I really wish I knew how I got dragged into this…I mean, Marie's cute and all, but seeing her pouty face shouldn't be enough to brain me into Mutant baby-sitting. It's just not done. So WHY am I sitting here, on the jet, with Scooter's crappy ass flying, going to San Diego? I like to think of it as a new experience. In all my traveling I never made it to San Diego, never came up before.

Damn, these seats suck, even with the X-Jet, it STILL takes 4 god-awful hours to get to California. Marie seems to be taking this in stride, she's lounged out in her seat, eating from a little box of dry corn flakes. Those things taste like card board even with milk and sugar, how the hell can she eat them dry?

Wish I was a Kellogg's Cornflake
Floatin' in my bowl takin' movies,
Relaxin' awhile, livin' in style,
Talkin' to a raisin who 'casionn'ly plays LA.,
Casually glancing at his toupee.

At least we're not going to L.A. I hate L.A. It's a big, hot, dirty city with bad traffic, what's the draw? I mean, sure, famous people live there, but I live in a house full of famous people, so I guess the appeal's lost on me. I think the California Raisins show was based in LA. God, that's disturbing. You'd think I'd remember something better from my past life, something USEFUL, but no, I remember a stupid claymation show. Fucking story of my life.

Wish I was an English muffin
'Bout to make the most out of a toaster.

At least we get a decent hotel this time, over looking the bay. Contrary to popular belief, I don't particularly LIKE staying in rat hole hotels. They smell, the heat breaks in the winter and the air breaks in the summer, there's no cable, and therefore, no hockey, no GOOD games anyway. Come on, free ice? This is CANADA! We got more ice than we know what to do with, like we need machines to make more. Nope, I like my rooms well heated, well insulated and well stocked with complementary booze. I can tell Marie is pleased too, this is the fifth baby-sitting mission she's dragged me on, though it's the only one where we've been alone, and we've always had to stay in the shittiest places. I have no scruples about spending every dime of Chuck's mystery money if it means I get to sleep in a decent place that doesn't smell like "trucker Bob."

I'd ease myself down,
Comin' up brown.

You know, this isn't bad. I can smell Marie in the shower- strawberry body wash today- I got a game on the tube, beer from room service and a good view of the target's room across the way. She wasn't in earlier when I "checked," but her stuff was there, so I'm guessing she'll come back. I normally let Marie and Scooter do all the talking, but Scooter had to stay at the mansion this time, so it's just Marie and me. First off, I can't say how glad I am not to have to share a room with the prick, I'm a light sleeper and the man snores like a buzz saw. I don't mind sharing a room with Marie though.

I prefer boysenberry
More than any ordinary jam.
I'm a "Citizens for Boysenberry Jam" fan.

Continental breakfasts are really underrated, especially if you can't leave the room. Our soon to be victim of the Official School "You're-A-Mutant? So-Am-I! Let's-Be-Pals!" Pitch hasn't shown her mutated head yet, so we're giving her a few hours before we start asking questions. Not that I mind waiting, not with the way Marie's eating that muffin. Damn, where'd she learn to do that? I'm going to open a window, it's getting hot in here.

Ah, South California.

Rabbit food, she's feeding me rabbit food. I don't care if they're bean sprouts, alfalfa sprouts, or brussel sprouts, they're SPROUTS. The Wolverine does not eat half-grown plants, period. Marie seems to like them, but then she's always had weird tastes, look at me. Marie's saying something. Good, I think the sandwich is seeding. Oh, the girl's back, and a little worse for wear, unless she always goes around all torn up. Marie's pulling on her gloves and heading for the door. Well here we go.

If I become a first lieutenant
Would you put my photo on your piano?

The girl, MaryAnn, is shook up real bad. Good thing Marie's here, she always knows just what to say to calm them down. She's just someone people naturally want to trust. She has the girl clinging to her in under five minutes. Turns out, she's the youngest daughter of a Beverly Hills doctor, which explains the nice hotel, who hired goons to catch her and take her home, which explains her cloths. She's soaked too, turns out she can control water and she just flooded a better part of the bay area to get rid of daddy's boys. Crap. This means cops if we don't get out soon. Marie's whispering something to her real low, and she's nodding. I just called a taxi to take us to an airstrip where Xavier owns a small jet that will get us to Texas, where Scooter will pick us up. Good thing Marie learned how to fly, guess Scott can teach her something.

The taxi should arrive any minute, so I tell Marie. She looks up from helping MaryAnn pack, and smiles, really smiles, just for me, and damn...just…damn. What I wouldn't do to see that smile. Who wouldn't want to bask in Marie smiles? Every one of them is perfect.

I touch her shoulder as I help her into the cab, and I know she understands. We're bonded, real deep bonded. Even Chuck and Jean can feel it, they wanted to study it, but Marie and I both said no, it's not something you study. Chuck got it, I still don't think Jean does, but she will eventually. She's a bright girl. Only 15 minutes to the airstrip.

(Old Roger draft-dodger
Leavin' by the basement door),
Everybody knows what he's
Tippy-toeing down there for.

Crap. CrapCrapCrapCrapCrap. We're being followed. Xavier phoned ahead and the plane is ready, we just need to GET there. Ah, Fuckin' A! They got stopped at the gate. It should take them at least five minutes to bribe their way through, if they want to at least TRY and make this look legit. I'm paying the cab and Marie is jumping in the plane, MaryAnn's in, I'm in. Smooth sailing from here on out.

You'd think I'd get tired of all this, sticking my neck out for random mutant brats, but I did get to spend time alone with Marie, and that in it self is a feat. Of course, now Marie's picked up another adoring fan. All these runaways latch onto Marie as soon as she opens her mouth, like One-Eye says, she empathizes with them. Of course, this means I get less Marie time, which is bad, but it makes Marie happy, which is good, AND I know she'll drop everything for me, which is nice. But I won't ask her for that. I'll wait, let her do her work. When she's settled, she'll come to me. This is understood between us.

When we get to Texas, Scott is waiting. MaryAnn is up front, picking our fearless leader's brain, and we're back here. Marie snuggles into my arm and I kiss the top of her head, and it's enough. I spent so many years living on pure instinct, so long just taking, I never learned how nice it is to just wait for something you know is coming. Everyday I'm with Marie I love her more and I know she loves me. She's not ready, and we both know that. Hell, we've both got crap to work through before we're fit to be in relationships, me especially. Soon it'll be just us, no hang-ups, no bad memories, and that'll be worth the wait, I think.