A/N: I apologize for the delay! I must have written 5 possible endings for this story before I settled on this one. I tell you, writers block is no fun at all. Thank you to all of you who hung in there with this story, and thanks to all of you who reviewed! It's been fun! Have a Happy New Year!

I was sweating like a sow from the heat of the summer day. My hair, no longer shoulder length, was piled on top of my head in a messy bun. Strands of it clung to the moisture of my skin and I blew it out of my eyes, focusing on the task at hand. I used the wrench in my palm to tighten a bolt, then stood up and stepped back to admire my handiwork. The rusted old car, one that I supposed must have been red at some distant time in the past, still looked as ugly as the day I had bought it from the junkyard, but the inside was what was important. The engine and all of the interior workings had been replaced. I'd had help, but the majority of the work was mine.

The car was a present for Logan and a secret I had kept holed up in my garage since last Christmas. The previous owner, some guy in the Bronx, had all but given it to me. I'd been salvaging parts from everywhere I could find them for the last few months. With the help of Forge (via email and webcam) and some articles online, I'd hobbled my way through the process of fixing up the '69 GTO Judge. I'd heard Logan talking about muscle cars just before Christmas and decided to research them. At first, they looked like various copies of things I'd seen in The Fast and the Furious but upon closer inspection I realized that there was an appeal to them. I bought the car on a whim one-three day weekend at school. There had been times where I had become overwhelmed while fixing it, to the point that Jean questioned my sanity. But Scott and Remy's enthusiasm at what I was trying to do kept me going. Rogue, though Remy's girlfriend and one of my best friends, had been kept in the dark for fear of her spilling the beans.

It wasn't easy keeping it a secret from Logan, especially when he joined me at NYU. But I worked on it during the early weeks of the summer when he was busy at work. Forge snuck off to help me with the finer points of it, and even my dad had chipped in, proud that I had learned something last year at the garage. The only thing now was to paint it, but had a plan for that worked out. Smiling, I wiped my brow. I'd reached my goal of finishing it in time for our anniversary.

The smile stuck to my face as I hurried to my room to shower and change. I powered through the door of my bedroom, stopping only to look at the collage of pictures that blanketed my wall since I had come home from college. Smiling images of Jean, Remy, Scott, my family, Rogue, Logan, and even Victor and Forge beamed down at me from every angle. A picture of Jean and I, dressed as superheroes for a Halloween party, was next to a photo of Scott and Remy's dorm room and the Call of Duty competition they had hosted. Over the year pictures were added of us in the library, at parties, in classrooms, relaxing in the dorms, out to eat, home visiting, and most recently, of all of us standing next to a beaming Rogue in her cap and gown. I took a moment to marvel at all of the experiences I'd had in one year.

A half hour later, I pulled on shorts and a simple tank top and headed downstairs. My dad smiled at me from his place on the living room couch.

"It looks good," he said, knowing I knew he was talking about the car. "is it ready?"

"I'm going to give it to him right now." I confirmed.

"N'Dare, how come you've never given me a car?" he shouted to my mother.

My mom walked out of the kitchen clutching a bowl of popcorn and several beers.

"I gave you a daughter. I thought that was gift enough," she said with fake haughtiness, prompting a playful nudge from my dad. I sensed that they were in a giddy mood, something I was pleased about but did not want to see. I waved my goodbye and hurried out the door.

The leather seats stuck to my bare legs as I drove the car to Bill's Garage. The windows were rolled down, allowing the warm breeze to air dry my damp hair. It took ten minutes to cut across town in the middle of a Saturday. I pulled the car around the back, hopped out and walked back around to the front door.

"Chickadee!" Victor bellowed the moment I walked in. "Where you been?"

He was leaning on the front counter, which looked as though it barely could support his weight. I smiled at him.

"I've got a present for Logan." I said.

"A little afternoon, delight, huh?" Creed leered at me. I laughed, too used to his suggestive banter to be offended.

"Something better," Creed's eyebrows rose at my words.

"Well in that case, he's out back," he jerked a massive thumb behind him.

I walked into the garage, breathing in the familiar scent of oil and metal. Forge caught my eye and I nodded at him. His eyes widened in excitement.

"He's in the office," he told me. "Where's-?"

"Out back." I said, holding a solitary finger to my lips.

My boyfriend was indeed in his office. I pushed open the door to the confined space. Logan was crammed in at his desk, studying a clipboard. The potted plant I had gotten him was flourishing from a corner of his workspace.

"Hey, darlin'." He greeted me with a grin. "What brings you out here?" he teased.

"You don't remember?" I faked indignation.

"Remember what?" his grin widened.

"A year ago, something happened right outside this door…" I hinted.

"Hmmm…" he mused. "I think I made out with some broad. Can't remember who it was though." His lips twitched as he tried not to smile.

I leaned in close, within inches of his face. "Mind if I refresh your memory?" Our lips met in a languorous kiss.

"I think I remember now," he told me when we pulled back. "Happy Anniversary, 'Ro."

"Happy Anniversary," I kissed him again. "Are you busy?" I gestured to his cluttered desk. "I thought we could go to lunch."

He flung his clipboard down. "Work can wait. Just let me change" He stood up and headed to the bathroom. I hid my smile at how flawlessly the plan was going. I just needed to get Logan out of the garage for an hour while Forge painted the car. We had agreed earlier, that while the original red would have been nice, black was more suited for Logan's personality.

An hour and a half later, we arrived back at the garage. I was clutching a bouquet of lilies that Logan had surprised me with before we went to my favorite restaurant. It was a mini date that I was sure that Jean would approve of. I suspected she might have even suggested it.

"Wait one second," I put a hand to his chest to stop him from going inside. He gave me a confused look. "My surprise is in there, but I have to check if it's ready." I said.

"In that case, do your thing, darlin'."

I looked in the door and found Forge. He gave me a thumbs up.

"Alright," I turned back to my boyfriend, "Close your eyes." Logan sportingly obliged me. I led him through the garage, taking some time to steer him in circles for my own amusement. After a moment, I pulled him out back.

"What's this all about, 'Ro?" Logan questioned when he opened his eyes. Forge had apparently taken the trouble to cover the gift with a white sheet. He winked at me from the backdoor. Victor had neglected the front counter in order to watch as well. The two were crammed in the doorway.

"Open it," I told Logan.

He shot me a puzzled look, but pulled the sheet off of the car. Upon seeing it, his jaw dropped and Creed began hooting in delight from behind us.

"Damn, chickadee!" Victor roared his approval as Logan stood there, blinking in shock. Even I was impressed by how good it looked all painted up and shining.

"Where'd you get this?" he finally asked, circling the car with an expression of delight.

"The Bronx. I drove it home, and I've been working on it. Well, with a little help," I amended. Forge grinned.

Logan took the time to look at every inch of the car, from under the hood to the interior.

"Guess I taught you something after all, huh darlin'?" he asked.

"Looks like it," I agreed. "I figured you fixed my car, I could fix one for you." I thought longingly of little yellow Mini Cooper at home.

"And," I added, "You can drive it on our secret awesome date tonight."

My boyfriend shook his head. "Can't keep nothing from you."

"Remember that," I said good naturedly.

Logan opened the door for me and I slid in. Victor and Forge took the hint and retreated back into the shop.

"Seriously, 'Ro, this is amazing," he ran his hand along the steering wheel.

"I just wanted to do something to let you know that I love you." Logan's eyes widened at the new admission. I waited with baited breath for his response.

"I love you too, Ororo." He told me seriously.

As Logan pulled me into his arms over the gear shift and laid a brusque kiss on my lips, I realized that I owed my Mini Cooper and that fire hydrant from last summer an awful lot.

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