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The Effects of Snowfall
by Hoodoo

Courtesy of the fresh fall, the snow was even. The air was still and crisp. The forest had quiet and serenity not often found in the civilized state of New York.

His breath fogged in front of his face, but made no sound. His own footfalls broke the silence, of course. But they too were carefully placed and made very little impression on the overall peacefulness of the area.

This was where he belonged. Out in the wild, in the cold; not confined with other people in houses. Out here was true, out here was real. Out here there was nothing to care for but yourself. No one to blame if something went wrong for your own survival.

Back there, enclosed within four walls with people who stink--all people stink, no matter how often they bathed, they were just too dead to their own senses to realize it--it got overwhelming. Then you get close to them, and start to care for them, and suddenly you're looking out for everyone plus yourself. They become dependent on you. And if one of them makes a mistake, it can affect your performance too.

Forget it. The bitter cold seemed to have cleared his mind. He realized that he'd gotten soft, and here alone was really where he belonged--

Wolverine's mental dissertation was interrupted abruptly with a short lived blast of pain in the back of his head. Off balance, he fell face first into the snow.

"I got him!" Jubilee shrieked happily. "Did you see?! Huh? I beamed him right in the back of the head with a snowball! I got Wolvie!"

Logan pushed himself out of the snow bank. He turned to the ecstatic teenager.

Jubilee was laughing before she saw he had gotten up. His front and hair were coated with snow, but suddenly she realized the affect wasn't quite as humorous as she thought.

She gulped and changed her tune. "I mean--oh crap, I got him!"

Immediately she tried to flee and found herself hampered by the snow. She could hear Logan coming up behind her, but couldn't will her feet to move any faster.

"Help! Help! Rogue, help me!" Jubilee shouted, and he was on her.

Logan grabbed her waist and twisted, pulling her into the snow with him. Her cries for help dissolved into laughter as he tickled her mercilessly.

In a few minutes he let her up, and followed her. The rest of the team was nearer the mansion, laughing and working on a crowd of snowpeople. Jubilee skipped ahead, still exclaiming that she had taken down the mighty Wolverine with a well thrown snowball. She offered her own stocking cap as a finishing touch to Jean and Scott's snowperson.

Logan stopped at the tree line and watched the group. In spite of himself, he grinned. He'd been wrong. Not all people stink; Jubilee smelled of the sun and orange blossoms and joy. Everyone else in the mansion was scented distinctly, but there was a common underlying tang too. Logan realized with a start that it was simply familiarity. He dropped and shook his head, hiding the smile.

"Come on, Wolvie!" called Jubilee, bringing his focus back to her. "We're going in. I'm making hot chocolate! It's freezing out here. Are you coming in too, or staying outside?"

The calm of the forest beckoned seductively at his back.

"Darlin', I'm comin' in," he replied, and trudged through the snow to take her hand as they entered the mansion.