"Melissa? What's wrong?"

:: I need you! Can I see you? ::

"Now?"

:: No tonight, when it's safe. ::

"Safe from what?"

:: I'll tell you when I see you. Where can we meet? ::

"Harry's Bar at seven."

:: Seven. Logan, thank you. ::

"Melissa? Melissa!" Logan felt empty after she quit communicating with him.

He sighed as he prepared to face the dawn. His favorite time of the day. He always said that morning was a time for new beginnings.

On the other side of town Melissa was thinking almost the same thing. Only she wished this meeting with Logan could be the kind of new beginning she so desperately wanted and needed with him.

"So your friend contacted you?" Logan was a little surprised at the professor's question later that morning.

"Yeah, how'd ya know?"

"Cerebro detected a mutant power. Are you meeting with her today?"

"Tonight at Harry's"

"Why not here?"

"And scare her off before I find out where she's been? Nah, Chuck, I need the time alone with her. To reunite an' all that. It has been twelve years."

"Of course. I understand. Be careful."

"Always."

At exactly seven that night Melissa walked into Harry's and searched for Logan. She had dressed with extra care that evening. She hadn't seen the man in twelve years. She had chosen her best "demoiselle in distress" outfit. A pair of three-inch heels, a black sheath dress that barely reached her knees and a black knit sweater tied in a knot at her waist. Her hair was flowing down her back in a riot of midnight curls.

Logan was already there. He had tried to tell himself that he had promised Remy a game of pool, but he didn't believe that. He wanted to be there when she walked through the door.

Just as he was lining up a shot for the win, she walked in. Man, but she looked good! He was so distracted he missed the shot.

"Man, oh man! I can't believe my eyes!" Remy exclaimed. "The great and mighty Logan missed a shot. An easy shot!"

"Shut up, Gumbo, or I'll shut you up!" Logan snarled as Melissa headed their way.

"Logan. It's been a long time. How have you been?" Her voice was cool.

Logan wondered how she could be so calm on the outside when he could sense her nervousness. He wanted to toss her over his shoulder and run as fast as he could back to the manor. He never wanted to let her go again.

"Bon jour, my name's Remy LeBeau. I'm an... acquaintance of Logan's. An' you are?"

"Melissa Adams. I am an old friend of Logan." Melissa responded in perfectly accented French.

Just as Remy was reaching for her hand to kiss it Logan remembered the desperation and fear in her voice from that morning.

"I wouldn't if I were you, Cajun. The woman's here to see me. Ain't that right, Angel eyes?"

Just as Logan had hoped, she reacted to the hated nickname. Only it wasn't the reaction he was used to. She smiled! God, her smile was so beautiful. With two perfect dimples.

"I sure missed hearing you call me that. Can we talk alone?"

"Sure, Doll face." And he turned to walk a few feet away.

Logan was dressed in his usual attire: plaid flannel shirt with a black tee underneath, jean jacket, leather jacket, old faded blue jeans that molded to his butt and thighs very nicely and a pair of old cowboy boots. Melissa admired all this while wondering, like she always had, why his hair made those points just behind his ears. She also noticed that he had more facial hair than when she had last seen him. The man was almost too good looking for his own good and hers.

"Okay, I'm listening." Logan propped one hip on a bar stool and crossed his arms over his chest. Lord, but he didn't think he'd ever get tired of looking at her. He'd known she would be beautiful, but nothing like what was standing before him.

"Well, hmm. Where to begin?"

"The beginning?" Logan's mouth curved in what for him was a smile, but for others a sneer.

"Well, I trashed the room. I was really mad at you that day. I didn't think you would get into any trouble. You didn't, did you?"

"Nope. Just told to keep moving. Didn't though. What'd they do with ya?"

"Put me in a juvenile detention center for a couplea nights. Then a foster home. They adopted me a couplea years later."

"That explains the new last name. Was afraid ya'd gone an' gotten married or some stupid thing like that."

"Yes, well... I really don't want to talk about that right now. Lucy needs your help. Lucy is the daughter of the family that adopted me. She's really messed up this time. Seems that the guy she's been seein' thinks she stole some money from him. Now why he thinks she would steal three thousand dollars when I pay her more than that in one week, is beyond me."

"What do ya do?"

"I'm a freelance photographer. Lucy's my assistant."

"So this guy says Lucy owes him three thousand dollars? How does he know she took the money?"

"Some of his goons say she did. I told her not to get involved with this guy! Does she listen to me? No! She never does. Please help. He says he'll kill her unless I can give the money back."

"Right. Always want to kill someone. Why can't the bad guys just hurt someone really bad? Why kill them?" Again, Logan smiled.

"You always did have a wicked sense of humor, Wolvie."

"I may need help from some... acquaintances of mine. That okay, Angel eyes?"

"Sure. As long as they don't try to call me Doll face or Angel eyes. Still have a hard time with those names."

"Gotcha. You play pool?" Logan got an evil look in his eyes, just hoping she said she played some, but not all that well. He used to try to beat her at video games, but usually let her win instead. Now that she was all grown up, she was on her own.

"Yep. Wanna play?" Melissa's smile was just as wicked. Logan was in for a real surprise if he thought he could run the table on her.

Logan couldn't believe just how good she really was. He made the mistake of letting her break and she ended up running the table. He never got a single shot.

"Eight ball in the corner pocket," she pointed to the corner next to where she was standing "with two banks." She lined up her shot and made it! Logan was floored. Never had he seen anyone run the table on him from start to finish.

"Good game."

"Sorry. Guess letting me win at video games made me strive to always be the best."

"You knew?"

"Logan, I'm a telepath. Of course I knew. You were so easy to read back then. I've noticed that's changed, though."

"Yeah kinda had to learn. Really long story. I'm not going into it right now." He said as she started to open her mouth to ask for details.

"Okay, so I won't ask. Tell me what you've been up to these past twelve years."

"Another long story. Actually, the same long story. Not gonna talk about it right now." Before she could protest that last statement, his favorite Hank Williams song came on the jukebox. "Wanna dance?" He asked as he held out his hand.

"Sure." she replied as she took his hand. "You'll excuse us, Remy?" she asked again in perfect French.

"Of course." Remy replied also in French.

Melissa smiled at Remy as Logan led her to the dance floor. The dance was a slow one. Melissa was glad Logan didn't seem inclined to try any of the fancy twists and turns the other couples were trying. He did, however, spin her out a few times just so she would bump into him when he spun her back in. On one such move she accidentally bumped into this really tough looking guy.

"Sorry." Melissa quickly apologized.

"No deal, honey." the goon snarled as he reached for her. The next thing Melissa saw was Logan's claws as they came between him and her.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." Logan warned.

"Well, then I'm glad you're not me." With that the two men started going at each other. Before long everyone in the bar was involved.

"Damn!" Melissa muttered as they were all shoved out onto the sidewalk. "I broke a heel. My best shoes, too."

Logan let her lean on his arm so she could remove her shoes. When she finished and stood up straight he was amazed at how small she was. Her head barely reached his chin.

"Did ya quit growing?"

"What? Oh, my size. Nope. Just really short. But then you are really tall. You're what six feet?" she had her head tilted all the way back so that she could maintain eye contact.

"Six three." Logan replied.

"You wish." Remy snickered.

"Shut up! Man, I really do not know why I brought you."

"Wanted someone to beat up if she didn't show."

"All right you two. Knock it off. I really must go now. I'll be in touch, Logan." Melissa turned to leave.

"Wait." Logan grabbed her arm and pulled her into his. "I've been wantin' to do this since you walked through the door." And he lowered his head and kissed her. At first she was unresponsive, but as he moved his lips over hers she slowly began to relax. She opened her mouth for his tongue. As she did so Logan groaned, she tasted like honey. She smelled like honey, her name meant honey and she tasted like honey. He thought he was going to die. Melissa was as lost to the kiss as Logan was until his hand found the smooth skin of her thigh under her dress.

"No, Logan. Stop!" Melissa began to fight him.

"What's wrong Doll face?"

"Don't do that! Logan!" And with that Melissa slapped him as hard as she could across the face.

"What the hell? Why'd ya slap me?"

"Why didn't you stop when I asked you to?"

"Okay, so ya don't like that kind of kissing in public. Come home with me."

"I can't. I have to tend to Lucy."

"Fine." Logan's voice was hard.

"I'll contact you when I can get away again."

"I'll be open for you."

"Thank you, Logan. I really mean that."

"'Bye."

"Good-bye, Remy."

"It was a pleasure meeting you, cheré." Remy managed to kiss Melissa's hand this time.

"Just where the hell have you been?" Was growled at Melissa as she walked in the door.

"Trying to keep your goons from ruining everything! Next time you decide they should follow me, remind them to keep their distance!"

"Bitch!" was growled at her just as Jerintex backhanded her into the wall. "How many times must I tell you that the way you treat me is the way I treat your sister?" Melissa couldn't answer; she was unconscious from the blows raining down on her.