Hiya.  I'm not a professional writer or associated with Marvel Comics in any
way.  The following is a work of fan fiction featuring Logan and Ororo of the
X-Men, and mentioning Remy LeBeau.  No profit.  Don't sue.

Kai is mine.  Don't touch without permission.  I'm a wee bit over-protective of
my girl.

And here I thought I'd never give ya another short Kai and Logan story…  I got
around to wondering how Kai and Logan solve their arguments, seeing as they're
both a mite…touchy.<g>  Mused over it for a bit, and then this story came out. 
As those of you who've read "Hunting" already know, Storm had a slight little
hand in an important development in the twosome's relationship.  So here's
another little "fun-ness" piece with her involved.  Gotta add here…I played the
serenity thing to the hilt.  Oh, and Logan yaks more than he probably normally
would, but I'm thinking that's his way, in this sorta situation, to keep from
killing Kai. ;-)  Anyone who has any major bones to pick with characterization,
remember that this is very not serious, 'kay?

Little bit of bad language.  Don't read if that'll offend you.

Other stories are graciously archived by Luba Kmetyk at
http://home.att.net/~lubakmetyk/

Comments to Kaylee1109@aol.com.  "You've got mail" is pretty much my favorite
thing to hear.  ;-)

Enjoy!

"Kai and Logan:  Sounding Board"
by Kaylee (Kaylee1109@aol.com)

Sunlight glinted in through the open skylight in the loft, dashing gold-flecked
rays over the woman and green life within.  Ororo hummed quietly to herself and
her plants as she held a hand out over a thirsty fern and called a small rain
cloud to water it.  It was a moment of serenity…of meditation almost, in one of
the many ways she found such.  Calm.  Relaxed.  Air tinted with the fresh scent
of green and the hint of dampness from the tiny cloud.

But serenity must ever be challenged.  She heard his feet scuff on the stairs
as he drew near.  He could, of course, move as silently as any wild creature. 
This was merely his version of manners; of announcing his presence in such a
way so as to not have to actually announce it.  She smiled to herself and
called softly, "Come in, Logan."  Her voice was low, so as not to disturb the
peace of the air; but she knew well that she could have whispered the
invitation and still have had him hear it.

He opened the door silently and came in, once again moving with his usual soft
tread.  "Hiya, 'Ro."  She felt the tension in him easily.  Her bond with
Nature…with Mother Earth herself…often extended to this man.  He was very much
a part of the wild and untamed world that she was so attached to.  "How ya
doin'?"

"Well," she murmured, not taking her eyes from the gently falling rain.  "And
you, my friend?"

He shifted his feet.  "Fine."  Glanced around the sun-lit attic room.  "Plants
look good."

"They thrive on days such as this."  She let the small cloud disperse, then
moved on to the stand of climbing roses with their runnels trailing nearly to
the floor.  He watched her silently for perhaps a minute, then cleared his
throat a little.

"Yeah, it's a pretty day."  Shifted his feet again and leaned against the wall
with his hands in his pockets.  "Sorta day a guy wants to get outside with his
lady."

She nodded slightly.  "I can understand that."  Inside, she was smiling.  "Is
there some reason, then, that you and Kai aren't outside?"

As she'd known it would, the comment opened up the doors.  "Ah, she's in a
bitchy mood," he said, glowering a little.  "Bein' unreasonable.  You know how
she gets."  Ororo said nothing and, as she'd also known, it didn't take long
for him to continue.  "I mean, we were trainin', right?  An' I just made this
little suggestion on how she could take down the droids easier.  Nothin' big. 
I've fought 'em more'n she has.  Makes sense for her to listen to me.  But she
went an' got this big attitude about it…sayin' all sorts o' stuff 'bout how I
don't let her make her own mistakes, an' all."  Growing more animated as he
spoke, he pushed away from the wall and gestured vaguely at nothing.  "Just
seems reasonable she'd take my advice when she _knows_ I know what I'm talkin'
'bout, don't it?  An' so I told her she was bein' a pain, and she went an' got
all angry an' snipey how she does.  Givin' me the _look_…that glare that makes
ya think she's mentally skinnin' ya alive."  He started pacing, gesturing arms
getting wilder with every aggravated word.  "An' damn, that _mouth_ o' hers! 
She can blister you with a sentence, that woman!  Here I was, just tryin' to
help, an' she starts ranting."  He stopped sharp and stared at the wall.  "God,
that temper!  Don't take nothin' to set it off.  She'll bitch at the drop of a
hat!"

"Mmm," Ororo said noncommittally.  He turned to look at her, then gave her a
half-smile.

"Thanks, 'Ro.  I knew you'd understand."  Another glance around the loft. 
"Plants really do look good."

"Thank you, my friend."

"See ya 'round, darlin'."  He pulled open the door and went through, closing it
behind him.  Ororo finally let the smile slip through to spread over her full
lips and crease her slender cheeks.  Once again humming softly, she moved on to
a small nest of multi-colored flowers, raining down life on them with gentle
patience.

And she waited.  And she listened.  And sure enough, a few minutes later she
heard normally silent feet stomping up the stairs.  Carefully, she schooled the
smile back behind her features.  "Come in, Kai."

The door opened.  Out of respect for the quiet of the loft, the woman didn't
slam it behind her…though it was obvious she wanted to.  She stood a bit
stiffly and gave a forced little smile of greeting.  "Hey."

Ororo nodded slightly in her direction.  "Good afternoon.  How are you?"  

"Good."  She was grasping her hands behind her back firmly, as if to keep from
letting them gesture.  "I like your hair pulled back like that.  It looks
nice."

"Thank you, my friend."  She shifted over a step to water the next thirsty
plant.  "Lovely day, isn't it?"

"Yeah."  A note of sourness in the tone.  "Or it could be."

"Oh?"

One hand escaped to wave generally at the air.  "He's being an ass again,
'Roro."

"He is?"

"Yeah."  The other hand crept free as she obviously forced her feet to stay
still.  "He's always gotta be such a _man,_ y'know?  Has to 'prove himself' in
front of the 'little lady'.  Like in the Danger Room.  We were working out with
some of those damned battle-droids that I hate so much, and I was just taking
my time with the last one.  I just wanted to get a feel for what I could get
away with against it, and what sorta damage it could take without going down. 
Doesn't that make sense?"

"Mmm."

"So anyway, I'm working out with this thing, and he starts calling out
instructions!  So of course, I ignored him.  I knew what I was doing just
_fine,_ thanks."  She waved a finger menacingly towards Ororo, though it was
obvious she was envisioning someone else.  "And he finally shuts up, and I'm
just getting ready to take the thing down…and he cut in on my fight!  He came
in and took the droid out without so much as a 'may I'!"  Her arms flung wide
in the universal gesture of, "Isn't that outrageous?!"  "I swear, I almost went
for _him_ right then!  I coulda _killed_ him for pulling such a fucked up
stunt!  And then he's just standing there with this damned _smug_ look, and
saying, 'That's how it's done'…like I don't _know_ how to kill the stupid
things!"  She stopped, glaring, and waited for a response.

"I see," Ororo said seriously as she gently rustled through leaves and plucked
those that were dead.  Of course, it was encouragement enough.

"So I told him what an SOB he was being, and he went and got an attitude!  He's
got the _worst_ goddamn temper!  Oh, I wanted to skin him alive!"  She scowled
furiously at the floor.  "Where does he get off, pulling something like that? 
Talk about inconsiderate!"

"Mmm."  Ororo lifted herself slightly on a gust of wind to reach a basket of
trailing ivy she had hung from the ceiling.  She didn't need to fly up to it in
order to water it, of course, but she liked to see and touch her plants
frequently.  The tactile warmth and contact seemed to please the little ones.

"Men!" Kai finished succinctly.  Her jaw was thrust stubbornly forward.  She
glanced up almost distractedly towards the other woman.  "Thanks for listening,
'Roro.  You're one in a million."  

"Any time, my friend."  Ororo watched out of the corner of her eye as Kai left,
and once the door closed again she let the faint smile show once more.  For the
next hour, she tended her plants unhurriedly, murmuring softly and shifting
some here or there to allow them a better spot in the light.

Her eyes drifted to a lonely white rose in a small vase of water.  The rose had
been a gift from Remy, and though she'd appreciated the sentiment, she hadn't
been pleased at being given a dying flower.  She'd explained to him gently that
the rose would only have a few days left of life before it faded away forever,
and he'd been sheepish enough to go out instantly and return to present her,
with great flair…a cactus.  His eyes had twinkled in that way of his when he'd
held the spiny thing out for her approval, and he'd said, "This one ain' gon'
die any time soon, Stormy.  Better?"  She'd laughed, admiring the small blooms
springing to life all over the cactus, and she'd answered by accepting the
hardy survivor and barely putting any force behind her admonition for him to
not refer to her as "Stormy".

But the rose would only stay fresh for a short while longer.  Still smiling a
little, she moved over and lifted it from its water, then raised herself into
the air and flew out through the open skylight, turning over the mansion to
head for the lake.  As she drew near, she sent a small flash of lighting ahead
of her, creating a tiny crack of thunder.  That was _her_ way of announcing her
presence politely.  By the time she'd reached the lake shore, they seemed quite
composed.  She drifted down beside them, noting the picnic basket and the
half-empty six-pack of beer with another little internal surge of amusement.

"This was a gift," she told them, crouching smoothly to set the rose down
between them.  "I have no wish to watch the little one fade.  Perhaps the two
of you can find some use for it."

Kai reached down and picked up the flower, bringing it to her nose and inhaling
deeply.  "Thanks, 'Roro.  This is beautiful."  She leaned into the arm Logan
had looped around her shoulders and grinned as she lightly brushed the flower's
petals along his face, trailing down from beside his eye to his chin in a slow
and deliberately seductive motion.  Logan answered her grin with a wicked twist
to his and snatched the rose from her hand, turning to brush his lips lightly
over hers before glancing back at Ororo.

"Yeah, thanks 'Ro.  Really appreciate it."

"Enjoy the day, my friends," Ororo suggested as she let the wind gather to lift
her.  Logan sent her another broad grin, and Kai a cheerful wave.  Ororo gave
them both a nod and smile, then flew up into the sky, arms outspread to soak in
the sunlight as the few clouds parted to give her clear passage through her
domain.

--end—

Notes from Kaylee:  Hee hee.  That was fun to write.<g>  Yeah, I know perfectly
well that Kai would've smelled that Logan had been there right before her.  I'm
assuming that she ignored that...perhaps because this little scene was such
habit that she _knew_ perfectly well he'd have gone there before her.  This was
just their chance to vent without killing each other.  Much nicer than slamming
each other into walls for a while, don't you think?  ;-)  (Not that they don't
do that from time to time, too...)