That'll put a smile on yer face…

Later on the same evening…

"Hey Darlin'" Logan smiled, as he walked into the house and gave Storm a kiss.

"You're in a good mood."

"Kissin' a beautiful lady'll do that to a fella."

"Well thank you." she replied with a smile.  "How was dinner?"

"The only thing that beats a good rare steak is a good rare steak and a beer – Outback had plenty o' both.  How was yer meeting with Lisa?"

"It went very well.  She's quite an extraordinary young lady."

"Yeah, she is."

"We accomplished a lot today and I think our next meeting will be even better.  She's also looking forward to seeing you again and possibly meeting Jubilee."

"Yeah, I'll stop by soon.  A meeting with Jubilee huh? That might be a good idea; but we'll talk about that later - we gotta go."

"We?  Where?"

"It's a surprise…grab yer jacket and yer helmet."

"Woo, I like it already." she said with an air of excitement.

As they headed out the door, Storm noticed Logan's guitar strapped to the back of his bike.  That put her in an even better mood.  A couple minutes later they were westbound – headed to Lake Berryessa.  They made it just in time to see the sun set.

"Its beautiful Logan…" Storm said as she stood on the lakeshore and watched the sun go down over the Napa Valley hills.

"Sheer Stupefyin' if ya ask me." he replied.  "Have a sit-down while I pull out the booze."

"Booze?"

"Yeah, ya know…the hooch.  You like Thunderbird right?" he said as he pulled a small bag from his saddlebags.

"Thunderbird?!"

"What?  Thunderbird too rough for yer delicate palate?  Wrap yer lips around this then." he boasted while proudly showing off a very expensive bottle of Dom Perignon and some gourmet cheese to match. 

"Logan!  How romantic! You MUST be in a good mood…" she giggled. "you RARELY spend more than $3 on wine."

After toasting each other and filling up on cheese, Storm nestled into Logan's arms and they sat there talking well into the night.  Even the crisp air couldn't spoil it for them.

"So why are you in such a good mood Logan?"

"Priorities…"

"Meaning?"

"Meaning this mission was long and hard, but it made me take a good long look at my priorities."

"Any new conclusions?"

"I knew what they were before, just needed a reminder of how important they were to me."

"Such as?"

"Such as you.  Such as Jubilee.  Such as Lisa and the other mutants we rescued.  Such as Tasha and Kitty.  Such as the reason Charlie brought us all together in the first place..."

"I see."

"I keep thinkin' bout seeing Jubilee and those kids in those cylinders.  I keep seein' images of people I care about in there – you, Tasha, the other X-Men…and every time I think about it, it makes my blood boil – right down to the adamantium!"

"I feel the same way Logan.  I was a little nervous about what this mission would do to you.  I thought the mental scars of seeing all those kids in those cylinders would drive you crazy.  But I see now that I wasn't giving you enough credit.  You kept your cool all throughout the mission."

"No, you gave me enough credit.  You just underestimated your significance in it."

"MY significance?"

"I'm as tough as they come – there's no doubtin' that, but when it comes to mental strength; nobody beats you Ro.  You keep me grounded.  You keep the TEAM grounded.  That's what you did in that warehouse."

"I do? I did?"

"Yeah, you're the only one that's ever been able to calm me down from one o' my berserker rages; and you proved there that you can stop 'em from even startin'.  That takes a lot – a WHOLE lot."

"Thank you Logan."

"So whaddya think about this whole thing Darlin'?"

"I think this mission was tough on several levels, but in a way – it was also enlightening."

"Yeah – you really seem to take a likin' ta livin' out here."

"Why wouldn't I?  I get to educate bright young minds in a beautiful town like Davis, surrounded by beautiful natural areas like this, all while living sooo close to the Ocean."

"Yeah, you took to this mission like it was yer callin'."

"I really enjoy teaching.  It's so nice to be able to EDUCATE people instead of always fighting their ignorance.  I see all those bright, young faces and know that I can do some good teaching them how to make this a better world - both for themselves and for their children."

"You ain't thinkin' about stayin' out here are ya?"

"I'll admit, the thought HAS crossed my mind Logan.  I really like this peaceful, NORMAL life.  The truth is, I wish the whole world were as peaceful as it is here; but the reality of it is that it isn't.  Just as this mission proved, there are evil people out there willing to do evil things; and my job – OUR job – is to stop them.  Had we not been here, those children could have ended up dead.  I wish I could, but no Logan, I won't stay here.  I know where I'm needed.  But hopefully someday, I'll be able to come back here and finish what I started."

"That's good Darlin' – I hope that day comes soon – but I want a better job next time!"

"You don't like your cover?"

"It ain't that I don't like it.  It's just that roughnecks like me are like a fish outta water in situations like this.  I need somethin' I can sink my teeth into."

"You can always try teaching."

"What the flamin'?"

"You did quite well when you spoke at the class…you're a natural born leader, and the kids know you're genuine.  I think you can do a lot of good."

"Yeah, if you say so Darlin'." He smirked. "But right now we got other important things ta concentrate on."

"Such as?"

"Such as finding out what happened to Lisa's baby."

"Yes, I know.  I've been thinking a lot about that lately…"

"But I didn't bring ya out here to think about that…" he said as he stole a quick kiss.

They both realized their conversation had gotten too serious and chose to cuddle instead.  There would be plenty of time to concentrate on the rest of the mission; this however was the time to concentrate on them and their relationship, and Logan knew exactly how to do that.  He retrieved his guitar and started serenading Storm in true rebel fashion – with his rough and rowdie yet soft and very dedicated voice.  This was the essence of who he was when he got away from being an X-Man for a while and relaxed.  It was a side of him that very few people ever saw – outside Storm and Jubilee.  Storm loved it when he got like this – which was all too rare during this particular mission.  She was also really glad to know that the mission had no lasting psychological effects on him – except putting him in a pretty romantic mood. They spent quite a bit a time in each other's arms and used the rest of the evening for some quality "together" time.  Storm even joined him in a couple songs.

Two days later Wolverine, Jubilee, and Bishop sat at a conference table awaiting Storm's arrival. As she approached, they could tell she had bad news.

"There are 2 more labs!" she said as she tossed 3 identical packets on the table.

"What?" everyone yelled as they each grabbed a copy and looked at the data.

"That's what the data shows…one lab similar to Castle and one designed for infants."

"Where!" Logan yelled.

"Unknown…Whoever orchestrated this knew how to cover their tracks."

 "What about Benson?" Bishop asked.  "Did he say anything useful?"

"Yes he did.  When he saw the number of charges against him piling up, he decided cooperation was in his best interest.  He told us the names of the other scientist involved at the Castle lab.  He also gave us detailed information about their setup."

"In exchange for?" Logan asked.

"In exchange for an undisclosed prison location."

"Hah!" Logan snorted.  "He's afraid the mutants he kidnapped will come after his sorry ass ain't he?"

"You could say that."

"He didn't give any more information about the other labs?" Bishop asked.

"He didn't know anything about the other labs.  All that information was kept from him…in the event he was captured.  He did confirm the physical identity of a man we saw on several security tapes though – the one in charge of everything."

"Who is he?" All three X-Men asked.

"Nobody knows.  Benson referred to him as 'Old Man.' That's all we know about him.  Professor Xavier is cross-referencing his picture with all the files we have in cerebro, but he doesn't expect to find anything."

"Damn!" Logan grunted.

Now that we know what we're up against, Professor Xavier wants to coordinate the search for the other 2 labs from Salem Center.  Bishop, you report back immediately.  The rest of us will stay behind."

"What?!" Logan exclaimed.  "Why is Chuck takin' us out the game?"

"Professor Xavier thinks I need to recuperate and wants me to stay out here for a few more months.  Beast and Cyclops will lead the investigation from this point. You are to stay with me and help me recuperate – Professor Xavier was VERY specific about that.  We'll stay connected with the investigation from here." Logan grunted his disapproval at handing the mission off to One-eye, but the thought of spending time with Storm appealed to him.

"What about me?" Jubilee asked.  "What do you want ME to do?"

"I want YOU to start studying.  YOU have a quiz Wednesday."

"Storm!  I want to help."

"You've already done enough – now its time to study.  Once we have more information, we'll call you."

"But…"

"You heard the lady Jubes…no buts except yers parked in front o' yer books."

"We all agree about this Jubilee.  It's time for you to focus on your future.  This is as good a place as any to start…at least until the end of this quarter – maybe the end of this school year.

Storm was a little upset that she wouldn't be taking the lead on the next investigation, but the Professor was right – she needed to recuperate, and staying in Davis would help her do just that.  Her ribs were on the mend but it would be awhile before she was combat ready.  Cyclops and the other X-Men were more suited for the next mission, and she knew it.  This would also give her a chance to wrap up everything in Davis and possibly investigate any west coast leads that came up.  She also wanted to finish what she started with Lisa Johnston.  She hated to admit it, but staying awhile was a really good idea.

*****

A couple days later, lunch with a good friend…

"Hartford!  How are you doing?" Storm asked as she and Logan sat down at a patio table at Café Italia.

"Will Mr. Bishop be joining us?" he sarcastically said.

"No – he couldn't make it."

"In that case, I'm fine!" he responded, thinking back to the rather large mutant with his rather large guns.  "How are your ribs?"

"Sore, but mending…I'm not as "durable" as Logan, but I'll recover."

"That's good to hear. How are YOU doing Logan?" he asked.

"Can't complain…you wanna beer?  I'm buyin'."

"Sure, Michelob." Hartford said – not quite knowing how to respond to Logan's unusual friendliness.

"Two Micks and a white wine spritzer!" Logan yelled to the approaching waiter in a lightly festive voice.  "Ballister," he then said with a more serious tone denoting something important he wanted to get off his chest. "You mighta guessed that I ain't the most level-headed person around – especially when it comes to the people I care about."

"Um, I…well…"

"Don't worry – I ain't gonna hurt ya.  I just wanted ta apologize for roughin' ya up last week.  You didn't deserve it, and I appreciate all yer help in gettin' Jubilee back to us.  The truth is, you're a good guy, and I'm sorry fer almost takin' yer head off in yer office."

"Well, Logan.  I'm very glad you, um, didn't take my head off either, I'm rather attached to it.  And I suppose if I were in your situation where I was missing someone special and was faced with all the information you had on my research, I would have done the same thing…though maybe not as dramatically."

"Thanks Bub."

The waiter brought their drinks and Hartford raised a glass to Storm.  "Here's to you and your friends rescuing all those missing kids.  Thank God you were there for them."

"Thank you Hartford."

 "And here's to a quick recovery of your injuries." He continued. "Oh – that reminds me!" Hartford interrupted.  "The last time I saw YOU Logan, you had a really big wound in your side.  I'm actually very surprised you're here – I thought you would be in the hospital or at home resting."

"I'm fine…"

"Really?  But your wounds were so significant.  I don't know how you even survived."

"I'm pretty tough…besides, I didn't have anything a pastrami on rye wouldn't cure."

"What?  I don't understand." Hartford paused to ponder why Storm was noticeably fostering her injuries while Logan seemed completely recovered from his more serious wounds. "Wait a minute…!" Hartford excitedly said, finally putting the clues together.  "You're one of those healing mutants aren't you" he whispered.  "You told me you were in a lot of battles…that's how you survived isn't it? You're one of those mutants that can heal instantly!"

"Nope."  Logan responded.  "Vitamins and exercise."

"What?! Oh – I see." Hartford said – finally figuring out why Logan wouldn't admit the obvious.  "Um, you know…" he said with a smile. "I'm REALLY fascinated in how injury and disease resistant some people are.  It's such a fascinating area of research.  I don't suppose you would be willing to…"

"Not on yer life!" Logan responded.

"Even after all this, you're still persistent with your research?" Storm asked.

"Yes I am Arow…um – Ro? Yes I am.  What Benson did was wrong, but it doesn't change my mind about my research.  I plan to continue; but my results will be based on good, sound, legal and moral methods.  I believe this will change the world for the better."

"Why are you so persistent in your research?" she asked.

"I have to be."

"Why do you have to be?  What is driving you to this?"

"My wife." he said as he looked into his beer.

"Your wife?" Storm said with a look of surprise.  "I didn't know you were married."

"I'm not.  Not anymore at least.  She died 9 years ago…of cancer.  By the time they found it, it had spread to too many vital organs and they couldn't remove it."

"I'm so sorry Hartford.  I never knew."

"It was really tough on her.  We made her as comfortable as possible, but the last 4 months of her life were absolutely miserable.  I watched helplessly as she painfully wasted away.  Shortly before she died, every breath she took brought more and more pain into her life. It was horrible" It was obvious how much he loved her – so much so that both Storm and Logan could feel his pain. "She was such a wonderful woman…" he continued, "so kind and gentle; and she had the brightest smile I'd ever seen.  She was the kind of woman that made everything perfect." he said with a bit of a smile. "I remember how every week she would drag me to the park.  I would always pretend to be uninterested until I got there, but I really loved going.  She would tediously prepare everything to be perfect…right down to my favorite sandwich – deviled ham on raisin bread with green leaf lettuce and red onions." he continued to reminisce; then his demeanor changed.   "She wanted kids…" he said "but I was to busy with my career so I kept putting it off.  By the time I changed my mind, it was too late."

"I think I understand now." Storm said as she touched Hartford's hand.

"The day I buried her was the day I vowed to find a cure – to stop other people from going through that pain…to stop the world from losing such beautiful and wonderful people like her.  That's why I was so drawn into mutant research.  It seemed like an area that had endless possibilities.  I still think it does."

"I feel for ya buddy." Logan replied.  "I've lost people close to me, so I know what ya went through.  Even with that, it ain't gonna change my mind…not now.  I had my share of research…it AIN'T happenin' again." The tone in his voice and obvious anger behind his eyes told Hartford that Logan obviously had a VERY bad experience with research.  "Those claws you got such a close look at before..." Logan continued. "they were grafted to my bones by a scientist that snuck up on me when I wasn't lookin'."

"What?!" Hartford gasped.  "But how?  Who would have… That's outrageous!"  Hartford was genuinely appalled by the thought of doing human experimentation of that magnitude – especially without Logan's permission.  It eased Logan's mind, but didn't come close to changing it.

"So I ain't to keen on scientists or research – especially when it comes ta mutants." Logan continued.

"Fair enough." He replied as he took another sip of beer and opted to change the subject…" How is Jubilee?"

"Back to normal." Storm happily replied.  "She's a remarkable child – so vibrant, so innocent, so full of life."

"The way you protected and defended her, I would have thought she was your daughter. I mean, you took on a whole army without any regards for yourself.  That takes a lot of bravery."

"I think of her as my own." Storm motherly replied.  "We both do."

"I can tell.  Your whole group – however many there are – seems pretty close."

"We are.  That reminds me Hartford; that was a very brave thing you did, coming to check on us.  You didn't know what was happening but you still came to investigate."

"Thank you."

"Yeah Bub, that surprised me." Logan replied.  I figured you woulda high-tailed it outta there when you heard the gunfire."

"The truth be told, I thought of running and getting the authorities, but who knows what could have happened while I was trying to find some help.  I told myself that if someone I really cared about was in there, I HAD to investigate; so that's what I did.  That's when your big friend with the guns grabbed me and nearly gave me a heart attack! I'm really glad I didn't have to fight though.  The last time I got into a fight was when I was 12… I came across the neighborhood bully - and lost."

"It's the thought that counts…ya didn't run and hide.  Ya get big points in my book." Logan said as he raised his beer in honor of Hartford.

"Thank you." Hartford replied.

"What's next for you guys?" Hartford asked

"We have our work cut out for us." Storm replied.

"Oh?"

"Yes, making sure all the students have recovered and are readjusting will take a significant amount of time, also we have 2 other labs to look for."

"Two other labs??"

"That's what the data showed."

"I never imagined!"

"I know. It's amazing what some people will do to hurt others."

"That's not amazing." Hartford replied.  "We see bad things like that every day on the news.  What's amazing is that there are people like you guys out there fighting these bad guys – willing to risk it all on a daily basis...THAT'S amazing!"

"Thank you Hartford."

"You know, if there is anything I can do to help, I'd like to.  I don't know what capacity I can help you, but I'd sure like to try – just don't ask me to take on an army for you."

"That's very thoughtful of you Hartford." Storm replied with a smile. "We'll keep it in mind."

The rest of their lunch was spent talking about non-mutant things.  They talked about family lives, living in Northern California, Tasha, and a multitude of other things.  Much to Wolverine's chagrin, he actually found Hartford to be a nice guy – something Storm reminded him of when they got home.  Hartford had earned his respect.  Not just anyone could survive one of his berserker rages AND go on to help him afterward; the fact that Hartford had done that even though he had NO combat experience whatsoever ranked highly in Logan's mind. 

He was also impressed with Hartford's genuine interest in finding the other 2 labs – something Logan was already thinking about.  Having a highly renowned geneticist who specialized in mutant research on your team was as good as gold when trying to flush out illegal mutant researchers.

***** About a week later on a Friday afternoon…

"Angel!" a bright young voice yelled out from the distance.

"Lisa!" Logan yelled back as he eyed Storm and the young lady walking toward him and Jubilee at their Lake Berryessa campsite.  Jubilee was very surprised.  She'd been told she resembled Lisa, but she didn't realize just how much.  They were so closely matched that Lisa could have been her older sister.

"Did she call you an Angel Wolvie?" Jubilee curiously asked.

"Yah, what about it?  You ain't the only one ta corner the market on nicknames ya know."

"Teehee – it's cute…it's sorta like an anti-Wolverine name."

"It's so good to see you again!" Lisa yelled as she gave Logan a big hug.

"You too Darlin'" he replied. 

"You must be Jubilee" Lisa excitedly said as she held out her hand.

"That's me.  It's nice to meet you Lisa."

"You too!  I heard about what you went through when they kidnapped you.  Ms. Munroe said you were so awesome!  She said you knocked out 2 kidnappers before the third one got to you.  I can't believe you actually VOLUNTEERED to be a target just to find me and the other missing students.  You are SO brave!"

"I like her!" Jubilee proudly said as she grinned at Logan and Storm while giving herself props.

"I can't believe I'm actually camping." Lisa said while admiring the backpack Storm gave her.

"Why is that?" Storm asked.

"My parents weren't the 'outdoors' type." She replied. "We never went on camping trips or things like that."

"What about your friends."

"Mom and dad were afraid my mutant powers would be discovered, so I kinda kept to myself.  But now I'm here with you guys!  This is so exciting!"

"Boy are YOU in luck!" Jubilee happily said.  "You haven't camped til you've camped with Wolvie and Storm!  When it comes to nature, they're the best!  They know EVERYTHING about the outdoors!  You'll have a blast, and you'll see things you've NEVER seen before!"

"Yer enthusiasm is admirable Jubes," Logan chimed in, "now why don't ya take some o' that energy and help me pitch these tents."

"Sure Wolvie."

Within an hour, the campsite was completely set up and the entire group was out enjoying a swim in the lake.  For Storm, Logan, and Jubilee, it was a nice break; but for Lisa it was a totally new experience.  The group was happy to introduce her to something so fun and natural.  They knew her parents loved her, but living in a world that hated and feared mutants didn't provide a very happy childhood.  This was exactly what she needed.

Dinnertime came quickly, and while the women opted to dig into the 2 coolers of food (and junk food that Jubilee termed "necessities"), Logan opted to use the time to catch some fresh rainbow trout and largemouth bass.

Jubilee prepared the food for cooking while Lisa gathered the firewood.  She proudly put the wood in a pile resembling what she saw on television shows then began looking for the matches.

"Does anyone know where the matches are?" she asked.

"Allow me." Jubilee responded while holding up a proud finger.  With a quick wave of her hand, a perfectly-sized campfire was lit.

"Whoa!  How'd you do that?"

"That's my mutant power…I can 'paff' fireworks with my hands."

"Yeah, she's our little firecracker!" Logan declared…proudly showing off his sizable catch.  "Howzabout you light this cigar for me Darlin' while I clean these fish?"

"Sure thing Wolvie."

Dinner was a delightful campsite pleasure…between the myriad of dishes the group brought up and the sizable amount of fish Logan caught, they ate like kings.  After dinner, they all indulged in s'mores – even Wolverine.  He grumbled when Jubilee brought out the graham crackers, but ended up eating more than anyone else.  He hated to admit it, but beer and s'mores was almost as good as beer and steak.

The first night, they sat by the campfire and talked…all night - mostly telling Lisa about their times together and what life with the X-Men was like.  Lisa was captivated by how all their adventures had brought them so closely together.  She was also amazed at the level of control each X-Man had over their powers.  Seeing how well the used their abilities and hearing about how they used them for the good of mankind really opened her eyes to who she was…and who she might become.  Instead of being cursed with her mutancy, she was starting to see how it was a blessing.  Of all the people on the planet, SHE was chosen to have and use her powers.  Before then, she'd never considered embracing them and using them to help people; she'd only been taught to hide them.  Now, with her eyes open, the world was full of endless possibilities. 

The next day Storm and Wolverine had the entire group up early.  To the senior X-Men/nature buffs, nothing could beat an early morning rise followed by a crisp campsite breakfast.  Bacon, eggs, plenty of organic veggies, and of course fresh fried fish…who could ask for anything more?  Even Jubilee couldn't complain about getting up before dawn when she smelled the delicious food cooking.  The morning was made extra special by the sunrise.  The view of the sunrise as it twinkled off the lake was as impressive as the sunset they saw the evening before.  After that, they took a long hike around the lake's greenery.  The hike did them all a world of good, especially Lisa – who by now had figured out her unique ability suited her perfectly for such activities.  Her speed gave her a natural agility that made hiking simple.  Also, her endurance kept her from tiring out.  Discovering her mutant powers made her very curious about what else she could do.

They ended the weekend camping trip with a promise to get together for at least 2 more outings before heading back to Salem Center.  Everybody needed a break, and camping really hit the spot.  It was a fitting end to such a demanding mission.  The only thing that would have made it better was Tasha; she was set to come out and join them in a couple more weeks…after Storm recovered more - giving the Ro/Lo Combo some much needed time alone.  As part of Storm's recuperation, Logan wanted her all to himself for a while.  His idea of rest and recuperation was much more romantic than hers.  She planned to prove she was physically and emotionally fit and ready for the next mission.  He planned to wine and dine her and take her mind off the mission for awhile; and since Charlie was footing the bill, he was already thinking about to take her.  Lake Tahoe, San Francisco, San Diego, Los Angeles, Puerto Vallarta, and a few other places wandered through his mind.

All in all, things had gone very well since the freed the mutants at the warehouse.  Little did they know how things would change in the very near future – for all of them.

*****

What's next for the Ro/Lo Combo?  The team continues their search for the infant mutants.  While doing so, "Old Man" seeks revenge on the mutant that ruined his plan.  What does he have in store for the old Canucklehead?  Stay tuned for "Berserker ape?  Try Berserker STORM!"