"No way, Fury!" Wolverine shouted, slashing his hand through the air. "There ain't no way I'm gettin' Kit involved in this."

"Logan, think about it. They find out it was you on that op, trace you to her, bang! No little wife to go home to. They know how to do it, Logan , as you know well enough. You wanna leave her there alone to deal with that?"

Fuming, Logan glared at Major Nick Fury, grinding his cigar between his teeth.

"Why this sudden concern fer my domestic life? Leavin' her alone didn't bother ya much 3 months ago when ya came and pulled me outta Scotland."

"Look, Logan, I didn't know it was gonna be this long or this messy. I happen to know how much she means to you," he said with surprising sensitivity, then grinned around his own cigar. "'Sides, you've been a royal bear without her to take the edge off."

Logan just growled at that, wondering if he should pop Fury just on principle, then decided it wasn't worth it. Anyway, he was right. He missed that warm, curvy little body in his arms and his bed.

"What exactly d'ya expect her to do on this mission?"

"Wait here at the base, what else? She'll be safe here. What's so damn funny?"

"You'll find out, Nicholas, but yer gonna tell 'er. I like keepin' all my body parts where they are," Logan chuckled. "All right, bub. You find 'er, I'll bring 'er back. Then we'll take it from there."

They found her in Edinburgh, at a party.

"Great," Logan mumbled, working up a good mad. "I'm off savin' the world and she's gone to a flamin' party."

By the time the transport was hovering silently over Edinburgh, he was fuming. On the ground, he stalked into the hall.

"Sir? Sir, excuse me, this party is by invitation only," a tuxedoed young man stated as he stepped in front of Logan, who flashed 3 claws in the boy's wide-eyed face.

"Gotcher invite right here, bub. Now get outta my way." He brushed by the boy and stalked into the main room.

Kit had known he was there the minute he entered the building and spun about to stare at him as he crossed the floor quickly, parting the crowd like Moses with the Red Sea. When he saw her, dressed to the nines and surrounded by men, he saw red.

"Logan? What a pleasant sur--prise!" Her voice went up an octave on the last syllable as he wordlessly threw her over her shoulder and turned to stalk back out. "I guess it's time for me to be leaving," Kit called to her hosts. "Logan, what is going on?" she hissed, but received no answer.

"Outta the way, kid," he snarled at the boy at the entrance. Kit saw the momentary confusion and fear on the boy's face about whether or not to interfere as she passed him.

"It's okay, he's my husband," she assured him, and felt Logan's arm tighten around her hips as he stomped away from the lit hall into the darkness where the transport waited. He carried her inside, ignoring her fists hitting his back and her demands to be put down.

"You wanna keep yer eyes, put 'em back in yer head," she heard him snarl to people she couldn't see as the ramp closed up behind him. "You too, Fury."

"Fury? Nick Fury?" Kit demanded, trying to see behind her. "Put me down, damn you!" she growled at Logan, receiving her wish as one of her kicking feet caught him in the groin. He grunted and set her down, his face a little pale. Kit pushed away and whirled on Major Fury.

"You're Nick Fury?" she asked and he smiled.

"Yes, ma'am. You must be the Vixen."

In answer, she pulled off the remaining high-heeled shoe she still wore, strode across the floor and slapped him across the face as hard as she could, stunning everyone on the transport. He stared at her, his eye wide, as he rubbed his stinging cheek.

"That's for taking my husband away from me for 3 months!" she snapped, her eyes furious and she waved her shoe in the air for emphasis. "Do you have any idea what I've had to go through without him there? I spent 3 bloody days on the roof banging the hell out of my fingers and while trying to make everyone believe he was away on business. Then, you two geniuses barge into a party and carry me out like a sack of potatoes! I've lost one of my favorite shoes, and if you don't start explaining what the bloody hell is going on I'm going to put this stiletto heel through your jugular!"

Wide-eyed, Fury stared at the little spitfire glaring up at him with golden brown slit-pupiled eyes, her fox-colored hair falling out of its pins and a lethal-looking shoe in her right hand, then over at Logan who was grinning, his eyes saying, "I warned you."

"Yeah, well," he started, clearing his throat and taking a small step back from Kit, "Uh, once we land at the base, we'll fill you in."

"And find me something to wear, I assume, since I didn't exactly have time to pack anything and I'm not about to stroll about in this the whole time."

"I'll see what I can do."

"You do that, Major Fury. As for you--" She whirled on her husband and Fury took the opportunity to get away while she advanced on Logan.

"Me?! I'm off on a mission for three months, maybe gettin' myself shot t' pieces and find you at a party, pretty as ya please, surrounded by men!" Logan shouted.

"So you just crash Mary Margaret Campbell's wedding reception, threaten a poor, scared teen-ager and carry me off like some bloody Neanderthal?" she shouted back, poking him in the chest.

"Mary Margaret got married?" he asked, his eyebrows raised, and she smiled.

"Yes. Young Duncan MacLeod. Apparently, once you and your glorious body were gone, she found someone to fill the void." She slid her arms around his neck, pressing herself against him. "I've missed you, my love."

"Yeah, me too, darlin'." Their kiss was deep, one born of 3 months of separation, and they broke breathless, slowly remembering they were not alone when Fury reappeared and cleared his throat again.

"We're here, folks. Logan, if you want to get your wife settled, then meet me in the briefing room?" he suggested, watching her warily as she stepped away from Logan and cast a meaningful glance in his direction. "And I'll, uh, try to find you something to wear, Vixen."

"Thank you, Major. I look forward to hearing what you have to say about why you've kidnapped me."

He glared at Logan who just grinned as he led Kit down the ramp and into the base. Kit shivered as her stockinged feet hit the freezing floor of the Greenland base and Logan swept her up into his arms again. She slid her arms around his neck and rested her head against his shoulder as he carried her to his room. Fury just shook his head, wondering what the hell he had been thinking.

Logan set Kit on her feet once in his room and she tossed her remaining shoe into a corner before turning to look at him again.

"Now, Logan, what's really coming off here?" she asked. He smiled, his eyes gleaming as he pulled the rest of her pins from her hair and let it fall down her back.

"Let me show ya just what's comin' off here," he suggested, reaching for her dress.