They were sitting around the kitchen table, laughing and enjoying breakfast the next morning when the door bell rang.
“Alright, I’ll get it, but don’t quit eating on my account,” Ray said as he looked at Logan pointedly. Logan was in the middle of shoveling a fork full of waffles into his mouth. Ray couldn’t help but chuckle as he threw his napkin on the table and left to answer the door.
Logan couldn’t believe how at peace they were here. He had never seen Marie so happy, and he couldn’t remember the last time he felt so at ease with his surroundings. He had never really understood her need to be apart of something bigger, to be apart of a family, but, after meeting her family and seeing how she was raised and the atmosphere she had grown in, he had to admit that he had a better understanding.
And then it had hit him. A scent he had never known before. It was obviously male and young. Nothing dominating about it. He was nowhere near being an alpha. Nothing threatening. He was ready to brush it off when he realized that next to him, Marie’s body seemed to stiffen and she suddenly became very quiet.
“What’s wrong, Marie?” He whispered slowly, looking at her carefully. Leah seemed to have notice something was wrong, also. She stood abruptly, going to check who was at her home. “Marie? Who is it?”
He listened carefully, trying to figure out who could make her this upset. He could hear her parents talking with the young man whose scent he had just caught. It sounded like Leah was trying to politely talk the man into leaving, but he was being persistent with his demand. He wanted to see Marie. She owed it to him.
“You know, we can just go out the back door. Come back later, after we know he’s gone. Is that what you want to do?” Logan asked sincerely, waiting patiently for an answer.
Marie took a deep breath, closing her eyes. She felt like the walls were closing in around her. But this was something that she knew was a possibility if she had come here. It was unavoidable, and he was right. She did owe him.
“No, Logan. I have to do this,” she said as she stood. He followed her out of the kitchen, ready to defend her against what ever was waiting for her.
She stopped suddenly, grabbing Logan’s hand for support. She could feel her heart constrict as she took in his appearance. His hair was still blond, only a little darker than she remembered. He had grown a little in the last three years, and his features seemed to have matured, but she could still see the boy she had fallen for all those years ago. She took a deep breath, suppressing her fears. “Hey, Cody.”
Logan felt his blood run cold at her words. She had told him about the boy she had almost killed, the boy she had cared so deeply for. She had told him stories of their childhood together, how they had been almost inseparable. He couldn’t help the low growl that emanated from his throat.
Although Marie seemed a little startled by it, it was apparent that no one else in the room had noticed. Still, she squeezed his hand lightly, letting him know that he had nothing to worry about.
“Hey, Marie,” Cody said in a thick southern accent. “We’ve missed you. You look good, girl.”
“You too, Cody. Now, I don’t mean to be rude, but what are you doing here?” Marie asked quickly, her eyebrows knitting together. Logan had been wondering the same thing. As far as he knew, Ray and Leah didn’t tell anyone they were here, and, judging by their scents, they were just as surprised as he and Marie.
“Mrs. Johnson from across the street called my momma and told her the she saw a man and a woman ride up on motorcycles and that the woman could be you. Well, Momma told me and I figured that I would come down and see for myself.” Cody looked around at the faces that were staring at him. No one had even suspected that the local gossip had already started, but it wasn’t too much of a stretch. Cody smiled brightly, taking a seat on the couch. Everyone looked at each other, not too sure of the situation. Marie had to admit that it was a little surreal.
Leah suddenly realized how tense the situation was becoming. Quickly, she walked across the living room and grabbed Logan’s free arm, gently urging him to the kitchen. “Logan, why don’t you come with me to the kitchen and help me clear that table.”
Logan knew what she was doing and followed, but he couldn’t help but growl again, this time a little louder so that everyone could hear. He felt Marie’s fingers reluctantly release his hands, and understood. She had to see this through.
Marie watched Logan follow her mother to the kitchen. When she looked back, she was relieved and grateful to see that her father was sitting in his recliner and not heading out of the room, also. Cody was still beaming at her as if he was oblivious to the mess he had made by just showing up.
“How’ve you been?” Cody asked sweetly as Marie took a seat on the chair opposite her father. “Life treating you right?”
“Life is good. I’m living in northern New York now, at a school for mutants. I’ve got a lot of people who care for me and accept me for who I am,” she said, relaxing a little. She was afraid that he would be upset with her, that he would blame her and hate her.
“And that man with you, is he one of your teachers?” Cody asked, gesturing towards the kitchen.
“Not anymore. But that’s a long story,” she paused, briefly remembering all that she and Logan had been through over the last few years, remembering everything that led to this moment. “Actually, Logan and I are together. He’s my man.”
“Oh.” Cody tried, but he couldn’t hide his astonishment. He hadn’t been expecting that, but then she didn’t think he had noticed any intimacy between them. “Don’t get me wrong, but, isn’t he a little old for you?”
Marie couldn’t help but laugh. It seemed Cody hadn’t changed much over the years. He was still as straight forward as he had been when they were in school together. “He’s older, yes, but we love each other. We trust each other.”
“How long have you been together?”
Marie smiled at the obvious grilling. It seemed that her ex flame had become somewhat protective of her over the years. “Since about eight months after I left here. He picked me up outside of a bar in Canada.”
“What!” She couldn’t help but giggle when his face fell. Judging by the look on Ray’s face, he wasn’t as happy, but he wasn’t going to force the issue. Cody would do that. “You were only 17!”
“Well, technically, he didn’t pick me up. I stole away in his camper. But when he found me, he didn’t leave me on the side of the rode like he really wanted to.” She knew that she was angering him, and knew that it should end. “We’ve been close ever since, but we didn’t have anything romantic between us until a couple of weeks ago.”
They spent the rest of the hour talking about this and that. She told him about the school and the things she had learned. He told her about his daughter, a little girl born the spring before. They enjoyed each other’s company and Marie forgot everything she had been worried about until Cody let everyone know that he was going to step outside for a smoke. One look from her father let her know that, from his position, Ray had just seen Logan walk out the back way to do the same thing. With any luck, they wouldn’t run into each other, but Marie knew all too well that wasn’t how luck worked for her.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Logan caught his scent the moment he opened the front door. He couldn’t help the smile that spread over his lips. He wanted to talk to the boy, and to make sure he wasn’t a threat. Not to what was happening between him and Marie, but to Marie herself.
He crouched around the side of the house, surprising the boy straight when he didn’t make a noise until he was just behind him.
“Where the hell did you come from?” Cody asked quickly, jumping a little.
“Back yard. Just thought I’d join you.” Logan said quickly, lighting his cigar even as the boy lit his cigarette. “What are you doing here?”
“I came to see Marie. I’ve been thinking about her lately, wondering how she’s been doing. It’s good to see her.” Cody took a drag, looking at the bigger man next to him. “I’ve always wanted to know what happened to her after she left here. Glad she’s found someone to take care of her. She deserves it.”
Logan couldn’t help but smile. This wasn’t something he wasn’t expecting. “Yeah, well, she’s a strong woman. She doesn’t need any one to take care of her. I’m just happy she lets me.”
“You’ll take care of her, right? You wont hurt her?” Cody looked at him with scrutinizing eyes, and Logan wanted to chuckle. He definitely didn’t expect this.
“I don’t think I can.” Logan shrugged, leaning against the porch railing. “I love her too much.”
“Yeah I can tell.” Cody took another drag on his cigarette, laughing a little. His chuckle was cut short as he watched a small, red car stop just off the property. “What the hell?”
“What’s the matter, kid? You know her?” Logan asked, keeping his eyes on the car.
“Yeah. That’s my momma. Don’t know what she’s doing here though,” Cody replied as the woman opened the door and got out of the car.
Just as she stood, the winds changed, and Logan was slapped with the woman’s scent. Without warned, he grabbed Cody by the collar, dragging him back into his house. “Sorry to break it to you, kid, but that ain’t your momma. ROGUE!”
“What’s the matter, Logan? Who is it?” Marie asked as she ran from the kitchen. He hadn’t called her Rogue once since they left the mansion, and it felt a little strange to hear it again. It could only mean that something was about to happen. Something bad.
Logan looked at her, and she knew that he was a different person now. He was Wolverine now. What ever was outside wasn’t just bad, but dangerous. “It’s Mystique.”
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Chapter End Notes:
I really want to get this story finished, so I thought I'd bring the fight to Rogue and Wolverine instead of them fishing it out. Still a long way from being done.