What I Do Best

A cool sunshine leaked weak rays into the kitchen, giving little warmth through the bitter afternoon air. The sky outside was a dull grey with the pale sunlight only managing to lighten the clouds feebly. Crisp autumn leaves skittered along in the breeze, falling against the damp windows of the mansion. Within the ground floor kitchen the X-Men were preparing for Halloween with a few of the students. Each public room of the mansion had been dedicated to some form of artistic creativity, and in the kitchen, pumpkins were being carved.

Logan wasn't one for any kind of holiday, and had spent the day walking through the mansion, looking into rooms to see groups of children excitedly chatting as they made various items. In the recreational room, Rogue and Bobby were sat with some of the younger students, making paper bats to hang from the ceilings. Logan had quickly moved on before Rogue could call him in. Making paper bats just wasn't his style.

He came on towards the kitchen, peering in anxiously. The room wasn't quite so filled with creativity, more like mess. Orange gunk was all over the kitchen table and on most of the students in there. Logan spotted Storm at the head of the table, cutting wicked eyes into a large pumpkin whilst the students around her emptied pumpkins of their insides. He walked in, raising a brow at the untidiness.

"The Professor authorised this?" he asked aloud, looking surprised. "I mean, I can understand a few paper clippings, but all this?"

"It's Halloween, Logan," said Storm unnecessarily as she flicked a triangular piece of pumpkin shell onto the table.

"You gotta have pumpkins," said one of the students beside her, who handed a pumpkin to Storm.

Logan quickly glared at the child, promptly ignoring them as he looked back to Storm, "When will you be done?"

"It's probably going to take a while," sighed Storm, wiping hair from her eyes with the back of a pumpkin-gooed hand.

"Why don't you help?" asked the same student as before, looking up at Logan, "I mean, Ms. Munroe's got one knife, you got six!"

Logan threw a nasty look at the child, who he was disliking more by the minute. "Look, kid," he growled, unleashing his claws with a loud snikt! " ..how about I carve you a new - "

"Logan!" snapped Storm, glaring at him. Logan was a valuable team member and an exceptionally good fighter, but his communication skills, particularly with the students was, needless to say, poor. "Artie is right. It wouldn't hurt you to join in once in a while. Call it part of your X-Men training."

At this, Logan quickly spun round, his claws sliding up into his forearms, "Training? Storm, training don't include carvin' pumpkins!"

"It does when I say so," replied Storm shortly, putting her knuckles on her hips and glaring at him imperiously. "In fact, as second in command, this is an order."

"Storm!"

In response the skies outside gave a threatening rumble and Storm narrowed her eyes at him.

"Trainin', huh?" Logan muttered to himself as he pulled a pumpkin towards him, "I'll give you trainin'.. " his continued to mumble incoherently under his breath as he glared at the pumpkin. He stabbed the middle claw of his right hand into the pumpkin, crudely carving a triangular eye into it.

"Ms. Munroe, Mr. Logan is annihilating the pumpkin."

Logan yanked his claw out of the pumpkin; "I'll annihilate you in a minute, stick with your own pumpkin."

Storm shook her head gently, keeping back a chuckle as she continued with her own pumpkin. Logan growled quietly as he turned back to his pumpkin, motioning with his claw to cut out a jagged mouth.

"How's that?" he turned the pumpkin to face Storm.

Storm looked up as he presented it to her. She raised a brow, canting her head slowly at it, "Those claws are obviously put to better use elsewhere, but with practise I'm sure the pumpkins will look like they have a face."

"Pumpkins aren't supposed to have faces," muttered Logan as he pushed the pumpkin along with the other finished ones. "Pumpkins are pumpkins, they grow and we eat them. Not cut faces into them." He stabbed his claw into another pumpkin, "Who's stupid idea was all this anyway?"

"The Irish," said Artie abruptly.

"What?"

"The Irish originally invented it with the Catholic church. All Hallows Eve was thought to be the day when the spirit world and the real world combined and people would extinguish their fires and dress up in a bid to make their real world uninviting to spirits."

Logan stared down at Artie. Storm laughed gently, "We've been studying it in History," she explained with a smile, "The students have been enjoying it."

"How would the Irish get their hands on pumpkins anyway?"

"They originally used turnips, but immigrants came to America, they found that pumpkins were bigger and easier to carve into."

"Stop soundin' like a textbook, kid," muttered Logan as he pushed away his second finished pumpkin. He grabbed another; stabbing two eyes into it whilst Storm was still on same one she was carving into when Logan arrived. For the next few minutes, the table was relatively quiet, with the exception of Logan grumbling to himself every time Artie splashed some pumpkin innards on him. "I'll do this.." he growled aloud as he pushed back yet another pumpkin. The table was growing with completed pumpkins, the majority Logan's handy-work, "But I ain't comin' trick-or-treatin'. No way."

"Fair enough," said Storm as she wiped her hands on a towel, "I'm glad you've helped out Logan, we would have been here all day."

Logan stepped back from the table, a slight scowl on his face, "Can I go now?"

Storm held back a laugh at his sulking attitude and merely nodded her head. Logan quickly turned, stalking out of the kitchen and making a sharp exit down the corridor. He smelt of pumpkins and his hands were wet and gooey from the moist insides, not the most pleasant experience.

At the end of the corridor, Scott rounded the corner, carrying a roll of black material under an arm. He nodded curtly as he saw Logan, intending to walk straight past. He was expecting some jibe from Logan because of all the Halloween activities. But on the contrary, as he passed, there was nothing - nothing but the strong smell of pumpkins that is. Scott stopped, and backtracked, staring at Logan. His head moved downwards as his eyes fell upon Logan's wet hands.

"What?" barked Logan, knowing all too well what Scott was looking at.

"You've been helping out with the pumpkins?" asked Scott in a disbelieving voice.

Logan shrugged uncomfortably, "Yeah? So? I got claws ain't I? It was quicker for them."

"You've been carving pumpkins?" That same voice was there.

"Yes," said Logan shortly, his eyes narrowing.

Scott raised an eyebrow as he lifted his gaze back upon Logan's face, "Who bribed you? I have to go and honour them."

"No-one bribed me, one-eye! It's X-Men trainin' ain't it?"

Scott let out a short laugh, "X-Men training?"

"Yeah, communication and all that," Logan mumbled hurriedly. When Scott continued to chuckle, Logan growled, "Shut the hell up." He shoved past him roughly, taking care to hit his shoulder with his own. But Scott didn't seem to notice, still finding all this quite amusing.

"Wolverine carving pumpkins.." he muttered to himself with a grin.

As Logan stalked out of view he lifted his fist to extend his middle claw at Scott, "Slicin' an' dicin', one-eye. It's what I do best."

Happy Halloween everyone! Please review!