smell of freshly popped popcorn was wafting through the living room when they entered and Peter soon came back from the kitchen carrying two large bowls of the snack.

"Ororo, it is good to see you!" Peter exclaimed when he saw her seated on the couch between Logan and Kurt.

"It is isn't it?" Kurt said. "I was telling her how horrible the weather has been."

"It has, hasn't it," Peter remarked as he set the bowls down on the coffee table and tried to squeeze his way onto the couch with the others.

"I think it is a little tight, Peter," Ororo said.

"Yer too big, Petey, you should sit back in yer chair," Wolverine said with a smirk.

"Very well," Peter mumbled. He got up so that they were all able to reposition themselves but he pulled his chair away from the fireplace and closer to the couch.

"The weather was so bad it seemed as if it might become a tornado at one point," Kurt said.

"There was hail and lightning," Peter added. They both looked at Wolverine who was ignoring them as he looked through the video's he'd rented.

"And Wolverine had the idea that you could stop it from raining, Ororo, did he not, Peter?" Kurt said.

"He said he would go up and ask you this," Peter admitted.

"Oh, did he?" Ororo questioned.

"He wanted us to go instead but we voted that it should be him," Kurt said with a nod.

"Did he now?"

"Yes. So, did he – did he ask you?" Kurt inquired.

"Did Wolverine ask me to manipulate the weather for what I now see was for your benefit as well, is that what you mean, Kurt?"

"Well, I did not mean it like that," Kurt said, faltering.

"No, he really did not, Ororo," Peter said.

"But you voted. Wolverine, I see was the victor."

"Well . . ."

"Nature is not a plaything, Kurt, Peter. Wolverine already knows this do you not, Wolverine?"

Wolverine continued to ignore them but Kurt was nearly bouncing up and down on the couch he was so full of curiosity.

"Will you please tell us what happened?" he pleaded.

"Nothing important," Ororo said.

"Really? But he was soaked."

"Was he?"

"Yes! He only went to the garage and store, to be that soaked . . ."

"Which movie do ya wanna watch, Ororo?" Wolverine asked, shoving tapes at her and glowering at Kurt.

"Singing in the Rain?" she asked without looking up. "And that is what you two will be doing if you ever consider asking me to change the weather for your enjoyment. Is that understood?"

Kurt and Peter nodded, both looking appropriately guilty.

"Singing in the Rain sounds good ta me," Wolverine chucked and popped the video in.