Now, the man began to panic, hoped against all hope that she hadn’t left the school looking for him. Knowing what he knew about Victor being in the area; put his emotions in a tailspin because he didn’t immediately find her when he came home. Logan frantically searched all the upper levels with his nose and other enhanced senses. She’d been to the Staff Kitchen and dove into her stash of ice cream, black cherry was on the menu. She’d been to the Rec Room, on the couch, where he found more salt water, fear, and the empty black cherry container on the floor. He detected a new signature smell, guilt. He had no clue as to what she felt guilty about this time. It was his fault for leaving her behind to have exactly what the woman at the bar called it, a pity party for one. By the ice cream container and guilt, he figured she was following one of her patterns. If he was right, she’d be in the Danger Room working off that ice cream; maybe not so much of the guilt. He knew she’d carry that around for days; she was so like him in that way, not with-standing the parts of his mind inside her.
‘There’s other parts we’ve got we’d like to stick inside her,’ The Wolverine quipped in Logan’s mind.
‘Enough, we’ve got to find her first.’
Logan stepped into the elevator with as few steps as he could possibly take from the Rec Room. He hit the appropriate button and took in Marie… She had been on the elevator recently as a couple hours ago. It slowly faded because not much air flow went through the elevator when the doors stayed closed all the time. When he got to the Danger Room, the panel on the outside wall told him that there were no active programs running. He went to the control board inside the control booth and tried to find out what modes Marie ran. Access was denied because she had password protected them from Logan’s view. He tried sequences of names and numbers, and couldn’t crack the password. He growled at the control board and considered skewering it but, Chuck would have his hide and he didn’t want to spend the rest of his days believing he was a six year old girl. The showers seemed to be the next logical stop but, the Wolverine made him go back upstairs. Searching the female showers would have only brought him smells of more salt water, fear, guilt, sadness, and left him feeling empty because she wasn’t there. Once he got outside to the fresh air, he caught Marie’s scent. He picked up the trail and thought she was down in the Boat House. He checked there but, the lights were out and her scent went another direction. He followed it out to the nearby Dock…
The Dock
Xavier Lake
Xavier’s School for Gifted Students
Westchester, NY.
1:00 A.M.
Marie’s scent disappeared at the end of the dock but, there was a boat out on top of the frozen lake. It was a flat bottomed boat so it was easy to slide on the ice. Bobby had frozen the lake early in November after Thanksgiving for those that liked to ice skate. He could smell her sent strongly in the direction of the boat so she had to be out there. Logan worried about her catching a cold out in the chilly cold night air.
“Marie, darlin,’ you out here?” He asked calmly as he could to rouse her.
He didn’t want to panic her with his worry by using a different tone of voice.
“Yeah,” quietly came back to him. It sounded a bit sad.
He wasn’t sure the frozen lake would take his adamantium skeleton walking across it but he dared it anyway for Marie. He walked up to the boat and as he peered over the edge he could see she was in a sleeping bag with a pillow behind her head, just looking up at the sky.
“You okay darlin’?”
“Ah’m fine,” her short clipped answer came out.
He knew he was in trouble… No woman ever said she was fine when she actually was fine and Logan knew Marie to know she was upset. He didn’t blame her. He’d been senseless and dense since he’d left the school. He’d especially been an insensitive idiot and hadn’t called her to let her know he was okay. Out of the blue, he could smell salt water.
“Look, I’m sorry baby, I lost track of the time.”
Logan stepped inside the boat and sat down on one of the seats over her feet; her shins between his ankles. He looked at her while she continued to look up.
Marie just couldn’t look at him because she was afraid she’d fall to pieces. She had opened the water works in gladness that he had returned. She was beginning to worry that he had been recaptured. The stars had kept her entertained while she tried to think about various things, hoped to finally sort things out, and solve a few issues. The night sky was so gorgeous because there were no disturbing streetlights creating a barrier to a clear view. Marie had actually seen what she thought was a satellite pass over a couple times.
“Are ya okay now?”
“Yeah, I’m better but, I’ve got bad news, darlin’.”
“Good.” Marie sat up and whacked him as hard as she could on his outer arm to release her frustration. “Now tell meh ‘bout yer news.”
“I guess I deserve that. I’ll own up to it. Good ol’ Vic Junior has been spotted in the area.”
“Should we tell tha Professah?”
“I have to check things out before I bring it to Chuck.”
“Just, just please beh careful, Logan,” she said as she was still sitting up, and looking at him sitting over her shins.
“Always darlin’. Are we good?”
“Ah suppose.”
“I really am sorry. I just needed some time alone.”
“Ya don’t have ta apolajahz fer needin’ tahm alone. Ah just wanted a call that ya were okay. Hours were passin’ and nothin’… Ah started ta worry some other government had taken ya ta anothah secret lab. And, and, no word was drivin’ meh crazy. Ah worried ya weren’t yerself after our meetin’ and ah worried, bad.”
“I’m sorry. Marie, you know that will never happen as long as I breathe, not again, ever.”
“Baby, mah mama used ta say, nevah say nevah. There’s always a possibility in tha tahms we-ah livin’ in.”
“No, I won’t allow them to take me, or you, or anyone from the school grounds. If they do, they’ll have to kill me first. And even after that, it won’t be long before I’m comin’ for you. Hell will rain down on them. Like I’ve said darlin,’ I’m the best there is at what I do, and what I do isn’t very nice.”
“Come, take meh inside and warm meh up… With hot chocolate or anythin’ else ya got handy.” Logan raised the eyebrow.
“I think that can be arranged, darlin’.”
Marie felt like she was floating on clouds as Logan carried her in his arms from the lake to the Boat House.
Boat House Kitchenette
Xavier’s School for Gifted Students
Westchester, NY.
1:35 A.M.
While Marie was in the bedroom getting ready for bed, Logan was on the phone to the Professor at an ungodly hour. It rang three times before someone finally picked up.
“Hellooh?” A strange sounding answer came. “I’m awake now, ohm.”
“Moira, is Charles available,” Logan asked quietly, as if he could undo waking the doctor up.
“Please hold,” she said as Charles planted a kiss on the back of her neck. She handed him the phone, “I’ll leave you two ta talk.”
“What is it Logan? You know, you aren’t the only one in this school who’d like to get nooky time with his girl,” Logan didn’t know Charles had his hand cupped around Moira’s right breast.
“Sorry to interrupt, this’ll be quick. I was callin’ to invite you to lunch, my treat. I’ve got something to ask you and it can’t be done over the phone.”
“Fine, I will meet you in the foyer about twelve-thirty.”
“Thanks, see ya then and give my apologies to Moira about interrupting.”
“Goodnight, Logan.”
“Night, Chuck.”
Logan heard the line click on the other end and he let out a rip-roaring peel of laughter at Charles’ use of the word, ‘nooky.’ His boss was acting like a common teenager. Maybe the boss needed a vacation to get away from all the horny teenage angst around the school?
“More power to him,” Logan remarked as he headed to the bedroom to warm up Marie.
Logan considered telling Marie about the Professor and the ‘nooky’ thing later. Eventually, Jubilee would find out about it through her best friend, and the gossip mill would go to work. He almost felt sorry for the X-Men founder.
Logan’s Room
Instructor’s Wing
Xavier’s School for Gifted Students
11:25 A.M.
Marie wouldn’t let him leave the bed earlier; kept finding ways to pull him back in for more rounds. Finally, Logan tired her out. He knew she wouldn’t be walking any time soon. Then he rushed up to the school, to his room to get a quickie shower before he needed to dress, and meet Chuck for lunch. He noticed the boxes in his room and remembered that he had bought that giant Winnie the Pooh bear. He considered asking him if he could build a nursery as he put on a clean, white tank, and clean jeans. Sure it was too soon to start a family with Marie but, they were screwing like rabbits; a pregnancy was bound to happen sooner or later.
Marie Calendar’s
Westview Mall
Westchester, NY.
1:00 P.M.
Logan and Charles sipped on beer in mugs at a table while waiting for their food to arrive.
“So what is it that couldn’t wait, Logan?”
“I know this is stupid to be doin’ this and I don’t want Marie to know.”
“Okay,” Charles said, perked up his an eyebrow in curiosity.
“I was wonderin’ if you would walk her down the aisle, just in case we can’t get her dad to the wedding.”
“I see. I’d be honored but I don’t understand the secrecy.”
“I wanna have a back-up in case her father is against me marryin’ his daughter or mutants.”
“Understood.”
“I plan to drive her down to her parents to try and fix this thing between them. She should have her parents at the wedding. I don’t want her to regret it for the rest of our lives if she doesn’t at least personally invite them. If they don’t want to come, then piss on ‘em, and Marie and I can move on with our lives knowin’ we at least tried to mend fences.”
“True but, don’t cause a further rift if you can help it; that won’t be good for you or Marie.”
“I know. I just want her to have the best,” Logan took a long sip from his beer as the waitress came back with a fresh basket of bread.
“So when do you plan on proposing? Have you made plans?”
“I’m gonna propose to Marie on the spot where we had our first date on New Year’s Eve.”
“I had no idea you’d aim that high, sufficiently surprised over here.”
“I’m in debt up to my ears to Hank. He’s tryin’ to arrange everything at the location. I know there won’t be roses there because we’re in the middle of winter but, I’ve got special plans for that.”
“You’re going to owe him big time, you know that.”
“Yeah, but I’d do anything for Marie.”
“That I do know.”
Out of the blue, their food arrived. Charles had ordered a chicken pot pie meal; which included a piece of garlic Texas toast and desert. He had his eye on the pecan pie in the bakery window he passed on the way to their table. Logan chose pot roast with stewed vegetables and it included the garlic Texas toast as well. Charles could sense there was more on Logan’s mind. Between waiting for his next bite on his spoon to cool and cooling his burning tongue from the food being too hot, he opened the doorway for Logan to open up.
“I sense there is something else weighing on your mind, how can I help?”
“You know how Marie and I are, what do you think about the addition of a nursery to the school?”
“Is Marie…,” he asked, trying to get to the root of Logan’s thoughts.
“Not yet,” Logan smiled. “But that won’t be for long I think.”
“How does Marie feel about this project?”
“Don’t know, haven’t talked about it.”
“Don’t get the cart before the horse Logan. I think your main focus should be on marrying your fiancée first.”
“I know. I know.”
“Have you considered that Marie might not want children, given her mutation?”
“Well, no but, that shouldn’t matter. She has control over it now. She’d be able to help our children control it.”
“That’s not the point Logan. Because of her mutation, she may not be able to carry a child full term. Her mutation might kill the fetus,” Charles said lowly.
Logan hadn’t considered that. Couldn’t she use his mutation from her store and heal? He couldn’t help but want a family with Marie. The feral side of him almost demanded that he procreate and have a family with his mate. He wondered if she might consider adopting a child or two. He’d have a pack then regardless of if the children were biologically his or not.
“I didn’t mean to sound harsh Logan but, you need to discuss this with Marie.”
“No, I appreciate your honesty. I hadn’t thought about how she’d feel.”
“When the time is right, I will make the appropriate arrangements to build a nursery,” Charles said.
Logan’s Room
Instructor’s Wing
Xavier’s School for Gifted Students
Westchester, NY.
3:00 P.M.
When Logan got back to his room the giant box that arrived from California caught his attention. Xavier’s words came back to haunt him. What if she couldn’t bear him children at all? He didn’t want the giant present to be a downer so; he found a space for it as well as the parasols in the attic away from view. He hoped that Marie wouldn’t ask him about it. The one thing Xavier was right about; now wasn’t the time to worry about having children with Marie. He hadn’t even proposed to her yet. What if she said no? No, she wouldn’t do that because she was the one who asked him first. Logan sat on his bed and looked in his night stand for a phonebook. He flipped through it a few times before he finally found a decent looking limousine company. He picked up the portable hand-held phone and dialed the number. He explained his case and they couldn’t help him. Then he discovered that Washington, D.C. didn’t have one to spare… Until he found one by calling the last name in the book and made a reservation for Thursday.
The Wolverine & Rogue Fanfiction Archive
Barely Legal Since 2000
Author's Chapter Notes:
Logan has to grovel... And special favors... Of Marie and the Professor...
I hope you all like this! Because they screwed me up Friday, I threw myself into writing another two chapters. Those are at the beta now.
I know I'm posting alot but, I want to get ya'll to Logan's proposal... Which is coming VERY soon!
Love and hugs to all!
Thank you to serafim, Xgirl14, and TrickyBusiness, and tamisnead, ya'll rock!
Enjoy!
I hope you all like this! Because they screwed me up Friday, I threw myself into writing another two chapters. Those are at the beta now.
I know I'm posting alot but, I want to get ya'll to Logan's proposal... Which is coming VERY soon!
Love and hugs to all!
Thank you to serafim, Xgirl14, and TrickyBusiness, and tamisnead, ya'll rock!
Enjoy!
Chapter End Notes:
Love me, love me, and please send a review! Thanks in advance for your reviews!