Callie's nose twitched as she picked up the scent. It was so...right. A lot like Logan, or what she imagined he'd smell like if he'd been out in the wild for a real long time. She rubbed her face against the solid wall of flesh in front of her. He moved, and whispered what might have been her name. Callie smiled in her sleep. What a nice dream. After plenty of wriggling and small, incoherent noises, the dream-Logan finally kissed her.

Well, if she couldn't have the real thing, this was good enough. And then she opened her eyes. Right into a familiar pair of brown ones. She squeaked as she pushed him away, and scrambled from the bed. She stood there, arms crossed over her chest, and glared. "What are you doing here?"

"I own this place, darlin'. I could live here if I wanted ta."

"Well," she paused to consider that, "Fine. I'll be out of your way in five minutes." She turned to leave, but was stopped when he put a hand on her arm. She pulled her arm back like she'd been burned, but didn't go anywhere. I can't let him touch me, Callie thought, The minute I do, I'm lost.

"I'm not about to lose you again, Callie. Why'd you run from me?" Blood crashed against the underside of her skin with all the power of El Niño. Her eyes narrowed. Her only option was anger. It was the only emotion strong enough to ward of the warm-fuzzy he was giving her. "Why shouldn't I leave? My mission was over. Everybody was alive! I was supposed to leave."

"Are you tellin' me that this was a mission an' nothin' else?!"

"Yes!"

"Liar."

She *was* lying, and he knew it. Callie switched tactics. "Well, so what if it wasn't? I couldn't very well stay at the mansion indefinitely! I've got an empire, and subjects, and...I'm not even an X-man. I have no right to be there!"

"Why not?"

"I just said why not! It wouldn't work, I'm tellin' ya! And I can't do it! I can't sit there and watch-" Callie stopped her rant. The tears were beginning to show. She was *not* going to cry.

Logan sat on the edge of the bed and reached for her. She went into his arms without comment, and stood within his embrace silently. Although the tears never fell, Callie began to shake uncontrollably. "Can't watch what?" he finally prodded.

That seemed to piss her off again. She jerked away long enough to yank on the shirt and jeans from the floor. "I can't sit there at the mansion and watch you fall for Jean a little more every day! I can't sit there and watch some other Mariko walk into your life and steal you away. I can't sit and-" Callie stopped trying to button the shirt altogether and burst into tears.

Logan finally stood up, and crossed the floor. He put one arm around her shoulders and shoved the other under her knees to pick her up. He sat back down on the bed and held her while she cried. Callie tried to finish her sentence anyway. "Can't. . .think about. . .your son every time I look at you. How. . .I couldn't keep. . .*our son*!"

After a while, Callie's eyes dried, and she stopped snuffling. Logan tipped her chin up so that he could see her face. "First of all, I ain't in love with Jean. I'm in love with you." That earned him a suspicious glare, "Second of all, Mariko is real dead and she's gonna stay that way." Even as he said the words, he acknowledged the truth in them, once and for all. "And as for our kid. . .well, there's nothin' I can do about him. But. . .we could always make another one."

"Now?!"

"Well, I didn't mean now. . .But, when you're up to it. . . ."

"Oh." She paused to consider it. "How 'bout now?"

Logan's laughter filled the cabin.

Callie smiled secretively and shifted suggestively against him.

Logan stopped laughing.

Cautiously, Logan opened one eye to the bright light pouring in from the window. He'd been too preoccupied to draw the curtains closed last night. His eyes adjusted quickly to the harsh glare off the snow outside. The snow. . .the first snow of the season had fallen last night. "Mind tellin' me what that smile is for?"

Logan rolled over. Callie was leaning against the door jamb, dressed in a clean white shirt emblazoned with some kind of gold crest. She paused long enough to zip her fly before sliding onto the bed. She leaned back against him and sighed. "Now what?"

He didn't pretend to misunderstand. "That depends on you."

One eyebrow shot skyward. "Me? You're the X-man. Don't you have a planet to protect?"

"Don't you have an empire to rule?"

Callie slapped her forehead. "Damn. That's right. I keep forgetting." She paused. "It'd be so much easier if Mother was still alive. Then I'd just be a Princess with nothin' more important to do than try on glass footwear."

"You got things to do fer yer people?"

"Mmmm. . .Actually, I don't think so. At least, not for a while. Provided nobody tries an invasion. Or a revolt. Or a riot." she hissed in frustration, "Damn it, I hate this."

"Okay, back ta me now. I say we go back to the mansion and see what happens."

Celeste eyed him speculatively. "Let it all go to hell and deal with it later, huh?"

"Works fer me."

"Me, too." She laughed. "I already cleaned up. We can go any time." Callie stood up and raised her hands, about to whisk them back to the mansion in Salem Center. Wolverine pulled her off balance, dragging her across the bed and into his arms.

"What was that for?"

"Relax, darlin'. I ain't ready ta leave yet."

"Oh." she whispered and, as his mouth lowered to hers, " *Oh!* "