So basically this is a sweet little Ororo and Logan friendship piece in which I added a bit of Ororo's past. Of course, Keyla isn't in the comics or anything... that I know of anyway. She was just a random character that popped into my head. Oh yeah... I own none of this blah blah blah disclaimer disclaimer disclaimer.

Ororo watched as Logan walked away from the group and out onto the balcony, lighting a cigar on the way there. He stood out there, all alone. Though she didn't know much about the man, he knew he like his solitude at times much like she did. What was he thinking about? Why did he distance himself from everyone? Ororo shook her head. Why should she care about this stranger? What had he ever done for her? Just a few weeks ago, the X-Men hadn't even known his real name, just that he preferred to be called Wolverine.

And yet, there was still that feeling of... trust? Was that it? Trust in the Wolverine? The Professor said he was one of the deadliest killing machine in the world. How was it that she could trust him then?

She turned away from him and back to the other X-Men opening presents on Christmas Eve.

"Ororo, here's your present!" Kitty laughed as she threw a brightly wrapped box to Ororo. "And here's one for Kurt..."

She must have gotten presents for everyone. Kitty was Jewish though. Kitty should be celebrating Hanukkah instead of Christmas, but yet here she was. A bit strange, celebrating two holidays but why not?

"And here's one for Logan!"

The room grew quiet. Logan turned from the balcony and back to the room with the cigar clenched between his teeth. "I don't need any darned present."

Everyone watched the silent exchange between Kitty and Logan.

Suddenly, tears gathered in Kitty's eyes. "Fine, Wolverine!" She threw the present down to the ground with force and ran up to her room.

Logan stomped off in the opposite direction angrily.

"Vhat vas zat about?" Kurt asked after a few moments of shocked silence.

"I do not know." Piotr replied, stunned.

Everyone tried to pretend they were happy and cheerful, but the true feelings were gone. Slowly, they all went their separate ways back to their own rooms, the presents still scattered around under the large Christmas tree, unopened. Ororo was left sitting on the couch, by herself. She looked at the clock. It was late. Everyone was in bed by now. How long had she been sitting here? She yawned tiredly.

"I supposed I should go check on my Kitten." she muttered quietly.

"She's fine Storm." A voice startled Ororo out of her tired state.

"Logan? Is that you?"

"Yeah, it's me." Logan stepped out of the shadows behind her. Ororo nodded hesitantly.

"How do you know Kitty's alright?"

Logan gave her a look and then sighed heavily, running a hand through his hair. "I checked up on her earlier."

"Why?"

Logan laughed softly. "I guess I already care about the kid." Ororo watched as he crossed the room to the tall Christmas tree in the middle of the room and picked up his present. "This is what I made such a big deal of. A darned present."

Ororo didn't know how to respond. Was this man opening up to her?

"Why did you?" She clasped her hand over her mouth immediately thinking she had asked too much.

Logan looked at her for a moment. "I don't want to-can't-care about anyone. Things like that make it even harder to say no."

Ororo nodded, wanting him to continue. Once, she had also felt this way too. On the streets of Cairo, there was no one you could look out for except yourself if you wanted to survive. However, there was always that one younger, less experienced person that wiggled their way into your heart.

"All the people I've cared about. All the kids. All the women. All the friends. All gone now. All killed, mostly thanks to me. Them knowing me or my connections to them. Some used as hostages to lure me in. They always died one way or another. A few were even killed by my own hand."

Ororo shuddered involuntarily, remembering the one murder she had committed. Logan noticed and looked at her questioningly. She sighed and began. "When I was six my parents died in a bombing. From then on I was an orphan and learned to live as a pickpocket. I encountered quite a few characters before receiving my mutation and being welcomed into Professor Xavier's school." She smiled dryly.

"One of the men who I was working for was called the Shadow King. He had telepathic abilities much like the Professor's, and just as strong as I later found out. Anyway I had been bringing home less and less goods from the pockets of foreigners. He threatened me, saying something would happen if I came up short again. What he didn't know was that I was feeding an extra mouth. I had found an accomplice, one much younger than me. She was just starting out and I had promised to protect her when I found out her parents had died much like mine. We made a connection. The next day I came up short again."

Ororo's mouth was dry and she sat rigid. "The Shadow King was furious. He raised his hand to me and was about to strike when Keyla rushed in and grabbed his arm, stopping him."

She looked up at Logan, with tears suddenly filling her eyes. "Oh, and the sinister and twisted grin he put on his face that moment when he found out that Keyla was my friend! Like a sister she was. He forced me to kill her Logan! I watched though my eyes as my body murdered the only person I had left in the world! After her death, my powers manifested, injuring the Shadow King. From that moment on, he wanted to keep me as his own personal weapon. Fortunately he couldn't touch my mind, but he could touch others. He had a person on the street commit suicide just because I refused to work for him. I couldn't handle anymore death. I accepted his offer and worked with him, picking pockets until the Professor came and rescued me."

Ororo saw what was almost sympathy in Logan's eyes as she wiped her tears away. He was the only one who knew about Keyla besides the Professor. How interesting... she had just told one of her deepest, darkest secrets to a man she hardly knew. But, she knew that both of them had scars, unhealable wounds that would never be forgotten. They had both gained something today. A valuable insight concerning the other.

Ororo was grateful for Logan, because she knew that he had gone though much of the same things. Most likely worst. And when he was ready to talk, she would be ready to listen. Logan was grateful for Ororo, although he would never tell her so, because she was someone who would listen. Someone who would care. And maybe, just maybe, with time they could forget about some of the scars. Ororo smiled up at Logan and glanced over at the clock. 12:00 exactly.

"Merry Christmas Logan." she said softly sensing the snow begin to fall gently outside.

"Merry Christmas 'Ro." Logan replied, grinning down at her.

Merry early Christmas everyone! Hope ya liked it! :)