"Okay....why?"

One James Howlett sat in his chair as he looked over at the roaring fireplace and his gaze swept across a few of his associates that seemed to shrug as if they weren't....responsible for the lack of festive cheer. 

"She said that you would understand, boss." 

He blinked. 

He had to or he'd throttle the two of them and be left to assume the consequences. 

Everything had gone downhill after that one weird issue in August with the Kool-Aid and the west coast party, but he honestly hadn't known that it would have been that big of a deal for...

What it was. 

A few wild parties and all of a sudden he was getting calls from Detroit about some lone rogue cop that had somehow got in the way of his gun. 

It was a whole deal but that had led to a local Las Vegas wiseguy getting clipped but that was...a different matter for the commission to deal with. 

"It's cold as fuck, and it's hot at the same time. What do you want me to say, Mickey? She can't be coming here because if she was, it'd mean not having a chocolate bar." 

James was, for one, an idiot. 

After every ordeal that he had survived over the past few weeks, even months, he suddenly had not a lick of care because he had lost a few things that meant a lot to him. 

So what if he had spent a lot of time with a complete mouthfulof bourbon?

"You could spare yourself the trouble." With a snort, his eyes had danced over to Ororo as she stood there as if it wasn't freezing, with how she seemed to be just fine in a shirt and skirt. 

"I loathe you." James had grunted before he stood and glanced out the window, his eyes narrowed on how everything was changing. 

Months prior, it was difficult for him to guess where he was meant to be but this? A different stage of his life, he truly was...worried. 

"Mickey, BB, give me the room, will you?" Ororo chuckled as the two had left without another effort as she had poured herself some bourbon, admiring the label. 

"The strong stuff. Nice. now, why are you so worried? Been reading too many old diaries of old fucks? What have I told you about visiting that cemetery?" Ororo was worried a lot of the time, and more than James, but she'd hidden that more times than she could count. 

James was silent, annoyed even. 

He could only stare at the snow as if everything about this pissed him off. He was getting older; he was annoyed about every single facet of this life. 

There was no room for men like him in the room, not anymore. 

"This business." He grunted; disgust laced his tone as he stared down at himself and he was the one that mattered most to their little crew. 

He was an advisor at best and a glorified street boss that kept the capos in line enough that it allowed for his counterpart and boss to simply manage well on their own. 

He made a lot of money and saw investment placed into him as well. That August party had some benefits and some real fun besides the whole...commission label. 

"Yeah? It's the way. There is no retirement. One day, you'll die, you'll get used to it, and maybe some italian with a moustache will take your place. Why are you depressed about this? You can't be so...lost." 

James just shrugged as if watching the cool glaze settle over the windows would have been enough to satisfy the worry. Yet there was no cure for anxiousness, not unless you called diving head first into booze a cure. 

With that, James pulled the glass and knocked one back again as he slid his glass over to Ororo, who promptly filled it. 

"Lost isn't true, but I don't know what else to do. I've lost the care, because I can't find..." Though he was going to continue, Ororo had passed the booze swiftly and came to stand next to him. 

"Then you continue, for her. It's an insult to her memory that no one knows what it's like to have your presence on there on the streets. People know that you've looked up to some folks like that. The Pavanno Clan, for one, and from what I hear, they're looking to become a permanent presence again if you don't shape the fuck up." 

He smiled, bitterly. 

The thought that someone could have replaced him had always stuck in James' mouth like a bad taste. It was the same reason why he'd lost out on Jean, and why even now it seemed as if he had never remembered anyone else. 

Hah. 

"What is there to do, hm? I would have found out if we had issues of supply. The russians have kept their...farce up. We've had nothing from them, and I'm glad."

It was then that Ororo had just stared at him a while longer. 

"You know what? Enjoy the weather; I think you'll need it far more than I do, James. However, there'll come a time where you can't be a man for this season. You'll have to come outside eventually."