Regina stared at the cards in her hand, trying hard to hide her disappointment. Across the table Logan appeared just as calm as usual, his blue eyes giving no indication of what cards he held in his hand.

�No wonder he likes this game,� Regina thought wryly, �He�s so damned good at it.�

She glanced back down at her hand. Ace of spades, two of hearts, ten of clubs, five of hearts, and the Queen of diamonds. What was she suppose to do with this? There was no way she could even come close to winning with a hand like this. Despite her best efforts, a frown creased her brow giving away the fact that she was not pleased with her hand.

She gave a sigh, then tossed all but the Ace of spades on the table face down. Logan looked up at her, his face still expressionless.

�Ya sure?� he asked.

�Just give me the damn cards,� she hissed.

With a chuckle, Logan dealt her another four cards.

�I knew playing poker with you was a bad idea,� she mumbled.

�Ya think I�m bad,� he said, �Ya should try playin� with the Cajun.�

�No thank you,� she said as she re-arranged her hand, �I think I'd best stick to what I know...especially when it comes to you and your friends.�

He chuckled again, then picked up his cigar from off the table and replaced it between his teeth. They had been playing for about an hour while he was trying to figure out a way to get her to go back to the Mansion with him. He had a few ideas, but nothing for sure. He didn�t really want to call in that debt...it just wasn�t him. He was hoping that something else would come up but so far had been drawing a blank.

�Well that�s it,� Regina said as she tossed her hand face down on the table, �I gotta get ready. I need to go to the club and do inventory today.�

�I don�t think you�ll get far,� Logan said as he continued to stare at his hand, �Not in that car. The roads are packed with snow and ice and chances are it will be a few days before you�ll be able to get outa here in one piece.�

Regina heaved a sigh and sank back into her seat.

�God, I feel so blocked in,� she said, �Not that I don�t enjoy the company. It�s just that...well, you know better than anyone that I can�t stand to be shut in. Makes me nervous.�

Logan smiled. This was the opportunity he had been looking for all morning. He reached across the table and picked up her discarded cards, adding them to the deck in his hand.

�You sure you don�t wanna play anymore?� he asked as he shuffled the deck.

�Yeah,� she replied, �I�m sure.�

He sighed, then looked up at her.

�Tell ya what,� he said, �One more game, but this one�s different.�

He sat the deck on the table and then spread it out in a fan with all the cards face down. Regina groaned knowing that she was going to loose this one.

�It�s simple,� he said, �We each pick a card. High card wins.�

She looked at him, a skeptical look on her face.

�Your serious,� she said, �It�s that easy.�

�That easy,� he said with a nod of his head.

Regina looked down at the deck that was setting on the table. There had to be a catch to it.

�Ok,� she said, crossing her arms over her chest, �What�s the catch?�

�If I win,� he started, �You come back to the mansion with me for the next two months...no questions asked and no fighting. You spend the two months as an X-MAN working with us the way we do things. If by the end of the two months you decide your way was better you don�t have to stay.�

�And if I win,� she prodded.

�If you win,� he said setting back in the chair, �I never bother you about your choice again.�

Regina considered the terms. She knew he was putting allot on the line. It would be hard for him to stand by and watch her go through what she was without interfering. It just wasn�t him, never was.

�Alright,� she said, �Who goes first?�

Logan reached forward and pulled a card, then laid it face up on the table. It was the ten of spades. Regina grimaced, then reached out and picked a card herself. She stared at the card for a second, then sighed and replaced it in the deck.

�I�ll go pack,� she said.

She got up and made her way down the hall to her room, leaving Logan in the kitchen staring at the deck. His eyes were fixed on the card she had just replaced, as if he could see what card it was by simply staring at it�s back. With a frown, he finally reached over and picked it up. He shook his head as the Ace of hearts stared back at him.

�Your too damn stubborn for your own good Gin,� he said as he picked up the deck and set it on the counter on his way out to start the jeep.